Chapter 4: A Long Journey, A Close Promise.
"I am planning to go to the North. Before, a younger sibling of mine told me that a very beautiful kind of flower grows there, and they wanted to see it once. It's just a pity that they will never get to see it."
"The North... quite near here, there is also a town. People say that the Luna flower often grows on the mountains there."
"I will bring it back here and plant it on her grave."
The image of the little girl with a radiant smile appeared in his mind.
The little girl held the book up to him.
"Brother Takeshi, look at this! What do you think? Isn't it beautiful? This is the Luna flower. It blooms on the 15th of every month, and they say it is very mysterious. It has many uses."
Returning to the present, Takeshi spoke, still with his eyes closed.
"Back at the monastery, I was closest with only two kids. The other one has gone missing. They must have been captured by those men in black clothes."
Kazuka lay still, listening, then spoke up.
"Then I will go with you, okay? After all, I don't have anything else to do right now."
"No, you just stay here. I think I can find it quickly. What are your plans next, Kazuka?"
"Me? Of course, I'll go adventuring all over this world!"
"My father once told me that this world has so many interesting things, and that I must discover them myself. But then my grandfather scolded my father for speaking about things he didn't know."
"Do you want to come with me? We'll go everywhere. Even if it's dangerous or we die, it doesn't matter. Because we live the way we want."
"Ahaha, you are really interesting, Kazuka."
"Huh? What are you laughing at? Is something funny?"
"But are you leaving tomorrow, Takeshi?"
"Hmm, probably tomorrow."
Kazuka immediately threw the money pouch at Takeshi.
"Take this. You don't have anything with you."
"Huh? You are so casual! Don't you need money?"
"Haha, why would I need money? Throw me into the mountains, and I can still survive."
"Alright, then I won't refuse this money."
"Suit yourself."
"I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow morning."
"Good night."
"Good night."
After lying there for a while, Kazuka suddenly sat up.
— He's probably asleep now.
— Auntie Yuzuki just won't take the money. I'm sure if I go out and hunt a few animals, she definitely won't be able to refuse.
Kazuka thought as he walked into the forest.
The sun peeked out—a morning filled with the sounds of dogs barking and birds chirping. The gentle sunlight shone down on the small house.
Takeshi woke up and looked at Kazuka's sleeping spot, but didn't see him.
"He's up already? Why didn't he wake me?"
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out. Takeshi heard it and immediately jumped down. He took three leaps, landing on various tree branches before reaching the ground.
"What's wrong, Satsuki?"
His eyes trembled, and his face showed surprise.
"This?... This is...?"
A familiar voice dispelled the atmosphere of panic shared by all three people.
Kazuka's body was covered in blood—his face, hair, clothes... blood was everywhere. He was pulling two ropes, and at the end of the ropes were seven wolves and two rabbits.
"Everyone calm down, it's me! Why are you screaming?"
"Brother Kazuka, this?... This is...?"
"Don't worry, I'm not hurt. This is just wolf blood. They were just too stubborn to die, so it took a little effort, that's all."
"I know Auntie Yuzuki and Satsuki didn't want to accept the money, so I caught some wolves to give you two as gifts."
Takeshi spoke up, but his expression was still disbelieving.
"You faced seven wolves and weren't injured? Are you that strong?"
"Of course! Now, I'm going to take a bath; wolf blood smells too strong!"
And so, the four of them had wolf meat for breakfast.
A while after the meal, Takeshi walked out the gate, ready to leave.
"Be careful, Brother Takeshi!"
"Take care of yourself, dear!"
"Be safe! You still have to go on adventures with me, you know!"
At high noon, the sun was shining brightly. Kazuka was lying on the tree when he noticed a man standing behind a tree outside the house's fence. He looked very suspicious as he stared intently at Yuzuki.
Yuzuki finished hanging the laundry and went into the house. Immediately after Yuzuki's silhouette disappeared behind the door, the man began to approach the house.
His footsteps were slow and silent, his movements very suspicious.
Seeing the man's strange actions, Kazuka slid down the tree trunk to the ground but hid himself behind the trunk to avoid detection. The tree was located behind the fence next to the house, so he crawled in through a hole in the fence.
Auntie Yuzuki's voice immediately rang out.
"Ah, you... Who are you? What are you doing? Let me go!"
"Hehe, behave, I'll be gentle."
Satsuki was also there, but the man had knocked her unconscious before entering the house.
He was clearly a pervert (tên biến thái). The pervert pinned Auntie Yuzuki down onto the bed.
"Let me go now, you disgusting pervert!"
He angrily slapped Yuzuki across the cheek. The slap was very painful. Auntie Yuzuki strained harder to escape, but how could a woman's strength resist a man's?
The strap of her shirt at her chest was undone. His face clearly showed lewdness. His eyes were full of lust, and his tongue licked around his lips as he formed a lewd smile.
Yuzuki's eyes were already tearful, but her face was unyielding; she still tried to resist with her weak strength, but it was all useless.
"You're this delicious and living alone? Don't you feel uncomfortable? Because I'm very uncomfortable."
