Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the OCs I create.
Tokyo – Ukiyoe Town
- Magari -
Magari sat atop the highest building in the area, looking down as the young leaders' very own night parade followed behind him; all of them were prepared to fight for him and to protect the Nura clan from the invading group who wanted to take it for themselves.
"So, it begins, the young leaders' battle; it's a shame the supreme commander isn't here to witness it." She muttered.
Watching as the 2 groups got closer to each other, I couldn't help but reminisce about the old times when the supreme commander first took us into battle as well as watching Rihan's first night parade.
We all thought he would be the next supreme commander when his father retired from the position until he died. It wasn't until recently that we believed that spiteful bitch was the cause after she came back to life; a sharp hiss escaped my lips as I thought of her.
Steps echoed behind her as she continued watching the scene below.
"Your orders, Lady Magari," one of the men from her personally trained unit said.
"Send a group to watch over the young leader; only intervene if his life is at risk. The supreme commander has sent word of his return with the other brat's father."
"Remind the others to remain vigilant at the seals; they'll likely try something soon. A distraction like this is too easy to pass up."
After hearing my orders, they left to complete their tasks as I continued watching the events play out below while waiting for the treacherous fox's people to show themselves.
- Rikuo -
Rikuo stood there with his sword lazily resting on his shoulder as his long white and black hair that spiked back behind his head swayed gently with the cool breeze as he eyed his opponent.
Around him multiple battles were taking place between his people and his opponents.
"You should've stayed away from the Nura clan Tamazuki."
Tamazukiscoffs under his mask as he says, "Your clan is a mere stepping stone to my rise in power; I'll show everyone that there is nothing to fear from your clan and that they should fear me instead."
"Unfortunately, this is how far you'll go." With that said, I charged him, and we both clash swords.
We clashed through the streets of Ukiyoe Town while both of us were looking for an opening to use to our advantage.
"What's wrong, Rikuo? Is your strength already waning?" Tamazuki laughs as Rikuo is pushed back again, which Rikuo uses to create distance.
Out of the corner of my eye I see something falling from the sky – "feathers". I say, 'Confused', as I touch one; as I do, the last thing I see is Tamazuki resting his sword on his shoulder before everything goes dark.
"WHAT, EVERYONE, DON'T TOUCH THE FEATHERS; THEY'LL BLIND YOU!" I shouted, hoping none had done what I did.
"Good work, Yosuzume; let's end this farce." Tamazuki said, as I heard his steps heading my way, either through luck or something else, I managed to block the blade before it reached me.
I was constantly being pushed back as I felt the blade getting closer as it made small cuts into my clothing but was not yet reaching me.
"How long can you keep this up, Rikuo? Your people are going to be slowly picked off if you drag this fight out; just give up." Tamazuki said.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US, BOSS. YOU GOT THIS!"
"YEAH, YOUNG MASTER, THESE GUYS ARE NOTHING. KICK HIS ASS!"
"SHOW THAT DUMB TANUKI WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!"
All around me, shouts rang out from everyone who followed me into this battle, encouraging me not to worry and to keep going.
"That's right, they're depending on me. What future leader of the clan would I be if I gave up here? TSURARA, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, FIND WHO'S CAUSING THIS AND GET HIM TO STOP. I'LL HOLD HIM OFF FOR AS LONG AS I CAN!" I said, whispering the first part to myself before shouting for Tsurara's help.
"ON IT!" I heard her shout back to me from my right.
"So, it's going to be the hard way then."
"There never was an easy option against the Nura clan."
I heard him growl out in response before feeling the wind rush towards me from his charge, barely blocking another strike. I've just got to hold out.
- Magari -
Hmm, the young leader's on the backfoot; he'll need to learn more battlefield awareness in the future.
It seems that Setsuna's brat has found the cause of the feathers.
After watching for a while longer the little Setsuna's brat managed to finally freeze her opponent after tricking them into thinking she was blinded.
"Guess it's my turn then." I stood up and popped some bones before turning to the west, where I could see and feel a cloud of miasma beginning to rise.
"Looks like I won't get to watch the rest of the show." Crouching on all fours, I let my power flow through my body as I shoot off towards the miasma, leaping from building to building.
