They say not to bite the hand that feeds you, but what if that hand is empty?

# # #

I don’t know much about my early years, the date of my birth, the woman who birthed me or the first time I laughed. The only thing I can remember is hunger, an insatiable hunger like that of someone who’d never eaten before. Yes, hunger and the taste of human flesh in my mouth.

I believe at some point I was either found by or surrendered to a buddhist priest, I must have been no older than a year as I couldn’t walk or speak, I could only stare at the old man with gluttonous eyes. 

He was a priest from the Abe clan, but that’s all I care to remember about him, his role in my life was rather insignificant. To those looking from the outside in you might have assumed him to be my father figure but I wouldn’t call him that. He was only in my life for a short time before he too was severed by my hands and his flesh filled my mouth. I don’t know the reason I killed him, it was probably nothing significant, maybe a small argument or a fickle moment of my three year old mind.

We lived alone in the outskirts of Hida province so my crime was unknown to anyone except myself, our only visitors being the odd traveling vagabond or charitable towns person who brought us resources.

As such I had no reason to flee the temple so I didn’t. I left on my own accord. 

For the next year I lived on my own, looking as I do I’m sure you could imagine that people were not very friendly to me. I was called all things under the sun, an Oni, Satori, Demon, all applied to me. 

When a traveler saw me on their path they’d throw riches or food as an offering, when a warrior passed by he’d try to kill me so I’d return the favor. Monks prayed for my soul and women ran with terror. 

The only man to ever approach me calmly was one with stitches across his forehead.

“Why, this is interesting.” He said from behind me as I chewed on the leg of a man I’d just killed.

“...” I turned around and looked at the man with a frown, not sure as to why he’d approach me in such a way. Something about him was strange, I knew that right away. As if he wasn’t human.

“Two bodies with a single soul… you’ll make a perfect specimen.” He said as his hand reached out for me.

“!”

With a spray of blood his hand flew through the air and fell some ways away with a thump.

“I see…” He said with an awkward smile.” Truly interesting, perhaps you’d be better taken alive.”

“!”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

In the next moment a mass of fire was thrown at me. I jumped back to avoid the attack and the man frowned at my reaction.

[Dismantle!]

Slashes rained down upon the man who was surprised at the lethality of my blows, his clothes being ripped to shreds and blood pooling beneath him.

“Damn!” He grunted jumping back himself as his skin began to regrow.

“?” I tilted my head at the man's action, he’d done something I’d never seen before but I instantly understood how he’d done it. He’s multiplying it… I thought.

“Well then it seems like we’ll have to bring this little game of ours to a close!” The man said putting his fingers together to form a hand sign.

“!?”

Up to that point I’d never before seen a domain expansion, the only thing that I knew was that I was in mortal danger. The area around me was warped into a crude wasteland and a pillar of rotting corpses was erected behind the man stretching into the heavens.

[Domain Expansion: Womb Profusion]

“!”

The attack came at me quickly and suddenly and I was forced to the ground with a bang, rubble flying into the air from the force of me being crushed.

“You’re a little tougher than expected so I made sure to reinforce my technique a bit!” The man yelled down to me. “But I doubt you understand what I’m saying anyways…”

[Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!]

As I said before I’d never before seen a Domain Expansion, up to that point I’d never fought another curse user so I only had my own technique to rely on. But now that I'd see him expand his domain I understood that I could do the same.

So I did, my domain expanded and clashed with his, thousands of slashes rained down upon him, his arm flew from his body and so did his leg, his entrails fell to the ground which was dyed a dark crimson from blood.

Even though our domains were perfectly matched mine collapsed first. I didn’t understand why at the time, but it was due to his having an open barrier and mine being closed. 

“!”

With an even greater force than before I was slammed to the ground, my legs twisted and two of my arms snapped in half at the joint.

“I thought I was going to die there for a moment!” The man laughed as he walked over to me, his clothes had been stripped away so he had nothing on his skin which was void of injuries except for the stitches across his forehead. Something that interested me.

“What’s your name, boy?” The man asked, taking a seat on a rock as he stared at me.

“...” I didn’t respond only frowning, I’d never received a name, the only thing close to one was what the old monk had called me, “Little Monk.”

“So you don’t have one…” The man sighed, rubbing his chin. “Well that won’t do us any good at all now would it?” He muttered.

“...” I looked at him with annoyance. I tried to heal my injuries in the same way he’d done but his expanded domain prevented it.

“Do you know about Kojiki?” The man asked.

“...”

“Figured.: He sighed, “Inside of it there’s a legend of a monster who looks alot like you. Two faces, and two arms. Well except he also had four legs but that’s besides the point.”

“...”

“So I’ll give his name. From now onwards you’ll be Ryomen Sukuna.”