/jp/ - Otaku Culture

High up in the tower skyscraper, the Kiketsu Family headquarters was abuzz with activity as the Otter and odd human spirit worked tirelessly on preparations for an invasion. Gathering materials, double and triple checking contracts, running counter intelligence, making sure money was heading to the right places, and running analytics on smaller gangs to see who was worth using and who should be crushed under our heels.

Meanwhile I, Yachie Kicchou, Matriarch of Kiketsu Family, sat facing the door, awaiting our guests and tapping my fingers on my arm rest. To my side stands six of my strongest otter spirit guards and one tiny human spirit who idly flipped though his notepad.

"Frankly I don't understand the fuss. These two are riff-raff not even equivalent to the gutter trash gangs, don't we have more pressing matters to do with?" the tiny spirit asked.

"Yukari has deigned to send us her riff-raff, perhaps as an insult, but all the same we welcome them warmly. The Yakumo shall not dictate my courtesies, nor will I shame the Kiketsu name by refusing them." I told him.

The spirit sighed. Were it anybody else, I would have him dragged to the basement and left for a month to teach him a lesson. But I needed him around and free to speak his mind. The whining gave me valuable insight into the human perspective, which was all the more pertinent now.

A coded knock from the other side of the ornate doors signaled their arrival. Two Otter spirits reached out and sprayed the doors wide open, revealing Seija and Goro who made their way inside

Seija Kijin, an Amanojaku responsible for multiple major incidents in Gensokyo. Despite being an otherwise weak youkai she seemed to have a knack for finding playthings to tip the scales in her favor, something I admired in her. But her chaotic and brutish nature meant whatever power she gained wouldn't be kept for long and besides, who'd be so dimwitted as to ally with an Amanojaku?

That would be this man, Goro, who my sources tell me was not only allied with her, but bed fellows as well! In the past he was a borderer broker for Youkai, Spirits, and Humans with strong ties to the Mouyren Temple who was of little regard. Probably a product of his own design as his ability to force agreements was an enviable one, much like my own, and could've attracted desperate upstarts intent on exploiting him. Of course, the clause of 'best interests' made it unworkable as an asset, so high-level players ignored him.

What nobody could have predicted was these two partnering, acquiring a powerful cursed weapon, and joining hands with the Yakumo after they spent so much time working against her!

Whatever their motivations, Yukari had sent them here with some sort of message, so we'd receive it and extract as much information out of them as possible in the meantime.

"Depressing place you got here." Seija remarked as she hopped onto Goro's lap, ignoring the other seat provided for her, legs draped over an armrest. "You all considering planting a few trees? Some real foliage worth knocking down, not those shabby bonsai bushes."

Had she defaced the local ornaments? I look to one of the guards beside the door who regretfully nods. Damnit, they had just recovered from the raid three months prior and now we had to start all over again.

"Pleasure to meet you Yachie-sama. Having dealt with the Kiketsu family in the past, it's an honor to finally make your acquaintance and see the headquarters in all it's glory." Goro spoke.

"Yes, yes, It's good to see you both arrived safely. The road to Hell can be tenuous at the best of times." I remarked.

As my servants served tea and snack I could sense something was off, why were they so casual? Seija was a rebel and Goro had dealt with us in the past, sure, but to be utterly unfazed as if they were Yukari herself? Unlikely. Her confidence was based on both her prowess and exhaustive preparations, there was no way these two had either of those factors.

"So, what is it that our mutual benefactor has sent you so far to tell me? Surely you don't mind telling me that much." I asked, my words lightly coated in my ability.

"Straight to business? Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less. Yukari sent us here to survey the state of the two Hells and her allies and adversaries therein. Strange, I know, why not send a crow or just go herself? Well, she want's an unbiased outside perspective. A sort of 'independent audit' if you will." Goro answered.

Definitely a lie, I doubt Yukari was interested in the opinion of anyone but herself. But perhaps she did want to observe reactions to these two? She had sown rumors of their arrival as her fingers after all.

More concerning, how was he putting up a resistance to my power?

"And how would you say we fare? Us allies and her enemies I mean, and please, spare no detail." I said, leaning over the table and circling my tea cup's rim with a finger.