Koga felt his non-existent breath hitch. His insides began to twist into knots, making him feel like his stomach was being pulled out.
For standing before him was the Goddess Of the Dead. Hel. She had the appearance of a young girl, her height only reaching Koga's waist. But despite that, a dignified air that one would expect of a noble daughter followed her wherever she walked. She wore a flowing robe that had the color of the night sky, the sparkling white dots within emphasizing the comparison. A willful yet empathetic expression was on her face. Her dark but gentle eyes stared up into Koga's own.
A Will far beyond the undead's own gripped his soul and sent multiple commands into his mind. They told him to show respect to the woman standing before him. To fall to one knee and give deference to the graceful existence that honored him with her presence. To let his blade fall to the ground, as holding such steel before a higher being was the height of arrogance.
Yet, despite the power pressing down upon him, he managed to retain some of his faculties. While he fell to one knee he did not drop his sword, nor did he stop staring the Goddess down. He grit his teeth and planted his blade in the ground, his grip on it increasing to the point where the weapon itself began to shake. He focused all his will on staying in control of his own body.
The widening of Hel's eyes disappeared as soon as it came. In its place was the same dignified and empathetic look she gave to all undead born from her actions. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Koga's cheek, speaking in a voice that was both as cold as the grave and as warm as a mother's embrace, "Akuri's love for you is real. Why else would she follow you on this dangerous mission? Why else would your rejection cause her to lament so?"
As if on cue, the sound of a woman sobbing came to Koga's ear. Sobbing that had the same lit that Akuri's voice had. He felt that same godly Will grasp at his heart. It forcibly drudged up a feeling of sadness and regret, one that Koga had to fight to suppress. He knew the feeling was not his own. While he had to bite his tongue to prevent the false tears from falling from his eyes, he managed to keep his mind intact.
All of this happened within a split second.
The Goddess Of The Dead continued as if nothing had happened. She took her hand from Koga's cheek and began to walk around him, "Can you not feel her sadness? Her dejection? Why would you say no to her? Say no to the happiness the two of you could obtain?"
"Because...it is...her desire...not...mine. Nor...will...it...ever be," Koga struggled to get each word out of his mouth. Both because of the immense pressure Hel was putting on him, and because whatever had its hooks in his soul made it that way. Every time he denied the thought of being with Akuri, a sharp emotional pain stabbed into his soul in an attempt to quiet him down.
"But why not?" Hel's expression fell as she stared at Koga, "Your life, even before you died, was so lonely. And you experienced so much heartache. What is wrong with attempting to find peace with someone willing to love you?"
Koga was ready to argue but what the Goddess said struck a chord. He latched onto that second sentence and spoke, "What...do you know...of my...life before...this?"
He grunted in pain as the sharp pain shot through his soul once again. But he didn't waver. He had found a link to his past and he wasn't going to let it go.
Hel looked down at the Ochimusha with pity. The Goddess of the dead let out a deep, long sigh before she began to speak, "I know everything. Because I am the one who revived you...Jacob."
The name made something click in Koga's head. A floodgate of memories burst forth and suddenly everything was washed away. The Goddess, the forest around him, even the blade in his right hand. All of it disappeared as Koga's past came rushing back to him. For a moment that felt like an eternity, he was lost in his past.
And he learned who he once was.
----------------------------------------
"I wish there was another way," the hooded woman said as she handed her son, Testujo, over to her husband. Her blue hair hung messily around her face, framing her tired but loving eyes. She shook her head and looked up at the man, "I'm sorry that this happened, my love."
"Don't be sorry," the man said as he took the four-year-old in his arms. The boy kept reaching out toward the hooded woman but his father kept pulling him back. His face was rougher than the woman's, with callouses covering his hands, and muscled arms gained from years of farm work. He swallowed, his green eyes never leaving the woman's black ones, "We both knew this would happen. And I wouldn't trade the time we had for the world, dear."
The woman smiled and started leaning in to kiss her husband. He did the same...until the sound of shouting took up their attention. The woman's eyes widened in panic. She grabbed her husband by his arms and said, "Go! Don't stop running down this path. When you reach the end, you'll find a boat that you can row to Zipangu. Goodbye, Arthur. Goodbye, my little Jacob."
She grabbed the young boy's hand for the last time. He squeezed her palm as hard as he could as if saying he didn't want her to go. But she pulled away and turned towards the voices coming closer by the moment. From her back, she pulled out a sword and shield and then ran after the sounds.
