23

Chapter 23: Machinations

Chapter Text

After Yasaka's grand proclamation to the court, it was summarily adjourned. We were led away while the court began to leave and mingled with each other. Since I had noticed multiple nobles eyeing us up, if mostly me, Yasaka likely plans to make the first contact. I'm happy in a way, as I get to avoid false pleasantries with these sycophants, but it would also be beneficial to make more connections. I'll settle with being thankful for now; the key point in making that choice is the fact that Shuten is still here.

We were directed through the pristine halls of the shrine to a private room and told that Yasaka would join us to discuss arrangements further after she had finished. Shuten who had already sat too long without an outburst, a minor miracle if there ever was one, made clear her displeasure. As the leader of the village, I was the only one truly expected to be there and a rowdy child would hamper productivity. Because of that, Mother took her to look around the shrine grounds. One of the staff that was working was quick to offer to be their escort. This left me alone waiting for Yasaka. At least I was given some tea to entertain myself with.

The tea set was clearly exquisite even to my untrained eyes. From the style and the subtle solar motif, I would guess the set was a gift from Amaterasu. Not only that but the set in all likelihood was very old or made to look so. My dilemma was that I don't know anything about the etiquette of serving or receiving the tea. Therefore, I'm stuck between serving myself before Yasaka gets here which is definitely a faux pas, or waiting for her and embarrassing myself.

Between the two choices, playing the disrespectful rebel is more in line with what she would be expecting from an Oni. I think that sometimes it could be advantageous to play to stereotypes, that way she will be more surprised when I do something unexpected. Any advantage I can use, no matter how minuscule, is important to obtain.

With that in mind, I ever so gently pour myself a cup of tea. The tea streams out of the teapot, steam billowing skyward, a fragrant aroma filling the air. Gently cupping the cup I raise it to my lips and sigh in delight as it splashes across my palate. I expected as such but the tea served here is magnificent. Tea wasn't exactly something that we bothered within the village; such a thing was surely too dainty and refined. Indeed, Saké was the common refreshment for Oni of all ages, that and blood.

I'm constantly glad that my species has such absurd vitality or the fetal alcohol syndrome alone would have killed us off before others could even attempt to do so. Tea wasn't something I had often in my first life, being more of a coffee person, but I do enjoy the different refreshment opportunities provided.

Actually… I could introduce coffee to the village… Mmmm, coffee. The warm dark ichor of the gods, such rich, bold flavor. I haven't had coffee for sixteen years now…

Of course, sipping tea isn't all I'm going to do while waiting. During this time I'm also replaying what just happened in the court and picking apart the nuances of the interaction. My general consensus on the matter is that I've messed up. While I can say it was due to the fact I've never done such a formal interaction or had to do any political maneuvering in the past, it doesn't change my errors.

I've brought attention to a vulnerability that no one knew about before by bringing up the village in such a public forum. Thankfully, I did so only with the Yokai faction which isn't intimately connected with any faction other than the Shinto Pantheon. Hopefully, this limits the spread of information for a short period of time; at the minimum, the village needs to remain hidden until the population becomes strong enough to defend themselves against the average assailants. The prospect of the village being attacked by the foot soldiers of any faction isn't one that worries me. What does worry me is the attention of those who are truly exceptional in the world being directed at the village.

It isn't some random devil peerage heading there for recruiting that I see as an issue; in such an event the devils would just die at the hands of Akio or even some of the other villagers. The same can be said about Church Exorcists or even members of the Grigori that get interested. The true issue is that someone like Azazel becomes interested. This is unlikely since he's obsessed with Sacred Gears but the idea of a previously extinct race coming back may be enough to pique his interest.

In the same vein, I can't predict the actions of the Principal Clans if they find out. It may be erroneous to say so but I'm fairly confident that Suzaku won't mention that the Oni are still alive to her clan Elders. The enmity between the two groups is already existent at this point and will grow worse whenever the death of her Aunt occurs. There's also the fact I fanned the flames of that issue as much as I could while remaining subtle during our chat. But that doesn't change the fact they may still find out. It's bad enough that people could use my family against me if they aren't strong enough but now they can also hold the village hostage. I suppose the saving grace is that nobody in the outside world knows the location of the village other than my family and Yaeko.

Other than that vulnerability, I've also openly shown that I'm concerned about the power of the other forces out there and unintentionally implied that the West Yokai Faction alone is more powerful than my village by seeking their help. Instead of appearing strong when I'm weak, I've shown myself as weak in truth, something that I had no intention of doing. My hope is that the revelation that the Oni are no longer extinct will overshadow any hints that the court and Yasaka could glean from my words.

Speaking of Yasaka, she was clearly off-balance the moment she saw us. She hid it well but, if I saw it, it's unlikely that the court who has to deal consistently didn't also notice. While this is possibly advantageous for me, it would depend on the source of her surprise. It is likely something to do with either me or my race but it would be arrogant to assume that I know the source of her surprise. It's even possible that the surprise had nothing to do with me and if I try to leverage it the result will be ineffectual. Perhaps someone else there was the source of her conflict.

A polite cough breaks me from my musings. Yasaka is giving a vulpine grin, Fujiwara who is clearly her personal guard is seemingly unaffected by me not noticing them entering or doesn't care. I did notice them, I just didn't feel like turning around! Yasaka glides elegantly across the floor with naught a sound and seats herself across from me. "Thank you for waiting so patiently Ibaraki-dono, I hope the arrangements were up to your standards?"

