A divine prize

It was finally time. For a while now, Kurome was aware of a certain individual who was apparently present beneath the town of Talonia. The city itself was known as the place where less than reputable individuals gather, making this of little surprise. That said, this entire ordeal was less about the man himself and more about the items that he was carrying. What they were was not yet fully disclosed to the cat yōkai, but she was certain it was something of worth. It always was when it came to this specific individual. There was merely one small problem when dealing with him.

Mirroring the extraordinary quality of his wares, he charged a fortune. Even gathering the most wealthy of individuals currently present in Talonia would not be able to cover his prices. As such, he was really only someone the richest people of Ishgar could deal with. For this very reason, Kurome had decided to make use of an older contact she managed to make, purely accidentally, some time ago. To visit this notorious merchant beneath the city where black market thrived and see what wares he had. And if one of these were to strike the girl’s eye, she and this contact of hers would take the goods by force.

But even that was something which was hardly easy to do. Careful planning had to be present. It went without saying that someone who could easily bankrupt even millionaires would have a good measure of security with him at all times. And more than just some security. For the girl knew exactly who she was dealing with after confirming the identity. She had to admit, under any other circumstance, even someone like her would avoid this individual at all cost. But the chance of him having something that would be of great help to her was far too great to pass up.

She had sent the letter out a while back, hand-written by herself and even contained a special seal which was used by the cat’s family a long time ago. All to enhance the official look of the offer and make certain that the individual she asked for would accept it. That was, of course, the one and only true brute she had met so far, Indra. And although she didn’t exactly know the location of his whereabouts, she researched the tattoo which she saw on his body. It took a while and a lot of resources, but she managed to learn all she needed about it.

A mark of those who were part of a dark guild called Rakshasa. Pinpointing their rough location, that was where she had sent the letter with one of her undead servants. Even if it was not direct, she was sure that the awakened being would either find the actual guild or someone from ti would kill it after mistaking it as an intruder, finding the letter and delivering it to the one it was addressed to. And if not to Indra, well, she was willing to entertain anyone strong enough who would dare to show up.

The meeting place was one of the many shady businesses in Talonia, a less known spa that also served as headquarters for a certain starting mafia organization. Though their cover seemed almost perfect, the building having all the equipment any other spa would have and even accepting real costumers to further drive the facade. Their only misfortune was that Kurome chose the location as a suitable meeting spot. By now, every single member of the mafia in the building was an awakened - someone resurrected by the girl’s magic, their mind enslaved by her and forced to obey anything she would say.

A trait that differentiated her ‘zombies’ from the trash that other necromancies provided. Her victims retained their intelligence and all personality traits. This made them wonderful servants in any situation. For example, right now, all of them had a precise set of instructions - to lead anyone with the Rakshasa mark inside the building and kill anyone else. So once Indra would show up, he would be guided by the awakened several floors up into one of the more remote rooms, one guarded by a good bulk of the reanimated soldiers.

He alone would be allowed inside this room, beautifully furnished on the inside. Bamboo flooring and ornate walls were sparkling clean, if maybe a bit wet. Many metallic cabinets lined the wall next to the entrance, clearly meant to hold the clothing of those who would go inside. And to the side, a number of stools with showerheads above them, allowing the guests to clean their bodies before using the main hot bath that was in the middle of the room. One made to look natural by a basin pieced together from natural stones and even flora growing all around it.

In this bath was a single individual, Kurome herself, sitting submerged in the water and bare of any attire for now. Clearly not bothering to cover herself in any way even if someone were to enter, she was resting against the stone wall in such a position that she would see anyone entering, something that would prompt her to open her crimson eyes and analyze the individual who would be helping her for this day. Naturally, she was also ready to give an order to all the awakened outside to storm the room and kill the person if they were to try and harm her.

Not that they would be able to succeed even if they tried. The invisible necrotic barrier guarded the girl’s body always and even stronger attacks would not be able to pierce it that easily. So for now, the girl continued in her relaxation, all the information about her plan for today repeating in her head to ensure that she would be able to execute the plan successfully. That was all she needed, success. Because right now, no matter who would come to her aid, she was not expecting a flawless victory unless an actual miracle were to somehow occur.

