Support (1)

"Why do I feel like we are support staff for the gods of Takamagahara?" Daija surveyed the nightlights of cityscape on top of the Tokyo Skytree's observatory deck. 

"I am starting to feel the same way, like I am a clerk for Arahabaki. Everything is changing at a rapid pace. Maybe I am getting too old for all these shit," I mumbled.

"Old is an understatement. You are like I - ancient old fucks who have seen this swamp of a land turn into a huge human farm. See there," Daija pointed towards the direction of Kanagawa prefecture and the sinister shadowy outline of Mount Fuji. 

"This eastern view used to be the old Musashi plain, now swallowed by a metropolitan glob of concrete which started from old Edo," he sighed. "From provinces to prefectures. From imperial court to the National Diet of Japan."

"Japan is on an economic diet. I wished that they followed other countries and call it a parliament in English instead of the National Diet," I muttered. 

Truth be told, this country was up to its eyeballs in trillion dollars worth of national debt after the March 2011 tsunami. The COVID-19 pandemic made the economy worse, especially with the postponement of the Olympics. Many of the humans had lost their jobs and businesses.

"Maybe when Mount Fuji erupts again, they may rename it. After it dumps a ton of dust on the damn eyesore of a building," Daija referred to the odd looking National Diet building. Neither truly European or Japanese in nature, the architectural design confused the fuck out of us when we watched it being built in 1920.

A veil of darkness covered Mount Fuji. Before the skyscrapers came along, we could see the angry volcano from top of Edo's hills rising above the wooden shop houses in its full majestic presence.

"Old Musashi was filled with the kitsune yōkai. Now every damn yōkai from the world descends. I wonder where Hakusozu went." I looked on as the strong wind tussled my hair. 

"Not much rice paddies nowadays," Daija shrugged and said, "Those were more innocent times before Yako turned the night businesses into the new rice paddies. Pity Hakusozu left."

"Hakusozu, hah, where could he be," I laughed. 

Daija pretended to pray, and hit the rin, the traditional Buddhist standing bell. "Probably in some temple. Night businesses and their current hierarchy don't agree with him, although I could imagine him appearing as a monk in Yako's establishment just to play a trick on him."

Hakusozu rejected the ranks of the Daiyōkai. That old kitsune liked things free flowing and on the run, despite being on par with Yako in terms of power. His alliance was with Inari, yet he never attempted to climb into the ranks of godhood. 

"Ssssh stop talking about me, you two serpents," the whisper from the wind came. 

"Haku come out," Daija yelled out as the wind flicked his tied hair all over. 

"Neah, I just came to see a showdown. Nothing like gods having a pissing fit. Benzaiten asked me to have a peek," Hakusozu's disembodied voice spoke. "Although I wonder… Arahabaki never talked to Takamagahara until now since goodness knows when."

"He did?" I raised my eyebrow. "I thought he was at odds with them."

"Same thought. He doesn't show himself often. But he seems to like hanging around you. Daija, any thoughts?"

Daija looked downwards to the ground with its small moving cars and people. Biting his lips, it is a sign that he was unwilling to say something. He heaved a sigh. 

"Out with it," I demanded. 

"Well, I can say that he went up to the heavens for you," Daija replied. 

"Ahahaha, Arahabaki… wait, you are not serious? Kuro? Because she is Yamata-no-Orochi's daughter?" There was a lingering disbelief in the tone of Hakusozu's voice.

Daija leaped away from me with a quick swing around the steel lattices weaving around the tower. "I think he has an interest in you. And it isn't business."

Daija has never teased me this way before. Gods and yōkai never intermingled personally. We were treated like the humans, as chess pieces for their games. Any yōkai who thought themselves higher than a god was asking for trouble. 

"OoooooOOOOOO, I like gossip," Hakusozu started chuckling without the guts to show himself. 

"You both are overthinking things." I waived their suggestions off. 

"No. Not really. Benzaiten herself was surprised that Arahabaki was shielding you. He hardly reveals himself in Kanto. We do know that he likes his gaming because it allows him to conquer the whole new physical world without creating chaos. And if he speaks to Takamagahara… of course a big gun will appear," Hakusozu mused. 

"Which big gun this time? Please don't tell me Takemikazuchi…"

"No earthquake today," Hakusozu chuckled and then said, "Not him. Omoikane, the god of wisdom. He is the only one smart enough not to trigger Arahabaki."

"He is also in charge of old Shinano," Daija added. "So, with his familiarity there, it just tells me that Takamagahara had seriously considered that this is a threat. Beyond our level to enter."

"I can only hope that my building doesn't collapse with Arahabaki's temper."

Daija shook his head with a grin. Hang on, he hardly grins. Something sank in me.

He added, "last thing Takamagahara wants is attention drawn too much to our existence. That becomes troublesome to them when humans start mistakening other humans for yōkai. Most gods there are not stupid. And you don't know Arahabaki well… he is the most cunning one of them all."

"How can a cunning person show his temper all the time," I retorted. "That's revealing that they are out of control."

"Think about it. The Mishakuji and him survived the onslaught of those wars which decimated their followers. He even survived your father, who once had several followers before he turned into a yōkai," Hakusozu countered. "If this doesn't require cunning… I don't know what it is."

Coming from a kitsune, calling any one cunning was a sign of admiration and envy. From Hakusozu, it becomes the ultimate praise. 

"I am just used to being a yōkai. So what does he want with me? He can easily devour my energy," I said. 

"You don't know what it is like to be a god. I could almost call you his… pet."

***

"What do humans call this," Arahabaki pointed to a twitch in his eye. 

"Someone is probably talking bad about you?" Asanki said as he swirled the scotch whiskey in the odd tear shaped decanter.

Tokoni jumped in. "No, no, they say that if they do that, they sneeze. Bad news for you probably."

"All superstitious shit," Arahabaki replied as he lounged on the leather sofa in his living room with the full view of Tokyo before him. 

"Ooi, Stop swirling my Mortlach 70 years old… that cost me 2.5 million Japanese yen," Arahabaki turned around and pointed at Asanki. 

"I don't understand what's so good about an expensive foreign scotch in a weird bottle. I mean, our own Japanese whiskey is coming up. And does that silly Daiyōkai believe you need spending money?," Asanki muttered and added, "For fuck sakes, you are richer than most of the shrine gods out there with all that crazy investments you make."

"I don't understand your game with her," Tokoni muttered. "Even making her pay for your appeasement ceremony when you can simply influence one of your mortals to do it."

"Neither do I. Other than she is Yamata-no-Orochi's daughter."

"I have my own plans and it is none of you business," Arahabaki smirked. 

"Don't tell me you want to keep her as your pet at back and call," Asanki snickered. 

"Pets. I can get from the mortal side. But this one can entertain me for a long time," Arahabaki said.

"Raise her up to our level. I heard of humans crossing oceans for love but you went up to the heavens whom you hate so much…just for her." Asanki chuckled in amusement.

Arahabaki coughed and said, "none of your business."