Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gilgamesh wasn't sure what exactly she was expecting when she brought Enkidu into the city, but this certainly wasn't it. She usually didn't populate such areas longer than necessary, for the unwashed masses were a taint upon her glorious figure, but it was hard to say no to the boy's pleading eyes.

The King of Heroes was used to the way most would gape at her passing. She had realised, even from an early age, that simple humans could not be blamed for being awestruck by her beauty. It was something she had long grown accustomed to, but the way these mongrels were so openly lusting after her treasure was growing to be particularly bothersome. They were unworthy to even glance upon his form, and watching their pig-like eyes rake across his body was enough for the air around her to start distorting.

Gilgamesh clenched her teeth with suppressed anger.

Enkidu wasn't helping the issue either, for his need to speak to every person within his line of sight only caused more attention to be drawn upon them. Thankfully they had arrived past sunset, and the streets were thus relatively clear. Gilgamesh dread to think what may happen if Enkidu were to be let loose in the daytime.

"Hi! What's your name?" He said to the stall owner, packing away his goods for the night.

"Ooh! What's that on your face? Are those glasses?" The office worker he spoke to startled, rooted in place under the boy's intense interest.

"Ah, Look here! I got a flower for you!" A little girl giggled merrily as he placed a daisy in her hair, and the mother stood by with flushed cheeks and a dopey grin.

Gilgamesh glared at that particular woman, before grabbing Enkidu by the arm and dragging him off. She had to think of something, anything, to get him away before her anger boiled over.

"Huh? What's wrong Gil-chan?"

Big eyes looked up at her questioningly, and she found her previous irritation dissolving into the wind.

'It's really hard to stay mad when he does that ok!'

"You need to stop speaking to those mon- people, Enkidu. It's late for regular humans, and they likely are just trying to get home after a long day at work."

"Ah, I didn't realise! I'll go apologise right away!"

Enkidu tried to run, but his arm was still held in her iron grip, stopping him in his tracks.

"There's no need for that! Err… I'm sure that they don't wish to be bothered any further. Let's just be on our way…"

Gilgamesh marched the boy forwards before he could protest, leading him through the numerous winding back streets. Past neon lights and hollow-eyed women they travelled until, eventually, they reached a large plaza. Furnished with white marble and abundant greenery, it all served to highlight the towering torii gate that served as a centrepiece. Painted a lustrous red and engraved with numerous prayers, something about the structure gave off a presence that drew Enkidu in like a moth to a flame.

The air was strangely silent.

The King of Heroes, contrary to before, found herself being hauled along instead. The boy's gait was eager and excited as he strode forward, until the both of them stood nearly underneath the gate.

Staring upwards in a state of wonderment, Enkidu reached out with slender fingers to grasp at the monument, before a voice sounded out from behind.

"Greetings, strangers. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

A man, frail and wrinkled with the passage of time, stood straight as a whip in a place wherein there had been nothing before. Despite his apparent age, his eyes were sharp and filled with wisdom. A crooked grin adorned his face, and he was dressed in some sort of ceremonial kimono.

Gilgamesh found herself narrowing her eyes at the interloper, her keen senses instantly noticing the beings inhuman aura. Unlike other supernatural creatures she had met in the past, the old man's considerable power seemed wholly unconcealed, flowing outwards from his form in calm waves. It was somehow reminiscent of Enkidu's own aura, although much less potent and lacking a certain substance to it.

Dismissing the being as a threat, the gold-clad woman instead smirked with arrogant confidence as she approached the man with slow steps.

"Leave us be, mongrel. We have important matters to attend to."

Her assertions were in complete contrast with the actions of the boy behind her, who was almost vibrating in place with unsuppressed curiosity.

"Whoa… Where did that old man come from? Heyyy, Gilgamesh, did he just teleport? That's so cool!"

The King of Heroes pinched her brow in frustration.

The old man just chuckled, in that knowing way most old men do.

"Please, sir and madam, I mean you no harm. I am just a simple guardian tasked with protecting the gate you see before you. Perhaps, if I may be so bold, may I inquire as to the nature of your task here?"

Gilgamesh made to respond, probably with something suitably scathing, but she was cut off by the excitable ball of green energy at her side.

