LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Shadow of Death
Kai Province – Takeda Castle, Year 7 of Tenbun (1538 AD)
The cherry blossoms had bloomed and fallen.
Spring had passed, and summer's heat hung heavy over the lands of Kai.
Inside the stone halls of Takeda Castle, a boy with silver hair and blind red eyes stood before a group of whispering men.
These were Harunobu's closest retainers.
Loyal samurai. Veteran warriors.
And tonight—
They were speaking of his death.
"He is dangerous."
"Unnatural."
"Even demons bleed."
"If we strike now, Lord Harunobu will not know until it is too late."
The boy did not move.
He did not need to see their faces to know their fear.
And in that moment—
He understood.
Even in the Tiger's den, there was no safety.
If he did not kill first—
Then he would be the one to die.
Yuki was not surprised.
He had always known that fear leads to hatred.
And hatred leads to murder.
He had heard the whispers from the other warriors.
"A demon should not exist in the Takeda ranks."
"Lord Harunobu's pet will bring disaster upon us all."
"No human moves like that on the battlefield."
"No child should kill so easily."
It had not mattered how many battles he fought for them.
It had not mattered how many enemies he slew in Harunobu's name.
Because in the end—
They did not see him as a warrior.
They saw him as a curse.
"Even demons bleed."
The whispered words echoed in his mind.
Yes.
Even demons can die.
"Kill him before he grows stronger."
"If we strike together, he will not escape."
They moved in the dark.
A knife in the back.A sword drawn in silence.
Six men stepped forward—
And Yuki smiled.
The first man died before he could scream.
His body collapsed soundlessly, throat severed by an unseen blade.
The second man tried to flee.
He made it three steps before a thin line of red appeared across his neck.
He fell forward.
His blood painted the wooden floor.
By the time the others realized what had happened—
It was already too late.
The blind child stood among them, his blade still whispering through the air.
And for the first time—
They saw the truth.
Not a demon.
Not a child.
But something worse.
"Run—!"
The last of them turned to flee—
But darkness swallowed them whole.
And by the time the torches were relit,
The room was silent once more.
Only one remained standing.
A boy, alone in the sea of corpses.
His silver hair stained red.
His red eyes void of emotion.
And in the shadows of the castle, a voice laughed.
Because fate had taken another step forward.
The next morning, the bodies were found.
And the message was clear.
Six of Takeda Harunobu's samurai—dead before they could even fight back.
The survivors did not speak.
The retainers no longer whispered.
The boy had left them a single warning.
A phrase carved into the wooden floor—
"Even demons bleed."
A reminder.
A threat.
A promise.
From that day forward—
None dared to speak against him again.
Because even demons can die.
But not before taking everyone else with them.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]You have survived an assassination attempt.You have sent a warning to those who seek to betray you.But your name now carries more than fear.
The world does not forgive monsters.
And fate still moves forward.