Get ready for more M-rated scenes! Happy you guys liked the last one. This chapter goes back-and-forth between flashbacks and current time, so beware.
I've recently just re-watched Fate/Extra: Lost Encore... and was blown away by the animation and plot. I honestly haven't watched that before, thinking, "Oh, it's just an anime adaptation..." But honestly, the plot is very, very different. It makes me look forward to a CCC: Foxtail anime! Anyone has any idea when that's coming out, or whether that's in the works at all?
Also, I've been hit by the Demon's Souls fever. As you guys may have picked up from HV-S01: RKR, I'm a big fan of FromSoftware's works... which will also partially appear in this story! I regret not having the courage and skill to do more in that first story of mine, so you guys will have to bear with it until I get to rewrite it. Look forward, not back! ...my opinions regarding the game won't be shared until much later, until I've communed with the community stalwarts and form my proper thought.
The mailbag this time is quite strange to reply, because there's so much anonymous content. I'm not sure which one of you is the same person, so I've indicated your reviews' themes in parentheses. If you feel I haven't answered your comment clearly or satisfyingly, then by all means, contact me with a PM-able account. I really, really don't like doing it this way, because I felt we all must have a sliver of responsibility for our online speech somewhere.
(Spanish) Guest (1): Well, what do the intentions of a madman worth? Yōkai and humans even have different common sense, especially Otakemaru. You're spot-on regarding Tamamo, though I won't go too deep into the Tamamo Nine until FGO releases more information. Are you saying Familiar of Zero only because there's [Void]? This fanfic alone has more Elements than that entire franchise, so I don't think that comparison applies.
(Shirō's Lore) Guest (2): Good deduction, though what I find missing from your explanation is the incorporation of meta function. The main theme is compromise – how much is Shirō willing to play between the balance of his fake inherited dream, his current immature resolution, or his emotional instincts. Each route is symbolic of those things respectively. In a way, it's also a question of how much you are willing to compromise to enjoy the story you want to. I don't see Shirō as exactly the same person in each one, because by the branching point, he'd have made life-altering choices which changes his character anyway. At the end of the game, your argument is invalid due to the vastly different person he's become.
(Grammar critique) Guest (3): I honestly can't find the mistake you're referencing, because it's past continuous tense with 3rd-person PoV. So, I don't understand your critique. Additonally, I think the courage you've built up isn't enough, because I dearly want to discuss this with you via PM first, instead of you receiving your reply publicly like this. Do use an account I can reply to directly next time.
InspirationArt & (Image recommendation) Guest (4): Thank you for the images! I am thinking of making a Persona 4 crossover, but it's still quite far in the future, so unfortunately you're going to have to wait a while. I can reveal I'm planning on doing the canon Nasuverse timeline for at least 6 stories (including the three I've published), so heavy crossovers in other universes must wait until then.
Kulkulkan-chan: Unfortunately, I don't share your enthusiasm regarding anything Marvel's doing about our mythology, because they're so far from their real-life interpretation they just barely fit within my writing interest. Don't misunderstand, I love watching and reading Marvel and its fanfics, but writing about it? Hmm... still a long way to go!
Aluran9: Gasp! How did you figure that out?
"You say that, yet in reality, you really are timid, aren't you?"
Chiyome could only pout at that comment, spoken by a much younger, yet familiar face. Huffing on top of the shrine's roof, her breath immediately coalesced into a small white cloud. Her body should've been shivering to death when exposed to the annual winter, where girls her age frolicked about and played without care, as the farm and house chores reduced – and the usual time when she could only watch them from inside her cage enviously.
The sky rumbled with dark clouds, signifying it's going to snow soon – the reason why the temperature had been dropping rapidly in the past hour.
She was bad with cold, but not to the point of actually falling ill. In reality, her body just felt lethargic every season this happened, with aching bones, numb muscles, and locking joints.
That's not a problem right now, since the body hugging her was fiercely warm in comparison to the outside air.
Shirō's finger came up from the side of her field of vision, poking her red cheek to push the pout to the other side, before doing the same thing on that side again and again.
"Just call out to them and ask for permission to join. In a dark sense – even though I know you don't like this – they are obliged to indulge you, you know?" He mumbled into her hair, nudging the base of her skull with his nose.
She squirmed, since his hug got gently tighter when he's nuzzling with her like this, pretending to resist. His body temperature was rapidly igniting the fire in her belly, which spread throughout her entire being, most prominently displayed on her rosy cheeks. Perhaps the temperature also had a hand in it… just maybe.
Her movement also shifted her backside to rub against his crotch, secretly pleasuring herself. What would he think of her if he knew she's this kind of dirty girl? So, not only was she ugly, but also one who couldn't keep her twisted desires morally?
Either he didn't feel this, or he simply didn't care. She wished for neither – what she truly wanted was him falling into his desires like she's doing right now, savagely pushing her down and taking her like a wild beast…
"Chiyome?"
"H-Hyesh?!" She jumped, biting her tongue in the process. "W-What?!"