"No worries old man! Me and my friend were just looking around for someone to tell us where we can find a tsuchinoko. Hey, you look pretty wise, do you know where one might live?"

The old man's eyebrows furrowed, and his posture shifted to something more confrontational. Gilgamesh watched all this with a bloodthirsty grin, while the air around her suddenly started to shift in shimmering gold light. The promise of violence choked the air.

"I may. However, I must ask, what do you intend to do with such information?"

Any of the subtleties of the situation went completely over Enkidu's head, and he responded to the question with that same unwavering earnestness with which he regarded the rest of the world.

"Ah, I was just curious, y'know. I read a book about Japanese myths recently, and the tsuchinoko seemed especially interesting. Is it true that they like sake? Do they really have the most deadly venom in the world? I really wanna find one, I have so many questions to ask!"

Shocked out of his stance, the old man dropped his previous air of sophistication and replaced it with undiluted bafflement. Gilgamesh just sighed in annoyance, aggrieved that her newest punching bag was backing down.

"You wish to locate a tsuchinoko simply to… Ask it questions?"

He tried to study the boy's face for any trace of deceit, but was met instead with an unfaltering smile and genuine intentions. The aura he was emitting so pure it was almost overwhelming, frying his rational thought processes and making the boy seem completely trustworthy.

"Yeah? Is that weird?"

Yes. Yes it was.

The response was on the tip of his tongue, but the old man did not have the heart to go through with it. When was the last time he had witnessed someone possessed of such honesty? He could scarcely remember, and the sight of it now was refreshing in the extreme. The green-haired youth was untainted, he realised, and a genuine grin formed on his face as the absurdity of the situation set in. His eyes glanced towards golden hair and glowing red eyes.

A boy, untainted by the world. And a girl, bathing in its inherent evil.

Yet these two contradicting forces were not only co-existing without friction, but even considered each other friends. It was unfathomable, but in a strange way made sense at the same time.

'I guess opposites really do attract.'

He supposed, as the guardian selected to protect these beautiful lands, it would be remiss of him to ignore such an impassioned plea.

Nurarihyon, greatest of the eastern youkai, spoke with gravitas.

"I believe I may have the answers you are seeking."

///

The train was a fascinating invention, one that Enkidu found himself struggling to comprehend. The amount of tiny moving parts required to build the behemoth of steel and human ingenuity baffled the mind, but such thoughts did not dim his enjoyment.

The feeling of simply moving whilst also standing still was pretty surreal, but not wholly unpleasant. He tried to exclaim his excitement to the world, putting his arms up and whooping with joy, but all he received were uncomfortable looks from all around. The boy lowered his limbs sheepishly.

It seemed he still had a ways to go

Still, his mood could stay dampened for long. Just thinking how close he was to his objective made him restless, and he could hardly suppress himself from jumping in place.

Gilgamesh reached a hand over and placed it on his shoulder, trying to prevent him from leaping out of his seat, and it was enough for him to calm slightly. His giddiness remained though, an almost physical force that brightened the very atmosphere around him. People were already starting to stare, but Enkidu was already too lost in his own head to notice.

'Youkai street, here I come!'

The helpful old man from before had told them of a street situated in Kyoto where one may be able to locate a tsuchinoko, amongst other such creatures. He had never considered that there might be a place where supernatural creatures all congregated, although in hindsight it seemed pretty obvious.

Enkidu felt the train slowing to a stop and shot upwards from his position with a force that wasn't strictly necessary, rushing towards the exit doors in haste with an exasperated blonde hot on his heels. The other passengers stared in shock at their exit, and the dents they left on the metal floor in their wake.

Stepping out into open air once more, Enkidu breathed in a deep lungful of oxygen before expelling it with a thoughtful frown on his face.

This city, and the city they had just been in, all had a strange taint to the air that contrasted heavily with the air from the forest that he was used to. The feeling was not dissimilar to a man that had only drank the freshest spring water all of his life being presented with the regular fare.

It was strange though, because unlike the previous city, the closer he and Gilgamesh walked to their destination the more clear the air seemed to become. He had not been without it for long, but its mere presence was enough to bring great relief to the boy.

The first rays of the rising sun pierced through the darkness as the duo made their way through quiet streets.