Arriving at the area of the broken seal, I witnessed the armoured demon Shorei crushing one of my subordinates with his demon-faced tower shield.
A growl tore out of my throat at the scene as Shorei turned to me.
"Ah, Nurarihyon's pet cat, it's so good to see you again. I see you've gained more tails over the years that I've been sealed. How is the slippery pest still alive, or has he finally kicked the bucket after having one of his hearts removed? "Shorei says in a gruff voice that turns into a rumbling laugh at his own words.
"He won't need 2 hearts to put that dirty fox back into the ground where she belongs, like I wouldn't need the extra tails to put you down." I hiss back.
His laughter increased before stopping and saying, "We all know how that will turn out; it's one of the reasons you all chose to seal me in the end. My defence is unmatched, for I am my lady's shield." His voice turned into a manic devotion towards the end.
I hold back the grimace that fought to appear on my face; as much as I hated it, he was right. He was the worst type of opponent for me.
As he went to speak again, I took the chance to appear behind him and strike at the back of his neck with my claws, only to be rebuffed by his shield that intercepted me, causing me to leap back.
"Rude." He said before slamming his shield back onto the ground.
We spent a minute exchanging strikes and blocks, both unwilling to give a chance to the other before I was distracted by 3 more plumes of miasma rising throughout the town.
I noticed the shield coming out of me last second, allowing me to lean out of the way but not before it clipped me in the ribs, sending me flying into a building.
"It looks like they've completed their job. As much as I'd like to continue playing this game with you, it's time I returned to my lady's side; we'll meet again." I heard his voice from outside the building as I held my side, wincing slightly.
Standing up and climbing out of the rubble and back into the open air, I'm met with no enemy, just groaning bodies of my subordinates who luckily survived the crushing they'd received.
I hadn't broken anything fortunately, so I made my way to the other seals to see if I could take out one of the fox's members before they got away, but all I was met with were my own people unconscious though some weren't as lucky the final seal I checked the whole unit had been massacred as body part were located everywhere in the area.
I make my way back to where the young leader is after getting my people properly seen to.
When I arrived, the fighting had stopped, and I saw the great daiyokai Danuki bowing to the young leader to spare his sons' life.
The supreme commander turned to look up at me as I gave him a grim smile as he nodded back and lowered his straw hat.
[Split]
Urakyoto – Training grounds
- Souta -
I lie here at the training grounds along with the many others who have just been put through another hellish training session; this past week and a bit has been nothing but training and studying. I've been so tired I haven't had a chance to create any more mystic fruits or run the store.
As grueling as the training is though it has been worth it, Yasaka had told me to go through it along with everyone else who had eaten a mystic fruit to push us as far as we could before the real battles began.
My biggest improvement has been my grimoires; all the studying has opened more spells to use, and surprisingly I've managed to tap into observation Haki; it's not guaranteed but more of a ping every now and then.
A lot of my training has been going into working on observation through dodging while blindfolded; there have been some painful lessons, though Sumio would just say it was more training to increase my durability.
After steadying my breathing, I sat up only to see Yasaka followed by who I assumed to be Magari after being told a description of her once.
I wonder what's going on.
Standing up along with the many others in the area, we waited until Yasaka finally spoke.
"Magari has informed us that the seals in Ukiyoe Town were broken last night," Yasaka said, getting some grumbling and swearing from the crowd, but she ignored it and continued talking. "But you'll be pleased to hear, especially those from Ukiyoe Town, that the heir Rikuo and his night parade won his first battle against an invading enemy."
After hearing that, all the yokai from Ukiyoe Town were screaming with joy and shouting things like 'That's our young leader,' while the yokai from Kyoto merely clapped in congratulations to them.
Both the Tokyo and Kyoto yokai had been getting along more recently, not that there were any issues between them in the first place, but a common enemy does tend to bring 2 factions closer.
"Magari, would you like to take it from here?" Yasaka said to her.
Stepping forward with her hands on her hips she says, "Right the training you've had here is complete, we'll go over your new powers when we get home where your training will continue since Hagoromo Gitsune is preparing for war and so are we, remember the people who've helped and trained you while you're were here since they'll also be preparing to fight alongside us."
