People made way for Chisuke as he walked through the street. Fear gripped the hearts of all who laid eyes on his mask. The dreadful oni mask completely stole the attention, preventing them from noticing stranger things such as his hair and swords.
Chisuke was hungry. In fact he was more than just hungry, he was absolutely starving. The last time he had eaten had been several days ago. His inhuman physique allowed him to go on for several days without food. He was simply built differently making him capable of enduring nature's punishment, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it
I know it was around here somewhere.
"you bastard!"
Chisuke turned around to meet the source of the diminutive voice. Behind him was an unruly girl with auburn red hair of short stature. Her eyes held a burning passion, a forbidden desire. The young girl craved bloodshed. In her hand was a cooking knife.
Chisuke stood frozen, simply finding Sumire's eyes irresistible. He wondered why the eyes of such a young girl held so much bloodlust.
He turned around, taking a brief look at his surroundings. There was no one around him.
Chisuke pointed to his chest.
"Who? Me?"
He tapped his feet on the ground and awkwardly scratched his hair.
"This is... How do I say this..."
Chisuke felt anxious.
"Sorry, but... Who are you again?"
Sumire grit her teeth at his words, she could practically feel her blood boil.
"I won't forgive you."
In the girl's eyes, not only had Chisuke murdered her sister, he was also making a mockery of her death.
"I'll kill you."
Chisuke turned around and took a step forward. He didn't have the energy to deal with vengeful children so he was simply going to walk away. Apparently, some would call it being the bigger person, magnanimity even. But Chisuke was simply a coward, a hungry one.
"Sure, whatever."
Chisuke turned his back in Sumire and walked away. The masked swordsman might have perceived his action in a different light, but the girl saw them as nothing but mockery.
Sumire felt insulted , so much so that she abandoned rationality and lunged at Chisuke with her knife in hand.
Chisuke watched as Sumire drew closer, her knife made its way straight for his guts.
He wondered if he should dodge. Dodging sounded like a pain, he didn't want to. He couldn't be bothered, but then again he thought about the downside to taking a knife to his gut. There was pain, but that wasn't really important, he would always regenerate. What really bothered Chisuke was the thought of having a hole in his kimono. There was also blood, Chisuke disliked the thought already.
I guess I'll stop it.
By the time Chisuke was done considering his options, the blade was already upon him. Just before his stomach was impaled by the knife, Chisuke grabbed it with his bare hands.
Bright crimson spilled from Chisuke's grasp as he held the knife tightly. Left with too little time, he had simply opted to sacrifice his hand in place of his guts.
With Sumire's knife caught in his left hand, Chisuke lifted his right and landed a chop on the girl's neck.
The view of Sumire's eyes rolling inward was somewhat disturbing, but Chisuke paid it no mind. He watched as the girl fell unconscious and strength left her legs.
Sumire slowly leaned backward before she began to completely fall. Even when unconscious her grip on her knife remained solid, it was even string enough to suspend her from falling, albeit in a weird position.
Chisuke watched as the girl held on to her knife even when unconscious. The weight of the girl pulled on the blade making it slice Chisuke's flesh as he held on. More blood flowed out and Chisuke simply saw no need in holding on. He let go and watched the girl fall on the dirt.
The swordsman continued on his journey in search of something peculiar, making his way through the twists and turns of the town. His hand quickly healed without a trace leaving only the blood on it, and before long he found what he was searching for.
Chisuke stood in front of a familiar ramen shop, the smell if noodle was strong even from where he stood. At long last.
Stepping inside, Chisuke found the restaurant exactly how he had left it. Half eaten bowls of noodles littered the empty tables with a few scattered on the floor. The only noticable change were the people that now stood around the doctor's inhuman body watching it disintegrate to ash. The process was rapid, progressing from the surface of his wounds inward.
"Who would have thought the good doctor was a monster."
"I hear he might be the one responsible for the recent disappearances."
The townsfolk had a lot to say about the sight of the demon, however they simply choose to shut up when the saw Chisuke, not that he paid it any mind. He simply took a seat somewhere far from the growing crowd, preferring not to bother anyone with his presence.
The middle aged man who ran the shop approached Chisuke with visible unease. He rubbed his hands nervously and lowered his head as he look at Chisuke.
"How can I help you sir?"
Chisuke took off his mask, revealing his ghostly pale face. His turned to the man, however his eyes were closed. It was the most convenient option for both of them.
"Don't worry. I won't cause any trouble."
The shop owner was immediately relieved by Chisuke's words. He raised his head and adjusted his posture.
"I see. I take it you're here for some ramen?"
"Yeah. The best you got."
Chisuke tapped his feet as he waited for his lunch. His day had been nothing shirt if eventful, too eventful. He just wasn't in the market for such excitement.
Soon the restaurant exploded into a sea of cheers with people gathered around Chisuke's table. Opposite the swordsman sat a living barrel. Two word failed to describe the appearance of the man, but simply put the shape of his body was full and rounded, much like a barrel.
Several bowls stood between Chisuke and the barrel, they were all empty with the exception of the ones they were currently eating.
The barrel of a man suppressed the urge to throw up as he continued to fill his belly. He was having an eating contest with Chisuke and simply didn't understand how he was losing. The man had enough room to down more than a few bowls of ramen, the same could not be said for Chisuke, but the swordsman simply chowed down.
He just had to be cheating. The man wondered where all the food Chisuke ate went. He had already gone way past his limit and now he was about to pay the price. The man stopped eating and placed his chopsticks on the table, and then he fell with his face in the bowl.
"Well then, I guess the bill's on him."
Chisuke still continued eating, he was nowhere near finished. His hunger was not something that could easily be satisfied by a few bowls of ramen.
The crowd also began to slowly dissipate, they quickly grew tired of watching Chisuke consumed bowl after bowl with no end in sight. It would probably be best if he stopped, he could still continue to eat indefinitely, but there was a limit to how much the people would accept that. There was a limit to how much humans could eat, anymore than that was strange.
One more bowl.