An Offer that Absolutely Cannot be Refused
They say that there is no final judgement for youkai. Even if one dies, they will somehow, someway, come back to life. Whether it be reincarnation or resurrection, that is perhaps a sort of natural fate.
However, there are times when, despite this security, youkai truly fear for their lives. All the millennia they?ve experienced flashes before their eyes, frightening and disorienting them. This was one of those times for Kagiyama Hina. If she could sap the misfortune from herself, she would have been able to make a hundred?no, a thousand?nagashi-bina and send them all floating gracefully down the river.
?Hina!?
She, the feared goddess of misfortune and despair was cowering on the ground before an even more imposing woman of green hair and a dark red plaid dress. The sharp tip of an umbrella jabbed into Hina?s stomach, and she hastily squeaked out her reply.
?Y-yes, ma?am!?
Kazami Yuuka smiled pleasantly, making the corners of her bright red eyes turn up. ?There?s a good girl. Now, where were we??
?Your?erm?pillow, ma?am.? Hina picked at a stray thread on the hem of her dress. ?You said that Nitori stole it from you.? While her back was turned, Hina wanted to add, but she valued her life more than pointing out Yuuka?s carelessness.
?That?s right. And since you?re good friends with her, this affair is also your business, is it not?? Yuuka asks. She withdraws her umbrella from Hina?s stomach and holds it folded up in both hands. ?Friends have to take each other?s responsibilities, and one of mine is in a bit of a pickle. She?s sealed up with chains all over her arms, poor thing. She can?t do anything without those chains getting in the way.? There was a predatory glint in her eyes. Just what did it get in the way of that made Yuuka make that kind of expression? If oni could get plastered and fight shackled, a few chains couldn?t be that much of a problem.
?So.? Yuuka?s voice was as cold as ice. She knelt down in front of Hina, who immediately started to scuttle back like a crab. ?No, don?t run.? Yuuka reached out and cupped a hand on Hina?s face. The action alone sent chills down Hina?s spine, and she went rigid.
?That?s better. Now, I have a proposition for you. While you go find my pillow, there?s someone I want you to find. You?re the goddess of misfortune, aren?t you? There?s a youkai in the Former Hell who you could get a lot of that from. I?m sure you know who that is.?
Hina gulped and nodded.
?Good, we?re on the same page.? Yuuka smiled again. ?I need you to aggravate that girl?s ill feelings. Collecting them will be easy after that, won?t it??
Another nod.
?After you?ve done that, go get my pillow and come back to the Garden of the Sun, and then we?ll talk from there. Don?t come until you?ve gotten both, understood? We?ll have a problem if you?re missing even one,? Yuuka warns, but her tone is far from angry-sounding. Still, Hina nods stiffly.
?Ye-yes, ma?am. I won?t fail.? Hina?s cheeks burned all the way to her ears, and her voice came out shaky.
Yuuka caressed Hina?s face. ?Shh, shh, you have nothing to be worried about,? she cooed. ?All you need to do is find that friend of yours, make a day trip underground, and come back here. That doesn?t sound too hard, now does it??
For Hina, this was even worse than being poked in the stomach. Here was Kazami Yuuka stroking her and feeling up her hair. If it were someone Hina liked or was close to her, she wouldn?t mind, but at the moment she couldn?t remember the last time she had felt so humiliated. It didn?t help that Hina was difficult to embarrass to begin with.
Fortunately for Hina, Yuuka was fast to stand up and unfold her umbrella. ?Well, then. If you?ll excuse me, I have a garden to tend to.? She started to walk off, but then she hesitated and turned back. ?Oh, Hina, dear? I wouldn?t take the consequences of failure too lightly, if I were you.? With that, she strolled off into the flowers, leaving Hina sitting on the ground and wonder what the hell just happened.
Once Hina was sure that Yuuka was gone, she stood up and smoothed out her skirt. Whatever happened, she couldn?t waste any time.
?I better get a move on,? Hina sighed. She turned on her heels, lifted into the air, and flew off. ?As long as I don?t run into either of those tengu reporters again, I?ll be fine.?