Encountering The Onryōs'

"...So that's what happened..."

I gazed into a metaphysical mirror, watching my entire life and my cessation. Over and over again. 

My voice sounded ghostly, "Such a shame. I'm dead...."

I took a step back, the mystifying crimson mulch beneath my feet harmonising with the ghostly melodies of languishing souls.

"Akane... You just stood there and did nothing despite having every chance to..." I scoffed, turning to a reddish-black sarcophagus made of wood and rock.

"Well, at least thanks to her. I connected to my infinite Karma, and was able to break free of that... thing."

There were glowing red highlights on the fingertips, eyes, and toes.

A vermillion aura emanated from the casket; I assumed it was supposed to deplete my Karma and imprison me forever.

I looked around; the crimson glow was already becoming an eyesore. 

Surrounded by the crimson glows, a myriad of voices reached out to me—whispers of regret, sighs of longing, and cries of agony. 

They slowly became aggravating; I dismissed their cries and walked away each time a spirit attempted to approach me.

"Everything looks the same..." I whispered internally as I glanced around the forest of this non-linear plane, "How irritating."

A wisp of a figure floated by, its form more transparent than the others. 

Instead of whispering regrets, it hummed a melancholic melody. 

"A Soul Melody... Akane told me a bit about them. They truly are enchanting..."

I listened to its haunting melody. It was as if the tune was reaching out to me, urging me to follow it wherever it may lead. 

"I'm not that stupid. Akane had already told me what they do. The spiritual plane is a deadly place. Literally."

The whispers grew more incessant and harder to disregard. I began to stroll, the timeless world around me shuddering with each step I took.

As I continued my meandering journey through the endless woodlands, I came across a crimson, colossal tree.

"Ah, the tree of fate..."

The enormity of the tree before me was captivating. However, its scarlet luminosity was a stark contrast to the surrounding spiritual plane's dark crimson. 

I reached out, my fingers brushing the scarlet tree's bark, feeling a tingle of memories and emotions. It was like touching the very essence of life itself.

Its leaves sparkled in a luminous red glow. I noticed a vortex mirroring different fates and memories. Even things that are happening right now. 

"It's still here..."

At the centre of the vortex were Takako's fate and memories. Images of her present self were shown too. I hesitated for a moment but then reached out to touch it. 

Takako looked significantly more miserable than the horrible time we had with our old master.

"I promise, Takako," I whispered to myself, "I'll find a way to save you."

The crimson woods, though similar in hue, began to differ in their essence. Some trees pulsed with vitality, while others seemed to wither and droop, their leaves drooping, symbolising fates that had met unfortunate ends.

As I roamed about, I chanced upon a clearing. Before me was a tranquil pond,  its water so pure that I could see the bottom yet shimmering with the same crimson glow as everything else around it. 

Perched at the edge of the pond was a spirit, lost in thought as it gazed into the crimson waters. 

The spirit's form was female, ethereal, and almost fragile, like a delicate porcelain doll. Its long hair flowed down its back, and its body was as pallid as white.

Despite its beauty, the spirit exuded an air of perseverance and apathy.

Not wanting to intrude but curious about the otherworldly figure, I cleared my throat, "Hello?" My voice echoed slightly.

"Who are you?" I asked, hoping to gather more information about the mystifying spirit.

The spirit remained unmoved, its gaze locked on the crimson waters as if contemplating eternity. I was met with an eerie silence, broken only by the soft ripples on the pond's surface.

"What are you?" I pressed, my patience beginning to wane.

The spirit lifted its gaze, revealing shimmering eyes that mirrored the pond's reflective surface. The spirit's empty gaze was unsettlingly deep.

"Why have you come?" The spirit inquired, its doll-like stillness and stare piercing through me.

"Because I'm dead, obviously!" I retorted, my frustration ascending.

I found myself under the scrutinising gaze of the spirit, as though it were thoroughly examining me.

The spirit continued to question, "What type of spirit are you?" The probing inquiries became incessant. Irritating.

I snarled at it. 

"Oi! Do you have to speak so perpetually? I'm the one that's supposed to be asking questions."

Its expression didn't change in the slightest, nor did its piercing gaze.

"I'll ask again... Who are you? And what are you?"

The spirit remained unfazed by my exasperation, taking a deep, seemingly unnecessary breath before replying, "I am an Onryō."

