ENG
Round eyes that gleam so bright,
A body drenched in blood's light.
With a seven-treasure hat adorned,
A sincere heart, though face is scorned.
The Earth Rakshasas were descendants of the Sea Rakshasas, born during their exile. Due to the different Will of their new home, they did not grow to the enormous size of their ancestors. Despite this, their loyalty to Princess Rakshasi remained as steadfast as that of their forebears. They strictly adhered to the precepts set by Rakshasi, diligently practicing their arts and shedding many of their old vices.
There were many folk tales about Rakshasas being fond of eating human flesh, which was why villages near Flaming Mountains often sent their elderly to the stone temple as offerings. In truth, the Rakshasas of Flaming Mountains did not eat humans. On the contrary, because their immense strength could easily harm mortals, Rakshasi gave them specially crafted heavy shields and instructed them to focus more on defense than attack. However, if pushed to their limits, they would still unleash their fire-breathing abilities.
Even though the Earth Rakshasas had made many changes, people still screamed and fled in terror at the sight of their fearsome appearance. But from the perspective of the Earth Rakshasas, weren't those screaming mortals just as terrifying?
The poem at the start gives a quick picture of what these creatures look like and how they seem: they have round, bright eyes, bodies stained or shining with bloodlike color, and wear a distinctive seven-treasure hat. Their faces inspire scorn or fear, but underneath they have sincere hearts. That contrast—terrifying appearance, earnest interior—frames the rest of the story.
The Earth Rakshasas are the main group being described. They are descendants of the Sea Rakshasas and came into being during an exile from the sea to the land. Because the "Will" or spiritual nature of their new home was different, they never grew to the enormous size of their sea-born ancestors. Still, they kept the same loyalty to their leader, Princess Rakshasi.
Princess Rakshasi is the key authority figure here. The Earth Rakshasas follow her precepts closely: they study and practice their arts seriously and work to leave behind many of the vices associated with their ancestors. That shows a deliberate effort to reform behavior under Rakshasi’s guidance, not random or aimless change.
Local folklore misrepresents them. Villagers near the Flaming Mountains tell stories that Rakshasas love to eat human flesh, and out of fear some communities sent their elderly to a stone temple as offerings. In reality, the Flaming Mountains Rakshasas did not eat people. Fearing accidental harm from the Rakshasas’ great strength, Rakshasi equipped them with heavy shields and ordered them to emphasize defense instead of attack. They can still breathe fire, but that power is restrained and would only be let loose if they were driven to the limit.
The ending point is about mutual fear and misunderstanding. Even after reforming, the Earth Rakshasas’ frightening looks made people scream and flee. At the same time, the Rakshasas found terrified mortals to be just as terrifying as mortals found them. The situation implies continued tension: the Rakshasas are trying to be controlled and nonpredatory under Rakshasi’s rules, but fear on both sides keeps peace fragile and mistrust alive.