FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Kenji and the Backwards Blade

Written by Leo_Todrius

Supported by my Patrons

Shallow angled rays of sunshine passed through the old windows, illuminating particles of dust hanging in the air that would have been invisible otherwise. Honey brown eyes gazed up at the suspended particulate, contemplating what a perfect metaphor that was for life. How many things were there, waiting to be revealed? Tanaka Kenji's chin rested on his crossed arms on his desk, his black hair parted down the middle to hang on either side of his face. The faint light glinted off a trio of silver rings in either ear.

Kenji did not move even as the door to the building opened, nor as a figure entered. Backlit by the afternoon sun, the figure's features weren't immediately visible. Even his eyes were obscured until he reached up, pushing his large round glasses back to the bridge of his nose. His hair was naturally dark, though the crest had been bleached to a light sandy blond color in contrast. The stranger looked around at the place, somewhere between a museum and a curio shop.

Strange masks and swords were mounted on the wall while shelves held ancient books, scrolls, parchments and folded cloth. There were vials with strange liquids and what appeared to be blood. There even was a fish tank that held some form of incorporeal light swimming back and forth in the tank. The stranger inhaled a little before his face scrunched up at the smell of old paper and books. Wrinkling his nose, he looked at the young man at the desk with a look of patience strained by inconvenience.

“I am looking for Kenji Tanaka… This is Otherworld Nexus Investigations, isn't it?" The man asked.

“No and yes." The young man said, a weak smile crossing his fair face. The man's dark black eyebrow arched beneath a lock of blond.

“Is it, or isn't it?" he asked.

“It IS Otherworld Nexus Investigations. It isn't Kenji Tanaka. In Japan, surnames come first. Tanaka Kenji would be correct. If you're looking for him," the young man stood up and stretched his long arms above his head with a bit of a yawn before coming back to his normal size and offering his hand, “Then you've found him." Kenji said with a brighter smile than this stranger had earned. The man adjusted his glasses again as if trying to bring Kenji into focus, sizing him up.

“You're what, twenty two? Twenty three?" he asked. Kenji's smile was more strained this time as he shrugged.

“Not sure why it matters exactly, but twenty four." Kenji replied, “And now you have me at a disadvantage. If I was looking for you, who would I be looking for exactly?" he asked.

“Cassius Conley, I work for Nexpeditions." The stranger said, shaking Kenji's hand. Kenji nodded a little, shaking the hand the requisite number of times.

“If I'm not mistaken, the CEO of Nexpeditions is also a Conley. Your father?" he asked.

“My uncle, although he did raise me like a father. I guess there's no getting away from the nepotism charge though." Cassius shrugged. Kenji smiled, gesturing to the chair on the other side of his desk.

“Can I offer you some sweet tea or canned coffee? I don't have a lot fresh on hand." Kenkji offered. Cassius' lips tightened a little as he forced himself to sit in the folding chair, relieved that at least it was padded.

“No, thank you… I am hoping to get to the point. I'm here to hire you for a rather unique job." Cassius said. Kenji leaned over, opening a mini-fridge long enough to extract a tall, narrow caramel brown metal can. It hissed as he popped it and tipped it back. After a long day, iced coffee was like manna for his soul. His throat undulated as he gulped it down, his earrings dangling a little from each ear.

“Every job I do is unique. One of the perks." Kenji said, tossing the now empty can into a small blue receptacle for recycling before he sat down behind his desk again. Cassius nodded, deciding not to belabor the fact before he pressed on.

“Since the convergence, you've earned quite the reputation as a monster slayer and an artifact hunter. No one else has quite the resume. It is one of the reasons I didn't realize you were Ke-" Cassius hesitated, “Tanaka Kenji when I first came in. You've got quite a reputation for someone so young." Cassius said.

“The convergence happened when I was fourteen. My high school was nearly ensnared by a trio of sirens, but I didn't exactly swing that way. Made it easier to end the threat." Kenji shrugged and sat back down again, “What sort of job do you need someone as experienced as me for?" Kenji asked.

“Ten years ago, a demon swore an oath to bring down my family. They killed my father shortly after, but now I'm worried he's going to go after my uncle. We've figured out the demon's locus if that helps." Cassius said, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a scroll of paper. He set it on the desk and unfurled it. Kenji had been about to bombard Cassius with questions on what kind of demon he meant, but the paper had his attention.

