Sweatest Tears

Chapter 2

Kagome awoke suddenly, disoriented and unsure of when she had lost consciousness. Sitting up, Kagome looked around, scrutinizing everything about the room and the youkai within it. It wasn't her first abduction; if she had any chance to escape, knowing her surroundings was crucial.

The room was spacious and had a distinctly traditional Japanese aesthetic, with intricately painted shoji doors and ceiling battens adorned with a depiction of Hyakki Yagyō, the Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons. The soft glow of candlelight cast eerie shadows across the seven youkai who were present, each of whom wore a different mask: a Noh, an orange cat, a white fox, an Onnamen, an Okame, a hyottoko, and the same Oni who had kidnapped her.

Kagome felt a surge of anger and frustration as she surveyed her captors. She thought those days were behind her after the well had been sealed, but apparently, fate had other plans. Despite the absence of physical restraints, she knew that her chances of escaping were slim. The six other youkai in the room seemed to regard her with barely concealed disdain, further dampening her already bleak prospects.

"This is absurd!" One youkai spat, their opinion echoed by the others. "This girl can't possibly be the next Mistress!" "She is nothing but a lowly human girl!" "Ugly!" "Incompetent!" The insults kept coming, raining down on her. They picked her apart; from her appearance, clothing, possibly limited abilities, and, of course, her humanity. It was a range of typical responses that she expected, and had heard many times from other youkai. But that didn't make it hurt less.

With gritted teeth, Kagome suppressed the urge to retaliate, knowing that the slightest provocation could prompt an attack from the hostile youkai.

Suddenly, the Oni who had kidnapped her spoke up, using her name for the first time, and the others fell silent. "Kagome." His voice was a low rumble that captivated her. Reaching up, he pulled the mask from his face.

Now, Kagome was no stranger to the allure of beautiful youkai. Lord Sesshomaru resembled the moon, with his skin kissed by its glow, silver hair shimmering like starlight, and piercing golden eyes as cutting as a sword. Inuyasha had been boyishly handsome, with hair as white as the moon and skin golden like the sun, complemented by honey-amber eyes. Kouga was ruggedly handsome, with bronzed skin, glossy black hair, and icy azure eyes. Even Miroku had been just as handsome, though she would never admit it to the violet-eyed monk.

But this youkai was in a league of his own, none of them compared to how painfully beautiful this Oni was. His eyes sparkled like red garnets, far more beautiful and rich than any ruby, shimmering and changing with the light, casting an ethereal glow upon his pale skin. His medium-length black hair shone like obsidian with two pale horns poking out; a single long lock fell gracefully as a fringe over his forehead and framed his red eyes.

As he leaned closer to her, Kagome found herself momentarily forgetting where she was, bewitched by his otherworldly beauty. "How are you feeling, my bride?" he asked.

Kagome was shaken from her stupor, eyes narrowing. Beautiful or not, this youkai was still her kidnapper. "You must be mistaken, mi' lord-" the venom palpable as she spat the last out, "-for I have not agreed to marry anyone, yourself included." She hissed between clenched teeth.

He offered her a gentle, confident smirk with a huff of a laugh. It was condescending.

She hated it.

The hyottoko-masked youkai spoke up again. "Master! I'm afraid this human girl you've chosen as your bride isn't good enough for you!" The murmurs of dissent resumed, and Kagome fought the urge to scream in frustration. As much as she wanted to shout back, Kagome bit her tongue; maybe they could talk him into letting her go or distract him long enough with their complaints for her to escape.