Karmatic

A New Sun Chapter 37

Chapter 37

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

I wheeze as my hand finally touches the peak of the newly formed mountain.

My body is splayed out, clinging to the rock and fucking snow desperately.

Luckily, I don't feel the chill, despite the blizzard raging around me.

I open my mouth, gasping desperately for air, but barely anything fills my young.

What little does, is pushed out by my lungs, as my chest and stomach are pressed hard against the mountainside.

Fucker added an artificial atmosphere and increased the gravity.

By the end, I had to use my Touki to give me the strength necessary to finish the trek!

And I'm pretty sure if I couldn't regenerate at all, I'd be dead from crushed everything!

All of my hate!

I barely manage to tilt my head up as a light sipping noise overcomes the bellowing icy winds.

There, dear old grandpa on my mother's side sits, floating right above the peak.

Spear held lazily in one hand, beer in the other.

He clicks his tongue.

“Took you longer than expected, didn't it?” He muses aloud, shaking his mostly empty bottle, “Especially once you start losing your ability to breathe, hmm?”

I would love to respond, but all I manage is a ragged hiss.

“Oh. Right.” He taps the end of the spear against my forehead.

Suddenly, the constant suffocating gravity and atmosphere seem to vanish as I float up, level with him.

My mouth devours air in a long, deep, breath, the likes of which even Kirby would be jealous to witness!

“I…Haaahhnn…hate…Hahnnn-! You…!”

I take several, just for really good measure, in between words.

Izanagi merely looks at me, a quaint smirk across his face. “Surely you understand why I put you through that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah…” I huff that sweet sweet air, “my breathing technique gives me pretty much unlimited stamina while I can use it, and on top of that, it improves my healing and physical abilities.”

He nods, content with my answer, his beer bottle long gone, as he scratches his beard, “Yes…good. Without it, you aren't nothing per se, but you are most certainly much worse without it.

“While your mastery of the technique to the point of unconsciously using it is certainly impressive, for training purposes, it's…detrimental, in a sense.” Izanagi adds.

I quirk my eyebrow at that, “How so?”

He chuckles, “To use modern…lingo, as it were, that technique is like a mask over your ‘base form’, not an incorporation to it, as I've shown and I'm sure you've nearly experienced…it can be for all intents and purposes, turned off.”

I tilt my head to the side, truly thinking about the effects my breathing technique has on my body.

Then facepalm as it finally clicks, and Izanagi's smirk grows smug.

“Breathing techniques enhance my strength constantly. When I train, it's not my base muscles that get affected, it's my enhanced ones.” I explained aloud, to which Izanagi nodded, pleased.

To go further in depth as to why that's an issue, it's because of the enhancement itself affecting the efficiency of the training.

The idea is, that as you are weaker, you get a tougher workout, grind harder than you could in a stronger state, and get more gains.

Then the gains applied to your unenhanced base make the transformation, or in my case enhanced state, stronger, than if you trained in said enhanced state.

Luckily for me, I haven't been focusing on my physical strength and body all that much, instead abusing the infinite stamina from breathing to quickly speed through my swordsmanship forms.

It actually would be pretty good endurance training for my body, going through the Sun Breathing forms without using the proper breathing methods, something those from Demon Slayer simply can't do as they are closer to normal humans.

Holding that thought for another time, I look at Izanagi once again, “While that's a nice epiphany, physical training?” I ask, bemused, “I thought you were going to teach me Kami stuff?”

He snorts at that, “For you, it is.”

I blink at that.

He sighs, elaborating, “As Arahitogami, you are a Living God. The important word there is living. In a sense, you are your own God, enshrined in your own human body.

“Your Shrine is, for all intents and purposes, your human body. That comes with all the advantages and disadvantages of being human, along with…other benefits we'll talk about later.” He waves the topic off.

I frown, “No no, go back. Disadvantages? Like what?”

He sighs, “As a human being, you possess a human mind, a human brain…which means mental magics or powers still affect you. Stuff like that boy, you can figure out the rest for yourself.”

Ah. Like the Shinigami’s suicide aura, huh?

Yeah, alright. I see what he means.

Though I'm also kind of curious about those ‘other benefits’ he was talking about.

“Now, before you continue to ask more pesky questions,” my eyebrow twitches as he suddenly continues, “you have a mountain to climb down.”

I click my tongue and move to turn around, only for Izanagi to chuckle at me.

I turn back, eyebrow raised.

He points his spear up, “I didn't say back, now did I?”

I look up, only to behold a whole other upside-down mountain.

However, it didn't remain upside down for long, as gravity reasserted itself abruptly, causing me to flip over and flop into another snow-capped mountaintop.

Yay.

I pull myself from the snow and glare up at the primordial creator god who seems to be having far too much fun with this.

“Descend the mountain,” he commands with a smirk and wave of his spear, “although, be sure not to fall off...or you'll start over, right from the peak.”

My glare intensifies, “I hate you.”

He snorts, “I care little, boy, you'll be grateful in time, and at present? I haven't had so much fun in a long time.”

“Oh really?” I snark, standing up, “Couldn't tell.” I huff, before putting a hand to my chest, and actively forcing my breathing rhythm to change.

It feels…very wrong, to be honest.

Having gotten used to breathing to the limits my lungs could take, normal breathing almost makes me feel short of breath.

Almost. I can live with this.

With that out of the way, I start walking forward–

The side of the ice-capped mountain cracks, breaks, and falls off. Dragging me down with it like I was in some sort of Oversimplified video comedy sketch.

“Bhahahaha!!”

Even Izanagi's fucking laughter sounds like his!!

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

That mountain was fucking cursed.

Not literally, mind, but it may as well have been.

Spots where gravity got wack, parkour courses galore, and fucking puzzles.

I actively stopped myself from using Touki, my mark, and any ability enhancers whatsoever this time.

Needless to say, I couldn't do it. There was this one part, where gravity reversed three times, and I couldn't make the long jump across a gorge in the middle.

Gravity was simply too strong.

So I kept throwing myself at it, until Izanagi came down, saw me barely held together, and dragged me out of the mountain.

Apparently, we're giving my body a chance to rest before going back to the mountains.

I'm going to have to climb the first one, but honestly, I'm okay with that.

For now.

My body's loving it, my patience, not so much.

Fucking…puzzles.

What am I living in now, a Bethesda sandbox?

“We are here.” Izanagi suddenly started, drawing me from my internal whining musing.

I blink, looking around to see an almost perfect replica of the Shinkai.

Forest and foliage of bright, vivid color, spreads out as far as the eyes can see under a pure glistening white sky.

Izanagi taps the ground, causing mats to appear, he sits in one, and waves for me to sit in the one across from him.

I do so, plopping my tired body down on the comforting cushion.

“When your body has been properly worked, and resting, only then shall we work on one aspect of your spirit.” He began, his eyes glowing eerily, “The Divine part.”

A pristine, perfect, pure white slowly hums around Izanagi to enunciate his words.

At first, I thought he was drawing upon light powers at first, it was so bloody bright, it took a moment for me to realize what it truly is.

“Life…” I slowly gasped out.

Specifically, his Holy Spirit Power. It's all suffused with life.

The aura clung to his body, flowing around him like water, even moving his hair slightly as he nodded.

“Yes, good…I see you recognize Holy Spirit Power then?” I nod back at him, half dazed still by the sheer purity of life in my eyes and senses, “Tell me what you know of it if anything.”

It admittedly takes a moment to focus enough to pull on the memory of what Inari told me back then…

Feels like months since then, but it only has been a single one, give or take a week or two.

Damn.

Do I need a vacation already?

Putting that aside, I recall Inari's explanation about Holy Spirit Power, and to Izanagi's slight shock, Musubi.

Quick refresh I run through; Kami are manifestations of Musubi, the interconnected energy of the universe, which grants us our Holy Spirit Powers, to govern and hold authority over natural laws and phenomena within certain domains.

Izanagi grumbled as I finished, “That's a very good base to start with, Inari told you all that?”

I nod, and he hums with approval, “Then, building off that. Beyond what we specialize in, all Kami or Gods can do a list of basic things with their powers. I will give you a short list of said abilities, ready?”

I nod, “Hit me.”

My stare gets blanker, and blanker, as he goes on.

Causality Manipulation. Probability Manipulation.

Dimension Creation.

Power Bestowal, or blessings, technically.

Power Creation. I recall Uzume mentioning this as something my mother was tinkering with.

On the flip side, Power Negation.

Divinity Bestowl, Artifact Creation, Instant Win Pow–

“Wait. Hol’ up.” I hold up my hand, he raises an eyebrow at my interruption, “Instant Win Power…?” I parrot back, completely taken aback.

He snorts, “Of course. Any God should win instantly against any mortal. If they don't, then they don't deserve the power vested in them by creation.”

I had to hold back immediately countering that entire statement with just…

Loki.

I also had to hold back a snicker at that thought in its entirety.

Though now that I got his attention, “Also,” I add on, before exclaiming, “basic!?”

Izanagi chuckles, “I may have exaggerated the term there, I suppose. Though granting minor powers or blessings are truly very simple to grant, for even the most fledgling divine.”

I sigh at that, “Okay, is there anything divine beings can't do?”

Izanagi’s gaze suddenly sharpens, “Plenty, boy…for instance, a fire god can't create or manipulate the seas. We are beings of great power, but we aren't all-powerful.

Of course, Gods can be clever, using their holy powers to cause a knock-on effect to ‘manipulate’ other domains.”

“Like a sea god, manipulating groundwater to create localized earthquakes?” I try to give an example.

“Precisely!” Izanagi affirms, “Some gods possess wider reaching powers, such as magic gods, but not even their reach is all-encompassing.”

“So, what about Gods of the Universe then?” I ask with a slight frown.

“Ah, like Ama, or Indra…” he muses whilst scratching his beard, “No, not even they control all. They certainly hold sway over small things, minor acts of creation, as I'm sure you've inherited that much.

“But in our case, Goddess of the Universe does not mean Goddess of Musubi. Her connection is deeper than most, and it shows most prominently within the vastness of Holy Spirit Power she possesses.”

He looks at me curiously, “Something I'm curious you didn't also inherit, truth be told.”

I shrug off that last statement, and press forward with a new thought, “So… to hold control over everything, you need to be able to manipulate Musubi directly?”

Izanagi nods to that, “In our Pantheon, yes. I do not know what the conditions are in others to achieve a similar feat, although I do know one who has achieved it. I'm sure you know of Him as well, that jealous god.” Izanagi states with a spiteful hiss.

Dear old Grandpa really doesn't like the Angel Daddy, huh?

“But enough of this, too much of the more advanced stuff too soon.” Izanagi promptly waves it all off, “We start with the basics. Holy Spirit Power Manipulation, into basic blessings. Sounds good?”

I nod, excitedly, “Yeah, let's get to it!”

“Good, so. You may have already noticed, but Holy Spirit Power much prefers a channel, a medium if you will. Unlike the Greeks, throwing around power willy-nilly won't serve you…”

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

As it turns out, the process of blessing someone isn't all that complicated.

It's pretty much the far less sexual, far more boring version of how I gave Kuroka chakra, except instead of trying to give someone that, it's focused more along the line of giving people a passive effect based on my powers.

Izanagi recommended something simple, like granting resistance against the sun's rays, basically a sort of divine SPF sunscreen.

He has me training this by passing my Holy Spirit Power through a pebble.

Now. How would one tell if a blessing affects a pebble, of all things?

Well, first, it starts with the pebble not exploding.

Izanagi helpfully pointed out that would be what happens if I failed to bless a person as well.

Thanks, Grandpa. Proving exactly why I didn't test that shit on Kuroka.

In any case, it didn't take long for me to get the very minor blessing to stick, upon which, I moved up to bigger rocks…and repeated the same stuff I did to the pebbles.

Repeat and repeat, move up to bigger rocks, like boulders, and repeat.

Then, start all over with pebbles, but instead of a minor blessing, a more mild one.

It went on like that until I was drained of my divine powers.

Izanagi was right when he said blessings aren't too difficult, with the step up between blessing tiers as they were only having a modicum increase in difficulty.

Supposedly, that was only the start, though he clarified that we probably wouldn't have time to go over the insane shit like manipulating probability and causality within the couple of months we had.

Though, artifact creation should be on the table, maybe.

We'll see.

For now though.

I open one eye and stare at the Creator God as he sips obnoxiously loudly from a beer bottle.

“You know,” I begin, gritting my teeth, “It's annoying enough trying to gather Ki with you constantly pulling the life force away from me. I don't need that as well.”

Aptly, Izanagi continued sipping. Louder.

I simply sighed and got back to meditating.

Once I drained my divine powers, this is what he's been having me do next.

Sit on a nearby hill in the middle of the Shinkai imitation forest, and focus on my human spiritual side, ki, or senjutsu.

But of course, with a twist.

“You were much too coddled back in Kyoto, you know.” Izanagi mused, a strand of ki pulling away, just out of my grasp as I tried to take it with my own.

My brow furrowed as he continued, “Ley Lines, brimming with natural life force, all focused on that one city. It's the perfect place to cultivate power in the art, but not so much control.”

Another strand dodges and weaves around my senses, just out of reach.

I click my tongue.

“Something you sorely require, considering the boons the arts offer you.” He continued, almost chidingly, “As someone with some authority over life, you should possess a natural talent for the art, boy.”

“Not as much as the cats, old man.” I respond on instinct, lightly, as I focus more so on a small wisp of ki getting suspiciously close.

“The Nekomata and the Nekoshou? Bha!” He huffs, “They cheat with their innate connection, they don't count.”

I chuckle at that with a wry smirk, “Says the literal Shinto Creation God.”

“That's also differe-”

I snap the wisp of ki up all of a sudden like a viper scooping up and consuming its prey in one gulp.

Izanagi halts speaking a second, before chuckling to himself, “Cheeky brat.”

“Slow old man.” I respond in kind.

I don't even flinch when the side of the spear bats me over the head.

Kuroka…wasn't that great of a teacher, but one thing she was good for was helping build resistance to a physical stimulus when meditating.

So I continue smiling along as Izanagi grunts in dissatisfaction, seeing me completely unaffected.

“Where was I…before the cats…ah, right. Senjutsu.” He continues, gruffly, “One of its lesser-known abilities enables it to increase the luck of its users by simply cycling their ki throughout their bodies in a certain way.”

My senses pulse, and I try to grab onto another tendril of Ki.

Just as I latch onto it, it slips straight through my grip like a little snake.

“Of course, it's not true probability manipulation,” Izanagi continues with a smug hum, “it's more so the poor man's version. But a little good luck can never not be helpful, no?”

“The other stuff also helps.” I muse aloud, “Like aura blasts, striking the internal body and soul, things like that.”

“Don't forget the more subtle arts,” Izanagi chides lightly, “Senjutsu can also be used to affect the mind and abilities, and take control of nature itself.”

“Don't think turning trees into minions is very subtle, old man.” I add on.

“...Fair enough.” He concedes with a grunt, “The point is, Senjutsu has a wide array of uses purely by itself. All of which I expect you to take full advantage of, understand?”

“I know, I know…I wasn't planning on not doing so,” I state, “it's just going to take some time to incorporate everything into one cohesive fighting style.”

He hums in thought to that, “That is something we shall be focusing on as well after some time has passed.”

Eh?

“How are we going to do that?” I ask tentatively.

“Do not worry about it for now,” he waves me off, “focus, you have ki to grab and cultivate.”

Well, I won't argue with that I guess.

It's probably going to be rather crazy, considering the fucking puzzle mountains.

No, I will never get over that!

A ki wisp slaps me in the face and I lose focus for a second.

Izanagi merely chortles behind me.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Two weeks, seven days a week passed purely like that.

As it turns out when neither the mentor nor the student needs food or sleep, the student can regenerate, and the mentor is an absolute hardass, the work does not stop.

When my physical body was sufficiently trained, we'd move on to my Holy Spirit Power.

When my divine powers gave out, we moved on to the raw spiritual.

Rinse and repeat in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

And it wasn't like it got boring, either. Izanagi, when properly motivated, switched things up on the regular to make everything more interesting.

Whether that be changing the courses, and puzzles, adding a fucking maze in the mountain sections, or switching the targets of my attempted blessings to facsimiles of very frightened pigeons, he came up with something new after a while that kept me hooked.

As if he ultimately needed to do any of that, though. I could tell that stuff was mostly for his amusement, what I was focused on was results.

It's only been two weeks, and yet, I can feel the difference it's made.

Today is different, a rest day, Izanagi called it.

I'd press X to doubt, but I don't have a game console here, unfortunately.

So instead, I walked out into Kuni’s planes, to get a feel for where my strength now sat at.

After going out a good distance from ‘camp’, I drew my broken sword.

Clenching the hilt within my grip, I focused, pouring Holy Spirit Power into the blade, and shaping it along its edge, and past the broken bit.

The blade, what bit remained attached to the hilt, glowed with a humming crimson red, encased by a golden honey glow that stretched out, becoming a phantom overlay, imitating the old shape of the sword.

It's a bandaid fix, but one that will have to do. Hell, it's not even a perfect bandaid placement.

I can see wisps of golden aura flake off here and there, the phantom edge isn't entirely solid yet either, it leaves ghastly trails as I move it around or swing it lightly.

Definitely cool looking, but not at all effective in a fight where the ghostly remnant of the blade would simply pop like a water balloon.

Still though, nice first shot, it'll have to do for now.

I take my stance, phantom sword held out.

For the first time in the past two weeks, I put my breathing techniques back into place, swelling my lungs with that sweet oxygen, letting my blood and muscles feast.

My chest and face burn as my mark activates, dark golden aura bubbles and bursts off my form, before coalescing around me.

I take a step, and rocket off into the distance, with a single sword stroke.

Dance.

The ground shatters beneath and around me as I move, and a trench appears where I bring my blade down into the ground.

I turn to see the path of my movement, carved into the ground for Heaven knows how long behind me, then turn back to look at the trench extending out before me, and deep into the ground.

I blink slowly in realization.

I just broke into Ultimate Class. I think. Probably.

My unenhanced base state has been feeling closer to within the realm my maximum was lately, so that should be the case.

Well, without Ara-Mitama, but that's more or less a berserker state, I don't count that as being wholly me. Yet.

Definitely going to need to compare with Kuroka when all this is done. She described herself as ‘pretty far up there in ultimate class with three tails now, nyah~!’ after all.

…I miss my cat. Cats. Plural, now.

“All warmed up I see.”

“HNN!?” I damn near jump, whirling around to find Izanagi floating there, an eyebrow raised at my reaction, “Fucking…Damn it, old man. I was thinking about stuff!”

He does not look amused, “You can do that, later…today's the day we assimilate everything you've gained into your repertoire.”

My eyebrow twitches, “I thought you said today was for rest.”

“Technically, it is.” He holds his spear out, “All you need to do is fight me. Worry not. I won't strike back, merely defend. Your job is simply to get used to what you now have. Easy, yes?”

I stare at him for a little while longer before sighing, “I guess…especially since I don't have exactly anything combat ready to add quite yet.”

“Precisely.” He taps the spear to the ground, the trench, the destruction I carved into the ground via my high-speed movement earlier fills and flattens out.

“Then whenever you are ready.” He floats there ready, with his spear held out.

My grip on my blade tightens as I slide back into my fighting stance, “Not even gonna fight back a little bit, old man?”

He snorts, “Knocking you out every microsecond wouldn't help, would it? Beyond shutting that mouth of yours up for a second, I suppose.”

Hmm. An idea occurs.

“My mouth? Okay, old man. How about several?” I ask with a grin.

“Several? What are you–”

I cut him off by showing him, smoothly transitioning my grip on the hilt into the hand sign I need.

Smoke explodes out around me, and as it clears, revealing half a dozen other mes standing there with the same stupid grin, and same glowing swords, Izanagi floats there, goggling at me.

“Avatars? No…these feel too real to be constructs, so then this is…” Izanagi trails off, before smirking, “Cloning, then? Most interesting…come on then.”

“En garde!” I and all my selves roar out as one, before jumping the old man, glowing swords swinging.

Okay, that sounded pretty bad, but the old man is a primordial creator god with a spear that can manipulate reality, so it's fine!

Granted, it's not like I was doing this just to JJK jump the annoying old man, this has a larger purpose.

For a while now, I've been meaning to complete my swordsmanship, but couldn't because stuff kept getting in the way, or I had to focus on other things first.

But now, not only do I have the time, but I have something better than air to practice on, I've got a practice dummy who will let me swing on him.

And can keep up the entire time, even against seven of me, for as long as need be.

Izanagi blocked a few of the blades with the long shaft of his spear, and easily glided around the rest.

He'd twist his body one way to somehow dodge several swings at once in the chaotic dance of swords, in a way, he's doing his dance.

His was a very rigid, efficient, style of movement. It sacrificed form over sheer practicality. It lacked grace, yet somehow, that made it graceful in its way?

Heh. Look at me judging fighting styles. If it works, it works.

His certainly did.

There was a twist this time, or at least nothing I'd truly call a twist.

Instead, in the middle of the mosh pit of swords, the god holding a spear would start critiquing us.

“Straighten out your foot, loose footwork is a loose stroke!” He calls out to a clone after easily passing them by.

“Arms tucked in! Your blade is already long enough, you do not need to make your swing wider.” He hisses to another as he blocks their swing.

“Unnecessary movement there. There's no need to shift your feet like that, keep them firm!” He calls, here and there, again and again.

Honestly. He sounds like a restaurant critic on Yelp.

I'd also be lying if I said this wasn't my favorite part of all this training so far, though.

With my breathing techniques back up, I can pretty much go forever, so…

I wonder what this old man will have to say about all the other forms I remade?

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Hour after hour passes, as Susanoo sits on his throne.

Yet, that feeling in his gut, that trepidation stirring in his stomach remains, and continues to grow stronger.

This phantom pain, this sinking dread…

He shut down all exits and entrances to Yomi a while ago.

Yet the feeling didn't leave.

But it's fine. Everything is completely, and utterly fine.

Everything will be worth it.

Even when Ama eventually comes down to have words with him over all this, he's got a plan for her too.

He's dealt with her before, he can do it again.

His foot taps the ground restlessly, echoing like the ceaseless falling of rain.

His hand flexs, back and forth, gripping a phantom blade.

He stares, glaring at the spot where he sent his Nephew away.

It's almost like he's asking for something to happen.

Yet, when it does, he can only be stunned silent, the pit in his stomach dropping.

At exactly four hours after he sent his nephew away, a column of pure white explodes into existence, right in the middle of the throne room.

He recognizes the Holy Spirit Power almost immediately.

Father.

But it isn't him who walks out from the pillar of light, instead, it's…

“Nephew…” Susanoo murmurs, eyes widening as his all too smug Nephew smirks at him.

He's stronger now.

Several times stronger now.

What.

“Met your Dad,” his nephew starts, eyes swirling into Tomoe, “he said you're a whiny little bitch who needed to be spanked more as a child.”

What.

Then there was smoke, a massive explosion of it bursting out from all around him as the pillar subsided.

As it cleared, there stood several of his nephew.

At least a dozen.

Fucking clones. His divine senses, from just a cursory glance, couldn't see which one was fake, and which was real.

Not like they gave him the chance to look much.

“Every man for himself!!”

They all screamed at once, before scattering.

He rose, lightning coiling his form as his eyes blazed, his arm swung out, and at its peak, his blade appeared.

Ama-no-Habakiri appeared, and the throne room blazed with rolling thunder, covering the walls, floor, ceiling, everything.

The mostly empty throne room that is, save for himself.

Wait.

He was too slow…?

No. His nephew had gotten faster. Far faster than he was before.

How?

Susanoo snarled, dark taint dripping from his blade like a poison, as the palace creaked at the storm brewing outside.

“FATHER!!” He roared, “WHAT KIND OF GAME ARE YOU PLAYING!?!”

Why!? He never cared! So why!?

Lightning flashed outside, the palace began to actively sway under the force of the raging storm outside.

Fuck it.

No more waiting around.

After he drags the last of Kagustuchi from that boy's cooling corpse, he'll beat his nephew into the dirt, then go down to Kuni and do the same to him.

But…then Mother will…

No. He steels his will. She'll see his reasons, all will be well.

He'll make it well, with his own two hands.

Unlike his Father before him, he won't cower from doing what needs to be done!

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 37


Hmm, Patreon is still a little wacky, tho luckily there's no pictures this chapter, lol.

Anyway, pure unadulterated chaos next chapter,  as befitting of Susan. Nori is now very ready to punch him the face, and not get no selled into another dimension, lol.

A New Sun Chapter 36

Chapter 36

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

A pure white sky, flowing, twisting, and churning like an endlessly spanning ocean greets me as I open my eyes.

I greet it by deadpanning at it all, before holding up my broken blade and beholding it.

I have merely one word.

“Fuck.”

That's an apt way of describing everything going on.

I sigh and sprawl out across the ground, staring up at the clear milky-white sky.

Well. That was certainly…something.

Definitely didn't expect my conversation with Susanoo to be so emotional.

The guy certainly isn't a mindless berserker, he's just entirely ruled by his emotions.

And I…kind of got caught up there myself, didn't I?

As cheesy as it is, love will never not make someone do the stupidest of shit.

Doesn't change the fact that I will stab him when I get out of here.

I slowly sat up, rubbing the spot where my dear Uncle had stabbed me to bring me here, it had healed during the fall here.

Need to pay him back for that. Somehow.

But for now? I need to find out where exactly I am.

And looking around…there isn't much to go off of.

The ground here, as far as the eye can see, is plains. Short grass plains roll off into the distance, in every direction I look.

It's kind of got an eerie type of beauty to it. There are no trees, no flowers, no rivers or lakes, just grassland ad infinitum.

It almost feels unfinished, in a way.

And this feeling…

I hop onto my feet and take a nice, deep breath.

My entire body shivers, but not in a bad way, no.

The air here, it's pure, and especially not like the air back on Earth, it's got a twinge of something else in it.

Something opposite of the taint from Yomi.

I opened my senses, the senses I had closed off in Yomi, and almost immediately regretted it as I was promptly flash-banged by the sheer breadth of power very similar to my own.

Life. The pure, bright, vibrant energy of living infuses this place like water to an over-drenched towel.

My first thought?

Whoa. This would be a great place to train Senjutsu.

My second thought was to promptly slap myself for the first.

Suppressing the urge to train very badly right here, right now, I take another sweeping look around.

It's odd. Despite the sheer amount of life energy suffusing this place, there isn't anything showing it.

I blink, idly, as my senses pick up something different in the air that I recognize.

With a grimace, I take the few steps required to find it, sitting in the grass.

The rest of the blade of my sword was still dyed a slight crimson red like the minimal amount still attached to the hilt.

Gingerly, I pick up the sharp slab of slightly curved metal and slide it down into my sword sheath, placing the hilt right on top.

When I get out of here, I'll have to find someone to fix it, though I'm not even sure where to begin looking on that front.

Maybe Uzume knows a blacksmith Kami?

Shaking my head of those thoughts, consigning them to later, I expand my senses once again.

Unlike normal, where I usually have a very limited sensing range, due to the pureness of this place and the sheer amount of life force flowing through it, my senses carry easily across the land.

Far, far across the land.

For a second, I almost stop, thinking this place may be simply endless, and that there's nothing here after all.

But then I recall the last few words Susan spoke to me.

‘Say hi to him for me, Nephew.’

Him, huh? So there is someone else here.

So, I don't stop looking. I let my senses continue to spread out, until eventually…they stop.

This place, this realm, is finite.

And near the border of this realm, sat the strongest power I've ever felt before.

Stronger than Inari. Stronger than Susanoo.

I could feel this being’s Holy Spirit Power through my senses as a near physical weight or pressure.

So vast was it, even at ease, that the life energies around it bent and cycled around it as if it had gravity.

I'm almost sure this being knows I'm here already, there's no way they haven't.

Yet they don't seem to particularly care. I think.

Regardless, they are pretty much my only shot at getting out of here quickly, so…

I suppose I'll do as my uncle asked, and go say hi, and hope I don't get stabbed again for it.

Granted, he said he didn't want to kill me, so I doubt he'd stuff me in a realm with a malevolent being so vastly stronger than him.

With that slight hope in mind, I start walking, before shifting into a sprint, and then leaping into the air and taking flight.

This realm, although it isn't infinite, is still pretty damn large.

If I want to make good time, I need to go zoom right from the start.

I don't hesitate. As soon as I hit the air, I immediately rocket off.

There is no time to waste, especially now.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

The land never changed as I flew over it.

Endless grasslands, spread out like waves, continuing onwards, forever and ever.

It was almost enough to freak me out since it felt like I wasn't going anywhere.

So what I couldn't do with my eyes, I did with my other senses, my sixth sense, keeping a lock on that power, using it like a beacon.

In that sense, I can tell I was getting closer.

Until, eventually…

Ah.

When approaching the resting spot of a being stronger than Chief Gods, what does one usually suspect?

Maybe, a grand arena, or a temple, fit for some final boss shit, spiraling up into the sky.

Or any building in general. Maybe a workshop of some kind, or a really big tree, something at all!

Instead, I float in the sky, looking down incredulously at what can only be described as a trash pile sitting on a cliffside.

Right next to said trash pile, is a figure, the source of what I'm sensing, that power.

It's a man, who looks vaguely like Susanoo, clad in a dark blue robe, but with longer black hair and a bushier beard.

He's ripped to hell and back, I'll give him that much, but beyond that?

He's laying in a beach chair, drinking a…is that an Asahi Super Dry bear?

The fuck did I just fly over too?

The man takes another swig of his bear, emptying the bottle in the process.

Without another care, he throws the bottle over the cliffside and into…into…

I tilt my head, as a chill cascades down my spine.

Dark. Cold. More like jelly than water, but resembling the liquid of life more than the former, the bottle falls into this substance, this ocean, stretching out beyond the land, and dissolves.

It was like it was thrown into a woodchipper made of acid, with how quickly it just vanished into non-existence.

“Fascinating, isn't it?” The man suddenly called out, his tone rough, commanding, yet soft, my attention snapped down to him. “Primeval Chaos…it can unmake, just as easily as it can make.” He states with an amused chuckle.

Primeval Chaos? That would explain some things, certainly.

Like how I get the feeling touching it, or even staring into it for too long would be detrimental to the whole living thing.

Slowly, the man got out of his beach chair, and stretched, giving a light groan, before walking over to the trash pile.

“I don't usually get visitors, and no one is supposed to even know I'm here. I'm on…vacation, in a sense.” The man continues speaking, whilst reaching into the trash pile.

Before pulling out a spear.

Well, I call it a spear, but it's truly more like a naginata.

A golden naginata, decorated with jewels from the bottom of the shaft to the blade.

The tip of which, I'm not even surprised I suddenly found, pointed at my throat, the man suddenly standing on the air right in front of me.

The man…doesn't have pupils or any iris. Instead, his eyes are seas of white, just like the sky of this place.

I think I know who Susanoo was trying to copy now, with his blazing, empty eyes.

His dear old Dad.

“So…boy. You sought me out fairly quickly…which begs the question. What are you doing here?” He demands, slowly.

I, in all of my wisdom, answer with one word I'm sure will let him understand everything going on, if this guy is who I think he is.

“Susanoo.” I answer plainly, deadpanning straight back at him.

The man's eyes narrow.

Then he snorts and removes the spear point.

“Of course. Why am I even surprised?” Slowly, he floats back down to the ground, depositing the spear right back into the pile, “He sends all this shit here like it's his garbage disposal, it was only in time he'd send people here as well, I suppose.”

I rub my neck and sigh, as he pulls out another beach chair and lays it out.

“Well, boy? Come, take a seat. Tell me what my brat of a son is throwing a tantrum over this time.” He pats the chair, before laying back down on his own.

Alright then. No reason to not. I guess.

I float down and flop onto the chair with a light groan.

“Shouldn't I introduce myself first?” I ask, bemused.

“No.” Izanagi denied with a light scuff, “I know who you are. And I care little. I asked for something else, so…get on with it.”

I feel my eyebrow twitch a little at that.

Well. It was inevitable, I guess. One of my grandparents was going to be kind of a dick, huh?

The lucky streak finally ran out.

Oh well.

I deadpan up the sky, “Alright. Fine. So, in essence, Susan–”

Izanagi snorted at that, and muttered, amused, “Susan…should've thought of that one myself back then.”

“...is still bent over Kagustuchi killing Izanami. So, he tricked the wielder of Canis Lykaon into Yomi and is trying to get him to essentially kill himself, so he can get at your old sword...which still holds remnants of the old Fire God's power.” I explained, plainly.

Izanagi took a moment to digest that, rubbing his beard, before clicking his tongue in distaste, “So…I assume you tried stopping him and got kicked here as a result, hmm?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” I confirm, before continuing, “He told me to tell you hi, by the way.”

Suddenly, Izanagi froze.

“Did he…now.” He started, slowly.

“Mhmm.” I hum, “Guess your super secret vacation spot isn't all so secret after all?” I muse aloud.

“...No. No, I suppose it isn't.” Izanagi agreed quietly.

“He said he'd come get me once this is all over, but I don't suppose you would be able to send me back early?” I ask tentatively.

“I could.” He confirms, “But I won't.” He huffs out.

I sat up, “Why not?”

“Because what good would it do? When you appear right back before my son once more? As you are still right now?” He questions, scathingly, “Nothing would change. My son might be an overly emotional moron at the best of times, but he is still my son. He is strong.

“You? You are not.” He finishes matter of factly, a beer suddenly appears in his hand.

“Hey now, I've only been at this a few months at most!” I defend, vehemently, “I've been a powerless human most of my life, so for the record, with the hand I've been dealt…well it may not be perfect, but I like to think I've done pretty well so far.”

Izanagi blinks mid-motion to take a drink, “A…few months? Powerless? What…” he turns to look at me, white irisless eyes seemingly looking through me, “You…tell the truth? Honestly, I thought you were merely the weakest Arahitogami in history…”

I deadpan straight back at him, “Wow. Thanks, Grandpa.”

He frowns lightly, “Don't back-sass me, boy.”

“Don't insult me straight to my face, old man.” I fire back.

Now his eyebrow twitches, “You…certainly are like my daughter in some ways, I see. Did you get that from her?”

I shrug nonchalantly, “Not entirely sure what you mean, but I never met her before, truth be told.”

He simply stares at me.

Then continues staring at me, before slowly setting down his bear.

