Ferocious power erupted from his fists, blasting the chests of the two shinobi from the Land of Birds into a messy pulp, sending gore splattering everywhere.
"W-why...?"
As life faded, tears welled up in their eyes. We agreed it was just an act! We were supposed to swing lightly, and you were supposed to block gently!
"Sorry... I just got a little too into character!"
Aoi smiled as he shoved their bodies aside, leaving the siblings with a view of his enigmatic, mountain-like back.
It took Noko a moment to recover from the shock. She grabbed tightly onto Aoi's arm.
"Brother Aoi, you really are incredible!"
"It was nothing, really..."
Aoi waved his hand casually, putting on the air of a master who considered such feats trivial.
Unlike Noko's pure excitement, Shinki was far too proud to express gratitude so easily. His face turned beet-red, and for the longest time, he couldn't utter a single word.
Suddenly, as if remembering something urgent, Noko cried out without hesitation, "Brother Aoi, hurry and save my father! Bad men have captured him!"
Children really are so innocent... Aoi thought. She felt it was perfectly natural to ask him to risk his life just to go save her father.
But really... what reason do I have to do that?
"Bad men?" Aoi feigned confusion.
Noko grew frantic, waving her arms about. "The bad man had two red crabs! Anyway, he was really, really evil!"
What kind of terrible description is that? Only a ghost would understand what you mean!
But then...
"Could it be... Akahi, the Demon of the Ghost Trident?"
Shinki, standing behind them, stared in utter shock. How on earth did he connect "two red crabs" to Akahi?
Of course, Aoi wasn't going to tell him that he had watched the entire event unfold from start to finish...
After a moment...
Hiss...
Aoi drew in a sharp breath, shaking his head with a look of deep concern. "Him? Oh no... this is going to be very difficult."
"What? Are you saying even you aren't a match for him?" Shinki finally couldn't stay silent. He had just found a glimmer of hope, and now it seemed it was about to be snuffed out.
"Right... no matter how strong you are, you're still so young. There's no way you could defeat that old monster," Shinki said, lowering his head again in despair.
"When did I ever say I couldn't beat him?" Aoi grinned, staring straight at Shinki.
"Then why did you say that just now?" Shinki asked, confused.
"I only meant he'd be slightly troublesome to deal with," Aoi scoffed and shook his head. "But... forget it. After all, aren't samurai supposed to be powerful enough to handle anything?"
At those words, Shinki's face burned red. Shame washed over him, battering the very samurai beliefs he had always been so proud of.
Normally, after being insulted like that, he would have drawn his sword long ago to defend the honor of his class. But today...
Hoo...
Shinki let out a long, heavy breath. He swallowed his pride, dropped to his knees respectfully before Aoi, and pressed his forehead to the ground.
"Lord Aoi, I was too narrow-minded before and said things that must have offended you. I apologize."
"I accept your apology," Aoi nodded with a smile.
"Good boy. As the saying goes: to realize your mistake and correct it is the greatest virtue of all."
"Good boy"?!
Being called a "good boy" by someone who was only three years old made Shinki feel as if his already shattered self-esteem had been stomped on all over again.
But no sooner had he finished speaking than Aoi turned around and began walking away.
Shinki froze. He reached out to stop him. "Lord Aoi! Where are you going? My father is being held captive in the opposite direction!"
"Hmm?" Aoi pouted, looking confused.
"Who said I was going to save your father?"
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