"Seija!"

"Eh? Princess?" The amanojaku tilted her head upside-down to observe the inchling behind her. "Whaddaya want? Here to challenge me again? You know I won't lose!"

"It's simple, you know? Danmaku are a gift from the strong to the weak.

Do you believe that the Hakurei child would last for even an instant if

a monster like the boundary-dweller or myself were to let our power loose?

Of course not.

A game of mercy in which the weak can triumph over the strong,

in which survival is assured even in defeat…

Really, is it any wonder that an amanojaku refuses to surrender in

the face of such condescension?"

Shinmyoumaru gripped her needle sword with a trembling hand. "I'm here to challenge you, but not to danmaku!"

"Ehhhhh?" Seija's dagger-toothed grin widened. "You feelin' all right there, Princess? A pipsqueak like you wants to fight me?"

"If you wish for your feelings to reach her… Well, isn't it simple?

You'll just have to carve them into her heart, won't you?"

"I do!" Shinmyoumaru's cry echoed back at her from the stone walls.

"Well, well." Seija stood up and cracked her neck. "You wanna make yourself bigger first, Princess? I can wait for you to do that much, ya know? I'm a gracious one. No fun pickin' on a helpless bug."

"No." Shinmyoumaru shook her head. "I may be small and weak, but this is who I am." She drew her needle-sword and pointed it at Seija. "Even a one-inch bug has a half-inch soul! As the inchling Shinmyoumaru Sukuna, I challenge you to the death! Amanojaku, Seija Kijin!"

"Brave words, for a pipsqueak." The amanojaku's long tongue lolled out of her cavernous mouth. Drool spattered onto the ground, hissing as it ate away at the stone. "Too bad they'll be your last, eh?"

Shinmyoumaru's breath came in pained gasps. Her left arm was broken in four places, her right foot crushed. She wasn't sure if her right eye was missing or if the blood caking her face was just blotting out her vision — it hurt, either way. The gash in her side had lost enough blood that she felt light-headed.

But she knelt on Seija's face, the needle-sword hovering just over the amanojaku's left eye.

"Not bad, Princess," Seija rasped. She convulsed as she coughed, blood spraying onto Shinmyoumaru's face. The inchling didn't flinch. "Who'da thought you would beat me…"

If Shinmyoumaru was on death's doorstep, Seija had collapsed halfway across the mantle. The amanojaku's right arm lay on the other side of the cave, along with half of her right foot and three of the toes from her left. Her stomach was more wound than flesh, and somewhere along the line she had lost both an ear and a horn.

"It's obvious that I would," Shinmyoumaru whispered.

"Huh? Lookin' down on me after all that?" Seija glared, but it subsided into a weak, bloody laugh. "…Guess you've earned it."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Shinmyoumaru sliced a line into Seija's forehead before moving the needle-sword back to its threatening position. "What kind of amanojaku are you, saying that?" She shook her head. "I won because I had something to fight for. I am the inchling, Shinmyoumaru Sukuna! I was born to inspire the small and weak! Why were you fighting, amanojaku, Seija Kijin?"

"That's obvious, ain't it? I'm an amanojaku, through and through!"

"You want to know why she's so contrary?

You do realize that she's an amanojaku, don't you?

But then, perhaps you aren't so naive as you look…

…That's right, we youkai are born for the sake of humanity.

Though we may roar and beat our chests and deny the truth,

there's not a one of us that doesn't know why we were born.

Every one of us has a purpose.

What cause, I wonder, might birth an amanojaku,

who lives to turn the world upside-down…?

Ah, perhaps I've said too much."

"You liar, Seija." The first tears fell from Shinmyoumaru's eyes and landed on the amanojaku's cheek. "Do you remember what you said when you came to me the first time?"

Seija stared up at her, silent.

"'Let's make a world where the weak have nothing to fear.'" Shinmyoumaru refused to wipe away her tears. "I still believe in Seija Kijin, the amanojaku who said those words to me!"

