31

Chapter Text

Akeno and I are both in the dojo, each of us holding a staff that I had collected yesterday. Today, I'll be showing Akeno the basics of using a polearm and giving her some exercises to practice. In the background, Byakko is playing a game of Red Hands with Shuten, to increase both her reaction speed and striking speed. One thing we have quickly realized in regards to training my little sister is that she retains information better if it's in the format of a game. Sometimes I forget how young she is, but it isn't that surprising when you think about it.

Back to Akeno and I, our staves have a mark on the side that simulates the blade edge and are slightly weighted at that end. I realize that there are Shiai Naginata, made completely of wood for practice but a normal Bo staff is less likely to break given its uniform shape. "Right, watch carefully, kiddo. I'm going to show you some moves you can do to familiarize yourself with your weapon while building up dexterity and coordination."

Placing the staff parallel to the ground and holding it at chest height in my right hand, I begin to rotate it clockwise, skipping the first half rotation; I switch hands at the first full rotation, catching the staff in my left, with the palm upward. When I've swapped hands, my leading hand flips downward following the same pattern as the first swap. I stop the rotation after that, focusing on Akeno again. "That's the first thing you can try, just start slow and gradually work your way up in speed."

I lean on my staff and watch as Akeno makes her first attempt, smiling when she grabs the staff too early in the spin. It is a short few seconds after that that she ends up near the end of the staff with the rest hanging outward. "Do you know what went wrong?"

"I think so?" Akeno tilts her head with a small frown tugging at her lips. Slowly, she makes a second attempt while focusing on the movement and how it feels. This time, when she repeats the mistake, she self-corrects and does the spin properly.

"Excellent! Now that you have the mechanics of that down, you only need to work on upping the pace." To show her, I start rotating the staff again, building more momentum with every rotation. The last time I did this I had an average human body; therefore it's a surprise when the wind actually begins to pick up as a result of the motion.

"So cool!" I throw Shuten a grin over my shoulder in response to her comment and focus back on Akeno. She too looks fairly impressed. I feel a little uncomfortable with the praise since it isn't exactly my skill that allows me to reach those speeds but raw physical ability instead.

"You can also do things like this." Keeping the staff in my right hand, I hold it upright. Rotating it forward, causes the top to head toward the ground, and I direct it to my left side; I roll my wrist so that after a full rotation, the end of the staff is on my right.

"This spin is supposed to be something you try with two hands first but I've always found it easier to do with one. With two hands it feels kind of clunky but that might be different for you." Having said that, I demonstrate the spin using both hands and even my left hand for good measure.

Akeno picks this one up, without any hesitation, managing to get the form right immediately. With those complete, I show her how to do the rest of the ones I know; adding behind-the-back to the first spin, the reversed version of the one-handed spin, an underarm spin with either one or two hands, and a couple of rolls like across the waist, neck, and shoulders.

"Now that you know how to do everything, you just need to be able to do them fast and fluidly. Once you can do that then you can start transitioning between them and mixing it up." Akeno nods with a hint of confusion on her face.

"So… how do you use these in a fight?" I can't help it, I laugh. Not just a giggle but actually full belly laughter. Wiping a tear from my eye, I school my expression into something serious.

"Quite simply, you don't. The purpose of this is to get you used to the use of a polearm and its feel. It will also help you condition your body for using the weapon; you can feel a little bit of soreness in your arms, right?" She frowns and shakes them, nodding again to me.

"In an actual fight, you want to keep your weapon close to your center, in the best position to defend yourself or make a swift attack. While you can certainly build a lot of momentum by spinning a staff, it also gives your opponent a massive amount of time to hurt you." I demonstrate the first spin I showed her to illustrate my point, slowed down to a reasonable speed.

"What vulnerability can you see right now?" Akeno watches the spin with an expression of concentration, gaze flitting between the weapon and the movements of my body.

"Your hands?" I smile and let go, causing the staff to fly off a foot to the side before I catch it again.

"All you need to do is hit me in the hand that is currently holding the weapon, and it will go flying away. There's also the fact that I can just as easily -if not more easily- deflect projectiles from a stationery position guarding my center." I pause and rub my chin as I ponder the subject more thoroughly.

"That mostly applies to mundane combat though, with magic you could probably spin your staff and create a complete barrier. That isn't something that you should bother thinking about for now though. Once you get a handle on the feel of your weapon, I'll show you some blocks and strikes." Akeno smiles, grateful for the instruction, before frowning at the marked end of the staff.

"At most you could use weapon handling skills to intimidate someone into backing off; though that only works if they don't want to fight in the first place. I'd just broadcast killing intent if that was the goal." I shrug and watch as Akeno smirks at me.

"That is because you're a bloodthirsty muscle head." Not bothering to deny the accusation, I simply laugh in response. She frowns a moment later.

"Why did you get me a staff and not an actual naginata?" The tone is almost edging on petulant, something I'm happy about in the circumstances. The fact that she's questioning this means that she is interested, and not worried about offending me. To me, that shows she's adjusting well.

"To be blunt, you aren't ready for a bladed weapon. Injuries from a blunt weapon are less severe -outside head trauma- which gives you more time to get to me if you need healing. Granted, I don't expect you to hurt yourself like that but accidents happen." I smirk at the shy look, barely withholding instinct to tell her how adorable it is. I can't tease her too much, I need to wait until she's completely comfortable in the family before that.

She coughs to divert attention and silently takes up her weapon to practice. Sitting loosely against the wall, I rest my chin on my fist. Every once in a while, I throw out a tip or comment to help Akeno improve, but she's pretty good on her own.

I discreetly glance off to the side lets me take stock of how the other two are doing. They've switched from Red Hands to tag but street rules apparently, because Byakko is swiping back when he dodges. From the look of things, Shuten has to touch Byakko without being touched herself; it's an interesting proposition when Byakko's abilities are closer to mine than they are Shuten's. Considering he is also using the walls and the ceiling to dodge… My sister isn't gaining much ground. The feral grin she's wearing says she's enjoying the game though.

