Soji Main Story: Chapter 10

## Episode 1

**Yozo**: "Come closer."

(What should I do?)

(I have to find a way to stall him until Soji arrives.)

**Yui**: "But sir! I don't know anything about you yet!"

**Yozo**: "What's this? It's not like you're still a virgin. The feigned innocence is kind of endearing though."

Licking his lips, he crept closer to me as if he were stalking prey.

**Yui**: "You are poking fun at me, aren't you?"

**Yui**: "Someone of my status is not worthy of entertaining a man of your position."

**Yozo**: "I don't care about that. Come here."

**Yui**: "I-I cannot."

**Yozo**: "If you won't come here, I'll come to you."

Lord Tori inched closer to me.

(What should I do now!?)

Having been driven toward the wall, my back was now firmly pressed against it.

(Is there no escape?)

**Yozo**: "Now, you're going to keep me company all night long."

Lord Tori grinned as he grabbed my wrist.

A shiver ran down my spine and my head began to throb painfully.

(Soji!)

My heart screamed out his name as I firmly closed my eyes.

**Yozo**: "You have a beautiful face."

He whispered, then roughly grabbed hold of the clothing above my chest.

With a yank he began to tear it open but his hand suddenly stopped.

**Yozo**: "What's this?"

Startled, I followed his gaze downward.

That's right, I had my father's dagger hidden away in my clothes.

(After all, I came here to avenge the deaths of my mother and father!)

(I must not forget. I cannot fail them.)

(Just remember what this man did to them!)

My hand was shaking as I quickly grabbed the handle of the dagger.

I then focused my resolve.

**Yui**: "Lord Tori!"

Pulling the dagger out, I swung it in an arc before me.

## Episode 2

As it cut through the air Lord Tori quickly took a step back.

Still, the stroke managed to catch his sleeve.

A piece of the cloth gently fluttered down to the tatami mat at his feet.

**Yozo**: "Who the hell are you!?"

He said, enraged. Glaring at him, I slowly stood up.

**Yui**: "I'll never forget the anguish you caused me when you killed my mother and father."

**Yozo**: "What!?"

**Yui**: "I abandoned everything, just so I could live to see this day!"

**Yozo**: "No wonder... I've seen those eyes, once before."

**Yozo**: "That man looked at me with those same eyes, just before he died."

**Yui**: "!"

**Yozo**: "You're Takao's daughter."

**Yui**: "That's right and you killed him!"

**Yozo**: "I didn't realize he had a daughter."

Finding something amusing in the situation, Lord Tori smiled at me in disgust.

He then pulled out the sword worn on his waist and pointed the tip toward me.

**Yozo**: "Your father was an idiot."

**Yozo**: "When he found out about the smuggling, he planned to stop it by betraying me to Lord Toyama. Ridiculous, of course."

**Yozo**: "He should have just followed my orders..."

**Yozo**: "He forgot the kindness I showed when I took him in. And he was rightly punished for that!"

**Yui**: "What you did was unforgivable!"

I could hear my teeth grinding as I clenched them together.

His words mocked my mother and father's attempt to carry out justice. They were absolutely unforgivable.

(I just pray I have the strength.)

(It won't be easy though, Lord Tori is a samurai.)

**Yozo**: "One little girl slipping under my guard isn't going to do anything!"

**Yozo**: "Shall I kill you as you stand? Or would you like to know the pleasures of womanhood first? It's your choice."

**Yui**: "You're absolutely disgusting! I despise you!"

(If I make the slightest move he'll surely cut me with his blade.)

(I can't get close enough for my dagger.)

My hand holding the dagger was covered in sweat.

(Still. I have to try.)

Firming my resolve, I was about to step toward him. Suddenly...

**???**: "Don't move."

<< Item Checkpoint: Purse x12 >>

## Episode 3

I was wondering where the voice came from when a dark shadow drifted silently down from the ceiling and landed behind Lord Tori.

**Yui**: "Soji!"

**Yozo**: "What!?"

Before Lord Tori could turn around, a sword was pressed against his neck.

Bright light reflecting from the blade illuminated his face.

**Yozo**: "You bastard...!"

Lord Tori must have understood a single move could result in his head flying from his body.

