The Oni of the 100th Floor

This talk of a welcome party was merely a pretense for hiring all those guards, wasn't it?

Your true goal was to drag me down the path of the oni as well, wasn't it, Shuten-Douji?

Aww, you finally make it here, and that's the first thing you have to say to me, sweetie? I guess patience isn't your strong suit, is it?

Look, even our young Master is at a loss for words.

And drag you down? That's hardly how I'd put it. A little unfair really, don't you think?

Wait, waaait. Has NO one said it? Really? All this time? Maybe they're just being polite, as teeerribly obvious as it is.

Ah, well. If no one else will say it, I guess that means I have to. Sweetie, you're an oni.

...No, I am not.

I lived and died as a human. I am no oni.

I...I'm not.

Hehehe. That's the best you've got? For all you know, Ibaraki and I could've died living among humans too.

I mean, how can aaanyone ever really know what someone else is thinking or how they live their life?

Enough of your sophistry. Nothing you say or do now will make any difference.

Did you somehow think that showing me all the Heroic Spirits forced to play Setsubun oni in this tower...

...would convince me that oni were in actuality wonderful creatures?

？！

Master is right.

The very notion is absurd. Preposterous. If this is some manner of jest, it is far from amusing.

Your actions here might have endangered the whole world. And for what? Some misguided attempt to convince me that we are somehow alike?

This has gone on long enough.

This abomination of a tower cannot be allowed to exist. Get rid of it at once, Shuten-Douji. Otherwise

Otherwise...what? Fufu, you wouldn't reeeally kill a fellow oni, would you, sweetie?

I told you, I am not

Well, you could've fooled us.

You smell like an oni, you've got horns like an oni, and you pack waaay more power in those scrawny arms than any human ever could.

Oh, I almost forgot. You even use fire, right?

I can tell how strong you are just by looking at you.

You do understand that REAL humans can't just rip another person's head off with their bare hands, don't you?

...!

See? You can't even say you'd never do that. I can see that lying isn't really your thing, sweetie.

There's an oni inside you. I can tell. Deep down, you're one of us, sweetie. That's all there is to it.

...But even now, you refuse to admit it. You just won't accept who you really are.

And you know, if I'm being reeeally honest about it...

...it kind of disgusts me. Won't you just pick a side already?

I... I...

？！

I know, why don't we get some audience participation. We'll ask the Master who summoned you.

What about it, Master? What do you think she is, sweetie?

Master...

？！

...

...

？！

...Huh?

Master...

？！

Pfft... Hehehehe! So you're just grateful to aaanyone you summon, are you? Aaanything goes, huh!?

Oh, Master, you're always good for a laugh. Hah!

Yes... That's right. I am me. I remember now.

I remember the joy of being accepted for who I am. The joy of running into battle alongside powerful allies.

I have not felt those joys in a long time, but...

...it is wonderful to experience them again.

...

And more than that, there's something else I remember now.

That right now, before anything else, I am Master's Servant.

I could not be more fortunate to have a Master who accepts me as I am. I consider his wishes to be my own.

Whatever he asks of me, I will happily oblige. Now, Master, what is your command?

？！

As you wish!

This will most likely be my last mission as General Setsubun. If I should be reduced to ash in its undertaking, then so be it!

I shall use this newly rediscovered joy to stoke the fires of my loyalty, and bring them down upon your head!

Ooh la la! Now you look more like an oni than ever! Good thing there are no children around. One look at you and they'd run away screaming!

And THAT means that with just a liiittle more of a push from me, you'll really be a true oni!

Mmm...ouch. This doesn't look great.

But it'd be sooo dull if I went out here and now, so... Hup!

Shuten's running away! She just leaped through the window and...appears to be climbing even higher!?

Oh, just so you all know, the exhaustion's gonna hit you the hardest up on the roof.

So you might want to be careful not to send anyone up there unless you're reeeally sure they can take it.

In that case...it seems that I must be the one to go after her, since I am the least susceptible.

My apologies, Master, but it is bound to be unstable up there, so I cannot bring you with me. Please wait here until I return.

？！

Worry not, Master. Just leave everything to me!