Joro-Gumo Chapters 1 - 6

 

Joro-Gumo

Ichi

They rode for days through the driving wind and rain. Each rider wore their wet weather coats pulled about them and even though they protected them from the onslaught of pelting rain, it was not enough to keep them a hundred percent dry. Night was drawing in quickly, Kato Nobu brought his companions to a stop on the edge of the winding cliff face road. To one side of them was a sheer drop, to the other a high rocky face which jutted out in intervals. Kato had stopped them at a break in the mountain face where it seemed to widen, and although there wasn’t much shelter to keep them all dry, what shelter it did provide, was enough to sleep two men at a time. This meant out of the seven tired travellers, five would have to keep watch, and take it in shifts to sleep for a couple of hours.

From the rear of the travellers, one of the women which accompanied them jumped off her horse and headed to the front of the line where Kato stood. Suki Ume was the name of this woman; she was a skilled tracker and had been with this band of renegades since they had departed Kawatsi. Suki was of average build and she wore her long black hair up in a bun. Her features where so delicate that you would have thought she looked out of place with the five men she travelled with. She was not the only woman to travel from Kawatsi with Kato, there was her sister Fukuda Ume, who was two years younger than Suki. They both looked Identical in every way – so much so that people where she grew up in Kawatsi, assumed they were twins. Suki stood with Kato and after observing the gap between both mountains, she advised him that they should carry on for few more miles before stopping. They concluded this was not at a safe place to stop, as it was far too closed in, and the chance of a surprise attack would be far too great. Using her tracking abilities Suki eventually found the right spot for them to stop and rest for the night. Entering what seemed to be a cave, Suki assured everyone that there was no bear or other predator occupying it. The travellers hitched their horses to a tree that was rooted just outside the cave entrance, and they began to settle down for the night.

Abe Dai made a fire at the mouth of the cave; it burned bright with food sizzling as it cooked. Abe was a man of many talents and like Suki, he too was good at tracking, though mainly animals. He had met up with Kato in Kawatsi, although he was not born there. He originated from the neighbouring province of Idsumi, where he grew up in the village of Wada.

The other travellers consisted of Hiraoka Makoto, a skilled metal worker, who was a small man- not much taller than four foot eleven, and what he brought to the group was nothing like Suki or Abe. He was more of a problem solver. He came from a small village called Sakai. And it was there he learned and perfected his craft in metallurgy. He once dreamed of having his own workshop, to craft weapons for the Emperors army however unforeseen circumstances had made him forget all about his dreams for a while.

Then there was Okamato Haru, a thief by trade… there was nothing he couldn’t steal. He’d steal anything that wasn’t nailed down, in fact if it were nailed down, he’d attempt to steal that too. Okamato spent most of his adolescent and adult life always on the run from the local law men. He was a heavy-set man of average height, with a scar down the left side of his face, gained from a meat hook on one of his many misguided adventures. He didn’t know much about his fellow travellers, which suited him as the less he knew about them, the less they were likely to ask questions about him.

After Abe had lit the fire, the group gathered and began to share stories about difficult and dangerous situations they had found themselves in. Okamato listened from a far, as the stories they told grew more elaborate with each telling. As the fire burned down to a dim glow, most of the weary travellers had settled down for an early night. The only two still awake was Okamato and Saski Shiro.

Saski was from Gohori, in Jamato and like Okamato was a known thief. He had an enormous bounty on his head, and he had been on the run from the law when he first ran in to Okamato. Saski thought it would be a good idea to tag along with Okamato until he reached Kawatsi, as nobody knew him there, and the safety appealed to him. On their journey together they mostly rode in silence except for when they needed to hide from any law men they occasionally encountered on the same road as them. Although, afterwards the silence would return.

Okamato decided he would take first watch. As he sat in the moonlight looking over the valley, all he could hear were the leaves gently rustling in the wind. He walked over to the edge of mountain and sat down to observe the water cascade down the side of the cliff face, twisting and turning before hitting the water below.

Suki woke up and saw Okamato sitting outside the opening to the cave entrance. She got up and quietly walked over to him. “Hey, you okay?” she asked softly.

Okamato was startled and looked up at Suki. “I was just thinking how beautiful the land looks and how much it reminds me of my home village.” He replied.

Suki sat down beside Okamato and stared out across the land below. She encouraged him to tell her more and Okamato began to describe his home village.

“Just imagine those mountains over there, interwoven as one and spanning as far as the eye could see. They’d be covered in snow and as you came down from the mountains, you’d be hit with a sudden lush sense of green from the pine trees. Amongst the pine trees and entwined within the shrubbery is a stream; it flows down one side of the mountain, the water trickling back and forth down the hillside. Eventually it reached the river, which rolled out in to the Linschoren Strait. In the middle of the mountain was an old Buddhist temple called Daisen-ji. I would sneak up there when I was a boy. It was beautiful, but the best time to see the view would be in the autumn. The leaves from the trees would turn from green to all various shades of red and oranges.”

The mountain Okamato described to Suki was the Ōkami-take, which meant Mountain of the Gods. Suki was imagining what he had just described to her.

“I’d love to see the place where you grew up.” She told him.

“One day I shall take you there. But for now, I believe it’s your turn to take watch, whilst I go and get my head down for a little while.” He informed her, whilst turning around and heading into the cave. He settled down on the spot that Suki had been sleeping on and within minutes he had fallen to sleep.

As dawn broke the first to wake was Kato followed by Hiraoka. They both stumbled out into the day light and began to stretch. Hiraoka splashed his face with water from a rock pool which had gathered during the night, just outside the cave.

“Awake now?” Kato laughed.

Hiraoka smiled and then walked back to pick up his belongings from within the cave. Kato too, chose to splash some cold water on his face from the rock pool.

The remaining weary travellers began to stir and then prepare themselves for the day ahead. They rode down a gravel dirt track until they approached the Ekagawa River. As they got nearer, they could see how crystal clear the water appeared, they pushed on through to reach the opposite bank. They then rode downhill, until eventually reaching a settlement. It was now mid-day and Kato came to a stop with Okamato pulling up alongside him. They both looked out towards the settlement, which looked cold and misty through the heavy rain.

Turning to Okamato, Kato told him go with Hiraoka and talk to the sentry, who may be on guard. Okamato relayed the message back to Hiraoka and together they nudged their horses forward towards the settlement.

As they approached the settlement, Okamato climbed down from his horse and banged on the ominous wooden gates – he waited for a reply.

After a short time, Okamato banged again, yet there was still no response. Hiraoka climbed down from his horse and joined Okamato.

“Doesn’t seem right, does it?” queried Hiraoka.

He pushed gently on the main gate and to his surprise it cracked ajar, he turned to Okamato in wonder. Okamato gestured Hiraoka to go through. Hiraoka nodded, at first gingerly venturing through the entrance, then swinging the gate open. There were no guards to be seen, which struck him as strange. He moved further inside, looking around more intensively. Okamato followed behind him. He too was surprised to see no guards milling around, something very out of the ordinary. Glancing behind, Hiraoka could see Okamato had joined him. He signalled to Okamato that he was going to look around, whilst placing a finger to his mouth ensuring Okamato kept quiet. Having closed the gate behind him, Okamato then climbed a ladder next to him which led to the ramparts of the settlement. Once there, he waved to Kato, signalling that it was safe to come in.

