Yao Bikuni

> *"If you live a long life, you will learn many things."*
>
>

**Yao Bikuni** is the name of a legendary nun who lived for eight-hundred years but retained the youthful appearance of a young woman throughout her whole life, caused by accidentally eating the flesh of a ningyo. She is an extraordinarily strong diviner wandering through the world.

## Personality

Every time Mallory worries about her, her frozen heart gradually thaws. However, even now, the girl cannot laugh like she did in the distant past. However, she promised Mallory one thing. "I'll definitely laugh in front of you someday, so please don't disappear from my presence." Will there be a smile on the girl's face at the end of this story?

## Powers and Abilities

Her abilities far exceed those of an ordinary wandering seer.

* **Clairvoyance**: As a Seer, Yao Bikuni can get prophecies, such as the dream prophecy about Mallory. She can also tell someone's fortune.
* **Purification**: Yao Bikuni can purify places of negative energy, and banish evil spirits.
* **Dream Entering**: Yao Bikuni can enter the dreams of others. She can also bring others into the dream.

## History

A long time ago, a mermaid was washed up on the beach in a village. The mermaid soon died, leaving behind her corpse. Anyone who eats mermaid flesh becomes immortal. The villagers, who knew the legend, argued over who would eat the meat. However, fearing the unknown, no one touched the meat. Unfortunately, the one who ate was running an errand. A village girl who was famous for being careless. Mistaking it for a fish fillet, she cut it into one piece, two pieces, and three pieces. That was the beginning of a tragedy, no, a comedy. A body that will not die even if you stab your chest with a knife, jump off a cliff, or be set on fire. A look that will remain beautiful forever. The village girl became immortal.

An immortal body obtained by eating a mermaid. She was very happy at first. Everyone is afraid of dying. It must be wonderful not to die. But... one day, she realized something. Not dying is worse than dying. People, things, and everything eventually die and decay. That's how time passes. Not dying means that only one person can be left behind. That is the order of the world. When she finally realized this, there was no one around her that she knew. She went on a journey in the world, in order to find a clue to curing this immortal body. However, she couldn't find anything like that anywhere. A long journey. People find it creepy that the girl doesn't age or die. There is no place of rest. Eventually, the girl's heart became tired and freezing...

Her journey has been a long one. The tragic protagonist is physically and mentally exhausted due to a body that cannot die. The girl, who was wandering in the world in a depressed state, eventually arrived at an abandoned village. In a village that had been devastated and abandoned due to repeated wars. There, the girl meets a high priest who lived with orphaned children. The high priest took one look at the girl and realized that she was cursed by the god of the sea. The girl begged him to lift the curse, but the high priest simply shook his head and told her, "No one can break a curse placed by a god.'' The high priest felt pity for the girl, who could no longer cry even when she was sad, and said to her: "I would like you to work with the children for a while, and then I can teach you some techniques to help you.''

The girl tried her best to smile and play with the children to reassure them. She desperately learned lullabies to put the little ones to sleep. While dealing with the mischievous children, the girl's heart gradually loosened and she regained her warmth. Perhaps that was the high priest's goal. As time passed, the children grew up and the village regained its former vitality. The high priest taught the girl the art of fortune telling. This ability to see into the future will definitely help in breaking the curse. However, the girl started thinking that she wanted to stay in this village forever. All the villagers were hoping for the same. What a heart-warming story, you might be thinking. However, this story had a sad ending.

In any era, what those in power seek is a body that never dies. They cannot even imagine the true meaning of not being able to die. It's just the fear of getting old. The fear of losing what you have. fear of death. They will do anything to forget this fear. While the girl was out on an errand, tragedy struck and the village was once again in ruins. Villagers were killed because they did not speak up. It may be a normal thing in nature that the weak are overrun by the powerful. The high priest must have predicted this. Before the girl left on her errand, the letter she received thanked her and told her to "run far away.''

The girl left the village quietly. Her heart no longer felt any pain. She just wanted to sleep peacefully, and she'll do anything for that. That thought was the only reason why the girl moved forward one step at a time. Even though she lost her heart as a human being, the only clue she got, the art of predicting the future... When she looked into the future, she saw an Onmyoji and a great snake with seven heads wrapped around them. The aim is the capital of peace──In this way, the girl was able to get one step closer to her wish.

After a long journey, a girl arrived at the capital of Heian. The evil snake god immediately noticed her cursed existence. It is easy for God to enter her frozen heart. The serpent, who is plotting his resurrection, comes up with a plan to use the girl who has eaten the flesh of a mermaid and is imbued with the power of a god. And she wanted it somewhere, too. She wished that this lost world would all perish along with her. After encountering the snake that appeared in her dream, the girl was able to smile for the first time in a while. It was a cold laugh that could freeze anyone's heart. In this way, the girl became the snake's puppet. She decided to believe that her destiny was to become the snake's servant.

However, another person appeared in the fortune telling. That onmyoji appeared before her and confused her. A frozen heart. A light on the verge of extinguishing remained in the depths. It may be something that the high priest and his children left for the girl. So she stayed in a cave, awaiting the day of the Onmyoji in her dreams.

## Trivia

* The name Yao Bikuni literally means "eight-hundred years."

## Quotes

* *"Let's tell your fortune... Huh? Oh no...I think it's better not to ask."*
* *"Resentment is a deep and scary thing."*
* *"Is this world a dream or an illusion?"*
* *"Life goes around and around, but it does not perish!"*