Ghosts of a Demon

[Kuzuru]

The millennial swordsman was finally brought low, not by sword or sling but by his own lack of humanity. Before him stood the testament to the countless atrocities that he had committed under the influence of Kuzuru. Thousands of innocent souls trapped for eternity with his cursed blade. Renji stood silent and met eyes with every forlorn soul. For the first time in a long time he actually felt remorse. Now that Kuzuru’s iron grip was absent he was truly allowed to bear the weight of his sins.

Rou chuckled softly and put an ethereal hand on Renji’s shoulder. The ghastly touch sapped all heat from his flesh and sent a chill through Renji’s body. The swordsman turned to face Rou and the two met eyes.

“Well Renji, see what you’ve done? All this pain... All of this suffering, you caused it.”

The ghost’s words echoed and scratched at Renji’s psyche. He tried his best to contain himself, but without the demon’s protective shell of apathy the swordsman found himself in pain.

Rou leaned in and spoke to Renji, every word dripping with venom “allow me to take the burden of this cursed sword. Allow me to ease your suffering... Just hand me the sword and you can be with your wife forever.” The ghost flickered in and out of existence for a mere moment as he reached for the sword.

“No.”

Renji pulled away from the ghost and held his sword tightly. A horrid shriek tore through the forest, every spectre screeched and wailed in anger. Rou’s noble form became twisted and malignant as he seethed against Renji’s decision.

“So you wish to continue on killing innocents!? You’re a fool Renji, a fool!”

“Shut up” Renji snapped, his red eyes flared and shot daggers at the ghost. “This is my sword, not yours Rou. I was blinded by power and Kuzuru’s influence... I did... I did terrible things, but I won’t let you take hold of this twisted blade.”

“What about your wife? What about the countless innocent lives that you swallowed in your mad quest for power!? How many more atrocities are you going to commit?”

Renji laughed slightly and sheathed the blade “ I have no desire to kill for the sake of killing anymore. My mind is my own as is my body Rou. Thanks to your jailbreak Kuzuru has no power over me anymore.” Each word came like a crashing tsunami, every syllable tore into Rou and his ghosts.

Rou’s form twisted and howled at Renji’s vindication The sky darkened the the swirling mass of geists screamed curses at the swordsman. He did not budge, for what could he do? Running had proven fruitless as did attacking, Silently he pledged to change his sadistic ways and to reclaim control over his own life. Yes he stilled wished to become the greatest swordsman, but he would not rely on this demon as a crutch. This sword was his tool, not Rou’s and he would force it to submit to his will.

“Come on then, come on and strike me down Rou. Make me pay for my sins you bastard!”

The turbulent mass of spectres screeched at the defiant man. He stood against them, prepared to bear the full weight of his sins. Renji stood prepared to answer for his transgressions and crimes. He closed his eyes and awaited his punishment. And yet no punishment came, indeed the ravenous ghosts seemed preoccupied. Renji opened his eyes to see the ghosts scatter into the wind. The twisted treeline became eerily quiet, except for the voice of a small strange creature holding a pink lock of hair.

“Togetic?” it called out.

Renji raised his eyebrows and a small smile formed on his lips. The small creature was only about two feet tall and had small wings on its back. Several red and blue triangles adorned its body and in one of its small paws it clutched a lock of familiar pink hair, Guu’s hair. The swordsman walked over to the screature and it flew a few circles around him.

“D... did Guu send you?” he asked, unsure if this was just another illusion.

“Togetic” the thing nodded in confirmation. It flew towards the edge of the clearing and pointed off into the distance, begging Renji to follow. A chill crawled down Renji’s spine, asides from a pair of pants and his sandals he was completely bare. With a flourish Renji sheathed his sword and held up his hand.

“Give me a moment to collect myself please” Renji did not want to return to Ambrosia looking haggard. He took several minutes to create clothing from Omnilium. His traditional robes and bamboo hat was all that he truly needed, but he also took the time to fashion a jet black pipe. Togetic watched him anxiously, the pokemon felt uneasy within the haunted forest. It clutched Guu’s hair nervously, hoping that it would ward the ghosts away.

“Alright, I’m ready. Lead the way oh fearless leader” he spoke, slightly exasperated from his recent encounter.

With a happy chirp the little pokemon zipped through the trees. Renji’s keen eyes kept sight of the swift creature. However, something felt strange he couldn’t help but feel as if they were being followed. Every now and again, in the peripherals of the swordsman’s impressive vision he would catch a glimpse of a pale blue orb darting along besides them. Ignorance was bliss and the swordsman ignored the strange orb. After his encounter with Rou, he did not feel like enraging anymore spirits. The poor swordsman just wanted to return home.

Ambrosia.