Assassin's Creed and The Monster Girl Encyclopedia belong to their rightful owners.
This is a work of fiction.
Any resemblance to people, organizations, religions, and places is just a coincidence.
Grammar issues ahead
Chapter 1: Rough First Impressions
Forest on the outskirts of the village, 3 days later...
With calming breaths, Edward took a deep breath as he aimed at his target about ten meters away. He kept one eye closed so he could focus his vision. He was not to miss that shot. He waited... He waited and... he blew the bamboo blowpipe he possessed.
The hiss of the dart slicing through the air was all that could be heard and then the whimpers of pain from the target. Edward smiled as he heard them. He had been on the trail of this prey for an hour, so to have finally hunted it down was cause for celebration.
He ran and swung through the branches of the trees until he reached the place where his prey was and jumped to the ground. As he landed he crouched down to check the ground, his prey's footprints were there but not the body. He knew the shot he fired would anesthetize it, so it couldn't be far away. She followed the trail a few yards until she came upon her prey. It was a deer. The animal had a dart made of bone through its neck and its breathing was slow.
Edward bent down and plunged one of his hidden blades into the animal's neck, killing it. Then he began to skin it without caring about the blood, anyway, he wasn't wearing the same clothes he came to that place in. It was courtesy of Aisha, that pretty young girl granddaughter of Tamamo's grumpy old fogey. The young girl gave him new clothes so that he wouldn't have to wear the same outfit all the time. It was a coarse and rustic tunic made of simple fabrics and materials and with an austere design.
It was dark brown in color, almost black, fitted to his body with a series of straps and had patches and patches of cloth in different places, which gave it a sloppy look. In itself the attire was humble and simple, something that fit the rural and mountainous areas such as the one he was in. And even though the outfits he wore were a thousand times more expensive, he liked it. It reminded him of his old years at sea.
After a few minutes what was once a deer was nothing more than pieces of bones, meat, intestines and skin. In order, Edward stuffed everything he deemed useful into a worn bag and threw over his shoulder the deer's hind thighs, tied together with string. That wasn't much, but he couldn't carry anything else, besides, the scent was sure to attract some hungry scavenger or one of those "monster girls" Tamamo told him about.
He was ready to turn back, when a sound behind him was audible. Edward, out of pure instinct, flicked his right wrist, releasing the hidden blade from his bracelet and turned. He did not find a wild animal, or a monster or even another hunter pursuing his same prey. It was a girl, quite young, and carrying on her back a wooden box of considerable size. She let out a shriek of fear at the sight of it and tried to back away, but fell backwards. Edward retracted the dagger. It was just a young girl, though what was a young girl doing in a forest like that? It was suspicious, so he kept his guard up and approached her.
"Please don't hurt me!" she implored. As if expecting something else, the girl turned her face away, blushing, but Edward only held out his hand. This confused her, but she accepted the gesture and with a tug on his part, she was on her feet again. "You won't do anything to me?" she questioned in confusion, but her words were not understood.
Edward just smiled and walked away from her. He had no reason to hang around the place. He had other things to do.
The girl blinked. She was confused, but chose to follow him.
"Hey! Wait a minute! Hey!" the girl tried to stop him, but Edward just kept walking.
For several minutes' things remained like that until she gave up and simply walked a couple of steps behind him. Edward, though his back was turned, kept his vigilance on this young girl. His suspicion remained.
The young woman on the other hand looked at him with some curiosity. That man, although he wore typical clothes of the area, did not seem to be one. His blond hair and blue eyes gave him away, besides making him quite handsome and exotic.
She analyzed him. He was a rather tall man with defined muscles. His sleeveless attire gave her a perfect view of his biceps and the tattoos he possessed. Aside from this, his gait, looked like that of a nobleman, and his footsteps were quiet, like those of a shinobi.
"Who are you?" the young girl questioned in her mind.
Finally, after walking in silence for a while, the girl spoke again.
"Could we at least introduce ourselves?" she asked with a small smile. Edward paused for a moment and turned to look at her. He understood part of what she said, sort of. "My name is Haru, and I'm a merchant, and you?" she introduced herself.
"Edward." Was the reply, without adding anything else and then he continued on his way.
The girl's smile grew and she followed him, this time walking beside him. Edward gave her a sidelong glance, but said nothing.
"So, Ed-w-ard." She purred his name, something Edward had only heard before from Nassau prostitutes, or when intimate with his wife. Was that girl trying to seduce him? What a bad choice. "What are you doing alone in the woods?" there was no answer. "Are you a hunter?" Haru's smile quivered. "Do you live around here or are you just passing through?" again, nothing. "And... do you have a wife?" Not a sound from Edward.
Haru couldn't believe it, would he really not even bother to answer? How rude, he was attractive, but he was also a jerk! Well, if he wanted to play rough, so could she.
"I am a merchant. I travel from village to village trying to make a fortune. Right now I'm headed toward a village, but I may have gotten a little lost. Could you guide me?"
Edward didn't understand a single word. Well, one did, fortune. No matter the language, he understood whenever money was being talked about... Or Ron.
After an hour, they were both at the entrance to the village. The two men guarding it recognized Edward, so they waved and let them pass.
"So you were coming to this place too? What a coincidence! It must be fate." She really tried. She tried to talk to him all the way. Besides! She was sure he was walking in circles for about forty minutes! He wanted to make her get the hell out! He was completely rude! "Looks like we part ways here. I'll go talk to the person in charge. I hope to see you again. Ed-w-ard."