"The temple is beautiful." My lips twitch upward as I bring my cup up to take another sip. "The tea is also spectacular."

A delicate eyebrow is raised at what indeed turns out to be a faux pas. She makes no mention of it though, contrary to my expectation. Instead, she nods and pours herself a cup. I make sure to watch how she moves and what steps she takes; That way I can copy her next time I'm meeting someone important. Once she's finished and sets her cup back down, I say something I've always wanted to say. "Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."

I had channeled all my sagacity into the phrase, hoping to instill the profoundness that Iroh did so easily. I seem to have touched upon glory at least slightly as she smiles genuinely. "Truer words are rarely spoken. I believe that we won't need to label each other as strangers soon, however. After all, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and what is a meeting between strangers besides a journey to making acquaintance?"

I wouldn't mind trading pleasantries another day but we just got to the city and there is only so long that Shuten can be on her best behavior. Knowing that I should speed this up. "I agree completely. As pleasant as the small talk is, there was a reason why we are here."

Unperturbed by my change in topic her smile remains as radiant as before. "Of course. Lord Fujiwara, please leave us and ensure we are undisturbed."

"My lady, I'm unsure if-" Yasaka's countenance remains placid and amiable but her eyes turn sharp as she glances at her retainer. If I wasn't devoting all my attention to this conversation I may not have even caught the change.

"As I said, please leave us and ensure we are undisturbed." Fujiwara no longer stands on ceremony, departing with speed. I do catch his sigh as the door closes behind him. A subtle glow emanates from the walls, thin strips of Kanji tracing the corners of the room. Presumably, this is a sign of some privacy measures activating.

We each assess the other, the room descending into an increasingly uncomfortable silence as we seek to determine the correct path forward. None of the tension present in the air is shown by either of us yet still we are both aware that one of us needs to begin. In my past I would have been content to stay passive, waiting for the other party to speak. In this life, however, I feel an instinctual drive to push forward; my very being rebelling against such passivity. Restraints of all kinds grate and chafe at a fundamental level.

"Yasaka, I'll be blunt and not stand on formality, as I believe there is no place for it in this private conversation. I and my people are entering the world once more. This may bring great change to the foundations of power in the world or it may amount to nothing, I can't know the way the tides of fate will take us. What I do know is that I will drag my people through any obstacle and bend fate to my will or die." No clues can be found in Yasaka's expression, her face suddenly inscrutable, denying me anything useful.

With nothing to go by, I have to push forward based on my own intentions. "I'll be making enemies with every move I make. Make no mistake, I have no issue with this. Even lacking fear, it is still prudent to gain allies as well; I'm not so bold as to assume I can bear the weight of the world alone. Your attendants brought me here, so I assume you are in one of those categories. I have no intention of being your enemy and you've made no moves against me yet, With that in mind I would guess that you too seek an amicable relationship going forward."

I smile at her and shrug knowing that at most my words are an educated guess at her intentions. "Therefore, I suppose that the question is, what do you plan on doing from this point?"

"That would depend on the moves you make from this point on. I admit that when I instructed my retainers to lead you here, I was expecting someone different." I raise my brow in question and she waves it off.

"Not like that, your age and demeanor were simply outside the scope of my expectations. When the Oni disappeared, or perhaps when Ibaraki-Douji disappeared is more accurate, we foresaw a return eventually. Naturally, we thought it would be sooner than now as your kind aren't known for their patience and restraint. When the return never came we thought that the man simply succumbed to his wounds and we put your people out of our minds." My ancestor snarls at the edge of my awareness and I laugh at her suggestion. To a point, she isn't even wrong but he did manage to continue his line before he died.

"Imagine my surprise when a thousand years later you appear and while you make trouble immediately," She sends a chastising look which flows off me leaving me unaffected. "The trouble is far less than what we would guess from one of your kind and is even focused on criminal elements rather than civilians."

"You understand that while we are all Yokai, the Oni weren't exactly allies traditionally. We did not act against each other but they were only nominally allies. Your people have always rampaged freely, never heeding the opinions of others, constantly moving toward another battlefield. Yet your goals, based on what words you've exchanged so far, represent a profound departure from traditional views whilst maintaining your people's base nature." Her gaze locks on mine as though I'm something unique and confounding, a puzzle for her to solve. Inwardly I cringe because my goals actually do involve a fair amount of slaughter if discriminant rather than indiscriminate.

"This is why you sit before me now. Were you akin to your ancestors, not only would I never contemplate working with you directly, you would have never sought me out. With this in mind, I felt as though I should speak with you before making a judgment on you." Her easy smile fades into a neutral look and her Youki thrums, powerfully, in the air.

"Tell me, Ibaraki, who are you? What do you seek here in Urakyoto?" While I debate what I should say, I feel the flow of Youki that Yasaka is releasing. The sheer volume of power and potency of it allows the energy to physically manifest without being molded into a spell. The strength of a Daiyokai is definitely something to be wary of. This combined with her lineage as a Nine-Tailed Fox and her connection to Kyoto's Leylines makes her stores of energy unrivaled; I can't even sense an end to her reserves. And still…

I roll my eyes unimpressed by the attempt at intimidation, giving her a cheeky grin. Honestly, instead of fear, she's building up my fighting spirit. I'm tempted to provoke her into a fight just to see how exciting it would be. The idea of duking it out with such a powerful opponent, fighting until one of us breathes their last breath, surpassing our limits in a life or death scenario… Well, it gets my blood pumping, thankfully not in a sexual way. I'd be very sad if I turned into a sadomasochist pervert. I do possess enough restraint to focus on the task at hand and so shove down the urge to battle. I am going to fight her eventually though.

