Reason of Suffering

As the festival wound down, Yatsuho finally let himself relax, sinking into the futon at Granny Masako's home. The day had drained every ounce of energy from him—playing with the children, dancing with the elders, arm wrestling with the men, and skillfully dodging every attempt to get him to drink sake. Now, as he lay beneath the blanket, his eyes grew heavy, the weariness of the day pulling him into a deep, welcome sleep.

The blanket wrapped around him was soft and carried the faint, sweet scent of summer roses, a comforting warmth that seeped into his tired bones. It reminded him of nights long past, when his mother would sit by his bedside, her voice weaving gentle stories to ease his restless mind. The memory brought a tender ache to his heart, but also a sense of peace, as if her presence lingered with him in the quiet of the night.

As sleep overtook him, Yatsuho felt the world of the festival recede, replaced by the soothing embrace of the futon and the whispers of his mother's stories echoing in his mind, guiding him into dreams, forgetting any worries he had in the past.

Now, Yatsuho found himself standing in a place that no longer existed—his childhood home. The world around him shifted in a way that felt both familiar and strange, like an echo of memories long forgotten. As he recalled more of his time there, the scenery began to fill in.

He saw himself as a small child, arms outstretched, chasing a squirrel through the yard. His clothes were smeared with mud, and his tiny feet kicked up dirt as he tried to keep up with the furry creature. But the squirrel was too quick, darting up a tree and looking down at him with what seemed like mocking eyes.

The scene shifted again, and now he was inside the house. His mother lay in her futon, her body weakened by six days of illness. Her cheeks were hollow, and dark circles framed her sunken eyes. Yatsuho, still just a boy, stood by her side, on the verge of tears as the village doctor administered medicine.

"Mrs. Hana is going to be just fine," the doctor assured him, sensing the child's fear.

"See? I told you there's no need to worry," Hana whispered, her voice cracking in the middle.

Young Yatsuho smiled through his tears and clung to her. "You won't leave me, right? Promise me," he pleaded, holding her tightly.

Watching this from the distance of his dream, the older Yatsuho reached out as if to hug his mother, but his hands passed through her like smoke. He stood there, helpless, as the memory dissolved around him.

The scene shifted again. Now Yatsuho stood in the village center, watching in horror as people fled in terror. This was the day Yatsuho's small world shattered forever.

Bloodied and mutilated bodies littered the ground as raiders pillaged the village. Rage surged through Yatsuho as he tried to kick and punch the raiders, but his body turned to smoke. They slaughtered without mercy, and Yatsuho's screams of anger echoed unheard.

Suddenly, he was back in his sixteen-year-old body, being dragged toward his home. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. He cursed his own helplessness, berating himself for his incompetence.

The journey to his home felt both agonizingly long and shockingly short, his self-loathing stretching time until only minutes had passed.

"Ah, there you are," the raider leader sneered, pressing his boot against Yatsuho's face to lift it roughly. A jagged scar ran down his left eye, marking him as a man who had seen countless battles. "Enjoying my hospitality?"

Yatsuho glared up at him, his eyes filled with defiance. The leader chuckled, clearly relishing the moment. "You must be wondering who I am," he continued, his voice dripping with mockery. "The name's Goro Takeshi. And I've got a score to settle with your father, that heavenly bitch, Ryuji Sakai. Where is he now, huh?"

Goro's eyes burned with a crazed intensity, years of festering hatred evident in his expression. Leaning in close, he spat in Yatsuho's face. "See this scar?" he hissed, pointing to the disfiguring mark on his eye. "Your old man gave it to me."

When no reply was heard straightened up, and gave a dismissive wave to his underlings. "Get this piece of trash ready for the show," he barked, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he turned away.

Without hesitation, the men tied Yatsuho with a searing hot iron chain, wrapping it from his right shoulder, across his stomach, and back. The chain bit into his flesh like a ravenous wolf, burning and fusing with his skin.

