1 Shigahara's secret

꧁ Ishikawa Village ꧂

" Makoto"

The weather was a very beautiful morning. My family, which consisted of my younger sister and my mother, sat down to eat lunch in the forest of our village, in the place that my father used to frequent. The view of the green plains and the river extending through the village was wonderful, and there my sister asked me: Remind me why you train every morning. O'Brother? I told you before. I have to be strong to protect our beautiful village. I will not allow a repeat of what happened years ago. My father and many others sacrificed their lives to protect it, and it is thriving again after those evil thieves burned it and took from it everything they could take. I was silent for a moment as I remember that terrible scene as they waved their swords. Who have memorized their unique shape by heart, and they kill the people and everyone who intercepts them, wearing metal armor, in order to steal our small village, which has flourished thanks to its fertile lands that allow us to grow various types of grains and vegetables that are sufficient to provide our needs and sell them to the villages. I said in an angry tone: They are truly monsters. My mother said, reassuring me: You are still young, my son, to think about these things. Do not worry. Everything will be fine. Her words were interrupted by several screams that we all knew were coming from the village before we saw the tongues of fire rising. We hurried to see from afar what was happening to see those monsters had returned again carrying their swords so that we could hear the screams of the people getting louder and louder. We knew that with every scream, one of the people would die. We were interrupted by my mother's words as she said: Let's run away... quickly. We ran until we were tired. When we stopped, my mother said: Everything will be fine. We just have to stay alive. As soon as she finished her sentence, we heard someone screaming. He said: There are some people there and we heard them quickly approaching us. My mother continued her speech: You must live, my children. I understood what you were getting at, so I said in opposition after tears fell from my sister and I's eyes. She said seriously: You must live, hold on to life and always remember. Everything will be fine. We just have to wait and stay alive. Come on. Go before they arrive. I grabbed my sister's hand and we ran away. After we moved away a little, we turned back. I quickly covered my sister's eyes so that she would not see the terrible scene that I saw. My mother's head flew into the sky and fell to the ground, and her body fell after it. I felt that time had stopped for me at that moment, and the blood was boiling in my body. I wanted to eliminate them all, I wanted to cut off their heads, but my sister's voice mixed with crying stopped me as she said to me: Let's run away, brother. After walking for days, we reached a village close to our village that seemed smaller than it, and we decided to settle there. ꧁Shigahara Village꧂ Yuriko and I stood with great excitement, my childhood friend Saya, waiting for our turn to pass the entrance exam to finally become one of the Shigahara warriors who would protect the village and bring peace to it. At that time, everything we had gone through, from the day I decided to become a warrior, flashed back to my mind. At that time, I had been waiting for my father's return for 7 years. We were at that time in a time of war, and our village was poor. My father at that time was called the hero of the village, as he was its strongest warrior, and he was a kind and charitable person. Finally, I heard everyone's cheers getting louder, and I knew that the warriors had returned. I quickly ran outside and led into the crowd. Until I reached the front and saw my father standing alone at the front of the army, raising the slogan of our village while the rest of the army marched behind him. I was looking at him with great pride, and after we returned home, my father began to act every time he returned from the war, narrating to me what happened and how they were victorious over the enemy army, which was three times their number thanks to His smart plan. There I said to my father: I will become a strong warrior like you when I grow up. He said with a smile: I have high hopes for you, my daughter. My mother looked at us with an angry look. She was always opposed to the idea of ​​me becoming a warrior, but she contented herself with looking this time without saying anything. At that time, it was an appointment. The choice of the next leader of the village is approaching. Everyone urged my father to become the leader, but he refused. When I asked him why, he said that he did not like to be a leader, as it would make him unable to go to the battlefield. He was silent for a while, then continued with a smile: "Also, then I will not have time." To spend it with you both, then he looked at my mother and she smiled too so I threw myself into my father's arms and said: Then let's go next week to see who will be the new leader. And indeed, days go by quickly, and the day will come that changed the fate of our village. Our leader has changed and the people of the village chose another young man to replace him after he became old and after he was finished. Announcing the results of the vote, the new leader ascended the podium. He seemed to be an intelligent and strong young man and said directly in a serious tone: Listen, people of the village, thank you for your trust in me, and you will never regret this. I will change the fate of this poor country and make you live in peace and generosity soon. Everyone chanted in the name of the leader. His new fans said, "Long live Hiroshi, long live Leader Hiroshi!! "Shigahara, one year later: A year after Hiroshi assumed the position of village leader, a large festival was held to celebrate that occasion. They began to call him the legendary leader, or the miracle leader, as some call him. After he took over the affairs of the village, its conditions changed in a short period, and our small, poor village turned into a nobody. The largest and richest village in the country, as it was second only to the city of the country's ruler. Our village became beautiful and full of life, interspersed with rivers, farms, and huge buildings. Schools, hospitals, and various stores were also built. The military force was strengthened, so none of the other villages dared to attack us, and many The laws include that 20 men aged 19 or so must be trained to join the army every 3 months, and if the number is small, they take people from their homes by force. It was said that this is in order to protect the village and will stop when the army becomes strong. A law was also put in place prohibiting leaving the village without So the leader, the villagers did not care about those laws as long as they protected them and made them live generously, even though there was someone who began to doubt the actions of this new leader.

