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