This just kind of happened. I was driving home one morning from work, bouncing around various ideas, and I thought; 'What if I turn the HOTD girls into monster girls?'

And here we are.

Truthfully, I have a lot of different story ideas bouncing around in my head, but this is the one that really clicked, that gave me a good idea of what direction an actual story would take.

Hope you all enjoy.

Today had been quiet, almost too quiet.

That was what Takashi had thought, earlier today, and that's why his day was about to become decidedly not quiet.

That was the thing about having your little house on a hill, overlooking the village from a clear distance.

You had a great view, and could easily see when things were about to go wrong in a big way.

Fortunately, that meant you could move in to help when necessary.

Unfortunately, that meant you had to move in to help when necessary.

Thus, he was already strolling down the hill at an angle when Morita came gasping his way up, frantically waving towards him.

"Komura! Komura, there's-!"

"Settle down, she's taking her time. I'll totally beat her there, so stop tryna run yourself to death."

Morita did just that, doubling over with his hands on his knees as he gasped.

"But-" Wheeze "-Where's… T-Titan?"

Takashi raised one eyebrow as he passed the gasping blonde, patting him on the back as he did so.

"Eh, nothing worth getting the big guy involved over, who knows, maybe she'll just turn around?"

Takashi was sensitive to people's gazes, and thus he was fairly confident that Morita was staring at him with his jaw wide open, as he tended to do when Takashi said something surprising.

Hopefully there were no bugs for him to choke on this time.

With a mental shrug, Takashi continued his casual stroll down the hill, and, just as he'd reassured Morita, beat her there, stepping onto the well-worn dirt road about a quarter mile from the village edge.

The timing had been good, he grudgingly admitted.

It was midday, and so no one was out in the fields, instead taking their lunch break in the hottest part of the day, and in the only shade available.

Which came either from the mountains or the buildings, and the buildings were closer.

Thus, he was alone with her when he intercepted her upwards path.

That 'her' he had been referring to swaggered confidently right up to him, perhaps just a bit closer than necessary. With an amused sneer, she crossed her arms under her bust and cocked an eyebrow as she gazed down at him.

This wasn't to say Takashi was short, even if he had only just barely passed into adulthood and might still grow.

No, she was simply that tall, and while, just like him, she probably wasn't fully grown, considering the slight roundness of her face, she was still over seven feet tall.

That was before you counted her horns, which come to think of it, Takashi wasn't sure if he should or not.

The reason she had horns and was close to eight feet tall was assumedly the same reason her mostly uncovered skin was seafoam green, or why her bare feet were cracking the ground.

She was an Ogre, though in this part of the world she'd be referred to as a Green Oni.

"Hmm, what's a cute little thing like you doing out here all alone? Lose your parents, or they just send you out as an offering?" She said with a smirk. "They offer one of their spares to keep the peace, huh?"

"Well, it's true I'm out here all alone, but actually I came over to ask what's got you so worked up, and if I could help?" Takashi asked politely.

"You think I'm worked up, do you?" She sneered (liked that expression, didn't she?) stepping closer until that chest of hers was nearly poking him in the eyes. Just like her tattered skirt, those chest wrappings of hers were designed to draw attention, rather than other, more nonsensical purposes.

Such as preserving modesty.

"A little, yeah, you're kind of leaving craters when you walk, and I know a girl like you isn't nearly that heavy." Takashi pointed out helpfully.

"Heh, well, it's true I do have a bit of an itch I need scratching, if you know what I mean?" Yep, gonna be one of those days, wasn't it?

It's not like she wasn't pretty, all monsters were, but...

"Ah, sorry, but I'm not on the market, so I can't be much help there. Maybe if you ask nicely, one of the single guys…?"

Now, Ogres were known for many things.

Aggression was one of them.

Patience was not.

So, Takashi wasn't really all that surprised when she hauled off and back-handed him with a single, smooth skinned arm as thick around as his neck.

Luckily, in the current day and age, such an attack wouldn't tear his head off unless she wanted it to.

It had been a thousand years since a succubus ascended the Demon Lord's Throne, and ever since then, a monster girl, or Mamono, as they liked to be called, had her own mana blunting her more dangerous bits, drastically reducing monster related fatalities.

