Page 57 of The Oni's Heart

The Oni’s anger flared, the heat of it almost suffocating. But it wasn’t just anger anymore. There was something deeper, more possessive, making him snarl with annoyance.

Tatsuya, on the other hand, seemed almost pained by my words. “Don’t—Momoi, this isn’t a joke.” His voice was strained. “We’ve been through hell and back already, haven’t we? I just... I just need to know you’re with us. I’m not asking you to go there. I’m asking you to trust me. Trust us.”

I had to admit, I could feel his sincerity. It made the edge of my thoughts wobble. But the Oni? Not so much. I could tell he was still plotting, thinking of how to assert his dominance.

I took a slow, deliberate step forward, watching both of them. The tension was palpable, but I needed answers. I needed control.

"Alright," I said finally, the amusement gone from my voice. "I’ve had enough of this charade. I want to speak to the Oni. Alone."

The Oni’s presence surged forward, a dark and overwhelming force that threatened to swallow me whole. But this time, I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t going to let him have the upper hand just because he was stronger, because he was the demon in this body.

For a moment, there was a stillness. The Oni hesitated, a predator sizing up its prey. But then I heard his voice, dark and thick with hunger, rolling over me like smoke.

“What do you want, human?”

It was the first time he’d called me that in ages, and something about the word stung. I felt a flicker of resentment, a desire to push back.

"I want to know what’s going to happen next," I said, crossing my arms. "You think you can drag me into hell with your dark promises? You think I’m just going to follow you because you say so?" I took another step closer to him, my eyes narrowing. "I don’t care how much you want me, Oni. I won’t be your pawn. Not anymore."

For the first time, I saw something in the Oni’s eyes—an emotion that wasn’t pure rage. Maybe it was frustration, maybe confusion, but I didn’t care.

"I won’t be your plaything," I added, my voice steady, unshaken. "If you want me, you must prove you can control yourself. You won’t drag me to Jigoku, not like that. You’ll have to figure out a way to keep me here—alive, with my choice intact. Not just for you, but for both of you."

The Oni’s voice darkened, a low growl rumbling deep within him. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe,” I said with a smirk, crossing my arms. “But we’ll see, won’t we?”

His eyes narrowed, lips curling in frustration. I could almost feel the rage building inside him, an inferno just waiting to erupt. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen this side of him before, but something about this moment made it feel different—more dangerous, more urgent. It wasn’t just about power anymore; it was aboutcontrol. And that pissed him off.

I could feel Tatsuya’s presence at the edge of my awareness, his gaze heavy, a mixture of concern and relief painting his expression. But this wasn’t about him right now. It wasn’t about them, either. It was about me.

“I’ll give you both a chance,” I continued, my voice sharp, “but don’t forget who’s in charge here. You don’t get to pull me along on your terms. Got it?”

The Oni’s growl deepened, his body bristling with agitation. "Youthinkyou're in control? You’ve never understood what you're playing with, girl," he hissed, his anger building. He took a step closer, looming over me, his presence overwhelming.

Oh, so I’m “girl” now?

“You’ll regret this,” he snarled, his words dripping with venom.

I could see it now—the tension in his body, how he clenched his fists, the slight tremor of barely contained fury. He was a force of nature, and I could feel it in the air between us. But I wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, I wasboredby his tantrums. The more he raged, the more I realized how much I enjoyed pushing his limits.

“Well, we’re not there yet, are we?” I quipped, not backing down. “You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

The Oni let out a furious growl, and before I could react, he reached forward, his claws wrapping around my wrist with the force of a vice. His eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and hunger, and I could feel the heat of his anger radiating off him like a furnace.

“Youreallythink you can control this, little human?” he spat, his voice almost a whisper now, dark and dangerous.

I had to do something, or I’d be consumed by this relentless, wild storm he was ready to unleash. Without thinking, my heart pounding, I grabbed his face and pulled him down, closing the distance between us until our lips were almost touching. I could feel the air between us crackle with tension, my pulse racing.

“Stop whining,” I muttered, before I kissed him.

The moment our lips met, everything shifted. The fury that had been brewing in him, the rage that had threatened to consume everything, faltered. He froze, caught off guard by my sudden boldness. His grip on my wrist loosened, and for just a split second, I had the upper hand.

It wasn’t the kiss of a lover. It wasn’t a kiss of tenderness. It was a kiss of challenge. A kiss of power.

He pulled back abruptly, his chest heaving with frustration. His eyes burned with more intensity than ever, but this time, I saw something else there—a flicker of something uncertain, something deeper.

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