Ten Shadows in the Heian Era

Pre-A/N Post-Writing Edit: Just wanna apologise briefly for not uploading for like 8 days. I won't get into the why, but I will post that omake now to make up for it :P

A/N: I just wanna say this here and now to pre-empt the inevitable 'this lore doesn't match with that lore' and 'this lore contradicts that lore' like I know. Brother, I know. I spend so many hours researching the shit I write before I write it, I've literally had two instances where I've had 91 and 73 tabs of wikipedia open at once respectively.

So I'm just going to say that this is a crossover that is going to grow, but I shall be making sure to modify and twist things a little bit to fit in crossover elements without them seeming out of universe. So please don't give me any 'um actually, this character is blah blah blah which doesn't fit with what you've written'. I KNOW!! It's a crossover!

Thank you for listening to my ted talk, onto the chap :P.

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Kiichi Hougen gently drops down in front of the excessively large mansion of her host in the reverse side of the world with barely a sound marking her arrival.

She is a woman of moderate height, slightly taller than the average human woman. Her hair is long enough to reach her thighs and coloured a wonderful silver while her eyes shine golden with slit pupils.

On her head she has a pair of black, feather-thin horns that sprout from behind her ears and curve around her head and up, lightening in colour as they rise and leaving a small gap between them directly above her head.

She is wearing a scarlet red armour that doesn't really cover much, protecting her neck, her breasts, the left side of her hip and both of her thighs. There is also a white under armour that covers her sides and left arm, but that too has a pair of diamond shapes cut into it, exposing her flat stomach and the space between her neck and chest.

Her legs are fully covered by tight black leggings that lighten to grey at her ankles, leading to her feet that are fully covered by a pair of red-trimmed white sandals that each has a thin blade jutting out the length of the bottom to stand on.

Additionally, she wears black gloves and has an attachment on her left bicep that flares a number of crow feathers over her shoulder, each pitch black at the base and lightening into grey at the tips. Lastly, she has a number of thin red ropes tied to her, on her wrists and in her hair, to add some more colour and a white half skirt covering her left side.

In one hand she casually rests a long naginata on her shoulder, it's shaft a dark black that also lightens into a lighter grey as it reaches the tip, which is a red blade with two large serrations on the back. Like much of her other aesthetic, the blade is a dark red at its base and lightens towards the tip.

On her back she has her other weapon, a large fan with a black handle and long white feathers that are each half as long as she is tall.

It is with a slight smile on her lips that Kiichi Hougen steps towards the mansion, ger gait relaxed.

The front door slides open as she reaches it, and she doesn't miss a step as she enters the building, humming in appreciation. They didn't do that last time.

It's not like she has a problem with having to open doors herself. Despite being a Daiyōkai, she's not as hot-headed as most of her 'peers'. Comes with age, she supposes.

That said, she still cut down the door last time instead of opening it, but that was because of who the door belongs to, rather than out of any feeling of misplaced insult.

Maybe that's why it opens by itself now? She doesn't know, nor does she really care.

It doesn't take long to reach her destination. She can feel the building reform itself so that the hallway she's walking through leads straight there. It didn't do that last time either. Did he find a new servant?

For someone like her, it isn't difficult to find the answer before she even enters the room where he sits. A simple feeling of her surroundings reveals a new presence standing behind the despicable man, one she doesn't recognise. 

A slight deeper look into the presence and she can see the connection it has to the building. It's a moderately impressive showing for such a weak Yōkai, but if they specialise in terrain manipulation, then she doubts they're very good at anything else.

Kiichi tilts her head when she feels the presence shudder and start to shake, a faint sense of fear starting to waft from them.

Oops, she thinks to herself, recognising the issue. It seems I looked a little bit too close and they noticed.

Oh well.

At least it means that no one is surprised when she arrives. She can tell that they are all paying attention to the door before she even opens it, not that she hesitates to do so.

Inside are six beings, five of whom are fellow Daiyōkai, sitting around a large circular table, each with varying amounts of sake in front of them. the final being a simple Yōkai, and the one who she noticed manipulating the building.

On the left is her second favourite, Tsuchigumo. He is a giant of a man, standing at about seven and a half metres tall. A little bit over four times her own height.

He has long red hair, almost as long as her own, relatively, and possesses bulging muscles that still fail to do justice to the strength they hold. His face is that of a white horned mask. She's unsure if the humans who started making those 'demon masks' did so in imitation of him or not.

He's also not wearing a shirt or anything, just a pair of hakama pants, and he notably possesses five arms. It used to be six, but she cut one of them off when he first challenged her to a fight. She knows he doesn't mind though. If anything, he's the kind of man who wants to be weaker so that he can enjoy a bitter struggle against more opponents.

