I Could not Bring My Passion, from the Common Spring
Sitting back down in his seat, Shigeru let out a labored sigh. There had been a delay. The official reason stated to the room was that the old man was caught up dealing with 'important business,' but Shigeru knew better. It was much more likely that one of the students the old man coached in Shogi had a match run long, and knowing him, he refused to leave until he had seen it to its end, even if it meant causing disruptions elsewhere.
Shigeru didn't particularly mind that, it was great that the old man still took an interest in helping wayward youth… it was what had kept him sane after his parents had died after all. No, her certainly wouldn't begrudge others the same favors he had been given… but that didn't mean he wasn't going to grumble about it in the back of his mind.
The thing was… he had Ophis back at home… and with the roughly hour and a half delay of the meeting start time… he wasn't sure he would make it home by the time he had promised, and he certainly wasn't going to try to duck out early, not when it was his first day at least. With the fact that he hadn't thought to provide Ophis a way to contact him… or himself a long-distance way to contact her that didn't involve smoke signals and a hand mirror, he was worried that well, she would be worried when he didn't return.
Shaking his head, Shigeru tried to calm himself down. 'She'll be fine, she's a big girl,' he thought to himself as he looked at the bright side of the day. For one, he'd remembered to get her lunch ready for her that morning as she had been staring off into space. She had a habit of doing that, and even if it was a bit off-putting sometimes, he still found it adorable on the whole.
Now that they had an actually definitive start time for the day's meeting, Shigeru had just come back from his own lunch, which he could confidentially say was much better than the last time he had eaten out, back on his first day with Ophis. It was nothing special, just some noodles and rice, but it wasn't offensive either and filled his stomach. Besides, if he wanted room for all the food he was going to make that night, on the off chance Ophis didn't eat it all as she was wont to do, it was good to eat a bit light for the midday meal.
Still thinking of the good things that had happed since the morning as he got his papers in order, Shigeru considered the issue of Sato, the loud annoying one. He could already tell that out of everyone he was going to be working with at least semi-regularly, Sato was going to be the most unbearable to deal with. From his constant boasting to his generally inflated ego, Shigeru couldn't imagine that anyone saw him as a pleasant person to deal with.
Everything he knew about interpersonal relationships told him that at some point or another, there was going to be a confrontation between the two of them… 'Well, even more of a confrontation than we had in our first interaction,' he faux-snarkily corrected himself, for the sake of accuracy. When the announcement that the proceedings for the day had been postponed, Shigeru had initially assumed that that confrontation was about to occur right then, or at least something that built towards it.
Much to Shigeru's surprise though, Sato had simply proclaimed that he had other business to take care of and had rushed out of the room without any further explanation. None of the others seemed particularly disappointed to see him go. Shigeru didn't blame them, even after the short time he had been exposed to the man, he would call him at best caustic.
'Speak of the devil,' Shigeru muttered under his breath as the doors burst open and Sato waltzed back in, taking his seat. He was on time, barely. They still had a few moments before the updated start time, but he was cutting it close. This time he at least seemed to be taking something seriously though, as much like Shigeru, Sato began hastily getting his papers in order. 'So, he can be competent after all.' Shigeru admitted, seeing everything at least present if not necessarily organized.
It wasn't his place to judge his co-workers' organizational skills though, Shigeru noted, so he let his observation end there, in favor of affirming his preparations one final time. For real this time, it was about to begin.
Just as he finished that thought, Shigeru caught out the corner of his eye the secretary – who until then had maintained her position at her desk, motionless – rise, before beginning to speak. "Miyata-Sama has entered the building," She began, her voice clear and crisp, most likely cultivated that way specifically to give off the air of poise and decorum she was currently projecting. "He will be here shortly, at which time the day's proceedings will begin," She concluded, perhaps unnecessarily, but again, poise and decorum, formula and protocol. Shigeru could see the appeal.
'Only a few more moments… for real this time,' Shigeru added as he chuckled to himself. He needed to relax. He had been building this moment up for so long now, that he had gotten himself tense. Letting out the breath he was vaguely aware he was holding; he rolled his shoulders. He had this. He was ready. It was time.
As the door to the room opened this time, all those present moved to stand, as the aged – but certainly not withered – form of Miyata Akihito stepped into the room. 'Well, Miyata-Sama in these circumstances', Shigeru reminded himself as he joined the others in taking a formal bow, showing their elder and leader the respect he deserved. Coming back to his full height, Shigeru took a moment to look over the form of the closest thing he had had to a parent for the last ten years.
He wasn't tall, standing at about the national average of one hundred and seventy centimeters, and he wasn't particularly strapping either –much like Shigeru, he was on the thinner side of the population more than anything. Despite his at first unassuming form though, Shigeru knew that he could be quite the impressive sight if he ever wanted to.
Perhaps it was the subtle wrinkles that crossed his face, giving him the air of the wise elderly gentleman that allowed him to take command of a room, along with his still powerful and impressive charisma, having escaped being dulled by age that gave him his inspiring presence, the one he made expert use of to get things done.
