Matou Shinji and the Broken Chains
A Harry Potter / Fate Stay Night Story
Disclaimer: Though I wish it were otherwise, I do not own or in any way, shape or form hold a legal or moral claim to elements of either the Nasuverse, the Potterverse, or other works I may reference in the course of this story.
Summary: It is a time of seeming peace, as the British Ministry prepares to host the Quidditch World Cup - the greatest sporting event in the Wizarding World. But unbeknownst to them, a grand army of Giants and Werewolves is gathering in Eastern Europe, under the leadership of the vicious Fenrir Greyback, their sole objective - revenge. In the East, Matou Shinji and his comrades have arrived at the hidden bastion of Mahoutokoro to hone their skills, given that they are likely to become Champions of the two Tournaments this year – the Tri-Wizard and the Potions. And if their struggle against the Acromantulae has shown them anything, it is that only through power can they gain victory - and only through victory can their chains be broken.
Chapter 37. Journey
After so long immersed within the world of magic, his days spent either at Mahoutokoro, Hogwarts or Durmstrang – or at his manor house in London, Matou Shinji found it strange to be walking along the ancient paths between the villages of the Kitayama Mountains, in the company of Luna Lovegood, who was taking in the lush scenery of the world around them, and Sajyou Ayaka, the Champion of Mahoutokoro, who he and Luna were attending.
It had been a long time since the three of them had last traveled together, with the Champion of Mahoutokoro having been volunteered by her Master to escort the boy and his companion northward on their quest to obtain familiars. As Shinji recalled, Sajyou-san had been – rather justifiably – displeased with him on that expedition for a good many reasons, of which the least had been his lack of experience with essential survival skills like foraging and cooking, and in general, his failure to adequately prepare himself for a long journey to the northern lands.
'She would have been well within her rights to send me back to Mahoutokoro, ending my quest only a day after it began. But she did not. Whether it was because of Kaiduka's instructions, the presence of Luna – who was more prepared and quite eager to explore, or simply because of a bit of well-hidden kindness in her, she did not…'
Instead, the older practitioner of witchcraft had taught him enough for him to complete his journey without coming to terrible harm, correcting his fumbling efforts at using yin abilities, helping him distinguish the edible from the deadly toxic, giving him a healthy appreciation for the majesty – and danger – of the natural world. By the end of his month-long trek across Hokkaido, the boy had become far more than what he had once been, and so had been given a familiar by the great tree of Shiretoko.
Zelkova, the kodama in question, had been patient with him, helping him to lay aside his pride to learn more about the Eastern Arts, with earth manipulation in particular being what he'd focused on last year. He'd been sorely tempted to learn advanced water manipulation instead, given that earth was the most defensive of the major elements, while his mindset was more suited for offense and destruction, but those who had taught him had strongly suggested otherwise, as they believed that he lacked the fine control he would need to master the more fluid element of water.
'And they were right,' Shinji reflected. 'If I had focused on water as opposed to earth, I might have lost control and caused my own destruction – or hurt someone else.'
There had been moments last year when his sanity had fled him, when, pushed beyond the limits of what he could bear, Matou Shinji had lashed out with everything he had, unleashing a terrible force of destruction upon whatever had provoked him. Had he lost control of a water-based dire spell, one of those terrible curses meant to cause all it touched to rot away from within, the consequences could have been dire.
He didn't think that would be a problem anymore, but there was so much he still needed to learn, especially if he wished to stand a chance in the Potions Championship, as the other Champions he'd met were both older and better trained than he was at the art of brewing, to say nothing of their unique specialties (in combat and otherwise).
At least the Champion of Mahoutokoro, Sajyou Ayaka, had further trained him in the art of survival and in Eastern brewing techniques over the last few months, in the potions laboratories or on trips into the mountains, in exchange for access to the Book of Potions, the ancient tome containing the spirit of Zygmunt Budge, with which he'd been entrusted as the British Champion. While some would have wondered what was going through his head to simply give one of his few advantages away – and to the favorite to win, no less – he felt it was a small price to pay, really, given that to have any chance of victory in the Championship, he must first be able to survive.