Hiraoka wandered through the streets to see if there were any signs of life.

It appeared that everyone had vacated the settlement in a hurry, as there was weapons and armour sprawled throughout. He peered into a few of the houses and noticed that pots were left on tables, with food untouched and spoiled in their bowls. It appeared that the settlement had been left in this state for some time.

As he walked into the local tavern it was a similar scene, here stalls and tables had been turned upside down, broken bottles covering the bar and floor. Hiraoka picked up one of the upturned stalls nearest to him and sat down for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened here. Deep in thought, he suddenly became aware of shuffling above him in the ceiling of the tavern. He abruptly stood up and followed the shuffling above him with his eyes. Grasping his scabbard sword with his right hand, he was ready to pull it out should he need to. Walking the length of the tavern following the noise above him, he eventually came across a hatch which was flush to the ceiling. Quietly, placing a stall directly beneath it to stand on, he slowly slid the hatch back. Just as he was about to put his head through the hatch, Okamato walked in through the tavern door. Hiraoka quickly pointed to the hatch and then to Okamato gesturing to not make a sound. Okamato stood, blocking the exit to the tavern ready to stop what, or whoever was above them. Hiraoka slowly peered through the opening into the space above him but having looked around, he couldn’t see what was causing the shuffling noise. Lowering his head back from the hatch, he asked Okamato if he could fetch one of the torches from of the wall behind the bar. Okamato did as he was asked and passed Hiraoka the torch. Hiraoka once again pushed his head up inside the crawl space. This time, the light of the torch enabled him to see that the space was empty, apart from a few empty crates. Pulling himself up through the gap, it became obvious there was not enough room to stand up, so he crouched down, whilst carefully moving to the wall furthest from the hatch. Strangely he could still hear the shuffling as before, but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t see what was causing it.

Having seen Okamatos’ signal, Kato moved forward with Abe, Fukuda, Saski and Suki following behind him. Dismounting their horses, they approached the gates with caution. Taking the lead Kato paused every so often to check everyone was still behind him. Abe approached Kato and gave him an uneasy look whilst advising him to be careful, as things seemed out of place. Kato gave the order to draw their weapons and to be on guard. Venturing through the gates, they were all on high alert for any sign of danger. They walked into the centre of the courtyard, standing shoulder to shoulder, prepared for an attack.

Saski heard a noise and asked if anyone else had heard it. Everybody turned to look in his direction. Fukuda asked what noise it was he heard, but Saski could not put his finger on it. It sounded as though something was clattering around inside one of the buildings. Kato, not wanting to put his fellow travellers in any kind of danger, asked Fukuda to go with Saski and investigate its source.

Heading in the direction of the tavern, Fukuda wondered if Saski had in fact heard a noise, or whether it had been an excuse to go and have a quick drink. But as they got closer to the tavern doors they stopped, crouching down, quietly listening to faint mumblings from inside and what sounded like furniture being moved.

“See, I told you I could hear something” Saski told Fukuda.

“What is it? Do you think it’s some of the villagers taking shelter from whoever caused all this mess out here?” asked Fukuda.

“I don’t know?” replied Saski. “Is there any way we can see inside?”

Fukuda pointed at a window to the left of the main doors, indicating to Saski to peer in through. Crawling alongside the doors until he was underneath the window, Saski placed his hands on the window ledge and slowly began to raise himself up so he could see inside. Peering through he could see Hiraoka standing on a bar stool, whilst hauling himself into a hole in the ceiling and Okamato, his hands grasping Hiraoka’s legs to keep him steady.

“You see anything? If not, come back down, it’s probably just a rat.” Okamato shouted up to Hiraoka

Hiraoka ignored Okamato’s comment and continued to search. After a short while, to the furthest side of the attic space, he noticed what seemed to be a pile of old clothes. Reaching the pile, he hesitantly lifted the cloth, gradually revealing a woman holding a new-born child. The woman was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. Noticing that she was naked, he draped the cloth back over her shoulders and then informed Okamato of what he had found up in the crawl space.

“Why is she up there?” asked Okamato.

Hiraoka, assumed she must have been hiding from the people who had turned their village upside down. He turned to the young lady.

“Why are you and your new-born hiding in the attic?” He asked.

As he spoke, he tried to reassure her that it was okay, whoever they were hiding from had now gone, and it was safe to climb down with him. Looking at Hiraoka she nodded holding her child out to him. He took the child from her and crawled over to Okamato to pass it down to him.

Okamato gently took hold of the child, lowering it safely to the ground. He carefully pulled back the shroud, which was covering the child’s face. Shocked he noticed that the skin was not that of a human, he could feel that it was silky to the touch. Shock then turned to horror as Okamato looked back up to Hiraoka to warn him it ‘was not a woman, but the demon Joro-Gumo’. But at that very moment the child exploded into a thousand baby spiders - they covered Okamato within seconds each biting him and injecting him with their venom. He was dead before he could even attempt to brush them off.

Terrified, Hiraoka looked back to the young woman he had been comforting just as she started to contort and twist, he watched on in horror to what was happening before him. Her top half stayed that of a beautiful woman, but below, her torso quickly started to evolve into eight spiders’ legs. Scuttling over to Hiraoka, she pounced, ripping his head clean off his body, killing him instantly.

Outside the tavern, Saski having witnessed the horrific events unfolding within, turned to Fukuda and screamed: “RUN! It’s a Joro-Gumo!”

Both racing back to warn Kato and the others, Saski and Fukuda turned the corner just as the Joro-Gumo leapt from the building behind them and careered towards the group of travellers. Kato, seeing what was happening, gave the order to flee as fast as they could. Joro-Gumo raced down the street following Fukuda and Saski as they ran back towards the travellers. Kato shouted, urging them to ‘hurry’, as they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. He then noticed Suki from the corner of his eye, climbing up onto one of the buildings directly in the path of Joro-Gumo.

Suki ran towards the building and leapt up onto the jutting out porch roof quickly pulling herself up. She could see Joro-Gumo getting closer to Fukuda and Saski. Running the length of the lower roof she shimmied up the drainpipe to the higher roof and then sprinted towards the Joro-Gumo. Her long black hair had fallen loose from her bun and was now flowing freely in the wind as she sped towards the hideous monster. Grasping the bow from her back and pulling an arrow from the quiver strapped to her leg, she pulled the string taught with the arrow she notched on the string, aiming it at the Joro-Gumo. With the beast in her sights, she let the bow string go, firing the arrow towards it target. The Joro-Gumo saw the incoming arrow and swatted it to one side, like it was an annoying insect.

Suki’s quick thinking had given Saski and Fukuda enough time to evade the Joro-Gumo and make it safely back to Kato and Abe. All four then took shelter within one of the derelict buildings. As they closed the door behind them, Fukuda looked out one of the windows to see Suki retreating from the spider demon. She could see the Joro-Gumo was hot on her sister’s heels. Fukuda watched helpless as Suki bound from the high roof to the porch, then leapt from the porch roof to roll on the ground and back to her feet. All the time the Joro-Gumo was gaining ground. Suki raced along the abandoned streets, never once looking back to see how close the Joro-Gumo was behind her. Fukuda rushed to open the door to their hideout and urgently called out to Suki to get inside before the monster caught up with her. Spotting her Sister, Suki sprinted as fast as she could. She made it to the building, with the door closing just in time - a minute longer and she would have been spider bait.

