Of Foxfire and Cultivation Ch.2 (Patreon)

Six years later (Onari: age 11)

Onari laughed freely as he sprinted through the forest surrounding his home. The giggles of a young nine-tailed fox echoed from behind him in reply.

“C’mon, Kunou! You’ll have to be faster than that to catch this young master!” Onari called.

Wind rustled through the trees’ leaves, making Onari duck. A golden bullet shot over his head. It slammed into a nearby tree, revealing a small Kitsune girl. Kunou was still giggling while she rubbed her head from the impact.

“Onii-chan~ Stop going so easy on me,” Kunou pouted. “I’m a big girl now. I’m already six!”

Onari hummed. Technically, she was right. He was going easy on her. He had already broken through into the Initiate’s Second Stage. The Second Stage was a realm known for its ability to unlock, and allow cultivators to use, True Qi.

The final breakthrough into the Initiate’s Second Stage had been a life changing experience for Onari. Learning to harness and utilize his internal Qi never got old for the Kitsune young master. Every small bit of progress his cultivation saw pushed Onari further down the path of surpassing the heavens.

As he progressed through the First Stage, Onari unlocked and opened each of his six Acupoints. The opening of the Heart Acupoint had been the beginning of Onari’s journey through the First Stage. He had focused his internal Qi on the intangible point that overlapped his physical heart. Slowly, more and more Qi flowed through his Heart Acupoint until it finally burst open.

Ever since Onari had reincarnated without his cultivation handicap, every breath felt like he could finally truly breathe. The opening of the Heart Acupoint elevated that feeling further. It was like he had been living with a clogged nose, breathing only through his mouth, and opening the Heart Acupoint had dislodged whatever was blocking his metaphysical airway.

The Acupoints, other than the sixth, corresponded with one of the five basic senses. The Heart Acupoint could be said to be ‘feeling’. The Eye Acupoint was obviously ‘vision’. Following a cultivation method that felt like it had been imprinted in his mind at birth, Onari unlocked this Acupoint next.

Opening the Eye Acupoint was much easier than opening the Heart. It was a relatively simple matter of cycling Qi through his eyes and brain. Each cycle reinforced the nerves related to Onari’s vision. When his Eye Acupoint finally popped open, Onari was struck with a sense of profound understanding.

It was not unusual for cultivators to develop unique abilities as they made their way through the First Stage. Onari gained the ability of minor precognition. It wasn’t much, but by focusing his vision on the flow of the world’s Qi, he could see a couple seconds into a possible future.

The opening of the Nose, Ears, and Mouth Acupoints soon followed. The Nose Acupoint granted Onari the ability to ‘smell’ the nature of Qi. The Ears and Mouth Acupoints granted similarly appropriate abilities.

Finally, Onari reached the Sixth Acupoint. Unlike the other minor realms of the First Stage, the Sixth Acupoint did not correspond with anything on the physical body. This minor realm was known as ‘The Fish Leaping Through the Dragon Gate’. It was the most basic bottleneck that a cultivator would face and the guardian of the Initiate’s Second Stage.

The method of opening this Acupoint was to be like a salmon swimming against the current. And so, Onari swam, defying the natural order of the world in his pursuit of surpassing the heavens.

Surprisingly, he found this Acupoint to be the easiest one to open. It was as if something was behind him, aiding him in his quest. The Sixth Acupoint’s tribulation was nothing in the face of the combined experiences of Onari’s lives.

When Onari passed through the Dragon Gate, his internal Qi materialized within his body. No longer was his Qi a virtual, incorporeal energy. It was now real, a feeling of liquid potential inside of him that Onari could call upon. It was True Qi.

And so, Onari successfully broke through to the Second Stage. Outwardly, Onari became more handsome and refined. His body was toned and purified by his True Qi. He advanced one step closer to perfection. Yet still, he didn’t gain a tail.

“Fine,” Onari said, replying to Kunou. “Let’s make this a bit more serious. How about hide and seek?”

Kunou frowned, “How is that any different than normal, Onii-chan?”

Onari smirked, “Because this time, I will be the seeker!”

Kunou actually jumped for joy. Her Onii-chan never switched up their usual roles! He always insisted that she be the seeker since it would help make her stronger or something. Kunou didn’t really get it, but her Onii-chan was smart so she always went along with it!

