Here they were, two innocent beings sitting outside this large abode of a home. The trees were turning a crimson red in the sun, the rivers outside were gently flowing through the small crevasses of the ground, and flowers bloomed. Several foxes sprinted through the trees, and a singular deer looked upward at its surroundings, and galloped away as the wind blew.
In this front yard, the grass so green it looked like a painting. There was a small fenced area made from wood, nothing special or so lavish as the ones found in the cities Izuku knew so well, and the rivers trickled and danced with divine purity. In this small fenced area laid a small tree, and underneath was a meditation site. There were pads on the ground, small shrines, even an onsen for bathing. On the ground also laid a shishi-odoshi, a bamboo fountain. Water slowly poured into the hollowed bamboo spout, and once it filled, the bamboo fell to the ground dumping water, and it flew back upward releasing a loud “clack.”
CLACK
Yet on the border of this tranquil forest laid the small boy Akiba and the kitsune Masaomi. Akiba was laying against one of these incandescent trees, his spectacles slipping down his nose, waking him from his quick nap. He yawned with a wide mouth and stretched his arms, his haori sleeves falling and revealing his arms. He looked down and saw the small fox sitting on his lap belly-up, and the fox was sleeping just like the boy before him. Akiba started rubbing Masaomi on his white stomach, rubbing him up and down with his fingers.
“He he he he he he he he.” the fox wheezed.
Akiba started scratching the fox to the point that he started kicking his legs. Masaomi opened his eyes wide as his leg started kicking instinctively, and the fox looked upward at Akiba with his ears perked upward.
“Hey hey!! Stop it!” He cried. “Stop! I hate it when people make me do that!!”
“Not until you say sorry!” Akiba cried innocently.
“OKAY OKAY I’M SORRY!!”
Akiba stopped scratching Masaomi and the fox leapt off the boy’s lap, shaking himself and stretching outward.
“You’re so annoying about that ya know?!” The fox screamed. “I’m not just any fox, I’m a kitsune!! Just you wait until my birthday, I’ll be 100 and I can finally turn into a human and get my revenge!!”
Akiba stood up underneath the tree, and Masaomi lowered his front half ready to pounce. Suddenly, Akiba placed his hands on his hips in a powerful stance, and raised his foot onto a nearby rock.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!” He laughed. “I am the God Emperor Samurai of the Sixth Heaven: Akiba!!!! You cannot defeat me! I have the blessings of Inari and Tsukuyomi!!”
And as he said those words.
“ If I blessed you then I’d surely give you a much better name than… that.”
Akiba and Masaomi turned around, and they gazed upon Inari, who was leading everyone outside of his home.
“Oh!! Young Master!” Masaomi cried as he suddenly bowed on his paws. Akiba immediately took his foot off the stone and ran up to the young kami.
"Oh uhm…" Akiba muttered as he nervously tapped the ground with his foot. Inari bent downward at the young boy with a snicker.
"You've got to be strong to become an emperor, but you also need wisdom." He spoke. "You right now have as much wisdom as my youngest and dumbest foxes."
Akiba clenched his hands.
"No fair! I wanna be the next Shogun!!"
"Well…" Inari snickered again. "You can be the Shogun of the Great Fox Herd when we come back!"
Izuku and Jiro both approached the kami as his laughter grew louder. Inko, Shimura, and Mayu however continued walking forward down a dirt trail.
"Will they be alright?" Inko asked.
"The Young Master is just being playful right now," Mayu said. "He may or may not sprout a tail and some whiskers, it happens every now and then."
Shimura stopped and looked back at Izuku with his hands in his pockets. He squinted his eyes gazing at the boy with a subtle interest, and without thinking, he started walking back to Inari's grand abode. Every step he took led to a golden flame spouting from his feet, and they soon raced up his legs and his torso.
"We're heading into town if you wanna come with us!" Izuku said happily to Akiba. "I've never been there but maybe I can have someone show me around."
"You do realize you have me, Shimura, and Inari and Mayu for that right?" Jiro asked.
Izuku blushed and felt a sharp chill run down his spine. He gawked as his face turned blue with the chill, and Akiba's face suddenly lit with a warmth.
"Haahah! Midoriya looks like a blueberry!" He cried.
"Okay, okay that's enough."
Everyone turned around as Shimura appeared, yet as he approached the group Izuku eyes widened and he jumped.
"WOOOAAAHH!!!"
In Shimura’s place stood a large gray wolf, one so big that it easily outsized a small house. The shadow cast made Izuku almost tremble in his zori sandals that Inari let him borrow, yet Jiro, Inari, and Akiba simply smirked.
"Way to show off in front of the new guy Shimura." Jiro said with a confident smile. "Hey Midoriya, come on, this'll be great."
"Huh?!" Izuku cried. “You want me to get on that thing?!”
“It’s me.” the grand wolf spoke.
“Wait, Shimura?”
“YES!!”
Izuku stood flabbergasted as the grand wolf before him was indeed Tenko Shimura, the very same man that was eating with him during their breakfast. He had seemingly transformed into a wolf, whose fur was snow white, and crimson lines ran up and down his body. The lines curled over his back, braided down his legs, and were straightened down his snout. Shimura’s forehead was adorned with three tomoe in a circle, like they were spiraling towards the center. His long and puffy tail was lit into a golden flame, and his eyes spoke a gentle but steeled resolve. Izuku looked upon him with wonder in his eyes, and his dumbfounded expression quickly changed to that of excitement and awe.
“Uhm, okay then!” He cried. “So I just get on your back right?”
“Yep, climb on up.” Shimura spoke in a deep and husky voice.
The wolf laid down in front of them all, and Jiro quickly jumped onto his shoulders. She offered a hand to Izuku, who grabbed it and was hoisted onto the grand beast. He felt the beautiful soft fur line his legs even with his yukata on, and he was enthralled in the material.