He stood there motionless dripping in cold sweat.

**Soji**: "Yui! Kill him!"

<< Option 1: Okay! >>

**Yui**: "Okay!"

I looked directly at Soji and nodded.

**Soji**: "The moment has arrived."

(Finally.)

(After all this time and all the pain I've suffered...)

(I pushed on. I never gave up.)

(...I have to do this!)

The moment I took a step forward, Soji's sword began sliding past Lord Tori's neck.

The passage of time seemed to slow to a crawl.

A thin red line began to form on his skin, then slowly opened wider.

I continued toward Lord Tori, throwing myself into him as I stabbed the dagger through his stomach.

**Yozo**: "Ungh!"

As he started to scream in agony, Soji reached up and covered his mouth.

**Yui**: "Gah!"

As the dagger plunged in, my palm could feel the sensation of it sinking into his body.

It made my skin crawl and I required all my willpower to keep from releasing my grip.

It didn't take long for blood to [be] spraying freely from his neck and abdomen, staining the sliding doors and walls bright red.

**Soji**: "...Accept your punishment."

Soji stepped away from Lord Tori and he crumpled onto the tatami floor.

The dagger slid out of his stomach as he fell, remaining behind in my hand.

With a thud, the body finally landed on its side as blood abundantly continued to flow from it.

**Yui**: "Is it over?"

I stared blankly at the dagger in my hand.

**Soji**: "...Yes."

<< Option 2: I can't... (script needed) >>

## Episode 4

Soji's voice brought me back to my senses.

Calmly and quietly I wiped my blade on Lord Tori's sleeve and put it back in its scabbard.

**Yui**: "Soji, we should get going."

**Yui**: "Someone is going to realize something is wrong and come looking."

In all honesty, I was on the verge of tears.

Only I knew there wasn't time for it.

**Soji**: "...Yeah."

He nodded quietly, then wrapped his arms around me.

**Yui**: "Soji!"

**Soji**: "Shh. After this we can concentrate on our escape."

**Yui**: "Okay."

I stood there quietly and let him embrace me.

Soji stepped out into the yard and looked around.

**Soji**: "We might be able to make it across from one of the trees if I carry you."

Soji was looking up at the wall whispering to me when we heard it.

The faint sound of someone clapping echoed across the yard.

**???**: "Oh my! This is quite a sight. What a brilliant execution..."

**Soji**: "You!"

**Yui**: "How!?"

It was none other than Willem.

Soji slowly set me back down on the ground.

**Yui**: "Willem?"

**Soji**: "What are you doing here!?"

**Willem**: "Hoho. I said it to you earlier, correct?"

**Willem**: "I will encounter you again if you keep doing this work."

Chuckling in amusement, Willem brazenly stepped out on to the tatami floor.

Stopping beside Lord Tori's body, he glanced at it disapprovingly.

**Willem**: "This is terrible. My business partner is dead and now this venture is ruined."

**Soji**: "Venture? You mean the smuggled goods!?"

**Willem**: "Smuggling? Oh, yes. There was smuggling too."

**Soji**: "Smuggling too?"

**Yui**: "What were you planning!? Who are you!?"

## Episode 5

**Willem**: "Who am I? I have said this before, correct?"

**Willem**: "I am simply a foreign merchant who has traveled here a long distance from Holland."

Walking back toward the yard, Willem came toward us.

**Soji**: "...For a simple merchant, you do a good job of staying out of sight."

Soji pulled my arm, urging me to hide behind him.

Then, in a flash, he pointed the tip of the sword he had just used on Lord Tori toward Willem.

**Soji**: "Perhaps you could explain everything to us, Willem."

**Willem**: "Ho! Impressive."

He smiled calmly, showing no sign of alarm.

**Soji**: "First off, how did you know we were vigilantes?"

**Willem**: "Hoho. How did I know? That was easy."

Willem slid his finger along the tip of the sword.

A thin line of blood welled up on his pale white fingertip.

**Willem**: "It is because you reeked of blood."

**Willem**: "No matter hard you tried to clean it off."

**Willem**: "You simply could not hide the stench of the blood that has stained you."

**Soji**: "...You bastard!"

Willem laughed in amusement, then glanced briefly at Lord Tori's body.