“Okay! Okay!” she squealed. “Cover your eyes! I’ll go hide!”

Onari smiled at the enthusiasm his adorable younger sister was showing. He nodded, turning around and covering his eyes. He heard the rustle of leaves as Kunou quickly sprinted away. He counted to ten out loud, projecting his voice so she could hear him.

The count ended, and Onari began seeking his little sister. They were both familiar with this forest, and knew it had a plethora of spots to hide away in. Onari knew he could just use his supernatural senses to easily find Kunou, but that would just take away the fun for both of them. He spoke loudly as he searched.

“Oh, I wonder where my sister could have gotten off to. What a shame. I guess I’ll just have to eat all these tasty dango by myself then,” Onari declared in a faux dramatic fashion.

The trees giggled in response, “I’m not gonna fall for a trick that simple, silly Onii-chan~”

Hide and seek was a surprisingly fun game when both players were genetically predisposed to illusions.

“Oh yeah?” Onari called back, his face breaking into a fond smile. “What about this?”

The illusionary scent of Kunou’s favorite sweet -- Sata andagi -- filled the forest. Onari hid a smirk and pretended not to notice the bush behind him that suddenly shook and changed colors. The bush continued to follow him as he walked through the forest, making a show of searching for Kunou.

He subtly wove his own illusion over his body. The illusionary Onari kept searching like nothing had happened as the real Onari snuck around behind the disguised Kunou.

“Boo!” Onari laughed as he jumped Kunou, breaking through her illusion to hug his adorable little sister.

“Ahh!” Kunou squealed and giggled as she playfully squirmed and kicked within Onari’s arms.

“I seem to have won. This must be my prize: a precious little sister for me to take home to mother!”

Onari swung Kunou onto his back. Her arms wrapped around his neck in a piggyback position. She nuzzled him in an affectionate fashion.

“Time to go home?” Onari asked.

Kunou made an affirmative noise into the skin of his neck, “Mmm, un.”

Onari started the short trek home. He hummed a familiar tune as he walked. Kunou joined him in humming the song that their mother liked to sing to them.

The traditional Japanese-style castle that the pair of siblings called home soon came into view. The main keep, where Onari’s family resided, was a large multi-storied palace that still somehow managed to feel cozy. The entire castle grounds were enclosed by walls, and over time, a small town had established itself within these walls. Satoru waited for them at one of the palace’s gates.

“Welcome back, young master, young mistress,” Satoru greeted them.

“We’re back, Oji-san!” Kunou squeaked cutely from Onari’s back.

Onari smiled at the ever-loyal servant. The fact that the old Tengu favored him had not gone unnoticed by Onari. That combined with the way he always doted on Kunou made Satoru one of Onari’s favorite people outside his family.

“Young master, your mother requested you visit her when you returned.”

Onari nodded, “I see. Well, I shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

Kunou pouted when he let her down, but quickly ran off to play. Satoru bowed to Onari, and went to follow her. Onari inhaled the thick Qi that covered his home. He frowned as he smelled a hint of conflict tinting the usual scent.

He started walking toward where he knew his mother would be, ignoring the glances and whispers that always followed him, even in his own home. Onari knew that there would always be people who didn’t like him for his perceived ‘disability’. It was just like in his first world, except this time he actually had the means to gain strength and prove those people wrong.

Onari didn’t bother knocking on Yasaka’s door. He knew she wouldn’t mind him bothering her, and she was the one who called for him in the first place. Also, he could sense that she was alone, so he didn’t hesitate to walk right in.

Yasaka looked up when Onari entered. Her face was set in the usual mask she wore when she was working, but the slight swish of her tails showed her happiness at seeing Onari. He approached, kneeling in front of Yasaka’s pillow throne and giving a slight, respectful bow.

As always, Onari’s deferential conduct was what broke through Yasaka’s business mask, “Onari dearest, none of that. Haven’t I always told you that you needn’t be so formal with me? Come here.”

“Of course, mother,” Yasaka’s pout made Onari wince and correct himself. “... Yasaka. It’s just a force of habit.”

“I’ll never understand where you picked up that habit,” Yasaka mused as Onari stood to give her a hug.

“Maybe it’s just something from my previous life.”

