Chapter 23: Chain Breaker

A love that bloomed in an unexpected way.

"My love, you're going to be a father."

It was a fleeting memory.

"Look how healthy he is…crying his heart out. He's sure to be a lively fella like you." The mother cried as she was caressing her newborn baby boy.

"Hehe, wasn't he heavy with a build like that even though he was still a newborn." The father sarcastically remarked, though he's almost at the verge of prancing in joy.

"He is indeed a big guy. But that makes him more cute." The mother chuckled. "Ah, what about his name?"

The father carried his son.

"Hah he is indeed heavy. A strong and healthy man. How about, Juzo?"

A sweet passing recollection.

"Hey pops! Do you know how many thugs have you defeated back then? I want to be as strong as you when the day comes!"

His father smiled, wryly but full of confidence for his son.

"Oh, I know you'll be stronger than me."

But it never came to that. No one is at fault, it was an event that occurred just naturally. A matter of "it's us or them". But there is always a subject to be blamed when hatred reigns in someone's heart.

That hatred is weakness. And a snake's specialty is to exploit such weakness from a living thing. It might be turned into strength, but that strength is poisonous, and it will bite back to the individual who wields it.

He should be a weapon using his unrelenting violence mixed with hatred to push back the organization made by Akimitsu. That was the plan, but he now seeks an answer. Something that the snake didn't foresaw.

"Zaiaku, I will put you down."

A declaration with determination and no ill intent. It was a statement that doesn't denote hatred, instead, it was compassion and a desire to change someone's fate.

Juzo or rather, Zaiaku, slowly lifts himself up after getting punched by Kiyoto who is currently standing in front of him, wielding a gauntlet that destroyed his chains. He then bumped his chest to fill up some adrenaline.

"Zaiaku…now that's a name I haven't heard in a while. But how in the hell did you learn about that name. I'm pretty sure it's already been buried along with my family."

"For answering your question back then, let me ask mine. Do you think your family would want to see you like this?"

Zaiaku went speechless for a while. He then grinned as the chains engraved in his body started moving violently once again.

"Ha-Hahahaha!! Kiyoto, do you seriously think that I haven't thought of that every single day!?"

Zaiaku bumped his chest with enough force to produce a beat.

"Of course they would not! But they're not here to see me, they're free of the burden of seeing me like this!"

He should've died back then. That's what he's been pondering. He has no more reason to keep on living, yet his wife insisted that he should. But what's to live when your whole reason to be is long gone.

And so he waited for a reason. Then it came as quickly right after his grievance. This reason is hatred. Hatred that came from the wrong use of the chains that he isn't even supposed to wield. And it became worse with a toxin that poisoned him afterwards, translating his whole life into something that can only be lived with hatred.

Kiyoto already knew that there's no talking it out, but then he still tried, as Zaiaku was a victim, fooled by his own emotions. And so, Kiyoto steeled his mind and will now execute the change that he needs to carry out.

"Also Kiyoto–"

Unfaltering even with the clear disadvantage, Zaiaku lunged towards Kiyoto.

"-we didn't come all the way here just to talk now right!?"

The invisible chains automatically coiled around Kiyoto as soon as he's within range of the mask, but as expected-

Clank! Break.

With a pull from his hands, the chains broke as if it's just made of fragile glass. Kiyoto swiftly evaded the attack and countered it with a right hook, hitting Zaiaku's face.

Just like the man he is, Zaiaku unrelentingly keeps up his boisterous storm of attacks, not minding the hits he's been taking from Kiyoto.

Whenever the chains coil him, Kiyoto would immediately break it. As if the invisible chains are obviously conspicuous to him, since every time it materializes, Kiyoto would proactively grab and destroy it.

Finally feeling pressured, Zaiaku screamed his warcry.

"GRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

It made Kiyoto be stunned for a moment, which let Zaiaku land a straight hit to his stomach.

"Ghk!"

Kiyoto exclaimed in pain, though he's amazed on how Zaiaku can still throw punches like this even in his state.

With this, Zaiaku continued to give assault while Kiyoto is in defense.

"Don't think this kind of pain can stop me! I've endured more than just this!"

That's it. That's the reason why he's still this strong despite his disadvantage. The pain is wrecking, but it's where he draws strength. But is that really worth living? Getting such strength by living in pain? That's what Kiyoto thought.

"You…can't keep this up!!"

Kiyoto puts down his defense in turn of an attack. Zaiaku managed to land a punch towards Kiyoto's face, but in turn, he also got hit at the same time.

Crack. A sound of something getting damaged can be heard.

Both of them took a step back after taking a hit from each other. As the two catch their breath, Zaiaku touches his mask with his fingertips.

As Kiyoto raises his head, he witnessed something peculiar. The chains that was engraved in Zaiaku's whole body decreased its visibility in an instant. Its movement slowed down as well.

"Huh…?"

Zaiaku was confounded as he touched his mask. A small crack had formed after it got hit just now by Kiyoto.

Nikushimi no Rensa, the Chain Mask is on the verge of getting destroyed. Both of them questioned:

"What…just happened…?"