"We're back, Boss. You can probably stop glaring at that USB now." Kintoki says and I snap out of my daze to look at him.
Kintoki looks amused at the way I've acted during our return trip. I suppose that's better than him being annoyed or disappointed. I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of him challenging my authority later.
Personally, It's more than a little embarrassing that I spent the entire ride back brooding over my first interaction with the leadership of the Black Feather Brigade. Especially when I technically only gained from that interaction.
"Do you want to fill me in on what pissed you off so much?" My second in command asks, surprising me.
My surprise must be visible as he elaborates, "I mean, you helped me fix things with Yaeko quickly so I figure I owe ya."
I hadn't thought our relationship had progressed past a business relationship but apparently the little help I gave him with his personal life gained some goodwill with him.
If that's all it takes I should try being less distant from the other members in the future. I need to keep my executives loyal so they don't undermine my commands and continue to act in my interests.
I blow out a heavy sigh and shake my head, "It's stupid, honestly. I went in there with expectations of how things would go; I'd control the conversation, get the money, and provoke their organization into action. I thought I'd be running circles around them because I had a plan."
"Instead, I was lead by my nose, I got the money but it seemed more like I was being gifted it so their leader could be rid of an inconvenience, and I was the one getting provoked." I finish with a grimace.
Just thinking of the dismissive way the Fallen Angel addressed me is enough to get my blood boiling.
"I was even given a freebie with this USB, all because I was an annoyance 'David' wanted to get rid of." I snort at the ridiculousness of my assumptions.
I barely had a plan for how the interaction would go but simply assumed everything would go exactly the way I wanted to. Normally that is how events work out because if they don't go my way I can brute force them.
I'm starting to hate problems I can't beat into submission.
Kintoki glances at the item in question curiously.
"What's on it?" I toss the USB over to him and he catches it easily.
"Supposedly, all the intel we will need to strike at the Hell King Legion. Locations, members, general hierarchy, etc." Kintoki takes a second to digest that.
He frowns in confusion as he looks at the USB.
"Isn't this an absolute win though?" I frown back at him but can't argue with the point. "Your pride might be bruised but we have an advantage over our competition now."
"You're saying I'm acting like a child," I say mildly, more of an acceptance of the point than anything.
"Not in such harsh terms." He shrugs not bothered at what his words sounded like. "If you're really pissed off, all we need to do is pick a target on this list and you can go wild."
A smile slowly creeps up on my face as I relish in that fantasy. Dismantling the organisation of an enemy with my own two hands would be just the thing I need to fix my mood.
"That's a great point." A sudden thought comes over me and my eyes narrow, "Maybe up the alertness of our guards in important locations. If we got this information so easily, it wouldn't be hard for the Devils to be given information on us."
"Hm, give us both juicy targets and watch us tear each other apart." Kintoki muses.
"Our members are strong enough to take care of the rabble but a peerage member…" I let that point hang and Kintoki nods decisively.
"The Oni that you sent over should solve that issue. If any of their elites are truly strong then Yaeko or I can handle them." He says and I pout at being left out of the list.
"You go without saying, Boss," Kintoki says rolling his eyes.
I really hope that they'll have someone who can fight me in their roster. Either that or their peerage is coordinated enough to fight me together. If not then I'll have to enjoy watching my minions handle everything.
"Just so you know, we got more than just what you were offered out of that trip." I glance at Kintoki to see him scratching his neck. "One of the security guys offered me -well all of us there- a lot of cash to feed them information on you and our organization."
I start to grow concerned only to quickly realize that if Kintoki is telling me this he isn't going to sell out.
Actually, maybe I can use this?
"I know you turned them down if you're saying this but I want you to accept their offer." Kintoki looks shocked so I elaborate on my thoughts.
"Provided they're offering a significant enough amount for you to actually consider the offer then feel free to take their money. Any information you give them will quickly become outdated and we need the extra funds." A cruel smile spreads across my face.
"Besides, I'd rather they know exactly what to expect from me and still be crushed when I show up. No matter what measures they take they won't be able to stop me." My pride wouldn't allow any other outcome, especially after being insulted like today.
"Is that fine with you?" I ask him. Kintoki shrugs and chuckles.
"Course it is, I'm not stupid. If I'm being handed free money, I'll take it." I pat him on the shoulder and laugh along with Kintoki.
"Feel free to tell them anything you feel necessary, just don't tell them where I live or compromise my family's safety. Just wait a week or so before you approach them again. If you come back right away it'll be obvious what you're doing." Kintoki rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm not going to sell information that would put me on your shit list, Boss." I shake my head with a wry smile.