“Mmm, so you always say…”

Yasaka’s arms and tails wrapped around Onari, pulling him face first into her expansive cleavage. Onari sighed. Whenever his mother hugged him, he was always torn between enjoying the intimate contact, and fighting down his arousal.

“So, what’s up, Yasaka?” Onari asked, his words muffled by the perfect tits pressing against his face.

It was Yasaka’s turn to sigh, “I’m reluctant to do this, but I feel like you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. I have a job for you, baby.”

That piqued Onari’s interest, “A job?”

“One of the Five Principle Clans is having trouble with stray Youkai in their territory. They finally managed to swallow their stubborn pride, and requested help from me.”

“Which clan?”

“The Himejima.”

Onari grimaced. He knew how stuck up their own asses the Himejima Clan was. The situation must have been bad for them to ask for assistance.

“Those stodgy old men on my advisory council want to use this as a test for you. They even said you had to go alone as well. I shot that idea down as fast as I could,” Yasaka continued.

“... Actually, I think I do want to do this alone,” Onari said hesitantly.

Yasaka pulled him back to look at him with worry in her eyes. Onari quickly elaborated on his reasoning.

“If I complete the task with assistance, people will just downplay my achievement. Their perceptions of me might even worsen. If I go alone, then anything I accomplish is solely mine. I will finally be able to change some peoples’ opinions about me.”

Yasaka grudgingly agreed with his logic, “You’re… not wrong… Ok, baby, I’ll allow you to do this alone. But you have to promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I promise.”

It didn’t take long at all for Onari to pack the things he’d need for his short adventure. All he really needed was enough money to last him a couple of weeks, a change of clothes or two, his magitech phone, and the talismans he had spent a significant amount of time creating.

The talismans were Spirit Formations that Onari had disguised as paper ofuda. The formations had a variety of effects, ranging from elemental to purification to buff and debuff effects. They were the closest things to a weapon that Onari had at the moment. He hadn’t had the time or resources to create a Spirit Weapon that was attuned to his Qi.

Onari had to pry a young fox girl off of him before he could leave. Kunou obviously didn’t want him to go. This would be the first time he’d be away from her side. Considering that they usually spent the majority of their days together, that was a big deal to Onari’s little sister.

He finally managed to placate her with promises of gifts, sweets, and stories when he returned. Yasaka and Satoru watched the whole exchange with fond expressions on their faces.

Onari stepped into the teleportation circle that his mother had helped him target. He wasn’t the best at this world’s magic system, but he was at least proficient with it. The circle would take him straight to the Himejima Clan’s territory.

He waved at his family as the circle activated. He internally reaffirmed his promise to stay safe. Onari was equal parts excited and nervous about his first solo trip into the wider world.

After a brief moment of vertigo, Onari stepped out of the teleportation circle in front of Himejima Clan’s compound.

The Himejima Clan made their main home in the city of Himeji at the aptly named Himeji Castle. The castle was actually a popular tourist destination for the city. The clan got around this complication by placing a bounded field over the entirety of the castle.

The field shunted all of the mundane visitors into a semi-parallel dimension. Inside this dimension, these visitors saw Himeji Castle in its ‘tourist attraction’ state. The supernatural visitors were naturally shunted into the actual version of the castle that the Himejima Clan made its home.

Onari’s arrival was greeted by two human guards that stood on either side of a simple, yet elegant, gate. The clan was obviously expecting him, because both guards bowed at his presence. Onari signaled for them to rise.

One of the guards did a small bit of magic, telling the rest of the clan that he had arrived. They waited in silence for someone to come and guide Onari inside. Onari was subtly impressed by the stoic posture of the guards. They reminded him of the sect guards of his previous world.

A dignified old man emerged from the gate, and Onari quickly identified him as Suou Himejima -- the current head of the Himejima Clan. It was both surprising and expected to Onari that the head of the clan was greeting him personally. Expected because he was still the son of Yasaka, the leader of the Youkai faction, and surprising because even among the Five Principle Clans, Onari’s reputation wasn’t the best.

“Greetings, Young Master Onari,” Suou said, bowing the smallest amount needed for formality’s sake. “I appreciate you coming on such short notice. Truly, Lady Yasaka is an efficient ruler.”

