46

I've gotten a rough outline of all the goals and interactions I plan on incorporating into the next arc finished. I had forgotten that Slash/Dog doesn't actually start until a couple of months after the cruise ship incident which allows me to do some fun messing around in the meantime. Antagonists are set and I think they will be pretty fun to write and read. On to this chapter though! I've further defined Ibaraki's actual dreams and goals now -the last arc letting me give her an epiphany of sorts- so now we get to see Ibaraki with more concrete motivations. Anyway, I hope this chapter maintains the quality of the last arc. I took a more focused approach to the edits, narrowing my field to a different aspect on each pass. Please, enjoy!

Chapter Text

"A little to the left!" I yell up to Raijin.

He grunts and hefts the massive skull of the dragon, repositioning it closer to where I asked. "Why are you being so difficult! Just let me put it anywhere!"

"The aesthetics matter," I say, rolling my eyes. "What if the light doesn't hit the top of the skull at dawn and my enemies don't tremble in fear properly?"

This monument to my glory needs to say something spectacular like, 'Here lies the great serpent, spawn of Leviathan and Jormungandr, slain by the mighty Oni Ibaraki: prepare to cry tears of blood in despair should you find yourself in opposition of her.'

The message needs to be said not just with words but with the entire monument!

"Think of it as a musical composition. You don't throw some notes together haphazardly and expect a masterpiece." He makes a noise of understanding when I frame the idea in music.

"Why didn't you lead with that?" The god yells back smiling.

I huff and rub my chin against the top of Gator's head. I'm still not sold on the name for the little guy but it is probably better than what Shuten will come up with. If she names a giant centipede 'apricot' then the dragon will get something horrid like 'pear' or 'apple'. He squirms in my arms as we watch Raijin finally set the skull down.

All of the materials from my kills were stripped off and dropped in the village. I charged Akio with distributing the meat and I've given the scales, claws, teeth, and bones to the blacksmiths.

Using the forging method I imparted to them, they should be able to make armour and weapons for everyone in the village.

Naturally, I instructed them to use the materials from the less powerful dragons first to practice. From the sadness in their posture, if I hadn't said that they would have started with the most valuable materials.

I'd be a hypocrite if I was upset by idiots with one-track minds though.

Not needing armour myself, the only materials I'm keeping are a few teeth from the largest dragon. I am in need of a new sword and considering this bastard broke my old one, it is only fair I use it to make my new one.

I can also use the materials to make Akeno a better weapon and some armour. She'll likely never reach the durability I have, so having armour will be useful to protect her.

I just need to find someone skilled enough to make a sword worthy of me now.

"Can we hurry this up?" Seiryuu butts in with crossed arms.

Suzaku on the other hand is finding this quite amusing if her laughing behind her hand is any indication.

I forgot to mention this earlier but since we all live in Kyoto, rather than make a series of trips to drop us all off, Raijin decided to transport us as a group.

Technically Shinobu should have come with us as well but Fujin needed to talk to her about something.

"You can't rush perfection, Seiryuu," I say, dismissing his complaint.

I make a frame with my index fingers and thumbs before looking at the skull from various angles. Letting out a pleased hum, I start making plans for the inscription and arrangement of the trees. I'll have to do all that the next time I'm in the village.

He raises a brow and crosses his arms, "A garish monument to your arrogance is perfection?"

"I'm sorry? How large is your clan compound?" He has the decency to look embarrassed at my retort.

Raijin chooses then to leap down from the top of the skull landing near us, "Alright, I'm just going to set up a quick barrier around the skull so the mortals don't catch it on their satellites in the morning."

I blink not having thought of that particular issue. The supernatural world outed by Google Earth…

As he casts the spell Raijin continues, "This will take a few minutes because of the remnant draconic energy I need to suppress."

It's interesting to see Raijin use magic for something other than lightning manipulation. I'm not even sure whether magic would be the right word for it. If anything the spectacle is a pure exertion of divinity as he manipulates his aura to create an effect.

In the other instances in which I've watched gods use their powers, they were specifically manipulating their domains. There was no process then, they simply willed whatever they wanted to happen. This time Raijin is doing something outside his domain of lightning which makes the experience valuable to witness.

