Theaters and Graves

“You’re here, too?”

“Obviously. Just look around. Who isn’t here?”

“My parents said they didn’t want to come,”

“Seriously? Wait, don’t tell me your parents are one of those tyrant apologists?!”

“No, so keep your voice down! Are you trying to get me killed?!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

“They only mentioned seeing some ominous dark clouds this morning,”

“Oh, right, I forgot how superstitious your parents tend to be,”

“I know, it drives me insane sometimes,”

“Still, it’s not like they’ve ever been wrong before. Remember last time?”

“You mean with the queen’s takeover?”

“Yeah. Didn’t they mention seeing lightning or something being stuck inside dark clouds? That same night, the queen staged a revolution, hundreds of people died in the process, and the mad tyrant fled from the palace.”

“I’m pretty sure that was just a coincidence,”

“But there was also the time they-”

“Ah, let’s just stop with all the superstitions, already! I’m tired enough of hearing it from my parents,”

“Sorry, sorry,”

“So what are you going to do? If you believe in that stuff too, then you should probably leave as well,”

“...hmmm, but I don’t want to though! I mean, it’s the queen’s wedding!”

“Then let’s stop talking about the clouds already, and get in there! I promised myself I’ll finally find a boyfriend today!”

“Alright! Me t-!”

“Leave.”

The two women’s conversation is casually interrupted by a figure in a silky black kimono dress, sporting white embroidered designs of oni across the sides and back. A conical hat covers her facial appearance, but her relatively pale skin can still be noticed from all angles.

The woman hangs her arms atop the shoulders of the two women, and pulls both of them in close.

“You should really cherish the advice of your parents more. Especially since they’ve managed to survive in this cruel world for longer than most,”

Kimiko lifts her head, as she stares towards the grand entrance to the wedding ceremony about to take place near the largest mountain in Eydo. Red flame blossoms scatter across the air, as the flame trees responsible for them surround the broad stairs leading to the famous destination.

With plenty of Eydo natives already walking up the stairs, a few glance toward the strange getup of the seemingly overly friendly woman, but pass it off as another foreign guest having come to join in the celebration.

“Sorry…but who are you?”

Kimiko’s eyes remain fixed towards the stairs. Hot air seemingly seeps out from her pores, and she pushes the ladies aside; as an ominous act of saving them from what is to come.

“No one, really,”

Kimiko finally takes her first step up the stairs, and without hesitation, follows through without looking back.

“Just a lady finally arriving at her grave,”

***

Ten thousand people surround the hollow mountainside area that holds the empire’s grand outdoor theater, allowing for all to spectate from far and wide. The late afternoon sun’s rays peer down directly towards the stage, causing even more whispers of excitement to span amongst the attendees.

The high elder of the council, also responsible for managing the empire’s highest court trials, walks onto the grand stage, and clears his throat to address the crowd.

“From those from neighboring lands, to those from just around the corner!”

“Thank you all for coming to this special occasion!”

Cheers erupt from different areas across the crowd, forcing the elder to wait patiently before it settles down. In knowing that the hollow nature of the mountainside allows for anyone’s voice to travel easily across the venue, it was only natural for him to do so.

“Ahem. Before we get started, I would like to highlight the occurrences that led to this event taking place!”

“It was only last year that our kingdom’s great ruler lost his life, after being killed by his own son!”

“After taking over, the demon king rampaged across our empire’s vassal states! Slaughtering innocent civilians and kings alike, all for the sake of his pride!”

Multiple claims of outrage erupt from plenty of those in the crowd.

“I’m sure you all felt that it wouldn’t be long before his crazed eyes were to be set against his own people!”

“However! By the grace of gods, and with the backing of one of the five great war gods…the demon king’s sister rose to the affliction, and finally claimed the throne that should have been hers to begin with!!”

This time, cheers spread amidst the venue.

“Her greatness has united our lands once again! And has spread fear to the Lauranian swine that continue to oppose us!”

“And upon her decree, the life of the mad king has finally been quelled! By none other than a victim of the mad king’s murderous frenzy!"

The cheers become louder, but the elder decides to yell over them regardless.

“This brave man has met the requirement of strength and wisdom that a true king should possess! So it is only right that he will be wed to one as gracious as our queen!

“Give a round of applause!...”

“As he comes to the stage!...”

“He is your future king! The victor of the queen’s order!...”

Walking through the long central stairs that lead down towards the stage, and being cheered on to great avail by those able to touch and grab him, Reze slides his hand across the top of his hair and smiles brightly.

“The avatar wielder of a creator god itself!!...”

“REZE!”

Reze finally makes it to the stage, and shakes the elder’s hand, before waving to the crowd. Chants of his name begin to take shape, forcing him to keep waving and smiling.

Eventually, after the elder waves his hand for the crowd to quiet down, hundreds of royal guards line up across the same central stairs Reze had just walked down from, carrying golden spears and strapped with loads of golden attire to their dark skin.

The crowd begins to gasp in awe, as they turn their heads towards the very top of the central stairs.

All manners of flowers are tossed in the air, as Temi slowly makes her way down the stairs; not needing her own introduction, because her appearance already does it for her.

Her silk, white, and thin traditionally embroidered dress replaces the usual black and gold attire, and her golden piercings and hair accessories blossom even brighter than usual, as if working to blind the attendees with its shine.

