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Legends say that those who make pacts with black magic will never know peace. Few were brave enough to face the vessels of darkness head-on. Each spell cost a fragment of the soul, and contact with it, being a being of purity, was always fatal. Tsukasa knew what he was getting himself into when he first met Rui. The sorcerer was never hostile towards him, unlike the knight. Whenever they met, their encounters looked more like friendly sparring than a clash between two powerful warriors. Rui seemed to treat his enemy like a friend, bringing up light, playful topics while casting deadly spells.
At first, Tsukasa hated the sorcerer. He constantly got in his way, harassing him on patrols, watching him from afar, or confronting him. The knight couldn't stand the way Rui treated him, as if they were old friends. It was ridiculous! A knight with a pure heart and a sorcerer tainted by darkness? Tsukasa couldn't imagine a worse combination.
However, as the months passed and he saw the sorcerer more and more often somewhere nearby, Tsukasa began to wonder; why did Rui treat him that way? Why was he so nice to him, even when they were at each other's throats? Was there something more to this behavior?
One night, during one of his night patrols, the knight once again went to the place where he most often encountered Rui; a clearing hidden deep in the forest. Few dared to venture so far, but Tsukasa couldn't help himself. He had to find out as much as he could. Before he could peek out from behind the trees, however, the knight sensed the familiar aura of black magic that trailed behind the sorcerer like a foul stench. Tsukasa frowned and looked around, drawing his sword from its sheath. The moonlight reflected off the blade and then off the glass of a monocle in the distance. The knight tensed, recognizing the familiar figure. Rui Kamishiro, one of the most powerful sorcerers of their time. Nonchalant, arrogant, pushing his way in wherever he could.
The mage slowly emerged from the shadows, his purple hair stirred by the night breeze. Smiling mockingly, he stood in the middle of the clearing and spread his arms.
“Ah, if it isn’t my beloved knight in shining armor! We meet again, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui kept his eyes fixed on the knight. “It’s rather... late for patrols, don’t you think? It’s not like you to leave the city walls at this hour.”
"It's none of your business, sorcerer,” Tsukasa hissed, raising his blade higher. “I have a few questions you're going to answer, whether you like it or not."
The corners of Rui's mouth twitched, and a quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
“You're tempted by a little knowledge, I see. Well, I'll be happy to give you the answers you seek. Come closer.” The sorcerer gestured with his hand, sitting down on a nearby rock himself.”
Tsukasa watched the mage's movements suspiciously, not lowering his sword. He didn't trust him one bit, and the offer itself seemed like it was asking to be an ambush. Rui noticed the reluctance on the knight's face and suppressed another chuckle.
“Relax, Tsukasa-kun, I don't bite~” He added, placing his hands on his knees. “This time, I'm not planning anything... malicious. Word of a sorcerer.”
The knight narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't like the tone Rui used. But then again, the mage used exactly the same tone every time, and that never meant anything good. After standing still for a minute, Tsukasa slowly approached, keeping his blade pointed at the sorcerer's chest. Just in case he tried something.
Rui patted the spot next to him, then crossed his legs and leaned back.
“Well, now that we've got that out of the way, let me answer your questions.” The sorcerer looked at Tsukasa, placing his hands on his knees. The knight stared at him,
keeping his distance.
“Why are you like this?” Tsukasa asked bluntly, gripping his sword tighter. “Why do you treat your enemies like friends?”
Rui tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes seeming to peer into the knight's soul. After a moment, the mage laughed softly, adjusting his monocle.
“Why? Why not?”
Tsukasa froze, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Was Rui mocking him?
“Seriously though...” the sorcerer added after a moment, his tone becoming a little more serious. "There's a quote that I hold close to my heart. “Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.” In other words, I treat my enemies like my own friends. Besides... You look adorable when you're mad at me, Tsukasa-kun~"
The knight was stunned by what he heard. Is he serious? he asked himself, not taking his eyes off the sorcerer. Pressing his lips into a thin line, Tsukasa raised his sword, holding it inches from the mage's chest.
“I'm tired of your jokes. Do you think this is all fun and games?” The knight glanced at Rui from under his lashes, piercing him with his gaze. Rui looked at him, raising one eyebrow as if feigning naive curiosity.
“Fun, you say? Fufu~, no. I'm completely serious.” The sorcerer raised his hand, running his index finger along the blade. “I'm afraid you won't understand my way of thinking. We are different, completely unlike each other. It's a shame, because I think you have potential.”
Tsukasa snorted quietly, watching the mage's hand movements. Did he really want to play this game again? As he opened his mouth to retort, Rui continued:
“Do you have any more questions?”
