NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18 Burn the Witch
-At the docks of a random village-
Sasori was sitting on a bench, watching people enter and leave the village through the docks, waiting for the Hashira who was supposed to join him.
"Where is this Hashira?" Sasori asked, frustration evident in his tone.
"Sasori, it's only been 20 minutes," Aki said, perched on Sasori's wrist and nibbling on the pumpkin pie slice in Sasori's palm.
"Me waiting this long for someone is a miracle this world does not deserve," Sasori replied, standing up as Aki finished the pumpkin slice.
"Well, what are you going to do then?" Aki asked, flying up to Sasori's head and sitting there.
"You know the direction where the village is?" Sasori asked.
"I don't know where the village is, but I know its name. And if you give it to anyone here, they will take you to the village," Aki explained.
"Well, what's the name of the village?" Sasori asked, walking up to one of the fishermen.
"Do you want me to take you to Hachibana Village?! Sorry kid, can't do that," the fisherman said, walking off.
"Sasori, that was the twelfth fisherman you asked," Aki noted.
"Glad to know you can count, Aki," Sasori said, looking around when his eyes landed on a young-looking man holding a small fish in his hand, looking dejected.
Sasori smiled a bit. "I found our ride," Sasori said as he walked up to the young fisherman.
"Why him?" Aki asked.
"Judging from his age, he is about 15 or 16, and from his expression, from only catching one small fish, it means he is the only one who can provide for his family. Probably a sick father, mother, or siblings. Young ones like him are desperate to provide for their families and will be willing to do anything for the right price, even if it's dangerous or life-threatening," Sasori said as the young fisherman noticed Sasori approaching him.
The young fisherman looked up as Sasori approached. "Excuse me," Sasori began, "I need to get to Hachibana Village. Can you take me there?"
The young man hesitated, glancing at his small catch. "Hachibana Village? It's quite a way from here..."
"I'll make it worth your while," Sasori interrupted, holding out a small pouch of coins.
The fisherman's eyes widened at the sight of the money. "Alright," he said, pocketing the coins. "I can take you there."
"Excellent," Sasori said. "When can we leave?"
"We can leave right now. But can you wait until I go and give this to one of my siblings?" the young fisherman asked. "It's going to be midnight when we get there, and I don't want my family to starve until I get back with the money."
"I would like if we went right now. Can't you ask one of the other fishermen to deliver the money to your family?" Sasori asked.
"I guess I can..." the young fisherman said, beginning to look around. "Hey, Kenta! Can you give this money to one of my siblings?" the young fisherman asked.
The other man nodded, taking the money from the young fisherman. "I can do that. Where are you going, Kaito?" the man now known as Kenta asked.
"I'm taking him to Hachibana Village," the young fisherman, now known as Kaito, pointed at Sasori.
"Hachibana Village?! Have you finally gone insane?!" Kenta asked, sounding shocked and worried.
"What is the problem with that village?" Sasori asked, making the two men look at him.
"You don't know? Of course, you don't. Why else would you want to go there?" Kenta said.
"What's the problem with that village?" Sasori repeated his question before Kenta could reply. Kaito put his hand over his mouth, shutting him up.
"No, sir. Nothing wrong with that village. Anyway, let's get going," Kaito said as they got on the boat and began to leave.
"How long will it take us to get there?" Sasori asked as they set sail.
"It's noon now, so it will take us until midnight to get to Hachibana Village," Kaito explained as he dropped the sails.
The ride was peaceful, the gentle rocking of the boat almost soothing.
"You know, you didn't have to be so impatient," Aki said, settling on Sasori's head.
"I despise waiting," Sasori replied, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Especially when there's work to be done."
"You really need to learn to relax sometimes," Aki said with a sigh.
-Several hours later-
It was almost midnight when they spotted the distant silhouette of the island where the village lay.
"This is going better than I expected," Kaito whispered to himself.
"Why are you whispering?" Sasori asked, hearing Kaito mutter to himself.
"You heard me?" Kaito asked nervously. "Don't worry about it."
"I feel like this guy is going to jinx us," Aki said, launching off Sasori's head and flying towards the island, leaving Sasori and Kaito behind.
"Sir, can I ask you a question?" Kaito ventured.
"Sure, what is it?" Sasori replied. "Why can your crow talk?" Kaito asked.
"She's smart," Sasori answered.
"I guess that explains it," Kaito began to say when a strong wave hit the boat.
"Don't worry, sir! It's just a bit of water! No reason for us to turn back!" Kaito said, sounding a bit panicked.
Before Sasori could say anything, the boat began to spin slowly.
