37 The Best Laid Plans

  [Player: Kazuki Arata]

  [Level: 4]

  [Waza: Black Hand, Thread Cutter, Aura Sense, Dark Rider, Retribution, Eviscerate, Adaptive Survival]

  [Kegare: 58%]

  ---

  The world seemed to move in slow motion as Kazuki stared at the mikoshi bearing a small iron cage. Inside sat a terrified fox-yokai girl - her wrists and ankles bound in chains. Outside the cage, festival-goers cheered and began chanting,

  Izanami! Banzai!

  Izanami! Banzai!

  Izanami! Banzai!

  Half a second ago, Kazuki had been a curious bystander in a bustling spring festival, but now rage spiked hot in his veins. The sight of another yokai - especially one so young, just like Fleet - locked behind bars for display made the so-called humans around him the monsters. It was just one more time the strong hurt the weak.

  He felt his hands curling toward the machetes strapped at his back, Karasuyoku and Yamikiri.

  Am I really going to fight an entire town?

  [Kegare: 58% → 60%]

  [Warning: Elevated Heart Rate Detected]

  [Suggestion: Maybe Don't Murder Everyone?]

  Wait... what? Murder? No, I wasn’t....

  At his side, Kuro rested a hand on his forearm. Her golden eyes flicked from his tense jaw to the machete handles he was gripping. "You can't be serious," she said, her voice low and urgent. "You want to chop your way through a festival crowd?"

  Kazuki took one step forward, ignoring the startled gasps of the townspeople near him.

  "What are you doing?" Kuro repeated, more sharply this time.

  Without looking at her, he growled, "I won't stand by while they parade around a caged kid."

  "Kid? She's a yokai," a man from the crowd spat, glaring at Kazuki as though had overheard treason. His face was flushed red with either drink or hatred - maybe both.

  Kazuki shot him a lethal look. "And that matters... why?"

  A bubble of tension coiled in the air. The chanting in the street faltered for just a moment, like a missed beat in a performance. Fleet, who had been craning his neck to see inside the mikoshi, tugged on Kazuki's sleeve. "They're staaaring..." he whispered.

  Kuro pulled Kazuki aside - all but dragging him into the shadow of a nearby shop, where they blended with a slowly moving crowd. Kazuki didn't resist. She was right.

  "You want to just attack them?" Kuro's eyes searched his face. "Do you plan on a massacre in the middle of a festival, in front of families, children - everyone?"

  Kazuki exhaled, fighting the anger in his chest. Only days ago, he would have balked at the thought of picking a fight against such odds. Now, the impulse was there, hot and unavoidable, as if his kegare demanded violence the moment he saw injustice.

  He glanced down at his own hands, noticing the faint black lines of corruption across his wrists. They were a constant reminder of how far he had slipped into darkness.

  "...I didn't used to be like this," he muttered.

  Kuro's expression softened. "Maybe." Then she added, gently, "It doesn’t matter. You are what you are, but you have to control yourself."

  He raked a hand through his hair. The fox-girl's frightened face came back to him. "But we're not just walking away from this," he said. "Right?"

  Kuro folded her arms, leaning against the wooden post behind her. "Personally, I think she has everything under control. But, if you want to save her, we need a plan. Charging in blindly will only get her killed - and possibly get us killed in the process."

  [Kegare: 59%]

  [Impulse Control Achievement Unlocked: Basic Adult Function]

  Kazuki let the smallest wry grin tug at his lips at the snarky system message. Did they used to be like that?

  He turned to Fleet to see if the fox boy had any suggestions. But….

  "Where… is Fleet?" Kazuki asked aloud slowly, already dreading the answer.

  Kuro's head whipped around. "He was right here!"

  They weaved through festival-goers, some of whom gave Kazuki suspicious glances - particularly if they noticed the black lines creeping up his neck. "Fleet!" Kazuki called, scanning the river of people. Drums rumbled in the distance. "Fleet!"

