My love, my choice, my sacrifices

While I was busy rocking my new threads around the temple, my soon-to-be fiancée and her aunt, Sakuya and Kanna, left for a meeting with the elders in the village. She had eventually found out what happened, and she was going to confront them about it.

As we were in bed the previous night, Sakuya had run her fingers across my chest, tracing the scars left from when the spirit elder Safina had cut me with her massive talons. When she asked me how I got the wound and I told her what happened, Sakuya lost it.

Her eyes did that thing where they began to glow in fury, and to ensure my safety, she swore she was going to threaten the council into complying if she needed to. Her reaction was understandable—especially given the fact Elder Safina had also promised to end my life the next time she saw me. But I still wanted her to play it safe and respectful with the remaining elders. Maybe they might be a little understanding of the situation, and might end up finding some loophole in the rules that may allow for me and her to be together.

Unfortunately though, that was not how things transpired.

***

Sakuya had just arrived with Kanna at the town hall for the meeting. The elders were already inside. Her fists were clenched, and her eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance. She was breathing heavily—but not out of fear. Out of anger.

The elder spirit that had nearly killed Jumo was inside the building at that very moment. Safina. The owl lady. Sakuya respected the woman, but never really liked her. Despite it being somewhat of a democratic system, Safina always wanted to have her way—even if the council decided against it. But now she had threatened someone she loved. That was absolutely crossing the line.

Shortly before they stepped into the building, Kanna rested a hand on Sakuya's shoulder from behind.

"Relax, child," her auntie said. "Control your emotions. Keep a clear mind. When it's time, tell them what you want. I will be right there with you."

Sakuya silently placed her own hand on her auntie's. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. She unclenched her other fist and allowed herself to relax. She didn't magically become less angry, but she was centered. She was ready to try diplomacy.

A second later, they both walked into the building.

...

The meeting took off without a hitch. As usual, most of the other spirit warriors from the nearby temples were seated around on tatami mats, with Sakuya, as the Spirit Guardian herself, sitting in front of the row with Kanna. The elders themselves were seated on molded throne-like chairs, facing the crowd.

"So I believe we are all in agreement that the recent Inugami attacks are becoming a point of concern."

The man that spoke was the head of the council. His long hair was tied back in a bun, and he was dressed in simple white traditional attire.

"The last time something like this happened, Kuchisake-onna secretly launched a simultaneous attack on several guardian temples with her spider creatures," the man continued. "We lost a lot of loved ones that day. People closest to us. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters."

Sakuya suddenly remembered the exact moment her father died—when the scorpion tail-like stinger of the creature burst through her father's chest. She flinched at the memory, but recovered and shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was neither the place nor time.

"So I suggest we handle this with the utmost caution," the man said. "From all indication, there might be a similar invasion on the horizon, using the Inugami as the primary assault force this time around. So we need to remain vigilant and observant. Report any strange sightings we find, and do our best to avoid the disaster of a decade ago from happening again."

There was a pause.

"Guardian, you are awfully quiet today."

Sakuya didn't realize the man was addressing her. She had mostly been spending parts of the meeting glaring in Safina's direction. The elder spirit didn’t pick up on the fact Sakuya was doing this. And even if she did, Sakuya didn’t care.

"I think she might have business with me."

Sakuya's breathing stopped for a moment. She was shocked to hear Safina reply to the head of the council. So the owl lady had been observing her after all. Well, Sakuya guessed—it was time to make her stand.

"Is this true, Guardian?" the head of the council asked.

Sakuya slowly got to her feet. She performed a bow in the direction of the elders. There were five of them in total—the head of the council in the middle, a spirit and a human on the left, and a human and Safina on the right. They were all sitting and watching her. And so she began addressing them.

"Wise elders," she said, still bowing. "I address you today not as the Guardian, but as a simple woman who wants to listen to her heart. I have found a person whom I love. A man whose happiness and life means a lot to me. A man whom I want to be my husband, and share with him every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of the rest of my remaining existence in this world, however long that may be."

Sakuya straightened up after she had finished talking. She waited for a reply from the elders. There was another pause.

"Well, that is certainly good news," the head of the council replied. "At 19, you are already at the appropriate age to have children. Any longer, and we would have been forced to arrange a suitor for you, as it is your duty to pass on the bloodline."

Sakuya wasn’t smiling. Neither was the expression on her face neutral. It was starting to lean a little towards anger and annoyance, ever so slightly. At the end of the day, she wasn't really a person—so much as she was a product in their eyes. Her powers. Those were the most important things to them. Not her well-being, or whatever she wanted. Only her powers.

"Now. What part of the village is this young man from?" the head of the council asked. "What family?"

At first, Sakuya was hesitant. This was it. The moment she exposed everything. Jumo would no longer be a secret. Everyone was going to learn who he truly was to her. What he truly meant to her. From the elders themselves to the spirit warriors present in the meeting from the other temples. And soon, the entire village.

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she wanted to do it. She wasn't so sure she wanted to draw so much attention to Jumo—especially if the remaining elders overreacted like Safina did when she first saw his tattoos.

The history of Yamazawa village—and the history of Japan to a larger extent—saw body ink as a mark given mainly to criminals for their offenses. Murder. Rape. Stealing. Killing. And although modern-day Japan had started to change their perception on tattooing, and had started to embrace the practice—as tattoos were still an essential core of ancient Japanese spiritual practices—Yamazawa, the village she lived in, was forever frozen in time.

The elders were not known for their leniency. They would never accept him. They would never accept the man she wanted. They would never let her love Jumo, because, in their eyes, he practiced the culture of Yamazawa war criminals.

What was she even thinking?

Keeping the tradition aside that says she had to marry someone from the village in order to successfully transfer all her powers down to the next generation—the elders might physically try to hurt Jumo. Just like Safina tried to do. Just like she had actually done.

With a sudden panic gripping hold of her chest, Sakuya turned to Kanna in silent desperation. Luckily, she didn’t have to say anything. Kanna was already getting up to her feet.

"Guardian? Didn’t you hear the question that was just asked of you?" Safina asked, and Sakuya turned and locked eyes with the elder spirit. The owl lady was glaring back at her through hollowed sockets. Slowly, Sakuya's rage began to resurface.

"Wise elders," Kanna said as she stepped forward to stand beside Sakuya while performing a bow. "What my niece here is trying to say is..." She straightened up.

"She has found a suitable partner, but she is afraid of your judgment. The council might not accept him because..." Kanna hesitated a bit, but then she continued speaking.

"Because he is a foreigner to Yamazawa village. An outsider."

The moment those words escaped her auntie's mouth, all hell broke loose. The murmurs began.

"What is the meaning of this, Kanna?!"

The head elder suddenly got up from his seat, face scrunched up in annoyance, hands balled up into fists by his side. "What am I hearing from you of all people?! Speak!"

The murmurs died down as soon as they started. Kanna kept her head low as she spoke, and Sakuya chose to remain quiet for the time being. She just had her gaze fixated on Safina, who was also glaring back. The elder spirit already knew something, and might possibly just be waiting for an opportunity to act. That was it. Traditions be damned.

Sakuya reached out and stopped her auntie from talking. The woman had done enough for her already.

"Elders. And elder spirits," Sakuya said, addressing the council in front of her. "I am the Spirit Guardian. And I know what my duties are, and where they lie. I will never forget that. Keeping the people of Yamazawa safe will always be my number one priority. And with that said, I have come to a decision."

Kanna shot a worried glance at Sakuya. A look that said, I hope you know what you're doing. Sakuya simply nodded in response. It was the only way she could ensure his safety.

She turned to the elders and continued talking.

"Henceforth, I have decided to work independently, outside the council's influence. My duty to the village and the spirits remains, but I shall no longer be under your control."

Sakuya added, glaring at the owl lady who was glaring back.

"You all shall no longer have the power to determine my future. You will all no longer have the power to decide how I live my life, and you all will no longer have the power to decide when I start a family, or who I choose to start a family with. It will no longer be any of your business."

The entire hall was silent from shock. Sakuya utilized the opportunity to make her voice louder, and to make her ultimatum crystal clear.

"And if anyone! Absolutely anyone! Tries to come close, threaten, or harm me or any of my loved ones again!"

She wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. She was pointing directly at Safina.

"Spirits above, I swear, I will not hesitate. I will kill you."

The council was dead silent, and nobody moved.

***

By the time Sakuya got back to the temple with Kanna, later that night, she decided to fill me in on everything that happened while we were lying together on the bed.

"So, they were like, since I decided to leave on my own, I can no longer call myself the Spirit Guardian anymore. Even though I technically still am," Sakuya said, while she had her head resting on my chest.

"Also, as further punishment, Mitsuzawa Temple will no longer receive financial support, or perishable donations from the other temples, or from the village," she continued, repeating back to me word for word what she was told.

Most of what she complained about might have sounded like she was venting her frustrations about the situation, but all I got from it were all the things she had sacrificed for us to be together.

Her title. Her status. Her primary source of income. Her family's primary source of income. The basic necessities and free food they sometimes received from the villagers and other temples. She had sacrificed all of it.

All, so we could simply be together.

I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. An indication that I wanted her to look up at me. She did.

God, she was beautiful.

"What is it?" she asked, smiling. "Was I talking too much?"

"No," I replied. "I just really want to kiss you."

Slowly, she moved up my chest, then planted a kiss on my lips. A deep one.

When we separated, she kept her face hovering close to mine, her dilated pupils and heavy breathing asking me a new question.

A familiar question.

Can we now?

Yes.

I replied by pulling her back down for another deep kiss, savoring the moment as I reached my hands behind her back to unhook her straps.

Then we melted into each other for the rest of the night.