/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>43921654

I landed somewhere on Youkai Mountain, far in the wilderness. I needed to be alone. Nobody could be seen in the wilderness around me. Perfect. I still couldn’t relax, so I stared at the trees surrounding me and closed my eyes. No. I was surrounded by enemies. I channeled the power though me and let loose. There was a hungry and feral looking beast youkai. I sent a blast out, splitting my target in half. A tengu, always plotting and snooping around. Another blast, and my target went down. My next target was a human. One I knew my entire life and one I hated more then any youkai. I aimed at my target and obliterated it and effortlessly dodged the wood fragments. As I catch my breath, I here a voice. “You know, there are better uses of your powers then blowing apart trees”

I spin around and see a short pink haired woman approach me. After a while, her name clicks into my mind. Ibaraki Kasen. For such an important figure, we never saw much of each other, only talking to each other briefly a few times over the years. I had my suspicions why this was the case. “You should learn to control your anger more, you can’t do your duties probably if you’re using this kind of force when you get upset” she scolded. I grit my teeth, the implications of what she said, intentional or otherwise was enough to anger me even more. Her face gts a bit more serious. “Did something happen? You’re all alone out here, and I only found you because of all the noise. What’s wrong?”

Internally, I mull over telling her to go away. If she really cared, then she would have stepped into my life before. But I’m quote ready to outright refuse her “You never offered your help before, you know. It’s nice for you to help me now” I scoff, trying to see what she would say.

Kasen frowns and thinks for a bit “Well I’ve been very busy these years, you know. Lots of things going on that need my attention. It’s hard to find the right time for these more, er, delicate matters you see” Kasen looked away flustered. She was such a bad liar. “But please. If you’re willing just tell me what’s bothering you. I’ll help you now” She looks at me, almost eager looking as if she was ready to go on a long lecture.

I sighed. I dreaded the sort of answer she would give me to my question, but I had to find closure or it would eat away at me. “You knew my mother since before I was born, so tell me, was I wanted?”

Kasen face melted into one of confusion “Come again?” She says.

“I know her abuse of my dad goes much further then I thought now. So answer me.
Did they both want me, or did she force him to...to...” I let he implication linger heavy in the air, unable to be to choke out the rest of my sentence. I saw my vision become blurry and I wiped my face with a sleeve.

Kasen catches on and she brought up a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. “I had no idea. He....He never told me, how could she do something like that?” She stands silent for a few moments, letting it sink in before she spoke again. “I know both of your parents were ecstatic when they realized she was pregnant. Your father never gave me any indication that you were the product of something he hated ” She stares up at the sky “We thought that things would be for the better when she had a child to look after, you know? Everyone was so thrilled to hear the news” a small smile appeared on her face “I’m sorry I never helped you before, I never knew the full extent of what was going on and interfering would have been difficult, you’ll understand this when you take over for your mother” I remain silent at her excuses for as I controlled my anger. “For now, maybe you and your father should live away from the shrine for a while. I can get a place in the village for you two. You shouldn’t need your mother’s supervision anymore. I won’t tell anyone a word of what you told me, I promise you. Just concern yourself for you and your father’s safety now”


My anger at Kasen for not doing much of anything is somewhat mitigated at her offer. I thought about it. Just me and Dad being able to live without tiptoeing around my mother. I could handle most of the youkai extermination requests handed to me, and Dad could probably find work somewhere in the village, so money wouldn’t be much of an issue. The thought of moving away had crossed my mind a few times before, but I never had the means to get a place for the two of us. I wasn’t going to let this chance slip by.

“I agree, I’ll just have to get things ready”