"Oh, no! Oh, no!" Kaito screamed, trying to use the sail, but the rope tying the fabric came loose, and the sail flew off.
He started rowing frantically to steer the boat away, but the ocean's waves grew stronger, swirling into a vortex.
"Is this why no one brought me here?! Why didn't you inform me of this?" Sasori demanded.
"I'm sorry! This was the only way I could make a decent amount of money, and I didn't want you to change your mind about going when you found out there's a high chance of a vortex!" Kaito shouted, sounding guilty as if he had killed Sasori's nonexistent child.
"It's not that big of a deal, kid. Calm down," Sasori said.
"What do you mean it's not a big deal?! I'm the reason you're going to die! I'm the reason my family won't have a provider! I knew I should have used the worn-out boat so he could use this one to try and provide for the family!" Kaito yelled in anguish.
"You're the saddest creature I've ever met," Sasori remarked, grabbing the back of Kaito's shirt and jumping out of the boat.
Sasori slung Kaito over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and used chakra to run across the water.
"What the heck?! How are you running on water?" Kaito exclaimed.
"It's easier if I don't explain it to you," Sasori replied.
"Is it?" Kaito asked, his voice tinged with both fear and amazement, as he clung to Sasori's back while they raced across the water, leaving the chaotic vortex behind.
As they approached the island, Aki flew back to Sasori, landing lightly on his head. "Looks like you two got into quite a mess," she remarked, eyeing Kaito with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
"It's not every day you find yourself in a vortex," Sasori said dryly, setting Kaito down gently on the shore as they reached solid ground.
Kaito stumbled a bit, still shaken from the ordeal. "Thank you... for saving me," he managed to say, his voice filled with gratitude and relief.
Sasori nodded, scanning the darkened landscape of Hachibana Village. "You. Stay right here," he ordered.
"Can I at least go to that lighthouse?" Kaito asked, pointing at a lighthouse that was a bit far from where they were.
"No. Don't go near anything that can remotely be used as a shelter," Sasori commanded as he walked toward the village on the island.
Sasori climbed up a small hill, seeing the village, which was a bit far from the shore but whose distant lights revealed the figures of people.
Sasori walked to the entrance of the village, noticing a tall pole with a siren on it.
"Aki, what is that?" Sasori asked, pointing at the siren.
"It's a siren. They're used as warnings for emergencies such as natural disasters like tornadoes or tsunamis," Aki explained.
"Aki, go back to the fisherman. Keep him out of trouble," Sasori instructed as he saw a group of villagers holding several improvised weapons approaching.
Aki flew off immediately, also noticing the villagers.
Sasori used his chakra to sense the villagers, noting that they were all human and that their chakra was still, indicating they were under someone's or something's control.
As Sasori thought this, the siren blared, "Kill the red-headed slayer!"
A woman charged Sasori from the side of a building where she had been hiding, hoping for a sneak attack. Sasori easily dodged by stepping back and grabbed her pitchfork, lifting it along her off the ground as she still clung to it. He forcefully swung the pitchfork to the side, causing the woman to lose her grip and be thrown through a nearby window.
A man jumped through a window above Sasori, holding a knife and attempting to stab him with it. The man aimed the knife first, but Sasori sidestepped, letting the knife pass him. He grabbed the man's hand and struck his head with the back of the pitchfork, causing him to drop the knife. Sasori then guided the man's body to land gently on the ground, legs first.
Sasori stabbed the man with the pitchfork, piercing his shoulder and pinning him to a building. He grabbed the man's head and smashed it against the handlebar of the pitchfork, breaking the handle and knocking the man out his body still pinned to the building.
Sasori sensed a strong chakra signature hiding in one of the buildings. It was the strongest chakra he had sensed yet in this world.
'So, it's an Upper Moon?' Sasori thought, a sly smile spreading across his face.
Another man ran at Sasori wielding a metal pipe. He lifted it up and attempted to hit Sasori in the head, but Sasori quickly grabbed it and kicked the man between the legs. The man's only reaction was to release the pipe.
'So they won't break from the control even when faced with pain,' Sasori thought to himself as he hit the man with the pipe, knocking him out.
"What are you idiots doing? Kill him!" the siren announced.
The villagers began to attack the person they were looking at, which led some of them to attack each other.
"Shit! I meant to attack the red-headed slayer!" the siren corrected as the villagers' attention returned to Sasori.
As the villagers swarmed, Sasori moved with precision and efficiency. He parried a poorly aimed swing from a makeshift club and swept the attacker's legs out from under them. Another villager came at him with a rusty machete, but Sasori disarmed them with a deft twist of his wrist, sending the weapon clattering to the ground.