“Suou-sama,” Onari greeted in reply. Even though, as heir to the Youkai faction, Onari theoretically had a higher standing than Suou, he still had to show the clan head the necessary respect. He didn’t mind too much. As the crippled young master of a big sect in his previous life, Onari had gotten used to acting from a station that was lower than it should have been.

“Follow,” Suou said, barely bothering to hide the demand in his request.

Onari sighed mentally, but followed the clan head into the castle. They walked in silence. Himejima Clan members got out of their way and bowed when they passed. Their walk ended in a traditional meeting room inside of the castle’s main keep.

There was a young teenage girl waiting there for them already. She sat, kneeling, off to one side of the circular table in the center of the room. Suou took up a position that allowed him to face the room’s door, and Onari sat across from him.

Onari eyed the girl out of the side of his eye. She was beautiful, with traditionally black hair and the demeanor of the perfect Japanese young mistress. Her figure had just started to blossom with womanly curves. She wore a simple, semi-formal white yukata, and kept her long hair up in a tight bun.

“This is my niece, Suzaku Himejima,” Suou introduced the girl. “The two of you will be working together for this mission so I hope you can get along.”

Suzaku gave Onari a deep, nodding bow, which he returned. Onari absently noted that he liked her eyes. They were a warm, autumnal red that fit her perfectly.

Onari drew in a breath, tasting the Qi of the Himejima Clan. The local Qi smelled and tasted of strictness and confinement. The Qi of the pair sitting beside him couldn’t have been more different from each other.

Suzaku’s Qi carried a kind nature, like a summer breeze that cooled the heat residing within her soul. Onari noted that she smelled of fire. Her Qi scent was similar to his family’s, but different in that Suzaku’s fire smelled of death and rebirth, while his family’s smelled of flickering flames and tricks of the light.

However, Onari couldn’t appreciate Suou’s Qi scent at all. Like the local Qi, it was strict, rigorous, and cold. It wasn’t cold like ice, but cold like all the fire of inspiration had been driven from his soul. It made Onari’s hackles raise uncomfortably.

“What is this mission?” Onari asked to take his mind off the scent of Suou’s Qi.

Suzaku tensed slightly, and Suou hummed, “Hmm, what do you know about the Gashadokuro?”

Onari blinked in surprise, “The basics at the very least. They are rarely-seen Youkai made up of the bones of slaughtered men. They appear as gigantic skeletons that are invulnerable to most methods of attack and can turn invisible.”

Suou nodded, “That is indeed the basics. In Fact, I’d say that was a rather succinct description of them.”

“So the stray Youkai is a Gashadokuro? I can see how one of them would cause problems.”

“Yes. There have been reports of people visiting the nearby Okishio Castle at night and going missing. When we sent a team to investigate these claims, only one man returned. He told us about a monstrous skeleton that was immune to damage, and slaughtered his teammates. I don’t think I have to explain why we want this stray dealt with as soon as possible, do I?”

Onari shook his head, and Suou continued, “You and my niece will work together to deal with this problem. You are dismissed. Go prepare yourselves for nightfall.”

Onari shrugged off Suou’s rude dismissal with a bit of effort. Suzaku obediently stood and left the room. Onari followed her. They walked down the hallway in silence for a little while.

“How old are you?” Onari asked, breaking the somewhat tense atmosphere.

“... 13, Onari-sama,” Suzaku answered hesitantly without looking back at him.

“You don’t have to use ‘sama’ when you address me. We’ll be working together after all. I’d like it if we could have a more casual relationship.”

“I… I’d like that… Onari.”

Onari tutted internally as he noticed Suzaku’s light blush. She must have been unhealthily sheltered if simply asking her to refer to him by name made her blush. His opinion of the Himejima Clan dropped just a bit further.

“Why did the clan head choose you for this mission?”

“Multiple reasons… I am the clan’s heiress. I also recently inherited the Vermillion Bird Sacred Beast. And I suspect that Suou-ojisan is testing whether I am worthy to wield the Sacred Beast’s power.”

That must have been the source of the fire he smelled in her Qi. Still, it was comforting to have such a potent ally backing him up for this mission. Gashadokuro were not Youkai to take lightly.

“Hmm,” Onari hummed. “What a coincidence. I believe we may be in the same boat.”

“How so?” Suzaku asked, turning to look at him through the side of her eye.