"I should have you act on your own more often if these are the results you bring." I pause and remember Zen Master Jun's critique after our fight.
"Actually, Kintoki, if you ever have an idea, as long as it doesn't go against my previous instructions, act on it." It makes me uncomfortable to give him such free reign over the direction of the Golden Dragons but it's something I should get used to.
"You sure?" He asks, surprised at my new command.
The hesitance annoys me a bit, though it is my fault considering how much I try to micromanage things.
"I'm sure, Kintoki, I trust you with this." He straightens up a bit in his seat and grins.
"Alright, you better expect to hear good things. Let's get inside and look over these locations to see where we'll strike first." I'm about to follow him when I remember what else I need to do today.
"I have to head out somewhere else now. Feel free to send me a short list of targets to my phone when you've made some headway. Preferably ones that are likely to have someone strong defending it." Kintoki's smile becomes less excited and more professional as he nods.
"No problem, I'll have something in a couple of hours." He opens his door to get out only to stop and turn back suddenly.
"Do you still want to meet that new kid in accounting?" At my blank look Kintoki elaborates, "The one who noticed the discrepancies."
Huh, I did say I wanted to meet them. Still, it's probably okay if I don't.
"No, it'll be enough if you reward them for their work. Thanks for reminding me though." Kintoki nods and steps out of the car.
"See you later, Boss. I'll have that list sent to you soon." He shuts the door and I tap on the soundproof divider to address the driver.
The window in the centre slides open and the driver turns to me, "You ready to go to the next stop, Boss?"
"Yeah, if we leave any later I'll be late." With a quick nod, the driver turns around and closes the divider.
As the car starts moving again I settle in for the ride to Tobio's temporary housing here in Kyoto.
Suzaku has spent the last week helping him adapt to the realization that the supernatural exists and filling him in on everything he needs to know.
She hasn't given me details on what she was doing with him sadly. Hopefully, she's unlocked his latent bloodline blessing and Sacred Gear during their time together.
I don't have any expertise on sealing like she does nor do I have Azazel's magic egg to unlock Tobio's Longinus like in Slash/Dog canon. I can always make him think he's about to die and force Canis Lykaon to manifest but that risks him slipping straight into Balance Breaker.
I could most likely beat him in a fight in his Balance Breaker, I just don't know if he would survive the experience. I definitely wouldn't survive the experience if Suzaku finds out I killed him by accident.
With that sobering thought, I settle in for the remainder of the drive there.
The house I arrive at a short while later is a relatively standard modern Japanese home rather than some estate or a traditional townhouse. Since this is a spare residence that the Himejima clan owns in the city and barely uses, it makes sense that it is nondescript and generic.
Of course, considering that the clan would hardly enjoy Suzaku allowing the grandson of an exiled clan member stay here. It makes sense she hadn't chosen the best residence they had to offer because if she had someone would have noticed it was in use and questioned it.
After knocking on the door I smooth out my shirt and wait.
The thought that I could surprise Suzaku with flowers strikes me and I begin figuring out what kind of flower I should make.
Roses maybe? Or is that cliche? Camellias, Carnations, Azaleas or Daffodils all could work too.
What colour flower though? Red is a beautiful colour and it matches Suzaku's eyes.
I don't even know what flower means in flower language. With the Himejima clan being old-fashioned, I'm sure Suzaku has learned some flower language in which case I don't want to give her something that sends the wrong message.
I shake my head and dismiss the idea before I make a decision. We haven't even had a date yet so showing up with flowers may be a bit too forward. I'll save that plan for our first or second date.
It would also be better to do some research first so the massage I want to convey is clear. I would hate to give her a bouquet that means innocence and friendship.
Besides, if I wait I can see if Tobio knows what kinds of flowers Suzaku likes.
The door to the house opens and a black blur leaps through at my face. It isn't fast enough to do more than surprise me though and I grab it by the back of the neck, holding it a foot from me.
Tobio appears after the front door opens fully and looks embarrassed, "Sorry about him, Ibaraki. I'm not sure what's wrong with Jin, he hasn't acted like this with Suzaku or me."
Jin, the puppy in question, growls at me and thrashes to escape my grip. He manages little more than amusing me and looking adorable, however.
"It's fine, puppies can be aggressive before they're trained. Good to see you again, Tobio." Jin tries to grow blades to dislodge himself but I shift my grip and continue greeting his wielder.
