Phew! Those two 'battle' chapters were something else! Now, as promised, here's a non-'battle' chapter, marking a return to normality for this story... if not for the world, because we're seemingly headed straight back to the 'old normal'. Stay safe and healthy... and, in grand Shirō fashion, don't die even if you guys are killed, okay?
This omake chapter is already long enough, but I also added quite a substantial entry into the Character Sheet at the end. As usual, let me know if any one of you guys can figure out where I get my inspiration from for these characters! Obviously, they're quite different from their canon selves (especially Kiichi), but it's all for the story's sake. It's still incomplete because I'm still waiting for some official information from TYPE-MOON, so I put what I can down there to hopefully enlighten you both on these new, interesting characters I think deserve more recognition among general Japanophile community. Check it out!
Now, this is a return to my commentary on my daily life... which was full of disappointment lately, mostly because of how underwhelming I found the latest Rurōni Kenshin movie. It'd be better if they focus on the action scenes instead of trying to make an already-inaccurate interpretation of the manga plot into something better. Spoiler alert: IT'S BAD. No clarity, no build-up, no wham shots like in the manga... Only its best-ever fight scenes saved it in my opinion. Let's hope the final installment (the 5th!) can be better. I can sort of see why it sold so well in Japanese theatres... but for me, who gre wup with an ecclectic mix of GOAT movies, it fell considerably short of my expectation. Shame.
Here's the mailbag!
Felipe1402XZA: I'm rather surprised you're the only one who pointed out her OOC-ness, though I've been hinting at it since her battle with Kelley. It's a result of 'character development' (or 'devolution'?) as a side effect of Apotheosis with Yamata-no-Orochi in that fight with Ouroboros... then she molted.
YuukiAsuna-chan: I agree, hence my exasperation with myself in the AN. Didn't I also say this one's so long I'm splitting it into two in the previous chapter's AN? Did you catch that? I'm surprised you're shocked there's two in a row. Yes, it's unusual, and the next chapter's going to be the omake (non-'battle' chapter, if you want to know), before joining back to the main plot after that.
Uday Sra: Wow! A rare double review from you! You must like it very much...
comrade-elmo1: Well, you're not technically wrong...
Royal Freshness12345: Fortunately, as you can see with the newly-updated chapter, things are going back to normal! Much as I like to keep on writing twisted lemon fantasies, the plot must go on, after all...
'Ah… I'm so nervous…!'
Despite said thought running loudly in her mind, Mai couldn't even fathom attempting to voice it out, given the company present… especially for the one person seated directly in front of her: her own boss.
The fact that Himiko, Nihon's Empress, had her eyes currently shut in a rest didn't change the fact saying her thought out loud could put her in serious bother. Regardless of what everyone around her said, she's here representing her shinobi village, and any bad impression might bring trouble to it.
…and to her sister Ai, of course – not that Mai'd admit it. Not until said twin apologized to her first for attacking her futilely when she left the village and landed this prestigious job.
- Creak… Creak… Creak…
Housing the kingdom's topmost person, obviously, the transport they're in wasn't humble in any shape or form – at least for the interior. Mai'd seen many attempts of humbling disguise in hopes of misleading her from her true targets in the past – thus, she assumed Himiko also possessed an army of such anonymous carriers, even though she hadn't had the chance to inspect every nook and cranny of Nihon's royal armada as per her job description.
Seriously, bodyguarding was hard in many ways.
For instance, the aforementioned fleet inspection was crucial in order to find any possible flaw in the system, both from the hardware and protective formation which counted on numbers. However, before she could submit a request to do so – realizing showing up for an inspection all of a sudden as a newbie would step on so many people's toes – she was dragged away and ordered to accompany this girl who's even younger and smaller than her, looking like she hadn't developed her primary sexual characteristics yet.
As if sensing she's thinking of rude things, Himiko opened her eyes gently and stared right towards Mai's panicked own, the latter immediately averting her gaze away guiltily.
"Yes, I can read your mind, if you're wondering."
- Thud!
"I-I'm very sorry!" Her knees instantly hit the floor, this particular royal carriage being wide enough for her to perform a proper dogeza. With her forehead stinging because of her overenthusiasm to apologize, she instantly yelled out, "P-Please have mercy, Y-Your Majesty! I-I still have some u-uses for you! I'll prove it!"
"I know," Himiko offhandedly noted, adding, "Your 'use' is to follow my instructions, and nothing else. Have you forgotten?"
"No, this one has not!"
- …
A few seconds passed in silence, with Mai's nervousness growing ever greater, not daring to lift her head to check on Himiko's expression. This particular empress had never used the typical wooden blinders whenever she held a conference – private or otherwise – with Mai, in contrast to the historical rulers she'd read about in her village's library who considered having a bombastic voice and anonymous face were the way to go to bond with their subjects.
Still, regardless whether a physical barrier existed between them or not, the little girl's presence was heavy enough to overcompensate for this absence, pressing Mai's entire body to the floor.
There's also the eerie choice of shut lips from the carriage's other occupants, even though these women were usually chatterboxes to the point Mai nearly cried almost every day with their sarcastic and teasing remarks.
Not that she'd ever let them know she's feeling these emotions. If they already knew, then good for them – she simply didn't want to give them further satisfaction of knowing everything they did was affecting her.
- Clap!
Eventually, Himiko lightly clapped her hand – the impact so mild it wouldn't even kill a mosquito – and decreed, "You may rise, Sōga."
- Gulp.
There's the line she still had to work her butt off to be worthy of crossing. The Empress was addressing her formally instead of as a close aide. It's only natural to do so, obviously, because she's new. No matter how deep Himiko dug into Mai's background, there's still some ground to distrust a fresh hire, because there's no way of completely knowing a person just from their data. This child's presumed telepathic powers helped a great deal, sure… but that almost made it worse.
If Himiko could read the depths of Mai's heart, and still chose to keep her at a distance, then what would that speak of the latter's character? That she's incompetent? Untrustworthy? Naïve?
…she hoped this was just a part of her probation period, and not what a preview of the rest of her time in this employ.
"Geez, I do not think that's necessary, Himiko-chan…" Senjū-dōji's mismatched voice commented. Mai suddenly felt countless invisible arms lifting her body and placing her back to her previous sitting position, without any preliminary sign a spell had just been invoked. The kunoichi had now grown used to it, but it's still impressive nonetheless. "If you stress her out too much, an opening shall appear at the time you least want it."
"I disagree," Lian's deeper, almost masculine voice reverberated with minimal lip movement. A master ventriloquist and puppeteer, she's surprisingly eloquent and knowledgeable, her dialect a sign of higher education. "A test is a test. Only those who can achieve a perfect mark is suitable for sitting among us here; one point less is insufficient." Despite her harsh words, her gaze was kind. "There's a reason we're maintaining this state for so long – it's to give you the best chance of passing, Mai-chan."
"T-Thank you very much…" she shyly replied, not used to being looked after by so many seniors in her line of work. She'd always trained with Ai, Tokimaru, or her generation's shinobi, supervised directly by the previous Clan Head.
Still, Lian's gallant, androgynous figure – even in her fully-transformed, six-armed yōkai form – made it difficult for a young girl her age to feel she could simply get close to this older woman. Mai's unsure about her background because Lian's calm-and-collected demeanour made it hard to get a read or clue on her past. With Senjū-dōji and Mutsu Kīchi – the final occupant – the kunoichi could at least predict their behaviour and thoughts regarding her… but Mai's often too intimidated by Lian's presence she stayed far away from trying to read what's underneath the woman's outer veneer, despite the latter not really minding this attempt as per normal among beings of her power level.
