Kuramaru/Stories
While out with Alk one day, Light is mistaken for a yokai and is suddenly attacked by Kuramaru- a swordsman who believes all yokai to be evil. After clearing up the misunderstanding, they go to fight off an actual yokai in a nearby village. Alk wonders why the yokai would steal rice from the village.
Alk: Hm, the village that put in the request to the Diviner's Commission should be around here.
Light: Malicious yokai are said to have taken up residency nearby. We'd best approach with caution.
???: I've found you, yokai! Het away from him!
???: Cripes, you dodged my attack! I was sure I had you!
Light: Good lord! What do you think you're doing!
???: I refuse to tell my name to the likes of yokai who would assail the village!
Kuramaru: As long as I, Kuramaru, stand, you won't be hurting anyone! Unhand that man at once!
Alk: So much for not telling us your name...
Light: This isn't the first time I 've had suspicion cast on me. Though I am no yokai; I am human.
Alk: And I'm not exactly held captive either.
Kuramaru: Hm, I suppose you're not up to any mischief...
Kuramaru: But you sure don't look human..
Alk: Looks like you decide if someone's good or bad depending on if they're a yokai?
Kuramaru: That's right! It's always the yokai that go around hurting people after all!
Light: Hm... Anyhow, I'll say it again, but I am not a yokai
Alk: I can vouch for him. He's simply taking the form of an animal right now.
Kuramaru: Oh, I know! A yokai must've transformed you!
Kuramaru: Tell me where that yokai is! I'll take care of the problem for you!
Light: Well, I'm not sure I'd call the Lord of Shadows a yokai-
Kuramaru: Aha, he must be human then.
Light: He's... not exactly human either. He's appeared countless times throughout history as an enemy of mankind.
Alk: A-anyway! It's funny coincidence that we've also come to hunt down yokai!
Kuramaru: Ah, you two must be the help that village elder mentioned!
Kuramaru: C'mon, I'll bring you guys to him!
Voice from Village: HEEEELP! The yokai have come!
Kuramaru: Blasted yokai! I won't let any harm come to the village!
Kuramaru: Rgh... How awful! Don't think you're getting away with this yokai!
Yokai: More humans...
Yokai: Out... of... my way!
Alk: Not much of a conversationalist, is he?
Light: They've gone too far. We may need a show of force.
Kuramaru: That's what I like to hear! Let's go!
Kuramaru: You're finished! Haaah!
Yokai: Gwaaah... Food! Human food!
Kuramaru: damn, he's fast!
Kuramaru: Good thing you're not hurt too bad. I'll go get the doctor!
Light: Alk, is something the matter?
Alk: Light, doesn't it seem odd to you for yokai to steal rice?
Light: Good point. As far as I know, rice doesn't have any special value to them.
Kuramaru: The doctor'll be here in a jiffy! So what were you two talking about?
Alk: Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry about it!
Light: What now? Should we report to the village elder?
Kuramaru: Yeah, we probably should. Which reminds me-
Kuramaru: On our way to see the elder, I wanna hear more about that yokai you call the Lord of Shadow!
Light: I said he's not a yokai... Well, never mind that.
Light: It all began when I came to this world-
Kuramaru: So you've protected people from all sorts of yokai, huh?
Kuramaru: All right, I've decided! I'm coming along with you two.
Kuramaru: After all, I made a promise to my father that I'd help out people in need!
Light: While we appreciate the sentiment, among us are-
Alk: Sounds good to me! We welcome you with open arms, Kuramaru!
Light: Wouldn't that put our yokai friends in danger?
Alk: Which is exactly why I'd like him to see with own eyes that not all yokai are bad. That'd be better for all of us.
Alk: And having him travel with us would let him see that firsthand.
Light: You're right; he's a bit of a wild card. Leaving him be would only cause bigger problems.
Kuramaru: Hey, what are you guys whispering about?
Alk: Oh, don't mind us! We were just talking about what to do afterward.
