36Arc 1: Prelude to Canon
Chapter 4
Nana, a Nanabi-no-Kitsune, just a few decades from obtaining her eighth tail, and the appointed High Priestess of the Tamamo-no-Mae loyalists is feeling a strong surge of satisfaction and anticipation as she watches her subordinates carefully place the last few remaining reagents on the altar in the specified locations.
It has been a very long coming. They have experienced far too many setbacks, the foremost being their decimation at the hands of the Kyuubi Clan and their allies.
This ritual has taken them centuries of research to prepare and perfect, thanks to the destruction of the instructions for the already established rituals, further hampered by their need to lay low and avoid the watchful eyes of the two Youkai Factions all over Japan. It has only been recently that they have been able to gain a foothold in Shimane, and it is thanks to the passive nature of its ruler that they can take more conspicuous actions.
And it has truly been a pain to acquire the final, key ingredient: a Kyuubi. But they will soon bear witness the fruits of their labor. Tamamo-no-Mae will return in all her glory and usher them into an age of Youkai supremacy!
They will destroy the two Youkai Factions for their transgressions, oust the outsiders, the irksome Judeo-Christian Faction that has the audacity to defile their homeland with their filthy presence, and deal with the meddlesome Gods of Takamagahara before moving on to the foolish humans of Japan, as is their right as the rulers of the Land of the Rising Sun!
Just a little more! They are so very close…!
"Nana-sama, all the reagents are in place." Said person snapped out of her daydream as one of her subordinates, a Rokubi-no-Kitsune reported dutifully to her.
"Excellent. Everyone take your places. The ritual will now commence."
Eagerness fills the air inside the cave as her eight top subordinates take their places at the vertices of the altar while she stands in front of the black Torii that marks the entrance to the Yomi.
"Let us begin."
As one, the nine Kitsunes begins chanting the incantation for the ritual. Pale blue balls of fire, emerge from each reagent carefully placed on the altar. They converge on the tiny Kyuubi at the center, jolting her wide awake in the process rather painfully.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The screams of the young girl echoes in the cave reaching the clearing as the ritual begins to take its toll on the sacrifice. They are music to Nana's ears, the unbridled suffering of the bloodline that has killed her previous leader, her mother.
'If you wish to blame anyone for your misfortune child, then blame your foolish mother for birthing you and giving us this long-awaited opportunity!' She internally sneers even as she chants the incantation that she has long since memorized perfectly.
And right in the middle of that is when everything starts to go wrong.
*BOOOOOM!*
Screams fill the air, a sonic boom taking place right above the cave they are carrying out the ritual in, destroying its ceiling and one by one, each of her subordinates had their heads lobbed off before a blue blur slammed into the altar with a resounding force.
A plume of dust and gravel erupted from the spot, the ceaseless screams of the young Kyuubi abruptly stopping and Nana feels the Ki that had been gathering during the ritual dissipate.
White hot anger surged inside her. "Who dares!?" That is all she managed to get out before something slams into her so hard, she felt a hole being punched through her abdomen before she is knocked off of her feet and sent flying into the cliff face behind her. Dazed and holed, she slumps to the ground, landing painfully, coughing and gurgling out blood, her abdomen owning a see through hole with cracks spreading all over her torso originating from said hole.
She barely managed to lift her head, peering through the blurry vision to catch sight of not one but three intruders conversing amongst themselves, while the one in the middle held on to the young Kyuubi.
The first she recognized immediately, choking on her blood as she took in the distinctive appearance and the sheer presence that demands nothing less than absolute subservience. That can only be Nurarihyon returned to his prime when he was the mightiest of all Youkais, so much so, that her Lady Tamamo-no-Mae seemed like a joke. She never imagined that the leader of the Hyakki Yakou and the Kanto Youkai will come in person. She expected an army, yes, but not the 'One Youkai Army'.
The second is a young man with icy blue hair and eyes, wielding a black bladed longsword in one hand, cradling the younger Kyuubi in the other.
The third is a young woman in a furisode with blue hair mixed with highlights of black and white having yellow eyes holding her glowing hands over the younger Kyuubi.
She does not know who the young couple are, but she can make an educated guess. Both of them are the reason of their first attempt at kidnapping the young Kyuubi being thwarted. She had received reports about that attempt failing due to the interference of an exceptionally strong human and his Youkai companion, which had necessitated the unplanned but unexpectedly successful second attempt by her spies within the usurper's court.