“Explain.” His voice rumbles with the command.

No. Wait. That was the entire realm.

And so, quickly, I regurgitate my tragic backstory.

Not like there was much to it, but watching as Izanagi listened silently, his eyes continuously narrowed as I told him what's been going on, with my being made, Uzume's whole…thing, my mother never leaving Heaven, the works.

When I finished, Izanagi took a deep breath through his nose.

“I had thought I raised her better than this.” He started, disappointment clear in his voice, “Letting grief over a mortal man consume her, being so daft to not see the true pain of her servants, leaving said servant to squander the potential of an Arahitogami.”

He shakes his head, “For shame, for shame.”

He looks upon me, silently appraising me, stroking his beard before speaking up once more.

“Who taught you, then, if not the bed warmer.” He asked, curious.

“No one.” I answered honestly.

Izanagi looked like he was about to have an aneurysm, with his eye starting to rapidly twitch, “You're…joking.” He sounded desperate like he wanted me to confirm that as such.

“Nope.” But I shot him down, and he groaned in pain, “I'm entirely self-taught, all-natural talent here.”

Izanagi took his bear back up and downed the entire bottle in one very long drink.

He tossed the empty bottle straight into chaos, and sighed, “It's a wonder that the Celestial Bureaucracy haven't taken advantage of our obvious weakness, and struck us down yet…or anyone, truth be told.”

“Peace tends to have the effect of making people not want to go back to killing each other.” I add.

Izanagi waves me off, “All peace is temporary, boy. That's why it's called peace…it's always a period, a state of being. But states change. Sentences come after periods.

“When people want to kill each other again, they will…and it's clear to me that my old home would be the first to fall, should that time come.” He finishes solemnly.

He shakes his head, before eyeing me intently…I think, anyhow, “I don't think you understand quite how disappointed I am.” He intones, “Don't worry, I understand that if your training was non-existent, so too likely was your education.”

Can't even say he's wrong there. Most I got in that regard was from Inari, kind of.

“Allow me to fill you in…put simply, the last time an Arahitogami walked the Earth, he carved a chunk out of it for us.” Izanagi stated, “He became an Emperor before the title was named such. He fought other Kami and gods and won on the regular, forging the Kingdom on Earth in the chaos of those times.

“Before that jealous god made his own, and far stronger than the half men, half gods of the west at the time. He was the ultimate weapon.”

“I am no weapon.” I refute him on instinct.

Izanagi smiled, wide, “No. You aren't. Not yet.”

“...what is that supposed to mean?” I raised an eyebrow.

“You are like a blank canvas. A slab of metal. Just a seed. But that can change. I am very apt at Creating things from nothing, so it turns out…but what if I had something to work with first?” He asks, excitement mounting in his voice.

My mouth opens and closes several times before I finally manage something out.

“Are…you saying you want to train me?” I ask, completely floored.

“In a sense.” He somewhat confirms, “Usually, I would be against fixing my children's mistakes for them, but this is too big to simply ignore…also, I don't have much else to do here.” He chuckles, “This realm of mine…my last creation, I've been stuck with a sort of artist block regarding it for a very long time…” he trails off wistfully.

Huh. Okay. The more you know.

Now, thinking for a minute, the idea of Izanagi, the Creator God of my entire fucking pantheon, training me personally?

Not going to lie, I don't see much reason to refuse.

Maybe that's just the training maniac in me, that wants to grow stronger, and fight stronger guys, but like, shit!

I made it this far without a teacher, and I can't think of a much better teacher than him, besides maybe the one sword Kami or my mother, maybe.

True. I don't much like the way he referred to me as a weapon to be molded.

It makes me feel a little uneasy, and looking back, isn't this exactly what Uzume said my mother was worried about?

Fortunately, I'm not a baby with a freshly minted mind to be swayed this way and that, so I don't think I'll become a mindless drone so easily.

No, I'm confident in that much, at least.

The real problem is…

“I don't think I have the time,” I spoke back up, drawing an eyebrow raise from the deity, “Tobio, the Longinus wielder, I don't think he'll be able to hold for much longer. I can't stay here for any meaningful length of time when he still needs help.”

Fuck that legitimately hurt to say.

“Ah, right…my son's mess.” Izanagi huffed, “I nearly forgot about that. Messing with the jealous god's toys…it's like he's asking for what happened to Egypt to happen in Japan. It would be best if that was handled…tell me, did you meet the wielder, if so, what was his state?”

“Eh, it wasn't the greatest.” I start rubbing the back of my head in thought. “He can still communicate, hold a conversation. But his mentality is warped heavily.”

“I could barely get inside his head using my powers, what with all the taint clogging it up.” I finish with a sigh.

Izanagi hums, “Then we still have time. If you could get inside his head at all, then that means that place hasn't gotten fully to him yet. It's likely his gear is slowing the infection. Still…” He stands back up, “I give him hours at most, maybe half a day or more, if he's particularly resilient.”

“You know, I gotta ask,” I suddenly spoke back up, prompting Izanagi to look at me with a raised eyebrow, “you agree with me, that Susanoo doing this is probably a bad idea, right?”

“...Yes.” He huffs, “Are you going to ask why I don't head to Yomi and beat his ass black and blue?”

I nod in confirmation, and he sighs, deeply.

“The same reason my Ex-Wife doesn't do the same,” he states, softly, “with an added helping of, he's a ‘big boy’ now, it's not my job to breath down his neck every time he fucks something up.”

He gives an amused snort, “If I did that, I would have leaped into the primeval chaos long ago. I cast him from Heaven specifically so I wouldn't have to deal with his whiny bullshit any longer than need be.”

I can't help the frown that spreads across my face at that.

Ah, yes. The perfect example of how to fuck up royally as a father.

I'll take notes of that later.

“Besides,” he walks over to the trash pile, and pulls out the spear, “judging by the way they all turned out, it's clear that my form of intervention wouldn't work, anyhow.”

Huh. I can't tell if he's being self-aware, or blaming everything on them.

“Listen up, boy.” He suddenly called, stirring me from my thoughts, “You don't have much time…but time you do have. Luckily, I can extend that time frame a bit, to give us more to work with.”

“Huh? How–”

My words were cut off, as Izanagi raised the spear, the Ame-no-Nuboko, to the sky.

I didn't give it much thought, or even recognize this at the time, but…the spear doesn't have a power to it.

At all.

It's not emitting a Holy Aura like Susanoo's sword was, or even my own.

It simply looked like a very mundane, albeit beautifully crafted, jeweled naginata.

But none of that is why I stopped talking and gaped, no, that happened because Izanagi began to swirl the tip of the blade around the air.

This made visible, foamy ripples appear in the air, which he began to stir and churn.

Not an ounce of Holy Spirit Power, or any power, yet the spear is doing…something to the realm.

In a moment, the ripples in space echoed out, flowing and spreading across the land.

As they passed over me, I felt my body get momentarily sick, a tad queasy, before it quickly passed.

“What did you just do…?” I asked, trailing off as I looked around for anything different.

“I manipulated this realm’s time.” He stated simply, “So, an hour out there, on Earth, and Yomi is around…” he scratched at his beard for a moment in thought, “fifteen days or so, in here.”

I have no words to describe the sheer bullshit I just heard.

This man casually made a Hyperbolic Time Chamber, with a swivel of his spear.

He suddenly shrugs, “Oh well, I was hoping for more time, truth be told. But on such short notice, this was the best I could do.”

I should just accept that Kami, especially the original ones, are bullshit, and stop being surprised.

“You are lucky, boy. That this realm remained as malleable as it is due to  my…indecision.” He says slowly.

“On that,” I pipe up, standing up myself, “I've been wondering where exactly this place is, does it even have a name? You keep saying it's not finished yet, so…”

“Ne-no-Kuni.” Izanagi states, “That…was this place's intended name.”

I tilt my head slightly, and furrow my brow at that, recognizing the name slightly, “Land of Origin…isn't that another name for Yomi? The Netherworld?”

“A Netherworld.” Izanagi corrects, “Kuni was meant to be the opposite of Yomi, that was how I originally envisioned it.

“An eternal land of life, vibrant colors, a paradise for our people that deserved it. A Shinkai, but for mortals.”

He raised an eyebrow at me, “You do know what the Shinkai is, yes?”

I deadpan back at him for that, “Yes. I am aware.”

He nods approvingly, “Good. Then you aren't completely lost.”

My eyebrow twitches at that, again, “Alright old man. Why didn't you finish Kuni already?”

He huffs, gruffly, and turns away, pacing a few steps “Artist block. Have I not told you already?”

I scoff at that, “Hundreds of thousands of years of it?”

“Sometimes, boy…a little inspiration is required.” He intones, pointing the spear to the ground, before slowly dipping it into the soil.

The dirt parts like water, acting like liquid with the same texture, Izanagi begins to churn the land with the spear.

Before my very eyes, the land reshaped itself.

With every ripple, pieces broke off into the primeval chaos and came up changed.

In seconds, I found myself standing before a mountain range, peaking into the pure white sky so high up I couldn't even see the top.

“In this place, with Ame-no-Nuboko here, I control and create everything.” The Creator God intones, his voice roaring from far above, on the unseeable mountain peak, I assume, “From shaping the land and time to manipulating gravity and life, all is within my domain.

“I give the mortal boy hours at most. I'll send you back in four to them, but for you here? It'll be two months.

“Not anywhere near enough time to turn you into a proper God, a Kami, but it'll be better than nothing. Now.”

The sky suddenly darkened, the pure white void becoming a pitch black inky void.

“Climb. There is no time to waste.”

…I can't tell if I'm excited, or angry about this.

Or maybe both? Both definitely work.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Susanoo's foot rapidly tapped the ground, his index finger tapped the armrest of his throne in equal measure.

A viscous frown spread across his face, his mood, despite the pun, could truly be best described as tempestuous at the moment.

Plans never survive first contact with the enemy. He knows that. All things said and done, his plans are going well, he thinks.

Ama's brat, his nephew, while annoying, ultimately hasn't done anything.

And with him stuck in Kuni with dear old Dad, he won't be able to for as long as wishes it.

His frown broke into a snarl simply thinking about that old bastard.

Oh sure, before sending the brat away, he entertained the idea of the old man getting off his ass and doing something to help for once, but he quickly shot it down.

The old man never cared. Not truly. He's more likely to lay there in his plastic chair, talking about how stupid he is than do something for once.

He gave him and his siblings sections of the world, then fucked off to go make something else.

Yet he couldn't even do that right!

Were they not enough for him? Were they truly such failures in his eyes that he would run!?

Was Mother not worth it, you old useless piece of shit!?!

Ah. Mother.

He simmered down, albeit, slightly.

Ever since he sent his nephew down, Izanami has been…well.

She locked her door and refused to talk to him since.

Now that, that hurt. She's never done something quite like this before.

Pull an Ama, anyway.

He stabbed his nephew in the chest, now he gets how that must have felt.

But he can't give up now. Despite this sinking, pained, feeling in his chest, he's oh so close now! He can feel it!

He gives it a day, likely less until the boy breaks entirely and gives it up for the sake of his grandmother.

Even with Mother forcing him to move the Shinigami to the corners of the realm, keeping them as far away from the boy as possible.

In the end, everything will be worth it.

He just knows it.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 36


Oh, Susan. No. No, you don't.

It's going to be a very rude awakening when he figures that out. Very cathartic...for everyone not him.

Anyhow. Izanagi! In my notes, I have his personality as "Bored Japanese Kratos, but without the character arc."

So, on the flip side, Nori has no idea what he's jumping into.

Not like it won't be beneficial to him in any case. 2 months of pure grinding is kind of needed for him. A teacher, proper, especially.

This whole time, he hasn't been able to truly go ham with training because he has other things to worry about, like dicking down cat girl(s), but now...?

The results will speak for themselves, I hope.

Also! This is a one-time thing, courtesy of Izanagi and Susanoo bullshit, so after he's done with Yomi he won't be able to return to Kuni whenever.

Also, I have to do this update on my phone. Dunno why, but Patreon on my laptop is being fuckey. So the formatting here may be different, and the picture in the middle of the chapter may not work properly.

Give me a holler if something is jank, and I'll see what I can do to fix it.

A New Sun Chapter 35

Chapter 35

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

My eyes narrow carefully down at the scythe blade pointed at my Adam's apple, the tip dangerously close to piercing the little bump.

Tilting my head back, and turning it to glance at him, I find something I didn’t expect.

His eyes. They’re equal parts dead yet filled with desperate determination.

His knuckles were so pale they looked like they might crack under the sheer pressure of his grip.

Yet his teeth may be clenched even harder than that, as his face is locked in some sort of twisted unsure frown.

This…is not Tobio.

Or at the very least, it's some twisted version of him, brought about by Yomi.

His base principles, to protect those he loves at all costs, are warped by this tainted realm filled with beings who make you want to die.

Ah, I get it.

It's like Megumi, that one guy from Jujutsu Kaisen, but on crack.

Not good.

“Say…” I start, my tone clipped and simple, “I just want you to know, for after all this over? I don't blame you…” I pause.

As my power bubbles to the surface of my skin.

“And I hope you don't blame me either, for the bump I'm about to put on your head.”

And for the second time on this trip, Yomi knows the color of honey, as it explodes out and wraps around my body.

My face burns and my vision clears, my max power is achieved, and even then, I barely have time to dusk under the scythe blade as it sails for my neck.

I jump back, evading a second scythe rearing up for my chin, barely registering the frustrated grunt of my opponent before I kick the door out during my jump and land in the hallway.

“And right after I fed you too.” I huff out in annoyance, drawing my sword as Tobio bursts out of the room, each hand holding a scythe.

Maybe I should just skip to this bit more often, saves me a whole lot of trouble!

I breathe, right as Tobio steps into my range before me.

Dance.

Fire erupts from the blade, bathing Yomi in ferocious light as my sword falls upon his form.

Only to strike air and soon the ground, clinking off it with enough force to send shivers up my arms.

It was quick, but I caught it just before it happened.

He melted into the shadow the light from my fire created and vanished.

Which means–

I leap into the air as the ground beneath me becomes blades, my halo appearing at my back to stop my accent further as the ceiling too becomes more blades.

Viscous pitch-black blades that seem to vibrate or growl all around me, I can feel the malice coming from them.

So, I respond in kind, by breathing out flames.

Crimson red fire splashes into blades, not destroying them, but rather, eliminating the shadows they came from, causing said blades to immediately detract.

I landed in the plume of flames, and only added more fuel to my powers pulsing out like flint on steel, sparking them up, and driving them higher.

There's nothing here to burn that'll spread these flames, unlike the forest the first time I did this, so I'm free to let them out and run wild.

I cover the shadows my flames create with even more fire, and when those fires eventually cast shadows, I add more.

The flames lick the ceiling, causing even those blades to quickly retract, and I breathe in the scent of something other than death, a smile on my face.

I wait, sliding into my stance.

I don't have to wait long.

I don't hear him. My instincts don't even register that he's there when he is.

No, it's my eyes and enhanced senses that manage to pick up the slightest movement in the flames, before he suddenly is there.

Right behind me.

My body twisted, flipping into the air over his cleaving scythe that would have cut me in half from the waistline had I gotten caught.

The flames around us part at the force of his swing, which I idly note was with two hands this time, him now holding a single scythe.

Improvised, Lateral Fire Wheel.

So I return the favor in kind, lashing out with a flaming horizontal cut, spinning my body with the strike as I do with the assistance of my flight ability for maximum power.

Tobio leans into it, meeting my blow with the shaft of his scythe, stopping it with a low grunt.

I look him straight in the eye, as we push back against one another.

“Still wanna go?” I ask through a strained breath.

“I…have to…” He strains out in reply, “I'm…sorry!”

“Me too, buddy! Me too!” I call out, before letting him win our clash.

His eyes widen as he's suddenly moving forward unexpectedly, with me slipping to the side, around his scythe.

So I can smash my head straight into his nose.

He lets out a dazed grunt of pain as a crack fills the air, before his scythe melts in his hand, turning into a spiraling glave of darkness around him.

These thin spiral arms lash against me like whips, forcing me back, the wounds itching coldly as they heal.

Hmm. Don't think that did it. Maybe I need to hit him multiple times to get it to work?

Time to find out.

I move, flames roaring and crackling and, most importantly, blazing with heat around me.

Fake Heat Haze.

Dozens of afterimages thrum to life around him, obscured by the heat haze caused by the bonfire of flames around us.

Tobio's head and eyes jet every which way, darkness pooling into his palm, his scythe forming as he lashes out with shocking precision.

The afterimages begin falling apart quickly, couples to a few at a time, as his scythe cuts through them and the heat in kind.

I pay his earlier sneak attack from before back, appearing behind him with my sword lashing out right as he swings for an afterimage.

An additional blade suddenly extends from the bottom of his scythe shaft, curling around him and blocking my strike.

I blink at the sheer bullshit I just bore witness to before Tobio spins his dual-bladed scythe around like some discount Darth Maul and knocks my blade away from him.

He whirls around, scythe still spinning as he does, forcing me to dodge an attempt to hook the blade around my neck by ducking, only to go further, falling prone into the sea of flames at my feet.

As soon as my body hits the floor, I pulse my power out, and a variable tidal wave of flames roars up to meet Tobio, forcing the Fallen Dog God to backpedal as the wall rises, and pushes down the hall.

I push myself back up onto my feet, then leap through the wall of fire, and swing down upon him, forcing him to block my swing as he moves back.

Unfortunately, the wall of raging fire doesn't stop.

It keeps going, at my back, forcing him to keep stepping back as I lay into him.

A strike aimed at his collar is blocked by the scythe shaft again.

He dodges to the side of my follow-up kick, lashing out with his scythe for my head as he moves.

I step back and catch the scythe blade with my sword, letting it hook around the blade, forcing him to play tug of war with me for a brief moment before the scythe blade dissolves, and he leaps back right before his arm gets caught by the firewall.

He narrows his eyes at me and the fire, taking a look around the small cramped hallway we're in, before settling back on me.

His scythe blade dissolves and melts away completely, as my eyebrow raises.

He doesn't give me much time to think about something beyond the obvious ‘he's planning something’ before he suddenly launches himself at me.

It was a clear-cut, obvious, straightforward charge.

I could have easily run him through, he was letting himself be open here.

But he knew I wouldn't do it. He wouldn't heal like me, he would die from something like that if I went for it sincerely.

So instead, I moved to meet his charge, head-on, with my fists.

Only for him to cleanly evade my punch for his face, glide around it, and get right up in my personal space.

His arm wrapped around my sword arm, locking it stiff, and before I could get off my trusted backup option of headbutting him, he grabbed me by the collar, lifted me, and kicked us off the ground, blasting through the air.

Not for the wall of fire though, no.

For the hallway wall.

It happened fast enough that I didn't fully register what had happened until my back was slamming into the stone, and making it give way.

In the next instance, the gray stone passage changed into a cave sky, with a Palace in the background, and a very familiar mountain pointing up to the rocky sky behind it.

Few things.

One. I just got used as a human battering ram!?

Two. Susanoo and Izanami's Palace is where the entrance to Yomi is on Earth.

I don't know which one to be more shocked about.

Following us, fire blasts out of the newly formed hole in the Palace like a liquid overflowing in a cup.

Yet without me there to fuel it, and no natural sources to propagate the flame, said overflowing flames quickly burn out into a simmer.

For a moment, we fall, before grunting as we…or mostly I…fit the ground, a gravel or sand ground befitting a courtyard.

Tobio quickly rolls off of me, barely avoiding my next act of breathing fire at where he was, said gout of flame splashing off the palace's stone exterior.

I hop back to my feet, taking a brief look around the new stage to find it's exactly the opposite of the real world.

On Earth, and in the Shinkai, this place was a swath of densely packed, overrun forest.

Here, it's a cleared-out courtyard of sand or gravel, going around the entire Palace.

The mountain further up retains its foliage, but that's no good for me down here.

I turn, slashing my sword down across the ground in front of me as I move, bringing forth a small wall of fire before me.

Tobio adjusts his sleeve, his fraying sleeve, as the clothing around his ankles and wrists is smoldering and burnt, his skin looking a little more red in those regions as well.

Yet beyond that, he seems unharmed.

I click my tongue, as he finally looks toward me, but the distant look in his eyes tells me he's truly elsewhere.

His Longinus, Canisius Lykaon, its most basic ability is the power to create blades from any shadows in his line of sight.

Blades that can cut anything.

In the hallway, I could cut off the shadows themselves with the light from my flames, but out here?

Well. Yomi is one big shadowed realm.

Tobio's expression suddenly steels itself.

So, I'm not surprised when the world around me seemingly begins to growl.

Every single patch of darkness, every single shadow, seems to shudder.

I cut the flames from my sword, instead filling it with pure blinding white light, holding it up like a torch.

A circle around me fills with as bright of light as I can make in this realm, and yet…

I shudder, as blade tips from all directions stand mere inches away from piercing every part of my body.

Outside of my circle, blade hell sits. A forest of pitch black blades, pitch black death.

He can't make blades near me, but the blades he made can still try and reach for me, through my circle.

Thankfully, they aren't long enough.

Tobio walks through the black blades as if they were air and into my circle, completely unaffected by the light.

I stare at him, myself unmoving, mostly because I can't, or else I'll get pierced.

But also, because I have one last idea.

My eyes spin as they meet his, his hand twitching as I know he feels something is about to happen.

Yet, as I don't move he holds still.

Right until as much Holy Spirit Power as I think is feasibly safe enough to shove into a human brain assaults his mind, all at once.

He staggers back, his eyes suddenly going wide, and I speak through gritted teeth, “You must resist this place, Ikuse. I know, it’s a lot. But there are people back on Earth waiting for you, and this isn't you.”

“H-Huh…? I…” He grips his head with a hand, eyes straining, he looks...confused, like he doesn't know where he is, or what's happening.

Meanwhile, I keep trying to push my power through, but it's like slugging through a swamp.

Or a filter, made of a swamp.

There's so much taint around his head, confirming my earlier suspicions, his head has been majorly fucked up.

If I could get my light in there, I could probably cleanse it, but my raw Holy Spirit Power isn't made for that.

So it's stimmed against the wall of taint around and infusing his head.

He suddenly shakes his head, and my power slips off him as he faces toward me once more.

He holds his hand out to the side, and every instinct in my body screams at me to run.

It was so sudden, so foreign a feeling, that I followed it immediately.

I blasted into the sky, light-filled sword in my hand and both halos at my back, several dozen feet up just ascended.

My entire body shivered as I heard and felt it, a blade cutting through the air.

I turn, looking down, to find Tobio having lashed out with a pitch-black scythe coated in crimson and black flames, cutting the light I left behind in half.

Somehow.

But those flames, those cursed fucking flames.

Merely looking at them us giving my whole body the shivers as if simply touching them would fuck me up something fierce.

Ame-no-Ohabari. The blade that could slice apart Gods, Buddhas, and Kami, the flames also came from it.

A single cut, or burn, and I could…

Hah.

Die. This thing could kill me in one hit, couldn't it? As an Arahitogami, I'm still a Kami, a deity.

I should be terrified but for some reason…

I can't stop fucking smiling.

Tobio looks up at me and tilts his head slightly.

Up here, there are no shadows. You can't make blades out of the darkness in the air.

So, what will you do?

Black putrid smog erupted from around him, and the very shadows of Yomi began to seemingly crawl towards him.

Wrapping around and enveloping him, twisted black blades erupted from all around him, buzzing and growling in the air.

Then, Tobio spoke.

Quietly, deeply, yet chanted as if casting a curse.

<<—Behowlest the slaying of one thousand mortals>>

My smile widened as the darkness consumed him.

I've never seen it before, a Balance Breaker.

Especially not an Abyss Side Balance Breaker.

<<—Besingest the slaying of ten thousand goblins>>

His figure twisted within the darkness, limbs growing longer and thicker, the body becoming stocky, and his head?

<<—Mine name, immersed in deepest darkness, tis the Imitation God traversing the Polar Night>>

Turned into that of a beast.

<<—O ye, perishest by mine own black blade>>

Ah…is what Ray Ray and her gang felt facing down a transforming Juggernaut Drive?

<<—Fools ye art, oh deformed Creator God.>>

I didn't envy them before, but oh man, did I miss out!

A howl, no, a roar, erupted from beneath me.

Then a dark wall, a mass of twisted midnight black darkness, erupted up from the entire courtyard.

And I saw nothing anymore.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

My eyes snapped open, and I looked up.

I blinked, several times, before finally saying.

“Did I die, but like…stay here?” I ask, completely befuddled, to the beautiful undead Goddess that is my grandmother.

Who is looking down at me, amusedly, as she runs her fingers through my hair.

Oh shit, am I getting a lap pillow right now?

Best afterlife?

“No, dear, you are not dead, though you were very close.” She huffs, then pats me on the head somewhat harshly, “That last ‘attack’ was my own, to separate the two of you.”

I wince slightly at the head ‘pat’ before sighing and closing my eyes, “Well…that's good then. Thanks for that.”

“You don't seem all that…stressed at nearly dying.” She says, sounding a tad bit concerned.

I shrug at that, “Probably because I'm not. If I die, I die. Simple as that. I'll die eventually, won't go down without a fight I hope, but…otherwise, I ain't all too bent out of shape about it.”

Maybe it's because I'm fairly sure I died once already, the me that came to on that mountain those months ago.

Or, maybe I'm just crazy. Or broken somewhere inside.

Most likely it's all three.

But in any case, I wasn't lying, that's for sure.

I slowly sat up, rubbing my head as I did, and opening back up my eyes.

It figures, but I am in a bedroom, likely her bedroom. Big master bedroom, with an equally ludicrously sized bed and all.

My sword is propped up against the foot of the bed, in its sheath.

I turned back towards Izanami, “Did you send him back to his grandma? Is he…alright now?” I ask tentatively.

She nods, giving a light sigh, “She's the only thing that will keep him…docile. Yomi has affected him far worse than even Susa believes, I think. He even threatened to attack me, seeing me as a threat, when I tried to keep that old woman company.”

Damn, Tobio. Seriously?

“I can fix his head, if I can get close enough to grab onto it and start exorcizing the taint…” I muse aloud, “But he isn't going to just let me walk up and do it now, is he?”

At the shake of her head, I huffed out, “Damn. Well.” I suddenly stood up, “Only one last thing to do, I suppose.”

Izanami tilted her head to that, “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

“Beating up your son.” I state casually, grabbing my sword.

Izanami stared at me in absolute silence as I fixed the sheathed blade to my back.

“...must you really?” She suddenly spoke up, my eyes widening at just how sad she sounded out of nowhere.

I turned back around, to find the woman looking down, clasping at the bedsheets, an unsteady look in her eyes.

“Well?” I started, unsure, “What other choice do I have? I doubt I can talk him out of this, so…”

Izanami chuckles dryly at that, “No, no you most certainly couldn't.”

“Unless…you could help me?” I try, “He'd listen to you, right?”

Izanami gave a frustrated huff, “Listen, yes. But it wouldn't stick. I could have fixed all of this myself, most likely. But that only guarantees he'll try again, and that time, I'll know nothing of what my son plans. At least like this,” she muttered, barely audible, “I can do something.”

She slowly looks at me, “Listen, dear…I don't know exactly what Susa has planned for you now if you go to him…I don't suspect he'll kill you, but…I still worry.”

“Planned for me now, huh?” I parrot back with a hum, “Ominous. You've been pretty ominous since we've met, you know?”

Izanami simply looks at me, before giving me a short sweet giggle, “Well, I do have appearances to keep…the spooky foreboding Goddess of Death, and all.”

It's my turn to chuckle, before facing toward the door.

“I figured. Now, I should probably get going…can't let Tobio’s condition continue to worsen. I remember my promise.” I flash a smile back at her, “I'll catch up with you later, okay?”

She looks especially happy once I bring that up, “I'll hold you to that, grandson.”

I wave back behind me at her as I step out.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

I'm really starting to hate how short and clipped my conversations with Izanami have been so far.

It feels rude almost, that I can't spare any longer to sit and chat with her, truly.

But time is of the essence. And I don't know how long I've got.

What with the way Tobio is acting, it's leading me to believe not long.

So, I power walk to the throne room, where I'm fairly certain the Storm God would be at this time.

With way more confidence than I should have, but confidence nonetheless.

My working plan going into this, if he truly won't simply off me, is to annoy him until he gives in.

Or maybe I could make him realize how fucked his plan is?

Hnn. If Izanami couldn't, I doubt I could, as she said.

If all else fails…

Well, I'd rather not fight him, considering I'd lose so hard it wouldn't even be a fight, which leaves me getting additional help.

Like telling my mother what her stupid brother is doing.

But that…leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I scowl at the thought.

Me and my fucking pride. There's someone's life at risk here, I'll swallow it if I must.

I take barely a few steps into the throne room before his voice rumbles across the hall, “We all heard, and felt your…meeting.” The deity noted with an uneasy smile, “Didn't go well, hmm?”

I deadpanned at my uncle, “What gave it away, the tunnel of fire, or the balance breaker?”

He snorted, “Cheeky brat. I hope you see the futility of your quest,” he mocks the word with disdain, “Leave, Nephew. The mortal you came here for is gone.”

“Because of you, right?” I raise an eyebrow while walking toward him, “I already know what you want, the sword is his gear.” His growing smile falls off his face as I cut straight to the chase, “Honestly, it's shocking you haven't just ripped it out of him already. He's certainly weak enough for you to pull it off now.”

He grips the side of his throne, gritting his teeth slightly, “...I can't. Killing the mortal myself, that would make mother sad…she…” he clicks his tongue, “she has had enough sadness for one eternity. But if the mortal gave it, willingly.”

“Willingly with an asterisk, perhaps.” I cut in.

Susanoo growls, lightning sparking across his body, “Willingly.” He intones, sounding more like he's trying to convince himself more than anything, “Then it'll be…not fine, but good enough. Besides, I wasn't lying when I said he'd get to be with his grandmother again.”

“As if that makes it better, uncle.” I cross my arms.

Thunder claps from somewhere, and suddenly, Susanoo stands, a snarl leaving his lips, “You…sassy fucking brat. You sound just like your mother, you know that?” He walks to me, each step heavy, thundering throughout the hall.

He stops right before me, meeting me in the center of the room, eyes blazing as he looks down upon me.

“Why, why, are you so much like her but in the most annoying ways possible?” He ground out, foot rapidly tapping against the ground, like the patter of rain, “See, you've got her sass, her fucking attitude, even got her looks. But you're missing the thing that makes you bearable.”

He looks me dead in the eye.

“You give too much of a shit, for no, fucking, reason!” His voice shook with barely contained wrath.

I narrowed my eyes back at him, my Holy Spirit Power boiling under my skin, “Oh yeah? Why shouldn't I care about a life? Is that so out of the blue, so inconceivable!?”

“Yes.” He stated through gritted teeth, “You're a God. Better, even! You're a Living God. Why care about the life of one mortal you've never even meant before!”

“Because I still consider myself human.” I ground out in turn, “At least in part. I only just recently, within the last few months, found out what I am! But before that, ultimately, I was human!”

Susanoo's eyebrow twitched, and lightning crackled throughout the hall before he suddenly whirled back around to face away from me, and stomped.

The entire room bends inward as his step craters and cracks the entire room.

He rears his head back, the entire Palace shaking as he roars, “FUCKING! DAMNIIIITTTT!!!”

I nearly fell on my ass but managed to dig my heels in and stay standing at the last second.

“This all should have been…so, easy!” The Storm God grabbed his head, and he started ranting.

“I thought the shinigami would have scared you away, but fucking nope! Not them, not the very horny oni,” he shivers at that, and for a split second, I think we understand each other, “not even seeing the mortal you came here for like…that.”

He whirls back around, looking dead at me, “Tell me. How could a brat ‘raised’ by a broken Goddess end up trying to be such a big damn hero, huh?”

“I'm not trying to be a big damn hero, it's simply the right thing to do!” I retorted, before blinking, “Wait…broken? Uzume?”

Susanoo snorts, “Course you think that, and yeah, she hasn't been the same since the wars…not like my sister could see it, but I know it's because she died during it.”

I snort straight back, “Sorry, but you don't exactly strike me as emotionally mature enough to notice things like that, Susan.”

His eyebrow twitched, “I know because I saw the same thing once before. The same look on her face was on his when he came back from death.”

“His? Wait, you mean…”

A feral grin spread across his face, “Kagustuchi. After dear old Dad killed him, I was there when he came back. Had the same look she did, he started ranting about…something, seeing things after death.” He shrugged, “Didn't pay much attention to that though, I was too busy putting him in the ground again.”

He cackles like lightning, “Then he came back again, and I killed him again. Then again, and again, and again. Until he eventually stopped coming back.”

Wait, Kagustuchi is…then the blessings on the Himejima, that's why…

Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders, holding me still, “Don't you get it, kid!? Don't you see!?” His expression is borderline manic, “That sword…it's the last bit of him left. I don't blame the mortal for being born with it, it's just bad luck he got it! But…sacrifices must be made, for her.”

“Izanami…?” I ask though I'm pretty sure I already knew where this was going.

“Yes! Mother! She doesn't deserve it, none of what happened to her!” He cries out, “And he is the start of everything going wrong in her life! She deserves to live in a world where nothing left of him exists.”

…Is there a term that combines Yandere and Momma's boy into one?

Because even that wouldn't begin to describe the vibes I'm getting from him right now.

“And now, for the cherry on top of this shit mochi?” Susanoo continues, “You…she likes you. You're her grandson, after all. Of course she'd love you. Even if you weren't here for her originally, the fact that you promised to get to know her is…” the man looks away, the blaze in his eyes dimming into normal, sky blue eyes, “thank you, for that. Not even your mother has come down to say hi, ever. She looked so happy…that I…”

Holy shit he looks like he's going to cry.

Slowly, he lets me go, and turns away, rubbing his eyes where I can't sew.

With a deep, shaky sigh, he continues, “You…aren't going to give this up, are you.”

I shake my head, “No, no I'm not, uncle. And you aren't either, are you?” I ask softly.

He gives a sad chuckle at that, “No, no I'm not. I will do what I must, even if she hates me for it…I must give her what Father ultimately could not…peace. Even if she isn't aware she's hurting. I…” He huffs, turning back to me, his eyes blazing.

