Chapter 134 — Names That Should Not Be Said
Merin looked at Sakumo with an unsettlingly calm composure.
"My name is Merin," he said, his voice soft, almost melodic. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Sakumo didn't move an inch. His focus was entirely on his son. "What happened to Kakashi—"
Before he could finish the demand, Kakashi's fingers twitched. Sakumo was at his side in an instant, kneeling and bracing his shoulder.
"Kakashi," he said, his voice thick with a father's dread. "Hey… can you hear me? Are you alright?"
Kakashi's eyes fluttered open. For a heartbeat, they were hollow and distant, but then the fog cleared. He focused on his father's face. "I'm fine… Father."
Sakumo let out a jagged breath, the weight on his chest finally lifting. But Kakashi's gaze didn't stay on him; it drifted past, locking onto the white-haired boy standing nearby.
A heavy silence stretched between them.
"…Sorry," Kakashi muttered.
Merin arched an eyebrow. He walked closer, his movements unhurried and fluid. Crouching down, he reached out and poked Kakashi's cheek with a playful, yet firm, index finger.
"Honestly," Merin said, "that's a terrible habit of yours." He poked him again. "Attacking people before you even understand the situation."
His crimson eyes searched Kakashi's face. "And if you truly thought I was Alan, your killing intent was far too potent." A brief pause. "What did Alan ever do to you?"
His tone wasn't one of accusation, but genuine curiosity. "Even if he crossed you," Merin continued, leaning closer, "you shouldn't have reached the point of wanting to commit fratricide. So… tell me. What happened?"
Kakashi's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "I don't know." His voice was a mere whisper. "I just… I felt I had to kill him."
He looked down at his own trembling hand. "And I think there are two more."
The air in the dimension seemed to drop a few degrees.
"Two others I feel the need to hunt," Kakashi admitted, his grip tightening. "I don't know why. It's just… this visceral, sickening feeling."
For a moment, Merin froze. His heart, which usually sat in his chest like a block of unmoving ice, gave a single, heavy thud.
He understood. He knew exactly why Kakashi felt that way. Relief washed over him, followed by a somber stillness. He sighed softly and shook his head.
"…I see."
"Don't kill them," Merin said gently. It wasn't a command; it was a plea. "…For me. Please."
Kakashi didn't answer, but the murderous edge in his eyes softened. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no.
Akira finally broke the silence. "…Who is Alan?" He looked directly at Merin, his expression hard. "And who are the others?"
Merin stood up, brushing the dust from his knees. "As for the other two, I cannot tell you. Not yet." His expression shifted, becoming uncharacteristically grave. "But Alan…"
He trailed off, the name hanging in the air like a curse.
"…Alan is different."
Akira's eyes narrowed.
"His full name is Alan Merin," Merin explained with a faint, ghostly smile. "And his last name… his true surname…" Merin's eyes flickered with a strange light. "…I am not permitted to speak it."
Akira blinked, taken aback. "…Not allowed? By whom?"
Merin only offered that cryptic smile in return. Akira stared at him, his mind racing through the fragments of memories he possessed. Then, something clicked.
"Wait," Akira stepped forward, his voice low. "You both carry the name 'Merin.' Is he… is he your twin?"
For the first time since they had met, Merin didn't have a quick retort. He simply looked at Akira. The smile remained, but it was no longer playful. It was a labyrinth of grief, old memories, and secrets that were too heavy for words.
That silence was the loudest answer Akira could have received.
Whatever Alan Merin was to this boy, it wasn't as simple as a "twin." It was something darker. Something that even the dimension seemed to recoil from.
Sakumo, who had been observing the exchange with the soul of a warrior, finally spoke.
"…Who exactly are you?" His hand remained on his sword. Even if the very ground he stood on welcomed this child, Sakumo knew that a "welcoming" power could be the most dangerous kind.
Merin glanced at him and chuckled. "Just someone," he said, "who came to check on his family."
His eyes flicked to Kakashi, then back to Akira. "…And to make sure they don't do anything remarkably stupid."
Kakashi let out a weak, dry breath. "…Bit too late for that."
"Yeah," Merin smirked. "You certainly proved that point."
He turned away, looking up at the artificial sky of the dimension. The playful energy had vanished, replaced by a chilling weight.
"Still… things are starting to move much faster than I anticipated."
Akira frowned, feeling a prickle of dread on his skin. "What do you mean by that?"
Merin didn't look back. He kept his eyes on the horizon.
"…You'll see," he whispered.
The words felt like a prophecy. The space around them grew heavy, as if the very fabric of their reality were bracing itself for a storm that had already begun to howl.
End of Chapter 134