chapter 4
4. Awesome!
4. Cool!
All humans die.
Nothing is forever.
With such a proposition, Soichiro Yanagi, a descendant of a proud ninja clan, thought.
What is eternity for humans who live a short life?
‘From the first cry to the last breath.’
Born as the son of a family head, Soichiro’s life, which showed outstanding ability from a young age, was as if it had been decided.
Become the head of the family like his father and pour his eternity for his clan until the moment his breath runs out.
Soichiro believed that the Yanagi family would be forever.
At least, until he took his last breath…….
“Find the bastard!”
“The next head of the family must be killed!”
What seemed like a trivial territorial dispute soon turned into a war between the feudal lords and the Yanagi clan.
Yanagi’s territory was trampled and burned to the end at the level of enemies that flocked to kill and kill, and the level of troops that could not be seen as simply being united by neighboring feudal lords.
“As much as Soichiro-nim, risk your life to protect it! We’ve lost our lord. If Soichiro-sama is also lost, Yanagi’s name will disappear!”
Hook!
“Gagging!”
Pooh!
“Grow up.”
Even the last troops trying to protect the name of the family fall and splatter blood on the floor.
“Ahh!”
“Where are you!”
“Did you stole it?”
“Find it, kill it!”
The screams of family members.
The cry of the murderers.
Hot air starting to choke.
Now that the head of the family has died, Soichiro has become the new head of the family.
But he was not yet twelve.
All the little boy can do is crouch in the corner of the tatami mat drawer and hold his breath.
‘I will die.’
It hasn’t been caught yet, but it can’t be discovered forever.
It was clear that if the drawer door was opened, he would be caught in the hands of the wicked and later beheaded or forced to disembowel himself.
Like that, the Yanagi family disappears into history.
Even the fleeting eternity that humans who live a short life could have was just fleeting in the face of fate.
I am afraid of death.
I am afraid of what comes after death.
Does it end like this without reaching out his hand, let alone fulfilling what he thought was his reason for being born and his mission?
Drruck-!
The door of the drawer opened violently.
Soichiro closed his eyes and resigned himself.
The end…… Coming.
“Brother! You’re all right… !”
Hearing an unexpected voice, Soichiro opened his eyes and looked.
The door was opened by a young nanny who had been with her since she was a girl.
For a moment, I thought I might have misunderstood.
Why is she here?
Surely those who were not members of the family would have fled first?
“Why, why are you here, Rinko? Die!”
“Let’s run away together.”
“Such a reckless thing! I have to protect the mansion, but you could have lived enough!”
“Even a lowly person, if I risk my life, there is a chance of saving the boy at least once in a year. Isn’t it worth the walk?”
“What the hell… ….”
Why do you do this?
She was in the position of being run by the family.
It is a common story that an orphan girl with no place to go is taken in by a prestigious family and works as a maid for a small salary.
It’s just that she was lucky enough to become the head nurse’s son.
No one expected that a poor woman who didn’t even know how to fight would throw her body into a battlefield where she would surely die.
“Boss, come on. If you go between the tall reeds, you might not be noticed.”
Rinko reached out her hand.
Yanagi is a proud family.
For the head of the family to abandon the territory and run away, it was tantamount to abandoning all pride.
If you’d rather go out first and get caught, I’ll give you the last honor, but if you run away and get caught, even a child will be subjected to terrible torture.
However, Soichiro could not resist this touch.
I know she’s been with me since she couldn’t even walk.
Rinko is timid and weak.
She used to worry about tomorrow with a sullen face and sigh all day long at the slightest scolding from the senior maids.
This timid and weak woman has come running, fighting her fear of death head-on, for the slim chance of saving herself.
‘At least, the clan’s secret salary…… !’
Soichiro tightly hugged the secret that was embracing her clothes.
Then she got up and took Rinko’s hand.
“Hey, hey.”
“Oops. Ugh.”
The two of them ran through the burning reeds, crouching down.
My breath fills up to the tip of my chin.
The fear that his enemies might find him at any moment consumed his body and mind, but he could not stop his legs.
Then everything will end.
“There it is!”
“Run away! Chase!”
“The prize is mine!”
A voice bursts from behind.
Did they get caught in the end?
Although the distance is a bit far, the footsteps of the young boy and the woman cannot shake them off.
“Rinko… ….”
“Brother. Trust me Go into the forest and go a short distance to the river. It rained a lot yesterday, so the current will be fast.”
“… ….”
Rinko did not give up until the very end.
Soichiro nodded her head and squeezed the energy she had been sucking on as she ran.
I went into the forest and went where Rinko led me.
“Are you leaving yourself here… ….”
It was a risky gamble, but I thought it was worth it.
If you are swept away by the rapids, you have a chance to survive, but if you are caught, you will surely die.
Fortunately, it may not have been the ninja who first discovered the two running away, but they still haven’t completely caught up.
It seemed better to act before the pursuers could see them being washed away in the rapids.
“Let’s go, Rinko. No time….”
