Act 3: A Familiar Face
On their way to the Kai shrine, Oboro and Yuzuruha ran into an elderly lady in a small home. Oboro was surprised that a couple were living in this wasteland. Before approaching her, Yuzuruha transformed herself to appear as a normal white fox. The old lady blinked in surprise at Oboro.
"A girl carrying a sword? My, my," she had said, shaking her head. "And your lovely kimono is all ripped up, not to mention to blood stains. Are you a violent girl, m'dear?"
Oboro shook her head. "No, I only carry these weapons for self-defense," she said.
"Oh, I see," the elderly lady said. "You are a pretty girl, would you mind if I fixed your hair, and cleaned and fixed your kimono?"
Oboro shot at glance at Yuzuruha. The fox shrugged. "I wouldn't mind at all," Oboro said, smiling at the elderly lady.
"Come let's get you inside," she said.
"Um... can the foxes come with?" Oboro asked, licking her lips. "They're good friends of mine and I don't want to lose them."
The elderly lady worked her face and then said, "all right, just make sure they don't shed." Oboro nodded and entered her little home.
-S-
It took a few hours, but after some work, Oboro's hair was set in place, and she felt clean wearing her fresh kimono. She noticed Kiku was keeping a distance from Yuzuruha with a disgusted look on her face.
Thanking the elderly lady, Oboro continued westward to the shrine. Once they were out of the house's earshot, Yuzuruha transformed back into her humanoid self, opening her umbrella and looking rather amused.
"That won't last long," she said, half-teasing, half-warning. "You know your kimono will be damaged again sometime soon, correct?"
"Yes," Oboro said, rolling her eyes. "But it was nice of her, and she didn't charge me, so I believe it's all right." She stopped and scratched Kiku's furry head. "You've been a good girl, haven't you, Kiku?"
The fox licked Oboro's hand, and kept close to her legs. She smiled at the little fox and then looked for Yuzuruha. She saw the kitsune walking ahead of her on the road. Oboro ran to catch up.
"Sorry," she said.
"About what?" Yuzuruha asked.
Oboro glanced left and right, and then shrugged. "Nothing, I suppose," she said, feeling embarrassed. "So, who is this friend of yours that I'm going to meet?"
"You'll see." Yuzuruha twirled her umbrella.
-S-
Twilight was crawling over the horizon when Oboro arrived at the shrine with Yuzuruha. She was surprised to see a campfire already made in the middle of a clearing filled with soft grass. She noticed a boy with black hair and cyan scarf. His eyes were shadowed as if he desperately needed sleep. Upon her approach, he looked at her swiftly; she realized he was quite alert.
"Oh, hello," Oboro said. "I—" Wait a minute! she thought, alarmed. "Aren't... aren't you supposed to be dead?"
The boy stared at her like she had gone insane. "No, why should I?"
"Because I thought you and I fought each other to the death on a flaming mountain. You were... dead in my vision," she said slowing down. His expression didn't change. He looked at Yuzuruha.
"Is this... the girl?" he asked the kitsune, pausing as if to skip her name. Did he know something?
"Yes, she is," Yuzuruha said. She sat down at the campfire and beckoned Oboro to follow suit.
"No, wait!" she exclaimed. "I need to know! How did you survive?" she asked the boy. She saw the kitsune shake her head at her in warning. Oboro ignored it. "And why did we fight to the death on that mountain?"
"On Mount Kongo?" the boy said. He snorted. "I can't tell you why, but I'll at least tell you my name. It's Kisuke."
Lightning struck Oboro's mind as she heard his name, and voices from the past echoed in her head.
"If you do not turn back, you will have to face Kisuke, master of the Muramasa and the Oboro Style."
"Damn! I lost to a girl? Well, if I'm going to die, I'll take her down with me!"
"Oh no! What do I do? Be strong...! Please don't die!"
"My life is over, Momohime. This wound is far too deep to be healed. Hm... interesting... with the last of my strength, I will save your soul and body. Just... remember... my..."
Her vision blurred and she barely felt the ground crash into her head. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.
-S-
"She passed out because I told her my name..." Kisuke said, kneeling over the unconscious 'Oboro.' "Her mind really is fragile like you said it would be, Yuzuruha."
The kitsune nodded with a sad face, she moved over to Oboro and knelt down, she placed the girl's head on her knees. "Indeed. Do not worry though, Kisuke," she said with a comforting voice. "Her mind wasn't close to breaking, she just heard barely enough information to pass out. She's fine. In fact, this will be good for her mind."
Kisuke went to the campfire and sat down. "What do you mean?" he asked, picking up a stone, and glancing at her.
