Yoshika stirred awake to the warmth of the sun on her face. She sat up in her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then nearly panicked when she realized what time it was. She was going to be late for training!

She threw the covers off and scrambled out of bed, and was halfway dressed in her uniform before her mind caught up and reminded her of the previous day’s events.

“Oh right...classes are canceled today...”

Yoshika shuddered at the reminder. She gave up on the complicated robes of her uniform and undressed entirely, heading for the shower instead. There was no rush, and she expected to be summoned by the dean today—she needed to look her best.

She felt strangely self-conscious on her way to the bathroom. She wasn’t sure why—she lived alone in her tiny dorm and there was no way anyone else could get in. It was just her and Heian, and the lazy little kitten was curled up in her usual spot by the stove.

“Ugh, the stress must be getting to me.”

Yoshika tried to put the discomfort out of her mind, quickly getting cleaned up before returning to her room to get dressed properly. Brushing her hair was an ordeal, since it was so long. It would be more convenient if she just cut it short, but the very thought filled her with revulsion. Still, she felt like something was missing as she carefully straightened her black and white locks.

As she began the arduous task of styling the loopy buns behind her ears, Heian padded into the room and interrupted her by hopping up on her lap and meowing.

“Oh, hello there sweetie. Mommy’s a little preoccupied right now.”

Heian’s meowing became more demanding, and she began pawing at Yoshika’s stomach. When it became obvious the cat wasn’t going to let her finish doing her hair, Yoshika sighed and looked down to meet Heian’s eyes.

Those piercing blue orbs stared into her soul, desperately pleading for her to understand, to wake up and see through—

“Hungry? Honestly, you’ve got as much of an appetite as I do.”

Yoshika reflexively twisted her hand to grab a piece of food, then blinked at her empty hand. Why had she done that?

“Ancestors, I’m really out of it today.”

She got up and went to her box of rations, digging out a few pieces of dried fish and setting them out for the cat.

“You could try catching some mice or birds or something, you know? Aren’t you supposed to be a mighty hunter?”

The mighty hunter headbutted her ankle and meowed pathetically. Yoshika rolled her eyes and shooed her.

“Go eat your food, you silly cat. I need to get ready.”

Heian got the hint and let her finish her routine. Once she was dressed, Yoshika checked herself in the mirror—hair styled, makeup done, academy uniform properly donned. She was careful to get the fold right. She didn’t know why it mattered which side went over or under, but she wasn’t about to get yelled at for it again.

Yoshika finished her routine with some breakfast. No time to cook anything, so she made do with some leftover rice. That left her with nothing to distract her from what was coming.

Her meeting with the dean. Where she’d have to recount the previous day’s events.

She didn’t want to think about it, but if she didn’t have her thoughts in order she’d be a stuttering wreck in front of the dean. It was the worst day of her life since—

...her brand...the day she left Jung...the first person she’d—stolen—killed—running from—

“Agh, my head!”

Yoshika clutched her head, nearly stabbing her palm with her own horn. What was that? It was as if her mind had tried to cram half a dozen different ideas into one. She shook it off and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“I hope that demon didn’t do something to my head.”

A poor choice of words. She felt queasy as the vivid images of Yan Zhihao’s death came to her unbidden. One second his insufferable smug grin was the same as ever, and the next it was stained with blood and a foot away from his body. It had all happened so fast...

Her thoughts were thankfully interrupted by a knock on the door, and she rushed to answer it. Anything to get her mind off of that. She was met by a familiar half-spirit girl who’s name she couldn’t quite remember. The girl bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, senior! You look lovely today!”

Yoshika tried not to blush. The girl was cute, but she was already...Yoshika paused, no, that wasn’t right. She was alone, but that didn’t feel right either. The girl didn’t notice Yoshika’s internal strife and continued.

“The elders have instructed me to deliver a message to you. You’ve been summoned to meet with the academy dean at the administration office.”

Yoshika bowed.

“I’ve received your message, junior. Thank you.”

The junior returned her bow then turned and ran off...somewhere. Yoshika lost track of her almost as soon as she’d left. She shook her head and sighed. She hoped she’d stop experiencing these oddities once she’d gotten things over with.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself to meet with the intimidating figure who ran the Grand Academy of Spiritual, Martial, and Arcane Arts.

