Chapter 221: Existence
"Kakyō, listen carefully. It's not even night yet, and it's pouring rain. I can't see a single star."
Tokinada Tsunayashiro lay at the bottom of a massive crater, dazed. In his delirium, he seemed to see his wife—the woman who had died years ago.
Buried beneath rubble and shattered wooden walls, he found an ironic sense of security in these once-impenetrable barriers. With his ear pressed against the ground, the only sound he could hear was the echoing thud of his own heartbeat, whispering to him: You're still alive.
One punch. Just one punch.
That terrifying man had struck him down from the peak of power within the Tsunayashiro Clan, sending him crashing to the very bottom.
"You sure were laughing a lot back there... Sorry to disappoint, but I'm still alive." He panted, his voice silent, as if speaking to someone he refused to show weakness before. "Yamamoto gave him Ikkotsu. I have to wonder... could he himself have used it with such power?"
His body ached, a searing pain spreading through every inch of him.
"It hurts so damn much... My whole body... Is this what dying feels like? Was it like this for you too?" He let out a hoarse chuckle. "What a mess... How many years has it been? Fifty? Sixty? A hundred?"
Tokinada blinked, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"I can't remember anymore... but it doesn't feel so bad." His expression darkened. "Don't say something stupid. Just shut up already, Kakyō!"
"Save me? I don't need saving!"