THE PATH OF LIFE || U. SASUKE

CHAPTER 42

Shingen's arrival interrupted Enya's introspection, and the air seemed to crackle with tension as the two exchanged words.

"About time you got here," Enya's voice held a mix of annoyance and reproach as he shot a glare at Shingen.

Shingen's smile remained eerily intact, his red eyes gleaming with a peculiar light. "You know how it is, Enya. Some tasks require finesse, and others, a bit more time." His voice carried an almost sing-song quality, a stark contrast to the weight of their situation.

Enya's frustration was palpable, and he wasted no time in directing it at Shingen. "Finesse? We're on a tight schedule, and you're playing games?"

Y/N, her mask of indifference firmly in place, clenched her teeth against the pain coursing through her. She remained silent, her gaze locked on Shingen, waiting for whatever twisted words he was about to utter.

Shingen's smile widened slightly, his eerie demeanor unshaken by Enya's outburst. "Ah, impatience. A trait shared by many, including our dear Y/N here." He inclined his head towards Y/N, his gaze piercing through her facade. "But then again, haste can often lead to mistakes, can't it?"

Enya's scowl deepened, his frustration mounting as he grappled with Shingen's cryptic words. "Enough with your riddles, Shingen. We have a task at hand."

"Ah, yes, the task," Shingen's tone was almost singsong, a melody of mirth in the face of their urgency. "You see, my dear Y/N, power is not merely about strength. It's about the choices we make, the sacrifices we're willing to endure."

Y/N's gaze remained fixed on Shingen, her pain masked by a veneer of stoicism. "Sacrifices?" Her voice was a mere whisper, laced with a touch of curiosity despite herself.

Shingen's smile turned mysterious. "Indeed, sacrifices. The path you tread is one fraught with decisions, each leading to a different outcome." His words seemed to hang in the air, laden with implications that Y/N struggled to decipher.

Enya's frustration reached its peak as he snapped at Shingen. "Stop speaking in riddles, Shingen! We have a job to do."

Shingen's laughter, a soft and haunting melody, echoed through the air. "Of course, Enya. Patience, my friend. All will be revealed in due time."

Enya's scowl deepened further as Shingen's cryptic words continued to baffle him. His frustration was a palpable presence in the air, clashing with Shingen's unsettling demeanor.

Shingen's attention shifted to Y/N as he raised a hand, fingers curling in a complex pattern. The air seemed to shift, charged with an otherworldly energy. "Now, my dear Y/N, let us alleviate your burden," he murmured, his voice a mere whisper that carried an air of finality.

As Shingen's hand moved, intricate patterns of crimson began to materialize on Y/N's skin, tracing a web of enigmatic symbols. Each mark seemed to pulse with a life of its own, responding to an arcane power that defied conventional understanding.

As Shingen's sealing technique took effect, a surge of power coursed through Y/N's veins, mingling with the burning sensation of the curse mark. She gritted her teeth against the agony, her fingers digging into her palms as her body trembled. Enya's eyes widened slightly, watching the process unfold with a mixture of apprehension and reluctant admiration. This was their master's will, after all.

"Such a resilient spirit," Shingen mused, his voice like a whisper on the wind. "To willingly embrace the path of power, to seek the answers that lie beyond the mundane confines of this world."

Enya shifted uncomfortably, his unease palpable as he exchanged a quick glance with Y/N. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Shingen's penetrating gaze silenced him.