Edward just watched her walk away. He merely shook his head and went in the direction of one of the houses.
In the house, Tamamo was at home and as usual, she was meditating. She had detected that someone had entered the village and since their mana was different from that of a human she knew what species they were. It was not uncommon that every so often, a fearless girl who thought she could take the world by storm would arrive in the village. Tamamo was in charge of shooing them away. That village was under her care and as a responsible adult she had to educate the younger ones.
"Aisha, my child, could you prepare some tea? We will soon have visitors." She said loud enough for her granddaughter to hear.
"Right now, Obaasan!" exclaimed from somewhere the girl.
Tamamo waited patiently until the door of her home was knocked three times. It was time to meet her visitor.
In another part of town, Edward was finishing delivering a portion of his hunting booty. In those few days that he has been living under Tamamo's roof, he took the part of getting his food seriously, he hunted and gathered everything that could be of use to him and what he didn't need he delivered to the village. They rarely tasted meat, hunting proved difficult with the Yokai swarming in the forest, so they only survived on a few plants and fruit and grains.
"Thank you very much Kenway-san." Said a stout man who possessed a cloth tied on his head. "This doe and those rabbits will feed the village at least for today."
Edward did not understand her words, but his emotions did. They thanked him. In response, Edward bowed his head slightly.
"Next time, I'll bring something that will keep them hungry for longer." Was what he said to himself before taking his leave.
The westerner made his way to the home where he was given lodging. Along the way he was greeted by the villagers. In a short time they got used to him. Perhaps because he was the only one brave or crazy enough to go hunting every day. Although not everyone accepted him.
Jousuke and a small group regarded him with suspicion. Edward was tall, strong, handsome, and despite the language barrier, he made himself understood with his charm and actions. Jealousy in hearts always existed after all.
"Stupid westerner." Jousuke muttered. "I can't believe they'll accept him here."
"It's all because of the meat he brings." Added one of his companions.
"Do you think he has faced any Yokai?" questioned another.
"Don't be silly. There are only Oomukade, Ushi-Oni and Crow Tengu here. A normal person can't take on those things." Jousuke pointed out. "There has to be some trick."
"Maybe there is none?" questioned another.
"It doesn't matter. That man, he'll only bring trouble. You'll see." Jousuke finished.
Edward, aware that they were talking behind his back, limited himself to advance to Tamamo and Aisha's house. Great was his surprise to find the young Aisha outside their home, trying to peek inside.
Edward reached over and touched her shoulder, which caused the girl to jump and turn to look at him.
"Edward-San! Don't do that!" she requested in a rather loud whisper. "Grandma has visitors and wouldn't let me stay inside."
"She still doesn't seem to remember that I don't speak Japanese." Thought the man. Intrigued as to why Aisha was trying to spice in her own home. Edward put an ear close and kept silent.
"Even if it goes against the feudal lord. Your village won't stay like this for long." Edward recognized that voice. It was that girl, Haru. What was she doing inside the house?... If only he could understand Japanese.
"I don't care, brat. I say this for your safety and that of my village. I will not throw you out now, but you must leave before the Samurai return, if they find out what you are, they will execute you."
"I'm not afraid of some bullies."
"Stubborn fool!" scolded the old woman, then only sighed. "Take my advice, I don't want one of my own to die here."
"I will keep it in mind. I ask you to let me trade just for a few days. Maybe with that man, he said his name was Edward. He's not from around here, is he?" hearing his name, Edward had more interest, why was he being named? "You won't mind if I take him with me, will you?"
"Do what you want brat. Good luck trying to talk with him. He doesn't speak our language."
"So that's why he wouldn't answer me! Never mind, I'm sure I have something that could help for such a case."
Edward finally decided to walk away from the door. He didn't get much information, he could only speculate from the tone they both used. Tamamo was concerned about the girl and Haru seemed to have some interest in him.
"Edward-San, did you hear anything?" asked Aisha. Edward merely denied, though he did, he couldn't share much information. "I hope it's nothing bad. Obaasan seemed angry when the shopkeeper showed up."
During the night...
After a dinner with Tamamo and Aisha. Edward was sitting on a log outside the house. Using a knife, he was carving the bones of what was once a deer. He didn't have many weapons with him. Only his blades, a saber and a pistol with just one bullet, the latter of which was obsolete as no one seemed to have any knowledge about what it was, or where to get powder and bullets from. So he expanded his arsenal in the simplest and most accustomed way. A blowgun and darts.
He finished carving and soaked half of the darts in a red liquid and the other half in a blue one. Both were extracts he managed to make by mixing different herbs and mushrooms, both poisonous and hallucinogenic. They were hallucinogenic and narcotic darts. Perfect for hunting larger prey. He was sure he saw traces of a bear. Maybe hunting one would fill the stomachs of the good people of the town for a couple of days.
Suddenly, he felt something strange. A tingling in his neck. It was the feeling of danger. The same he had when he faced different missions. The wind blew strangely, as if it was carrying with it something he could not identify, but what was it? He was alone in that place, surrounded by nothing but grass and some trees. Was he being stalked by a nocturnal predator? He decided to be sure.
The world around him temporarily turned black and white. It was as if a sonar had been activated in his head. He took a closer look at the surroundings. Objects that belonged to him stood out in shiny silver, but that was not what he was looking for. He scanned the surroundings. Nothing. No sign of danger, so there was only one option left. He looked up and examined the trees and...