  They jostled through crowds as the festival's excitement began to swirl again. Everywhere they looked, people carried trays of grilled fish or dumplings, children in bright festival yukata.

  Kuro tsked. "That little..."

  They reached the main road leading toward what looked like the town's largest shrine building - or rather, what had once been a shrine. Kazuki recognized the architecture of an Inari shrine: the curved roofs, the fox guardian statues on the sides. Yet bright banners of Izanami had replaced the usual Inari imagery, and the fox statues had been crudely defaced and hammered over with nails.

  A hush fell across the crowd. They were all turning to watch the procession again. The mikoshi - with the caged fox-yokai - was heading that way, carried by chanting men. Kazuki let out a startled noise:

  "There!" He pointed through the shifting silhouettes. "He's - he's in the cage!"

  Kuro's jaw dropped, and she actually paused mid-stride. "What?"

  Sure enough, somehow, Fleet was now inside the iron cage, squished cross-legged across from the fox-girl, chatting with her animatedly.

  Kazuki blinked in pure disbelief. He pivoted to Kuro, “How could he have...?”

  She pressed her fingertips to her temple, momentarily speechless. "Hell is other people," she groaned.

  Kazuki faced the crowd, whose murmur of confusion was building. Some began pointing. An anxious hum spread.

  "Wait, wasn’t it only one yokai?"

  "Where'd that second fox come from?"

  A man with a small drum stared wide-eyed at the cage. "He just… appeared?"

  "This is an omen!" the official leading the mikoshi roared - a tall, bald man in robes. He wore some kind of shawl with a stylized eye painted on it. "The Church will decide their fate. Keep moving!"

  Kazuki and Kuro trailed at a distance, struggling not to draw attention, though some eyes were already staring at Kazuki's kegare-marked skin. He felt exposed.

  Kuro quietly acquired a scarf and gloves from a vendor stall's side table, shoving them into Kazuki's chest. "These. Now." she hissed.

  He didn't argue. The entire time, his gaze darted to Fleet.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Why does he do these things?

  ---

  It was dusk. The festival lanterns had been lit, illuminating the path leading up to the old Inari shrine, now clearly renamed Church of Izanami with large wooden signs and stylized banners. The classical shrine gates had been replaced by heavier wooden pillars carved with Izanami's eye motif.

  Kuro put a hand on Kazuki's chest, halting him before he marched in. "This isn’t going to work if you barge into that church with machetes in your hands," she warned in a whisper. "Let me gather information."

  Kazuki watched as she melted into the milling crowd. An instant later, she was approaching a group of festival-goers with a sweet, charming smile, her posture demure, voice pitched just right to seem harmless. It was impressive.

  He lingered off to the side, eavesdropping as she talked to a pair of older women carrying prayer beads. Kuro made up some story about being the daughter of a traveling merchant, wide-eyed with curiosity:

  "So this is the great Church of Izanami? We heard rumors from the other villages..."

  The women exchanged glances. One sighed. "Yes, it was once an Inari shrine, but after the… attacks, we dedicated ourselves to Izanami for protection."

  "Attacks?" Kuro asked, leaning closer.

  The second woman nodded gravely. "The oni. Our town used to be plagued by raids from the oni in the mountains. We've lost so many. Everyone here can name at least one person who died - a father, a son, a sister. The fox-spirits never helped us. They kept to themselves, or worse - spied for the oni. So we turned from the old ways to the church of Lady Izanami, who promised us vengeance and safety."

  Kuro's eyes widened and her lip trembled. "That must have been terrible."

  The older woman's voice wobbled with an undercurrent of rage. "It's still terrible. We've never recovered from that feud. Yokai are a plague. Corruption. The Minister says that fox-monster will be executed tonight as part of the festival's opening ceremony."

  Kuro's eyes widened in staged shock. "Exe... executed?! In front of everyone?"

