Himiko stood motionless at the gate, crown spinning lazily above her head.
"I suggest you let me into this archive right now," she said calmly. "Or I'll kill you and everyone in this town. Don't test me, I'm feeling nice for now…
The first guard had already run off to get the captain, leaving his partner alone and visibly shaking.
Himiko sighed softly. "How dreadfully slow."
She took one graceful step closer. The guard stumbled back, spear rattling in his hands.
"Stay back!" he yelped.
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with faint amusement. "Relax. I'm simply waiting for your friend to return with someone who actually matters."
Minutes later, the first guard returned with the captain — a broad-shouldered man in full plate — and four more guards.
The captain stopped a few paces away, hand resting on his sword hilt. "You're the one causing trouble at my gate?"
Himiko smiled, small and cold. "Trouble? I merely asked for entry to your archive. Your men seem to think that requires payment and kneeling. I find both requests… distasteful."
She took another step forward.
"So I'll make this simple. Open the gates. Let me read what I came for. Or I'll skip the formalities and take what I want by force."
The captain's face hardened. His men drew their weapons.
From the treeline, the four observers watched in tense silence.
Himiko clicked her tongue, clearly losing patience.
"Fine. You've made your choice."
She took one more step, crown spinning faster.
"I was going to let you live. I only wanted books. Nothing more."
Her mismatched eyes swept across the guards.
"Though I am merciful, I'll give you one last chance. Grant me entry… or I kill you all."
She tilted her head, voice calm but dangerous.
"Don't test me. I don't fancy being soaked in blood while I read."
The guards froze. The captain swallowed hard, then spoke, voice strained.
"…You may enter the archive. But you only have one hour. Touch nothing that does not belong to you."
Himiko's lips curved into a small smile.
"I will leave when I am satisfied. You are in no position to put restrictions on me."
The captain's face twitched, but he stepped aside and gestured for his men to do the same.
Himiko walked past them without another glance, hair swaying, crown spinning lazily above her head.
As soon as she was out of earshot, the captain exhaled shakily.
"…Send word to the elders. Now. We have something very dangerous inside our walls."
The four observers remained hidden, barely breathing.
Himiko pushed open the heavy doors of the archive and stepped inside.
The room was dimly lit, lined with tall shelves packed with scrolls and bound books. An older woman in fine robes sat behind a desk at the far end.
The woman looked up, eyes widening slightly at Himiko's appearance, but she recovered quickly.
"Welcome to the Yoshino Archive. I am Lady Eiko. May I ask what you're looking for?"
"I'm not here for clan histories," Himiko said. "Recently I experienced something… unusual. It felt like my will extended outward, judging everything around me and finding it lacking. The space itself seemed to bend to that judgment before collapsing. I need to understand what that was."
Lady Eiko's eyes widened. She studied Himiko for a moment, then answered carefully.
"That sounds like the early signs of a Domain Expansion — specifically an incomplete one. Most sorcerers begin with unstable domains that spill outward rather than forming a proper barrier. With time and refinement, they can stabilize and become far more powerful."
Himiko's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Bring me everything you have on Domain Expansion, especially the incomplete stages."
Lady Eiko led her to a restricted shelf and pulled several thick scrolls and books, placing them on the central table.
"These are the most detailed records we have."
Himiko sat down and began reading.
For nearly three hours she sat in silence, absorbing every line. When she finally set the last scroll aside, her understanding was clear.
She now knew exactly what had happened to her during her evolution.
And she knew it was only the beginning.
After finishing the domain texts, Himiko reached for the tomes on cursed energy.
She read quietly, taking in every detail about how negative emotions produce cursed energy, how the soul acts as the source, and how the mind acts as the gate. She learned how profound suffering forges stronger power, and how true mastery requires harmony between soul, mind, and energy.
When she finally closed the last book, she remained seated for a moment, processing everything she had learned.
A small, cold smile curved her lips.
"Perfect."
Himiko closed the last book with a soft thud and rose from the table.
She walked out of the archive without a word to Lady Eiko. The moment she stepped outside, she heard two townsmen talking near the gate.
"Did you hear? Another special grade appeared a few weeks ago. They're calling it the Fly King. Apparently it can talk."
"Yeah, I heard. Born from people's fear of flies. Swarms of fly-headed things follow it around. They're already saying it'd be a good fight against the Porcelain Onryo."
Himiko stopped.
Her crown spun faster. A dangerous smile slowly spread across her face.
She stepped silently behind the two men, smoothly hooking her left arm around one's shoulders and her right around the other, standing right between them.
Both men stiffened.
Her voice came out smooth and regal, laced with cold amusement.
"Oh please, don't stop on my account. I was thoroughly enjoying your little debate."
She tilted her head, mismatched eyes gleaming.
"So tell me… between that elegant Porcelain Onryo and this new Fly King, who do you gentlemen think would win in a fight?"
The first man laughed nervously. "Hah, well… the Porcelain one sounds way more dangerous. That fly thing's probably just a big bug. No real class."
The second man stammered, "Y-Yeah, I'd put my coin on the white one. She wiped out an entire clan. That fly king sounds gross."
Himiko's smile widened.
"How fascinating. I quite agree."
She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a silky whisper.
"After all… elegance always triumphs over insects, doesn't it?"
She kept her arms hooked around both men's shoulders as she asked sweetly, "Where is this Fly King now?"
The first man answered quickly, "Last anyone heard, it was spotted near the old ruins up in the northern mountains. Some abandoned temple complex. That's where the swarm's been gathering."
The second man nodded. "Yeah, the Fly King stays up there. People say it's building something. Smart to stay away from it."
Himiko's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with cold delight.
"An abandoned temple in the northern mountains…"
She finally released both men, patting their shoulders once.
"Thank you, gentlemen. You've been most helpful."
She turned and walked away with perfect grace, hair swaying, crown spinning lazily above her head.
The two men stood stunned, watching her leave.
One of them finally muttered, "…That woman was terrifying."
Neither of them realized they had just given the Porcelain Onryo exactly what she wanted — the location of her future general.