There are no true dangers in the life of a cat, or so some say. And certainly, the small creatures often knew their way around. Nimble and able to fit into many small spots, their senses keener than those of most individuals. And Kurome was a Bakeneko, yōkai that originated from such a creature. Suffice to say, that much was probably apparent to most who had laid their eyes on her physical form. And as she inherited those very traits, the girl rarely felt threatened. What more, she had also inherited the intellect and careful nature of her clan. This was why she turned out to be such an effectively killer.

The walls of the spa were thick to ensure proper privacy, the windows to the room she resided in closed tightly. And awakened guards on the halls would stop anyone hostile coming from there. The leader of Rakshasa might have thought he slipped past all of those security measures and won in this little non-existent contest. But the truth was, Kuro simply did not move an inch and seemingly did not react in any way when he jumped down and spoke up. Instead, she continued to groom her claws carefully without any sense of threat coming to her.

Why was that? Quite frankly, the girl’s abilities were designed in a way where no one could rightly get the drop on her. She was well aware of her own weaknesses, the fact that her physical body was more feeble than one of a young and still developing child. Summoning, necromancy… it was a style of magic perfect for her. But with such magic came certain requirements. Primarily the ability to easily see and control life force itself. Normally invisible energy that resided in anything which was even remotely alive.

Manipulating this very energy was the core of her Awakening. Naturally, such abilities allowed her to see life force with the naked eye, even if it was behind physical material. Suijin’s power might have been his own undoing in this instance. As someone powerful, he naturally possessed more life force than others. Even without looking up, the feline could see it spilling from the space above the bath. But even when she knew that someone was trying to sneak up on her, she didn’t need to make a big deal out of it. After all, she had invited the person to this very place.

“What an unnecessary question. No one would have known of this place unless invited. That said, the invitation was meant for someone… different.” Now finally moving and standing up without a single care, the girl casually turned around to face Suijin without even considering the option to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Looking at him, he certainly wasn’t Indra, but she knew that much from his life force. At the very least, he bore the same mark as the one she asked for, so perhaps not all was for naught here. “So, if you would, do introduce yourself. I’d prefer to know who I’m dealing with.”

At least he answered the question relatively fast. If there was one thing Kurome quite disliked, it was individuals who senselessly wasted her time on whatever game they thought they were so cleverly playing. Letting out a soft sigh and looking to the side briefly, the cat quickly accepted that fact and turned to the side. “As long as you can at least perform the role of an adequate meat shield, all should be fine.” Getting to the edge of the pool, the feline would hop out and approach a nearby stool with a white towel to dry herself with.

After all, there was no reason to stall if her assistant arrived. But clearly, he was one of those ‘smart’ types that wanted to know everything, even if said information was often well above their level of intellect. “There is no business to be had. You will help me because that is the only option you have. Well, I suppose you could also run away and prove yourself a coward. But provided you come along with me and survive, you will be able to bring back to your guild a wondrous fortune. Something every guild needs, dark or otherwise.”

The fact alone that this man came after obtaining the letter meant that he was far too committed to back out now. There was absolutely no reason to play coy as a result. Not that Kurome would want to. Straight to the point was how things had to be in her presence, nothing else would be tolerated. Grabbing onto her clothes, she would start dressing herself slowly as she waited for whatever response this blue-haired brute would provide. And, naturally, she was still ready to defend herself if he were to be stupid enough to actually try and overpower her.

The girl was soon fully dressed, her pale skin now hidden beneath a somewhat unusual attire. And yet, it was one quite appropriate for the upcoming confrontation that they would have to face. Naturally, the brutish man was walking around her and spouting some nonsensical dribble that surely made him feel quite self-important. But Kurome already knew exactly how this would end, something that was confirmed mere moments later when he ultimately ended up agreeing despite saying how he would not be manipulated. He might have said those words to make himself feel better, but the reality of the matter was that he did follow though her words in the end.

Turning around, she would eye him for a moment before heading toward the exit of this room. The air in the room full of hot water had become quite annoying to deal with. “Follow me.” The walking corpses outside naturally cleared a path for them to take. And the cat girl would head down the stairs until they were at the basement level. A simple concrete room that had absolutely nothing going on for it, except a single wardrobe. A fancily dressed man shambled next to it, yet another awakened member of the organization that used to reside here.

