Blade Song

Chapter 26- Mantra

As we stepped inside the large house, I was immediately taken with how odd it was. The outside had looked strange with its stone walls, many large windows, and wooden double doors, but the inside was even weirder. As you walked in, you were met with a large room and high ceiling, all lit up by a gigantic chandelier. A dark marbled floor with a single strip of black and white diamond pattern led all the way to the large red staircase in front of us.

"Welcome back, sir," a man with grey hair said as he bowed deeply. "I've summoned Arinaga. He should be here shortly."

Kiyoshi nodded at him and continued into the hall with confidence as the doors shut behind us. I followed close to his heels. Although it'd been a while since I'd been a slave, the routine wasn't hard to remember. The rules are very simple. Do not speak unless spoken to, follow every command without question or hesitation, and believe you are less. You are not a person. Your happiness, sadness, and pain do not matter because you aren't worthy. Property has no soul.

"Kiyoshi, darling!" A tall man with outstretched arms appeared at the top of the stairs. "It has been far too long."

He started to descend the stairs with slow, graceful steps. His clothing was as odd as the house. It was mostly black, which accentuated his slender build, especially the slim pants he wore. There was a bit of color on the red and gold waistcoat that peeked out of the top of his black jacket, complete with matching red tie.

"You're looking gorgeous, as always." Arinaga's shoes clicked over the marble floor as he made his way towards us.

Now that he was closer, I could see the tufts of white among his dark hair, his black eyes, and the rows of glistening sharp teeth. He appeared to be the same sort of demon that Goro was, but although this man was tall like Goro, he didn't seem to have an ounce of extra fat on him. His demeanor was completely wrong as well. Goro did eat plenty of people, both human and demon, and anything in between, but as odd as it sounds, I always thought of him as a gentle giant. This man didn't seem gentle at all. His entire aura made my skin crawl.

"Nice to see you, old friend." Kiyoshi bowed slightly.

Arinaga smiled and his eyes fell on me. "And what a lovely surprise. I see you've brought a new friend this time instead of that pretty blonde."

Kiyoshi nodded. "He had an unfortunate accident."

"So I heard. Honestly, I don't know why you started staying in that shack again." Arinaga made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It's not befitting of someone of your stature. Why not just leave the slaves there and stay some place nice?"

The fox's lips turned up into a repugnant smile. "I like to have them close at hand. I never know when I might get bored."

This was just a mask. I was going to have to repeat this to myself many times over the evening. I would make it my mantra. Because if Mitsuo's words were anything to go by, this night was going to get far worse before it got any better.

Arinaga chuckled. "This is exciting, though. You've only ever come with that soft faced blonde." He started to circle me, his eyes scanning up and down. I couldn't help but tense slightly. "I was starting to wonder if you liked women at all, though I suppose this one has a sort of boyish charm to her."

Kiyoshi shrugged. "A plaything is a plaything. Durability is my only concern."

This was just a mask.

The demon made it back to stand in front of me and laughed. "As perverse as ever. We are cut from the same cloth. I'm sure of it. What is your name, pet?"

"Aki, sir," I answered.

He smiled. "Cute." There was a pause and he suddenly clasped his hands together with a gasp. "I have a wonderful idea. Since this is her first time here, I should give you both the tour. I know you're all too familiar with this place, but I do like showing off."