The closest parallel to it I've seen would have to be Crom Cruach's draconic aura.

Raijin throws a grin over his shoulder, "Finish up here so we can head out. I need to head back to Jeju-do soon. Gossiping about you kids is the best part of the events."

'Gossiping?' Suzaku mouths to me and I shrug. That tracks with what I've learned about deities.

"You lose respect for most deities pretty quickly after meeting them." I point out and the two Onmyouji give me scandalized looks.

"Except for Izanami. She is a sweetheart," I nod seriously, "When you die you're in for a real treat."

Ugnyeo was pretty cool as well, a nice laid back goddess. Also, the magnificence of Sun Wukong goes without saying. I didn't interact with Vidar but he's probably an interesting guy since he's Odin's son.

Maybe it's just Susanoo that isn't deserving of any respect?

Raijin clears his throat, "I'm right here you know."

"You and your brother are some of the better gods I've met but that doesn't change the fact that you're supposed to be scary." Suzaku covers her mouth to suppress hysterical giggles.

"I'll show you scary," Raijin mutters under his breath as he continues casting the barrier.

I'm shivering in my boots, truly.

"I don't believe I have anything else I need to do in the village," I say thinking it over.

Other than dealing with the materials from the dragons, nothing has really changed since I was abruptly brought to Yomi. The village is self-sufficient enough that I don't need to micromanage my people and Akio can handle any sudden developments.

Not only that but he only needs to call me if something does change. Sure, he needs to walk a fair distance away from the village to get a signal but he's fast enough.

For a moment I debate showing Suzaku and Seiryuu the village while we wait. Maybe it isn't time to make that leap yet though…

We may have bonded over slaying some dragons but that doesn't change the fact their profession is technically based on slaughtering species like mine.

The barrier is now fully in place. It manifests as a nearly invisible dome that has faint sparks running over it. I'm not sure whether Raijin incorporated the sparks on purpose to mark the work as his or whether he doesn't have a choice but to include some lightning in anything he does.

"Right!" Raijin brushes his hands off, evidently satisfied with his job, "Let's drop you kiddos off in Kyoto."

His drums fly out in front of him, trails of lightning in their wake. They form a semi-circle above the ground and a net of electricity pulls open a portal in between them. This is my second time seeing him do this now and it's still amazing.

I'm almost positive that Raijin is doing this to show off since he should be able to just teleport us there without the portal. I would be a hypocrite if I claimed to be annoyed since that is totally something I would do too.

Teleportation and portal creation, two more abilities I need to figure out eventually.

I follow Suzaku and Seiryuu through the portal and we step into an alleyway in somewhere Kyoto. Raijin has the presence of mind to not just drop us in plain sight, at least.

"I'll see you later cousin," Raijin says, shooting finger guns and closing the portal once we're through.

I snort and give him a quick wave. Looking down at the little dragon in my arms I shift him around until he's on my back, with his head over my shoulder. "Hold on there, okay little guy?"

His snout taps my shoulder as he nods with adorable determination. He won't have a problem holding himself there indefinitely and people we walk past will just assume he's an artsy backpack.

"Hey, where are we going now?" I say with a grin.

Suzaku and Seiryuu look at me with confusion written on their expressions.

"Aren't we all going home now?" Suzaku says, tilting her head.

"What?" I rush out, aghast by that suggestion. "We're just going to end the day like this? No way!"

I clench my fist in front of my chest, "The night is still young! This is a time for celebration!"

They stare at me blankly, apparently not having even thought of another option. These poor souls… Now is the time for us to go party! We need to hit the town while our spirits are high and ride these feelings into the morning.

"Come on, I know some great places in the city." I sling my arms around their shoulders and smile.

Seiryuu brushes my arm off his shoulder with a faint smile. "As enjoyable as that sounds, I just want to head home and relax for a while. Maybe I'll visit my girlfriend too."

I glare at him and he winks, "You two shouldn't let that bother you though. Go have fun without me."

