Return to the Tower

Oshira-sama looked at Yaimao and smirked behind her mask.

"You won't hurt me," she said to him, "Because if you pull that trigger you will only be hurting the child I possess."

Then she turned back to Taichiji and nodded.

"Come then," she said, gesturing for him to walk with her and her alone, "And let me hear what you have to say."

Yanku patted Yaimao on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It's alright," he said, because the twins knew that Yaimao wouldn't have been able to hurt a child, especially a child that was being possessed against its will. Of course, this didn't mean that Oshira-sama was harmless.

"Just keep your guard up," Inmu said, although he and his twin did relax. Maybe Taichiji could come to some sort of agreement with the kitsune.

Komitori stood in the gateway, still and silent. He wouldn't attack until Oshira-sama ordered him to and even then, he disliked the idea of hurting Chitori, his own fellow demon. He remembered Taichiji, the frightened boy who had been abandoned by his "friends". He had been so easy to catch but now something had changed about him, he was more sure of himself, strutting about like a cock and impressing Oshira-sama.

'We shall see if he can keep it up,' the demon thought to himself as he settled comfortably in the gateway.

Seeing Komitori settling down, Inmu and Yanku relaxed a bit more. They turned to Yaimao and respectfully bowed their heads.

"Thank you for helping us," Yanku said and then Inmu finished with; "We are in your debt. If there is anyway we may help you feel free to ask."

Oshira-sama sat down on one of the railings, her legs crossed and studied Taichiji for a moment before speaking.

"Freeing us from playing Otokoyo would be quiet a feat, Taichiji," she said, "But understand that I can not risk the lives of my fellows for a possibility. You'll have to prove your abilities to me."

Oshira giggled at the silkily yellow tail that had just ripped itself free of Taichiji’s pants. He should have been wearing his o-men mask.

“You know, before the city was built,” Oshira-sama said, the smile clear in her voice, “I performed Kitsune-tsuki on a beautiful woman, and the men…well you know.”

She giggled at the memory but then sighed, and said, “I suppose you wouldn't find me desirable in this form though…Even if I do look like ‘her’.”

She gently tugged on a piece of her dark hair, so similar to Sorincha’s and looked up at Taichiji through the eye holes in her o-men mask.

"Hush, it's alright," Oshira-sama soothed, wiping the tears away from Taichiji's eyes, "It's just a tail, nothing to worry about."

She slid her arms loosely around his neck to keep him quiet.

Oshira-sama tightened her grip, her fingers digging harshly into his jacket.

"I'm not the one who made you leave your mask off," she said, angrily, "I'm not the one who turned you into this. You have only yourself to blame for this, Taichiji, and you have a choice to make. You can either let this happen, forget about Sorincha and light our city or I will tell Komitori, Aburatori and Kotori to tear you all asunder. Make your choice!"