"So you're not listening. Are you sleepy? Should we get inside?" Instead of getting irritated, he worriedly brushed his poking fingers to her bangs, gauging the heat in her forehead. "This blanket won't hold against an actual snowfall, you know."
The thatched roof they're perched on, where he's hugging her from behind like a mountain bear, was multi-layered – meaning a good heat retention – but its design made it easy for snow to collect here up to a good foot deep.
"I'm fine!" She harshly spoke out, forcing a good accidental choke out. "I-I mean… What about you? Aren't you just asking that because I-I don't feel good to be hugged?!"
"How did your mind go there…? Seriously?"
"I… Uh, I'm thin and bony… I-I heard men fought the cold with… with l-living blankets…"
He chuckled, his lips' proximity to the corner of her hears aroused nice tingles inside her. "You should stop listening to their gossip. What do they know? You should ask your parents if it's true or not."
"T-They'll slap me if I asked!" She quickly shot down, horrified. "Hypocrites… Even though they're taking missions involving things like these…"
"Then, do you want to go with me? To the red-light district, I mean."
This time, she was shocked enough to actually turn her entire body inside his embrace until she's fully facing him. What she wanted to say went away with her chilly when she caught glimpse of his mischievous smile, before she pouted once again, not pleased she fell for it for the nth time.
- Gyu.
"You're very pleasurable to hold, Chiyome."
"Y-You're just flattering me!"
"Do you think I'm lying? I know this eye of yours can see my heartbeat patterns," he hushed, brushing her right eyebrow and then down following her cheekbone. "Here, feel it."
- Gyu.
He placed his hands behind her head and back, pushing her deeper into the hug. Their great difference in height meant she's almost enveloped entirely by his figure when viewed from outside, especially helped by the large blanket he'd brought up here for their 'romantic date'… which ended up as a regular people-watching.
Most of the mikos here were supposed to be Kōga kunoichi… yet none of them seemed to particularly mind being watched upon like this. Perhaps it's due to Chiyome's [Presence Concealment] hiding their figure and presence, but shouldn't that apply to the rest as well? Those male patrols, disguised as either visiting priests, tourists, or Shogunate samurais, were also in the clan's payroll. Shouldn't these people be trained against this skill?
He simply chalked it up to the former, assuming additional self-censure among the people here due to their alienation of this soon-to-be fiancé of his.
"Mumumu…" she grumbled to herself, before nestling in deeper and hugging him back in return. "You're warm…"
"Ahaha! Then, speaking of huggability, shouldn't I be the one who's worried? This rough and hard body is unsightly, no?"
"…is that a rhetorical question?"
"Fair enough."
Small flirty conversations like this filled their time together as they deepened their relationship, building up the courage to formalize things with her parents and break free of this confine.
"It's really warm…" she repeated hazily, getting sleepy from the increase in temperature. That part of her was truly snake-like, she mused. "Is it snowing yet?"
"Soon. But I think we have to move in for that."
"…why?" She partially whined, clearly not wanting for them to separate, even for a second.
"Because it's going to rain blades, of course. We don't want to get hurt, do we?"
"…huh?"
- Gyu! Gyu! Gyu!
Before her brain could properly react and reply, he suddenly squeezed her incredibly tightly.
"S-Shirō! A-Argh! Y-You're… You're h-hurting me!" She gasped several times, fear immediately overwhelming her delicate features. "What are you-!"
It's a snake.
Shirō was a snake.
No, a beast merely possessing some semblance to that animal… and a very, very familiar grotesque shape.
After all, she saw it every time she looked into a mirror. Thinking back, her first memory since she was a baby was meeting this thing, whose Conceptual Weigth was clearly beyond a toddler's comprehensive abilities.
- GYU!
"K-Kah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The strong, powerful arms which used to grant her a sense of safety were now multiple thick snakes, all coiling and braiding and slithering around each other and everywhere on her skin. Horrifically, several visible heads reared back, readying themselves to take a plunge into her body.
The snake scales and red rashes across her skin began to blister and melt open, merging with the disgustingly slimy and cold monstrous snakes.
She turned her vision back to front, hoping at the very least, there would be Shirō's kind face again… instead of the multi-eyed serpent greeting her tearful expression with a savage wide-open hiss.
Opening her mouth to call out for help only displayed an orifice where the snakes could enter from.
…and they duly did, plunging deep down her throat, tearing open her chest cavity and burrowing themselves into her internal organs, breaking open her spine, ripping her crotch to conjoin the two now-bloodied cavernous hole and sickeningly snuggling deep within her belly, mimicking their return to their own mother's womb.
She couldn't cry, when the blood vessels around both of her eyes burst instead, painting her face with pus-filled blood which merely drove the snakes gorging on her body into more of a frenzy.
"Because it's going to rain blades, of course."
She felt the first one tearing through the largest snake – the one which replaced her beloved – nailing it through its entire body and forcibly pulling its body out of her own, dragging out her trachea along with it.
Before the pain registered, the mountain of writhing serpents was pelted by impossibly sharp swords, peeling apart her skin the more snakes died and fell off.
