Amy and Kazou were met with a dismal sight as they crossed into the other region. The surroundings were dimly lit; it was a dreadful place. The wandering people seemed eerie, and Kazou held Amy's hand as they continued exploring the streets. The people here were indifferent; since Kazou's arrival, they witnessed numerous thefts and cries, yet everyone carried on as if nothing happened. Why were people like this? Why hadn't they chosen a peaceful life without committing crimes? For Amy and Kazou, these were questions waiting to be answered.
Finally, they returned to the market area. "Do you believe you can fix this, Kazou?" Amy fixed her curious gaze on Kazou. Kazou smiled, "No doubt, Amy." No one paid attention as Kazou kissed Amy's forehead in the middle of the market, and they all continued on their way.
Kazou approached a stall selling various fruits. The vendor stared at Kazou with lifeless eyes. "What do you want?" Masaru pointed at the man. "We just arrived here and are looking for a place to stay. Do you know someone who can help us with that?" The man's eyes widened, "Hahahaa, you really came here to stay? Of course, I know someone who can help you. Please turn left at the end of the market; there's a shop owner there who will jump at the chance to assist you." Kazou smiled, "Thank you, sir."
Amy had noticed something that had caught her attention since they arrived: not a single child in the area they roamed. It sent shivers down her spine. Many possibilities crossed her mind; despite not wanting to think about negative scenarios, the incident she experienced before coming here was a kind of trauma for her. All the children were lying in pools of blood in front of her.
As Kazou noticed Amy's frightened state, he hugged her and began to stroke her hair. "Please don't be afraid, Amy... Everything is fine." Unable to hold back her tears, Amy buried her head in Kazou's shirt and began to cry. Kazou allowed her to cry, motionless, continuing to gently stroke her hair. "I will fix everything, Amy. Please don't cry."
After shedding tears for a long time, Amy raised her head. "I trust you, my hero." Holding Kazou's cheeks with her hands, she leaned towards his lips with her fingertips. Kazou's kiss was a source of great healing for her. "Let's go, Amy." After the kiss, Kazou, with a smile on his face, took Amy's hand and walked towards the shop owner. Amy had somewhat escaped from the gloomy thoughts within her because Kazou was by her side.
When they turned left at the end of the market, they saw a man with a hat sitting and rocking on a chair in front of the shop. As soon as the man saw the two new visitors to the town, he stood up and walked towards Kazou and Amy. "Hello, new visitors. I'm Nico." The man extended his hand to Kazou, and without hesitation, Kazou shook hands with him. "I'm Kazou, and this is my wife, Amy." "Welcome to our city. I know it looks terrible, but there's not much we can do now that the chosen ones are no longer here. So, while our standards may not be very high, at least it's a livable place."
"I understand, that's quite normal," Kazou nodded. "I'm glad you welcome it. By the way, you want to live here, right?" "Yes, that's our plan," Kazou replied with a smile. Nico clapped his hands and congratulated them. "Ah, that's fantastic! So, can I know what kind of place you're looking for?" "Honestly, a small place would be sufficient for us." Nico glanced at the tops of two adjacent buildings and then turned his gaze back to Kazou.
"Hmm, I gather you're not in a very good situation." "You could say that, yes." "Let me test something first." Suddenly, two massive figures appeared behind Kazou and Amy. "May I search you now?" Nico looked at both of them with a smiling face. Amy, gripping Kazou's arm, held on tight. "Sorry, that's not going to happen." Kazou raised two fingers into the air and then brought them down. With that gesture, the two giant men behind them slammed to the ground. "Y-you're a soul user, please forgive me, excuse my mistake." Nico joined his hands and began to plead with them. "Whatever you want, whichever house you want, I can give it to you." "A small house will suffice for us." "A- Ah, are you sure you really want this?" "Yes-" "We're sure," Amy interjected over Kazou's words. With this, a smile formed on Kazou's face. Amy smiled back at him. "However you want it, please follow me." Amy and Kazou followed Nico. Nico led them to the front of a small cabin. "I sincerely apologize; this is the small house I can offer you." "Oh, you trickster!" Kazou put his hand on Nico's shoulder. Nico trembled in fear. "Don't worry, we're taking this place; thanks for your help." "However you wish, th-then I'll go." "Goodbye." Nico slowly moved away from them in fear.