"There" he thought as he saw a red silhouette standing on a branch more than twenty yards away. Thanks to his Eagle sense, Edward could do many things. Detect enemies, make his way through dark places and follow trails. But most importantly. Mark his enemies.
Acting normally. Edward waved the toxic concoctions where he had his darts with a stick, while his other hand reached down to the ground. There he had a makeshift blowgun. In one swift movement he picked it up like a dart and fired.
The projectile made of bone traveled through the air, but did not hit its target. But that was his plan. He knew that if he showed any serious intent to attack he would be discovered quickly, so he made a feint. As soon as he fired the dart, he ran into the trees in the direction of the possible escape route of his mysterious spy.
He climbed into the trees and began a chase through the dark forest. Edward had a lock on his target. He noticed that it was holding his arm. Did his dart hit the target?
He soon managed to catch up with his target. He realized that it was a woman. The woman was wounded in the arm, nothing serious, just a small cut, perhaps that was where his dart grazed, even so, the poison was already in her system.
She noticed him, and quickly tried to attack him with throwing weapons. Three shurikens flew at Edward, who managed to dodge them deftly. That attack was the trigger for hostility. Edward began to accelerate, he was going to murder her.
The woman began to feel the effects of the poison. Her vision was blurring and it was difficult to keep her balance. It was unexpected. It all started as a reconnaissance mission. The leader of her village had entrusted it to her, an ideal mission for a novice like her. It was just reconnaissance. Find the target's position, confirm his identity and return. Only one condition was present. Avoid conflict.
At first I was disappointed. Instead of looking for a man, what she was looking for was described as a "fox without a tail". Her target was a mamono fox. Someone powerful and dangerous. She had to find her and go to report. Nothing big. There wasn't even a possible husband involved. Of course, only she would be sent. Her sisters had more important missions! High-ranking "assassination" targets. They could go home to their new husbands! Still, she felt relaxed. She wasn't the best in the kunoichi village, so as long as her life wasn't in danger she was happy.
Meeting a foreign man with beautiful yellow hair like gold and deep blue eyes like the ocean was unexpected. It was a crush. He was just her type, young and attractive, but with airs of maturity and experience. Not to mention his body. She noticed it. She noticed how that blue suit tightened with his movements, a sign that he possessed good muscle mass. And when she saw him in that robe given to him by one of the villagers, she had to restrain herself from jumping on him. She followed him for several days, not neglecting to find her main target. She could feel the mana manono in the village, the same village where the man stayed. It was a win-win, two birds with one arrow.
When she finally located the source of the mana, she did not expect to find that man carving a group of bones just outside the house. Much less be attacked by him.
She cursed in her mind when she almost slipped off a branch, but managed to hide herself and watched the path she had followed. She saw no trace of the man. She had lost him, that relieved and worried her in equal parts. This was a variable in the plan, she had to get back to the village and...
She looked up as she heard the blades moving. She saw the edge of a blade approaching next to the man that captured her attention. The Kunoichi did not hesitate either. Though killing was against her beliefs, she wasn't going to let them kill her. She drew her sword, a black-bladed katana she carried strapped to her back.
The man and woman's weapons met, releasing a flurry of sparks. She staggered backwards, losing her balance and falling out of the tree, while Edward managed to land on the branch and resume his attack. He leaped toward her, but this time he was dodged.
Neither said a word, they were only engaged in the fight. Edward blocked every sword sweep with his hidden blades, and responded every time he could by counterattacking with quick and precise movements, he had to disrupt the woman's defense in order to end this once and for all.
The fight went on for several minutes, both receiving a minimal amount of cuts and scrapes in the process. But in the end, Edward had the upper hand. It was thanks to the poison, the kunoichi fought at a disadvantage from the start, something Edward could commend. But it was the end. He blocked the sword with his left dagger, and with his right he attacked directly at the woman's abdominal area. She saw it. The gleam of the blade approaching. The fear of imminent death and without realizing it she let go of her sword and stumbled backwards.
The climax came to an end. The katana hit the ground and Edward looked at the woman. He managed to wound her with his last attack, but it was not fatal. His blade failed to penetrate too far. Be that as it may, he had to finish things according to his creed.
If faced with unresolved conflict, an Assassin should never bring trouble into his Brotherhood, otherwise everyone is in danger of death.
That was one of their precepts. Not to compromise others and only rely on oneself. If this woman escaped and informed others like her, she could endanger the village.
He was ready to finish the woman off, when she raised a hand to her waist and pulled something out of a bag attached to it. Edward wasn't going to let her carry out the attack, so he lunged, but his vision was blocked when a smoke bomb was thrown. This didn't stop him, and he charged into the smoke. His blades managed to hit something, but when the smoke cleared he found no one.
"Fuck." He growled. His target had escaped. He tried to use his eagle sense to see the surroundings. He saw a trail. He thought about following it, but that increased the chances of being ambushed. Who knows how many more might be out there. The ideal thing would be to go back and prepare.
On his way back, Edward was thoughtful. Was that woman sent by those samurai? When else were there? Were Tamamo and Aisha targets? However, his questions remained unanswered and the night was long and tiredness finally got the better of him, he just wanted to rest at that moment, so he headed back to the house to rest.
