Author's Note: It's been a while, hasn't it? I must be starting to sound like a broken record at this point. I apologize again for the lack of updates on my stories, I mentioned before that I should be free now to write stories, but unfortunately life had different plans for me. I'm not going to be promising things now, since they usually don't seem to work like I expect them to do. I'm not sure when I will find time to update my stories. As always, they aren't cancelled, they will be updated eventually, I just don't know when exactly. But enough of the bad stuff. Here's the first part of Extra Stage! This chapter also showcases my new writing style, which I think that is a direct improvement compared to some of my earlier stories. Without further ado, please enjoy the chapter and make sure to leave a review to let me know what you think of my new writing style and how you enjoyed the chapter!
"Achoo!" The wind priestess sneezed. She was lying on the bed, while her goddess was sitting next to her.
"Uhhhh... I'm sorry, Lady Kanako." Sanae weakly said, while wiping her nose with tissue. She had a tired look on her face.
"Now, now." The wind goddess patted her on the head lightly. "It was expected that you would catch something during the incident." She put her hand to wind priestess forehead to check the temperature. "You pushed your body too much, with all the fighting on such cold weather."
"And just when I wanted to investigate the repairs on the barrier to Netherworld..." Sanae weakly groaned.
"No need to worry about that." Kanako stood up from the bed. "I'll check it out for you." She started moving towards the door.
"But Lady Kana-" Sanae wanted to protest, but she was cut off by the wind goddess.
"No buts." She looked at the wind priestess without turning around, she continued walking towards the door. "You're going to stay here at the shrine and rest until you're feeling well." She stopped at the door. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, Lady Kanako." Sanae nodded in a defeated manner.
"Good girl." Wind goddess smiled. "If there's anything you need, then call Suwako, she should be in the living room for the most part." Kanako opened the door and left the room.
She then moved to the living room, where earth goddess was sitting on the tatami, while lying her head on the table, her hat hiding her face.
She started preparing things for her trip, after all, it was quite a distance from the shrine, so she could use some rations.
Her preparation was interrupted by someone's voice.
"Going somewhere?"
She looked in the direction of the voice, seeing that Suwako has raised her hat and was staring at her.
"Indeed." Kanako resumed her preparations. "I'm leaving to investigate the repairs on the barrier to Netherworld."
"Stealing Sanae's job, huh?" The earth goddess chuckled, she let her hat drop on her face once again. "Are you really that worried about the barrier, or you're up to something again?" She asked, her voice being muffled slightly by the hat.
The wind goddess paused and smiled. "I see that nothing gets past you."
"We have been together for so many years now." Suwako simply stated. "At this point, it's natural that I know what you're up to." She raised her hat once again to look at Kanako.
Wind goddess chuckled. "That, I'm aware of." She then finished preparing herself and glanced at the earth goddess. "I'm curious about that mysterious woman that Sanae mentioned. She could be a useful ally and perhaps even business partner."
Suwako once again let her hat fall on her face. "It's always business with you..."
Kanako put her hand to the face. "What? So you think that faith grows on trees?" She shook her face in disappointed manner. "Did you forget what happened back in the Outside World?"
Suwako then raised her head from the table. "But we aren't doing so bad now." She stared at the wind goddess. "Why are you so adamant on gaining more?"
Kanako then raised her voice. "Because I don't want the repeat of what happened back then." She then sighed. "We can't afford to slack off just because we are doing good now."
Suwako averted her gaze. "I suppose you're right."
The wind goddess pinched the bridge of her nose. "If it makes you happy, then my top priority is just to investigate things, business is secondary."
The earth goddess then looked at Kanako and nodded, still having a sour face. "Yeah, it does."
The wind goddess then walked over and crouched next to her. "Hey. I'm sorry about that." She put her hand on Suwako's shoulder. "I'm just worried about you and Sanae. I want the best for all of us."
The earth goddess then visibly teared up and hugged Kanako. "Yeah. I know."
She then smiled and patted earth goddess's back. "How about we drink some sake after I get back? You know, just like the old times."
Suwako then managed to chuckle through her tears. "I like the sound of that."
A bit later.
After saying goodbye to both Sanae and Suwako, Kanako then left the shrine to head towards the barrier. She had a vague idea of where is it, from the wind priestess story, so she didn't lose any time on detours. She had an easier time too, since today was warm and sunny, thanks to the spring being back after resolving the incident by Sanae.
After flying for quite some time without anything abnormal happening, she finally could see her destination in the distance.
The barrier to Netherworld.
However, when she was about to land, she noticed something peculiar. She saw nekomata playing around with a sizeable group of cats nearby.
Kanako recalled that Sanae met certain nekomata during her trip, and that she pointed her in the right direction for the barrier.
The wind goddess figured that it would be good to ask her a few questions, after all, it just didn't seem to be a simple coincidence that she would know where the barrier is.
She landed a small distance from the group of cats and started carefully approaching the nekomata.
Some cats, after noticing her presence, started hissing, and some started running away to hide behind her "big sister".
