「Demon Lord」King Oni Sengo

Chapter 7

"I can help you with that problem."

In front of me, there was a girl my age.

His name is Nakiri Ayame.

It is another breed of oni different from ours.

Her horns were smaller of a pale pink hue, on her left horn she was wrapped with a black cloth.

She wore the ceremonial garb of a shrine maiden. We were preparing for a ritual that, hopefully, would allow me to numb the madness that sometimes consumes me and control those murderous impulses that awaken without warning.

If this ritual was successful, I can be a little reassured by the murderous desires that it explosively awakens.

Moments ago.

Three weeks and four days had passed since we started our return home. We were already close to our territory, but there was an obstacle in the way.

"Sengo-nii."

I heard Tomoe's voice next to me as we jumped in the trees.

"Yes?"

"To get home... won't we have to cross the territory that we are forbidden to do?"

"Yes, I know," I replied. "We could go around it to avoid problems, but it will take us a lot longer... "

"I prefer to get home faster. Let's try to be more stealthy when crossing," Tomoe suggested.

"Good."

With that said, we ended up entering the territory that we were forbidden to do.

After several minutes, we ended up finding a large village in the center of this place.

It occupied the entire center, it is easy to realize that the village was several kilometers long, easily turning it into a region.

Now being a little curious about this fact, I can realize that this breed of oni is larger than ours.

It is certain that they are thousands, and we are hundreds.

I'll put that thought aside, now we have to return home before we are discovered by this race of oni.

…

It wasn't long before we were discovered. A group of imposing oni, experts in detecting enemies and with an evident combat skill, appeared among the trees, blocking our way. Their gazes were sharp, ready to defend their territory.

I felt dark emotions begin to emerge in me, like an uncontrollable wave of madness and bloodlust. Without thinking, I pounced on the first of them: a two-meter oni, muscular and powerful. I grabbed him by the neck and, in one swift motion, knocked him to the ground, unloading a series of swift punches against his face, letting myself be carried away by fury.

"Sengo, stop!" shouted Tomoe, her voice trying to cut through the fog of my madness. But there was no longer any control.

Suddenly, I felt the cold of Tomoe's katana piercing my head. Everything went out suddenly. My body fell to the ground, motionless, as consciousness faded. It was a dark and silent abyss, where time seemed not to exist.

It was an hour before my body began to respond, and my eyes finally opened. The madness and bloodlust had faded, leaving me in a strange and vulnerable calm. I looked around, trying to get where I was. It was a simple room, lying on the floor on a mat, surrounded by walls of wood and paper.

Suddenly, I heard the soft sound of a sliding door opening. I looked up, and there she stood on the threshold. A young oni girl with long white hair with pink tips. Her small, pale pink horns stood out among the ornaments in her hair: ribbons with small bells and a red oni mask on the side of her head. On its left horn, a black cloth was carefully wrapped, giving it a unique and almost solemn air. She wore a reddish outfit with black tones, and at her waist she carried a sheathed katana, as if she were ready for any eventuality.

The sight of that figure awakened a distant memory in my mind. I was just a child, about seven years old, bathing in a river near the edge of our territory, where I was not supposed to venture. But the river that I always used to with my brothers had taken me there, and on the other side of the river, I saw a girl in a reddish kimono and a yellow sash, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. It was at that moment that I learned of the existence of another race of oni, one that lived beyond the boundaries of our territory.

Now, that girl had become the young woman before me. I didn't know his name, but his look was the same as he remembered.

She advanced into the room, her presence emanating tranquility. "Hello, I'm Nakiri Ayame," she introduced herself, her voice soft and melodious.

Clearing my memories of the past, I replied, "I'm Sengo. Apologies for the disturbance I caused your people, and I am also sorry for what you saw when my sister pierced her katana in my head; surely some of them had a very bad time."

It was certain that no one would want to witness a scene of someone being pierced by a katana on the head.

Nakiri smiled, showing a pacifist nature. "Don't worry, Sengo. I've had a conversation with your sister, Tomoe Gozen. He told me about your situation, if you want I can help you with that problem."

"Help me?" I asked, feeling a little skeptical. "How could you do that?"

"There is a ritual that might make it easier for you to numb that explosive state of madness and bloodlust," he explained, his expression serious. "This ritual will grant you an enraged oni tattoo, which will help you control your bloodlust. But there is a price to pay."

"What is it?" I asked, the restlessness beginning to grow in me.

