[Dream’s Perspective]

  My name had become widely famous in the region. People began calling me Dio the Oni. But all this reputation was without real benefit. I still had not been summoned by any great lord. I was merely a famous Ronin.

  I was standing before a notice board in a small village when my eyes fell on a new and distinctive poster, bearing the official Shogun’s seal. [The Grand Ronin Tournament] Reward: To become a Samurai directly under the Shogun’s service. Date: One week from now.

  This tournament occurs only once every ten years. I smiled beneath my mask. This was my chance. I packed my belongings and headed to Edo, the capital.

  When I arrived, the city was boiling with people. The crowding was suffocating—people packed together: Samurai, merchants, peasants, and thieves. As I walked down the main street, with my massive sword Shakujo on my back, I began to hear whispers: Oi... look... it’s Dio the Oni! He’s come for the tournament... we’ll finally see him fight. I heard he fights with his mouth and tears out his opponents' throats!

  I reached the tournament grounds. It wasn't a majestic arena like the Heavenly Demon Sect’s. It was in the outer palace courtyard of Edo Castle. A simple sandy floor, no stands or chairs, just thick ropes separating the audience from the fighters. At the top, on a shaded wooden balcony, sat one man, surrounded by guards. The Shogun: Tokugawa Ieyasu.

  I entered and registered my name. The battles began. Most of the participants were weak compared to my current level. I defeated them with a single strike, or even a glance. One after another. I no longer lost myself in my mind or blacked out during the fight as had happened with the Kappa. I had gained partial control over myself, thanks to 404’s continuous analysis.

  I reached the finals. My opponent was someone different. A bald monk, massive in build, wearing orange robes and carrying a giant iron hammer. When he defeated someone, he would bow to them and mutter a prayer. We stood face to face in the arena.

  The monk spoke in a deep voice: It seems the rumors about you did not do justice to your brutality. These poor souls took only seconds of your time. I looked at him and said coldly: And it seems you are the next poor soul. Arrogant.

  Then the battle began. He attacked with his hammer. BOOM! The earth shook beneath the strike. I parried it with Shakujo, feeling the weight of the blow in my arm. This monk was strong. It wasn't an ordinary fight; it was a display of power. I sent ice bullets toward him. He dodged them with an agility that defied his size and said: Oh... magic? It seems I need to be serious. I replied: I am still only playing.

  I sent a massive fireball toward him. Instead of dodging, he struck the ball with his hammer. CRASH! The ball shriveled and the flame vanished. < Analysis: Opponent is using advanced Ki. He can coat his weapon with energy that dispels magic. Be careful. >

  I thought about how Ki differs from Rei; Ki is vastly sharper than Rei, and with Ki training, you can create exceptional magic.

  The battle ignited. I began to use magic extensively. Water bullets, earth walls, flames. But the monk was steady as a mountain, parrying and dispelling everything. Then he said in a booming voice: You demon... I shall return you to the righteous path!

  Suddenly, a giant golden hand appeared out of nowhere before me. [Technique: Buddha’s Hand]. I was shocked. I couldn't fully dodge. The hand struck me directly in my chest. CRACK! I heard the sound of some of my bones breaking. I flew backward and hit the ropes. What is this?

  Golden hands began appearing here and there, fast and powerful, surrounding me. I couldn't get near him. The monk said as he stood firmly: Should you not surrender, Oni? I can continue until tomorrow morning, and I do not wish to kill anyone.

  I wiped the blood from my mouth and laughed a low laugh that turned into a cackle: Monk... do you want to see something beautiful? He looked at me with confusion. I raised my sword to the sky. Descend!

  CRAAAAACK!

  A bolt of lightning descended from the clear sky. The monk tried to block it with his golden hand, but the lightning was faster and more powerful. It pierced his defense and shocked him. The monk froze in place, smoke rising from him. Did he think I would just stay standing?

  Immediately, I ran to him at lightning speed, and with one clean motion... I cut off his head. The bald head rolled on the sand. I looked at his stagnant eyes... but that wasn't enough. The rage inside me had not subsided. I picked up his severed head with my hand, looked at it with contempt, then spat on it.

  I threw it away like trash, then pounced on his fallen body and began striking... kicking... and crushing it. For a full minute, I did nothing but pulverize a lifeless corpse in the middle of a pool of blood.

  404 said: < Analysis: Excessive violence reduces audience acceptance by 40%, but raises intimidation prestige by 90%. Tactically acceptable choice. >

  The audience was completely silent throughout the time I was striking him. From the moment the lightning struck, their hysterical shouting had turned into the silence of the grave. Then someone whispered in terror: He truly is an Oni... who spits on a monk’s head and strikes his body after killing him?