Soichiro finally saw it.
The arrow stuck in Rinko’s back.
Fluff!
She collapses helplessly as if she has exhausted all her strength.
“Haa… ha… ha….”
Even though I am sweating like rain, my body is like a ball of fire.
It was clearly the breath of a dying person.
When was the arrow hit? Maybe from the first time I saw you?
So, does that mean she ran all the way with those injuries?
‘Why?’
The doubts I had at the beginning were amplified without knowing the end.
I felt like I needed to know what it was and why.
Soichiro shouted at the fallen Rinko.
“What the hell is that? Why are you doing this what am i what am i to you What reason would you give your life for me!”
“Boss….”
Rinko looked at Soichiro and smiled lightly.
His face, which had lost all its color, perhaps because he had lost so much blood, looked more like a ghost than a living person.
Seeing that, Soichiro had a gut feeling.
She is already dead.
She does not say that a person who will surely die within one minute at most, does not live.
“Sorry… A lowly thing, engulfed in greed… I feel like I’m going to do something I shouldn’t be doing….”
With her last bit of strength, Rinko stroked Soichiro’s cheek.
“My son… Shohei. Shohei Yanagi…….”
“Ah… field…… ?”
“Don’t forgive me… I’m a selfish b*tch… I didn’t want to be born lowly, live a lowly life and die lowly… The fact that the noble you has blood mixed with mine is something that should never be known, but even knowing that… I tainted you for last-minute petty solace…….”
Soichiro stared blankly at Rinko.
Too many things are tangled in my head and I am confused.
But one thing definitely comes to mind.
He said that the dying person in front of him was someone precious to him.
“Shohei… please live alive… Prove that I, who gave birth to you and saved you, was not born into this world in vain…….”
“Rinko! You can’t die!”
“It was great to see you grow… grown up… The figure… If you’ve seen it, really… It would have been nice…….”
Rinko’s body sagged.
“This way! It smells like blood!”
A mother who had never heard of her except that she died giving birth to him.
But in fact, she doesn’t even have time to grieve the death of her mother who has always been by her side, and her new death is entangled like a noose.
Soichiro threw himself into the river.
A torrent that her little boy body could not resist swallowed her whole body as if it had been waiting for it.
‘I…… Shohei Yanagi. The last descendant of a proud ninja clan.’
Survive.
I will survive and prove it.
That the life of the woman I trampled on and survived was not in vain!
…………….
……….
“Tester No. 115, Shohei Yanagi! Come up to the arena!”
The empire is big and strong.
To the extent that it is incomparable to the country in the East where he was born and raised.
Shohei thought.
If you become the best in the empire, that is the same as being the best ninja.
Being the best, I will return to my country and rebuild my family even greater.
And, I will let everyone in my country know that the foundation was the sacrifice of a woman of low status.
‘The preparations are complete. Let’s beat this guy with her first step. She has to be overwhelming.’
A hat made of woven straw and a fluttering black robe.
A warrior sword with a shape similar to that of a katana, but with characteristics unique to the country.
There was also a long-haired man wearing black glossy sunglasses.
No matter where you look, you can’t find seriousness.
I think I may have participated in the entrance exam while I was sightseeing.
‘I’ll go beyond winning and get eliminated.’
I haven’t lived a life so frail as to be defeated by a man with no basic determination.
“Both sides prepare for battle!”
Pop!
The explosion from the magic flare hits my ears.
It was the beginning of a duel in which one had to prepare to kill the other.
Blame.
As soon as the signal flare goes off, lightly seal it and run out.
‘Remnant.’
Ninjutsu is spread with the chakra that was raised in advance.
Remnant is a technique that summons an insubstantial hallucination and fakes it.
Shohei, who had become two before he knew it, ran with Kunai in reverse.
Welcome is on the left, body is on the right.
It was a pincer attack with the illusion that was perfect enough to be thought of as having used clone magic.
‘Now, it’s either way. Which one will you choose?’
The swordsman of Ryeo is still holding his posture as if he is about to draw his sword.
Are you hesitating?
You’d better make a decision soon.
If you’re even a little late, the kunai containing the chakra will cut through your flesh.
Suak!
Shohei and the illusion jumped in at the same time and cut the swordsman.
But it was strange.
It was obviously cut at the perfect timing, but there was no swordsman in the position where the kunai was swung.
As if nothing existed there from the beginning.
Pang!
Shohei gathered his chakra on the soles of his feet and kicked the air.
The moment he recognized that the attack had missed, he responded flexibly, eliminating the possibility of a counterattack.
Eyes move quickly to search for enemies.
‘I can see it.’
The moment I caught it, I summoned a shuriken with ninjutsu and threw it.
Papa papak!
Eight shurikens spread out at precise intervals and surround the swordsman.
It looks like everything missed, but the shuriken side was an attack with no intention to hit in the first place.
Profit-
The real thing is the detonator that hangs there.
Kwakbang!
A black cloud rose as the explosion caused by the chakra engulfed the swordsman.
