《Demon in Lianzhen》


 Part 1-1 Gao

    Gao stood at the edge of an intricate runic circle. It glowed with an ever shifting


    pattern of translucent colors, turning the stone walls of the summoning chamber into a


    hypnotic mosaic of moving blocks. It lit up the specks of dust hanging in the air like rays


    of sunlight through an open window, and gave an aura of menace to the wide grin that


    spread across Gao¡¯s face. For the briefest of moments, sound ceased to exist.


    Red mist, thick and hazy, emanated from the sacrifice. It crept in twisting patterns


    toward the center of the circles. Coalescing just above the floor. The dust particles now


    glowing with the white hot fury of magnesium embers joined the miasma in a roiling


    maelstrom of energy. The mass condensed, becoming more substantial and shifting in


    color from red, to scarlet, to black, then to something that was far less a color and more


    the absence of reality itself. The overpowering scent of sulfur flooded the room in a


    tsunami of brimstone stench.


    Then it was over. Sound returned. The light from the runic circle died down into a


    gently glowing green. The magical lights along the ceiling seemed to remember they


    were supposed to exist and they once again cast their warm glow out as if nothing had


    happened, but something had happened.


    The creature landed on its knees, arms falling down to its sides, and its wings


    slumping to the ground. Rich black hair covered a face that was looking downward and


    thus hidden. Gao exchanged a quick glance with Shoichi who was busily trying to fasten


    his pants as he moved closer to his friend while giving the circle a wide berth. Gao had


    succeeded. He had pieced together the ritual from a hundred tiny fragments of


    information and on his first attempt he had actually succeeded. Truly he was a master


    mage, but the summoning was the easy part. Now he faced the real challenge. The


    battle of wills with a denizen of hell. Gao outstretched his arms with palms up. In the


    most authoritative voice he could muster he commanded. "Rise."


    The demon raised its hands, fingers pulling back the flowing locks of hair that


    covered its face. One bright red eye locked on to Gao. Both he and Shoichi took an


    involuntary step backward. She would have been beautiful. Her skin was pale and


    flawless with glowing green tattoos that ran the length of her shapely body like elegant


    pulsing veins. Her black as night hair was long and silky, cascading down her head and


    shoulders like a spring stream down a forest pass. Her horns were attractively curved.


    Her spaded tail was long and elegant. Her face was slim and exotic. Her eyes, oh Gods


    her eyes¡­ The left eye was bright red and beautiful like the rest of her. The right eye


    however, was inky black. Expanding outward from that bottomless abyss was a network


    of black tendrils that followed her veins and arteries. The succubus possessed


    otherworldly beauty, even as she¡­ Don¡¯t humanize it Gao. Even as it simultaneously


    possessed otherworldly repulsiveness.


    ¡°Could you cover your right eye again?¡± Gao bit his tongue after his query. He


    shouldn¡¯t have asked her... it, to do that. Even as it replaced the hair over its horrifying


    eye, Gao could feel the demoness¡¯ palpable aura of seduction. This next part would


    have been easier with the thing¡¯s eye nullifying her unnatural beauty, but he had


    prepared for this. He would master this creature. It would be his pet, not the other way


    around.


    ¡°Kind of creepy,¡± Shoichi remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I want to fuck it or beat


    it to death.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gao hissed. He cleared his throat, ready to bind the creature to his


    indomitable will... He cleared it again, louder this time in an attempt to regain the


    demon¡¯s focus. She¡­ it, wasn''t even looking at him. The demon was staring at the


    sacrifice. The damnable servant girl was staring back at the succubus looking terrified


    and completely awkward in her position of nude and tethered to the altar. They had had


    to force her participation because she couldn¡¯t just let Shoichi have his way with her like


    a good little wench. Now she was distracting the damn thing. Or maybe he was looking


    at this wrong. Perhaps this was an advantage.


    ¡°Do you like her?¡± he asked with consummate professionalism.


    The demon turned its head toward him and gave a single slight nod.


    Excellent, he thought with some glee. ¡°She can be yours to do with what you will


    if you so wish. We will need to hash out the details of course.¡±


    The demoness took a moment to examine the rune covered floor. ¡°I shall


    requireth an examination of thine girl first. To appraise her value.¡± Her¡­ its, voice was


    low, feminine, and surprisingly lacking in the seductive nature that he had been


    previously expecting.


    ¡°You speak the Imperial dialect?¡± Gao said before exchanging a nervous and


    excited glance with Shoichi. Shoichi clearly didn¡¯t get the implications. She doesn¡¯t


    speak telepathically or even in the same tongue. The tomes were wrong! As soon as we


    strike a deal, I need to write this down. Or perhaps, I¡¯ll make my new pet write it down.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I doth. Thou art Anorian, yes?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± replied Shoichi.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± Gao ordered.


    ¡°Mmmm. Now, about thine girl?¡±


    Gao looked down at the sand filtering through the hourglass. He had time to


    spare. ¡°Shoichi, throw her in with the demon.¡±


    The sacrifice started screaming through her gag. It really isn¡¯t fair to call her a


    sacrifice, mused Gao as Shoichi untied her tethers. Lust was the sacrifice. Hell, the little


    bitch didn¡¯t do anything. Maybe she¡¯ll be more useful now. The demon caught the


    stumbling girl and pulled her to the floor, wrapping her body around the little wench.


    Was this going to get erotic? He looked down at the hourglass. That I don¡¯t have time


    for.


    ¡°That¡¯s hot.¡±


    Gao held up a hand for Shoichi to shut the fuck up.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re going to get a show?¡±


    ¡°Would you shut up!¡± Gao hissed. He really needed to get better help. ¡°I¡¯m trying


    to hear what it¡¯s saying.¡±


    Leaning as close to the circle as he dared, he tried to make out the whispers.


    The demon released the wench, who slowly and shakily got onto her feet. Gao cursed


    himself for missing the brief exchange.


    ¡°Now, go and standeth behind mine Master and await orders.¡±


    With eyes locked onto the stone floor and fists clenched tightly to her sides, the


    girl moved toward Gao. This seems too easy, he thought. Both men watched as the


    abused servant girl took a position three steps behind Gao.


    ¡°Thine girl. I find her acceptable. Does thou wish for a pact then?¡±


    Gao looked down at the sand falling into the lower half of the hourglass. ¡°Ye,


    yes.¡± Hesitation threading its way into his voice. Something¡¯s wrong. This is just too


    easy.


    The demon nodded and motioned him closer. He wasn¡¯t going to fall for that.


    Gao double checked his position near the circle. He was still well on the correct side so


    he merely leaned forward a little.


    ¡°Sendeth unto me mine Master.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gao asked just before he felt two powerful hands slam into him with a


    guttural, vengeful roar.


    Gao tried to avoid the waiting embrace of the demon as he fell forward. Tried to


    divert his momentum off to the side, but it wasn¡¯t far enough. A slender, femine hand


    wrapped around his wrist, then the floor jumped up to greet his face. Pain flared in his


    arm, his nose, and along his throat as hot breath caressed his ear. ¡°Now we shall make


    our pact,¡± the demon hissed. Gao could barely make out the screaming over the


    thundering of his own heartbeat. The wail of pain warred with the roar of hatred, but


    really, if he thought about it, the only thing that truly mattered was himself and the


    demon now on top of him.


    Gao grit his teeth and said nothing. In the distance, the screaming hatred won


    out over pain. Dull and squishy rythmic thumping echoed throughout the stone walled


    room. ¡°No? Does thou not wish for a pact? Ah, I see. Thou awaits thine friend?¡± It¡¯s


    fingers wormed their way into Gao¡¯s hair and violently directed his face to the right. The


    rhythmic squishing sound. It was Shoichi¡¯s head as the naked wench, her skin drenched


    in blood, lifted it off the floor and slammed it down against the stone. Again and again


    until the skull must have given way and only the skin was left, just barely holding in the


    pulped interior.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Gao asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Ah good. What I want is simple. I shall let thee live. Thou shalt deactivate the


    runes and thou shalt bind me to thine world.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t?¡±


    Gao felt it shrug. ¡°Thou hast given me freedom from mine prison. Thou is getting


    a good pact, but¡­ humans live for what? Eighty years? I hath slept for longer. Another


    shall summon me. Thou willst die before thine ritual¡¯s time is up.¡±


    He didn¡¯t think about it too long. Live with almost no consequences or die. ¡°One


    amendment.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± amusement evident in her tone.


    ¡°What went wrong? You don¡¯t act like a succubus.¡± Might as well find out where


    he had errored. Next time he¡¯d get it right.


    ¡°Suc-cu-bus? Ahhhh. I shall accept this amendment. Doth we have a pact then?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The pain in his arm instantly disappeared. She was still holding him though.


    ¡°Thine runes.¡±


    He breathed a word of power and the lights went out. ¡°I, Gao Zheng, invite you


    onto the mortal plane.¡± He waited. The demon had drawn in a sudden breath and fully


    released him, but that was it. He had been expecting more. Lights or an ominous sound,


    or something.


    ¡°Ah good. Now for mine part. Thine error. Thou wished to summon a succubus?


    Thou needeth lust to summon a succubus. Thou used hate and a great will for revenge.


    Did thou trully think rape wouldest give thou lust?¡± it laughed. ¡°Thou art a stupid mortal.¡±


    Gao rolled onto his back and watched the not-succubus gimp toward the door;


    favoring its right leg. She stopped and turned to the still enraged girl.


    ¡°Hey, girl.¡± She pointed at Gao. ¡°He is the reason thou were raped.¡±


    The girl¡¯s fiery gaze locked onto him. Her mouth opened into a blood curdling


    howl of rage and hate. If there was one lesson to be taken away from this botched


    summoning. It¡¯s that an irate girl, hyped up on a demon¡¯s rage buff, can cross a room


    faster than an academic mage can cast a spell.

 Part 1-2 The Demon

    The screams cut off the moment the latch of the heavy wooden door clicked shut.


    Out before her was a dim hallway lit by the occasional floating orblet of light. Numbered


    doors lined the grey stone walls. The cool moist air licked at her bare skin. The gentle


    slap of her bare feet against the cold flagstones worn smooth with the passing of time


    echoed ominously. She shifted. Pulling her wings, tail, and horns inward. Pulsing tattoos


    retreated. Ears rounded. Her right eye turning from inky black to milky white. Once at


    the opening of the hallway, she stopped. Eyes locked with an Anorian man who seemed


    stunned to see her. Right, I am still naked.


    "Thou might wish to check door number fourteen. A ritual did not fare well there."


    "Huh?" asked the man intelligently. Well kid really. He couldn''t have been out of


    his teens yet.


    "Door fourteen," she repeated.


    "Fourteen?" he asked. Eyes trying so very hard to take in her full visage.


    "Yes. Do hurry."


    "Oh, ok." He got up from his seat, hugging the wall as he passed her as if


    bumping her would destroy a priceless artifact.


    "Doth these robes belong to thee? May I taketh them. I find myself quite cold."


    "Uh. Yeah. Please. And. Uh, s-stay here ok? Please?"


    She gave him a warm smile and a bow. He bolted down the hallway occasionally


    looking back over his shoulder. She didn''t wait. Snatching the robe from its hook and


    pausing only as she passed a small mirror. No wonder the boy had seemed so stunned.


    Her human form looked nothing like an Anorian. She forced her face to widen,


    becoming rounder. The color in her left iris darkened to a deep brown, almost black.


    She pushed the upper area of her eyelids out until they made an attractive epicanthic


    fold. Made them more round. More elegant. Not perfect. She grit her teeth. Perfection


    would have to come later. Actually, this was Anoria after all, so... She took just another


    moment to push out two small cone shaped horns that protruded from her temples.


    Horns are so pretty. A slight darkening of the skin and she had to go. The only other


    adjustment she could afford was a slight boost in height to accommodate the robes.


    The guise of an Oni-Kai may not have been the best decision. Of the four mortals


    she had come into contact with, all of them had been human. It was possible this was a


    human only building. It was possible that Oni-Kai were a lower class of citizens. Shit, it


    was possible Oni-Kai had gone extinct in the unknown amount of years she had spent


    imprisoned. That said, humans breed like rats and spread like wildfire, so seeing no


    humans would have been far more out of the ordinary. Walking tall and with purpose,


    though with her ever present limp, she passed several humans who didn''t give her so


    much as a second glance. Maybe humans were the lower class now?


    She found her way through halls and massive chambers mostly by following the


    flow of people and the increasing natural light. Ah, there are Oni-Kai here. She adjusted


    the angle of her horns to be more anatomically correct. Then she was in the courtyard.


    Vibrant golden sunlight raining down like a flood of glory on her skin. Its warmth a


    reassuring melody that the mortal realm had not changed nor had it been a distant


    dream. The air sweet and thick with blossoming floral scents she could only vaguely


    recall. The blue sky with its fluffy white clouds, the hard packed earth beneath her bare


    feet, the greenery of grass, clover, and trees. It was ecstacy. It was life. It was freedom.


    Forced to follow the crowd and scarcely noticing, she exited the courtyard via


    massive iron gates. Their thunderous clang breaking her out of her reaveraly. The


    building she had just walked out of was massive. Built like a palace with three main


    towers interconnected by the lower floor. Their great white walls gleaming in the light of


    day. Their elegant red colored and sweeping pagoda roofs capping the several story tall


    structures. The whole complex encased by a large square wall painted white with a red


    roof and thoroughly decorated with gold and jade reliefs of arcane symbols, great


    beasts, and powerful phrases of great importance to those who could read them.


    It was the sound that struck her more than anything however. Yes, there had


    been noise in the summoning chamber, but she had been preoccupied by the situation.


    Now she stood in the center of a bustling street filled with the to and fro movements of a


    hundred or more mortals. A great cacophony of talking, laughing, the friction of fabric on


    fabric, and the slap of footwear on pavers. How long had it been since she last heard


    these mundane things? How long had the steady dripping of water been the only sound


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.past her own breathing? So much sound. So much noise. Not just people, but water.


    Falling water. Now that she noticed it she could hardly hear anything over the


    thundering roar of fathomless amounts of water crashing into the depth of yet more


    liquid.


    Her fingers gripped the railing at the far end of the street. She pulled herself up


    onto the ledge not far from where an overly intimate couple stood holding each other


    and speaking in quiet flowery prose. To her right, the street swooped out wide like a


    massive arm carrying a great load that was the city below. To her left, water fell from a


    great multitude of pools to plummet to the populated lower terrace, creating a roiling


    mist that engulfed the ramshackle buildings at the bottom of the fall. Shacks built on top


    of shacks at haphazard angles that jutted out over the water, sprawled out around the


    base of the falls. The buildings became larger and better built the farther out she looked


    until they became a grid of city blocks, canals, streets, and bridges. Towers rose


    majestically into the air. Mortal made ponds hosted floating markets. Everywhere there


    was greenery and trees, some in full bloom with pedals of red or white or pink.


    On the edges lay large terraces filled with perfect mid sized wooden homes


    surrounded with perfect fences and filled with the perfect assortment of trees and


    shrubs. The terrace she was on consisted primarily of large and ostentatious buildings.


    Many painted in red and white, but a few were built of dark or light stone and had the


    ominous aura of temples. Following the cascading water upward to the topmost terrace


    produced a building that was both bridge and palace with white washed stone, painted


    red walls, and sweeping dark colored roofs. Massive and commanding was the


    mansion, dwarfing its neighbours that surrounded it, all of which vibrantly displaying


    themselves as the upper class to the city they looked down upon.


    ¡°Thou!¡± she said pointing at a random mortal. ¡°What is the name of thine city?¡±


    The man stared up at her with mouth agape and eyes wide. ¡°Ah, ah,¡± he snapped


    into a deep bow, causing the others around him to bow as well before moving past.


    Odd. I do not recall these mortals being this polite.


    ¡°The city is Lianzhen, my lady.¡±


    My lady? Oh I could get used to this, she waved her hand, dismissing the mortal.