“I take back what I said earlier, Nephew. You are better than your mother…which is why, I wouldn't kill you…but I can't have you here, yapping in Mother's or the mortal's ears.” He takes a step forward, and I instinctively reach for and grasp the hilt of my sword, “Or even worse…have you flee, and tell your mother.”

Another step. The Palace rumbles.

“All I need to do…is keep you busy, somewhere far away where you can't come back from, until I return you myself.”

Lightning, darkness, and fire swirl around his form like a twister, a hurricane of energies mixed with divine power fills the throne room.

Susanoo draws a sword from the hurricane, as soon as the sword manifests, the sheer weight of its Holy Spirit Aura slams into me and forces me down to a knee with its pressure, alone.

Somewhere deep inside, something tells me the name of the blade despite having never seen it before.

Ama-no-Habakiri. The sword he used to kill Orochi.

“Take a break for a while, Nephew. When you come back, everything will be right.” He intoned.

Then he swung his sword down upon me.

It wasn't a fast swing, by any means.

I pulled upon all my power, and swung up to meet it, to stop it.

Yet despite all that, his sword cut through mine like a knife through butter, with no resistance, breaking my blade into two before plunging itself down into my chest.

With a further push, he impaled me to the ground with his sword.

“Tell him hi for me, Nephew.” Susanoo spoke down to me softly.

And at those last words, power exploded beneath me, and space tore apart at the seams.

In the next instance, my now broken sword in hand and a hole in my chest, I found myself free falling through a pure sea of white.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 35 End


Uh oh.

Skip the talking, and the sword swinging part here, he probably should have just cut it and ran when he got the chance.

Not like Susan would have just let him walk out, but still.

Wonder where Nori's falling to this time...

A New Sun Chapter 34

Chapter 34

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Hell doesn't have stairs.

A part of me is both simultaneously shocked, and appalled by that fact.

While the rest of me is wondering just how long this fall is supposed to take.

I narrow my eyes incredulously, not that it helps me see anything at all, but more so because I finally recall that I can fly.

My descent slows to a gentle float as my halo blazes to life at my back.

Turning my head slightly, I still see…pretty much nothing at all.

The darkness is smothering the light of my halo nearly in its entirety, so all I can see is a blurred outline of the thing perching at my back.

With a displeased huff, I activate my eyes.

Still nothing.

Fuck.

Carefully, I hold either arm to my side, not finding anything, I begin flying down once more, spread eagle.

Unlike before however, I quickly accelerated, going down much faster than when I was normally falling.

That led me somewhere much quicker, I felt, as in no time at all I could see again.

How? Well, by blasting out of the hole I was flying through…which was in the sky.

I stopped, dead in my tracks, air thundering as I braked hard, and whirled around to look up.

The entire sky is rock.

One big, large, almost cave or chamber-looking cover as far as I could see across the realm.

Here and there, you'd see stalagmites, moss, roots, and other cave things, but it never stopped being rock.

No clouds, no rain, unless you called the occasional smattering of dust such things.

Turning back around, facing toward the…uh, ground, proper, I suppose, I find something equally depressing and…confusing.

I’m above Kyoto now, or at least, the twisted dark reflection of Kyoto here in Yomi.

Yet, I didn't enter Yomi from anywhere near Kyoto, so, what?

Looking carefully, and I mean, really carefully, everything being the same bland grays and blacks kind of makes everything meld together, I catch a glimpse of something very out of place.

Next to the city, directly west, a swath of destroyed stone, black wood, and other very easy-to-miss broken materials are strewn about, forming a long hill of debris.

Ah, right, Yomi is the reflection of Earth. Earth possessed a bridge to the Heavens, the Ame-no-Ukihashi, the Floating Bridge of Heaven.

This would be a nice place for a bridge, wouldn't it?

Although in this case, I suppose the bridge here would connect Yomi to the Earth.

However, if the bridge in Yomi is destroyed, then one Earth is destroyed as well, as Yomi reflects the Earth.

Think I may have even caught a glimpse of it in the Shinkai once…

I shake my head, side to side, dispelling those thoughts.

I can always ask Uzume about that later, she lived on the bridge, after all, I've got more important matters to attend to.

Patting myself down real fast, I find my snack bag has miraculously survived the trip so far.

Single strap, like my sword sheath, it hangs at my waist.

I didn't forget about it, so much as I simply put it out of my mind there for a moment, especially after the Shinigami ambush.

Giving a small sigh of relief, I look out across the dreary, depressing landscape, and try to sense anything.

My senses immediately do the equivalent of a rubber band, recoiling in disgust on instinct and slapping my sixth sense with loads of the most putrid feelings I'd ever felt before.

It made me want to vomit. It made me want to run away, go home, and jump in the shower for the next week. It made me want to light this entire place with flam–

I slap myself across the face as my power stirs like a cornered, rabid, injured animal.

My honey-colored aura was bubbling around my form, a deep burn churning throughout my body as I let out a deep, haggard sigh.

Right. Yomi is unclean. The origin of the worst taint to ever plague the Shinto world, death.

My very being is repulsed by this place. Honestly, in this case, my lack of developed sensing abilities is coming in clutch here.

Although, if I can't sense anyone, finding Tobio or Uncle, or even my grandmother, is going to be a pain here.

Susanoo had a Palace at one point on Earth. I know that much, but a direct location was never given.

Ah, but I do know where Mt. Oe should be, and I also know that the Oni there should know where at the very least Izanami is.

I cringe, internally and externally, at the idea of meeting more horny oni lolis, but to be honest it's a much better idea than my other idea.

That being, launch a Holy Spirit Power firework into the air like how I met Fox Princess.

If this is the place where the Shinigami come from, I'd rather not send a signal flare to a whole ass army of them.

Can't believe I'd rather deal with horny lolis than fight, but one would take much less time than the other, so…

Horny Loli Mountain it is, then!

I'm…going to need several showers after this…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Thankfully, the trip to the Oni Museum went rather uneventfully, which feels…right, in this realm.

I flew over, high above the city and streets, yet still close enough to see the depressingly haunting outlines of souls shambling about.

Everything is somber, everything emits melancholy, it's insane.

No wonder all the souls I've seen look nearly identical, they all start blending in with the world around them.

The comparison to Limbo is weak, this is an entirely different kind of Hell, and I doubt anything is going to change my mind on that.

Especially as I made it to the Oni Museum, and right in front of the statue, the gate, that leads to true Mt. Oe.

Fortunately, I didn't have to break in, as the statue’s maw was already wide open.

Just like the scenery, even the glowy swirling energy power looks dull and gloomy.

Oh yeah. Most definitely a special type of hell.

In any case, I walk through it, and as soon as I step foot on the other side.

My aura-coated hand shoots up to catch a dull-looking blade as it tries to cleave into my neck, stopping it long before it can reach me.

Deja vu. Also, I'm not impressed.

I send an unamused look down at the stoic little shit who did it, my eyes narrowing at the small, red-clad oni loli.




I'm seeing a pattern forming here. Purple, yellow, red hair, eyes, clothes…is this pack of Oni girls a super sentai team, or a magical girl squad?

At least she has a sword, a katana to be precise, I can respect that difference at least.

She narrows her eyes up at me, but beyond that, her face remains stern and stoic, locked in a constant deadpan.

Cheap Koneko ripoff, I see.

“You…” she starts, soft and quiet, “you aren't–”

“Apple Loli.”

Her eyes widened as I cut her off.

“Wha–”

“You are Apple Loli.” I intone, cutting her off again.

Really. I would have gone with Tomato Loli, but Ibaraki is the best Tomato, no one tops him.

“But…Apples can be–” She tried to deny it, but I moved.

In a blur of motion, I grab her wrists and lift her straight into the air, her katana still held firmly in her grasp.

She blinked slowly at me and then came my aura.

Look. As much as I would love to do this whole song and dance again, I would rather not.

In general.

So, time to speed run this shit.

Almost immediately, her pupils dilated, and she shivered, “Kami…”

“Correct.” I nodded, “Know where I can find my Grandmother and Uncle? They don't exactly have a big sign pointing their way after all.”

“Grandmother and U-Uncle…?” Her eyes widened much more considerably, “Lady Izanami and Lord Susanoo…!?”

“Mhmm. Correct in two.” I hum out, “So, where do I go?”

She jerks her head away, “I…I do not know.”

Eh?

“We do not…Lord S-Susanoo doesn't allow us in the Lady's home, or even near it…” She continues, voice quivering, “She comes to visit us here, however, s-so…”

“You never even had the need, huh?” I finished for her, to her quickly nodding confirmation.

I sigh, deeply, “Well. Shit.” And promptly set her down, letting go of her hands in the process.

She seems befuddled by the act, judging by her small little, “E-Eh?” at the action.

Which gets even worse when I reach over and pat her on the head, “Sorry about that, Apple, I ran into Banana and Grapefruit on the way into Yomi…it was a whole thing, so I wanted to get to the point quicker with you.” I apologize solemnly.

“Banana…and…Grapefruit?” Her eyebrows furrow at that, slightly, “You mean–”

I pat her head one time, extra hard, to interrupt her.

“Banana, Grapefruit.” I state clearly, “I'm not gonna call them anything else.”

“I…very well?” She tilted her head at that, looking more like a lost puppy by the second.

“They're fine, by the way.” I add, “Got caught up in a couple of Shinigami’s suicide thingy, but I healed them up.”

At that, she frowns, her face hardening back up immediately, “That…shouldn't be. The Shinigami have been confined to Yomi for a long time, only being let out recently to scare the Fallen into submission.”

Oh? Susanoo pulled up on the Grigori? I knew he beat and dragged Azazel to the meeting himself, didn't know he pulled up with an army at his back.

Well, there's no kill quite like overkill.

I shrug, “Well, they did. Susan is up to something, most likely.”

“Susan?” Apple parroted, looking once more like a very lost puppy.

“Eh, don't worry about it.” I wave her off, “My thing to worry about. Anyway! You said Izanami shows up here, yeah?”

She nods slowly, “Yes…she does. Would you like to wait for her here? She should stop by after those two make their report, after all…assuming they don't forget to tell her about the Shinigami, of course.” She finishes with a grimace.

I wince slowly at all that, “I was…just gonna bunk outside if that's alright?”

“Hmm? Why?”

I deadpanned at her, “Grapefruit insinuated you were all horny. And I'm not dealing with that.”

“Ah…” she scratched the back of her head, and looked away, “that is…fair.”

Suddenly, in the distance, I heard…hollering?

Looking off, and finally up the mirrored Mt. Oe properly, instead of a dreary dull Iron Palace, I see a traditional Japanese mansion, still in Yomi colors though.

Or lack thereof, I suppose.

Huh, I'm pretty sure I see a massive dive board or water slide in the back.

Oh yeah, resort. Neat.

What's not so neat, is the half a dozen Oni Lolis running down the hill.

Towards us.

All different colors and some even got different weapons. Like a sledgehammer.

“Nope.” I utter, “Not dealing with that!” I start walking backward, quickly, as the hollering gets louder, “Nice meeting you Apple! I like you the best out of your sister's so far! Byyyeee!” I call out, leaping backward and into the portal, into freedom.

My last vision of Yomi Mt. Oe is Apple turning ever so slightly more so her shade of red, as a small mob of oni lolis rush her position in a cacophony of noise.

And barking. One of them, a green one, was barking.

Next thing I know, I appear out on the other side, in Yomi proper, and land on the soft, cold, bouncy–

Wait. I didn't fall, though…

“Hmmm, well now? What do we have here?” A soft, motherly voice, questioned directly behind me.

I blinked. I blinked several times. Before looking back and up dumbly.

The woman, she's slightly taller than me, surprisingly enough. With long, luscious, and flowing black hair, and eyes that glow the only other color I've seen in this realm.

An ethereal, ghostly green.

She raises an amused eyebrow down at me.

Oh yeah. I'm in between her tits.

Good old classic ecchi moment.

It's not like it's my fault her kimono isn't covering her chest.

Seriously, is that the latest fashion trend around this time? Robes halfway down the chest, somehow magically covering the nipple.

Doubt.

I give her a little wave, “Hi, Grandma.”

Who else could it be, after all?

“Can I just say, the myths don't do you justice at all.” I add in with an honest smile.

She smiles mirthfully back down at me, “I'm not surprised, but I am surprised to find you here specifically…” she hums, before continuing, “Did you happen to take the girl's offer?”

“Haha! No.” I denied quickly, pulling myself out of her cleavage in short order, “No, no…I came here to figure out how to get to you and Uncle because I can't exactly sense anything here…”

“Ah, right, your nature,” she muses, “yes, I could see how that would be a problem. Ah, well…lucky you, I came to check up on the rest of the girls after I heard what the Shinigami have been up to in the mortal world.”

She gives a displeased huff, “Susa better have a good explanation for this one…and, judging by the fact you're here after…recent events, am I to assume you'd like a word with him as well?”

I nod to that, “Yup, I'm looking for a guy named Tobio Ikuse. Apparently, my dear Uncle has something to do with his disappearance?”

Izanami's smile quirked into a knowing smirk, “So it's begun, then?”

Well. That's ominous.

“Do you know where he is?” I ask, tentatively.

“I do, but…well. I think it's best if Susanoo explains himself, don't you think?”

Oh, that is very ominous.

“That would probably be for the best…” I sigh out, “I'd prefer to get this over with as soon as possible, the girls in there,” I point my thumb over my shoulder, to the gate behind me, “are very fine, you don't need to worry about them for now.”

She raises an eyebrow at that, “Very fine, hmm? How would you know that?”

I stare off into the distance, a dead look in my eyes, “They all charged down the mountain like a pack of wild wolves. One of them, the green one, was literally barking.”

Izanami gave an amused chuckle, while patting me on my head, “Oh you poor dear…they haven't seen a man in a long time, well, a strong one anyways. Please forgive them their…eccentricities. They aren't usually so…” she trails off.

“Horny?” I finished for her.

She smiles at that, “Quite.”

“Now then,” she walks around me, stopping at my back, she drapes her arms over my shoulders, and pulls me flush against her, “I suppose I'll take your word for it that they are safe, and you are correct in your attitude. Getting this over with quickly is important…as much as I'd love to catch up with and meet my new grandson properly.” She states with a longing sigh.

“How about after this is all over, then, and Susan stops doing whatever it is he's doing?”

“Hmm…that would be nice, yes.” She boops me on the nose with her finger, prompting me to blink, “Thank you.”

Despite my confusion at being booped all of a sudden, I managed a smile, “It's no problem.”

She smiled down upon me, before muttering as her grip tightened like an embrace of sorts.

“Be still.” She muttered, and so I was.

Yomi folded in on itself, torrents of darkness like waves in the middle of an ocean crashed and swirled upon us.

I didn't feel us moving.

Hell, I didn't feel anything.

Thinking about it more, I can't feel Izanami either.

Usually, when standing in front of a Kami, or deity, they have a presence that tells you who they are.

I looked upon Izanami and knew right away who she was.

Yet, I couldn't feel that presence from her at all.

It's like standing in front of a corpse.

I'm pretty sure that's why I ran into her at all, my instincts and senses registered her more like a tree or rock them a Goddess.

In any event, when the darkness falls, splashing to the ground like water, we are elsewhere.

A throne room, with a long shadowed hall.

And down at the end of it, a man sat on the throne.

Unlike Izanami, he had a presence, and unlike Inari, he wasn't so subtle or sneaky with it.

He wore it like an aura. A chaotic, crackling energy filled and stifled the bland dull air.

His eyes were glowing, burning with the third color I've seen in this realm, a fiery orange, and he looked almost exactly how I expected him to look.

Bits of armor on his shoulders and forearms, a blue robe opened to show his ripped muscled chest, the straw hat over messy assorted strands of long black hair that somehow moved in the…

Wait there isn't a draft in here.

I look back up at Izanami, who looks back down at me, both of us wearing the same bland expression as we turn toward the God of Storms.

His hand twitched a bit before he sighed, and his hair fell upon his shoulders normally, “Too much?”

“Very.” Me and Izanami replied together.

“Ugghh…” he groaned out, before slowly rising from his seat, “forget all of that, welcome, Nephew, to Yomi.” He walks down toward us, his boots heavy and thundering with damn near every step until he stands before us, towering over us both.

“What do you want.” He doesn't so much as ask but grumbles out.

Huh. Someone sounds displeased to see me.

Then again, knowing his history with my mother, I'm not entirely surprised.

“Tobio Ikuse, the Leader of Team Slash/Dog.” I start, watching his face carefully, though it doesn't change, “Did you or your Reapers take him?”

He snorts at that, “Firstly, don't call my Shinigami ‘Reapers’ boy,” he ground out, “they aren't related to the bonehead's goons. Second, no. I didn't take him. We made a deal. Why? Wanna see him?”

I raise an eyebrow slowly, “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” The Storm God huffs, “not like I'm keeping him prisoner or anything. He's here in fact, in this Palace.”

That's mighty convenient, isn't it?

And very suspicious. It doesn't sound like anything is wrong, but…

A deal, huh?

“Alright, I suppose I'll go see him then.” I shrug, “I'll go check up on him, see what's up, then I suppose I can stay around…pretty much promised Grandma I'd stick around to catch up with her.”

Susanoo blinked down at me for that, his gaze softened considerably, “Really? Hmm…I, see.” He waves towards a hall, “Down that hall, the very last door. Now, can you please get out of Mother's…chest.”

I blinked.

Oh yeah. Izanami hasn't let me go yet.

Said Goddess giggles lightly, “Is something the matter, Susa? I put him here after all!”

“Mother…” The God ground out, yet not angrily or annoyed, but legitimately embarrassed.

“Always so easy, aren't you?” Izanami mused, before suddenly snapping out with a hand, and grabbing his ear so fast neither of us saw it.

One moment, she's giggling and smothering me in a couple of nice cold pillows, the next she's pulling the God of Storms and Seas by the ear, a frown flowing down her face.

Said God hissed in pain and no slight amount of actual terror as she pulled him by the ear down to eye level.

“Now, your goons, Susanoo? She began, voice prickly, “Do we need to talk about proper management again?”

“N-No, Mother! Why!? What happened?” He was quick to deny futility.

Though judging by the mirthless smile on her face, and the cold shiver that goes down his spine at it, I figure that's the wrong thing to say entirely.

I, seeing this opportunity for what it is, quickly scamper away in the directions given by the God earlier.

Even as I go, I shiver a little bit, hearing the Storm God's pained dejections of what Izanami says further, albeit, I don't exactly hear what she's getting on his case for.

My guess would be the Shinigami incidents with her Oni.

Poor guy.

Not.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

I sort of expected the Palace of a deity to be more extravagant, despite it being Yomi.

Yet, walking down the dull gray stone halls, those expectations were long gone.

I also expected a fight to break out as soon as I got here, or for Uncle to be much more…aggressive.

Then again, Izanami being there probably helped out a ton.

I seriously doubt me calling him out on his using his godly powers to make his hair blow around alone would have gone well for me.

I'd still do it though. Probably would have sassed the hell out of him too.

It was very tempting to turn around and start doing stuff with Izanami to fuck with him, not going to lie to myself there.

Getting a rise out of people I really shouldn't is my default mode of operation, it seems.

In any event, this hall is very long.

Near the end of it, right around the final door, in fact, something is adorning the walls finally.

Two pictures, portraits.

One man, one…girl?

I don't recognize them, and yet, they feel familiar regardless.

Neither has color, as is standard for this realm, but I can tell what might be their coloration based on the shading.

The man has darker-colored eyes, and white or gray long hair, pulled up in a ponytail behind him.

He's looking toward the portrait's observer with a side eye and a soft frown.

He's kneeling before a fire, making tea it looks like, in the middle of a starless moonless night.

The girl, meanwhile, is the inverse, with dark-colored hair and brighter eyes.

She's hugging a sword sheath with a blade I don't recognize at all, with a big smile on her face, it looks like she's laughing, or maybe in the middle of saying something?

The sky in her picture is probably the brightest color I've seen since coming here, almost white, but not quite.

I stare at the portraits for a few seconds, taking in that information, then shake my head with an amused chuckle.

So Uncle does care, at least enough to have their pictures up, huh?

Enough distractions, time to face the music.

Well, Fallen Dog God, I guess.

I approach and knock on the door.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I call out, “Ikuse? Are you in there?”

No response.

I knock once more, wait a few seconds, and sigh as nothing continues to happen.

Ah well. I've got a bad feeling about this.

I try the door handle, fortunately, it isn't locked, so I open it, and let myself in.

Just as I'm about to apologize for entering, I stop dead in my tracks and simply stare.

This room is incredibly small, a single bedroom sized at most, holding only a bed and a table.

The thing is, there are two people in it.

One, a young man, only a couple or so years older than me.

Then two, an older woman lying in the bed, who I can tell is a soul, a spirit.

Yet, unlike the shades plaguing this realm, this older woman feels thousands of times more alive than any of them.

She's glowing with a soft warm light, her hair and old lady clothes have color, actual, real color.

In contrast, the man is, while I can tell alive, he's not doing so hot.

His skin is unnaturally pale, he looks a little gaunt, and he's clutching the old woman's hand as he lays halfway splayed across the bed.

His lower half, his knees, are on the floor, while his torso and head are on the bed, sideways.

Both seem asleep.

Steadily now, I walk over to the man and look him over.

Even with a Longinus, he still ended up like this because of this place. How long has he even been here?

I kind of hate the idea of waking him up like this, he looks like he needs sleep, but he also needs something to eat and drink, and I need to know what's going on from his point of view.

With that in mind, I tentatively put a hand on his shoulder and shook him.

Then when that didn't work, I shook him harder until he finally stirred, groaning and groggily lifting his head.

With half-lidded eyes, he looked at me, and as he recognized that he didn't recognize me, they widened.

“You…” He stood up, and immediately moved to get in front of the old woman, blocking her from me with his body, “who are you…?” He asked, voice coarse and dry.

I held my hands up placatingly, even took a step or two back, “My name, is Noriaki Kusanagi, Mr. Ikuse. I was sent by one of your friends, Suzaku Himejima, to find you.”

He blinks at that, then relaxes, his body slacking as he grimaces.

“Ah,” he sits down on the bed, slowly, and sighs, “I should have figured they'd send someone eventually…if not come themselves. Or try too, anyhow.”

I chuckle at that, “They almost did, to be fair. Think they are still trying to find a way even after learning their gears won't protect them.”

He gives a small, soft, smile down at the floor, “Sounds about right,” he says wistfully, before looking at me, “I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Lord Kusanagi, without any color around it's kind of hard to tell…” he trails off, quietly.

I merely waved him off, “Don't worry about it, we've got more important things to worry about. Like, no offense, but you look awful.”

He waves me off lightly in turn, “None taken, I'm aware, feel it too. Hell, I haven't been able to sleep since I got here…next to her…” He turns, giving a side-eye glance to the old unwaking woman.

“Well, lucky for you, I brought stuff!” I pull the bag off my shoulder and toss it to him. “Drinks, snacks…not healthy, probably, but better than nothing! Especially since I didn't know how long you were down here. Do you?”

“Ah, well…” He opens the bag up, before scratching his cheek a bit, “not really, no? Sorry.”

I shake my head, “Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out. Talk and eat, pace yourself, tell me everything, how you got here, and whatever this…deal is, you made.”

So he did.

He tells me of the night he worked at the bar when a Shinigami approached him.

Of the deal the Shinigami told him of, of him being pulled into Yomi and wondering for so long, of the storm that led him here, and the deal the Storm God finally offered.

Judging from Earth time, Tobio could have ended up spending anywhere between a few days to a week or longer here, wondering, before he found this place.

Or more accurately was led here.

As for the deal?

“It was…the Ame no Ohabari, for my grandmother's soul…” Tobio slowly divulged after I glared at him for Heaven knows how long.

Fucking. Called it.

“You know that'll kill you, right?” I ask the obvious, to which he merely shrugged and sipped at a bottled tea.

“I know…I'm fine with that.” He sighed, seeing my completely deadpan stare at him.

“Ah, yes, I'm sure the death realm filled with beings that cause people to want to die has nothing to do with that?” I muse, sarcastically.

“It isn't like that, Lord Kusanagi.” He denies, vehemently, “What other choice Is there? He already proved he can get her soul when he wants, I can't just say no.”

“Uh, yeah, you could.” I held up a finger, “You could say no, then kick his ass, make him see what happens when he messes with you and yours, if he even threatens it, even in this state you could it. It'd just be more difficult.”

“And risk him even getting the chance to hurt her? No. Not happening.” He denies it again, with a shake of his head.

“Look,” I start again with a very deep, very annoyed sigh, “I can heal you, maybe, it wouldn't fix you up to 100% probably, but it would help a ton. Make all this a lot easier.”

Tobio turned his head, looking away from me, “I'm…sorry…it wouldn't matter…”

My eyebrow twitched.

Would smacking him over the head really hard fix this? He sounds…depressed. Like he gave up hope for some reason.

Which is odd, because he's doing this all for his grandmother. Or at least he thinks he is, if it isn't just realm fuckery.

So how about this?

“Would your grandmother want you to do this, though?” He froze up as I suddenly continued, “What about your friends? Team Slash/Dog? I heard you had a girl waiting for you…or several. They're waiting for you, you kno–”

“Stop.” He suddenly intoned, coldly, “Just…stop.”

“But–”

“No.” He cuts me off, adamantly, “Listen, I appreciate you coming here for me, for them, but…” he trails off with a deep exhale from his nose.

I click my tongue at that.

Shit.

That usually works, doesn't it? Or it's supposed to!

Well, granted, appealing to emotions like that only really works when the one trying has a connection to the other person.

But we don't know each other. We just met, and he's not all…here, mentally.

Well, guess there's only one thing left to do.

I stand up, suddenly, prompting Tobio to perk up.

“Well, if you're going to be like that,” I intone, “I'll do it.”

“...What.” Tobio uttered, confused, “What do you mean by that?”

“I'll head down and beat my uncle like a redheaded stepchild, that's what I mean.” I huff out, “Real simple, yeah?”

I probably won't win, but I can try, at least.

“What…No, you can't…!” I turn and start walking, waving him off as he stands up.

“Don't worry about it, I'll be fine–”

I stop, raising my head slightly, as a pitch-black blade forms right in front of my throat.

“No…” he continues, “if you do that, he could try and hurt her anyway…I…won't let that…” his voice strains dangerously, “happen.”

Oh?

Well. Perhaps I'll get a chance to knock him right on the noggin after all…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 34 End


Nori really should just go for the sword more often first, huh?

A New Sun Chapter 33

Chapter 33

<~ A New Sun ~ >

Blood oozed from my mouth, a rattling buzz thrumming throughout my chest, the telltale signal of pain.

I'm lucky I can't feel that right now.

Hell, I'm lucky I'll heal from this in general.

I'm just trying to figure out how this happened!

With a grunt, I grasp my sword's hilt and wrench it from my chest, gasping as the wounds, both internal and external, sizzle and heal.

I cough and gasp, hacking out several globs of blood, clearing the way for fresh clean air to finally return.

Huh, I think I might have also punctured a lung there.

“Well now,” I grumble aloud, the Reapers before me going still and silent abruptly, “that was uncouth.”

One of the Reapers snarls, and flies forward, right for me, with a burst of malicious speed and tanto poised at his side.

My aura explodes out around me, wrapping around my form like a cloak as my eyes spin and the world slows.

I can see him clearly, even as he ‘speeds’ towards me.

One slice, one cut, one down.

I breathe, and step forward, ready to meet him before his dagger can even reach its target.

Dance.

My aura pops, and my neck explodes with an almost comedic amount of red, as my blade cuts into its side.

…Huh?

I let go of the hilt just as I realized what I was doing, preventing the blade from even getting near removing my head.

Just for good measure, I grab the blade with a bare hand, letting the buzz from my neck and palm ground me, forcing it to keep me attentive.

A blink later, and I hiss, a gurgling annoyed thing, as a new buzz pierces my chest.

Along with what feels like a needle trying to pierce my very soul.

The grinning form of the Reaper looks down upon me, he cackles once again, twisting the blade in my chest, “So, not even you are immune, hmm Arahitogami?”

My answer?

Spit a glob of blood in his ugly little eyes, and bash my forehead into his nose.

The bargain bin ghost tries to disengage, but I won't let him, grabbing onto his cloak with an iron grip and holding him in place.

In the next instance, light erupts from within my closed fist, the creature screaming in absolute fear and terror at the mere sight of the purifying power.

Despite that, the Reaper lashes out, grabbing onto me as well, holding my arm in place as his friend flies by his side and rams his tanto straight through my wrist.

The light with my fist crackles and sputters out as I lose feeling entirely beyond my waist.

I snarl, a second needle striking my soul, though it has just as little effect as the first.

“You. Will. Die.” Both things intone, a statement, a fact–

The buzz in my neck worsens only a slight fraction before I stop pushing the blade.

Caught it this time, though that was kind of obvious there wasn't it?

Now. Catch this.

My aura races down my arm, increasing the pace by which my grip slides down to the blade’s hilt.

As soon as I grasp it, I swing, fire exploding from the blade as I do.

A wide horizontal arc of fire explodes out swirling around the turn of my blade and into the area around me.

Not a breath, not even a sword form, simply plain old swing at it extra hard.

Yet still, the Reapers screech, their forms evaporating into the same pitch-black smog before my blade and the flames can reach them.

Their daggers remain, however, even as their misty forms bellow up, riding the rising air created by the twister of fire around me.

With my neck healing, I manage a huff as I pull both daggers from my body, stabbing my blade into the ground to do so.

Shortly after they hit the ground, they burst into the same black smog.

Hmm, the wounds made by those daggers are healing slower than normal.

The feeling is returning to my hand, but it's slow, and both openings aren't as quick to shut as they should be.

So the tantos are their version of scythes then, and although they can't seem to pierce my soul, nor my life force for that matter, the blades are still very much necrotic.

Even to me.

Very interesting indeed.

Now if I only wasn't dealing with something as annoying as mental fuckery at the same time!

As the fire putters out around me, I quickly bash my foot into my sword's edge, cutting into its side.

I grip the bottom of the sword's hilt, focusing through the indicator of pain like a lens as I eye my immediate surroundings.

All is quiet.

Far too quiet.

…Where did those oni lolis go?

That thought was immediately answered, as I turned around.

Both girls hadn't moved from where I last saw them.

Except then, they weren't on the ground, their fists caked in blood, with both their faces not looking much better.

I narrow my eyes slightly. They're still alive, albeit barely, but I'm more focused on how they ended up like that.

Their fists, their faces, all the blood…

Did they beat each other to near-death!?

Cackling echoes throughout the area, and my grip on the hilt tightens as my body tenses.

“These two will have to do, I suppose.” One voice calls, sounding nearly disgusted.

The other sighs, or I think it is, they sound exactly the same, “There could be worse hosts. Now shut it, and let's end this brat while we have the chance.”

The black smog falls upon the two onis, soaking into their flesh like water to a sponge.

Wisps of smoke flicker from their bodies, as they abruptly begin moving, twitching.

A twitch here or there at first, then their arms and legs seize and flail, before eventually, they shamble onto their feet, bloody grins etched across their little faces.

“This will do nicely~...” ‘Grapefruit’ extols, summoning a tanto and, of course, licking its blade.

‘Banana’ seems to pout, “I still think these forms are rather…unsightly.” ‘she’ summons ‘her’ dagger shortly after, pointing it at me.

Both still have the same voice, although it is especially freaky coming out of such tiny girls' mouths, I'll admit.

I, audibly, chuckle at the thought.

‘Banana’ blinks at that, “...What's so funny, Arahitogami.”

I wave them both off, snickering, “Nothing, nothing…well, just thinking how, somehow, you're both looking much more scary than before.”

That prompts both the body snatchers to blink before their faces scrunch up in sheer rage.

I scoff at them, “Don't be offended, it's a step up above the same basic, bland, literally copy-paste mook look you two had going on before. Be grateful you two got the upgrades in the first place.”

“Grateful!?” ‘Banana’ cries, indignant.

“Mook!?” ‘Grapefruit’ screeches, somehow more offended.

“Ah, don't like that?” I smirk, amused, “Well, you two should also be glad because I kind of need those two girls around to lead me to Yomi. It means I can’t just tear apart those bodies to get at you Grim Reaper knockoffs.”

Before they can start ranting at my insult, I continue, “Fortunately! I have my way around that. Which leaves only one question…” I pull my sword from the ground, and thus my foot as well, it sizzles as it starts healing.

Then without further ado, I stab myself straight down in the stomach.

But this time, I meant to do it. My body will be its sheath.

The buzz, my mask to whatever mental fuckery is going on here.

I grin, from ear to ear, at the two oni puppets, as the two's faces morph into one of terror.

Aura explodes out and coats my fists, light glittering and sparkling within the honey-gold power.

The world's most deadly boxing gloves? On.

“Do you ever wonder…” I continued, a feral drive to my tone, “Where do Death Gods go when they die?”

With that, I explode forward with movement, the ground beneath and behind me shattering at my takeoff.

My fist meets ‘Banana's’ tanto as it's barely raised in time to stop my downward strike, the aura coating my knuckles stopping the edge from truly cutting skin.

The possessed oni's body creeks as the ground beneath it cracks, struggling to keep my fist from reaching it.

Just a few good hits, or a grab, that's all I need. Merely a medium to transfer my purifying power is all I need.

I can see it, the way they possess bodies, cladding them and smothering their victims’ souls and powers with their own.

They almost act like a suit of armor, in a sense. When I strike, I won't need to worry about harming the girls spiritually. It'll all be blunted by the snatchers after all.

Once I connect, even just a few times, these guys are done, and I think on an intuitive level, they understand that.

That doesn't mean I don't have my own problems to worry about.

My free hand lashes out the side, grabbing the dagger and holding the possessed Grapefruit aloft by extension.

The sheer force of her falling downward swing makes my feet sink into the ground, cracking the immediate area as I had down to ‘Banana’ before.

Though their spiritual powers, Youki, and Youjutsu, may be inaccessible to the body sealers, they still have access to the oni’s natural physical strength and durability.

In fact, I'd hazard to say that they're stronger.

Most likely due to the reapers' higher tier of existence so to speak, being half-gods. Assuming these Reapers are still like the Grim Reapers in that way.

Both ‘Oni’ grit their blood-soaked teeth as they try to push back against me, and in response, I breathe deeply.

Much deeper than I normally do.

I don't get to use this aspect of my power often, or at least it's more active applications, I mostly use it to reinforce my body and assist with my healing factor, as I haven't trained to utilize such abilities with my sword quite yet.

