by Julie Kagawa
Sunako sniffed and stepped back. “You are free to enter,” she rasped. “Though be warned, while you are within these walls, that binding will prevent you from harming any mortal, be it blood witch, servant or slave. So behave yourself while you are here, demon. We would not want to have to send you back to Jigoku.”
I chuckled and took a single step forward. “You really have no idea who I am, do you?” I asked, and grabbed the witch by the throat.
The chains flared up instantly, searing into my flesh as before, infuriatingly painful as they tried to drag me to the ground, to force me to kneel or prostrate myself at the witch’s feet.
I lifted the human off the ground, watching her eyes bulge and her mouth gasp for air as she clawed at my fingers. “What’s wrong, mortal?” I asked, as the rest of the coven gaped and stared. “I thought your binding was supposed to prevent this type of thing.”
“Release her!” one of the witches cried, raising a bloody hand. I grinned and swung my arm toward her, putting the body of the head witch between us.
“Go ahead and cast one of your spells,” I challenged. “But be sure to kill me on the first try, otherwise I’ll drag this mortal to Jigoku with me.”
“Who…are you?” the head witch choked out. Her other hand, the one not clamped around my own, moved rapidly, bloody fingers twitching as she attempted to cast another spell. I smiled.
“Well, that’s something you should have asked before you started this,” I told her. “If you had, you would have known that binding Hakaimono the Destroyer is a futile endeavor. Many before you have tried and failed. I bow to no one.”
The chains squeezing my arms, chest, legs and neck were quickly becoming intolerable. My whole body felt like it was on fire, and though that sensation was unpleasant given that human flesh did not take burning as well as an oni’s, the pressure of the chains was the most annoying. They continued to tighten and pull, trying to force me to the ground, and my temper flared. “If you had asked me who I was,” I went on, glancing at the circle around us. “You would have discovered that, while no human can bind me to their will, I find every attempt extremely bothersome, and every human who has tried it has lived only long enough to regret what they’ve done, before I tore the head from their neck and scattered their entrails over their own summoning circle.”
The head witch raised her arm, fingers glowing red with power, before they lengthened into black, obsidian claws. With a desperate shriek, she stabbed them at my face.
I grabbed her wrist before the pointed black talons sank into my eyes. With a snarl, I tore the arm from her body, yanking it out of the socket in a spray of blood and ripping tendons. The witch screamed, a high, agonizing keen, her voice ringing off the rafters and echoing through the entrance hall. I dropped the limb to the wooden floor, drove my claws through her middle to grab her spine and pulled the human apart.
Blood flew everywhere, spattering my face and splashing to the floor in puddles. The witch’s scream came to a gurgling stop, and the glowing chains wrapped around my body flared once and vanished, taking the pain with them.
Behind me, something cackled with glee. I turned, still clutching the two halves of the human, to see a dozen or so faces gazing at me through the open chamber doors. The hag sisters stood in the wooden frame, toothy grins stretched ear to ear. A crowd of yokai clustered behind them, obviously attracted by the sounds of violence, the screams and the smell of blood. Their eyes were huge and fearful as they stared at me over the hags, gazes sliding to the eviscerated blood witch in my claws. The rest of the coven seemed to be frozen in stunned horror. I dropped the bloody halves at my feet, letting them thump wetly to the planks, and smiled at my audience over the mangled body of Mistress Sunako.
“My name is Hakaimono,” I said, raising a claw that was covered in blood to the elbow. “If any would like to challenge me, please step forward right now. If any would like to attempt another binding,” I continued, glancing at the coven, who flinched and cringed away, “you are welcome to try again, but fair warning—this time I will not stand quietly. Any who wants my head is welcome to try to claim it. I care not if you come at me alone or all at once. But know that if you do, I will paint the walls in blood and snap the bones of every living creature in this castle before I am finished. This is your one chance to decide if you are an ally or an enemy.” I narrowed my eyes, gazing around the hall. “Choose wisely.”
At first, no one moved. The yokai were motionless. The coven didn’t even appear to breathe, standing like frozen statues in a circle.