"Onryō... a vengeful spirit, huh..." 

The spirit nodded in confirmation, its gaze never wavering.

"Why are you here?" I inquired once more, determined to get the spirit's attention.

"I exist to enact revenge on the ones who have wronged me," the Onryō stated matter-of-factly, its monotone voice never wavering.

"Well, I gathered that much. Why are you at this pool of... whatever this liquid is?"

The Onryō finally broke eye contact, returning its gaze to the crimson waters.

"It is refreshing to be here," it responded after a brief pause.

I scoffed, "Refreshing? Being in this crimson forest filled with the melancholic spirits' soul melodies and regrets of people's fates?"

"Yes... it is refreshing to be here." Onryō repeated, its gaze still fixed on the crimson waters.

I peeked at the crimson waters. I could see reflections of Takako.

"Could you tell me more about this spiritual plane?"

The Onryō nodded, "This spiritual plane is a realm where souls go when they die."

"Wow, I definitely didn't know that..."

I hummed in response, "And what of the crimson colours everywhere?"

"It is the colour of fate." The Onryō spoke, staring off vacantly towards infinity.

"Colour of fate? I see..." I added dryly.

I peered into the crimson waters once more; Takako's reflection was still there.

The spirit didn't finish explaining the spiritual plane; however, "It is rare to see a free spirit in here." Its ghastly voice spoke.

"Free spirit?" I inquired.

The Onryō nods, its lifeless gaze locking on me once more, "Time ceases to exist in this plane; each spirit exudes a time bubble, but can only stay in that bubble, which fails to move. They remain trapped for eternity and beyond."

"...So, time doesn't exist here; spirits exude time bubbles? That's intriguing." I murmured, absorbing the ramifications of the statement.

"Yes, spirits that can defy the laws of this plane, escape their time bubble, and walk through its non-linear, timeless expanse are the only type of spirit that could do that. An Onryō."

The Onryō points to another metaphysical mirror on a burnt tree.

"Only Onryō's can see them." It admitted.

"...So I'm an Onryō," I echoed, taking in the weight of the revelation.

Hearing the confirmation of my identity as an Onryō, a chill ran down my spine. The weight of the truth pressed heavily on my chest. "So... what now?" I pondered aloud.

"You seek vindication, do you not?" The Onryō's voice, eerily calm, echoed in the void of the spiritual plane. 

"All Onryō do."

"I'd say I've wished for vindication since before I died. But not for me," I admitted, my heart sinking at the truthfulness of those words, "No, not for myself... but for Takako."

As if to emphasise my point, I pointed my finger to the metaphysical mirror; it conjured an illusory image of Takako's crying face in its reflection, as clear as if she were standing before me.

The Onryō flickered and stared deeply into the illusory image before murmuring, its voice strangely pained, "Revenge and vindication for that woman..." Its doll-like voice still held its apathy, "Ta-ka-ko...?" It spelt it out slightly.

I nodded, "I want vengeance against the people who sold her and who broke her spirit. My master. Her new master... I won't hesitate to remove those in my way."

"Hmmm... Do you wish to enact vengeful judgement against your previous master?" The Onryō clarified, its eerie voice tinged with curiosity.

"He will be dealt with later." I retorted, recalling the abuse I had endured from him.

"Of course."

I narrowed my eyes at it and glared daggers, "Who would you consider the highest priority?"

"Your sister's master." It answered without hesitating.

"How did you know she was my sister?" I inquired, my eyes widening at the spirit's accurate prediction.

"I did not..." It responded as if it had known the answer all along.

My breath hitched, and the Onryō's response took me aback.

"So, tell me more about yourself." I inquired once more, genuinely intrigued as to its personality.

The Onryō turns to stare into the pool and says softly, "I was a human, female. Ai Nozomi"

"And?"

"My family is dead. All murdered."

"Sorry..." I sympathised, unsure of what else to say.

"They were murdered. Killed without remorse." Despite her stoic facade, a hint of dismay could be heard in her voice.

The Onryō, or Ai, despite maintaining a stiff pose, somehow seemed sad as she continued speaking.

"I was then taken. And tortured, thrashed every day, starved daily, left alone every day, verbally denigrated repeatedly, desecrated... sexually... vigorously... continuously..." Ai continued without stopping, her hollow eyes blankly staring out. 

"I think that's enough." I stopped her, concerned.