    ¡°That shall be all, thank you.¡±


    He bowed twice more before hurrying away. She turned to the cascading waters.


    ¡°Lianzhen. Lian, zhen. Cascade City.¡± She let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°Zero


    points for creativity.¡±


    She jumped down from the ledge and let the flow of bodies, like water, take her


    down hill. Most traveled in finery of silks and finely woven cottons. Some in far less


    extravagant clothing, roughspun hemp and linen. Men and women''s kimonos both plain


    and printed, elegant cheongsam worn by elegant and noble looking ladies, changshan


    both common and sophisticated, and the long dark coats of civil servants. Once in the


    lower tier, much of the finery diminished in quality or sometimes altogether. Fancy


    cheongsam giving way to simple shirts and skirts. Changshan being replaced with basic


    tunics. Soldiers both male and female, more so female oddly enough, marched in linen


    garments more closely resembling gambesons though still with the Anorian flair that


    saturated everything. They wore conical steel helmets and carried odd looking


    shortspears with offset spearheads and vaguely familiar contraptions at their base. At


    some point the machete must have replaced the sword. Gone was the fancy armor and


    curved blades she had expected to see.


    An Oni-Sen smith worked at an anvil. His red tinted skin dripping with sweat from


    the heat of the furnace and his long elegant horns pointing toward the overhead beams


    of his open air smithy. Perhaps I should mimic that race. Such attractive horns. Long


    and thin, gently curved and white though a bit off balancing. A kitsune woman was


    selling vegetables along the street. Her human face in juxtaposition to the furry tail and


    high fox-like ears. Pretty golden irises and hair the color of harvested wheat. Humans


    everywhere as always. The many shapes and sizes and colors. So boring. The Oni-Kai,


    much like their Oni-Sen cousins, but with much smaller horns, less pointed ears, and


    more human colorations. She altered her body as she observed. Reducing her breast


    size slightly to hit the happy medium between the too small and the too big. Narrowed


    her hips. Curved her horns more. Adjusted her cheekbones. It would take time of


    course. Proportions were just as important as individual parts, but perfection demanded


    time in front of a mirror.


    She stopped. Eyes locked onto a particular motral. Their clothing and cargo


    unimportant. What mattered was the ash white hair. The red irises. The black horns that


    swept back along their head, wholly unlike the Oni-Sen. And of course their tail. Long


    and thin with a spade shaped point. Akumajin. So pretty. Or they would have been if


    they weren''t a male. She could always switch to an Akumajin. Or maybe that would be


    too obvious.

 Part 1-3 Rin

    Sparks showered among kindling, but failed to take. Another rain of sparks


    illuminated the small confines of the kalan. Tiny bits of igniting metal turned to embers


    and with a little extra air, embers became flames. Rin held her shaking hands over the


    clay stove, trying to absorb some of the escaping heat into her icy flesh. Fire started,


    she wrapped her cloak tightly around her chilly body and shifted past the blankets hung


    around the kalan in a desperate attempt not to waste the warmth. The door slid to the


    side and the sound of squeaking boards resounded around the tenant house courtyard


    as Rin and several of her neighbors made their way to the communal well.


    Their breath made ghostly clouds in the morning air, illuminated by the rising


    morning sun to the east and the single magic lantern near the latrine. "Po." Rin bowed


    to the older lady in front of her as the woman turned, bucket full. "Rin." She bowed


    slightly and shuffled off. Cold hands pulled up a bucket full of colder water that splashed


    into her own container. Water gathered, she bowed slightly to the next person in line


    with a quiet, "Po", and shuffled back to her room. Taking time to first warm her hands


    above the kalan, she set the water to heat up. Working by rushlight, vegetables and


    ginger were cut and set into a bowl of millet that had been soaking since last night. Rin


    placed the bowl by the kalan along with a single speckled egg and found a comfy spot


    to relax in the gently warming tent of blankets. The sound of neighbors setting about


    their morning chores breaking the monotony of the ever present waterfall.


    The door slid open and a sort, heavily cloaked, young woman crossed the


    threshold. Bouncing in a vain attempt to keep her body from cooling further she swiftly


    shut the door, kicked off her shoes, dropped her cloak, and slipped into the tent of


    blankets. She let out a teeth chattering sigh of relief as she thrust her trembling hands


    out over the cooking millet.


    ¡°Te,¡± said Rin. Acknowledging her sister¡¯s presence.


    ¡°H-how much w-wood did y-you use?¡±


    ¡°Less than yesterday.¡±


    ¡°G-good.¡± Her reply ended in a long bout of teeth chattering.


    Rin motioned to the bucket of water set off to the side. Steam streaming out of its


    top like a warm pond on a chilly morning such as this. Mika looked at it with equal parts


    desire and dread. With a sigh, she began stripping.


    Rin set a makeshift table with fresh water and the millet-vegetable dish as her


    poor sister bathed with the duality of exposing bare skin to both the torture of cold


    spring air and the pleasure of hot water. Cleaned and dried from horn to tail tip the


    pretty dark haired Akumajin wrapped in a warm blanket and no longer quivering began


    shoving the meager breakfast into her face with reckless abandon. She froze, as if


    having just realized she was eating sand or something to that effect.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Rin?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Is there egg in here?¡±


    Rin gave her older sister a smile and a nod.


    ¡°Is there egg in yours?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Mika scooped up her bowl and thrust it toward her younger sibling.


    ¡°No!¡± Rin protested.


    ¡°You eat this. You need¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Rin interrupted with a hiss. ¡°I get leftovers at the teahouse. Eat!¡±


    Mika hesitated.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    Mika gave her sister a nod and tried to hide the gratefulness in her tired eyes.


    ¡°I have to go.¡±


    The older sister nodded. ¡°Be safe.¡±


    ¡°Get some sleep okay.¡±


    The morning sun lit up the world in a glorious prism of reds, oranges, and


    yellows. Casting long shadows over, businesses, residential lots, and the multitude of


    empty buildings. The constant roar of the falls all but disappeared as she passed the


    abandoned bakery recently inhabited by a gang of six. Their eyes bore into her as she


    passed, just as they did every morning and every night. After entering the back door of


    the teahouse she quickly stripped down to her undergarments and exchanged her warm


    robes for her underskirt and cheongsam. Rin smoothed out the wrinkles as she waited


    in the line with the other girls to use the room¡¯s only mirror. Once she found her


    appearance acceptable she handed the mirror to the next girl in line and headed into


    the teahouse proper.


    ¡°Rin.¡±


    ¡°Yes Amo.¡± Rin replied instantly, bowing to the proprietor of the teahouse.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Rin entered the side room where a seamstress was putting the final touches on


    an outfit for someone Rin hadn¡¯t seen before. The girl stood straight and tall. Easily a


    head taller than Rin, but most people were. A slim and elegant Oni-Kai with flawless


    skin, long and silky black as night hair, and a face that seemed too perfect. Her hair was


    parted, the left half hung off the outside of her perfectly curved horn exposing her


    gorgeous facial features. The right however, remained obscured by a silky sheen of


    black. The way her body filled out the white underskirt and green flower print


    cheongsam; Rin wasn¡¯t sure if the dress made the girl look noble or if it was the girl


    making the dress look noble.


    ¡°This is Illiesku, Nar, Arakna.¡± Rin¡¯s boss looked to the girl as if to confirm she


    had pronounced the name correctly. Illiesku nodded slightly.


    ¡°Il-li-es-ku?¡± Rin confirmed.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s from the kingdom of Her Excellency, the Most High Ro-Kon. Please


    train her in today.¡±


    Rin bowed. ¡°Yes Amo.¡±


    Illiesku bowed slightly to Rin. ¡°Please forgiveth mine accent. I have not yet


    become accustomed to your dialect.¡±


    Rin instantly stiffened into a deep bow only just barely stopping herself from


    dropping to the floor in prostration. This was obviously the reason her boss had


    specified that the girl was from another kingdom. Just because the girl spoke like a


    noble didn¡¯t mean she was a noble, though it was still unnerving in the extreme.


    ¡°It will be fine.¡± Rin said, winching at the stiffness in her own voice. ¡°Please follow me.¡±


    She led the girl into the rear preparation area. ¡°How are you at making tea?¡± she asked


    and mentaly prepared herself for the authoritative aura of Illiesku¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Hmmm. I fear that I do not remember the process.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Part 1-4 Rin

    ¡­ Three weeks later¡­


    Rin bowed to her boss. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now Amo.¡±


    The proprietor of the teahouse merely gave her an acknowledging grunt and Rin


    was off. The majority of Lianzhen sat in shadow as the sun dipped below the western


    edge, setting the eastern edge on fire with reds and oranges. She happily entered into


    the alley with the abandoned bakery and stopped. Ever since the gang had started


    squatting in the unused build, she had passed them twice a day, almost every day for


    months and they had never said a single word to her. Today however, one of the men


    was standing in the middle of the street as if waiting for her. The two stared at each


    other. Rin took a single step backwards and prepared herself to run when she was


    grabbed from behind. A hand covered her mouth, the other wrapper around her waist


    and lifted her off the ground. Rin thrashed and kicked and screamed, all of which did


    very little.


    "Get back," the man said quietly. "I want the other one too."


    Rin watched helplessly as the man set himself up behind a corner of the building.


    Likely where the woman, she knew because of the lumps pressed into her back, had


    been hiding. Screaming wasn''t getting her anything more than muffed mumbling and


    thrashing had only caused the rather strong female to squeeze so tightly that Rin could


    barely breathe. The other man and three women took up their positions. One of the girls


    standing in the alleyway this time.


    Rin waited. If she could make enough sound to warn whoever was coming down


    the alley, then there was a good chance they could get help and come back for her. A


    figure in a robe emerged from the alley. Rin instantly recognized the gently limping gate


    of Illiesku. The man started sneaking up behind the unaware Oni-Kai. Rin tried to


    scream, but failed. In a flash of movement Illiesku was¡­ untouched. The man fell


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.backwards, both hands on his throat and making choking sounds. There was a brief


    pause. A soundless moment where even the alleyway itself seemed to hold its breath.


    Then all three women and the other man charged as one.


    Rin tried to scream again. She kicked and thrashed and squirmed to no avail. It


    didn''t matter. Illiesku moved with the speed and power, if not the grace, of a martial


    artist. By the time Rin had once again given up, most of the gang lay groaning on the


    ground. Illiesku had one of the women by her dark brown hair. She was bent


    backwards, begging to be released. The man that had first tried to jump the Oni-Kai had


    regained his feet.


    "Fuck you!" he screamed at Illiesku, pulling an undersized machete. He charged.


    "Hei, stop!" shouted the woman holding Rin.


    Rin clenched her eyes shut.


    The sound of metal bouncing across stone echoed throughout the alleyway. The


    final note to a master composition. Rin opened one eye as the person holding her


    tensed. The woman that Illiesku had been holding by the hair was crawling away from


    the group. So was the other male. Illiesku made a sharp downward jerk and her attacker


    fell motionless to the ground. The Oni-Kai scanned her surroundings. Looking over her


    left shoulder, her single unhidden eye locked onto Rin, or more likely the girl holding


    Rin.


    "Run." commanded the lone figure still standing.


    Rin felt weightless for the briefest of moments, then the ground jumped up to


    smack her in the ass. Heavy footfalls faded off as the gang ran, or limped, as fast as


    possible. Rin was rubbing the base of her tail when Illiesku was suddenly above her.


    She instantly prostrated herself to the Oni-Kai.


    "Thank you for saving my life!" Rin practically shouted, forehead pressed to the


    stone.


    "Did I? I didn''t sense they wanted to end you?"


    Rin looked up at Illiesku. "I, I mean..."


    Illiesku turned and began walking. "Come then. I shall see you home."


    Rin picked herself off the ground and ran to catch up with the Oni-Kai woman.


    She stole a brief glance back at the man still laying on the ground. Illiesku must have hit


    him really hard if he was still unconscious.

 Part 1-5 Sung Wei

    Inspector Sung Wei surveyed the scene. Noting the blood splatter on the stone.


    The location of the machete, specifically its distance from the body. How the body lay


    on its side. The distance from the walls. The bloody footprints. He scratched the stubble


    on his chin, rolled up the sleeves on his civil servant coat, and pulled an oversized pair


    of chopsticks out of his bag. He squatted down next to the corpse. Dark eyes taking in


    all the details revealed by the magical lanterns that were busy turning the dark alleyway


    into noon.


    Sung Wei used the chopsticks to manipulate the man''s clothing. It seemed to


    have been altered at some point after the man had hit the ground. There. Blood streaks


    staind the garment in a very specific smear. A sword would have left two straight


    smears with an empty grove separating them. This might have been an odd shaped


    club, but why all the blood then? No, it honestly looks more like someone wiped off their


    arm.


    "Taro!" Sung Wei called.


    "Yes Puno?" answered a wiry human carrying one of the lanterns.


    "Help me get his robe off."


    The two men worked carefully, trying to remove the dead man''s outer garment


    without disrupting the rest of the crime scene. Sung Wei used the chopsticks to


    delicately pull back the victim''s shirt, exposing the hole just under his ribcage. Taro


    covered his face in a feeble attempt to escape the smell.


    "Why is the smell so bad Taro?" Sung Wei asked conversationally while frowning


    at the hole. It was more of a tear than a cut.


    "Excuse me Puno?"


    "The smell. Why is it this bad?"


    "Um, because the sack containing the abdominal organs has been ruptured?"


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.Taro asked.


    Sung Wei nodded, "That is correct. Why do you sound so unsure?"


    The young man hesitated. "It''s the first time I''ve smelt it Puno."


    "Well now you know the scent. Ran Li. Come over here."


    "Yes Inspector?"


    Sung Wei''s ageing knees cracked audibly as he stood up. "Crack his chest."


    "Here?" the examiner protested.


    "Yes here. What can you tell me about how he died? It wasn''t blood loss. He


    wasn''t simply stabbed."


    "Hmm, fine."


    This was Sung Wei''s show, so the examiner did as told regardless of his opinions


    on where to and where not to perform an autopsy. The Inspector took a few steps back


    and looked over the scene again. His gaze shifted over to the machete laying some


    distance away. He positioned himself in a ready stance and held his right hand as if


    holding a knife. He took a large step forward and looked down at the body. No. That


    isn''t right. The information said it was a woman. He took a step back. Then forward


    again. A large step for someone shorter than himself. He threw his left arm up and


    stabbed forward with the right. Then he jerked his right hand down.


    Sung Wei looked back over at the idle machete. Yes. He looked at the ground


    under his right hand. No blood splatter. This isn''t right. He tried the whole maneuver


    over again. This time he slowly pulled his right hand back. That could be it.


    "Inspector?" Ran Li asked.


    Sung Wei returned his attention to the examiner. "Did you find out how he died?"


    "Ye-yes."


    The Inspector looked down at the victim''s open chest cavity and frowned. "Taro?"


    he asked in a solemn tone.


    "Yes Puno?"


    "Are you aware of any martial artists that can jab into a man''s flesh?"


    "Ah, yes. There are accounts of that. Why?"


    "In any of those accounts, did they tear out a man''s heart?"


    "N-no Puno."


    "They said it was an Oni-Kai woman, yes?"


    "Yes Puno."


    "Please send a message to Saito Matsumoto at the Temple of the Six Tailed Fox.


    Tell him we may have an Aswang on the loose."


    "Y-yes Puno."


    Sung Wei turned to face Taro who was still standing there like a moron. "Taro?"


    "Yes Puno?"


    "Go now."


    "Oh, yes Puno." Taro bowed. "My apologies Puno."

 Part 2-1 Rin

    The sun was busy casting its morning glow on the western ridge of the valley.


    The bustle of people starting their day competed with the ever present sound of


    cascading water. Rin wasn''t used to taking this path to work, but the thought of taking


    her usual shortcut sent the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. A street full of


    people was the last place she expected to be attacked. Her heart tried to jump out of


    her chest when arms wrapped around her. The weight of another body pushing into her


    back and a chin resting on her head confused her. This was more a hug than an attack.


