This is a short chapter, I serves as link and fills in some parts of Bankotsu's understanding of life, and he will look up at it later on. Let's all tank the old hag-sama from chapter 5, for entering this chapter as well.
The same night, before you all go to sleep, near the burn down village, you told everything you saw to Bankotsu. He didn’t react as you hoped he will. He just said “ok” and lay down. You wanted to talk about that kiss but he pretended to be asleep. You just didn’t know how to start the conversation about that. You pulled yourself together and decided to speak with him.
“Bankotsu,” you poke him several times to wake up.
“Leave me sleep,” he mumbles.
“Am… about the kiss the other night,” you blush madly but he was with back to see you.
“I’m not in the mood for it, maybe in the morning.”
“Not that!” you blush even more. “Why did you do it?”
“Well usually when you want to sleep with someone, you kiss one first…”
“You perverted bastard. Don’t you know love?” when you head yourself saying it, you regret it.
“Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t feel love for you,” he says with the same tone.
“No! I don’t love you! Who… What made you think that! Just forget it!” you lay next to him.
“Good night to you too!” he says and you take his cover. “Pfu… haven’t you heard of sharing?”
“I share with people I like!”
With that your conversation continued, and you both fell asleep
Suddenly Bankotsu jump, which woke you up. You don’t show you are awake, but follow his footsteps with your ears. When they were far enough, you got up and follow. He ended to the river. In the middle of it was an orb of light.
“Bankotsu…” a female voice came from the orb. You try to see though the light but it was impossible.
“What do you want old hag?” Bankotsu asks. “You have some nerves to wake me up.”
“I’m here to warn you…”
“Warn me about what? The weather?”
“One who seek power, end up helpless…”
“Blabla… Tell me something that I don’t know. Like who are you?”
“I have seen the future…”
“Oh… And what, you want a share from my power?”
“You will make a band of sever…”
“How did that came to your mind? Not maybe because we are the Shichinin-tai.”
“You will become too strong…”
“Considering I’m the leader, you tell me nothing new, hag.”
“They will fear you…”
“Since we are strong…”
“They will seek you…”
“Why did I even get up from bed…”
“They will kill you…”
“That is impossible. You said we are strong, and now we will be killed… How boring, I’m back to sleep.”
He turned but the orb grabbed him in its light. You could no longer see him or the old lady.
Bankotsu found himself floating in white light. In front of him he saw several images. It was like pictures from his life, but it hadn’t happened yet.
You come out of your hiding place and run to the orb. You saw the person in the orb. It was the old hag who made you the cloths. That witch! Bankotsu was with close eyes floating in front of her. He was sweating and his face was worried. You never had seen him like that. Suddenly he floats to you and gently lands on the ground. It is then when he woke up.
“Bankotsu!” you jump worried about him. You raise his head in your hands.
He opened his eyes slow and with effort. It was like all his endless energy was drained.
“Don’t move,” you whisper.
“Bankotsu,” the old lady spoke, “young lad, don’t waste your life, since little is until the end. Remember this: the human’s life is short and you must not waste it. Choose wisely.”
After these words the orb of light, became smaller, and then it disappeared.
Bankotsu looks at you with his blue eyes. He puts his hand on your face and smiles.
“Only I can change my faith,” he whispers before he loses consciousness in your hands.
Bankotsu wakes up by the sunshine. He was too heavy for you to carry him to the camp, so you left him there, covered to not get cold. You were nearby looking at the sunrise. He get up with moans more to catch your attention then from pain. You turn to see him get up and rub his head. He looks at you without saying anything. You do the same.
“Where did the old hag go?” he asks.
“Vanished…”
“Stupid hag…” he says and looks down at the grass.
“What happened in the orb?”
“She said I will die.”
“When?”
“I don’t know,” he says and gets up. “I hope it’s soon. I want to die young, not an old useless bag.”
“You are not scared of death?”
“We all die sooner or later,” he says and gets behind you, “what counts is what we do, while we are live.”
He gives you a deep passion kiss. You didn’t need words, to know how he felt that that beautiful warm morning.