He walks off out into the city, a casual wave over his shoulder as he vanishes into the flow of people.

When I realize he has left me alone with Suzaku gratitude wells up inside me. I take back every bad thing I said about Seiryuu! He's a true comrade and I never should have doubted him!

"Are you tearing up?" Suzaku teases me and I sniffle.

"No, of course not!" She brushes my arm off her shoulder and clasps her hands behind her back.

She grins and rocks back on her heels, "You said you knew some places around the city?"

Ah…

"Yeah, follow me!" I beam offering my hand to her. Suzaku takes it with a laugh and I start leading her through the crowd.

It was just for a second there but seeing Suzaku so carefree and casual… was really nice. I'll have to do my best to see more of that.

"So, what's the plan?" Suzaku says from my side.

"How do you feel about nightclubs?" She gives me a feeble grin and laughs sheepishly.

"I've never been to one honestly." I raise a brow as we weave through the passing people.

"A sheltered clan heiress, huh?" I tease and her smile becomes brittle. Hmm, let's not prod at that for now.

"Yeah… so what are they like?" Suzaku says forcing herself to bounce back.

"It depends on where you want to go, really. We can go somewhere smaller and quieter to have some drinks and chat or we can go to a dance club and let loose." I smile mischievously and twirl her.

The people around us scowl as they're forced to move aside but I only have eyes for Suzaku at the moment.

She yelps in surprise and laughs as she finishes the spin. "As fun as that sounds, going from slaying dragons straight into high energy dancing seems like a lot."

"Fair enough." I mentally change course, having planned to take Suzaku dancing at the Golden Boy.

Instead, I start taking us to a smaller members-only establishment owned by the Golden Dragons. It's a small bar that is occasionally used for less formal meetings between the executives with only two private rooms. Still, the odds of both being full are nearly zero.

"Is what I'm wearing going to be fine?" Suzaku asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I give her an easy grin, "Don't worry, nobody is going to question me. Besides, you look great."

Rounding a street corner I spot the bar I'm aiming for.

Looking down the street I can see all the different shops trying to draw customers in. Whether their approach is with bright lights, flashy designs, or cute girls greeting people, it makes for a lively atmosphere. So lively in fact that the relatively plain bar I'm aiming for almost disappears in the background.

Now that we are so close to our destination Suzaku starts to get flustered. "Wait, isn't this the red light district? And you still have your dragon with you!"

"Eh? It isn't a problem though, I own this place." One of the Golden Dragon members is standing outside the small bar as security. He notices me approaching and bows.

He should have a partner out in the crowd hiding in plain sight and after a second I spot them. If it wasn't for the fact I can sense their higher physical ability due to their Ki reserves I would probably miss them.

The fact they're still vigilant about security even with me having been gone for so long speaks well about them. Either that or the conflict with the other groups has heated up while I was gone.

"Boss! It's good to see you back in Kyoto." I grin even as Suzaku watches on bewildered.

It takes me a moment to remember his name. I did train all the members of the gang personally though so I make sure to make a good impression.

"Yatora, right?" He nods with a pleased smile, "It's good to be back. Is there an open room?"

"Yeah, none of the executives have anything booked." He smirks when he glances at Suzaku. "You and your friend won't be disturbed, Boss."

I nod and lead Suzaku inside, the staff bowing to us as we step inside.

She glances around and after taking everything in she sighs with a mirthful smile.

"You're involved in some shady stuff, huh?" She says jokingly having noticed the tattoos on the guard and staff.

The pictures on the walls also give the place a vibe that distinctly feels 'Yakuza'. She hums and continues to scrutinize the bar as the hostess leads us into our private room.

I agree that the pictures of the executives and draconic motifs plastered around the room look more than a little tacky. I don't care enough to spend the money and redesign every location owned by the Golden Dragons though.

Part of the reason I don't plan to redesign is that after losing his memories Kintoki gets embarrassed at the gaudy designs his past self insisted upon.

Once inside I sit across from Suzaku and take the dragon off my back, placing it down beside me.

I'm a bit impressed when the hostess doesn't even give the dragon a second glance after I put it down beside me. Sure it is more likely to be mistaken for an alligator than a dragon but that should still be surprising.

