InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ X-stasy ❯ Xstasy ch 2 ( Chapter 2 )

X-stasy

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter Two: -Giri-

Sesshoumaru slowly made his way towards the all demon town of the Sendo valley. Shouten town was an unusual town indeed comprised of solely demon residents. It was the place to go if any youkai sough answers to just about anything concerning the demon underworld. Sesshoumaru had hoped he would find some information on Naraku's whereabouts.

'Bastard,' Sesshoumaru thought remembering the time Naraku tried to use Rin against him. 'Such cheap tricks truly try my patience. Although I tried something similar once...have I become so dishonorable? What would my father think of what I have become?' Sesshoumaru wondered as unwanted images resurfaced to his mind of the time he had listened to Jaken's foolhardy advice to use that lesser female youkai demon to impersonate InuYasha's mother and to use that against him.

No, he would never stoop so low again. Sesshoumaru decided as he entered the strange town. It was a thriving place since it was the only true demon town in existence. There were clothing stores, magic shops, and a temple of worship, inns, bars and restaurants. Sesshoumaru noticed that the sky was already beginning to glow from the high afternoon sun. Shielding his eyes from the glare Sesshoumaru vaguely remembered a pair of golden wings emerging from a slender back...

Sesshoumaru shook his head to clear his mind. Making his way to an unsavory bar called De-mon he smirked to himself. It would certainly be the place to hear of such low dealings as the one Naraku might cause. Naraku seemed to have no qualms about dealing with the lowest of the low of the demon world as long as it was a means to an end. 'When will that Naraku cease being such a coward, and fight his own battles, instead of always sending these puppets of his out to do his dirty work?' Sesshoumaru wondered with a scowl.

Sesshoumaru entered the bar and saw that it was mostly empty due to the fact that youkai rarely drank so early in the day. He did notice however a group of three Inu Youkai off to the side, who all startled slightly as they saw him enter. 'They are certainly up to no good...' Sesshoumaru mused. One of them soon recognized Sesshoumaru for who he was and stood so quickly his chair feel backwards. With a hasty bow the Inu youkai addressed the Lord of the Western Lands.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what brings you to this place? It is quite the honor to come across you here like this." The demon began in silky tones that sickened Sesshoumaru for their insincerity, but he bowed in return and simply ignored the rest heading towards the bar. They didn't seem to mind much and went back to their conversation, however, in lower tones than before Sesshoumaru noticed. Luckily for him Sesshoumaru had more than acute hearing and was able to hear every word...

"So you think that old youkai was telling the truth, Kane?" One of the three asked. He had scraggily brown hair and wore a black eye patch over his left eye. He had a dagger in his hand, which he was balancing on the tip of the finger. Mercenaries-Sesshoumaru realized.

"Well, he better be or..." His companion trailed of running a finger across his neck signifying the old youkai's death. "But I'm almost positive he was telling the truth, Jiro. Don't forget that we owe him one once we've awakened our hidden powers." This demon had a scar on one cheek, which he continuously was running his finger on as if the wound still itched. His hair was greasy and slicked back, this youkai was obviously vain.

The third youkai, the fattest of the three, burst out in to laughter unable to contain his glee. "Who would have ever thought that fucking some woman would result in the awakening of our hidden powers? It's much better than having to train for hours on end that's for sure!"

Sesshoumaru ordered a blood wine as he continued to listen in on the three youkai mercenaries, curiosity getting the better of him. 'So they're after a woman...' he concluded thoughtfully.

"Yea, Manzo, I hear she's beautiful too," Kane began, "Although I sincerely doubt she's as beautiful as me."

"Right," Manzo agreed wholeheartedly. Manzo scratched his head and seemed deep in thought. "But, uh, Kane how exactly -is- fucking some woman going to awaken our hidden powers anyways?"

"Baka!" Kane spat, "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?" He sighed heavily. "This woman is no ordinary woman and rumor has it that she is skilled in sex magick. Actually, she so powerful that the union of a body to her own is supposed to transfer some of her power to them...something like that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It's a good thing we found out the girl's weakness though or else we could never have gotten close enough to touch a single hair on her pretty little head."

"Right, something about how she weakens at the exact moment the sun sets, right Kane?" Manzo asked sheepishly.