Over the next hour, both of their movements get more refined but it will be weeks before they get where I want them. I have mixed feelings about that since it's good that they have the time to spend on these things but it feels so slow. A quick check of the time shows that their tutor is going to arrive soon, so we should finish up for the day. I stretch as I stand, clapping my hands to get their attention. "Alright girls, good work today! I'm proud of the effort you're putting into your training, and you should be too. Now, hurry off and get yourselves cleaned up before the Zen Master gets here."

Shuten jumps up to me and I give her a quick hug before tossing her toward the door; Akeno meanwhile bites her lip and when Shuten is off me, darts in for a quick hug. She's gone before I can reciprocate the gesture but I still smile in response.

Progress if nothing else.

While my sister and Akeno had their lessons, I spent my time doing the surprisingly domestic task of making them lunch. Sure, I could be training myself or managing my new criminal empire, but sometimes other things are more important.

I manage to finish at just the right time, putting the finishing touches on plating their meals as they walk in. I do a quick chef's kiss and place their meals on the table. When they notice me Shuten laughs, and Akeno stares at me in numb shock. You see, when my Mother had bought all that fabric, I had requisitioned one specific garment.

A kiss-the-cook apron!

I cackle as they sit down, and ruffle their hair as they dig in. While my mother was fine with making that for me, she also made me other less desirable accessories. Apparently, the apron suggestion inspired her enough to make me a frilly pink abomination that I refuse to wear.

Hanging up the apron in the kitchen, I head to the courtyard where they just finished their lessons. Today, I'd be chatting more with their tutor to really nail down what they'll be taught in the long term. Obviously, they would get all their educational requirements that mundane society wants, but outside that, there are many things that would be useful. Local and foreign mythologies for example -though I guess 'myth' is a bit of a misnomer- are basically a must.

When I enter the courtyard, the Zen Master is in the middle of putting away stationery and brushes. They look like simple possessions but are clearly well cared for given how meticulously and gently he is handling them. "Yo, Jun-sensei, how are the kids doing?"

"They are diligent pupils, Ibaraki." I raise an eyebrow at that, causing him to chuckle. "Your sister may be headstrong but she is open with her curiosity of the world, the older generation should envy such an attitude. Young Akeno, while calm and studious, has already begun to harden her heart to the world. Such suffering in the eyes of a child is regretful."

He strokes his beard, and I sit down across from him thinking about that. With a patient teacher, Shuten's confidence and willingness to say whatever is on her mind could be a benefit, certainly. Yet, I can see how such an attitude would be punished if her teacher was the type to stick rigidly to a plan. I hadn't thought of how Akeno's trauma would affect her studies but obviously, it would in its own ways.

"No issues with the material so far?" It wouldn't be an issue if one of them had a learning disability but it would require a shift in tactics at the very least. I could see Shuten having ADHD if anything.

"Your sister would be exceptional for her age in most categories; though this one will say she dislikes mathematics and sees little point in history beyond the excitement of war." I smile wryly at that analysis, having expected as much out of my sister. When I tried to teach her the basics of math, she absorbed the information easily enough, but getting her to apply them took motivation. When she gets to that level, I can probably trick her into enjoying chemistry by making it about poison.

"Young Akeno applies herself well to every subject yet she lacks the enthusiasm children have. She sees learning as a step toward her goals rather than a privilege, this one would think." I sigh, understanding his point. I might have pitched the revenge thing a little hard. I still fully agree with what I said but she should still have fun along the way. I sure as hell have if you ignore that it has been after the revenge part… Maybe that was a bit hypocritical.

"I guess we will both have to reignite that thirst for knowledge that kids are supposed to have, eh?" I grin at him, pouting when all I get is a serene smile. "I've been doing my best to help her move past the death of her mother but I'm not exactly a therapist. My usual approach to solving problems is beating them into submission."

That at least provokes a chuckle out of the man. "You do have that way about you."

I click my tongue while crossing my arms across my chest. Why does everyone have to be so damn perceptive? Stop analyzing me and do your job you sandalwood-smelling-giant! "I asked you to stay back for a meeting today because I wanted to talk about supplementing their education. I'd be happy for them if they decided they wished to live in the mundane world or whatever but it's pretty unlikely they ever would. In that case, they need to know a lot to be aware of the dangers of the real world."

"A prudent course of action, this one was wondering when you would explore those possibilities. Perhaps, a course load similar to the one that Yasaka-sama's daughter is undergoing. That pupil's education has a large focus on local history and relationships and is supplemented with knowledge of relevant international factions. How much of that would benefit these children, this one does not know.." I mull over what I know about the future and what would be best to prepare them. After a moment I realize that I'm going about this all wrong, they need to learn how to live life outside a disaster like canon from Jun; I'll be teaching them what they need to live in that shit show.

"That sounds good to me, but keep the focus on more practical information; it's all well and good to know about major players still present today but some obscure extinct noble house is unnecessary. On an unrelated note, have you had any luck with teaching them on the meditation front?" If I'm going to teach them how to use Intent of any variation, or even Senjutsu to a degree, meditation will be useful. Having a clear mind and even temper is also just beneficial for everyday life.

"Your sister is quite spirited as I said earlier. A more active form of meditation would benefit her most. Young Akeno also seems skeptical about the practice. She only sees the surface; deepening one's connection to their mana for example." Hmm, it isn't like I share my training regimen with them. I'm sure they'll be surprised with how much meditation factors into it.

"This one is pleased that you brought the topic up; Your meditation practice has been something this one is curious about. Perhaps we might open a discourse about the subject while here?" On one hand, I have other things I need to do. Personal training notwithstanding, I also need to check up on my minions. Until I have them trained to my standards, we can't open up an offensive against the other gangs, so I want to speed that up. I also need to make sure my officers are doing their jobs properly. Lastly, Yaeko and Kintoki need to be brought up closer to my level; if I can do that, I won't be necessary for every big threat that shows up.

