Literature
Bleeding Moonlight Ch12
(Warnings for Kokushibo's wounds, death and illness mentioned, etc.)
Yuu stated in fear at the large face leering at her. "W-Who are you?"
"It would seem that my son has been keeping a secret from me.... He's done well to repay back what he's owed me."
Shiny eyes shrank to the size of pinpricks-
"MICHIKATSU!!"
She reeled back away from the beast in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest as fear struck like a hammer to her skull. No. NO!! Not like this!! Please! The large Oni was HUGE!! Large and angry looking. He had to learn down to fit in the doorway, large hands grabbing the doorframe as he stepped inside. The oni's dark eyes staring down on her like a cat finding an injured mouse. Two large horns curled up from his forehead and the resemblance to another Oni she knew was uncanny. The face shape, the horns, the hair color- 
It was like Michikatsu had grown older, taller, and lost some features.
The brush thudded to the floor as she quickly jumped up to her feet as the man stood there leering in the doorway, face hardened but brow rising as the echoes of her voice carried around the and out to the hallway behind her. It was on instinct that she shouted Michikatsu's name. The six foot man being what saved her the first time from the warlord, and perhaps she had some part of her that had wanted to find comfort in the man again.
This new yokai just stared at her with an angry brow raised up. "Calling out for the one who brought you here? Should have been known he'd be sentimental for a weakling!" She froze as he leered closer easily thanks to his much larger height and build. His face much too close for comfort making her freeze. "But he has an eye for ones that are at least pleasing to the eye."
Her body could only freeze as she stared at him. Trembling slightly as he eyed her like a piece of prime wagyu beef cutlets, until a she felt a finger tug at her dress collar-
"What are you doing in here!?"
  Her eyes snapped behind the large Oni as the tall oni only simply turned his eyes but didn't look behind him. Behind him was another talk figure standing in the doorway, angry six eyes glared at the large yokai's bent over back.  Michikatsu! A long sigh of relief left her throat as he stood there. No one dared move in the tense silence until he spoke again.
"I asked what you were doing in here." He repeated stepping inside the room just didn't approach this new Oni. "It's not proper courtesy to just enter a lady's courters."
Finally the large yokai spoke just slightly tilting his head. "And you had no business bringing this-" The large finger prodded her shoulder making her flinch. "-unless it served some purpose. What good is a woman unless she serves or keeps a man company?"
"She doesn't belong to you!" Michikatsu cut him off with a dangerous look in the eyes.
"And I suppose she's yours?" The larger one spat out FINALLY turning to look at him. "If you wanted a concubine then you should've picked from the hundreds of women I arranged bridal meetings for you. All of them were from respectable households, and any one of them could've produced you an heir by now if you hadn't been so spoiled!"
"That woman is my WIFE."
The room went silent as the Oni stared at each other, Yuu's mind went blank as he also just stared at Michikatsu like he had gone completely insane.
"What?," both Yuu and this new ogre ended up asking at the same time. If it wasn't so dire, it would've been comical.
"I have her marriage contract, and even gotten her father's blessing."  He said it as if he was talking about houseplants to decorate his room. "All three is lacking is the ceremony to make official in the eyes of the law."
A ripple effect was felt as a SNARL was given by the larger ogre, then faster than inhumanly possible the larger oni was in Michikatsu's face growling. Up to now Yuukihime had never seen Michikatsu look scared, but when the larger yokai was suddenly inches away from his face, he flinched slightly. Other than one tiny little flinch, he had no problem with staring dead into the eyes.
"You DARE bring this maggot into my home and have the audacity to say that you want to marry it?!" His face grew closer. "Humans barely even live to be a hundred years old, yet you rather spend your life with one? What happens when she ages into an old hag withing thirty or forty years? Are you saying you would be fine with being seen being married to someone who'll need you to play caretaker?" Michikatsu's face didn't change. "We live for hundreds of years before we die out. We don't need a burden disgracing our family."
"I've already made my choice."