"What?" Seija scoffed. "Even after all of this? You're a damn fo-"

"You're right, I'm a fool!" Shinmyoumaru moved the needle-sword closer to Seija's eye. "But that's why you exist, isn't it, amanojaku? I know you've lied to me! I know you've lied to me countless times! But that wasn't a lie, was it? Even if it was the only true thing you've said to me… That's why you were born!"

Shinmyoumaru felt Seija grit her teeth.

"You're weak!" She saw the amanojaku's eye widen. "You're incredibly, pathetically weak! You're a liar, you have a bad personality, and nobody in their right mind would ever think of you as a friend!" It was getting harder to speak through her tears. "But I'm weak too! I'm a coward, and a crybaby, and I know nothing about the world! Even if it was all a lie, being with you made me so unbelievably happy! I wouldn't change a single thing about my life!"

"…We had a good run, didn't we, Princess." Seija's voice was soft. "Almost had 'em, right up until the end."

"Yeah, we did." Shinmyoumaru sniffled. "…I'm sorry for abandoning you. When you kept on fighting… I wanted to join you. I did! But I was scared, and I ended up turning against you, and starting that hunt…"

"Oh, if it isn't the cute little amanojaku everyone is kicking up such a fuss about.

What ill wind brings you to my garden?

…Fight you? I'm sorry, but it's far too nice a day for that.

Besides, two-on-one wouldn't be a fair match at all!

Next time, bring at least a hundred, will you?

…Oh my, you mean you didn't notice?

Those tools you're carrying reek of that inchling child that visited earlier.

They're her power, you know?

…Abandoned you? How absurd.

Those tools still work, don't they?"

"…No. You never abandoned me, Princess." Seija closed her eyes. "…You were the only friend I had, right up to the very end." Her eyes opened again. "…It wasn't so bad, bein' by your side. Gotta say, if I had to pick a way to die…" Her mouth twisted into a broad grin, the motion causing Shinmyoumaru to bounce. "It'd be nothin' like this."

"…Liar."

Shinmyoumaru dropped the needle-sword to the ground and lay down along Seija's cheek.

"…Not gonna finish me, Princess? I'm gonna die either way, ya know."

Shinmyoumaru shook her head, knowing that the amanojaku would feel the motion. She felt weak, her body no longer possessing the strength to move. Her slowing heartbeat grew faint even to her own ears.

"…Hey, Seija?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"I love you."

Seija was silent for a moment. The inchling girl's eyes fluttered.

"…Love you too, Shinmyoumaru."

"You're still having doubts, little inchling?

…I see, I see.

How ridiculous you are!

That girl is an amanojaku, is she not?

What kind of sorry amanojaku would simply submit to a law

that says she can't feel love?"

Author's Note:

I must confess, I'm not usually fond of writing anything straightforward — this is, perhaps, as close as I get. Dialogue-heavy pieces aren't my preference either, and perhaps that shows.

It likely says something that I consider this a deeply romantic piece, though I'll leave it to you to determine what exactly that may be.

There's a depressing lack of content featuring Shinmyoumaru, let alone alongside Seija. Ahh, I ship it, but Seija's an amanojaku after all. A straightforward romance doesn't suit her at all.

Really, this feels like the finale to a longer work, doesn't it? Perhaps someday I'll extend it from the start, beginning with the first meeting between the pair and leading all through DDC and ISC. For now, it stands alone — and is not, I think, any the worse for that. We know the tale, in broad strokes.

There are a number of ideas and layers that I played with in this one — I wonder how many of those are apparent on a first reading, or visible at all to those who aren't aware of the thought process I had while writing this. Will anyone understand the title…? Still, there should be enough to tell a story even with just a surface-level reading of the text.

The identity of the italicized speaker should become obvious rather quickly, and even a careless reader will recognize her by the penultimate memory. Why her? I wonder… Well, the answer should become clear if you think about it.

The conclusion is somewhat ambiguous. Perhaps this is an ending, or perhaps…? I'll leave it to you to believe what you wish. From here on, the tale is for the dreamers.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this simple love story.