Chapter 32: A Look At The Past - Otakemaru Side Part - 2
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A/N: Last of the week I hope you enjoy it. I noticed that some reviews may have been Shadowban by Webnovel, so check when you leave a review.
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Tell me what you think of the story with lots of comments to let me know what you think and what you would like to see or even some improvements I could make.
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Manaka immediately sensed that she was no longer in her room. She felt that something was amiss as she ascended the carpet-covered steps of the main staircase, her curiosity driving her to survey her new surroundings.
Where on earth was she? Refusing to remain still in this unfamiliar space, she embarked on a slow, aimless exploration, eager to uncover the secrets that lay hidden around her.
The thought crossed her mind – was she once again inside Otakemaru's memories? It seemed the most logical explanation for the peculiar situation unfolding around her. And, to be entirely honest, this situation held a distinct allure for her.
Despite the presence of several lamps casting their light, the room she found herself in exuded an oppressive gloom. If that weren't eerie enough, a chandelier dangled ominously from the ceiling, adding an unshakable feeling of foreboding.
Manaka couldn't help but wonder if this was indeed the most fitting response to her current predicament. She felt that before she would confide in her Servant about what she was experiencing, she needed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of these memories.
Before her eyes, a younger Otakemaru stood with an unwavering, resolute gaze fixed upon a woman before him. "Bring me with you," he affirmed, his tone resonating with a powerful, almost battle-hungry resolve.
Suzuka Gozen, her lips curved into a gentle smile, shook her head with warmth in her eyes. "Protect this place for me," she requested, her outstretched finger encompassing the room's wealth of treasures.
The assortment included precious relics and simple yet effective oriental weapons, each poised for use in future battles.
Otakemaru's gaze averted for a moment, his inner struggle evident, but he eventually nodded. It was clear that he had a strong desire to be part of what was unfolding, to contribute to the ongoing mission. Nevertheless, he accepted his duty with a solemn nod, recognizing the importance of the task assigned to him.
"Just stay here and wait for me," Suzuka said to him, casting one final look at the Oni before she embarked on the impending battle, her demeanor exuding a presence that could have instilled fear even in the mightiest of gods.
Otakemaru, his voice laced with frustration, muttered under his breath, "Fine, stay and protect... Why can't I join the fight? I am strong, one of the most powerful Yokai in all of Japan!"
Manaka, a small smile playing on her lips, listened to their exchange. Her King, in this form, was undeniably cute.
"Help!"
But it was apparent that peace would not be the order of the day. From outside, the calls for help grew louder with each passing moment, as if intent on ensuring Otakemaru's presence beyond the treasure room.
The serenity that had initially surrounded them now seemed to be dissolving, replaced by an impending storm.
Otakemaru wasted no time; he hurried to the door that separated him from the unfolding battle. But he hesitated, torn between his duty to protect the treasures in the room and the desperate plea for help that echoed in his ears.
"Help me!"
The cry for aid left him with no choice but to swing open the door before him. His face was etched with concern as he entered the chaotic scene. "Are you all right?" he inquired, his voice filled with worry.
However, he was met with an unexpected and heavy presence that crashed down upon him. He instinctively grabbed the intruder, but a look of shock crossed his face as he gazed upon the unexpected assailant.
"Huh?" Otakemaru could only manage to mutter, his hand moving to his abdomen where vicious claws had pierced him. Blood flowed copiously from the wound, staining his once untainted skin. He fell to his knees, his voice trembling with disbelief, "Why?"
The larger of the two assailants sneered, a palpable contempt seeping from his voice. "Damn fool! Just like that silly woman!" They carried on with their relentless quest, searching for the most valuable treasures and dismissing all else as irrelevant.
"The treasures of Mount Suzuka must be hidden here," one of them declared, a cold determination in his tone.
As Otakemaru slumped to the ground, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, he watched in utter despair. The two Sea Clan Yokai continued to scour the room, greedily looting the hard-earned spoils gathered from the battles of Mount Suzuka's residents. The room, once a sanctuary for these treasures, now bore witness to their plunder.
