"FINALLY... IT HAPPENED." In the midst of the split body, everyone watched in horror as the person, eyes glowing with a purple flame, raised the two swords high in the air. "FINALLY, THE TWINS ARE MINE, SHI AND KATSU ARE MINE," the master couldn't comprehend the sight; all he could see was Tadashi's suddenly split body lying on the ground. "HAHAHAHAA, YES, I HAVE WON!" People that day tasted a new feeling in their lives: fear.
---
"Have you loaded the goods?" said the burly bearded man. "We've loaded, boss," the two skinny workers jumped onto the cart next to the boss. "Ah, we need to deliver these today, thank you boys, for always being by my side," the boss smiled at the man sitting on either side; the workers responded similarly.
"Now, we should get going, we need to get these goods across to the other side." The boss looked ahead, "Alright." The horses slowly picked up pace. "So boys, anything you'd like to share to make this journey less dull?"
"Yes boss, I know a great story; a story that will surely keep us all alive." The skinny man sitting on the right immediately jumped in after the boss's prompt, "Well, go ahead and tell it then." The boss awaited the story.
"I heard this from an old man on our side. Apparently, the most recent chosen one has been roaming these lands, and those who see him never live to tell the tale." The boss's eyes widened; no one had seen him since that day.
"Ah son, you mentioned telling us a story, this sounds like just a fabricated tale."
"But but boss, that old man—"
"Whosh!" The faces of the two brothers sitting on either side were splashed with liquid. The horses panicked, causing the two brothers and their fallen heads to roll together. The brothers couldn't understand what had happened; when they wiped their eyes and looked at each other, they were frozen. They couldn't speak; their boss's head stood between them.
"Look at the brave ones who dare to enter our territory."
"Don't do it, Roy, or they'll wet themselves."
"Hahaha, I'd love to see that." The two brothers understood the risk of their mission when they looked around.
"Sorry, but if you enter here, you won't be able to leave just by swinging your arms." Roy stepped on the right brother's leg and began to crush it; the brother groaned in pain.
"Shepperd, bring me that scalp."
"Sure, Roy," holding the white hair that extended behind the boss's scalp, Shepperd handed his head over to Roy. Roy shoved the swinging head in front of the brother's eyes, "Can you see this? This is exactly what will happen if you enter this area." With the other hand, he held a knife to the brother's throat, "Now, we're going to test how much you love your friend, tell me, should it be him or you?" The left brother watched in fear, "We shouldn't have come here, we shouldn't have."
The brother on the right, as much as he feared the knife at his throat, couldn't betray his brother in this way. "I-I," his breath quickened, "It's really admirable, Roy, it's not often you come across someone like that."
"You're right, Shepperd, we really stumbled upon a tough one."
The brother on the left, watching all this, felt a chance emerge; quietly, he began to stand up and started running with all his might. Shepperd noticed this immediately, "I think we have a traitor," and without delay, he threw the knife he held at the cowardly running man. The brother stumbled and fell with the knife stuck in his side. "BRO-BROTHER!" "He didn't deserve you, buddy, didn't you see? While you were willing to sacrifice yourself for him, he ran away cowardly," said Shepperd; the brother remained silent.
"Although I admire you, there's a consequence for coming here." Roy started to slowly press the knife, "You're not worthy of Shi." A voice from behind stopped Roy, "Who's this?" Shepperd looked back, but there was no one there. Roy, after throwing his brother to the ground, looked around, "Who are you?" Two bandits stood back to back, "Reveal yourself." Shepperd, ready for anything, scanned the area with his eyes; a shadow fell upon them, and the shadow cast by the moonlight immediately looked up to the top of the tree, "Katsu."
The owner of the shadow moved behind them and fell to the ground with cuts on their body. The mysterious person brought their hand to their face. The brother, despite not being able to see them clearly in the darkness, felt the pain. Suddenly, the figure turned their face towards the brother; the eye shining from within the mask glanced at him, and then vanished into thin air.
The brother's mind was in turmoil from all this, but most importantly, it was his brother; limping, he went to his brother, lifted him onto his back, and started making his way back home.