Hari-onagu:

  The void embraced her tormented mind for... hours? Days?

  ...

  Sometimes, something prickled and throbbed in the metaphysical abyss. The outset of a feeling flickered at different corners of the Yūrei's psyche. A chill, a sharp pang, a slight twitch, all ending as quickly as it came. It was not like Hari was bothered by them. She was too numb to acknowledge them a fraction of a second afterward.

  But this time, the sensation overstayed its welcome. It lodged in a corner and made itself home, rippling through the utopia of nothingness until disharmony gained a tighter grip on the mindscape.

  Then, the prickling feeling poked the conscience, buried itself deep, and pulled it back to the surface in a single, fierce motion!

  ACHOO!

  The first thing her eyes glimpsed from the sensitive world was a Weasel covered in green, viscous nose booger.

  Perhaps she could afford a few more minutes...

  Before her eyelids could reunite, the ninja with the yellow bandana turned his back at her and bristled his fur, revealing the piercing needles that they were. What section of their bodies wasn't weaponized?

  Threats aside, Hari-onagu was grateful to see her dear friends. The Kamaitachi didn't seem to have left her side for how long she was knocked out. Speaking of...

  "How long was I sleeting?" asked the Yūrei.

  The... Uh... What was that? You don't remember which one is which? Neither do I!

  Shit. Now, where did I put my recordings? Could you wait a second?

  ...

  ......

  I know it was about ten or more chapters after my first break...

  .........

  ............

  Gotcha! Chapter 42!

  Let me see... Here!

  Totsu is the youngest, wears the yellow bandana, and wields the kunai.

  Setsu is the middle child, so he embraced his cringe weeb self, became a samurai to stand out, and never grew out of it.

  Matsu is the oldest of the trio. He wears a red bandana under his eye because he thinks it's cool and wields a scythe.

  Let this be a cautionary tale if you're a parent. If your crotch or egg spawn starts to butcher some random Japanese word, keep a close eye on them, will you?

  Moving on...

  Matsu bowed to the pale woman. His brothers followed suit.

  "ティゾヒが全世界を横断するのに必要な時間と同じくらいだ。"

  Hari-onagu cupped her own face with shock.

  "A day?!" She shook her head. "Did the cattain do that nuch danage on ne?!"

  None of them was really sure. They moved uneasily, clearly shaken by something. That lightning spell had definitely put the Yūrei close to meeting her ancestors. This... righteous crusade had put her own life at risk now. Did she retain enough courage to keep her horse in this race?

  ...

  Yuki. She needed to talk to Yuki.

  Her bony fingers gripped the water sheet covering her waist downwards. It felt like touching a water balloon or the most resistant gelatin ever. The tepid liquid enfolded her skin, hair, and kimono without getting wet as if the hairy maiden was made from kitchen oil. The mattress undulated with the slightest stir of her bottom or legs.

  Stolen story; please report.

  It reminded her of when they were tiny, naive young ladies and Yuki-onna had mastered crafting a bed out of water magic. They would jump on it as high as they could until their weight popped the magical construct, drenching the icy Yūrei's quarters, much to her parent's dismay.

  Ha... Hari missed her 1400's...

  Brushing nostalgia aside, Hari stood up and stretched her still-sore body. The sickening sound of her joints popping was awfully satisfying for her. Her favorite was this movement she did by rotating her right knee until her foot was backward, which almost always resulted in a gratifying pop. The Kamaitachi and the rest of their clan were accustomed to her antics, so they didn't narrow their eyes in disgust.

  "Where's Yuki?"

  The leader of the trio spoke with reverence. "吟遊詩人と魔術師が広間で出会うとき、支配するのは沈黙だけです。"

  "I see..." The Yūrei knelt and patted each of them on the head. "Good work out there..."

  Their tails eagerly swished, and their smiles were as bright and pleasant as the afternoon Sun. Hari-onagu turned to the exit and gently slid the ice door open.

  She knew better than to walk barefoot in Yuki-onna's house. She conjured the still air around her and willed it as a layer between her sensitive sole and the ice platform. Walking on thin air was a magical experience for a younger Hari. To think time would suck all the wonder and turn it into a mundane thing...

  She needed a break...

