Nagato Kagutsuchi: The Dawn
ARC 1 Destroyed In One Wrath The Dawn 1: Snow Crashed
A trained step. Feet that feel too heavy to walk. The darkness of the night filled with snow made the body shiver with coldness.
“Hound-San..” Mouth murmuring. Fourteen-year-old Kagutsuchi Nagato walks alone in the snowy land.
Her tears still wet her face. Two days and two nights he recalled how the figure of the red-haired man who had saved his life. In the recesses of his heart. Nagato wanted a man named Hound to stay alive. Accompanying her grew up, as she said of the beauty of the outside world. When you know the vastness of the world, and you're not alone. Those were the words Hound had always spoken to Nagato.
But destiny says something else. The world Nagato knew was a cruel place. Everyone he loved had been snatched away. Slowly leaving only endless wounds at the bottom of his heart.
“I don't want to die..” His neck slowly dried up. Nagato had been walking non-stop towards Ryushima Island, the place Hound had promised to meet again.
“I cannot die, for the sake of Hound-San, I must not die here.”.
That was all Nagato could think of as he continued to drag his feet forward. The sound of his footsteps fusing with the thick snow, was clearly heard in his ears.
Nagato's eyes began to glare. Thinking how far the harbor was at the end of the Azbec Magic Kingdom made Nagato bite his lower lip and cry.
Solitariness. There is nothing more painful than loneliness and loneliness. Even tonight there are no stars visible in the night sky. Nagato wished he could turn back time and bring Hisui, Litha and Iris along to leave the Ezzo Continent. He wants to save the precious person in his life.
But if he stops stepping and becomes a person who cannot look to the future. It would be an insult to Hound, the one who had sacrificed his life for her sake.
Freer. Currently Nagato would not be free as long as the faces of dozens or even hundreds of people did not accept his existence. The dark memory made Nagato close his eyes and bite his lower lip until it bled.
“I cannot die, I cannot die.” Nagato continued to repeat his words in a shivering voice. Body shakes. Hound's large black jacket he wore warmed his body in the middle of a blizzard that sent him crashing.
Currently Nagato took off the buttons of the black jacket. The coldness of his clothes made Nagato have strong evidence. The evidence is strong if he is still alive with pain. The pain from his physical and mental make Nagato feel alive.
Heavy snow covered the ground. The night sky is so dark. The snow dropped making Nagato's hair and body shiver violently.
Slowly but surely. Nagato's body began to weaken. Just natural. He's been two days and two nights not eating, not drinking. Heart disease can make him die at any time. But his determination is so great. Thanks to the words and expectations of the Hound he carried on his shoulders. Nagato was trying to reach his consciousness. Dragging his legs forward, crossing his limits in order to survive.
But what power. His body is numb. From his feet to his head. Slowly Nagato released his body aura and manipulated it into flames.
“I'm weak..” The aura of his body was not so big. Now he's so weak. His body is very weak. His body feels so heavy. Nagato's mind floated around unable to remain silent.
“No!” Nagato screamed and pinched his hand until it bled. Again his consciousness almost recovered completely, but his mind danced about unable to remain in his head.
The dark memories of the past are ringing back in the memory of the memories he wants to forget, “Sial! Go!” Nagato screamed and hit the air. His body collapsed to the ground as it lost its balance.
After walking two days and two nights non-stop. Nagato stood at a dead end. The road looks like a breakthrough to a city. But the breakthrough had a long wood that became a hindrance with a fairly steep derivative.
‘I can't die here! Just like Hound-San was taking me everywhere, with the slightest hope. I have to stay alive and cure my heart disease!’ Nagato held onto his shirt. His hand touched the mound that was none other than Sweet Cat, Chibi, Litha's pet.
“Chibi, don't die. You have to stay alive.” Nagato recalled Chibi drinking the Holy Water of Life. Afterwards Chibi collapsed for two days and two nights and had not woken up.
Nagato walked down that steep descent. Slowly his feeble footsteps climbed onto the snowy ground full of caution. Even if you walk slowly and carefully. Nagato fell down and his body rolled down.
