A Demon's Tale

“My life has always and will always be a depressing bore.”

It was something I always told myself.

The reason for why I was born, the reason for why I kept living, the reason for everything.

I didn’t know any of it.

From my birth, I was just the daughter of a powerful lord and a filthy concubine.

That’s what my Father had referred to her as, anyways.

I never met my Mother.

I was unsure of who she even was.

Knowing my Father though, she likely didn’t live very long.

But I guess from a certain view, she lived longer than others might have.

She had my brother first, and around five years later, me.

Maybe he actually liked my Mother?

Maybe he had feelings towards someone as low as her?

…

Who am I kidding…

My Father didn’t love anyone.

“My life has always and will always be a depressing bore.”

I wasn’t born for a reason other than my Father’s own selfish needs.

Throughout the land were countless castles that he owned.

I guess he viewed his children as the means to keeping these castles held down from intruders.

We were provided the roles as lords of these places…

…but I didn’t care.

It sounded exciting at first.

But seeing Mijime argue with Father made me realize that something had not been right.

…

Mijime.

Despite not truly knowing my Mother, I had known him for my whole life.

I spoke to him almost every day when we were still young.

Come to think of it…

He told me something about Mother once.

I remember when I was around four years old, he put his hands on my shoulders and cried while he spoke to me.

His words weren’t the most clear as they could have been, but I understood them.

Mijime: [Yoro…Listen to me…Mom had a smile on her face at every moment you were with her!…Do you understand?!...Our Mom…The woman who could never smile…She smiled for you!...Mom loved you!...]

…

Yoro.

My Mother gave me that name.

Mijime was my Father’s choice, but for some odd reason, he allowed her to provide me with my name.

I didn’t understand it, but my brother told me that in combination with our last name, it meant joy.

Joy.

What was there to be happy about.

My Father did not provide joy.

The castle that I had ruled over did not provide joy.

Mijime.

Perhaps Mijime provided me with joy?

I spoke to him many times, I felt excited to do so on occasion.

Was that joy?

Or something else entirely?

…

Eventually, Mijime had to go away.

He had his own castle to rule over, and I was left with the other children who I had not known.

All of us, packed into our Father’s castle.

I wanted to speak with them.

If Mijime spoke with me, then perhaps I wasn’t very different from them.

…

That was completely wrong.

None of them spoke, none of them averted their eyes from their studies.

They simply kept to themselves.

It was lonely for those few years.

So incredibly lonely.

I had no one that I spoke to, no one to truly understand me.

I tried to speak with the tutors, but there was always one of two scenarios that occurred.

I would either be ridiculed by them, forcing a continuation of my studies…

Or…they would speak with me…and would be executed by night.

There was nothing for me.

Not a single thing to do.

No one to speak to.

And most importantly…

No one to love.

“My life has always, and will always be a depressing bore.”

…

As the years passed, I was told to enter a castle of my own.

By that time, Father had been sick, and was slowly reaching the point of his demise.

I didn’t care.

Perhaps I should have, given I was his very own flesh and blood, but I didn’t

I was escorted to the location, and from there I ruled.

What I once thought was lonely, was far more comforting than what I was greeted with.

A castle, all to myself.

Countless rooms for different activities.

The finest of cuisines stored within.

And yet…no one.

Not a single person was there with me.

Every day, I attempted to make things exciting for myself.

A fun tea party, an extensive reading at the library, learning to bake the sweets I loved, acting out the scenes of my favorite book.

None of it worked. Nothing could make the time I spent more enjoyable.

…

Except…for that book.

The story of an evil queen clad in black, who was vile in nature and hated by all.

She ruled over the land for centuries, before a hero garbed in red appeared at her door.

The red hero provided a battle like no other, and once it was finished, the black queen asked for the red hero to kill her.

Instead of doing that however, the red hero saved her.

He asked her to become his wife, and the two went on to live happily ever after.

…

I like that story.

I like it a lot.

I read it many times every single day.

During my meals, during tea, before bed, as I woke up.

I love that story.

In a sense, that story was all I really had in the castle.

…

That was until a few weeks after I had stayed at the castle.

My Father had supposedly passed, and as a safety measure, he employed guards to each of our castles.

What I was met with…was…

Corti and Forti: [Greetings, Lady Yoro!]