This particular journey would be his last chance to learn from Sajyou-san, as following this excursion around the mountainous area of greater Kyoto, the young raven-haired woman would be setting out on what amounted to a two-month long pilgrimage, seeking the blessing of the youkai lords and a chance to learn from their ancient wisdom, a pilgrimage that would last until the day before the events surrounding the Potion Championship officially began.
Ordinarily, Ayaka would have set out alone, but these were unusual times, given that Shinji – a boy of Japan – was also a Champion, though not the Japanese Champion, and so, she had invited him to join her on the first leg of her pilgrimage when she saw him nearing the Root of the Sky, Matsuo-san's shop – extending the invitation to Luna, when Shinji had sheepishly mentioned that he had been meaning to ask the Maiden of the Tree if it would be fine to bring the young Ravenclaw girl to Japan to show her the splendor of the autumn foliage.
"Lovegood-san would not be unpleasant as a fellow traveler," Sajyou-san had admitted, mentioning that the sites they were to visit were some of the loveliest to observe the changing colors of the trees. "And it would not be inappropriate for her to visit the great shrine of Inari, given her familiar."
Sajyou-san had left them with a day to prepare for the journey ahead, mentioning that this time around, in addition to the basic survival gear Shinji was used to, he and Lovegood would need traditional garments – kimonos – something the boy hadn't been expecting, given that their training trips were no occasion for such things.
Still, he knew better than to disobey – and there was a part of him that was excited at the prospect of buying – and wearing – new finery, and feeling important after how the British had portrayed him in that abomination of a play. It may have been true that Sokaris was his first priority in all things, even now, but that was no reason to depict him as a weak-willed fool who was merely the tagalong in someone else's tale, with his most important contributions dismissed entirely.
Matsuo Hijiri had raised an eyebrow at his request to allow someone from Magical Britain to use the Vanishing Cabinet connection, but had given her approval readily enough when he mentioned that the person in question was Luna, who had not only come to Japan before, but had obtained a kitsune – a servant of Inari – as a familiar.
"If she is the one you mean, that will be no trouble," the Maiden of the Tree had said after a moment. "The Tree knows her well, and her companion. Others would be perhaps less welcome, but I suspect you already knew that."
Shinji had nodded – he knew that some would have difficulty accepting how things were done in Mahoutokoro, given how different things were from the west – and that in any case, he would need to be careful about who he informed of the passageway's existence, given that in Magical Britain, such a link – being unknown to and unregulated by the Ministry – was quite illegal, and could cause him no end of trouble if the wrong person were to learn of it.
"Good," Matsuo Hijiri had said approvingly. "Be about your business, Matou. If you are to join Sajyou-san on her pilgrimage, you have preparations to attend to."
"How did you…?"
"Kaiduka may be her Master and the Second Owner of Kyoto, but he is my familiar," the older woman had intoned wryly. "And I am not…unaware of traditions."
"…I'll keep that in mind," Shinji had stated, inclining his head. "My thanks."
With that, the boy had returned to his manor in London to fetch Luna and tell her the news that they would be accompanying Sajyou-san on another journey, something the young blonde had been fairly pleased about, as she thought well of the Champion of Mahoutokoro, given that the bespectacled young woman had been the one to teach her how to use yang energy for healing.
She didn't exactly hate the idea of learning more of Shinji's homeland, or spending time with her lover in a place that was not so driven by hate, and where hair like spun gold was seen as exotic and beautiful.
So the two had made their preparations, preparing the provisions they would need as well as a set of kimonos for the visits to the temples, with the garments fascinating Luna in how like and unlike wizard robes they were, and Pandora looking on curiously.
