Princess of Phantasms

Chapter One

A huge gathering of Youkai took place at a large manor hidden deep in the forest, with glamours and charms that made it impossible for humans to enter. To have such a huge gathering was unusual; Youkai’s usually nestled in the far corners of isolated areas hiding in swamps of moorlands or forests from away from human civilization, though they gathered here today for an event that would take place. Kotoha Himemiya, the Flame Deity heiress, would be combating against upcoming and charismatic Tenzen Shimazu, who declared that he would fight for the Phantasm title.

Kotoha let out a sigh. It was usually like this. People would come to contest her title and steal away her followers, and they would always lose. That’s the natural progression of things. This would be no different from any other match; she would win. The Youkai adored and feared her. She held power beyond imagining. Tenzen would be crushed into the dirt like the filthy cockroach that he was.

One of her attendants whispered in her ear.

“Ojou-sama,” a blonde haired man with red eyes said. “The crowd seems especially energetic today.”

“I suppose I have to give them a grand spectacle that they won’t forget,” Kotoha murmured to the man, who was named Shigure. “I will crush him.”

Shigure nodded, before Kotoha stood up from her seat and made her way towards the center where the crowd parted way. In front of her was a white haired man with colorless eyes, the man named as Tenzen. He inclined his head towards her in a nod, acknowledging the power, wealth, and beauty that she possessed. Kotoha knew, however, that the man smirked behind her back. The original Flame Deity had been her mother, who had passed away and gave all her powers to Kotoha. It was her birthright and her title; her mother and her were bond by blood. No stranger, no matter how powerful or eager they are for her power and title, would never hold the same amount of weight that she did.

However, she knew the whispers behind her back. About Kotoha being far too young to be the Tyrant ruler. She kept these followers through her mother’s name, though none of them loved her as much as they did Haruka Himemiya. Haruka was beloved by the people, beloved by the dragon, and praised by all as the Queen of Phantasms and Goddess of Pandemonium. She struck both fear and admiration within the hearts of Youkai and humans alike; when she led the Night Parade several years ago, it was a fantastic gathering and a night to remember.

Kotoha will honor her memory by defeating this Tenzen Shimazu. Her reputation and followers staked on it. If she were to lose…Kotoah shook her head fiercely and decided not think about it. A dragon did not concern itself with the minds of sheep.

Kotoha stood on one side of the great field that acted as an arena of sorts for their event. Everyone gathered round and once Kotoha made herself appear in the circular outcrop, the crowd burst into cheers. Kotoha smiled and waved towards them, before adjusting her long red black scarf around her neck. Tenzen Shimazu one time asked for her mother’s hand in marriage, though her mother turned him aside as a rejected suitor that clamored for her heart.

“All right,” Shigure said once the crowd quieted down enough for him to start his speech. “As you know, our beloved Kotoha is the daughter of Haruka Himemiya, formerly known as the Queen of Phantasms and the Goddess of Pandemonium. We’re gathered here today to view a special event between Tenzen Shimazu and our Princess. This is a battle that will be as memorable as Haruka Himemiya’s Night Paraade one hundred years ago; you will witness the secret power of Kotoha, which she has been since perfecting at a young age, to show you all today. That all aside, now let’s all enjoy the show!”

The crowd cheered, and Tenzen seemed to revel in the attention flowered upon him. He was a handsome man, she supposed, that drew one’s eye and looked incredibly youthful for his age, which no one was able to determine, but one guessed that he lived since the beginning of primordial times where Fear ran rampant. Man could do nothing about his fear as all kinds of hellish creatures from the nightmare spawn of creation ran free and did as they pleased.

Kotoha smirked to herself. She knew that she had a power that far surpassed the primordial gods ancient power of fear; the power of the sun incarnate, the Flame Deity. People had no choice but to bow down in awe and wonder, and most trembled at the thought of her unleashing her special ability to inspire Fear.

She will bring Tenzen to his knees.

However, before they began, Tenzen walked towards her and casually whispered in her ear, “I’m going to take your Night Parade, little Princess of Phantasms.”

“Hmph,” Kotoha said in response, before saying. “You’ll regret those words when you cower in fear of my ability.”

“Oh?” Tenzen said, looking very amused. “Well, best of luck. You’re going to need it.”

Kotoha gritted her teeth. He was looking down upon her! She would wipe off that smug look on his face after she was through with him.

“Ojou-sama?” the blond-haired man, Shigure said. “There’s no need to be vexed. He is beneath you.”

“I know,” Kotoha said with a sigh. She knew that she was powerful and won the crowd over wit hher fiery personality. But why did she still feel trepidation in her heart? “Our intelligence has gathered all the information that they could on Tenzen, right?”

Shigure nodded.

“Everything checks out. He’s no one you should worry about, according to our data. You know our analysts.”

Kotoha nodded. That was the reassurance that she needed.

