"There's a spring in the forest." Musoru said.
At these words Masahiro finally understood.
A period of time passed, and the woman appeared again, walking from the edge of the forest to the house with a full bucket of water in her hands. They watched her reenter the small house before Mizu murmured "That's our mother......she doesnt know us anymore."
"Im sure she's this way because of the monster of the shrine..." Musoru added, as anger and sorrow flitted over his face.
"Sh....shrine?......Monster...? huh? " Masahiro turned to him.
The two nodded fiercely. There was a stone shrine on the outskirts of the village, Musoru informed him. To the villagers the shrine was cursed and people were forbidden to approach the shrine.
"We're not even allowed to play in that area." Mizu added.
But a week ago, the shrine had collapsed for some unknown reason.
"The village elder told us that centuries ago, a white goddess had sealed a monster into the shrine. That's why we're not allowed to go near it."
"Mother and Daika were found in front of the ruined shrine, that was when they started acting strange."
"From then on, many people turned up the same way as mother. Some people are like Daika. They stare into space and don't respond to voices." Musoru continued.
"Some of those people cant even walk or move !" Mizu added.
As they began their walk back to the boy's house, Musoru looked out into the distance and said "Father had tried to find a doctor. He even visited other villages to see if there was anyone who could cure mother. But no one knew anything about what afflicted her. Some people in the next village said that there was an elder who might be able to help her."
"His name is Chishiki no Soushu. He was a powerful healer skilled in the spirits."
"Father tried everything to find him, but no one knew his whereabouts."
.............
Masahiro found himself speechless at the comment. Didnt he defeat Chishiki no Soushu a few months back?
Chishiki no Soushu had been the toughest opponent that Masahiro had ever faced. His evil had afflicted many and his defeat came at a great price.
Yet, to the commoners who had no knowledgeable of his depravity, he was a respected healer and a knowledgeable priest.
Masahiro found Chishiki no Soushu's acts unforgivable. Yet to these people, he was a pillar of hope, casting light into the abyss of pain and suffering.
It was Masahiro himself who extinguished that light.
Behind him, Taiin looked conflicted. "I guess it's a lot more complicated than we thought" she said, her voice only heard by Masahiro.
Masahiro nodded in agreement and sighed. Was there anyway they could help the boys' mother and the other villagers? Even with Narachika here, that kind of healing was beyond their specialty. If it was the kind of affliction caused by a fox demon or a dog demon, it would be easily cured by removing the source of the illness, but this was different.
"If the creature is killed, mother will return to normal.... right? " Musoru turned to Masahiro, his eyes filled with hope.
Masahiro hesitated... then he laughed bitterly. "I can only try my best....."
He couldn't make any guarantees. Even if he defeated the creature, the mother wouldn't necessarily return to normal.
But Masahiro knew better than anyone else, the pain of being forgotten by someone close to him. He would do all he can to help them.
"Killing the monster will fix mother... right? " Mizu pulled at his sleeve.
Masahiro laughed mirthlessly.
He wanted to cry.
......
I wish you could remember again.
I wish your memories hadn't left me behind.
Masahiro envied the brothers, who could so freely express their wishes. He was like the children who had lost their mother, reaching out to seek warmth and comfort. He felt as though if he were drowning, and missed with his life, the warmth of a helping hand that clasped his own to pull him from the abyss.
If he could freely express himself as the brothers did....would it ease his pain?
"Please leave everything behind...."....... And at that moment, now so distant... that was what he truly wished for Guren.
From the bottom of his heart, Masahiro had wished that Guren would shed the memories of the painful things he had endured and the pain he had inflicted........ that was the truth.
But in the depth of his heart, he had wished "Please dont let your memories leave me behind....."..... that was the truth as well....
"There's a spring in the forest." Musoru said.
At these words Masahiro finally understood.
A period of time passed, and the woman appeared again, walking from the edge of the forest to the house with a full bucket of water in her hands. They watched her reenter the small house before Mizu murmured "That's our mother......she doesnt know us anymore."
"Im sure she's this way because of the monster of the shrine..." Musoru added, as anger and sorrow flitted over his face.
"Sh....shrine?......Monster...? huh? " Masahiro turned to him.
The two nodded fiercely. There was a stone shrine on the outskirts of the village, Musoru informed him. To the villagers the shrine was cursed and people were forbidden to approach the shrine.
"We're not even allowed to play in that area." Mizu added.
But a week ago, the shrine had collapsed for some unknown reason.
"The village elder told us that centuries ago, a white goddess had sealed a monster into the shrine. That's why we're not allowed to go near it."
"Mother and Daika were found in front of the ruined shrine, that was when they started acting strange."
"From then on, many people turned up the same way as mother. Some people are like Daika. They stare into space and don't respond to voices." Musoru continued.
"Some of those people cant even walk or move !" Mizu added.
As they began their walk back to the boy's house, Musoru looked out into the distance and said "Father had tried to find a doctor. He even visited other villages to see if there was anyone who could cure mother. But no one knew anything about what afflicted her. Some people in the next village said that there was an elder who might be able to help her."
"His name is Chishiki no Soushu. He was a powerful healer skilled in the spirits."
"Father tried everything to find him, but no one knew his whereabouts."
.............
Masahiro found himself speechless at the comment. Didnt he defeat Chishiki no Soushu a few months back?
Chishiki no Soushu had been the toughest opponent that Masahiro had ever faced. His evil had afflicted many and his defeat came at a great price.
Yet, to the commoners who had no knowledgeable of his depravity, he was a respected healer and a knowledgeable priest.
Masahiro found Chishiki no Soushu's acts unforgivable. Yet to these people, he was a pillar of hope, casting light into the abyss of pain and suffering.
It was Masahiro himself who extinguished that light.
Behind him, Taiin looked conflicted. "I guess it's a lot more complicated than we thought" she said, her voice only heard by Masahiro.
Masahiro nodded in agreement and sighed. Was there anyway they could help the boys' mother and the other villagers? Even with Narachika here, that kind of healing was beyond their specialty. If it was the kind of affliction caused by a fox demon or a dog demon, it would be easily cured by removing the source of the illness, but this was different.
"If the creature is killed, mother will return to normal.... right? " Musoru turned to Masahiro, his eyes filled with hope.
Masahiro hesitated... then he laughed bitterly. "I can only try my best....."
He couldn't make any guarantees. Even if he defeated the creature, the mother wouldn't necessarily return to normal.
But Masahiro knew better than anyone else, the pain of being forgotten by someone close to him. He would do all he can to help them.
"Killing the monster will fix mother... right? " Mizu pulled at his sleeve.
Masahiro laughed mirthlessly.
He wanted to cry.
......
I wish you could remember again.
I wish your memories hadn't left me behind.
Masahiro envied the brothers, who could so freely express their wishes. He was like the children who had lost their mother, reaching out to seek warmth and comfort. He felt as though if he were drowning, and missed with his life, the warmth of a helping hand that clasped his own to pull him from the abyss.
If he could freely express himself as the brothers did....would it ease his pain?
"Please leave everything behind...."....... And at that moment, now so distant... that was what he truly wished for Guren.
From the bottom of his heart, Masahiro had wished that Guren would shed the memories of the painful things he had endured and the pain he had inflicted........ that was the truth.
But in the depth of his heart, he had wished "Please dont let your memories leave me behind....."..... that was the truth as well....