“Hey Akiba!” Shimura said kindly. “You can sit on the ‘throne’ if you want.”
“Really?!” Akiba asked.
The wolf smiled and lowered his head.
“It would be my honor to house the future Shogun.”
Akiba’s grin grew so large that it nearly fell off his face. Inari softly pushed him forward with a smile, and Akiba raced onto Shimura’s head. Suddenly, and much to Izuku’s shock, he watched the fur magically wrap itself over his waist, much like the seatbelt in a car. The same happened to Jiro, who sat right in front of him on Shimura’s shoulder blades, and Akiba, who sat on top of Shimura’s head. The young boy scratched the wolf’s ears, and Shimura shook his head much to the boy’s excitement.
“Hey, Tenko!” Inari cried as he watched everyone settle. “This is Izuku’s first time, so try not to be… you. ”
“Yeah I know, I’ll be real careful.” the grand wolf replied.
“Uh, that didn’t sound very convincing!” Izuku cried as he grabbed Jiro in front of him, the girl blushing as she felt the boy’s arms squeeze her stomach.
“Hey I get this is your first time but is this really necessary?!” she yelled.
The flames under Tenko’s paws glowed brightly, the fires roaring evermore.
“Alright, better hold on!!” He cried.
And with the force of the kami themselves, Tenko leapt into the air with thunderous power, the very ground shaking as the wolf ran into the sky. Flames trailed behind his body as Tenko sprinted through the air, the wind ripping at everyone’s faces.
“WOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!” Izuku screamed.
“HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!” Jiro cried.
“YEAAAAHH!!! ONWARD MY STEEED!!!!!!” Akiba cheered.
With every step Izuku felt his body screeching through the sky as Tenko ran and ran, they passed through clouds, several spirits suddenly chirped and started flying with the wolf. Tenko danced and darted throughout the cloud, and jumped so far that the mountain vanished. Izuku grabbed onto the wolf’s hairs with fear racing through his heart, but Jiro looked back back at him with a smile on her face.
“HAVING FUN MIDORIYA?!” She screamed as the wind drowned her out.
“WHAT?!!! I’M DONE, I’M DONE LET ME OFF!!” Izuku yelled.
“We’re almost there don’t worry!” Tenko cried.
“MORE! MORE!!!” Akiba cried with childlike joy.
Tenko jumped, and he suddenly dove downward towards the earth with the grace of a swan. Izuku felt the skin and muscles on his face being sucked towards the back of his head, his eyes being dried out from the force of the wind. The clouds vanished, and when Izuku regained his sight, his fear vanished from his soul. Instead, he was filled with wonder, and his face of horror, slowly turned to a smile. Jiro looked back once more and saw this face, her smile growing larger as Tenko brought them… to a valley. This place was stretched between two large mountains, and a river divided them in two. At the base of each mountain lay thick green forests, and at the end of this grand place leading away from the mountains lay large and open fields. Even from the skies, Izuku could see people the size of ants, trekking along trails and roads towards the forest.
“See that mountain to the left?” Jiro asked as Tenko continued to run towards the forest. “That’s Mount Sakura, and I think you can guess why it’s named that.”
“Uh… no! I can’t!” Izuku replied.
“Wow… well it’s because of all the Sakura trees that grow there, and Inari’s home is on that mountain too! If you want we can always go back the long way if you want an idea of what it’s like!”
“Look at how big it is though!” Izuku yelled as Akiba cheered in the back. “It could take hours!”
“It goes by a lot faster than you think! The Spirit World has a way of doing things, trust me you’ll get used to it once you’ve been here for a while.” Jiro said.
They continued to run, run through the air like a plane was carrying them through the sky. The wolf ran atop the trees of Mount Sakura, several small figures ran through the woods, and Izuku gasped in awe as several foxes sprinted across the hill. They all called out with high pitched cries and purrs. Some were orange, others were black, and some had multiple tales.
“Woah! Hey guys look!” Izuku said with rising excitement. “That fox has four tails! And that black one has five!”
“Yep, they’re Lord Inari’s family!!” Akiba cried. “They’re so fun to play with, and they’re nice too!”
“Yeah guess so, they can be pretty annoying sometimes with their damn pranks!” Tenko yelled in his wolf form.
As they ran, Tenko jumped once more, and this time they were hovering far above a massive lake. Its tranquil waters as blue as the ocean, and even from that height in the air, so high that they could touch the clouds, Izuku felt like he could see the fish and creatures swimming on the shore. Yet something happened, something large and black was moving at great speed under the surface.
“Hey, what’s that in the lake?” Izuku asked.
“You’re about to see for yourself.” Jiro replied.
SPLASH
EEEEEEEYAAAAAAAHHHH
Everyone looked down and cried in shock as a blue dragon rose from the depths of a lake, its blueish-green scales reflecting the sun from its serpentine body. The grand creature flew into the sky, water pouring from its scales into the lake, fish and other spirits splashing around the grand body, and Tenko dove once again, meeting the dragon by its eyes. The wolf came to a stop in the air, and the two met face to face.
“WOAH!!!!” Izuku screamed. “I-Is that a dragon?!!!!!”
“Ah, a human! I’m not familiar with this one, but to answer your question I am indeed a dragon.”
The grand beast glided backwards, now addressing the entire group.
“To what destination do you travel?” the dragon said in its all-powerful voice.
“Shinkyo!” Tenko cried. “We’re on business for Lord Inari!”
The dragon raised its head once more, and Izuku couldn’t help but notice the jewel on its forehead. It was so beautiful he couldn’t take his eyes off it. The bellowing green of what looked like jade.
“Ah! How foolish of me not to recognize you sooner Shimura!” The dragon cried with a deep voice. “I see that you brought a new human with you, oh, nice to see you as well Jiro.”
