SWORD OF THE STRANGER.

he’s  been  bleeding   out  for  several  minutes ,  now .  he’s  sure  death  is  imminent .  sure  it’s  close .  he’s  not  angry  or  upset  . . .  he’s  not  clinging  to  life .  he’s  just  waiting  ,  wishing  it  would  happen  faster .  bleeding  out  isn’t  how  he’d  want  to  go ;  he  always  hoped  that  if  it  happened ,  it  would  be  with  the  swift  slice  of  a  blade  across  his  neck .  this   . . .  was  hardly  his  wish ,  but  didn’t  seem  unfitting .  and  then ,  like  nimble  spirit  in  the  woods ,  all  but  taunting  what  he  believes  to  be  his  final  moments  . . .  that  woman .  he’d  seen  her  kill  a  demon  before .  he  could  never  forget  her  ---  she’d  done  it  without  spilling  much  of  its  blood ,  or  removing  anything .

❛  ---  just  leave  me  alone ,  ❜   he  grimaces .   ❛  i  don’t  ---  nngh  ---  need  the  company .  i’m  fine  with  it ,  this  way .  ❜

for all its delicacy  ,  her smile holds an edge  .  the barely restrained anger of one who couldn’t understand  .  you have a sword  ,  she thinks  ,  peering over his hunched form  .  why not use it  ,  you idiot  ?

whatever the reason she comes up with  ,  shinobu can not wrap her head around it  .  he’s capable and extremely so      -      to fend a demon off with his sheath alone is quite a feat and it  infuriates  her  ,  then  ,  that he would so easily lay down and die  .  

if she’s honest with herself  ,  she’d like to leave him to it  .  it’s none of her business  .  he isn’t a slayer  .  what he does with himself is his  own  problem  .  if that’s what he wants  ,  then who is she to get in the way  ?

but kanae would be  disappointed  in such thoughts  .

‘   now  ,  now  .  is that any way to treat a friendly face  ?   ’   her voice is  sickly sweet  and not her own as she bends to look closer at him  .   ‘  let me see the wound  .   ’

it  is  not   of  his  own  free  will  that  he  shows  her  the  claw marks  at  his  side .  his  hand  slips  off  of  it ,  as  if  relinquishing  the  last  bit  of  his  strength .  in  truth  ...  he  has  no  will  to  fight  left .  in  what  he  believes  to  be  his  final  minutes  alive ,  he  sees  no  benefit  in  stubbornly  refusing  a  woman’s  request .

he  cannot  quite  see  her .  she  blurs  and  doubles ,  a  hazy  mirage  of  herself  that  ripples  through  the  beads  of  sweat  clouding  his  vision .  nanashi’s  breath  calms  a  bit ,  perhaps  by  her  presence ,  or  acceptance  of  his  own  demise .  her  company  ,  he  thinks  ,  is  not  so  terrible .

❛  —   i’m  going  to  die ,  ❜   he  says  it  with  an  air  of  finality  that  is  eerily  calm  for  one  in  such  pain ,  but  oddly  ...  with  the  inflection  of  a  human  being  who  wants  to  live .  he  deserved  this  ...  didn’t  he  ?  

who  was  he  to  want  to  live  ?  who  did  he  think  he  was  ?  shut  up  and  die .

trigger warning for murder.

❛  how ironic, our paths cross again! so near and yet so far.  ❜

❛  fear not, we’ll meet again, i assure you…  ❜

❛  you’re making a mistake. this man’s a murderer.  ❜

❛  you fail to grasp the basic rules governing this world.  ❜

❛  you’re a genetically modified killer with no place in modern society.  ❜

❛  but we’ll tend to that problem next time. farewell.  ❜

❛  death, the final judgment.  ❜

❛  the beast has met its end once. it doesn’t fear death, it is death.  ❜

❛  how will you defeat human villainy? you who died and still walk amongst the living?  ❜

❛  not enough food, nowhere to sit, and nothing but small talk.  ❜

❛  i’m a relic, someone from the past, so i’m rather attached to the old customs.  ❜

❛  i’ve the good of the kingdom at heart.  ❜

❛  let me tell you, friend — a serious slashfest is in the works, one without pardon.  ❜