“My mother told me that her advisors are treating this mission as a test for me as well. This may even be a plot to have me get in over my head, and die horribly in the process. I wouldn’t put it past those old bastards.”

Suzaku gasped, “How horrible! Why would they do such a thing?”

“I don’t have… the best reputation. Plenty of people within the faction believe things would be better off if I was out of the picture. There’s only so much my mother can do to stop them. She can’t know everything after all.”

Suzaku stopped and put a hand on his shoulder, “I can’t say I personally know what that’s like, but I do have a cousin and aunt that were in a similar situation. They’re… not with the family anymore. Just… Just don’t let them win.”

Onari smiled at her. Suzaku blushed but didn’t look away. Now a bit more comfortable with each other, the pair continued on their way.

They spent the last couple of hours before nightfall getting to know each other and preparing to face a difficult enemy. Onari made a couple more talismans, and Suzaku spent the time meditating and communing with the Spirit Beast housed in her soul.

Once the world had succumbed to twilight, the pair left the castle. Their destination was Okishio Castle. There weren’t any actual buildings left standing at the site of Okishio Castle. The castle used to be the holdings of the Akamatsu Clan, but the clan was eventually subsumed into a larger clan, and the castle demolished to be used for materials.

What was left was an area of land atop a small mountain that was cloaked by a chilling atmosphere. The stone foundations and terraces that the castle used to be built on were still visible to the naked eye. The local Qi smelled of old death, battle, and the weathering of time.

A flare of foxfire lit up their surroundings. Both Suzaku and Onari were cautious, wary, and ready for something to jump out at them. Nothing came as they held their breath.

“Before you even suggest it,” Onari said. “Splitting up is a terrible idea.”

“I agree,” Suzaku giggled.

“We have plenty of time left in the night. Why don’t we search terrace by terrace?”

Suzaku nodded her assent, and the search for the Gashadokuro began.

The wind rattled through the trees as they walked. Shadows cast by Onari’s foxfire seemed to grow and approach then fade away into nonexistence. The scent of the local Qi became more and more sinister as the night went on. The pair searched for hours, only stopping to take short breaks to rest and steel themselves as the night grew more eerie.

Suzaku began leaning into Onari to ward off the night’s unnatural chill. Despite Onari’s age, he stood a couple inches taller than her. His frame was lean, toned, and taut, reassuring Suzaku of her safety. Even in the dark, creepy night, Onari’s presence was like a flaming beacon of life and energy and something that Suzaku couldn’t identify.

“Maybe it’s moved on… I don’t even sense any-” Suzaku said.

She didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence. In a split second, Onari turned, scooped her up, and leapt away with an astounding amount of force. The ground groaned and rumbled as Onari alighted on a tree branch with Suzaku in his arms.

Suzaku didn’t even have time to question him before a skeletal arm breached the soft earth that had been beneath their feet a moment ago. The arm was followed by a shoulder, then a torso and head. The whole colossal skeleton pulled itself out of the ground in a matter of seconds.

The Gashadokuro’s bones were bleach-white. They rattled unnaturally along with the Youkai’s teeth. Its eye sockets were empty, yet it felt like the beast was staring straight into their souls. It stood to its full height. It was tall enough to meet the pairs’ gazes from where they were perched in the tree.

The 10-meter tall skeleton groaned. The sound reverberated through Suzaku’s bones, shaking the young mistress even if Onari seemed unaffected. Onari set Suzaku down on the branch. He slapped a Spirit Formation on each of their bodies.

Suzaku gulped nervously, but called upon her magic. Power raced from her core, making fire dance in her palms. Onari accessed his own… something… beside her.

The skeleton swung its arm surprisingly quickly for a beast of its size. The bones whistled through the air, slicing at the branch the pair were standing on. They both leaped at the same time, sending themselves in different directions.

Suzaku barely bit back a curse for separating herself from Onari. The Gashadokuro turned to follow her as well, making the situation even worse. It threw a punch that was intercepted by Onari who seemed to teleport into existence in front of her. A pale red glow coated his arm, expanding to push back the Gashadokuro’s strike.

Suzaku rushed to join him. Onari bend down slightly. She took the hint, leaping off his back and rocketing towards the skeleton’s skull with the assistance of her Vermillion flames. Her fire covered fist slammed into the skull.

