Severed Karma (Discontinuned)

Chapter 28 Origin of Obedience III

"Trace on."

Tsurugi projects Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands. While this happened, Shirou puts a hand on the hilt of his sword. Both of them were silent, waiting for the first move to be made. As a calm, cooling wind began to blow, Tsurugi and Shirou charged at each other at the same time.

Sparks flew as Tsurugi and Shirou were trading sword strikes second after second. As Tsurugi used his twin blades to slash at the man in front of him, Shirou spun his body to slash at Tsurugi's side. Seeing this, Tsurugi quickly jumped back to avoid the attack.

"Full Projection, Continual Layer Shooting!!!!"

Tsurugi projected several swords in the air and rapidly fired them at Shirou. When this happened, Shirou quickly drew his sword and began to deflect the blades. Soon he jumped in the air as he held four Black Keys, long and slender rapier-like swords with blades measuring over one meter and extremely short hilts, in a fan like motion between his fingers and threw them at Tsurugi.

Seeing this, Tsurugi quickly projects the same blades in the air and launched them. As the Black Keys clashed against each other, Tsurugi threw Kanshou and Bakuya at Shirou. While Shirou used his katana to deflect the twin blades, Tsurugi grabbed Shirou's Black Keys that were in the air.

As he held four Black Keys in between his fingers in each hand, he spun his body as he continuously swung the blades at Shirou with no signs of stopping. To be honest, Shirou was impressed at how well Tsurugi was wielding the Black Keys. Soon the boy threw the Black Keys at Shirou.

"Set!!!!"

Soon Shirou's Black Keys stopped in mid-air as they positioned themselves towards Tsurugi and launched themselves at the boy. However, Tsurugi merely projects several swords in the air as they clashed with the Black Keys. While this happened, Tsurugi swung Kanshou and Bakuya as they clashed against Shirou's sword.

"Using swords at projectiles.....get on my level."

"Something about this guy is wrong. He seems like a human, yet his cursed energy feels more akin to the kind a cursed spirit emits."

"You truly are interesting. You're merely a Fourth Grade sorcerer, yet you have an abnormal amount of cursed energy. Not only that, you used my own Black Keys as if you were me. Is that apart of your cursed technique?"

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"I guess you have no reason to. But since you're going to die here, I guess it doesn't matter."

Tsurugi and Shirou looked at each other as they held their blades tightly. However, as Shirou looked at Tsurugi, he felt nothing but anger as he looked at the boy's face.

~Flashback, Edo Period~
Amakusa Shirou Tokidsada, he was a boy of miracles who could nearly be called a saint. He was a person who concentrated on his studies since childhood and began to perform many miracles at the frontier for a time. Having healed wounds and walked on water, he eventually began to be enthusiastically worshiped as son of God by the peasants that believed in a prohibited religion. However, he was merely born with the ability to use cursed techniques to pull off such miracles.

During his teenage years, he was tasked with fighting in wars. When he did, he would somehow make victory possible even when it seemed like it was impossible. Everyone went wild and became excited over the victory. They clung to Shirou, who had won a battle where victory should have been impossible, as a child of miracles. That foolish purity of theirs troubled the boy. Shirou believed they shouldn’t have won. Winning was not an option. He had been caught up in saving lives in the near future and averted his eyes from the bigger picture.

"What....is this......"

After the war, Shirou thought everyone was saved. He believed that everyone would no longer be hurt anymore, but his eyes widen in shock as he looked at his former home. The enemies attacked in the middle of the night as Shirou saw his comrades getting slaughtered one by one.

"You.....you bastards!!!!!!!"

Shirou quickly drew his sword as he fought against the enemies who killed his comrades. As his blade began to be stained with the color red, he heard the sound of screaming. As he cut the opponent in front of him, he looked around his former home. When he did....he felt naive for being caught in his rage.

The decapitated heads of the elderly, men butchered up like experimental animals, babies pierced by spears, girls raped in the pursuit of lust and then thrown away afterwards. While he only looked at saving the people in front of him, he failed to see the bigger picture. However as he looked at enemies swords, he noticed the craftsmanship on it. All of them were Muramasa blades, cursed blades that refuse to be sheathed until their thirst for blood was quenched. Any normal person would go insane after just one use.

Soon the remnants of Shirou's enemies cut off both of the boy's arms. Yet he didn't scream in pain nor show any signs of sorrow. He accepted that this was his fate. All the lives here.....the deaths of everyone here. All of it was his fault. He accepted that this was his fate. He deserved this after his fatal mistake. However as he looked at the blades, the blades made by Muramasa, he only said one thing to himself.

"God. Give me another chance. Next time, I won’t lose sight of the bigger picture. I will eliminate all obstacles, enemies and hardships in my way. Please....give me a chance!!!!! I'll make a world where everyone is pure!!!! I'll eliminate the evil known as us humans!!!! I'll kill the creator of the cursed blades, i'll kill Senji Muramasa and his descendants....so no one falls victims to his demonic blades ever again!!!!!"

~Flashback ends~
"Just as you have reasons to kill me, I have a reason to kill you....sorcerer!!!!!"

As Shirou said this, Tsurugi felt an ominous wave curse energy coming from him. When this happened, Tsurugi saw Shirou's body being enveloped by a cloud of cursed energy. While this happened, Shirou glared at Tsurugi as the cloud of cursed energy fades away.

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you.....i'll kill you....Senji Muramasa!!!!!!"