"It will allow you to quench that thirst, but you will also have to feed on the life energy of humans. If you don't, the tattoo will lose its power and you will become a real oni monster. Although tattooing helps you control your thirst for blood, the root of this problem must be exterminated. There's no way to help you with that; It's something you'll have to face for yourself," he concluded, his gaze fixed on mine.

The weight of his words settled on me. I knew this option was dangerous, but the thought of losing control was even more terrifying.

"Is there anything else I needed to know about this ritual?" I finally asked, feeling the urgency to understand the magnitude of what was being proposed to me.

Nakiri gently scratched his head, and with a deeper tone, he continued, "The tattoo will endure even if you manage to completely remove the root of your bloodlust. If you don't keep feeding, the tattoo will turn you into a real oni monster when it disappears."

I gasped at this revelation. This ritual is more dangerous than I imagined.

…

The ritual could offer me temporary relief, a way to master that madness that came out of nowhere. However, it also brought with it the need to feed on humans. Although I had killed before, the idea of eating human flesh was repulsive to me.

I had no sympathy for life, but I still disliked the idea of becoming a monster that fed on others.

"You know, Nakiri?" I began, feeling that each word was a step towards an irreversible decision. "If there's any way to help me, even if it means getting my hands dirty, I should take it. I don't want to be a threat to those I hold dear."

Nakiri's gaze softened, and he could see that he understood the internal struggle he was facing. "It's a tough decision, Sengo. But it's a step in the right direction if you're determined to take control of your life."

"Then I accept the ritual," I affirmed, feeling a revulsion emerge within me. Although he knew that this could bring more trouble in the future, it was a risk he was willing to take to protect those he loved.

The next day dawned with a clear sky and fresh morning air filling my lungs. I woke up in the same room where I had had the revealing conversation with Nakiri. I felt a strange mixture of calm and anxiety as I remembered the decision I had made the night before. As I stood up, I saw Tomoe sitting in a corner, adjusting her katana.

"Ready to go?" he asked, looking up at me with an expression that combined concern and determination.

"Yes," I replied, straightening up and feeling the weight of the new path I had chosen. "We have to say goodbye to Nakiri and the others."

We left the room and walked through the corridors of the village. People watched us curiously, some with friendly smiles, others with looks of distrust. I was grateful that Nakiri had presented me as an ally, rather than an enemy.

Finally, we arrived at the clearing where I had met Nakiri. She was already there, surrounded by other oni, who seemed interested in what we had to say. His face lit up when he saw us.

"Good morning, Sengo, Tomoe," Nakiri greeted, his voice soft as the morning breeze. "I hope you were able to rest well."

"Yes, thank you," I replied, feeling sincere gratitude to her and her people. "I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality and for helping me. I don't know how to thank them."

"Your thanks are enough," Nakiri said, bowing his head slightly. "We are happy to have been able to help you during this time. You will always be welcome here."

Tomoe stepped forward, his gaze serious. "I hope that, despite the circumstances, we can meet again. I don't want there to be misunderstandings between our races."

The other oni nodded, and one of them, a tall man with scars on his face, spoke. "There is no rancor. Peace is what we all desire. But beware and beware of bloodlust. That struggle is theirs alone, and it cannot be ignored."

"I will," I assured, feeling his words resonate with me. He knew that the toughest battle was yet to come.

Nakiri moved a little closer. "Before they leave, I want to give you something, Sengo." With an elegant gesture, he took out a small box decorated with intricate designs and offered it to me. "It's an amulet that will protect you from dangers. I hope it helps you on your way."

"Thank you, Nakiri," I replied, accepting the gift with gratitude. "I will carry it with me always."

Tomoe also received a small gift, a talisman that glowed softly in his hand. "This one will help you stay calm in times of danger," Nakiri explained.

"It is a generous gesture. I thank you," Tomoe said, tucking the talisman into his garment.

We say goodbye to the oni, each with a handshake or a kind gesture. There was a palpable connection between us, a mutual understanding that our races could coexist peacefully if both sides were willing to do so.

With one last glance at the clearing, where Nakiri and the others stood their ground, we began our way back home. As we walked away the fight against my madness was still ahead, I had to find the root of this problem one day.

And exterminate it.