He's fun.

Next in line comes in a pair of Oni sisters.

Ibaraki and Shuten.

Unlike Tsuchigumo, these two look pretty human. Or at least, they are shorter than she is, and other than Ibaraki's hands and feet, their skin is mostly human-looking.

Aside the horns, of course.

Ibaraki's horns are black at the base before a series of swirling red, almost tribal, markings start covering them, lightly at first but more and more until the tips of the horn are simply painted red.

Similar red markings can be seen on her head, contrasting with her long yellow hair and bright yellow eyes. There are further markings under her eyes, on her neck, shoulders and the lower half of her legs.

Her decency is covered by a loose flower-printed yellow kimono, with a white corset-like undershirt to protect her modesty where her kimono is too loose to do so.

At her back is the large handle of her sword, peaking over her shoulder, and in her hand is a cup of sake, though she keeps glancing suspiciously between said cup and her sister.

Shuten is quite the opposite, possessing short and straight purple hair that is almost dark enough to be black. Her eyes are similarly dark, a light shadow surrounding them, and her lips are painted the same dark purple colour as her hair, almost looking as if a kiss from her would be poisonous.

As for her clothes, well, Kiichi is of the opinion that it would be less suggestive if she was simply nude. Her kimono, purple with dull red at the tips of the sleeves, only connects at the sash over her waist. Above and below, the kimono is basically just open, exposing the only coverings she has underneath. That being a small set of black coverings over her equally small breasts, and a tiny strip of black fabric to cover her womanhood.

Additionally, her kimono cuts off below the waist. The only thing she is wearing below her hips is a pair of knee guards that stretch from the middle of her shins to the middle of her thighs, leaving much skin exposed.

Kiichi likes it.

She doesn't like exposing her legs so much, but she understands that wearing too many clothes just feels restrictive. She has no idea why humans wear so many layers. They're such interesting creatures.

The fourth person in line actually makes her smile.

"Yo, Inugami," she greets, not really paying much mind to the others present.

Inugami is the only one who's age can compare to her own. His form is mostly covered by a large black cloak, leaving only the large head of a brown dog visible, large enough that his jaw is about half as big as her body is.

"Sōjōbō," he greets in turn, using her true name and not the temporary one she's chosen to use for this era, his deep voice slow and old. "It has been some time."

"Six hundred years or so," she responds with a half shrug. "You're getting old."

"Ha ha, indeed I am," he agrees while she walks to take her seat next to him. "You are as full of vigour as always, however."

As she sits, her eyes turn to the final Daiyōkai currently present and the one who called for this meeting in the first place.

Nurarihyon. The leader of the Eastern Faction of Yōkai

His appearance is that of a handsome young man, with pale yellow eyes that have a pair of black markings underneath them and hair that is a pale silver on the top and a deep black underneath.

However, distinctly from a human, his hair extends a large distance behind him, such that he almost makes the shape of a scythe when he stands up, and she knows that it's not just his hair, but actually his skull that is so long.

Shame he doesn't have enough brain matter to fill that whole skull of his, she thinks to herself, unkindly.

"Unlike you, I can still find interests to pursue," she says, continuing her conversation with Inugami.

"Hoh hoh," he chuckles, a furry paw coming out of his cloak to stroke his chin as if he is a human with a beard. "I am finding that life slows down as you lose your vigour. It is peaceful."

Briefly, she wonders if he is going to die. It's not like either of them will ever die of old age, not unless they want to. But maybe that is what he wants? To wrinkle away until he eventually dies?

She doesn't get it, but she will still support her friend if that is what he wants. The fact that he even seems so old makes her think that she's right. He wouldn't look old unless he felt old.

"Sounds boring," she comments before picking up a bottle of sake right after it appears on the table in front of her.

As she drinks from it, she briefly turns her gaze to the final Yōkai present, standing deferentially behind Nurarihyon as they are, and feels her brows rise slightly at the sight.

Interesting, she thinks to herself.

She can recognise them as a spider Yōkai, though they are currently wearing the face of a beautiful woman rather than showing her spidery form.

What is interesting however is her control over the building. Looking with her own eyes, Kiichi can tell that she is doing so through the use of her Osore, which seems to be a most interesting Osore.

Something to keep an eye on.

"Right?" Tsuchigumo says, agreeing with her. "Why would you ever want to stop fighting?"