‘It hit.’
The attack went in cleanly, but I don’t think it will be subdued.
The moment they are really aiming for is when the swordsman breaks through the smoke and escapes.
‘You must be anxious in acting. Come on, come out!’
Shuuk!
Unsurprisingly, the swordsman was caught trying to get out of the range of the smoke with a back step.
At the same time, Shohei’s model shot out like a bullet.
It looked as if it would tear the enemy to shreds at any moment, but it was a fake made out of illusions.
‘The real thing is here!’
The main body was hiding behind a smoke screen.
Swordsman’s body is floating in the air.
There, he is conscious of the attack of the illusion.
It was the completion of a blow that could never be avoided.
In the next moment, his kunai would pierce the swordsman’s chest.
I didn’t doubt that, but…….
Pop!
“…… ?!”
For an instant, my body stopped.
I can’t move as if the connection with the brain has been cut.
“Big!”
The moment I thought what was going on, an unknown shock shook my head along with pain as if my back was being torn apart.
The attack has been stopped.
He himself was defenseless, and the swordsman, whose feet touched the ground before he knew it, was in a state of stance as if he were ready to strike at any moment.
“Aww!”
Shohei, who barely endured wanting to fall and quickly distanced himself, touched the area presumed to be cut as if pressing it.
I thought there would be hot, sloppy blood coming out along with the pain, but I couldn’t feel anything.
‘What is it?’
No scars.
‘I definitely felt cut… ….’
I didn’t understand, but I thought I knew the reason.
It must have been hand-in-hand.
‘I didn’t even see him draw his sword. Is it speedy, sword art? It’s the first time I’ve seen anything this fast.’
The pain began to subside.
Shohei stood still and asked the swordsman.
“You bastard, are you underestimating me?”
“No. Serious.”
“Why did you put your hands on Iahabbegi?”
“I just didn’t want to see blood unnecessarily.”
“You bastard, that means you look down on him!”
Pod!
As soon as Shohei got angry, he scattered stones similar to pebbles, and dozens of Shohei appeared on the battlefield.
It felt different from the welcome I had so far.
The things that were made now had substance one by one.
‘I didn’t know I had to take this out of here.’
Chakra alter ego.
Creating an alter ego by injecting chakra into a catalyst was something any skilled ninja could use.
However, its appearance clearly distinguishes it from humans.
A block of blue energy that is just a human silhouette.
Overlaying an illusion on top of that was considered impossible even for the most talented ninja, and it was safe to say that there was no such thing as an alter ego that could not be distinguished from the main body.
The alter ego, indistinguishable from the main body, was like a fantasy technique that remained only as a record even in the vision of the Yanagi family…….
Shohei, who thought that was his only vision, realized it after long training and enlightenment.
Not just mimicking illusions, but ‘real self-impersonation techniques’.
Although weaker in power than the main body, there is a world-wide difference between being a mere illusion and having an entity, albeit clumsily.
‘It’s a strong enemy. If you don’t use it, you’ll get hurt.’
It looked like he was simply angry and took out the season, but it was a judgment based on thorough calculation.
This guy doesn’t seem serious, but his skills are top-notch.
If you hide it clumsily, you will be the one who suffers.
‘I can’t believe there was a man like this in Ryeo, which I thought was only a small country.’
Did you say meteor?
It’s worth keeping in mind.
“All attacks from now on are real. It will be torn to pieces unless you first find the main body and cut it with that great swordsmanship.”
“Is this a man-to-man fight?”
“Yes. It’s a match between the men from the East, betting on their pride.”
“Good. I accept that win.”
Chuck!
The swordsman spread his legs and lowered his body, taking the posture of Iahap.
It seems like they are telling you to come in and have a look.
Shohei also shoveled enough chakra into his kunai and mixed the positions with his alter egos.
Blame it!
The crossfire charge finally begins.
The clones made full use of their own movements and flung themselves at the enemy in front of them.
‘I will draw my sword. Where are you going to aim?’
Then, the very next moment when I thought the swordsman would unleash it.
Before he knew it, he was finishing his lead drawing.
‘Did something— big!?’
I wondered what the hell I had done, and at the same time, I felt as if my lower back had been hacked to pieces.
His body stiffened as if the world had stopped, and the shock caused by the pain ran through his nerves.
Even if I squeezed my mental strength to the limit, I could only stand still.
All alter egos are scattered in vain.
Shouhei asked the swordsman, forcibly holding on to the consciousness that was about to end at any moment.
“How… I noticed…… ?”
Instead of answering, Yoosung smiled and slightly raised his sunglasses.
The expression of the ninja who saw the exposed eyes went blank for a moment.
And after realizing everything, I burst into laughter.
“Awesome!”
Consciousness is cut off.
“Great… do… ….”
Shohei, who muttered such words until the end, collapsed and landed on the floor of the arena as if he had attained Buddhahood.
[ Relationship Reward ]
! Shohei
Shohei considers you a rival.
Lv. 2 Gifts available