Samurai Oni
MATSURI GION

A slash wound that penetrated into the back, a wound that was quite deep and wide. That deadly incision will kill Akio quickly.

Over time, fresh blood continues to pour out until it inundates the lower body part. The wooden sword had been broken and split into two and the previously worn oni mask was already lying in an upside down position nearby.

Highlight the dead eyes and the scar torn on the part of his face is almost invisible due to his long hair.

“Akio!” Keiko hysterically finds her son lying horribly.

Naruhaya's grandfather stopped Keiko's steps while saying, “Wait, Keiko! I'll take care of it. You go back inside.”

“Mr Akio!!” Just like his mother, Akashi and Kizu were hysterical when they saw their master hurt that badly.

Both of them approached Akio while trying to make Akio regain consciousness.

“Thankful ...he is not a human.” Only this sentence which they can clearly hear from the murmur of Akio.

“Mr Akio is alive. Come fast!”

Many questions, especially for the followers of Yamamoto and Akio's mother, Keiko. Regarding that strange incident, no one knew except Akio or Mikio.

In addition to these events, a festival will take place but with a sequence that is long enough to take a lot of time. It is said that this festival is held to ward off disease outbreaks and calm long-dead spirits.

However, that only holds true when they were previously unaware of the yokai. And then this festival is held as a tribute to those who have died including the residents who died due to the actions of the yokai.

“How about it?” ask grandpa.

“She is still unconscious.”

“By the way what's with the capital today? I heard they were quite noisy like never before,” asked Nekomata.

“They are doing Kippu envious in early summer now. It's part of Gion Matsuri. Well, when it reaches the top you will all know,” explained the grandfather.

The night quickly arrived, the sky was completely darkened. Stars are rarely seen as well as the usual fog appears. Just then, Akio finally opened both eyes, slowly becoming unconscious.

“Mr Akio! Mr Akio is conscious!!” exclaim Kizu told everyone.

“Mr Akio, is it okay?” akashi asked with a gleeful smile on his face, he felt happy and relieved that Akio was already conscious.

“Hei, Akio! What's wrong with you?”

Akio covered his face and turned his head in front of them all. He felt very glare and also without a mask, Akio so difficult to look at them.

“Samurai Oni used to wear an oni mask right? Then I put this here,” Nekomata said as he placed the oni mask near Akio.

Without a doubt, Akio wore it.

Then he asked using a shadow, "How long have I been asleep?"

“Since morning until night, it may even have counted 12 hours?”

“Included long. But Mr Akio is it okay?” ask Akashi and Kizu simultaneously.

Akio shook his head. He wrote, "I met Mikio. The results are as you expect, cake."

“Revealed so. It also got me thinking after seeing your terrible situation. Then, why did you lose?”

"I'm off guard."

Everything was quiet in a while. Including the tengu grandfather who seems to still doubt Akio's answer.

“You're off guard because he's Mikio? Don't forget what you saw, Akio!” peekik grandpa warned him.

"I'm careless because I can't see it. He was very similar to Mikio. And the technique, too."

“That's impossible!” deny the grandfather while brushing Akio's hand.

“You must be joking, Akio! He's been dead a long time but you think that Mikio is really in front of you, don't you think? Awake, Akio!” He yells at Akio, trying not to let Akio fall just for fighting his brother.

“Mr Akio must have tried, but maybe because he was too strong,” said Akashi.

“It's true. But Mr. Akio said he was off guard. I honestly don't believe.”

“Hm, sometimes defeat will surely come to approach,” Nekomata said.

Actually Akio was about to reveal that Mikio has a strange power. Not as a human anymore but as a yokai. While trying to remember it, he felt his stomach throbbing pain.

“What's Mr Akio?” Simultaneously Kizu and Akashi asked in panic.

“Is there something?” Grandfather went back to contemplating something strange happening, but he would not find an answer without asking directly to the person who had met Mikio.

"He used a shadow." And once remembered, Akio immediately revealed it.

"Mikio is no longer human. I just found out about it." Again he revealed it.

“Mikio ..The child really has been dead a long time yes, hah ..” Grandpa tengu let out a short sigh while massaging his forehead for a while.

He turned away from them for a moment to calm the tangled mind in his mind. Sometimes he snorted annoyed because he felt the fight against the yokai would be endless.

Nekomata spoke up, “Before I said something to Samurai Oni. About someone who controls us in this country, if you aim for the head directly then gaining the peace of this country is no longer a mere dream.”

“It's true. But that means we're also wiped out?” think Kizu.

“I don't mind if I have to die for Mr. Akio. Anything I would do would include replying to the attack from that Mikio!” pekik Akashi gets excited.

“Cannot!” yelled grandpa.

Akio also thought the same, he patted Akashi on the shoulder which signaled that either getting an attack or taking revenge was not a good way to act.

“That's Yokai with a black shadow isn't it? It may be difficult, but I will help as much as I can,” Kizu said.

***

Two weeks have passed since the incident that happened to Akio. The wound he got was quite severe until now was still painful. His recovery slowed down somehow because of what but Akio was too forced to do the things he needed to do.

“Wait, Akio!” Grandfather shouted, telling Akio to stop when Akio walked slightly staggering to the front door.

“Where are you going with such a big wound? Although the outside looks only incision, but you know that the attack also hurt your internal organs is not it?”

Akio clucked in annoyance, the babbling of the grandfather always made him hesitate to step up. However, Akio could not remain silent here.

“Festival has reached its peak, and until now Mikio has not reappeared. So rest properly,” said grandfather.

Akio sat crouching in front while writing something on the ground. The tengu-grandfather seemed reluctant to approach because he knew Akio was telling him something.

"Mikio is coming. He called her."

“Wait!” Once again the grandfather raised his voice, as he pulled Akio's body almost to the back.

“You will go without a sword?” it was satire.