The Yōkai's rise to power: The Saga of Mistress Centipede

Chapter XIII - Past Battles - Part III


It was no longer thousands of legs that made Mistress Centipede move, but only half a dozen, so that she could no longer live up to the infamous name given to her by the frightened inhabitants of the land she had terrorized. But that was the least of her problems now...

Stamping her six hands and feet into the earth, the demoness fled from the fiery creature that was still hot on her tail. Every time she thought she had shaken the animal off, it would come back on her trail. It either had very good instincts or an extremely precise sense of smell. Despite her enormous stature, Lady Centipede was very good at camouflaging herself and blending in with her surroundings. Tall grass and dense forests were particularly suitable for this, as the dominant green of her long tail could usually blend in perfectly with the flora. And since she now only had to hide a fraction of her previous body length - since her upper body had been cleanly separated from the rest of her body by the man's attack earlier - it was much easier for Mistress Centipede to become one with her environment; but it didn't help. She was chased out of every bush, no matter how large and shady it was.

Now the cat-like creature and the centipede stood facing each other, a few meters apart. Blazing flames erupted from the creature's ankles and the gaze of its large red cat-eyes ate into her face; the cattle that had chased her this far wanted to kill and tear her to pieces. The cat's deep, dull growl didn't leave much room for interpretation. Her anger at Mistress Centipede was all too understandable, after all, the demoness had given her master a bloody shoulder and injured him. If he was lucky, the man would only be left with scars; but if even a small amount of her poison had enough time to find its way into his body and therefore into his bloodstream from her long, sharp teeth, it would take an excellent healer to be able to prevent his early demise. A just punishment for those who dared to steal from her. Even though that probably wouldn't happen.

"You annoying cat," hissed Mistress Centipede. "Instead of being with your master, you chase after me. My poison has probably turned his heart black by now. Hahahaha."

Mistress Centipede's lie caused her counterpart's growl to drop several octaves. She was sure that his life was not in danger because the likelihood of her already excreting poison at that point was very low; after all, her body barely had time to produce any. If she still had the part of her body with her that had the organ responsible for producing that deadly neurotoxin, she could probably use it now. But it was not like that. Without her paralyzing poison and reduced to a minimum of her previous size, her chances were slim. Even such a stupid creature posed a risky threat under this circumstances. If she was hacked to pieces now, she would never be able to exercise her right to be at the top of the demonic food chain. Suddenly the cat quickly jumped onto her position, and the centipede was just able to dodge its attack. However, a subsequent blow with the cat's powerful paw catapulted the demoness several meters into the air. Mistress Centipede's body circled through the air: an opportune moment to soar. Using her demonic powers, she defied the laws of gravity and flew out of the forest. Her mouth widened into a delighted, grotesque grin as she looked back, making sure she had escaped the beast.

"Hahahahaha."

A self-righteous laugh escaped her, but it didn't last long: the cat-like beast jumped out from the nearest treetop; her claws extended towards the demon.

It can fly as well!

Mistress Centipede swerved, speeding up to avoid the long claws that threatened to pierce her flesh. The chase continued. Sometimes she disappeared back into the shadows of the woods, only to be chased out again by the cat-like creature, then back into the sky, only to be forced back down by it. After all, it was Mistress Centipede's demonic physiology that gave her the endurance to escape the clutches of this rabid creature. The demoness did not tire; her body didn't need to rest or sleep. Now that she had left the annoying beast behind her, she could concentrate on her actual goal again; the recovery of the Sacred Jewel.

By now it was already evening. A sea of stars stretched above her long black hair, which was swaying in the cold evening wind, but her consciousness did not allow her to pay any attention to the sparkling stars in the sky. Her thoughts revolved exclusively around the jewel and its possession by her. Her mind demands it, but so does her body.

"It's around here; I knew it! The Sacred Jewel is nearby!"

She had to find it.

"I must find it – and increase my demonic power, before my body fails me!"

And quickly, otherwise she would die. The only thing that kept Mistress Centipede alive was her greed for the power of the jewel. Demons weren't immortal, and if she didn't find a way to regenerate her body, the laws of biology would eventually take their revenge on her in the form of her demise. However, she couldn't get the jewel by force, she was too weak for that... lucky she didn't have to. Mistress Centipede descended again into the dense thicket of the forest and lay in wait. Now all she had to do was wait until a good opportunity arose.

A new day dawned, and Lady Centipede was still in hiding.

I cannot wait anymore!

The more she wanted the jewel, the more impatient she became. She barely had any time left; she couldn't hold out any longer. Her prey lay before her - her goal was within her reach. She flew into the air again. Floating over a clearing, her small black eyes fixed on a little girl who had not expected that collecting herbs alone in the forest would be her downfall.

"The Sacred Jewel!"

The little human looked up at her; and the sight of Mistress Centipede made her scream. Fear was just a natural reaction to her presence, and it wasn't just little girls who she gave endless nightmares too. Lady Centipede didn't feel sorry for the innocent figure beneath her, who began to run away from her in panic. The tears that flowed uncontrollably from her eyes did not inspire sympathy in her; she enjoyed it. She would savor it. She loved to play with her prey and feast on their fear and revel in their horror. But Mistress Centipede couldn't afford this luxury now. She flew after the girl.

„Help me!", the girl shouted in fear, nearly stumbling. But noone was nearby. Nobody can save her from her now.

Her shortened tail trembled in the air as she came flying, a bony, rattling sound. The sound filled the girl's small ears before the centipede's unnatural voice announced her intentions towards her.

"I shall take you hostage – and get the Sacred Jewel from that Priestress Kikyo!"

Her plan couldn't fail. Humans were weak. They were obligated to support each other in order to be able to survive in this world. If they did not do this, they would be destroyed. Demons did not have this weakness. It was not uncommon for them to band together to form clans, but this was due to the competition and struggle among themselves. A demon alone could take on any puny human. However, the priestess who must now be in possession of the Sacred Jewel was something special, from what Mistress Centipede had heard. She was strong, but she was just a mere human too: taking her little sister hostage, who she had an emotional bond with, would force Kikyo to hand over the jewel. And she will do it. And Mistress Centipede and the Sacred Jewel would become one again. The girl's tears flew down her face before her mouth widened in a grin - revealing her long, cruel teeths. She reached out with her six arms for the child, but before she could grab her, her instincts alerted her to prepare. But... for what? Before she even had a chance to do anything about what was coming - to even realize what was happening - it was already too late...

"Get down, kid!"

Her eyes and mouth widened, and for a fraction of a moment she could see a white-haired figure leaping toward her and her own facial features falling apart as a result of the fast attack. She could see her own nose flying before her eyes before she saw nothing but scourging, blinding fire and light that she could do nothing to counter.

And then nothing but cold emptiness and darkness. Again.


After this, I'll focus on the story present in which Mistress Centipede might've won the battle against Inuyasha. The half-demon dead, and the centipede in possession of the Sacred Jewel, should change a lot in the story. It's still very fun to make characters like Mistress Centipede the protagonist while trying to remain true to the lore - but it's also challenging. There is a reason why her demise and end in the story came so quickly - it's not just the plot, it's her lack in strength too. So I had to play around her weakness - even with the Sacred Jewel. And I still have to, because - as we all know - Inuyasha is by far not the only strong entity in this universe, and not the only other being interested in the powers of that jewel. Mistress Centipede has a long and tough journey ahead of herself, it seems, and it'll be interesting to follow her - at least for me. We shall see, how things play out for her.