It had been hours since everyone was dismissed from the Dojo. The sun rose to its highest peak in that time, well above the volcanic mountains and fortified Minka homes of Reborn Heroes and Clan powers. Spiral limbed trees absent of leaves rattled in the cold winds. The sun had begun to set in the time since as well.
If you paid attention you could feel the anxiety and unrest on the air like a physical slime. Like humidity if it was laced with an herbal psychotic. Soaking into your pores. Latching onto the oldest parts of your brain that knew fear like an old friend. Twisting the sound of raindrops and crunching dead leaves into stalking panthers and fire breathing Akuma hordes.
I repeated the Laws of Bushido to myself as we sat in our abandoned home.
Like me, many children left their orphanage. Sometimes it was better to be on your own. Less chance of being ensnared by evil people with no way to defend yourself.
Out here I had a sword. I had the world to learn from. Better food…. If you could steal well enough—
"Damn! My shins are killing me. Obake, you do that again and I'll cut your face off in your sleep." Osuke threatened, thin eyebrows tight against his angry brown eyes.
"Quiet. You'll attract more than we can handle." I replied as we all sat slouching in the attic of our abandoned home.
"Did you forget it's a full moon? Everything's scared and in hiding, idiot." Osuke spat.
"Not everything." I eyed him until he turned away from me as I sat with my back to the exposed attic wall.
The shadows at the corners of the room danced as a poorly made campfire burned. The limbs of a malnourished Dire Rat rotated over the fire. Sparks and spirals of black smoke rose up through the broken in roof and soaked into the leafless trees overhead.
The forest around them split by entire blocks of abandoned housing blended in with nature. All dead and skeletal and absent of life. Save for the hiding Goblin trio or sleeping Guru Bats that shared the block with them.
On the grounds, Twin-Tailed Foxes sprinted through the dwindling green grass and dashed to their dens alongside weasels and other lowland prey.
As the moon rose, so too did the symbol of absolute predation. Uncaring and indiscriminate.
Luckily, the smoke and ash of our lands volcanic activity held us a while longer. But even that was splitting and tearing like old sheets as the winds picked up.
"No more than a few hours."
"So…. Sensei thinks you'll be Reborn soon." Yuki grumbled as she sat across the room from him. Only split by the massive hole in the ground that led directly to their trap at the bottom floor. A bloody rope hung over a rotted corpse. Yuki swung the long rope around like a fishing pole as she held it. Her bald head tight with tension.
"He wishes." I corrected as I eyed myself through the reflection of my sword.
I don't like looking at myself. It makes me question things. Things like my parents. I don't miss them or even want them. I just want answers. I want power—
"Does he? I thought I saw your eyes glow, Ghost."
"OH! Really?!" Akio questioned as he sat beside her, flinching the moment she side eyed him.
"Really. He should've tried to kill us right then." Yuki said as she looked from Akio to me.
"I think Sensei beats us enough, actually…"
Yuki lunged at Akio. With a shriek he jumped out of the way, just barely missing her teeth close down on his shoulder.
The other kids scooted away too, still in their own nervous conversations.
"Idiot! Sensei can't force our Rebirth. This is why you get beat. You don't listen— you hesitate. What did he say?"
"If I answer wrong will you bite me?"
Yuki rolled her eyes, "He said….."
I watched her temples flex on the sides of her head repeatedly as she tried to recall what Sensei said.
"He said something about power spreading like dominoes fall. If it started with Ghost, we would've been next. But he's a coward." Yuki spat into the hole.
They all froze as the spit landed below and something yelped angrily.
Yuki moved on pure adrenaline, pulling her dangling legs out of the hole and rolling to the back corner of the room.
The rest of the children did the same. Hudling up and waiting for the unknown danger to pass.
Whatever it was, it didn't have fur. They heard her spit land because it hit skin. And whatever had skin, was far more dangerous.
I leaned over the hole to peer down below after catching the sounds of flesh tearing.
Three floors below, a dirty yellow-skinned Goblin ate away at the rotted pile of bait. It wore the pelt of foxes and colorful bird feathers like a multicolored cape. I watched it shift and dance over its fatless back.
It could barely pick up the meat. Even as it gagged and threw up portions it fought for life. Forcing down what it could.
I don't remember when the rope ended up in my hands but it did. Same for when the loop at the end snuck around the Goblins round head and tightened over its throat.
I just started pulling.
The Goblin raged. Adrenaline gave the creature new life and strength. Like Yuki said earlier, power had a domino effect. She was wrong then, but in this moment she was never more correct. She was… prophetic.
My muscles fortified, pushing against the fabrics of my gi. My lungs expanded in my chest and my eyes grew wide as I pulled the rope to me.
The children grew loud and animated, confused at my actions. Only quieted by Yuki's violence. Always on the side of violence. As she hammered away at them until they quieted, I pulled.
In time the Goblin's head came out of the hole. Coils upon coils of rope collected behind me. Massive purple veins bulged in its head as I squeezed life out of it.
Yuki unsheathed her sword.
"No!" I managed over the Goblins choked screams. "No fresh blood…."
Begrudgingly, Yuki sheathed her sword.
Effortfully, I snapped the Goblins neck.
It let out a rattling sigh. Bloodshot eyes fixed on me. All too human nose permanently scrunched up in terrified anger.
I could see its tears reflecting the….
I spun around and found the stars of the night sky beginning to peak through the miasma of ash.
"It's beginning…"
"Why'd you do that?" Akio questioned.
"I needed to experience it once before…. I needed to know what it feels like."
"What what feels like?"
"Killing a Monster."