The dawn came with an empty quiet, as if the world itself was holding its breath in mourning. Hikari sat on the porch of the Tsukimura house, her fingers tracing the petals of the Blood Blossom that were folded into a small pouch at her waist. The soft whir of her judgment beads brought her little comfort; the whispers of suspicion and mourning throughout the village clung like a heavy mist.

Haruka's voice cut through the silence. "You're going away, aren't you?"

Hikari looked to find her sister standing in the doorway, her healer's robes unbound and rumpled from a sleepless night. Haruka's white hair shone in the morning light, but her face was pale, her eyes shadowed with concern.

"I must," Hikari murmured. "The elders won't act until they have evidence. Evidence of what Hakari's turned into. Evidence of the darkness creeping from Kurohana."

Haruka moved forward, her voice shaking. "You can't go there, Hikari. Not by yourself. Not after what happened to Rinne. Let me come with you."

"No," answered Hikari, rising to her feet and swinging her pack onto her back. "I cannot risk losing you, too. Rinne died because I wasn't strong enough to protect him. If you die." Her voice cracked, and she fell silent.

Haruka grabbed Hikari's arm. "Then allow me to protect you. I am not a helpless child, Hikari. I am a healer. But I can fight as well."

Hikari nodded her head in return, moving back. "This isn't your battle, Haruka. It's mine. I'm the Kanshisha. It's my duty to confront the darkness, regardless of the price."

Before Haruka could complain anymore, a shout from their father inside the house rang out. "You're not going anywhere!"

Takashi walked into the courtyard, katana at hip. His large stature and rugged features carried the gravitas of leadership from decades as the village guardian trainer. Their mother, Mizuki, followed behind him, her hands clasped.

You've disobeyed the elders once already," Takashi went on, his voice cutting. "You've brought trouble to this village and killed one of our best. And now you're going to just walk away and do it all over again?"

Hikari's jaw tightened. "I'm trying to stop the darkness, Father. If we do nothing, Hakari will bring it here. Do you honestly believe Yamaoka will survive if he performs whatever ritual he's intending?"

Takashi's hand was on the hilt of his katana. "And what use will you be, marching to your death? You aren't ready to fight him, Hikari. Not yet."

"I have no other option," she replied, her voice rising in passion. "The elders are too scared to act. If I don't stop him now, people will keep dying. Villages will continue to be destroyed. You taught me to defend this village, Father. That's all I'm trying to do."

Mizuki came forward, her voice gentle. "Your father is right, Hikari. Let the village make preparations. You don't have to do this by yourself."

Hikari spun around, facing her mother, her eyes ablaze with a combination of sorrow and resolve. "Rinne had faith in me. He sacrificed his life because he believed I could change things. If I do nothing now, his death will be for nothing."

She bowed low, her judgment beads glimmering faintly. "Thank you for everything you've taught me. But this is something I have to do alone."

Before anyone could prevent her, Hikari turned around and strode away, her footsteps determined in spite of the heaviness in her heart. Haruka called out after her, crying, but Hikari never once turned back.

The woods were ominously quiet as Hikari made her way to the trail to Kurohana. The illumination fought to penetrate the dense canopy, and the atmosphere was thick with residual energy from the succubus that she battled. Her beads throbbed in cadence, leading the way as she backtracked.

As she stepped into the fringe of the village ruins, a chill coursed through her. The deformed torii gate loomed before her, its spiral shape appearing to beckon her nearer. The air grew cold and the soft crunch of footsteps behind her made her freeze.

"Hikari," a voice called out, smooth and familiar but underneath, spite.

She turned slowly, her heart pounding. Hakari stood a few paces behind her, his robes darker than she remembered, his face angular and shadowed. The symbols on his arms pulsed softly with an otherworldly glow, their shapes writhing like living things.

"You shouldn't have returned," he told her, his voice gentle but menacing.

Hikari’s hands clenched into fists. “Neither should you.”

Hakari shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. "Still playing the righteous judge, little sister? Still clinging to those beads like they'll save you?"

“They’ve saved others,” she shot back. “And they’ll stop you too.”

He chuckled low in his throat, the sound giving her a shiver. "You still don't get it, do you? The power you possess is a prison. It ties you to the elders' whims, to the rules of a dying village. But the power I've discovered." He held up his arm, the runes shining more intensely. "It's liberty."

"Freedom?" Hikari spat. "Do you mean offering up innocent lives? Tainting yourself with forbidden magic? You are not free, Hakari. You are a slave to your own ambition."

His smile vanished, and in its place was a harsh, icy stare. "And what are you? A tradition puppet, too afraid to reach for something more? You've always been afraid, Hikari. Afraid of me. Afraid of what you might be if you let go of the rules."

"I am not afraid of you," she told him, her voice firm despite the fear twisting in her chest.

"Then prove it," Hakari said, stepping closer. The darkness at his back seemed to writhe and twist, reaching for her like alive tendrils. "Judge me, little sister. Show me the strength of your conviction.".

Hikari's beads shone even more brightly, their heat comforting her shaking fingers. She reached out, the threads of light reaching out to Hakari. But the moment they made contact with him, they withdrew, writhing and snapping as if burned.