"Goodbye, Olga," her husband said as he turned and started running down the path before him. His son looked over his shoulder, eyes locked on where his mother once was. As he ran, he became deathly aware of the sound of conflict trailing after him, and the bright golden light that he could feel washing over his back. At first, he heard the sound of steel clashing against steel, exertions of effort as attacks were made and dodged, screams of pain, and bodies hitting the ground.
Then he heard a female scream followed by another body hitting the floor.
He bit his lip to stop himself from crying out, tears streaming down his face as he ran towards his son and his only salvation. Arthur knew that the only way for the two of them to survive was to get to Zipangu.
But, at the time, the only thing that Jacob knew was that his mother was gone.
----------------------------------------
"How did this happen, Jacob?"
Jacob sniffed as he stood stock-still. He didn't answer his father as the older man began to wrap clean bandages around the new cuts along his arms and legs. The ten-year-old was silent as he gazed at the straw-covered floor of the squat hovel they called home. The single bed that they shared stood against the wall to the right, the dirty bandages sitting at the foot.
"Jacob," the boy's eyes were drawn back to this father. The man was still in his prime but age had begun to catch up to him. His black hair had strands of gray within it, wrinkles lined his face from left to right, and even his calloused hands seemed to have lost some of their strength. He double-checked his son's bandages before looking up into his son's eyes, "how did this happen?"
"...The other children. They make fun of me for not having a mother," Jacob's hands clenched into fists. Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes as he thought back to the jeering of children his age.
Arthur shook his head, "I thought I told you-"
"They made fun of mom," Jacob interrupted, his voice beginning to shake with rage and hate, "They said she was a whore and left you for a better man. They said-"
"Son, listen to me," Arthur put his hands on Jacob's shoulders. He shook his head and sighed, suddenly looking much older than he truly was, "Your mother...your mother was a wonderful woman. She was someone who didn't let our different circumstances stop us from being in love. She didn't let her family stop her from marrying me. And when her family threatened to disown her unless she gave me up, she told them off and came to live with me. She was the bravest woman I ever knew."
A wistful smile came over his face...but quickly fell away as he continued, "But she's gone now. Her family...if she wouldn't listen to them, then they weren't gonna let her or anyone she loved live. She kept the Inquisitors at bay while we got away."
"Inquisitors? You never mentioned them," Jacob said, beginning to wonder what else his father had been keeping from him.
Arthur was silent for a few seconds. Then he shook his head, "Son...your mother was a Hero of the Order. Her family were nobles. And they hated the idea of her being with someone like me. So much so that...that they...they killed her. But she didn't die in vain. She died so that you could live the life you deserved. So, if anyone ever tells you that your mother was anything but a wonderful person, you just remember that she died for you. Alright?"
Jacob nodded, his mouth gaping in stunned silence. He was completely speechless. And there were two primary reasons for it.
The first was that his father, the strongest person he knew, had begun openly weeping as he spoke of his mother. He could hardly believe that the man who always had a smile on his face, always stood up to the market merchants with a stoic and unflappable expression, who stood his ground in front of any local lord coming to collect more taxes than they were owed, was freely crying before his very eyes.
The second was what his father had said about his mother.
Because, until this point, the only thing he knew was that he had lost his mother when he was four years old.
Now, he knew that he hadn't lost his mother.
She was taken from him.
Taken by the Order.
----------------------------------------
"Thanks for this, Arthur," the incubus riding on the spider woman's back smiled as she took the bag of rice in his hand. His once white skin had changed to a dark purple, while twin horns rose from his forehead and curved around the back. His eyes glowed with a black fire that intensified as he stared at his spider wife. He attached it to her abdomen using a string of silk made by the Jorou-Gumo herself as he continued to speak, "My honey and I will really need this stuff for our kids. Isn't that right, Toki?"
He turned to look at the human half of the large Mamono. The red shell of the spider woman's abdomen complemented her long orange hair. She gave a soft giggle, purple kimono shaking along with her large supple breasts, "Just so, Boki, my love. Now, come here. It's time for your reward."
She reached over and pulled her husband into a kiss. He returned it lovingly, hands wrapping around her human waist. Arthur stared up at the display of affection with a smile on his face. Jacob was at his side, the twelve-year-old boy staring up at the couple quizzically. When Boki separated from his wife he stared at Arthur with a curious gleam in his eyes, "Hey, Arthur? I've been meaning to ask? Where's your wife at? I haven't seen her since I started coming by a year ago."
"Oh. That's...that's a bit...personal Boki," Arthur looked towards the ground. His expression suddenly turned grim, something that Jacob picked up on.
He placed a hand on his father's shoulder and started to pull him towards their house, "Come on, father. We have the rest of the harvest to take care of."
"Yes, Jacob. Yes, we do," Arthur agreed as he turned to follow his son.
