◈ 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.”
The father moved slowly towards Quylan, who was lying on the floor.
“He is a child who bears the curse of the entire tribe. If you awaken them as wolves and expose them to a full moon like today, they become enormous monsters.”
“… !”
“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.
“Whether you’re expelled by the imperial army after rampaging as a monster, or you can’t handle the manifested curse and run out of strength, you’ll eventually die.”
“what… .”
“Then, the curse that escaped from the body of the child will collect again on this maple tree, which is the guardian tree of our tribe and the starting point of witchcraft here on the altar… Then, they will kidnap the child who will become the next ‘vessel’ and put the curse on them again.”
Kureha asked harshly.
“You’re saying that a child who spent his whole life getting cursed will now be used as a weapon?”
“… .”
“Is it not enough that we turned this child into a monster in order 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 pierced Quylan’s forehead with the dagger he drew while reciting a spell to activate the spell.
At the same time, the branches of the maple tree wriggled and stretched out like tentacles, all over Quylan’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 the father grabbed such a quillan and exposed the wound to the moonlight-
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
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 flashed like those of a beast.
Horrible noises 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 Quilan’s forehead, the boy turned into a gigantic monster.
Bizarrely grown claws and hideous molar teeth that do not mesh. And red hairs sprouting all over the body… … .
A wolf monster with all the curses of its clan.
“Kureha.”
Kureha, who was watching this scene overwhelmed, turned around and ordered her father to do so.
“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 thousands of lives that you should be supporting! 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 while holding the tears of blood… . That is the leader!”
“If that form of sacrifice is this, I will never be able to become 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’re going to abandon the clan and the village? Everyone in the village only believes in you?”
“This way is wrong, Father! You know, even your father!”
The father, who was watching Kureha, who was not going to back down, put his hand on his mouth and wheeik! He blew his whistle hard.
“… ?!”
The warriors waiting in front of the altar rushed through the still open maple door.
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!”
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. Father let out a long sigh.
“Cool your head 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. The tongue-tied father changed the topic.
“… 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 some 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 human beings, make a scapegoat and lock it up and raise it here.
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 got out with their little brother, and there are only two warriors and their father.
Fuck! Pooh-!
Kureha swung her fists and elbows like thunderbolts and struck 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 outer gate surrounded by the village border fence.
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! Fuck!
“Heuk!”
“Kukureha?!”
“What is this!”
After overpowering the three warriors at once, Kureha raised her fists while catching her breath.
Her whole body was covered in blood as she had to shake off her 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 friends 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 sword tips of the warriors were swinging more and more menacingly.
Then at some point –
Chang!
Kureha dodged the sword point of one of the warriors, and the sword point was hit by the chains that bound the wolf monster.
Sparks flew and the chains broke. Everyone looked at him in amazement.
< < Krukreuk... ... ?》 Monster- Quylan blinked at the broken chain. Before long, the monster twisted its body. As if trying to stretch. OK. Chaeng-Geurang! 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 such a monster, both the warriors and Kureha involuntarily 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 no. 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 unclear 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 his childhood? The eyes of the wolf monster facing each other were innocent. Just like any other boy. “You Kuylan... .” After spitting out her younger sister's name, Kureha stretched out her hand towards her younger sister, "Kureha! Dangerous-!” The warriors drew their swords and charged. Viewed from the side, it looked like a gigantic monster trying to rip Kureha's throat apart. Although they had been confronted just a moment ago, Kureha was the clan's hero, the village chief's son, 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-! But 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. 《Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh from the wounds of the monster, blood bounced like a fountain. 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!" “Kuk cool! Damn blood in 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 so bright... I can't open my eyes... ... .” awesome Wood Deuk. The warrior's skeleton began to twist. The back was bent, the jaw was open, the joints of the limbs were bent, and the claws sprouted. And it was covered with 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 profit?!” “What is this... !” Kureha also watched this crazy scene, then hesitated and stepped back. "no way... .” When he swallowed the monster's blood and covered himself with it, the curse of his ancestors was manifested. 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.