Yatsuho screamed in agony as the chain grafted itself onto his body, leaving deep burn marks where it touched. The raiders laughed carelessly and tied him to a stake, leaving him hanging to witness the horrors they were about to commit.

"Welcome my men, today we gather here for our revenge," the leader announced in an enthusiastic almost host-like voice, "On who you might ask, obviously it's the heavenly bitch Ryuji Sakai. Now, sadly he isn't here, it looks like he was sent off to war, but this slut and brat of his are here, so today you all get to enjoy her as he watches it."

Then what unfolded was nothing shy of savagery, they were beasts who gave into their instincts and defiled Yatsuho's mother for hours and forced him to watch all the while he screamed, begged them to stop, warned them about when his father finds out they will be dead. But what returned was not mercy; they cut his tongue so that he could not voice himself, removed his eyelids so that he could not live in ignorance all the while they beat his mother, raped her and laughed like hyenas.

At some point Yatsuho lost his sight because his eyes dried out, at some point his mother stopped moving, at some point the screams died out, and all that remained was a child tied to a stake crying blood.

"It seems like everyone is done now," the leader said, "Tie her up too and burn them alive." his voice seemed like the reaper coming to reap their souls.

The raiders started a fire from far away and left them to its mercy.

Thus came the last moment he had spent with his mother, but as she was to be burned alive with him she let out the last words of love she will ever say "I love you, Yatsuho, and I am blessed I had a child like you. Alas, God had deemed me unworthy of taking care of you anymore and sent these rabid beasts after us. If you live today, remember to live your life striving for what is true to you. Remember I love you and always will if only we meet in the next life."

Hearing those words Yatsuho was not left with remorse or a feeling of helplessness but rage. The hatred for the raiders did not let him die peacefully; it kept on burning, hotter than even the flames that consumed him, his mother and his village.

Unable to shout out his rage he made a vow, to rip out the heads of those beasts, to become the one who leads them down to hell even if he has to become the demon himself.

This was when Yatsuho hoped to get up but as it was all that he could remember but he did not wake up, the only thing that happened was that he was looking at the burning stakes from third person, he turned his eyes away but the flames called out to him.

"Yatsuho do not forget, do not let yourself be complacent, avenge her death, make them pay" the fire spoke out now in the form of a flaming wolf bound by chains.

"What are you?" Yatsuho said under his breath.

"I don't know what I am, but what I do know is I am here for you, I am here to help you." The wolf spoke its voice deep and comforting, "Let me show you what happened that day-" the wolf tried to say something but was cut off.

Yatsuho woke with a jolt, the cries of a young boy piercing through his groggy state. "Big bro, help us! The raiders—they're killing everyone. Please save my mom," the boy sobbed, trembling with fear.

Yatsuho said nothing. His expression was unreadable as he rose from the futon, moving with a silent resolve. He stepped outside, the cold night air doing little to cool the fury building within him. He began to run, his legs propelling him forward with an inhuman speed that defied logic, carrying him toward the flames that devoured his village.

It took mere seconds for Yatsuho to reach the heart of the chaos, where the townspeople were being beaten, stabbed, and slaughtered.

A young villager caught sight of him, her eyes widening in disbelief. The fierce determination in his gaze was enough to unnerve anyone, but what truly left her breathless were the four arms that moved with terrifying precision, each one a deadly weapon in its own right. His feet, ape-like and powerful, dug into the earth with demonic strength, anchoring him to the ground as if he were part of it.

His face, once struggling to show emotion, now contorted into an expression of pure hatred and rage. As flames danced around him, their flickering light revealed the full extent of Yatsuho's monstrous transformation. The blackened, twisted chain that snaked across his body, fused with his flesh like a living scar, glowed with a sinister intensity. His yukata had fallen away, exposing the grotesque horror of his altered form. The villager shuddered, paralyzed by the sight—a creature forged from human suffering and demonic fury.