The final one, a blade shining so brightly she could see it through her bloodied eyes, stabbed into the centre of her soul, finally killing and releasing her from this torment.
"Chiyome. Wake up, dearest."
The voice she longed for broke through the nightmare, as a practiced set of expression reigned over her sleepy face. Fluttering her eyelids – perhaps too deliberately – she purred and stretched her slender body into a scent she'd known and grown to love, as well as the contour of a chest she felt at her safest in.
"…I thought you'd be waiting back home," she spoke, half-yawning, hopeful this action would at least mask some of the drying tears she could already feel building up in streaks across her cheeks. Nuzzling into her husband's clothes while still avoiding eye-contact, she mumbled, "I'm still sleepy… Can you carry us back home?"
"Sleepy? With how bad your nightmares are going? I don't think so," he vehemently rejected, prying open her hold with one arm and tilting her face towards his by pinching her chin upwards. "Chiyome, please, if there's anyting-"
"There's absolutely nothing!"
Perhaps her denial came out too strong for her liking, but before she could regret her sharp tone, she felt the muscular chest pressing onto her nose exhaled mildly in exasperation. She trembled, hurt when thinking she'd disappointed him… as the fear of him alienating her like most other people in Shinano resurfaced momentarily.
Like he always did, however, he dispelled all of them with simple words and gestures.
Picking her light body up – which must've felt no different than a twig to him, considering her torso was barely larger than his one thigh – he tried his best not to intrude. "Hang on tightly, then."
"Yes…!"
He deliberately tapped onto the forest floor where she'd been taking a break, having spent the past few days escaping non-stop from Shingen's area of influence. His gesture pulsated a bubble of magic energy to snuff and destroy most evidences she was there – from the obvious ones such as traces of fire and camp, to the minute ones like smell and fallen hair. His [Sword] Element, at least, was good at these kinds of things.
Swimming and leaping from shadow to shadow, doing her utmost to avoid civilization where Shingen's network of information was the strongest, she'd been driven to near-exhaustion, despite her immense reserves of magic energy. That's what divided the most successful – and, more often than not, the longest-lived – practitioners than the lesser ones: concentration level. It didn't matter how much resource one had; it's more important to have not just the knowledge, but the constant drive and determination to use it as effectively as possible, without dropping even in the slightest.
In this aspect, she could be called unrivalled across all kunoichi in Nihon… if Danzō didn't exist. That woman, despite having left her inorganic life behind, still maintained an inhuman level of persistence and will against all obstacles.
In general, shinobis hated pursuing their preys relentlessly. Not only was it inefficient, it's also more akin to the work of a hound – and what pride remained in them wouldn't allow them to follow suit. Instead, shinobi clans usually had a stable small standing army who'd do the grunt work for them, allowing them to devote their craft and skill to that one perfect final blow. Regardless, no human or yōkai possessed a level of dogged aggression – pun unintended – to persist hovering around their targets like a vengeful ghost.
Yes, even dog-type yōkai or formerly-human chimera.
In this aspect, Danzō was the unusual one, notwithstanding her already-impressive backstory.
However, the ones who should be pursuing CHiyome weren't shinobi, owing to Shingen's cold demeanour towards the Kōga Clan from where she hailed from. So, after the Princess General shook off the genjutsu, what she should've done was order her troops to perform a mass scouring for this escaping 'traitor'.
…but that wouldn't preclude Chiyome's own family chasing her independently alongside this event. This risk was the main reason she rushed so hard to reach a safe haven, because there's absolutely no need for her to do so when dealing with normal soldiers.
Shirō rushed here the instant Goemon relayed Chiyome had been captured to allow Motoyasu and the rest of the convoy to return unharmed by the Takeda contingent. Certainly, Shingen's appearance at this time was completely outside his prediction. Though he trusted in Chiyome's abilities to escape from that situation relatively unharmed, he's not sure what kind of political implications of this event – whether Kippōshi wanted to use this as leverage against Shingen, or Shingen twisting the facts to hinder Nobunaga.
He also had to stop berating himself for putting that dilemma over Chiyome's well-being.
Her skinny body was shivering when he found her, sleeping on a conveniently low-slung large branch near a smouldering ember. The canopy was thick and tall enough to prevent any visible smoke from afar, but in exchange, the temperature near the forest floor was unnaturally cold. Chiyome was bad with chilly places, owing to her own body and soul's structure, but he sensed her tremors weren't just physical… owing to the continuous streams of tears flowing down her cheeks as she murmured incoherently.
He steeled his hands not to immediately shake her awake. His bad habit was doing this at the risk of narrowing his vision against any other important clues which might help him later. There were numerous times he didn't even attempt to activate his Pure Eyes to see what's really wrong; instead, he acted like a panicked child and turned violent… somewhat.
A memory of Gilgamesh shivering angrily, her voluptuous body dripping wet from the large bucket of cold water he just splashed her with, almost brought a smile to his face. He stiffened his cheek muscles to avoid grinning from the image of another woman while holding his current wife.