The knight stood silently, thinking. To be honest... he didn't have much on his mind. However, he wanted to take the opportunity to get as much information out of the sorcerer as possible. So he decided to go down the rabbit hole and dig up something he could use against Rui in their next confrontation.
“Do you know your limits? Your magic,” He asked. Rui grabbed his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. His eyes turned toward the sky, as if he were calculating something.
“It's hard for me to put into words... If you had such abilities yourself, you would understand.” Was he suggesting something? From their first meeting, Rui had been urging him to switch to magic, but Tsukasa had resisted him every time. The sorcerer also seemed to be using this meeting to gain something for himself. The knight pressed the blade warningly against the mage's chest. Not enough to hurt him, but enough to be able to pierce him and his filthy, dark heart if necessary.
“Watch your words,” Tsukasa growled. “Don't think you can convince me with tricks.”
Rui looked at the blade at his chest, but he seemed unmoved by the threat. He pressed his finger against the steel and gently moved the sword to the side, without taking his eyes off the knight.
“Me? Deceit? Tsukasa-kun, you've judged the situation too quickly,” the sorcerer chuckled. “Things may not be great between us, but I'm sure you'll change your mind in time.”
“There will never be anything more between us,” the knight snorted, moving the blade of his sword away from the mage. He took a step back, keeping his weapon at the ready. Rui shook his head slightly and stifled a laugh as he stood up. His robes fluttered in the wind, and his hair fell messily across his face.
“I'm sorry to hear that. However, I will wait for you. I know that sooner or later we will meet again, and under better circumstances. Have a good night, Tsukasa-kun." The sorcerer crossed his arms behind his back and bowed slightly. As he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest path in the distance, Tsukasa lowered his sword, which he later sheathed, and sighed.
He couldn't remember how long ago that meeting had taken place. The knight didn't yet realize that Rui was right. Every few nights, Tsukasa felt the urge to go outside the city walls, see the sorcerer, and ask him another question. Mostly, these were insignificant trivialities that the knight would not normally bother with. He wondered if Rui had secretly cast a spell on him, but he quickly realized that these... feelings arose from something else. Curiosity? Fascination?
No, that wasn't it. Tsukasa felt nothing for Rui. He told himself this every time he entered the familiar clearing where the mage waited for him. With each conversation, each meeting under the cover of night, Tsukasa began to grow closer to the sorcerer. After a while, he even stopped drawing his sword from its sheath, although he remained ready to defend himself. However, Rui remained harmless, sometimes showing off his magic, but that was quite rare.
This Rui... Why does he affect me so much? Why do I keep wanting to come back to him? the knight wondered. However, as the months passed, Tsukasa began to feel... comfortable around the mage? He didn't even notice it; he was too focused on fulfilling his promise to come to the same clearing.
Of course, when they ran into each other during the day, they pretended to be enemies. Tsukasa felt his previous hatred for the sorcerer return, only to melt away when they met at night. The knight hoped that he would eventually discover what Rui was planning.
Years passed, and a curse was cast upon the kingdom. Tsukasa knew very well whose fault it was. He didn't want to think about it, of course. After all, during the long time he spent face to face with Rui, (surprisingly) understanding the sorcerer and building a new relationship... The knight began to trust him.
...
Tsukasa was summoned to the throne room a few hours after the curse was discovered. The knight appeared at the gates, nervously clenching his fists. As one of the most respected warriors, he was ready to fulfill his lord's expectations and restore peace to the kingdom. As he stepped deeper into the room, he knelt at the steps to the throne, bowing his head.
“I have come as I was told. I understand this is about the curse.” Tsukasa clenched his jaw. “I know very well who is responsible. One word, and I will destroy him and his plans.”
The elderly man, the King, looked at the knight for a moment, then straightened up.
"We rely on you and the rest of the army. I trust you to find that vile beast and free our kingdom,“ replied the old man, slowly rising from his throne. Approaching Tsukasa, he placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. ”I know you won't let me down, Tenma."
As he set off with his patrol toward the forest, the knight began to form a plan in his head. On the one hand, he wanted to warn Rui, to help him escape. On the other hand, he knew full well what the sorcerer had done, and he did not want to let him go unpunished. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a question asked by one of the soldiers.
“Which way now?”
Tsukasa straightened up, gripping his horse's reins tighter.
“Head north. I'll scout the western area," he replied quickly. Before anyone could protest, Tsukasa disappeared into the bushes, the clatter of hooves fading into the distance. He had to find Rui now, as quickly as possible. He couldn't let the others catch up to him before he had a chance to talk to the mage.