Sesshoumaru paused before taking another sip of his blood wine from his tall, v-shaped glass. 'When the sun sets...' Unbidden Sesshoumaru remembered what the mysterious woman, who had saved him, had said 'the sun shall set soon and I definitely don't want the likes of you to be around me when that happens!'

"The Insane One." Jiro said suddenly interrupting Sesshoumaru's thoughts.

"Right, the forever child," Kane smiled evilly. "Well she'll be no maiden when we're through with her!"

The three burst out laughing.

Sesshoumaru nearly chocked on his wine, but to his credit didn't spit it out. 'Those lesser inu youkai are after the Insane One...does that mean they're after -her-?' Sesshoumaru paused to think of this possibility. Perhaps, they thought they knew where to find her, and perhaps they had discovered a possible weakness, but the demoness seemed too powerful to be in any danger from the likes of these three.

The men looked at the sun that was already beginning to lower towards the horizon. "It's time," Kane said standing up, "We want to arrive at the ruins just before sun set. There will be an opening of only fifteen minutes where she shall be in a weakened state before her powers restore themselves. Remember the plan. Let's go!"

Sesshoumaru watched them leave out of the corner of his eye. 'So those youkai plan to rape the wench for the possibility that she may awaken their hidden powers. Disgusting. Those men have no honor. But it's really none of my concern what happens to the woman...although knowing of this is almost the same as committing the act myself if I do nothing. Damn, and if it really is her...she did save my life after all. Although I never asked her too. Stupid wench she really is a pain in the ass. I should go and kill her for being so rude to the Lord of the Western Lands during our last encounter. I suppose I have no choice but to follow these men after all, and then we shall see.'

Sesshoumaru was decided and thought that since he had been unable to find any leads on Naraku perhaps he would get lucky and this woman would turn out to be a minion of Naraku and not that wench after all. 'Yes, that is probably the case. That wench wouldn't be so easily found, after all, she had seemed too powerful for that to happen. Although she had also seemed a bit...troubled.' Sesshoumaru wondered if that was the right word to describe that strange woman. Whatever the case the woman was certainly an enigma.

***

The three youkai mercenaries rode on horseback out of the Sendo valley and in the direction in which they sought the woman. Sesshoumaru followed close behind concealing his scent and aura. Soon out of nowhere the ruins of a castle appeared. The outer wall was already in shambles and offered the place no defense whatsoever. If anything the place looked abandoned. This was certainly not the place Sesshoumaru had envisioned the woman living in.

The castle itself was quite large and he could tell that when it had been built, which must have been centuries past, it must have been very impressive. The three inu youkai in front of him dismounted and sunk towards the castle hiding themselves in the shadows.

'Pathetic cowards,' Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat as he watched their creeping approach. They quickly snuck inside the castle and Sesshoumaru followed not far behind.

The interior of the castle was large and spacious, but there was also an eerie feel to the place. The stink of blood and death hung in the air about the place like a black cloud. Something had happened here...long ago. At least from what Sesshoumaru could sense from the Ki lines. The three youkai were already moving deeper in the castle and Sesshoumaru simply followed.

They entered a throne room and there off to the side Kane pointed towards a vaulted window. There in front of the window...it was she. Sesshoumaru's breath caught in his throat for some reason as he recognized her as the mysterious woman who had saved his life. However, instead of her hair cascading down her back like the last time she wore her scarlet-colored hair in two buns on either side of her head from which extended two long ponytails. She still had that same strange enchanted Noh mask upon her face he noticed-solid white, with black accents for the brows, fake gold eyes, deeply painted red lips, along with the blood red tear drop under her left eye. Her face was turned towards the window so he assumed she was looking outside as the sun was setting towards the horizon, her arms wrapped around herself in anticipation. She then sensed the presence of the youkai men behind her.

She swiftly turned around to face them. "Who are you and why are you here?" She demanded in a threatening tone.

The youkai demons snickered at her. Kane licked his lips as he eyed her curves, which shone even through her kimono. She did not fail to notice this however. "You shall all die for coming here, you pathetic youkai males!" She exclaimed unsheathing her katana sword.

"Quick Manzo the orb," Kane ordered.

"Right away," Manzo complied hurriedly removing something from the pack he wore and quickly setting it upon the ground in front of the three youkai. The orb was about the size of a large fruit and glowed a deep pulsating red.