What a consummate professional.

Actually, now that I think about it, I have horns… Her boss being an Oni would probably be harder to come to terms with than a chubby little crocodile…

The hostess exits to retrieve drinks for us and Suzaku grins from across the table. "You joined the Yakuza then?"

I scoff offended by the accusation, "I would think you had a better read of my character than that."

She raises a brow as though to say, 'that is exactly what I think you would do.'

Crossing my arms I turn my nose up, "I took over a Yakuza group, thank you very much."

Her eyes glimmer with amusement as she giggles, "Alright, that does sound more like you."

I frown in confusion at the lack of heat in the conversation. Shouldn't a member of the Principal Clans be more upset about criminal elements in Kyoto?

Actually, since they haven't done anything to get rid of them maybe they don't care.

The hostess returns and sets a tray down on the table. On the tray is a collection of different saké and some water for drinks. For food, she's brought us some cold edamame, sashimi, and taking my tastes into account some Amezaiku. My eyes light up when I see the elegantly sculpted candies.

"Thank you. You can leave the bottles with us." I smile to convey how pleased I am with the service and watch relief fill her posture.

Her reaction is well hidden but for me and no doubt for Suzaku, it might as well be clear as day.

The hostess arranges the snacks and alcohol on the table for us and bows before taking her leave. She shuts the soundproofed door on her way out and I immediately grab a candy sculpted to look like a fish.

I bite its head off with a grin, making a noise of contentment as the sweet sugar melts in my mouth.

I pour myself some saké and gesture to Suzaku, "Would you like some too?"

"No thank you, water is fine for me." I nod and when I'm done pouring my drink, I pour her water for her.

I hum happily, as I finish off my candy, closing my eyes to really savour the taste. I let the sugary sweetness sit on my tastebuds for a moment longer, only washing it down with the clean, slightly astringent saké.

When I open my eyes I catch Suzaku nibbling on a candy of her own. She almost immediately aborts her attempt at eating the snack while trying to retain as much dignity as possible, much to my amusement.

"That is way too sweet! How do you eat that so quickly." Suzaku nearly gapes as I pop another in my mouth with a smug grin. She grabs some edamame to try and cancel out the lingering sweetness in her mouth.

"Part of it is I have something of a sweet tooth but it is also a biological thing," I say with a shrug taking another sip of my drink.

Since this is all human alcohol I can drink as quickly as I want without worrying about getting tipsy. I wouldn't want to get drunk if my company wasn't also drinking.

"Biological?" Suzaku says looking intrigued.

"Mhm," I say switching over to some sashimi, "Different species perceive flavour in different ways. For Oni, as far as I can tell, that manifests in a need or desire for stronger flavours."

Rather than bring the food closer to me, I manoeuver closer to Suzaku and point at the different bottles of saké. "Each of these has a different flavour profile but the most important part is they are the strongest of their flavour type that I could find."

"Sweeter, spicier, more bitter, more savoury, each is an attractive part of flavour for me. It's why I prefer raw meat to that which has been cooked. Cooking brings out more of the sugars but not to a degree that is enough of a draw over the natural flavour." I say pointing at the sashimi.

Suzaku looks deep in thought and I backtrack sheepishly, "Sorry, it isn't that interesting."

She snaps out of her thoughts and waves her hands, "No, I was interested! I was just thinking about something else. You were talking about raw meat?"

I perk back up at the interest, "Yeah! The freshly killed meat is the best because of the hormone levels. Especially if you hunt it yourself because you can manipulate that."

"Manipulate hormone levels?" Suzaku blinks in incomprehension.

"Of course! Say you're hunting a-" Don't say human, don't say human, "-deer."

I mentally pump my fist at not slipping up there. I'm not ashamed of my eating habits but the mood will be dragged down in the wake of that pitfall of a morality trap. That's more of a second date conversation…

Is this a date?

"If you let your prey see you and start to run, its adrenaline will spike and as it runs the flavour will change as lactic acid levels increase." It's much simpler with animals than humans.

