…
The banks of the Rashomon River.
The crude gate conceals the stench from the ghetto behind it.
Fallen Princess...Who named this?
It's awful.
Covered in dirt and with strange black scars on his face, a rickety and thin boy was standing with his head bowed.
In front of him was his sister who was completely opposite to him.
"...Mei." The prostitute Taro was holding the sickle. He looked at Mei and opened his mouth slightly, just about to say something.
But he hesitated.
strangeness?
He blinked and scratched his disheveled hair in confusion.
I…
What were you doing just now?
"Brother?" Mei looked at the prostitute Taro who was still in place with the same confusion.
After taking a look at his sister's dirty and tattered kimono, the prostitute Taro suddenly seemed to remember something.
Oh, right.
——I’m going to collect debt today.
Although he is thin, he is surprisingly good at fighting. Relying on debt collection, the difficult days are getting better day by day.
His eyes stopped on Mei, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
And a sister who makes me so proud.
Thinking of this.
The prostitute Taro slightly tugged at the hem of his simple clothes and squatted down so that his eyes were level with the sister in front of him.
He patted his sister's shoulder gently and looked at her as usual:
"Mei, listen, today is the first time you have been left home alone."
"If you encounter anything, you must strike first before it is taken away."
Although the prostitute Taro is young, his voice is still hoarse and terrifying, just like his appearance, and he is called a monster by others.
He softly comforted Mei, who looked a little worried:
"It's okay, you can do it too."
Hearing this, Mei's idea of continuing to ask questions just now disappeared. She nodded worriedly, her eyes staying on her brother's tired face:
"Um."
"I will be back soon." Looking at his sister's growing appearance, Taro the prostitute nodded slightly.
After tidying up Mei's clothes and touching her head, he stood up:
"gone."
Walking towards the opposite bank of the Rashomon River.
Watching the prostitute Taro's back gradually disappearing.
Mei, who had been keeping a sullen face and pursed lips, staring closely at the prostitute Taro's back, raised her hands slightly.
It seemed that she never had the courage to speak out. She suppressed her face and turned red. Then she took a deep breath and shouted at the back of the prostitute Taro:
"elder brother--!"
"Be careful on the road!"
Hear the words.
tread.
"Yes." The prostitute Taro who was walking in front stopped, raised the corners of his mouth, turned slightly sideways, and for the first time a smile called "happiness" filled his face:
"I'm going!"
Mei looked at her brother's smile, and she was excited. She raised her hands high, smiled cheerfully, and waved her hands in the direction of the prostitute Taro.
The two still young people said goodbye to each other.
At this time.
Snap.
"...?"
The elderly prostitute Taro had a surprised expression. He was holding a meat sickle in both hands. He was tall but stooped. His arms were wrapped with red and black ribbons. He had turned into a ghost and suddenly appeared.
And stood between the two people who were gradually moving away.
With [winding] etched in his eyes, he turned his head suspiciously and looked at his happy smile when he was young.
No.
This isn't right -
His pupils trembled slightly as he reflected the back of his younger self gradually walking away.
What are you so proud of, you!
You just experienced happiness for a little bit, and you got carried away!
Don't go!
Come back to me!
The prostitute Taro stared at himself as he walked away. He wanted to move, but found that he could not move at all.
He opened his mouth and tried to shout, but he could only choke and make a strange sound in his throat.
His eyes became increasingly anxious.
That's it!
After he left, his sister believed his words, resisted, and blinded a warrior's eyes with a hairpin.
As a result, he was set on fire by that damn guy.
When he came back, he only saw Mei lying in the pit, too burned to be human.
my little sister.
There was no other way to save her then but to become a ghost.
In fact, his biggest wish is just to live with his sister.
Watching his young self disappear from sight, Taro the prostitute turned around.
He looked at his sister who stood at the door with an expectant look on her face and refused to leave for a long time.
"Hmm!" Mei clenched her little fists, her little face flushed with excitement, and she nodded vigorously. She looked very cute, and she said to herself:
"Get everything ready before my brother comes back!"
As she said that, Mei's expression became a little angry. She snorted and turned around, walking towards the direction of "home":
"Idiot brother, he calls me stupid every day. He obviously forgot that today is his birthday."
Hear the words.
--Birthday?
Taro the prostitute was slightly stunned. He did not remember that he had taught his sister such a concept.
It was a useless luxury for rich people, and he hated feeling like this.
Recalling the memory, Mei suddenly asked excitedly one day what day he was born. He choked on the spot and casually mentioned a date.
Did you learn this from someone passing by?
