‘‘The people of my village stood and cheered at the sight of me, but I had no reason to be happy, only sad. I felt warm tears slowly running down my face, but no one seemed to notice them. It wasn’t strange though, my face was already covered by a black lace scarf. My dress, also black, made me feel like I was going to my own funeral, which wasn’t so different from my true destiny.
I was a sacrifice. A sacrifice to the demon of Death.
No one had ever seen him with their own eyes, not even any of us… demon hunters, but the people of the village believed that if they didn’t give him blood sacrifices, he would bring death and despair to them.
I walked slowly, hearing joyful shouts behind me. My hand rested in my father’s strong grip. He yanked me forward slightly, as if he couldn’t stand my resistance. I stumbled. I would have fallen if not for the stone slab of the altar I leaned against. The same one my life was soon to end on.
I felt another hunter forcefully lay me down on this cold, stone ground against my will. I tried to fight him of, but he was to strong. Defeated, I closed my eyes. The last thing I remember is the raised voice of my father giving a speech, and then… sharp pain, right in my heart.
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And then…
Silence.
Darkness.’’
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Kimoko slowly opened her eyes.
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The first thing that occurred to her was the fact that her face was exposed. She could look around without any obstacles. The room she was in was small, with high, stone walls. It was filled with the intense smell of wet earth and old wood. All of this together made her feel like she was… inside a grave.
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“Am I dead?”
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The memories started to slowly return.
“I was a sacrifice. People killed me for the demon of death. But if I died… how on earth am I breathing again?”
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She tried to stand up, but a sudden, intense pain in her chest knocked her back to the stone floor. Her breathing quickened. She raised her hands to her chest, but where her heart should have been, she felt a deep cut.
Her face immediately paled.
She screamed.
She stared at her torso in panic, feeling her heart pound against her ribs. She ran her trembling fingers over the bandages that tightly wrapped her body. Although they were almost snow-white, a dried, dark stain was visible right next to where her heart should have been.
Her panicked gaze fell on the black dress, carefully folded next to her. Right next to it was a pile of brand new clothes.
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“Someone… someone was here. Someone saved me.”
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‘I’m glad you’ve finally woken up.’
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A quiet, calm voice echoed through the stone cell. And the sound of it sent shivers down her spine.
It was a voice that simultaneously stirred anxiety and a strange… trust.
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She froze.
She heard heavy footsteps behind her.
She slowly turned around.
In the light of the dim, flickering torch, she saw him, a tall man. His complexion was deathly pale, as if he hadn’t had life in him for a long time. Part of his long, dark brown hair was tied into a low ponytail, but a few strands fell loosely over his face.
But it wasn’t his hair that caught Kimoko’s attention.
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His eyes…
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They were different.
He had heterochromia, one eye purple, the other green.
But it was the whiteness of his eyes… or rather the lack thereof… that made Kimoko feel a bloodcurdling fear. The whites of his eyes were black.
A smile spread from his lips, disturbing, sinister, but also intriguing.
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‘Not everyone has enough willpower to break free from eternal sleep… Especially when they are sacrificed to powerful beings.’
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‘Who… who are you?’ she asked in a trembling voice.
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Her heart was beating so hard that she felt like it was about to burst, even though she knew her heart was already broken.
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The man looked at her for a moment, then smiled even wider, the girl saw his inhumanly elongated fangs. Then he sat down right next to the girl.
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‘I am Kigami. But you and your people know me by a different name…’
He approached.
Kimoko couldn’t breathe.
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‘Koshei, the demon of death.’
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She didn’t have time to think. She didn’t have anything left to lose. She couldn’t go back.
Her body moved on its own.
With all the strength she had in her body, she punched him in the face. Kimoko immediately moved away from him on her knees, trying to get as far away as possible. She moved her hand to her waist without thinking, but at the last moment she lowered her hand, she rememberd, the hunters took her weapons away, as they led her to the altar.
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Kigami tilted his head back, simultaneously putting his hand to his nose.
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“What the hell is wrong with you?! What did I do to you that you have to hit me right away?!” Kigami shouted, looking at her in shock.
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Kimoko saw as dark, almost black blood began to drip from his nose onto the stone floor. Despite this, she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for breaking it. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again.
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“You’re a demon. It’s your fault I had to die!” she exclaimed, trying to stop her voice from shaking.
