Death is the peak.
Death is painful.
Death is the fastest event that turns everything into history.
Every soul will experience what is called death.
Death is the furthest thing from our minds, even though it is actually closer than anything near us.
Death is painful, but it is also what can change other people.
We are born in one way, but death comes in various ways.
In this life, nothing is certain except death.
***
The sunset arrived in a small town that looked very eerie. The sky appeared like flowing blood, and the swaying trees around added to the eerie atmosphere.
The town's residents began to gather in the town center. They were all stirred by great curiosity, wanting to see how a criminal would be executed. Some of them brought small children, while others just wanted to witness the execution itself. Suddenly, the crowd grew louder and more agitated as they saw a guillotine erected in the middle of the town. It seemed that they all already knew what was going to happen. Everyone looked rushed and nervous, as if they couldn't wait to witness the execution that would take place.
In the middle of the crowd, there was a wooden stage that had been prepared. On the stage, there was a guillotine that looked very eerie. Several prison officers and royal knights were seen guarding around the stage, wearing full uniforms with weapons hanging from their waists.
Instantly, the royal knights signaled to the prison guards to bring the prisoner up onto the stage. The prisoner was none other than Kamishiro Zen. It was apparent that both of his hands were tied and tightly guarded by two prison officers. Kamishiro looked resigned and didn't try to break free from the grip of the prison officers who forced him to climb onto the stage.
They saw Kamishiro being led to the execution site and continued to cheer loudly as Kamishiro surrendered to the judge. People gathered closely, and occasional shouts of joy celebrating Kamishiro's death could be heard. They were never satisfied with a regular trial and deemed that such punishment had to be carried out openly in public.
The townspeople then immediately began to hurl abusive words at Kamishiro, whose arms were tied up. Not only words, but Kamishiro was also pelted with stones and rotten fruits by the townspeople.
"Die! You devil!"
"Because of you, everyone suffers!"
"You disaster bringer! Die!"
Kamishiro was then pushed by one of the guards and made to kneel in front of the guillotine on the stage.
As Kamishiro lay under the guillotine, a sharp blade hung above his head. The present crowd seemed to fall silent and hold their breath, while the guards waited for the order to execute.
When the long-awaited moment finally arrived, the black-clad executioners entered the guillotine with flat and cold expressions. They raised the guillotine blade high in the air, signaling the beginning of the execution.
"I will give you time to repent," said the executioner.
"I don't care, just kill me quickly," Kamishiro replied promptly.
"Criminals like you do not know mercy."
"Executioners like you better stay quiet and kill me quickly."
Kamishiro was instructed to lie face down, and his neck was placed between two wooden blocks with a hole in the middle for the blade to fall through. A basket was placed in front of him.
After that, Kamishiro looked towards the middle of the crowd of townspeople.
In the midst of the crowd, Kamishiro saw a man with sapphire blue irises, black hair, and wearing a black cloak.
The man stood out and looked different from the others. His presence was like a main character in a story.
The man moved his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But because of the distance between him and Kamishiro was quite far, Kamishiro couldn't hear the man's words.
Slash!
Everyone held their breath as the guillotine fell with a creaking sound, cleanly severing Kamishiro's head. Blood flowed heavily under the guillotine, creating a gruesome sight. Some people screamed, while others just stared in horror.
When it was all over, the crowd dispersed hastily, leaving the execution site. However, some of them still lingered there, amazed by what they had witnessed. Some of them continued to stare at the guillotine, watching carefully as the executioners quickly cleaned the area. Finally, dusk began to turn into night, and people started to leave the execution site, except for one person - the man in the black cloak that Kamishiro had seen just before his death.
When Kamishiro opened his eyes again, he realized that he was back in the real world. He felt the fresh air entering his lungs and the night wind touching his skin. He was relieved that it was all just a dream.
"Did I...succeed?" Kamishiro asked himself.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He was relieved that the city of sunset and the guillotine were just a nightmare. And now, he could sleep peacefully without any frightening dreams.