Holding her sword out horizontally in front of her the Insane One summoned a fireball and sent it hurtling towards the three lesser demons laughing as she did so. It hit...but then as the fire dissipated the woman gasped as she saw that there was an energy shield around the three youkai. This was unexpected indeed; she quickly looked outside and saw she only had a few more minutes before the sun touched the horizon line. 'Shit! Shit! Shit!' She thought in her mind. Time was running out. She quickly held her sword out in front of her and concentrated on wrapping her firepower around the sword. After she had managed to power up the sword she sped towards the demons and leaping high into the air brought her sword down upon shield.

Sparks flew into the air as she tried to penetrate the dome-like barrier, which surrounded the demons, but to no avail. The insolent youkai began to snicker at her attempts to break through.

"That won't work girlie, so you might as well give it up," Kane said smoothly, "and just maybe we'll try not to fuck your brains out too many times."

"Fool!" She spat through her mask, "I never give up not until the very last moment!" The ancient Noh mask's expression was neutral and cold as she concentrated all her power to break the shield. Slowly a crack began to form in the shield. Success! In just a few more minutes she would break through the shield. However, she didn't have a few more minutes. Just as she was sure she would break through their shield the sun touched the horizon.

She quickly jumped backwards off the barrier and waited knowing her fate was sealed. Suddenly, flames engulfed her entire body, her agonizing scream of sheer pain ringing through the abandoned castle. And then her body turned to ashes. The Noh mask landing on top of the pile.

"Now what Kane?" asked Manzo stupidly.

"Now we wait," Kane replied with a confident expression on his face.

Sesshoumaru had been watching in the shadows the entire time waiting to see if the woman wouldn't just dispose of those three lesser youkai fools as easily as swatting a fly. He was thoroughly surprised when Manzo had produced the youkai orb from his pocket and even more surprised when the shield held against the woman's powerful attack. Everything had been well planned and executed, Sesshoumaru had to at least give them that. But now the woman had seemingly sacrificed her life...the Tenseiga was silent at his side. Perhaps, he was wrong. No wait the sword began to hum silently...

Sesshoumaru unsheathed his sword and pointed it in the direction of the woman's ashes and was startled by what was revealed to him. Fairies surrounded the ashes of the fallen woman and were sprinkling something akin to 'fairy dust' onto the pile. Soon the pile began to boil and bubble like a wet mass of clay. The clay began to form what looked like a clay doll, although lying down upon the floor. The clay then began to harden making the figure appear more statuesque. Sesshoumaru blinked his eyes not believing what he was seeing. Those fairies had restored her body...so when she died there was an absence of the usual gravelings that came to steal the soul to the underworld. And then if Sesshoumaru was able to see these fairies that would also mean he would be able to slay them...

'Interesting, I wonder what would happen if I slew them. Would that mean this woman would lie dead forever? Can the Tenseiga kill after all? I wonder...' Sesshoumaru thought to himself. But something stopped him before he could act upon his speculation. The clay then began to dry and crack, all of this happening in a matter of moments. The clay then began to break away revealing human flesh. Suddenly in a bright flash of light all the clay broke away to reveal the woman lying naked upon the floor. Her skin glistened as if it was new, and her hair was still damp from the resurrection. He couldn't help himself as his eyes wandered over her form...

'Her body is flawless,'Sesshoumaru couldn't help but think in his mind.

Keeping her head lowered so none could see her face she quickly reached out for her Noh mask and placed it on her face before the youkai could react. That's when Sesshoumaru noticed that her whole body was trembling from the affect effects of dying and having been restored to life. On wobbly legs the woman stood to face the youkai once more her sword held limply in her hand.

The youkai men smiled to themselves. "Pick up the orb Manzo there is no longer a need for it." Kane was licking his lips ferally at the sight of the exposed flesh of the woman.

"Are you really sure she's weak enough," Manzo hesitated. 'Perhaps, he isn't such a fool after all,' Sesshoumaru thought.

"Yes, of course you fool! Now do it!" Kane growled.

Manzo removed the orb and the shield gave way.

"So who gets to try the goods first?" Jiro asked as he racked his eyes over the woman's golden hued flesh.

"Well, I am the leader so I think it only fair I should have my powers awakened first." Kane smirked. He then nodded to both Manzo and Jiro before they attacked.

