Hikoro isn't the big sister Dororo needs or wants. Her body is possessed by a fox demon, a powerful Kitsune. Enslaved by Daigo and the fox, she has no choice but to be the monster they want her to be.
Connected to Hyakkimaru's soul through the deal...
It's a peaceful night. Though my limbs ache from the battle the night before. Could be worse. Could be a rotting corpse.
I shake the cursed thought from my head and take a seat by the blazing bonfire.
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The bandits around me enjoyed themselves with talk of the latest plunder. The rice they stole, the new weapons that replaced the bunt blades. The Women.
Their words don't interest me. Instead I focused on the heat that licked the late night chill from my skin and bones. The intensity made a shiver jerk through my body. The crackling flames were much higher than my head and sent sparks floating to the dark heavens.
Mama sat near me on a chopped log. She was beautiful. The only woman in the band and the wife of our leader, Hibukuro. My Papa.
"Mama!" A small voice called. As tall as a tree sapling, a short figure ran towards the fire. It ran into Mama's lap and looked up with bright eyes.
"I wanna go with Papa!" The child, Dororo, claimed to be old enough to fight 'bad guys' but after only seeing five winters, was not nearly of age yet. Mama shot down the young ones excitement with her disapproving stare.
"I told you, no." She scolded in her kind voice. The voice she only used when Dororo was around.
"I can beat up the bad guys too!" The chubby faced child argued. Even so young, Dororo is fierce.
"When you get a little bigger, okay?" Mama compromised.
"I wanna go now, please, please, please!" My younger sibling pleaded annoyingly.
Mama's face changed into a harsh stare.
"Do you want me to hang you up on a tree again?" The child immediately quit talking back. Obviously remembering that specific punishment.
I bit back the feeling of anger. When Mama threatens like that she always means it. Dororo knew it as well. Her punishments are cruel, I hate seeing Dororo undergo Mama's wrath. Unfortunately Dororo gets in trouble frequently.
I'm not always there to save her from our parents anger. Absentmindedly I poked at the dark purple bruises on my arms. Reminders of the most recent beating my father gave me.
My younger sibling stood up and stomped away. Dororo has always had an attitude, that's what gets her into trouble.
My parents are...brave and kind people. They've just been through a lot. My two older siblings for example, they were killed by samurai. Both my Papa's and Mama's entire families were slaughtered in war.
I consider myself lucky to be alive. Stealing food is a small price I pay to live another day.
The reason we are bandits is to get back at the samurai for what they've done. We only attack samurai camps. So that means we are good right? In these days of war, there is no good or bad. Killing is just... killing.