"When she passes out, it means her mind has 'shut down,' in order to prevent any damage," the kitsune explained. "Just be sure to use your best judgment when giving her information. It's best to error on the side of giving her the least amount."
He nodded and tossed the stone from hand to hand, his gaze not moving from Yuzuruha. "Why doesn't her mind do that every time she gets too many memories of her past?" he asked.
"Because—"
"Jinkuro..." Oboro muttered in her sleep.
Kisuke dropped the stone. What? Jinkuro? "Did she just mention...?" he asked. Yuzuruha nodded. "Why?"
The kitsune smirked at him. "You know why. I told you," she said.
Kisuke sighed. "That's right. I still don't understand why any woman would want him, though," he said, picking up the stone again.
He looked a little fox that had followed them. It was keeping a good distance from Yuzuruha and had a sour expression on its face. At least, Kisuke thought it did. How would a normal fox have expressions like that?
"Kongiku?" Yuzuruha said to the fox. It began to growl at her. "Now, now..."
"Wait... Kongiku?" Kisuke dropped the stone again. "That's the kitsune you—"
She nodded at him, and then turned back to Kongiku. "Don't growl at me. I'm very pleased with you. In fact, I feel a little guilty for cursing you now," she said with a solemn expression. Kongiku stopped growling and looked at her fellow kitsune with curiosity. "Because you have been so kind and so loyal to Oboro, I will restore you... in time. I see your kindness as penance for stealing the Muramasa Mask."
The fox began to wag her tag happily. Yuzuruha smiled at her. "Though, not yet. I don't want you to scare Oboro if you start talking. You're still 'Kiku' to her."
Then, Kongiku nodded at the kitsune. Kisuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"She's really not a normal fox if she can understand all that," he said.
Yuzuruha chuckled. "You're right, I actually left some of her ability to understand because I was gambling on the hope that she would follow Oboro," she explained.
"And you gambled right," Kisuke said with a grin. "You were always the wise one."
"Oboro... Jinkuro..." the girl muttered again. Kisuke noticed she was tossing and turning in her sleep; not fast, fitful motions, but slow, painful motions. It was as if her dreams were torturing her physically.
Jinkuro... he wondered again. Why? He hated her. He used her body for horrible things! Yet... she seems to desire him. Kisuke continued to watch Oboro as she slept.
-S-
"Jinkuro!" Oboro cried out. "Jinkuro! Where are you?" She was walking on darkness again. In fact, this time, it was black water she walked across.
But that didn't matter, Oboro had a feeling she would find something this time. Find what? Jinkuro? But who was he? Oboro grasped her head as it ached, and yet, her heart was yearning for this man...? Was he a man? She could not remember.
The floor dried, and some dim light appeared. Oboro found herself on a road; there were several bamboo trees around her. She had the strangest urge to follow the road.
She did so, and eventually came to a large set of stairs. Climbing the stairs, she found herself standing before a great castle. That building! I know it! I've seen it before... maybe I've even been inside. ... but how? I'm just a village girl... aren't I?
Oboro continued up the steps and met a pair of guards at the door. They smiled at her. "Princess Momohime!" one said. "Welcome home!"
That name again! Oboro thought. Then, everything twisted into darkness and chains shot out from all sides, binding her. "Not again!" she exclaimed. "Set me free at once!"
The shadowed figure appeared, and Oboro could sense a wicked grin behind his cloak of darkness. "I told you," he said with a dark voice. "You've chosen to bind yourself to him. Therefore, I cannot free you. Instead, you will die." He turned around and laughed a cold, sinister laugh.
"Come back here!" Oboro shouted. "I don't understand you! Who is 'him?' And why do you keep allowing me to be bound by chains! Tell me!"
The shadowed figure said nothing. Instead, he continued to laugh and left Oboro alone in the darkness.
"Help me!" she screamed. "Help me!"
-S-
"Jinkuro!" Oboro shouted as she shot upright. She was covered in cold sweat, and her throat was dry. She looked up to see Yuzuruha looking down on her with a gentle, comforting smile. Oboro glanced toward the campfire to see a very startled Kisuke. She felt Kiku licking her hand, and she scratched behind the fox's ears.
"I... I'm sorry," she said, rubbing her head even though it didn't hurt. "I didn't mean to..."
"Sorry?" Yuzuruha giggled. "Sorry about what? Scaring Kisuke? Don't worry, Oboro, he'll get over it."
Kisuke exhaled. "Yes, I will. That was just... the first time I saw you awake from a dream," he said, appearing to relax a little.
"Nightmare, really," Oboro said with a frown. "I have nightmares every time I sleep. They are... so disturbing." She shivered as if she were still on Mount Fuji.
