章 18: Chapter 17: Reveal

Okay. Iori really liked the naming scheme of every big bad in murim stories having the title of 'Heavenly Demon'. It just sounded so bad-ass.

It didn't really matter in which context it was in. Whether Western or Eastern, the name itself was a completed paradox of itself.

But despite the surge of happiness at hearing that title again after all these years, having it tainted by the talks of Corpse Refining really left a sour taste in his mouth.

'Someone must've worked really hard to drag my name through the dirt like that..'

Another thing he would need to fix, refusing to share the title with corpse didlers.

"Could you explain," Xoru, the be-speckled tengu asked," What this Corpse Refinning is? I must admit that I did not live during the Ancient era so I'm more ignorant of such a practice."

"It's the Senjutsu form of necromancy," Marui said tersely, gripping his tetsubo subconsciously," An affront to life itself. Glad it's gone, and even more glad that the rest of factions have banned necromancy as a whole."

"Indeed Marui-sama." Shitori said gravely, bowing slightly," The legends of such techniques are few and far between but every-time it's mentioned, only calamity awaits all those who practice it."

"And this," Nurarihyon waved his hands," Yamato Iori, the Heavenly Demon, is said to be quite adept at Corpse Refining?"

"Well…" The old man paused in thought, mind spinning," That's where it gets a bit foggy, and why I believe the man didn't exist to begin with."

"What do you mean?" Kiyo asked," I thought it would be a pretty open and shut case?"

"There's some inconsistencies when it comes to the Heavenly Demon." Shitori said slowly," In older text, he's stated to have detested such techniques and routinely massacred any Corpse Refiner regardless if they were considered Orthodox or not. While other's state he did such a thing because he was getting rid of rivals, but those were written well after the Ancient era. And it's more often taught that he was a Corpse Refiner by most schools."

"Then ignoring that, what is the possibilities of this Heavenly Demon living to our age?"

Nurarihyon asked, eyes locked onto the peaceful looking youth.

"Zero." The old man replied, shaking his head sadly," If he was real and if we ignored the tales, then his lifespan would've been drawn out a long time ago. They say with his fall, the Ancient era ended."

"Then.." Marui let loose his Ki, allowing it spread out into the room, sending the servants sprawling to the ground with a cry of surprise. Smoke beginning to billow out from between the Oni's large tusks. None of the council members moved, a detached air about them as they no longer paid any attention to the fraud.

They had more important things to do, like fixing the backlash they would receive from Yasaka's letters.

"How ca-"

"Please." The golden kitsune pleaded," Don't kill him."

"I cannot Yasaka-sama." The oni denied, dragging himself up to his full height," This human has caused too-"

"If that's your wish disciple."

Iori spoke, boredom dripping from his lips. And suddenly, he unfurled his tightly contained Ki. Allowing it roll over the room, settling down on the shoulders of everyone in the room.

It was suffocating, like they were simple humans being dropped into water. Their lungs (and equivalent) struggled and failed to take in an oh so needed breathe.

Their eyes widened in horror as the seemingly ordinary man suddenly took up all of their visions, their hearing, their smells and sensations. He was the room itself. The air that refused to enter their lungs, the blood that refused to pump. Muscles that contemptuously ignored any commands they tried to fire off.

Lightning stilled in motion. Ice thawed. Wings were forcibly retracted. Forms dispelled. Lanterns extinguished. Slowly, their worlds became darker as only that man became the focus of all their attention. Like he was the only thing in this world that mattered.

Blue eyes orbs looked down upon them from on high, like some kind of majestic being to ants. Infinitely far away and beneath them. No something smaller, greater in distance than infinity its-

In 1 blink, Yamato Iori was the universe itself and in the next he was once again an ordinary man. Completely indistinguishable from a crowd. A heavy crash of the tree size tetsubo falling ineffectually to the floor was like a wake up alarm to their frazzled minds.

"Thank you Grandmaster Yamato for showing my subordinates mercy,"

Yasaka bowed at the waist to the powerful practitioner before them, showing the preference and willingness to beg for the betterment of her charges. He didn't even acknowledge the wide, teasing, vulpine grin she had the nerve to send his way while doing so.

"It was no bother."

Iori said cooly, having his tea cup down filled by the Yokai leader herself. What could he say, he was thoroughly enjoying the situation.

"Are there anyone who doubts his identity or my decision?" She said after setting the teapot to the side, feeling slightly bad at her subordinate's state. After all, there were other ways for him to prove his identity and power that didn't put them on the edge of death. But they had grown increasingly stubborn over the years, with each concession on their side having only further tempered that attitude.

They wouldn't submit unless excessive force was used.

"No Yasaka-sama.."

They mumbled in union, minds still daze from the previous experience. Sweat pouring down their backs at their near miss with death.

Sighing, Yasaka just knew there would be steady questions and therapy bills being sent her way after all this but she didn't regret it.

"Good." Iori standing up to his full height, causing the council members to flinch in unison at the abrupt movement," Come along Junior Shitori, I have many questions."

With an audible gulp, the old man quickly followed behind the aloof man paying extra heed not to accidentally step on the inky-

'Wait a minute,' His mind froze, heart speeding up rapidly,' Where did all this hair come from?!'