“No not at all Lord Satoshi!” Jiro said kindly. “You’re the dragon not me.”
“Hmph.” Satoshi snorted. “ I am merely another one born into this world, I am no ‘lord.’ Now then, follow me.”
The dragon rose its entire body from the depths of the lake, and suddenly it brought its clawed hands to Tenko’s head.
“Ah yes, I have found another one for your collection, little Akiba.”
“Really?!”
“Of course! Nothing pleases me more than to see the smiles of children. How many times must I remind you?”
The dragon tossed a seashell into the boy’s hands, and his face lit with happiness and joy that even Inari would gasp at.
“Conus Gloriamaris?!” He cried. “THANK YOU!!!”
The dragon smiled and even laughed, and Izuku and Jiro looked at each other with wonder.
“Come! Shinkyo awaits!”
HWAAAAAAAAAAEEEEYY
The dragon flew into the air with so much power that Tenko was thrown from his path for a moment, Izuku clinging to Jiro like a shriveling dog.
“Quit it Midoriya!!”
“Sorry!!”
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLLL
Tenko howled into the very cosmos themselves, and he ran once more with the dragon leading them into the forest. Izuku covered his face as branches slapped onto him, he felt the wood crash into his body, but strangely, he felt no pain. He opened his eyes and uncovered his face, and the branches simply brushed against him like a blanket. Tenko continued to run and gallop through the forest, and Izuku saw several tiny, glowing figures race through the trees while the dragon flew in the sky above.
“Hey! Do you think Lady Bisha will be happy to see us?” Akiba asked.
“Oh… well as long as she isn’t drinking sake we should be fine!” Tenko yelled as he ran through the woods.
“Who’s Lady Bisha?” Izuku asked.
“Bishamonten, she’s the kami of war.” Jiro explained. “She’s been training me how to fight, and she’ll do the same with you when we get to Shinkyo!”
“The kami of war?” Izuku asked with slight worry. “Doesn’t that mean she enjoys it?!”
“She’s not like that, not all the legends about her are true if you’ve ever read them Midoriya,” Tenko cried. “But that’s enough, we’re almost at the gates!”
As Tenko spoke, the dragon let out another cry.
“OPEN THE GATES TO THE CITY!!”
And through a sudden tunnel of golden trees, the sun appeared. Izuku covered his eyes as the sun loomed overhead, that is… until a soft hand lowered his arm. When Izuku opened his eyes, he saw Jiro looking at him with a smile, and she jumped off Tenko’s back.
“We’re here.” she said.
Izuku looked upwards, and Akiba turned around to greet him with his innocent smile. He flicked his spectacles up onto his eyes. His curly brown hair fell into his face and he brushed it upward.
“Welcome to Shinkyo!”
Izuku looked forward, and a crowd of people appeared before him.
“WELCOME!!!!!”
The hairs binding him to Tenko’s back disappeared, and Izuku dismounted the great wolf. Jiro ran up to Tenko’s face, and lifted her arms upward. She helped Akiba off Tenko before the wolf suddenly glowed a shining light. His body shrunk back to human size, and the wolf howled a grand note into the air.
WOOOOOOOOOOO
The wolf stood on its hind legs, and as the particles of light vanished, Tenko’s human form reappeared, his clothes and all.
“Ah man!!” He cried as the crowd clapped for the group. “How’d you like it Midoriya? Was I too aggressive? Did you like the view?”
“Uh, uh it was great Shimura really! Don’t stress over it.” Izuku cried.
Tenko walked up and pat him on the back, slowly pushing him forward.
“No seriously, if I did something wrong tell me! I uhm, want to do better as a taxi!”
Taxi? Izuku thought.
“Hey come on, let’s show you the city!” Jiro cried.
“Hold.”
Everyone turned as the dragon Satoshi coiled his long scaly body into a cradle position. His long and grand snout came to Izuku’s body, his breath blowing him off his balance. Satoshi’s blue eyes stared at the young boy, and much like Tenko just moments ago, The dragon glowed a warm light. The body transformed instantly, the crowd murmuring as the dragon changed shape. The long serpentine body had shrunk to a small, human body. The person was tall, clothed in a modern-day suit, black tie and all. The light vanished, and what stood in front of the group was no longer a dragon, but a man with brown skin, black hair, and large antlers protruding from his forehead.
“Forgive me if I am intruding on Lord Inari’s orders, but I wish to accompany all of you.” Satoshi said. “The hour of my ‘break’ has arrived, and Hitoshi has taken to my post.”
“Oh, that’s fine I guess.” Tenko said. “I’ll buy you some sakura mochi.”
Satoshi bowed in a respectful manner.
“I would greatly appreciate it sir, oh!” Satoshi said. “And you’re the new human that was brought here I take it.”
Izuku blushed.
“Um… yes sir! I’m Izuku Midoriya!”
He bowed in front of the dragon, now sitting in human form, and the dragon bowed with him.
“I am simply known as Satoshi, and I’m well aware that you’re still acclimatizing to the land of the Spirits, Midoriya.” He said. “Well, rest assured that, despite the fact we have just met, I am your ally, and you may call me a friend.”
Izuku nodded, but he soon smiled after the fact as the dragon slowly brought his arm forward, like he was guiding the group forward. Izuku suddenly felt Jiro take his arm as the hundreds of people in the street soon returned to their shops, and the city… glowed an incandescent beauty. The buildings were old, traditional Japanese architecture from the old days. Small shops adorned the streets, some were selling antiques, others were selling clothing, food, small trinkets, shoes, even prayer items. As Izuku walked with the group, Jiro pointed at several places.
“That’s a great rice shop I think you’ll like.” She said. “And that’s Miyazaki’s Noh theater.”
Tenko leaned over and pat Izuku on the shoulder.
