Chapter 14: The Master of Irrevocable (Part 5)

"When I arrived at Black Point - and later Gastofield - I saw many of the prisoners there being tortured and exploited. Not for information, not to send a message or to demoralize their foes...but simply for fleeting entertainment. To while away the idle hours."

He let a satisfied, content smile grace his lips.

"I didn't like that, so I killed them all. Then I sent the captives home and provided safe passage where possible, as the Crown Prince can no doubt verify."

"Leave me out of this?"

Akito's barely audible mutter had the shapeshifter grinning in amusement before he resumed the tale with, "When Beelzebub arrived I wished to judge his character, to see the truth of one of the four Satans that are hailed as the leaders and most powerful members of Devilkind."

A snort of derision left Harris.

"Imagine my disappointment with what I was presented with. Not some grand mind that considered all possibilities no matter how small or potentially impossible but a mere fool that resorted to blatant intimidation and threats of reprisal...a fool that cared not one whit for his kind that I slew."

Lazily waving a hand with a clear lack of concern the male continued with, "All that power, all that authority...and I would describe Beelzebub as little more than an idiotic and sociopathic child, relying on threats and completely unsubtle attempts of domination to get things to go his way."

Chuckling in the deathly silent room Harris continued with, "Now one could laud that mindset as something a good leader possesses, the ability to dispassionately remove oneself from the concern of the individual and focus on the bigger picture. I would point out that Beelzebub takes that in the worst possible way possible, a complete and utter disregard for anything that isn't himself or his ambitions to the detriment of aforementioned ambitions."

He raised a hand as if to physically present a concept.

"I proposed the assassination of Charlemagne and he agreed with barely a second thought, even going so far as to give me command over his bloodline and a group of similar soldiers. Despite making it clear in no uncertain terms that I was a glory seeker, having slaughtered Gastofield and its surrounding watch stations merely to prove my worth. I daresay that crosses the line from confidence to arrogance, relying on his strength and reputation to ensure I would fall into line or that he could exact retribution at his leisure."

Amaterasu frowned, lightly asking, "And of Charlemagne? The chaos that ensued because of your actions?"

"That one's easy, really. He planned to execute a couple thousand surrendered Saxons offered up by a fleeing king. Execute them simply to solidify his expansion and furthering of religious rule. I didn't like that very much."

Harris paused, fingers idly stroking his goatee as he mused, "But then again I didn't like that some of the Angels present also agreed or cared little for Charlemagne's methods. And I certainly didn't like Shalba or his ilk that I was saddled with."

Pensiveness was set aside in favor of an utterly cheerful disposition.

"So I went about and engineered a situation where all factions that I had some level of annoyance or distaste for ended up dead or crippled once all was said and done. In this regard I like to think I succeeded rather splendidly."

A deathly silence reigned supreme, all present aside from Harris, Merlin, Robin, Akito and Amaterasu herself tense and prepared to move at the slightest provocation, the goddess staring at Harris who returned the gaze with an unflappable cheerfulness.

"My goodness, you are indeed more dangerous than I gave you credit for."

Elegant fingers shifted position so that they were hidden within the sleeves of the opposite limb.

"Your strength - while greater than that of what the Crown Prince reported - doesn't even approach my own and is on par or even slightly inferior to that of the royal guard."

Here an icy calm settled on the solar goddess, Harris amused by the deity's obvious displeasure with his mere presence and the quandary he presented.

"But you have managed to do what precious few over the course of many centuries have achieved. You created one of the most destructive conflicts we have seen in recent memory. Not in numbers - this particular battle was rather small-scale considering its importance - but in figureheads, heirs, prestige and influence lost."

The beautiful woman's jaw clenched.

"One of Beelzebub's descendants, the Christian King, a fair amount of skilled and veteran soldiers on all sides. A crushing defeat on Heaven's influence, as their Human emissary is assassinated in the center of his protective guard. A split between Lucifer and Beelzebub, as both parties attempt to claim credit with other Devils unsure of who to throw their lot in."

A moment's pause, Amaterasu's next words a harsh snap.

"And you did all of this for what? A few naive views on what constitutes good and evil? A sense of self-satisfaction for righting perceived wrongs?"

She leaned forward, Harris musing that her agitation seemed to coincide with a rise in temperature, the beams of sunlight wavering and glowing with rising threat.

"Have you spent so much as an errant second considering what the fallout of your actions may be? That in your apparent attempt to make things better you may have brought about events that are even worse?"

The goddess didn't give him a chance to respond - not that he'd intended to, far more taken and interested with her indignation than he was defending himself - as she continued the tirade with, "Charlemagne's conquest was ruthless, far reaching and caused much destruction in Yahweh's name, further escalating the conflict between Heaven and Hell as he became a focal point of extreme contention. What do you think will happen now that you so abruptly and so suddenly brought his life to an end? That the war will end, that everyone will go home safe and happy? Ridiculous."

The goddess grandly gestured with an arm, as if to expose and illuminate the scope of his actions.