Corti: [I…am Corti!]

Forti: [And I…am Forti!]

Corti and Forti: [Together we are…The Corti and Forti Brothers! As well as your personal guards!]

…two bumbling buffoons who constantly flexed their muscles.

…I liked them.

They weren’t exactly perfect at first, but I grew to have a much better relationship with them as time went on.

Would I say that they provided me with joy?

…No.

Joy is something far greater.

I was still stuck in that castle.

Sitting on my throne.

Eternally.

There was nothing that changed, even if our conversations were different.

…

I remember that there was one point in time where the two had told me about my brother sending letters.

That’s where it all started.

The pen pal brother and sister dynamic.

Once every month, we would speak with each other through letters.

Thanks to my brother’s own ability, we did not need to worry about anything within the letters being seen.

It was just a private matter between the two of us.

…But other than that.

It was all the same.

So called heroes entered my castle, trying to show just how “strong” they were.

Hero: [I’ll have you know that I’m able to burn anything that my blade touch–AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!]

Eviscerated.

Hero: [My speed shall be the very thing that takes you dow–BLCH!]

Crushed.

Hero: [In the name of my village, I shall—OUUUUWAHHH—HELP!]

Ceased to exist.

None of them.

None of them truly mattered.

None of them provided anything different than what was said.

Boastful words and false courage.

Something that can easily be broken with a finger alone.

Perhaps even less.

“My life has always and will always be a depressing bore.”

…

Nothing would change.

It was all the same

My throne was my home at this point.

Much like the heroes who entered with fabricated bravery, my castle itself was almost a false shell of what it truly had been.

A throne.

It was merely only my throne that mattered.

It was the place where I resided.

My life was pointless.

…

I tried to escape at one point.

Mijime had told me of what the outside world had been like, as he was allowed to traverse the land.

I remember when Corti and Forti weren’t nearby, I tried to quietly move a few of the bricks off of the walls within the tea room.

I used that as a tunnel of sorts to then reach the outside, where I did the same to the wall standing between me and the endless sea of sand.

I did not make it very far at all before they found me, only traversing a few caves and lakes as I went.

But it was all so beautiful.

I engraved each and every piece of it into my memory.

I wanted more of it.

I wanted to see so much more.

When I returned home, I immediately charted a map of all I had seen.

I prepared more maps for the moment that I would get an opportunity such as this again.

…But it never came.

After that incident, Corti and Forti’s eyes were set upon myself at all times.

With that alone, even my freedom was gone.

…

“My life has always and will always be a depressing bore.”

…

???: [Touchin’ her is already enough to get yer ass kicked. But that shit? The shit yer tryna do now? Ya better fuckin’ pray to whatever god ya have.]

Eight years.

Eight years passed, and I had heard those words echo into my castle.

It was the same scenario as always.

More heroes.

More people who wanted to prove their worth.

They were certainly stronger, and far more annoying…

…But nothing changed.

Through and through…my name, my life, my reason to live…

None of it existed.

But in that very same day.

In that very same hour.

Within those very same few moments I had fought with them…

???: [That’s as far as you go.]

There it was.

After so long, it came to find me.

The unknown joy.

The uncertain freedom.

The things I did not understand.

The things I had never felt before.

In that very moment…my purpose, my reason to live, everything.

It all appeared within a single person named…

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Yoro: [Nene! Let’s do it one more time!]

Nero: [We mustn't. I’m sure you remember what we discussed? If we were to do so, we would likely be unable to control ourselves. On top of this, we are already in bed, which would mean that our brains would–]

Yoro: [Yeah, yeah. I know. We’d just end up doing it. But there’s nothing wrong with that, right?♥]

Nero: [Yoyo.]

Yoro: [Haaaah. I know. I’ll wait as long as it takes! Even if it’s a century, I’ll keep my hands away!...But that might be risky, since my feelings would then build up, and then I might go a little overboard which could be really bad–]

Nero: [How about this, as soon as the two of us decide we are fully ready, we shall get married. After that, it is entirely up to you when we shall do it.]

Yoro: [Ah! But that’s not fair to you! I wanna make sure you’re in the mood for it as well!]

Nero: [I love you with all of my heart. Your decisions are that of mine as well.]