“There’s also Lady Junko’s bathhouse on the next block down if you ever feel like you need to refresh yourself. Or we can just use the onsen outside the House.”
Suddenly, everyone watched as several umbrella’s hopped in front of them. They only had a singular eye, one incredibly muscular leg with a geta sandal, and a long, slithering tongue. They jumped right in Izuku’s face, causing him to jump back.
“GAH!!” He cried as he fell onto the ground.
“HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!! FILTHY HUMAN!!! GET OUT!!!”
Satoshi and Tenko stepped in front of Izuku, both of them filled with anger.
“Get back! Away with you now!” Satoshi screamed.
The umbrellas suddenly cried in shock.
“Oh! OHHH!!!!! Master Satoshi! W-we didn’t know you were in the city! Please forgive us!”
“You both know not to harass others like that you buffoons,” Tenko said angrily. “You want me to get the Council here?”
“Oh no! Not at all Shimura!!” the umbrellas cried. “Spare us!”
“Fine, I’ll leave this be, but if I hear another incident then I’ll have have Tsukuyomi himself here before moonrise!”
“Of course of course!” the umbrellas cried. “Please good day sir!”
The umbrellas hopped away, and Tenko offered his hand. Izuku took it and Tenko pulled him to his feet, the boy looking back in the crowd.
“What was that all about?!” He cried.
“Don't mind them, they’re Karakasa Kozo, a type of Yokai,” Tenko explained. “When umbrellas are left alone for long periods of time they can turn into Yokai, they’re harmless though. They enjoy scaring people and that’s it.”
“You’ll learn all about them and many others when we meet Lord Tenjin,” Jiro said as they continued walking through the street. “How’re your grades Midoriya?”
“Oh, well I’m the only one who really pays attention in my class so… pretty good I guess?”
Tenko and Jiro quickly looked at each other. Jiro leaned over and whispered in Tenko’s ears, and the thin man placed his hand over his chin. Izuku gulped for a moment as the two turned around and whispered, his sweat building on the back of his neck.
“Ah! A human!!”
Izuku turned around and saw a tall woman with the head of a slug. She was wearing a green kimono, and her “lips” were painted a fresh red with lipstick. Her eyes were elevated on two flexible stems, just like a slug, and she looked down at him.
“What brings you to Shinkyo?” She asked as slime slathered down her face. “It’s rare for humans to enter the Spirit World.”
“Oh well I’m… with Inari!” Izuku cried. “He wants to show me around the city and help me train to help everyone.”
“Oh! Inari himself?!” the slug woman cried. “Well where is he then?”
“Um….” Izuku muttered.
“Midoriya!”
Izuku turned around as Tenko appeared.
“You’ll fit right in at the academy!” he said, suddenly wrapping his arm around Izuku’s shoulder. He pulled the boy away.
“Sorry Mrs. Yoshimura, we're in a bit of a rush!” Jiro cried as Tenko dragged Izuku down the street.
“Oh, alright! Apologies for holding you up!” the slug woman said.
“Fear not Mitsuki, you’re not to blame. Have a seashell.” Satoshi said as he handed her a beautiful gem. The woman gasped.
“Satoshi you didn’t!” She cried. “It’s magnificent!”
“Anytime, no then, I must be going. Enjoy yourself!” Satoshi cried.
As the dragon caught up with the others, he leaned an ear to their conversation. Tenko and Jiro were keeping Izuku moving at a brisk pace, and that’s when Satoshi noticed little Akiba, the boy playing with the seashell.
“Here comes the Wani of legend!!”
He snatched Akiba off his feet and raised him into the air.
“WOAH!!”
He let Akiba sit on his shoulders and the boy grabbed onto his antlers.
“Oh! Thanks Mr. Satoshi!” Akiba said happily.
“Anytime young one.” the dragon said with a smile.
And as for the trio of humans.
“Sometimes the spirits here can be a little… talkative like Mrs. Yoshimura,” Tenko said as he sped Izuku down the bustling street of the city. “She’s another Yokai, and when she talks? Oh man, it’s all day.”
“Another Yokai?” Izuku asked.
“She’s a Shumoku Musume,” Jiro explained. “Trust me, she’s lonely due to… well I think you get it.”
As they walked, they passed an open plaza, one with several paper lanterns, all written with thick black kanji, much like Izuku’s contract on his chest. In this plaza laid a Sakura tree in full bloom, and underneath the tree was a small altar. Several restaurants lined the plaza and Izuku couldn’t help but notice some of the vendors, some appeared human, others were large creatures he had never thought he would see in his life.
“Want a quick detour?” Tenko asked enthusiastically.
“Well it does look pretty interesting.” Izuku said.
“We don’t have much time, but it is on the way to Lord Tenjin’s library.” Jiro said.
Together she and Tenko looked at each other.
“Let’s go!”
Together they dragged Izuku into the plaza, and he cried in nervousness as they ran right in. Satoshi followed with Akiba sitting on his shoulders. The young boy cried happily as Satoshi raced in after the group, and soon, the shouting started. Lights had shined even in the broad daylight, and the voices of the spirits cried in joy and energy.
“Fresh baked rice and fried pork for only 2,000 yen!” Someone cried from a vendor.
“I have sakura mochi for 500!!” A woman cried.
“Would anyone like some jasmine tea?!” A small tea maker asked. “Only 200 yen per glass!”
Izuku looked around at all the spirits in the vendors and at the tables outside. There was a human looking spirit making fresh rice in his small kitchen, another man was making fresh soba noodles, but he had the head of a lobster. Thirdly, a woman whose skin was covered in red scales was working the sakura mochi.
“I’ll say it again, I have fresh sakura mochi for only 500 yen!” She cried
“Oh! I’ll take some!” Tenko cried as he approached the counter.
He reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, his gloves making his wallet slippery with every grasp. He pulled out two 500 yen coins and gave them to the woman, she grabbed the coins with haste and smiled.
“Here son, five pieces of sakura mochi.” She said.
“Many thanks.” Tenko replied.
He grabbed the plate of the confectionaries and signaled everyone to meet at a small wooden table. Satoshi grabbed Akiba and lifted him off his shoulders, setting him down next to Tenko, while Jiro and Izuku sat next to each other on the other side of the table. Together, everyone joined there under the tree, and in unison, they all took a single bite from the sweet. Izuku’s face lit up and his eyes widened.
“This is amazing!!!” He cried. He soon stuffed the portion in his mouth. “Man the rice and the tea leaves are so fresh! I don’t think I’ve ever had anything this good!”
“Hahahahahahah!!” Satoshi laughed with a wheeze. “Indeed young man, this sakura mochi is…”
The dragon looked at the treat.
“Just look at it, it’s so beautiful. The texture is so clean, the combination of the crisp tea leaves followed by the soft beauty of the rice. And the flavor!! Oh, that sweetness that fills the mouth and the tongue, it just sticks in mouth and creates such an intricate flavor-”
As Satoshi continued talking, Jiro leaned over to Izuku.
“He does that whenever he talks about food.”
“Oh… I see.” Izuku chuckled nervously. “Have you guys known each other long?”
“Oh yeah,” Tenko said as he stuffed his mouth with the sakura mochi. “I’ve been coming here all the time since…”
He stopped short of his sentence for a moment, he swallowed his dessert and looked forward.
“I’ve been coming here since I was little, after Sensei found me.” he said. “I was Blessed up on Mount Wisteria and well, he was there to see it!”
“I’ve known him since I was five, and uh…”
He tried to utter another sentence, but Satoshi placed his hand on Tenko’s shoulder, and he smiled.
“It’s always been a pleasure being by your side Tenko.” The dragon said. “Of course that means I also had to keep your sorry butt out of trouble!”
“Wha? That’s not true!” Tenko cried.
“Heheh, Tenko’s getting all huffy again.” Akiba said as he munched on his sakura mochi.
“Not you too little guy…” Tenko said as he placed an elbow on the table.
“Pouting about it doesn’t help you know.” Jiro said.
“Come on I’m just saying that Satoshi’s helped out is all!” Tenko cried.
“I get it, really I do.” Jiro added.
Yet in the middle of all the prattle, Izuku sat and watched, completely in awe of his surroundings. He looked around as other spirits were eating their food. Some were eating noodles, burgers, small sweets such as onigiri, and others were reading books.
"How long have you been that lake?" Izuku asked. Satoshi looked up and closed his eyes with a proud sigh.
"Many decades, centuries perhaps," He said. "Tsukuyomi himself trusted me and my brother as the guardians of this city. To tell the truth... I owe him my life, and I would gladly stand by his side when I am called."
"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Izuku replied.
The group continued eating, and shortly after a group of spirits cheered after two of them had finished a game of shogi.
“So Midoriya,” Tenko asked. “It’s been a little bit now, and I know we haven’t shown you the whole city yet but, whaddya think of the Spirit World so far?”
Izuku turned his head around and stared the man directly in the eyes.
“It’s amazing!” He said. “I didn’t know spirits were so similar to all the Quirks we see every day too. There’s so many things that remind me of Heroes too! Satoshi, you could make an awesome Hero back home, I swear!”
“Well I appreciate the compliment, but my duty is to protect the city, as I just said.” the dragon said deeply.
“Well you’re a Hero already then right?” Izuku asked excitedly. “You’re keeping everyone safe, and you’re a dragon, a real dragon!!”
“Midoriya-”
“I bet tons of people here are so happy that you’re protecting them-”
“MIDORIYA!!” Jiro screamed.
Izuku gasped and looked at her, yet what sat behind her worried him to the core. Jiro turned around and saw that several spirits gazed upon the group. A human spirit and a group of others followed behind him, and they surrounded the table closely. Akiba’s face turned to fear, and he grabbed Tenko’s shirt.
“Shimura…?” he asked in a trembling voice.
“Stay behind me.” Tenko said in a deep voice.
Suddenly, one of the spirits put her foot on the bench.
“What’s a human doing in the Spirit World?” She asked dangerously, she looked at Izuku with deadly orange eyes.
“H-Human? Me?” He asked.
“Yes you, dumbass.” The woman grunted. “You realize humans ain’t supposed to be here? Your kind do nothing but taint our world with your corruption. I almost ended up in Yomi if it wasn’t for Amaterasu!”
“That’s enough.” Jiro said standing in front of the spirit. The woman snickered, her skin turning to cloth. As Izuku watched, he noticed something. Jiro’s throat gained a black kanji, as did her cheeks. Her earlobes moved as well, as two headphone jacks, held by long cords covered in her skin, started floating.
“I recommend you leave… now.” Satoshi warned, his face appeared more dragon-like by the moment. He grew two whisker-like appendages that waved in the wind with every moment. His antlers grew larger, and his teeth turned to fangs.
“Of course the Snakeskin sympathizes with the humans!” the spirited yelled as she tried to rally the crowd against the group. “You damn dragons are all alike, and here you are trying to blend in with humans! You Snakeskins are all the same!”
“Shut your mouth before I shut it for you!” Jiro said, coming to Satoshi’s defense.
“Oh yeah?” the hostile spirit asked as her hands turned to cloth. “What are you going to do about it bitch?!”
“You really don’t want to get on my bad side.” Jiro spoke as the kanji grew larger.
PAT
Yet as the spirit grew closer, someone stepped up, and put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. The entire city suddenly gasped as the Sun vanished, the sky turning black. The stars glimmered with sudden glows, and with a snap of the man’s fingers, all the lantern’s in the city, paper, oil, even the electric signs that hung on some storefronts all lit with splendor. The moon replaced the Sun, and its white glow shimmered onto Shinkyo in incandescent beauty.
