Kevin the Bored
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35 Chain-Quest Advances!
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 13:04:53 +0000 UTCIt took a little bit of time, but soon enough I once more found myself walking through that same forest on the human side of that magical ice portal pond thing.
I got the sense that the Yuki-onna were generally just happy for me to not be there anymore. I also got the sense that they don't really hold much faith that there can be any kind of peace with the Kappa.
They didn't even write like a letter or something for me to bring with me. Shirokoaka and Setsura basically just gave me free reign to do whatever I want, and that so long as it is in the intents of bringing about some kind of peace, that they will back my words and actions.
To a limited degree anyway.
Basically, I am being used as an entirely disposable political tool that costs nothing to be deployed.
I don't mind though. It sounds kind of corny even just to think, but I feel like brining some peace to this random lake is reward enough for me. It'll be something that I can think back on and smile knowing that it is something I have accomplished.
Which leaves me here, whistling a tune that I can't remember the lyrics to as I meander back through the forest, alone this time.
See, apparently the Kappa don't know where the entrance to the Yuki-onna's village is, just as the Yuki-onna don't know the entrance to the Kappa's village.
They even, reasonably, asked me to make a Binding Vow to not reveal the location of that gateway to anyone without explicit permission from a Shiroiwa Yuki-onna.
Still, that left me thinking of how I'm even supposed to get to the Kappa in the first place.
Luckily, that is a problem rather easily solved. Well, easily for me anyway. I've learnt that I'm not very good at accurately appraising the difficulty of a given action, especially related to Sorcery.
I'm just so cool that I'm out of touch.
The answer is pretty basic. You see, there exists a thing called residuals. Basically, whenever one uses Cursed Energy, residuals are left behind. Tiny little drops that can serve no purpose beyond simply being noticed.
Additionally, people tend to leave residuals behind as spectral footprints even without actively using Jujutsu. It means that so long as you are capable enough at detecting them, it is pretty easy for a Sorcerer to track someone. Well, provided that they are quick enough, since residuals tend to fade away after a day or two.
That said, people have obviously discovered ways around this. Most people aren't fond of the idea of being so easily tracked, least of all Sorcerers. So any half competent Sorcerer is fully capable of concealing these residuals.
Yomi, even Curses and apparently Yōkai can do the same.
Part of the reason I carried that brat on my shoulders was because the residuals she was leaving behind were incredibly blatant. Probably just because she had a lot of power hidden away in that little body of hers and little in the way of control.
I'm the complete opposite in that respect. As a matter of fact, I can't even be certain if I leave residuals behind at all. I assume that I do, but I can't see them if that is the case.
My Cursed Energy is very quiet after all. I've been concealing it since I was a kid because I didn't want to unsettle my deer. I'm also pretty sure that Sukuna has learnt to do the same by copying me, he can be sneaky when he wants to. But he generally prefers to let himself be seen, because he's an asshole and wants to scare people.
Regardless, when I make it back to where I beat up those Nakiri guys, I am able to clearly see the residuals of four out of five of the humans. I can still see the other one too of course, it's just slightly better hidden.
Casting my eyes about, I also do not struggle to find Kazuro's, and without wasting any time, I simply start following them.
As I walk, I pull a newly named Hibana out of my shadow and hold it out in front of me. I got to pick a bunch of them before I left, so I have plenty enough to start a garden.
It truly is a beautiful thing. Just the idea of holding living ice in my hands is enough to fascinate me, but the way that the ice reflects the light of the evening sun is simply beyond captivating.
I'll have to make a Shrine dedicated to Amaterasu at some point and fill it with Hibanas.
"Reflective gifts truly are the best for you, Amaterasu-Ōmikami," I say, tilting my head to the sky, even though I doubt anyone is listening to me. "For they share your own beauty better than anything else."
Still, I'll have to show some patience with that idea. The Yuki-onna did say that these flowers were considered pests to them, so I'll have to make sure that they don't grow out of control or anything.
They're great and all, but I don't want to accidentally away every other flower around.
I still want to find a fire flower now though. Gosh, this damn flower has filled my mind with so many ideas that I didn't consider before to be possible, and my curiosity is burning away at me at the thought of how many different, interesting flora might be out there.