  Suddenly... I heard a lone sound of clapping. I looked up. It was the Shogun, Ieyasu, standing on the balcony, clapping slowly and with enjoyment, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. He spoke in a voice heard by everyone: I expected no less from the Oni. He paused, then announced: From today... Dio the Oni is a Samurai directly under my command.

  The audience, who were terrified, began to clap mechanically and disturbingly upon seeing the Shogun’s gaze, shouting in fear: Congratulations to Dio... yes, congratulations. The Shogun said coldly: What happened has happened. It is a fight, and naturally, someone will die.

  After the crowd dispersed, the Samurai led me to meet the Shogun. The interior of the castle was a masterpiece, the Tokugawa family crest decorating every corner. I reached a large room; the guard said: Please, the Shogun awaits you inside.

  I entered. Ieyasu was sitting, his eyes closed. When he sensed my presence, he opened them. They were icy blue, and his hair was an intense black unlike any I had seen before—a black that absorbed light. I saluted him with military respect.

  Ieyasu spoke with a terrifying calmness: It was a wonderful fight... I haven't seen a young man of your level in a long time. Then his tone changed suddenly, and the room's temperature dropped until I felt frost on my limbs: But Dio... do you not think it is an insult to me... that you do not show your true face before me?

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  Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from him—a blue fire, pale as a ghost's glow. I didn't feel heat; I felt a cold burn. The coldness pierced my skin, froze my bones, as if my soul itself was being sucked out and frozen. < Analysis: This entity's power level is in the Legend Realm. >

  404 says he is approximately at his level, but no one, even at this level, should be able to notice my Shape-shifting technique with such accuracy, or possess an aura of such terrifying purity. < Conclusion: He possesses special ocular techniques. >

  Should I run? I thought for a moment. No... impossible. He could have killed me the moment I entered, but he didn't. He sees a use in me.

  I looked at him and spoke firmly, resisting the shivering of my body from the cold: Forgive me, Shogun. I canceled the camouflage. My body expanded, my bones cracked, and I returned to my original form: three meters of muscle, pale skin, and cold gray eyes.

  He withdrew the blue aura slightly, and warmth returned to the room. He looked at my true form without blinking and said with a slight smile: It seems that monk had no chance from the beginning. Sit.

  I sat, the floor shaking slightly beneath me. We remained silent for three minutes, a silent test of patience. Then he said: Are you ready to serve me with your life? I replied with a deep voice: My life alone is not enough, Shogun-sama... every piece of me, and every drop of blood, shall serve you. He laughed softly: You know how to talk for an Oni. I said: Thank you for your praise, my lord.

  Ieyasu said seriously: I have a mission for you. A mission for the Oni. He pulled out a map and placed it before me. You will go to the Kina Forest in the North. He pointed to a red dot on the map. There is a barrier surrounding the village that prevents entry but... I want you to confirm a specific piece of information for me. Is there a son of Kenjin, the previous Sword of the Kina Goddess, inside the barrier?

  He looked at me with his blue eyes: You will not be able to breach the barrier by force... but I trust that a monster like you will find a way to extract the information. I want confirmation: Does the lineage exist?

  The son of Kenjin? I replied: This mission is an honor to me, my lord. I swear I will return to you with the best news. You may leave.

  I walked out of the castle, my mind working at maximum speed. This Shogun is smart and dangerous. He knows I am not from here, and perhaps knows I am not an ordinary Oni, but he doesn't care as long as I am useful. Ling Gu's mission will be difficult with a monster like this on the throne.

  [Kage’s Perspective]

  Days passed. This Yuta... is incredibly rude! He keeps calling me old woman and hungry old woman. Even though I’ve told him a thousand times I’m only 16! Why won't he believe me? Do I look old?

  But... because of him, and because of this magical necklace, I learned a lot of information about this strange place.

  First: O-ma. The Kina have been besieged by the Samurai for a long time. They are not at war; rather, they have already lost the war. Their current status is an open prison. The only reason they haven't been annihilated is the Kina Barrier. An energy barrier covering the village and the forest, existing since the time of the Goddess Kina, the woman in the statue. It is said to be a part of her soul that ascended to the heavens.

  Second: The Kina here are not fighters. They are civilians: women, children, and elders. The Kina I saw in the battle outside with Dream? They all died or left and weren't actually fighters to begin with. The only one left from the warrior lineage is Maru. And I found out he is the son of someone named Kenjin... who was the Sword of the Goddess Kina.

  Third: Foxes love gossip! They talk a lot. About everything. And about Kina, their Goddess... they love her madly. For hours they sing: We love you, Kina. But they are bored. Bored of the routine, of staying inside the barrier; they want to jump on new trees.