"Danzō…?" He heard Chiyome mumbling from his arms, before realizing he'd been so caught up in his own musings he failed to detect his lover already sprinting alongside him. She craned her neck out, but couldn't really see her Danzō's full figure over his long arms. "You're here too?"
"Always, Chiyome-sama," she uttered quietly, lightly smiling when she saw the snake miko was alright. "I had to take a detour to avoid who I think was the Kōga, though I failed to ascertain their identity in doing so."
"I see…" she whispered.
"I thought your parents were alright with our relationship? Did Shingen pressure them?" Shirō queried, misinterpreting the slight anger transferring over from his bond with her. "It's rare your clan wholeheartedly agree with any one thing…"
The Kōga Clan consisted of 53 branch families, of which Chiyome was the daughter of the one who'd held the leadership position for a few generations already. While she's no single child, and thus her older brothers and cousins were farther up the succession line than she was, Chiyome was the one selected by Yamata-no-Orochi.
Uniquely, this didn't cause any friction at all, as the curse of Kōga Saburō wasn't considered worth the advantages the position of Clan Head gave. Like her predecessors, she was, externally at least, revered and respected – put into a venerated position as both shinobi and spiritual leader.
As Shirō found out quickly after meeting her, this veneer couldn't be further than the truth.
In fact, they took more exception in losing control over Yamata-no-Orochi from her marrying outside of the family, than her renouncement of her Kōga and Takeda affiliation.
Her near-fiancé, Mochizuki Moritoki from Shinano, also never saw her as anything more than a political step. Oh, he treated her well and without malice, but also certainly without the affection Shirō was showering her every night, the man taking more of a professional stance than a personal one when dealing with her in the few times they're scheduled to meet. As someone quite a bit older, he perhaps couldn't see her truly as a woman – more like a younger sister or a daughter – but still, one look into his face and she couldn't find the passionate flame smouldering behind Shirō's Pure Eyes whenever they're together.
Moritoki merely shrugged when he's told their marriage wouldn't happen. Clearly, he'd had other options as backup – perhaps ones he personally preferred more.
That's why Shirō found it strange when her family actually joined Shingen's pursuit out of their own will. The Princess General herself neglected the shadows, preferring to focus more on her invincible human-yōkai cavalry forces over subterfuge skills. Granted, her usual sparring partners – the Uesugi and Hōjō – were difficult to outsmart, thus it's only logical Shingen chose the path of overwhelming martial might.
Maybe this event, where she fell cleanly into Chiyome's genjutsu, would wake her up on the need of a well-organized, structured shinobi force, mirroring the decisions her other self in Shirō's original world would take regarding Chiyome's treatment.
It's difficult to read what her parents intended, and separating that with what the Kōga Clan's collective decision. He'd only met them a few times, and simply assumed the coldness he felt was purely out of an in-law's general dislike of their daughter's spouse.
…no, it could even be said not even their daughter knew them well. The Kōga simply was that kind of family.
"I don't know…" Chiyome weakly answered, slightly regaining her bearings after some rest. "Haruna-san was never close with Father and Mother, much less the current Kage…"
"Perhaps it's purely a change of heart? I have experienced how easy it was myself," Danzō suggested.
- Pon!
Shirohami suddenly summoned herself out of thin air to land on Chiyome's stomach, hissing plainly. "Unlikely. I sensed an intense dark energy coming from the Hōjō territory, going straight through Shinano. Did you detect anything on your way here, Katō-dono?"
"Negative. I did not observe any strange anomalies during our exchange, nor on my way here," the former doll curtly replied. "However, it does not preclude something outside my sensors' capabilities…"
"I also only felt it through the undercurrents between this world and the Reverse Side… like a worm burrowing under thin silk," the white snake spoke, flitting her tongue out every now and then. "Whatever it was, it's unlikely our pursuers' motivation was anything natural."
Shirō cut in-between their conversation. "We're clear. Nothing is chasing us anymore." His Pure Eyes had been active without the women's realization, and it soon faded to their usual amber-brown. "Granted, whatever weak presence I saw never gave chase after we left that place, and we're now merely outside of its perception range."
"Human? Yōkai?"
He shook his head at his wife's question. "Not sure. Could be both or neither."
"it could also be Nanban. I have received information they're making their moves," Danzō added, cupping one of her ears. "Nobunaga-sama has just contacted me. She has just resolved a strange magical outburst case from a half-Nanban Princess General."
"She's in Sakai, right? That city doesn't have a Princess General…" Chiyome put the question up. "Also, there's a lot of clans with illegitimate Konketsujis, and none who's made an official Princess General yet."
"Date."
Shirō stopped in his tracks, nearly throwing Shirohami to the floor from the loss of momentum. Turning his head fully towards Danzō, he queried, "Are you sure?"
"That is what Nobunaga-sama claimed, yes."
He frowned, before forcibly softening his features when he looked down towards his petite wife. "Let's continue this talk back home, shall we?"