“If you already know the locus, that takes half the work out of it…" Kenji said, leaning forward. His honey brown eyes drank in the drawings on the paper. There was an S-shaped blade that looked quite ornate, the shading indicating that it transitioned from metal to bone in an unnatural way. It was just the sort of forbidden alchemy that came from the otherworld.

“We'd still pay you the same, hell, double whatever your normal rate is. We just want to get to the bottom of this." Cassius said. Kenji tried to keep his eyebrows from jumping up in excitement, though he didn't entirely succeed.

“Hell double is quite the rate." Kenji smirked. “Is it based here?"

“Aomori Prefecture, Japan." Cassius said. Kenji whistled a little.

“What did your family do to piss off a demon that far around the world?" Kenji asked. Cassius shrugged a little.

“Wrong place, wrong time I guess? I just want to be there when you bring the thing down." Cassius said. Kenji's face grew a bit darker at that, the mirth he wore like a mask fading away.

“Revenge is a wild card… Isn't it enough to know that the threat to your family has been neutralized?" Kenji asked.

“It isn't revenge, it's justice and closure. I'll stay back out of the way, but I have to be there. I'm afraid this is a deal breaker." Cassius said. Kenji ran his tongue along his bottom lip in thought, distracted by how dry they were. He really needed to hydrate more often.

“You'll listen to every command I give? Without hesitation? I don't generally get paid if my client dies before the job is done. I have a vested interest in your well being." Kenji said.

“Oh, I promise. I need this." Cassius said. Kenji heaved a sigh before he nodded.

“Alright, against my better judgment, let's do this. Maybe Nexpeditions can get us a cut rate on the air fare." Kenji said. Cassius looked confused at that.

“What is air fare?" he asked. Kenji felt like his stomach was being squeezed by six hands.

“What do you mean what is…" Kenji hesitated, his brow furrowing enough to crease his otherwise youthful skin, “You've only flown first class, haven't you?" he asked. Cassius laughed and shook his head.

“Oh no, no…" he smirked; “We have our own jets." he smiled. Kenji tried to set aside his disdain for the ultra rich given the fact that they were such good patrons.

“I am glad WE have our own jets. That'll make traveling a lot easier." Kenji said, standing up. He moved over to the shelves, setting aside a cursed poncho and a few prayer rugs before he pulled out a badly photographed copy of a contract already collated and paper clipped. He came back and handed it over to Cassius. “I assume you'll need to have your lawyer look it over?" he asked.

“Oh, yes…" Cassius said, standing up. He accepted the paperwork, “But I'll have it ready by eight tomorrow morning. Gate SP-13 at LDX?" he smiled. Kenji looked extra pained.

“If I'm getting up that early, double the section in there about iced coffee." Kenji said. Cassius glanced down at the contract and then back up in disbelief but he nodded numbly.

“T-Thank you, I knew I came to the right place." Cassius said. Kenji nodded at that, thinking back to how Cassius had asked if he was in the right place immediately after entering.

“I'll see you tomorrow Mister Conley." Kenji said, bowing his head. Cassius excused himself, letting the door swing shut. Kenji stood there, watching the dust swirl and circulate through the fading rays of afternoon sunlight. It was amazing how one person could stir things up so much.

****

Kenji had worried that he would have felt bad with his morals flying out of the window of the private jet as if the cabin had decompressed, but the accommodations were so comfortable that they made it easier to bear. The mere fact that he could spread out his guides and talismans while in flight had proven revolutionary. Kenji sat on a leather couch-like bench, the cushions the color of a summer peach. The warm lights coming out of the cabin ceiling illuminated a map of Japan covered with ley lines, nexus points and other supernatural markers.

Cassius was napping in a recliner on the other side of the cabin, his glasses slid low on his nose as his chest rose and fell, his fingers laced together as his hands rested on his stomach. He had eyed Kenji a bit, boarding the jet in black jeans and sneakers, though his gray and black patchwork jacket seemed unique enough. Kenji pulled one book out of his backpack, hesitated and then swapped it out for another. He flipped through the pages before pausing, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Is the iced coffee because you never sleep?" Cassius asked without opening his eyes or setting up. Kenji smirked.

“Bad habit from high school. Probably stunted my growth, but it makes me feel good." Kenji mused, “So what you said before… That the demon swore this blood oath because your father was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Was it an Oni?" Kenji asked. Cassius didn't seem particularly pleased to be delving into the subject but he reached up to reposition his glasses.