Ni

Akio Nakashima and his sister Yamashita left the burned down settlement and headed off west, they had been travelling for a few days when they came across another encampment. Cautiously they entered through the heavy wooden door, only to find the scent of death greeting them. Yamashita removed a knife from her boot, as she and Akio moved into the centre of the encampment. Akio came to a halt noticing the smashed buildings and carts. Broken crockery was strewn across the streets. Close by, a body lay spilt in two. As he went over to examine what was left of the male carcass, he could already tell it was a few weeks old and that animals had scavenged what was left of his remains. He looked around for the bottom half of the body, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“What could have done this?” Yamashita asked as she knelt beside Akio.

He was not sure, but he had his suspicions that maybe it was The Mononobe Clan. The Clan were led by Mononobe no Moriya. He was a known tyrant, that wanted to take hold of the Ekagawa River, thus enabling him to build his shrine for his followers. The only thing in his way were the Soga no Umako Clan, they did not want any of his temples on their land. A great war had broken out, with both clans fighting over this one temple for years.

“I don’t know, but whatever happened here, it doesn’t look good.” Replied Akio.

Yamashita moved on ahead, checking her surroundings as she went. She found the same mess and destruction had also swept through the buildings. Akio stood up and hurriedly caught up with Yamashita, who had now moved into the tavern. Stopping in horror as she came across two more bodies, Yamashita bent down to examine them, finding that one had been spilt in half, the other drained of blood. As she did this, Akio closed his eyes and let his body absorb his surroundings. Eventually, when his eyes opened - they had turned completely black. This was the trance he put himself in to see things more clearly. This he called ‘demon vision’, as it enabled him to see if any demons or monstrous creatures were nearby.

When Yamashita had finished examining the bodies on the floor, she noticed Akio using his demon vision. Akio looked all around him, moving behind the bar and under the overturned tables, but to no avail. Then noticing that there was a stool beside the legs, he moved over to where it had been placed. Seeing things in a sepia like contrast, with orange and black instead of colour, he could faintly make out a web like substance surrounding it.

He would never have spotted it in normal vision. Yamashita noticed some blood splatter above them, which she pointed out to Akio. Looking up above where the stool had been placed, Akio noticed that blood was seeping through the opening directly above the stool. It appeared to be covered in webbing too. He told Yamashita he was going to see what was up there. Akio placed one foot on the stool, then the other causing it to rock gently under his weight. Peering through the opening, he quickly spotted the upper half of a torso. He nearly fell back with fright, but after composing himself, he shouted down to Yamashita that he had found the missing half of the body.

“It appears that no mortal man had slain these bodies. What it is, I cannot tell. It must be a creature neither of us have seen before.” He informed Yamashita after jumping down from the stool. He then walked around mumbling to himself.

“Akio stop pacing! If you have something to say, just say it! What are you thinking? What did this to them? You have some idea, don’t you?”. Yamashita asked nervously.

“Well, I have one idea, but it can’t be right… I mean it can’t be possible. We were told stories of a giant spider when we were children, but it doesn’t make sense. They were just stories told to scare the children.” He explained.

Yamashita drew a circle on the floor below the hatch. Then within the circle she drew some ancient Japanese rune symbols. Enabling them to envision the creature inhabiting the building, the circle began to glow green. Within its centre an image began to appear. Akio and Yamashita looked at each other, and together they spoke the words ‘Joro-Gumo’.

“What is a Joro-Gumo doing here? I thought it was just a legend. We have never encountered this type of beast before. Do you know how to kill it?” Yamashita asked looking at her brother. “Well do you?”

Akio sat for a moment; his vision had returned to normal as he tried to recall the legends his parents had told them. He stood up and walked outside, looking up and down the street as if he were searching for something. Yamashita followed him and then sat down on a bench situated just outside the tavern. Using her boot knife, she began to clean the dirt from under her fingernails. Irritated, Akio walked over to grab the knife from her hands.

“Hey, give it back!” Yamashita said angrily

“You know I hate you doing that, I find it so distracting. One of these days you will lose a finger.” He replied whilst slipping the knife into his boot for safety, then continuing to pace the streets once more.

Yamashita asked what it was he was looking for, as the pacing was driving her crazy. He told her there must be a nest nearby. As legend states the Joro-Gumo makes a nest near its claimed victims. Yamashita got up from the bench, and walked away, leaving her brother to continue pacing. Further down the street, she suddenly heard shuffling coming from inside one of the buildings. She stopped to listen closely. With her eyes closed, her ears drowned out the ambient sound of the wind, which was whistling down the empty streets. She focused hard; she could hear it more clearly now. She began moving closer towards the noise, with her eyes still shut. All her senses had brought her in front of a building, set back at the end of the street. Facing it, she opened her eyes. Akio, still pacing, was unaware of what she was doing. Walking towards the buildings entrance and gingerly stepping closer, she pressed an ear to the wooden door and listened carefully. She could hear hushed voices reverberating around inside, though she couldn’t make out what was being said as it was too faint. It was at this point Akio became aware Yamashita had walked towards the end of the street. He stopped pacing and continued to observe his sister.

Yamashita placed her hand on the door handle, slowly beginning to pull, but it didn’t give up easily. Pulling harder than expected, it made the wooden frame shake and squeak but eventually it did give, allowing her to head inside the building. But whatever noise that had originally got her attention, it had now gone quiet. Akio walked down the street towards his sister. He stayed behind her, not wanting to interrupt what she was doing. He took his katana out from his side where it was placed and waited in anticipation for Yamashita's next move. Remaining quietly at the door, he watched as she ventured inside the building.

Yamashita moved with grace, as she glided through the building on high alert suspecting a surprise attack. Stopping in the middle of the room to look around, she could see wooden crates lying strewn across the floor. Above her there appeared to be a second floor, with a wooden rail going all around. Calling out to whoever was hiding from her, she informed them:

“We are just passing through; we mean no harm. We found two dead bodies”. She waited for a response.

Then, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a crate fall to the floor. She walked over to where it had fallen and bent down.

As she did, she spotted a face looking back at her. Now cowering with hands covering his face, he shouted for her to get away. Yamashita gently reached into the crawl space, placing her hand on the persons arm and reassuringly told them everything was okay. From further behind in the darkness, came a female voice.

“It’s okay, It’s not the monster. We are safe” The female sounded relieved as she squeezed out from behind the crates, scrambling to her feet.

Explaining that they had been hiding in the building from a horrible beast, not knowing if it would return. The two bodies Yamashita had found, were their companions named Okamato and Hiraoka. Whilst telling of their ordeal, three other people then emerged from behind the crates. Yamashita recognised one of them as the cowering man who was previously terrified of her. As introductions were being made, Akio walked into the building, sheathing his sword as he entered. He then did a scan of the building with his demon vision.

“All is well in here”. He informed Yamashita. “There’s no sign of the Joro-Gumo”.

The terrified man looked at Akio, bewildered.

“How do you know about the Joro-Gumo?” He asked. “No-one had told them of the beast”.

Akio looked at Yamashita, and decided they’d best explain everything.

