◈ 248. [Side Story] Autumn leaves (2)
“The moon is bright today.”
Kureha’s father looked up at the sky and murmured.
“It’s a good night for wolves to run amok.”
“What are you doing… … Are you going to do it?”
Kureha’s shoulders trembled with anxiety and asked urgently.
“Why did you bring me here today?”
“Tonight this child will be sent to the Imperial camp.”
Facing Quylan who was lying on the floor, the father moved slowly.
“He is a child who bears the curse of the entire tribe. When awakened as a wolf and exposed to a full moon like today, it becomes a formidable monster.”
“… … !”
“This child will kill the Imperial Army until the end of his life.”
“After that?”
“I will die.”
The father’s voice was extremely calm.
“Either you run amok as a monster and get expelled by the imperial army, or you can’t handle the manifested curse and run out of strength, and you will eventually die.”
“what… … .”
“Then, the curse that escaped from the body of the child will collect again on this altar here, on this maple tree, the guardian tree of our tribe and the starting point of witchcraft… … Then, they will kidnap the child who will be the next ‘vessel’ and put the curse on them again.”
Kureha asked harshly.
“A child who has spent his entire life collecting curses is now going to be used as a weapon?”
“… … .”
“Is it not enough that we turned this child into a monster to live as a human being, and now he is willing to give up his life for us?”
My father silently took out the dagger from his bosom. Kureha shouted.
“Please reconsider, Father. This is not something people would do!”
“This child is your brother, but he is also my son.”
Father spat out in a stern voice.
“Do you think my heart is not torn?”
The father recited an incantation to activate the magic, and stabbed Quylan in the forehead with a dagger.
At the same time, the branches of the maple tree wriggled and stretched out like tentacles, all over Kuylan’s body! burrowed in with the sound.
“… … .”
Black blood flowed from the wound on his forehead and stained his face.
Blood spilled from the branches of the tree, forming a puddle. However, Quylan did not even flinch.
But when my father grabbed such a quillan and exposed his wounds to the moonlight-
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
Quylan twisted his whole body in agony.
Countless red wolf fur sprouted all over the child’s body touched by the moonlight. His mouth was elongated like that of a wolf, and his eyes gleamed like those of a beast.
Horrible sounds came from the bones throughout the body, and the child’s physique enlarged.
However, because of the chains bound all over his body, Quylan struggled but could not resist.
Eventually, when his father’s dagger carved a sharp X-shaped sword on Quylan’s forehead, the boy turned into a gigantic monster.
Bizarrely grown toenails and hideous molars that do not mesh. And red hairs sprouting all over the body… … .
A wolf monster with all the curses of its clan.
“Kureha.”
To Kureha, who was watching this scene overwhelmed, her father turned around and ordered.
“Take it. this monster… … Throw it into the imperial camp and come.”
Kureha gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“I can’t.”
“Should be.”
“I can’t!”
“You fool!”
The angry father roared.
“You must lead the clan in the future! Are you going to be so shaken by your little brother’s life?”
“… … .”
“Just because you feel sorry for that one life, are you going to neglect the thousands of lives you are supposed to support! Kureha! Can’t you judge correctly what is more important!”
Father growled like a wolf.
“In order to protect the majority, you must know how to sacrifice the minority with tears of blood… … . That is the leader!”
“If that sacrifice is this form, I will never be a leader.”
Kureha slowly raised her fist and took a fighting stance.
“This child… … I cannot let my brother die. I will stop my father.”
Anger flashed in his father’s eyes.
“Are you saying you want to abandon your clan and village? Everyone in the village only believes in you?”
“This way is wrong, Father! You know, even your father!”
Her father, who had been watching Kureha, who was not going to back down, put his hand to his mouth and wheeik-! He blew his whistle hard.
“… … ?!”
Inside the maple door that was still open, the warriors waiting in front of the altar rushed in.
All of them were members of the bodyguard under direct control of the village chief.
Father sighed coldly.
“The warrior Kureha rebelled against me, the village chief and shaman. subdue it.”
“yes!”
