Hiro



Prologue




In the beginning, there was emptiness. There were also the planets we now call our own. For many years there were no signs of life. and then, a life form appeared in the grand cosmos. This person was called The Great Holy One. I shall not attempt to describe The Great Holy One, for it is not my place to do so. All that can be said that this person had been born knowing what a name was and meant. And The Great Holy One knew that more forms of life must come into existence.
It took out its right eye and gave it life, creating the being Unmei, a squat person whose head comprised solely of the eye used for its creation.
“Unmei,” The Great Holy One told it, “you shall forever be the recorder of history.”
The Great Holy One then approached the planet you and I call Earth. It used its power and pulled up a great continent that was then called Pangaea. Pangaea needed life upon it, and so The Great Holy One created animals from those that walk upon the land and swim in the ocean and fly in the sky and all many of creatures that creep within the grass. But after a month The Great Holy One felt that this was not enough. It then created four beings it called “man and woman”, the first human beings. The Great Holy One told the humans that they were to be fruitful and multiply and fill the world with their children and live in peace with the animals.
This they did for many, many years.
It was a millennia after the planet had been nicely populated that The Great Holy One received a visitor in the form of the demon Warumaru. This fiend had been born out of the merger of many demons that desired power. He wore a long blue coat with a tattered blue hakama underneath above his black dog-like feet which were surrounded by the bones of his ankles and shins that protruded through the skin. Grand, feathered membranous wings protruded from his back, each wingtip ending in a hooked white claw. A lengthy blue reptilian tail swished in the blackness of space. He had handsome black hair that rested upon his shoulders, and the horns of a bull and two smaller red horns protruded through this hair, a third small horn growing from his forehead. Warumaru wore hardened lava on his wrists, and his face had green tribal tattoos. The demon had red hooded eyes.
“Behold me and my frightful visage,” Warumaru said to The Great Holy One. “Creator of humanity, I desire words with you. What do you mean by placing man and woman upon the earth? For many centuries, demons such as they who came together and became one to give me life were the only forms of life within the depths of this planet. When the great continent came above the water and animals walked the land, we had prey so that we might multiply. But now these humans have come and keep us from the animals they claim as their own.”
“I fail to see what you have come to speak to me about,” said The Great Holy One.
“What I am saying is this,” Warumaru said simply. “Demons such as I were here long before these other creatures. Long before you chose to put life into this world. We are as old as the universe itself, as are you. It is our divine right to be the dominant species of the planet called Earth, not the humans, which drive us back and away from that which we desire.”
“Be silent,” The Great Holy One commanded. “I will not have such words in my present. I can feel what is in your heart, and you have naught in your mind but wickedness and evil in your heart. Be gone and leave the humans in peace.”
Warumaru did not leave. He hung in space before The Great Holy One for an hour more. “Hear me,” the demon spoke at last. “I need not your say to do what I wish. My children the Jigoku and other demons shall lay siege to your world. They shall kill and devour all in their path. We shall never cease our war against mankind until the world is ours’ once more.” And then he was gone before The Great Holy One could prevent his escape.
Now The Great Holy One was fearful for his children. It daren’t to strike down the demon and his armies, for his power was so great, a single blow would undo all of that hard work, and the demons would have what they desired anyway.
As The Great Holy One sought for a solution, Warumaru and his children the Jigoku and the other demons of Akuma no Su swept upon the plain. The Jigoku were hideous demons, covered in scaly green skin with reptilian red eyes and sported bird-like and cat-like feet and wings like their father. Some also had beaks and were covered in dirty green hair and feathers. These horrors swarmed over Pangaea day and night and terrorized any and all human life they could find. While many mortal men were strong enough to slay the demons by day, more would arrive at night to seek revenge by damaging the houses of the men who struck down their brethren and taking their women and children as slaves and prisoners. For months and a year these monsters went undefeated in their quest to conquer the world.
Finally The Great Holy One knew how to fight back against Warumaru and his children. It visited various people and animals and bestowed upon them celestial powers and told them that they must combat the cruel Jigoku, declaring them to be the Zodiakku Gods.