“Open the door and hold this position. I want no obstacles on the way back.” The man would nod and groan while fiddling with something at the side of the piece of furniture. With a small, yet prevalent click, the doors opened and the inside revealed a tunnel leading beneath the city of Talonia. A hidden entrance to the underground market where all of the truly shady dealings happened. One step inside and they would be quickly washed over by the heavy atmosphere of unwashed thugs and assassins walking about, dealing with their own business.

While going through this place, it was probably the perfect time to tell Suijin exactly what was going on. Even if he was more brawn than muscle in Kurome’s head, he would still benefit at least somewhat from this information. And they needed to increase their chances of survival as much as possible. “We are to meet a very special merchant in here. He is holed up in a dead-end tunnel, guarded by his own forces. None of them are human and are extremely dangerous and lethal. But we will kill them all, anyway.”

That was the whole reason of inviting a notable member of Rakshasa here, after all. “His wares are very valuable and expensive. Once he is dealt with, I will take a single item of interest. The rest is yours for taking… provided you will still be alive, that is.” She honestly wasn’t giving him that much of a chance. She had her own way of surviving, but with what they were going up against here, well… even the more powerful of mages would not stand any chance alone. So anything was possible, death quite probable even.

Indeed the both of them stood out far more than anyone in this part of the city. Suijin with his rather large physical appearance and Kurome with her extravagant attire. But she did not care for this in the slightest. Quite the opposite, really. She always enjoyed the lustful gazes glued to her.

The girl adored attention in her own way. And perhaps that was reflected in her own magic that forced souls back into their deceased bodies and gave them no other option but to serve every single order she would give them. Complete and total domination of their will.

But when it came to the subject of the merchant, her very quick and simple answer was “No.” Though she had the inkling that she would have to explain why in a bit more detail. Something that made her sigh ever so slightly before she would get to it.

“It is not a merchant that will be the asset to your guild, but his current wares. All you need to know is that we will be dealing with the most powerful man in all of Talonia. And perhaps even all of Fiore. He himself is not a human, either.”

And that is where lied the problem. His kind was not one to take orders from anyone. Well, there was one… but that was beside the point right now. “With his power and talent, he would laugh and spit you in the face.”

“Because you should be the one begging him to let you and your guild join his side. Something possible only at the highest of costs. You would regret it until the very end of your miserable existence.” If she remembered right, he always liked gambling with souls, after all.

But that was the reason why they would be trying to kill him. And the girl could already feel another question coming from Suijin after what she had just told him, so she took the chance and decided to answer that before it would be even asked to clear things up.

“There is a special trick to dealing with him, making this a little better than an outright suicide mission. His true form is in a different realm. What we will see will be his mere avatar, not as strong as his actual self.”

Which was really the only reason why Kurome was willing to even try this. If they were to face their opponent at full power, he would erase them both from existence in a mere moment. They would not even get the chance to defend themselves in any way imaginable.

“Given enough violance, we should be able to get him into a state where I can banish this avatar, removing his grip from this world temporarily. That will be when we take the goods and get out of Talonia before he manages to conjure another projection of himself to get revenge.”

Overconfidence often lead to a quick and painful demise. Thankfully the man had Kurome with him so there was at least a chance that he would survive today’s encounter. Sure, the dark guild might have been a powerful one. But there were plenty of other organizations that were, far, far stronger.

However, she was not about to enter an argument with him. She knew full well how people like this man could have ego spanning across the entirety of the universe, an infinite pride that would never falter until the day their bones turned to dust. At the very least he was understanding in the matter of disposing of him.

But he was still questioning Kurome and that ticked her off a bit. Alas, she chose to elaborate some more just so that he could finally stop bothering her with all of these obvious questions. It almost felt like she was babysitting someone.

“We will not be getting his real body anywhere. That is why our operation is even possible in the first place. If put against the real him, not a single soul in all of Earthland would stand a chance.” He was a completely invincible being. And before  Suijin asked why, Kuro answered.

“The real identity of the one we will be facing is the adviser to the great king Enma. The ruler of the underworld. Or what most people would call ‘Hell’. Makes sense now? You cannot kill that which is already dead.” In other words, the enemy had the rules of existence itself on their side.

