The tavern was alive with noise
Laughter
Singing
The clink of mugs
It didn't belong in Shigure's world
Not anymore
But he sat in the corner anyway
Drinking water
Watching
A group of soldiers were celebrating something
Victorious maybe
Or just drunk enough to pretend they were
One of them stumbled over
Flopped down in the seat across from him
"You look like a man with too many regrets" the soldier said
Voice thick with booze
Eyes sharp underneath
Shigure didn't respond
The soldier smiled
Then leaned closer
"You know what's funny?" he said
"We're all gonna die someday
But the ones who laugh before it happens
They win
Even if they lose everything else"
He stood up and walked back to his group
Started singing some dumb song
A few hours later
Shigure heard gunfire outside
The tavern emptied
The soldiers were ambushed
All of them
He watched from the window
One by one they fell
Some ran
Some fought
Some just laughed as they went down
He stepped outside when the dust settled
Bodies everywhere
The soldier who talked to him earlier was lying on his back
Chest full of holes
Still smiling
Shigure knelt beside him
Closed the man's eyes
"You won huh" he whispered
Then walked off into the smoke
No one stopped him
No one ever did