The last thing the raider saw was the fiery glow in Yatsuho's eyes, as if all his hatred had ignited into a burning inferno within them. Before the raider could react, Yatsuho's hands were already around his neck. With a swift, brutal motion, he snapped the raider's neck, the sound echoing through the chaos. The lifeless body crumpled to the ground, where flames began to lick at the edges, consuming it as if feeding on the fury that had just been unleashed.

"K-Kill him, attack at on-" as another raider was about to finish Yatsuho had ripped his head off his shoulders.

The others rushed at Yatsuho, but their efforts were in vain. In that moment, he was nothing short of a death-seeking beast, driven by a relentless fury. His onslaught was merciless, each swing of his arms claiming another life. One raider fell, then another, until the once fifty-strong group was reduced to just five. Some tried to flee, but they were hunted down without mercy. Those who stood their ground were consumed by the flames that followed in Yatsuho's wake. The five remaining raiders could only utter one word, their voices trembling with fear.

As Yatsuho continued his relentless onslaught, each strike carrying the weight of his grief and fury, he uttered through gritted teeth, "May your death benefit all beings." His words hung in the air, cold and final, like the closing of a door. It wasn't a plea for mercy or redemption—only a grim declaration that their fates were sealed, a final judgment cast by his own hand.

"Monster…"

And it was true. Yatsuho's appearance was far from that of a savior; he was, in every sense, a monster had been born.

As Yatsuho's hand reached for the last raider, this was the same man he saw in the village center before. The man sat trembling in a puddle of his own excrement, the man's eyes filled with terror and desperation. Yatsuho gripped his neck, lifting him effortlessly, ready to end his life. But just as he was about to snap the raider's neck, a voice echoed in his mind.

"We can use him…"

The voice was a low, menacing growl, the same flaming wolf that once spoke with compassion now cold and bitter. Its words lingered in Yatsuho's ears, a chilling reminder that this was no longer just his fight.

"Make him lead us to their camp, make him a dog for us, so we can make the true cause of your suffering pay," the wolf's voice, now cold and commanding, cut through Yatsuho's rage, bringing a twisted clarity to his thoughts. Though his anger still burned, he chose to heed the wolf's words.

"Very well…" Yatsuho muttered, these were the words that would become the bane of the ones who took away his happiness.

"Lead us to your leader," Yatsuho growled, his voice low but resonant, echoing in the raider's mind like a tolling bell. The raider, trembling, dared to hope that Yatsuho might spare him afterward, but deep down, he knew better. His fate was sealed; the only thing left was to drag the rest of his sinful kin into the abyss with him.

The villagers soon gathered to witness the aftermath, but all they found was Yatsuho, drenched in blood and surrounded by the ashes of the fallen raiders. The boy who had sought Yatsuho's help arrived, hoping to find his mother. Instead, he saw the carnage and Yatsuho's monstrous form. The sight overwhelmed him; he vomited and broke into tears. His mother rushed to his side, trying to comfort him, whispering assurances that Yatsuho had acted for the village's sake. Yet, the villagers couldn't hide the fear in their eyes as they looked at Yatsuho.

Unable to bear their gazes, Yatsuho averted his eyes and began walking away, the captured raider in tow. But once again, a kind voice called out, "Yatsuho, stop! Wait for me." This time, however, Yatsuho didn't stop. His anger drove him forward, determined to deliver judgment to the sinners, leaving behind the village that now feared him.

As they continued walking, the wolf's voice echoed in Yatsuho's mind once again. "Yatsuho, give me a name, and I will carve the path ahead for you."

"A name…" Yatsuho pondered for a moment. "How does Enketsu sound?"

"I like it," the voice responded, warmer now, as if pleased.

Suddenly, black tattoos in the shape of chains began to form around Yatsuho's biceps. Startled, he asked, "What just happened?"

Suddenly, the chains on Yatsuho's torso extended, igniting with fierce flames that coalesced into the shape of a wolf. The fiery apparition was bound by the chains, now transformed into Enketsu's physical form, it towered over Yatsuho standing at sixteen feet tall. The wolf lowered its head before Yatsuho, almost as if bowing. Instinctively, Yatsuho reached out and patted its head. Though Enketsu appeared to burn with the intensity of a thousand degrees, his touch felt only lukewarm.