“It would be the same as trying to kill the Grim Reaper. How does one kill that which is Death itself? It is simply not possible. Thankfully, his form is bound to the underworld, which is why he has to use a weakened avatar that we can get rid of.”

Hopefully, that was enough for him to stop asking why they had to go the way Kurome had planned. This whole ordeal, it was nowhere near as simple as it seemed. And the girl did everything the way she did for a very good reason. It was unfortunate that most people would not just take her word for it.

“You needn’t worry about any aftermath. Knowing his position now, I am sure you can guess why. The man has plenty of work on his plate, little time to hold grudges. Not that he would be the type to hold them. We simply escape Talonia for few days and he will stop caring.”

It was not like the adviser to the one who ruled Hell itself could be someone petty. And seeing how she was a yōkai, Kurome knew this man very well. Provided they succeed, he might even congratulate her on besting his avatar if they ever meet in the future instead of trying to get back on her.

Not like any of the goods he had possessed any real value to a being like him. It was all mere junk for mortals that treasured material goods. He had plenty of time to get over that dependency in the few thousands of years he spent in the Underworld. “Do you understand now? Or are there even more questions in that head of yours..?”

The man was worried about her? Now that was something very sweet, wasn’t it? And a tad bit suspicious, considering they just met and she was treating him like a rug to wipe her shoes on. But she paid that part little mind, she was ready for a potential betrayal. Though she doubted that one would actually come.

“You needn’t worry about me. I don’t pick fights that I cannot win.” She knew exactly what she was doing and did not plan on losing to anyone, ever. With maybe one little exception, but that one that would not exactly count due to the circumstances.

She also hoped to all that was holy that Suijin wasn’t one of these big man-children that would ask whether they’ve arrived every 30 seconds just to drive other people insane. Thankfully, even if he was, a small flickering light became visible in the distance. So the cat moved on without really answering him.

In only a few seconds, they would arrive in front of a wooden wall, some sort of structure carved into the rocks. A number of torches lit up the entrance that was made out of a reinforced wooden door that harbored a single-window with iron bars, one that could also be closed or open from the inside so that the bouncer could safely check out whoever was knocking.

Without any further waiting, the girl did indeed knock and the slot opened up, two golden eyes with pupils like snake’s peered through. “Who goes there?” “A bakeneko, as you can clearly see. And her… pet. Open the door, I wish to see the master’s wares.”

The eyes stared a bit longer before the slit closed back up and the sound of several locks being opened up could be heard from the other side. Looking at Suijin, Kuro decided to make few things clear before they would enter and while they could not be heard still. “These individuals are not exactly fond of humans. So stay silent until I say so and don’t be provoked by me or anyone else.”

It was important to not start anything until they were inside and checked out the wares. Trying to fight through all of the layers of security would be an actual suicide, but chewing them out from the inside was a tactic that actually had some chance of them succeeding in the end. And so, the door finally opened.

Walking inside, they were greeted by scenery that almost looked like the inside of an oriental mansion. Several inhuman guards stood all around the long hallways with various sliding doors leading to many different rooms. The walls, floor, and even ceiling were all made out of polished wood, giving the entire place a shiny look.

Scones with torches illuminated everything, giving the environment golden and reddish hues. There was even a fluffy crimson carpet that they could walk on. Though, before they did so, one of the guards stopped them. “Shoes…” Without any word, Kurome quickly removed her small slippers and placed them onto a small shelf nearby where a bunch of other boots already rested.

Turning toward Suijin, she indicated that he should do the same. It was a custom in their culture, of sorts. Nothing harmful about it and they needed to show respect if they wanted to get all the way to their target without any extra trouble. Once that was done, they were lead straight down the corridor until they ended up in front of a large paper sliding door.

Opening it, they were allowed to enter a large open room, one that almost looked like a re-purposed fighting arena. With them currently at a larger elevation with essentially a square hole in the middle that took up roughly 3/4 of the entire room, about two or three meters deep and with stairs allowing one to easily walk between the lower and higher space.

All over the room laid numerous boxes, some exposed while others covered in sheets. Among them were also ones made out of glass, showcasing their contents in form of rare artifacts, old tomes, and much more. All things that had a great value in one way or another, though sometimes only to certain owners. Other than that, the room was empty of any other life, it seemed. For now, anyway.