    "Rin."


    "A-a¡¯te Illiesku?"


    "Mmm."


    Rin let out a sigh of relief. The Oni-Kai had walked her home last night, the only


    payment she had wanted was to store a few things of hers. Rin had readily agreed. It


    really wasn''t enough. Rin opened her mouth to speak, but Illiesku beat her to it.


    "Your hair, the scent is pleasant."


    "It''s ginger."


    "Mmmmm."


    "Illiesku?" Rin fidgeted in the girl''s arms.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road."Yes?"


    "C-can you let go of me? People are staring."


    The weight and arms disappeared. Rin turned around to talk to Illiesku face to


    face. The girl was in her usual grey robe. Her hair parted so her right eye was covered


    and her left stared at Rin with something between boredom and affection. Rin bowed


    deeply.


    "In payment for saving my life. Please allow me to treat you to a [day on the


    town]."


    The Oni-Kai nodded. "If you must."


    Well, that was easy. Rin thought.


    After ending the bow, she managed to nervously hold still as Illiesku reached


    over to touch her left horn. She couldn''t actually tell what the girl was doing, just felt the


    pressure where her horn attached to her skull.


    "You possess attractive horns."


    "Um, thank you."


    Illiesku smiled. "You are very pretty."


    "Um. We, we''re going to be late a-and people are st-staring again."


    "Mmm," the Oni-Kai retracted her hand. "Yes, we must not be tardy."


    Rin''s shoulders feel as Illiesku passed her to lead the way. She followed,


    wringing her hands together and trying to keep the correct amount of distance between


    them.

 Part 2-2 Sung Wei

    Sung Wei stood up and gave the girl a slight bow. "Thank you for answering my


    questions." He turned to Saito and nodded to the stout kitsune. The two left and the


    door closed, sealing away the young woman until an aid came around to take her away


    from her tiny stone world.


    "Why is she alive?" Sung Wei asked as he pulled out his pipe and the two


    passed through the double doors of the Bureau to the bright beautiful world outside.


    Saito''s fox-like ears twitched. "The Zheng family are merchants, not nobles. They


    paid a lot to have some of the information silenced, but not to have the girl hanged."


    "The Bureau is aware of this demon?"


    "Of course. I''m sure your boss has already warned anyone with significant


    influence in the city." The mage smoothed out his robes. "But I don''t think that''s the


    place to look."


    "Why''s that?" A shower of sparks from Sung Wei''s lighter hit the tobacco, he took


    a few puffs to get the pipe working.


    "It''s not a succubus."


    "Then what is it?"


    "Don''t know."


    Sung Wei stopped at the center of Pula bridge. He leaned over the red rails and


    puffed on his pipe. Saito joined him, likely admiring the way the sunlight reflected off the


    water and cast fractal reflections on the canal walls.


    "Saito?"


    "Mmm?"


    "Why does a mage, a decent looking one from what I understand, with money,


    and in a city where the women in his age group outnumber men three to one, rape a


    girl?"


    "Bah! Zheng was a pretentious little shit. I didn''t peg him for cruel, but I didn''t peg


    him for stupid either." The shorter kitsune man sighed, his ears dropping along with the


    corners of his mouth. "He was prepared to deal with a succubus. I checked his notes.


    Fucker had everything right. Just didn''t follow his own outline."


    Sung Wei scratched at his stubble. "Hmm¡­ Tea?"


    "Sure."


    "How''s the wife and kids these days?" Sung Wei said, breaking the silence.


    "Doing well." Saito''s ears shot straight up and he beamed. "The boys should be


    able to skip all the basic courses once they get accepted. Shu seems to have a natural


    talent for telekinesis."


    Sung Wei nodded.


    "How''s erm¡­"


    "She still won''t talk to me."


    Saito''s ears flattened. "How about your niece?"


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Sung Wei took a deep draw of his pipe. "She''s good. She''s now the second wife


    to a samurai."


    "A real samurai or a Literati that thinks he''s a samurai just because he''s allowed


    to carry a fancy sword?"


    Sung Wei sighed as he entered the tea house and made for the rear booths.


    "The latter."


    Saito nodded. "Well, he''s less likely to die I guess."


    "Mmm."


    "You should come by for dinner sometime this week."


    "Hm, maybe."


    "No maybes. Tomorrow night."


    Sung Wei took his seat. "If you''re going to force me."


    "I am. You''re getting skinny."


    "Ha. I''ll have more time to eat when I don''t have demons on the loose."


    Sung Wei tapped his pipe against a brass bowl to dump the ashes before storing


    it. Saito thanked the pretty Oni-kai girl who delivered their tea.


    Sung Wei swirled his tea instead of drinking. "Could be her," he said once the


    server was out of earshot.


    Saito nodded to himself, apparently approving of his drink. "Could be. Likely not


    though."


    "Mmm."


    "Looking for a shifter who was an Oni-kai yesterday¡­ You''re looking for a pin in


    a pie shop."


    "True."


    "Start with the kid."


    "Yeah." Sung Wei finally took a drink of his tea. "There can''t be more than five or


    so hundred Akumajin in this city."


    "Start with your boss." Saito suggested while refilling his cup.


    "There was a girl here that just about matched the description. I don''t see her


    though."


    "That would be too easy."


    "It would." Sung Wei watched as his friend poured more tea for the both of


    them. "Saito?"


    The kitsune''s ears shifted toward him a moment before the man''s eyes did.


    "Yes?"


    "When we find this demon. Are you sure you can deal with it safely?"


    A wide toothy grin spread across Saito''s face. "Ah. So you are worried that


    Lianzhen''s top mage can''t send a monster back to whence it came?"


    "No. I''m worried that there is a small chance I will lose another person important


    to me."


    Saito''s smile faded and his ears fell. "There is a small chance we will die


    everytime we ascend the stairs. The older I get, the more I think them to be the greatest


    danger in my future. I will be fine. Or I won''t. Such is the way of life and death."


    Sung Wei took another drink of tea. "You are indeed a wise old fox."


    "Sung Wei? Now you mock me? I think you must have dinner with us twice this


    week. And no talk of work in my house."


    Sung Wei nodded. "If I must."

 Part 2-3 Rin

    Rin was beyond thankful that Illiesku had saved her life. The gang had captured


    her unharmed which made it more likely that they had planned on selling her as an


    illegal contract. Really her life wasn''t in danger at all, just her freedom. Point of the


    matter was that Rin felt she owed a great debt to Illiesku. Paying for a day of


    entertainment, food, drinks, and maybe a trip to the bathhouse would put her back a bit


    in her goals, but was well worth the coin. She asked her savior what she wanted to do


    and so here Rin was. Not at a play or concert. Not at a restaurant, bar, or even the


    bathhouse. No, Rin was standing just outside the city gates watching workers unload


    crates from river barges and putting them on ox drawn wagons. Rin had never seen


    anything beyond the city walls before, but the excitement wore off after only thirty


    minutes or so.


    "I see," said Illiesku, rousing Rin from her boredom induced daydreaming.


    "Huh?"


    "Lianzhen is the end of the line for water based transit. Everything is moved onto


    carts and shipped by land. This means whoever controls Lianzhen, controls the interior."


    "Controls the interior of what?"


    "The kingdom."


    "Oh." Rin looked around at the docks, warehouses, and distant farmland. Does


    any of that actually matter?


    "Rin, I have noticed that there are many females doing traditionally male jobs.


    Where are all the men?"


    Rin stared at her feet. "There was a rebellion several years ago. It got bad."


    "Ah, I must find a document on the more recent history. Well then, I do supose


    that answers my question as to why there are so many abandoned buildings. Who


    won?"


    "Um, well, the king, I guess."


    "The old king or the new king? Is there not a new king?"


    "I think, the old king won."


    "So why is there a new king?"


    Rin looked up at Illiesku and shrugged.


    "Hmm." The Oni-kai turned. "Okay then. Let us get some food and see this


    bathhouse you rambled on about."


    Rin had never felt comfortable with public nudity. The water itself was luxurious.


    The perfect temperature and slightly scented. Worth every jade coin spent on it. So


    much better than a bucket bath. She could do without the four other women. The room


    was large with several small rectangular baths filled with hot water which technically


    meant that she and Illiesku were separated from the others. Expensive magical lanterns


    hung from the ceiling casting their glow down upon the water and giveing the place a


    sense of regal splendor.


    Rin was sitting in the water with her knees hiding her chest and her legs pressing


    tightly together in a feeble attempt to hide her lady parts from the only other occupant of


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.this particular pool. Her spaded tail undulated slowly in the water just in front of her. The


    resistance and semi-weighless caused by the liquid felt weird. Is it odd that I live in a


    city with so much water and don''t know how to swim?


    Unlike Rin, Illiesku seemed to have no reservations about nudity. She was


    spayed out in the water with only her face and horns exposed to the air. She looked like


    she was in heaven or at least some form of bliss.


    "Do, do you like the baths?"


    The Oni-kai shifted. Her silky black hair sticking to her skin as she moved to look


    at Rin. Rin squeezed her legs tighter into herself, trying to hide her body. Illiesku


    grinned.


    "I had forgotten how good this feels."


    Rin could understand that. Considering the price alone, this was a once a year


    splurge at best. Illiesku lifted both hands out of the water and pulled her perfect hair out


    of her face. Rin stiffened. Electricity running down her spine all the way to the tip of her


    tail. Despite the water, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she found


    herself unable to stop staring into the Oni-kai''s right eye. It was milky white and


    unremarkable. Yet it still unnerved her. She had seen blind eyes before. Cloudy and


    vacant, but this was different. Very different. It was like the empty white was staring


    back at her. Staring through her.


    "My apologies." Illiesku closed the eye, breaking its spell and freeing Rin from its


    horrible gaze. She carefully separated some of her hair to lay back over her face. Rin


    said nothing.


    "Can I touch your tail?"


    "Huh? My tail?" She looked down the prehensile limb. "I... Guess."


    Illiesku''s hand reached out. Fingers wrapping around the appendage near the


    spade.


    This is just awkward, Rin thought.


    Illiesku examined the spade for a moment before running her thumb along the


    edge. A different kind of electricity caused her to tense. This time it ran from the tip of


    her tail up her spine to the base of her skull as well as to her toes and a few other


    sensitive areas.


    "I!" Rin clenched her jaw shut. "Can I have that back? Please!"


    Illiesku let go and Rin pulled her tail inward. Hiding it near her butt.


    "Hmm. Mine isn''t that sensitive," said Illiesku.


    "Y-you don''t have a tail."


    "Ah, right. That''s probably why. "


    The Oni-kai looked Rin up and down.


    Don''t stare at me like that! Rin tried to pull her body in tighter. The bathhouse


    was a stupid idea. Stupid. Stupid.


    "You are very pretty."


    You sound like a creepy old man! "Th-thank you. You, you are." Habit was trying


    to force her to return a compliment, but her brain wasn''t keeping up. Then again, Illiesku


    wasn''t even looking at her anymore. Rin followed her gaze to an older woman that had


    just entered the bathhouse.


    "Please pardon me. I need to speak with that woman."


    Rin relaxed into the water as Illiesku walked off. No more bathhouses, ever.

 Part 2-4 Rin

    Liquid poured into the small cup in a wavering stream. Rin managed not to spill


    this time. She set the clay jug of sake off to the side and pushed the single shot into the


    center of the tiny table.


    "Oh-kay a''te. The game is nine lies. Nine lies is the game. You know to play


    how?"


    "How to play? No." Illiesku replied.


    Rin nodded. The two were sitting in the tiny room that made up the majority of


    Rin''s home. An already empty jug of sake lay discarded near the clay stove by the


    entrance.


    "It a simple game." Rin took a moment to rearrange the words floating in her


    head into a coherent sentence. "You give a statement about yourself. The other guess if


    it is true or false. If they guess right. You drink. If they get it wrong. They drink. Nine


    rounds. Got it?"


    Illiesku nodded her understanding.


    "I will go first¡­ Hmm. Lie or not? Ok. I am part of a women''s only, mystery cult.


    The goal is to replace patriarchal rule with matriarchal rule." Rin nodded. Confirming to


    herself that she had finished.


    "Don''t you already have an empress?"


    "Yeah, but the kingdom has a king."


    "Lie."


    Rin gave the Oni-kai a toothy ear to ear grin and pushed the shot toward her.


    Illiesku cocked an eyebrow.


    "All true. You should come to a meeting."


    Illiesku threw back the shot and reached for the jug. "Sounds useful." She poured


    another shot. "I shall make a deal with you. I will tell the truth if you keep everything I


    say a secret. However, I think we are at the point where I am obligated to inform you


    that any deal we make will give me a slight amount of influence over you."


    "Influence? That''s weird."


    "It is what it is. Do we have a deal?"


    Rin didn''t spend much time thinking about it. "Mhm, is a deal."


    "Ok then, let us start easy. I have a thing for horns."


    "True!" Rin started giggling. "You''re horny for horns."


    Illiesku chuckled at the girl¡¯s joke, took the shot, and refilled the cup again.


    "Ok. My turn again. Umm. My ultimate goal is to buy out my sister''s contract. I


    am very close to it."


    "True."


    "Fuck. How''d you know?"


    "It is a fifty-fifty chance." Illiesku handed Rin the cup. "I figured you might try your


    next question with a truth."


    Rin squinted at the drink for a moment. "You''re turn think I¡­ I think."


    "Very well. My ultimate goal is to kill the demon prince of hell."


    "Ha! That''s a lie!"


    Illiesku handed Rin a freshly filled shot. She stared at it as if the tiny clay cup had


    betrayed her. "Huh? Really? Shit. Well then, here''s to you, warrior of lights and goods."


    "Oh no. Do not misunderstand. It is for revenge, not good."


    "Oh ok¡­ Me again I think. How much sake is left?"


    "Half a bottle."


    "Ok good, plenty left with the other bottle."


    "This is the other bottle."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Rin pouted at Illiesku. ¡°Really? Oh no¡­ That''s bad."


    "Why?"


    "I am very small."


    "Yes you are. It is adorable."


    "My head is going to hurt tomorrow," she said sadly.


    Illiesku lifted Rin''s chin to look into her eyes. "Can I kiss you?"


    "What? Why? Isn''t it my turn?"


    Illiesku chucked. "Rin, I am going to kiss you, you may stop me if you wish."


    The Oni-kai grabbed Rin''s horns and directed her head. Their lips met. Illiesku


    pulled back. Rin was staring in an alcohol induced stupor. She cocked an eyebrow, or


    tried to.


    "You''re a girl," she accused.


    "No."


    Rin looked the Oni-kai woman up and down. "Lie!"


    Illiesku looked down at her body. "Ah. Well I guess I am today."


    Rin giggled. Illiesku poured herself another shot.


    "My turn. Number two or three. I think three." She leaned her head back against


    the wall. "Let''s see. I need a lie¡­ a lie¡­ a."


    A loud bang caused Rin to jolt awake. Her neck flared with pain, her head felt like


    someone was throwing her around by the horns, her throat felt like she had eaten sand,


    and the lit thrushlight might as well have been the sun at noon.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± whispired Mika.


    Rin tried to ask for water. It sounded more like the last moan of a dying cat. By


    some miracle, her sister seemed to understand. Once she could separate her tongue


    from the roof of her mouth and see clearly enough through squinted eyes, she found


    Illiesku. At some point during the night the Oni-kai had cleared off the table and


    changed positions. She looked far more comfortable with the back to the wall and head


    slumped forward. The book Rin had been keeping for Illiesku lay open on the table. Rin


    didn¡¯t bother looking at it. Even if her vision stopped swimming long enough to make out


    the symbols, she still could read them.


    ¡°This your friend?¡± Mika asked.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Illiesku raised her head. Her left eye scanned the room with far more clarity than


    Rin could muster.


    Mika bowed. ¡°Sorry to wake you.¡±


    ¡°No. I apologize for taking a third of your sleeping area.¡±


    Why does she sound so coherent? Rin wondered to herself.