However, Toki seemed to pick up on the same thing that Jacob did. Her legs clicked together as she called out to Arthur, "She's gone, isn't she?"
Arthur freezing in place was the only answer Toki needed. The Mamono's expression fell as the realization hit her, "Oh, you poor man. I am so sorry for your loss."
"As am I. I am sorry I brought it up. It was-"
"It's fine," Arthur interrupted the incubus, "It was a...a long time ago. While it still hurts, my son and I deal with it in our own way."
Jacob nodded in agreement with his father. Boki placed a hand on his chin in thought, humming to himself. "It still hurts you say? Well...have you ever thought of remarrying?"
Jacob, anger rising in his heart, prepared to shout at the Incubus for suggesting such a thing. But his words died when he felt his father hold him back. The older man kept his back towards the couple not bothering to answer them.
Taking his silence as proof he was thinking of it, Boki continued, "I mean a growing boy like yours should have a father and mother to take care of him, right? And I'm certain your wife wouldn't want you sulking and pining for her all day if it made you unhappy. How about me and my honey introduce you to some of her friends tomorrow? Make a Double-Date out of it! What do you say, Toki?"
The Jorou-Gomu hummed in thought. One hand went to her cheek as she mulled over her husband's words. Then she started nodding as her frown turned into a smile, "Yes. Yes, that's a wonderful idea. Some of the girls have been having trouble with getting husbands lately, and I've been wanting to help them."
"Then it's perfect! Don't you think so Ar-"
"No," Jacob stared at his father with as much shock as Boki and Toki had. For he had never heard the man speak with such finality before. His voice brokered no argument as he straightened his posture and continued to speak, "When we were married, I vowed to Olga that there was not a single woman in the world I would love other than her. I plan to uphold that vow until my dying day. Thank you for the concern, Boki. But I must decline."
Then he walked towards the hovel that was his house. Jacob bid the couple farewell before following his father inside.
----------------------------------------
"Here you go, Jacob," the short, nineteen-year-old girl said to the fifteen-year-old boy in front of her. She reached out and dropped the five koku into his outstretched hand. Next to the two of them, an older man carried five bundles of rice behind the stall the girl was standing at.
Jacob took the coins and quickly looped them into the string on his waist. He spoke to the girl as he did, "Thank you, Mitsu. I don't know how we would get by without you helping us."
Mitsu placed her elbows on the stall and leaned over while laying her chin in her hands, "Think nothing of it. But, if you really want to thank me, you could come with me to this spot I know tomorrow where-"
"Sorry, can't. Father will need my help to cook dinner. Have a wonderful day, Mitsu," Jacob said as he ran towards the exit of the market and village. He didn't notice the pout on Mitsu's face as he headed back home. As the stalls and buildings around him rushed by, he couldn't help but think of the horrid circumstances behind what he had told the girl.
His father did what he could to hide it, but he could tell that age was starting to catch up with him. His hands shook when he tried to hold tools or carry heavy objects. He began to misplace things and forget where they were after he had placed the down not a second earlier. His bruises and cuts were taking longer to heal than they used to. While Jacob didn't know his father's exact age, he did know that he getting closer and closer to the end. And while the idea of his father dying saddened Jacob, he had long since made peace with it.
After all, it would just mean he would meet his mother when he was reincarnated. He was certain the gods wouldn't allow a love such as theirs to be ended so tragically, right? So, until that day came, he would help his father live his life to the fullest. He would spend the entire day with him, doing whatever it was he wanted him to do. It was the least he could do for his only living family in the world.
He was so focused on this task that, when his home came into view, he didn't notice anything wrong with it. He didn't see the unusual patches of grass and rice stalks that had been crushed flat by something's passage. He didn't notice how the door of his home had been forced open by something with great strength. He didn't hear the wet, squelching noises nor the loud moans coming from the bedroom.
It wasn't until he rounded the corner to the bedroom did he finally realize what was wrong.
And what he saw made his face go pale and blood run cold.
On top of the bed he and his father slept in was a long, black, chitinous Mamono with its body wrapped around his father's nude form. Its legs crawled along whatever exposed skin they could find, leaving small welts wherever they landed. The monster's face was buried in his father's neck as its mandibles injected its poison into Arthur's system. Where the monster had bitten, Arthur's skin began to turn the same shade of purple that Boki's was.
When Jacob stepped back from the door, his mind trying to process what was going on, was when his father finally noticed him. The man's eyes with wide with shock, worry, and fear. With an immense struggle, he managed to remove one of his arms from the Mamono's embrace. With his last breath as a pure human, Arthur said one final word to his son.
"Run."
And with his mind and heart racing, Jacob did the only thing he could think of.
