Chapter Text
The shinobi and his lord were both in Ashina castle, resting in Kuro’s room at the very top. The preparations to sever the Dragon’s Heritage were almost complete. This was a brief respite before the final stretch— the last conversation between shadow and lord.
“Wolf, after we sever the Dragon’s Heritage… is there anything you’d like to do?”
The shinobi contemplated his lord’s question.
‘Is there anything I’d like to do? Hmm…’ His face hardened slightly, he was concentrating, giving his lord’s question serious thought. He reminisced, his journey, his travels, his trials. Everything he had encountered.
“I think… that I would like to travel Kuro-sama.”
“So, you want to become a traveler? That sounds quite fun… I hope you get to travel around the whole world.” The shinobi gave his lord a half-hearted smile.
“… Me too Kuro-sama.” Kuro then put a small finger to his mouth, also in thought.
“If I had the chance I would have liked to open a tea shop. Even though I don’t need to drink I find brewing tea quite fascinating…”
“I tried to learn but it seems I had no talent, everything I ended up making just tasted like regular hot water.” The lord let out a small sigh, head hung low in defeat.
“In the future, after you’ve traveled all across the world… would you consider opening one– in my stead?” Kuro’s voice wavered a little, unsure if he was asking too much of his loyal shadow.
“Anything for you, Kuro-sama.” To Wolf’s slight surprise Kuro let out a small, light laugh, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his kimono in the process.
“Wolf… you don’t know how to brew, do you?”
“I would learn it if that is your wish.”
“No, no… to do something of your own initiative— because you truly like it, that’s a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t want to rob you of that feeling.”
“…”
“Yes, Kuro-sama.”
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“COME, SEKIRO!”
Blades sparked. The shinobi and Saint locked in immortal combat. Wolf fighting to give his lord the chance to live on, embrace the humanity he was never given. The Sword Saint fighting to honor his grandson’s wishes.
The two fought with vigour unmatched, the ferocity of each blow exceeded by the next, each tool in their vast arsenals used to the fullest.
“HAAHHH!” The Sword Saint leapt to the sky, his naginata catching a bolt of lightning… stealing it from Raijin’s own calamitous hands. This was leaps and bounds above the heretical technique cultivated by Tomoe— the power that had almost killed his grandson thrice over. Lord Isshin was spitting in the face of the natural laws of the world and the very gods themselves.
Despite the otherworldly display of mastery and precision, the strike wouldn’t find its mark. A cloud of feathers fell from where Wolf stood-- a black, flame infused streak rising to the sky. Wolf reappeared, Kusabimaru wreathed in the same lightning.
It was a reversal of lighting.
“IMPRESSIVE SEKIRO!” Wolf cast the lightning back at the Saint, who jumped back up, catching the lighting again. They were playing the world’s most dangerous game of hot potato, the loser facing a billion volt punishment.
When the Saint cast the lighting back at Wolf a second time, he jumped and twisted his body mid-air, building momentum. He slashed the space in between them with such precision and ferocity that the air itself was cut apart, a trail of sakura petals flowing closely behind.
The Saint looked on, stunned at the technique on display.
‘A complete Sakura Dance… where could he have even seen that technique?!’ The Saint’s bewilderment cost him dearly, too stunned to prepare a counter attack the three slashes hit their mark with brutal efficiency.
Wolf pressed his advantage further, delivering a piercing thrust at the Saint after he had landed.
“GAHH!” Wolf’s katana found it’s mark in the Saint’s chest, completely skewering him. It wasn’t enough to bring him down though, with Wolf receiving a palm strike that completely dislodged his sword and sent him hurtling back.
The Sword Saint tried to get back on the offensive, to regain some lost momentum. He pulled a pistol from his waistband, pelting the shinobi with four shots. Wolf answered by slipping between them, not wasting the time and energy deflecting the shots.
The Sword Saint’s katana caught a glint of moonlight, he held it in its sheath before shooting forward. Two impossibly fast slashes, the Ashina Cross. Wolf managed to successfully deflect the first one, the second one digging into his midsection– flesh and blood splattering the field of white reeds.
They both retreated, trying to calm their wound nerves; the battle was nearing its natural conclusion, the two were both on their last legs.
The lord of Ashina’s hands rested on a third blade, the black Mortal Blade. It was a blade with the power to open a portal to hell. One that could impart life– that had given him the chance to fight one last time with the young shinobi.
‘It comes down to the final strike.’ The Saint would remember this battle as the pinnacle of his life– Sekiro… no, Wolf would have his eternal respect. The shinobi of the Divine Heir had given him a battle far beyond his wildest dreams.
