Yuki Onna are snow spirits from Japanese folklore. They are said to take the form of enchanting women, with an ethereal beauty that seems to transcend human understanding. They hunt mortals for sustenance, using a chilling breath that can freeze their prey solid and drain the life force from their bodies.

Despite their reputation as ruthless killers, the Yuki Onna are not without mercy. One famous legend tells the tale of a boy who is spared by a Yuki Onna because of his age. The Yuki Onna makes him promise never to speak of their encounter to anyone, and the boy lives the rest of his life keeping this secret. Eventually the boy grows up, marries, and raises a family. However, one night he tells his wife about the encounter, not realizing that she herself is the Yuki Onna. Possessed by indignation at the broken promise, the Yuki Onna reveals her true identity to him. Though filled with rage at the betrayal, she decides to spare the man once more because of their children and instead chooses to return to the snowy wilderness. But, before she departs, she warns him that she will show no mercy if he ever mistreats their children when she is gone.

Yuki Onna have a complex nature that can be both alluring and deadly, like the winter weather that they represent.

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