"Is this the end…?"
Sayaka's voice trembled in her mind.
How foolish am I… what was I trying to prove? He told me to wait outside. Was it pride? Or was it just this cursed bloodlust that always follows me?
Her vision blurred, everything soaked in red. The blood in her hands, dripping down her blade, her skin—it wouldn't wash away no matter how many times she scrubbed. It clung to her, heavier every time she cut down another life.
Will I regret it? she wondered. Or maybe this is the same feeling the ones who killed my parents had when they spilled their blood. Did they ever hesitate? Did they ever feel what I'm feeling now?
Her thoughts tangled with the echo of a memory.
Past reflecting
Yurei's voice rang clear, like a bell in the quiet dojo.
"Why didn't you kill him?"
A younger Sayaka bowed her head, trembling.
"I… I couldn't, Master. I tried my best. But I wondered… maybe he has a child waiting for him at home."
Yurei's eyes were sharp, cold as steel.