They had underestimated the woman's skill with the sword however and as Manzo reached a greedy hand towards her she managed to summon enough strength to sever the limb cleaning from his body.

"Bitch!" Manzo roared clutching his arm that was now a stump. Enraged he backhanded the woman with his remaining arm catching her off guard and sending her flying into the back wall. She cried out from the force of the impact, cement from the wall breaking around her and smashing to the ground. She slid down the wall and lay still. She roused herself just in time to realize that she was being pinned to the floor by both Kane and Jiro.

"Perhaps, you should show her some manners Manzo, have a go!" Kane shouted at the injured youkai.

"I couldn't agree more," Manzo smirked the pain in his arm suddenly forgotten. He quickly fumbled with his pants before coming towards the woman and beginning to lean over her. The woman could feel the man with the patch over his eye spreading her legs to allow the large man access to her.

She could smell his stink and gagged from it. And yet she was too weak to even push them off of her. "You may have your fun now, but as soon as I have my powers back you will all suffer a very slow and painful death." The woman informed them, venom in her voice as Manzo began to press his sweaty body up against her.

The youkai simply laughed at her. "I doubt it. You'd have to get past our shield first and perhaps afterwards we'll rip you limp from limb and place all the limbs around this castle to make it harder for you to restore yourself!" Manzo bellowed as he leaned over, drool coming down his chin and dropping between the woman's chest. He continued to lean in until a strange expression came over his face.

"What's wrong Manzo?" Jiro asked suddenly noticing his friend's strange expression.

That was when Manzo's severed head fell of his shoulders and rolled away. Kane and Jiro jumped back from the woman quickly thinking they had grossly underestimated her skills. Only they were surprised instead to find the Lord of the Western Lands behind them wielding the Toukijin sword. They blinked back at Sesshoumaru in shock. Before they could react Sesshoumaru lunged at Kane, swinging his sword high overhead, he brought it down slicing Kane in half. Jiro began to run after seeing both of his comrades cut down in the blink of an eye to the youkai's deadly sword.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the fleeing youkai, "Cowards like you don't deserve to live." He said before throwing his sword at the youkai.

Jiro thought he had managed to get away before he looked down and saw the sword sticking out of his stomach. He fell to the floor a pool of blood swiftly forming around him.

Sesshoumaru gathered his sword and wiped it off before approaching the woman. Sword still raised he pointed it at the woman. She had brought her knees to her chest and was most likely watching his every move through that mask of hers. That mask was really beginning to annoy him. Perhaps, it was because it was a taste of his own medicine with that emotionless face he always showed the world, but still he didn't like it, not one bit. Slowly, he approached the woman.

"So...are you here for what they wanted?" The woman questioned suddenly catching Sesshoumaru off guard.

"What they..." Sesshoumaru snarled. "Unlike those lesser inu youkai I live by a code of honor. You must really think little of me to assume that I would consider debasing myself by committing such a cowardly act, wench."

"I see..." The woman trailed off a hint of confusion in her voice. "Then why are you here?" 'It can't possibly be because he cared...about me...'

It was almost an accusing tone, which irritated Sesshoumaru. "I'm here to kill you of course."

"Kill me?" The woman asked surprised. 'First he saves me and now he wants to kill me. This youkai makes no sense!' The woman thought, her mind spinning.

"Don't sound so surprised. You offended my pride by interfering in what was my own battle to be fought, and so now you must pay the price." Sesshoumaru drawled lifting his sword to rest casually behind his head.

"And here I thought that you came because you needed my help with something," the Noh mask's expression shifted into a smile.

Sesshoumaru growled and narrowed his eyes at her. She had turned the tables on him again. "Your help?! This Sesshoumaru needs no one. You really have some nerve to treat me so lightly wench-"

She cut him off. "I have a name you know." She said in a mysterious tone.

"Well, what is it then?" Sesshoumaru asked impatiently after she remained silent for several moments. He couldn't help but notice...her state of undress. Her silky locks of crimson hair were already drying in waves and pooled all around her. Her skin glowed gold in the dim light that the moon was emitting inside the castle through the windows. And he couldn't help but notice her curves. He realized he was staring and turned his gaze back to her Noh mask.

"I'll tell you my name if you thank me for having saved your life the other day," The grin on the Noh mask broadened in a psychotic manner.