The skeletal spirit rocked back on its heels, but Suzaku’s strike didn’t do any visible damage. The Gashadokuro simply regained its balance and leaned down to try and catch the now falling maiden. Bony fingers caught her, and started to squeeze.

The breath was slowly driven from her lungs. None of her magic seemed to have an effect on the skeleton, her flames not even leaving scorch marks on the bleached bones. Suzaku gasped desperately.

There was a bang from behind her. Onari shot up above the Gashadokuro. Great wheels of foxfire surrounded him as he spun in mid air. At the apex of his jump, Onari paused. He stood, hanging upside down in the air, for a moment.

There was another bang. Onari violently kicked off of the seemingly solid air. He plummeted toward the beast like the wrath of an angry god. The illusionary cackle of a fox accompanied his descent. His leg swung around, impacting the top of the Gashadokuro’s skull with a bone-rattling boom.

An eerie groan was forced out of the beast. Suzaku was jarred out of its grip, falling to the ground and hopping backward. Onari’s kick shoved the spirit down, burying its legs up to the knee in the soft soil.

Onari blurred toward Suzaku. She was still panting to get air back in her lungs. She winced as Onari placed his hands on the freshly bruised parts of her body. The next breath came easier as Onari’s mysterious energy cycled through her body.

Suzaku barely had time to marvel at the sudden feelings of refreshment and rejuvenation. The sound of chittering teeth made Onari sweep her up into his arms and leap away into the night. They landed in another tree. This one was a couple trees back from the treeline and cloaked in shadows.

“This isn’t working,” Onari commented as he set her down. Suzaku nodded her agreement. “Best case scenario: it is scarily resistant to damage. Worst case scenario: it is actually invulnerable like the myths say. Either way we need a new strategy.”

“I can summon the Vermillion Bird. Maybe it’ll be more susceptible to my Sacred Beast’s purifying flames,” Suzaku offered.

They both stared at the Gashadokuro as it freed itself and looked around for them. It seemed to flicker in and out of invisibility as it searched. The sounds of starving groans and rattling bones filled the air of the terrace.

“We can try that. I just need you to buy me some time so I can set something up,” Onari said.

“I’m still new to this inheritance. I need you to keep the beast’s attention off of me while I call upon the bird.”

Onari nodded, fading from sight as he wove an illusion around himself. He dropped to the ground, pausing to slap another talisman on the tree Suzaku was still perched in. It was just created a common notice-me-not ward, but it should still be enough to hide Suzaku from the Gashadokuro’s senses.

Onari prowled around the giant skeleton. His muscles were taut as he stalked his prey. His fox ears stood straight up, alert and twitching at every sound. His True Qi silenced his steps.

He paused near the skeleton. Two illusionary clones split off his invisible body, sprinting at the Gashadokuro from different directions. The spirit noticed the clones immediately, letting out a roar that made Onari’s bones ache.

Both clones hopped over a low, sweeping swipe from the beast’s bony arm. One clone landed on the arm and started running up it. The other weaved through skeletal legs. Onari didn’t bother making either clone attack. They just had to hold the Gashadokuro’s attention for long enough so Suzaku could rejoin the battle.

Behind him, Onari sensed a shift in both the local Qi and Suzaku’s Qi scent. The burning scent of death and rebirth within her grew stronger. The local Qi hummed in anticipation, almost wavering like it was stoking some unseen fire.

The piercing caw of a bird split the air. The feeling of the local Qi built to a flaming crescendo. Onari turned briefly to see a vibrant-colored phoenix soar out of Suzaku’s chest. The Sacred Beast circled its wielder before shrinking so it was small enough to land on her shoulder.

Onari, seeing that Suzaku was ready, allowed his illusionary clones to detonate in an explosion of Qi. The blast rocked the Gashadokuro and destroyed its footing, but didn’t do any real damage. Still, cloaked by his illusion, Onari crept off to implement his plan.

Suzaku walked through the terrace’s treeline, stealing the Gashadokuro’s attention away from the exploding clones. On her shoulder, the Vermillion Bird seemed to snort as it sized up its opponent. The bird’s head cocked in interest as it sensed an actual cultivator in the nearby area.

‘That certainly makes things interesting,’ the Vermillion Bird thought. ‘When was the last time I saw a genuine cultivator? Many, many years,’ she mused. ‘The more modern generations always seem to choose less direct and time consuming avenues of gaining power.’