    ¡°It is fine.¡± Mika bowed again.


    Illieksu turned her one good eye onto Rin. ¡°I smell sex.¡±


    Rin stared. Her fuzzy mind processing that statement and slowly coming to the


    conclusion that she should say nothing.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to fetch some water.¡± Mika said before leaving with the bucket.


    ¡°Rin?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what I was obligated to tell you last night?¡±


    ¡°Any deal we make gives you influence over me?¡± Rin furrowed her brow. That


    seems oddly clear.


    ¡°Mmm. I will never treat you poorly, you will allow me to know where you are at


    all times, do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°I need to tell you where I am?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how will you know where I am?¡±


    ¡°I will simply know. Do we have a deal?¡±


    Rin leaned her aching head back. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    A¡¯te Illiesku? Last night, did you kiss me?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rin went quiet for a moment. ¡°Umm. Don¡¯t tell anyone ok.¡±


    The Oni-kai nodded. ¡°As you wish.¡±

 Part 2-5 Sung Wei

    Rain pounded against the canvas tarp erected in a vain attempt to keep the


    corpse dry. The pattering sound of water hitting the fabric was drowned out by the


    grating noises of angry idiots. Sung Wei stepped up to the rope separating the crime


    scene from the crowd of soaking wet morons wearing cheap red masks.


    "Enough!"


    Silence descended, once again revealing the sound of rain hitting his conical hat,


    the tarp behind him, and every other surface exposed to the sky. The civil servant that


    had been failing to contain the crowd bowed to the Inspector.


    "What seems to be the problem here?"


    The crowd once again erupted in a tidal wave of senseless noise.


    "Stop!" Sung Wei pointed at a tall man in the front. "You. Why are you standing


    out in the rain and screeching like wet cats?"


    The mask crossed his arms. "We want to know what side did it? And if the city is


    actually going to pursue the matter."


    Sung Wei nodded and turned to expose his side. "What side did it? You mean to


    ask what side killed this man?" All eyes slipped down to the mask hanging from Sung


    Wei''s bag. Half of the mask, like all the others in the crowd, depicted a scared, red


    skinned Oni-Sen girl. Unlike the crowd however, his mask wasn''t cheaply made and the


    other half depicted the cat-like skull of a Shinigami.


    "Ye, yes Po,¡± said the man.


    "Taro," Sung Wei called.


    "Yes Puno?"


    "We do already have the suspect correct?"


    "Yes Puno."


    "It was the man''s wife?"


    "That is correct Puno."


    "Thank you Taro." He turned back to the crowd. "I''m afraid I have to inform you


    that it''s been eight years since the war ended. There are no sides anymore. What you


    see here is a domestic dispute gone too far." Sung Wei glanced back at the civil


    servants surrounding the body. "I believe his wife caught him cheating. That''s all. Now


    get out of here before I start arresting people for disrupting an investigation."


    "Damn Rebel''s Day," grumbled Taro.


    "It''s not the day. It''s the kids that want to feel righteous anger at a system they


    don''t realize fell apart half a decade ago."


    Sung Wei watched the cheap masks disperse into the streets leaving a lone


    figure unmoving in the soaked street. The Inspector felt a chill run down his spine. The


    girl, at least he was fairly certain it was a girl, was of average height. Black hair, a full


    cloak, the slightly exposed hilt of a katana, and a mask. Not the cheap red masks the


    others had been wearing. This one was not cheap. This one was not the scared red


    skinned girl. A full Shinigami mask leered back at him.


    "I''m sure you''re aware that it is illegal for the lower classes to carry a katana."


    "Is that so?"


    The voice was definitely female. Sung Wei considered checking if she was


    allowed to carry the thing, but decided that he didn''t care either way. She turned and


    stared off. Sung Wei watched her go. Watched the odd shaped prints she left. Her boots


    were odd. Hard soled leather things in a decidedly non-Anorian style. Interlocking metal


    plates ran from her toes to up pass what he could see of her shins. Foriegn armor.


    Katana. Mask.


    "Hey wait!" Sung Wei shouted ducking under the rope and running into the street.


    The girl took off at a run.


    "Wait!" Sung Wei pursued with all the power left in his aging body.


    "Puno!" Taro shouted from somewhere behind him.


    "I just have a question!"


    The girl rounded a corner into an alley.


    "Do you know!" Sung Wei rounded the corner. His momentum dying. "Riko¡­


    Tomokazu?" His eyes swept over every little nook of the alley, but there was nothing.


    Sung Wei bent over and tried to catch his breath.


    "Puno." Taro breathed when he caught up. "What¡­ happened?"


    The Inspector straightened up, though he was still heaving. "Nothing¡­ Just a..


    wraithful spirit.."


    "With, all do respect, Puno. What the fuck is, that supose, to mean?"


    Sung Wei waited until his heart stopped trying to break through his ribcage. "I


    think it was an exile."


    Taro managed to look shocked. "An exile? You are serious?"


    Sung Wei scanned the alleyway once more before turning back toward his job.


    "Yes."


    "We need to report this."


    "Do we?"


    Taro gaped at his boss. "O-of course."


    "Female, average height, Shinigami mask, carrying a katana, and wearing


    foriegn armor under a cloak. Got that?"


    Taro repeated the description.


    Sung Wei nodded. "Someone is going to die tonight."


    "Are you sure Puno?"


    Sung Wei nodded again. "Go now. Or don''t go at all."


    Taro looked at his boss, no doubt trying to puzzle out why the Inspector seemed


    apathetic. "Yes Puno."


    And with that, he was off. Taro was a good kid, but still just a kid.


    "So his wife pushed him out a window. Why exactly was I called here?" Sung


    Wei asked as he approached the body. "Oh," he said as the corpse replied. Well, not so


    much as replied as laid in the alley, chest ripped to shreds and making the answer


    obvious. "Shit."


    "His wife used a kitchen knife and clearly had no idea what she was doing," said


    one of the aides.


    "Let me guess. The heart is missing?"


    "Yes Puno."


    "And the suspect is magically incapable of saying why she did it?"


    The aide shifted uncomfortably. "We haven''t determined whether or not the


    suspects unwillingness to comply is magical yet."


    Sung Wei stole another long look at the poor dead bastard. "That makes four


    missing hearts."


    ***


    Sung Wei let the pretty girl take his coat. The sooner it dried out, the sooner he


    would feel comfortable wearing the damn thing again. He and Saito sat at a small table


    on soft cushions in a small, but warm and comfortable room. He opened the leather


    folder and began examining the documents inside.


    Saito nodded to himself. "Good tea. Though I find it strange that a place like this


    stays in business. All things considered."


    "It''s a drug den," said Sung Wei as he flipped to the next page.


    "Oh? That a hunch or a fact?"


    "City keeps a few places open. Under the eaves type of thing."


    "I see. Clever."


    "Description matches. If this is our girl, her assailants would have been in for a


    surprise."


    "Already under contract?" Saito asked.


    "Yeah. The well written legal kind," he closed the folder and reached for his tea.


    "Pardon my inquiry miss," Sung Wei said to the pretty girl in the corner. "Could


    you tell me why this is taking so long?"


    The girl bowed. "Miss Liu was likely at home. We dispatched a runner to collect


    her shortly after you arrived."


    "That is far too much effort on your part. We could have gone to meet her


    ourselves."


    "As miss Liu is one of our own, we are obligated to mediate on her behalf. "


    "Oh she''s not in any trouble."


    The girl bowed again. "It is policy."


    Sung Wei seceded the argument and joined Saito in enjoying the free tea.


    It was nearly half an hour later when a short, attractive, Akumajin girl poked her


    head into the room.


    "Ah, Mika," said the hostess. "Come in."


    She was a perfect match for the description the Bureau had. Not a child, just


    petite. Long black hair, pretty face, decently shaped. She would be worth quite a few


    Standards on the illegal contracts market.


    Their hostess began introductions. "Mika Liu, this is Inspector Sung Wei


    Tomokazu and high Magus Saito Matsumoto. They have a few questions for you.


    Please answer to the best of your ability."


    The girl looked confused. She probably had been expecting someone who


    wanted her services, not to ask her questions. She bowed deeply to the two men in turn


    and took her place on the far side of the table. She stared at her hands.


    "Mika Liu," Sung Wei started. "Were you attacked in an alleyway four nights ago


    by Pula Bridge?"


    Mika looked up with recognition in her eyes. "N-no, but my sister was."


    "Your sister?"


    "Yes. Is, is she in trouble?"


    "No. We just need to track down everyone involved in the incident to get the full


    story. What is your sister''s name and where can we find her?"


    "Her name is Rin. She lives with me, but right now she should be working."


    "Where does she work?"


    "The teahouse near Pula Bridge."


    Saito started laughing, Sung Wei rubbed his temples, and Mika looked confused.


    "So? The girl we''ve spent three days looking for, was the first girl you were going


    to ask." Saito laughed, slapping Sung Wei on the shoulder. "Should have just asked if


    she still worked there."


    "Thank you for your time, Miss Liu, that''s all we needed."


    "Oh. Okay." She bowed.


    ***


    Asking for Rin Liu at what was arguably Sung Wei''s favorite tea house quickly


    landed him and Saito in their preferred private booth with the Akumajin serving them tea


    and taking a seat across from the Inspector and Magus. Rin was petite, pretty, and


    basically identical to her sister minus a couple years and the eyes. The color and shape


    were the same, but Mika had a certain tired weariness that likely came from life as a


    contract worker at a brothel.


    "I am Inspector Sung Wei Tomokazu," he motioned to the kitsune next to him.


    "And this is high Magus Saito Matsumoto. We are investigating an incident that


    happened in an alleyway not far from here four nights ago."


    The girl''s eyes went wide. "I''m sorry. I didn''t think to report it. Am I in¡­"


    "It''s fine. You''re not in trouble. We are trying to find an Oni-Kai woman that was


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.reported to be present."


    "A''te Illiesku?"


    "You know who she is."


    Rin nodded. "She''s up front."


    A grimace crossed Sung Wei''s face and was gone. He distinctly remembered


    stating that the demon could have the Oni-Kai serving them tea.


    "Thank you Miss Liu. Could you send her back here please?"


    The girl bowed.


    "Are you ready for this?"


    Saito''s ears flattened. "I''m sending a message for my aides to move to the


    Bureau now. If she cooperates, that would be easier.


    Sung Wei found himself sweating bullets and trying damn hard not to show it.


    The girl, Illiesku Nar Arakna, seemed more than eager to take a trip to the Bureau.


    Undeniable confidence radiated from the creature pretending to be an Oni-Kai. Within


    thirty minutes Illiesku was sitting in the interrogation room, her elbows resting on the


    desk, her hands leisurely folded in front of her, and her chin resting on her thumbs. It


    looked more like she was ready to interrogate him.


    Sung Wei pulled a piece of parchment out of an envelope and placed it on the


    wide desk in front of him. ¡°Hao Udo, cheated his business partner out of a lot of money.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t even dane to look at the parchment. She just stared at him with


    one eye covered by her hair. Sung Wei placed down another parchment.


    ¡°Tian Ling, the woman with two husbands.¡± Another parchment. ¡°Natsu Zan,


    consistently cheated on his wife.¡± The last parchment settled on the desk. ¡°Liko Ru, tried


    to abduct an Akmajin and an Oni-Kai. Do you know what all these people have in


    common?¡±


    The right side corner of Illiesku¡¯s lips curved upward. ¡°Their entire existence can


    be relegated to a single sheet of paper.¡±


    Sung Wei pushed three of the papers away. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Liko Ru.¡±


    ¡°You seem nervous, Inspector.¡±


    ¡°He died four nights ago.¡±


    ¡°I shall make you a deal. You will not kill me and I will not kill you.¡±


    ¡°You were attacked by his gang. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That is not why I am here is it?¡±


    ¡°Miss,¡± he checked his notes, ¡°Ar-ak-na. I am trying to conduct an investigation


    into the deaths of several people. You are a suspect. Please answer the questions.¡±


    The demon smiled. ¡°Then, Inspector Sung Wei Tomokazu, perhaps you should


    ask the question you really want the answer to.¡±


    He glared at her, lips curved into a frown. She shifted, pushing the hair covering


    her right eye out of her face. Sung Wei didn¡¯t so much as flinch on the outside, though it


    felt like his stomach had just hit the floor.


    ¡°Ask,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    She clearly understood that he already knew. Saito¡¯s presence probably gave it


    away. Now he was trapped in a tiny stone room with a demon.


    ¡°What are you doing with the hearts?¡±


    ¡°Building credit.¡±


    Sung Wei blinked. ¡°Credit?¡±


    The demon smiled and leaned back in her chair. Sung Wei waited, but she didn¡¯t


    elaborate further.


    ¡°What is the point of this?¡± she asked. ¡°Did I do something wrong? Or are you


    accusing me of existence?¡±


    ¡°I have six corpses.¡±


    ¡°And you likely have four people in custody as well as a case of self defence. Is


    that not correct?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t do it alone,¡± Sung Wei countered.


    ¡°Ah, but they did. Do you arrest the black smith when a vengeful house wife


    stabs her husband?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°Is it not?...¡±


    A brief knock at the door broke the building tension that was twisting Sung Wei¡¯s


    guts into tiny knots. Illiesku¡¯s good eye flicked over to the door, then back to the


    Inspector. Sung Wei opened his mouth to speak, but closed it.


    Illiesku smirked. ¡°There is nothing you can do, is there? Does your boss know


    you are trying to arrest a demon?¡±


    ¡°He does.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And I am to treat you like anyone else. So you¡¯re right. There is nothing I can do.


    You¡¯re free to leave.¡±


    Her eye moved to the door, then back to Sung Wei again. ¡°I shall make you deal,


    Inspector. I shall stop helping people. You stay away from me.¡±


    Sung Wei said nothing. Illesku stood up.


    ¡°What do you want, Inspector Sung Wei Tomokazu? I am sure we could come to


    an agreement that would benefit us both.¡±


    Again he said nothing, just waited.


    She grinned. ¡°You are too smart for your own good.¡±


    She took a single step toward the door and stopped. Sung Wei¡¯s heart was


    beating so hard it felt like his body was throbbing.


    She looked down at him and smirked. ¡°A hunter of demons you are not. You


    have no idea what you are dealing with, do you?¡±


    And with that, she faded from existence. Sung Wei sat stock still. He didn¡¯t know


    if she was still in the room, if she was gone, if she was somehow both. Minutes felt like


    hours. Another knock broke the silence before the door creaked open. Saito poked his


    head in and looked around. The door closed. A minute later and the door opened again


    with Saito thoroughly checking the room. A misty silver aura ringing his irises.


    ¡°Room¡¯s empty,¡± he said.


    Sung Wei¡¯s shoulders dropped as he sunk into his chair.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She just.¡± Sung Wei waived a hand in the air. ¡°Faded.¡±


    Saito let out a sigh and walked to the door. ¡°Pack it up. She¡¯s gone.¡± He turned


    back to his old friend. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    The Inspector sat in silent contemplation for a while.


    ¡°Rin Liu.¡±


    Rin Liu was the nervous, but helpful type. She answered every question to the


    best of her ability and told her side of the story with as much accuracy as she could.


    Sung Wei analyzed every detail she was giving out. From the first time she met Illiesku


    to the altercation in the alleyway, of which the girl was unaware there had been a death.


    Rin told him about their day exploring the city along with a half dozen ominous things


    the demon said that clearly had gone over the girl¡¯s head. Then there was the book and


    scroll case Rin was keeping in her home.


    ¡°What is the book called?¡± he asked.


