Chapter 38

The heat of fire touched wriggling fingers of Tetsu. Warmth that passed through his finger gaps reached to his face and made him feel better.

When the warm sensation spread across his body then he let his muscles loose on the chair where he was sitting. In no time, he leaned on the back of chair.
The dead bodies around the place didn’t make him feel uncomfortable.
“He should be here!” Tetsu heard some people talking outside the door but he didn’t bother opening his eyes.
The intruders broke the door to make their way in.
“I knew it.” Shinji said, nodding in anger.
Tetsu recognized them by their voices but he was yet to respond. He was waiting for them to come infront of him. Though he had patience in him, he couldn’t say the same for the two cut-throats whom he had almost killed. In fact, he was considering them dead moments before hearing their voices.
Fujimoto drew his sword and placed its apex on Tetsu’s rib cage. Just the touch of its tip gave idea of their intent. But Tetsu didn’t mind it because he knew whoever was about to come there was going to posses the same objective.
“So you got to know about Hisao.” Shinji mumbled.
“Hmm.” Tetsu opened his eyes.
“Where is your wife?” Fujimoto got suspicious.
“I knew you were coming. Just didn’t want her to pay for my deeds.” Tetsu sighed.
“You betrayed us!”
“I was never on your side.”
“Where are the Chosokabes?” Shinji had had enough.
Meanwhile, Fujimoto watched around to see if his second guard was lurking for them or not.
“Do you know why I was able to fulfill wishes of some people?” Tetsu paused, “I am not a genie or so. Didn’t learn much dark arts as well. I used to use a spell in my house which reduced greed of people. Small goals meant easier job for me –”
Shinji dragged him down to the floor and landed clubbing blows on his nose.
“Where is he?” Shinji questioned.
“Kill me, cut throats.” Tetsu spit out blood, “I will get killed one way or another.”
“I can mercy you if you help us.”
“Your mercy is irrelevant.”
Horse neighed outside the pub where Hisao had been murdered and an armor climbed down from the horse then walked inside the room through, stepping over the door which was grounded.
Fujimoto noticed fear in Shinji’s pupils.
If Shinji had moved his head towards him then he would have seen droplets of sweat popping out of his skin pores. Fujimoto’s face was drenched in sweat in no time. He could feel its salty taste crawling to his lips.
“You left her where I had told you?” Tetsu asked, lifting his head.
The armor with life gave him a nod. Sound of rusting metal parts rubbing against each other was the only sound they got to hear from him.
“The place will be good for her to forget about our son’s loss.” Tetsu put his head back on the floor.
The armor started taking steps towards his grounded master. Shinji realized he was also sweating when the sword hilt started sliding down from his palm. As the armor walked, the sound of rust created more anxiety in their hearts. To their sorrow, there was a sole way to deal with it.
Shinji swung his sword at its direction, targeting hinges on the legs. Fujimoto also didn’t need any word of advice. He went for the hinge which held together the helm with rest of the armor. Fujimoto’s eyes were locked on the shoulder because he wanted to disarm him first.
With all his strength, Shinji sliced the air. But the guard caught his sword before it could make it to his shoulder. Fujimoto saw emptiness inside the armor helm while the guard began bending his sword.
Fujimoto thought it would turn his sword into a sickle before it jammed its elbow in Fujimoto’s mid-section. The blow was no different than being smashed with hammer below the ribs. Feeling the pain on his kidney made Fujimoto forget what he was there for.
The guard shoved Shinji and drew the sword of his own. The sword came out clean.
It can’t be happening. Shinji thought from near a corpse. The guard stood infront of Tetsu like it wanted to Tetsu to speak something.
“Yes, it is the time.” Tetsu said.
Shinji watched the armor plunge its sword through Tetsu’s chest.