That is of course assuming the Hell King Union and Kuroihanegumi have an Ultimate Class threat on hand, but it seems like a reasonable one to make. Kyoto isn't a small city, and powerhouses flock to centers of power like this. With the Principal Clans, West Yokai Faction, and the large religious temples, you have to have some support base to carve out your own position.

On the other hand, I'm curious about Buddhist meditation as well. My method is cobbled together based on suppositions from my past life and various forms of media. It works, obviously, but it doesn't have the same lasting lineage to support the practice. If we can learn from each other to improve, I don't see a reason not to.

"I'm not opposed to that, Zen Master." He smiles and relaxes from where he sits across from me.

"Please, call me Jun. As this one said in our first meeting, he is still a student as well." I roll my eyes at the modesty, the sentiment tasting bitter. As far as I'm aware, it is genuine modesty but it still doesn't sit well with me; too many people have hidden agendas that I need to watch out for these days.

"Where to begin? This one supposes we should speak about meditation as we see it. For myself, meditation is the way in which we connect with the Buddha-nature present within ourselves. By casting off one's ego and opening themselves up to the totality of the world, they can walk further along the path toward nirvana." I purse my lips as I run his words over again in my mind. If I remember correctly, the Buddha-nature is part of the idea that all sentient beings have an innate divinity to them; of course, some other schools believe that all life is included in this. So by stripping away the ego you can reach a pure, natural state of mind, akin to that of the Buddha.

Still, there's a part I don't understand. "How can you experience the totality of the world if you strip away the ego? That same sense of self and self-importance is also a part of the world."

He chuckles softly and I frown, but it doesn't seem mocking. It is a simple and honest form of laughter. "Indeed, how can one do so? This one believes that you must set your ego aside, but keep it with you. Sometimes we must look at things objectively and other times we must feel our passions. One's ego should be worn like loose-fitting cloth. Amitabha."

His hands come together and a soft golden glow surrounds him. Unbidden, my third eye opens, taking in the aura that he is emitting. It isn't threatening or powerful necessarily but rather has a sense of omniscience and acceptance to it. The feeling of it is different but it would be impossible for me not to recognize it; this is Intent or at least soul energy tinged by the user's insights.

He maintains the position and while he does so, I grab my sword from its pocket dimension. Laying it across my lap, I close my eyes and begin to meditate like he is. I know what my sword means to me certainly, but that is a property of my ego, right? Taking a deep breath, I focus on the concept of a sword itself, not the one in my lap.

A sword, at its simplest, is a blade. It is what civilizations were built on. One of the weapons that allowed man to rise above the animals whose bodies were stronger and tougher. It allows weaker species to fight against those stronger than them. Yet it also allows the strong to become stronger, channeling their power into something precise.

It's a tool of both slaughter and protection.

But… my claws are swords too aren't they? A blade of grass can be a sword, cutting through the air that batters it. In a sense, water too can be used as a sword, as it wears through the toughest rocks. Why am I limiting myself when my entire body is the sword I use to defend my family and slaughter my enemies.

I smile as my eyes open, the silver-ish glow of my sword intent being emitted from my entire body. I flex my muscles and feel them, hard and sharp, an arsenal of weapons honed to one purpose. My entire body feels like a single weapon yet each piece feels like a sword in itself.

"You have gained insight from this one's rambling it seems." Jun is smiling serenely at me and I can't help but smile back. My sword intent has undergone something of a qualitative change, and the implementation of it has become more efficient as well. Yes, I have reaped benefits from this short talk already.

"I guess I should tell you about my meditation. This is supposed to be a discourse after all." I smile wryly, having no doubt he expected me to benefit from this. I may have to reevaluate my opinion of him.

"As I told you last time, I practice a form of object meditation that I developed myself. The main idea is to connect yourself with something till the gaps between those two ideas fade away." I pat the sword on my lap meaningfully. "In a way, it is similar to what you practice but rather than being a person and the greater universe being one, this sword is me and I am this sword."

I nod idly at my own explanation, running my tongue over my lips. I've never really had to put the methodology into words before now; neither have I had to explain it to someone who knows what they are talking about. "The way I go about it is very heavily focused on the self. How a person relates to the object of focus and how it relates to them. I guess it is inherently selfish, only taking what is necessary rather than everything."

"Yes, that does seem similar to what was seen just now. Even down to the insights this one shared, you stripped away what you needed from the whole truth. Fascinating, if unorthodox compared to the Dharma that is passed down by Buddhists. Connecting with the self at the cost of disconnecting with the world…Is that not harmful to your advancement as a Sage?" I open my mouth to refute that point before my jaw snaps shut just as suddenly. Is it harmful?

My use of Ki has consistently grown, so have my reserves of Ki. Even my manipulation of Ki has become more smooth and efficient as I train. Yet, my connection with nature and the more esoteric uses of Senjutsu have eluded me.

If I compare myself to Kiyoshi, our development couldn't be more different. He moves through the world as though he's part of it, connecting to nature without a thought. He isn't an Oni traversing nature, he's nature itself, welcomed back home with open arms. In contrast, his Ki manipulation is imprecise, his Touki non-existent, and his own Ki unattributed.

I groan as I realize I've been hindering myself in a whole aspect of my powers.

I blink in surprise as a brush, inkpot, and some stationery is set down in front of me. "This one is an avid practitioner of Hitsuzendo, perhaps you will find an aptitude for it."

Jun ignores my questioning look, dipping his brush in ink and humming in contemplation as he stares at the blank paper. Smiling gently he draws an open circle in a single brushstroke. It isn't the most perfect circle I've seen and the ink isn't symmetrical in its thickness but something about it appeals to me.

"The enso, quite the symbol is it not?" I can see the allure but why an open circle? To symbolize something that can become more with development, maybe? Something that isn't yet stagnant, still moving? Looking at the symbol causes some foreign feeling to fill me, and I glance at the brush that was set down for me…

No, I have something better.

