Volume 2 The Executioner Chapter 89: Alone (Part 2)
"Ogata-kun... Fortunately... you weren't here just now... It's really... A blessing in disguise... Our Sakakibara Ittoryu still has... One successor... This school won't... Be cut off..."
"Quiet!" Xuan An scolded Mikami, "Stop wasting your energy by talking!"
Although he was scolding Mikami, Xuan'an did not stop bandaging Mikami's wound.
"Doctor...thank you for your kindness and treatment...but...I guess I can't be saved...?"
Mikami's words left all the doctors, led by Xuan'an, speechless... They didn't know how to respond to Mikami's words.
"I know the condition of my body... I am very clear about it... I am almost drained of blood... Even if Hua Tuo from the Tang Dynasty were to be reborn, he would not be able to save me..."
"While I can still speak... let me say a little more..."
After that, Mikami briefly told Ogata, Kuranaga and others the causes and consequences of why had become such a miserable state.
After learning that the culprit behind the tragedy at Sakakibara Sword Hall tonight was actually Matsudaira Gennai, Kuranaga and Tobisaru's expressions changed.
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"How?" Although he already knew the answer, Cang Yong still held on to a glimmer of hope and asked Xuan An, "Can he... be saved?"
Xuan An and others did not answer.
Just shook his head silently.
"Ogata-kun...are you there...? I can't see clearly..."
"I'm here."
Xuan'an and others tactfully picked up their medicine boxes and left Mikami, making space in front of him.
Ogata also walked slowly towards Mikami and crouched in front of Mikami.
"Ogata... I feel so sorry for my master and fellow apprentices... When I get to the underworld... what should I say to my master... and fellow apprentices...?"
"Senior Mikami...what nonsense are you talking about? How have you ever let down your master and fellow apprentices?"
"...When I learned...that the tyrant was planning to use us as toys...and let us kill each other...I was furious..."
"If... we really kill each other as that tyrant said... at least half of my fellow disciples... will leave me..."
"I would rather die standing up...than live on my knees..."
"So... with a surge of blood in my throat... I swung my sword and killed that tyrant..."
"It was not until I heard the sound of my master and fellow apprentices falling one after another that I regretted it..."
"It was all because... I intended to assassinate that tyrant... that caused everyone to die..."
"As long as we all obey... that tyrant's orders and kill each other... maybe... half of us can survive..."
"Trying to assassinate the tyrant emperor... but was cut down by his guards..."
"Not only did we fail to assassinate the tyrant...but we also caused everyone to be implicated..."
"In the end... he died in such a miserable state..."
“I feel guilty from the bottom of my heart…”
"After I get to the underworld... I don't know what expression I should use to face everyone..."
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"…Mikami-senpai." Ogata raised his fingers and wiped away the tears that rolled down from Mikami's eyes. "Don't apologize… and don't feel guilty."
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"The one who should apologize and feel guilty is that tyrant."
"When you get off Huangquan, just face everyone with a normal expression."
"I believe that Master, Makino and the others will not blame you."
"They might even pat you on the shoulder and say to you - Mikami, you did a good job and didn't let our Sakakibara Sword Hall lose its dignity and blood."
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"Ogata-kun...thank you..."
"You're welcome... What's your relationship with me? There's no need to thank me."
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"Ogata-kun...are you there? I can't see anything anymore..."
"I'm here. I'm always here with you. Can you feel my hand?"
"Yes... Ogata-kun, I'm sorry... My hands are covered in blood... I made your hands dirty..."
"It's just a small matter. I don't care."
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"Ogata-kun..."
"I'm here, what's wrong?"
"I feel... cold... Is there anything you can bring to cover me... In the last moments... I want to sleep in a warm environment as much as possible..."
"I see...How is it? Do you feel a little warmer?"
"Ogata-kun...are you holding me...?"
"Um."
"……Thank you… …"
"Since we are in this relationship, stop thanking me."
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“…”
"Mikami-senpai? Do you have anything else to say?"
“…”
"Mikami-senpai, are you asleep?"
“…”
"Mikami-senpai...if you want to continue thanking me, go ahead...anything is fine, just tell me something..."
“…”
"Mikami-senpai..."
“…”
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After Ogata crouched in front of Mikami, Kuranaga very tactfully asked Xuan'an and others to leave, and told them not to spread what happened tonight.
In the dojo full of dead bodies, only Kuranaga, Tobisaru, Ogata, and... Mikami, who had just died in Ogata's arms...
Even though Mikami was no longer alive, Ogata still held Mikami in his arms.
Because Ogata was facing away from them, Kuranaga and Tobisaru could not see what expression Ogata had.
"That is to say..." Kuranaga whispered to Tobisaur in a voice that only he and Tobisaur could hear clearly, "Sakakibara Sword Hall... was wiped out... Only Ogata-kun is still alive..."
"Yes..." Feiyuan nodded with a serious face, "My lord, tonight in order to celebrate Ogata-kun's recovery and his obtaining the title of Menkyo Kaiden, all the teachers and disciples of Sakakibara Sword Hall have gathered here and are preparing to hold a banquet..."
"So... they were all caught in one fell swoop... except for Ogata-kun, no one survived..."
Kuranaga has a lot to say.
But the words he wanted to utter were stuck in Cangyong's throat and could not be uttered.
In the end, it just turned into a long sigh.
While letting out a long sigh, Kuranaga looked at Ogata, who was still ...
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A few hours later——
Hirose Domain, Genshinji Temple.
"Master Kong Qing, thank you so much."
"My Lord, that's not the case. Helping the deceased to transcend is what monks like us should do."
Cang Yongzheng bowed respectfully to an old monk in monk's robes in front of him.
Kuranaga used his connections to mobilize a large number of people to move the deceased masters and disciples of Sakakibara Sword Hall to the most famous Buddhist temple in their Hirose domain - Genshinji.
While burying the masters and disciples of Sakakibara Sword Hall in Xuanzhen Temple, Kuranaga also invited the abbot of Xuanzhen Temple, Master Kongqing, to chant sutras for the masters and disciples of Sakakibara Sword Hall.
At that time, there were still some bodies of Matsudaira Gennai's guards in the dojo.
In order to take Ogata's feelings into consideration, Kuranaga buried the bodies of these people in Xuanzhen Temple, but he did not ask Master Kongqing to chant sutras for them.
After working for several hours, from dusk until dawn, Cang Yong successfully completed the burial of all the victims of last night's tragedy.
After saying goodbye to Master Kongqing, Cang Yong slowly walked down the stone brick stairs and left Xuanzhen Temple.
When he was halfway up the stone brick stairs, Kuranaga suddenly saw Ogata sitting on a step not far ahead, holding a knife.