"I'm no longer that clueless little girl you coddled, Shirō," she countered calmly. "I'm strong enough to hold a conversation while being princess-carried, unlike my young self who'd go mute and blush incoherently."
Her rosy cheeks immediately proved her wrong, but her tone was level throughout. It did elicit a thin smile again from Danzō, however. "I agree. Additionally, I am not at 100%. It's better to be as safe as possible."
Shirohami concurred, though secretly as eager to continue speaking as her current host. "I have no issue with that. However, I want to also bring non-Nanban foreigners to the discussion table later."
"Haa… Do stop spoiling me. It's bad impression on my baby."
- Static.
Chiyome laughed out loud when she could literally hear Shirō's and Danzō's minds stopping in their tracks.
"That was a very good joke, I have to admit."
"The power of the Ibuki Divine Spirit… flows within your flesh and blood."
I didn't just receive a curse.
My distant ancestor committed a sin.
But, even then, why? I can't run away from a curse which follows me to the end of the earth.
Someone… save me…
Someone… forgive me, please…
"I'll apologize to you when we're in hell."
Chiyome woke up once again – apparently having fallen asleep in Shirō's arms in the short trip – to the familiar warmth, scent, and sense of security of her own house. Her body immediately fell into a routine whenever a section of her memory was just gone. Whether it's replaced by an ethereal dream or nightmare was inconsequential – as a kunoichi and a miko, one must always rely on the tangible to interpret the mysterious. She knew what visions and oracles felt like… and she also knew what the effects of memory-erasing hallucinogenic felt like.
One of her poison lessons, both the set she received and was teaching now to her own students, focused on the manufacture and application of various date rape drugs, aimed at all genders and sexuality. It's much easier to cover one's tracks during interrogation and/or seduction when the victims themselves had nothing to base their accusations of, barring uncomfortable physical evidence.
It was time to safeguard the often-exploited women and turn the tables against predatory men, she decided long ago. No longer must they take the role of victim – they were now the masters of their own destinies.
Of course, the fact she could instantly felt Shirō's large, rough, warm hands wrapped around her own worryingly instantly dispelled all suspicions. No genjutsu or drug could replicate what she's feeling now, because it's not simply a tactical or visual connection, but the bond shared between them, far deeper than sex or marriage vows, which told her what's real and what's not.
"Has the discussion started? You don't have to wait for me, you know…"
"Yeah. We just feel like it." He stroked the back of her hand with his fingers solemnly, while wiping the drool at her lips' corners with the knuckles of his other palm. "I'm happy seeing you sleep so peacefully."
"Hearing that makes me embarrassed. Do you realize watching girls sleep isn't particularly comfortable for us if we're strangers to each other?" Chiyome smiled teasingly, accepting a large bowl of water from Danzō who was kneeling nearby. "Danzō-san, too… Why didn't you stop him? If another pervert is doing this, you have to do so, 'kay?"
"Is that an order?"
"…never mind."
The older kunoichi smirked. "I was joking."
This time, it's Chiyome's turn who was caught with her mouth agape. "…muu."
- Clap!
"Nothing in particular has changed from what we discussed previously," Shirō began with a ceremonial clap in accordance to the Kokyū Hohō practice. "We still have to focus on Nanban people, but mainly to separate the ones who were truly sincere from their more suspicious comrades."
"…then seduce them and turn them to your side?"
"Our side, dearest," the redhead sighed, slightly ashamed, before pinching the tip of his wife's nose. "And please stop referring me like some sort of sex demon."
A monotonous voice replied from his side, "Aren't you?"
"Not you too, Danzō!"
Chiyome focused her mind amidst the myriad of jokes, summoning Shirohami back from her resting dimension. "Finally!" The beautiful white snake hissed, relieved. "Did you fall asleep again? What took you so long?"
"Well, yes. Apologies for that, Shirohami-dono."
"Haa… No, you're tired. I should be the understanding one," the Guardian Spirit replied. "But, truly, you have a wonderful man and woman here, who dutifully watched you rest without any sexual connotation."
"Shirohami… Really, you are…!" Shirō rubbed his nose's bridge exasperatedly, uncomfortable being the constant butt of jokes. "Can we get serious? Ladies, please!"
Danzō bowed respectfully, retreating and opening the sliding doors for Shirō to carry the still-weakened Chiyome through to the meeting room.
They passed the dining room, where the two ladies' stomach usually grumbled instinctively when they walked nearby. Alas, the strain of recent events meant neither had any appetite at all, forcing them to get down to business without snacks when they arrived at their destination.
"Nobunaga-sama has informed there's a significant Christian presence in Sakai, yet only one attending nun with no official sponsored church, either from the province or her home country. One of her charges was Date Masamune… who was apparently on a vacation," Danzō read emotionlessly from a long report paper. "She is now engaging with the Christian believers there – mostly merchants – first to build and show support for this new religion, and second to gain their trust. The nun's name is… Louíse Fróis, from Portugal."
"Is she beautiful? Are her breasts big like a cow? Is… H-Hyauuuhhh!"
