It moved weird, as if it's not from this world, and when it lunged, the air cracked around it.
I met it halfway, steel on flesh
The mask grinned as my sword scraped across its arm, sparks flying.
Then it suddenly moved faster.
I dodged once. Twice.
The third time?It got me, with a clawed hand that punched through my side.
Kiyomi screamed something.
I didn't hear it.
All I heard was the beast.
Breathing, pacing
I dropped my scabbard, grabbed the blade with both hands and charged.
The thing laughed again.
Until I split its mask.
Until the left side of its face peeled off.
It gripped my wrist and began to burn me, from the inside out.
That's when it happened, my vision went black.
My bones—shifted.
Something in my chest was moving.
The fire under my skin exploded.
My vision tunneled—red, my fingers cracked, claws punching through skin like knives from within.
Bones snapped and reshaped again.
The creature tried to pull away.
I grabbed its face with one hand, slammed it back into the temple stones hard enough to crack both.
Once.
Twice.
The third time, it finally stopped twitching, but I didn't stop.
I tore the remains of the mask off with a wet rip, the thing underneath hissed—smoke pouring from what used to be eyes.
It spat rot in my face.
I bit down on its throat, tore a piece off like an animal and spat it out into the dust.
I drove my elbow into its sternum, heard ribs shatter like porcelain, then I dragged it across the ground, by its jaw, into the ruins it created.
Ash and blood mixed beneath us.
It tried to scream again, this time I punched through it.
Flesh gave.
Organs squelched, something black and alive poured out.
From the edge of the altar, I heard her voice.
"Toki."
That was enough.
The creature was in pieces.
My hands were steam-soaked and red.
I staggered back, collapsed to one knee and for a second?
I couldn't remember where the beast ended and I began.
Kiyomi was already beside me.
"Are you…?"
"I'm fine," I rasped.
Which wasn't true, not even close, but she let it go, for now.
I hadn't said a word in an hour, not because I didn't want to, because I wasn't sure whose voice would come out when I opened my mouth.
Kiyomi finally broke the quiet.
"You could've died."
I snorted.
"But I didn't"
She didn't smile.
Didn't roll her eyes or call me an idiot.
She just looked at my hands, at the claws that hadn't fully retracted.
"You weren't human when you killed it."
I flexed my fingers, watched blood seep through the fresh wraps.
"Whatever's in me," I muttered, "It doesn't care what I want. Just that I keep it fed."
She nodded slowly.
"But you stopped."
That caught me off guard.
"You knew," she said. "From the start."
"yes...." I said quietly.
Kiyomi shifted closer.
"We'll figure it out," she said.
But I said the only thing that felt right.
"If I ever lose control—if I ever try to hurt you—"
"You won't."
Her voice didn't waver.
The fire popped, ash flew into the sky.
And somewhere, far away—
Something felt what I became.
And started moving toward it.
The morning after, birds chirp like nothing happened. I walk ahead, bandaged and grumbling. Kiyomi follows at her usual pace—perfectly upright, perfectly composed, perfectly done with his nonsense.
"You limped left again," she said casually.
"I'm missing flesh, give me a break," I muttered.
She adjusted the strap of her pouch.
"You could at least pretend to walk like a bodyguard."
"I am," I said. "Just one that got body-slammed by a ghoul in a comedy mask."
She didn't even blink.
"You made that thing scream louder than a Kabuki actor on fire."
"I do have a way with people."
Kiyomi groaned softly.
Then added, "Still. I handled myself well. And don't pretend I didn't. You saw it."
I glanced back at her.
That proud chin. That smug little smirk that said praise me or suffer.
So naturally—
"I was unconscious."
She stopped walking.
"I saved you."
"I wasn't dead yet."
"You were about to be!"
"Yeah, well, I had a backup plan."
"What plan?! You were bleeding out on top of a smoking corpse!"
I grinned.
"Exactly. No one checks for survivors in a pile of smoldering demon guts. Perfect camouflage."
She stared.
Deadpan.
Then?
Pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Baka."
There it was.
Felt like home.
We walked a few more paces in silence.
Then she added, quietly:
"Still… I was scared."
I didn't answer right away, just looked up at the sky and said:
"Yeah."
"Me too."
But I was still proud of her.
Soon we saw a small town.
I limped into town like a beat-up ronin who'd lost his last bet.
Which, to be fair, wasn't far off.
My ribs still ached. My shoulder was a stitched-up mess.
"We should find an inn," she said, scanning the rooftops.
I was already halfway to the dumpling cart.
"Dumplings first. Lodging second. Priorities."
"You're hopeless."
"I'm hungry."
"Hopeless and hungry."
The vendor looked up as we approached.
Old guy. No teeth.
I liked him already.
"Two skewers," I said, tossing down a few coins.
"Three," Kiyomi added, slapping her own down.
We both stared at her.
"…What?" she muttered.
"I was under the impression nobles didn't eat food on sticks."
"I'm adapting."
I smirked.
"Careful. Next thing you know, you'll be barefoot and spitting like a peasant."
She took a bite, chewed slowly, then dead-eyed me.
"If I start spitting, it'll be at you."
I laughed through a mouthful of dumpling.
Gods, it felt good to laugh.
We found a place to sit by the river.
Kids ran by with pinwheels. A few stared at Kiyomi. Her ears twitched under her hood—maybe out of habit.
I couldn't remember the last time I saw people dancing without swords in their hands.
Maybe I never had.
Kiyomi walked beside me, arms tucked behind her back, hood still up—But her ears twitched every time a bell rang or a kid laughed too loud.
She was listening.
"You look suspicious," I said, leaning closer. "Like a noblewoman trying to pass as a commoner who's too good for fun."
She shot me a glare.
"I'm trying to blend in."
"With that posture? The only thing you're blending into is a parade float."
She snorted. Actually snorted.
Quickly covered it with a cough.
A vendor passed by, handing out little paper fox masks. One landed in my hands.
I looked at it.
Then at her.
Grinned.
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
"Just for tonight."
She sighed.
Took the mask from me, tied it behind her head with quick, irritated fingers.
Then looked at me.
"Happy?"
I grinned.
"Frightened, actually. Never thought I'd see you having fun."
"You ever go to festivals as a kid?" she asked.
I didn't answer at first.
Then said:
"Didn't get invited."
"And you?" I asked.
"I always left early."
"Why?"
"Too many people trying to marry me off."
I barked a laugh.
"That's fair. I'd run too."
She nudged my shoulder with hers and for one night, we just existed.