NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Chapter 30: The First Step as Myself
Echigo Province – The Road from the Mountain Pass, Year 9 of Tenbun (1540 AD)
For the first time—
He was walking forward without chains.
The cold mountain air brushed against his face, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain.
Each step he took felt different.
Lighter.
Not because the journey was easy.
But because, for the first time—
It was his journey.
His choice.
His path.
Not one carved by the Tiger of Kai.Not one dictated by a fate he had never chosen.
But one he would create with his own hands.
And that—
That was enough.
For now.
"You are quiet."
Kenshin's voice broke through the crisp air.
The boy glanced at him but said nothing.
Because, for once—
There was nothing that needed to be said.
He had already made his decision.
He was still injured.His body still ached from battle.
But in his mind—
There was clarity.
He had spent his whole life fighting for others.
For the Takeda.For the orders given to him.
But from now on—
He would fight for himself.
For something that mattered.
Even if he did not know what that was yet.
He would find it.
Kenshin simply smiled.
"Good."
"Keep walking."
"And when the time comes, you will know what it is you seek."
The boy nodded.
Because he believed that, too.
And so, as the road stretched forward—
He took his first step as himself.
[Fated Death: Broken.]You are no longer bound by the past.You have chosen to fight for yourself.The path ahead is unknown—but it is yours.
The war is not over.
But this time, you will decide how the story ends.