"Things will without a doubt become worse. Charlemagne's heirs and whoever else senses opportunity will attempt to fight over the scraps left for the taking while the Devils will be emboldened by the infighting to retake territory and Human populations that were converted away from their influence. More sacrifices and prisoners for places like Gastofield, as it were."

Slanted eyes flashed with fury and frustration.

"And for all of my critiques Charlemagne was not just a conqueror, just a simple warrior king. He championed the education and widespread ability to read, believing it a worthwhile concept to impart to people. A necessary reform to increase the productivity and ingenuity of those that would otherwise be nothing more than eternal peasants."

Amaterasu finally leaned back into her throne, coldly inquiring, "Tell me, boy...have any of these scenarios crossed your twisted mind, have you ever stopped to reflect on what it was you were perpetuating?"

One could hear a pin drop, such was the silence that filled the throne room as all present waited for the man's response.

And they received it, namely in the form of a hearty chuckle and happy smile.

"Allow me to disabuse you of one specific thing, Empress. My actions, views and morals are not naive, they are infantile. Almost criminally so, really."

An apoplectic expression appeared on the goddess's features.

"You have one opportunity to change my mind, to convince me to stay my hand in forgoing exile and simply killing you on the spot. Before the same madness you inflicted upon the Biblical factions washes over my people."

The royal guard tensed, hands slowly tightening around their weapons as they prepared to charge the man upon their leader's orders...only to find their target innocently smiling, flippantly replying, "What convincing? If you're worried about the safety of Japan then you already know from what I've told you everything that could be construed as a threat...or no threat at all."

The pair stared each other down, neither moving so much as a muscle-

-and Amaterasu slumped with a tired sigh, eyes landing upon Akito as the Yokai instinctively tensed in preparation.

"Do you have faith in these guests of ours, Crown Prince? That they are trustworthy enough that you would tie your fate to that of this mad Rakshasa's?"

It was pretty clear that Amaterasu was asking for a lot more than just mere reassurance, going so far as to say that if Harris or his companions caused problems it was going to be on Akito's head as the one who vouched for them. Which made it all the more surprising when the Kitsune thought about things only for a moment, eventually nodding and calmly replying, "I do. And I will happily accept both the responsibility and potential fallout of this association as they remain here as our guests."

Some of the tension in the room drained, albeit being replaced with a sort of uncertain wariness as Amaterasu announced, "Very well. Then let their actions reflect upon you. Show them to their rooms. But you…"

The goddess's eyes bored into Harris' own.

"You will come to my chambers an hour from now. Alone."

"As you command, Empress."

With that they were obviously intended to clear the fuck out, Akito hurriedly leaving them away as Harris sent Charles an amused glance, the Vampire returning the look with one that suggested constipation and a desire to throttle.

"I must say, I don't think anyone has managed to irritate and unsettle Lady Amaterasu as quickly and thoroughly as you have, Harris."

"I tend to have that effect on people that wield great power. It's quite the talent of mine, one that was earned almost entirely by design."

Harris glanced towards where Yasaka was gazing at him with clear wariness, the little fox swiftly shifting her eyes forward at his attention in clear embarrassment as the older male found himself highly amused by the action.

Akito and his sister had promptly lead them deeper into the twisting and turning depths of the palace as four guards stayed a respectful distance behind and ahead of them, the male Kitsune seeming more entertained by the proceedings than he did alarmed as he commented, "It must be quite the difficult talent for your companions to be saddled with, constantly having you irritate dangerous and influential individuals."

Robin groaned, commenting, "Honestly. I'm a literal fusion of an Evil Dragon God and measly human yet you end up being called a Rakshasa less than a few minutes after meeting a goddess while I'm relegated to the background. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from this encounter, Harris?"

"Hmm...you're right, I can probably bring that time down to a simple 'hate on sight' attitude."

Robin dully stared at Harris as Merlin giggled, cheerfully adding, "My lovely little tactician has a point, master. It took even my most esteemed self a number of years to build up enough of a reputation to be labeled as a trickster and meddler of significant import so that all who laid eyes on me felt a chill crawl up their spine."

"That you're excited about that has me at a loss, Merlin."

Rolling his eyes at the duo's back-and-forth Harris turned his attention to Akito and Yasaka, asking the two Kitsune, "You wouldn't mind having dinner with Charles, Merlin and Robin tonight, would you? I'll no doubt be busy fending off Amaterasu's subtle probings for an excuse to murder me and these three are troublemakers incarnate, they'll need chaperones."

Yasaka seemed quite excited at the prospect of getting to speak with the trio without the worry of him being present and causing no shortage of tension in the air simply by mere presence, Charles also perking as he was no doubt interested in finally having a chance to speak with Akito under a more private setting without having to cut introductions short.

"I think that's a most splendid idea! Isn't it, brother?"

The not-so-subtle prodding and cajoling - alongside the proverbial puppy eyes - had Akito raising his arms in surrender to Yasaka's request, responding, "Very well, very well. Thankfully we had little else planned so this alteration should be a simple enough affair."