The first to battle the Jigoku was the lion Rai-On. He had tan skin and a mass of golden hair braided into dreadlocks. The lion god wore a red royal yukata, long white socks, and elegant sandals. When the Jigoku came for him, be dived upon the monsters and tore many apart, sending those he did not slay to flee for their lives, but he pursued and struck them all dead before traveling to where they had kept their prisoners and freed the helpless humans.
Second was Kasei the ram. He was tall and fair-skinned, wearing a crimson and gold tatsu war shirt underneath his red haori. The bearded man wore his black hair proudly in an elegant topknot and wore otami greaves on his legs and feet. After killing the Jigoku that attempted to conquer his region of Pangaea, he ran across the land, destroying all demons who dared to challenge his power. None was his equal. Any demon who stood in his way was quickly struck down never to rise again.
Third was Abazure. She was a gorgeous woman with orange-brown hair shaped into a small mane around her face. Her face was striped like a tiger and she wore a short honey-orange kimono with an orange hakama and white socks and wooden sandals. Abazure feared no demon. When she combated them, her fingernails became long and sharp claws which she used to slash them in half. And when that did not work, she became an elephant sized tigress and crushed them beneath her paws or devoured them where they were.
Ritti the monkey set traps for the demons that always proved fatal to the Jigoku. Then he would laugh upon the defeat of his foes.
At last, the demons ran to their leader and told him of the beings who had struck down many of their numbers and freed their prisoners.
This angered Warumaru. How dare these people stand in his way for what was rightfully his. He appeared before Rai-On and Kasei on a barren landscape. “You have committed a great sin against me,” the demon told the two gods. “I shan’t allow you to stand in my way to conquer this world and make demons the supreme race as we once were.”
“And we shan’t allow you to continue in your evil acts against mankind,” Rai-On returned to Warumaru.
“You shall fall to us just as your children have,” Kasei told the demon.
And the battle of two against one began! The two gods surged and slammed into Warumaru who slid backwards as he held both his arms up to hold his foes back. Then he struck at them with his powerful tail. He missed and Rai-On sank his teeth into the scaly tail, causing the demon to howl in agony and swing him off.
Kasei drew his sword in an attempt to run Warumaru through, but the demon held up one of his wrists to block the blow. The two looked at one another, and a sinister understanding was shared between them. They then broke apart and flew at each other. Kasie’s sword clanged loudly as it clashed against Warumaru’s wrists, and the bearded god had to keep out of range of the monster’s tail.
“You and I are very much alike,” Warumaru told Kasei, to which Kasei said nothing. “You refuse to speak to me?” the demon questioned. “How very inconsiderate. A true warrior always shows his foes some amount of respect. I have done so by speaking to you, yet you deny me the same courtesy.”
Rai-On stood up after nursing where Warumaru had struck him. “Be careful, Kasei!” He ran and lunged at Warumaru from behind.
The demon whirled and locked hands with the lion god, lashing out behind him at Kasei with his tail, but cringed in pain when Kasei severed his tail with a stroke of his sword. Warumaru dug his heels into the earth, not willing to be pushed backwards. He wore no shirt or armor, but his torso was covered in deep-red scales that were harder than any armor than man can ever hope to make or even conceive. He had never had to fight before, but knew he was powerful. He also could sense that these two were an equal match not just for himself but for each other. Warumaru screamed as he felt Kasei’s sword began to prick his back and felt blood trickle down his backbone. Obviously the sword Kasei carried was not one made of man, and he had hoped to slay Warumaru from behind while Rai-On kept him occupied. He flew upward, shedding his coat.
“You are not a match for us, fiend,” Rai-On called up Warumaru. “Many of your children and soldiers have fallen to my fists and claws and flames.”
“My flames, as well,” Kasei added. “As well as my blade, which you can see can even pierce your rough skin.”
Warumaru was not willing to admit defeat. He tore the bones from his ankles and shins and flung them downward, turning them into twenty spears onto which he would impale his foes.
Rai-On breathed a wave of powerful flames, melting the bone spears that fell down.
Kasei evaded seven of the spears before slashing the rest in half.
Fuming, Warumaru belched out whitish-blue flames. The inferno flew down towards the two gods. The flames engulfed them both, and Warumaru felt he had destroyed his enemies.
How wrong he was.
Rai-On and Kasei opened their mouths and swallowed the flames as if they were sucking in nothing more than air.
These two make sport of me, Warumaru raged within his skull. Not such a thing has ever occurred before. And it will not happen a second time.
