Amy was shocked at the sight she saw. Tadashi's upper body lay on the ground, while the lower part was still standing. It wasn't just Amy who was shocked; everyone shared the same feelings. Even Usta Shen was trying to understand what was happening in stunned silence.
Yu raised both swords in the air among the split body parts. "FINALLY... IT HAPPENED!" Suddenly, everyone's consciousness returned with Yu's voice; most of the crowd started screaming and running, pushing each other to escape. Amy, however, stared at Yu; her face was horrifying, one eye lost, the other shining with a purple flame. "FINALLY, THE TWINS' SWORDS, SHI AND KATSU, ARE MINE!" Everyone's fear was escalating. Amy continued to examine Yu. This couldn't be true. Yu couldn't be like this.
Amy suddenly focused on Usta Shen; Usta Shen, like everyone else, was watching Yu in shock, but why wasn't he doing anything? "HAHAHAHAA YES, I WON." Yu shouted with joy and suddenly locked eyes with Amy. Amy tried to run like everyone else in fear, but, in that moment of excitement and fear, she fell to the ground without being able to get up. When she quickly got up and looked where Yu was, she saw that Yu had disappeared. Where had he gone? Well, these questions didn't matter right now.
Even from a distance, Amy could sense the pain inside Usta Shen. Two beloved students had slipped through his fingers. "Usta Shen, I'm sorry I couldn't support you." Amy's current fears replaced all her fears with sorrow; she slowly left the festival area. Usta Shen was crying. The two chosen ones beside him had lowered their heads in sorrow. They all felt the high aura within Yu; they couldn't do anything to him. Usta Shen bent down and looked at Tadashi's smiling face. His eyes were wide open. "I'm sorry, my children, I'm so sorry," Usta Shen closed Tadashi's open eyes and combined his body. There was no turning back for him. Shi had brought death to him.
Usta Shen, with the combined body on his back, set off on the road. The two former chosen ones followed him.
When Amy left the festival area, she had many questions in her mind. Like everyone else, she was thinking and trying to guess what would happen next. While walking home with thoughts, someone blocked her way. "Hello, Amy." Amy was surprised; who was this man, she was seeing him for the first time, and why was he blocking her way at a time like this? "I'm Kazou... Kazou Okumi." Kazou reached out his hand towards Amy. Amy tried to figure out what was going on here as she shook his hand; they shook hands. "I'm Amy Shizen, nice to meet you." Amy put on a fake smile. Kazou also responded with a natural smile. "Um, I have a question for you; I wonder where you know me from." "Hehehe." Kazou began to scratch his head. "How do I explain, I know it's not the right time, but I've liked you since the moment I first saw you." Amy furrowed her brows and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Is this the right time to say that, Mr. Kazou?" Kazou started shaking both of his hands in front of him. "I know, I know; I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been able to express my feelings to you until now, but now I'm scared. There are no chosen ones, and I don't know how this will affect our future. That's why I wanted to express my feelings to you before something bad happens in these fearful times." "I'm sorry, Mr. Kazou, but I can't respond to your feelings. Please understand me." Amy left Kazou behind and started walking away.
"I TOO HAVE THE SAME DREAMS AS YOU, AMY. I SWEAR, ONE DAY I WILL WIN YOUR HEART." Amy suddenly stopped. How did Kazou know about her dreams? Was he some kind of creep? Amy disgustedly continued on her way. Meanwhile, Kazou followed her with a smiling face.
Amy opened the door to her house. The large house was too quiet, as usual. Amy lived alone in this big house left by her family. Sitting on the couch, she stared at the ceiling. "I wonder what will happen... what awaits us?" She raised her hand towards the ceiling and opened her palm. "Help us, gods. I know you're in Yu's hands in those swords, but... now the only things we can believe in are you; please help us." Amy stood up and looked at the picture hanging in her closet. Little Amy standing between her mother and father. It was her first drawing, and her mother had kept it hidden. After her mother, Amy continued this hiding duty.