He and Gilgamesh quickly became locked in conversation after a short amount of time, the King of Heroes once more narrating one of her many adventures. Enkidu listened, enraptured, as the gold-clad woman spoke about her brief stint in Egypt with the skill of a master orator. Many had lined up to simply hear her speak in the past, for her voice was just as beautiful and graceful as the rest of her.

'At least that's what she told me.'

He was inclined to believe her though. Despite what many might say about his friend, Enkidu did not think Gilgamesh much of a liar. She might be capable of twisting the truth but, from what he had observed, she seemed extremely direct and upfront in most things. Whilst others might find her words as coming from someone just blowing hot air, Enkidu thought differently. She was hardly humble, he could admit that, but most of her boasts came out more like factual assertions rather than arrogant blustering.

In the end, she was someone who could afford to be filled with pride and self-righteousness. For her actions were backed up with great power, and her words possessed of a wisdom found only in a veteran of a hundred battles.

They turned a corner, and from the darkness something emerged.

To the creature they must have seemed easy prey, a young couple seemingly too engrossed with each other to properly examine their surroundings. However, it had made a grave error, for their obliviousness had been mistaken for weakness.

That was not the case.

They walked without thought nor care, for that was the privilege of the strong. And the creature, who was destined to scrape the bottom of the barrel for all eternity, could hardly comprehend such a thing.

With human body and lupine head the beast made itself known, howling at the sky with feral glee. Its eyes were half crazed and animalistic, devoid of all but a glimmer of human intellect, and its stinger hung large and dripped with acid. The creature snarled, before rushing forward with violent intentions.

Most would usually flee from such a thing, but Enkidu could only watch the approaching beast with a sense of sadness. Whatever this thing was, it felt wrong in a way he had not encountered before, a being with essence so twisted and corrupted he could hardly identify what it was supposed to be.

A clawed hand shot forward, but it did not make it far.

"Begone."

A flash of golden light, a guttural scream of pain, and the slight scent of something burning.

The boy blinked, and the wolf-thing was incinerated, not even a puddle of blood remaining. He looked up at Gilgamesh, who seemed only mildly irritated and nothing more.

"Ugh… Such foul creatures are a disgrace to my august self. Let us be off Enkidu, I do not wish to stay in this disgusting place for any longer than necessary."

Enkidu hurried along from where he had been standing, until he was once more side-by-side with the King of Heroes.

Blue eyes peered up at her imploringly.

"W-What was that Gil-chan? That thing…It's very nature seemed almost… sickly. Diseased. Cancerous. I… I can hardly find the words to describe it."

Gilgamesh hummed in thought, looking at the green-haired boy through the corner of her eye as they walked on.

"They are nothing but a byproduct of the rapid expansion of the supernatural factions. That thing was probably once human, although it may not seem like it now. Trust me Enkidu, what I did was only putting that thing out of its misery."

He could only nod in agreement, for the creature seemed more like a mad dog than anything human. One thing still nagged at him though, itching at his brain.

"H-how does that even happen? How can a human turn into… that?"

He tried picturing it, but the aura humanity exuded was so far removed from that thing that it was almost comical. It was hard to even acknowledge that such a thing could even exist, let alone that it used to be a person. It did not even seem similar to an animal, so alien was its behaviour.

Animals have the capacity to do 'evil deeds', but they are not themself inherently evil. A bear could be enraged, but only because it had cubs to protect. A monkey could attack a passerby, but only because it sought to defend its territory. Every action an animal can perform has reasoning behind it, even if it is as base as 'being hungry' or 'being frightened', yet the creature exhibited none of these motives.

Its eyes held only rage and anger without direction, without purpose and without even strength to back it up. Even with Enkidu's limited understanding of others, it was all too easy for him to observe.

It was a creature so pathetic that it could never be born naturally, for not even the world was that cruel.

"They are known as stray devils, and they are filth created solely by those that inhabit the underworld. These new devils like to pretend they have become moral and ethical, but in reality they are just as depraved as they have always been, they just hide it better. To disobey their decree is to become what you saw, a fate I would not wish even on my worst enemy."

Crimson eyes narrowed into a far-away look, as if she was contemplating some situation that had long passed.