  As for Morito... No one knows how he enters and leaves the barrier. He is a mystery. And they hate him. They truly hate him. They call him sake thief, useless, and old lecher. Leader Kinami says Morito has always been there, even before she was born. But... beneath all this hatred and insults... I felt they pity him. A strange pity.

  This is the information I’ve gathered. To whom do I say it? I don't know. But it is Ling Gu’s orders to repeat information after the word O-ma.

  In the evening... the fox girls forced me to bathe with them in the natural hot springs behind the village. I had always refused, clinging to my clothes as a final shield, asking for a bucket of water to bathe alone in the tent. But this time, refusal was useless. Leader Kinami and two others pulled me along with cheer and persistence: No more buckets, Kage! You must clean your skin well and relax. Kina’s waters heal the soul!

  We reached the spring. Thick white steam rose from the water’s surface, carrying a strong scent... the metallic smell of sulfur mixed with the aromatic soap the foxes make from flowers. The girls began to undress with laughter and lightheartedness, while I stood hesitating, my hand trembling on my robe’s belt.

  When I finally undressed and the cloth fell to the rocky ground... a sudden and awkward silence fell. The laughter stopped. The foxes looked at me, their eyes widening with a mix of pity and horror.

  My body... was not the body of a sixteen-year-old girl. It was a map of pain. An archive of violence.

  One of them, a small vixen with white fur, asked in a quivering voice while covering her mouth: Kage... where did all these wounds come from?

  They weren't Ling Gu’s wounds. My master hated flaws; he liked me clean, polished, and scratchless like an expensive porcelain doll so I would be suitable for missions of seduction and silent killing. These scars... were Dream’s signature.

  The long lines on my back... from his nails when he lost control. The circular wounds on my shoulder... from stabbing myself with my daggers when he forced me to strike myself as atonement for the sin of leaving him. They were a permanent reminder carved into my skin: I am not like them. I am not innocent. I survived one hell only to enter another.

  I replied coldly while trying to cover my body with the small towel: This is nothing. Just old training.

  I stepped into the lake. Tish. The water was very mocking. As soon as it touched my body, I felt as if thousands of needles were piercing my skin. The hot water and sulfur stung my old wounds, as if awakening the memory of pain in them. I held my breath and closed my eyes until I grew used to the heat.

  The foxes tried to change the subject quickly to ease the heavy tension in the air. One with orange hair approached, gave a cunning smile, and then boldly touched my chest under the water: Wow... Kage... honestly, you have a beautiful chest! It feels great and firm!

  I jerked back, my face turning red as a ripe strawberry. Stop! They burst into laughter: Look! She’s embarrassed! Red as a cherry! She’s shy! That’s right, Kage... we never asked you... how old are you? I said in a faint voice: 16.

  The girls gasped: What?!!! You’re a child?!! Younger than all of us?! And that little rascal Yuta calls you old woman? I swear I’ll slap him with my rear until he flies!

  The laughter subsided a little. Leader Kinami was sitting quietly at the other end. She pointed with her wet finger to my left chest, directly over the heart. But Kage... we understand the wounds... but what is that tattoo?

  I looked down, through the ripples of the clear water. There, on the white skin above my heart, was a pitch-black tattoo. It wasn't the Gu clan crest. Followers of Ling Gu were forbidden from placing his sacred crest on their profane bodies. We are tools, and tools do not bear the maker's name with pride; they bear a serial number.

  The tattoo was a closed black lotus, its petals sharp as blades, and around the stem of the flower were very delicate chains whose ends sank into my flesh (in the drawing) as if piercing the heart. The tattoo seemed to absorb the light around it, a spot of eternal darkness.

  I placed my hand on it, feeling my heartbeat beneath. I said in a voice with a changed tone... the voice of a fanatical worshiper: It is a tattoo... placed on me by my God.

  One of them asked innocently: Your God? I raised my eyes, and my gaze was cold and frightening: My true God. I felt the black ink with my wet fingers.

  This tattoo... It means I am his property. And only his property. My body, my soul, my breath... all of it is his. And I will never become the property of anyone else. Even if he told me to kill myself now... I would drive the dagger into my neck with a smile, happy that I executed his command. Even if he told me to throw myself to the monsters to be raped and torn apart... I would accept with all pleasure, as long as it satisfies him.

  I looked at them with eyes empty of fear, and full of absolute and terrifying servitude: This tattoo... is my life. And without it, I am nothing.

  The foxes froze in the hot water. The steam vanished from their heads. They will not understand. Unlike me, they worship Kina because they love her as children love their mother. But what they see in my eyes now... was something else.

  It was annihilation.