Capítulo 1448: Reproach
After refusing Benienma's offer to stay in her premium suite, several times, Vahn eventually managed to convince the 'young' Proprietress to show them to Shirou. She had tried insisting that her guests not be disturbed, but, after asking how long Shirou had checked in for, she 'begrudgingly' led the way.
Though Benienma wouldn't make her guests leave, she couldn't force them to stay longer than they had checked in for. The hard part was 'remembering' how long you had been inside, as, despite only a few hours passing from your perspective, days, weeks, or even months could pass in the outside world. There had even been instances where humans wandered into a Yokai district for what felt like a few days, only to discover decades had passed since they were 'spirited away'.
All the while Benienma was leading the way, Vahn was having a staring contest with the spherical sparrow that was sitting atop her head. It was a curious yokai that seemed to possess an amorphous body, allowing it to freely pivot its 'face' without having to move around. This was enough to creep out Artoria, but, as he 'technically' possessed an amorphous form, Vahn was just stared back at the tiny 'sparrow' with a casual smile on his face...
Following Benienma's lead, the group arrived outside one of the premium suites, which, until they were standing outside, completely blocked even Vahn's perception. Privacy, or, more accurately, isolation, seemed to be one of the key selling points of the Enma-tei. Until the door was opened, it was almost like the interior was in a completely isolated world, a feature Vahn was intending to learn more about when time allowed. For now, he just stared pointedly at Musashi and Shirou, the latter showing an expression of surprise while the former was half-naked, nursing a large gourd of sake in her embrace...
Though he had already seen this scene, Vahn still ran his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath to keep calm before saying, "You know, I promised you wouldn't like it if I was required to 'convince' your group. Should I consider your inability to complete a simple task a declaration of war...?"
Hearing Vahn's words, Shirou's wry smile turned into a serious expression, his face paling slightly as he answered, "It doesn't have to come to that. I expected something like this might happen so I met with most of our group prior to my stay here. Most of us are in agreement...as for the rest, we will try to deal with them on our own."
As he had spent the previous two days gleaning insights into the future, Vahn couldn't simply take Shirou's words at face value. Thus, rather than beat around the bush, he simply asked, "Who is the man with golden hair and the woman protecting him? If I'm not wrong, they should be Jason and the Goddess Chang'e..."
Even without Shirou answering, Vahn knew he had hit the nail on the head based solely on the man's complexion. With this knowledge at his disposal, he raised his hand to silence Shirou, a cold glint in his eyes as he said, "I have already made my decision regarding that man's fate. You needn't concern yourself with him any longer. As for Chang'e...she was never going to be a combatant on your side. I will provide you with a supplemental Heroic Spirit to replace Jason, someone that should be able to pacify that Goddess' wrath."
Vahn didn't know why Chang'e was so fond of Jason, but, if he had to guess, it was solely due to the fact he had tried to court her. She seemed to be the kind of person that dedicated herself wholly to the person that tried to win her favor, albeit with the unfortunate side-effect of isolating them from everyone else. It could have been virtually anyone, and, until Jason was dealt with, she would use all of her power to support him. This would have made him a surprisingly dangerous opponent three years ago, but, at his current level, Vahn was confident in dealing with Jason in an instant.
After hearing Vahn mention 'dealing' with Jason, Musashi's eyes rolled forward, her drunken state rapidly fading away as she stated, "You should leave Jason to us. There is a lot of resentment in our group regarding him, so, as strange as it might seem, dealing with him will be the glue that binds us all together."
While she had been speaking, Musashi casually fixed her disheveled yukata, not minding the fact that Vahn, Artoria, and a silent Benienma were watching. She was many things, but a shy person was not one of them. If she was bothered by such things, she would wear a sarashi to bind her chest and an outfit that covered more skin, rather than a modified kimono that exposed her back and showed off a large portion of her thighs...
In response to Musashi's statement, Vahn met her gaze, a stern look visible in his eyes as he stated, "I don't remember leaving it open for discussion. We have had two negotiations prior to this, both ending in my opinion of your group lowering slightly. I have already decided to deal with this matter, making it a personal affair of the Empire. If you want to bond over something, travel around helping people or try to come up with a scheme to get back at me. Even if Jason is disgusting, he is still your former ally. If you try to unify everyone else against him, you'll be planting the seed of doubt in the minds of your other companions..."
