Chapter Text
Everyone says spring is the most beautiful season out of the four, and I can see the reason why. After all, it’s the only time of the year when cherry blossoms bloom. During those times, it’s like the entire world is painted in the color of lightish red. The scenery can be so gorgeous that it can make both humans and yokai lost in thought with a single glance. Even I, a workaholic that has almost no taste in the beauty of nature, sometimes have to stop my work to take a look at the breathtakingly beautiful mountains filled with cherry blossoms.
Of course, this is just my opinion, but I think spring this year would’ve been much more beautiful if I’m not currently bleeding to death underneath this cherry blossom tree, with a bunch of corpses lying around.
Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Youki Konpaku, and I am a Half Phantom.
You’re probably wondering how I got myself into this situation. Long story short, I got ambushed. A few days ago, I went on a mission to hunt down an Oni. Why would I need to hunt down an Oni, you asked? Well, I am an amateur “Yokai Exterminator”. Basically, I kill yokai for a living. Sometimes I kill humans too, if someone pays me enough. Not that much of a difference. So, after many days of trace tracing, I’ve finally tracked down the Oni. It was a tough battle; that Oni had fought till its death. I don’t even know how the hell did I survive. Anyway, I’ve cut off its head as proof and received my payment. On my way home (Well, I don’t really have a home, but you got the idea), I was surrounded by a bunch of thugs. I managed to kill them all, but also got badly injured. And now I’m sitting in my own pool of blood, staring at the void, writing the testament inside my head, waiting for a Shinigami to come and end my suffering.
“Hey.”
Did someone call me? Must have been my imagination. I had asked for help from many passersby a day ago, and all they did was screaming and running away. People are afraid of phantoms as much as they are afraid of yokai. Being a Half Phantom is a different story, as people treat me like scum, a heretic, or some kind of inferior life form. As a kid, I have accepted the fact that I will never be treated as a human, but as a monstrosity. The only thing people will acknowledge about me is how good I am at killing. There’s no way anyone would want anything to do with a Half Phantom, let alone one that is covered in blood and dead bodies.
“Are you still alive there?” Said someone, as they put a hand on my neck to search for a pulse.
How can a human’s touch be this cold?
I tried to take a look, but the only thing I can see is my blood. Another hand wiped my face, and I saw a woman's figure kneel in front of me. I tried to focus on her face, but dizziness took over my concentration. Must have been blood loss. I might have lost half the amount of my body's liquid by now.
“Do not worry, I’m here to help you. Rest your eyes.” Said the woman, voice as sweet as honey, as soothing as a lullaby.
I tried to resist, but the tiredness has defeated me. I closed my eyes, and saw nothing more but darkness.
Dead or alive, I don’t care anymore.
I just want to sleep.
***