Yoro: [...Stop saying these things. You’re putting a massive risk on both my current mental state and your friend down there.]

Nero: [But it’s the truth.]

Yoro: [That’s two strikes. The third will be your last.]

Nero: [Very well.]

Yoro: [.........Not that I mind it, but what’s with the random hair stroking?]

Nero: [...It’s nothing, really.]

Yoro: [You’re afraid to let go after today, aren’t you?]

Nero: [...If I said yes, would that be the third strike?]

Yoro: [No, but it does make me very happy.♥]

Nero: [How do you feel about the situation?]

Yoro: [If I’m being honest…I kinda hate it. I like the idea of seeing Corti and Forti again, and it won’t be very long that we’ll be separated, but I hate the idea of being separated in the first place.]

Nero: [I suppose throughout our entire journey, there hasn’t been a moment where we were not with one another.]

Yoro: [Maybe that’s why I feel so crazy with all of this love. I love you to bits, but we’ve also been with each other every step of the way. Every time I’m with you, I can hear my heart in my ears. It shouldn’t feel like something good, but I love it.]

Nero: [The very first time being–]

Yoro: [...When we first met. You defeated me, and at that exact moment, my heart felt ten times heavier than before.]

Nero: [Rather than vanquishing it, I provided it with the love it deserves, correct?]

Yoro: [...Careful. You’re treading the line there.]

Nero: [Hmhm. I see. Well, perhaps we should sleep for the night, my love?]

Yoro: [Of course, my outstanding Nene! One final, beautiful, passionate hold while we sleep before we temporarily separate, please!]

Nero: [As you wish.]

Aaaaaah. I remember that night.

It was so nice.

Nene.

I love my Nene so much.

My love for him was like a bomb that wanted to explode, and yet that very same love was strong enough to oppose that fuse.

Even if he would agree to the decisions I made and never asked for things regarding himself, if he had asked me for any number of children…

…I would have provided him with as many as he desired.

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Shiro: [I’ll have some of the Green Leaf Tea, thanks! Right, anyways...sooooo? How’s it feel to be married?]

Yoro: [Incredible. It’s something so simple, and yet, every moment that I look at my ring I feel a warmth in my heart.]

Shiro: [Haaaah. I feel like that wouldn’t be too good for me with how I am now.]

Yoro: [Speaking of marriage and all of those sorts of things, when are you going to do so?]

Shiro: [I’ll get there, I’ll get there. You can get excited when I do, but you might need to calm down for the time being.]

Yoro: [But think about it! It would make me and you even more similar!]

Shiro: [That’s a bit of an odd way to think about it, but don’t worry. There’s probably not a single other person in this world that wants to get married more than I do…I guess there is you two, or at least before you did anyways, so I’m second, or maybe third then…Although, I don’t know about everyone out there…Come to think of it, Si–Alright look, my point is, I’ll do it.]

Yoro: [Hehehe! Sorry if I bugged you with all of that, Shiro.]

Shiro: [No, no, it’s fine. I can see why you’re excited. You’re basically gonna live with Nero for the rest of your life. It’s only natural to feel all anxious about how your friends are doing with the same situation.]

Yoro: [Well, when it does happen for you, you need to let me know at all costs! I wanna bring as many gifts as I can!]

Shiro: [I’m calling it right now, my time will come soon! So if you wanna do something like that, you’d better start buying!]

Yoro: [Hehehe! Guess I’ll have to take a page out of your book and start writing things down or else it’ll all be too late!]

Shiro.

My closest friend.

She’s so kind to both Nero and I.

I wish I could rewind time and catch up on everything.

I hadn’t seen her in years.

So much has changed since then.

I wish I could see everything that she’s gone through.

Both time and life are cruel to us all.

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Yoro: [...Alright. Now, what you’re gonna do is take the pie, and put it into the oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes. After that, we’re gonna put some foil over it, and we’ll do another twenty minutes. You have all that down?]

Kaoru: [Yep!]

Yoro: [Perfect! Let’s put it in then!]

Kaoru: [And…boom! I did it! I made apple pie!]

Yoro: [Hahaha! Well, it’s not done just yet, Kaoru. But yes, you’ve made apple pie! Now you can have it whenever you want it, and you can also share it this time with the rest of your family.]

Kaoru: [Ah! Lady Kōkatsu told you?!]