Akio grabbed one of the empties crates and turned it on its end to sit down. He looked around at the nervous group, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

“My sister and I, well, we are not your average human. We may look like ordinary people; however, we were born into a group of Samurais called the Ōuchi”. He explained. “These Samurais have been around since man settled in Japan. We normally keep to the shadows. That is until one day we were forced out into the open by a powerful necromancer”. Akio paused, seeing that the group were looking confused. “Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself”. He then started his story from the beginning.

“The Ōuchi were formed by a group of druids from Europe, settling in Japan over three hundred years ago. They came here, not to fight demons or monsters but believing it to be a haven from all dark entities. They didn’t know that evil was all around the world, and not only in Europe. Years went by without any encounters of evil or paranormal. All that was to change one hundred years ago, when one Ōuchi stumbled on the evillest of all evil. He was called Akasi Masaru. Charting maps one day, he came upon a cave.

Akasi was a man of average height and he carried with him the sword of Sigma - which was a great sword.”

Akio interrupted his story to stand up, removing a sword from his waist. This time it was not the katana but another blade. He sat back down and lay the blade across his lap.

“This is the sword of Sigma”. He informed them, revealing the blade from its protective covering. Along the blade were druid rune markings. Its hilt was made of steel and detailed to make it look like it was made of feathers. The handle was made of wood and carved to look as if the wood had been twisted. Between the hilt and handle was a piece of gold decorative metal, this was repeated at the pommel end. The Pommel was forged to look like an eagles taloned foot was perched on the pommel.

“This blade can slay any demon or monster and send it back to wherever it once came.” Akio explained.

“So, you’re saying you are monster hunters, and you have the ability to send these creatures back to hell?”. Fukuda spoke up. “What about this necromancer, what happened to him?” She asked.

“Yes we are Akuma Hunters.” Akio said as he placed the blade back into its protective covering.

“She. The necromancer was a She. I was getting to that”. Replied Akio. “As I was saying….” He continued.

“Akasi ventured into the cave. The deeper he went the darker and colder it became. Reaching the heart of the cave, it then expanded into a vast huge cavern. Looking around he could see torch lights lining the walls. As he walked in further, he came across what appeared to be a stone bridge. He looked down and listened carefully as he began to hear water rushing far below. He crossed the bridge, venturing further into the cavern until he eventually came across a huge stone staircase. Winding around a huge stone spire, it was huge – as he looked up, he thought it must pierce the top of the cavern. Slowly and cautiously, he began to climb the stone steps. It took him awhile; the spire did indeed pierce the cavern ceiling and when he’d finally reached the top, he stepped outside above the clouds.

The wind whipped wildly around him blowing hair across his face. Pulling his kimono tightly trying to keep the chill of the wind from lashing his bare chest, he looked around him from where he stood and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then, suddenly out of nowhere a beast of enormous size began to fly towards where he was standing. Growing closer, he realised it was a Dragon with huge leathery wings, booming like thunder as it flew nearer. Akasi fearfully began to hide down the steps from which he came. As he crouched there motionless, the Dragon came into land on top of the rocky out crop, its scales resembled plates of ice. Akasi watched on in awe noticing there was a rider on top of the Dragon.

He could not believe what he was seeing, believing Dragons to be a myth, he had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not imagining things, maybe the altitude was affecting him. With the figure moving away, the Dragon took flight, its wings flapping as loud as deafening thunder once again. Noticing the figure walking towards him, Akasi realised he was blocking the descent from the high peak. Knowing he would not reach the bottom of the spire before the figure caught up with him, he decided to greet it hoping the figure would not be hostile.

As Akasi moved out from the shelter of the steps he once again tightened his kimono and proceeded with caution. Getting closer, the figure stopped and warned Akasi to not to come any closer. Akasi obeyed and did not venture any further. The figure wanted to know how he had discovered this place. Akasi explained that whilst charting territory for his new map, he happened to stumble across a cave he had never noticed before. The humanoid told him that he should leave as he had no business being there. Akasi assured them that he would not draw this place on the maps if it displeased them.

As the being came closer Akasi realised it was a female; with long flowing purple hair, her skin was ice blue matching the scales of the Dragon. Her eyes were the deepest purple he had ever seen. Akasi couldn’t help but stare in bewilderment. Her long flowing gown, which was split to the top of her thigh, bellowed in the wind. She walked towards him holding a staff in one hand and it looked to be made from either black oak or cedar. A carving of two razor sharp talons sat on top, which held an orb of ice crystal.

Akasi asked her name, which puzzled her – after all she was the most feared necromancer in the land. She laughed and asked if he had ever heard of the mother of demons? Akasi simply replied he had not. As she came closer, he noticed she now seemed to glide rather than walk as she had before. She held out one of her hands for Akasi to take and as he did so, to his amazement her ice looking hand was warmer than his. Hand in hand, they headed down the staircase. He had never seen such beauty as hers before and whilst they descended the spire, she never once turned to look at him.

Reaching the bottom step, she turned to him and asked if he liked what he saw? Embarrassed he replied yes. Smirking she let go of his hand and then told him that she would be willing to make a deal with him. She explained that if he agreed to never speak of this place and promise it would never appear on his map, she would be willing to let him come and go as he pleased. Curious, Akasi asked that If she really were some sort of monster, then why? She assured him that she was indeed the evillest creature he would ever meet. Blinded by her beauty, Akasi agreed to the deal. True to her word, she allowed him to visit and he kept his word by never telling a soul, keeping the location secret. Years went by and she would greet him whilst showing him things he could never have imagined.

Then one day she asked him if he would like to make another deal? Akasi agreed without hesitation. Warning him that he didn’t even know all the details yet, Akasi told her he would agree to anything if it meant he could spend more time with her. Telling him that she would like him to stay with her forever, but only if she could have a piece of his world too. Akasi agreed telling her that as he visited every day, this was his world. The necromancer informed him that he had misunderstood her request… she wanted a piece of land outside of the cave, a place she could call hers and to do whatever she wanted too. Confused and knowing that when she left the cave she flew on a Dragon, Akasi wanted to know where she went when leaving. She informed him that she goes back to the underworld but having grown bored, she needed somewhere new, somewhere she could explore. Hearing this Akasi took her hand and led her out to the mouth of the cave. Gazing out together Akasi told the necromancer that whenever she left this cave, she would be with him forever and the land outside would be hers to roam freely. With that, he kissed her lovingly on her lips, and in return she embraced him tightly in her arms. As they kissed, she began sucking out his soul from deep within him. True to her word, to keep him with her forever. Akasi struggled, trying to pull away from her, realising what a terrible mistake he had just made. The more he struggled though, the tighter she held onto him. The necromancer watched on as his lifeless body fell to the floor, whispering that she had kept her word, forever you will live inside me. With that she stepped out into the new world.”

The group sat in silent disbelief, taking in what Akio had just told them.

Clapping her hands together, Yamashita broke the silence, “I could not have told it any better brother.”

Fukuda looked at Yamashita then back at Akio.

“You both believe that story.” She asked them, confused.

“Here's your proof” Akio tilted the Sigma sword towards her. “Oh and there's the Joro-Gumo.”

Kato stood up and looked around at his companions

“I believe what this Akuma warrior has told us” He said. “Like you Fukuda if I hadn’t seen this beast with my own eyes, I would probably doubt this. However, look at the evidence. He has the sword; he also knew about the Joro-Gumo before we even told them of this foul beast. So yes, I believe every word the samurai has spoken.”

