Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi: A Nekomanta's Story

We Have Become The Hunted

IZUMI'S POV

I was having a nightmare about my mom and sibling murder. I mumbled their names and I tried to help them until I saw the slayers in the shadows and they killed my mother and siblings. I was shocked and then I saw their leader charging towards me and they stabbed me in the chest.

I shot my eyes open and I was panting a little. I sighed a little and I noticed that I wasn't in the storage place of the ship anymore. I looked around and I was in a traditional guest room like the ones you see back home. Koga woke up and he looked relieved to see me awake.

"Izumi-sama, you're awake!"

"Koga...? what happened? where am I?"

I asked as I looked around since my wound still felt sore. Koga sat on my stomach and he said to me.

"After you passed out, I managed to get some help, that human girl is Aoi Tsubaki and she's the bride of that Odanna and that nine-tailed fox also helped you as well, they treated your injuries and your fever had gone down as well, you're in Tenjiya now."

I was surprised that we actually made it and I sighed in relief as I placed the back of my hand on my forehead.

"Do you know something...I'm actually surprised that I made it this far...I didn't think I was going to make it."

"Well be thankful you did survive."

A familiar voice spoke up. I looked at the doorway and Odanna was standing there with that usual smirk on his face.

"Odanna-sama."

I said as I tried to sit up but I felt a sharp pain on my side making me lie back down on the bed. Odanna tucked me back into bed and he said to me.

"I wouldn't try and move yet, you're still sore from having a deep wound like that."

"I apologise for you to see me in this sorry state, you weren't expecting a half demon like me to show up out of the blue like this."

"I wasn't, Koga told me what happened and how you ended up like this."

I looked away sadly and then Odanna said to me.

"At least that explains why those demon slayers were searching one of our airships, they were searching for you."

"They were...they murdered OKaa-san, Onee-chan and Onii-san...*sniff* Odanna-sama...I don't know what to do now...Otu-san is out there somewhere and I don't even know where to start looking and I've got nowhere else to go....*sniff*"

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore and then Odanna used his sleeve to wipe away my tears and he said to me.

"Hey, don't cry Izumi, things will get better."

I looked at Odanna and I said to him.

"How can they be? my siblings and my Mother are dead! I can't go back home to the apparent realm! I'm all alone now...."

"That's not true, you're forgetting about some of the people you left here in the hidden realm two years ago."

I smiled a little when he said this and I then wiped away my tears.

"You're right, gomen, so much has happened to me..."

"I know, for now, get some rest."

"Arigato Odanna-sama, I owe you one."

"Oh you do, big time."

I giggled a little and then someone spoke up.

"Excuse me."

Odanna and I looked at the doorway and that human girl from before came in with a tray of food on it.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you two, but, I made some food for Izumi-chan."

I looked at the brown haired girl and then Odanna said to me.

"Izumi, this is Aoi Tsubaki, Shiro's Grandaughter."

"You're related to Shiro-kun?"

Aoi nodded her head and then Odanna said to us.

"I'll leave you two alone to get better acquainted."

Odanna left the room and he slid the doors shut. Aoi looked at me and she asked me.

"Hungry? I've just made some ice cream."

"Thanks but no thanks, I'm not really- *Stomach growls* on second thoughts, maybe I'll have that ice cream after all."

Aoi giggled a little and then she helped me sit up on the bed. I looked at the ice cream she had made and I tasted it a little. My eyes lit up when I ate some of it and I smiled a little. I ate some more of it and then Aoi said to me.

"Like it?"

I licked my lips and I nodded my head and I said to her.

"This is really good, it's even better than Onee-chan's ice cream."

Aoi stared at my cat ears and my twin tails. I looked at her and I asked her.

"What's wrong? do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's not that, I've never met a half-demon before."

"I'm glad to be the first one, there aren't many of us half breeds around you know."

I said as I continued to eat the ice cream that Aoi made for me. Aoi then said to me.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Izumi-chan, I can't imagine what you went through."

"Well, those demon slayers don't hold back on the weaker demons, including half demons like us but that's because I've been raised in the apparent realm for a long time and because of this my demonic powers have weakened badly but...."

I opened my right hand and I showed Aoi my small blue flame. Aoi was surprised as the flame in my hand got bigger and bigger.

"Now that I'm back int he hidden realm and eating the food here, my strength is slowly returning and once I'm strong enough, I'll find Otu-san and then we'll find out why these guys decided to target us now."

Just then, Koga looked out of the window and he said to me.

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea to start searching for him right now, especially in your condition at the moment and we've also got a bigger problem as well."

I got out of bed carefully since I'm still feeling a bit sore. I looked out of the window and Koga was right, some of the demon slayers were still in the area searching for me.

"Shoot, they don't give up easily do they?"

"It would seem not."

Koga said to me. Aoi looked at me and she said to me.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, this is the last place they'll look since they can't touch Odanna seeing as how he's not much of a threat to them, looks like I'll have no choice but to keep my head down here for a while at least until the dust settles."

"I think that's for the best, Izumi-chan."

Aoi stood up from the ground and then she left the room after saying bye to me. I sighed a little and I then stared out of the window with a sad look on my face.

'I promise, I will find you Otu-san, please be safe...'

3RD PERSON POV

In the Western land, a man wearing a cat demon mask with long dark brown hair (Similar to Izumi's hair colour) was standing on the edge of a cliff staring at the Ogre land and he could also sense the presence of blood from the demon slayers in the distance. The masked man thought to himself.

'The slayers have returned...so now, we have become the hunted.'