Page 31

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The Reckoning

MOMOI

I watched them—Tatsuya and the Oni—squirming. If it weren’t so serious, I might’ve laughed. The two of them, usually so full of arrogance and fire, were now practically begging me for forgiveness. It was hard to ignore the tiny, mischievous spark of satisfaction flickering in my chest. Who would’ve thought they could be so... human?

But I also couldn’t ignore the underlying tension. Tatsuya’s voice, trembling with desperation, had gotten to me. I wasn’t sure if it was guilt, the lingering remnants of my own desires, or something else entirely, but I couldn’t keep pretending that this situation didn’t have me on edge.

His words, his apologies, were a siren call. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to hell with him or run as far away as possible. Living in hell didn’t sound great, but the idea of being with both of them, constantly walking the edge between pleasure and peril... it wasn’t so clear-cut anymore.

I could feel them both in the room, the dual presence of Tatsuya and the Oni, both vying for my attention in their own twisted ways.

The Oni was the first to break the silence, his voice low and menacing. “ You’re not going to leave us, Momoi. We’ve offered you everything. ”

Tatsuya followed closely, his voice softer, almost pleading. “We don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose you.”

It was strange—hearing them both speak as though they cared. Their pride, especially the Oni’s, had always been a strange wall between us. But now, here they were, with their knees metaphorically on the ground.

I crossed my arms, tilting my head as I considered them. It wasn’t just their words. There was something in the way they were both acting—something almost desperate. Were they really that afraid of losing me? The thought lingered in my mind, and for the first time, I realized how it felt to be needed this way. To be seen.

But what really caught me off guard was how, despite their chaos, both the Oni and Tatsuya had managed to start healing a part of me that I never expected them to touch. A part that had always told me I was worthless, unworthy of love or care. I’d buried that voice for so long, convincing myself it was easier to be cold and distant than to face what I truly craved: connection.

But now, here they were—two beings that should have been my enemies, tearing through everything I thought I knew about myself, and they were slowly, almost imperceptibly, undoing the damage. Their actions weren’t just about power, dominance, or desire. Somewhere beneath all of that, there was something raw, something human. And unexpectedly, that human part of them was starting to mend the pieces of me I’d long discarded.

I felt the weight of it, the realization that they were doing for me what I couldn’t even do for myself— seeing me. All of me. Even the parts I didn’t want to acknowledge.

The Oni’s burning gaze lingered on me, darker than ever, but there was a trace of something softer, almost reluctant, in it.

“ You think you’re too good for me, human? ” he asked, though the words were heavy with a hint of vulnerability I wasn’t used to hearing from him.

I wasn’t sure how to answer him. How could I? But as I stood there, facing them, I realized that I wasn’t just fighting against them anymore. I was fighting against myself. The walls I’d built around my heart had been cracked wide open, which terrified me. But a part of me, one I hadn’t listened to in years, wasn’t so afraid anymore. It didn’t want to be alone in the dark. Not anymore.

I finally let out a breath, trying to steady my shaking hands. "I don’t want to be saved," I told myself.

But even as the words reverberated through my head like a broken record, I knew it wasn’t true. I wanted to be saved— I needed to be saved, even if I didn’t know what that meant just yet. The Oni and Tatsuya, with all their flaws and darkness, were offering me a chance to find something I’d given up on long ago: belonging.

I let the silence stretch between us for a moment, simply to make them stew in it a little longer.

But then, just as Tatsuya seemed to think he might have worn me down, I couldn’t help myself anymore.

"Hell, huh?" I said, my voice tinged with a bite I wasn’t sure I could hold back. "I’ve got to admit, I’m curious. What kind of life would we even have in hell? Not sure I’d love it, but... there’s something oddly tempting about it."

The Oni growled under his breath, his presence pushing against my thoughts again.

"You wouldn’t last a day." He scoffed, clearly not enjoying the direction I was taking.

I tilted my head slightly, looking at him.

“Oh? You don’t think I could handle it? You’re lying. Why else would you even bring it up in the first place, demon?” I couldn’t help but tease, the dangerous amusement bubbling to the surface. “I guess I could get used to the fire and brimstone. The demons... probably some interesting characters to chat with. Not sure if it’s my style, but I could find a way to adapt. Or not. Maybe I’d have fun being the queen of hell, who knows?”

The Oni’s anger flared, the heat of it almost suffocating. But it wasn’t just anger anymore. There was something deeper, more possessive, making him snarl with annoyance.

Tatsuya, on the other hand, seemed almost pained by my words. “Don’t—Momoi, this isn’t a joke.” His voice was strained. “We’ve been through hell and back already, haven’t we? I just... I just need to know you’re with us. I’m not asking you to go there. I’m asking you to trust me. Trust us.”