Yamashita could tell that Fukuda was not one for fairy tales, so she walked up and whispered in her ear. Fukuda eyes widened and she suddenly began to shake uncontrollably. Kato watching Fukuda tremble with fear, leapt to her aid and held her in his arms. Her eyes had clouded over. He looked up at Yamashita.

“What have you done to her? Bring her out from this trance, you witch!” he demanded

Suki pulled her bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow, aiming it at Yamashita.

“Stop you witch, harm my sister and I will drop you where you stand.” she screamed.

Yamashita looked at Suki, she could see she was not playing as the bow string was held taught in her hands. Leaning over Fukuda’s trembling body, once again she whispered in her ear causing Fukuda to come out of the trance. Her eyes unclouded, she looked straight up at Kato.

“Kato it was so horrible, I saw her - the necromancer, she swallowed my soul.” Fukuda stood up and then held onto Kato to steady herself.

“What did you do to me?” Fukuda’s words spat like venom. She looked at Yamashita with such anger.

“I showed you the truth. Of what happened all those centuries ago. I put you in Akasi shoes or should I say the memory of Akasi.” Explained Yamashita.

Fukuda let go of Kato and quickly lunged furiously towards Yamashita. Catching her before she could land a single blow, Yamashita restrained Fukuda by spinning her around and pulling her swinging arm up behind her back.

“Now play nice, or do you want me to whisper into your ear again?” Yamashita teased Fukuda in a girlish voice, whilst also keeping an eye on her sister Suki.

At this point Abe was tiring of the ladies squabbling like children.

“That's enough! Fukuda leave Yamashita alone. Yamashita let go of Fukuda. You’re both acting like spoiled brats”. Abe told Suki to lower her bow “There will be no human blood spilt here.”

“They aren’t human.” Suki protested in anger.

“Human or Akuma, whatever they call themselves, too much blood has already been spilled. Now, what did you whisper in her ear to make her go like that? If we’re going to work together to kill this spider lady, I’d rather know what kind of magic you both possess?” Abe said calmly.

Freed, Fukuda grabbed her sore wrist and rubbed it with her other hand whilst sitting down next to Kato. Suki lowered her bow and placed the arrow back in its quiver.

After the air had cleared Yamashita started to explain the powers she possessed. Telling them she had the ability to send people anywhere with a single word, providing she can envision where to send them. That was how she was able to send Fukuda back in time. She also had the ability to cast rune and elemental magic. Akio then told them of his capabilities. Explaining his demonic vision and his ability to wield the Sigma sword. Although Fukuda did not trust Yamashita, she was willing to accept they were both telling the truth.

In the corner of the room, a candle dimly flickered. There stood a young man, dressed in a black Kimono with his hair tied up in a long ponytail. Stepping out from the shadows, the handles from the Katana’s strapped across his back shimmered in the candlelight. He introduced himself as Saski.

Stretching out his black leather-bound hand to Akio, he asked “How do we kill this Joro-Gumo?”.

San

Akio and Saski re-joined the group who were now scattered about the derelict building.

“So, you’re telling me neither of you has ever encountered a creature like this? I find that hard to believe. How can a pair of monster hunters never have faced a Joro-Gumo before?” Abe asked in his booming voice.

“It’s not like they come around every day. These creatures only existed in stories told to us by our parents or elders.” Akio fired back in his defence.

“Let’s get to the point.” Kato said abruptly. He was perched on a crate with Fukuda’s head resting on his lap. “Do your stories tell you how to kill this demon? Was that a part of these legends?”

With her back against a wooden pillar, Suki stood silently listening to the conversation between Akio, Abe, Kato and Saski. She then pushed herself off to stand closer to the four men as they bickered back and forth with each other.

“Damn you boys always comparing cock sizes! Do you see women comparing tit sizes? Come on!” She interrupted angrily. “You want to kill this thing, just track it down. We have a tracker, two magic wielders and the rest of us are good with are hands. How much simpler can it be?”

“I heard you were very good with your hands Suki” Smirked Kato, amused at his own joke. “I mean, it’s not as if we need a good solid plan to make sure we don’t lose anyone else is it?” Kato remarked sarcastically.

“You need a good solid cock up your arse more like.” Fukuda shot back, still not moving her head from Kato’s lap. Suki put her hand to her mouth to hide the smirk rising across her lips.

Kato looked around at the other men and he could see that they too were trying hard to hide their sniggering.

“See, we’re all getting along fine now. Like a true family.” Kato said trying to brush the remark away.

“Are we all finished with the childishness now?” Yamashita said aloud. “As much as I enjoy your talk of cock and tit swinging, we must address the matter at hand. We cannot stay holed up in here forever. The Joro-Gumo will come back to find us and I for one, do not want to be a spiders last meal.”

“Yamashita is right, we must concentrate on how to kill this monster. I recall our parents telling us how one of our kind killed an arachnoid. They fired a flaming arrow straight through the heart of the beast, killing it instantly. But whatever this is, it’s not a full arachnoid so I’m unsure this would work.” Akio told the group. Saski said the idea sounded good enough to him, as they had no alternative plan.

With a decision made, Akio told the group his plan of attack. The group would act as bait for the Joro-Gumo, whilst he and Yamashita would lure her out of wherever she was hiding. Then Suki, being the expert archer would fire the lethal shot. All in agreement Akio, Yamashita, Abe, Saski, Kato and Fukuda wandered out into the night air. Suki climbed up the building to take her position on the rooftop, and then prepared herself to take aim at her target.

Walking along the dark empty streets, Akio pulled Saski near him.

“Remember, do not let her try and pen anyone in” He urged. “Keep everyone together and head for Suki, then once it is within Suki’s range, we all jump to safety.”

Saski nodded in agreement and bid Akio farewell for now. With that Akio caught up with Yamashita.

“Did you tell him the true plan?” Yamashita asked lowering her voice.

“Just the important parts of it.” Akio whispered back.

Akio and Yamashita walked through the barren streets, trying carefully not to disturb their surroundings, they turned into a side street. As Akio took out the Sigma sword, he closed his eyes whilst muttering some ancient Akuma dialect causing the blade to burst into flames. Opening his eyes, he could now see in demonic vision. Yamashita pulled up her cloak hood as she too whispered some ancient Akuma and with that she became invisible. Akio, still able to see his sister with demonic vision, beckoned her to proceeded cautiously down the side street.

They moved silently through each building and outbuilding they came across, making sure no stone was left unturned. Eventually they reached the last building on the street. It was an old derelict factory of some kind; the windows were broken, and pieces of wood splintered the wall panelling. Akio stood beside the front entrance leading into the building. Looking at his sister he reminded her that whatever happens in there, do not lose sight of each other.

Yamashita new the drill. Just like the countless times before, she knew to always stay in contact. If they lost contact for whatever reason, they were to assume the worst has happened.