"What do you think, Amy, do you like it?" Amy wrapped her arms around Kazou's neck. "Any place with you is beautiful to me, and a small place means I'll be closer to you." Kazou grinned and planted a kiss on Amy's lips. Kazou then placed his hand on Amy's stomach. "What about this one?" Amy winked, "Safe with us, don't worry." The two joyfully entered the cabin.
Amy mostly explored the city with Kazou. They wanted to learn the region thoroughly. Many people approached them, but none had a chance against Kazou. Thus, Kazou's reputation gradually spread throughout the city, and within a few months, almost everyone knew Kazou. Some feared him, while others were happy for having a long-awaited justice. The city's crime rate had significantly decreased.
"Do you want to come with me today, or do you prefer staying home with that one in your belly?" Amy smiled, gently touching her slightly swollen stomach. "I think this big boy is going to challenge me a bit today, so it's better if I stay home." "However you want, sweetheart. If you need help, I'll sense it right away, don't worry." "Hehee, I absolutely believe in you, my love." Kazou left the cabin with a smile.
"Alone at last, little hero," Amy addressed the moving baby in her belly. She was filled with peace; the feelings, pains, and nausea created by her baby were insignificant to her. She had finally achieved her dream; she would raise her own child perfectly, just like her mother. Lying in bed, she continued to communicate with her baby by running her hand over her belly. "I wonder what your name will be, little hero?" Amy fixed her gaze on the ceiling. "Mom and dad, I did it. I wish you could see me, wish I could show you that I can raise a child like you did."
Amy turned her head to the side and looked at the first picture she brought with her on her right. Her eyes began to water. "Ahaha, I really did it." This was her biggest dream. After lying in bed for a long time, a knock on the cabin door disrupted Amy's tranquility. It caused her to slowly open her eyes. Who could it be? Amy approached the door. It was a wooden door. "Who is it?" "Amy, it's me." It was Joel, the market vendor who gave them directions when they first arrived.
"Ah, Joel, it's you." Amy opened the door.
"I wanted to prepare and gift you a few things, also to inform you, especially at a time when your condition is becoming more pronounced."
"Ah, of course, please come in." Amy invited Joel inside.
They sat across from each other at a small table.
"How's our little one?" Amy began to run her hand over her slightly swollen belly.
"He's doing great, kicking his mother's belly like a champ."
"Hahahaa, that's good news; I hope his mom isn't struggling too much then."
"No, no, we both get along just fine, don't we?" Amy poked her belly gently, and the baby's strong response followed.
"Agh!" Amy held her stomach and leaned forward. "Hehehee, definitely a strong baby."
"Haha, Amy, I wonder what he'll put you through when he's born; it's a big curiosity."
"Hehee, I'm looking forward to those days with excitement."
"Speaking of birth, it reminded me. Have you found a name for him?"
"Ah, the name issue, honestly, I feel that the name I'll give him will come to mind directly when I hold him for the first time. Kazou agrees with this view." Joel smiled, "I'm sure it will, Amy."
Amy gazed at the box Joel brought with curious eyes. "What did you bring us; this baby is always hungry."
"Hahaa, don't worry, Amy, I've prepared a nice meal box for you as best as I could." Amy clapped her hands together, "Great, both of us will eat well, my dear."
"Enjoy your meal, now..." Joel's expression suddenly changed. "As much as I don't want to spoil your mood, Amy..."
Amy stopped in surprise. "Yes, Joel?"
"Ah, that child poses a great risk for you. Do you remember asking me why there are no children outside?"
"Ah, I understand..." Amy lowered her face, looked at Joel with a slight smile, "Please, continue."
"The children here, as I mentioned before, stay indoors, grow up indoors, can't go outside; it's too dangerous for them. The reason is that this place was taken over by a kind of group, they call themselves the Purification Cult-" Amy's mind filled with memories of the past, "They were the ones who did this, they killed the children... But why?"
Joel's face fell, "While we don't know where this cult came from, they took over the entire city, killed all the children, the lucky ones managed to hide their children." Joel's eyes widened, trembling as he spoke.