It was time to deliver her report to Elder Shen Yu.

 

---

 

Yoshika was so anxious that she found herself in the administration office before she even realized it. She was quickly ushered inside and left alone inside a plush sitting room that looked nothing like the working space of a bureaucrat.

She fidgeted awkwardly for what felt like eternity, not sure where to stand or if she should sit. Finally, the dean strode into the office, and Yoshika bowed low. He barely looked at her before taking a seat and gesturing to the couch across from him.

“Welcome, Yoshika, please raise your head and have a seat.”

She did as she was asked and waited patiently for Elder Shen to begin his questioning.

“Before we get started, I wanted to offer my condolences. I understand that you were close friends with the boy who lost his life in yesterday’s incident.”

Yoshika wasn’t sure she’d use the word ‘friends’ but it was true that she’d spent a disproportionate amount of time putting up with Yan Zhihao. She gave the elder a small bow.

“Thank you, elder.”

“I also want to make it clear that you are not in any trouble. I understand from speaking to the others that you made every attempt to flee the xiantian elemental as instructed, and that none of you could have predicted what would happen if you broke the seal it was feeding from.”

The elder took a moment to pour a cup of tea and take a sip before going on. Yoshika appreciated the chance to mentally prepare herself.

“Now, in your own words, I’d like you to describe what happened yesterday. Only in the most broad strokes—I’ll ask for clarification if I need more details.”

Yoshika nodded, wringing her tail nervously as she recounted everything that had happened.

“My team made a truce with Yan Zhihao’s and we joined forces to explore the lower mountain to track the source of mana that had been attracting magical beasts. We encountered a cave that led deep into the heart of the mountain, where we discovered the fire elemental feeding from a sealed artifact.”

She hesitated, and Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.

“And then?”

“I...I don’t want to speak ill of the dead.”

“Just the facts, Miss Yoshika.”

Yoshika swallowed.

“He—Yan Zhihao said that he didn’t fear any fire and engaged the elemental. It had been docile before that, but became aggressive as soon as he entered the cavern. Once engaged, the elemental didn’t let us leave until Eui—I...I mean, I? I made an opening for Zhihao to reach the sword. Jia—or, no sorry, I told him to take it I think? I’m really sorry, I keep getting mixed up.”

“It’s alright. That’s to be expected after such a traumatic event. Take your time.”

“Thank you, Elder. Removing the sword broke the seal and freed a demon—or, the sword was the demon. He called himself Jianmo, and he destroyed the fire elemental. I think...he’d been expecting it to free him, but it just sat in the cave and used him as bait to lure magical beasts for it to consume.”

Shen Yu nodded sagely.

“Elementals are canny creatures. It likely knew that the demon could not be trusted, but was unwilling to waste such a source of power. After the demon slaughtered Yan Zhihao and your friends, what did it say to you?”

Yoshika blinked. Slaughtered? No, that wasn’t right, was it? After Jianmo killed Yan Zhihao he...what had happened?

“I’m having a hard time remembering.”

Elder Shen glared hard, his friendly demeanor fading as he pressed her.

“Focus—what did Jianmo tell you, and you alone?”

She’d been alone with Jianmo? Wait, of course she had. Yoshika had spent years—no, wait...she’d only met her yesterday. Or was it him? Her headache was coming back again.

“I’m trying, but my head...”

“Concentrate, girl. This is a matter of utmost importance.”

Yoshika nodded and renewed her focus, closing her eyes to meditate, and trying to push the pressure in her head away. Something wasn’t right. She felt something pressing in on her from all sides—an unfamiliar, alien sensation that wasn’t supposed to exist. Something wrong on a fundamental level, that her soul was trying to reject.

It felt almost like Eunae’s—Yoshika shook her head. She was getting confused again—she didn’t know the princess. An orphan like her was far beneath the notice of someone like Princess Seong—oh, but she wasn’t an orphan?

Another spike of pain shot through her head. Jianmo. She needed to focus on Jianmo. The demon had taken an interest in her. Called her its disciple. He told her a story, but demons were liars. He gave her a mission, and she felt it was important. There was something she needed to remember—something crucial that only she knew.

