Life After Death: The Strength Of Suffering

"Ahh~" I watched the crowds of people near the bonfire, dancing and singing praises to some deity.

"Ohh~" I took another swig from the ninth bottle of sake Kaede had stashed away.

"Mmm~"

I sighed at the last moan and glanced down to see Kaede hugging my left leg, her kimono partially slipping off her shoulder. 'I can see why Takahiro was a blushing mess.'

"Nnn~" She rubbed her face against my knee like a cat, and I leaned down to fix her kimono.

"Hmm~ Yorsh an-noying sometimsh, Shouta." she slurred, glancing up at me with hazy eyes.

I blinked at her words. Before I could respond, her gaze shifted to the bottle in my hand.

"Gimmie!" she demanded, reaching for it.

I shook my head and pulled the bottle away. "Kaede-san, you've had enough alrea—"

Before I could finish, she lunged at me, knocking me flat onto the wooden floor of the lookout.

"My sake..."

I stared at the spilled liquid pooling on the ground then looked up at Kaede, now perched on my lap. Quickly, I sat up and adjusted her kimono which had nearly slipped off completely.

"Shouta..." she mumbled, her words thick with emotion as she rested her head against my chest.

"I'm shcared." she whispered, her voice trembling.

I looked down at her, feeling her grip tighten on my kimono. "I don't whant to lose y-you."

I snorted softly, trying to lighten the mood but froze when she looked up at me. Her honey colored eyes though hazy, held a warmth that reminded me of Eri.

'Fuck... The sake must be messing with me.'

"I-I shought I w-would loosh y-you." she stammered, her tears glistening faintly in the firelight.

Brushing her hair from her face, I started to pull my hand away, but she grabbed it holding it tightly.

"Sh-stay w-with me..."

Her voice softened as her eyelids began to droop. I sighed quietly, leaning closer. "I'm not going anywhere, Kaede."

Her tired eyes lingered on me as I hesitated. Memories of the past flickered like shadows in my mind. For a moment, I felt the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on me.

Finally, I exhaled and asked, "Kaede... will you build a future with me—ack!"

Before I could finish, her head shot up slamming into my chin. I winced in discomfort as she stumbled to her feet, all traces of drunkenness miraculously gone.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice ringing with certainty.

I barely had time to process her response before the scent of flowers filled my senses. She threw her arms around me, pressing my face into her chest.

"Yes! Yes! I want to marry you!"

'What?'

I tried to speak, but her squeal of excitement cut me off, echoing across the lookout.

"I'm getting married!"

'Isn't it a bit early for that?' I thought, unable to voice my protest as she suddenly swayed, the adrenal fading away and the alcohol catching up to her.

As she fell backward I sighed before blitzing behind her to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I didn't mean marriage, Kaede..." I muttered softly, my words lost to the night.

Looking down at her sleeping form, her peaceful smile tugged at something in me.

'Better get her back to her place.'

With that, I adjusted her in my arms, turned and leaped off the lookout, heading toward her clan's compound nestled in the mountains.

~Scene Change~

Walking along the newly created path, illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns hanging like distant stars was an entirely new experience for the residents and myself of the mountain. After all, I had practically banned festivals since I took over the mountain. I glanced down at Kaede, nestled in my arms. 

'Wonder how she managed to convince them that I wouldn't punish them for all of this...'

I shrugged off the thought as we reached the compound. A few guards stood at the entrance to a building, their eyes widening in surprise as they saw us approach. 'Must be where she's staying.'

As I walked toward them, I noticed their frantic bowing.

'Must be startled at me holding her.'

"U-uhm... Sasaki-s-sama?" one of the guards stammered.

I rolled my eyes, cutting him off before he could finish. "She's drunk and needs rest."

There was a brief moment of confusion before the guard on the left gained some confidence and spoke up. "W-why are you here though?"

I raised an eyebrow. His stutter had decreased, though his voice still trembled. "T-There was a letter sent to y-you... From what I overheard, it was about a location and that Kaede would stay with y-you for the night."

I glanced down at the woman in my arms, her breath slow and steady oblivious to the conversation. I sighed, giving a nod in acknowledgment and turned, leaving without saying another word.

