Byakuren?s stared at the palm of her hand, recalling the warmth she had felt that day and the memories that drove her forward. She had been travelling on foot for a couple of weeks now, and the human settlements had became more and more spread out.
She could not shake the fear of death that gripped her soul after her brother?s death. It colored everything she did. Byakuren had lost the vigor of her youth. The visitors to the temple had dwindled, and it was not long until Byakuren decided to close the temple and set off on her own journey.
The Buddhist magic that she had acquired from Myouren and spending much of her life near the tobikura was potent, but regardless of how she enhanced her physical abilities she was still unable to slow her aging. Central to the teachings of the Buddha was the concept of Samsara, the cycle of birth and decay that gripped all mortal beings. Yet, she became obsessed with researching ways to slow the aging process and breaking out of that cycle, finding some way to stave off the inevitability of death that befell all mortals.
She wondered if she was making a mistake, shortening her lifespan even more by chasing after the fleeting promise of youth, and going against the teachings that her brother had followed so devoutly all his life.
She had heard the rumors from travelers who had sought refuge at her temple over the years, that there existed a haunted area of Japan dense with youkai. They referred to it as ?Gensokyo?. The high concentration of youkai also meant that the place was a fount of magical and spiritual energy, and there were rumors abound of eternally youthful magicians and youkai hunters that inhabited those parts. If Byakuren was to find way to transcend the limitations of Buddhist magic and the mortal coil, she would find it in Gensokyo. That thought pushed her forward as she travelled along the dirt trail, pushing aside the branches and vegetation that had grown across the path.
It had been days since she had last stayed in a town, and had taken to sleeping in the wilderness. Getting closer to the region where Gensokyo was reported to exist, the warnings by villagers to be of youkai that stalk the night had increased, and Byakuren felt anxious. The sun began to sink low in the horizon, and the distant cackling sound she swore she heard had driven Byakuren to search for a place to set up camp for the night.
Her search had drawn her to a rocky outcropping on the side of the mountain that turned out to hide the opening of a cave. She felt an odd reverberation of energy emanating from the cave face, and despite the uneasy feeling she decided to go in for a closer look.
Though the cave should have been pitch black as she travelled deeper in, she realized that she could still see where she was going. It was as if the walls of the cave were emitting a soft, blue light. Though somewhere in her head Byakuren knew she should be wary, something had put her mind was in a haze, and she pressed on.
After what seemed like an eternity of wandering, just when she began to wonder how deep this cave could be, the crevice had opened up into a foreign landscape.
The sudden change in environment bringing her back to her senses. ?W-Where am I..?? she wondered. The cave had opened up into a massive barren landscape. In the distance, she could see the shapes of buildings that dotted the horizon. The air was dead still.
She looked overhead, and was amazed to see stars twinkling in the sky. But the arrangement and intensity of these stars were unfamiliar to her, with none of the familiar constellations that she used to navigate and guide her way on her travel. It was as if she was looking at an entirely different night sky.
?This isn?t Gensokyo.. is it?? Byakuren wondered as she walked on. Before she could fully take in her surroundings, her amazement was interrupted by the sharp feeling of killing intent that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She was not alone.
She wheeled around to face a towering bestial figure the likes of which she had never seen. The demon had leathery skin stretched across rippling muscles. It stood hunched over, with the massive fists dangling from its long sinewy arms almost scraping the ground. A pair of horns twisted around its head as a makeshift crown. Even hunched over, the demon was easily double Byakuren?s height, if not more, and Byakuren craned her head to stare into amber eyes devoid of pupils. The demon grinned, and flashed a row of dagger-like teeth.
?Oho.. a human? I haven?t tasted the flesh of a human in some time, what a treat.? The towering crimson-skinned monster sounded out in a low sandpapery voice, triggering a shiver through Byakuren?s body. She stood there paralyzed, caught in the monster?s gaze like a deer in headlights.
Byakuren?s self-preservation instinct kicked in, and her body went on auto-pilot as she narrowly leaped out of the way, and stared back at the fist that came crashing down on the spot she occupied just moments ago. The demon?s face contorted into one of surprise, not expecting the aging, frail human to be able to move so fast. It?s neck craned to look at Byakuren, and her heart seized in her chest.
?I can?t die here, not like this.? Byakuren pulled the scroll of St. Nikou from the folds of her clothing. It was a relic given to her by Myouren that he had obtained from one of his travels, and she used it as a focus to perform magic. In one deft motion she had unwrapped the scroll, and began muttering a chant that caused the runes of the scroll to burst in an aurora of color.
By then the demon removed his massive fist from the depression it created in the ground, and turned to face the monk. ?Oh? It seems like this one has a bit of life in her,? it rumbled. ?I suppose I should take this seriously then..?
The demon?s towering stature betrayed its lightning speed, and Byakuren was not prepared to dodge away from the second assault. Its fist impacted her side with a loud crack, and Byakuren was sent sprawling onto the ground, face in the dirt. She heaved, and flecks of blood splattered onto the ground. Her hands still gripped the scroll tightly.
The demon flashed a dagger-toothed grin, and loomed over her prone body. ?That?s all the fight you had in you? How disappointing. It?s time for your story to draw to a close, little human.?
?Myouren.. I can?t die here, not yet.. ? Byakuren strained out under labored breaths, and finished the incantation.