"Good to see you too, Ibaraki. Thank you again for healing me last time." Tobio bows to show his gratitude.
When he's finished he notices that Jin is still snapping and thrashing. With a sigh, he whistles sharply, "Jin, enough."
His Sacred Gear twists in my grip and shoots him a betrayed look before sagging.
Snickering, I place the puppy back on the ground. He darts over to Tobio and growls at me from in between his legs.
Tobio rolls his eyes and picks the puppy up, placing Jin on his shoulder. "Come on inside, Suzaku is setting up some… wards, I think she called them?"
"Still getting used to magic being real?" I say with a grin.
"It's definitely a big change," Tobio shrugs with a shaky smile, "Having this little guy here makes it difficult to ignore though."
"Yeah, a God-killing weapon is undeniable proof." He doesn't pale or anything so overt at my point. Instead, he sags slightly in resignation.
Based on that reaction, I would say that Tobio looks like he is adapting well to his new reality.
Whether his composure is because he has a flexible mindset or Suzaku has simply not told him everything yet is the question.
Obviously, she would focus on more important material since she has only had a week and doesn't want to terrify him. Still, if he is ignorant to the danger he has potentially found himself in, that can't continue for long.
"Has Suzaku told you a lot about the supernatural over the past week?" Tobio frowns looking conflicted as to how to respond.
"I think she has. I've definitely learned a lot of things that I didn't know before. However, I doubt we have gone too in-depth." I nod along.
"She filled me in on the basics of the Principal Clans, my family history, what a Sacred Gear is, what the Thirteen Longinus are, and why people would be interested in Jin and me." He glances at me quickly.
"She also told me you aren't human…" He trails off and I grin.
"I'm glad, this transformation is annoying." I sigh happily as my horns pop back into existence and my claws and teeth return to their proper appearance.
Hiding my features may not be uncomfortable per se but it is grating.
The smile I give Tobio now is a lot sharper on account of my teeth and it causes Jin to start growling again. "It's nice to properly meet you, Tobio."
"Yeah, you too, Ibaraki." If his voice is slightly shaky, I don't comment on it. He's still getting used to this after all.
When we come across Suzaku she's in the centre of the living room facing away from us and there is a heavy presence of mana in the air.
The room has been covered in Talismans from wall to wall. Not completely of course but a fairly heavy amount. I don't know enough about this style of wards to call it overkill, though I suspect it is excessive for normal purposes.
Given that the wards are meant to protect a Longinus wielder, it would be hard to call any amount of protection excessive.
Suzaku looks satisfied with her spell after glancing around the room, as she places her hands on her hips confidently.
She completes the spell with a clap, causing the talismans to shimmer and vanish into the walls while the mana in the air returns to normal.
"Excellent timing, I just finished up," Suzaku says as she spins around, a contented smile on her face as she wipes her brow.
Without the magic distracting me, I notice Suzaku's outfit. She's wearing a reddish-brown skirt that extends to the middle of her calves and on top a cream long-sleeved blouse.
Her silky black hair is in a high ponytail as usual and settles down from her brief turn as I finish my once-over.
"That spell looked impressive," I remark, smiling. "You look great, Suzaku."
It's only after I say that when I notice that she's checking me out as well, "So do you. What's the occasion?"
"I can't dress up to visit the prettiest woman I know?" I pout.
Her cheeks flush and she smoothes out her skirt in an effort to distract herself from the compliment. Tobio coughs and we both remember he's here.
He's grinning as he watches our byplay, "Rude, you didn't dress up for me?"
I snort in amusement, "Nah, you've got that Sae girl you mentioned last time to dress up for you."
That joke proves to be a mistake as his face falls, his mood plummeting as I bring up the childhood friend that has disappeared in the wake of the Heavenly Aloha Incident.
Cringing at my mistake I pat him on the back gently, "She's going to be fine. You're going to get her back safely before you know it. I'll make sure of it."
Suzaku nods to reassure Tobio though she clearly doesn't share my confidence in the situation.
It's understandable since she undoubtedly hasn't found any information on the kidnappers. A splinter group with exiled members from the Principal Clans would surely be able to evade the surveillance of said clans. This fact, when combined with their allies the Wizards of Oz, would make them difficult to catch.
The only reason I'm confident in Tobio rescuing Sae is that I know what is supposed to happen and who the kidnappers are. If he was able to win with only the help of Lavinia and rudimentary skill with Canis Lykaon, then after some actual training it should be no problem.
Tobio composes himself again, "Suzaku said you offered to train me?"
