[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Four years in the academy, or just about. Time was difficult to track. So much of it had blurred together after Ruto fled the village, and it felt some days like Yukari had gone to bed at twenty-five and woken up at thirty. She blinked and her son had become a teenager, or close enough to it. Touwa would be graduating soon. He was sensible, clever, competent. No reason why he wouldn’t. His Life Blade was strange, much like Yukari’s in that regard: a small bell with a hidden blade, absolutely nonthreatening to look at. Yet Touwa was no pacifist, and seemed for all the world like any normal academy student; he had an aptitude for swordplay that would have made his grandfather shed a tear of pride, and an excellent grasp of ninjutsu. You have to help him, Kyuusai whispered, whiskers twitching. Or he will be as lost as you were when I was forged. It was a rare thing that Yukari appeared to walk Touwa home from school; wildly unnecessary, for the most part, but it seemed the easiest way to locate him. She waited by the academy gates, everpresent lab coat crisp and white, her expression flat and impassive as she surveyed the gaggle of children dashing out of their classes for the day in search of a clean-cut head of dark hair.

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 226

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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Today started like any other day for Touwa, with the familiar routine of school. The morning classes came and went, followed by the usual lunch break and afternoon classes. Little did he know that a surprise awaited him at the entrance gate of the academy, and it was no ordinary surprise—it was his mother.
[break][break]
Touwa was adept at maintaining his appearance. People who knew him would often describe him as confident, clever, and sociable, always displaying impeccable manners. His friends saw him as cheeky and fun, someone who knew how to liven up any gathering. But there were times when this outgoing personality seemed to vanish, replaced by someone entirely different. These moments occurred when he had to interact with his birth parents, causing him to become distant, silent, and awkward, uncertain of his own behavior.
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To understand Touwa's situation, it's important to note that he had two sets of parents. The Tokonatsu clan, as a whole, acted as his parents, providing love and support. However, there were also his biological parents—his mother and father—who had been absent for much of his childhood. Recently, though, his birth mother, Yukari, had taken an unexpected interest in him, which left Touwa feeling uneasy and awkward. After all, he had grown up with minimal contact with this person.
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In an instant, Touwa's cheerful demeanor shifted. His expression dimmed, and Ruiteki, his trusted companion, sensed the concern for his young wielder. With a sense of duty, Touwa slowly approached the person waiting for him – his mother, Yukari. Although she had recently shown an interest in him, Touwa had spent most of his childhood without her presence, making their current interactions all the more awkward. "Mother," Touwa greeted Yukari, his birth parent.
[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 287
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tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

She would have to be willfully ignorant to not recognize the change in Touwa’s demeanor as soon as he caught sight of her: his smile evaporated, the easy confidence he displayed in the little gaggle of fellow students whisked away and replaced by uncertainty. Yukari wasn’t sure exactly how she felt about this, but she took some small comfort that his face did not betray any fear. "Touwa,” she replied, the greeting as stiff and formal as his was. "Come. We’ll be training with your Life Blade today.” It wasn’t exactly a command, but she expected his obedience regardless, and it didn’t cross her mind to doubt for a moment that Touwa would not fall into step alongside her. She led the way to the academy’s training grounds in near total silence, the clack of her pristine black pumps against the stone walkway echoing all the louder for her lack of communication. She tried to think back on her own childhood, coming home from the academy to the clan compound, how the matrons had greeted her, what they asked her, how they made her feel. Did they ask about her day? Help with her homework? Who had assisted in her training, after her father cast her aside? The training field was relatively busy, but Yukari claimed a small corner for their use: neither of their Life Blades were the kind that needed extensive space, and this early stage of connection and understanding was more about metaphysical practice than repetitively striking a wooden dummy. Yukari pulled Kyuusai from where he was tucked up into her sleeve, the plain-looking scalpel glinting in the afternoon sunlight. Be gentle, he said. Yukari exhaled. "Have you made contact with your Blade?” she asked, sharper than intended, though softer than normal. "Do you know its name, its spirit?”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 302