#002, #003, and #007. Three of Himiko's most powerful personal guards, chosen from the 100 members of the Hyakki Yakō… and the three people Mai had met. In that Marble Phantasm-like labyrinthine castle, there was no other sign of life – at the time, the young kunoichi thought it's simply a feature of the place which concealed any member not wishing to reveal themselves.
However, in these first days of her new job, she realized they might be just weren't there, showing how loose the reins in Himiko's hands were around their necks. This fact tied in with why these three were chosen: If the place Mai met them was any indication, they perhaps were the three members constantly on standby… and perhaps the closest to the Empress? It's a question she still didn't dare ask, aware of her position in this group.
She'd meet the other 97 members in due time, she reasoned to herself.
This time, Kīchi stepped in, "We also have to remember Himiko-chan over here likely never told her of the full mission. Have you, our dear queen?"
That… was a good idea. Mai was too excited in performing her first official mission as a part of the Empress's itinerary she failed to ascertain the details, telling herself it's merely on a need-to-know basis – something she's not completely a stranger to. "Ah… I-If it's a secret, then no need to tell me! This one is just a lowly servant who'll follow your orders!"
She even saluted, but it only drew giggles from Senjū-dōji, who rested her chubby, childish chin on her chalk-white palms. "While unsure of how much I should say, but one thing is clear: We have no need for neutered dogs around here. Think of what's best to serve our goals."
Mai nodded, the seriousness carved on her face obviously telling she's taking mental notes. However, her face soon fell when Lian's handsome face frown and shake. "Himiko-chan, just tell her more. You can't expect people to be as accomplished as that older cousin of yours, can you?"
"Why can't I?" The little queen defiantly asked back, her adorable face still emotionless and calm. "The Sōga certainly didn't send anything less than their best, correct?" Receiving a hesitant nod from Mai, she took it as a cue she's somewhat correct. "The best always comes out on top from the torrential waters around us."
"Ha… You're just as stubborn as your namesake," Lian sighed and shook her head. Right afterwards, she shot Kīchi a sharp glare. "Do. Not. Comment on that!"
The Mutsu Clan Ancestor held a palm to her mouth, suppressing what must be a full-blown body-shaking laughter, but managed to respect her colleague in front of Mai to at least suppress it to an obvious giggle.
Senjū-dōji pantomimically hid her lips with a palm stuck to their side, whispering loudly, "Kīchi-dono is sensitive about her age."
"Not you two, shorty!"
"But… there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" Mai quizzically asked, truly confused as to what Lian had said could be taken and spun into an age-related joke. "I mean… Lian-sama is so stunning I can't think of a reason you should feel inferior."
- Hug!
"U-Uwaahhh…! M-Mai-chan is the best!" The tall, slim figure suddenly shot forth and buried the young girl into her mild swells, petting her all over like a prized doll. "She's much better than that rude brat of yours, Mutsu!"
"What did you say?!"
"Enough."
Usually, a tone that heavy belonged to Senjū-dōji, whose natural Conceptual Weight and body construction made it natural for her to speak like that. Surprisingly for Mai, it came from Himiko's petite body, nearly bursting the carriage open in her annoyance just from the pressure emanating from her body alone. Fortunately, it's driven by a kasha who's used to it, her feminine purr being the only thing indicating she's even aware of the conflict going on inside her carriage.
"If you want to brief her, then by all means. I shan't forbid it." Himiko closed her eyes in irritation, before standing up and heading towards the rear compartment. "I'll rest for now. Don't wake me up until we're on our return trip home; Senjū, deal with the rest."
- Clack.
As the sliding door closed and its automatic protective seal engaged, Mai finally breathed out a sigh of relief. Her Conceptual Weight was nowhere near as dense as these women, and thus she felt the most duress during that exchange despite her relative place as mere collateral. "Haa… Haa… Haa…" Wiping the cold sweat off her chin, she slowly gathered her courage and asked, "T-Then… Where are we going, exactly?"
- …
The three Hyakki Yakō members looked awkwardly at each other once they heard her simple yet brutally effective question. Eventually, Kīchi let go of her errant animosity from earlier and shrugged. "I knew we're going to come to this… Well, why don't you start, Lian?"
Mai could see the androgynous woman making a "Why me?" face, but her expression had reverted to normal when she faced Mai once again. The kunoichi had seen Lian's true form before, and still consider the latter quite attractive. In this restricted human form, her beauty was easier to appreciate: short red hair with an elegant triangular bang covering her left eye, styled sharply to frame her triangular face exactly. Combined with her gentle behaviour and masculine demeanour, it's easy to see how she'd be popular among her subordinates.
"We're going back to my home."
"H-Huh?! To Ming?!" Mai exclaimed, certainly not expecting her first duty to be an international one. "Are we… going to cause a cross-kingdom trouble?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
Despite her mistakes, Mai was still a professional. "Of course not. Whether for good or bad, my master has ordered me so."
"Even against innocents?" Senjū-dōji piped in.
"…ah."
Lian smiled coolly. "This is what Senjū-san was talking about earlier. Do you think all we do is clean work? I assume you've crossed a number of lines during your tenure as a Sōga kunoichi?" Seeing this new junior of hers avert her gaze, the redhead continued, "Don't think by moving up in class, the blood on your hands will get washed away in the slightest. In fact, the people you see in this carriage have spilled enough blood to fill the ocean between Nihon and Ming with blood – and I'm not exaggerating."
Mai couldn't maintain eye contact, but the tone Lian was using was clearly filled with nostalgia and sadness. However, she respected this woman enough not to take advantage of this moment and pry, choosing to merely nod obediently despite Senjū-dōji's criticisms. Still, she's far too young and immature to think her thoughts went unnoticed by everyone else in the room.
Pleased with Mai's reservedness, Lian chose to explain, "Thank you for being considerate, but I'm not too bothered by that past of mine anymore." Holding down a chuckle at the girl's fierce guilty blush, she continued, "As you can surmise from my own name, I am … was a Qin citizen. I came to Nihon following my husband… who was sent on a suicide mission by the late Emperor. Skip a couple of millennia later, and here I am."
"Ah… I'm sorry to hear about that." Mai shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Has… y-your husband passed away?"
"Tch… Don't go around and gather sympathy with your sob story. What are you in; an election campaign?" Kīchi sharply chided, though with sincerity this time and not the almost-habitual verbal bitterness from earlier. "Don't play around with your husband's legacy when you know going to Nihon was the best thing that's ever happened to the two of you. I respect her…"
The smile on Lian's face disappeared. "I'm getting to that. Can you not disturb other people when they're talking?"
"Fine…"
The redhead leant back onto the luxurious padding lining almost every internal surface of this carriage. "We both know that… and the fact His Majesty wouldn't ever chase us all the way across the ocean even if we desert." Finally eliciting the laughter she'd been holding back, she finished, "Ufufu… Well, we just took it as our belated honeymoon, since she was too busy for it when we first got married."
"And the reason why all of us were safe is due to Nihon's first empress, Himiko-sama," Senjū-dōji expounded. "I was not yet in this form by then, but this land, for certain, was powerful enough to earn the respect of a large empire."
"Large, yes, but weak and fragmented," Lian revealed. "Qin was certainly these two millennia's first superpower, but don't forget it didn't even last two generations. His Majesty was too exceptional; none of his successors was able to hold that fractured vase together as well as him."
"But those cracks were also what drove you away from his service, no? Doesn't sound like a decent enough ruler for me," Kīchi commented. "Compared to Himiko-chan…"
"I'm flattered you cared about me enough to think like that, Kīchi-san." Lian smirked, then spoke before a protest could come from the white-haired tengu. "Though I think you're quite biased regarding that last statement."