However, utilizing it hand-to-hand is a basic function.

Fiery sparks ripple from my fists, joining my light and aura.

I let ‘Banana’s’ tanto cut through my aura, and strike my fist.

The look of shock, then the flash of triumph across ‘her’ face, came as quickly as it went when the fiery sparks burst from my fist and suffused the dagger.

I murmur, “Overdrive.”

The dagger, promptly, explodes.

It combusts in a flash of black smoke and heat, I catch a glimpse of ‘Banana’ wide-eyed shock and beat red, sunburnt hands before I follow up with a kick straight to the stomach that sends ‘her’ small form reeling and ragdolling back.

Their faces are too damaged to take anymore, but their torso? Legs? Arms? Fair game.

They're Oni. They can take it.

I whirl on ‘Grapefruit’, pulling ‘her’ into the way of my fist as I turn.

Eyes wide and panicking, her dagger suddenly vanishes into black smoke, freeing herself from my grip.

Just as quickly, ‘she’ resummons the blade, only for I to take a step forward, far too into ‘her’ guard for her to block, and hit ‘her’ straight in the chest.

Light dances off my knuckles and lashes at ‘her’ form like lightning, ‘she’ screams, a blood-curdling howl of agony as the force of my blow sends her careening back with no resistance.

The body was twitching and convulsing before it even hit the ground, light sparking around it, black smog rolling and coiling and going back inside and out all over on repeat.

Not enough light in a single strike, hmm?

My head tilts slightly, before my full body turns, dodging a stab aimed at my back from the now standing ‘Banana’.

‘She’ snarls as if a wild beast as I jump over a follow up wild slice, landing with a kick down into the ground.

Fiery sparks lash out from the dirt, exploding out around me in waves, blasting ‘Banana’ back across the ground.

I go low and kick off, gliding close to the ground as I follow after her in a blast of speed.

My fist rakes out, a straight jab aimed for her chest, but gets deflected by ‘her’ dagger, which ‘she’ uses as a shield, batting my hand to the side.

‘She’ followed up with a knuckle sandwich of her own, backed up by Reaper-enhanced Oni strength, right to my cheek.

My eyes spun, and I smiled as I let the blow land, even as I felt my jaw creek at the force.

The force which I seized for myself, and sent down to my legs.

Spinning around, and back by the force of ‘her’ punch, I lash my legs out, in turn taking ‘her’ legs out from under her.

But I'm not down yet, twisting at the same time, I kick up, planting my foot in ‘her’ stomach just as before, but unlike before, the kick sends ‘her’ ragdolling up with a guttural grunt.

My hands push out, hitting the ground, launching me up to follow as my halo flashes into existence behind my back.

I quickly overtake ‘her’ flight speed with my own, blurring ahead of ‘her’ in a streak of light, and appearing in ‘her’ immediate flight path.

I clench my fists tightly, as silvery white light erupts from seemingly every pore upon them, overtaking my aura, and cladding my fists so brightly that my hands can't even be seen beyond the constant sparks, flashes, and crackles.

This should be more than enough.

The small Oni’s face barely had time to twist itself into one horror before my fists came down upon ‘her’ like a divine sledgehammer.

A column of light ruptured the air as the power of my blow sent the body straight back down into the ground, followed shortly after by sound.

A horrible, high-pitched, like nails across a chalkboard, static filled the air.

Banana's body was shaking, quivering, before stiffening as her mouth abruptly opened wide, smog pouring out in waves, crashing upon the light bellowing around them...and quickly being devoured.

I watched as the cloud of smog began being torn to shreds inside the light.

Even as it tried to make a coherent shape, trying to make hands or summon a blade to crawl and slash its way out, it couldn't, the light beating apart any attempt.

It felt like an eternity before the last puffs were finally devoured, and the light dispersed itself with a flash, but I knew it was only a few mesmerizing seconds.

Before all that remained was Banana's body, and a light echoing hum, the death throes of a being who brought death.

I slowly turned toward ‘Grapefruit’, whose mouth hung open, almost like they broke the body's jaw to do it.

Shaking, ‘she’ looks up at me.

“You're. Next.” I state clearly, factually, and calmly.

‘She’ turned and ran.

‘She’ did not get far.

My mouth opened right after, but instead of more words, fire came out.

A jet of flames crashed down from the sky, exploding right in front of ‘her’, quickly cutting off her escape.

I fall from the sky as if a comet, crashing right behind her.

She whirls around, tanto forming mid-swing as she slashes wide through the ensuing dust cloud, trying to get at me.

I bat the blade to the side with one hand, while my free hand lights up with pure bursting silvery-white as I punch down to counter.

Yet, amazingly, despite me being in her guard, ‘her’ small form manages to dodge.

‘Her’ body makes an audible sickening cracking noise as it bends back and to the side unnaturally, my fist soaring past her with barely a few inches in a near miss.

I frown, as a grin filled with manic terror splits across ‘her’ face.

How annoying. Breaking your vessel to try and accomplish what? Inconvenience me if she dies?

‘She’ suddenly pulls back her tanto, before lashing out again with it, stabbing out.

I lean back, out of her small arm’s reach, only for her arm to give a crack and for the limb to hyperextend right as it reaches what should have been its normal maximum range.

Grunting as the blade pierces my abdomen, I reach out, grab the hyperextended arm, and pull ‘her’ right up to me, grabbing and holding onto ‘her’ shoulders tightly to force ‘her’ to still.

“This'll do.” I huff, and with that, my hands explode with light.

My eyes catch the tension in ‘her’ jaw before it happens.

The body's mouth suddenly shoots open, and black smog bursts out like a pilot ejecting from his craft.

Unfortunately, I was prepared.

My hands let go of her shoulders, shooting up just as quickly to grasp the smog and pull, wrenching the cloud from the oni’s body entirely.

That same static screaming fills the air, as my light wraps around the smoke cloud, encapsulating, trapping, and beginning to destroy it.

For good measure, I slam the trapped Reaper into the ground, looking down upon it as it tries to form its body, right in the spot its eyes should be.

“Have fun~!” I ‘wish’ it off, as the cloud turns into puffs, then turns into a bright flash of nothingness.

Now, truly, only the dull echo of static remains.

I sigh, letting out my breath, looking down to see the tanto in my gut crack and turn to straight-up ash.

With those two gone, I pull my sword from my stomach, patting the wounds as they sizzle and heal with a satisfied hum.

Sheathing my sword properly upon my back, I then turn to the two oni loli’s, wincing as I see the damages, especially to Grapefruit.

I decided to update mentally that those Reapers are very annoying little shits. Possession, some sort of mental death wish power, soul-cutting knives…yikes.

It's balanced by the fact they don't seem as powerful as normal Grim Reapers, but then again, those two could have just been weaker ones of the species.

It's not like I'd know how strong a normal Grim Reaper is anyway, never fought one.

Looking at the two oni lolis, I also don't think I've had to heal so much damage on someone else before.

Hell, I don't think I've ever tried healing someone before at all!

Well. First time for everything I suppose?

To start, though.

I walk over to Grapefruit, grab her very dislocated arm, and start trying to beat it back in place.

…It's at times like this when I wish I had access to the See-Through World, but I haven't mastered my mark enough to utilize it yet.

So, trial and error it is!

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

There was much trial and error before I finally fixed the girl's arm.

Thank all eight million plus deities in the world that Oni are tough bastards, and could take me slapping the shit out of them.

Otherwise, the poor girl might have a whole broken arm by the end of it.

Due to the fact I couldn't see into her body though, I couldn't tell how it was broken so the Reaper could dodge my attack that one time, so I just had to hope that would fix itself when I healed her.

Speaking of.

I ended up using Ripple, the fiery sparking energy I used against the Reapers earlier, to heal them.

I don't trust my light to not try and exorcize them on the spot, and it's also very slow even when it works on the whole life thing.

Ripple, on the other hand, specifically fucks up undead and adjacent beings, which means the girls should be safe.

It took some time, even with Ripple being the speedier healing option, but now I sit against a tree with two mostly healed, I think, oni lolis leaning into my sides.

Huh. That sounds like the start of a hentai.

I stare off into the horizon of this spiritual realm, knowing I am truly lost at that thought.

Luckily, my self-pity session is cut short by grumbles and groans coming from both of my sides.

“Ugh~...what happened…?” Banana mumbled out.

“The Shinigami happened…” Grapefruit responded with a pained huff, before finally turning slightly and seeing who she was leaning against, “...Ah.”

“Hnnghh, so that's why the last thing I remember was you suddenly punching me in the face, you…” she turned as well, “...hi?”

I wave to them both, “Hey. Do you two feel okay?”

“It feels like someone dropped a mountain on my back.” Grapefruit deadpanned.

Banana snorts at that, “Whatcha talking about sis, that's a great time!”

Grapefruit rolls her eyes, “An upside-down mountain.” She clarified.

Banana winces, “Yeesh, okay, yeah, not as good then.”

“How would either one be good?” I muse aloud.

Banana waves me off, “It's an Oni thing, don't worry about it. So!” She sits up, getting eye level with me, “You take out those utensil wielding shit heels?”

“Yeah,” I waved her off in turn, “they weren't too big a deal, even after they tried to use your two's bodies as meat shields.”

Both girls shiver deeply at that.

We got possessed!?” Banana shouted, disgusted, “Ew! Ewewewew!! Sis! Where's the nearest lake!”

Grapefruit pointed a shaking finger, and Banana promptly ran off, screaming and gagging all the while until a resounding splash silenced her.

“Is…she gonna be alright?” I ask, mildly concerned and amused in equal measure.

Grapefruit nods slowly, “She’ll be fine, it's just, being possessed by a being of death, when you know what that taint is like…it isn't pleasant.” She then smiles slowly, “Thank you for your concern, and for not finishing us off when you could have, young master.”

I shrug, “Kind of needed you two around still, and also…several other reasons I don't wanna list right now.” Then, I blink, “Young Master?” I parrot.

She nods, a smile across her face, “Lady Izanami is your grandmother, so that makes you a Young Master, and us very appreciative~...”

“Oi.” I deadpan, “Those hands go any lower, I'll blow your back out with fire instead of a mountain.”

This entire time, she's been clinging ever so slightly tighter, and her hands have been damn near caressing my chest and abdomen.

She pouts at that, “Come on~ Young Master! We haven't had a man in…a really, really, long time…” she whines like a petulant child.

“Eh?” Banana chooses that time to come back, completely soaked and dripping everywhere, “We talking about fucking? I mean, I guess he's earned it. Though I still won't forgive you for what you said about big sis earlier, jerk!” She points at me. “Speaking of! I need to beat you up for that! Fight me!”

I can feel Grapefruit wiggle her eyebrows at me as I sigh, deeply.

“I don't have time for this.” I state, sitting up, Grapefruit gasping as I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her with me.

“Hey! What do you think you're- EEHH!?” I, of course, do the same to Banana, cutting her off.

Briefcase lolis, acquired.

“Now,” I huff, “the Entrance to Yomi, guide me.”

Banana flails around in my grasp, trying, and failing horrendously to wrench my hold on her waist, “Hnnghhh! Hnnnghhhh!!!”

“If you resist, I'll uproot a tree, and spank you with it.” I add dully.

Banana immediately goes still, “...please don't spank me.” She mutters, all of a sudden way too softly and way too quietly.

I raise an eyebrow to that, just before Grapefruit chimes in, “She actually likes being spanked!”

“E-Eh!? Big sis!!” Banana cries out, betrayed.

“Mhmm, mhmm,” Grapefruit nods, and then continues, “she also acts like a loud obnoxious brat all the time, hoping some big strong exorcist will come along and, ahem, purify her~...”

“T-That's not true! Don't listen to her! Please!” Ah, now she sounds like she's about to cry.

My eyebrow twitches, my aura leaking from my form slightly.

“The Entrance to Yomi,” I say again, calmly, “now.”

Both girls squeak at that, before Grapefruit quickly pipes up again, “Down the path! I'll tell you when to diverge!”

I nod and start jogging, straight down the only dirt path nearby.

Finally, we're getting somewhere. Literally.

Though knowledge of the Shinkai, the World of the Kami, is rather limited, there are a few things I have parsed together.

For one, the place is a mirror to the modern mundane era, sans special exceptions such as Shrines, the World of the Kami is a return to an endless sprawl of nature.

This is why a dirt path being here is odd, especially as I reach its end, with it being cut off and consumed by the sprawl of foliage around us.

I look down at Grapefruit, eyebrow raised.

“Ah, take a step or two forward, then a sharp right.” She starts, “Through the foliage, don't stop until you reach the mountain's base.”

And so I did as such.

“How did the entrance end up so…buried?” I muse aloud.

“The one who used to take care of it stopped showing up.” Grapefruit answered, voice downtrodden.

Banana huffed at that, “You mean he abandoned it, just like he abandoned everyone everywhere? Just like he abandoned the boss at first!?”

“Sister.” Grapefruit says sternly, shaking her head slightly, “Enough of that.”

Banana huffs, crossing her arms and looking away.

Abandoned Izanami first, huh?

Izanagi. My grandpa on the Kami side of things.

“Anyone know where he went?” I hazard to ask.

Grapefruit shakes her head solemnly, “Unfortunately, no. He's been gone a long, long time…he left even before the wars with the pantheons from the continent.”

“Lucky bastard,” Banana seethed, “if people did know, I'd be the first to show up and ram his divine spear up his ass.”

Grapefruit sighed in exasperation, and I decided to leave the conversation there before Banana blew a blood vessel.

So on the journey went.

I reached the mountain base and was then told to run around it, heading left.

Until eventually, I ran into a hole in the side of the mountain.

Not a natural one, mind, but what looked like some blew into the side of the mountain with C4.

Grapefruit grimaced, “The last one to take this way to Yomi was Lord Susanoo, but uhm, he couldn't fit into the crevice leading the cavern. So he…yeah.” She waved to the divine made entrance, Banana cackling all the while, while I rolled my eyes at my uncle doing his thing.

Regardless, I step through, and into the cavern.

Although to be fair, it's more like a…hall, than a naturally made cave.

Although covered in moss, and vines, and chipped to all hell and back, I could see markings and drawings layering the path forward.

There was even text, it looked Japanese, but also…not?

Old Japanese, perhaps. Or maybe it was whatever language Izanagi spoke. A primordial tongue?

Whatever it is, trying to focus on the proto-kanji makes my head buzz.

I'll leave that for now.

Eventually, the hall opens up into a supermassive chamber.

So massive that it felt like I suddenly stepped out into the middle of a completely hollow supermall.

Yet, despite that size, it's needed to house the titanic rock sitting at the end of the chamber.

Covered in moss, proto-kanji, and layered with several dozen ropes, it merely sat there.

Menacingly.

“Holy shit.” I mutter, my eyes widening rapidly.

This thing could crush city blocks, it was that huge!

“So do I just,” I put the two girls down, and stretch, give my fingers a good crack as I do, “like, push it really hard…or?”

Grapefruit chuckles, “Oh no, nothing like that. If you really are who you say you are, all you need to do is go up and ask him.”

Him?

The Rock?

The rocks a deity?

You know what, thinking about it, how else would you trap a primordial Goddess of Creation somewhere?

“Well, alright then?” I oblige, unsure, yet walk right up the massive stone anyway.

Seriously, Ibaraki’s true form looks like a baby next to this thing. How did Izanagi get it in here?

Shaking my head of those thoughts, I place a hand against the rock.

“Uh, hey? Rock…guy? Would you mind letting me through?” I ask, tentatively.

For a second, nothing happens.

Then I stagger back as what sounds like a bell chiming radiates from the rock, followed by golden white light erupting from proto-kanji symbols across its surface.

One by one, they light up, before the entire stone turns into a miniature star.

By which, just beyond it, through the translucent glow, I spot a hole. A normal-sized hole, hilariously enough.

A normal-sized hole, seeping with a darkness I can't see through.

I turned back to the oni lolis, “You two coming this way?”

Banana shakes her head, “Nah, we got our own, much faster, way back! That only we can use! Jerk!” She sticks her tongue out at me.

“We will probably be seeing each other again, however,” Grapefruit adds with a sly smile, “we do have to report to the Lady that the Shinigami did something naughty again.”

I chuckle at that, “Right, right…I'll be seeing you lot again then. Until then!” I wave them off.

Maybe the next time I see them, one of them will be less horny.

“Ah…we just have to introduce him to the others, don't we~?”

“...Always a sex thing with you big sis, why don't you get laid more?”

“I'm trying!”

…Somehow, I doubt it though.

Listening to the two bickering in the background, I walk off, through the glowing veil.

In a sense, I'd compare the feeling to passing through the film into the Shinkai, but more…slimy? No, thicker is better. It's like trudging through a swamp.

I have to work a bit for every step, but it's much easier than trying to lift the whole darn rock, I'd imagine.

But soon enough, I soldier through, not even hesitating to step straight into the darkness.

And promptly began falling.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 33 End


Guess who finally made it, huh? Also, Nori reminding everyone he's got Ripple. I think he's only used it like...once, actively, and that was when he fought Tsubaki.

I cut a segment where he used it against JD, punched him straight in the face with it, but otherwise? Doesn't get much use.

When the Vampires start pulling shit, it'll definitely get a lot more use there, but otherwise it's gonna be a pretty sporadic thing.

At least until he can channel it actively into his sword without risking it exploding.

A New Sun Chapter 32

Chapter 32

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

“Aww! Suza-chan was here?” Kuroka sat there, pouting, crossing her arms, and puffing out her cheeks, “You should have invited her up! We could have done the thing together, nyah~!”

Koneko, whilst lying there on the bed, simply deadpanned at her older sister, “...I'd rather not…whatever that thing is. Still can't feel my legs.”

“You get used to it, nyah~!” Kuroka happily informed her sister with a smirk.

Much to said little sister's grumbling.

I meanwhile, snorted at the two's antics.

Suzaku didn't stay long after I got her talking. I couldn't tell if it was embarrassment at the whole breaking down in front of me over some guy, or eagerness for me to go find him that did it in the end.

Probably both.

The point is, that she left feeling much better than when she walked in.

Hell, probably left feeling much better than she had in days.

In return, I learned some stuff about Tobio.

Well, not directly, but I can read between the lines well enough when most of what I got was Suzaku talking about Tobio's harem antics.

The harem antics he very clearly didn't, and still doesn't, want.

Poor guy. Apparently, he still hasn't locked down Sae and told the others to fuck off.

Suza knows he doesn't love the others, love her, like Sae, yet they still try anyway.

He's been using university as an excuse, which is just…why?

Needless to say, when I get down there, I'm slapping him, or making his grandma do it.

If she's down there, that is.

Boys got to step up, nab that childhood friend, and close the rest of those doors already if he doesn't want them open.

Four years, four fucking years.

Shaking my head of those rather infuriating thoughts, I plop myself down right between my two cat girls and begin scratching their ears idly.

“Nyah~!” Kuroka clambers over to my side, rubbing herself against me.

“Nyan~...” Koneko purrs, not moving an inch, yet a light flush blossoms across her face along with a small smile.

Honestly, I have half a mind to tell these two about what I learned from Suza about Tobio and his relationship ‘status’, but that would feel a tad too mean for simple venting.

Even though it would be hilarious hearing Koneko call Tobio a pussy.

Eh. Maybe after the poor dog man gets laid. Then it's fair game.

Also, Koneko needs to catch up on a lot of what I do, I think. Starting that conversation by talking shit about a potential friend probably isn't a great idea.

Think I'll just leave Kuroka to catch Koneko up after I leave for Yomi.

My eyebrow unconsciously twitches at that.

I'll leave Uzume to do it.

Much better.

In the meantime, though.

“Alright you two, here's the thing.” I start, causing both of them to perk up, “I've got to head down to Yomi because my uncle may have made a fucky wucky, and I'm not too sure how long I'll be gone, so!” I glance between the two, “Is there anything I need to do with you two before I head out?”

Koneko blinked at that, “Fucky…wucky?” She parroted, befuddled.

Kuroka, meanwhile, held up a finger with a mischievous smile, “There's a joke to be made here about how you blew out our backs, then almost immediately ran down to the Underworld, you nyah that Nori-kun~?”

“We can go again, and I can remove the almost there if you want.” I immediately answer, deadpaning back at her.

That garners a pleading, continuous shaking of the head from Koneko, whose eyes widened at that idea.

Kuroka huffed, seeing her sister's reaction, “Hmph! No fun! Nyah~!”

“Legs.” Koneko bit out in turn.

“Point.” She conceded, “But still!”

Koneko then promptly ignored her, instead turning to me, “I missed school today, and I don't exactly feel like going tomorrow either, what with…you know.”

I chuckle as she blushes, and I pat her on the head.

“Don't worry, I'll give the Student Council and your King a call, tell them what's going on.” I assure her.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed, “...senpai, what exactly are you going to tell them.”

“The truth? What else?” I say with a smile.

Koneko's eyebrow twitched. “Please don't.”

“I'll do it right before I head out, promise~!”

“Senpai.”

I chuckle, pulling her against my side, “Alright, alright. I'll make something up, but you know Rias will suspect something regardless, right?”

She huffed at that, idly wrapping her arms around my waist, holding onto me.

“I'll deal with that when it comes to it, I guess.” She grumbled.

Ah, the classic ‘I'll let future me deal with it’, works every time.

A pair of slender arms wrap around my neck, as Kuroka leans against me, her head on my shoulder and my arm pressed in between her cleavage.

“I suppose I can't convince you to let me join you?” She asks softly.

“Nope.” I state resolutely, “You know why.”

Kuroka sighs but doesn't fight me on it. Although I do feel Koneko looking up at us, an eyebrow slightly raised.

Looking down at her, I add.

“Speaking of, we did a thing, Kuroka will tell you about it later…if you can't already sense it, that is.”

Kuroka shot me a look of betrayal.

I sent her a smug smirk back.

Her not being a Reincarnated Devil anymore…it's not something I plan on advertising quite yet.

Though the process is mostly Kuroka specific for right now, the world doesn't know that.

If it gets out, it wouldn't shock me if I had a Devil hit squad knocking on my door the next night.

But, telling Koneko, who would be able to sense the change with Senjutsu anyway, is fine.

Going to have to keep her away from Magari for now though, or any other Youki skilled in Senjutsu.

In any case, I was planning on telling Koneko about Kuroka’s change myself actually, but then everything with Koneko happened, and Kuroka was halping…so, yeah, she can do it.

You reap what you sow, black cat.

Koneko narrowed her eyes at the two of us, before they suddenly widened, her mouth gaping slightly.

Ah, she senses it now, doesn't she?

“Big sis, you…” Koneko started, disbelieving.

“For the record,” I chuckled lightly, “she went through with it so she could have kittens easier.”

“Never mind.” Koneko deadpanned, tone doing a complete one-eighty, “I should have seen that coming.”

“Nyah!?” Kuroka cried out, “Shirooonee! Why do you sound so disappointed!?”

“Because my older sister is a useless, perverted, horni neko who can't stop thinking about being bred for five minutes.” Koneko stated, plainly yet resolutely.

Damn, she went straight for the throat, huh?

“W-Well! You'll understand when you're my age! N-Nyah!” Kuroka rebuffed, weakly.

Deciding to throw Kuroka a bone, or I guess a cat toy in this case, I smile, and start reaching over to Koneko.

“Hn? Senpa– Nyan~!?” Koneko suddenly gasps, as I land my hand firmly on her behind, “S~Senpai~...” Koneko shudders out.

“On the contrary, Kuroka, I think Koneko here already gets you pretty damn well~...” I disagree huskily.

Kuroka gives a smug smirk, as Koneko shudders out a moan when I cop a feel.

So of course, I reach around the black cat, and grasp a handful of her breasts, coping a feel and pulling the same reaction from her as well.

Horni cat girls indeed, my horni cat girls.

I don't want to let go. But, unfortunately, I've got stuff to do.

Hopefully, the quicker I deal with this, I can get more time to do more normal things before the next big event the world decides to throw at me.

Like finishing my bloody swordsmanship style, for one.

I know I could technically keep up this pace forever, as I don't truly need rest per se, but it would be nice.

Here's hoping…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Following all that, I managed to coax the girls into getting proper nonsex coma-induced rest, while I went to find wherever Uzume had wandered off to.

I ended up finding her in one of the few structures that had a modern oddity, that being a copper roof over one made of wooden shingles.

Before entering the small building, I stopped right at the door, furrowing my brow.

Now that I'm so close, I sense not only Uzume's power, but another's as well, although it is very weak.

Uzume masks it almost completely.

But I recognize it regardless, even though I have only sensed it a few times.

My mother's power.

With a foreboding sigh, I push open the doors and enter.

Yet stop once more a mere few steps inside as I see…something I didn't suspect whatsoever.

In the center of the small almost chamber-like room is a small raised rectangular stand, with enough room to maybe fit a similar sized small box on top of it.

Instead of a box, though, it held a picture frame and incense.

A very familiar-looking picture frame and incense set, with a certain Kami kneeling before it in silence.

I clear my throat all of a sudden, “Uzume?”

“EEP!?” Said Kami nearly leaped where she sat, whirling around to face me, “O-Oh, Nori…Hiii…?” She greeted me weakly.

I deadpanned down to her, “You know, you could at least have told me you moved him…” I stated, walking over and sitting right beside her, “Would have been nice.”

I did take time to at least pay my respects every once in a while but haven't gotten the chance to do it for a bit.

She looked down at that, “S-Sorry…I was going to, but, well…”

“I've been busy, yeah?”

“Y-Yeah.”

I wave her off with a shake of my head, “Don't worry about it. This is as good of timing as any, considering where I'm about to go.”

Uzume looked back at me, incredulously, “You…accepted to go?”

“Course’ I did.” I scoffed, “I owe her one, and the guy I'm looking for is a pretty good dude, supposedly.”

For a second, Uzume simply stared at me, before sighing and facing back toward the picture with a soft smile, “Of course, of course. So, are you heading out tonight?”

“No, I'm headed out in the morning.” I scratch the back of my head, “Beyond it kind of being a dick move to the cat girls to leave so soon, heading to the entrance of ‘The Land of Darkness’ during the night time sounds like a frankly terrible idea.”

Uzume chuckled lightly at that, “Day or night on Earth doesn't affect Yomi, but I can see the logic…it being day would certainly help you trying to get in, as I doubt the guard at the boulder would let you in.”

I blink at that, “Wait. The entrance to Yomi is legitimately blocked by a big ass rock?”

“Mhmm,” Uzume hummed and nodded at that, “and Raijin and half a dozen or so female oni, which is the main threat, but the boulder is also there.” She adds matter-of-factly.

“Raijin.” I parrot, “The Thunder Kami?”

Uzume nods once more, a small smile on her face.

I simplify my thoughts on that with a single word.

“Fuck.”

Uzume, promptly, bursts out into giggles, “Ah, don't worry about him…Susan doesn't like Raijin all too much, so he's rarely around. It's mostly just the oni you'll have to worry about.”

Oh, thank fuck for that. Oni, I can deal with perfectly fine.

Also, Susan? Hah! I'll remember that if I need to piss off the guy for some reason.

“Even then, they shouldn't do much besides try to chase you away,” Uzume continues with a smile, “not like they could even manage that.”

“True,” I agree, “though I just now realized I don't think I've properly met a female oni before…” I muse aloud.

There had to be some on Mt. Oe I just didn't notice, right?

“Much like how male nekomata are rare, so too are female oni,” Uzume shrugs, before giving me the side eye, “you better not try anything with them, you. Female oni are kind of like grasshoppers when it comes to mating.”

“I'm not as horny as you, I'll be fine.” I wave her off with a small smile.

Uzume darted her eyes forward, a red hot blush spreading across her cheeks as she zipped shut her mouth.

I would lay into her more, like about how I know she was watching me and the cat girls all day, but here and now? In this position?

No. Not now. Later.

As I stared at his picture, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“When I head down, will I see him?” I ask just as suddenly.

Uzume stiffened.

For a long moment, absolute silence reigned.

Then, begrudgingly, Uzume said, “I…hope not.”

Huh?

“Huh?” I turned to her, an eyebrow raised.

“Ah!? That sounds bad, um!” Uzume stammered, “See, of course, I hope you meet him…someday, somehow, but not in Yomi. A man like him deserves far better than that!”

Ah, okay, that makes sense. Jeez girl, think before you speak yeah?

Yet, I furrow my brow, “There's elsewhere he could have gone? I thought Yomi was the only afterlife for the purely Shinto?”

“Technically speaking, it is,” Uzume bit her lip, unsure, “but there are…other places to go. Yomi, to be Abrahamic about it, is more like Limbo. But there are places that can be considered a Heaven of Hell for good and bad souls respectively.”

I have vague recollections about some realm or land located across the sea in some myth somewhere, but I doubt that's what she's talking about.

With a grimace, Uzume continued, “We didn't always have something like that. But, then Hades came to power and started making demands…pissed off Susan something fierce back then,” she sighs, despondently, “especially since we can't exactly do what more modern beliefs dictate…let spirits wander for thirty-something years, trying to ‘help’, it…wouldn't go so well.”

With a cough, Uzume cleared her throat, “Anyway! Yeah, he shouldn’t have gone there, I hope. If your father is in Yomi, trust me, you wouldn't want to see him like…that. He wouldn’t be him anymore.”

I nod, slowly turning back to face the memorial, “I'll take your word for it, then.”

“Hey.” A hand suddenly grasps my shoulder, stopping me, and as I look back, I take in an…interesting sight.

Uzume looked at me, her normally amethyst eyes glowing with a dangerous amber light.

Gone is the blush, a blank, almost dead look on her face.

“If you do, see him down there?” Her hand squeezes my shoulder ever more tightly, “When you get back…do tell. I would like to have words with Susanoo then.”

I raise an eyebrow slowly at her, “...you seriously think he wouldn't beat your ass black and blue?”

The light in her flickers for a moment, before intensifying as she intones, “Nah, I'd win.”

I stared at her.

It took everything in my power not to burst out laughing.

And I still failed.

“Snnnrrrcckkkk!!!” I wheezed out like a man desperate for breath.

“Eh?” Uzume tilted her head, the light suddenly gone, “H-Hey hey hey! Are you laughing!”

My answer to that is to promptly collapse on the floor, holding my stomach as I laugh hysterically.

“Umu!” Uzume pouts, puffing out her cheeks, “I'm a Kami, a Goddess, you know! I can fight! I fought in the Great War! Kind of?”

“Haaaahhhhhh!!!”

“Mmm!!” She seethed, “Okay! Fine!” She throws up her hands, “I'd tell Ama, then she'd kick his ass! Better?”

“Hnnn…” I slowly sit back up, chuckling, “And more realistic? Yeah. Much.” I reach over, patting her on the head, “Sorry about that extreme reaction, Uzui, it's just…” I snicker, “You referred to something there, a really good reference, right then.”

“Eh? A reference?” Uzume huffed, “Was it an anime reference?”

“Yup.”

“Mmmm!!!” She seethed further, “You and Ama are like that, you two little…” she mumbled and grumbled off.

“Oi.” I deadpanned at her, “First, taller than you, second…” I decided to give her an out, “speaking of her, coming here, I sensed her power. But I don't see any sign of her. What's up with that?”

Uzume perked up, and took it.

“Ah? That's probably because this building used to be where they stored her Mirror during coronation ceremonies.” She informed me, “Although it has been a long time since it was last here, I know her divine armament is powerful, but to be able to sense it so long after the fact…” she trailed off.

“Well, I can't sense it.” She adds, “Maybe you can because you're you?”

My lips twitch at that, “Most likely, yeah.” I stood back up, bowing to the picture frame, “Sorry you had to watch all…that.” I spoke out apologetically, “Truly don't get how you dealt with her for so long, Dad.”

“H-Hey!! Nooori!!” Uzume cried out.

I snicker as I turn around and head out.

At the door, I stop and turn to look at her once more, “Also. Uzume?”

“H-Hmm?” She sniffles.

“If he is down there, you wouldn't need to worry.” I state, “I'd kick my uncle's ass myself for it.”

“E-Eh?” She murmured in shock, “Noriaki…”

I shoot her a smile, as I wave her off, “Be seeing you.”

“R-Right…” I catch a glimpse of a smile stretched across her face as I fully make my exit.

Don't need to know the man personally to hear about him from others, hear how shit Yomi is, and decide the same thing as Uzume.

Although I do hope it doesn't come to that.

I know I'd lose after all.

Heh. Still wouldn't stop me from trying, though.

Now then, if I recall correctly, eating the food in Yomi…or any Underworld is a bad idea.

I don't need to eat, but assuming I run into Tobio, and he's alive…then depending on how long he's been down there, he's probably starving assuming he's not an idiot.

So, stock up on some snacks, water, the works, and then the next stop?

Yomotsu Hirasaka, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

As soon as morning came, and my cat girls woke up, I bid them a proper farewell.

Not by blowing out their backs again. Koneko could walk again and begrudgingly declined, much to her pouting older sister.

Still, with kisses and a bag of nutritious and healthy snack foods, I set off.

Now, in most cases, I would take a train, maybe a bus. Enjoy the journey and all that, and see the sights.

The problem is, I don't even know how much time I have before I have a very dead dog boy on my hands.

So. Zooming it is.

Utilizing the power of Google Maps and flight, I crossed to the other side of the nation in record time.

And I'll admit, watching Maps flip its shit at my speed and try to recalculate the best path to my destination every seven seconds got a good chuckle or two out of me.

Truly, the greatest piece of technology ever to exist.

They ought to make a supernatural version at some point.

Regardless, in Shimane Prefecture I went, specifically to its capital city, Matsue City.

I've never been here before, never even heard of the place, truth be told.

It's not like Kyoto or Tokyo, you know about those even in the West.

But this city holds something very special within its bounds, much like the cities Japan is much more well known for.

Something…supernatural.




Although at first glance, you wouldn't be able to tell.

A simple pathway leading to the site, where a large stone monument said to be the Rock of Senbiki…the boulder that Izanagi put in place to block the entrance to Yomi, sat.

The path is marked by a single shime Torii gate, one of the simple ones, made of two wood posts with a rope and shimenawa, connecting either of them from top to top.

Which I stand before now.

Even without entering the Realm of the Kami, I can feel the power radiating off Izanami's Shrine, which isn't too far from where I stand.

I'll be honest, I expected something…darker, than what I sensed.