The demon surged down towards the two gods, but realized that they were now flying up to meet him.
Roaring like the king of beasts he was and fist raised, Rai-On punched Warumaru with all his might. He blow was so intense, that he punched a clear hole straight through Warumaru, his fist protruding from his back. .
Rai-On then removed his fist as Kasei swung his sword, slashing Warumaru in half at the left shoulder.
Warumaru felt his power streaming out of his mutilated and weakened form. His children had been killed or beaten off. He had challenged these agents of The Great Holy One, and he had lost. Warumaru’s body was now in pieces and what remained of him was splashed with his orange blood. But still, he laughed. He laughed as he held himself weakly up with his two hands in the crater in which he had fallen and as Kasei and Rai-On stood on the rim of the hole looking down at him.
“Why do you laugh, beast?” Kasei questioned. “Have your senses abandoned you after being struck down? Or do you still believe you can emerge victor?”
Warumaru shook his head. “You have defeated me. Deny that, I do not. But even though I lay in pieces before you, I am still very much among the living. I shall live to rise again in a new war. And by that time, I shall not face opposition from either of you. I leave you both now to your own devices.” And in so saying this, Warumaru faded from side, vanishing right before the eyes of those who had vanquished him.
With his defeat, the remaining Jigoku and demons in Warumaru’s army fled back to Akuma no Su, fearing for their very lives of these strange people who had managed to slay so many of their kin as they had slain mortals. Within the deepest and darkest depths of Akuma no Su, Warumaru sat wrapped in bandages from head to toe with his children and soldiers gathered ‘round him in the ledges of the cavern. They would wait for their lord’s injuries to heal before the next crusade.
Years passed after this event. Humanity flourished. The lands recovered remarkably after the ages of darkness brought on by the demonic plague. But the battle had greatly damaged Pangaea: Several fragments had broken off during the war, creating a few islands and an archipelago. Still, these were not developments that people could not learn to adapt to.
To ease these new developments, The Great Holy One chose to add to the Zodiakku Gods and sent out word to all who sought to become fellows of those who had vanquished the Jigoku to meet under the umbrella tree on the highest mountain in Pangaea. All who gathered became gods and gained entrance to Hotoke no Okoku, the realm and kingdom in which the Zodiakku Gods now dwell. Each of these gods were given a region of Pangaea to oversee and be worshiped by the mortals who lived there. Though they were said not to interfere in the affairs of mortals unless beseeched by them, though they could conduct their own ventures in the mortal plain. It was voted by them all that their leader, their king, would be Rai-On, the most noble, brave and powerful of them all.
Upon the new state of the world, The Great Holy One ascended into the cosmos so that it may watch the entire world from afar.
Two years later, Kasei came to Rai-On as he sat upon his thrown.
“My brother,” said Kasei, “a notion has been going through my head for years since the beginning of the war between ourselves and the Jigoku. I felt I must come to you with my thoughts.”
“Then say what you feel, my brother,” Rai-On encouraged him.
With a stone face, this is what Kasei said. “Why must we allow the mortals to rule the world as the dominant species? Were we not here before them? If any living persons have the right to make Earth their kingdom, it is we. Terra, our brother, sits in the middle of the planet and keeps it in balance as he helps it to circle the sun and stars without getting too close. He has control of the state of the world, and we saved it from domination of the vile demons. Yet we came here to this separate zone of the universe and handed over the field of reality that was once ours’ before our transformation into divine beings to the humans who once hunted and owned us as property. I look upon how humans act and am appalled to see how foolish and clumsy these humans behave. We should live amongst them once more and tell them how they should live their lives.”
“Most certainly not,” refused Rai-On. “The Great Holy One stated that we are to guide and give aid to humanity when we are beseeched and never to usurp others or abuse our powers. We are symbols of mortals should aspire to. We must not entertain thoughts of ruling over them.”
These words angered Kasei. “How can you say such things? You, who sits upon a throne and rules as king over other Zodiakku Gods!? I shall not be live by the words of hypocrisy. Have you forgotten who it was who struck down Warumaru!? It was I and my sword who dealt the final blow!”
Rai-On looked unfavorably down upon his brother god. “It was both of us who fought the demon together. A joint effort among equals.”
