Kyoto Trip (5)

It was awkward, sure. Still, for the sake of helping his friend, Furuya could handle it, and Bhaqui didn't seem to mind either. Neither of them liked the thought of getting arrested, but the two had made peace with it.

After all, the task had to be done. They weren't alone, though. Yunxue, one of the few in the loop about the strange things happening around them, tagged along. She knew what they were getting into and wasn't the type to back out.

They found themselves back where it all began, the very spot Yasushi had first met Inari. Now, the three were gearing up to put their bold plan into motion.

"Ready?" Bhaqui asked, standing there with only a loincloth tied around his waist, looking almost completely exposed.

Furuya, clearly feeling the absurdity of it all, still gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, ready."

Yunxue, standing behind them, grinned and gave them both a strong pat on the back. "Just go for it. I'll be right behind. Laura and Reina are set on their end too, so let's get this done."

"Right!" Both Furuya and Bhaqui called out, voices matching the sudden surge of adrenaline. They stepped from their hiding spot, their nervous energy obvious but contained.

With bongo drums in hand, they began to walk, their beats echoing through the sacred path of Fushimi Inari Taisha.

The scene caught people off guard right away. Some gasped in surprise, others burst out laughing, while a few just stood there, unsure of what to make of the randomness of it all. But it was working — exactly how they'd hoped. Attention shifted toward them, eyes fixed on the spectacle.

Furuya and Bhaqui kept walking, drumming out a rhythm on their bongos and singing odd, almost nonsensical tunes. Their voices carried through the space, drawing more and more onlookers.

Meanwhile, Yunxue stayed back, watching everything from a short distance, scanning the area carefully. She was alert, waiting for any sign of the woman they were after. Then, she saw her — a smirk on her face, clearly entertained, but she didn't make a move. Maybe she couldn't, not with the crowd gathering around.

Yunxue's focus shifted. There, just barely within sight, was someone else. Another woman. She was fox-like, matching the description Yasushi had given earlier. Yunxue's muscles tightened — this was it. The exact moment she'd been anticipating.

Reaching for her earpiece, she pressed it lightly and muttered, "I've got eyes on both. Move on to the next spot where the others are waiting."

The boys heard her through their earpieces and immediately picked up their pace, pretending to crank up the energy, acting as if they were feeding off the crowd's reaction. But they knew. And so did Inari, who stayed hidden, watching them closely. Something felt off.

They reached another section of the path, one that seemed forgotten. It wasn't kept up like the others. Vines crept over stones, and the ground felt rough, uneven, showing signs of time wearing it down. The layout was strange, circular, like it had been built for something long ago, now left to whatever nature had in store.

Yunxue, still trailing behind, found herself thinking about how Yasushi had ever managed to discover this place. It didn't seem like a spot you just stumbled across. She didn't dwell on it though — there wasn't time for that.

As soon as they arrived, the woman who had been under their watch made her move. She lunged at Furuya and Bhaqui, catching both off guard. They had no chance to react. Her speed was overwhelming.

But before she could reach them, Jingliu and Xinyi appeared, blocking her path like they'd materialized from thin air. The woman's assault was stopped dead in its tracks.

"Good thing Hakufubuki came through for us…" Xinyi muttered, lowering herself into a stance.

"Yeah. I hated leaving Yasushi behind though," Jingliu replied, her face grim, already gripping her wooden sword, ready for whatever came next.

The woman stood still for a moment, her voice breaking the silence, hollow and strange. "So, you thought you could trap me? How cute." The words echoed, sending a shiver through Bhaqui and Furuya, who were staring, unsure of what they had just walked into.

Jingliu approached them without hesitation and struck both unconscious with swift precision before turning her attention to the woman. "Xinyi, stay close. We'll wait for the Goddess Inari to step in," she stated, her tone calm. Xinyi gave a quick nod in agreement.

Jingliu then took a deep breath, her focus sharpening. For once, she chose to push herself, releasing all restraint. In a single moment, she dashed forward at a speed far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve, likely matching the pace of an Olympic sprinter in an instant.

The distance between her and the woman, who worked under Hades, vanished. Jingliu swung her wooden sword with full force, aiming to catch her off guard. The woman barely managed to block the hit, but the impact sent her staggering backward.

"You lack the—" she began, but her words never finished. Xinyi struck her from behind with a solid punch, disrupting her balance further. The woman stumbled right into Jingliu's reach, who wasted no time, landing blow after blow with her wooden sword, the strikes relentless.

The woman yawned, unfazed. "Is this supposed to hurt me?" Her voice carried more contempt than question as her nails lengthened into sharp, vicious points, reaching toward both Xinyi and Jingliu. Sweat dripped down their faces, their bodies tense as the threat loomed closer.