"I'm terribly sorry for the delay everyone…" He began, solidifying his hold on the room's attention. He found his way to his seat at the head of the table and as he placed himself in it, the rest of the room followed suit. The secretary began typing away, sure to record everything from that point on out. The CEO was there now, after all, things could finally get underway. "… but something urgent came up that I had to deal with immediately. It's all cleared up though now, so there will be no more interruptions while we get to work today," He concluded with an air of finality. The message was clear, he had no intention of going any further on that particular subject.
Sato was either too dull to get the message in the first place or so confident in himself that he didn't care for repercussion, as he ignored the closing of the topic entirely, instead choosing to try a more confrontational approach. "More important than this meeting?" He demanded, his tone suggesting that the very thought was an insult. He continued, "Surely, your work here is your number one priority, you are paid like this is where your main focus lies after all," the smirk he wore as he finished told the rest of the room he was quite proud of that remark. No one else was impressed, as far as Shigeru could tell.
"Yes, Sato-Kun, more important than this meeting," Miyata replied, with a tightly controlled tone. Shigeru could tell he was holding back a sigh. Even from that one sentence, he could guess that Miyata-Jiji Sama was about as fond of Sato as the rest of the room. Which only made it even odder that he permitted his presence in the first place… Shigeru would have to get that story later.
"What could possibly be more important than this?" Sato continued, pushing his luck. Given the total lack of reaction from anyone else in the room, save Smith-San gently shaking his head, this was still normal behavior for the brown-haired annoyance.
Failing to suppress his sigh this time, Miyata-Sama responded warily, as if having done so a thousand times before, "Many things in life are more important than a simple meeting, Sato-Kun, for your sake, I hope you come to understand that." His chastisement of the younger member complete, Shigeru could have sworn he heard a "Sooner rather than later," from under the old man's breath, but he wasn't quite sure.
Though still grumbling under his breath, Sato at least seemed to have finally realized how little everyone else in the room appreciated his little outburst. Effectively cowed for the moment, he simply leaned back in his chair and made a show of examining one of his papers. 'Still trying to be the center of attention are you,' Shigeru thought, 'Who are you, and why are you here?' Again though, he would get answers for that latter.
"Well then, with that out of the way for real this time," Miyata started, back to his original commanding demeanor, "I'm happy to convene this quarter's full board meeting for the Kaneko Group." It wasn't a particularly glamourous sounding thing to say, Shigeru could admit. It was rather like claiming he was excited to scrub his shower or scour his oven out. Still, though, in almost all of the people around the room, from Miyata himself to Smith and Suzuki, in himself and the others, and even a bit in Sato, Shigeru could feel the anticipation and excitement those words brought.
It took a certain kind of person to bring themselves where they were. They weren't put off by hard work or seemingly boring tasks. Where one might have seen hours and hours of tedium and red tape, they saw the process, and how to manipulate it to affect real meaningful change… within their bounds of course. It wasn't as if they were going to change the world overnight, after all, they were importers, not doctors. His musings could go on later though, his brain had better things to do than wax poetic at the moment.
'… Like listening to the Old Man introduce me to my soon-to-be co-workers.' He realized, as his attention snapped back to reality to find that exact scenario playing out in front of him.
"As I'm sure you have all noticed, there is an unfamiliar face amongst us," Miyata began, already laying it on thick. "In that vein, I am pleased to introduce you to Nobu Shigeru," he continued, gesturing unnecessarily in Shigeru's direction. Everyone was already looking in his direction anyway… or at least as close as possible while keeping their attention directed towards their leader.
Given the obvious cue, Shigeru stood, and once again bowing, he repeated his formal introduction, the same that he had given when he had arrived earlier that day. Hearing the canned response, he sat down once again, ready and eager to just get on with it already.
Miyata did just that. As soon as Shigeru was back in his seat, he launched into the spiel they had planned together. "Looking at your agendas, as Shigeru has no doubt already informed you, his presence here is related to the special business we are set to discuss today." Pausing to scan the room he continued, "It is my intention that before this day is out, Shigeru becomes the newest member of this board."
As the secretary in the corner kept her minutes, the others there processed Miyata's statement, apparently not sure of their reaction, instead of remaining calm and pensive… before Sato finally comprehended what had been said. "You intend for him to be what, what happened to Shimizu-San's nomination?" He demanded, once again losing his temper. Ignoring for the moment the impropriety Miyata turned instead towards the much more composed Suzuki and gestured for him to speak.
"What I believe Sato-san intended to say, Miyata-Sama, is that we will need to better understand your motivation for granting Nobu-San here that position before we can make a decision." He politely obliged, bringing a slight grin to Miyata's face.
"Ah, yes, of course, I was just about to get to that… but why don't we allow Shigeru to explain himself a bit first before I go on about him?" That had always been the plan, and he was ready. Even if the attention of actual people was different than in his rehearsals, Shigeru still knew what it was that he had to do.
Clearing his throat, he began. "As Sato-san, so helpfully reminded you, the course of action you have all been told over the past few months was that Shimizu Kaito San was to be installed as your newest peer in this group." Pausing for a moment, Shigeru saw the men at the table nodding their understanding, though Sato did so with more of a glower than anything else.
