Location: Kamo Estate, Medical Ward
Time: 05:36 PM
Hanzo sat quietly on the edge of his futon.
He stared down at his bandaged shoulder, torso and legs. He already recovered a long time ago.
But if he can train and medidate for ten days without washing clothes, then pretending more wouldn't hurt.
Then.
The exact millisecond finally hit.
The ten-day duration of his temporary Binding Vow expired completely.
The mental block inside his brain shattered.
Crack.
A influx of information appearer his brain.
The suppressed memories crashed directly into his conscious mind.
'What the?!'
His vision swam, pulling him instantly backward.
--<>--
(Flashback)
Location: Kamo Estate, Medical Ward
Time: 09:15 PM (Ten Days Ago)
Hanzo lay entirely flat on the cold wooden floorboards.
A dull, throbbing pain radiated through his entire body.
He looked up at the mechanical pendulum clock on the wall.
TICK. TICK.
'Damn, I need to start my qouta soon.' Hanzo groaned internally.
He tried to move his left arm.
A sharp spike of pure agony shot through his nervous system.
"...Damn it," Hanzo cursed quietly through his teeth.
He had absolutely zero memory of the fight at the clinic.
He only remembered the terrifying pressure of the Curse User.
But his core memories and daily obligations were perfectly intact.
He looked back at the wall clock.
He had less than three hours before midnight and he needed to reach muscle failure and break his limits again, or his ten-year vow would strip his cursed energy away forever.
Hanzo gritted his teeth and dragged his broken body across the floor.
He waited in the dark until the nurses left the corridor.
Looking at the trio on the other side of the room who were still unconscious.
Hanzo planted delivered his first punch.
'One.'
'Two.'
His dislocated shoulder burned intensely with every single dip.
His popped kneecap grinded violently against the thick bandages.
HUFF. PUFF.
Sweat poured down his forehead and stung his eyes.
He forced his shattered body through the agonizing motions.
'Why am I so beat up?' Hanzo complained in his head. 'I feel like I got hit by a train.'
The friction in his joints was completely unbearable.
--<>--
Time passed it was almost midnight.
Hanzo bit down hard on his lower lip.
'Eight Thousand and Two Hundred Thirty'
He pushed himself past his physical limit and reach thirty more than yesterday, his muscles finally tore and gave out.
Hanzo collapsed onto the floorboards.
THUD.
His stomach heaved violently from the sheer pain.
It was just minutes before the midnight bell rang.
He lay in the mess, gasping for air.
HUFF. PUFF.
Hanzo tried his cursed energy to dull the pain and cover his entire body just like the when he was still starting out.
But.
Nothing happened.
His cursed energy reserves were sitting at zero.
Hanzo frowned in the dark.
'Why is my cursed energy gone?' Hanzo wondered, deeply puzzled.
He could not feel a single drop of power inside his body.
'Did that rogue sorcerer seal my energy?' Hanzo analyzed weakly. 'Or did someone else place a binding vow on me?'
He lay on the cold floor, completely exhausted and full of questions.
The energy would not return until the third day.
--<>--
Location: Kamo Estate, Medical Ward
Time: 06:05 PM (Present Day)
Hanzo gasped softly and grabbed the wooden frame of his bed.
He broke out in a heavy cold sweat.
His heart pounded rapidly against his ribs.
Hanzo finally realized the horrifying truth.
He almost ruined his entire life.
If he hadn't woke up earlier ten days ago, he would have missed his daily quota.
The contract would have failed while he was unconscious.
He would have permanently lost his cursed energy.
He would have become a powerless human forever.
'I am an idiot,' Hanzo cursed his own lack of foresight.
He squeezed his hands into tight fists.
He only thought about hiding his tracks from the clan elders.
He never considered the massive physical toll the cover-up would take on his body.
'I can never make a poorly calculated gamble like that again,' Hanzo established a hard boundary in his mind.
Huff. Puff.
He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
Kenta, Jin, and Soma sat on their respective futons across the room.
They were eating bowls of plain rice and boiled vegetables.
Kenta swallowed his food and looked over at the junior.
"...Are you okay over there, Hanzo?" Kenta asked slowly. "...You are sweating a lot."
Hanzo wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
He put on a flawless, shaky smile.
"...I just had a bad nightmare," Hanzo lied smoothly. "...I remembered the heavy pressure from that curse user."
Jin stopped chewing his rice.
