Ashuradō, Yomi — Several decades ago. The jewel of the underworld, polished with the blood and tears of those unworthy to call it home. Nine million people resided within the towering walls that encircled it. In a world built on survival of the fittest, one such soul lived on these streets. An urchin who survived day-to-day; fighting and sleeping with whomever possible to stay alive. Her name was Belloch.

“Hey! Get back here you bitch!” Several men screamed as the rugged girl scampered out the backdoor of a pub. They followed her relentlessly, intent on revenge.

“Stop please! You have the wrong girl!” Belloch screamed back at the voices following her, not even taking a moment to look behind.

The chase continued through the winding streets until she heard the chime of distant bells in the distance. A shrine, surely they wouldn’t follow her into a sacred place she thought.

Belloch scrambled up the stone carved steps to the shrine on her hands and feet like a starved wolf. Behind her she could hear the pack still on her tail.

Hot tears fell from her face as the shrine maidens fled upon seeing the impending chaos. Belloch’s eyes widened as she turned hurriedly, watching as the doors to her sanctuary shut one by one.

“Damn you all! Damn you!” she yelled out in fury, backing herself against a wall while the men closed in.

The leader of the brutes licked his lips as Belloch glared venomously.

“You screwed one of my men and afterwards stole everything he had! The poor bastard was going to propose to his lady with that ring!” The man pointed as Belloch took the gold band she had been wearing around her finger and threw it at the horde.

“Then he should have been screwing her and not me!” She screamed, wiping her tears away and bearing her teeth.

“That doesn’t matter now, dumpster waif! I speak for all of us when I say that you’re going to make up for what you did!”

The man grabbed her wrist as the bells chimed above, back and forth. Luckily for her, the bells drowned out the sound of an unseen man in a white hood approaching them from behind.

They rang loudly as the hooded man’s gargantuan frame towered over the posse of thugs. Their chimes drowned out the screams of the men, as the hooded man’s skin turned to steel and smashed down upon them.

Belloch fell back, unscathed and unsullied from the assault as blood splattered the cobblestone courtyard.

He turned to face her as Belloch’s assailants lie dead before her feet. Looking down on her with a steady gaze, his skin returned to normal as he stretched out his hand to help her up.

“Did they… Do anything to you—“ He said before she unexpectedly clutched his hand tightly.

“… Thank you,” Belloch murmured.

“Don’t thank me yet, we need to flee before the cops show up. Come, follow me.” The giant said, motioning her to follow him.

Belloch chose to trust the man. Something felt different about him from all the others. A commanding presence, but also a warmth. She sensed something more from him, could it be a kindred spirit? It wouldn’t be long until nightfall, when they finally escaped to the man’s home underneath the massive bridge connecting Ashuradō to the rest of the continent.

He gave her a few scraps of jerky, which she chewed apart ravenously. She looked up at him afterwards, blinking curiously.

“What do you go by, got a name?” The man asked her, his arms folded.

“I’m… just Belloch. It’s all I’ve been to anyone.”

“Well then, ‘Just Belloch’—“

“I didn’t tell you so you could mock me.”

“Cool it, kid. I’m Behemoth. You don’t have to worry about me mocking you.”

Behemoth and Belloch sat around the fire that crackled in an old metal barrel separating them. The sounds of cars and the city night life filled the air above them while the smells of putrid water emanated from below.

“Trust me… I know what it’s like to be mocked. Looked at by the wealthy like I’m the dog shit the city didn’t scrape off its boot yet,” Behemoth uttered to her.

Belloch absorbed the words silently.

“Listen, why don’t you join me? We’re both just homeless punks with nowhere to go. I promise… You won’t ever have to worry about anything again as long as you’re with me.”

She looked up at him to see a smile awaiting her. One that seemed practiced, like he had rehearsed this moment in his head.

“Alright…” Belloch replied quietly.

“Nice! You and me can team up, get even stronger! We’re partners now. We’ll show this city who its true masters are!”

“How…?”

“Easy, you become my Thrall! I’m planning on starting something big with this city one day, and you’ll be the first in my crew. I keep you safe from assholes like those creeps, and you lend me your power. Sounds good, right?”

She had heard about Thralls, how they served the elite assassins as their living weapons or steadfast companions.

“Alright then, I’m game,” Belloch agreed.

“Good, good! Hey, from this moment on, I’m giving you a new name. Something that’ll represent your rising from the ashes!”