“I suppose that was likely, given that it was in Japan, right?" Cassius asked. Kenji grimaced a little. He didn't require his customers to know everything about what they were having him do, but Cassius seemed to be rather naive about Japan in general. Kenji was Nisei, born in America to immigrant parents. Still, his job had taken him all over the world and taught him about a fair number of cultures. Perhaps he wasn't the best litmus test.

“Is there anything else you can tell me about why he was there?" Kenji asked. Cassius shrugged a little.

“At that time, the company hadn't fully become Nexpeditions. It was less about tourism and more about archaeology I guess." Cassius said. Kenji said nothing, although his eyes drifted back to the sketch of the S-shaped knife. There was something Cassius wasn't telling him, either because he was protecting family pride or trade secrets or he generally didn't know. Still, whatever that connection was, it was what had led them to the demon's focal point so easily.

Kenji reached for his iced coffee and lifted the can to his lips, frowning in dismay when he realized that it was empty. His frown ebbed, however, when he saw something breaking out of the surf through the window. Leaning closer, Kenji gazed out of the jet at the archipelago of Japan. It was vast, majestic, and supernaturally complex. He could see the telltale discoloration of purple and blue trees at a few points on the islands, indicating the presence of nexus points to the Otherworld for which his business was named. Hopefully the jet would be landing in a nicer neighborhood.

“I don't suppose they have drivers that can be hired to get us out to the site, do they?" Cassius asked. Kenji smirked a little.

“I mean, if you have enough money you can hire anyone for anything." Kenji said. Cassius smiled a little too smugly at that.

“On that you and I are in complete agreement." Cassius purred.

****

The city had been bustling, enough to wake Cassius from his general malaise. They had found someone willing to drive them into the countryside and potentially into danger, exchanging skyscrapers and cement streets for long grasses, rice fields and chirping cicadas. The tables had turned while Cassius sat in discomfort and uncertainty on the bumpy road out to the Aomori Prefecture, leaving Kenji to nap and catch up a bit for the jet lag. Still, his nap was a short one and before long he was gazing out of the jeep at their surroundings.

It was amazing that a country where land was at a premium would reserve so much space for nature and for rural farmers, but that just made Kenji feel happier. He couldn't speak to how many legends told of Tanuki, Kistune or Yokai unleashing mischief because humans had encroached too far and too fast. That had been even before the convergence brought another world crashing into their own. The closer they got to their destination, the more Kenji was sitting up. The last stretch of their journey was entirely off-road, causing Cassius to groan and grunt with every bounce as he shifted around the back seat. Kenji, however, grabbed onto the outside edge of the roof to stabilize himself.

When the jeep finally stopped, the engine shut off but the headlights stayed on. The twin beams of light shone across some sort of large craggy volcanic boulder. It would have looked like a half buried meteorite if it wasn't nestled in a valley of volcanic mountain ranges. Kenji swung his legs out, his shoes landing easily in the shallow but rich soil. Kenji chewed his bottom lip in thought as he approached the crag. Lava meant many things. It was the raw creative energy of the planet, a source of heat and fire, of destruction and death, as well as the formation of the very island they were standing on. What could have happened with Cassius's father? What could he have done to piss off a demon, to start a generational vendetta…

“The entrance is on the far side." Cassius said as he caught up, adjusting his jacket around his arms and shoulders.

“The entrance to what?" Kenji asked. Cassius tried not to give a reaction.

“Ah, did I not mention the cave system?" he asked.

“You did not, although that answers some questions. I have an easier time imagining a reason for an archaeology company to be underground than in a rural farmhouse." Jenji said, rounding the crag. Cassius followed after him without a biting comment or a joke. Kenji exhaled slowly, pulling out his flashlight. It was hard enough to face demons, but to do it without being able to trust the person standing behind him was going to make it even more strenuous. The light of Kenji's flashlight seemed to sink into the black volcanic rock, making it hard to gauge its features, but eventually it found the edge of a crevice that could lean inside.