His hands hugged Chibi. His eyes closed trying to feel the pain from all over his body. After reaching the bottom. Nagato crashed into a large tree with pointy leaves.
“I can't die here..” Nagato's eyes tried to gain his consciousness but slowly faded and closed.
The pain and hunger made Nagato's body faint. Face pale. Body shivers. His body and mind were not moving in the same direction.
Nagato continued to think about continuing his journey towards Ryushima Island. But his mind could not control his weak body.
Though reluctant. Nagato could not force it when he felt his heartbeat so painful.
___
Morning time. Exactly three days since Hound's death. Currently Nagato with a limp body was trying to stand up.
“I where?” His eyes stared at the colorless clouds for him. Snow covered his face and no more warmth clutched his body.
Nagato stood up with great difficulty. He was surprised to see Chibi's body wrapped in thick snow to look like it was frozen.
“Chibi, survive..” If Chibi dies. Then Nagato will be alone. That's what he's most afraid of. That's loss.
“Home?” No doubt the two eyes Nagato weak and slowly began to see the shadow of the house.
“I can get there..” Nagato smiled for a moment. But after remembering the cynical gazes of hundreds of people. Nagato stopped his steps.
“Hound-San, will they think of me as a monster like that time?” Nagato muttered to himself and shed tears.
“I can't be pessimistic. May the inhabitants of this city receive me..” Those words he said to encourage himself.
Nagato walked back slowly closer to the hundreds of houses that were starting to close as his eyes looked.
In his mind. Nagato wished he could drink warm tea and eat warm soup. But is there anyone as good as that who would give food and drink to himself. Again Nagato wanted to stop his footsteps.
“I can't be pessimistic..” Both of Nagato's feet continued to step and reached the snowy city. However, the city does not look like a port city, a place promised by Hound when he wanted to take Nagato to Ryushima Island and leave the Ezzo Continent to cure his illness.
Hundreds of brick houses are clearly visible. There are no city gatekeepers. Many people entered the city, and no one left the city. A sign from written wood, “Sugar” City in uppercase. The city that was at the end of the Azbec Magic Kingdom was Sugar City.
Nagato entered the city with trembling footsteps. Many people walk. The house and the inn were wide open. Nagato hoped that someone kind enough would feed him.
Hope was not granted. One of the middle-aged men looked at Nagato and was frightened. It turned out that the fugitive poster leaflet about him had arrived at the Azbec Magic Kingdom, precisely Sugar City.
Nagato bit his lower lip and ran as hard as he could away from the city. His sadness could no longer be contained. This was what happened when he entered the city and the settlement of people other than the Kai Empire.
“Kill the kid!”
“Go from here, Death Monster!”
“Pursue the Death Bearer and kill him!”
Nagato wanted to cover his ears. Both of his hands were holding Chibi. Both of his legs kept running. This time Nagato did not want to climb uphill to the place he had been through.
Hundreds of people are still chasing him. Some carried torches, some carried sharp weapons and some carried spears used for hunting.
A less fortunate fate approached Nagato. In front of him was only a cliff. Slowly Nagato saw below there was a big river, “It looks like the river is deep. I must stay alive and must not die at their hands!” That's what Nagato thought.
When hundreds of Sugar Town residents came. Nagato threw his body forward and jumped into the river. As much as possible Nagato tried to wrap his body with aura to reduce the injuries.
“Too weak!” Nagato was unable to wrap around his body with a great aura. The front of his body, especially his stomach was stuck in a fairly pointed stone. While Nagato's two hands had time to throw the Tablet owned by Hound and Chibi to the edge of the river.
“Chibi!” Nagato tried to go against the flow. But his body is too weak. Three days he did not eat, plus a heart disease that made him feel desperate many times. His body sank into the river. Nagato's eyes widened to see the river water mixed with blood. It was his blood. Nagato could feel the pointed stone still stuck in his stomach.
“Am I going to die here?” The river current dragged Nagato's body. His eyes closed and allowed his fate to flow like the swiftness of water swallowing and dragging his body.