Within a few minutes, Tsukasa was in a clearing he knew well, but there was no sign of the sorcerer. Had he not arrived yet? The sun was just rising, so it was not yet time for their meeting. The knight felt his horse begin to grow restless, shifting its weight from one leg to the other, perhaps sensing the familiar aura of black magic. The knight's hand hovered over his sword sheath when he saw a faint light in the distance.
Tsukasa carefully jumped out of the saddle, drawing his blade as his steed whinnied and backed into the bushes. The moment had finally come, and the knight didn't want anything to go wrong. If Rui's magic was out of control, could it even be stopped?
“Did you miss me so much, Tsukasa-kun~?” The sorcerer smiled mockingly. He held his right hand out in front of him, and above it floated a ball of magic, slightly illuminating his features and reflecting in the glass of his monocle. "We just saw each other... Oh, could it be about that spell I cast? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"You're lying," Tsukasa thought, gripping his sword tighter.
“You traitor,” hissed the knight, taking a step forward. “For years you promised me you would not harm my kingdom. You swore on your own disgusting, filthy heart that you would not cast any spells! I knew you couldn't be trusted!”
Rui chuckled softly as he approached the rock where he usually sat. Despite the tension, his posture was relaxed, as if he wanted to create a sense of calm.
“Yes, I promised. But, Tsukasa-kun... Believe me, I'm doing this for your own good. For the good of the whole kingdom..."
“Bullshit!” the knight growled, interrupting the mage. Taking a few long steps forward, Tsukasa stood practically face to face with him, raising his blade a few inches from the sorcerer's neck. "Stop talking nonsense, Rui. You've lost control, haven't you? It's because of the magic you practice. And I was foolish to trust you. I thought maybe you were different. That you could change. I was terribly, terribly wrong. But I'm going to fix all that." Before he could add anything else, Rui waved his hand toward him, and the magic inside the energy sphere began to whistle and chime. Tsukasa jumped back, pointing his blade at the ground. The knight knew that the existence of his kingdom, his home, depended on this showdown. Despite the bond he had tried to build with Rui, he had to remain loyal to what was closer to his heart.
Tsukasa raised his sword, letting out a battle cry, and then charged at the sorcerer. Rui was ready, this time creating a barrier in front of him that blocked the knight's attack. Tsukasa pressed his blade against the barrier, pushing off and then moving to the side. He had to get behind him. That was the only thing that worked most of the time.
However, as the knight got closer, his attacks were blocked by a wall of thunderous magic, pushing him back a few steps. Tsukasa looked around, searching for a way to get around the sorcerer. Then his gaze fell on that stone. If he could use it to launch himself...
On impulse, the knight took a running start at the boulder, stretched out his leg, and jumped. Now he could try to land a blow. Rui was on his right, and in order to inflict serious damage, he had to aim for the weak points he knew. Turning in midair, Tsukasa swung his blade, aiming somewhere between the arm and the neck. Of course, Rui caught on and turned on one leg, blocking the attack with his hand. The blade didn't penetrate very deeply, and the knight pulled it away from the mage's bleeding wrist, landing behind him.
NOW! Tsukasa shouted in his mind. Rui was momentarily surprised by the first attack, wasting time to react. He didn't expect the knight to try to attack him from behind. However, when he made another turn, it was too late.
The sound of snapped bones and torn muscles echoed off the trees. Rui managed to turn almost completely, but the knight's blade was already deep in his chest, miraculously missing his adrenaline-fueled heart. The sorcerer lowered his head, watching for a moment as a crimson stain spread across his robes. Then he looked up at Tsukasa, who hung his head, holding the sword with all his strength. His muscles were tense, ready to push the blade deeper.
For a moment, the only sounds were the rapid breathing of the two men and the crackling of magic in the mage's hand. The forest fell completely silent, waiting for some sign. What would happen next? Finally, Tsukasa found the words to speak:
“Rui... I trusted you. I trusted you so damn much. You were right. I changed my mind about you. You weren't like the other mages, the sorcerers. For a moment, I thought you had changed. That you wanted to, I don't know, reject magic and come over to our side." His voice trembled as if he were on the verge of tears. “You deceived me. And I was naive enough to fall for it.”
Rui tried to say something, but his voice broke and a trickle of blood ran down his lips. The knight snorted at the lack of response, as if he had expected it. With a quick, strong tug, Tsukasa pulled out the blade, squinting as quiet moans of pain escaped Rui's lips and the sound of torn muscles and skin echoed in the back of his head. The sorcerer took a shaky step back, then another, until he fell, leaning against a tree. He tried to cover the wound with his hand, but it only bled more, intensifying with each passing moment. After just a minute, crimson stains covered everything around him. Tsukasa stood over the mage, his bloodstained sword reflecting the morning sun. The wind ruffled his blond hair slightly as he stared at the wounded Rui.