It has blown their cover irreparably, but they had achieved their penultimate objective, which was why she had no qualms about it, but now… the ritual was ruined! The nume-
"Oh? That one's still alive? Ikkotsu should've killed her on contact, but then again, she is a Nanabi-no-Kitsune." The last thing Nana saw was the gleaming black blade before her head similarly to her subordinates was lobbed off.
I scowled and gripped my sword tightly as Tsurara kept on pumping Ki into Kunou, who looked deathly pale with shallow breathing. Nurarihyon had checked her condition before and with a grimace told us what happened.
We were a little too late, and the ritual was already underway. Most likely a portion of her essence, her very being was torn out of her in the process. Which meant that Kunou is dying, slowly but surely. Tsurara has been trying to prevent Kunou's death by trying her best to restore the lost essence with her own.
But the problem is, Kunou's essence, the lost portion is in Yomi. And that place, while housing the souls of the departed, is also home to creatures that even Nurarihyon, the 'One Youkai Army' wouldn't even dream of crossing. And Yomi is so massive, that it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I wanted to go inside Yomi and look for Kunou's lost essence, but both Tsurara and Nurarihyon highly protested against it. I'm 3/4th Human, and the moment I will step foot into Yomi is the exact same moment I will die, effectively making my efforts (no matter how little they were compared to Tsurara's) in this rescue attempt worthless. The only way I will survive in Yomi is if I have Divinity in me, either by being a Demi-God or as a Human blessed by a God. And I couldn't recklessly go into Yomi either. Tsurara, Setsura and Yuki-jii-san will never forgive me for it should I end up dying there.
Nurarihyon's resigned sigh broke me out of my thoughts as the Youkai shook his head. "We can't stay here for too long. The little one's dying and you're only delaying the inevitable like this. We may have failed in rescuing her alive, but the least we can do is make sure she dies peacefully by her mother's side."
My shoulders sagged and I released a dejected sigh. "Yeah… let's go then. Yasaka-sama's waiting."
Sending back my sword to the pocket dimension I scooped Kunou up in my arms, and just as the three of us are about to leave…
"-!"
An oppressive presence that screamed of Divinity and Death bore down on us. I don't know how I can tell its nature, but I didn't care about it as I draped myself over Kunou, Tsurara doing the same with me, pushing out her Ki to repel and reduce the effect of that presence on us.
"What the hell is that!?" I hissed at Nurarihyon who replied to me in a strangled voice looking incredibly nervous.
"Dammit! We're too late! She's already here…!"
"Who are you talking about you dumbass!?"
The source of the oppressive presence rapidly closed in on us, and once it is practically above us, I looked up from below Tsurara, just in time to see a beautiful young woman with long black hair set with an elaborate golden headpiece, red eyes, dressed in a ceremonial kimono and 6 long, golden skeletal artificial arms attached to her back descend down to us.
"Hm? I came here sensing the strange fluctuation of an energy signature yet, what do I find? One of Amaterasu's dogs along with two children? One of which is a Dragon?"
Nurarihyon immediately prostrated himself as low as he could get in a position of complete reverence immensely surprising me.
"Idiot! Stop staring and bow! You're in the presence of Izanami-no-Mikoto-sama!" I gawked at that tidbit of info and looked back at the Shinto Primordial Goddess of Creation and Death.
Ishibumi that motherfucker! I'll skin that piece of shit alive! Why the fuck didn't he involve the Shinto Gods in the story!?
"Hold up! I thought she is supposed to be trapped in Yomi looking like a skeleton with rotting flesh and maggots for eyes!"
"Where…? Where the fuck did you read the last part!?" he asked in abject horror. "Yes, she was trapped in Yomi but then she became its Queen and didn't have to play by its rules anymore. She left Yomi and entered the Human Realm. Amaterasu-sama permitted her to stay and gave her the entire Shimane prefecture on the condition that she didn't start killing Humans and stayed within the barrier."
So that is the reason Yasaka and he had been so apprehensive about coming here carelessly. Trespassing into the territory of a Primordial Goddess is pretty stupid after all. But Nurarihyon mentioned that she is the effective ruler of Shimane, then that meant…
"I see…" anger surged to the surface again and I growled scaring the bowing Tsurara and Nurarihyon. "So you're the one who let those idiots run around in here so freely…!" I brandished my sword with one hand shrugging Tsurara off of me as I pointed my sword at her while cradling Kunou in my other arm.
"Stop you idiot! Shimane might officially be Izanami-sama's territory, but she doesn't have any interest in ruling it and just leaves it to its own devices!"
