ᴀʟʟᴇɢᴇᴅʟʏ ☀︎︎ ɢᴇᴛᴏ s. x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ☀︎︎

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

26 November 2005
Approximately 3:22 P.M.
Tochigi Prefecture
Nikko, Japan

“How long is she going to be in there?” Geto asked, glancing at the door. “It’s been over an hour.”

“It’s been a long time since Y/n has been under Iranori’s training,” The old woman replied, filling the cup in front of Geto with coffee. “She must retrace what’s she’s learned in the past, and use it now. There is no definite answer of when she will return. It could range from the next hour to the next week. It all depends on how quickly Y/n can finish the final step.”

“The final step?” He echoed. “What is that?”

The older woman sighed, folding her hands in her lap. “Y/n came to Iranori at a very young age, she was maybe five or six years old. I remember her face after we rid her home of the curse that attacked her and wounded her gravely. She had come bouncing up to the gate asking to see Iranori. She begged him to teach her what he knew. He told her no. She came back every day and asked. Finally, after thirteen times, he agreed.”

“She was very persistent,” Geto chuckled.

“Very. And for good reason too. That little girl had so much potential. She was a very quick learner, and was extremely intelligent, both in the books and in battle. In every scenario she was given, she thought up the quickest way to handle it with minimum damage. Not to mention her strength, physically and mentally. She endured Iranori’s harsh training with a set mind, even as a young child,” Vila said, closing her eyes as she thought back. “There were many times Iranori or I would physically have to force her to stop her training. She would always be doing something to increase her strength, and her favorite thing to do was hang from the clothing rack out back.”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve noticed Y/n is very agile,” Geto hummed. “Most of her moves look like gymnastics.”

“She never did them professionally, but my, that child could move. She’s quick, flexible, and strong,” Vila chuckled. “She acted just like Iranori in his previous days. He was long retired from the field when they first met, and that’s why he was so reluctant to start. But after so long, you knew that man had taken a liking to her. They would go at it for hours, come inside, eat, and then head into Iranori’s weaponry. She would sit and watch him used his cursed technique for hours on end. Most of the time, she fell asleep in there, and he would carry her home to her own bed. The next morning she’d be right there in the yard, with her little f/c bottle, ready to start it all over again.”

Geto smiled. “It doesn’t sound like much has changed since then.”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Vila sighed. “After Iranori’s death, Y/n took it much harder than anyone I’d ever seen. She was so heartbroken, I thought it might kill her. However, she never stopped her training. She’d stay in the yard, where they used to be, moving like he was there to guide her. And...he made her these rings, for each goal he made that she surpassed. Her hands were far too small for the rings, even if she were to grow up. So they hung around her neck on a ball-chain necklace. One day, I couldn’t find her anywhere. And then I heard the metal clinking. When I’d come into the workshop, she was sitting at his bench, silent tears streaming down her face as she adjusted the rings to fit her fingers.”

“I’ve never seen them off her,” Geto said. “She sleeps with them on.”

“It’s the only thing she had of him. She couldn’t even properly say goodbye--none of us could--for his body had been taken by the sorcerer killer. Poor thing was so in shock, she couldn’t even form a sentence when we found her,” The older woman looked at the teen, smiling softly. “Since the day she left, almost two and a half years ago, I’ve never seen another smile on her face until you were with her. I can tell you brighten her life.”

Geto smiled softly. “That’s my plan, after all. I only want her to be happy.”

…

Slowly, warmth washed over your body. Starting from the tips of your fingers, spreading up your arms, down your chest, up to your head, and ending at your toes. Your shoes rested near the entrance, your jacket neatly folded beside them. Your heart rate was calm, breathing evened and paced.

You opened your eyes, watching your body illuminate with a blue aura. You lifted your head, looking at the figure standing in front of you. Instead of sitting in the dark room, you were now sitting in the yard. You recognized the feeling of the grass under your bare feet and the sound of the sōzu rose in your ears as it hit against the rocks.

“Have you accepted it?”

His voice rose in your ears like a melody. Tears pricked the corner of your eyes, and you exhaled slowly. You couldn’t lose your composure.

“Yes.”

“Then you know the importance of letting go,”

“Yes.”

“Good. Your kusarigama has broken. I told you to handle it carefully.”

Even in death, he still nagged you.

“I broke it in battle, Sensei. I came to fix it.”

“Hm. It’s not too bad, so you should be able to mend it on your own.”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve grown stronger. Your technique has developed?”

“Yeah. I can control all links now.”

“Impressive,” He said, crouching in front of you. His body was transparent, and you knew none of this was real. It was part of your conscience. The part of you that still held to his memory, and his cursed technique. With your knowledge, he would never die out.

“Don’t mess my work up, Y/n.”

You smiled.

“I won’t, sensei.”

“Good. Now, get to work.”

You opened your eyes and grinned. Everything was now visible to you, allowing you to see the weapons lining the walls and the forge in the corner of the room. You stood up, picking up the broken pieces of the kusarigama.

“Thanks, Ira-sensei.”