The hag sisters were the first to come forward. “Hakaimono-sama,” the red sister said, and sank to her knees, touching her forehead to the floor. The other two followed her example.
One by one, the rest of the yokai followed, sinking to their knees or bowing their heads in silent respect. The jorogumo, nezumi, even the lone kappa, bowing as best it could without spilling the water from the bowl in its head. The humans, of course, were the last to move, standing motionless in their circle, perhaps too proud to bow their heads to a demon, a creature they were used to controlling. I turned and bared my fangs in a grin.
“You know the saying, humans,” I said, meeting their flat, stony glazes. “The status between a demon and a mortal can only be one of master and servant. There is no room for compromise. If you wish to be the master, you had best put a binding on me right now, otherwise I might have our association confused. And I don’t like being confused. So, which is it, master or servant? You have five seconds to decide. Four. Three. Two…”
The humans paled. Moving stiffly, they bent forward at the waist and as one, silently lowered their heads. I smiled triumphantly and raised my voice.
“Let it be known to all,” I said into the dead silence that had fallen over the chamber. “Hakaimono the Destroyer has returned. All who stand with him will live to see glory, but any who stand in his way will be purged so thoroughly from existence, no one will even remember their names.”
“Hakaimono!”
A thunderclap went through the chamber, causing the ground to shake and the lights in the hall to flare once and go out.
A ghostly blue light filled the chamber, and the spectral form of Genno himself appeared, hovering over the crowd. His hair and robes billowed behind him, and he did not look pleased. The yokai cringed even further, trying to press themselves into the floor, and the circle of humans instantly prostrated themselves on the ground. The spectral Master of Demons glowered over the cowering mob, then turned burning black eyes on me.
“Lord Hakaimono,” the ghost said in a voice of controlled fury. I sensed he was angrier about his army’s reaction to my presence than the death of the human witch. “My apologies for keeping you waiting. Please, come to my quarters. I believe we have much to discuss.”
There were no further interruptions on the way to Genno’s tower. I followed a trio of gleeful hag sisters through the dark, shadowy halls of a nearly empty castle, until we reached the flight of wooden stairs spiraling up to the tallest keep.
“We can go no farther unless we are called,” the green hag explained. “Lord Genno’s personal chambers reside at the top of the steps.”
They bowed once more and disappeared, leaving me to make my way to Genno alone.
As I approached the steps to the tallest keep, my instincts bristled. A pair of figures lounged on the steps in the center of the staircase, blocking the way. They were young, pretty, and nearly identical; twin sisters with pale skin and glossy dark hair pulled into a braid. They wore tight black clothing reminiscent of the Kage shinobi’s preferred uniforms, and their eyes were shiny black orbs in their pale faces. A spiked chain, lethal and wickedly sharp, was wrapped around each of their waists, but their sneakiest weapons lay behind them, at the end of their long swinging braids, where a barbed scorpion tail lay coiled and hidden in the strands.
The Sasori twins, a pair of infamous scorpion yokai, grinned and waved at me from their spot on the stairs. In the past
, the sisters had offered their services to blood mages, monstrous yokai, even ruthless humans, acting as bodyguards and assassins for those who could pay. On occasion, their paths had crossed with the Kage demonslayers, but the sisters were tough, skilled and extremely protective of each other. I had watched them kill one demonslayer, only to be nearly slain by another a few decades later. The blood mage they had been serving at the time was destroyed, but the twins escaped and disappeared for a while. Unsurprising they would find their way here, to Genno’s castle. The Sasori twins lived for slaughter and bloodshed, and the Master of Demons would provide that in full.
“Hakaimono-sama!” one of the sisters called in a bright, high-pitched voice. “Is it really you? Have you come to join the Master’s fun little uprising?”
I smirked. “Perhaps. Depends on what your master and I can agree on.”
“Oh, I do hope you can join us,” said the other twin, sounding wistful. “I would love to watch you on the battlefield. We’ve heard stories of you slaughtering entire armies of humans at a time. It would be an honor to fight and kill beside the First Oni of Jigoku.”
“Yes, well, to do that, I will have to meet with Genno first. And the path to his chamber seems to be blocked.”
The twins giggled. As one, they hopped up, scorpion braids bobbing behind them, and gave a quick bow. “Welcome to Onikage castle, Hakaimono-sama,” they recited, as if they had practiced for this moment. “We look forward to working with you.”
They leaped off the staircase and hit the floor with a thump then scampered off, laughing, the deadly braids swaying rhythmically at their backs. Their high-pitched voices echoed down the corridor, then faded into silence.
I shook my head. With the way finally clear, I climbed the steps to the top of the keep, and strode in without waiting to be acknowledged.
It was empty. Or, at least, it appeared empty. The chamber itself was small and square, with narrow windows and an opening that led to a balcony outside. Through the open balcony doors, a sickly orange moon peered through the clouds like a malevolent, swollen eye.
In the center of the room, a black stone plinth stood unguarded, a red silk cloth draped over the top. A naked, grinning skull sat atop the plinth, glowing with a subtle power, almost daring someone to snatch it up as soon as they stepped through the door. I snorted and crossed my arms, almost amused with the blatantly obvious temptation.
“Hakaimono.”
The empty eye sockets flared to life, and glowing purple flames burst out to engulf the skull, casting the room in dark luminance. A ghostly mist emerged from the mouth of the skull and floated up to solidify into the spectral form of the Master of Demons, who still did not look pleased as he glared at me.
“That display in the main hall was entirely unnecessary, Hakaimono,” the blood mage said, crossing incorporeal arms to his chest. “If I were a suspicious man, I would think you were attempting a coup.”
“Don’t play games with me, human,” I scoffed. “You planned that entire scene, just to see how strong I really was. Sending your pet witches to bind an oni lord was a calculated gamble—you knew they would fail, unless I had grown considerably weaker from being trapped in a human body. Whereupon you would simply perform the binding ritual yourself, and make me your servant like all your other demons.” I shrugged. “A sadly transparent ploy. Much like this smoke and light show you’re putting on now. The skull atop that pedestal isn’t yours. No intelligent blood mage would leave something that valuable out in the open. It’s a decoy, in case any of your overly ambitious subjects has a sudden desire to betray you. I’m sure the real skull is safely hidden away, far from prying eyes. Probably being guarded by your pet half-demon in the corner over there. Tell him he can relax, I’m not about to steal the candlesticks.”
The ghost of the Master of Demons grunted. “Aka,” he called, and the creature that had been lurking on the balcony came into the room. Like the Sasori twins, he looked almost human; the only hints that he was something unnatural were the horns, the pointed ears and the wild mane of crimson hair falling down his back.
My instincts bristled, and were I less confident in my title as strongest oni of Jigoku, I would have drawn Kamigoroshi and challenged him on the spot. Aka the Red, a half-demon whose name was quickly rising through the ranks of monsters and humans alike, met my gaze with glittering crimson eyes that held no emotion whatsoever. His origins were a mystery, but according to Shadow Clan rumor, ten years ago a child with flaming red hair was spotted in the center of a massacred village, covered in gore and licking blood off his hands. How he’d survived alone no one knew. Some tales claimed he was found and raised by mountain hags, some that he was the unholy abomination of a woman and an oni. In recent years, a demonic figure with red hair began appearing throughout Iwagoto, always at the sites of brutal killings, but no one, not even the Kage, knew much about him.
And now, much like the Sasori twins, he had been drawn here, to Genno’s side, probably with promises of blood and destruction. He was, I realized, the most dangerous thing in Genno’s army, which was why he was here, in the Master of Demon’s personal chambers. A last resort against those foolish enough to challenge him.
It made my claws itch, wanting to tear him in half, just to prove who was the strongest demon in the realm. But slaughtering Genno’s favorite pet would not get me the results I wanted here, so I refrained.
“You mortals are so predictable.” I shook my head at Genno’s flat stare. “But, it’s exactly what I would do were the situation reversed, so I can’t fault you for trying. However…” I gave him my toothiest smile, fangs and tusks bared. “I do hope you’ve come to realize that forcing an oni lord into your service will not end well for anyone. I am no one’s servant, I bow to no master and no mortal will ever control me. I came here offering an equal partnership, nothing less. If you cannot accept that, I will gladly take my leave, my offer of friendship and a great deal of your armies’ heads, before I go.”