Yuriko,

I woke up early that morning. I ate my breakfast and hurried to pack my bag. There I heard a knock on the door. It was just as my friend Saya expected. She came to go to school together. It was our first day there. Before that, we did not know anything about studying in schools. My parents accompanied me to the school. My first day, as for Saya, she went alone. Her parents had died and she was living in her grandmother's house. We were all amazed by the large size of the school and the beauty of its design. There, I said goodbye to my parents and Saya and I went inside the school. There was a large square in which many of the village's children gathered, and there we divided into groups and everyone entered the halls. Saya and I were in the same class, and there our teacher, "Arima," entered the stadium. He seemed like a very stern person with his sharp looks and small glasses to begin our first lesson. On that same day, the warrior entrance exam was scheduled to take place. I wanted to go watch it, as did my friend Saya, who dreams of becoming one of the four great warriors. Those who are chosen to accompany the leader from among all the warriors, but unfortunately the leader and his aides and those who will take the exam are not allowed to be there. That night, one of our neighbors had taken the exam. My father did not return home that night. I was feeling anxious, as it was the first time. He disappeared without telling us. The next day, we learned that Jurna, the son of my mother's friend, had passed the admission exam and became a warrior. But the strange thing was that his mother died on the same day. I felt sorry for him, and I went to console my mother after her friend died. He was very sad, but she was trying to hide it, and when She told me that the cause of death was an illness that had affected her several years ago, and she continued: But why didn't you tell me about it before? - Maybe she didn't want to make you worry, mother. Isn't it true, didn't my father come home? - No, it is no longer okay. I went to school. As the days went by, it became clear that our teacher, Mr. Arima, was a kind-hearted person. We were studying the language of our village in addition to the English language, the history of our ancestors, and ancient wars. We learned writing and reading, and we would also sometimes camp in the village forest to learn to burn. Fire and hunting. I always excelled in all fields. There was also a smart boy studying with us. He and Saya were competing for second place and taking turns to occupy it. That boy was called "" and he hated me so much for being superior to him, but I did not pay attention to him. One day My teacher told us about the ancient Shigahara symbols that our ancestors used, but he limited himself to talking about them only without delving much into the subject. At the end of the lesson, I went and asked him to show me those symbols, and he agreed: With pleasure, you will accompany me to the library. I went there and Saya went with him, and there he brought an old book that was It was written in ancient symbols. I noticed a clear change in Saya's features after seeing those symbols, but I was busy with the conversation of my teacher, who was showing me how to read the letters and their meanings after the coded words. As for Saya, she remained silent. After we left, I thanked my teacher and headed home. On the way, I asked Saya: What is the reason for your wandering there? Is there something wrong with those old symbols? Ha, you've noticed it. In fact, I've seen her before. Really? Where? It's the first time I've heard of her. - I'm still trying to remember. It happened when I was young, but it was an old cave deep in the forest. I got lost there. On the day my parents died in the war, I ran crying without thinking into the forest, and when it started to rain, I saw this cave and took shelter in it. It was a big cave. The rain fell for a long time, so I went inside. It was like a room and it was deep. I was not afraid that day, so I did not care if I died, as there was no one left for me to return to. I continued to delve into it until I found a dark room at the end. I was carrying a match with me, so I lit it and went in. It was very dark, but I was sure I saw words engraved on the walls. They were the same ancient symbols. - Great, let's look for that cave. - What, have you gone crazy!! - No, I'm serious, don't you really want to know what's written there? - Yes, but... Okay, let's do that, but my genius friend, how will we find that cave? - Actually... I have no idea. -I expected that. - Well, first we need a lamp, paper, and ink. I went home and got what we needed and told my mother that I was going to Saya's grandmother's house and that I might be late so we could study together for the exams. So, Saya, do you remember anything else? - In fact, there was a large river near the cave. After the sulfur went out, I went out and continued walking in the forest until I reached the river and found someone there who took me back to the