Momonosuke skin began to flush with an unnatural redness, spreading rapidly across his body like raging flames.
His pink kimono billowed and fluttered without any wind, its sleeves dancing wildly in the air as if tugged by invisible hands.
His hair stood on end as if electrified, pointing stiffly in all directions.
The onlookers were terrified by this sudden turn of events, their eyes filled with dread.
Some overturned their stalls, scattering goods everywhere with a clattering noise.
Others tripped over their companions, stumbling to the ground in disarray, ignoring their pain in their desperate rush to escape.
The street descended into chaos, the crowd scattering in all directions like a startled ant colony.
"It's over, it's over..." Kin'emon fell to his knees, his legs giving way as he collapsed heavily onto the ground.
His eyes brimmed with despair as he pounded the dirt with his fists, each strike venting his fear.
"If any woman comes within two meters of the young master, he'll... he'll blow up." His voice trembled with a sob, sounding especially mournful amid the chaos.
Izo felt a chill creeping up his spine to the back of his head, like a cold snake slithering along his vertebrae.
His eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the nightmarish scene before him.
The cherry blossom trees lining the street swayed gently in the breeze, their pink and white petals fluttering down like snow.
Those delicate petals now seemed like a sorrowful funeral procession, drifting mournfully to the ground, forming a stark contrast to the panic around them.
It should have been a peaceful afternoon, but the serenity shattered in an instant. Only fear and chaos lingered in the air.
Momonosuke's face turned deathly pale.
His wide eyes filled with terror as he stared at Tama.
A mix of resentment and dread clouded his gaze, his mind consumed by a single thought: It's over.
Those words echoed in his chest like a heavy hammer, crushing his last shred of hope.
Watching his abnormal reaction, Tama grew tense.
A second later, every hair on Tama's body stood on end.
A piercing chill crept up her spine, making her shiver.
Momonosuke suddenly felt like a red-hot branding iron in her arms.
The scorching heat burned right through his clothes into Tama's hands, triggering her survival instincts.
"This isn't good!"
Tama's pupils shrank.
She reflexively used all her strength to throw Momonosuke away.
Her movements were so fast they left a blurry afterimage, stirring up a faint whistle in the air.
Momonosuke traced an elegant arc through the air. He looked down in terror at his lower body, his eyes reflecting boundless despair.
Boom!
Bright red blood burst forth like a breached dam.
The intense crimson color looked like a demonically enchanting spider lily blooming in the dirt.
The blood droplets scattered and fell onto the sandy ground, making sickening, sizzling sounds.
The falling cherry blossom petals were stained red, transforming into crimson butterflies drifting helplessly through the air.
"Ahhhh!"
Momonosuke's piercing scream tore through the sky, packed with pain and fear.
The heart-wrenching cry echoed back and forth down the street, refusing to fade away.
...
Izo's legs felt as heavy as lead.
Filled with terror, he wanted to step forward to check on the boy, but his body felt bound by a spell.
He couldn't move.
His mind went blank as countless thoughts twisted together in his head.
Tama stood frozen, her hands still locked in their throwing posture.
Her fingertips trembled as if she had just survived a violent earthquake.
Her lips quivered, trying to form words, but her throat felt blocked.
She couldn't produce a single sound.
The entire street seemed stuck on pause. Everyone stood frozen in place, their faces carved with disbelief.
They hadn't processed the sudden turn of events yet.
The air seemed to freeze, even the falling cherry blossoms looking suspended in mid-air.
Time stretched into an eternal second, and everything around them grew suffocatingly quiet.
"This... this can't be real," someone murmured, their voice trembling.
Those simple words expressed exactly what everyone was feeling.
They felt trapped in a waking nightmare.
Kin'emon's face turned pale, looking as though he had been covered in ice and snow. His lips quivered.
He tried to shout, but he couldn't manage to force the sound out. His body swayed as he stumbled forward, each step looking painfully difficult.
With trembling hands, he took hold of Momonosuke.
Looking down, his pupils shrank.
The young master's lower body was soaked in blood, the flesh blurred beyond recognition.
It was a horrifying, gruesome sight.
The once-vibrant street had become a sea of blood.
"Young... Young Master...?"
Kin'emon's voice sounded as if his throat were being squeezed.
It was hoarse and broken, carrying heavy grief and despair. His vision darkened, nearly causing him to faint on the spot.
To him, the bloodline of Lord Kozuki Oden was the most important thing in the world—their hope and their future.
Yet now, it had been severed right before his eyes.
How could he possibly accept this?
Izo stood frozen, time seemingly standing still for him.
The gun in his hand, once a symbol of strength and protection, now felt weightless.
With a heavy clatter, it fell onto the cold ground, the sound piercing through the dead silence.
His eyes were locked onto the shocking pool of blood on the ground.
The crimson stain looked like a curse left by a demon, searing right into his retinas.
His throat felt as if an invisible hand were choking him, growing so tight he could barely swallow.
Even breathing became difficult
The air felt thick and heavy.
Each inhale was like stuffing cotton into his lungs, suffocating him with dread.
'He actually exploded? How could this be?'
The question surged like a heavy tide in his mind.
Just moments ago, everything had been fine.
Momonosuke had been lively and full of hope.
How could it all change in a single second? His thoughts sank into a chaotic swamp.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Tama.
It was filled with shock and disbelief, as if she were a stranger he had never met.
As for Tama, she was stunned.
She stood like a soulless statue, staring blankly at her own hands.
The warmth of Momonosuke's body still lingered on her fingertips, filling her with pure panic.
But her mind couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Her thought process ground to a halt.
She had only hugged the Young Master.
It was just a simple gesture!
How could he just... explode?
This cruel reality weighed on her like a mountain, suffocating her.
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