Year 110 B.C, Japan-Edo (Jōmon period)
"Oniru!! Where are you?" She said. She was a beautiful girl with light green and blonde hair. Her big, olive eyes were searching for 'The Hour of Music' who is now known as 'Lict' was previously known as 'Oniru'. Her gold ornaments were shining in the bright sunlight while she was walking through cherry blossoms, looking at trees.
Suddenly a young, blonde male appeared behind one of the trees. He pushed away the swinging branches and looked at her with a naturally fierce gaze as of a warrior.
"What is it, 'Serenity of the Snow'?" He said in a rather harsh and arrogant tone in his naturally deep and loud voice "And don't call me by my name so easily."
"S-Sorry, 'The Hour of Music'. But...as always, your voice is so soothing to my ears." She said.
"Do you want something?" He said as he sat on the tree and looked at her from above there.
"No, I just...." She said as she crossed her fingers and looked at the ground as her face turned red and she played with her fingers "I just.....wanted to hear your voice. I was thinking if you could, if it's not too much trouble, could you...play the biwa for me?"
[Note: The biwa is one of the oldest Japanese short-necked fretted lute, often used in narrative storytelling or singing. The biwa is the chosen instrument of Benten, Goddess of music, eloquence, poetry, and education in Japanese Shinto.]
"....Aren't you tired of listening to the same thing again and again?" Oniru said.
"No! I can....never be tired of music! I love music!" She said.
"What?" Oniru said with a weird gaze.
"Huh-N-No! I didn't mean it that way! I just-"
"I got it! I can play it for you. But, not just a biwa, let's make this interesting."
"What are you going to play?" She asked.
Oniru took a deep breath and brought his hands forward and they started shining and emitting a golden light. The wind around him started blowing faster and he was covered by golden dust .He closed his eyes and said "I, THE ELITE STAR OF MUSIC, NAMED ONIRU, WISH FOR MY THIRD MAGIC! STAGE 1, FORM 2, 2nd SPELL, VIVANA MUSICA-SINDICA!"
Soon the golden dust flew away from his body and shaped itself to form different musical instruments. They all were around Oniru and as soon as he started moving his hands, the instruments started producing music. It sounded like...
"So...how was it?" Oniru said.
"I loved it." Serenity of the Snow, said.
Oniru blushed but suddenly turned away. "Well, you heard me, right? Now, I'm going. The Lord must be searching for me."
"You mean Lord Akihiko?" She said.
"Yes." Oniru said.
"Will you...use your wings?"
"Yes, I'll fly there."
"That means I can't accompany you..."
"It's okay, I know you're gonna meet me tomorrow too." He said and opened his huge, black wings and brought out a fan from his kimono.
"Then, I'll be going." He said and flew away, producing a strong wind beneath him.
Serenity of the Snow just stared at him fly away in the infinite sky till he disappeared.
Oniru finally landed on the roof of a huge castle. He again hid his wings inside his clothes and jumped down in the garden. He walked towards the door, and opened it to enter the castle.
"AH! Oniru-sama! May you have a good day." A maid said as she saw Oniru. He smiled and bowed.
[Note: Sama is a Japanese honorific used to address people of much higher ranks]
"Oniru-sama is here?" A small girl said and a huge group of children followed her and held Oniru's legs.
"ONIRU-SAMA!!! PLEASE SING FOR US!!!" They said as they looked at Oniru with bright and playful eyes which had a mysterious charm and were filled with purity and innocence.
"I will, but, not today. I'm tired. I have flew all the way from Saikyo to Edo." Oniru said with a smile.
[Note: Saikyo is the old name of Kyoto]
"BUT ONIRU-SAMA!!" They said.
"Now now, children. Oniru-sama is tired, go play over there." the maid said and took the children away.
Oniru smiled as he looked at them, then, started moving through the hallways again. He finally reached a room and knocked at the door.
"Come in." A heavy voice said.
Oniru cautiously opened the door and entered the room.
Lord Akihiko was standing near his window, dressing up his hair.
"Akihoko-sama, I-" Oniru was about to say something when Akihiko interrupted him by saying "How many times should I tell you not to address me by my name, star spirit. Don't forget your position. You are just a servant."