village, but I did not tell anyone about the cave. We then went to the library and took a map of the forest, and after seeing it we decided to follow the larger river and search next to it. There we headed to the forest and found that river. We began searching on both sides of it after we separated, and we would meet again at the river every now and then until we reached the forbidden area of ​​the forest. Then evening came and the sun began to set. There, Saya said desperately: - Give up, Yuri, we will never find him - Shh... Do you hear that? It's the sound of people coming towards us. Let's hide quickly. We hid behind the trees and then we saw some of the chief's soldiers there, and when we followed them, we were surprised by what we saw. They were heading towards that cave and there were other soldiers who seemed to be taking turns guarding - why are warriors guarding this ancient cave, it is so important, if we have not heard about it Before - More importantly, Yuriko, how are we going to get inside? - Well, follow me. I have a plan, but I can't guarantee its success. - Hey, we don't know what would happen if they catch us..., but okay... I trust you. - Well, it seems that they have been guarding this place for a while, and since no one comes here except to wait until they sleep and we can enter - Is this your genius plan? Even if it succeeds, and this is impossible, how will we get out? - Well, if it doesn't work, I have an alternative plan, but if it works, we will wait for them to sleep before we go out. -I will die following you, Yuri.

That night, the two warriors who were guarding the cave actually slept and there was our chance to enter. We quietly crept inside, and after we delved a little deeper, we lit the lamp and searched for that room, and after a short time we found it. Yes, those inscriptions were the same symbols that the teacher had shown us. We could not read them, but the problem was that they were too many for me to move them all. I did not even know where. She began, and in the midst of that confusion, Saya said enthusiastically: "Come quickly and see what is there." It was there on one of the walls, written only one sentence, and in very large handwriting. It seemed as if it was the most important of what was written there. I transferred that sentence onto the paper that I had brought and we hurried out as we approached the exit. I threw a stone that I had brought with me outside the cave, but the two guards did not move, so we left quickly, and after a short while we moved away, I stepped on a branch with my feet. The sound of it breaking was enough to wake the two guards. There we fled without thinking. We ran without knowing where, and when they approached us, we hid in the middle of the large grass, but they did not find us. For a matter of time, our hearts were beating hard and our breaths were holding. We thought that our matter was over there, and there a small rabbit came out in front of us and kicked towards the two guards. One of them said - Screw it, it was just a rabbit. You wasted our time, you vile one. He kicked the rabbit hard and then they left. After they left, I went and picked up that rabbit and thanked him for saving us, even if it wasn't on purpose, and I took him home to take care of him. It looked like his leg had been broken from that kick. Fortunately, we found the big river nearby. We followed it back to the village. It was too late at the time to return to my house, so I went. With Saya to her grandmother's house, there Saya asked me: So shall we take it to the teacher so he can decipher it for us - Well, it seemed dangerous, so let us divide it and tell him that we want to learn the ancient symbols and that we are reading a book about them, and those words that we could not decipher, we will take one every day - Okay then. The next day I returned home. My father had returned. I greeted him warmly. Then I asked him where he had disappeared on the night of the exam. He said that he had important work. Then I continued. Our neighbor's son had become a real warrior, but it was unfortunate that his mother died on the same day. My father was silent, and his face looked like a mixture of sadness, anxiety, and seriousness. There he said to me, "A true warrior." Hey, tell me, my daughter, what is a true warrior in your opinion, the warrior that you strive to be in a good future... I will be a strong warrior like you. What is the warrior principle for you? What does it mean to be a warrior? - A true warrior has a brave heart and a strong spirit that fights for justice and freedom. - Few people say such beautiful words these days. Promise me that you will not change your mind no matter what happens. - I promise you, now come on, you will be late for school. On that day, we took one of the papers to the teacher, and on the next day, and the day after that, until we completed the sentence. We rushed home in great excitement, and there we arranged the sentence and read it. We were completely shocked by what was written on it. We froze in our