Because if living ice can be a thing, then what limits are there left? Could there be something absurd like a flower made out of Time? I don't even know how that would work. Could you make a flower out of the Pythagoras Theorem? That doesn't make any sense, but neither does living ice, so who knows?
When the impossible becomes possible so many times, it leaves one wondering if anything at all actually is truly impossible.
Kami I love this life of mine. There's so much to explore. It's like a dream that never ends, no matter how many times I wake up.
I should send another Butterfly to Kinoshita. It's a random thought, but these thoughts were filling me with so much love that he came to mind. It's been a about a week since I sent him any letters.
I'll send a Butterfly once I'm done with the current matters. That way I can tell him all about it.
After all, it's not like he's getting up to much back home, so I need to talk enough for the both of us.
Far too many of my relationships in my last life died slow deaths from simply falling out of contact. By the time I had realised it, it was already too late. I felt that it had been too long and so I never did reach out to those old friends.
I know better now though. So even if I have little to say, I intend to keep sending regular messages to the old man.
He's my father. I don't want to drift away from him.
My thoughts are disturbed when the trees around me disappear and I step out into the open, making me look up at the change in brightness.
I am immediately greeted by the sight of a large lake that takes my breathe away.
Absently putting the Hibana back away in my shadow, I observe the lake before me, awed by the crystal clarity of the water.
It's not a very deep lake, I notice quickly. Because in combination with how absurdly clear the water is, I can actually see the lakebed in it's entirety.
It's fantastical. Beautiful. Like liquid glass. It almost feels unnatural.
It honestly makes me feel like I should figure out a way to live forever even if I don't want to, simply to ensure that we don't end up polluting the shit out of everything.
Of more immediate concern, Kazuro's residuals cut off at the shore of the lake. I'm fairly confident that the gateway to his village isn't actually in the lake, but perhaps due to his nature as a Kappa, the water seems to have hidden his residuals entirely.
Or at least, enough that I can't sense them anymore.
Shrugging to myself, I decide to just keep walking.
Kazuro was probably just moving as the crow flies, so if I just keep moving in the direction that he was walking, then I'll probably find his footprints on the other side of the lake.
I just hope the Kappa are more welcoming than the Yuki-onna were.
Getting stabbed hurts y'know? Even if it's hardly much of an inconvenience, kind of like how stubbing my toe used to be.
Wait a minute, not that I have super powers, can I even still stub my toe?
Shrugging, I pull a big rock out of my shadow, slide a foot out of my geta and kick it.
"Fucking! Ow!"
///
Suwa Kazenro
///
Kazenro is an old Kappa. Old enough to remember the times when humans were still new. Back when they were just mere scattered tribes, a curiosity made by bored Kami.
He is old enough to remember Kuzenbo's rise Old enough to remember the hope that was placed upon that Legendary Kappa they now call King as he rose to greater and greater heights of strength.
He remembers the pride that he felt, that they all felt.
The hope.
That maybe, just maybe, a Kappa might finally become Ultimate.
They are not like the Oni or the Kitsune who can point to multiple of their kind that reached that venerated height. Even the dogs can point to the original Inugami who, alongside Sōjōbō, the Great Tengu of Mt. Kurama, stands as one of the oldest living Yōkai.
There has always been a difference in status between Yōkai that can point to an Ultimate of their type and those that cannot. A fact that the Oni would take great pleasure in abusing if they were not always so preoccupied fighting amongst themselves.
So when Kuzenbo brushed against that fabled peak and failed to surpass it, he remembers feeling crushed.
But then, all these years later, he has started to feel some of that hope come back to him with the birth of his grandson, Kazuro.
Many Kappa have become High-class, it is an achievement, but not a shocking one. But never before has a Kappa been born High-class. Not like Kazuro was.
Kazenro is old. It is because he is old, that he can still remember Kuzenbo's youth. It is because of this, that he can tell that Kazuro holds even greater potential than their fabled King.
A Kappa that might become Ultimate. He almost doesn't want to believe it, shamefully fearful of facing that crushing disappointment once more.
