I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

Mikoshi Chiyo.

She was one of the most exceptional warriors under the Raiden Shogun's command and also one of the Shogun's closest friends.

In those days, the Raiden Shogun had three trusted companions—Mikoshi Chiyo of the Oni clan, the kitsune Hakushin Ki, and Tengu Goryō Lily.

It is said that Chiyo's beauty rivaled the moon itself. Once, during a performance of dazzling artistry alongside Hakushin Ki, her radiance made even the kitsune feel inferior, compelling her to cover her face with a mask.

Legends also tell of Chiyo's peerless martial prowess. She once danced amid a thousand blades, her twelve-layered robes shredded like falling petals, yet her body emerged unscathed. Some even claimed her skills rivaled those of the Raiden Shogun herself.

Her lifelong ambition was to overcome the cycle of life and death through the unrelenting vigor of battle and to achieve immortal glory in the name of her dwindling kin, the Oni. Moved by her resolve, the Raiden Shogun gifted her a treasured sword.

Five hundred years ago, the beasts of the Abyss began encroaching upon the land, throwing the entire world into turmoil.

As Inazuma's mightiest warrior aside from the Raiden Shogun, Mikoshi Chiyo fought tirelessly on the front lines. But during one fateful battle, she was swallowed whole by a monstrous tiger-bodied, serpent-tailed creature from beyond this world.

Incredibly, Chiyo survived. She tore her way out of the beast's belly, earning herself the moniker Chiyo the Tiger-Bitten, which over time was shortened to Torachiyo.

However, having been consumed by the Abyssal beast, Chiyo was tainted by its corrupting power. She lost her sanity and transformed into a rampaging monster, wielding the treasured sword given to her by the Raiden Shogun against her former friend.

The Oni who had vowed to bring glory to her people and serve the Raiden Shogun with unwavering loyalty had now turned her blade against her. This betrayal forever stained the reputation of the Oni clan.

Chiyo's fangs shattered the Shogun's blade, giving her the upper hand for a brief moment. But ultimately, she was defeated, her sword arm severed, and the horns atop her head broken. Like a wounded beast, she fled into the wilds, disappearing without a trace.

Some say she was killed by pursuing Tengu warriors or covert shinobi. Others claim a wandering samurai, mistaking her for a monster, struck her down during training in the forest. Still, others believe she regained her sanity for a fleeting moment but, unable to bear her betrayal of the Shogun, ended her own life.

And thus… this was the story of Mikoshi Chiyo as Kiichi Hougen remembered it.

She relayed it to Sara and Gorou in the form of a tale.

The bad news was that Kiichi Hougen wasn't particularly skilled at storytelling; her delivery lacked twists and dramatic tension.

The good news was that Sara and Gorou listened intently. The story itself was captivating, and besides, there wasn't anyone else willing to tell them such tales.

"This… this is just too cruel!"

Sara and Gorou were visibly unsettled after hearing the story.

"It wasn't Mikoshi Chiyo's fault! She didn't want this… To turn her blade against the person she trusted and cherished the most… If she ever regained her senses, she must have been in unimaginable pain," Sara muttered, her thoughts spiraling.

She began to imagine herself losing control and pointing her blade at her master.

If it ever came to that… she would rather end her life before such a thing could happen.

"Chiyo only acted that way because she was corrupted by the power of the Abyss, right?" Gorou's voice trembled with a mix of confusion, anger, and sorrow. "Didn't others understand that? Why would they blame her entirely? She was a victim too!"

"Who knows? It was five hundred years ago," Kiichi Hougen replied lazily, propping her head up with one hand, her tone nonchalant.

"Time erases much, leaving only conclusions behind. As it stands, Chiyo's eldest son, who was meant to inherit her legacy, retreated into seclusion. To prevent him from descending into despair, his Tengu companion gave him the name Iwakura and dueled him repeatedly. After thirteen years of relentless training, Chiyo's son mastered the art of the sword and established a widely respected kenjutsu school."

"As for her adopted son, Mikoshi Nagamasa, he refused to abandon the Mikoshi name. Bearing the burden of their so-called sins, he worked tirelessly to enter the government and devoted himself to clearing his family's name with unmatched diligence and integrity."

Among the Raiden Shogun's three dearest companions, Kiichi Hougen knew the most about Mikoshi Chiyo, followed by Hakushin Ki, and finally Tengu Goryō Lily.

The first time she heard the name Goryō Lily, she had assumed it was a woman. It turned out to be a man instead.

"Wait… does that mean the Shogun herself believed Chiyo was a criminal?" Sara asked, bewildered. "What about Goryō Lily and Hakushin Ki? Didn't they explain the truth to the people?"

"The Raiden Shogun was likely in more pain than anyone," Kiichi Hougen said, her tone softening. "Chiyo was her close friend, after all. At least, I think she had more humanity in her back then—before she began her relentless pursuit of eternity. Perhaps her desire for eternity stems from a wish to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again."

"As for Hakushin Ki… she perished during that calamity. Goryō Lily… I can't quite recall, but I think he died before the war with the Abyss even began."

"Even Goryō Lily and Hakushin Ki…" Sara murmured, feeling a chill run through her.

She knew more about the catastrophe from five hundred years ago than Gorou did. After all, her first friend, Chika, had deep ties to that event.

In the sealed space, Sara had also seen numerous Abyssal creatures alongside Kiichi Hougen, including a towering black beast resembling a mountain. It was a sight she would never forget.

A shadow that blotted out the sky, an endless tide of darkness… And yet, that was only a fraction of the horrors unleashed during that terrible battle—a mere ripple from the stone cast into the waters five centuries ago.

Now, with Kiichi Hougen's story, Sara's understanding of that event deepened.

At the same time, she felt she understood the distant Raiden Shogun a little better.

Though Kiichi Hougen framed her tale as a story, neither Sara nor Gorou regarded it as mere fiction. To them, it felt more like a retelling of history.

Who knew what thoughts or feelings they might harbor if they ever met the Raiden Shogun?

And perhaps one day, the Raiden Shogun—or even Yae Miko, one of the few who knew the truth—would take an interest in this enigmatic millennia-old yokai who seemed to know their secrets so well.

After all, anyone who could recount such details from five hundred years ago, with intimate knowledge of their hidden truths, was bound to pique their curiosity.

Still, Kiichi Hougen didn't seem to care much.

"Let fate decide," she thought.

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