56

Summary:

This turned out to be way longer than I expected. I honestly thought it would be like 5k words for all of it, not for each 'half'. I had a surprising amount of fun with the more 'slice-of-life' section. It did run away from me in parts though, like the sudden horny... and I revealed something that I had planned to show up a bit later in that same section. Overall, I'm happy with it though and I hope you all enjoy it. I'm going to sleep though since I have work in the wee hours of the morning and need my beauty sleep ;).

Chapter Text

Despite my goal of explaining Lillian's new place in the world, that was easier said than done. The cursed artefact took far too much out of her to realistically wake her up that same day.

Even if I were to force her awake by giving her an injection of Ki, the strain might have caused new issues to manifest.

Beyond the physical strain, the mental and spiritual strain caused by the artefact pulling strength from essentially nothing means that if I were to wake her before she recovered, I risk one of those three pillars -mind, body, or soul- unravelling.

Her body, even enhanced above a baseline human due to the Evil Piece inside her, is too weak to handle the stress without rest. Therefore, I decided to leave her unconscious till the next day at the earliest.

The remainder of the night was spent sharing a meal with my family and our new guest, introducing Tobio to everyone and spending some time training alone before going to sleep.

As has become a habit, I woke bright and early today.

What is new, however, is that I have someone else to wake up.

That's how I find myself staring down at a sleeping Tobio at four in the morning with a cruel smile on my face.

"Byakko, you know what to do." I can feel Byakko's excitement as he manifests inside the guest room and breathes in deeply.

I'm filled with sadistic glee as Byakko lets out a bone-chilling growl and Tobio's eyes snap wide open.

There is a brief instance of incomprehension in his eyes before the confused terror that comes with such an awakening overtakes him.

He flails wildly as he throws himself up into a seated position and then notices the tiger in his room.

Three things happen at this point.

First, Tobio screams.

I'm not talking a manly roar of rage at the intruder in his room but rather a shrill, ear-splitting screech of pure terror.

Second, Jin manifests and attacks Byakko at full speed.

Third, I fall over and laugh my ass off.

Now, making this much noise at such an early time in the morning would be a terribly rude thing to do normally. However, a simple soundproof barrier placed over the guest room is all it takes to make sure I could have my fun without waking up my mother or sisters.

Jin attacking Byakko isn't an issue either because, despite Jin being capable of damaging Byakko, that hinges on the puppy being able to hit my tiger companion.

With Byakko shrinking down to a similar size and displaying his superior agility as they leap and dash around the room, him being hit is nearly impossible.

The snarling of the God-slaying puppy as he chases after a kitten-sized tiger only makes the scene funnier as I struggle to compose myself.

"What the hell was that for, Ibaraki!" Tobio wheezes as his chest heaves, and he stares at me still wild-eyed from fright.

"It's customary for a disciple to be pranked in the early days of their training." I say with a smile, despite having made up that particular custom a few seconds ago, "It sets the tone for the hellish training that is to come!"

Tobio stares at me like I'm insane -which, fair enough- before slumping back down in his bed and groaning.

I click my tongue and pull the sheets off his bed before he can cosy up again, "None of that. We're already burning daylight and we need all the time we can get to whip you into shape."

He glares at me, and then reaches over for his phone to check the time. Suffice to say, his glare doubles in intensity when his phone boots up. "It's four in the morning."

"Such a dry tone. Where is the energy?" I sigh, bemoaning my new apprentice's lack of enthusiasm. "That should have been, 'Wow, it's already four in the morning! Thank you for letting me sleep in, Ibaraki-sensei!"

"Seriously though, you need to get up so we can begin. We only have two months at best to get you ready." The mention of his deadline sobers him up and gets him moving.

"Jin, enough," Tobio says punctuated by a sharp whistle.

The Dog God halts his attack and growls at Byakko. The tiger in question simply chuffs in amusement and then leaps on top of my shoulder.

I lean against the wall as Tobio quickly gets dressed, looking away with an amused smile when he stops changing. Apparently, he is awake enough to object to me being in the room while he is changing.

After a minute or so he clears his throat and I turn to see him fully dressed in basic active wear -shorts, a t-shirt, and runners- with an embarrassed hunch to his shoulders to complete the outfit.

"Um, what exactly is the plan?" He asks as we both head to the training grounds. "Obviously you're training me but I don't really know what that means."

"The first thing we need to do is get you in shape." Tobio looks mildly offended when I say this.

To be clear, for a normal teenager he is in decent shape. He's no top athlete or body builder but he is probably slightly above average for a young man his age. Slightly above average in the mundane side of things, however, may as well be a cripple in the supernatural sphere.

Therefore I ignore his offence and continue, "We don't have enough time to train you through exercise though so we'll be doing this the quick, painful way."

"I'm going to refine your body with my Ki for a couple of hours every morning and your job is to endure the pain without cracking." Tobio looks hesitant so I use his kidnapped girlfriend to firm his resolve.

"It's the only way we will get you ready in time to save your girlfriend." I see him clench his fists and nod out of the corner of my eye.

I don't enjoy using that goal of his as a yoke to keep him on track but I haven't figured out another way to keep Tobio motivated. And I do need to keep him motivated because the training he needs to get ready isn't for someone with weak motivations.

An army of puppets that used to be his former classmates wielding artificial Sacred Gears, at least two former Principal Clan members, and two powerful magicians from the Wizards of Oz are his enemies. Those are his only obstacles for the near future, yet more will come soon after, far tougher than those listed.

Sure, it all went well in canon, but he might not have the support of Vali, Lavinia, or Azazel because of my interference.

Though he does have me… I have to be just as good as all three of them, right?

My mental scale balances that group of powerhouses against myself, and the scale seems to dip towards me.

I nod in agreement with my own statement even as Byakko sighs, "Try not to inflate your ego too much."

"You mentioned pain?" Tobio cuts in as we arrive at the training grounds.

"Yeah, I can explain what I'm doing while I map out your body if you want. First, sit down cross-legged and take your shirt off." Tobio looks at me askance which makes me snort.

"I'm mapping out your internals, dude. I'm not going to run my hands over your body or anything." He stutters at my blunt statement and I chuckle. "You've got the wrong figure for me to be interested."

