Sureiyazu

Episode 18: Redemption

"In there," Heishi whispered, gesturing to the heavy wooden door in front of the group. The Sureiyazu exchanged glances. Kasai grinned and burst into the next room.

"Who is this?" the queen demanded as the Sureiyazu entered boldly. "Heishi?" she added as he walked in after them. The scene in the room was terrifying: The walls were rough and made of stone, lined with several soldiers, and there Yuri was, lying on the ground, tied with rope.

"They . . . uh . . . see, they captured me -" Heishi scrambled to explain to the queen what had supposedly happened.

"Nonsense, Heishi, I'm sure you're the one who let them in." The queen stared coldly at him for a moment before motioning to the nearest guards. They came towards the Sureiyazu, who drew their weapons. But the soldiers tried to take their weapons and disarm them. Akuma tried to fight back against the two who had confronted her, but these were more experienced warriors than the ones outside the castle. They tore her kyoketsu shoge away from her and held her still, unable to interfere with the execution.

Kasai and Aya put up a good fight. Aya was disarmed almost immediately, but tried hitting weak spots on the guards. She soon found that their armor was also better than the guards' armor outside. She lost the fight, and two burly soldiers held her in place. Kasai held Inochi with a death grip, it seemed. She lost her weapon after one guard tripped her and the other kicked it away. She was captured soon after, glancing anxiously at her beloved katana lying on the ground.

"Now that that's taken care of," the ruler said. "Heishi, do the honors."

Akuma struggled harder, but she couldn't move. The queen held out a great sword for him, and, bowing, Heishi took it. He walked slowly to Yuri, breathing heavily. "Yuri . . . I don't want to hurt you . . ."

Yuri smiled sadly. "It's okay, Heishi. I'll be fine. It's for the best. The world is better off without a monster like me."

"You're not a monster -" Heishi tried to object.

"Do it," Yuri commanded, more sternly now. "I'll be fine. It's not your fault. It never was."

Heishi, shaking, raised his sword. Yuri closed her eyes. It would all be over now. She welcomed death. 

Akuma finally broke free, running forwards. "No!" She held up her fists, tears forming in her eyes. "I'll hurt anyone who lays a finger on Yuri!" Heishi stopped, his blade freezing in the air. He swallowed the dry taste in his mouth.

"Useless violence!" the queen shouted. "This is no different than if Yuri had transformed. She is doomed - all my life I have tried to give her anything and everything, and yet nothing can change the fact that my daughter is a monster."

Yuri started to cry then - not because she was scared of dying, or because she was sad that her life would have to end this way. It was purely because of one word: monster. That was always what she had been. And hearing it now, from her own mother's lips, made her long for the pain of Heishi's great sword.

Aya rushed forward, having freed herself from the guards' grasp. Akuma glanced to Kasai, who was slumped forward, unconscious in the guards' grasp. When had she been hurt? Akuma (and everyone else within about a mile radius) could usually tell when Kasai was fighting.

But there were more important things happening. Akuma was afraid that Yuri was going to get upset again, the way she had before. And if that happened . . . 

"Aya!" Akuma called. Aya glanced to Akuma for a second in response, while simultaneously dodging the swords of the guards trying to re-capture her. Akuma wasn't sure it would work, but she voiced her plan anyway. "Keep Yuri calm! I'll hold off the guards!"

Aya retreated. If she was unsure of Akuma's plan, she didn't show it. She glanced up, and, seeing that Akuma was doing her part in keeping the soldiers at bay, knelt next to Yuri, who was still tied down.

"Yuri, it's alright," Aya comforted her. 

"No, it's not." Yuri's tears were streaming down her face, making wet spots on the stone floor. "Look. All this - it's because of me." She nodded towards Akuma, who had regained her kyoketsu shoge and was struggling to hold her own against a guard, and then to Kasai, who was now sprawled on the floor, the men having decided that they didn't have to hold her back anymore. 

"Heishi, give me the sword," a gruff voice said. As Aya looked up, one of the guards was holding out his hand to Heishi expectantly. 

"No," Heishi said darkly.

"The princess needs to be executed!" the guard insisted.

"No, she doesn't." Heishi threw down the great sword he'd gotten from the queen, it's clattering sound the loudest thing in the room. For a few moments, the scene froze. 

The guard laughed a little, walking past Heishi, and picked up the weapon. "I will do it."

Heishi was practically shaking with rage. "N-no."

The man walked back to Yuri, raising his blade. 

Heishi blocked his way, protecting Yuri. 

Aya readied her bo staff.

"No!" Yuri cried. "Let me die!"

The guard shoved Heishi out of the way, shifting the great sword in his grasp.

"Hurry!" Yuri screamed, her voice an octave lower than it should have been.

Heads swung as the blade came slicing through the air -

Yuri's bonds broke with a snap.

A black hand caught the sword. Two dark hands took hold of the blade, and snapped it in half.  Yuri stood, transformed, towering over everyone else in the room. She stared down at her mother, the queen, who stood paralyzed with fear.

No one dared interfere as Yuri picked up Akuma, who struggled and squirmed; then Aya, who held onto her staff uncertainly; then Kasai, who was still unconscious. She took Inochi, too, sliding it into her belt. 

As she turned to leave, she scooped up Heishi, who was torn between loyalty to his kingdom and loyalty to Yuri. In the end, he resolved to take both sides and fake unconsciousness.

No one stopped Yuri as she ran from the dungeons, carrying her friends in her arms. 

It reminded her so much of the first time she had run away.

~~~

Yuri laid her friends down on the floor of the castle as soon as she came in. She was relieved to be back where she felt safest - with the Sureiyazu. 

Aya and Akuma, who were both conscious, looked at her wonderingly. She gently positioned Kasai in a comfortable position, and Heishi next to her. She closed her eyes, and became the Yuri everyone was used to - happy Yuri with the big eyes who loved the color pink. Yuri, the Sureiyazu demonslayer. 

That didn't change the fact that she was a monster. She sat down numbly.

Heishi sat up abruptly. "Yuri, you really are amazing. You controlled it, Yuri -"

Yuri sighed, ignoring Heishi's compliment. She faced her friends. "I have some explaining to do."