    Rin shook her head and pulled at her fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t read.¡±


    Sung Wei stood up. ¡°Then show me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ They''re not mine.¡±


    ¡°They are in your home right. It should be fine.¡±


    He didn¡¯t give her the chance to weasel out of it. She kept her head low as the


    roar of the falls grew louder. The tenant housing block looked ragged. Walls were


    covered in graffiti. The lamps were missing their magical lights and the fences were


    topped with vicious spikes. Sung Wei worked this section in his early, pre-Inspector


    days. Back then it was, clean up the mess, ask a few questions, and it was a miracle if


    you managed to get a leed. Rin entered one of the tenant house blocks, turned to the


    left and bowed to the shrine of The Six and Iteyo. Sung Wei followed suit before


    following the girl to her apartment.


    The apartment made the small stone interrogation rooms back at the Bureau look


    spacious. A small kitchen sat next to the entry, beyond that was a single room three


    times longer than it was wide and filled with all the worldly possessions of its


    inhabitants. Rin pulled out a tiny table and placed down a cushion for him. Then she


    pulled out a book and a scroll case hidden under some winter blankets.


    Sung Wei kicked off his shoes and sat down. He took the book first. Rin figited.


    Mizuyamachi, a brief history. Sung Wei frowned. So the demon wanted to catch up on


    the history of the kingdom. That wasn¡¯t terribly helpful. At least not to him. He opened


    the book.


    The first page started with the basic origin story of the Anorian people as a


    whole. How they were created. Where they came from. The prehistory that bound their


    many races together into a single Anorian people. Scrawled onto the page at the bottom


    right was a symbol in High Itean script. It was half an inch square and written in nearly


    flawless calligraphy. Sung Wei couldn''t help his lips curling into a slight frown as


    someone, likely Illiesku, summed up the entire prehistory of his home and its people


    with one disturbing word. Wrong.


    He flipped through the rest of the pages finding no more notations nor anything


    stuck in between the pages. Next was the scroll case which revealed nothing more than


    a basic map of Mizuyamachi and a scroll containing an update of more recent history


    from about where the book left off to just after the assaination of Mad King Takashi. He


    had nothing. Not even the slightest inkling of an idea about what the demon was


    plotting. He looked at Rin who was staring at the floor and patiently waiting for him to


    finish. He scratched at the whiskers on his chin.


    ¡°You should stay away from Illiesku.¡±


    Rin looked up at him. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a demon.¡±


    He waited for her to process that. She furrowed her brow. He could almost see


    the puzzle pieces in her mind snapping into place.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Ohh.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes Po.¡±


    ¡°You will stay away from her then?¡±


    She lowered her eyes, but asked, ¡°why?¡±


    Sung Wei opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Why would the


    Akumajin, the demon-person, care? Legend said that a powerful demoness gave birth


    to their race. Well shit.


    ¡°That man you said Illiesku knocked out.¡± Sung Wei made his way to the door


    and put his shoes on. ¡°She killed him. Ripped out his heart.¡± He bowed. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    With that said he left. Sliding the door shut and making his way out of the tenant


    block. Yes he was trying to scare the poor kid, but it was for her own good.


    Sung Wei stopped as the door to the block snapped shut. The hair on the back of


    his neck stood on end and his heart jumped into overdrive. The people seemed to move


    slower, the breeze seemed to die, even the ever present roar of the falls seemed to


    fade if just a little. The dull pale white of Illiesku¡¯s right eye felt like it was examining his


    soul. Stripping bare his flesh and bone to study the core characteristics of his being.


    ¡°I shall make a promise Inspector Sung Wei Tomokazu,¡± said the demon. ¡°If you


    harm my Rin in any way, I shall kill you.¡±


    The words traveled across the street like thrown hammers. Slamming into him


    and leaving bruises on his soul. It wasn¡¯t a simple geas. It was an oath. One witnessed


    by the universe itself and it hurt.


    The demon pretending to be a pretty Oni-Kai girl smiled and bowed. ¡°Have a nice


    day Inspector.¡±

 Part 2-6 Rin

    The door slid open not terribly long after the Inspector had left. Rin looked up to


    see Illiesku. The Oni-Kai woman looked back at her then to her book on the table.


    "Are you well?" she asked.


    "Fine."


    Illiesku nodded. "Very well. I desire to go window shopping. You shall come with


    me as you no doubt need to purchase food."


    "Do I have to?"


    "No. You may let A''te Mika go hungry if you wish."


    Rin clenched her fists. Her houseguest had a point.


    "Come then Rin. We shall be off."


    Rin kept her head down as Illiesku, arm hooked in Rin''s, pulled her around a well


    to do part of Lianzhen. The distant waterfall was nearly inaudible over the din of the


    crowds, which somehow made Rin more nervous. It was a surprise when Illiesku


    shoved a stick of roasted meat and vegetables into her hand. She merely stared at the


    treat. Rin certainly did not have the money to waste on this kind of fare.


    "Did you hear me?" Illiesku asked.


    "Huh?"


    "I said, do you have any magical aptitude that you are aware of?"


    "Oh." Rin shook her head. "I don''t think so."


    "Have you gotten tested?"


    "No."


    "Hmm. We shall have to do that."


    Rin returned her attention back to the food. "Is this for me?"


    "No. I thought it would look better if you held it for a while." The Oni-Kai poked


    Rin''s horn causing her head to be pushed back. "Of course it is for you. You are very


    distracted."


    "Sorry."


    "Do not apologize. That man, Tomokazu. He drained you of information and filled


    your head with questions, correct?"


    "I guess."


    "So ask. Get it over with."


    Rin looked from Illiesku to the meat. Nodded and took a bite. It was delicious.


    Illiesku ruffled Rin''s hair like she was some sort of child.


    "You said that making deals with you gives you influence over me?"


    "I did." Illiesku grabbed her hand up again and started pulling her down the


    street.


    Rin looked down at their interlocked fingers. "How much influence?"


    Illiesku seemed to consider the question for a moment. "Not where I thought you


    would start, but¡­ A small amount per deal. It just makes you view the things I do or say


    in a more positive way. As my friend, the amount you are magically inclined to view me


    is dwarfed by your actual trust in me."


    "Oh."


    Rin fell silent.


    "The Arcanum must have a monopoly one this stuff." Illiesku mumbled.


    "What?"


    "The Arcanum. They control the creation and sale of all magical goods in the


    city."


    "Really?"


    "What do you think we are doing here?"


    Rin looked around at the upper class shops. She really hadn''t noticed her


    surroundings. People in finery were staring at her with either pity or disdain.


    "Oh. I wasn''t paying attention."


    "Clearly. Let us find a quiet spot by the river." Illiesku continued dragging Rin


    along. "Hurry up and ask your questions. Your distractedness is distracting."


    "Ah, ok¡­ The Inspector said that you, that you¡­"


    "Out with it." There was no malice in her voice, just impatience.


    "He said you," Rin lowered her voice. "Killed that guy in the alley."


    "I did." Illiesku admitted as if it were nothing.


    "But, but¡­"


    "He meant me harm. Am I not permitted to defend myself?"


    "But¡­"


    "Rin." Illiesku pushed her down onto a large rock by the river. "If you do not eat


    that before it is cold, I am taking it back."


    Rin looked at the meat and vegetable stick in her hand. She never had one


    before and didn''t even know what it was called.


    "Oh¡­ A''te Illiesku? Are you a demon?"


    "Finally," she said with some type of relief. "No. I''m older."


    Rin blinked. "Older? So, what are you?"


    "I am a primordial being of lust, revenge, and due to circumstances beyond my


    control, justice."


    Rin nodded along, but it was the "I have no idea what you¡¯re saying" type of nod,


    not the understanding type.


    "Eat that." Illiesku ordered.


    "Yes A''te."


    Illiesku stroked her hair as she ate. It was all so surreal. If Illiesku was being


    honest, then she was sitting next to a monster. Rin couldn''t seem to care though and


    that seemed far more concerning. Was it the influence Illiesku said she had over her?


    Or was it that the progenitor of her race had been a succubus? Progenitor or not,


    Illiesku did just admit to murder. Via self defence though. Rin pondered her own lack of


    panic for a while longer once the food was gone. Then she started pondering how long


    Illiesku''s hand had been on her leg.


    "Are you¡­ evil?" Rin''s voice was quiet. Of course the primordial demon thing


    was evil. They were all evil. Probably.


    Illiesku flicked Rin in the forehead.


    "Ow!"


    "Why must all mortals think in binary terms? Good, evil? Yes, no? Male, female?


    What do you think Rin?"


    "I¡­ don''t know."


    "My body is constituted out of the essence of the abyss. So I am detectable as


    evil by spells."


    "Umm¡­"


    "I do not concern myself with the lives of mortals as a whole, but neither do elves.


    Are elves evil?"


    "I don''t, I don''t even know if elves are real."


    "Am I walking around kicking puppies and eating babies?"


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it."Eww."


    "Perspective Rin. That is what defines good and evil."


    "So, you are good?"


    Illiesku frowned.


    "I mean, neutral."


    The demon that was not really a demon sighed. "Far more complicated than that,


    but sure. If you are done, we have other places to be."


    "Do we?"


    "Yes. I need to find a letter."


    Rin chased after Illiesku before she was left behind. She honestly didn''t know


    what part of town she was in. It was all just too nice.


    "Tell me about your sister''s contract."


    "Uh. Ok."


    Along the way to¡­ somewhere. Rin told Illiesku of how her parents and brother


    died in, or in the case of her mother at least, was possibly exiled. Mika had sold herself


    for enough money to take care of herself and Rin for a while at least. Illiesku prodded


    for details. How much Mika made on contract vs what she would make if she wasn''t.


    How much the original contract was for. And most importantly, how much Rin had left to


    save before she could purchase her sister back. Twelve standard silver. Rin could


    easily earn that in a month, but after food, rent, and other necessities, she''d only have


    between a handful of jade to a silver and a half left. Illiesku went quiet. Rin had


    assumed they were nearing their destination, but the continued walking stated


    otherwise.


    "Mika could earn that in a week or two if she was not under contract."


    "How?" asked Rin.


    "Same way I do. Faster if she was willing to sleep with someone."


    Rin gave the Oni-Kai woman a perplexed look. "At the teahouse?"


    "What? No. Do not be foolish. I do not work at the teahouse for money."


    That reply didn''t help. If anything Rin was even more confused.


    "Where else do you work?"


    "A tavern, but never mind that. If I supplied the rest of the funds, what could Mika


    do for me?"


    "You would do that?" Rin practically shouted.


    "Quiet. I am considering it. She could supply me with money and I could likely


    use her body. A month for payback. A cut after that. Might be worth it." Illiesku looked


    down at a hopeful Rin. "Hmm, testing you is more important. We shall do that


    tomorrow."


    "Testing me for what?"


    "Magical aptitude."


    "I can''t do magic."


    "Magical. Aptitude." Illiesku repeated.


    "I. I. I don''t know what aptitude is."


    "Natural ability."


    "Oh... Um a¡¯te, where are we?"


    The two had been standing next to an unassuming box of a building for a short


    while now.


    "A mail house. Stay here."


    "A mail house? What are¡­" Rin stopped speaking when Illiesku faded from view.


    "Uh? A''te?" There was no response.


    Rin wasn''t sure how long she had sat next to the building. She was certain it had


    been a lot less time than it felt. Illiesku had reappeared with a handful of papers and


    they headed home. Rin contemplated the demon sitting at the tiny table rewriting some


    letter she had snatched. Here was some demon or primordial creature thing sitting in


    her tiny little tenant house apartment as if she were just a normal person. It was so


    weird. Like the world was supposed to be burning or something, but wasn¡¯t.


    "A''te?"


    Illiesku looked up from her work. "Hmm?"


    "What are you planning to do?"


    "Could you be more specific. I have many plans and many contingencies."


    Contingencies? Rin dismissed the unfamiliar word. "What are you going to do


    with the city?"


    "I am undecided. I need a large contingent of soldiers and magic before I can


    invade hell. I am not yet sure what would be most beneficial. Honestly a corporate


    structure might be more useful than a takeover of the government, considering Anoria''s


    unique legal system."


    Rin''s head spun for a moment. Translation, make a company or seize the palace


    so she could attack hell. Rin asked the only logical question. "You want to attack hell?"


    "Yes." Illiesku answered simply, not looking up from her writing.


    "Why?"


    Illiesku''s good eye burned into Rin with the white hot furiously of a Smith''s forge.


    "Revenge."


    "Um. What did they do?"


    "They bound me."


    "Bound you?"


    "Long enough to forget my existence."


    "How long is that?"


    Illiesku returned to her work. "I don''t know. Before Mizuyamachi was a kingdom I


    think."


    Rin couldn¡¯t imagine a time where there wasn''t a kingdom of Mizuyamachi. It


    must have been a very long time ago. She lay down and watched the fake Oni-Kai


    work. Eventually she put down her pen, sealed her ink, and pushed away the table.


    "Come here." She pointed to her lap. "Your head."


    Rin scooched closer to her and rested her head on Illiesku''s legs.


    "I want to show you something. Look at my face."


    Rin did as told, but flinched away when Illiesku revealed her bad eye.


    "Fight the urge to look away. Trust me."


    Rin looked. It was haunting. Like every fiber of her being wanted to get up and


    run away. When she looked longer however, the feeling eased. Horror became


    discomfort. Which itself morphed into familiarity, then into reassurance. Suddenly the


    most terrifying part of the demon was the most comforting.


    "This is why hell hates me. My curse, and oddly enough, it is the thing mortals


    find most disturbing."


    "What is it?" Rin asked tiredly as Illiesku ran her fingers through Rin''s hair.


    "Celestial essence."


    "What does that mean?"


    "It is the antithesis, ah, it is the opposite of hell. Angels and archons and all that


    shit."


    "Is it good?"


    Illiesku let out a long sigh. "No Rin. It just is."


    "Oh."

 Part 2-7 Rin

    Illiesku had been gone when Rin woke up, Mika had returned as tired as ever,


    and work at the tea house was, well, work. Now she was following Illiesku through the


    second tier of the city. Yet another place she had never been before. The temples and


    administrative buildings towered over her making her feel smaller than she already was.


    "Where do you perform aptitude tests?" Illiesku asked.


    "Huh?" said Rin, tearing her eyes away from the towers of the Temple of the Six


    Tailed Fox peeking out over the walls.


    "Next gate on the right." Answered the man Illiesku had asked.


    Illiesku bowed and pulled Rin along the wall.


    "Please do pay attention."


    "Sorry."


    Rin suddenly found herself in a small room with a large desk and an important


    looking older woman staring at them. Illiesku pushed Rin forward.


    "How much for the aptitude test?"


    The woman scanned the both of them with an accusing eye. "Clearly beyond


    your budget."


    Rin lowered her eyes. The lady probably had a point.


    "Thou can not know by clothing alone what mine purse holds." Illiesku retorted.


    Rin didn''t look up at the woman, but she imagined the frown that must be there.


    Even if thou could afford our test. Thou clearly could not supply payment for the tuition."


    "If thou will not administer thine test, then I shall hath to fetch mine patron and


    thou shalt hath to deal with him."


    The woman let out a throaty snort. "Fine."


    Even if most of the conversation was going over her head, she understood the


    finality in that last word. Illiesku dragged her back out into the open street while


    grumbling to herself. It really wasn''t a surprise. Rin wore a simple, cheap, shirt and skirt.


    Even Illiesku, who seemed to have a preference for pretty things, wore the basic styles.


    Sure Illiesku¡¯s skirt and shirt were slightly better, but not to the quality of a noble or any


    of the other uppity ups. Rin wondered if Illiesku had resorted to the Imperial dialect out


    of habit or in an attempt to look wealthier.


    ¡°Wait a minute! A''te, are you really from the Capitol? Or was that a lie?"


    "A lie."


    "So where did you learn Imperial?"


    "I learned Oni. Which slowly became Itean. Which slowly became Imperial Itean.


    It is your empire''s trade language."


    "You mean it''s what we use to trade with other nations?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh... It''s very fancy."


    Illiesku looked down at Rin walking beside her. "Is it? Why?"


    "It''s the dialect nobility uses."


    "Ah. So it is proper speech."


    "A''te? Where are we going?"


    "To get some clothes."


