Chapter 10: Welcome to Shin-Corp

Susanoo-No-Mikoto was many things.

He was the youngest of the three chief deities of the Shinto, He was a god of Sea and Storms, of Marriage and Love, a child of Izanagi and Izanami, a warrior, a hero, a brother, and a father.

But most importantly, he did not know how to take care of children.

Especially if they were unconscious.

And looking at the child he decided to take as an apprentice, The god masquerading as Koto Sano couldn't help but sigh at the thought that, maybe if he was there for his child all those years ago, maybe he would have known what to do.

"Ummm, Susanoo-Sama, I apologize again, but Queen Cliodhna is waiting for you in your office, and I don't know if- EEK!" The hairy ape-like creature cried as the god of the sea turned to glare at it.

"You," He started saying, causing the fur-covered Yokai to shiver in fright, "Get someone to take care of this child, give him an introductory tour of the building, and then meet me at twelve in the gardens," The god started walking to one of the elevators of the building, intent on fixing the mess that was caused in his absence.

"I- YES! SUSANOO-SAMA!!!" The yokai screamed as it bowed its head, its tears staining the fur on its face.

"Make sure that you do," Susanoo said, and the Elevator doors closed, leaving the unconscious boy on the floor of the lobby of the supernatural headquarters.

.....

Opening my eyes, I found myself laying on my back, my head resting against something soft, and the sound of a television channel being played in my ears.

"Oh No! With Levi-Tan captured by the clutches of the evil Rock Demon, what will she do?!" The show was then interrupted by a commercial trying to sell a vacuum cleaner that can banish sprites and pixies.

Whatever those were.

Trying to stand up, I see that I am on a couch, my head was being rested on a pillow, and the television was hanging from the wall like what you'd see in a waiting room for a doctor's appointment.

"What happened?" I try and remembered where I was.

I was picked up by Sano-san earlier this morning to get to my apprenticeship at Shin-Corp, so I am currently at their Tokyo headquarters.

What else do I remember?

There was this Sasquatch-looking dude calling Sano-san, Susanoo-Sama...

"Took ya long enough, Little Hero," And eyes of crackling lightning, yep! Now I remember.

I blacked out.

SHIT! I BLACKED OUT!

"I see you're awake," A deep voice interrupted my spiraling train of thought, turning to look at who made that noise, I found myself face to face with a small child.

A small child with a surprisingly deep voice, and a pair of brown wings.

I didn't say a word, too shocked to completely process what was happening.

"The Shinto gods are real," I whispered as I held my head.

"You're new to all this, right?" The child asked, nodding to themselves even though I haven't said anything.

"Follow me, I was told to give you a tour of the place," They grabbed my hand, and with a surprising show of strength, lifted me from the couch and started carrying me on their back.

"Wha?" I wanted to ask who they were and why they were carrying me, among hundreds of other questions, but it seems that they already saw the question coming.

"My name is Korobo," They said, "And don't let my size fool you, I am two hundred years old already," 

I blinked, looking down at the person carrying me like a backpack, who couldn't have been older than Ruruko, telling me that they were two centuries old.

"It's not the weirdest thing you've learned today, yes?" They stole the words from right out of my mouth.

"That's normal for you Humans, Especially ones like you who have no prior involvement with the supernatural," They shuffled their shoulders a bit, trying to get a better grasp on me, "You're actually one of the calmer introductions we had since I joined," They chuckled to themselves, "120 years ago, Some kid tried to commit Seppuku when he was introduced," They laughed a bit, "That was a messy day,"

"I'm Dead, aren't I? I actually died in Kyoto and this is just my brain playing tricks on me before I reincarnate once more, right?" I thought to myself as I listened to the deep-voiced 200-year-old child tell me about Shin-Corp.

"And this is the Gardens," We stopped after a tour of the gigantic towers in front of the wooden gate, Korobo finally put me down off their shoulders and patted me on my back, "This is your stop, Kid, You'll be fine," They smiled up at me before turning and walking away, leaving me alone in front of the gate.

"Ken-chan! Come in here, what are you doing out there?!" I heard Susanoo shout from beyond the gate, and so I gulped the saliva that was building up in my throat and walked in.

...

"So... How did you like the place?" Sano Koto, or should I address him as Susanoo-sama now? Asked as I sat on my knees in front of him.

We were currently situated in a classic Japanese-style garden, a small pond filled with colorful Koi was next to us, a tree full of red leaves cast shade on where we were sitting, and I am still as confused as I was earlier.

"It's... Nice?" I answered Susanoo's question.

He looked at me with a smirk on his lips before asking another question. 

"You didn't listen to the tour, did you?"

"No, I didn't," I admitted immediately, I mean, what was I supposed to tell him? That I like what this company does. I don't know anything about this stuff!

"That's fair, You're probably still confused as to the whole Supernatural thing, right?" I nodded.

"So, Let me give you a quick rundown of the absolute basics of what you'll need to know, Better change your sitting posture, this is going to take a while,"

I moved my legs, changing how I sat, and the god of storms started talking.

"Most of the things you heard about in those old fantasy books? They're real. Dragons and Gods, Demons and monsters, They're all real." I nodded, so far I understood what he was talking about, I've seen enough anime and read enough books to get it.

It's like the FATE series or something like that?

"I am a member of the Japanese Pantheon, or more specifically the Shinto faction," He pointed at himself, "As a Kami, I make sure that nothing horrible happens to the people of Japan, on the Supernatural side at the very least," I nodded, still understanding his explanation.

"However, some people don't like the idea of Kami like myself still having control over all of Japan, so a faction of Demons formed with the idea of getting a slice of Japan where they won't be under the thumb of the Kami," He leaned forward to look me closer in the eyes.

"That group is known as the Yokai faction," He said, "And after a lot of arguing on both sides, My sister decided to give them domain over Kyoto, On a special condition!" He pointed his finger at me, the smell of saltwater that emanated from his body now making sense with his identity.

"And what was that condition?" I asked, Readjusting my glasses.

Susanoo leaned back away from me, "The condition was that no human unaware of the supernatural will be attacked by Yokai," He said. "There was also a thing about updating Sis about what's going on every month, but that's her problem, not mine,"

"Is that why you're-?" I wanted to ask him something but he cut me off.

"Is that why I'm offering you this apprenticeship? Because by attacking you the Yokai faction fucked up?" I winced at his crude language but nodded nonetheless.

"Nah," I stopped as he leaned back farther, his arms holding his body up, stopping his head from touching the grass.

"I'm giving you this internship because you got promise kid," He smiled, his eyes now hidden under his bamboo hat, "You got both a powerful Sacred Gear and your a spirit inheritor,"

I blinked at that. "What?"

Susanoo's body shot up, looking at me with realization.

"You don't know what any of those words mean, don't you?" I shook my head, and he sighed, swiping his hand over his face with a groan.

Suddenly I found myself standing on my feet, a training field filled with wooden pillars and a sand pit stood in front of me.

"Before I explain to you what a Sacred Gear is," Susanoo said as he appeared next to me, making me jump in surprise at the mans arrival.

"We are going to find what yours is," He told me with a smirk, sparks of electricity jumping in his eyes.

I gulped.