Amaya knew it was dangerous to wander around alone. Her mother had warned her about the danger, and the recent news just made it worse.

She went off anyway.

Beppu Onsen in Oita, Kyushu had 8 seperate hot springs. Beppu, Kankaiji, Kamegawa, Shibaseki, Kannawa, Myoban, Horita and Hamawaki. Kankaiji was the closest to nature, the exact location of the mysterious recent cases.

And Amaya went exactly there.

The jewel on her ring glowed red, and buzzed. She covered it with a palm and snuck behind a tree to past the authorities. Her lips formed a grin. Her hands clenched and unclenched.

Let's see who I shall kill.

Her steps were as light as a feather, brushing off twigs away from her path carefully. She held her breath and leapt behind another tree. Strands of black hair fell down her face. She tucked them behind the ears and touched her tight bun.

The ring seems to vibrate on her finger. She brought it to her lips. "Shhh." She took another light step.

Whatever it is, it's going down.

A rustling of leaves.
She gasped and looked around. The jewel glowed brighter.

A squeak.

Her hands balled into fists.
Her head turned up, and she saw it.
My prey.

It was green in colour, with legs and arms and in the size of a human child. A scent of fishes came along with its presence. Its beady yellow eyes peered over her, its scaly beak into a smile. The webbed pair of feet and hands clutched on a tree branch in a hugging position. A shell sticked to its back.

"Come down," she threatened in a whisper, gritting her teeth."I'll kill you if you don't."

It leapt down and landed gracefully on its feet. A mop of brown hair sat atop its head, the top of it bald, like a hole filled with water.

"Kappa," she breathed.
It advanced one simple step. She struck."No, wait-"

She didn't care.

Amaya rammed it against a tree and punched its face. Its webbed palm slapped her face. She growled spitting on it. Her fingers pried to its head, and pulled it down. Water spilled out of the head.

"No, no-" it pushed her away.

She staggered backwards, but bowed down. It bowed down in return. She gripped the head again and dragged it downwards. It was screeching, squirming in loud rings. She slammed the mouth down in an attempt to stop the noise.

She snickered, "This is what you get for drowning the poor people."

"It isn't me!" it begged."Please, please!"

Don't beg. It decreases the fun.

"I should've known!" she insisted. Her grip tightened."Only kappas could be that horrible! Taking anus, livers-"

"Please."

She let go. It whimpered, the top of its head dry. Its eyes bore into hers before it fell on its side.
"No time for a nap," she hissed.

"Dry..." it shifted slightly, stretching out its hand, half-dragging itself on the ground. "Dry... I will die.."

"Since you're at your last moment, tell me why you did it."

"Not me," its voice cracked, strained. "I only stole underwear. I don't kill."

"Pervert," she spat.

"Please," he begged."Water."

Amaya grunted at the sight of the desperate kappa.
An easy kill is no fun.

She slipped past the guards behind the trees. Kneeling down, her hands cupped the remaining water from the hot spring. Steps light and swift, she reached the dying Kappa.

"Kappa," she whispered, filling the water left in her palms into its head. "There."

It immediately knelt on one knee. Her eyebrows furrowed for a while.

"You filled my water," it muttered, and bowed."You are now my master."

"It's only a few drops."

"I am alive, because of you, master."

"Master, huh?" she mumbled, grinning slightly."Sure. I'd be honoured to have you as a slave."

The creature clung to her legs."Any wish of yours is my command."

"Who drowned the people here? Who took their organs?"
Who shall I kill?

"A Kappa," it said wistfully.
"Well, you're one."

"A creature like me," it continued, ignoring her interruption."But we Kappas have tribes, master. I am the tamer ones, who only stole underwear."

"So there's probably another troop of Kappa here, who kills and take organs, right?"

Wonderful.
More challenge.
More kills.

"Not a whole troop, no, I don't think so," it looked miserable."Or master would die."

"Oh, please," she snorted. "Fumihiko Amaya could take on any Kappa. Even a whole troop. Just look at how easily I've defeated you."

"I am an old Kappa, a tame one, master."