Despite the odds, Sasori remained calm, his mind calculating every move. The villagers, though numerous, were not skilled fighters. They were being driven by something beyond their control, their attacks erratic and uncoordinated.
Suddenly, the entrance of a building next to Sasori exploded, sending debris flying everywhere.
Sasori completed a leg sweep on a villager, causing them to fall, and narrowly missed a piece of flying debris that would have killed them.
"Quite impressive. Holding yourself against an entire village." The voice belonged to a very muscular young man of average height with skin so fair it appeared bright green-tinged white, decorated with a pattern of thick blue lines resembling criminal tattoos. He had short, bright pink hair that fluffed out around his head, inward-tilting yellow eyes with pink eyelashes and a blue sclera that resembled cracked glass. The kanji for 'Upper' and 'Three' were etched into his irises.
"Not the first time I've done something like this," Sasori replied, stabbing another man who attempted to attack him with a pitchfork, driving it into the ground.
Sasori ducked under another attack by a woman holding a metal pipe, causing her to accidentally strike the other man, knocking him unconscious. He then executed a leg sweep, knocking the woman to the ground.
"Takahashi, command the villagers to stop attacking," Akaza ordered.
"But, Lord Akaza!" the siren blared in protest.
"No buts. I want to fight him one-on-one," Akaza said, assuming a fighting stance.
"Stop attacking the red-headed slayer. Just don't get in Lord Akaza's way," the siren announced.
The villagers immediately ceased their attacks, stepping back to give Akaza and Sasori space. Sasori's eyes narrowed as he sized up his new opponent. Akaza's reputation preceded him; as an Upper Moon, he was one of the most formidable demons in Muzan's ranks.
"You're confident, I'll give you that," Sasori remarked, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Akaza's expression remained excited. "Confidence comes with power. Let's see if you can match that."
Without another word, Akaza lunged at Sasori with incredible speed, aiming a powerful punch at his chest. Sasori barely had time to react, sidestepping and countering with a strike of his own. Akaza blocked it effortlessly, their movements a blur to the onlooking villagers.
Sasori jumped back, unsheathing his sword. "That's quite a powerful blow. I haven't met a slayer who could pack a punch before," Akaza said, assuming a fighting stance. "Let me repay that."
Akaza punched the empty air in front of him, creating a shockwave that flew toward Sasori. Sasori used the Substitution Jutsu to replace himself with a large piece of rock.
"Huh?" Akaza asked, surprised at Sasori's sudden disappearance.
Akaza moved his arm to block Sasori's attack that came from his side. Sasori's blade cut through Akaza's arm and got stuck in his shoulder.
Akaza's arm regenerated instantly, and he grabbed one of Sasori's arms, stopping him from moving as he pulled his other arm back and threw a punch. Sasori used the arm Akaza was holding to lift himself, aiming a kick at Akaza's jaw. The kick made contact, ripping the muscle around Akaza's neck.
With his foot still near Akaza's head, Sasori brought it down, hitting Akaza's cheek and making his head turn several times, but Akaza's grip did not falter.
"Impressive! I've never met anyone who can hit this hard with just their own body," Akaza said, letting go of Sasori and allowing him to jump back.
"Tell me, slayer! What's your name?" Akaza asked, his voice filled with excitement.
"Sasori," Sasori replied.
"Well, Sasori, I have faced many strong slayers, including Ryoji Takahashi, Aiko Nakamura, Haruto Yamamoto, Kaede Fujimoto, Renji Sato, Minoru Tanaka, Yuki Okada, Sora Kawamura, Keiji Matsuda, Asuka Mori, Daichi Watanabe, Hikari Inoue, Shiro Abe, Eiji Kuroda, and Hiroshi Nakata," Akaza said, listing off the names with a sense of pride. "And now, you have the honor of joining them."
Without another word, Akaza lunged at Sasori with incredible speed.
"Eight-Layered Demon Core!" Akaza unleashed eight powerful punches, each strike creating large and strong shockwaves.
Sasori blocked the attacks using his sword, which began to crack under the pressure. As Akaza finished his last strike, Sasori performed several hand signs.
"Boufuu Kyouzuu no Jutsu (Gale Surge)!"
Sasori manipulated the air around him, creating a blast of wind that extended three feet, knocking Akaza back.
"Such powerful abilities!" Akaza said, charging back at Sasori and launching a punch.
Sasori blocked it with his sword. "Fight me hand to hand!" Akaza demanded.
Before Sasori could react, Akaza reappeared, punching Sasori through a building.