Yoro: [Indeed she did, you hungry little girl! It was your birthday though, so I don’t think anyone will judge you. Not even myself.]

Kaoru: [...Speaking of Lady Kōkatsu, where is she right now?]

Yoro: [Hm? Ah. She’s with my daughter.]

Kaoru: [You have a daughter, Miss Yoro?!]

Yoro: [She was only born recently, but yes. Kōkatsu often comes over to chat, but also to play with her.]

Kaoru: [Then I assume you have seen how she changes when she is with children?]

Yoro: [Yep! She’s a real fascinating case. Her accent disappears, her face looks so calm, and she speaks to them so softly. I have to ask, since I’m curious, but are there any other steps she takes with all of you?]

Kaoru: [Not that many. She doesn’t get mad or yell at us. Oh! And she also makes sure to help us bathe. We also sleep in the same bed as her.]

Yoro: [Wow! That must be quite the large bed then. I assume all of this is just towards her children, right?]

Silvia: [No. Sssshe accommodatessss for all children.]

Yoro: [Wait, so she would do that for any child?!]

Kaoru: [Well, I’m not sure that Lady Kōkatsu would go out of her way for every single child in the world, though if she had multiple limbs she would probably try to. But if asked, she’ll do it, and even if she isn’t asked, she’ll help her friends with any of it.]

Yoro: [Hm. I guess Varius is gonna have a bit of a different life than everyone else in the world. But a girl as precious as her deserves it!]

Kōkatsu. Silvia. Kaoru.

All of them.

They’re all so nice.

I might not know the three as well as I know Shiro, but I’m still incredibly close with them.

I wonder, when I’m gone, will Kōkatsu take care of Varius for me?

She seems to love Varius a lot, so I think she might just be a perfect fit.

If that happens, I hope Vari isn’t too afraid of her.

Vari.

Vari…

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Varius: [Suu! Suu! Suu, suu, suu!]

Yoro: [Hm?...Oh? Are you practicing to become a professional boxer, Vari?]

Varius: [Ah! Mama! I-I didn’t realize you were doing laundry! I can help!]

Yoro: [Hey now, it’s alright! You don’t have to be all red in the face over your Mama seeing you practice. So, do you want to?]

Varius: [...Yeah. I wanna be like the cool people on my show.]

Yoro: [Oh? There’s a specific show that’s inspired you?]

Varius: [Yeah! It has super cool people that are super strong and say super cool stuff!]

Yoro: [And what would these super strong people who say super cool stuff say exactly?]

Varius: [...Well, they point to the sky and go “Not one round, but one minute.” and stuff like that!]

Yoro: [Oh! I see! That is very cool! Although, speaking of people like that, did you know that your Papa is just like them?]

Varius: [What?! Papa is a boxing god?!]

Yoro: [Hahaha! No, no, silly! I meant your papa is a super strong person who says some super cool things as well!]

Varius: [Wow! Really?!]

Yoro: [Yup! The whole reason you’re here is all because he beat me!]

Varius: [Wow! Papa is super strong!]

Yoro: [Yup! Your Papa is the strongest!]

Varius: [Oh! I wanna know! How did Papa and Mama meet?]

Yoro: [I see. I’ve never answered that, have I? Well, your Mama wasn’t exactly the nicest before.]

Varius: [Mama was a villain?!]

Yoro: [Yep. Your mama was the meanest villain in the whole wide world! But your Papa came through the doors of my castle, and defeated Mama! After that, Mama decided that Papa was the man that she would marry.]

Varius: [Oh! oh! Just like the story! Just like the story!]

Yoro: [Yes! Exactly like the story!]

Varius: [Mama and Papa are cool!]

Yoro: [Yes, but do you know who is even cooler than both Mama and Papa?]

Varius: [Me! Me!]

Yoro: [Yep! Our adorable little Vari! She’s the coolest!]

Varius: [I’m the coolest! I’m the coolest! I’m the–Ah! My show is coming back!]

Yoro: [Oh! Sorry to interrupt then! You should hurry back and see your cool people box some more!]

Varius: [Okie dokie!]

Yoro: [...Varius, before you go…]

Varius: [Hm?]

Yoro: [...Do you love your Mama and Papa?]

Varius: [I love Mama and Papa a bunch!]

