But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he gathered his resolve, he simply couldn't plunge the sword into his own belly.
The excruciating pain of his belly being sliced open; his intestines spilling onto the ground; one must not cry out in pain during seppuku, one must endure the pain, cutting open the belly beautifully without a grimace or a groan; with no executioner by his side, he had to walk the final stretch of his life amid the sharp pains of his belly being cut... These thoughts, these imaginations of what would happen if he performed seppuku, surged through Shinno's mind incessantly.
The expression of solemnity on Shinno's face disappeared.
The solemnity turned into fear and shrinking, cold sweat soaking his entire face.
His right hand began to tremble... the wakizashi in his hand trembled along with his right palm.
