"Mom, I'm heading out now!" The bowl haired girl yelled to her mother as she ran out the door. Her homework was finished and double checked, so she couldn't afford to waste anymore time!

Today was the first day of her training with Shisou! Chie couldn't afford to be late here and now, not when her training/ search for Yukiko was just starting…

"Not like that, Young lady! Make sure you have a jacket!..." her mother called to her, causing the girl to whine, kung fu masters don't have their mothers telling them to wear something warm before training for the harsh elements!

"...and a snack too!" Her mother brought up a good point! She couldn't train on an empty stomach, let alone save Yukiko!

Darting as fast as she could to grab a jacket and a Bento her mother had prepared the night before, Chie darted for the door.

"Mom, I gotta go now!" she yelled into the house as she shoved on a pair of running shoes.

Contrary to what the excited girl had told her mother, she wouldn't be going to the Amagi Inn, ever since those weird ladies had shown up the girl avoided the place like it was plague ridden since it was obvious that those to girls were col- colliding?— working with those priest people that had taken her friend so she couldn't let them know she was on their trail!

She was going to meet her new master at the base of the hill at the old shrine. While she might've preferred to do this during Golden Week, she had no way of knowing if she would've even encountered Jae-Shisou.

Feet pounding against the pavement she skidded to a halt in front of her master, who was dressed in a pair of loose fitting sweat pants and a long sleeve compression shirt and a pair of converse, he was the image of a modern day martial artist! As expected of her master to dress the part!

He seemed to be deeply concentrating on something. Like really concentrating…

In fact, he was radiating a crazy amount of heat! Enough that even though he was sweating it was evaporating rapidly off his frame.

Was he actively channeling his Chi while he waited for her to arrive? That was so cool, she didn't know that was possible.

"Shisou! Ha, ha- I'm here. And I'm ready to start training!"

Bent over at the knees she struggled to catch her breath but it should be a good warm up. Hopefully… Chie didn't think she could actually do something like her master is doing right now…

"You're here… good." His voice was deeper than normal, like super duper deep compared to the last time she spoke to him.

Was he okay?

"We'll begin shortly." Then as if burdened by two buckets on a stick he Shakily turned around and walked up the hill to the old shrine.

Said shrine had been one of the first places she had checked for Yukiko but save for a fox that gave her a stink eye, she didn't find anything of note. So this must be where he was going to spend the majority of his time training her.

She was looking forward to finally learning the secret method to harnessing Chi. Also why was his back glowing red—wait was that the color of his Chi?

As they came to a spot relatively far from the abandoned shrine her new master turned to her, still somewhat shaky but more firm. Without any regard to her unspoken question the man crossed his arms over his chest and started stretching.

Though she paid relatively little attention to it as she watched his body begin to give off heat distortion.

"We'll begin with flexibility and mobility before moving to your guard. Though I already have a solid idea how you fight, or rather learn to fight." Shisou said as he picked up a relatively thin branch.

…

She never knew that a thin branch could be so dangerous, or scary! But she could see herself getting stronger as she continued training beneath her master. Who only inspired her to train even harder since after setting her up with a few moves to practice, took to his own training.

It was incredible! Despite the visible fire and the heat of his fighting spirit, he really was like water. Sure he had a guard he used but he hardly set into it. He darted across the grass seeing a fight Chie couldn't even imagine and that was because his limbs were a blur of movement she simply couldn't keep up with.

Fluid, even as threw himself recklessly as if pretending he was getting thrown, he would roll to his feet and strike back at his invisible foe, then pivot to the next.

It was like watching Trial of The Dragon! Just without the goons, but it was no less of a show.

Was it his Chi that allowed him to get these results? Or was his ability the starting line to being able to effectively use Chi? She really hoped it wasn't like Drag*n B*ll or it would take forever for her to use it…

Then as if to spite her, Shisou pulled out his gun and shot what looked like a blast attack at a rock.

…

She didn't realize she was whining until he looked over with a look of concern…

"Are you okay?"

"How am I supposed to learn how to do that before we save Yukiko!?" The brunette whined, it really wasn't fair! If she knew that this was possible she would've prepared better, started meditating before bed!