"They took my wife and child from me." Tears came to Amy's eyes, and she felt sorry for Joel's state. "Ah, my condolences, Joel."
"Those monsters killed the children, and when we asked about the reasons, all they said to us was that Seiren had no future anymore. There were no gods, no chosen ones; Seiren's end had come. They are lunatics, Amy, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier. It's forbidden for the city residents to talk about these things to outsiders, so I waited for a time when your pregnancy wasn't noticeable and I could safely tell you."
Amy formed a smile on her face and silently nodded. "I'll answer the question; they gradually took over the city. Everywhere. They appointed themselves as leaders, destroying all the beautiful atmosphere of the city. They emitted a dreadful aura. And when they completely took over the city, they finally revealed their faces; they became civilians of this place. They created a suitable living space for themselves and started living among us."
"I understand; many things have now found an answer, thanks, Joel. Please don't worry and don't distress yourself."
"I should thank you, Amy; thanks to you, I can now confidently offer my goods in the market."
"Ah, that's happy news for me." Amy smiled at Joel with tears unshed in her eyes. "Please take care, Amy, I don't want to lose you either. I hope you can raise your child in good health."
"Don't worry, Joel, with Kazou around, nothing will happen to us."
"I'm sure of that. I'll leave now; take care of yourself, Amy."
"You take care too, Joel; drop by again sometime."
Joel smiled. "Of course, I'll drop by." And he closed the door and left the cabin. Amy impatiently waited to tell Kazou about this, sleep eluding her.
Finally, in the evening, Kazou entered. Amy jumped out of bed.
"Kazou, Kazou!" Kazou was worried about the tone of her voice. "Yes, Amy, what happened?"
Amy tightly hugged her spouse. "Today, I learned something new."
"Tell me." Kazou sat on the bed with Amy. "I'm listening, my dear."
Amy was filled with mixed feelings. "O- our child is in danger because, because..." Kazou silenced her by placing his finger on Amy's lips.
"I understand; you finally found out."
"What? What are you saying, Kazou?" Amy was bewildered.
"I wanted you to live peacefully without telling you this. I was going to secretly protect you, but I guess it's not possible anymore."
"Ah, Kazou, even though I can see how considerate you are, I can't say I like you keeping this from me."
"Hehehee, sorry, Amy." Amy smiled at Kazou and embraced him.
"So, what are we going to do in this situation?"
Kazou caressed Amy's back. "Don't worry, Amy, don't worry, I'll find them all and uproot the entire root of this group."
Tears rolled down from Amy's eyes. "I believe in you, my hero; take revenge for those dead children."
"I will, my love, I will." They lay side by side, gazing into each other's eyes. Amy felt completely safe by Kazou's side, and she fell asleep peacefully, confident that her child would be safe.
As time passed, Amy's belly swelled even more. The remaining time for childbirth was decreasing. Amy had gone through a lot for her child during this process. The baby in her belly was filled with strength and didn't spare any effort to hurt his mother, but these things made Amy happy; through them, she felt that he was healthy and strong.
Joel occasionally came by to support Amy's child, telling her to beat up his mother. After saying that, he and Amy would laugh together. Amy truly seemed to be succeeding because Kazou had found and defeated many cult members. Still, in the end, the cult would eventually become aware of everything.
Amy's baby had now developed enough, and the birth was imminent. When Amy woke up, she saw Kazou listening to his belly as usual. "It's almost time, Kazou, very little time left; soon, he'll be with us." Kazou smiled. "It's a beautiful feeling, Amy, a beautiful feeling..." Kazou kissed Amy's forehead, then took a long break on her lips. Amy loved how Kazou's lips were glued to hers.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Who could it be at this hour?" Amy covered herself with the blanket, and Kazou opened the door. "Oh, Joel, is there a problem?" "I just wanted to visit you, Kazou; you know the baby can come anytime, and I was curious about you two." "Ah, thanks a lot, Joel, for always being by our side." "No need to mention it. By the way, I brought these for you." Joel handed the basket he was carrying to Kazou. "As always, food from me."
