It had been some time since Makima discovered that minds inferior to hers, like those of animals, obeyed the first command she gave. She tested it nearly a year ago, first with a bird that got her cousin into trouble with her mother after she was caught, then with a cat, a dog, and even a cow. They all obeyed, even when she stabbed them—they didn't complain. Her curiosity led her to try mass mind control when she came across a flock of birds. She did the same thing as before, but only a few birds obeyed this time. She concluded that birds' minds were too complex for complete domination.
That's when she opted for something simpler: ants. Their primitive minds would be easy to dominate. She approached a colony, and with just a gesture, all the ants obeyed her command. "Come out," she ordered, and immediately the anthill emptied. This time, there were no failures or resistance. Seeing the results, she crushed the anthill without a shred of remorse.
Now, at just seven years old, Makima was leaving the dojo with a towel around her neck, wiping the sweat after her training with Naoya. Despite her young age, her serene expression showed no signs of exhaustion. In a few minutes, she would have to get ready for her private lessons, but she decided to take a short walk before continuing her routine. While crossing a small bridge on the property, something caught her attention.
Beside her, a curse in the form of a humanoid frog was watching her with vacant, disgusting eyes. With a disinterested gesture and her usual coldness, she murmured a word:
"Die."
The curse, weak and without will, couldn't resist the order. Its hands began tearing at its own flesh, grotesquely skinning itself. The scene would have been unbearable for anyone capable of seeing curses. But to Makima, it was as irrelevant as crushing an insect under her shoe.
"Father needs to improve the seals. Even if they're weak, their presence is revolting," she muttered in disapproval as she continued on her way to her room.
Just as she was about to enter the building, a sound stopped her. Repeated, furious thuds echoed from the yard. Curious, she followed the noise, finding her cousin Maki venting her frustration on a training dummy. Gripping a stick, she struck the poor trunk with such fury that it seemed about to break.
Makima watched the scene calmly, until her cousin's voice startled her.
"Is something wrong?" Makima's question was quiet, almost innocent.
Maki jumped a little at the sound, turning to face her. Still panting, her words came out rough and full of contained rage.
"Nothing that concerns you."
Makima stared into her eyes, her expression neutral, but that intense gaze was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Feeling invaded, Maki averted her eyes and bowed her head.
"What do you want?" Her tone was quieter now, trying to mask her anger.
"Lower your voice. I'm going to study in a few minutes," Makima replied, never losing her calm.
Irritated by her cousin's indifference, Maki bit her lip to keep from saying something bitter. Her body still trembled with fury.
"By the way..." Makima added as she turned away, as if what she was about to say held no importance, "Why do you even bother training? As far as I know, you're useless..."
Those words were the final straw. Maki's face flushed with anger, and she exploded.
"Shut up!" she yelled, her voice filled with a rage she had been holding back for far too long. "You have no idea what it's like to be me! You, who has all the power in your hands since birth, can't understand what it's like to be trapped in a useless body, constantly looked down upon by everyone!"
Maki stepped forward, the stick in her hand shaking from the force with which she gripped it.
"You don't have to work for anything! Everything falls into your lap! But I... I have to fight for everything! For every little achievement! And even when I do, I'm still nothing to everyone else. I'm not a useless piece of trash, Makima!"
Her words came out with so much rage she could barely control her breathing.
"I'm not useless!" she concluded with a shout, her eyes filled with a mixture of fury and pain.
Makima observed her for a few more seconds, impassive, as though her cousin's outburst hadn't affected her in the slightest. Then, with a small sigh, she turned and began to walk toward the building, leaving behind a trembling Maki, still burning with anger.
Maki panted, each strike she delivered to the training dummy echoing with her frustration. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but she couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop. She struck again and again, trying to smother the whirlwind of rage she felt inside. Every time the stick hit, she felt a momentary relief, but the anger would swell again, stronger, more suffocating.
She could still hear Naoya's words in her mind. The way he had called her "useless" during training that morning. The laughter of the other clan members echoed in her ears. The rage built up, forming a knot in her throat, choking her. And she could only release it with those strikes.
But then, a voice interrupted her. Calm, serene. As if nothing in the world could affect it.
"Is something wrong?"
Maki flinched slightly and quickly turned. Her cousin, Makima, watched her with that cold, distant gaze. Still panting, Maki felt the urge to hide her vulnerability.
"Nothing that concerns you," she responded brusquely. She wanted her to leave, to leave her alone. She didn't need Makima to see her like this. Appearing weak in front of her was like admitting defeat.
Makima didn't look away. The intensity of her eyes was enough to make Maki feel small, insignificant. It was as if she was reading every thought, every insecurity Maki held inside. Maki turned away, unable to maintain eye contact. She felt her cheeks burn, not just from exertion, but from shame.
"What do you want?" she finally asked, trying to regain some control. But her voice sounded hollow, as if she had already lost the battle.
"Lower your voice. I'll be studying in a few minutes," Makima replied, emotionless.
Maki gritted her teeth. It was always like this. Always so perfect, so serene, so... untouchable. The fury inside her grew even more. How was it possible that Makima had everything so easily while she had to fight for every single second of respect?
That's why Makima's next words, though spoken with the same coldness, shattered her inside.
"By the way... why do you even bother training? As far as I know, you're useless..."
And then, everything broke. The control Maki had tried to maintain vanished.
"Shut up!" she yelled, without thinking, her voice trembling with fury. She couldn't stop now. "You have no idea what it's like to be me! You, who has all the power in your hands since birth, can't understand what it's like to be trapped in a useless body, constantly looked down upon by everyone!"
The words poured out of her mouth without filter, loaded with years of resentment and pain. Every time she spoke, it was like a dam breaking, releasing all the frustration she had accumulated. She took a step forward, the stick trembling in her hand, wishing with all her heart that her cousin, just this once, would understand her.
"You don't have to work for anything! Everything falls into your lap! But I... I have to fight for everything! For every little achievement! And even when I do, I'm still nothing to everyone else. I'm not a useless piece of trash, Makima!"
She didn't know how long she had been yelling, but her chest burned, her throat ached, and the tears she had been holding back threatened to escape. She was breathing heavily, trying to keep her emotions in check, but she was on the verge of breaking down.
"I'm not useless!" she screamed one last time, with all the strength she had left.
The silence that followed was worse than the shouting. Makima watched her silently, with that unchanging expression that drove Maki mad. There was no response, not a single word. Just the same indifference she always showed. And then, without saying anything, Makima turned and walked away, as if Maki's screams had been nothing more than a faint murmur in the distance.
Maki remained alone in the yard, her breath still labored, her hands trembling with pure rage. She felt like she was going to explode, but there was nothing left to hit. She could only stand there, empty, consumed by that mixture of anger and humiliation. And the worst part was that, even though she had shouted with all her might, she still felt useless. Makima's words had left her with an open wound, one that would take a long time to heal.
She collapsed to her knees on the ground, the stick rolling beside her, as the tears she had tried to hold back for so long finally began to fall. But even as she cried, there was only one thing on her mind.
One day... one day, I'll prove you wrong.