Akio slowly prised the door to the abandoned factory open, peering inside and entering cautiously. His demonic vision allowed him to see clearly throughout the entrance. There was paper strewn all over the floor and bits of shattered cabinets flung here and there. He looked hard to see if there were any signs of the web like substance from which he saw earlier in the tavern. Not spotting any, he knew he still had to be careful. As not to alert anyone they were there, they spoke to each other in whispered tongues telepathically. Feeling it was safe to proceed, he signalled his sister to enter. Yamashita moved in through the entrance and crouched down beside her brother. She placed one hand on the ground and started to chant mystical words causing the area below her hand to glow a brilliant bright green. The green glow formed a perfect circle and within its centre a rune symbol appeared; it was the rune of tracking. Allowing Yamashita to see any disturbance in her surroundings for up to fifty feet, she quickly stood back up not sensing anything around her.

As Akio and Yamashita moved further into the factory, they rounded a corner leading into a long corridor. At the end they could see a wooden ladder that led up to the second floor. Akio shone his fiery Sigma sword ahead of him to light the way. Not seeing any webs or signs of the Joro-Gumo, it was safe to move forward. Akio held the ladder as Yamashita carefully climbed up to the second floor, he then followed closely behind. Looking back down, Akio checked to see if there was any movement behind them, but once again everything seemed quiet. Along the gantry they kept close to the wall as they sneaked along cautiously. Every so often Yamashita would use her tracking rune to check for sign of life.

After thoroughly searching every room on the second floor and not finding anything, Akio was about to give up on the factory, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a glimmer of movement sliding down the back wall. He turned in the direction of the movement, and Yamashita telepathically asked him whether she should do a rune reading to determine the source? Thinking it would be a good idea before advancing, Akio agreed. Yamashita placed the palm of her hand against the wall beside her, and once again a green flame formed a circle containing the tracking rune inside. The green light swept along the walls and ceiling up to fifty feet in diameter but this time it pinpointed the source of the movement. It revealed a perfect outline of a woman towards the furthest wall. Akio indicated he had seen her, and cautiously they moved in closer.

As they got nearer, they could see there was an opening within the wall. Akio closed his eyes, causing the flames on the sword to extinguish. Moving in through the crawl space, he and Yamashita found the opening expanded outwards and upwards. Although enabling both to stand easily, it was a very tight space. There would be hardly any room for Akio to swing his sword.

Yon

The Joro-Gumo hid in the crawl space for both Akio and Yamashita to enter, climbing above the opening using her spider like grip to scale the wall. She watched Akio approach first as he extinguished the flames on the sword, realising this would give her full advantage over the pair of them. Turning her attention to Yamashita and seeing no weapons, she decided she didn’t consider her a threat. Watching as the pair walked further into her web, she silently dropped down behind them. Yamashita stopped and turned, sensing that someone or something was lurking in the darkness. She tapped Akio on the shoulder to alert him. Akio turned and using his demonic vision he scanned the space behind them. Telepathically, Yamashita asked if he could see anything? Akio told her only a young woman holding a child in her arms was standing behind them, which was strange as he could have sworn there was no-one there when they had entered. He then told Yamashita to go back and see if she could see it too, unsure it could be his imagination. Following orders, she retraced their tracks and was shocked when she came across a woman cowering against the wall, cradling a baby. Yamashita removed her hood to reappear in front of the woman. Squatting down, she leaned closer:

“What are you doing here?” She asked. “Why are you so scared? Did you see the Joro-Gumo?”

“Please take my child out of here and place her somewhere safe.” The Joro-Gumo wept, whilst offering Yamashita her child.

Yamashita agreed to help and took hold of the infant. Already knowing this wasn’t a child, only an egg sack of spiders disguised as a baby, she was careful to hide that she had recognised the beast’s identity. Carefully placing her dagger up her cloak sleeve, she began to crawl back to the entrance. Once through the hole in the wall, she telepathically informed Akio that the woman was the Joro-Gumo, and he should retreat. Yamashita lay the egg sack on the gantry just outside of the hole in the wall, she slipped the knife from her cloak sleeve preparing to pierce it. Stopping abruptly, she recalled that the egg sack would only explode if it were held by a man. This gave Yamashita an idea, so she replaced her hood back over her head to instantly vanish and she picked up the sack. Holding it close to her chest as you would an infant, she began to race towards the entrance to the factory.

Akio turned around and headed back towards the entrance, carefully retracing his steps, knowing that sooner or later he was going to bump into the Joro-Gumo and eventually he did; she was still in the form of a woman. No longer weeping she grabbed on to Akio with lightning-fast reactions. He tried to move out of her way, but she was far too quick for him.

Looking at the Joro-Gumo, her mouth began to open wide revealing a row of pointy fangs with saliva oozing down. She pulled his arm closer to take a bite. Akio reacted immediately and with his free hand he managed to place his sword between them. Chanting the Akuma dialect, the sword erupted into flames allowing him enough time to pull his arm free and enabling him to crawl out from the lair. Lying on his back with the flaming sword grasped in both hands, he watched waiting for the Joro-Gumo to follow behind him. When she didn’t emerge through the hole, he was unsure whether to feel relieved or blind panic. As he stood up, he looked down and could just make out Yamashita below the gantry, running towards the factory entrance and out of the door.

Outside in the streets under torrential rain, Kato waited with Abe, Saski and Fukuda, all sheltering beneath a broken porch. The water skimmed down the roof and fell like a mini waterfall onto the street below. Kato impatiently thumbed with his katana, releasing it slightly from its scabbard then pushing it back in again.

“How long does it take to get one demon out in the open?” He asked agitated. He quietly hoped that Akio and Yamashita might put an end to the demon themselves. After all, it was what they were used to.

“Kato, it takes as long as it takes. Now stop messing with that God-damn sword! It is driving me insane.” Saski replied.

Saski was also itching to put an end to this matter. Anything to get out of this shit hole! He’d had enough with all this monster slaying. Being a man of simple needs, he was so looking forward to eating a slab of juicy steak with a nice tavern wench in his arms. Fukuda looked at Saski as if she were reading his mind. He lowered his head as not to make eye contact with her. Fukuda moved over beside Abe.

“What do you think of Saski?” She asked him.

“Men like him are all the same.” Said Abe. “They just want to make a quick yen and get an easy lay. Why? Are you interested?” He asked.

“Yeah, something like that”. She replied quietly whilst looking at Saski.

“You need to be careful what you wish for.” Abe told Fukuda. “Anyway, what’s the deal with you and Kato?” He asked. “ You never leave each other’s side.”

“Do you see me at his side now?” She replied, looking him in the eye.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that! I meant you always seem to fight with each other” Explained Abe. “Do you owe him or something?”

“Take a look who he stands with.” Fukuda gestured over to Kato.

He looked over and saw Saski next to him. “Yeah, I see. So?” Abe was confused.

“Saski is the one I need to get close to, not Kato. I have to make Saski believe I want to be close to Kato.” Fukuda tried to explain.

“I don’t get it. Do you want to sleep with Saski or Kato?” Abe asked, still not understanding.

“Neither you sex fiend!” Fukuda was now annoyed. “I want to kill Saski. Although maybe I won’t have to if this Joro-Gumo does it for me. Then again, where would be the fun in that?”

“Has he done something to you? Or maybe your sister?” Abe said scratching his head still confused.

Glaring ahead, “That is my secret to know.” She replied quietly.

“Well Okay, but just let me know if you need a hand.” Abe squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and then slowly got up to walk away.