She calmed her breath and tried to concentrate on her opponent. He stood serenely on the field, his white hair flowing through the wind that whispered through the forests. What she needed to be was calm. Steady like a rock, yet free flowing like water. Wasn’t that what her Mother taught her from an early age?

The gong rang. It reverberated and Kotoha’s bones, and Kotoha could feel an adrenaline rush surge throughout her body as she accumulated raw power from the Flame Deity within her.. She would end this all in one strike. Kotoha then moved in a blur of motion, flames surrounding her in a crackling bonfire of sparks and flame, and rushed towards Tenzen.

She gave him an explosive punch to the face. Since she used so much power in one blow, the force of her punch rippled the impact of his vulnerable body and tore up the ground beneath his feet for miles. Some Youkai skirted aside to void the damage, and the wind whirled and whistled around them like a lupine creature.

“Hm,” Tenzen said, smirking. “Not bad. As I would expect from Haruka Himemiya’s daughter.”

Kotoha grinned as well. “You’re better than I thought. But I won’t let you take away my title.”

“I don’t expect free rewards, Princess,” Tenzen said, before he delivered a punch just as devastating as her own. Kotoha caught his hand, though the impact caused her palm to tingle and sear. Such ferocity!

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“Oh?” Kotoha said. “So you can actually fight back. Most people can’t withstand the power of my deified punch.”

“You know, Princess,” Tenzen said. “If I win, how about I take your Night Parade?”

Kotoha scoffed. “You have delusions of granduer if you think you will best me! Come now, Tenzen…show me what you’ve got!”

Kotoha then shoved Tenzen back, hurtling him towards the outer center of the ring established in the field. She dashed at him with inhuman speed sent a flurry of punches that made it appear as she were hurtling a million fists at himat once. One of the techniques that her mother taught her, plus a crushing, flaming empowered fist that burned through even the best of defenses. Kotoah directed a punch in the gut, and Tenzen staggered back a couple of steps, seeming surprised.

She had him now.

“If I win,” Kotoha gloated. “I might consider making you a vassal.”

“All right,” Tenzen said serenely. “Child’s play is over.”

A glowing red aura surrounded Tenzen. He created a glowing sword out of the red aura, and rushed forth with blinding speed. He slashed through Kotoha.

At first, Kotoha didn’t register the inevitable pain. Then, blood spurted out of her, and Kotoha collapsed to the ground, stunned.

She imagined Tenzen was smirking right now. The bastard. “You won’t be able to move for a while. I cut off your nerves instead of aiming for your vitals. But just know that, I could’ve killed you right there. I’m a little disappointed, Kotoha. It seems that you’re nowhere near the level of your mother.”

Kotoha gritted her teeth. She refused to acknowledge that she lost. She sensed the energy in the air, and the crowd cheered for Tenzen. Shigure immediately rushed by her side, carrying the princess ins his arms bridal style. Kotoha hated being carried around like a baby, but she couldn’t move, damn it! While Tenzen was busy basking in the glow of praise and admiration, Tenzen then faced Shigure and Kotoha.

“It will wear off in a few moments,” Tenzen reassured her. “I will be taking your title now, if you don’t mind.”

Kotoha frowned. She did lose, but she shouldn’t have underestimated her opponent like she did. She cursed her own stupidity.

She frowned at Tenzen’s next words.

“Also, you are to be betrothed to me,” Tenzen said, to which Kotoha finally regained her mobility to sputter out a protest.

“What…what did you say?” Kotoha said. “I haven’t agreed to this!”

“Haven’t you? I don’t think you’re in the position to be questioning me. Especially since you gave up your title to me in a fair contest.”

“True, but…” Kotoah frowned again, before glaring at Tenzen. “It’s bad enough that you’re taking my title, but now you seek to humiliate me further? What else are you going to do to lower my status? Make me a trophy wife that hangs off your arm?”

“Protesting about your position isn’t going to do any good,” Tenzen said. “Here are the conditions that are going to be laid. I take your title, your land, your territories, and I will be betrothed to you. But, since I’m feeling quite generous, I will allow you to take four people from the Haruka Household to serve as your servants. Choose wisely now.”

Kotoha sputtered. “You’re not giving me a choice??”

“As said, you lost. Victor takes the spoils of war. In fact, they say that history is written by the victors, don’t they? Your mother’s legacy that you tried so hard to protect is now gone. It will be my legacy.”

Kotoah gritted her teeth. She wansted to stomp on the ground, kick in Tenzen’s head, or just cause general rampage across a village. This wasn’t fair! As loathe as she was to admit it, he did win, and she did believe that winners have the say so in the end. But still…still! As a person with an unbeatable record and maintaing her title for over a hundred years, she couldn’t let down her mother’s legacy! Worse off, she was going to be married to this white-haired bastard! The humiliation! She was strong and independent! She didn’t want to become someoen’s trophy wife and be tied to them!

“Fine…” Kotoha said. “I choose Shigure, Yukio, Kasumi, and Miyuki.”