"One, as a slave, you aren't supposed to go against me. Two, you're an old, perverted Kappa. Now follow me. And quietly."

It climbed to the trees, and followed her deeper into the nature. The ring buzzed more. She sighed.

The Kappa fell to the ground. "I found it, master!" it screeched. "I found the killer!"

"Keep your squeaks down," she growled, though holding back a grin. "Where is it?"

"Up there! Up there!"
She knocked on the bark of the tree it pointed to.

"Come down, so we can have a little fight. I've been itching for one ever since I slip past mom, but all I got is a weak, old pervert. So come here, and face me, Kappa."

It looked exactly like the old Kappa, but with a bolder shade of blue and smooth shell. Its mouth somehow broke to a grin."Someone wants to fight me?"

"You killed the people?"

"I was hungry!" it eyed her on the stomach. "Anus and livers are delicious!"

"That's disgusting."
"You look like you have a healthy liver," it licked its mouth, and leaned to stand on four."I'm hungry."

"Me too. Hungry. For action."
It moved swiftly to her side. She didn't have the time to move when it tackled her down to the ground.

It let out a malicious chuckle, sharp teeth showing in the beak. She rose, pushing him off her, palm slapping his face.
Its webbed left foot stepped on her stomach, and pressed. She grunted, grabbed him by the neck and the tables turned. She was the one pining him down.

She squeezed.
It gasped.
"This is easy."

But it wasn't over.
The Kappa bit her hand so hard, that blood came out. A mix of a grunt and a yelp came out of her mouth, falling again when it kicked her away.

Its hands rested over her stomach, laughing, "Delicious, healthy..."

A blur of pale green zoomed past, tackling the hungry beast away. She rose by the elbows, seeing the old Kappa slave of hers fighting with the more savage one.

"No one kills master!"
"Hungry! Healthy, healthy liver!"

They were tumbling so hard that water spilled out of the plates on both heads. She rushed to them, hand burning and aching from the bite.
The younger one pinned the older one to a tree, biting it's shoulder. It was roaring, screeching, webbed hands holding on to the other one's arms.

She grabbed the savage's head, and pulled down. It roared, but its arms were tightly held. Her hand shook against his struggle, dragging his head to the lowest point possible, even if it meant breaking its neck.
It's even better if I can break that neck.

"No! Dry! Dry!"
"I won't refill it. I don't need a killer for a slave!"

"Help, dry!"
"Then serve you right."

The slave let go of the Kappa. She pressed her knee to its chest. It slowly died, beady eyes begging at her, desperate.
She only grinned.

It froze, eyes wide.
Dead.
She let out a satisfied sigh, and turned to her slave who didn't look so good either.

"Have I served you well, master?"
The plate cracked. It was old, ill. And she could tell it didn't have much time left.

I suppose it's improper to kill a slave.
Let him die a boring, peaceful death.

"Yes, and thank you," she bowed. It naturally bowed back, but she held its shoulder. "Don't bow back. Just enjoy your last day."

"Kappas always bow back," it whispered, a sad smile on its cracking beak. "It is a pleasure to meet you, master."

Amaya looked away and set her steps on the ground. Her feet tip toed nimbly on the ground past curious humans who undoubtedly heard a commotion.
She left him to fate.
I seldom pray.
But rest in peace, old kappa.

Rushing home, she flinched at the sight of her bleeding hand.
"Great, now what should I tell mom?"

Her ring buzzed violently, the red glow almost matching her blood.
"Oh, great!" she smiled. "Another one?"

眼

"It's a Me," she frowned. "I'm a Shiryoku."

It flashed, and swirls of light came out. She watched in awe as it formed a symbol.

"Looks cool."

It formed a place, a monument. Clean lake of water stretching through the horizon, a rock statue of a boy holding up a peach to the sky.

"Megijima Island?" she grinned. "The Big Bads are there."

More to hunt.
More to kill.

"But first we need to go home before mom finds out," she whispered to the ring as the image disappeared. "Because I don't think mom would ever let me go out now if she sees me out of my room like this."