"We can spar later, cut the paltry intimidation tactics. I've already told you who I am. I'm Ibaraki, Leader of the Oni. Do you mean who am I?" Frowning she nods. "I'm direct, I have strict ideals, I'm a bit power hungry and I'm really battle-hungry; so don't prod me into a fight because I won't back down."

With a raised brow she mulls my statement over. "Ideals are good if they are the right ones."

"What are the right ones?" I ask, leaning forward with a sharp grin.

Yasaka takes a sip of her tea in a way that looks so indecent yet retains its elegance. The kind of action that makes you feel like a pervert who is imagining things but I know she's doing it intentionally. As she swallows her mouthful of tea she lets out a breathy sigh that sends shivers down my spine. I glare at her while internally wondering what she's playing at. She waves her hand idly ignoring anything but the words that have been said so far, "Ideals that don't conflict with Urakyoto's, of course."

I genuinely smile, knowing that what she said is almost the full truth and amused at the real meaning behind the words. "Conflict with your ideals you mean."

She leans back with an amused glimmer in her eyes but doesn't deny it, simply maintaining her silence and awaiting my response. "My ideals are fairly simple to distill I suppose. Don't force people into situations they don't want, and don't hurt children."

"Obviously it isn't that easy; I'll force my sister to train since it will only help her even if she doesn't appreciate it now. What I mean is more along the lines of not harming people physically, mentally, or sexually; the last one especially. For enemies I'm fine with the first two though, I don't think you should go beyond what they deserve. Sadism is pointless." I'll accept it if it's Shuten but I never said I wasn't a hypocrite. I just do my best to curb her excesses.

"The children part is a hard barrier that I allow no leeway on. If I see someone hurting a child, they die, simple." Yasaka has a faraway look and her lips are twitching as though conflicted whether she should smile or frown as I say the last part. She's probably thinking about what she would do to someone who hurt Kunou.

After indulging in those thoughts she nods with a small smile on her face, evidently pleased. "Should you hold true to your words today I can't foresee any issues between us. You've neglected to speak of your goals. I would say those are even more important for me to know of, so that I may make a decision."

I sigh, knowing that my ambitions will likely be points of contention. I refuse to be restrained from taking the fight to the Principal Clans but I'm not naive enough to think that I can do so immediately. "In the short term, I plan to hone my abilities and help my village integrate into the world. You have to understand that other than the small group of us that left the village, none of our people know anything about the outside world."

Yasaka nods, "This is an important consideration. I assume that you will ensure they do not run wild through the world?"

I smile placidly, ignoring the shot at the Oni temperament. She isn't wrong after all. "Of course, I won't, however, be stopping them completely. My people don't like to be restrained, and we have been for too long. I'll still direct them away from allies so they can seek fights elsewhere."

"Hm, allies. What about the others? The actions of one's allies reflect upon them and it would not be favorable for unwanted attention to be directed towards the West Yokai Faction or the Shinto Pantheon." A valid point but one that has always been dealt with the same way by any political group.

"If they cause too much trouble they know that they'll be distanced from by the rest of us. I won't let my people be bullied by others but if they seek out trouble they can't handle, they won't look to me to fight their battles for them. The same goes if they do something that is contrary to my ideals, in that case, I'll strike them down myself." I won't be introducing them all to the greater world simultaneously anyway, it wouldn't be worth the effort.

It's not as though I wasn't clear on my rules too. "They've been warned to not kill willfully, I've previously described the acceptable types they can fight to the death with. My people are generally content to fight till first blood; they've been trained to suppress their bloodlust enough. Besides, if you kill your opponents you can't fight them again, where's the fun in that?"

"Actually, I was wondering, how close is the connection between the three main factions here? The enmity between the Onmyouji and the Yokai is easily evident but the Shinto Pantheon should be supporting both, correct?" Yasaka grimaces slightly at the line of questioning yet doesn't attempt to avoid the question.

"The Shinto Pantheon does not interfere in such matters as we are all the children of The Land of the Rising Sun, and each of us is equal under their eyes." It's her turn to sigh as I stifle a laugh at her statement. "I'm sure you realize the reality of the situation is far different than the idea they wish to project to the world?"

"Naturally." I take a sip from my tea and wait for her to continue. Still as good as the first sip if colder than before. A pale flame flickers around the cup swiftly warming the beverage and I glance at the smirking fox across from me. With a wave of her hand the flame disappears again and I grumble my thanks.

"All the deities of the respective factions say the same thing in this regard, each presenting a beautiful fiction of unity to the others. The inter-faction relations of each faction is far more complicated. Each god has their own favored people, favored group, or dislikes them all; There are some that eagerly support their preferred people, others do so subtly, more still instead hinder the groups they dislike. The Shinto Pantheon is the same in this regard." The air shimmers as an illusion forms in between us. A grouping of figures sits above two others, each group clearly visible in whom they represent. The top naturally represents the Shinto gods, the lower groups are the Yokai and the Humans respectively.

The illusory figures of the gods float above the two mortal factions and start to separate; some move toward the humans, others toward the Yokai. Yet there are some gods who stay impartial in the illusion or seek to bridge the groups and create a harmonious balance. Aside from these, there are still some that slip into the shadows around the groups, waiting to strike out and bring misfortune.