"Learn what? Spirit Gun?"

Spirit Gun? That was the wrong anime…

"Nevermind that, girl… your progress, let us see where you are."

It was an unspoken, one the enthusiastic girl barely managed to catch. Blocking a hook to the ribs using all the points of contact she was told to use she managed to bleed the momentum into something more manageable.

Manageable didn't mean she wasn't bruised. Didn't mean it didn't hurt. The look in her master's eye told her he wasn't done with her yet either.

First she realized she couldn't see the larger boy, then she didn't feel the ground beneath her either. By the time she realized she had been falling the air had exploded violently from her lungs thoroughly dazing the brunette. She was almost sure she was going to vomit or something…

"Stand, you weren't hit that hard." Shisou said his voice grave as the dead. "Don't look your opponent in the eye, it may reveal their intentions but not until the opportunity to stop them has passed."

He was sounding wise now… was this advice he was given too?

Shakily the girl pulled herself to her feet, nearly slipping a few times before she managed to stand. Man… what was this guy? She knew she wasn't exactly ladylike but she was still a girl…

"Pixie, Dia." from somewhere she couldn't see a fairy dressed in a blue leotard and thigh high boots appeared with a grin.

"You got it, Fae-Jae." Then with a flourish of her hands as if she were cheering, light green sparkles surrounded Chie, and with it a healing sensation.

If Chie had to describe it would be like waking up after having a steak for dinner. Refreshed!

Wait a second…

"Shisou, you have a familiar!?"

"Well I'm more like his big sis-" "She is not, just a stragglers I picked up before I got here…" her master cuts off the petite woman.

This wasn't exactly lining up like she thought it was but it was still pretty cool. Especially since she wouldn't have to put up with bruises so long as the fairy was willing to heal her.

"Compose yourself."

A second signal, without a follow-up beat her master, was upon her flipping into an axe kick, and Chie had the feeling she might grow to regret asking this man to teach her.

Whether she liked it or not Faer was intent on beating a lesson into her about defense. After all Chie was plenty offensive, and even after he scaled down so he was roughly at her strength and speed she still kept falling for feints as if she learned everything from a video…

It was likely that wherever she learned how to fight it was second hand, which if Faer was being honest was true for him as well. He was just punished for his bad habits, often through threat of death. But much like her simulation counterpart which was a little older than her, she had prodigious strength and her ability to learn physical skills wasn't lacking.

In truth, Faer was sure if they were the same age, she would be an equal in strength and skill, provided she learned the benefits of defense.

Against someone her age, the moment they got hit they might as well stay down. She was like a tiger's aggression in human form. A few hits and it would be over.

It wasn't very fair for her to fight them as she is now. Not that there wasn't fairness in a fight or warfare.

Still, being "strong for her age" means that there was someone stronger, faster, more knowledgeable. And in this case it was him.

Even if he was teaching her this was likely the most fun he had fighting, especially when he got to scare her by the breaking environment.

He did have to be careful as to what he broke since it wouldn't be beneficial to anyone to break something like say the actual shrine, but there is nothing wrong with knocking down a few trees here and there.

Unfortunately like all things, even a good fight has to come to an end.

【Skill Up 】

【Nerve Circuit Creation: Lvl 2: allows for the creation of 1 Nerve Circuit and use of 2 Nerve Circuits, Stores 1 MP. Cost 3 per Circuit】

【Due to the inhumane training conditions +5 End. 】

【Due to the inhumane training conditions +2 Mag. 】

At first the agony of turning his body into a volcano was something he could hardly bare. Having started around two hours before he said he would meet his student he had tried to see if he could use his new skill by the time she arrived.

Now speaking was just merely uncomfortable with how much using Nerve Circuits increased his body temperature.

Like all of the skills he had, even if he had first hand experience with that versus his leadership skills it only suggested the route to take, it didn't automatically do it for him. Unlike the simulation where the only thing real was pain, here in the real world it actively injured him.

Trying to discover how not to break under the strain of blood curdling pain and the heat of the earth's molten core beneath his skin as he tried to fight was its own challenge. It was a worthy one.