He paused, shooting Harris' group an amused look.

"Assuming you all don't carry more surprises in your back pockets."

"Seeing as how master will be absent I'm positive our dining experience will be positively lovely. Looking forward to it~!"

"You may not have had much opportunity to hear stories and tales when we first met but feel free to ask as much of us as you want, Princess Yasaka."

Merlin and Robin's confirmation had the little fox girl's tails swishing in anticipation as they arrived at their assigned lodging for the duration of their stay, a sliding door revealing a spartan but tasteful collection of table, veranda, bathroom and two bedrooms that had a killer view of the palace's interior, Harris musing, "Nice. Very nice indeed…"

Akito puffed up his chest in pride, responding, "Enjoy your stay, we should be along in a few hours for dinner. In the meantime feel free to tour the palace - the guards will take you where you wish to go - or rest and relax."

He turned to Yasaka, affectionately pinching her ear as she unleashed a yelp of indignation as the older sibling stated, "Come along now, if we want to have as much time with our guests tonight as we wish then duties elsewhere await."

"I know that, you didn't need to pinch me!"

The pair departed while continuing their argument, the older trio amused at the display while Charles confusedly mumbled, "Is...is that how most siblings act?"

"The ones that get along, sure. It's the ones that rarely butt heads and are always polite that should set off alarm bells."

Stretching out his neck as Merlin and Robin got to work Harris inspected the various amenities that had been provided, finding them to be an interesting mix of silks, supernatural fibers - no doubt from various Yokai - and some kind of scented wood that vaguely tickled his sinuses. A far cry from most of the more standard and unimpressive inns that dotted the Human world at this point in time.

"Well? Any listeners or observers?"

"No shortage of them. Although they are out of commission now."

Charles blinked from where he had been fluffing one of the provided pillows, warily asking, "Isn't it a bad idea to make the people who are already incredibly suspicious of us more suspicious of us?"

"Not really. What would make you more wary of someone, if they valued their privacy or spoke in completely stilted and irrelevant conversation soundbites when behind closed doors?"

The Vampire slowly nodded in acquiescence, accepting the point as he asked, "So...what now? There's no way you aren't here to cause all sorts of trouble and chaos."

"I resent that implication, Charles. I'm here to capitalize on the trouble and chaos that already exists."

He leaned up against the wall as everyone else got comfortable, stating, "There's a couple things going on right now that have me both curious and intrigued. The big one is that Amaterasu is the 'acting' Empress rather than the Empress herself. If the chance presents itself - such as during dinner tonight - try to see if Akito and Yasaka can fill you in on what happened to their parent. It must have been relatively recent, if they aren't even into their fourth decade yet."

He tapped his chin, musing, "Considering how tense everyone is I'd bet good money on the Bhuudhists having had something to do with it, call it a hunch."

The Vampire furrowed his brow, asking, "Couldn't you just chalk that up to nerves? It sounds as if this meeting is going to be quite the contentious affair."

Robin raised a finger, musing, "If that were the case I find it hard to believe the Yokai and Shinto would have been so hostile to us. If things were proceeding as planned with mere diplomacy to take place they would be doing their best to show strength and disinterest, that they have nothing to fear. Instead Empress Amaterasu made it clear that she wanted for nothing more than Harris to leave, given his reputation of spreading death to those thought quite safe and secure...almost as if they have reason to fear such a happening."

Ruby eyes widened in understanding, Charles warily asking, "You...you're saying that the Bhuudists might have been the ones to kill Akito's parent?"

"Probably. But like with all things it's best to verify, It's entirely possible that it was natural causes or a third party looking to start some kind of shit."

Merlin idly examined her nails, languidly stating, "But you don't believe that, do you?"

"Nope. But I'd rather do my research and get it right. In this line of work you only need to be wrong once for thing's to go pear-shaped."

The Vampire winced, grumbling, "You think we're going to get thrown into another life-or-death battle like we did with Charlemagne?"

"Unlikely, if we do end up fighting for our lives at some point something has gone horribly wrong and I blame Merlin for it."

"Hmph!"

Wryly grinning to himself Charles asked, "Well I'll temper my expectations anyway. So we should start by figuring out what happened between the initial arguments Japan and China had?"

"Yup. But don't go all in on the first meeting, kiddo. Catch up with Akito and be genuine about everything, don't try to force answers when you can just ask for them later when he's happy to tell you without reservation."

The Magus of Flowers sidled up behind the Vampire, whispering into a pointed ear, "I hear Japan has rather wonderful outdoor baths...perhaps a little skinship between the two of you will loosen the little hunk of a fox, allowing his lips to-"

Turning a rather hilarious shade of pink Charles shoved Merlin off of him, protesting wildly as Harris merely smirked, already looking forward to the next stage of his adventure.

After all, he'd gotten to flex his military and tactical stratagems on the field of battle and come out on top. Time to see if he was just as good with it on the field of politics and diplomacy.