"As you can see the true image is not so simple. Amaterasu-Omikami-Sama is one who seeks to unify everyone together. Thankfully, she mainly attempts to do so by supporting the West Yokai Faction as we are the more moderate group and our interests align. She has yet to make any active moves, preferring to slowly shift things in her favor." An image of Amaterasu as a shining sun nurturing everyone appears. Each group basks under her light and prospers as she graces them, the faces of the figures overjoyed. Since this is Amaterasu's high priestess I have no doubt that Yasaka is fairly biased.

"Susanoo-sama nominally supports Amaterasu-Omikami-Sama but works to help the humans in the background in much the same way that my Lady supports us." Susanoo appears as a gentle rain but a storm brew in the background waiting to be unleashed. From what I know of Susanoo from myth, he probably only supports the humans to snub Amaterasu. I doubt that their old grudge has cooled down at all, Immortals being what they are.

"Inari-Okami-sama, Fujin-sama, Raijin-sama, and Ryujin-sama fully support the Yokai, though they don't act out either. With Hachiman-sama acting as the human's main patron, along with Takemikazuchi-sama, Okuninushi-sama, and Suijin-sama, the gods are in a deadlock." The images of these gods all solidify and they clash against each other, taking turns to glare at each other and at the mortals. Fire, wind, lightning, and water clash with a tide of swords, spears, arrows, and words; an unending struggle in which neither party gains ground.

Taking in the images I work through the various issues this presents me. I'll need to be careful in the future to moderate my actions properly. It'll be fine if some of the gods end up hating me, so long as enough either like me or find my actions acceptable. The biggest issue would be to not cause the stalemate to fall toward the humans. The ideal outcome would be to create a scenario where I can achieve the violent 'restructure' of the Principle Clans with the quiet approval of the gods. So long as the strength of the Shinto Pantheon ends up greater than before, whether due to the inclusion of the Oni or due to the unification of the two groups, I shouldn't be stopped.

My focus shifts to Hachiman as I know that I'll come to conflict with him inevitably. Hachiman is, after all, the patron deity of the Minamoto clan. Raiko likely ended up ascending as a divine servant under him due to deeds rendered during his life. I have a few ideas of how to get at Raiko should that be the case but all of them are in their early stages. That is of course assuming that he didn't end up dying a mortal and passing down his spirit in heroic descendants.

A problem that arises is whether syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism actually affects the deities at a conceptual level or whether it's only a mortal school of thought. The question is how much human worship affects the gods that they worship. Does the origin of the faith matter, is it simply knowledge of the deity's existence or devotion? If syncretism exists and affects the manifestation of the gods then coming into conflict with him will bring the negative attention of the Buddhists onto me as Hachiman is also either the Amitabha manifestation of Buddha or the Shakyamuni manifestation.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are your goals with regard to the different groups under the Shinto Pantheon, Yasaka?" Her eyebrows raise in surprise before shifting sharply as she tries to find my angle.

"As I said, the West Faction follows the goals of Amaterasu-Omikami-Sama. We wish to unify the humans and the Yokai under the Shinto Pantheon. Although this is true, I'm often… unsatisfied with how quickly the unification progresses." As she says this I sit up a little straighter, seeing this as a good sign.

"Our allies in the East Faction have had a breakdown in their relationships with the Onmyouji of the Principal Clans and have entered a Cold War state. Sometimes I think it would be better to finally finish the conflict between us rather than pretend to be friendly. Fewer losses would be accrued overtime then." Her eyes sparkle as she says this, a sly smile sliding affecting her countenance. "It is a shame that we have no reason to spark such a conflict."

I laugh and grin back at her. "I haven't told you my long-term goals, have I? You surely know that the Principal Clans were involved in the calamitous events that sentenced the band of Oni at Mt. Ooe to death in the Heian Period. Well, the survival of my people means that there is some bad blood left unsettled between them and us."

Yasaka's smile widens further as I continue. "Perhaps, in order to settle the issues between us, I could bring the Principal Clans low?"

"The Principal Clans are much too important as a pillar of strength for the Shinto Pantheon. The gods will naturally not allow such a thing to happen if you attempt to destroy them." I concede the point not doubting the veracity of the claim. However, she and I both know that isn't the end of my suggestion. If I was thinking in such shallow terms, then there wouldn't be any reason for continuing the discussion.

"Of course, I agree that such a thing would be pointless to attempt. Instead, we eliminate the Elders that work to prevent the unity we wish for. I've spoken to one of the heirs and she doesn't share their views as far as I'm aware. If anything she strongly denounces the views of her forebears, seeking to move her clan in a new direction when she leads it."

"The strength of the clans lies in the bearers of the Guardian Beasts, the heirs. Should we remove the negative influences and force the clans to restructure around the new ideas of the heirs, we can unite the pillars of the Shinto's support." Yasaka's ears twitch as her tails swish lightly behind her, giving away the excitement she feels. Well, that or she's just showing me reactions that I would want to see and pointing me to conclusions she wants me to make. It doesn't really matter since I'm going to do this anyway but support from a powerful group would be beneficial.

"I am not able to support chaotic elements that seek to make radical changes to the current political landscape of Japan; such actions would be contrary to the wishes of my patron. Of course, it would go unsaid that I would do my best to help a long-lost species of Yokai reintegrate into society. If, say, the leader of the group had an inclination to combat I could arrange sparring partners to help them hone their skills. Such an enclosed society may also not have been able to keep up with advancements in magic and the like, therefore materials would be put aside to enlighten them." I'm basically vibrating with excitement at this point and am completely unashamed of the fact.

