How was she even still moving!? The bitch samurai should have been on death’s door, lying flat upon her back and practically begging Daiyo to save her from her pain. The sorceress’s golden eyes flicked up and down her form. No signs of hampered movement. What trickery was this? Isane was no sorceress and Momo had as much potential for the eldritch arts as an old sock did. How then was she up and about?

The vexation the sorceress felt was kept under a cool mask of unconcerned calm. She heard a gasp to the right and her gaze flicked to Rika. A tiny trail of blood dribbled down from a scratch upon Momo’s neck, the retainer whimpering. She could feel the depths of Rika’s hatred, burning and smoldering in her gut. Daiyo knew she wanted nothing more than to split her throat and bathe in her blood. Her pupils were dilated, breathing heavy. Oh how she wanted to kill her, though Daiyo had ensured she wouldn’t. Not yet anyway.

“What madness are you spouting now, witch? I’ve never seen this girl nor is there any village on this spit of land. Is she one of your demons?” Isane growled, holding her spear at the ready.

“You’re the demons! You monsters have killed countless thousands! I swear you’ll pay for every death, every inch of ruined countryside.” Came the snarled reply from Rika. The grip her free hand had around Momo’s waist tightened revealing a smooth milky jade hand.

“W-we haven’t seen anyone here, what are you-ahhh!” Momo tried to get out, taking a sharp intake of breath as a blade was pressed further against her throat.

Rika’s eyes, now a brilliant and shinning gold, flashed dangerously. “Shut up, you monster. You- you are the worst of the two of you. You killed… you killed…” The woman tried to get out, her voice choked with sorrow.

Daiyo cleared her throat. What a melodramatic sideshow. Rika needed to learn some self-control it seemed. Nothing a few lessons wouldn’t solve after this matter was resolved. “Rika. Restrain yourself or I will. After we are done here, you can have your fill of vengeance as promised. Until then…”

She was pleased to see Rika straighten somewhat and force back her tears. The sorceress returned her attention Isane, a cruel smirk upon her flawless lips. Ah well. Her newfound health was better really. After that cut across her back, she wanted the samurai to suffer for a time. Daiyo stepped upon the waters of the small lake, walking atop the surface as though it were solid earth. She delighted in the slightest flicker of fear in Isane’s eyes, relishing the emotion for all she was worth.

She stopped upon the mound where once a proud city had stood, her slippers pounding the ashes and whatever corpses that remained there to oblivion. Now that she was looking for it, the sorceress could sense the death about this place. It wafted through the air itself, thick like musk really. Where she was standing was the gravesite of countless thousands, people who had been killed even as they prayed to the goddesses they saw. Daiyo inhaled deeply, drinking of the death and suffering. She only wished she could have seen it.

“The spear. Drop it.” She ordered the samurai.

Isane hesitated, drawing a smirk from Daiyo. Her eyes flicked to Rika. The young woman’s hair was wild about her face, unbound and her eyes possessed dark circles around them. Her face was pasty, the woman still recovering from her change. “Rika. Be a dear and relieve Momo of one of her fingers. Doesn’t matter which one.” She said, her tone almost bored.

“Wait!” The samurai called, halting the action.

Isane shared a long look with Momo as she lowered her spear to the ground. Daiyo lifted a brow before chuckling. “How amusing. You slap her and send her away in rage, but are willing to lay down your weapon for her. You samurai never cease to amuse me.”

Oh she could feel Isane’s hate. It tasted so good, more than her fear even. She’d likely miss that the most after this was said and done. The samurai could have made an excellent member of the Order, if only she weren’t so sickeningly sentimental. Daiyo crossed the rest of the distance over the lake and kicked the shaft of her spear aside, noting no sign of her sword. Had that been what she and Momo had been arguing about? An unimportant detail.

“Now then you two. Its time I share a fascinating tale with you. You see, there once existed a land not so unlike your own. There were samurai, feudal lords that did battle, and priests that tended shrines. It was troubled, but had its own order.” Daiyo said, drawing her blade and placing it at Isane’s throat. She gestured for her to move closer to Rika and Momo.