"To think that someone's family was killed while you yourself were brutally abused, I'm..." I began speaking quietly.

"Sorry?" Ai suggested finishing my statement for me.

"...Yeah"

Ai's expression remained stoic, but I sensed a subtle shift in her demeanour.

"But I don't see a reason why they would do that to you."

She paused momentarily before standing up, "The Kamiji Empire." She turned towards me.

"The Ka-mi-ji-what?" I tried spelling it out, completely baffled by the name.

"The Kamiji Empire," AI repeated, her gaze unwavering.

"I've never heard of such a name." I gazed into Ai's lifeless eyes.

AI began walking away, "It is not important then..."

"Wait, but I want to know!" I called out to her.

"It is not important; besides, should you not be finding ways to save your sister?" She spoke stoically.

I watched Ai's ethereal form as she walked away, her feet barely disturbing the crimson mulch beneath her. 

"Where'll you go?" I called out.

AI stopped, turning her doll-like gaze back to me.

"The Onryō Council."

I cocked my head to the side, "Onryō Council?"

AI resumed walking away, her transparent figure gradually becoming one with the crimson mulch's glow.

I stared at where Ai once was, then glanced around the spiritual plane. Crimson mulch, soul melodies, whispers of regret, crimson trees, and metaphysical mirrors were all that surrounded me.

I looked into the metaphysical mirror once again, and Takako was still there. Crying.

"She's beyond miserable... I have to protect her."

I gazed into the crimson waters, Takako's tear-stained cheeks being the only thing on my mind. I had to save Takako. I wouldn't rest until she was safe and happy.

But how could I save her when I am but a vengeful spirit unable to enact my retribution? I stared at the crimson pool's reflection once more, my mind pondering over its depths.

How could I, in my current state, save Takako?

I thought back to Ai's stoic appearance and stoic voice, "She did say that she was part of something... something called The Onryō Council?"

The name intrigued me, yet I'd never heard of it. Not even from Akane. But it must exist, I concluded. Perhaps Akane just doesn't know?

I pondered about this Onryō council, gazing at the metaphysical mirror.

Perhaps they could help me?

I focused my thoughts on Takako, my mind racing with possibilities of how to save her. How to ensure her happiness.

"Onryō Council... Maybe they can assist me in saving Takako. Or getting out of this plane."

Crunch!

Snap!

My feet crunched the mulch below and snapped the twigs beneath my feet. The haunting melodies from lingering spirits seemed to harmonise with my steps, creating an eerie lullaby. 

I was lost in thought about the Onryō Council—what it was, what it looked like, and who was part of it. However, my internal musings soon began to slip from my lips, taking the form of whispers that seemed to dance with the forest's haunting symphony.

"Why didn't she just tell me where the council was?"

My voice grew increasingly frustrated as I continued walking.

Snap!

Crunch!

I stopped speaking and humming, realising that my frustrations were fruitless. Instead, I decided to listen to the forest's haunting underlying lullaby.

I opened my mouth, and a single note escaped—a soft hum that echoed through the woods.

A Rustle.

Something was here.

I could feel its eyes.

Its hunger.

The footsteps grew closer.

The wind grew colder.

I was calm.

The forest had changed. The trees had begun to thicken. I was in the middle of a forest of birch trees, which were densely packed together, limiting my vision.

It jumped out.

I slowly turned to the creature, expecting a hostile abomination, a malevolent entity, or another Onryō.

It was just a rabbit.

A slightly disappointed sigh escaped my lips. 

"Is it a spirit? An Onryō? Can animals even become Onryō? But if not, how is it even moving so freely?"

The rabbit just tilted its head at me, seemingly confused by my ramblings.

I heard a twig snap.

I looked back at the rabbit in front of me. The rabbit had vanished. I waited. And waited. And then I waited a bit longer.

"What am I even waiting for? I should be looking for the Onryō Council."

I returned to my train of thought. It was mostly filled with my wonderment and curiosity towards the Onryō Council, such as what I would do if I encountered them.

While pondering about the council, I heard ghastly voices. 

I quickly hid behind a monumental tree and peeked in the direction of the voices.

Ai was there.

And so were seven other spirits.

"All these spirits must be Onryō, right? Only they can move like this here. Ai mentioned earlier that she was heading to the Onryō Council, so it's highly likely that this is their group."