Kenji moved up, turning sideways, slinking between the uneven edges. As he stepped in and down, his foot found a particularly smooth surface. He made it in with his other foot, shimmying a little until he realized that the ground wasn't just sloping down. It was graduated into steps. Slipping his flashlight to his other hand, he swept it up and down to gauge what was ahead of him. With a few more steps, he was fully inside the crag. With a few more, he had descended about to neck level beneath the ground outside. A few steps after that, the tunnel opened up. It required a slight hunch to fit, but it wouldn't impede movement too much. More than anything, Kenji was relieved that the air smelled so dry. It would have been easy for a cave like this to get musty, or worse, to draw predators or animals looking for a roost.

“Father never told me it was so narrow…" Cassius complained, “Ugh, my shoes…" He murmured. Kenju tried not to roll his eyes and only succeeded in clenching them shut instead.

“I tried to warn you on the plane. We didn't come half way around the world just to go to a spa." Kenji commented.

“But Kenji, they have some phenomenal spas and hot springs around here!" Cassius grinned, using the thought of that to bolster himself as he followed the adventurer down the lava tube.

****

The descent had taken a few minutes of careful walking, both young men being mindful of uneven footings and the somewhat low ceiling. Cassius had nearly tripped twice, distracted by the way Kenji had changed. He'd been so jovial, even childish in the office and on the trip over, but now he was like a predator stalking his prey. He carried his body lower, ready to spring, silent and stealthy. Kenji slowed even more as the lava tube began to open up. His brows knit in concern as he saw the black metamorphic rock transitioning unnaturally to a rusty reddish-orange stone. Kenji paused just long enough to take off his patchwork jacket and set it down on the tunnel floor before continuing.

Cassius opened his mouth to ask a question but Kenji put his finger to his lips in the universal sign for silence. Cassius grimaced but obeyed. Kenji stepped out of the lava tube and into the larger cavern, looking around. There were cave paintings on the wall of people and deer and birds. They were chalky but rich in pigment… and the drawings on the far side of the cave wall were moving along the rock's surface. The deer circled the humanoid figures as if performing some kind of ritual.

Kenji's honey brown eyes drank in the rest of the cave as he emerged. There were nooks and crannies full of artifacts, eerily reminding him of his office. There were old dusty glass bottles, dried out skulls, wood carvings, and… an S-shaped blade. Kenji had to give the demon credit, the special blade wasn't held in a place of prominence. It looked like one more artifact. It was a sign of a more tactical mind trying to draw attention away from one of their most important possessions.

A soft bubbling came from a cauldron over a fire in the far side of the cave. The wood crackled beneath it, though the flame was a supernatural purple in color. Whatever was inside was salty and savory. It was likely some kind of stew rather than a potion. Kenji waved Cassius back to the opening of the lava tunnel as a shadow shifted from another passage. Cassius backed up, but Kenji ducked down low, working his way around the central boulder that the room centered around.

Kenji executed a well practiced crouching walk around, though his curiosity couldn't help but get the best of him. Looking up, he inhaled a bit. The creature was certainly a particular type of demon, an Oni. His skin was as red as blood, though his forearms and ankles were covered with a thick ring of black furry hair. White ivory horns curved up from his forehead and a wild mane of black hair hung down to the small of his back. The Oni wore no clothing, but he did have a necklace of large round wooden beads hanging around his ample chest and neck.

In a way, Kenji felt bad. The Oni seemed to simply be cooking his dinner with no evil intent. When the Oni turned, apparently checking the dancing cave paintings for guidance on which spices to add next, Kenji was a bit taken aback. For the most part he looked like an Asian man in his late thirties, though his cheekbones and brow bone were a bit exaggerated. A wispy mustache and soft beard framed his face.

“Who would have thought, I was running low on bone marrow and some just shows up to my doorstep." The Oni mused, lifting a wooden spoon from the cauldron to slurp at his stew, “Yes, it really needs some marrow." he commented, his voice deep and manly. Kenji tried to back up again, but he felt a sudden whoosh of wind. When he glanced back over his shoulder, he saw the Oni lifting Cassius up off the floor, holding him up by the throat. Cassius squirmed, trying helplessly to claw and pry the grip off his throat.

“Shit." Kenji muttered, springing forward. He reached out and grabbed the S-shaped blade before he charged back over towards the Oni. Kenji's own words echoed in his mind as he moved, 'I don't generally get paid if my client dies before the job is done', The Oni turned with Cassius still in his hand to face his attacker, but Kenji had moved with a speed that belied his humanity. The Oni grunted as Kenji slammed that S-Shaped blade down into his meaty red chest.