The body was shaking more and more violently.
plum…
My sister is a clumsy but very straightforward person who works seriously but has difficulty taking care of herself.
Stupid sister.
Such a person really cannot let her live alone with peace of mind...
She is different from me.
If she was born somewhere else, not her sister...
If she lives happily...
The prostitute Taro looked at the young Mei blankly.
It will definitely save more people...
- Just like me.
The memory gradually fades away, and everything around him slowly emits a soft white glow.
The prostitute Taro suddenly trembled.
yes.
In fact, he is very happy.
The memory of the blue sky in summer, accompanied by the gentle breeze carrying the fallen green leaves, brushed against the prostitute Taro's face in ecstasy.
…
Reality.
Dark clouds billowed in the dark sky.
"Ahem!"
The prostitute Taro rolled his eyes, and he turned back his eyes tremblingly, moving his eyes quickly, and finally fixed his eyes on He Dao, which was getting closer to his neck.
He glanced sideways and looked at Mei's head, which was being held by Yu Sui Tianyuan.
At this moment, she was crying loudly and shouting something in this direction.
【plum】
The prostitute Taro stared intently.
【Your life. 】
【Better than mine. 】
laugh!
The blade of He Dao touched his neck, and the surface of his skin suddenly made a sizzling sound.
——More weight!
"Roar——!!" The prostitute Taro didn't struggle, he just raised his head suddenly, and the ferocious veins suddenly spread all over his body!
His disheveled dark green hair was dancing, he opened his orange eyes wide and roared with all his strength.
The already skinny body shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the meat sickle in his hand instantly turned into ashes.
The vitality of being [the third string] disappeared in an instant!
next moment.
Tanjuro waved his arms vigorously.
Uh-huh!
The red He Dao cleanly cut across the prostitute Taro's neck.
His head flew high, but there was no regret or surprise on his snarling face.
The prostitute Taro just opened his mouth slightly.
Then.
"plum!!"
The prostitute Taro turned his head in mid-air, choked in his throat, and shouted to his sister:
"Run--!!"
Hear the words.
Tanjuro, who had just cut off his head, froze. He turned around suddenly, and the powerful force forced him to turn around and look behind him while sprinting.
"Eh?" Mei, who was crying, opened her eyes in confusion. Her gaze was fixed on the flying prostitute Taro's head that kept disappearing.
She paid no attention to herself.
Under the broken neck.
——The body that has grown again.
"What?!" Yusui Tianyuan looked to his side in horror. He subconsciously clenched the sun blade in his hand and slashed straight at Duo Ji's neck!
Uh-huh!
when!
But the attacking blade was suddenly blocked by the belt rising from Fallen Girl's body!
"...My body...?" Mei lowered her head in confusion. She was stunned for a moment. The regrown body and the surging power in her body made her confused.
Tanjuro glanced at the prostitute Taro's head, which fell on the street and gradually turned into ashes.
He stepped on the roof and quickly rushed towards Yusui Tianyuan.
Then I understood what happened.
——The prostitute Taro, in the moment just now, transferred all his power to Feng Ji.
This is almost a suicidal act - turning the two ghosts who are brother and sister into one ghost with only the sister having all the blood.
Such a consequence would directly lead to the death of the prostitute Taro himself.
However, it does give my sister a glimmer of hope.
The moment Tanjuro, who was a bystander, noticed this fact, Mei, who felt the power, also reacted.
"Brother..." Her pupils trembled violently as she looked straight ahead at the headless body of the prostitute Taro who stumbled down.
In his trance-like vision, he saw the moment when the prostitute Taro's body began to turn into ashes.
Mei's emotions were out of control.
Her neck felt swollen and her eyes were sore. She gritted her teeth and lowered her head slightly, unparalleled anger welling up in her heart.
"Oh-ahhhh!!!"
She roared hysterically, and the belt behind her rose up into the air and waved all over the sky:
"Go to hell! Go to hell!!"
boom! boom! Bang bang bang! !
Countless ribbons of clothing surged up from the streets, breaking through the roofs and running towards the sky!
The rubble and dust were raised, and the surrounding buildings suddenly turned into powder. The nearest Yusui Tianyuan was directly hit hard.
The sharp belt grazed the left hand wielding the Nichirin Sword!
Poof!
Blood splatters!
When Tomioka, who was standing beside Yu Sui, saw this, he quickly stepped forward and stood in front of Yu Sui.
Click!
The blue Nichirin sword in his hand was instantly unsheathed.
【Breath of Water·Shiyi Shape】
【Nagi】
Uh-huh!