"Naturally, I will warn them against taking any actions that would mark them as a chaotic element but if they have the support of enough deities then even I could only swallow my misgivings and accede to the whims of their patrons. If I sent you on an assignment for me and you happened to come in contact with those who could support you it would be no fault of my own; I can't control such things, I'm sure you understand." She smiles regretfully causing me to laugh because of the contrast the expression has with the mirth in her eyes.

"I apologize that I was unable to give you what you were looking for from this meeting but I hope you will not take it to heart and remain in the city. Housing in the city has already been arranged for you and your family. Urakyoto has a use for such skilled individuals." Recognizing the dismissal for what it is, I stand and bow to Yasaka before leaving.

Having left the room, a servant of the temple appears before me to escort me. The servant is male and fairly tall, he has an exceptionally average look about him other than the dark green hair that falls in waves around his head like seaweed and deep blue eyes. I can't guess what type of Yokai he is other than perhaps being water-related. Is that racist to assume?

I nod to Fujiwara as I leave to thank him for the escort earlier and receive a grunt in reply. I can't help but wonder who he is and why he is able to hold his position as Yasaka's personal guard. While I doubt that Yasaka has any real need for a guard with her strength, he should possess at least enough strength to prevent her from having to act to protect herself. If he couldn't it would be an embarrassment to have a retainer who is lacking pretend to be useful, surely he isn't a paper tiger. Not only that but he clearly has a decently high position in society given that Yasaka calls him 'Lord'.

The differing agendas of the Shinto gods were the part of our chat that I found the most enlightening; Outside the subtle approval that Yasaka was given me. Logically such differing views in such a large group aren't surprising, neither the idea of presenting a united front to the other factions. What is surprising is that nobody has made any overt moves to break the deadlock.

In a way, I shouldn't be shocked given that, when dealing with immortals, they would naturally not be impatient. Yet they still wouldn't want to wait. In every mythology that I had studied in my past: the gods are eager to be entertained. Greek myth is an excellent example with so many heroes being thrown into impossible quests for what amounts to amusement or even petty grudges. While I'm less knowledgeable about the Shinto Pantheon, I do know that they are also prone to whimsical actions.

Based on what Yasaka told me, I'll need to convince the gods that back the Yokai that taking over the Principal Clans is the best choice. I shouldn't have too hard of a time convincing Fujin and Raijin since we share a common ancestry, I hope. Inari and Ryujin are going to likely be more difficult to convince unless I can get the support of the Kitsune and Dragons of Japan. Not only that, but I'll also need the support of either Amaterasu or Susanoo; I guess Tsukiyomi is also an option but that would probably piss off Amaterasu. At least with Susanoo he technically redeemed himself for his misdeeds. Between the two, Amaterasu is more readily accessible but less likely to back me. Susanoo in contrast, as a trickster god, would enjoy the chaos that my actions would cause but is more difficult for me to get into contact with.

There are also the Principal Clans themselves I need to deal with. While I may have exaggerated how amicable my relationship with Suzaku is, I have confidence in forming a better relationship. The fact of the matter is that I know very little about the other clans other than the names and abilities of the heirs. Outside that information, I'm in the dark. I can only regret not having read Slash/Dog and not wiki surfing enough.

I'm also unsure of any potential connections between the Imperial family and the Principal Clans, or their links to other factions. The Utsusemi agency allies with the Wizards of Oz and the Rogue Grigori under Satanael for example. Whether those connections also apply to the main family or whether they are solely linked to the outcast members that form Utsusemi is something I need to be aware of. It is almost guaranteed that the Principal Clans have connections to other groups; my dilemma is how much their isolationist nature hinders these from wanting to save them.

The Principal Clans currently detest anything that isn't from them, their gods, or their magic. This is evident due to the expulsion of Tobio's grandmother due to her practicing Buddhist magic traditions. Their fear of Sacred Gears and Longinus especially should also harm their dealings with the outside. In all likelihood, I shouldn't have to worry about them receiving outside assistance.

For now, while I get a handle on the situation, I need to hone the skills I have. Yasaka's offer to find me someone competent to spar with is a godsend at this point. I'm not ignorant of the fact that, while I have raw power in spades, I need to sharpen my technique to effectively use that power. The fight with Suzaku was a bit of a wake-up call in that sense. I definitely won that fight but it was only because I could power through everything she threw at me. If I had been a little weaker or she had been a little stronger, I would've died.

I'm essentially the big fish that went from its small pond into an ocean; I can no longer assume that my power is enough to push through every obstacle. From now on I need to develop actual techniques, as up to this point I've simply thrown raw power around to win. The Bone Collector move that I used to torture the Elder is a good example. It is a technique that could be useful in combat as it bypasses durability but it's also a maneuver that I can't pull off in live combat.

My fire is an ability that I throw around in waves to just burn everything to death. Yet by doing so I'm not making the best use of it. Certainly, when I reach the level of someone like Serafall, then I can just release a wave of fire that consumes everything, but even then it's only useful against fodder. If I were to focus my fire into a pinpoint and raise its temperature to the limit I could use a fraction of the energy to kill an opponent. That's only one example of potential refinements in technique I could make.