"Would you like to share?" Yuzuruha asked. "You only passed out, so it shouldn't be dangerous."
"Yes," Oboro said, feeling relieved. She rarely shared her dreams with anyone and they were such a burden to her. She explained what happened; the black water, the road with the river, and then the castle. "... I felt like I had been there before—inside even—and the guards... they greeted me as 'princess Momohime,'" she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.
"Interesting," Yuzuruha said. Her voice betrayed her; Oboro could tell that the kitsune knew something about her dream.
She decided not to push it. "That castle... I bet if I went to it and got inside, I could find out a lot more about my past. And... if I'm truly princess Momohime," she said, feeling a little dazed.
"I think that is unwise," the kitsune said. "That castle... was Narukami Castle. And yes, it is important to you, Oboro, but... you need to condition your mind first. If you go in there—"
"Then my mind will break down?" Oboro finished for her. "Yes, I understand. I... don't want to go insane. But..."
"We should try," Kisuke interjected.
Oboro looked at him in surprise.
"No risk, no reward," he said, tossing a stone from hand to hand, yet not leaving his gaze from the two girls. "Something I was taught by my masters a long time ago."
Oboro heard Yuzuruha sigh in defeat. "I suppose so. Narukami Castle is in the Mino province, which is a fair distance away. We can travel there... through the Shinano province," she said. "I really think... that this is a bad idea, but if you're both so determined..." Oboro nodded at her. "... then I cannot stop you. Regardless, I will come with you."
"Can Kiku come?" Oboro asked, looking at her little fox friend. She noticed that she was sitting close to Yuzuruha, and had stopped growling.
"Of course," Yuzuruha said, smiling. "She's your loyal friend after all. But she cannot go into the castle. You'd have to go alone, Oboro. Well... Kisuke could escort you to the door."
"Very well," Oboro said; she smiled at the kitsune. "Thank you for allowing me to go there."
"This is your journey, Oboro," she said softly. "Not mine. You are the leader. I'm only here to advise you."
"Why is Kiku not growling at you anymore, Yuzuruha?" Oboro asked. She looked at the fox again, who seemed quite happy. "She seems... relaxed."
"Don't worry about it right now, you should probably get some real sleep," she said, pointing to the sky. Stars had filled the night and it was obviously late.
"But... I don't feel very tired," Oboro said.
"Speak for yourself," Kisuke said with a yawn. "I need to sleep." He took out a sheathed sword and laid it across his legs.
"Wait!" Oboro exclaimed. "That's a Muramasa! How did you...? How have you not lost yourself to bloodlust?"
"Oh, well, " Kisuke smiled. "I am a master of the Oboro Style. Anyone who knows that style is immune to the effects of a Muramasa. I noticed you have one, too," he added, pointing at her sword.
"Yes, I actually have two," Oboro said. She pointed to her knapsack on the ground. "My grandpa's blade turned out to be a Muramasa, and I took it with me."
"How did you figure out it was a Muramasa?" Kisuke asked with a raised brow.
"The day I left my grandparents, I used this blade to kill a large demon and a couple of smaller ones," she explained. "I had heard of Muramasas before and, even though it felt natural to me to use the blade, only a sword like a Muramasa blade would have that strength."
"You're right," Kisuke said, nodding at her. "It is a Muramasa blade. How did you get the other one?"
"The one here...?" Oboro asked, raising the other blade. He nodded at her. "Well... Yuzuruha gave it to me when I was in the middle of combat with some tengus."
"You must fight well," Kisuke said.
"Well," she said, biting her lip. "Actually, I've only killed ninjas with ease. The tengus nearly killed me. If it weren't for Yuzuruha..."
"I see," Kisuke said, nodding. "Why didn't you use any Secret Arts on them? I assume you know the Oboro Style as well, otherwise, you would be insane with bloodlust."
"Secret Arts?" Oboro asked. She blinked. "What are those? I don't think I've ever—" She stopped, blinking again. "Wait... if we fought to the death at Mount Kongo... and you're a master, then... I must have known how."
"Correct," Kisuke said. "I'm surprised you forgot how to use them."
"Can you teach me how to use them?" Oboro asked with an eager voice. "I... want to know how. I want to remember how."
"Sure," Kisuke said, yawning. He put down the stone and laid back. "But... I'll teach you tomorrow. I need sleep."
"All right," Oboro said, nodding. "I don't feel tired, though," she repeated.
"You should try to get some sleep anyway," Yuzuruha told her, running her hands through Oboro's hair. "Tomorrow, I want you to tell me what you saw at the hot springs. All right?"
