The Disfavored Hero Read Online Free PDF

is down!”
    Its arms reached toward her throat, spidery fingers writhing. Although Tomoe’s swords were not so long as the monster’s reach, its confidence was unwarranted. It was too gawky to be coordinated. She had no trouble ducking beneath its gangling arms and running forward to stick the monster’s belly.
    Multi-jointed arms wrapped around itself in feeble protection, but still it would not move from her path. She stabbed it again, withdrew, and stabbed with the left. It stood there launching no offense or defense while she dug out its intestines and spleen and liver and gizzard. Its heart fell into the hole she made and she dug that out too. The monster spoke once more:
    â€œO, Tomoe Gozen, of all the monsters on the road to Hell, you are the grimmest of us all.” Then it toppled to its side, falling into eternity.
    With the knowledge that she was fighting her way out of hell, Tomoe decided she must pick up her pace. But the determination had a reverse effect. The more necessary she felt it was to reach the peak, the less accessible the peak became. The monsters lined up against the wall, allowing her to pass without interference. They laughed at her, wheezing and spitting and slapping their thighs. She could barely move.
    â€œI cannot go on!” she cried, and cried tears.
    The assemblage of beasts hooted and jumped up and down and performed antics like a cheering crowd. Tomoe felt like a clown entertaining the vilest of sentient beings—beings who might once have been human like herself.
    â€œI will help you, Tomoe!”
    It was a familiar voice. Above her on the road, Ushii stood in full regalia. His armor had turned to gold. The monsters hid their faces and covered their eyes and fell upon their knees, whining and sniffling. Ushii Yakushiji held his hand down to Tomoe.
    â€œI cannot reach you!” she wailed.
    Flurries of snow were pushed away by the light of Ushii. He yelled at her almost with anger, “You can!”
    She raised one leaden foot and took one step. Ushii took a step of equal distance backward. She raised her other foot to approach but he stepped back again so that she was no closer.
    â€œWait for me, Ushii!”
    She nearly fell forward on her face, but saved herself and stumbled three steps up the mountain. Ushii’s feet did not appear to move, yet he was still no nearer. He floated backward like a wraith; and Tomoe saw that his feet were a hand’s width above the ground.
    For a long while she could not move. Ushii faded back into the snow, which had returned to its former thickness. Soon, he was invisible. Tomoe called for him to come back.
    â€œFollow me, Tomoe. Follow me to the top.”
    â€œI cannot see you!” she cried desperately.
    â€œFollow my voice.”
    â€œUshii!”
    â€œCome to me.”
    â€œWhere are you!”
    â€œYou are more powerful than the road to hell, Tomoe.”
    â€œUshii, I cannot hear your voice!”
    â€œYes, you can hear it, and you will come.”
    She stumbled another step onward. “No. You are wrong. I cannot hear. I cannot move.”
    It went thus, step by step. There were fewer monsters on the road and they no longer hindered her passage. She struggled upward, staggering through the snow. When she had come nearly within arm’s reach of the top, the oppressive atmosphere closed on her more tightly. She fell and could go no further.
    Ushii appeared again. He lay on his belly, reaching down from the top to where she had fallen. “Take my hand,” he said. She reached up until their fingers almost met.
    â€œYou are too far away, Ushii.”
    He replied, “I am right behind you, pushing up.”
    She felt him then, behind her, pushing up; suddenly she could reach his hand, and he gripped her wrists. He pulled her onto the top and vanished. Tomoe Gozen curled into a ball of weariness and cried herself to sleep.
    On regaining consciousness, Tomoe did not open her