  The women nodded. "Yes, it's the first day of the three-day festival. Tonight's ritual is to purify the town, so the rest of the festival can proceed free of yokai evil."

  "I've heard the Church is growing quickly," Kuro said tentatively. "Are there many other towns that have converted?"

  One woman leaned in conspiratorially. "Oh yes, their influence is spreading throughout the southern provinces. Three towns east of here have already torn down their old shrines. The Ministers say soon Izanami's faithful will unite all the human settlements against the yokai threat."

  Kuro parted with many thanks and a convincing display of respectful bows. Then she smoothly drifted on to another cluster of men, who, from their elaborate hats, seemed to be some sort of local officials or guards. Kazuki watched her work. She was absolutely in her element, weaving little questions into casual conversation, gleaning information.

  By the time she returned, the sky was a deeper purple, the sun dipping past the horizon. She pressed close to Kazuki, leading him under a lantern-lit awning. "It's happening tonight," she confirmed in a hushed tone. "The Minister - someone important in the Church of Izanami - will hold a ceremony at the open courtyard behind the old shrine. They're lighting a giant bonfire. Then…" She exhaled, shaking her head. "Public execution."

  Kazuki clenched his fists. "That's barbaric."

  "Well, from what I've gathered, they blame the oni for decades of bloodshed. And now they dump all yokai into the same category: the cause of suffering." She rolled her eyes. "Typical."

  Kazuki's stomach churned with guilt, anger, and even fear. This was typical. Humans scapegoating entire groups for tragedy wasn't unique to the Yokai Realm. "So… what about Fleet?" he asked.

  "I heard the guards complaining: They have two foxes instead of one now. They don't know how he got in, but the Minister decided it's an good sign - two foxes to sacrifice. Double the purification."

  Kazuki let out a humorless laugh. "Great."

  "Anyway," Kuro continued, "we still have a little time. They're not doing the actual ceremony until full nightfall. That means maybe an hour?"

  He closed his eyes, inhaling. "We can't let them kill Fleet. Or that girl, either."

  Kuro cocked an eyebrow. "You're that quick to play hero?"

  Kazuki sent her a dark look. "I'm not letting them murder a child in chains. Or two."

  She sighed, "Fine. But we can't just run up to the cage and slice. We need stealth or a distraction."

  At that moment, a handful of townspeople brushed past them, giving Kazuki's partially covered arms a glance. Kuro winced. "We need to keep you hidden, or your kegare marks might spook them into raising the alarm early."

  She tugged the scarf higher around his neck and pulled the stolen gloves more firmly up his forearms, all while he stood there. "This is ridiculous," he muttered.

  The drums and flutes in the distance quickened. Candle lanterns and torches were lit all around the shrine yard, and a procession of robed priests moved in solemn lines.

  Kuro seized the chance to slip away again, adopting a sweet smile as she sidled up to a group of men passing out torches. She returned in under a minute. "We have a problem. The courtyard is sealed off by a ring of armed guards - church loyalists, basically. The foxes are in a cage near the big bonfire. The Minister's about to start the ceremony."

  "All right," Kazuki said grimly, "no more stalling. Let's get as close as we can. Then I'll...."

  Kuro put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "No. The plan is... we wait. Watch until they remove them from the cage. That's the moment they'll be most vulnerable. If we can create a distraction, maybe you can break them free of their chains."

  Kazuki stared, then nodded. As much as his nerves screamed at him to do something right now, Kuro was correct. The best moment to strike was right when your enemy was most certain that they had won.

  ---

  Night fell and the courtyard behind the old shrine was bright with the light and heat of a roaring bonfire in the center. A stage had been assembled on raised wooden planks and the mikoshi had been placed on top, the iron cage visible from all sides. Townspeople crowded around, forming a wide ring. Murmurs and excited chatter spread, occasionally accompanied by uneasy laughter.

