"Jigoku o aruku mono," Maboroshi no kohime hissed.
There are very few tales in existence where the gods show gratefulness to the humans. They may show pleasure in a human's great works, interest in a human's talents, or charity for the suffering, but it is rarely said that the gods are indebted to humans. Kinzo and Kishi were surrounded by the onmyoji of the past in a perfect circle, huddled together in fear of what was to happen next. Tadamasa, on the other hand, was waiting for the doctor to come out as he swam about playfully. He enjoyed swimming in the lake far more than he should, but the water was quite nice! The head pall bearer of the Land of Ice wondered if he was being too soft with Meioshi sometimes. Look at him! Aiding a human so that she can escape the consequences of the hell king, Biancheng, for purifying the black wall demon's soul. His majesty should know better! Catching the doctor's scent, he paddled around for a moment before growling. The inu prince was with her.
Above them on the crackling cliffs, Maboroshi no kohime's hair and clothes were floating like aggravated ripples in water. Winds were picking up around her Akai Tsuno to mimic the might of a storm wall. Her obsidian eyes were glowing and filled with anger as she watched Meioshi come out of her palace. Meioshi and Sesshomaru walked out of the shrine of the Oracle's Broken Dimension in silence to face the ram goddess. The good doctor was equally as angry with the patron of the onmyoji as she was with Rosanjin in the okiya village. Kishi, Kinzo, and Tadamasa were located in the onmyoji's true temple within the waters. The oracles had explained as much when they showed her the image that they see within the Broken Dimension. Her intuition proved to be right this time. Maboroshi no kohime was too intimate with the onmyoji. It felt like she was reliving the nightmare that the hell traveler's patron had committed, and the good doctor, unfortunately, was nervous about this confrontation. It could lead to a fight she wasn't prepared for, but the patron goddess's actions were against the agreement between human and deity. A human could be as highly favored by the gods as allowed, but a union between the untouchables and the mortals was forbidden and punishable. The balance of power was too delicate to be tampered with in such a way! You couldn't be so selfish!
Sensing the doctor's anger, Maboroshi no kohime bit the backs of her jaws harshly. How dare this creature show displeasure in her presence! She had no right to accuse the gods! "I have allied myself with you to protect my clan. Under what pretext do you come to me with such enmity?" the goddess questioned. Armor had started to form.
Meioshi was quiet for a moment until she hummed with contemplation. The storm winds from the patron goddess made her hair blanket one of her eyes as the rest blew about like a thin bed sheet. The good doctor lowered her eyelids a bit at the answer to the goddess's question. She made no verbal accusations against her just yet and declared no contest of power, yet Maboroshi no kohime was feeling threatened by her presence. Perhaps, it wasn't really hers that she was concerned about but Sesshomaru's. Meioshi knew his power somewhat, and she could sense that he was nowhere close to unleashing its fullness in their scuffles, which she was eternally grateful for because she had a lot of work to do as a medical practitioner, but the goddess had no reason to respond to her in such a way regardless. The giants were no more. There was no blood on her. She was merely facing a very angry truth... because the onmyoji formed a strong wall between her and Kinzo and Kishi. Meioshi and Sesshomaru could sense the sheer might of the wall's strength. Maboroshi no kohime was in the process of being denounced as the clan's patron. It was possible she didn't know it yet.
Denunciation of a patron god was extremely rare as it's only happened twice as far as the good doctor knew. She was one who had denounced hers and another clan of ancient power had done this ceremonial elimination years before the hell travelers came into power and existence. By it happening so long ago and for unknown reasons, Meioshi was only left with an incomplete scroll in her archives documenting the incident. No matter how intensely she studied that scroll, Meioshi couldn't figure out the reason for the denunciation. She started to wonder if that's why Tadamasa brought her here or if maybe Lord Izanagi, the high father, was responsible for this orchestration. Maboroshi no kohime's shock and anger was justified in a way. She had been a part of the onmyoji's lives for generations! How else was she supposed to feel about being taken away from them?
"I've no ill will towards you, patron of the onmyoji. I may not be pleased with what I think may have happened between you and your clan, but whatever happens to you is not my responsibility. This is your battle to fight alone with your high father," Meioshi replied, not smiling at the goddess whatsoever. "I will, however, say this much to you. I intend to take the Shigochiyo family with me to teach them about the Web of Divine Might from my perspective and to give them some reprieve from the nightmare that has befallen them. This is your time to walk the path of redemption and to prove that you can be trusted as the patron. Should you fail during this time, I am afraid I will have to perform the Proposition of Specific Deterrence."
"What?" Maboroshi no kohime shouted more than questioned.
"I can sense the power behind that wall the same way that you can, patron goddess. If you truly are innocent, go down and speak to your people. Surely, they will lower their guard for you, yes?" Meioshi asked, but she knew the answer to that question. The onmyoji weren't going to move that wall.