Go

Yamashita came running out of the side streets still holding the spiders egg sack tightly against her chest. As she ran, she continuously checked if any baby spiders had broken free from their silky cocoon and was fully content that luckily none had hatched. Looking ahead, she spotted Kato and his band of misfits huddling under one of the buildings porches towards the end of the street. Scanning the empty rooftops there was no sign of Suki, meaning she must be well hidden. When she finally reached the building where Kato and his fighters were waiting, she placed the cloth bundle down on one of the benches under the porch. Warning all the men not to open it as it contained the Joro-Gumo egg sack inside disguised as a baby. Stressing that If any of the men were to do so, it would cause the egg to hatch, releasing thousands of deadly spiders. Fully understanding, all the men all agreed not to touch it. She then turned her attention towards Fukuda.

“Hey? Where is your sister?” Yamashita asked.

Fukuda, not really taking much notice as she was still focused on Saski, raised her arm and pointed to the roof across the street.

“Whatever happens.” Warned Yamashita. “Do not attack the Joro-Gumo until I have climbed back down from seeing your sister. Do you understand?”

Fukuda nodded in reply.

Yamashita ran across the street and made her way up to the top of the building. Scaling up the drainpipe leading to the guttering on the roof, she pulled herself up and frantically began looking around, calling Suki’s name. Suki appeared from behind one of the air vents and beckoned her over. Yamashita went over and crouched down beside her wanting to double check she knew what was required of her. Suki relayed the plan, stating that once she had the Joro-Gumo in her sight she was to fire a volley of arrows upon her. Reassured Yamashita cracked a slight smile and wished her luck. As she was about to turn and leave, Suki told her to wait.

“My sister; she really doesn’t mean to be so hot headed. It’s her way of protecting me, and although she is younger than me you would think she were the eldest. She has been through quite an ordeal.” Suki tried to explain. “You see Saski, the man dressed in black; he tried to rape me. Fukuda came in and managed to pull him off me, but he just turned his attention on her. He raped her instead….. and I did nothing to stop it.” She tearfully told her.

Yamashita was shocked after hearing the trauma the sisters had been through, putting her arms around her to comfort her.

“If you get a chance, please finish him for me”. Suki pleaded whilst leaning her head on Yamashita’s shoulder.

“I can help you, just leave it with me.” She reassured Suki, then taking her by the shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. “I think there’s a way that I may not have to kill him.”

“You would really do that for Fukuda?” Suki asked, wiping away tears.

Yamashita nodded and held her one last time. She then turned and headed back down the roof to where Fukuda and Saski were waiting for the Joro-Gumo.

Akio was close enough to see his sister climbing up one of the buildings as he sprinted towards the porch where Kato, Abe, Saski and Fukuda where standing.

“Why aren’t you ready? The Joro-Gumo is coming!” Akio asked urgently.

“We were told to wait. Yamashita had to speak with my sister before we commenced into any fight with the beast.” Fukuda turned to Akio to explain.

Not understanding Yamashita’s logic, he knew she must have had a good reason to delay.

“Did you see where she put the cloth she was carrying?” He asked.

“Over there. She told the men not to open it, as it was full of egg sacks.” Fukuda replied pointing towards the bench.

“Best keep it that way. I will torch it in front of the Joro-Gumo when she appears.” Akio informed them.

Fukuda was about to ask when that would be, when suddenly out of nowhere the Joro-Gumo came racing up the street looking for Akio, smashing through the rubble which littered the street with ease.

Yamashita froze as she saw the Joro-Gumo, with her spindly legs scurrying as fast as they could carry her down the street. Silently she slipped back into the shadows of the building praying the Joro-Gumo hadn’t see her. Luck was on her side; the beast scurried past her.

Akio and Fukuda looked on as the half woman, half spider ran about wildly searching for them. At this moment Abe had crawled back over to them.

“Is it wise to just be waiting here, doing nothing? Abe asked.

“We need to wait a moment longer for Yamashita to join us” He replied pointing in the direction of his sister. Abe could now see a figure moving along the buildings heading in their direction but keeping to the shadows.

Up on the roof, after spotting the terrifying beast Suki pulled from her quiver five arrows and notched them on her bow she aimed one towards the Joro-Gumo. She pulled back the bow string as hard as she could and was about to let the arrows fly when she noticed something on the roof top of the adjacent building. She could make out a bucket of burning tar perched on the edge of it, she assumed somebody must have been using it to fix the roof. Checking below the tar she could see it was perched on a makeshift scaffolding. Placing four of the arrows back in her quiver, she kept one notched on to the bow and wondered if she would be able to fire an arrow and dislodge the scaffolding just enough for it to fall upon the beast. She looked back and began calculating how much ground the beast would have to cover before it reached the burning tar. Estimating only a few minutes and with her arrow notched, she pulled the bow string once again until it was as taught as possible. She aimed the arrow at the target and waited patiently for the beast to appear below.

The Joro-Gumo ran underneath the tar looking around, searching for Akio. She let out a spine-chilling scream in frustration as she knew the man with the flaming sword was around here somewhere. When she found him, she would waste no time tearing him limb from limb.

Suki fired her arrow, reaching its target accurately. After hitting one of the support posts and dislodging the beam, the bucket of tar fell from its perch. Feeling debris fall on her, the Joro-Gumo looked up to see where it was coming from but before she could react, the burning tar rained down upon her naked torso. Howling in pain and rage, she realised she had been fooled by the man with the burning sword. The beast tried in vain to wipe away the burning tar, but as it clung to her skin, all she managed to do was peel away her human flesh, leaving her screaming in even more agony.

Yamashita shouted orders for the others to attack. Emerging from their hiding place, they charged forward with weapons drawn, hacking and slashing at the Joro-Gumo in front of them. First Kato was knocked back by one of the spider’s legs as he jumped in for his attack, sending him hurtling through the air until he landed in a heap at the base of the building.

Saski tried to lunge for the abdomen of the spider but it quickly shot out webbing, pinning him to the floor. Fukuda, seeing what was happening to Saski ran to his aid. She withdrew her knife from her side and slashed at the webs entangling him until he was eventually free. Saski thanked Fukuda as she continued, racing towards the Joro-Gumo. She bounded up the lower roofs of the buildings adjacent to the beast, running along them before leaping onto her abdomen. Pulling her sword from her waist and swinging it high above her head she drove it deep within the creature’s flesh. The Joro-Gumo twisted her body round to face Fukuda, reaching out towards her.

From the roof Suki quickly made her way down the building. Grabbing an arrow from her quiver, she dipped the tip into some burning tar lying on the ground. She drew her bow back and as soon as she saw a gap, she aimed the arrow at the beast’s chest and let it fly. The arrow hit its mark, piercing the flesh between the ribcage but failing to puncture the heart.

Akio ran towards the beast and then slid across the ground. As he did so, he closed his eyes and whispered ancient Akuma whilst holding his Sigma sword just above his chest, when the chant had finished the sword burst into flames. Opening his eyes, he was now beneath the Joro-Gumo abdomen, he thrust the sword upwards deep into the underbelly of the beast. The abdomen ignited into flames.

Fukuda, still on top of the abdomen had no idea that Akio had slid beneath the beast. She could see the creature reaching out towards her but before it got hold of her, she managed to somersault to safety - watching as the abdomen burst into a fireball. The Joro-Gumo howled in rage and pain. Bending down she saw Akio beneath her, she desperately tried swiping him with her long spindly arms but couldn’t reach him. The more she tried to swing at him the deeper he thrust his burning sword, which only added to her rage.

