Haru jumped to his feet, frozen in shock. He stammered:
— W-what are you saying? I-I'm not Aki!
Akira kept his gaze on the ground.
— There's no need to deny it. I will punish you according to the kingdom's laws.
Haru immediately protested:
— I-I'm innocent! I-I don't know what happened to Aki!
Akira turned to Haru with a cold glare:
— The only thing I want to know… is why you killed yourself using the Spirit Technique and entered your brother's body to kill him.
Haru's hands began to tremble. He gritted his teeth and whispered:
— I cannot be caught… no… no!
Blue energy began to emanate from his hands.
— I'll kill you here! That way no one will find out!
Akira pulled out Setsuna, but remained seated.
— You're going to kill me?
Haru formed a chain from the blue energy.
— Yes! Even among soldiers, I was very talented. A kid like you can't defeat me!
He swung the chain fiercely at Akira. Akira caught it effortlessly with his hand. Slowly, he stood up; both his body and Setsuna began to glow purple. He glanced at Haru from the side. Haru sensed a terrifying aura… the aura of a killer who had slain hundreds. His entire body shook in fear.
— Y-you… you're… the cruel owner of Setsuna… V-Valen!!
Akira spoke in a cold voice:
— Now, explain.
Haru realized he couldn't win if they fought. He had already lost due to Akira's overwhelming presence and aura. Yet, he didn't want to die.
— L-leave me alone!
— Why should I let a murderer go?
Haru shouted:
— You've killed hundreds of people!
Akira spoke in a serious tone:
— The difference between us is that I don't do this willingly.
Haru was surprised.
— Then why?
Akira didn't answer, brushing off the question:
— Anyway… before I kill you, I want to know why you did this.
Haru remained silent for a moment, then clenched his fists.
— Because I was jealous of my brother…
— Jealous?
Haru continued:
— When I was in elementary school, I met a girl. We went to school together until high school and were good friends, but I felt more than friendship for her. I never confessed my feelings. At the end of high school, during graduation, I gathered all my courage and confessed. But she rejected me. Since meeting my brother, she had started liking him. The girl I loved was fascinated by soldiers. I was talented too, so I became a soldier to get close to her, hoping she would love me. But two years later, my brother married her… I was devastated. I felt like my whole life was wasted. For a year, life felt empty; I didn't care about anything. Then, one day, I overheard a rumor at the palace: someone had killed themselves, used the Spirit Technique, and entered another person's body…
Akira spoke thoughtfully:
— And that's why you killed yourself.
Haru brought his hands to his face:
— I loved my brother… but recently I began to hate him. After planning everything, I went to him and made sure he would follow me. Once we were away from the village, I killed myself with my sword. Before dying, I used the forbidden technique. When my brother came, he looked at my dead body and wept. At that moment, I entered his body and killed his spirit… I didn't just take his body, I took his memories as well. And for two months, I impersonated my brother. Those two months were the happiest time of my life…
— So the woman you loved is Yuzuki…
— Yes… I love her more than anything.
Akira brought his sword to Haru's neck.
— Thank you for satisfying my curiosity… now I will kill you.
Haru sensed he was about to be killed. Acting on impulse, he ran to his room and locked the door. Yuzuki wasn't in the bedroom. He ran to the door and shouted:
— Yuzuki! Quickly, we have to go!
He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge; it felt like some energy was holding it. Behind him, the sound of glass breaking came—the garden door. Akira entered the bedroom and spoke in a cold voice:
— There's nowhere to run, Aki.
Haru realized he couldn't escape. Accepting his death, he had no other choice. Akira slammed Haru against the wall with a wave of purple energy, immobilizing him.
Haru looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath:
— I wish I could have lived this dream-like life a little longer…
Akira started approaching Haru. Just then, the bedroom door opened. Yuzuki and Seraphina entered, smiling. They froze at the scene. Yuzuki immediately ran to Haru.
— Haru, are you okay? What's happening here?!
Haru didn't respond. He lifted his hand to Yuzuki's cheek:
— I love you, Yuzuki.
— I love you too… But why are you saying this now?
Seraphina looked at Akira:
— What's going on?
Akira replied in a cold voice:
— That's not Haru. This man… killed his own brother… Yuzuki's husband, Haru.
Yuzuki still didn't understand.
Akira continued:
— He is actually Aki.
Yuzuki thought it was a joke, because Aki had died.