The raider, upon seeing Enketsu materialist, tried to flee, tears streaming down his face. But Enketsu blocked his path and dragged him back by his clothes, forcing him into a kowtow position before Yatsuho. Ignoring the raider, Enketsu continued.

"You've now unlocked the ability to wield my full power," Enketsu explained calmly. "The tattoos symbolism our bond. Just call my name to use it."

"Burn, Enketsu," Yatsuho whispered. As he did, the tattoos on his arms transformed into blazing chains that wrapped around his four limbs. Each hand now gripped a chain: hooks attached to the chains in his upper right and lower left hands, and iron weights in his upper left and lower right. He was now fully armed with Enketsu's power, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Seeing the burning chains, the raider let out a shriek but quickly silenced himself, fearing Yatsuho's wrath. Enketsu then returned to Yatsuho's mental world and began to explain his abilities.

"Yatsuho, let me tell you what you can do now," Enketsu began. "The chains in your hands can extend, change shape, and adjust in size according to your will. You have complete control over their movements. The fire on the chains won't harm you or anyone you don't wish to hurt, but it's pure agony for your enemies."

"There's more," Enketsu's voice resonated within Yatsuho's mind. "Anyone who comes into contact with the chains will have their surface memories, instincts, and emotions shared with you. With deeper understanding, you'll be able to access even more of their memories, making it easier to extract information or interrogate them."

Enketsu's tone grew more serious. "But be warned—their pain will become your pain. Whatever they suffer, you will feel. And one more thing… while you use the chains, I cannot materialize."

To test his new powers, Yatsuho wrapped the chains around the raider's neck like a leash.

"Sorry, no, no, please don't kill me." The raider begged Yatsuho but he paid him no attention and chose to focus solely on the raider's emotion.

Suddenly, a wave of disorientation hit Yatsuho. He was aware of what was happening, but the raider's overwhelming fear seeped into his mind, making it difficult to distinguish between his own thoughts and the raider's. It was as if he was living two lives at once.

"Snap out of it!" Enketsu's voice cut through the haze, grounding Yatsuho.

"Are you okay?" Enketsu asked.

"Yes… I think so," Yatsuho replied, still shaken. "What happened?"

"You delved too deep into his mind," Enketsu answered, " "His emotions overwhelmed you. They sucked you in, collected in your mind instead of his, if you keep connecting so deeply, it could overwhelm your mind."

"So I could have gone insane or died?" Yatsuho asked.

"Not exactly, your brain is capable of handling itself quite easily," Enketsu answered "but there are risks, for one it could have made you lose consciousness, see hallucinations from his memories, or his emotions could take root inside you and corrupt you but it seems you father's teachings made you welcoming towards fear. Just be careful—stay on the surface and don't let yourself get pulled in too deep."

"What happened to him?" Yatsuho asked, staring at the raider's lifeless body. Blood streamed from the man's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. "How did he die?"

"He couldn't handle it," Enketsu replied. "He experienced your memories, and the strain was too much for his brain to bear. His mind was too weak."

Yatsuho frowned, still puzzled. Enketsu continued, sensing his confusion. "Your chains symbolism connection," the wolf spirit explained. "They were born from your deep desire to connect with your mother—to understand her pain, to share her life, to live your life for her sake. That longing shaped your ability, giving you the power to bridge the gap between minds."

Yatsuho let out a heavy sigh. "I truly am a monster," he muttered, the image of his own fiery reflection seared into his mind—an image he had seen through the raider's terrified eyes. The twisted, monstrous figure he had become felt like a curse, a reminder of the horrors that had forged him.

But then, something else surfaced in his mind—a fragment of memory from the raider. He could see the camp clearly now, the layout, the men patrolling it, and the desperate hope that had flickered in the raider's heart as he thought of returning there.

"We're close to the camp," Yatsuho said, his voice steady as he pieced together the raider's memories. "I'm certain of it."