    ¡°Clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There is a saying. Clothing makes the man.¡±


    Rin frowned, but said nothing. That made no sense.


    Rin stood outside one of the many abandoned buildings. Things still didn¡¯t make


    any sense. Illiesku had purchased pre-made men¡¯s clothing and was currently


    ¡°changing¡±. When the door did open Rin stumbled backward and fell on her ass.


    ¡°How is this?¡± asked Sung Wei while smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt.


    ¡°Ah! I ah! I¡­¡±


    Sung Wei sighed. ¡°Rin. I am not actually the Inspector. I am just borrowing his


    face.


    ¡°I, um, ok.¡±


    ¡°Come. Let us get this test over with.¡±


    Rin was once again following Illiesku down the streets of the second tier. This


    time however the demon was Sung Wei because apparently she could just do that. At


    will. Anytime she felt like it. Illiesku claimed there was a mass limitation and that


    humanoid forms were easier to control, stating ¡°anything more than two tentacles is


    beyond me.¡± Rin found the whole thing confusing at best and just had to accept it.


    They entered the same room as before and the receptionist paled. She got to her


    feet, bowed, and said, ¡°Inspector. Shall I fetch Master Matsumoto?¡±


    ¡°Not necessary,¡± said the fake Sung Wei with a dismissive gesture. He pushed


    Rin forward. ¡°I would like to have her tested, apparently I need to be present?¡±


    The woman bowed low. ¡°My sincerest apologies Po. I¡¯ll have someone here right


    away.¡±


    ¡°What is the fee?¡±


    ¡°Fifty Standard Silver Po. One moment.¡± The woman left the room.


    ¡°Hrm.¡± Growled the Inspector, or the demon impersonating the inspector, or


    whatever. ¡°Fairly certain that is a discount. Apparently Inspector Tomokazu is more


    important than I thought. Or perhaps it is his fox friend.¡±


    Illiesku had fifty Standards on the counter before the woman came back. Rin


    gave the fake Sung Wei a nervous look as a smartly dressed young man led Rin to the


    back.


    Rin often felt physically drained after a long day of work at the teahouse. This


    however, was a first in the realm of mental fatigue. Make this object glow. Do it again.


    Do it faster. The physical, or mental/physical, or metaphysical tests were challenging,


    but doable. The higher concepts they tried to test her on went well over her head. They


    gave her six seemingly random facts then asked her a completely unrelated question.


    Apparently she was supposed to extrapolate the answer, but they refused to tell her


    what extrapolate even meant.


    Sung Wei, or rather the demon with Sung Wei''s face stood up when Rin


    wandered back into the front of the office.


    "Well?"


    Rin handed him, her, whatever, the paper she had been given. She couldn''t read


    it. Illiesku scanned the document and frowned. Rin watched as they took the paper to


    the receptionist, slammed it onto the desk, startling the girl and said, "what the hell is


    this shit?"


    "Uh well," she said nervously and looked over the sheet. "It says¡­"


    "I know what it says. It doesn''t say enough."


    "I''m sorry. W-would you like me to find High Magus Mastu¡­"


    "I would like to speak with her tester and get the answers I came here for."


    She bowed. "Of course Po. One moment Po."


    Illiesku turned toward Rin. "I may have misread into the relationship between


    Sung Wei and the mage. If he shows up, run."


    Rin stared at her with wide eyes. "The pudgy kitsune guy?"


    "Yes. That one."


    The receptionist returned with the man that administered most of her tests. He


    was older, balding, and had a distractingly large mole on this right cheek.


    "What seems to be the problem Inspector?"


    "Your assessment does not tell me much of anything about the kid''s aptitude."


    "I think it quite clearly states her aptitude. The girl is stupid."


    Was that what the paper said? She was stupid. All those questions, all those


    random, make this mendelian glow, tests determined that she was stupid. Rin knew she


    was uneducated, perhaps a little naive, but not stupid. Then again, what was she to


    these people other than just a poor peasant. Perhaps she was stupid. She clearly didn''t


    understand the tests. Hell, she didn¡¯t even understand half the words they used.


    "Can she power a rune?" Fake Sung Wei asked coldly.


    "Likely up to the first circle yes."


    "Can she make low end magic items?"


    The man sighed. "It might be possible to teach her to do something simple and


    repetitive, but I am sure you are already aware In-spec-tor that dealing in magical goods


    without Temple oversight is illegal."


    "Of course. I am just running a test to prove a point to Saito." Sung Wei turned.


    "Come along Rin."


    Rin obediently followed, eyes locked onto the floor.


    The uncaring city passed by without Rin¡¯s notice. Illiesku may or may not have


    stopped at a shop and there was the obligatory buying of vegetables and millet. Rin


    didn¡¯t even bother to bow to the shrine when she entered the tenant block. She could do


    it twice tomorrow morning. Illiesku pulled out the tiny table and her writing implements.


    ¡°Did they have you power a rune?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Did. They. Have. You. Power. A rune?¡± Illiesku asked again, this time clipping


    her words and making Rin cringe.


    ¡°Ah, yes?¡±


    The demon frowned. ¡°Yes or no?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Rin scooched up to the table and looked at the pattern Illiesku had drawn.


    ¡°Power that.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just paper.¡±


    ¡°Did they not teach you to power a drawn rune.¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡±


    ¡°Agh.¡± The demon, once again pretending to be an Oni-Kai, pinched the base of


    her horns. She scooted back and patted the space in front of her. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Rin, as always, did as told, settling in with the table in front of her and Illiesku


    behind. After some adjustment, Rin found herself with one of Illiesku¡¯s legs on each side


    of her and the soft front of the demon pressed into her back. Illiesku rested her chin on


    Rin¡¯s shoulder and grabbed each of the Akumajin¡¯s wrists in her hands. She placed


    Rin''s hands on the paper, fingers spread out, Illiesku''s hands covering hers, fingertips


    extending out past Rin''s smaller digits.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon."Now channel into the rune like they showed you."


    Rin tried. She tried hard, but nothing happened.


    "Do you have it?"


    "It''s not working." Rin said solemnly.


    "Of course it is not working. The Arcanum likely had filled runes. This is simply


    paper and mundane ink."


    "Oh." Apparently she wasn''t failing just yet.


    "Now, the rune should simply glow. You merely need to fill the lines with energy."


    "How do I do that?"


    "Did they not show you?"


    "I think they wanted me to do something like that, but they wouldn''t show me


    how."


    "Tchie!" Illiesku swore. "I want my money back¡­ Imagine your energy as water


    and the lines in the paper are ditches in the ground. Fill it all at the same time."


    Rin tried. And tried. And tried some more. It really wouldn''t matter how hard or


    how long she tried. There must have been a good reason for people at the Temple to


    consider her stupid. She let out a long sigh and hung her head.


    "What?"


    "I can''t do it."


    "It has only been ten minutes."


    "I can''t do it."


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Rin let her head drop. ¡°Because I¡¯m stupid.¡±


    There was some shifting as Illiesku moved her arm. Then there was a loud


    resounding thwack that emenianted from the back of Rin¡¯s head.


    ¡°OWW!¡± Rin grabbed her head and tried to rub away the pain.


    ¡°Uneducated. Not stupid. There is a difference.¡±


    ¡°The educate people think I¡¯m stupid.¡± Rin argued, still rubbing the sore spot.


    ¡°I have likely forgotten far more than the total combined knowledge of every


    person in that building. Compared to me, is not every moral a blubbering idiot? Have I


    ever implied you were stupid?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rin pouted.


    ¡°You will try again. Visualize your energy as tea filling an oddly shaped cup.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Roughly thirty minutes later the rune was glowing. After another thirty minutes,


    Rin could turn it on, off, and vary the intensity of the glow. Apparently that was just the


    start of Illiesku¡¯s lessons in magic as Rin was now staring at a half dozen dead bugs.


    ¡°Attempt to say, hkrei.¡±


    ¡°Krei?¡±


    ¡°No. You need to tighten your throat. Hkrei.¡±


    It took a while to get the odd sounding word. That was, if it really was a word.


    ¡°Hkrei is light. It only means light. Imagine the thresh-light as hkrei. Now take a


    torchbug in your palm, fill it with your energy, and desire that energy to become hkrei.¡±


    The bug was gross, but Rin didn¡¯t argue. She didn¡¯t want to be flicked in the head


    again. So she sat there for who knows how long yelling a strange word at a dead bug.


    She tried asking the bug to become light, thinking the bug actually was light, telling the


    bug to be light, and a whole host of other angles. Sometimes Illiesku showed the


    inevitable patience of a mountain, this was one of those times. When the bug finally did


    become a spot of light exactly like the thresh-light illuminating her tiny home, she


    screamed and tried to throw it away. The light fell to the floor and continued to glow as if


    nothing happened. After a few more bugs became little thresh-lights, her new task was


    to make a pebble shine with light without the bug. Once that was accomplished, she


    was to make the pebble shine without saying a word.


    Rin was tired. She had been staring at the damn rock for what felt like hours and


    the horrible little thing refused to glow. It was mocking her. A pleasant tingle in her neck


    brought her back to her tiny apartment. The thresh-light, the real one in the corner, had


    almost burned away. She was still sitting with Illiesku pressed into her back. The fake


    Oni-Kai¡¯s left hand had found its way into her small clothes. The fingers moving in her


    pubic hair. Illesku¡¯s right hand was up her shirt, one finger gently circling the areola of


    her left breast. Soft kisses ran up her neck and behind her ear.


    Rin found herself frozen. A mixture of fear, surprise, and sensual pleasure


    overwhelming any ability to think.


    ¡°A¡­ A¡¯te?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Was Illesku¡¯s response before running her tongue up the edge of Rin¡¯s


    ear.


    She stopped at the point. Rin could feel the demon¡¯s lips around it. Her teeth


    gently nibbling. Her tongue rubbing the point and sending electricity through Rin¡¯s body,


    causing her toes to curl and her tail to twitch.


    ¡°St-stop?¡±


    All movement ceased, then she released Rin¡¯s ear and pulled out of her clothes


    with an annoyed groan. Rin stood up. Her joints protesting the action.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m done for the night.¡± she said before heading out to use the latrine.


    The courtyard of the tenant block was dimly lit and the air was cool. It helped


    clear Rin''s mental exhaustion. Slowly over time Illiesku had been weedleing her way


    into Rin''s comfort zone. She didn''t know if it was the influence thing or if it was just the


    general closeness, but she was finding it harder to resist the demon. Rin was fairly sure


    she wasn''t into other women, but the line seemed to blur with Illiesku. Rin rubbed her


    neck where Illiesku had kissed it. It felt good, and that was the part that bothered her.


    Rin entered her apartment to find Illiesku had set the beds out. Apparently she


    was staying the night again. The demon didn''t have a place that she lived. Rin wasn''t


    even sure Illiesku needed sleep, but she seemed to enjoy it. Without a word Rin


    stripped down to her small clothes and lay down in her spot. Staring at the ceiling, she


    debated how to ask the question nagging at her. It wouldn''t be polite.


    "A''te?"


    "Yes Rin."


    "Um. Are you. Gay?"


    "Rin. I am a genderless primordial entity. That term does not apply to me."


    Right. She had been Sung Wei earlier today. How had that slipped her mind?


    "So¡­ Is the Oni-Kai your true face?"


    "No."


    "What do you actually look like?"


    "I do not remember. My self image varies depending on how long I stay as one


    thing or the other. There are a few constants. Wings, a tail, tattoos, an infection


    originating from my right eye, and that damnable limp."


    "Oh¡­"


    "Do you wish to see?"


    Rin thought about that for a while. She really tried to find a reason to say no. "I


    do."


    "You will need light."


    Rin sat up and reached for the thresh-light.


    "Rin. The spell."


    Well that was going to take some getting used to. Rin focused her energy and


    said the word. A small light like that of the burning thresh-light winked into existence.


    She placed it on the wall behind her.


    A hand pushed her back into her bed and Illiesku rolled on top of her. Rin drew in


    a startled breath at the sudden action. It was still Illiesku, Rin could see it in the face.


    The left iris was red and the shape was a little different. Her right eye was inky black.


    Tendrils of black followed the veins in her face, running down her neck. Her hair was the


    same shade of black. The Oni-Kai horns that protruded from her temples were gone.


    Instead she had larger black horns that came out the sides and curled around framing


    pointed ears. Her skin was pale and flawless, covered in pulsing green tattoos that


    flowed over her shapely body. She had a perfect neck, perfect shoulders, perfect


    breasts, waist, and hips. A tail similar to Rin''s poked at her side and great batlike wings


    extended from her back.


    "Well?" asked the demon.


    Rin didn''t really respond to the naked demon on top of her. Illiesku always slept


    naked and it just now became awkward.


    "Rin?" Illiesku poked her in the forehead with a spaded tail.


    "Huh?"


    "Your thoughts. Mostly I am curious if the lust aspect is affecting you. If the eye


    does not bother you, then the lust should not either, but it has been a long time since I


    have tested that and eternal life does not come with an eternal memory."


    "Lust?"


    "Do you feel horny?"


    "Horny?" Rin put a hand on one of her own horns.


    Illiesku facepalmed. She grabbed Rin''s face, bent over and kissed the dense girl.


    Rin blinked as their lips parted.


    "Do you wish me to stop?" asked the demon.


    Rin opened her mouth, but words didn''t come out. She gave a small and unsure


    shake of her head. The next thought to cross Rin''s mind was one she never expected to


    literally taste. Illiesku had a long tongue.


    ***


    Rin woke just before dawn as she always did. The temperature had decreased


    during the night leaving the world coated in condensation. An unpleasant feeling that


    added to the already odd tacky sensation of skin to skin contact. Rin often woke to


    Illiesku''s arm or leg over her, but this morning she found herself unusually tangled in


    long lithe Oni-Kai limbs. She worked in the dark to light the cook fire as she did


    everything morning. Setting alight the thresh-light and heading out to the well for water.


    Only upon returning to Illiesku dressing for the day did she realize that she could have


    just cast the light spell. It was going to take time to get used to that. That said, they


    wouldn''t need to buy the thresh-lights anymore. One less need.


    "What do you want?" Rin asked Illiesku who was combing her hair with her


    fingers.


    "Hmmm. I would wish to tie you up and fuck you while your sister watches."


    Rin stared at Illiesku. Eyes wide and mouth agape as she tried to process that


    statement.


    "Or perhaps I would wish to tie up your sister and fuck her while you watch."


    Illiesku looked Rin up and down. "No. I wish to tie up both of you and fuck you together.


    You two are almost like twins. Do you think you would be into that?"


    Rin opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I¡­ I meant, what do you want for


    breakfast?"


    "Oh¡­" The demon considered it for a moment. "Both of you. But I have to


    decline. There is somewhere I need to be."


    Illiesku bent over, gave Rin a kiss, and was gone. Rin just sat there confused.

 Part 2-8 Mika

    Mika''s job wasn''t all bad. There were the nice young men eager to please as


    much as to be pleased. There were the travelers who wanted ears to hear their tales


    just as much as to have a night to remember. There were the disgruntled husbands who


    merely wanted a kinder warmer touch. They weren''t rare, but neither were they


    common. No, her usual clientele were the ugly, the grotesque, the controlling, and the


    cruel who wanted to leave a girl in tears with bruises and teeth marks. So when they


    told her that her contract had been sold, she harbored no hope that her future contained


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.anything pleasant.


    When she entered the back room used for business she found herself rather


    perplexed. A slightly younger mirror image of herself stared back with a stupid youthful


    grin. It spoke to how worn out she felt that it took her perhaps thirty seconds to realize it


    was Rin. Behind her younger sibling was Rin''s Oni-Kai friend or girlfriend or something.


    She hadn''t taken the time to figure that one out yet. It took another few moments before


    it hit her. Rin had bought her contract. Mika threw her arms around her little sister and


    openly sobbed.