Then the brat bested him in combat and took the title of Lord from him, and now Kazenro can no longer hold back his hope, for Kazuro is still a child.
If he can best him as a child, then what about fifty years from now? A hundred?
For the first time in centuries he could feel his old bones shivering in excitement.
Of course, such information had to remain hidden, so they told no one about Kazuro's birth. His existence was to be known only to their Suwa clan.
After all, one of the first consequences of a Kappa becoming Ultimate, even if they were not Suwa, would be the damn Yuki-onna no longer being able to contend with them for ownership of Lake Suwa.
Just the rise in status that all Kappa would receive with the birth of an Ultimate would be enough to supress the Yuki-onna and force them to give up any claim.
Additionally, he cannot lie and say that he doesn't personally wish to simply get one over on the damn ice-loving stagnates.
So they told no one and could tell no one. Not until he crosses that threshold. Not until he becomes Ultimate.
Then the damn brat snuck out of the village to go play around in their lake without even telling anyone.
Worse, the damn fool managed to attract the attention of the thrice damned Principle Clans, as well as a Yuki-onago and even a Cursed Special Grade Sorcerer.
He has no idea which one. He does not truly even know the identities of them all, only the older two. But it wouldn't be anything but a Special Grade that could have bested Kazuro with the ease that the boy described.
Of course, it was only a Sumo match, so it is not as if Kazuro was able to leverage the entirety of his power, but that hardly matters, as the same is likely true of the human as well.
Kazenro does not devote a large amount of his attention to the humans, beyond keeping a close eye on the movements of the Principle Clans, but he is old. Time is a wonderful teacher, and so he knows enough.
The humans do not use the same measurement of strength that everyone else uses. Understandably really, since they are so weak.
There is no point for them to think about Ultimate beings when they are incapable of ever reaching such a height.
Instead, they use their Grades and simple label everything above a certainly level of strength as Special Grades, simply because they are strong enough that the humans can no longer understand them.
In practice, any human below Grade Two is irrelevant, because Grade Two Sorcerers tend to peak at around Mid-class in strength. Grade One Sorcerers are also often Mid-class, but he knows plenty of them can push into High-class.
Which is around when the humans start struggling to measure power. Hence why they just call everything that is above the very bottom of the barrel of High-class, Special Grade.
And this human bested Kazuro, meaning they can only be High-class, meaning they must be one of the most important humans in the entire realm.
This is not the kind of person that Kazenro wants to have knowledge of Kazuro's existence. They cannot afford the chance that this secret will get out and Kazuro will be killed before he can reach his potential.
Even if the brat were to die immediately after earning that lofty title, it would be worth it.
Which of course means that the damn foolish brat invited the human to visit and be treated as an honoured guest.
Worse yet, it seems that the human has already come to accept that offer, and they cannot deny him.
Not only has he already been invited as an honoured guest, a fact that would be enough to force them to receive him lest they forever tarnish their honour, but Kazuro is their Lord.
Even if their Lord's word is foolish, it final regardless. For the strong rule and the weak obey, and Kazuro has proven himself to be the strongest Kappa to bear the name Suwa, despite his youth.
All this together leaves Kazenro sitting half submerged in his bank with Kazuro to his right and Kazukoro, his mother, to his right.
He is aware that humans prefer buildings and tables and such things, but that is not the Kappa way, so they have nothing prepared to properly receive him.
Kazenro can only hope that this human is of the reasonable sort, because such a faux pas is enough to be considered an insult, even if they never expected a need to be prepared for a human guest. Least of all one being received with honours.
To receive an honoured guest without even catering to their needs... Kazenro has not felt such shame in many years. Yet another consequence of Kazuro's foolishness.
If the human had waited even just one more day, he would have already begun preparing a proper reception. Now all he can do is ignore the issue and hope that the human does not point it out to spare his honour.
Unlike humans, Kappa do not live in houses or any such thing. They do not build any constructs of any kind. Their home is simply a large assortment of rivers, some flowing rapidly, some sedately.
They do not really have the concept of a home in the way that a human does, but they do each have their own personal resting spaces. Their equivalent to a 'room' is simply a riverbank that has been carved into, creating a shallow area beside the deeper river.