Perhaps Maboroshi no kohime knew that. Meioshi stood still as the goddess's anger increased and the might of the storm wall around her Akai Tsuno became blistering. The very earth quaked, and her palace shuddered. How dare she, a lowly human, speak of taking such actions against the gods! The goddess didn't understand. She did nothing wrong! She only left her post to participate in the coming war! She didn't know the giants were going to enslave her clansmen! Why was everyone blaming her? She thought about Kinzo's soft voice and the way he held her in his arms one night and took deep breaths to calm herself. Fine. The onmyoji of the past didn't want her around anymore? So be it. They are dead weight. Kinzo would understand. He was kind to her... like her clansmen used to be. His heart was truly pure. She will protect him. Sesshomaru watched the goddess change before Meioshi with suspicion. This must have been what Meioshi was talking about in the cavernous palace before...
"What is this place really?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Honestly? I think... this is that goddess's palace, not the onmyoji's temple," Meioshi answered, looking into the pure waters with the oracles having been released from their prisons. She turned slightly to Sesshomaru to explain, "You don't know anything about us, but the onmyoji are holy warriors; in fact, they're one of the oldest clans who had been chosen by Lord Izanagi to serve the gods. Years ago, demons were terrorizing all of the three worlds in what was called the Grand Devouring. Deities, humans, and youkai like you were being consumed in high numbers for almost 50 years. Lord Izanagi had chosen four humans to protect Nihon, and from them were the clans born into existence. Youkai had formed covenants with the humans to aid in guarding either other beneficial youkai or change their status among the deities. Lady Izanami, the sister and wife of the high father, was worried. She felt that the humans could be tainted too easily by the gifts of power granted by Izanagi, so she appointed deities of higher power to monitor the four clans and she formed the Web of Divine Might. The youkai companions of some humans also brought up a concern, so she negotiated with a coalition of sorts to form a caste system between holy warrior and youkai. Together, husband and wife (or brother and sister as some prefer) created the balance of power and placed it in what we call the Martial World. Only those chosen by Lord Izanagi himself can enter the elusive realm, but, if you had Lady Izanami's favor before her terrible death, then you could also enter it that way. The test of your might will be much harder, but you receive the same honor and favor as though Izanagi had handpicked you. The onmyoji were granted the gift of the youkai and were either the clan born from the fifth man chosen by Izanagi or were allied to the fourth clan head before Izanagi gave them their power. But..."
Just before Sesshomaru could probe her to continue spilling information, she started spitting then laughing and shaking her head. He frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. What was so funny? He was actually interested a bit in the youkai's part of the story! If this supreme godhead had chosen humans to guard the land and his wife formed the title of lord or lady for his kind, then there was a plethora of facts blueprinting what he would need to rule all of Nihon. Why did she stop talking?
"What the hell am I doing?" Meioshi asked herself. "I'm talking about the history of holy warriors with a person who doesn't give a shit! I've gone mad! Your Meido Stone isn't here, silly old dog. There's nothing for you here."
He then said, "You should leave the goddess to me. A human can't kill a god. I knew one who tried. It didn't end well."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say there's some concern in your tone," Meioshi responded, putting a hand on her hip. Something about what he said felt familiar. She just couldn't put her finger on why.
"There isn't," Sesshomaru said with a huff, walking ahead the doctor before he stopped. He then turned slightly and said over his shoulder, "That opponent is stronger than you, and I owe her a fight for last time."
"Are you - ?" Meioshi questioned, folding her arms and remaining in her spot. Her brow went up when Sesshomaru remained still and waited. She very cautiously walked up to him, waited, and then went around him to look into his eyes. They were closed, and he seemed annoyed at being looked at so inquisitively. When Sesshomaru did open his eyes to look at her, she caught something in his eyes that made her pupils dilate and a bit of color dust her cheeks. She was quiet for a moment and so was he. She then questioned, "Why are you trying to help me?"
"Hmph! I did not fulfill your request. It is as simple as that," Sesshomaru answered, tilting his nose up.
"I made no request," Meioshi replied softly, unfolding her arms and letting them hang. "Elaborate, my lord."
Sesshomaru let out an inelegant harrumph before closing his eyes, smirking, and saying, "I'm the only one allowed to kill you for your actions against the House of Inu and your insolence as Jaken's servant. Your service has been most intolerable."
"That so?" Meioshi asked. "Because your actions against me haven't exactly been enjoyable either."
"I am not difficult to please," Sesshomaru replied, closing his eyes and taking a step forward. "You merely lack tact. I have no time to bother myself with a useless servant girl."
"Oh?" Meioshi purred, forcing Sesshomaru to stop at the seductive tone. She hadn't moved. They kept their eyes locked on each other for a moment before she spoke again, "For what reason did you come back then? I don't seem to be worth the effort."
A silence passed that made his lordship uncomfortable again. The good doctor was too dangerous like this. Her hair was too soft, too warm in color, too wispy. Her eyes were too hazel, too rich, too hypnotic. Her lips were too full when puckered. The tribal warrior look was too... put together. Her exoticism was... difficult.
"Your leeches are spoiled," Sesshomaru remarked, changing the subject and looking over the doctor's head. He closed his eyes before saying, "They've been eating up everything at the bakery. This is what happens when you inspire greed."
Meioshi's eyelids lowered in response, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she summoned her Kaishi Novum and led the way. Sesshomaru was about to simply follow her before she stopped and said over her shoulder, "Try not to dawdle or get in my way, silly old dog."