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Episode 5

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Dororo: The Mio Chronicle Episode 5: Reverse-grip blade, bonds torn apart

The temple hall was dead silent and freezing cold in the hour before dawn. Hyakkimaru kept watch over the fire and studied Mio's face as she lay there. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breathing was ragged. Her lips moved faintly as she moaned in the grip of a high fever. "...Mom..." Hyakkimaru reached out slowly with his prosthetic hand. His cold fingertips wrapped around Mio's burning hand. —I'm here. He told her so with his telepathy. Mio's breathing grew just a little calmer. "Big bro... I'm just gonna... shut my eyes for a bit..." Dororo, who'd been keeping watch beside him, was nodding off, head bobbing. Hyakkimaru took off his own robe and draped it over Dororo's shoulders. "...Huh? Big bro, what's this?" Dororo's eyes snapped open. "I wasn't asleep! I was just resting my eyes for a second!" Hyakkimaru gave Dororo a light tap on the head. "Ow! I told you to stop hitting me!" Dororo's gaze drifted to Mio's sleeping face. "...Sis still hasn't broken her fever. She went and calmed down a monster like that all by herself. Guess it's no wonder." Hyakkimaru, still holding Mio's hand, gave a small nod. "Big bro. There's something I've been thinking." Dororo spoke quietly, staring into the fire. "Sis pushes herself way harder than we realize. Even that song of hers—I bet it's eating away at her. And she never says a word about it. She just takes it all on herself, thinking she's gotta handle everything alone." Hyakkimaru listened to Dororo in silence. "So, big bro. We've gotta protect Sis. No matter what." Hyakkimaru rested his prosthetic hand on Dororo's head. —Yeah. "...Cut it out, that tickles." Dororo squirmed, embarrassed. That was when it happened. Hyakkimaru's spiritual sense caught a sharp presence. —Coming. Hyakkimaru rose to his feet in one smooth motion. "Big bro? What's wrong?" Hyakkimaru stared hard at the entrance of the hall. In the pale morning light, a single figure approached slowly. It was a woman. Her black hair was pulled back tight and fell to her shoulders, and a small old scar marked her left cheek. Her narrow black eyes held a cold gleam. In her hands she gripped two short swords, held in reverse. It was Takumi. "...Found you." Takumi's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "Who the hell are you?!" Dororo tried to step in front of Hyakkimaru. He held Dororo back with one hand. "By order of Lord Daigo Kagemitsu, I'm taking Lady Mio back." Takumi raised her short swords. "Stand in my way, and I won't show mercy." Hyakkimaru drew the blade concealed in his prosthetic arm. —Don't touch Mio. His telepathy reached Takumi. "...Those eyes. I don't like them." Takumi smiled. The next instant, Takumi's body vanished. No—it only seemed to vanish. Her reversed short sword came slashing up from below at an impossible angle, aimed at Hyakkimaru's throat. Clang. Hyakkimaru caught it on his blade. Heavy. The trajectory was nothing like ordinary swordsmanship. The blade didn't come down from above—it flew in from below, from the side, from angles that shouldn't exist. "Hoh. You can block it." Takumi drove her other short sword at Hyakkimaru's flank. Hyakkimaru kicked off the ground with his prosthetic leg and leaped back. But Takumi gave chase. Whish. Whish. Whish. The sound of the twin short swords slicing the air came in rapid succession. Hyakkimaru could only defend. "And you think you can challenge Lord Kagemitsu with that?" Takumi's short sword struck at the joint of Hyakkimaru's prosthetic arm. Clang. One of the prosthetic fingers went dead. "Big bro!" Dororo pulled a stone from the cloth pouch at their waist. "Get away from him, you witch!" Dororo hurled the stone. It was a strike aimed dead at Takumi's face. But Takumi merely tilted her head slightly and dodged it. "...Clever little thing." Takumi turned toward Dororo. "Whoa!" Takumi's kick slammed into Dororo's stomach. Dororo's small body went flying. Thud. Their back crashed against one of the hall's pillars. "That hurt, you bastard..." Dororo gritted their teeth and tried to stand. But Takumi showed no mercy. Her reversed short sword slashed open Dororo's left shoulder. Shhk. Blood sprayed. "Gaaah!" Dororo screamed and collapsed. Hyakkimaru's expression froze. —Dororo. His vision went crimson. "...Next, that head of yours." Takumi raised her short sword to finish Dororo off. Hyakkimaru kicked off the ground. His prosthetic blade knocked Takumi's short sword aside. Clang. Sparks scattered. "...Hoh." Takumi took a step back. Hyakkimaru, shielding Dororo behind him, glared at Takumi. —I'll kill you. His killing intent filled the hall. "...Good eyes. But my mission is to bring Lady Mio back. I don't have time to play with you." Takumi glanced toward the back of the hall. Mio was crawling out from her bedding. "...Stop." Mio's voice was trembling. "Takumi... please, stop. Don't lay a hand on these children." Mio staggered over and stood between Takumi and Hyakkimaru. "...Lady Mio. Please take care of your health." Takumi's voice wavered, just slightly. "I'll