They are amphibian beings after all. Living without flowing water would be uncomfortable. It's why they simply cannot get along with Yuki-onna. The damn stagnates insist on turning water solid and freezing it in place.
Water is meant to flow!
It is in one such shallow embankment that they wait, Kazuro in the centre as their Lord, Kazukoro to his right as his honoured mother, and Kazenro himself to his left as his advisor.
It was not long ago that he sent a pair of Kappa to welcome the human that Kazuro decided to treat with honours. Both of them were the only other High-class Kappa of the Suwa clan besides himself and Kazuro.
So is not surprised when the three of them come around a bend in the many rivers of their home, heading in their direction alongside the current.
What does surprise him is how they approach.
He is quite familiar with Sorcerers, so he knows it is no real struggle for them to walk on water if they want to, and humans tend to avoid getting wet for some reason.
This human however does not seem to share in that compunction, as he walks shoulder to shoulder with both of his escorts, casually strolling through the water that rises up to his chest with the same ease as the Kappa beside him.
The sight is somewhat baffling, simply because it goes against what he would expect of a human. Naturally that means that Kazuro finds nothing wrong with the sight, as the boy lacks the experience necessary to tell what is strange. He has never met with any other humans before today after all.
The human does make for an interesting sight. Kazenro is pretty sure that the human is taller than is average for his kind, but he isn't certain. Humans are generally small creatures after all, and this one's head only reaches up to the shoulders of the Kappas by his sides.
Another strange fact is that human women are even smaller than the men. It is the opposite with Kappa. Most female Kappa tend to be a head or two taller.
His hair is dark like coal, matching his eyes and he wears a poor quality white scarf that doesn't even seem to have been finished, alongside some more ornamentation hanging from his ears and a black kimono.
Human aesthetics have always confused Kazenro, but he can at least appreciate that the human before him seems to have rather well developed muscles, something that has him nodding in approval. Muscles are good. They make you strong.
However, for all that the human wading through the water caught him off guard, what really left Kazenro's beak hanging open with stupefaction was the way the human was violently gnawing on a piece of seaweed.
Obviously it is not from the sea, but the rivers of their home are saltwater, and they do have their own weeds. This one in particular is basically the same to them as grass is in the Human Realm. It grows everywhere and has no use except for being food for lesser creatures that they themselves dine on.
With that being said, those creatures have developed specifically to eat this weed, and they do so by swallowing it whole and dissolving it internally, because the weed is incredibly sturdy.
Which is likely why the human seems to be putting in so much effort to bite into it. He has one end of the seaweed clenched between his teeth and the other end in his hands as he both pulls his hands down and his head back in visible difficulty.
What is he doing? Kazenro can't help but think, finding his confusion mirrored by Kazuro barely a moment later.
"Why is he doing that?" Kazuro asks no one in particular, while Kazukoro simply titters in amusement at the sight.
The three of them watch as the human is led forward, not even seeming to notice them as he focuses on the weed in his mouth. He manages to cross about half the distance before something gives.
There is a faint sound, like a blade of grass being pulled apart, and then the weed finally breaks, causing the human to immediately launch himself backwards from the force he was pulling on the weed with, splashing under the water.
"Mphwa!" The human exclaims as he goes under, his voice muffled by the weed between his teeth.
They can do nothing but watch, dumbfounded, as the man sputters and flails around for a moment, his arms throwing water everywhere as they wave around trying and failing to find purchase on anything.
It doesn't take long, though it feels like it does, for the human to gather himself as his hands abruptly pause on the surface of the water as if gripping a solid edge. The human then pulls himself back out of the water.
"Gaaah-" The human's gasping breath is interrupted by a set of hacking coughs, and they watch him lean against one of the Kappas beside him with one hand while the other, that still holds the rest of the seaweed, he pounds against his chest.
"I swallowed-" The human croaks, sounding as if he is speaking without air before coughing some more and visibly swallowing. That seems to be enough to stabilise himself as he pulls away from leaning on the nearby Kappa and takes a deep breath in.
