The Cursed Iris

Sprout 61: Kikyo's Anger

Kikyo and Shizuko reached the next village. It was surrounded by rolling green hills to the east and a massive forest to the west. Although the trees look as if they were bare of all their leaves even in the middle of spring.

They look around for a castle, but they didn't see one. Only thing they saw was a colosseum, and it sounded like a crowd was cheering from it. They looked at each other in the eye, then they had the same thought with a smile.

"Let's crash that party," they both said.

*****

Kikyo and Shizuko landed atop a pillar in the colosseum, and they saw exactly what the crowd was cheering about. It angered them both, "What the hell do they think they're doing?" they said.

The contestants were slaying mythical beasts like it was some sort of sport. Goblins, trolls, kobolds, kappa, amongst other creatures bodies lay out on the ground mutilated. It disgusted Kikyo to see creatures being treated as if they were just trophies. The Mark of Inari began to burn on her face, "We have to stop them," Kikyo mumbled.

She slammed the base of the Kitsu-Kukan to the ground, "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" she yelled. Her voice echoed through the crowd as everyone stopped to face her.

She could feel the pure hatred from the creatures that were being killed by them. She suspected it was because of the Mark of Inari that she was more in tune with their emotions. The intense feeling was beginning to get overwhelming. Kikyo was nauseated just standing there, "This event is wrong! Why are you killing these innocent creatures?" she asked. "They have done nothing, and yet you're all taking part in this disgusting event. All for what, some festival? Imagine how it would be if the roles were reversed."

She activated the Umi's abilities, then she jumped down into the arena. "Who in the hell are you!?" one of the male contestants asked.

She turned to him, and instantly she felt all the anger and hate from the murdered creatures well up inside her. In the next moment she did the most unexpected thing in front of everyone. She hit him in the nose with the Kitsu-Kukan, then as he reeled back in pain falling on his butt; Kikyo snapped her fingers, and he was engulfed by blue flames. He let out a blood curdling scream leaving the crowd in shock and horror.

"I'm in a really bad mood after what I've seen here. Is this really the time to be questioning me?" she stated, her voice cold, heavy, and monotone. As she scanned the surroundings, she saw the dead bodies of a creature she's learned to hold dear to her over the last few months. 

It left her stunned to see the dead body of a kitsune so mangled, the Mark of Inari began to burn against her face again, "This country disgusts me, I don't know why we're working so hard to save it when I say it should burn to the damn ground."

Shizuko seemed to be mirroring Kikyo's emotions as well, "I'll just help this country along with burning to the ground," they both said. They tapped the ground, then the entire fighting area went up in flames.

There were screams from all of the fighters, "Imagine how those innocent creatures felt while you all killed them in cold blood. Now that we've lost so many here, the balance can never be restored. Humanity is a curse on this realm and the only way to restore it is to destroy humanity," they said in unison.

The spectators began to scream in terror as they all ran for the exits. Kikyo seemed to be in a trance as the screams grew louder, "No, no, no this just will not do," she mumbled. The voice sounded completely different from her normal voice. "Where is that leader of this realm?"

She began to look around, and she spotted a tall dark-skinned man with a silky robe and a small crown on his head. He looked at her in horror as she locked gazes with him. She prepared herself to throw the Kitsu-Kukan at him, but suddenly she froze, "What am I doing?" she mumbled to herself.

She extinguished the flames, then she looked at Shizuko, "Kikyo Narukami!" Mizuho yelled from atop the coliseum. She looked entirely different from the first time they had met; almost as if she were prepared to kill Kikyo.

"There you are!" Kikyo yelled. "Mizuho, why would you do something like this?"

Mizuho vanished, then appeared in front of her, "This is a tradition of the festival. Those creatures have all done wrong by the laws of the country, so this is the only way for them to fight for an honorable death. Nothing more, nothing less. I've done my research on you and your little group. The student of Inari has a soft spot for mythical creatures of this realm, especially foxes. You have been my target all along, but I had no viable reason to go after you until now."

Kikyo stared at her intensely. "So I was right? You are a part of that same group that Mizuki is a part of."

"Of course I am," she replied as she attacked Kikyo with astonishing speed and strength that she couldn't block it.

"Kikyo!" Shizuko yelled as she crashed into the wall.

"I'm fine, I've just been waiting for her to show her true colors. Mizuho, I don't approve of anything this country does, neither does my friends. We have to change it; if you're not with us, then you're against us. It's as simple as that." Kikyo stated as she stood up. The air around her seemed different, but her mouth was bleeding, her body felt as if it were on fire.

Mizuho smiled. "So the bell flower finally wants to reveal herself? Kikyo Narukami, this is what I've been waiting for! The disdain you hold for both my sister and I really is deep huh? Maybe I should reveal a little secret of mine then."

She grew a pure white fox tail and ears, she then bared her fangs, "The kitsune of spirit, that little minx was devoured by me. As you know my sister has the ability to utilize the time kitsune's power well I can do the same."

Shizuko grew angrier knowing that yet another one of her siblings were gone, "Damn you," both she and Kikyo growled.

"Yes! That's it! I'm not as impulsive as my sister, but that's neither here nor there. For now I just wanted to tell you that on the day of the festival let us have our first of many battles. You've given my sister a tough battle, and now I want to wait until the festival. Astraea told me that you and Ayame are both interesting fighters. Master Neikan wants Katsumi Nakajima and Arthur to himself, but you two will be ours alone."

Kikyo's legs felt shaky, "So this festival is the battle ground then?"

"Of course it is! The entire realm can see you all fail tremendously as you try to save this country. It'll show the world that the dream that Empress Aimi has for this place is foolish!"

She had a sinister smile as her body became enveloped in a white light, "See you on the equinox my dear," Mizuho laughed as she disappeared.

Kikyo groaned in frustration, "Damn it! Two of the thirteen are gone, and now I have to defeat the holders of both their Hoshi-no-Tama. Inari what am I going to do in this situation?"

Shizuko nuzzled Kikyo's hand with her snout. She turned towards her, "I'm sorry Shizuko," she sighed. "As the messenger of Inari I should've already known where the others were. I only focused on what my past was that I lost sight of what my true objective is. I want to learn what I am, but I want to embrace who I am at the moment."

Mizuki and Mizuho are going to be tough for Shizuko and me to beat. They're powerful, and I still haven't even gotten to know what half of my abilities are.

The air was still around her, small flames of the Kitsunebi crackled in the corner. She put away the Kitsu-Kukan while wearing a somber expression, "I need to learn more about these abilities, but I learn best in the heat of the moment. So let's head back," she tried to put on a brave smile as she said it to Shizuko.