At worst, the casual blow would deplete all of his own energy, and he'd be unconscious for at least a day until he recovered.

When there were good odds he'd wake up beneath her in her cave, with both of them naked, and her trying to ride him until either his pelvis or his mind broke.

She was an Ogre, once more, so likely it was both.

Might even eat him afterwards, Ogres were a bit behind the curve that way.

All of this, of course, would only occur if her blow landed.

Which it did.

Takashi felt it rather reasonable for her to stare at him in disbelief when he calmly caught her arm with both hands.

"So… we're doing this the hard way?" He asked, feeling generous enough to give her one last chance to back out.

Mostly because he didn't want to deal with this.

The Ogre stared.

Takashi stared back.

She tried hitting him again, a heavy left straight capable of crushing an oxes skull.

Takashi caught the oncoming arm by the wrist, once again with both hands, since the grip was better that way.

"Okay, now you're just being a bitch." In light of that, Takashi decided that he was being perfectly reasonable when he twisted and yanked on her still extended arm, neatly flipping the much larger woman over his shoulder.

The breath whoosed out of her lungs as the dust exploded out from under the Ogre at the impact, and her wide eyes went wider still.

Takashi thought he was many things, but nice wasn't one of them. Thus, before the Ogre could realize that she had an actual fight on her hands, Takashi had released her arm and wrapped his hands around both horns.

Before she knew what was happening, he had twisted once more, hauled her over his shoulder by the head, and flipped her yet again.

Panting lightly from the exertion (she was an Ogre after all), Takashi released his grip on her horns in favor of sitting on her back, wrenching her head up with an arm coiled around her throat.

"Now, I'm not sure what you expected to happen, but here's what's going to happen." Takashi whispered in her pointed ear. "I'm going to release you, and you're going to leave, and never return. Otherwise, the next time I wrap an arm around your neck…"

His arm began to tighten for emphasis, and the much larger hands that scrabbled at his arm in no way managed to loosen his grip.

"I'm going to strangle you to death in front of the whole village." He held the grip for a few heartbeats, just to make extra sure his point was clear.

Gazing blankly down at his foe, Takashi released his hold and stood, stepping off of her and just out of arm's reach.

The Ogre rose slowly from the dirt with one hand to her throat and her eyes as wide as saucers.

Yeah, he was pretty used to wide-eyed stares.

Mingling with the confusion was doubt and just a glimmer of fear, so he was pretty sure he had gotten to her.

Which hopefully meant she wouldn't act like a belligerent Ogre and try for another round, because the odds weren't nearly as bad as he wanted them to seem.

He'd left Titan at home, after all.

Slowly, carefully, the Ogre began to back away, as if she was a small animal caught in a predators sight.

Probably couldn't see the irony there, since she was still a good two feet taller than he was.

"Shit, how the hell was I supposed to know a Hero lived all the way out here?" Came the harsh whisper.

"Don't call me that."

The next thing he knew, there was a panicked Ogre, casting fearful glances over her shoulder as if she was fleeing a monster rather than just being one -fitting really-, and cheering at his back.

With an irritated huff, Komura Takashi stuck his hands back in his pockets, and began the long walk back up the hill.

And here he'd thought today had been pretty good.

Today had been a good day.

The weather was clear, the crisp mountain breeze was simply delightful, and the only humans she'd met had been bandits.

They'd asked her what a pretty girl like her was doing out here all alone, which inevitably progressed to her asking if they wanted to keep their right hand or their left intact…

She hadn't even drained them dry, just a light snack if anything.

Yes, Busujima Saeko's day had been just lovely.

It had only gotten better when she found, of all things, a disgruntled and nervous young Green Oni, who warned her that the sleepy village about half a day's walk from here had, of all things, a young Hero guarding it.

She'd been expecting that something dangerous enough to spook an Oni, young though she may be, would have had to be a powerful Youkai in her own right. Perhaps an Ushi-Oni or a full grown Oni, perhaps a Red as they tended to be the strongest of their kind.

But no, this, this was far more interesting.