My swordsmanship, martial arts, and archery also need to be improved. I can beat people less skilled than me like Akio, Yaeko, or my sister all I want but it doesn't eliminate my own flaws in those arts. I'm adept in all those disciplines but a true master could take me apart with only technique, even nullifying my advantages in strength if they're skilled enough. The issue is that to hone these, I'll need a skilled teacher and competent sparring partners. If nothing else I would need to get into a ridiculous amount of real combat situations should I not be able to get a teacher.

I'll also need to study the different magic systems of the world. Not to use the various magics myself as I doubt I have talent in those areas given my lackluster talent in the magics I've learned so far. Instead, I need to be able to identify the magic my opponents use and be able to target the weaknesses inherent in the system. Vasco Strada has been said to be able to break spells with pure force by identifying the flaws in the spell formulas. I will be able to do the same if I have anything to say about it.

My future is if I'm being truthful, quite bright. The issue is that if I don't live up to that potential it won't matter. No matter what golden vision of the future I imagine it is predicated on what I do in the present. Choose the wrong path, offend the wrong person, pick a fight I can't win, and it all falls apart. It isn't just my life that I hold responsibility for either. One wrong move dooms me, my family, and my people. After all, why did we never see the Oni in canon?

From what I can tell, the barrier around the village would have fallen eventually. Whether that was after canon or before it I'm unsure but the question still remains; Did they come out of seclusion and cause problems again, leading to others finally ending them? Honestly, that wouldn't even be too hard to imagine. With the Elder heading our people they would expect themselves to be the pinnacle of the world and act as such.

Akeno could summon her little 'Oni' familiars and later could use Noh masks to summon actual Oni that were deceased. Other than that the Oni were never mentioned. This could have been due to the fact that Japanese mythology was criminally underrepresented in canon but I'll never know now.

A single person from any of the Biblical factions could slaughter the entire village in an afternoon. What if the church decided that the Oni were a threat to the poor people of Japan? They would surely send emissaries to save the people of Japan and receive their thanks. Dulio alone could wipe them out without breaking a sweat. Maybe not now since Dulio was pretty young in canon. I never knew exactly how old he was so I don't know now but he should be around my age.

Getting the support of a large portion of the Shinto Pantheon is not only important in the short term but also in the long term. Without it, not only will I be unable to kill the Shitenno, Raiko, or Semmei but how will I survive canon? Ideally, by uniting the Shinto Pantheon, we could gain a seat at the table when the Three Factions broker their peace deal. I have no doubts that a united Shinto Pantheon would possess a might equal to any Biblical faction. Heaven is still hiding a dead god and has dwindling numbers of angels, the devils are suffering from a lack of population and are heading to another civil war, and the Grigori are wrought with internal issues while also being almost universally reviled.

'You've been awfully quiet. Nothing to say?' Eager to move my thoughts from something so unpleasant, I taunt my ancestor. Thankfully he's as easy to provoke as the rest of our race and snarls at me.

'Why do you hide and plot? Are you not a warrior? To think that my descendent would need to work with a trickster fox to defeat her enemies.' The servant looks at me awkwardly when I bark out a laugh as we walk.

'Unlike you and your friends, I'm well aware of my limits. I could go to the residences of the Principal Clan members and begin to slaughter them right now. Where would that get me? How many could I kill before someone finished me off? I'll tell you right now that at best I could end a single clan.' With that, he grumbles and closes our connection. Since I got everything I wanted out of that short exchange I continue following the servant with a new pep in my step. I'm getting better at pissing him off in a way he can't come up with a retort with.

I do my best to focus on the scenery as we travel through Urakyoto to the residence Yasaka set up rather than spend any more time plotting. One of the biggest draws to being absurdly powerful is starting to be that I'd have to spend less time plotting. Trying to figure out the consequences of every little action I may make is definitely not in my nature. I'd rather be like Ophis who is strong enough to plow through literally everyone in the world. Actually, Great Red is probably a better example since Ophis ends up getting screwed over by her underlings.

Suddenly, the servant stops, and like Fujiwara did earlier he opens a portal. This time the portal takes us out of Urakyoto and into the human side. The portal opens up in front of a house in a residential area of Kyoto and I make the leap in logic to guess that this is to be the one we are provided with.

The residence I'm taken to is thankfully done in a traditional Japanese style rather than something more modern. Not only is this better because it will be easier for my mother and sister to acclimate but I've become a fan of the design in this life. I thank the servant for escorting me and he hands me a letter before leaving.

Opening it, the message inside causes me to roll my eyes. The language and script are flower and indulgent but I get the gist of the contents. Tomorrow, Yasaka wants me to meet her retainer, Fujiwara, back at the shrine again; this is, of course, something she could have told me while I was there. Rather than doing that she went to the effort to pen a summons. I can guess that this is probably either to keep appearances or to make a statement about her resources but at this point, I can't be bothered to care which it is.

This point is further reinforced by the final sentence which informs me that the summons will allow me to open a portal back to Urakyoto at the designated time. This part does cause me to frown. I'm not ignorant enough to dismiss this move as anything other than another power play. While I expect her to make moves like this it doesn't make me any happier about it. She's essentially making a claim on me by limiting my mobility and ability to interact with other Yokai in the city.

Does she think that if she limits my interactions I'll become dependent on her? The whole scheme we are embarking on relies on me establishing connections to individuals with more power than her.

If that isn't the case then maybe she is trying to ensure if I do mess up she can distance herself from me. By having me on the human side most of the time she can downplay our interactions if I cause problems. She wouldn't be able to do that if I was staying at the temple.