"Tch! Think whatever you want; I don't care," Kīchi waved off. "So what if I'm biased? Can't I do that to my own descendant? That makes me a dowager, you know?! Show more respect!"
- Clap!
"The two of you… sure like filling your time with nonsense," Senjū-dōji grumbled. "You still have not fulfilled your decision to explain things to Mai-chan… clearly, I may add."
The aforementioned girl was sitting there with muddled head, trying to process not just the information relayed to her, but also from her instinctive shinobi training of continuously gathering data from other people's speech and behaviour. Because both Lian and Kīchi had so much experience buried into their bodies, these minute cues were overloading Mai's relatively inexperienced mind.
That's why Senjū-dōji interrupted their little tirade by smacking her palm together – her favoured Single-Action Thaumaturgy activation, given how powerful her [Hand] Element was. It's enough to break the concentration and influence these two strong yōkai, else she wouldn't even need to lift a finger if her victim was, for example, someone like Mai.
"Ahem, sorry for letting you see this side of mine, Mai-chan," Lian coughed.
The black-haired girl sat up straighter. "N-No! T-That's absolutely fine!"
A defeated sigh came from Kīchi. "Geez… You've already had her wrapped around your fingers…" This utterance failed to arrive at Mai's ears, such was her infatuation with the androgynous woman. It might not reach the level of pure love yet, but there's little doubt who among them she preferred to be with the most.
"Well, going back to my original point, we're heading to the harbour to depart for… let's call it Chūgoku to encompass both the current dynasty and the one I call 'home', shall we?" Lian started to explain, "Also, we're meeting up with the person we're supposed to guard there; she's relatively close-by, and Himiko-chan's here purely to oversee the meetup."
"Oh… Heika's not going with us? A-Ah, no, I understand it's going to be an even bigger complication if she did!" Mai corrected herself mid-sentence, "But… given the members present, I thought it's going to be something at least as big as that…"
"Ohoho! You're mistaken!" Kīchi pointed her index finger right on Mai's nose. "Yes, it's something big, but that's not coming from the dignitaries going across the ocean, little girl."
Before #003 and #007 could mess things up with their words any further, Senjū-dōji finished, "Because war is incoming, Mai-chan. Why should Himiko-chan come along?"
Since ancient times, Nagasaki was Nihon's premier international sea trade hub. Well, 'international' as in only trading with Chūgoku and Goryeo, two of its feasibly close naval neighbours. Back then, ship technology simply didn't allow physical travel further than this distance, and even then, a similar gap between Nihon and Northern Asia – via Ezo – was too treacherously cold and savage to cross for the experienced and hardy Ainu. Going east was plain suicide, because even hundreds of years later, no regular route was run between Nihon and those islands in the middle of the Pacific, which was eventually named 'Hawaii'.
Therefore, it's astonishing when they learnt of the Polynesian's prowess of traversing the lethal ocean with nothing but rudimentary, slim boats and astrological navigation.
In another world, Nihon would continue to lag behind compared to other global superpowers in terms of naval strength, both military and commerce, owing to chaotic changes in policy from era to era, causing confusion… and eventually stagnation. However, the Goryeo invasion spurred Yoshitsune to create several edicts, advised by her older brother, in order to safeguard and strengthen Nihon's coastlines from foreign intruders.
A tall order, given the empire itself was an archipelago with countless blind spots and weaknesses to be taken advantage of. Just pure communication between the various major and minor islands, hindered by the mountainous terrain and inaccessible ports, was difficult enough, which inadvertently led to the maintenance of the current daimyo structure, given a level of autonomy by the Royal Family purely due to the hassle of governing everything at once.
This was a hurdle even the esteemed Minamoto Clan still toiled to overcome. They're getting there… but nowhere near as fast as they wanted. Increasing their pace would turn them into a tyrant in the public's eyes, while succumbing to the nobles' greedy wishes would be plain suicide for the Royal Family's power over Nihon.
Going back to the original point, just before daybreak, the small port city of Hakata was already bustling with activity. Partly it's the fishermen and beachside markets getting ready… and partly it's because important dignitaries were arriving.
Not that its inhabitants knew about the latter fact.
Two set of carriages were already disembarking its passengers, their outward decoration deliberately made plain. They're certainly similar to the typical, commercially-available wooden boxes, appearing much closer in colour and shape those family-sized cabins. What perhaps could give them away to trained eyes was how even and unblemished the dull dark varnish covering the bare wood grains, as well as how perfectly conjoined the joints were to the point no light or sound escaped.
A sign of a masterfully crafted sculpture, compared to the run-of-the-mill, factory-fresh transport. Nihon craftsmen were proud of their dedication, diligence, and attention to detail, but even they couldn't withstand the wave of demand and enticement of mass production. To earn that day's stock of rice, they had to relent and lower their quality to focus on earning as much as possible from inferior, yet still popular products.
These ones were clearly not the latter.
It's obvious from the contrast when the hidden, seamless doors opened, showcasing the difference between the deliberately-drab exterior and lavish interior.
The 'no light, no sound' description from earlier? That was solely from the production technique and enchantments protecting the occupants' privacy and safety. Once a gap slid open, golden light and delicate feminine noises instantly leaked out and filled this secretive warehouse they're parked in.
Expensive, elaborate tiny candleholders, powered by top-grade magic stones which could provide a family for a week. Soft, luxurious padding and carpets, carefully sculpted and stitched to precisely fit the interior lines – there's no overhang or awkward empty spaces in them. Even the temperature was significantly different than the outside air, controlled and warm in contrast to the chilly, biting dawn seashore air.
From the limited angle the coachwomen had access to, elegant sliding doors separated the frivolous seating area from sleeping compartments, revealing a paradox: There's no way such a small carriage, when viewed from the outside, should have additional rooms – and certainly not at the size the doors were indicating. It's a luxury [Space] spell only available – or affordable, more realistically – to monarchs and rulers of the world, enabling them to carry their favourite rooms everywhere.
This time, owing to the kashas' speed and the occupants' fortitude, only one person was using this luxury.
"RISE AND SHINE, HIMIKO-CHAN!"
- Thwack!
"OW!"
A crumpled-up paper talisman just shot out from a cracked-open sliding door in the first carriage, hitting Yoshimoto square in the forehead with enough speed and force to knock her down to the floor. Given she's in her usual jūnihitoe, it's almost impossible to recover her own balance once it's knocked off, though the thickness of those multiple layers did reduce the pain.
"Careful, Himiko-chan. You're tipsy when you're groggy," Kīchi said while holding out one hand, which was accepted by the Empress's tiny one as she stepped out of her private compartment, rubbing her eyes childishly all the way. "Mai, shouldn't you get out first and secure the area?"
"A-Ah, yes!"
Mai carefully walked down the semi-automated extending steps onto the ground, rather confused and hesitant seeing the current Shogun wiping her ass off the ground near the carriage. Observing her surroundings, she concluded this extravagant person must've come straight out of her own carriage and rushed towards their own… just for some mischief.
- Srrt!
The paper bullet the Empress used to silence the loudmouth unfurled itself into flat perfection, before retreating back up as a sharp, thin object… and tripped Yoshimoto just as she almost managed to stand up, this time comically flipping her into the air and straight back onto the ground, this time face-first.
- Plop!
"OW! S-Stop that! I g-give, okay? I give! Sorry!" Yoshimoto panicked, waving her overflowing sleeves around from her position, butt pointing proud to the air and towards Himiko's scathing gaze, while her upper body laid prone to the ground. Mai was impressed with how flexible a person she assumed was unathletic could be when under duress. "I mean… It's morning… Uuu… I'll tell on your big brother later!''
