Chapter 99
She really likes Kiyomitsu.
The scene inside the citadel had fallen into the dead of night, with everything hidden in darkness.
The withered trees creaked eerily in the cold wind, and the dry grass, completely crushed underfoot, rustled slightly.
Fuyuki closed his eyes and waited quietly.
The warm feeling in her chest never faded, and she could foresee what would happen next. If all went well, everything would end tonight.
A familiar figure walked towards the castle tower, holding a dimly lit book-like object in his hand.
That was the sword roster belonging to this citadel.
He gripped the katana at his waist tightly, its sharp blade resting neatly in his palm.
As he climbed the stairs step by step, his heart pounded, his breathing became heavy, and everything small seemed magnified at that moment.
He stopped in his tracks and stared at the tightly closed door in front of him.
The horrific memories of the past washed over my mind, making every nerve throb violently—screams, blood, despair, and those bloody eyes that never materialized.
That was a Saniwa who had never trusted a Tsukumogami.
What exactly did that person consider the tsukumogami to be?
Toy or slave?
When those actions were taken, did that heart made of flesh and blood also feel a trace of reluctance?
He asked countless times, but never received an answer.
Because at the very beginning, that person already—
Ichigo Hitofuri's eyes were somewhat vacant; he stared blankly at the familiar door, and every now and then, the hand holding the sword curtain would touch the door in front of him.
Use force.
Push it away.
But all the questions were meaningless now, because things had reached a point that drove him to despair.
And the new hope he found lies here.
There is no longer the isolation barrier that never disappeared. Now, this place is just like every other place in the citadel; it's just an ordinary house.
The castle tower no longer symbolizes the absolute power of the Saniwa, because there is no Saniwa in this Honmaru.
We won't have any more; Honmaru only needs a spiritual energy supply machine.
That was his original thought.
Squeak—
The decaying door groaned under its own weight.
The darkness could not stop Ichigo Hitofuri's gaze; he accurately spotted the Saniwa sleeping soundly on the bed.
The little one was breathing evenly and had a rosy complexion. Even in such an unfamiliar place, she was sleeping soundly.
Is this level of trust necessary?
The first phase of the project was halted.
He hesitated for a moment, but still strode over to Fuyuki's side.
He placed the sword-shaped curtain in his hand beside her, and at the same time, the paper with the inscribed formation tucked inside the curtain was unfolded.
The ancient and mysterious runes flowed, standing out prominently in the night.
Just as if he had practiced a million times, Ichigo Hitofuri carried out his movements methodically.
He wants to offer a sacrifice...
Even with wavering in his heart, he would continue.
It was as if purgatory had been presented in this small room, with scarlet blood, billowing black mist, and the remains of swords and blades appearing one by one.
The array emitted a faint light, the only source of light in the darkness, absorbing all life in the air and the last remnants.
Everything is mixed, blended, rejected, accepted... and finally, stripped away.
Ichigo Hitofuri stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
The runes' confinement and immense power were shattered, and the girl, who should have been fast asleep, opened her eyes at that moment.
Those familiar eyes held no trace of confusion, only clarity.
"Good evening."
She greeted him with a natural smile.
This seemingly casual remark felt like a final judgment, the sword hanging overhead slowly falling.
Ichigo Hitofuri didn't say anything. He decisively grabbed the sword book and papers beside him and was about to rush out of the room.
Those who are sent by the government to plot against the fallen spirits are definitely not simple beings, and we must not mistake them for innocent cubs just because of their young appearance.
In that case, no one knows how long someone who appears young has actually lived.
However, he stopped in his tracks the next second, looking warily at what was in front of him.
Fuyuki looked at him silently, and stiffly spoke under the increasingly wary gaze of the tsukumogami: "...You can't escape."
She was on a mission and couldn't let the target escape before her eyes.
As soon as he finished speaking, the once calm and gloomy sky seemed to be torn open, with waves of air churning inside.
Golden light continuously emanated from the ground, outlining a massive array and defining absolute passageways.
It is a large teleportation array.