  Strolling further through the magical building, she glimpsed a pacing Icy Sorceress, walking circles on a larger frigid floor in the main room. Meanwhile, Hibagon calmly drank tea next to the hearth, clutching his bamboo instrument as if it were his baby.

  Judging by her friend's body language, Hari knew the cold Yūrei was telepathically ranting to the Daien, which was odd considering how these two didn't seem to have proximity until now.

  The hairy maiden's mind ran with questions and possibilities until a voice she never heard before rang through the frozen walls.

  "My opinion? We ran out of chances. Unless the captain cares not for her job, the Human will stay in Pantsti until the Dragon's Guard hunts us like beasts and we're stuck in the dungeon."

  By Tizohi's antlers... The bard could speak! And the way his honey-slathered words came out of his dark, thick lips made Hari-onagu swoon for a fraction of a second. Was he single?

  "No, you dum ditch! Focus!" She would have slapped herself if she hadn't wanted to silently lurk a little longer.

  Yuki-onna, however, did not take his words lightly. Her twitching eyes focused on him as she menacingly made slow and deliberate steps towards him. A frosty fog huffed between her exposed teeth, more intense with each breath.

  Whatever she had spoken, it only made Hibagon more upset. "I do not take orders from you, Icy Sorceress." He laid the handleless teacup on the platform. "I answer only to the Rokro, and I doubt they'd agree with your reckless plan..."

  Their gazes clashed for dominance for half a minute. Hari's heart pounded with anticipation. Her friend's piercing stare attempted to break through the Daien's tired, uncaring black and green eyes, which shifted towards the hairy Monoke in a split second, much to her dread.

  "The delights that great company brings... are mute to the ears of one who schemes..."

  Yuki-onna slowly moved her slender body to meet the subject of the bard's attention. The room temperature dropped considerably when her eyes met her friend's.

  "Were you spying on us?" asked the Icy Sorceress.

  Hari-onagu swallowed hard. "I-I just arrived, Yuki!" She bowed. "Thank you for caring for ne while I was down!

  The cold Monoke closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling more frigid steam without ever opening her mouth. "Next time, make yourself known the second you step foot in a room, understood?"

  The hairy Yūrei nodded.

  "Excuse me." The bard stood up and slowly stepped toward the bedrooms, passing next to Hari, who he greeted with a subtle head gesture. At least he appeared to not dislike her...

  After Hibagon retreated to his quarters, Yuki stared at her impatiently. "Well? Anything pertinent to say?"

  Hari fidgeted her fingers, wondering why her longtime friend made her so anxious to even look her in the eye. "N-Nothing imtortant. I just wanted to thank you..." Her hair wrapped around itself, creating multiple braids throughout the follicle ocean connected to her scalp. "And I'm sorry for not holding them long enough to de there for you..."

  The sorceress waved a dismissive hand. "No use lamenting for the past. At least the Kamaitachi are back to our aid. Besides..." A contented grin formed at the corner of her mouth. "I still have one more trick up my sleeve before our situation becomes truly drastic..."

  Hari tilted her head. "What is it?"

  "The captain of the Lycan Squad," Yuki-onna revealed. "I believe she could become a valuable agent for us..."

  Did she actually mention that bitch...? How... Why?!

  "Are you kidding ne, Yuki!" Hari's hair rippled out of their braids, resuming their untamed, chaotic state. "She carved a hole in ny gut!"

  Two frigid, pale hands clasped her shoulders. The hairy maiden's mane hardened into a defined, brittle shape as shivers coursed through every nerve in her body.

  "And I gave her a fitting punishment for it, trust me. She will remember my sword through her stomach each time she lays eyes on you..." Her cold stare and touch oozed a wave of underlying, boiling anger from under the surface. Hari-onagu felt a torturous mixture of fear and gratitude, each feeling entering a fierce conflict for sovereignty in her mind.

  "Now, we have no space for interpersonal conflict." Yuki laid off her hands. "Our cause demands unity. It is our greatest strength."

  The hairy maiden's milk-white skin flushed as heat returned to her body. "W-What nakes you sure she'd ever detray her duty for us?"

  Yuki-onna turned her back to her friend, and she gazed at the hearth. "Call it mother's intuition."