Chapter 7- The Forest Demon
Shura walked between the narrow openings of the forest, each step of hers as quiet as a that of a stalking tiger. Her mind was temperate, as cold as ice, ready to shatter with excitement once she had her prey. The soul on her shoulder was back to its usual silent self. Like Shura, his attention was solely on the forest demon. Both of them knew caution was their only absolute. They knew nothing of their enemy's full power and how it would manifest.
Shura's eyes glanced momentarily at the ground. Sitting on the leaf-littered floor was a set of strange footprints. These prints were made by no forest animal. They were angular and sporting three claws at least four inches long each.
'These tracks are fresh…'
Her eyes flickered back up.
"It's here" said her companion, "I can sense it."
She tried to ignore the fact he was helping her for once and began to look around. Wherever the spirit was, it was out of her vision. Was it behind the trees? Perhaps it was invisible. Right now Shura couldn't tell if she had the advantage or not. But she knew that whoever revealed their killer intent first would have only a moment to strike before the opponent reacted to it.
Shura pulled out her blades. She inched forward, slow enough that a turtle could pass her by. A blue figure began to travel up ahead through a small clearing. Shura pulled her left heel backwards. Her heart began to race.
Time to kill.
The leaves below her feet erupted in a whirlwind as she launched forward, disappearing for a moment. Every tree in front of her was cut through. She reappeared at the end of the clearing.
Shura looked behind her. She saw the red being collapse behind her. Its body had been severed in two.
"Tch… is there nobody in this world that can face me?" asked Shura.
"Pay attention." said her possessing spirit.
Shura's eyes widened. She turned around to see the red monster's torso reattaching itself to its second half. She could see it clearly now: a hideous humanoid with long white hair and wearing a blue woman's kimono. A plantlike structure covered its head, obscuring its face in shadow. Still, two yellow eyes glowed prominently and a mouth full of fangs was faintly visible. Hanging out of the kimono were long claws attached to its hands and feet.
Shura whipped around and said, "You didn't die? Good."
The forest demon bore its fangs and said in a raspy feminine voice, "Such a pathetic attack won't slay me. As if any could."
Shura whipped around and said, "Hollow words for someone cut down so easily."
"You humans are so arrogant. Maybe that's why you always fail."
The demon stretched out her arms. Her legs and feet split open and sent out dozens of green tendrils.
In an instant the tendrils had enveloped Shura. Shura's blades twisted around, cutting through the vines before they could grab on. She dashed forward with Raijin-Maru. The demon was too encroached in her own roots to dodge. The katana punctured her throat, but the demon's razor claws slashed down at Shura.
Shura let go of her free blade and swung her fist up hitting her opponent's arm. She saw the demon's claws barely an inch from her eye. Her eyes moved up to see her katana flying back down. She threw her opponent's arm to the side and tore out Raijin-Maru as she did. Her opponent howled in pain as Shura reclaimed Fujin-Maru. She spun around three times with her swords opposite of one another. The demon's blood now painted her head to toe.
Already the monster was regenerating. It hissed and swung a fist at Shura. Shura leapt to the side. She watched as her opponent's attack bore straight through a tree. The splintering tree fell sideways. The demon effortlessly picked it up with its tendrils and swung it at Shura. Shura flipped clear over the timber and rolled to the side. She ducked as the tree passed overhead ripping strands of hair with it.
Shura had grown bored of the demon's noisy attack. The Black Oni sprung up and flew into the forest cover. She came charging out as the demon delivered a well aimed swing at her chest. Shura sidestepped and then swung up onto the beam. The red demon's eyes widened with shock as she saw Shura running across the tree.
The demon's head rolled off to the side. Its last expression, one of horror, was still present onto its lifeless face. The eyes suddenly flickered back and forth. The head flew weightlessly back to its body.
Shura sighed. She began to approach the forest demon.
"Damn bitch…" said the demon beginning to stand upright, "I'm sick of seeing that expressionless face of yours. I'll change it to fear. This is what happens to people who underestimate me!"
The leaves beneath Shura's feet rustled. Shura looked down as the demon's green vines burst out and grabbed Shura by the feet. A second assault of vines came from the direction of the forest demon. Shura knew they were created for the purpose of strangling her. She blocked with her blades. The demon's vines latched around her wrists. She was caught.
Her shoulder armor began to glow.
Shura grit her teeth and hissed. "Don't… interfere!"
"I won't let you lose to another demon. I'll be the one to destroy you!"
Shura said, "I haven't lost."
She tore her arms apart and slashed at the vines around her legs.
"How?" asked the demon.
"Easy. When I crossed my wrists, I aimed my blades out so they'd cut most of your vines."
Shura ran forward. "Congratulations on making me strategize for once."
More vines erupted below her feet. She leapt up into the air and swung her blade forward. She landed beside the demon whose body had begun to slide apart.
"Y-You-" began the demon.
The demon was beginning to repair itself already. Shura slashed at her again. The demon shrieked and swiped at Shura. Shura's blade effortlessly cut off her hand. As the hand tried to reattach itself, Shura cut at her opponent's roots.
The demon collapsed onto its side. She struggled to stand upright again but Shura smashed her foot into her gut.
"It's useless. I don't care how long you can heal. I'll destroy you again and again until that power runs dry. Now die."
Shura put down Raijin and Fujin Maru. She pulled out her two smaller Wakizashi swords. The demon began to thrash violently and pull itself up. She bit at Shura, but Shura put more weight on her foot. Next Shura took the Wakizashi and impaled them through both the monster's shoulders. Shura stabbed Funjin Maru through the demon's left foot. She picked up her other katana and pointed it between the demons' eyes.
"Wait- wait! Stop it! I beg you!" said the demon.
She screamed as Shura began to carve through her vitals. The demon continued to repair itself.
"Curse you, you filthy worm! I'll-"
Shura grabbed her by the jaw and snapped her neck. The demon's head began to spasm until she turned upright again. She looked up to see Shura with a psychotic grin smeared across her face and holding both her katanas now. Shura swung down. She hacked at her again and again, each time more blood sprayed over her face. Her blades were soon cutting deep into the soil.
At last, the screams of agony from her opponent ceased. Shura was about to send down another swing when she saw the red demon fading away. Her body appeared to vanish like sand carried away by the wind. Within seconds there was no trace of her opponent. Her blood too had vanished, save what had soaked into the blades. Even for a demon, this decay was unnatural—as if the final price for unnatural rejuvenation.
Shura returned her swords to their sheaths. She grinned as she thought of the extensive damage she'd inflicted on her foe.
She said, "That felt liberating."
Author's Note: In this story's lore, most demons, better known as Youkai or Ayakashi, remain as normal corpses in death. Their blood is said to be absorbed into their killer's sword. While indeed much of her blood was absorbed in the fight, the Forest Demon is entirely unique for leaving no body behind.
Her physical description changed drastically overtime. The original was more humanoid, like an Oni or ogre. The version I wound up sketching was a phantom-like Youkai and was reworked into the text.