第2章永恩
“Theylookatmeandseeonlythemask.Ilookatthemandseeonlytheirfears.”
~Yone
Inlife,Yoneadheredtoastrictcodeofhonorandduty.Evenasachild,hisloveforhisfamilyledhimtoassumethemantleofprotector,motivatedinnosmallwaybythelossofhisfather.Thiswasinstarkcontrasttohishalf-brother,Yasuo,whowasbrashandrecklesswhereYonewaspatientanddisciplined
Still,thetwowereinseparable—andwhenYonebeganhisstudiesattherenownedswordschoolneartheirvillage,Yasuofollowed
Astheytrained,Yonewasoftenforcedtotemperhisyoungerbrother’simpulsiveness.However,whenYasuorefusedthepersonaltutelageofElderSouma,masterofthelegendarywindtechnique,Yonegiftedhimamapleseed—asymbolofhumility—asasignofhissupportandencouragement
Yonewasproudofhisbrother,buthehaddoubtsaboutthewisemaster’sjudgment,fearingthatYasuo’simpulsivenaturewouldmakehimapoorstudent.ButElderSoumawaswellrespected,anddidnotmakecarelessdecisions
Puttinghisconcernsaside,Yonecontinuedtopracticewithdualblades,hisprowessquicklyearningtherespectandadmirationofhisfellowdisciples.ThoughYone’sskillwasunmatched,Yasuo’suseofthewindtechniquemadetheirsparringsessionsasighttobehold,andajoytothebrothersthemselves
Butthatjoydidnotlastlong.WarcametoIonia
Yone,alongwithmanyotherdisciples,lefttodefendagainsttheapproachingNoxianforceswhileYasuoreluctantlystayedbehindtoprotecthismaster.Butonefatefulnight,ElderSoumawasdiscovereddead—slainbytheverywindtechniquethathetaught
WhenYonereturned,hefoundthatYasuohadfled
ThisshookYonetohiscore.Hisfearswereproventrue—ElderSoumahadbeenwrong
Yoneblamedhimself.IfYasuohadmurderedSouma,Yonehadfailedtoteachhimtherighteouspath.IfYasuohadsimplyabandonedhispostandallowedhismastertodie,thenYonehadfailedtoinstillhimwithdiscipline.Eitherway,Yasuohadalreadykilledseveralofthosewhopursuedhim—andtoYone,theirbloodstainedhisownhandsasmuchashisbrother’s
HetrackedYasuodown.Whentheirswordsfinallycrossed,Yone’ssteelwasunmatched…butYasuo’smasteryofthewindcuthisbrotherdown
Death,however,wasnottheend.WhenYoneawokewithinthespiritrealm,theweightofhisfailurecrushedhim.Hisfuryflared,andhepoundedhisfistsonthegroundinrage
Arumblinglaughpiercedhisthoughts.Heturned,andbeheldamonstrous,humanoidspiritwithablood-redblade.Itwasapowerfulazakana,apredatoryentitythathadlongstalkedYonefrombeyondtheveil
BeforeYonecouldspeak,itstruck
Hedrewthespiritualechoesofhisbladestohissidejustintimetoblocktheattack.Heonceagainfoundhimselfinaduelwherehisswordsmanshipwasunparalleled,buthewasoverwhelmedbymagic
Angerconsumedhim.Alifetimeofhonoranddutysnapped.Inonefuriousmoment,Yonewrestedtheazakana’sbladefromitandranthecreaturethrough
Thelastthingheheardbeforeanewdarknesstookhimwasthatsamerumblinglaughter…
Ashecameto,Yonefoundhimselfbackinthematerialrealm,thoughitwasagrimshadowofwhatithadbeen.Hestruggledtohisfeet,thespiritrealmhazyinhismind,andablood-redswordinhishand.Uponhishead,amaskhadcoalescedintheformoftheazakana’sface—hecouldnotremoveit,buthecouldnowseeotherazakanathroughitseyes.Theywerenotyettruedemons,contenttofeedonnegativitybeforeeventuallymanifestingtodevourtheirhosts.But,asYonewoulddiscover,ifanazakana’snamewaslearned,theycouldbereducedtoinertmasksofpersonifiedemotion
Evenso,hecouldnottellif—orwhen—theazakanaheworewouldreawakentoconsumehim.Inlife,Yonehadwornthemaskofprotector,brother,anddiscipleforsolongthatithadbecomehisidentity.Butnow,inmomentsofstillness,heswearshecanfeelthemaskshiftinguponhisface,hisownpastandunresolvedconflictwithYasuonowpalingincomparisontothisnewthreat
Yonehuntstheseinsidiouscreaturesinanattempttounderstandwhathehasbecome—witheachnamebringinghimastepclosertouncoveringthatoftheonewhoselaughterstillhauntshi
Nothingelsematters.Thereisonlythechaseoftruth