place, not moving, and thoughts were running through our heads, as if A lightning bolt came down to strike us and completely paralyze us at that moment. * Makoto It has been three years since we came to this small village. Its people were kind to us. We stayed in a house that was a little far from the other huts. It had a large farm. Its old owners allowed us to stay with them in exchange for their help. My sister helped with housework and preparing food. As for me, I used to work with my grandfather in the morning, and in the evening I would go to train with Mr. "Anato" in using the sword. He was the strongest and best person to use the sword in our village. He agreed to make me his student after intense urging, and after years of training, I became skilled in using it. At least Ola became able to compete with my teacher for a longer time, after I had barely lasted for two minutes after the fight began. In addition to his strength, he was a kind-hearted person, and I became very attached to him, to the point that I would invite him to my grandparents' house to have dinner together, and in the midst of that peace, after I was returning From training, I heard strong screams coming from the village. Scary thoughts began to swirl in my head as I froze in place. There, black smoke rushed towards the sky to confirm my fears. I could not leave my place, and there I thought about the two old people and my sister, and I set off without thinking through the forest to the hut. I thought about my teacher as well, but I told myself that he would be fine. He was lost, and he was far from the village, and there was no reason for him to return after I saw the fire. When I arrived, the tongues of fire had destroyed the entire farm. I ran to the hut, which had also begun to burn. I found everyone inside, so I said quickly: Quickly let's leave from here. There is no doubt that they are the scoundrels who destroyed our village. They will not leave anyone alive. There the grandfather said: - If that is the case, I will be happy to die on my farm. This was what I always wished for. - If that is the case, I will stay with you, my dear. There I said in my loudest voice: What are you raving about, you old people? We will all escape from here and we will build another farm in a safe place. We will work in it as we always did, old man, and you will prepare food for us from what you make of it. Come on, won't you, sister? She looked at me with a sad face and said - Run away from here, brother. Me and the old men will stay here. We have nothing to live for anymore, but you have to live. You have a goal, don't you? Are you going to let all your hard work and training go to waste here? Come on, go. That's enough. Stop fooling around and let's run away, before they find out about the hut and the farm. - Even if we come with you, we will only hinder you. Two old people will not be able to run all this. It is better for one of us to survive than for all of us to perish here. I could not say anything except crying, and at that moment someone kicked the door hard to break it. I realized without turning around that it was one of them, and there he said in his harsh, malicious voice while laughing: "Oh, what a beautiful farm. Excuse me, but I will take it," And at that moment, when he raised his sword to kill us, another sword pierced his chest, causing him to fall to the ground and appear behind him, with his strong body and black hair, my teacher, "Anato." There, he looked at me and shouted, saying: "Come on, run away. What are you waiting for here?" My sister looked at my teacher and said in a calm tone, "Please take care of my brother, uncle." My teacher understood what my sister was aiming for, so he held my hand and took me out of the hut. I kept screaming for him to leave me, but he did not. I turned to the farm and the house, which was being consumed more and more by the flames, and I cried out at the top of my voice, crying: My sister!! my grandmother!! You old man!! After we walked away and I calmed down a little, my teacher let go of my hand and said to me: Is that the sword you are carrying just to show off? Come on, draw your sword. I wiped my tears and picked up my sword, then we continued our walk, and there I said to my teacher: Why did you return to the village? Why didn't you run away since you had no one to return to there? Who said I don't have anyone? I came back to save you, you idiot. - Thank you... Thank you. It is not enough to thank me. You know what you have to do. You know that you have to overcome more difficult things than this to achieve your dream. Never give up, little one. Yes, and I'm not young anymore. There, a group of these warriors appeared before us, about six or seven men. I drew my sword ready to fight. My teacher stopped me, saying, "If you want to achieve your goal, you must not stain your hands with blood. Stay here until I finish with them." I remained where I was, watching my teacher shoot them down one after the other. Then we continued our walk, and suddenly a barrage of arrows