BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Blake's trek toward the Imperial Palace was brought to a halt by the sounds and tremors of approaching footsteps. The tiny samurai nervously peered up to find himself looking directly at a towering, blue-skinned woman. Her eyes were an icier shade of blue than her rather buff form, and on the giantess's head were a pair of horns. Gripped in her right hand was a heavy iron club with spikes of steel all over it. If Blake's reasoning was correct, this was no ordinary woman - he had been stopped by a hulking, powerful Oni! He'd heard many legends about the Oni - mighty, demon-like entities often rumored to feed on lost humans or punish the wicked.

Since none of his training covered doing battle with supernatural beings, Blake turned around and prepared to hightail it, only to be snatched up into the Oni's free hand.

"Who dares disturb the domain of the great and powerful Yuki?!" the demonic woman asked the inch-tall intruder.

"Uh...hi?" was Blake's sheepish response. "I'm Blake. I traveled a long way to..."

"Silence!!" Yuki cut him off, her booming voice making him cower in fear. "No human intrudes upon my territory and lives to tell about it! This will not go unpunished..." The blue-skinned Oni lowered Blake to the ground and raised a foot above him, but paused suddenly, seeming to reconsider snuffing the life out of the puny samurai. "Hmm...on second thought, you could very well be useful!"

"Useful for...what?" Blake nervously inquired.

"That depends on what I'm in the mood for!" Yuki put a finger to her lips. "Do I crave a little masseuse? A slave to smother whenever I feel like it? Or perhaps...a snack?"

Blake gulped. Whatever this Oni woman had in mind, he probably wouldn't enjoy it in the least!