The Cursed Iris

Sprout 53: Onward to Shangri-La

"Katsumi Nakajima tell me something!" Oguchi yelled enthusiastically.

He and Oguchi were alone training, and Katsumi had noticed that Oguchi's fighting style was way too unpredictable. It was like his own but wilder.

"What do you want me to tell you?" he asked.

"Those fights against the God Slayers you battled are still weighing on your mind correct? One shattered your will to fight, because you were afraid of what may happen if you lost control."

Katsumi stared at him with a nervous look in his eyes, "Then the other one partially shattered your central aura point, hurt the girl you love, and placed a curse on your spirit energy so you would never be able to use that form you achieved ever again," Oguchi explained.

"How did you?..."

"A wolf's intuition is its best weapon," he smiled. "I know you've noticed that when you fought Arthur and Jeanne that Storm Surge form or whatever you call it was a lot weaker than it was when you fought Hokusai wasn't it?"

Katsumi looked at his hands, then back at Oguchi. "It was, but that doesn't change the fact that I can still use it."

Oguchi sighed, "You're the boy who could defy fate and yet you continue to fall victim to it. Katsumi Nakajima, I just want you to know that curse on your spirit energy won't go away unless you get over that obstacle that's been bothering you. I can help you with that partially shattered central aura point though. That curse is something only you can shatter."

"What do you mean by obstacle?" Katsumi asked confused.

He shrugged in response, but Katsumi had a feeling that he knew exactly what he was talking about. The one thing that has been bothering him since she had come to this time. "I don't want to hurt her. I almost killed Ayame not too long ago, and I'm afraid that there's going to be a moment where I lose control once and for all it'll be the end for all of my friends."

"Is that because of the demon or is it because of you?" Oguchi questioned him.

That question seemingly hit home, because his master asked him that same question when Katsumi was arrested. Ayame also helped him realize that the demon side of him was still him; although that half tried to kill her she still accepted it, but for some reason he just couldn't accept it.

"It's because of the demon. I know it is," he replied.

"Katsumi Nakajima you are something else," Oguchi sighed. "but if you think that's the answer then so be it."

Katsumi grabbed his chest. "Anyways Oguchi could we please continue the training?"

*****

Ayame, Minori, and Toru returned to the Sylph's village, "You're back," Elijah said running up to them.

The atmosphere was heavy, everyone gathered around the bodies of the deceased. Ayame couldn't help but look towards the ground as she felt like she had let all of them down. They relied on her to save them, and she failed. She had to be saved yet again, she was sick and tired of being the damsel in distress. A feeling she had never felt before, You are nothing but a cursed iris that will bring nothing but despair to those around you, Hokusai's voice echoed in her head.

"He was right," she mumbled.

Ayame you aren't weak. I mean you are the reason I started fighting back. You're a strong girl, and I trust you with my life. My fate is yours and your fate is mine Ayame Akiyama, Katsumi's voice echoed.

"Kikyo and Atsuko are both advancing at a much quicker rate than I am while I'm still stuck in the beginning stages of this. After almost two months of being here I haven't gotten anywhere."