Yasaka the Kyuubi sat nervously as the powerful Angel in front of her took a dignified sip from his tea cup.
His twelve wings tucked away and out of sight, yet his holy energy's sheer pressure still felt by her despite its heavy suppression by its wielder.
For it is in her nature to feel things that others cannot, not even her fellow kyuubi.
It was this power that she was born with, and a few other things that had burdened her with the task of becoming the ruler of Kyoto by the divine decree of the gods.
'The very gods that abandon us the moment they are done using me for their own ends.'
She thought bitterly as she put on a fake smile for the Angel.
"Relax, Yasak of Kyoto. I am not going to eat you or anything. Why remain so cautious when it was you who invited us for a talk?"
Yasak bowed deeply. Her long golden hair falling like waterfalls while her long kimono, specially chosen this day to be far more modest than her usual wear, so that she does not offend this Angel and be labeled as a 'seductress' who tried to make him fall.
Especially when it felt like the Heavens were trying to hunt down anything that was not human.
Once again, bitter and despairing thoughts dominated her mind.
'How the times have changed. To think it would not be the devils that we feared the most that would be the end of us, but the Angels that we dismissed as a neutral party for so long.'
On the outside, she still held her fake smile as she spoke in response to the Angel's words/
"Forgive me, Lord Raphael. I am simply nervous. And I am thankful that you accepted my invitation."
Rapahel still held his gentle smile, not saying anything to her blatant servile attitude, which was quite different compared to what she once displayed the last time he and Gabriel had arrived in Kyoto for a potential alliance, when she had kept her 'dignity' as the 'Ruler of Kyoto'.
However, despite this sudden reversal of roles, Raphael felt nothing.
The way people acted towards him and his kin, whether in a good or bad way, never really mattered to him. Because he was someone who remained unmoved with fame or power.
To him, the true meaning of strength lies in its use for protecting his kin and the heavens. The true meaning of fame and glory lies in its utility in shielding his brothers and sisters from those who sought to harm them as a deterrence. To him, wealth and recognition were mere tools that served to better the lives of his family.
That is why, despite Yasaka's sudden shift in attitude, especially when compared to the past, he did nothing but smile cordially.
"Think nothing of it. Now, shall we get to the root of the matter?"
Yasaka swallowed nervously. Then, with a deep breath to steady herself, she spoke again.
"Yes. Lord Raphael."
"As you probably know, we, the Youkai, are spirits born of the land itself. As such, we have always existed in Japan and lived among humans."
"However, after the Heavenly System changed, we have been confined within our pocket dimension, unable to move outside lest the system target us because of our Youki, which it has now classified as 'evil'."
Yasaka bowed her head to the angel and spoke with a hint of desperation in her voice.
"We, the Youkai of Kyoto, wish to reach an accord with the Heavens so that these restrictions no longer affect us."
"Hm. I see. I will tell my brother about your problem, and we will see what we can do about it."
'Meaning, they do not care less about our troubles and will only listen to what we have to say if we give them something of value.'
Once again, Yasaka thought bitterly as she heard those vague words from the Angel, knowing that she could do nothing about it because she, too, had used the same kind of deflection in the past when the roles were reversed.
So, with a deep breath, she laid down all her cards then and there.
"In exchange for this leniency, we, the Youkai of Kyoto, are willing to swear allegiance to the Heavens in the same capacity as we have had until now with the Gods of Takamagahara."
That caught Raphael's attention, as even he could not help but feel a bit shocked at that proclamation.
It was a known fact that the Youkai of Kyoto were basically treated like servants by the Gods of Takamagahara, something that the lower ranks of the Youkai thought to be a thing of pride, but the upper ranks knew was nothing more than a leash around their necks.
Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about this relationship. Not to mention that the Gods did give them protection and help occasionally, so they did not complain until now.
But now, Yasaka was fed up with these uncaring gods who used her race when it was convenient for them and then threw them away like toys when they were done. And it was not just her who harbored these thoughts.
Before meeting Raphael, she had consulted with the leaders of the various clans of Youkai, and they had all been in agreement with this move and believed he same thing.
It was better to serve the Heavens, who actually had a tangible presence in the mortal world and had the potential to help them in their time of need, than those gods of Takamagaha who did not care even a little bit about their life and death.
'This is not treason. This is just self-preservation. Especially when it was the Gods who left us at the mercy of the Heavens when we were in dire straits. Enjoying themselves in the divine realm while my people were heavily suppressed by the Heavenly System and forced into confinement in our pocket dimension.'