Light: The journey ahead will be much easier with you among our group. It's a pleasure to have you, Kuramaru.
Kuramaru: Ehehe, glad to hear it! Leave all the yokai to me!
Kuramaru spots Alk speaking with the yokai they fought off the other day and learns that the yokai is taking care of a human child. When samurai come hunting the yokai, Kuramaru and Nibmus put a little show to allow him to escape.
Kuramaru: Boy, it sure is peaceful today. No assignments have come in either...
Kuramaru: Must be because of all the nard work we put in to fight off yokai every day!
Kuramaru: Still though...
Stella: Kuramaru, what's wrong?
Kuramaru: I get the feeling Alk and Light are up to something they don't want me to know about. You have any idea what that might be?
Stella: I was told to keep it a secret, so I can't say.
Kuramaru: I saw people in town that looked like yokai. Were they also transformed by the Lord of Shadow?
Stella: If you're referring to the little foxes, I believe they were always foxes.
Kuramaru: Hm, you guys are friends with yokai then?
Stella: We do have a few yokai among our circle of friends.
Kuramaru: Does that mean... some yokai are actually good?
Kuramaru: No, that couldn't be possibly be true! Father said yokai are bad news!
Kuramaru's Father: You've improve yet again. I suppose it's only a matter of time before you surpass me.
Kuramaru's Father: Listen well, Kuramaru. From the day you become a full-fledged swordsman, I'd like you to wield your blade to protect the weak from yokai.
Kuramaru: Yes, Father! I swear to keep everyone safe!
Kuramaru: Father couldn't have been wrong... But this feeling I'm getting...
Kuramaru: There they are sneaking around again! Now they really have be curious.
Stella: Why not follow them?
Stella: I wasn't told to stop you from going after them.
Yokai: You good person. I thank you.
Kuramaru: Whoa! What's going on here?! What are you doing with that yokai?!
Light: Look, Kuramaru. This yokai had a good reason for trying to steal foodstuffs.
Child: Poppy, is everything okay?
Alk: He found this boy lost in the forest and kept him safe... The boy was probably abandoned.
Alk: Since he had no idea what humans eat, he decided to steal rations from the village.
Kuramaru: A yokai... taking care of a human child?
Kuramaru: B-but stealing is wrong no matter how you justify it! This is just bizarre!
Light: We provided the food this time and made him promise not to stela anymore.
Light: However this all started, some changes are in order.
Nimbus: Hate to interrupt, but something's come up. Samurai on the prowl for yokai are headed here from the village.
Nibmus: Chances are they're gonna do a full sweep of the mountain. We'll have to confront them.
Light: Doesn't that make this the perfect opportunity?
Light: We can return the boy to the humans.
Kuramaru: What are you doing, Alk? That this is-
Kuramaru: Calm down, it's okay. Have some faith in Light.
Yokai: You take child?!
Light: You'll never have peace if you go on like this!
Light: But there's hope yet. There are those working hard to create a world where humans and yokai can coexist in peace.
Light: Until that becomes a reality, I ask that you leave the child in our care.
Yokai: Go.
Kuramaru: Light... I'm not too sure myself, but is this really the right thing to do?
Samurai: We've found you at last, yokai!
Nimbus: COME AT ME WITH WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT, HUMANS!
NNimbus: We need to put on a good show to buy him time. I'll be the yokai.
Nimbus: Still wanna take me on, swordsman?
Kuramaru: You bet I do!
Yokai: Rgwaaah!
Samurai: They're getting away! After them!
Kuramaru: No point chasing them at this point! The yokai won't be coming down from the mountains anymore.
Light: More importantly, we should bring the child to the village. He's been through quite the ordeal.
Samurai: Ah... Very well! We shall take our leave then!
Light: Phew... That turned out okay.
Alk: You make a pretty good actor... Thanks for playing along, Kuramaru.
Kuramaru: To be honest, I'm still not sure about all this...
