“It was quite a while wasn’t it old friend… Of course you didn’t return, I began counting the years at one point… Needless to say it was all in vain. At first it was a cute little thing I thought I could do to honor our friendship, but I lost it. I wanted to DO SOMETHING, but I am useless am I not? I made a deal with the same demon that corrupted you, I took my revenge and what have I been left with? Nothing, my family was gone and I could at least try to accept, but my damn thirst for his blood, to make him FEEL… Pointless, pointless I say.”

He stood next to his armor. In front of Kojirou were only the ruins of Sillacet, bugs crawling all over the place… The magical silence, the barrier that used to hold everyone out was done for. It was just a simple ruin, the archives destroyed, the corpses of soldiers were eaten by necrophages and the bones were all dust now. The city itself wasn’t even on the surface anymore, buried deep under who knows what place on the earth.

“A family, you did everything for yours as well, or at least you tried to. As insane and depressive as you were, I felt as though I met a man that understood me, that I could trust and share my worries… Why haven’t I done it? Who knows… Maybe I’m simply a coward, in the end people will always hate those who raise their swords, hell even I hate them… I hate me. Ah, no need to sulk anymore, I know you used to light candles in that old church, for the dead you offered a prayer. This is all I can do for now.”

He took a candle out of a bag he brought with him. Kojirou caught it with his boney fingers and lit it with his blue flames.

“I did it with my own hands, gave away my humanity. I’m a spooky skeleton now hehe, a spooky flaming skeleton. At least I can always light a candle for you no? No… I can’t, I didn’t to be more precise. Listen here, I found that coffin, but with all those demons and monsters scheming I won’t open it. It won’t be safe. If you can hear me… I will take care of everything.”

He took his bag, his swords and left slowly making his way outside.

‘Imagine I was here a eternity ago. They say it’s the year 1635… People sure love to believe whatever they want. Although I am impressed…. These muskets are interesting. They call themselves samurai, some are indeed honorable people, you could call them master swordsmen, in human standards… There are also those who simply love the power they have, they forget where they started. Scum…’

As he was thinking he kept walking in the dark. Due to his cursed appearance people called him a ghost, they thought he was an old warrior seeking revenge on those who killed him.

As Kojirou roamed the night two kids bumped into him. He crouched to take a better look at them. There was a girl and a boy, probably siblings, but he didn’t ask.

“Kids… Don’t roam alone at night, unless you are dead already ahahaha!”

They were shacking uncontrollably.

“…W-Will… Will you let us go!?”

He gazed deeply at them.

“Kids, where are your parents?”

“T-They… They were killed by bandits…”

“I see, I’m glad you didn’t faint, most of the people do when they see me. Look, where do you want to go? I can escort you… For free, no deals or anything.”

The boy hesitated for a moment, but he asked anyway.

“Why would you do that?”

“A long, very long time ago, I had a kid that looked just like you, long black hair. He was quite a rascal… He even had a younger sister.”

“What… What happened to them?”

“An old how would you call him now ‘Shogun’, yeah an old Shogun killed them.”

“Did you do something to upset him?”

“I will tell you on the road. Now where would a safe place be for two kids…? I guess nowhere.”

The kids were waiting for him to decide what to do. It was annoying as such a scary creature seemed so dumb.

“I will take you North, there should be a village suitable for the two of ya. Stay as far as you can from the Shimabara Domain, it will come to a bloody war.”

“You won’t go there?”

“I have no more reason to fight, my only reason to live now is to fulfil my promise to a friend.”

“Can we stay with you then, you are scary, but you seem nice…”

“Ah, affection, haven’t got that in a while. It’s no good to stay near me, only death and misery follows. I will outlive both of you and I don’t want to cry… again…”

“What if we lift the curse before!?”

“Ahaha! Oh you kids, saying the most absurd things, sure… I will indulge your request for the time being, but don’t expect any special treatment got it?”

“YES!”

‘I am a fool for letting my emotions take the better of me, but I guess… If it’s only for a moment, I can be happy here, in my little world.’

They walked on foot through the country for a few days. The three would stop now and then to take a break and eat or hide from bandits. Kojirou refrained from taking a normal path thus walking through the forests, climbing the hills and only pausing their journey if the kids couldn’t keep up anymore.

“If I remember correctly, we should be close to a village. The people there are nice… even towards someone like me.”

“Mhm…”

“Hold on.”

He took a glance around for any hiding spots. There were none that wouldn’t be obvious so he decided the best thing was to have the kids close to him.

“Alright listen here brats, stay close to me and if you think you see someone yell.”

“Yes!”

They walked on for a bit and he saw the village set on fire. Kojirou told the kids to cover their eyes and hold on to his hand.

He lived for so long that murder, death, war meant nothing for him, but Kojirou knew what something like this can do for normal people. It can shatter their will, it can traumatize them and sometimes even cloud the mind with thoughts of vengeance.

The kids covered their eyes and tried to ignore whatever they were walking over. The stench of burned meat and bloody mist filled the air.

The boy for better or for worse peeked out for a moment. He stopped, his sister as well and so did Kojirou.

“What is this…?”

“I told you to walk brat.”

He was holding his tears and resumed walking. The kids barely hold up the need to puke. Soon they got out of the village, the air was clean and there were no corpses in sight.

The boy started to vomit and cry.

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

“Kid, this is what happens due to human greed. I met monsters with more compassion, but then again I did worse things in my old days.”

“H-How can you just… How can anyone just do that? I-I though a warrior must be honorable, that they fight for a greater cause…”

“Ahahah, good joke… Warriors fight for themselves. I promised I will take care of you and so I shall, now answer me. Why didn’t you keep you eyes closed?”

“Because…”

“No because, you did it indeed for the same reason any human descends into madness. Curiosity, you know this is sometimes the most dangerous thing that one might encounter in his lifetime. It will push you towards actions you wouldn’t normally take. Ah… To be young, dumb and curious… To be honest here kids I am envious.”

He gazed deeply at the burning village. He would have shed a tear if he could, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

“The Tokugawa shogunate is rather feared, but with all this forced peace… There will be rebellions, I must say that I’m sorry for that poor daimyo in Shimabara. All those restrictions and a rise in ronins… True peace huh. Ah, it matters not… Kids we will go to a secret place, I will speak with some old buccaneers to keep a watch over you.”

“Ok…”

“I expected you to ask me why? Or who were they?”

“I will listen to you this time…”

“Alright, don’t pout too much. Time to move, it’s pretty far. Oh, what are your names?”

“I am Taishiro.”

“What is your name little one, why are you so silent?”

“She is scared of you, her name is Akiko.”

“I won’t force the two of you to talk, just listen to me until we arrive at our destination. Akiko, be a good girl after I leave and listen you your brother. Taishiro, you take good care of her and avoid war… Fights in general, killing people will only make you suffer in the long run.”