Taking the more genial responses as understanding, Shigeru continued, "For the last year and a half, Shimizu-San has been acting under my direct instructions, essentially as my proxy. All moves he has made have been ultimately my decision, whether for good or ill… though given your intention to promote him to this body in the near future, I would certainly hope you had approved of his – or rather our –actions."
As Shigeru once again paused, Miyata took the opportunity to address the gathered men himself. "As you all understand, Shimizu-San has been our most productive and profitable trader over the course of the last three years, and the later six quarters most of all." All there signaled their approval. Even Sato couldn't deny what was said, it was quite clearly shown in the annual reports after all.
Continuing, Miyata expanded, "He has never made a poor decision and has in fact been the mind behind some of our best moves to date, especially in pushing for our early adoption of improved tracking capabilities regarding our good… as Shigeru has said, for the last six quarters, those decisions and advisements have all come through him."
As the others began digesting that information, Shigeru finally let himself relax a bit. Having the weight of secrecy off of his shoulders was a relief. Even if what he and Miyata-Jiji had been doing was technically legal and permitted within the company bylaws… well, it was certainly in a grey area, and it didn't feel particularly good to have been relying on so much deception. It was also a great relief that he could finally let Shimizu-San return to his own tasks, rather than working for and with him. He had been great, but Shigeru thought he would have been better working on his own. 'He is brilliant in his own right,' Shigeru admitted as Smith motioned that he was ready to speak.
"Assuming what you have said so far is true, and I assume we will see the documentation in support of that, yes?" The American began directed towards Miyata, who nodded in affirmation, before continuing "Then the results over the last six quarters speak for themselves. Nobu-San through Shimizu-San as a proxy has done great things for us, on an operational level." The compliment did feel nice, Shigeru would admit.
Smith-San wasn't done though, as he continued, "though only six quarters before being promoted to such a high leadership role is a rather short space of time, I'm sure you have your reasons there Miyata-Sama… what I would like to know though, is what did you see in Nobu-San here that you were willing to risk the productivity of Shimizu-San to demonstrate to us?" It seemed that was a sentiment shared around the room. Good, they would have been foolish not to have questioned that, Shigeru thought.
"Haha, that's… "Chuckling to himself, Miyata-Sama began to answer, before schooling his expression and starting over, more calmly, "Nobu Shigeru, for the entirety of the time I have known him, has excelled in whatever task he has been given, mentally at least, you certainly wouldn't accuse him of being a bodybuilder," he joked, though it wasn't as if anyone there was a particularly impressive physical specimen, so they could relate. He continued though, "I had always known he would be able to do great things for us, so when he turned seventeen, I challenged him to shadow Shimizu-San's work and to come up with his own solutions to the situations Kaito found himself dealing with, though the information he was dealing with was scrubbed of trade secrets, of course." A few expressions softened at the inclusion of the last bit of information.
As the others jotted down notes, Miyata continued, "unbeknownst to Nobu-San at the time, I had also commissioned a pair of independent consultants to analyze his decisions and to determine the effect they would have had relative to Shimizu-San's own." Shigeru nodded along. It had been quite the surprise to him when he had found that out; he had thought the old man was just giving him the numbers to toy around with, not for any serious consideration.
"What came of these consultants?" Suzuki-San asked, leading Miyata to continue his explanation after he had paused to allow for consideration.
"Ah yes, of course, after a period of six quarters observing and analyzing Shigeru's activity, the consultants each delivered a report, which you will be provided in summary for now…" He explained as an assistant entered the room, a stack of folders in hand. As the documents were distributed, the elder continued, "The full report, and yes, additional documentation related to Nobu Shigeru's time involved with Kaneko group thus far, will be provided to you at your request following today's discussions." That seemed to mollify Smith, and the others too, Shigeru noted.
"The main finding of both reports," Miyata once again broke the silence, "was that in, quote, 'more than ninety-five percent of cases,' Nobu Shigeru, or as the consultants knew him at the time, candidate two, performed equally as well or better than Shimizu-San, while his decisions would have generated an extra four percent residual income, above and beyond those of, who I might remind you, was already our most profitable employee," Miyata concluded, causing all those in the room to dig into the documents themselves to confirm that, frankly outrageous, claim from their leader.
Finding that number and statement on the documents in front of them, which Shigeru now knew to have been produced by two of Japan's most highly respected consulting firms, he wasn't surprised to see the shock in their eyes. He couldn't help it, he just picked things up quickly… even if it was something as complex as international business…
Getting the nod – quite literally – from Miyata-Sama, Shigeru took over with the explanation again. "From that point, after the report's findings were revealed to me, it was only a matter of Miyata-Sama connecting me with Shimizu-San, at which point we formed a quick working relationship… and the rest is, as they say, history." Pausing for a moment to scan the room, Shigeru saw only looks of comprehension, save for Sato, who was wearing what was quickly becoming his Iconic scowl. Disregarding the malcontent, Shigeru took that as a good sign and continued.
"Although I had the final say and ultimate control over what you at the time knew as Shimizu-San's actions, there were robust discussions between us as to what the best course of action would be in any given situation. There were times when I overruled his opinion, and there were times I was swayed by his reasoning. You will find further enumerated examples and explanations of our interactions in the full report." That again seemed to answer an as of yet unasked question for many seated there. 'We're almost there,' Shigeru thought to himself.
