Please Use Me as You Wish, Lord Onmyoji

"Now that you've seen him, I'll send you back."

Once Mushishi had finally calmed her excitement, Arata spoke lightly, his voice carrying a teasing note. He knew the little yokai had earnestly wished to return home just moments ago. It would hardly do to force her to stay.

His words made the girl panic. Sealed inside a cocoon for so long, she knew nothing of how cruel people could be.

"W-wait."

"Please forgive my earlier rudeness. If possible, please let me stay here a little longer."

"I... I want to..."

Mushishi turned her face aside in confusion. When she looked back at her summoner, her delicate gaze held a plea that was hard to resist.

"What do you want to do?"

"If you have a good enough reason, I could let you stay."

"But didn't you just say you had a wish you absolutely had to fulfill?"

"If so, I should send you back."

Looking at the shy little yokai stumbling over her words, Arata deliberately furrowed his brow, apparently unmoved by her pitiful expression.

Mushishi could not tell what her summoner truly meant, nor did she dare presume. But she had heard his promise clearly: if her reason was good enough, she could stay.

She did not know whether her wish to follow that beautiful great yokai counted as a good reason. At this point, though, she had no choice but to say it aloud.

"Yes, esteemed Lord Onmyoji."

After settling her nerves a little, she looked straight at the human onmyoji and parted her lips. "Because..."

"Because I want to see that lord yokai again and—"

But just as Arata was coaxing the wish from her, a deep, gentle voice descended from above and interrupted her at the crucial moment.

"I remember you."

"You were the cocoon in