For a moment, nothing happened. The Oni looked down at the blade in his chest and the human holding it. Cassius still squirmed like a fish on a hook. Kenji looked from the blade to the Oni, uncertainty blooming across his face. Kenji tried to pull the blade out but it didn't budge. He tried to let go, but his fingers wouldn't release. Kenji grunted a bit at that in confusion, breathing harder, trying to pry loose. As he did, he noticed his fingers were changing color. They didn't just look anoxic, they were turning pure blue. His fingernails darkened from their natural ivory color to gray and then jet black.

“Oh yes…" The Oni purred, releasing his grip on his captive. Cassius coughed and spluttered as he was dropped to the floor. He knelt there, wheezing, rubbing at his throat as if friction could remove the dark welts that had started to appear there.

“You shit. You weren't supposed to hurt me." Cassius said, still panting. Kenji looked in shock from the Oni he was stuck to and back over to his client, a client that seemed entirely too familiar with the Oni for their mutual well being.

“You are not permanently hurt." The Oni commented, watching with glee as countless strands of black hair began sprouting out of Kenji's wrists, the fur growing back along his forearm, forming the same fuzzy bracers he had. Kenji felt strange surges of power and elation coming from his arms. His fingernails were stretching into claws, his blue digits looking so strong around that blade.

“I did what you asked, you owe me!" Cassius said. The Oni let out a dismayed growl.

“That shelf by the fire, on the right." The Oni said, grinning a little as the blue pigmentation began passing over Kenji's elbow, creeping up his upper arm. As the skin changed, the flesh beneath began to stretch and grow and thicken as new muscles knit themselves together. Cassius moved over to the appointed spot, picking up a strange translucent opal stone that seemed to be glowing beneath the surface.

“What is this?" Cassius asked.

“Limitless power beyond your comprehension?" The Oni asked, looking equally pleased by his mischief. Cassius' face twitched a little.

“You promised ME limitless power." Cassius said. The Oni shrugged.

“And there it is. Perpetual clean energy, something your species has longed for. Now go before I change my mind." The Oni replied. Cassius looked back and forth between the rock and the Oni for a few moments before he exhaled in disappointment and quickly left the cave, heading back up the tunnel the way they came. Kenji let out a snort of exertion before he pushed off the ground and tried to kick the Oni. When his foot struck the demon's leg, his shoe erupted into flames and burned away. Kenji shielded his eyes from the fire for a moment before looking back. What he saw was his bare foot resting against the demon's thigh, his own flesh turning blue where it touched.

“What are you doing to me?" Kenji asked. The Oni let out a disappointed cluck of his tongue.

“I'm not doing this, you are. You used the backwards blade on me." The Oni smiled. Kenji bit his bottom lip.

“It isn't your locus…." He murmured. The Oni shook his head, his long hair sweeping back and forth across his shoulders.

“Oh, no… The backwards blade is an old relic. The stabber is the victim, it brings life instead of death, everything about it is backwards. Lucky for me." The Oni said, “You're going to be a very handsome Oni." He purred, watching the blue pigment start spilling across Kenji's much larger shoulder and the black fur covering everything below his knee like leg warmers made of goat fur.

“Can you at least tell me what the deal was with that dipshit? Limitless power is pretty nebulous." Kenji grunted before gasping suddenly, feeling his pants ignite and burn away, then his shirt. He now wore only underwear and one shoe, a bit relieved he'd taken off his favorite jacket before coming into the cave.

“The whelp's father came here with that hungry glint in his eye. He would have devoured the countryside in search for scraps of metal and shards of history. He refused to learn the error of his ways and paid the price. His son, however… He took his father's death in stride and so I made him a deal. If he brought me what I most desired, I would give him limitless power." The Oni said, reaching up with a clawed red finger to pet Kenji's cheeks as a long rectangular strand of sideburns crept down from his ear to his jaw as the blue pigment curved across his throat, cheeks and chin. Kenji shivered in far more pleasure than he wanted to feel.

“And so you gave him a battery that never runs out. He can't reverse engineer it or tell anyone how he got it." Kenji said, trying to let out a laugh but he gasped as the blue pigment began to swell his pectorals, letting them round and fill out and bloat. His areola began to stretch and widen, nearly doubling in diameter as the nipple at the center began to plump and push outward. Kenji groaned, a purple blush forming on his blue cheek as his cock began to harden and stretch outward. The last scraps of his clothing ignited and burned away, revealing the skin along Kenji's length growing tight.