"Listen to me, Enkidu, and listen well. There is no greater scourge upon this land than those who name themselves 'Devils'. They feast upon this world like leeches, and sup upon the blood of those greater than them without care. In this world so foul, you will soon discover that death is generous mercy compared to what those demons can do."

She spat the word out with vitriol, a disgust present in her features that Enkidu had never seen before. Her fists clenched, before quickly going slack.

The boy could not say he knew much about devils apart from a few passing mentions of them from Sariel, but the thought of something being able to create such a perversion of nature willfully made his stomach crawl.

Even so, he would withhold any further judgement until he met one. The world may not always be as it seems, he knew this without doubt. Still, his first impression of them had not been a good one, and he would not rest until he had sufficient answers.

Something passed into vision, blinding him. His previously dark mood began to fade and was replaced with something else.

Enkidu stared forwards into the dawn, head held up high to bask in its magnificence. Warm rays caressed his face, a kindly touch upon his earthen form, and hope started to bubble up from deep within his bones. It suffused his spirit, emboldened his ambitions, let his heart sing in ethereal melody.

Darkness receded into shadows, as the sun made itself manifest.

A golden form was silhouetted in the light in front of him, the herald of a new age standing straight and unbending. Alone and without equal she remained, as the days washed over her immaculate form. She was beholden to nothing and no-one, for only she stood above all others.

It did not always have to be so

A figure made up of greens and browns appeared at her side, and the nebulae of fate was altered. The future did not seem so fixed anymore, as one became two.

An event of great significance had come to pass, although none knew it.

Enkidu, firstborn of the earth, thought upon one of the first questions he ever had with wistful mien. One of the first sights he had ever seen remained burned into his brain, and to this day bothered him relentlessly.

'Why does the sapling grow towards the sky?'

He smiled in rapture, for he had found his answer.

The two walked off into the beyond, a field of flowers springing up with every step they took. Burning crimson locked with swirling blues and golds, a moment passed in shared camaraderie.

How had he not realised before? The answer had been in front of him all this time, staring him directly in the face, and he had still remained blind? Evidently he still had much more to learn.

'To reach the sun.'

///

Youkai street was not as grand as Gilgamesh was expecting, although that didn't mean too much given her lofty standards.

It was saturated with vast amounts of magical energy, so she was at least confident that the old codger hadn't led them astray on some wild goose chase. Still, compared to other hunts, this one was proving to be particularly challenging.

Not for the reasons one might think though, for the King of Heroes did not lack power in any capacity. Rather, it was that very strength that was actually hindering their search.

Gilgamesh was not new to the concept of the supernatural hiding themselves amongst the mundane, although it was not usually as much of an issue as it was currently. Her regular strategy was to just flare her aura with as much aggressive intent as possible, flushing out any mongrels from their hiding places, and dealing with them from there. There was no need to walk around aimlessly, to try and find any 'secret entrances', and certainly no need to talk to people.

She watched Enkidu scurry around with a broad grin on his face, and Gilgamesh wondered when exactly it was that she had changed so much. It was a scary thought, that a single person could alter her thinking so much, but the gold-clad woman found herself content regardless.

Everything seemed somehow clearer in his presence, as if his smile washed away all sin from the world. She still did not enjoy such banal activities like Enkidu did, but she could tolerate them with a newfound patience she had been lacking before.

They entered another store, a bell tinkling as she pushed open the door. It was a quaint little thing, small in size and tucked into a hidden corner off to the side of the main street, bedecked with figurines and plushes aplenty. Manning the counter was a matronly woman with prominent eyebrows and a gentle countenance.

It was hard to tell with everything in the area so inundated with magic, but this lady at least seemed slightly different from all the others. Enkidu rushed towards her with his usual enthusiasm, letting off his usual spiel.

"Good morning! Do you know where we can find the secret entrance to youkai land?"

He spoke with his usual subtlety, completely clueless of how strange he sounded. Unlike everyone else he had asked however, who had either professed confusion or had been too enraptured by his appearance to respond, the lady instead winced.

It was a minute thing, but Gilgamesh was not the King of Heroes for nothing, and she easily spotted it. Before the woman could refute anything, she cut her off.

