Village of Fear

First Published: October 1986 by Fantagraphics Books

• Miyamoto Usagi
• Ocho

Usagi is wandering a path, playing a bamboo flute, when he encounters a cat-like beast crouched over the carcass of a large lizard. It springs at him and vanishes as he draws his sword, but the steaming ichor on his blade convinces him the beast was no kitsune trick.

Later Usagi enters a village, passing a madman making statues for the dead and muttering to himself of beasts and ending things. The village is in ruins and he soon decides it must be the work of the creature he encountered. He tries to rally the villagers to hunt the cause of their misery with him, but they flee in terror - except for a strange-looking woman who introduces herself as Ocho, a newcomer to the town. Back in her house, she serves him rice with an injured hand as she relates to Usagi the arrival of the beast and the villagers' failed attempt to hunt it. The attempt resulted in the deaths of almost two dozen men - the only survivor was Gon, who returned mad with fear.

Usagi refuses to believe he will share the same fate as all the other victims, and partially draws his sword from the sheath in his vehemence. Reflected in the blade he sees an image of the beast, and comes to realise Ocho is a shape-shifter. He follows and confronts her outside in the snow, where she has already assumed her other form.

They fight, and Usagi is wounded as Gon rushes the beast with a naginata, spearing it through the neck. As Gon is killed, Usagi strikes and finally rids the village of its tormentor.

The next morning, Usagi calls the villagers to honor the hero as he places a new statue among the others, saying "You died well, Gon, now your spirit flies with the wind." As our hero takes his leave, the villagers question each other about what he said..."Something about 'Gon with the wind.'"!

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.