"Assassin Paraiso, I want to ask you a question."
After clearing away the transformed creatures and snake shadows summoned by Assassin Paraiso, Matsudaira Shimousa-no-kami's estate had already been reduced to a complete mess. Kotarou's eyes were nearly blazing with rage.
He stood atop the eaves, glaring down at Assassin Paraiso, who held a wakizashi in her hand.
"Do you also bear the Karma of that so-called All-Consuming Slaughter?"
"Has your will as a Heroic Spirit been twisted as well!?"
"You'd actually ask something like that?"
Assassin Paraiso wore a mocking sneer.
"Do you truly understand nothing at all about the nature of us Heroic Spirit Swordmasters?"
"I thought that after killing Lancer of Purgatorio and Archer Inferno, you would have grasped at least some small part of the crux of it."
The red glow in her eyes flickered unsteadily—but without question, it was filled entirely with malice.
"We are shadows engraved upon the Throne of Humanity—not undead spirits, not vengeful spirits, not evil spirits—nor are we Heroic Spirits."
"Those who wield blades that sever the world of men are Heroic Spirit Swordmasters—in other words, we are storms in human form!"
"Whether our opponents are men, women, old, or young, we kill them with laughter, sparing not even children—that is what Heroic Spirit Swordmasters are!"
"We are the cleansing devices of the human world!"
Clang—
Boom!!!
Musashi could no longer stand to listen. She raised Myojin-giri Muramasa and slammed it down, the blade striking the ground with a nearly explosive roar.
Assassin Paraiso hurriedly evaded, not daring to take the blow head-on.
"You... you shouldn't even exist in this world!"
Musashi now understood, at least a little, how Sakumura must have felt.
Fuuma Kotarou gritted his teeth and asked.
"You people—do your hearts not hurt!?"
"You said... hearts?"
Faced with Kotarou's