Hate
Chapter 1
Lesson 1
A great roar of anguish pierced the air surrounding Kamiki Village. Seemingly summoned by the chilling sound, an unexplainable darkness formed within the village and swirled around the source of the sound. A strange mass began to emerge out of the darkness to form a pure black beast that reared its massive head and let out another great roar, a hateful sound full of fury and malice.
Driven by the creature's strong feelings of hate, the darkness shot into the sky, seeming to pierce the heavens like a sinister arrow. Anything still alive to bear witness to the beast's show of utter hatred likely prayed to the great goddess Amaterasu who had left the human world decades ago. All except for one lone figure, who was watching the beast from a cliff overlooking Kamiki Village with a predatory smile and calculating eyes.
As the giant animal's roar slowly died down, the streak of darkness that pierced the heavens began to dissolve. Leaving only bitterness in the air and dark clouds that blocked the sun's light. Inhaling deeply, the lone figure watched with cruel amusement as the darkness surrounding the beast dissipated along with the body of the monster, leaving what he knew to be a frightened little girl with powers that could grant him the world once fully realized. Turning around, he began to descend down the mountain trail into the village, smirking at the sakura trees by the path as they rapidly began to fade and shed their foliage. The demonic energy was likely suffocating them along with Konohana further up the mountain.
He stalked through the village, stepping upon blood smeared paths and the various mauled and torn apart bodies. He ignored the invigorating smell of human and demon blood and instead followed the distinct scent of his prey to the location where she had mastered the first and most important lesson all demons must learn in order to survive and become powerful. How to hate.
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It's so dark. It feels like I'm underwater. It's hard to move my body. I feel light headed. My muscles are burning, and the sounds seem so far away. Everything is making me feel so nauseated. The overpowering smell of blood and the feel of it under my hands and feet, the strangled roar emanating from my own throat. The sudden clarity of my surroundings, sight, sound, hearing, smell, touch, hit me like a punch and brought me back into reality.
The sky was dark but everything seemed so clear to me. Looking down, I noticed that the ground was far beneath me and that there was a thick layer of black fog below. Even so I could hear the faint rustlings of whatever wildlife was hiding from all the evil energy and demons.
Now with my mind cleared I could feel my body shrinking, and the darkness around me began to dissipate into my own body. The curled figure of Mitsuru at my feet made the darkness inside of me stir, hate. That's what the darkness was; it powered my new body, made the fur grow, my legs lengthen, claws form, teeth sharpen into fangs, a tail form, my face become feline, and new ears replace my inadequate human ones. If there had been any demons that hadn't fled when I suddenly grew, I knew I would have gone into a rage, killed, and eaten them.
As far as I could tell once I stopped shrinking I was around the size of a large horse, taller than most of the men in the village. I stooped down and gently took Mitsuru in my jaws. Her limp body and the taste of her blood in my mouth angered me still. I began to run, away from the village, away from the death and blood, I only took Mitsuru, I would be fine as long as I had her with me.
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The day Mitsuru died, it shattered my life, stomped all over it till there were only bits and pieces of it left. Held together with blood, hate, and darkness, barely a shadow of what I used to be.
I hardly ever returned back to my human shape after that, most of the time I remained a large, black cat. I buried Mitsuru's body under the guardian sapling in Hana Valley. I guarded the valley well, so no demons could get to her body or desecrate her grave.
Demons entering Hana Valley was a common occurrence, a threatening hiss sent most on their way. If they chose to stay and fight me I would kill and eat them. As a cat their taste didn't bother me much and the blackness inside me would become thicker and darker after each meal.
Aside from the occasional snack break, I didn't have much else to do in Hana Valley. I did my best to keep the sakura trees from withering. Though I was partially successful, despite my best efforts the guardian sapling Mitsuru was buried under stubbornly remained withered.
It was three years after Mitsuru died that he appeared. He would start a chain reaction of events that would turn my world upside down.