“Honestly I sometimes wonder why I even bother with some of you.”
Everyone looked at the man, and the spirit gasped with a shocked breath. She dropped to her knees and bowed immediately, and as the rest of the group saw the man, they did the same. Tenko, Jiro, Satoshi, and even Akiba bowed in silence. Izuku looked around in shock, and he saw as everyone else in the plaza grew silent, bowing in respect for the man.
“Midoriya! Bow!” Tenko shouted in a whisper.
“Huh?!” Izuku gasped.
He looked at the man before him. He was tall with silver hair as beautiful as the moon. He was wearing a silver kimono with a violet haori overtop, and he was wearing socks and zori sandals. His hair was tied in a long ponytail, the hair reaching halfway down on his back. His skin was as warm as the summer air, his purple eyes glaring into Izuku’s soul.
“I grow tired of your continued harassment of my guests Yuka.” the man said. “Time and time again I have received complaints from many business owners and commoners of your wickedness and discrimination.”
“Wait!” the spirit cried. “Lord Tsukuyomi please! I was only calling out that this human is in the Spirit World. I was just trying to-”
“I am well aware of your actions. Honestly I thought you were above something as petty and short-sighted as discrimination…” the man said in a calm voice. “Leave this place… now.”
The spirit didn’t argue, she signaled for her comrades to follow her, and with great speed, they all left the plaza.
“Lord Tsukuyomi!” Another spirit cried. “Please forgive us for allowing such rudeness in this place. We meant no offense!”
The man turned towards the crowd.
“Please! I should apologize to all of you. I’m sorry if I scared anyone.” he said.
Murmurs spread quickly throughout the crowd as they rose from their knees.
“Not at all my Lord!” Many of the spirits cried.
The man bowed to everyone in the grand plaza and they clapped their hands. Everyone was suddenly cheering for the man, even Jiro and the others were clapping as the man turned around showing a serene smile.
“Now then, everyone please return to your daily activities. My greatest apologies for allowing this offense to transpire. Rest assured this will not happen again!”
“Of course your grace!”
Everyone in the crowd returned to their duties. The vendors sold their wares, the families of spirits and friends enjoyed their company, and the mysterious man turned around, walking towards the group.
“Forgive me for this abrupt interruption but it is high time we get to business.” He said.
Suddenly, the man opened his sleeve and threw a sash at the group, the sash came to life and everyone was swallowed whole. Izuku gasped as he felt someone bumped into him, and then he felt someone clutch him hard.
“AH! Someone just grabbed my butt!” he yelled.
“Oh, sorry!”
“Akiba!!!” Izuku cried in embarrassment.
When the darkness nearly took hold, light soon peered through the sash, and the group found themselves in a large room. There was a table for everyone to sit at, much like ones you’d find in a cafeteria, but this table was made of a fine wood. Izuku looked out a nearby window and saw a large Torii gate, its amber structure signaling that this location was sacred ground. And as he turned his gaze back to this room, he looked at one of the paintings on the nearby wall, there was one of three individuals sitting together. One was the man they had just met in the plaza, another was a woman more beautiful than anyone Izuku had ever seen, and she was wearing a suit of armor. The third however… someone had stabbed the face, and the body was savagely ripped off the painting.
“Welcome to my home everyone.”
The man showed himself once more, his silver hair and violet haori shining even in the night sky.
“I am Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, but everyone calls me Tsukuyomi,” the man said. “Kami of the moon, son Izanagi himself, and second of the Three Precious Children. Welcome, Izuku Midoriya.”
Izuku grunted under his breath and bowed.
“Wow, it’s an honor to be in front of someone like you sir!” He cried.
DING
“Tsuku’s always been one of grandeur and showing off, don’t worry about acting proper!”
Everyone turned and saw Inari, who was smiling as always, and he was joined by Mayu and Inko.
“And you are always the prankster, I’ll never understand how you can act so brazenly in front of others.” Tsukuyomi said in a deep voice.
“It’s just because you take things too seriously.” Inari joked as he walked up to the kami.
As the two deities came together, Izuku and Jiro noticed something… bizarre.
“You know I never noticed how absurd the height difference is between those two.” Jiro said as she played with one of her cords on her right earlobe.
“Uh… guess so.” Izuku said nervously.
Inari was the same height as Izuku, yet Tsukuyomi appeared to be a giant in comparison. Tsukuyomi towered over the small boy, and Inari only came up to Tsukuyomi’s chest.
“Um… how did you get here exactly?” Izuku asked.
“Good old teleportation!” Inari cried happily. “Comes in handy all the time, and if you couldn’t already guess, I have eyes everywhere.”
Inari winked as a fox chirped in the background, and when the group turned around, they watched as a white fox scurried off from one of the scaffolding.
“Izuku! Are you okay?” Inko asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine!” Izuku said.
“Good, then let us get to business.”
Tsukuyomi snapped his fingers as the chairs came to life and flew right behind everyone standing. Izuku, Jiro, Tenko, Satoshi, Akiba, and Inko were caught off guard as the chairs brought them to the grand table, a lotus flower sitting in the middle of the place as a decoration. They were brought to the surface and watched as Tsukuyomi, Mayu, and Inari sat quietly. Izuku was placed next to his mother, while Tenko sat to his left. Tsukuyomi was at the head of the table, and in front of him to his left was Mayu, and to his right was Inari. Jiro was sitting on Satoshi’s left, and Akiba was sitting next to the grand dragon.
“I want to apologize for what happened moments ago.” Tsukuyomi said as he bowed from his seat. “You see, it is rare that humans set foot in the Spirit World, it upsets the Natural Scale for you to be here, that is, if it were in large quantities.”