Amy dressed quickly and rushed to the door. "Ooo, these are amazing." She swiftly grabbed the basket from Joel's hands. "Thanks a lot, Joel." She raised her thumb with one hand. "You're awesome."
Both Kazou and Joel laughed at this situation. "Thanks a lot, Joel; is there anything else you want to say?" "Ah, yes, actually, today I want to explore the city with Amy if you permit and if Amy wants." "Permission is yours, Joel." "Of course, I'll come, Joel; you're my best partner. How can I refuse this request?" "Ah, great. I'll leave then; see you in a few hours." "Goodbye." Amy waved her hand and immediately placed the basket on the table, starting to stuff herself with the food. "Ah, these are delicious." "Hahaa, slow down, Amy; you'll choke." Kazou closed the door and sat next to Amy, starting to watch her eat. Amy blushed suddenly, stopped stuffing her face, and said, "What are you looking at? I'm carrying a child in my stomach; it's perfectly normal." "Okay okay, I'm not watching; please continue." Kazou turned his head the other way. "Hıhıı." Amy continued eating with pleasure.
And it was time to go. Kazou had gone outside, and Amy waited for Joel at home. Although Joel was a bit late, he finally knocked on the door. "Joel, where were you?" Joel was panting heavily, and Amy understood that he had come in a hurry. "I'm very sorry, Amy; I couldn't come because of work. Things didn't go as planned, and there was a rush of customers at my stall." Amy smiled. "Ah, that's good news. Because of that, your mistake is forgivable. Let me get ready; we're ready to go." Amy went outside and closed the door. She left the cabin with Joel.
"How do you feel, Amy, are you okay?"
"Actually, I'm perfectly fine, even though this naughty one is causing me a lot of pain, I'm perfectly fine."
"Ah, I'm so glad to hear that."
People passing by at the market were looking at Joel and Amy. Amy suddenly became worried. "Do you think they believe my lie about overeating and gaining weight?" "Hahaa, Amy, don't worry; I guess no one here is from the cult, and everyone is looking at you because they complain about you eating so much, thinking there's plenty of food and resources; I didn't bring so much food for nothing." Amy blushed. "Ah, come on, but everyone is fixated on me eating; it's perfectly normal for once." "Hahahaa, as you say, Amy." Amy continued exploring with Joel, chatting and laughing with him. Joel was a great friend for Amy.
"Hey hey, Amy, will you come with me? I have a surprise for you."
"Hmm, why not?" Amy smiled. Joel took Amy's arm and led her into a side street. "I'm sure you'll love this; I've secretly worked on it for a long time for you." Amy continued to follow Joel eagerly, without hesitation. "I'm really curious, Joel."
"Haha, it will definitely be worth the wait." Eventually, they reached the end of a dead-end alley with a wooden box on it containing several test tubes. "Hmm, what are these?" Joel raised his hand and slowly walked towards the box. "Hold on, Amy, it's almost there." Joel stopped in front of the box and fixed his eyes on Amy. "5... 4..." He began closing his fingers slowly. "3... 2..." Amy shuddered; what was happening here? What was in Joel's mind? "1... and 0." Joel closed all his fingers, and with that, pain struck Amy. Her muscles were working, and the pain spread throughout her vagina. It was a sign that the baby was coming. "Ahhhggg." Amy held her stomach; what was happening here? How did the baby suddenly decide to come?
"Here's my surprise, Amy. Giving birth to your baby."
"Joel, are you kidding me with this nonsense?" Amy was pierced by many pains. Joel pulled out a knife from behind the test tubes. "Your baby, Amy, you'll lose it before it's born, hahahaaa SEIREN'S END IS HERE."
"YOU..." Amy's eyes widened; her feelings were mixed. On the one hand, her vagina widened with pain, and on the other hand, this news was chilling for Amy. "But... why?"
"HAHAHAA." Joel licked his knife. "Normally, I'm just an observer; I analyze people and children around me, but those bastards betrayed me, and I started to hang out alone. In this process, I had actually quit these things; I wanted an ordinary life. But... but you got my blood boiling. Breaking your hopes, shattering the hopes of a close friend of mine, hahaa, it sounds very entertaining to me." Amy fell to her knees.
"But your family, they killed them." Amy was filled with disappointment; her great trust in Joel had been shattered. "How?..."
