Yasura Shin

The Kishin’s crimson eyes darted around before locking onto Nurarihyon. It slowly approached him as he held his hand out toward the other yokai. When it was in front of Nurarihyon’s face, the Kishin paused. Then it smiled with its fanged teeth before swinging at Nurarihyon.

The commander of the yokai immediately sensed the danger behind that blow and moved his hand to counterattack. And as soon as Nurarihyon raised his hand, the Kishin stopped and jumped backward. However, even as its hand scraped along the ground and healed, the Kishin never once took its eyes off of Nurarihyon.

Nurarihyon smirked at the yokai’s reaction. He’s no different from all the other yokai now. The Kishin tried to rush at Nurarihyon again, and despite being faster than him, the Kishin’s attack was still prevented with a single order: “Stop.” The Kishin tilted its head as its body listened to Nurarihyon’s command. “From this moment on, you are—”

“Shin!” Yukimura’s voice echoed through the air as she approached the area in her Onmyoji attire. “Shin, is that you?”

“That friend of yours isn’t in there anymore. Only the Kishin remains now. I can only control yokai after all. And his obeying my words is proof that he’s no longer a human.”

“No, that can’t be true. I refuse to believe that.” Yukimura didn’t point her sword at the Kishin; she pointed it at Nurarihyon. “I’ll bring him back no matter what.”

“Yukimura…” Nurarihyon responded to her in a gentle and calculated voice. “It’s too late for him. There is no going back to Yasura Shin for him. There’s only this yokai of mass destruction left.” Nurarihyon patted the Kishin’s head like a dog while it was still immobilized.

“Now, Kishin, go on and kill that Onmyoji and all the others in Shibuya! If you do, you’ll get to eat them as much as you want.” As Nurarihyon instructed, the Kishin faced Yukimura. It smiled like a demon as it lunged toward her, and Yukimura was forced to point her blade at the one person she never wanted to: Shin.

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I tried to open my eyes, but whether they were open or closed, all I saw was darkness. It surrounded me and slowly began to suffocate me. I tried to walk in it, but I’m not sure if I took a step or not. I couldn’t feel my surroundings. I couldn’t hear anything either, nor could I taste the spit in my mouth. The only sense I had was my hearing.

I heard the sounds of screams, and mixed in was a familiar voice, but I couldn’t discern it. I heard the sound of something hard being banged upon, but I didn’t know what. I heard the sound of light steps, but I couldn’t begin to imagine who they belonged to. Just where am I?

When I thought about that question, it was like someone suddenly turned the lights on. Not just the lights, but everything, as a matter of fact. I could see the Japanese cedar trees that enshrined me. I could feel the liquid underneath my toes, and when I sniffed the air, I knew that it was blood. I opened my mouth to taste the air, but before I could, I faintly heard, “Shin… is that you, Shin?”

I whipped my head around at the familiar voice, but I saw no one around me. Instead of investigating further, I just stared at one of the trees around me. It must’ve been nothing.

“I am nothing, Shin!” I heard the voice again, clearer this time. It sounded childlike as it lightly said, “I’m underneath you, Shin.” Before I could respond, I felt a pair of hands drag me into the blood below me.

I was expecting to crash my head into the liquid, but I fully submerged. It felt like I was swimming in the sea, but in place of water there was blood. There was only— “Shin, look at me!”

I opened my eyes, and they didn’t sting as the blood flowed past them. My eyes only softened as I saw a small figure. They had two horns on their head, skin the same color as the blood around us, and a permanent, sharp-toothed smile on their face. “Who… are you?”

The person looked down when I said that. Are they sad?

“Yes, of course I’m sad. You forgot about me.”

Can you read my mind?

“Yes, I can now since the seal has been undone. I can’t believe you sealed me after you said we’d talk again, and then forgot all about me.”

Wait, sealed you? When the person in front of me said that, the conversations we had within the last two weeks flooded back to me. I remember who you are now… you’re… “Kishin.”

The smile on Kishin’s face widened after Shin said their name. “You remembered! That makes me feel a bit worse about what I’m going to do to you.”

Wait… What do you mean? What are you going to do?

With a smile on their face, the Kishin said, “I’ll eat you!” They lunged at me with abnormal strength, pushing me deeper into the sea of blood. “I was lonely, but then you came. You fed me. You named me. You talked to me. You even told me you didn’t want to be evil. But then you left me all alone and hungry.”

N-No Kishin… It wasn’t like that. I was only trying to—

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. You became evil! You left me to starve, but Nurarihyon didn’t. They’re letting me eat as much as I want.” Kishin grabbed onto my torso, and I didn’t resist.

Kishin, you have to listen—

“I won’t! I’m starving!” Kishin then proceeded to bite a chunk out of my shoulder. At least it looked like he did— I thought he did— but I didn’t feel like I was missing a shoulder. Maybe the blood mixed in with the sea around us, but I could still move my arm. The only one who was missing a part of their shoulder was Kishin.

I slowly began to realize what was happening, but Kishin didn’t care. Kishin only yelled, “I’m going to eat you and every Onmyoji until I’m full,” before biting onto my other shoulder. When it did, I kept its head there so it could finally listen to me.

“Kishin, I’m sorry…” I could feel Kishin’s head going further down as I continued to apologize. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone… I’m sorry for starving you… I’m sorry for sealing you in this darkness… And I’m sorry for giving you the wrong name.”

Wrong name? I felt its head try to jerk up as I heard Kishin’s thoughts. What do you mean, wrong name… Kishin is the name you gave me!

“No, that’s what you are, but that isn’t your birth name. We were all given one by our parents.”

I don’t have parents.

“You do,” I said in a calm and gentle tone. “We both do. They might not be here with us, but your name is proof that they were there once… Yasura Shin.”

Yasura… Shin? I could feel Kishin’s eyes gazing at me. Why’d you call me your name?

“It’s both of our names, that’s why. We’re both Yasura Shin. You might be hungrier than me, but you’re definitely still me, Shin.”

I felt a tear roll onto my back as Kishin thought, I’m sorry for eating you. I’m just—.

“I know, Shin… But you don’t have to be sad. It’s your birthright to do anything you want to yourself, so you can eat me.”

Are you sure? I can eat you, Shin?

“Yes, I want you to eat all of me, so we can become one. It’s only then that I can help you be in a world where you won’t starve.”

Won’t I? Are you not lying?

“No, you can go ahead and eat me, and then you’ll feel it.”

After I said those words, Shin began to consume me. From my chest to my legs to my arms to my head, he ate the entirety of me. But, despite being eaten, I didn’t feel pain. The only thing I felt was me, Yasura Shin. And I was full.