In the morning, he got up early and took his things and after giving a greeting to Aisha and Tamamo, he set off into the forest to investigate. He even ran into that merchant, Haru, who seemed to be quite lively, talking to all the villagers. When she saw him she behaved like a teenager in love, greeting him excitedly and trying to get closer, but Edward chose to just ignore and move on.
He returned to the last place where he fought the night before and examined everything that was left behind. It wasn't much. Just dried mud marks. His and that woman's footprints and some extra footprints emerging from the bushes and heading towards others. Because of its shape and size, he deduced that perhaps it was a wild boar.
He sniffed around the place some more, coming across a bag. Made of leather and rather small, he picked it up and examined its contents. Several papers with strange engravings, two vials, and a small set of bombs and some shurikens. This belonged to that woman, he was sure. Was it what his dagger had cut the night before? Perhaps its owner would return.
It was a long time that passed, if that person was intelligent, then he would be far away, but at the same time. This calmed him, but it also made him uneasy that this person knew of his existence. As an assassin, blending in was his maxim. To go unnoticed in plain sight. It would be best to continue investigating the area, perhaps he would get lucky. He fastened the bag to his waist and returned to the trees.
Edward advanced by jumping from tree to tree, moving deeper and deeper into the forest. He used his agility and parkour skills to avoid any unexpected encounters on the ground as he deftly moved between branches and trunks.
On his way he suddenly heard a sound of flowing water. Edward was aware that there was a stream nearby, but he chose to avoid it. Places like that always attracted prey and predators alike. Now, that place was perhaps visited by the woman and her companion to clean up their tracks.
He got as close as he could, always hidden in the treetops, and using his eagle sense, he tried to find some trace. Nothing. He moved to another area and the result was the same, until his ears picked up a strange sound. As if someone was chewing something quite hard. With his eagle sense, Edward tried to identify any sign of an enemy in the vicinity, thus spotting a red figure among the roots of the trees on the banks of the stream.
With stealth he approached the figure. But when he got there he realized that it was a monster girl. This one was different from the ones he encountered before. He would compare her to that one called Oomukade, but this creature was more monstrous, even her skin was an unnatural dark green. Two horns rose on its head and eight tarantula limbs adorned its lower half. Its arms turned out to be huge hairy claws and its left eye was covered by a strange red paper.
That creature was unpleasant to her sight. She was eating raw fish, mashing her body with the blood and scales. The monster girl seemed to be concentrating on her food as she muttered to herself. Edward kept himself hidden among the branches of the trees. He had a perfect opportunity. She had not noticed his presence. He could perform an aerial assassination from there. He extended his hidden blades and readied himself. But he didn't jump.
She was just eating, she looked peaceful, enjoying her meal and she couldn't even look like a monster.
Tamamo had told him. They were not unreasoning monsters. Not all of them at least. Some just wished to live in peace with humans. He was a guileless being. His own creed instigated him to keep his blade away from innocent flesh.
If she caused no evil then there would be no reason to attack her, so as long as she remained so, then he would let her be.
He retracted the daggers and left, unaware that this monster looked up and began sniffing the air.
"A... man..." she muttered.
The monster girl left her food and began to move in Edward's direction, her tarantula-like limbs moving quickly across the ground. Edward realized that she had detected him and began to move quickly, jumping from tree to tree as the monster chased him on the ground trying to find his location. He knew he could not allow the creature to catch him, so he moved with even more speed and skill to avoid its attempts to capture him.
Finally, the monster girl stopped, sniffing the air. An unpleasant aroma filled her nostrils, it was like rotting flesh, perhaps the decaying carcass of some animal. This caused her to lose track of Edward, sniffing the air once more before returning to her food. Edward watched the monster leave from a nearby branch, questioning if his decision would not bring consequences. It was a clash between his creed and his instincts, but he chose to trust Tamamo this time.
Finally, he turned and walked away, leaving the monster girl alone. As he walked away, he wondered if he had done the right thing by leaving her alone. He knew that the creatures were not all evil, but he also knew that some humans might fear and attack the monster girl simply because of her appearance. Had he left a threat at large? Or had he done the right thing by respecting the life of an innocent being?
When he returned to the village, Edward was greeted by the two men who acted as guards. When they saw him they looked uncomfortable, perhaps because of all the blood staining his clothes, and just let him pass.
The westerner walked through the village to the place where the butcher resided, there he was going to leave the meats and as payment he would ask for the bones, as he always did, but this time, there he ran into Haru. The young woman was chatting with the butcher and his wife, between laughter and comments unintelligible to Edward.
"Kenway-san! We were just talking about you!" the man commented with a smile.
"Anata! Remember he doesn't speak our language!" scolded his wife. "Let me help you with that, Kenway-san, such a handsome young man shouldn't be staining himself with blood." The woman took the bag of meats and withdrew.
"Hey, you never want to help me!" added the butcher. "What a woman. Anyway, I'll send the bones to Tamamo-san's house when I'm done separating the meat."
Edward just nodded his head in thanks and was about to leave, but the butcher stopped him.
"Hey, Kenway-san, Miss Haru wanted to know more about you, since you're here, take her with you."
"What?! Hey! I no..." Haru wanted to retort, but the man just pushed her towards Edward.
"Don't be like that, child, we don't know much about him, and the only one who speaks his language is Tamamo-san, go with him and ask that cantankerous old woman to be the interpreter." Haru looked rather embarrassed.