As she walked her prisoner over she continued. “Then, one day, something happened. From beyond the ocean, came two gods. A boat higher than the highest of towers sliced through the waters and pounded the beach to signal their arrival. They themselves were beings that towered far into the heavens, the people but dust to them. Unworthy of notice or attention. Pathetic, helpless before these mighty gods.”

Isane’s steps slowed and Rika’s fingers tightened around her knife. “These goddesses trampled countless towns and villages, crushing lives without a care in their worlds. The people cried out ‘please, gods, spare us!’ only to be ground to oblivion beneath their sandals, devoured alive, or wiped away like dirt and dust.”

“Daiyo-” Isane tried to say, cut off but the sorceress who was far too into her story by this point.

“Shhh, shhh, hush now Isane. We’re getting to the best part. The happy ending.” She said with a positively wicked grin.

“The gods however were captured. One god arrived as they did, by sea. The other had spent an agonizing crucible upon the tabi of the servile god. Days she spent, lint in an endless landscape of white. Only her dear friend to keep her sane, a friend who sacrificed herself that she might live. The newly arrived god uplifted her. Then, together. They stripped the cruel and uncaring gods of their divinity, and cast them down from heaven.”

Daiyo’s arm was secreting a greenish mist, the sorceress sighing from the euphoric bliss of casting. The trails of mist forced themselves into Isane’s and Momo’s pores. She watched and listened with rapturous glee as the screamed, falling to their knees. Rika backed off, wincing as no doubt memories surfaced to her mind. Daiyo licked her lips, letting out a low groan as she watched the two suffer.

Isane was clawing at her skin, peeling at old bandages and her nails scratching at her flesh. She screamed until no sound could come from her throat but a loud croak, eyes wide and watering. Momo was curled up upon the ground into a ball, shaking. Her mouth was open in a soundless scream and tears were leaking from her eyes. Of course, for Daiyo, the best part was what came after the pain.

It was imperceptible at first but slowly, ever so slowly, the pair started to reduce in stature. Inch by inch their bodies were changed by her foul sorcery. This was far more satisfying than sticking a blade in them. Poetic justice truly. They continued to dwindle further and further. Momo lost consciousness at about half her actual height, her clothes becoming too big for her. With a quick nod from Daiyo, Rika removed the shrinking woman’s clothing and tossed it aside.

However, the oh so brave samurai remained conscious throughout. Daiyo watched them shrink and cut off the flow of her power when both were about an inch in size. As soon as the casting was cut off she felt a weight fall over her shoulders and a headache pound at her skull. Right. Two at once was pushing the limit. She would have to work on that for next time. For now though, it would do.

Rika looked at her. “Well? They aren’t all the way.”

The sorceress chuckled. “Now now, patience, my apprentice. At such a size as you were, it would not be easy to torment them. Think about it, Momo in your hands. Unable to fight against your vengeance. Your slave. And if it pleases you, I can complete it later with her and you can have her wander upon the vastness of your littlest finger for all time.” She said. It was better than showing weakness by telling Rika she was tired. In the end it seemed to placate her.

Below, at the feet of the two women, stirred Isane. She forced herself to her feet, naked and without any protection. Daiyo felt a flash of heat pool between her legs when she looked up and her eyes bugged out. Even lacking Rika’s former height, they towered above the inch high woman. The sorceress bit her lower lip as she drank of her fear. One step, one single step from her foot and she’d crush the most powerful swordswoman in the side of the world. Like a bug, some crunchy little insect.

She crouched down, her shadow consuming tiny Isane in its gloom. “How the mighty have fallen. I might not even be able to bring myself to kill you like this. I bet the Empress would love it just as well to have the killer of her brother tiny, toiling away at her feet for all of her miserable life. Honestly, I’d be jealous. Toiling away beneath her divine majesty and beauty, getting to be stepped on by a child of the heavens day in and day out? Too good a fate for you.” Daiyo purred.

