Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 195: Sawada Tomohikos Story (2)

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat puzzled. "So what happened next? Since the Sawada Family has become the leading family in Ziwu City, and Sawada Tomohiko is not only their first heir but also a skilled warrior bestowed with divine weapons, shouldn't those mercenaries be afraid to cross him?"

Kuroba Naoki nodded with a hint of uncertainty. "You're right. I've been pondering this too. As you said, Sawada Tomohiko is now considered the chosen one, backed by the full support of the Sawada Family. Those mercenaries shouldn't have turned against him. But let me tell you what happened next."

"Sawada Tomohiko, hailed as the hero who drove back the demon tribe, was initially adored by the citizens of Ziwu City and received the Emperor's rewards. However, after a massacre he personally carried out, where he killed many people, his wife, Shin Fukako, distanced herself from him, leaving Sawada Tomohiko feeling melancholic."

"It was at this time that a wandering swordsman arrived in Ziwu City. He defeated the guards trained by the Sawada Family and the mercenaries who had been recruited by them. The Sawada Family then hired him as the captain of their guards, with the main responsibility of protecting Sawada Tomohiko. This wandering swordsman quickly became a close friend of Sawada Tomohiko."

"After some time, Sawada Tomohiko's relationship with Shin Fukako began to improve, thanks in part to the wandering swordsman's advice. He suggested that Sawada Tomohiko take Shin Fukako on a trip and retrieve the statue of Sulu that had aided him."

"It was then that Sawada Tomohiko realized he had forgotten to bring back the statue of Sulu to Ziwu City for proper veneration. So, with Shin Fukako and a group of guards (which were the mercenaries), they headed to the Elder Gods Shrine, where they had taken shelter from the rain on a previous occasion. Keep in mind that the wandering swordsman was also with them."

"When they arrived at the dilapidated shrine, a sudden downpour trapped them inside for three days and three nights. Since they hadn't packed much food for a leisurely trip, Sawada Tomohiko asked the wandering swordsman to take a few people and go to a nearby village to borrow some supplies."

"However, the wandering swordsman returned injured not long after leaving and informed Sawada Tomohiko that the mercenaries had betrayed them. Apparently, some remnants of the families that Sawada Tomohiko had seemingly wiped out had secretly recruited the mercenaries, offering them a hefty sum to kill Sawada Tomohiko. These mercenaries had just tried to bribe the wandering swordsman but failed, so they attacked him instead. Fortunately, the wandering swordsman fought back and killed those mercenaries, but he was badly wounded in the process."

"At this point, Sawada Tomohiko sensed something was amiss. When he turned around, he saw the mercenaries surrounding him with weapons, and Shin Fukako had been captured. Fueled by rage, Sawada Tomohiko, without his preferred weapon, could only brandish the wandering swordsman's blade and face off against the mercenaries. It's worth noting that there were reportedly twenty mercenaries involved, but during the ensuing divine retribution, they all vanished without a trace, totaling over a hundred people."

"As the standoff continued, the mercenaries were aware of Sawada Tomohiko's formidable strength, despite his lack of a proper weapon. So, their leader took Shin Fukako hostage and forced Sawada Tomohiko to commit suicide. In the end, Shin Fukako chose to sacrifice herself to save her husband by plunging herself onto the blade."

"This enraged Sawada Tomohiko, and a fierce battle ensued. However, he ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming numbers and died. His body was left in the dilapidated shrine, which was later destroyed by the mercenaries and buried under a landslide caused by heavy rain."

"Then, these mercenaries returned to Ziwu City, intending to deceive Sawada Tomohiko's father. They fabricated a story, claiming that Sawada Tomohiko, Shin Fukako, and the wandering swordsman died in a landslide. However, Shin Fukako's sister, who was the deity of the Godless Shrine, exposed their heinous deeds. She personally invoked divine punishment, causing the mercenaries to vanish in a blaze of lightning!"

Kuroba Naoki paused here and sighed. "The later part of this story seems quite dubious. Many details appear to be fabricated. According to the most credible account we have, Sawada Tomohiko, along with Shin Fukako, and the wandering swordsman, set out to retrieve the Sulu statue. When they encountered heavy rain and returned after three days, the mercenaries who had accompanied them backstabbed Sawada Tomohiko's group. These mercenaries were subsequently captured by the Sawada Family, and Shin Fukako's sister, who could foresee events, revealed that they were the ones who killed Sawada Tomohiko and Shin Fukako. They were then subjected to divine punishment and disappeared without a trace."

After hearing the story, Liu Xing's confusion only deepened. "Kuroba, something doesn't add up here. With the strength of the wandering swordsman and Sawada Tomohiko, taking on twenty mercenaries should have been a cakewalk, unless Sawada Tomohiko really chose suicide under duress. And these mercenaries couldn't have been that foolish to return to Ziwu City after killing Sawada Tomohiko and Shin Fukako, right?"

"Yeah, even if we consider the most credible version, something feels off. Many aspects just don't make sense. If it weren't for the fact that the Sawada Family has preserved this story, I might have regarded it as a mythological tale. After all, demons and such don't exist in reality."

Liu Xing nodded and suddenly realized that he had an opportunity to investigate the authenticity of this story. He promptly approached KP Li Shunchan. "KP, I'd like to conduct an inspiration check on this story."

"Of course, you can, but this time, the inspiration check will be a bit special. You can choose the difficulty level yourself, and keep in mind that the difficulty will affect the amount of information you obtain," KP Li Shunchan replied with a smile.

[Read /maxnkoga , without ads and support the work.]