Chapter 2

"So let me get this straight."

He had to resist the urge to rub at his temples as his disciple excitedly snitched on all the supernatural factions that took advantage of his absence. Looking as all nine gold tails wagged behind her, making him question her origins somewhat.

"The Devils, Church, The Grigori, The Greek Pantheon, Nordic Pantheon… Basically everyone."

"Mhmhmm!"

'You're not suppose to look so proud about that!' If Yasaka truly knew of her master's thoughts, she would probably want to hide herself away,' What kind of trash faction did my disciple get herself involved in?!'

Indeed to be the supernatural world's collective punching bag was truly worthy of receiving the word 'trash'.

"Well," He coughed slightly, feeling her earnest gaze bore a hole in his face," Before anything else, I need to check your progress over all these centuries. Show me the progress of this..new path of yours."

"...Yes.."

Now her dog like appearance truly fled under the man's words, long forgotten echoes of pain bounced endlessly through her body. Yasaka's golden hair stood on end as a sense of danger touched her fox like instincts. With a start, she leapt back onto her feet. Kimono billowing in breeze, tails whipping around.

She felt upon that near infinite storm of power just beneath her feet, the Earth groaned, surged and congealed into something almost tangible. Strands of Ki broke through the surface, wrapping themselves tightly around the blonde kitsune. It was like she had stuck her finger in an electrical socket, causing all of those golden locks to stand on in.

Her golden eyes practically glowed under the deluge of magic, and bright azure flames began to stream out of her plump lips. Flowing more akin to serpent than anything else and curling around her frame.

Twisting and turning, the spheres of destruction clashed together. Sending out a wave of super heated air that scorched the nearby plant life. While this wasn't one her most powerful attacks, it was iconic to her. In fact it was the calling card of kitsunes. Flames made from their very Ki. Foxfire.

The storm of fire embed and condensed further, sparks of yellow light could be seen from the flames. The air grew hotter and hotter under the foxfire of old.

This continued until the roaring azure flames turned into a singular mere ember. Ripples emitted from the small speck, looking as though it could disperse at any time. With but a mere careless excel, could permanently extinguished the flickering ember. How deceptive i-

She opened her mouth, exposing pearly white fangs to the world and chomped down the flame without any abandon. Ki further bubbled and popped, caressing, altering, enhancing the mere speck of power.

Muscles tightened, breathing halted and feet steady. With a simple subconscious command, her unhinged unnaturally releasing a body width stream of variable pillar of blue fire. Spinning in place, becoming more akin to a tornado. Reinforced with multiple infusions of Ki, Youki and Magic from the Earth itself, she couldn't help but feel proud of her progress so far.

'Lets see how master deals with flame that not even Ultima-'

"Its rather interesting.."

The banished immortal essentially plucked the tornado of foxfire out of the air, shrinking it down to the size of his palm. Yasaka was gobsmacked at that picture before her. She could tell he had covered his hands in a thin mist like film of purplish energy. Just from that seemingly small bits of Ki, she felt a qualitative difference from other Ki users. While it was a life energy, it acted more akin to lightning crackling through the body. Fast and unpredictable. But his Ki seemingly lost that 'energy' becoming more subdued. More controlled.

'The completed Expelling stage…'

It made her a bit depressed just seeing that level of Ki being showcased before her. Before she had tied herself to the leyline, her Ki had long gone from an energized state (Plasma) to a gas like state. But now…

"You changed this technique from what I remember," He didn't speak as though he was holding onto one of the Yokai Faction leaders," There would be a lot more power behind this if you made it into a gas instead, but I guess using the dragon vein to supplement it does close the gap in a way."

The golden decroations on Yasaka's head drooped under his words, she knew connecting to that wellspring of energy was a mistake but things were desperate those days..

"While you have thoroughly crippled your cultivation," His words were like repeated hammer blows," I guess I'll have to slightly edit your training regiment. Now that I've seen your Ki and Youki techniques, show me your Touki."

"But.." The blonde grimaced guiltily, it had been a very long time since she had to alter her mage fighting style. Staying far away and blasting people with fire so much more convenient..

"You can transform of course." Her master tried to make things a bit fairer for his wayward disciple," Show me what you have first and I'll adjust my level to it."

'What a backhanded handicap..'

Since he had asked for it, the blonde kitsune released her tightly spun control over her form. Nearly erupting into a mass of muscle, fur, claws and fangs. Standing taller than most buildings with all 9 of her tails waggling menacingly in the air. Her paw itself was more than enough to squish the 'puny' human, at least that's what people would think.

Feeling her Ki roar through her now gigantic body, claws gleamed and fur began to emanate a golden hue. Crouching down, she launched herself at the small human with reckless abandon who only looked at the kitsune somewhat fondly.

With a small smile, he crushed the azure tornado and allowed Ki to flow equally across his body. Filling him with such familiar power, his own. And so began their deadly dance of claws and fists. Human against an ancient Yokai.

Flesh met fur, claws skittered harmlessly against Touki infused skin. Fists blocked tree size tails that threatened to sweep him off his feet. Said appendages then whipped against a steel like hide. Teeth nipped at a fluttering figure. Elbows hammered down into snouts.

For the nearby Yokai living in their villages, towns and cities, it was though a calamity had befallen on their lives. The earth shook, the skies shrieked.