TAKUMI TSURUGI
The journey from the safety of our base into the outside world was shrouded in darkness, and the air was thick with tension.
"I never imagined slaying demons, it feels so good, don't you guys think?" Kiyomasa tried to break the mood with his usual banter, but no reply came. We were more interested in the shadows of our mission which seemed to mute his jokes.
As the night deepened, we set up camp. I found a spot to rest, and Shinji took the first watch, his eyes scanning the surroundings with unwavering vigilance.
I fell into an uneasy sleep, and soon my dreams were invaded by a familiar figure—Rei Kokoro, the Spirit Heart. She still had long, flowing hair and piercing green eyes and didn't look like she had aged even a bit. I could remember clearly when she saved my life.
"Rei Kokoro," I asked, my voice trembling with the weight of unanswered questions. "Why did you leave me all these years?"
She looked at me with a mixture of pride and sadness. "I haven't left you, Takumi. I have been watching over you and I'm proud of you for wielding the Demon's Blade."
Her words were meant to comfort, but they only added to my anxiety, I wasn't proud of defying Rykeru Goro and taking the Demon's Blade, but she seemed impressed and I didn't know why, the blade almost killed me. "It was a mistake," I said. "I don't want to endanger my friends."
Suddenly, her expression darkened. "It wasn't a mistake, do you know how many people have died trying to wield that blade."
"Doesn't change a thing."
"It changes everything!" She snapped.
"Oh really, did you see what I did back there? I almost hurt them, my friends and.. that's not who I am, or who I want to be. I won't touch it again."
She frowned, her features darkening even more. "Look, Takumi. Look what will happen if you don't wield that blade." She showed me a vision of my friends being slaughtered by Ryujin Kuroba. The image was horrific—each of them falling one by one, their faces twisted in pain. My heart raced as the scene unfolded before me.
"You'll be alone again," Rie said softly. "No one will save you. But if you wield the Demon's Blade, you might be able to protect them."
"No," I protested, shaking my head vehemently. "I refuse to let that blade turn me into a monster."
"Your hunger for vengeance already turned you into a monster, Takumi!"
"I said, no."
Rie's face fell into a deep frown. "Very well, call for me when you're ready to wield the blade, if you ever need to."
I watched her leave and suddenly felt a cold hand grip mine.
I woke abruptly, gasping for breath, my body drenched in sweat. My mind was a whirl of fear and uncertainty. I looked around in the darkness of our camp, searching for the familiar faces of my friends to reassure myself they were still safe.
Yumi was by my side, her concern evident as she asked, "Takumi, are you okay?"
I could barely form a coherent response. "I—I saw Rie Kokoro," I stammered. We need to abort this mission."
Ayumi, puzzled and alarmed, asked, "Why? What's going on?"
I couldn't answer right away. The terror from the dream had paralyzed my ability to think clearly. I stood up abruptly, unable to remain still as my thoughts spun wildly.
Shinji's hand landed firmly on my shoulder, grounding me. "Calm down, Takumi. We're all right. We'll make it through this."
"You don't understand, I...I.."
"What did you see?" Shinji asked, looking into my eyes.
I tried to steady my breathing as I told them about my dream. "I saw Rie Kokoro. She said we... She said we'll be slaughtered if we don't abort this mission."
Yumi quickly scoffed and reassured me. "Nothing is going to happen to us. We're all here together. We'll be fine."
Despite her words, I couldn't shake off the fear. My hands trembled, and my heart continued its erratic beat. Shinji then stepped closer, placing both hands on my shoulders and forcing me to meet his gaze.
"It doesn't matter what you saw or what she said, we will make it back alive," he said firmly. "We're a team. We stick together, and we'll get through this."
"Yes, Takumi. Forget all Rie Kokoro said, we all know she's an accomplice with Ryujin Kuroba," Ayumi said and we all faced her. "In a way," she added before seating slowly.
"We're going to be fine," Shinji said.
The determination in his eyes, and the nods of agreement from Yumi, Kiyomasa, and Ayumi, slowly helped to calm me. My racing heart began to settle, and the fear ebbed away.
As if trying to lighten the mood, Shinji added with a smirk, "And if Rie Kokoro causes any more trouble, I'll personally deal with her."
The group chuckled, the laughter lightening the mood and helping me calm down. As the sun began to rise, we prepared to continue our journey, the dream's weight still heavy on my mind but I had to approach it differently, I'd show Rie Kokoro that I'm more powerful without that sword.