“W-wha- h-how…” The samurai stuttered out.

Her grin was wide and stretched nearly from ear to ear. “No snappy comebacks? No declarations that you are going to kill me? Then again, what are you going to do? Punch at my toes maybe?”

Daiyo idly stood and took off one of her slippers, revealing her flesh and blood foot in all its flawless glory. She set her bare foot down before Isane softly, pleased at how she took a step back and ended up falling onto her ass. Her golden eyes widened, brimming with sadistic glee. She wriggled her toes slightly, the lacquer upon them glinting brightly with the sunlight.

“Go on, take a good swing! Or a kick perhaps? Empress knows those kicks of yours have always had me reeling.”

Isane was naturally speechless. She stared up at Daiyo with horror filled eyes. Daiyo herself bit her lower lip and felt a bolt of pleasure shoot through her. Empress this was good. So very good. Isane at her mercy. Completely helpless. One step was all it would take to extinguish her pitiful little life. She set her heel upon the ground and lifted her foot up, the shadow falling over the tiny samurai below.

“Nothing? Really? How disappointing. Ah well once you are dead, I can have some fun with Momo before letting Rika here have her way with her. I wonder, does it anger you? Knowing that your retainer will soon be my little slave girl? Oh the things I’ll do to her…” Daiyo said, moaning softly as she herself imagined it.

That spurred Isane to action. “Never, you won’t lay a finger on her!” The samurai screamed as she moved protectively in front of Momo’s tiny form.

Daiyo laughed behind her sleeve, her toes wriggling above Isane. Absurd that she’d still offer resistance. “Is that so and what are you…”

Her foot came down, her big toe smashing into Isane’s torso. She was pinned beneath it with ease, yelling and screaming in rage as she tried to push the massive digit off her. Sublime, delectable. This made all that wasted time hunting her completely worth it. “…Going to do to stop me? Look at you, you worthless little bitch. You can’t even push off my toe. Pathetic! Weak! Just like your stupid brother and your stupid whore mother!” Daiyo spat gleefully.

Rika cleared her throat, drawing a glare from Daiyo. Couldn’t she see that she was busy- why was she pointing behind her?

Daiyo turned her head and attention from crushing Isane under her toe and looked at the lake. Her golden eyes nearly bugged out.

Standing upon the mound in the center of the lake was a young woman dressed in white and red, her eyes as gold as Daiyo’s. Ryoko of the Nine Tails. The goddess stepped onto the water of the lake, her bare feet padding along it as though it was solid earth. The blood in Daiyo’s veins turned to ice and she immediately removed her toe from atop Isane, shifting her feet into a defensive stance. Her stone arm was held before her, the assassin licking her lips.

“Rika grab both of them. Now.” Daiyo commanded.

The young woman looked warily at this newcomer. No doubt she’d never seen her before. Daiyo certainly had. Many times. The irritating caretaker to this pair of fools. Now here she was yet again to snatch her victory, her ultimate triumph from her. The assassin’s arm sparked in warning as the kitsune set foot upon the shore, Isane struggling and cursing in Rika’s right hand while Momo was limp in her left.

“Daiyo-san of the Jade Court, so nice to see you again. How’s the whole creepy arm of doom thing working out for you?” Ryoko asked flippantly.

Daiyo took a step back. “If you’re here to snatch away my victory you are too late. Isane and Momo are mine.” She hissed.

“Huh? Pretty sure Isane-san is mine actually. Might want to double check that.”

What nonsense was- where the fuck did the samurai go? Daiyo looked at Rika’s shocked expression, the hand that had been holding Isane was now clutching a half-eaten piece of fruit. In Ryoko’s right hand however was Isane, the tiny samurai lying out in the palm of her hand.

“Hey dumb dumb. You are almost more trouble than you’re worth, you know that?” The damnable fox remarked.

“R-Ryoko-sama? But how, urk!”

