The Moonlight Demon

8 | A taste of War

NADIA'S POV

"Why are you out of breath?" I heard someone asked me when I sat on the ground trying to catch my breath. "Seriously? We just climb up a f*****g mountain" I said. "Really? We do this every day." I looked up to Yuki, Yume, and Kiyoko.

They're supposed to be a corpse and yet I don't see their body begin to melt or something under this blazing sun. I even poke them on the flesh, still intact. "We're not zombies. We're corpses. We died not infected." Speaking of dying, I wonder how they die.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you all die?" They looked at each other.

"Well, I was a geisha, So... I was killed by one of the client's jealous wife," Yuki said while sighing. "The wife killed me using a fork, stabbing my eyeball out with it. I died from the blood loss." She finished and I don't know if I should be sorry or laugh at her.

"I was killed by a man I love. My husband to be exact." Yume said while looking at the blazing sun. "I came from a long line of a nobility family associated with the province daimyo. At first, I married my husband because of a political marriage but soon it blossoms to a pure love. Well, at least I thought it was."

Blossom? Meaning they have a child together?

"Long story short, I was killed right after I gave birth to our son." She was killed right after she had a baby?! That's just sick! We all turned to Kiyoko. "Suicide. I was too afraid to go back home after I found out I failed my exam." From the looks of things, they all came from a different time frame.

If there's a daimyo, that means Yume came from the time Japan still has it feudalism system. I'm not sure about Yuki because she's a Geisha. But I'm pretty sure Kiyoko came from a modern world like I am.

"How did you die?" Yuki asked.

"I was killed while protecting my master."

"She protected me without even knowing I'm a devil." I was shocked when I heard my master's voice behind me. She's here with Yuko, the warrior priestess. "It's time for Yuko to train you." Wait for what?! Yuko pulled her sword and smile. "I believe my servants have taught you how to use one of the these."

Asura threw me her sword and I was forced to fight Yuko!

"Yume!" Yuko called out and Yume grabbed the bow. "My master order me so." She said before shooting me with the arrow. But thanks to my keen eyes, I manage to see the direction of where it goes and use the sword in my hands to slice it into two equal part.

"Not bad," Yuko said before using her sword to caught me off guard.

I stopped her attack with my sword. She's strong! Too strong. I'm not sure where this power came from but it's enough to nearly bury my feet on the ground.

"Not bad at all, Asura. She manages to survive my attack." She stopped attacking me and kept her sword in its scabbard. "Why not send her to the past and join in any war currently happened in the history? We could always change it back afterward." War? Please no. I don't want to go to war.

"Good idea. How about reliving your war." Yuko suddenly faces my master with anger. "Don't go there!" She warned. "Too late! Get ready everyone, we're going to war!" My master laughed hysterically and summon a circle, far larger than usual.

"No! DONT DO THIS! ASURA!!" I heard Yuko screamed before I heard more screaming man and woman around me. When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of a war!

"GET DOWN?!" Screamed a guy with a rifle in his hands before he pushed me down into the tunnel. "Which squadron you came from? You don't look like a soldier to me. Are you a civilian?!" He kept on asking me a question without letting me answering it.

"Well whatever, Since your here, take this." He gave me an outdated rifle. Just what year is this?

"Just kill any enemy. The one who's not wearing this uniform. Got it?" I nodded and he just goes. What am I suppose to do?

"Hey." I was so glad to see Yuki and the other two girls. "Seems like you were treated like we do. They didn't care whoever we are, they just gave me a rifle and go." Yuki finds this amusing.

"I wonder what happened to our master?" Kiyoko asked.

"Probably standing side by side with the general of this war," Yume stated. "Or maybe they just somewhere around here, treating this like a game. My master does things like this without warning every single time." I sighed.

Asura really needs to tell me these things beforehand so I can prepare myself.

"All four of you have 30 minutes to save the woman and children that were captured. It's your choice to kill or let the enemy live." Is that Asura's voice we heard?

"If the woman and children die before you manage to save them, you lose." Yuki sighed.

"Is your master really is a devil? Since we known her, I never saw her doing things a devil should do. She seems like a saint to me." Yume said. Oh if only she saw her in action.

"She's a devil alright. I can assure you that." The most important thing now is how to save those people. "Any idea?" I asked them three. They all shrugged. Does this mean I have to think about the strategy too? I sighed mentally.

"We could just waltz in and kill them all," Yuki suggested.

"We can destroy everyone and end the war," Kiyoko said.

"Or we could be smart and save everyone without everyone noticing it." Now that peek my interest. "What do you have in mind Yume?" She turned to Yuki and soon Kiyoko and me too. I think I know what she's thinking.

"She's the only one who could make this a success. I'm sure of it." Kiyoko smile.