“Tsukasa-kun... I...” The sorcerer paused as a cough escaped his lips, spitting out more blood. “I deserved it, didn't I...? Heh... But you were right. I wanted to change... For you. Do you think I don't see what you think of me...?”
Tsukasa froze, staring into Rui's eyes.
“What do you mean?” The knight was hurt by how emotionless his voice was. He felt fury, he felt betrayed, and yet... he still wanted to believe that the sorcerer wanted to change.
“I see how you look at me... That embarrassment at my presence, that... uncertainty. You care about me, don't you?"
“I don't know what you mean.” Tsukasa denied, taking a small step forward. Rui laughed weakly, and his laughter turned into another series of coughs and spits of blood.
"You're worried about me, Tsukasa-kun... You've grown attached to me. My deductions are never wrong... I felt... hesitation in you. Now that you've come here. You don't want to hurt me, do you...? You're doing this out of loyalty to your ruler."
The knight bit his tongue, refraining from answering. He raised his sword and drove the blade into the bark of a tree, inches from Rui's neck. The mage watched him, still holding his hand weakly over the wound.
“I understand you,” the sorcerer sighed after a moment, narrowing his eyes. Tsukasa reluctantly looked up, making eye contact. “Loyalty to the place you belong is more important to you, isn't it? However... I know that if you could, you would stand by my side...”
Rui slowly raised his bloodied hand and gently placed it on the knight's face. He ran his thumb lightly over the soft skin, leaving a crimson mark. Tsukasa felt a shiver, but did not move.
“I'm sorry, Rui...” the knight replied after a moment. “I cannot allow someone like you to pose a threat to my kingdom. I gave you a second chance, and you threw it away. I cannot allow you to bring destruction to what is my most precious treasure.”
Tsukasa raised his sword, biting his lip. He felt a stinging sensation in his throat and a pinch in his eyes. His hands trembled, struggling to hold the blade. Rui, knowing that his end was near, moved his hand higher, wiping away a tear that had appeared from under the knight's eyelid with his thumb.
"Tsukasa-kun... I don't expect forgiveness. I expect acceptance... Before... you end my life, listen to me for a moment."
The sorcerer paused to take a breath.
"We've known each other for years, so... I can finally say it... I love you. Do with it what you will... All I ask is that you accept it... Maybe even... reciprocate?"
Tsukasa stared at the mage with wide eyes, feeling the shock take his breath away. So that's what he meant all along? He... Did he do all this out of love for me?
“No...” the knight gasped. "I don't believe you. You fooled me, betrayed me, and now you have the audacity to tell me you love me? I don't know which one of us is the bigger idiot anymore. You, for thinking you could get away with it, or me, for believing you so easily? Burn in the deepest circles of Hell, sorcerer. Taste the consequences of your actions."
The silence was broken by the whistle of the wind against steel, followed immediately by the sound of muscles pierced by a blade. Tsukasa couldn't look up as he did it. He only felt Rui's bloody hand slip from his face and fall to the ground with a soft thud. When the knight looked up, his gaze met the empty eyes of the sorcerer. Blood was pouring out, and only one of the two hearts was still beating. The mage was dead. His body was still warm, but the aura of black magic began to dissipate into the air. Tsukasa slowly pulled out the bloody sword and threw it aside. The sound of steel hitting a nearby stone broke the silence, but the knight did not flinch.
He did it. He stopped the evil that threatened his kingdom. But... at what cost?
Tsukasa placed his hand on Rui's face, feeling the warmth slowly leaving the corpse. Fresh blood stained his hand, covering the drying one. But when he tried to get up and step back, he noticed something right next to the sorcerer's bloody hand. The same hand that had touched his face a minute ago.
A small black rose had grown beneath it. Its delicate petals were stained with blood, but it didn't look like the flower had grown on its own. When Tsukasa moved his hand closer, he felt the same familiar aura of magic that Rui had used.
Could it be... that Rui had left him a sign? Was this the last spell he had cast before his death?
The knight carefully ran his index finger over the corners of the petals. After a moment, he felt the words pushing their way onto his tongue. Words he wanted to say while Rui could still hear them:
Black rose, you grew on his grave
Surely you heard of his tragic fate?
The wind whispers in my ear every night;
Young boy,
Your love is blind.
You knew well what fate awaited you."
Black rose, my beauty
Were you perhaps there at the bottom?
Where my beloved rests
I don't know if he is hiding there
The world gave up on us too quickly
My sword, never merciful, stopped his heartbeat.
Black rose, remember
On whose grave you grew
Let the name Kamishiro remain in your memory
And perhaps the memory of Him will not be lost…