Animals just think 'Fear' and either run or attack. With humans, you need to create more elaborate scenarios to make their thoughts run wild. I pout at the thought, so much effort for minimal rewards.

Back on topic, "Human's can taste hormone levels too but not to the same degree. It's why the slaughter of animals is done quickly and painlessly. Less stress to influence the flavour."

"I thought that was a kindness thing?" Suzaku says, confused.

I shrug, "It depends on the person doing the slaughtering. It is kinder than making the animal suffer, certainly, but it doesn't change the fact that both are true. Hell, if we're splitting hairs, it is also more efficient to kill them quicker which happens to cause less pain."

Suzaku bites her lip as she ponders that. That's the issue with marketing, you say the most marketable truth, not the entire truth.

I tap my chin in thought as she digests that statement. I should probably keep the conversation rolling and not let it stall on morality.

"There's also a satisfaction to catching the meat yourself that makes it taste better. Though when it comes to powerful creatures like dragons, I think they just taste better because of their power?" This one is more of a working hypothesis than a fact.

"Isn't that just the satisfaction you were talking about a second ago?" Suzaku responds.

I take a quick glance at her and notice there's no judgement there. If anything she seems more interested in the topic than simply academic interest would justify. Oh, right, I fed her some dragon meat today so this topic is personal.

"No, well partially. Magic, or energies like Ki or Holy energy, interact with physical bodies." Suzaku nods at what is a basic tenet of the universe.

"So in the same way that the health of an animal affects the flavour of the meat, the magical health of an animal does the same." Enhancing your body with magic enhances your flavour!

Maybe that's why monsters and demons always try to eat Demigods and Heroes in stories? It always sounds stupid to go for what could kill you but if they taste that much better it would make sense.

It's still idiotic but it is a little more acceptable.

"More magic means more flavour, not necessarily better flavour, but definitely more." Just thinking about the dragon meat again is making my mouth water.

"...Huh." She looks stumped at how much sense that makes but also how a human would never reach that conclusion.

Hmm, how can I link this to a topic she would identify with better…

After a couple of seconds of thought, I snap my fingers as an idea hits me.

"You've heard of magical plants or fruits right." Suzaku gasps as she reaches the realization needed.

"That's why they taste better!" I clap excitedly and nod along.

"Yeah, amazing isn't it?" I pour another saucer of saké for myself, apparently having finished the one I was working on while talking.

Suzaku grins and shakes her head at the revelation. We fall into a short comfortable silence as we continue to drink and snack before Suzaku speaks again.

"I've got to ask, why the Yakuza?" She says curiously with only a hint of judgement.

I guess without knowing the whole story it would be a big leap or look bad. If I had just gone into Kyoto and bullied my way into running a Yakuza group it would paint me in a negative light. Still, that isn't what actually happened.

"It's funny but I never intended on this or even wanted to run… anything really. It happened far more organically than you would think." I sigh with a faint smile which I'm surprised is only slightly bitter.

I keep falling into positions of power out of necessity rather than any real desire.

"After we met, I realized that my people were unsafe in this strange new world." She grimaces at that.

Ah, she probably thinks I mean her and the Principal Clans. Technically that wasn't when I realized our shaky position but saying more would be stupid.

"I came to Kyoto in hopes of forming an alliance with the Yokai faction. Something that would allow my people to have a measure of protection in the world." I take another sip and close my eyes acutely feeling the burn in my throat.

"In return, I had to become a… contractor of sorts for Yasaka. I think she planned to eventually have me become a convenient attack dog of sorts but that doesn't really matter now." Suzaku's eyes narrow at that and I almost smile.

That indignation is cute if misplaced.

"She eventually gave me the assignment to retrieve some citizens of Urakyoto that were kidnapped. In my investigation, I found out that the Golden Dragons," I gesture around us, "were the ones responsible."

She frowns, disgusted at the crime but lets me continue uninterrupted. "I was angered by the blatant human trafficking going on in the city and wanted to destroy the gang totally."

"Oh…" Suzaku says with a sigh, "That would have caused more problems in the long run."