She'd been gone from her Lord's side for barely a week, and already she'd found such a promising lead!

A Hero, all the way out here, what were the chances?

What were the chances that she'd already be on the trail of exactly what she was sent here to find?

She'd been grateful enough to point the Oni in the direction of the people she'd dealt with, people now certainly not moving fast enough to escape a hungry Oni.

Ah, how fortunate she was that she'd find the Hero so soon in her journey…

She hoped he'd put up a good struggle.

He liked to think he'd put up a good struggle.

Clearly though, he'd suffered a humiliating defeat while he wasn't looking, because Takashi was laying face down on the floor.

Evidently, he'd dozed off at some point, reading his book to distract himself from that, and his weakness had been ruthlessly capitalized on.

This was the only logical explanation he could think of as to why his left leg, and right arm were currently bound behind his back.

Who knew that beneath that slightly worn, but still soft exterior lurked a predator's heart?

He'd never look at cotton blankets the same way again.

Eventually, after much struggling and cursing, he managed to free himself without ripping the blanket in half, and stepped out of his little cottage for some fresh air.

The mountain breeze carried with it just a hint of summer warmth, not a cloud in sight, and this time, the quiet was the quiet of a peaceful day.

Perhaps that's why he'd managed to doze off, in spite of his earlier frustration.

That was the problem with the mountains, though, they always left him feeling the last thing he wanted to feel.

Contemplative.

She was feeling contemplative, resting out of sight at the forest's edge.

The benefit her Lord provided is that he was not one to encourage thought, only obedience.

That, she could handle, even if it left her feeling more than a little dirty.

It kept her from thinking too deeply, from remembering.

Not that it mattered in the end.

Dirty was precisely what she was, after all, so it was fitting she feel as such.

Broken -she hadn't meant to-, filthy -felt so right-, defective -murderer.

But Lord Shido had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go, so even if he hadn't done it out of anything so banal as kindness, a debt was still owed.

A debt she would, hopefully, soon take another step towards repaying.

It was a lovely place, this sleepy little village that the Green Oni had grudgingly pointed her towards.

She could only just catch a glimpse of the village, above the layers of terraced rice paddy fields as it was, but Saeko had already decided she rather liked the place.

Even better, her sharp eyes had already picked up something rather interesting, nestled in the mountains shadow.

From a distance, it looked like another small terrace, slightly off to one side and above the village proper. Too small to be of use in any significant farming, little more than a steep hill flattened at the top, but...

It blended well, and she doubted any humans would pick it out from the distance, but there, on that lonely hill was a small wooden hut.

It was isolated, but at the perfect angle to oversee the whole village, and any intruders, intruders such as her.

Perfect for anyone who wanted to see trouble coming.

Which was why she had yet to break cover, and was currently reclining in a tree.

Sure, she could probably sneak through the paddy fields from terrace to terrace, she wasn't a Kunoichi for nothing, but…

Saeko was in no hurry.

That, and if her hunch was right and her prey did, in fact, reside in that lonely little hut, she wanted to be sure he was there, and not in the village itself.

She was hoping things would get violent, but that didn't mean she wanted to drag innocent people into it.

That was a line Busujima Saeko refused to cross, even if that line seemed to blur a little more with each passing day.

There was a line Takashi refused to cross, even if that line seemed to blur a little more with each passing day.

It was the reason that he'd taken the abandoned little cottage on the hill, instead of taking up residence within the village.

The reason he always seemed to disappear shortly after any celebration started, the reason that even though it had been almost two years since he'd settled down here, he couldn't say he was particularly close to any of the villagers.

Not that they were unfriendly, even if mountain folk tended to be an insular lot.

He just devoted a lot of his free time to keeping everyone else at arm's length.

They loved him anyways, which was something he both deeply appreciated and was deeply uncomfortable with. Which was why his line involved avoiding any suggestions of courtship like the plague.

It wasn't as if the unclaimed girls close to his assumed age weren't attractive, or friendly enough. They were nice girls, and any sane young man would feel blessed to have their eyes on him and him alone, even for a moment.

