the eternal weak

Anne crouched several feet away from the Jubokko, concealed in a dense bush. She would have preferred to stay as far from the monstrous tree as possible, but urgency had forced her to move closer. Her heart raced as she observed the terrifying sight before her.

"The tree... it's extending its roots!" she muttered under her breath, her voice trembling slightly.

She had noticed a troubling pattern: more and more animal carcasses—and even the remains of mountain spirits—bore the unmistakable signs of a Jubokko's attack. The devastation was spreading, its reach unnaturally wide for a yokai of its kind.

Anne's breath caught as she watched the Jubokko's branches lash out with deadly precision, piercing a massive bear. The creature thrashed for mere seconds before falling limp, its blood drained in an instant. What remained was a lifeless, dry husk that crumpled to the ground like discarded paper.

She let out a quiet sigh, a mixture of frustration and dread washing over her. "What a greedy one… If its hunting ground keeps expanding, the entire ecosystem will collapse." Her voice grew heavier as she stared at the monstrous tree. "I wonder what caused it to change like this…"

Her mind raced with questions, but she knew one thing for certain—this unnatural behavior wasn't a coincidence.

Anne reached into her kimono, her fingers brushing against a small notebook tucked safely within. Her thoughts raced as she flipped it open and retrieved a thin piece of charcoal to write with.

I need to note what I've just seen… and prepare myself to deal with this… somehow. Her hand moved quickly, sketching the outline of the Jubokko and jotting down hurried observations.

Her gaze flickered back to the monstrous tree, and her heart sank. The tree has grown more powerful… she thought grimly. Before, it could drain someone dry in seconds—or for the toughest of spirits, minutes—but now it can desiccate most beings in an instant.

Her charcoal paused mid-stroke, and she gripped it tightly, a bead of sweat forming on her temple. If I'm not careful… The thought trailed off in her mind, unspoken but heavy. I'll die for sure.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, her focus sharpening. No matter how dangerous it was, she had to gather as much information as possible. Knowledge was her only advantage against something this deadly.

Anne closed her notebook, her determination hardening like steel. Whatever had caused the Jubokko to change, she needed to figure it out—before it was too late.

Suddenly, a loud, resounding noise echoed through the forest. The air shifted violently, rushing in one direction as if forced by an immense pressure. Anne's eyes widened as her heart skipped a beat, her thoughts racing.

What was that!?

She barely had time to process the shock before her question was answered. Emerging from the forest, facing the monstrous Jubokko, stood a man. His afro was unmistakable, a bold silhouette against the swaying crimson leaves of the tree. He wore a black leather jacket and matching pants, his wooden staff resting casually on his shoulder, exuding a confidence that bordered on reckless.

Anne froze as realization struck her.

That man… it's him…

Umeboshi Tatsunosuke.

The infamous Bokujō no Tatsu.

He stood there, unflinching before the towering tree, his expression unreadable. Yet there was an undeniable energy about him, a mix of defiance and raw determination. The air around him seemed heavier, as if his mere presence disrupted the balance of the forest.

The Jubokko's crimson leaves rustled ominously, as if sensing a new challenger in its territory. For a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the inevitable clash.

Anne clutched her notebook tightly, unable to look away. What is he doing here? Could he… actually be planning to take on that monstrosity?

"Hey, you stupid tree!" Umeboshi shouted, his voice echoing across the clearing. He tapped his wooden staff against his shoulder with a cocky smirk. "Me and my buddy over here have some unfinished business with ya! I don't like wrecking the environment, but let's face it—nobody's gonna shed a tear over an ugly tree like you getting cut down!"

The Jubokko twitched violently in response, its branches writhing like serpents. A low, guttural creak rumbled through the air, an unholy sound that sent shivers down Anne's spine as she watched from her hiding spot. Without warning, multiple blood-red branches lashed out, hurtling toward Umeboshi with terrifying speed, their sharp ends gleaming in the dim light.

But Umeboshi didn't flinch. "Ha! Is that all you've got?" he barked, a confident grin plastered across his face. With a sudden burst of energy, he dashed forward, moving so fast it seemed like he disappeared for a split second. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he charged headlong toward the monstrous tree, his staff whirling in his hand like a cyclone.

As he closed the distance, he shouted, "After I'm done with you, I'll turn you into toilet paper!"

The Jubokko hissed in fury, its branches striking like lightning, aiming to pierce and drain him dry. But Umeboshi's movements were a blur, weaving through the onslaught with unnatural agility, each dodge a hair's breadth from disaster. The battle had begun, and the forest quaked under the fury of the clash.

As Umeboshi darted between the whipping branches, he suddenly leaped into the air, his wooden staff still resting on his shoulder.

From her hiding spot, Anne clenched her fists and cursed under her breath. "Idiot! He can't dodge while he's in the air!"

The Jubokko didn't miss the opportunity. Several crimson branches shot upward, their twisted ends aiming straight for Umeboshi, ready to pierce him and drain every last drop of blood. The air around him grew heavy with the scent of iron and decay.

