Danmachi: Monster

"Ahmya"

That was the name she was given, after she was born into this world.

Born a illegitimate second child of the noble kurotaki family her life was decided for her at birth. Becoming her older sisters assistant and protector the only worth the family saw in her. Even though their father was the same, from the moment she came into being she was despised as a mistake, a reminder of his own infedility.

"A mistake", that was all her father said when her birthmother came to him after she found that she was pregnant. Or at least that is what the shell of a woman always says when Ahmya is with her.

Walking into the main residence Ahmya, now aged 6, was to start her training in earnest, maybe it was in her nature but while an odinary child might be craving the attention and acknowledgement of their parents she was only feeling apathatic towards them. She had understood very quickly what her role in this family was supposed to be:"protect and assist the young mistress of the family with your life" these were the words her instructor always told her.

As she was lost in her thoughts she arrived before the door of the training room.

*Creaaack~*

Pushing open the old heavy door with a 'creak' she arrived in the tatami mat covered room everything was still the same from the racks with training weapons to her teacher sitting cross legged on the floor, however one thing was different than the days before. Next to the muscular middle aged man sat a girl, maybe 4 years older than her.

Noticing her arrival the girl quickly stood up and seemed to want to want to go towards her before the instructor stopped her.

"Ahmya", turning towards her the man spoke in his hoarse voice,"greet the young miss".

Fixing her sharp eyes on the older girl, she wordlessly stared her down before bowing slightly to the older girl.

"Mistress"

"Aiko",replied the girl. "Call me Aiko"

POV(Aiko)

'When I heard that the spawn that my father made behind mothers back was gonna be my personal assistant I was enraged and immediately went to the instructor that trained her but now that i'm here, I don't know what to do.'

Right as Aiko decided to leave, the door opened and a little girl no older than 6 entered the room.

Looking over to the young girl that had the same shiny, straight, black hair like her, Aiko only had one thought:' Beautiful ', even though the girl was young it was clear to see that she would grow up to be an impressive beauty.

However, right as she was about to go over to the girl the instructor held her back and asked the girl who she now knew as Ahmya to greet her wich made her hide a small pout.

However somethig else bothered her more, every member born in the family has a name at least somewhat synomynous to rain ,she knew that her father didn't like her but to name a child "black rain" wich is synomyous with misfortune goes a bit far.

Suddenly a shudder ran through her and she instinctivly looked into Ahmiyas eyes.

As she looked into those darkpools it seemed like her very soul was being disected and cold sweat started running her back.

"Mistress"

 The word apruptly pulled her back and she wondered if everything was just her imagination.

Shaking her head she said:" Akio ", a sigh escaped her," call me Akio."

The girl slowly tilted her head as looked at her seemingly slightly confused but obeyed her anyway.

"Understood, Akio."

Trying her best attempt at a warm smile Akio looked at the raven haired girl in front of her.

"I have high expectations for Ahmiya, I believe you will become the best assistant I could ask for."

Ahmiya looked at her expressionlessly before nodding.

/ 1 Year later / 

Over the coarse of the next year it became very clear to Ahmyas teachers that she wasn't like ordinary children at all, neither physically nor mentally. She learned anything they teached her immediately, without complaint and at record speed, be it maths or the duties expected of her to serve the young miss, both in private and public setting. But where she truly shone was martial arts and body conditioning, no matter how brutal the training was as long as she got stronger she seemed to revel in it and by the end of the year she had already suprassed a few of her Instructors in their specific skills.

----Hakone Shrine----

It was Akios birthday as such the family moved in a big way to upkeep their noble image. Akio was also to be blessed by the head shrine maiden, however all that had very little to do with Ahmya.

Wandering the premises of the shrine Ahmya honestly didn't understand the point of it all, because as far as she knew they had no proof that their "gods" even exsisted.

After she turned a corner on one of the seemingly never ending pathways, she apruptly stopped. Infront of her merely 10 meters away from her knelt an old woman her gray hair extending beyond her back nearly reaching her calves, an unpractical and needlessly long hairstyle with too many Ornaments in Ahmyas opinion.

Approaching the elderly woman slowly Ahmya noticed that she was praying in front of some kind of small shrine and the question that she had for a while now resurfaced again.

"Why do you pray to something you don't have any proof of existing?", Ahmya asked the elderly woman.

Looking up frpm her kneeling position the old woman fixed her glassy gaze at the young child in front of her.

"Because",taking a wheezing breath, " the hope that someone is there to listen to you, during your lowest moments regardless of what you have done is freeing, child.

At the time Ahmya didn't understand the words of what she considered an old decripit woman but somehow they still resonated with her.

/ 10 Years later / 

Lying in a crimson pool of her own blood Ahmya chuckled mirthfully to herself.

"Ahh....., to think after all this time",

*Cough--cough*

spitting out a mouthful of blood,"this is how it ends.......