It's got that twisted, repugnant, tainted essence to it, I expected that, and it makes my entire being recoil feeling it.

But at the same time…I don't know how exactly to describe it.

Maybe non-malicious is the right word? Despite it feeling as if actual death is staring at me, it isn't violent death.

More like the cold, reassuring certainty, that all beings do die, and not to worry over that fact.

Huh. Yeah, that does it.

I shake my head, not letting my thoughts wander any longer.

It's time to go.

I step through the Torii Gate.

The familiar sensation of passing through a film greets me before I enter the other side and–

My instincts scream at me.

I barely have time to blink, but my arm moves by itself as soon as I fully go through.

The air shatters and thunders, as my aura-coated hand catches and stops a club aimed straight at my face.

I'm already reaching for my sword to lash out in a counterattack, but stop myself as I suddenly hear laughter…from further away.

“Heeheehee!! See, see! I told you he'd stop it!” A very young girl's voice calls out, “But did you listen? Naaahhh! Heh!”

“I! Can! See! That!” Another one, this time right in front of me, calls back, her voice straining, “Oi! Boy! Let go of my club! It's the only one I have left!”

I decided not to let go of her club.

Also, boy?

Really?



Really?



Before me, trying desperately to wrench her club out of my hand, is a yellow-haired oni loli with a matching getup.

Behind her, sitting on a tree smugly, a purple-haired oni loli wearing…nearly nothing beyond a completely open robe.

Which is covering her arms, and that's about it.

Each girl sports two horns, interestingly enough, and they seem fully capable of speaking normally.

Yet, from what I sense, they aren't that strong. Maybe High Class a piece?

Still…

My thoughts are interrupted, as the yellow-haired one suddenly cries out once more, “Are you even listening to me!?”

Idly, I respond with a simple, “No.”

“Wha!? You!” She reels back her fist.

My eyes activate.

She's…very slow.

And her form is shit.

I sigh, lashing out with a kick to her gut before her fist even makes it halfway to me.

She gets flung back, rolling backward into the tree her smug and now chuckling companion sat upon with a plain thud.

I dropped her club to the ground, now free of her hands as it was, as she stood up, stomping her foot against the ground like an enraged bunny.

“Hnnghhh!! That's it! I'm gonna eat ya! Get over here!” Yellow immediately tried to leap for me, points for tenacity I suppose, only to be stopped as Purple reached down and grabbed her ankle mid-air.

She hit the ground, face, and horns first, a second later.

With a sigh, Purple leaped from the tree, landing next to her downed companion, and patting her on the head.

“Now now, sister, be calm. This guest of ours isn't someone you can eat, scare off, or kill, I'm afraid.” She states, disappointingly.

Why are eat and kill two separate things, by the way?

“So, I'm afraid we'll have to take a different approach~!” She continues with a sultry grin toward me that says she isn't afraid at all.

Ah, hell no, I ain't into lolis!

I send her a deadpan stare back, as I ask, completely out of nowhere, “Aren't there supposed to be eight of you?”

That gives Purple pause, for a second, “Ah, right, that myth…what, think we aren't enough for you big man~?”

Oh grandmother, kill me now.

Yellow sits her head up, spitting the dirt out of her mouth before she starts, “For the record! Our other sisters are on break right now! We take turns guarding the entrance, two at a time! Boss treats us well! Haven't you ever heard of proper working conditions before!?”

Fuck me that's hilarious.

Wait, no, don't actually fuck me.

“Well, regardless,” I continue, doing my level best to ignore Purple as she tries to pull a Kuroka with her robe and non-existence bust, “I expected something different when I heard of demon hags or female oni.”

Purple scoffed at that, stopping her robe from completely dropping, “We can shapeshift, of course. But we sisters prefer these forms.”

“Yeah!” Yellow backs up, “The Boss says we look real cute! What else did you expect!?”

“Not a couple of lolis.” I intone dully.

At that, both girls go, “Eh?”

“Yeah. You heard me. Lolis.” I huff out, “Now, you!” I point to Purple, “Pull that robe up, you got nothing to show and I'd rather you keep it that way!”

“H-Hey!” Purple shouted, legitimately offended.

“Oi!” Yellow pointed back, “Don't you talk to big sis like that!”

I narrow my eyes at her, “I'll bash your head so hard with your club you'll grow a third horn if you don't stop yelling, hear me brat!?”

“Eh!?” She yelped, grabbing onto Purple, trying to hide behind her, but well…lolis.

Both are too small for that.

I stalk over to them, making sure my eyes are spinning, and my aura leaking slightly as I do.

Both shiver as they behold me, looking up as I tower over them.

“Names.” I simply state.

Both yelp as I speak, Purple manages to form words first.

“U-Um…I am–”

“Grapefruit Loli.” I cut her off, filling in the rest for her.

“...huh?” She quivered out.

I nod, “Grapefruit Loli.”

“B-But…that's not even the right color!” She tries to deny me, but I'm already ignoring her, pointing at Yellow.

“Banana Loli.” I state.

Newly named Banana nods, fervently, to that.

Good.

“B-But! But!” Grapefruit continues to try and deny me, but I glare down at her, and she promptly zips it.

Double good, now then.

“You two are going to show me how to get to Yomi.” I command.

“Eh!?” They both cry out before Banana continues, terrified, “We can't do that! The Boss will get real mad! Really mad!”

I roll my eyes at that, “I'm sure Susanoo–”

“N-Not, Lord Susanoo.” Grapefruit interjects, “Lady Izanami…” she corrects.

That gives me pause, and makes a lot more sense than Susanoo, Mr Storm Rage Incarnate, giving good working conditions and hours.

Still funny with Izanami though.

I think for a second, before asking, “Would she still be mad if you two were just leading her grandson to Yomi so he could see her?”

“Grandson?” Both Oni girls tilt their heads at that.

I sigh, deeply.

“When was the last time you two picked up a phone?”

Banana chimes in, frowning, “What's a phone?”

“Where do you lot even go for a break then!?” I ask incredulously.

Because there's no way it's not in the normal, mundane world then!

Grapefruit answers that one, “Ah, there's a version of Mt. Oe in Yomi that we turned into a super gigantic hot spring resort…”

Both girls stare off into the distance with longing at the mention of it.

Okay, that sounds pretty sweet.

But, how to get my original point across?

…Would flashing the full extent of my aura do it?

I think that should do, no?

The two girls' attention is suddenly snapped away as I let my boiling aura burst out from within, out into the world uncontained.

Both simultaneously recoil in shock at the action, their eyes wide and quivering as they behold the pillar of honey light around my form.

“Lady…Amaterasu…?” Grapefruit mutters breathlessly.

“Not quite,” I answer, “one step down the family tree. I'm her son, with a human. An Arahitogami.” Both pale more than they already are at that, “Get what I'm saying now?”

Grapefruit nods quickly, “Y-Yes, yes! Um! The Lady would love to meet you…she's only had the company of that meathead for so long, so…yes, that would be good for her.”

Huh.

Looks like I'm not the only one not getting visits.

My aura calms significantly as I reel it in, “Well, I would love to meet her if you would?”

I do mean that. Beyond just nabbing dog man, visiting family is always nice.

And hey? Grandpa was nice on one side of the family, maybe I can go two for two?

“W-Well…” Grapefruit cleared her throat, as Banana hid behind her more, or tried to anyhow, “there's just one little problem with that?”

“Hmm?” I hum out, “What's wrong?”

Grapefruit points behind me.

With an eyebrow raised, I turn.

Then stand there, almost gaping, as I behold two more people…no, corpses, twitching in place right in front of the gate I came in from.

They look ready to fall over, with blood seeping from several open wounds, guts halfway falling out of their bodies, and one even has an eye popped out, barely held to the skull by a small tendon of meat.

What the fuck.

I draw my sword and take a step forward without uttering a word.

I can't sense them, whatever they are. Are they Undead? They look like it! But how did they get in here!?

In sync, both corpses smile, before suddenly collapsing into heaps of gore.

A black smog pours from the dead, swirling, twisting, and shaping itself into two figures.

Two, cloaked, figures.

Each possessed a tanto, a Japanese short sword, and wore deep velvet cloaks. An oni-like mask covered their faces, as their long stark white hair flowed freely down their backs behind them.

“Arahitogami.” One of them hissed, “This is far as you go…”

“I…doubt that.” I respond slowly.

I get the feeling, although I can't sense it, that these guys are a bit tougher than the oni behind me.

I also don't know who these guys are? They kind of remind me of Grim Reapers, with the cloaks and masks.

Japanese Grim Reapers?

Do their knives work like Death Scythes, then?

Hmm, only one way to find out!

I breathe, entering my stance, and I ponder, how easy would it be to kill myself with my healing factor?

…Huh?

Blood bursts from my mouth, my breathing completely shot as I cough, hack, and sputter, falling to my knees.

I vaguely hear the Reapers in the background cackling, and the oni behind me gasping, as I look down, and find my own sword piercing through my chest…

Right through my own heart.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 32 End


Ah, inching ever closer back to my desired time to update. The dreeaammm...

Also. Oof, Nori, you okay there?

This is going to present a unique challenge for him, as so far, he's dealt with most "big power, more punch" type fighters, and while Shinigami are tough bastards, they are also big mind manipulators. Passively.

A challenge for next chapters opening fight, hmm?

Also, yeah, Banana Oni and Grapefruit (snrk) Oni are here! Didn't think I'd get to use them at all in this story, but I managed to cram in and bs something together.

Be advised, I actually don't play FGO, so if I somehow managed to copy the twos personalities, I apologize, that wasn't my intent. Like Uzume, or Inari, I use the face claim but change the personality to try and make them their own character, not merely an expy.

Ah, starting the year off...well, certainly starting it with something, huh?

A New Sun Interlude 6

Interlude 6

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Tobio Ikuse, better known as the Slash Dog, or occasionally Fallen Dog God, stood behind the counter in the Black Dog Bar.

With a small smile on his face, he wipes a glass in his hands down with a cloth.

Truly, he's already wiped this particular glass down…maybe something like four times? But it's not like he has much else he can do otherwise.

At his part-time job here, things have been rather slow.

A few people here and there come in for drinks and food, mostly die-hard regulars who enjoy his cooking, and most haven't even been supernatural.

To be fair, he knows why that is.

Most of the time it's usually much busier, they get more supernatural than mundane customers on average, but due to the whole thing with the Grigori, and them moving from the organization, things have slowed and people stopped showing until everything settles.

In Tobio’s mind, he honestly kind of prefers it this way.

Not to say he despises his supernatural job and responsibilities, but the Grigori aren't the most, shall he say, restrained in deploying him and his team.

Even for rather silly and stupid things.

Like that time Azazel tried to convince them to raid some Heavenly Institute for Gabriel’s…undergarments.

The thought alone makes Tobio pause, staring half-lidded across the empty bar.

He still remembers the face Azazel made after all the girls took turns slapping him.

In any case, he hopes that with the Shinto's more isolationist nature, there will be less of all that and more time to dedicate to his and his team's personal lives.

Such as University! That was going well!

Maybe, if things keep going so well, he'll be able to open up his restaurant like he wanted…

He chuckled softly as his mind strayed to Sae in a waitress outfit.

Maybe spending so much time around Azazel had affected him?

Ah well, all the more inspiration, he guessed.

He perked up, as a low chime suddenly rang out throughout the bar.

Looking towards the source, the door, he finds an older man, perhaps in his sixties or so, balding and wrinkled yet with a kindly smile on his weathered face.

“Ah, I know it's late, young man, but are you still open?” The man asked.

Tobio eyed the clock for a second, then nodded.

“For a little while longer, but I still would have let you in any way,” Tobio smiled softly, “it's rather cold out, and I wouldn't let you stand out there freezing.”

The old man gave a genuine smile, stepping in and closing the door behind him, “Thank you. You're most kind.”

Tobio waved him off, “Don't mention it. Please, have a seat.”

Reaching under the counter, Tobio pressed a button, locking the doors.

“Can I get you something warm?” He continued with an eye-to-eye smile.

The old man shambled to the counter, and sat, slumping over slightly, “What would you recommend?”

Tobio turned toward the rack of drinks behind him, his smile never leaving his face.

“Hmm…I could mix you up an Umetini?” Tobio offered.

“Ah, gin…” the old man smiled, “it's been a while since I've had some of that.”

“I suppose you Shinigami don't get out much then, hmm?” Tobio idly noted.

The bar was suddenly plunged into silence.

“Damn…” the ‘old man’ wheezed out, “didn't even make it past the front door hidden, did I? You know…” he moved his head slightly, moving his neck away from the pitch black scythe blade that suddenly seemed to manifest around him.

“You're one scary young man, Fallen Dog God…” the ‘old man’ rasped out, staring at Tobio, who all of sudden turned back to him, the handle of said scythe held aloft with a single hand.

The Longinus possessor never stopped smiling, even as he drew the blade slightly closer to the man's neck.

“It was your eyes. Your eyes gave it away.” Tobio remarked, without a hint of smugness, as he merely stated fact.

The old man's eyes…were completely dead. Glossed over, hazed.

This old man is a corpse.

The Death Kami clicked his body's tongue, “This was the closest vessel I could find on such short notice…, Lord Susanoo should be praising me, I enacted his orders so quickly.” He huffed, annoyed.

Tobio briefly recalled Suzaku’s lecture on Shinigami all those years ago.

Right. They can't materialize on the Earthly Plane like normal Grim Reapers, because they would corrupt or kill anything they touch.

The Shinigami ‘Aura of Death’ is unique, however, not that it kills directly, but because it makes the victims want to kill themselves.

Plants suddenly stop taking in water, stop making sugar, and starve themselves to death.

Humans jump off buildings, and bridges, or otherwise find some way to kill themselves as quickly as possible.

So instead, they possess a vessel to keep that aura contained, usually living as that's most efficient, but here…

In the back of his mind, an insidious thought creeps into the back of his mind.

What if he fell on his scythe?

He slaps that thought away without an ounce of hesitation, and instead, fills his mind of things that he’d stay alive for.

Mostly Sae, but he wouldn't tell everyone that.

“Oh?” The Shinigami gave him a toothy grin, “You're good, catching that so quic-”

He stopped talking, as the scythe blade pressed against ‘his’ throat.

The scythe blade seemed to hum, a powerful thrum resonating throughout the darkness as its very nature seemed to shift.

The Shinigami paled the color of the corpse he wore.

He would be able to sense it, wouldn't he?

At this wavelength, the power in his scythe would tear apart the Shinigami in a single stroke, leaving his puppet body entirely unharmed.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn't consign you to oblivion and free that man's body back to his rest.” Tobio intoned coldly.

“Your grandmother.” The corpse hissed out entirely too fast, too afraid.

Tobio paused, blinking.

He decided he didn't much like that joke.

So then, he moved to annihilate the errant Death Kami with a single stroke.

“Wait wait wait!” The Shinigami flailed ‘his’ arms around, right before the blade made spiritual contact, “My Lord! The King of Yomi! He has her soul!”

Tobio froze.

“...What.” Was all he could muster in that moment.

“Yes, yes.” The Shinigami breathed out, emboldened and relieved, “He sent me, to tell you of this fact, and to offer a rather simple…er, hmm, not bargain, perhaps a deal?”

This isn't a joke, is it? A lie?

No. It couldn't be, right? They just joined the Shinto, so what could this be? A test?

He always knew Lord Susanoo disliked them, but he could never figure out why.

Maybe it was because of their relation to the Grigori? He knows not a lot of people like the Fallen and their ilk after all.

So, maybe a test of loyalty then?

“What kind of…deal.” Tobio drew out, coldly, gaze fixed like stone upon the Shinigami.

The Death God shivered at his tone, before continuing, “My Lord wants something in exchange for the return of her soul, either to her rightful place of rest or…to the living, should you do well.”

Tobio's heart hurt at that.

That…to see his grandmother again…after so, so long…

“Really…?” He muttered, low voice cracking slightly.

The Shinigami nodded, “My Lord is many things, but a liar is not one of them.”

Tobio bit his lip, contemplating those words.

Something feels off. About all of this. Yet, he can't quite place it…

In the end, the only real way to find out what's going on is to confront the man himself, isn't it?

Taking a deep steadying breath, Tobio answered, “Something like this…is far too important for a talk as simple as this.” He narrows his eyes upon the Death Kami, “Take me to him. To Lord Susanoo. I want to see what he has to say for himself.”

To his surprise, and slight unease, the Shinigami smiles at that, and nods, “That can be arranged, Fallen Dog God.”

The corpse then held out its hand, “Better not keep the Lord waiting, if you're so inclined, the sooner we head to Yomi the less likely he'll…do something unwarranted.”

Like hurt her?

The corpse, somehow, someway, sweated a single drop as all the shadows in the bar suddenly erupted with obsidian blades, coated in red and black god-killing fire.

“I…don't get paid enough for this shit…” The Shinigami muttered and damn near whimpered.

Within a moment, the storm of blades vanished, and Tobio took the Kami's hand, prompting him to flinch at the small smile stretched across the Slash Dog's face.

“Well, we wouldn't want that, would we?” Tobio asked, nonchalantly.

The Shinigami shook his head back and forth rapidly in apt agreement.

In Tobio's mind, this shouldn't take long, anyway.

In that next instance, Tobio felt a pull, and the world swirled into dullness and darkness.

He stood amongst a dark, dreary reflection of the bar, without a Shinigami in sight.

Walking out, the world would be much the same, without even a sky.

It was at this moment that he realized however, he had no idea where to go.

So, he wondered.

With only the company of Jin, his Sacred Gear, he walked across what felt like the entirety of this dark reflection of Japan.

None of the dead would talk to him.

He ate or drank nothing, knowing at the very least that was a terrible idea.

And he couldn't sleep, as whenever he tried, he felt something wearing down his body and soul, requiring his consciousness and Jin to keep that feeling away.

Time blurred together. He didn't know how long he was there.

Until, one day, a hurricane suddenly erupted across the land, laced with divine power…

And he knew what he'd find at its center.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Interlude 6 End


This chapter was meant to go up yesterday, but yeah, I got blindsided by New Years stuff. My fault, though, I should have known it was coming, lol.

In any case, here we are, what exactly happened to Tobio.

Yeah, when the Shinigami grabbed Tobio and threw him into Yomi, Susanoo didn't actually have his grandmother then, he was in the process of getting her soul.

Being stranded for a while was meant to nerf Tobio for when he inevitably tries to fight Susanoo, cuz otherwise, like I said in the comments of last chapter...

Tobi would straight push Susanoo's shit in then take his lunch money otherwise.

With all that being said, Happy New Years! I do hope you all have a much better New Year then poor Tobio over here!

A New Sun Chapter 31

Chapter 31

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

My eyes snap open as three strong presences all of a sudden ping to my senses.

Of the three, I only recognize the one, Suzaku.

But the other two? Completely foreign.

Interesting.

Also, very bad timing, fire birb.

I lift my head slightly, looking between the white and black-haired cat girls nuzzled into either of my sides.

Sorry, correction, the very naked cat girls nuzzled into my sides, with my hands placed firmly on their waists, oh so close to the plush booty I've been balls deep in for…

Huh. I'm honestly not too sure how long we went at it.

Right now though, as a quick look outside at the falling sun suggests, it's late evening.

Regardless, I am very tempted to grab both their asses, rouse Nori Junior from his slumber, and keep going.

Especially Koneko. She deserves some proper exclusive one-on-one time eventually.

But besides the fact that both girls are currently out, peacefully sleeping and purring so adorably that I legitimately don't want to wake them up?

The new visitors.

I really should get up.

But I don't wanna.

Fuck that makes me sound like a baby, but, come on, it's cat-girl body pillows!

Still, duty calls, or at least I think this is duty related.

Judging by the strength I can sense, the two with her aren't mooks, or handmaidens for her, or something similar of the sort.

Hmm, partial Team Slash/Dog meeting time perhaps? But why?

Only one way to find out I guess.

With a low, and I'll admit, whiney sigh, I extract myself from between the two cat girls with careful ease.

I give the two scratches behind the ears, smiling as they both grin all dopey-like, before grabbing my robe and carefully floating out of the room.

Don't want to risk my heavy footsteps waking them up after all.

I haphazardly throw on my robe as I float lazily to my front door, making myself look somewhat presentable.

Truly, I had half a mind to open the door naked, just for the laughs.

Probably would if only Suzaku had shown up unannounced, but as she did bring others, I suppose I'll be mindful of first impressions with them.

The three seemed to be waiting right outside, likely Suzaku sensed my coming, so not even a knock was required.

So, without further ado and much reason to keep them waiting, I adopt a half-lidded stare, one more tired than annoyed, before sliding open the door.

Standing almost directly in front of me was Suzaku, with her arms crossed under her chest, her own half-lidded stare clashing against mine.

I'm not entirely too sure why she looked so annoyed, but it made me immediately flip from tired to smug, a small smile forming across my face as I locked eyes with her.

Kuroka is a terrible influence, eh?

“Well now, good evening to you, Suza-chan!” My smile grew as her eye twitched, “To what do I owe the pleasure of such a sudden visit so late in the day?”

Suzaku took a moment, breathing out lightly before responding, “Lord Noriaki,” she stressed, “I've been trying to reach you all day, but you haven't been answering your phone. What have you been doing?”

My phone?

Oh yeah, I turned that off right before trying the thing with Kuroka.

Then Koneko came over, and I never…turned it back on.

Huh. Well, shit.

Still though. My mouth spoke words before my brain could seriously think about what I was saying.

“Catgirls.” I answered automatically, although nonetheless very seriously.

Suzaku blinked. Several times in fact, as she simply stared at me, befuddled.

Although she certainly didn't give much of a reaction, the two behind her certainly did.

“Hmm, hmm…catgirls, eh?”

My eyes drifted to the source of the male voice as it hummed in approval.

Prompting me to blink, as I behold a guy who looked like he had never grown out of his delinquent phase from high school, standing behind and to Suzaku’s left.



Dyed, spiked-up brown hair, fierce storm gray eyes, even the school uniform, all that's missing is the bat.

Good thing he makes up for it with the actual white cat just kind of sitting there on his shoulder.

As soon as my eyes land on him, he smirks and gives me a thumbs-up.

I manage to push past the dissociation I feel at that exact moment to shoot him a thumbs-up back.

“Eh?” Another voice, feminine, chips up in confusion, “What's that all supposed to mean?”

Standing right next to the delinquent guy is the source, a young woman in a uniform similar to the guys, but with light brown eyes and light brown hair tied at the back of her head.



She's rather cute, I'd say, especially since she legitimately doesn't seem to get the joke.

Fortunately, her friend was here to give her a little help.

The delinquent snorted, “Oi. Birdbrain,” he huffs out, amused and smirking, “it means our little Kami guy here fucked a couple or more catgirls. Not that hard to grasp.”

Kami guy? That's new.

The girl meanwhile, took a second to process what she heard before she too blinked, putting a hand to her mouth.

“Oh.” She muttered, yet without an iota of a blush.

Most impressive.

The delinquent chuckled, “Oh indeed…”

You know, looking at these two, I do recognize them somewhat.

They are part of Team Slash/Dog, that much I’m certain, but I'm drawing a blank on pretty much everything about these two.

For the guy, I keep thinking ‘cat drill’ for some reason.

Then the girl, I keep wanting to call her ‘Irina lite’ in my mind.

Yet before I could delve too deep into those thoughts, or before the guy's unique nickname for Irina lite over there could prompt her to do other Irina things like start a fight, Suzaku managed to bring the attention back to herself with a single sigh.

“As…interesting,” her smile strained at that, “as that information is to know, we've come here today for something very important, Lord Noriaki.”

As Suzaku started talking, the other two suddenly straightened up, looking much more serious.

“Tell us,” she continued, gaze hardening, “what do you know of Lord Susanoo and the Realm of Yomi?”

I stare at her for a moment, before letting out a deep, anguished, sigh, before I ask.

“What did my Uncle do…this time.”

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Deciding it was probably for the best of everyone present if we sat down first, I ended up inviting everyone in.

Unfortunately, I don't exactly have an informal sitting area as of yet, which led to…this.

Us all sitting on a tatami mat floor, with the new girl looking around in wonder, stars in her eyes.

“It's all so…traditional…” she muttered in legitimate awe.

Even the delinquent looked around in appreciation.

Despite this room being wholly empty, with literally nothing inside of it.

I think, after these three leave, I'm sending a clone to go shopping personally.

Uzume was supposed to do it, but she's taking too long, and I'm getting sick of this.

Only Suzaku didn't seem to care about the architecture either way, staring at me with an intensity I didn't think was possible for her.

“Before we begin,” Suzaku piped up before I could say anything, “proper introductions first. Lord Noriaki? These two are Slash/Dog Team members,” she held her hand out to the girl, “Natsume Minagawa.”

Natsume, promptly, gave an exaggerated wave my way as she greeted, “Haiya! Lord Kusanagi!”

Heh. Cute.

Suzaku sighed, before moving her hand towards the delinquent, “And Kouki Samejina.”

Kouki held a hand up, as did the cat perched on his shoulder, as he simply said, “Yo.”

I nodded to them both, “Noriaki Kusanagi, though I feel the two of you already know who I am.” I returned in greeting with a smile, “Still, you don't need to call me by my last name, or lord, or whatever. I'm not so formal, and I don't exactly consider myself a deity either.”

Natsume’s eyes practically sparkled, “Ho? Really? I'll call you Nori then!”

I smirked, “Only if I can call you Nat?”

She gave an exaggerated nod and a thumbs up, “Sure thing! Waaayy better nickname than what this cat-brained guy gave me…” she stuck a finger at Kouki.

Who snorts in turn, “Stop copying me because you lack creativity, birdbrain.” He admonished without even glancing at her.

“And I told you!” She whirls on him, “To stop calling me that! Years ago!”

Kouki merely shrugs, unperturbed, “If it fits, why change it?”

“T-That’s not the point you damn delinquent! I’ve changed!” She denies it, vehemently.

Watching these two start going at it, I chuckle.

Reminds me of Irina and Xenovia a bit, Nat especially reminds me of Irina, she's got that pep.

While Kouki? By the way he looks, I kind of expected another Vali type of guy, but he seems incredibly chill.

“You two.” Suzaku interjects coldly before Kouki could respond, bringing me out of my thoughts, “Now is not the time.”

“Ah,” Nat rubs the back of her head, “right, right…sorry, Lady Himejima.”

Kouki grunted, “Right. Can't get distracted now.” He starts…crawling closer to me? Going past Suzaku, he mutters, “No offense, Himejima, but I'll take it from here.”

Suzaku blinks, looking just as confused as I am.

Kouki gets right in front of me, with barely a few feet between us…

Before promptly slamming his head into the ground in a kowtow for the ages.

“K-Kouki!?” Nat exclaimed, “What are you…?”

“We need your help.” Kouki began, muffled by the floor.

I uh, don't think he knows how a proper kowtow works, does he?

Yet still, the man continued, “Your uncle, he sent someone after Tobio…our leader, next thing we know, he's gone. We don't know where he went, we have our suspicions, but…”

“We've got nothing to go off of.” Nat chimed in, downtrodden, “He just…up and vanished…”

Poor girl sounds like she's going to cry.

I blinked between the two, before pinching the bridge between my nose and sighing.

“I'm…going to need more than that.” I start, “For one, how do you know my uncle is involved somehow?”

“There were traces of…taint,” Suzaku spat out, “from Yomi left behind at the bar, right after Tobio vanished. Only a few beings could leave such a mark behind, the Shinigami being the most apparent.”

Curious.

“I don't know much about the Dog God personally,” I muse, “but I do know of his strength. Whatever went down, he came willingly. It would take nothing short of my Uncle himself showing up to take him by force otherwise.”

“That's the same conclusion we came to as well…” Suzaku muttered.

“But! Still! It just doesn't make any sense!” Nat suddenly cried out, “H-He didn't even say anything to any of us! N-Not even Sae, I just…” she trails off into silence, a distant pained look in her eyes.

I want to pat her on the head and tell her it'll be alright.

Truly, I do, but I’m just as lost as them right now, and I don't want to plant false hope in case I'm wrong.

Rather, I shot her a soft smile, before looking back at Suzaku, “So that's why you wanted to know about Susanoo and Yomi specifically, huh?”

She nods, and I rub my chin as I ponder that question.

“How much do you know already?” I ask idly.

Kouki huffs, “That he doesn't like us all that much, never has.”

“Yeah!” Nat pipes up, pumping her fist in the air, “He was the only Japanese God to vehemently refuse to bless us after we cleaned up the Utsusemi!”

I tilt my head slightly to that, “...that wasn't really what I was talking about, but that does point to him being the more likely cause of all this.” I look down at Kouki, “Also, Samejima, you can get up now, okay? That's starting to look like it hurts.”

He promptly groans as he sits up, “Yeah, damn…it did…thanks.” He, and his cat, reach back and start rubbing his back.

I waved him off, “No problem. What I was talking about, is his myths. You know, like the stuff where he gets thrown out of Heaven for being a big crybaby, where he makes my mother hide in a cave…that stuff.”

Suzaku pursed her lips, “I…don't see how his past is relevant?”

“Because it shapes what he does today. For instance,” I start chuckling, “d-did you know? My uncle is a massive momma’s boy.”

Don't even need Uzume to tell me that much.

In damn near every variation of his myths, he's trying to reach Yomi explicitly to be with his mother.

Hell, he got thrown out originally by his father because he wouldn't stop crying over her death.

Literally. The man almost flooded Japan.

But, although it's funny, that's not why I bring it up.

My three guests blinked at that, seemingly not catching on quite yet.

Nat spoke up first, “What…does any of that have to do with Tobio?”

I raise a finger, smirking slightly, “Simple. Does he have anything that connects him to Izanami?”

“No? Why would he?” Kouki frowned, “Well, they both manipulate darkness to an extent I guess, right? Maybe he got jealous?”

I could see that happening, funnily enough. Deities aren't exactly known for their humility, especially Susanoo.

But, no.

“The Ame-no-Ohabari…” Suzaku muttered lowly in absolute horror, her eyes wide as I nodded.

There it is.

“Eh? Do you mean the divine sword that's part of his Sacred Gear? The fire one?” Kouki asked, incredulously.

“The same sword that killed Kagustuchi,” I add in, “after he in turn killed Izanami during his birth.”

At that, the other two simply stared, their eyes widening as the idea set in.

Kouki was the first to emerge from the slump and break the silence, with a growl.

“That…bastard.” He rose to his feet, gritting his feet as his cat hissed atop his shoulder to the sky, “He's after Tobio’s sword, huh? Well! I ain't about to let some momma's boy ‘god’ take it from him! Birdbrain!” Kouki called, snapping Nat out of the distant look in her eyes, making her look at him, “Let's get the others. Break into the Underworld, and get him back.”

“Ah…” Nat’s expression morphed, hardening, “Yeah. Let's.”

Suzaku however, stayed stock still, “You two, don't move, quite yet.”

“Wha?” Kouki turned to Suzaku, “Why the hell not!? Don't you want to help?”

Suzaku clicked her tongue, “I do. But you need to think before you act, Samejima.”

He snarled at that, “We have been thinking! We thought enough! The time for thinking is long over!”

“Removing such an integral part of his Sacred Gear should kill him.” Suzaku states, unmoving as she stares at the ground, “It would break his gear. Mutilate his soul. Knowing that, why did he go without a fight!?” Her hands clench the hem of her Shrine Maiden skirt tightly as her voice shakes with rage.

That question, that proclamation, makes Kouki stop and stare for a second.

I decided to chime in here, “Most likely? I think my uncle forced his compliance. I don't mean to be rude, but from what I heard, the Dog God is kind of your…well. He's a standard light novel protagonist, ain't he?”

Suzaku leveled her near-death glare at me for a second, before I corrected myself.

“Sorry. Standard harem light novel protagonist.”

That made both Suzaku and Nat blush mutedly, and look away.

While Kouki simply snorted, “Shit. Can't even be mad about that assessment, it's right on the money.”

I nod to that, “See? So like I was saying, taking that into account, it's likely my ‘dear’ uncle threatened the people closest to him to get him to comply. Friends and family. You guys, most likely.”

Kouki snorted and rolled his eyes at that, “I doubt that much. We can handle ourselves just fine, and if he did go willingly cause’ of a few threats to us, I'll rip that stupid sword out of him myself.”

Nat nods vehemently in agreement with his words, while Suzaku simply huffs haughtily.

I shrug to them, “Well, does he have any family I don't know about?”

Nat looks down and mutters, “None alive…”

I raise an eyebrow to that, “My uncle is the King of Yomi, dead or alive…shouldn't be all that much of a barrier for him.”

“She shouldn't have gone to the Japanese afterlife,” Suzaku spoke up in denial, “his grandmother practiced Buddhist Magic. The claim to her soul should go to them.”

I hum to that, “Fair enough, I still say it shouldn't be discounted as a possibility though. My uncle…he's known in part for the chaos he brings.”

“Ah~…That's one way of putting it, I suppose.” Another feminine voice adds with a yawn.

Turning, I stare half-lidded as Uzume enters the room, rubbing her eyes, and wearing…pajamas.




More specifically, a onesie? Cute. Even has a little hood.

“Taking a nap, huh Uzume?” I muse.

“Well, I was…but, then I felt–”

Uzume was cut off, as Nat suddenly rocketed herself straight into the Kami.

“Uzuumeee-chan!” Nat cried, snuggling into my maid.

Uzume suddenly seemed very self-conscious, as she reached down gently and patted Nat on the head with an awkward smile on her face, “There there, there there…” she softly muttered down at the girl.

Suzaku stared blankly at the scene before her, looking like she went into shock.

Ah, damn. There goes my trolling opportunity. Still, the look on her face is superb.

I and Kouki watched this scene unfold in amusement for a little while before I eventually asked the obvious.

“You two know each other?”

“Ah,” Uzume chuckled lightly, “in the past, for all Team Slash/Dog did in Japan, Ama decided to gift them with our blessings, and I chose to bless Natsume, here.”

Oh, Nat. You poor girl.

“Eh? Nori-kun? W-What's with that look!?” Uzume suddenly added, almost panicked.

I quickly wipe the Tanjiro pity look off my face, returning to a neutral expression.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” I state plainly.

“T-That…!”

Luckily, Uzume is saved from being outed by Suzaku, as she suddenly asks, voice breaking slightly, “What...what is the Goddess of the Dawn doing here…?”

Uzume quickly looks at me, pleading with her eyes alone.