"Do you have to be so… weird all the time?" I roll my eyes in response.

"Yes, yes I do. Now take that shirt off so we can start." Tobio sighs but does what he is told.

That doesn't stop him from mumbling, "What was the point in me getting dressed a minute ago if I have to strip."

"With all the complaining you're doing, you'd think this is the first time a girl has seen you shirtless," I smirk as the tips of his ears turn red.

"As for your question, did you want to walk through the house half naked?" I ask which causes him to shudder.

"I'm shutting up now." He says as he sits cross-legged in the centre of the training grounds.

"Good call." I sit down behind him and place my palms on his shoulder blades, an action which causes him to shiver.

As I inject some of my Ki into his body, I start to explain the process. "Right now, I'm getting a scan of your body so that when I start 'refining' it, I'll have a plan of how best to focus your growth."

I can tell he is tense even as I focus on scanning and explaining, "Your body is going to go through a lot of changes from what I will be doing; your skin will become harder while also becoming more supple, and your muscles will become stronger and faster, your bones harder but also gaining a degree of flexibility, your organs more resistant to shock while growing in efficiency, your nerves tougher and more conductive."

"Imagine being able to train every part of your body like you would your muscles. Break them down and rebuild them stronger each time, piece by piece. Essentially, you'll become stronger in every way." Tobio clears his throat to try and shake off some of his discomfort before speaking.

"What's the catch? This seems far too good to be true." I hum idly as I ponder his question. It's a good question and it was the one I was expecting but it's a boring question.

I was hoping he would ask something more interesting, like whether he can choose 'how' he develops or the general direction. That would mean that he is looking at something beyond the present and planning a future after he rescues Sae.

There is still time for that to happen at least.

"Pain is the catch. A whole lot of pain to understate the severity." I can feel fear grow in his aura along with a healthy dose of scepticism to match.

It would be hard to conceptualise what I'm saying with such a barebones statement as 'Pain'.

"The process is a lot like exercising, except you skip all the steps to go straight for the end product. You will go straight from a normal state, into a complete breakdown of a section of your body, then heal as your body becomes slightly better than it was at the beginning. This takes an instant so all the pain is concentrated into that minuscule amount of time you shift through the stages." I grin evilly from my position behind him.

"The pain is like you're melting in that area, only to suddenly be fine as another section of your body starts to melt. This continues as I cycle my Ki through your body until I reach the starting point and begin another loop. The pain is indescribable but please do try once we're finished."

I hear him gulp and sweat starts to bead on his body, "Are you sure this is the best way to get me in shape?"

"It's the method I used to get as strong as I am and continue to use." He startles and glances over his shoulder.

"You didn't think I lifted weights, did you?" I ask with a mocking smirk.

"How often do you do this then?" He asks.

"Since a short while ago I do it almost constantly. The only times I'm not using my Body Refining technique are when I'm doing something enjoyable or fighting someone at or above my level." The doubt he feels grows which causes me to shrug, "My pain tolerance is much different than yours though."

"A more realistic regiment for yourself would be once a day." Any more than that and he wouldn't be able to do anything for the entire day.

Maybe after a few weeks, we can up the sessions to one in the morning and one in the evening but that still might be a bit too much.

I roll my shoulders and crack my neck, "Are you ready to begin then?"

Tobio lets out a deep breath to relax and hesitantly nods, "I guess I am."

I nod and start drawing raw malicious Ki from the world around us and hold it just on the edge of his skin in my right palm while holding purified Ki in my left. "There's no shame in screaming or crying and I won't tell anyone."

"Wha-" He's cut off as I begin injecting the malicious Ki into his body and immediately all his muscles lock up from the pain.

Even before I start breaking down his body, the mere presence of the unpurified Ki causes immense pain.

"Focus on your goal and grit your teeth." I bark sharply and when I feel his aura shift into determination, I begin.

It will take a few days for any major progress to show up, but after one two-hour-long session of Body Refinement, I'm excited about Tobio's potential.

I don't know whether it's the influence of Canis Lykaon or his ancestry on his body, but already his body is growing stronger leaps and bounds faster than I expected.

I'm hopeful that after a week or two of doing this, Tobio will be able to start sparring with Akeno.

That's probably being too optimistic, and even then Akeno would need to hold back, but I still want to start planning for the possibility. Having a spar with another polearm wielder will help both of them improve, and ideally allow them to bond a bit.

On that subject, our next step in training is weapons.

Tobio is… semi-catatonic, after the earlier body refinement training so I have to snap my fingers in front of him a few times to bring him back to reality.

"Next on the agenda is getting you familiarised with your chosen weapon." Tobio slowly regains his focus as I talk.

"You have two options for your weapon, you can choose one yourself and I'll support that choice or we can skip that phase where you attempt to learn a weapon not suited to you and I'll instead choose for you." He considers his options for a minute, then slumps in resignation.

"Just tell me what I'll end up using." I pout since he took the fun out of this but acquiesce to his demand.

An exertion of Senjutsu has a tree trunk begin to grow out of the ground. The tree continues to coil in on itself as it grows, becoming denser and thinner while stretching to a full nine feet tall.

After the pole, for lack of a better term, finishes growing I swiftly bend the last three feet of the shaft ninety degrees and while the wood is still pliable carve a scythe blade out of it.

The final product is a wooden scythe with a wooden 'blade' and weighs about five pounds. That doesn't sound heavy but Tobio is going to have to swing this around while maintaining control.

With the heaviest point, the 'blade' being at the end of the arc, that's a lot of weight to handle.

"This is the weapon that you're most suited for." I shake my head and mutter under my breath, "For some stupid reason that probably boils down to the rule of cool."

Tobio himself seems to find the weapon dubious but dutifully takes it in hand and takes a couple of swings.

"I'm going to show you the basics of how I would use a scythe in combat and over the course of your time training with me, you will become a capable combatant with the weapon." He clearly doubts that based on the look he gives me.

To be fair, I'd doubt it too if I didn't have foreknowledge to cheat with.

A pair of Kama or a War Scythe would be far less suspicious looking as weapons than a full-sized agricultural scythe, but what do I know?