"...It felt like I could not breathe," Hanzo added quietly. "...I promise I will train harder so I am never a burden again."
Soma looked down at his own bandaged shoulder.
The three older teens shared a very guilty look.
Kenta set his rice bowl down on the small wooden tray.
"...You were never a burden, Hanzo," Kenta said seriously. "...We are the ones who dragged you out of the estate. If we were just a bit stricter to you and didn't agree, you would never suffer this much."
Jin nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.
Jin apologized. "...We completely failed to protect you."
Hanzo shook his head gently.
"...It is okay, Jin-san," Hanzo forgave them without hesitation. "...We survived, and that is what matters. And it was just our bad luck to meet a curse user in that area."
The quick forgiveness visibly lifted the heavy guilt from the seniors.
It firmly secured their trust in him.
Soma picked up his chopsticks again.
"...We only survived because of that mysterious sorcerer," Soma pointed out.
Kenta grinned widely.
"...Branch Leader said the guy crushed the rogue into paste," Kenta hyped up the story. "...He completely scrubbed his own tracks too."
Jin leaned forward on his futon.
"...He must be a high-level elite from Tokyo," Jin guessed excitedly.
Kenta looked across the room at Hanzo.
"...What do you think of the guy, Hanzo?" Kenta asked.
"..."
Hanzo kept his face completely straight.
He looked at Kenta with a perfectly serious expression.
"...I think he is probably incredibly handsome," Hanzo stated calmly. "...And a flawless genius." Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Kenta blinked in surprise and then laughed loudly.
"...Yeah, he is definitely a badass!" Kenta agreed.
The sliding doors opened abruptly.
SLIDE.
An older clan doctor stepped into the room holding a wooden clipboard.
He walked directly to Hanzo's bed.
"...Let me check body, boy," the doctor ordered.
Hanzo removed his loose shirt.
The doctor pressed firmly against the left shoulder and the right kneecap.
The older man raised his eyebrows.
"...The ligaments are already fused back together," the doctor noted in surprise.
Hanzo kept his expression blank.
His five years of daily physical torture forged a body that recovered at an abnormal rate.
"...You are discharged," the doctor announced. "...Get dressed."
Kenta groaned loudly from his futon.
"...Why does he get to leave first?" Kenta complained.
The doctor glared at the teenager.
"...Because your body is still in pieces," the doctor snapped. "...Eat your food."
Hanzo grabbed his dark uniform jacket.
He bowed respectfully toward the three seniors.
"...I will see you guys soon," Hanzo said.
He turned around and walked out of the medical ward.
--<>--
Location: Kamo Estate, Branch Leader Courtyard
Time: 06:30 PM
Hanzo walked down the wooden steps.
Branch Leader Genzaburo stood waiting near the center of the yard.
Three armed patrol members stood quietly behind him.
Genzaburo held a thick bamboo cane in his right hand.
"...The doctor cleared you," Genzaburo stated.
Hanzo stopped five feet away and bowed slightly.
"...Yes, Genzaburo-sama," Hanzo replied.
Genzaburo tapped the bamboo cane against his boot.
TAP. TAP.
"...You broke clan law by leaving the estate," Genzaburo recited the charges. "...Take off your shirt and kneel."
Hanzo removed his jacket and folded it on the ground.
'What a hassle..'
He dropped to his knees in the dirt. This little bit of pain was nothing to him. After his grueling five years of hell.
But he needed to act exactly like a fragile eleven-year-old child.
Genzaburo stepped behind him and raised the bamboo cane.
"...Twenty strikes," Genzaburo announced.
The cane swung downward.
SWISH.
CRACK.
The hard bamboo slammed across Hanzo's bare back.
A sharp red line erupted across his pale skin.
Hanzo forcefully squeezed his eyes shut and let out a pained grunt.
"...Ghh!" Hanzo acted naturally.
SWISH.
CRACK.
The second strike landed higher up his spine.
The wood split the top layer of his skin.
A small drop of blood rolled down his back.
Hanzo 'flinched' hard and dug his fingers into his thighs.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
The strikes rained down in a steady, heavy rhythm.
The pain was definitely real but to be honest it wasn't enough to make him flinch.
But compared to ripping his own muscles apart every night, it was entirely manageable.
Hanzo played his role perfectly.
He grunted, shook, and let his breathing turn ragged.
The bleeding cuts on his back cemented his flawless cover story.
He was just a foolish, disobedient junior taking his rightful punishment.
CRACK.
