[ the clamor of battle does the seeing for her as she continues to fly: the skidding of sandals against tile, the thump of clay landing in hands, the echo of a body hitting the roof, and the gasp of that sweet voice insulting her.

—she glances back, prepared to pout her way through another retort to that, when the demon slayer, yards away now, falls through the roof. ]

Oh!

[ the gods must be paying her back for suffering poison a third time, she thinks. she should take that payment in full, not slow her pace, and continue on with her plan.

she should.

but she's an oni, and an oni will always want ... a little more.

too indulgent for her own good, shuten stops — and leaps to the edge of that newly created hole of crashing tiles and snapping wood. wisely, she keeps some distance as she calls down below. ]

Oh my! What awful luck for you. Looks like you've handled one too many of those little clay figures ... haven't you?

[ fangs glimmer like the chiming sound of her voice in the setting sun. it dips below the horizon line, and the streetlights around them struggle to flicker on as the cursed shadows deepen. ]

Too bad. I'll be going on ahead. See you around.

[ and with another flap of her kimono, she does. ]