"Oh yes, that story, part of that story is true, my family died, yes, and those kids are lies, yes, when it comes to the part, it's kind of true; someone from the cult killed them all, yes, but do you know who that person was? It was me." The smile on Joel's face grew, his eyes sparkled. Amy silently lowered her face and began to cry.
"Now all your hopes, dreams, everything will shatter, HAHAHAA." Joel, with the knife in his hand, started running madly towards Amy, who was kneeling. Amy didn't react; she just clenched her teeth in pain.
With joy, Joel stabbed the knife into Amy's chest as she knelt. And when he tried to pull the knife out to stab again quickly, he couldn't. His hand was stuck to Amy, along with the knife. Amy slowly lifted her face. While Joel was terrifying before, he had become the frightened one. Anger shone in Amy's eyes.
"I trusted you..." As Amy raised her arm, Joel began to float in the air.
"Can you teach me the arts too, Kazou?" Kazou smiled. "Didn't you learn it from my father already, Amy?" Amy blushed. "No... because my family didn't want me to deal with it, and I listened to them."
"Oh, I see. So that's how it is. Of course, Amy, get up, let's start." "Right away?" Kazou smiled and winked. "Yes, right away." Amy jumped onto Kazou's neck. "Ah, I'm going to fall in love with someone I thought was a pervert when I first saw him. I never thought about it in my life." Kazou started stroking Amy's hair. "I told you, didn't I?..."
"Come on, Amy, it's training time now, then we'll have plenty of time to share our love." Amy pulled back and nodded, "As you command, Kazou."
Amy stood up, her skirt stained with blood. Her hands were trembling. "YOU BASTARD... I trusted you." Joel was floating in fear. "Y- you too, a soul user? No, no, this can't be-" "QUIET. FILTH TRYING TO TAKE AWAY MY CHILD FROM ME." Joel's mouth was tied up; he couldn't move his mouth, just waiting for what would happen to him with fear.
"I THOUGHT I SHARED THE SAME FEELINGS WITH YOU. MY FAMILY DIED IN FRONT OF ME TOO, THEY SACRIFICED THEMSELVES FOR ME. WHILE I WAS MOVING AWAY FROM THEM, I WATCHED THEIR DEATHS... I THOUGHT YOU HAD SIMILAR FEELINGS." Amy closed her fist gently. Joel felt an incredible pain in all his joints. "MMHHMMM." No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open his mouth. "YOU'LL DIE IN PAIN- AHHGG." Amy fell to her knees again with the sudden pain she felt; her breathing accelerated; the baby was coming slowly. At the same time, Joel fell to the ground, released.
"Aahh... I'll show you." But Joel was very weakened; all his joints were disjointed, he couldn't move.
Amy slowly stood up, trembling. She stood in front of Joel lying on the ground and pointed her hand at him. "Fingers." "AAAAAHHHGGGGG." All of Joel's fingers forcibly separated from his body, and the fingers scattered around, painting everything red. "LEG AND ARMS." Amy's eyes flamed. "AHHGHHHGGG." Like the fingers, arms, and legs also scattered around. "A- Amy, I'm so-" Joel's skull was crushed by the heel of Amy's shoe, and Amy continued to crush Joel's brain and spread it around without holding back her anger.
And suddenly, with the pain she felt, she remembered the most important thing; she was exhausted, slowly leaning against the wall and sitting down. She wouldn't allow exhaustion to overcome her. She quickly tried to take off her clothes. After throwing away what was underneath, she brought her hands to the level of her vagina. "No one... no one can take you away from me." She put her hands into her widened vagina and began searching for her child inside. "Ahhgghh I won't lose you." Eventually, in the slippery texture, her hands reached her baby. "Hahaa I found you." Amy's eyes filled with happiness, and she carefully started to remove her baby from there. "You're coming... to your mother." Amy was filled with the happiness of her child, forgetting everything that happened.
And finally, she succeeded. Amy lifted her baby in the bloody environment. The baby's umbilical cord was still attached to its belly. "You... you are a fearless warrior, you are a real hero." In the environment she was in, Amy only saw her child. "You are Kenshin Okumi..."