- Thwack!
"OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!"
This time, a flying buckshot formation of crumpled-up paper talisman landed squarely on Yoshimoto's bouncy, wide ass, denting several nice craters into the expensive silk.
Mai forcibly averted her eyes from the cruelty that's happening, instead choosing to follow Kīchi's instruction to the letter to distract her mind from the torture.
"What do you think?"
The kunoichi'd gotten so used to having Senjū-dōji appearing out of nowhere, like an undetected ghost despite Mai's training, so she managed to restrain her body from jumping in shock when those words were uttered directly into her ears. Biting her tongue lightly to steady her voice, the young girl concluded, "We're not guarding Heika to Ming, are we? But… Yoshimoto-sama is of no less importance to Nihon's governance. What mission is both dangerous and safe enough to require these two parties to work together?"
"On point. You have learnt fast," the white-themed yōkai praised, earning a small happy smile from Mai. "However… I have to stop feeding your speculation right here."
"I understand. Need-to-know basis, correct?" Mai correctly assumed, somewhat dejectedly. "If I wish to put forth a request for further clarification of upcoming events, who should I go to?"
Her question was two-fold: who should she plainly rely on in times of ambiguity, as well as who's the point person responsible for the whole operation, now that Himiko had quietly rescinded control over the details.
The Empress hopped down, aided by Kīchi, and kicked Yoshimoto square in the butt, producing a strangely soft noise and a wonderfully feminine squeal from the Shogun. Himiko clicked her tongue, either clearly irritated the punishment for waking her up so rudely had not been enough, or jealous of Yoshimoto's surprisingly voluptuous body, hidden underneath all those expensive and colourful garments. Mai was experienced enough to recognize a person's body type from sight and walking posture alone, and certainly the Shogun possessed curves far above Nihon's average. It's rather odd given her height, because Mai only encountered those… bombs only with much taller Nanban women.
"I've only taken my eyes off of you for a second, and you're already ogling other women? Hmm…"
"Hyuh!"
Lian breathed those accusations into the kunoichi's ears, clearly playing up the latter's admiration of the former. It's obvious even to Mai, but she's too flustered to react properly. "I don't know what to think of you, Mai-chan…" she sultrily drew her next words out, hands firmly on the girl's shoulders to give a faux sense of captivity.
"Can't we get on with it? You can toy with her once we're on the ship," Kīchi grumbled, right after coordinating with the kashas for the return route. "Hurry up; not even us can hold back the sun from rising."
The four of them – sans Himiko, who'd returned to Kyoto with the two carriages – rushed to a prepped sleek warship moored just now on one of Hakata's piers. The whole operation was done under a strict time schedule to reduce waiting time to the absolute minimum – the same window usually used by information officers to gather juicy data. If they all met up after riding through different routes, coming from different starting points, exchanged with a different mode of transport ina matter of minutes, any leak coming out to their opponent wouldn't have the time to arrive and formulated against.
Himiko's group departed from Kyoto's Imperial Castle not only under the cover of night, but also via an underground channel ending in what appeared to be a dead end, but actually was a teleportation device with sigils and rituals built into all its sides. From there, they appeared from a small cave hidden underneath a great tree – easing magic power consumption since ancient living beings were natural nodes of leylines – onto a somewhat-maintained path covered by foliage. Yes, the dark forest setting turned it into a haven for shinobis' prying eyes, but that's if they could find this specific place first.
It's located in the Usui Clan's shinobi domain, perpetually covered in both natural and mystical mist and hypnotic repellent to confuse invaders and infiltrators alike. It's quite a common setup for larger shinobi clans, and the only unique thing this one had was its relative anonymity compared to the 'famous' ones – ironically and hypocritically speaking – like the Kōga, Iga, and Fūma.
However, it's long been the chosen clan to provide the Royal Family – and in turn the Minamoto Clan – with shinobi services. There's nothing official about it, of course, for fear of controversy and scandal, but Yoshitsune had been employing them after her brother's death in secret. As such, there was no member with moniker such as 'Evil Wind', 'Black Kite', 'Demon', and so on… until now, when a particularly ambitious and forthcoming Minamoto Clan member.
That was Sengo Muramasa, who had just recently resuscitated Katō Danzō, and required a system for her to work in by her request. While her independence had increased greatly, it also meant the things now missing in her life and daily habit were wearing down on her more. Thus, Himiko had the idea of finally formalizing this alliance, having seen the light at the end of the tunnel for Nihon's unification, with Danzō as the leader.
The Empress wouldn't have to worry about controversy if there's no one left to dispute with her, no?
Right now, while the effects of the Minamoto Clan's resurgence greatly limited the nobles' power, ultimate military and martial might were still held in the hands of several major daimyōs, though they were relatively more obedient compared to the Proper Human History, as Nobunaga had told Himiko and the latter had seen through her personal abilities.
Still, what had truly become of this clan, along with several chosen others, was of no importance in this group's travel to Hakata, other than the fact it's a completely safe territory. Thus, they traversed at least one province undetected, then guaranteeing any pursuer will be two areas behind – the additional step was required to process the fact a convoy had just appeared out of thin air without warning. This was one of the reasons why secret passages were so popular throughout history.
Mai had been awake for nearly 10 hours already, a culmination of post-dinner insomnia, sudden summon to a midnight mission, and her own sense of responsibility to stay awake while Himiko slept soundly part of the way to Hakata, eager to match the present inhuman women's durability. As a result, she found her eyelids to be incredibly heavy once the ocean sunrise fully shone onto her face. She had training and mission when she was required to go without sleep for several days, but the sheer magnitude and pressure of this particular one frayed her nerves to no end.
The only thing stopping her from cheating and taking a break… or even simply yawning, was the presence of the real person she's supposed to guard in this excursion: Imagawa Yoshimoto.
In contrast to Mai, the Shogun was a veritable ball of energy.
Having seemingly not learnt her lesson from dawn just now, Yoshimoto was still as exuberant as ever, dragging her new bodyguard around the ship to play like a small child. To be more precise regarding the previous reason, Mai could not… no, was not allowed to rest because of the kemari constantly heading her way after the Shogun had toured all the facilities available, forced to play and kick the ball around with her.
A more perceptive superior would've noticed their men's fatigue and regulated their worktime to optimize future performance. Clearly, Yoshimoto wasn't one of them… 'Or is she doing this on purpose?' Mai suspiciously thought, forcing her brain to remain active lest her concentration slip and said kemari landing square on her face, knocking her clean off the main deck and into the warm morning ocean.
"Ahahaha! Come on! You're slowing down, Mai-chan! Keep up!" Yoshimoto energetically hopped and sprinted around, her jūnihitoe and long prim black hair fluttering elegantly with every movement, her apparent clumsiness against Himiko earlier today nowhere to be seen. "Heads up!"
The kemari shot forth with terrifying speed along her roundhouse volley kick, clearly not a move which was anywhere close to legal in this ball's day-to-day usage among children. In fact, with the strength of a Princess General behind it, it attained top speed similar to a low-powered cannon – such was the pressure Mai had to continuously control and counter for this several few minutes. Of course, the kemari was nowhere near as heavy, and thus was slowed down quite a lot by the air resistance, but it's still beyond what a normal human being could do.
She aimed to receive and control it with her head, mimicking what the Shogun had playfully showed her when they had just started, but a giant white hand, whose skin was punctuated by vein-like red lines, appeared from the deck surface while Mai was in mid-flight and casually caught the ball, refusing to let go.
"Shogun-sama, we are close to landing," Senjū-dōji announced with her dainty hands clasped behind her back. The contrast between her short child-like stature and the towering summoned limb was tremendous, since the latter even reached beyond Mai's maximum casual jump height. "Mai-chan, take some moment to rest. Your eyes are turning ugly."