- Kyun.
"Chiyome, I'll keep this up if you don't stop. You don't want to show this kind of face in front of Shirohami-dono, right?" Shirō spoke, lightly irritated now, while pinching his wife's tiny but supple nipples. "I have repeatedly reassured you it's solely due to your body's temporary condition – soon, you'll attain a figure closer to Shuten-sama's true form."
"Indeed. I have observed Chiyome-sama growing by approximately 3 mm up to today."
"I-Isn't that p-practically nothiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggg!?" Her protesting voice hitched when he pulled them out sensually.
At their antics, Shirohami could only wish she'd evolved into having arms right now to cover her face in embarrassment.
"Then, to prove I'm respecting your wishes, let's continue like this. I'll keep massaging them while we talk until you give up, alright?" He calmly kept on flicking, twisting, pinching, and pulling her tender nubs over her clothes, huskily whispering into her blushing ears. "When I get tired, Danzō will take over and make you cum like crazy…"
All which came out of Chiyome's mouth was an aroused whimper, already completely forgetting what they're discussing.
And so, amidst her mewls and moans, they spoke.
"Some foreign merchants were unhappy they lost their military contracts due to your gunsmithing production line, my lord. While I have not gathered enough evidence to suggest Fróis-sama's backers are behind the recent transgressions, it's likely she still is the lead we need to follow."
Shirō hummed. "How about her fellow missionaries? I'm quite sure she didn't come here alone."
"Organtino from Italy, and… Pedro Cabal of Spain."
Shirohami hissed. "There are multiple layers of Nanban Magecraft preventing my kin to perform true reconnaissance. However, two of them don't seem to be aware of this passive protection…" A murderous gleam appeared in her sharp eyes. "That last person certainly did, however, to the point he could modify and gear it towards counterattacking."
A worried glint flashed across the redhead's eyes. "Are you all alright? You can retreat if it's too much of a danger for you… You know I loathe putting you all in danger."
"We are Guardian Spirits and Summoned Beasts. This is natural for us… though I know you don't like these words," the white snake admitted, her features morphing into something resembling a smile. "This is why I'm willing to support you, and not other warlords. The kindness in you… can be said to be inhumanly so."
"I am pleased you're willing to vocalize that thought, Shirohami-sama," Danzō thanked in place of her lord, who's uncharacteristically shy at the snake's praise. "…however, I'm not too well-versed on non-Nanban matters. May I implore you to enlighten us?"
The white snake nodded. "These foreign forces… To be more precise, they're 'foreign' by way of how their domains in the Reverse Side are crossing over to this place, influencing and corrupting the Outside as a result. However, from what my kin has gathered, the ruler of said domain is currently dormant."
"Which meant the perpetrator aims to use the ruler's power to do their bidding, correct?" Shirō guessed. "Can you tell us more about this being first? Not many individuals can utilize and channel foreign powers through their resources and body – especially Otakemaru, whose Conceptual Weight is so great this new addition will just fight his own body."
"T-They need an e-empty body… l-like mine… to h-host another D-Divine Spirit…" Chiyome panted, her nipples jutting proudly from behind her thin clothes, crotch already wet and staining Shirō's pants.
Shirohami tried her best not to notice her host's current state. Fortunately, neither the Guardian Spirit nor Summoned Beast contract allowed them to share physical sensation while apart. "A dragon species, originating where you people call Joyeon today. And yes, its power has descended into the Outside, though its owner's identity is still unknown. There are whispers of the 'Dragon Heritage', which should tell you what that area's people think of it."
"Hmm… Where is this place, specifically?"
"Up north, in the territory of the Ashina Clan. They're affiliated with Date," the white snake spoke pointedly, trying to keep her composure as her host was already melting and panting and showing a slovenly face, with tears, snot, and drool leaking out from various orifices. "They don't have a strong tradition of Guardian Spirits, as this dragon was the first one to forge something even remotely close to resembling a formal contract."
"I see… That place was close to where Tomoe-sama's patrol often went. I'll write a letter and ask her to investigate."
"Tomoe-sama… Your ancestor?" Danzō asked, slightly surprised. "I thought she joined Ibaraki-sama to stay in the Reverse Side?"
"…ah, well… She's indecisive like that. Yoritomo-sama's diaries about her – amidst all the flirting and flowery language – indicated she often flitted from master to master due to various reasons, never finding the will in her to gloriously die along with one person." Shirō added, "It's also only recently we got in touch, with Shuten-sama as the intermediary. Personally, I've only met her face-to-face once, so it's not like we're close."
Shirohami shook her head when the buxom kunoichi silently queried with a gaze. "The snake and oni clans aren't particularly close, because we consider ourselves descended from a similar dragon species like this one, such as Kiyohime-sama of the past. You may consider my host's… captive to be a different being entirely, though that hasn't stopped us from respecting his might and power – he who was infinitely close to draconic ascension."
"…sounds terribly complicated," Shirō remarked.
The white snake glared back at him. "I think your family's harem situation, going back generations, will challenge than notion."