"That's just as bad! Because of her neglect Kunou is dying!"
"Kunou? Is that the name of your child that you're cradling?" Tsurara and Nurarihyon choked on their spit hearing that false assumption (one that I would learn about later) and gaped at her. I, not even thinking twice nodded shocking those two. She stepped toward me and I pointed the tip of my sword transforming into my Dragon Form and taking a defensive stance to protect Kunou from the line of fire. "Peace, young Dragon. I simply wish to observe your child's condition." She said raising a pale dainty hand in a gesture of non-aggression.
"Yet look what happened to her due to your so called observing!" Nurarihyon had an expression that screamed 'Dear God, why me?!' Any other time I would've laughed, but now is not the time.
Izanami frowned. "It seems that you do not trust me. Is my word that I will not harm a child insufficient?"
"…" I didn't answer her only tightening my grip on Kunou and narrowing my eyes at her.
"Very well. Then should I do anything untoward your child, you may cut me down. Is that enough for you?"
The fact that she offered her own life stunned me hard enough to regain my senses and cool down. Without reverting back into my Human form I loosened my grip on Kunou and lowered my sword that I doubt can kill her, a Primordial Goddess. "…fine. But I'm watching you."
"Of course."
She glided over to me and placed a hand on Kunou's forehead furrowing her eyebrows as she probably did a scan of Kunou. "…I see. A portion of her essence has been torn away from her. What happened?"
Taking a deep breath to calm myself I answered with suppressed anger. "Those Tamamo Loyalists happened, the idiots that you let run amok tried to use her as the sacrifice to resurrect Tamamo-no-Mae." I fearlessly glared right into her eyes (an action Izanami will never leave me down in our future interactions). "She's in this condition because of you."
"…"
She said nothing only raising one of her long, golden skeletal hands towards a black Torii and the cave entrance was suddenly filled with a dark mist, a golden ball of light shooting out from the mist into that waiting hand. And before I can react, she pressed the ball against Kunou's chest, melding it with her seamlessly. The result is immediate, Kunou's complexion improved and her breathing stabilized.
Seeing what happened I sighed in relief, and while I can connect the dots about what happened, I still asked what she did just now.
"I recalled her essence that was cast into Yomi. She will be fine now. I trust that we will have no further issues?"
"Of course not, Izanami-sama! We thank you for your benevolence!" Nurarihyon immediately said almost tripping over his own words. I nodded in agreement with him and gratefully looked at her.
"Thank you."
"No need for gratitude. I did not do this out of kindness, I simply wished to have Amaterasu indebted to me. "
"…way to ruin the mood. Tsundere much?" Izanami twitched and Nurarihyon whined looking ready to dig his own grave and jump right into it. Tsurara is frozen still.
"Hmph! Now begone. Your business here has concluded. I will not tolerate your presence in my territory any longer." Yep, she's a Tsundere alright.
I rolled my eyes and gestured Tsurara to open a portal, who numbly opened a portal giving me a look that screamed we will be talking about manners with Goddesses later.
"Of course, Izanami-sama! Alright, brat, no more shenanigans! We're getting out of here!" Nurarihyon said as he dragged me through the portal.
"I can walk by myself you old man!"
Izanami silently watched from the corner of her eyes as Nurarihyon dragged the young Dragon father of the Kyuubi child by the collar of his shirt. The very same young Dragon father who called her 'a skeleton with rotting flesh and maggots for eyes'. The very same young Dragon father, who dared to talk back to her, a Primordial Goddess, as if she were any other normal person. Truly, his words were amusing to say the least. Her? A skeleton with rotting flesh and maggots for eyes? What a joke! As if that would ever happen!
She will admit, his behavior and manner of speech was a nice change in pace. The way he bluntly called her a Tsundere was really amusing. But…
"She's in this condition because of you."
His words had stung, even worse as they were more truthful than she cared to admit. Izanami would never allow a child to come to harm if she could help it, she was mother herself after all. Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo may not have been born out of her, but they are her late husband's children, that in extension made them her own children too. Despite her uncaring cold attitude towards Amaterasu, she actually did care for the child and her siblings.
However, it was also true that she had known of the Loyalists settling in her territory, and had not cared enough to do anything about it. As long as they did not threaten her personally, she was content to leave them be. If she had intervened before, then perhaps this wouldn't have happened.
Maybe it was time for her to take a more active role in ruling Shimane? To think a boy's words would have such a strong impact on her… perhaps she was getting soft? But she was certain, that boy would make things a lot more interesting in the future.