"…thank you for your concern, Senjū-sama…" the kunoichi wearily replied, before turning rudely to Yoshimoto. "Shogun-sama, by your leave…"
As always, the cheerful, colourful woman grinned and dismissed Mai immediately with a wave of her hand, not taking offense when the kunoichi summarily disappeared without further acknowledgement of the permission.
"Can I have my ball back?"
The voice addressing Senjū-dōji was as terribly cold as hail and sharp as a lightning bolt, matching Yoshimoto's secondary and primary Elements respectively.
The white-themed yōkai flicked the rattan kemari towards the Shogun, which instantly disappeared into her sleeves, all the while Senjū-dōji was walking demurely towards her out of habit instead of actual sense of servitude. "Are you prepared?"
"Hmph, it looks like your own preparation is the one lacking," Yoshimoto instantly criticized. "I wished for one additional capable member. What was Heika thinking of sending in a newbie with us?!" Her grumble marred her well-arranged features, showing her other side as both a serious politician and warrior. "Honestly, where was Muramasa-san when you need him…"
"Unfortunately, there was some internal troubles Shirō-kun had to deal with," Senjū-dōji revealed. "Because, when including this mission of ours, the two are equally urgent, he cannot be present."
"Tch…"
Smiling wryly, the yōkai commented, "Grumble all you want, Shogun-sama… Either way, with or without him, we cannot return if we fail, after all…"
"Uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Don't remind me of that!" Yoshimoto ruffled her perfectly-groomed hair into a mess, timidly screaming into the salty sea breeze out of fear Himiko had installed some kind of audio reconnaissance spell on this vessel. "Let's hurry and kill those Ashikagas!"
With the advent of Mystery – and with its confusingly asymmetrical cycles – international warfare was shockingly low. It's always clear which empire or federation holding the absolute advantage; add that to how basic warfare technology was still, the inferior nations would instantly propose cooperation at best and outright surrender at worst, saving all parties involved the grief of war.
In contrast, when individual monarchies, empires, nations, federations, or coalitions thought they had a chance against each other… it's under that condition war was usually started. Well, that, and when an entity simply thought they had overwhelming advantage and followed their greed anyway.
The latter was what drove the Mongol army to challenge Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune centuries ago, assuming this small island nation was as weak as it was geographically fractured. Uniquely for an empire that powerful, it relied on its innovative troop movement philosophy instead of the traditional arms race, overwhelming its opponents with wits, speed, and numbers, swarming all over Asia precisely like a plague.
That's not saying Mongol warriors were weak; for example, compared to Yoshitsune's excellence, it could be said the Khan's personal martial prowess was several steps inferior. This theory was proven when a singular samurai nicknamed 'The Ghost' was able to harness his home's abundance of Mystery in Tsushima Islands to hold off the first Mongol wave almost by himself, before the then-Shogun arrived as reinforcement and personally defeated the second wave in her speciality: naval warfare.
That was the moment the world took notice of Nihon's depth of Mystery, and left it alone for the most part. Unfortunate and overly-brave pirates continued to threaten its overall security, but the system Yoritomo had left behind ensured nothing catastrophic would happen to the empire even after his and Yoshitsune's passing.
'Land of Eight Million Gods', indeed.
The fact it didn't consider an expansion after the 'victory' over the Mongols only made its surrounding neighbours nervous instead of relieved. Could it be it's only gathering and developing its inherent strength into an insurmountable level for all these years? What was it scheming now? Who were the next heroes to break out and make their names on the world stage?
Still, these worries died out along with the men and women who thought of it. Yoshitsune might have lived a long life, but even she couldn't – wouldn't – escape old age and eventual death, much less her opponents during her prime. The status quo remained not because the next generation heeded their predecessor's words, but because they fought among themselves and simply pushed Nihon aside in their minds. They even engaged in somewhat of an open trade with the island nation, famous for its skilled artisans and high-quality seafood in its colder waters, pretending they had nothing but peaceful desires for Nihon.
And, to be frank, they simply forgot. Animosities written in history dissipated as quickly as the material they're scribed upon. Ming and Goryeo were busy maintaining internal peace in their lands, which were never truly united in the first place in both spirit and culture… and allowed one war vessel sail straight past their naval borders untouched.
Given this attitude, perhaps Himiko's preparations were overkill, but she inherited her beloved brother's cruel, unforgiving attention to detail, aimed at precisely cutting off any opponent's chances to attain absolute control.
The boat was disguised as a merchant vessel, stuffed to the brim with weapons potent enough to fight a literal army. Yes, Ming possessed formidable naval detection technology – Yoshimoto's group being too far away from Goryeo's main area of observation to worry about its intervention – but that depended on the human resources spent maintaining it.
Lax after years of no naval invasion, the nearby military port of Nanjing barely reacted when Yoshimoto's feet hopped off her ship's bow onto Ming land. In another reality, these waters were closely patrolled because of the numerous presences of wokou, but this Nihon's relatively strict crackdown on 'unofficial voyages' made things as they were: falsely peaceful and calm, even though it's long established several bases and installed rebel forces along the coast, all the way to the new capital in Beijing. Additionally, in the aforementioned alternative history, Ming's naval officers themselves turned corrupt and engaged in piracy under the table, incidentally increasing the number of watchful eyes in the seas owing to their greedy and paranoid need to edge out any competitor.
The dock workers whistled in appreciation at Yoshimoto's beauty and extravagant figure… and more so when several other women disembarked behind her, ranging in age and appearances. They were actually disguised so their targets would receive any tip-off in the latest moment possible, with several backup plans in case they were blown early, but a woman's inherent attractiveness would shine through regardless of what they put on – yes, even if Yoshimoto dressed up masculinely and cut her elegant hair short.
A black-dressed young girl followed her close – whom the onlookers assumed to be this lady's personal attendant – all alert and needlessly tense under the gaze of so many lower-class citizens. Two older women and a white-dressed little girl walked close behind, the former appearing to be the one directing the two already someway ahead in front instead of being dragged around. Their clothes were simple but eye-catchingly well-made, clearly with materials normally weren't traded in Nanjing.
This… interesting group vanished as quickly as they suddenly appeared, however, with the several unsavoury characters actually falling off their perch in shock when their eyes lost sight of them which had been following their every movement since before the disguised ship docked. A perception- and memory-altering spell soon spread across the small harbour, bypassing its established magical defences easily, removing any witness from the equation.
"Disappointed, much?" Kīchi teased Lian once they're away from the harbour, now on horseback. "That was much easier than I expected. I was worried for nothing."
"It simply shows the advantages of a powerful and well-respected central government," Senjū-dōji quipped. "Without one, even security in such a bustling place will suffer."
"It was worse than I expected," Lian admitted. "I figured there'd be some sort of public security breakdown, but for it to reach this level…" She sighed, her hot breath blowing on top of Mai's head's crown, causing the girl to shiver and squirm happily in this handsome woman's arms. Noticing the effect she had on the younger girl, Lian teased, "Mai-chan, are you alright? You're heating up…"
"Y-Yesh…! I-I'm fhine!" The kunoichi fumbled and bit her tongue as she tried to excuse herself on top of a moving horse, since Mai wasn't an experienced rider and mostly depended on her own legs. "We should forge on! A-Ah, that does sound like I'm c-coming down with something…"
"I believe you," Lian calmed her down, before continuing, "Still, the fact they're receiving the Ashikagas instead of executing them on the spot meant they're playing the 'installing one's rightful ruler' card." Sighing, slumping her tall body onto the still-blushing Mai, she absentmindedly stroked her horse's mane. "A strong kingdom won't bother with a petty trick like that; this country should be preparing like Himiko-chan – to conquer regardless of resistance, instead of using petty ticks."