Yoro: [Just wanted to check. Enjoy your show, sweetie!]

Varius.

My adorable little Varius.

Your perfect smile.

Your beautiful mix of our hair.

Your gleaming red eyes.

Your entire, deathly sweet appearance.

I have so much love just for you, my sweet little girl.

You and Nene have split my heart in two, and now I am forced to provide the both of you with all of its contents.

I’ve raised quite the selfish girl, hogging all of this love for herself.

…I’ll miss her so much.

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Held in the arms of her lover was a woman who had begun to cry. Her beautiful red hair now had a dress that started to match in color, with a small hole by her chest. Though she was crying, she continued to smile and laugh with her eyes closed off from the world. Perhaps it was a rude action, as the very lover who held her panicked over her state.

Nero: [Yoro! Yoro! Stay with me! Please!]

Yoro: [Ha….haha…hahaha!]

Nero: [Yoro…]

Yoro: [I’m sorry, Nene…I’m not trying to laugh…but…I’m just so sad…and yet, I’m happy at the same time…]

Nero: [Yoro…What do you…]

Yoro: [I’m just picturing it…I’ll never get to see Vari grow up…I’ll never know what she’ll look like when she’s the same age as when we met….or even now…It hurts so much just to think about…]

Nero: [Don’t say those things! It’ll be alright! You’ll see her grow up! We both will!]

Yoro: [...At the same time, it’s incredible to imagine…I can already see her…Her uncut hair…The same baggy black clothes as always…The same little girl we know and love…She might even be bigger than me…She takes after both of us after all…Hahaha…..haha!]

Nero: [Yoro…]

Yoro: [I feel bad for everyone…They were just over…and the next thing they’ll hear is that I’m gone…I’m sure the trio will be devastated….and Mijime…He already got divorced because he felt like he wasn’t providing enough to his wife…He’ll be heartbroken to find out that his sister is dead…Damn it…I don’t wanna go now…There’s so many people that deserve to be happy…]

Nero: [Don’t! Don’t go, Yoro! I’m sure help is on the way!]

Nero looked up towards the soldiers and anxiously asked them.

Nero: [Please! There’s someone coming to help, right?!]

The captain turned to his troops.

Bloodfire Captain: [Oi! You called for the medical team, correct?]

Bloodfire Soldier: [N-Not just yet, sir! We’ll do so now!]

Bloodfire Captain: [THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T JUST YET?! THERE’S A DAMN CRISIS GOING ON AND YOU HAVEN’T CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE YET?!]

Fear started to enter Nero’s eyes.

Nero: [W-What…No…But…]

Nero looked towards each of the guards, but had his attention stolen back by the bleeding wife, who continued to speak.

Yoro: [...I want all of them to be happy…Not that I’m gone…But I want them to just celebrate my life…There’s no need to be sad…It can be happy…There’s joy even in things like this…]

Nero: [Yoro! Please! Just a little bit longer!]

Yoro: [...I’m sorry, Nene…I don’t think I have that much time left…I’m scared of going…but at the same time…I’m so happy with the life I’ve lived….I got to be with you for almost ten wonderful years…Vari…We had Vari…and she is the greatest gift I could have ever received…It was all perfect…Finally…The one thing my mother had etched into my very being…It finally came into form…I'm finally filled with so much joy…]

Nero: [Yoro…Please…]

Yoro: [...Take care of Vari for me…She’ll be sad that her Mama is gone, but she’ll still always have her Papa…She knows that her Papa is the strongest after all…She’ll be alright…I wish I could see her one last time…But speaking with her earlier was enough…]

Nero: [Yoro…]

Slowly moving her right arm, Yoro used what little strength she had left to wrap it around the back of Nero’s head and pulled herself close.

A final, bloody kiss was provided, before she fell back into his arms. Her right hand resting on his cheek.

Yoro: [...I love you….Nene…Thank you for all….of…the…joy…]

Nero: [Yoro! Wait–]

His cries…

…went unanswered.

The hand that rested on his face fell limp to her side, a handprint of blood now placed where it had once been.

Her eyes had lost the radiant color they once had.

And her smile, that displayed all of the joy she once had, was now an expressionless, open mouth.

On June 12th, at 11:59 PM…

…Yoro Kobi passed away.

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