  Kazuki and Kuro crept along the back, slipping behind a row of stacked crates. From there, they had a clear view. The robed Minister of Izanami stood near the cage, flanked by two assistants carrying ceremonial swords.

  Kazuki's gaze swept the crowd, searching. He spotted the face of the fox-girl inside the cage - she looked more rattled than ever, her eyes darting about in panic. Fleet was perched next to her, still cheerful by all appearances, whispering something that made her blink in surprise.

  From their hiding place, Kazuki could just make out Fleet's animated conversation with the girl.

  "Don't worry, I've been in way worse than this," Fleet was saying, his tail swishing confidently. "Did I tell you about D, the King of the Kappa? We were tied up underground and...."

  The fox-girl cut him off, chains rattling as she shifted away. "I had everything completely under control before you showed up," she hissed. "I don't need some… random boy rescuing me. Seriously. How rude."

  Kazuki couldn't help but crack a small smile even in the midst of danger.

  "I may like her," Kuro muttered from behind her cover.

  Kazuki almost wanted to laugh, but the tension in the air was too thick. The crowd fell silent as the Minister raised his arms, calling for attention.

  "Honored citizens!" the Minister proclaimed. "Tonight marks the first night of our festival! For three days we shall revel in the blessings of Lady Izanami - after we purge ourselves of these cursed creatures who have plagued our harvests and threatened our peace. These foxes - " he gestured at the cage - "represent the cunning, twisted nature of demons. Demons that we have fought and will always fight! Too many of our loved ones have died. Tonight we offer these yokai to Izanami's purifying flames!"

  A cheer rose from the crowd.

  Kazuki's fists tightened around the handles of his machetes. Another wave of anger hammered in his chest. They're going to do it right now.

  "It's starting," Kuro whispered. "Wait for the right moment."

  The Minister signaled to the guards. One stepped forward with a large key. Kazuki caught a glimpse of it gleaming in the firelight. This guard marched to the cage door.

  Kazuki drew a slow breath, mentally timing everything. When the cage door swung open, that was his chance to cause a distraction. He already felt the darkness stirring in his blood, urging him on. Kazuki didn’t want to hurt anyone… but if that's what it took to save Fleet, then so be it.

  His hands squeezed the machete handles, black smoke curling around them. Kegare flickered in the corners of his vision, an almost tangible swirl of black.

  [Kegare: 64%]

  [Hero Complex Intensifying]

  Across the stage, the guard fitted the key into the iron lock, turning it. The crowd hushed, the flames popping behind them.

  Kazuki tensed, ready. Just a second more... once the door is open...

  A hollow clunk sounded. The guard made a frustrated noise, pulling on the key. The lock didn't release. He turned it again, rattling the cage door.

  Confused murmurs spread among the crowd. The Minister frowned. "Hurry!" he barked. "Stop fumbling!"

  "S-sir," stammered the guard, "it's not… opening."

  Kazuki watched as two more men rushed up. They tried the key again - no luck. The lock wouldn't budge, jammed in the hasp.

  In the cage, Fleet gave a sheepish grin. The fox girl blinked.

  "What's going on?" the Minister demanded, his voice rising.

  "It's stuck!" a guard said, twisting the key so hard it bent. "It won't open at all!"

  Kazuki crouched lower behind the crates. He felt the anger, the urge to fight, begin to calm in the confusion. What is happening?

  "They can't get Fleet or that girl out," Kuro whispered. "Which means they can't drag them in front of the bonfire for the actual... ritual."

  Onstage, the Minister glared daggers at the lock. He barked commands to the guards: "Break the cage door! These monsters must die!"

  ---

  [Achievement Unlocked: Locksmith's Nightmare]

  [Next Chapter: The White Stone Castle]

  Thanks for reading!

  New chapter every day at 9:07 EST.

  If you’re enjoying the story, please consider leaving a review, rating, or comment—it really helps!

  How is Fleet going to get out of there?

  Drop your theories in the comments—I read every one.