"Oh, I don't know~," Shuten's playfully seductive voice answers as she swirls her cup of sake right in front of her mouth, no doubt to bring attention to her lips. "I can think of plenty of fun things to do instead of fighting~," she continues, punctuation her words by sliding her tongue out of her mouth and into her sake cup before tilting it up and taking a gulp.

Unfortunately for her, Tsuchigumo is the kind of muscle head that is immune to seduction by virtue of being kind of an idiot.

"Brat, my cock is the size of your entire body," he starts, the unexpected vulgarity making Kiichi snort a laugh, "Fighting and fucking are the only fun things in this world, and you're both too weak to fight and too small to fuck."

Shuten clearly didn't like that answer, if the thinning of her eyes is any indication, though Ibaraki is the one who truly seems ready to resort to violence. However, they are interrupted by the door opening again before anything can happen.

Well, she says 'opening,' but it would be more accurate to say that the door is destroyed in an explosion.

From the smoke, a petite, pink haired child appears. She is easily the smallest Yōkai present, and she manages to prove Kiichi's earlier thoughts about Shuten correct, as she is covering even less skin than Shuten is, and yet doesn't appear nearly as suggestive.

The newest entrant is only wearing a pair of black sleeves connecting with a collar and turning white as it covers her chest. Other than that, she is wearing a similar strip as Shuten over her womanhood and a pair of red scale boots up to her knees.

"I have arrived!" she triumphantly yells, her hands on her hips and her bright blue eyes wide with childish excitement. "Demon Lord Milim Nava is here! You're welcome!"

...She's been calling herself a Demon Lord ever since she met one of those Abrahamic Devils, even though she is one of Yamata-no-Orochi's daughters and definitely not a demon of any sort. Apparently it's 'cooler than Daiyōkai'.

She might even be stronger than Inugami though, so it's not like anyone is going to say anything about it to her face.

"Welcome, welcome," Nurarihyon greets genially. "Would you li-"

"Shut up weird-hair! Gimme sake!!!" She yells, interrupting Nurarihyon and skipping over to Tsuchigumo to grab one of his many bottles of sake and then jumping across the table to land in a free seat.

Tsuchigumo doesn't say anything, both because his sake is refilled anyway and will continue to be, so long as he remains a guest, and also because the last time he challenged her to a fight she ended it in one punch.

Behind Milim follows her aides, Frey and Carrion.

Carrion appears as a blond-haired man wearing a sleeveless white robe with black lining going down the centre. He is a wolf that managed to evolve into a Yōkai. A somewhat impressive achievement, though he doesn't seem to have done much since then.

Frey however, is much more interesting to her eyes, solely because Frey is a Tengu just like she is. Well, not 'just like', as she is a Daitengu, but still.

Frey has short white hair and covers her body with a black dress that actually conceals everything except for her arms, which are mostly covered by long red gloves, only leaving the skin around and below her shoulder exposed.

She also has her wings folded behind her as she walks with Carrion to stand behind Milim, who is already ignoring the world around her and downing bottle after bottle of sake.

Milim, Nurarihyon and Hagoromo are usually the only ones to bring aides, since they're the only ones in positions of leadership. Though, she would have expected Hagoromo to have arrived by now.

A part of her laments the fact that there is hardly any good food or drinks out there. It's certainly better than a thousand years ago, but not by a massive amount. Sake is the best there is, so it's pretty much all a lot of them subsist off of.

It is good though. She takes a sip of her own sake. Very good.

Milim lets out a long, satisfied sigh only after finishing her seventh bottle. "Sake's so gooood~!" She then exclaims, getting a round of nods from everyone at the table.

Except for Ibaraki, who still seems to be trying to figure out if her sister poisoned her drink or not.

Finally, the last Yōkai arrives, strolling casually through the doorless frame.

First through the door is a large, muscular man. He is only wearing hakama pants like Tsuchigumo and has a large mane of black hair flowing down his back. His race is made clear by the pair of horns sticking out from the side of his head and curving horizontally forward.

This is Otakemaru, the only living Kijin, which makes him to Oni what she is to Tengu. A higher form of life.

By his side is yet another Oni. She holds the appearance a young looking woman, taller than the other two Onis but shorter than Kiichi herself, who possesses short light brown hair and is dressed like a Shirabyōshi, a type of human entertainer that wears a mans Shinto outfit, though far more loose and thin, and her hakama cut off barely halfway down the thigh.

She also possesses a Tachi sword sheathed at her side, the hilt facing down. However, what is the most strange is that she has, for some reason layered an illusion over her horns to make them look like fox ears, and has another illusion of a fox's tail swaying behind her.

Kiichi doesn't even know who she is, but she already feels like she knows what kind of a person they are.

