The Dragon God's Anger

“W-Where’s that scorpion now?” Kazuya asked, frowning. Anger and resolve replaced his grief and fear. “I swear I’ll bring her to justice, Uncle! Just tell me where she is!”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Dairyū sighed, sad to disappoint his nephew. “That woman has evaded me for centuries, which means my pearl can’t detect her. I’ll try to get something out of Kasai, but I doubt he’ll know. If that scorpion has survived this long, she must be shrewd and secretive.”

“Can’t you get intel from Grandpa in the God Realm?” Kenzō asked. He was half-lying on his cushion, leaning on it with his elbow, and sharpening his claws against each other out of boredom.

“You ascribe too much kindness to Lord Ryūjin.” Dairyū chuckled bitterly. He didn’t seem at all irritated by his son’s behaviour, but rather amused. He found Kenzō’s nonchalance in his presence endearing, no matter how strange it seemed to Akechi Shinemori, the chief of the police. He and his son still sat rigidly before the kami, afraid of making mistakes and angering him. “Did you forget that Lord Ryūjin was the one to banish me from Ryūgūjō?” Dairyū smiled at Kenzō. “He won’t give me any intel for free. And then, no one’s allowed to take too much information out of the God Realm, especially to bring it to humans. The gods prefer to leave human lives to fate and only give small hints. That’s more just in our worldview.”

“That’s plain unfair!” Kazuya’s frown deepened. He clenched his fists, angry at the gods’ indifference. My parents were killed by a freak whom they failed to erase! How can they leave it to fate?!

“Alas, that’s how it is.” Dairyū’s smile deepened. He tilted his head to the side, with his pearl earrings tinkling. This was his habit in the rare times when he felt guilty. “We’ll have to protect Kasane somehow before I can locate that scorpion. Which reminds me…” He brightened up, a new idea blossoming in his mind. He turned to Kenzō and ordered, “Call Ginrei here!”

“Yeah… Alright.” Kenzō shrugged and stopped playing with his claws. He stood up and walked out the door.

“Wait, Ginrei?” Chief Akechi Shinemori looked at Dairyū in shock, forgetting the protocol for a moment. “Y-You mean the ancestral founder of the Kagenashi Clan? He’s alive?”

“Oh, you didn’t tell them?” Dairyū turned to Kazuya.

“I… I didn’t have time.” Kazuya grew red. “I’m sorry!”

He relayed the news about Ginrei to Akechi and Jin Shinemori – that he never died but had been splitting himself into weaker clones. That was what Kazuya’s late father, Jin Hattori’s message, “All are one”, meant – that every kumichō of the Kagenashi Clan had been the same entity, Ginrei, posing as different people.

“Wait, that means all their crimes tie back to him!” Akechi exclaimed, realising that Jin Hattori’s message was evidence against Ginrei. “That could send him to jail for life!” He looked at Dairyū, the grand warden of the yōkai prison on a remote island in Tokyo Bay.

“I told you the ‘lucky’ pattern of the Kagenashi kumichō deaths was suspicious.” Jin frowned at Akechi and crossed his arms, emitting fumes from his nostrils – the quirk of his Explosion Magic. “Each of them would die after their crimes came to light, and be replaced by their successor. They were the sole ones to be blamed for their crimes, leaving the clan untouchable. And it continued for centuries. It couldn’t be a coincidence!”

Akechi Shinemori widened his eyes. He snarled and hit his fist on his knee.

“To think that that fox has been duping us all this time!” He breathed fumes just like his son. “I swear, we’ll lock him up, that rotten trickster!”

“Actually,” Dairyū’s voice, tinkling but stern, sounded, “I’d prefer that you don’t do that.”

“What?” Chief Shinemori, Jin, and even Kazuya looked at him in a stupor.

How can Uncle say that? Kazuya frowned. He doesn’t want us to arrest Ginrei after all the bloody deeds he has committed?! He might not have killed my parents, but that doesn’t absolve him from his crimes!

“You see…” Dairyū began with a smile, but his speech was interrupted.

The door slid open, and Kenzō returned with Ginrei. The latter’s nine fluffy white tails were spread behind him like sun rays, and his vulpine eyes flared crimson. Despite his youthful face, Akechi Shinemori recognised his old nemesis, Genzaburō Kagenashi, in his features. His blood boiled. He still carried the scar from Genzaburō’s burning claw attack when he served as a police cadet alongside his late partner, Jin Hattori. He couldn’t forget his many colleagues and subordinates the Kagenashi Clan had killed, either. Even though Dairyū asked him not to arrest Ginrei, Akechi could hardly comply. And yet, he couldn’t refuse the kami. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

I’ll hear what Kami-sama has to say before I act. He finally decided.

A smug smile ran across Ginrei’s lips as he eyed Akechi and Jin Shinemori. It angered both of them, as well as Kazuya. But they didn’t comment since they were in the god’s presence. Ginrei bowed to Dairyū, greeted him formally, and sat down next to Kazuya. Meanwhile, Kenzō retook his seat beside his father.