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His eyes filled with hatred as he wiped his nose with his hand. He looked at his bloody hand, then raised his gaze and looked at Kimoko.
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“So what?” You’re alive. And it’s thanks to me!” His voice became lower, sharper. “And you pay me back with a punch in the nose? Why are you all so afraid of me?’
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Kigami slowly stood up and began to approach her, a black, sticky substance leaking from his eyes and mouth. Kimoko felt fear paralyze her body, even though she had often stood face to face with people like him, something about him distinguished him from other demons. He had control, not like other demons, he didn’t blow her blood, at least not now. Despite this, she knew she couldn’t show him her fear. She was ready for anything, although she knew perfectly well that she had no chance of winning with the demon who was slowly approaching her. She stood up with determination, feeling her legs shaking as if they were made of jelly. She raised her hands, ready to defend herself.
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‘I won’t give up so easily, demon! I won’t give in without a fight!’ she shouted, but her voice was trembling. Kigami stopped right in front of her, his face as cold as ice, his breath caressing her hair. She calmly raised her head and looked into his eyes.
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“So?” he asked quietly, looking at her with irony. “Do you have an answer to my question?”
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Kimoko still couldn’t answer. Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest. The question he asked still haunted her.
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“Why is the whole village afraid of this demon?” But she didn’t know the answer. Since she was a child, her father had told her about the demon of Death, how cruel he was, about his power and how he would destroy their village if they didn’t make sacrifices to him. It was because of him that the best of the hunters trained her in the hope that one day she would be able to defeat him.
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“I don’t know,” she replied quietly, still staring into his eyes. She was afraid to look away.
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Kigami noticed her uncertainty and disappointment began to show on his face.
‘You’re only afraid of me because I’m a demon, aren’t you?’ he asked, turning away from her for a moment.
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‘Yes…’ she replied, not entirely sure if she should speak her mind.
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‘Everyone is afraid of you.’
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‘I always knew I was different. My brothers and sisters loved to cause chaos, to kill like some uncontrollable beasts, and I… I looked for ways to break away from this reality, from what I am,’ he added, his voice quiet, almost reflective.
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‘Are you talking to me?’ Kimoko asked, looking up uncertainly.
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Kigami turned back around, and Kimoko immediately regretted speaking. She saw traces of tears on his face, which surprised her.
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‘If he’s a demon, what reason does he have for his despair and pain?’ she thought, feeling a strange tension in the air.
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‘That’s right, human,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m talking to you because I need help.’
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‘Help?’ Kimoko looked at him in surprise.
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‘Why should I help you?’
Kigami looked at her again, his smile returning to his face.
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‘Because I gave you life back, and you owe me one. Besides, I have a proposition for you.’
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Kimoko was surprised, even though she had no intention of helping him. She was still intrigued by what he had to offer.
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‘What proposition?’ she asked.
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‘In exchange for your help, I will give you your freedom back. You will be free to do whatever you want, wherever you want.’
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‘And what’s stopping me?’ she asked, barely containing her anger. ‘What’s stopping me from leaving now?’
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‘That if you leave this place without my permission, you will die. So, what do you say, human?’ he said, holding his hand out to her.
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Kimoko looked at his hand, feeling anger boil inside her. “How dare he? First I die because of him, and now he tells me I’m his prisoner?”
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Sighing, she grabbed his hand, and his smile grew even wider.
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‘I will help you,’ she said, ‘but not willingly or out of the goodness of my heart, I will help you only to regain my freedom.’
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‘Oh, dear human, I know that. You and I are not so different. We will both do anything to achieve our goal, even if it means working with the enemy.’ he replied, and his smile lit up.
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Kimoko rolled her eyes and reached out, freeing herself from his grip.
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‘First, stop calling me “human.” Second, what is it really about your goal that you need my help?’
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‘First, I don’t know your name, so what should I call you? And secondly…” he continued, but Kimoko cut him off. ‘Call me Kimoko.’ she replied. ‘Since I’ll be with you for a while anyway, it doesn’t matter if I hide my name.’
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His smile disappeared. Kimoko felt uneasy as Kigami leaned towards her and whispered,
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‘So, Kimoko, my goal is revenge… revenge on the demons.’
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Kimoko couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
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‘‘Revenge on the demons? Why does he want revenge on his own?’’
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