8. Ishida Ayumi
Ayumi was starting to feel the effects of Riho's lifestyle. According to what Riho told her though, this was actually a step higher than what she was used to because she had Ayumi around to defend her if they went through a village that discriminated against demons. Always being hungry was now something expected of her stomach. The journeying made it twice as hard too, as they needed to cover as much land as they could in a day to keep up with the pace of her friends' kidnappers.
"Losing hope? I could always return you to Yasuda-san."
"And leave everyone else behind? Not a chance!" Ayumi huffed, brandishing her naginata around.
"That's the spirit," the demon said nonchalantly. Meat was resting in the flaps of Riho's shirt as always.
"It's been what, a week or two now...?" the shorter looked up, hand blocking the sun's rays in her eyes.
"When you wander, you just can't keep track of days anymore..."
At least Riho was a lot more talkative now. She remembered her first meeting with the demon and she was completely unresponsive to anything the girl said. That was good. At least the journey wouldn't be boring...
"Don't you take on jobs to get food or anything?" Ayumi suddenly blurted out.
"It's hard when you're a demon, but now that you're here... it could be easier..."
"Do you think we should try at the next village we stop at? We could finally stop sleeping in trees or caves... And stop relying on hunting..."
At least the nice thing about the path they were tracing is that there was a stream nearby at the ready. Ayumi had been using it to wash the clothes she had in the pack so that she wouldn't be too revolting. Though more clothes might be in order, for Riho started to get in on her clothes too...
"You really like the color red, huh?" Ayumi noted as Riho wore one of her red yukata, with a white obi tied up rather grandiose in the back. It was almost like looking at a multi-winged butterfly in the back. Though the open-toed tabi from her other outfit were still present. What was new to Ayumi though, was that Riho now attached thin leather bracers to her red fingerless gloves which ended above her elbows.
"You seem like the stealthy type, why red of all things?" Ayumi added onto her previous question. If it weren't for her magic, Riho's fighting style definitely seemed to be stealth based rather than head on...
"Why can't I just like the color red? You're wearing blue a lot."
...Oh. Well she couldn't argue against that.
"So that other outfit, was that... all you've been wearing?"
"Pretty much. Again, I had this pack prepared for me but I completely forgot it," Riho pinched at the bridge of her nose, annoyed at herself. "I'm also lucky that you seem to carry stuff that's my size too... Why do you wear cloth sizes that are bigger?"
"They're more of a memento, actually..." Ayumi pulled various memories from her head. "I actually wasn't made an orphan until a few years ago. My parents died of illness and these clothes were all of their's."
"Ah..." Riho stopped, "I'm sorry."
"It's... okay. I have another family now, and that's who we're looking for!" She tried not to let her parents' death get to her. Moving forward was all she had to go off on.
"You're our second chance to live on again, Ayumi..." her mother raised a weak hand to stroke her cheek. "After your sister died, your father and I lost all hope, but you were our second chance... And now we're entrusting everything to you."
She never knew her sister. Died many years earlier before she was born. Her given name was the same as her sister's, that she knew. At first, she thought she was a replacement, but her parents reminded her that their mistakes led to meeting the most wonderful child of all...
Riho was in front of her, causing Ayumi to walk right into her.
"Hey, why'd you stop!?" Ayumi furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, but instead of a rhetorical response, she got an entirely different one altogether.
Riho wordlessly reached out for Ayumi's face, wiping the bottom of her eye with her thumb. When she pulled her hand back, Ayumi saw it.
A tear.
She was crying?
She turned around and slapped her cheeks multiple times. She must not cry.
She must not cry.
She must not cry.
She must not cry.
She must not cry.
Riho pulled Meat out of her clothes and offered it to Ayumi. "Meat's a good de-stresser..." Although saying it plainly, the demon's expression was wary. Was she trying to figure out what to do? The other definitely had a lot to learn about reading people, but she had to commend her effort for trying. Ayumi smiled before taking Meat from her.
"I can hold the naginata for a bit. Meat's getting fat."
Meat made an angry noise at the other, glaring at the demon.
Ayumi couldn't help but laugh. She traded over the naginata and pressed Meat against her, stroking the top of the bunny's head. It was great that the bunny liked them (read:Riho) well enough to stay with them. It was like their cute, derpy pet. One fact about Meat that surprised her was that Meat especially loved the water. Whenever her and Riho would bathe, Meat would jump right in and paddle along the water, splashing at them with its strong hind legs. Or there would be times where it would demand to be petted and would stomp on the ground with a powerful hop whenever they'd stop.
Meat looked up at her with inquisitive eyes, blinking curiously. Funny how the bunny felt like it could read people better than Riho ever could. The white furball climbed up Ayumi's arm and draped itself across her shoulder, nuzzling against her neck. Yeah seriously, the bunny was definitely amazing when it came to reading the atmosphere.
Thankfully, she didn't have to dwell any further on the subject long. They came across a shrine elevated on tall stilts. Riho gave the shivers.