I meet her gaze, then slowly draw my eyes across the very empty room.

The next time I meet her gaze, my stare is narrowed significantly, and her eyes have in turn widened in realization.

So, I answer honestly.

“She's my maid.”

Suzaku stares dead ahead, not saying a word.

Kouki raises an eyebrow.

Nat blinks a few times, before finally letting Uzume go, and looking up at her with a tilt to her head, “Eh? Uzume-chan? I didn't know you were into that!”

Uzume looks like she wants to commit die.

“It's…not that,” I snort, causing Uzume to wave her hands out in denial, “really! Ama gave me this job! Socanwegobacktowhateveritwasyouallweretalkingaboutbeforepleaseandthanks!”

Pin drop silence.

“Uzume,” I started, an amused smile on my lips, “What was that?”

She slowly pulled her pajama hood up over her head, and looked down, “...you were all talking about Susanoo?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled a bit, “we were. Kind of. Nat, care to fill your blesser in on what's going on?”

Ah, Uzume. Always there to break the tension and cast downtrodden moods into the abyss.

Sometimes via sexy dancing. Sometimes via being, well, her.

In any case, Uzume listens in as Nat gives an abridged version of what's going on.

Following that, she gives a thoughtful frown.

“Ama…really isn't going to like hearing about any of this,” she sighs, closing her eyes and clicking her tongue in annoyance, “seriously, that brain-dead oaf, right after they join us!?”

“Better to get this out of the way now than have to suddenly deal with this later, I feel.” I add with a raise of my finger.

“I mean, maybe…” Uzume bites her lip, “Still, what a mess. Especially if he did take a soul from another afterlife to use as bait, pretty sure that violates so many laws it's not even funny.”

“Even if whatever passes for law enforcement down there jumps mommy's boy?” Kouki asks with a smirk.

Uzume thinks for a second, before snorting, “Okay, it would be funny to watch Hades beat the storm out of him, but still.”

“Heh!” Kouki chuckled, “Well, I don't want to sit around her and wait for some Greek to do our job for us. I still say we go.”

Suzaku pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed, “Samejima, we just talked about this…”

Uzume blinked, and tilted her head at that, “You wouldn't be able to, anyway.” She adds matter-of-factly.

The three look at her, eyes wide, before voicing all at once.

“Eh? What the hell do you mean by that, Kami!?”

“Uzume-chan…?”

“Lady Uzume…”

“Humans, alive humans, aren't meant to exist in Yomi,” Uzume elaborates, a sad glint in her eyes, “Longinus possessors like Tobio would be fine, their gear would be powerful enough to protect their living body from eroding and, well, dying.”

She looks at the three intensely, “But for the rest of you? You wouldn't last long. Not without the blessing of Izanami or Susanoo himself, in any case. The former hasn't been seen in so long, and the latter? Well…you know.”

Following that explanation, the three looked damn near dead to the world.

Well, Suzaku, especially. Kouki was chewing on his gums, and cracking his knuckles with a look of cold rage on his face.

While Nat? She looked down, staring at the floor despondently, “T-There…has to be a way, right, Uzume-chan?” She reaches over and grabs the Kami’s pj's, “There has to be something, r-right?”

Uzume looked down at Nat, a pained, guilty look on her face.

Then, she looked over at me.

Oh yeah. I'm not necessarily human, so doesn't that mea–

“While humans can't go down and survive in Yomi, Arahitogami like Noriaki can.” Uzume added slowly.

Oh. You bitch.

Almost instantly, Nat and Suzaku’s gaze locked onto me.

Just as fast, however, before either of the two could get a word out, Kouki called out, “Oh yeah? How's that supposed to help?”

Nat turned to Kouki, eyes wide and slightly shaking, “K-Kouki…he could…”

“Solve the problem for us? Yeah, maybe.” Kouki crossed his arms, “But I didn't come here to send some guy I just meant after our best friend.” He looked down at me, “No offense, Kami guy.”

I wave him off, “None taken.”

“Were you not just on your knees before him, begging for help mere moments ago?” Suzaku bites out in response.

Kouki huffed, “Yeah. For help. Not for him to solve our problems for us. We're a team, not some outsourcing group.” He waved to Nat, “Yo birdbrain, let's head back, tell everyone else what we found out here…we’ll think of something.”

He walks over to her, helping her to her feet, “We always do.” He finishes resolutely.

Nat sniffles, sparing me one last glance, before nodding to Kouki, and promptly slapping herself in the face with both hands, “Y-Yeah! I guess we do! Hmm hmm!”

Kouki turns back to Suzaku, “Thanks for the ride, Himejima. We know our way back.” Then he looks at me, “Thanks for the talk Kami guy, we'll give you a call once everything blows over, then you'll get to meet the team proper, aight?”

“A…ight?” I wave at them as Kouki walks off with Nat in tow, the girl giving Uzume one last big hug before exiting the front door.

Soon enough, their presences vanish into thin air, most likely via magic teleportation.

My confusion came from Suzaku sitting there motionless, not joining them the whole time.

Then, pretty much the second their presences disappear, Suzaku throws herself at my feet, in much the same way Kouki did, except her kowtow is much more…proper.

“I…need your h-help…” Suzaku began, voice breaking.

Ah…well, I was probably going to get involved one way or another.

Didn't think it would be like this, however!

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

After shooing Uzume out to spare Suzaku some embarrassment, I shuffle right up in front of the girl.

“Suzaku?” I ask, tone soft, “What are you doing?”

“I…I…k-know what you're about to say, but I’m not t-truly an official member of their team,” she continues, ignoring me, “more like an honorary member. So! I beseech you, Lord Kusana- Huh…?”

I get her to pause, by reaching down and gently cupping her face into my hand, slowly making her lift her head to look me in the eye.

She's crying. Slow, tired streams.

I wipe them away with my thumb.

“You've been bottling up these emotions for a while, haven't you?” I ask, “How long exactly? Since right after Ibaraki? Did you even have time for yourself after that mess, and Baraqiel?”

“I…that…” she averts her gaze away from mine, “I don't see how that is relevant.”

“Because worrying about someone you care about is one thing, but killing yourself over it…physically or mentally, is another.” I scolded her.

“It isn't about me!” She bit back, yet more down then heated, “I'll be fine! But Tobio won't…I c-can't…” her head sagged down, “I promised…to keep him safe…He’s some of the last good of my family left, and I…” she bit her lip as a quiet choked sob silenced her.

I raise her head back up, along with an eyebrow, “What makes you think he won't be fine?”

“He’s never fought anything like this before…Susanoo, one of the strongest of the Shinto Pantheon, is said to possibly rival the Omikami in terms of power.” She muttered in horror, “That isn't something you fight alone, Lord Noriaki…”

“Cut the ‘lord’ thing here, Suzaku.” I tell her sternly, before adding, “Also. You need to have more faith in this guy.”

Her eyes promptly narrowed, but I didn't let up.

“Seriously, the way you make it sound, he's some sort of damsel in distress. Not the Dog God with an Abyss Side Balance Broken Longinus wielding an actual god-killing sword.” I admonished her further.

Laying it all out like that, Suzaku at least had the decency to blush.

“No, the only thing holding him back from fighting, is whatever made him come ‘willingly’. Without that, he probably would have dealt with this situation on the spot.” I muse.

Suzaku's eyes widened, “Y-You mean…?”

I smiled, “I was already planning on taking a look. Izanami is my grandmother, you know? I'm sure she'd be delighted to know her daughter had another grandkid, don't you thin– Hmm!?”

Suzaku interrupted me this time, by suddenly attaching to me, wrapping her arms around my torso and clinging, tightly, as she muttered seemingly unending ‘thank you's at a breakneck pace.

I let out a soft chuckle as I pat her on the back, “So,” I muse aloud, “does this count as a favor?”

Suzaku let out a dry chuckle as she pulled back, whipping a fresh tear from her face.

“P-Perhaps,” she accedes with a small, pretty smile, “only if you manage to make him come back in one piece.”

“...You know if it comes down to it, I won't be able to fight my uncle.” I state for certain, “There's no sun down there, or at least I would assume there isn't, and even then…” I trail off, uncertain.

I'm not even sure about my power relative to the top of the Faction.

If Susanoo is near the top, rivaling my mother, then he'll probably slap me around like Vali did.

Even with Ara-Mitama…If I managed to pull that off. If the time even works out that way.

So many variables, and so many things that are more likely to go wrong during that potential fight.

But above all else, I don't believe I'm ready to fight a true divine being yet. Much less one so high on the totem pole.

“Then don't fight,” Suzaku murmurs, “just make sure the two of you make it out alive, alright?”

That, I have a much higher chance of doing.

After I drain Uzume of everything she knows about Yomi.

Like, for instance, how to get in without being elbow-dropped by dozens of Shinigami and Susanoo himself.

But for now?

Suzaku, despite her smile, shows cracks. A tense air to her eyes, the occasional twitch of her hand…

She's still bottling up her feelings, huh?

“Hmm, alright,” I nod to that, “then, for now, Suza-chan,” I smirk as her eye twitches, “it's been a while, why don't you catch me up on everything else going on, and then?” I pat her on the back, “You tell me more about the guy I'm going to drag out from downstairs?”

At her smile, I figure she has a fair bit to tell.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 31 End

The rizzing of Suzaku begins.

Also, it wouldn't be a Demigod story without an adventure to the underworld, would it?

Also, can I just say, finding a good, colored, quality picture of Kouki was a pain in the ass? Nat was easy. In fact, here, have more Nat.



Nat's real fun to write, by the way, even if she didn't get much time here. Kouki too.

She's like proto-Irina, and her sole existence is making it harder for me to not add more Slash/Dog girls to the harem, lol.

Seriously, those thighs.

But I'm seriously trying not to. Gotta save some characters for "Get Sinful" after all.

Anyhow, this weekend, Interlude 6. Featuring dog boy himself.

A New Sun Chapter 30

Chapter 30

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

As I sit here, or rather, as I've been sitting here giving Kuroka a lap pillow the rest of the night and into the morning, I realize something truly tragic.

I barely get any lap pillow time myself!

In this case, I'll let it slide due to certain circumstances, but something to keep in mind for later.

Honestly, after the first hour passed, and Kuroka remained unconscious but still alive, I more or less stopped worrying so much.

Which has led me to sit here, thinking of completely random things.

Like how when Kuroka finally wakes up, I want to have her say that…one thing.

How'd it go again? Uh…

‘Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?’

Yeah, there we go.

“N~Nyah~...” A mewling groan radiates from beneath me, snapping me out of my wandering thoughts.

Looking down, I find Kuroka belatedly opening her eyes only partway, staring up at me half-lidded.

“Mmm~? Good morning, darling~...” She murmurs weakly, “Or…is it morning? How long have I been out, nyah~?”

I nod slowly, “All night, it is morning now.” I reach down, cupping and gently stroking her cheek with my hand.

She leans softly into my touch, purring as she does.

“So, how are you feeling?” I ask slowly.

“Mmm~!” Kuroka hums lightly, “Well, for starters, I can't feel my Demonic Power. At all.” She starts with a sigh, and a shake of her head, “But in its place, there's something else there...but I can't…” she trails off wistfully.

“Yeah, your pieces didn't vacate your body, which means it's still doing…something, inside your soul.” I shrug, putting a hand to and rubbing my chin in thought, “My bet? Your bishop pieces took the attribute of my purification. Which means you might have that now instead.”

I give her an easy smile, “Though there's only one way to figure that out, isn't there~?”

“Nyah~!? Noooo~!!” She cries out weakly, clinging to and burying her face in my robe, “I don't wanna train! No training~! Well…unless it's another kind of training~...?” She slowly pulls her head back, looking up at me with a lewd smirk.

I flick her on the nose.

“Nyah~!? Darrlliiinggg~!” She wiggles and whines, grabbing ahold of her nose in mock pain.

“Now Kuroka,” I begin, chastisingly, “we need to know if you even can bring it out, or even confirm what it even is and if it'll hurt you.”

“I know, I know…” she waves off, weakly, collapsing her head back onto my lap and closing her eyes, “it's just so much work, nyah~...”

I snort at that, “That's probably the first time you've ever outright admitted to wanting to be lazy.”

“Well, it's not only that, darling.” Kuroka continues with a huff, “My body feels…light. Not necessarily weaker, but…”

“Cleansed?” I supply, and after thinking for a moment, she nods in acceptance.

“That fits I suppose. It feels…weird.” She wiggles in place, “It's like my entire body fell asleep, and doesn't want to wake up. As though there's parts that aren't getting blood anymore, because they don't exist, so my body doesn't know what to do…”

I lean down and kiss her on the forehead.

“Give it time,” I advise, stroking her hair idily, “I think this might be akin to the reverse of the reincarnation process. Your body is likely adapting back to how it was before you became a Devil.”

“Nyah~?” Kuroka opens one eye slightly, “So does that mean…?”

I chuckle, “No training…for now.”

“Nyaaayyy~!” She throws her arms up and cheers, jubilantly.

“If,” I suddenly continued, halting her, “you say something for me.”

Kuroka tilts her head slightly, “Say…something?”

“Repeat after me,” I clear my throat, “Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?”

Kuroka blinks at me.

Then smiles a small, wry smile.

“Can mew imyagine an imyaginyary mewnyageri mewnyager imyagining mewnyaging an imyaginyary mewnyagerie?”

I pump my fist as I let out a cackle, “Worth it!”

“Honestly, darling?” She rolls her eyes whimsically, “That's what you have me say? Though I'm surprised you didn't have me do this earlier.”

“Wouldn't have counted then.” I refute, bopping her lightly on the nose and drawing a light yelp from her, “Until recently, you were a Devil, not a cat.”

Kuroka held up a finger.

Then slowly dropped it, before crossing her arms underneath her chest, and pouting.

“Still would have counted, nyah!” She denies, before looking down and pouting harder, “You covered me up!?”

She exclaimed, scandalized.

Ah. Only Kuroka would react opposite to the anime norm, huh?

“Yes,” I confirm plainly, “what of it?”

“Does darling not like looking at my marshmallows~?” She asked hotly.

I stared down at her, resisting the urge to cringe at her calling them…marshmallows.

Even if that's a fairly accurate description of what they look and feel like.

“Kuroka. Look, if I had to look at your tits all night, I would have done something drastic.” I emphasize huskily.

“And I wouldn't have minded it, you know~?” She pushed up her chest with her arms, causing her, “Especially if you recorded it to show me later? And promised to give a…repeat performance~?”

My eyebrow twitches.

“Maybe I didn't use enough purifying power?” I muse aloud, to most certainly no one in particular, “After all, someone seems particularly sinful still…”

And kinky. And a whole host of other sexual things.

Seriously, Kuroka, damn.

So I add casually, “I will remember that for tonight.”

The speed at which Kuroka’s mouth dropped and formed an ‘O’ at me was glorious.

Only for it to be ruined as her chest…vibrates?

“Hmm?” Kuroka blinked, before reaching down into her cleavage and pulling out a phone.

Just like that.

The speed at which my mouth formed an ‘O’ would have broken the sound barrier at that moment.

Seriously. How!?

That thing wasn't in her robe! It wasn't between her breasts either when I pulled her clothes over her!

When it went off, it shook her chest, which means it's not a pocket dimension!

I didn't sense her use any magic, or need any chakra either!

What is this power!?

Kuroka smirked, looking at me out of the corner of her eye and winking, “Women's secret darling~!”

Bullshit!

Fortunately, my internal raving is cut off as Kuroka, eyeing her phone, smirks so damn wide even the Grinch would be concerned.

She quickly types something out in response, before shoving her phone back into her cleavage, it disappearing into the aether as it slides in between the cushions, so to speak.

Yes. I watched intensely.

No. I couldn't see anything beyond it simply vanishing.

One day…!

“Shirone is coming over~!” Kuroka suddenly announced, still smirking, “She has something she'd finally like to say to you, darling~!”

I deadpanned at her for that.

“We're doing this now, Kuroka? Really?” I huff, “You better not be pushing or forcing her.”

“Pushing? Yup~!” Kuroka easily admits, “But forcing? Nope! Shirone has been trying to work up the courage to say something to you about you know what proper for a while! And after your two’s date, well…” Kuroka chuckles slowly, “let's just say she's been getting more desperate, alright nyah~?”

“Besides!” She adds before I can say anything, reaching up and grasping at my collar as she does, “There's no better time than the present~!”

With that, she pulls down my robe, my yukata, with one short pull.

“And also, my body is still kind of out of it at the moment,” she continues, “so there is no better time than now, alright darling~?” She bats her eyelashes at me, prompting a deep sigh from me, even as I feel Koneko's presence appear within the compound, likely via Kuroka's teleportation circle.

Huh. If it's a Devil circle, she's going to have to get that changed now, isn't she?

“I guess I'll go get Koneko, then.” Right before moving to sit up, I give Kuroka one final look, “You're, helping~...” I intone huskily, looking her straight in the eyes.

My suddenness, the sheer lust behind my words, prompted Kuroka to flinch back, her face reddening.

“H-Helping~? Nyah? Darling?” I proceed to get up, “What do you mean by that? D-Darling? Hey! Darling!?”

Ignoring her cries of concern as I leave the room, a pep to my step and a light hum reverberating from my throat.

I know what Kuroka has been pushing for, and I know what Koneko wants, generally.

I know she thinks she's bad at lewd stuff, so to get anywhere in any relationship at all, she likely thinks she's got to jump straight to fucking, or something like that.

Kuroka probably hasn't been helping that notion, although it's not like I know for sure what those two say to each other.

Still. It's Kuroka. There isn't a doubt in my mind she's pushing Koneko in that direction.

So, the simple question is, does Koneko truly want to start with that? Or no?

I'm all for either, whatever the white cat girl is comfortable with, of course.

If she does want to push for sexy fun times, genuinely, then isn't it only fair for her dear older sister to help her out?

After all, she's new to this, and Kuroka has been pushing for it, no doubt.

Well, we'll see soon, I suppose…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

It's a quick jog down to the room Koneko suddenly appeared in.

Sliding open the doors to find Koneko standing there, awkwardly, in her Kuoh Academy uniform was certainly an odd treat for my eyes.




Despite her generally petite appearance, she does have some meat and curves on those bones, which the short academy skirt reveals rather amply if you look closely enough.

She twitches as soon as my form reveals itself, her fluffy white cat ears and tail perking as a small red blush blossoms across her face.

“S-Senpai?” Koneko stammered, eyes immediately drawn to the fact my yukata was down to my waist.

I'm not sure what those two's original plan was if they even had one, but I don't think it involved me showing up damn near as soon as Koneko arrived, half-naked.

I'm also sure it didn't involve me picking up the small white cat and sweeping her off her feet.

“S-Senpai!!” She gave a panicked hiss at me, prompting me to simply smirk as I turned around and carried her out.

“What is my cute little kouhai doing here, hmm?” I mutter slowly down at her, “Isn't it a school day?”

Koneko blinks at me, before pointedly looking away, huffing.

“You know,” I continued gruffly, “as your senior, it wouldn't be right for me to just stand around and do nothing while my junior blatantly skips class.” I lean down to her ear, whispering now, “I can't believe I have to say this, but is my cute little kouhai a naughty kitty? Does she require punishment?”

Koneko's eyes widen almost instantly, as she shivers in my grasp, “S-Senpai…” her breath hitches, “N-No…?”

“Someone doesn't sound all too sure herself, hmm?” I idly note, “Don't worry, I'll decide, so leave the tough decision-making to senpai, alright~?”

“A-Ahn? Nyah~!?” I give her cat ear a light kiss, prompting the girl to mew for the first time I've ever heard.

Her hands shoot up to cover her mouth as she sends me a scathing glare…that has absolutely zero heat to it.

I simply smirk right back at her, which causes her glare to shrivel up rather quickly, replaced by an awkward stare.

Oh, Koneko. She truly isn't the best at this, huh?

That's alright, just going to need to be very blunt with her then.

That's how our walk back to my room went. With me whispering lewd innuendos into her ear the whole time, and Koneko trying weakly to act mad before the facade crumbles and she flips the script.

Upon reaching my room, it's Kuroka's turn to perk up, scampering to the edge of the bed as she cries out.

“Shirroonnee! I'm sorry! He—”

Koneko, abruptly, cuts her off with a glare, and a flat and plain rebuke, “I hate you.”

“Nyahh!? Shirone noooo!!” Kuroka continued her crying, rolling around back and forth on the bed.

Koneko did not look amused.

I snorted, finally letting Koneko down and onto her feet.

With a few steps, I sit on the edge of the bed, reaching over and whacking the black cat to stop her from falling off the bed in her over-dramatics.

She yelps, before looking at me in sheer betrayal.

My deadpan look, however, quickly assuages her from continuing with the act as she looks down in shame.

“Now then,” I clap my hands together, drawing the attention of both cat girls properly, “I'm not too sure what you two had planned for…this.” I waved my hand between myself and Koneko, prompting the white-haired girl to erupt in a full-on blush, “But since Kuroka was involved, it likely wasn't good.”

“H-Hey!” Kuroka objects behind me, only to be silenced as Koneko nods vehemently at my words.

I chuckle at the two sisters’ antics, before looking intently at Koneko, and patting my lap.

“First things first, sit. I have some things I'd like to ask you.” I command softly.

Koneko, after a moment, shuffles over and daintily takes a seat. Her ears droopy and her face scarlet, she doesn't look me in the eye.

Behind me, I feel Kuroka come up and place her hands on my shoulders, and her chest on my back, as she looks slightly over me to watch her sister.

“Now, Koneko.” I start, prompting her ears to twitch, “How much has Kuroka told you? Do you know about us?”

I would hope she would at least tell her that much.

Thankfully, Koneko did indeed nod slowly at that, “I am aware, s-senpai…” she murmured, then shivered, “very aware.”

I blink, slowly turning my head to look at Kuroka, who slowly moved down with a nervous smile to get out of my sight.

I turned back to Koneko with a sigh, “She was telling you stupid shit like how big I am or what have you, wasn't she?”

Koneko simply nodded up and down to that, face burning.

That sounds about right, fucking black cat.

Oh yeah, she's been halping has been my bet, but if this goes where I think it's going, then I'm going to make her help properly.

“If that's the case, then let's not beat around the bush alright?” I reach over, cupping her chin and making her look at me, her eyes going wide as they meet my own at last, “You like me, yeah? I think we share a bunch of common interests, you're really cute, and I like you as well. Do you want to do something more together?”

“A-Ah…l-like…?” Koneko fumbled over words, but at least she managed something at least.

Progress.

“Make it official, if you want. Make you one of mine, if you're okay with the idea of being in a harem, that is.” I add on.

“I…um…” she squeezed her eyes shut, “harems are normal in supernatural society, S-Senpai…I never thought I'd be in one, but…well…” she slowly opened up one of her eyes, “I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, I…g-guess?”

That is pretty much all I needed to hear.

In the next moment, I swoop down, claiming her thin lips with my own, while pulling her closer and holding her flush against myself.

Koneko seizes up, going completely still, until her brain finally catches up with current events and her body pretty much melts against me.

She wraps her arms around my torso, lightly holding on as she gives her best try at kissing back.

Honestly? It's not bad, it's cute. She's not nearly as passionate, or horny, as Kuroka is clearly, but she's got her charm.

Behind us, I can feel Kuroka shaking and holding herself back from squeeing and ruining the moment.

Props to her for having some sense at least.

After a few moments, we pull apart, albeit Koneko is still clinging to my torso.

She huffs lightly, once more not meeting my gaze, “You…i-idiot…senpai…”

“You know, you sound significantly less threatening saying that with a dopey little smile on your face.” I point out.

She smushes her face against my chest, “S-Shut it…”

I chuckle at that, absentmindedly petting Koneko on the back of her head, and giving her ears little scratches.

She purrs against me, and I start feeling it, as she, in turn, starts grinding her hips against me.

Slowly and softly at first, although she doesn't go much harder, it does get more pronounced as time goes on.

Until eventually, she suddenly stops, going completely still for a moment before slowly looking up at me.

“Ah, s-senpai?” She asks gently, unsure, “Do we…um…do l-l-lewd things now?”

“Only if you want?” I respond softly, “Either way, I'm game.”

Usually, I'd say something like, ‘Isn't this a bit too fast?’

But I've long since accepted that sexual relations move incredibly fast here, in this world.

Or maybe Kuroka has severely gimped my perception of sex and the like.

Could be either, or both.

Probably both.

Fucking cat.

“A-Ahn~…” Koneko hums lightly, looking down, as she slowly starts grinding herself against me once more, “The original plan was to have big sister get you, um…ready…before I took over and…made the leap of faith, as it were.”

Casually, my arm snapped out, my face unchanging even as I grabbed Kuroka by her kimono before she could scamper off the bed and escape.

She gave a whimpering cry as I slowly pulled her to us, but otherwise, neither I nor Koneko acknowledged her presence.

“I am…prepared…to do that, still…if you want?” She slowly finishes.

“I've made it abundantly clear that I consider you sexually attractive, kitty?” I patted her on the back, “But I asked you first.”

“I…” Koneko muttered, “What was it that you said earlier?” She asked herself, before slowly looking back up at me, “I've been a…n-naughty kitty, skipping class and all…so…um, please punish me, s-senpai…?”

I'll take that as a yes, then.

My lips promptly come back down on hers like a hammer on the anvil, my free hand moving down and claiming an entire cheek of her ass under her skirt, filling my palm easily.

Koneko makes a noise between yelp, mewl, and a moan as I do, she pushes her entire body against me almost desperately.

If I didn't know any better, I say my white cat girl here is in her mating season now, but judging by the fact that Kuroka hasn't piped up to say that…

Speaking of, my black cat girl is trying weakly to wiggle out of my grasp, whimpering lightly at the show going on right next to her.

Ah. Right. She's supposed to be helping.

I pull my lips away from my desperate white cat girl and give her ass a little spank to grab her attention.

The way the flesh jiggles in the palm of my hand nearly makes Nori Junior burst out of my yukata.

I want to see it.

“Koneko. Kitten.” I try, looking straight into her eyes, causing her pupils to dilate slightly and an atomic blush to spread from ear to ear, “Why don't you get up, and get out of your school uniform, make yourself more comfortable…and make sure we don't ruin it, yeah?”

Koneko nods vehemently in agreement, staggering after how quickly she slid out of my lap.

Meanwhile, I turn to Kuroka.

“Pet.” I address her, causing Kuroka to freeze, and to my slight surprise, a blush spreads across her face as I think she finally realizes what I meant earlier by ‘helping.’

“Get down on your knees, and start showing your little sister how it's done.”

A simple command the perverted black cat understands pretty much instantly.

As she crawled off the bed and to her place in front of me, I watched any hesitation she had fall as quickly as her kimono did as she pulled it off whilst moving.

Even before Koneko could get completely out of her school uniform, Kuroka was already in her birthday suit, kneeling between my legs, her tails swaying in anticipation behind her.

Speaking of my kitten.



I will say this now, I've always been more of an ass or thighs man.

That sounds ironic considering I'm in titty anime land, but it's the truth.

I can say, with one hundred percent certainty, that Koneko has a far better ass than her sister.

It's smaller, sure, but that's only because Koneko herself is a small girl.

But the way it curves down to her plump thighs, the way it jiggles and bounces slightly as she walks?

Yeah, those are some breeding hips right there.

Koneko sees me looking at her, and shies away from my desiring gaze, instead looking down at her bare older sister.

I see the moment, in her eyes, when she starts comparing herself to her.

“Kitten,” I call out, snapping her out of it before it can truly begin, “come here.” I hold out my hand to her.

Slowly, Koneko does, and as soon as reaches my side I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into it.

“Watch closely, alright~?” I mutter into her ear, prompting a shiver, “Your sister is going to be useful for once and show you how to do lewd stuff, alright~?”

“O-Okay- Nyannn~!?”

I accidentally cut her off into a mewling moan, as I can't help it when my hand roams down her waistline, grabbing and squeezing her ample rear, my fingers sliding into her curves, and slowly going under her underwear…

That's where my hand stays, for now.

Kuroka meanwhile wasn't idle, as she grasped at the yukata around my waist, “That's right, Shirone~! Let your big sister show you how it's done…then you can work your needy senpai all you want~! Or, rather…” Kuroka, ever the dramatist, chose that moment to pull the rest of my clothing down, revealing a Nori Junior who was standing at complete attention to the world.

“He’ll be working you, nyah~!” Kuroka finished with a sultry smirk.

Koneko audibly gulped next to me, “Y-You weren't lying…about…? How would that even…”

“Like…this~!” Kuroka started hotly before no words came anymore as she stuck out her tongue and started taking nice, long licks up and down my shaft.

I let out a low groan, deep in my throat, as Kuroka wraps her lips around the tip and swirls her tongue around it.

“You gotta get it nice and lubed up, make sure everything is silky smooth and wetted down~…” Kuroka continues her lecture, “Plus, he likes it quite a bit. See his face Shirone~?”

“Y~Yeah…I do— Nyan~!?” Koneko suddenly froze, and let out a shuddering moan, “S~Senpai~!?”

My hand moved again, my fingers finding her tight lower lips, and poking and prodding at them.

“Why don't you go down there, and try it out yourself, kitten~...” I suggest huskily.

“T-Try~...? Nyah~!!” My finger slowly slips inside of her, “O~Okay~!”

Koneko wastes no time, bending over to join her sister.

Even Kuroka was surprised though, as Koneko went straight to wrapping her lips around the head and swirling her cute little tongue around it.

In turn, I push my finger as far as it can go inside her tightening folds, groaning as she moans and shudders around the tip.

“Very good Shirone~!” Kuroka praises, before moaning hotly around the base of my member and continuing damn near worshiping it, “Like this, we'll make him cum in no time~!”

She's not even wrong about that.

Koneko began pushing her head down my rod, her small mouth unfortunately unable to go past my head, but holy fuck if it wasn't tight.

She swirled her tongue wildly around the tip, almost desperately.

I pounded my finger into her folds in response, her back arching as she tried to take it, her shaking her ass in what I think is a plea for more.

Kuroka meanwhile, gave the root of my shaft a thorough cleaning with her tongue.

“Come on darling~...” Kuroka breathed out between laps, “Shirone seems pretty desperate to taste your seed, doesn't she~? Won't you be a good senpai and give it to her~?”

Fucking. Cat.

I didn't want to shove exorbitant amounts of cum down her throat during her first time, but with her lips clamped around the tip like this I don't think there's any other choice.

Kuroka, of course, helps me not be able to hold back.

So, with a final shuddering groan on my end, I reach what I know is only going to be my first climax of the day.

I do not doubt that if Koneko wasn't acting like a cap on the tip right now, my seed would be spraying out like some kind of geyser.

Instead, said cap suddenly perked up, her eyes widening considerably as I shot everything straight into her mouth.

Both Kuroka and I were shocked when she managed to take it all without the slightest drop coming out, without even the slightest gag.

Once my release finally ceased, Koneko pulled herself off my rod with a resounding pop.

“Mmm~...salty…” She touched her lip with a finger, before eyeing me as her tail swayed back and forth rapidly.

She reached around, grabbed my wrist, and pulled my finger out of her, causing her body to shudder.

Slowly, she turned around, and bent over the bed, her eyes locked onto mine, filled with desperate need as she shook her hips back and forth.

“Come on, senpai~...punish me~...please~...” she reached back, pulling her underwear down completely, before grabbing her cheeks and spreading them.

Well. Who am I to say no to such a clear invitation?

I stand up, almost smacking Kuroka in the face with my still throbbing hard rod, but she manages to avoid it in time.

I come right up behind Koneko, grabbing her hips to hold her in place and wasting no time as I slide my shaft right between her cheeks.

Koneko gasps loudly, her hands coming down to grasp the bed sheets tightly, her face digging into the covers as she shoves her ass up and out more.

Kuroka comes up behind me, she doesn't even say anything, just immediately starts rubbing her body up against my back.

She licks my neck and runs her chest up and down my back, so even before the tip of my member reaches Koneko’s lips, the thing is already throbbing with need once more.

So, I lean back slightly, letting it slide down into the proper position, before slowly pushing myself forward.

My tip parts her excruciatingly tight and wet lips before being wrapped up and squeezed by her equally tight folds.

“Fuck~...” I groan, loudly, Koneko mirrors me by letting out her groan down into the sheets beneath her, and her entire body shudders to accompany it.

I lean my body slightly over her, hands holding myself up placed on either side of her head.

“You feeling alright down there~?” I huff out through gritted teeth.

“G~Grand~...N~Nyan~...” she shudders out, “You c~can move, senpai~...please move~...punish me~...! Nnnggh~!!”

With a grunt, I push forward, hard.

“F~Fuck~! Y~Yes…like that~...!” She breathily mewls, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she does so.

“Hmm~, naughty kitten with naughty language~...” I pull back, then pump forward once more, causing her to scream out with pleasure, “That's another thing to punish you for~...”

“Then f~fucking do it– Nyan~! Nyah~!! Nnngggghh~!!!”

I promptly shut her naughty mouth by ceasing holding back.

My once slow, steady, thrust are replaced by wild, damn near primal or animalistic pistoning.

Hey. She's a Rook, no?

Better take advantage of that Rook durability.

In that same vein, I deliver a nice hard slap straight to her rear.

“Nyaaahh~!?” Koneko cries out once more, her body shuddering, “A~Again~! Senpai~! Again~!”

“Ho? Naughty kitten is also perverted?” I muse, “Another thing to punish you for!”

“I'm~ I'm not~!!” Her attempt at denial is cut off with a whimper as I spank her once more, “Nyann~!? I'm sworrryy~!! I'm sworry I'm a naughty perverted kitten senpai~!!”

“That's more like it~...” I gruffly growl out, prompting a shudder from both cat girls as I put my hand on Koneko’s head, pushing her head down further, “Senpai has got a gift for you, kitten~! You aren't allowed to say no to it~!”

Unfortunately, Koneko can't say much of anything beyond giving muffled moans of broken ecstasy, her eyes halfway rolled up into her head.

Fortunately, I don't need her to say anything.

“Here it comes~...!” I grunt out hoarsely, and on some level, I think Koneko knows what exactly it is.

As her body suddenly locks up as soon as I say those words, her folds tighten to extreme degrees as her core seems to pulse, her climax hitting her just before mine does.

Like a one-two punch, my release kicks in straight after, causing her to gasp loudly for breath as she all of a sudden finds her depths being filled to the brim.