'And I cannot wait.'
With one last uncharacteristic giggle Izanami vanished back into her palace in the depths of Yomi, finally after such a long time looking forward to the future. Perhaps she would keep an eye on the boy from time to time?
Kunou doesn't know where she is. The last thing she recalls is suddenly being pulled out of her bed by one of her mother's attendants while she was asleep. And then pain, so much pain. After that, she found herself here, in this cold, dark void, floating without being able to move.
Then, golden light flashed before her eyes, and the next thing she knows, she is waking up in the arms of someone.
"Where…" she weakly muttered opening her eyes looking through blurry vision that slowly started going away.
"Finally awake, Kunou-hime?"
Kunou gasped, her blurry vision instantly clearing up to meet the blue eyes of her savior! "Haru-dono…!"
"Yep, that's me alright."
"You've really caused us a lot of worry, Lil Princess. And a few misunderstandings too…" She craned her neck to meet the eyes of a Youkai she doesn't recognize, but there is only one person who ever calls her that.
"Nurarihyon-dono…?"
"In the flesh. How do you feel?"
Kunou snuggled into the chest of her savior and yawned. "…Tired. So tired…"
Her savior's chest vibrated as he gently spoke. "Then go ahead and sleep more Kunou-hime. There is nothing more to worry about, the silly Loyalists have been taken care of."
The Loyalists? Why are they being brought up? 'Ah…' She put two and two together and realized that she has been saved again. While she hasn't seen it herself, she is absolutely certain, and thus, she can peacefully sleep in the arms of her Hero.
The moment we stepped out of the portal, I sensed something was wrong. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting fanfare or anything, rather, the cries of relief from Yasaka on Kunou's safe return alive. But certainly not the dead silence that consumed the throne room.
Yasaka is at the head of one of the two rows on either side of the throne there, leading what are most likely the leaders of the various other Clans under her command, all prostrating themselves on the floor looking extremely cowed. She lifted her head just a little off the floor and caught sight of her daughter, sleeping peacefully in my arms. Joy and relief spread across her face, but she did not dare move an inch towards me.
That's likely because of the person, no, the Goddess languishing on Yasaka's throne.
She is an incredibly beautiful woman with a body that surpassed Yasaka's own, long lustrous white hair tied in a bun, blood red eyes, dressed in an elaborate and almost provocative red and white kimono with detached sleeves, adorned with a professionally crafted regalia. And I get this feeling that I know who she is considering how her immense presence is giving off the feeling of Divinity and warmth that's akin to the Sun.
Nurarihyon yelped from beside me and prostrated himself before her, and if Kunou was awake, she too would likely to be scrambling to do the same.
The Goddess rose from the throne with a smile and purposefully strode forwards stopping a feet away from me.
"Greetings Haru Hinode. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Amaterasu-Omikami, and I thank you for rescuing our Kunou."
I froze at the confirmation of my suspicion with an awkward smile on my face while Tsurara behind me immediately prostrated herself. I am standing before the most important Goddess in Shintoism, one who I've always wanted to meet! I really want to fanboy all over her but that would be creepy and I am not by any means, Izuku Midoriya.
"Yasaka, Nurarihyon and Tsurara Oikawa. You may rise." The three of them immediately stood up ramrod straight, except Nurarihyon hilariously poofed back into his old form right after standing up. "Come and take your daughter to rest, I'm sure she needs it." She then looked at the rest and ordered, "Now, all of you, leave the room. I wish to have a word with the Hero of the hour." Without hesitation, all of the Youkai cleared out of the room.
Yasaka rushed forward and gingerly tried to take Kunou off of me, key word being 'tried'.
"..No… don't…wanna…nngh!" Kunou incoherently mumbled in her sleep tightening her grip on my shirt swatting Yasaka in the face with her tails surprising us and amusing Amaterasu.
Yasaka awkwardly looked at me and silently pleaded for help. "How about I put her to bed and then continue this? Kunou-hime doesn't seem that keen on letting me go." I asked the Goddess politely. "I hope you don't mind a bit of delay Amaterasu-sama."
The Goddess of the Sun and Universe giggled and shook her head. "No, no, please take your time doing your fatherly duties." Seeing the smug smile on her face I realized that she knows everything that transpired in Shimane.
Yasaka blinked in confusion while I and Tsurara choked on our spit, Nurarihyon looking to the side to hide his laughter.
"H-How…? Nononono! What are you talking about!?"
Yasaka looked between me and the mischievous Sun Goddess with an inquisitive look. "Am I missing something?"
