Yoriichi was gone.
After saying goodbye to the siblings.
The sudden news shattered Yuko's original plans.
She had intended to hang on until Yoriichi turned ten, then leave home with him. As for the future of a woman in a powerful feudal family, there was no need to explain it.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
One day, while Yuko and Kokushibo were helping sort through their mother's belongings, they found the diary she had written.
Yoriichi had indeed learned that he would be chosen as the heir, so he had left home ahead of time.
He also seemed to have known about Akino's illness and impending death. When the left half of his mother's body stopped obeying her, he had done his best to support her.
Kokushibo gripped the diary tightly with both hands, wrinkling the pages as the veins on the backs of his hands bulged.
He lowered his head as if he could barely breathe, his heart filled with resentment and jealousy.
"Please, don't live in this world. Someone like you should never have been born in the first place."
Kokushibo had always thought Yoriichi was a cowardly clingy pest who could only stay by their mother's side. Only now did he finally understand that he had been utterly defeated—not only in strength, but also in character.
Especially Yoriichi's almost charitable departure, which left him on the verge of being consumed by jealousy and humiliation.
Kneeling nearby, Yuko had also seen the contents of the diary and fallen into self-reproach, completely unaware of how twisted Kokushibo's heart was becoming.
This was so humiliating.
As someone whose soul belonged to an adult, she had actually failed to notice that Akino... that Mother had been seriously ill.
Even without the Clear World, an adult's awareness of the people around her should have been enough to notice something was wrong.
She had known that Mother's health had always been poor, but she had never imagined it was this serious.
This was so humiliating.
In the final letter Akino had written to their father, she begged him not to separate them, to treat the children equally and kindly, and to let them grow up healthy.
Their father was superstitious. When Yoriichi was two, he had told him, "You are an unblessed child," "You should never have been born," "You are an unlucky child," and "You will bring disaster upon the Tsugikuni family."
Therefore, to avoid bringing disaster upon the family, Yoriichi kept an extremely low profile. He never spoke to anyone and did his best to reduce his presence.
Only in front of his mother, brother, and sister would he occasionally show the smile of a child.
But their father had also loved their mother. After reading Akino's final letter, he seemed to realize the sin he had committed.
He sent people to search for Yoriichi and even dispatched someone to that temple, but they were unable to obtain any news of him.
After searching without success, their father eventually gave up.
When Kokushibo heard the news, he let out a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart.
Whether you had been attacked by bandits or eaten by a bear, it was enough as long as you disappeared.
After that, everything in the Tsugikuni family seemed to return to normal, yet it also seemed as though everything had changed.
Every day, Kokushibo practiced swordsmanship under the guidance of his father's men, waiting for the day he would inherit the family.
Yuko's situation was far less optimistic.
Girls from powerful feudal families were often tragic figures. They had no right to freedom and were usually useful only as tools for marriage alliances.
To avoid such a future, Yuko also wanted to follow Yoriichi's example and leave home.
But she was only six years old and had no skills. A little girl like her would only meet a dead end if she left the house.
For that reason, she went to Kokushibo.
"Brother, could I trouble you to teach me swordsmanship?"
Kokushibo stood alone in the courtyard, practicing with a wooden sword.
Yuko had deliberately chosen this time. If anyone else had been present, they would certainly have reported the matter to their father.
What kind of nonsense was it for a girl to wield a sword?
"What does a girl need swordsmanship for? Just learn the zither, go, calligraphy, and painting properly. In any case, all you'll need to do after you grow up is get married." Inherited from feudal society, Kokushibo's ideas made him say this without the slightest hesitation.
Hearing that, Yuko was so furious she almost hung him out to dry on some red app.
Just you wait until you get blown up.
Even though she seriously tried to communicate with Kokushibo, all she received were perfunctory replies and complete indifference.
That made Yuko fully realize that Kokushibo had long been imprisoned by the twisted ideas of feudal society. He simply could not understand her.
Yuko had always felt that, with an adult's knowledge and experience, correcting a child's twisted mindset should be easy.
But reality slapped her hard across the face.
Children listened to adults not because the adults were right, but simply because they were adults.
Deeply influenced by the old society's hierarchy of status and seniority, Kokushibo could not take Yuko's words to heart.
