Chapter 14: Dawn of a New AgeChapter Text
Staring at the bow part of me wants to destroy it, just as a final insult to the Elder, as a way of saying I wouldn't even touch something useful if it came from him. Yet I can't bear to hold the thought in my mind, the bow is calling out to me on such a deep level, the construct yearning to be put to use by my hand. This was made for me down to its very essence, in a way similar if different from the bone sword of my Ancestor. When I pick up the bone sword I can feel the residual hatred from the bodies of all the deceased Oni that were made into it, intermingled with the hatred Ibaraki Douji wove inside from himself. This bow resonates with my soul and when I touch it I feel comfort. Not inner peace or anything so absurd but it feels like the perfect receptacle for my power in a way that I don't get from the sword.
I play with the bow, idly plucking away at the string while thinking about the future. Now that the Elder isn't here I can leave this place. I can just grab my mother and sister, pull down the barrier, and never look back. It's not like I owe anyone here anything, so what if I killed their leader? He was a really shitty leader anyway. I've grown strong and the rest of the villagers are weak, not worth my time. Yet, I remember when I was weak. How much could I have accomplished if I had guidance? It's not as though I need to give them all my secrets, just enough for them to survive. They're my people and even if that means nothing to me, they're my mother's people, my sister's people. Plus the Elder spent so long trying to keep them weak, why wouldn't I destroy what he built and make it my own? Yes, spite is the best motivation for this after all.
Sliding my new weapon over my shoulder, I grab the sole remaining piece of the Elder, his skull. Pulling it up by a horn, I begin walking back to the town center. Focused as I was on torturing the Elder, I was peripherally aware of the crowd my little demonstration had gathered. The villagers came and went fairly frequently but even Oni can grow bored of watching someone be tortured, preferring actual combat over sadism, generally. Some, of course, had been around to see the end and I could sense them nervously following behind me. As I smirked internally, I made sure to leak low amounts of killing intent outward to cement the image I presented. My sword cuts a trench into the ground as I dragged it behind me and flames licked over my form. I wanted to quash any ideas of rebellion immediately, not keen on dealing with anyone trying to undermine my new rule.
By the time I reached the center of the village word had gotten out of my approach and the Oni, eager to know what was happening, had gathered awaiting my presence. The expressions they wore varied; surprise that the rumors were true, hope from those who had long been oppressed, suspicion to my intentions, excitement at a change in this unchanging village, and bloodlust from those who hungered to fight me for the right to lead. The last was my favorite since it meant I could cull the herd more. I light a small, intense flame inside the skull and toss it into the center of the crowd where it cracks and burns. "That was your Elder, as most of you know he died by my hand, in agony. By my lineage and my strength, I claim this village mine. Do any of you wish to contest this claim?"
"Yeah, I d-" A weakling tries to speak up but I put the crowd on their knees with the full force of my killing intent. Some manage to stay standing, being the strongest, and others pass out completely. My mother and sister remain unaffected, Shuten laughing gleefully at the downed forms of her kin. My mother frowns and I sigh before allowing the villagers to stand back up.
"If any of you still wish to contest me I'll be happy to remove your head, otherwise I'll continue. No takers, really? Spineless and weak, all of you." They collectively grit their teeth in anger at my dismissal, I can feel the loathing causing their Ki to thrash around wildly. I continue in a mild tone, almost pondering as I search the crowd with my gaze. "You don't have to stay weak though, frailty has never been the hallmark of our people. We are Oni, we are strong! The Elder held you back from your potential! He used you to make himself feel strong. He was a coward. Submit to me, to the tenets I set for you, and I will make you powerful. I will give you the ability to roam this world unfettered, breaking any barriers in your path."
Holding my arm in the air, I pull my grudge flames into existence and force them into a shape burned into my mind. I draw them into a sphere and push them higher until they hang above the crowd up in the sky, waves of heat buffeting them as the black sun devours the sky. "Power like this could be yours. What say you?"
