Origin Stories of the Shichinintai:
The Man Eating Giant
Child bearing is the most beautiful part of life. Two people in love; coming together to create the most innocent thing to ever touch the face of earth. However, this wasn't one of those times. A young woman lay on the floor, covered in blood. The desperate cries of an infant fiending for his mother flooded the shack. The old wooden floor creaked under the steps of a heavily armored man. He disappointedly examined the scene through a red clay mask that he wore to cover his face. "I did what I could my lord; but the bleeding just wouldn't stop." A middle-aged woman in white (the mid-wife) explained.
He gave her no response. Pulling the thin blanket down to expose the newborn, he scoffed in disgust. "What a hideous child…" The general muttered.
"My lord, with no mother to care for the child. How will you explain this to your wife?" She asked concerned.
If he was going to care for the child he would have to confess his short-comings as a husband to the woman he claimed to devote his life to. He had no such intentions. "Take the infant deep inside the mountain range and leave him. I will send soldiers to assist you on the way." He said this with no emotion.
"Devil!" An elderly woman barged through the door.
It was the mother of the woman who had just gave birth and died in doing so. She had lost her sight years ago, and was well into her eighties. Rumors had it that she toyed in witchcraft in her younger days; he just passed the rumors off as tall-tales. "You'd throw my only grandchild away as well as my daughter!" She managed to hit the general with her cane.
"Very well then, old woman. You can join the child." He knew that this old woman would attempt to expose his wrong-doings.
Soldiers arrived that night to escort them to the mountains. The elderly woman held her only descendant tightly, in her shackled hands. "I will not survive the mountains. I am old, and in a week's time; I will surely perish." The men and general chuckled carelessly at the statement the old woman made.
"My grandson will survive. One way or another; you will regret this, General!" She warned before the soldiers lead them off.
A week soon went by. The elderly woman laid dying on the ground. She cradles the infant in her hands. "Oh, my beautiful, strong grandson." She said weakly.
"I have to leave you now. But don't be scared. For I have blessed you with extraordinary ability. You won't fight; but instead you will devour your enemies and their life's energy with it. So, you will continue to grow and become big, strong, and fearsome. All will cower and flee in your presence."
The infant began to squirm in her arms and cry out; almost as if to plea with her to stay. "My precious boy. I am glad I lived long enough to meet you; if only for a week." And with that the old woman took her last breath.
Oddly enough, the boy began to grow razor sharp teeth. He cried out in agonizing pain as they all quickly grew in at once. Anything living will instinctively fight to stay alive, even newborn such as this one. The hunger had become too much for this new life to bare. Laying on the cold ground, still hardly able to move himself, still cradled in his grandmother's arms; he began to gnaw on her flesh.
Many tales came from the mountain range in the years to come. Stories of a behemoth, ogre man, that preyed on both man and demon alike. A monster whose hunger could never be satisfied. The few who dared to pass through the range, were never to be seen again. Six men had come to this very mountain range after hearing the tales. One man stood strong on the path leading up to the mountain range. He carried a large halberd, and a long raven braid trailed all the way down his back. His cerulean eyes gazed upon the mighty landscape. Unlike many men before him; he was not here to hunt the beast down. He had something entirely different in mind. His name was Bankotsu, and though very young; he was a superb fighter. "Hey! What are you men doing?" A villager came running out of his hut.
"You can't go in there you'll all be killed." The man warned.
"Is that so?" Bankotsu said with growing interest.
"This mountain range is home of the ogre man. He's been devouring unfortunate souls that wandered through there for years! Even the strongest of demon slayers and soldiers!" The aging villager explained.
The group of men looked at each other. Oddly enough they all seemed rather excited. "Can you tell us any more about this 'ogre man'" Renkotsu, one of the six men asked.
Renkotsu was bald, and he was tall. He wore a blue bandana that sheltered his bald head from the sun. "Well, no one knows where he came from exactly. The only known facts about him is that he feeds off human and demon flesh, and he is so tall that he makes even the tallest of trees look like ants. He has never left survivors." The man explained,
"No survivors?" Bankotsu asked even more intrigued. "How did the stories begin, I wonder…"
The villager looked dumbfounded as the men casually continued their trip towards the mountains. Jakotsu, Mukotsu, Suikotsu and Ginkotsu was also among the group. Jakotsu could have easily been mistaken as a woman, and craved other men the way women do. Mukotsu was a short man, and kept his rather unattractive face covered with a veil. Suikotsu was of an average height, but was a well-built man with wild, short, brown hair. Ginkotsu was a sight to be seen. He was half man, half machine. His body modifications were all credited to his brother Renkotsu.
Nearly a week went by, and the group of men had no luck in seeing the ogre man they traveled so far to see. "Older brother, do you think they really were just stories?" Renkotsu asked ready to give up on the search.
Just then, a silence fell over the land, flocks of birds vacated from the trees, the earth underneath them shook as very large footsteps approached. Trees were bent apart from each other as, a monstrous pair of hands parted them to get a clear view of the six trespassers. "More demon slayers that have come here to rest in my belly." He chuckled loudly, licking his lips.
The six men looked up at a being so large he was almost like a moving mountain. The monster sent a fist crashing down towards the men, they all quickly dove out of the way. Bankotsu gracefully jumped on the ogre man's arm and began running up to his head. The monster grabbed at the young fighter with his other hand but, Bankotsu could dodge him each time. The beast growled in frustration as he finally grabbed the young man. "I can sense your life force, and I must have it." The beast growled eagerly.
He tossed him into his gigantic jaws, and was just about to chomp down. Suddenly, the beast froze; mouth still open. Bankotsu stood on his tongue pointing his mighty halberd to the roof of the monster's mouth. "Do it; and you're dead." Bankotsu warned.
"I didn't come to slay you. I came following the rumors of a behemoth that devoured the flesh of both man and human." Bankotsu began to explain. "I can provide for you all of the flesh you yearn for."
The beast took the young soldier out of his mouth and placed him back down on the ground. "What do you mean?" the behemoth was confused.
"I seek to put together the most powerful group of mercenaries in the land. I've heard your stories, and have traveled far to find you."
The beast was silent; taking in what the young soldier was saying. He could see the strength in each of the six men. Each one held strength he had never seen before, especially Bankotsu. "So, what do you say? Are you ready to ditch these mountains, and come with us?" Bankotsu asked.
Typically, people didn't wander into these parts to recruit a beast like himself. Either they were there to hunt him down, or just simple travelers that didn't believe the stories. Hearing that there were people out there that wanted him to be a part of something; humbled him in a way he had never felt. The behemoth agreed to Bankotsu offer. "Everyone, welcome our new brother, Kyoukotsu." Bankotsu smirked victoriously.
After being alone in the mountains for so long; he was unsure of traveling with others. Now that he had been given a new name; he could now be Kyoukotsu, instead of the 'behemoth' or 'ogre man'. "Now let's go see what our younger brother can do." Bankotsu said with a devilish smirk as he led his men back towards the mountains.
"Kyoukotsu; It's all yours." Bankotsu gestured to the village as they approached.
The people of the small village began to panic as Kyoukotsu approached. "The behemoth has descended from the mountains!" They screamed.
They all tried to escape but to no avail. The power, and newfound freedom that Kyoukotsu felt; he wondered why he didn't leave the mountains sooner. Completely liberated; he devoured villager after villager, stomping others into the ground. He crushed homes with his fists. Bankotsu watched in satisfaction; the formation of the Shichinintai was now complete.