Chapter 18
Leaping from building to building, I couldn't help but glance at Mumon, slumped against my back, his head resting on my shoulder. his face skin torn, one eye dangling grotesquely and the other missing. With every passing minute, his condition worsened, his breathing growing weaker.
I gritted my teeth, How the hell did it come to this? The thought burned in my mind as I adjusted my grip on him, making sure he wouldn't slip.
"Alright, let's stop here," Shishiba said, signaling us to halt.
We slipped into a narrow alley, the muffled chaos of the battle fading into the distance. My breath was ragged as I leaned against the wall, glancing down at my injured leg. Damn, I overdid it, I thought, wincing as blood trickled down.
Mumon pushed himself slightly making him slip from my back and fall on his hand,
" oh shit.. you good ? " i asked him crouching to check on him
Then his bloodied hand shot out, gripping my jacket with surprising force.
"KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!" he screamed, his voice breaking under the weight of desperation. bloody Tears streamed down from his empty eye sockets, mixing with dirt and grime. "Please... I beg you... KILL ME!" His body trembled violently, wracked by uncontrollable sobs.
I froze "Oi, hang in there ," I muttered, trying to calm him. "You'll be fine, just stay—"
"Kill him," Shishiba repeated coldly, his arms crossed, his expression as unreadable as ever.
I froze, turning my head slowly toward him. "Pardon?"
"You heard me." He tilted his head slightly. "He will only slow us down."
My jaw tightened, my glare sharp enough to cut. "You're kidding, right?"
Shishiba sighed as though I was the one being unreasonable. "Keeping him alive will only prolong his suffering." He pulled out his gun and held it toward me. "Go ahead. Do it."
I stared at the gun my mind racing. "I'll just knock him out—"
"Kasumi," Shishiba's voice cut through, firm and unyielding. "We can't afford to act like sissies right now. Do it, or I will."
Reluctantly, I nodded, raising the gun to his temple. My hand trembled violently, sweat dripping down my face as I struggled to steady myself.
"Huff...Give me the gun," Shishiba sighed extending his hand. "I'll do it."
"Wait!" a feminine voice interrupted. My head snapped toward the sound. A woman stepped into view, her presence striking She wore a kimono with a veil obscuring her features, a shamisen cradled in her arms.
"That's not necessary," she said, her voice calm "Bring him to my house. I'll treat him."
Shishiba's eyes narrowed. "Who are you? And how did you even know we're here?"
She covered her mouth with a delicate hand, letting out a light chuckle. " Well, your little friend isn't exactly quiet. Almost everyone heard his screams," she said, pointing toward Mumon.
__________
Lost as in a dream,
I seek the shadows
Of one who has
Swirled away...
Abandoning friends,
Abandoning humanity.
What awaits us all
Is the path of emptiness.
Knowing my heart,
The flowers weep,
And the wild birds cry.
A woman walked through the empty streets of Yoshiwara, her shamisen resting gently in her hands. Each note she played carried the weight of sorrow, her voice weaving into the melody.
"Chasing the wind, chasing the soul,
Wandering lost for years of pain."
Her song drifted through the air as she spotted a little girl walking at a slow, labored pace.
"You're not supposed to be here," the woman said softly, pausing her music. "There are two bad men causing trouble nearby. You wouldn't want them to find you, would you?"
The girl shook her head " I can't breath so good , so my mom says I shouldn't run "
The woman's expression softened. "I see."
The girl's eyes lit up as she noticed the hairpin tucked into the woman's kimono. "Wow! What a pretty hairpin!"
"This?" The woman removed the delicate ornament from her kimono "A long time ago, my mother gave this to me."
The girl tilted her head, puzzled. "But... that's kinda weird. Why don't you wear it in your hair?"
The woman stared at the pin, a wistful smile tugging at her lips. "Hmm... Why indeed?"
Before the girl could respond, the haunting sound of a scream cut through the stillness.
"KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!"
The voice was raw, filled with agonizing despair.
The woman's fingers tightened around the hairpin, her gaze hardening as her calm demeanor gave way to sharp focus. "Go hide behind that shop over there," she whispered, pointing toward what appeared to be an abandoned building. The girl beside her nodded and quicklyran towards it.
Stepping toward the alley where the scream had come from. Her eyes caught sight of two men. One was heavily muscular with sharp features holding a gun aimed at a man with a bloodied face who layed helplessly on the ground. The other had long blonde hair and a bored expression leaning slightly against the wall
The blonde haired man sighed and extended his his hand toward the muscular one " give me the gun I'll do it
" wait "