go. So please, don't touch them." Mio bowed her head to Takumi. "...Good, that makes this easy." Takumi seized Mio's arm. In that instant, Hyakkimaru's prosthetic hand caught Mio's. —Don't go. His telepathy poured into Mio. —Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Hyakkimaru wouldn't let go of her hand. "...Release her." Takumi leveled her short sword at Hyakkimaru. "Hyakkimaru..." Mio laid her own hand over his. "As long as you're here, everyone's in danger. Please—let me have my selfishness." Mio smiled. It was a smile wet with tears. "I'm so glad I met you. Your hands were warm. Your heart was even warmer. ...So please. Let me go." Hyakkimaru's throat seized up. A voiceless scream shook his whole body. —Don't go. Hyakkimaru gripped Mio's hand tight. His prosthetic fingers wouldn't let her go. "...I'm sorry." Mio gently pried his prosthetic fingers loose, one by one. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. ...I loved you, you know." Mio's hand slipped free of his. "...Let's go." Takumi pulled Mio by the arm and walked out of the hall. Hyakkimaru stood rooted to the spot. —Mio. His heart shattered with an audible crack. "Big bro! Go after Sis!" Dororo shouted, bleeding. Hyakkimaru came back to himself and bolted out of the hall. But. The area around the hall was swarming with Kagemitsu's soldiers. "Prepare the sealing ritual! Cut down anyone who interferes!" The armored soldiers charged at Hyakkimaru all at once. Hyakkimaru swung his blade. One stroke felled a soldier. He reversed the blade and cut down another. But there were too many. "Big bro! This way! Hide in the back of the hall!" Dororo grabbed Hyakkimaru's hand. Hyakkimaru scooped Dororo up and ran toward the rear of the hall. The soldiers gave chase. "Don't let them escape! Kill them!" Hyakkimaru spotted a gaping hole beneath the collapsed altar. A hidden pit. Without hesitation, Hyakkimaru leaped into the hole with Dororo in his arms. Thump. The two of them landed at the bottom of the dark pit. "Big bro! Are you okay?!" Hyakkimaru nodded. From above came the soldiers' voices. "They fell into the hole! Seal it!" Rumble, rumble. Rubble piled up, blocking the entrance. The light died. Total darkness swallowed them. "...Big bro. It's pitch black." Dororo's voice echoed in the dark. Hyakkimaru pulled Dororo close. "Big bro... I'm cold..." Dororo's body was shaking. A high fever. The wound on their shoulder was deep, too. Hyakkimaru took off his robe and wrapped Dororo in it. "...Big bro. I've never taken a bath before..." Dororo said weakly. "Don't look at my back, okay..." Dororo turned away from Hyakkimaru and curled up. Hyakkimaru didn't touch Dororo's back. He only pressed down on the shoulder wound with his prosthetic hand. The blood wouldn't stop. Hyakkimaru slammed his fist against the wall in frustration at his own helplessness. Thud. Again and again. Thud. Thud. Thud. Blood seeped out. The bones of his fingers creaked. The dull sound echoed on and on through the darkness. "Big bro... stop it..." Dororo murmured, tears in their voice. "If I were stronger... I could've protected Sis..." Hyakkimaru's fist sank into the wall. —It's because I'm weak. —It's because I couldn't protect Mio. Hyakkimaru just kept pounding the wall in the darkness. Thud. Thud. Thud. Blood ran down the wall and dripped to the floor. "Big bro... stop... please..." Dororo's voice was shaking. Hyakkimaru's fist stopped. —No. —It's because I'm weak that I'm making even Dororo cry. Hyakkimaru lowered his fist. That was when it happened. Clink. Something rolled out from Dororo's clothing. Hyakkimaru picked it up in the darkness. —Prayer beads. Old prayer beads. The ones Mio had hidden wrapped in the rice ball. Her mother's keepsake. Hyakkimaru's spiritual sense caught the faint warmth lingering in the beads. —Live. Mio's feelings flowed into his heart. —Live. Live. Live. Light returned to Hyakkimaru's eyes. "Big bro... those are Mio's..." Dororo said in a hoarse voice. Hyakkimaru nodded quietly. —Yeah. —They're Mio's. —So I'm going to give them back. Hyakkimaru clenched the beads in his fist. In the darkness, a small flame lit in his heart. —It's not over yet. —I'm getting out of here. —And I'm taking Mio back. Hyakkimaru looked up at the ceiling of darkness. A faint breeze was flowing in through the gaps in the rubble. —There's a way. Hyakkimaru felt along the wall with his prosthetic hand. "Big bro... what are we gonna do?" Hyakkimaru turned toward Dororo. —We're getting out. —Together. "...Big bro. I don't wanna be a burden to you anymore." Dororo said, crying. Hyakkimaru rested his prosthetic hand on Dororo's head. —You've never been a burden. —It's because you were with me that I made it this far. "Big bro..." Hyakkimaru took Dororo's hand and pulled them to their feet. —Let's go. —We're taking Mio back. Dororo wiped their tears and nodded. "...Yeah! Let's go, big bro!" The two of them began walking through the darkness, toward where the wind flowed. In Hyakkimaru's hand, Mio's prayer beads were held tight. —Wait for me, Mio. —I'll come for you. No matter what. Deep in the darkness, the wind sang faintly. It echoed in Hyakkimaru's heart like the lingering refrain of Mio's song.