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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"Yes, Mother," Touwa replied, his unease undeniably evident in the subtle quiver of his voice and the stiffness in his posture. As they walked to the training grounds, his steps seemed to echo Yukari's, almost mirroring the metaphorical chasm that had long separated them. It was a stark contrast to the camaraderie and ease he shared with his friends and clan members. He knew, on some level, that his mother's intentions were most likely well-meaning, but he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of being out of his element. The sudden interest she had taken in him, especially at this crucial juncture in his life, left him perplexed and wary.
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As he walked alongside his mother, the weight of years of separation and unanswered questions pressed down on him, making the conversation feel increasingly awkward and uncomfortable. Touwa couldn't help but wonder what had brought about this sudden change in their relationship and what it might mean for his future.
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When Yukari inquired about his connection with his Life Blade, Ruiteki, Touwa's response was short and tinged with hesitation. "I have," he admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper, his eyes avoiding any contact with Yukari's as if speaking too loudly or looking at her might shatter the fragile equilibrium of their interaction. "Ruiteki," he continued, the name of his Life Blade hanging in the air, unfinished, as if he couldn't bring himself to reveal more. "Not yet," he added in a hushed tone, his fingers absently caressing the bell-shaped trinket that hung from his belt. He sought solace in the familiar touch of Ruiteki, the only constant in his life amidst a sea of uncertainty and awkwardness.
[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 278
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tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Yukari was not good with people. She never had been. Intent and feeling were foreign on another person’s face, and in the absence of understanding, she turned to fear: fear that what she did not understand meant that she was hated, reviled. An annoyance. Disgusting. She saw this on her son’s face, when his eyes shifted to meet hers and then quickly away again; she heard it in the tremor of his voice when he spoke the name of his blade. She was his mother, and he despised her. Her mouth thinned, flattening into a straight, stark red line. She adjusted her glasses from where they had slipped down the bridge of her nose. "Ruiteki is like Kyuusai,” she said, holding the scalpel delicately between two knuckles. "An Araikettei weapon always has a sharp blade, but yours is hidden, and mine is weak.” Kindness is not weakness, Kyuusai chided gently, whiskers twitching. She ignored him. "Yours need not be a weakness,” she said. Firmly, as if it were meant to be an assurance. "Understanding will breed strength. Learn how your blade functions to understand its spirit—listen to its desires and reach common understanding. Kyuusai yearns to help. What does Ruiteki strive for?”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 202

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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The complexities of his relationship with his mother, Yukari, and the newfound responsibility she seemed to thrust upon him weighed heavily on Touwa's heart. Her words, while well-intended, only added to the weight of expectations he was carrying. Touwa thought it was a cruel joke of fate, but he was really her son. Both she and he had unusually shaped lifeblades, which tied them together. Though he wasn't sure whether he should be happy about this.
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Touwa's thoughts returned to the final question, prompting him to consider what Ruiteki truly desired. It was a thought he'd never had before, a feature of his lifeblade that he'd taken for granted. Uncertainty washed over him as he considered how to respond.
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"I..." he paused, torn between the desire to be honest with his mother and the fear of appearing unprepared or inept. Touwa was hesitant to admit that he had never truly considered Ruiteki's ambitions because it seemed like an admission of weakness, especially in front of his mother. It was a part of himself he despised, perhaps as much as he thought his parents did.
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"I believe there's still much I need to explore in that regard," he admitted, deftly slipping in a white lie. His words suggested that he had attempted to communicate with Ruiteki but had not yet delved deeply into its desires. Touwa had never given much thought to Ruiteki's aspirations, but he kept this fact hidden from his mother, not wanting to reveal his lack of effort.
[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 250
[break]
tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Yukari scrutinized the boy’s face as he paused—he was hesitant, reluctant to share his thoughts with her. Why? He is uncomfortable, Kyuusai murmured. You have been absent for all his life, and now you demand he share the inner thoughts of his soul-twin without ever having earned his trust. I don’t need to earn his trust, Yukari replied sharply. I am his mother. You did not raise him. He does not know you. Why should that matter? Because it matters to him. Kyuusai washed his face with his paws, tail lashing anxiously. It matters to you, too. Yukari sighed, slow and heavy. "Try it now,” she said to Touwa. "It is… something that takes time. It may be unpleasant. Your Blade is a part of yourself, and sometimes your Blade may be a part of yourself that you are… less than fond of.” You have to be open with him if you want him to trust you. "Kyuusai is a pacifist,” she said. Her tone was careful, neutral, betraying nothing. "He refuses to do harm. My father—your grandfather—thought this was unacceptable. But there is nothing that can be done about who you are, or what your Blade is bound to be. There is no shame in that.”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 207