Just then, Kazuka rushed in, kicking the door open violently.
"You bastard! Let Auntie Yuzuki go!"
"Huh? A little brat? Do you want to die? Ruining my good time won't end well for you!"
"Hmph, you are the one who won't end well."
Kazuka charged, throwing a punch straight at the pervert's face. The man was surprised by the boy's speed and put out a hand to block, but it was too late.
The punch forced his head back, and blood streamed from his nose.
Yuzuki took advantage of the moment and successfully ran outside.
"Wait for me a moment, I'm going to report this to the guard team!"
The pervert's face was furious, turning bright red. He grabbed the axe he had left leaning against the wall. A faint blue light appeared on the axe.
He swung the axe at Kazuka in a downward motion. Taking advantage of his agile body, the boy dodged the blow. The short knife tucked behind him was drawn.
He assumed a stance: his right hand gripping the knife tightly, his left hand extended in front of him. His left foot was placed in front of his right. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the pervert.
The man actively swung the axe, another cleaving blow.
"Die!"
Kazuka dodged to the side. Leaning to the left, he threw a punch at the man's face, but it was blocked by his hand.
The pervert swung out a kick, but the boy jumped up to dodge it. However, that was just a feint. He spun around, and another kick was thrown. This time, Kazuka was hit and sent flying backward.
The kick landed straight on his ribs. But Kazuka quickly regained his balance, holding the spot where he was kicked with one hand. His eyes still did not leave the pervert.
— It hurts so much.
Kazuka wanted to regain the initiative and rushed forward to attack. The man used one hand to block the boy's stabbing and slashing attacks.
His other hand swung the axe.
"Die, you brat! You actually have some skill."
A horizontal slash was launched by the pervert. His axe was still coated with the blue energy.
Kazuka immediately held his knife vertically in front of him to block. But the force the man unleashed was too strong. The knife was pushed back toward the boy's abdomen. The axe struck the knife, and his hand couldn't withstand the force. The knife, along with the axe head, slammed directly into his stomach.
There were many cracks on the knife blade. Kazuka flew backward, spitting out a large amount of blood. The knife slipped from his hand, fell to the floor, was stuck into the wooden floor, and broke in half at the spot where the axe had struck it.
He rolled onto the floor, his small body cramped, his teeth clenched tightly, and his eyes wide open. His face showed extreme pain. He clutched his stomach. Although the knife had resisted, it was not enough.
— Ahhhhhh, it hurts... It hurts so much!
The pervert saw this and walked closer, sporting a smug smile.
"I already told you..."
Before he could finish, Kazuka shot up, throwing an uppercut. Blood sprayed from the man's mouth. The pervert's eyes rolled back. He stumbled back a few steps, his body slowly tilting backward. Surprisingly, his left foot shot backward, stomping on the ground and regaining his balance.
But Kazuka did not drop his guard. He spun around, delivering a kick to the man's neck. The man cried out in pain, spitting out another mouthful of blood. A hand immediately shot out, grabbing the boy's shirt and pulling him in. A punch landed on his face. His nose and mouth were bleeding.
His body flew into the wall and hit it hard, causing intense pain. But he could not relax now.
Grabbing a chair right next to him, Kazuka threw it at the pervert's face, but a swing of the axe shattered the chair.
He slipped underneath but was met with a knee to the face. The axe was now stuck in the floor. The man used both hands to strangle the boy.
Kazuka was pinned to the ground and strangled. His body strained to prevent the grip from tightening further.
His hand gripped the man's elbow. His thumb was rubbing, searching for something.
Using his last bit of strength, he used his thumb to press into the joint of the man's arm bone. He pressed hard, with all his might, clenching his teeth even tighter.
Suddenly, a numb, sharp pain shot through the man's arm. Uncomfortably, his left hand loosened its grip on the boy's neck, allowing him to take another breath.
He pressed even harder. His fingernail cracked. His thumb pierced into the man's flesh, pressing straight into the elbow joint.
The man screamed in pain.
"Aaaaaa..."
Taking advantage of the moment, Kazuka delivered a kick to his chin, sending him backward. Grabbing the axe, Kazuka reversed the blade and, gritting his teeth, struck the man's head hard. The pervert was knocked unconscious.
Kazuka stumbled out the door and saw four figures running toward him. But he collapsed, having lost consciousness from exhaustion.
His eyes opened, but they were heavy, his vision blurry. He couldn't clearly see the sky. He heard voices.
"How is the kid?"
A boy with blonde hair was kneeling beside Kazuka, who was lying on the ground. His hand was emitting a yellow light that surrounded Kazuka.
"The injuries are not too serious. The abdomen seems to have taken a very strong blow. Generally speaking, his life is not in danger."
Kazuka regained his vision and sat up, his body heavy. He clutched his stomach and head.
"Ah... It hurts so much."
Auntie Yuzuki was standing with two other men, wearing similar outfits.
"You are Yuzuki, right? Is this your son?"
"No... This is my daughter's friend."
The little girl Satsuki was still sitting next to Kazuka, asking many questions, her eyes tearful.