Otakemaru's fangs clenched with unrelenting determination, his eyes burning with an all-consuming rage. Ignoring the injuries that had previously beset him, he rose to his feet with a relentless resolve. "How dare you... you?" he gasped, his voice a maddened crescendo. "How dare you!!"
In the room's confines, Otakemaru stood alone, his anger and despair emitting an unmistakable intensity that could be perceived even by the naked eye. His once-pale skin had taken on a malevolent tinge, while his eyes had transformed into abyssal pools of blackness, consumed by an unyielding hatred.
The two imposing Sea Yokai regarded Otakemaru with a cruel mixture of arrogance and amusement. They had ambushed him, arrogantly assuming that he would be an easy target. Little did they know just how wrong they were.
As the first Sea Yokai lunged forward, Otakemaru's eyes blazed with a hatred so profound that even Manaka herself couldn't help but shudder.
With an agility that defied his diminutive stature, Otakemaru artfully sidestepped the monstrous Yokai's attack. In a frenetic flurry of movement, he unleashed a relentless onslaught, showing no mercy
His long, sharp claws struck their mark with impeccable precision, driving deep into the creature's flesh. The Sea Yokai howled in excruciating agony, the sound of blood curdling screams reverberating throughout the room.
With a brutal twist, Otakemaru ripped the creature's head from its shoulders, leaving behind a gruesome dead body, from which blood was leaking.
Blood sprayed across the room in a gruesome arc, drenching the cracked walls with macabre, gory stripes. Witnessing the death of his comrade, the second Sea Yokai bellowed with a primal rage and lunged at Otakemaru.
But the Oni was a maelstrom of wrath and retribution, his every move a deadly ballet. With each strike, the room appeared to grow dimmer, as if it were absorbing the malevolent energy emanating from him.
Manaka watched and transfixed the show in front of her, her gaze tinged with a flush of emotions. For the first time, she beheld the full extent of Otakemaru's emotions, and she couldn't help but acknowledge the haunting beauty of his violence.
Otakemaru's claws tore through the armored skin of the second Sea Yokai, rending flesh and bone with a savage ferocity that defied his youthful appearance. His eyes, once harboring a hint of innocence, now radiated an abyssal rage.
The second Sea Yokai, struggling to draw breath and drenched in his own life's essence, felt the grip of death tightening around him. But Otakemaru was far from finished. With one final, brutal blow, he thrust his clawed hand into the creature's chest, seizing its heart with relentless fury and crushing on the spot.
As the last vestiges of life drained from the Sea Yokai, Otakemaru stood amidst the grotesque aftermath of the battle, his chest swollen with a complex blend of triumph and torment.
His body bore the gruesome evidence of the battle, splattered with the blood of his fallen adversaries, and the room itself seemed to serve as a silent witness to the raw, unbridled release of his negative emotions into the world.
In that moment, Otakemaru had given free rein to his most sinister impulses, driven by an anger that had festered within him for far too long. It was a destructive force to be reckoned with, an abomination that revealed in laying waste to everything in its path.
But, as it often happened, actions carried consequences, and as the battle raged on, the price became painfully evident.
The once peaceful surroundings, safeguarding the invaluable treasures of Mount Suzuka, now lay engulfed in a relentless inferno. Otakemaru had been entrusted with the solemn duty of safeguarding these treasures, a promise he had made to Suzuka, a promise that now weighed heavily on his heart.
As the room succumbed to the relentless flames, the treasures turned to ashes, and Otakemaru fell to his knees, tears mingling with the smoke and soot on his face. He watched helplessly as the fire voraciously consumed the symbols of hard-fought battles and the cherished memories they held.
"I have returned. Wake up! It's me!" Suzuka's voice, tinged with urgency, cut through the incessant crackling of the flames. Her words were like a lifeline thrown to a drowning monster, offering a glimmer of hope to one consumed by the abyss.