"Wrong. You don't get to make choices. Any bastard child that thing births will be weak, even if by some impossible miracle they aren't, they'll NEVER be accepted here! They'll be deformed! I won't have our celestial bloodline tainted because of your brief infatuation!!" He rose to his full height, horns cutting holes in the ceiling. "Keep that disgusting creature if you want but she will NEVER gain the title of your wife!! You'll marry the next woman I pick for you! SHE will bare your children and continue on our bloodline with dignity and honor!! Then after that human becomes an old hag -" She snapped to Yuu making her flinch. "I will see that she's dropped off at the first poorhouse personally."
"Get. Out. If you don't, I will kill you like you killed my mother."
The oni's head SLOWLY painfully SLOWLY turned to Michikatsu again, but this time a long sick smile was painted on his face. "Is that so?  If your current condition without a sword? I think not. Don't speak to me so foolishly again. Don't forget that the possibility of me remarrying and having another heir is not off the table yet.'
The demon said nothing as his father shoved his son out of the way and left, ducking down to exit the room. The silence continued as he listened to his footsteps walking away until they faded. Only then did he slowly look at the trembling woman gripping her dress. Flinching when he gently touched her arm, a concerned look on his face.
"Are you alright? Did he touch you?"
"W-Who the hell was that?!" Her voice shook like her body.
He was quiet at first. "That was my father, currently he runs the estate but that is soon going to change soon. Pay no attention to what he says. He likes to instill fear into everyone at the estate."
"I think..I need to sit down."
He had her sit down and just held her. Letting her hang on to him tightly until her body stopped trembling and the silence resumed. For a long moment neither spoke until she asked in a voice no louder than a whisper.
"Is it true?" He hummed. "What he said about me dying long before you. Is that true?"
Another small pause. "...Normally yes, but he failed to mention that humans whom eat our food and agree to bind themselves to the other realm before death age significantly slower than those on the mortal plain. You've already been eating so much of our food, haven't you noticed the miraculous rate at which your body is recovering? You've already gained three pounds on your hips."
A light red cascaded over her. "Of your YOU would notice that."  He chuckled. "..What about your mother?" His body stiffened. "Is what you said true as well?"
"....."
"Michikatsu?"
"My mother...contracted a rare illness when I was very young." He spoke slowly, carefully. "No one but my brother knew. That was half the reason Yoriichi was disowned so long ago."
"How could no one know? Can't you see things?"
"I am not a god," he corrected her, "I am only very distantly related to some. While I may carry their holy blood, I certainly can't do anything they can. My abilities are only limited to being able to see souls and what is contained within them. Yoriichi however-..." His face turned into a light scowl as his tone dropped. "Is exceptionally far more talented than I. He's blessed with far greater strength and was able to access the transparent world upon birth. ... Amateras truly favored him over me. Perhaps it's because I remind her too much of her brother."
"Why would he keep it from you all if he knew?" She mumbled pushing against his body to be able to look at him. "That's so selfish! She could've gotten proper help!"
"Oh, he tried," Michikatsu clarified, "However our father never had any good thoughts towards him. Because of the history between Amateras and Tsukuyomi, siblings are usually seen as a bad omen in the Tsugikuni Family. Worse if there are twins, which unfortunately we are. Because of this, my father despised Yoriichi. He never took his word on mother's declining health seriously until Sukiya found her dead in the morning. She had passed away in her sleep the night before."
"That's horrible." Her face contorted into pity. While she didn't know what it was like growing up with a violent father, she knew what it was like growing up with a violent guardian with Sakuno and how it felt to loose a mother at a young age. "I'm so sorry."
"Do not apologize." He casually adjusted the robes on his shoulders looking down. "It's not your fault. What happened is in the past anyways so I shouldn't dwell on it. What is done is done."
"That doesn't mean it doesn't affect people. I'm sure you and your brother were hurt very much from that."
He huffed that sounded suspiciously like a cough. "I know not what my brother thinks. After our mother's death, he left to go live amongst the humans. The last I heard was four hundred and three years ago when he killed a powerful yokai by the name of Muzan Kibutsuji for killing his wife. Afterwards my father officially disowned him, and I've heard nothing since."
"Your father disowned him for killing another powerful house."
"For allegedly marrying a human." He shrugged. "I myself have no ideas if that rumor is true, but plenty of yokai take human brides so it is not out of the realm of possibility. However there's many yokai who view humans as scum and weak, my father being one of them."