I would guess the second option is more likely given the fact that any contacts I make would be through her. In that event, she would benefit from any alliances I made; making the first point a non-issue.

It doesn't really change anything no matter what her reasons are. I still have goals to meet and she hasn't made an effort to hinder those. Sighing, I slide open the door and announce myself. "Tadaima!"

"Okaerinasai," My mother responds with a bone-deep sigh and I hear her muffled response from further within the house. I sniff the air and am met with a myriad of different scents as though a pantry had thrown up into the kitchen. Confused, I follow the sound of her voice to the origin.

The sight that greets me makes me want to either laugh or cry and I'm not sure which is more likely to win out. Mother has her head in her hands, pure exasperation filling her posture; Shuten on the other hand has managed to demolish the kitchen completely, various wrappers and boxes strewn about the room. From flour to sugar; pre-packaged snacks and other confections; I even see a half-eaten raw steak stuck to the wall. The whole scene looks like a modern artist used the pantry as their medium of choice and they weren't particularly talented. Shuten is sitting in the middle of the destruction with a crazed look in her eye and a manic grin as she tears into a bag of candy.

I do the only sensible thing I can at this point and about-face, promptly retreating back outside.

I eventually had to go back inside and so I moved to play damage control. Luckily, I have a lifetime of modern sensibilities from my past and distracted Shuten. The distraction came in the form of the television, which by the grace of God, hadn't been destroyed in her 'exploration' of the house. Without villagers to go terrorize, my mother and I are going to have to come up with a bunch of methods to distract the little hellion.

Cleaning with my mother was actually pretty fun, mostly due to how odd it was to be doing something so mundane again. It isn't like I hadn't cleaned with her in the village before now but there was something uncanny about it due to the surroundings. Here, in a place with modern equipment, it felt surreal to be doing something so normal. The sheer domesticity left me reeling if I'm being honest.

I woke up early the next day and started it off with meditation. Rather than focusing on myself, I spent the time attuning my ki to the city and examining the differences between the natural ki here compared to that of the village. Besides the elemental cycle that was set up on the Leylines to purify the ki, there was surprisingly little difference. Both locations contained very high quantities of ki which isn't that shocking given the nature of each site. If you are building a power base, whether the eugenics program my ancestor was running or the perpetuation of a magician cabal, you would want a spiritual location.

The biggest difference was the method that each location achieved its spirituality. The village's high concentration of ki was produced by a natural formation that was based on the bone sword my ancestor forged. The sheer quantity of malignant ki seeping out of the sword caused the area to adapt to it. This adaptation came in the form of crystalline growths which cannibalized life to generate more ki. Kyoto uses feng shui to direct the ki from the heavens and earth into a distilled useful form.

The fact that the ki in the area is purified is both a boon for training and a detriment for my training. Purified ki is more gentle and has more nuanced uses such as healing or more spiritual and environmental effects. Malignant ki is instead more powerful, channeling the emotion inside adds an explosive strength. Not only that but the purified ki isn't useful for my body refinement since the technique is based on breaking down my body and then healing the damage. I suppose that if I can purify ki I can probably corrupt it as well.

Because it's still early in the morning I don't expect anyone to be awake yet. Contrary to my expectations, Shuten is sitting in the dark staring at the television already. In her lap is a box of cereal which she's scooping handfuls out of and chomping on. Part of me wants to reprimand her, the other is stuck with a flight of whimsy that I don't manage to push down. I say whimsy but it's more an impish thought that my mother will hate.

About an hour later our Mother finds the two of us in front of the tv. Each of us has our own box of cereal and I've shown Shuten how much better cereal is with milk. Obviously, I didn't give her a bowl but rather poured the milk straight into the box and handed her a spoon. We actually were both on our second box of cereal. One box would have been soggy after an hour so it was for the best that we tore through the food quickly.

By this point, we were on our third episode of 'Familiar Master!' featuring Zatouji. While it was an abomination that almost brought me to tears at how this universe was butchering Pokemon, I soldiered on because of how much Shuten was enjoying it. The theme music was similar enough that if I closed my eyes I could almost imagine I was watching Pokemon. The only difference was that the word Pokemon was swapped with Familiars. By now Shuten was singing along with the intro, having become used to it.

In each episode, Zatouji would travel through the familiar forest hunting down a certain 'familiar'. They had little familiar dex entries that were surprisingly informative; containing details on the diets, inhabitable biomes, even growth, and care. While mortals may find it an entertaining show full of CGI, this would be pretty useful for the enterprising young devil. It went wrong when Shuten watched Zatouji hunt down a sprite dragon. Shuten found it to be adorable and when Zatouji remarked about how powerful they could become with time and proper care she naturally wanted one.

Now, I have decent willpower from my years in this world and like to think that I'm a stalwart dependable person. So it comes to no surprise that I caved almost instantly, promising her that I would get her a dragon of her own. I wasn't quick enough to answer apparently because she extorted me, wanting an even better dragon than the one Zatouji found. Being the sucker I am, I sighed and agreed to the terms. Our mother witnessed the whole exchange, having woken up and arrived in time for the negotiation.