**Willem**: "Do you know what that man was plotting?"

**Soji**: "He was smuggling, wasn't he?"

**Willem**: "He risked capital punishment for smuggling, and for testing the weapon I delivered. Do you know why?"

**Soji**: "Are you saying you know?"

**Willem**: "Certainly. I would not export weapons to someone if I did not know what they were plotting."

**Willem**: "If I did, my acquaintances back home would severely disapprove."

**Soji**: "That's rich, coming from you. Now talk, before I cut you down."

**Willem**: "Yes, yes. You are very fearsome indeed."

Willem rolled his eyes impatiently.

**Willem**: "Listening, now? Lord Tori was plotting to use the smuggled guns to start a rebellion."

**Soji**: "He what!?"

**Yui**: "A rebellion!?"

(I never would have imagined him devising something so monstrous!)

**Willem**: "Lord Tori and the Magistrate of the South Ward, Lord Toyama, have not gotten along well for quite a while, correct?"

**Willem**: "And those high up in the shogunate appear to favor Lord Toyama.

**Willem**: "That is not surprising when you know Lord Tori's character."

**Willem**: "Lord Tori was not happy with this and began smuggling, with the intent of starting a rebellion."

## Episode 6

**Willem**: "He intended for Lord Toyama [to] take the blame for everything."

**Soji**: "What a disagreeable man."

**Willem**: "I am a weapons merchant."

**Willem**: "It is my job to spread weapons from my country across your land and line my pockets with profit."

He laughed. Suddenly we both realized he was holding a pair of guns, one in each hand.

They were bright silver and had a floral decoration, like a peony, I had never seen before.

**Yui**: "Soji!"

**Soji**: "Yui!"

**Willem**: "Can you slice my windpipe before I shoot you and your girlfriend?"

**Willem**: "Who do you think will win?"

I could tell he had one gun leveled at each of our hearts.

**Soji**: "!"

From the look on Soji's face, Willem must have had the advantage.

**Willem**: "You know the answer, correct? Let's make a deal instead."

**Soji**: "With you?"

**Willem**: "Allow me to leave and I promise you I will not squeeze these triggers."

**Willem**: "You would also like to leave here quietly, correct?"

**Soji**: "Who's going to believe a promise like that?"

**Willem**: "But you should. People from my country are known for their honesty."

Willem was smiling as he spoke. The barrels of his guns however, remained dead still, almost as if time had stopped.

**Soji**: "...All right, I get it."

Staring at the gun barrels, Soji let out a sigh and put his sword back in its scabbard.

**Yui**: "Soji?"

**Soji**: "Let's go."

**Yui**: "But...!"

**Soji**: "Listen, I told everyone I would protect you no matter what happened."

**Soji**: "So we're pulling back for now."

I saw the serious expression in his eyes and all I could do was nod.

**Yui**: "...Okay."

**Willem**: "That was a wise decision."

Willem lowered the barrels of his guns.

Picking me up again, Soji deftly climbed one of the trees in the yard to reach the top of the surrounding wall.

## Episode 7

**Willem**: "Too bad. Perhaps if I had been more forceful the first time I encountered her..."

**Willem**: "Hoho. What an adorable young lady."

He muttered this, then disappeared into the night.

Safely escaping from Lord Tori's estate, Soji and I hurried back to Kyokatei.

**Kinshiro**: "You made it back."

**Yui**: "Yes."

**Sion**: "Looks like you had a rough time, did it go okay?"

Sion peered anxiously into my face, seeing the condition I was in.