"By the time we are done, you should be able to form a scythe out of shadows with your Sacred Gear which will address the quality issue of the weapon." Tobio looks less doubtful now, thankfully.

A weapon made of shadows would at least be better because it would be a two-dimensional weapon. It should have absurd cutting ability while also being weightless as a result.

This is assuming that magic shenanigans aren't involved which then make the ensuing shadow weapon barely more effective than a regular weapon. I wouldn't even be surprised if that were the case.

The 'Conceptual Cutting' aspect of Canis Lykaon should eliminate that tragic possibility though.

"Before I show you any of that, let's talk about Jin." The puppy in question perks up hearing his name, "Or rather, let's talk about the Longinus Canis Lykaon."

Jin barks in what I assume is disappointment that we aren't speaking about him specifically.

Tobio consoles him by petting him which mollifies the puppy enough for him to space out of our conversation again and focus on the petting he is receiving.

"Did Suzaku tell you what exactly your Sacred Gear is?" I leave the question open-ended deliberately to hear his response.

"Well, kind of? It's a powerful artefact, forged by the Biblical God, which gives the wielder the potential strength to kill Gods. Hence the name Longinus." He pauses, continuing when he realises I expect more, "It's an Independent Avatar type Sacred Gear which takes the form of a black dog."

"But she didn't tell you what it is." He shakes his head, "The artefact is the combination of the ancient King of Arcadia, Lycaon, and the sword of Izanagi, Ame-no-Ohabari."

"The divine blade, Ame-no-Ohabari -which was discarded after Izanagi slew his son, Kagutsuchi- grants the Sacred Gear the ability to cut all things from Demons to Gods. While the Grecian Progenitor Werewolf grants the Sacred Gear its form of a 'wolf'." I hold my hand up to forestall the inevitable, 'He's a dog'.

"For some reason, the combination of the two creates a dog, which bears resemblance to a Tiangou from Chinese mythology. It also somehow," Frustration leaks into my tone here intermingling with my general excitement, "Grants the wielder and the gear itself, control over darkness. That seems to be due to either the curse on Lycaon connecting the gear to 'darkness' or the symbolism of a Tiangou swallowing the sun, thereby creating darkness."

My frown speaks wonders of how much sense any of this makes, but I barrel onward.

Tobio goes to speak, but I sigh and hold up my hand again, "Finally, through your clan's blessing which again somehow involves the very dead Kagutsuchi or the eight volcano Gods that came from his death, you should be able to access the divine flame imprinted on Ame-no-Ohabari and summon the sword itself."

I can't guarantee that Kagutsuchi is dead either. In this universe, Gods can revive after death due to accumulated faith so he could be alive. Or, because his death is part of his theological canon, he could truly be dead.

The issue is that there is definitely a fire god that blesses the Himejima clan which in all likelihood is Hi-no-Kagutsuchi himself.

I'm just assuming this is an example of Shrodinger's deity until I get confirmation from someone.

I roll my hand now graciously, "You may ask your questions."

"Thanks." He says dryly. Tobio then looks for the words he wants for a moment then sighs, "How does any of that make sense?"

"It doesn't! Blame the Biblical God for that, not me. It gets worse but we can go over that once you are skilled enough with using Jin." Things like a 'darkness aura' strengthening him and his defences, shadow travel, and whatever else I can think of to teach him.

He shakes his head, "So I need to learn all of that then."

I frown and rock my head side to side, "Not really? It depends on how much you trust me managing your development."

"What do you mean?" I scratch my cheek.

"Well, ideally, I would help you develop like an assassin since that is what darkness control is best for in my opinion. Also, until you can use your Balance Breaker, you're the weak point in this equation. Not being the one in the enemy's face would be a good idea for you." Tobio frowns.

"An assassin, huh." I can tell the idea isn't something he is fond of.

"Not that I plan on having you kill a bunch of people from the shadows. Maybe rogue is a better term? The name of the game is stealth and defeating your opponents without them hitting you. That is what I'm trying to get at." Without the term "assassin," Tobio looks more receptive to the idea.

"Jin is for all intents and purposes, invincible. It is fine for him to fight up-close against anything. You, on the other hand, are a fragile human." Tobio rolls his eyes at that.

"I get what you mean, Ibaraki. If I'm supposed to stay out of the way and let Jin fight though, why did I have to go through hell this morning?" He asks with dead eyes and a weakly raised eyebrow.

"Because your enemies will realise that you're the weak link instantly. If you can't down them before they figure that out, you need to be able to stay alive." I shrug not the least bit apologetic, "Once you can use your Balance Breaker, you can fight on the front lines if you want."

"That's the second time you said that, 'Balance Breaker'. What does it mean?" Tobio asks, picking up on that important phrase despite his weariness.

Thankfully, I can answer this quite well.

I clear my throat to change into exposition mode, something that draws an amused smile out of Tobio, "A Balance Breaker, is the 'full-power release' of a Sacred Gear. It allows the wielder to use the Sacred Gear's entire capabilities and is considered a 'bug' in the Sacred Gear system."

I leave out the presence of Juggernaut Drive and Break Down the Beast because Tobio isn't even ready for Balance Breaker, let alone the final stage of Sacred Gear use.

"They can be categorised into three types: Crest Side, which is the standard Balance Breaker, including sub-species variants, Abyss Side, which is the Balance Breaker where the wielder has squeezed out every drop of potential from their Sacred Gear, and finally X-Side which are 'bugs' inside the 'bugs', Sacred Gear transformations which are uncategorizable due to their anomalous nature."

"The transformation is triggered by high emotions and a sudden or iron-clad determination. It needs a level of resolve that is inhuman to activate or a self-destructive influx of emotion." Tobio frowns as I continue.

"Circumstances like watching a loved one die in front of you can activate it but so can something as simple as resolving to break your limits after intense training." My finishing statement is a bit shaky, the rest of the information is solid though.

"It's a goal to work towards, I suppose." Tobio mumbles.

"It should be easier for you since you have already used it." His eyes snap up to mine.

"Wait, what?" I bite my lip.

"Well, that was why there was a seal on Canis Lykaon that your Grandmother placed. You activated your Balance Breaker when you were born." He stares in incomprehension.

