The Forest God's New Familiar

~ Chapter 9 ~

Kyoko sighs as she finished the last of the jobs she needed to do. Although, despite being looking really relaxed and unguarded, she was alert. For almost the entire day, she felt someone had been watching and following her. However, she could not trace down the exact location of her little stalker so she was left to be on silent alert while wondering around the Maze Palace.

Once more, she sighed as she heard Hiroshi and Raija arguing about the Master's needs. "Idiots," was all she said as she walked past their room.

Her eyes scanned the area, looking for the Forest God's room. About this time, her master should be asleep, carelessly laying on the floor, possibly half naked from drinking too much. This place is so hard to navigate. They need to put maps here if they don't want people to get lost in here, she thought to herself, frowning to herself as she found herself at a dead end.

She sighs once more, before looking around. Noticing plenty of framed pictures hung around the dead end hallway. Her eyes were glued to one of them. It was a picture of Takehiko, with the words 'Strongest God Ever/Traitor' underneath it. She stares at it with curiosity before completely dismissing it. Must have something to do with his past. I could ask him, but I really don't care about his personal life. She rubbed the nape of her neck in laziness and began walking again, trying to navigate her way through the maze again.

"Damn, isn't there ever a time she sleeps? It's nearly 9!"

"Relax, she should be sleeping soon enough. Even if she is a yokai, I bet she adores her sleep. There's no way a good fighter like her doesn't sleep."

The black-haired girl's brow twitched as she ended up at another dead end. How many dead ends are there in this Palace? It's the fifth time today. They really need maps in here. She started walking again, rubbing the nape of her neck in nonchalance. She didn't really want to find Takehiko's room, but as rules state, she had to protect him so here she was, trying to find him so she could 'protect' him from the dangers. She finds it odds that she needed to protect a god when the God realm was one of the safest places around. Meaning, they still have some doubts about their home being as safe as they thought. So, as far as she knew, the palace was probably a place hard to infiltrate but not impossible for yokai.

An hour went by, and she was still lost inside the palace. She sighs, I give up, all the doors and walls look the same. It's most likely I've already been down this hallway. She glanced around, trying to find any signs of life. To add, that presence I sense earlier still hasn't disappeared. I would've expected an attack by now. But none so far. Strange, but best be on my guard for now. For now, might as well 'enjoy' my time here.

She began wondering around again, deciding to just admire the scenery around her and hope for the best of finding her way to Takehiko. She was thinking about the shrine she lived in, wondering how Akari and Aurora was fairing. Until, something came across her mind. What's the shrine called? I'll have to figure that out later...

"Damn, she's not getting any sleep! If we don't hurry up and get the job done, Master's going to be angry!" a small, raspy voice said in panic.

"She has to get some sleep at some point! Even the gods are sleeping!"

Another 2 hours had passed, so it was about 11 now and she was still hopelessly lost. She scratched her head slightly in nonchalance when she really should be worried. Well, I seem to be more lost than I thought I could be. She found herself at a four way intersection. Which way should I go? Which way did I even come from? She began taking another random direction seeing as even if she tried navigating, she would still be lost in the end.

"Uh! This is it! We'll have to take her down now! I have had enough of waiting for her to get to sleep!"

An ugly creature jumped out from his hiding spot, his claws extending as he went to slash up Kyoko. The black-haired girl's eyes narrowed and she turned around, grabbing onto the creatures head bare-handed. She said coldly "Looks like I found my stalker - correction, one of my stalkers. Now, where's the second one?"

Her eyes darted back and forth, her hand threatening to crush the yokai's head to pieces. The yokai was scared out of his mind. She knew? She knew we were following her? What matter of creature is she?

The second stalker attacked her and she grabbed onto its head as well. She looked at the creatures in her hands, and asks "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

The first stalker grinned psychotically, "Oh, I'm sure you know. You're the famous Rogue Hunter, there's not a yokai alive who doesn't want to skin you alive."

She frowned, "So, you're saying, I'm a target?"

"Of course. And you won't be living for very long, Master will come and get you and you'll be long dead and gone—," Kyoko crushed their heads without hesitation, killing them instantly.

She dropped their corpses as it dissipates into nothingness, her hands covered in their blood. She shook her hands once to flick some of the fresh blood off her hands, staining the marble floors once more. "Pathetic...," she uttered, her hands dropping to her sides as she began walking away from the scene.

A smirk came across a vile man as he watches the black-haired female from afar. "My, isn't she an interesting subject? She kills so mercilessly yet she works for gods? It's so twisted it makes me laugh - ah, but that's what I expected of him to do," he chuckles to himself. "I'm going to love playing with her. I can't wait to see the expression on his face when he finds out what I'm going to do to his little familiar~"

The bell rings, signalling it was midnight now.

One more day until the summit was over.