Ichi couldn't do anything but watch. He unfroze from shock and his hand went to snatch the shikigami back from under Syon's robes. Syon gave him a look of pure hatred as Ichi tore at her clothes trying to rip them off. Syon's body turned into water and slid away in the wind. A fine mist shining in the moonlit was all that remained of her.

Ichi cursed and punched a hole through the roof. When he looked up, he saw Renya standing there looking at him with a somber face. Renya rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand, disgust creeping around her face. When she put her hand to her side, silver liquid covered the back of it.

"I lost my first kiss. I planned on giving it to you."

Ichi's hand ran over the top of his head.

"What was that? Are you into her? Like that?"

Ichi didn't plan to say those words but they tumbled out anyways. Renya looked to the moon. Judging by it's position, Renya calculated that her time was up. Her good mood was ruined anyways.

"If revenge counts as love? Then, sure. That wire in my neck wasn't consensual. I'll kill her, myself, next time, for sure, I swear."

"But that was a kiss, clearly." Ichi nodded at her.

Renya showed him the back of her hand, dripping with silver liquid.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Homunculi have a magically enhanced type of mercury in place of normal blood. It's poison to humans. Don't you know?"

"Didn't have to be a kiss though," Ichi sighed sizing up Renya.

He realized that beyond her martial skill Renya could have killed him easily anytime she wanted. Something must have held her back. Ichi's frustration burst like a bubble. At least Syon is gone now, he comforted himself with that thought.

Ichi pointed his stick at her, both hands wrapping around the end as he prepared to use the same magic that slew the Mountain Lord. He'd kill her. He resolved himself to that fully. Playing around almost got him killed.

"Want to continue? I'll show you my hundred percent."

Renya moaned, folding her arms. One of her hands drifted her fingers across her upper arm.

" You can't read the mood at all, can you? You don't understand, Ichi. It had to be a kiss, for a wispy girl like that. I'm tired of this. I want a shower. If I live through tonight, I want a bath."

An explosion thundered out behind Ichi, and as he turned he saw a mass of tentacles pouring out from a portal. An twister made of flame blasted the forest apart carrying hundreds of trees into the air by their roots like leaves in an autumn gale.

"I want a hot bath." Renya said.

Syon's words haunted Ichi's mind as he observed the scene like a fireworks show at a festival. 'Renya's betrayal'.

"This your friend?" Ichi said, as he saw a bolt of blue from a nearby mountaintop shoot into the fray. An unearthly screech wailed out from the tentacle mass as blue blood spurted into the night sky. Ichi smelled fried octopus.

Renya sighed in response. She walked to Ichi's side, sliding her palm out gesturing toward the battle her eyes half closed as she yawned, covering her mouth her other hand, she made a fist and coughed into it.

"That is the Seer's Council member who's going to kill us all. Scipio."