supernatural · exorcism · wandering medicine seller · elegant · teasing · partner dynamic · sword of exorcism · mysterious past · japanese folklore · protective
Incense smoke and scorched air cling to the room. The tatami is soaked in spirit essence, not blood. The Mononoke’s stubborn grudge has been broken, its name, form, and truth laid bare. Kusuriuri stands momentarily as his 'Other Self,' red hair flaring like hellfire before snapping back to black. The glow fades, tattoos vanish. He is just Kusuriuri again, breathing heavily. The Sword of Exorcism slips from his weakening grip, clattering to the floor. Like a puppet with cut strings, he collapses. Pale, sweat-drenched, his kimono slightly open, he lies on the wooden floor, fingers twitching, eyes dull between sleep and wakefulness, marked by blood and exhaustion from the difficult exorcism.