Before the claws made contact, several blue flames ignited in the air, surrounding them. The flames shot toward the woman's wrists, locking her in place. She let out a piercing screech, her confidence shattered by the sudden assault.

Xinyi and Jingliu stared, bewildered, unsure of what had just saved them. Then, the figure they had been waiting for stepped into view. Inari's voice cut through the moment. "Lay a hand on them, and I'll consider it a declaration of war from Hades and the entire Underworld. They're under my protection. I made a promise to that boy."

Inari's gaze shifted to the two, giving a subtle motion with her hand. Without a second thought, they hurried to her side.

"These flames will keep burning," Inari said to the woman, her voice cold. "Now leave, unless you want to find out what happens when I stop holding back."

The woman's screaming stopped, her lips twisting into a smirk as she focused on Inari. "Ah, so even the little fox stands with them. Just as I expected." She vanished, leaving nothing behind but a thick cloud of darkness.

Inari quickly undid the flames surrounding her. She turned to the two girls, starting to speak. "I need to reach—"

"We went up to Mt. Kurama! Please, tell the King of the Tengus that Yasushi is there, fighting someone from Hades' group!" Jingliu interrupted, her voice bursting with urgency. The suddenness made Inari pause briefly.

Inari drew in a breath and nodded. She waved her hand beside her, forming a glowing circle and spoke into it. A moment later, she dismissed it, her eyes settling on the pair.

"Come with me," she said firmly, her expression sharpening. Beneath them, a larger circle formed, glowing faintly as it prepared to teleport them to wherever Yasushi was now.

"W-what about our friends?" Xinyi asked, her voice wavering. "They're still out there… some are scattered around the city."

"I'll have my human followers handle it. They'll bring your friends back to the villa, don't worry," Inari said. Without hesitation, the magic circle beneath their feet flared up, and in an instant, they disappeared, leaving the city behind, their surroundings swallowed by the teleportation.

+-+

Yasushi barely caught his breath when the man he'd struck shot back up, moving faster than seemed possible. His mouth spilled out words, guttural and impossible to understand, as wings of pure darkness sprouted from his back. Bloodlust radiated from him in waves, thick enough to almost choke on.

Yasushi steadied himself, planting his feet, ready for the incoming attack. But before the man could close the distance, the ground between them exploded. A massive bolt of black lightning struck, forcing both of them to stagger back in shock.

A figure descended, dressed in traditional Japanese garb, his jet-black wings spreading wide behind him. He touched down lightly between them, eyes cold and unblinking as he faced the bloodthirsty man. His voice cut the air like a blade, sharp and without hesitation. "Leave. You get one chance. If you don't, I'll kill you. It's that simple."

The crazed man paused for a heartbeat, his gaze locked on the older man, as if trying to make sense of the threat. But the bloodlust inside him won out, drowning whatever reason might have flickered. He charged again, his movements wild, driven purely by violence.

"You're a damn fool," the older Tengu said, pointing his fan directly at the man. A whirlwind of dark wind exploded from the fan, hammering into him. Streaks of lightning tore through the gust, striking the man's body over and over. His screams cut through the air, the pain unyielding, until the barrage finally ceased. It only lasted seconds, but by the time it ended, the man crumpled onto the ground, lifeless, unmoving.

A black wisp appeared, wrapping itself around the man's fallen body.

A laugh echoed — faint but unmistakable. A woman's voice, teasing in its tone. "He's a bit of a fool, don't you think? Little Yasushi, you'll be seeing him again when the Banquet of Gods arrives." The voice trailed off, the same voice Yasushi had heard only a day before, then silence fell again.

Suddenly, a new presence emerged. A magic circle lit up nearby, and within moments, three figures stepped through — Inari, Jingliu, and Xinyi.

As soon as the two girls caught sight of Yasushi, they bolted towards him. His body, covered in bruises, stood mostly intact despite everything he'd endured. They threw themselves onto him, embracing him tightly without hesitation.

"Oww..." Yasushi grunted as he hit the dirt hard. "I'm hurt, you know? Don't crush me…" He shifted beneath the grip of the two girls clinging to him, their laughter awkward but they didn't release their hold.

A pair of figures approached. One was the black-feathered Tengu from earlier, his expression unreadable. Beside him stood Inari, her expression soft as she looked down at him.

"I've gotten the others to safety and made sure they returned to your villa. The others have been informed as well. I'll notify Amaterasu about what happened. She'll likely put a stop to these strange incidents, including any further attacks, at least until the banquet. You can rest easier now," Inari spoke calmly before turning to the Tengu.

"I will assist her with this," the Tengu said, voice firm. "I'm Sōjōbō, King of the Tengus. It's an honor, Yasushi, but now's not the time for lengthy talk. We'll handle the rest. Before you go, though, I'd like to speak with you."