"Don't try to deny it, I do not appreciate being lied to." The clank of golden greaves upon the wooden floor echoed out from her approach, and a brief flash of kingly aura was enough to cower the woman into compliance.

For the shopkeeper, it was as if every survival instinct she had was screaming at her to flee. Each step the woman took towards her was a death knell ringing in her ears, and her blazing red eyes seemed to bore deep into her soul.

"O-Ok, I-I'll tell you! Just p-please don't hurt me!"

With snot running down her nose and tears in her eyes, she pointed with shivering fingers towards a door some ways behind her. Now that Gilgamesh looked closely, she could see a faint glow emanating from the object.

Leaving the snivelling woman to her own devices, the King of Heroes walked through the presented doorway with confidence, slinging a protesting Enkidu over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

In some strange feat of arcane might, the door seemed to open up to a separate plane of existence. The fairly modern architecture of Kyoto had been replaced with traditional buildings and stone pathways, luscious greenery sprouting from the ground everywhere else.

The place was hardly unpopulated, hundreds of so-called 'Youkai' milling around. Despite various animalistic appendages and strange skin colours, they seemed remarkably human in their behaviour. They sat behind stalls selling goods, played music at the streetside, laughed with friends and quarrelled with enemies. It was surprisingly normal, and Gilgamesh wondered whether this was the exception or the norm.

Enkidu, rather predictably, had lost his previous pout and was now almost salivating at the view. She tightened her grip around the whimsical boy before he could rush off in some random direction, although the action made her cheeks darken somewhat.

'We must seem almost like a couple right now.'

The feelings that came rushing in with that realisation were far from unpleasant, but they were dismissed as quickly as they came.

Setting the boy down, Gilgamesh marvelled at how someone could switch between emotions so quickly.

It almost gave her whiplash.

Enkidu, meanwhile, was frozen with indecision. With an entirely new and interesting world suddenly appearing before him, he was much too overwhelmed to pick just one thing in particular to investigate. He looked around, taking in as much as possible with large eyes, before he heard an unusual sound. Staring downwards, Enkidu found the culprit.

His stomach growled once again in mocking laughter.

Gilgamesh seemed to notice this, and a small smile graced her features.

"It seems the hungry void once more demands sustenance."

Enkidu let out a whine, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Stop making fun of me! Everyone needs to eat food to live, right?!"

"Certainly, although your appetite resembles a whale more than anything else."

Her voice was coated in sarcastic glee, whilst her greatest treasure stomped his foot in childish anger.

"Grrrr… I don't know what that is, but it sounds insulting!"

Gilgamesh let out a barking laugh, ignoring the way the locals were staring at them like some sort of spectacle. Her mood was too good to ruin it right now.

"Let's go get something to eat, Enkidu. I have heard that this country has quite excellent cuisine."

They made their way through winding streets and past curious residents, stopping infront of a stall with an appetizing scent wafting out from it. A picture of a bowl of noodles adorned the front of the establishment, and without further thought the two of them stepped in.

Stood before them was a portly old man, face set in a jovial smile and laugh lines present at the sides of his mouth. Truly, he would be no different than any normal human, were it not for the cat ears sticking out from inbetween his hair and the tail swaying to a lazy rhythm.

"Ah, new customers! What can this old man get for you?" He greeted them with such cheer that it was impossible for Enkidu not to try and return it, although Gilgamesh still seemed unimpressed.

"Hi! Me and my friend are kinda new here, so…What would you recommend for someone who has never tried local food before?"

Enkidu's animated response was enough to coax a hearty chuckle from the old shopkeeper, who wrote something down on a slip of paper before picking up a knife.

"Don't you worry young'uns, I've got just the thing for you! I'll show you why I am known as the Ramen King of Kyoto!"

The green-haired boy clapped his hand in delight at the man's antics, whilst the gold-clad woman seemed to perk up at the mention of a 'king'.

'A king of ramen huh? How quaint. I do hope he can live up to such a title.'

It wasn't long before the eccentric shopkeeper returned, holding two steaming bowls infront of him. Gilgamesh could admit, at least to herself, that the smell was exquisite. Enkidu's eyes tracked the meal like a hawk, and as soon as they were set down he dug straight in.