"Mom, Dad, maybe I can come to be with you soon; please still love me." Amy put the picture back in the closet and went to the bedroom. She kept the room where her mother and father stayed closed; this room was special to her, so she never used it. She only entered the room for cleaning. She kept the room even cleaner than her own. It represented the value she gave to her parents; even though they were dead... While Amy danced with thoughts in her bed, suddenly Kazou came to her mind. A smile appeared on her face. "What foolish people there are." She slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
In the morning, the bird sounds outside had surrounded everything as usual; this was Amy's wake-up alarm. She stretched her arms wide and yawned beautifully. "I wonder what will happen; the change hasn't shown itself yet." After having a nice breakfast, she opened her door to visit Usta Shen. After all, it was a great pain, and she wanted to at least offer her support.
As soon as she opened it, she recoiled in astonishment. "W- what are you doing here?" "Good morning, Amy, I just wanted to say good morning to you." "Are you insane?" "No, I just want to prove my love to you." "Ah, get away, you freak." Amy pushed Kazou aside and started walking towards Usta Shen. "PLEASE CLOSE THE DOOR!" "AS YOU COMMAND, AMY." Kazou quickly closed the door and followed Amy. "Where are we going, Amy?" "If you're asking where I'm going, it's to Usta Shen, but you're not coming." "Come on, Amy, why are you doing this?" "Think for yourself, Mr. Kazou." Amy increased her pace. Kazou stopped and watched her with a smiling face. "ONE DAY, YOU'LL REALIZE THAT I'M THE RIGHT PERSON FOR YOU." Amy nodded and grinned. She continued on her way silently.
When she arrived at the temple, she assumed that Usta Shen would be here. "USTA SHEN, ARE YOU HERE?" No response. "USTA SHEN, I'VE COME TO VISIT YOU." Finally, approaching footsteps were heard. "Hehehee okay, I'm coming, I'm coming." Amy saw Usta Shen approaching from the massive entrance. "Well, sorry; it's a huge place, after all, I couldn't see you." "No problem, no problem; come, let's go over there together." Usta Shen pointed to the training area where he trained Yu and Tadashi. "However you want, Usta Shen." They both sat down facing each other in the grassy fields.
Amy's long hair began to sway in the wind. "What did you want to talk about, Amy?" Amy lowered her head. "I came to offer my condolences, both of your students have been lost." The master stroked his beard. "You're truly kind, Amy, full of goodness. Thank you so much for coming all the way here." "Wh- what do you mean, master? Your words mean the world to us." Amy couldn't look into Master Shen's face. Master Shen put his hand on Amy's cheek; it was wet. "Please don't cry, Amy." Master Shen smiled. Amy lifted her head and looked into Master Shen's face. "I'm so sorry, master; I can't support you in any way. I'm so sorry." "Please don't blame yourself, Amy, please don't."
As they sat together, Amy thought of the question she would ask with the man she saw behind the master. "Master, I'm really sorry to ask you a question at such a painful time, but I need to ask it now." "Please don't hesitate, ask, Amy." "Do you have a son?" "Hehehee, it seems you've seen him; yes, I do." "What's his name?" "Hello, Amy, I'm here too." Master Shen turned around. "So, you finally came back, my son." "Yes, father, and since Amy is here, we can talk about this with you."
"Of course, sit down beside us," Master Shen patted the grass next to him and gestured for Kazou to sit there. Kazou sat down and went straight to the point. "I love Amy, father, and with your permission, I want to escape from here with her."
"But-"
"I know, I have duties, but father, there are no chosen ones anymore. That's why you didn't allow me to go out anyway, right?" Amy had reached an answer. When she came to visit Master Shen, she asked a few people about Kazou. None of them knew, so she realized that he was the child Master Shen had hidden. Master Shen's lineage had come down like this to the present day, and children lived a life based on education. People knew these children as their mastery time approached.
"If your decision is in this direction, I have no choice but to allow you, but first, we need to see if Amy has feelings for you." Master and Kazou turned their heads towards Amy. Amy shivered under the gazes directed at her. "I- I'm sorry, Master Shen, but I can't be with your son." Amy stood up with a face full of shame and began to move away from Master Shen. Master Shen smiled, watching her departure, then returned to the temple. Kazou, on the other hand, was following Amy again. "WAIT FOR ME, AMY." Amy, with a flushed face, was running away from him rapidly.
