章 92: Chapter 92: Kappa
I had been beaten for an hour after the wrinkly kappa revealed it knew I possessed Honjo Masamune.
"Kip~ Can't believe someone so unworthy is the new wielder. Seems like the victor for this generation is Muramasa." The kappa sighed and then smacked me in the knee.
"Kip~ The horse stance means having your legs parallel to the ground!" My eye twitched as I lowered myself further.
After the wrinkly kappa had its fun, it decided to "teach" me since I was the "wielder" of Honjo Masamune. I snorted at the thought, earning a smack on my arms, which were raised in front of me. 'Fucking wrinkly turtle… just wait until I get my speed back.' I thought bitterly. I'd been in this stance for over an hour, and the only time something happened was if I lowered myself too far or raised myself too high. Either way, a stick would hit me faster than I could react.
The kappa's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Kip~ Why did you steal it in the first place, brat?"
My eyes widened, and I immediately received a stick to the face.
"Kip~ Focus! Listen to me finish before talking." I sighed and straightened my position as the kappa circled around me, continuing to speak.
"Kip~ I heard that someone broke into the sacred grounds at Hokkaido. Most of Japan has heard about it." A bead of sweat ran down my face at that. "Kip~ And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the supernatural world knows who now wields the so-called cursed blade."
I waited for it to speak again, but it didn't, so I asked. "Why do people think it's Muramasa and not Honjo Masamune?"
It snorted and then whacked me in the stomach. "Kip~ Tighten your core! Do you know the story of the swordsmiths who crafted Muramasa and Honjo Masamune?"
I gave a small nod, and it continued.
"Kip~ Good. Muramasa is regarded as a cursed blade because it drives and pushes its wielders into a crazed state. Honjo Masamune however, is the opposite it's, close in strength to the revered sword, Excalibur."
I was about to say something when I got smacked in the forehead.
"Kip~ Focus! Now, the reason Honjo Masamune was in Hokkaido and believed to be Muramasa, is that no Muramasa wielder had turned up in a century. When the youkai realized this, they decided to come together, kill the wielder of Honjo Masamune at that time, and claim it was a hidden wielder of Muramasa."
The kappa stopped in front of me, pointing its stick at me.
"Kip~ The Shinto Faction agreed that the blade was best sealed off to prevent any more cursed wielders."
I frowned and then spoke. "Then why did you say this generation's Muramasa wielder would win?"
It looked at me for a few seconds before gesturing for me to stand up and follow.
"Kip~ I have an ability to sense the wielders of Muramasa and Honjo Masamune. It's stronger for the wielders of peace, but I can sense them both."
I spoke as we approached the waterfall. "What if Muramasa became like a Sacred Gear?"
The kappa scoffed, pausing its step before continuing.
"Kip~ Impossible. For that to happen, the blade would need to gain sentience. And if it did, whoever possessed it would more than likely die from the overwhelming evil it contains."
I nodded, and as we stepped behind the waterfall, I noticed a door the same height as the kappa. 'How did I not see that before?'
We walked through, and I was greeted by chairs and tables carved from stone and a small fire pit.
"Kip~ Sit."
I moved over to a chair as the kappa sat on another.
"Kip~ As I was saying before, I possess an ability to sense each blade's wielders. A day ago, I sensed the wielder of Muramasa, but I couldn't pinpoint the location. It vanished as soon as it appeared. I believe someone nearby sensed the wielder too and took them to a barrier, hiding them until they're strong enough to fight you."
I just nodded and the kappa, taking my silence as seriousness, continued.
"Kip~ Now, tell me, when you were escaping Hokkaido, did you manage to cut anyone with Honjo Masamune?"
I shook my head, and it laughed, a sound like nails scraping across a chalkboard.
"Kip kap!~ I thought as much." A vein throbbed on my forehead as its laughter slowly died down.
"Kip~ Haven't had a laugh that good in a while." It grinned at me, and I just frowned back, feeling my irritation rising.
"Kip~ The reason you couldn't was because of your state of mind and heart." A slight dread settled over me. 'Please don't say it.' But of course, my luck was as bad as ever.
"Kip~ You need to find your true self. While you never answered why you stole the blade, I have a feeling I know." It leaned in slightly, a wrinkly smile spreading over its face. "Kip~ You are a kind young man, one who can't stand to see others suffer. And you felt the blade call to you."
It took everything in me to hold back the laughter threatening to burst out. The kappa, noticing my shoulders shaking lightly and the tears forming in my eyes, must've thought I was holding back actual tears of sadness.
"Kip~ You must have had a hard life. While the future may not be easy, I believe you'll find happiness in those you help and in the evil you stop."
I went along with it, pretending to cry to mask the laughter and nodded, speaking quietly. "T-thank you, but I'll n-need to head back before my party starts w-worrying about me being gone for so long."
It nodded, gesturing to the door. I gave a quick bow, turned to leave, and heard the kappa's final words as I stepped out.
"Kip~ Remember to stay true to yourself, and you'll be able to wield Honjo Masamune."
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット