by R Gualtieri
“Who placed these here? Was it you?”
“I ... helped arrange them, my lady.”
“If I wished to know that, I would have asked.” She put just enough steel into her voice to break the little tiger youkai’s nerve.
Almost as if on cue, he blurted out, “It was Ichitiro! He brought the flowers.”
Midnite closed her eyes and silently cursed in annoyance. Of course it was him. Who else would be so bold? Which of her other brothers would be so bull-headed as to refuse to take no for an answer? “And you let him in?” She turned to find the small demon sweating profusely. “Well?”
“After some ... persuasion on his part, mistress.”
Midnite didn’t need to ask what that meant. Ichitiro was another of the daimao. Her older brother, as a matter of fact. He was perhaps the most fearsome warrior to ever grace the multiverse, living to fight, excelling at battle. He was also a petty bully, prone to tantrums when he didn’t get his way, and not afraid to use violence as a means to an end.
Her heart immediately went out to Shitoro. She had little doubt he did his utmost best to bar the way, but it was a battle he’d never stood a chance at winning. Ichitiro outranked and outclassed him in every aspect imaginable.
No, that wasn’t quite true. Shitoro was kind where her brother was cruel. He was considerate where the ancient demon was selfish. Also, Midnite much preferred the visage of her little servant to that of her sibling. Ichitiro may have been powerful, but she found him repulsive to look at.
Nevertheless, that hadn’t stopped him from taking a shine to her. At some point in the last millennia, he’d decided they should be mated. It wasn’t unheard of among the daimao, and a pairing of powerful demons made for powerful offspring.
“Think of our future children,” he had once told her, lust in his greedy eyes. “They will be an unstoppable army, pouring forth across this world. We will enact the will of our masters through them, forcing any who oppose us to their knees.”
Love, tenderness, even base compatibility; these things meant nothing to Ichitiro. He had his own twisted interpretation of the will of the elder gods and was not to be dissuaded – not by his siblings, and certainly not by lesser beings.
No matter what empty flatteries he told her, she knew what he really wanted. Had she consented, he might’ve enjoyed her body, but she had no doubt it was a secondary prize to him compared to the Taiyosori – the blade of heaven, the sword of a thousand deadly cuts.
She let her eyes rise above the flowers to where the sword hung in midair above her throne, seeming to guard the way to her bedchamber beyond. If one were to study the weapon, one would quickly notice the notched blade, perhaps the sharpest edge in the entire universe, was semi-transparent. Inside appeared to be a universe of its own, full of swirling galaxies and twinkling stars. It truly was a marvel to behold, even among beings who had seen the births and deaths of worlds.
Midnite had purposely placed it there to vex her would-be suitor, both as a reminder of what he could not have, as well as knowing it angered him to see such a formidable weapon relegated to a mere decoration.
However, it was hers and hers alone to do with as she pleased. The Taiyosori had been gifted to her by the elder gods themselves. She thought back to the day it was first given to her, so many eons ago. Such a strange moment, cloaked in more questions than she had answers to. It was an experience she had never forgotten, one which was impossible to fully explain to her siblings, save for the knowledge that one of the gods had reached out and bequeathed it to her.
She found herself wondering how long Ichitiro had stood here, after forcing his way in, staring at the sword, debating whether to try and take it.
Midnite barked out a chord of laughter at the thought.
The elder daimao was a bully, but he was no fool. As much as he lusted after the weapon, he knew it would reject him as surely as she had. The blade would not acknowledge a thief as its master. It could be inherited, gifted, or won in honorable combat, but not stolen. Unfortunately, it could also be claimed through the union of two beings, their souls forged as one. Therein lay Ichitiro’s hope, a hope that she had no inclination to ever grace with anything remotely resembling serious consideration.
Continued thoughts of her brother angered Midnite, stealing from her the sense of ease she’d gotten from her long bath. These flowers, beautiful as they might be, were tainted. They would bring her no enjoyment, so she saw no need for them to remind her of the lout. With a wave of her hand, the wind lilies all burst into blue flame, burning nearly as hot as a star for a scant second, until not even ashes remained.
2
“How do I look, Shitoro?”
“As exquisite as the full moon on a clear night. As majestic as all the stars that have ever shined in the sky. As...”
She silenced him with a wave of her hand, suppressing the grin that threatened to blunt her bad mood. She hadn’t been going for regal. If anything, she had been hoping for plain, nondescript.
Partially to help erase the shadow that Ichitiro had cast upon her day, but mostly out of curiosity as to the cause of her awakening, she decided to pay a visit to the planet below. Even if there was a petty war afoot, it might serve as a temporary distraction.
Her people were attuned to war, having once – long ago – served as the generals and taskmasters of the elder gods. Though those days were long past, her people could still sense upheaval. Oftentimes, it was minor, barely a blip in their subconscious. On rare occasion, however, something occurred that was significant enough to wake the great demons from their slumber.
Nevertheless, Midnite found it hard to believe that anything of true importance had occurred. It had barely been three centuries, after all. It had taken the humans a good thousand of their years just to master the use of fire alone.
She was still eager to stretch her legs, though. At the very least, she would enjoy a walk upon the white beaches overlooking the ocean – so vast to mankind, yet so small to her own perception. Perhaps a stroll through the waist-high grass of a field as well, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. Yes, that would please her.
Though in the past, the daimao had appeared to mankind in all their glory – inspiring fear, awe, and worship – it was occasionally desired to put forth a less intimidating presence so as to more closely observe them scurrying about in their short lives. Some daimao, such as Ichitiro, would never deem to lower themselves that way, considering themselves above such folly, but Midnite and her less warlike siblings occasionally enjoyed such forays.
She opted for such today, donning the clothing of a simple peasant girl and willing all of her divine markings hidden. To the uninitiated, she would appear as nothing more than a simple, if stunningly beautiful, woman in her mid-twenties.
“When shall I expect your return, mistress?” Shitoro asked.
“Why, whenever it pleases me to return, my servant.”
Shitoro turned a shade whiter and added, “I do not wish to pry, my lady. It is simply so that I may have another bath waiting for you. The world of man is so ... dirty at times.”
This time, Midnite allowed herself to laugh. The little tiger demon was always masking his concern for her with some mundane task. Fine. If it would keep him from pulling the hair from his paws with worry. “A day at most, I should think. I wish to enjoy the sun, but I have always enjoyed gazing at the stars, too. Draw a bath for me come the morning.” Time passed differently on Earth than in the celestial realm, but it would still afford her a goodly visit before he began to fret.
“It shall be done,” the little demon replied, visibly mollified.
Midnite smiled, then eyed the rows of shimmering crystals along the wall of the summoning chamber. A tiny bit of daimao life force filled each. Though youkai such as Shitoro could not make the journey under their own power, the crystals allowed them to do so. A little bit of their master’s power, so that they might venture out as needed or directed.
Despite his fear of displeasing her and his perhaps even greater fear of the world below, Midnite had little doubt that, should she be late in returning, Shitoro would come looking for her. Others of her kind might have found such a thing to be tiresome, but she considered it an endearing trait.
Good intentions aside, though, if that happened, he was bound to end up in some trouble or another. A full-sized tiger was something most humans avoided. A tiny one, somewhat less so. She made it a point to mind the hours so as to spare either of them such an ordeal.
With that, Midnite raised her hand and began to summon the cosmic energies needed to make the journey, preparing to transfer her essence to the small blue world below and the islands her people favored above all others.
“Be careful, my mistress,” Shitoro said.
And then she was gone.
♦ ♦ ♦
Midnite expected to appear upon a calm beach on her favorite of the blessed isles. Though she knew the inhabitants had a name for this land, she had never bothered to learn it. It was simply her preferred spot upon the Earth, a place where she could enjoy the wind in her hair and the fresh smell of the salty sea air.
What she did not expect was to arrive in the middle of Hell. Wind and rain pummeled her, but despite the weather, smoke hung thick in the air. Though she had no need to, she took a breath and coughed, the odor of sulfur heavy upon it. She knew that scent. It was the smell of war itself.
As she took in her surroundings, she noticed the bodies lying upon the scarred and pitted remains of what was once a place of serenity. Scorched and blackened, some of them lay in pieces, and many had strange wounds upon them.
Though a part of her was aghast at what she saw, excitement quickly overcame it. She was no stranger to the battlefield, having looked down upon the dead and dying many a time, but this was new. Though some of the fallen had obviously taken their own lives via ceremonial blades, many more had not. Yet there were no signs of arrow or sword wounds upon those who hadn’t. It was as if the fires of heaven itself had descended and wrought its vengeance upon them. But that was silly. She would have known had that happened.
Strange, she thought. Strange, yet exhilarating. Perhaps there was a reason she and her siblings had been roused after all.
An unfamiliar noise came from overhead, a bizarre whistling roar. She glanced up to see the oddest bird she had ever seen swoop past overhead. Some kind of oni, perhaps – one with strange metallic skin and bright red markings on its wings.
No. It didn’t move like anything natural, at least that she’d ever seen. She followed its course out over the ocean and her breath caught in her throat. At first, she thought she was looking at whole islands made of iron just off the shore, but then she realized her mistake. She’d seen human ships before, feeble fragile things that they used to cross the seas, explore, and – of course – wage war on one another, but never anything like this.
They were like mountains of steel upon the water, mountains from which thunder now sounded. Smoke and fire came from the top of the ships, and a sense of familiarity hit home. She remembered seeing cannon fire, primitive and cumbersome weapons, but curious as they brought a new element to the battlefield. This reminded her of it, but many times more devastating.
She watched as the strange metallic creature in the sky caught fire. Bits and pieces of it were blown off until finally it slammed into the ocean at tremendous speed, exploding upon contact.
It seemed impossible, but her senses told her the flying creature wasn’t alive. It wasn’t anything natural to this world, even with all its wonders. Could it be? Yes. It had to be some kind of craft, a ship of the air.
Unbelievable.
After countless centuries of the same thing, over and over again, this was all new. How had the humans come so far in so little time? Had something helped them? Had some divine force gifted them with this knowledge?