"What's wrong?" Ayumi ran up to stand next to the demon, eyes on the shrine.
"I don't like shrines. They give me an unpleasant feeling..." Riho retreated and jumped back onto a tree branch above them. "How about you see if they need help? Maybe they'll give us food."
"Ah!" Ayumi understood. She brought Meat from her shoulder and held it snug in her arms, though it apparently didn't like that and was trying to get away from her arms, but to no avail. Ayumi ran into the clearing, looking for signs of people. She looked back to find Riho already snoozing away. "Loser," she sighed before wandering around the area a little more. Where was everyone...?
"Oh, a person wandered in!"
Just kidding. "Ah, miko-sama!" Ayumi immediately bowed, though it took a lot of control to keep Meat stable in her arms. What was up with the bunny?
The miko was a pretty lady, pale skin, straight fringe, long jet black free flowing for a bit before being tied with a white bandage for the rest of the way down to her knees. White top and red hakama like everyone's generic priestess design. Ayumi was a little envious of the gigantic white sleeves though, they were held up just at the upper arms by red stitching and only the tips of her fingers were showing at the bottom.
The priestess smiled cheeringly, though her eyes fell down on the rapidly frantic bunny in her arms. Of all the times for Meat to have a freak out, it had to be now?!
"What did you come here for, child?" the priestess asked, completely ignoring the crazy Meat.
"A friend and I were wondering if there was something we can do to help you out! Or if there's a village nearby we can help!" Ayumi tried her best to smile back, though it was getting difficult with Meat now scratching at the poor girl's arms now, but Ayumi held it in.
"Where's your friend?"
Ayumi pointed at Riho's general direction, and of course, the cat/dragon was still sleeping soundly in her branch.
"A demon?" the priestess raised a hand to her lips, suppressing a small gasp. "Sorry, I can't permit your friend to come near..."
"But she's a good person!"
"That's what they all say, unfortunately, I have to stick with the protocol," the priestess said apologetically.
"I see..." Ayumi bowed her head down. Did Riho have to face all this by herself a lot? It must have been so hard for her...
"But if you're still interested, there is something available..." out of nowhere, the priestess pulled out a shide--a zig zagging paper streamer wand. "There is something of a curse nearby. I can exorcise it, but you will have to protect me as I utter my incantations.
Sounds easy enough. Ayumi was very capable and Riho didn't sense anything extraordinarily powerful in the area, so she should be fine, right? She nodded her head vigorously. Though Meat was practically screaming in protest.
"I'm sorry, my bunny is acting up," Ayumi bowed her head apologetically. She would have let Meat go, but she was afraid it would run off and she already had taken such a strong liking to the bunny.
"Understandable," the priestess smiled, but it only seemed to provoke further paranoia from Meat.
"Ugh fine!" Ayumi set Meat on the ground, "Go back to Riho then."
Having been set down, Meat was utterly confused. Jeez, the bunny was biting her and scratching at her to be let down and it was now frozen? Whatever, she didn't understand Meat as well as Riho did, apparently. The bunny looked back and forth between Ayumi and the way back to Riho, but elected to stay with Ayumi, though still scared out of its wit and hiding behind her ankles.
"Maybe it's warning you..." the priestess's eyes never left the bunny's. Meat hid its face under its paws, shaking where it was.
"Of what?" her question was genuine. What could Meat possibly so scared about? She wasn't alone, she had a priestess with her.
"There's a clearing nearby. Villagers have been telling me that a spirit is angry so I'm going to exorcise it."
"Maybe I should go back and grab my naginata though..." Ayumi looked worriedly to the area Riho was at. She could see the shiny glint of the naginata hanging out of the tree, being sat on by the ever sleepy cat/dragon to keep it from falling.
"It's fine, as long as you have these salts," the aforementioned object was passed to the other in a bowl," just throw it at any spirit that tries to come near me, okay?"
Ayumi looked into the small bowl worriedly. Magic and spirituality were never her strong points. Fighting people and demons were one thing, but combating spirits was a whole other thing altogether. Oh well, at least she was with a priestess, so it shouldn't be too bad. The shide completed the image and everything. You'd need ridiculously excellent channeling skills to use one, or so Duu told her.
"Lead the way!"
The priestess began to move, and so did Ayumi. Meat remained rooted in place, looking back between Riho and Ayumi. However, it made up its mind and hopped along, though keeping itself situated right between the other girl and Ayumi. Sure enough, after a moments' walk from the shrine, they came to what looked like two gnarled up trees tied together at the top.
"After we walk through here, we'll get to the clearing!" the priestess smiled serenely. "Though once we get past, that's when things are most likely going to go crazy, so keep the salt handy, okay?"
Ayumi nodded. Meat began to nip at her ankles though. Confused, she looked down at the bunny, who kept nipping at her ankles and darted away, as if expecting her to follow. Not exactly paying attention to it, she followed the priestess through the tree.
"...This idiot..."
"Did you say something?" Ayumi asked the priestess.