The Saint unleashed the blade from its bind, slashing the air in a circular motion, a mixture of black-white flame burst into the distorted air the sword passed– a black Mortal Draw.
Black-red flames emanated from the scabbard on the shinobi’s back, Wolf drew the red Mortal blade, somehow exceeding the Sword Saint’s speed. He felt it pull at his burdens, regrets, his failures, using them all to strengthen itself. Feeding off his despair and the undying spark that was his soul.
Black-red flame severed black-white flame, the wisps dissipating into the air as if they never existed to begin with. Erasure– complete and pure.
The Sword Saint fell to his knees, a bubbling steaming gash on his chest. He accepted the inevitable.
“……” Isshin had drilled the mantra ‘hesitation is defeat’ into Wolf, yet he couldn’t stop the slight trembling in his hands… Isshin Ashina– the Sword Saint. The strongest in all Japan, the founder of their country was on his knees braced for his inevitable death.
“DO IT SEKIRO!” Wolf moved behind the Saint with the red Mortal Blade in hand, ready to lay the lord to rest.
He cut the back of the Saint’s neck.
The final kill.
The final sin.
“Well done... Wolf. It was fun.” Lord Isshin slumped down, giving into the call of death with a serene smile.
“Farewell Isshin Ashina.” The use of his full name was a small gesture that spoke volumes of the respect Wolf held for him.
‘Reap the eternal from the mind.
Take the memory.
Cast all the suffering aside.
To enlighten me.
Reap the eternal from the mind.
See the water fall.
Cast all the suffering aside.
Lest it cover all.’
Every time he took a life. Every time his own life was taken, he would chant this mantra. Kuro bestowed these words unto the shinobi, etched them onto his heart. An earnest wish to not succumb to the despair, and the stagnation of undeath. To not fall to Shura.
“Wolf... where... are you?” Wolf rushed over to his liege, cradling the young lord in his arms.
The end was near.
“Take the Dragon tears. Kuro-sama.”
He gave them to Kuro, the small lord’s eyes squinting then widening in panic, before slipping into unconsciousness. He could not let his liege see what he was about to do.
“……”
“I hereby condemn the last immortal.”
He brought the red Mortal Blade to his neck. His blood staining the cold rusted steel.
“May you live on and embrace what it means to be human.”
The shinobi cut.
The Divine Dragon’s Lineage, severed.
Blood and sakura petals bloomed from his neck.
Evidence of his curse, his oath.
The shinobi smiled, it was a sorry excuse for a smile, the only thing Wolf could muster up. He had fulfilled his purpose, protected his lord till the very end. Kuro would undoubtedly cry for his loyal shadow, at least he would be alive to do so. He had defied all to protect his lord, the iron code… Broken. Not even Owl could sway his loyalties.
“It… is done.” The shinobi slumped to the cold ground, his body failing him. It was a common occurrence for Wolf, the cycle of spirit denied and twisted by the curse of the Dragon’s Lineage.
‘The final time.’ He could finally rest, all the death, bloodshed. It was over. This was as content as he was allowed to be.
Ashina, his home, Kuro’s home. It would undoubtedly fall without lord Isshin there to protect it, the Interior Ministry would surely overtake it with sheer numbers. Even though he had quelled the rage of the Demon of Hatred, the culmination of all the hate in Ashina, the flames of Shura would coalesce stronger than before. Burning Ashina and all those in it to less than ash.
It didn’t matter. Kuro was safe, free to live his own life, no longer shackled by the chains of undeath– of those who would seek to harness its disgusting power.
He knew reincarnation wasn’t a possibility, the rivers of blood he’d spilt could attest to that, negative karma clung to him like a thick miasma. Saving his liege was one small virtue atop an ocean of sin. The only action he took of his own initiative.
Wolf drifted into the abyss of oblivion. For the final time.
Or… at least that’s what he thought would happen. His soul was being pulled, much like how his resurrections felt, when his soul would be shoved back into his stagnant body.
“My beloved!
My beloved!
My beloved!”
Overwhelming, a thick, viscous ocean of purple miasma surrounded his soul. It didn't take long for a figure to emerge from the waves of shadow, her face was covered by a dark silken veil, what Wolf could see intrigued and entranced him. Hair of pure shining silver flowed behind her, down to the backs of her knees, he found himself wanting to hold that perfect hair in his hands, stoke it for all eternity.
Wolf's enhanced senses allowed him to see what was underneath the veil. A perfect unblemished face and delicate porcelain skin. He wanted to cup her face with his hands, worship what could only be described as a goddess incarnate.
Those eyes, those deep purple eyes. They looked at Wolf with no particular emotion as if the woman was expecting something or someone else, staring though him.
That stung. Much more than it should have. He still savoured the sight, those gleaming amethysts, he just wanted to get lost in them.