I got chewed out for being a bad influence and acted chastised so Shuten wouldn't repeat the stunt; I knew, however, based on my mother's ki, that she found the sight more amusing than anything. To make up for the misbehavior, I made my mother a proper breakfast and taught her how to operate all the technology in the house. The fact that she didn't question how I knew what to do to make everything work is relieving yet also slightly unnerving. Realistically there should be questions so either she's just used to me knowing impossible things or unilaterally trusts me; I'm unsure which is scarier.

I left a note with any information I thought she might need and set off for my appointment with Fujiwara. The summons had information on how to use it to open a gateway and the places in which I could do so. The use of it was as simple as channeling an energy source into it, I assume this was because not everyone was capable of using multiple. If such items were to be used by a foreign dignitary, then they wouldn't be able to use Youki to open a portal for example. In such a case then the item, which acts as a key, would need to be able to utilize other sources. I could also only use it to open a gate in a single location, the Yasaka shrine. This is undoubtedly another method to monitor my actions. Sure, it doesn't stop me from going elsewhere once in Urakyoto but I don't doubt that Yasaka would know that I entered the moment I did.

The same servant from yesterday is waiting for me the moment I step through the portal and without saying a word he leads me to my destination. I wish I knew more about the conventions and rules of society because I really want to know what kind of Yokai he is. Maybe it's because I've mostly interacted with Oni and humans. Still, the question is gnawing at me. I manage to stop myself from blurting it out before we reach our destination and he opens the door to a courtyard. With the place, I'm supposed to go easily evident he bows and I thank him for escorting me.

Out in the courtyard, Yasaka and Fujiwara are waiting for me. The courtyard itself is not the opulent place that was used to hold court and instead is a rather spartan design. It takes an instant for me to connect the dots and I start to smile as I realize I'll get to fight soon, the location clearly a training ground. My excitement is dampened a bit when I remember I didn't bring my weapons.

In hindsight that's already a stupid move as if Yasaka wanted to kill me, I'd be less capable of defending myself. If I'm being honest though it wouldn't matter much if I had brought my weapons. While Fujiwara is someone I think I could kill, I doubt I'm in Yasaka's lead yet. Even ignoring her gigantic murder-floof transformation, kitsune are still masters of illusions. My practice fighting illusions extends to my mother who is self-taught, a prodigy in Youjutsu, but still an amateur on a world scale.

I may be able to burn through the illusions with my ki or possibly even through grudge flames but even that is uncertain. The grudge flames aren't even the trump card they used to be given that Suzaku managed to seal them away, at least temporarily. Even if Yasaka can only do the same for a short while, something I doubt given the experience and power advantage she has over Suzaku, that would be enough time to matter in a fight to the death. I think that at most I'd be able to kill Fujiwara and wound Yasaka before dying. Not exactly a comforting thought.

'Quit being such a wuss. All you think about anymore is how powerful other people are. Where did the confidence you had when you faced down my worthless son go?' Shame colors my emotions, soon followed by disgust at the weakness in my thoughts and disgust at feeling chastised by a ghost who bit off more than he could chew.

'Would you have run off to fight against Tamamo-no-Mae back when you were alive?' Yasaka's ears flicker and her eyes narrow slightly as I chat with my ancestor. I greet her with a jaunty wave and a sharp smirk.

"Good morning, Yasaka-san." Fujiwara's eyes widen at the lacking level of honorific and his arm jerks toward his sword. Yasaka meanwhile sighs at the blatant disrespect. Instead of saying anything, she lets the matter drop which leaves her subordinate fuming impotently.

'Tch, I would have fought her if I wasn't busy running the stronghold for Shuten-sama.' I roll my eyes mentally at the excuse and take it as proof that he knew he would have lost. Shuten-Douji at the height of his power might have been able to fight Tamamo to a stalemate but Ibaraki-Douji wasn't nearly as strong.

"Good morning, Ibaraki-san. Thank you for arriving in a timely fashion, I trust you had no difficulties finding your way?" I bite back the retort on my tongue that I was here just yesterday and I'd have to be a moron to not find my way back.

"Yes, my journey was quite simple." I survey the weapon racks set up. Multiple versions of nearly every weapon one could imagine were arrayed upon the racks. Each weapon was of extremely high quality. I would have drooled over the arrangement had I been a lesser person. "Hm, you certainly know how to treat a woman, Yasaka."

I bat my eyes flirtatiously at her while giving her a hooded gaze. She laughs as I run my finger across the blade of a Naginata testing its sharpness. "Of course, what sort of host would I be if I spared expense. Sadly I'm only here to maintain a barrier for you, I won't be going a few rounds with you yet. You'll just have to hold on a little longer for me."

I shiver at the throaty purr she uses to say the innuendo-laden words. I'm still fairly certain she's messing with me but that amount of raw sexuality should be illegal. I should probably not attempt to trade any more innuendo or else it won't be a battle wound that causes me to gush. I find an Odachi I like the feel of and take a few test swings. "So it's Fujiwara that I'll be fighting then?"

Instead of Yasaka responding, Fujiwara takes the initiative to answer my question. "Indeed. I am here to see if you can back up your words with tangible skill."

The world distorts as a wave of Youki surges outward from Yasaka, conforming against the walls of the courtyard before swelling upward, only stopping a few hundred meters above us. My instincts tell me that the boundaries of the barrier would be exceedingly difficult for me to pierce and that the barrier itself is not unlike the one that encircled my village; a truly isolated world. If it's like that I won't have to hold back in fear of damaging the place.

The ground shatters under my feet as I launch myself at Fujiwara, a manic grin affixed. "I'll give it my all then! Hope you don't regret this, old man!"