"Me? No, not at all," the priestess waved her hand dismissively, sleeve flapping about. Strange. The priestess herself had a mid-ranged voice but the voice she heard was more on the higher side... Oh well, it must have been her imagination. She looked down at the bunny, now a little more confident in its stride instead of scared like before.
As they passed more and more trees, the idea of there being a meadow suddenly seemed so far away. Not only that, everything started taking a red hue. Also, when did it become night...?
"How much longer until we get there?"
The priestess didn't answer.
"U-um, excuse me?" Ayumi reached out to grab the other's shoulder and turn her, but when she did that, the priestess looked back at her with strong fangs and completely pitch black eyes.
"Too easy..." A demonic voice escaped from the priestess's mouth, showing off pronounced fangs and sharp, triangular teeth in general.
Ayumi fell backwards. What just happened?! She turned and began to ran back the way they came. Meat came hopping along with her in the same speed. Once she passed the trees with the twists and gnarled branches, she thought she would be safe, but instead, she ran right into the messed up priestess.
"It's too late... I've cast the maze spell!" the twisted priestess laughed like a croak, "Just like that silly little village, you too, shall be consumed by me!"
No wonder everything seemed too good to be true. The priestess was a demon in disguise! She threw the bowl of salt at the demon, but to no effect. That meant it was something different the entire time...!
The demon lunged at her and she immediately sprung into a backflip, using the momentum of her feet to kick and launch the demon into the tree behind her. She ran forward and turned around, combat ready as the demon was dazed out of its mind.
"You..."
Ayumi didn't say a word. Her parents taught her everything there was to know about fighting. After all, they couldn't bear losing another daughter. Even without her trusty naginata, she was still a competent challenge.
The demon charged her again and again, but to no avail. She was just too slow for Ayumi. Each and every time, Ayumi would punish her mistakes with a powerful roundhouse kick.
"You little..." the demon uttered before firing an energy blast at her. Completely taken aback, Ayumi tried to dodge as quickly as she could but her left knee got caught!
She cried out in pain as she was thrown aside and her hands immediately grasped onto her scalding knee.
Damn it! Ayumi couldn't move at all as the demon laughed at her predicament. This wasn't good at all! Wouldn't Riho notice something amiss by now?! She could seriously use a hand here!
"I should've used it sooner!" the demon cackled as she prepared two points of energy at the palms of her hands.
Shit... Shit... Shit...She couldn't move. She didn't have the magical expertise to deflect anything. No items nearby to use as a shield... She was screwed!
The demon fired.
Ayumi crossed her arms in front of her face, prepared for the outcome.
I'm sorry everyone...!
Nothing came. There was a loud noise of impact which rang in her ears however. She lowered her arms to find a light pink magic circle in front of her, sizzling with smoke from impact...
She saw hands above her, and she turned around.
"EEEHHHHH!?!?!?"
There was another woman among them. However, she was completely naked, blasting Ayumi with sheer shock. But this woman was the one who held the barrier up! She had waist length straight black hair and a fringe trimmed straight above her large eyes. Large white bunny ears stuck out of the top of the woman's head... and she had a beauty mark below her lips...
"YOU!?"
"You're welcome," the ridiculously attractive lady said before she made the magic circle glow and the shots came surging right back at the demon.
"W-WHAT?!" the angry priestess demon was just as surprised as Ayumi! "Another demon!? How come I never sensed you!?"
Meat (!?) stepped around Ayumi, flaunting her pale, white body as she sashayed to the front. "It's a cloaking technique I've developed over time. Ten years of my life as you will," the bunny demon explained in a voice that was high, yet confident.
Was that the voice I heard earlier...?! Ayumi thought to herself. The one that said something before I walked into this entire trap...
"What kind of demon works that hard to conceal her signature?! That's completely unheard of!"
"Ones who survives, obviously," Meat waved a dismissive hand, "And for your information, it's called autotuning."
8.5 Fujimoto Miki
The cat demon was bored out of her mind. She lazed at the top floor of her castle, leaning over the balcony overseeing the land that stretched further than her golden eyes could see. After all, what kind of lord didn't have a lavish amount of land equivalent to someone of her power and status?
"So fucking bored..." the dark haired lady said aloud. The retainer nearby squirmed uncomfortably. From the retainer's view, all she saw was a golden jinbaori with the symbol of black fire etched across Miki's back.
"Shall I fetch scrolls for r-reading?"
"No... Not in the mood..." Miki traced the patterns of the wooden railing of the balcony with her index finger. "Perhaps some tea would be nice... "
"Y-yes mi'lady!" the retainer squeaked before bowing and leaving the vicinity.
Miki looked out back towards the land.
"Where the hell are you idiots...?" she gritted her teeth in annoyance.
It sucked being the one stuck here!
She'd rather be out there instead of worrying!
Not to mention it was a missing wife and kids to fret about!
"I swear... the moment one of you guys come back... I will punch someone in the throat..."
It's like an early christmas xD