Torakichi cautiously entered the hut with his katana drawn.

The hut's interior was almost pitch black, but Torakichi could see the faint outline of a man standing a few meters in front of him.

Strange meaty sounds came from where the man stood. Almost as though the man was showing on something.

“Oh? You bare not the slightest traces of hatred.”

A low, distorted voice growled.

“Who are you to walk on this plane without such an integral part of humanity?”

The man asked as he walked towards Torakichi, who remained completely still.

“I’ll make this quick. You don’t deserve to suffer.” The man said before dashing towards Torakichi only to be met with a kick in the chest followed by several slashes.

The man hurriedly cowered toward the back of the hut, narrowly avoiding Torakichi's attacks.

“Oh. you are a skilled one. Tell me. What is your name?” The man asked, his voice shook the hut’s very walls, but Torakichi remained silent.

“Oh? Are you unable to speak?” The man asked before once again dashing towards Torakichi, who rushed out of the hut, causing the villagers who to gasp.

“What’s happening?”

“Did he kill the demon?”

“Is he hurt? Why is he hunched over like that?”

Such things were asked as Torakichi regained his footing.

“Get back!” He barked, prompting the villagers to back away.

“Oh? So you can speak. Why don’t we introduce ourselves. I am known as Tetsujin Kage. Pleasure to meet you.” Tetsujin said as he emerged from the hut, revealing his blood soaked naked body.

Torakichi’s eyes narrowed as the glared at the man’s rather familiar face.

“And yours? What’s your name?” Tetsujin asked as he crossed his bloody arms.

“Mmm… you truly are a strange one. Ah well, I have patients waiting for me back home, so I’ll have to finish this quickly.” Tetsujin said before dashing towards one of the nearby villagers at an astonishing speed.

Torakichi ran towards him and tackled him before raising his katana to stab him, but Tetsujin punched him in the face before kicking him away.

Tetsujin then looked at the villagers who cowered in the distance.

“Good grief. You’ve all seen my face, now I’ve no choice but to kill you all.” He said as he rubbed his body erotically.

“Ugh! All your hatred, gone. Such a waste.” He said as ran his hands through his neck long hair.

One the villages let out an enraged roar before running towards Tetsujin with an old hammer only to get grabbed by the neck and smashed into the ground.

Tetsujin then straddle the villager before playfully removing his eyes.

The villagers shrieked in pain as Tetsujin chewed his eyes with an expression far too similar to delight.

Torakichi bit his teeth as the villager screamed helplessly.

He then quickly stood before dashing towards Tetsujin who now stood over the villagers corpse.

Torakichi swung his sword countless times, but Tetsujin avoided getting decapitated with an incredible swiftness.

“Why do you want to kill me?” Tetsujin asked a tired Torakichi.

“Can you kill that which you don’t hate?” Tetsujin asked as he licked his fingers.

“What are you waiting for, old man? Kill him!”

Someone yelled.

Torakichi didn’t move as Tetsujin casually walked towards him.

“What drives you to exert yourself so?” Tetsujin asked before sliding two of his still wet fingers along the sharp edge of Torakichi’s katana.

“If it’s not hatred? Could it be love? Do you love these people? I know you have a liking for the one behind you, but she is an exception.” Tetsujin said as he got ever closer to Torakichi.

He then spread his arms and gently wrapped them around Torakichi and in that moment, a strong wind blew by, blowing out all of the torches the villages held and casting the village in a deep, almost suffocating darkness.

“Could you spare me this once? Just so that I can eat the flesh of those consumed by hatred a little longer.” Tetsujin whispered as saliva fell from his mouth.

“Mmm… please, hateless one. Let me go my way and I’ll let you go yours.” Tetsujin moaned, but just as he closed his mouth, Torakichi rotated his katana and swung it upward, severing most of Tetsujin's right arm in the process.

Now it hung only by a few threads of muscle and tendons.

“Ah! Ahhhhhh! Oh!” Tetsujin screamed as he fell backwards.

The darkness from before rapidly dissipated as Tetsujin’s body strangely convulsed.

“I don’t want to kill you!” Tetsujin yelled as he stumbled onto his feet.

“But... you’ve left me no other choice.” He said before wildly running towards Torakichi, even as his bloody arm hung.

Torakichi swung his katana furiously, but again, Tetsujin swift avoided getting cut.

Tetsujin then kicked Torakichi in the gut before straddling him.

“Come on! Hate me! Feed me!” Tetsujin yelled as he repeatedly punched Torakichi in the face.

“Mr. Kanemoto!” Hanabira cried as she raised her Tantō in an attempt to stab Tetsujin, but just as she swung the Tantō downward, Tetsujin placed his hand in front of the blade. This led to it being lodged in his hand.

“Ooh! Yes! Hate me on his behalf-“

Torakichi stopped Tetsujin by punching him in the face and stabbing him in his eye.

He then raised his sword before decapitating him, but much to everyone’s shock and dismay, Tetsujin’s body convulsed again before a strange liquid poured out from him.

This continued for sometime before Tetsujin’s bloody body stopped moving.

Torakichi then turned to Hanabira, who stood frozen nearby.

He quickly ran to her side before falling to his knees as a wave of pain assaulted his entire body.

“Mr. Kanemoto!” Hanabira yelled as she and Amai ran to his side.

Torakichi’s vision then rapidly faded, but he kept himself up regardless.

The villagers then began approaching him while muttering unintelligible things.

Torakichi tightened his grip on his katana, but that was his last conscious action.

.

..