The nekomata then turned around in bewildered manner and upon noticing Kanako, she took a fighting stance with her claws. "Who are you!?"
The wind goddess then slowed her approach, "Now, now." She then raised her hands peacefully to calm the nekomata. "There's no need for violence." She walked past the cat that tried to claw at her ankle, but she nimbly dodged it without moving much. "You must be Chen, correct?" She asked, while still slowly approaching the nekomata and watching out for any violent cats.
"And how do you know my name?" Nekomata asked, still being wary of her.
Kanako lightly smiled. "You met my wind priestess, Sanae Kochiya." She stopped a few steps away from her. "She told me a bit about you."
Chen slightly relaxed at the mention of Sanae, but she still wasn't fully convinced. "Hmph!" She pouted and looked away. "I know her, but I don't know you, why should I trust you?"
The wind goddess then tapped her chin in thought.
Then she reached into her bag that she prepared for the trip and took out a few packs of crackers. "I also heard that you like these."
Chen's eyes lighted up like stars at the sight of crackers, but then she quickly shook her head and pouted again. "I won't be bribed so easily!"
Kanako chuckled at the sight. "Well, you don't have to look at this as a bribe, just look at this as payment for you for answering a few questions for me." She smiled slightly. "How does that sound?"
The nekomata crossed her hands and averted her gaze, but despite her unwillingness to accept the deal at first, she kept glancing at the crackers, and soon she gave up and threw her hands. "Okay! Fine! But just a few questions!"
She then walked over to the wind goddess and snatched the packs of crackers, but before Chen could retreat back, Kanako managed to pat her on the head.
The nekomata blushed, and quickly swatted her hand away in embarrassment. "Hey! I told you, you can ask me questions only, not touch me!"
The wind goddess chuckled again and raised her hands to calm her down. "Sorry, sorry. I just couldn't help myself."
Chen pouted again while chomping on her first cracker that she took from the pack. "Hmph!" She then crouched down to offer crackers to her cats. She then glanced at Kanako. "Well? What you're waiting for? Ask your questions."
The wind goddess nodded her head. "Right. The first question that I would like to ask is, 'Where did you learn the location of the barrier to Netherworld?'"
The nekomata opened her mouth to answer, but she was interrupted.
"Cheeeen! Cheeen, where are you?"
Chen then jumped in surprise. "Oh, that must be my master!" She then started running towards the source of the voice.
Kanako's gaze followed the nekomata, and then she noticed a woman in the distance.
After Chen ran to her, she could see that they talked about something, then she saw that the nekomata pointed at her during the conversation. The woman then glanced at the wind goddess and then nodded her head.
She then whispered something to Chen and started walking towards Kanako. The nekomata then beckoned her cats to follow her and started walking away.
The cats that swarmed her, started following their "master", and soon the only people left, were just her and the woman.
Now that she was closer to her than before, she could get a good look at her.
She had yellow eyes, short blonde hair. She was wearing a white dress, an indigo tabard with a white print, white boots, and a white two-tailed hat with many sealing amulets attached to it. She was fairly tall, and most importantly, she had nine fox tails.
Kanako heard of the legends of the "Nine-tailed fox" spirits before.
And she knew that they are never good news...
The woman stopped, a small distance from the wind goddess.
They stared at each other for a while, sizing each other.
Soon, the kitsune woman was the first to break the silence. "I assume that you're Kanako Yasaka, the wind goddess from the shrine at the top of Youkai's Mountain?"
Kanako chuckled dryly. "Well, aren't you well-informed? You got me at disadvantage here, so how about you reveal something about yourself?"
"There's no need for you to know that." The woman stated humorlessly.
The wind goddess felt herself getting annoyed by this woman. "How mysterious, and just what I'm allowed to know here?"
"Nothing. There's nothing for you to learn here, so I advise for you to return back to your shrine and leave this place alone. The incident is resolved already, so why are you so stubborn to search for more information?" The kitsune once again stated without humor in her voice.
Kanako then smiled. "Not quite. The incident isn't solved yet." She summoned her shimenawa and onbashira. "There's still one shikigami and her master to beat up." She then summoned her spell card into her hand.
"Oh?" The woman asked with surprise in her voice. "I don't recall mentioning that I'm shikigami or that I have a master." She then summoned a spell card into her hand. "Very shrewd of you to read my spirit, I underestimated you, Kanako Yasaka." She then closed her eyes and smiled. "I suppose, I can reveal one thing that my master asked of me."
"How generous, what that would be?" Kanako asked, still smiling after her small victory.
"She said to take care of any pesky people that just can't take the hint." The fox shikigami opened her eyes and floated upwards.
Wind goddess grinned and followed her up. "Well, then how about this? If I win, you will tell me everything that you know, and if I lose, I will leave this place and never come back."
"How quaint." The woman stated, curiosity in her voice. "Very well, I have no doubt that I will win this duel, and so I will humor you, Kanako Yasaka. I accept your terms."
After a moment of silence, they then charged at each other in the air.
"I will make you spill your guts, fox!"
"I shall banish you from this place, god!"