Izuku gulped as the god spoke.
“Humans for centuries now have known war, death, and have committed a great number of sins, but like us, you are also capable of great change and good. All of us here and a great many citizens of Shinkyo can see that, and we will gladly call you friend.”
“Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way, like Yuka there.” Tsukuyomi continued. “They see humans and hate them immediately for who they are, and dragons suffer the same fate.”
“Yes…” Satoshi muttered as he crossed his arms. "I will never understand why, after all these centuries, that it continues."
“Oh… I’m sorry.” Izuku said.
“Don’t be, you didn’t know.” Satoshi stated.
“He’s being sincere!” Inko cried. “Izuku’s a good boy, please he meant what he said.”
As the others spoke their words, Tsukuyomi raised a single hand, and the room went silent. He looked at everyone around him, and they him. The stillness was loud, and the quiet lingered for moments that felt like eternity.
“Inari has informed me of the contract you signed with him. That makes you incredibly special, Midoriya.” Tsukuyomi said. “Now, I understand that, being a human, you still have many responsibilities in your world, and you’re a student, which means you must still attend school.”
“Um… yes sir.” Izuku muttered. Tsukuyomi smiled.
“Apologies, am I frightening you?” he said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry I- uhm.”
“Is everything alright Lord?” Mayu asked.
“Yes, I just have this sneaking suspicion that I make others uneasy.” He said.
“Oh, you’re fine sir really!” Izuku cried. “I’m just still getting used to everything. Inari and Mom told me I was in a coma for a whole week!”
There was a stillness in the air as this meeting continued, and Tsukuyomi sighed. He cleared his throat and straightened his haori.
“Yes, we are all aware,” He replied. “Back to where I started, you swore an oath to protect both of our worlds, and as such you need training. Forgive me if it feels like we are moving too fast, but rest assured that we will help you every step of the way.”
“So yeah, this is how we’re gonna start. And I get to be your teacher.” Tenko said. “I’ll be helping you work on your stealth. It’s extremely important that we remain unseen by everyone in Japan.”
“Why?” Izuku asked.
“The line between the Human and Spirit Worlds is very thin young man,” Mayu said. “Even now, we have dangerous Yokai and spirits who are leaking into your world, it’s our duty to stop them and give them rest.”
“Are you all part of some group?” Inko asked.
“Yep.” Jiro said. “All of us are fighting to save both worlds, trust me I was just as confused as you guys are now a year ago.”
“We are called the AEU, the Apparition Exorcism Union.” Tsukuyomi explained. “It’s not the name I would have chosen, but it works.”
“Starting today, you’re one of us!” Tenko said cheerfully. “But it’s gonna take you a while to learn everything, you’ve also gotta bulk up!”
“Me?” Izuku asked.
“Yeah, last time you used your blessing you ended up in that coma, remember?” Tenko asked. “You know how Quirks have their own drawbacks?”
“Oh yeah!” Izuku said enthusiastically. “Quirks are just like the muscles in our bodies! They’re a part of us, and just like our muscles we have to train them to be strong!”
“Except you don’t have a Quirk do you?” Inari asked.
Izuku suddenly felt a chill of fear corrupt him. He felt that weight that crushed him for years, and the familiar face of Bakugo soon appeared to him.
“But Blessings function the same way, both in body and spirit.” Inari explained. “I already explained this to you, but in order to keep yourself from going to more comas, you need to make both of those stronger.”
“So, Bishamonten will be your teacher in combat and will help you build your body strong!!” Mayu cried with a wide smile. Inari chuckled a bit from her remarks. “Right now you’re as thin as a broom, but work on your body and soon you’ll be as fit as the greatest fighters in our tournaments!”
“Meanwhile you’ll be studying with me in Lord Tenjin’s archives,” Jiro said. “Honestly it might be pretty fun having a classmate for once.
“What exactly would Izuku be studying?” Inko asked. “He still has a whole semester left of middle school until graduation.”
“As does Jiro Mrs. Midoriya,” Tsukuyomi explained. “Don’t worry, we are fully prepared for that. Education comes first after all. We will schedule all of Izuku’s lessons and training accordingly. I believe what Bisha, Tenjin, and I have laid out will suit his school schedule perfectly.”
Inko clenched her hands.
“You’re absolutely sure about that?” Inko questioned once more.
“I’m certain of it.” Tsukuyomi replied.
Inko looked at her son, and Izuku looked at his mother. Together they slowly held hands, and they looked onward.
“Okay, I’m going through with this,” Inko said. “I’m trusting that Izuku will become a strong man. So please, so whatever you have to.”
Tsukuyomi stood from his chair, and everyone looked at him with wonder in their eyes.
“We will, thank you ma’am.”
Suddenly, a cat arrived at the scene, and it jumped on the table purring a loud comfort. It walked towards the end of the table, its solid gold eyes matching Inari’s.
“Um, whose cat is that?” Jiro asked. “I’ve never seen it before.”
The cat turned towards Jiro, and it suddenly stood on its hind legs.
“Oh I’m not just any cat Young Jiro…” it said.
“It talks?!” Izuku cried.
The cat turned around, placing one of its paws on its hip.
“Oh joy! Another human!” It cried. “That just makes my job more fun!!”
The cat lept into, and its tail split in two. The ends of the tail sparked blue flames, and the cat’s body became ethereal. Its body was spiritual and when it flew over to Izuku, it’s paw went right through his head.
“Behold humans! I am Nekomata!!” She cried. “Servant of Lord Tsukuyomi, and I have the answer to all of your questions… for a price of course!”
“Neko.” Tsukuyomi grunted.
“Oh oh that last bit was just a harmless joke I assure you!” Nekomata cried.