“S~S~Senpai~...!” She manages a single word as she lets out a shuddering breath, her mouth agape.

I take a deep breath, my cock twitching as I slowly pull out of her, leaving a small stream of white the same color as her hair to trickle out.

“Now, kitten~?” I reach down, giving her ass a light spank, “You better not be done yet, after all, your sister still needs help with her turn~...”

Kuroka, who was furiously fingering herself right behind me, suddenly perks up.

“Nyah~? Darling~?” She exclaims, worried.

She should be, to be fair.

“I~I'll…I'll try, senpai~...” Koneko mutters, “But no promises, okay~...?”

My hand shoots out, grabbing Kuroka's tails as she tries to scamper away, pulling her back with a yelp while a smile graces my face.

“That's alright, Koneko, take your time~...” I ease her.

After all, I'm going to be taking my time with this fucking cat as well~!

Something must have shown on my face, as Kuroka starts to panically exclaim, “Ah~!? Darling, can we talk about this~? Please~?”

I make a show of thinking about it.

“Hmm…No~!”

There wasn't much talking to be ahead after that, so it turns out.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 30 End


The smol white cat has been lewded.

Also, can I just say, writing threesomes are weird. Think I prefer 1 on 1 tbh.

Was going to put meeting some Team Slash/Dog peeps at the end, but the lewd kinda...over took the chapter, so I'm pushing that off for 31.

Think it would be more proper that way, anyhow.

Thanks to Lee over on QQ for the imgs, btw. They're really damn good aren't they?

A New Sun Chapter 29

Chapter 29

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Oh, how the turn tables.

“WWWRRRYYYYYYY-”

“Quiet you.” I slap the leopard-looking Stray beneath me mid-screech.

But although it stops screeching for a moment, it continues to try and remove the absurdly large dumpster pinning its lower body to the ground.

“You know, you really don't have the right to be like this,” I huff, arms crossed, looking down at the gaudy gold-wearing leopard, ”you were the one who told me to get as close as I'd like, remember?”

And that I did, to drop a dumpster on the poor Dio cosplayer.

Or, rather, I body-slammed him to the ground then dropped the dumpster on him to keep him there.

Its hands, more paw than truly human, suddenly tense.

“WRRRRRRRY–”

I sucker punch it straight to the jaw, its impromptu battlecry cut short as its head suddenly snaps down and hits the dirt, making no more sound nor movement any longer.

Looking back at its hands, I see the barest hints of claws poking through.

Not sure if he was going to try and claw me, or my handy dandy test subject blanket here, but either way I couldn't have that!

Eh. Doesn't matter in the end as it's always best to start with the subjects being unconscious.

Especially the unique screaming ones.

Which was every single stray I've run into for the past few nights, but I digress.

It spares my ears the pain for at least a little bit, because no matter what, I'll be hearing a lot of screeching.

Turns out, being annihilated out of existence, no matter how fast you go, hurts.

None of the monsters have been shy about letting me know that much at least.

I let out a long, tired sigh as I kneeled next to my latest catch, staring at it with a dull expression.

The novelty of how every single stray seems to be unique in some way is beginning to run out, as is my patience.

See, these repeated experiments have yielded results, good and bad.

The good thing? I have consistently been able to get purified pieces, which is what I've taken to calling them.

The bad thing? I'm only getting them after annihilating the Reincarnated Devil's body and soul.

It isn't for a lack of trying to focus the power either, by the way. The power of purification, going off its Shinto Ritual counterpart, cleans out all it considers unclean.

I know it can be used to cure or attack specific things, or at least there's a precedent for it considering Inari was able to actively not affect Kuroka with her Holy Spirit Power.

But I lack that type of control at the moment.

So as it stands, my purification is very much a filthy racist that will try and purify everything in sight, kind of like a ‘pre-retaliatory’ immune system, it considers people like Yokai or Devils the same as a disease and will try to destroy it.

I can kind of work around it, by using very small amounts of the power, but that's only effective on smaller things like actual disease.

Also, all the…screaming, as I mentioned before is still a problem.

Getting away from that, now it's not a case of whether or not I can purify the Piece, it's can I even get to the piece to purify it without hurting Kuruka?

And the answer to that is…my chances aren't looking too great.

If the piece is where I think it is, the soul, jammed in there like a Sacred Gear, then I think I may be fucked.

This would be so much easier if Kuroka could just pull out her piece, but I've never seen anyone do that before.

Well, beyond Ajuka, but of course he could do it, and it would make sense for him to lock it up nice and tight.

Pretty sure the only reason the pieces aren't simply exploding, teleporting away, or whatever failsafe they have in place isn't working is because of what they're made of.

Attribute crystal. Don't think it was ever given a proper name.

When I purify everything, the crystal pieces take on the attribute of my purification, basically overriding all the Devil stuff within.

But if it's in the soul, then no wonder I destroy everything on the way, I have to go through everything to get to it.

Although, there is technically a way to get to the soul directly, skipping the body at the very least.

Senjutsu.

One of its basic functions enables a direct strike to a person's spirit, I could technically use that to skip the physical body.

Slight problem with that though.

It's an attack, and I'm nowhere near good enough with Senjutsu to think I could precisely attack something in someone else's soul.

With the way my power works? It's more likely to hit and outright purify her entire soul, especially since I’m gonna be contending with the power of two mutated bishops!

With that method, to actually purify her pieces, I’d have to hit her soul with a lot of purifying power.

Enough even she wouldn't be able to resist if things went south.

That's a no-go, I'm not a surgeon with a scalpel, I'm more like a bomber with a nuke here!

I blink incredulously at the comparison, squashing the urge to physically kick myself for that.

Although, thinking about it like that…

What if I had a connector of some kind, a tunnel, bridge, route whatever you call it, straight to target?

I'd prefer several, truth be told, but I’d be lucky to have even one.

Are there? Could I make any?

Senjutsu enables the attacking of others' souls, and one’s ki is their life force, coming from the soul.

We've done that before, connected directly no?

Ah. The Bedroom Method.

That…could be a good start.

Luckily I don’t need to be fucking for it to work, as amusing as it would be to tell Ajuka to his face that I fucked the Devil out of someone.

Assuming it even works.

What else, though? Come on, there's got to be more than that!

Ahah! Chakra! Fuck I can't believe I never considered it!

Or, to be more specific, ninshu, or its principles at the very least.

It was meant to connect people spiritually, right?

Don't know exactly how it works, I recall Chakra being all interconnected in some way though, even through a simple fist bump.

On that note, what about my other powers? My eyes…

I look intently down at the knockoff, not even a vampire, leopard Dio, my eyes shifting and spinning with four pupils, three tomoe, and the center dot.

These eyes of mine, one of the basic components of one of its abilities as the ‘Eye of Insight’ are the power to see chakra, or in my case, see energy, giving it color, enabling me to distinguish it by composition and source.

It's an aspect of my eyes that I only recall using once, way back when I was staying with Kuroka months ago.

I saw some type of power coming from her then, a purple aura around her.

But that was with my eyes then. Now that they're matured?

Looking down at the Dio wannabe now, with a bit of focus and intent, his cosplay is joined in my eyes by flowing glowing patterns of light.

Specifically, there are two that stand out to me, both coming from the same source, seemingly coming up out of his chest.

One is this dark golden color, that spills out of his body and clings tightly to his form in an aura.

The second is black and red, looking less thick and more airy compared to the dark gold's liquid-like composition. That energy disseminates across the leopard's whole body, not leaving it, but infusing it.

With a quick reminder about the basics of Demonic Power, I surmise that the golden aura is the stray Devil's hellish power.

Assuming the Demonic Power comes from the Evil Piece, then to get a better look I'd need to use the other methods I was thinking about before.

Except I can't necessarily test any of that with random strays, now can I?

Well, I suppose I could give random strays chakra, but the process is entirely instant.

Which means I'd have to hold these guys while it forms, then contend with them likely trying to use said powers against me, and if one of them escaped with such a power?

Yeah. Ain't risking it.

Even if I could have Kuroka there as a sexy lab assistant getting a kick out of it.

Still not worth it.

Also, that would be reaching the limit of how far I'm willing to go with the whole larping as a mad scientist thing I've been doing.

At that point, no matter how reprehensible these strays are, I'd start feeling bad going that far.

So instead, how about throwing all my powers plus the kitchen sink at the problem and seeing if that'll work?

Deities in this world can do some crazy shit, like tearing out Sacred Gears from their users without killing them levels of crazy.

I’m at least halfway a deity, why not try that, but for Evil Pieces instead?

“Fuck it.” I intone aloud, staring at the spot on fake Dio's chest where his Demonic Power streams out from, “Worth a shot I guess.”

Not like I'm going to get anything else from this guy doing the same old shit again anyways.

I put my hand over the spot, and pull on my Holy Spirit Power, not my purifying light power, sending it straight down and in like a fishing rod with a flex of will.

With my eyes, I watch as my bright, honey-gold energy crashes into the devilish golden-yellow power, there is a very brief resistance before my power bulldozes ahead.

The guy doesn't have enough Demonic Power, fortunately. His being unconscious also probably helps.

I'm mostly working blind now as my eyes can't see the soul directly, but hopefully, with Bouchujutsu and some bastardized Ninshu, I can get a feel for it instead.

Right now though, I'm pretty much willing to pull the piece out of his soul.

It's as simple as that.

The leopard's eyes suddenly snap open, and he almost instantly begins screeching madly.

“WWWWRRYY—”

Only to be cut off, not by me, but as he promptly pops like a meat balloon.

The dumpster crashes to the ground, as what's underneath it practically liquefied on the spot.

Slowly reaching up, I wiped the thick coat of blood and gore from my face, beholding an immediate area that looked like someone bombed with several layers of extra thick red paint.

I blink ahead, patting the dumpster conciliatorily on its side.

I have no fucking clue if I did that myself, or if that was one of the hypothesized Evil Piece fail safes.

Either way.

I slowly take off the cheap, formerly white, lab coat I was wearing, and chuck it in the dumpster before righting it.

I was going to consider maybe trying to bless stuff, but if this is what happens when I try and throw around some divine power maybe I should hold off until I can talk to Uzume.

Or Inari. Preferably Inari.

I don't think Kami bullshit is supposed to do this, but just in case, I'm going to not.

Ended up wasting a good few thousand yen on that coat too…

Oh, well. I’m not much of a scientist after all, only mad.

Especially since I'm going to have to clean this all up!

With a sigh, my hands ignite with flames as I get to work, evaporating and scorching everything down to the ground, regrowing any foliage I need to with my light.

If there's one thing I'm thankful for, it's that Kuroka has been away this whole time doing…whatever Vali Team does now that canon is destroyed.

Maybe Vali is looking for the next Red Dragon Emperor?

They'd be an actual baby right about now, but still, I could see him doing it. If nothing else then to train his future rival himself.

Kuroka should be back soon though, so it's time to get this show on the road.

Fuck I hope I don't mess this up…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

I had the bedroom all well and prepared by the time she got back.

Nice little candles and sweet-smelling incense, the windows open just enough to let the cool night air circulate on through.

I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible at this point, or at least try it, there was no point in holding off on it after all.

The problem, the first one and hopefully only, was Kuroka herself.

“Kuroka.” I deadpan down at the cat sitting and facing me in my lap, “This isn't helping nearly as much as you think it is.”

“Nyah~?” She purrs back, right into my neck in fact, to which she promptly gives another little lick, “I beg to differ, darling~! I think you're sufficiently distracted from your worries, nyah~?”

I huff petting her on the head, “In a sense, now I need to focus on not ravaging you.”

Kuroka looks up at me, tilting her head slightly in confusion, “But…you said we were doing Bouchujutsu again?”

“The non-sex version.” I boop her on the head.

Kuroka pouted, “But that’s the fun version!”

“This isn't meant to be fun you!” I snap back, “I wasn't kidding when I said this could really hurt you if I fuck it up! I could kill you!”

“You won't though?” She licks my neck again, the suddenness causing me to give an unprepared shiver, “Darling would never hurt me on purpose, nyah~!”

“On purpose.” I stress, “It still could happen.”

She shakes her head, “Not if you don't want it too, nyah!”

I simply sigh at that, “Love the faith, but I'm still nervous. Not that easy to simply shake it off.”

“Hmm~?” Kuroka hums, before slowly starting to smirk and dropping her kimono to her waist, leaving her chest bare before me.

“...Kuroka.” I grumbled, “Really?”

“Hey! Bouchujutsu works better the more skin-on-skin contact there is! Even without the fun stuff!” She huffs, crossing her arms.

Okay, that's fair–

“Also, I thought you could use my titties as stress balls, nyah~!” She cackles, grabbing her breasts with either hand and jiggling them around.

I stare at her.

I stare at her, really, bloody hard.

“Please take this seriously.” I sigh out, slumping forward and laying my head on her shoulder.

Kuroka leaned against me with a purr, I could feel her smile on me as her hand came up behind my head and stroked my hair.

“I am, nyah~!” She then promptly took one of my hands and placed it smack on one of her admittedly very squishy and soft melons. “Just in my way~! Annyah~!”

She half moans, half mewls, as idly squeeze and grope her like some kind of plush marshmallow.

“Which someone seems to like, hmm~??” She purrs straight into my ear.

Fuck.

This is fairly relaxing, actually.

I mutter out a garbled response.

“Nyaaah~? What was that~?” Her tail swishes happily behind her, “I couldn't hear you, darling~!”

“...you do have a very nice chest, you.” I mumble out.

“I know, nyah~!” I could feel the smug, I didn't even need to look at her for it.

“Going to tell you right now though,” I add on quickly, “I'm not groping you the entire time during the process.”

I could also feel the exact moment it switched right to pouting.

“Wait, ‘entire time’?” She parroted, “So some of the time then, at least?”

“...Maybe.” I give.

“I'll take it, nyah~!” She cackles in final victory.

I merely let out a simple pleasant sigh.

Without even realizing it, I suddenly feel a lot better.

Damn cat. Using my trick of being an idiot and adding your horniness to it.

I'll remember this when you're begging for kittens after this works, and I'll tell you no creampies for a while.

Unless I figure out how to control my virility.

Should be a basic divine ability, truth be told.

But enough of that for now.

I suddenly sit up straight, Kuroka yelping as I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her flush against myself.

I set my forehead against hers, staring into her eyes with a small smile.

“Ready to do this?”

Kuroka smirks back at me.

“Whenever you are, darling~!”

Nodding, I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment, only to open them back up, Sharingan activated and swirling.

Similarly to the leopard stray from before, Kuroka also possesses two energy sources coming from her chest.

One black and purple that spreads out and infuses her body, and another dark purple power that forms a much thicker aura around her body, compared to the strays anyway.

However, entirely unlike the stray is a third power, a bright, almost liquid-looking light purple flame set in the middle of her stomach.

If I focus hard enough, I can even see the misty translucent outline of her chakra network.

“See something you like, nyah~?” Kuroka muses with a smile.

I snort and roll my eyes, spanking her as I do, pulling a yelp from between those lips of hers.

Before she can add anything more to that, I raise my hand in front of her, palm facing her.

“Paw.” I ask nicely, like an owner asking their pet.

Kuroka grumbles and blushes, not giving me a proper response as she raises her hand and presses it back against mine.

“Now…you know how when you make that energy in your gut, you combine and knead together from two separate aspects? One physical, and the other spiritual.” Kuroka nods, I continue, “Focus on the spiritual aspect. I think you described it once like ki before, right?”

“Mhmm~! Similar, but not quite.” Kuroka muses, “Ki, or even Youki, is much more of a personal spirituality type of deal, while this is more…worldly, I nyah?”

Ah, the return of the philosophical kitty.

“Good, that means what I'm about to say next isn't too crazy,” I start with a small smile, “we need to meld those separate spiritual aspects, and connect, essentially like a bridge.”

“Like Bouchujutsu~?” Kuroka immediately piped up.

I chuckled, even as I turned her down and prompted another pout from her, “No. But, the process may be similar at its core, I think?”

Kuroka wiggled her eyebrows at me as I sighed.

“Just…that spiritual aspect, send it out like you would Ki for Bouchujutsu, and I'll latch onto it and piggyback off it. Like a phone call.” I add, quickly, before Kuroka can somehow turn any of that sexual.

She huffs but closes her eyes to do as I say regardless.

The only reason I can tell is because I can see what she's doing.

Thinking about it more, the spiritual or mental aspect usage here, isn't it a lot like Yin Release? A proto-version of it, anyhow, that doesn't use chakra.

Instead, what seems to emit from her head are waves, rippling hazy waves, nearly invisible even with my fully mature eyes.

Closing my eyes myself, I do the same, focusing on expelling that pure mental or spiritual component that makes up chakra, imagine molding it together and mixing with the outside–

Our eyes snap open.

Ninshu. What was its base idea, again?

Ah. The ability to understand one another without even the need for communication.

“It's like senjutsu, but…deeper.” Kuroka mused breathily, finishing a similar thought to my own.

Despite myself, I blush, prompting her to giggle.

It's weird. It is so fucking weird.

Words can't be used to precisely describe what I'm feeling, they're just that, feelings, yet they tell a whole story.

I know the girl sitting before me trusts me implicitly. There isn't a shred of doubt, anywhere in her. She wholly believes that once I set out to do something, I'll do it.

And it's not only that either! Of course, I feel lust, but not just that, love…she wants a family, one she never got the chance to have, and there's so, so much more!

The connection slips as my focus wavers, I quickly reestablish it by slamming back down on it with a flex of mental will.

She chuckles, leaning forward to press a dainty kiss against my lips, “I know it's a lot, don't worry, just focus on one thing at a time, nyah~...”

I give a shuddering breath, “Y-Yeah, one thing at a time…”

One thing at a time.

We can explore this more later.

What's important for now, is that I should be able to look deeper with this.

“Bouchujutsu proper next.” I state.

“Mhmm~...” Kuroka happily hums in affirmation.

We've done this one before, so slipping into the state is almost as easy as breathing.

Within a breath, gold and purple mist pop out around our combined form, mixing.

With my eyes, I can physically see as her Ki erupts from that point on her chest where her other powers come from.

As it coats her physical form, that spot on her chest seems to glow faintly, translucently.

My Ki mixes with her, pulsing back to the spot, wherein it shimmers and pulses back out.

For the tiniest of moments, the splitist of seconds, I beheld something beautiful.

Physically, I barely hear her, as Kuroka mutters, “Go on ahead, nyah~? What are you waiting for?”

I take a deep shuddering breath, and nod, closing my eyes.

My mind's eye rockets wide open, clearer than it's ever seen before, at least when it comes to Kuroka specifically.

Unlike the last time I did this, I follow my glow as it enters her.

Also vastly unlike the last time I did this, I don't find a dark empty void of some sort.




How do you describe the weight of a soul?

Because it isn't enough to describe merely the color, although it is beautiful, with every single shade of purple I ever knew existed wrapped around a mote of precious light.

Around that, specs of brilliant gold dance, my power, my very life force mingling with her own.

It's all beating. The colors, the mote inside. It all throbs and flows, it's alive, and it proves that she's alive.

I don't want to even touch it, but I know I have to.

Something this beautiful…if the Pieces are here, then they should stick out like a sore thumb.

I can't see it here, her Demonic Power, I’m too close now, but feel it?

Everything here feels so warm, so real.

Except.

My sight drifts closer, gold shuddering around me as I near the center mote.

If I was physically present, I would have laughed.

There, right behind the mote, hiding, the only thing I'd describe as cold, as artificial.

Two Evil Pieces, side by side, Mutation Bishops.

Her pieces must have evolved with her time spent with me because I don't recall her taking mutated pieces originally.

Oh well. It matters little in the end.

I don't dare touch the pieces directly, or as directly as I can like this anyway, just in case.

Instead, I bring forth my purifying power, with the next pulse of my golden ki, swirling silver sparkles join the cacophony of color.

My will slams down upon my power like a steel trap, as I laser focus on the two Evil Pieces.

There is nothing unclean here, besides those.

A tidal wave of silver followed shortly, as it slammed into the pieces.

A bright red flash fills my mind's eye, and with a jolt, I'm suddenly and violently thrust back into my physical sense.

Belatedly, I blink spots out my physical eyes, groaning as it feels as though my mind's eye got punched in the, well, eye.

It is then that I vaguely realize that our jury-rigged Ninshu is no longer active, nor is our Buchojutsu.

Looking down, I find Kuroka leaning against me, dead to the world, groaning lowly as a trickle of drool drips from the corner of her mouth.

“Oh…fuck.”

Pulling her and laying her down gently on the bed, I quickly check her pulse.

Heartbeat. Good.

My eyes spin back up, as I check over her metaphysical.

I watch with bated breath as that dark and purple power of hers, her Youki perhaps, slows down to a trickle of production.

But the more important bit, her Demonic Power?

It's being sucked back in.

I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

Gently running my fingers through her hair, I sit there, watching vigil over her.

Her body didn't explode, neither did her soul it seems, since she's still making Youki, and again, she didn't explode.

The night is still young, but I'm pretty certain she'll be alright.

I let out a deep relieved breath that I've been holding for so, so long.

Now, I wait.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Meanwhile, elsewhere in a land so far beneath the Heavenly High Plane and Central Land of Reeds, a dark mirror of Japan sits.

With all the same buildings, all the same streets, yet haunted by ghostly gray specters of the few once living who cross the Sanzu on the side of the Shinto into this place.

Neither a Heaven nor a Hell, this is the Land of Yomi.

Normally, this land is rather calm.

Even after Susanno took over, with all his proclivities, Yomi's scant changed.

This land has that effect, it's always been like this: dark, dreary, tainted, unclean.

Things continue as they always have, just with a few shades less color, and a ceiling made of roots and rock fit in the sky.

So, when Izanami woke up today, looked outside, and saw several Shinigami caught and flung across Yomi on a realm-spanning tornado, she knew things were going to be, unfortunately, very different today.

See, for all Yomi doesn't change, that applies significantly more toward her son.

Truly, despite him never once acting like a king of this realm, it does fit him best…no matter how boring he claims it to be.

With a yawn, Izanami rose from her slumber, throwing her long luscious black hair out behind her and out of the way.

She nearly walked out in her birthday suit, but deciding to spare her son the embarrassment, threw on a nice dark blue and red kimono haphazardly.

Ah, and the finishing touches, her parasol and a lamp, traditional make, of course, can't go wrong with the classics.

One to protect herself from all the storm stuff her son tends to cause, the other so she doesn't have to strain herself to see.




Satisfied, and deciding to hurry it up before another Shinigami flies past her window crying, she heads on out to find her son.

Luckily, it doesn't take much, even over the sounds of the storm outside she can hear him roaring in…joy?

Well, that's new.

It's a small walk from her chambers to the throne room, this place being the only dark mirror of the Palace in the High Heavenly Plane, she knows it like the back of her hand, even if it wasn't a short strut.

Throwing up the doors to said hall, she finds her son standing before his stone and black iron throne, clutching a scroll in one fist tightly as his gaze is raised to the sky, as she said, roaring.

“WOOOOOOOOO!!! YEAAAHHH BABY! THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!!”

Izanami stood there, deadpan staring at her, as lightning filled and struck the hall.

Tempestuous winds and rain bellow, and with a casual raise of her parasol, all splash harmlessly against it.

Upon putting it down, her son finally turns and seems to recognize she's even present.

So what does he do?

“WOOOOOOUUU!!! MOTHER!”

She simply sighed at him.

That seemed to snap him out of his rhapsody, at least temporarily, as he blinked at her, the blaze in his eyes slowly going out as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Ah,” he clears his throat, “Mother…did I…?”

“Yes.” She answers plainly. “Yes, you did. And I also believe you chucked half of the Shinigami to Hokkaido.” She drawled out dully.

Susanoo, at the very least, winced as he looked outside and saw what she meant.

“Well, I, uh…apologize. But!” He holds up the scroll clenched in his fist, “I have very good reason for my reaction!”

“I'm sure you do…” Izanami mused, walking to him.

Susanoo huffed, “No no! I do! See, read it yourself!” He holds the scroll out to her with a smug smirk.

Taking it, she opens it, rolling it out.

It's not too long, maybe a forearm’s length of characters, from…King Yama?

“Ho? A soul transfer?” She muses with a raised eyebrow, “Why did you…?”

Wait.

Why does the surname ‘Ikuse’ sound familiar?

“Because now,” his hands slip over her shoulders, holding her gently, as she looks at him he smiles…maliciously, “I finally have what I need to take and destroy the last remnant of what's left of that bastard.”

At his snarl, Izanami frowned, “Susa, darling, if this is about Kagustuchi, then I–”

“Of course it's about Kagustuchi!” He barked, “For the longest time, I couldn't get to that damn sword, that last remnant of him. But now? Now I can!”

She put both of her hands on his face, “And how many times must I tell you? You don't need to go so far…especially now, especially after you already made sure he stays dead.”

Susanoo cringed slightly at that, at the pain on his mother's face, at the pain he caused.

“I especially need to after that.” He says solemnly, decidedly, “The job won't be finished otherwise, Mother.”

Izanami sighs deeply, “And when everyone, your sister, the Earthly Kami, the Dog God, and his team, fights you for this?”

“It will all be worth it.” Her son states resolutely, “Especially if little Ama will get her flat ass down to see you.” He grumbled a little as he added.

Izanami merely chuckled, patting Susanoo on the chest chidingly, “Be nice now, Susa, this is why she doesn't visit.”

Continuing his grumbling, Susanoo lets go of her and walks to his throne.

Ah, that son of hers. So stubborn. So…

Well. Let's just say his doing things like this is why he got thrown out of Heaven in the first place.

But kidnapping a Longinus Sacred Gear user's dead grandma to use them as leverage to make the user mutilate themselves for a divine weapon is a new one.

Now, where is that poor old woman being kept?

She figures she may keep the mortal company, at least for a little while.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 29 End


Woooo baby! That's what I've been waiting for! That's what it's all about! WUOOOOO!!!

Finally got it done. I'm not 100% recovered, but more then enough to start writing again.

So, back to your regularly scheduled updates.

I really enjoyed writing that last bit, with Susano and Izanami, especially Izanami. 

No, it has nothing to do with the fact she's hot, trust.

Next up, threesome, and Nori meets a few of the Slash/Dog team...including seeing Suzaku again.

A New Sun Chapter 28

Chapter 28

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

“Ah~! Quite the sight, isn't it my cute little kouhai?” Noriaki mused behind her, his voice sweet and tender, “Although it would be much better at night, I bet.”

“Probably.” Koneko ground out through gritted teeth, “Now can you put me down, senpai.”

He makes at least a show of considering it, humming for a second before huffing out a, “Nope~!”

And then proceeding to cuddle her against his chest, like some God damn teddy bear.

Koneko grits her teeth, the fists clenching so hard her knuckles turned somehow even paler than her complexion already was.

It contrasted hideously, she imagined, with the burning red drowning out her face as people around them awed and cooed at them for their ‘couple antics’.

The mundane humans are the only reason her dear, beloved, senpai hasn't lost his fucking jaw yet.

Now, being held and pampered like a bloody stuffed animal, literally being held aloft on the Kyoto Tower Observation Deck so she could see better, Koneko tried to figure out where everything went wrong.

Technically speaking, it all started back when her stupid bastard of a senpai summoned her.

Being very technical, it all began when her equally stupid fat-chested sister ran into him, told her about their family, and he decided to try and fix their shit.

In the end, everything was her sister's fault, huh?

Putting that line of thought to rest, and getting more specific, shit went wrong lately around the time she saw Noriaki on his phone, looking up date locations in Kyoto while they ate yakitori.

She should have known that her senpai putting effort into something spelled trouble.

And it did. The moment they left, he was like…this.

All sweet, lovey-dovey, holding her hand, calling her cute, and all sorts of other nicknames in public.

He acts like he's trying to be quiet about it, but he's barely loud enough that everyone can hear me.

She doesn't think she's stopped blushing at all since they left.

Never once before has she thought that being able to tell whether someone is lying or not by reading their ki would change the way certain things feel when said, but now she knows better.

Him calling her cute, now that she knows with 100% certainty that he means it, makes her feel…things.

If he tries pushing her any further, she'll grab his nips and twist.

Something she's been saving for her sister in case she gets too many ideas.

In the end, though, she can say somewhat surprisingly that all of this? This torture is much better than the hell that's going on back home.

That thought almost made her frown, but then he put his chin on top of her head.

Fucking, tall, back-hugging, bastard!

He's making it very hard to brood over her black-haired perverted bimbo of a Queen and her daddy issues making her fairly uppity at the moment.

Oh, wait, did she say a moment? No no, she means the past few weeks.

Truly, Koneko had already set her sights on dragging him out eventually for dumping that literal problem Angel on their doorstep.

The 10-winged Fallen, former cadre Baraqiel, wasn't tight-lipped about what happened, and how he ended up there.

She would begrudgingly admit that it took everything in her power not to die laughing at some of the things her senpai said to the Fallen.

She did choke on a cookie when the bimbo, with such a sickeningly sweet and fake smile on her face that it looked like it hurt to wear, ‘confirmed’ pretty much everything and told him to promptly fuck off.

Despite her and Noriaki never even talking to each other once, she thinks.

Ah. Household drama.

Since then, President Bimbo has been stubbornly training to get the two to make up, and she hasn't been backing down at all shockingly enough.

Even told off that annoying chicken for trying to muck it all up.

So, now Queen Bimbo's daddy works at Kuoh, and kind of works with the remaining Fallen in the Underworld working with the Devils, while President Bimbo slowly pushes the two to interact.

To say the resulting tension throughout the school is so thick you could cut it with a knife would be wrong.

She could eat the tension as a main course and still not leave a dent in it, that's how bad it is.

Senpai hasn't even been to school, not even his clone things have shown up for a good long while now.

She can't wait to see his reaction once he finally shows up again.

But compared to all that?

Well.

Maybe she finds herself snuggling back up against her senpai, just a little bit.

Thankful that, at the very least, he can't get a clear view of her face as she smiles slightly

“Hmm, let's see, it's near midday, so where to next?” He mumbles above her, “The Kyotomangekyo Museum, the Aquarium? Plenty of gardens too.”

After a moment, Koneko replied softly, “...the Aquarium sounds nice.”

“Should I expect we'll be taking a trip to Nishiki afterward?” He muses aloud, “I hear they have octopus there!”

He grunted faintly as she elbowed his ribs.

Before promptly adding a little, “Yes.”

To which he simply chuckled down at her, “Right.”

This idiot! Acting like this in front of other people to stop her from responding properly.

She'll punch him later, when they're alone, for sure.

But, for now?

It's not bad being treated like a princess, she supposes, even if he is trying to embarrass her.

As long as she's not being treated like that one perverted fox princess her sister told her about.

Anything except for that.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

The rest of the day flew by.

She'd never out loud add unfortunately to the end of thought, but here she is, definitely thinking it at least.

Mostly.

Kind of.

“Like the kimono we ended up picking out for you?” The entirely too smug, entirely too handsome in that fucking kimono of his, bastard of a senpai asked lightly.

Sadly, she did.



A mostly white kimono, with a blue petal or leaf-like pattern spread across it, draped down across her petite form.

She could do without the giant red sash around the stomach, but that's par for the course with these outfits.

Staring straight ahead as they walk, she ignores the blush spreading across her face as she thinks back for a moment to the process of getting the damn kimono, all the ones she had to try on.

His, ‘suggestions.’

Oh, would you look at that, they're in an alleyway, holding hands, with no one around.

So she increased the grip on his hand.

She knows she won't get any delicious popping from it, but she'll settle for the wince.

Finally answering him, she goes with a simple, “Eat shit and die.”

He cackles at that, before trying to raise his denial, “Oh come on, the other options weren't so bad you!”

“One of them you suggested was pink.” She huffed out, a scowl on her face at the thought of wearing that color again, “And the others weren't even kimono, they were yukata.” She rebukes soundly.

“Oi. You look cute in pink.” He huffed, before continuing, she could feel him raise an eyebrow at her, “And so? Yukata are comfortable, I'd know.”

Her glare intensified, and her blush positively burned red, “They barely went halfway down my thighs.”

After a few moments of what she hoped was careful contemplation, he merely says, “I see that as an absolute win.”

It was not, in fact, careful contemplation.

She whirled her head in his direction, glaring bloody murder at him.

Only for her heat to be walled by his cool gaze and small smirk, “What? You've got nice thighs and a very good a–”

“Complete that sentence and I will rip your balls off…!” She interrupted, more panicked than embarrassed at this point.

His smirk grew, as he leaned down slightly, his eyes boring into her own, “You have, a really fucking great ass.”

He stated, mirth clear in his eyes as he watched her face morph into abject horror.

Senjutsu, of course, told her it was true.

Koneko.exe shut down.

For a split second, until she slammed her forehead into his jaw as hard as she could.

Pulling back, the bastard didn't even have the decency to look phased.

“F-Fuck you, perverted idiot senpai…” she stammered and grumbled, averting her eyes from his gaze, “who just…says something like that to someone…”

He chuckled a little, before musing, “Well, I figured you could use the compliment. I know you compare yourself to the other girls in certain aspects, and that you sell yourself short because of it.”

“I do not.” She denied it with a huff.

Then she blinked.

“Senpai. Did you just make a joke about my height?”

“You call any big-chested girl a bimbo in your head, don't you?” He asks, completely ignoring her, “Or cow, maybe. Something along those lines.”

She furrows her brow.

Cow is a new one, why didn't she ever think of that before?

Hey! Wait a minute!

“Heh. Called it.”

Then she turns and rams her fist straight into his liver.

Prompting the longest drawn-out groan she'd ever heard from him, but still not one in pain, merely discomfort.

Tch. One of these days, one of these days…

“Damm kitty…” he grunted, as she pulled her fist back, “Look, the point I'm trying to make is, you are attractive in your own way as well, and not to let the looks of others bring you down.” He squeezes her hand back gently, “I saw the way you looked at yourself in the mirror back there when trying stuff on. Like you were disappointed in yourself?

“Don't be. You are attractive, physically and sexually, whether you believe it or not.”

Well, he certainly believes it.

“How did you even…” she mumbles out weakly, “did you peep, pervert?”

Is it strange she wouldn't even mind if it was him?

He snorts at that, “Like you? No.” She flinched at that and didn't dare turn to see him otherwise she might very well be the one to explode, “You've got a lot of it, and it's all packed in two nice peach shapes. The fabric of the kimono, meanwhile, is pretty soft and thin, so when you bend over.”