She initially suspected Ichitiro’s hand in this. If there was one daimao who would wish to see the art of war increased to such a level among the humans, it was he, but she quickly dismissed it. No. Her brother was far too stupid and self-absorbed. This was beyond him.
A chill ran through her as she continued to watch, slowly realizing these vehicles of war were potentially beyond what any of her siblings might be capable of building.
The weaponry on display was awe-inspiring. It almost brought a tear of joy to her eye to behold. Such might wielded by such small, insignificant beings. They were still nothing individually, but housed in such iron titans as now rode the rough waves before her, they could potentially overcome that weakness. Though she still hadn’t seen anything on par with the worst a daimao such as herself could wrought, surely even a mazoku would have to give pause before such a sight.
The wind buffeted her as she watched, but she paid it no mind. The storm was nothing to her. She felt no chill beneath the rain, nor discomfort as her simple dress billowed around her like a flag in a breeze.
She might have stood there for the entire day, staring at the spectacle unfolding before her, drinking it in as one who has been parched for too long might guzzle water. But then she was roused by a loud noise – another roar of thunder like that which came from the ships, but smaller and much closer.
Her keen senses picked up the whine of something small cutting through the air as it raced toward her, quick as a lightning bolt. Time slowed around her as she focused on the source, a small capsule of metal flying in her direction. Curious. Again she was reminded of cannon fire, but this time it was much smaller.
The bullet – although she didn’t know it was called that – slammed into her midsection, barely an insect sting to the ancient creature. The hole it created in her flesh sealed itself almost immediately, although, she rued, it did leave an unfortunate tear in her dress.
“What in holy hell?”
“Hah, you missed.”
“Fuck you.”
She turned toward the sound of the voices. Two humans wearing uniforms of drab green were advancing upon her, pointing what looked to be hollow sticks in her direction. Though their words were alien to her at first, her advanced mind quickly made sense of the chattering that was their primitive tongue. Though a human would most likely drown in its own blood before mastering the celestial tongue, their many languages – crude as they were – were easily learned by her.
Though she didn’t quite understand what she was being called, she perfectly grasped the meaning when one of them stepped forward and said, “Move a muscle and I’ll blow your Jap face clean off.”
3
“I thought the captain said the beach was clear.”
“That stupid son of a bitch wouldn’t know if his nose was clear.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that.”
“Do I look stupid?”
“You want an answer to that?” The human male glanced back toward Midnite. “Hey! I said don’t move!”
Midnite found their banter amusing as she did their hostile, if ignorant, intentions toward her. Her guise had worked. These humans had no idea as to whom they were speaking so impudently.
“What do you think?” the second asked the first.
“I don’t know. Most of the locals have been committing that hari kari bullshit. Maybe she was too chicken.”
“Understand what he’s saying?” the second asked her with a laugh. “Of course you don’t, you stupid Nip.” He began flapping his arms up and down, making “buck buck buck” sounds.
Midnite raised an eyebrow. Curious, indeed.
“Hey, hold on,” the first said. “A buddy of mine in the 6th said he’d heard they’re using women and children as kamikazes now.”
“She ain’t in a Zero.”
“I know that, stupid. They’re strapping bombs to them and using them to blow up tanks.”
“Son of a bitch, really?”
“Yeah. I don’t know about you, but I ain’t taking her back to camp un
til I know for certain.” He focused on Midnite again and raised the hollow stick he’d been pointing at her. “Strip.”
Strip? Certainly he doesn’t mean...
“She doesn’t understand you.”
The first narrowed his gaze. “Well, she’d better learn to understand real quick. Otherwise, I’m putting a bullet in one of her slant eyes. Besides, look at her. I ain’t ever seen Jap tits before. What do you think they look like?”
The second grinned even wider. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind finding out.” He turned back toward Midnite and mimed taking off his shirt. “Come on, let’s go! Move it!”
Midnite felt a sting of irritation beginning to worm through her gut. These men, it would seem, might dress differently than the humans she remembered, but at their core, they were the same as always, driven by base urges. How disappointingly dull.
“Hey,” the second asked his friend, “are you thinking what I am?”
He laughed. “That we might have to thoroughly search her for weapons?”
“Yeah. Who knows where she’s got it stuffed?”
“What do you think about that?” the first asked her, moving a hand to his crotch. “I lost buddies at Pearl. Thinking we might be due some payback.”
Midnite was rapidly tiring of their threats. She cracked the knuckles of her right hand, preparing to remind them of their station in the grand scheme of the cosmos, when a different voice spoke up.
“Hey! What are you two doing?”
Another man, dressed similarly but slightly different to the first two, came marching over.
“Huh?” the first grunted, then turned. For a moment, he kept his weapon – or at least that was what Midnite presumed it to be – trained, then he quickly lowered it. “Oh, sorry ... lieutenant. Didn’t see you there, sir.”
He and his friend both raised their hands to their heads in some sort of salute.
“I asked a question,” the newcomer said.
“We were just taking this woman prisoner, sir,” the second replied.