The dense blue sword light was hidden under the calm lake surface, and all the belts that passed through the range of Tomioka Giyu's arm were immediately cut off!
However, the range he can take into consideration is only within one foot that his blade can touch.
behind.
Yusui Tianyuan covered his left arm and looked at Tomioka Giyu's back in surprise.
…
Kyogoku House.
The landlady stood in the shattered room. Through the punctured wall, she looked at the belt rising into the sky in the distance.
"...What, what is that?!" She backed away in shock, the revolver in her hand trembling slightly.
Sudden.
sand…
In the corner of the room, a strand of clothing slightly scratched the wall.
!
next moment.
boom!
With the flash of fire, a faint wisp of smoke drifted away from the muzzle of the gun. The proprietress held the revolver in her trembling hands and looked towards the corner.
There, there was a burnt bullet hole in the blank space of the belt with Xiaoyu's portrait engraved on it.
Snap.
The belt fell weakly, as if its owner didn't care.
…
not far away.
Bones.
The prostitute Taro's head rolled to the ground and was slowly turning into ashes from the neck.
He lay down with his head down and looked at the countless clothes belts rushing up to the sky, then looked along the direction of the belts towards the roof not far away.
"...What a stupid sister." The prostitute Taro's tone was a little helpless, and his voice was still hoarse and weird:
"This power...is not for you to use to fight back."
"...Run quickly."
But the remaining strength in his body was no longer enough to support him from shouting loudly.
All I could do was watch, Tanjuro on the roof, holding a dazzling sun trailing in his hand, running straight towards the roof with his robes soaring into the sky.
…
Tap tap tap! !
Tanjuro held the red wedge pill in his hand and ran quickly, with white steam flowing from his mouth, and the scenery around him receded rapidly.
He stared at the belt in front of him that was constantly thrusting towards him.
Uh-huh! Uh-huh!
The moves in his hands are changing, Ashina's swordsmanship is mixed with the breath of the sun, and he is constantly dodging or cutting off the belt.
In the field of vision, the name above Fallen Girl's head blurred for a while.
Finally, it changed
——[Third String] Plum.
Only one of the two red dots remained.
"hiss--!"
【Breath of the Sun】
Staring in the direction of Tomioka and Yuzui who were covered by clothes.
He didn't know how long Tomioka could resist such a desperate attack.
It takes too much time to cut off the belts layer by layer and move forward.
In desperation.
Tanjuro tightened his grip on the handle of the knife and took a deep breath.
Puff!
The sun's flames rose vigorously from the root of the blade, and the dazzling light turned into an extremely stretched blade light with the rapid swing of He Dao.
Sprint hard with your feet!
Whoosh—bang!
The Breath of the Sun changed from Type 1 to Type 12, and he waved it completely and with all his strength.
Just for a moment.
tread!
He stepped out of countless pieces of clothing that were instantly shredded, held up the red wedge, gritted his teeth, and appeared in front of Mei, who had a stunned expression.
"Brother..." Mei threw her head back in fright. She shouted subconsciously, but she suddenly choked up and the tip of her nose felt slightly sore.
Tears overflowed from his eyes, and when they touched the hot He Dao, they were instantly evaporated.
See this.
Tanjuro closed his eyes slightly.
"Rest in peace," he said.
The He Dao in his hand slashed vertically with all his strength!
Uh-huh!
The blade sliced across her neck easily.
Poof!
The white-haired head flew high in the night sky, and pieces of pink and purple clothes turned into ashes.
Mei's green eyes gradually turned blue, and she stared at the bright moon in the sky, her eyes slowly clearing.
then.
Bones.
It rolled down next to the prostitute Taro's head, which was turning into ashes.
The two ghosts, brother and sister, looked at each other.
"Brother..." Mei's eyes turned red and she was about to cry.
"Why don't you run away." The prostitute Taro's tone sounded helpless, and he drooped his eyelids: "If you run away, you can survive."
Without waiting for Mei to answer, he wanted to ask further:
"With that kind of power, run..."
Mei puffed up her cheeks at this moment and interrupted the prostitute Taro's words loudly:
"If brother is not here——!" She closed her eyes, her voice trembling with a cry:
"There's no point in living like this!"
Mei's clear voice echoed in the slightly empty Flower Street.
The prostitute Taro's expression was astonished.
…
on the roof.
Tanjuro was stunned, and he blinked.
Just now, he felt a new battle memory.
Not with the fallen siblings.
But——
——Combat Memory [Jiguoyuanyi].
(End of chapter)
