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“Halt! In the name of the Almighty Shogun, you are to hand yourself over to answer for your crimes against the throne!”
“Please. I can’t keep doing this. Please let me go!”
Kazuha had been running from the Doushin for 2 weeks. After witnessing the death of his friend, he had snatched the dying Electro Vision and fled from Tenshukaku. Running was all he knew for so long, and all he wanted was to stop. To stop running from the Shogunate. But the gods above would grant him no such luck.
Kazuha dodged rocks and trees, ducked underneath low hanging branches, and jumped over roaring streams. He chanced a glance behind him to make sure that he had put some ground between them, but missed the rock sticking out of the ground and landed face first into the hard ground. Somehow, in the short amount of time that it took him to rise to his feet so that he could flee once more, he was suddenly surrounded by the Doushin.
“Kaedehara. No more running. We have you surrounded.”
Kazuha looked around him. 12 Doushin. He could take them.
He swiftly drew his blade and proceeded to disarm the police. However, unbeknownst to Kazuha, Kujou Sara was aiming an electric tipped arrow straight at his legs.
ZAP
Kazuha let out a pained cry and fell to the ground, convulsing from the electricity. As Sara jumped from the tree and approached him to assess the situation, a second wave of Doushin arrived.
“It’s finally done. Kaedehara Kazuha has been captured. Tie him up and we’ll bring him to the station.” Sara commanded.
“Yes ma’am!”
Kazuha’s wrists were roughly bound and he was yanked to his feet. They than began the long trek back to the Tenryou Commission Police Station.
“I’m sorry Tomo. I wasn’t able to escape.”
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Heizou was enjoying the nice warm day. Outside of the station of course. He had just wrapped up the latest case and figured he might as well take advantage of having nothing to do at the moment by just reading one of his detective novels under one of the many trees in Inazuma City.
Just as he was comfortable and had opened his book to begin reading, he pricked up his ear, hearing commotion in the distance.
“Huh. That’s odd. What’s everyone shouting about?”
Heizou got up to investigate the source of the noise. But what met his eyes made his heart drop into his stomach. There, being roughly handled by other members of the doushin, was a bound and gagged Kazuha, covered in numerous scrapes and bruises.
“Alright, let us through! You can see the rest of the show once we finish preparing him for his execution.”
“No! Kazuha! You said you going to escape! Why did this happen!?”
Heizou couldn’t lose another friend! He just couldn’t!
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Kazuha was led into the Tenryou Station, past all of the prying eyes of other members of the commission, and shoved into a room.
Sara sighed and looked at him.
“I’m sorry it had to be this way. If you had just cooperated from the beginning, I might have been able to argue for a lighter punishment. However, now you must answer for your crimes.”
Kazuha just stared at the floor, too exhausted to utter a sound.
Sara held out a white robe.
“Put this robe on. After, you will be led to the city center and your hair will be cut. I hate to say it, but your execution will be public. So just prepare for that.”
Kazuha took the robe and quietly undressed from his dirt stained clothes, saying a last goodbye to the family haori. He put the robe on and turned back to face Sara.
“Alright. Give me your hands.”
Once again, Kazuha’s wrists were bound in rope, pulled to the front in order to lead him. Albeit Sara was much gentler than the doushin who did this before.
He was then pulled along for what would be the last time.
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Kazuha kept his gaze down, slowly making the walk of shame to the center of Inazuma City. He heard the whispers and felt the stares of so many people.
“It really is true. The Kaedehara boy is actually going to be executed.”
“Shhhhh! Keep your voice down.”
Kazuha was terrified. He never thought this was how he would die. There was still so much he wanted to do in life. But now, he would never see the sunrises and sunsets ever again. He would never smell the flowers. Never feel the crisp autumn days. Never see another red maple leaf. He would never get to say hello to the people he knew. He would never get to do anything anymore because they had finally reached their destination. His final moments have truly begun.
He was approached by a doushin who held a pair of shears. His hair was roughly grasped then quickly cut off and brought around for him to see. He looked at the white and red locks with a defeated expression on his face, deep bags under his eyes and a slight frown pulling at his lips.
His hands were then retied behind his back and he was shoved onto his knees. A blindfold was placed over his eyes.
“Kaedehara Kazuha. For the crimes of stealing a Vision that was to be inlaid upon the Almighty Shogun’s statue and fleeing from the law, you are hereby sentenced to execution. You will be beheaded before the people of Inazuma City.”
The one who held the sword stepped forward. Heizou stood frozen, disbelief of the situation evident on his face. Despite the fact that he was wearing a blindfold, Kazuha turned his head as if to look directly at someone.
“Hei...zou.” came the shaky voice of Kazuha
“Kazuha?”
The crowd of people around Heizou ceased to exist. All of his attention was on the inevitable execution of the wandering samurai.
“Look away-!” Kazuha desperately shouted, warning the detective of his unsightly end.
But Heizou was unable to move his eyes. He couldn’t even will them to close.
And the next thing he knew, he watched in horror as the sword swiftly sliced through Kazuha’s neck, his head flying up and landing on the ground next to his body with a thud.
No scream left Heizou’s lips.