A purple light spread from the scroll to her, enveloping her in a dim aura. This time it was the demon?s turn to be caught off guard, as Byakuren launched herself straight up. She turned in the air, and landed on top of the fist that she had again barely managed to dodge.
The demon grunted in surprise as Byakuren dashed up its arm and dismounted, landing directly behind it. Wasting no time, Byakuren concentrated the physical enhancement aura around her fist, and propelled it straight into the demon?s right calf. Her fist stung, and Byakuren gritted her teeth through the pain.
The ground shuddered as the demon toppled forward, crying out in anguish. Twisting its body as it fell, the demon swung its arm around to strike her. Without missing a beat, Byakuren ducked under the blow, the arm missing its mark completely, and launched forward with a magic-enhanced kick to its side. A loud crack broke through the still air, and the monster roared out in anguish.
Byakuren took shallow breaths. Faced with her mortality, all thoughts of reason or constraint left her head. She reached deep within and pulled out her last reserves of energy, and pounced on her hapless prone foe with a flurry of blows. The demon raised its arms in a feeble attempt to defend itself from the assault.
The sound of bone and sinew snapping echoed throughout the empty landscape.
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As the feverish haze over Byakuren?s head began to lift, her blows began to lose their intensity, and her eyes slowly came back into focus. As she raised her fist above her head to deliver another crushing blow, she froze, and stared at the body below her.
The demon?s struggling had long since ceased, its form battered and disfigured by the force of her assault. She pulled herself off from the corpse, and stood, staring blankly at the gory scene.
?I.. what happened? What have I done..?? Her eyes darted from the mangled corpse, and back to her still-glowing, bloodstained hands. Byakuren kneeled on the floor, and heaved. As the adrenaline left her system, fatigue consumed her as she collapsed onto the ground.
As she lay there, before her vision faded away, a single thought flashed through her head.
?I? I don?t want to die..not here, not like this..?
***********
?This poor thing... Seems like she?s been through a lot. She managed to do quite a number on this one. ? The goddess in red mused as her eyes drifted towards the demon?s remains, then back to Byakuren crumpled heap.
Shinki had felt a disturbance in the eastern border of Makai, and was curious enough to investigate. Her head maid, Yumeko, had accompanied her. They had arrived at the scene just in time to see Byakuren collapse.
A pensive expression crossed Shinki?s face. ?How interesting.. a human managed to find her way into Makai.? She turned to face her head maid. ?Yumeko-chan, I want you to bring this one to Pandaemonium, and get her cleaned up. I?ll be along shortly, alright??
She gestured towards Byakuren?s unconscious body, and Yumeko complied. In one deft movement the maid hoisted Byakuren over one shoulder, and took to the skies. Shinki watched her form recede into the distance, before bringing her gaze back down.
?Hmm.. I suppose I should do something about that open gateway after all, if people are just wandering in here. A gatekeeper, maybe?? Shinki said to no one in particular, as her eyes drifted towards her surroundings. ?Now for some suitable material.. ahah! This?ll do nicely.? Her eyes rested on the battered remains of the demon. She raised one hand, and the body began to dissolve away, leaving behind a glowing red ball of substance.
Shinki approached the ball, and her fingers set to work gliding over the surface and shaping the material as if it were clay. She began with the rough outline, cutting away large chunks of the ball as they dissolved into thin air and smoothing over the rough edges, and in no time at all there was a roughly humanoid shape in front of her. She pulled a bit of white essence from the air, and used it to lighten the red of her hair and eyes to a nice pink. The remainder she weaved into the clothing, accenting the unchanged color of the red dress she sculpted.
In no time at all, her work was completed. From the mass of demonic essence, she had crafted the form of a young girl. ?And now for the finishing touch..? Shinki grasped the face of the simulacrum, and brought its lips inches from hers. She exhaled a breath, and as the figure took in the breath of life, a light flickered in her eyes. Shinki took a step back and surveyed her newly-aware creation, which seemed a bit unsteady on her feet.
?I think I will name you Sara. You think that?s a good name, don?t you Sara?? Shinki smiled sweetly at the girl, and Sara nodded back at her beaming creator. ?Now Sara-chan, I have a job for you~?
-----
There was a quiet knock on the doors of Shinki?s personal quarters. ?Come in, Yumeko-chan.? The door creaked open, and Yumeko stepped in. She bowed her head slightly before addressing Shinki.
?I?ve dressed the human?s wounds, and put her in clean clothes. She?s still unconscious, so I laid her down in one of the bedrooms on the East wing.?
?Good, good.? Shinki glanced at Yumeko, noting the slight apprehension in her voice. ?Was there something else??
?May I ask a question, Shinki-sama?? Yumeko paused for a moment, before asking. ?Why did you decide to help that human??
?They?re beautiful things, aren?t they? Caterpillars.? Shinki mused.
Yumeko tilted her head slightly. ?I?m sorry??
?Caterpillars, Yumeko. Even a creature as insignificant as a caterpillar..? Shinki raised the teacup to her lips. ?..if given the opportunity, can be reborn into a marvelous butterfly.? She took a sip. ?You?ve never seen a butterfly, have you Yumeko??
Once again Shinki?s thought processes are a mystery to all but herself, though Yumeko. She sighed softly. ?No, I can?t say I have.? Yumeko replied. ?There are no butterflies in Makai after all.?
?Indeed.? Shinki smiled to herself, and took another sip before setting her teacup back down.
*END Chapter One*
Next: Chapter Two - Mystic Fragrance of A Makai Butterfly