The oni seemed... Bigger than I remembered... Not that I was rethinking this whole 'I can totally beat him' thing or anything! Definitely not. Even if he
had
picked up a sapling at some point, with clear intent to use it like a club. I was just... Maybe... Wondering if we could talk this out? Or maybe
bluff
it out.
"Go away!" A strong opening was essential when dealing with tough guys! Probably! "I already ate the human. She was delicious."
"You ate the girl?" the male oni growled at me, then thumped a hand against his overly-muscled chest. "Then I will eat you! You will scream like she did, and I will add your power to mine!"
The oni slammed his foot into the ground, hard enough to make the earth shake. I put up my fists, totally ready to battle, and definitely not at all whimpering like a little girl inside or wondering if maybe it was okay to run away. I could lead him on a merry chase! But if he realized that I'd been bluffing, and decided to go after Akari... Gah! This guy was definitely going to be trouble if I didn't teach him a lesson! I just really hoped my idea of eating Akari out was as effective as it felt!
He really
was
awfully tall, though... I decided to try the whole bluffing thing again, just one more time, and stomped the ground like he had. The earth... Didn't exactly tremble... But I think it vibrated a tiny bit? Enough to make Akari squeak, even! Of course, that had him looking at the cave again, so... Guh...
"Ignore the little cave mouse!" I roared, pulling the oni's attention back to me. "Focus on me! Ella the Terrible!"
The oni stepped forward, completely undeterred by my posturing. Which... Okay... I couldn't blame it. I didn't think I'd be scared of me, either, in his shoes.
"I am Asahi the Gruesome." He hit himself in the chest again. "You will fall to me! You will fall to my power!"
"Yeah? Well, what if I don't feel like falling?" With the delivery of that totally cool line, I pulled my arm back, and launched a fist straight towards his stomach - only to get grabbed by the wrist before I could even connect. He twisted my arm, and knocked my feet out from under me, leaving me on the ground, with my wrist still trapped..
"...Crap..." I twisted my body on the ground, pulling my legs back as far as I could, and slammed my feet into his thigh in an attempt to take him down. He fell to one knee, releasing my wrist in the process - and then proceeded to punch me straight in the ribs, right as I was starting to get up.
I was left laying on the floor, wheezing, feeling absolutely helpless as Asahi crawled over to me, with his teeth bared and his fist drawn back. This next one was going to hit me in the head, I just knew it. I was going to black out. I was going to die. He was going to eat me. I tried to roll over on my side, but I wasn't going to make it in time. I wasn't going to make it. This wasn't fair! I just started this new life, and already I wasn't going to make it!
It was at that moment that an arrow flew past my head, burrowing itself next to my ear.
"Ah-hm..." came the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind us. Twisting my neck around, I could just barely make her out - a short, red haired woman in a red skirt and a white blouse, with flowing sleeves. Her outfit was one I recognized - a miko! A shrine maiden! Assuming anime could be trusted, anyway! And, also assuming anime could be trusted, she probably had powers, right? I mean, why else would she involve herself in this fight?
Had she come to save us? Or, well, Akari I guess? Y'know, considering I was an oni too, and probably nowhere near her list of priorities... I wasn't going to get sealed away or anything, was I? Assuming that was a thing.
"I smelled something foul in my forest, so I came to investigate. I didn't think I'd find two oni roughing it out, though..."
"She ate my prey!" Asahi the Gruesome pointed at me. "She ate my human, now I will eat her."
"Hey! Don't tell the human I ate someone! She's going to think I'm some sort of monster!" Of course, I
was
some kind of monster, but that didn't mean I ate people! I'd only.... Told him that... Crap.
The miko turned her arrow toward me, and I felt myself pale. "Both of you, get up and away from the cave before I shoot and seal you. I will count to ten."
The larger oni immediately climbed onto his feet - without so much as a hint of pain from my awesome kick - and started to lumber toward the girl. She in turn held her arrow. The tip seemed to glow in the dim light of the forest, and after a tense moment Asahi let out a snort - and turned away from her, walking off into the forest.
That just left me, lying on the dirt, in pain, with a fearful look on my face as she directed her arrow back toward me. "Well?" the miko demanded. "Are you going? Or am I going to seal you?"
"There's a girl in the cave..." I whispered, slowly moving to my feet. I didn't want to make any sudden movements. Not when there were threats of sealing me (I knew that was a thing! Though I had no clue what it actually entailed! ) "Make sure she gets back home, okay? I want her to be safe."
"That will not do at all, Joana-Sama," Akari called out from within the cave. A moment later, her head popped out, followed quickly by the rest of her. Her clothes were dirtied, but intact. "I promised to stay with you, and feed you, in return for your protection, did I not?"
"I didn't exactly protect you," I pointed out. "If anyone did, it was this miko..." Who was now looking back and forth between us with wide eyes. Bow still pointed solely at me, of course.
"No. You were willing to die to keep my presence secret, weren't you?" Akari demanded, wrapping her arms around one of mine. "Our contract is sacred. Where you go, I go. Now, please lower the bow, Chiba-san."