“Do not!” Kasei screamed as he pointed at Rai-On. “Do not sit there upon your throne, oh king of the Zodiakku Gods, and say that you are equal to me! You were the first of us to become a god, and since then it has gone to your head that you are entitled to say what we do and what we should not do, and all others in our celestial family abide by your word because they believe you are strong. But I say, what if one of us were to challenge your rule?”
Now Rai-On looked upon Kasei as if truly seeing him for the first time. “Am I to understand that you are challenging me?”
“YES!” Kasei fired a surge of flames at Rai-On. First with his right hand and then added use of his left hand.
Rai-On opened his mouth and belched out flames of his own, keeping those of Kasei at bay. Then he jumped up over the inferno at his former comrade.
Kasei took a protective stance with his sword and backed up several steps, avoiding the blows of Rai-On. He then took several swings with his sword against Rai-On.
Back and forth the two went in the dance of battle. Each time they clashed, sparks flew from both their bodies, instantaneous and involuntary releases of their celestial powers. Both gods were determined that the other not walk away victor, but it was obvious that neither were making headway. It could also be seen that one was fighting for what he knew was right, while the other fought for the ideals that would benefit himself alone and bring hardship to many.
Finally Rai-On had had enough. He released a giant gust of wind and blew Kasei back, causing him to strike the wall harshly. The lion god stood over his former brother in arms. “It’s over, Kasei. We both are aware that death is impossible in Hotoke no Okoku, so I am letting you go. Word of our skirmish here shall not be spoken of to others as not to bring shame to either of us. Go and reflect upon your conduct. I hope it will bring you to your senses and see the folly in the words you have spoken to me.”
Kasei was enraged by these words, and slapped away Rai-On’s hand that his king and brother held out to help him back to his feet. He ran from Rai-On’s chambers and went to the Mortal Plain. Hate, anger, bigotry, indifference and vengeance were in his heart and mind. He would not allow himself to be bullied by Rai-On. He would go ahead with his intentions in secret. He would live among mortals, knowing that the Zodiakku Gods would not be able to interfere with him. Down he went to the archipelago and set down in the largest landmass and city in the chain of islands. He named this nation Arisia and declared himself its god and king. No one dared to challenge this, as the wrath of a god was far more terrible than had even been seen in the history of time. Thus Kasei began his terrible work that would go on for generations, and which had caused Kasei to become the first and only god of evil.

Yay, first post!

Oh, this is awesome!, I know who you're talking about and I can imagine everything you're saying in the story. It's very descriptive and I love it, you're a very awesome writer!

Originally Posted by Evergreen Goddess

Yay, first post!

Oh, this is awesome!, I know who you're talking about and I can imagine everything you're saying in the story. It's very descriptive and I love it, you're a very awesome writer!

I must agree with the description part and being an excellent writer. I was thoroughly into it. very detailed. Well warrie may be ugly but at least he has amazing hair. can;t wait to read more

The Birth




Kasamura, which means “Grass Village”, was set in a small valley in the south-eastern corner of Pangaea which was twelve miles from the ocean and close to a thick forest that always supplied good hunting for the men of the village and no creature within was too terrible, so it was quite safe for children to play in. It was a modest village that comprised of small stone huts and its population comprised of exactly forty people. These people did not have a leader, for they were their own people and acted as they wished. But they were also good people and never acted immorally. They were very religious and prayed to all the gods of the world. This made Kasamura very well liked among the gods.
The village was also home to a group of ninjas. Although the village had very little to fear from wild animals, they did become concerned that bad demons and monsters may also lurk in their woods at night and would creep into their homes and steal them away in their sleep. For this reason the village had appointed a group of ninjas to be on guard and scout the forest for any sign of demons that could cause harm and alarm. These men came from a long line of ninja lineage and the skills of the ninja were in their blood. The movements were as second nature to them.
Kiki and Gen were the children of the leader of the village’s ninjas. He and the rest of the ninjas in the village had been called away to Seiiki no Okoku, but had been promised by a priestess that she would protect his home until their return. Now they were looked after by their mother. The siblings often ventured into the forest together to play within sight of the village. They knew better than to go in too deep where they could be stolen away by fiendish hands and carried off to who-knows-where.