"How would you even guess that?" Foreknowledge, obviously. I'm not going to say that though.

"Why else would it be sealed? If it was activated any other time you would have a vague memory of it or someone would have known. You wouldn't have had a childhood if it activated then because a ton of people would have tried to kidnap you." That is as good of an answer as any.

"Let's get back to the main topic." He says, "You want me to learn to fight stealthily. Is that the best plan for me to save Sae?"

I shake my head, "The best plan would be for me and Suzaku to handle everything. This plan ensures that you are able to help save Sae and survive what comes after that."

"Alright, I'll do it." I pause when he announces his acceptance because I had expected more pushback.

My surprise shows on my face because Tobio barks out a sharp sardonic laugh, "Ibaraki, I saw you fight yesterday. If you say this is the way to go, I'll trust you because you clearly know more than me. Besides, my cousin wouldn't have allowed this to happen if she didn't trust you."

I turn my head as my cheeks warm and cough into my fist, "Well, that's great. Of course, I know what's best!"

"Should we get started then?" Tobio says with a grin that is hardly forced.

"Sure!" I beam and take the scythe from him.

Two more hours passed quickly and eventually, Akeno and Shuten appeared on the training grounds for their morning exercises.

I broke off from working with Tobio to observe their progress for a while, only heading back when he needed adjustments and then finally bringing him to watch their morning spar.

The spar itself was uneventful, mostly because Akeno is still far beyond Shuten in skill and further in raw power. That gap will close as Shuten grows or widen if Shuten's newfound effort towards training dwindles again.

It doesn't seem like her discipline is a phase this time but attitudes can change quickly.

Tobio spent most of the spar trying to observe Akeno since this was only his second day with her.

They had chatted some yesterday but one day isn't enough time to truly gain an understanding of someone.

The spar concluded and we headed for breakfast. It was at the end of the meal that I broached a topic that I had been avoiding.

"Are you busy today, Akeno?" She narrows her eyes and slowly shakes her head.

My mother and sister also focus their attention on me and I realise that the hesitance in my tone was a sign of weakness. Like sharks smelling blood in the water, they gain an eager gleam to their eyes as they listen in.

Dammit.

"I don't have anything specific to do. Why, do you need me for something?" Akeno asks with a saccharine smile.

My eyes narrow which only causes Akeno to tilt her head in false confusion. She's going to make me suffer, isn't she?

"I was wondering if you could come shopping with me?" Akeno's smile widens predatorily.

"Just to browse some stuff." I rush out and glare at my mother and Shuten.

I nearly growl to get them to back down but even the warning glare does the opposite of what I want.

"What kind of stuff, sis?" Shuten asks, looking as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Tobio, the traitorous bastard, looks to be enjoying this as much as my family. I shoot him a look, intending for him to take some heat off me but he ignores me.

"Some clothes, maybe." I shrug and try to play it off casually but I've dug too deep a hole.

"If you need new clothes I can make you some." My mother points out with a smirk. "Or I could take you shopping. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"You have work today!" I point out victoriously.

"I'm sure I could get the day off. We could even visit the store I work at." She taps her chin as though thinking it over.

I ignore Shuten and my mother, turning a pleading look to Akeno.

"You're the only one I trust to be sensible" I hiss, "Stop making this harder than it needs to be!"

Akeno simply buffs her nails on her chest, "What's in it for me?"

"Anything you want as long as you agree." I shoot a glare at my mother before she butts in again.

"Anything?" The little sadist asks, purposefully drawing out my suffering.

"Yes!" Akeno stops messing around and looks serious this time.

"Ibaraki, you can't take that back, okay?" I huff and cross my arms.

"Obviously I won't." She gives me a winning smile and I sigh in relief.

"I'd love to go shopping with you!" I slump and send one last glare at Tobio, resolving to make his training tougher starting tomorrow.

My mother and sister go back to cleaning up breakfast, though Shuten does so reluctantly. Thankfully, my mother reigns her in before she can tease me anymore.

Tobio speaks up now, which is funny because he was pretty quiet earlier.

"What will I be doing while you're gone?" I chew on that question for a bit.

"Study that gift your cousin gave you maybe?" I shrug, "Either that or connect with Jin more. You could even attempt to train him a bit on your own if you want."

"I can't help you all that much with your Sacred Gear since it's so personal. Most of the heavy lifting on that end will be up to you." Tobio looks deep in thought as he drinks that in.

"I think I'll start studying that manual first. I looked at the introduction last night but I need a strong flame to start." He looks at me awkwardly.

"I'll start a fire for you in either the training ground or the courtyard before I leave." Tobio looks relieved when I don't pry further.

I'm not going to try to recreate that technique when Suzaku asked me not to.

Tobio stretches to head off but I stop him when I remember something important.

"Since my mother is going to be at work, you'll be alone here with Shuten." And Gator, I think, "If my sister tries to give you food or a drink, don't take it."

Tobio looks confused while Akeno facepalms.

"Good catch," Akeno mumbles.

"What's the problem?" Our poor naive houseguest asks.

"If Shuten is giving you a drink out of the kindness of her heart, it's probably poisoned." Akeno drawls out.

Tobio gives a stilted laugh, "Surely she isn't that bad?"

"She isn't allowed human test subjects for her poison but she might make an odd leap in logic that guests are acceptable targets so…" I shrug.

"She wouldn't permanently harm you but you won't enjoy the experience." Tobio and I collectively wince at Akeno's 'consoling words'.

"Right, avoid any gifts from your sister," Tobio mutters as he walks away.

With Tobio making his exit, I'm left alone with Akeno. From her wide smile, I'm not sure if I made the right decision here.

"It's odd to see you want to go shopping. Not to mention it's for clothes of all things." Akeno tilts her head in mock consideration, "I wonder what brought this on?"

"I have a date, okay?" I throw out, rather than playing along with the charade.

The longer I allow her to drag this out the more embarrassed she'll try to make me.

The smile I get in response is positively angelic. "This is exciting. Who is it that caught your eye?"

"It's Suzaku," I say, pouting at how she's acting.

I'm supposed to be the one who teases my little sisters, not the other way around!

Akeno's smile stiffens momentarily, "This isn't an attempt to get me to talk to her is it?"