Evidently the system judging his gains agreed.

Out of curiosity though…

Taking a glance at Chie, who had taken up a meditative stance having since his use of Nerve Circuit he figured she wouldn't notice or care much about what he would do next if he didn't make much noise.

Taking up a meditative stance of his own, Faer immediately feels the molten running itself through his spine as metaphorically pokes it.

"G—ah."

Immediately any composure Faer had is lost in a familiar sea of white hot pain that renders him senseless to the outside world.

His heart pounds harder and faster than he thought possible, seeming to drum a long constant note for long moments at a time as he rewires his body forcefully.

Then by his own senses the second Circuit is established running adjacent to the first which runs from the base of his skull to his left Achilles heel. The second connecting his two hands in a jagged line.

Still the heat….

Exhaling a line of steam, Faer caught the gaze of his pupil who looked at him with the most excited look he had ever seen on anyone's face. In fact, with the way she was vibrating he was genuinely surprised she wasn't-

Nevermind. She failed to contain her excitement as she darted up to his superhuman speed. He would know given his reaction time.

"THAT'S SO COOL, MASTER!"

Bounding into his personal space, hers mere centimeters away from his he merely placed two fingers on her forehead and gently pushed her back. Which instead of calming her down only served to make her even more excited as she took his hand to analyze the Nerve Circuit.

"You breathe smoke and have Chi Pathways!?"

Chi what?

"No, and kinda, it's more… magic more than anything else, a means of storing the excess. Though kinda like having fat reserves to store energy, just more fast acting." He explained to the girl, sticking to his explanation even as she gave a weird look for it.

With how things were that was the only use he could see with this, after all Shirou hadn't even shown him what he could do with them. And if it was like this then he would need at least 5 more to store something like a Sukukaja… All in all while it had as much potential as his hand to hand combat skill, as he might be able to eventually out right refill his MP instantly, it would take probably weeks of crafting nerves circuits to do so.

Still the idea of having enough energy in reserve to constantly use spells without running out was an attractive one.

"So, when do I learn how to do it?"

Given she didn't have regeneration?

"Honestly, I probably won't teach it to you. You're a strong girl, Chie. Especially for your age but you aren't capable of restarting your heart, or preventing total brain death from asphyxiation." The mentoring boy told the girl, but even as he did she only got more stubborn about it given that the look she had given in response screamed determination.

Honestly this girl…

"Moving past that, I wouldn't be surprised if you could learn magic. If you were meant to be average you wouldn't be so strong. But enough of that for now. Now I- we need to investigate those people that took your friend."

"A- That's right! Yukiko! Man, I can't believe I almost forgot about that!" The girl said surprised and dejected, but given how prone she was to emotional whiplash it wasn't much of a surprise to the Contractor at this point.

Growl

As the abominable growl reached his ears, Faer automatically brought his hand up into a guard and flexed his Nerv-

Flash

His entire vision grew red as he body heat threatened to make him suddenly combust.

【 Magic Circuits unlocked 31/32. Units per Circuit 18/54.】

Looking at Chie as she held her stomach doubled over the same growl bellowed into the air.

"Shisou, do you think we can eat first?"

Amagi Yukiko, when people generally asked about her, one of the first things that came to mind was likely her composure. Secondly, how elegant she was.

After all, she was raised to be a, "reflection of a more honorable time" in the words of her mother and in the words of her father, "a paragon that all children should strive to be." It was in all that she did, from academics, tea ceremony, reading and writing poetry, and more skills that she now was expected to use everyday, here, now at this shrine. In this hell.

It had to be hell, because it was only the skills that she resented that kept her alive. What else could it be when monsters roamed in broad daylight and where she served as a "retainer" for an Oni that would much rather spend her days drunk. Where a passerby may decide that she may be fit for a fate from myth if she passes their fancy.

It was one thing to be subject to the lusts of young teenagers who will ultimately lose interest. It was another altogether to have the blade of a naginata to her neck as she was groped by a creature that had no earthly right to exist.

Let alone be something on the cusp of deflowering her.