Kiki had long yet feathered dark hair and wore a violet short kimono with butterfly patterns and a purple hakama with sandals. She had blue eyes full of joy and softness and many a village woman said that when she grew Kiki would make someone a very good daughter-in-law.
Her brother Gen had slightly tanned skin from always being in the light of the sun, and his black hair had gone light in color. He admired his father greatly and had been taught some of the basics of the ninja before his father had gone away. Gen always wore the garb of a ninja with a gi and headband and carried a small kendo sword, as his father had expressly forbidden him from gaining a true sword until he became fourteen. He was the envy of most other boys in the village, as most of the other sons of the village’s ninjas had grown and gone abroad before this party of the story began.
It was one day when Kiki was playing six feet into the forest and Gen sleeping on the porch of their hut that it happened. She had bent down to pick up a flower when a shadow loomed over her.
The shadow belonged to Kuromanbo, the giant black winged serpent. It had the arms and torso of a man, wings of a raven, and black body and furred head of a snake. The creature focused its pitiless eyes upon the girl as it unwound its eight-foot long body around a tree trunk as it climbed down the tree. When the monstrous beast spoke, it was like a light yet hoarse whisper. “Young one, how fortunate for me that you are here. For I am very hungry.”
Kiki screamed and ran with Kuromanbo behind her. She had been able to escape the trees of the forest, forcing the black serpent to pursue her into the light of the sun, which his species loathe doing.
Gen was awakened by the cries of his sister and saw the monster gaining upon her with its wings outspread and claws held forward to snatch. “Fear not, sister!” Gen cried as he leapt to his feet. “I shall slay that beast!” And without any further thought, Gen sprang from the porch and ran to meet the beast which was hungry enough to eat two children and still not feel satisfied.
Before Gen had even gone more than fight steps further, and arrow of pure light had surged from the west of the village and struck Kuromanbo in the left eye. The monster snake never even had time to cry out before he dropped onto the grass in death.
Over the fearsome beast stood Priestess Mari, one of the two priestesses who had promised to protect the village upon departure of the ninjas. She was a gorgeous woman with raven black hair that flowed down onto the back of her neck and onto her shoulders as sleekly as a river flows and light violet eyes that could still burn with an intensity like that of the sun when confronting a being of darkness. Mari had learned to channel all of her holy energy into the palms of her hands and release it in the form of an arrow, which had led to the demise of many a demon in the past. Some claimed her to be descendant of one of the gods due to her strength.
By her right side stood her younger sister by two minutes Miko. Miko did not completely posses the beauty of her sister, for her hair had a somewhat frayed and dry look to it, but still held some beauty. She also had the same eye color and dressed in the same white kosode and red hakama as her sister did. Miko was content with her modest appearance and seemed not to protest that it was often her sister who was renowned for the abilities she possessed.
Miko walked over to Kiki who had fallen before Kuromanbo had been struck and helped her to her feet. “Are you injured, Kiki?” the kind priestess asked.
Kiki shook her head.
Miko looked to Gen. “Do not rush into a battle, whether you feel you are prepared or not. The only action that comes from no thought behind attack is often misfortune.” Then she looked to her sister who stood over Kuromanbo. “What shall be done with the great snake?”
“Let the boy tell the village elders that the snake has been felled,” Mari returned. “The villagers can make leather from his skin, weapons from his teeth, bones and claws, use his feathers as head decorations, and his meat is quite safe to eat.” Then she looked at Gen. “But before you make use of his body, remember to pray to all the gods for your fortunes that exist now and that are to come.”
When Gen said he would, Mari and Miko turned and traveled to their own hut.
The actions of Mari had not gone unnoticed. For many years Rai-On had been watching over the beautiful priestess. The more he looked upon her and saw the goodness in her soul and love in her heart for her fellow humans, as well as all other good living things, the more he found himself falling in love with her. He could also see how strong she was, and felt that if ever the time should come for mankind in need of a defender, that there would be no better mother.
Ever since meeting Rai-On in the war against the Jigoku, Abazure had fallen in love with her king. For many years she had hoped Rai-On would take her as his bride. Finally she had decided she would no longer sit and wait upon her throne for Rai-On to come and propose to her. She came to his chambers as he held a small sphere in his right hand and looked into it watching Mari. The goddess of feminine strength and powerful big cats cleared her throat after she entered.
Rai-On looked up. “Hello, Abazure. What brings you here?”