Takashi just never could get past the fact that screwing up his relationship with his last (only) crush had probably saved her life.

Rei hadn't been there when his life fell apart, and Takashi was deeply, deeply grateful, even if Rei would probably put a spear in him if they ever met once again.

He liked to pretend that he'd fled Order lands for some rational reason, but really, he just didn't want to face any of his living friends.

It wasn't as if seeing them would do any good.

There were some things in this world that 'I didn't mean to' would never, ever be a good enough answer for.

I didn't mean to- if only that had been a good enough answer.

Saeko had jolted awake with cold sweat running down her spine, and the vestiges of a familiar dream lingering at the edges of her conscious mind.

Of course, it hadn't been a good enough answer, which was why she was serving Lord Shido and not-

Frowning sternly, Saeko cut off the train of thought before it could go any further.

She had been taught that disloyalty of thought eventually lead to disloyalty of action, and having already served as proof of that proverb once was more than enough.

It was a few hours after dark, now, and she would be able to easily investigate for signs of the Hero without anyone the wiser.

If she did find him, then would follow the 'assassination'... if she were a normal Kunoichi.

Since she wasn't, she'd just have to wait until he was asleep and inject him full of paralytics.

… Which would be boring, so she hoped the Hero would be on guard when she approached.

In fact, she was almost certain he would be… even if she had to cheat a little.

Beneath her mask, a pleased smile spread across her lips as Saeko slipped from the tree and out into the open, with moonlight as her only companion.

Moonlight as his only companion, once again.

They made festivals of moon-viewing, here in Zipangu, his home country.

Him?

He just did it to keep the loneliness of night at bay. Takashi had been raised upon the belief that everything in the world had a spirit, that the mana that coursed through everything had a life of its own.

The Order wasn't fond of that idea, but he'd never been interested enough to ask why.

Saya probably knew.

… Well, now he was feeling lonely again.

Guess he'd just do the same thing he always did when the loneliness started getting to him.

Quietly, Takashi slipped back into his modest little home.

Quietly, Saeko slipped in through the window of the modest little home, noting with some curiosity that rather than the futon favored in Zipangu, the Hero slumbered upon a Western style bed.

She'd crouched beneath the window sill, waiting for the telltale sounds of sleep to reach her ears.

She'd been in the shadow of a house on the outskirts, secretly observing that solitary figure on the hill, when a shift in the wind had carried his scent downhill.

Oh, he was most certainly a Hero.

No one else had mana like that, and… if he could utilize even half of those massive reserves, Saeko was in for a very, very good night.

It was a wonder he could keep it all contained, and, now that she thought about it, perhaps that Oni's misfortune had instead been the precise opposite.

Now, whose side would fortune be on tonight?

For a Kunoichi, leaving not a single trace of her passage was a task scarcely requiring effort.

So by the time the Hero's eyes flickered open, he was no longer alone on his bed.

Straddling him to keep his legs pinned, Saeko lifted her blade high.

A blade lifted high, glinting in the sliver of moonlight, was the sight that greeted Takashi when his eyes opened once more.

On instinct more than anything else, he twisted his body out of the blade's path.

A futile gesture at best, if it hadn't been Takashi doing it.

Instead, he caught a glimpse of blue eyes widening, as the forceful turn of his body launched his attacker off of him.

The slender figure landed lightly, weapon still in hand, and then flung themselves from the window as Takashi rolled off his bed, taking his mattress with him.

In a cramped space like his cottage, there was simply no space to avoid something that big.

The figure gained distance from the house in a series of flips and handsprings that Takashi probably would have broken something trying to imitate.

Then, rather than advance once more, or escape, the figure merely sheathed the blade in their hand and stood there, waiting.

Keeping an eye on the open window, Takashi stepped over to Titan, where it leaned against the opposite wall.

When the intruder made no motions to stop him, Takashi calmly slipped on his shoes and jacket before scooping up Titan and heading outside.

Beneath dark bangs, one eyebrow lifted in surprise as the Hero slowly exited the house, carrying, of all things, an Oni war club, or kanabo, over his shoulder.

Saeko knew it was of Oni make due to that familiar, silvery gleam.

