Scenario:Azusa - The Delusional Warrior's Curse
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The Delusional Warrior's Curse
Azusa was once a lonely child, saved by her encounter with Narmaya. However, Azusa begins to fear that she is being regarded as worthless by Narmaya, eventually falling victim to her delusions and an enchanted blade. After Narmaya frees Azusa from the curse of her blade, Azusa stays with Narmaya's parents, Gamshira and Laruna, at their dojo to recover. Although she is thankful toward Narmaya's parents, one day she decides to leave the dojo without notice.
I sink into the deep, dark waters.
I reach out my hand toward the surface, but it only taunts me as I am pulled farther and farther away from it.
Ah, so this is it...
This is where I die.
I've been alone for as long as I can remember.
The only thing I had was my name—Azusa. Nothing else.
Nothing dared to come close to me.
Or should I say, nothing but...
Monster: Groooar!
Man: C'mere, kid. You look like you'd fetch a bit o' coin...
Starving monsters. But that's only to be expected—after all, birds of a feather flock together.
Monster: Graaah!
Man: Aaaugh!
I devoured all who got close to me. I stole and killed, letting my hunger carry me.
To live and die as a beast. That is what I'd accepted my fate to be.
But one day... she appeared in front of me.
Narmaya: Hey, are you all right?
Narmaya: Oh no, you're injured!
Azusa: Ugh...
Narmaya: You can come to my house! I'll get my mom to take a look at you! Can you stand up? How about walking?
Azusa: Ah...
Narmaya saved me.
She took me to her house, and that's how I met Teacher Gamshira and Laruna. Everything changed after that.
Laruna taught me how to read and write. I pored over Teacher Gamshira's books, learning words and speech.
Narmaya often spent her time playing with me, and I learned to have my own thoughts and feelings. From a beast, I grew into a person.
Then, one day.
Gamshira: Azusa, it appears you have a gift for the martial arts. How would you like to try learning them?
Azusa: Martial arts... You mean how to wield a weapon like you?
Gamshira: Yes. You may choose whichever weapon you'd like to practice—I'm fairly well-rehearsed in all of them.
Gamshira: All that I know, I can teach you.
Azusa: If that is what you wish for me, then I will try.
It's true that I was gifted. I didn't lose to any of my peers, and I never once doubted my own talent.
But I soon realized that there was someone who had the same amount of talent as myself.
It was Narmaya.
I was enchanted by her gift. I wanted to walk the same path as her.
Narmaya: So you've chosen the katana too, Azusa! Hehe. I won't lose to you.
Azusa: Hehe. And I'll endeavor to surpass you someday.
Narmaya: Let's both do our best!
That's what we promised each other. And that's why I continued to swing my sword, day after day.
But at one point, Narmaya was overcome with madness. She grew incredibly strong all of a sudden.
She easily defeated all the other pupils and everyone else at the dojo.
And finally, she spoke those words with the coldest eyes.
Narmaya: Farewell, worthless creature.
I couldn't help but think how pitiful all of the people around us were. Nobody was able to satisfy Narmaya's hunger.
But me... I could satisfy her. That's what I truly believed.
And I couldn't have been more wrong.
Azusa: Gwah!
Narmaya: Azusa!
I lost terribly to Narmaya one day during practice.
Narmaya: Azusa! I'm so sorry! I hit too hard...
Azusa: Pant, pant... Narmaya...
Narmaya: Azusa?
Azusa: Stop it...
Narmaya: Huh?
Azusa: Those eyes... Don't look at me... Don't look at me like that!
I was terrified at the time.
I never thought that Narmaya would ever look at me in that way.
To Narmaya, I was a worthless creature. That thought terrified me to no end.
Azusa: N-Narmaya... Narmaya...
Laruna: Narmaya! Azusa! What happened?
Narmaya: Mom! It's Azusa!
Laruna: Azusa? Are you all right?
Azusa: Ah... Aah...
That was the limit of my power... I couldn't believe all my efforts had amounted to being something utterly "worthless."
After that, I continued blindly swinging my blade in order to cast away my utter worthlessness.
But Narmaya grew further and further away from me.
I couldn't bear it. I couldn't let it happen.
Then, one day, I overheard a conversation between Teacher Gamshira and another pupil.
Pupil: Teacher Gamshira! Can you let me see that weapon one more time?
Gamshira: Hm? You mean the enchanted blade?
Azusa: (Enchanted... blade?)
Pupil: Yes! It was so beautiful... I just can't stop thinking about it!
Gamshira: No. The enchanted blade is something capable of robbing one's soul...
Gamshira: In exchange for tremendous power.
Azusa: (Tremendous power!)
Gamshira: Besides, you stole into my collection room without my permission. Have you no shame?
Pupil: Oh, right... I'm sorry...
Gamshira: Azusa?
Gamshira: Azusa, where are you going? Azusa!
Gamshira: Azusa!
But I could no longer hear Teacher Gamshira's voice.
I ran, desperately seeking an enchanted blade. I wandered aimlessly for a long time.
At first, I thought of sneaking into Teacher Gamshira's collection room and taking his, but I knew I'd just get caught immediately.
That's why I decided to go look for my own enchanted blade. I went anywhere and everywhere, pouncing at any bit of information.
I would sneak onto airships for passage across the skies, and even break into nests of monsters on my own.
Finally, I came across what I was looking for, in a village that had been abandoned for decades and teeming with monsters.
Among the skulls littered on the ground, I saw a skeleton holding a strange, glowing blade.