— It's not funny to joke like that—
Tears streamed from Haru's eyes:
— I'm sorry, Yuzuki… I'm sorry…
Yuzuki froze.
— Th-this can't be…
Akira pressed Haru against the wall with his energy.
— Haru died two months ago. I'm sorry for your loss.
Tears flowed from Yuzuki's eyes.
— Aki… why did you do this?!
— Because I love you… but you didn't want me.
Yuzuki fell to her knees, tears streaming like a river. Akira walked toward Haru in heavy steps. He pulled back his sword to stab. Haru closed his eyes; his death was certain.
Akira thrust his sword. Blood spilled on the floor… but an unexpected thing happened. Yuzuki had placed herself in front of Haru, stopping the sword from going further into him.
Akira and Seraphina froze.
— Yuzuki!! — Seraphina shouted.
Haru, hearing Seraphina's scream, opened his eyes. In front of him, Yuzuki stood bleeding from her stomach. Tears streamed from Haru's eyes.
— Yuzuki…
Akira couldn't understand.
— Why?! Why did you do this! He killed your husband!!
Yuzuki steadied her trembling body and looked at Akira with determination:
— Because Haru and Aki… are my reason to live. Even if I can never forgive Aki, I cannot allow him to die.
— But now you're going to die!
— It doesn't matter…
Akira's hands trembled. He gritted his teeth.
— I'm sorry, Yuzuki.
Akira pushed the sword forward. Yuzuki's fingers were severed, and the sword pierced into Haru's heart behind her. Before closing his eyes, Haru spoke one last time:
— Because of me, you died too… I'm a terrible person…
Yuzuki smiled through her tears at Akira:
— You're so cruel… I hope you're happy…
Yuzuki's eyes closed. Akira pulled his sword back; both bodies fell to the floor.
Sato entered, smiling, and froze at the sight of the corpses.
Akira looked at Sato as he stepped into the garden:
— Can you clean up the bodies?
Sato nodded. Seraphina followed Akira. Akira sat on a long garden bench, hands on his head, wearing a terrifying expression.
— I killed an innocent person… I killed her…
Seraphina sat beside him and rested his head on her shoulder.
— It's not your fault. You couldn't have known she would throw herself in front of your sword.
— If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened!
— She committed suicide to protect her husband's killer. That's not your fault. You were just doing your job.
The terrifying expression on Akira's face slowly eased. He looked at Seraphina and smiled:
— If you weren't here, I would have lost my mind by now.
— I'm glad I'm here. Appreciate me! — Seraphina smiled.
Sato came to them:
— I buried the bodies and cleaned the blood. Now we need to return to Eldravon to report to Lady Makise.
Akira stood.
— Okay, thank you. Let's go.
Thus, they completed their mission in the village and set out for Eldravon. The sunrise made the surroundings look beautiful. The trio traveled silently to the Twelve Palaces.
As soon as Akira entered the palace, he went to his room, changed, and took a shower. Under the water, he looked into the mirror, lost in thought; it relaxed him. He carefully cleaned the bloody sword, Setsuna. Suddenly, the water on the floor turned blood-red, and blood flowed from the showerhead.
Akira turned his face down; it felt like he had experienced this before. Looking in the mirror, he saw the corpses of Haru and Yuzuki behind him. He flinched.
The bodies began to bite and tear at Akira's flesh. They spoke in terrifying voices:
— You killed us!
— You're a cruel person!
Akira's body trembled but he couldn't react. Blood flowed from the sword, Setsuna. This time, he heard many voices:
— You killed us all!
— You're a sinner!
When Seraphina knocked on the bathroom door, the blood and corpses disappeared.
— Another hallucination? — she asked.
— Yes.
— I see… If you need anything, tell me.
— I will.
— Any plans today? We could go out together.
— First, I'll visit Yui's grave, then meet Saki.
Seraphina clenched her fists.
— Then I won't disturb you.
I can't lose to Saki… she thought.
Before leaving the room, she asked one last question.
— I'm going to report to Makise. Will you say anything to her?
— I want to deliver the report myself.
— Okay, she's waiting in her room.
Seraphina left Akira's room. Akira turned off the shower, dried himself, dressed, strapped his swords to his waist, and left the room.
Walking down the grand corridors toward Makise's room, a child ran past him. Akira was surprised; someone like Makise wouldn't normally allow a child in the palace. He waved at the child:
— Hello, what are you doing here?
The child looked at him:
— Sorry, I can't tell. Mrs. Makise doesn't want me talking to anyone in the palace.