"Of course not." I huff, "I wouldn't go as far as dating her for that."

Her smile widens again once that is made clear. "I believe you."

"Now, I hope you don't expect clothes to be the only thing we need to pick out for you," Akeno says with a gleam in her eye. "If you're serious about this, that means we need to bring our A-game."

I gulp not liking the look in her eye in the slightest.

"I hope you have the whole day cleared out, sis. We're going for a complete makeover!" I asked for this so I might as well enjoy it.

"You should take me here more often," Akeno says with a happy sigh as she lets her wings free and floats beside me.

I have to agree with her as I fill my lungs with a deep breath. The air in Urakyoto is so crisp and clean compared to mundane Kyoto and there is a buzz of magic in everything.

Nobody takes a second glance at either of us as we walk down the street, despite us both showing our inhumanity. Probably because everyone else is doing the same.

"What's our first stop?" I ask Akeno and she smiles when she realises I'm giving her the reigns on our day out.

"Nails, obviously!" She grabs my hand and starts to drag me along the street. "The employees will know all the best places to go for everything else. We'll need to visit a hair salon, go shopping for clothes, buy cosmetics, get massages. The whole package."

"Do you think they'll have some ideas about destinations for the date itself?" Akeno glances over her shoulder and gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Please, they'll know all the best destinations. It's prime gossip material to know who is taking who out and where they're going." I laugh at Akeno's explanation and continue to allow myself to be dragged along.

"We need to stop at a Florist too." Akeno gives me an approving nod.

"It's good you aren't clueless, sis." I scoff at the teasing.

"I'm a casanova, kiddo. Ladies love me!" Someone walking past us coughs to hide their laughter.

"Sure, Ms Ladykiller. How about we wait until after you have your date before bold claims are made?" My eyebrows furrow as a thought strikes me.

"Shouldn't we wait until Friday for cosmetics?" Akeno huffs in annoyance.

"Of course not. How are we going to pick out your outfits if we can't put the entire look together?" We arrive outside the nail salon my sister has led us to as she finishes her sentence.

"Wait, outfits, plural?" Akeno turns around and floats up a bit so she's level with my eyes.

She places both her hands on my shoulders and speaks slowly, "We need to buy multiple outfits and put together a handful of options. Otherwise, if you wake up on Saturday, and don't like the outfit we chose for your date anymore, the day will be ruined!"

The door to the nail salon slides open and, a woman who I can only assume is an employee or the proprietress, nods emphatically. "You should listen to your friend. She clearly knows what she is talking about."

"She's my sister," I mumble, slightly overwhelmed as the magnitude of this shopping trip hits me.

"Of course, miss. Your sister, in that case, is correct." The woman says with a small apologetic smile and a dip of her head.

"Please, come in and we can get started." She gives us a welcoming smile as she beckons us inside.

As we follow her inside the salon, Akeno finishes her rebuke, "Besides, we can go out again either Friday evening or Saturday morning once we've decided on your look."

Once through the doorway, we're greeted by a shockingly modern salon with a dozen workstations, five of them in use at the moment.

Employees are dressed in clean and simple black uniforms, with those currently attending customers wearing facemasks.

It's exactly what you would expect from a nail salon, save for some clear signs of magic being used.

As I watch, a worker forms a magic circle over the hand of the customer they are working on and the polish they just applied instantly sets and briefly glows.

In hindsight, I don't know what I was expecting but it was probably unrealistic. The only other places in Urakyoto I've visited so far have been the shrine to speak with Yasaka, and the blacksmith but even the blacksmith had electricity and a normal interior in his shop.

"We can use magic to protect your nails once we're finished." The woman adds smoothly, "The fee is quite minimal for the added protection provided."

Before I can say anything Akeno pipes up, "Please do. We're not skimping today."

I grumble even as the woman's aura flashes with a hint of greed and a whole lot of satisfaction.

I'll need to educate Akeno on sales tactics apparently because you don't give salesmen a blank check and not regret it later when you see the bill.

We're led to the front desk where our guide steps around to the other side and flashes a professional smile, "Welcome to Blossom, my name is Mitsui Otoe. How can I help you today?"

"We're preparing my sister for a date, as you heard earlier and want everything to be perfect. Whatever it takes to dazzle her date is what we want!" Akeno answers for me.

Mitsui gets an excited glint in her eye, "Oh, I see. Well, I can make some suggestions if that would help?"

I figure I should go with the flow now and ignore the imminent damage to my wallet, "That would be great, thank you."

She nods having expected my acquiescence. Her eyes dart to my nails, then my eyes, and finally to my horns, and then she purses her lips.

"Let's head to my workstation so I can get a proper look at what I'm working with." Before she can lead the way, Akeno clears her throat.

She hits me with an adorable pout and clasps her hands in front of her chest, "I can get a makeover too, right?"

I sigh in defeat and glance away, "Of course, you can."

She whoops in joy and skips over to the workstations.

Today is going to be an expensive endeavour.

Once we're both sat down and Akeno is taken care of by a separate technician, I'm left alone with Mitsui.

She flashes a grin at me as I shift in the chair, "No need to be nervous, miss. You will enjoy this and love your new look, I assure you."

She hums as she unrolls her toolkit, "Your date will love your look as well."

"I hope so," I murmur, "I really like her so I want this date to be perfect."

"I'll have to do my best then." Mitsui pats my hand gently, "Now, let us see those nails, hm?"

Her eye twitches slightly and her smile becomes strained as she examines my hands. The expressions are subtle but to my senses, her frustration is clear despite her best efforts to hide it.

"Please, cancel any spells that maintain your appearance so I can see your base state." My cheeks warm at the implication that I'm hiding my appearance.

"I'm not using any though?" Her eyebrow jumps and her smile looks extremely brittle now.

"Is that so? You take incredible care of your nails then. They look as though they've never been damaged. Your skin is pristine as well." I cough awkwardly.

Despite never doing anything to keep my appearance, I follow along to not shatter this poor woman's composure.

"Thank you so much. My beauty regimen is quite difficult, but the effects are worth it." She relaxes slightly and I nearly sigh in relief.

I guess the constant destruction and regeneration of my body through the refinement process means no imperfections develop? Either that or subconscious shapeshifting is the answer.