Unknown to the Joro-Gumo, Yamashita was now emerging from the shadows, pulling up the hood of her cloak she faded from view and slowly stalked towards the Joro-Gumo. She pulled her knife once again from her boot and as the Joro-Gumo tried to slash and claw at Akio beneath her, Yamashita grabbed the head of the beast, sliding the blade across her neck. This time there was no sound reverberating from the beast, the only sound was of blood gushing and pouring out from the deep wound.

Akio dragged the burning sword through the beast’s abdomen with ease, causing her to collapse heavily to the floor. He had managed to roll out from under her legs just in time, narrowly avoiding being crushed to death. He stood up and looked around for Yamashita but couldn’t find her.

Yamashita had seen Akio roll out to safety from beneath the Joro-Gumo as she lowered her knife and walked towards him but as she came closer, she realised the hood from her cloak was still covering her. Sliding it down to reveal herself once again she was reunited with her brother. Akio embraced his sister in relief.

Suki walked over to Kato, who was lying in a heap against a building. She checked for a pulse; he was still alive but had been knocked unconscious from the Joro-Gumo blow earlier. She sat beside him, raising her knees to her chest lowering her head to rest. Fukuda slid down the side of the building covered in blood, mostly from the Joro-Gumo and walked over to her sister to check she was okay. Suki told her all about the conversation she’d had up on the roof earlier with Yamashita. She reassured her not to worry about Saski, he would be dealt with. Fukuda placed an arm around her and told her everything would be fine, as providing they had each other nothing else mattered.

Saski found Abe’s body. He must’ve been dead for a while as he was as stiff as a board. He assumed he must have died of fright, as they hadn’t seen him engage in combat with the Joro-Gumo.

Roku

Yamashita and Akio’s focus now turned towards the spider’s egg sack and after walking back towards the bench it had been placed on earlier, they were relieved no hatching had occurred. Akio offered to set it ablaze with his sword. Declining, she told him that she had an alternative plan for it. Lifting the cloth bundle, she walked over to where Saski was attending Abe’s body.

“Hey Saski, how are you?” She asked. “Is that Abe? Is he dead?” Yamashita pretended to be shocked. She knew very well what a dead body looked like; she had probably seen more death than him after all. So as not to appear suspicious, she thought it wise to play a little dumb.

“Yes, it’s Abe and yes he is dead” Saski replied. “I think he died of fright, the poor bastard. I thought it fitting to lay him to rest, rather than just leave him sitting here, staring out into nothingness.”

“That's kind of you Saski. When you’ve finished, I’d like a word with you.” Yamashita informed him as she sat herself down on a half-destroyed wall waiting patiently.

It didn’t take him long to organise Abe’s body. Saski built a small stone burial mound and then laid him to rest. After saying a few words of respect, he took a swig of ale from his flask and then offered some to Yamashita and Akio. They both turned him down.

“Okay, I’m done now.” Saski said whilst wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “How can I be of help?”

“Well, you see, I have a problem with this.” She held out the cloth bundle containing the baby.

“Why? You told us no man can handle it, so I don’t understand the problem.” Saski replied.

Yamashita was about to say something when Akio stepped in.“Well, we can now.” Akio took the sack from Yamashita. “We can look in it. See nothing happens.” He tried to be reassuring.

“Well, seeing you’re already holding it, then why don’t you deal with it?” Saski was confused.

“Look, this isn’t my problem either. This is between you and my sister.” Akio turned and handed the cloth back to Yamashita.

“Hang on, something isn’t right here. Something seems off but I can’t put my finger on it yet.” Saski looked at Akio with suspicion. “Would it have anything to do with Fukuda by any chance?”

“Do you know what he is going on about?” Akio turned to his sister, completely confused.

Yamashita explained to her brother she just needed a few minutes with Saski alone and that it would be best if he left. Still not fully understanding what was going on, Akio obliged and walked away.

“Alright, he’s gone. It’s just you and me now, no more games.” Saski said tensely.

“Okay, you are right, no more games. I will get straight to the point.” Yamashita informed him calmly. “I had a good chat with Suki earlier, she told me what you did to her. She also told me what you did to Fukuda.”

“That little bitch! I should have known she’d squeal.” Saski could feel his anger growing as he turned his full attention towards Yamashita. “How much did she tell you?” He snapped.

“All of it. You attacked and tried to rape her.” Yamashita remained calm. “Then, when Fukuda jumped in to stop you and save her, you raped her instead.” She continued. Still sat on the wall, Yamashita was composed as she explained just what Suki had confided in her. She then informed him she was going to end their torment by doing what she thought was right.

“And just what might that be?” Saski asked.

“I’m not going to kill you, as much as that would be the easiest way to end this.” Yamashita continued. “No, I’m not like that. I only kill monsters and you are not the kind of monster I kill. Akio on the other hand - he kills anything. But there’s no need to worry. He doesn’t need to know.” She teased. “Oh, unless you want me to call him over and tell him?”

“There’s no need for that, you witch!” Saski replied angrily. “Suki was right calling you a witch. That’s exactly what you are.”

“I’ve been called a lot worse, but then names really don’t upset me.” She replied with a smirk. “What does upset me though, is someone like you, forcing themselves onto someone who can’t defend themselves. That I find truly upsetting.” Yamashita told him in disgust.

“No, I am not here to end your life, I will leave that for you! Here are your choices and you must pick one.” Yamashita was in complete control as she explained further. “The first option is simple; you must take this cloth and peer into it, letting it’s contents consume you. The second, I can take control of you mind and you will kill yourself. I assure you this will be the worse option, as you will suffer so much pain, you’ll be begging me to end things quickly.”

“How can that be worse?” Saski asked, terrified.

“First I will make you take your blade from your side and force you to slash yourself all over.” Yamashita seethed. “But not too deep you understand; I want you alive and suffering to the very end. I will force you to gauge your own eyes out with your blade and then I will have you slice off your own ears. Oh, but the worse is to come, the best bit….. I will force you to slowly chop of your balls. Now, if you’re so sure I’m a witch, then you already know I can do this. So, the choice is yours”

Saski sat there open mouthed. A little pee must have crept out as his pants as they now felt wet. He closed his mouth and swallowed hard, then he took a large gulp of his ale.

“Will what’s in the cloth really hurt less?” Saski asked glancing at the cloth then back to Yamashita.

“Yes, it contains venomous spiders.” She explained. “When they bite, the venom acts quickly, and you will die instantly.”

Feeling he had no choice, Saski reluctantly agreed to take the cloth.

“You must only open it when my back is turned.” Yamashita instructed him. He nodded in agreement. Getting down from the wall she threw the cloth over to Saski and then turned her back on him.

Shaking, Saski slowly opened the cloth and peered inside at the baby. Just as he did, the contents burst into a thousand venomous spiders. They quickly began to cover his entire body, biting and piercing his skin all over.

Yamashita slowly walked away, listening to his agonising screams as she did so. She’d lied to him. She knew the death would not be instant. With each needle like bite, they injected their venom, as though a thousand bees were stinging him constantly. He would die a slow and agonising death, she knew she had done the right thing.