 Part 2-9 Rin

    Priestess Yin Shoyun was reading through the organization of an efficient


    bureaucracy according to the Book of Fire. This always came after the laws of a just


    society and that came just after the general welcome notes. The odd thing about


    mystery cults is that they often weren''t all that mysterious. Everyone knew where the


    meeting was being held, where it was being held, who was holding it, and who was


    allowed to attend. The only mystery was the contents of the meeting. This was a


    woman''s only gathering and due to the recent discrepancy between the genders, the


    cult was gaining followers at a staggering rate. The place was packed despite the


    meeting being split into three separate buildings. As the readings moved into more


    relevant discussions, Rin found herself paying attention to none of it. She was getting a


    slightly disturbed feeling from Illiesku, who was grinning ear to ear with devilish glee.


    "What?" Rin asked in a sharp whisper.


    "I know this."


    "Ok. So?"


    "You do not realize how old it is. It''s existence is fascinating."


    Rin thought about it for a moment. "How old?"


    "Hmmm, how to put it? The Empire of Flame ruled most of the world. Your race


    did not yet exist. Iteyo was a kingdom on the Southern continent."


    "Iteyo is a god." Rin retorted quietly.


    "No. Iteyo was a place."


    "That is heresy."


    The demon sighed. "I can use this. I just need the right angle."


    ***


    Rin sat with her ass stuffed into an oversized and sinfully comfortable cushion


    carefully stuffing a mixture of powdered crystal and some other crushed substances into


    grooves cut into a candle shaped piece of wood. She worked in a small well lit room in a


    warehouse that Illiesku managed to purchase a few days ago. The demon was slowly


    unraveling Rin''s world view. Calmly and steadily pulling at the treads of a tapestry that


    was the illusion of how life was supposed to be.


    It was rare for peasants to have magical abilities and when one was found, when


    they did appear, they were often taken in and cultivated by a wealthy family. At least


    that was what society had taught her. Illiesku stated that any idiot could learn magic.


    What mattered was their aptitude for the manipulation of mana, the magical energy that


    permeated everything. Rin had a very low aptitude, Illiesku merely adjusted her plans


    accordingly which was the reason Rin was sitting here assembling magical candles.


    All grooves filled correctly, the powder infused with mana, the runes worked


    smooth, and the base attached, Rin gave the base a twist and a small flame sparked


    into existence just above the device. She passed her hand through the fire just to verify


    that it was heatless. Rin deactivated the magical light and set it in a box with three


    others.


    She stretched. Lifting her arms into the air and arching her back, reveling in the


    relief that such a simple action brought. A break for a bite to eat and nature''s call and


    Rin settled her rear end back into the comfy cushion. She added a premeasured


    amount of crystal powder and a few other ingredients to her bowl and began mixing


    them in preparation for the next bootleg magic light.


    That was another thing Illiesku had warped her concept of. Rin, a girl who was


    supposed to be incapable of crafting magical items, was assembling simple magical


    candles at a fraction of the cost. The damn things were supposed to be prohibitively


    expensive. Once all the taxes and Temple of the Six Tailed Fox fees were removed


    however, they were almost affordable by her standards, and she was poor. The whole


    process was horribly illegal. Like, off with her head illegal. It didn''t make any sense to


    Rin. Illiesku had tried to explain it, but it just wouldn''t stick. She was slowly coming to


    the conclusion that everything about society as a whole was a lie. She often found


    herself questioning things she would have never considered before. Why weren''t the


    lower classes allowed to buy silk? Where did the lumber from up river go? Are contracts


    extortion?


    Rin sighed and continued her monotonous task of creating highly illegal, but not


    immoral goods. That right there was a distinction. Illegal was not the same as immoral


    and things that were immoral weren''t necessarily illegal.


    Rin worked until the afternoon light started to fade and her back, shoulders, and


    neck couldn''t take anymore. She got up after a long stretch and went out to gather


    water. Once the water was warmed over the kalan, she stripped down to nothing and


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.began the washing. The warehouse door opened. The creaking sound followed closely


    by the heavy wood clashing against the jamb echoed throughout the mostly empty


    warehouse. Rin felt a tingle of anticipation surge through her body. That was another


    thing that had slowly changed.


    Illiesku had gotten Mika a job at the tavern where she had worked. As far as Rin


    knew, her sister really wasn''t doing anything different than when she worked at the


    brothel, but she was bringing home a week''s pay per night and she seemed happier.


    Point was, the person who entered the warehouse wasn''t Mika. It was Illiesku and that


    excited her. She didn''t turn to look, just kept bathing herself in nervous anticipation.


    "How did you do today?"


    An electric current ran through Rin''s body. Her heart pounded in her chest. "I


    almost finished two. I think by next week. I''ll be able to fully make two a day."


    "Very good."


    Rin listened to the sound of shifting fabric. She watched in her mind''s eye as


    Illiesku''s shirt fell to the floor and her skirt slid down her hips.


    "Do you have enough ingredients?" The demon asked.


    Rin nodded, the washcloth in her hand practically forgotten. "Enough for the


    week."


    A surge of electric warmth flew through her as Illiesku''s soft breast pushed into


    her upper back. The demon wrapped her arms around Rin and soft kisses started at her


    shoulder and began their irresistible march toward her neck. Rin breathed deeply as


    Illiesku''s hands roamed her, one of them slid its way up between her breasts, over her


    collar bone, and up her neck. Firm fingers latched onto Rin''s jaw and angled her head


    right and up. Their lips met, their tongues danced, and Rin''s body felt powerless.


    Rin didn''t know how long she spent in shear bliss, but it stopped. It always did. A


    firm hand turned her to face the stunningly attractive Oni-Kai woman. Now it was her


    turn. Rin had realized she was being trained a while ago. It was fine. As much as Rin


    loved having Illiesku torment her, she was addicted to the pleased hum the demon


    made when she was being worshipped. Rin planted practiced kisses down perfect


    Oni-Kai skin. Illiesku''s hands pushed her further down until the Akumajin girl was on her


    knees looking up into Illiesku''s eyes. Illiesku smiled and played with Rin''s hair. Rin


    fantasized about what Illiesku planned to do to her tonight. Would she keep the Oni-Kai


    woman appearance? Or would she shift? A tingle of anticipation, anxiousness, and


    desire spiked through her from toe to tail tip.


    ***


    Rin''s hand was a sweaty clammy mess. Illiesku had been dragging her across


    town for the better part of thirty minutes now and Rin wasn''t sure if the discomfort was


    from the summer heat or the fact that everyone was staring. Illiesku was proving a point,


    though to whom exactly, she didn''t know. The demon wore an elegant open backed


    dress that showed a lot of shoulder, thigh, and cleavage. It wasn''t the demon''s limbs


    that were gaining all the attention though. No it was likely the wings. And the tail. And


    the horns. Illiesku was walking around in full demon mode. Her eyes were a little more


    Anorian than Rin remembered, and she was now sporting Oni-Kai horns in addition to


    her normal set. It meant that her self image was changing or something like that.


    There was however, another addition to Rin and Illiesku''s little couple that


    couldn''t be ignored. Tsuni was easily six feet tall even if you didn''t count her foot long


    horns. Red skinned and carrying a giant metal banded tetsubo, she wore armor and an


    expression that promised violence upon anyone that got in her way. People seemed


    more put off by the angry giant than the attractive limping demon. To be fair, Rin was


    one of them.


    They passed by the front doors of the Bureau of City Investigations. Rin was sure


    that Illiesku was flaunting her utter disregard for the civil servants. She didn''t know just


    how long they had been following Illiesku and herself, but when she pointed it out to


    Illiesku a few days ago, the demon''s response was an unworried, "Ah, you finally


    noticed." It didn''t sit well with Rin and the more she worried about being watched, the


    more she found people that seemed to be watching her.


    Rin was surprised to be led into a temple. The people inside seemed just as


    surprised. The Temple of the Six, not to be confused with the Temple of the Six Tailed


    Fox which Illiesku understandably shortened to the Arcanum, was a massive open


    structure with six alcoves, each containing a shrine. A large raised dais sat in the


    center, three alcoves on each side. Illiesku approached each shrine in turn and gave the


    usual Anorian prayers. Rin did the same as was habit. Tsuni merely waited, glaring


    down at the people staring at the spectacle.


    "If I may be so bold to ask," said a priestly looking man while keeping his


    distance. "Why does a demon give their prayers to Gods?"


    Illiesku stopped and turned her gaze onto the man, clearly making him


    uncomfortable. "How dare you equate the primes with mere gods."


    He bowed and backed away. "I see. My sincerest apologies."


    And from there it was across the second tier of the city, parading around like the


    spectacle they were. Rin kept her eyes down and her hand in Illiesku''s. Hopefully this


    will be over soon.

 Part 2-10 Sung Wei

    Sung Wei turned from the decapitated corpse to the stone wall. The letters,


    written in blood because of course it was going to be written in blood, seemed to stare


    back at him. Leering at him with their angles and odd curves. The foreign words


    translated to "Rape is punishable by death by beheading. So says The Cursed One."


    On the surface, he wasn''t against such a notion, but he hadn''t been called to this crime


    scene because of the writing on the wall. No, he was here because the man had his


    chest cleaved open and his heart removed. The blood words had meant nothing to him


    until one of the translators read the damn things out loud.


    The Cursed One, Nar Arakna Ratahk. Of course Sung Wei instantly recognized


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.the words. Illiesku Nar Arakna. Illiesku The Cursed. How fucking fitting. So here she


    was mocking him. One more action to rub his inability to do anything about her in his


    face. The city was getting violent. Crimes like this were becoming a far too common


    occurrence. The demon hadn''t created the problem, she just found a scab on society


    and started picking at it. Now blood was flowing in the alleyways.


    "Puno." Said an out of breath aide.


    "Hmm?" Sung Wei pulled his attention away from the wall and to the man.


    "I was told, told to, run this to you, sir." He panted while holding out a piece of


    paper.


    The inspector took the note and read it over carefully. Maybe he couldn''t do


    anything about Illiesku Nar Arakna, but the demon hunter he had sent for could. A smile


    wormed its way across Sung Wei''s face.

 Part 2-11 Illiesku

    Illiesku rolled her shoulders. Reveling In the feeling of bone and muscle shifting


    under skin and the cool morning air against her bare form. She reached out and plucked


    the strands of her agreements like a spider checking her web for prey. She plucked and


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.felt and grinned. "All the pieces are on the board." She told the air. It did not dane to


    reply. This changed her day. She shifted plans. Currently she had two pretty little sisters


    she could play with. That sounded better than work right now. There was going to be a


    lot of work soon.

 Part 3-1 Sung Wei

    Sung Wei frowned. Master Wu Shun was a tall thin man with gaunt facial features, grey hair, and a mildly unnerving smile. His bright eyes stared back at Sung Wei with an intensity the inspector wasn''t used to. ¡°How to say this politely?¡±? Sung wei bowed. ¡°Forgive my delay. I admit I was expecting someone else. Still, I am glad you¡¯ve come.¡±


    The demon hunter held a bony hand up. ¡°No matter, but I am eager to get started. Where can I deposit my things? And then I should like to begin this hunt.¡±


    Sung Wei nodded and gestured down the hallway. ¡°Right this way Master Wu Shun.¡±


    Sung Wei grit his teeth as the demon hunter examined the building that Illiesku and her minions were currently running their black market magical item business out of. ¡°He¡¯s unhinged.¡±? The demon hunter continued to observe the building. Sung Wei continued to observe the demon hunter, grimacing as the thin man made observations.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Four exits, five if you count the roof. That¡¯s a four out of five chance that someone dies. Not bad odds.¡±


    ¡°I would like to avoid as much collateral as possible.¡± Sung Wei replied.


    ¡°Of course, of course, but we aren''t dealing with a dumb demon here. A succubus perhaps, but there are some inconsistencies.¡±


    ¡°Suck as?¡±


    The demon hunter shrugged. ¡°Why would a creature drawn to powerful people deal so thoroughly with peasants? That, my dear friend, is the part that worries me the most. I need another three days I think. Take me to the place you found the first missing heart. That is another inconsistency.¡±

 Part 3-2 Chaos

    The tiny apartment was in shambles. Even the heavy clay kalan lay in shattered pieces across the floor. They probably should''ve gotten rid of this place weeks ago, but home was home. Even if it had become redundant. Illiesku reached out and mentally pulled on Rin''s pact. She was moving. Likely into an area with more of the better off peasants. "Perfect." Illiesku cooed to herself as she turned to exit. "And so it starts."


    Rin cried in pain as she stumbled and was kept from falling by her hair, which was yanked forward causing her to stumble more. People stared at the thin man that was kidnapping her, but despite her cries for help, nobody did a damn thing.


    "Stop screeching." Ordered her captor as he dragged her further into the markets.


    ¡°WHAT!¡± Sung Wei screemed, anger emanating from him in nearly tangible waves.


    ¡°I-I said that, Master Wu Shun, b-broke into the apartments and took one of the Akumajin girls."


    "I heard you the first time." Sung Wei growled while shoving his arms into his coat. "Someone get the High Magus. Tell him to meet me at Trunchun Square. NOW!"


    "Yes Puno." Chorused a half dozen aides despite the fact he had only been yelling at two of them.


    The inspector rushed out into the crowds. The cool chill of autumn air almost pleasant. ¡°Three days my ass. I need a vacation after this.¡±


    Master Wu Shun grinned as an elegant and rather attractive Oni-Kai woman limped out of the gathered crowd. Her one good eye moved from Rin to Wu Shun to scanning the confused onlookers. ¡°Nice of you to join us.¡± Wu Shun grinned even wider and pulled on the Akumajin girl¡¯s hair, causing her to whimper.


    Illiesku made a show of eyeing the man up and down. Thin, pale, lean. Dressed in a robe that hid some type of armor and pouches. The cylindrical case in his other hand likely contained a sword. The demoness gave the demon hunter her own grin and looked around the crowd. ¡°Yet another man who thinks he can control females via both physical and mental manipulation.¡±


    Wu Shun watched as faces in the crowd grew angry. ¡°Ah. Well that answers a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Let her go.¡± The demoness said with a pleasant, calm tone.


    Wu Shun popped the top on the cylindrical case. ¡°I think not. I am quite curious to see if this girl actually means anything to you.¡±


    Illiesku nodded and took a single step forward. Wu Shun pulled a double edged sword from its case. The blade engraved from the hand guard to tip in a chaos of swirling patterns, making the weapon¡¯s metal look dull from a distance.


    ¡°Ipakita imong kaugalingon nga tinuod!¡± Shouted the hunter. The outstretched sword flashing with azure light.


    Illiesku grit her teeth as wings and horns ripped their way out of her flesh. Much of the crowd took a few nervous steps backward. Wu Shun took in the full visage of his opponent''s true form. Raven black hair, pale skin, a spaded tail, a set of curving ram horns as well as a set of Oni-Kai horns, green pulsing tattoos, and large black wings. It was her right eye that caught his attention though. Solid black and and eerie, its inky depths flowing into her veins and spreading like some sort of disease across her face. Wu Shun frowned. She was something near a succubus. No wonder she had been able to root herself into the fabric of the city. Festering like a disease, a cancer. Wu Shun moved forward, dragging the Akumajin girl, the Demon-Person?, with him.


    The demoness crossed her arms and waited for the man to close the distance. ¡°Let. The child. Go.¡± She demanded in calm yet clipped words soaked in a threatening tone.


    Wu Shun raised his sword. ¡°In the name of Izlakunami, ascended slayer of darkness, back to the Hell you came from.¡±


    The blade made a smooth arch towards the demoness. Its steel erupting in golden light as the weapon came down. Wu Shun¡¯s eyes went wide. Illiesku gave the man a disapproving smirk. A trickle of blood steamed down the demoness¡¯ wrist.


    ¡°I predate Hell.¡± Illiesku twisted the blade she had caught, took a step in, and planted her palm into the center of the man¡¯s chest. Wu Shun stumbled backwards, pulling the Akumajin girl with him. Her pained cry echoed throughout the district.