But there was disillusion to be had with her situation, save this. Amagi Yukiko was living on borrowed time and her death was all but certain. Ever so reliant on others for everything up to this point trying to do anything more than what was asked of her would get her killed. She could never do anything on her own after all.

"Girl, pour me more sake."

Interrupted from her musing of her miserable fate, the heiress turned handmaiden snapped her eyes to her mistress. Objectively, she was cute, but it was all a façade: a mask that only went skin deep. Though she called herself Nakiri Ayame, she wouldn't be surprised if her real name was Shutēn Dougi.

"Of course, mistress."

Pouring the alcohol into the serving dish, Yukiko couldn't help but lament that of all the things she had seen and smelt, the pungent smell of alcohol was amongst the most tame.

Watching the monster in front of her drink was always something that set her on edge. More so when the wisps of her power would peak out of her frame, like a bonfire threatening to spiral out of control.

During her first week here, before she knew her place, she thought it was an idle threat. Unconsciously she tried to hide her arms inside the sleeves of the basic red kimono she wore now.

"Girl, did you know we recently received more "donations"? I know you enjoyed seeing the last ceremony." Her mistress said in a tone that was all too sweet. Giving her a side eye that froze the high class girl in place the Oni watched her squirm with no small amusement.

"I did not, M-mistress." Do not speak unless spoken to, when spoken to be succinct. Advice given to her by her mother, words that were gold to her now. Words that were also the noose around her neck.

It could be worse.

It was worse for the others she had come here with.

With tinkling laughter that slowly faded Yukiko could vaguely make out the Oni giving the dish a considering look before downing the rest of the beverage without even a gulp.

"Come now girl, there is something I wish to show you." Her tormentor said as she stood, both the picture of elegance and the repulsive brashness one would associate with her kind.

"Of course, Mistress." Though let it not be said that the Amagi Inn heiress was not the picture of obedience. Even before she had come to this place she had not truly been one to disobey, and with her continued survival being dependent on it she must-

A hand was beneath her chin and she found herself staring into the Oni princess' eyes. "Tis no reason to shed tears now, ya know. Not before the show starts."

Struggling to keep herself from gulping while underneath such close scrutiny, went to avert eye contact but the unyielding grasp of her capture prevented any movement.

She failed, prompting a chuckle from the Oni as she let go and walked out the chamber. "If you continue to shed tears like this I'll be forced to name a river after you."

Yukiko didn't respond, setting her gaze to the ground and striding after the monster. Twisting through corridors and hallways she had half memorized by now eventually led to a wing of the compound she had been to before but had never explored in depth.

The stressed girl didn't know what to expect but she was sure it was going to be terrible for her and terribly funny for her mistress. Seeing cheap horror cliches play out on film was one but the ex-heiress quickly found that screams do not leave as quickly when attending in person.

Tears prick at her eyes again, she hadn't even seen what had happened yet and she was already reduced to a mess again…

As her mistress stopped in a dank room that had a cauldron of sorts resting on the ground the black haired girl could feel her heart in her chest. Besides the two of them there was no one else in the room that she could see but Yukiko couldn't shake the sense of being watched.

Despite the sensation of being leered at, chipping away at her ever crumbling composure, the once elegant girl couldn't help but wonder if this was it. If this was to be the moment where she was eaten, killed, brewed or whatever terrible manner of disposing of a human bounced around inside a Yōkai's twisted head.

Standing off to the side as the cauldron began to release a heavy fog, the Oni looked in, "Step forward, girl. You'll want to see this." Yukiko wasn't sure she wanted to, was this when she was going to get shoved into some portal to Yomi?

Gliding as elegantly as her shaking knees could take her she found herself standing in front of the pot, the heavy condensation making her uncomfortably muggy. Steeling her nerves before the choice was taken from her, Yukiko looked into the pot.

…

The condensation eventually gave way to an image… no it was a movie? It took place somewhere the heiress found to be all too familiar; her home.

As the camera(?) panned around the building Yukiko wondered what the purpose of all this was, after all her parents handed her to these monsters. It wasn't like threatening her with their safety would coerce anything from her, they had her complete cooperation.

So why show her this? What is there to gain from any of this?