❛  the defeated will be picked apart by crows.  ❜

❛  you’ll be forced to fight for a new order, comrade — or against it.  ❜

❛  we will fight for our traditions and customs, for our land and our women.  ❜

❛  i wouldn’t deceive you — i think you’re one of us, it’s a cause we share.  ❜

❛  i don’t know the enemy yet, but i will soon, and when i do…  ❜

❛  the time of the sword and axe will come, blood will flow in the streets.  ❜

❛  know this, comrade, there will be no room for your neutrality.  ❜

❛  you traveled a long path, fraught with danger.  ❜

❛  you demonstrated courage and goodness.  ❜

❛  face your enemies without fear. safeguard the helpless.  ❜

❛  never lie, even if it means your death. that is your oath.  ❜

❛  destiny will give you no rest. a long road lies ahead.  ❜

❛  i see death and blood. i see frosty chaos.  ❜

❛  take this sword as a sign of my favour.  ❜

❛  go, and do what must be done.  ❜

❛  look into my eyes, and you will see your death.  ❜

❛  you’ve delivered death too often. retribution awaits.  ❜

❛  i was wrong about you. you’re a blind, rabid dog biting anything that moves.  ❜

❛  someone needs to finish you off.  ❜

❛  chaos followed in your wake.  ❜

❛  every one of your decisions brought further devastation.  ❜

❛  does your neutrality not taste bitter?  ❜

❛  wherever you walk, death and chaos follow.  ❜

❛  you dare to oppose me. i sense your weakness, as your life seeps from your wounds.  ❜

❛  with every drop, death draws nearer.  ❜

trigger warning for murder.

❛  how ironic, our paths cross again! so near and yet so far.  ❜

❛  fear not, we’ll meet again, i assure you…  ❜

❛  you’re making a mistake. this man’s a murderer.  ❜

❛  you fail to grasp the basic rules governing this world.  ❜

❛  you’re a genetically modified killer with no place in modern society.  ❜

❛  but we’ll tend to that problem next time. farewell.  ❜

❛  death, the final judgment.  ❜

❛  the beast has met its end once. it doesn’t fear death, it is death.  ❜

❛  how will you defeat human villainy? you who died and still walk amongst the living?  ❜

❛  not enough food, nowhere to sit, and nothing but small talk.  ❜

❛  i’m a relic, someone from the past, so i’m rather attached to the old customs.  ❜

❛  i’ve the good of the kingdom at heart.  ❜

❛  let me tell you, friend — a serious slashfest is in the works, one without pardon.  ❜

❛  the defeated will be picked apart by crows.  ❜

❛  you’ll be forced to fight for a new order, comrade — or against it.  ❜

❛  we will fight for our traditions and customs, for our land and our women.  ❜

❛  i wouldn’t deceive you — i think you’re one of us, it’s a cause we share.  ❜

❛  i don’t know the enemy yet, but i will soon, and when i do…  ❜

❛  the time of the sword and axe will come, blood will flow in the streets.  ❜

❛  know this, comrade, there will be no room for your neutrality.  ❜

❛  you traveled a long path, fraught with danger.  ❜

❛  you demonstrated courage and goodness.  ❜

❛  face your enemies without fear. safeguard the helpless.  ❜

❛  never lie, even if it means your death. that is your oath.  ❜

❛  destiny will give you no rest. a long road lies ahead.  ❜

❛  i see death and blood. i see frosty chaos.  ❜

❛  take this sword as a sign of my favour.  ❜

❛  go, and do what must be done.  ❜

❛  look into my eyes, and you will see your death.  ❜

❛  you’ve delivered death too often. retribution awaits.  ❜

❛  i was wrong about you. you’re a blind, rabid dog biting anything that moves.  ❜

❛  someone needs to finish you off.  ❜

❛  chaos followed in your wake.  ❜

❛  every one of your decisions brought further devastation.  ❜

❛  does your neutrality not taste bitter?  ❜

❛  wherever you walk, death and chaos follow.  ❜

❛  you dare to oppose me. i sense your weakness, as your life seeps from your wounds.  ❜

❛  with every drop, death draws nearer.  ❜