Light: Give it some time. You'll come to see that you did right.
Kuramaru: Mm...
Kuramaru: I'm just glad we got to protect that yokai and kid, I guess...
Kuramaru pays his father a visit and apologizes for breaking his promise to fight all yokai. He decides that his mission should be protecting the weak, regardless of whether they are human or yokai. Kuramaru then meets up with Alk and co. to rescue yokai children from a monster.
Kuramaru's Father: You're back. I was surprised to suddenly get a letter from you.
Kuramaru: Father, I'm sorry! I broke our promise.
Kuramaru: I ended up protecting a yokai the other day! But he in turn protected a human child...
Kuramaru: Which didn't go too well, so we ended up taking charge of that child.
Kuramaru's Father: What is it you want to say? Your face tells me you didn't return simply to apologize.
Kuramaru: That yokai protected the child just like you always used to protect me, Father!
Kuramaru: So I've come to a decision. Doesn't matter if they're human or yokai-
Kuramaru: I'm going to wield my sword for the sake of the weak and oppressed!
Kuramaru's Father: So that is the answer you've found for yourself...
Kuramaru's Father: It will undoubtedly be a most treacherous path. Knowing that, do you still wish to go through with this?
Kuramaru: Absolutely!
Kuramaru's Father: Do as you wish...
Kuramaru: Thank you!
Kuramaru's Father: Not once have I ever thought to aid the yokai... Perhaps the times have changed.
Kuramaru: You've got nowhere else to run! You're done for!
Light: Careful. A beast backed into a corner is not to be underestimated.
Alk: Yep, yep, I know! Here goes-
Yokai Child: Ooh, look at them go. You ready?
Yokai Child: Mm-hm. Let's try surprising it.
Nimbus: Back off, kids! You shouldn't even be here! If that monster targets you-
Nimbus: Tsk, no point talking it out!
Kuramaru: *sigh* Didn't I tell you kids earlier not to come this way?!
Yokai Child: Angry? You sure look it.
Yokai Child: Surprised? You sure look it.
Alk: Well, they're okay now thanks to you, Kuramaru.
Kuramaru: You're too soft, Alk. They might be yokai, but children still need to be taught to do the right thing!
Yokai Child: You're a child too! Child, child!
Kuramaru: Gah! When someone is angry at you, you need to listen to them, okay?!
Alk: Kuramaru's really warmed up to yokai, huh?
Light: He gets along well enough with our yokai friends too.
Nimbus: Hard to believe this is coming from the guy who was shouting about cutting down all yokai before, heh.
Kuramaru: H-hey, relax! I know better now!
Yokai Child: Really?
Kuramaru: Really!
Kuramaru: I still have a bad habit of wanting to draw my sword the moment I see a yokai though!
Alk: That's definitely one scary habit you want to break!
Nimbus: I guess we'll want to keep our distance from Kuramaru until he does.
Light: I'm getting shivers just recalling that time Kuramaru swing his blade at me...
Alk: Oh, right... That's when we first met at the village.
Kuramaru: Sorry about that! Won't happen again!
Light: Speaking of that village, they found foster parents for the child we took from the yokai's charge
Kuramaru: Really?!
Light: Yes, I went back to take a look earlier. He seemed happy.
Kuramaru: Thank goodness... I guess the yokai's effort weren't in vain after all.
Kuramaru: I hope those two get to see each other again someday.
Light: I doubt that'll happen anytime soon, but at least they're both alive and well.
Alk: I'm sure it'll be possibly one day.
Nimbus: All right, you guys ready to get on with the next assignment? Some yokai have been causing trouble near the village.
Yokai Child: You fight yokai?
Yokai Child: So you're on the side of humans?
Kuramaru: That might've been the case before, but not anymore!
Kuramaru: Be they human or yokai, I consider myself an ally of anyone who needs my help!
Kuramaru: So if you're ever in trouble, just call out for me! No matter where I might be, I'll rush to your aid!