Akaname

Even when the bath was hot, I went pale. My little sister was washing these old geezers’ backs in a bathhouse, and there was some kind of tipping business and shit.

“Oh crap, you’re right, Yuuya.” Tsutomu took a sharp breath. “Even if those guys are yakuza, we need to stop this. I’m with you.”

I didn’t listen to the end. I got up and went straight for Akame. I’ll put all of these old farts in jail.

“Akame! What the hell are you—”

“Nii-nii?! Are you here for the lick too, nii-nii?”

I grabbed her arm and yanked her away.

“Hey, young man, what do you think you’re doing to her?!”

“Shut the fuck up. What do you think you’re doing, huh?!”

“Wait, if she calls you nii-nii, then you’re her…”

They went pale.

“Akame, why are you doing this?” I felt my anger bubbling.

“Did…did Akame do something wrong? Am I being a bad kid…?” She sniffled. “Akame made nii-nii angry again. Akame just wanted nii-nii to…”

“This looks very illegal, little princess.” Tsutomu said.

“But… Akame is an Akaname. An Akaname licks filth off humans. My mother said we can help clear dead skin cells… My mother did it a lot for her husbands. When nii-nii was sick, Akame…”

“Don’t. Just stop.” I pulled her outside and threw my clothes on myself. “How long have you been doing this?”

We were back at the common area. Tsutomu hurriedly got dressed and followed.

“Yuuya, calm down a bit.” He grabbed my shoulder, but I slapped his hand away.

“How long?”

“Since I.. since we… since we moved in…”

“Don’t joke about being an Akaname or whatever. Don’t use that dumb excuse! Who taught you this? Who led you into this?” I clenched my teeth.

“Akame is not lying!” She tried to break away from my grip, but I won’t let her run. Not now.

“Prove it, then! Prove it that you’re a youkai!”

Just then, memories came rushing back. Her eyes, her tongue, her strange behaviors…

I knew that she was not a normal human.

“Okay. Akame will prove it.” Her eyes changed. She pinned me to the ground with strength impossible for a little girl. She stuck her tongue out, and it grew longer, and longer, and longer…

Her one-foot-long tongue touched my face, before returning inside her mouth.

“Wha…” Tsutomu fell to the ground. “What the hell? That’s… that’s not normal…”

“I’m…not imagining it, huh?” I mumbled.

My sister, Yakou Akame…

Is a filth-licking youkai, otherwise known as…

Akaname.