"Now pack your things and say your goodbyes; the supreme commander is setting up a meeting, and you don't want to make him wait."
After saying something to Yasaka, she turned and left the way she came.
I spent 5 minutes going around saying goodbye to all the yokai I had made friends with here; they were nice people, though quite a lot were battle maniacs, but no surprise, really, as most yokai are.
After the Tokyo yokai left everyone else started packing up as we were taking an early leave from training today.
I walked over to Yasaka, who gave me a small wave and a smile.
"I guess it's really starting then." I said with a weak smile.
"It is but we'll win just like my grandmother did, how is studying the new grimoire going?"
"Slow but productive, I can't believe you spent that much for it."
"It was nothing, plus it's something we will most likely need if we fail to kill Hagaromo; honestly, it might even be the best option to use; it will stop her from incarnating again."
The grimoire she managed to purchase was about sealing; it came from the Keikain onmyoji clan. Apparently, it was either stolen or sold in the past by a member, as Yasaka promised she had been looking for more grimoires to purchase, and someone wanted to be rid of it, but the price was something that made the mystic fruits I was selling currently look cheap.
Even with the number of mystic fruits that I'd already given to Yasaka, I felt like I owed her for the price of that grimoire; she just waved it off and said, if anything, she still owes me.
I suppose when we are more comfortable in our relationship, we won't see it as owing to each other anymore.
Speaking of the relationship, we had a couple of dates in the past week; on the second date in the week we took Kunou, where Yasaka had told her we had been going on dates. True to a child's nature, she asked when I was moving in since she wanted to sleep with all the cuddly Pokémon, which had us both laughing.
"So, what now? Do we have any news on where she might be? " I ask.
"Not currently. Wherever she's hiding it's concealed well; we suspect she's already in Kyoto in another sub-dimension. After the results she's had in Ukiyoe Town, she'll most likely make a move soon to unseal the rest of her group."
"I see. I'll focus on the seals; I want to be able to cast the best one possible for when the time comes. What about Kunou?"
"Good, and thank you; just please ignore any of the self-sacrificing seals. I've witnessed a few being used by onmyoji in the past. As for my darling daughter, she's quite excited to be staying with her grandmama for the foreseeable future; it's for the best that she stays in our clan's home territory just outside Kyoto until this is all over."
"She can take Swablu and Dennis with her; they enjoy hanging around her and will keep her company. I'd let Cyndaquill and Feebas, but they are quite attached to me."
"She'll love that, thank you." She said while giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Shall we go grab a bite to eat?" She asked.
"I'd love to." I said back.
As we began walking out of the training area, she grabbed my hand in hers.
[Split]
Kyoto – Hidden Dimension
- Hagoromo Gitsune -
Still bathing in a large pool of blood, Hagoromo sat at the centre of the pool on a throne as her now-9 tails swished behind her. Having regained her power back much quicker from syphoning from the leyline within Kyoto, her stomach now had a more noticeable bump compared to before.
She swept her vision across the people standing in front of her.
"Welcome back, my beloved subjects; I have dearly awaited your return."
Some of their members cheered from hearing her voice while others bowed in greeting.
"We still have so much to prepare for; quite a few of us are still missing, sealed within Kyoto by the onmyoji clans. It will be time to free them soon. There will be others sealed; some will likely be willing to join us in our cause, others may not, but I'm sure you can all handle the troublesome ones."
"We will also be taking Kyoto in the process I want a direct link to the leyline that the thieving fox's granddaughter currently holds, the energy from it will fuel my son's birth and ascension to a higher being, then all show bow before him and us."
"I want a large-scale ward to cover Kyoto; no one is to escape or enter."
Standing up, she waded through the blood and exited the pool, where 2 servants who waited on her draped a robe over her.
"Come, my subjects, let us show these fake Kyoto yokai who the real rulers of Kyoto really are."
She laughed as she sauntered out of the room, blood trailing behind her as the members of her faction roared and cheered for the blood of the fake yokai.
New chapter hope you enjoy ^^