Musashi was annoyed at the first half of Vahn's words, but, hearing the reasoning in the latter half, the words that had been forming on the tip of her tongue ended up being swallowed. Vahn was the type that went at his own pace but, based on his words and actions, he was also the type that put a significant amount of thought into everything he did. He seemed to be in control of everything, even trespassing Yokai territory without any discernible difficulty...
While Musashi still seemed to be at a loss as to how she should respond, Vahn turned his attention to Benienma, causing the petite Yokai to perk up as she asked, "Is there something, Kyaku-sama? If I can be of service, please, leave it to me-dechi...!"
As this was his first time hearing Benienma's verbal tick, Vahn blinked in surprise, a smile spreading across his face as he resisted the urge to pat her head and answered, "Please inform the Master of the mountain we will be along shortly. Also, so you don't end up harming yourself, my official title is Sage Dragon Emperor. You may simply refer to me as Ten'nō-sama."
Since 'identity' was a very important commodity within Yokai society, Benienma's improper method of addressing him could actually be used against her. Considering the presumed status of the other Yokai inside, leaving her uninformed would be unnecessary cruelty, one that could result in her own identity being 'stolen' as a result. The master of the mountain seemed to be strong enough to keep everyone in line, but, seeing how Shirou and Musashi had been ensnared, it was pretty obvious she didn't completely inhibit their mischief.
Hearing Vahn's words, Benienma's eyes became round as saucers, but, more noticeably, the beak on her forehead had opened slightly. This peculiarity piqued Vahn's curiosity, his instincts as a master of the [Hands of Nirvana] compelling him to learn the secrets of a Yokai's body. Now was neither the time nor the place, however, so he just offered a polite smile while waiting for the petite sparrow to recover her senses.
After several long seconds, Benienma seemed to process his words, resulting in her bowing nearly ninety degrees as she exclaimed, "Forgive me, Ten'nō-sama! I have been rude to you-dechi...!!"
Seeing how Benienma reacted, Vahn was tempted to inform her that Artoria was also an Empress, but, as it seemed like she might genuinely collapse, he elected to stop teasing her. Instead, he shook his head slightly, saying, "You needn't worry about such things. Now, please convey my message to your Master. I'm certain she is already expecting us..."
Hearing Vahn's reminder, Benienma showed an exaggerated expression of surprise and, after a series of deep bows, she frantically stammered, "T-t-thank you for your clemency, Ten'nō-sama! Leave it to Benienma-dechi! I will inform Raikou-sama of your arrival this instant-dechi...!!"
After another deep bow, this time exceeding ninety degrees, Benienma quickly spun around on her geta before scampering off down the impossibly long corridor. It took her less than a second before she was no longer in view, leaving nothing but a few scattered feathers to indicate her departure. It was a rather amusing sight, forcing Vahn to restrain a laugh as Artoria muttered, "She is an excitable child, isn't she...?"
Answering Artoria's question, Musashi took it upon herself to explain, "Don't let her appearance fool you. The form Yokai take is used to deceive humans, not represent things like age. Beni-chan might look like an adorable little girl but she is actually around130-300 years old, if I remember correctly?"
Since she had looked toward him for confirmation, Shirou nodded her head, adding, "The tale of the Tongue Cut Sparrow was originally published in 1885, but it was derived from an old wives tale that originated in the early seventeen-hundreds. Like Musashi said, you shouldn't let the appearance of a Yokai fool you. A number end up taking the form of children or young women to exploit the gaps in a person's mentality. This gives them a few weaknesses associated with normal humans, but, if you can't see through their true nature, even damaging a Yokai is difficult...well, that last part probably doesn't apply to either of you."
Due to the nature of Yokai, they were exceptionally weak to things like the Holy Element and Sealing, effectively making Artoria a hard-counter to even the most powerful of their kind. Rather, due to her existence as one of the pillars that supported the Surface world, there weren't many foes that could even hope to damage her. As for Vahn...well, his existence itself was an anomaly, his capabilities hard to even conceptualize, let alone comprehend...
Unaware of what Shirou was thinking, Vahn still had a casual smile on his face as he asked, "Will the two of you be joining us? It doesn't really matter, either way, but your presence could make things go a little smoother. If not, you should patiently wait outside this territory. I'm not weak enough to get ensnared by the tricks of a few Yokai so you shouldn't be kept waiting too long."