~Scene Change~

A few more minutes passed before I finally arrived at my home. I gently settled Kaede onto the bed, her body limp and still. Kneeling beside her, I carefully removed her shoes and set them aside. I then picked up the letter she had mentioned earlier and placed it neatly next to her.

'She's out cold.' I thought with a quiet chuckle, but the thought soon faded as I turned to reflect on the night.

I had been caught up in the whirlwind of the festival, the food, the games and her. The moments had felt fleeting, like they belonged to someone else.

'Did I enjoy it?' I asked myself. I thought back, remembering all that we had done tonight. 'The fishing game...' But what struck me the most was how easy it had all felt. How her presence had turned everything from mundane to meaningful.

I took the tanto out of my hakama and studied it, the smooth wood and delicate carving of wisteria flowers. I was supposed to do this with Kaede, to share the moment with her. But the moment felt... enough to do alone. To face it on my own without distraction.

'I've put it off for long enough.' I thought, the weight of the unspoken words pressing down on me.

I stood up, threw a black kimono over my shoulders and walked toward the door. The cool night air greeted me as I stepped outside, its crispness a sharp contrast to the warmth I had felt earlier. I didn't look back at the bed where Kaede lay sleeping. Instead, I focused on the path ahead.

~Scene Change/ POV Change~

More than two years ago, a dense sacred forest had flourished at the base of a mountain. It was a place of life, peace and quiet reverence. But then, a surge of Cursed Energy tore through it, an explosion so violent that it had shattered the earth itself. At the time, many believed it had been a battle between two powerful Sorcerers. Others thought it was the emergence of a mighty Curse, and they hurried to exorcise it.

But it was neither.

It was a young man, a stranger in this world who had awoken here with part of his power running rampant. His energy tore the earth apart before he collapsed, the shock and strain of his own strength sending him into unconsciousness.

Now the same young man, older and more composed, walked among the still recovering grounds, a boulder larger than himself held overhead with ease. The destruction had begun to heal, but the land still bore scars, scars that would never fully fade. He arrived at the center of the destruction, setting the stone down with a soft thud and stepping back slightly.

"Looks good enough." he murmured, his voice carrying an odd mix of finality and quiet melancholy.

From beneath his sleeve, he pulled out the wooden tanto. The intricate wisteria flowers painted along its length gleamed softly in the dim moonlight. He studied it for a moment before speaking again. "Haven't infused a weapon in a while… hope I still remember how."

With those words, a dark purple and black energy began to leak from his hand, rippling around the tanto. The air seemed to thicken with the energy's weight as it danced around his palm. It was strange almost alien but familiar, an extension of himself. He could feel the subtle hum of power in the air. After a tense pause, he saw the tanto's surface shimmer but not explode. Satisfied, he nodded and walked toward the boulder.

"I'll miss you, Eri... Retsu... Azazel..." His voice was barely a whisper as he began carving the names into the stone. The names fell from his lips like a prayer, the motion mechanical yet imbued with years of meaning.

Each stroke of the tanto into the stone felt like a weight lifting, but also a burden becoming heavier. This was how he would remember them, not in quiet moments or delicate rituals, but in the raw act of carving their names into the very earth that had once been torn apart by his power. He paused occasionally, as if the memories of the past had a way of stealing his breath.

Minutes passed like this, the names etched into the stone one after another. Then with a final deep breath, he jumped onto the boulder plunging the tanto into the stone with an unexpected force.

The dark energy briefly flared, sending a ripple through the night air as he stepped back, watching the blade sink deep into the surface. Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving the stone illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight.

As he vanished into the shadows, the carved words on the boulder remained, glowing faintly for any who would pass: "From the ashes of the past, a new life rises." 

~Sasaki POV~

I yawned as I entered my home, mentally drained from everything that had happened. 'Though I feel lighter.'

Looking over at Kaede's sleeping form, I noticed her kimono had come undon, revealing more of her pale skin. I sighed, walking over to the bed and set my kimono aside before laying down beside her. Almost immediately, she shifted closer to me, her warmth radiating against my skin.

I draped an arm around her, trying not to disturb her.

'I wonder what tomorrow will bring...'

With that thought, I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep, her quiet breathing the only sound in the room.