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The traveler-- no, the demon's words bothered the shop keeper. For several moments, he stood in the back, praying for his life and that the tall stranger would leave. Silence ticked by for many seconds before he finally braved to peek into the street. The demon was gone, and so was the meat. The shop owner sighed to himself, hoping that the free meal had appeased the demon.

Now that no one was around, though, he shuddered and again went into the back of his stall, into the comforts, warmth, and sounds of his kitchen. Here, there was peace, and the familiar scents of meat ready to be cooked and spices for seasoning. Still, it did little to settle his nerves. His eyes stared down at the floor, and he noticed his hands shaking. Ha! Look at him..! Shaking over a demon's words! As if a demon could be trusted... But what if it spoke the truth? Could there be four different demon factions outside the village? That would explain the dangers of leaving the village... but... what was that about a half-demon protector?

He shook his head. No, this was a lie! It had to be! But what if it wasn't? Soon, he realized he was too distracted by that demon's words to cook. The man bolted from his shop and ran towards the elder's home; the old couple had been advising the village since his parents were young. They had been the ones to assure the village that it was safe and to warn them about demons attacking outside the village. He needed peace of mind, and they were the only ones he could turn to. "Village elders...!!"




Kameno gritted her teeth as Jigoku approached, drawing her sword. The half-demon struggled to her feet but wasn't able to fully stand. She was crouched, bleeding and in pain, but her eyes were defiant. Even as she faced the drawn sword of the dragon, she stared into the stronger being's eyes. She would stare death in the face if it was going to come; she wouldn't cower or hide.

But death didn't come. The dragon's borrowed body spared Kameno, despite its priestess clothes and her half-demon blood. The village priestess would've killed her in a heart beat.... Whatever relief she was supposed to feel by being allowed to live, she ignored. Jigoku was going towards the village. "Wait...!" She called, taking a step to follow, but she flinched and dropped to a knee. She was losing blood faster than usual... It had to be because the festival was tomorrow; she was still healing, but her powers were slowly draining. This cut was deep...

Today was the Moon Festival. The real celebrations wouldn't begin until sunset, but the air was charged with energy. The children screamed, cried, and played with more vitality. Adults filled the streets, carrying supplies to their booths or simply chatting with excitement for evening. Even though the festival was held every month, it was still greatly looked forward to. Many believed in the spiritual passing of lost souls and felt peace come to their own souls at the experience, many enjoyed the lights and crowds the festival always drew, and many were simply happy for the day of rest the festival allowed them.

There was more to the festival than joy, though, especially this year. Tension rested in the air under all the excitement. There were cagey looks and glances towards the forest and at all the strangers who moved through the village. There was a rumor going around that someone had spotted a demon in the village... It was absurd, of course, but just the thought sent a thrill of terror through the whispered conversations. "Did you hear what Sho saw--?" "Everyone knows that's not true!" "Talking about it could just bring misfortune." "Don't say such scary things! There's a festival today!"

The elders dismissed the rumor. They walked through the village with the slow grace of old age, determined to dispel any demon talk they heard.
And so morning and afternoon passed. As the sun began to set, the real joys of the festival would begin. In the meantime, there were booths of games, food, and souvenirs.


Not everyone got to enjoy the festive day, though. Kameno was locked in her shed, as she had been meant to be locked everyday. Today was special, though. Today, her mood was worse than usual. It wasn't just about being stuck in her shed or having no more demon powers -though that did give her the benefit of lacking a demon scent. No, she was p***ed because some villager had ratted to the elders about demons in the village. She'd tried to dismiss the claims as a lie, but when they saw her injuries, they felt inclined to ignore her. During the day of the festival, seeing as she had no powers, they would have to rely on the local priestess and any militia they could find to discreetly keep an eye on things. Essentially, the festival may be ruined at any time, and it was her fault for not killing everything when she'd "had the chance".

"What do they even know?" she hissed through her teeth. They pretended not to know about her time in the forest, but now it was too obvious to ignore. To make matters worse, they threatened to keep her from the festival completely if her injuries hadn't healed by nightfall. Now she was covered in bandages and ointment, healing at the speed of any human. It was infuriating. She growled to herself before hitting her head against the wall. This could turn into a loooong night....

Jigoku walked along the paths of the village. Her horn had been removed and turned into its sword form to make her less conspicuous. She was searching for someone. That half demon turned human that she fought in the forest. Now that she was human she was necessary for Jigoku to unlock her second horn. She talked with one of the villagers. "Have you seen a girl about this tall with dark blond or light brown hair?"

Jigoku frowned when pointed to the wrong person. Was she hiding somewhere? Jigoku would rather not wait another month to find her. She began to move around the village desperately searching for the half demon. "For the second seal to be broken I must find her. Perhaps if if kidnapped a human." She mumbled to herself. The horn of water was Jigoku's least favorite of her horns but it was necessary to unlock the others.