"True. She was a Geisha before." I said while Yuki sighed. "I think I know where is this going," Yuki said while rolling her eyes.

***

"To seal the deal, we're offering this young beautiful woman to your side. You may do anything to her." I smiled while Yuki bows her head to the person in charge of this camp. Guys will be guys after all. Even though these people exist before my time, they all scum!

I turned my attention to Kiyoko and Yume who's being sexually harassed by some of the guys. Yuki needs to gain everyone's attention with her dance. Kiyoko pushes one of the guys lightly and reached for her flute and beginning to play for Yuki.

Like Yume said, everyone and I mean everyone's attention was on Yuki when she moves her body.

She's a talented Geisha when was alive, that's for sure. "We should take this time to save them," Yume whispered to my ears. I nodded and tried to find where they keep the prisoner. Yume grabbed my collar when she saw two guards not far from us.

"Hey, we should go to the general's camp. Someone offered a beautiful Asian woman to the general. She's dancing now." Seriously they leave their post just to see a woman dance?

"I think that's it." Yume pointed at a huge barn-like jail. We both looked around before proceeding to our plan. Yume decided to cut the lock open and we both walked inside the dark cell. What we witnessing next was beyond our imagination.

Woman and children were in chains without any proper food nor water for them. The bowl that supposes to have clean water were murky and I'm sure it's from the river that we have to pass while coming here. There's a couple of dead corpses inside the cell and they didn't care about the horrid smell at all.

"War. I've been through a war but I never know this is how the prisoner was treated." She came from a nobility family, she probably never seen this sight ever. "How do we remove them from this place?" Yume kneels down in front of a little boy and examined him.

"Oh no. You poor thing." And I thought corpses had no feeling. "What will your master do to them?" She asked. "I'm not sure myself. She's a devil and sometimes she acts like a saint." Yume beginning to cut their chains off their body.

"Our goal is to save them." She said and gained everyone's attention. Most of them have given up on life. "WHO LET THIS DOOR OPEN!" I heard someone shouted outside. s**t! "WHO ARE YOU!" Shouted a guard at us. Yume suddenly in front of me and killed the guard with her sword.

"Are you really someone from a nobility?" I asked when she showed her bloodlust. "I am my master's pawn. I need to kill when I have to. We need to find a way to save them." Wait, I got it! Teleportation circle!

How am I suppose to create that?! Ugh!

Wait, all I have to do is focusing on my magic right? All I have to do is wish them? Right? Well, worth the risk.

I slammed both hands together and closed my eyes. I focus on my desire and opened my eyes with confidence. I was surprised when the circle actually appeared beneath our feet.

"Whoa! Teleportation circle! Genius!" I closed my eyes again and think of a place outside this enemy camp.

When I opened my eyes again, I was surprised we're outside of the camp, near the mountain. We could see the enemy camp beginning to panic about the loss of their prisoner. I was surprised to see Yuki and Kiyoko appeared to be dancing still.

"Hey!" Yume called out. They both look confused all of the sudden. "How did we ..." Kiyoko didn't manage to finished her sentences when we all heard Asura's laughing voice.

"You manage to summon a circle. Congratulation. That spell only works when you have a great amount of power. Since I haven't even taught you how to do so, seeing you manage to bring everyone out here is amazing. You all passed." Did my master just said it was amazing?!

"Good job in getting their attention with your dancing. It's been far too long since I seen you dance Yuki." Yuki smiled at her master. "How old are you anyway." I blurted out.

"That's not wise Nadia." Asura took a step back from where she stood.

"You're on your own this time buddy." Even Yume, Kiyoko and Yuki step away from me. Wait, what did I just do? Yuko suddenly standing in front of me with her sword on my neck.

"My name is Yuko and I was born in the Edo Period. Do the math yourself."

Edo period? Did she mean the Tokugawa Shogunate? That's mean she's ... over 300 years old?! How is that even possible?! She's not a demon like Asura, right?

"I hate to admit it, I am Asura's adopted child." My eyes widen. Asura smile. "You finally admitted that I am your mother. Does this mean you actually accepted yourself as a devil?" Yuko clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Her full name is Yuko Demonix from the house of Demonix, a prominent devil family. But she decided to stay in Japan where she was born, raise and die." I don't know how to react to this. She's so hostile towards each other.

"She began to hate me when I decided to marry my ex-husband. Aren't you happy he left me?"

"I was happy, Asura." She even called my master by her name and not calling her mother.

"Your lucky to have master as your mother. Some of us don't even have the privilege to call their own mother as who she is." Why can't I stop talking!

"You should be ashamed of yourself for letting anger control your emotion." I know I'm going to die today. She looked angry!

"Maybe your right." She said before putting her sword on her scabbard. She sighed.

Wait, I'm right?