Edward wasn't sure how to react to Haru's sudden presence at his side, but she was looking at him with a smile on her face. She seemed like a rather cheerful and friendly girl, but Edward also knew better than to underestimate or jump to conclusions based on first appearances.
"I'm sorry, Kenway-san," Haru said, still smiling. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I thought we could chat a bit. I heard you were a merchant too, maybe we can swap stories."
Edward watched her pull a small notebook out of the large backpack she carried with her and began to write.
"I'd be interested in expanding my business to the West, what do you think? You and me, eh?" the girl's smile fell as Edward merely advanced. For an instant that took her by surprise, but in her excitement she forgot that Edward didn't speak her language.
She then simply followed him in silence. Among the things she was selling, she had an object that might be useful for Edward to understand her.
Finally they arrived at Tamamo and Aisha's house, the latter was chatting with one of the neighbors, a rather old woman.
One thing Edward noticed in those last days was that everyone in that town was either women, children, or elderly or sick people. This was a classic characteristic of what happened when there was a war. This was something he had to be careful of, to avoid meddling in big affairs and to stay mixed in with the populace.
After a short greeting to both of them, Edward and Haru entered the house, and as usual, Tamamo was in her place meditating. The old woman was not surprised to see Haru there.
"You come back here to try to persuade me? The answer will be the same. No." Said the old woman.
"I insist you're a stubborn old woman, but that's not why I'm here." The young woman pointed to Edward. "I'm here for him." That statement made the old woman pay more attention.
"So you like him? What a bad choice." The old woman commented. "But it's your problem. If you want to take him, take him."
Haru shook her head.
"You know that's not how we do it. I want him to depend on me, show him the riches of the world and give him everything and more."
"What an atrocious way to win a man's heart." The old woman sneered. "What do you want from me then?"
"Could you imbue your mana into a talisman of language? I have one, but I'm not good at talisman magic. I'm sure the ancient Fox goddess could do it."
Hearing that, the old woman frowned. That sly raccoon was getting on her nerves.
Edward on the other hand stood on the sidelines, he couldn't even understand what they were talking about, he chose to be patient. That was something he learned when it came to trading with foreigners. Let them talk, let them argue and then when they made their offer, make a counter offer. He figured he could apply the same principles here.
"Edward." Finally, Tamamo addressed him. "Edward, this little scavenger wishes to trade with you. Since you are unable to speak our language, she offered to give you something that would solve that."
"Excuse me? Is that possible?" he questioned. Something that would allow him to speak fluent Japanese? Some kind of scam? He'd seen things like that. Miracle remedies that cured baldness or made you more active in bed. Nothing but lies made up by tricksters and deceivers.
"It is. It's not cheap stuff either, but the raccoon seems to like you." How the old woman referred to Haru confused Edward a little. Raccoons used to steal things from the garbage. Had he just been compared to garbage?
"It sounds too good to be real. My experience tells me to be wary." The old woman nodded and relayed the message to Haru. The girl looked offended and after exchanging a few words with Tamamo, she started looking for something in her backpack.
Edward watched carefully as the girl showed them both a piece of paper with intricate engravings on it. This set off some alarms. Edward had already seen that kind of object. First among the things he recovered from the woman who attacked him and then also the head of the monster tarantula woman.
"What is that?" he questioned.
"It is the talisman. They were originally used by the Onmyouji to fight against the stronger Yokai." Explained the old woman. "Now, anyone can use them for different purposes. Yokai, as well as humans. This one in particular, will allow you to understand our language."
"You say that paper will allow me to learn your language? That sounds very convenient." The man commented with some disbelief.
"It is up to you whether or not you wish to accept. I am only the intermediary. I have no interest in gaining anything. But if the girl is interested in you, and that means she takes you away from here, then that's a win for me. It's always better to have fewer mouths to feed in times like these."
Edward thought about it. It was quite a useful object, if it was real. He thought of all the possibilities. His problems would be solved easier and he could leave town without the need to drag that grumpy old woman with him.
"Okay, I accept. So, how does this work?" Tamamo smiled cheekily, took the talisman from Haru's hands and a second later hit Edward's forehead with the paper. "Hey!" was the man's complaint, he was going to keep insulting her, if it wasn't for that object suddenly immolating into a strange blue colored fire that stiffened Edward. "What the hell! my eyebrows are fine! tell me they are!"
"I see them just as pretty." Haru said. Edward stopped his ridiculous acting and looked at the young woman. He had understood her. "So, it worked?"
"What kind of witch craft is it?" said the man.
Forest on the outskirts of the village...
Jousuke and his companions had been trying to hunt that day. Early in the morning they watched as Edward moved through the trees, similar to how a ninja would do and after this he returned with some prey. This aroused jealousy in the hearts of the men. They were jealous that the man was more proficient at hunting and fetching food. They were not chosen to go to war due to different reasons, now their position as hunters was in jeopardy.
"Have you found anything yet?" questioned Jousuke.
"Nothing. I don't understand how that guy can hunt so much!" replied one of his companions.
"Can't we leave it until tomorrow?" questioned another. "Anyway this is sure Kenway's days are numbered. He offended one of those samurai, they will surely seek revenge."
"Didn't you see that he was able to take on five at the same time? They would need a small platoon to take him on."
"How is it possible that a human could do something like that?"
