The sun was hanging high above the horizon, casting golden waves of warmth across the coastal sands. The beach was alive with the sounds of laughter, crashing surf, and distant music carried on the breeze. The air smelled of salt, sunscreen, and the subtle perfume of the pine-covered cliffs nearby. The sunlight danced across the sea in shimmering flashes like a thousand tiny stars. Nestled into a reclining chair beneath the shade of a large umbrella, I lay in quiet contentment. The rhythmic sound of the waves paired with the occasional call of seabirds. That is, until a sudden shadow fell over me, blocking the sunlight for just a moment. A familiar energy pulsed through the air ancient, grounded, and unmistakably powerful.

"Are you really just going to melt into that chair all day?"

a playful but commanding voice said.

I opened one eye slowly, and there she was Ayaka no Tsukikage, my Oni friend, standing before me like a living monument carved from fire and myth. Her red crimson skin practically glowed under the sun. Droplets of seawater still clung to her powerful frame, glistening along the sharp definition of her muscles and the smooth curves of her body. Her short black hair clung slightly to her cheeks and neck, tousled by the sea breeze. The sunlight caught in her horns, making them gleam like polished coral. Her sharp, red eyes locked onto me with mock impatience and just a glimmer of amusement. She wore a black athletic bikini that contrasted beautifully with her skin tone — nothing flashy, just something functional enough to match her warrior spirit, but stylish enough to say she chose it. A towel hung loosely over one shoulder, and fine grains of sand clung to her ankles, proof she'd already been in and out of the water more than once.

"I swear, you humans are so soft,"

she teased, hands on her hips as she tilted her head.

"You get one sunny day and suddenly you forget how to move."

Without waiting for a response, she reached down, grabbed the back of my chair with one hand, and tilted it just enough to make me sit upright not violently, but with enough Oni strength to get her point across.

"Come on," she said, her voice a mix of challenge and encouragement.