I stand up and hum idly as I stare at my sword. A rock sitting in the garden calls to me, and I examine it closer, trying to see if it is what I'm looking for. When my inspection comes out without any issues I pick the rock up and take it to a separate area. I don't want to damage my Mother's garden.

If a closed circle was what he drew, perhaps I should go with the opposite. The question is, what do I pour into the expression? If an open circle represents movement and space for growth, a closed circle should be completion, infinity, or the universe as a whole, right? What is more infinite than complete nothingness?

Focusing on the feeling of the void, I slash a perfect circle into the rock. From the impression I carved in, the feeling of nothingness seeps out in an empty haze. There's a sharp intake of breath behind me and I turn to see Jun eyeing the symbol with unshakeable focus.

I cough into my fist after thirty seconds of awkwardly watching him and he startles at the noise. "Apologies, Ibaraki, this one had not expected something so profound for your first attempt. Are you sure you have not done this before?"

He smiles, his gaze sliding back to the rock. "This one feels as though he has moved leaps and bounds on The Path with just that small glance. It seems our Karma is tied as we both have learned great things today."

I look awkwardly between him and the rock a few times, not understanding what he's getting at. Surely a proper Buddhist sect has its own insights into the void; those insights are also probably far more profound than this. "Um, ok then?"

He bows, his hands forming the Anjali mudra. "Thank you for our discussion, this one enjoyed it very much. An updated lesson plan for the children will be formed but if you will excuse the abrupt departure, this one needs to contemplate what you have shown him today."

He walks away at a noticeably quicker pace than one I've seen from him before, and I can't help but think he gained more from this talk than I did.

The next month was spent getting everything in place for a major offensive against the other gangs in the city. Trying to get my minions up to snuff was like attempting to squeeze blood from a stone but I managed to make something out of them. Granted, I might be comparing their progress to my own, or that of my sisters, which is a bit unfair. You can't exactly compare the gains of average mooks to that of freaks of nature.

Their physical fitness was brought up to just below that of professional athletes, rather than the level of simple thugs. Most of the credit to that sharp uptick in their competence was the sheer amount of Ki that is being saturated inside the area they trained in. The idea was by now means original, with inspiration coming from any media that deals in physical enhancement through energy. Cultivating novels had their holy grounds where the largest sects were founded for example. But I knew it would work here because I had already experienced it in the valley where my final trial was held. Also, Kyoto itself concentrated and purified Ki through feng shui.

Their bodies naturally absorb Ki in response to the harsh training, and the fact that it was purified by me means it was far more effective than ambient Ki. In addition to that, they chewed on tea leaves from my Mother's garden before and after training. This has been basically turbocharging their development by forcing the Ki I filled the leaves with into their bodies. Rather than mystical steroids, the practice is closer to bodybuilders using supplements.

With time their bodies would reach that of Olympic athletes or even low levels of supernatural ability this way. That only applies to those who put their all into their training. It isn't a miracle that will boost them past what they are naturally capable of but it will help them reach that peak quicker. Sadly, their growth is already starting to slow and without more personal training would stall at that human peak. I've been keeping a close eye on the more exceptional specimens, so I can bring them to the village at the end of the year. It will be a reward for their hard work and talent, while also giving them an opportunity to become something more than simple thugs.

The flip side is that it will show my people how fragile humans are, so another Yaeko situation doesn't happen. With the additional training I've given my minions here, there shouldn't be any accidental deaths when I bring the best ones to train at the village. They will learn how to fight a more powerful opponent, and the Oni will learn how to not kill every squishy individual they meet. The scenario is a win-win no matter how I look at it.

Outside their physical development, the thugs have also begun to think differently. Small unit tactics, threat assessment, situational awareness, resource management, and everything else I could think of have been drilled into them. Compared to the loose, rough gang they were before, now they resemble a budget mercenary team. While I'm not an idiot, I'm not a military instructor of any sort, so naturally, they aren't a perfectly honed killing force. They are, however, leagues better than they were before.

All of them were familiar with both ranged weaponry, bladed weapons, and unarmed combat; to give them the ability to survive most engagements. They each took to different forms of weaponry differently, which is unsurprising but I can see them becoming my adorable, competent, minions.

The last benefit the training had on them was forcing a collective identity onto them, through mutual suffering. While Yakuza groups work under a 'family' identity, what they've become is a much more cohesive group than even that. Each of them saw their peers as brothers or sisters because they've been forced to go through the same pain and anguish through this month.

In the end, I'm happy with the progress they've made.

For the most part that is. There are outliers of course, as there are in any group. Some broke under the training, and I did my best to compensate them for their trauma. Suffice to say, they wouldn't need to work for me or anyone with the amount of money they now had. They still have the support of the Golden Dragons as well if they ever need it.

Part of that is my fault, I had underestimated how much extra mental resilience Oni have over humans. While all my people in our village would shrug off having an arm ripped off, and not even bat an eye at seeing it happen, humans take offense to it. Others just couldn't handle their bodies being pushed to the limits or weren't willing to try.

Then there was Kevin. I understand why he said he was useless at anything that didn't involve guns. He is willing to work hard but his efforts don't actually bring results outside that field. I have literally seen the man trip over thin air, seconds after emptying an entire magazine into a single point at a sizable distance. I'm planning to get him a sniper rifle or something and keep him as far away from close combat as possible, otherwise, he is going to be a liability. Though since we're mostly going to be inside the city, a sniper might be overkill… unless supernatural assets come into play in which case a fifty caliber might barely be an effective armament.

A dilemma for later, I suppose.

Right now I'm sprinting through the countryside toward the coast. I'll admit that this is probably a waste of time but I had a couple of hours of free time. After seeing the news talk about the storm in the sea of Japan for the past month I want to see it for myself. I would be lying if the prospect of seeing actual gods in action wasn't part of the reasoning driving me along this path. Who wouldn't take the chance to see beings who could wipe out a continent when the opportunity is presented to them?