Her attention was torn from the cultivator aiding her wielder by a shaky groan. She turned to see the starving skeleton slowly reaching down to grab the Vermillion Bird and her wielder. The Vermillion Bird snorted again, and flapped her wings.

‘You’re a thousand years too early to even bother this mistress!’ the Vermillion Bird declared.

All Suzaku heard was a series of melodic tweets and titters from her Sacred Beast, but the true meaning came through across their bond. She couldn’t help but giggle at her companion’s dramatics. The Sacred Beast took flight, growing as she left her perch on Suzaku’s shoulder.

She grew until she was the same size as the Gashadokuro’s skull. Hovering in front of her wielder like a shield, the Vermillion Bird let out a beautifully sharp screech.

The Gashadokuro actually recoiled slightly as the sacred energy within the bird’s cry rattled its bones. It regained its footing and roared, trying in vain to match the Vermillion Bird’s cry.

Sacred flames flared from the bird’s wings. A single flap was enough to send the Sacred Beast shooting towards the skeleton’s chest. The Gashadokuro shielded its body. The Vermillion Bird laughed, easily threading through the gaps between bleached bones.

Scorch marks were left in the wake of the bird’s sacred flames. Though the spirit didn’t seem hurt, it was the first visible damage inflicted throughout the entire fight. The Vermillion Bird circled back and dove again, intent on continuing to kite the Gashadokuro until it collapsed.

With the bird keeping the spirit’s attention, Suzaku was free to set up a large-scale purification spell. Paper ofuda flew out of the sleeves of Suzaku’s yukata. They hovered before the young mistress, forming a pattern. Each ofuda bore a specific character representing one of the five elements.

A scroll of silk unfurled itself between Suzaku’s hands. The floating ofuda began to rotate, acting out the cycle of the elements. Glowing sacred kanji seemed to draw itself onto the silk scroll. The pure white light of the kanji bled through the silk, coalescing into a single point in the center of the revolving ofuda.

“Water nourishes Wood. Wood feeds Fire. Fire cools into Earth. Earth produces Metal. Metal holds Water. The cycle continues. By this sacred cycle, the elements purify Life!” Suzaku declared, her voice taking on an ethereal quality.

The single point of light in the center of the ofuda elemental cycle condensed as Suzaku invoked the spell. The light shined brighter and brighter until it reached a sort of critical mass. With Suzaku’s final words, the pure white light zoomed toward the impure skeletal spirit.

The vengeful undead forces holding the Gashadokuro together shook and shuddered as the light shot through it and out the other side. Its bones rattled violently as it struggled against the purification spell.

Independently from Suzaku’s spell, the ground beneath and around the Gashadokuro began to vibrate. Strangely familiar symbols that Suzaku knew she had never seen manifested above specific points around the skeletal spirit. The symbols didn’t glow, but a strange sucking force started to take hold over the Gashadokuro.

Onari suddenly appeared below the Gashadokuro, unaffected by the strange gravity of the symbols. He held a flat, rectangular metal talisman between two of his fingers, and formed a hand seal around it. A pale red aura connected Onari to each of the strange symbols, seeming to pulse with the Kitsune’s will.

The Gashadokuro tried to roar as it began to shrink and disintegrate. The roar came out as a weak whimper. The invulnerable Gashadokuro’s bleach-white bones turned to dust. The dust was then sucked into the metal card-like talisman in Onari’s hand.

It didn’t take long for the weakened spirit to be fully sealed within the talisman. Onari cut the aural link connecting him to the symbols. The sealing formation slowly faded away as he went around collecting the spent talismans he had used to set it up.

Suzaku stared at him as he worked, perplexed and awed by what she just saw. The magic Onari used still looked like it was of Eastern origin, but she didn’t recognize any of it. She had never encountered a style of magic like Onari’s and it left her feeling uncharacteristically curious.

The Vermillion Bird landed on her shoulder again, butting her head with its own. The contact startled Suzaku out of her awe. She scratched the bird’s head lightly.

“Have you ever seen magic like that?” Suzaku asked quietly.

She didn’t get a response, but she could swear that the Vermillion Bird was smirking at her. Onari walked up to them. He bowed to the Sacred Beast on Suzaku’s shoulder. The Vermillion Bird fluffed herself up with pride at the respect she was being shown.