"Fair point."
"What's your opinion on the Nanban, then?"
He shrugged, having stopped massaging his wife's petite breasts and gone to pat her smoking head instead, given her nipples were already swollen beyond what's considered healthy. "Señor Cabal is suspicious… but we also mustn't discount the even more powerful Nanban force still yet to make contact: the British. These two countries were neck-and-neck regarding the amount of military power they could spare in occupying Nihon… but I'll place Britain ahead by a slight amount."
'The empire Mordred created proved to be very troublesome indeed… No, it's my responsibility to keep these two interests balanced.'
In this age of exploration, it's curious to hear Britain had been rather… quiet with their expansion, mostly following what original history dictated. However, given he didn't have the resources to check for himself what the empire had become, it's not that difficult to imagine powerful forces lurked beneath its calm exterior.
"Still, we can't spread our attention in so many directions," the white snake purred, noticing Chiyome's consciousness had flown away somewhere, her petite body sitting there trembling, drenched in both sweat and other bodily fluids. "Who's in charge of watching over the Spaniard?"
"Kazumasu-chan is leading our navy and patrolling the waters where he's last seen at, because there's some affiliation with him and the Kuki Pirates, if I read this report right," the redheaded man pointed out several phrases in the Oda intelligence report collated by their new information network. "Perhaps we should send one of our graduates to reinforce her, Danzō?"
The former doll bowed respectfully. "Chō is ready and waiting, my lord."
"Send her, the- Wait."
- Slam!
Before anyone could figure out what he's talking about, he waved his arm and commanded the nearby sliding door to slam open… revealing the two Sengo younger sisters, both their faces contorted in shock and red with embarrassment.
"A-Ah… O-Onē-chan forced me to eavesdrop!" Toyo quickly waved her arms around, but her eyes couldn't leave Chiyome's slovenly figure, twitching full of arousal on their older brother's lap. "I-I insisted we d-didn't…!"
"Hey, Toyo! N-No, Onī-chan, she's lying! I was the one trying to pull her away, and…!" Tome panicked, reaching out to cover her younger twin's mouth. "We're not i-interested in what you and A-Aneue was doing; definitely not!"
- Bang! Bang!
"O-Owie…"
"A-Auuugghh…"
Both of them rubbed their swelling head, where Shirō had planted his fists on.
"I think you two have too much time in your hands, no? Then, I have several new projects for you to handle… since you two are big girls already, correct? Huhuhu…"
The twins held each other tight, trembling in fear. "Hiiiiiiiiiiii…!"
"Shirō, are you familiar with the legend of Kōga Saburō?"
"Who doesn't in these parts? The third son of the Ōmi daimyo who fell into the depths of the earth in Mt. Ibuki at the end. He ended up returning to the surface by just wandering, but because of a snake… He received a curse from a Divine Spirit."
"Knowing that, you still dare traverse these parts willy-nilly?" Chiyome giggled at her miko-like maids, who kept glaring at her chosen fiancé even after falling victim to his cooking. "What drives your courage, I wonder…"
"The temptation of a beauty. All men will fall," he admitted plainly.
However, since she'd grown used to his brutally honest praises, she merely shook her head, smiling happily. "Your tongue is sweet, as always. Then, do you know why I'm bringing it up?"
"I'm sure it's going to be impactful, and something you dread confessing to other people," he shared his analysis, built from merely weeks of knowledge since meeting her the first time. "But I've assured myself I won't care whatever revelation you're going to hit me with."
She maintained her smile in front of that overly-casual oath, managing to swallow a lump of grateful tears in front of the various young members of the Kōga Clan loitering about, not-so-discreetly eyeing the couple.
"The Divine Spirit… originally known as the Wild God 'Ibuki Daimyōjin', it now holds a particularly different name. That name is… Yamata-no-Orochi."
Kōga Saburō was the founder of the Kōga ninja clan. After his death, the curse was inherited by the head of the 53 Kōga clans, currently the Mochizuki Clan. A person from each generation would bear the curse of Orochi the moment they're born. A devouring curse. The person harbouring it was fated to live their life together with the curse.
"Indeed… this is fate. My distant ancestor's curse will never forgive me. It won't let me be a simple shinobi. An inescapable fate. That's why… I was born."
Yet, his expression was just as calm as the entire time she knew him sporting.
"I see… then, it's also fate which brings us together, though I loathe using that as an excuse," he uttered. "If I see someone I like, then I'll pursue a relationship with them – love, friendship, sibling oath… whatever. [Fate] has no bearing on my decision… or that's what I want to believe."
"What do you mean? Ah…!"
She gasped, followed by every member present.
He placed his palms together, before theatrically pulling them apart to reveal a glowing straight branched sword.
"Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi…" she breathed out in disbelief, before she wrenched her gaze away and barked at the others, "Avert your gazes, hurry! It's criminal offense to gaze at the Regalia!"
"No need for that. This is simply a replica I can take in and out casually," he light-heartedly replied, waving his hand to accentuate his meaning. "But yes, this is exactly how it looks down to its smallest detail."