» ━━━━━━ « ♔ » ━━━━━━ «

Sengo and Tomoe's brothers waited at the entrance to the immense castle, whose imposing architecture stretched to easily accommodate the hundreds of members of their oni race. The tall walls of dark stone rose majestically, decorated with intricate reliefs depicting ancient legends of battle and heroism. The main door, forged from iron and adorned with ancient symbols, looked like a watchful guardian against any threat.

The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs and damp earth, reminding the brothers that time was running its course as they waited. The wait became anxious, and the eyes of the young oni alternated between the great gate and the path that led to the horizon, where Sengo and Tomoe were supposed to appear at any moment.

"I hope they will arrive soon," Lu Bu muttered, his tone denoting impatience. "I don't want to miss the story of his return."

"I assure you that it will be epic," Oda Nobunaga replied with a confident smile. "Sengo always finds a way to make every situation memorable."

"I hope they don't bring any more problems," added Raiden Tameemon, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've had enough difficulty to deal with more."

"Problems? That's what makes life exciting!" exclaimed Okita Souji, with a carefree laugh. "Besides, isn't that what we want? A good story to tell our children one day."

"What I really want is to know how they did in that test," Kato Danzo interrupted, his eyes shining with curiosity. "Since they left, I've been practicing with the kunai Sengo made for me. I need to know if I did well compared to them."

"You're worried about business as usual," Mochizuki Chiyome said, smiling knowingly. "But it's normal. We all want to know how it went."

Suddenly, a murmur swept through the group as a distant echo of footsteps approached. The castle door slowly opened, revealing the dark figure of Sengo, followed by Tomoe. They both looked good, although their clothes were scruffy, with marks from their trip and parts patched up by the kindness of Nakiri Ayame's people.

"Sengo! Tomoe!" they shouted in unison, rushing towards them.

"They are alive!" exclaimed Lu Bu, while hugging his younger brother. "What happened? Tell us!"

Sengo smiled, feeling the warmth of his family around him. "Don't worry, everything went well. But we have a lot to tell you..."

» ━━━━━━ « ♔ » ━━━━━━ «

With a determined movement, Sengo moved the top of his hakama to the sides, revealing his back. All eyes fell on his skin marked with an intricate black tattoo, with white lines forming the figure of an oni's enraged face. The image was shocking and filled the room with an aura of mystery and power.

"This tattoo represents the ritual I have accepted," Sengo explained, as curious reactions filled the air. "It will allow me to numb the explosive state of madness and bloodlust that I carry inside. But there's a price I have to pay."

"What is it?" asked one of the brothers, his voice choked with concern.

"I must feed on the life energy of humans," Sengo replied, his expression grave. "If I don't, the tattoo will lose its power and I will become a real oni monster. Although tattooing helps me control my bloodlust, the root of this problem still needs to be faced. It's a burden I have to bear."

The weight of his words settled upon them, and the tension in the air became palpable. No one dared to interrupt him, feeling the gravity of his decision.

"I know it's dangerous, Sengo," Tomoe said, his gaze fixed on his brother, filled with support. "But I'm confident you'll be able to handle it. We are a family and we will be by your side."

"Thank you, Tomoe," Sengo replied, feeling the strength his words gave him. "The tattoo will endure even if I manage to remove the root of my bloodlust. So I'll have to keep feeding myself with the life energy of humans, or I'll become a real oni monster. This is a path that there is no turning back, but it was my only option."

"I understand that this is not easy, but you must be prepared to face the consequences," one of his brothers added, looking at Sengo seriously. "We can't allow you to become something you can't control."

Sengo nodded, aware of the weight of his words. But just at that moment, Lu Bu, known for his combative nature, broke the tension with a mocking smile. "If you become a monstrous oni, don't worry. I'll cut that monster in two!"

The room was filled with laughter, and Sengo, following the game, replied with a smile: "I don't think you'll be able to beat me if I really become a monster. You'd have to be faster than lightning."

"Challenge accepted!" said Lu Bu, raising his fist in a gesture of competition. "I've always been faster than you, so get ready!"

The laughter continued, easing the burden of the moment somewhat. Sengo felt the worry fade away, at least for an instant. The camaraderie of his family reminded him that, although the road ahead was dangerous, he would not face it alone.

"Thank you, Lu Bu," Sengo said, smiling genuinely. "I'm glad to know you'll be there for me, even if I get lost."

"Always, brother. Although, honestly, I hope I don't have to use my sword," Lu Bu replied, winking at him.

With the tension eased, Sengo felt ready to face the challenges ahead, knowing that his family would support him every step of the way.