"Tatsumi, it seems you've grown as well. The Imperial Capital is truly a good place; in just a few days, it can turn a simple and ignorant person into a mature one."
Suddenly, a girl's voice startled both Tatsumi and Ieyasu. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a girl who had appeared by the balcony edge at some unknown time – who else could it be but their companion, Sayo?!
"Hey! Sayo, how did you get up there? Come down quickly, it's dangerous!"
Seeing Sayo casually standing on the balcony railing like that, Ieyasu immediately became anxious. Shouting, he was about to rush over and pull Sayo down, but was stopped by the quick-witted Tatsumi.
"Tatsumi, what are you doing? Don't you see Sayo is in danger? Hurry and save her!"
If Tatsumi wasn't a companion he'd grown up with, Ieyasu would have kicked him away long ago. What kind of madness is this at a time like this? It's driving me crazy with anxiety!
"Calm down, Ieyasu!"
Tatsumi shouted sternly, his face serious. He had to say, because of Sora, the trajectory of this world was completely messed up. Just looking at Tatsumi, at this point, he was mature beyond measure compared to the same point in the original work!
Of course, Ieyasu, this fellow, hadn't changed at all. At this point in the original work, this young man had already met his end under Aria's whip.
"Ieyasu, you're still the same as always, nothing has changed. Impulsive, you like to show off, and you don't think things through. With you like this, you still want to surpass Tatsumi? It's highly unlikely, no matter how you look at it."
A faint smile appeared on her face, as if she were back in the time when the three of them played and messed around together. Her tone was so gentle, but Sayo's words were like sharp arrows directly shot into the hearts of both Tatsumi and Ieyasu.
Especially Ieyasu; he even forgot to struggle, staring dumbfounded at the girl on the balcony railing, an expression of disbelief on his face.
This woman was definitely not the Sayo he knew!
"Are you the real Sayo?"
He tried hard to calm himself down. Although his heart was incredibly shocked and he didn't know what had happened to this girl, Tatsumi had an incredibly strong intuition that this girl was indeed Sayo, the companion he had grown up with since childhood!
Looking from afar, she was no longer wearing that rustic country outfit from before, but had changed into a beautiful and cute maid outfit. Her long hair reached her waist, fluttering constantly in the air under the gentle breeze. It was still that same always cute and beautiful face. Clearly she was smiling, but it made people unable to feel that former warmth; instead, it was a strange coldness...
"What do you think? My companions who grew up with me!"
A more enchanting smile appeared on her face, Sayo retorted.
At this time, Ieyasu, who had been blocked behind Tatsumi, stepped forward, a silly smile on his face, and continued:
"Okay, Sayo, stop playing and come down quickly! Tatsumi just said you were fake, I really don't know what got into that guy. How could Sayo possibly be fake?"
"Hehehe, I didn't notice before, Sayo is quite good-looking, isn't she, after changing clothes."
Although he was speaking to himself with a face full of smiles, Ieyasu's voice carried a hint of trembling.
He was oblivious, but he wasn't a fool. There were some things he did understand, he just didn't want to understand...
Tatsumi, standing in place, did not stop Ieyasu, but he felt a bit uneasy inside. Looking at Sayo, who had suddenly appeared opposite and said such hurtful words, a trace of anger couldn't help but rise in his heart.
"Ieyasu, how long are you going to keep deceiving yourself? Since you still don't understand, then I'll make you understand!"
The corner of her mouth pulled up into a bloodthirsty arc. With a gesture of her hand, a longbow, pitch-black as ink, made of some unknown material but exquisitely beautiful, appeared in Sayo's left hand. With another gesture, a silver arrow appeared in Sayo's right hand. Placing the arrow on the string, Sayo pointed the arrowhead in Ieyasu's direction.
Because Sayo hadn't cultivated inner energy yet and her internal power wasn't strong, she would probably be completely exhausted after shooting one energy arrow. So, Sora had prepared some silver arrows in the space ring he gave her, letting her shoot them for practice first.
Both Ieyasu and Tatsumi were stunned by Sayo's seemingly magical action. However, seeing Sayo point the arrowhead at Ieyasu, Tatsumi, standing to the side, suddenly came back to his senses, and his expression immediately changed!
"Look out!!!"
Without even thinking, Tatsumi immediately leaped towards Ieyasu. Although even Tatsumi didn't believe Sayo would shoot the arrow, that incredibly strong intuition told him she definitely would!
Whoosh!!!