‘Curious. Your kind usually bows to no one. While I appreciate the face you’ve given me, those who fight against the heavens must hold their heads high. Rise, young master,’ the Vermillion Bird ‘said’.

“You’ll find that I am unique among my ‘kind’, venerable one,” Onari said, raising his head respectfully.

Suzaku looked between the two of them. She was obviously confused, and Onari couldn’t help but think her expression was cute. The Vermillion Bird snickered, but otherwise stayed silent. It was clear that she wanted to preserve the mystery of Onari for Suzaku.

“What did you do with the Gashadokuro?” Suzaku asked, seeing that no answers were forthcoming.

“Ah,” Onari smirked. “I simply sealed it within this talisman. Now I have a free Wu-gi-woah card that I can summon at will. I think I’ll start a collection.”

“Wu-gi-woah?” Suzaku asked, tilting her head cutely. “What’s that? Is it tasty?”

Onari barked a laugh at Suzaku’s unintentional memeing, “Ha! Oh, you sweet summer child. You have a phone, right?” Suzaku gave Onari a confused nod. “Okay, give me your number. I’ll send you memes and educate you on the culture of the internet.”

Suzaku obediently followed instructions, handing Onari her phone. He input his contact info, and sent himself a text so he’d have her number too. He handed the phone back. There was a couple of seconds of silence as Suzaku processed what just happened, then the young maiden’s face went bright red.

“D-Does this mean we’re f-f-friends?” she hesitantly asked.

Onari shrugged, “I don’t see why we wouldn’t be. Us young masters and mistresses have to stick together after all.”

“... I’ve never had a friend before. The closest thing I’ve had to one would be Akeno-chan, but… she’s gone now.”

Onari knew sensitive territory when he saw it, and even the Vermillion Bird nuzzled her head against Suzaku’s to comfort the young mistress. With the support of her Sacred beast, Suzaku quickly shook herself out of the funk that remembering her cousin had put her in.

“Anyway… it looks like we’re finished here?” Suzaku half said, half asked.

“Yup,” Onari nodded in confirmation. “We’ll have to have your clan head send a team to find and clean up the remains that spawned the Gashadokuro, but our part is done for now.”

Suzaku’s smile lit up the night, driving away the remaining chill from the skeletal Youkai, “Thank goodness.”

Onari got lost in staring at her for a second. A tweet from the Vermillion Bird shocked him out of his bewitched state. He cleared his throat awkwardly as the bird seemed to smirk at him.

“R-Right… We should probably get out of here.”

Onari and Suzaku didn’t run into any trouble on their way back to Himeji Castle. They checked in with Suou, informed him of what happened, and went to bed.

Onari slept soundly with the satisfaction of a job well done. Suzaku tossed and turned a bit, thinking about Onari’s earlier words and his offer of friendship, but eventually she too fell asleep.

The next afternoon, the pair woke up, and Onari prepared himself to return to Kyoto. Suzaku found herself subconsciously gravitating toward Onari. She wanted to spend as much time with her new friend as possible, but didn’t know how to voice her feelings.

Eventually though, the time of Onari’s departure came. Suzaku stood with Onari in front of the Himeji Castle’s gate. She had requested the guards leave them alone so she could say goodbye in private, and they had complied with her request.

“So… I guess this is goodbye,” Suzaku said, trying her best to hide her disappointment behind a kind, stoic facade.

“Chin up, Suzaku,” Onari said, making her startle from the familiar address and tapping the bottom of her chin lightly. “This won’t be where our story ends. I’ll text and call and even do my best to visit when I can. You can come to Kyoto and I can introduce you to my sister and mother. Don’t think of this as ‘goodbye’. Think of it as ‘until next time’. Just… stay strong. Don’t let your environment, or the pressure on you, get you down.”

Onari’s words of encouragement made a genuine smile grow across Suzaku’s face, “Then… Until next time, O-Onari.”

Suzaku watched with a blushing smile on her face as Onari disappeared in a flash of light. Onari flashed her a reassuring grin as he teleported. The magic circle faded away, smelling faintly of life and fiery energy.

‘I promise, Onari,’ Suzaku thought hopefully. ‘Eventually, I’ll be someone you’re proud to call a friend.’