[Hajime POV]
Tsubaki had taken to being my assistant over the last two months.
Though assistant wasn't completely right since I didn't plan to have her doing assistant-type work, it was the only label I had for what she was doing.
The first thing she did was take charge of bounty hunting. When we picked a target, she was the one who looked through their profiles to learn whatever she could before developing a plan to deal with them.
While I could have done it myself, having years of experience thanks to my assimilations, it was better that she got some experience.
Her plans had flaws and often went wrong, but I was proud of her work.
Though the first few plans failed, she improved with each attempt, her plans slowly growing as she refined her thinking.
Since she knew that we were using these rogues for training, her plans were focused not on killing them as soon as possible but ensuring the fight was within our control to remove the risks.
For example, one of the people we fought was an excommunicated exorcist who used ice magic. Her plan to beat him was simple. She would melt the ice, or I would control it while the other fought head-on.
Unfortunately for us, the plan flopped almost instantly. We found him alongside another mage who was visiting him.
They had learned that someone was hunting the nearby rogues, so they planned to work together before we showed up and recruit other nearby rogues.
Unlucky for them, we stopped them before they even started.
Another thing Tsubaki had taken to was information gathering.
More specifically, she used a few supernatural news sources to get updates from around the supernatural world. Last week, for example, Zeus was caught with a demigod by Hera, with a storm lasting a few days afterward. Most people believe Hera punished him by withholding sex, but it's hard to say for certain.
Tsubaki has also been receiving news from Yasaka.
A few weeks ago, I asked if she could send us information about any events in Japan. We needed an information network eventually, so we aren't reliant on others, but we're making do for now.
While most of the information isn't relevant, it's good to know what's happening around us.
Now, Tsubaki was standing in front of me with urgent information.
"What happened?"
"Yasaka sent us information that the Himejima Principal clan has been making a lot of noise recently. They've already sent out dozens of clansmen, with several going to the other clans requesting aid."
The Himejima? Doesn't that mean-
Oh! It seems like I might be able to get my second ally already.
"The other day, they assaulted one of their exiled members, planning on killing them and the child they had with a fallen angel, but the child escaped. It seems they're doing whatever they can to find a trace of them."
As Tsubaki spoke, I thought about the incident.
According to her, Shuri has already died, leaving Akeno to run from her home. Baraqiel originally stopped the assault, so the Himejima recruited Baraqiel's enemies to help finish the job.
After that, Akeno would spend an unknown amount of time running for her life before Rias turned her into her queen.
Taking out my compass, I thought about Akeno, with the compass pointing east toward Kuoh.
Putting it away, I addressed Tsubaki and our familiars.
"Alright, everyone, get your stuff together. We're heading out soon."
"Do you wish to recruit the child they're hunting?"
I nod. "I've heard about her. She's the daughter of Baraqiel, one of Grigori's cadres. Not only is her potential high, but it would also protect us to a certain degree. The Grigori is a major faction, so having her with us would keep us on their good side."
"Wouldn't they keep their eye on us then? And what about your plans to help yokai?"
"They'd keep their eyes on us eventually anyway; we're just speeding up the process. Besides, it will be happening on our terms, so we'll at least know our moves will be watched from now on.
As for my plans-
I'm not crazy enough to think I can overturn the system working by myself. The problems the yokai face come from a few groups pushing their selfish agendas, with those above them doing nothing because they benefit from the arrangement.
I plan on changing things, but several large and immediate changes would cause more harm than good," I explained my thoughts to her.
I was angry at them for what happened, but the assimilations gave me a different perspective.
My plans weren't going anywhere, but they evolved like Tsubaki's strategic thinking.
While I could threaten to remove the current treaties, that wouldn't be sustainable. The yokai economy relies on selling spirit fruits to the other factions.
There's also the fact that other factions would be willing to go to war over spirit fruits, and once one faction attacks, the others would join to get a piece of whatever remains.
While wanting to help yokai is important, I shouldn't destroy the entire supernatural world in the process.
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[Akeno POV]
I finally had a chance to breathe.
It'd been a few days since... that happened. I don't know what to do, but I must get away. I won't let them kill me like-
No!
I shake my head at the thought.
Why did it have to be her? Where's father? He should've been there, shouldn't he?
I turned my focus to the wards I was constructing. I didn't know when I'd be found out, so the wards would tell me when someone was nearby.
I needed to make them perfectly. Any mistakes could mean death.
I won't die.
I can't die.
-----
[Third Person POV]
Akeno spent the next few days in the abandoned house.
During the morning, she went door to door, offering her services to the families inside. Although not as experienced as her mother, she winced at the memories, she knew enough to pass herself off as a miko.
Finishing a few hours before dinner, she would buy whatever food she could before returning to where she was staying.
The house didn't get electricity, but her magic easily managed it. Though it greatly drained her magic, she could use her lightning magic to turn on the stove and heat water to clean herself.
Once she finished eating the food, saving some for breakfast, she would spend the rest of her time cleaning the house.
At first, she cleaned the kitchen to make her food properly. The living room was next since she slept there and didn't want to breathe too much dust.
After that, she started cleaning up the other rooms in the house.
She wasn't even sure why she was doing it. She knew that this was temporary. Once found, she would immediately escape to another city, so why did she care about this place?
Admittedly, she did know; she just refused to admit it.
Akeno wanted to live there. Maybe not there specifically, but just living somewhere she could feel at home.
Memories ruined her previous home after what happened. She could barely think about what happened without shaking.
