-Kuroki-
The raven-haired Oni stared in amazement at the weapons displayed in the small shop of the village's blacksmith.
She had been here plenty, but that didn't impede her from marveling at all. Much less so when she was staring at her mate choosing a weapon.
''Since the Chief herself sent you, this best iron we have!'' The blacksmith was an old Oni, two upper fangs, green skin, and equally green horns. Her hair was tied in a bun, and her overalls had seen many a work done. ''…Bit big for you, but surely no problem!''
One of such works, she had presented to Malleus. It was a black-iron sword as tall as the Dehorned himself, and the blade was easily wider. The man stared, or at least, Kuroki believed he stared at the weapon.
It was hard to tell with the bandage.
''You don't have anything bigger?'' Malleus whispered. Flat tone, turning his gaze from the black-iron sword to the blacksmith.
'An even bigger sword?' Kuroki resisted the urge to gasp in surprise. 'Of course… even if best village has, for a Dehorned—No, for Malleus…'
''Bigger? Uhh… That would take time and coin.'' The blacksmith frowned. ''Sorry. This best we have for now.''
For some reason, Malleus started holding his face. Muttering something about 'sarcaasn? Sar-cas-mn?' and Oni not understanding what it was.
That much was true; Kuroki did not know what he meant, but it must have been related to his new weapon.
''I'll take it.'' The man sighed. Truly, the kindness of her mate knew no limit. Not only strong, but also easily forgives mistakes. ''…How do I even carry this thing?''
Kuroki saw him try to lift it by the handle, and while the massive sword moved, it was not enough to lift it off the ground. With an annoyed sigh, probably due to the lack of his superior strength, he pushed cursed energy into his body and tried again. This time, the sword was lifted without fail.
''That works…'' He muttered and gave a smile to the blacksmith as she handed him the sheath for the blade, which he simply strapped to his back from shoulder to hip. ''Right, weapon done. Do we need something else before parting on our mission, Kuroki?''
Ah, now that she thought about it…
''Food. We bring pots.'' She nodded and received a small smile and a shake of Malleus's head in return, which confused her. ''…Did Kuroki say wrong?''
This time, a chuckle. ''Not at all. Fine, let us go get that, but it cannot hold that much space, understood?''
Kuroki nodded, and as they stepped out of the blacksmith's shop after paying her for the weapon with seven silver sigils—Quite the sum, that could probably buy food for two weeks.
She gazed at the man's empty hand, the one not carrying the sword.
He had noticed—like he always seemed to do—Malleus stopped for a moment and grabbed her hand, holding it tight with his own.
She didn't understand why… but she liked it. And now her mate was willing to cook her food even outside the home.
'Kuroki very lucky…' She thought with happiness, which merely reflected on her face with an upturn of the lips that showed her fangs a bit.
-Malleus-
'This thing could barely be called a sword.' I mused as I followed Kuroki around. After the blacksmith and buying one medium-sized pot from a kind, winter-dressed lady, it was time to pack things up and start searching for that curse. 'Like, seriously, this is more like a hunk of iron attached to a handle.'
When I said the thing was massive, it was. Even if the Oni seemed not to get my sarcasm, the thing was as big as my entire body, maybe a bit bigger, even.
Though the details I got with my eyes told me that this thing, while well-made, had seen some use already. It was only distinguishable by the minimal details, like one side of it being more polished than the other, due to an old chip on the blade, or the hairline cracks, invisible to the naked eye, around the grip.
Still, one thing was for sure: this thing was heavy, sharp, and plenty durable.
''Almost everything now.'' Kuroki hummed, looking at our intertwined hands. ''Malleus… finger still not healed?''
I blinked, feeling her thumb course through the flesh still missing from my pinky. After she had roughly disinfected it yesterday with some sake and wrapped it up, the flesh had actually started to knit together. It was slightly bizarre to watch, and even more so to feel it.
Like little ants walking all over my hand as nerve, tendon, and bone remade themselves.
''Stop worrying so much, woman.'' I huffed, lifting my blindfold to reveal a singular blue eye, and I gave her a small smile. ''I will be alright, didn't I tell you already? Let's just focus on the mission.''
The charcoal Oni stayed silent for a moment before nodding. ''…Promise?''
I raised an amused eyebrow, letting out a chuckle. ''What are we, five? Sure, sure, promise.''
Really, how could she, an Oni, a creature mentioned to eat humans, even children, and be literally referred to as demons by folklore, be so… girly, from time to time, was a mystery to me, but it was still somewhat cute.
Maybe she is the exception and not the norm. After all, I knew of at least one humanoid-eating Oni.
'Human meat is pretty soft on the palate. Devils, on the other hand, are spicy.' Sukuna hummed, making me squirm in disgust.
…Why did she say that like she was throwing a little fun fact?
Gathering the rest of our supplies, like frozen foods, waterbags, and a tent capable of withstanding the cold, was easy enough. The backpack was a bit bigger than I expected and made out of wood, but Kuroki had no problem carrying it over her shoulders as we made our way to the outskirts of the village.
