Chapter 3: Flight to Anzu Village

Riko opened the wall panel, retrieving an orange satchel.
She tucked in her small scissors, a stack of paper, and the jade fish, slinging it across her body.
She stole a glance back.

Seimei stood in the room’s center, patiently waiting as she packed.
His posture was straight, exuding elegance.

Riko quickly averted her eyes.
Abe Seimei, the legendary onmyouji of the Heian era, who walked between human and spirit realms, striking fear into all youkai.
Could this boy, barely older than her, really be him?

“Ready?”

“Almost done.”

Urged on, she hurriedly pulled an old robe from a broken clothing chest, soaking it in the blood on the floor.

“What’s that?”

“Granny was eaten by the yamajiji.
I want to make a memorial for her.”
Riko wrapped the bloodied robe in another cloth, her nose stinging as she recalled Granny Sushi’s kind face.

Seimei’s gaze softened slightly.
“I see.
But we need to leave now.”

Riko nodded, securing the bundle on her back.
Grief wouldn’t keep her alive, and she didn’t want to seem weak.

“Lord Seimei, do you have companions?”
She assumed he wouldn’t come alone.
Other onmyouji must be saving the villagers.

“No companions.
Just me.”

“No companions?”
Riko turned, shocked, peering outside.
“Then… the other villagers…”

“Besides you, I haven’t sensed any living humans.”
Seimei’s tone was grave.

“What does that mean?”
Riko’s eyes widened in horror.

“Since entering this village, I’ve found no living humans,” Seimei continued.
“Youkai often kill their prey before eating.
You survived because that yamajiji was chatty and liked showing off.”

She’d lived for such a absurd reason.

Thinking of the villagers she’d known, the innocent children, Riko bit her lip, eyes reddening, her loathing for youkai deepening.

“We need to go, or we won’t make it.”
Seimei glanced at the fading orange barrier outside, set to mask human presence.

He drew a pale yellow talisman from the pouch at his waist, flicking it with two fingers.
A faint blue aura radiated, enveloping them thinly.

“What’s this?”
Riko raised her arm; the aura vanished where it touched her clothes.

“A shortcut talisman.
No matter how far, it’ll get us there fast.”
Seimei grasped her wrist through his sleeve, leading her outside.
One step, and they stood beyond the courtyard.

Seeing her wide, astonished eyes, Seimei’s lips curved slightly.

The village resembled an Asura battlefield, thick with firelight and the stench of blood.

Riko’s grief surged again, but she spotted movement in the neighboring yard.

“Someone’s there?
Oh, it’s Sister Suzumi!”
She looked over, hopeful.

The fence between the yards had collapsed.
A disheveled woman knelt with her back to them, shoulders twitching.

“Don’t go.”
Seimei’s voice was low, one hand stopping her, the other drawing a white talisman inscribed with characters.

The woman slowly turned.
Riko recoiled in terror.

Her face was human, but below her neck sprouted heads—some normal-sized, others fist-small.
Their features blurred together, chewing and muttering,
[More?
Is there more?]

“Hm?
Calling me sister—are we kin?”
The woman’s gaze fixed on Riko, her pale face twisting into a coy smile, blood and flesh caught in her teeth.

She kicked aside a mangled corpse, arms wide, approaching slowly.
“Wonderful, just wonderful.
My family wasn’t enough to eat.
Since we’re kin, we should help each other.”

“Help?”
Riko asked instinctively.

“Yep, let me take a bite.”
The woman eyed Riko’s fair face, drooling.
“I promise, one quick bite, no pain at all.”

“Let you bite me?
No way!”
Riko stared at the blood and drool dripping from her mouth, repulsed and afraid.

“You called me sister!”
The woman, as if betrayed, lunged like a gust of wind.

Riko yelped.
Seimei stepped in front, calmly releasing the talisman.
The white strip flashed into silver light, piercing the air like an arrow.

“Aaah!”
The woman’s scream was shrill as the light tore through her chest, her body erupting into a blazing pillar, unable to move forward.

Riko peeked from behind Seimei, her gaze complex as she watched Suzumi writhe in the flames.

“Hard to grasp, isn’t it?”
Seimei glanced at her, his voice gentle.
“She’s no longer the person you knew.
She’s a youkai called a Man-Eater.
Each person it eats spawns a new monster on its body.”

“It’s a highly reproductive mother youkai.
When the heads mature, they fall off to find new hosts.
Your neighbor was possessed by a mature Man-Eater.
If we don’t kill it, more people will become youkai.
Of course, some choose to become youkai.”

Riko stared at the flames, orange reflecting in her eyes, her voice thick with disgust.
“Choose to become youkai?
Youkai are vile.
Why would anyone want that?”