"Yeah, you're being introduced to this world pretty late but I don't think it will be a problem. I've got some ideas for what you need to learn to maximize your potential in the short time we have." I shrug.
Suzaku looks at me funny, "What do you mean by a short time?"
"The kidnappers behind the incident won't sit back and do nothing for too long. I doubt it will be more than a month or two before they resurface." Two months exactly, actually.
Suzaku looks uncomfortable with my opinion, probably because if his classmates were kidnapped for research then they would never resurface. She chooses not to voice that opinion, however.
Tobio appears to be mollified by my assertion though. I'm sure that If I wasn't absolutely certain then this would continue to weigh on him.
"Is there anything that you think he should learn Suzaku? I don't know how exactly your family's blessing works." Suzaku bites her lip for a second before summoning a book from her spatial storage.
"I really shouldn't be doing this but…" She passes the book to Tobio somewhat forcefully as if shoving it into his arms before she can change her mind.
"This is a manual for reinforcing the body using the Fire Phase. It isn't the most effective out of the different Phases for bodily reinforcement but it should be better than regular magic and certainly easier for you to learn." Tobio and I both glance at the book, interested in the magic inside.
"Please, whatever you do, don't show this off in front of any members of the Himejima Clan. Or anyone from the Principal Clans for that matter. It's forbidden for anyone outside the clans to learn these techniques and I could be ousted for this." She's visibly concerned as she pleads to us.
Tobio is therefore quick to reassure his cousin, "Nobody will find out, Suzaku, I promise."
Suzaku looks relieved and turns to me, "Ibaraki… I can tell you're interested but please don't read the manual."
I'd be offended by the assumption she's making if she wasn't completely right in guessing my intentions.
"I won't, I promise." She watches me carefully for any signs of deceit.
Because I'm serious in my agreement, she doesn't find any and rewards me with a beautiful smile. "Thank you, both of you."
There's a series of beeps and Suzaku sighs, rolling up her sleeve and looking at her watch. She curses under her breath and turns back to us.
"I have to leave now sadly." She frowns, shaking her head, "I wish I had more time but I have a meeting to head to."
"Family politics or Inter-Clan politics," I ask, suddenly curious.
"Inter-Clan." She grouses, "The Doumon clan is restructuring after their conservative faction suffered divine retribution. It's essentially the same thing that happened as when I had my… outburst."
She looks at me apologetically, "That's why I haven't updated you on my schedule yet. A lot of my time has been taken up by this."
I smile to reassure her, "I understand. I don't mind waiting for you."
"I might be free this weekend?" She says hesitantly and hurries to clarify, "Of course, I don't know for sure yet. If things go well at this meeting then maybe I can confirm that with you tonight?"
"I'd love that." She gives me another dazzling smile and my cheeks grow hot, "I'll keep my phone on."
Her watch beeps again and she groans, "Alright, I get it."
She waves goodbye to us quickly, "I'll text you tonight, Ibaraki. Take care of my cousin."
The flames of the Vermillion Bird flare around her suddenly and in a swirl of flames, she vanishes, teleporting away.
I sigh happily and hear Tobio laugh, "You two are cute together."
Slapping my cheeks to refocus, I turn to my -as of now- temporary disciple. "Alright, let's head out."
"Hm, what do you mean?" Tobio asks in confusion.
"I can hardly train you here." I roll my eyes, "For now we're headed to my house. It's about twenty-five minutes away by car so I can grill you on your plans on the way."
Travelling by car is annoying when I can run far faster but it would be awkward carrying Tobio and I arrived here by car anyways. I really need to learn a method of teleportation eventually.
"Plans?" I huff in amusement and start heading to the front door.
"Yeah, I need to know what you want before I finalize your training plan. Your goals will decide how hard I need to push you over the next month or two." Tobio jogs to catch up to me and we continue to leave the house.
"I don't understand what you mean at all." His brows are furrowed when I glance at him.
"I want to help save Sae," He realizes what he said and hurriedly tags on another goal, "-and the rest of my classmates."
"And after that?" I retort, ignoring his slip. I can tease him over that later. "Suzaku told you the significance of the Longinus-class Sacred Gears."
"Yeah?" I roll my eyes as he misses my point.
"There is a certain level of strength you'll need to reach before you can be 'comfortable' and 'safe' " I frown as I try to conceptualize that level of strength myself.
Even my level of strength is probably not enough for a Longinus wielder without a faction backing them. A Godkilling weapon is quite literally too useful for any number of individuals or groups.
