Whatever am going to describe now happened almost 1000 years ago... This incident took place even before Gyuki clan and our clan were taken over by Nura clan. Or maybe even before Nura clan actually existed... This is the story of my Grandma when she was still a maiden... And the reason why we hate Umewakamaru....

She was thrown out of her clan when she protested against them while trying to protect a male human... She wondered around the town for weeks until she met that same man again who instead of killing her brought her home with the feelings of being indebted for his life. But grandma's miss fortune soon started affecting her once again... When his wife suspicion on them increased. She started getting jealous of grandma cause of her drop dead beauty... And wondered if her husband has an affair. The couple had no child. And the large house became a desert when she murdered husband. Touching the guy's dead body grandma cried... She promised to herself that she would never go nearer to a man ever again and would die as a virgin.

Women's jealousy and hatred soon turned her into a Yokai which started haunting that place and the surrounding humans. The troubled peasants started moving out of the village deserting the place... Rumors spread that Landlord's wife killed him over a Yokai. Grandma was young at that time... And couldn't decide what she should do next... So she choose to remain there... Which became our clan house...

Even after all these... Few families refused to leave the village cause it was their home... They avoided going nearer to the haunted house and hated my grandma for being there.

It was after few months of that incident when one day grandma was taking walk around the village she found Landlady's Yokai attacking one of the Villager. Taking out her sword she charged forward without thinking twice. Slaughtering it. After that day people stopped being terrified of her and soon she came to be known as Yokai Mother... People from all around Japan came to visit her. She used to solve the problems of Yokais. There was feast held in the village ones a year. When Villagers used to offer her sacrifices. And prayed to her for their wellbeing.

Years passed like this. Everything seemed happy and normal until one morning. One of the villager came running towards my grandma he was out of breath as grandma made him sit and offered him some green tea. 🍵

Haruka : What's wrong?

She stood in front of him worried...

Villager : G-Gyuki clan... Killed my wife. (He bursts out in tears)

Grandma has heard about Gyuki clan many times before this. Their leader Umewakamaru was a blood thirsty Yokai who killed every traveller. Being a Nure onna she was well aware of Gyuki clan... And preferred to maintain a safe distance.

Haruka : I can't promise anything... But I will try to stop him.

Saying this she left for the mountains...How could she have known that this incident is gonna change her life forever...

Next day...

It took her next night to reach there... Taking human form she starts wondering around the Nejireme mountain for Umewakamaru to notice her presence... While keeping her hand on her poison dripped dragger... Even though it was late winter wherever she walked cherry blossom grew making it obvious. Her presence made the place cheer up... The cold wind stopped.... As the dark night lightened up... She heard some disturbances when a Gyuki appeared in front of her....

Haruka : Is it... Him?

She takes out her dragger and prepares herself when a dark tall figure cuts the Yokai into pieces. Blood covered grandma's face as her blue eyes looked into the eyes of the guy... Catching hold of grandma's hand he gives pressure making her drop the dragger.

Guy : You don't seem to be a human. What are you doing here?

Haruka : You... Killed Umewakamaru?... I mean Gyuki... I came... Here to kill him....

Guy : (smirks) Have you ever seen Umewakamaru?...

Haruka : No....

Guy : still you came to kill him?

Haruka : cause he killed my villagers...

Guy : Why you care about pathetic humans?... Your Yokai right?

Haruka : Yea.. But I love them... They're like my kids....

Guy : (sighs) What if I say am Umewakamaru...?

Haruka : (laughing) You aren't.... You would have killed me otherwise.

Umewakamaru : Maybe. But am not joking...

Haruka : (shakes in fear) H-Huh?... That means....

He looks at her with his piercing eyes before touching her warm cheek...

Umewakamaru : Your beautiful...

Haruka : (blushes) Thanks...

Umewakamaru : Be mine... (Lays a kiss on her lips)

Haruka : Huh?... But...

Umewakamaru : Either get killed or be mine... Choose one.

Haruka : kill me. (Gives him a blank face)

Umewakamaru : (smirks) I knew you were brave.

He picks her up in his arms and took her to his place...

One year later...

People started thinking my grandma was killed by Umewakamaru while she went to stop him... And made a statue of her in tribute when one day she finally returned... Umewakamaru promised to stop harming any person from her village in exchange to her presence... But after a year it became hard for her to stay there.... She started feeling like bird in a cage... So she left without letting anyone know about it... She was too scared to offend him... People rejoiced seeing her and everything was normal until one day she discovered she is pregnant...

It was early summer as she felt the urge to puke... Her stomach has grew a bit in size. She roamed around the house like a ghost trying to decide whether she should go back to Umewakamaru or not... She thought it was necessary to let him know but couldn't muster us enough courage. After thinking over it for a bit she decided to go back to Nejireme mountain... But when she reached there she found Umewakamaru slaughtering humans... Unable to control her emotions she returns home cursing herself for falling for a murderer.... She decided to never ever meet Umewakamaru again. And not to let him know about their child. But she didn't know the consequences about this....

Umewakamaru's blood mixed in our clan... A reason we hate him.... The blood thirst which killed Ahmya was a gift from him... The reason I am standing here confronting him today, the anger that is boiling inside me is his own mistake....

To be continued...