Otakemaru's gaze fell upon the charred, smoldering remnants of the room he had pledged to safeguard. In that agonizing moment, he was burdened by an overwhelming sense of guilt and remorse that bore down upon his chest like an unrelenting weight.
He spoke, his voice quivering with raw, unfiltered emotion, "I'm sorry." Each word carried the heavy weight of his self-condemnation, a confession of his failure, a desperate plea for forgiveness that only the ashes and cinders could hear.
Otakemaru's anguished gaze wandered over the scorched ruins that surrounded him. His voice quivered with the pain and regret that had taken residence in his heart. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, his words choked with the gravity of his own shortcomings. "It's all my fault. I failed your wish."
Then, amidst the desolation, he saw her. Suzuka stood amid the charred remains, her presence a beacon of light in his dark hour. Her eyes held an understanding that transcended words, and her voice, imbued with compassion, whispered through the smoke and flames like a soothing breeze.
"I'm sorry I'm so late, Otakemaru," she spoke softly, her words carrying a weight of forgiveness and unconditional love that surpassed the devastation surrounding them.
In that moment, amid the ruins of their hopes and dreams, the bond between Otakemaru and Suzuka remained unbroken. It was a testament to the enduring strength of their connection, a testament to the resilience of love in the face of despair.
[Interlude]
The scene shifted once more for Manaka, revealing a breathtaking vista of a towering cliff overlooking the boundless ocean that stretched endlessly to the distant horizon. He found himself standing at this precipice, a silent observer to a poignant exchange between two figures of profound familiarity.
Suzuka's voice carried on the salty breeze as she spoke in a tone that seemed almost wistful, "I'll be leaving Mt. Suzuka for a while." Her gaze was fixed upon the endless expanse of the Mt. Suzuka ocean, an ocean that held a depth of nostalgia within its waves.
Manaka's eyes couldn't help but shift to Otakemaru, eager to discern his response to Suzuka's announcement. It was at this moment that he saw the transformation that had taken place in Otakemaru.
The once-youthful Oni had matured into a formidable Yokai, radiating an aura that demanded submission, a testament to his growth.
Otakemaru's skin was now a pale hue, slightly tinged with silver, giving him an ethereal appearance. His jet-black hair had been shorn to neck length, with neatly cut bangs gracing his forehead.
The striking contrast between his golden eyes and the red makeup painted just above them gave him an air of mystique and intensity.
Otakemaru's horns now emerged naturally from his body, seamlessly passing through the same pale tone as his skin. His fangs, long and razor-sharp, stood as a stark contrast to the teeth of mere humans.
Cloaked in attire that seemed both ancient and mystical, his tattered garments were adorned with intricate, traditional Japanese motifs. It was as if his very appearance was a testament to his profound transformation, a metamorphosis that had taken him from a youth to a Yokai of undeniable power and presence.
[Picture --> Otakemaru - Yokai is more powerful than Mt. Suzuka]
"I'll go with you!" Otakemaru declared with a voice that brooked no argument. "You can't go alone!"
As the waves relentlessly crashed against the cliff, creating a scene of unparalleled majesty, Suzuka's words reverberated through the surroundings. "Otakemaru, you must stay here."
"But..." Otakemaru began, a sense of unease gripping him.
Suzuka's hand gently alighted on his shoulder, and her smile possessed the kind of enchantment that could have charmed even the most beautiful goddess. "I promise I will return soon!"
With a resigned nod, Otakemaru could only reply, "Understood."
Observing this moment, Suzuka's fingers softly brushed against Otakemaru's head, a tender smile gracing her lips. "You've grown so much," she remarked, her words laced with pride and affection.
With that, she took a step forward, vanishing into the vast expanse of the ocean. The sea swallowed her form, and as the ripples settled, Otakemaru stood there, his heart heavy with a mix of emotions, watching the endless horizon where she had disappeared.
"This is the place I call home... I am not going anywhere"
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