“… Okay,” she said looking up at him, the fire rising from the barrel and illuminating his physique.

“I’ll name you… Suzu. It means bell, just like the ones that rang when we first met!” Behemoth said proudly.

She didn’t care. If this man could keep her safe, fed and secure she’d go by whatever name he desired.

Belloch nodded in agreement. “So how do I become your Thrall?” she questioned.

“We just repeat the Thrall’s Oath, and that’s that.” Behemoth replied in anticipation.

As the fire crackled in the background, Belloch joined hands with Behemoth and recited the vows. With a content smile, the girl was reborn that night as she accepted her fate.

❇ ❇ ❇

The debris from the decimated wooden dining table Behemoth had thrown at Mura smashed apart against the trees leading into the gardens. The candlesticks used to light the table had gone astray and littered the dry grass. It wasn’t long before fires began to spread across the lawn to the drinking hall.

Pieces of shattered glass, eating utensils and empty tankards served as obstacles on this newly constructed battlefield. Mura paid none of it any attention as he focused his Tamashiryoku.

He assumed a defensive stance as Behemoth charged at him with his large iron claymore in hand, letting loose a mighty swing. As the massive blade neared Mura’s body, he seamlessly performed a backflip over the slab of metal as it nearly grazed his black hair. Mura landed on his feet as Behemoth’s sword continued past the intended target and instead cleaved into a tree, where it became embedded in the trunk.

As Behemoth fought to dislodge his weapon, Mura raced past him and towards the entrance of the dining hall where the others had gathered to watch.

—That sword isn’t sharpened like a real one, so I only have to worry about blunt force damage from it. Still, for him to manage a cut like that on a tree… He’s gotten stronger.

The focused Tamashiryoku helped to dull the pain from the punch Behemoth dealt him earlier, but now that he had exited his stance, it began flowing back. Mura fought to ignore it, pressing closer towards the entrance. As he did, he saw a man in black with a golden braid and red eyes. In his arms was a battered but conscious Lilith.

“Here ya are, little lady. Go help your pal now, he’s gonna need it,” Kishin said, lowering Lilith to her feet.

She nodded and without mincing words, Lilith grasped onto Mura and began to fuse into his body. As Lilith’s power flowed into Mura, his veins and eyes glowed with splendor in the night; reflecting the flames that boxed Behemoth and Mura in the courtyard. Without a moment to waste, Mura cast the Renewal spell; healing their wounds as the seconds passed by.

“Good to have you back, partner,” Lilith said within Mura’s soul.

“Likewise! Hey, who was that guy? Another Jikininki?” Mura questioned before Behemoth finally dislodged his blade by uprooting the entire tree with it.

“Actually, nevermind! I’ll ask later!”

Winding back, Behemoth let loose a furious yell as he whipped his sword towards Mura and the other Jikininki. As he did, the tree slid from the blade’s grip and flew like a massive missile.

Mura leapt to the side in a flourishing twirl, causing the tree to miss his body by mere inches. Time seemed to slow as Nergal stepped forward from the crowd as the tree approached the building and the audience quickly. He simply raised his hand, letting his palm face the tree. As the heavy wooden projectile collided with his outstretched hand, the tree exploded into a mass of fire and splinters.

Mura looked over at the sight as the explosion propelled him further through the air. The blast and flames had spread out as if they made impact with a flat-yet-invisible surface. The effect was mesmerizing and a true testament to the power held by the higher-ranked Jikininki.

“Must have been some kind of force-field spell,” Mura thought with morbid wonder. “Still, to perform it without an incantation… or even a Thrall.”

“How is that even possible? I’m glad we aren’t fighting him!” Lilith replied, equally enthralled with the feat.

Behemoth rushed like a crazed bull as Mura landed with one hand on the grass. Enflamed leaves danced about and fell through the air, like snowflakes set alight. Raising his claymore as his single eye sparkled dementedly amidst the cinders, Behemoth cleaved through the air towards his foe.

Mura took a chance and darted between Behemoth’s spread legs, flipping horizontally midair to strike at his back.

“Jigadō Number Fifty-Four—“ Mura shouted as he prepared the incantation.

Before he could finish, Suzu unfused partially from Behemoth; her upper torso fused with his back.

“You weren’t the only one who’s been training!” Suzu boasted.

