Chapter 6: [Vol.1] Chapter 4: A New Journey

(Part 1)

Two weeks had passed since everything had changed. Two weeks had passed since the intruder painted the walls of House Tensei with blood, and Ritzo had collapsed in Aurora’s arms. Now he lay in her chambers, his breath deep yet gentle as he curled beneath the blue blanket, knees tucked tightly against his chest. Then he twitched, his hands clenched, and streams of tears slipped from his closed eyes.

“Aurora!”

He sprang upright, breathing heavily. The name tore from his lips and sounded more like a gasp than a call. Memories struck all at once: the forest, the intruder, the blade, and the wound he had given his sister. He bolted from the room. Tatami mats slapped beneath his feet as he raced through the corridors, the walls stretching like a maze that seemed determined to hold him back. Her face. Her wound. The one he had caused. The images returned again and again, each more vivid than the last. Eventually, he slid open a fusuma door and stopped. Aurora sat in the lush, green grass outside. She sat calmly, bathed in the bright glow of the morning light. The light touched her as though nothing had ever gone wrong. Her gaze lingered in the sky, searching for something beyond reach, until her eyes lowered and met his.

“Sit with me, Ritzo.”

Her voice was quiet. He stepped forward, hesitant and confused, his eyes scanning her body for proof of the wound he had given her. There was nothing: no bandages, no stains; she sat there as though nothing had ever happened. His chest tightened, the words I thought I… caught in his throat, but before he could speak, Aurora glanced at him with a faint smile on her lips. With a gentle pat on the ground, she called him once more to sit beside her. As the morning stretched on, Aurora told him the truth. The intruder had not been an outsider. He was a Tenshiro, sent from another branch to eliminate the heirs of House Tensei.

“Within the Tenshiro clan, Ritzo, there are a dozen houses like ours.”

Ritzo listened in silence, his gaze fixed on her, but every time she spoke of House Tensei, a cold shiver ran down his spine, and his body twitched involuntarily.

“None of our houses sees eye to eye,” Aurora continued. “We are always fighting each other.” Her gaze lifted to the endless blue above as she paused. “Tomorrow morning, I shall be leaving.”

It took Ritzo a moment to process the words. His head snapped toward her, panic flashing across his face. “Leave? Where to?”

Aurora turned to him, calm as usual. “Father says I can no longer train here, that I must travel the world and join the D.S.O.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Ritzo’s eyes widened as his body began to tremble. What? Why? He opened his mouth to protest, desperate to convince her to stay, but no words came. His gaze dropped, his thoughts spiralling into fear. Can I go with her? No, Father would never allow it. But I cannot stay here with him, not alone.

“Ritzo, you can come with me.”

Huh? Did she just… His head snapped up, his whole body jolting as if he had misheard.

Aurora met his eyes with firm resolve. “Father wants you to join the D.S.O as well. He said you could come with me. Assuming I don’t let demons gobble you up”

Ritzo sat frozen, the moment stretching endlessly before him. Then, at last, his lips parted. “Huh?”

The next morning, Aurora gave her father one final farewell. Her voice was steady, her resolve unshaken. Then she turned toward the path ahead, the path that would one day lead her to become a member of the D.S.O. Ritzo followed close behind, silent and determined. He did not look back as his father’s words meant nothing to him now. All that mattered was her. Together they disappeared down the stone path, step by step, toward destiny. Their father remained behind in silence, still as a statue. Only when they were gone did the faintest smile appear…

----------------------------------------

(Part 2)

“Walk faster, Ritzo.”

“We’ve been walking for days, Aurora; can’t we sit, just once?”

Aurora turned and glared at him; it was an attempt to show him some tough love, but a small laugh slipped through as Ritzo stomped his feet and stood with a wide, defiant stance.

“What’s so funny?” Ritzo muttered, shifting the heavy pack on his shoulders. “And this bag, too… why do I have to carry it?”

She did not answer. Three days had passed since they had left the Tensei Residence, and in that time, they had not stopped to rest, drink, or even eat a proper meal. Now they walked deep within the forest, where the trees rose like ancient pillars, their twisted trunks clawing toward the mist-veiled sky. The air was damp and heavy with the smell of rain-soaked earth, and beneath it lingered another scent; rot. Aurora stopped, then her hand shot up. Ritzo froze as the mist closed in around them.

“One…”

“Four…”

“No… two…”

The voice slid through the fog; it was smooth and cold, like silk stretched across blades. A shape emerged, gliding instead of walking. A demon.

Aurora pointed toward it. “Go, Ritzo.” He understood at once; no questions, no hesitation. The demon stirred, and the air shifted. Trees bent, crows screamed from the canopy, and then silence followed. It lunged, bone-carved blades jutting from its arm. Ritzo dropped from the trees above; his pale hair caught the light, and his blade flashed once.

“Aargh!”

The strike was clean; the body fell still. Ritzo trembled as he stared at it, fear and relief fighting in his chest.

“That… wasn’t so bad,” he muttered, though the smile that followed was thin and wrong.

“Aurora?” he called, but there was no answer.

Suddenly, the sound of crushed leaves echoed behind him, and he spun, but nothing was there. The corpse was gone. A whisper drifted through the mist.

“You are one of them, aren’t you?”

“One of what?” Ritzo’s voice shook.

No reply came. The fog thickened, and the trees pressed closer. Talons sliced forward, inches from his face. The world cracked; thunder roared, a blade screamed, and void energy tore through its flesh, mind, and spirit. Aurora stood calmly beside him, as blood rained over her. And for the first time, Ritzo wondered, which of them the world should fear more.