"…Yes, I understand, Milord" Oniru said.
"….Oniru! Have you been using your magic this early in the morning?" Akihiko said.
"...That's…..I was just-"
"Who said you can use your magic freely?" Akihiko said. "Even though you're a so-called 'Elite star' and you can use your magic even without forming the bond with your master, it doesn't mean you're free to do anything."
".....But, I was only playing some music. I love musi-"
"ENOUGH! You're not allowed to talk back. How impudent! You'll not be given today's food." Akihiko said as he left the room.
"....Yes" Oniru said as he clenched his fists.
After that, was the tax collection meeting. Akihiko went inside a huge hall which was filled by people of the poor class like farmers, peasants and artists.
They all pressed their head on the ground as soon as Akihiko entered the room. Oniru followed him and stood behind him while Akihoko sat on the chair.
"Akihiko-sama, many farmers say that trades are not going well, what should we do?" A man whispered in Akihiko's ear.
"Well, this is the sakoku period. But rice is being sold in abundance in the fudasashi market" Akihiko said.
"Akihiko-sama! My harvest has not been very well this year." An old man said. He was short and skinny. He looked as if he hadn't eaten for days. He was a poor farmer. "I thought that if you could forgive my tax just this once-"
"It's not my problem" Akihiko said "You have to pay the taxes irrespective of your financial conditions."
"But, Akihiko-sama, I don't have anything to give anymore! The harvest can barely fill my family's stomach! Please, have mercy on us."
"...Do you have any young daughter at your house?" Akihiko said.
"Yes, I have two daughters" The farmer said.
"It's good. Get them to work. Send them to a bordello, they pay quite well. I'm sure that way you will be able to pay your tax." Akihiko said.
Oniru, who was standing behind Akihiko's chair, was shocked at this proposal of his master. But, he didn't say a word. He just looked away.
"What are you saying, Akihiko-sama?" The old man said with an expression of shock on his face.
"Why? I've been thinking of getting a concubine recently." Akihiko said "If your daughters are beautiful enough, they are welcome here. In return, I'll neglect that tax of yours. Seems a pretty fine deal to me."
"No...how could you?" The old man said.
"Next, take this man away." Akihio said.
"NO! WAIT-AKIHIKO-SAMA!! PLEASE HELP ME!! MY FAMILY WILL DIE OF STARVATION, PLEASE HELP US!!!" The old man shouted as the guards took him away.
Oniru just looked at the old man.
"Milord… I think, that was cruel. We could have helped that old man, what was the need to humiliate him publicly like that?" Oniru said, standing near the castle roof and looking at Akihiko while Akihiko was looking at the scenery ahead of him as he smoked his kiseru.
[Note: Kiseru is a Japanese smoking pipe traditionally used for smoking kizami, a finely shredded tobacco product resembling hair. Typically the mouth piece and bowl are made from metal, with a tubular shaft of wood or bamboo stretching in between.]
"Oniru." Akihiko said.
"Yes, Milord" Oniru said.
"....Since I formed a contract with you, can I seriously never marry anyone?" Akihiko said.
"No, you cannot." Oniru said as he looked at the floor.
"....I wish you were a woman." Akihiko said.
"But, Milord...you're the one who made me like this. I'm a creation of your imagination." Oniru said.
"Yes, indeed. That beautiful golden hair and blue eyes, they'll never find such beauty anywhere in the entire nation. Only if you were a woman." Akihiko said as he brushed Oniru's hair.
Akihiko kept his kiseru aside and placed both his hands on Oniru's face.
"Oniru...won't you show me your wings?" Akihiko said.
Oniru looked at the other way and slowly, his wings opened up and spread out of his kimono as he smiled at his master.
"As I thought...you're beautiful." Akihiko said as he gently pressed Oniru's face.
"MILORD! A BLANK SPACE!!" Oniru said suddenly "What should I do?"
"Let's go!" Akihiko said. Oniru's eyes shined bright for an instant and soon they were in the blank space. An opponent stood in front of them.
"Took you long enough....Demigod of Hatred"
-To be continued