Isane was silenced as Ryoko closed her fist around the samurai. The goddess deposited her between her ample cleavage and chuckled, squeezing them up around the woman. “Now you sit there and hush up while I sort things out.”

Daiyo lifted her hand, teeth grinding together. “Give. Her. Back.”

Ryoko lifted a hand in placation. “Woah woah, not here to pick a fight, Daiyo-san. Pretty much the opposite actually. So before you go doing something you and that poor wretch behind you might regret, settle down.”

The urge to say fuck it and zap the goddess anyway was strong. No spirit, no matter how old, was invincible. However… Ryoko was very powerful. The assassin lowered her arm though kept her blade out. Rika looked a bit antsy. “Daiyo-sama, who-?”

“She’s Ryoko of the Nine Tails. An actual goddess. So don’t rip off Momo’s head just yet.”

Rika’s eyes bugged out as she stared slack jawed at Ryoko. Daiyo snorted. Typical peasants, always amazed at meeting a god or two. She shoved her apprentice from her mind and gestured for the fox spirit to go on. The fox could have just snatched both away if she wanted which meant there was some catch here. Or perhaps the Bureaucracy of Heaven was restricting even her from acting too much. Both were distinct possibilities.

“So, as you know, I’m rather fond of these two idiots. Normally I’d just spirit them away. However your Empress still has quite a bit of pull in the Bureaucracy. Annoyingly. So, I think we’ve come to an arrangement that should please you and settle this. You’ll get your chance to kill Isane-san. Ten days from now you’ll meet right here and fight. No hostages. Just you two against each other.” Ryoko stated.

Daiyo let out a bark of laughter. “You expect me to believe you to keep your word, fox?”

“Hey now, I don’t bend the truth that much.” The spirit pouted before continuing, her expression oddly sad. “That said, it has also been agreed that their actions in this place have caused a massive influx of souls to Heaven. Needless to say, it’s a nightmare. With that said, you are permitted to hold onto Momo-chan there as… we’ll call her collateral. I’m pretty sure you know, despite her theatrics, Isane-san would go to any lengths to rescue her.”

Daiyo stroked her chin in thought. It wasn’t a bad offer really. Today or ten days from now, it wasn’t like it particularly mattered as long as Isane was dead. She’d waited years, she could wait ten days. She looked over to Rika, who was regarding Ryoko warily. That was an issue to consider as well.

“I trust… Momo’s condition isn’t much of an issue so long as she’s alive?” Daiyo asked with a rather cruel smirk.

The goddess bit her lower lip, her elongated canines drawing blood. “…No it isn’t.” She locked eyes with Rika. “They didn’t know what they were doing, Rika-san. Please consider that and understand that.”

The young woman stiffened as she was addressed. “I-I… I can’t forgive them. Not… not after everything they’ve done to me. To my people.” She said.

Daiyo waved a hand. “Enough. You have what you’ve come for then, Ryoko. I’ll expect Isane right here in ten days. If she isn’t I’ll let Rika twist off all of Momo’s limbs and eat them.” The assassin said.

The fox gave the assassin a parting glare before promptly vanishing away. The assassin’s shoulders slumped suddenly and she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Well. That had been unexpected. No matter. It was a delay. Nothing more. No matter what Isane did in those ten days there was no hope for her. No escape, nowhere to run. By the end of this one of them would be dead.

Her golden irises turned to Rika and then to Momo’s unconscious form in her hand. “You are free to do as you please to her. I need to return to camp and meditate on this. Don’t kill her. Not yet. Ten days from now you can get your full revenge. If I find out you’ve killed her… you’ll be seeing the world, and the bottom of my slipper, from your old height again.”

Rika’s pasty skin lost even more color at that promise and she bowed her head so quickly she wondered if it made her dizzy. With that said Daiyo walked off and left her apprentice and the woman who had traumatized her alone. The assassin couldn’t hold back a grin as she imagined what hell awaited the retainer.