He lets the breath out as a long sigh, pounding his chest once more before thrusting his hand at the Kappa on his left and waving the rest of the seaweed at him. "I swallowed it by accident."
His voice still seems a little bit rough, but before he can say anything else, he finally seems to notice the three of them sitting there, watching him, and he freezes under their stares.
"Ah- Um." The human pauses and straightens himself out, brushing his now wet hair back with one hand and then patting himself down before sending them a friendly smile, as if nothing just happened. "'Sup."
A beat passes, and then the human's wet hair loses its battle with gravity and flops back down on his face, causing him to flinch as his bangs flick into his eyes.
The human lets out a brief noise of surprise before shaking his head side to side like a dog shaking off water, launching droplets everywhere around him. Then, as he is brushing his hair backwards a second time, he notices that he just splashed everyone around him.
Not that it really matters to a Kappa, but the human appears embarrassed regardless.
"Er, my bad. Sorry. Ahem." After coughing into a fist, the human steps up to the three of them and drops into the shallow with them, sitting right in front of Kazuro, whom he then waves at with a bright smile, as if nothing embarrassing just happened at all. "Kazuro-san! Nice to see you again! It's been so long!"
"It's been three hours." Kazuro's voice is a lot louder than the human's, but that is just normal.
"Three years! Man, it feels like it was just yesterday."
"THAT ISN'T WHAT I SAID AT ALL!!" Kazuro abruptly roars, and contrary to Kazenro's expectations, the human doesn't so much as flinch.
Humans generally are a quiet bunch, but it seems this one is capable of bearing Kazuro's attitude just fine. That is a good sign, as it increase the chances that the human will not make any comment about the lacking welcome he is receiving as an honoured guest.
"You're right," the human solemnly nods, as if Kazuro just said something wise. "I actually did hear you right the first time. I was just being mischievous."
As if to punctuate his sentence, the human then goes on to bring the seaweed in his hand back up to his mouth and takes another big bite. This time however, he only spends a moment gnawing on the weed before he coats his teeth in Cursed Energy, causing them to finally sink through the weed with ease.
"Why are you eating that!" Kazuro yells once more, and the human chews for a moment before answering only after swallowing.
"Tasty. Nom."
This human is strange. Kazenro thinks to himself, quietly baffled by how this meeting isn't going even slightly how he was expecting it to.
"So anyway, my name is Narauko, nice to meet you all," the human says, breaking the slightly awkward silence. "Might you do me the honour of learning your names?"
A curious choice of wording. If Kazenro were to be generous in his understanding of this Narauko's words, then it could be said that he would forgive the dishonour of his poor reputation in exchange for learning their names.
It would essentially be an easy excuse to bring them to even footing, trading honour for honour and ending equal.
Very strange, Kazenro thinks.
"Hmph!" Kazuro crosses his arms and turns away. "You already know my name!"
His words make Kazenro's old bones twitch, and he very purposefully doesn't glare as he turns slightly to his grandson. "Yet formality must be obeyed regardless," he says.
Were it not for the fact they were with a guest, he would have given the brat a much harsher reprimand for such a breach of etiquette.
"Hmph! This one's name is KAZURO! This is my mother! Kazukoro!" Said woman bows her head respectfully to Narauko, who returns the gesture with a smile.
"This one holds the name Kazenro," he says at last. "It is our pleasure to welcome you to our home."
"It is nice to meet you all, and I thank you for the warm welcome. Your home is a very interesting place."
"Indeed," Kazenro agrees, "I am sure it must be for a human. Which is why I must ask what it is that brings you here? If you had waited to visit, we would have had a room prepared to the standards of your people."
"Do not worry yourself with such things," Narauko waves him off, shifting to a more proper countenence than his casual entrance would have suggested now that talks have begun in earnest. "Truthfully, I prefer this. I love new experiences you see, and witnessing the differences in cultures and such things fascinates me. I am much happier speaking with you in whatever manner of formality is familiar to you."
"I see. In that case, once you have explained what has brought you here, I shall have someone show you around our home at your leisure."