“Very well,” Tenzen said. “That is done. Next, it will be generally agreed upon that you will produce an heir for me.”

“A-An heir!” Kotoha sputtered again. “Your demands are getting more and more ridiculous!”

“The key word here is that you will ‘eventually’,” Tenzen said. “You still have time to reconsider whether or not you’ve fallen for my strength and charm. I don’t want to have a bride who is unwilling to bed me. No, that just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, especially since there are men other than myself that would go to hwatever lengths it takes to get whatever they want…but needless to say, we’re getting off topic. You will give me an heir when I’ve convinced you to fall in love with me. I have an eternity to wait, after all…hmhm.”

“Tenzen,” Kotoha said through gritted teeth. “You planned this all along, didn’t you?”

Tenzen smiled innocently.

“I’m simply taking back what is supposed to be mine, after all. Now come. I shall escort you back to my manor with your four servants.”

Kotoha wanted to wring his neck. But she obeyed. She summoned forth Shigure, Yukio, Miyuki, and Kasumi, who lowered their heads in humiliation. They were the losers in this outcome, and their leader was betrothed to their enemy. The crowd dispersed, and they marched through the woodland to a grand manor that was hidden deep within the forest. It was a grand white manor with a koi pond with a sakura tree overlooking it, and a great garden with brilliant flowers blooming in a myriad of colors.

Tenzen’s servants opened the front doors.

“Welcome to my manor, Kotoha Himemiya,” Tenzen said with a small smile towards her. “I trust that it’s to your liking?”

“No matter how lavish it is,” Kotoha said while raising her head proudly and started to turn away. “A prison is a prison.”

“My little princess,” Tenzen said. “Where do you think that you’re going?”

“Away from you,” Kotoah said, in a terse tone. “You seek to humiliate me even more? Is your sadistic desire to see me thoroughly whipped and begging at your feet so great that you will do this dispelasure to me, of having to abide your presence?”

“By all rights, you are mine,” Tenzen said amusedly. “Consider your position, please.”

“Do you thin k I’ll go along with whatever you say?” Kotoha spat. “I still have my pride.”

Tenzen grabbed hold of her, embracing her. Kotoha attempted to lfee yet Tenzen pinned her arms to her sides. Her servants watched with barely restrained anger—yet they could not say or do anything because Tenzen’s servant’s immediately restrained them.

“Does my touch repulse you so?” Tenzen inquired. “Of course, you will eventually bear an heir for me. And you will do it willingly.”

Kotoha slapped Tenzen against the face. Tenzen laughed.

“Oh, little Kotoha,” Tenzen said. “Your’e just like your mother. You act as though this is pure torture. Hae I not acted like the perfect gentleman? I haven’t even asked for something as simple as a kiss. I even allowed you to keep four members of the Haruka Household. And yet…that is not enough?”

“Leave me alone,” Kotoha said, before she gestured at Shigure with her eyes. “I want just Shigure and I. Alone.”

“Vyer well,” Tenzen said. “But ah, you’ll have one of my men accompanying you and this Shigure. It’s…precautionary measures.”

Tenzen lovingly stroked her lustrous brunette hair.

“You wanted to become human to be with your beloved from the past, hm?”

Kotoha said nothing. She clenched her hands into fists.

“You are a half-breed,” Tenzen said. “And you were once the bloodthirsty Tyrant. Who could possibly love you except another Tyrant? What kind of world exists for us, I wonder? Well, we have one another, I suppose.”

“I’m leaving,” Kotoha said. Tenzen nodded for a red headed karasu tengu to follow her and Shigure. Kotoha gestured for Shigure to come with her.

Once escorted to her room, Kotoha screamed into her pillow.

“I absolutely hate him!” She shouted so that her voice reverberated from the walls, ceilings, and floors throughout the mansion. “Who does he think he is? Perfect gentleman my ass, he’s a devil in disguise! No good will come out of this arrangement except to satisfy his desire for more power.”

“Ojou-sama, I suggest that you calm down,” Shigure said. “Indeed, the situation may look dire, but you need to act with more dignity befitting or your status. No matter what Tenzen says, you will always be the exemplary leader that I’ve admired for so long and will continue to do so, even if it means traveling the path to Hell.”

“Such a heartfelt declaration,” the karasu Tengu said. “Though did you know that Tenzen could cut out your tongue for speaking such ill of your host in his own mansion?”

Shigure cast his red eyes towards the Karasu Tengu. “How about I turn you into boiled chicken first?”

“I’m a crow, not a chicken,” the red haired karasu tengu said with a snarl, before Shigure put a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing in the tengu’s face.

“Is that so? I’d say that you’re a cock more so than anything, but I digress.”

“You!”

“Please, Shigure,” Kotoha said warily. “He’s right, we shouldn’t be badmouthing the host in front of him.”

Shigure looked at her questioningly. “Ojou-sama…?”

Kotoha smirked.

“He may think that he has me, but I’ll show him different. Just you wait and see.”