"Oh~?" Otakemaru hums as he enters, strolling up to a seat of his own. "It appears I am the last to arrive, unless your father plans on coming?" He finishes, directing his question first to Milim and then to Ibaraki and Shuten.

Milim stops drinking to glance about the room ponderously for a moment before turning back to Otakemaru and tilting her head at him. "I don't think he'd fit," is all she says before returning to her bottles.

As Otakemaru pulls out his own seat at the table, the chairs being more like thrones, beside him his partner does the same.

However, right before she can sit down, she has to rapidly step to the side to avoid the throne she was pulling out as it is launched with incredible speed into the far wall, shattering into pieces on impact.

Eyes are drawn to Ibaraki as they all feel her power flowing, the Oni making no attempt to disguise it as she glares at the brown-haired woman.

"These seats are for Ultimate beings only. Don't insult us by thinking a weakling like you may sit with us as if an equal."

Kiichi sips her sake as she watches the new girl's eyes tighten into a frosty glare, but despite their look of anger, she, and likely a few others present, does not fail to notice the very real fear hidden behind her glare.

It's not surprising, really. 

Ibaraki, as well as everyone else seated at this table, is the near sum total of Ultimate-class Yōkai in the realm. Whereas this girl is a mere High-class, and Ibaraki isn't being shy about releasing her aura. If anything, it's impressive that the girl's knees haven't buckled yet.

However, a moment later, an even more oppressive aura bursts forth from Otakemaru, countering the effect and reliving his partner.

"Watch how you speak to my wife, Brat," he says, surprising Kiichi.

She didn't think he of all people would get married. Least of all to someone weaker than himself.

Maybe she's actually just really specialised in mind magic and is controlling his will somehow? It honestly seems more plausible than that guy settling down.

"Congratulations on your marriage," Inugami says, dispersing the growing tension with his old man geniality. "Will you introduce us?"

Otakemaru is not a particularly respectful person. If anything, Kiichi would say that he is the opposite of respectful. To her eyes, he is an insolent youth with a lot of pride and very little tempering. But even then, he at least knows to show Inugami and herself proper respect, so at least he isn't too stupid.

"This is Suzuka Gozen, my wife," he says, his voice calm and steady as he gestures briefly to the girl in question. "Gozen, stand behind me."

Suzuka huffs but obeys, glaring at Ibaraki all the while.

Kiichi is surprised she hasn't had to stop a fight this time. Usually she gets to stretch her blade a little bit when they meet up like this.

Then again, the last time was six hundred years ago, and a lot of these youngsters simply weren't around back then.

Still, one thing is bothering her about his words...

"Say," Shuten speaks up, her words mirroring Kiichi's thoughts. "What do you mean when you say you are the last to show up? Aren't we still waiting for Hagoromo Gitsune, the leader of the Western Yōkai Faction?"

"Hm?" He responds. "You have not heard?"

"Hagoromo Gitsune is dead," Nurarihyon states, bringing the room's attention, minus Milim, to him. "That fact is part of the reason why I called for this meeting."

Kiichi once more finds herself surprised. Hagoromo might not have been exceptionally powerful, but she was certainly still an impressive Daiyōkai. One who was older than most present. That said, Kiichi won't really morn her, though she is a little sad that a face she has known for so long is now gone from the world.

"How did she die?" Inugami asks for her.

"Fuck knows," Tsuchigumo gruffly answers, being the only one here who was subordinate to her, if only in name. "Last I heard it was her son, that Seimei brat. He's the only one that came out alive though, so it's just a theory, and I ain't sure I believe it. All I know is the faction is tense. Right now we're still unsure exactly how dead she is, but the faction'll probably fracture if she doesn't come back soon. There'll be a succession dispute, probably. Not like I really care."

Kiichi has a hard time believing that too. She never met the kid, but her understanding was that he and Hagoromo were very close. The woman in question certainly loved him with all her being.

As for the succession of the West Yōkai Faction, she remembers hearing that Hagoromo had an impressive student. A Tamamo-no-Mae. Though, she doubts that kid is nearly strong enough to succeed Hagoromo. 

"Wasn't she s'pposed to be impressive?" Ibaraki asks, tilting her head plainly. "How'd she die to a human?"

It's a good question since Hagoromo was a Kitsune with eight tails. She was impressive.

"And that," Nurarihyon states with a snap of his fingers, "Is the reason I called for this meeting. That Seimei brat may be a human, but he's strong. It's not just him either, the humans already have half as many official Special Grade Sorcerers as us, and I hear that soon enough that number is likely going to be bumped up until there are as many Special Grade Sorcerers as there are Daiyōkai, roughly."

