Mikato The Ever Drunken Goddess
Howling faces, claws digging their own eyes, mangled limbs, and even spectral horror that when peered into reflected a chasm that tries to consume your your soul without any warnings. Feeling heavy in the throat, I could feel my mind succumbing to those horrors. They were consuming me with every glance, and the hideous smiles on those bloody lips only confirmed my suspicions.
"Finally, we're here!" Mizuki exclaimed, letting go of my hand.
"I don't remember it being this deep but yeah, at least we're here," Hibiki added right after.
Turning my tired gaze to the front, I saw an aged tree with orange lanterns hanging from each branch. What was more fascinating, however, was the size of the tree as it seemed to reach into the skies, and yet the tin ceiling must've shunted its growth somewhat.
"Cha! Cha!" A voice as melodic as a harp soothed my anxiety in an instant. "Some new flesh we have here."
Following the voice, I saw a woman of snow-fair skin adorned in a yukata and sitting on one of the tree branches. With a bottle of sake in one hand and a Kiseru in the other, she looked down at us smiling.
"Mikato, I'm here to get my Spider back!" Mizuki yelled.
"Hmm?" Pouring herself some sake, Mikato brought it to her lips before replying. "If you're here to beg it back then by all means trace your steps and be gone."
Drinking the ale, an ecstatic smile washed over her lips.
"Haaa…Blossom!" Waving her hand across the tree branches, she turned every leaf into a cherry pink blossom. The very next moment a sudden gust of wind filled our surroundings with falling pink petals.
"I have the Mice for it, just get down so we can trade," Mizuki complained.
"And let this beautiful moment go to waste? Just go and talk to my girls, they'll give your machine back to you," gazing at the grim sight of the Rathole, Mikato seemed too taken by them to even care for what we had to say.
"I-I need to hire someone!" Hibiki yelled out, her voice reverberating with angst.
"Again, human, I'm no babysitter," still gazing outward, Mikato took a hit of her Kiseru before looking down. "Finding your family isn't worth my workers' time."
Holding both the bottle and her pipe to the side, she made them disappear in thin air before jumping down to talk. At first, she glanced between all four of us, but then her eyes wandered back to me for some reason.
"Seems like you're taking care of the new body I made you," she muttered, getting closer by the second.
Placing her thumb over my chin, she dug her nail deep until I could feel it against my bones. Leaning forward, she brought her face closer and peered into my eyes as if searching for something important.
"You seem useful," she told me as her loosely worn Yukata began slipping off her shoulders. "How about we make a deal, Daichi? I'll let your friends use my facilities and in return, you'll be one of my mercenaries?"
"How about no?" Pulling me off her clutches, Mizuki slipped between me and Mikato. "We're not giving you anything unless I get my Spider back, and whatever that girl wants."
"I told you, go talk to my girls," propping herself straight, the demoness covered her shoulders with the Yukata again.
"I want the spider for free, the girl can pay I don't care, but give her what she wants so I can wave that favor in her face," laying out her intentions, Mizuki's face grew eerily terrifying.
Her smile stretched as far as it could, and her sharp eyes looked at Mikato as if a predator was looking at a prey. Conjuring her smoke out of thin air, Mikato took a light hit and breathed the tobacco smoke over our faces.
"Trying to swindle me, are you?" She questioned, her previous smiles now replaced with a dubious smirk.
"No, just making a deal, that's all," Mizuki replied.
"And I don't have a say in the matter?" Given the price was me turning into a mercenary for Mikato, I wasn't gonna let either of these demons rope me into their problems.
"In exchange, you'll get access to everything I have to offer. Weapons that can kill any demon you're hunting, magical items that can aid you far and well, and not to mention if you lose a limb, an eye, or perhaps even your hair, I can fix it all like that!"
Snapping her fingers, Mikato turned her head to look at me.
"Every demon who works here owes Malice points to her," jumping into the conversation, Ifrit turned to me as well. "If you truly need an advantage in this war, our best bet for now is siding with her for she can provide us with everything we may need or want."
With everyone selling me this prospect, I felt inclined to take it on. However, given the nature of demons, I still wasn't sure if this was the direction I wanted to be headed in.
"Take your time, meanwhile, I'll let you have what you want," gesturing to the tree's stump, Mikato made it part in two, revealing a path that led deeper into the Rathole. "But keep in mind, I do no charity, as the goddess of overabundance, I need to receive in order to give, and my gifts are plenty so don't disappoint me."
'Goddess?' That word stuck to me like a thorn.
"Now go ahead, the ale's getting warmer," holding her hand forward, she curled her fingers into a fist.
With her fingers, all of us were huddled together as well, and as she flung her fist in towards the entrance, we went flying in through the entrance. Landing on each other's butts, the tree trunk's entrance closed up behind us. Looking forward while still on the ground, what I saw just made my jaw drop even further.
Shimmering light across the stress, tall building with decor fascinating enough to rival any human hotel, and as if that wasn't enough, all manner of the most charming women, men, and demons carelessly wandered the streets chatting.
'If the place before this was a slum, then this is high society…' That was the day when I learned that even amongst demons the difference in class was alive and well.
"Demi-gods…" Wincing at the sight, Mizuki clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"At least they're no imps," Ifrit responded, referring to Mizuki.
'Not again.' Heaving a sigh, I got ready for a headache.