“Oh, I am very lucky…" The Oni said with glee. He hefted up his crimson red cock, using clawed fingers to play with the rather obscenely excessive foreskin that covered it. Lining his cock up with Kenji's, he pulled his foreskin back until they pressed their cocks together head to head. The Oni then began pushing his foreskin forward, letting the leathery red flesh ooze and creep over Kenji's shaft until it covered his entire length. As soon as Kenji was engulfed, it felt as if the demon's foreskin began to massage and milk his cock, tugging and pulling at it.

“Wh… Wh…." Kenji tried to speak but he couldn't. The Oni leaned in, a little awkward given the blade sticking out of his chest, but he brought his lips to Kenji's. Kenji wanted to resist, but the Oni was so handsome, so strong, so gentle. Their lips began to wrestle and tangle, then Kenji tasted the Oni's tongue on his. The kiss was heated and intimate, especially as the blue coloring crept around Kenji's lips and crossed his nose. The cartilage inside popped and shifted as his nose became a little wider and rounder, looking more like the Oni's.

As the two unlikely partners embraced, Kenji's lower jaw began to throb and ache. The Oni could barely suppress his grin as a pair of tusks began pushing up from Kenji's mouth, poking up just a bit past the line of the lip that was now pushed forward. The suckling massage that ensnared Kenji's cock only intensified, tugging and pulling his cock in every direction. Kenji's back arched as his cock surged longer and fatter while docked to the Oni's foreskin.

The Oni growled happily, kissing Kenji and enjoying his tusks. Kenji gasped as the Oni's cock suddenly began to unleash his tainted seed. With the bright red foreskin clamped so tightly around his formerly human cock, there was nowhere else for it to go but into Kenji. The cursed sperm squirmed and wriggled its way into his growing shaft, slinking silkily down along his passage, working its way back. It should have hurt, but it didn't. It triggered similar feelings to ejaculation, sending waves of golden glow through Kenji's mind and body.

The corruption that had started from his hands only accelerated. The patches of natural skin coloring were eaten away by the rich royal blue flesh. His pecs glistened, his shoulders heaved, and the slight breeze that circulated through the cave blew through the fur that wrapped around his forearms and ankles. Even his newly grown wild sideburns shifted in the breeze, but in the midst of all that pleasure came a mounting pain. Kenji's moans of pleasure were tainted by grunts of discomfort.

What had started as a pair of small lumps on his forehead were growing quickly. The blue flesh turned purple around the growing irritation. As Kenji continued to receive the Oni's seed and make out with him, the lumps formed into more perfect points, rubbing and tensing until droplets of purple-red blood erupted and the white horns emerged in sharp contrast to the blue skin. No longer held back, they unsheathed themselves more rapidly, pushing out of Kenji's forehead.

Curving up like sickles, the horns grew tall and proud. They were firmly anchored into his skull, an extension of himself. As the horns quieted down, the skin around their base settled and healed up to seal them properly. Kenji panted into the shared kiss, trying to catch his breath. He let out a soft grunt as his ears suddenly burned, stretching into points on either side of his head. His silver earrings sizzled for a moment, the metal corroding suddenly until they turned jet black.

The position the two Oni had shared had not been the most romantic, which is why when the blade finally popped free of the red demon's chest, Kenji nearly fell back. The demon caught him and held him, letting the blade clatter to the floor. Kenji let out a long moan, feeling the last of the red Oni's cum flood into his balls. His testicles grew larger, rounder and fuller, sagging lower and heavier in a huge blue sack. The black hair that ringed his manhood grew thicker and wilder, matching the untamed wilderness of his partner.

“I've waited so long for that…" The red Oni moaned as his flow finally ebbed. Kenji was left there, hanging on the other demon, eyes glazed with lust.

“Ten years for a good lay?" He asked. The Red Oni purred.

“A very good lay." he smirked.

“I don't even know your name. I'm Tanaka Kenji, or I was." He said. The red demon purred at that, petting Kenji's sideburn.

“You still can be. I didn't mean to steal you away from your life. I am Abbac by the way." The Oni said affectionately. Kenji's thicker black eyebrow arched at that.

“This doesn't feel temporary..." Kenji said. Abbac laughed at that, sidling back to sit on the boulder, letting Kenji rearrange himself to sit on his lap as he reclined.