Narauko nods his head in gratitude. "For that, I would be thankful. Now however, business. You are right in assuming that there is a reason for my visit so soon. You see, I have just travelled here from the home of the Shiroiwa clan of yuki-onna," the three of them all scowl at the mention of the Shiroiwa, "And after learning of the ongoing dispute between yourself and the Shiroiwa clan over the ownership of the nearby lake, I have decided to see if it is not possible for some kind of resolution to be made, brokering in a measure of peace between your two clans."
"WHAT!!" Kazuro immediately roars out. "YOU WOULD SIDE WITH THOSE FROZEN WHORES!!"
Kazuro's outburst causes Narauko's friendly face to fall into a disapproving frown.
"Firstly, no, I am not siding with them. I am a neutral party extending the possibility of assisted diplomacy without having to worry about potential treachery coming from your long time enemy. Secondly, even if you do not like them, it is incredibly rude to call a clan of mostly women whores. Respect and affection are two different things. It is possible to continue to be respectful even with those you personally dislike. Please try to keep that in mind, Kazuro-san."
Kazuro looks surprisingly sullen at the reprimand, though perhaps it shouldn't be surprising. Narauko did after all best him in a match of Sumo. There would naturally be a level of respect that would follow such an action.
Kazenro speaks up in the silence before his grandson can say anything foolish.
"What exactly is it that you intend to accomplish with this visit of yours?" He asks, and Narauko sends him a warm smile.
"I hope that I might be able to convince both you and the Shiroiwa clan to come to a compromise in order to resolve your conflict and bring an end to the hostilities between your respective clans."
Kazenro appreciates the simple honesty of Narauko, for he knows that many humans often choose to be deceitful instead, and he sense no falsehood from this man.
Unfortunately, that does not make his words simple.
"Such a thing cannot come to pass. Not unless the Shiroiwa give up their claim to Lake Suwa. It is our land and we shall not give it up to them. You must be young to be so full of naïve idealism, but war is not something that is so easily solved."
"I am aware," Narauko nods, not seeming at all put out at being denied. A commendable trait. "However, my naïveté is not out of ignorance, it is out of faith. I am aware that when two parties are in conflict, it is often the first that offers the hand of peace that will receive a knife in return. However, I believe that is a risk worth taking, and I am fully willing to be the one to offer my hand every time, no matter how many scars fill my back. Many things are deemed impossible only until they happen, so I will only ask that even if you cannot accept the possibility of peace, that you at least leave yourself prepared and willing to be proven wrong. With me here as a third party, you lose nothing by trying. So let's talk."
Despite himself, Kazenro finds himself impressed with this human. He has never really held particularly strong opinions on the humans, but he has always thought of them as a small and timid people.
This human however, not only does he seem rather wise, but he also is showing not an ounce of fear or even discomfort being in the presence of three powerful Kappa. It is made more impressive by the fact that he is fairly sure this human is young.
He cannot be certain. It is incredibly difficult to tell the ages of humans, they all just look the same.
"Hmph!" Kazuro interrupts, and his following words are uncharacteristically quiet, which is still louder than the human. "Your personality was clear to me from the first words you spoke to that brat. This only confirms it." Kazuro turns briefly to Kazenro and nods. "I would have said this morning that it would be impossible for a human to best me in a match of Sumo. For the deed of fending off those humans if nothing else, I say we should hear him out."
Narauko turns a sly smile to Kazuro. "Do not think I didn't notice you preparing to defend her as well~."
That makes Kazenro turn a sharp eye to his grandson. The implication that he would have willingly faced a death squad of Principle Clansmen in defence of a Yuki-onago is certainly not something that the boy mentioned upon his return.
Kazuro just huffs, at the look and he decides that he will save further inquiries for when there is not a guest present.
"In that case, we shall talk," he says instead, moving the conversation forward. "I assume you have a proposal?"
"I have a few," Narauko confirms. "One that I like and think you might hate, one that I do not like, that you will probably enjoy, and one that compromises. First, option. What are your thoughts on splitting the lake in half and sharing it with the Shiroiwa?"
He doesn't even get to finish his sentence before the three of them are reacting. They almost as one flinch in collective disgust at the suggestion, and Kazuro can't help himself but respond.
