Chapter Text
Wolf returned from the Divine Realm to a world on fire. Isshin Ashina was dead, and the Central Forces of the Ministry took the opportunity to launch a full assault. All he had was a key and a location: the silver grass field where he and Kuro tried to escape before.
Where it all began.
He’d known. Before he ran through that door, before he overheard the two samurai discuss Genichiro’s plan to take the Divine Heir’s blood. But nothing could have prepared him to see Kuro staggering away from Genichiro in that field, clutching his stomach.
“Lord Kuro!” Wolf shouted, already drawing his katana, but Kuro’s outstretched arm stopped him. Wolf’s eyes darted from Genichiro to the blood on Kuro’s fingers. Kuro shouldn’t be able to bleed at all, not without the sword on Wolf’s back.
But blood dripped off Genichiro’s sword along with swirling black mist. “Shinobi of the Divine Heir,” Genichiro said. “We meet again. Behold, the second Mortal Blade.”
Genichiro was still covered in blood and grime from the last time he’d fought Wolf. He hadn’t searched for armor or anything to cover himself, displaying the long, black lighting scars without care. Their fight had been inevitable, but not here, not now, not when they were so close to the end!
“Genichiro,” Kuro said, standing tall despite his injury. “If you think you can change Ashina’s fate with such a thing, you are mistaken.”
Wolf straightened his back with pride. His master held his resolve to the end against the man who’d imprisoned him, attempted to persuade him, and kidnapped him from this very field not long ago while Wolf could do nothing about it. But watching Kuro now reminded him of another boy who’d watched the world burn, holding death’s sword in the palm of his hand and meeting its eyes without fear.
“Wolf,” Kuro said, turning to him. “No one has the right to the Dragon’s Heritage. It… it is…”
And then Kuro’s legs crumpled.
Wolf dropped to his knees and caught Kuro before he hit the ground. His hand hovered over the deep, fatal hole through Kuro’s stomach. Kuro’s eyes fluttered, and his head fell into the crook of Wolf’s prosthetic arm.
“Why?” Wolf croaked. “Why would you hurt him?”
He barely heard Genichiro reply, “His blood will save Ashina. If he will not give it to me, I’ll take it by force.” Rage filled him as he covered the bleeding wound with his real hand.
“He’s just a child!” Wolf shouted.
Genichiro stepped back, his eyes wide. After two fights, one that Wolf had horribly lost and another he’d barely won, Genichiro finally saw a reason to fear him. Or perhaps he feared the truth of what he’d done. Wolf didn’t care which.
“He wants me to kill him, you know that?” Wolf said. “To end the Dragon’s Heritage. He’s willing to give his life for this!”
Wolf wasn’t sure when he’d figured it out, or if he’d always suspected from the moment Kuro begged for his help. The clues had been clear: Isshin’s suggestion of the Mortal Blade, Emma’s sadness whenever they spoke of Immortal Severance, the rice ball Kuro gave him with tears in his eyes. They’d all ignored it, wanting to pretend until they only had that conversation left.
“Shinobi-” Genichiro started, but Wolf wasn’t finished.
“You want to save Ashina?” he asked. “Look up! Ashina is gone! It burned while you wasted your chance to save it trying for this power.”
Genichiro glanced up at the castle, glowing orange behind the smoke. He lowered the Mortal Blade slightly as he watched the fires spread.
“Why is it always the children who suffer?” Wolf said, hugging Kuro close.
Those words had been building for weeks, years even. For his young master who just wanted to live a normal life but felt he had to choose death. For the girl who’d been tortured and experimented on until rice fell from her palms, rice he suspected was made of her own blood. For the doctor who’d been an orphan like him, committed to killing the man who’d saved her life. He wondered if Emma had gone looking for the Sculptor, who’d asked Wolf to do the deed instead, only there wasn’t enough time, never enough time!
For himself, for the years he’d wasted trying to earn the love of a man who’d only seen him as a disposable tool. He’d broken free of the Iron Code in the end, because of Kuro. And now he’d have to break the second rule, the one he kept, the only one that mattered anymore.
“I… wish there was another way,” Kuro whispered, and Wolf held him tighter. Kuro was dying already. All he had to do was give him the dragon tears and… and…
“No,” Wolf said, shaking his head. “I won’t do it.”
“Wolf-” Kuro started to say.
“Drink this,” Wolf said, holding the healing gourd to Kuro’s lips. Kuro tried, but he was overcome with pain and choked.
“No, Wolf,” he cried. “Please.”
“I can’t let you die,” Wolf said, tears beginning to fall down his own cheeks. “Don’t ask this of me, Lord Kuro. I can’t bear it.”