But Umeboshi's grin only widened. "You think I'm trapped? Think again!" he bellowed.

With a powerful movement, he swung his staff in a wide arc, channeling every ounce of strength into the blow. His muscles rippled as he poured his raw energy into the attack. The staff collided with the branches, and the impact sent a deafening crack through the forest.

The branches didn't just snap—they exploded into splinters, showering the area with fragments of cursed wood. Umeboshi landed gracefully on the ground, his staff spinning once in his hand before resting back on his shoulder.

"Ha ha! You like that?!" he taunted, his grin practically glowing with reckless confidence.

The Jubokko screeched, an unearthly sound that rattled the trees around them. Its branches recoiled momentarily before twitching again, growing more aggressive with every passing second.

Anne, still hidden, let out a soft gasp. "Unbelievable… Is he really human?"

As soon as Umeboshi landed, another branch lashed out, but he brought his staff up in time to block the attack. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, cracking the earth beneath his feet as he was pushed back several yards.

Anne, hidden in the bushes, watched with growing unease, gripping the fabric of her kimono tightly. He's strong... impossibly so, she thought, her heart pounding as she analyzed his movements. But his form is all over the place. No technique, no precision... so many wasted moves. He's not even using his full muscle capacity—and his breathing is all wrong!

Despite her critique, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. Even so… that raw strength…

The Jubokko hissed, shaking its branches in fury, and the two combatants broke away from their clash for a brief moment. The tree's crimson leaves shimmered ominously, their blood-red hue casting a sickly glow over the battlefield.

But Umeboshi didn't hesitate. With a grin spreading across his face, he launched forward again, his wooden staff resting on his shoulder as he charged straight toward the monstrous tree. His speed was so extreme that the air seemed to warp around him, and the ground cracked beneath every step as he closed the distance.

"I… will cut you down…" he roared, his voice filled with unyielding determination.

The Jubokko's branches lashed out again, but Umeboshi's focus was unshakable. He batted them away mid-charge, shattering each one with swings of his staff.

"For me to finally become strong!" he yelled, his grin wide and wild as he closed in on the cursed tree, the air around him crackling with the force of his relentless will.

Anne watched, her breath caught in her throat. "He's not just fighting the Jubokko… He's fighting himself—his weakness, his doubts. But can brute force alone overcome something so monstrous?"

He was mere moments away from the tree—no, he was practically there. With fury blazing in his voice, Umeboshi roared,

"I see it!"

He swung his staff in a powerful horizontal arc toward the tree. The impact was deafening, a resounding crash that echoed for kilometers across the mountain. Steam hissed from the tree's bark as he grinned, his breaths heavy and labored.

"I'll hit you like this a hundred times if I have to—until I see you fall to the ground!"

But as he tried to pull his staff back, he noticed something was wrong. No matter how much strength he used, the staff wouldn't budge. Confused, Umeboshi's eyes darted to the tree. As the steam cleared, he froze.

A massive branch had grown from the tree exactly where he struck it, wrapping tightly around his staff like a serpent. His voice dropped to a low, disbelieving mutter.

"What…?"

Before he could react, Anne's panicked voice rang out from her hiding spot.

"Umeboshi, get away!"

The ground beneath his feet trembled. In an instant, it broke apart, and countless branches erupted from below, wrapping around him with terrifying speed. He struggled against them, but the branches tightened their grip mercilessly, and he let out a guttural scream of agony.

It wasn't just his blood being drained. No, it was worse—his very spiritual energy was being ripped from his body, sucked away as if by an insatiable void. His vision blurred, his strength fading rapidly. If this continued, he would be dead in less than a minute.

Anne stepped out of her hiding spot, her palms raised and crossed in an X shape. With a sharp, commanding voice, she chanted:

"By the fire of the red star, I plead for your heat! Come to my aid! Hametsujutsu, Shinsei Rank: Piercing Red Star!"

From her palms, an intense flame of molten red magma erupted, shooting toward the tree with incredible speed. The fire struck the Jubokko, engulfing it in an inferno. The tree shuddered violently, its movements almost resembling pain—if such a monstrous spirit could feel.

The flames burned deep into the bark, charring it with searing heat. The branches binding Umeboshi suddenly recoiled, releasing him as the tree thrashed in desperation. Its roots and branches shot out wildly, reaching in every direction, likely seeking water to extinguish the blaze.

Anne rushed to Umeboshi's side. Seeing him struggling to move, she quickly supported him, slinging his arm over her shoulder. Without hesitation, she dashed away from the burning tree, her breaths quick and her face glistening with sweat.

As they fled, Umeboshi's hollow eyes stared into the distance, filled with a crushing sense of defeat.

Why... Why am I so weak? he thought, his mind spiraling in despair. I've gotten stronger… so why?

His body finally gave out, and he collapsed into unconsciousness. Once again, he had lost.

chapter sixty-nine end