"NEVER!!" He roars out, slamming a fist into the water and drenching Narauko so much that his hair fell back down over his eyes. "WATER SHOULD NOT BE FROZEN!! IT SHOULD FLOW!! A HALF FROZEN LAKE IS NO LAKE AT ALL!! IT IS AN ABOMONATION!! FREEZING WATER! WHAT A DISGRACE!!!"
The fight is taken out of Kazuro's sails when Narauko unexpectedly responds by bursting out into laughter. He is left clutching at his waist and leaning back into the water, but not falling under its surface thanks to some applied Cursed Energy, Kazenro notices.
"Sorry sorry," Narauko cheerfully apologises as he gathers himself, continuing once he gets his breathing back under control. "It's just that you responded to that idea in almost exactly the same manner as the Yuki-onna did. It's actually pretty interesting you know? Most human conflicts are over either greed or ideological differences. I am unused to the idea of a conflict being due to some manner of biological compulsion."
"It is as I said," Kazenro responds, splaying his aged hands apart. "There is a reason for our warring. It is not a matter so easily solved."
"No need to give up so soon," Narauko fires back, blinking in one eye only for some reason, before sliding his hair back once more. "Second option. How about you share the lake seasonally. The Yuki-onna get free reign of the like from the start of winter to the start of summer, while you get the start of summer to the start of winter."
The idea is less viscerally repulsive, but it would still be a sting to accept. Still, he shakes his head regardless, because truthfully, it doesn't even matter. With Kazuro's potential, they will soon have the power to simply throw the Yuki-onna out and claim the lake entirely for themselves.
"What guarantees would there be that the Yuki-onna would stick to this agreement?" He asks, not wanting to let his true thoughts be known. "And even if you can somehow find these guarantees, what would it matter? This is not our way. The strong rule and the weak obey. The Yuki-onna are not strong enough to claim the lake, and we will not give up fighting for it. Eventually, we will win, and the lake will be ours. So why should we give that up to have less now?"
With his words, the atmosphere changes.
There is no easy way to explain it. Things just feel different.
It's the eyes, he notices after a moment. Narauko's expression is the same, his smile still in place. But it isn't the same.
His hair falls back down over his eyes, yet his gaze never leaves them.
There is a weight. An invisible pressure enveloping them.
It feels warm.
"The strong rule, huh?" Narauko whispers, and none of them feel like they can respond. Instead, they just watch as Narauko closes his eyes and brushes his hair back with both hands. They watch him gather his hair together behind his head with one hand, while with the other he presses his fingertips together, and then when he spreads them apart, there is a thin black band connecting them.
They watch him reach behind his head and tie his hear into a short ponytail, looking up to stare at the sky.
His eyes seem sad.
"The third option then," he says, his voice low and calm, yet Kazenro feels his near forgotten instincts urging him, to do what he does not know. "I do not like this option, it is not how I feel the world should be, but I understand that it is the way things are, and that it would likely be the one you would go for."
Narauko's eyes then turn back down to them, and Kazuro feels as if the man is staring right into his soul.
"The strong rule. I dislike this fact, but I also do not see a realistic way to get around it. Luckily for me then, that I am The Strongest."
Narauko pauses and then, before they can gather up a response, the three of them are frozen in place when a veritable tsunami of pure power presses down on them.
The water they are seated in is immediately blown away or evaporated, but it is clear to Kazenro that none of them suffer any true pressure, meaning that Narauko is controlling his aura enough to be felt, but not hurt.
When Kazenro heard that Kazuro was bested by a human in Sumo, he knew that the human must have been a Special Grade. When Narauko then arrived, and Kazenro felt no strength from the boy, he assumed that the human was specialised in physical strength and possessed little in the way of Sorcerous.
Only now is he realising how wrong he was in his assumption.
He was going to call the human out for claiming such a lofty title, but feeling his power now? He can believe that he might be sitting in front of the man who slew the Six Eyes Catastrophe.
Abruptly, the show of power cuts off and all three of them let out a breath they didn't know they were holding as the river's water rapidly rushes in to fill the empty space.
None of them speak. They wait for Narauko to break the silence, and he waits for the water to settle first.