Her ears, slender and pointed just added to her intoxicating allure, an inhuman beauty.
He tried to move over to the woman, multiple miasmic hands held him down preventing him from reaching her.
He grit his teeth in protest, hands twitching in their binds. His heartbeat started to quicken, ragged shaky breaths escaping the shinobi's mouth.
It wasn't fair.
The perfection in front of him, he wanted it to himself, she was his sole focus, the only thing he could see in his world.
It clutched his heart, such was his want, his need, his envy.
The thought of not having her... not being by her side eternally, that induced sheer terror into the trembling shinobi.
Then she spoke, her voice a choir of distorted angels as if she was talking from multiple places at the same time.
“You smell like me.”
“Your soul...”
“You look like him.”
“Yet… you are not him...”
“I cannot send you back.”
“Help him.”
“Subaru… my beloved.”
△▼△▼△▼△
An arc of light shined on him, Sakura petals danced and fell to the ground at his feet. He’d come back, resurrected again. He shot up.
"Wha-?" He took the sights in, his mind racing trying to figure out what just happened.
'That woman, just what was she?' The feelings she had made him feel still slightly lingered. He was able to easily suppress and wash away the unwanted emotions. There were now more pressing matters to attend to.
He looked to be in the middle of a city square. A small crowd of people gathered, all staring at him with confusion and apprehension.
"Mommy, what are those pink things next to the poor man?" The child's mother just took her by the hand and quickly walked away, not wanting any sort of involvement with the shinobi.
Wolf looked around, observing the architecture; he'd never seen architecture like this anywhere in Japan. His brow furrowed.
“Is this somewhere in the west?” He muttered to no one in particular, he had heard stories of the western countries, even faced one of their warriors in combat. That seemed to be the only parallel the shinobi could draw.
His brows furrowed even further, a sigh escaping his lips. He had caught sight of some people that held animal characteristics, large wolf and dog like men.
‘A land of yokai then?’ His mind was drawing blanks, he had no clue where the woman of shadows had brought him to. Then he saw a cart and the beast pulling it.
It was being pulled by a dragon. He could sense traces of divinity inside it, like the Divine Dragon, just much less potent. It seemed more akin to a regular animal, the divine energy formed around the dragon, splitting the very air apart, granting it incredible speed despite the cargo it was hauling. Looking closely, some of the people also had small traces of divine energy inhabiting their bodies.
“Strange, very strange.”
‘I need more information about this place.’ He could see some stalls a small way over, so he swiftly walked to them, perfectly weaving between people- unseen in the hustle and bustle of the city.
“Another broke customer? GET OUTTA HERE!” Wolf had just been conversing with an ‘appa’ merchant, he had asked the green haired man a few basic questions. Learning that they were in a country called Lugunica, the easternmost country of the world. He had asked the man if Lugunica was anywhere near Japan. The merchant just responded by raising his eyebrow and told him that he hadn’t heard of such a place.
Wolf had then offered to buy an ‘appa’ from the man, showing him a couple of Sen coins. That made the merchant even more irritable than he already was, he swatted Wolf’s hand away.
‘So, Sen is useless here.’ He took note of that, he’d have to find some work quickly if he wanted a proper place to stay for the night.
“Thank you for the information, it has been a great help.” He gave the merchant a slight bow.
“I will make sure to repay you in the future.” The merchant looked at him skeptically.
"It looks like ya need to get yourself sorted out before making promises like that... could use some better clothes for a start." The merchant let out a small scoff at the sorry sight in front of him.
"It's clear ya need this, so it's on the house." He tossed Wolf an appa.
"Now scram, you're scaring away the other customers!" The burly merchant made a shooing motion with his hand. Wolf just nodded at the man, walking away whilst pocketing the appa.
△▼△▼△▼△
The shinobi wandered, traveling mainly to get a feel for the city he was now in, memorising the layout. As such he had ended up in one of the alleyways on the outskirts to the slums.
‘This place is not like Japan at all. Did that shadow like woman give me another chance?’ He had fully expected and welcomed his final death, wanting nothing more than to return to the earth never to rise again.
‘When will I finally be allowed rest?’ Maybe this was punishment for his crimes, for all the blood spilt and the hate fostered.
‘Hah, maybe I could... live a normal life?’ A small spark of hope wormed its way into the shinobi’s heart, the sliver of a chance to just be normal, be human.
‘That woman… she told me to help someone, Subaru.’ His name sounded Japanese, it was a safe bet for Wolf to assume they were both in the same situation.
‘After I find this Su-’
“Ohh, who might you be~?” Wolf was taken out of his musings by a woman walking towards him from the entrance to the alleyway.
