Chapter 5
Rumours of Witchcraft and the Duel of Fate

Mayoko, with a deepened gravity in her voice, continues her tale, plunging her listeners into an atmosphere steeped in mystery and tension.

The gokenin, without giving me time to respond to his earlier demands, suddenly voiced his concern about rumours of witchcraft being whispered against me, she reveals, her voice betraying a mixture of shock and indignation. It was the first time I had heard such accusations. I was so stunned that words failed me.

Mayoko depicts the gokenin's intimidation, his imposing stature and his piercing gaze seeking to make her feel guilty. Then he questioned me directly about my ability to win every one of my games of ōgi. She lowers her head modestly. With humility, I confirmed it, though I was troubled by the turn the conversation was taking.

In the room, the atmosphere grows heavier and more oppressive still, as if the walls themselves were closing in around Mayoko and her audience. After an interminable silence, the gokenin then proposed an unexpected solution: a public duel against himself, with no time limit, to refute these rumours and restore my honour.

Mayoko's eyes mist with tears as she remembers her reaction. Moved by this opportunity to clear my name, I bowed deeply and thanked him. Her voice trembles slightly, conveying the complexity of her emotions at that moment.

In the room, the mood shifts slightly, moving from a disquieting oppression to a glimmer of hope and redemption. The gokenin, though intimidating at first, suddenly seems imbued with an unexpected benevolence, offering Mayoko a chance to prove her worth and dispel the shadows of doubt and suspicion.