"Sounds fun," Tsuchigumo says, taking another swig from his bottle.

"So what?" Ibaraki asks, unintentionally making her youthfulness clear to the older Yōkai present. "Humans are human. Special or whatever doesn't make a difference. Humans will always just be humans."

Nurarihyon nods his head in agreement. "Indeed, no human will ever be able to match an Ultimate being in terms of pure power, their very being binds them from reaching our levels. However, even if they lack our raw power, you should not underestimate those they call Special Grade. They don't have the power of an Ultimate-class being, but if you underestimate them, you'll die."

"You tryna start a fight, Stupid-hair?" Ibaraki all but growls at Nurarihyon.

"Not at all," he mildly responds, unconcerned. "But if you are so confident, then feel free to seek out the one they now call Nanami Shiki. Even I would rather not face her."

"Coward," Ibaraki snorts.

"Perhaps. But better a coward than dead, and Nanami Shiki is, with no doubt in my mind, the single most lethal being in our realm, perhaps even more so than the Gods themselves. Then there is Sukuna and Narauko. The power they both possess borders on the Ultimate. If it wasn't for their human nature holding them back, they would certainly have climbed to even our heights by now."

"It's not like you to praise a human, Nura," Otakemaru comments with a raised brow.

"It is not often there are humans worthy of praise," he easily responds.

"Is there a point to this?" Tsuchigumo interrupts. "If all ya wanted was to warn us off humanity, then you're wasting your words. I'll fight who I want to fight when I wanna fight 'em."

"The point," Nurarihyon says, "Is that this era of humanity is dangerous. Never before has there been so many Special Grades among the humans. If they run out of Curses to exorcise, it is us Yōkai that they will come for next. I don't know about you, but I will not stand by and allow the humans to cull our kind. I called for this meeting so that we may discuss the removal of these problematic elements. We cannot allow these humans to live."

"I guess with an Osore like yours, I shouldn't be surprised you're so damn boring," Tsuchigumo says before rising to his feet and turning to Ibaraki and Shuten. "Oy, wanna go fight instead of listening to this crap?"

"Yes!" Ibaraki immediately answers, looking more alive than she ever been as she jumps to her feet and doesn't hesitate to pull out her sword.

"Sure sure," Shuten also agrees with a slight sigh. "I had been hoping this would have actually been an interesting meeting, not just a cowardly little man worrying over humans, of all things."

The rest of them watch the three of them walk out in silence, and only once they're out of sight does Otakemaru also rise to his feet.

"I am also leaving. I have no interest in your plans." Without another word, he turns and walks away, his wife following dutifully behind him.

Well, Kiichi thinks to herself, This is turning out to be a quick meeting.

It might even be a record.

"Hm?" Milim looks up at last, noticing the number of presences as having gone down, and she does so just in time to see Otakemaru leave.

"Oh, is it over already?" She asks, and without waiting for a response she turns to Kiichi. "Sōjōbō! Fight me!"

"Sure," she easily agrees. "Wait for me outside."

"'Kay~!" Milim sings as she hops off her seat and flies over the table and out the door, her exasperated followers following after her.

With Milim gone, all that is left at the table is Inugami, Nurarihyon and herself.

A short silence falls upon them, eventually broken by Nurarihyon.

"I suppose neither of you intend to assist me either?" He asks, already knowing the answer.

"No, I am too old to be so active."

"I don't see the point," she answers.

"Then-" Nurarihyon starts but she interrupts him before he can attempt to convince her.

"Even if I saw the point, I like watching the humans. I would rather help the impressive ones grow than cut them down young. I have no interest in your proposal."

"I see," he says after a moment. "Then this was quite the waste of time, wasn't it?"

"It was nice to see everyone," she says, not really trying to lighten his mood, more just making conversation really. Though, maybe she shouldn't, since Milim is waiting for her. "Try not to do anything reckless. You'll make your fears into a self fulfilling prophecy."

With those final words, she departs, feeling some anticipation as she meets back up with Milim. 

The little Dragon isn't as strong as she is, but it's still a fun fight.

She'd prefer it if Milim knew how to use a sword though...

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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

Not really much of a chapter tbh. I was gonna add more stuff, but it's already passed 4k words so I might as well just post it as its own chapter and go to sleep.

I thought there'd be more conversation, but I guess I didn't take into account the personalities I'd brought to the table when I thought that. I really just can't see any of the others giving a single shit about Nurarihyon's words here lol.

My bad.

Still, there was a lil bit of foreshadowing in this chap, which I always love doing :P