出会い
okouoni:
She held no expectations for the demeanor of a sword given life. At best, she assumed, it would mirror the personality of it’s master. Otherwise, it was an open canvas of possibility. But it became obvious the moment he spoke. Arrogant. Arrogance was a personality trait that struck a nerve with the oni if only because she was the same. At least – the facade she wore was the same. With all of her failures in life she knew her attitude lacked the substance to justify it. But she was the leader of the oni race, and she had her pride.
“Hah? Do you have room to talk? A sword is an extension of it’s wielder.” From her crouched position, those amber eyes reflected the torchlight as she glared with clear fatigue up at the man. “Do you not recall me tricking your wielder and retrieving it? Or…” She held her arm out, revealing a thin incision along soft looking flesh. “If not, let me remind you.”
“No. What I wished to hear was that you were repulsed. The blood of a ‘monster’ that feasted upon human kind should hold no savory flavor. That goes for both I, as well as you. In this form, you and others of your kind are no different than the monsters you cut down. How amusing.” She turned her gaze to the sky once more.
“I wonder how long it will be before you’re nothing more than a beast? Youkai can only resist blood for so long, and as a sword you sampled the blood of many I’m sure. Unless you earnestly believe you will never succumb to such an urge – in which case, I applaud your naivete.”
❝ Tricking my master and retrieving it? ❞ The laughter that left the sword’s throat was all too gentle for their conversation, for the atmosphere that surrounded such faithful meeting, though the way his fangs could be seen made it only slightly terrifying. Yet Onikiri cannot help but find it hilarious, find reason to laugh at the choice of an oni’s words that were, truly, just like her. Oni were truly fantastic creatures, were they not? With pride that put others to shame, they blinded themselves in it so often that they forgot at times their pride was just, in fact, cowardice.
When he bares his fangs at her, it’s almost felt like their first and last battle. ❝ You have pride in covering your shame and defeat, pretending you’re a flawless being? I have never seen an oni as shallow as yourself, Ibaraki-Douji. It almost makes me want to spit out your blood. ❞ Almost, but he takes it as a trophy. ❝ Does the weight of your lies ever crawl in your back? I’m impressed you are able to live and challenge men after men knowing fully well a simple retainer was able to harm the so feared right hand of Shuten-Douji.
--And to think you didn’t put up a fight. You have pride in disguising yourself as Lord Tsuna’s wet nurse, retrieving your arm and running away, like a coward afraid of a man that was but a servant. I would admire your courage in showing your face in public if I weren’t so disgusted. ❞
But this was neither here nor there. When the tachi’s expression falls and weakens, becomes the gentle façade he so often puts up to pretend he wasn’t a truly broken sword in spirit, his smile becomes soft as does his words. It’s hard not to find the oni’s words ironic. When she tried hard to shame the sword for being so alike to her kind, it was perhaps a moment too late; for now, Onikiri couldn’t help but agree that he, too, was just an awful as those he proudly cut down.
❝ Your words would have a better effect against swords of the Saniwa. ❞ Because he wasn’t one. Onikiri had no master worth wielding his blade. ❝ Swords are forged to drink the blood of whoever opposes its wielder, and I proudly live for that purpose alone. The little boy who gave me this form, though many find solace in calling him their master, doesn’t truly know how to wield a weapon. I was born to feast upon the blood of humans, and I do not have shame on that. Whether human, oni or sword-- blood is always blood. Call me a beast if you dare, Ibaraki-Douji, call me an oni if you will! But I would never pretend the reason I was made wasn’t solemnly to drink the blood of the fallen. ❞