Listen to his father.
He ran out of the house and didn't look back.
----------------------------------------
He didn't know how long he had been running. Only that he had left the place that was once his home far behind. That his surroundings had changed from grass and rice fields to rocky outcroppings and a small river bank. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, bathing his environment in darkness. He couldn't see where he was going and the wind rushing through his ears made certain he couldn't hear anything either.
But he kept running.
Even as tears streamed down his face and his mind roared at him for doing so. For being a coward. For not being that when his father needed him. For abandoning the man that had raised him for years at the first sign of trouble.
He shut his eyes and cried out in rage...which led to him tripping on an errant rock. With a cut-off scream, he fell into the shallow river, the resulting splash soaking him to the bone. He barely managed to get to his knees and look at his reflection in the water. Pained-wracked gasps and coughs escaped his mouth as he tried to catch his breath.
"Ah, there you are."
A cold shiver went down his spine. Adrenaline shot into his limbs as he got to his feet. His entire body shook as he beheld the spider woman crawling out from the underbrush nearby. Her red abdomen and orange hair identified her as the same Mamono from three years prior. Back then her eyes had this gentle shine to them. Like that of a woman with infinite patience and generosity.
But in the dark of the night, Jacob could swear those eyes shined red with malicious intent. She licked her lips as she approached him. She stopped at the edge of the riverbank, her shadow looming over the boy. There was a sadistic tone to her voice as she spoke, "I was wondering where you were when we didn't see you with Arthur and Tsubaki. You managed to get pretty far. Well done, boy."
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"My honey is right, Jacob," Boki agreed, leaning against the back of his wife's human half. His purple eyes shined with the same sadism that Toki had, "You did well for a, what, fifteen-year-old?"
Jacob nodded at the Incubus' words. He didn't know why. He just did.
Boki's smile turned predatory, "Almost an adult then. Say, how about you come with us? There are plenty more Mamono waiting to find a husband. We can get you one, then take you back to your father and your new mom."
"Wh-why?"
"What was that?" Boki leaned forward with a hand on his ear, "What did you say?"
"He asked us 'why', dear," Toki answered before turning back to Jacob, "And I'm guessing he means why we introduced Tsubaki to his father."
At Jacob's nod, Toki and Boki proceeded to laugh at the young man. Jacob could hear his heart hammer in his chest, head darting around as he tried to find an exit. His searching earned him a large rocky outcropping with a large slab of rock sticking out the top. It was big enough to cast a shadow...a shadow he could hide under.
"Why else, Jacob?" Toki said while waving a hand through the air, "To help your father. The guy was clearly in denial, grief over the loss of his wife clouding his thoughts. He was letting it stop him from living a happy life."
"And there is no greater joy in life than being together with your Mamono soul-mate. I should know," Boki said while groping his wife's bosom, "So, we decided to help him along with the process. Toki told Tsubaki a single man was waiting for her in a forest near here, and I told Arther to meet me in that same area. Then they met each other, she fell for him, followed him home, and...well you saw what happened next."
Jacob felt his heart stop for but a moment.
The two realizations worked their way into his mind.
He knew as much as anyone else about Mamono. While that didn't make him an expert, he did know what it meant for someone to be raped by one. They would be transformed into an Incubus and fall madly in love with their new "wife". They wouldn't want to do anything other than be with their "wife" and raise a family. And if they meet anyone apart of their immediate family...they'll try to turn them too.
That was the first realization.
That his father was gone. He would never see him again. Nor could he ever return home.
The second realization was that his father was taken away, not by the Order like his mother, but by the enemies of humanity.
By Mamono.
The moment he could feel his heart start beating again, he ran towards the outcropping he had spotted earlier. The moment he heard skittering following him, he dropped the rock in his hand directly behind him. He didn't see nor hear it do anything but right then he didn't care. He just needed to get far enough away so that he could hide within the shadows of the rocks. He leaped over everything in his path and dove into the shadows the moment he could. He covered his ears, curled into a ball, and closed his eyes while praying to any God that would listen to help him.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Then hours.
He didn't look up until he could feel the first rays of the morning on his back.
When he did, the couple was nowhere to be seen.
He was alone.
In every sense of the word.
----------------------------------------
He didn't know how long he traveled.
He had no destination, nor goal.
He just wanted to get away.
Away from the place where he lost his father.
Away from the place where the Incubus and its wife had found him.
Away from...from everything.
He survived only because he brought himself to eating bugs and any berries or otherwise he could find in the wild. Sometimes they made him sick. Sometimes they made him feel weak. Sometimes they made him feel like falling over and not getting up again.
But he didn't die.