Amaterasu smiled at Nurarihyon. "Nura, would you kindly enlighten Yasaka?"
Seeing the smug look on the old man's face I glared hard at him daring him to speak, despite knowing that he will never choose me over her.
"Well you see Yasaka-chan, Izanami-sama had shown up at the end of our schism. Now, now, don't worry, she wasn't hostile to us, in fact she had a hand in Lil Princess's safe return."
"Is that so…?"
"Yup, and this lad over here got pissed, cause according to him, Izanami-sama was the reason Lil Princess was dying."
"Dying…!?"
"Hush, let me finish. Anyway, the lad was all like this-" he cleared his throat and imitated me. "-'So you're the one who let those idiots run around in here so freely…!' then he pulled out his sword from thin air and pointed it at her, and let me tell you, I thought we were gonna die cause of him. And then came the curveball. Izanami-sama asked, 'Kunou? Is that the name of your child that you're cradling?' and he said yes!"
Tsurara facepalmed, Yasaka stared dumbfounded at me while Amaterasu and Nurarihyon laughed.
I quickly put a sound blocking spell on Kunou's ears and hissed at him. "Like. I. Said! I didn't hear her call Kunou my child! I only heard her say 'Kunou? Is that the name of the child that you're cradling?'! Stop misunderstanding!"
"And then when Izanami-sama tried to check on the Lil Princess saying 'Peace, young warrior. I simply wish to observe your child's condition.' He went full Dragon on her and was all like 'Yet look what happened to her due to your so called observing!' Man I so wanted to die at that part."
"Don't you dare ignore me!"
He ignored me and animatedly recited everything that transpired making me wish for death while I adjusted Kunou in my arms.
"Thank you Nura, I believe that's enough for now. Yasaka, why don't you lead Haru to Kunou's room and then return with him?"
"Understood. Please follow me Haru-dono." A twitchy, stone faced Yasaka curtly replied and led me towards Kunou's room. It might be me but I feel like Amaterasu's trying to ship me with Yasaka. It probably doesn't help that her eyes were gleaming in a way very similar to Setsura's, and that's no good.
"Mmm…" I rocked Kunou in my arms as I followed Yasaka towards the little Kyuubi's room in a very tense and awkward silence. Yasaka probably took note of my action from the corner of her eye but said nothing. The woman is an entire head taller than me, so I doubt I could've done that discretely with me being in her line of sight over her shoulder.
We stopped before a polished pair of doors and Yasaka dropped a bomb on me. "Kunou's room isn't in the best of conditions, so she will have to sleep with me until her room is repaired." That is an unnecessary information, but…
"O-Okay." Is she sending me message or something? 'It's just a bedroom, not Yasaka's room. It's just a bedroom, not Yasaka's room. It's just a bedroom, not Yasaka's room. It's just a bedroom, not Yasaka's room. It's just a bedroom, notYasaka'sroom. It'sjustabedroom,notYasaka'sroom. It'sjustabedroom,notYasaka'sroom. It'sjustabedroom,notYasaka'sroom. It'sjustabedroom,notYasaka'sroom. It'sjustabedroom,notYasaka'sroom.'
Unaware of my inner struggle and mantra storm, she opened the door and I followed her in keeping my eyes on her back as she led me to her futon. "Please lie her down on this side." I gently tucked Kunou under the blanket and stepped away from the futon wincing at how Kunou whined at the loss of contact. This time Yasaka calmed her down before leading me out towards the throne room, once again in awkward silence.
"Haru-dono." She called out to me pausing in the middle of the hallway. Pausing two feet away from her I shot her a questioning look. "Is it true that you did not hear the part where Izanami-sama called my Kunou your child?" Where is she planning to go with this?
I winced. "Yes." I admitted. "I… wasn't thinking properly back then and most likely did not hear her call Kunou my child." I shrunk under her gaze. "I knew something was wrong when Nurarihyon-dono and Tsurara reacted like that, but I was too ticked off at her to properly hear what she said." I bowed to her. "I'm very sorry."
"For what?"
"The misunderstanding. Izanami-sama most likely believes that Kunou is our child instead of yours and… her real father. That's why I'm really very sorry for accidentally impersonating as someone I'm not."
"…I see." After several moments of silence Yasaka turned around and continued walking towards the throne room.
Within a few minutes we are back in the throne room with me and Tsurara facing Amaterasu and Yasaka, Nuraruhyon already gone.