Suddenly, one of the spirits—far taller than Ai, with a dark, torn hakama—raised a hand, causing the trees to sway and the wind to gust, allowing me to get a closer look.

Its figure looked female. It had long, straight, midnight hair with indigo highlights. She had milky-white skin, and her crimson eyes glistened with retaliation and anguish. 

It opened its mouth and spoke.

"Someone's lurking. Show yourself."

Its voice was like thunder on a calm day. It was deep and intimidating, yet serene and luscious.

A diminutive spirit, a young girl adorned with silvery hair kissed by a subtle hint of blue, responded in a voice as delicate as a child's whisper to the previous spirit.

"Um... I think there's someone behind that tree?"

She pointed directly at the tree I was hiding behind.

Ai spoke up in her monotonic, passionless voice, seemingly irritated or perhaps bored.

"It is probably nothing." She said.

I knew my cover was going to be blown sooner or later, so I slowly walked out from behind the tree and revealed myself to the spirits, and they revealed themselves to me.

As I examined every Onryō in front of me, Ai gazed at me and mumbled, "You again. Why?"

The tallest Onryō spoke up—her deep and intimidating voice contrasted with her ethereal beauty.

"Identify yourself." She commanded.

I gazed into her crimson eyes and spoke.

"I'm Takeshi." My tone remained nonchalant but secure despite being surrounded.

Another spirit—a shorter female-looking spirit with very short raven hair that seemed to shift colour—spoke up; her voice was deep and sly, yet abrasive and provocative.

"You an Onryō or—"

"Yes, he is."

She was interrupted by Ai.

The spirit glared at Ai disapprovingly before continuing. Her expression softened upon hearing these words. 

I gazed at the seven female-looking Onryō in front of me.

Ai gazed at me, expecting an explanation, I suppose. Her emotionless face—pale and attractive—had an undertone of confusion.

A silver-haired spirit gazed at Ai, then at me. Her radiant yellow eyes seemed to burn, while her fair and fragile skin made her seem all the more meek and feeble, despite having probably been dead for ages.

"Hey! Hey! Where did you come from? Hatsu's curious! Tell, tell!" It asked.

Its voice was energetic and happy, but abrupt and wild.

"Hatsu?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"She always talks like that. Third person." The raven-haired Onryō assured me, taking a step forward.

"Ah, I see."

I glanced at Ai; her pale white skin glowed, illuminating the shadows covering the forest floor like a spotlight. 

After a while of awkward silence, Ai opened her mouth to speak. Her pale lips parted slightly, "Why are you here?"

It was more of a demand for me to answer than a question.

My dull gaze focused on Ai. My answer came to mind. My mouth slowly parted as I was about to answer the spirit's question—or more precisely, demand for an answer.

But then another small spirit jumped in.

Her heterochromatic eyes focused on me and only me; her short hair, which transitioned gracefully from a minty teal at the roots to a radiant purple at the tips, swayed gently in the gentle breeze and gave off a subtle minty scent, contrasting with the dead and dull atmosphere the Onryō Council created; her entire figure seemed like a child—small, frail, and delicate.

"Owari."

That was the spirit's introduction. She gave me a piercing gaze and didn't say anything else—just Owari.

"You were about to answer." Ai reminded me.

"I lost my train of thought." I admittedly replied.

I paused for a bit before explaining my presence in the forest.

"I was just wandering through and ended up here." I stated, shrugging my shoulders.

"How convenient." Ai muttered under her breath, tilting her head slightly.

I glanced at the Onryō Council once more—seven spirits of various heights and appearances, yet they were similar in many ways: their pale complexion, their enigmatic aura, and their overall eeriness.

"Anyway, I should be going." I announced, feeling my presence was undesirable. 

I turned around and prepared to walk away. But the raven-haired spirit jumped in and yelled out, her abrasive and provocative voice cutting through the silence.

"Not so fast, stranger!" She exclaimed.

I turned back around to face her—she seemed to be the most assertive Onryō.

She took a step closer to me and analysed me—her piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, gazing deep within.

"Fancy joining us?" She inquired, grinning.

Her smile was crooked—unsettling and creepy.

"To where exactly?" I questioned.

The raven-haired Onryō proceeded to explain herself further.

"We're headed to the Onryō Council, right, Ai?" She said, glancing at Ai.

"We are." Ai agreed.

"So?"