Not everyone was satisfied though it seemed, as Sato-san angrily, or as angrily as he thought he could get away with at least, turned once again towards Miyata-Sama, and began demanding answers. "You mean to tell us that you spent company money on a pet project, risking one of our most valuable assets along the way without informing us… who authorized you to do that?" He angrily inquired. At least he was being passionate about something meaningful for once.
"Why this board did,' Miyata replied, confident due to his careful preparation for that exact question. Seeing the admittedly expected confusion on the faces of all the others in the room but Shigeru, he continued, "as part of my powers as CEO, I am authorized by this board to take extraordinary action, such as dipping into the discretionary fund to pay external consultants, if I believe that doing so will bring value to the company that would otherwise have been missed had decisive action not been taken, direct approval by the committee of the whole notwithstanding."
When no one objected to that – that was a part of his powers, after all – he continued, "I believed that capturing Nobu-San's talent would bring immense value to Kaneko. As you have seen, I was not wrong in that assessment at the time." The room was nodding now, all but the perpetual malcontent.
"And why did you have any reason to believe that Nobu-Kun here would be valuable? What is your relationship with him anyway?" He pried. To Shigeru's mind, it seemed that he was looking for any grounds on which to discredit him. He wasn't particularly worried, nor was he particularly bothered. They were technically sound questions to ask after all, but he had nothing to hide… And even if he did, the Old Man probably wouldn't have bothered anyway… which he just started proving.
"Oh, I knew Shigeru's parents before they tragically passed. I have been something of a mentor to him ever since." He explained jovially before his tone took on a bit of a darker edge. "I would remind you though, do think of how you got here yourself before you go any further down that line of questioning, Sato-San. You might not like where it ends up."
It wasn't particularly often that Shigeru heard Miyata talk like that… but he knew that when he did, he meant business. Shigeru was not surprised that Sato was cowed by it. Still though, 'something to think about for another time,' Shigeru thought regarding the content of the Old Man's warning. It was intriguing, to say the least, but he had other things to ponder at the moment… like how close they were to the climax of the day… for him at least.
"Just one more thing," Smith-San interjected, "Or rather two," he corrected himself mid-thought before looking between Shigeru and his outed mentor. Getting a nod of his own for the double question he continued, addressing his first question more towards Miyata-Sama, "For one, why reveal this ruse now, when you could have had Nobu-San continue pulling the strings from the shadows as it were?" Shigeru found the description, while not particularly flattering to his character, accurate. He knew they had an answer for that one tough, so he was not concerned.
Turning more to face Shigeru himself Smith continued, "and secondly, have you benefited from this arrangement personally Nobu-San, outside the realm of what would be expected of someone in your apparent situation?" Letting out a slight chuckle, Shigeru looked to Miyata-Sama, who with a nod prompted him to answer first.
"I will answer your second question first," Shigeru began, scanning the room one time to make sure everyone was paying attention. Happy in what he saw, he continued, "Beyond the experience that working with such a brilliant mind as Shimizu-San or the invaluable access to sanitized company data, no, I have not benefited from this arrangement, financially speaking." At that, a few eyebrows rose, and it seemed Suzuki was to be the one to broach the expected question.
"You mean to tell us that you have been working for us… uncompensated for the last three years, give or take?" The nondescript man inquired, though Shigeru knew that he was by no means the only one who had been thinking the same.
"You are correct, Suzuki-San," he confirmed, drawing even more raised eyebrows from the room. "Although Miyata-Sama offered me a salary during my let's say… probationary period and Shimizu-San offered me a portion of his own, I turned down both of these offers." Shigeru didn't want to cause any problems by taking an unsavory payment after all.
One of the other men in the room piped up, "Could you explain why you made that decision, Nobu-San? It seems counterproductive to work without compensation after all." The as of yet unidentified man asked… That's right, it was Abe-San, the salesman.
His quick identification aside, Shigeru got to answering the question. "Of course. Quite simply, I had no interest in causing Shimizu-San, Miyata-Sama, Kaneko Group, or myself any liabilities in the case that this… arrangement… didn't work out. On top of that, I simply didn't need the money. You will have to trust me when I say that my financial position is quite secure, even without the generous payments that were offered to me." Shigeru wasn't lying either. He could have forgone work entirely for the rest of his life and lived frugally off of what he had already accumulated. That didn't mean that that was what he wanted to do… but it was an option, nonetheless.
Even as he heard Miyata-Sama begin answering Smith's first question – why the scheme was being revealed then rather than any of the other possible times –Shigeru found his thoughts drifting. It was an answer that the two of them had discussed many times before. After all, they had had to figure it out themselves. It was important information, Shigeru knew… but he couldn't help thinking that Ophis was just a bit more important still.
'I wonder what she's gotten up to today,' he mused as his attention slipped further. Going even deeper down the rabbit hose, he continued, 'I certainly hope she hasn't just been sitting around all day…' While the image of a pouty Ophis sat on the couch, waiting for him to come home was endearing, Shigeru didn't want her to suffer just because he wasn't there for her. He really had meant it when he said she should get a hobby…
"… and to be clear, yes, Shimizu-San was perfectly aware of his part in all of this, even going so far as to volunteer for demotion due to his part in the scheme, a request I summarily denied." The old man concluded. Shigeru shook his head, shaking off the last vestiges of his daydreaming. Even if he really wanted to think about Ophis, it had to wait. He still had things to do that afternoon.
