Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi: A Nekomanta's Story

Prologue

3RD PERSON POV

In the hidden realm, the demon slayers were on their white tiger mounts and they were searching for a certain demon to kill. Their leader, Hayate, looked around and he then said to his men.

"She's not here, let's search somewhere else she couldn't have gone very far."

"Yeah, especially with those injuries and after we killed her family as well!"

One of the men shouted in a cocky tone before they disappeared into the shadows. After they left, a lighting sabretooth moved the shrubs out of the way and he then looked behind him and he spoke up.

"Those pests are gone, you can come out of hiding, Izumi-sama."

The masked girl, Izumi, came out of hiding while clutching her side since she was injured from being on the run from the slayers. Izumi watched the demon slayers disappear into the night sky with an angry look behind her mask. Koga, Izumi's familiar, looked at the view and he then said to Izumi.

"Izumi-sama, we should keep moving."

"I know."

Izumi said before she got onto Koga's back and then he flapped his wings. Izumi stared at the Hidden Realm's big city sadly and she thought to herself.

'Why did this happen to me...? why did my family have to die? Okaa-san, Onee-chan, Onii-san...'

A FEW HOURS EARLIER...

IZUMI'S POV

I was helping my big sister getting breakfast ready and while I was chopping the ingredients, Loki came in and he took a big stretch and he said to us.

"Ohayo ladies."

"Ohayo, Loki-kun."

I said with a smile and then Mom came in looking a bit tired. Ichigo looked at Mom and she said to him.

"Ohayo, Okaa-san, you look tired, what time did you get home last night?"

"Very late again."

"Okaa-san if you keep taking those night shifts at the hospital you're going to work yourself into an early grave."

Mom smiled and she stood proudly with a smile on her face.

"I'm all right, I'm made out of tough stuff."

I shook my head when she said this and then Ichigo and I served breakfast, which was an omelette.

"Itadakimasu."

We said in unison before we starting to eat our meal. We were talking about what we were planning to do since it was the weekend. Ichigo is meeting up with her boyfriend, Loki is hanging out with his mates at the arcade and Mom is doing a late night shift at the hospital again.

"Oh that's right, Okaa-san, I've got band practice and get this, a guy from one of the clubs have heard one of our songs and he wants to hear us tonight if we're lucky, we might get a gig."

"That's great news Izumi-chan!"

Ichigo said with a smile and then Mom said to me.

"Well, good luck and be careful on your way home tonight, you'll never know what's hiding in the shadows."

I giggled a little at her warning. Once I finished breakfast, I headed back to my room to get my guitar. I was about to close the case until I looked at the family picture that I stuck to the lid on the inside of the case. It was a picture of mom, my siblings and I along with our demon father, who is no longer living in the human realm.