炎の戦争; 赤い 蓮の子 (Flames of War; Child of the Crimson Lotus)

(二) Chapter-Two; The Crimson Oni

After eight days of sluggish recovery, Hinatsu and Tetsuya made their way down the familiar mountains that once surrounded their home. The young female gazed upon the forest that made up the horizon, feeling a combination of emotions; anxiety, bewilderment, and excitement. As if viewing the world from a new lens, as if finally grasping how sheltered she indeed was. The world Hinatsu had known appeared small and insignificant compared to the bigger picture before her.

"Tetsuya, look, it's a town!" Hinatsu exclaimed as she pointed toward the said location.

"If I were you, I wouldn't place my hopes too high." The kitsune, who had shapeshifted back into his original form, replied.

"Don't give me that attitude! This is all a first time for me." She uttered with irritation.

"We can go there under two conditions. One; go by an alias. Two; stay alert of whoever you trust." Tetsuya said.

"Fair enough; how does Hayagawa Saiko sound?" Hinatsu questioned, unaware of why she would need to conceal her identity.

"Certainly better than nothing." The fox spirit answered as the two made their way through the forest and towards the small town. Shortly before the pair reached the location. They came to an abrupt halt.

"Find me a skull and bone! If you can't find those of a human, settle for those of an animal." Tetsuya ordered; Hinatsu swiftly nodded her head before searching the forest for any human or animal corpses.

Suddenly, Hinatsu saw a decaying human corpse lying on its back. At the same time, its bones were scattered about, and what remained of the rib cage remained open. The head had been decapitated, while the torse, forearms, and thighs were clean of any flesh. As for the hands and feet, those were being devoured by insects. It was among the most gruesome things Hinatsu had ever seen. However, she did not have to rob a grave to give Tetsuya his skull and bone. Instead, they were lying in the forest as if waiting for Hinatsu.

She carefully grabbed one of the scattered ribs and the decapitated head before dashing toward Tetsuya. Once the fox spirit came into her sight, she dropped the charge and bone onto the ground.

"Hope this will suffice." She said as the kitsune approached the head before spewing fire from his mouth, setting the head ablaze. The grass, flowers, and leaves decayed around him in the process. Hinatsu's thoughts wandered as she watched the flesh melt off the bones.

...

"I must ask, how do you perform your youkai magic?" The young Hinatsu questioned, causing Tetsuya to shift his gaze towards her.

"It's actually quite simple. For youkai like myself to perform certain feats, we drain the life span of living beings such as plants, animals, or even humans. We then concentrate it on the energy required to perform types of all things." He explained, further sparking Hinatsu's curiosity.

"Is that so? Well, then why do you need a skull and bone to shapeshift? Also, is it possible for humans to learn this sort of youkai magic?" She asked once again.

"The proper term is 'Heavenly-Magic.' Also, I learned that technique a few centuries ago from an old friend. As for your other question, from my knowledge, humans can't learn Heavenly Magic." Tetsuya continued.

...

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Tetsuya asked as he wore the now clean skull on his head before proceeding to bite the bone. Hinatsu shook her head as the fox spirit shapeshifted into a human. The pair then made their way towards the nearby village. They arrived at the gate, guarded by two men standing on watchtowers.

"Halt! State your name and business!" One of the guards commanded; Hinatsu internally panicked as she struggled to gather the right words to utter.

"My name is Hayagawa Tetsuya, and this is my sister, Saiko. We are just passersby." Tetsuya said, to the latter's relief. However, this was clearly not enough to satisfy the guard.