We had to change clothes to something more appropriate for the mission. Well, mostly, the village didn't really make winter clothes in my size, and such a short-notice request was hard to make. So, I was merely using an oversized coat on top of my already oversized Tanzen; a warm set of robes resembling a kimono, only that much warmer.
Of course, the village also lacked the tools to make shoes, so a part of wooden slips was the go-to.
Kuroki, as well, had changed her hunting attire, which consisted of mere leather that did nothing to cover her… frontal assets, to a full coat.
She still left her well-built abs exposed, but now she was covered in a pelt made with hides of several boars draped over her shoulders. Her fists were also covered with a pair of metal gauntlets, which seemed to be made with the same blackish iron as the sword sheathed on my back.
''Anything we should watch out for? Besides the cold, of course…'' I hummed, stretching my shoulders to get rid of the stiffness.
Really, carrying this piece of metal around all morning was a task and a half…
''Mhm… If you far enough, there are curses. Weak ones.'' Kuroki nodded before gaining a determined glint in her eye. ''Not cold. Kuroki keeps you warm.''
''…Sure.'' I shrugged.
On the way, we got a few hopeful looks here and there. Even one woman thanked us personally and offered us a sake gourd, which Kuroki took with a nod.
Apparently, just like Chief Orikita said, most of the people here had at some point seen the green forest and warmer climates, with only the 'newest' generation of the village having been living in snow all their lives.
And the fact that we were going out to try to resolve this issue hyped them up quite a bit.
I didn't expect the knowledge of our mission to be made public, however.
'If curses are born from negative emotions…' This is a way to keep the village, and even us, just a little safer by improving the overall mood. 'Which is also the probable reason for the Chief asking me to remain a few days.'
Not only did she know there was a strong curse outside her village, but that my presence would cheer up the villagers into not making more curses, no matter how weak.
And here I thought the Chief was a bit dull. Instead, it seemed I just found the sharp edge.
It would be best not to get cut by it.
Speaking of the Chief, a familiar mane of frizzy black hair with grey skin was waiting for us on the outskirts of town. She was frowning, which did nothing to make her face any less beautiful, and had her arms crossed, deep in thought.
Until she spotted us, that is.
''I see you're all ready to go!'' Orikita smiled, hands on her hips. ''Got everything you need, I presume? Oh, and you picked that blade from that old woman? Good choice, Dehorned one.''
''Hit them till it dies is what I know about curses.'' I shrugged. ''Thought a bigger piece of metal would take fewer hits.''
Orikita laughed, holding her stomach. Her hand came to pat my shoulder, which, with her strength, was more like getting smacked with a brick wall. I thought I heard something pop out of place, even.
''Good mind! Good sword! It will serve well!'' After one or two more smacks, she turned to her daughter, her eyes became softer, and I saw there was a hint of worry in them. ''…What about you, daughter?''
Kuroki nodded, standing straight, and cracked her knuckles. Which… I don't know how she did that with metal gauntlets strapped to them. ''Kuroki ready. Kill curse. Come home. Eat food… Claim…''
''Ha! Well, good luck with that!'' Whatever she said last was so lowly whispered that I didn't catch it. Yet, the Chief gave her daughter a sly, knowing look before putting an arm around her shoulder… and giving her a proper hug. ''Be safe.''
Kuroki blinked, her hands stood awkwardly at the sides of the massive Oni, before she nodded into her shoulder and hugged her back.
…What an oddly nice family moment. I really thought Oni would be a lot less caring about filial relations, but maybe I should stop judging by folklore alone.
With a few words of encouragement, Kuriko started walking forward and into the snowy tundra. The storm from yesterday has subsided somewhat, and it wasn't as cold.
Yet, before I could follow right after, the Chief held my shoulder one more time.
''Hm?'' I turned, raising an eyebrow. ''What is it?''
''Dehorned one, I know I have asked a lot from you already, but…'' She sighed, her happy, cheerful tone replaced with a worried whisper. ''Could I ask for one more favor?''
''That depends on the favor,'' I raised an eyebrow, curious.
''Of course, of course, hahaha…'' Biting her lip, Orikita patted my shoulder, slower this time. ''Could you… Take care of my daughter? Please, I… I cannot bury another.''
A sudden chill fell on my spine for some reason. The way she looked so dejected and couldn't meet my eye pulled at the already tense heartstrings of mine.
I sighed and took the woman's massive hand, which could easily envelop my head, in my smaller one, squeezing it tight. ''…I cannot promise you that, but I will do my best so Kuroki comes back alive. Would that be enough?''
A pause filled the air, with only the slow wind and the sound of Kuroki's steps on the snow as she walked away.
Then, a wet chuckle. The raven-haired Oni cleaned something from her face before recovering her massive, confident smile. ''Well, guess I'll take it! Now, be careful out there, Dehorned One! Do not be afraid to ask my daughter if you get too cold, hahaha!''
As Orikita turned and walked away, I couldn't help but notice her shoulders were more relaxed, and her step was lighter. Yet, her laughter just now, while it felt like it took a weight off her chest, also seemed like she was trying to hide some kind of regret.
''Malleus! Hurry! Before storm starts again!'' I turned as Kuroki shouted from her place on a small hill.