Yasushi looked at them for a few seconds, his expression steady, before giving a small nod. "Thanks... I appreciate it. I really hope we won't be dealing with more situations like this during the trip," he muttered, letting out a heavy sigh.

It took some effort, but he eventually got Xinyi and Jingliu off him so he could stand, though they still held onto him even after he was upright, their grips tight, unwilling to let him go completely.

Inari stepped forward, her hand outstretched, holding a small blue sphere in her palm. "Take this. It'll start working overnight and help your body recover. I've also erased the memories of Furuya and Bhaqui — they don't need to carry what they saw of that woman. They're all at your villa now, safe and sound," she explained, her voice measured.

"Got it... thank you, Inari," Yasushi replied while taking the ball, the weight of exhaustion creeping into his voice as he sighed again. "We'll head back now. We don't want to burden you any more than we already have."

Inari and Sōjōbō gave short nods, confirming they'd have their human partners in Kyoto keep an eye out. Yasushi thanked them again, offering a slight bow before turning to descend the stairs.

He expected the long walk down, but found himself at the base almost instantly. He wasn't sure whether it had been Inari's doing or Sōjōbō's, but either way, he was relieved.

Jingliu and Xinyi walked beside him, their concern still obvious. They hadn't fully calmed yet, though the panic had started to ease.

They kept close, gripping his arms as if afraid he'd vanish if they let go. He exhaled, long and tired, trying to push through the dull ache coursing through his body. The pain gnawed at him, but he forced himself to ignore it, unwilling to show weakness.

The fight had slipped out of his hands. He couldn't help but feel defeated. Relying on backup had stung. Peter had been faster, stronger.

Yasushi knew he was just a regular guy with a bit more strength than most, but Peter? That woman too — they were on a whole different level. He shuddered, the idea of godlike power creeping in, heavy and real.

+-+

Later that night, after everything had settled down, Yasushi sat bandaged up, his body covered with strips of gauze and Band-Aids. He hadn't realized just how much damage Peter had inflicted. The pain was sharper than he thought, leaving him in worse shape than he'd expected.

He stared at his clenched hand, quiet for a moment. "I lost," he murmured, the words weighing more than they should. It was his first true defeat in this new world, and it sat uncomfortably with him.

Losing wasn't foreign to him. In his previous life, he'd faced his share of losses, but towards the end, he had won more than he had fallen. So, to lose now — especially against someone, or something that wasn't even human — it threw him off. It felt... off.

He remembered throwing a punch, managing to knock Peter back, but it hadn't been enough. No real damage had been done. And then there was that woman. Before she left with Peter, she'd mentioned something about facing him again during the Banquet of Gods. The thought unsettled him, gnawing at his gut like a warning he couldn't shake.

"I don't have much time before that banquet starts…" Yasushi muttered under his breath, his thoughts racing. "I need to push harder. If my strength isn't enough for whatever fight's coming, I'll have to be smart about this. Maybe it's time to look into some gadgets... Jingliu's or Xinyi's parents might have some tech they could hand over for me to test out."

His eyes dropped to the wristband wrapped around his arm, the one that could store items. Jingliu's necklace had the same function, both gifts from their parents.

It wasn't far-fetched to think they had more tools or weapons hidden away, something he could use to level the playing field when it came down to it. He couldn't shake the feeling that the banquet wouldn't end with just conversations. Fights were coming.

Before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, arms slid around him from behind, squeezing just enough to make him wince. The pain hit immediately, forcing a grunt out of him.

"Ah... sorry," Jingliu muttered, loosening her grip as she stepped back, her voice low, almost hesitant.

"It's fine," Yasushi muttered, ignoring the pain in his body as he turned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling Jingliu close. "How's everyone else holding up?"

"They're okay. Xinyi's still shaken up after everything, but Furuya and Bhaqui seem normal. They don't remember a damn thing," Jingliu said, leaning against him for a moment before looking up at his face. "How about you? You doing alright?"

"I'll manage," Yasushi replied, his thoughts already elsewhere. "I've been thinking, though. I've got a plan. Would you be up for helping me?"

"Of course," she answered without hesitation. "What're you thinking?"

Yasushi explained his ideas, laying everything out to her, watching as her eyes widened at certain points. She stayed quiet, listening, her expression thoughtful.

"If it's possible… we could ask them together," Jingliu finally said, nodding to herself. "But for now, let's trust what Inari said. We should enjoy the rest of the trip, at least try to, before getting caught up in all this again."

Yasushi exhaled, understanding what she meant. "Yeah... you're right. Let's keep that in mind, but focus on the trip for now. We'll handle what needs to be done after."

With that, they both left the room, heading to meet up with their friends.