A Father's Expectations (Part 4)
Time: 1683 Uzuki, jūsan-nichi, kin'yōbi (April,13,Friday)
(Yoru: Night) (Hebi province)
The night was long and dreary; the clouds slowly rolled over the sky like falling leaves. A thick smell of death hung in the air among the tall trees of the forest.
The long black centipede clamped its pincers down on Otōsan; beginning to break through his inner armor; he let go, falling.
"Ngh..." He grunted standing back up.
The centipede chomped threw the blue stained armor like Senbei*. (Rice Crackers)*
Its face became stained with its poison, causing it to wince and writhe in pain.
It screamed, thrashing about knocking over trees.
Soon, it seemed to recover, focusing its sights back on Otōsan. It spat a large amount of ooze at him, he quickly dodged, kicking the poison-soaked earth at the demon.
It winced in pain spinning its tail around to strike him; he jumped over grabbing on.
The centipede swung around, spraying the forest. "Ngh, gah!" He grabbed a melting branch from a tree, stabbing into the centipede's eyes.
It screamed, diving back underground.
He scanned the area, waiting for an attack.
Behind him it jumped out, slashing at his side. "Argh!" He shouted.
It jumped again but he moved out of the way, striking its side. It screamed, retreating once again.
The ground began to bubble with blue ooze; Otōsan jumped onto a toppled log. It slowly burned as the area was covered in poison.
He waited, silently patience for the oncoming attack.
Suddenly, the centipede emerged from beneath him despite the poison; it clamped down on him, but he latched onto a deteriorated pincer, ripping it out.
The centipede screamed; but he jumped, stabbing into its decaying skin, slicing the demonic bug open. It fell over, withering in pain on the saturated dirt, melting.
But, as its exoskeleton collapsed, Otōsan saw what he thought to be a small red snake, slithering its way out of the body and into the forest.
"What..."
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Two hundred meters away at the front of the group the wolf had torn through Rōtasu's scarf, shredding her throat.
"La-Lady Rōtasu!?" Yelled a soldier.
"Keh, don't worry~" Said a voice.
The soldiers looked over to find Rōtasu perched in a tree. Their heads darted back to the wolf; it had clamped its jaws down on a wooden dummy wearing her scarf; it's face, a laughing Rōtasu that said: "Nya ha~!"
"Time to put this pup on a leash!" She shouted.
Tugging on the wires she caught the wolf by the neck, tightening... until, snap!
Its head lurched forward; its body going limp.
She walked up to the dummy, taking her scarf. "Thanks for the help Dummy-chan..." She said. "You can rest now."
She patted the doll's head, turning it into a small toy-like form. She was just tucking the doll away as she noticed Otōsan walking up the path to meet them.
"Colonel Otōsan!" Saluted the soldiers.
"At ease..." He sighed.
"O-Otōsan! You're okay!" Said Rōtasu reassuringly.
He walked past her to the corpse of the wolf, examining it.
"Otōsan?" She asked, her head cocked.
He shoved his hand deep inside the wolf.
"Ugh! Eww!"
Pulling out a red snake...
"Wha...what is that?" She asked.
The snake was a deep red; black, jagged markings cover its back. A third red eye atop the forehead among the other two white. It was about a foot and a half long, with two tails finishing the body. The snake squirmed and whipped around in Otōsan's hand.
"This..." He replied. "...Is our guide."
He dropped the snake; it began making its way up the mountain towards the peak.
Otōsan straightened himself out, as he bandaged himself, he looked towards the top. "Let us march on... We will find the disturbance at the summit."
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The peak of the mountain was calm; a large area of land among a pool of crystal-clear water surrounded by a grove of maple trees. The night was an eerie void; only the light of the moon shining down upon them.
"Th-there's nothing here..." Said Rōtasu.
Otōsan stepped to the front; the wind blowing through his bun-held hair. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "..."
He popped his wakizashi from its sheath.
"O-Otōsan?"
"You lie within the shadows, such as vermin will..." He took a stance, opening his eyes. "...If you will not appear, then I will drag you out myself!"
He slashed the air, cutting the atmosphere like cloth.
"Wha..." Rōtasu watched the peak change before her very eyes as if a veil had been dropped.
The soldiers' blood ran cold, as now stood before them an army of demons, blanketing the mountain.
Amidst the legions of demonic beings stood out a single demon; it was a large crimson snake. Three eyes upon its head; one green, two black with a slit white. Its head was curved and sharp, the two mouths it had were stacked on top of each other, a black venom oozing out. Along the back of the snake lay many razor-sharp spines and black jagged zig zag markings down to the tip of its twin tails.
The snake grinned, sly and menacing. His jaw gaped open, exhaling a sickening thick plume of breath. "It appears we've been found out..." He sneered.
"Like a snake in the grass..." Scowled Otōsan.
The demon frowned, then smiled once again. "It appears so..." He looked around, scanning his men. "But "finding", and "killing" is the true difference of the matter... Be careful, or you'll get bit."
"Am I wrong to presume you are the cause of the disturbance?" Asked Otōsan.
"No... You are correct, for I am the one true lord of this land..." He said. "And I am simply ridding myself of the festering rats inhabiting my domain."
"Then allow me to demonstrate the true strength of such a creature." Otōsan raised his hand. "Roikara!" He shouted, his voice was like thunder, echoing throughout the mountain.
"Yes Colonel!?" Replied the troop; a new feeling of strength and courage welling up from within them.
He waved his hand, taking up his blade. "Advance!"
And like that, the men ran forward, soon opposed by the demons.
They clashed in a wave of sword and fang, claw and spear, shaking the mountain.