Yuko stopped asking for his help. During the day, she studied the zither, tea ceremony, and embroidery under teachers arranged by their father.
At night, she swung the wooden sword she had secretly taken from Kokushibo in her own room.
Although she could not find any knack for training on her own, it was still better than doing nothing.
Besides, she occasionally spied on Kokushibo's training during the day, so she still made some progress overall.
To survive out in the world, strength was indispensable, especially for a girl like her.
If she did not work hard, those pink apps had already depicted clearly enough what would happen to her.
She had no doubt that under this feudal society, being eaten by people would be worse than being eaten by demons.
Time passed little by little, and more than ten years slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Kokushibo and Yuko gradually grew taller, and even their appearances became extremely similar.
Although Yuko had been born later, she had inherited her parents' features and looked almost exactly like her brother. She was merely somewhat smaller, with softer cheeks that appeared more distinctly feminine.
Her long wine-red hair attracted countless eyes, and it nearly wore down the threshold of the Tsugikuni family home.
After Kokushibo inherited the family business, married, and had children, their father, who had long harbored a deep-seated resentment, died prematurely at the age of thirty.
One day, while Yuko was studying the zither with her teacher, one of Kokushibo's subordinates came to summon her.
Yuko approached Kokushibo with a heavy heart.
Yuko said flatly, "Is something wrong, Brother?"
More than ten years had faded the bond between the siblings, just as the hierarchy of status and seniority had taken root deep within Kokushibo's mind.
"The general has sent someone to deliver betrothal gifts..."
Those first words alone made Yuko's heart turn cold.
Before Kokushibo could say anything else, she spoke flatly. "I understand."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going back."
With that, she turned and left before Kokushibo could continue speaking.
In truth, at eighteen, Yuko was already considered an old unmarried woman in this era. Countless men had been rejected by her.
But this time, the general's son had proposed a marriage alliance.
Even if she disagreed, it would be impossible to refuse.
Feudal society was truly harmful.
Yuko passed through the kitchen and stole some food, then returned to her quarters and began packing. She planned to slip away under the moonlight that night.
She pulled out the Katana wrapped tightly in cloth from inside the cabinet. She had stolen it from the family earlier.
Then she packed several sets of clothes suitable for traveling.
Once she had finished organizing everything, the corner of Yuko's eye suddenly caught sight of a flute in the corner of the room.
Kokushibo had given it to her when they were children. Perhaps he had thought of his sister while giving one to his younger brother, so he had carved one for her as well.
After Kokushibo's mind had grown increasingly twisted, she had thrown it into the corner.
After hesitating for a moment, Yuko wiped it clean and placed it in her luggage.
Everything was ready except for the right opportunity.
The sky gradually darkened.
Yuko took up her luggage, fastened the Katana at her waist, and opened the door.
Good.
The night patrol was not stationed here.
However, when she sneaked to the rear gate, a figure stood quietly beneath the moonlight, leaning against the gate.
Hiss...
Do you not sleep in the middle of the night?!
Yuko sucked in a cold breath. Before Kokushibo noticed her, she took advantage of the hazy moonlight and tiptoed backward, intending to turn around and return.
"Yuko." Kokushibo's flat voice rang out.
Yuko's footsteps stopped. Knowing she could not escape, she took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows.
"Did you have someone watching me?"
"You didn't think I would know you stole a real sword, did you?"
Yuko: "..."
She had been careless.
Yuko's eyes turned cold. Gripping the hilt at her waist, she said coldly, "Move. I won't let you manipulate me the way you did Yoriichi."
It had been more than ten years since Kokushibo had last heard Yoriichi's name. His body stiffened for an instant.
The scene of his younger brother mercilessly shattering his pride seemed to have happened only yesterday.
He slowly drew the long sword at his waist and said in a deep voice, "Then let's see. Let's see what you've secretly learned."
Unlike the Kokushibo who had played with a wooden sword in his childhood, the Kokushibo of now had undergone rigorous training. Combined with his extraordinary talent, he had already become a samurai who surpassed their father.
Yuko took a deep breath, knowing there was no avoiding this battle.
She slowly drew the long sword at her waist.
Before you continue