She might have tried to strangle me if I revealed that my actual beauty regimen is nonexistent.

"Well, this saves some time." Mitsui pulls out a set of bottles, "We can move on from preparing your nails since the surface is already ideal."

She tilts her head and squints, scanning my face, hair, and arms before nodding. "With your tattoos being such a vibrant red, your pale skin, and white hair, we have fewer options for colour than normal."

"Mainly, black, white or clear." She sets the three colours out in front of me and I bite my lip.

"What do you recommend?" She reaches for the clear then frowns, hovering her hand over the black before glancing back at me.

"Honestly, any of the three would work well, but personally? I would choose black for you. A third tone would help balance your look and black would go well with both traditional and modern outfits giving you more choice later."

"It looks like we have a winner," I say flashing a smile.

"Excellent!" Mitsui beams while putting on a facemask and getting to work.

"Would you like to tell me about your date while I work?" She asks as she starts painting my nails.

"Sure?" I say with a blush, "What do you want to know?"

"Well, you don't look to be the type to get nervous easily so she must be important." She gives me a wink, "We live on gossip in this industry so I enjoy hearing about these things. How did the two of you meet?"

I relax a bit, watching Mitsui deftly work her brush and let out a happy sigh, "It was my first time out of my home village and from the moment I saw her something captivated me."

"She flew in gracefully and trapped me in a barrier before I even noticed her." The brush slips off my nail and Mitsui chokes but I keep narrating too engrossed in the story.

"It was when the wave of fire cleared and I saw her that I was truly stunned." My eyes close as I envision Suzaku at that moment, "She was one of those people that you just know is strong without even checking their power. Her stance, the tension in her muscles, the look in her eyes, everything about her told me she was there to fight and win."

I shiver a little, "Of course, I insisted that I would fight her alone. How could I not?"

Mitsui nods slowly after realising that wasn't a rhetorical question.

"She didn't disappoint at all either. Her skill with magic, martial arts, and even her resolve were all incredible. The moment she knew she was outmatched she didn't give up but rather doubled down and prepared to sacrifice herself in an attempt to defeat me." I feel a shock on my cheek and notice Akeno staring at me reproachfully from the workstation over.

Focusing on Mitsui I realise she's shaking slightly and I must have been letting out bloodlust.

Oops…

Through her hand, which is still touching mine, I send a shot of purified Ki filled with happy emotions to pep her back up.

"Sorry about that," I mumble feeling awkward about the whole thing.

"It's alright," She flashes a shaky smile, "Um, so she discovered that it was a misunderstanding and stopped attacking you then?"

I snort, "No, she almost killed me and then I nearly did the same in my excitement. After that, I healed her so she wouldn't be crippled or die, then she escorted me and my family here to Kyoto."

Mitsui blinks slowly, not knowing what to make of that story. "Does this story get better?"

Her eyes widen once she notices that wasn't a thought she kept private, but I only pout in response. "I thought it was already clear why I liked her but I suppose there is more to it."

She dutifully moves on to my other hand as I continue, "We didn't see each other for a while after that-"

"I wonder why." I ignore a whisper from Akeno's nail technician who is rudely eavesdropping.

"-Since we're both very busy. Thankfully, we met up again at an event last month." I frown, not knowing whether the Dragonslayer Festival is supposed to be a secret.

Deciding to err on the side of caution, I keep my description of the events watered down. "We were tasked with hunting some dangerous monsters as part of a small group and I ended up challenging the strongest monster to save a member of our group."

"Long story short, I almost died and Suzaku saved me." An employee who walked in at this part of the story stops nearby.

"Aw, that's so sweet." I roll my eyes when Mitsui shakes her head covertly and tries to shoo the newcomer away.

"After the event, we hung out and spent a while just chatting and getting to know each other some more. We got along well, so I decided to ask her out." I finish with a shrug.

Once she is finished with my second set of nails, Mitsui seals the polish with a display of magic. I grin happily as I look over the finished product in satisfaction.

"Should we move on to your horns next?" I cock my head to the side at the question.

"What is there to be done there?" I get a pitiful look in response.

"You do take care of your horns, right?" Mitsui asks, shaking her head, "Beautiful horns like yours need to be treated properly to attract suitors."

"Of course I do!" I manage to get out without stumbling, despite it being a total lie. Though considering the state of my nails despite the same complete lack of attention, my horns should also be in perfect condition.

She looks closely at them before sighing in relief, "You clearly do take care of them. The shine and texture are some of the best I've had the pleasure of working on."

"What image are you trying to present to your date?" She asks suddenly, not waiting for a response when my eyebrows shoot up and instead explaining. "We can highlight the sharp edges or soften them with some colour depending on the feel you want your look to embody. I can even do some subtle design work to draw attention, like a more decorative polish."

My eyes widen at the number of options I hadn't considered and Mitsui takes pity on me, "Something neutral then. I'll just enhance what is there to give you more options."

A magic circle forms above my head as two others form above the black and red bottles of polish.

There is a slight tickling sensation as the circle envelops my horns and travels down the length of them.

As it does so, I can watch the bottles of polish slowly empty, with far more coming out of the black bottle than the red.

With a snap of her fingers, Mitsui cancels the spell and picks up a handheld mirror. "Here, take a look."

The finished product is prettier than I expected and causes me to inhale sharply. My horns are naturally black but the polish is a slightly darker shade, which softens the sharp front edge.

At the same time, the red appears in a gradient as you follow my horns upwards, creating a sun-like glow. Almost like a gradient of heat for different temperatures of metal, maybe?

However you describe it, my horns look beautiful right now and I spend some time mesmerised by my reflection.

I shake my head when Mitsui clears her throat and see her wearing an amused smile, "Is that to your liking miss?"

"Yes! I mean, yes thank you." I rub the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Wonderful. I think my coworker has finished with your sister as well." Sure enough, when I look over Akeno is staring at her nails and grinning.

She has gone black as well, except her nails have a yellow lightning design painted on them as well. The look is adorable, especially as she preens while looking at her nails from different angles.

I turn back to Mitsui and she has a devilish grin, "Should we settle the bill then?"

She leads me to the front desk to the sound of my wallet weeping.