"It will take more than that to kill me!" Akaza's excitement was evident as he taunted Sasori.
"Oi, listen to m-" Lower Three attempted to speak, but suddenly a kunai was thrown into her mouth, stopping her from finishing her sentence.
"Don't let her talk! She can control your mind if she speaks!" Sasori warned the villagers, acting quickly to prevent any further influence.
He launched Riku at Akaza, grappling him and taking their battle into the sky.
Before Lower Three could remove the kunai from her mouth, a villager pushed her to the ground, and another stabbed her neck with a pitchfork, pinning her down.
Two other villagers secured her arms with pitchforks, immobilizing her.
"She is a witch! Just look at her!" One of the men pinning her down shouted.
Meanwhile, Yuna frantically searched for her husband, her heart pounding with fear and worry. As she turned a corner, her worst fears materialized—she spotted him pinned to a wall with a pitchfork, two men hurriedly trying to help him.
Her emotions surged like a tempest. Rage, raw and consuming, gripped her. She clutched the knife in her trembling hand, her fingers white-knuckled around its handle. Her gaze locked onto the witch pinned to the ground, the source of her husband's suffering.
With each stab of the knife, Yuna's fury poured out in a torrent of desperate vengeance. The witch's agonized screams pierced the air, drowned only by the harsh reality of her own pain. Every strike was a testament to her determination—to protect, to avenge, to reclaim the safety of her family.
No one, and she meant no one, would dare threaten her loved ones again.
Akaza's relentless energy surged as he stood on the ground, breathing heavily but still brimming with excitement. His eyes scanned the battlefield, taking in the chaos and the determined villagers rallying against the captured Lower Three.
Sasori, regrouping with his bandit puppets, assessed the situation. Despite the poison coursing through Akaza's veins, Sasori knew he remained a formidable adversary.
"You're quite resilient," Sasori remarked, his voice calm. "But I'm finishing this."
Akaza's grin dropped a bit as he wiped blood from his mouth, his yellow eyes glinting with anticipation. "Shame. I was hoping for more."
The villagers, emboldened by their success in subduing Lower Three, began binding her more securely, preparing for the ritual Yuna had called for. They chanted fervently, their voices echoing across the chaotic scene.
Sasori released his chakra strings, allowing his puppets to fall to the ground, and retrieved another scroll from within his cloak.
"Give me your best shot!" Akaza exclaimed, opening his arms widely, inviting Sasori to attack.
"More bold than I assumed you would be," Sasori remarked, clenching his fist, the metal of his arm gleaming with anticipation.
"Very well," Sasori continued, his voice steady and focused. "Let's see if you can handle this."
With a swift movement, Sasori lunged forward, his enhanced arm crackling with energy. He unleashed a devastating punch at Akaza, the sheer force of it creating a shockwave that tore through the air. Akaza was sent hurtling through multiple buildings, crashing across the ocean until he collided with land, creating a massive crater upon impact. His body lay broken, limbs torn apart by the incredible force of Sasori's attack.
Slowly, Akaza's body began to regenerate. His eyes gleamed with excitement and admiration as he realized the extent of Sasori's power. Sasori's punch had not only sent him to a distant island but had also showcased a strength he had never encountered before.
"Sasori... Mark my words, we will meet again," Akaza declared, his grin becoming manic as he stood amidst the wreckage, his body slowly piecing itself back together.
Yuna hesitated for a moment, the flickering flames reflecting the turmoil within her. Memories of happier times with her husband and children flashed before her eyes, juxtaposed with the devastation caused by the witch's malevolent influence.
The witch's eyes widened in a final plea, her voice hoarse from screaming and choking on blood. "Please... mercy..."
But Yuna's resolve remained unshaken. With a steady hand, she brought the torch closer, the heat becoming palpable. The villagers' chants turned into a fervent roar, urging her on. They had suffered too long under the witch's spell, their loved ones twisted and enslaved by her dark arts.
As the flames licked closer to the witch's feet, Yuna closed her eyes briefly, silently praying for forgiveness and strength. The torch trembled slightly in her grip, a testament to the inner struggle between justice and mercy.
At that moment, the decision was made. With a final, resolute breath, Yuna released the torch, letting it fall onto the witch's pyre. The fire erupted eagerly, engulfing the witch in a consuming blaze. Her screams pierced the night air, echoing the villagers' pent-up anguish and relief.
The flames crackled and danced hungrily, casting an eerie glow over the solemn faces of the villagers. Yuna stood there, watching the fire consume the source of their suffering, her heart heavy yet oddly liberated.
"This is justice," Yuna whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the roaring flames.
