Chapter 169: Guess who woke up
(Ryoto's pov)
I was in my inner world... I think. The last thing I remember was me returning to 78th district and then... blank. The world around me changed. While before it was half sunny with some clouds and the other half was constantly under heavy rain. Now though the sunny one was nowhere to be seen. It was snowing, and it wasn't as beautiful as one would think. It was dark, with the only source of light being the moon that was hiding behind the clouds at times.
Zangetsu: "So it's snowing now, huh."
Behind me stood Zangetsu looking around.
Ryoto: "So it seems..."
We stayed quiet for a while.
Zangetsu: "What are you scared of?"
He surprised me with that question.
Ryoto: "What do you mean?"
Zangetsu: "For how long do you plan on staying unconscious? Are you scared to meet Rin? Maybe scared of what you did or what you'll become? I just don't understand why you are regretting what you did. You did what you thought was needed, that's all."
He talked nonchalantly about killing a person. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I got mad.
Ryoto: "But couldn't I do things differently!? Wasn't there another way!? I killed a little girl's mother!"
Zangetsu: "So what? Did you forget why you did that?"
Right, it's because of Yan Fon's eyes. She was ready to die to fulfill some kind of purpose. I don't know why she would want to die, but she was prepared to do it, and she couldn't do it by herself. If she could, she would have already been dead.
I was close to just leaving, but she looked at me with a sad and begging expression. Like it was her last chance. Mixed with my need for money, I did what I did. I will need to live with that till the day I die.
But still...
Ryoto: "Say, Zangetsu, do you think I could have done things better?"
Zangetsu: "Obviously."
Ouch.
Zangetsu: "But you made your decision. You may be paranoid about the incoming danger, and hey, I get it. Rin is here with you, and you panicked. You want her safe as soon as possible. You feel like you're on a timer, and when you saw the path to it and you took it."
I felt a little better.
Zangetsu: "However you can't forget what you did. It wasn't correct in your morality now, was it? That blood is on your hands and always will be."
Ryoto: "I know..."
He didn't need to remind me. I doubt I'll ever forget it, but I'll need more time to accept what I did. I also doubt it will be the last time I would be killing someone. I just hope that I won't need to do it the way I did it this time.
The weather in my inner world didn't change yet and it's not strange. It would be bizarre for me to get over it so fast after all.
Ryoto: "So what now?"
Zangetsu: "I don't know, but in your place, I would wake up. Someone is trying to take me from your hand."
What!?
Hearing what Zangetsu was telling me means probably bad news, and I instantly exited my inner world.
(Rin's pov)
Ryoto pulled his sword back to him and quickly got between Shihoin-San and me. He didn't have any strength to stand. He went down on one of his knees, but he didn't take away his gaze from Shihoin-San. At the same time, I could feel again some kind of energy coming from Ryoto.
Shihoin-San didn't seem to bother by it. On the contrary, she looked impressed.
Yoruichi: "Before worrying about others, you should worry about yourself."
Just after she finished her sentence, I could hear something dropping on the floor. By the sound of it, it was fluid. I looked down to see it was Ryoto's blood. His wounds must have opened, but he didn't step down.
Rin: "Ryoto, calm down. She doesn't want to harm us."
I put the hand on his shoulder, and he gave me a brief look.
Ryoto: "What does the princess of Tenshiheisoban want from us?"
(Ryoto's pov)
When I woke up, I didn't see anything besides silhouettes, but my vision cleared after a few seconds. The question is, why is Yoruichi Shihoin doing in front of me? Is she here after my head? I am a criminal, after all. But why didn't she kill me then? I was unconscious, and it was very easy to finish me off. Rin seems to be fine as well.
When she reassured me that she wasn't here to harm anyone, I stepped away to sit on the bed. Rin helped me with that since I felt incredibly weak. I didn't drop my guard, though. I'll sacrifice my eyes if I need to, but I'll keep Rin safe.
Now that I look closer, Yoruichi looks a lot younger than I remember her.
Ryoto: "I still didn't get an answer. Why is someone as important as you in the 78th district in an abandoned house?"
Yoruichi: "I was bored and noticed someone trying to rob me, so I thought I would play along. Some stuff was said, and here I am in all my glory, but you make me curious. What kind of job did you get to get injured so much."
Her eyes were sharp, trying to see through me. She may be younger, but she is still Yoruichi. I also assume that she heard about my job from Rin.
Ryoto: "Nothing unusual. I was recruited to steal some valuables, but the information I got was incorrect, and I paid for it."
Rin: "You did something so dangerous!!?"
Rin was upset.
Ryoto: "You can reprimand me later. In any case, I won't be needing to do it for a while so you can calm down."
Rin: "For a while!? So you plan on doing it again in the future!?"
Ryoto: "Only if we need money, and I doubt we will be in need for a while."
Yoruichi: "That's a new experience getting ignored like that, but you must be either stupid or brave admitting to a crime in front of a lady from Noble house."
Ryoto: "It's not like you'll arrest me. Or you want to tell me that you care so much about who knows who that you'll bring me to justice right here and now?"
Yoruichi: "Nah. I only care if something happens to me or my underlings. For example, one of my Corps Commanders' spouse was murdered. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"
She was on my tail. I could feel it, but I didn't flinch, didn't move in any way. Even my breathing didn't change, and in the most natural manner, I answered her.
Ryoto: "Sorry, but I didn't hear anything about this accident. It's possible that it happened while I was unconscious or even during my job."
She was judging me but not sensing any lies, and her smile returned.
Yoruichi: "I see, then I'll see you in three months!"
With that, she left.
Wait, three months? Is she not even a student at the academy?
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END
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