The Brother's Shadow
After Death had departed, the Guardian Spirit sank down into a seated position and closed his eyes. Even if Death had witnessed it, unless he looked closely, it would have appeared as nothing more than rest.
……Damn it.
Lately, he had been crushed beneath the presence of those far above him on several occasions. His already sparse soul was barely holding its form together by force, and if he let his guard down even for a moment, it would scatter and vanish. The Guardian Spirit let out a deep sigh and focused on steadying his soul.
It would be troublesome if I vanished just yet.
At the very least, now was not the time. There were still too many things a lingering soul like his needed to watch over.
The Guardian Spirit was strangely quiet. He had expected at least a word or two about what had just happened.
Perhaps he was in shock from nearly being erased.
No. Knowing his personality, that could never be the reason.
He’s still lending me his eyes, so his soul must be fine.
Raven blinked blankly.
Each time he did, the green eyes tinged with ghostly energy disappeared beneath his eyelids before reappearing. He racked his brain for a moment, wondering what the problem could be, then suddenly sat upright.
Don’t tell me…
Was it because of what Deciever had said?
“A mere wraith who escaped his sins by sacrificing his own younger brother…!”
Given Deciever’s nature, he would never have overlooked investigating the soul closest to “Father.” So Raven set aside the fact that Deciever seemed to know about the Guardian Spirit and focused only on the content……
It was certainly surprising.
But was it enough to make him fall completely silent? Raven tilted his head.
Of course, there were many things he wanted to ask. But Raven had always swallowed them all down. The reason was obvious.
Because the Guardian Spirit did not want him to ask.
As someone who hoped this relationship would never break, Raven could only remain in the weaker position no matter how kindly the other treated him.
The Guardian Spirit surely knew this as well. He had even seemed bitter about it once.
Is he just shocked by those words? Or is it because I heard them?
Perhaps it was both.
Staring blankly at the sky through the open window, Raven slowly opened his mouth and called the Guardian Spirit.
“Ancestor.”
[Guardian Spirit: Not “ancestor”—]
“Brother.”
[Understood.]
The reply came as if it were only natural.
That was enough. Knowing how precious it was to receive an answer when he called, Raven grinned.
“You probably know what I want to ask.”
[……]
And I know you don’t want to answer.
“I won’t ask.”
So, as always, he would not ask.
He would not think about it. He would not dig into it. The word “sins” had been mentioned, so it must be related to karma. This was a story from after death. It had nothing to do with learning the name. He stopped his mind from naturally trying to piece it together.
“If you ever want to talk about it later, tell me then.”
Besides, unfortunately, he had already made some guesses.
The Guardian Spirit had been hostile toward Deciever yet had not denied his words. That meant he at least believed them to be true. Considering how his body had stiffened the moment he heard those words, he must feel guilty about it.
Combining the truth, the guilt, and the personality Raven had observed over 150 years, it was clear that “sacrificing his younger brother to escape his sins” had not been his intention, or that he had been forced into it by circumstances.
It doesn’t seem like he sacrificed his brother out of selfishness, so there’s no reason to be wary or dig deeper.
So he would skip this part and move on to another topic.
Someone like that had been kind to him and asked to be called “brother.” Raven could see one possibility in that.
Am I… the descendant of that younger brother?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
No wonder he was so fixated on the title “brother.” Maybe he didn’t like being called “ancestor” because he wasn’t a direct ancestor. Given how special he was to Raven, his face must resemble his brother’s quite a bit.
There was also the possibility that Raven was the reincarnation of the sacrificed brother, but that seemed like too much of a stretch.
Being someone’s replacement……
Raven raised a hand and brushed his cheek.
Not bad.
No, it was actually good. Because now he knew why the Guardian Spirit treated him so well. Thanks to that, he could set aside some of his anxiety and worry.
Raven smoothly curved his lips upward.
Getting absolute affection in exchange for being a replacement—could there be a better deal?