Since things quickly became troublesome whenever he had to deal with Yokai, Shirou refused Vahn's offer to attend what he imagined to be an 'eventful' banquet. As for Musashi, she was actually very tempted to join, but, knowing Shirou would be left to wait alone, potentially for hours, it was difficult for her to decide. They were supposed to be on the same side, so, if she abandoned him in order to enjoy a few more drinks, it would be a 'little' difficult to face him later...
Instead of waiting for the duo to make their decision, Vahn lightly shook his head, saying, "If you get stuck in here, that is your own problem." before turning away, Artoria following close behind.
With Vahn's reminder, Shirou and Musashi quickly alighted from the room, choosing to follow him to the entrance. The Enma-tei's interior could become an inescapable maze if you let your mind wander so, while Musashi wouldn't have any trouble escaping, 'remembering' to escape could be an issue if they were left alone. Fortunately, as a Divine and Heroic Spirit, they could easily manifest clothing to replace their yukatas without having to wait for Benienma to return their original attire.*
After exiting through the ryokan's back entrance, a small pavilion that connected to the path leading up the mountain, Vahn gave a curt nod to Musashi and Shirou, saying, "We're going." before linking his arm with Artoria's. This action wasn't missed by Shirou, causing him to observe their departure in silence while Musashi, having made up her mind, eventually said, "I'll follow them. At least one of us should keep an eye on them, especially when they are dealing with the more troublesome members of our group. What will you do...?"
Hearing Musashi's statement, Shirou inhaled through his nose, his expression returning to normal as he answered, "I'll wait outside. You know I can't deal with Raikou, Shuten, and Kiyohime. Besides, my instincts are telling me to stay far away from that banquet..."
Recalling how Raikou had 'persistently' tried to get him to address her as Mother, with a crazed look in her eyes, a shiver passed through Shirou's body. She gave off a more dangerous impression than everyone else in her group, so, while she was actually a very kind and caring person, on the surface, it wasn't a good idea to get involved with her.
With his mind made up, Shirou gave a curt nod toward Musashi before vanishing into thin air, his presence disappearing along with him. This caused Musashi to issue a light chuckle, amused by how quickly he fled. She understood his concerns, as Raikou even scared her a little, but such tension was the 'spice of life'. There were few things as exhilarating as trying to keep your calm while surrounded by some of the most terrifying monsters in Japanese folklore, so, while she anticipated things going south, there was no way Musashi would miss the show.
Without putting further thought into it, Musashi quickly caught up to location of Vahn and Artoria, following a few paces behind them so as not to interrupt the 'rosy atmosphere' that had surrounded them...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Benienma invites you to stay as her guest...forever (◠﹏◠)...','The burden of memories inherited from another...','Musashi, fearless...or foolish?')
*(A/N: Due to the 'etiquette' of a ryokan, guests are encouraged to wear yukatas -informal kimonos- to emphasize the fact they are there to relax.)
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Capítulo 1449: Demon's Banquet (1/?)
After scaling nine sets of 108 stone steps, Vahn, Artoria, and their tagalong, Musashi, reached what appeared to be a large Shinto Shrine Temple. Much of the structure was formed from wood that had been painted in reddish-orange, accented with pale gold, deep blacks, and a variety of vibrant colors to contrast the base white of the walls. As for the floor, it was all highly polished marble, embossed with the image of a serpentine dragon possessing eight heads.
It didn't take a comprehensive understanding of Japanese folklore to understand that the carving depicted the legendary Yamata-no-Orochi. This, combined with the various statues depicting other legendary monsters, made the Temple appear to be a place where monsters were worshipped, or, more accurately, enshrined. Even the murals adorning the walls appeared to depict various fables, strung together similar to a 'Parade of One-Hundred Demons'...
Taking Vahn's silent observation as an opportunity, Musashi, owing to her Japanese origin, decided to speak up, explaining, "This is the 'Friendly Demon Shrine'. Don't let the name fool you though, as, while they may appear to be friendly on the surface, the 'demons' within are more troublesome than anything else."
Hearing Musashi's remark, Vahn issued a light 'mmm' before looking over his shoulder, a deadpan expression his face as he muttered, "An interesting thing to hear from someone who has caused me quite a bit of trouble..."
As she couldn't exactly refute Vahn's words, Musashi's mouth hung open for a few seconds, closing only when the duo began moving forward again. She had wanted to warn him not to underestimate the Oni within, but, seeing how he was acting, Musashi decided to just let him dig his own grave. So long as it didn't turn into a full-blown conflict, she wouldn't mind seeing Vahn suffer a few setbacks, even if it was just wishful thinking on her part.