**Soji**: "She's fine. That was a result of her tactic for getting inside Lord Tori's estate."

**Yui**: "In fact, I managed most of it on my own..."

**Aoi**: "Really? Good job."

**Kinshiro**: "And what about Lord Tori?"

**Soji**: "We dealt with him. And Yui avenged her parents."

**Yui**: "Thanks to Soji."

**Kinshiro**: "You did? That's great..."

**Aoi**: "Sion and I dealt with his henchmen without any problem."

**Sion**: "Sounds like this whole affair is settled?"

**Soji**: "It's not, in fact."

**Kinshiro**: "Why is that?"

**Yui**: "Well...we ran into Willem."

**Aoi**: "You did!?"

**Soji**: "Not just that, he showed up right after we finished Lord Tori."

**Sion**: "...What a thoroughly unpleasant person."

**Soji**: "It seems he's never thought of Lord Tori as anything more than a pawn."

**Yui**: "He even didn't appear all that concerned with his death."

**Soji**: "Lord Tori's primary interest wasn't the smuggling, he planned on causing a rebellion."

**Kinshiro**: "He did!?"

**Sion**: "That's crazy..."

**Soji**: "Willem confessed it all."

**Kinshiro**: "...I see. I didn't realize Lord Tori was ready to go that far."

## Episode 8

**Kinshiro**: "It's a bit embarrassing to admit I hadn't noticed."

**Kinshiro**: "At least it's over now."

Kinshiro spoke bitterly as he clenched his fists.

**Aoi**: "So, what happened to Willem?"

**Soji**: "We had to let him go."

**Aoi**: "You what!? Soji, that's not like you at all!"

**Soji**: "Sorry."

<< Option 1: It wasn't Soji's fault! >>

**Yui**: "It wasn't Soji's fault...!"

**Soji**: "Yui?"

**Yui**: "It's because I was there."

**Aoi**: "What do you mean?"

**Yui**: "Willem had two guns with him, and had one pointed at each of us."

**Yui**: "If Soji had been there alone, he would have been able to do something."

**Yui**: "But with me there, he had to go along with Willem's terms."

**Sion**: "Okay, I understand."

**Soji**: "It's not your fault either, Yui. If I had paid closer attention to him..."

**Soji**: "I really feel bad about what happened."

**Kinshiro**: "Don't be. You fulfilled your most important duty -- 'Protect Yui.'"

**Kinshiro**: "Nobody can blame you for what you did."

**Aoi**: "That's right. I would have done the same thing."

Aoi gave Soji a pat on the shoulder.

**Soji**: "Thanks, Aoi."

**Kinshiro**: "And now, for your payment."

Kinshiro placed the purse full of money I had previously given him in the middle of the group.

**Kinshiro**: "There's ten Ryo here. I'm impressed you were able to come up with this."

**Yui**: "I suspect my mother put it in my pocket as she was helping me hide under the floor."

**Yui**: "I didn't realize it was there until after my parents were dead."

**Kinshiro**: "I see. She may have already realized their lives were coming to an end."

Kinshiro gently smiled at me then emptied the ten Ryo from the pouch.

**Kinshiro**: "That's two Ryo each."

He said as he placed coins in front of Soji, Aoi, Sion, and then me.

<< Option 2: Willem is... (script needed) >>

## Episode 9

Before I could refuse mine, Aoi, Sion, and Kinshiro all placed their portions in front of me.

**Yui**: "What? But..."

**Kinshiro**: "Congratulations on your first job. Take it."

**Sion**: "He's right. You've had some horrible experiences. Think of this as an expression of our sympathy."

**Aoi**: "Besides that, you've worked really hard."

**Yui**: "Still, I can't accept--"

Then Soji reached out and added his portion to the pile.

**Yui**: "Soji?"

He looked me [and] smiled.

**Soji**: "You hold on to it -- I'm terrible with money. Besides, what's mine is yours."

**Yui**: "What?"

**Soji**: "Seeing as I'm going to be with you from now on."

**Yui**: "Really?"

Receiving everyone's kindness, avenging my parents, thinking about my first killing.

On top of that, my feelings for Soji.

My emotions were in chaos and the tears I had been denying myself suddenly came pouring out.

**Soji**: "Yui?"

Soji wrapped his arms tightly around me.

**Aoi**: "Aww. What a display."

**Sion**: "I think it's very charming."

**Kinshiro**: "Now everything is settled."

My revenge was over.

I had made valuable friends, and found the man I love.

I suppose it was fate that led me to make my request to the vigilantes.

Black market 'vigilantes' living in the darkness... If you believe in their existence, why don't [you] try your fate with them?

To be continued...