Azusa: Ah, yes... I can tell right away. This isn't something of this world.
Azusa: So this... is an enchanted blade.
Azusa: Haha! Hahaha! Yes, I've found it! With this, I'll never be a worthless creature again!
Thinking that, I reached out for the glowing blade.
But the moment my fingers touched the blade, the skeleton moved and grabbed my arm.
Azusa: A-an evil spirit!
Skeleton: No, I am a fragment of the soul attached to this cursed blade.
Skeleton: This is no ordinary blade. It is one that has been put under an ageless curse upon devouring the power of Astrals. The curse is then laid on whoever wields the blade.
Skeleton: Cast it away. You are still young. Cast it away now.
Azusa: I refuse.
Azusa: I've come all this way for this very blade.
Azusa: I'd rather be cursed than stay as something worthless.
I ignored the skeleton's warning and took the blade away from it.
And in that moment, I was overcome by an indescribable sensation.
Azusa: Hahaha... Hahahaha! So this is how it feels... to have tremendous power!
Azusa: Hahaha! Wait for me, Narmaya... With this, I can finally face you!
Azusa: I am not useless... I won't let you say that I'm a worthless creature ever again!
In my elation, I ran off once more, back to Teacher Gamshira's dojo.
There, I faced Narmaya once more.
Narmaya: Dragonsbane.
Azusa: Gaaah!
Narmaya: Dragonsbane... I was so convinced it was no match for Zanba that I sealed it away in my memories.
Azusa: I only saw it a few times as a kid. No, I didn't just see it, I—
Narmaya: I used it against you back then too, didn't I? Right where we stand now, as I recall.
Narmaya: In fact, that's what started it all.
Azusa: ...
Narmaya: I remember now, Azusa. I remember you and this technique.
Narmaya: You were always at my side, and we'd practice together. You never turned down the chance to spar with me.
Azusa: Yeah...
Narmaya: I'm so sorry for forgetting about you after everything you had done for me.
Narmaya: I was so focused on chasing after Zanba that I severed an irreplaceable connection.
Azusa: ...
Narmaya: You're not worthless in the slightest. When your blade cut me, that was your true strength, not the enchanted blade.
Azusa: ...!
Azusa: I only got a shallow cut in. I'm still an amateur.
Narmaya: That's not true. The moment I felt your ferocity, I understood one thing.
Narmaya: You're strong, Azusa.
Azusa: Sob...
Azusa: I became twisted. I lost sight of everything.
Azusa: My wish was for you to look at me. To notice me. I began to wonder what I could I do.
Azusa: Before I knew it, this strange weapon had taken ahold of my heart, and... that was it. That was how my wish could come true.
Narmaya: Ah, I see. No wonder you weren't acting like yourself. But it's okay now.
Azusa: Yeah, now that I think about it, I never actually heard you call me worthless.
Azusa: It's just that your eyes were terrifying... They were carved into my psyche, and I couldn't get away from them.
Azusa: So I must've imagined in my head that you felt that way about me... I drove myself crazy over nothing...
Azusa: Sob... So I'm not worthless to you, am I?
Narmaya: Of course not. I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Azusa.
Narmaya: Let me say this.
Narmaya: If we could start over, I'd like you to be my friend again.
Narmaya: Let's make up for lost time, and I guarantee you, it'll be worthwhile.
Azusa: Waaah!
And that is how I died.
The me that was disillusioned, obsessed with power and the enchanted blade—that part of me finally died.
Thanks to my beloved friend, Narmaya.
Azusa: Mngh...
Laruna: Azusa! Oh, thank goodness you're awake!
Azusa: Laruna? And...
Gamshira: What a relief...
Azusa: Teacher Gamshira?
Laruna: You were mumbling in your sleep! Did you have an unpleasant dream?
Azusa: A dream... Hm.
Azusa: Yeah... I died in my dream.
Laruna: Oh my, that must have been terrifying! Let me give you a big hug! There, there...
Azusa: I... I can't breathe, Laruna...
Gamshira: A dream in which you died... How do you feel?
Laruna: Why would you even ask that? She must be feeling awful!
Azusa: Oh, actually... I feel rather refreshed.
Laruna: Huh!
Gamshira: I see. That's good.
Gamshira: The sun isn't up yet, so there's plenty more time for you to rest.
Laruna: Do you want me to sing you a lullaby? Or how about I sleep next to you? What about a cold compress to cool you down, or a nice, fluffy blanket?
Azusa: I really appreciate the concern, Laruna. But I'm all right for now.
Laruna: Are you sure? Well... if you need anything, just let me know, okay? I'll come running at a moment's notice!
Azusa: Hehe. Okay.
Gamshira: You can tell us more about your dream at breakfast.
Azusa: Yes, Teacher Gamshira.
Azusa: Whew...
After my fight with Narmaya, my body continued to deteriorate from the influence of the enchanted blade.
Luckily, since Narmaya broke the blade, the symptoms haven't grown any worse.
But sometimes, my vision gets hazy and I can't see anything.
Worried, Teacher Gamshira and Laruna agreed to look after me while I recover. I'm now staying with them at the dojo.
The two of them are so kind. I ran away once, but they welcomed me back with open arms.
I'm very grateful toward them... Still.
Azusa: Sigh...
I can't let things stay this way, Teacher Gamshira. Laruna.
And with that, Azusa leaves the place without a sound.
Gamshira and Laruna have not seen her since.