The main force has arrived.
Unlike his usual gentle demeanor, Ichigo Hitofuri remained expressionless: "What a clever scheme."
His tone was icy: "A very clever disguise."
Dongshu looked at him without saying anything.
But this silence only confirmed Ichigo Hitofuri's taunts.
The air was no longer calm, blowing up their loose hair and causing their clothes to billow in elegant arcs due to the air currents.
Everything is poised to happen; even in isolated spaces, where the inside and outside are interconnected, there is no possibility of independence.
Ichigo Hitofuri quickly realized his predicament, but he did not want to give up.
He said bitterly, "So from the very beginning...human beings are indeed hypocritical."
Just like that person.
My already wounded heart felt as if it had been pricked with a needle again—not obvious, but painful nonetheless.
How ironic.
"If you want to arrest me, come on." He drew his katana from his waist, his blood-red eyes filled with ferocity: "I'd like to see what you've got up your sleeve!"
Fuyuki had no intention of doing it herself.
She stood quietly in her original spot, a hint of sadness and pain suddenly appearing in her eyes.
This appearance doesn't resemble Ichigo Hitofuri at all.
A gentle older brother...
Is it still Ichigo Hitofuri who uses every means possible, even sacrificing other people's lives, to create a sliver of possibility?
She couldn't be sure.
Night holds no sway over the corrupted katana, for its crimson eyes grant it powerful night vision.
The fact that their combat power is also fully revealed is one of the reasons why the corrupted spirits are so troublesome.
Ichigo Ichiko's movements were as swift as the wind, unlike the clumsy movements of a katana.
As he drew near, Fuyuki skillfully deployed his spiritual energy shield.
Ichigo Hitofuri gazed at the alluring atmosphere before him, yet felt only despair, as if he had returned to that day.
All the brothers and all the companions were turned into pieces.
Hidden at the very end, he seized the last opportunity to kill the villain.
But it was too late.
It's all too late, it's all over.
"Go to hell!"
Everything was the same as that day, except that he couldn't kill the person in front of him.
Even if it looks much weaker.
Dongshu approached him step by step, as if strolling leisurely in a garden.
Now that his power has been fully restored, nothing can threaten his true self.
Besides my mother, and the world.
Fuyuki let Ichigo Hitofuri unleash his furious attacks, taking one last look at the tsukumogami who had completely succumbed to his corrupted state.
His dark eyes seemed to hold nothing.
Her previous emotions were all an illusion. She lowered her eyes and saw the swords rushing towards her. A smile suddenly appeared on her lips.
"Aruji—"
They are calling her.
Passing through the corrupted spirit before her, she saw her own sword.
The isolation was broken; she opened her arms to welcome Ichigo Hitofuri's attack, and also...
She said, "I'm here."
A constant murmur in my ear.
"Oh dear, Master, be careful! How could you deactivate the shield at a time like this?"
They got a lesson.
Dongshu closed her eyes, immersing herself in the embrace that enveloped her.
"......I see."
"real?"
The young Saniwa suddenly looked up and nodded her little head firmly: "Yes! Really!"
"...That smile is unfair," the tsukumogami muttered to itself. "Isn't she cuter than me...?"
"I like Kiyomitsu."
I was embraced tightly.
"Mmm... Ah... I like Master too."
The noise stopped.
The temperature has also risen.
Fuyuki put his arm around the neck of the boy's spirit, no longer paying attention to the battle that was already a foregone conclusion.
She hugged him tightly.
Just like in the very beginning.
In the snowy field where they met, the boy gazed reverently at her young and frightened self, offering her the greatest reassurance.
This time, she said that sentence again in her own language.
Then.
She saw the same joy as always.
Fuyuki closed her eyes in relief.
very nice......
[Author's Note]
The cover features a little winter tree struggling to count her workload, oh dear~ so pitiful [crying emoji]
Baby, baby, you're still a child. When you're lost, just hug your sword. [Sprinkling flowers] Sword will always be there, always there, even if you get lost again, it will still be there.
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