I Could not Bring My Passion, from the Common Spring
"So… bored," Ophis whined to herself as she pulled the blanket on her back even tighter around herself. After her earlier …adventures… in the dining room, she had returned to playing with Shiki and fluffy… but even they had only been able to entertain her for maybe another hour. Looking at the clock, she read,
3:17
As displayed by the digital timepiece on the bedside table. 'Shi said he would be home… by three,' She recalled, not particularly upset, just concerned. 'What if he was hurt? What if he can't come back? What if he doesn't want to come back… to me?' She wondered in quick succession, before quickly chastising herself for the last treacherous thought.
'Shi is better than the traitors,' Ophis reminded herself forcefully. He would come back for her, because he wanted to, not because he needed to. Assured by that thought, she decided to – for the first time that day – look in on Shi, wherever he might have been at the moment. Closing her eyes to mortal sight, Ophis instead cast her sight through the all-encompassing void.
Finding Shi in that state wasn't particularly difficult. No, that wasn't right, it was positively trivial, especially when he shone like a beacon to her senses as he did. Knowing now where her companion was, it was a simple matter for Ophis to peer into that space… even from kilometers away as she was then.
Opening her portal into what she quickly recognized as a meeting room, Ophis' sight cared only for Shi. She of course took note of the others there with him – they were her competition for his time, after all, she would have been a fool not to at least know their appearances in case she needed to… remove them – but her attention was focused on her Shi. It appeared that whatever he was involved in was almost at its end… 'must have been… delayed,' she realized. She had had enough experience with that particular mortal failing – running behand schedule, Baka – to commiserate with Shi, even if it meant he would be longer in returning to her.
Seeing Shi smile as he and the others around him rose, Ophis was glad that whatever he had been doing seemed to have gone well. Feeling her cheeks begin to heat, Ophis quickly closed the portal, satisfied with Shi's safety. "Dangerous…" she whispered, as she realized where seeing Shi, even in that setting, had taken her less than conscious desires. Her hands had already migrated towards her more… sensitive areas, begging her to give in and play with herself… a temptation she had been resisting ever since her earlier foray after lunch.
Why was she resisting the temptation? Why didn't she give in and indulge herself in the world of pleasure her pesky mind told her awaited if she would just… let it… happen?
'Stay, Baka hands,' she commanded as she once again had to forcefully keep from touching herself. For one, she did it because she wanted to experience things like that with Shi… not by herself while he was away. Unbidden, the prospect of even… putting one of her fingers inside herself manifested itself in Ophis' mind. "Eungggg, No!" The Infinite Dragon God resisted the temptation the wave of pleasure that shot up her spine brought at even the thought of such a thing. 'With Shi.' She reminded herself. She would do those things with Shi.
Ophis already felt guilty for how far she had gone without Shi present. In what even she knew to be twisted logic, Ophis considered herself to have stolen her first time experiencing the pleasure of having her womanhood and her breasts played with from him. She didn't want to take anything further from her ma- companion. 'My body is for Shi to explore… with me,' she reminded herself of her earlier commitment. She had no intention of going back on that.
There was another reason that Ophis refused to touch herself as she was though. Doing so certainly would have passed the time, and if she wanted to, she knew she could have justified it to herself as well. No, there was another problem… namely… how messy she seemed to be. Recalling her… alone time… in the kitchen, Ophis felt embarrassment grow inside of herself at the sheer amount she had let out while she simply touched the area around her lower lips. It was what her subconscious, which she trusted to be right, had told her body to do… but that didn't mean it wasn't embarrassing to be so… productive.
Beyond that embarrassment though, Ophis didn't want to risk messing Shi's bed, where she had sat for the last few hours after the initial incident. Yes… she was sitting on Shi's bed, wrapped in Shi's blanket, and holding one of Shi's pillows to her body, trying to recreate his embrace even better than her bra could. It was nice… but still not as good as the real thing.
Her worry stemmed mostly from the fact that after she had cleaned herself up off that chair that afternoon with the towel… she hadn't been able to reabsorb what she had let out back into herself… as if it had ceased to be a part of her. While initially shocked, Ophis had checked to ensure that she hadn't become any less, and no… she was still all there… just how that was possible was beyond her, considering that she had in her hand a towel that also had a portion of her contained within it.
Putting off that particular quandary for another time though… Ophis had realized that she wouldn't have an easy way of cleaning up after herself if she… stimulated herself … in Shi's bed, and she didn't particularly think he would appreciate the mess she was sure she would have produced.
And so… Ophis was left wanting for something, anything to do to pass the time, as she valiantly resisted the urge to play with herself and the relief Shi and his cooking would bring still perhaps an hour away. 'Perhaps… I do need a hobby,' Ophis realized. Was that why he had told her to find one? So that she wouldn't be left to wallow in her arousal all day? 'No… why would Shi know I was like this?' He wouldn't have. Her arousal was new, even for her after all. No… the hobby was to help with the boredom, she was sure… but where could she possibly find something to pass the time?