"Now then, let's get right to the heart of the matter." Amaterasu began with a clap of her hands. "Once again, you have our gratitude for saving little Kunou and successfully preventing Tamamo-no-Mae's return. Now, tell me what you want for a reward!" Just as I opened my mouth to refuse, she added. "I'll throw you at the Sun or drop it on you if you refuse to be rewarded." I shut my mouth and slumped over palming my face as I wondered just what I should ask for reward. "Don't rush. Take your time to think of a reward."
I nodded and started brainstorming about what I can ask for a reward.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Finally after two painfully long minutes, I came to a decision, exchanged nods with Tsurara and faced Amaterasu.
"I take it you decided then?"
I nodded and with the straightest face I said with utmost seriousness. "Nothing comes to my mind."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…can I take whatever you feel like rewarding me with?" I meekly asked after Amaterasu and Yasaka stared at me for several seconds. But upon hearing my second suggestion(?) Amaterasu perked up and her eyes gleamed in a way that made me realize, it was the wrong thing to say.
"Excellent! Then how about marrying Yasaka and officially becoming Kunou's father?" She said that with the brightness of a thousand Suns leaving the three of us dumbstruck, and bluescreened in Tsurara's case.
"Chotto matte!" I exclaimed standing up. "I may be 22 years old, but I am not ready for marriage!"
"Oh?" Amaterasu narrowed her eyes at me. "Did you not say you wish to take whatever I feel like rewarding you with?"
"Yes, yes I did. But a marriage with your vassal is the last thing I would expect from you." I sighed and sat down running a hand through my hair. "Besides, I did not save Kunou in hopes of a reward or to have the Kyoto Youkai indebted to me. I did it because I wanted to. So no, a reward is completely unnecessary."
"Even so, I don't see what's wrong with marrying my vassal. It's not like she's lacking anything." She shameless groped Yasaka right in front of us.
"Ahn~!"
"Look at these! So big, soft but firm! A young man like you would definitely want to feast on them!"
Tsurara and I blushed and looked away. "Let's say I agreed to it-"
"Haru-sama!?"
"-what about your vassal, Yasaka-sama herself? What is her opinion? Is she willing to take part in this marriage? More importantly, will Kunou take kindly to me becoming her father out of thin air? Becoming her father and marrying her mother won't be something she can brush aside so easily. We'll be creating an entirely new dynamic if we actually do it."
I turned to stare at Yasaka- who Amaterasu stopped groping when I began talking- for several moments before the Kyuubi sighed and said exactly what I expected. "…if Amaterasu-sama desires it then I shall marry you."
I snapped my fingers and pointed them at Yasaka. "And that's all the more reason for me to refuse! It's obvious she's agreeing to the marriage reluctantly to follow your orders. She did not say whether she truly wants to marry me, and that is a huge turn off for me. So no, I cannot accept this marriage."
"Haru-dono, I believe in Amaterasu-sama's judgement. If she deems you worthy to be my husband and Kunou's father, then I see no problem in this union."
"Oh come on!"
"And if Kunou demanded it?" Both I, and Tsurara tensed at that question. By now it's obvious that I'm very weak to children because of my fondness towards them, and now Amaterasu is taking advantage of it. But…
"Even so, my answer remains the same. I am not getting myself into an arranged marriage where only the bride or groom is willing to marry the other of their own volition. It must be mutual." Then I added. "Throw me into the Sun or drop it on me, I don't care. I didn't save Kunou to be rewarded, I did it out my own volition."
Amaterasu and I stared at each other for several seconds, neither of us breaking away from the other's gaze. Finally after several seconds Amaterasu relented with a sigh. "I had a feeling you'd say that. That's why I came prepared." She pulled out a red talisman and handed it to me. "Take this."
Taking a look at the talisman I asked, "What's this?"
"Nick your finger and brush it against the talisman. Then you'll know."
"Alright…" I bit down on my thumb and once blood dribbled out, I brushed the bleeding thumb against the talisman. It glowed and floated out of my hand before poofing with a cloud of smoke. "Woah! Was that supposed to happen?"
"Yes." She waved her hand and the smoke parted revealing…
"…a Shikigami?" The Shikigami are spirits that become familiars to Onmyouji. The one that was bowing in front of me is a child wearing Heian-era imperial clothing with a hakama on her lower half. Her eyes are blue and she noticeably has two fox ears and a leaf-shaped tail of straight white fur. And on her waist, is a wakizashi.
"Correct. Why don't you introduce yourself?"