In the corner, Aka the half-demon didn’t move, but I could sense his muscles tightening, responding to the blatant threat. I refused to look at him, though a part of me was almost hoping he would try something, give me an excuse to paint the walls in blood. I could sense that the half-demon wouldn’t go down easily, that a battle with him would be extremely nasty, which just incited me further.
“There is no need for unpleasantness, Hakaimono.” Genno drifted lower, hovering only a few inches from the ground. “Certainly, a mutual partnership would benefit us greatly. Though I am not a fool. You did not come here simply to join my cause. The Hakaimono I remember cared nothing for our vision of the empire. He simply reveled in the slaughter of the Shadow Clan. Taking vengeance upon the Kage has always been your desire, so why are you here now? Ah…” The ghost of the Master of Demons nodded slowly, a smile curling his transparent lips. “You want something from me. Something only the greatest blood mage in the empire could grant. You wish to make a deal.”
“I want something,” I admitted. “I won’t deny that. But in return, I’m offering something just as valuable.”
“Intriguing.” The specter floated back a few steps, giving me an appraising look. His long, spidery fingers folded beneath his pointed chin. “And what makes you think I would agree to this? You know what they say about making bargains with demons.”
“About the same as making deals with blood mages.” I shrugged. “In both cases, you stand to lose your soul, but that isn’t much of a problem for you, is it?”
“Well put.” Genno waved a billowy sleeve. “Very well, then. I am curious. Let us say that I will consider your offer. What would the great Hakaimono the Destroyer, the First Oni of Jigoku, want from me?” He raised his hand. “Bearing in mind that I am not quite the mage I once was. Without a body, my powers are…somewhat limited.”
“Yes,” I said. “I am well aware. Which is why I think you’re going to like what you’re about to hear.” Grabbing Kamigoroshi by the sheath, I pulled it from my o
bi and held it up to the ghost. “Do you know what this is?”
“Of course I do,” Genno replied. “We have all heard of the Cursed Blade, the Godslayer, the blade that trapped the spirit of an oni lord. The name Kamigoroshi is a curse among gods and yokai alike. That an oni wields it now is likely of much concern to the Shadow Clan.” His pale gaze flicked to the blade in my hand, and I bit down a smile. Even Genno, the Master of Demons, feared the sword that could slay ghosts and spirits. What became of the few yurei Kamigoroshi had destroyed in the past no one, not even the Shadow Clan, could say for certain. The notion that a soul could die, that it could cease to exist without any hope of passing on or being reborn, was so horrifying to the mortals that the Kage demonslayers were forbidden from cutting down a ghost unless their own lives were in danger.
I, of course, had no such concern.
“So, yes,” Genno finished, his hair rippling behind him as he stared at me. I sensed he was deliberately staying in one place, instead of easing back to put distance between us. Wouldn’t want to give me the idea that he was afraid. “I am aware of Kamigoroshi, and what it is capable of. I do hope that was not a subtle threat, Hakaimono. Why bring up the Godslayer if you are not planning to use it?”
“Because,” I replied, and slammed the sheath on the pedestal with a crack that echoed off the walls. “I want it destroyed,” I growled. “I want the curse removed, so that the next time a stray arrow hits this pathetically weak body in the heart, I won’t be sucked back into Kamigoroshi for another four centuries. I don’t want to lose my mind again while being stuck in that wretched blade, doing nothing, only watching as some insignificant mortal uses my power to kill yokai. I want to be free of it, so that when I die, I can finally return to Jigoku and be reborn from the pit like the rest of my kin.”
Deep inside me, there was a flicker of anger and horror; Tatsumi, reacting to the plan to destroy Kamigoroshi once and for all. He had always known, of course. Sharing a body and a mind made it impossible to keep anything hidden from each other for long; he knew my darkest thoughts just as I knew his. But bargaining with the Master of Demons, ending the curse on Kamigoroshi and setting my spirit free once and for all—that was every Kage’s nightmare.