Monster!
That’s what you are!
He found himself in the same cold emptiness again.
You failed again! How many died because of you this time?!
You’re a cursed monster who shouldn’t be drawing another breath!
Shadowy arms creeped up at him as black chains pulled on his body and restricted his limbs.
He was her son, and you couldn’t stop him, couldn’t save him!
What makes you think you can keep your promises then?!
Hands appeared around his neck squeezing his last breath. He clenched his teeth.
You don’t deserve to be alive!
You should’ve died!
Curse you!
He tried to break free, pushing against the chains, but to no avail.
Come! Die!
Let it go!
Embrace it!
Before the darkness overtook him again, he stole a glance at the arms squeezing his neck.
He recognized those scarry arms.
The same arms that had taken care of him.
They were Sasaki’s arms.
“!!!”
He quickly woke up in a frenzy, immediately raising his upper body while leaning on his arms.
“Hah… hah…”
Almost reflexively, he put one hand on his chest, and the other on his neck, tracing the butterfly imprint still engraved on it.
“...”
After experiencing the same nightmare over and over again on a daily basis, he had thought he was getting a handle on it, but the last thing he saw, the new revelation, threw him off once more.
He felt his chest tighten under his hand.
Sasaki… I’m sorry… I couldn’t do it…
I… I don’t know what to do…
He thought as he traced back the events prior to falling unconscious.
He had hoped that giving Kojiro the duel he wanted would help him vent the pent up frustration within.
After all, that’s how Lawkey had dealt with his frustrations as far as he could remember. If he had a disagreement with someone, a duel was in order.
Even though he learned that prior to joining the Phantom Rogues, it was something he never let go off.
And yet, he had been too weak for Kojiro.
Too weak to help him release all his pent up anger and resentment towards him.
Too weak to reach out and understand the real reasons why he swung his sword.
And if he was still that weak…
Then would he really be able to keep the promises he made when he stands in front of the Leviathan again, or the Undying Elder for that matter?
“...”
He clenched his fists tightly as he looked down.
And then he finally noticed it.
“?!”
He immediately grabbed the sword next to him, wasting no time to draw his blade.
“No!!!”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Aghhh!! That’s freezing!! What are you doing, you idiot?!”
“You are the idiot here!! What were you trying to do to the poor thing?!”
Jun had interrupted Lawkey by throwing the icy cold water on him again, giving her just enough time to save the poor creature he was about to slay without a second thought.
And that creature was…
“What the hell are you doing?! Don’t cradle it! It’s a freaking wolf cub!”
“So? He’s mine! You don’t get to bully him! Get your own!”
“Huh?! As if! That thing will grow up to sprout three heads like Kerberos! It’s better we kill it now!”
“Noo!!”
Lawkey felt a sharp headache creep in as Jun kept refusing to make sense. She carried the shivering wolf cub like a baby in her arms.
“...” He rubbed his forehead with as much force as he could muster, “why the hell is a wolf cub here?!”
“You… You were turning and sweating in your sleep, so he must have crawled onto your stomach again to-”
“Again?!”
“W-well yes… since you’ve been asleep for days now…”
“...” The heat rushed to his head again. His brain was not ready for another information overload, and yet he had to ask. “Why is it here in the clan, Jun?!”
“Oh, that! Aunty Taiga tamed all the Umbra Wolves and now we’re taking in wolf cubs to… domesticate them from an early age, or so she said.”
“Huh?”
Lawkey let out as he felt his mind lose all common sense. His eyes simply stared into the distance.
“Oh no, Aoi! We need another bucket of ice!”
“Woof!!”
“NO!! No, we don’t!”
After everyone calmed down, Lawkey, Jun and the wolf cub who was apparently named Aoi for the slight blue fur on its back, ate dinner together. Lawkey made sure to keep his distance from it.
Jun began to explain everything that had happened in the time Lawkey was asleep.
She started by pointing out Taiga’s secret obsession with cats and dogs. As there were none in the clan, she had always felt disappointed. However, after seeing how Kojiro was able to control the Umbra Wolves and other monsters, she had the brilliant idea of taming the newborn cubs before they turned hostile. As for the parents, she would keep them on a leech with her new Tiger pet.
“What about you…? Are you really okay with that?” Lawkey asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Um… I will admit I was scared at first…” Jun avoided eye contact as she responded, and then looked at Aoi eating his food happily, “But Aoi didn’t kill my mother…”
“...”
“I think that having Aoi will help me overcome… my fear of Kerberos…”
“Hmmm, is that so?”
“It is! So make sure to treat him well! No drawing your blade around him!”
“Woof!”
“No promises.”
After that, Jun explained the rest of the story to Lawkey. From when he disappeared from the Dojo, to the end of the battle in the throne room.