Sesshoumaru nearly choked at the thought. "Thank you!" Sesshoumaru spat in disbelief.

"Your welcome," she replied pretending not to have noticed the tone of his voice. "My name is Isane Rune."

Before Sesshoumaru could rebuke she had told him her name, which left him stunned for a moment. Where had he heard that name before...perhaps in one of the ancient demon legends. Before Sesshoumaru could ask her anything she spoke again. "Those youkai...do you know how they found out my whereabouts in the first place?"

"I only know that an old youkai told them your location, your weakness, and how to..." Sesshoumaru trailed off.

"An old youkai...then he knows where I am. I'm not safe here any longer. And yet I have no place to go. I suppose I have no choice but to stay and confront them anyways. They may have their few moments of fun, but they will surly earn for themselves a swift demise." The Noh mask turned to a frown before Isane suddenly stood, a hand across her bare chest, her other hands trying to cover up the rest of her. "Enough talk. So Sesshoumaru are you going to kill me or not?"

"I intend to fight you properly not take advantage of your weakened state-that would have no honor." Sesshoumaru replied matter-of-factly. 'Perhaps...perhaps I should invite, nay, demand that she stay at my estate...at least until she recovers so we can have a proper battle. Not because I want to thank her for having saved my life from that insolent feline youkai. And certainly not because I want yet another useless presence in my household. And certainly not because I don't like the idea of that old youkai sending more brutish demons here that would surly die a slow, slow death for their actions. But because it is the honorable thing to do.' Sesshoumaru having thoroughly convinced himself that he was not going soft and was indeed intending to eventually take this woman's life for all the trouble she was causing him prepared to make his offer.

She had been standing patiently waiting for him to continue since he seemed lost in thought.

"Isane...this Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands offers you asylum at my castle since this place is no longer a safe place for you to remain. And because I still intend to fight you and take your life. If your life shall be taken it shall be by my own hand and not some lesser youkai." Sesshoumaru finished his offer smugly.

To say the least Isane was surprised by his offer. Even if it was a double edged sword. "By your own hand," Isane spoke in her melodious voice, "What better way to be killed than by the hand of one I admire...for their strength. I shall accept your offer Sesshoumaru. And we shall see who has the last laugh." The Noh masks expression became warped into a twisted sort of smile.

Sesshoumaru ignored her attempt to unnerve him. He would unnerve her. Slowly he began to remove his shirt and he could see the Noh mask shifting back into an expressionless pose. He almost regretted it. He swiftly removed his shirt and cunningly wrapped it around her shoulders before she could have reacted. Once again he had managed to thoroughly surprise her by his contradicting actions.

"Go pack your things I will await you here," Sesshoumaru told her coldly. Without words she hurried her way up towards her room to pack.

She had lived in this castle for centuries and it had slowly had wasted away mirroring the state of the estate's master's sanity. Isane entered her room and swiftly began to pack a suitcase full of her kimono...

Sesshoumaru stood waiting for her to return when thirty minutes passed and he began to grow impatient. He decided he would go and see just what was taking the woman so damn long. He sped off in the direction he sensed her in and waltzed right through her bedroom door. The sight that met him stopped him in his tracks.

Isane was humming to herself, "Pack, pack, pack, must pack. Wandering...wandering...I'll have to wander again. Running...Running...always running." But what she was packing was nothing at all. Her hands entered the armoire and grasped air, which she then carefully folded and packed. She then grasped a kimono that was so old it fell to ashes in her hands. Isane however didn't seem to notice as she continued her movements of packing. Sesshoumaru's eyes wandered over to her suitcase and saw that on top of a few halfway decent kimonos the rest had been so old they had turned to ashes.

"Isane," his voice came out harsher than he had intended. She flinched at his voice and turned to face him. It was moments like this he really wished she didn't wear that mask. His eyes trailed over her body, which was now wrapped in his shirt, which was so big on her petite form it almost served as a dress.

"Yes?" She asked innocently.

"I think you're done packing..." Sesshoumaru debated whether or not to ask the question. "You do realize what your packing is nothing but rags?..."

Isane quirked her head at Sesshoumaru, "Whatever do you mean. These kimono are some of the best. I-" Isane turned her gaze back to her trunk as if seeing it for the first time. She was silent for a long moment before she let out a meek, "Oh."