As expected, the next moment, Sayo released the bowstring without hesitation. A sound of breaking the air rang out, and the long arrow turned into a silver streak, shooting directly towards Ieyasu's heart!
Thwack...
A streak of blood red sprayed in the air. Finally, at the last moment, Tatsumi pounced on Ieyasu, who still hadn't recovered his senses, and knocked him to the ground. The silver arrow grazed his shoulder and shot towards the wall behind.
He was covered in cold sweat. Just now, he and Ieyasu had almost been shot dead by a single arrow. Still unsettled from the fright, he turned his head and looked at the wall behind, but besides a thumb-sized black hole, there was no trace of the silver arrow!
Tatsumi felt a burst of numbness in his scalp. Even such a hard and thick wall could be easily pierced through; if he had been even slightly slower just now...
"Tatsumi, are you okay?"
Finally coming back to his senses, looking at Tatsumi's bleeding shoulder, Ieyasu asked incredibly eagerly.
"Don't worry, Ieyasu, I'm okay."
Tatsumi replied while standing up. Although his face was calm on the surface, in his heart, there was endless shock!
What on earth happened to Sayo? Why did she become so powerful? Why is she so cold-blooded and heartless towards me and Ieyasu? Why...
Problem after problem filled the youth's mind, making Tatsumi feel as if his entire being was in chaos!
"Sayo!!! What are you doing?!!!!"
His eyes blood red, Ieyasu, who had turned his head, roared furiously at Sayo like a crazed lion.
Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Not only did she want to kill him, but she also hurt his most important companion! Even if this person was Sayo, it was unforgivable!!!
"Heh heh, doing what? Ieyasu, when can you be a bit smarter? Isn't this obvious? I just want to kill you!"
A dazzling smile, enhanced by the moonlight, made the girl even more enchanting, like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world. But the girl's voice was so vicious, making people fall into endless coldness...
"Ah!!!"
Endless anger had completely made Ieyasu lose his mind. This pain of being betrayed by his most important companion made the youth feel a pain as if his soul had been torn apart!
However, whether the other party was angry or raging, Sayo, standing to the side, just watched with cold indifference, as if it had not the slightest relation to her. A hint of a disdainful smile appeared on her face. As expected, these guys are still so childish and foolish!
Slap!!!
A loud sound constantly echoed within the room. Looking at Ieyasu, who was stunned and came back to his senses from his anger, Tatsumi couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile.
Now it's fair. Just a moment ago, Ieyasu slapped himself, and now he's been slapped back so quickly.
"Tatsumi…"
Staring blankly at Tatsumi, tears began to stream down Ieyasu's face, his expression filled with endless sorrow.
"Ieyasu, calm down!"
Tatsumi patted Ieyasu on the shoulder and spoke in a low voice.
If he were alone at this moment, Tatsumi would also want to rage, to go mad, to rush over and ask Sayo why! But seeing Ieyasu in such pain, Tatsumi knew he couldn't.
Someone had to stay strong, and at this moment, that person was him!
"Sayo, why? Why have you become like this?"
"Have you forgotten everything? Me, Ieyasu, and everyone in the village!"
"We came here to save everyone in the village. What happened to you? Tell us. We've grown up together, and we'll definitely help you!"
Tatsumi tried his best to calm down, asking Sayo in a deep voice.
Without a doubt, something must have happened to Sayo that he didn't know about. Otherwise, the pure and kind Sayo, who deeply cared for her friends and companions, would never have become like this!
Ieyasu also wiped away his tears. After being slapped by Tatsumi, the young man had calmed down a lot. He stared intently at Sayo, waiting for her answer.
"Companions, huh…"
As if remembering something, Sayo looked up at the starry sky, her face filled with nostalgia.
"The Sayo from the past is dead! All those promises to protect me, to help me—liars, all of you!"
Her expression suddenly changed, and a cold, sinister smile appeared on her face.
"You didn't show up when you were needed, you didn't save me when you should have. It's too late, everything is too late!"
"I'll save everyone in the village by myself!"
"One of you was sold as soon as you entered the city, almost becoming a slave for others' amusement. The other just laughs all day, not even noticing that your companion has been replaced. How can you still talk about saving me, saving everyone in the village?!"
Sayo shouted at them with intense emotion, leaving Tatsumi and Ieyasu stunned, unable to respond for a long time.
"Now, there's no point in saying any of this. Tatsumi, Ieyasu, let's put an end to everything from the past."
Returning to a calm and indifferent expression, Sayo gave a bloodthirsty smile. Without another word, she leaped and disappeared from sight…