Lord Tengu's Domain, one day later

Kumiko hung her futon up to dry, making sure that both ends were even before she retreated to sit by the hearth. The silence that resulted from Ichiro's absence was disheartening, and she would have given anything to have him with her again.

She shifted and lay down on the floor with a sigh. No matter what she tried to tell herself, there was no denying that contrary to what she had once believed, her desire was like a dam destined to burst at the slightest provocation.

And burst it had, for only one thing had filled her dreams last night. She'd imagined herself traversing the rocks around a waterfall, taking the utmost care not to slip until the sight of a familiar figure caused her to stop in awe. It had been none other than Ichiro, standing naked and up to his waist in the rushing water as droplets rolled down his skin and glistened in the moonlight.

She'd woken up in a sweat soon afterwards, so now she closed her eyes with the intention of letting the dream continue. A soft moan left her lips as she anticipated shedding her clothes and wading through the cold water to be rewarded with his warm embrace and supple yet muscled body beneath her fingertips.

Kumiko's pleasure steadily mounted, and she bent her legs before running a hand up between her thighs. She could feel a moistness there already, which was a sign of the effect Ichiro had on her even when he wasn't present. Her chest heaved as she realized that he would remain alive in her fantasies long after he was gone, though whether that was a good thing or not was difficult to discern.

She began to please herself more vigorously in the hope of abandoning such burdensome thoughts, only to be startled by a loud knock on the door. She bolted upright and rose in a hurry to discover who was outside at this hour.

Damn you, hand. I'll just have to wash you later...

Kumiko opened the door with her left, then frowned when she saw none other than Tsuneko in front of her. "Why are you visiting me again? Wasn't yesterday enough?"

"I would mind my manners if I were you," Tsuneko replied gravely. "Lord Tengu wishes to have your company, and he asked me to notify you in his stead."

"What?" Kumiko could only say in shock, knowing that it was never good news when the ruler of this domain requested an audience with someone between months. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"I cannot say. You'll have to come along to find out."

Kumiko averted her eyes from Tsuneko's face and swallowed as dread welled inside her. "I see. Could you allow me time to prepare myself?"

"Of course. You can take as long as you want..."

******

Kumiko was no stranger to being made to wait before meeting with Lord Tengu, but the silence was especially torturous this time around. She had little idea of what he wanted from her yet could not help but fear the worst.

It was no secret that Lord Tengu was at least a thousand years her senior, and if he could create an entire realm from nothing, then it was only reasonable to assume that he could end her life if it pleased him. All it would take was his claws digging into her chest and ripping out her hoshi no tama, thus depriving her of all supernatural power and ensuring her death within a matter of hours.

Kumiko clenched her fists in an attempt to calm herself, but the pain from her own nails soon became a torment in itself. She uncurled her hands and tried another method of putting herself at ease.

Everything will be all right, she told herself while remembering what had happened to the last subject to be found guilty of harboring a human. You haven't done anything terrible enough to warrant being executed. The worst that can happen to you is banishment...

The door to Lord Tengu's guest room slid open as Tsuneko tiptoed out. She gave Kumiko a quick bow and a look of sympathy before hurrying off like her survival depended on it.

"Kumiko," the voice of Lord Tengu boomed from beyond the door. "You may come in now."

Kumiko forced herself to stand, only to immediately stumble as a result of having knelt for so long. She regained her balance a second later and dragged her feet forward while taking care not to strain her knees too much.

Lord Tengu awaited her by a low table adorned with a steaming pot of tea and two empty bowls. Even seated, he appeared as formidable as ever, and Kumiko's heart began to race even faster.

"Sit down," he ordered without giving her so much as a glance. "There is something I must discuss with you today."

Kumiko considered defying his wishes by fleeing the castle at that moment, but she knew this would only delay the inevitable and lead to her being seen as a coward. Henceforth, the best choice would be to accept her fate and die as a hero if necessary.

She sat opposite Lord Tengu while staring at the tea bowls. "If that is so, please don't hold back. I want to get this over and done with."

"An admirable way to face this situation," Lord Tengu remarked. He lifted the teapot and filled one of the bowls before pushing it toward her. "But you need not be so worried. This tea will put you at ease."

"Are you sure?" Kumiko reached out to grasp the bowl's edges but dared not drink just yet. "You've never been this hospitable in the past."

Lord Tengu filled the second bowl and raised it to his lips. He took a sip, then gave an exaggerated sigh to demonstrate that there was nothing to be afraid of when consuming his tea.

Kumiko followed his lead and allowed a few drops of the fragrant beverage into her mouth. She waited for any signs of pain or discomfort, only to resign herself to swallowing when nothing of the sort happened.

"See. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Kumiko failed to think of something witty to say in response, so she simply nodded like this was an ordinary meeting with her superior.

"Now, I shall address why I have summoned you here today," Lord Tengu announced after taking another sip of tea. "Tell me, how have you spent the last few days?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Lord Tengu lowered his tea bowl. "You shouldn't feel the need to hide anything from me. I understand exactly what it is like to have appetites and desires different from those lowly mortals."

Kumiko thought of her lust for Ichiro and wondered if Lord Tengu was toying with her. No, it has to be a trick. He can't possibly read my mind...

She chose to feign innocence by giving as mundane an answer as possible. "Nothing much. Just eating, drinking, and sleeping."

Lord Tengu frowned for the first time. "Is that all? How very dull."

"Indeed," Kumiko stated despite her growing sense of doubt. "After the quiet week I've had, I can't wait to go out and-"

"But, if memory serves me correctly, you were seen leaving for the mortal realm no more than six days ago."

"What? No, you're mistaken..."

"Don't assume that anything can escape me." Lord Tengu leaned forward with a threatening glare as his voice became slightly guttural. "I have observed and heard enough to know the truth."

"What do you mean?"

Lord Tengu smirked, much to her continued terror. "That Ichiro is quite a handsome one, isn't he? Was he good in bed?"

"I..." Kumiko fought the impulse to scream and admit defeat. She wasn't sure how, but Lord Tengu must have witnessed part of her coupling with Ichiro. Suddenly, she found herself wishing for death instead of this cruel humiliation.

"Well, don't delay. Answer my question."

"It was just one night," she murmured, lowering her head while trying to retrieve what little dignity she had left. "He means nothing to me..."

"Then killing him should be a simple task." Lord Tengu's voice came out cold and indifferent. "No different from when you brought me that rōnin for dinner."

"I... I suppose," Kumiko willed herself to say, despite knowing it would be anything but easy to do such a thing to someone like Ichiro, and even more so with his promise of further pleasure. "I've done it five times and can do it again..."

"Good. I'm glad we are in agreement." Lord Tengu stood up, leaving his half-emptied tea bowl on the table. "You have ten days to bring me his corpse. Only then will I repeal your sentence of banishment."