The fox spirit nodded while bowing and took a breath to speak. "O-Oh! This is the first time I have the honor of meeting you! My name-"
"Before that, sit up, no need to bow."
"E-Eh…?" She cutely stuttered peeking up at me with wide innocent eyes tugging at my heart strings.
"No need to bow. Sit up and introduce yourself normally."
The fox spirit sat up and squirmed before stuttering, "M-My name is K-Kon!" She shyly shrunk into herself and closed her eyes with her fluffy ears and tail swishing rapidly as she continued. "I-I am still in-inexperienced!" She straightened up and all but squeaked, "B-But I h-hope you understand!" How old is she?
Tsurara and I stared at the fox spirt who doesn't appear any younger than Kunou. My body twitched as I resisted the urge to grab her, pat her head, pet her tail and rub my cheeks with hers. She's as adorable as Kunou!
I coughed into my fist and nodded with a smile. "Very well Kon. It's not a problem if you're inexperienced. How old are you?" I don't want to go to jail, so knowing her age will either relieve or doom me.
"Erm, I… I'm 25 years old!"
"Oh. I see." I dumbly nodded. Relieved that I won't be going to jail, but confused as fuck with her appearance. "Okay. I am Haru Hinode. I am 22 years old. Nice to meet you Kon."
"O-Oh! Nice to meet y-you too H-Haru-sama!"
I nudged Tsurara and she spoke up with twitchy eyebrow and smile. "I am Tsurara Oikawa. I am Haru-sama's Personal Assistant. Nice to meet you Kon-chan!" Was the emphasis necessary?
"Eep!" Kon bowed. "It's an honor Oikawa-dono!"
"Hmph!"
"You will start teaching at Kuoh Academy, no?" Amaterasu spoke up catching all our attention.
I blinked at her in confusion and nodded. If she knows about it already then I have no reason to lie. "Yes, I'll be teaching History and Modern Literature."
"Hmm… in that case I have a job for you, if you wouldn't mind taking it."
A job? I already have to teach a bunch of brats at Kuoh Academy including the Devils, and she wants to give me another job? Should I take it? It would only increase my workload. But…
"As long as it doesn't get in the way of my teaching I can do it."
The Goddess smiled like… a proud mother? "Excellent! The job will be very much worthwhile for you and it will not in any way hamper your duties as a teacher!"
"Oh? I'm listening…"
Yasaka silently watched by Amaterasu's side as Haru, Tsurara and Kon left the Youkai Realm through a portal the Yuki-Onna made.
Once the two were gone with the portal disappearing into thin air, Yasaka couldn't help but let her curiosity get the best of her.
"Amaterasu-sama, why did you wish for the union between I and Haru-dono?"
"Hmm, why indeed." After a moment of silence the Goddess smiled and continued. "It was a test."
"A… test?"
"Yes. I was testing him. I wanted to see how genuine he was about saving Kunou, and how resolute he was in not taking a reward. Simply put, it was a test of character. If he had agreed to the marriage on spot without a second thought then it would've meant that he was involved with the Tamamo-no-Mae Loyalists."
"…" Yasaka wanted to protest loudly at that. From the short interaction that she had with Haru Hinode, she noted that he was genuine in his fondness for children, and seemed to have a bleeding heart. While he wasn't that easy to get a read on at times, she did notice how guarded and paranoid he seemed, but he also wore his heart on his sleeves when it came to Kunou. That was a positive point of his from her perspective. So no, she did not think he had any bad intentions by involving himself with all this mess.
However, that isn't to say that Amaterasu's words were wrong. It could be that she was his target all along, and helping in the rescue of her Kunou would leave her and her faction indebted to him, and probably take her as his reward. She knows the effect she has on males and females alike. Her beauty and presence has more often than not garnered looks that disgusted and annoyed her. So it could've been that he was one of them.
It didn't matter that he was Riza and Yukihira Hinode's grandson, Haru after all wasn't his grandparents at the end of the day. For all she knew, everything Haru had expressed about himself might have been an act, one that would only be insulted at being called a 'Masterpiece'.
"I… don't think that is the case Amaterasu-sama."
Back during her first meeting with him, she had worn a kimono that had given him a good view of her rather generous assets to see what kind of person he was and if he had any ulterior motives. To her surprise, he never once glanced at them, keeping contact with her eyes during the whole meeting despite how much his eyes twitched to glance down. She was impressed with his self-control and his gentlemanly behavior. He didn't even look like he had any ulterior motives, looking quite uncomfortable with her thanking him.