After entering the Temple proper, Vahn had a small smile on his face as, waiting for them, Benienma and a host of chubby, sparrow-like, yokai were flittering about. Perhaps as a result of her inability to greet them properly last time, Benienma had her hands neatly folded in her lap, sitting in a proper seiza that allowed her to bow steeply toward them as she said, "Welcome, Ten'nō-sama, Kōgō-sama. We are honored by your visit-dechi..."
Hearing Benienma address Artoria as 'Kōgō-sama', Vahn gave an approving nod while, at his side, the person in question, raised her chin somewhat pridefully. She had been a little bothered by the fact that her introduction had been overlooked, but, as she was currently fulfilling her duty as an Imperial Knight, she tried not to let it bother. It was still nice to hear, however, so she couldn't help but adopt a smile of her own, all while Musashi stood silently in the background...
---
Following Benienma's flock of sparrow-yokai, Vahn, Artoria, and Musashi found themselves in a large meditation hall that had been modified to suit a banquet. There, a buxom woman with hazy-purple eyes sat surrounded by three decidedly 'youthful' looking figures. This included a scantily clad Yokai with short purple hair, fair skin that was tinged with a slight purple hue, and two horns protruding from her head, possessing a slightly fleshy quality that transitioned from the color of her skin to dark red.
Much like her scantily-clad counterpart, there was another Yokai sitting close enough to the former that they could touch shoulders if either moved to the left or right. She also had horns protruding from her head, but, instead of possessing a fleshy quality, they seemed to pierce through her scalp, possessing a metallic sheen that transitioned from the color of wrought iron to rust-red. This wasn't her most prominent feature, however, as she possessed intricate tribal tattoos, extending from her blood-red hands to form complex bands around her body. Even this paled in comparison to the fact that the youthful-looking Yokai was attired in a loose yellow kimono, matching the color of her hair.
Due to the Yokai's pale complexion and the way she allowed her kimono to drape off her shoulders, Vahn briefly overlapped the image of a banana with the rather feral-looking woman. This brought a smile to his face, but, as if she had sensed what he was thinking, the yellow-haired girl furrowed her brows slightly while, at the center of her head, a third eye squinted accusingly toward him...
While the horned duo stood out quite a bit, Vahn was more unnerved by the young woman who sat on the left side of the buxom, purple-clad, host. Though he got a 'dangerous' feeling from all four of them, this rather demure-looking woman, possessing light-green hair triggered a very different kind of reaction. She appeared to be nothing more than a delicate maiden at a glance, but, going by the set of ivory-white horns at the side of her head, branching into three distinct points, it was clear she was anything but 'normal'...
Almost immediately after gazing into the woman's glimmering golden eyes, Vahn noticed her pupils contract into thin lines, her smile growing to almost unnatural proportions behind the fan she used to conceal the lower half of her face. This all but confirmed his earlier suspicions, this being that each of the Yokai present before him, excluding Raikou and Benienma, were descended from Dragons...
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the Yokai with short purple hair, her expression affixed in a perpetually seductive grin, mused, "My, my, this is rather unexpected...I had heard you were called the Sage Dragon Emperor, but I never expected someone so...tantalizing to appear..."
Toward the end of her words, the scantily-clad Yokai traced her wine-red tongue across her lips, all while allowing her kimono, which was left open at the front, to slide further down her shoulders. This allowed the functionally naked figure to be seen, covered by little more than a few black bands that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
In response to the woman's blatant attempt at seduction, the banana-like Yokai showed a distressed expression on her face, exclaiming, "You! Don't think I'll let you take Shuten away from me!" with fire blazing around her.
For a brief moment, it appeared as though the yellow-haired Yokai was about to attack, indicated by the fangs of her lower jaw growing to the point they protruded from her mouth. Fortunately, Raikou and Shuten seemed against the idea of a direct engagement, the former adopting a smile that made the temperature in the surroundings drop several degrees while the latter openly stated, "My body is mine to give freely. Though I must admit, the thought of being 'taken' is quite exciting~"
Following Shuten's words, an aromatic fragrance of fruit spread throughout the room, heavy with the scent of alcohol and pheromones. It was to such an extent that Vahn could feel a slight tickle in his nose, but, immediately after feeling his body heat up a bit, his natural resistances filtered out the effects. This caused Shuten to stare mischievously back at him, her own face appearing to be deeply intoxicated, even as Raikou rather unceremoniously smacked the back of her head with an iron fan...