It wasn't fair! Why had her mother been attacked? Her mother hadn't left their town since she could remember, and her dad was a peak ultimate-class fighter. What would anyone gain from fighting them?
Eventually, she sighed, trying to put those thoughts out of her mind.
Curling up in the bed she cleaned, Akeno tried to get to sleep, hoping the nightmares wouldn't return tonight.
As she slept, three figures entered the town from all sides.
They had finally found that worthless stain! Their clan would finally be free from the shame she brought them through her existence.
The trio quickly converged on the house Akeno was staying in, but one of them, more eager than the others, didn't notice the wards she had placed, crossing them.
Akeno, who was dealing with a nightmare, was jolted awake from the ward alarms.
Realizing she was found, she started climbing through the window onto the roof.
Sensing movement through the wards, she focused on the closest individual, who had just kicked down the front door, with the others not far behind.
One of them sensed the barrier and broke it, severing her vision of them.
Releasing her wings, she takes off toward the forest, hoping to lose them.
Flying as fast as she could, she quickly reached the forest just as the intruders found the open window, watching her flee into the forest.
As she dodges trees and branches, Akeno tries to gain as much distance as possible from them.
After several minutes of flying, Akeno was exhausted and sat down to catch her breath, only to immediately have a knife thrown next to her face, lodging itself in the tree.
"Over here, guys!" he shouted into the forest. It wouldn't be long until it was a three-vs-one.
Akeno realized they were faster, and she could only escape by fighting them. Standing up, she activated her lightning magic and shot it at the man in front of her, who dodged the attack before he swung a second knife, managing to cut her in the arm.
She jumped back, but her attacker was faster than her.
He shoved the blade forward, the knife plunging into her shoulder.
As she screamed in pain, Akeno's magic subconsciously activated, bursting outward and slamming into her attacker.
He fell to the ground, coughing. Akeno took this chance to try escaping, but unfortunately, the others were already there.
They approached quickly, with Akeno knowing she would lose.
She was already feeling like passing out from the pain, her adrenaline the only thing keeping her awake.
Launching attack after attack, she hoped to hit one with lightning, but both were prepared.
They moved between the trees as they approached, grounding at least half of her attacks.
Eventually, one of them gets close enough to hit her, slamming their foot into her gut.
Her body arched as blood flew from her mouth.
"Scum like you doesn't deserve to share our name," he said.
Why her, she lamented.
What kind of people attacked a child like this? She couldn't handle one of them; why did they have to send three?
She also had another question.
Where are you, dad?
He should've been there. He should be here!
Her mother died, and now she's about to, and her father wasn't anywhere in sight!
Does he even care about them?!
She heard stories from her mother about her clan and how she was exiled because of her parents' relationship.
Her mother gave up everything for her father, and he couldn't save either of them.
Akeno's anger spiked, furious that her dad would leave them to die like this. She heard stories about his power, so nothing should have stopped him from coming to help.
Distracted by her anger, she didn't realize when the man who kicked her picked up his leg before slamming it into the side of her head.
Her brain rattled against her skull before darkness started to take over.
"Let's kill her and get this over with. I'm sick of looking at this waste."
"Agreed."
*Boom*
She heard an explosion and some alert chatter from her attackers before finally passing out.
----------
Omake: Excalibur Thief 13
[Francisco POV]
As we returned to the city, I was thinking about the expedition. When we were leaving the jungle, Sparky had to stay behind.
Thunderbirds were a rare species constantly attacked by mages because of their value in magic experiments. They had some of the purest lightning magic infused into their bodies, making any part of them a highly valuable resource.
As I entered the city, I split off from the group and went home. I had already paid them, so I didn't need to stay longer.
I just wanted to shower after nearly two weeks without one.
As I turned onto a side street, a shortcut to my apartment, I felt the air around me change. Someone was here.
Seconds later, a few people wearing exorcist uniforms appeared before me.
Crap! The church found me. I guess I wasn't hiding, so it isn't that shocking.
They likely heard rumors of someone making healing 'remedi,' investigated, and learned it was me.
There were three exorcists, each of whom was high-class. They probably didn't want to risk me escaping.
"Hand over the Shroud of Turin, and your end will be swift. Don't, and we'll make you feel the wrath of God."
Ignoring their threat, I charged forward, using partial transformations to increase my strength.
I slammed my scaly fist into one of them before twisting my body and slamming my tail into another.
The third one, who I hadn't hit yet, charged forward with one of the church's mass-produced 'holy' swords.
Watching the blade swing down at me, I used sand manipulation to any particles in the area to quickly move me out of harm's way.
The blade, now buried in the ground, was deactivated and reactivated like a lightsaber.
By now, the others had recovered and attacked all at once.
Before I could do anything, a large bolt of lightning came from the sky, hitting all three exorcists and causing them to collapse.
Sparky flew out from the clouds before coming up to nuzzle me.
After placating and apologizing for leaving him in the jungle, I hopped on his back and flew away, knowing it wasn't safe to stay there any longer.
__________
Author's Note:
For those of you wondering, people such as Michael, Azazel, and the four great Satans aren't politically evil. While their factions have bullied the yokai, that was mostly the church (Gabriel wouldn't allow angels to bully others), fallen from factions like Kokabiel's (Azazel is a pacifist), and the Great King faction (the racist guys). They still have crimes to answer to, but Hajime will ensure they get their dues.
He won't immediately be their friend, but he won't try and avoid working with them if necessary. There are no eternal allies or enemies, only eternal interests.
Also, how was the fight? I think it was pretty good, if maybe generic.
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!