NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34: Chapter 34: A Blade Without a Master
Echigo Province – Kasugayama Castle, Year 9 of Tenbun (1540 AD)
The mountain winds whispered through the stone corridors of Kasugayama Castle.
Even within its walls, the air felt heavy, expectant.
The boy—no, the warrior who had chosen his own name—stood in silence.
Before him sat Uesugi Kenshin, the Dragon of Echigo.
And between them—
A question that had yet to be answered.
"What will you do now?"
The words hung in the air.
Because even now—
Even after everything—
The road ahead was still uncertain.
For years, he had never needed to make this decision.
His life had always been dictated by others.
A sword was only ever wielded.
It did not decide where it was swung.
It did not choose who it cut down.
But now—
That choice belonged to him alone.
The realization was heavier than any blade.
And for a moment, he did not answer.
Not because he was afraid.
But because he wanted his next words to matter.
And so, when he finally spoke—
His voice was steady.
"I will fight."
"But not as a weapon."
"Not as someone else's blade."
"I will fight as myself."
Kenshin listened, his expression calm, unreadable.
Then, slowly—
He smiled.
"Good."
"Then stay."
"And fight beside me."
"Not as a servant."
"Not as a tool."
"But as a warrior who chooses his own battles."
The words settled deep within him.
A place to stand.A reason to move forward.
Not given to him.
But earned.
And so, for the first time—
He accepted.
"Then I will stay."
And just like that—
His path, once aimless, had found its first step forward.
Kasugayama Castle was no longer just a temporary place.
It was no longer just a battlefield to survive.
It was a beginning.
Because now, he was no longer running.
No longer bound by chains that he had never chosen.
He was a warrior.
A blade that answered to no master but himself.
And whatever came next—
He would face it without fear.
[Fated Death: Destroyed.]You have chosen to stay in Echigo.You will fight alongside Uesugi Kenshin—not as a tool, but as an equal.Your fate is no longer bound to the past—it is yours to carve.
The war will come.
But this time, you will face it on your own terms.