The King's Queen

Chapter 11

There you stood in the middle of the dirt path just after the farm land. Looking back you could no longer see the rice fields in your view any more, looking forward you could see an seemly endless path in front you. To a regular person's untrained eyes there was nothing different, but for those who have trained in using cursed energy they could see that the air was disorientated and gave off dark and heavy vibes to it.

The lives of an innocent family rest in your hands, however, how were you supposed to fight a curse this strong. You had experience in fighting that much was clear but you fought people, meaning most of the time you weren't aiming to kill just defeat or knock out the enemy. However, this was different, you were supposed to essentially kill something that took the form of a living being, though they looked terrifying they were still living entities at the end of it. Looking to the sky the sun had reached the highest peak further solidifying the fact that you needed to hurry since you only had a few hours before dusk.

Taking a deep breath you walked into the innate domain the curse had set in the middle of the road, once inside you were met with a completely different terrain. Outside it was nothing but grassland with trees that were spaced out, inside there were gigantic trees that stretched to the sky. It was dark and moist with the floor soggy and muddy making you regret coming in here with the clean kimono that Matsuko's mother had given you. The roots of the trees were exposed and large vines draped over those trees. Something that caught your eye was that underneath the trees where the roots were laid mutilated corpses of the victims.

The sight almost made you wanna hurl out you insides as the stench of the rotting corpses was unbearable. "Oi lady help! Help!" A shrill yell sounded out in the forest and you instantly rushed to the sound. Upon arrival you were met with two people trapped within the root like prisons, one man and one woman. The woman was donned in expensive clothing that was unfortunately shredded and dirty, her hair tangled and a hopeless cause and her makeup was smeared beyond recognition. She had a disturbing wound that ran from her collar bone to her neck that was glowing dark green in colour indicating she was cursed.

The man made your eyes widen in shock as you recognised his copper hair and tanned skin, traits that he most likely shared with the poor woman back at the rice fields. His chest rose up and down slowly indicating that he was still somewhat alive but there was a dark green glow on his stomach. Suddenly the earth shock beneath your feet and you immediately channelled your cursed energy into your fists and punch some of the roots that kept the two individuals in captivity. Once there was an opening the lady ran out of there screaming about something coming to eat you guys.

"Wait stop!" You called out noticing a giant shadow tower over her, she didn't listen and ran frantically away. However, the shadow lunged at her biting into her kimono and tossing her into the air, all you could hear was her final scream and a deafening crunch followed by a thud. What laid before you was nothing but the lower half of the lady's body, droplets of her blood landed on your cheek. Looking up you made eye contact with the curse, it was a gaint snake that had eight eyes like that of a spider, the main pair were where they are naturally supposed to be and three eyes placed on the extra skin on the side of its head that was open. Blood dripped from its mouth as it swallowed the other half of the lady, you could see the lump of flesh going down its throat before glowing with an eerie shade of green and disappearing.

Its body slithered on the ground preparing to launch an attack, you fell into a stance preparing for it. With extreme speed it was almost difficult to dodge that attack, its fangs dripped with green venom as it stared back at you. Deep green eyes met with e/c eyes causing the latter to freeze in shock. 'Move.' You commanded your body as you noticed the curse coil up to attack again, 'Move.' Your body betrayed you once more as the curse opened its mouth making it unnaturally large, 'MOVE!' Finally you were able to move, luckily just as the curse released its attack. You jumped into the air narrowly escaping its jaws as it slammed into the tree behind you, toppling it over. As you descended you channelled some cursed energy into your fist and punched the curse three times before you were sent flying by its tail crashing into one of the gargantuan trees.