XIII
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Arc XIII Chapter 14
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“Four!”
“AARGHH!!!”
As the magistrate had decreed, the rod ca down. Again.
“Five!”
“AARGHH!!!”
And again.
“Six!”
“AARGHH!!!”
And again.
“Seven!”
“AARGHH!!!” The boy cried out in pain, knelt in the dirt, barely conscious, barely able to endure. His small fra trembled under the weight of every blow. And for what? For speaking out of turn? For speaking the truth? For rely speaking what everyone thought? Was such his cri? To wish for them to survive, to exist? To not die of famine and starvation? Only for him to be punished in the na of law and justice.
“... ... ...” Yuki clenched her fists, her blood boiling. This was neither law, nor justice. Nor was she alone with her thoughts and feelings.
The villagers watched the scene in silence, n and won, elders and children, their heads and gazes lowered, their eyes hollow and distant, their hearts and minds gripped by fear. No one spoke. No one whispered. They were condemned to stand by and just watch. For they were only peasants, loyal subjects of their lords and masters, obedient and subservient. And yet it was nothing but a façade. The burning hatred, the loathing, the resentnt, the unquenchable thirst for vengeance burned brightly in their eyes, the fists clenched, their teeth grinding.
Even then no one among them dared to defy the will and the authority of the magistrate. His word was absolute, not to be questioned. For challenging the man ant to defy the daimyo himself. And doing so would only invite further repercussions, not only for them, but also for everyone else. To interrupt the public administration of justice was the gravest of affronts. At this point, the entire village would be punished for any further transgressions. As such it was understandable that even the bravest of n would falter. Even if the villagers wanted, they could not. Even if they had to, they would not. But such did not apply to them.
“... ... ...” Yuki frowned, her fingers curling in anger at the sight of so much injustice. She had seen enough. She could not, she would not stand by, not any longer. She had to act. She had to do what was right… just like her Nee-san would. “...”
“Yuji. Mayumi.” Yuki muttered under her breath, her resolve firm. “We must do sothing. We must help the boy.”
“Hah?” Yuji glanced at her, blinking uneasily. “What? You can’t be serious, Yuki? Don’t tell that you want ...” He guessed right.
Yuki nodded vigorously. “Yes, that is precisely what I intend to do.” She stepped forwards, but a hand stopped her, gripping her sleeve. It was Yuji. He obviously disagreed with her course of action.
“Yuki, wait”, Yuji whispered, his voice low enough to not be overheard. He looked desperate. “I know what you’re thinking, Yuki, but you can’t do anything about it.”
Yuki shot her friend a glare. “Why?” Why did he stop her?
“...” The boy t her glare, staring at her. His grip on her arm tightened. “Listen, Yuki, I feel the sa way. I don’t want the boy to suffer. I want to help him too, but as much as it pains to say, ... this isn’t our business. Don’t forget, your Nee-san gave us a mission. Our priority must be to complete the mission. That’s why we’re here.”
“...” Yuki listened, albeit only begrudgingly. As loath as she was to admit, Yuji had a point.
“And even if we help the boy”, Yuki continued, “what do you think we can do? Look carefully, the magistrate isn’t alone. He’s got a lot of n. He’s got even ninja on his side. Do you really think just us three can fight them all? Don’t be naive, Yuki, we both know we haven’t got a fighting chance against them. So don’t act rashly.” He finally loosened his grip, releasing her. “Better keep your head down. That’s also what your Nee-san would want. It’s obvious that you’re important to her. I’m sure she doesn’t want you to get into any danger.”
“... ... ...” Nee-san ... Yuki’s shoulders deflated, dejected, the fire in her withering at the re ntion of her na. Her arms instinctively wrapped around Katsuki, hugging her tightly against her chest. All things considered, Yuji might be correct ... Helping the boy would require them to fight the magistrate and his n, which ant that the three of them would need to put themselves in grave danger.
Her tiny heart tightened, unsteady, shaken, a searing pain hidden deep within. If she were truly hurt, then her Nee-san would be inevitably dismayed. After all, Nee-san was ever concerned about her well being. As such, Nee-san would be greatly distressed by the possible consequences her actions carried.
Yuki shook her head, dispelling her prior ideas. That was not sothing that Yuki’s poor heart would be able to endure. The re thought alone of even possibly saddening her beloved Nee-san disheartened Yuki. To think that Nee-san could be devastated because of her and her actions. That would be exceedingly irresponsible of her. In particular, when it was apparent that any attempt to help the boy carried significant risks, both for her as well as for Yuji and Mayumi, that were impossible to ignore.
“...” A heavy sigh escaped Yuki. It appeared that Yuji had been right all along. It was probably for the best to not intervene. And yet, it felt ... wrong, even cowardly of them to not help the boy, to watch him suffer. Guilt and sha clouded her conscience. All her training, all her effort, all her sweat and tears throughout the years, all of Nee-san hopes and expectations placed in her, all for naught. She had failed, once more. For she was too weak to do what was right. If only ... Nee-san were here ... It would make so many things much easier ... Unlike her, Nee-san would not hesitate ... Unlike her, Nee-san would not lack the strength to act ...
“Yuki~” Katsuki raised her paw amidst her arms. “Listen to w.”
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