He kept walking.
He kept moving.
But he didn't know why.
He simply did it.
Three years passed by completely unnoticed by him. Only then did he finally spot another village in the distance. He didn't cheer for it, nor did he change his posture in any way. He simply kept trudging along. He could stop to get some food but likely nothing else.
He would just keep moving. Keep existing. Until even that became too much for him.
His body was malnourished and dehydrated. His lips were chapped from little moisture. His clothing had become tatters. His feet, hair, and hands were covered in bloody blisters and muck. But he kept going.
He was halfway to the village when he was suddenly tackled to the ground.
He looked up to see a girl with pitch-black wings instead of arms, a red hat tilting to the left on her head, and black talons instead of feet. Her eyes were locked on him and her lips were curled into a lustful smile.
"Hello, new husband!~" she spoke in a sing-song voice. She leaned over, letting her surprisingly sweet-smelling breath fall over Jacob's face, "We're gonna have a lot of fun together. Don't worry. I know you're feeling bad, so I'll do all the work! Then I'll fly you to my nest and we-"
Jacob had stopped listening by this point.
Both because he didn't care, and because his will to continue was quickly being snuffed out.
He had come so far.
He had managed to escape from the place that had caused him such pain.
He had survived although, by all rights, he should be dead right now.
He had only made it halfway to the village where he could get supplies and then continue on.
And, yet, it didn't matter in the end.
This was his fate.
So, why fight against it?
He was about to close his eyes and submit to his new role as a Mamono's "husband"...until he heard the sound of metal hitting the ground.
"Pick it up."
Both he and the Mamono turned their attention to his left. Where once was a simple worn patch of ground, there was know a single tanto that had been thrown to the ground. Its edge gleamed in the sunlight while its blade reflected Jacob's gaunt face back at him. His eyes glanced up and saw a figure bathed in shadow on top of a horse. He couldn't make out much, save for the fact that it was a man in layered armor of some type. Horns extended from a helmet on his head, making him look like an animal of some kind.
Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but his throat had been dry for far too long. He only accomplished making himself cough from inhaling the dirt beneath him. Despite this, the man on the horse seemed to understand his words and continued in a deep voice, "I said, pick it up. You don't want to be made that Mamono's plaything, right?"
Jacob nodded as best he could.
"Then pick it up and fight. No one's gonna save you, boy. You can only save yourself."
Jacob didn't know why, but those words resonated with him. He felt the Mamono pull him into a sitting position and wrap her wings around him. She squawked at the newcomer, "I don't know who you are, but I won't let you hurt my hubby! Go away and leave us to our honeymoon!"
Jacob's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even said a word to this girl. This was the first time they had ever even met. Yet, she already thought they were married?! And were on their honeymoon?!
Was that what happened to his father?
The Mamono took one look at him and instantly decided they were married?!
Is that why she took him away?!
No...no...that wouldn't happen to him.
That would never happen to him!
A tiny, insignificant flame of anger started to rise within his chest. For the first time in years, his face contorted into an expression of something other than despair and indifference: Pure, unadulterated, rage.
His hand shot out and grabbed the tanto's hilt. The Mamono saw his actions, but he gripped her shoulder to be sure she couldn't get away. With no hesitation and a silent shout of fury, he stabbed the weapon through the Mamon's chest.
Then he did it again.
And again.
And again.
Each time screaming his defiance to any who would listen.
Only after the thirteenth stab did his rage abate him.
He looked down at the bloody corpse of the Mamono. He took in everything. The blank look of shock and betrayal was in her eyes. The way her body was completely cold and still.
He...he didn't feel good.
But he didn't feel bad either.
"Well done, son," he looked over at the armored man. He had dismounted at some point and walked over to Jacob. Then he held his hand out to the boy, "My name is, Hiroto Hiro. I lead a band of Monster Slayers. Would you like to join us?"
Jacob's eyes slowly moved from the man's outstretched hand to the Mamono's dead body. Then they moved back to the man. After a few tries, Jacob managed to speak in a raspy voice devoid of mirth, "My mother was killed by the Order in a place across the seas."
The man frowned but didn't move his hand back. Jacob continued regardless, "My father was raped and corrupted by a Mamono while I was away from home. It was sent there by an Incubus and his wife. Because of those people...I am all alone. And it...it hurts."
"I know it does," Hiro said with a nod, his tone sincere.
"If I join you...can I stop the hurting? Not for me...but for others? Can I make sure no one else experiences this?"
"...We can give you the strength to try."
"...OK."
Jacob placed his blood-stained hand into Hiro's.
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Koga let his memories at that moment.
But he could still remember every event.