"Heh… I can't wait for this war," Kīchi chuckled. "Regardless what they're planning… I've long wanted to test my arts against… well, the source – though I don't believe this land holds the true origin of martial arts." Noticing Mai's returning confused gaze, she further explained, "Oh, what? Have you not noticed anything going on between the nations?"
"Er… No, I must confess," the kunoichi admitted shyly. "I… was too occupied in… familiarizing myself with this new… job."
"Spare us the euphemism, young girl," Senjū-dōji warned. "Do you think so little of us we are unable to provide a safe conversational environment?" Scoffing from her seat in front of Kīchi, the two of them funnily created a continuous curtain of pure white, sticking out sorely among their woody path just outside of Nanjing, heading north. "Speak freely. If you think you are lacking, then let this smile of mine see you off."
However, the smirk the white-themed girl partially showed Mai, with her head turned inhumanly backwards, was anything but accommodating.
Indeed, a convoy of three prized mares, obviously of thoroughbred western desert import, carrying five beautiful females of various types was… eye-catching, to say the least. Lian and Mai took the front – the former was technically a 'local' – while Kīchi and Senjū-dōji, their group's most powerful members, guarding the back, each pair on one horse. Yoshimoto took the middle on her own ride, herself an experienced horsewoman despite her usual antics, since she's the 'VIP' of the bunch. Mai and Senjū-dōji weren't suitable as lead riders due to various problems, so this was the formation they settled on.
"…where are we going, actually, Lian-sama?" Mai inquired, taking Senjū-dōji's advice, inadvertently tilting her face up and putting it far too close to the senior she admired. Still, she calmed herself down enough to maintain eye contact. "Besides, do we have a base operation for a task this important? Or should we keep ourselves mobile and camp?"
"Both," the redhead answered. "Soon, we'll veer off this main road and onto that 'base' you asked about. I still have friends here."
"E-Even after all these years?" Mai shut her mouth once she realized she'd just asked a… sensitive question. "A-Ah, I apologize… I-I wasn't implying a-anything!"
- Gyuu…!
"O-O-O-OW-OW-OW-OW-OOOOWWWW! Y-YOU'RE S-SQUEEZING…!" Mai choked out when Lian pleasantly smiled… which didn't travel upwards to her eyes. Her long arms, already nearly the length of the kunoichi's legs due to her slim, tall physique, bound the younger girl's body and pretended to hug her lovingly…
…much like what she used to do to her husband, Xu Fu, when the magus was misbehaving.
Character Sheet Update!
K
Kīchi Mutsu
Title: Tengu-Ashura
Predicted Class: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Assassin, Caster, Berserker
Gender: Female
Height: 171 cm
Weight: 57 kg
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: A++
Endurance: A
Agility: A++
Mana: A
Luck: D
Class/Personal Skills:
Magic Resistance: D (EX)
Unusually low for a Knight Class, especially of a being as ancient and dense with Conceptual Weight as Kīchi, her focus on using martial arts – specifically, mortal ones – to combat magic users meant her own body lacked the inherent spiritron-disrupting Skill her more traditional peers would have. There were suggestions she deliberately lowered this Skill's rank in order to prolong fights, but no one's been able to either prove anything or force her to reveal the truth – including Yoshitsune.
Riding: B–
Originally, her family's arts were supposed to contain combat techniques performed in conjuction with a beast. However, Kīchi, in her obsession, was determined to figure out ways how to defeat those specific moves, limiting her rank in this Skill to something akin to, "…if I am forced to, then sure, I can do it…" type of riding. Still, it was enough to enable her to instantly understand most modern and traditional transportation systems to the point it didn't hamper her movements. "Besides, I'm the one with wings!"
Independent Action: A+
Having been such a… unique individual since childhood, she was incredibly difficult for a Master to control and restrain in regards to orders, tactics, or suggestions inherently opposed to what she preferred. Additionally, as a magus, she was able to subsist with… other means to gather magic energy to fuel her existence, regardless of any Master's input.
Item Construction: C
Unusually low for a magus, Kīchi focused her talents on applying Thaumaturgy to improve her own physique instead of chasing the Root the 'normal' way. She believed a perfect body, as close as possible to Akasha's first humanoid model, would enable her to approach without any obstacle. Still, it's not as if her family's knowledge and Sorcery Trait were forever lost; Kīchi, as the Mutsu Great Ancestor, simply chose to teach them in a different way to the next generation. Basic magical tool construction was possible.
Presence Concealment: A++
In modern times, the Mutsu Clan was famous for their barehanded assassination skills, which stemmed from their Great Ancestor's insistence on achieving a subliminal Kokyū Hohō, enough to essentially blend one's presence to the universe's background noise they're technically undetectable. Drops one rank when taking decisive offensive manoeuvre.
Mad Enhancement: C (B)
More of a showcase of Kīchi's general differing common sense than the absence of one. Originally, this Skill was higher-ranked, but her assimilation into human society following her clan's extermination lowered it somewhat. Rank-Up to all parameters except Mana and Luck.
Mutsu Enmei-ryū: EX
The Mutsu Clan's signature hand-to-hand combat technique… or that's how Kīchi taught and described it to others. With no one around to contest her claim after her clan's devastation, it became the accepted fact this Skill was all about barehanded fighting abilities, against various kinds of opposition. Naturally, as the inventor and founder of this version of Mutsu Enmei-ryū, Kīchi held the highest rank possible. The style itself was as ancient as she was, when East Asia was far more united in martial culture, and thus was an amalgamation of those, building the most complete modern-day CQC syllabus.
Sword of All Lands and Eras: A+
Part of her clan's heritage, focused on swordsmanship. Named Kōhachi-ryū, it's an ancient school of swordsmanship: eight styles, considered to be the inspiration to all swordsmanship in West Japan. This was one of Yoshitsune's two main styles of swordsmanship – the other being the Minamoto Clan's inherent style – but Kīchi herself didn't use this as much.
Onmōudō (Dharma): A
A master onmyōji of Buddhism and renowned teacher. It's said her knowledge of secret rituals were great, but her inability to find a worthy successor… or simply someone interesting enough she'd be willing to teach them meant this claim went untested until her death. There was no witness to her using personally this Skill, either.
Six Secret Teachings' Art of War: EX
Ultimate strategies regarded as a world treasure. It's a strategy book as legendary as the Three Strategies of Huang Shigong, and considered one of the Seven Military Classics. Kīchi was this book's custodian and guardian, which she eventually passed down to Yoshitsune.
Eternal Arms Mastery: A+
Mastery of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivalled in one's era. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.
Noble Phantasms:
Gomon: Gateway of Conviction
Rank: EX
Type: Support
Range: 1
Max. Targets: 1
Mutsu Enmei-ryū, Ōgi. The final five techniques an Enmei-ryū practitioner must go through if they wished to be recognized as a 'master'. The verb 'go through' explained most of their requirements: they weren't so much an established set of movements than five offensive philosophies one must internalize, then practice towards the World to initiate the Mystery contained within. Every master had different interpretations of this quintuple set, then added them to the clan library for future generations to learn and take inspiration from. Kīchi herself set this structure after seeing how the Minamoto Clan decided to select its leaders and pass on their own array of skills.
Northern Obsidian Tortoise. Eastern Jade Dragon. Southern Vermillion Bird. Western Snow Tiger. Central Golden Qilin. The Five Symbols and Five Phases weren't considered as protective guardians according to Mutsu Clan teachings, but as gatekeepers of further progress into [Divinity] instead. Challenging each practitioner to draw these Divine Spirits' concepts and attributes into oneself, then performing five killing otherworldly techniques, impossible for humans yet must be enacted by humans.