Every time Amy opened the door, Kazou continued to greet her at the door; he always followed her. As time passed, Kazou gained support from everyone. Amy was under pressure; everyone wanted her to accept Kazou. As scary as it was, it was equally gratifying for Amy. Over time, the disruption of balance began to be felt. Many people were migrating to Amy's region; the lands had become barren, and there were no spirit powers to heal the lands.
Master Shen, as the leader of the region, welcomed all immigrants with open arms and taught them the power of the spirit. While some returned after learning these, a considerable number continued to stay with Master Shen. But not only immigrants came to the region; darkness was also spreading to these lands.
Amy opened the door as usual; she was expecting Kazou in front of her, but Kazou was not there. This puzzled Amy. Should she worry about him; this was the first time. Amy started wandering in the street; everything seemed normal, as usual, everyone greeted Amy with a smiling face. Unable to resist, Amy began asking people she saw about Kazou. They all said they didn't know where Kazou was. Amy started to feel anxious; she immediately headed to Master Shen's place. "Master, do you know where Kazou is?" The master, after the initial shock, responded with a smile on his face. "So, you've finally fallen for him, Amy, didn't take long, did it?" Amy suddenly blushed. "Please, just answer my question, master." "Hehee, okay okay, I also don't know, Amy, but don't worry, nothing will happen to him; his abilities are even higher than mine." "I- I understand, master." "Don't be afraid, Amy, he's fine, trust me." Amy silently turned back towards her home; she chose a different path than the one she came, hoping to encounter Kazou, and her wish came true.
She heard voices from an alley, rushed over, and fixed her eyes on Kazou lying on the ground, covered in blood. "KAZOU." Amy couldn't hold back her voice. The man standing over Kazou looked at Amy. Amy shivered. "Ah, I've been waiting for you for hours, Amy, hehehee." Kazou suddenly stood up, healed all the wounds on his face, and quickly grabbed the man by his collar. "Ha." Amy was left astonished; what was Kazou planning? "This is the darkness entering our region, Amy; he stole from an innocent market vendor. I wanted to catch him in front of you and trapped both of us here to wait for you together." Kazou smiled at Amy. "You, YOU'RE INSANE, KAZOU." Amy couldn't believe what she was seeing; the person who loved her was completely insane, and a thief had entered these lands.
"Are you just realizing it now, Amy? I think you should have understood it long ago." Amy couldn't hold back suddenly. "Hahahaa, you're right, you fool... HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU, DO YOU KNOW?"
"Ah, I'm sorry for that, Amy, hehehee." Kazou scratched his hair and grinned at Amy. "I'll make you forgive me, Amy; please come with me." Kazou extended his hand to Amy. With a smile on her face, Amy took Kazou's hand and started walking towards the square with him. The man on Kazou's back also accompanied them; his mouth was tied with Kazou's strings.
Kazou summoned everyone to the square; a large crowd gathered, watching Kazou and Amy in front of them. Master Shen also joined the crowd to observe his son and Amy. "Thanks to everyone who came. As you know, there are no chosen ones anymore, and the disrupted balance is starting to manifest here as well." Kazou untied the strings binding the man. The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath. "There's a thief among us." The man looked at Kazou with fear. "First, show what you stole." Everyone was filled with surprise. The man emptied his pockets, laying out all the stolen food and items in front of him. "Please, Uncle Bernalt, take these." Bernalt tearfully gathered his stolen goods with a happy face. "Thank you very much, thank you very much." Bernalt looked at Kazou with gratitude. "It's nothing." Kazou smiled at him. "Now, people, this is a simple crime, so let's forgive this man; let this be a warning for him." Everyone welcomed this choice with beauty and reason. Master Shen also left the crowd happily. "And, of course, thanks to my partner who was with me when capturing this criminal." Kazou grabbed Amy by the waist and pulled her towards him. "Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!" The crowd had created a great opportunity for Kazou. "What do you say, Amy?" Amy blushed; she closed her eyes and quietly waited for the kiss. Kazou slowly approached and planted a kiss on Amy's lips for a few seconds. Amy was completely blushing. "That's it, Amy." "THAT'S IT!" The crowd cheered with joy; the man took advantage of their distraction and quickly escaped. Kazou did nothing in response to this; after all, he had received enough punishment.