Akira smiled:
— Oh really? But I'm Makise's friend.
Just as the child was about to answer, a voice came from Makise's room:
— Both of you, come here.
The child ran inside. Makise sat in her chair, smiling, and hugged the child.
— Lady Makise, who is this child? — Akira asked.
Makise caressed the child's cheeks:
— I'll explain later. First, give me your mission report.
— As you said, we went to Elder Village. Thanks to my right eye, I quickly located the spirit. To be sure, we stayed a day at their house. Once confirmed, I killed the spirit. However, the girl the spirit loved jumped in front of it, and an innocent person died as a result.
Makise turned to Akira:
— Hmm… never mind, it's not important. Innocents always die.
Akira looked at the child:
— Are you going to tell me now?
Makise nodded and sat the child on her lap:
— Look, Himari, this is your brother Akira. He's my most valuable soldier, a very good person.
The child stood and hugged Akira:
— Akira-nii!
Akira knelt and stroked the child's head:
— You're so adorable…
The child giggled.
Makise smiled:
— I found him in the forest. She had no family, alone. I decided to bring him to the palace. Actually, she had died with his family. She must have been talented, because she accidentally used the Spirit Technique and entered another child's body.
Akira's face froze. His hands began to shake. He stared at Makise with a hard gaze.
Makise walked toward the door.
— But we cannot punish a child for that, can we? After all, he didn't know what he was doing.
Akira whispered in a cold voice:
— Ma-ki-se…
Makise leaned close to Akira's ear and spoke softly:
— Don't forget to clean up the mess… I'm counting on my number one pawn.
Makise slowly left the room and closed the door. Akira stared at the child in a frozen state.
The child didn't understand anything. She laughed and said:
— Let's play, Akira-nii!
——
Akira sat alone on the palace terrace, quietly watching the city below. His hand slowly wiped the blood from his black sword with a cloth. When the terrace door opened, someone stepped inside and silently took a seat beside him.
Akira sheathed his sword.
— What is it, Reina?
Reina let out a deep sigh.
— This time, I didn't come to lecture you, don't worry.
Akira turned to her.
— Then why are you here?
Reina answered calmly:
— Arisawa Riven…
Akira's voice instantly turned icy.
— What happened to Arisawa?
Reina continued:
— You know he hasn't been seen by anyone but his servants for three years. He doesn't attend council meetings, and he never leaves his room. They say he's addicted to drugs.
Akira kept his tone cold.
— Yes… he was addicted.
Reina took a deep breath.
— Akabane sent me. The council doesn't currently recognize him as a member and wants to expel him from the palace.
Akira asked quietly:
— And what do you want me to do?
— Akira, you were close to Arisawa. Akabane thinks you might have seen him recently.
Akira stood up.
— I'm sorry… but I haven't seen him in three years either.
He began walking down the stairs. Reina called after him.
— Akira, could you go see him? He might let you in.
Akira continued down the stairs.
— No. I won't go see a drug-addled scoundrel.
He walked quickly down the steps and left the palace. Passing through Eldravon's quiet streets, he headed for a cemetery outside the city. There, he stopped in front of a grave that read "Yui Volt" and knelt quietly. He sprinkled seeds he had brought and began watering them. Speaking softly to himself, he said:
— I'm here, Yui. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner… my missions keep piling up, I've been busy…
He stared silently at the grave for a while.
— This time, I brought the seeds my grandmother gave me. She said they bloom beautifully. It's kind of funny to imagine my grandmother doing stuff like this!
As Akira spoke to himself, a well-built man entered the cemetery and walked toward Yui's grave. He was surprised to see someone else there. "Who is this? What is he doing at Yui's grave?" he thought.
He placed a flower on the grave and looked at the kneeling man. Suddenly, he shouted in a joyful tone:
— Akira!!
The voice sounded familiar. The man looked closely at the face and jumped to his feet.
— Raiga!
Raiga slapped Akira on the shoulder.
— Has it really been four years since we last met?
Akira spoke excitedly.
— Yes, it's been quite a while… How have you been?
— I'm well. Nothing in life has gone badly compared to the military. And you?
— I can't say I'm well… By the way, it's my first time seeing you here.
Raiga chuckled lightly.
— You know, I left Eldravon and settled in a distant village. It takes a long time for me to come here, so it's rare.
Akira sighed.
— I wish I could have settled somewhere far after leaving the army too.
— Why, can't you?
Akira's face darkened.
— Complicated events happened… and in the end, I lost my freedom.
