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"If I'm not mistaken, the technique beneath your feet can detect even the faintest fighting spirit, can't it?"
Kaito stepped unhurriedly toward Akaza, the two wide white sleeves of his robe fluttering behind him in the night wind.
"It's thanks to this keen perception of fighting spirit that you can remain composed even when surrounded by two Pillar-level swordsmen."
"Correct."
Instead of launching an attack, Akaza settled into his stance, waiting for Kaito to approach.
"Someone like you, with not a trace of fighting spirit, yet not weak—it's incredibly rare!"
"Then, may I ask you something?" Kaito continued walking forward. "Why is your technique pattern a snowflake? Does it hold any special meaning?"
Akaza, looking puzzled, replied, "There's no meaning. It just naturally formed that way."
Kaito's eyes once again turned red as he pressed on: "Why is your hair peach-colored? Why do you have tattoos on your body? Why do you never eat women? What was your name before you became a demon? Did you have family? Did you have a lover? Do you know any of this?"
A fierce wind swept through, blowing Kaito's hair straight back. A fist was about to strike his face.
"Stop asking these pointless questions!!"
With the enhanced dynamic vision provided by the Sharingan, Kaito saw the anger on Akaza's face and a trace of confusion in his eyes, yet the fist shot out without hesitation.
Kaito's body drifted like a light leaf, swaying with the force of the punch. He sidestepped lightly, avoiding the fist, while the light sword in his hand drew a golden arc in the air, aiming straight for Akaza's neck.
Akaza crouched to evade and accelerated, throwing several consecutive punches.
Kaito's body floated up and down in the chaotic wind, narrowly avoiding each blow, occasionally raising his light sword to counter.
"He's so fast!" Tengen's eyes widened.
"His swordsmanship is terrible!" Obanai remarked with his characteristic sharp tongue.
"How boring!"
Akaza leaped backward, creating distance.
Several exchanges had passed between them, yet neither had landed a hit.
This wasn't the kind of fight he wanted.
However, as soon as he steadied himself, he saw Kaito forming hand seals with one hand.
Whoosh!
Several spiritual energy chains suddenly shot up from the ground at his feet.
Akaza dodged swiftly, but several paper talismans flew through the air and exploded into sunlight beside him.
He kicked off the ground to evade again, only to find Kaito's light sword precisely thrust toward him.
Even without direct contact, the radiating light from the sword scorched a blackened mark on Akaza's chest.
Akaza stomped the ground, sending countless clumps of dirt and stones flying like bullets, forcing Kaito back.
"Your eyes..."
He looked up at Kaito, who was now mid-air, and his gaze fixed on his eyes.
"...Is that also a technique?"
"It's something called Kekkei Genkai."
A red light flashed in Kaito's eyes.
Darkness. Pure darkness.
Akaza ran through an vast, boundless darkness.
"Quick... I have to go back... Otherwise..."
It seemed he had lost the resilient body of an Upper Moon demon, gasping heavily for breath as he ran.
"Mr. Hakuji, Mr. Hakuji..."
Glittering snowflakes fluttered down from above, and a girl's gentle voice came from afar.
"Who is it?"
Akaza turned around, looking around in confusion.
"Mr. Hakuji, Mr. Hakuji..."
The voice came again. Akaza felt his long-dormant heart begin to beat violently, uncontrollably.
"Who is it! Who are you?!"
Akaza suddenly clutched his head, muttering to himself, "Who is it... And who am I..."
"Hakuji, you brat."
"Hakuji..."
Two different male voices reached him.
"Who! Who are you!!" Akaza clutched his head and shouted. "Go away! All of you, go away!!!"
"Mr. Hakuji... I beg you..."
Two soft little hands suddenly grasped one of his.
"Who are you?"
Akaza turned his head to look at the girl holding his hand.
She wore a peach-colored kimono, with snowflake-shaped ornaments in her hair. Her eyes were gentle as water, and she looked at him with a pleading gaze.
"Let go of me! I'm not Hakuji!!"
Akaza tried to pull his hand away, but it was as if he had lost all strength in that moment. He could only rebuke her with a fierce but empty threat.
"Mr. Hakuji... I beg you... Please stop this..."
Glistening tears welled up in the girl's eyes.
Akaza's gaze seemed scalded by her tears, and he involuntarily called out the girl's name.
"Koyuki..."
"Mr. Hakuji..."
Two streams of tears rolled down Koyuki's cheeks.
The endless dark world suddenly exploded with countless brilliant fireworks. Colorful fireworks bloomed extravagantly, their light illuminating the soft contours of the girl's face, flickering between brightness and shadow.
"Koyuki..."
Akaza murmured unconsciously as countless chaotic images flooded his mind.
A boy stealing to treat his father's illness. A father who ultimately hanged himself. The dojo master who eventually took the boy in. The master's sickly daughter, Koyuki. And...
...And the master and Koyuki, poisoned to death just before their wedding.
"Ahhh!!!" Akaza clutched his head and howled in agony. "Why! Why am I still not strong enough!!"
Not strong enough, so he could never protect the people most important to him.
Not strong enough, so after becoming a demon, he merely麻木ly pursued strength, yet lost his most precious memories.
"Mr. Hakuji."
"Hakuji."
"Hakuji."
The voices calling his name suddenly became clear and real.
Akaza opened his eyes and saw three figures surrounding him under the moonlight, and Kaito sheathing his light sword not far away.
"Father... Master... Koyuki..."
Akaza looked around at the three earnest faces.
"Another illusion? Onmyōji!" He glared at Kaito. "I already know. As long as I don't look into your eyes—"
"No." Kaito cut him off. "You've already regained the memories from your life, haven't you? Those two gentlemen and that young lady have been by your side all along. From the very beginning, they've been begging you to stop, but you couldn't hear them."
"Nonsense!" Akaza clenched his fists again. "As long as I defeat you, this illusion will break, right?"
"That's enough, Mr. Hakuji."
Koyuki reached out and grasped his fists with both hands.
"It's already enough, enough... Please, no more..."
"No! If I'm not strong enough..." Akaza reflexively argued.
"That's not true." Koyuki shook her head. "It's enough that Mr. Hakuji remembers us. It's enough that the Mr. Hakuji I know has returned."
Akaza stared into Koyuki's eyes for a long time. Finally, he stiffly dropped to his knees.
"I'm sorry, Father. In the end, I couldn't live the ordinary life you hoped for me."
"I'm sorry, Master. I couldn't make Koyuki happy."
"I'm sorry, Koyuki. I couldn't protect you. I failed to keep every promise I made to you..."