“I see, so the old man had to fight too…” Lawkey trailed off, then continued, “How is he?”
“He’s okay, but he hasn’t been home much…” Jun narrowed her eyes, “There is a lot to be done for the clan now after everything, so…”
Seeing her expression, Lawkey clenched his fists.
Wasn’t this all started because of him in the first place? If he hadn’t come to the clan, if he hadn’t pushed to stay…
None of this would have happened.
His nightmare from after he got permission to stay in the clan almost became a reality this time.
The thought of Munisai and Jun in that state made his heart heavy.
It worked out this time, but…
“I’m sorry…”
Before he could say anything, the apology came from Jun instead.
“What do you have to apologize for?” He asked, taken aback.
“I… If I had noticed Kojiro’s struggles earlier…” She trailed off.
“You couldn’t have possibly known. He hid his true nature very well from all of you.”
“But you noticed…”
“Well, I think sometimes he couldn’t keep his anger towards me from leaking… But I didn’t think he would go this far… or that he was that strong.”
“... I wonder where he is now, all alone…”
Lawkey watched as her face took the same guilty expression she occasionally had on.
“I’ve said this before, but I wouldn’t have stayed here if it weren’t for you and the old man. I still think that I shouldn’t…”
“?!!”
“I don’t want to cause you trouble… or for harm to come your way because of me…”
“Wait-”
“But I also don’t want to be ungrateful towards everything you’ve done to help me in these past few months…”
Lawkey paused, then raised his head to look at Jun directly.
“So, I think for now, I’ll stay a bit longer…”
Jun felt an immediate warmth rise in her chest as she widened her eyes.
“I see…” She murmured before quickly picking up Aoi, interrupting his dinner, “Did you hear that Aoi?! The freeloader wants to stay for a while longer!”
Lawkey smiled as he noticed her covering her face with the wolf cub, but her red painted ears gave her away.
“That’s good… I’m sure that after they hear what you did, everyone will change their mind about you soon…”
“...”
Lawkey stayed silent. He didn’t care much about the opinions of others, that hadn’t been what he meant.
The only thing that constantly lingered in his mind was the threat he caused to those around him, but he didn’t want to hurt them by leaving too soon either.
For now, he let Jun be happy with her version of the story.
That’s all he ever wanted for her.
But then they were interrupted.
“Lulu!! You’re awake! I was so worried!”
“Oww! Get off me!”
Emi had jumped in out of nowhere to hug the injured boy.
“E-emi! He’s still injured!” Jun staggered to her feet.
“And that’s why I’m here to take care of him!” Emi shot back while sticking out her tongue.
“What?!”
“As lively as ever, I see.”
“Mai! Help me take her off!”
“As long as I can tie her upside down all night.”
“Meimei, that’s scary! Where did you get that rope from!?”
Lawkey rolled his eyes as Mai entered the room following Emi, but then he quickly noticed something off.
“Where are Yasuto and Zenga?”
Even though Kojiro was understandably missing from the usual gang, the two other boys had been a no-show either.
“...”
“You don’t know? Zenga is staying with Yasuto since his brother is still in a coma.”
While Jun and Emi stayed silent, Mai was the one to deliver the news.
Lawkey’s eyes widened as he remembered meeting Kenzo the first time, how he was the first person beside Munisai and Jun to not immediately shun him.
Then he got up on his feet and made his way to the sliding door.
“Where are you going? You’re still injured!” Jun asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? Isn’t he our colleague? What are we still waiting around for?”
Lawkey didn’t want a repeat of Kojiro. If he could help those he cared about while staying in this clan, he would put the effort to do so.
The three girls stood in shock, but the first to recover was always…
“Lulu!! That’s too cute! I’m your precious colleague too, right? Right?”
“No, you’re more like an annoying mosquito who graduated from the shadow buzzing school… and I never said ‘precious’!”
“Whaa! That’s so mean!”
“For once, I am in agreement.”
“Meimei, you said that the last time you agreed with him!”
“...”
Jun held her hand to her chest, the growing feeling within filled her with happiness.
“Okay, let’s go!”
“Junjun! You’re blushing again!”
“Mai, you can tie her up all night after all!”
“With pleasure.”
“No!! Put that rope away Meimei! And why do you have a feather?!”
Lawkey smiled as he heard them go over the same routine behind him.
For now, he would stay with them, with the clan.
He will use the time to get stronger.
Strong enough that the next time he meets Kojiro, he can stop him.
Strong enough that he can reach {her}.
Strong enough to reach the Leviathan and beat the Undying Elder.
Strong enough to protect everyone.
Strong enough to keep his promises.
Just watch me… all of you…
I promise.
And just like that time passed.
And it was five years later.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]