Cold Clouds 6 - (Genshin Impact, Ganyu!SI)
Two years can do a lot to a pseudo-Japanese village 'blessed' by an 'Enlightened Beast'.
Ritou may have preserved some of its core landmarks, but my constant vigilance and my continuous care in its development through the careful planning of housing expansion and economic growth have guaranteed it a greater future than it should have had without my presence and intervention.
Ritou was now less of a village and more of a town. It was far from what would become the sitting capital for the Shogunate, but it was shaping into a place worthy of respect and fear from those that wished to join it or wanted to destroy it respectively.
I sat on top of the chain of command even as a new chief was chosen after the last one perished, and Chiyo became quite a powerful tool in aiding the local militia. While I wouldn't say that the militia was forged to be akin in discipline to the Millelith or of similar zealotry as the Shogunate Army, it was well-versed and flexible in eventually becoming a bit of both.
Chiyo was still the primary line of defense in the front, having faced a few unruly yokai that had thought themselves 'worthy' of claiming land that was already recognized by both Kitsune and Tanuki were of our ownership.
In less than two years, Ritou had become a major player by mere 'inertia'. A few deities had taken notice, but only a handful had interacted with us through messages of 'good will'. Only a quarter of those was genuine, while the rest was either poisoned in its lettering with sarcasm and promises of future despair, or actual poison that was handled through items or seals meant to cause me trouble.
Retaliation should have been the answer of it. But I just discarded those attempts to pettily end my life with a hint of scorn and a genuine lack of shock. These lands were indeed stirred by a warring spirit, but only a handful was showing themselves worthy of just conquering it all. And as I supposedly peaked in my height and Chiyo succeeded in finally getting the basics of power control wrapped up, things got interesting as two deities decided to approach us.
Admittedly, the first report of an aggression that saw some of the militia rush back carrying a heavily wounded Chiyo back to town was enough to get me concerned. I thought we were finally facing a serious threat worthy of my full power.
And while I wouldn't say I had slacked off in my training, I wasn't at God-level yet. So, I tackled the news of some issues at the southern border with quite a lot of seriousness. And as I made my way out of town, it didn't take me long for me to find the source of that disturbance.
My great fright slowly mellowed as I recognized the two similar-looking faces of two ladies marching through the dirt road with a hint of tension and quite the expectation of facing new trouble.
Both bore long hair, but only one seemed to be better 'kept' in terms of conservation. One wore a soft purple kimono with an umbrella resting by her back, while the other, wielding a customized Japanese Yari, wore a more practical dark violet battle kimono.
Makoto and Ei. They look quite young... I think I am a few years older than them.
Right as I approached the duo, the 'youngest' of the two started moving faster, perhaps in a way to show some belligerence. Then again, I had been firmly holding the bokken resting behind me, so I decided to slow down and then stop to 'greet' them.
Ei seemed to stop too, Makoto reaching out and giving her a stern look as she looked back to her older sibling. The exchange was brief, but it was clear to me that, while the two may have reacted badly with Chiyo's abrasive attitude, there was an interest to de-escalate the situation. At least from Makoto.
"Greetings, Junjun Shugetsu. We wish to enter Ritou for diplomatic matters."
"In regard to its conquest, I suppose," I argued calmly as I looked at Makoto, the girl appearing a bit uneasy over the bluntness I sported. "I am familiar of how some young deities approach piece of lands they think they should owe but I will be blunt once more- do not bother or I will be forced to show you how easily those deities fail."
"We wish to unify the realm under peaceful means," Makoto answered, trying really hard to be 'appeasing' but she was too inexperienced and was using an argument that wouldn't work.
I wasn't some sort of rookie in diplomacy as I spent five years in Inazuma to know that this place was far from peaceful. Good intentions can go so far, and this land could not accept peace without someone destroying the rest of the competition.
"Then your efforts are doomed. While some may be willing to listen out of fear of dying without a divine patron, Inazuma is far from accepting of such practice. War shall end by battle, not through mere talks. Promises and oaths can't replace deeds by blood and blade."
"We are still going to try," Said the violent moron that pretty much created this tense situation.
I tilted my head to the side. "What's your names?"
"Makoto." "...Ei."
Makoto's eagerness compared to Ei's paranoia was quite interesting, but also helpful in getting what I had planned to do to work as intended. After all, I couldn't avoid a fight from erupting now, but I could get it to work in a beneficial way for us all.
"Tell you what. I challenge you to a fight. You win, I give up Ritou to you."
"And if you win?"
"You are my hostage for three years."
"Two years," Makoto argued, frowning at this but sensing I wasn't going to be a bitch about it.
"Deal. But this challenge is for you two at the same time. So I hope you're not going to hide behind your imouto's skirt."