Abazure had decided that tiptoeing around the reason for her visit would get her nowhere, and so chose to be direct. “It is well known that no king can go forever without a queen. Even a king of the gods must have a mate. I say it is time that you take a bride.”
“You are right,” Rai-On agreed. “And I have already chosen who shall be honored to be my wife.”
This caused color to spread onto Abazure’s face and her heart to speed up. “My lord, you have chosen well…I am honored to be the first to hear such things and…”
“I am glad to hear such words,” Rai-On interrupted her. “You may tell the others that I am to visit the priestess Mari tonight in her sleep and bless her with child, making her my bride.”
These words caused Abazure’s heart to sink in her chest, but it would not do to show such devastation in front of Rai-On. “Of course.” She bowed and excused herself. That tramp! Abazure mentally raged as soon as she had left Rai-On. A mortal woman to be his bride!? What of his fellow gods? Abazure did not have the same feelings towards mankind as Warumaru and Kasei did, but she was enraged to imagine that a mortal priestess had been chosen for Rai-On’s bride over she.
Abazure traveled to a deep forest in search of Paison, the Snake King. Once she had found the king cobra, she produced a vapor from her hands to put his to sleep and milked the serpent’s venom from his fangs into a flask of gold.
Mari and Miko lived in a four room hut close to the forest. There was a room for cooking, a room for prayer, and two rooms for sleeping.
It was on one day that Mari sat on the porch of the hut in meditation as Miko sat in the room of prayer thanking the gods for the new fortune that had been placed upon them. Mari was very happy, for last night she had been visited by Rai-On in her sleep and had consented to be his bride. Now she held his child within her and so felt honored.
“Hello, sister,” said a voice.
Mari opened her eyes to see another priestess standing before her. She had auburn brown hair tied back in a bun and golden eyes and held a flask in her hands.
“Who are you?” Mari questioned the stranger.
“Can you not see?” the woman returned. “I am a priestess same as you. I am known as Noma, the Traveling Priestess. I travel the land blessing those who are worthy. I felt a strong spiritual pull to this humble domicile, and I can sense that there is something special about you, my dear.”
“Indeed,” said Mari. “For the king of the Zodiakku Gods has blessed me with child last night.”
“A grand honor indeed!” cried Noma. “Please, drink from my Flask of Blessings, that you may have a long life with your child when it is born.” She held the flask forward with both hands.
Mari took it from her and saw that it was full of thick fig juice. She raised it to her lips and drunk deeply. Then she began to cough harshly and pulled back, a hand over her heart. There was a pain unlike anything she had experienced that was racking her body. It was truly awful and felt as though she might die any minute.
As she coughed and her vision blurred, Noma vanished.
Miko heard the violent commotion and rushed to her sister’s aid. “Come! Come in, dear sister!” Miko lead her sister into her bed and performed a chant to prevent Mari’s coughing and convulsions and then used a spell to help her sleep soundly, but was concerned as she heard Mari’s breath was now somewhat ragged. Her hands glowed bluish-white with a holy aura as she held them above her sister’s chest. She has drunk a poisonous substance! Miko realized in terror. It has not been in her long, but it has done significant damage to her body. What did she drink and who could have done this to her?
Giving Mari medicine to easy her breathe, Miko went into the prayer room and called upon Tsu, the Queen of Slugs and a goddess of herbs and medicine.
Tsu came to Miko. She had pale golden hair like hay and hung it in two long braids. The Queen of Slugs wore a moss green undershirt under a green haori and a bark brown hakama and wore white socks and black sandals. Her jade eyes were unreadable, yet all to whom she had appeared before had said that when she exhibited her grand knowledge that her eyes would flash like a pearl does in the sun.
“Oh great queen Tsu,” Miko addressed Tsu, “my sister has been poisoned by an unknown substance. Is there any way that I may save her?”
Tsu walked past Miko and stood over Mari. “She has Paison’s venom inside of her.”
At this, Miko felt all hope drain from her. Paison was said to be a thousand times more deadly than any ordinary snake on earth. A tale had traveled far and wide that when he had bitten a woman who had stepped upon him; it had taken less than a millisecond for her to die even before she had fallen.