A longer silence passed between them. Neither speaking with the only sounds being the small sounds of snowflakes hitting against the window outside. Yuu looked him up and down before looking back at her own bed.
"So... You'd like to take me as your wife that badly?"
"I'm already breaking the curse on your soul as a wedding gift to you."
"...What was your mother's name?"
Six eyes slowly looked at her. "Akeno. What was yours?"
Yuu smiled at him. "Fujiko Yuu. She was a really nice person."
"Do you think she would've approved of me?" He looked very interested in her answer. 
"I think she would've approved of any man who wanted me for more than my cursed beauty," she admitted. That was probably true, but Fujiko probably wouldn't have liked Michikatsu because he was an oni and a yokai cursed their family. However she would leave that part out to spare his feelings. "What of me? Would Lady Akeno approve of me?"
"My mother would have loved you the moment she met you." He smiled at her now. "She was always praying for other people's happiness and helping to fix everything."
"I'm glad she would've.." She hummed in thought. A cheeky smile spreading across her face. "Akeno is a beautiful name." He nodded in agreement. "It would be a good name for a daughter."
He nodd-..?! Six eyes widened looking at her as a choke sound escaped his mouth making her snort and laugh loudly at his shocked reaction. However he didn't get a chance to react when the door slid back open and the Nopperabō woman walked in with an armful of books. 
"Sorry for taking so long, my lady. It was difficult to locate some of the books you requested." She turned her faceless head towards him and bowed to Michikatsu. "Good afternoon, Young Master. I wasn't expecting you back so soon."
He cleared his throat. "Well, yes. Most of my duties are being handled by Aizawa until I fully recover."
She nodded in complete understanding. "Of course. Lady Tamayo did say that you should rest until that nasty gash is fully recovered. My lady, what are you doing out of bed? You should be resting like the doctor told you." Sukiya placed the books by the bed and ushered Yuu back into the futon. "Your hands and feet are still recovering as well from all the glass pulled from them! A young lady shouldn't be so reckless! Lady Tamayo will be here with your lunch soon."
Oh goody. She couldn't wait for more disgusting tasting herbal water and a meal that made her stomach feel like she ate a whole boulder, but Yuu agreed to it on the condition that they would help keep herself hidden. Sigh. She just wished her body would get better faster so she didn't have to go through this anymore.
Tamayo and Yushiro had arrived not too long after. It wasn't surprising because she was usually showing up every day now, however the look on her face was strange. Like she wanted to say something but was hesitating to say it. With a smile she gently placed a tray on her lap and as usual went about checking her over.
"How are you feeling today?"
Yuu stated confused between her and the stiff look on Yushiro. "Better. Michikatsu says I gained a few pounds." She left out the part where it was on her hips, shooting a look at the amused ogre.
Tamayo smiled wider. "That's good! You're making excellent progress! If looks like the cut on your forehead completely healed too!" She gently peeled the sticky bandage from her forehead. "I'll just look over your hands and feet then you can rest."
Her brow rose. "We're not going to have Yushiro check anymore yokai?"
Tamayo shook her head. "Not for a bit. As you said, we should take a break for a while since the situation has everyone stressed, but rest assured we're still working on it." It felt like she was leaving out something but she decided not to push the healer as she took care of her hands and feet. Then she stood and looked at Michikatsu. "I would like to look you over while I'm here as well." With a nod, Michikatsu stood up and reached to pull his hair off- "Not here." She quickly stopped him. "It's improper to show yourself in front of unmarried ladies."
"I've seen a topless man before in my line of work," Yuu stated raising a brow, "And wasn't Sukiya married before? You yourself are unmarried aren't you? Wouldn't it be improper for you to see him topless also?'
Yushiro shot her a look as if HE wasn't right there, but Tamayo stood her ground. "This is different. I'm a doctor. I insist we go into the next room."
Her eyes never looked away from Michikatsu. The oni stared at her for a long while before nodding. "Very well. But make this quick. I want to talk more with my fiance."
"Fiance? You haven't even proposed yet."
"What do you think I want to talk about?"
Now it was her turn to look shocked as he smiled before just quietly exiting the room. The celestial maiden and kyonshi right behind him. However it wasn't a separate room they went to but the hallway outside itself. As soon as the door closed, it was a tension that was unmistakable as the ogre stared down at Tamayo.