***
A few days ago, when the village was being attacked by demons.
"In the end, it doesn't matter, they all die like insects," muttered Kamishiro hoarsely.
Kamishiro looked towards the demons that were jumping towards him with their mouths open. He had no weapon to fight the demons, but he remembered the gift from his grandmother, a ring that was given to him.
Kamishiro pointed the back of his hand at the demon, and suddenly the ring emitted a light. The demon immediately turned to ashes in an instant, and the demon's ashes disappeared blown away by the wind. Kamishiro smiled contentedly, feeling relieved that he had protected himself from the demon's attack.
The ring was given by Kamishiro's grandmother as a gift to protect him from low-level demons. He felt grateful and felt that he should have been prepared for situations like this.
"Everything is going according to my plan. Now I just need to get out of this village," thought Kamishiro.
A few moments before the attack happened, Kamishiro had made a plan in case something unexpected happened. He took action by cutting his hand with a knife and letting his blood out.
Kamishiro used his blood to spread its scent all over the village, making the demons confused. He had arranged everything well so that he could survive the attack of the demons.
After successfully escaping from the village, Kamishiro felt relieved and ran away. However, on the way, Kamishiro was constantly attacked by different demons. That night became a very long night. Kamishiro kept fighting off the demons that attacked him.
Kamishiro's body felt tired and sore from constantly fighting the demons. However, he couldn't give up. He had to hold on and keep fighting until no more demons attacked him.
After that, Kamishiro walked aimlessly. As Kamishiro was walking, he suddenly passed out.
Then, the next day, The Prosperous Era, Terra, 15th Ignitia, 1412. Kamishiro woke up and in front of him was an old man with a mustache who was wearing many gold ornaments all over his body.
"Are you awake, young man?" asked the old man.
Kamishiro opened his eyes and tried to gather his strength. "Who are you?" asked Kamishiro weakly.
"My name is Piter. I am a merchant," replied the old man with a friendly smile.
Kamishiro felt deep gratitude. "My name is Zen, thank you for saving me. If that's the case, I will leave now," said Kamishiro as he slowly stood up.
Piter noticed Kamishiro's weakened state. "You shouldn't be walking alone in this condition. How about joining us? We're heading to the capital of the Herbertus kingdom."
Kamishiro felt hesitant. "No, thank you. I don't want to inconvenience you, and I don't know how to repay your kindness."
"It's alright. How about you join us as a way of repayment?" Piter kindly offered.
Kamishiro considered the offer. He felt bad about declining Piter's offer. "Alright then."
So Kamishiro went with the group of merchants heading to the capital of the Herbertus kingdom. They passed through the wilderness and crossed a large river. It took them several days to reach the capital.
That night, while everyone was resting, a fierce creature's growling voice suddenly sounded. "Grrrrr!"
"It seems like they have arrived," murmured Kamishiro.
A pack of demon wolves appeared from the darkness. The demon wolves immediately attacked the resting merchants.
"W-What is that?!"
"D-Demons!"
"Help me!"
The merchants were killed instantly, without any resistance. The demon wolves then headed towards the horse-drawn carriage where Kamishiro and Piter were.
"What's happening?!" Piter asked in panic.
"The demons are attacking," Kamishiro answered while drawing his sword.
"What did you say?!"
One of the Demon Wolves immediately charged towards Piter and devoured his head.
"How long will you keep chasing me?" Kamishiro asked.
"Zen... blood... Zen..."
"It seems like tonight will be a long night."
Kamishiro fought off the Demon Wolves. Although they were low-level demons, they kept coming. Eventually, Kamishiro kept fighting until the sun rose.
Suddenly, Kamishiro's right eye turned blue with sapphire color, and fragments of memories started to appear, causing an excruciating pain in his head.
"How long will this go on? After trying millions of times, I still can't escape from this vicious circle. I can't get rid of this Deja vu," Kamishiro muttered.
After defeating the demons, Kamishiro walked alone to the capital and ended up in a slum area.