"And how is he a problem?" A bigger problem but Ikuse felt like it didn't really needed to be said. There was no other reason why the Himejima Clan would be willing to debase themselves to come to him, a 'filthy half-blood' or 'traitor' to humankind, for help. "He's just some old human, does he combine Senjutsu with spells or something? I would think you of all people have ways of dealing with someone like that."
Shinto Priests from the Five Principal Clans were actually very well known for being able to draw upon the environment itself, or themselves, to help empower their spells. Senjutsu wasn't just for brawlers after all, Ki was way more versatile than that.
"You're not listening to me." She shook her head in mock sadness. "He's no mage. He's an Ancient Senjutsu Practitioner, an art forbidden by not just the Kami but every faction out there!"
"Cultivators." From his own shadow, the outline of a massive canine made itself know. Slinking out of the darkness, those twin rows filled to the brim with pearly white, razor sharp teeth. Crimson orbs snapped open lazily, glowing ominously as they dipped down low. The creature's display obvious as it somehow spit off to the side. "Thought they'd all went extinct."
"Good to see you, Jin." Suzaku ruffled the massive dog's back, forcing her hands through his thick pitch black fur. Despite the fact that this was indeed one of the manifestations of the Longinus, Canis Lykaon, and possessed human like intelligence it didn't it he was immune to receiving the attention of a beautiful girl. Especially one who was good with her hands. "And at least someone is listening to me!"
"I'm listening, but if that's what this is about then I just don't see why you needed us." After all, Ikuse wasn't just a single person now, Jin wasn't some slave for him to use and abuse. "What exactly aren't you telling us?"
For a moment, a look flashed across her face. Intentional, he was sure, showcasing her hesitation to answer. To expose one more secret in all this, but for her 'husband-to-be', she was willing to let him sneak a peak behind the curtain.
"Yamato Iori has had multiple disciples in the past. Yasaka of the Yokai, Saint Elizabeth of the Catholic Church and Ange De Guignes-"
"He's the Skinwalker's teacher?" While he'd never personally dealt with the walking anomaly, there were plenty of stories of the...person's ruthlessness. Particularly, in their pretty open use of dark magic. A bloody weapon of the Devils, one who would make their foes beg for death. Less they peel their skin off and masquerade as them. "Are you sure he's not a dark mage as well?"
"He would call the technique Demonic, but no. From what we've gathered, Ange only 'found' the lost technique after their master secluded themselves. What I'm getting at is this, one of Yamato's disciples was also the chosen of a Kami. A man by the name of Takemoto Fuji, a mortal blessed with the power to see Ki with his own two eyes. No technique, no Sacred Gear, no spell or anything. A divine blessing from above that flowed through his blood, intertwining itself in every one of his descendants."
"Which Kami?"
He hadn't known they had the power to do something like that and even then, for something so powerful it should've only been relegated to the Kami's most stringent and ardent supporters. Just creating magical bloodlines like that was as if they were trying to emulate the Devil's and their houses special abilities.
"These eyes, Tsuki Tsumami No Me, was gifted unto mortal man by Tsukuyomi-sama. Giving their own eyes out to a blind child."
"Deities are never so generous."
Jin, jaded as a Longinus could be, snorted from the ground. A lone crimson eye popping open to stare blankly up at the pair.
Ikuse nodded in agreement, even the nicest person he'd met in this life would never up their own eyes and deities in general never had such an altruistic streak. Maybe it was Jin's jaded nature leaking into him, but somethings just weren't adding up.
"That's what the legends say." She shrugged, not pushing at their skepticism. "What can't be denied is this, Tsukuyomi-sama has been keeping an eye on the Takemoto family line ever since Takemoto Fuji rose to prominence. For more than just his bloodline, the man was also a Formation Master...to help you imagine what I mean, we use talismans imbued with a mix of our Ki and the Kami's will and that has allowed us to stand on equal footing with the rest of the other factions. Formations are like that, but larger as they don't use the will of the Kamis to fill symbols with meaning, they need larger surfaces in order to infuse their own intent into these symbols."
"So Formation Masters are just worse in general?"