Demon Realm Silver.

A studded, oddly slender war club made entirely of Demon Realm Silver, that must have been almost as long as the Hero was tall.

Resting casually on one shoulder.

So he was strong… but how strong?

Such an unwieldy weapon, she would be very, very displeased if he turned out to be one of those 'all style, no substance' sort of Heroes that she had heard of.

Now that she had a better look at him, he was kind of cute, she supposed. Slender, but the open haori he was wearing against bare skin exposed the firm, chiselled muscle beneath. Dark, spiky hair with just the faintest tint of purple.

Sharp brown eyes and a bold, callous stride.

Oh yes, this was going to be fun.

He stopped, some distance away from her as her hand fell to the hilt of her sword. A glimmer of recognition in his eyes, as she let her slender tail uncoil from around her waist, weaving slowly in the air as its dagger tip glinted in the moonlight.

However, he did nothing more than hold out his free hand in a clear signal to wait, shaking his head.

Oh?

This ought to be good.

This wasn't good.

The woman before him was a Kunoichi. A type of wingless succubus unique to Zipangu, trained in the art of ninjutsu in their secret villages. Dangerous in the extreme, and certainly not the type to wander all the way out here by accident.

Which meant she was here for him, if the wake-up wasn't enough of a hint.

She was taller than most girls he was used to, probably an inch or two shorter than he was. Glossy, dark purple hair in a high ponytail that fell just past her hips, captivating blue eyes, and a simple cloth half-mask of dark purple.

Long, slender limbs that carried with them a clear sort of athleticism, but accompanied by full breasts and gently curving hips. All of which he had a very clear view of, as her dark kimono-style jacket had no sleeves and apparently couldn't close all the way.

Or more than half of the way, really.

Her skirt was slitted on either side to bare her hips to the open air, and those long legs were wrapped in purple leggings.

This, this right here was one of the problems with Mamono, or Youkai as the Zipangu variants were often called.

It was hard to know where to look, when you were fighting them. On the other hand, at least you had a nice view while you were fighting for your life.

Which he imagined he was going to be doing, shortly, given how she wore that katana on her hip as if she'd been born with it on.

But first-

"Not here, we'll end up dropping the whole plateau on the villagers heads." Takashi said, as he pointed off to one side.

Honestly, he'd expected her to ignore his words- why should she care- but instead, she relaxed her posture minutely, and quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, though it was barely visible through her bangs.

"Small shrine, five minutes thataway. Nice and open, and I'm sure Bishamonten approve of two people duking it out in her yard."

Bishamonten was the Goddess of Combat, after all. In the West they called her Ares.

The Kunoichi didn't say anything, simply stepped back and gestured for him to lead on.

Takashi wasn't sure why he knew, but he was absolutely certain she was smiling under that mask of hers.

She couldn't help but smile, under her mask.

Wanting to reduce the chance of collateral damage was an honorable sentiment indeed, especially since the small terrace that his cottage rested upon definitely favored him over her.

Saeko might have been far more capable of standing her ground than most Kunoichi, but she still favored agility nonetheless.

This confrontation had subtly shifted from an ambush to a formal duel, but if anything, that just made her more excited.

Saeko might have been a Kunoichi, but she had always thought of herself as a swordswoman first. Her sisters in arms, when she'd still had such things, had always joked that she should have been born an Ochimusha instead, because the samurai life would have suited her better.

Sakeo agreed with them, personally, and would reply by bemoaning the fact that she had been born with too much of a pulse to be a proper Undead like the Ochimusha.

No, unlike most of her sisters in arms, Saeko lived for the fight.

Fitting, because she was confident that she was about to get the fight of her life.

He was about to be in for the fight of his life, wasn't he?

The Kunoichi hadn't tried anything. She'd kept just within his field of vision at all times, and matched his long strides in graceful silence.

That the Kunoichi hadn't done anything remotely ninja-like since she'd leapt out his window, and had demurely acquiesced when he'd requested a location change, all pointed to one thing.

Confidence.

That she was prepared for whatever he was about to throw at her.

Well, first time for everything, he supposed.

