Heavily beating steps followed me, which even the deaf could’ve heard in this forsaken weather. Even without my powers, I was still faster than him; even if I was nothing but a weak woman right now, I remained agile thanks to my stature.

But I had to find out I horribly underestimated my pursuer’s stamina – or was it his determination? As I fled breathlessly, the distance steadily decreased between us so much so that he managed to get me in a careless moment.

I landed on my stomach, face planted in the mud.

It was truly graceful.

... And what came to mind? That I was lucky, because I didn’t fracture anything? Or that I could hardly breathe, because my attacker squeezed me flat? Oh come on, nope! The very first thought that formulated in me was how fortunate I hadn’t worn today one of my ornate kimonos...!

And this proved excellently how much of a woman I was inside; although I would never confess to anyone that the first thing on my mind was worrying about my clothes in this situation. However, I could easily see that perhaps this wasn’t the most appropriate minute to contemplate on this.

My back also became muddy in the next second as the ruffian flipped me over, and I was looking up furiously at the face of the man towering over me. I must’ve been a spectacularly frightening sight with my body (and clothes!) covered in dark brown glaze and my eyes flashing defiantly.

It was incomprehensible to me why he started guffawing loudly...

I waited for the water to wash off the undesirable face pack at least, but I didn’t feel raindrops. Confused, I looked up at the sky and was surprised to see that the storm was leaving the same way it came: without announcement, in a matter of seconds.

My lips pulled into a sneer.

“What’s so amusin’?” the bandit bit out when he saw my expression. Then he continued with his toothless grin: “Ya crazy, woman? Like ya don’ know what’s waitin’ for ya...”

“Oh, but I am very well aware of that fact.’”

I felt the power in me spreading inch by inch. I was feeling better and better every second, but knew that I still had to stall for time.

“You don’t happen to want my hairpins, do you?”

It was an antic attempt, but I couldn’t recall anything else all of the sudden. It seemed he noticed this, too.

“Ya takin’ me for a fool? Yer hair is untied!”

Did he really wait for an answer, or just...?

It was an unbelievable feeling, like I could breathe again! However, my deep sniff of the fresh, after-rain air was a turning-point for my capturer: he couldn’t contain himself anymore, it didn’t even matter to him that we were in the muck as he bent over and covered my field of vision completely.

Once more breathing in deeply and my mind dimmed, intoxicated: my power now returned entirely! My gaze was veiled over by a reddish fog as I shoved the damned ruffian away without a single thought, and thus he lived through the wonderful experience of flying: for a whole two seconds.

He blinked at me, dumbfounded, from his place under the tree he had slammed into. I didn’t know if the crack came from the plant or him, but one glance was enough to reassure myself: the tree would remain alive.

I grinned evilly as I took a step closer to him. All it took was a single swipe – my claws didn’t spare his pathetic existence. Glancing up beyond the canopy, an honest smile appeared on my face this time, because of the sight of the double rainbow. This one was a rare, peculiar thunderstorm.

Then my thoughts drifted back to the lifeless body at my feet. Wretched soul – didn’t he know that the strongest demons could mask themselves in human form?

And my disguise was perfect.