''Yes, yes, no need to shout.'' I hummed and followed right after into the cold and away from the comfort of the village.
Yet, I couldn't help but feel that the temperature had gone ever lower. Weird, considering that the winds and pace at which the snow fell were still the same.
''So this is a curse?'' I questioned, scrunching my nose at the thing. ''Do they get uglier as they get stronger?''
It has been a good hour since we started walking. The location of the Curse we were searching for was unknown, and we didn't really have a description. However, if it was the origin of this storm, then it surely had some sort of control over ice and snow.
''Hm.'' Kuroki shrugged, giving a flat stare to the group of creatures. ''Don't know. Weak curses stick together.''
There was a small group of disgusting monsters hiding in the trees. One was round and had many rotten teeth, with completely blank eyes and a body made entirely of a sludge-like substance.
Then, a goblin-like creature with long arms, it was almost comical, considering that the creature didn't even reach my waist.
Lastly, a bigger one, actually somewhat imposing, tall as an Oni, yet incredibly thin and malnourished, with pale skin and bones protruding under it. Its face was stuck in a perpetual scream, and it had no teeth. However, from its head, two massive, almost cancerous protuberances that imitated horns gave me the feeling this thing was representing an Oni.
For some reason, they stayed behind the woods, only observing us instead of attacking. I thought it was because of Kuroki's strength, but…
''They fear Malleus. Too much Cursed Energy.'' I faltered at Kuroki's comment.
''Because of me?'' I frowned, placing a hand on the pommel of the oversized greatsword. ''Wait… Just how much Cursed Energy do I have? I don't stink, do I?''
''It's a good smell,'' Kuroki reassured with a nod.
That didn't make me feel any better, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that.
Kuroki placed down the crate with our belongings, putting it out of the way so it wouldn't break in the following fight. After all, even if they were weak, it wouldn't do to just leave them out in the open.
'Besides, they look way too fucking ugly.' I honestly had to turn my face away from two of them. 'Yeah, yeah, negative emotions and all that. Doesn't mean they need to be that ugly.'
''huhihuhiiii…''
The goblin one made a noise! Just kill it with fire!
''There are three of them, how do we portion them?'' I hummed as I heard the sound of muscles popping into place, born of Kuroki's stretches.
''…Do you want the strong one?'' She offered, probably uncaring either way.
'The tall one?' Frowning, I lifted the bandage off my face and took another look.
Unlike Oni and probably Youkai in general, who can sort of 'turn on' their cursed energy, and make it cover their whole body, these things were emanating it like a plague. That was why I compared it to smell, because it looked like a cloak of fumes covering the bastards.
The globlin and the sludge had a… pathetically small amount. To the point, I think the children of the village could have much more. 'Those must be Grade Four, then.''
However, the taller 'Oni', who was eerily peeking from behind a tree, had almost twice as much energy as the other two combined. Still, considering just how it almost flinched when I looked in its direction, the thing shouldn't be that strong either way.
''Sure, let's go with that.'' With the decision made, I took a deep breath, sword drawn, and shot past the two weaker curses with a burst of speed. ''Haaa!''
The curse's empty eyes widened, and its perpetual screaming face started to drop a disgusting, black liquid as it jumped out of the way. With the weight of my weapon, I couldn't really redirect it. Instead of hitting and slashing the curse apart, a tree took the brunt of it and was cleanly cut off the ground.
''ONI! ONI! WEAK, WEAK!'' The thin, pale creature screeched as it jumped high into the air and into a tree. Unlike the species it tried to represent, this thing was cowardly to the bone.
''And here I was trying to have a spar.'' I huffed, lifting the massive sword off the ground with a grunt of effort. The thing had even carved a small line on the ground from where I pulled it from. ''Guess it's a game of tag, then!''
I couldn't really jump that high with this thing on my arms. So, instead, I raised the sword high into the air and cleaved the tree that hid the cowardly curse. It screeched again and jumped once more.
That was getting me nowhere, and there was no way I was going to just deforest an entire clearing to kill this piece of trash.
Instead, I shoved my blade into the ground and took hold of one of the trees I cut off. Its leaves rustled as I put it over my shoulder with a grunt of effort.
Honestly, it was quite the surprise that this thing weighed less than that sword.
''Oni… Oni…?'' The curse repeated, as if confused by my action. ''HIIIII ONIIIIIII''
That was, until I threw the massive trunk in its general direction. The wood cracked against itself as the two trees collided. A cloud of snow and frost lifted with the impact, but the curse was a bit too late on the notice, and didn't manage to get away in time, making it fall to the ground and start running away.
.
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! I was mostly thinking in what direction I should take the fic tbh.
I feel like I started strong with some serious air, when I personally am more used to writing slice-of-life and comedy-oriented chapters (with one sole exception)
But anyway! Malleus and Kuroki will finally face that thing. Let's just see how that goes.
Also, I have 5 more chapters of this fic on my Patreo n if you'd like to support me.
Discord Link: discord .gg/ 92Yt5wxeWN
Patreo n: patreo n .com (slash) HamsterX42