"...Twenty," Genzaburo finished, lowering the bloody cane.
Huff. Puff.
Hanzo took a deep, shaky breath.
He kept his head bowed toward the dirt.
"...What about Kenta-san and the others, Genzaburo-sama," Hanzo recited weakly. "Would they also be punished?"
"Yes. Their decision to brought you out the clan also broke the clan law. They needed to suffer the consequences."
Hanzo 'looked' at the branch leader with a serious and determined tone.
"It's because of my immature request that they agreed on the first place. Please, let me be the one to take their punishment instead."
"..." Genzaburo and the other clan members.
"You've got guts, Hanzo. I'll give you that." Genzaburo replied. "...Fine, but you will only get half of their punishment. They also needed to be punished."
"I understand."
--<>--
Location: Kamo Estate, Training Courtyard
Time: 07:00 AM | May 1903
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Hanzo stood in the small wooden kitchen of the communal barracks.
He adjusted the dark collar of his new field uniform.
Matron Ota handed him a small wooden bento box wrapped in cloth.
"...You finally made it out of the washing yard, Hanzo," Matron Ota smiled warmly. "...Make sure you stay safe out there today."
Hanzo took the box and bowed his head.
"...Thank you for taking care of me, Ota-san," Hanzo replied quietly.
He walked out onto the wooden porch.
The freezing morning air hit his face.
A seven-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl stood near the large wooden tubs.
They shivered violently in the cold.
They were struggling to pull a heavy, soaking wet uniform out of the freezing water.
Hanzo walked down the wooden steps.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
The two young children saw him and bowed nervously.
Hanzo reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of dried meat.
"...Eat this," Hanzo offered casually. "...It helps with the cold."
The kids took the food with trembling hands.
"Thank you, Hanzo-san." Both of them replied.
Hanzo reached into the freezing water with his bare hands.
He grabbed the heavy fabric by the hem and twisted it hard against the edge of the tub.
Water poured out onto the gravel in a thick stream.
SPLASH.
"...Always twist it against the wood," Hanzo instructed them. "...It saves your shoulders from the pain."
He dropped the damp uniform into their empty basket.
"...Thank you, senpai," the little girl whispered nervously.
Hanzo nodded and walked toward the main gates.
--<>--
Hanzo stepped into the courtyard and his carried two new steel sickles tucked firmly into his belt.
His body was packed with dense muscle from eight years of his daily limit-breaking vow.
Daiki and Yumi stood near the weapon racks waiting for him.
They were fifteen now and had already been running patrol and missions for the past year.
Yumi tied her dark hair into a tight bun and smirked.
"...Look who finally gets to draw a weapon," Yumi teased him. "...Try not to freeze up today."
"...Do not worry about it, Hanzo," Daiki bragged loudly. "...If a curse gets too close, I will smash it for you."
Hanzo chuckled and adjusted his belt.
"...I will try to keep up," Hanzo replied easily.
Instructor Juzo walked out of the main hall holding a wooden assignment tag.
Two older patrol guards walked right behind the instructor.
Hanzo recognized them immediately.
Genji and Ryu wore their standard armor plates and carried long katanas at their waists.
Ryu grinned and pointed a finger at Hanzo.
"...We told you we would be there for your first hunt, kid," Ryu called out.
Genji patted the hilt of his sword.
"...We asked the instructor to oversee your squad today," Genji added. "...We always keep our promises."
Hanzo put on a bright, excited smile.
"...Thank you, senpai!" Hanzo answered 'enthusiastically'.
Instructor Juzo stepped in front of the group.
"...A cluster of low-level curses near the eastern train station," Juzo briefed them.
Juzo handed the wooden tag directly to Genji.
"...Clear the perimeter," Juzo ordered. "...Dismissed."
The squad bowed to the instructor and walked out of the heavy wooden gates.
Hanzo walked alongside his seniors.
He kept his excited, slightly 'nervous' expression perfectly in place.
'My first official exorcism,' Hanzo thought internally.
He found the entire situation incredibly ironic.
He had spent the last years sneaking out almost every single night.
Hanzo had secretly slaughtered thousands of cursed spirits to perfect his spatial barrier formulas.
This was just a simple formality for the clan records.
--<>--
Location: Eastern Train Station, Kyoto
The squad walked down a quiet road behind the new steel train tracks.
Genji suddenly stopped walking and raised his hand.
"...I feel it," Genji whispered. "...Just ahead near the storage sheds."