Hearing that made Jousuke hesitate for a moment. Edward was a mysterious man who came out of nowhere. He was wounded and rescued by Aisha and then came to the village and spent several days unconscious. That sounded very similar to the curses made by certain Yokais. Was this man marked by a Yokai and because of this he had enhanced abilities? Stories of men accepting deals with Yokai in exchange for power were not uncommon after all.
"Chances are we won't find anything. I don't even know why I woke up so early." Grumbled one of them as he investigated some bushes.
Suddenly. A large shadow was cast over him and confused he looked up, only to observe with horror a pair of violet eyes staring at him with an insane madness. The man could feel his throat go dry and his legs tremble.
"Y-Y-Y-Yokai!" he managed to shout before that spider-like creature pounced on him.
Edward and Haru were in the back area of the house. Both were sitting at a small table and looking quite defiant. Edward was maintaining a smug smile, while Haru was trying to thwart his defenses.
"I'll make you a counter offer. Fifty mons for your blue outfit."
"Two hundred."
"Seventy-five."
"Two hundred."
"One hundred!"
"Two..."
"I get it! Good! One hundred and twenty! No more!" Edward smiled. His years as a trickster pirate and then as a merchant sure came in handy. Selling a coat of less than fifty coins at such a high price? Only his chutzpah and charms could allow him something like that. "You'll leave me broke! You're so cruel!" was Haru's dramatic complaint.
"I aspire only to wealth and glory, Haru. Nothing less." Was his reply with a smile on his face. It tasted bad to him to swindle the merchant like that, but it was all part of his plan. "Tell you what. A deal where you and I will come out ahead."
Haru looked at him with interest. What could that deal be?
"You see, I'm really a sailor and merchant. But my crew mutinied."
"Oh, yes, the old lady told me about that." She commented. An idea crossed her mind then, a way to achieve her real goal. "Would you like a boat? I can get you one."
"Nothing that far-fetched. Besides, where would you get a boat, brat?" he commented with amusement.
"Hey, who are you calling a brat? You don't look any older than me!"
"I'm forty-two." His answer caught off guard the shopkeeper who looked at him in disbelief.
"heck, you're holding up well." She commented. "Do you use creams or something?"
"We're going off the deep end. Tell me, do you have a map of the region?" he asked in a more serial tone.
Haru put a hand on his chin and looked up at the sky, as if trying to remember.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. Why?" she asked, with a smile just as smug as Edward's. Her eyes sparkled as she saw an opportunity. "I may have a map, but you'll have to offer me something in return."
"Isn't my jacket enough?" questioned Edward.
"No. War is on the horizon, getting maps has become very difficult."
"Having a map equals having the advantage. correct?" Haru nodded in response.
"The Ministry of the Interior and the Amanomiya are at war. The Amanomiya family has been weakened after the death of its last head of the family and the disappearance of the youngest daughter. Crossing the fields is already a very difficult task."
"Sounds like they need weapons." Edward had an idea. As far as he knew, wick guns like his didn't exist or weren't common knowledge. At least that was what Tamamo had told him, but the old woman hadn't been out of town for decades.
Edward drew his pistol from his waistband and placed it on the table. The artifact instantly caught Haru's attention. The wood carving style, the oddly shaped metal, and the scent of gunpowder.
"What do you think?" asked Edward.
"It's a strange artifact. Where did you get it?" she questioned as she inspected it. "It has a scent similar to gunpowder. what's it for?"
"It's a gun." He replied. "And a dangerous one. It's called a fuse gun."
Haru looked more cautiously at the object. Edward had many weapons, but this particular one was unlike anything she saw. Similar to a crossbow, but without certain parts that took away its functionality. She deduced from the barrel that the projectile was inserted there and then somehow fired. It was like a cannon but capable of being carried in one hand.
"I'm sorry, but I don't trade weapons." Haru handed the object back, as interested as she was in Edward, it went against her principles.
"Think of it another way Haru. If you manage to obtain this unique weapon you will be able to monopolize the market. No one could get one unless they bought it from you. You could set up a factory, stop going from town to town. Settle down and live quietly away from any danger. You mentioned that you wanted to travel to the West. With that money you could do it. Expand your company and create a monopoly! Men would fall at your feet. Women would envy you. Just imagine it."
Haru tried to hide her interest. To her bad luck, Edward was someone quite charismatic and able to read people. It was clear that this young woman was driven by money, or at least a good part of her was.
His younger self was the same way. Obsessed with wealth and fortune. For Edward, reading and manipulating someone like that was simple.
"Y-You put it that way." The merchant wiped the drool from her mouth as she imagined that possible future. "Still, guns aren't my thing, I'd rather make it less lethal."
"I think with certain changes then you could get what you want."
"Sounds perfect. So, Edward Kenway, we have a deal. I'll give you the map in exchange for the gun." Edward handed the pistol to Haru, who took it carefully and examined it. "It's really beautiful from a certain angle. You can tell the work.", she said, with a smile on her face. "But there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"I don't know how it works," Haru replied, staring at him. "What about the ammunition - won't you give it to me?"
Edward smiled, knowing that he had anticipated this reaction.
"What ammunition are you talking about? The deal was just the gun in exchange for the map." Haru froze in place. She looked at Edward, looked at him with an expression of utter bewilderment. He had just ripped her off?
"What?! No! That wasn't the deal!"