Vaulting over a police barricade, I launch myself upward, my momentum carrying me to the top of Kyoga-Misaki lighthouse. With my right hand wrapped around the antenna on top, I lean forward and stare out into the sea.

The waves are crashing furiously against the cove, water falling heavily in endless tides. The wind howls, the plant life around the outcropping being torn out by their roots and flung into the sky. Hurricanes dance out on the water in a cataclysmic waltz, swirling around each other rhythmically. Yet the sky remains dark, with no lightning running through the dark clouds. It's-

"Beautiful isn't it?" I nearly fall from my perch as a voice calls out from my left. In the span of time, it takes me to turn and glare at the offending voice, it doesn't even cross my mind to question who it would be.

"How scary, I'm shivering in fear." He smirks from where he stands beside me… what the fuck? The man snorts in amusement and sits down on thin air; he tips the jingasa that sits on his head back so I can see his sea-green eyes with flecks of blue swirling inside. His sharp eyebrows are set in amusement and a trimmed goatee highlights his smirk. Dark black locks of wavy hair jut out untamed from under his hat.

My eyes continue to take him in and I spend a moment or two extra staring at his abs. It's his fault for being shirtless in a fucking storm though, and for having muscles you could grind stone to dust on. Sitting on top of his hakama pants is a sword, ten spans long.

"If you are done staring at me you could answer the question." He grins at me, unashamed of the attention, and with a hint of command in his voice. Anger bubbles up in my chest at the idea of being commanded by this stranger.

Without knowing who I'm talking to I'm not going to challenge him though, at least, not till I have more information. "It isn't a complete storm without lightning."

His eyes flash with mirth, and something else. Instantly, electricity leaps through the clouds, lightning swimming across the sky. Light cuts through the darkness as thick bolts of lightning unceasingly strike at the surface of the water. A second later, the cacophony washes over the area we are in, and I wince at the sheer volume.

"On that, we agree." He nods and places his palm under his chin. He points his sword out at the sea, and the lightning in the distance flows to wherever he moves it. "I'm glad you came when things weren't so hectic out here. If it were earlier I wouldn't have been able to pawn off some of the work onto the windbag and that drummer wannabe. Later, I would have had to come to Kyoto to see the pet of my sister's pet. You're like a mouse adopted by a dog, so adorable."

Gnashing my teeth, I reach out for my sword in my pocket dimension, only to find my hand swipe through thin air. "Really? What kind of garbage magic is that supposed to be? I've seen children perform more secure spatial manipulation. Tch and you are using Merlin's imitation of devil magic that barely accomplishes being a magic system."

The full force of my killing intent washes over him, and the bastard yawns, casually patting his mouth with his palm. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Snapping his fingers, the storm stops -no not stops, pauses, as though a cataclysmic storm is just a video to be held in limbo by the movement of a finger. "Come now, even as a subordinate's subordinate you shouldn't be that stupid. Who else has these dashing good looks, aura filled with valor, and stormy eyes that capture the hearts of all this country's maidens?"

He bats his eyes at me and I shiver with repressed rage. "Fine, what do you want, Susanoo?"

"Hm? Where's the respect? It's Lord God Susano'o, bringer of storms and bountiful harvests, he who brings blessings of love to marriages, ruler of all the seas. Come on, say it with me!" He smiles honestly, as though nothing is wrong with the statement. My fists clench in annoyance, and my teeth continue to grind against each other.

"As for why I'm here, I already said enough, right? I want to see my sister's grand-servant. Is grand-servant even a word… Bah, doesn't matter." The antenna in my hand snaps as my hand shears through the metal. "Clearly uncoordinated if the property damage is any indication. No wonder you are so low on the totem pole, you can't even control your fanatic devotion this close to me."

I launch myself at the bastard, my rage overcoming my sense of self-preservation or even the knowledge of the fact he's currently floating in the air. I yelp when he drifts lazily to the side, and I fly past him toward the churning water below.

"You bastard!" As I plummet toward the water I hear him cackling from where I just was.

While I know how to swim, that doesn't exactly apply to the conditions of a super-storm. Susanoo, of course, resumed the storm when I lept at him, so I don't even have a moment of calm waters to get my bearings. Instead, I plummet straight into a turbulent, merciless sea.

The waves hammer down on me as I continuously try to break the surface, and when I'm shoved back under, the undertow drags me deeper. Even with the power of my body, I can't break through the never-ending tides. I infuse my body with Touki to try and overpower nature, but the force of the sea is too much for even that. Finally, I manage to breach the surface by emitting enough fire that a ball of steam launches me back into the sky.

"Why don't you just stand on the water? You are a sage, right?" I'm plucked out of the air by Susanoo, his hand wrapping around my throat as he stares at me in bemusement. I swipe at him with my arms, only stopping when a torrent of water slams into my face. I sputter, trying to force the water out of my face as he tsks. "Just ask for the World's support, I'm not being paid to be your teacher."

My eyes go wide as he winds up like a baseball pitcher, his lips forming a cruel smirk. "Don't you fucking dare!

His grin widens as I shout that out, not slowing down his throw in the slightest. "I hope you learn fast!"

Before I hit the water, I focus on emitting as much heat as possible. My goal is to leverage the Leidenfrost effect to try to stand on the water's surface. If I can manage that, then I can figure out how to do it through Senjutsu.

As my back slams into the surface of the water, the layer around me superheats, forming a film. I sort of bounce on the film of water like a trampoline; of course, since the sea is active, I go straight into a wave that is coming crashing from above. I manage to punch the wave and disperse it, tumbling through the air for a few hundred feet.

The rain and heavy winds haven't stopped either, making my ascent, and prompt descent, supremely disorienting. Because of that, I land on the water face down the second time, and by virtue of pure fury, the water boils even quicker than before. The issue is that I want to stand, not be launched like a fucking pinball.