“I…” Kuro started, though his eyes drifted and lost focus. Wolf tried giving him another sip of the gourd’s healing waters, and this time Kuro managed to drink.
“We’ll find another way,” Wolf said. “Please, let’s find another way.”
“I- I don’t want to die, Wolf,” said Kuro.
“I know.”
“I just want it to be over!” he sobbed.
“I won’t rest until it is,” Wolf said. “Take more water. And this medicine, here.”
Kuro squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to chew the pellet. Wolf took a moment to inspect his wounds, glad that he kept carrying bandages out of habit even though the power of the Dragon’s Heritage now healed him. Still, he didn’t know what good bandages would do against the blood still pouring from both his front and back. Kuro shivered and cried out again, so Wolf took off his orange haori and wrapped him in it.
“Wolf,” Kuro said, his eyes only half open. “Promise me one thing.”
“What is it, my Lord?”
“If you think I won’t survive, don’t let me die for nothing. Give me the dragon tears. End it, please.”
Wolf hesitated, then said, “I promise.”
Above him, Genichiro cleared his throat. Wolf head snapped up towards him. He’d been so focused on Kuro that he’d foolishly ignored Genichiro.
“Do you have a safe place to take him, shinobi?” Genichiro said. “They will find the moat passage soon.”
Wolf considered his options, limited and nearly non-existent. The Sculptor’s temple had once been a sanctuary, but it was too close to the battlefields. There were hidden spots around Ashina that were difficult for soldiers to reach, but Kuro needed help now.
“Senpou Temple,” he finally said.
“What?” Genichiro said. “That’s not safe! Those monks-”
Wolf glared at him. “There is an area that the monks cannot reach.”
“You still have to make it past all of them,” Genichiro said.
“What do you care?” Wolf growled. “Just go! I won’t kill you while I have to look after him.”
“Let me help get you there, at least,” Genichiro said. “The castle is overrun, and I…”
He didn’t know what Genichiro was playing at. He had Kuro’s blood on his sword. He couldn’t see a reason for Genichiro to want to travel with Wolf, but it would be hard to hold off ministry soldiers while Kuro was in his arms. “Fine,” Wolf said.
Genichiro glanced up at the burning castle again. “Quickest way would be through the Abandoned Dungeon. So long as most of their forces are in the main castle, we should be able to make it through the moat and over the bridge.”
“Lead the way,” Wolf said. He wanted Genichiro in front of him. What he really wanted was the Mortal Blade out of Genichiro’s hands, but it seemed that he’d lost his other sword since their battle on top of the castle.
Kuro whimpered as he shifted his hold. His face lost much of its color as they climbed out of the moat. As Genichiro approached the bodies of his two men, Wolf considered the safest way to get Kuro to the ground and draw his sword. Genichiro would change his mind about helping at some point, and the deaths of his remaining allies might be enough to push him over the edge. Genichiro glanced back at Wolf, but then he stepped over his men and continued on without a word.
They had almost reached the Abandoned Dungeon entrance when Kuro coughed. Wolf immediately dropped to one knee and offered the healing gourd to him again. Blood already soaked the bandages.
“We need to- can he keep moving?” Genichiro asked.
“He has to,” Wolf said.
“There’s a doctor in here, perhaps he should take a look.”
“The doctor is dead. I killed him.”
Genichiro froze. “Why?”
“I saw what his research did,” said Wolf. “But you knew that. You went to him yourself.”
“What else was I to do?” Genichiro said, though his resolve sounded weak.
“Not sacrifice men for experiments,” Wolf replied without thinking. He knew he shouldn’t risk provoking Genichiro, but the man’s obsession with the Dragon’s Heritage had led to their current situation. And something itched in the back of his mind. He’d overheard something about Genichiro and Senpou Temple, hadn’t he? Was that why Genichiro offered to help?
“He was one of Lord Dogen’s apprentices,” Genichiro said.
“Did Lady Emma’s father also experiment on people?” Wolf asked.
“He dedicated many years to researching the rejuvenating waters, but not like that,” Genichiro admitted.
They passed by the various unfortunates that had been subjected to Doujun’s torture. Nothing could be done for them. They didn’t speak. When the reached the water, Genichiro guided the boat they found while Wolf settled into the seat with Kuro. His master still lived, but the climb up Mount Kongo would be challenging. He’d used his grappling hook for rapid movements when he was by himself, but with Kuro’s injuries, he worried that would hurt Kuro more.
The other option meant relying on Genichiro for help getting him up, and Wolf refused to let Genichiro any closer to Kuro than absolutely necessary.
“Wolf,” Kuro muttered. “Wolf.”
“We’re almost to Senpou Temple,” Wolf assured him.
“It hurts.”
