Gripping onto Mother's clothing as she blitzed out of Dad's training room, we were greeted by the sight of our home utterly destroyed. At the epicentre stood a silhouette that caused both of us to freeze. We froze further as the silhouette turned in our direction. For a moment, I thought it was Dad but Mura's words echoed in my mind, and I looked closer. The differences between the Dad I remembered and the figure before us became painfully clear as Mother lowered me to the ground.
Instead of the black markings he once bore on his body, there were now black chains writhing along his forearms moving as though they were alive. His once deep purple eyes now glowed bright with slits like a cat's. The scars he once carried were gone, and his white hair was now a deep black with a faint blue hue.
"Papa..." I whispered. I wanted so badly to reach out to him, and I could tell by the way Mother trembled that she felt the same.
"It's so good to see you both~"
I gripped the hem of Mother's clothing tighter as the fake's voice pierced the air. Its tone grated on my ears, like metal dragged across a grater.
"Which one are you?" Mother's voice cut through the tension. She spoke without hesitation as her long katana materialized in her hand. The fake merely chuckled, black liquid dripping from its eyes.
"Oh, my dear Retsu—"
Before it could finish, Mother's sword sliced halfway through the fake's torso, the blade halting only as the creature gripped it with its hand.
"My~ Isn't that rude, Retsu?"
Before I could react, the fake flung Mother backward, sending her crashing into rubble.
"Mama!" I screamed, but before I could move, I felt cold wet hands clamp down on the back of my neck. My body froze in response to the feeling.
"Trying to leave dear old Dad?~"
My eyes drifted upward and I instantly wished they hadn't. The fake's mouth split into a wide demented grin, its head twisting and breaking from its neck. The head fell to my eye level, dangling by a black chain that connected it to the base of its neck.
"I thought you wanted to spend time with me?~"
The smell of blood hit my nose, making me recoil. I assumed it came from the black liquid oozing from the creature.
'T-this is sorrow?!'
The sound of shifting rubble snapped my focus, and I turned to see Mother emerging, her face set in a frown. The fake only laughed, tightening its grip on my neck as its dangling head continued to speak.
"Retsu, how weak you've gotten~"
The chain connecting its head to its body began to rise. With a sickening snap, the head reattached itself, the creature's laughter echoing in the ruined air.
"Honestly, it's so disappointing. I wonder what I ever saw in you?~"
With a scoff, Mother wiped the dust from her shoulders. "For being his sorrow, you don't seem to be doing much of that."
The fake's demented grin narrowed slightly, and I began eyeing Muramasa, hidden nearby beneath some rubble.
"Sorrow takes on many forms, Retsu." the fake said, its tone shifting as the hand on my neck clamped down harder. My toes desperately reached for Muramasa's hilt, each movement feeling like an eternity.
"He never let himself wallow in me, never let me truly shine and show the world what sorrow really was." it continued, sighing as its glowing eyes turned skyward toward the rumbling clouds. "Now he's all but gone, and only the pent up emotions remain."
'J-just a little f-further!' I thought as my toes finally landed on Muramasa's hilt.
Mother, ignoring the tightening tension in the air, responded. "What of the happiness he had in life?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her bite her lip, her voice betraying the pain and longing in her heart. I understood her need to know if Dad had truly loved us.
"Hmm~ Well, seeing as I'll kill you here, it won't hurt to tell you~"
The fake leaned forward, pushing me slightly and unintentionally giving me a better position to grab Muramasa.
"We are the 'pent-up' emotions of the original~" it continued, its voice low and mocking. "Do you know what emotions he kept under lock and key as much as the worst of us negative emotions?"
Mother's and my eyes narrowed in unison as Muramasa's earlier words echoed in my mind. 'If Chaos is the worst… then…'
Mother answered, gripping her sword tightly with both hands. "The emotion is compassion."
With those words, she blurred forward appearing before the fake in an instant. Her blade connected with the fake's neck, forcing it to release its grip on me to block the strike.
Seizing the opportunity, I dove toward Muramasa and heard its voice resonate in my mind.
'His arms are the weak point!'
Gripping Muramasa tightly, I clumsily channelled Cursed Magic into the blade and yelled an attack I'd seen countless times before.
"Cursed Slash!!"
Though my version wasn't as powerful as Dad's, it served its purpose distracting the fake. I shouted to Mother, "His arms! Cut his arms!"
The fake's eyes widened in shock as my attack landed. Though I felt my strength being sapped away, I refused to stop. Dad wouldn't have stopped. Drawing upon another small amount Cursed Magic in my legs I used Shundō to blitz in front of the fake just as Mother severed one of its arms.
"My—" it began, but I cut it off as Cursed Magic surged through my arms, causing them to bulge with muscle and veins.
"Cursed Slash!!"
With a yell, I unleashed another slash, severing its other arm. The rumbling clouds overhead began to dissipate as the fake fell onto its back. Mother didn't hesitate plunging her sword into its chest.
The fake merely laughed, ignoring both Mother and me as it fixed its gaze on Muramasa.
"You truly are a fool, aren't you—"
Mother cut it off by twisting her blade, her voice sharp and commanding. "Why are his emotions appearing?"
The fake laughed again, its voice weakening. I noticed its lower half beginning to crack, as though made of hardened clay.
"I'm not some cliché villain~"
Those were its final words as the rest of its body crumbled, black liquid seeping out like a viscous flood. Just as the last remnants of the creature disintegrated a worn, bruised and tired Azazel arrived.
"Seems like I'm late." he muttered, surveying the scene.
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{Author here,
Been a tad bit busy with my new schedule and life.. Anyway thought I would throw in a note on the schedule with a bit of self promo;
Week One:
🥩 Life After Death: Strength of Suffering
Week Two:
🥩 My Journey in One Piece! <-This Week
Chapter Release Schedule:
Monday: Chapter 1 - Tier 1 <- Today
Tuesday: Chapter 2 - Tier 1
Wednesday: Chapter 1 - Free / Chapter 3 - Tier 1
Thursday: Chapter 2 - Free / Chapter 4 - Tier 1
Friday: Chapter 5 - Tier 1
The tiered chapters can be found on my adult subscribestar page: MeatBeef