NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Traitor
Shikaku knelt on the floor of the swaying train compartment, blood dripping steadily from his split lip onto the polished steel. His breath rattled, shallow, but his gaze was steady. Across from him stood Oishi, sword arm loose, eyes burning with contempt.
"Look at your state," Oishi sneered, his voice thick with disdain. "Traitor."
Shikaku coughed, spat red onto the floor, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His voice was hoarse, but firm.
"Don't call me traitor."
"I will call a traitor what he is," Oishi said coldly. His lips curled into a cruel smile. "You were there at the container yard, weren't you? Waiting for both sides to butcher each other. Hoping you'd slither out from the ashes untouched."
"Yes," Shikaku admitted. His jaw tightened, his knuckles white against the floor.
"You've always embodied the rat's role well," Oishi continued, his tone cutting like a blade. "Scurrying from ship to ship the moment the waters get rough. Tell me—" his voice dropped, low and venomous, "—what were you thinking, jumping onto this train? That hiding behind me would protect you from that boy?"
Shikaku's Remain silence .
Oishi's face hardened. His hand dropped to his sword hilt.
"That's not going to happen. Not today. Today I'll take your head myself, you rat bastard."
He began to draw the blade, steel whispering from its sheath.
"Traitor. Justice will be served in your blood."
At first, Shikaku only chuckled. Low, broken laughter spilled from his chest, building until it filled the compartment. He lifted his bruised face, eyes locking onto Oishi's with a defiant gleam.
"I told you," he rasped. "Don't call me traitor."
Oishi's grip tightened on the hilt. "Then what else should I call the man who let Zero, my son die?"
Shikaku's smile faded. His voice steadied.
"So that's it. I'm branded a traitor because I let Zero fall to Jin?"
"Yes!" Oishi barked. His face twisted with rage, veins standing out in his neck. "If you'd confronted him—if you'd bought even a second with your life—Zero would still be alive!"
Shikaku's laugh returned, bitter this time.
"Your hypocrisy stinks, Oishi. You call me a rat, but you—you're the jackal. You only dared attack Jin with a pack at your back. And when the pack was slaughtered, you ran like a dog. Tail tucked between your legs."
Oishi's eyes widened in fury. "You dare—!"
"Zero was better than you," Shikaku cut in, voice sharper than a blade. "He saw things clearly. He told me to go. He wasn't blind like you. And your men—" he spat blood at Oishi's feet, "—they died for nothing. For you. What did their sacrifice achieve?"
"They fulfilled their duty," Oishi snapped, voice trembling with righteous anger. "They were bound to protect me. They died with honor, serving their master."
"It was never my duty to protect Zero," Shikaku said quietly. "I was there to guide him, nothing more."
"Excuses!" Oishi roared. His sword gleamed half-drawn in the dim carriage light. "What servant lets his master die while he survives? You disgust me. Now, prepare to meet your fate."
Shikaku tilted his head, lips curling into a mocking grin.
"And die as meaninglessly as your men? No. Thank you."
"They didn't die meaninglessly," Oishi spat. "They died serving me, and I'll honor them by ending Jin with my own hands. When I return, I'll bring mercenaries, mages—armies if I must. I'll burn him until nothing of flesh remains. Not even ashes to crawl back from."
The blade slid free with a hiss, steel flashing as Oishi raised it high. His eyes glared down at the kneeling man.
But then—
The carriage door groaned open.
A figure stepped inside, dripping crimson from head to toe. His claws glistened wet in the fluorescent light. His bare torso was streaked with gore, his eyes burning with predatory calm. Blood dripped from his jawline, chest, the tips of his fingers.
Jin.
His voice cut through .
"You assume too much, old man." His eyes locked on Oishi. "Who said you get to live?"
Shikaku smirk " Now let's look , did your subordinate died for honour or nothing . "