    The demon hunter found himself fending off a flurry of attacks launched primarily at his face. The demoness¡¯ now chitin covered hands lashing out with blinding speed and the short girl in his left hand was turning out to be a terrible meat shield. So he let her go. Jabbing forward with his still glowing sword he drove the demoness backward, then sent a kick at the Akumajin to clear the battlefield.


    Unimaginable pain shot through Rin, only made worse when her face impacted the dirty stone street. She cried, unable to bring herself to move. Even breathing shot waves of electric heat from her arm to the rest of her body. ¡°RUN!¡±? demanded a voice in her head. Somehow, she forced herself into a sitting position. A blurry Illiesku danced around a golden glow. The thin man seemingly keeping pace with her. Rin tried to clear her eyes, but pain forced them to water continually. ¡°RUN!¡±? said the voice again. The compulsion to obey overriding the unending desire to not move.


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    Wu Shun took a step backward panting. The Demoness was fast. Not terribly strong, as far as demon¡¯s were concerned, but very, very fast. She was actively shifting, despite his previous spell to keep her in her true form and she hadn¡¯t cast any spells yet. That was odd. Usually the less physical types had a strong control of magic. ¡°Must be a runt or something.¡±? The creature frowned. ¡°Is that all?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get bored.¡± Wu Shun gave the demoness a smirk. ¡°No my dear, that was just a test. Try dodging this.¡±


    ¡°Pagpalapad sa sunog!¡± shouted Wu Shun, a burning orb building in the palm of his outstretched hand for just a moment before flying straight at the demoness. As the tiny orb made its way unerringly towards Illiesku¡¯s chest, she smiled. ¡°Finally.¡± The demoness vanished from existence, the orb flying through the spot she had been and detonating in the crowd. Wu Shun took a step back, brought his sword into a defensive position and activated one of his stored spells with his free hand. An invisible wave of energy spread outward, pulling the demoness out of the ethereal and back into reality. ¡°You can¡¯t escape that easily.¡± he growled.


    Sung Wei weaved his way against the flow of bodies with Saito hot on his heels. The occasional boom from up ahead was all the direction he needed.


    ¡°What?¡± Saito asked when the inspector suddenly stopped, causing the High Magus to slam into him.


    ¡°She¡¯s poor.¡±


    ¡°What? Who¡¯s poor?¡±


    ¡°Keep going. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± Sung Wei said before staggering against the fleeing citizens.


    Rin was moving slowly, her back pressed against the wall of a storefront. Using her left arm to keep the right tight to her body. Tears and dried blood stained most of her pain filled face. Yet she was doggedly making her way toward the warehouse district. The exact opposite way from help. Sung Wei moved to intercept the girl. Fear and panic crossed the Akumajin girl¡¯s face. ¡°Things have really gone to hell when the victims fear the civil servants.¡±? Sung Wei mused just as he caught the girl who screamed both in pain and fear. ¡°I really need a vacation.¡±


    Wu Shun panted. Taking in deep breaths of smoke tinged air as he shifted his position, keeping the demoness always in his sight. She was a fast and clever bitch, he¡¯d give her that. The demoness relaxed her posture and laughed. Not full on, evil, maniacal laughter. Just a chuckle.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°The riots have started.¡±


    Wu Shun cocked an eyebrow. The only thing he could hear was the furious crackle of the burning building behind himself. Riots weren¡¯t his problem. He repositioned his grip on his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±


    The demoness shook her head. ¡°We are waiting for the last player to enter the field.¡± She shifted.


    Wu Shun shifted to match her new position. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Really? You seemed to be playing your part just fine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I was sent here to kill you.¡±


    The demoness laughed. ¡°No, no, no. I sent for you. To sow chaos.¡± She spread her arms out wide, vaguely gesturing to the burning buildings and the bloody streets. A few people lying dead or too injured to move on the well worn cobblestones. ¡°And you have done a marvelous job.¡±


    Wu Shun took in the scene around him for the first time. ¡°This is your doing!¡± he shouted back.


    Illiesku shook her head. ¡°From the perspective of the people who live here, you are the bad guy.¡± the demoness smiled as heavy foot falls resounded throughout the now mostly empty streets. The heavier set and very out of breath Kitsune mage stopping an equal distance from the two other souls still standing.


    ¡°Enough!¡± wheezed the High Magus.


    Illiesku took a step to her left. Wu Shun matched it, not willing to let the vile thing get any advantage on him.


    ¡°Master Wu Shun,¡± huffed Saito. ¡°Cease this.¡±


    The demon hunter gave the mage a quick incredulous glace and shifted to counter the demoness¡¯ new position. ¡°Help me take her mage.¡± he ordered.


    The demoness grinned as Saito shook his head. ¡°Enough of this. Stand down.¡±


    Wu Shun sneered at the damn High Magus, countered Illiesku¡¯s movement, began channeling a spell, and growled at the damn Kitsune mage. ¡°I¡¯m ending this now, with or without your help.¡±


    Wu Shun took a step forward outstretching his arm in the final motion of a divinely gifted spell formation. The crackling energy flowed up his arm toward his fingertips, then promptly died as the mage¡¯s superior handle over the fabric of magic tore his weave asunder, leaving a few tiny sparks as the broken strings of raw energy intermingled with the material world around them.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Wu Shun screamed at the mage, only to snap his attention back to the demoness when he noticed the expression on the mage¡¯s face as well as his line of sight.


    Illesku watched the demon hunter¡¯s face contort from minute panic to grim determination. He raised his still glowing sword, ready to counter her charge. She felt the warm tingle of High Magus Saito¡¯s spell wash over her and fail to stick, the very reason they needed to call on a demon hunter in the first place. She grinned wide as the hunter suddenly realized she wasn¡¯t going to be defending herself against his sword. The blade infused with the holy energy of some young god burned its way through her. Holy fire starting to consume her insides as she impacted the demon hunter. With a final burst of power, she picked him up and dashed the final few yards. Straight into the fire of the burning building. Straight into the final wooden column that stood tall, stubbornly holding the second floor up despite the inferno. The lone column she had been positioning the man in front of for the last few minutes. ¡°Gloriously perfect.¡±


    Saito shielded his face as the collapsing building sent sparks and heat shooting out at a speed he hadn¡¯t anticipated. Coughing to clear the smoke from his lungs, he stood and watched the former residence burn. Then some idiot threw a single bucket of water on the inferno. Saito frowned at the forming bucket line.


    ¡°Save the next house.¡± he said, pointing at a smoldering building that may still be salvageable.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Said the moron.


    The High Magus gave it another few minutes before ending his watch for survivors and turning his attention on putting out the other fires before they got out of hand. He took in the dead laying on the streets. Mostly killed by wayward spells. This was likely his fault. He shouldn¡¯t have suggested the order of demon hunters. Though technically he hadn¡¯t. He had suggested a single person for the order. Saito sighed. ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for this shit.¡±

 Part 3-3 Rin

    <h2> </h2>


    Rin held her breath and waited for the soldiers to pass. Only once the sight of their muskets and the clanging sound of their armor truly disappeared did she dare dart out across the streets and into the back alley. As soon as the cellar access was unlocked, she lifted the door just enough to squeeze in, wincing at the noise it made. With the pale dim illumination of the thresh-light she found her way to the circle embedded in the floor. The stone was hard and gritty beneath her knees, but cool and welcoming to her fingertips as she placed her hands into the grooves and forced all her energy into the spell formation.


    The floor glowed with an ever shifting pattern of translucent colors, turning the stone walls of the small cellar into a hypnotic mosaic of moving blocks. The specks of dust hanging in the air lit up as if hit by rays of sunlight through an open window. It gave Rin a feeling of eerie peace as for just the briefest of moments, sound ceased to exist.


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    A thick and hazy red mist emanated from the runes in the floor, creeping in twisting patterns toward the center of the circle. The dust particles started glowing white hot and joined the miasma of the roiling energy, a maelstrom of shifting colors, from red to scarlet to black. Then to something else entirely. The scent of rotten eggs filled the room, then it was over. Sound returned to normal. The runes on the floor died down to a gentle glowing green for a few moments before winking out completely. Rin stared at the beautiful demon in the pale light. Illiesku grinned.


    ¡°Rise Rin. And do tell me what the situation is like.¡±


    Rin pushed her tired body up off her knees and met the demoness¡¯ gaze. ¡°Lianzhen is on lockdown. The lord ordered the garrison to patrol the streets.¡±


    Illiesku nodded. ¡°Hmm, that was a possibility. And the hunter?¡±


    ¡°Uh, dead. I think.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± The demoness wrapped Rin in her warm naked embrace. ¡°We will need to wait a short while, but I believe we can start on phase two.¡±

 Part 3-4 Sung Wei

    Sung Wei watched as the recently hanged man was laid on a stretcher and hauled off to the coroner. ¡°Why the coroner?¡±? While it was of course procedure to bring the body to the morgue, going directly to the coroner¡¯s table was odd. Sung Wei stood near the doors. He didn¡¯t need to be here. He could go back to the office. ¡°I could go home.¡±? The Inspector opened the door into the side of The Bureau and followed the path of the body to the coroner¡¯s table.


    ¡°Inspector?¡± Asked the man already pulling back the skin from the recently deceased man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°One minute Inspector.¡±


    Sung Wei reluctantly waited as the coroner started sawing at the corpse¡¯s ribs.


    ¡°Removing the heart.¡± Came the reply as the sternum was removed.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The coroner looked up as Sung Wei and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°How long has this been your job??¡± The question came out a little more forcefully than intended.


    ¡°Uh, since I started working here. Is everything ok?¡±


    Sung Wei shook his head as he backed toward the door. ¡°Where do the hearts go from here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Came the expected response of the coroner. Sung Wei was already out the door and marching down the hallway. Aides and lower ranked civil servants quickly jumping out of his way.


    ¡°Where do the hearts go?¡± Sung Wei demanded, letting the door to his boss¡¯ office practically slam shut.


    The Akumajin looked up from his paperwork, an annoyed grimace on his face. ¡°Mr. Tomokazu?¡±


    ¡°Where do the hearts go?¡±


    ¡°That is none of your business.¡± Came the even reply.


    ¡°I spent months examining corpses with missing hearts! IT IS MY BUSINESS!¡±


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    The department head watched a red faced Sung Wei gesticulate wildly in a seemingly random direction. ¡°You were? ordered? not to pursue the demon. An order that you? broke. Mr. Tomokazu, I should be holding you ? personally responsible for the deaths of seven individuals, the injuries? of many others, and a truly staggering? amount of damages to the city, but I¡¯m not. The hearts are none of your DAMN BUSINESS! Do I make myself clear?¡±


    Sung Wei took an involuntary step back. He hardened his expression and bowed. ¡°Yes Puno.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, I have a lot of work left cleaning your mess up. Take a vacation, Tomokazu. I don¡¯t want to see your face for the next thirty days.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order?!¡±


    Sung Wei bowed again. ¡°Yes Puno. Thank you Puno.¡±


    Sung Wei backed out of the office and gently closed the door. Several others seemingly jumped back to work when he glared at them. It took an entire two minutes to hand off his work and hang up his coat. The cool autumn air brought an aura of finality to his sentence. Was it really a punishment though? When was the last time he had taken a vacation? Four years ago? This didn¡¯t have to be a bad thing. He could¡­


    Sung Wei¡¯s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach when their eyes met. The people walking between them seemed to blur as all his focus was directed toward the attractive, Oni-Kai woman. Her disturbing pale eye instantly identifying her as Illiesku. Her smug smirk cut into him like a dagger.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The demoness smiled, a sickly sweet facsimile of honest joy. ¡°Oh yes.¡±


    ¡°The High Magus told me that demons killed here were banished for a hundred years.¡±


    Illiesku nodded. ¡°The High Magus would be right.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    ¡°Not technically a demon. It¡¯s complicated and I don¡¯t remember much of it.¡±


    Sung Wei let the silence build. The people passing between the two unable to fathom the panic he was trying to hold down. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She pointed at the ground. ¡°Here? As in this particular spot? Pettiness. I really just want to rub it in. The whole time you thought you were heading me off. Watching my movements. Preparing to dismantle my plans. Calling for help. Hmph. You were following the path I had laid out for you.¡±


    Sung Wei held his face impassive, but his stomach was sinking into the lower recess of his abdomen. The demon gave him a devilish grin and turned away.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Sung Wei said, surprising himself more than the demoness. ¡°The girls, let them go?¡±


    Illiesku stood there for a long moment as if considering it. ¡°I¡¯ll let them go, in exchange¡­¡± She stretched out her arm towards him. ¡°I get you. Do we have a deal?¡±


    The crowds passed. The autumn air carried the colorful dead leaves on its cool breezes. The city moved on, oblivious to this single exchange and likely thousands others. Sung Wei turned his back on the demoness. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pity.¡±

 Part 3-5 She Who Sees Lies and Speaks Only Truth

    The nobility, high ranking administrators, and powerful heads of mercantile houses gathered in the meeting hall of Lord Suabe. The Lord of Lianzhen examined his direct reports. They looked nervous. No doubt due to the large amount of soldiers stationed along the wall behind them. As well they should be. The Lord gave a nod to his house magus who bowed in return and placed a small wooden chest near the center of a large circle inlaid into the floor. Lord Suabe watched the confused looks as all others watched the mage begin his chant.


    Red and green lights reflected in their eyes. Sound disappeared. The pungent odor of sulfur made people cringe or cover their faces. Soon it was over and Lord Suabe smiled to himself at the startled looks on their faces. He then turned to greet his final guest.


    She stood maybe four feet tall, had pale skin, long black matted hair, and long horns similar to an Oni-Sen. She was clothed in a tattered grey slip that went down to her calves. A putried looking brown stain ran down her front, from her mouth to her bare feet. She scanned the room of people with solid, soulless black eyes marked only by a tiny glowing red dot where the pupils should have been.


    Lord Suabe bowed. ¡°She Who Sees Lies and Tells Only Truth. It is a pleasure.¡±


    The demon¡¯s gaze shifted to him. ¡°Payment?¡±? it asked. The sound echoing in his head. Its lips having never moved.


    ¡°In the box to your left.¡±


    The demonic child turned and reached down to the box by her feet. Some of Lord Suabe¡¯s guests shuddered as the thing brought the heart to its face and sniffed.


    ¡°Acceptable.¡±? rattled the voice in his head. ¡°You have my service for quarter of an hour and no more.¡±


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    ¡°Thank you.¡± He bowed and turned to the gathered assembly as the demon child opened her mouth filled with rows of pointed, serrated teeth and bit into the organ as if it were an apple. ¡°Now, Lord Lin Yao?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked the man, taking far too long to tear his gaze away from the creature.


    ¡°Have you, or anyone in your house that you are aware of, been plotting my downfall?¡±


    The man blinked. ¡°No Omo.¡±


    ¡°He lies.¡±? hissed the demon. A sensation of gluttonous pleasure somehow being added to the words.


    Lord Suabe turned to his chief commander. ¡°Please gather Lord Lin Yao and his family for further questioning.¡±


    The commander nodded and made a motion to the soldiers against the wall.


    ¡°Wait, why?¡± said a panicked Lord Lin Yao. ¡°I am loyal!¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±? hissed the demon in his head.


    That business done Lord Suabe turned to the next man in line.


    ¡°Have you, or anyone in your house that you are aware of, been plotting my downfall?¡±


    ¡°N-No Omo.¡±


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    ¡°Him too.¡± Lord Suabe told the Commander. ¡°Master Nakumora? ¡°Have you, or anyone in your house that you are aware of, been plotting my downfall?¡±


    The next man in line swallowed hard ¡°No Lord Suabe.¡±


    ¡°Truth.¡±


    ¡°You may leave Master Nakumora. Return tomorrow. I believe I will have several openings available for your choosing.¡±


    Nervously, the man stood, bowed, and swiftly exited.


    ¡°Now then?¡± Lord Suabe said with a widening grin plastered to his face. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±