That seemed to be what got Makoto to frown and drop the peaceful attempt. She still didn't have her booba sword, relying on a blade customized akin to Ei's yari. And, once the two were ready for this fight as we brought the attention to the nearby field of flowers beside the road, I saw the two bolt to strike at the same time.
A basic but clever move. I could see that both were aware I wouldn't have been an easy target like Chiyo and... I didn't even use my Bokken early on. Ei came rushing first, her physical stats slightly above her less-combat prone sister.
Nudging her yari's blade away I delivered a punch to her cheek, sending her flying back to Makoto. Eyes wide open, the sword user hesitated as she focused in catching Ei, but in doing so she made two mistakes: first, she didn't keep her eyes on me and, second, she didn't move fast enough to push away her sister in preventing an one-on-two kind of attack that took them both out.
Albeit in a proper physical times both could have given me grief, this was a battle until surrender, and one that didn't limit us to the use of weapons. I had my elemental energy to use and, in the last few years, I learned to harness constructs of Cryo energy stabilized through focused Electro particles.
In this case, I made a large fist made of snow. It floated right above the twins and then slammed down with a single and most anticlimactic slam. The Electro particles then traveled through the snow and gave them a bit of a zap. Nothing too intense due to how little particles were there, but enough to put them out of commission.
Scratching my nose as I walked up to the two downed deities. I pulled them out of the ice and snow, retrieved their blades and then carried it all back to Ritou. I had some special ropes around I had crafted with the intention of using it on individuals that could really be troublesome but should not be killed.
And in regard to their punishment? Well, I had just something in mind.
Makoto should have known this would have been a terrible idea.
Marching into the land that was protected by a spirit and not a deity was not a 'good way' to start their conquest as Ei had tried to tell her. Despite Ei's proclivity in combat, she was far from being a smart military woman in terms of tactics.
Which is why that sort of business should usually be addressed by her. The only reason Makoto allowed for Ei to dictate this decision was based on two details: 1) She had absolutely no clue on who they would end up facing as no one wanted to speak ill of the 'Overlady' of Ritou and 2) Ei had coaxed her into believing they would have the chance to run away from that confrontation if things got too intense.
And then Makoto not only had to catch a flying Ei after she got punched in the cheek by the annoyed spirit, but was also subjected to a big snow punch that then zapped her unconscious. The sheer brilliance and stupidity behind their sudden defeat was both baffling and humiliating.
So much that Makoto had a rather long face when she woke up and realized she was in Ritou... tied up to a pole with a rope within a large room together with her sister beside her. Ei was in a similar situation, but struggling and growling against the bandaged oni she had beaten up before they faced the 'ruler' of Ritou.
Giggling, the red-eyed oni was applying something to her sister's face, causing Makoto to shake herself awake and struggle against her restraints.
"W-What are you doing to her?!" Makoto snarled, causing the oni to pause, turn her gaze at her with an ominous grin splitting her face and then giggling.
"Oh? You wanna see? Sure~!"
The strangely deranged tone scared the usually soft-hearted Makoto, but she didn't turn her sight away as the yokai grasped Ei's chin and forced her to face her sister and... and...
And the entire scene shifted.
Gone was the expectation of this being a sick sight that would have scarred her mind for life. No, Makoto suddenly felt her cheeks filling with air to stop an amused snort and yet still wide-eyedly juding the terrible make-up job her sister was being subjected to.
A single long black eyebrow, the dark pink mascara and the childish application of lipstick well beyond the lips turned the usually stoic imouto of her in an atrocious mask that was born to just draw giggles form others.
Ei noticed her twin sister's reaction, concern still present but confusion doubling over the expectation of something horrible.
"W-What is it? What did she do?"
"I made you pretty~!" The oni answered happily, retrieving a handheld mirror. "A pretty baka!"
Ei's gaze narrowed at the oni and then at her reflection courtesy of the mirror. Gone was the anger... for a moment. Ei was just shocked that this was her face at the time, pure murderous wrath detonating about an injury not of body but of honor.
"I-If I get out of these ropes, I- I will- Oneesan, stop laughing at me!"
Makoto couldn't stop the giggles. She looked so dumb in that moment and the girl realized they both needed a moment to accept that the worst was indeed over.
Two hours later, they would be freed but made to sign papers that confirmed their condition as hostages under 'Ganyu-sama', they were told they would be taught how to fight, how to administer and how to be 'better diplomats' under the 'spirit'.
The last bit was a jab at Makoto's failing effort, but she took the insult with grace as she knew it was deserved. And, despite some of her own reservations on the matter, she had a feeling things were not going to be as bad as she was worried about.
Not when they were clearly being taken as apprentices of Lady Ganyu herself.
AN
Next time... some limited smuttery unfolds!