The next day, the party of three had met shortly after sunrise on the ledge by the portal to the city above, with Shinji shifting uneasily in a midnight blue kimono, while he carried a large rucksack of the same, unused to the Japanese garment after so long wearing western attire, while Luna seemed as comfortable in her kimono of midnight blue embroidered with a delicate spray of falling stars in silver and gold, with an obi matching the golden sheen of her hair, as she did in anything else, or in nothing at all.
Unsurprisingly, the Champion of Mahoutokoro seemed comfortable in her formal kimono – a luxurious item colored the pink-orange of dawn embroidered with the outline of a host of black wings, offset with a black obi patterned with gold.
"Shall we be off?" Sajyou Ayaka had asked simply, looking over her travelling companions and finding their appearance…acceptable.
"Mm," Shinji had grunted. "Where to first?"
"The Fushimi Inari Shine," the bespectacled Witch had noted, as she stepped through the portal, and out of the Great Weeping Cherry from Mahoutokoro into Kyoto, with the others following.
It was perhaps only appropriate that their first destination be such, given that the ancient shrine was chief among the places of veneration devoted to Inari – the Shinto god of rice, tea and worldly success – not to mention the patron deity of the kitsune who was Ayaka's master – and Second Owner of Kyoto. The start of a journey was just as important as how it ended, after all, and so Ayaka had dedicated most of the day to seeing the shrine and the grounds around it.
A day that was needed, given to that truly appreciate the shrine was to do more than simply hike the path lined with thousands of vermillion torii gates that led from the base of Mount Inari to its summit.
Indeed, with the trio and their familiars spending some time reflecting on the choices they'd made in life as they walked, detouring now and then to the smaller shrines, and idling in the sacred groves of the Mountain – Zelkova in particular taking some time to commune with the old pines and maples – it took the better part of the day, with the remainder filled out with a visit to Tenryu-ji Temple, taking in the sights of its serene, expansive gardens and how the steep mountains of Arashiyama formed a wonderful backdrop to the living greens and reds and oranges of the trees, as well as seeing the haunting isolation of the famous bamboo grove just outside the temple.
They'd stayed in a ryokan – a traditional inn – close to the temple that night, enjoying a soak in the hot springs and a traditional meal, the last night of comfort before a long day of hiking uphill into the wilderness on the morrow to reach the village of Takao, nestled among slopes and mountainsides festooned with colorful maples.
Though Takao was not far from Arashiyama as the crow flew, or even by bus, it was quite a different matter to travel that distance on foot, but fortunately for the group, they were seasoned hikers – or at least, two of them were, with Shinji having gained some affinity for it – and so the three made good time, even as they enjoyed the area.
"So what is there to see in Takao?" Shinji wondered aloud. Somewhat sheepishly, he admitted to not knowing much about the particulars of the villages around Kyoto – or of most of the shrines they hid. "Aside from the beautiful landscape, that is."
"Three temples," Ayaka replied evenly, dressed in a different kimono – a red one – though this one too, was patterned with a motif of raven wings. Shinji and Luna, not having brought multiple kimonos with them, made do with what they had worn the day before, simply cleaned with household spells. "Jingo-ji. Kozan-ji. And Saimyo-ji."
"You've been there before?" Shinji asked curiously.
"I have," the bespectacled Champion admitted. "My Master took me to Takao long ago, and to neighboring Atago, the home of many tengu. It was on that sacred mountain that I received my own familiar, after a return from a journey not unlike your own."
"What can we expect to see?" Luna inquired.
"A great staircase and kawarake-nage at Jingo-ji," Ayaka began, with the latter referring to a ritual in which one tossed small clay discs to rid oneself of bad karma – something Shinji thought he could well use himself. "The Choju-Jinbutsu-giga at Kozan-ji, a set of four pictures scroll depicting the story of animals preparing for a ceremony."
"Choju-Jinbutsu-giga," Shinji repeated, "…animal-person caricatures. Four scrolls…so like a yonkoma manga."