Placing the sword on the ground between them, he clasped her tiny hands into his own. "Therefore, no matter how frightening or repulsive you think you are… I am here. It's as simple as that."
"Shirō…"
"Yes. I love you, Chiyome. Marry me."
Before meeting Shirō, she had long forced her tear ducts shut, feigning strength among fearful, scornful, degrading looks of her peers – even her parents fell foul of this habit at times when they thought she's not looking. Yet, it seemed her heart still needed the hardening training shinobis were famous for…
Chiyome was nudged awake by her husband's hammer blow reverberating throughout the Workshop… nay, his Temple. Far smaller relative to his family's own actual blacksmithing workshop, it's nevertheless quite spacious – enough to prevent the various glowing metals' heat from reaching her even without the cooling talisman lining the viewing gallery. This was when she's sitting close enough to his preferred anvil for one of his larger sledgehammers to easily bop her similarly-sized head.
The fact he's usually swinging those things single-handed was an aberration, and not the norm. Some of his newer disciples, chiefly the male ones, thought he was pushing to impress them and imitating the Ippon-Dataras the family already employed… though that's not excluding both Tome and Toyo stupidly trying the same, eager to lift their status away from 'the studio's mascots and poster girls' to proper members of the Sengo family.
Of course, without proper and hellish training with Reinforcement – a truly basic skill nowadays even preteen children could perform – one would not attain the necessary fluidity and dexterity to be consistent and detailed in their swings.
Case in point: She'd witnessed him forge surgical knives with one of those sledgehammers… one-handed. Of course, at that time, she didn't understand anything regarding blademaking, despite being a regular user of various types, and simply thought her crush and fiancé was simply doing something cool.
While noble girls scoff and turned their noses away from what they thought was 'dirty work', she knew they usually gossip about sweaty, muscular men who also happened to be easy on the eyes… and not the prim-and-proper scholarly types permeating their social circles. To this, she could arrogantly smirk behind their backs for what she already had.
Speaking of backs… she still enjoyed watching his sculpted and wide back move and contort from this position, ever since she first was introduced to his line of work. Certainly, her thoughts back then weren't as mature as her own now – more an appreciation of a true master artist at work, rather than an overtly sexual manner for her in-heat teenage self – but it filled her with a warmth different from the coals' and metals' own.
Another markedly different in this situation was the comfort level of the forge, now refurbished to be more suitable for hosting important guests.
After all, once word got out of an Owari army equipped by invincible blades and hyper-accurate rifles, no matter how deviant it was from the actual truth, many investors and sponsors came flocking to observe… and most likely also steal the Sengo family techniques.
One look, and she could already tell which one's which. Shirō never allowed her to summon venomous snakes into their undergarments, though. However, she had to admit it's funnier seeing their dumbfounded faces once they saw… he's not actually doing anything particularly special.
Every step was textbook.
Oh, wait… That sentence didn't particularly highlight his strengths.
She meant every text in the book was perfectly done. And not just one 'book' – which, of course, stood for a mastersmith's teachings – but various ones from all places and eras.
Additionally, despite their shenanigans, his younger twin sisters also possessed the same training and skill, and thus performed most of their duties with a similar trait to all recognized masters: that of supreme efficiency and efficacy, with such absence of wasted movements they made it look all-so-easy.
This was a mere observation from a relative, and certainly not one with sufficient education and training. Still, at the very least, Chiyome and Danzō managed to master the ways of maintaining their older tools, as well as crafting new copies from whatever available materials at hand.
Most people ended up only copying the layout, once they realized their puny minds couldn't understand the gulf between them and her admirable husband.
…and his sisters and workers. Of course; how could she forget to mention them?
She was sitting in the temporary viewing gallery set up for those who could withstand the forges' flames – where master bladesmiths would sit and observe, instead of the 'soft-handed' merchants and daimyōs. The Temple had an upstairs deck during its second-latest upgrade, where it's lined with circulatory and cooling spells to make it more comfortable. At its centre, since the start, was obviously a carefully-built coke forge, primed for his Alteration to morph the resulting flames' shape depending on his needs.
Traditionally, there would be several designs of anvil and semi-automated industrial hammers circling it… but because this was his personal studio, and not the Sengo Clan's official production Workshop, there's only two multi-purpose anvils and a space where an Ippon-Datara occasionally assisted him with the hand forging. Without the need of a fast production line, he could afford to take his time and focus more on the experimental details – and all that meant working with his bare fingers and Pure Eyes, instead of using techniques other people must be able to learn and practice.
They had just had a quick lunch, and she must've dozed off under the hypnotic rhythm of his hammer blows.
Stretching, she said, "Mmmggghhh! I'll go check on Toyo-chan and Tome-chan, alright, dearest?"
Still focused on his steel, she caught the edge of his usual caring smile from the side. "That'll be lovely. I'll depend on you, then."
Even now, there's very few words which elicited this level of happiness inside her – when she's no longer the caged maiden, and now someone of equal stature to him.