Even after a thousand seven hundred years, Ryushiki recognized at a glance the soul of the man he had first considered a true friend, yet whom fate had cruelly turned into an enemy he had faced in life and death.
"..." Ryushiki closed his eyes, recalling the scene of their final parting.
"Ryushiki, hold a funeral for me. Cremate me..."
"It will hurt."
"Compared to your pain, it is nothing. Besides... I spent my whole life drifting with the tide. At the end, I want to choose how I die."
"Ryushiki, did you know? After death, every soul, including those of my clan, goes to another world. The master of that world was once my clan's most formidable enemy in ancient times. He is like a sword hanging over everyone's heads. While alive, we can ignore it, but once dead, we must face his judgment. That is what they call karmic retribution, I suppose."
"You were a victim of this clan's darkness. I doubt the person you mentioned would make things too difficult for you."
"You always think too highly of people... But if I am fortunate enough to avoid hell and one day get reincarnated, I truly do not want to be born into this clan again. I would rather be reborn in the lands below and grow up in a quiet, peaceful village."
"I will pray for you."
"I only hope that when that day comes, we will not meet again. Let us each walk safely to the end along paths that never cross. I truly do not want to become your enemy again."
Ryushiki opened his eyes and looked at the young man wreathed in flame, sighing inwardly. Fate truly played cruel tricks. Tiansha Dou, the thing you feared most had still come true...
"..." Feeling the