"So. ”

A maple leaf fell from between the two of them, reflecting their blades.

Jizo's lowered eyes lifted, his pupils tightened, and through the gap in the hat, only Sakurako's reflection was left in that eye.

"I'm coming. ”

"Step!" Jizo stepped out, and the fallen leaves on the ground rolled up, and they remained in the air with the trajectory of the swordsman's step.

And Jizo's knife swept past the maple leaves and stabbed at Sakurako, with an indomitable determination.

The reflection of maple leaves, maple trees, rocks, and hills flashed on the blade.

The knife seemed to rattle, as if it was about to cut off everything that stood in its way.

With just this sword, Sakurako has almost no room to parry.

Jizo is a swordsman, he has been with the sword for countless years, and he only has the sword in his heart, and the paranoia that has almost become an obsession.

Sakurako won't be his opponent because Sakurako has too many things in her heart.

"Dang!"

Surprisingly, this sword was blocked by Sakurako with difficulty.

But in the end, Sakurako blocked the sword, or did Jizo deliberately stab the sword on Sakurako's sword.

No one knows, not even Sakurako, that she's too far behind Jizo.

Sakurako gritted her teeth and retreated, but the rusty knife in her hand turned around at the same time and slashed at Jizo's shoulder.

Jizo casually pulled the knife in his hand away from Sakurako's knife.

He looked into Sakurako's eyes the whole time, which made Sakurako have to look into his eyes as well.

Those quiet, no-nonsense eyes.

"The second sword, take it. ”

This time, Jizo's sword was raised above his head, and he looked down on the world like a mountain rising from the ground, with a majestic spirit that passed through the clouds.

The sword carried endless pressure, giving Sakurako the urge to abandon the sword and run away.

But she stopped backing away.

Because the person in front of her has ruined everything for her, she will block this sword and kill him.

Sakurako's eyes became fierce, and the rusty knife in her hand suddenly lifted, and she was like a youkai, resisting before the mountain.

"Z!"

The two knives collided together, rubbing together and creating dazzling sparks.

This time both retreated at the same time.

As soon as the wind tightened, the red maples in the sky were blown away.

The two of them rushed towards each other at the same time.

In a short period of time, the two fought dozens of times.

Every time Jizo puts a lot of pressure on Sakurako, he doesn't hurt Sakurako once.

Until even Sakurako found out that Jizo's every attack was deliberately cut at her knife.

"Dang!"

There was another sound of blades clashing, and Sakurako took a few steps back.

"Are you fooling me?"

She asked as she gasped, her eyes full of anger that was hard to hide, and the rusty knife she held seemed to be more and more mottled.

Jizo stood still and didn't move, he just asked, still holding his knife and posing in an offensive posture.

"Are you ready to come to your senses? ”

Sakurako raised her knife and didn't speak, at this time, in her eyes, there was only killing Jizo.

"I ask you if you're ready to come to your senses!!"

Jizo roared, his eyes wide with rage, his pupils burning like flames, with a terrifying threat.

Sakurako was stunned, in front of the roaring Jizo.

What enlightenment, she didn't understand.

Jizo didn't continue, he would answer with his sword.

That's the realization of picking up a knife.

That's the consciousness of killing and being killed.

That's the realization of people who are even more wicked than youkai.

It was the consciousness of being alone, facing the endless ugliness of this world.

He gathered his knife and bent down, his palm resting on the hilt.

In the red maple, he looked at Sakurako on the other side.

He had already come to his senses.

And he understands that Sakurako does not.

"Click. ”

Jizo's hand gripped the hilt of the sword, and then, in an instant, pulled the blade out.

On the blade of the snowy sword, it seems to have crossed this world in an instant.

Under the poignancy of the maple leaves, Jizo draws his knife and slashes at Sakurako.

Sakurako was still stunned, and it wasn't until Jizo's knife slashed in front of her that she hastily stabbed a sword.

"Poof!"

After a sword.

Jizo's knife stops in front of Sakurako, and Sakurako's knife pierces Jizo's chest.

At the last moment, Jizo stopped the knife in his hand.

Blood flowed through Sakurako's rusty knife, and crimson blood soaked between the rust before dripping to the ground.

"Ahem. ”

Jizo coughed hoarsely, blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, and the broken hat on his head tilted and fell to the ground, revealing his face, and he looked like an ordinary middle-aged man.

Ignoring the sword that passed through his chest, Jizo looked up at Sakurako.

He asked in a deep and intermittent voice.

"Are you ready to come to your senses? If not, in the future, don't use the knife again. ”

Sakurako stared blankly at Jizo and let go of the hilt in her hand.

Jizo, who had lost his strength, slowly fell down and fell into the red maple on the ground.

With his last sword, he told Sakurako about this realization.

Also with his last sword, he persuaded Sakurako to put down the sword.

"Why. Sakurako asked, she didn't understand.

Jizo's eyes crossed and he looked at Sakurako with what little strength he had left, and he smiled dryly, laughing more ugly than crying.

"You don't have karma, I can't kill you. ”

Sakurako has never killed anyone, she has no karma, it is impossible for Jizo to kill her from the beginning, and this revenge is destined to end with Sakurako killing Jizo.

Jizo himself knows, and so does the Shao people, but only Sakurako doesn't know.

"Ha ······"

Jizo gasped heavily, and he could feel himself dying.

"Meow. The wildcat scurried to Jizo's side, rubbing his beard against his cheek.

Jizo's pupils dilated, and his lips moved slightly.

"In a lifetime, there is always a time to repay. ”

Like in the fire four years ago, he said this.

I don't know, if it's Sakurako, or to himself.

This autumn's maple trees are particularly fiery red, like the color of blood.

Sakurako sat silently on her knees on the ground, and at the beginning, she stood aside.

I don't know how long it took, Sakurako looked at Hatsu behind her in a distraction, and asked that question again.

"At the beginning, what is sin?"

This time, Chu was no longer just silent, she pondered the answer.

What exactly is evil, and is it a sin for Hillman to wage war for a better world?

Is it a sin for Sakurako to kill Jizo for revenge?

Or even to say, is it a complete sin for Jizo to kill for the sake of the principles in his heart?

It seems like both.

Are they all wicked people who bear these sins, and they don't seem to be either?

Unable to find an answer, she looked up at the sin that had spilled out of Sakurako's body on the hillside.

The sin raged in mid-air, like a shrill laugh.

Laugh at her, laugh at the world.

She could feel Sakurako's pain.

If you take this away, Sakurako will be better, right?

First thought.

She's ready to do the only thing she can for Sakurako.

To the sin that covered the sky, Chu stretched out his hand.

If so, sin will eventually exist.

If, someone has to pay for it.

Let me, then, bear your sins.

In the name of the messenger.