Yukimi had finally sat back and let me enjoy the rest of the meal. While Hana started to clean up the room a bit. Yukimi was still right up against me though and I really started to wonder where this sudden infatuation came from. Was our soul connect deeper than I thought? Well, connecting souls is pretty automatically deep I guess…
My eyes traced over Yukimi for a moment. Taking in her yellow eyes, her silky black hair and pale skin. Then my eyes wandered a bit over her pear shaped figure. Yuki Onna are known to blind men with their beauty, right before they kill them. I can't deny she was hot. But, Casey's face came into mind, then Aesira's. Even if she's attractive, I shouldn't feed into her obsession. It definitely wouldn't be fair to her.
"Nyx, think pretty?" Yukimi asked.
The heat ran to my cheeks and I looked away from her.
"Yeah, sure." I replied.
I stole a glance at her and saw she was smiling brightly. Did I do something right? Or wrong just now? Before I even had a chance to respond I heard the sliding door slam open. I turned back toward it and saw Himitsu and another guy walking through. The man with her had long wild green hair that was barely kept together by a ponytail. However, what caught my attention the most, was his bright blue eyes. It was like I was staring into the ocean.
"Oh, Nyx-kun! Good to see you're in one piece!"
"Eww, leave it to an American to flirt with a monster." The green haired man spoke.
"Hey!" Himitsu squeaked and slapped his arm. "Don't be rude just because he can't understand you."
"Leave it to the Japanese to talk behind my back, because he thinks I don't understand him. " I huffed and glared at him.
His eyes went wide and so did Himitsu.
"Nyx! Did you learn Japanese in a day!?" She squeaked.
"Bakeneko just gave him a spell. It'll wear off in a few hours. It's translating for him." Hana said.
"That's great!" She said, "That'll make today much smoother."
"Oh?" I asked.
"Yeah! We'll get started with swordsmanship training. This is my student Sui, he wanted to practice. He's a child of the water Guardian, also! I think I might have an explanation for Thomas too!"
"Huh?"
Sui stepped forward and snapped his fingers. As he did, I heard stomping coming from outside the big door that led to the pond. Hana walked over and opened up the door. Revealing a blaring red light coming from around the corner. Stomping echoed off from the wooden deck outside and Yukimi growled.
Soon the visual became clear and I was speechless. It was a womens upper half with flowing long back hair. The bottom half looked monstrous and ghostly. Most of the sight of her legs were blinded by the raging flames of old burning cart wheels that seemed to be magically attached to her feet. The beast's hands were sharp and she was hunched over, having a very feral like appearance. I glanced over to Yukimi and I saw her body shifting. Her teeth were sharp and poking out from her mouth and her arms looked like they were growing longer.
Yeah, I definitely don't want to connect to that. Yukimi might actually pounce….
"This is my familiar, Homura." He said.
As he spoke I opened my soul just a bit to read her. The creature was excited and happy to be here, to be by Sui's side. She had a lot of respect for him.
"Can you make her turn off the flames?" Himitsu asked.
"Sorry Sensei." He said and looked at Homura. "Homura, come in and turn the flame off."
The creature nodded and the flaming wheels vanished and revealed her almost dog-like legs. She walked into the room and Yukimi just stared intently at her. A frosty mist rose from her fingers and I leaned back.
"Is that a Kasha?" I asked.
"Oh wow, the American knows what a Kasha is. Impressive." He said.
I just ignored him.
"Aren't they supposed to be cats though?" I asked.
"That depiction came from the sad aftermath of the Kasha." Himitsu corrected."There was a short period where the Kasha ran rampant around here. When they're feasting or gathering corpses, animals near the area can be changed. Most commonly pets."
I squinted my eyes at her. "And what exactly happens to them? The pets?"
"Fiery like mutation, befitting a demon." Sui said.
"Your not tryna say that-"
"It's possible Thomas was just a humble cat affected by the Kasha." Himitsu added.
"Wow, that's…interesting." I mumbled.
Even after all this time, I still have no idea what Thomas is…
"Well, anyways, that was just something I'd thought you'd like to investigate." She said,
"Yeah no that's definitely something I'm gonna look into. Thomas just gets more weird by the day…"
"Be careful, Kasha and Kasha babies eat corpses." Sui said.
"Wait what?"
….
Himitsu led the two of us around her compound. Happily humming along as Yukimi and Homura glared and growled at one another. Neither bothering to actually say any words. Yukimi stuck close to my side and I just hoped I wouldn't get dragged into a Yokai battle.
Thankfully it wasn't long before we came upon a metal bunker on the border of the woods behind the compound. Himitsu led us inside, but right before we walked in, I caught the glimpse of red eyes staring at me from the forest. It sent shivers down my spine. Those eyes weren't red like Aesria, they were red like the beast that attacked my mom. I came to a stop and opened my mouth. But Sui just covered my lips and yanked me forward into the room.
Yukimi hissed at him and Homura got in the way of her inevitably attacking.
"Yukimi, stand, down." Himitsu demanded.