"We never specified that I would give you the gun and its ammunition. Just the gun. Now, if you would be so kind as to give me the map." The man extended his hand toward her. Haru could only grumble and curse in her head. Edward had completely fooled her. Perhaps if she hadn't been distracted by imagining her future then she would have realized it.
She rummaged through her luggage until she found the object and handed it to Edward, respecting the agreement.
The man looked it over. It was not detailed. It did not even have the cities and towns marked. It was just a drawing made in a precocious way and it was incomplete. He looked at the merchant, who gave him back a look full of pride. She also knew how to play dirty.
"Fair enough," he said, putting that object away. "But I have one more proposition for you. I'll give you the ammunition if you take me to a town where they can replicate this weapon. As you can see, it's the only one I brought with me and I wish I had some replicas. If you accept, the map will be just a loan and I will return it to you."
Haru grumbled and growled, recognizing Edward's cunning.
"You're a very tricky one to be so attractive." she said, with a wry smile. "But I accept your proposal." She was willing to take that deal, traveling with Edward would give her time to win him over. Before she could shake Edwrad's hand, Haru's ears caught a distant sound. It was a rumbling sound. As if a large object had smashed through a wall.
Suddenly, accelerated footsteps were heard and screams far from terror began.
Edward could hear those screams and moved by pure instinct. He ran towards the house and went in the direction of the front door, passing by Tamamo and Aisha who were as stunned as he was. Edward's senses were triggered and he ran towards the small village square, leaving behind the young woman who screamed for him to stop.
On his way he could see the chaos that creature caused. Marks on the walls and floor. Puddles of what he deduced was blood and a few villagers lying on the ground stained with the substance. He didn't even have time to make sure they were still alive, he could only move forward.
He heard the cries of terror and distress. The screams of terror and distress. What happened? What beast could generate such an amount of chaos? He needed an area view of what was going on.
He climbed onto the roof of one of the houses and began to move around. The height allowed him to see the monster responsible first. He cursed when he recognized it, it was that spider-like monster. He knew that creature was dangerous as soon as he saw it, but his doubts made him give up the idea of killing it when he had the chance. He would not make that mistake twice.
He ran over the rooftops, jumping from house to house until he got close enough to that monstrous creature. Her back was to him. She had a villager on her hands, so Edward had to be careful. The innocent could not die.
"My future husband! Where is he!" he heard her roar in the woman's face. "Where are you hiding him! I know he's here!"
"Let her go monster!" shouted Jousuke with a rake in his hands. This was their fault. That thing ambushed them in the forest and in their flight they lured her into the village. All out of stupid jealousy.
"Human... you're too small to be my husband! You smell different!" she bellowed and flung her hostage towards Jousuke who could barely let go of the agricultural implement to catch her. The spider woman began sniffing the air and turned, just in time to see Edward freefalling towards her ready to thrust his hidden blade at her.
The attack did not connect. The spider woman moved quickly to the side, dodging it. Edward spun across the ground and quickly rejoined and then extended his two hidden blades and took a fighting pose.
The monster sniffed the air. The scent Edward gave off was the same scent she felt earlier in the forest. It was the scent she was looking for, so her mouth twisted into a lust-filled smile.
"Husband! I found you at last!" those words confused Edward.
"I'm sorry, I would remember marrying a spawn like you." Was his reply. "Now, if you even understand what I'm saying, you'll go away, you won't come back, and I won't drive your head into a stake."
The spider woman began to laugh loudly.
"Husband be small compared to me! But you can fight...it will be more satisfying when I manage to catch you." Her threat did not frighten Edward. He was battle-hardened for years. He faced storms and the fury of the seas. That thing, it was nothing in comparison.
"So be it."
The spider woman charged at him. The difference in size and strength were abysmal, Edward knew, so he decided to outsmart her. He started running towards the houses. He needed to have the terrain in his favor and be more strategic. The size of that thing was sure to make it difficult for him to move on narrower ground, so he jumped through a window and the spider woman followed him, crashing into the wall, smashing through it.
Edward fell to the ground and in a quick movement he drew his sword and charged towards the woman, his slash was accurate creating a cut in one of the woman's legs. She grunted in pain and tried to catch him with her claws, but Edward jumped back. With her eight legs, she advanced towards Edward, throwing her web to catch him. He jumped backwards to avoid her, but his arm was caught by a white substance coming from the woman's abdomen, pulling him towards her. With a swift movement, Edward cut the web with his hidden blade and moved away from the creature and advanced into the house with the thing following him.
She stepped through the door frame that Edward walked through. She then shook herself, clearing her body of dust and debris before resuming her hunt. Her eight paws hit the ground hard, in an attempt to intimidate Edward.
"Come on, husband, let yourself be seen, we can have a good time together." She moved forward, not realizing that Edward was hanging from the ceiling. "Just come." She sniffed the air in an attempt to capture his scent, but dust flooded her nostrils.
Edward released some of the smoke bombs he got from the bag he left behind the kunoichi. Humor quickly flooded that small house, causing the monster woman to be blinded for an instant and start coughing loudly. Edward did not waste to attack. Quick cuts with her hidden blades but to his surprise, the woman didn't even complain.
She tried to grab him with her monstrous hands but Edward spun around on the floor to avoid her and grabbed the blowpipe that protruded from his right shoulder and fired a dart. It was a direct shot. The dart stuck in monster woman's neck, and when she pulled it out, she noticed that she began to see everything quite blurry.
