Nurarihyon ran. Through the streets, over rooftops, sailing over anything that obstructed his path. Rage, worry, and fear were battling for dominance in his heart.
"Supreme Commander!"
He stopped, instantly, when he heard his title. Shifting his eyes, he recognized Gyuki.
"Commander, if you run around so wildly, your presence will be noticed by other ayakashi. This isn't like you. Who are you planning to fight tonight?"
"I'm heading of Osaka Castle. You don't have to come."
Gyuki's heart stopped.
"Osaka Castle?! That's out of the question! Surely you know who nests there?! Hagoromo Gitsune is not your ordinary ayakashi! The one with no equal who support humans on the outside! The one who has dwelled in the capital since the Immemorial, the most powerful of Great Ayakashi! Stop it! This isn't the right time! Gather your strength if you are to be the Lord of Pandemonium!"
Gyuki, in his attempt to talk his Supreme Commander out of his intend, had grabbed at his shoulder, but he hastily snatched his hand back at Nurarihyon's words.
"Silence, Gyuki."
Fear and awe curled into his heart at the sight of his Commander.
"If you say Hagoromo Gitsune is the Lord of Pandemonium, then I'll keep going until I surpass her!"
As he spoke, he slid the blade out against his back, his Fear swirling around him and his eyes turned black.
Yohime was thrown to the floor, unsuccessfully trying to regain her balance. Looking up, the sight that greeted her eyes, stunned her.
There was Lady Yodo, surrounded by several noblewomen calming carrying on a completely normal conversation. Part of her was in awe at the sight of someone she had only read about in her textbooks, the other remembered just how inaccurate they sometimes were never mentioning the supernatural.
"I've been waiting for you, Yohime."
One of the himes looked up.
"Ah, so that's Yohime?"
"Rumored to be Kyoto's number one beauty. You're as beautiful as the rumors say, come closer!"
Lady Yodo motioned with her hands.
"Y-yes."
What is going on? In order to make me a concubine to the Toyotomi house, they killed my father and brought me here? Why!?
"Four of them today, is it?"
Yohime caught the low words whispered by one of the nearby men. Dread began to swirl in the pit of her stomach. It increase when she noticed one of the himes trembling.
"Hey, how long are you going to keep trembling nervously like that, Sada-hime? We're in the middle of introducing ourselves to Lady Yodo!"
The hime who had first spoken up was apparently oblivious, Yohime noted as she sat down next to a girl of about 12 years.
"It is an honor for a lowly country girl such as myself to have been chosen to become a concubine. Until the age of 5, my hair would not grow. So in despair I threw myself into the sea, but when I began to pay my respects to the Golden Buddha which had sunk there, I was gifted, as you can see, with this hair."
"I know of you, Myiako-hime. Now then, do let me feel it!"
Yohime watch with baited breath as Myiako-hime moved to let Lady Yodo pet her hair.
"I see. You really do have the most beautiful hair in all Japan. A matchless beauty!"
The hime blushed delicately.
"I am extremely honored."
Lady Yodo's eyes glittered.
"Well, let's get right to it."
She seized the young girl's lips with her teeth.
Myiako-hime was too shocked to move, then in just a few seconds, her eyes rolled up and she collapsed to the floor.
Yohime felt sick.
The other himes shrieked and gasped in shock, staring in horror as Lady Yodo swallowed and then remarked casually, "The Ikigimo of those with strange powers really are different."
"I really am going to be eaten like I thought! The future I foresaw became reality!"
The hime who said this, quickly stood and ran towards the exit screaming for them to let her out.
However, those who she pleaded with, changed and shifted until their features revealed them to be ayakashi.
"I can see the future"
Her voice trailed off in terror and she screamed for the them let her out, again.
The door slide back with surprising force and one of Lady Yodo's councilmen entered.
"What is going on here?"
The hime quickly scrambled on her hands and knee to him, shrieking about ayakashi.
"Lady Yodo, what is the meaning of this?!"
He had barely uttered these words when a blade swept by and his head tumbled to the floor.
A young man with a cross around his throat sheathed his sword.
"Lady Yodo, please don't do things so flashily."
The unfortunate hime was dragged back into the room, still screaming.
Yohime hugged the younger hime to herself, preventing her from watching the other's death. She began crying, her tears turning into pearls.
All the himes gathered here have some sort of special power! They want to take the Ikigimo from us and eat it.
Her grip tightened around the crying girl as Lady Yodo approached.
"There's no need to be afraid, Yohime, your flesh and blood will become the foundation for a 1,000 year capital of youkai, ayakashi and demons!"
Yohime shuddered.
"Submit yourself, beautiful hime."
She stiffened.
Beautiful hime.
All of a sudden, she felt ashamed of herself.
I am not just some 'beautiful hime'. I am also Kagome, the miko who defeated Naraku! The miko whose power rivals that of Midoriko! I am the human woman who ended the war! Who commanded thousands of youkai, demons and ayakashi! I am not going to sit here and worry about the wish I made on the Jewel, I am not going to sit here and pretend to be just Yohime!
A blood spattered hand grabbed her by her chin. Lifting defiant eyes, she leveled her best Sesshomaru style glare at Lady Yodo.
To her satisfaction, the lady ayakashi drew back slightly surprised.
"Ho?" She sneered, "You think you can-"
Slapping her hand away, Yohime didn't let her finish.
"No," she said with deadly calm, "I know."
A/N It's so tiring writing from the manga... ah, oh well, it'll be over soon enough.
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