The Demon of Agi Bridge

by Jason Spade Mon Mar 18, 2024 3:54 pm

In a dark room sits Sabanto, knelt before a small table adorned with various tea pots and fixings. Dressed in a dark red kimono, Sabanto pours a cup of steaming tea, swirls it for a moment, and takes a long, deliberate sip. Silently, with his eyes closed, Sabanto savors the flavor, before setting the cup back onto the table.

"Have you heard the tale of the Demon at Agi Bridge?"

Sabanto pours another cup of tea.

"Many years ago, an arrogant Samurai boasted of his invincibility. With his sword by his side, he travelled from town to town, challenging all those he saw to combat. But this Samurai was a coward; he slew the old and the sick and the weak, and fled from those who were his equal. His sword was drenched in the blood of the innocent, the smell of iron followed him like a cloud. One day, the Samurai arrived in a town overlooking an old bridge.

A pause.

"The Samurai saw that the bridge was in disrepair; cracked, old, barely together. The stream beneath it had long since dried up, leaving only a wound of dried earth beneath it. Confused, the Samurai demanded of the townsfolk, 'What is the meaning of this? Why has this bridge fallen into disrepair?'"

Sabanto takes another sip of his tea.

"The townspeople told the Samurai that the bridge was haunted by a demon; a cruel Oni who slew all that even so much as approached the bridge. Even attempts to repair the bridge had earned them the Oni's wrath. The Samurai laughed and called the people cowards; invincible as he believed himself to be, the Samurai would kill the Oni and save the townsfolk, in exchange, of course, for a hefty sum of money. And so, the Samurai approached the bridge, and declared himself to the Oni. For nearly an hour the Samurai boasted of his invincibility, of his strength... But no one came. Laughing, the Samurai returned to the town and declared that he had frightened the Oni away, and demanded his payment. The town was poor, and could not pay the Samurai, so instead they gave him free room and board for the night. Angrily, the Samurai demanded the finest woman the town had to offer, and declared that only if she satisfied him would he consider the town's debt paid. And so the Samurai went to his room at the inn and waited.

Hours later, the Samurai was awoken by a knock at his door. When he opened it, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life stood before him; excitedly, the Samurai let her into the room, and not wanting to waste time, he immediately demanded that she strip. The woman did as asked, sliding her silk kimono down her slender body, revealing what should have been soft, tender human skin... Instead, to the Samurai's horror, where there should have been skin, there was only green scales. The woman grew, changed, transformed right before the Samurai's eyes into a beast; towering above the Samurai was the Oni, the Demon of Agi Bridge. The Oni had come to answer the Samurai's challenge, to test his invincibility, and the Samurai was terrified. Turning to flee, he found that his door would not open. The Oni laughed his evil laugh, and that night the screams of the Samurai echoed across the town, consumed by the Oni... And consumed by his own arrogance."

Sabanto chuckles.

"Like the Samurai, the people of CMV are consumed by their arrogance. I have no Agi Bridge, but I do have an Oni to punish them with. My demon, my AKUNIN... I lay this challenge down to all those who think they can stand before my beast. For ten minutes, you must stand against AKUNIN. You need not win- after all, who can?- but you must survive. If you can, then I will reward you... With my services."

Sabanto smiles.

"Who will take the challenge?"