Rank-Up on all parameters except Endurance and Mana. Can be described as the epitome of martial arts – again, as varied as there were practitioners in existence. For them, achieving these five techniques meant stepping past the limit of humanity and into the realm of war gods, the asura.
Six Secret Teachings and Three Strategies: Noble Demon King's Great Feather Fan
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 1~50
Max. Targets: 500
An usen made from her own snow-white tengu feathers. It's usually a tool used to command troops, but on the other hand, they appeared in legends and paintings as tools containing vast amounts of supernatural power.
Putting its destructive power in one word, that word would be "tremendous". The winds released with its True Name reach the level of storms, cataclysm that shake the earth and split mountains. Currently on loan to one of her colleagues among Hyakki Yakō.
Character Description
More well-known with her 'normal' disguise, the elderly monk 'Kīchi Hōgen', Kīchi was the Mutsu Clan's Great Ancestor – the sole remaining royal tengu bloodline, showcased by her white hair and feathers in contrast to her family members' typical raven black. Of course, she's not the progenitor of her bloodline, but she's certainly the first recorded in human history after her deliberate contact and relationship with Yoshitsune, her last student, whom she'd taken as her in-law after marrying her younger sister, Shizuka, to the Minamoto General. From henceforth, the Mutsu Clan was established in the Outer Side of the World after the official human-yōkai pact bridging it and the Reverse Side.
A master of combat arts in every sense of the word, leaving no aspect undiscovered… apart from firearms, perhaps, which she detested due to the negative moral-building they brought to their practitioners. Instead, her main research – and obsession – as a magus was how to train the body to triumph against all manners of assault, focusing on independent reliance instead of the assistance of tools – contrasting her student's penchant for weaponry, ironically.
She came to the Minamoto Clan's service after the Taira Clan hunted down, exterminated, and destroyed her clan's home, leaving her and Shizuka the sole survivors, the latter of whom she sent away with Yoshitsune for safety. She pledged herself to Yoritomo to accrue revenge – shamefully for someone as prideful as she was – and stayed in royal court service after the Taira's complete destruction to this day, assuming the role of Imperial Instructor when necessary.
S
Senjū-dōji
Title: Thousand-Armed Arhat
Predicted Class: Caster, Berserker, Foreigner
Gender: Female
Height: 152 cm
Weight: 44 kg
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: D
Endurance: C (EX)
Agility: D
Mana: EX
Luck: A+
Class/Personal Skills:
Independent Manifestation: A
Senjū-dōji's speciality, related to her mastery over her body's reaction to her own Magecraft, specifically self-summoning rituals. Whenever the loose requirements for her survival were met, she could arbitrarily will herself into existence befitting her original self as a household cursed wraith.
Item Construction: EX
Her original self's Origin, [Creation], was expressed fully with this skill, enabling Senjū-dōji to craft offshoot arms (as vessels) with varying effects. Her lack of ability to use anything other than her own body parts should have lowered this Skill's rank, but said fact also meant she didn't have to spend time to gather components and manufacture items, negating this Skill's original drawback. Still, the heights of Magecraft her products could achieve were befitting of this rank.
Yōkai Realm: EX
The ability to summon her original domain from the Reverse Side to the Outer Side of the World and indefinitely maintain it. This Skill was directly enhanced by her servitude to the human-yōkai pact, removing all negative buffs simply existing in the Outer Side's Textures would usually enact to regular yōkai. An offshoot of a Caster's Class Skill [Territory Creation], modified owing to her Spirit Origin. Rank-Up to all parameters except Mana.
Mad Enhancement: C
Rank-Up to all parameters except for Luck and Mana, though the typical reduction of reasoning with this Skill was minimized owing to her own stubbornness and pride, refusing to degenerate into an irrational woman, in contrast to those with the same Skill Rank who lack reasoning to begin with, thus not changing their personality and behaviour too much.
Existence Outside the Domain: B
A relatively low Rank for someone whose true form was so inhuman, indicating she's an estranged descendant from the void of outer space. To be more specific, her Great Ancestor was the Protogenoi Aletheia, the End of the Darkness. Senjū-dōji's [Creation] Origin was derived from this being's [Truth], who was the most powerful among Chaos's scouting-terraforming machines, sharing the same name and being the base the Twelve Olympians were designed after.
Battle Continuation: A
A Skill allowing for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It would also reduce mortality rate from injury. A subset from her natural healing abilities and yōkai body, especially within her Yōkai Realm, which enabled her to resist even Anti-Yōkai extermination rituals.
High-Speed Divine Words: A
High-Thaumaturgy-level Magecraft can be cast at the speed of Single-Action spells without the use of Magic Circuits, as her entire body was composed of Magic Crests from the arms she'd collected throughout her multiple lives. Regardless, it was her own talent which enabled her to use each and any Magecraft engraved within.
Incarnated Spirit: A+
Senjū-dōji was a unique species of yōkai, a mixture of typical poltergeist, wraith, Elemental, and alien entity. Able to share mana with nature, it was possible to draw an inexhaustible supply of magical energy from the physical world.
Noble Phantasms:
Beckoning Hands: Phantom Palpation
Rank: A+
Type: Support
Range: 1
Max. Targets: 1
A manifestation of Senjū-dōji's Element, [Arms], as well as her sensory capabilities… or, in this case, exactly the opposite. Because of who she was when she was still human, Senjū-dōji always attracted unsavoury individuals who aimed to attain her powers for themselves. To counter this, she reversed the process and enabled herself to detect these sorts of troubles, inadvertently luring them in for her to rip apart and consume them for her own strength.
Senjū-dōji chopped off her victims' arms and coalesced them into her one beloved ball which she played with as a child, still dribbling it around to this day, seeking more 'bounce' from more villains she consumed. It was a dense mass of infinite limbs, and she could manifest parts of it anywhere, anytime, in any size and function, channelling her innate talent for Magecraft through them. Rank-Up to Mana, and reduces Mana consumption by using these arms' inherent Conceptual Weight.
Hyakushiki Kannon: True Thousand Hands
Rank: A++
Type: Anti- Unit; Anti-Army
Range: 1000
Max. Targets: 1000
Senjū-dōji's perception of how an 'ideal protector' should be like: caring and accepting as a bodhisattva, lethal and powerful like an asura. She summoned an ethereal great statue displaying Guan Yin's many arms – modified to her likeness with many, many more limbs – which struck her enemies with great force and speed. Omnidirectional and flexible, these palms, fists, and finger strikes appeared from seemingly thin air, undetected, before it's too late.
Born from the innocent imagination of a child, as well as her dying hope, this figure would move and react only as fast as Senjū-dōji's belief. If she was unshakeable in its invincibility and capabilities, then this Noble Phantasm would respond accordingly.
Character Description
A 'child of miracles'… at least, when she was still alive and human. From a tender age, before she could even fluently speak, this unnamed girl was capable of birthing miracles one after another from her limbs. Expert magi revealed and coined the term they previously considered impossible for a human to have: her Origin, [Creation], causing those around her to worship her as, at least, a deific incarnation. Living a sheltered and spoiled life, where offerings and presents overflowed in abundance, her first few years was nothing but happiness.
Unfortunately, she was born to an ancient cult trying to 'return to the other side', its founders having discovered and received knowledge from the [Abyss], long before they settled down in Nihon's rich, Mystery-filled Texture. Now that their prayers were seemingly answered, they immediately captured and restrained this clueless girl… and promptly sacrificed her as a catalyst to open a dimensional portal and summon their 'god'.