Which made Yukimi shutter, she didn't move but I could see her nails retracting from the length they were. Himitsu then stared at me with a murderous look. I was frozen in place till the door finally shut behind me, and her eyes finally softened.
"Sorry about that! We didn't want the Tenebris outside to notice us, noticing it." Himitsu said.
I blinked a few times. "I almost forgot they existed." I mumbled.
"It's because you probably are protected, well, America." Sui huffed.
I grumbled, this guy…"What? Is there a difference?"
"Well, not necessarily." Himitsu said with a chuckle. "Boa took care of you so your scent was probably always masked."
I blinked a few times. "Yeah I guess, but what's specifically different from Japan? Boa?"
"Japan is a hot bed for everything." Sui grumbled. "Tenebris, Yokai, demons, negative energy. It's way more intense here."
Himitsu walked forward. "I'm sure you're aware of the high suicide rates here. We've done a lot to manage them but-"
"What? How did you manage to affect them? Magic therapy?" I asked.
"Nyx, have you ever wondered why Guardians are called Guardians?" Himitsu asked.
I folded my arms. "Not really, I've been a bit busy with a lot of other questions."
"Guardians are guardians of the planet. They help keep things going. The Guardian of earth protects the plants and nature, the Guardian of the sea protects the water."
"And dad over death?" I asked.
"Right." She said, "But they are not all powerful. They may seem like gods, but they are not. That's why they have acolytes and a lot of kids. They need help."
And that's when something started to hit me.
"Ah, I think I understand. Dad's job must be real hard with no real Acolytes." I mumbled.
"Moreover, he hasn't had many kids due to Freyrs curse. So we don't have many descendents just walking about." She added. "So, taking negative energy, putting spirits to rest, it's all over the place. And with dad barely managing monster lane-"
"The world's negative energy is only getting worse." I finished for her.
"Precisely, and Japan is also special in its way of having many Yokai."
"It's even more weird when you take into account some of them are new. Like they haven't always been here. So it's curious to ask where they came from." Sui added.
"Since I've awakened my abilities I've, in a way, made a guild to help push back the Yokai, Tenebris and demons around here." She said,
"Wait, is exorcism real? Can the average person push demons back?" I asked.
"No." She answered.
"Then how can someone like Sui help? He's not one of us right?" I asked.
"Exorcism isn't real in the sense you're thinking of it. Sometimes demons are connected to your energy. A simple mind shift and you can push one off. Or mental training to make your soul speak is possible. Sage is also something spirits don't like to interact with." She said with a chuckle. "So in the traditional sense no."
"I get it, so pseudo exorcism works. They're accidentally getting things right." I asked.
"Precisely." She said and snapped her fingers. "But sometimes cursed spirits are too strong to just hope away."
"So, what do you do then?" I asked.
Himitsu smiled and walked over to Sui. "I'll show you." She said and placed a hand on his chest. Then, just like she did earlier with my inner demon she started to pull someone out. But it wasn't humanoid it was, like a weapon. Soon she yanked something black out and a hard guitar rift followed. Sui grumbled and took a breath.
"Man I hate that…" he grumbled.
Himitsu held up two black gauntlets proudly. They looked inky and slimy, but they were solid.
"What the hell…?" I mumbled.
"I coat glasses in negative energy. Which allows non seers like Sui to see ghosts and cursed spirits. Technically a near death experience can help too, but I'm only a doctor for your head." She giggled. "Then I use my negative energy manipulation to make weapons. That can connect when fighting cursed spirits."
"What!? That's possible!?" I asked.
"I've written a whole book on it with all the things I can do with negative energy." She said with a devilish smirk. "Once it's done I'll let you read it. But this is how non dead descendants see ghosts and fight them."
"I see, and you've seriously managed to push back the darkness here like this?" I asked.
"Yeah, Himitsus a hero." Sui said softly.
"Oh! Don't say that!" She said with a chuckle.
"And because of that, she has a target painted on her back. Spirits can't get in thankfully. But Yokai and Tenebris are a different story. We mask the scent well, but Tenebris here are more sentient and intelligent. It doesn't take long for them to find us. We have defenses up, but sometimes they slip through. Like the guy outside." Sui said.
"Will wait for him and all his friends to come. Then will leave and attack. See who's intelligent enough and get information. Tenebris and some Yokai really don't like me." She said with a sigh.
Wow, I never thought about it like that before. But yeah, that's our job as death kids. And we're so few. I bit my lip. She's doing so much all by herself. If she dies, will really lose a valuable asset. Wait, if I die, would it even be relevant? Did I do anything relevant? When I die, am I just gonna be the guy who lost it?
"Sis, if you don't mind. Can you teach me?" I asked.
"Oh! You don't have to! You're already-"
"I came here to be different, to become someone I like looking at in the mirror. You, and my friend Aesira are the type of people I want to be like. People who look at the world around them and don't let it drag them down with it. So if you're not busy sometime. I'd like to look at your book."
Her eyes went wide and she bit her lip. Then she gave me a soft smile. "Yes Nyx, I'd be glad to teach you everything I know."