With a strike of blinding speed, Suzu threw a handful of long needles towards Mura. He blocked his face and upper chest by crossing his arms instinctively, but there were too many to defend against. Mura gasped as he felt a stinging pain at the base of his collarbone.

Falling to the ground, Mura quickly plucked the needle embedded in his throat as the bitter taste of copper filled his mouth.

“Are these acupuncture needles? Shit, no… Something isn’t right.”

Suzu laughed ominously, unfusing completely from Behemoth as he turned around and smiled.

“We learned a lesson from that Thrall of yours, Mura. The bitch that took my master’s eye!”

Mura clutched his neck, casting a Renewal spell as he stumbled to stand up.

“It’s not working, Mura!” Lilith yelled out within his soul.

“Aww, never been poisoned before? You’d be surprised what a Jikininki ranked Tenth has access to. Some of the deadliest toxins from beasts halfway across the realms!” Behemoth chuckled, resting his massive blade against his shoulder.

Suzu walked up to Mura, kicking him in the stomach as he recoiled.

“Your spells can only heal physical wounds! That venom targets your nervous system! I made sure to choose it special, all so my master could have his fun before killing you!”

Mura began to writhe in agony as his muscles spasmed and his limbs contorted. Saliva and blood ran from his mouth and onto the dirt as the sounds and scents of nature burning consumed him.

In a short flash, Lilith unfused from her friend with her daggers drawn.

“You bitch!” Lilith shouted furiously as she ran towards Suzu.

Suzu ran away from Lilith with surprising speed. Lilith looked back at Mura with concern.

“G-Go! I’ll be fine!” He said as Lilith nodded in confirmation before giving chase.

“Give me the antidote, now!” Lilith screamed.

“Why the hell would I do that?!” Suzu retorted back.

Suzu stopped and attempted to sweep Lilith’s legs. Lilith easily jumped over the telegraphed attack and punched Suzu in the face. The tattooed Thrall flew back from the force of Lilith’s strike.

Flipping backwards and skidding to a stop, Suzu wiped the blood dripping from her mouth. She snarled at Lilith, her face accentuated by the red smear now adorning it.

“You know, this is nice! I’ve been so sick and tired of seeing you naively act like you and your master are friends. So now, I finally get the chance to beat some sense into you,” Suzu spat, reaching behind her back. With a swift flick, she unsheathed a long stiletto dagger that had been strapped to the waistband of her shorts.

“Get this notion of friendship and equality out of your head. Thralls only exist to serve their masters, nothing more! We live to serve and we die at their command! That’s the natural order of things, no matter how shitty it might be!” Suzu lectured, her words oozing a nihilistic venom accumulated over the course of centuries.

“Mura… He’s my friend!” Lilith proclaimed.

“Bull shit! Ever think maybe he’s simply pretending to be your friend? The moment he finds someone more powerful, I guarantee it, he’ll drop you.”

Suzu’s words stung Lilith’s heart. Taking advantage of the moment of doubt, Suzu rushed forward and embedded her stiletto in Lilith’s side up to the hilt. As Lilith screamed out in pain, Suzu cradled her back; ensuring it sank as deep as possible.

“What an idiot. Now go die like a good girl,” Suzu sneered.

Lilith clenched her jaw, mustering her strength as blood seeped through her white bodysuit. With force she didn’t know she had, Lilith let loose a primal shout as she drove her knife into Suzu’s back.

Suzu gasped, coughing blood onto Lilith’s face. Lilith twisted the dagger, causing Suzu to let go and stumble backwards.

“You’re the one who’s an idiot!” Lilith spat.

Ripping Suzu’s stiletto from her side, Lilith flung it at her target. The dagger cartwheeled through the air until it sank into Suzu’s upper chest.

Suzu screamed in agony, collapsing to her knees as blood poured from her wounds.

“This world may revolve around pain and violence and death! People might treat Thralls like us as nothing more than slaves, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change! Mura is my best friend, and I’m his!” Lilith shouted as Suzu stopped trying to remove the knives from her body.

The tattooed Thrall grew silent before letting out a hollow, forced laugh.

“Jeez kid… You got an answer for everything…” Suzu murmured emotionlessly as the fires of the battlefield spread towards her position.

Lilith tried to approach her, but the inferno was too deadly to cross. Suzu laid down, her façade fading once Lilith was out of sight. Before darkness overcame her, she could faintly hear the chimes of bells. Bells that rang only for her ears, calling her away.