As she thought that, something arrived in Kuoh. Something Ophis had a particular interest in. Remembering at the last moment her promise to Shi, Ophis hurried towards the entranceway, and grabbing her panties from the coat rack, slipped them on, bemoaning how uncomfortable they were all the while. Her preparations finished, she disappeared from the apartment. 'Maybe this will do as a hobby.' She mused to herself as she began her hunt, before dismissing the thought for later. For now, she had a Cat to catch.
I Could not Bring My Passion, from the Common Spring
Passing through the barrier that surrounded Kuoh Town, Kuroka let out a weary sigh. It had been a long, hard process getting permission to be there, even with the relationship she had with the much more important relatives of the local devils. She knew it was never going to be simple, but there was so much paperwork and hiding and lies… "Maybe I could use something else long and hard pretty soon," the Nekoshou mused to herself as she began making her way in towards a more populated part of town.
Despite the sexually charged thoughts passing through her mind, Kuroka still knew she had work to do before she could settle down and find herself some suitable relief. For one… she needed to find someplace to camp out for the night, and she didn't mean that figuratively. No, while Sirzechs had been able to get her into Kuoh in the long term, He and Serafell had both agreed, that was the most help they would be able to give her. No lodging, no support, just her in Kuoh, living like any other human. She supposed it was enough, being a wanted criminal as far as anyone not in the know was concerned did have its downsides, even if they were not as bad as she knew they could have been.
Kuroka didn't regret what she did of course, and she was beyond relieved that she had handled things the way she had, rather than simply running away, and leaving fate to take care of the rest. Shuddering at the thought of where that course of action might have taken her, Kuroka put the idea out of her mind. She could reminisce about her past later. For now, she needed to get her bearings, and then find a suitable place to crash.
Even though she only had what she could carry in a bag, Kuroka wasn't particularly concerned about lacking possessions. She knew how to rough it; she could make it work for a bit. She certainly wouldn't have the most comfortable accommodations while she was getting herself set up, but that was a small price to pay for what she was getting in return.
The thought of getting to see her sister more often brought a smile to her face. Shirone always had been able to cheer her up, even when things were much, much worse for the pair. 'Hmm… She's calling herself Koneko now…" Kuroka recalled as she set foot on a paved path that she knew led in towards the city center. If she was being honest, that name was the part she liked least about the whole deal… but if it kept her sister safe… she was willing to accept it. Begrudgingly. Her sister had suffered enough already. Kuroka wasn't going to ruin what Shirone had now over something as silly as a word.
Stepping onto the first street that she would have considered 'busy,' rather than 'quiet,' Kuroka felt for a moment someone watching her before the sensation disappeared as quickly as it came. 'Nerves, Nya,' she noted to herself. She was in a new place, where the ruling authorities – even if they were children – were under the impression that she was a target for capture. It was inconvenient, but just like everything else in her life, she would get through it, she would persevere, and she would finally have what she was after, some quality time with her sister damn it.
That was what she told herself, that was what needed to be true. After everything in her life thus far, something had to go right, and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that it was this. Those were the thoughts in Kuroka's mind as she turned another corner, down a path which if her memory served should have led to a park. 'A nice place to camp out tonight,' she told herself. Instead, it brought her face to face with destiny.
Fully rounding the bend, the Nekoshou's fur stood on end. All of it. Her ears and tails came into view whether she wanted them to or not. Luckily, she had remembered to cloak herself from sight before entering the city. She wouldn't have had time to hypnotize everyone in the street if she hadn't, and that would have caused problems. They seemed pretty trivial though to what was waiting for her at the end of the block.
Standing there motionlessly as pedestrians passed her by was the embodiment of Kuroka's worst nightmare at the time… her former boss. She knew what had happened, of course, she kept her ear to the ground after all and she still had contacts within what used to be the Khaos Brigade. And that meant she knew what Ophis would do to her for her perceived betrayal.
Though… 'When did Ophis start wearing Shirts?' A traitorous part of Kuroka's mind wondered. As far as she was aware, the Dragon God never bothered to cover her chest beyond nipple tape, as weird as that was. 'Agh, what am I doing?' She nearly shouted as she realized that she was staring, at a very likely pissed-off dragon that could annihilate her in an instant… along with the rest of the city, and her sister.
Spinning on her heel, Kuroka went back around the corner from whence she came and broke out into a sprint. She had to get away, she had to get out… but she couldn't keep herself hidden and teleport at the same time, and she was in the middle of a crowded street. Not the best place to suddenly disappear if she wanted to keep things secret as she was bound by her agreement with the Satans to do. She did not need them on her ass as well.
"Fuck," Kuroka cursed as she chanced a glance over her shoulder only to see her diminutive pursuer keeping up with her with ease. From the brief look she got, it didn't even seem as if Ophis was breaking a sweat, while she herself was already in an all-out sprint. She would need to get out of the city, then find somewhere to hide… she knew a place to the north. She just had to get somewhere out of the way to teleport. She knew it was a long shot trying to get away from one of the most powerful beings in existence, but it was the least she could do to try to keep Kuoh and her sister out of the blast radius.