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"What... what are you?" she whispered, horror seeping into her voice.

Hakari's smile came back, darker and more victorious. "I've become something more. Something you can't judge, little Arbiter. But don't worry." His eyes flashed with cruel enjoyment. "I'll give you plenty of time to try.".

The shadows moved forward first, and combat was underway.

Hikari clenched the judgment beads firmly, their light forming a faint glow on her shaking fingers. She felt the weight of Hakari's words bearing down upon her, the years of pent-up bitterness now exposed and poisonous.

"You don't have to do this," she said to him, her voice, now louder, judgment chain slashing through the suffocating blackness that closed in around them. "It's not too late to turn back, Hakari. Whatever power you've achieved, it's not worth losing yourself."

Hakari's laughter was icy and brittle, the cold snap of ice beneath one's feet. "Save your sympathy, Hikari. You've never been so good at pretending to understand. But you don't. You can't. You have no idea what it's like to be overlooked, to have all you've striven for stripped from you and handed over to another.". His dark shape stepped closer, the runes on his arms writhing with a ghastly, hungry light. "You were destined for those beads, but I'll prove that I'm more powerful. That I'm—"

"Hakari."

The voice sliced through the tension like a knife, low and authoritative. The siblings turned to the sound, and there, stepping out of the thick shade of the forest, was their father.

Takashi was upright and unwavering, his katana at his side. His presence itself was as firm as the ground they stood on, and his piercing eyes bore the gravity of years of leading and safeguarding. Yet there was a different emotion in his eyes now—a suffering that not even his impassive mask could conceal.

"Father," said Hakari, his voice stumbling momentarily.

"Hakari," Takashi said again, his voice commanding and melancholic. "Is this what you've become? A servant of darkness? A destroyer of all we've created?"

There was a tremble in Hakari's eyes, a brief, fleeting glimmer of uncertainty shattering through his carefully molded mask. But only for a moment, before being substituted by the identical frozen determination he had shown seconds before.

"I've become what I was supposed to be," Hakari said, yet his voice did not have the venom it had previously had. "What you and the elders could not envision. This power—" He held up his marked arms, the runes shining like hot coals in the darkness. "This is what will save us. What will make Yamaoka powerful."

"powerful?" Takashi's voice increased, his katana now unsheathed and shining in the dark. "By disgracing your clan? By going against everything you were taught? You've exchanged honor for ambition, Hakari. Do you honestly think this path leads you to power?"

For an instant, Hakari was motionless. The darkness about him hung in the air, slowing the shadows as though caught between its hesitation to intrude further on the turmoil brewing inside.

"I didn't wish to betray you," Hakari finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you betrayed me first. You taught me, trained me in warfare, in leadership, and cast me aside the moment Hikari was chosen."

We did not cast you out," Takashi growled, taking a step forward, still holding his raised katana but his voice lessening in bitterness. "You were always my son, Hakari. I instructed you not to take power, but protect. To serve your family, not dominate them."

Hakari winced as if struck, his fists clenching. "Don't lie to me! You always looked at me like I wasn't good enough. Like no matter how hard I worked, I'd never be what you wanted!"

"Not true!" Takashi's voice shook, and Hikari saw tears brimming in her father's eyes for the first time. "You were enough, Hakari. You always were enough. But this... this darkness you've chosen... it will destroy you."

Hikari sensed the doubt in Hakari's position, the trembling of his tattooed arms as if the runes themselves struggled against him. She moved closer slowly, her beads glowing with an increased light.

"Listen to him, Hakari," she breathed. "You don't have to prove anything to us. You don't have to fight us. Please, just come back."

Hakari’s eyes darted between his sister and father, his expression torn. For a fleeting moment, Hikari thought she saw the brother she had once known—the boy who had carried her on his shoulders during festivals, who had chased away her fears with laughter and kindness.

But then the runes on his arms erupted into angry fire, the shadows around him churning up again. Hakari's face twisted into a snarl, his doubt devoured by the dark power he had accepted.

"You're wrong," he sneered, his voice colder than ever. "This is the only way. The old ways are dead, and so is the boy you remember."

With a wave of his hand, the darkness swarmed towards Takashi and Hikari like living creatures.

"Back off!" Takashi shouted, standing between Hikari and a step, unsheathing his katana. The metal glowed as it cut through the first wave of blackness, sending it dissipating like a cloud.

Hikari summoned her chains of judgment, their radiant light piercing through the onslaught of shadows. The battle resumed, fierce and relentless, but Hikari couldn’t shake the image of Hakari’s fleeting hesitation.

Somewhere within him, she thought, the brother she had known still remained. But the question gnawed at her: how much longer could he hold on before the darkness consumed him completely?

Hakari’s eyes narrowed, his hesitation dissolving into a cold fury. He raised his marked arm, the writhing runes glowing fiercely as dark energy coiled around him like a storm. The ground trembled under the weight of his power, and his lips curled into a bitter sneer.

“You always stood in my way,” Hakari hissed, his voice laced with resentment. “First as a father who demanded perfection, and now as the so-called guardian of tradition. Let’s see if your blade can stop what I’ve become.”