"Then even if you reach that level of strength which you could choose to stop, it doesn't mean you're completely safe." I shrug, not knowing if I'm getting my point across properly.
"If you're too weak you're a tool to be wielded because of that puppy on your shoulder. On the other hand, if you're too strong, you're a threat due to that same harmless-looking dog." Jin barks at me with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, you're hardly to blame but the God of the Bible isn't around to point at." Jin huffs and continues glaring at me.
Tobio isn't really focused on us anymore and is walking with a contemplative frown, "Can I get back to you on that?"
"Of course, you can. Just keep that question in mind, okay?" Tobio locks up the house and my driver gets out of the car to open the door for us.
Tobio awkwardly thanks my driver as we get in the vehicle, clearly not used to the treatment. He shuffles in his seat, much to my amusement, while the driver closes the door and returns to the driver's seat.
Jin has no such reservations and gets comfortable on the leather seats, shamelessly pawing at them then doing a few turns and lying down.
Once we start moving, I lay out my initial plan for Tobio's training as he nods along.
As we turn onto the street I live on, my phone chimes. Checking quickly, I see that Kintoki has come through on his promise sooner than I had expected.
Instead of sending me a list, he has sent me a single location and a small information packet on the importance of the place. It's a manufacturing facility for some of the more magical drugs that the Hell King Legion peddles.
Not only that but the one who guards the facility is apparently a member of the leader's peerage. In other words, a reincarnated devil.
I finish reading the packet as we pull into the driveway and turn to Tobio with a sharp grin. "Change of plans, I'm going to give you a quick introduction to supernatural combat today."
I'm about to tap on the glass to tell my driver the new destination when the car door swings open on my side.
"I'm sooooo bored!" Shuten whines as she jumps into the car and onto my lap. "Akeno doesn't want to spar right now, Jun-sensei isn't here to teach me, Mom is out working, and that stupid lizard still won't listen to me!"
Tobio lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like laughter and Jin sniffs at Shuten curiously.
Shuten, having finished with her explanation, stares up at me with glistening eyes and pouts in an abhorrently powerful display of cuteness. "Please take me to do something fun!"
The expression is a critical hit and I grunt as I try to avert my eyes, "I'm busy right now. I have to go do something important."
Sadly my sister is sharp enough to read between the lines and pokes in the stomach, "You're heading out to have fun, aren't you! Don't leave me out of it or I'll never forgive you."
Tobio isn't even trying to disguise his laughter anymore. "I can't, what if you get hurt?"
Shuten puffs out her chest and shows off a flexed bicep, "I'm really strong! Besides, you'll protect me, won't you?"
"Fine, you can come along." I sigh as I fold like a house of cards.
The information Kintoki sent through says that nobody there will be a threat to me and if I'm being honest, Shuten could probably handle the devil that is supposed to be there.
I poke her in the arm to gauge the toughness of her skin, pursing my lips at what little I can conclude regarding her durability.
She might be bulletproof at this point? At least she is approaching that durability for small calibres.
"Just keep a barrier around your head at all times, okay?" Shuten responds positively with a nod, "I'll need to protect Tobio so he doesn't get shot and won't be able to focus on you too much."
"I'll keep myself safe! I have Anzu to protect me too!" The centipede in question pokes out from her shirt, having learned how to control its body size since Gator showed up in the house.
Tobio flinches at the appearance of the insect and Shuten finally notices his presence. "Who's that?"
"Hi, I'm Tobio Ikuse and this is Jin, it's nice to meet you." Tobio gives her a smile, overcoming his surprise at Anzu quickly.
Jin barks excitedly and Shuten grins at the puppy. She reaches out to pet him before turning away suddenly.
"Hmph, seems weak." Shuten turns her nose up dismissively and I bonk her on the head.
"Introduce yourself properly." She hisses as she covers the top of her head with her hands. "You're too young to act cool."
She grumbles and reluctantly does as I asked, "I'm Shuten and this is Anzu."
I clear my throat when she stops and she sighs, "It's nice to meet you too, Tobio and Jin."
Tobio smiles at Shuten and pets Jin. "He won't mind if you want to pet him."
My sister bites her lip and looks between Tobio, Jin, and me, trying to discern whether she's actually allowed. I roll my eyes and jerk my head towards the puppy, "Go ahead, if Tobio says you can, it's fine."
Shuten stretches her hand out again, slowly approaching Jin to not frighten him. The puppy seems amused and licks the tips of her fingers causing her to pull away giggling.