She returned her gaze to me and continued. Fixing her raven hair.

I reluctantly agreed. It was what I was searching for in the first place, anyway.

"Could you tell me your name first?" I requested.

A smirk danced on her lips as she replied, "Rei Yūwaku, at your service."

Rei extended her arm towards me. I reached out and shook her cold and calloused hands, reciprocating the gesture.

A rumbling sound played.

I glanced down; jagged chasms splintered at my feet.

The ground began to shake.

I was thrown off-balance, crashing to the ground.

Everything convulsed around me.

"What's going on?" I yelled out.

My eyes darted wildly, desperate for some sense of understanding.

Owari, if that was her name, voiced a single word with an eerie calmness amidst the anarchy: "Rumble."

Her words only raised further questions for me—why was this happening? And how?

Owari gazed at me as the ground continued to shake and quake.

Ai was the last to speak; her monotonous voice was drowned out by the noise, but somehow it resonated, filling my head.

"We should go back." She said.

Rei quickly interjected with a slight grin on her face.

"How about a quick teleport, eh?" She announced.

Ai responded almost immediately after she finished speaking, with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

"I strongly advise against it, Rei. Do you remember what happened last time?" Ai's tone remained nonchalant but direct, without even a hint of emotion in it.

I gazed around the quaking forest, "It seems like these two aren't on very good terms." I mused, a bit intrigued by their interactions.

I opened my mouth and spoke. My words escaped, but I couldn't hear them. My voice was muffled, almost completely mute.

The ground shook violently, throwing me off balance once again.

Rei quickly grabbed me by my collar and yanked me back up before I fell into a nearby chasm that split apart at our feet.

"Gotcha!"

I couldn't help but be grateful—a soft sigh escaped my lips, yet she still heard it. She gave me a tempting grin, which only made my gratitude vanish.

I was pulled back onto the quaking earth of this plane.

Rei didn't back down and continued her debate with Ai, "Too bad, I'm doing it anyway!"

Her abrasive voice contrasted with her flirty appearance, almost giving her an intimidating vibe.

Ai sped towards Rei in an attempt to shut her up.

"I would rather avoid harm."

Owari just continued to look around the quaking forest; her minty, slightly wavy hair danced with the wind.

"Teleport time! Hatsu is ready!" Hatsu exclaimed in her energetic and wild voice, bouncing around.

Hatsu quickly latched onto Rei, who had a disapproving expression on her face. She was clearly annoyed with Hatsu's hyperactive tendencies but didn't complain or say anything.

Owari approached Rei, grabbing hold of her too.

Rei rolled her eyes and groaned slightly before extending her arms towards Ai, who stood quietly, watching the chaos unfold before her.

Ai refused to grab hold of Rei; however, she reluctantly gave in to Hatsu's puppy eyes and grabbed her shoulder.

"This is a terrible idea..."

Rei grinned.

"Brace yourselves!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone closed their eyes—except for Owari, who continued to stare blankly ahead, her heterochromatic eyes fixated on Rei.

The world shifted.

My vision blurred.

Everything became distorted.

Everything went black.

Then, out of nowhere, I heard Owari's calm voice announce, "Home."

[Illustration]

I opened my eyes; a spacious wooden shack was in view. The walls were quite old and cracked, but it still looked liveable.

The walls were made of the same wood from the forest.

Peculiar trinkets lined wooden shelves and tables. Each one glistening under the surprisingly soft luminescence of a scarlet chandelier.

As I gazed around the shack, the aroma of burned wood tingled my nostrils. I also noticed seven chairs.

"What turned you into an Onryō?" The tallest Onryō asked me.

I glanced up at her—her towering figure gave off a commanding aura.

I hesitated, but since I already told AI, I guessed I could tell her.

"It's probably because I want vengeance for my sister." I answered.

The Onryō nodded solemnly in understanding.

"Ah, I see." The Onryō spoke, looking back towards Rei and Hatsu, "Rei was assassinated by her violent and manipulative brother, and Hatsu perished from her family's neglect. Just two of our tales." she explained.

I gazed at Rei, Hatsu, and the Onryō Council, analysing their figures—their pale skin seemed to glow under the dim luminescence.

"I've got one more question for you, Takeshi." The Onryō spoke once again.

I gazed up at her—her crimson eyes focused on mine.

"Would you consider joining our council?"