From that day on, Amy and Kazou began to be known as the best couple. Kazou didn't leave Amy's side; Amy was pleased with this, as she now fully trusted him. Amy had fallen in love with Kazou. "How about realizing our dream?" Kazou was lying beside Amy; Amy had brought Kazou to her home for the first time. Amy blushed. "Y- You're talking nonsense." Kazou got up and straddled Amy. "Isn't it the right time, do you think?" "K- Kazou, you're embarrassing me, please." "Hehehe, sorry, Amy." Kazou leaned back, lying next to Amy, and they fell into a long and beautiful sleep together.
While Amy was gazing at the children playing outside her window, Kazou was preparing breakfast for them. Would it have been better if she had accepted Kazou's proposal now? As she watched the children, thoughts of her parents came to her mind. The hunger to become a parent like them was growing.
She wanted to make her parents proud. "K- Kazou," she tried to say something suddenly but gave up. Wasn't it too early for that? It was indeed too early, absolutely. "Yes, Amy." Kazou came out of the kitchen and looked at Amy. "N-nothing, continue preparing breakfast." Kazou smiled and went back to the kitchen. Amy liked this aspect of Kazou; they never clashed. Kazou wasn't an interrogative type; he provided an environment where they could trust each other comfortably. Amy smiled and continued watching the children from the window.
But the smile on her face suddenly turned into a horrifying shock. All five children lay on the ground covered in blood. Men with strange masks over their faces approached to check the children's pulses. Amy was filled with anger; her teeth began to tremble. "KAZOU!" She couldn't handle this on her own. She played the joker card, and Kazou appeared next to her in an instant. Kazou, without asking any questions, understood what was happening by looking out the window; he rushed outside and entangled two masked men with ropes.
Amy quickly followed Kazou outside. "K- KIDS!" She couldn't stop her tears. "AAAHHH!" Cries of children and painful moans began to be heard from elsewhere. "NO, NO, NO, NO, WHAT IS HAPPENING?" Amy was on the verge of losing it; she started pulling her own hair. Kazou put his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Please, calm down, and leave it to me." Kazou suddenly disappeared. Amy fell to her knees and started crying uncontrollably. Her heart was aching; the children had been slaughtered before her eyes; who were these men? Amy looked at two tied men in front of her. Her eyes turned bloodshot. "Y- you." She headed to the kitchen and slowly took the knife Kazou left on the table. Stepping outside, she confronted the two men. "You took them from me." Her eyes were shaking; the two men stood unconsciously. Amy raised the knife into the air.
"NO, PLEASE!" Kazou grabbed Amy from behind before she could swing the knife. "PLEASE, YOU'RE NOT A KILLER." Kazou's tears made Amy's hand loosen; the knife fell to the ground and bounced onto the men. "I'm sorry, Kazou." Amy lowered her head. "It's okay, it's okay." Kazou turned Amy towards him and kissed her on the cheeks. "If we don't stop this now, this place will become much worse." "You're right, but why are these little kids targeted, why them?" Amy looked at Kazou with watery eyes. "WHY?" Her heart was aching; all the children had been taken from her. The kids who were playing games with excitement were now lying lifelessly on the ground. "Please, put an end to this, Kazou, please, let's end this." "We will, my love." Kazou held Amy's cheeks and initiated a passionate kiss. Amy, initially surprised, found this kiss soothing at the moment; they responded to the kiss and kissed each other for a long time.
"We suffered a great loss," everyone had gathered in sorrow, people were in a terrible state. "These individuals, whoever they are, senselessly massacred our children." These words struck everyone deeply. Kazou, one by one, removed the masks of the ten people in front of him. Amy took off the mask of the last person. "Leader, which one of you, speak up." Kazou untied the strings in their mouths. "Hehehe, a leader? We don't have such a thing." One man in the middle jumped in as soon as his mouth was untied. "What did you want from those innocent lives?" Everyone watched these men with pain and anger. "We are the purification itself, we are cleaners, we are the truth." "What nonsense are you talking about?" "Seiren has no future anymore; Seiren must be purified." Amy approached the man and grabbed him by the collar. "WHAT NONSENSE, WHAT DID YOU WANT FROM THE KIDS, YOU BASTARDS?" "We purified them; Seiren must be cleansed, hehehaha." Amy punched the man in the eye with anger. The man fell to the ground due to the impact, but his smile didn't fade. "Hehehaha, we're coming, there is no continuation for Seiren, it's doomsday for Seiren." Kazou put his hands on Amy's shoulders with anger. "Please, we will make everything right." Amy's eyes opened wide. "THOSE KIDS WON'T COME BACK!" She quickly swung her arm across Kazou's stomach. "Auhg!" Kazou held his stomach and sank to the ground.