“We really should turn back. The path ahead might be even more treacherous than anything we’ve experienced so far. That and Mr. Kanemoto has possibly pushed himself to his breaking point-“

Torakichi’s eyes suddenly opened and he instantly sat up to find Hanabira and Amai sitting by his side.

It looked as though they were in a small house of sorts.

It was midday and so bright rays of light seeped into the house via its countless cracks and other openings.

“Mr. Kanemoto, you’re awake!” Hanabira gasped as Torakichi keenly inspected his surroundings.

“What happened?” Torakichi asked before noticing that Hibana wasn’t tied to him.

“Where is-?”

“It’s ok. He’s right here.” Hanabira said as she pointed at a certain basket, within which was a blanket bound Hibana.

“After you fell, the villagers insisted that we stay as you recover. They offered us all they had for killing that… thing, but there was no way we could accept anything. After all, it was you who did most of the work.” Hanabira said.

Torakichi nodded before noticing that Amai’s head was lowered.

“Are you alright?” Torakichi asked.

“I’m… I’m fine.” She said without meeting Torakichi’s eyes.

“Mmm.” Torakichi sounded before standing, revealing his fresh bruises.

He lightly stretched as Hanabira and Amai stared at him.

“Please find the village leader. Perhaps he can explain what exactly happened last night.” Torakichi said.

Hanabira and Amai nodded before promptly leaving the small house.

Torakichi sighed before slipping into his yukata.

He checked his weapons before binding Hibana to his back.

He then that he noticed a small shrine in the corner.

It was a bronze dragon with a single tear below its left eye.

Torakichi walked up to it before clasping his hands and bowing.

He then returned to his original spot and sat there as he awaited Hanabira and Amai’s return.

They eventually returned with a middle aged man who had far too much grey hair, even for someone his age.

The man shook as be bowed before Torakichi.

“Hanabira, please ask the villagers for some firewood. Prepare some rice for us.” Torakichi instructed.

The two left the house again, leaving Torakichi with the village leader.

“Please sit up.” Torakichi said and the village leader did so.

“Let us introduce ourselves. I am Torakichi Kanemoto. Pleasure to meet you.” Torakichi said with a slight bow.

“Oh, please no. The pleasure is all mine. My name is Hareta Umihara.” Hareta wheezed as he deeply bowed.

“Good. Now, I hope you don’t mind, but I have some questions about what happened last night.” Torakichi said with crossed arms.

“Of course. I will gladly give you what answers I have.” Hareta said.

“Good. Firstly, who was that man? Tetsujin Kage.”

Hareta’s eyes narrowed as he looked down in thought.

“To be completely honest, I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows for sure. What we do know is that he was a doctor who lived in a lavish home just up the way.” Hareta said.

“He seemed kind and always helped whoever he could.” Hareta said without meeting Torakichi’s eye.

“Mmm… did he ever do anything strange? Something that you may have brushed off as minor.” Torakichi asked.

“The only thing that comes to mind was his passion for conversation. He’d often ask people to come to his house just to talk. I too once sat with him in his large home and we talked about many things. My life. The wars. He’d ask about how I felt about many things.”

“I see.” Torakichi droned.

“Oh! He’d usually focus to keenly on bad things. He’d ask me about past traumas and often talk only about things I hated. I think we spent most of our short time together talking about my hatred for the north and such.” Hareta said.

“I see. Is there anything else you noticed?”

“No.”

“Alright. Well, it seems as though it is he who was responsible for some the gruesome murders and injuries around here, but why would a man so determined to make others suffer work as a doctor? I cannot make sense of all this. I apologize for not being able to come to any meaningful conclusions.”

“No, it is I who apologizes for not being able to provide you with a suitable place to rest after what you did for us.” Hareta said as he lowered his head again.

“Well, what we can say for sure is that Tetsujin is gone and your people can sleep in peace now.” Torakichi said.

Hanabira and Amai eventually returned with four bowls of rice.

They handed two to Torakichi and Hareta before sitting by Torakichi’s side.

They then all ate as they reflected on the events of the previous night.

Torakichi also noticed that Hareta kept sneaking glances at Hanabira.

“Ahem! Thank you for you hospitality, but we should be leaving soon.”

“Eh? Pardon my asking, but where could you possibly be going in these tragic times?” Hareta asked.

“That, I’m afraid, is nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Yes. Of course. Apologies. I was just wondering if perhaps you could stay here.” Hareta said before leaning forward.

“General Ishi Hōfuna has gone mad. Before his campaign began, he demanded that all able bodied young men head to the capital. We all knew what was coming, but even so. The land is barren and there is no one to work the fields. The places that do have fertile soil are being pushed to the brink. How long, Mr. Kanemoto, do you think it’ll be before we all starve? I’m asking because I can see boundless wisdom in your eyes.” Hareta asked.

“You praise me too highly. I can’t say how long it’ll be before the war starves both the north and south. I can say that cooperation will be key in the coming times. Seek and offer help to other villagers. Establish regular communication. The rest will be up to you and you capabilities as a leader.” Torakichi said before uncrossing his arms.

“Well, me saying that is easy enough, but in reality it’ll be hard. Very hard, I’m sure. The people, your people will need a leader who will give unto them everything. Are you ready for that?” Torakichi asked.

“Y- Yes!” Hareta said even as he faintly shook his head.

“Good. Now, allow us some privacy.”

Hibana nodded before promptly leaving the house.

Torakichi sighed before facing Hanabira.

“Let’s pack our things.” Torakichi said before standing.

He then helped Hanabira and Amai pack everything they had up before leaving the small house to find almost all of the villages kneeling in front of it.

“Please, lord samurai, stay here. Help us. Protect us.”