"Why are we waiting for people who are dead?"
Tsukino asked contemptuously. At the same time, her antipathy glowing gray eyes scan the mortals, who are waiting at the edge of the majestic X-You Mountain, and grimaces at their insolence.
"We should be delegating on how to win the next battle, instead of having false hope," Her voice cold, she continues in a louder tone, "We all saw the state Miyato was in... there is no hope for him. Worse, Shinji and Lucy. Let's forget about them, and focus on the future! Also, we lost many people, why should we be more concerned about those three?"
The sound of crickets and grasshoppers answer Tsukino.
The mortals understand Miyato's situation, and some are gayful about Lucien's death —after all, his mother is a witch who ate their loved ones. Shinji, on the other hand, is someone they need —to replace Miyato, and to take the fall when they rebel, one day.
Since no one wants to say the plan they have for the Main Character, a blind girl, in her mid twenties, named Mikino, walks up to Tsukino. As someone who doesn't know what the males talk about in secret, she decides to speak what she thinks about Shinji.
"Shinji is a charismatic person, and it's thanks to him that we are more of a group, and united. Despite us having Miyato, no one was able to entertain us as Shinji does, and that makes him perfect to lead us. Although I'm not a fun of some of the things he does, I like most of the things he does. Why don't we wait until midday to give up on them."
"Tsk." Tsukino clicked her tongue in frustration upon seeing some members agree.
Although she duslikes Lucien, she hates Shinji to the bone. Even till now, the image of him dancing while people died is still fresh in her mind. If Lucy is a demon of murder, then Shinji is a two faced devil who manipulates people thanks to the way he presents herself.
—I hope he burns in hell, where devils like him should be!
Tsukino grins in rage, vehemently gritting her teeth at the mortals resting under the canopy of various trees.
Rolling her eyes, she clicks her tongue, going to rest her back on a tree. Why don't people see that Shinji is using them?! It might look like he is a pushover, but if they feel what she feels from him, they would be wary around him more!
'But what if he is that man?'
—Their birthmarks are the same.
'It can't be, Shinji is too egregious!
Tsukino shakes her head. Although she dislikes that man, he was right. If he didn't force her to kill, then she won't have survived this battle.
'I wonder what I'll do when I see him?'
—Ah! You're smiling, you must like him... maybe, you should kiss when you meet.
'Don't be ridiculous.'
—You have angered me; I promise you this: you'll be stabbed in the heart with the man you love!
'Why are the words Lucy's mother playing in my mind?'
Tsukino furrows her brows.
In the past, she met Akane, and the encounter wasn't pleasant. On that day, Akane was fetching water at a well; singing in a language Tsukino couldn't understand. As the woman went on to look at the sky, like she was talking to someone, Tsukino laughed at how crazy she is, and got cursed!
—Tsk, after realizing that the person I thought is the one isn't, I don't need men in my life: they will only hold me back!
Tsukino doesn't contemplate longer, as she notices two figures descending X-You Mountain, side to side.
The one on the left, a scholar in a spotless robe, holds something bleeding wrapped in a purple cloth.
Seeing everyone's gaze on him, Shinji walks away from Lucien, unwrapping the cloth with tears on his cheeks.
"It was a tough decision to make when, when..."
The Main Character sobs, wiping his tears with the back of his hands.
"I didn't mean to do it, but Miyato-dono... said that he wasn't going to make it anyway, thanks to the number of injuries on his body... Please understand, I didn't want to see my role model in agony."
As a whiper escapes Shinji's mouth, he falls on his knees, helplessly.
"I'm sorry! You're free to kill me to avenge Miyato-dono, who entrusted me with the honor of finishing him! Blame it on me for being weak... and pathetic enough to finish him, while I didn't help him in the fight."
"Waah!! Waah! Waahaha!"
The Main Character covers his face with both hands in shame, as he starts crying.
»»»Some of the idiots do too.
No one can blame Shinji, and the burden lies on the whole group on depending on one person. They are all weak, and that is a painful fact. This isn't a time to be blaming someone; rather, it's time to pass the flame Miyato left to Shinji —if he is strong, they will relax more.
Hugging and helping Shinji stand, the group prepares a resting place for Miyato's head...
Even though they are shameless, the mortals have to give Miyato a few moments of silence.
Not only was he a great leader who helped them secure a lot of victories against the Kushi Villagers, bet he was a man of righteousness.
He would often engage in small chatter with those slacking off, asking if someone had been bullying them.
***
Katsuragi Goro, now in charge of the meals, wears a pleasant smile, as he carries a bento box to his room. In his mind, he plans to treat Sora to a special meal and regale her with jokes, hoping to show her the cool uses of his Tama.
Goro's joy is palpable, as he enters his large residential building, located at the center of the Military Camp.
