Takeda's hands trembled as he stared at the shriveled remains before him. His breath came in uneven bursts, his normally composed expression betraying the whirlwind of emotions churning beneath the surface—confusion, horror, disbelief.
The twisted husk barely resembled anything human. Its flesh was sunken and dry, its limbs curled inward as if desperately clinging to life even after death had claimed it. Every bone pressed against thin, leathery skin, and the mouth, frozen in a silent scream, was stretched unnaturally wide, as if it had died in agony.
Beside it, a simple clay pot rested in the dirt, its lid slightly ajar. Something within it pulsed, the motion grotesque in its unnatural rhythm.
Takeda swallowed hard, his voice unsteady as he forced himself to speak.
"What... is that?"
His words came out quieter than he intended, almost a whisper, as if saying them too loudly would make the nightmare before him more real. His fingers twitched at his sides, itching to grab the hilt of his blade, but fear kept his hand frozen in place.
Sayaka hovered nearby, her usual playful smirk absent. She wasn't floating lazily as she often did, nor was she commenting on the absurdity of the situation. Instead, she simply watched, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Taro, still gripping his sword loosely, exhaled slowly, his voice as cold and unfeeling as steel.
"A fetus's heart."
He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the bloodstained dirt. Then, with the tip of his sword, he pointed toward the shriveled remains.
"And that… is the fetus."
The words sent a violent shudder down Takeda's spine. His stomach twisted, bile rising in his throat. His breath hitched as he staggered back a step, his head shaking unconsciously as if denying the reality before him would make it disappear.
His voice cracked as he turned to his father, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Father… what is this?!"
The old man knelt on the ground, his usually dignified posture broken. His fingers dug into the dirt, trembling, his shoulders hunched as if the weight of his sins had finally crushed him. He looked smaller than before, frail and weak.
"You… have to understand me," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "It was for the good of our clan."
Takeda's breath came sharp and fast. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms hard enough to break skin. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs like a war drum.
"No. Answer me. What is this?"
His father flinched, looking away. His lips quivered, opening and closing as if struggling to find the right words. Then, with a heavy breath, he finally spoke, his voice distant, hollow.
"When I was young, I made a deal with a demon."
Taro's eyes darkened, his fingers tightening around his sword. He took a slow step forward, his presence radiating an almost suffocating intensity.
"A demon?" His tone was calm, but there was an edge to it, sharp as a drawn blade.
"Yes… a Black Oni."
At those words, Sayaka, who had been unnervingly silent until now, finally moved. She straightened slightly, her violet eyes narrowing as she tilted her head.
"That demon offered me power," the old man continued, voice thick with guilt and regret. "Power that would secure my throne, solidify my rule. But in return, he demanded something… a toll that would be collected from my descendants."
Takeda's mouth felt dry, his throat tight. He could barely force the words out.
"What kind of toll?"
His father let out a slow, trembling breath, his fingers clenching into fists against his knees.
"First, he would take one's life. Then, he would take the ability to enjoy life."
A deafening silence followed. The weight of those words sank deep into Takeda's chest, pressing down like an iron chain.
Takeda turned, his vision blurring slightly as he forced himself to look at the grotesque, lifeless thing on the ground.
"So that… that thing…" His voice was barely audible, raw with emotion. He swallowed, trying to steady himself. "Was my other son...that was not born?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Takeda's body went rigid. A violent tremor passed through him, his breath growing unsteady. He felt as if something inside him had cracked, a deep, jagged fissure splintering across his soul.
His lips parted, but no words came out.
How was he supposed to react? To accept this? To comprehend that his own father had traded his unborn child's life for power? That his family's prosperity was built upon the sacrifice of an innocent...his own child?!
A sickening feeling crawled up his spine.
"You must understand me, right?" His father's voice cracked, desperation creeping into his tone. "It was for the good of our clan! The power I gained, the strength I wielded—it kept us strong, it kept us safe!"
Takeda's head slowly lifted, his eyes locking onto his father's. His expression was unreadable, his face eerily still.
Then, his lips moved.
"You… are vile."
The words cut through the air like a blade.
His father flinched as though struck.
Takeda's hand moved before he even realized it, his fingers curling around the hilt of his sword. The conversation stretched a little longer—pleading, regret, desperate justifications—but in the end, it all ended the same way.
With a single stroke.
And a severed head rolling across the bloodstained ground.
Taro and Sayaka didn't react much,they had seen their fair share of rolling heads.
Taro moved over to the clay pot and picked it up. He out it beside the shriveled up body.
He clasped his hands together.
O,poor soul misguided by betrayal and sin," he said in a neutral tone.
"May you find peace in the afterlife,do not dwell in the mortal realm and return to your rightful domain"
Normally for demon exorcisms the incantation would be about sending the demon to hell. But this wasn't normal,this was unborn child that was falsely not given the kife it deserved.
The Next Morning,
Golden sunlight filtered through the paper windows, casting long, delicate shadows across the wooden floor of the spare room Takeda had provided him. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant river mist.
Taro slid open the door, stepping onto the porch where Sayaka sat.
She didn't turn to greet him like she usually did. Instead, she stared off into the distance, eyes half-lidded, her expression unreadable.
Taro watched her for a moment before speaking.
"You seem a bit sullen."
She exhaled through her nose, still not looking at him. "No, it's just…" She paused, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns against the wooden railing. "That demon died, but I still feel demon presences in the city."
"You do?"
"Yes." She finally turned to face him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "And they seem… rattled."
Taro didn't respond. He simply stood there, gazing out at the city below.
Sayaka didn't steal his food today.
That Night,
Taro sat on a hill overlooking the city. Below, the streets pulsed with lantern light, the river carving a silvery path through the heart of the town. The distant murmur of voices, laughter, and footsteps echoed into the night.
Sayaka lay sprawled across the thick branch of a tree, one leg dangling lazily, her arms tucked behind her head. She tilted her head toward him.
"Taro."
He didn't look at her. "What?"
"Have you ever told me why you kill demons?"
"For money."
"Yeah, but you can get money by guarding a noble or a warlord. And compared to hunting demons, those are much easier."
Taro closed his eyes for a brief moment before answering.
"Maybe. But it feels like the right thing to do. Also, it would be boring."
Sayaka huffed. "That answer is boring."
"Think whatever you want."
She rolled onto her side, watching him with curious eyes.
Taro remained still, gaze locked on the city below.
Somewhere, in those streets, demons still lurked in the shadows.
This hunt wasn't over.
Meanwhile in a place far far away,
In a dark cave full of snakes and bats a single towering figure was meditating.
The man was tall,atleast two times the height and width of Taro. He wore a fuzzy coat that seemed to be made from the fur of a bear of some sort. The coat fully covered his body.
Suddenly,the demon snapped his eyes open.
"Someone has...defied my spell." the voice cane out as deep and mixed with toxicity. It was a terrible voice.
A single black snake with white eyes slithered to his arms as it climbed up.
"Alert the demons of Yaima," he said to the the snake.
"And tell them to kill the man who broke my spell and if they can't...tell me."
The demon released the snake and watched as it slithered out of the cave.
"All those who defy me,the black demons,will shall meet death!"
He cursed out. He went back to meditating.