Some of the villagers prostrate themselves, others kneel, but a group stands firm uncowed by the show of power. A tall, muscular Oni pushes his way to the front of the dissenters. "What rules would you force on us? You say we would be free but are we not bound by the chains you hang around us?" The smile I give them is cruel and angry, rippling with teeth.
"Simple. No more rape, don't attempt to kill someone unless they can put up a good fight or they started it, and don't attack my mother or sister. Other than that don't cause people to seek to destroy us. Easy right?" This time when an idiot speaks up thinking they have a choice I let them. An example needs to be made.
"Huh, what kind of soft crap are you spouting out? If something I want to fuck is too weak to stop me it's their own fault." The woman who said this sneers at me and that's the last expression she ever makes. Faster than she can react my bow is unslung from my shoulders and moved into my hands. The string is drawn back and a bolt of pitch-black flame forms on it, cutting through the air as the string snaps taught. The arrow crosses the distance in a blink and her head vanishes from existence, her body collapsing bonelessly.
"So like I said four simple rules. Other than that, pursue strength at every opportunity, fear dying weak rather than dying, claw, scrape, bite for whatever scrap of power you can. Show this world the wrath of the Oni!" After that, I can see a fire has been lit inside them. The embers that had been smothered under the rule of my grandfather sparking into a roaring inferno. They still aren't as excited for the change in management as I hoped though.
"Wait, you just said not to kill anyone too weak... wasn't she too weak for you to kill?" A woman pipes up from the crowd and I blush in embarrassment.
"Well, she started it by questioning the rules... What I mean is to use some common sense. I don't care if you kill the occasional weakling that gets in your way, that's kind of inevitable; just don't go slaughtering everything because you're bored. If you're bored then go train until you can fight something fun." I nod to myself thinking I got my point across pretty well. It's not like I don't understand wanting to just rampage every once in a while.
What do Oni like to do to celebrate? My Ancestor, amused at my dilemma, manifests with a smug look on his face, 'Oni like three things brat, fucking, fighting, and feasting. I suggest you go get some meat and sake if you want them to be excited.' Even though I want to disagree, since he came up with it, I can't deny the merit of the suggestion. Well, one further display of prowess can't hurt their opinions of me.
Having decided my course of action I spread out my Ki sense outward then tighten my focus to the forested areas; seeking out the largest sources of Ki, the predatory animals. Hundreds of signatures stand out like beacons to my senses and I mentally tag a dozen animals that would serve my purpose best.
Slowing my breathing and drawing my bow I calculate the trajectories necessary, knowing without a doubt that I will not miss. Purified Ki forms a glowing white arrow on the crimson string and for a moment the world fades away, leaving only my arrow and its target. In a blink, the arrow is launched and another takes its place before streaking toward a new target. A dozen shots are fired in only a couple of seconds all flying unerringly to their targets. A lazy smile appears on my face as the lives of the animals disappear one by one.
The death of the Elder had come as a shock to the village, not that anyone was particularly upset. Akio would have never thought such a thing was possible, he had been insurmountable, an existence far beyond what others could match. The Elder's own son who had prodigious strength had died in a hunting accident, the King of Beasts slaughtering him tragically, but even he was far from the Elder's strength. Then came Ibaraki-sama, the Elder's granddaughter.
Asuga, Akio had known was weak, thus he and the rest of the village thought nothing of her child. Weakness breeds weakness and even the strength of the Elder's bloodline would not be able to wash away such frailty, such was the truth of the world. Yet that was not what happened. The child had fought like a demon, a true Oni, even from her first trial. The little ancestor had even named herself, showing genius far beyond the norm at such a young age. The Elder had taken the training of their little ancestor personally, something that was unheard of, and as such the villagers saw little of her.
Akio was a hunter, however, and had stumbled upon her training in the forest. He had been awed at the strength contained in her small body, surely the result of the Elder's personal attention. Ibaraki's form as she pounced through the forest had reminded him of the fierce tigers that lie deep in the forest. Upon seeing her prowess he had a flashback to the first time he faced one of the tigers down and he subconsciously rubbed his hand along his stomach where the tiger had almost killed him. When her small hands had ripped through a tree the image vanished, as he knew that the child was much more terrifying.
