Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Name I Choose
Echigo Province – Kasugayama Castle, Year 8 of Tenbun (1539 AD)
For the first time in his life—
He was given a choice.
Not a command.Not an order.
A choice.
"You have never chosen a name for yourself."
"You have never claimed your own existence."
Uesugi Kenshin's words echoed in his mind.
Yuki sat beneath the autumn sky, staring at his hands.
The same hands that had held a sword for as long as he could remember.
The same hands that had taken life without hesitation.
The same hands that had once belonged to someone else.
But now—
For the first time—
He had the chance to belong to himself.
"A name is just a name."
His voice was quiet.
"What does it change?"
Kenshin did not answer immediately.
Instead, he simply studied Yuki carefully.
And then—
He said something that Yuki did not expect.
"It does not matter to me what name you choose."
"But if you continue walking the path of the nameless, then you will forever be trapped by the names others have given you."
"A demon.""A monster.""A weapon."
"Is that all you are?"
The wind rustled through the trees.
And for the first time—
Yuki felt a flicker of something he could not name.
Not doubt.Not fear.
But something close to longing.
Because the truth was—
He did not want to be a nameless blade anymore.
Yuki took a slow breath.
And then—
He spoke.
"Then I will choose a name for myself."
Kenshin watched silently.
Yuki closed his eyes.
He thought of the cold snow of his birth.The blood that had stained his childhood.The emptiness that had filled him for so long.
And then—
He let it all go.
"From now on—"
"I am no longer just a sword."
"My name is..."
The final leaves of autumn fell from the trees.
And in that moment—
He became someone new.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]You have chosen your own name.You have taken the first step toward defining your own existence.Fate shifts once more… but death is never far behind.