I grin sharply, "Exactly what I was told by Yasaka. She said to just get the citizens out of there and leave them to do their business."

Suzaku grimaces, "Between that and starting a new gang conflict neither are attractive options."

"Mhm, so I chose option three. Take over the gang and stop them from doing the things I don't like." I grin proudly, leaning back.

She looks at me appraisingly and slowly nods. It isn't the same but it is a lot like what she wants to do with her clan at a basic level.

"I don't like to do things halfway so I'm going to start conquering the rest of Kyoto's criminal element and getting rid of the things I dislike as I go." Suzaku snorts at that proclamation, an action that swiftly devolves into a full-on laugher.

"Ambitious," She says with a smile when she calms down, "I don't dislike that side of you though."

I wink and grin a little wider, "I'm still hashing out the details of that venture but I'll let you know how it goes."

Examining my nails casually, I continue my statement with a dismissive air. "Well, we both know I'll easily crush my opposition."

Suzaku grins teasingly, "Did I say ambitious? I meant arrogant."

"I've been called worse by worse." She raises a brow at my odd phrase.

"Don't you mean worse by better?" I make a show of scanning her from top to bottom with my eyes.

"I don't believe I do." My eyes glimmer with mirth as she blushes.

"Enough about me though! I want to hear about you." I smile as charmingly as I can.

Her blush gets more intense, spreading across her nose and deepening in colour.

"What about me?" She says, still recovering from my flirting.

"When we first met you said you wanted to change your clan and we talked a little about it but…" I worry my lip as I try to figure out how to word this, "I was wondering if I could hear more about your reasoning."

"Oh, um, sure?" She seems startled that I remember that and takes a second to regroup.

Apparently, she forgot exactly what we spoke about that day which is fair given how tumultuous her time was after that.

"My clan has an extremely long history, as you know, and that means we have the tendency to cling to traditions that don't fit the times." Her eyes lose focus as she falls into a recitation of thoughts she has had constantly over the years.

"It leads the members to be out of touch with the world outside our clan, especially the older members." I see her fist clench and a spark of anger ignite in her eyes.

"They are… were so stuck in their ways that they would demonize and exile anyone who didn't fit that stupid mould. Their own family, my family, shoved out because they weren't willing to remain in the box our family built." She closes her eyes tightly and the air around her becomes a haze of heat.

The room starts to heat up as Suzaku gets more into her impassioned words and I reach over, placing a comforting hand on hers. She blinks and sighs, pulling her power back under her skin where it continues to writhe angrily.

"Sorry, I just," She grits her teeth and blinks, "Even now after they're all gone they still get under my skin."

"All I wanted was to build a place where I could be proud to wear my name. I wanted to bring my family back together." I rub my thumb over the back of her hand to help her calm down.

"That isn't wrong to want," I say quietly.

I grab the little dragon from beside me and place him next to Suzaku. They both look at me confused until I put Suzaku's hand on his head.

He protests when she starts to rub her hand over his scales so I give him the rest of the sashimi. The greedy little lizard eagerly gulps down the fish and ceases his complaints.

"I've been trying to reconnect with one of my cousins. Um, he is from an exiled line of the clan." Suzaku leads tentatively with a shaky smile.

Seeing no judgement from me seems to be enough encouragement for her to continue. She takes a calming breath and pushes onward.

"His grandmother got exiled from the clan for dabbling in Buddhist magic. It's hard to talk to him though because he doesn't know anything about this side of the world." She smiles weakly and shakes her head.

She backtracks slightly as she realizes how that sounds, "Not that his lack of knowledge is a bad thing! I just don't know if it would be fair of me to drag him into this world."

"If his grandmother and parents never told him, maybe that's what they would have wanted." She sighs and leans backwards with her eyes closed.

"Magic makes life more complicated but it doesn't innately make things worse." I point out.

I cross my arms continuing, "You have as large of a chance running into the supernatural as a mundane human, it only means you can't handle it if you do."

She sighs again, "Yeah, that's why I'm having a dilemma about it."

I hum and watch as she continues to pet the little dragon who is now visibly enjoying Suzaku's ministrations.