When she went for the Trial of Weapons the entire village waited with bated breath for her to emerge from the forest. She had picked the Odachi, a powerful weapon but one that requires great skill to master, a sign of things to come. When the Elder had sent ten of their strongest warriors in to test her they thought him insane, waiting for the inevitable death of their little ancestor. When she was the only one that walked out alive, the King of Beasts himself following her like a pet, she had shocked them all once again.
The village had a new hero to gossip about and Akio contributed his own knowledge of her abilities, reveling in the looks of envy he received. He had stepped up his training after seeing hers, hoping some of her greatness would rub off on him. Decades of stagnation were broken with the new inspiration and he slowly broke his old limits.
The Trial of Paths was the first hint the villagers had that the relationship between the Elder and the little ancestor was not amiable. The Elder came back fuming in rage and killed a few villagers who didn't move fast enough from his path, but that was a secondary concern when Akio spotted the blood dripping from the Elders thigh. The two pillars of strength had come to blows and the Elder had bled, he was no longer invincible. Akio ran to the forest expecting to find the corpse of Ibaraki-sama but instead found her walking to her home, seemingly uninjured.
When the Elder disappeared and they heard he was training the rumors erupted. The villagers couldn't envision a world in which this untouchable existence had been so thoroughly humbled he had to train for the first time in the memory of their people. How strong was Ibaraki-sama? When he returned Akio had bet a jug of sake that they would come to blows and that their little ancestor would win. Instead, they ignored each other, and tension slipped over the village.
When Ibaraki-sama reached maturity and was sent for her final trial they eagerly waited for her return yet as time went by they gave up hope. She had been gone for two years, they had thought she had died, gone just like her father. In the meantime, Ibaraki's mother had another child, and they expected another prodigy. This child lacked the ferocity of her sister, lacked her wrathful demeanor. She instead was lazy, gluttonous, sadistic but so strong. Where her older sister trained like a maniac, she played around the village, only training when the Elder forced her. From birth though she was superior to most villagers and the gap only grew. Yes, this new child would be strong but she lacked the same appeal as Ibaraki had.
Then the world was once more turned on its head. Ibaraki returned and showed it by burning down the Elder's home. The Elder was apoplectic with rage vowing to destroy the perpetrator, they would die a thousand deaths at his hand he had said. The foreboding from before had returned and they all eagerly watched, waiting for a spectacle. A spectacle they received.
If seeing him cut had meant he was no longer untouchable, what followed was like showing he was a human dressed in the garb of an Oni. Their venerable Elder was slapped around by the returned Ibaraki with no effort. She forced him to flee, a move that was worse than death to their sensibilities. She tore him apart for days, using his very bones as stakes to pin him down. His image was shattered in front of their very eyes.
What they hadn't expected was for her to claim ownership of the village. Akio supposed it made sense, she was the eldest of the Elder's line, but she hadn't even interacted with the people of the village. Why would she even desire to rule? That all became clear when she laid out her rules. Yes, her mother and sister, the only things she had ever shown any care for in this world besides fighting. Akio resigned himself to another tyrant grinding away at their spirits for their own benefit.
Then she threw a feast. She hunted down a dozen animals in an instant; tigers, bears, and boar all brought low with a single arrow. And didn't that crush his pride as a hunter, she used a bow of all things to do it! The effectiveness, however, was without question. Then she brought out enough sake for everyone. Premium blood sake! The stuff the Elder guarded zealously for himself! Already, she had surpassed their expectations by miles. Truly, Akio could have died happily at that moment, drunk off blood and alcohol in equal measure. Even her brat sister was decent to be around if they were all drunk.
What really threw them for a loop was when, the next day, she rounded them up to train. They were roused from their sleep by a sadistically smiling Shuten-sama, who told them they were going to be trained by her sister and how it was an honor.