Yumi pulled a short blade from her belt.
Daiki cracked his knuckles loudly.
POP. POP.
"...Yumi and Daiki, secure the left flank," Ryu ordered quietly. "...Make sure nothing escapes toward the other houses."
The two older teenagers nodded and ran into the fog.
Genji looked down at Hanzo.
"...Draw your weapons, kid," Genji instructed. "...Stay close to me."
Hanzo pulled the two sickles from his belt.
He controlled his breathing and acted slightly hesitant.
They walked slowly past a row of wooden storage crates.
A low, wet gurgling sound echoed through the thick fog.
GURGLE.
A Chigaku (Grade 3 cursed spirit) crawled out from under a train car.
It looked like a bloated, rotting dog with too many human eyes covering its face.
Ryu placed his hand on the hilt of his katana.
"...Take a deep breath, Hanzo," Ryu coached him calmly. "...Aim for the center of its body."
The cursed spirit locked its eyes on the boy.
SCREEE.
It lunged forward with a shrieking cry.
Hanzo gripped his sickles tight and stepped forward to meet it.
--<>--
Location: Noritoshi Kamo Roome, Hidden Basement
Time: 11:00 PM
The air inside the hidden stone basement smelled heavily of blood and strong medicine.
Dozens of small candles flickered against the damp walls directly beneath the Clan Head's main quarters.
Noritoshi Kamo stood perfectly still in the center of the room.
He slowly raised his hands and stared at his own fingers.
The skin was deeply wrinkled and covered in dark age spots.
His knuckles ached with a dull, constant pain.
POP. POP.
He cracked his stiff joints and let out a tired sigh.
"...This body is finally rotting," Noritoshi muttered aloud to the empty room.
He had spent decades managing the elders and playing clan politics.
Noritoshi Kamo lowered his hands and walked toward a long wooden table sitting against the far wall.
Nine tall glass jars rested perfectly in a row on the wood.
They were filled with a thick, yellowish fluid.
Inside each jar floated a small, grotesque fetal mass.
Noritoshi stopped in front of the table.
He traced the glass of the first jar with his index finger.
"...The first three are bit better," Noritoshi observed casually. "...They hold a very dense power."
He walked slowly down the line of jars.
The fetal shapes inside got progressively smaller and weaker.
By the ninth jar, the womb named Shoso was barely formed. Just a fragile clump of residue that lack stability.
"...I forced nine births... I wanted to see if the mixing of blood would spark a miracle."
He stepped back and looked at the entire collection.
"...Hoping for a wild, chaotic mistake or even accident," he admitted. "...Something beyond my own understanding."
He tilted his head slightly.
"...The curse simply thinned out," Noritoshi concluded. "...The flesh reached its limit."
Creating a true peak of sorcery required something completely different.
He turned his attention away from the table.
Step. Step.
He walked over to a heavy iron bed in the corner of the basement.
A young woman lay entirely unconscious on the metal surface.
She was strapped down tightly with thick leather belts.
Her body was terribly frail and her skin was deathly pale.
Noritoshi stopped beside the bed and looked down at her.
He reached onto a small tray and picked up a glass syringe.
"...You look exhausted," Noritoshi spoke to her in a highly polite, conversational tone.
He tapped the side of the glass to clear the air bubbles.
CLINK.
"...Thank you for your hard work," Noritoshi smiled gently at the unconscious woman. "...You helped me answer a very important question."
He pushed the needle carefully into a dark vein on her neck.
He pressed the plunger down.
Her faint breathing slowed down and completely stopped a few seconds later.
Noritoshi pulled a white cloth over her face to clean up his workspace.
He walked over to a wooden bucket filled with clean water.
He dipped his hands inside and scrubbed his fingers clean.
SPLASH. SPLASH.
He grabbed a dry towel and wiped his hands thoroughly.
He looked down at his aged reflection in the rippling water.
He reached up and traced the horizontal scar running across his forehead.
He needed a younger vessel soon.
But he could not abandon the Kamo estate just yet.
He needed to them for a few more years.
"...Finding a single wandering soul is incredibly expensive," Noritoshi mused quietly.
He needed to fund a massive, hidden network of informants across the country.
He tossed the towel onto a wooden stool.
"...I have to find the reincarnation of Sukuna's twin brother," Noritoshi stated calmly.
He walked toward the heavy stone stairs leading back up to his bedroom.
--<>--
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-Dr_Chad
--<>--
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