"…yes," the Champion of Mahoutokoro replied after a beat. "Possibly the first manga of all. Does such…interest you?"
"…to a degree," Shinji admitted with a small smile. He wasn't Tohsaka, after all, who wanted nothing to do with anything sold in Akihabara. "I didn't think I'd find the original manga in a temple, not, in a museum or some great vault."
"It depicts animals preparing for a great ceremony, involving a funeral and prayer to Buddha," Ayaka commented. "Perhaps it is the subject matter. Kozan-ji is also known for being the first place in Japan where tea was grown."
"Mm, part of Inari's domain," Luna noted.
"Yes."
"And at Saimyo-ji?" Shinji asked, curious now, since Sajyou-san seemed rather familiar with where they were to go. "What great wonders will we find there?" After hearing about the first two
"…the Shigetsukyo Bridge. The view of the Kiyotaki River. And hot pot."
Shinji blinked.
"…did you say 'hot pot'?" the boy inquired. "Why is that a wonder?"
Sajyou-san just gave the younger Champion walking with her a look.
"It is wondrous in how it sates one's hunger after a long morning hike," the bespectacled Champion noted simply. "And how it fortifies for the journey to Mount Atago."
"Ah, and who or what is enshrined there?"
"Fire. Or rather, Atago Gongen, protector against fire."
"…now that sounds like a kami whose blessing that would be useful for an onmyouji," Shinji remarked, remembering that one of the weaknesses an ofuda-user had to deal with was the weakness of paper talismans to flame. "Have others from Mahoutokoro made a pilgrimage here?"
"Some. To pay one's respects at the temples of Kyoto is traditional."
"I suppose it is better to have the spirit world happy, rather than not, especially when one's familiar is a spirit," Luna chimed in.
"Indeed," Ayaka confirmed, though she said little else as the trio made their way first to Takao, and then to the holy mountain of Atago, enjoying the thousands of shades of yellow, orange and red of the leaves, the coolness of the river breeze, and the quiet, away from the crowds of Kyoto or the other places they usually spent much of their time.
There was a certain power to be found in the natural world, after all, especially by those who were not entirely human, and saw more of the truth of the world than those were content to accept the veneer of civilization and live within its trappings.
Once or twice along the way, Shinji thought he might have seen the passing of figures with great black wings, but when he asked Sajyou-san, the elder Champion said nothing, though Luna whispered to him that she saw them too, reassuring him that he was as sane as she was, as she twined her fingers with his.
To others, this might not have exactly been a comfort, but it was to Matou Shinji, since he knew about the petite blonde than many did, and had never found her to be as loony as most had once assumed.
'Britain tars me with that brush now, I suppose. Or if not exactly with that brush, then one close enough to it.' In the wilderness, away from the squabbles of the distant land which he represented as Champion, it was…easier not to hate them. To let some of his anger go as he breathed in and out and in and out. 'When you're afraid, it's easier to hide that fear with anger than admit to being scared. Fear is a deadly foe, in its own way, even if the wounds it deals are quite unseen.'
He must have said that last bit aloud, as Ayaka glanced at him with an unreadable expression, before looking away.
"Perhaps. I find that often, hunger is more often the enemy."
"Hunger?" Shinji echoed, with his stomach choosing just that moment to growl, illustrating the young woman's point.
"Hunger, yes – in all its many forms."
The trio spent much time walking along the paths of the Kitayama Mountains that week, sometimes foraging, sometimes talking, talking of beasts and stories and things yet to be.
"I have to ask, why a solitary pilgrimage?" Shinji wondered, as they made their way along a winding trail towards the village of Kurama, said to be the home of Sōjōbō, King of the Tengu, as well as the birthplace of Reiki, a version of yang manipulation that even those without magical talent could use. "Why not spend the time in Mahoutokoro, training for the championship, or working with others? Surely that would be a more practical use of your time than going out into the wilds, seeking the blessing of the youkai lords."
