Urashima Taro and the Demonic Turtle

The villagers were growing suspicious of the former ill-tempered man. He had changed too suddenly—becoming polite, generous, and oddly distant, almost like he was trying to avoid attention. And yet, strange and tragic incidents seemed to follow him wherever he went.

The demon, feeling the villagers’ suspicions closing in, decided it was time to make a hasty retreat. Under the cover of night, it slinked to the beach, transformed into a turtle, and slipped into the shallows.

Unfortunately, a group of children playing near the water spotted it.

“Hey, look! A turtle!”

“Let’s poke it with a stick!”

The demon-turned-turtle endured their torment, its mind seething with murderous thoughts. I’ll kill you brats sooner or later, it thought, its crimson eyes glowing faintly. But it held back, knowing that villagers armed with hammer ... ehm, I mean pitchforks and sickles were patrolling nearby.

Just as its patience was wearing thin, a man arrived on the beach: Urashima Taro, a local fisherman. Seeing the children tormenting the turtle, he shooed them away.

“Hey, you poor turtle,” Taro said, holding it up. “What would you have done without me?”

The demon glared but kept up the act.

Taro’s tone changed. “So, uh, how do you plan to repay me?”

The turtle blinked. “...Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Don’t play dumb. I saved your life, so you owe me big time.”

The demon suppressed the urge to bite Taro’s hand off. Instead, it spoke in a honeyed voice. “Why, of course, noble human. How about I take you to the Palace of the Dragon?”

Taro’s eyes lit up. “You mean the legendary underwater palace? With treasures beyond imagination?”

“Exactly,” the demon said. And I imagine your corpse will make an excellent addition to their décor.

The Trip Underwater

Taro climbed onto the turtle’s back, eager for his reward. The demon smirked as it swam deeper and deeper into the ocean. Taro, however, quickly realized that breathing underwater was not one of his talents.

“Uh, turtle… I can’t… breathe…” Taro gasped, clinging to the turtle’s shell.

“Oh, really? That’s unfortunate,” the demon said, feigning surprise. “But you didn’t ask for air. You only wanted me to take you to the palace.”

Taro’s grip weakened as he struggled for oxygen. The last thing he heard was the demon’s mocking laughter.

When Taro finally stopped moving, the turtle dragged his lifeless body to the gates of the Palace of the Dragon. The sea creatures inside marveled at the "gift."

“What an artistic addition to the coral garden!” a seahorse remarked.

“Yes,” the demon said smugly. “I believe I’ve outdone myself this time.”

The Demon’s Departure

Having rid itself of Taro and safely escaped the villagers, the demon decided to stay in the ocean for a while, relishing its clever escape.

But its peace didn’t last long. One day, it overheard a school of fish gossiping about a ghostly fisherman haunting the shoreline.

Apparently, Urashima Taro’s vengeful spirit had returned, and he wasn’t happy about being tricked.

“Maybe I should’ve just killed those kids instead,” the demon muttered, paddling nervously away from the coast.

Kaguya-Hime and the Demon Masquerading as a Bamboo Cutter

After the whole "Urashima Taro" debacle, the shapeshifting demon decided it needed a long-term disguise. Wandering inland, it stumbled across a bamboo grove. There, it overheard whispers of a beautiful maiden found inside a glowing bamboo stalk.

Intrigued by the tale and wanting to exploit the situation, the demon transformed into a humble bamboo cutter. Armed with an axe (ironically "borrowed" from a cursed lumberjack who didn’t survive long), the demon roamed the forest pretending to be a hardworking man.

One day, the demon stumbled upon a glowing stalk of bamboo. “Finally, some luck!” it hissed. Splitting the bamboo open, it expected riches or magical artifacts. Instead, out popped Kaguya-Hime herself, radiant and glowing like moonlight.

The demon froze. It hadn’t planned for this.

“Oh, noble bamboo cutter,” Kaguya-Hime said, her voice soft as silk, “thank you for releasing me. Please, take me into your care.”

The demon, sensing an opportunity to leverage her celestial presence for power, nodded quickly. “Of course, dear maiden. Come with me to my humble home.”

The Demon’s Scheme

Disguised as her “father,” the demon announced Kaguya-Hime’s beauty far and wide. Suitors from all over the land came bearing gifts, hoping to win her hand. The demon laughed quietly as treasure piled up in its bamboo shack.

However, Kaguya-Hime had no intention of marrying anyone. To each suitor, she gave impossible tasks: find the stone bowl of Buddha, retrieve a branch with jewels from the mystical island of Horai, and so on.

The demon found this endlessly amusing. “Mortals are so gullible,” it thought, lounging on piles of gold. But Kaguya-Hime’s behavior also puzzled it. Despite her delicate appearance, she seemed... calculating.

The Tables Turn

One fateful night, Kaguya-Hime approached the demon. “Father,” she said sweetly, “I know your true nature.”

The demon flinched, its disguise flickering for a moment. “W-what do you mean?”

“I’ve known since the day you split the bamboo. You’re no mortal,” she said calmly. “But worry not. I’ve played along because I have a use for you.”

The demon blinked in shock. “What could you possibly need me for?”

“To deliver a message,” Kaguya-Hime said, her voice now colder. She reached into her robes and revealed a scroll glowing with celestial light.

Before the demon could react, the scroll flew at it, binding it in chains of moonlight. The demon roared in pain as its disguise melted away, revealing its monstrous true form.

“Your punishment is long overdue,” Kaguya-Hime said. “For your crimes against humanity—and particularly that poor fisherman—you are banished to the lunar mines.”

“No! Not the moon! I hate moon rabbits!” the demon wailed, thrashing against the chains.

But it was too late. A beam of light enveloped the demon, dragging it toward the heavens.

The Demon’s Fate

Now imprisoned on the moon, the demon is forced to pound mochi for eternity under the watchful eyes of celestial rabbits. Its once-shapeshifting body is now a shadowy lump, good for little else but pounding rice cakes.

Every so often, the demon whispers, “At least I didn’t kill those kids,” trying to comfort itself.