Then there's how he reacted when Nurarihyon mentioned her Kunou being used as a sacrifice, the sheer rage that burst out of him in the form of his Dragon aura (and wasn't that a surprise?) there's no way he was faking everything.
So it's really hard for her to imagine him co-operating with the Tamamo-no-Mae Loyalists, despite how suspicious it is that the whole thing happened on the day he arrived to Kyoto with his PA.
"Neither do I anymore."
"I see."
"Is that why you gave him that job? It isn't anything easy."
"Eh, he's a Dragon. He can do it."
"You're oddly confident in him."
"You're not?"
"…I am more than confident he can do it."
"Yes, but I still don't like how he refused a reward." Amaterasu sulked crossing her arms with a huff. "He even tricked me into thinking that he had decided on something!" She then smugly smirked. "At least I managed to surprise him with Kon! Hah! Take that, sucker!"
"…that doesn't explain why you groped me in front of them."
"Oh, that's because I wanted to see how he would react. Turns out he is a complete gentleman!" The Goddess cheerfully chirped.
"…"
"Now then…" Yasaka tensed as Amaterasu placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned in way she knew she would be mortified at the end of whatever the Goddess was planning. "What do you think of him? As your…"
Called it!
"Do you really have to go?"
I softly smiled down at Kunou who pouted at me. She's hugging me at the waist almost gluing herself to me.
Tsurara and my not so relaxing trip in Kyoto came to an end, and the Kyuubi mother and child came to see us to off at the train station. Sure we can just teleport or open a portal back to our home, but Tsurara and I both prefer the long and scenic route.
Gently patting the little Kyuubi around where her real ears should be, I got a satisfactory purr from her, laughing lightly when she blushed in embarrassment. "Yes Hime-chan, I do. I have to start teaching High School teenagers soon and I have to move into the new house near the school. How about this? I'll drop by here again during the Golden Week and go around exploring Kyoto together?"
"Really!?" My smile widened at Kunou's own bright one.
"Yes, I'll even get you Tofu without you having to worry about your mother's scolding." Yasaka and Tsurara facepalmed.
"Yay~! You're the best!" Yasaka and Tsurara both twitched, both for their own reasons, and Kunou cheered hugging me tightly. "And I'll take you on a proper tour of Kyoto! Pinky promise!" Didn't we agree to explore Kyoto together? Oh well, I guess it's better with her in the lead. I wrapped my larger pinky finger with her own.
"Promise." Kunou unwrapped herself from me and stood beside her mother.
"I really cannot thank you enough for what you've done Haru-dono. Know that the Kyuubi Clan and the Kyoto Youkai will forever have your back no matter what." That's a bit too much, but I guess I can take it.
"It's fine, really. I just couldn't let her suffer unjustly now could I?"
"I suppose not. There is a lot our world can learn from you. Goodbye for now, Haru-dono. Be sure to come back in Golden Week."
"Hey, I promised didn't I? I don't break my promises." I say as I walk backwards into the train.
I and Tsurara returned the wave of the mother-daughter pair and stopped once they were out of sight.
"This isn't the end of them is it?"
"No." I doubt this is the end of the Tamamo-no-Mae Loyalists. Most likely Rizevim will recruit them and then subsequently use the Sephiroth Graal to bring back Tamamo-no-Mae from Yomi, and that's gonna be a huge pain in the ass.
"What a mess…"
We sit down on the comfortable single sofa-like seats. "Kunou may not have shown it but there is no way a child like her can go through such a terrible incident without experiencing some trauma." Especially seeing how I brutally killed those Gobis that tried to kidnap her.
"…and Yasaka-sama is going to have her hands dealing with it soon."
"Hm…" Then I groaned, half in annoyance and half in embarrassment.
"Haru-sama?"
"I can't believe I let my emotions get the best of me and lose control…ugh…" Before leaving to rescue Kunou and during my conversation with Izanami.
"I believe it was a rather refreshing sight. Normally you are so calm and composed, and the only times you let your emotions guide you is when you're helping raise the children at the local orphanage. But seeing you become so passionate, and determined to save Kunou-hime… ahhhh it got me tingling! Especially when you hugged me after I found out her location! I am so glad I placed that tracker on Kunou-hime!"
Seeing my PA wiggling with a blush and large smile on her, I can only groan in embarrassment.
"Is she always like this Haru-sama?"
"Most of the times." I replied to my adorable fox spirit as I palmed my face.
"She seems like a handful."
"You have no idea…"
NOTE: Yes, Amaterasu is a sore loser.