Unbeknownst to him, Takashi's determined frown had slowly given way to an eager smile.

She was grateful that her mask hid her smile, she didn't wish to seem too eager.

It was a wonderful location for a duel, she felt.

Well out of sight of the village, down a winding pathway that dipped and twisted through the high hills pushed up against the mountain range.

As a shrine, it was a simple, spartan affair; a small, open structure housing a weathered but well-cared for stone statue, barely larger than a person. The wide open area overseen by the statue was cobbled with pale mountain stone. It was hemmed in by tall wooden posts at each cardinal point, connected by thick prayer ropes, the ones at the shrine's 'entrance' high enough for even an Oni to walk underneath without stooping.

The statue depicted a graceful, beautiful warrior sitting in the lotus pose with her hair spilling down one shoulder like a river. Resting across her knees was a drawn katana of functional, elegant design, while her other hand gripped a hefty studded club, resting across her shoulders.

Bishamonten, Goddess of Combat. Referred to as 'Ares' in Order lands, as Saeko had once heard when Lord Shido felt like flaunting how learned he was.

Without a word exchanged, the two warriors paid their respects side by side.

Then, they took position some fifteen paces apart, prepared to-

"So… don't suppose you'll tell me why a Kunoichi chased me all the way out here?"

Asking why a Kunoichi had found him all the way out here seemed like a fair question, he thought.

"Hmm… a little bird was telling the stories of a young man with an arm like an Oni. My master caught wind and sent me to investigate."

"A little bird… ah hell, that Black Harpy from a month ago!"

"Harpy… ah yes, that's what they refer to the Tengu as in Order lands, is it not?"

"Yeah… she was pretty angry I kept her from flying off with Morita… I'm regretting the warning shot now."

Those lovely blue eyes crinkled at the edges, the only hint she might be smiling under her mask.

"Warning shot, was it? She claimed an entire boulder was hurled at her head."

"Oh please, the rock wasn't even bigger than your chest-"

Takashi clapped one hand to his face with a groan.

"Hmm… so you have been paying attention."

The way she practically purred those words set off warning bells in his head.

This wasn't going to be one of 'those' kinds of assassinations, was it?

He'd take the death match, please!

"Now, I hope you're not going to disappoint me… I'll be very upset if you can't use that big, strong club of yours."

Bishamonten was watching, woman! Focus!

… Oh wait, she gave her blessings to Mamono as well… especially those seeking a husband through battle.

… This was why he never prayed.

She had never been one for prayer, but internally, Saeko was praying that Bishamonten was looking the other way while she embarrassed herself.

What the hell was she saying!?

Big strong club!?

No!

That wasn't- why did she have to stop being a failure of a Succubus now!?

She'd meant it literally! That kanabo was too big for a person of his build to wield properly, unless his Blessing was strength-related!

No, this was a duel dammit, she expected at least one of them to bleed!

It was strange, though… she wasn't supposed to feel that way, she never had before…

Instead of feeling that surge of venomous rage when someone took note of her body, she'd felt somewhat… warm? Only for an instant, but it wasn't precisely unpleasant…

No, focus you silly woman! Focus on the duel, focus on the club about to-

Saeko threw her body into a backwards arch, eyes widening minutely as a stud of Demon Realm Silver passed a hairsbreadth from her nose.

The desperate evasion transitioned into a smooth handspring, and while she couldn't see it, she could feel the distortion of air from the second swing.

Saeko landed smoothly, some distance away.

The Hero didn't pursue, returning his kanabo to its resting place on his shoulder.

"You were staring at it awfully hard, so I thought I'd give you a closer look." He said with a shrug.

"A sneak attack? And here I thought we had an understanding."

"Oh please, it's not like it had any chance of hitting."

… Fair point.

The speed behind it had come as something of a surprise, but she was a bit too skilled for a straight-forward assault to hit her unless she was completely oblivious…

She had only been a bit distracted.

Avert your gaze, Bishamonten.

Avert your gaze, Bishamonten.

He'd never admit that he took a swing at the Kunoichi because the expressionless staring had started to creep him out.

Seemed like things were going to move along now, as the Kunoichi straightened to her full height with narrowed eyes.