Raiga looked shocked.
— I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?
— No, thank you.
Raiga's eyes wandered to Akira's insignia.
— Your title has reached even our village. You must have achieved great things.
— I wouldn't call it a good title.
Raiga smiled again.
— I don't understand why they call you "Cruel Valen." You're a very good person.
Akira touched the hilt of his sword.
— Raiga… I've changed a lot. I'm no longer the Akira you think you know.
Raiga's expression turned serious.
— I understand… You must have made difficult choices.
— Something like that…
A silence fell between them. Raiga finally asked:
— So… did you get married?
— No, but Seraphina and I love each other. How about you? Did you marry?
Raiga spoke proudly.
— Yes, I did. I even have a little daughter.
Akira looked at him in surprise.
— That's wonderful. I'm happy for you.
Raiga approached Akira with a bright smile.
— Would you like to visit our home as a guest?
— That would be nice, but unfortunately, I'm busy today. And where I go, I'm not usually welcomed.
— That's fine. I'll show them that your title is ridiculous. Besides, my wife really wants to see you. You can come anytime you want.
Akira thought for a moment.
— Then I'll come tomorrow.
— Of course!
Raiga pulled a map from his pocket.
— This is our village's location. It's a bit far, so you'll need to leave early. You can spend the night with us.
— Okay, thank you, Raiga.
Raiga returned to Yui's grave.
— Who would've thought we'd meet again here, at Yui's grave…
Akira returned to the grave.
— Raiga… I'm not angry at you for her death.
— I know… But after all, he died because of me, and I rarely even visit her grave.
— If he were here, he wouldn't want to see us like this.
Raiga turned and began to leave the cemetery.
— Anyway… I'm glad to see you again. Tomorrow, I'll make you the most perfect meals you've ever had in your life.
Akira smiled slightly.
— Hearing you say that makes me even more excited.
Raiga mounted his horse at the gate and rode off. Akira headed toward the upper parts of Eldravon, planning to meet his friend Saki for an evening walk.
As darkness fell, he avoided the city's streets and took a longer route to the meeting spot, wary of recognition and his notorious title. When he arrived, Saki was waiting.
— Hey, Saki!
Saki ran to him.
— Akira… I didn't expect you to come.
— Why not?
Saki's face fell.
— Last time, things got messed up between us…
Akira smiled and began walking.
— I'm sorry for letting such a small thing bother me.
— It's fine. I also said bad things… I'm sorry.
— Actually, what you said was justified. My mental state really isn't stable.
They walked along a quiet path with a view of Eldravon.
— Don't say that. I think you're perfectly normal. The people just exaggerate.
Two runners changed their path when they saw them.
— Hey, look… Isn't that Cruel Valen?
— Definitely! Let's stay away. I don't want any trouble!
Akira's face darkened. Saki touched his shoulder.
— Don't mind them.
She pointed to a bench.
— Let's sit.
They sat down, facing the night view of Eldravon. The city lights sparkled, and from above, it looked truly enchanting. By luck, fireworks exploded in the sky that night. Saki slowly moved closer to Akira.
— Before we fought that day, you wanted to tell me something, right?
Saki couldn't take her eyes off the fireworks.
— The view is beautiful, isn't it?
— It is…
— This happens in Eldravon once every three months. Legend says lovers meet today and confess their feelings.
— What are you trying to say?
Saki held Akira's hand and turned to face him.
— Akira… I love you.
Akira looked at her in surprise, then smiled.
— I love you too.
He held her cheek with his right hand and slowly kissed her lips. Saki clasped his head from behind with both hands. Suddenly, she felt something in her stomach. She jumped to her feet and saw blood flowing from her abdomen. She froze.
Akira stood with a bloody sword in his hand.
Saki smiled weakly.
— When did you realize?
Akira rose to his feet.
— I knew from the first time we met. But I didn't kill you to understand your intentions.
Saki touched her stomach.
— So, what was my intention?
Akira spoke in a cold, low voice.
— After taking over this body, you didn't want anyone to suspect you. So you tried to get close to me, the one everyone fears. That way, no one would doubt you.
Saki stepped closer to Akira.
— At first, yes… But then I really started to love you. Every moment we've shared was real to me…
Akira spun toward Saki sharply. His face was hidden in darkness. Two enormous eyes appeared behind him. In a cold, low voice, he said:
— Die, cursed soul.
Saki fell hard to the ground. Akira began digging under the tree beside the bench.