burning dawn (onikurenai)

Night might be the time when the living slumbers; but it is never said that Night will pass in peaceful manner. / In actuality, every seconds are precious—someone can come to severe her neck at any time.

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Living as a ‘tool’, as a Shinobi, means that you are ready to die. To die as a Shinobi is not always of a noble cause - there could be without any reason at all. Could it be because you spilled a wrong blood? Could it be because you are not loyal to your cause? Could it be because there is someone who’s near, but their hatred is deeper than the vast blue sea?

Living is but donning a name; once you die, your name simply vanish.

That night is one of many sleepless night after her usual patrol around the town. While she has her own army of spies everywhere, there nothing beats to collect information on your own. A rumor of two landlords at war to take on regions nearby The Capital is quite distressing. On the paper and on the eyes of public, the two factions has ceased their war activities. Yet, the night is still rumbling with the rustles of assassin.

Shinobi is always a tool of hire in a condition like this: killing people in their sleep, stirring up chaos, becoming an intern spy – Shinobi will do all of those things, dirtied their hands with blood, and it is common for Shinobi to be disposed of easily, betrayed by the client because they don’t want anyone to find out whether they have used a cheap method.

Despite her almost-independence status, Onikage—Demon Shadow—is one infamous Shinobi tied to The Capital as the leader of Mikage Shinobi Army. Well-known in underworld of her quick killing and merciless personality, she is feared. ‘Beware of the shadow lurking in the darkness. When the red shines from the depth; you are done’, is one famous saying to her legend.

Her fame, of course didn’t come without drawbacks—enemies, frenemies, nameless people who’ll come to kill her for bounty money; her shining blade has slain so many that it glows in blinding red.

A sword that said to be able to slay the moon.

‘Mikage’ itself is not a name used for a mere decorum. Mikage defined of how the Shinobi affiliated there is inheriting the blood of divine spirits. ‘Onikage’ got her title as she got a Red Demon blood living inside her.

It is another night of sleepless full moon as Onikage sharpened her blade. A voice of clashing blades could be heard not far from the headquarters. That sound of thin blades on the air is enough to convince Onikage that the sword is not belonged to the Mikage Shinobi. Though, as a painful cry could she heard, the raging blades didn’t stop. It is as if the blade is screeching on something.

The rule of Shinobi is sound enough: spare your enemy if they have fallen. If you happened to abuse your enemy as they have fallen, you are lower than a trash.

Onikage couldn’t turn a blind eye to this.

Jumping away from her room to the direction of the Mikage Shinobi’s territorial forestry, the red-eyed Shadow found a wounded fox nearby a pond. The blood from its wounded chest started to turn the pond red.

The other person, a masked Shinobi clad in black robe, seemingly is the fox’s sole attacker. A blue dragon mark on the attacker’s back, Onikage concurred of the attacker’s connection with the Seiryou landlord faction, the one faction at war with Hinomaru faction.

‘What is a fox spirit doing, battling an experienced Shinobi?’ – was Onikage’s initial question. As she couldn’t stand how the attacker carved another cuts to the fox with their kunai, Onikage readied her blade.

A trash never held any worth to live, let alone to taint Shinobi’s name.

One slash is enough to severe the head away from its neck, and Onikage said nothing to the falling, headless body as she picked up the wounded golden-furred fox from the water.

Fox spirit—kourei—is one of many types of fox youkai living around them. While it is hard to tell whether the spirit is good or bad, Onikage couldn’t approve such method of torture, even if the fox proven to be ‘bad’.

The fox is still breathing, Onikage checked on its heaving chest, sensed the flowing blood – but will the fox endure the pain until Onikage can the headquarters?

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Onikage held her breath as she took a leap forward, believing hard in herself that she could save this one life.


. . .


When Onikage is back to the headquarters, a few guarding ninja hiding behind the walls are there to greet her. The situation on the gates is calm, so Onikage could say from the first glance. There’s no sign of strange ki circulation could be detected within her scanning range, and all the guards assembled quick just like usual.

“Onikage-sama, what happened? Your clothes are dyed with blood!” one of them asked.

“Fear not, for this is not mine, but this poor little being.”

As Onikage about to offer for guards to see the fox in her arms, the golden fox’s body started to glow. The fox spirit materialized to its humanoid shape—of a woman with golden locks and tall stature. Whatever bright-colored kimono she has been wearing has been tattered, dyed by her own red blood, and the slash on her torso is more visible now. Her face twisted in pain.

All the guards, also Onikage herself, was shocked of the revelation. It is not their first time witnessing a youkai turned to a human form – the Mikage Shinobi is nowhere different than ‘youkai’ if one to point of the uncanny similarities, being the one to inherit ‘divine spirit’s blood’.

“Take her to the healing chamber.”

“Will it be okay to take her in? She might be a spy to Mikage Shinobi.”

“It doesn’t matter right now,” Onikage commanded. “Just do what I say. I will take care of her personally.”

“Okay.”


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Night might be the time when the living slumbers; but it is never said that Night will pass in peaceful manner.

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Onikage looked back to the moon above her, then to her companion, the moon slayer sword, then to the blood that’s dried up on the tip.

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The night is going to change, soon.