'So much for this being the thing that went right,' Kuroka puffed as she finally saw an alley that would suit her needs. The thought of all of her effort going to waste as soon as it should have come together… was devastating, but she couldn't say it was unexpected. With how her life had gone, she would have perhaps been more surprised if things had worked out the way she hoped they would.
That didn't mean she had expected things to go downhill so quickly though. 'What the hell is Ophis doing in Kuoh?' She wondered furiously as she ran into the deserted alley she would use to escape from her pursuer. The Dragon God was supposed to be on the run from the remnants of the Khaos Brigade. There were so many possible places she could have done that… did she really have to choose the one that housed Shirone?
The unfairness of the world aside, she was here regardless. Coming to the end of the alley, Kuroka could hear the soft pitter-patter of the diminutive juggernaut's feet chasing behind her. Honestly, she wasn't sure whether Ophis' size would have made her a more or less terrifying assailant had she not known the behemoth under the childlike veneer… but she could ponder that later… or more likely never given her impending death. That didn't mean she had to make herself an easy mark though.
Even as she dropped her magical concealment and began the short process of charging the roughly hundred-kilometer teleportation, she found the idea of actually making herself a hard target for Ophis hilarious… if by that she meant hilariously unlikely. As far as she was above the mortals without knowledge of the supernatural world that operated just outside of their version, she knew Ophis was further still above her.
And why wouldn't she? She had been perhaps the person that spent the most time with the eccentric entity, being regularly called in to attend to her while she was in the area, even for mundane tasks. It had even seemed for a while that Ophis somewhat liked her company, which had prompted Kuroka to push some boundaries. When the Dragon God hadn't annihilated her for the transgressions, she had thought she was getting somewhere… but well, she had only gotten herself to an early grave it seemed.
"Sorry I couldn't say goodbye, Shirone," The black Nekoshou whispered to no one in particular as she heard Ophis come to a stop some five meters away from her. She needed to leave before the city was turned to rubble. Releasing her hold on the energies that would teleport her the hundred kilometers to her not-so-safe house, Kuroka expected to see a field lying fallow and a run-down shack.
Instead, she found her face slamming directly into a brick wall… having traveled maybe ten centimeters from where the spell had been cast. Crumpling down to the cold pavement below, Kuroka couldn't help but let a sob escape her lips. 'I can't even run properly,' she admonished herself. She was going to die anyway, but she couldn't even do it on her terms. While her mind was filled with thoughts of her adorable white-haired sister, some small part of her, the seasoned master magician wanted to know what had gone wrong, even as death loomed literally overhead.
What it found was as embarrassing as it was devastating to Kuroka's pride as a magician. It was a noted phenomenon that teleportation was less effective in the vicinity of immensely powerful individuals; it was one of the reasons so few survived encounters with Sirzechs or Azazel, or hell forbid God himself in the great war. The simple fact was that once engaged with any of the most powerful existences, it was nigh upon impossible for one to disengage by normal means – unless the monsters willed you to escape of course.
That though was when one faced a being with immense, but finite power. She had just tried to teleport herself away from a being with functionally infinite magical power at their disposal… one that was actively seeking her, and likely intentionally preventing her escape. She felt like a fool for even attempting it.
It wasn't exactly a secret, after all, the magical theory she had described. In truth, it was the basis of the anti-teleportation wards that protected so many of the buildings she had infiltrated over the years. By feeding a comparatively small amount of magical power into a reservoir over a long period of time, one could emulate the power beings like Sirzechs, or she supposed the one still chasing her possessed.
With a clever bit of magical trickery, that power could be used to repel rather than attract, forcefully aborting attempted teleportation into a protected area – usually with significant consequences for the one affected.
While the full theory was convoluted and complex, the gist was that concentrations of magic exerted a force, much like concentrations of mass. Similar to gravity, one massing of magic would attract another and would create a well, though not in the fabric of space-time, but rather the fabric of the magical energies that flow through all things.
In her terror, in her utter need to escape from Ophis, or at least draw her ire away from the only thing she had left to protect in the world… Kuroka had managed to forget these simple facts. It was foolish, beyond foolish to attempt teleportation like that… but she hadn't seen any other choice and it may have just cost her sister her life. 'I really am a failure,' she bemoaned as she waited for her life to be snuffed out by the vengeful god that stood over her… but the finishing blow never came.
Kuroka waited and waited, expecting each moment to be her last, but when after a full minute she found that she was still on the mortal coil, she permitted her mind to hope. The first thing she noticed was that she was crying. Deep, ugly sobs wracked her body at the thought that her foolish hope of being able to be near her sister would be what got Shirone killed instead. It took a moment for her to get control of herself, and even once she did her breath still came in shuddering gulps, but at the very least she was able to get onto her hands and knees… before she immediately vomited.
'Well, everything else wants to come out right now,' She thought snarkily. What better time for her lunch to join the party? Too exhausted to bother dealing with the mess beneath her, though it would have been done with just a bit of willpower, Kuroka was just about all out of that at the moment. Instead, she used what little she had left to lift her head to look her doom in the eye.