In the end, the Guardian Spirit was also receiving something from him. In other words, it was a kind of “transaction.”
It wasn’t some uncertain charity that could be cut off at any moment. His eyes curved with joy. This joy was rooted in an ugly greed, and it was surely unsightly to behold, so he raised both hands to cover his face.
He could feel the Guardian Spirit’s puzzled gaze.
[Guardian Spirit: Asking if you are all right—]
“Brother.”
His voice, thick with suppressed emotion, came out muffled. It was languid, pleasantly relaxed.
How had that younger brother called him? It wouldn’t be easy to imitate a dead man with no solid information, but as someone receiving immeasurable help, he ought to at least make this much effort.
Lowering his hands, he smiled as brightly as he could at the one who must be looking his way.
“Broootheer.”
[……!]
The messages stopped abruptly.
Wondering if he had said something wrong, Raven tensed slightly.
[……Yes, child.]
A low voice returned.
[What do you want me to do? Should I kill that worthless demigod after all?]
“?”
[Or Death? Ending this ridiculous contract wouldn’t be a bad idea either.]
“No, wait a second.”
Something was wrong. His brain, unable to process the situation, stiffened for a moment.
So…… if he hadn’t misheard, the Guardian Spirit was saying he would kill Death? A mere guardian spirit?
Was that even possible?
[You must be so exhausted and weary to act this way. Yes, at this point, destroying the world wouldn’t be a bad idea either. If the world collapses, both Death and the demigods will disappear. So……]
“……Don’t tell me you think I’ve gone crazy?”
[Of course not. You’re just a little tired.]
“You definitely think I’ve gone crazy!”
Did he really think Raven’s brain had aged along with his 174 years?!
He really shouldn’t do things that didn’t suit him! Raven pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a heavy sigh, then quickly opened his mouth at the worried voice calling him, desperate to prove he was still sane.
The brief, one-sided argument ended only after Raven coughed up blood and the Guardian Spirit finally backed down.
A dead soul speaking directly to the living on earth accumulated karma. That was why he used the indirect method of messages.
People…… should just live as they always have.
This was what happened when you did unnecessary things. He would just have to take good care of this face that resembled the brother’s.
In the silence that followed, Raven repeatedly rubbed his face dry and deliberately erased the incident with the Guardian Spirit from his mind. Gazing at the sky, he mulled over his conversation with Deciever.
The youngest…… “youngest” disciple, huh……
Even with the stillness that seemed to freeze everything as a backdrop, time flowed endlessly onward. As if to prove it, the moon that had ruled the night slowly began to sink. Only then did Raven organize his thoughts, rise from his seat, and approach the window.
The crow perched on a nearby tree, persistently peering inside, naturally followed his movements with its gaze.
Whether it was because this was a room where someone important resided or because Deciever had deliberately installed it in the room Raven was staying in, there was a device that prevented sounds from inside from leaking out, regardless of whether the window was open or closed. To escape its range, Raven leaned his upper body out over the windowsill.
“I have something to say, so I’d like to see you in person.”
“……”
“Meet me in the garden right below.”
Question flickered in the crow’s glossy eyes. Ignoring it, Raven turned away without further explanation and put on his outer coat.
He could feel a displeased gaze following him from behind, but since he knew the other would come, he ignored it.
.
.
.
“I’ll allow the ‘stalker’ who followed you into the palace to stay as an accessory.”
Just as he had expected from Deciever’s own words, Raven saw the boy standing in the garden as if it were the most natural thing in the world the moment he stepped outside.
He looked as though he had entered without any interference. Raven stared at him quietly, met his displeased gaze, and let out a small laugh.
If you hate it that much, just don’t listen. But you come running every time I call.
At times like this, he was reminded once again that the other was still young.
So he willingly voiced the conclusion he had reached in his mind.
“You. Want to be my disciple?”