"If I see any of you slacking off, I will make you know pain." The little demon glared sternly at them all before her eyes lit up with glee they knew meant trouble. "Refer to her as Anego too!"
Akio flinched at the idea of calling Ibaraki-sama something so informal and made to voice his objection when someone beat him to it. He found himself thankful a second later.
"Why the hell would we ever do that, huh?!" Shuten-sama growled and stalked over to the man who Akio recognized as Tatsuo. The little demon's hand was wreathed in a black and reddish-brown miasma and she swiped through his leg, pulling a bone out of it. Surprised he fell over and she pounced on him, hand glowing again, only this time she tore out his spine. His body went slack and he started to scream.
They all winced and backed up knowing his fate was left in her hands now, her sister would kill them if they harmed her. She casually dragged the spine behind her as she walked around to his face. "This is why you should call her big sis. All because I said so! Now open up mister, you still haven't been punished enough for not listening to me." They watch as she forces his mouth open and from her other hand a sickly green fluid drips into his mouth.
His skin goes pale and his head rocks back and forth mouth foaming. As this happens protrusions swell all along his body, popping as writhing, noxious gas flowing outward. They all step back as his body starts to melt leaving only a skeleton in the carnage's wake. "Well? Come on them, Onee-sama is waiting!"
Yesterday after everyone passed out I cleared out a large area for sparring. Today I'll be testing the villagers and seeing if they're worth putting effort into. I sent my adorable little sister to go get them but it seems she's having trouble convincing them to follow her since they're taking longer than I thought. I'm getting a bit worried that I'm going to develop into a sis-con but I can't help it! My sister is so cute! I haven't had much free time to spend with her and she hadn't stopped being shy when we were alone yet. While that side of her is cute, I'd like it if she was less reserved around me.
When they arrive they look frightened which is good since I'll be working them hard, I'm not sure why they do though, I haven't done anything yet. I give them a moment to settle down before addressing them. "Today, you show me your worth. The more you impress me, the more I teach you. Unlike my predecessor, I'll be showing you all the basics, and giving you the information you need to grow strong on your own. Eventually, you will grow beyond this village and venture out into the world. Because of that, you need to be strong enough not to shame me. That is why I've decided to educate you."
Assessing the crowd I find someone who looks alert, excited even, and from the way their Ki pulses energetically in their body they actually train. I point at him and call him out, "You there! You will be the first to receive my instruction."
The man looks around him questioningly before the realization that I'm talking to him washes over him. He runs up to me at a decent speed and bows. "What's your name?"
"It's Akio, Big Sis!" I do my best not to let the sheer surprise show on my face at the form of address but from the sound of my sister's laughter, I know I failed. Gritting my teeth, I decide to ignore the remark and carry on.
"I want you to come at me with everything you have. I'll stop you with a single finger. If you can hit me once I'll teach you everything I know, got it?" Akio nods furiously and his eyes light up with the flames of determination. His muscles tense and he launches at me with a ferocity that would be laudable if it wasn't so damn slow to my eyes. He attacks with everything he has, fists, palm strikes, kicks, claws, all coming from different angles; but a single finger brushes aside every attack. When he hits his maximum speed and strength, faint wisps of white waft off his form, and I almost smile at the beginnings of Touki formation. It goes on like this till he's panting from the effort and I flick him, knocking him over.
He groans sprawled out on the ground, all his energy spent. The crowd was wary initially, then over time decided I knew something worth waiting for. Akio struggles to get up so I reach over and help him to his feet. "This man, Akio, is not the trash of the village if that's what you all are thinking right now. Honestly, he's probably the fourth-strongest at the moment, my sister being third and my mother being second." Everyone stares at my mother in naked confusion and I scoff. "The reason for that is because too much has been kept from you. Your birthright has been kept to you. Ki has been kept from you."
I hold my palm upward and manifest a glowing orb of Ki, the crowd oohing and ahhing at the sight. "This is the difference between the strong and weak, this is what I will teach you. Are you prepared to sweat and bleed for this power?"
From the roars of excitement, I think they are.