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The space was too small to deal with, and the numbers were too many.
Realizing the futility of defiance, Kureha slowly lowered her fighting stance, and the warriors immediately overpowered Kureha and knelt to the ground.
The father looked down at Kureha as he gritted his teeth for a moment before ordering the warriors.
“It is as I said before. Take the monster and release it to the Imperial camp.”
“yes.”
Except for the two warriors holding Kureha, the rest of the warriors dragged the monstrous Quylan out with chains.
Kureha, who watched the scene, lowered her head. His father let out a long sigh.
“Keep your head cool and think calmly. Kureha. You are the body that should rule our clan in the future. Without this sacrificial system, our clan would collapse.”
Kureha was silent. His tongue-tied father changed the subject.
“… … I said I would pass down the secrets of the Maple Feast to you. Do you know why I didn’t tell you before?”
“… … .”
“This is because the last method of the Maple Ticket cannot be used with a human body. The curse of our ancestors runs in our blood… … You can use it only when you accept the beast nature. That’s why it was sealed.”
Father took out an old book from his bosom.
“The name of this ritual is called Single Heart Wind Rang. It is said to be a martial art that can break even the invisible heart. Well, there must be a bit of grandiose exaggeration mixed in.”
swish
The book thrown by her father landed in front of Kureha’s lap.
“Take it. It is a book of martial arts that summarizes all the trial decisions of the autumn leaves, including the five senses. It has been handed down from generation to generation by those who lead the clan.”
Kureha slowly reached out and grabbed the old book.
“It is also a symbol that proves the succession of the clan.”
A martial art that has been handed down, but cannot be used.
If so, what the hell does this mean?
“When this war is over, follow me to the position of village chief. Kureha. Lead the clan.”
“… … .”
“You will do well.”
Her father’s words sounded like this to Kureha.
After your brother dies today, find another victim and cast a curse on the entire tribe to turn him into a monster.
In order for everyone else to live as humans, make a scapegoat and lock it up here to raise it.
To this terrible ‘peace’ that has been handed down through generations – you should also add your hand.
“… … I will refuse, Father.”
Fuu – Kureha calmed down.
All the other warriors took their younger siblings and escaped, leaving only the two warriors and their father.
f*ck! Pooh-!
Kureha swung her fists and elbows like thunderbolts, striking the jaws of the two warriors who were holding her shoulders.
The two warriors fell apart, unable to scream and coughing up blood.
The father’s face contorted with anger. Kureha shook her fist and declared.
“I’m going to go find Quylan.”
“You fool! Still don’t know? Your brother can’t be saved. He is already a monster!”
“Dad you still not know?”
Kureha lowered her stance and raised her fist forward.
“The real monster is you.”
“Innoooum-!”
As the enraged father performed his magic, the branches of the maple tree pulsated like tentacles and rained down from all sides.
***
Quylan, who became a huge wolf, was calm despite his appearance.
With his whole body wrapped in chains, he quietly walked as the warriors led him.
However, the appearance was so hideous and intimidating that the warriors did not relax an inch and dragged Quylan.
It was when we reached the boundary of the village, the outer gate surrounded by wooden fences.
Dig-!
Stepping on a tree branch, Kureha, approaching from above, fell and stretched out her fists and feet.
The warriors who were focusing their attention on the wolf were unable to respond to the surprise and had to allow the attack.
puck! f*ck!
“Heuk!”
“Ku, Kureha?!”
“What is this!”
After overpowering the three warriors at once, Kureha raised her fists while catching her breath.
His whole body was covered in blood as he had to shake off his father, but the fighting spirit of Kureha, the strongest warrior in the tribe, made the rest of the warriors swallow dry saliva on their own.
Kureha sighed softly.
“Let him go. I will take you back.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Kureha!”
“This is an order from your father, the village chief and tribal chief! You have no right to revoke that order!”
“If you don’t have authority, I won’t take you by force.”
Kureha, who gathered strength at the tips of her toes, shot forward.
“I will end this crazy tragedy in my generation. my brother… … Give it back!”