Everything that led to him becoming a warrior.
Everything that led to him fighting Mamono.
Everything that led to his death.
"Do you remember, now?" Hel asked, curiosity making its way into her voice.
"Yes," Koga spoke with little strain in his voice. Going through his memories seemed to have cleared by a small margin. It wasn't much, but it was something, "I remember...everything. From when I lost my mother...to when I died."
Hel breathed a sigh of relief, "Good. That makes this easier."
"Why?" Koga felt the pressure push down on him again as he spoke, "What...makes this...easier? All that...you have done is...helped me remember...who I once was."
"Because this makes it easier to help you understand."
"Understand what?!"
"Why I brought you back."
Koga froze up, his eyes going wide as he stared at the Goddess of Death. Then they narrowed in accusation. He ground his teeth together as he felt the flame of anger grow in his heart, "Why?!"
Hel's expression fell as she tried to calm Koga, "Koga, listen to me."
"Why would...you...bring me...back?!"
"You need to underst-"
"What...is there...to understand?! You...You stopped me from...reincarnating."
"Because-"
"You...turned me into something...I never wished to be!"
"Koga you-"
"Why!? Why did you...do this...to ME!?"
"BECAUSE IT WAS TOO SAD!"
Koga cried out as his body nearly hit the floor. The only reason he didn't get completely flattened was that he managed to brace himself at the last minute. Though the sound of his bone pauldron cracking wasn't very comforting.
Hel, an expression of horror on her face, quickly lifted it from the Ochimusha's back.
"Sorry," she said softly as Koga regained his kneeling position. When she was sure he was back to normal, she continued, "But, it's true. I saw everything that happened to you. How you lost your mother and your father. How you had nothing good in your life for years. How you had to crawl and scrape along the ground to survive. Then, when you finally found people you could call family, even that was taken away from you. And then you died. Without experiencing any of the good in this world. Without experiencing love for another, the beauty of, feeling contentment with your life, or even pride in your accomplishments for any extended period of time. All you ever knew was strife and conflict."
"So...what? There are...thousands of others...just like me. My experience...was awful...but not special," was his cold response.
"I know. I know that better than anyone. And it's one of the reasons I made the undead. To give people a second chance at happiness. To give them another chance at living the life they never could before."
"As...raping...stealing...deluded Mamono?!"
"That's something that's out of the hands of even me," Hel shook her head, "The undead are monsters. Which means they are connected to the Demon Lord by a bond made by a being far beyond me. I can do nothing to stop them from returning as Mamono. But just because they are monster girls, doesn't mean they can't make good use of their second chance."
Hel walked forward and knelt to be level with Koga. Her endlessly dark eyes stared into the fire that filled his own, "That's why I am here. To remind you that you have been given a second chance. A chance to experience the life you didn't get to live when you were Jacob. And Akuri can be the start of that. She could be the first step on a new path for you. Please, give her a chance."
Koga wanted to tell her off.
He wanted to tell her that he would never give Akuri a chance.
That, as far as he was concerned, the Kunoichi could die in a ditch alone and forgotten. He would get along just fine.
But, as he opened his mouth to speak, he remembered his first meeting with the Good Hunter.
How she reprimanded him for allowing hatred to rule his actions.
How he had spent an unknown amount of time in the Dream meditating on her words.
How he had only managed to gain control of his emotions because he gained control of his hatred.
He still held the emotion. He could feel it burning away in his heart. But he had managed to wrangle it. Now it was a little ember, one that barely affected him.
Only after he had done that did his body change into what it was now.
Only then did the Good Hunter allow him to leave the Dream.
And if he were to allow his hatred to color his actions now...
"...Fine. I will...give her a chance...but only...one...more...if she proves...to only be after me...because of what I am...then I will not hesitate to...put...her...down," every word made a dagger go through his heart. But he managed to finish the whole sentence.
Hel stared at him, her face contorted into a frown. Then she sighed with a shake of her head, "That'll have to do."
"Good...then will you-"
"Besides, before long the two of you will be with Druella either way."
Koga froze.
He stared at the Divinity before him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Hel didn't notice that Koga didn't struggle to speak that time. She simply stood up and continued, "Koga...if you wish to be with Akuri, then you can't stay with that monster."
"You speak...of the Good Hunter?"
"That's what she calls herself? She's self-righteous enough to believe she's 'good'?" Hel shook her head, "She's worse than we thought. If she's allowed to continue, she'll bring nothing but ruin to this world."
"That is not...what she wishes...she wishes for...peace."
"Tell that to the Werewolf Family she murdered! And the husband she dared tell to just get over his soul-mate's death! She's a menace, Koga. And if you stay with her, you and Akuri won't be able to have your happy ending."