Alas, the ritual method wasn't meant for humans to either comprehend or perform, and it destroyed the arms they so prized, which were revealed to be mutated into a perfect receptacle for Magic Cores – the reason why her Origin was able to be so powerful. Still, [Creation] wasn't enough to save her life, despite the mother of the current Empress arriving almost on time to rescue her and eliminate this dark group. To save this child, the dowager modified the remaining ritual to transform her into a zashiki-warashi, giving her a new name of 'Senju-dōji'.
X
Xu Lian
Title: Shangdi Samantabhadra
Predicted Class: Caster, Assassin, Avenger
Gender: – (originally female)
Height: 173 cm (female); 185 cm (male)
Weight: 54 kg (female); 63 kg (male)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: A+
Endurance: EX
Agility: B
Mana: EX
Luck: D
Class/Personal Skills:
Item Construction: A++
Inheriting her husband's alchemical knowledge, she furthered and combined it with various practical skills, primarily martial arts and the concept of enacting Single-Action spells via one's own body as the catalyst. Lian was able to extract various substances from all living beings – especially herself – to concoct seemingly improbable potions, such as the 'Elixir of Life'… though she claimed it was nothing but a satirical replica.
Territory Creation: B
Intentionally lowered by herself, Lian focused on bringing in her Temple onto her own body, negating the need of a fixed base but also forgoing its ultimate production capabilities and quality. Though not to the level of materializing a Reality Marble onto one's own body, Lian set a radius around herself where 'everything is hers', taking inspiration from 'battle auras' and qi training.
Presence Concealment: A+
Lian's version was closer to merging with nature, fully utilizing her Element [Average One], to strike from unexpected angles regardless if there's any killing intent emitted or not, because she tuned her biological and spiritual waves to precisely match her surroundings. That said, it limited the instantaneous strength she could emit once she removed this Skill in exchange for undetectability.
Avenger: E (EX)
In another reality, she was a vengeful Nature Spirit hell-bent on feeding mortals to revive her husband, whom she felt died too miserably for someone of Xu Fu's position and reputation. However, Nihon's welcoming of the couple, along with its support of her after his death, neutered this Skill tremendously to the point it's non-existent. It's possible to summon another version of herself who fulfilled the aforementioned description.
Oblivion Correction: C (EX)
Along with the [Avenger] Skill, this one was also weakened compared to her original self. Still, because it carried with it some positive aspects, she was able to refocus and reappropriate this Skill, retaining it as perfect photographic memory. Summoned as her original version, Lian would be so consumed by the horrors which happened to the couple she would be a true Avenger.
Self-Replenishment (Nature): EX
A modification of an Avenger's typical Skill, Lian continuously and endlessly surged her Magic Energy so long as there's an Element her [Average One] attribute could bond to. Compatible Elements from living beings could also be forcibly extracted and utilized against their own body if Lian had enough insight to their abilities. A merger with the [Absorption] and [Battle Continuation] Skill, she was also able to reconstruct her own body from elemental building blocks.
Chinese Martial Arts: EX
Not only was Lian a master of the physical techniques, but her skills were boosted by her research into other aspects of what constituted 'martial arts' into a divine realm. Her limbs' movements were no different than dragonkinds' propensity to generate Mystery just by existing and moving, as imperceptible and unfathomable as literal poetry in motion. What made Lian truly dangerous was her ability to utilize different aspects of this Skill via her self-attained [Memory Partition] through her eight limbs – two legs and six arms, enacting a true asura.
Eternal Arms Mastery: A+
Mastery of combat arts has reached the point of being said to be unrivalled in one's era. By complete merging of mind, body and technique, it is possible to make use of full fighting skills even when under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance.
Feathered Being of the Immortal Realm (False): A
Immortality, recited by the Taoism ideology as an ideal for humanity to chase. In contrast to her friend Miaoyi, Lian attained this Skill purely through self-training, binding interference from nature to maintain fer flesh. Connected to her [Self-Replenishment (Nature)] Skill.
Noble Phantasms:
Tensen Sennin: Immortal Arborification
Rank: EX
Type: Support
Range: 1
Max. Targets: 1
The 'enlightenment' of both Thaumaturgical and martial arts, the culmination of the happy couple's decades of research and self-sacrifice to step into the Reverse Side of the World and become a Divine Spirit in all but name. Exchanging and fusing one's mortal body with the alien flora found in Kotaku's mysterious Texture, Lian turned immortal and invincible, able to regenerate indefinitely so long as there's magic energy in the air and along the ground… though she usually made sure there's multiple contingencies to fool any attackers seeking to limit her healing powers.
'Arborification' described the process of these parasitic spores transforming the mortal body, able to be controlled only through extensive and delicate magic energy training. In fact, fusing the tenets of Confucianism, wǔxíng, Nihon mysticism, and martial arts did Lian and Xu Fu managed to fully and safely integrate these species inside one's body. Enhancing one's senses to the extent of manipulating nature and ambient magic energy like one's limbs, this Noble Phantasm was often mistaken as the source of her combat power. Instead, it's merely the easy channel through which she utilized all her talents and skills.
God Beast Pangu: Rite of Just Completion
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 500
Max. Targets: 2~1000
The largest specimen of the Reverse Side genus Wàidānhuā, which in its regular form broke down organic matter into magical energy. Unlike most predatory organisms native to that side, this was an alchemically, instead of mechanically, digestive process. As a result, it was difficult to gather the resulting magic energy unless it's already a part of the user.
However, this particular being blossomed in battlefields and mass cemeteries where it could feast on as much corpses as possible. Initially, mimicking certain fungi, it appeared to be separate beings, but eventually coalesced into one giant plant, with a stem made of multiple assimilated bodies and a large bud on top. Once Lian summoned and fused with it, she could take control and Arborify anything around her – whether it's Mana, the ground, or the living beings around it, forming a pseudo-Bounded Field as far as its roots were allowed to grow.
Because it took a long time to prepare, and practically only served to enhance her brute force, Lian rarely resorted to this Noble Phantasm, preferring her own, more lethal and agile, body. It was nicknamed 'Pangu' because Xu Fu and Lian used a cross-shaped ritual instead of a pure wǔxíng, as the name of the Central Guardian Beast. It didn't have any connection with that Divine Dragon otherwise.
Character Description
Xu Fu's wife who accompanied her journey to Nihon, under orders from Qin Shi Huang, to find the elixir of immortality. However, the couple's plan was actually to find something which could extinguish it instead, for their desperate friend, the zhenren Yu Miaoyi. Timing their journey right around the time her husband predicted the Emperor's death, and the subsequent political upheaval associated with it, they departed to Nihon as ambassadors of Qin, eager to establish their own place after escaping that failing dynasty.
Lian specialized in the field of botanical engineering and medicine, quickly assimilated into Yamatai's thirst for talents after her husband's passing, having 'failed' to attain the Elixir of Immortality the then-deceased Qin Shi Huang ordered them to find. Joining the first Himiko's court, she was tasked with researching how to merge the Reverse and Outer Side of the World in Nihon's Texture via her specialized fields, hoping to enable both humans and yōkais to consume each other's natural produces, instead of… well, each other.
Throughout the millennia, Lian had become what most called 'sages' – xianren in her mother tongue – the first true master of senjutsu now popular with shinobi clans' higher echelons. An [Average One] – though her original Element was [Earth] – she was able to wield the elements like her own body, forgoing the need for spells and incantations, after transforming her own body closer to that of a Dead Apostle through her own research. Classifying herself as an 'advanced yōkai' similar to her current peers, she continued to keep watch of the Royal Family as a trusted advisor.