"What about after you fix your clan?" It takes a second for her to process my words but she freezes when she does.

"Oh god… I've never thought about that." She stares at me with wide eyes.

Suzaku probably expected changing her clan to be a lifelong journey. By taking the expedient route of murdering her opposition -even if in a loss of control caused by rage- she has cut down that timeline massively.

"With your largest opposition removed," She winces at me casually referencing her murdering of the clan elders, "You can enact any change you want fairly quickly."

She has near-total control of the clan's direction at the moment from what I understand. Obviously, the other clans could make things difficult if Suzaku pushes too far but that shouldn't happen. Maintaining the changes is another matter entirely but that doesn't need to be brought up yet.

"I can make this easier I think," I say as she starts to spiral, "You'll still need to lead your clan but you need something outside that to strive for. If you don't, you will end up stagnating like the people you hate."

The full-body flinch she does tells me how hard that statement hit. It was necessary though because she needs to start thinking about these things now.

"I need some time to think about this, sorry." She glances downward not meeting my eyes.

"Suzaku, I'm your friend, not your guidance councillor. You don't owe me answers." I give her a gentle smile to sell my sincerity and it seems to calm her down a lot.

"We're not having an interrogation even if the questions have gotten heavier than I expected." I roll my eyes in amusement at the direction I accidentally pushed the conversation.

I was interested in learning more about her not trying to pry out her deepest secrets in our first conversation. I think the excitement from all the action today has made me more intense than usual.

'A scary thought.'

While I'm distracted by Byakko, Suzaku takes the opportunity to turn the conversation back on me.

"Do you already know what you're going to do?" I grin sharply at that question.

I've been thinking about that ever since I killed that last dragon. Even the initial rescue mission against it or the slaughter of the other dragons before that. From the best parts of today to the worst, it has been one of the greatest days of my life.

I learned a lot about myself today.

"I have a rough outline of what I want." I tap my chin with a pleased smirk.

"In the short term, I'm going to finish conquering Kyoto's criminal element while maintaining the relationships I made today."

"I'm a bit greedy so I'm going to try to meet more people like you and our new friends. I want to continue enlarging that circle of people until I can't hold any more people next to me." I smile happily as I imagine all the strong people I might meet in the future.

Allies, enemies, it doesn't matter. I want enough of both for my life to be full of conflict and fulfilment.

Suzaku is smiling gently at me and I flush at the attention. It's starting to get embarrassing to put these thoughts into words.

"After that… I want to see the world." I cough to hide a blush as I remember a certain trio of Nymphs from Greece.

Yes, there are many things I want to experience throughout the world.

Wanting to clarify things I continue, "Not in a 'find myself backpacking across Europe' way but instead to see all the powerhouses hidden in the world."

"I want to meet them, fight them, interact with them. Hell, even learn from them if they're willing."

I let out a laugh as my blood pumps in response to my growing excitement. The thought of how interesting my future can be from this point onward is causing my body to thrum with excitement.

Grabbing Suzaku's hand gently, I slowly bring it to my chest, "Can you feel how fast my heart is beating?"

She nods and I'm dimly aware of a blush dusting across her cheeks.

"This is how happy I am just thinking about the future. I want to chase these highs of emotion, the happiness, the excitement, contentment, surprise, and love!" My cheeks are starting to hurt from how widely I'm smiling.

My voice is low but full of surety as I continue to maintain eye contact with Suzaku. I can't help feeling as though my words are a promise as I state my goals and dreams to her alone in this room.

"This world we live in is so vast and amazing; I want to see all of it with my own eyes, experience it with my own body."

"I want to feel the satisfaction of overcoming any obstacles that arise in my path."

"I want to feel joy so intense that my body feels unburdened by anything else; like fireworks bursting in my head as that joy courses through me."

"I want to feel a love so profound that I wonder how I could deserve it, that everything else feels trivial in the face of it."

Suzaku gasps and I see her eyes are misty.

The hand on my chest twitches and I realize I'm still holding Suzaku's hand there. When I notice that, I start to notice the heat coming off her palm and quickly let her go.

Clearing my throat I keep talking not quite finished yet.