"What do you...I did not say...I would marry her."
Hel smiles and clasps her hands together, "That's how it always goes. The man says he doesn't love the girl and would never be with her. Then the two of them travel together, experience hardship and trials, learn more about each other, and before too long they start to fall for each other. Then, when they finally admit their feelings, they have a wonderful night of passion to consummate their union. It's a wonderful thing to see! And I can't wait to see you experience it!"
Hel hummed with her eyes closed...before taking one look at Koga made her falter.
The Ochimusha wasn't struggling under her pressure any longer. He was still on one knee, but that seemed to be by choice. His body was shaking with a strange emotion that seemed to radiate off his body. His voice was eerily calm as he spoke, "And where does Druella fit into this?"
Hel took a step back, eyes wide with shock, "You...you spoke without-"
"Where. Does. Druella. Fit. Into this?" Koga repeated, his voice never rising above a whisper.
Hel composed herself, standing straight and regaining her dignified air. She had nothing to be afraid of. She was certain Koga understood her. He was just having trouble getting his emotions in order. Obviously.
"Well, like I said. The 'Good Hunter' would never allow the two of you to be together. She's killed two Human/Mamono couples already. If she sees the two of you, she'll literally bite your head off. No, it would be better for you to head to Lescatie, join up with Druella, and help her put down this monster once and for all. Then, you can go to the Demon Lord, let her analyze you, find out how to make more of you, and then her plan will work and the war will be over!"
"So...you have abandoned the humans?"
Hel flinched at his accusation, "Well...no. I love humans. And I want to help them and make them happy. What self-respecting God wouldn't want that?"
"Then why?"
"Because I want the Mamono to be happy too. They're not as bad as some may say they are. They're just humans but with a few extra parts and... fewer inhibitions. I still don't want to see them all dead. Nor do I want to see us return to the wars of the past."
"That still doesn't explain why? Why help the Mamono, if you care about humans?"
Hel was silent for a few moments. It was a deathly silence. The kind that you can only experience in a graveyard.
Then she spoke.
"Well, Mamono are happy when they have human husbands. And humans are happy when they have Mamono wives. So, if the Demon Lord manages to give everyone a husband, wouldn't everyone be happy? Besides, your father, Arthur, seems much happier now that he has Tsubaki. They even made some sisters for you."
One second.
Only one second passed after Hel said that.
And, within that one second, Koga let his rage loose.
Within a moment the forest was lit by a blazing blue inferno. White-hot blue flames exploded from the Ochimusha's body, burning the plant life near Koga to ash. Anything not turned to ash was charred black by the heat of his burning rage. He got to his feet, heedless of the pressure being exerted upon him or the pangs of pain that attacked his soul. The skull on his shoulder belched more flames as if it was sharing in its owner's rage. Koga's eyes blazed with a fire that made its home in his very soul. His hand gripped his sword tightly, its edge burning as hot as the rest of his body.
His rage was directed at a single entity.
The so-called "Goddess Of Death" that was staring at him wide-eyed.
"YOU CUR!" Koga's voice seemed to shake the earth around him. Flames exploded from his mouth as he pronounced every syllable, yet it didn't lessen his message, "YOU DARE TO SPEAK IN SUCH A MANNER! NOT ONLY DO YOU TAKE MY MISTRESS' NAME IN VAIN, BUT YOU DARE SPEAK OF MY FATHER!? DARE TO SAY HE IS 'HAPPY' AFTER HAVING HIS MIND AND SOUL WARPED BY THE DEMON LORD'S FOUL SPAWN!? YOU...YOU...YOU FALSE IDOL!"
Hel's surprise swiftly changed into indignation. She placed her hands together and focused the Divine Will all Goddesses possessed onto the Ochimusha. As she brought the pressure on him to half-strength, she spoke in a voice filled with anger but barely above a whisper, "How dare 'I'? How dare you! I will admit that I used a...poor choice of words. I shouldn't have spoken of your father like that and should've realized that you held an attachment to this 'Good Hunter'. But the facts remain. Your father is happy. Your 'Mistress' is a monster. And I am a Goddess. If there is any in his world who is allowed to speak in such a way, it is me."
Hel's eyes became pitch black as she let her power encompass the forest. The light of the moon disappeared as a pitch-black curtain fell over the area they were in. Leaves from the trees began to fall, branches started to sage, leaves rapidly curled up and cracked, and any small animals experienced sudden organ failure. The pressure of a Goddess, even when not at its full strength, was that powerful. None could stand within the curtain of Death that engulfed that area.
None...save for Koga.
And his blazing rage.