“Perfect, we’re all here!” Dairyū smiled. His pupils narrowed to slits as he eyed Ginrei, giving him goosebumps. “I knew something was wrong about your whole Kagenashi kumichō business,” he said. “Nine-tailed foxes with 600 years of power but a human lifespan? – You’re not as good a bakegitsune as you think, Ginrei, if you believed that was cunning enough!” He cast a mocking glance at Akechi, making him flinch in shame at his incompetence. He turned back to Ginrei and added, “No wonder Jin Hattori saw through you.”

“Don’t tell me you knew his secret this whole time?!” Kazuya flared up, staring at Dairyū.

“I didn’t know Ginrei was splitting himself into clones and posing as different kumichō, so I commend him for that much!” Dairyū blushed and scratched the back of his head. “But I knew that neither Yukihiro nor any of his ‘family’ was what they said they were.” He glared back at Ginrei. “Now, since you’ve revealed your secrets, I give you a choice, Ginrei!” He grinned, exposing his fangs. “Either I’ll lock you up for life as humans think you deserve, or you’ll strike a deal with me, and I’ll guarantee your clan’s and your freedom… forever.”

“Uncle!” Kazuya cried, his frown deepening. What is he saying? Even Big Sis Kasane doesn’t think the Kagenashi Clan deserves freedom, and she loves Ginrei!

Akechi and Jin knitted their brows, too. Dairyū was striking a deal with a centuries-old fox yakuza boss, drenched in the blood of countless humans?!

“With all due respect, Kami-sama, I can’t allow that!” Akechi spoke up in his deep, gruff voice. “This fox’s crimes can’t be pardoned_” His speech was cut.

Unbearable energy pressed upon him and Jin, forcing them to bend before the god, with their foreheads hitting the floor. The room rumbled under the pressure. Kazuya also felt it, albeit lighter, weighing only on his shoulders. His limbs shook, and his heart pounded. He found it hard to breathe. He’d never felt such raw, existential horror. He looked up at the dragon, hoping to see his loving uncle in him still. But Dairyū’s eyes had become as cold as ice. The bushy strands of his white braid had sharpened into jagged scales, and his smile was gone. Kazuya gulped.

Now we really pissed him off… He thought. He glared at Akechi Shinemori. Why did he say “allow”?! Does he want to be eaten, or what?

He gave a pleading gaze to Kenzō, asking for help. But Kenzō only shrugged in response, signalling that the policemen had brought it upon themselves. His indifferent look made Kazuya pout.

“Why are you scared; it’s not like he’ll eat you, of all people”, huh? He thought, divining Kenzō’s silent message. His eye twitched. How is it better if he eats Chief Shinemori and Jin?! They’re my family’s friends, damn it!

Akechi and Jin winced and squirmed under the pressure, unable to straighten up. Dairyū glared down at them, with his arms crossed and the corners of his blue lips lowered.

“Mortals have no say,” he said in his tinkling voice, which carried menacing grunts of a dragon’s breath. “The minute a Flame Scorpion came into the picture, this matter went far beyond you. I shared this much information out of respect for the late Jin Hattori’s memory as my wife’s kin. Now, you will leave!” He glanced at Kazuya, implying that he was dismissed, too. “Kenzō will escort you out.”

He threw the pearl containing the dead Hanabira girl’s corpse back to Kenzō, signalling that he should assist the policemen in its identification and subsequent procedures. Kenzō caught the pearl and stood up.

The pressure on the policemen lifted. Akechi and Jin could freely breathe again. They gasped for air, sweating. They stood up, shaking, and followed Kenzō out. They realised they had barely escaped a catastrophe, and hastened to get away.

Kazuya lingered. Kenzō turned around and looked at him with raised eyebrows. Dairyū eyed him quizzically, too. Kazuya gulped and looked down.

“I… I’m sorry, Uncle,” he muttered. “I didn’t want to…”

“It’s alright,” Dairyū replied, but with slight regret in his tone. He had never wanted to frighten his nephew, but was too insulted by Akechi Shinemori’s backtalk, and so his wrathful energy had oozed out. He smiled ruefully at Kazuya. “I believe Ginrei is doing humans a good service by controlling the demonic bakegitsune he adopts. That's why I want to converse with him.” He rubbed Kazuya’s head. “Don’t worry about it! I’ll explain the details to you in private when you return.”

Kazuya sighed, ashamed to have doubted his divine uncle. His reasoning made perfect sense – after the Kagenashi Clan was established, the demonic foxes who joined it became more controlled, as opposed to Kasai, the rogue fox. Therefore, it might be wise to join forces with Ginrei against a powerful threat such as the Flame Scorpion.

Kazuya bowed to Dairyū, acknowledging his judgment, and stood up. He hurried after Kenzō, and they shut the door. Dairyū and Ginrei were left alone to discuss their “deal”.