A Child's Burden (Part 3)

(Time: 1683 Minazuki, jūsan-nichi, kayōbi (June,13,Tuesday) (Hitsuji province)

(Yoru: Night)

Senshi skipped through the forest; "Hm~! Hum-de Hah~! Not a care in the world.

Soon arriving to find the corpse of Ko and a wounded Tamari.

"Hey guys, wha... What the heck happened!?" She screamed.

Tamari looked up to her as he tended to Ko. "Ko's been stabbed." He said.

She ran over to the both of them, kneeling down to examine Ko.

"Ah, there's so much blood!" She panicked.

"Ngh... Yeah, I know." Said Tamari.

Tamari took out his malas beads, wrapping them around his wounded limb.

"Your arm..." Said Senshi, noticing the laceration.

"Worry about me later." Replied Tamari.

He held his hand up in prayer. "Kizu o iyasu"* He chanted.

(Heal Thy Wounds)*

Ko's stomach glowed with a green radiance; the light was soon extinguished.

Senshi shook Ko. "Ko, it's okay, wake up." She said.

Ko did not move; he only lay silent. "Ko? Come on... Wake up!" She yelled.

She looked at Tamari, a concerned expression across her face.

He held up his malas again, chanting. "Kizu o iyasu"*

But nothing happened. "Ko! Wake up! Please!!" She screamed, shaking him.

Tamari lowered his hand, resting it upon Ko's side. "I-I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in Senshi's eyes as her head sank with grief.

<...Hm?> Something caught Tamari's eye; the blood on his hand was dry and flaky.

He lifted it up to his nose. /Sniff! Sniff!/

Senshi looked at him puzzled and mildly disgusted.

"What are you doing..." She asked with tears in her eyes.

"This isn't blood..." He spoke. "...It's bean paste."

--------

Inside the genkan Futan presented the collected blood to her father.

"Here." She said holding a cup up to him. "I brought you what you needed."

Her father turned to her, a pleased grin across his face. "Gooood…"

He lifted the cup to his lips, drinking its contents.

"Ugh, gah!" He spat out the red liquid. "Th-this is bean paste!" He shouted.

She looked at him; scared and confused. "Wha!?"

"Insolent brat!" He shouted, throwing her against the wall. /Wham!/

"Ah!" Screamed Futan.

"I shall drink my fill of your friends; then I will deal with you..." He bellowed.

He left the genkan, leaving her sad and broken.

"F-Father…" She cried.

--------

Senshi stared at Tamari momentarily, processing the information given to her.

"W-what?" She stuttered.

Tamari placed his ear down near Ko's lips. "...He's breathing." He said. "But faintly."

Opening Ko's yukata many Imagawayaki came rolling out.

"Keh, little glutton stuffed his clothes." Grinned Tamari.

He removed the Imagawayaki; revealing a large bruise on Ko's chest.

"Hm, it shielded him from the blade, but the force was still enough to cause some internal damage. I can't do much about that."

"But what about you?" Said Senshi. "Your arm-"

"Malas beads can't heal their user." He said.

He ruffled through his clothes, taking out three talismans stained with blood.

"And these are useless at this point."

Senshi's face grew dim with this new information. "Oh..."

"I want you to stay with him. I need to go find Futan." He spoke.

"Al-alright, I'll-" Before she could finish, they both felt a shiver up their spines.

Turning towards the genkan they noticed a tall lengthy man standing near the entrance.

His skin was pale and rough, his eyes a pure white with slit pupils and his teeth, jagged and sharp.

Tamari stepped forward. "You must be "father"…" He said with a stern gaze.

Father cocked his head. "Yeeeeees..." He grinned. "But you may refer to me as Byōki…"

Tamari took a stance. "You're a demon, aren't you?" Asked Tamari.

"Hm, very clever of you..." Said Byōki. "But how did you come to such a conclusion?"

Tamari stared at the black aura that covered Byōki; it bubbled and popped with a thick malice.

"Your "Shidama" reeks of yinkō." Replied Tamari.

Byōki grinned. "Ahhh, so you can read the nature of my soul, can you?"

"Yeah, and Futan must not know you're a demon, right?" Said Tamari sternly. "If she's trying so damn hard to heal you."

The knuckles in Byōki's hands cracked as they began to grow longer. "No, she doesn't..."

He lurched forward, getting down on all fours. "Ngh! Gah!" He groaned.

His back shot up; growing dark green, his skin became reptilian as large quills grew out from his spine.

He looked up at them menacingly as he changed further, growing less and less human.

"But you won't live long enough to tell her..." He said with a deep bellow.

Byōki lunged forward; Tamari held up his weapon to block the oncoming attack, but Byōki ran past him.

"Wha?"

Byōki grinned, aiming for Senshi and the defenseless Ko.

"I think I shall deal with your friends first..." He sneered.

"Senshi, dodge!" Yelled Tamari.

He swung his arm up, clawed hand ready to strike. "Die!" He roared.

Senshi grabbed Ko, jumping out of the way. /Boom!/

Byōki slammed down on the ground creating a small crater.

/Crack! Snap!/

He began growing two large spined tails out from his back. He spun around, striking Senshi with them.

"AH!" Screamed Senshi as she slammed against a tree, dropping Ko, waking him.

Ko blinked his eyes dazed. "I- Huh?" He said looking around.

Byōki loomed over him; his gnarled teeth showing.

"Why, hello there little one..." He said with a foul grin.

Ko stared up at the cold-blooded monster, shivering. "I..ah..."

He raised his hand to strike... /Slash!/

"Agrh!" He wailed.

A large laceration had been made in Byōki's back from where Tamari had struck him.

Byōki whipped around, trying to cleave Tamari in two.

"Raahh!" He roared. Tamari held up his weapon to block the strike; but as it made contact, he felt a sharp pain in his arm.

"Ahh!" Causing him to lose hold of his naginata.

Tamari grabbed hold of his wound, hoping the pressure would relieve the pain.

"Ngh, hah..hah..."

Tamari looked back and Byōki was gone. "What?"

Byōki came down from the trees with an echoing crash, sending Tamari flying back.

He landed, regaining his footing; Tamari began sifting through his clothes for the mask.

But before he could find it Byōki rushed him, grabbing his neck, pinning him to a tree.

"Gah!" Cried Tamari.

Byōki snatched the mask away from Tamari. "Looking for this, were you?" He smiled.

Tamari stared at him with intent as he gasped for air. "Ngh...Gaaah!"