With Shuten nursing a large bump on the back of her head, Raikou adopted an admonishing look as she plainly stated, "I told you two to be on your best behavior. Ibaraki-chan, I'm still thinking about your punishment for damaging the tatami in my room. Do you really want to make things worse...?"
Hearing Raikou's words, Ibaraki paled slightly, something that seemed impossible due to her already fair complexion. At the same time, the flames emanating from behind her back faded away, sizzling out of existence as a cold sweat seemed to cover her body. As for Shuten, she didn't seem bothered by Raikou's threats, giggling drunkenly as she propped herself up, leaning against the table with her elbows on the surface as she alternated between staring at Vahn, Artoria, and Musashi.
As he had seen similar scenes play out in his mind, Vahn wasn't surprised by how everyone at the table was reacting to his presence. He was now in a state where the aura of a True Dragon naturally mixed with his original, the result of his previous evolution. Fortunately, while Shuten and Ibaraki both had dragon's blood flowing through their veins, it seemed to be suppressed in a similar nature to Artoria's.
The real problem was the girl with pale-green hair as, from the time her pupils had contracted, he had been receiving notifications within his mind. At the same time, though it was almost inaudible, he could hear the girl murmuring something along the likes of, 'mine, mine, mine, mine, mine' as if it were a mantra. This, combined with how her aura coiled around him like a serpent, made it clear she was both unhinged, and controlled by her draconic instincts.
Fortunately, at least for the moment, the girl seemed to prioritize appearing as a gentle and demure woman, 'shyly' hiding behind her fan as she periodically stole glances at both him and Artoria. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the latter, but, considering the 'killing intent' that would radiate off of the woman whenever their gazes met, it would be stranger if Artoria hadn't noticed.
Before things could get further out of hand, Vahn, maintaining a calm and confident demeanor, said, "I have come here for one specific reason, to ascertain whether or not you would abide by the terms I had previously set forth. I understand the nature of Yokai makes it difficult for you to easily mesh in a structured group. The Common Law, however, is written so that it doesn't conflict with the nature of most Spirits. It may be marginally more difficult for Heroic Spirits with legends pertaining to great tragedies, but, that is something we can deal with on a case by case basis..."
Immediately following Vahn's words, Shuten rose to a seated position, boldly stating, "I'm not going to fight. I refuse. My nose is pretty sharp so I can tell you aren't an evil person. I'd rather join the side that is trying to create a better world for Spirits than fight against it. Even if I did intend to battle you, it would be in the dead of night, preferably within the confines of your chambers, ufufufu~"
Rather than refute Shuten's words outright, Vahn actually nodded his head slightly, not in affirmation of her words but due to the fact she was, more or less, following the script he had mapped out in his mind. This was one of the benefits of being able to see the Flow of Fate, as, using context clues from the scenes he had witnessed, combined with the information provided by Sis, he could easily control the flow of a conversation.
Before Shuten could take advantage of his 'acquiescence', Vahn interrupted her, stating, "I do intend to make a safe haven for Yokai, but, I'm content enough with the host of amazing women already at my side. If you could convince them to accept you, that would be one thing, but, based on your behavior, I can't see that happening. I'm not going to invite chaotic elements into my home, no matter what form you take."
For the first time since Vahn's arrival, Shuten's smile vanished from her, replaced by a serious yet pouting expression. This caused Ibaraki to glare daggers at him, but, before the fiery-tempered Yokai could lash out, Vahn added, "If you do not wish to fight, you are free to live your lives in peace. I can provide a sanctuary, not just for you, but for all Yokai. You would still be bound by the Common Law, but, so long as you don't kill, maim, or traumatize others, expanding your population and providing you with adequate resources is well within the means of the Empire."
Though Vahn still intended to establish a 'Heroes Faction', he also understood that some of their current members weren't exactly suited to the role of guiding humanity. Shuten's and Ibaraki's true names were undoubtedly Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji, two Oni who had devastated Japan during their respective eras. Shuten was even considered one of Japan's 'Three Great Monsters', so, while he wouldn't kill her for simply doing as her nature dictated, she was simply too dangerous to be left on her own. The pheromone attack from earlier would have been enough to functionally lobotomize a normal human being, so, if she were ever let loose in a crowd, there would be absolute chaos...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Musashi, relegated to a background character...','Hereabouts, there be dragons!','Vahn's about to cripple the Heroes Faction before they even get a chance to act xD...')
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