"Busujima Saeko."

Takashi slid Titan down from his shoulder, resting it lengthwise against his arm.

"Komuro Takashi."

Precious little information to go off of, but…

Anything more was unnecessary.

In unison, they bowed to one another, and the whisper of a drawn blade heralded the start of their battle.

Saeko exploded into action, closing the gap and drawing her blade in one smooth motion that sent the weapon hissing for Komuro's neck.

It met a hulking mass of Demon Realm Silver, and sparks illuminated the battlefield.

Undeterred, Saeko reversed her blade for another sweep from below, angling upwards and parallel to the kanabo. Rather than parry once again, Komura smoothly spun away, a motion that could have been reckless had it not sent his kanabo howling in at waist height.

She allowed herself a smile at his glimmer of shock when she flipped over the crushing blow, twirling her body parallel to the ground… and swinging her leg in a wide arc, bringing the bridge of her foot down upon his head.

That was the intention, anyways. Instead, Saeko found herself suppressing a shriek as Takashi released his out of position kanado with one hand, caught her descending leg by the ankle… and hurled her across the clearing.

Muscles screaming as she twisted violently, Saeko caught herself before impact, and skidded across the stone into a sprinter's crouch, so low her chest was almost brushing the stone.

Oh, how perfect… she really was enjoying this.

Not good… he really was enjoying this.

Only misfortune followed when Takashi let himself enjoy things.

He could already feel the red creeping at the edge of his visions, feel his breath quicken, his muscles tighten…

And that damn smell wasn't helping!

It had been nagging him the whole way to the shrine, but intermingled with a subdued, sweet aroma was a subtle, metallic tang.

Blood and flowers.

He'd only caught it when she'd closed in once again, but the Kunoichi he was facing carried the scent of blood and flowers.

Baring her single, silvery fang like a great serpent, coiled low against the ground and ready to spring.

Eyes alight with excitement, Saeko sprung, pouncing upon the waiting Hero with sword flashing.

One strike wove into another and another, and at last she caught him, drawing a line across his cheek that bled a faint, dark violet mist into the air as his mana leaked from a wound bared upon spirit rather than flesh.

She wanted to cut him for real. She wanted him to cut her for real. Slice his flesh- crush her limbs- tangle together in blood and fury until one of them laid spent upon the cold stone.

This, this was what was wrong with her.

She tilted her head to avoid the flat top of the kanabo thrusting towards her face, and her katana nicked his ribs.

She wanted to fight, she wanted to kill and be killed in a world where the very gods themselves intervened to keep fatalities to a minimum.

She gagged as a fist caught her just below the ribs, the loudest sound she'd made all night.

She wanted to feel something, anything, and…

She hoped he'd be the one to give that to her.

He caught her, then, staggering her when his overhead swipe sent the cobblestone beneath her bucking like a wild horse.

His next swipe was hasty, and the kanabo didn't have his full weight behind it.

More than strike her, it lifted her, carrying her off her feet and launching her through the air for the second time that night.

Titan caught her around the midsection, and the Kunoichi folded around it, hurtling into the air and leaking a gleaming purple mist.

Our mana is almost the same color.

She twisted in the air once more, but couldn't correct herself in time, cracking her back against the stone and bouncing out of the clearing, skidding past Bishamonten, and almost to the edge of the plateau.

Takashi froze.

He'd forgotten.

The statue of Bishamonten had its back to a cliff…

For a moment, he wasn't staring at the edge of dull grey stone, illuminated by moonlight.

Hot sun, beating down mercilessly from above.

Hot stone beneath his feet, scorched brown by Heaven's unrelenting fire.

Wing beats and cracking stone and roaring and screaming and-

Sharp blue eyes, inches from his own.

Dark brown eyes, inches from her own and not seeing her at all.

She hadn't noticed immediately, that the reason he didn't pursue her was not by choice.

She'd swayed to her feet, her whole world shaking and burning and…

Before she knew it, she was upon him.

A distant clatter that sounded vaguely familiar- burning burning so soothing- but she couldn't bring herself to look.