"Husband... what... what is this..." Edward didn't respond. His daggers again were outstretched, he was going to finish that thing right then and there. "Husband...husband...grrrr." The woman gritted her teeth and to Edward's surprise and dismay, she broke one of her legs. The pain caused the stun effect to wear off and without wasting any time she charged Edward.
He tried to dodge it, but the size of such a creature prevented him from doing so. The tackle was almost perfect, dragging him with it and through another wall, thus returning to the outside.
They both fell to the ground. The short distance was enough for Edward to plunge his right dagger into the monster's right eye, but that didn't stop her either. He struggled to free himself from the grip that spider woman had on him.
Edward was thrown through the air until he hit the ground and rolled, kicking up some dust with him.
The spider on its side staggered back and forth. Her right eye was just a bloody, smoldering spot. The pain she felt made her go numb. She couldn't believe she was hurt like that and even more so by her future husband. She shook her head, trying to find Edward's whereabouts. Her now impaired vision and the pain she felt made it difficult for her to focus her vision.
Edward struggled to his feet and gritted his teeth. That lunge felt like being hit by an explosion from a powder keg. He looked at the Yokai, who was still incapacitated. He needed to finish her off at once, but he needed more power.
"Edward!" the recognizable cry of Haru was heard and the man looked in his direction. He saw the young merchant looking at him with a dismayed expression, next to him was Aisha, who looked very worried. But even more importantly, Haru was holding the fuse gun in her hands. Edward wasted no time and ran towards them, and snatched the pistol from Haru.
The spider woman on her part noticed Edward's blurred silhouette moving away from her, so, accompanied by a guttural growl, she darted after him. Due to her wounds and the effect of the narcotics, her movements were much slower and clumsier than before. The distance separating her from Edward came closer as she advanced, but she saw her future husband take something from the woman and turn to face her once more.
Edward turned round. His years of experience fighting on the high seas with wind and tide against him made him a skilled marksman. Taking aim on a ship that could capsize at any moment in the middle of a storm wasn't exactly easy.
With a firm grip and his index finger on the trigger, he aimed and fired. The fuse pistol fired an intense flare of fire from its barrel, from which the only projectile it could hold was ejected at high speed. The small steel ball crossed the air between Edward and the spider woman in just a fraction of a second, hitting precisely the eye that Edward managed to wound.
The spider woman fell to the ground, due to her mindless charge, her body thrashing and crawling over the earth until she was close to Edward. He waited a moment, as if that infernal creature was going to rise once more and wreak havoc.
He waited and waited until he was sure she would not get up. He drew a shaky breath then. Direct combat was not an assassin's specialty, but he was experienced enough to be able to do it, and, still, that monstrosity almost took him down with it.
He began to laugh as his body fell backwards in a completely exhausted state. That fight was not something he was looking forward to repeating any time soon, he was sure his ribs were broken, but at least he saved the village.
"I need some rum." He muttered before falling unconscious.
"Edward!" shouted some voices.
In the distance, two women were hidden among the trees. Both women wore similar outfits, One of them was the woman who had the little duel with Edward and the other seemed to be somewhat older. Both wore very revealing outfits, similar to those of a ninja, but tailored to accentuate their curves.
"Is him?" questioned the second.
"That's right, sensei." Replied the first. "Now that you've seen it, what should we do? He killed that mamono. Is he one of the Order's monster hunters? Is he here to contact the Amanomiya?"
"Uhm... It looks like the old fox god is taking care of him, so I don't think he belongs to the Order, much less to those closed-minded Amanomiya." He commented as he saw Edward being helped by several people, including Tamamo and Aisha. Besides that, he noticed that standing apart from the villagers was Haru, who seemed to watch everything in horror. "A Gyoubu Danuki? She could be useful to us. Saki, intercept her before she escapes."
"As you command, sensei." Was her reply before leaping towards another tree.
The woman stood there, watching Edward carefully. That man matched the description given to her a few days ago by the contacts they had with Ryugujo. A strange presence was felt in the waters along with a momentary void of mana. Shortly thereafter a Scylla tried to catch a blonde-haired man who ended up stabbing her. The encounter happened in the same area so there would have to be a connection. Also, there were no reports of any recently sunken ships in that area so something else had to be going on.
xxx
Encyclopedia of Monster Girls:
Kunoichi: they used to be human ninjas, but after the new Demon Lord took power, all or most of them were transformed into succubi. They possess wings, but they have atrophied as their body has adapted for physical aptitudes, being extremely athletic and excel in speed and agility. In addition to possessing a prehensile tail that also serves as a grappling hook. They are trained from a young age to use "Ninpo" or "bushin no jutsu" among other skills.
Gyoubu Danuki: are a type of beastman with characteristics of a Tanuki, or tanuki. They are quite cunning and good at handling money. They are usually merchants or moneylenders, as well as having great illusory abilities which they can use to pass themselves off as human almost perfectly. Their personality seems to be friendly and cheerful, but they are very cunning.
Ushi Oni: are spider women native to Zipangu and are considered "monstrosities" even among other monsters. They are fierce and savage and highly dangerous and will not stop until they get what they want. They usually live deep in the mountains, but sometimes come down and attack villages to get husbands. In addition, their tough bodies can regenerate easily.
Words:
Onmyouji: were one of the levels in which civilian servants of the Onmyō office were classified in the old Ritsuryō system. People with this title were professionals in onmyōdō. Onmyōji were specialists in magic and divination.