Hoshi : Insurrection

Chapter 23 : Memories of poignancy.

"I'll do it," said Erashi, determined.

"Are you sure Erashi?" asked Hirishima.

"There might be another way, we just don't know it yet," opined Kieri.

"That bastard Pruflas is the one to blame. Tamura doesn't have to die because of him!" mentioned Subaru.

"That look in his eyes, I have never seen anything like it," Xiang mouthed.

"I have made my decision. My trust in him once faltered and that made him suffer a great deal. That's why I will not repeat that same mistake again," Erashi said, solemnly.

"Brother, will you tell me our mother's last words before I depart?" Tamura got up to pick up a usable piece of one of his broken katanas.

"...." Without uttering another word, Erashi accepted the katana from Tamura's hand and began examining it.

"Erashi, are you really sure about this? Kieri, Subaru stop him," Hirishima stressed.

"Look at him. Does it look like he wants this? He has chosen to place absolute faith in his brother's decision."
After taking a long look at Erashi's eyes, Subaru came to a conclusion.

"Indeed, that is his resolve," added Kieri while shedding a single tear.

"Before she left this world, she asked me to protect you no matter what it takes. She placed trust in our brotherhood and the strength we carried together. But it's apparent that I not only failed her but you as well. I wish she was here to hug and soothe us with her sweet voice to wash away all our regret and sorrow like she used to." Erashi picked out the sharpest spot on the broken Katana's blade and proceeded to take a high stance.

"Despite all the burden she was carrying, she always placed that assuring smile on her face. She truly was the strongest." A wave of tears escaped Tamura's eyes as he accepted his fate.

"You were also a kind man to the very end, Tamura. I should've realised sooner that you would never kill a single being by yourself in your life. And that's something mother will be proud of," stated Erashi as he fought his emotions only to keep his tears locked inside.

Tamura suddenly held his head and screamed again in pain.
"Hurry, don't hesitate! Finish me in a single blow!" 

"I am so sorry brother, you don't have to forgive me in the afterlife. But if we meet in it, we will find our mother and apologise to her together." Erashi was one step away from executing his brother.

"Both of us really messed up huh?" Tamura fought his pain and smiled.

With those last words, Erashi swung the katana horizontally at Tamura's neck and slit his throat cleanly. A huge amount of blood spewed out from the wound as he fell to the ground, obtaining an instant and painless death.

"What have you done!? You would kill your own brother to defeat a demon!? I have never seen such shitty brotherhood before!" As the body began fading, a deep dark voice echoed through each of the warrior's minds.

"Shut up you bastard! You would never understand!" angered Subaru.

"No you don't understand! Killing me is nothing! Abatu will make sure each one of you will bite the dust!" the voice threatened.

"Abatu?" Puzzled Hirishima.

"Yes! He is none other than your…." The voice silenced as Tamura's body crumbled into ashes and the wind blew them away.

Erashi fell to his knees once again and the tears he tried so hard to hold finally escaped.

"Damn it!" Erashi angrily threw the katana away and punched the ground with all his might.