rushed towards us. I don't know if they saw us or if they were aiming randomly. We continued to repel them, and suddenly my feet tripped and I fell to the ground, and the arrows rushed towards me. My teacher protected me with his body, which was pierced by the arrows and he fell to the ground. Then I felt that time had completely stopped. The screaming, the fire, the sounds, the heat. I no longer felt any of it. Even the arrows stopped, as if they had sensed me as I looked at my teacher and his body drowning in blood. His faint, intermittent voice woke me up as he called me: "Makoto... Makoto." I looked at him then to continue. You once told me that your mother asked you to live and wait for the future. This pain will end as long as you live, right, but unfortunately our world is not that beautiful, but you said that you will change it, you will end the era of these bloody warriors and avenge your mother and everyone. I trust you. So, now, run away, and until that day comes, hold on to life. I said in opposition: I will not leave you here. We will build that world together. - Do you want us both to die here? You won't be able to carry me and run away. Stop wasting time now. Come on, run away. Listen to me carefully, close to this village, there is a large village that it is said that no one dares to attack. You will be able to live in safety there as you become stronger and get closer to achieving your goal. In the far south, 3 days from here, go to where we were training. I left my horse there. The name of the village is "Shigahara", the village of Shigahara Yuriko. Several months had passed since we started researching this legend, but nothing was talked about then. There was nothing like that in the books, and none of the people we asked knew anything about it, until we began to lose hope and forget about it, until... The day came that made me forget about her completely. It was an ordinary day. We went to school, and when we returned we went back to each other's homes. As I approached the house, I saw my father's friend in front of our house talking to my mother. I knew from their facial expressions that something unpleasant had happened. I hurried home. I saw my mother collapsing in tears in front of the door, and there I asked her: What's wrong, what happened, mother, tell me? She did not answer me and continued to cry. I looked at my father's friend, who gave me a paper that he said my father had asked him to give to me. I helped my mother go in and went to get her water, and after she calmed down, I asked her again: What happened, mother? She looked at me with great sadness, which was evident on her face. She said, crying: Your father... your father... has died. I do not remember what happened after that except that I found myself sleeping alone in my room. I sat thinking about what had happened, with tears streaming from my eyes without stopping until I fell asleep again. The next morning I woke up to loud noises that were coming from my house. I understood that they were my mother's acquaintances and our neighbors who had come. For my father's funeral, I stayed in my room, and when I looked at my desk, I saw a piece of paper placed on it, with a beautiful, strange-looking silver pendant next to it. I remembered the letter that my father's friend had given me, so I hurried and opened it. It was as I expected. I think my mother put it in my room after I fainted. I started reading it, despite I did not understand what he meant at the time until my tears did not stop flowing until I finished it. I remember well what was written on it: My little Yuri, if you are reading this letter, it means that I have passed away. I am sorry for leaving you alone, but it was necessary for me to do so. I know you don't understand me now, but the day will come when you understand. I am confident that you will finish what you started. You will grow to become a strong, beautiful warrior. You are the one who will save everyone and return the water to its right course. I am sorry that I leave it to you, but I could not sacrifice you both. I had to The choice is in the end, and I chose you and your mother, but there will come a day when we will not be there to hold you back. I am confident that you will find people to help you with that. Do not tell anyone about this letter, and neither should your mother. You know that she fears for you and opposes you being a warrior. Do not look for the reason for my death. The day will come when you know everything. Hold on to what I taught you, to what the word warrior means, the person who sacrifices for the smiles of others. Be strong and smile whenever you want to cry. I will leave you that necklace. Always wear it and preserve it as you preserve your life. I love you, my daughter. . I kept looking at her for a while, then I got up, wiped my tears, smiled, put the letter in the drawer, and put on that necklace. At that time, my friend Saya entered after I didn't notice her knocking on the door. You are here. What are you doing? Why didn't you open the door?