"….Husband." Her voice was deathly sweet, but it's falsity was plain for all to see. "Please, for our future's sake, do not ever disrespect any Formation Master like that again. The Five Principals Clans started off as Formation and Talisman Masters. And even to this day, while we consider it an ancient art, there are plenty of elders who still hold it high esteem. While Talisman Masters and us can quickly produce charms, Formation Masters requires much more time and preparations. But they make up for it with their massive scale."
"Think of it like this, I can create charm that can draw upon my own Ki and use the direct like to the Kami's through Suzaku to summon a massive Ki Infused Fireball that would last at most ten minutes before it succumb to it's natural decay. But a Formation Master, while not creating a fireball, could completely change the climate of an entire region indefinitely for as long as energy was provided to it. Like turning the Sahara Desert into a frozen wonderland. Heavy blizzard and all."
"They could do more than that." Jin pipped up. "Make you live an entire lifetime in a blink of an eye, turn your mind to mush and even cut out the fabric of time itself to completely lock down an area from any form of teleportation. And from how I know they act, your Kami is after more than just that bloodline. He left an inheritance somewhere, didn't he? Just so you know, we're not stepping foot into that death trap."
"Nothing can be hidden from you," She smiled sadly, before continuing. "Jin is right. This week, one of the Takemoto Fuji's descendants awakened his bloodline with the aid of Yamato Iori. Our members tried to separate the two but no avail, he used Fuji's blood to unlock the inheritance and is now guarding the entrance."
"Like a farmer coming out to see his hen's eaten by a fox!"
The Longinus cackled.
"Why hasn't your Kami come out to deal with him?" Now with all the information he had, it was pretty clear what they wanted from him, but surely they had plenty of people they could use to allow their Kamis to descend? Or even just send a single heir?
"That has already been attempted." Suzaku quickly continued, frantically as she saw the interest completely die in his eyes. There was no way he was going to try and tangle himself with someone that could cause a vessel to flee. "But, that's the thing! We don't need you to kill him or anything! In fact, that would be the worse case scenario… Yamato Iori might be a pain but his continued presence is needed to keep the other factions out of Japan. If he goes, the Yokai revolt and our home gets turned into a battlefield...again. We just need you to keep him occupied. Long enough for us to send some of our members into the inheritance sight. Once inside, they can save Fuji and bring him out."
"And I'm guessing I won't be receiving any help from any of the Five Principal Clans?" His brow quirked up. Things would be far easier if he had some assistance, maybe even enough to not make him use his Balance Breaker. But that would make things far to easy.
"Sadly, no." She actually had the nerve to look regretful. "We're currently in talks with the Yokai and if we were publicly attack their backer, it wouldn't help us achieve everything we need. But if you were to go, even with our relationship known they wouldn't be able to blame us for anything. You're, for the most part, a free agent...but that might change if you try enlisting your allies aid. Then it might make it seem like the Grigori were attacking their backer and from what I heard, there's a Fallen Angel in Kyoto as well. Iaoel if I remember correctly."
"Never heard of her." It wasn't a dig or anything, Ikuse was just really high up on the Grigori's totem pole. He didn't have time to memorize everyone's names, nor the desire. "How much are you paying?"
"Pay?!" Her rocked back on her feet, a faux grin on her face as wiggled in place. "But-but I have no money, all I can pay you with...is my bo-"
"Stop messing around."
He couldn't help but snap, if he was going to accept this job it meant his Balance Breaker was going to be needed for this. A transformation that defied the natural restrictions placed upon every Sacred Gear, a "bug" in the system if he were using Azazel's words. And despite how powerful Ikuse might be, he was still only human. The amount of strain each transformation cause, was like burning away at his life-force.
If whatever she offered wasn't up to snuff, then he simply wouldn't do it. Ignoring their past all together.
During all this, he didn't look down at the physical manifestation of Canis Lykaon. They'd spent plenty of back and forth over the idea of him using Night Celestial Slash Dog again. There was no longer a need for them to argue again, both knowing the other as well as themselves.
Ikuse would use his Balance Breaker again, if needed.
But not for something as simple sexual pleasure.
"You're going to make a girl think she's losing her charm…." Then her joking mood turned stony, grave in fact. "If you can hold back Yamato Iori, The Heavenly Demon, long enough for our members to sneak into the inheritance, with the power invested in me as the representative of the Five Principal Clans, will grant pass our priority voucher for Saint Elizabeth's services to you. To use however you see fit."