The Nue crouched on the cedar roof of the shrine. It was a nightmare composite: the face of a monkey, the legs of a tiger, the body of a tanuki, and a poisonous snake for a tail. Roofborne Haunt. It unleashed its Nue-no-Naki, a high-pitched, metallic shriek that caused sickness in emperors.
Striding through the Tori gate was an Oni. Red-skinned, eight feet tall, and carrying an iron club (kanabo) the size of a telephone pole.
The Oni looked up, picking its ear with a claw. "You are loud," it grunted.
Iron Beats Cloud
The Nue hissed, offended. It manifested a black cloud and fused into it. Chimera Physique. It leaped from the roof, a blur of claws and venom.
The Oni didn't dodge. It enjoyed pain. It took the tiger-claw scratch across its chest without flinching.
As the Nue’s snake-tail struck, the Oni’s massive hand shot out. It grabbed the snake by the neck.
The Nue panicked, tethered to the demon.
The Oni grinned. "Batter up."
It swung its kanabo with casual, devastating force. Kanabo Sundering.
The iron club met the Nue’s ribcage. There was a wet crunch. The chimera was spiked into the ground like a tent peg. The Oni wiped green slime off its club, stepped over the flattened carcass, and went to find the sake barrels.