Kokushibo: The reluctant demon

Chapter 3: Deception

"Hi brother," Michikatsu greeted Yoriichi one night. He had stolen into his room, even after explicitly been told by his father that he was not to engage with Yoriichi. He felt bad for what happened to his brother and wanted to check on him. He was greeted with the same eerie smile. 

"I just wanted to check in on you. Sorry about not coming to your defense."

Yoriichi simply shook his head. It's fine, he seemed to say. I never blamed you.

Michikatsu remembered something, then reached into his obi, producing a small wooden shape. "I carved this for you. As a present of our brotherhood. I really felt bad about this morning." Michikatsu placed the object into Yoriichi's outstretched hands. It was a small block flute, with barely five holes on the body. It could fit snuggly into Yoriichi's tiny palms.

"I carved it right after the incident. I'm sorry it's nothing much- I doubt it can play anything useful though."

Yoriichi looked at the flute for some time, as though memorizing every single scratch and carve of the instrument. He then closed his palms around the flute, and brought it to his cheek in a sign of affection. I love it, he seemed to say.

He then did something unexpected. He crawled over to Michikatsu and hugged him. It wasn't too tight, nor too half-hearted. It was a warm, brotherly embrace. Michikatsu initially flinched, not expecting this show of affection, until he slowly put his arms around his brother and gave into the hug. A minute later, Yoriichi pulled away from the hug, and safely tucked the flute into his obi, right where the flute won't ever get damaged. He then looked back at his brother with his signature smile, only now, Michikatsu saw it differently. It was a warm smile, radiating pure, undiluted love and happiness. 

Maybe this guy isn't so bad after all...

Michikatsu would often find Yoriichi's small head peak out from behind his prison-like room as he practiced with his teacher. Those large, red eyes would observe him intently- his every step, his every gesture, his every breath- as though he was gleaning something from this fight. 

"I see your brother intently staring at you from afar." Sensei finally decides to address Michikatsu about his brother. "Is he also interested in the art of sword fighting"

"No, sir. He's always been quite weak ever since he was born. We even thought he was deaf until late into his life. He hasn't really spoken since his birth either."

Michikatsu's sensei looks at Yoriichi intently. Immediately, Yoriichi's head zooms back into his door.

"See?"

"Hmm..." Sensei thinks for some time. "Call your brother out for me."

Michikatsu blinked his eyes. "What would you possibly want with him, sir?"

"I'd like to talk to him"

Yoriichi was about the same height as Michikatsu, despite being slightly younger. The twins looked the same, except Yoriichi wore his hair loose around his shoulders, and he wore a bright red kimono, instead of a black hakama like Michikatsu's. Most importantly, Yoriichi had a large scar on the left side of his forehead, like a birth mark. With his large, lost eyes and his slow gait, he almost seemed sickly. 

"Greetings Yoriichi!" Yoriichi replied with his calm smile. 

"I hear from your brother, that you've hardly talked since your birth. Is that true?"

Yoriichi's smile simply widened, without uttering a word.

"So it is true." His teacher patted Yoriichi's head twice, and told Yoriichi he could sit down somewhere or go back to his room. Yoriichi bowed down low to the elder as a sign of respect, and returned, only to sit on a nearby boulder and watch his brother practicing. Michikatsu felt a little nervous, having a pair of eyes glued to him constantly. But he figured his brother would not judge him as much, given that he knew nothing much about sword fighting.

The student and the teacher then stood in their stance with their wooden swords, for their customary duel, and on a count of three, Michikatsu charged towards his teacher. He had attempted to drive his weapon straight through his teacher's belly, but seeing the amateur move, his teacher swiftly side-stepped the attack. However, such an amateurish move would not be characteristic of Michikatsu. He swiftly pirouetted on his leg and attempted to thrust his wooden sword up front his teacher's neck. However, in the nick of time, his teacher turned around and parried the attack with his own sword. Thirty minutes went by with expert maneuvers and techniques- when Michikatsu was about to get struck, he dodged with a counter attack of his own, and when Michikatsu was about to land a critical blow, his teacher would block it with his sword.

Michikatsu somehow managed to get to his teacher's blind side- to his extreme right beyond his peripheral vision. He jumped up in a high arc, ready to slice his teacher's head, when suddenly his teacher turned around and held out his hand. Because of his weight, Michikatsu's teacher was easily able to drag him from the air, slam him to the ground, and place his sword against Michikatsu's neck. The poor boy was left panting on the ground.

"I see you have improved, Michikatsu. Well done," was the artless comment Michikatsu received. Still panting, and struggling to get up from the pain on his chest, Michikatsu forced out a thank you before trudging over to Yoriichi.

"Well, this is what every morning looks like in my life," he nonchalantly says to Yoriichi with his back towards his brother.

"Brother..."

A small voice issued from behind him. Michikatsu did not recognize this voice at all, so he turned around looking for the source of the voice. Until it dawned upon him...

"Did you say something just now?" A look of disbelief crept onto Michikatsu's face as he looked at Yoriichi.

His brother looked down shyly at his hands, before once again opening his mouth. "Is it your dream to become the strongest samurai in the land?"

It wasn't a bad voice, not at all. It was high-pitched, a little timid, and shaky. But not bad, not bad at all... But Michikatsu still could not shake that feeling of disbelief and slight fear that was impressing upon him.

"Umm.... ye-yea-yesh-yes. Yes." Michikatsu barely managed to get the word out of his mouth.

Yoriichi looked at his brother's eyes with an earnestness, as he said the next sentence.

"Well then, I'll train hard enough and then become the second strongest samurai of the land!"