She’s… weird… Jiro and Izuku thought. The cat suddenly flew over to Tsukuyomi, her white fur suddenly being adorned by a golden kimono sized for a cat, and it suddenly summoned a pipe of tobacco.
“My lord, my scouts have returned with grave news…” Nekomata said.
“What?” Tsukuyomi asked. “What do you mean?”
“Is everything okay?” Inari asked.
Nekomata took a large smoke of her pipe, and she blew the spiritual smoke into the room. It licked its lips for a moment while Tenko and Jiro both shot up from their seats with great concern.
“Lady Bishamon is missing, no one has seen her for days.” Nekomata said.
“WHAT?!” Jiro and Tsukuyomi cried. “How did this happen, where was she last seen?”
“She was on the road, heading to Mount Kagutsuchi.”
“Mount Kagutsuchi…” Tenko muttered.
“Is that place important?” Izuku asked.
“It’s one of the most sacred locations in the Spirit World, but we only go there once a year,” Tsukuyomi stated. “This is…”
He brought his hand to his chin, and he rose from his seat. He walked around the table for a short time and suddenly spun around, looking at Nekomata with determined yet panicked eyes.
“Does anyone else in Shinkyo know of this? What about the bordering towns?”
“No, everyone in this room are the only ones who know of this.” Neko said as she took another puff from her pipe. Tsukuyomi whipped his head around.
“Inari! Send word to your foxes and start a search for Bishamon immediately!”
“Of course!” Inari cried as he signaled Mayu to his side. He rose from his seat and quickly ran to Inko and Izuku. “We need to leave, sorry Izuku but this is serious. You’re training’s on hold for right now.”
“Can’t I do something to help?!” Izuku cried.
“No, you’re untrained and your body can’t handle your Blessing right now!” Inari warned as he helped Inko and Izuku to their feet. “If you use it now you may fall into another coma!”
As he grabbed the mother and son, he looked back with a angered but determined look on his face.
“Akiba! We need to leave!”
“Uh… right!” Akiba cried in a scared voice.
BOOM
“AH!!” He screamed.
Tenko sprinted over to the small boy and grabbed him. As Tenko looked at Akiba, he saw the small boy’s face etched with pure terror, tears running from his face as his eyes became so wide they nearly fell from his head. Izuku started to pull away from Inari as he escorted them from the exit.
“NO! NO! NO! MAKE IT STOP!!!”
“Akiba!! It’s okay! I’m right here and I’m not leaving!” Tenko yelled as he hugged Akiba.
“MAKE IT STOP!!!!!”
“What’s wrong with him?!” Inko cried.
“Akiba’s afraid of thunderstorms, but why’s there one now?” Jiro asked in a panic.
BOOOOM
Akiba screamed again as Tsukuyomi looked up at the ceiling. There as a large skylight surrounded by kanji, and he gazed with a focused eye at the clouds. The clouds were as black as night, blocking the Moon and its light, and he grit his teeth. Something was moving in those clouds, a beast beyond human understanding. This... thing caused Tsukuyomi's caution to rise, and he turned towards everyone in the room with glowing eyes.
“Satoshi, you’re with me.” He said in a cold voice, one filled with hate. “Nekomata, lock this city down, alert everyone and tell them to stay in their homes.”
Nekomata raised her eyes and doused her pipe instantly. Izuku sensed something off, for the brevity of knowing her, she came off as sarcastic and crude. However, at this moment, she was filled with concern.
“You don’t think it’s-”
“I do, sound the alert, get everyone in Shinkyo to safety.” Tsukuyomi ordered.
Nekomata did not speak, she merely ran into the sky with light trailing from behind. Izuku broke free from Inari, using what strength he had, and he ran to Tenko and Jiro, who cradled Akiba as the boy curled himself in fear.
“What the hell’s going on?!” He asked.
“I don’t know!” Jiro cried as she held Akiba.
Tenko simply looked up as Satoshi and Tsukuyomi walked briskly towards a large door. A door adorning a lotus flower sitting under a grand red maple tree.
“Ready yourself Satoshi.” the deity ordered.
“Of course.”
Satoshi used both of his hands and grabbed the air like he was holding a katana, and suddenly, he drew his right arm up vertically. A blade made from pure water appeared right before Izuku’s eyes, and Satoshi whipped the fine weapon to his right, like he was holding a sword.
“Shingetsu!” Tsukuyomi screamed.
SHING
Izuku looked up as a ray of moonlight rammed through the ceiling and materialized in Tsukuyomi’s left hand. It formed a large, silver tonfa that erected itself of the kami’s elbow, and the man looked back, shushing everyone in the room. He looked at Satoshi, and the dragon slowly nodded his head. Tsukuyomi nodded as well, and with his right hand, he opened the door.
Outside the building was a large whirlwind, the air ramming into the building with so much power that it sent Izuku flying backward into the wall. He crashed into the hard surface and felt as the impact knocked the wind from his sails. He slumped to the ground and struggled to breathe, slowly bringing his hands to his chest and taking tiny, almost non-existent breaths.
“HUUUUUUHHH!” He wheezed.
And as he looked up, he saw a man. A man with a tan bamboo hat covering his eyes, a scorched black kimono, one covered with a thin layer of armor. He had his sleeves together, and he was simply looking forward with glowing, blood red eyes.
CRA-BOOOM
A bolt of lightning struck the ground right next to the man, the energy cracking the concrete and starting a small fire. He stared forward at the god and the dragon, unmoving, yet his aura, his spirit… it terrified all inside. Izuku looked up as Inari stood in front of Inko protecting her, and Jiro and Tenko both summoned their Blessings. As for Tsukuyomi, he stared back at this man… and uttered a single word…
“Susanoo…” He grumbled with hatred.
And the man who stood in the rain… smiled a devilish grin.
“Hello… Big Brother…”