“There is no need to descend into despair,” Tsu told the heavy-hearted priestess. “Although there is no cure, there is a way to stall the venom. She was fortunate not to be bitten, despite the condition her body is now in.” She held out her left hand and a golden fruit like an orange and yet colored as an apple appeared in her palm. “This is the fruit of fortune,” said Tsu. “She is not so weakened by the venom in that she cannot eat. It will keep her alive for three days. In that time, she will give birth to Rai-On’s child. Fortunately the child has not been affected by the poison.”
Miko took the fruit and when Mari awakened fed it to her sister.
It was three days later that Mari fulfilled her destiny and birthed a healthy baby boy. Unfortunately, it was at this point that the death god the Shinigami, who dresses in a black kosode and hakama with a hood and wears a black oni mask, came to her. It pulled her soul from her body with the scythe it carries and led her off to Itadesu, where all departed souls go to await judgment based on their past lives.
Many mourned the passing of Mari, but none more than Miko and Rai-On.
Miko now knew it would be here lot in life to look after the one with whom she had ties with her sister. She had not been able to save Mari, but she would do all in her power to protect the boy she had been told was to be named Hiro.
Some years later found Abazure traveling in Akuma no Su. She was walking in the canyon-like terrain of the realm where demons dwell when she heard something behind her.
The tigress goddess turned to see a man as tall as a mighty oak tree made of gray stone looming over her. Upon his shoulders sat two demons.
One had pale blue skin and white handsome hair settled between his pointed ears. Save for the black socks, black cape with the red interior and greaves he wore, this demon wore a blackish-gray ninja tunic and pants. His eyes were cat-like and yellow.
A brown female demon stood on the stone demon’s right shoulder. She was completely bad and had pointed ears. Her eyes were so small that all that could be seen were her red irises. Like her comrade, she wore the same ninja garb, but did not have a cape and her sword was strapped on the left side of her back.
These were three of the Oni Corporals, Warumaru’s greatest soldiers. There were two divisions of the Corporals; The Akuma Ninjas and The Akuma Shirei-kan. The Akuma Ninjas were gifted at speed, but had no other power and relied on their ninja skills and strength to win battles. The Akuma Shirei-kan were far more powerful and greatly feared by all who had heard their names.
“What do we have here?” queried the giant stone demon Genbu.
“It is one of the Zodiakku Gods,” Maru the blue demon observed. He took out his small sword and licked the flat of the blade.
“Abazure,” smirked Gin the brown bald female. “To what do we owe such a visit?”
“I have come to speak with your master,” Abazure replied fearlessly.
Gin smirked. “Lord Warumaru is still recuperating from the horrendous injuries your fellow Zodiakku Gods inflicted upon him, but he is still capable of hearing and speech. Say your say to us and we will pass on your message. It all depends upon him if he chooses to do anything.”
Abazure nodded. “Before she died, the priestess Mari gave birth to a boy child. He is the son of Rai-On. I want him dead.”
By this time, Hiro had grown to the age of twelve and had made friends with the children of the village, mostly Kiki and Gen. He was now young and handsome and had golden hair as his father did, but it had a shaven look to it close to his scalp. Hiro also had his mother’s eyes. He wore a crimson martial arts top and white pants, but no sandals. The young demigod also had a red and white kachina cape and had been given a red pole with golden tips on his twelfth birthday.
This day he was being visited by Kiki and Gen who were now both fourteen. Hiro combated a samurai his aunt had summoned through use of one of her shikigami as Miko, Gen and Kiki sat on the porch and watched him.
Hiro dodged and ducked and weaved the strokes of the sword and struck back with his pole, as well as using it to defend himself and evade. His small size was one of his gifts, as it also made him rather swift and difficult for larger foes to hit. The young boy got under the reach of the sword and struck the face of the samurai with the end of his pole, causing his foe to fall back and return to being a paper doll.
“Very excellently done, Hiro,” Miko congratulated him.
“Thank you, Aunt Miko,” Hiro returned to her.
“It wasn’t that great,” Gen muttered to himself. “I could have beaten that shikigami in ten minutes. Not fourteen.”
“Hiro is a demigod, Gen,” Kiki reminded her brother. “I doubt you’d have lasted a second.”
“Hiro is still learning to develop his skills and powers,” Miko told the siblings. “I have made it my duty to teach him how to do so.”
“And I’m learning a lot,” Hiro told his aunt.
