"Hey, you think you're so tough cuz you can kick well!?" a boy asked when he and his friends shoved me. One of their own tried to pick on me and I put him down by kicking him in the stomach. Something I was taught to do to deal with their kind. In hindsight, their loyalty was surprising given that bullies surrounded by "friends" usually lose those friendships when they're beaten up. Although he may have not been the leader.
Being young, the concept of dodging wasn't ready in the minds of children. And so, strongest won, the biggest groups won. As one of those who was alone and weak, I was easily crushed. So I tried to change things.
But this time it became worse.
Where did I go wrong? I learned how to kick, didn't I? So why am I still weaker than the others?
Wait, a minute...how am I this weak? Last I checked, I was one of the most capable fighters among the Tengu, unsurpassed by all even the Dai Tengu in combative ability. So why am I weak, slow and on the ground?
...I see, this is from that time...
...These memories happened over a century ago...
I was being bullied, I lashed out, thinking I could make them stop. Now I am on the ground...
I remember cursing myself, or as how far a pup with limited vocabulary could curse anyways. And they kicked me while I was down. Alone, hurt, and weak.
They stopped kicking me...is it over?
No, this was when I first met him...
The wings on his back and big nose indicated that he was of the Hanataka Tengu, in spite the fact he was large enough to be thought a child of the Dai Tengu.
"You want some of this!?" he shouted at the bullies as he rushed them. Although his voice was high pitch and squeaky to an adult, his voice was deep and intimidating to those his age, all on top of his aura of strangeness. Combined with his body mass being big enough for someone to think he was a century older than he was, he didn't have many friends.
That was until he saw me getting bullied and decided to help me. All it took was a shove at the leader of the bullies and the rest backed down.
...Yeah, right. They all ganged up on him and proved that his stronger self was no match for their numbers. But this helped me get off my feet; I tried to help him since he helped me.
We lost, but this defeat was not as bitter as before.
He made a friend, me being bullied happened less often from then on.
Wait...when did this happen in regards to me learning self defense? Well it doesn't matter.
...
Where am I now? This place is...the place where I began formal training as a Tengu Guard.
Although I am surrounded by my peers, my own friends are either not my age or not my sub-race. Thus, in this year of training, I will be alone. I was in a line of girls and boys my age. We were all the same type of Tengu, whitish hair, matching wolf features. We were lined up and he was pacing from one end to the other in front of us. This man who would be training us.
He lifted a tightened fist into the air, speaking out authoritatively.
"If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight!" He paused for a moment and looked at us.
"Hoshiguma said that, and I think she knows a little more about fighting than you do, mutts," he said when poked my head hard, "Because she invented it!"
He turned away and continued pacing.
"And then she perfected it until no living creature could best her in the ring of honor!" He likely stole that line from someone else, someone as idiotic as him. He turned and looked at us again.
"And that's exactly what we're going to make you! Keen, mean, killing machines!"
Who were we fighting? By the time training would be over, the war would be over, I should suspect. We would be no longer used as a militia and would be used as actual guards.
"You are all weak! You are all pathetic! But when I am through with you, you'll be unkillable by any living creature in Gensokyo save the Oni themselves!"
In spite the fact that my own personal training had ensured that I was the physically most capable Hakurou present aside from Surudoi Me, I could not help being afraid.
...
Wait, darkness again? This...this place, I am outside...Oh yes, this was the night I killed that man, that Oni who disgusted me. He was returning to the mountain with a human he kidnapped.
"Hehehe, any creature that has to rely on dishonest tricks isn't fit to live in freedom." Was that what he said? I don't remember.
Why did I run at him? He disgusted me, yes, but was that enough reason for me to attack him? After I collided with him from the tackle, we're both on the ground. He recovered first and struck me with his foot. I heard the sickening breaking of bones.
I couldn't breathe due to the injury. He lifted me by the throat.
"A Tengu attacking an Oni? This can be punished by death!"
"Fight," I gasped out. The Oni looked at me like I was odd. "FIGHT!"
I think I was coughing up blood.
The human attacked the Oni in the back with... I don't remember. The human woman attacked him with something. Was it a knife? If so, where did it come from? Or perhaps it was a spell? This memory is too muddled for my to remember that detail.
The Oni dropped me in pain, then immediately spun... back-handed the human, causing her to fly.
"Bitch, I'll make you pay for that!" he yelled, walking to her. I had a clear shot at him and his back was turned to me. I made the hand motions as quickly as I could while being injured.
I recall it hurting a lot.
"Dark...as...night...fast...as...light..." I started.
Normally, Lighting magic infused with Darkness merely makes Lightning that was harder to invoke weakness of, and created more painful strikes to be bared against an enemy. But when invoked in the most basic form of the mix, it had two added effects; increased damage and disintegration-on-death to any of the Oni species it struck.
"Strike...my...enemy...with...all...my...might."
He turned to look at me, wondering what I was saying...probably.
"Black Lighting."
Black was the color, crooked was the shape. It came out of my body and launched itself at him, arcane energy that had taken the form of Electricity and Darkness. The horned bipedal monster screamed in pain upon impact, but the scream was short as the energy vanished.
The Oni's body fell to the ground, and began to crumble into dust from the impact.
Then darkness took me, my eyes closed for an undetermined amount of time.
...
"Are you okay?!" I opened my eyes to see a human woman over me.
Oh yes, she was grateful that I saved her...I don't recall feeling happy about saving her. I wasn't even happy about my research into an Anti-Oni spell being a success.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Kaiser Dude for proof reading. This chapter is abnormally short, and unlike the last one that was this short, it doesn't end here. Well, with Sasuke having flashbacks, hopefully I can reintroduce the "Slice of life" genre into this fic. If not, then I apologize.
As for Sasuke's alignment, the people who voiced their opinion (you have my thanks, all [three?] of you) gave me enough stuff to work with. Ethically Neutral by way of ethical ambiguity. More morally good than morally neutral. This gives me a Neutral Good character. That said, if anyone ever decides that we apply our Touhou OCs into a table top format that requires an alignment, I have something to go off of. As silly and meaningless as it was, thank you for your time and effort.
I hope Sasuke's backstory isn't angsty or traumatic, please tell me if it is.