She was a head shorter than him, an unblemished face stared back at him, her countenance one of curiosity– her purple eyes gleaming with a barely shackled hunger. Medium length onyx-black hair, tied into a braid ran down her left shoulder, going to her hips. Her skin was pale to a fault, almost like a Geisha's with their full makeup on.
It seems she wasn't very fond of modesty, wearing a black dress dress with purple accents that did little to cover her up– her ample chest and stomach almost completely exposed. They were practically begging to be seen. The brown tights she wore just served to accentuate her allure, perfectly caressing her legs. She was slim, almost delicate in some areas, but blessed with flawless curves in the areas that mattered. It was a guarantee that all the eyes in a room would be on her the second she entered.
She walked knowing the effects she had, each step bolstered with a sheer unbreakable confidence yet tempered by a graceful almost disarming charm.
With each step Wolf could hear subtle clinks coming from her back and sides, which were covered by a cloak. He could tell she was armed, probably a dagger and other thrown weapons.
‘An assassin?’ Wolf tensed slightly, preparing for a fight.
“On guard the moment you see me– good instincts. No need to worry though, I’m not in the business for a fight right now.” Her demeanor was casual, almost friendly, tinged with a slight sensuality. Wolf could see beyond the surface; she was holding herself back, akin to a viper coiling up before it lashes out at its prey.
'He's clearly skilled... that look too, he's not giving much away. Curious.'
“I am Elsa Granhiert, a pleasure.” She performed a small graceful bow, she looked up at Wolf expecting him to respond in kind. After a few seconds of silence she stood straight and let out a small sigh.
“It’s not very nice to keep a woman waiting, you know~?”
“... Sekiro.” He reciprocated Elsa’s bow with one of his own, falling to one knee, and slightly lowering his head.
“Hmm, quite the little charmer, aren’t we?” Wolf soon ended his bow, standing back up and staring down into Elsa’s eyes. She crossed her arms, putting her right hand to her mouth- stifling a small laugh.
“I’d think you’re a knight with that sort of greeting, but… you certainly don’t look the part.” She ran her eyes up and down the shinobi, pleasantly surprised with the view he presented.
‘On the surface he just looks like some wandering vagabond… I can tell though, he’s strong.’ This wanderer had caught Elsa’s curiosity and attention, a completely new face. She knew he wasn't connected to the organisation, she would've been informed if he was. If that truly was the case it would have been an oversight grave enough to incur mama's wrath.
'I might be able to have some fun with this one.'
“Sekiro, I'm curious, what does it mean?" She couldn't spare the time to fight him, so getting to know him through conversation would have to suffice for now.
“One-armed wolf.” Elsa was naturally drawn to his left arm– well the lack of a flesh and blood one. It was a wooden prosthetic, a metal beam serving as the inner core, surrounded by gears and machinery.
“What a strange device– your left arm. I assume you can move the fingers?”
“Yes I can.” A small flex, the slight metallic whirring and the creaking of wood produced movement from the shinobi’s wooden fingers.
“Amazing, it doesn’t look like any metia I've ever seen. Did you make it yourself?” The confusion that gave way to curiosity that Elsa was showing mimicked Wolf’s own emotions when he first woke up with the prosthetic in place of his left arm.
“No, it was made by a… dear friend.” A wistful smile followed the memories, the Sculptor had more than earned Wolf’s eternal gratitude.
“A dear friend? Those are a rarity in our line of work.” It hadn't taken long for the assassin to deduce the reason Sekiro had so easily captured her attention. It was the undeniable stench of blood. He was a killer cut from the same crimson cloth she was.
“I’d love to keep chatting, but unfortunately I have a job to do.” She shot Wolf an expectant look.
“It’s a shame I’m on such a tight deadline, I would’ve loved to see if the one-armed wolf has a bite befitting the name.” She began walking down the alleyway.
“Make sure to keep your bowels intact for me Sekiro~” She graced Wolf with a wave before she completely disappeared from sight, leaving Wolf alone to continue his musings.
‘What a strange woman.’ In their brief meeting, Elsa Granhiert had cemented herself as the most eccentric assassin he’d ever seen.
‘Looks like I should prepare for a fight, I doubt she would settle for anything less than a bloodbath.’ The hunger in Elsa’s eyes was readily apparent to the shinobi– similar to the look in lord Isshin’s eyes when they fought.
‘Time to start the search.’ He needed to find this Subaru person if the words of the shadow-like woman were to be heeded.
‘Hmm, where do I start?’ Wolf had next to nothing to aid him in his search, only a name and a few assumptions.
‘Subaru… I should ask around the city, see if anyone has seen him.’ And so Wolf began to wander, this time with a clear goal.