Crimson Tides (Malereader X JJK)

Chapter ~ 10

Sorry for the delay. Holidays are often like this plus I'm studying for junk

~(POV Y/n) Flashback~

*TING*

*TING*

"Put more power into it! Pour your energy into the blade!"

With a groan of both pain and annoyance I slam my metal hammer down into the surprisingly tough molten piece of metal "Old man, what do you mean by that?! RAGH!"

*TING*

Usually, something like this would be light work for someone as... Physically gifted as me. Yet at this point, I'd have been making blades for a pretty long time. Everyone is bound to get tired eventually.

Disappointedly, Ryogi Nokatsu sighed before dismissing it "Nothing boy. I was thinking about the past..."

I freeze in place as a bead of sweat drops from my chin sizzling on contact with the hot forge.

Old man Nokatsu. He was the last member of his family to carry on the knowledge of their tradition. Blacksmithing.

His son Ryu, was never once interested in it and instead chose to start his own company and expand his horizons far and wide in hopes of riches. Eventually, when he succeded he settled down with a woman and had my old friend. Ishika Nokatsu

You should already know what happened to him...

I took over his successor role to distract myself from the truth. 

It was all my fault.

~(A year earlier)~

"I'm serious (Y/n)! I will go alone to the abandoned graveyard of the mighty samurai in the middle of the night and prove that I, Ishika Nokatsu, am the bravest kid in town!"

I burst out laughing as I ate my snack bar. "I-Ishika no way you're serious why would you of all people ever do that?"

*SMACK*

"That's not nice (Y/n)! Ishika, you don't have to do that. Proving yourself to others isn't worth the danger." Rei Kozue said as I rubbed the back of my head. Where she smacked me

"I know. I know." Ishika grinned widely saying something was wrong "I'll just do it anyway!" He quickly got up and walked away from our table leaving Rei and I to stare at him in worry.

"You think he took my laughing to heart?" I ask lowly to Rei who exchanges a worried glance at me

"I don't know but I won't let him go alone." 

"Hmm? There's no way he's going. Especially not now. People have died at that place." I continue nibbling away at my bar watching as Rei gets up and follows after him

'Well, school's over anyways. The club activities are up so I guess I'll just go home.' I left soon after, with an uncomfortable pit forming deep in my gut

~(The next day)~

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

I put my black shirt on while holding my toothbrush in my mouth hopping towards the door "I'll get it!"

"Alright!" Yuji's distant voice echoed from his room

'Who's knocking this early?' I look through the door peephole seeing two men. One older and one younger before opening it slightly "May I ask for your names?" I politely ask with a kind smile on my face

"I'm Ryogi Nokatsu and this is my son Ryu Nokatsu. My grandson wanted to talk to you, his name is Ishika." Confusion blossomed in my mind as I opened the door a little wider