Kuro’s eyes fluttered open, blinking towards the faint torchlight coming from the end of the cavern. He noticed Genichiro rowing and flinched away before Wolf could guide is head back towards himself.
“Here, eat this,” Wolf said, pulling a rice ball from his pouch. It was the one Kuro gave him. He saved it in case he needed more energy during a battle, though Kuro teased him about not wanting to eat in front of him.
Kuro took the rice ball without question, but frowned as he chewed. “What? But… I made this for you.”
“I know. I’m sorry, my Lord.”
“It’s okay,” Kuro said, eyes closing again. “I’ll make you another.”
They rode the lift up to the temple grounds, but Wolf knew the hardest part was yet to come. He checked the bandages in the hall and added another layer on top. Genichiro peered over the cliff edge, dangling a rope he’d found somewhere inside.
“Perhaps I should lower you down,” said Genichiro, “then you-”
Wolf pushed past him, shifting Kuro to a one-armed hold against his shoulder. The grappling hook on his arm worked better for quickly pulling him up to high places, but a few adjustments allowed it to lower himself at a more controlled pace. Genichiro followed behind him.
Though Wolf had killed several monks during his first journey up the mountain, many remained. Stealth got them through the first building, but several patrolled the courtyard next to the destroyed bridge. The first time, he’d run through and grappled to safety in the cliffs, but that wasn’t safe for Kuro.
“Stay here, I’ll go deal with them,” Genichiro offered, seeing the same problem. Wolf kept his body low in the tree where the changing autumn leaves were the same color as the haori wrapped around Kuro. Genichiro chose the nearby roof as his perch, taking out his bow rather than his sword. He drew back the string, aimed at the monk with the spear, and loosed the arrow. It hit the monk in the neck, knocking him off the bridge. Somehow, none of the other monks noticed, not until Genichiro fired a second shot. Wolf wondered if years of immortality from the centipedes and rejuvenating waters were slowly dampening their senses.
One enemy jumped onto the roof with Genichiro, and he abandoned his bow for the Mortal Blade. He attacked in a flurry of slashes coming from all angles. Now that Wolf wasn’t on the receiving end, he was able to watch Genichiro’s footwork during the move. He could see the influence from the Okami warriors he’d fought in Fountainhead Palace, so light on their feet that they appeared to be floating. Wolf was tempted to try it himself one day.
When the way was finally clear, Wolf lowered himself down to ground level with Kuro. Genichiro leaned on his sword, panting. “We need to get up there?” he asked, pointing towards the cave.
“Yes,” Wolf said.
“If you can make it up there yourself, will you drop a rope down for me?”
Wolf hesitated. This jump up towards Shugendo could be the last providing he followed the paths up to the main temple. But last time, he took a cliff route that would allow him to avoid most of the remaining monks. That would be difficult to navigate with Kuro by himself. “Fine,” he said.
He ended up giving Genichiro a hand near the top as they navigated the treacherous ledges to the covered bridge. That’s when Wolf noticed how the deep gashes he’d left in Genichiro still bled despite his resurrection. The rejuvenating waters had kept him alive, but they hadn’t healed him.
Once over the bridge, Wolf and Genichiro were able to rely on stealth to navigate the paths up to the main temple. Once inside, there were only infested sitting in their corners unbothered by them walking past.
At the door to the Inner Sanctum, though, Wolf stopped Genichiro. “I cannot allow you any further,” he said.
“He’ll be safe in there?” Genichiro asked.
“Yes.”
“Good,” Genichiro said. He opened and closed his mouth, chewing on his next words. “Shinobi, will you tell him-”
“I have one more favor to ask,” Wolf interrupted. Whatever Genichiro had been about to say, whatever regret he might have felt, Wolf didn’t want to hear it.
“What is it?” Genichiro asked.
“If you see Lady Emma, tell her we are up here. She was still in the castle when I left.”
“I will look for her,” Genichiro said.
Wolf heard Genichiro leave as he walked the door, and all composure he’d kept as they traveled up Mount Kongo was gone. He rushed Kuro to the Inner Sanctum, tears falling freely down his cheeks now. Kuro’s breathing was too shallow, his body too still. Was he too late?
“Shinobi of the Divine Heir,” the Divine Child greeted him. “You brought visitors?”
“This is Lord Kuro,” Wolf said. “He’s hurt. Please, can we stay here?”
“Of course,” she said, gesturing to a futon in the corner. “What happened to him?”
“He was attacked with another Mortal Blade,” Wolf said. “Ashina has fallen. I don’t know what to do, but I can’t let him die.”
But even as he set Kuro down to rest and checked his wounds again, Wolf’s thoughts lingered on the dragon tears he’d acquired, worried that he’d made a mistake.
Perhaps it would have been kinder to just let Kuro go.