"Very well," Oboro said, smiling at her. She glanced over to Kisuke, but he was already asleep. "Well, good night then, Yuzuruha."
"Sleep well, child," she said soothingly. "Kiku and I will watch over you and Kisuke."
Oboro nodded and laid down on the grass. It was much more comfortable than when she had passed out. Even though she thought she had not been tired, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
-S-
The next day...
"...and that's how you unleash a Secret Art," Kisuke said to Oboro as they were traveling toward Kai. "Try it for yourself."
Oboro focused on the blade that Yuzuruha had given her. She 'reached' out with her soul to touch the Muramasa's own. A voice echoed in her head, and she heard the words. Her eyes opened and light flashed around her.
The blade did not guide her, but it was if her body already knew what to do. Oboro jumped three times into the air, sending column after column after column of purple energy into the sky. Then, she stopped and it was over.
Yuzuruha clapped.
"Hmm... Moonlight," Kisuke commented. "Good, you unleashed a Secret Art, Oboro." He raised a warning finger. "Remember, every time you use a Secret Art, the blade grows weaker, and will make it easier to break."
Oboro nodded, still holding Yuzuruha's blade in her hand. "What's next?" she asked.
Kisuke grinned. "Now, you have to teach yourself the other Secret Arts," he said, carrying his Muramasa—sheathed—over his shoulder.
"Huh?" Oboro blinked. "How?" she asked.
"Once you know how to learn one Secret Art, you can teach yourself any of the other arts that are within Muramasas," he explained.
Oboro nodded with a smile. "But... how do I carry all these blades?" she asked. "You mention something about being able to swap from one blade to another quickly and use an attack when you draw a different blade."
"Ah, yes," Kisuke said, sounding thoughtful. "You probably forgot about that, too." He caught Oboro's eye. "Ask Yuzuruha."
She turned around to the kitsune. "Can you help me?"
"Of course," she said with a generous smile. She removed an object from her kimono; a strange-looking belt. "Put this around your waist, Oboro."
She did as she was told, and then looked to Yuzuruha for further instructions. The kitsune nodded approvingly. "Now, take out your grandfather's blade and put the blade in its sheath into the belt."
Oboro again obeyed. Curious, she unsheathed the Muramasa. Oboro was surprised to see her grandpa's blade was in such good condition when she took it out of her knapsack. Yes, she knew the blade could repair itself, but she had not expected it to look like it had just come out of a forge.
"Oboro?" Yuzuruha said.
"Huh?" She blinked, looking away from her grandpa's blade. "Oh, sorry." She sheathed the blade and then placed it in the belt. It was an odd belt; it was shaped like an upside dome, and had only one belt to hold a single blade.
"All right," Kisuke said from behind her. "Now you can carry two Muramasas. If you ever need to switch to your other Muramasa now you are capable of doing so. Place the other Muramasa in the belt, and you'll be able to swap to another if one breaks. Don't worry," he added, probably seeing Oboro's concerned expression. "The belt is strong enough to hold two of them."
Oboro nodded at him, and put Yuzuruha's Muramasa in the belt. Both blades hung in the belt, not putting any extra pressure on her.
"Why are the blades so light?" she asked, rubbing the sheath of her grandpa's blade.
"That belt is magical," Yuzuruha said, twirling her umbrella. "It forces your blades to weigh lighter than they are."
"Oh, all right," Oboro said. She turned toward the edge of the Kai Province. "There's so much fog, I can't see." She waved the air before her.
"Kai is a wasteland," Yuzuruha said, walking up to Oboro. She looked at her. "You know that, but soon, we'll be in Shinano. The fog will clear up by there, however, we need to be careful, there still might be assassins waiting for you."
"Indeed," Kisuke said. "We best be on our guard."
"Right," Oboro said. She stepped forward and into the fog. The fog was dense, and she could hardly see where she was going. All she could rely on was the road beneath her feet.
Soon, the clouds cleared and Oboro found herself staring at plains—fields filled with rice stalk on either side on her. The ground was hard and lacked grass much like Kai. However, the soil was most likely more fertile.
"This is a pleasant place," Oboro remarked as Yuzuruha, Kiku, and Kisuke appeared from the fog.
"Don't expect everything to be pleasant," the kitsune said warningly.
Oboro nodded and continued to follow the dirt path through Shinano. Although, it seemed to be brimming with life, she could not see a single person anywhere.
"Where is everyone?" Oboro asked as they passed an old broken down shack.
"Probably in hiding," Kisuke said.
"What? Why?"
"Monsters," Kisuke said with a flat voice. "No one wants to be killed or eaten by an oni."
Oboro nodded solemnly, and said nothing else.