I had to admit, I could feel his sincerity. It made the edge of my thoughts wobble. But the Oni? Not so much. I could tell he was still plotting, thinking of how to assert his dominance.

I took a slow, deliberate step forward, watching both of them. The tension was palpable, but I needed answers. I needed control.

"Alright," I said finally, the amusement gone from my voice. "I’ve had enough of this charade. I want to speak to the Oni. Alone."

The Oni’s presence surged forward, a dark and overwhelming force that threatened to swallow me whole. But this time, I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t going to let him have the upper hand just because he was stronger, because he was the demon in this body.

For a moment, there was a stillness. The Oni hesitated, a predator sizing up its prey. But then I heard his voice, dark and thick with hunger, rolling over me like smoke.

“What do you want, human?”

It was the first time he’d called me that in ages, and something about the word stung. I felt a flicker of resentment, a desire to push back.

"I want to know what’s going to happen next," I said, crossing my arms. "You think you can drag me into hell with your dark promises? You think I’m just going to follow you because you say so?" I took another step closer to him, my eyes narrowing. "I don’t care how much you want me, Oni. I won’t be your pawn. Not anymore."

For the first time, I saw something in the Oni’s eyes—an emotion that wasn’t pure rage. Maybe it was frustration, maybe confusion, but I didn’t care.

"I won’t be your plaything," I added, my voice steady, unshaken. "If you want me, you must prove you can control yourself. You won’t drag me to Jigoku, not like that. You’ll have to figure out a way to keep me here—alive, with my choice intact. Not just for you, but for both of you."

The Oni’s voice darkened, a low growl rumbling deep within him. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe,” I said with a smirk, crossing my arms. “But we’ll see, won’t we?”

His eyes narrowed, lips curling in frustration. I could almost feel the rage building inside him, an inferno just waiting to erupt. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen this side of him before, but something about this moment made it feel different—more dangerous, more urgent. It wasn’t just about power anymore; it was about control . And that pissed him off.

I could feel Tatsuya’s presence at the edge of my awareness, his gaze heavy, a mixture of concern and relief painting his expression. But this wasn’t about him right now. It wasn’t about them, either. It was about me.

“I’ll give you both a chance,” I continued, my voice sharp, “but don’t forget who’s in charge here. You don’t get to pull me along on your terms. Got it?”

The Oni’s growl deepened, his body bristling with agitation. "You think you're in control? You’ve never understood what you're playing with, girl," he hissed, his anger building. He took a step closer, looming over me, his presence overwhelming.

Oh, so I’m “girl” now?

“You’ll regret this,” he snarled, his words dripping with venom.

I could see it now—the tension in his body, how he clenched his fists, the slight tremor of barely contained fury. He was a force of nature, and I could feel it in the air between us. But I wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, I was bored by his tantrums. The more he raged, the more I realized how much I enjoyed pushing his limits.

“Well, we’re not there yet, are we?” I quipped, not backing down. “You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

The Oni let out a furious growl, and before I could react, he reached forward, his claws wrapping around my wrist with the force of a vice. His eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and hunger, and I could feel the heat of his anger radiating off him like a furnace.

“You really think you can control this, little human?” he spat, his voice almost a whisper now, dark and dangerous.

I had to do something, or I’d be consumed by this relentless, wild storm he was ready to unleash. Without thinking, my heart pounding, I grabbed his face and pulled him down, closing the distance between us until our lips were almost touching. I could feel the air between us crackle with tension, my pulse racing.

“Stop whining,” I muttered, before I kissed him.

The moment our lips met, everything shifted. The fury that had been brewing in him, the rage that had threatened to consume everything, faltered. He froze, caught off guard by my sudden boldness. His grip on my wrist loosened, and for just a split second, I had the upper hand.

It wasn’t the kiss of a lover. It wasn’t a kiss of tenderness. It was a kiss of challenge. A kiss of power.

He pulled back abruptly, his chest heaving with frustration. His eyes burned with more intensity than ever, but this time, I saw something else there—a flicker of something uncertain, something deeper.

“You can’t just—” he started, but I interrupted him, my lips curling into a sly smile.

“I can do whatever I want, demon. And if you’re going to be stuck with me, you’ll have to learn to deal with it.”

His face twisted in confusion, in disbelief, but I wasn’t backing down. Not this time.

“I think you’ve underestimated me,” I added, my tone low, dangerous.

For a moment, there was silence between us. Then, the Oni’s posture shifted. He still seethed with anger, but it was tempered now, as if he were recalibrating. Trying to figure out what just happened.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’ll regret this,” he growled, but there was something different in his voice. Something that made me realize that, for the first time, the Oni wasn’t so sure of himself.

Good.

Because for once, I was.