- Nothing, I was just distracted. Didn't you go to school? - Will I go on a day like this? - After all, the time for the entrance exam is approaching, and we have to do our best to be accepted into the school. Yes, we will definitely succeed. Some time after this, my mother joined my father after she became seriously ill due to her grief and shock over my father's death In the blink of an eye, the day of the entrance exam came, which would determine who would be allowed to study at the first school that graduates warriors in Shigahara. From my school, Saya, me, and the boy Daiki came forward. The exam was easy, or so I thought. Saya and I always trained with my father in his spare time. More than half of the applicants passed, including Daiki. I was first in the exam and Saya was second, and when those who failed were about to go home. Daiki passed by me and said in a low voice: The matter between us is not over, it is just the beginning. I will make you pay the price for everything. I did not respond to him at the time, but I thought for a long time about what I had done to him, but I did not find anything. My distraction was interrupted by the voice of the school principal, who congratulated us on our success and began explaining the school's rules and operating system. He also told us that staying there was optional, and we would start the next day. After we finished, we returned to our homes. After my mother died, Saya moved to live with me in my house. We went straight to sleep out of exhaustion, and the next day our serious training began. Saya chose to stay there, since the school was far from my house. We would start in the morning at 6 and finish at 7. In the evening, without stopping, the lunch break continued at 12, which ended at 1. It was so harsh that I began to think about stopping, but as the days passed, I began to feel the training getting easier little by little. We were training in archery, hand-to-hand combat, using swords, and building our bodies. There was not much. Of the girls there, so we were the only five girls there staying in the same room. We would talk at night before going to sleep. There were two of them, in addition to Saya, who dreamed of becoming one of the five best and strongest swordsmen in our village, and who would accompany the leader to protect him in meetings. Or in his visits to other villages, and so the years passed one after the other, until we finished the four years and the day of graduation came, the day of the final exam. The tension was evident on everyone's part, but as for me, I was filled with enthusiasm. I was longing for the morning to come, and while I was thinking about what I would do next after the success. I went to sleep, only to wake up to Saya's voice as she woke me up to go to the exam place. It was in the leader's palace. It was very large. After that, we were put in a waiting room, and every time the guard came, he would only take one, but no one would return. We did not know which one had passed. Which one of them had failed? Every time he came, my heart would beat violently, again and again until only Saya and I remained. The time he returned, we were surprised that he had summoned both of us. He led us to a large square, and while we were examining it, we saw Leader Hiroshi sitting on a huge chair with two people next to him. They were most likely his assistants. After I looked at them closely, I realized that I knew one of them. Yes, he was the one who studied with me in middle school and failed the entrance exam. There, another person approached the leader and said to him, Sir, we did not find any of those girls' relatives, but they are close friends. I did not understand anything of what he said, but the leader spoke in his harsh voice, saying: There is no objection to sacrificing one. Let us now see the strength of the first place holder in the High School of Warriors, and there he stood and said, This is your test. You must fight between you until one of you kills the other. This will prove your loyalty, and if If you refuse, you will both die. There, the warriors around us took up their swords and took a ready position. I did not know what to do there. I was talking to myself, saying, "What is this fool raving about? There is no doubt that he is joking." My distraction was interrupted by his dirty voice again as he said: "You have two minutes to think. Make your decision wisely." There I looked at Saya, whose face looked pale as if she had seen a ghost, but after I looked carefully it seemed that she was not afraid, but rather was trying to tell me something. When she focused on her lips, I was sure that she was saying "that legend." There, I felt as if someone had slapped me hard. After I had completely forgotten about her, yes, it seemed completely logical. Everything revolved in my mind at that moment: his words, our neighbor and his mother, the secret of my father's message, the cave that was protected by the warriors, to say in a low voice the content of that sentence written in ancient symbols: "When a warrior smears his hands and apron." The great Shigahara, with the blood of her love, will punish him with the Shigahara curse that protects the country, such that his body, his thinking, his heart, and his consciousness will become under the command of the ruler, with the seal activated." And there, Saya looked at me with a smile whose meaning I understood very well, but I shook my head in denial and said to myself, "There is no way I would do that... In the end, it seemed that I had no other choice. I will never forget her last words, when I approached her, and she said: Yuri, you have to become a strong warrior. You have to save Shigahara. This is what your father was talking about. Take revenge for me and for me. Everyone, return honor to the five legendary warriors who were role models for me and for many. I entrust my dream to you. Be strong. You have to stop crying now. I know you know what you have to do now. You will definitely succeed. I trust you. Goodbye, my friend." She closed her eyes and smiled her last smile. "Dike", that was the day my dream came true. What I had sought for all my life had come true now. To see the look of defeat on that bastard's face. I finally defeated her. I kept contemplating and yearning for the two minutes to pass, which seemed like two hours, and there the leader spoke loudly, so the fight could begin. There they both pulled out their swords. Tears were streaming down their faces without stopping. They set off at full speed. I could barely see anything. In the blink of an eye, I saw Yuri stop crying and stand up to reveal her friend's body behind her, soaked in blood. The rain was pouring down heavily as if he was crying instead of her. And there... I laughed in the midst of that tranquility and that astonishment. It was the first time I felt that happiness, and there the leader got up and said with joy, "This girl is a precious treasure. Come closer, come closer to your master. You will be my right arm." I began to approach with a submission I had never seen on her before. She bowed and said in a low voice , Okay Sir

To be continued ...