There was a rustle in the bushes behind Hiro. Out of it leapt a gorgeous golden furred doe. It had beautiful brown eyes and elegant legs. The creature dipped its ears up and down three times as it took in the four people before it.
“What a beautiful doe,” Kiki marveled.
Miko narrowed her eyes, intensely looking at the creature. “It is not,” said the experienced priestess. “It is a crafty demon.”
The doe ran off into the forest.
Miko took out two more paper dolls and changed them into two samurai. “Stay here and protect the children,” she instructed them. “I shall follow the demon and find out what it was doing here.” Miko looked to the children. “Get inside the hut and do not come out until I’ve returned.” Then she went off into the forest.
Hiro, Kiki and Gen sat in Miko’s room as they awaited her return as the two shikigami stood outside the hut.
Gen hated waiting. “I now have a true sword that my father left for me,” he said angrily. “I could have gone out and fought that demon with Miko.”
“My aunt’s a priestess,” Hiro told him calmly. “She’s been fighting demons before any of us were even born. If anyone knows how to deal with monsters, it’s my aunt.”
“How very confident you are,” smiled Kiki.
Suddenly there was a scuffle outside and then there was no sound at all. The children sat and waited. Then they heard someone enter the hut. It was not Miko, for the footsteps were too light. If someone had entered the hut without being injured by the shikigami, it could only mean that the samurai had been defeated.
Into the room entered Tengoth. The Jigoku resembled his brethren with the exception that he lacked the reptilian red eyes, having eyes like a human. His wings were identical to those of his father, and he had bird-like feet with spaced toes. Tengoth wore a black pair of ninja pants.
He stood in the doorway of Miko’s room, looking at the children as they looked back. His eyes finally settled on Hiro. “So you’re the one I’m looking for,” he said in a cracking reptilian voice.
“Yea,” said Hiro. “How do you know who I am?”
“It doesn’t really make any difference,” Tengoth returned. “You’ll be dead within a matter of seconds anyway.”
Gen suddenly stood up and held his sword out. “Get out of here, you scaled beast! I’m son of a ninja and I swear on my honor that I won’t let foulness such as you have your way.”
Tengoth leered at Gen dismissively. “You’re not the one I was sent for. Stand down.”
“I’ll stand down when you get out,” Gen returned. He rushed the demon with his sword drawn.
The demon jumped back and spread his wings out. He then swung around behind Gen and kicked his back with his bird-like feet. This caused Gen to fall forward with his sword falling to the floor. Tengoth then set a foot against Gen’s back to keep him down. He looked down at the boy with a dismissive look of loathing.
“You humans are so arrogant and ignorant,” he hissed.
“Leave him alone!” Hiro ordered Tengoth.
Tengoth turned to see the pole too late. It struck him in the face and caused him to step off of Gen. The demon then felt Hiro’s fist as it struck him in the stomach. He had never felt such pain before. As this child was not human, Tengoth had expected something unusual, but not strength like this. Air hissed out of his lungs. This hut was too small. He could not fight in such a confined space. With no other option, he ran to the door.
Hiro ran after him, ignoring Kiki’s call to stay put.
Faunus lay dead in the grass. Miko stood over the demoness with light brown skin and brown goat legs. She knew this demon as a daughter of the demon Warumaru, and feared she knew why she had been sent.
When he got outside, Hiro saw the two shredded paper dolls. There was no sign of the demon. But then he heard the flap of wings overhead. He looked up and saw Tengoth coming down after him. Hiro struck up with his pole, but this time Tengoth grasped it in his feet.
Tengoth laughed in wicked triumph. He would carry Hiro up into the sky and then drop him. The demon began to fly upward. Soon his task would be complete and the child who was said to be the future hope of mankind would be no more. Abazure had allowed her jealousy to doom humanity and paved the way clear for the Jigoku to once again control the world. That laughter died in Tengoth’s throat as the blast of holy energy plowed through his chest, utterly destroying his heart. Tengoth had not even gotten more than three feet off the ground before he and Hiro fell.
Hiro stopped his fall with his pole.
Miko did not speak to her nephew, but strode over to the body of the Jigoku she had just ended. “I swore a long time ago,” she told the lifeless beast, “that I would not lose another loved one. I don’t care who it may be, I will oppose any who attempt to harm Hiro.”