Yoshika was distracted by Heian’s paws batting her face. How frustrating—couldn’t the cat see she was meditating? Except she wasn’t at home—how could Heian be there? But that wasn’t right either—she was at home. Yoshika could feel a sense of safety and belonging—but it was being invaded.

The alien feeling pressed in on her even harder, and her head felt like it would split open. Jianmo. She had to tell Sovereign Shen about Jianmo. Sovereign Shen? No, he was just the academy dean. He’d taught her so much about—he’d taught her that—

Yoshika furrowed her brows and blinked her eyes open.

“Who are you?”

Shen Yu grimaced.

“No more games, Miss Yoshika. Answer me—what did Jianmo tell you?”

Her head hurt so badly that she couldn’t think. This was wrong. Everything was wrong. She wanted it to stop—needed to stop it. All she needed to do was tell him. To reach for the memory and open it for him.

She refused. This was her home. This was her soul. He didn’t belong here, and she’d shatter it into tiny fragments before she gave even the tiniest piece of it to Sovereign Shen Yu.

Yoshika reached out across her bonds, drawing power from the distant and foggy memories of her friends and family. She wasn’t alone—she was never alone. That thought bolstered her—enabling her to push through the pain and reach out for a different memory than the one Shen pushed her towards.

A dangerous, ominous memory. A memory she wasn’t ready for—but neither was he.

Just before she could close her fingers around it, Heian’s paw stayed her hand and the illusion shattered.

Yoshika gasped as the pressure abated, leaving her standing in the middle of an endless blank void in front of a furious Sovereign Shen Yu. She remembered everything. He’d kidnapped her and trapped her within her own soulscape. The technique was like Yue’s but so much more dangerous—true soul magic.

It wasn’t the first time she’d broken it, either.

“This grows tiresome. Your resistance is meaningless before my power, girl. You will submit eventually.”

Yoshika’s entire body shook like a leaf. He was right. She couldn’t do this forever—each time it got more difficult to break his spell, and he hadn’t even broken a sweat. The only reason he hadn’t permanently shattered her mind was because she had something he needed, and he didn’t want to risk breaking it.

“M-Maybe I will. But you’re in a hurry, aren’t you?”

Shen Yu’s lips formed a thin line.

“I will take as much time as I need to extract what I need from you, and I will take great pleasure in dismantling your soul piece by piece once I do.”

Yoshika shook her head.

“No. I did pay some attention during that meeting. The demons are on the move, right?”

Sovereign Shen didn’t answer, but he didn’t interrupt her either.

“They’re on the move, which means that something’s happening. Something important. It’s happening, isn’t it? The other factions found the tomb and you’re caught a step behind them.”

“Enough. I have no interest in your conjecture. There is nothing you have which I cannot simply take.”

Yoshika closed her fingers around the dark memory. She had an inkling of what it was, and it was difficult not to dwell on it when she held it so close.

“I think I do. You made a mistake, Shen Yu. I might not be able to stop you from fucking with my soul, but I can break it before you get the chance. I’m very good at destroying things.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

She held the memory in front of her, squeezing it within her claws. She could practically feel the attention of the heavens bearing down on her.

“Just fucking try me, Shen!”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Do you think I cannot stop something as trivial as a heavenly tribulation? I had a hand in creating the seal that directs their power.”

“No you didn’t. Your creator did. You’re just a pale shadow of the real Sovereign Shen, and even if you can stop the tribulation, I bet it won’t be easy. And while you’re distracted, I’ve got a million other ways to shatter my soul into tiny fragments.”

Shen worked his jaw for a moment before crossing his arms and scowling at her.

“Utter madness. You and that demon both. I could rip your soul from your body and carve out the piece I need before you could finish your petty act of rebellion.”

“If you were willing to risk that, you’d have already done it. You don’t care about me or anyone else—I know how avatars work, Shen. You have your mission, and you won’t let anything jeopardize it—not even yourself.”

“Then it seems we are at an impasse.”

Yoshika sighed with relief. She wasn’t sure that her leverage would work, and for all that she was prepared to go through with it, she wasn’t ready to die just yet.

“It doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t know how long you’ve been messing with my soul, but surely by now you’ve realized what I do best.”

The divine avatar sneered down at her, but she met him with her most diplomatic smile. She was, after all, an ambassador.

“Let’s cooperate, Sovereign Shen Yu.”