As she did so, her eyes traveling up Ophis' body, the wind just happened to pick up a bit in the alley, which in turn picked up the hem of the Dragon God's skirt, just enough to show off the purple panties covering her crotch. 'Great, now my last thought is going to be about my former bosses' choice of underwear,' Kuroka chortled, but she found very little humor in the situation. Making eye contact with the infinitely more powerful being standing over her, she could only think of one thing to ask the as of yet motionless deity. "Why am I not dead yet?" She demanded with every ounce of strength she could muster… but even she could admit, she just sounded tired.
I Could not Bring My Passion, from the Common Spring
"Why am I not dead yet?" The cat, once Ophis' favorite servant, demanded as she struggled to even hold herself on her hands and knees. If anything, Ophis only felt pity for the wretched position Kuroka found herself in, fallen so far from her otherwise proud heights. She would have deigned to give Kuroka an answer to her question – her time of loyal service had earned her that much. The only problem was… even she did not have a satisfactory answer.
'I promised to kill the traitors when I saw them…' She reminded herself, as she flexed her power under her unassuming shell once again to do just that, but couldn't bring herself to carry out the deed. Whatever loyalty Kuroka had shown in the past was meaningless now. She was one of the traitors, so she was to perish for leaving her to her fate… or she thought when she had left the apartment to hunt her down. When she had laid eyes on the Nekoshou though…
'Better alive!' her instincts had screamed, refusing to let her deliver the quick and merciful blow she had decided Kuroka deserved for her years of service. She had been good… until she wasn't, and had abandoned her like the rest. The same couldn't be said about many of her other former followers. She would reserve the more painful vengeance for them. Kuroka though, she had planned to release from life gently.
Instead, she had only seemed to terrify the poor thing. This was not what she wanted. "… I do not know," She Ophis in a whisper, her eyes still where she had left them, locked to Kuroka's as she looked down upon her. She wasn't surprised to see the magician shake as she spoke. She wasn't entirely oblivious to the effect she could have on people. She was no stranger to using intimidation to get what she wanted when she reached the end of her rope after all… which even she could admit was a bit too often.
Kuroka seemed to think that the best course of action at the moment was staying quiet. She was right, assuming she wanted to live of course. Her earlier outburst had very nearly been the straw that broke the camel's back and gave Ophis the reason to end her. If she had had the answers to why she hadn't ended the Nekoshou yet, she would have answered, and then made the point moot by finishing the job. The extra relief from the usually boisterous woman's chatter gave Ophis the time and headspace to better think through the situation.
'…Useful,' She finally concluded after pondering the situation for a moment… or a minute, time moved weirdly when Ophis got lost in thought after all. Yes… having the magician would be useful… even if it meant keeping one of the traitors unpunished. She would just have to find an alternative punishment for Kuroka, but she could think of that later. It would be a shame to lose the easy opportunity for easing Shi further into the less obvious side of the world.
Finally opening her mouth to speak once again, Ophis decided to be merciful. She brought herself into a squat, bringing her face closer to Kuroka's eye level, and spoke. "You shall teach," She proclaimed. She would elaborate further later, but for now, that was all the explanation the cat would get. They were still in an alley and one that reeked of vomit at that. Ophis was not a fan of the aesthetic, and she had to be back at the apartment before Shi returned, she realized. Rising quickly from her hunched position, she again spoke. "Follow," She demanded, before turning back towards the mouth of the alley.
"…I…" Kuroka began to speak, before evidently thinking better of it. Again, she made the right choice. Holding out her hand, Ophis beckoned the cat to take it, begrudgingly. She would have preferred that Shi be the only person to touch her… but teleporting anything other than herself required that she be in contact with the object.
'Baka magic,' she thought to herself as Kuroka placed her hand lightly in her own, just as she had done many times before. There was an extra layer of trepidation this time, beyond what she had inspired while she helmed the Khaos brigade. It made sense; she had just made the cat think she was on death's door after all. Dismissing that thought, and without bothering to inform Kuroka, Ophis flung the pair through reality itself, and the pair disappeared from the alley.
I Could not Bring My Passion, from the Common Spring
O-AN-O
So, there's Kuroka. And yes, I did change things about how things worked out around Kuroka killing her master. This was always an AU, even if it was subtle. In my original plans, she was going to be pretty much a third main character, or perhaps more accurately a major secondary character. Unfortunately, as I told you last time, it is unlikely that that will ever come to pass. On that topic, I understand that you are all disappointed that I will no longer be working on this story. Trust me, I feel the same way.
The only reason that this was even written in the first place was that the premise was freaking awesome. I am as disappointed as you are that I am unable to see it to a more satisfying end. Speaking of ends, I have one more chapter of this to publish. It will be published in two weeks again. In that chapter's AN I will lay out the final resting of this story and any other logistical things I think you deserve to know.
Again, I am sorry that this is how this endeavor turned out. I know the pain of having works you enjoy abandoned after all. I am disappointed in myself that I am visiting that pain upon you all now, but ultimately, this is what is best for me I'm afraid. I hope that you were able to still get some enjoyment out of this chapter, even with the less than pleasant news hanging over it. I will see you for a final time in two weeks, for the final chapter of this story.
Until then though, thank you for all of your support.
-Pdes