With a swift motion, he thrust his hand forward, releasing a torrent of shadow aimed directly at Hikari. The darkness spiraled through the air, crackling with malevolent energy.

“Hikari, move!” Takashi barked, stepping between them in a blur of movement.

Takashi’s katana sang through the air as he struck, the polished steel cleaving through the shadow with precision. The blow sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing, dispersing the darkness in an instant. His stance was firm, his expression calm and calculating.

Hakari’s jaw tightened. “Still hiding behind Father, little sister?”

Hikari's judgment beads pulsed, their radiance reflected in her defiance. "I don't need to hide. I'm not afraid of you, Hakari. And you're wrong if you think you've bested him."

"You'll regret saying that," Hakari growled, his unnatural quickness propelling him forward. His dark-framed arm flashed toward Hikari in a brutal arc.

But before the blow could land, Takashi was there. His katana met Hakari’s arm with a deafening clash, sparks flying as the blade held firm against the corrupted magic. Takashi’s strength and precision pushed Hakari back, forcing him to stumble.

“Still reckless,” Takashi muttered, his voice steady and measured. “You’ve gained power, Hakari, but you’ve learned nothing of control.”

Hakari growled, his displeasure evident as he found balance. His hands curled, the runes along his arm flashing hotter. "You think your sword will be able to stop me? I've surpassed you, old one!"

"Do you think so?" Takashi's tone was flat, but his stance changed minutely, a hunter poised to spring. "Then come on. Show me this talent you've gained."

Hakari roared, charging with reckless abandon. He swung black energy at his father and furious blows, each of his power-fouled blows intending to drive the life out of his opponent. But Takashi was a citadel of indomitable will, his katana cutting through with the smooth skill of years.

Every strike Hakari made was countered with precision. Takashi parried the dark tendrils with the edge of his blade, sidestepped Hakari’s lunges, and deflected every desperate swing. It was a dance of raw fury against practiced skill, and Takashi was effortlessly leading.

"All that you've mastered?" Takashi retorted, his voice suave but edged. "Thowing your energy away like a spoiled child with a tantrum? No surprise that you consistently lost in practice."

Hakari's gaze flashed with rage. "That was then! I'm a different boy who trained under you!"

“No,” Takashi said, his katana striking another blow, forcing Hakari to retreat. “You’ve lost even that boy’s discipline. Power without discipline is nothing but destruction.”

Takashi advanced, his strikes unrelenting. Each swing of his katana carried a deadly precision, cutting through Hakari’s defenses with ease. Despite his enhanced strength, Hakari found himself driven back, his movements growing more frantic as the memory of past defeats resurfaced.

"You always did this!" Hakari snarled, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. "No matter how much I practiced, no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I sacrificed, you always beat me!"

"Because you always applied only brute strength," Takashi replied, his voice as chill as his sword. "You never understood that real power comes from discipline, patience, and the will to protect—not destroy.".

She watched the fight, her beads glowing softly as her emotions struggled within her. She could feel the boy Hakari once was in his movements—the unpolished talent and urgency that had driven him to charge at their father again and again. But she could feel too how much he had lost, mad with his need to surpass those who had loved him.

"Stop, Hakari!" she screamed, her voice ringing over flash of metal and darkness. "This is not you!"

She wasnt able to brush against him, he didnt hear her. The runes on his arms pulsed wildly, and he roared, the darkness rising up around him in a desperate bid to engulf Takashi.

But Takashi was ready. With a single, fluid motion, he swept his katana through the surge of darkness, dispersing it with a burst of light. He stepped forward, his blade poised at Hakari’s throat in an instant.

Hakari froze, his chest heaving as the tip of the katana pressed against his skin. The shadows around him receded slightly, flickering like dying embers.

“Yield,” Takashi commanded, his voice low and firm. “This is over.”

For a moment, Hakari’s defiance flickered, replaced by something raw and vulnerable. His gaze shifted between Takashi and Hikari, the weight of his failure pressing down on him. But then the runes flared again, and a cruel smile spread across his face.

“It’s not over,” he whispered, his voice chilling. “It’s only just begun.”

Before Takashi could react, the shadows swarmed once more, engulfed Hakari, and pulled him off. When the shadows had dissipated, he was gone, his laughter hanging in the woods like a ghost.

Takashi lowered his katana, his expression resolute. Hikari stepped forward, her judgment beads pale with a soft light as she peered into the place where her brother had stood.

"W-we must stop him," she replied, her voice trembling but steady.

Takashi nodded, his grip on his katana increasing. "We will. But he won't be easy to face again. He's no longer a boy chasing ambition. He's a threat—to the village, to our family, and to himself."

Hikari touched her beads, feeling their warmth steady her. “Then we’ll face him together. He may have escaped, but we’re not letting him destroy everything.”

Takashi glanced at her, a flicker of pride breaking through his stern demeanor. “Good. Because this fight is far from over.”

The two of them stood in the clearing, their resolve hardened as the wind carried the faint scent of decay. In the far distance, Hakari prepared for his next step, his path of devastation now fully unleashed.