As the camera entered the foyer of the house attached to the Inn Yukiko noticed two sets of shoes had been used.

Her parents had guests over then?

…

None of this was making sense to the girl.

The perspective eventually shifted to the onsen, where her parents could be seen bathing. It was a scene that she had seen many times growing up. While her mother presented the image of a Yamato Nadeshiko she always fell short of it whenever her father was involved.

Here was no different, while the steam obscured everything of a more intimate nature it did not keep the young girl from knowing what was happening while her parents shared skinship.

Gross, but nothing new.

As the two bathed each other in a way that left her merely wanting to avert her eyes, Yukiko had hoped that this was merely it. That this was just another prank her mistress pulled albeit more soft landing than anything else.

Then sound started coming through the portal.

"Danna-Sama, do you think our daughter is doing well in her training?" her mother began as she washed her father's back.

With a familiar disinterested grunt that Yukiko had heard from her father he turned his head partially to her mother. "Who is to say? I do not particularly care one way or the other."

"How callous. Beloved, what if she fails out…", her mother stated in a low tone slowly hugging the man around the waist in a display that left the girl gagging.

Wait a moment, failing out? Of what, she was the one that had been selected for.

"If she succeeds then she will return, my daughter who fulfilled a great task. If she fails, she will return a failure but no longer my daughter. But a stain on our name." Her father ruthlessly states.

What was happening here? There couldn't be any way that her father was implying what she thought he was… Right?

"If she returns…" her mother says forebodingly.

Di-did they know what was happening here? Was she sold off to Demons to be a handmaiden?

"What is another 13 years? You've not left your spring of youth, dutiful wife.", her father said as a pit of despair threatened to swallow the girl whole.

"I see then, you would get started now. Even without a word or warning of your daughter's demise." Her mother released her father with the speed of a koala and fixed him a gaze that she had seen in them before and many more times since she arrived in this hell hole: lust.

Cold, numb, the sold off girl wasn't what to feel, as she watched her mother and father rinse themselves before setting to soak in the heated water.

Or maybe she did know what she felt.

Disgust, betrayal, and a faint ember of wrath and many more smaller unidentified emotions began to whirl within the girl as she watched her parents become more engrossed in each other. But like her tenure here her emotions had no time to fully blossom as her parents continued their conversation.

"It is all but certain. If she returns, then we shall let it be a surprise." her father stated as he dragged his wife to his lap to straddle him.

They shared a kiss, and for once repulsion wasn't enough to describe what she felt.

Her mother leaned over her father before settling down, draping herself over him, arms settled around his shoulders, hair creating a curtain that obscured their faces. "What will you do with the girls you've taken in?"

At this point Yukiko didn't want to hear anymore and couldn't hear more of this. She found herself gripping the cauldron as if she had been doing it this whole time, but despite herself she risked a look away, to her mistress. Who watched her with unveiled interest.

Thoughts of tipping over the cauldron crossed her mind… and yet she didn't have the nerve to do it. The moment passed and she looked back to the cauldron…

"What of them, they were adopted to replace our embarrassment of a daughter." her father continued as if the pause she took to look away had never happened.

"Hmm, I wonder how it is that we created such a failure of a girl, despite the amount of time I've tutored that girl, she still fails where it counts."

"Truly our luck as parents is the worst, we've failed to create such an unfortunate creature."

There was nothing left to be said. If this was the situation, if her parents sought to replace her and thought her dead weight then she really was just a pawn and face to be used. There was no place for her to call home.

No distant hope that she didn't realize she could still cling to.

She was already dead. Before, she was just waiting for death to collect its toll, there was no need to worry about anything because her death was all but guaranteed. But now, Yukiko could see… See that there are ways of being dead without ever being killed.

She wanted to vomit but didn't because she had seen her mistress make someone swallow their own teeth for doing that. She wanted to scream and cry, but then her mistress would merely laugh at her, and her giggles had an awful way staying in her ears long after they ceased.

Yukiko wanted to rage, but she was weak. What could her rage amount to in front of a real demon?

The Amagi heiress shut down and Yukiko would have to live her afterlife caged in a hell of someone else's divising.