The Arukimiko
"1 week sure feels forever."
Thought a peach-skinned young lady who's beautiful and wore a black kimono with bright red spider lilies, a yellow obi and soft zori sandals. Her hair is simply worn loose.
She wanders the land with literally no reason to even deal with people.
But hey, this is the Meiji Era, not Sengoku Jidai. Just about...a couple decades away from her time, about three years before Showa ended.
By then, she'll be an old lady before she sees herself being born.
There are facts she learned just now.
One: she can use magic. Midoriko gave her a leg up to survive at least until she marries. Spells she needs to blend in, be hidden, and of course, battle. Midoriko gave her all spells known in Sengoku Jidai and got full access to her powers that she is now effectively the world's strongest miko. That damn jewel denied her of her home and time forever, and Midoriko managed to water it down by sending her to Taisho Era when she could have ended up in worse...
Two: she became a hardcore survivalist since her adventures and she put it to use here. She steals to survive and can rob banks. Boy money sure looked damn old...
Three: youkai ain't what it used to be...they're not just stronger and faster, but they can now regenerate quickly. But nothing compared to her power anyway, assuming she catches them before they get to her. What happened here in this alternate timeline? All youkai of folklore she knew are gone. Youkai here are all the same species strictly nocturnal or die from sunlight. Grayish-white skin with cat-like eyes of various colors and large teeth and fangs. She was sent to a world where anything about Shikon no Tama didn't exist as she made 'that wish', so the 'her' of the future 'here' will be a normal girl!
So she can live a normal life here in this time. A quite a ways away to Taisho Era.
Thank goodness for small mercies.
She stopped her aging until she finds happiness enough to let go. But this also meant all her biological functions other than the ability to live, breathe, see and think are halted as well. Thus she wondered how long, will she 'be 16'.
Musashi Province is now in the beginning stages of where her home city, Tokyo is. She even snuck to where her house would be one day. A time her grandfather is still a teenager. She jumped down the well, and it no longer worked because of her curse. That she was denied her ability to go home forever.
She studied all she could about this era so she can wander around. She was no longer used to city life and she wanted to be far away from her former home.
Took her five years to study all she wanted to know, before leaving and traveling.
She came across a forest with a lot of Wisteria at the edge...and had to save a boy before getting his skull crushed to a pulp and healing both him, and the other who's alive.
'W-who...are you?' the peach-haired boy croaked out weakly. 'You're not a participant, are you?' he was in utter disbelief that this girl came, and blasted pinkish-white light at this many-handed demon and turned him to ashes. Painfully at that since the bastard howled in sheer agony in seconds...and she's now healing his head on her lap. However, he could not see her face. Her face was covered with a fox mask that certainly wasn't hers! She wore a black kimono and has very long hair.
'Participant in what? I came here to travel across the country and I see you nearly become tomato sauce.' Kagome said snarkily, using illusions to appear to be around his age. 'I came across a pretty garden of wisteria trees and I went up...to see you nearly die. You and the other survivor are OK.' the boy gasped, frantically looking around for who it could be and saw a boy with long hair patched up as well.
'Giyuu!' he cried, crawling towards the boy he spoke up. 'I-Is he OK? Did he lose an eye? Half his face was bleeding!' he asked worriedly. Kagome shook her head.
'No, but its a close call.' Kagome then gave him two rosary necklaces. 'Wear this, and any demon who comes near you within six meters are ashes. Its powered up by good deeds, and weakens per bad deed until you're so bad it loses power entirely. Give this to the other survivor.'
'...what's the catch?' the boy asked, taking the necklaces.
Kagome shook his head.
'In a world like this, people sure demand something in return...but very few will offer help for the sake of simply helping.' she said. 'I'm what you call Arukimiko. A wandering miko with no temple to belong and stuff like that. Considering I'm literally the last real miko in this world while those you see in temples are merely girls in costumes assisting priests...yeah. Those girls are powerless.' she snorted. 'You can tell with those necklaces. You'll understand someday.' and she literally vanished.
'...she took Giyuu's mask.' the boy mused. 'She didn't want her face to be seen.'
But a girl who could have such power...why is she the last one left...?
But at any rate, her claims were real, he and Giyuu survived Final Selection without lifting a finger and their entire batch lived.
The boy never spoke of the masked girl until he and Giyuu got home.
xxx
Kagome wandered, undoing all illusions she put on herself, wondering what the hell was that all about. Final Selection? Making kids fight demons for whatever heck this is?
The mountain was also littered with swords. Some broken, some chipped. Useless to her.
She cast a spell to see and understand.
This mountain was a large cage for weak demons they call Oni, not Youkai. They all hate Wisteria Flowers as it's poison to them, as well as repulsive. Children of 13-15 come here to survive for a week, in order to pass an exam called 'Final Selection' to become Onigoroshi in an organization called Kisatsutai, an organization dedicated to protect humanity from Oni, but a shadowed existence that nobody knows about.
After all, seeing is believing, no? And if society found out, how would they react to the existence of Oni?
Some children die, some survived.
The souls of the children who fatally-failed, wander in grief, unable to pass on in failing to avenge their families against their killers.
So she decided to perform a ritual to help the kids pass on in peace. That's if, they accepted it, of course!
The trees here are alive, so they're usable. She took out a bell with pink string she carries and plucked a tree branch where she tied it to and planted the branch onto the ground.
She began praying, hands clapped together and gathering power needed for the spell.
'Tsutsushinde kanjyoutatematsuru.' she began, 'Miyashironaki konotokoronikourinchinza shitamaide shingunoharai...' by this point, the winds began to blow by causing trees to rustle as the atmosphere got peaceful. '...kazukazukazukazutairakeku yasurakeku kikoshimeshite wagautokorowo kannounoushiyu nasashimetamae.' she then made hand seals per word she spoke next. 'Rin. Pyou. Tou. Sha. Kai. Jin.' tree spirits came out and went to the bells, making it ring.
