Moonlight Demon

Honestly, Ash was thankful that this had just happened. Or, at least, she was trying to convince herself that she was.

Mainly, though, because it allowed her to realize that inside of her heart, right now, were two opposing forces of completely different natures. 

First, there was the side of her that wanted to explore the relationship she and Keiko, and Kaori, when she woke up, were creating for themselves. The side that felt like more and more, those two women were both becoming a part of her life that she couldn't do without. 

And then there was the side of her that wanted to run back into Yumi's room, pin her to a wall, and tail-fuck her until both of them passed out. 

Even right now, with her Lust stacks only at a 1 out of 4, that side of her was there, whispering in her ear that it wasn't too late to go back and give Yumi the satisfaction she was looking for. 

But, Ash's legs were pretty much walking automatically at this point, passing by the servants around her hurriedly as she returned to where Keiko was standing, outside and behind the Manor. When she saw the other Zayama, that lust she'd just been feeling turned into guilt as her intentions soured in her thoughts. 

Still, she forced herself to return, earning a bright smile from Keiko, who turned around when she heard Ash approaching. 

"What did she say?" Keiko asked. 

Oh, right, I was going to ask about training,  Ash remembered. 

"... Well," Ash took a deep breath, "she was a bit too busy to answer." 

"Really? What's she doing? Honestly, was kind of hoping Yumi would find stuff to do, after being locked up in that shrine for so long." 

Yeah, she definitely found a way to entertain herself, alright.

"... Can I tell you something?" Ash's shoulders dropped as she looked away from Keiko and instead, rested on the railing, putting her elbows down on it and allowing her weight to fall entirely on the stone underneath. 

"Hm? Uh, sure," Keiko said, tilting her head. 

"So..." Ash paused, trying to think of the best way to ask about this matter. "What would you say if I told you that I wanted to fuck Yumi?" 

...

Hm.  Ash thought as Keiko's brows shot up to the sky. She blinked twice as she stared back at Ash.

Did I fuck up? I think I fucked up.

Keiko gulped and looked away. She had a slightly saddened expression that ripped her heart in half. Causing this kind of reaction had definitely not been her intention. 

"Wait, wait," Ash raised her hands, "let's back up. I'm just saying this because..." 

"No, no, I... I understand," Keiko said. 

Ash was surprised. 

"You do?" 

"Yes," Keiko nodded. 

"Oh. Well, shit, so..." 

"I am... rather boring, of course... I can imagine." 

At that, Ash stopped. 

"What?" 

"That's it, right?" Keiko looked back at her with a self-pitying expression. "I talked about this with Kaori before what happened to her. I'm not good at this. Being a, you know, a lover, I mean. I'm sure Yumi is... somehow better at that. Right?" 

"Wh- no, no, Keiko, what the fuck?" Ash asked. "That's not what I mean, like, at all." 

"... What do you mean then?" Keiko asked, with a look that clearly meant that she didn't believe her. 

"I'm saying that, well, listen, first, there's my whole Lust thing which makes it so that any girl I think looks half-decent I'm going to want to... Yeah, second, the only way for me to trigger that Lust Demon Form is to have sex with someone, and then..." She paused. "I don't really know what the limits of this relationship are. I haven't done anything like this before, and I know that you haven't either, so, that's why I'm here," Ash finished with a deep breath. 

"I just want us to figure this out together," Ash told her solemnly. "That's it. If the answer's no, just tell me and I'll do my best to avoid doing anything with anyone who isn't you or Kaori. Promise," Ash continued, "I just feel like we should talk this out." 

As Keiko listened intently, she calmed down just a little, even though she still appeared disappointed. That was probably the best Ash could have hoped for, honestly, so in her mind, this conversation was already playing out a lot better than it could have." 

"... Hahaha," Keiko chuckled suddenly. "Ugh," she sighed, "jealousy is something I am well-acquainted with, having unlocked my Spirit Eye at such a late age, and now, I'm feeling it again. I hate it," she muttered. 