Leaving his tabi on the woven grass mat, he ignores the explicit paintings that adorn the walls. As he walks toward the living room, a space in the clouds filters sunlight through the windows, casting a cozy glow.
However, his expression falters when he finds the room empty, and he drops the bento box.
"Where is she? I left her sleeping a few minutes ago."
Concern etching on his big face, Goro's amber eyes frantically skims the room, before settling on the pathway to his bedroom, which has one of its doors open.
'Could Dumbo have done something to her?!'
—That bastard!!
His worry intensifying, he approaches the bedroom with clenched fists, preparing to defend his love.
Carefully opening the sliding door, he yells, "Stay away from her, or else I—!"
His words trail off, as the warm light from the window momentarily blinds him. When his vision clears, he is met with a sight that made him gulp.
Sora lies on the futon, clad only in a bathrobe that barely covers her essential areas. Instantly, Goro's amber eyes widen, as he takes in the sight of her smooth, pale thighs and small feet.
A second later, his body tingles up, with a mix of suprise and excitement.
However, as a man of culture, Goro shakes his head, choosing to look away.
—I'll let her sleep. Who knows when she last slept in a comfortable place?
As he turns to leave, he hears Sora's faint whisper: "Please...embrace me, Goro-Kun... I need to drown in your arms tonight."
Goro chuckles, thinking she is dreaming.
'This is what happens when you sleep during the day.'
—It's nighttime in her mind.
However, Sora's subsequent whispers make Goro's expression falter. Inspite of him trying to ignore her, her words strike a chord:
"If you don't do it... you are not a man, Goro-Kun."
A tear rolls down Goro's cheek, and his will shatters.
—Sora-chan, why must you be so beautiful? Please forgive me for what I'm about to do.
Removing his kimono, he turns around, but the girl is gone. Gora blinks a few times, trying to make sure he isn't dreaming, not minding the coldness of the day.
"Where is she...?"
His voice drags at the end, as he feels someone embrace him from behind, making his whole body shiver in delight.
"I'm here..."
At that reply, Goro wants to turn around and transcend the 9 heavens with Sora. That being said, some things aren't meant to be in life.
Little to his imagination, Sora's appearance changed before he came. Now, she has grown fangs together with claws, and her eyes turned black with no shade of white.
"Be a good pig, Goro-kun."
She smiles, viciously striking her fangs into the man's nape by surprise. Meanwhile, Goro's body palpitates, his eyes diluting, as blood gets drained from him.
Thud!
He fell to the ground, his eyes rolled up. Contemporaneously, the kyuketsuki doesn't hesitate to bite his neck, tearing his flesh —blood splatters on the wooden floor.
Chewing, the creature clicks its tongue in disdain. Swallowing its frustration, the kyuketsuki wide opens its mouth, dipping its fangs into Goro's skull.
Crack.
Crushing the bone, she takes in part of the brain in her swallow. Licking its lips, it repeats the process, going deeper into him...
***
In a few minutes, the kyuketsuki has devoured half of the body.
Suddenly, it comments: "He tastes ugly...munch, munch... if only it were Dernier or Shinji. Those two have strong souls, something that will make me take this body faster."
At the mention of those names, Sora's features return to normal.
She blinks once, twice, then...
"Ahh! Why did this happened!" She yelped.
Panicked, she throws away Goro's liver and heart in her hands. Feeling the sticky, wet fibers in her mouth, she forces herself to vomit, but nothing happens.
"What's happening to Sora?! When did she become a monster?!"
A voice laughs mockingly in her mind:
—If I'm a monster, what about you, my fiancé? Whether you turn into male or female, your parents sold you to me. Whatever I do with that body is also on you.
Hearing the mention of her parents, Sora takes a deep breath, calming down, as a set of memories come to her mind.
Before she came to Age Regiment Camp, a priest from the cult her parents go to, came to Kokoro Island. Afterward, she said that if her parents want to be forgiven for giving birth to a monster like Sora, she has to get possessed by a kyuketsuki, which will be her fiance. Also, her parents will be brought back to their island, and be rewarded lots of wealth.
With nothing to lose, Sora was sold to the kyuketsuki.
As Sora's turns ghost-pale, she tears silently. How can she forget that she was born a monster, who is not even loved by her parents? Lucien and Shinji might accept her gender switching, but in other people's eyes, she is an abomination.
Being special sometimes means you're different —a monster to society.
After a minute, she looks at the white glowing birthmark on her left wrist, written:קדושה—אפס
Biting her lips, she hopelessly mutters, "You will do great without Sora, anyway."
Forcing a smile, Sora stands up, readying herself to commit seppuku. However, the kyuketsuki forces itself to take over her body again.
"This idiot!"
Frowning, the creature clicks its tongue, walking out.
—Another idiot called profound beasts here. If it weren't for that person, I would be eating those Tama-Artists.
"Tch, I can only settle with eating those old ladies that do the cooking."