This time, I close my eyes and imagine I'm in Naruto, and skipping tree-walking straight to water-walking, except through sheer unadulterated rage rather than Chakra. Naturally, it goes about as well as one would think, and I keep getting launched around like a moron. Every bounce is punctuated by that smug prick busting a gut in the sky.

Eventually, I manage to find my footing, swiftly making small adjustments to temperature as the sea shifts under me. I still have to jump over every fucking wave that comes near me, each one threatening the knifes-edge that is my current technique. When I finally get it, two things happen in quick succession; first, I sigh in relief, and second, a slow clap rings out impossibly clear over the sound of the storm.

"Not bad, minion-squared, a completely useless overengineered method but one that works surprisingly decently. I guess my only concern is whether you can maintain this while under attack?" I blanch from my position on the water, bouncing a little as I overcompensate on temperature. "As your concerned superior, it would only be fitting for me to help you, no matter how many better things I have to do."

I can make out the shine of his teeth from high above me as he grins, "Don't worry, you'll thank me later!"

The clouds churn ominously above me, and the rain turns from a torrential downpour, into miniature swords that are sharp enough to pierce my skin. This is through the monstrous amount of heat pouring out of my body, and only half of the rain is being blocked by my Touki. If I turn up the heat, the rain would evaporate, but I would be flung around the sea again. If I shut the heat off and focused on Touki instead, I would go back to sinking.

My method to cope with this is naturally cursing out the bastard responsible. "When I figure out how to avoid this shit, I'm going to rip your fucking balls out through your throat!"

I growl when the rain doubles in intensity, and sit down on the water surface. The wounds are annoying but they aren't able to become life-threatening with just this much. Therefore, I send my awareness outward toward the natural Ki in the environment. Rather than taking in the Ki as I normally do, I sent my awareness deeper, searching for something resembling a consciousness to… talk with I guess? Fuck if I know.

What happened next shocked me.

Literally, as in I was hit by a massive pillar of lightning. This broke my concentration, throwing my awareness away from the natural Ki, and disrupting the flow of heat I'm producing. Thankfully, I don't instinctually retract the heat I'm producing. No, instead, I ramp the temperature up to the maximum I can emit. From up above I probably looked like a small sun for a moment.

Coincidentally, that is exactly the way I was propelled.

Seeing Susanoo smiling, ready to seize me by the throat and throw me back to the tides… well, it pissed me off even more. So as I rocketed up toward him, I focused all my power into my claws, hoping to just cut straight through him. They gleam brightly as sword intent coats them, along with the Touki that enhances their power.

At the very least, I can be proud that he changed his intentions, and blocked me with his sword, rather than snatching me from the air like an angry cat again. His brows are furrowed as he stares at our interlocked weapons, "Curious… have you been to China then?"

"Nope, this is all me!" I lash out and try to disembowel him with the claws on my feet, grimacing when he catches my ankle.

"Maybe you are more than just an amusing side project then." He dangles me by my foot while staring down at me. "This was a way to sate boredom before but if you continue to surprise me, I may show you something special. Do your best, little minion."

He flings me back down to the water's surface once more, except the storm parts in a several-mile radius around me, and the water stills unnaturally. I manage a somewhat graceful three-point landing, the layer of superheated water beneath me causing me to slide a significant distance. Susanoo, on the other hand, gently touches the surface with naught a ripple to show it. He holds his sword casually and gestures toward me with his free hand.

I bite down on the curse that threatens to leap out of my mouth and take the concession for what it is, drawing my sword while knowing that I can only do so because he allows it. I stare at the bone sword, and my reflection on the blade, in silent contemplation. How do I win this?

Closing my eyes, I chuckle while shaking my head. Why am I even thinking about something as useless as that? There is a literal, Capital-G, God in front of me. Why should I do anything but enjoy myself to the fullest? My eyes snap open, and my Touki bursts out around my body, roaring in response to my resolve.

The flames around my heat turn black, and I hurriedly retract any additional heat I'm outputting. 'I'll keep you afloat, you focus on the fight.' Giving Byakko a mental nod, I examine my opponent.

His stance is relaxed to the point I can't even call it a stance; he's casually slouched and holding his sword in a loose grip, everything about him lacking tension. In fact, his eyes aren't even on me right now. Instead, he's staring down into the depths of the sea with a grimace.

The world outside this tranquil section shakes, and the waves grow massively. As much as I want to fight Susanoo, what's happening in our surroundings is worrying. "Should you go handle that?"

"Hm?" Susanoo's eyes flick upward to me and he smiles disarmingly. "Nah, like I said things are slowing down out here already. That was the," He grimaces again, shuddering this time, "climax to this little romp. Uh, I hate it when they do this yet I'm not allowed to just kill them. Politics. Anyway, I did want to test you so-"

I bring my arms up in front of my face as a razor-sharp line of raindrops cuts a shallow wound into them. My forearms fall off in a spray of blood and I no longer see Susanoo in front of me.

"-Try not to die on me." The voice comes from behind me, a worrying notion considering I didn't even see him move. I grab my sword out of the air with my newly regenerated limbs and spin, trying to take off his head.

Our swords clash as he blocks my swing. He frowns, his eyes narrowing as he looks at the locked blades. "Are you trying to insult me? You should know I don't take well to insults."

His sword blurs and I feel wounds open up all across my body simultaneously. A kick to the chest causes him to move back a step but the water rises to cushion him, stabilizing his stance.

"A sturdy body doesn't mean you can half-ass this, little minion." Tendrils of water wrap around my leg and I feel them try to twist it. Thankfully Byakko is watching my back and evaporates the water.

Ki floods my legs and I close the distance between us. Feigning a slash, I sidestep and use the fire to skate along the water stabbing toward his back instead. He leans to the side and traps my sword with his arm. I have to let go of my sword with one hand in order to catch his wrist and stop his sword arm.

"How would that work?" I grit my teeth at the amusement in his voice. "I am the water you stand on, the air you move through, the storm of anger in your heart. Did you think I wouldn't see that attack?"