Saeko slammed him against the pillar, forcing his hands above his head with one of her own.

His eyes had just begun to snap back into focus when she struck.

She didn't know what she was doing, as she tore her mask away.

She only knew that she was burning, and she didn't understand but her lips against his felt so right, so perfect.

She had never kissed a man, even once, but her tongue twining around his just made sense and - maybe she wasn't so broken- everything could feel so right.

Her free hand tugged at worn fabric, and then coiled around something stiff- burning like she was burning- but it wasn't nearly as important as her lips on his.

He jerked and bucked against her weakly as if all that unnatural strength had been a lie, and she ravaged his mouth with her own, stroked and pumped that stiff heat with a hand that had remained soft and delicate no matter how often she'd swung her blade.

For the first time in her life, Busujima Saeko felt like a real Succubus, a proper Kunoichi as she pinned the -her- man against the pillar and one-sidedly had her way with him.

This.

It didn't take long. He jolted against her and went completely rigid for one beat of heart.

This is what I've been missing.

She broke the kiss and whispered.

"Do it."

He broke, bucking and crying out as he erupted, spraying his white flag into the air.

Limply he leaned against the pillar, propped up by only her grip on his hands, gasping and panting as his legs quivered.

Mine.

A moan of pure rapture filled the air, drifting from her lips.

Some instinct told her that this was it, that she had won, that he was-

Vacant eyes and a beast-like grin.

Then she was moving, choking as a hand clamped around her throat, lifted her into the air and slammed her back down hard.

The stone cracked beneath her as she gasped, but her instinctive exhale was cut off as the steel trap around her throat tightened, and her head was once more bounced off the stone.

The night lit up as pinpricks of light danced across her vision, but just as her gaze began to fade, the grip loosened.

She drew a deep breath, only to be cut off part way as the hand tightened once more.

Those empty eyes that saw nothing at all peered through her, that feral grin still twisting his lips.

Dimly, she heard the tearing of cloth and felt a sudden chill.

Then the heat was back as something pierced her, filled her to the brim as it tore something- would hurt if she was human- deep inside her that would have made her scream with the joy of it all if she could breath.

At last, everything made sense.

There, on the hard, cracked stone, he took her for everything she was worth, thrusting in and out, even as that grip around her throat kept her on teetering on the edge of asphyxiation and-

Ah, I hope he kisses me again.

And done.

Right now, it might seem skewed towards the MGE side of things, but in due time that will shift. If you'll notice, with the exception of the deity mentioned (Bishamonten is associated with war, so seemed a good Zipangu equivalent for Ares), all of the characters mentioned by name are from HOTD.

So yes, Saeko is in the service of that Shido, and if it makes you feel a little dirty, well, mission accomplished.

Speaking of her, I really was tempted to make her an Ochimusha, because, you know, samurai Mamono, but lewds with undead are a line I didn't want to cross, and revamping the Ochimusha felt like a copout. So she's a Kunoichi who everyone thinks should be an Ochimusha, but isn't. Something wrong there, which is fitting really, because 'something wrong there' fits Saeko in general.

Best girl is complicated.

Takashi is a little messed up too, you might have noticed, but neither of them were feeling up to being reliable narrators, so you'll have to tune in next time for more information.

The back and forth nature of this chapter was a bit of an experiment, so tell me what you think. Not going to do it every chapter, but felt kind of right here.

As for our lemon near the end, hopefully the gist of what was happening was communicated, because neither of the two were really in their right mind so being detailed didn't make a whole lot of sense.

I have no problem being explicit, but I won't do it just for the sake of it.

In other news, part of the reason I leapt on this particular idea is because the respective fandoms are kind of empty of good fics that are being updated on a reasonable schedule.

There are some, though, so feel free to ask and I'll throw out some recommendations via PM.

Schedule wise for me, my stories will have about a chapter per month. Not calender-wise, but in the sense that chapters for a particular story will have about a month between them.

Anyways, feel free to share your thoughts, and predictions as to what new form each of the HOTD cast will be brought to life as in this new story.

Oh, and did anyone else like the idea of keeping Takashi's trusty baseball bat alive in a more setting suitable form?