Isane sighed. "I see...my mind has a tendency to wander. It's all part of the curse of my existence I suppose." She slowly closed the trunk and turned to Sesshoumaru. "I'm ready to go."

Sesshoumaru not one for words simply nodded and picked up her trunk.

Both taking off into the air, Isane through the use of her wings, and Sesshoumaru through the use of his youkai power, they headed out of the castle ruins towards the Western Lands.

***

Sesshoumaru and Isane entered the gardens that surrounded Sesshoumaru's castle. The sight took Isane's breath away as she looked at the sight before her. She hadn't noticed she had stopped walking until Sesshoumaru coughed to get her attention. The gardens were immense and everything was in bloom. Everything was even more beautiful in the moonlight. A full moon shone high overhead making the nearby cherry blossoms looks silver and as the petals fell to the ground they almost looked like falling stars to Isane's eyes.

'Perhaps I should make a wish...to find someone...again...perhaps it's too much to ask.' Isane frowned.

As soon as they entered the castle through the front doors a young, human girl came running out of nowhere towards Sesshoumaru.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! I was so worried when you didn't come back before sunset like you promised! I thought that maybe something had happened again!" Rin said running to Sesshoumaru and flinging her small arms around his leg.

"I had urgent matters to attend to Rin," He replied simply.

"Oh I see," Rin was saying before she caught sight of Isane causing her to let out a small 'epp!' "Lord Sesshoumaru who-who is that scary lady?!"

"Scary lady?" There was a tone of amusement in Sesshoumaru's question. Quickly catching himself, "Oh, this is Isane Rune, she'll be staying with us...for now."

"But M'Lord," Rin started, starring at the strange masked woman.

"Rin where are your manners." Sesshoumaru scolded her.

"Sorry M'Lord!" Rin bowed her head and turned to Isane trying hard not to stare. "My name is Rin. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Isane watched the scene before her and if Sesshoumaru could have seen the face beneath the mask it would have been a bewildered one. He-this seemingly cold youkai lord was speaking with this small human girl as if she were his own daughter. It pained her when the little girl said that she was scary but perhaps there was some truth to that. Isane tried to form a non-intimating face on the Noh mask but the shifting of expressions only seemed to freak Rin out more. Unwillingly the Noh mask's expression shifted to a frown.

She had never been very good with children only imitating them had come easily to her. Suddenly a strange toad-like youkai entered the hallway.

"Master Sesshoumaru! Master! I have news of-" Here Jaken stopped short when he caught sight of Isane. "Master? What is -that- doing here? Are you feeling alright? This witch hasn't put you under some sort of spell has she because if that's the case-"

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru growled, "Are you questioning my judgment?"

"N-no of course not M'Lord." Jaken said hanging his head but not before giving Isane a death glare. "Siren's song." He muttered under his breath.

"Isane follow me to your quarters." Sesshoumaru stated walking away from them all.

"My-my quarters?" Isane questioned following behind.

Sesshoumaru led the way down the hall until they reached a door that was mysteriously was locked. Taking a key from his pants he opened the door and let Isane inside. It was a beautiful room, with long scrolls of brush paintings hanging upon the walls depicting battle scenes of the inu youkai army against the feline youkai, two crossed swords hung over the low bed, the walls were painted a deep rich red, there was a small desk, and a armoire.

"You should find some suitable kimono in that wardrobe over there..." Sesshoumaru trailed off, waving a hand towards the armoire. "If you need anything my servants will attend to you." He said lastly before turning around and closing the door behind him.

Isane blinked back at the beautiful room in shock. Surly she was not deserving of such richness. She walked over to the armoire and opened it to find that there were indeed many beautiful and well-kept kimono there. She ran her hands over the smooth silk and suddenly felt tired. Stifling a yawn she prepared to undress and get ready for bed. Just as she was reaching towards the top of the shirt Sesshoumaru had given her she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She wiped around quickly but didn't see anything suspicious. She tried again and once again she felt a hand trying to assist her in the removal of her kimono. She was about to scream or at least try to blow something up when she realized...'invisible servants are employed here.' She sighed as she allowed the invisible hands to assist her into bed, invisible hands bringing the warm sheets around her as her eyes drifted closed. She vaguely remembered they had removed her mask.

To be continued...

Japanese translations:

Giri: honor.