"Why do you pull me away like that? It had better be important, my patience today is already worn thin as it is."
Straight to the point then. She sighed eyes looking tired despite herself. "There shall be no more need to look over the staff. We think we know what it was that causing her to cling to life."
Immediately his eyes went wide looking between the two of them for a moment before narrowing them back dangerously. "And?"
"It is a Kitsune."
Silence. 
There was no sounds other than the muffled voice of Sukiya in the closed room scolding Yuu for being picky about the food, and one tengu samebito maid walking quickly past them and around the corner carrying a broom somewhere. Eventually he broke the tense air.
"Kitsune?" She nodded. His fists clenched, bones popping. "Are you certain?"
"I trust Yushiro's skills." Her head turned to the kyonshi whom looked ready to launch himself into a fight to defend his mistress's honor any moment. "He's never been wrong before."
A kitsune. A FUCKING Kitsune. That's just great! All he needed was to be dealing with one of the most powerful dam yokai species to ever exist!! Of course it'd be an evil trickster whom placed such a ridiculous 'gift' upon an unsuspecting human family that killed them off for generations! The dam curse was from an evil being so that meant it was a Yako instead of a Zenko. That narrowed down his search excluding Inari shrines at least. 
"There's something else you should know as well."
His thoughts were immediately turned back to the kyonshi. "And what is that?"
The smaller man looked slightly uncomfortable. "I'm sure of it being a Kitsune! There's no doubt about it, but there's something...very OFF about this mana."
"Such as?"
"I've sensed Kitsune auras before when Lady Tamayo paid respects to Inari during the harvest festival, but this one just feels..." He struggled to find the words to describe the feeling. "Wrong? Perhaps it's because I never came into contact with a nogisune, but it just feels so cold. Almost like a Yuki onna."
His eyes furrowed as he hummed. "A cold kitsune?"
He's never heard of a cold kitsune. Then again it was natural for this kyonshi to interpret the evil as something cold and callous especially if he never encountered one before. A Zenko Kitsune was a very dangerous one. Then again he compared it to the likeness of a Yuki onna. It wasn't uncommon for yokai to intermarry. His own parents were different types of spirits. Honestly an Zenko Kitsune and a Yuki onna marriage sounded like a perfect evil couple. 
.....?!
Michikatsu froze where he stood.
What if it wasn't a marriage between a kitsune and Yuki onna?
But a union by a kitsune and tsurara onna?
He was silent before stiffly looking back to the kyonshi. "Seppen."
Yushiro blinked. "What?"
"There's a tsurara onna on staff by the name of Seppen. She works in the cellars making the sake my father sells and keeping frozen foods preserved. You met her yesterday while looking over the staff." His pupils dilated. "Instead of a yuki onna would you say that coldness is more akin to a tsurara onna?"
The kyonshi went quiet for a moment thinking back to yesterday searching his memory for the female yokai in question. Before his eyes widened in horror, the look on his face told him everything he needed to say.
 His body tensed up. A growl escaping the oni as he stood there fists clenched up tightly. He hadn't wanted to believe it. It had been so long since-...Six eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Claws itching knowing EXACTLY who they shall hunt.
"Douma."
HEAIN SECRETS:
-If you didn't know I've made references to other anime in my story. Shigaraki, Eri, Aizawa, Toga, and Mirko are references to My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia. Orochi is a reference to One Piece. Nagisa is a reference to Assassination Classroom. And Sakuno is a play on Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen. 
-Sukiya is the Head Hostess/Okami of the Tsugikuni estate, equivalent to a head maid. She's a Nopperabō and one of the oldest servants to the family. She was Okami even before Michikatsu's father was born and is like a grandmother to him. She used to be married to an old abusive war general before Michikatsu in an act of kindness pulled some strings to get her marriage annulled.
-Aizawa is a Tanuki whom often takes human form other than his raccoon tail and ears. He works as shitsuji of the estate alongside Sukiya, the equivalent of a head butler. He's usually carrying out requests for Michikatsu on the estate and Is the one Shigaraki usually reports to for what he wants done. He's actually quite younger than most yokai who get the title of shitsuji because of his excellent work skills.