I nearly shed tears at the bill, especially when Akeno forced me to leave an apology surcharge for the bloodlust. I'm so happy with the finished product that I'm tempted to ignore the tipping culture and find a way to slip the technician extra money.

While I may never financially recover from this trip today, seeing how happy Akeno was after our first stop allowed me to recover emotionally.

Our next stop was a hair salon, which was only a few hundred meters down the road from Blossom. While Blossom's sign out front and the exterior of the building were fairly nondescript and not overly eye-catching.

This destination was clearly designed to draw customers in with an almost palatial entryway and a bright colour scheme. Kamo Hair & Beauty is proudly displayed in an elegant font above the entry imposingly.

Still, Akeno doesn't even hesitate as she drags me inside, too excited to continue our trip to pause.

"Welcome to Kamo Hair & Beauty." A sultry voice calls out from the counter and when I glance at them all I see is a waterfall of pitch-black hair.

I blink repeatedly and take a look over at Akeno to see if she is seeing the same thing.

"Don't be rude," She hisses and drags us the rest of the way to the counter.

Closer now, I can see that the woman isn't a ball of hair but rather a woman with far too much hair, that falls down to her ankles at the back and even covers her face completely.

The second thing I notice is her absolutely sinful figure. She has curves that simply don't quit and the kimono she's wearing hugs them tightly.

I glance away to cover my wandering eyes, only to catch her cock her hip slightly and push her chest out a bit more.

Blushing, I learn she somehow noticed me staring despite her hair blocking her eyes and is encouraging it now.

"Hello," Akeno says oblivious to our byplay, "Can we both get a wash, blow dry, as well as a cut and styling, please?"

The woman leans forward over the counter and rests her… assets on her crossed arms, pushing them out on display. She tilts her head down as though this was necessary to speak to Akeno but it clearly wasn't.

"Of course, sweety." Akeno pouts at the form of address, "Do you want your wings cleaned and fluffed up too?"

My sister's wings flap once in surprise, and we all know her answer before she even says it, "Yes please."

"How about you follow my coworker while I take care of your sister?" Akeno gives a series of quick nods, and nearly dashes away with her coworker before she remembers she is in a store.

I'm left alone with the woman who greeted us and without seeing her face I can tell she's smirking, "Right this way, miss."

As she turns around, my eyes track down her back along her hair down to where it's tied at her together at her waist, coincidentally drawing attention to her wide swaying hips. From there, it flows back out before being tied again at her calves and finishing in a brush-like tip. Not that I spent much time looking at her hair.

I gulp and steel my will in an attempt to not be led astray by temptation.

"Miss?" She calls out and I slap my cheeks before following her.

This will be a trial.

Instead of focusing on the unholy perfection that is her figure, I examine her hair. Sure enough, given where she works, every strand is immaculate. Her hair is a silky black that shimmers like the night sky as she walks and the flawless hairdo belies the effort that would be required for the sheer volume of hair.

I can only assume this isn't a fashion choice of hers and instead she is some breed of Yokai.

Sadly, I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of all the species that exist and I'm almost scared to ask her.

She leads me to a washing station and I take my place in the chair with only slight hesitation.

As she steps around me and stops near the side, I lean my head back over the bowl. She sighs and runs her fingers over my scalp, sending a shiver down my spine.

"It's a pity your hair is so short. I would make a work of art with it if it only came down to at least your shoulders." Her fingers dance through my hair and I shapeshift without even thinking, my hair blooming outward.

"Much better." She says in a sultry whisper as she continues to work the strands into order.

 I twitch as the water runs and she wets my hair, "Your hair is such a beautiful colour. It's like a field of virgin snow."

The emphasis she puts on the word 'virgin' and her damn ASMR voice whispering into my ear, while she runs her fingers through my hair is torturous. As she starts working in the shampoo I clench my thighs together, trying to ignore the sudden heat pooling in my core.

The worst part is, as she keeps talking, I can hear the smile in her voice that tells me she knows exactly what she's doing. "I love the texture. So soft, each strand yielding to my touch. And the body, mmm~."

My eye twitches and I have to bite down on my bottom lip to hold in a moan. I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palms and push my thoughts toward fighting to take my mind off what is happening.

Just remember that fighting isn't a turn-off, rather the opposite, and immediately try something else.

After what seems like an eternity of torturous bliss, I'm allowed to sit up and she wraps my hair in a towel.

"Follow me, please." I almost stumble as I get up, something she notices from the smug satisfaction she exudes.

Annoyance breaks through my arousal, due to the fact that she is affecting me like this when I don't know her name and can't even see her face.

For fuck's sake, get it together, Ibaraki. You're here to get ready for a date with a totally different woman. Don't lose focus and give in to the horny.

I almost try leaning heavily into cycling my Body Refinement technique as a distraction but again the pain would probably make this more enjoyable, not less.

Jeez, I'm really fucked up.

That depressing thought at least helps distract me from my arousal. At a separate station, I sit down in front of a mirror and my stylist unravels the towel she placed on my head, allowing my hair to drop down with a bounce.

She hums and straightens the mass before placing both hands on my shoulders and starting to massage.

I clear my throat and speak, though not without my voice wavering, "Just the cut please."

After giggling the hair stylist starts to comb out my hair.

Thankfully not with her fingers.

The feeling of the comb running through my hair is blissful and because she isn't whispering flirty lines into my ear anymore I can revel in the feeling. Apparently watching my persistent blush in the mirror is satisfying enough for her at the moment.

I take a moment to check on Akeno and she's chatting happily to her stylist as he combs her hair a few chairs down.

Once my stylist has decided she's finished she snaps her fingers and my hair is suddenly dry.

I brace myself as she leans over my shoulder, not sure whether I'm excited about what she'll do next or scared. I can't say I wasn't enjoying what she was doing earlier but my little sister is in the same building.

And I have a date in a few days!

"I'm thinking braids." She says simply and I almost breathe a sigh of relief, "Tight, braids with some smooth curves to round out the look."

I growl as she purrs her opinion into my ears, which elicits a throaty chuckle from her. "It sounds like you agree, tiger."

I take a deep calming breath, "I think my girlfriend will love braids. It will be a surprise for her at least."