"Perhaps," Ayaka admitted, shrugging simply. "But there is more to being a Champion than having skill and power. To be a Champion is to have a connection with the land and those within it, to know and understand the hidden truths within oneself and within the world around you. To know what you can do, and what is best to do in a scene, in a moment."
"That sounds…"
"…like fusion," Luna supplied, her silvery eyes looking at the kimono-clad form of Sajyou Ayaka curiously. "Seeing the truth of things."
"In a way," the raven-haired woman noted simply. "The pilgrimage is as much a journey of self-discovery and cleansing as it is about as it is about seeking the blessings of the youkai and paying respect to those who came before. Mahoutokoro is my home, but it is not in the comfort of one's home that one finds oneself, is it?"
"…no, it isn't," Shinji murmured thoughtfully. In that light, he supposed it would explain why it was he had learned so much about himself at Hogwarts, since Britain was decidedly not his home. But… "I don't think a pilgrimage is exactly an option for me, sadly. I have much to learn and work on before the Championship, instruction to take, and politics to deal with."
"Unfortunate," Ayaka voiced.
"So it is," the boy agreed. "Would you have any suggestions in lieu of a long journey?"
The Champion of Mahoutokoro's reply was immediate: "A quest."
"A…quest?" Shinji repeated.
"Indeed. Beyond the obligations of your training, set a great task for yourself, one that will require everything you have if you are to succeed. Complete it, and let what you do teach you of yourself and what you need."
"What kind of task?" Luna questioned.
But Sajyou Ayaka simply shook her head.
"What you seek in a quest is something personal, and so I cannot say what it may be, save that it must be difficult, and not easily accomplished."
Shinji thought about what a good "quest" might be, one that would help bring him closer to what he wished to be, even if it didn't match the difficulty of what Sajyou-san intended.
A number of things came to mind, most of them highly impractical, given the time constraints he was under, and how many restrictions he was under, compared to the Champion of Mahoutokoro…
'…I suppose I could set myself to catching Fred's stray tanuki, which is causing all manner of trouble around Durmstrang for Fleur, and others.'
It would fit with his promise to protect the part-Veela as well, though he wasn't sure if he'd be able to track down a rogue shapeshifting youkai on his own, given that such a creature could be anyone or anything.
'You will not be alone, Master,' the voice of Zelkova spoke in the boy's head. 'I will be there to aid you.'
'That is true, but…'
'I understand. Even so, it may be difficult. Will you seek allies?'
That was a good question, and one Matou Shinji did not have an answer to just yet, given that seeking allies to capture the tanuki also meant admitting to them what such a being was a capable of.
'And of course, figuring out what I would owe them.'
Perhaps Pansy would be willing to be of some assistance in exchange for a favor, or Rachelle Lestrange, given that she had a vested interest in protecting Fleur as well.
'This requires some thinking.'
Think on it he would as the group journeyed on, until the sun dipped below the horizon and even they needed to set up camp for the night.
"There will be no need to keep watch this night," Ayaka mentioned quietly, much to Shinji's relief, as she quickly made some kitsune udon, with the scent of the fragrant soup sending the fatigue of a long day's trek flying away. There was a bit of night-time sparring to follow, with Shinji and Luna facing first each other, and then the Champion of Mahoutokoro.
Sadly, they could not defeat her, as their elemental spells simply dissolved when they came close to her, any attempts at physical attacks were knocked away by a wall of black feathers, and all of their non-elemental abilities were countered with ease.
Well, almost all.
A desperate attack combining Luna's yang prana and Shinji's yin managed to break through Sajyou Ayaka's defenses, knocking her backwards, at which point the Witch finally retaliated, with a single wave of darkness knocking both of them unconscious and forcing them out of fusion.