A battle took place.
Kureha was the strongest warrior of the tribe, but the warriors of the tribe were also elite trained in battle. The battle was tight.
Since they have been together for a long time, they tried not to use each other as much as possible, but as the battle intensified, their attacks became sharper.
Kureha’s fists and the swords of the warriors were swung more and more threateningly.
Then at some point-
visor!
Kureha dodged the sword point swung by one of the warriors, and the sword point was struck by the chains that bound the wolf monster.
Sparks flew and the chains broke. Everyone looked up in amazement.
<<Kreureuk… … ?》
Monster- Quylan blinked and saw the broken chain.
Before long, the monster twisted its body. As if trying to stretch.
OK.
With Chaeng! Hooded!
The chains hanging from their bodies fell all at once, screaming.
In the first place, it was not a monster that could be restrained with such chains. It’s just that I’ve been caught… … .
“Kreur… … .》
The monster looked at his free body as if it were strange.
Looking up at the monster, both the warriors and Kureha unknowingly swallowed their dry saliva.
and.
Taat-!
The monster moved at a speed unbelievable that it had come out of that gigantic body.
When I closed my eyes and opened them, the monster was standing in front of Kureha. Kureha looked up at the monster in a daze, not even thinking about moving.
The monster’s hand slowly stretched out and touched Kureha’s neck. Kureha had an intuition of death.
He thought those huge claws would rip his neck off.
… … But, it wasn’t.
The monster tapped the coin on the necklace hanging around Kureha’s neck with the tips of its claws, then opened its mouth with its hideous fangs and spat out an obscure language.
The muffled pronunciation was terrible, but Kureha could hear it clearly.
《… … Tongue, huh?”
Kureha’s eyes widened.
Does this child remember the coin toss of a very young age?
The eyes of the wolf monster facing each other were innocent.
Just like any other boy.
“Quylan, you… … .”
After spitting out her sister’s name, Kureha stretches out her hand towards her sister.
“Kureha! Danger-!”
The warriors drew their swords and charged.
Viewed from the side, it looked like a gigantic monster trying to tear Kureha’s throat apart.
Although they had been confronted just a moment ago, Kureha was the clan’s hero, the son of the village chief, and a colleague who fought the Imperial Army together.
The warriors raised their weapons at the monster to save Kureha.
Kureha screamed.
“No, this kid! Cuilan is… … !”
Pooh-!
However, there was no time to dry.
Warriors rushed in from all directions, driving their swords into the monster’s back and sides. The monster twisted and let out a terrible scream.
《Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Blood gushed out like a fountain from the monster’s wounds.
Rising drops of blood splattered on the warriors’ faces. The hot blood was black and sticky and had a disgusting smell.
The warriors retreated, hurriedly wiping the blood from their eyes, noses and mouths.
“Hey?! What’s this!”
“Kuck, cool! Damn, blood got into my mouth… … .”
“uh… … ?”
One of the warriors who hastily wiped his face hesitated. The bloodless warrior urgently asked.
“Hey, are you okay? what’s the matter?”
“Moon is… … .”
With the monster’s blood dripping from his face, the warrior looked up at the sky as if possessed.
“Moon is… … Did he grow up like that… … ?”
“what?”
“It’s bright, so… … I can’t open my eyes… … .”
awesome Wood Deuk.
The warrior’s skeleton began to twist.
My back was bent, my jaw was open, my limbs were broken, my claws sprouted. And covered in hair.
All the warriors with blood on their faces began to mutate.
The other warriors watching this scene dropped their weapons one by one and sat down on the ground.
“Hee-hee, hee-hee?!”
“Eh, what is this… … !”
Kureha also watched this crazy scene, then hesitated and stepped back.
“no way… … .”
After swallowing the monster’s blood and covering it, the curse of the ancestors dwelling within it manifested itself.
It awakened the wolf blood inherent in the bodies of the tribal warriors.
Ah ah ah ah ah-!
Under the shining full moonlight.
The warriors who had completely transformed into werewolves let out hideous screams in unison.
