Shiruba Chapter 1


She set the tiny half-demon on his feet. Holding his hand firmly enough that he

couldn't pull away, she guided him through the crowd of angry orphans. One of the

older boys spoke up.

“It can't be allowed to stay.” The girl walked past him without answering. He

grabbed the arm not occupied with a struggling child. “Don't ignore me! It is demon

spawn! It would be better for everyone if that thing were just killed right here.” She

tore away from his grip. Her voice was poisonously low as she answered him.

“This is a child. I don't care if he is a human or a demon. I wouldn't care if he were a

frog. I will protect him. If you try to hurt him, I will kill you.”

The boy backed away, wincing at the menace in her voice. Her history was known

to everyone in the orphanage. He didn't doubt that she could, and would, kill him if

he gave her a reason. He looked away. Let Mitsukai think she had won. The other

children would help him. They would dispose of the vile little demon wretch soon

enough. She couldn't stop them all.



8 years earlier


“Mommy! Daddy!” The five year old girl looked at the mangled bodies that were

once her parents. She grabbed a large spear that had fallen from her father's still

warm hand and ran at the large lizard-like demon responsible for her parents'

deaths. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks through the dirt and blood caked

on her innocent face. The creature swept the spear aside without trouble. Then it

raked its claws over her left shoulder, trying to get her in a killing grip. But it missed

by a fraction of an inch, breaking the bone and leaving four long, deep claw marks.

But she was still alive. And twice as angry.  Her left arm was useless, but she still had her right arm. This time she picked up a broken samurai sword and, ducking

under the monsters swiping claws, thrust it upward into the demons chest. Then

dragging the sword with her, still embedded in the demons body, she ran down its

length, slitting the creature's body in half. Blood showered down on her head, but

she kept going. It was dead. She knew it was. But she continued to slice the body

until the man from the orphanage came to collect her. She was taken to a healer,

who was able to fix the broken bone. But the wounds on her shoulder would scar.

They would remain with her for the rest of her life. That day, she lost her parents,

her way of life, and her innocence. After you have killed, you can no longer return

to the innocent child you once were. That, the villagers said, was probably to be her

greatest loss.


Now


Mitsukai looked at the now sleeping half-demon boy curled in her blanket. She

would not let anyone hurt him. She had been hurt. She was still hurting. She

refused to let that happen to anyone else, even a half-demon. She would protect

him, but only until he could protect himself. After that, he was on his own.