"…how strange," Ayaka murmured in the aftermath, raising an eyebrow as she healed them. "I did not think two so young would be able to combine their prana in such a way. Such a thing is rare indeed, given the mastery of one's alignment and the absolute trust of another it implies. The former can be boosted by fusion. The latter…cannot."
Perhaps there was something special about the two. Or perhaps she simply lived in interesting times.
They reached the village of Kurama the following day, and took their time looking about and seeking refreshment in the famous baths of the town before climbing the mountain, heading for the great temple at its peak, where a trinity of deities embodying the sun, mercy, and power were worshipped, though they stopped for a time at Yuki-Jinja, a rustic, mossy shrine to Ōkuninushi, ruler of the unseen world of spirits and magic, where they encountered an old man with long white hair, wearing a red haori over the distinctive white robes of a yamabushi, one of the Japanese mountain hermits that Shinji had once read about, but never seen, and carrying a fan made from seven dark feathers.
"You have come a long way, children of the sun," the man observed, his odd golden eyes looking over the group, lingering for a moment on Luna before they came to rest on Sajyou Ayaka. "Tell me, what do you seek?"
"Wisdom," the Champion of Mahoutokoro replied, inclining her head to the old one.
"Indeed? And you, fellow travelers?" the old man inquired, turning his attention to the others. "What do you seek? Power, perhaps? Courage? A purpose?"
"Understanding," Luna answered.
"An understanding of what, child?"
"The world – and myself."
"Mm." The ascetic commented, his piercing golden gaze falling on Matou Shinji, and the world itself seemed to fall away, with all else going grey except him and the old man – who Shinji supposed was not a man at all. "And you, champion of another land? What do you seek?"
"…power," was Shinji's response, looking up to meet the other's eyes with determination. "Power enough to achieve the goals I set for myself. Power to overcome fear. Power, that I might change my course."
"I see…" the hermit mused. "But Matou Shinji, power did not help Ushiwakamaru in the end, nor did it help your grandfather. Not when one lacks a true purpose."
"How do you…"
"You are in my domain, child – and here, there is little I do not know," the other spoke solemnly. "Tell me, do you know who I am?"
"…if this is your domain, then you are the lord of the mountain – the King of the Tengu himself."
"And do you believe power is a thing simply granted, without struggle or effort?" the tengu lord pressed.
"No, but it is what I desire," Shinji replied, thinking about how far he had yet to go to reach the level of some like Sokaris. "That is why I strive, why I struggle, why I go on. For the power I need to reach…to reach the one I seek."
"Yet under that is anger…and guilt. Guilt that you could not become what others wished you to be. Anger that in spite of all you have done, the ones you once called family did not recognize your achievements. The ones who call you Champion belittle you. That those you once helped have grown so distant."
"…I…" Shinji paused, shaking his head as he looked out at the grey, lifeless world around him. "That's…"
"I do not say your rage is without cause," the white-robed youkai said to him solemnly. "But to one whose mind is clouded so, I cannot grant a blessing of power. Nor would you truly accept it if I did."
"…I see."
"I will grant you instead another blessing," the tengu continued. "A blessing for the day when power and rage avail you not, when neither training, nor skill, nor even technique bring you victory."
"What blessing?"
"A blessing of courage," came the reply. "For in those times, training is nothing. Will is everything. The will to live. The will to die. The will to act."
With that, the world resumed its color, and the man – no, the tengu king – disappeared from sight, with Shinji finding that everything was as it had been, save for one interesting thing: Pandora, perched on Luna's shoulder, sported not one tail – but two.
'Huh. Interesting…'
In silence, the company of three made their way back to the main road, and continued climbing the mountain, paying their respects at the great temple atop the peak, before continuing onwards down the other side to the rustic hamlet of Kibune, the final destination of this first leg of the pilgrimage. It took about an hour, but eventually they came upon the small village, where they proceeded at last to Kifune-jinja, a lovely little shrine midway through the settlement, dedicated to the god of water and rain, with the picturesque approach – a flight of stone steps lined with red lanterns, with visitors walking through natural torii formed by hundreds of trees whose autumn foliage glowed in the afternoon sun – seeming almost magical.