She (with the others following) crossed into a valley with thick rocks on either side of her. They looked too steep to climb, so she had no choice but follow the twisting dirt path. A large cliff scaled above them.
"Hey, boys!" cried out a male voice. "Look what I found!"
Oboro shot her head up to see a black ninja above. More of them? Ugh! She thought. Oboro unsheathed one of her Muramasas without hesitation. She heard a blade being drawn behind her—probably Kisuke—and then stared up intensely at the assassin.
Then, she saw two other ninjas. One was sitting on the cliff above her and the other was balancing himself on a lithe tree branch a distance from her.
"Let's release the onis!" the ninja above her cried. "They should be able to take care of her!"
Onis? Demons? Then, she noticed the cage before them, almost overflowing with little onis wielding clubs and sickles.
The ninja lifted a chain, and the cage opened. "Have fun, princess! We'll come back to collect your body later!" he laughed. His companions shared his laughter and vanished in puffs of smoke.
The onis came clamoring out of the cage by the hundreds, licking their fangs. "She looks tasty!" one remarked.
"Let's eat!" another said.
The little creatures charged. Oboro readied her Muramasa and then focused on its soul. "Yah!" she cried, unleashing a Secret Art. Apparently, she had her grandpa's blade drawn, for she did something else. Instead of Moonlight, she shifted to the other side of the onis, and slashed them repeatedly, yet on the other side, she saw an image of herself slice up the onis on that side.
"Ow!"
"She's strong!"
"That means she's really tasty!"
She was about to unleash the Secret Art again when Kisuke jumped in front of her and charged the onis. With a flash of light, he dashed forward so quickly that he slashed through dozens, killing them all in a single blow.
Oboro joined Kisuke and spun around, severing several onis to pieces with her blade. The onis backed away from the two; surrounding Kisuke and her. One threw its sickle at Oboro. With celerity, she parried the attack with her blade. She felt its internal soul weaken from the blow.
Then, Oboro saw Kiku leap off the ground and bite one of the onis on the head. The little devil squealed and thrashed around to get free, but fortunately, Kiku threw it against the rocky cliff wall, smashing its head.
Oboro felt a hostile presence behind her back and she twirled her blade around and slammed its point into an unsuspecting oni. It let out a whine of pain, crying like a young child. Oboro glanced back to see its club coming fast at her.
She reacted fast; and blocked the club as she did with the sickle. The wounded oni backed away from her, but Oboro wasn't about to let it get away. She jumped over the other little onis and impaled their retreating friend through its large skull. Blood spurted out, and its life was extinguished.
The little devils were decreasing by the dozens as Oboro and Kisuke repeatedly cut them down, either with a Secret Art, or the blade itself. Soon, the hundreds of onis had been reduced to a mere twenty.
"Back away, and I'll let you live!" Oboro exclaimed, pointing her Muramasa at the creatures. Kisuke was flanking them on the other side. "You won't be eating today."
The onis gathered in a circle and looked from Oboro to Kisuke with fear in their eyes. Scores of dead devils laid on the ground, and several had been smashed against the cliff.
"All right, you win!" one squeaked.
"Just let us go!"
"I'm not hungry anyway!"
"Leave then," Oboro commanded. She slowly advanced on them. "Or I will destroy all of you."
The onis, in terror, scattered and climbed up the mountain sides. Oboro waited until they were gone before sheathing her grandpa's blade.
"Well done," Kisuke said, sheathing his blade. He grinned. "You're a lot more capable than I thought you would be. You fight as if you haven't forgotten a technique."
"It... it just feels natural," Oboro said, cleaning off her bloody Muramasa with a white cloth. "I... I don't know how else to describe my skill."
"Don't be ashamed," Yuzuruha said, putting a hand on Oboro's shoulder. "Your skill is something you should treasure, not shun." She smiled at her.
Oboro smiled back, and she felt Kiku rubbing against her legs. She knelt down and scratched behind the little fox's ears. "You fought well, my little girl," Oboro said to Kiku.
"That fox is quite faithful to you," Kisuke remarked. "I'm surprised she jumped into the fray and even killed one of the onis."
"She's protective of me," Obroro said, looking over at Kisuke. "She's attacked ninjas for me before, even." She smirked at Kisuke's impressed expression.
Yuzuruha smiled with approval. "Indeed, her loyalty to her will prove to be a great boon for herself in the future," she said.
"What do you mean?" Oboro asked curiously, letting Kiku lick her hand.
"You'll see," Yuzuruha said. "Come, let's hurry to the shrine here in Shinano, and then we can move onto the Mino Province and see what is taking place at Narukami Castle."
Oboro stood up and nodded. "Yes, let's do so."