The villagers surrounding the plaza saw the torrential rain pour down and burst into cheers.
The sound of rain, thunder, and cheers was deafening. But Sakura couldn't hear anything. She stared blankly at the fallen Rin. Blood spread with the rainwater, dyeing the ground beneath her red, like a cherry blossom blooming in the rain.
Even in death, Rin's face still held a smile, as if she were still saying, "Big Sis, you must become an excellent shrine maiden!"
This was her first ritual as a shrine maiden. It was perfect, and the result was a success.
She had long understood that she would become a shrine maiden in the future. She had fantasized countless times about the day she would become one, wearing the dignified and beautiful shrine maiden's attire, offering the most beautiful gift to the great god, and bringing happiness and peace to the village. But when that day truly came, she finally understood what was most important to her.
Sakura suddenly wanted to cry, but no sound came from her mouth, only tears mixing with the rain, flowing silently down her face.
Looking at the crimson blade of Sakura Fubuki in her hand, she suddenly understood why it was so red. For thousands of years, generation after generation of shrine maidens had used it for rituals. The hot blood from the hearts of those young girls had been poured onto the blade, giving it such a brilliant crimson. Even in the heavy rain, the color of Sakura Fubuki remained just as vibrant, its long blade shimmering with a cherry-blossom-like hue.
The High Priest glanced at the dazed Sakura, his heart feeling as if it were about to split open. But as the High Priest, the leader of the village, he didn't have much time. The ritual was a success, and the drought was no longer a problem. He needed to arrange the village's work as soon as possible to ensure this year's harvest.
He understood that in the past, he had been too busy with village affairs and had neglected his daughters. In the years Rin was bedridden, Sakura had always been the one taking care of her. The two were inseparable, and their bond was extremely strong. Now that Rin had been offered to the gods as a sacrifice, the sorrow in Sakura's heart was surely no less than his own. The current Sakura was at her most vulnerable and especially needed the company and warmth of her family.
However, this village had been protected by generations of the Yae clan. As the current High Priest, he had to prioritize village matters. Moreover, this rain had been bought with Rin's life. He absolutely could not abandon the village at this time and let Rin's sacrifice be in vain.
With one last look at Sakura and Rin, the High Priest hurried away. There were many things waiting for him. Besides, Sakura had always been an excellent child. He believed she would surely understand in the future.
However, the High Priest had underestimated the impact of Rin's death on Sakura. When the rain fell, a seed of rebellion was planted in Sakura's heart, and it quickly took root and sprouted, eventually becoming the culprit that destroyed everything.
…
More than a decade passed in a flash, and Sakura became an outstanding shrine maiden. During this time, the village held several more rituals, and Sakura completed each one perfectly.
Each time, she wore the dignified and beautiful shrine maiden's attire and expressionlessly plunged the beautiful spirit blade into a young girl's chest, presenting a gift to the god and bringing happiness and peace to the village.
Besides the rituals, Sakura's swordsmanship had also greatly improved. No matter how powerful the monsters were, they were all cut down by the shrine maiden's sword, unable to invade the village in the slightest.
The villagers' respect for Sakura grew day by day, and everyone praised her as the most outstanding shrine maiden in a thousand years.
Faced with all this, Sakura's heart felt no ripples. The little girl who longed to become a shrine maiden and protect the village had died along with Rin in that ritual. What remained was merely an empty shell filled with obsession.
Once, she thought she and Rin would have a cherry-blossom-colored future. Her greatest wish was to take Rin to see the cherry blossoms on the back mountain.
However, when Rin knelt on the altar, she knew that everything had changed! Her future would no longer have Rin in it, nor would it have mountains of cherry blossoms.
She buried Rin under the largest cherry blossom tree on the back mountain, where it was most beautiful when the blossoms were in full bloom each year.
Looking at Rin's gravestone, she began to wonder: does a god really exist in this world?
If a god existed, she felt not the slightest reverence in her heart during the rituals, yet the god never sent down punishment.
If a god didn't exist, then why did it rain after every ritual, alleviating the village's disasters?
She couldn't figure it out, yet she knew she had to have an answer!
Until the arrival of that black box—
Faced with the temptations of the demon in the box, she accepted with pleasure, willing to exchange her body for power.
Standing before Rin's grave again, she remained silent for a long time before saying, "Rin, Big Sis has obtained it now, the power to kill everyone. I will destroy this village. I will kill everyone. I will make them all accompany you in death!"
Taking a deep breath, Sakura's tone softened slightly as she said, "Next, Big Sis will come find you. Whether what lies ahead is heaven or hell, whether it be gods or demons, none of them will be able to stop me!"
With that, the last trace of gentleness in Sakura's eyes vanished, replaced by a boundless indifference, just like the sunlight during the great drought. Only this time, there would be no one to stop her.
She turned and returned to the shrine. Just as she did before every ritual, she brought out the spirit blade, Sakura Fubuki.
Hearing the disturbance in the ancestral hall, the High Priest in the shrine was drawn over. Seeing the praying Sakura, he couldn't help but ask with confusion, "There are no rituals scheduled recently, are there?"
More than a decade had passed, and the High Priest had aged considerably. Now in his middle years, his figure was slightly stooped, and the heavy burden of his duties had caused his hairline to recede, making him look much older than his actual age. Fortunately, Sakura had grown into an outstanding shrine maiden, which was his only source of pride in all these years.
Sakura didn't answer the High Priest's question. She just silently finished her prayers and took Sakura Fubuki from the table, just like in every ritual.
She turned and slowly walked towards the High Priest at the entrance. With a *clang*, Sakura Fubuki was drawn an inch from its sheath. The beautiful crimson blade was as brilliant as ever.
The High Priest stared blankly at Sakura's cold face, somewhat confused as to why she would draw Sakura Fubuki, this ritual spirit blade, at this time. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but he felt that the color of Sakura Fubuki seemed more brilliant than it had over a decade ago.
With a *hiss*, the crimson blade of Sakura Fubuki had already pierced the High Priest's heart. The continuously gushing blood poured over the translucent, brilliant blade, dyeing the entire sword a vivid red.
More than a decade ago, the first blood Sakura Fubuki tasted in Sakura's hands as a spirit blade was that of the Yae clan. Now, more than a decade later, the last blood Sakura Fubuki would taste as a spirit blade was still that of the Yae clan.
Sakura Fubuki, drenched in the High Priest's blood, was no longer a spirit blade. At this moment, it gained a new name—Demonblade - Florid Sakura!
Looking at the crimson blade in his chest, the High Priest's mouth opened and closed. He wanted to ask his daughter why she did this, but he didn't know where to begin.
Sakura looked indifferently at the High Priest's astonished eyes, her heart completely calm, feeling not the slightest thrill of revenge. But she seemed to understand what he wanted to say and explained, "I hate you. I hate all of you!"
As she said this, there was no madness in Sakura's eyes, only endless apathy.
Hearing Sakura's answer, the image of Sakura sitting dazedly before the altar over a decade ago suddenly surfaced in the High Priest's mind. He suddenly understood everything. It turned out that, from that moment on, Sakura had never forgiven him, never forgiven the village.
*Sakura must have suffered so much these past ten-plus years.* A final thought flashed through the High Priest's mind before his weak body finally collapsed.
Pulling the blade from the High Priest's body, Sakura flicked off the blood, but the blade remained bright red—the ineffaceable sin of a demon blade.
Sakura glanced at the transformed blade, paying it no mind, and slowly walked towards the village. There, the grandest ritual in the history of Yae Village awaited her.
*Lord God, you want a sacrifice, don't you? I will offer the entire Yae Village to you right now!*