The boy’s face twisted as if he had heard something absurd. But this wasn’t a thoughtless offer on Raven’s part either, so he simply smiled.
Deciever’s words surfaced in his mind.
“The only one who can remember you completely is me.”
Raven began to be forgotten the moment he left someone’s sight. Dan always kept his eyes on Raven in order to kill him.
In other words, Dan was someone who wouldn’t just stand by and watch Raven leave his sight, so the conclusion was that Dan would never forget Raven.
Furthermore.
“You won’t be taking any more disciples after me.”
The arrogant “youngest” disciple had said that.
Thanks to that, Raven could reach a conclusion. He would take Dan as his disciple. Then everything Deciever had said so confidently would be overturned.
Just being able to spite that damn demigod was reason enough to go through with it.
“You want to kill me.”
“……”
“If you become my disciple, you might get the chance. At the very least, it’ll be easier to look for an opening than it is now.”
All that remained was persuasion.
Raven continued in the calmest tone he could manage, speaking gently to the wary kitten-like boy.
“On top of that, though it’s embarrassing to say out loud, I’ve raised several disciples before. I’m confident I can teach you well.”
You’ll need to build up your skills if you want to kill me anyway.
At the added words, Dan fiddled with the sculpted soul on his shoulder as if thinking, then raised a finger….
“When my eyes are green, you can speak with your mouth. I can read lips.”
Since the boy’s tongue was cut, he wouldn’t be able to read everything perfectly, but he could just write the parts he didn’t understand with his finger. It would be better than carrying on the entire conversation through writing.
Dan lowered his finger and moved his lips.
- So what do you get out of this?
“Getting one over on that arrogant bastard who’s so confident he’ll be my last disciple, now and forever.”
……It was an honest and blunt statement.
After narrowing his eyes for a moment to scrutinize Raven, as if checking for any hidden motives, Dan nodded.
It was a proposal with nothing to lose.
Confirming Dan’s acceptance, Raven seemed about to smile, but then his expression shifted subtly as he looked at the crow perched on the boy’s shoulder. A murmur, almost a whisper, escaped him.
“……This must be fate too.”
“?”
A boy with a crow sculpted soul becoming his disciple—if that wasn’t fate, what was?
Dan floated a question mark above his head, but instead of elaborating, Raven ended the conversation.
──Or rather, he tried to. But the moment he opened his mouth, he had to close it again.
Instead, he quickly crossed both arms. At the same time, a heavy attack came down on them.
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
Even though he had blocked it, his body was sent flying backward helplessly.
The force was stronger than expected. An Awakener.
Gritting his teeth, Raven drew his dagger in midair and, the moment his feet touched the ground, kicked off again and charged at his opponent.
It was suspicious that the first attack had been a kick rather than a sword, but against an Awakener, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.
As if refusing to allow an easy approach, a sword came slashing down. Retreating would only give the opponent more openings to attack, so Raven maintained his momentum and precisely struck the flat of the blade with his fist, knocking it aside.
The sword was flung away, and with it, the opponent’s chest opened wide, exposing a vital point. Just as he was about to drive his dagger into the heart, the opponent’s face was revealed beneath the white moonlight.
“……!”
Raven hurriedly changed the trajectory of his weapon.
From the location of the heart to the shoulder, the clothes tore diagonally along the twisted path of the blade. Even so, he managed to avoid drawing blood and only cut through empty air. Losing his balance, he fell. Reflexively, he grabbed onto the person in front of him.
Of course, the other didn’t take it lying down.
Whoosh. Thud!
In an instant, his view flipped.
Against the backdrop of the pale moonlight, black hair like the night sky spread out. Lying on his back, Raven blinked for a moment before grasping the situation and breaking into a melting smile.
He paid no mind to the fact that the other had switched positions to pin him to the ground or that they were now straddling him with an arm pressed against his throat.
“Hello, child.”
He spoke.
“Did you come to kill me?”