“For power.
Plus, strong youkai can take human form, living among people without missing out on pleasures.”

“I hate youkai.”

Seimei paused, his voice softening.
“True, youkai have a bad reputation.
But not all are evil…”

“All youkai eat people.”
Riko looked at the fire-ravaged village.
“Look, this morning it was peaceful—adults fishing, kids playing.
Now, they’re all youkai food.”

Her voice carried more hate than disgust.
Seimei hesitated, then asked softly,
“What about children born of humans and youkai?
Would you hate them too?”

“Hate them.”
Riko answered without thinking, the word “youkai” triggering her response.

“I see…”
Seimei’s gaze shifted to a massive youkai lumbering nearby.
“We have to go.
Your scent will draw more youkai soon.”

He took her hand, a faint smile returning to his eyes.
“We’re running now.
Close your eyes if you’re scared.”

Riko nodded, shutting her eyes.
Seimei dashed forward, and she stumbled along, wind whistling past her ears.
Her hair flew back, the Hontsubo Bell chiming pleasantly with the motion.

It lasted mere seconds.
When they stopped, she stood outside an unfamiliar village.

A boulder at the entrance read “Anzu Village.”

“Oh, that Anzu Village?”
Famous for its apricots, it was miles from her village.
Had they crossed that distance in steps?
Onmyouji skills were incredible.

“It looks like your village—raided by youkai.”
Seimei studied the silent, dark village.

“Speaking of which, something’s odd,” he said, looking at Riko.
“Why did so many youkai appear in your village?
Most are locked in the Asura Realm, unable to escape.
The few left in the human world are caught by onmyouji when they surface.”

“I don’t know,” Riko shook her head.
“Oh, wait.”

“What?”

“We didn’t scatter beans to ward off ghosts this year.”

“That’s it?”
Seimei sounded incredulous.
“Bean-scattering only scares weak ghosts.
Well, we’ll find out in Heian-kyo.”

He glanced at her.
“I’m headed to Harima Province.
I’ll settle you somewhere safe first.
Any other relatives?”

Hearing he wouldn’t take her, Riko panicked.
“None.
My parents are gone.
Granny was eaten by the yamajiji.
My grandfather was an only child, so no relatives.
My brother vanished years ago.
I’ve nowhere to go.”

“Is that so?”
Seimei looked surprised.

“Yes,” Riko nodded, summoning courage.
“Please take me to Heian-kyo.”

“But what will you do there?
It’s not a city you can survive alone.”

“Granny told me to return something in Heian-kyo.”
She touched her satchel instinctively.

Seimei’s gaze lingered thoughtfully.

“I’ll sell sushi like Granny or work for others.
I won’t be a burden.”
Riko spoke quickly, fearing he’d see her as trouble.

“I don’t think you’re trouble,” Seimei said.
“I just thought you’re young and should stay with relatives.
Since you have none…”
His lips curved lightly, his tone bright.
“You can come with me.”

“With you?”
Riko’s heart raced as she met his smiling eyes.

“What will I do?”
She blinked, lashes casting shadows on her pale face, fingers twisting her sash, a faint unease rising.

“Oh, this and that,” Seimei said with a grin.

He looked up at the moon breaking through the clouds.
“The moonlight’s nice.
If you’re not tired, let’s keep moving.
Once I deliver my master’s task to the Harima onmyouji, we’ll head to Heian-kyo.”

“There are onmyouji factions?”
Riko, who’d only heard of Abe Seimei, was astonished.

“Of course,” Seimei said.
“Besides the Kamo family, who train onmyouji for the Yin-Yang Bureau, there are private factions like Harima, Tosa, and Hyuga.”

“Yin-Yang Bureau?”

“Yes, one of six bureaus under the Ministry of Central Affairs.
Only the best onmyouji serve there.”

“I see,” Riko nodded.
“Lord Seimei, you’ll definitely become a great onmyouji.”

“How do you know?”
Seimei leaned against a tree, arms crossed, watching her.

“I have a strong feeling,” she said earnestly.
“You practically have ‘great onmyouji’ written on you.”

Seimei chuckled silently.
“Well, if that’s true, I’ll do one thing for you, no questions asked.”

“Really?”
Riko’s eyes sparkled.
“Anything?”

“Yes, anything, as long as it’s not against heaven or reason.”

He promised solemnly.

In the firelit village, a tall shadow watched youkai tear down houses.

“Not found yet?”

The cold voice made the supervising youkai shiver.
“N-no… not yet…”

“Be quick,” the shadow lifted its chin, voice like ice.
“I smell it.
It was here just now…”