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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A complex mix of emotions swirled within Touwa as he absorbed his mother's words. Her request for him to open up about Ruiteki had initially set him off, but her gentler tone now offered a glimpse of understanding. He couldn't help but think she was struggling with her own expectations and the complexities of their unique situation, just like he was.
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"I see," he responded briefly, his gaze still fixed on the distant horizon rather than directly at his mother. Although his ears were attuned to Yukari's words, this rare moment of connection with his mother intrigued him. He had been inundated with information about the Tokonatsu clan, but details about his own lineage remained shrouded in mystery, as neither of his parents had openly shared it with him.
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Though hesitant, Touwa recognized that his mother, as a fellow member of the Arreiketei who had inherited the clan's bloodline, was his best source of insight. "Is there..." he paused once more, uncertain whether he should broach this topic and how she might perceive his question. Gathering a bit of courage, he continued, sensing that his mother was in a relatively approachable mood, or at least more so than usual. "Is there any right way to do it?" Touwa wasn't sure if she understood what he was saying, if he could hold a conversation with her for more than a sentence, or if they had anything resembling the typical parent-child relationships he had observed within their clan compound, he would have asked so much more.
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He wanted to ask her how she connected with her own lifeblade, what thoughts she entertained, how she grew closer to it, and how she learned to discern its desires. However, the words eluded him.
[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 289
[break]
tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Touwa still did not look at her, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He was hesitant, uncertain in his words and phrasing in a way that she knew he was not in class, or with his friends, or with anyone aside from her, really. She wondered if he was this way with his—with Tadashi. If Tadashi struggled with the same distance, the same impersonal relationship. Was there a right way to do it? Yukari considered this. Her father would have had an immediate answer, because surely there was a correct methodology that he employed and that his father employed and that all of Bonchi no Kuni’s Araitekettei had inherited somewhere along the way. Yukari had not earned the privilege of knowing it. Her path to understanding had been her own to forge. But we made it work, didn’t we? "If there is a correct way, it is not something that was shared with me,” she said. "All I know is the way that worked for me. It was a continuous effort of practice and training: using Kyuusai, learning different techniques with him in hand. There is a particular… mental space that he occupies that I had to learn how to enter. It is…” Her words failed her. Her expression, normally so chilly and unimpressed, flickered with uncertainty. "It is difficult to explain. There is no other, physical realm in which Kyuusai resides, but he is a part of my conscience and speaks in his own voice. It was only through reaching out over time that I learned to hear him, and was able to truly use him.”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 267

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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Touwa's sharp perception detected that fleeting undercurrent of uncertainty in his mother's words, a facet of her personality he had rarely glimpsed before. Naturally, his gaze shifted to her face to confirm what he had heard, and indeed, her expression momentarily shifted. A subtle twinge of emotion resonated within Touwa's heart as he realized that his mother possessed this vulnerable side as well.
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Listening intently to Yukari's explanation, Touwa gradually came to a somber realization. He would have to embark on his own path of discovery with Ruiteki, much like his mother had done with Kyuusai. He wasn't a full-blooded Araikettei, and his upbringing had been far from the traditional Araikettei environment. His grandfather, who might have offered guidance, remained conspicuously absent. A faint sigh escaped his lips, and he quickly glanced at his mother, silently hoping that she wouldn't interpret it as a lack of faith in her wisdom.
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"I see," Touwa acknowledged, his fingers deftly untying Ruiteki from its tassel. The lifeblade, which had remained quiet for the majority of Yukari and Touwa's conversation, now rested in his hand.
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"I'll give it a try," he affirmed, his determination unwavering as he channeled a portion of his chakra into the dormant lifeblade, awakening it to its true form—a bell. Closing his eyes, Touwa focused his efforts on establishing a connection with Ruiteki. He allowed chakra to flow between them, seeking that elusive mental space his mother had alluded to, while isolating himself from external distractions.
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However, the void he encountered within his mind was absolute darkness and silence, a disorienting experience. A bead of sweat formed on Touwa's neck as he attempted to reach out to Ruiteki. "Ruiteki," he mentally called out, but there was no response. "Nothing," he muttered under his breath, as he opened his eyes.
[break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 300
[break]
tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

A sigh escaped Touwa’s lips, and Yukari’s posture stiffened minutely. Of course he would think this tiresome, foolish; she had admitted wholesale that her knowledge base was inferior to that of their kinsman, that she had been rejected by her own father, that her father and his kin had not deigned to pass on to her the teachings of their clan. If she could not turn back the clock and have involved herself in his life from when he was a babe, then she thought at the very least she could prove herself useful as a mentor, but it seemed that even here she was destined to fail. It seemed to her that Touwa accepted her words with some reluctance, but he made the effort anyway, and Yukari didn’t know what to dissect from that. She let it be for now, tucked away neatly in the file cabinets of her mind to mull over later. For now: she watched Touwa intently as his eyes slid closed, hoping, as she so rarely allowed herself to do, that his efforts would bear fruit. They did not. "... I will write to my father,” she said, after a long, stretched-out moment of silence. "He may have more to offer you than he did for me.” Encourage him. He does not care for my encouragement. It is the right thing to do regardless. "Keep trying,” she said. Her voice was flat, her expression inscrutable. "It takes time. Weeks. Months. Have patience and persistence, and the connection will come with time.”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 256