After a graceful walk through, Temi stands in front of Reze and glances towards her subjects. As the crowd finally manages to see the formerly hidden princess for the first time in person, the initial reaction was naturally one of astonishment for her natural beauty, and also fear from her powerful aura as queen.

Temi grins callously.

And everyone erupts in cheers.

Not long after, the elder continues on with the proceedings, while Temi and Reze hold hands in anticipation of the vows they are about to make.

The elder closes his book, and quickly performs a sign of prayer to the gods.

As soon as he finishes, he looks towards the crowd, and clears his throat.

“Are there any objections?!”

Silence.

Complete silence.

The elder grins deviously, knowing that no one would ever dare interrupt such a grand moment.

Finally…

Everything we have worked for…

Will finally be returned!...

“Speak now!” the elder yells in a mocking tone, causing the crowd to laugh.

“Or forever hold your peace!” he finishes in a serious tone.

“Alright then,”

Suddenly, everyone gasps, and turns their heads to the foreign woman seated midway along the edge of the stairs that leads to the stage; far enough to not pose an immediate threat, but close enough to be seen by the bride and groom.

Kimiko holds her hand up carelessly, and reveals the oni mask that she has been wearing underneath the conical hat.

“I object.”

The elder, who now appears frozen in disbelief, slowly glances towards the groom, who only rolls his eyes.

The elder then points towards Kimiko, while staring towards some of the royal guards stationed near the stage.

“Escort that woman out of here immediately!” he whispers aggressively.

Kimiko stands up from her seat, whips out her hidden katana, and points it directly towards Temi.

The royal guards situated on the central stairs point their spears towards her, but are immediately grabbed and crushed by the dozens of oni that appear from their shadows.

The people in the crowd shriek in fright, and many move as far away from Kimiko and the central stairs as they can.

A blockade of oni immediately surrounds the exits, as well as the stairs leading up to where Kimiko is situated, forcing not only the people in the crowd to stay, but also blocking the royal guards from being able to carry out their order. Kimiko takes off her mask, revealing herself to everyone present.

“Everything that the elder spewed is a complete lie,”

The people in the crowd quickly settle down, suddenly finding interest in what Kimiko has to say.

“The mad tyrant was never a tyrant to begin with,”

“And he was not the one responsible for his father’s death.”

Kimiko flips the edge of her katana, and tilts her head as she glares at Temi.

“All of it…was all your doing.”

Temi glares back at Kimiko as everyone else gasps in shock.

“Lies!”

A civilian steps out from the huddled crowd, and points towards Kimiko with shaky hands.

“What kind of villain even are you?! How dare you come here and ruin the queen’s fateful wedding!”

Kimiko sharply turns her head and glares at the man, causing him to shake with fright even more than before.

I’m so sick of that damn word!

Kimiko quickly stares towards the ground, closes her eyes and breathes deeply.

All thanks to a certain someone…

That even after so much bravado…

Still lost to it.

“I say this as someone that once believed in the same pile of crap you all do,” Kimiko says as she returns her gaze back towards Temi.

“My kingdom was burned to the ground, so naturally I focused all of my anger towards the one responsible,”

“And yet, when I arrived here to personally cut off his head, I received a tip from a soldier in the know of the queen’s secret coup…”

“Enough,” Temi grits out.

Kimiko’s expression changes into a stern one, as she educates the masses.

“...and found the mad tyrant chained deep inside the empire’s dungeon.”

Temi teeth begin to grind against each other, as her frustration reaches its boiling point.

So it was you!...

“Guards!” Temi yells,, “An order was given to you!”

The royal guards try desperately to move past the oni, but remain powerless before the might of Izanami’s personal band of demons. The oni change their strategy from blocking the royal guards to outright destroying them, as their tempers only flare up from the pathetic attempts made.

The crowd continues to shriek in fright upon witnessing the cruelty of Kimiko's band of red demons, painting her even more so as a villain than she already appeared to be. 

However, many of them also choose to pay close attention to her words, as the information being presented to them only made them more and more curious to the truth. 

“The mad tyrant’s father was murdered by his own mother…and was tried by the royal court as a co-conspirator.”

“However, it was simply a ploy to remove his avatar holder from interfering with their plans,”

“For as long as the judgement of the royal court stands in the presence of the gods, it must be carried out,”

“And so…the prince that became king was forced to await his judgement in his dungeon cell, while the hidden princess worked with the council to spur on her great ascension, mandating incidents within the empire to incite hate towards their new king,”

Kimiko narrows her eyebrows, and her burning rage becomes clear for all to see.

“...one of which includes the extinction of my people.”

Temi kisses her teeth as she slowly glances over towards Reze.

“Do you really expect me to stand here and accept this?!” she whispers aggressively.

Reze sighs, and cracks his neck.

Before he immediately blasts through the air and aims directly for Kimiko’s throat, all in less than a tenth of a second.

And just as soon as he reaches it, and tries to snap it…

Kimiko disappears…

And reappears in the air, directly in front of Temi on the grand stage.

Temi appears completely taken aback, just as much as Reze.

With her arms already holding her katana in the same quick motion that Reze used, Kimiko’s raging eyes lock onto her target.

“Remember this face well…”

“For it will be the last thing you see in this mortal realm…”