Undeterred, she lets out a pleased hum, "You're into women, good to know."

I groan as she starts to gather my hair, "I am. Especially my girlfriend."

My best efforts to make it clear that I'm taken, do very little, as the stylist visibly shrugs. "People change, relationships end."

I almost shake my head before thinking better of it. She isn't taking the hint and the only reasons I'm not all for this scenario are my upcoming date and the fact that Akeno is here right now. Instead, I stop talking and do my best to not show any more reactions.

She lets out a sigh as she continues working, "If that's how you're going to be, I can hold back. You can't blame a girl for trying."

I relax slightly, though not fully. "It isn't every day you get to flirt with a celebrity."

"A what, sorry?" I ask, stilling in shock.

She laughs, finishing the braids on either side of my face and moving on to gather the hair behind me into one large braid. "You're the Demonic Sword Sage, aren't you? The clip of you decapitating that dragon is all over social media."

"I'm sorry, the what." I squeak out -with dignity!

She stops braiding my hair and stares at me in the mirror. "You definitely look the same and I'd recognise that gorgeous hair anywhere. Do you really not know?"

I blink slowly and speak my next sentence even slower, "I know what you're talking about but none of the words are making sense together."

"Oh my god…" She mutters, "You really don't know. One second."

She finishes putting the final braid in my hair and then pulls out her phone. After tapping away at the screen for a couple of seconds she all but shoves the screen in front of me.

The video that plays is an AMV-style edit of what can only be me, and my performance from the Dragonslayer Festival only a handful of days ago.

"What the actual fuck…" I say in disbelief.

"Congratulations, you're famous, beautiful." I snap out of my shock to shoot her a glare and she holds her hands out placatingly.

"How many people have seen this?" I hiss.

She shrugs lazily, "A lot of people? It's public access for anyone in the know. The full coverage of the event was live streamed with commentary in all languages from the Gods."

My eye twitches at that knowledge. I was not told that the entire event amounted to entertainment.

I finally remember how this topic of conversation started, "What did you call me?"

"The Demonic Sword Sage? That was the title Lord Susanoo used in the commentary." My stylist says, oblivious to my tone.

I'm going to kill that bastard. What kind of ridiculous title is that?

"Ah, he also used Oni Princess a few times." She says with a tilt of her head.

Oh, he's fucking dead.

I stewed on that information for the remainder of our time at the hair salon. The more I thought about it the less angry I was.

The coverage of the event was probably a way to show the other factions, 'Hey, we have strong young warriors that are ready to be fielded against you. Don't fuck with us.'

The only thing I was still sore on by the time I left was the stupid epithets. With time, the cringy epithets should be forgotten. Either that or I'll hold out hope that the others get worse titles than I did so I can take solace in that.

Akeno's hair came out clean and after being trimmed she settled on a ponytail for the style. The effect is disarmingly cute, and with her electric nails, she's even more adorable now.

Lastly, I had to hide the receipt from Akeno. Not because of the price, but rather the lips marked in lipstick on the bottom and the phone number to go along with them. Both tied together with an elegant script saying, 'Call me if your date doesn't work out, Kyoko Kamo.'

Even after turning the receipt to ash -an action that drew an inquisitive look from Akeno- I didn't accomplish anything because I memorised the number with the first glance.

Damn, mental enhancements.

I did my best to put everything that just happened at the hair salon out of my mind as Akeno and I stopped at a street vendor to grab a snack.

We ended up getting Takoyaki from a stall rather ironically manned by a Tako-nyudo who just sighed wearily when I started giggling uncontrollably. The irony of an Octopus yokai serving an octopus dish was apparently not lost on him based on the weary glare he gave me.

Sure, I know intellectually that him and the common octopus are completely different, but it's still hilarious.

He could stand to lighten up though, we're all cannibals here.

Our next stop was the big one before winding down with a nice massage, heading to the florist, and rounding out the day by returning home.

Clothes shopping.

By all indications, Akeno randomly dragged me to a clothing store while I ate the lions share of the Takoyaki. Still, the store she ended up choosing was naturally where my mother works.

As we stepped into the store, a small boutique that Akeno caught her eye named Suiko, who greets us but my mother.

"Welcome to Suiko." She calls and I nearly about-face on the spot and run with my tail between my legs.

I love my mother but if I show up halfway through a makeover, she'll put two and two together to figure out I'm preparing for a date. The teasing after will be dreadful.

I almost succeed in retreating too because it took my mother an extra second to recognise the two of us. It sadly isn't meant to be as Akeno calls out to her.

"Auntie!" She rushes straight up to the counter, and I hang my head then sullenly follow. "Look at this."

Akeno beams and displays her nails to my mother, who coos in response, "You look beautiful. I like the pattern you chose."

Of course, then she notices me and lets out a gasp which seals my fate. "Daughter… Your hair and your horns! You look breathtaking."

I duck my head and whine, "Come on, Mom. You'd think I normally look terrible if you react like that."

When I finally look up and meet her eyes, my mother has a massive smile, though I do notice a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Ugh, she's already figured it out.

She leans over to whisper in Akeno's ear, drawing a laugh out of the Fallen Angel and an exaggerated nod. Then my mother squees happily before clapping.

"I'm glad you're finally taking Suzaku out on a date. I've liked that girl ever since we met her." I slump as my mother praises my choice.

"Can we skip the teasing and go straight to choosing what I'll wear, please." My mother somehow becomes more cheery now.

"Ah wonderful plan, Daughter." My mother scurries off without another word, coming back two minutes later.

"I spoke to the store owner and he said I can close the store up early today." I tilt my head in confusion.

"Shouldn't we just try out some outfits here?" Both Akeno and her look at me like I've said something funny.

"We are, but this way, no other customers can get in the way of finding you the perfect arsenal of outfits." My mother states. "This date is a battlefield that you need to dominate and for that you need the perfect weapon."

"Prepare yourself, sis." Akeno says with a blood-curdling smile, "We've got hours, all alone, to get you ready for Saturday."

I take a step back, ready to run away when I hear the lock click.

Gulping heavily, I resign myself to my impending fate as a dress-up doll.

If anyone can hear me, send your prayers.