He clicks his tongue to emulate a popping sound, “Bam! Snapshot.”

Oh.

Looking down, she pursed her lips together.

“C-Can…we not talk about this anymore, please?” She damn near pleads, “I'm not good with…l-lewd stuff.”

As painful as that is to admit, stuttering embarrassedly all the while.

Turns out, actively trying to be the opposite of her sister led to her not being very…versed, that way.

She couldn't flirt to save her life, and hell, she couldn't even tell the difference between flirting and coming on to someone.

They're more or less the same to her.

Mission accomplished, she guessed.

Still never going to take her sister's offer to teach her how to be lewd.

On that, she stubbornly refuses at least.

“Hmm, you know?” He hums in contemplation, “Only one real way to learn, ya know~...?” He trailed off suggestively.

See! Like that! What the hell does that mean exactly!?

Halting her racing thoughts, he sighs, reaches over, and pats her on the head, “But alright, if it makes you that uncomfortable, I'll stop, okay?”

She lets out a small sigh of relief, already feeling the burning across her face retracting, “Thank you, senpai.”

“No problem, my cute little kouhai.” He starts full-on petting her head.

She resists the urge to purr and lean into him, though it's mighty tempting.

She must stay strong, he will be punished somehow by the end of this night!

“So,” he continued, filling the silence, “figure out which play you thought looked the best?”

Oh shit, that.

Currently, they're walking down the Ponto-chō, a district of Kyoto that is pretty much a long narrow alleyway.

It would be exclusively that if it also wasn't host to traditional Japanese architecture and entertainment.

Tea houses, geisha houses, bars, restaurants, brothels, the works.

But what they were here for, the reason why he even rented a kimono for her, was for the theater here, the traditional plays and dances.

It's a tad early into the evening, so there aren't many options available, the alleyway lights up beautifully in the dead of night supposedly.

A shame, she would have loved to stay out longer, but during the nighttime proper she's got Devil work to do.

Fucking yakitori bitch and her schedules.

She wishes her bimbo of a President would put her foot down there too, but instead, she found a workaround for herself and proceeded to fuck off with it.

Although, maybe she could similarly use him?

Thoughts for later, she needs to make a choice now.

“What were the options again, senpai?”

“Hmm, let me pull out the pamphlet again and che-” As he moves to grab the pamphlet in the inside pocket of his kimono, he suddenly stops, jerking her to a sudden stop as well.

“Son of a bitch.” He hissed out.

She tilted her head, befuddled, “Senpai, wha–” she froze as she suddenly felt it.

The cold, dark dread of Demonic Power, the type of Demonic Power backed by malicious and violent intent.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the alley, coming from behind them.

“Thayure yore! Ahv been lookin' fahwar yawl…”

Wait.

Huh?

Senpai sighed, a loud, pained, anguished thing, as he let go of her hand and turned around.

She did as well, shortly thereafter, and beheld a monster walking towards them.

A monster of fashion that is.

Koneko couldn't help herself.

She deadpanned, before asking, “Who put the fat gargoyle with a mullet in a biker jacket and said it was a good idea?”

The gargoyle stopped and looked at her extremely offended.

Noriaki gaped at her for a second, before a wide, proud smile slowly etched itself across his face.

It took her everything she had to not preen at his look.

“Thuh hell yawl thank yawl thank yore tawkin' bout yawl dawgone midget!” It started ranting, at her, she thinks? “Yawl wouldn't know fashion hifit fucked yawl in thuh ass!”

Yeah, she has no damn clue what this guy is saying.

Well, the only thing she got was ‘midget’ out of that.

Because of course, this trash went that way, the unoriginal hack.

She turns her head, looking at Noriaki with a raised eyebrow.

To which he dreadfully sighed, again, before beginning to explain.

“This guy is a Stray Devil, clearly…but judging by his accent, he was an Oni.”

“Wuz? Wuz!?” The creature cried out in anger at his explanation, “Ah still am! Ahm better evun! Now ahm....more.” He shivered as he almost moaned the last word out.

Both of them somehow managed to hold back gagging on the spot.

“Ugh,” Noriaki grimaced, “okay. That's disgusting.”

“Iz not!” It tried to interject.

“Is.” Noriaki shot out a quick denial, “Anyhow, the fuck did you do ugly?”

“Not ugly! Smart!” The stray rebuked viscously, ”Say, cheater, few could git help frum other Yokai an thuh Clans, then Ah thought Ah could git help as wayul!

“So, Ah went tuh thuh Devils, tricked wun with mah big brain tuh reincarnate muh, then ran awf! Ah became...better.” It did the thing, again, his wings popping out behind his back and shaking as they do.

This time, Koneko did gag, and her senpai patted her on the back as she did.

The monster wasn't bothered though, and continued unabated, “Enough tuh crush yawl, avenge Lord Ibaraki, then, Ahl go take ovur thuh Oni mahsef! An lead us tuh uh new golden age!” It finished with a jubilant cry.

“Okay, okay.” Noriaki nodded along, “I didn't get half of that.”

She holds up a finger, “I didn't get any of that.”

“Bha! Don't matter few git it or not!” It stomped the ground, cracking and splintering it as its massive flabby foot sunk into the concrete, “It'll end thuh same anyways!”

“Right, right.” Noriaki nodded, mockingly, “So, uh, quick question…but was it only you who did this, or…?”

It laughs boisterously at the suggestion, “Yawl thank no others is smart enough tuh thank uh thus? Naw, monly ROKUBI!” It roars its name like a beast, creating actual shockwaves.

It ruffles their kimonos a little bit.

“Okay.” She and Senpai say in unison, in the most deadpan drawl they can manage, as they stand there unaffected.

“Now, who should Ah start with?” He muses aloud, acting like the two of them aren't just staring at it like the trash it is.

This guy has no sense or survival instinct left, does he?

Eventually, its eyes settle on her, “Ah! Bout thuh tiny liddel pedo bait? Yeah, sshaylooks aansmayuls llahkuh good snack!”

Wait. Hold on.

Back up a second.

What did this guy say?

What did this dead fucking meat just say about her!?

Her senpai huffed, “Give me a second, I think I got some extra soybeans around here somewhere.” He started searching his pockets, only to stop when she took a step forward.

A very heavy step forward.

One that cracked the ground, lacing the alley down with small spider web fractures.

Noriaki, promptly, took a step back.

“Alright, have at it then. Just don't get blood on the rental, alright?”

“No promises.” She huffed out.

“Oh, well…shit.” He stated despondently.

The Oni turned stray looked upon her with shock, “Wow...Ah didn't know yawl wuz thet heavy! Yawl must bay rilly fat under thet small frame!”

Her eyebrow twitched.

Heavy? Fat?

In the next moment, her tails and ears sparked into existence as her ki violently burst from her body.

“Ah! Hare it com–” Its battle shout was cut off as its lower jaw, suddenly met and fused with the upper part of its jaw.

A sickening pop cracked the air, as one moment, the stray was fine, then in the next her fist came from below, smashing into the bottom of its jaw.

Its neck stretched and snapped, becoming several inches longer before bending and hitting itself in the back.

Slowly, the monster's body fell back, crushing its head under its weight with a wet crunch.

She, meanwhile, simply stared up at her fist in disbelief.

At the last second, she pulled back her ki to not pop his head like a balloon, she didn't want to get blood on her after all, or the kimono for that matter.

Yet, that felt far too easy, right?

Oni are supposed to have enhanced physical power and durability compared to other Yokai, kind of like a Rook.

Then after being reincarnated, and gaining a Devil boost on top of it, along with turning stray and getting a bigger and fatter form, it should be way tougher, right?

Or is she simply that strong now?

Huh, training with Senpai and her sister has been paying off pretty well then, hasn't it?

She just hasn't gotten a chance to see how much stronger she's gotten in a real fight.

Not like this idiot could put up a real fight.

It's a shame too, she was hoping to make it take back everything it said about her.

With a discontent sigh, her ears and tails vanish as she looks at the body sprawled out before her.

Now, how to get rid of this thing?

She's fairly certain there isn't a dumpster big enough in the city to dump this thing in, so that's out.

As she's contemplating simply throwing the body really damn far away, Noriaki walks past her, standing to the side of the corpse.

Oh, duh.

Walking incinerator, right here.

He puts his hand on its stomach, and as soon as he does, she preemptively takes a step back.

Shortly thereafter, something did happen, but it wasn't fire like she expected.

Instead, a wave of pure white light ripples across the figure or the corpse, outlining it with light.

As seconds ticked up, the light grew, Noriaki narrowed his eyes in focus while she started closing hers.

Until eventually, she was forced to snap them shut as a bright flash erupted from the body before her.

Wearily opening them back up, blinking several times to regain her sight, she finds her senpai staring down in confusion at the ground.

Where the body is completely gone, not even ash remaining. The only trace, proof of existence left seems to be a small pool of blood.

And an Evil Piece. A Pawn Piece to be precise.

Except there's something strange about it.

Standard pieces look like normal chess pieces when not in use, but when used, glow the color of the user's aura.

So then…why does this piece look bleached out? A complete marble or crystalline white, carved to vaguely resemble a pawn piece.

Tentatively, he reaches down and picks it up, eyeing it strangely before looking at her, “Is it…supposed to look like this?” He holds it closer to her so she can see.

Her eyes narrow as she focuses on it, finding nothing else besides her initial observations, “It's not like any piece I've seen or heard about, that's for sure.”

“Huh.” He brings it back, holding it before him, “I think…I did this.”

She stared at him, half-lidded and unamused, “You mean beyond the sudden flashback?”

He winced, “Yeah, besides that, my bad…didn't know what would happen when I tried that, to be honest.”

The last time he said something like that, he went into that form.

Fortunately, a few bright lights aren't anywhere near the level of that, so she deigns to bring up his propensity to try new shit out on the field later.

Instead, she asks the most obvious with a sigh, “So what exactly did you do then, idiot senpai?”

“Pumped every crevice, pipe, and fiber of its being with my light-based powers.”

She blinks at him.

“So you purified and exorcized him out of existence then?” She lays it out in simpler terms.

Prompting him to blink back at her.

“Huh…Yeah. I guess I did.” He rubs the back of his head with a silly smile, and a chuckle, “Oh!” He suddenly perks up, holding up the piece, “Mind if I keep this for…stuff?”

Her eyes slowly narrow at him.

Kings can summon their unused pieces at any time. If a stray is killed, that piece becomes unused, so they can summon it back right after.

So even if he kept the thing it'd vanish eventually.

On the other hand, there's something up with that piece. Albeit, she can't quite put her finger on it.

Well, either way.

She shrugs, uncaring, “Not my problem what you do with it.”

Really, it isn't.

The Peerage doesn't get paid nearly enough in her opinion to track down and stomp a bunch of tantrum-throwing edge lords and reclaim their lost pieces for them.

Seriously, it's absurd how many of her clothes end up getting torn or burned off fighting all the bastards.

Everyone seems to have claws, or acid, or something that specifically fuck with everyone else's wardrobe nowadays.

She's sick of that shit.

“Sweet. Yoink.” He stuffs it in his pocket, “Thanks Murphy, love ya!”

Huh? Who the hell is Murphy?

As soon as she's about to ask that aloud, he's suddenly upon her, scooping her right up in his arms.

“Now then, my cute little kouhai, look how strong you've gotten~!”

Oh no. Not this shit again.

“And you did it without getting a spec on your kimono, look at that! I'm so proud of you~!”

That sweet, tender-sounding voice…!

“S-Stop that, senpai!” She hissed, feeling her face starting to heat up on instinct at this point.

“Hahaha!” He giggles, “Make me kitten~!”

Also instinctual was her suddenly going on the attack, batting the hell out of his face for what he called her.

She should have let that gargoyle try and eat her, no wait, she should have thrown Noriaki at him!

Yeah, his stupidly hard head would have splattered the fat fuck across the pavement in an instant!

Grabbing his cheeks, and pulling as hard as she can while he laughs maniacally like some overdramatic supervision, she makes a decision.

But first, she needs to talk with her sister about it…

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

I stare at the scene that awaited me back home with a half-lidded expression.

All around the garden, my clones ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, as several oversized plants flailed about with ludicrously large roots, petals, and vines.

Almost as soon as I walked in, all the clones, damn near half a dozen, turned to me at once.

“Boss!!”

“Prime Guy!!”

“Thank fuck!”

They all cried in relief before jumping and dogpiling around me.

I simply give a deep, long sigh, before catching a vine before it hits me in the face casually.

“I have two words,” I start, unamusement clear in my tone as I looked over the clones, “the fuck.”

What followed was my voice, several times over, panickedly explaining what happened.

It all boiled down to this: they got bored and decided to forego an IV drip of light, instead, they pumped as much as they could as fast as they could into several different plants all at once.

Except, unlike when I did it, the plants didn't end up like the stray.

Instead, they became oversized versions of their normal versions.

We had to end the night early because of the damage done to the Ponto-chō, neither of us had the magic spells to fix it, so this is what I have to deal with when I get back?

With a huff, I dispel all my clones.

Then groan, as the fuckers running around all panicked like that one SpongeBob scene was revealed to me to be an intentional clone plot.

Payback, apparently, for leaving them there while I go out and enjoy the day with a cute cat girl.

Well, fuck me too!

Wait. You? You me?

Ugh. Clones.

Regardless, they left this shit for me to deal with when they got back because they're petty asshats.

So now I'm going to make extra sure to ring the clones out the next time we do swordsmanship training.

Little shits.

I walk over to one of the plants, a sunflower, that's flailing around every which way, and grab it by the step, making it stop moving as it faces me.

It becomes almost eerily still, its center desk facing me, the flower head being much bigger than my head in size.

Truthfully, it's kind of unsettling, seeing the oversized disk florets so close.

It's like staring into a maw without teeth.

Huh. I consider an oversized sunflower that can't hurt me to be scarier than some of the legitimate monsters I've fought before.

That's kind of…sad.

Shaking that thought out of my head, I pulled the flower from the ground, immolating it in my hand at the same time.

I will be forever thankful the thing didn't start screaming. Somehow.

Seems like whatever the clones did to the flowers didn't make them more alive or sentient than they already were.

Following that, I did the same to the rest of the sized plants, scattering the resulting ash amongst the gardens, to much the same results.

Sitting down in the garden, bathed in darkness with the taint of ash in the air, I pull the Evil Piece from my pocket and stare down at it.

I never considered it before, the ‘Power of Purification’ that the exorcists in Japan used.

Mostly because it's so easy to forget people even have it, despite one of the main characters, Akeno, possessing the ability to use it, I can't recall a time where she explained and showed it off, always preferring to blast someone with lightning.

Typical of her, but still, such a power would have been useful against Riser in the Rating Game, and it wasn't her Holy Lightning, so…?

Ugh. Canon inconsistencies. Whatever, there's no point trying to dissect it now.

Logically, if Shinto priests and normal exorcists around these parts can use it, why wouldn't I?

And, especially considering my mother, and what she and her attributes stand for, shouldn't my purification be particularly strong?

Well, the purifying powers within my light, that is.

But where to begin?

The closest thing I can think of that the power of purification would be related to would be Harae, the ritual purification used at Shinto Shrines.

It's often known as a type of exorcism, after all.

Harae is used in the purification of sins and uncleanness, although the English translation doesn’t cover everything.

Sins are accumulating in the Shinto term by causing evil deeds, and disasters, and spreading uncleanness.

Uncleanness, or defilement in some cases, is a state caused by forms of death, disease, menstruation, childbirth, and acts such as rape.

These things, sins, and uncleanness, are ultimately remedied by Harae.

If the power of purification is truly based on Harae, and I see no reason it can't, then that's an avenue to explore.

Especially since it might be the key to doing this again, without destroying the body around it.

I hold up the Evil Piece.

The marble white Evil Piece, that I sense nothing from.

Even as I poke, prod, and push my Holy Spirit Power into the thing.

Nothing.

It's almost like it's inert, a completely blank, and empty crystal.

I think I may have, in the process of annihilating that ‘poor’ stray, completely purified out the Evil Piece as well, turning it back into the unnamed attribute crystal it's made of.

Of course, this could just be a one-off case.

But that's what repeat experiments are for, no?

And I don't doubt for one second that other Devils took advantage of the supernatural chaos to reincarnate people, possibly other Oni, or others, and that they strayed as well.

At the very least though, that was the fest reincarnated Oni I've seen, surprisingly enough.

Not the first Oni since the fight with Ibaraki though. It's all been low-level idiots who keep trying to ‘take revenge’ on me and shit.

The stronger, saner, guys get that it would be useless, but these guys mentally can't.

In any case, I think it's about time I return to an old pastime of mine.

Mob farming.

After I spank Kuroka for sending Koneko after me!

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Chapter 28 End


Murphy can deliver, sometimes.

Originally, I didn't intend for the date to take up most of the chapter...but, considering I'm planning on ending this mini quest off with a threesome between Nori, Kuroka, and Koneko, it felt right.

Also, I just enjoy writing the two interacting, lol.

I think we'll be wrapping this up next chapter, get an undevilifyed kitty, then the chapter after will be the threesome and the start of the Slash/Dog section of the story.

Ready? Here we gooooo!

A New Sun Chapter 27

Chapter 27

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

In the few days following, I honestly considered a sex marathon of several days just so I would have an excuse not to do more bloody meetings.

That thought only became more prevalent as time ticked on, and the same shit continued day in and day out.

It went like this.

The smaller Yokai Factions had two reactions to me: suck up or be cowed by my waving the Oni Daiyokai's head around.

Sometimes both.

Truly, I am ever grateful that past Nori at least had the slightest foresight to get these smaller groups to ‘help’ us by wording it not as an aid to my living specifically, but rather as a chance to stick it to the Oni themselves.

Which means I don't owe them anything.

Heh.

Not like they ended up trying to demand anything regardless when I waved the head around, literally.

The only one I asked for help from was the East specifically, and well, they more or less said.

“Meh. We'll see how it goes, boyo.”

Word for word, that's exactly what that gourd-headed guy said.

In the end, the little troll and his Faction ended up watching on the sidelines eating popcorn.

Quite literally, as that's what the old bastard came here to ‘discuss’ when it was his turn.

And by discuss, I mean laugh. Laugh and drink sake.

Ugh.

The only amusing thing that happened there was Magari, the Nekomata Leader from the East, who came with him snuck off during our talk and dragged Kuroka into the Court Room specifically to bat her for being sensed by her despite having three tails.

Oh, and for a host of other stuff relating to way back after Kuroka first strayed.

Like the whole joining a terrorism cell thing. Instead of bunking with the East and Magari’s cats.

That ended up with Magari forcing Kuroka to become her student.

Poor kitty.

I'm sure she'll rope Shirone into it soon enough, just so she won't won't have to ‘suffer alone’ or something like that.

I think a proper mentor would be good for her, considering she's mostly self-taught, and only recently reached three tails despite being a supposed master of Senjutsu for years.

We'll see how that goes.

As for the Five Principal Clans, they are mostly the same as usual.

Reverence due to my being who I am, mostly.

The Heads and current wielders of the Sacred Beasts of the Shinra and Kushihashi are being, for lack of a better term, hard asses.

They didn't show up to Kyoto. Didn't send anyone either. They stayed back at the Inner Sanctuary to ‘protect’ it, but everyone with an ounce of understanding knows that's a thin excuse.

If I recall correctly, the Shinra guy is a hard ass for strength, while the Kushihashi only has a rod up his ass.

Waving around the Daiyokai's head isn't going to prove anything to them, so kicking both their asses directly at a later date would probably solve the issue, but for now, I'm willing to let it sit until it becomes an actual problem.

It's odd, though.

I haven't heard from Suzaku since the battle. Not even a text. The Shrine Maiden that she sent in her place merely said she was busy with other important matters.

Definitely a little strange, wonder what came up all of a sudden?

Something related to Slash/Dog perhaps?

Ah, well. If firebird needs my help she knows where to call.

For now, though, I've got my problems to deal with.

Like this one particular fox MILF who keeps taking ‘diplomatic visits’ here!

“Still trying to figure out how to spruce the place up a bit, hmm~?” Hummed the said fox with a small smile as she leaned forward ever so slightly.

From my seat, I merely deadpanned right back at her, ignoring her thinly veiled attempt to show off her stretching valley of cleavage.

“I sent my maid out to go find someone to help decorate…since it's not like we know anything about that here,” I huffed out, “it's just taking a bit is all.”

Uzume does have high standards, after all.

“It's not so bad, you know?” Yasaka grinned and raised a finger in abjection, “Traditional, surely, but there's nothing wrong with that.”

Traditional is one way of putting this place.

Much like the Study Room, or any of the rooms or buildings here it seems, it's all traditional architecture, with barely anything kept inside.

In this case, I was lucky there were a couple of seats and a very tiny table.

The Court Room walls didn't even have paintings or frescos on them, they were all a matching plain color.

“I'm fine with traditional,” I retorted easily, leaning down against my tiny table, “it's just that it could be better. Especially if I'm going to have people show up. Constantly.” I narrow my eyes at her intentionally.

To which the fox simply giggled slyly at me.

“Ara~? Do you mean to suggest we aren't having very important talks behind these closed doors?” She batted her eyelashes at me ‘innocently’.

My eyebrow twitched at that.

When we're alone like this, I noticed she's very quick to drop innuendos and flirt.

Cute.

It helps her case that her particular statement wasn't wrong.

Several of the times she's shown up, it's been to coordinate efforts toward pushing the Yokai together.

The results of these talks have led many of the Yokai from across Japan to stay in Urakyoto.

With my subtle mentions to the Yokai that have shown up about my connections to the West, and Yasaka pushing for Yokai to stay because of the business the Night Parade brought, many have stuck around, at least for now.

That includes Magari, unfortunately for Kuroka.

But while there have been meetings like that, multiple even, there were also several like this.

Where she shows up and starts talking about random stuff. Trying to tease or get a rise out of me.

Hmm.

You know what? Maybe it's not just the Princess that needs correction, but her mother as well.

How would one go about bulli’ing Yasaka?

“Hmm,” I hum out, smirking back at her, “perhaps. Perhaps not. Though, I can't help but notice you aren't bringing Kunou along with you to these…talks.”

Distract for now. I need time to think about how to go about this.

Yasaka grimaced at that, although her smile didn't fade, “Funny you should mention that, Noriaki,” Yasaka returned the favor with a smirk of her own, “Kunou has actively been refusing to come with me to these, no matter what I say, although, I couldn't imagine why…” she trails off, knowingly.

Or, at least she thinks she knows.

I'm willing to bet she doesn't have the full picture, but it's not like I'm going to give it to her.

“Speaking of,” Yasaka continues, “now that you brought her up, I just realized I haven't paid you back at all for watching over my little girl during that whole…thing.”

She huffed with clear distaste before a sultry smile spread across her face, and she pulled on the top of her uniform ever so slightly as she leaned forward.

“Now did I~?” She questioned breathily, the sides of her nipples ever so slightly peeking out behind the cloth of her uniform, with the rest straining against it, outlining themselves clearly.

I give her the blankest stare I could muster.

“If you want to be technical about this, you could say all of this was my fault, you know.” I point out plainly.

“Nonsense~...” Yasaka huffs out in denial, “You didn't control your father's actions, nor wish to be born, now did you? Besides,” she leans forwards completely, practically on her hands and knees, fluffy tails swishing out behind her, “I was the one that more or less forced Kunou into your care, allow me to make up for that~...”

I'm starting to think this fox is Kuroka 2, Electric Boogaloo, MILF fluffy tails edition.

If she starts crawling towards me like that, I may break my tiny table fucking her silly on top of it.

Which is unacceptable, because this is my only tiny table!

Let's see here…for her type, the mischievous flirty type, what's the normal way to quickly get them flustered and bashful?

Aren't the indirect types usually weak to direct assault? Ah, but since she's an older mature woman, directly attacking her with spicey flirting would be ineffective, that'd be playing into her game.

Which means…showing her the opposite. Something like genuine, romantic affection?

I hold up a hand to make her stop and wait a second for me, before clearing my throat with a breath and beginning, “I know what you can do.”

Her tails swish a bit as she tilts her head at that, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, “Ho~? And what would that be?”

“You can…allow me to take you out on a date.”

She blinks in sheer befuddlement at that.

“...What?” She tries like she didn't quite hear me.

I nod sagely, “Mhmm, a date. It must be rough having to lead the West like you do, no?” I lean my head against my hand, and shoot her the best handsome smile I could muster, “I think a date would be something the both of us would enjoy a fair bit.”

“Hmm…perhaps,” she muses momentarily with a soft smirk, “but it's unfortunate, Noriaki, but I can't leave Kyoto for something like that.”

“Who said you'd have to leave?” I retorted easily.

She fumbled a bit, “H-Hmm? Then how…?”

I smile genuinely, recalling my date with Kuroka briefly, “Because a date isn't just about visiting a place, either new or rarely visited, it's about the experience and fun you have along the way.” I state with conviction, “We can have a sweet evening anywhere, it can be a picnic, a walk…you name it. I'll make it enjoyable, just for you.”

She blinks once more, a small, barely noticeable blush spreading across her face, “...it sure sounds more like this would be a reward for me, doesn't it?”

My smile shifts into a handsome smirk as I look right into her eyes, “With how quick you are to show off your body, I thought you'd already know this…” I hold my hand out to her, “You are the most perfect reward a man could ask for~...”

Yasaka flinched back at my final statement, her small blush exploding across her face, “A-Ah…blast…” she huffs, crossing her arms underneath her massive bust with a pout, mirroring her daughters almost perfectly, “That's not fair, you know~? Most young men shrivel up at a mere little tease, how do you stay so…”

“Composed?” I finished for her, prompting a nod, “Spite.” I answered simply, “Sheer, unending, spite.”

And clever application and exploitation of enemy weaknesses.

But I'll leave that bit unsaid.

“Spite, hmm?” She tried out the word.

“You know, while we're talking about dates,” I muse, “I recall also promising to take Kunou on one outside of Kyoto…need to figure out a time for that as well.”

Yasaka was once again back to smirking, “Did you now~?” Then she blinked, “Wait, as well…were you…being serious about taking me out, too?”

I tilted my head at that, “Yeah? Why wouldn't I? I know I can be a spiteful prick at times, but there's no reason to be that much of a dick to you over you being a little tease,” I huffed a small fit of chuckles, “especially after you looked so touched earlier.”

“I…I see,” she stammered briefly, “I'll admit, it has been a while since I've done that…it would be nice to experience it again.” She smiles, a real genuine one, free of mischief, “Shall we make your dating me and my daughter official?”

I blink at her.

“As in, like, make it an official courtship?”

She nods.

“Well, in a sense,” she elaborates, “it would apply more so to Kunou than to me, as she has yet to be officially…courted.”

Ah. Her mischievous smile is back.

I deadpan straight back at her.

“I'm not going to marry your daughter just like that, especially without you not even talking to her about this first!” I exclaim as I shoot her down, much to a skew of vibrant and sly chuckling from the fox.

< ~ A New Sun ~ >

Fucking fox.

I didn't want to spend the rest of the day talking about courtship rituals and marriage, but that's what ended up happening.

She even brought up marriage contracts.

I don't know why, but that shit made me gag.

She was joking, thankfully, but still.

She also brought up something called the Hanyō-Kami Descendants Plan.

Which I'll simplify as her wanting Kyuubi kids with the powers and attributes of a deity to take over Urakyoto and, therefore the name.

Half demon/god descendent's plan.

Take a wild guess as to how she'd get such descendants?

Why, by me impregnating her and Kunou of course!

Kuroka 2.0. I swear.

She left it ambiguous on whether or not she was joking or not, but considering the fact I vaguely recall Kunou bringing up a similar plan in canon I'm pretty sure it's real.

Now, it's nighttime.

Over the next few days, I should have significantly fewer meetings to be forced to attend, as everyone has other things to do.

Even Yasaka, whose work is picking up in Urakyoto steadily the longer the Yokai stay.

I think, last up, I need to talk with Inari, as she wants to push job applications down everyone's throats steadily, but soon, and she needs my help to push those out, and tailor certain apps to certain groups.

Fun.

But, after all that, I should finally have some time for myself.

For now though, mentally drained, I want sleep.

So far, in my new bedroom, all I have in it is this very comfy futon, but that's all I need to drift off peacefully.

Now. If only I could get some quiet to do so!

“I'm telling you darling~! It was awful, nyah~!” My black-haired cat girl pushed her voluptuous body into my side as she held onto me, shaking in ‘terror’ as she recounted her day with Magari.

Again.

“That old hussy made me sit there for eight hours, nyah~! Eight! And if my tails so much as even twitched she whacked me with all seven of her tails! Nyaahhh~!!” She dramatically whined into my side.

As I stared at the ceiling, wishing for death.

Fuck it. If she's going to keep me awake like this, I may as well make good use of this time.

“Say, Kuroka?” I suddenly asked, prompting her to perk up, her whining ceasing instantly.

“Yes, darling~?” She looked at me with a tilt of her head.

And a small smirk.

Fucking cat.

“Did I ever tell you about my thinking about ways to try and, hmm, unincarnate you?” I try that term.

Kuroka blinks, her ears twitching, “Unincarnate…as in, reverse the effects of the Evil Pieces? Make me not a Devil anymore, nyah~? Hmm…” she hums, then shrugs, “No, I don't think so, nyah~!”

I deadpanned at her for that.

I'm getting the feeling I mentioned it offhandedly to her, but she probably forgot, especially if I didn't elaborate further.

“Well, I've got the start of a plan of working towards it,” I continued unperturbed, “the only question now is…would you be good with the idea? Of trying to reverse your…hnngh, devilfication?”

That sounds better. Let's stick with that.

Kuroka stretched out, letting out a light yawn before humming in thought, “Would I? Let's see…beyond no one being able to do it before, and all your effort possibly being for waste if you can't? Hmm~!” She taps her chin, “I do like how easy to use Demonic Power is, you know~? If I stop being a Devil, I don't have that power anymore, presumably, nyah~! Nor the power my pieces give me!”

I nod, that's all fair.

“Let's see, lifespan? No, no…” she mutters, “Hmm…well, besides the power, the only other thing I can think of is that…it won't change anything, you nyah~?” She looks up at me, right in the eyes, a sad smile on her face, “Pieced or not, the Underworld would still come after me, just rather a stray and criminal I'd be only a criminal…”

I blow out a light sigh to that and pat her on the head.

“Maybe not kitty, but you see, you're missing something important here.” I point my finger right to the center of her chest, “That little chess piece in there marks you as one of theirs. With it gone? I can claim you fully as mine.” I huff out huskily, prompting her to shiver slightly, “And maybe replace it with a little something else? Who knows…” I muse wistfully.

Kuroka stared at me, a doughy smile on her face as she wiggled around against me, “Don't tease me like that, darling~...!”

“I'm serious though?” I confirm, prompting her to stop and blink at me.

Quickly continuing, I add, “And, besides, I get the lost power thing…but you already have a perfectly serviceable replacement that you stopped practicing.”

Now at that, Kuroka cringed and looked down, not meeting my gaze.

Seriously, I nearly forgot I gave her Chakra. She was practicing with it, doing well and all!

Then she just stopped.

“Sorry…” she mumbled in shame, “old habits die hard, nyah~?”

I continued petting her hair, sighing all the while.

“If you need help with it, don't hesitate to ask.”

“I'll be fine,” she stated, “I just got…lazy is all, alright?”

I huffed at that, thinking for a few of the following silent moments before adding.

“You know, if I removed your Devil bit, your fertility would probably return as well.” I tacted on, almost as an afterthought.

Kuroka’s gaze shot back up to mine in an instant.

“When can we begin?” Kuroka asked calmly.

I merely blink back down at her.

Why didn't I just lead with that?

Keep it simple stupid. Especially with cats.

“Whenever I can start setting my plan into motion.” I respond whilst patting her on the back.

Kuroka twitches slightly at that.

“What does this plan of yours involve this time, nyah~?” She asks, curiosity stricken.

“Well, you remember after my fight with Vali, when we destroyed that forest?” I started, she nodded, “And how I used my light to sort of, kind of, maybe help along with regrowing the forest?”

“Ah~?” Kuroka lets out a breathy sigh, “Yeah, I remember that nyah~! You think there might be more there?”

I roll my eyes at that. Judging by her reaction, it's more likely she remembers the lovey-dovey sex after rather than the forest restoration.

“Yeah, I think there might. All this time, I've been using my powers offensively, for combat purposes, but never stopped to think about, well…anything else?” I ground out, almost ashamed of myself there, “I mean the sun is more than just fire and light, it's–”

“Life.” Kuroka cuts me off to finish for me.

“Huh? I mean, that's not wrong, technically in a sense…”

“I think you might have something there, darling~...” she said with a wide beaming smile, “when I first met you, one of the things I sensed from you was life. Not like life-force, or ki, but something more.” She kisses me on the cheek, “May be best to start there, nyah~?”

After a moment, I hum in agreement.

Life, just straight up, huh?

That could be excellent in fact.

I have a healing factor, after all. Maybe that's just a passive benefit from that aspect of my power?

Only one way to find out.

“Gonna go out, grab some stray devils, and see what happens when I light them up.” I idly finished the intended explanation for my plan.

Kuroka blinked and raised an eyebrow at me.

“...Are you sure you aren't still thinking with your battle boner, nyah~?”

“Well…?” I state slowly, “Gotta start somewhere, right?”

Only to be met by light cat cackling.

Which I huffed at. Fucking cat.

There is logic I'm following here, although it's not something she'd know about.

About the only person to be un-deviled in the series, technically.

See, in canon, Issei did stop being a Devil, at least for a time.

Issei’s body was destroyed and his soul was placed in a new body, one made of other flesh.

At this point? Issei wasn't a Devil, he was a Humanoid Dragon, and to become a Devil once more he needed to be reincarnated by Rias again.

That's a vastly simplified version of events, but what happened paints an interesting picture.

This all leads me to believe that Devilfication is only body-deep, not soul-deep, and that theoretically…if you can purify out the Devil bits or coating, you could reverse the process the Evil Pieces puts someone through.

Of course, this all requires experimentation, thus the need for test subjects.

But before even that, I need to make sure I can even, as a base, heal others.

Without that, well, I could destroy all I want, but healing is hard to come by unless you're a Phenex or Asia.

There is one of those in Kuoh, a Phenex, that is.