With a single step, he made the darkness shrink away from him. Though he could feel Hel's pressure upon him, he didn't slow down. With another step more of the darkness was driven back. As Hel's confidence turned to shock, the Ochimusha continued with a voice as equally cold as Hel's power, "You maybe divine, but you are no God that the humans should worship.
Another step.
"You say you are neutral, but then you try to help the Demon Lord when someone appears who could actually challenge her."
Another step.
"You say you wish to help me, but only if I try to love someone I have no desire to be with."
Another step.
"But above all...you call the one who gave me my life back, who stopped me from going on a pointless rampage, who allowed me to go out into the world and do as I will, a monster."
Koga stopped when he was halfway to Hel. By this point, the Goddess' mind was racing with questions. How was he still standing? How was he forcing back her power? What...what did that woman do to him!?
Koga raised his blade and pointed it at Hel. His voice held no uncertainty, no hesitation, and no remorse.
Only pride and finality.
"From this day forward I, Koga, Ochimusha Of The Selina The Good Hunter, denounce you and all who call themselves your ally. As long as I still walk this earth, I will never accept you as a Divine. Never will I pray to you. Never will I sacrifice for you. And, should you ever appear before me again, your life will be forfeit."
Then, before Hel could speak, Koga charged with his blade raised high.
The battle was over in a second.
Koga was strong.
He could resist the Goddess' pressure even when it was half strength.
He could force the Goddess' Curtain of Death back with his sheer rage.
Not even the pain in this soul could stop him from moving against Hel.
But he was still an undead.
And, unlike Selina, he had not faced Gods before.
With a wave of her hand, Hel shattered his limbs. His arms broke into thousands of tiny pieces that twirled in mid-air. His legs were severed at the hip and smashed into the ground.
He didn't stand a chance...but he knew that.
Which is why he position his blade so that, when his arm was destroyed, he could still catch the hilt in his teeth.
As his mouth clamped down on the hilt, he put as much force as he could into one, single swing.
He did this because he knew that Hel couldn't stop him.
She wouldn't destroy his body or his head for she did not wish to kill him. If she had, she would've destroyed his entire body, not just his arms and legs.
She could dodge or teleport away from the blow, but he had kicked off with enough momentum that he could still manage to catch her with the edge of his sword.
On top of all of this, his flames were still raging around his body.
And on his sword.
Hel gasped in shock as she felt a new sensation hit her like a flying log. Something she didn't think she would feel in her entire life as a Goddess.
Pain.
But that was exactly what she felt as the edge of Koga's blade bit into her shoulder and made blue flames spread across her body.
Within the blink of an eye, she teleported away from the area.
Koga hit the ground hard, his sword flying from his mouth.
As his rage died down and the pain of losing his limbs sent his mind into shock, Koga couldn't help but smile.
Yeah, he may have lost his extremities...but he did something none in that world had managed before.
He wounded a God.
His vicious smile stayed even as he lost consciousness.
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Please, tell us, my Lady. What are we to do about the Outsider?
...
Are we to aid her in her endeavors? Though not intentionally, she has proven herself to be a powerful weapon against the Rogue Demon Lord and her forces.
...
Or are we to attempt to destroy her? She does not belong in this world, and will surely bring ruin to it.
...
Please. My lady. What are-
I don't know, OK!? I don't know! She's really strong and can probably solo the Demon Lord if she stops holding back, but she's also a walking Mana Siphon from beyond the Dimensions! If she ever figured out a way to project her power externally, then that's it! This world is done for!
But...wouldn't that allow her-
To destroy a Demon Realm just by walking into it? Yes. She'd also be able to remove a Pharaoh's Domain if she did that!
But they use Di-
Doesn't matter! Mana is Mana! Divine or not! If she gets her bare hands on a Pharaoh, they're done! And even if she couldn't, she's literally a fucking Eldritch Monster that makes the Abyssal Demons look tame in comparison! She needs to go before she does something that fucks us all in the ass! Or someone else forces her into doing something that fucks us all in the ass!
...But-
But she's the best bet against the Rouge Demon Bitch?! Yeah! She is! That's why I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT HER!
*Godly Sobbing*
...Would you like your safety pillows, my Lady?
...Yes, please.
----------------------------------------
"OK," Selina said as she sat down in the main chair of her living room. She stared at each of her uninvited guests in turn, annoyance at their appearance threatening to erode her patience before the conversation even began, "You all came to talk? Then let us talk."
If any of her human guests were awake right now, they would be shocked at how Selina could be so calm.
Because, currently, she was sitting in her living room...along with the four Goddess of the world.
Ares, Eros, the Fallen God, and Poseidon.