-Shigaraki is a Hitotsume-kozo. He's actually totally harmless. He used to scare the local residents of a small village until a monk tricked him into entering a ring of salt he couldn't escape from before tying him his blessed rope. The people were going to kill him for terrorizing their village until Michikatsu, whom just happened to be passing through on a mission, offered the monk a very LARGE donation to the monastery in return for the roped yokai. Shigaraki, ever grateful, agreed to work for Michikatsu as a spy and errand boy. He uncovered many blackmailing secrets and valuable information this way. Michikatsu pays him well for his work.
-Toga and Mirko are a futakuchi onna and nure onna and are actually step sisters sent by their parents to be possible bridal candidates for Michikatsu but he turned them both down. He found Toga's constant chatter annoying and Mirko didn't actually like the Tsugikunis because of his father. He offered the sisters' family spots as maids instead and they accepted honored to work in a prestigious household.
-The Tsugnakuni family is known for a lot of things. They have a family brewery that they run in the cellars and sell to paying customers, they have ties with training the soldiers of the emperor's army, and Akeno started many charities and paid for lots of restoration work in poor places to help establish new businesses, trading roads, agricultural benefits, and much more creating many jobs and getting a rid of lots of poverty. When she died Michikatsu took over running these charities and drives because his father could care less about them as long as it made their family look good.
-Akeno was a jorogumo however she was heavily critized for how unusually small she was for her species. She was married to Tsugnakuni due to an arranged marriage made by Michikatsu's long deceased grandparents. She died to an illness when the boys were around 7-10 years old. While Michikatsu and Yoriichi take more after their father in terms of yokai species they both inherited traits from their jorogumo heritage. Michikatsu was born with multiple eyes while Yoriichi was born with multiple arms. Other than this fact though, they look completely like oni.
-Seppen is a tsurara onna and works in the cold cellars helping to produce the famous Tsugnakuni sake and to keep their preserved foods cold during the hot seasons. Her name 'Seppen' is loosely translated to snowflake in Japanese. She was manifested by a lonely man who's fiance ran away with his brother. He actually treats her well, like a person with her own feelings and thoughts so their relationship is healthy. They were happily married for several years until a logging accident caused his death. They're actually still married! He's a yurei who came to work as a gardner for the Tsugikunis after he crossed over with his wife to the spiritual realm. They have three little girls who sometimes get Michikatsu to show them his sword skills. 
-The Tsugnakunis are distant cousins to a family of Enenra called the Tokitos but not much is known about them. 
-YOKAI AND VOCAB-
-Good kitsune, or zenko, are benevolent celestial beings associated with the god(dess) Inari, serving as messengers and protectors. Bad kitsune, known as yako or nogitsune, are mischievous or malicious wild foxes that trick, possess, or bring misfortune to humans.
-Inari is not always a goddess; they are a complex Japanese kami (spirit) in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, known as the deity of rice cultivation, prosperity, and industry, who can appear as male, female, or androgynous. Inari is famously associated with kitsune (foxes), who serve as the deity's messengers and guardians of rice fields. While Inari is often depicted as a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair, other forms include an old man carrying rice or an androgynous figure.
Tsurara onna: Tsurara onna are beautiful woman that are created from the loneliness of single men during the winter time. When a man gazes longingly at a strong, beautiful icicle hanging from a roof and reflects upon his loneliness, a tsurara onna may appear shortly afterwards. On the surface, a tsurara onna appears to be an ordinary—though exceptionally beautiful—woman. They are very similar in appearance and behavior to yuki onna, which inhabit the same areas during wintertime. When the winter snows melt and icicles can no longer be seen hanging from roofs, tsurara onna disappear along with the cold weather.
Enenra: This is a yōkai composed entirely of smoke, darkness, and mist. It most often appears as wisps of smoke rising from bonfires and chimneys, taking on human-like faces. It is said that only those with a pure heart can see the enenra. In some interpretations, it represents the spirits of the dead rising with the smoke
Sake: In Japan, the word "sake" (酒) refers to any alcoholic beverage, while the Japanese rice wine is specifically called "nihonshu" (日本酒), meaning "Japanese alcohol". Nihonshu is made from fermented rice, water, yeast, and koji mold, and can be enjoyed in various temperatures, with a range of flavors from crisp to fruity.