☆ETHEREAL [Hyakkimaru x reader]

Truth

“Rin-nee…” Dororo shocked to see unconscious Rin leaned on Hyakki’s arm.
Tahoumaru and his friends approached them. Mutsu, one of his friends was checking over Rin.
“She’s still breathing, she just unconscious” said Mutsu.
“Hey, answer me, who are you?” asked Tahoumaru, little annoyed because he ignored him before.
“His name is Hyakkimaru, he’s blind and he is quiet, sorry if he ignored you before” said Dororo. The word “blind” made everyone in shocked.
“You’re blind and yet you fought that monster with only one slice, amazing” said Hyogo, it made Tahoumaru felt jealous towards him.
Suddenly Rin coughed and gained her consciousness.
“Rin are you alright?” asked Tahoumaru, realized Rin already gained her consciousness brought him joy.
Rin opened her eyes, the first one she saw is Hyakki, “Hyakki-nii”, and she rolled her eyes around, many people surround her.
“Dororo, and ……Tahoumaru”
Rin stand up by the help of Hyakki.
“Is everyone okay? Anyone injured?” she asked
“Everyone is okay, Rin-san. Thanks for your help, I can got out from that monster’s mouth” said Hyogo.
“You also fought well before. Shooting 2 arrows at once, I couldn’t do it yet” said Mutsu.
“Glad you all okay” Rin smiled.
“And because we fought that monster for you, pay us” said Dororo lifted up his hand.
“Dororo, he already gave me 2 gold coin before, we don’t need anything anymore” said Rin
“It doesn’t matter, I will pay. You were a great help” said Tahoumaru, then Mutsu gave them the money.
“Well I appreciate it, Tahoumaru. Thank you” said Rin.
Hyakki looked at Tahoumaru, seems like he sees something different in him. Tahoumaru also gave him a sharp look. They two felt something strange about each other.
After they told Dororo how to get to the nearest town, they asked for leave.
“Rin, take care. I am sure we will meet again” said Tahoumaru.
Rin just smiled at him.
“Hyakki-nii, what’s wrong?” asked Rin, Hyakki just suddenly stopped and looked back.
“Nothing, let’s go, Rin” he said.
They spent time in town, ate delicious food, played games, and now they were watching some opera about Daigo.
“This story, was it real?” Rin asked to herself, a man beside her heard her question.
“You really don’t know, miss?” and he told her the story about Daigo who fought demon and made the country so rich.
“Something was strange” said Rin after the opera was finished. Hyakki just noticed something was wrong with Rin but he didn’t want to ask her yet.
“Hey, jii-san” Dororo called an old man who just only get out from the opera just like them.
The old man saw Rin and gave her a smile.
They stayed a while beside the river. Dororo told him about what happened to Mio and the kids.
“Sorry to hear that. But I think you find a new companion here” said the old man as he looked at Rin
“My name is Rin, Jii-san” Rin introduced herself.
“I see something interesting within you, two colors that must be different kind. But you don’t seem threatening. It felt so nostalgic, just like I have seen you before somewhere”
“What do you mean?” Rin asked.
“I know he sees that too. Don’t you, Hyakkimaru?”
Hyakki didn’t answer.
“Well, just asked him whenever he want to speak, Rin-chan. I’ll take my leave now, I want to visit the shrine Daigo used to cage the demon”
“Take care, Jii-san” Dororo waved his hands.
It left a big question mark on Rin.
“Let’s find some dango, Aniki, Rin-nee” Dororo said.
“I want to go to toilet, you go first with Hyakki-nii, Dororo” said Rin.
“Well, make sure you will find us, Rin-nee”
“I will” and then Rin ran away from them. Of course she didn’t want to go to toilet. She ran towards the old man.
“Jii-san, wait” she shouted as she saw the old man not far away in front of her.
“You want to know that badly, Rin-chan” said the old man.
“Please, tell me everything. What did you mean before Jii-san?”
Old man told her about the red and white flame within her, but she didn’t understand.
“Why it can be happening?”
“Where did you come from?” old man asked, Rin told him about her story, her mother, her father, as far as she knew.
“That village, I ever stayed there for 2 months, and I met a kind demon. 1 out of 100. And that little girl, she must be you”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you sure you want to hear the whole story? Make sure you won’t regret it, Rin-chan” for some reason, the old man just felt like she deserved to know it all.
“I won’t”

-------Flashback-----
There was a big banyan tree in the forest near the village. Told that a demon lives there. It has appearance like a human, the big body with black long hair, long fangs, and sharp claws. The villager often gave offering to that demon, and the demon never appeared nor bother the villager for such a long time.
14 years ago, a group of Daigo’s soldier (Hyakki’s father) attacked the village Rin lived in. Daigo wanted to expand his territory, but the negotiation with chief village didn’t go smoothly. The village didn’t want to join Daigo, they tried to extrude 20 Daigo’s soldiers. But unfortunately, the reciprocal didn’t go well. Many people died.
A woman was running, while holding a baby in her arm. She tried to find a place to hide.
“Don’t cry, Rin. Mother will protect you” said the woman to the baby. The baby looked calm and obeyed her mother like she already understand what her mother said, despite her age only 1 month.
Rin’s mother find a place to hide within a bush.
Suddenly, a soldier crush the bush and find those 2 hidding there. Rin’s mother was in shocked as the soldier abruptly kick her baby out of her hand.
“Noo….”
With an evil smile in his face, the soldier was ready to stab her with his sword. Before the sword pierce throuch the Rin’s mother body, a man kicked the sword and it broken into two.
The man take Rin from the ground, she vomited blood but she still breathing. The man gave Rin to her mother as she crying knowing her daughter almost death.
“Who are you?” asked Rin’s mother, sobbed.
“Go to the bayan tree at the forest. You and your baby will be safe there” said the man.
“Arigatou…” felt so hard to Rin’s mother to go there. The man’s voice and touch made her at peace. She hoped to see him again. 5 month she pregnant, her husband died from an illness, she felt so sad that her husband didn’t has a chance to see his own child. And now, her baby almost died.
Its almost dark. Rin’s mother fell asleep under the lush of banyan tree’s leaves. A man who just she met earlier stand in front of her and her baby.
“You will die soon” he said to the baby. The baby was gasping.
Then he put his hand on Rin’s body, “Daigo give me this from a child that he sold to gain his power. If I didn’t accept it, someone else will take it. A piece of a boy’s soul also live in it. I am sure he will take it someday. I give it to you now, so you can live, for now”
A light shone brightly, Rin finally can breathe normally. Her eyes opened and she started to cry.
Rin’s mother woke up. “Rinn..”
She saw a man who saved her before. Their eyes met, and they think they were in love.

#Author's note
Sorry for the late update
I got fever this past 3 days (hiks)
Hope you like the story
Just tell me if you have some request about the story 😁😁