“Well, you'll always be an Oni now, but there are options for picking up where you left off. Glamors, visions, magiks. You could even use that S-Shaped blade to steal back humanity from that welp." Abbac grinned. Kenji laughed a little at that.

“You went through all this, a ten year plan for a one night stand?" Kenji asked dubiously. The red Oni shrugged.

“I'm not sure if I'm ready for a bigger commitment. What do humans say? No labels? But I wouldn't object to having you visit from time to time. I know we could have a lot of fun." Abbac smiled before he laughed, “Plus you look good with tusks."

“I must admit, they feel good too." Kenji laughed a little before he sighed, “I'm going to have to find my own way home. I don't think I trust Cassius enough to ask for a ride."

“You could stay the night, have some stew?" Abbac offered. Kenji's eyes narrowed a little suspiciously.

“I thought you said it needed more bone marrow." Kenji reminded him. Abbac shrugged.

“I needed to trick you into stabbing me. Actually, I'm a rather good cook." Abbac said. Kenji shook his head as he slid off of the red Oni's lap, landing on feet far larger than he was used to. He wiggled his toes, feeling the comforting click of claws as he padded over to the cauldron and inhaled the savory aroma. Abbac came up behind him, putting a hand on the blue Oni's shoulder at first before it drifted down to squeeze his muscled ass cheek. Kenji didn't complain. He was rather hungry after all.

****

Heavy thunder rumbled outside of the airport as a downpour pelted the windows, running down the long windows. The luggage carriers whizzed along the tarmac, spray kicking up behind the tires as they headed for cover. Many of the travelers looked weary by the delay, hunkering down where they could. Kenji, however, seemed to be faring fairly well. He stood before a vending machine of canned coffee, tugging on the long tail of the enchanted scarf that was wrapped around his neck. The fabric was a temporary measure until he got home, but it would make him appear human to everyone else.

Finally making his selection, Kenji put in his credit card and punched in the sequence of numbers. The machine hesitated, churned and then shuddered before dropping the canned coffee. Kenji fished it out, mindful of his claws before he popped the top and tipped it back. Gulping the coffee down, he felt a bit relieved and a bit refreshed. He sighed with that relief before looking around the airport, his eyes so very curious.

Kenji had worked for several years as an adventurer and investigator, but he'd had no idea how close to the surface the other side was. Even with the convergence, it seemed that nearly one out of every ten people in the airport was other. There were horns and tails, wings and scales, all mixed in like he was. He wondered how many of them saw him as a blue skinned Oni now. What would it mean for his business? Well, that answer was obvious. It would help in some ways and hurt in others.

Taking another sip of his coffee, Kenji began walking leisurely to his terminal. His stomach was still a little tender after his visit with Abbac. He could cook, but he could also fuck. They'd gone after it in pretty much every position Kenji could imagine. As tender as he was, though, it seemed that his libido had been supercharged. Abbac had tempted him with taking the Backwards Blade but Kenji wasn't all that keen on tricking people into stabbing him. At that, Abbac had hinted that it wasn't the only way to turn someone into an Oni.

“One more thing I'm going to have to keep an eye on." Kenji muttered to himself, trying to keep from feeling like a letch as he looked at the other men in the airport; there were college boys on vacation from school, handsome salarymen in their suits, even some rugged fishmongers fresh off a long shift. All of them looked like they could satisfy Kenji in the short term but he had to keep his eyes on the prize.

Kenji wandered along the long row of benches before he settled down on one. He slunk down in his seat until his head was lower than the backrest, his ass near the front of the seat and his legs sprawled out. He wriggled side to side to settle a little more before he pulled the tail of his scarf over his eyes to let them rest. There was something particularly peaceful between the background murmur of the airport and the distant rumble of thunder. Kenji had nearly dozed off when he caught the strong scent of cinnamon in the air right in front of him.

“Are you Tanaka Kenji of Otherworld Nexus Investigations?" A silky voice asked. Kenji reached up to pull his scarf back from one eye, looking up to see a very tall, very lithe, multi-tailed fox man. At making eye contact, the kitsune smiled a sharp grin, silver eyes shining. Kenji inhaled slowly and then exhaled slowly. Surely this would be trouble, but he did have some time to kill before his plane would be able to take off.

“More or less… but I am Tanaka Kenji." he replied, sliding himself back up as he braced for the next case.