Fine, then. Akari relinquished control. Let the sword lead the woman.
“You can take charge of my body. My reflexes are terrible and I have no strength anyway. Just…be careful with it, okay?”
“That’s the spirit. No pun intended.”
“It’s better to leave these things to the expert, right?”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Her lips were moving, and her voice could be heard, but the thoughts were Kansuke’s, not hers. How odd. Akari decided not to care about that right now, though.
“Agh… Hearing Kansuke’s thoughts in Mistress Akari’s voice… It’s so…discombobulating!”
As Tomohito massaged his temples in worry, Kansuke-in-Akari thrust the blue-gray Kotogatari and the sword’s scabbard into his hands.
“I can’t carry these and walk in this restrictive kimono. Bring them.”
Then Kansuke-in-Akari began to walk, carrying the unsheathed sword in one hand.
Akari had always been terribly clumsy and uncoordinated.
She was apt to stumble and trip over her own feet just walking through town. In fact, that was one of the reasons why she wore boots instead of traditional Japanese thong sandals.
She’d always thought of herself as slow and sluggish, but as the corridors seemed to flash past her on both sides, she was taken aback. She’d never moved this swiftly in her life.
And “she” was carrying a heavy samurai sword with both hands too, the actual Narugami killer.
If Akari was impressed by her body’s untapped capabilities, Kansuke wasn’t.
“Tch! A woman’s body is so slow! And heavier than I’d imagined…”
Stopping to transfer the sword to one hand momentarily, Kansuke took hold of her kimono hem with his free hand and roughly ripped it off around the knee area.
If Akari had been in control of the mouth, she might have squealed in protest. As it was, Tomohito did the honors for her.
“Kansuke, how dare you?! Treating Mistress Akari’s body in such a disrespectful way!”
“Oh, pipe down. We don’t have time to worry about sparing a lady’s blushes right now. Just come!”
As they drew close to their destination, the storeroom, they could see the fearsome Nue just nosing its face through a gap it had opened in the doors.
Its body was twisted and warped, with four muscular tiger legs and the snarling face of a monkey. Its long snake’s tail was swishing about violently. Its strength was so great that it had actually forced the sturdy-looking iron doors apart.
Fixing its gaze on them, it gibbered and shrieked. Could Kansuke really defeat a beast such as this?
“Stand firm. It’s only one beast, after all. Just leave this to me.”
Akari did as Kansuke instructed and let herself go limp. She didn’t want to get in Kansuke’s way by hindering his control of her body. It was all up to the sword now.
“On second thought, girly: your body probably won’t hold up long under this manifestation. I’ll make this as quick as possible.”
That didn’t exactly fill Akari with confidence, but before she could even blink, Kansuke suddenly put on a burst of speed.
Akari’s hair streamed behind her as they ran toward the Nue at top speed, Kansuke holding the sword high in the air.
Even as the beast began to squeeze its body through the gap in the doors, Kansuke sprinted past, swinging his weapon as he did so.
The sword slashed the vile monkey face just as the Nue came tumbling forward into the hallway.
The creature shrieked with rage and whirled around, searching for its mortal prey, the samurai-like girl.
But before the beast’s eyes could focus, Kansuke whirled and came at it again.
The samurai fighting spirit was within him, despite the weaker female form he was inhabiting.
He was the Kansuke Mishima of legend, the fearless warrior who had slain countless demons.
His sword flashed, eating into the meat of the Nue’s neck.
As the weapon in her hands sliced the creature’s flesh in two, Akari was equal parts impressed and horrified by the violence, and her part in it.
The sinewy tiger limbs trembled and collapsed, sending the beast crashing to the floor.
Kansuke dodged the falling creature’s impact by a hair.
Then, for good measure, he sliced the creature’s tail from its body before it could lash out at him in its death throes.
Akari hadn’t even noticed the tail twitching, poising itself to strike. But Kansuke had.
Taking the scabbard back from Tomohito, Kansuke wiped the blood off the blade, preparing to resheath it once more.
The creature’s head stopped rolling across the floor, its momentum and life force finally spent.
As the sword slid into place, Akari felt her body suddenly being relinquished to her. Breathing hard, she stumbled and had to steady herself against the wall.
The familiar blue-gray ribbon of energy rose from the Narugami sword again, and Kansuke materialized in the hallway in its place, looking no worse the wear for the battle that had just transpired.
Akari’s body felt heavy, and she was breathing hard, as if she’d been running as fast as she could.
After the pitched battle, perhaps it was only natural. But Akari felt as though she’d been hit by a delivery truck.
Spots of light began to dance in front of her eyes. Kansuke leaped for her, but Tomohito caught her in his strong arms first.
“Well done, Mistress. Your own body’s sword swing defeated the demon! But you must be exhausted. Being possessed by a spirit can be very taxing on the human psyche.”
“Oh…yes… But what about Kansuke? Is he all right?”
“I’m right here.”
Akari turned her head slowly and saw Kansuke standing there. He seemed his usual nonchalant self, but she could sense the heat of battle slowly leaving him like steam from a kettle, his tension unwinding.
“What in the name of all that’s sacred has been going on here?!”
It was Amagai, slowly staggering his way down the corridor toward them. Akari cringed. Her troubles clearly weren’t over yet.
A small part of her, though, felt pleased and proud. How fascinating that a mere human could actually slay a fearsome yokai. Even one as powerful as that horrible Nue…