"You have truly formidable power, Amy." "I- I apologize, I'm so sorry, Kazou." Amy crouched down and hugged Kazou. "It's okay, it's okay." "What should we do, Kazou?" Usta Shen stepped forward from the crowd. Kazou, with Amy, stood up and grabbed him around the waist with one hand. "I think we should close the borders to this place now. I don't know what kind of place it is, but we should establish a boundary for our safety and peace. We need to ensure security early on, or it's just a matter of time before we suffer such a big loss again." Many people found this view reasonable. There could be people in need of help there, but darkness had taken over the place. Nobody could know the level of danger the incoming people represented.
"You're right, my son. We have to prevent that. But what about the masked men?" "I think it would be the most sensible choice for the parents of the children to decide what should be done to them. They committed a great crime." The parents of the deceased children slowly began to come forward, some holding their child's body. Kazou kneeled in front of them. "Whatever you command will be their punishment." Amy was proud of Kazou; he was her true hero. Kazou was everyone's hero. No parent could utter a word; although filled with sorrow and anger, they were forced to refrain from expressing these words. "D- Death," finally, a mother carrying her child's body in her arms voiced her choice. "However you want it." Kazou opened and closed his palm suddenly; the ten men behind him began to swing with ropes around their necks. The mother began to cry; this didn't bring her child back. Amy understood the mother's pain; she had experienced the opposite kind of pain.
"Everyone will be held accountable for what they've done. I sincerely apologize to everyone for the losses suffered today. As compensation, I will cross the borders we have drawn and cleanse all the darkness on the other side, I promise." "But..." "You're not at fault." "Yes, please stay with us." "No, it's all because of me. I was too late, and we lost many of our children. I will make up for this, I promise." Everyone fell silent. "Thank you for not objecting." "But Kazou, I can't go on without you." Amy hugged Kazou from behind. "Don't leave me... Please." Kazou freed himself from Amy's arms and poked her in the stomach with his finger. "Then I'll have to force you to come with me." Kazou smiled. Amy turned bright red and quickly ran home. Kazou turned towards the crowd. "Starting tomorrow, no one from other regions will be allowed to enter here. We will defend ourselves." "YES!" Many people in the crowd got caught up in the excitement and cheered. Thus, Seiren was divided into two: the 1st side and the 2nd side.
After setting the boundaries, Kazou knocked on Amy's door late at night. Amy couldn't sleep; she quickly ran to the door. "I knew you weren't sleeping." "Y- yes." Amy blushed. "You're coming with me, Miss Amy." Kazou grabbed Amy by her shoulders and closed the door with his foot. Amy was pressed against the wall, but she didn't want to escape; she surrendered herself to Kazou's lips. Kazou, dragging her to the bedroom, slowly removed and discarded what Amy was wearing. "Today, we're fulfilling our dream; someone new will take the place of the lost ones." "Yes." Amy, with a smiling face, watched Kazou take off his pants on the bed; that night, they were completely in tune with each other's bodies.
"Are you ready, Amy?" Amy slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on Kazou's chest. When she looked down, she suddenly woke up completely and jumped up; she was completely naked. "Ah, um, did we do it?" "Exactly, Amy." Kazou smiled at her. Amy, locking her eyes below Kazou's waist, quickly looked away. "Ah, this is so embarrassing." She immediately got up and started dressing.
"It's time for the journey, Amy. You have to come with me now." "Ah, yes, this will be beautiful. After all, I'll be with you, completely safe." They quickly had their breakfast and went to Usta Shen. "We're leaving, Father." "You don't have to do this, my son." "No, I have to, Father. I'm sorry." Usta Shen accepted the situation and hugged his son tightly. "I'll miss you, my son." "I'll miss you too, Father... I'll miss you." When Amy also hugged Usta Shen, they left his side. After saying goodbye to everyone, Amy, who would become Kenshin's mother, and Kazou, who would be his father, set off towards the 2nd side.