Or at least attempted to.

He had gotten used to using a knife and fork back at Diana's house, and these 'chopsticks' he had been provided with seemed markedly different. The boy tried examining them from every angle, but the strange twig-like things gave nothing away about how they were supposed to be used. How was he supposed to eat with this?

He tried to look over at Gilgamesh, but she had conjured golden cutlery from somewhere and seemed too engrossed with her meal to pay him any attention. He attempted spearing a cutlet of meat with the end of a chopstick, but it fell back into the bowl as soon as he started to lift it towards his mouth, only further increasing his hunger and annoyance.

The small sounds of happiness he could hear from his left certainly weren't helping matters either.

Once more Enkidu held the chopsticks, one gripped in each hand, although this second endeavour was interrupted by a cold hand on his shoulder. He turned around, gasping in amazement at what he saw. Stood behind him was a tall man with black wings and a crow head, looking downwards at him with small, beady eyes. The creature was flanked by several more of it's kind, each equipped with spears or katanas. If he remembered correctly, these youkai were called 'Karasu-Tengu', and their aggressive stances did not bode well for a peaceful meal.

"I think it would be for the best if you come quietly, intruders! The two of you are under arrest for infiltrating sacred ground and intimidating a civilian!" What seemed to be the leader spoke with a scratchy, birdlike voice, and all Enkidu could do was stare forlornly down at his uneaten bowl. He chanced a look at Gilgamesh, who was completely ignoring the proceedings and instead wolfing the last of her noodles with gusto.

"Urm… mister Tengu? I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding. Me and my friend aren't causing any trouble, we're just trying to enjoy a lovely local meal!"

The crow's eyes only narrowed. "Do you think me a fool? Poor miss Aiko claimed she was terrorised by two ruffians earlier this day, and the both of you match her descriptions exactly! I find it hard to believe the words of a foreigner like you over a trusted member of this community."

"Ah…"

Enkidu, woefully underequipped to deal with this sort of situation, was starting to enter a state of panic.

How was he supposed to diffuse this situation?

Without any other ideas and completely out of his depth, the boy decided to simply copy his companions actions. He grabbed the bowl full of ramen, and in a single motion emptied it's contents into the black hole that was his stomach. Every noodle was gulped down until none were left, and with a smacking of lips he set the bowl back down onto the counter.

"..."

The Tengu seemed frozen in shock, as if unable to comprehend the boy's actions. Weren't they just threatening him seconds ago?

They were unable to act on anything though, as their second target finally spoke up, mocking voice layered with the promise of violence.

"Oh? You would dare interrupt my meal? I thought the inhabitants of this land were a tad more civilized than the usual rabble, but it seems my hopes were unfounded once more."

The tengu bristled with anger, fingers twitching and wings flapping, and readied themselves for a battle. Gilgamesh grinned with malicious intent upon seeing their shift, and the air began to thrum and glow gold.

People were beginning to notice, stopping and staring at them from across the street, and Enkidu decided enough was enough.

"Fine, we'll come with you!"

The King of Heroes looked about ready to protest, but a puppy-eyed look was enough to stop her in her tracks. Quite embarrassingly, the gold-clad woman crumbled almost instantly under the boy's gaze, although she justified it to herself as her simply indulging his whims.

Besides, Gilgamesh was at least a little amused at their brazen confidence. It was as if the mouse suddenly proclaimed superiority to the lion, a concept so ridiculous that it was hard to even muster any annoyance. That they stood in the face of such greatness and still remained ignorant was almost commendable.

"Take us away then, oh mighty warriors! I shake in awe of your power!"

It didn't seem like her sarcasm was appreciated, but such high-brow humour was probably wasted on such plebians anyways.

The two of them were escorted away, leaving behind two empty bowls and a befuddled-looking owner.

He stared at his customers retreating backs, blinking once, twice, before suddenly groaning in realisation.

'I guess first meals are on the house.'

///

Big. It was hardly eloquent, but it was the only world Enkidu could use to describe what he was currently seeing.

The mansion, for it could be nothing else, was a vast sprawling complex consisting of beautiful gardens varnished wood. How all of that could belong to a single person was both scary and interesting at the same time.