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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Touwa's frustration was palpable, his disappointment evident in his furrowed brow and clenched fists. He had hoped for a more immediate connection with Ruiteki, perhaps a glimpse of the path he needed to follow. The absolute darkness and silence he encountered within his mind had left him disoriented and disheartened.
[break][break]
He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of his own impatience. But as he opened his eyes and met his mother's gaze, he found a glimmer of resolve within her words. She had offered to write to his grandfather, a prospect that both intrigued and unnerved him. He knew little about the Araikettei clan and even less about his grandfather's disposition. "Thank you," Touwa accepted her advice with a slow nod. "I will keep trying," he said, his voice determined and somehow a little more relaxed in this situation which he would usually find very suffocating. But Touwa did recognize the importance of patience and persistence in unlocking the true potential of Ruiteki and, by extension, his Araikettei heritage, and at the moment his mother was the only willing guide available to him.
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Touwa took a deep breath, determined to make another attempt at connecting with Ruiteki. He closed his eyes once more, shutting out the world around him and focusing solely on the dormant lifeblade in his hand. He began by channeling his chakra, allowing it to flow through his being and into Ruiteki.
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In the darkness of his mind, he reached out to the lifeblade, mentally calling its name, "Ruiteki." He sought that elusive mental space, hoping to establish a connection, just as his mother had advised. He concentrated with unwavering intent, isolating himself from external distractions. As he delved deeper into his own consciousness, Touwa suddenly heard two faint whispers, so subtle that they almost escaped his notice. The first whisper carried a sense of sarcasm. It murmured, "Woah, you couldn't be any more faster!" The second whisper was scolding the first one. It whispered, "Oh give it a rest, he is trying, isn't he!?" Touwa's confusion gave way as the voices faded away to understanding as he realized that the second voice was scolding the first.
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"Two," he murmured quietly. "I heard two voices," he said again, not knowing what to make of it. Was that normal? For a lifeblade to possess two voices or maybe he was making it up, but that couldn't be the case.
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SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
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The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

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tokonatsu yukari

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[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Yukari wondered, briefly, what she would say to her father this time, what she could possibly say now that would garner a different response from the one that she’d received every time she’d written to him before: silence. The lone spider that spun its web in her empty mailbox. Her son had been of no interest to him when he was born, but her father had always been more invested in the clan than in his family, and perhaps the draw of an unusual Life Blade would lure him back into their lives. Perhaps. The man could be dead, for all she knew. Perhaps you would both be better off if he was. She watched in silence as Touwa closed his eyes again, focusing. Now, with so many years between herself and her childhood, she struggled to remember what it was like to not have Kyuusai lingering in her mind, to not be able to slip so easily into his consciousness and allow him to slip so easily into hers. As much as the rat irritated her, she thought that it would have been a much lonelier life without him. I love you too. Two, Touwa said. Yukari’s head tilted the barest inch, her brow furrowing. Two voices? Better to make a connection at all than none, she supposed, but two voices— "It could suggest something about the form of your Blade’s consciousness.” The words slipped from her mouth even as Kyuusai was speaking them, a moment of synchrony. "Kyuusai is, to my mind, a small gray rat. To hear two voices implies a form with two mouths: two heads, perhaps, or two bodies entirely. I do not know. It is worth keeping in mind as you explore your connection further.” But a Life Blade was part of its wielder’s soul, and Yukari couldn’t help but fear for what it meant if her son’s spirit was fractured into three instead of two. This was a moment tenuously held, and Yukari was afraid to let it slip from her grasp, but so too was she afraid that clutching it too tightly would send Touwa in flight. "We could discuss it more,” she said stiffly, "over dinner, if you would like.”

Tokonatsu Touwa -- 369

LAIKA OF THQ

[Tokonatsu Touwa]

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Touwa, still absorbed in the connection with Ruiteki, nodded slowly as he absorbed his mother's words. The revelation that his lifeblade might possess two voices was both perplexing and intriguing. It felt like uncharted territory, a hidden facet of his lifeblade that he was ready to explore. The concept fascinated him, albeit leaving him somewhat unsettled. His desire to comprehend this new aspect of his lifeblade was unwavering, as he considered the possibilities and implications it might bring.
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With a sense of purpose, he carefully returned Ruiteki to its dormant form, taking the time to fasten it back to the tassel it had been on previously, ensuring its safety.
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Touwa hesitated for a moment when his mother suggested dinner. It wasn't a lack of desire to spend time with her that gave him pause, but rather the uncertainty of what might unfold during their conversation. His family dynamics had always been complex, and he felt a lingering sense of unease about what topics might arise. Nonetheless, he knew he had no valid excuses to decline the offer.
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"Yes, Mother," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation as he contemplated the impending dinner and the unknown territory it might lead him to.
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-E N D-
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SPOILER: Click to show

斬術 | Zanjutsu [lit. Cutting Technique]
[break][break]
The Araikettei clan's KKG allows the user to obtain and wield the Life Blade - Ruiteki. The blade has its own consciousness and is capable of acting on its own. Regardless, Touwa and his Life Blade are inextricably linked to life and death. When one dies, the other dies, and thus anyone who is not Touwa is unable to wield the weapon.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]WORD: 203
[break]
tokonatsu yukari

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