Both hot and painful...

Amber eyes slowly opened at the first sensation. It is the smell of smoke and blood.

Nikkari used his arm to support himself while sitting, but if the bone in his right arm that was broken inside was injured, A feeling of pain shot through his body before Wakizashi let out a scream of pain.

The battlefield they had been sent into was a sea of ​​red, the heat from the smoldering fire causing Nikkari's vision to blur. The torn end of the victory flag is waving. Every step that I take These are the bodies of soldiers and comrades who have breathed their last.

Nagikitsune...

The Kebiichi army attacked them as soon as they arrived, leaving them no time to prepare. The stronger is the one who survives, this is the law of this filthy world.

Nikkari continued to walk, her right arm unable to move. His left eye was blurry. The young man stopped when he stumbled upon someone's body.

Dotanuki Masakuni

Next to it was the body of Ujikatana Okurikara. who is breathing heavily Nikkari sat down next to him. Upon cursory examination of the wounds on his body, he found that the other party had lost a lot of blood from his severed left leg. But before he could say anything, Okurikara spoke up first.

“He..is...over there.” The voice was hoarse and intermittent. “On the other side..of the battlefield.”

The young man understands the word "he" that... Okurikara talks about But what is more important now is helping the comrades in front of us.

“I must help you!” he said before realizing that his own voice was no different from the other person's. Okurikara shook his head lightly.

“Masakuni Kanesada and Yamabushi have all passed away.”

Wakizashi's eyes widened.

“And I'm about to follow them.” Okurikara closed his eyes slowly, “I did..my…best.”

Okurikara then fell asleep.

The young man could feel the saltiness of the tears that were flowing. Had he lost all four of his friends at the same time in this battlefield?

Nikkari stood up and dragged his body, which seemed to be shattered. Walking in search of another person, the remaining dagger Kebiichi rushed towards him. Before being quickly slashed away by the young man using his short sword that had broken in half, Nikkari threw his broken sword away nonchalantly.

“Do you like sakura, Aoe-san?”

Ah...why did this kind of thing come to mind just now?

“Why?” Nikkari asked in surprise. “So you want to invite me to go see the cherry blossoms together?” The young man joked since they were still in winter. Outside of Honmaru, the entire area is covered in white snow, and cherry blossom viewing is impossible.

“If I say yes,” the other person said with a smile, “Will you go with me, Aoe-san?”

Every step that I take Nikkari felt a heavy weight. The voice in my head was screaming at me to stop so at least there wouldn't be more pain. But he just wanted to know and wanted to go and see for sure.

Even though..deep in my heart I fully know

The young man stopped walking when the figure of Ishikirimaru came into view. Nikkari immediately rushed towards his lover.

“Lord Ishikirimaru,” the young man used his still normal hand to gently slap the other person's face. The light green robe was bleeding widely. Nikkari was immediately shocked when Ishikirimaru was unresponsive.

I felt pain in my chest and tears suddenly flowed out and I couldn't stop it.

“Ao..e-san.”

“Lord Ishikirimaru!”

Nikkari fell to his knees, crying as the young Odachi called his name. Ishikirimaru raised his hand and gently touched his wakizashi's head. before shoving something into Nikkari's left ear.

Ishikirimaru felt happiness welling up in his chest. When the person next to you accepts his invitation It might be too early to invite someone to see the cherry blossoms in winter like this. But Ishikirimaru doesn't think so.

The young man moved to hug the person next to him tighter. The winter air of the night was replaced by the warmth of the other person's touch. Ishikirimaru whispered softly into his lover's ear.

“You promised me.”

A thick hand with blood stains on it dragged from his ear down to his cheek. before the young man smiled warmly.

“You really suit cherry blossoms, Aoe-san.”

The flowers he had picked during his travels now that winter had passed. The flowers themselves had sprouted and blossomed, but it was a pity that he wouldn't have the chance to watch them along with the people next to him.

“Sorry,” Ishikirimaru whispered, “and thank you. who came to see me in my last days.”

Nikkari felt as if hundreds of needles were piercing the lump in the numb young wakizashi's chest. He swallowed down his dry throat and tried hard to laugh.

“Are you going to break your promise to me?” His voice trembled, “When you said you were going to take me to see the cherry blossoms?”

“The cherry blossoms are blooming now,” sobbed Nikkari, “and I want to go see them with you.”

The young Odachi smiled faintly. The pain from the wound now It was nothing compared to the pain of seeing the other person cry. Since when have each other been important to each other?

“Why can't I be a holy sword?”

“Maybe it was because it took the life of a small child.”

Ever since that conversation Their feelings began to change.

From strangers to friends and from friends to lovers.

“I love you,” Ishikirimaru said. "And I will love you forever" if possible He also wanted to be with the person in front of him for a bit longer.

“My only wakizashi” Just for a second would be good.

As if everything slowed down, the light of the amethyst colored orb faded. Odachi's eyes slowly closed and the touch on his cheek disappeared as Ishikirimaru's hand fell and his breathing stopped.

Nikkari screamed like a mad man, the young man tightly hugging the other's breathless body. His lover has already passed away. It was more than he could bear when Nikkari lost both his friend and his lover at the same time.

The ground behind them shook and the sound of their heavy breathing informed that there were still kebiichi remaining. Nikkari was so emotionless that she couldn't even fight for her life. It felt like his insides were being shattered. Was he even worthy of living in such a twisted world?

It is a weapon that was created to be fought.

It is a weapon that was once kindly given to live like a human being.

Nikkari closed her eyes and waited for death.

I just prayed that We will meet..somewhere in this filthy world.

“I love you too. My Ishikirimaru.”

// Boil hot water while throwing in two cubes of instant noodles.

I want to try writing a fic about the time the sword breaks. I thought it would be quite dramatic.

But...has anyone been fooled by this promotion?-----