"I just needed to make sure you couldn't move." My grip on his wrist tightens and my chest expands as I inhale; when I let the breath out, a wave of black flame follows.

Susanoo does multiple things simultaneously to dodge the fire. He releases his grip on my sword, an opportunity I use to take the weapon back. He flips upward, dislocating his own shoulder. Lastly, he tosses up his sword, catching it in his free hand, and cuts off my hand.

The flames begin to multiply as they devour the sea surface so I make some distance. At the same time, I laugh and regrow my hand. "Better but stop holding back or I'll grow bored and neither of us wants that."

"What are you talking about? I'm not holding anything back." I say, confused as to what he means by that. Susanoo rolls his eyes and gestures widely.

"Look around you, there's nothing here to break, no fragile humans to accidentally crush. Stop tiptoeing and move." Susanoo disappears, faint sparks sitting in the air, and is suddenly standing in front of me. He lazily swings his sword and I barely manage to block it. The next swing is even slower looking but moves even quicker than the last.

Finally, his sword slips past my defense, sliding into my stomach. He shakes his head and rips it out the side of my torso before flicking the blood off. I growl and try to take a swing with my sword but watery chains wrap around me. He punches me in the face hard enough that I see stars, an action that brings my thoughts to a harsh stop.

"That could have been Totsuka going through your skull, you know?" he clicks his tongue and shakes his head, "For the last time, stop hamstringing yourself. I don't know where an Oni from the boonies heard about physics but you are powerful enough that such things are a suggestion. You're not that green head nerd so you aren't thinking your way out of this, little minion."

"Will you fucking cut that minion shit out?" I snarl at him from where I'm bound. He has the audacity to laugh at me and I breathe out more black fire at him.

"Why should I? It's what you are isn't it?" A globe of this water catches the flames and he waves a hand, crushing those flames and the sea of fire still spreading behind him. "Nice fire, by the way, might even grow into something useful."

"I'm not anyone's subordinate. Not Yasaka's, not Amaterasu's, and certainly not yours. I'm the leader of the Oni-" A tendril of water ties my mouth shut and I unleash all my killing intent at him.

"I killed Orochi, little minion, your killing intent is nothing. Now, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. First, unless you're strong enough, you're whatever I say you are. That's how the world works." He grins before flicking me in the head with a frown.

"Not like that you moron, I have enough concubines." Oh, apparently my disgust showed on my face. "Think about it this way, how much does my sister's minion do for you? 'Cause, you seem to do a lot of her dirty work."

"Now, if you do the fox's work, that means you do my sister's work. As for me, you just weren't on my radar till now." He cups his chin in thought. "I'm not sure you are even worth my time. Even if you turn out to be something special, what would I even have you do? You clearly don't share elemental affinities that would assist in my work. At best I could have you guard the entrance to Yomi for me so I could have the summer off and hit the beaches. Meh, I'll think about it."

"The leader thing is so laughable that it's almost sad. Do you think some meaningless sentiment and half-assed effort make you a leader? You're more of a leader for those thugs you've been hanging with than 'your people.' If you were truly their leader, where are they?" I sag in my bonds as the truth of his words hits me. On some level, I knew all this but I hadn't had it said so bluntly till now.

"Tch, and now you just admit defeat? What the hell is wrong with you? You were enjoying the fight before now." The tendrils of water tighten painfully, and I grit my teeth. "I hate it the most when people regret shit and apologize. Do you think that I apologized for what I did to get kicked out of Takamagahara? Nah, I gave my sister Kusanagi and the other treasures to further my agenda. Penance isn't an apology, it's a duty."

I try to evaporate my bonds with my flames but more and more water compacts into the chains. Susanoo just rolls his eyes and sighs, sagging more where he stands. Can he at least pretend to be trying? "Matter of fact, why are you even trying to get strong if this is all you have? Strength for its own sake is fine but as far as I can tell you don't even have a goal. No wonder you're so pathetic."

I roar at him, ignoring the water pouring into my mouth. My Touki rises far past anything I've ever pulled off before, and sword intent pulses out of my body in waves. A pillar of lightning slams into me from out of the blue but I hardly notice it.

"I don't speak the language of beasts, try using your words." The water sprays as I shatter the chains but he clenches his fist and they reform as thousands of thin lines across my body. As my struggle renews these new chains start to tear their way into my body. Yet I don't stop pushing against them. My body reforms around the watery tendrils, evaporating them and pushing the steam out my pores.

"Ugh, regenerators are annoying as ever. I hate using this so fuck you, little minion." He snaps his fingers and the air brushes against my body lightly. I blink confused, then suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood. Instantly my Ki stops fueling my regeneration and tries to stop whatever is happening.

"Damn Buddhists. Why they ever thought I was a God of pestilence and disease I'll never know. It's useful, sure, but it just rubs me the wrong way. I'm a storm God, not some super-spreader bastard like the Greek golden boy." Without being able to heal myself, I can't exert enough force to break the bonds. Worse, my normal flames aren't hot enough to evaporate them. I can't use my new Grudge Flames either since they'll just devour me as well. Because of all that I sit and glare importantly at Susanoo.

"What did I just say about admitting defeat? Are all your people this pathetic? I remember the Oni being... more back in the Heian era when they roamed freely. Is it just the quality of their leader, I wonder? Shuten-Douji was far more worthy to rule your kind. At least he had enough ambition to reach for the sky. Apparently, there's a whole village full of Oni again. One of them should be more interesting than you." He cups his chin as though thinking hard before winking at me with a smirk. "Maybe I'll make your sister my minion and your mother my concubine?"

As those mental images burn themselves into my mind, the world turns red.

Overall the kid wasn't bad. He was a bit skeptical about whether this errand would be worth his time but it was more amusing than working the collateral from those fucking serpents. Since offered servitude for her family, she had firmly broken her previous limits. She had broken the sound barrier by multiple folds at this point at the minimum.

Honestly, what an overreaction. Personal attention from a God for the sister and being a concubine of said God for the mother was a hell of a deal. If he was serious about the offer Susanoo would be upset about its reception.