Children began to gather, appearing as how they died. Quite grisly at that.
'Its time to rest in peace now.' Kagome picked up the branch she ensorcelled, and made the bell ring towards the spirits, and each ringing made their souls whole and pass on. And when no more came, she stuck it back into the ground and finished it by clapping her hand, releasing the remaining power in the bell, before the strings of the bell untied on its own and fell to the soil, bouncing twice until it rolled a bit.
'Phew...all done.' she kept the bell and left the mountain. It's still night but as she was by flowers, she was safe.
She waited patiently until exam ends to watch what happens.
Days later...
By the entrance of the mountain, the surviving children were greeted by a white-haired young woman.
'Welcome back. You who returned have passed the Final Selection. Congratulations to all.' she was like a doll with an eerie gaze and a smile that may as well be drawn on her face. She has no emotion in expression and as she talks. 'You must first pay for the cost of the uniform, then get your body measured and have your rank engraved. There are ten ranks in total, from top rank to bottom: Kinoe. Kinoto. Hinoe. Hinoto. Tsuchinoe. Tsuchinoto. Kanoe. Kanoto. Mizunoe. And Mizunoto. You are now Mizunoto.'
'Today, you will choose a chunk of Tamagahane Alloy.' she moved aside to show them a table with plenty of raw ores. 'And also...' she then clapped her hands as a lot of crows descended on the kids. 'Kasugaigarasu will be following you all. They are our primary means of communication.'
"Heee...so they're a special breed." Kagome thought, intrigued.
'You may now proceed.' said the woman. 'Five at a time to be orderly. The alloy that will be used to forge the blade that will protect you and destroy oni, shall be personally chosen by you.' and so, the boys began choosing.
The two boys she rescued went with three others. They seem to be close friends.
Soon, when the boys left after paying up...
'...you can come out now.' the woman spoke, implying her.
'You can tell?' Kagome removed the illusions to show up.
'Yes. My husband knew that a shadow of an ally will be watching today.' said the woman. 'But he is curious as well. For he felt that you are a lost one who wants a home.'
Kagome flinched.
Is her husband psychic?!
'...a spiteful spirit of an oni I defeated cursed me by throwing me through time, cursed to be never able to go home ever again.' said Kagome softly. 'But the ancestral spirit of a Miko saved me, ensuring I land in this time. A time where women like us are finally treated right and finally got human rights and privileges when that bastard intended to send me where we women, are pitiful people...no rights to anything other than being a tool or a toy, used and be discarded on a whim. That was what Midoriko-sama told me.' she explained. 'Right now, I halted my aging in hopes I retain my body until I find a reason to end this technique.'
'That being?'
'Having a husband who'd want me, care for me and be a good husband and father. Things we women would want.' said Kagome. 'I lost my friends and family by being stranded in time. And judging by year gaps, they may as well be dead.' she laughed sadly. 'I wear black with graveyard flowers until I get over that I can't go home ever again. And I don't know what I should do, other than wander around and do whatever.'
'I see...you must have been from the past.' the woman mused. 'Was it that truly a cruel world?'
'Be lucky you're born in Meiji era, not Sengoku or worse, Edo where inhumanity is at its worst.' Kagome said wryly. 'I was just lucky that I was friends with good men back then. When we traveled together, I learned the cruel way that my good friends were seen as abnormal for treating me well when what's normal back then was making our lives in utter submission.'
'I...see...'
Her words clearly affected the normally unflappable woman.
'Well, I'll keep traveling, until I find a Mr. Right who'll be reason enough to make myself age again. I stayed sixteen for fifteen years since coming here. I had to learn how this era works after all so I don't get into a social pitfall.'
'I see...then, would you like to join the organization my husband leads? The Kisatsutai.'
'Uhm, I'm a Miko who practices Kyudo and Miko Sorcery so I'm not trained to be a swordsman...'
'Then, I shall guide you to trainers, shall I?'
xxx
Upon choosing a breath form to train under, Kagome traveled to where the location of the Breath of Water trainer, Urokodaki Sakonji. Because Kagome was literally unable to use a sword, Amane told her that the Breath of Water was the easiest for beginners and then later in life, can choose to pursue another form if skilled enough or better yet, create her own form afterwards after learning swordsmanship.
So she traveled to Mt. Sagiri to meet the man who would become her teacher, with a letter from Ubuyashiki Amane on hand.
She had to buy training clothes, and adjust her spell so her muscles can develop during training. She bought...
...a lot of yukata and zori for her own use.
'So you're a rather unique case.' said Sakonji, reading the recommendation letter he got from her. 'Sabito said you took Giyuu's mask before healing them? A miko huh...'
'...I don't want anyone outside to see my face for now.' said Kagome. 'Not even that lady saw my face.' she said as she removed her mask to show her face.
'Mm. You're older when Sabito thought you're just around their age...'
'Well, for me, age no longer matters now.' said Kagome. 'I removed some spells on me so my body can develop in training, but I still halted my aging.'
'Looks like you're in for a long journey until you remove that spell on your own free will.' said Sakonji. 'I'll be strict with you, girl. This job is no joke. Sorcerer-Types are physically weak and terrible at close-combat. Kyudo-types are no better so you must get better...or not even your spell will protect you.' he said seriously. 'Immortal yes, invincible no.'
xxx
A crow reached the engawa of a luxurious residence where a man sat. He listen to the crowing of the bird.
'I see...a miraculous large batch this time. That's rather unprecedented...but I am glad nonetheless.' he spoke kindly. 'As for that shadow...I'm glad she's on our side. Amane wants to tell me personally? Must be quite the story.'