After she goes in for a second try and the puppy graciously accepts her attention, Shuten excitedly begins asking Tobio a litany of questions about the dog.
'How old is he? What breed is he? Do you have any more pets?' The answers to which are amusing in the sense I have to chime in for some of them.
Jin's age isn't 4 days like Tobio suggests but a confusing combination of millennia for the Ame-no-Ohabari component, before the Great Deluge for King Lykaon of Arcadia, and Tobio's age for the manifestation of his Sacred Gear.
Jin snaps at me when I suggest his breed is 'mutt'. Still, he is a 'mixed breed' by definition. A dual pantheon mixed breed at that.
It's honestly adorable and the majority of the drive is taken up by her questioning. She gradually begins asking questions about Tobio himself, and why he's hanging out with me.
"Your sister is helping me with a difficult problem." He says simply.
"She's too nice to humans," Shuten says with narrowed eyes.
Then she bites her lip and amends her statement, "I suppose you're okay though. You have more potential than that 'Hero wannabe' at least."
She says that but she's staring at Jin rather than Tobio himself as she does so.
"Takehiko trains hard," I say mildly, not disputing the potential comment.
The fact of the matter is that Takehiko will likely never reach the level of power that Tobio can easily reach by mastering his use of Canis Lykaon. Not without either a significantly powerful weapon to bridge the gap or some fortuitous encounter - a blessing from a significant god or the acquisition of some relic to enhance him or priceless natural treasure on the level of a fruit of Immortality.
My first thought is to give him Kenmyoren when I see him next but with Otakemaru still inside the blade, my disciple would be corrupted in all likelihood. After I remove Otakemaru from the sword and purify it, Kenmyoren could be an option for him.
The idea of giving too many gifts to people I train isn't one I like, however. Power unearned is a crutch that could be removed from you at any time after all.
That's one of the other reasons why I didn't give Kenmyoren to Shuten. If she manages to tame Gator then she will have something far more powerful than a sword she lacks the skill to use properly.
I still need to figure out what to give Akeno too. A specially made Naginata could work, I have a mountain of materials from the Dragonslayer festival to have one made.
Akeno doesn't really need a powerful weapon though. Her Holy Lightning is one of the strongest weapons she could obtain. Sure, a weapon to channel that would be great but she could just make a weapon out of the lightning.
I'm leaning towards armour for her but haven't worked out the details yet. The bone forging method that my ancestor created has only been tested on weapons - the original Bone Sword, and my bow.
Armour would shore up her biggest weakness, her comparatively fragile body.
The car begins to slow as we arrive at our destination, a warehouse on the edge of the business district.
As we stop I pat Shuten on the head and pin her with a serious stare, "Remember, maintain your barriers at all times."
"Okay, I already knew that." I sigh but take her word at face value.
I address Tobio next, "I don't expect you to do anything but make sure you watch carefully. I'll be limiting myself so you can watch and learn."
I roll my shoulders to loosen up as I feel the Ki signatures in the warehouse grow alert, the largest signature filled with demonic energy that smothers the far less prevalent Ki.
"Don't worry too much about your safety, Byakko will make sure you aren't caught in the crossfire." Tobio startles at the word crossfire and realizes what that means.
"Wait, are you going to be killing everyone?" I pause at the distress and then realize the issue.
Tobio isn't just an uninitiated human, he's someone who even after the events of Slash/Dog retained his kindness and strived to not kill his enemies without reason. I pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance and think about the pros and cons of my options.
Realistically, limiting myself to non-lethal measures isn't an issue it just means I need to be more 'delicate'. I did want to experiment more with the upgraded Tiger-style martial arts and Touki that Byakko and I have been working on... I can still do that if I focus on the second 'posture' as I've taken to calling it. The first focuses on the explosive power and acceleration of a tiger, and the sheer lethality of the mountain king. The second focuses on the other aspect of the duality present in the tiger, the silent hunter.
I purse my lips and nod, "Shuten, no killing, okay?"
Tobio sighs in relief even as Shuten whines. "But sis!"
"Think of it as an experiment. What level of poison kills and what level incapacitates." my sister grumbles but accepts the restriction reluctantly.
If she accidentally misjudges the dosage once or twice I won't call her out on it.
As I open the door and step out, I address the only member left.
"Jin, watch how I move and when I fight the devil, watch how I use a sword." The puppy glares at me but barks what I assume is agreement.
Byakko manifests beside me in a flash of silver fur, startling Tobio. "Make sure to have fun, Ibaraki. You too Shuten."
My sister and I grin in unison and walk straight for the front door.