By now, the three knew well the rituals of purification visitors were expected to undergo before entering a shrine, cleaning their hands and mouths with sacred water, and as they finished going through the process, Sajyou Ayaka spoke at last.
"I thank you for accompanying me, on this journey," she said quietly. "On the morrow, we will part ways, with myself continuing onwards, and you returning to Kyoto by bus, but it has been…an interesting experience to have company."
"It has," Shinji agreed. "Thank you for inviting me along. I…have much to think about, much to do, and much to learn."
"As do I," Luna murmured. "And Pandora also, I expect."
"Such is the nature of such a journey," Ayaka noted solemnly. "Let us venture inwards and gain a final blessing of water, to go with earth, fire, wood and steel."
And so they did, making their wishes before the inner sanctum of the shrine, and obtaining fortunes revealed in the shrine's sacred water, before they departed the holy site in acquiescence to the demands of their bodies, partaking of a dinner of nagashi somen – a flowing noodle dish where tiny bundles of noodles are delivered to diners through a bamboo half-pipe carrying a stream of ice-cold water, with diners needing to snatch the bundles up with chopsticks and dip them into a provided bowl of sauce – in celebration of what they had accomplished.
When they returned to Mahoutokoro, Matou Shinji and Luna Lovegood found Tsuchimikado Hokuto waiting for them. She had heard that the two had gone with Sajyou Ayaka, and so wished to test herself against the both of them – with her using the fullness of her might against Luna and Shinji in the fullness of theirs.
The battle, such that it was, was an interesting affair, one that was less about sheer force, and more about maneuvering, detection, evasion and deflection, with the patterns of the world shifting over and over, the speed and power of fusion competing with the abilities of a fully unleashed satori user as flames swallowed flames, ofuda clashed with ofuda, and shadows and mirrors danced with shikigami that took their master's form.
Wind countered wind, earth was overcome by wood, and even Shinji's yin prana, which he'd summoned to counter the Tsuchimikado girl's jet-black threads, as he had no desire to be made into a puppet, was consumed by shadowy flames from an opponent who seemed to be everywhere, attacking from all directions – even from in the air itself – with blow, after blow, after blow.
Were Matou Shinji facing his opponent alone, he would have lasted only seconds, as he had gravely underestimated what she was capable of, given how he had nearly defeated her last time they had fought.
He had never encountered anyone who could wrest control of the world around him away from him once he was in fusion – even Sajyou-san had simply disrupted his attacks in a sphere around her instead of being so aggressive. More than the shock of not being able to control the world around him, however, was the confusion and disorientation of not even being able to feel it – of lacking the supreme awareness of the world he had come to expect when fused.
Luna fared somewhat better, given that with Pandora gaining a new tail, she herself seemed to have unlocked a new ability – a shimmering cloak of prana that surrounded her form when she was visible, allowing her to resist the shadowy flame attack that the Tsuchimikado heiress used, though even resistance only went so far when one was being assailed by a dozen enemies at once.
In the end, Tsuchimikado Hokuto won the confrontation, but she would admit that the match had not been entirely one-sided, which excited her, given that she had been looking for a challenge which would give her a good fight even if she went all out – a challenge which, unlike Sajyou Ayaka, wasn't insurmountable.
'They are young yet, and their grasp over the powers is still rough from inexperience, but in time each may become quite a worthy challenge,' she thought with a trace of a smile. 'Even for a half-kitsune satori user like myself.'
At least, if both struggled and worked to learn their arts to the best of their ability.
Would they thrive and become stronger, knowing there were greater powers in the world and challenges to meet? Or would they simply remain as they were, complacent in what they had gained?
"Become stronger," she murmured to no one in particular, speaking her wish aloud. "Strong enough to defeat me."