***

"Why ... why are we here of all places?!" I asked Asura when we suddenly arrived at my parent's house. After we came back from Japan, Asura suggested that I should confront my fear and I thought she meant fighting monsters or other demons. I never thought she meant coming here.

"You said you missed them. Now, let's do some experiment shall we." Asura smirked at me. "I want you to meet your family now. I, of course, be behind the scene, watching everything."

I froze. No! I don't want to meet them alone. "But ... Master.." I tried to decline but my master's eyes were glaring. "Are you defying your master, servant?" Asura seems like she's mad at me. I don't want to make her mad. I would never forgive myself.

"Good." She used her spell and make herself invisible. I sighed heavily and walked up to my parent's house. I was reluctant but when I felt a pair of warm hands resting on my shoulder, I mustered up every ounce of courage I have and pressed the doorbell.

It took whoever inside a minute to answer the door. When the door was opened, the maid can't believe what she's seeing in front of her.

"Miss Nadia!" I smile. "Please come in. You came right on time. The whole family is here." The whole family? Even my brothers and sisters? This is bad! This is not good at all.

I wanted to escape but Asura placed both hands on my back. "You shall go forwards I've been wanting to meet your whole family," Asura whispered. The maid leads me inside and like I expected, my older brothers and sisters were shocked.

"What are you doing in here you filthy mutt." I flinched when I heard my oldest brother's voice. Damn it! I'm a devil now, why should I be afraid of them?! "Relax Nadia. Remember, I'm here." Asura's voice is assuring. I feel at ease.

"Did our parents invited her to this meeting? That's rather unfortunate for us to be breathing the same air as her. How repulsive." Well, my second brother has always been the joy of the group. "He's rude. I hate him already." I chuckled when Asura commented on him.

"Why are you here? I never recall asking you to come back." My mother walked in.

I miss her, I miss her so much. Even though she's glaring at me, all I want to feel the love she gives out to my other siblings. "That's your mother? She seems 'nice." Asura scoffed. "Get out! Your filth is rubbing around my home." Ouch! That hurts big time.

I tried to move but somehow Asura forbids me to do so. "Stay put." She said but I was worried about what they will do to me. "What are you doing here still? Get out!" I flinched when my mother yelled at me.

"Tell them you coming here to tell them a good news about yourself," Asura said. "Do it now!" She yelled when I seem to have some troubling speaking up.

"I have something to tell about myself," I said out loud. "Oh really? What is that? Telling us you have more debt than usual and wanted us to pay for it?" My older sister decided to speak up.

"Let her speak. I want to hear it as well." My father walks in.

Now that everyone is here, I wonder what Asura wants me to do. "Let me take over your body. I got this." I did let her control my body. It feels weird at first but when she open my mouth to speak, I instantly froze.

"I'm here to tell you all that I've been accepted to work at the Demonix Conglomerate. Yes! I'm working at the tall glass building in the city. You may disown me but Nadia ... I mean ... I, still think of you all as my family. Although I think it's useless." She whispered the last part.

"That's impossible. Even I got rejected from joining that company when I was trying to find a decent job. Working for the Demonix mean the complete power to yourself. How was it possible for you?" My little sister asked me, Well basically she asked Asura.

"The owner see my potential. She offered me a job." That's her explanation? That's it? My family will never believe that.

My siblings laughed. "Liar Liar pants on fire." My little sister said while laughing. "You know, if you want to lie to us you should be telling us something we will believe in."

"Why would I lie about the fact? Since I'm dating the CEO herself, she's been teaching me how to be more like her." Hold the f*****g phone! Dating ?! Her?!

"Now that's preposterous. An elite like that will never be dating you. Seriously, Nadia, you should stop with the lying." I can see Asura getting angrier by the second.

"I'll prove to you. I live with her in one of her many estates. You all are invited to visit me. I don't see why not." Mansion! We live in a presidential suite! What is she thinking?!

"Oh really. Sure. But if you're lying to us, we will never hesitate to file a complaint to the Demonix Conglomerate itself." my brother smirked. He's probably thinking I'm lying. But it's the truth. Well, most of it. Asura letting me control my body again.

"You know the consequences of you lied to us, right?" My father asked me. I nodded. "Get out. We heard about your invitation. Whatever happened, you will never be the part of the family ever again." My mother acting cold towards me again.

I know, by now I should be used to it but, I still want her affection deep down inside me.

I just can't hate her. Not my mother.

"Your mother needs some lesson." I was too late to stop my master from putting a spell on her. "Do not worry, that little spell was developed by yours truly. Its a spell for that mother of yours to remember your birth. I thought it will come in handy. I was right."

Wait, did my master just ... she just ... "Master, why did you say we were dating?" I blurted out the wrong question! Damn this mouth of mine!