"You enjoyed hunting the dragons today, right?" She nods hesitantly, surprised at the sudden change of the conversation, "I did too and it helped me work through all these questions of my own that I had been stuck without answers for."

I clench my fist, feeling the muscles move beneath my skin, "I used to try to grow stronger because I feared the consequences of not being strong enough."

I exhale slowly as I unclench my fist, "I thought that I owed my family to be strong enough to protect them, no matter how lonely it was to reach for the top alone."

"Today showed me something different," I smile widely at Suzaku, "I learned that there are people out there who can keep up, and are working to the same goal."

"I don't need to worry about being alone when I reach that ephemeral peak." I laugh to hide my embarrassment.

"It sounds cheesy but I'd like it a lot if when I reach those heights the friends I made today are standing there with me."

Holding my hand out to Suzaku I smile, "Wouldn't it be nice to experience all that together?"

She takes my hand and starts to lean in. My heart thuds loudly and I lean closer to her as my eyes flutter shut.

We both leap backwards as an angry hiss sounds out below us.

Suzaku laughs and I look down to see the little dragon glaring up at me, having been squished in between us. I growl back at the dragon realizing it just ruined the mood.

If you weren't so adorable I would turn you into a purse you little crocodile!

I feel Suzaku's fingers on my chin and she redirects my gaze back to her, "It's fine, I'm kind of glad he stopped us. I got caught up in the moment and I don't want to rush anything."

She twirls some loose hair in her fingers as she blushes shyly, "You were saying some really nice things… normally I wouldn't try to do that on the first date."

What did I say and can I say it again right now to get the same result?

'You're remarkably dense.' I growl at Byakko while wracking my brain frantically.

All I did was talk about my goals for the future. How is that sexy?

I hardly even flirted this time!

'You… are you joking right now?!'

"It's alright, Suzaku." I grin cheerily, "We can always continue at a later date!"

The two of us fidget in a long silence as we try to figure out where to go from here. With the atmosphere the way it is, trying to make small talk now would just cheapen what we spoke about. Even worse, trying to continue the earlier topic would be awkward too.

In the end, Suzaku makes the next move.

"Thank you for tonight, I've had a lot of fun." She says letting out a shaky breath and standing up.

I pout at the sudden retreat but stand up to follow her. "I did too, I'm really glad you decided to accompany me."

As much as I would like to continue our conversation, stopping here makes more sense.

The little dragon is placed back on my back and I open the door for Suzaku.

"Oh, how much do I owe you for the food?" She says suddenly, pulling a purse out with magic.

I wave her off with a smile.

"It's alright this is a private meeting place, not an actual bar. You don't have to pay since it's already paid for." The staff bows and thanks us for our patronage as we walk out.

Once we're outside we both sort of pause awkwardly again.

I want to walk her back to her clan compound even if I doubt I'd be welcome. Suzaku might be fine with it but I don't want to put her in the situation where her clan members cause trouble due to me being there.

She smiles sadly at me, having come to the same conclusion and places a hand on my arm. "I can make it back home myself, though I appreciate the concern."

"I'm sorry I can't walk you back. I can have one of my men accompany you if you want?" I tip my head to Yatora, the guard from earlier.

Suzaku smiles playfully, "I appreciate the concern but there is very little that could hinder me in this city."

I nod in agreement even as I laugh, "That I can agree with."

Feeling bold, I give Suzaku a kiss on the cheek, "Goodnight, Suzaku."

Her eyes sparkle as she lays her palm on the cheek I kissed, "Goodnight, Ibaraki."

I sigh as I watch her disappear into the crowds of the red light district and make her way home. I'm glad things didn't progress too quickly because I really like Suzaku but that still doesn't mean I can't feel bitter.

I turn my head to the side and glare at the little dragon on my back, "You are the luckiest reptile in existence. If I was a fan of lizard skin boots…"

Letting the threat hang, I stare at the night sky.

I'm going to have to rent a hotel room or something now: If only so I don't have to wake Shuten or Akeno up.

Ah shit, I forgot to tell Suzaku about Akeno!