Before Ash could respond to that though, Keiko continued. 

"But, I understand where you're coming from. Even if it, well, it makes me feel like I'm not enough, I understand." 

"Keiko, I'm telling you, I swear-" 

"No, no, it's not your fault... I just," she sighed, "I wish I was more experienced when it comes to this sort of thing but, I'm not. Still, I can't really give you an answer on that, at the moment." 

That, Ash hadn't expected to hear. 

"I'm conflicted. Mainly," Keiko said with a little smile, "because I have great respect for Yumi, and, I... I think she and I are a lot alike. Not just in terms of our last names, either. So, if she feels the same way, and she's equally attracted to you... Well, I want the best for her." 

Keiko chuckled a little then. Something that made Ash realize how ridiculous this all was. Such a short time ago, this sort of problem wasn't something she could even conceive of as she struggled to survive in Jade's streets. 

"Kaori had something similar happen, actually," Keiko then added. 

"What?" 

"Yes," Keiko nodded. "She and Caroline had kissed. And, well, I felt a similar way then. Well, aside from the fact that I respect Yumi far more than I do Caroline, but, you understand?"

Indeed. Hell, just hearing that Kaori had made out with Caroline made Ash recoil. 

"Give me a night. Just... I want to sleep on this." 

"Seriously though," Ash told her, "if the answer's no, I'll be fine with that, I just want to know how you feel about it." 

"I understand," Keiko responded as she walked forwards and wrapped her arms around Ash. "And... I'm thankful that you let me know. Honestly." 

As Ash returned the embrace, she couldn't help but be grateful as well. 

Then, a thought came to her and she found herself smiling. 

"I wonder what Kaori would have said if I had asked her." 

"Hehe," Keiko laughed lightly with her lips by Ash's neck, "she was more experienced than either of us at this sort of thing. I would have loved to hear what she had to say." 

A realization then sunk in and Ash found herself slumping a little. 

"Fuck... I miss her." 

That, also, was a completely new experience to the half-demon. 

---

The conversation came to a close after that. Like Keiko said, she was going to take the night to think about this on her own, and, maybe, Ash would receive an answer tomorrow. However, with that talk done, Ash had to get back to work. 

Even if her thoughts were filled with the image of Yumi's long legs and naked body, even if she still felt guilt eating away at her heart because of those images, even a part of her wanted to run back to the Manor and tell Keiko how much she appreciated her for being so reasonable, she still had to get stronger. 

For Kaori's sake. 

Ash walked out of the Manor through the set of stairs at the back, which Zafir had mentioned before. She told Keiko to let the group know that she was out hunting, in case they all came back and she hadn't yet returned.

That was likely to happen too since Ash wanted to stay out as long as she could tonight.

She began walking through the plains as the sun was struggling to hold onto the horizon, seeing mountains in the distance that she guessed contained strong-enough creatures for her to farm. 

Carrying nothing but one small bag with some water inside of it, the armor she was wearing, and her Lust on her waist, she tried to focus up as she moved through the mixture of dirt and short grass. 

And then, something roared above her. 

It was a mighty, deep, commanding cry that Ash felt in her bones, sending a shiver up her spine. 

Her first instinct was to duck. She reached for her Lust as a shadow passed over her, but she didn't transform it just yet. Instead, she tilted her head up to see what the source of that sound was. 

When she saw what it was, her breath caught in her throat. 

She blinked a few times, trying to make sure she wasn't imagining things the same way she'd imagined that woman's voice a night ago, but, no. It was certainly there if her eyes were to be believed. 

A dragon was flying over her, heading in the same direction that Ash had been walking. 

For a few seconds, Ash couldn't think of anything to do, but then, she realized: 

My level has to be high enough to fight that thing... She thought, taking a deep breath.  There's no way that monster is any higher than I am. There can't be. 

So, feeling slightly greedy, Ash narrowed her eyes and walked forwards, following its path.