'Even my esteemed 'mother' did not reply to any of my prayers. No protection, no strength, no help. Not even a word of assurance.'
'Why should I bind myself and my people to beings such as those and doom them all?'
While such bitter and resentful thoughts swirled in her mind, Raphael held a thoughtful look while, internally, he was using the Message spell to communicate with his eldest brother.
"So, what do you think, Brother? Should I delay this decision until later or deflect it altogether?"
"Rapaheil, it is up to you if you want to take that deal or not. I trust your judgment in this completely. Although I do think that they could be of use to our cause, so it won't hurt to have them as our subordinates."
"I remember that you were looking for talented Senjutsu and Soul Healing method users for your institute and the Company, right?"
Raphael's eyes lit up at that suggestion.
As Angels, they were the masters of Holy Energy, and by extension, the healing arts. However, there were some things that even their Holy Energy could not heal in the past. Such as damages to the soul, or injuries caused by utilizing natural energy or dimensional gap energies.
While these types of injuries are rare and there are now alternative methods available to him and his subordinates through the Tier magic system, it never hurts to have more options at hand.
Not to mention that the Kyuubi in front of him is a master of Senjutsu and controls the ley lines below Kyoto, which could come in handy in the future.
So, with those thoughts in mind, Raphael smiled as a cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
On the other side, in the Seventh Heaven, Aetherion kept the Message channel open and spoke flowery words that Raphael repeated in the mortal realm.
Perfectly controlling his expression to show a compassionate and sympathetic look, he parroted exactly what his brother spoke and the expressions that his brother asked him to wear.
"Lady Yasaka, the fact that you are willing to go so far for the sake of your people shows that you are truly a noble ruler. In such a case, how could we not respond in kind?"
"I, on behalf of the Heavens, accept your offer. And, as a token of goodwill, I will speak to my brother to help out your people further."
With a righteous expression on his face, he spoke with an authoritative tone.
"From this moment on, the Youkai of Kyoto are under the protection of the Heavens, and any enemy you face will be our enemy as well."
"The restrictions on the Youkai by the System will also be removed, now only based on Karma value alone."
Then, he took out a trumpet that radiated holy energy and put it on the table.
"Should you ever need the protection of the Heavens, you only need to use this trumpet. It will alert us instantly, and someone will definitely answer your call for help."
As he spoke with such charisma and passion, Yasaka could not help but feel moved as she reverently picked up the trumpet with both hands.
Compared to those cold and calculating gods who only ever gave her platitudes and empty promises with a little bit of divine blessings here and there, the way the Heavens did things was truly direct and much more tangible. They even disregarded her previous offences and the way she had once dismissed them as 'unworthy' to ally with.
Such kindness truly made her feel guilty for her past actions, as well as feel something that she had not felt before.
Loyalty. True loyalty.
It was a tiny thing. A seed that had yet to bloom. Yet it had still taken root. So it was only a matter of time before it became an unshakable foundation upon which her race would become a part of the Heavens.
She bowed much lower than she ever did to the angel, this time, not out of fear, but out of true respect.
"Truly, thank you. Lord Raphel. We are forever grateful for your kindness."
"Think nothing of it, Lady Yasaka. From now on, you and your kin are part of the Heavens' forces. So, it is only natural that we would look after you."
Rapahel continued his talks with a grateful Yasaka, now devolving into general discussions and finer details of the deal.
On the other side, Aetherion finally cut the connection and leaned back in his seat, still messing with the System core.
Although the way his lips curved into a grin was quite unsettling.
'Manipulation through kindness. Such a tried and tested method was bound to win over those Youkai who have been deprived of acknowledgement and love from their masters.'
With a gesture, a divine crown that radiated light like the sun manigested in his hand, which he palmed with amusement.
'I must truly thank you, Amaterasu. If you had truly cared for the Youkai and had not seen them as mere tools to be used for your dirty tasks, I might not have gained their allegiance so easily.'
'Then again, it was this short-sightedness of yours that made me make a move, so this stupidity is not new to you or your brothers.'
The divine crown, taken from the Shinto Goddess of the Sun, the proof of Aetherion's conquest of Takamagahara and enslavement of those divine beings that ruled over Japan and believed themselves to be superior to every other god, disappeared back into his inventory.
With those amusing thoughts, he went back to his task of refining the system's code and functions further, preparing it for what was to come.
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Author Notes:
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