Chapter 3: Temptation

Oshimaru could still hear the screams of villagers even though he had walked far from the ruins. 

Their cries the agony, even the helpless wails of children echoed in his mind.

"If I had arrived sooner… I could have saved them," he muttered, lost in thought.

Then, a voice slithered through the air."You can get rid of your past memories."

It was Mezashio. Without realizing it, Oshimaru was already under the sprite’s deal. 

Once Mezashio made a deal, there was no going back. You couldn’t escape until you chose.

"I could remove your memories… but you have to hand me your swords." Mezashio’s deals were always 50/50. 

Half the time the offer was real; the other half, a trap. Once caught, there was no turning back.

Oshimaru’s lips pressed into a thin line. “My swords? I don’t have any swords.” He knew Mezashio couldn’t force him; he simply refused.

"Clever… very clever!" Mezashio hissed. “So you want to play like this? Then the next challenge… is a game of mirrors. 

Among three mirrors, one hides the way to seal me. Choose wrong, and your soul is mine.”

Oshimaru’s jaw tightened. He didn’t want to play but the rules bound him.

Three mirrors shimmered into existence. The first glittered with gold spilling endlessly. 

The second warped into rotting, sickly forms. The third reflected… himself.

"Choose wisely, boy," Mezashio taunted. “One path leads to sealing me, one to ruin, one… to yourself.”

Instinctively, Oshimaru stepped toward the mirror reflecting himself. “This has to be it. 

I’ve read the trickster, I’ve seen through its illusions…”

He touched the glass. Suddenly, a sharp force slammed into him. 

The world tilted. His vision blurred. “No… this can’t be !”

The sealing spell, meant to trap Mezashio, surged toward him. 

Panic rose but then Mezashio screamed, a sound of pure rage and confusion.

Oshimaru staggered and slowly, the truth revealed itself: the figure playing the mirror game had not been him at all.

It was his clone.

Every step, every move, every hesitation had been orchestrated. The clone had baited Mezashio into believing it was the real Oshimaru. 

And Mezashio, overconfident in its 50/50 trick, had fallen for it completely.

While Mezashio’s attention was on the decoy, Oshimaru’s real self whispered the sealing chant. 

Spirit fire erupted, wrapping around the sprite. The mirrors shattered, scattering reflections into sparks. 

Mezashio struggled, twisted, but the chains of light tightened relentlessly.

“Impossible… how!?” Mezashio shrieked as the spell bound it. The decoy vanished, leaving Oshimaru untouched, heart racing but steady.

Silence fell.

Oshimaru’s gaze swept the area. No illusions, no mirrors, no sprite only the faint echo of a mocking laugh fading into the night.

He exhaled slowly, tension rolling off him like a wave. “This path… is not just about strength. 

It’s about seeing through lies… about thinking three steps ahead.”

And with that, he walked onward, the weight of the next spirit already tugging at his soul.