"If negotiation won't work regardless, even should I manage to gather guarantees, then how about we do it your way instead. If neither of you can decide who will own the lake, then what if I simply take it for myself and lend it to you instead? If it is to your preference, I could fight your clan on the lake you want to claim to decide who owns it? After all, the weak obey, right?"
Looking at the condescending smirk on Narauko's face as he finishes his offer, Kazenro hesitates.
This human might be almost as strong as Kuzenbo, their Legendary King. A fight against him will surely result in a loss. It is a loser's gamble.
But...
With his strength, there is no reason to even offer the illusion of a choice.
The strong take and the weak are taken from. This is a natural law of the world. With his strength, there was no need, no reason for him to sit with them and discuss with them. He could have simply dictated their future and they would have no choice but to obey.
The strong rule.
Yet this human is not forcing them. He is not using his strength to take what he wants at the suffering of the weak.
He is using his strength only after his words failed, and he is using it in an act that will gain him nothing, just to end a war.
"What is it that you intend to do after this is all over? Supposing that you win the lake through a trial of combat?" Kazenro asks, voicing his last thoughts of caution, and the response he receives only enforces the image he is forming of the man before him.
"I would leave," Narauko answers, and he senses no falsehood. "I just want you all to be safe and happy, but I do have my own life going on elsewhere."
A very strange human indeed, Kazenro thinks to himself, looking at the man in a fresh light.
A conqueror who conquers for the sake of others and leaves the his lands without any demands of loyalty.
Seeing this man before him, Kazenro feels as though he is struck by an epiphany as he realises just how unique a being he is in the presence of.
He can tell, deep in his old bones, that this day will only be the among first of many tapestries woven into what will become this man's Legend.
Kazenro nods. "The old ways will be respected. The strong rule. The weak obey."
He only wonders what sort of Legend his tapestry will make. One of triumph? Or one of despair?
Time will tell.
///
A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!
Sorry for the delay with this chap. To spare you a long winded explanation, I'll just say that the ability to write is entirely psychological, and my psyche likes to stay unpredictable. :)
Writing this chap was pretty fun though, much better than the last one. I enjoyed writing so many parallels between the Kappa and Yuki-onna, cuz I feel like a lot of the time when neighbours are at war, they tend to be a lot more similar than either side would ever admit.
Also, did not expect Kazenro to turn out the way he did. I just thought to start his pov with 'Kazenro is old' and see where it goes from there. I was originally thinking he'd be like 400 years old or something, but he turned out being old as fuck lol.
Have I ever said how part of the reason I love writing is because the stories and characters write themselves? Like I don't plan this shit out, so my characters often surprise me. It feels like I'm living their lives with them as I type it out. If you remember that scene of Narauko reading accounts of deceased sorcerers, that was inspired by how I feel writing lol.
Comments
Virdan
Love the way the story is heading
Kz3838
Thank you for the great chapter, love how you are writing this story. Stay safe out there and keep up the good work!
Zerak
Cool idea for the future after studying the plant.
GoT779
Love Naruko’s characterization in this chapter. Hope that we get to see the plot thread with Amaterasu go somewhere.
Lucy Edwards
I actually saw an article recently about how some scientists in italy have in like the last week, discovered how to freeze light. It's kind of insane and literally revolutionary, the kind of think that was thought to be impossible until it was done. But more importantly, it turns out that frozen light turns into the most true supersolid we've ever seen. Aka, frozen light is a solid that acts like a liquid. Meaning, I could theoretically have Narauko figure out how to make frozen light, which would both flow for the Kappa and be frozen for the Yuki-onna. It's a cool idea, but I'm probably gonna stick with my current one, cuz even if nobody is ever going to recognise it without me saying it, but I'm mirroring real life folklore for the real life lake Suwa, so I can't just have an actual solution like that show up. Plus I don't think Narauko is at the point where he can do something like freezing light rn lol
Zerak
Honestly thought he would say fuck it and make a second lake. My second thought is he will make ice somehow flow like water. Love how things turned out though. Man Nurarihyon is in for one but surprise.
Antony Wilson
Loved the way the story is going