Looking down through the stormy waters at the two writhing calamities, Susanoo lets out a sharp laugh. Heh, fucking serpents indeed. He may hate running interference when those two do their little hate fucking routine but it only happens every few decades or centuries. Really, if the Biblical God got off his ass and stopped Leviathan from waking Jormungandr up when she was horny it would be less troublesome.

The only good thing that comes out of them is the barbs everyone gets to throw at that Magical Girl of an Icecube. Boy does she hate when they talk about her riding the dragon as though she was that sea serpent. It would have been funnier mocking the original leviathan that the devils had; he would've thrown a fit. Back then the Biblical God kept his snake on a leash so they never had the opportunity till the Sitri girl took the mantle.

Susanoo feels the aura of both Fujin and Raijin nervously hovering on the periphery. Who would have thought that the wind section and little drummer boy would turn into mother hens the moment one of their kin resurfaced.

The amount of important people that would be miffed if this kid died is annoyingly large. Sure, nobody could stop him if he wanted to kill her but Susanoo would be on their shit lists for a decade or so. His sister, the damn fox, these two meatheads, and that clan of birds at least. Plus her people, but the Oni are still small fry at this point. Therefore it's a good thing he has no interest in killing the little Oni.

The first rain that poured over that village once the barrier came down gave him a good idea of what was inside. Still, it grated on him that his sister had seen them on the first dawn. Damn shut-in. Should have left her in that cave, someone could have taken the mantle of the sun in her absence.

Now it seemed that Amaterasu was using him to push the little Oni further into her camp. Sure, his sister was probably using him to gauge the kid's mental state -If the servants of that sparrow and their gossip meant anything. The secrets that are spoken under the cover of rain always reach him- but it was also likely an attempt to get the kid to hate him. Normally that would have been fine with him but no matter how much shit he was talking, the kid was interesting. If she is going to be this interesting then her hating him just wouldn't do; unless she became boring, of course.

Hmm, maybe he'll have to bring the little Oni under his wing instead. Especially when she does things like this!

He ducks under a wild slash from the beast wearing the kid's body, the air exploding from the sheer power of the slash. Even if it took him leveraging that berserk button she showed off last month, she did finally figure out what he was saying.

The little Oni was a fucking mess in the head who barely concealed it under the mask she usually wore. Her problem is that she showed off exactly how to peel that mask off. It was better that she showed it off to an ally, but still, keep that shit under lock and key. Little dumbass.

It's more accurate to say that she's getting stronger purely out of fear; whether fear of her being killed or losing that which is important to her, it doesn't change anything. What a troublesome reason for power. Worse yet, she refuses to acknowledge that truth.

With a flick of his wrist, Susanoo chops off both her hands, making sure to toss that Oni bone sword away at the same time. The abomination of a weapon is of exceptional quality, capable of not breaking under strikes from his Totsuka.

A bow appears in her hands and he can't prevent it from landing in her grip. Susanoo smirks as he senses the weapon's aura, so similar to the Bone sword but so much more familiar to the girl's aura. Sacrificing your grandfather and forging a weapon from him while he still lives is pretty hardcore. Binding it to yourself through pure hatred is even better.

At least she's no longer using that Merlinian magic to call her weapons.

The arrows have a bit of power to them but not enough for him to take seriously. Susanoo bats them aside contemptuously with Totsuka. The ones made of those black flames he dodges and snuffs out with the sea.

Actually, why is he even dodging them and adding an extra step? Pulling on the water around them, he matches her arrows with jets of water. Much better.

It's a shame that the kid was clearly enamored with fire. Some water, wind, or lightning would have been better for making her his own mini-me. Not poison or disease though, damn monks.

Susanoo frowns as the power she's outputting begins to concentrate, her attacks growing weaker as her power is diverted. "Oi, is she doing what I think she is?"

Raijin and Fujin appear beside him, both of their faces set into frowns. Raijin is the one that confirms Susanoo's suspicions, "Yes, she is using her rage to ascend as a Kijin. Though as she is now, she will fall closer to Otakemaru than my brother and I."

Fujin sighs and shakes his head, "If she is allowed to finish she'll end up a minor deity at best. It looks like an instinctual response to the pressure you exude Susanoo-sama."

"Well, if she doesn't turn into a rage monster she can become a servant or something then. Shame, she had potential." Susanoo sighs and stops playing with the Oni, washing away its attacks with the waves.

Her transformation continues, with a second set of arms sprouting below the first. The bone sword warping back into its arms. On one set of limbs, she holds her bow, the other holds her sword. Her horns start to multiply, forming a crown. All in all, it's pretty adorable to Susanoo, if disappointing.

Its third eye opens and a spectral tiger smirks in the Oni's shadow. Frowning Susanoo feels the soul of the Oni brush against his, and his eyes widen. "You clever little cat! You stopped the ascension but how much damage did you do?"

"Whatever, this just means she'll grow stronger later." Susanoo's soul smothers hers, the endless storm inside him shocking her out of the transformation and into unconsciousness.

The tiger catches her body and roars at Susanoo, who smirks at the cute display of protectiveness. "You know, that could have killed her, right? Just seeing my soul could have shaken hers into oblivion. Even if she did manage to live this time, there is still the possibility of the sight driving her mad."

"She will not die yet. Not by your hand." The tiger stares at its master, its paw brushing the girl's hair. "She has always been a bit mad anyway. This is just another crack to be filled with gold."

Susanoo laughs, the sky filling with fluffy white clouds, warm spring rain drizzling along with his laughter. Raijin and Fujin go back to their posts even if they keep an eye on the girl. The tiger too flees, taking its master's body with him.

"You're right, cat, I think I'll pay her a visit when she wakes up." He looks down at the serpents in the water again before winking at the sun. "She'll make a good representative I think. I'll have her represent me at the end of the year when Leviathan's spawn swim free. Hopefully, she has improved by then."