Nagato Kagutsuchi: The Dawn
Ch. 302 — Hound And Nagato
Nagato continued to hit the rocks and trees. His shattered mentality made him lose his direction. His breathing was breathless, his eyes staring up at the sky and trying to stare intently at the sun.
“This is not the Cakrawyuha Forest... Where am I now?” Nagato muttered to himself, before he shouted as his memories of Litha sprung up.
“I hope this is a dream... I've already pierced my palm, but I still haven't woken up from my dreams.” Nagato was so desperate that he sat down and cried.
Nagato pulled out the knife that pierced his palm and continued to injure his left arm. Her cries broke because this nightmare never ended.
The sound of footsteps stomping on the ground, the red-haired man who came carrying food and medicine was shocked to see Nagato's actions injuring his own body.
Hound had just returned from a city in the Ellesmere Kingdom. Behind him is Chibi who follows him from the capital Daifuzen since he brought Nagato.
“Do not do anything stupid, you will only hurt yourself.” Hound put food and medicine, then approached Nagato who was still doing the same thing as before, “The battle is over. Sweet girl named Litha has..”.
“Shut! Shutup! Don't say anything!” Nagato shouted, his eyes staring intently at Hound who was standing in front of him.
“I've stabbed a knife through my skin! I have injured my own body to wake up and wake up from this dream!” Nagato shouted, then cried back.
“If all this was a dream, I should have woken up by now!” Nagato banged his head to the ground, “This is not a dream, I cannot accept this reality..”.
Nagato crying hysterically, “Litha has..” He did not continue his words, his mouth could not say them.
“Litha is dead..” Hound said slowly.
Nagato cried and closed his eyes. Litha's shadow always appeared inside her head.
Remember when Nagato asked Grandpa Hyogoro who told him to consider Litha as his biological brother.
“Kakek Hyo, why should I be Litha's brother? Aren't the two of us not related by blood?” At that time Nagato did not know Litha's true identity, so he asked when the two of them had first been in the Cakrawyuha Forest.
“Why? Since you two will be studying with me, of course you will be brothers.” Grandfather Hyogoro glanced at Nagato who was walking behind him, “Brothers should not be bloodless, Nagato. Since you are a man, you must protect Litha as a brother as well as an elder sister.”
Nagato was silent at the time and agreed with Grandpa Hyogoro.
“Nagato.... I as a teacher you two are not good people. There's nothing I can teach you two other than killing.” Grandpa Hyogoro stopped walking and looked at Nagato who was standing beside him.
“Kakek Hyo, don't say such embarrassing things..” Nagato turned his face and let out a long sigh.
“In the end I only taught you how to kill..” Hyogoro's grandfather responded to Nagato's words with a face that felt guilty.
“But.... I want you to remember what I said on this one.” Grandpa Hyogoro stared at Nagato sharply, “When your brother is in danger, when your friends are hurt and when a woman you love suffers. You have to protect. Protect something valuable in your life, Nagato.”
“When you face something you cannot defeat, or drown in despair. You must rise again, face various difficulties and trials with a spacious chest.” Grandpa Hyogoro touched Nagato's hair and smiled, “Be such a person, Nagato.”
Nagato recalled Grandpa Hyogoro's words making his heart feel pain. He failed as a brother. Asha, Hisui even Litha. He was unable to protect the three of them, even Iris, the woman he liked, now he was unable to protect. Desperation grew bigger, filling Nagato's heart.
“I'm too weak! I can't protect my own sister!” Nagato gripped the ground and cried.
“Nagato..” Hound wanted to tell Nagato not to do harm, but he was stared at by Nagato sharply.
“Go! Leave me alone!” Nagato did not even know the identity of Hound, but the red-haired man seemed to care about him.
“Not going. If I go, you'll try to kill yourself.” As much as possible Hound was about to take the knife stuck in Nagato's left arm.
“This is my life! Some of my life won't last long because of this heart disease! I'd rather kill myself!” Nagato was about to cut his own neck, but Hound immediately pounced on Nagato's body and held the young man's right hand.
“What are you saying?! Can you say this so easily?!” Hound did not stop thinking when he saw the stab wound all over Nagato's body. It was ironic and heartbreaking to see Nagato suffer.
Hound's eyes were shocked. He bit his lower lip withstanding the pain, before his hand pushed Nagato.
Without a word, Hound let Nagato go. Then he treated his own wounds.
“Almost he killed me, he really intended to kill me...”.
Hound grimaced in pain as he pulled the knife from his stomach. It took him a few minutes, he treated his wounds before bringing food and medicine after Nagato.
Hound has his own reasons for helping Nagato. He knew Nagato's age would not reach eighteen. Even that was Uzui's word to him seven years ago. While the curse on Nagato's body will shorten his life, so Hound believes Nagato will die does not reach fourteen years.
But after seeing Nagato's truly miserable state. Hound could tell Nagato had lost the strength to learn martial arts. The aura of his body was covered and his inner power was also covered.
As Hound walked through the forest, he found Nagato lying on the ground.
“Stupid! You're making me worry!” The hound instantly covered Nagato's body with a bandage. Nagato almost fainted from the stab wounds from his own actions making fresh blood continue to flow out from all over his body.
“Let... i... myself...” Nagato tried to speak because he saw Hound treating him.
“Leave me!” Nagato shouted and was about to bite his tongue, but his neck was strangled by Hound.
“Delivery boy! Why did you want to commit suicide?” Angry hound. This time Hound could not hold back his anger, “I know you suffered so much! But, don't you have something precious?! You have to live for something precious in your life!”
Nagato coughed up blood, with Hound immediately taking off his hand.
“You are very confident in your abilities, but great power destroys your confidence! People like them in the world out there are so many and will make you suffer more than you are now! Don't keep feeling desperate! Don't you have a precious promise and you have to keep it with Litha?!”
Hound looked at Nagato who widened his eyes after hearing his words. Nagato was seen sitting on the ground and crying because he remembered the promise the four of them had made. Promise when Hisui still exists.
Hound smiled when he saw Nagato shed tears. The tears this time were not tears of despair, so Hound sat in front of Nagato and wanted to hear firsthand what Nagato would say.
“Litha.... Dream, Litha gave me a dream. Hisui, Litha, Iris, I was with the three of them promised to go out of this continent together.” Nagato cried as he pleased.
“I'm sure it will take a long time for Iris' memory to return, but I will take her away from this Ezzo Continent someday.” Nagato wiped his tears.
Hound smiled broadly seeing Nagato already looking calmer.
“Then, we must cure your heart disease first.” Hound said while looking at Nagato.
“This disease will not be cured. The curse of the devil will make me only fourteen.”.
Hound was shocked to hear Nagato's words. Soon he packed the medicines he had just used.
‘If not mistaken the Phoenix Tears are in this Ezzo Continent. Although information from Gore is not necessarily accurate. I'll look for him and find him first to cure Nagato.’ Hound snap his teeth, ‘Before they get it!’
“Nagato, let's go. First of all, we cure your heart disease. We're looking for a doctor.” Take Hound while standing up and smile kindly at Nagato.
Nagato looked at Hound in disbelief. After he stabbed the red-haired man's body with a knife, but Hound kept being nice to him.
Towards the end. Nagato's moment of death is approaching. Nagato and Hound travel together around the Ezzo Continent in search of a doctor and the Phoenix Tears.
The long and painful journey Nagato and Hound go through, the journey will deepen their bond as Hound pours out her entire heart and sheds tears for Nagato.
The story of his journey with the kind red-haired man, will be remembered throughout Nagato's life.