'They must need to do a lot of cleaning!'

They were led through large doors and multiple rooms, each one more decorated than the last. Expensive looking tapestries hung on every wall, scenes of struggle and triumph forever immortalised in ink, whilst gold and jewels furnished a hundred setpieces. Curtains smooth as silk, chandeliers comprised of sparkling crystals, the place was so lavish Enkidu was having a hard time properly taking everything in.

Everything was so new and exciting to him it was hard not to just run off and explore by himself. He looked backwards at the bevy of guards flanking them from behind, and his smile dimmed. He still wasn't too sure how he was supposed to resolve this issue, but asking nicely never hurt anyone.

Another doorway loomed infront of him, although this one seemed much more opulent than the rest. Behind it, although faint, he could hear at least two muffled voices talking with each other.

The Karasu-Tengu halted just outside, two of them opening the door before ushering them inside. The room was long and just as beautifully decorated as everything else, complete with a gilded throne a the far end. Sat upon it was some sort of queen, a regal-looking woman with nine fox-tails fanning out behind her. Her hair fell down her shoulders in immaculate curls, her face was tastefully brushed with makeup, and her attire simply screamed opulence. All in all, her dignified appearance marked her as someone important, someone wealthy, someone with power.

This image fell almost completely flat though if you considered the small child running rampant around the room. What was surely a beautiful face was twisted in exasperation, as she propped her head in her hand and turned dull eyes towards them. In an instant the righted herself, attempting to present them with a noble countenance, although from Gilgamesh's short laugh and the Tengu's embarrassed faces it didn't seem to fool anyone.

"A-Ahem! What seems to be the matter?"

"Moooooooom, can we do something else? I'm tired of doing these stupid maths papers all the time! Hey, didn't you promise we could go out and eat today? I'm staaaaarving, all this work is making me-"

A single eyebrow twitched in barely concealed irritation.

"Not now Kunou, there are important matters at hand!"

The child looked towards them unimpressed, and all Enkidu could do was raise a hand in a ginger salutation. She seemed to immediately pinken as she registered his presencel, rushing behind the throne with an embarrassed face. She poked her head out slightly, before immediately ducking back at the sight of his amused smile.

'Weird…Why does everyone always react like that?'

Before the situation could devolve any further, the head Tengu spoke up.

"Your grace, we have brought the accused criminals before you. How do you wish to proceed?"

The lady in the throne resonded in a cultured voice, smooth yet mature, which seemed to match her appearance almost perfectly.

"Were there any complications?"

The Tengu paused for a second, before continuing stoically.

"No, my lady. The suspects were apprehended without incident."

Suspicious eyes squinted at green hair and an innocence face, although they widened almost instantly as the fox-lady caught sight of Gilgamesh's arrogant grin. Blood drained from her face in seconds, leaving it so pale it almost looked sickly, and her body seemed to seize up in shock.

"E-Everyone OUT! T-take my daughter with you aswell, just leave this one to me."

Her cracking voice did not inspire much confidence, but the Tengu obeyed her orders without question. They plucked out the protesting child and bowed once more, before exiting the room with silent steps.

Heavy oaken doors shut closed, as Yasaka prayed internally for some sort of divine intervention.

///

'What did I do to deserve this?'

She had thought this nothing more than a relatively mundane offence at first, as sad as that may seem. Compared to the issues she usually had to deal with as the ruler of the western Youkai, menacing a random lady and trespassing were quite tame in the grand scheme of things, and she had been hoping to get this whole thing over and done with quickly.

Entering these lands without permission wasn't actually as heinous as many thought it to be. Maybe it would be a concern in the past, but these days Kyoto's safe haven for yokai was more an open secret than anything else. It did not even exclusively house youkai anymore, although they're still a majority of the population, with many other supernatural races now calling this place home. As such, unlawful entrants were more likely to be fined and taken to customs than anything else.

Intimidation was actually a little more serious, yet the perpetrators compliance with her guards showed her they had at least some semblance of reason. She had recently had to mediate a generational blood feud between two kappa families, making such a thing almost trivial in comparison.

All in all, she was looking forward to delegating the two off to some other poor sod and enjoying a nice weekend with her daughter.

Looking straight into the mocking eyes of Gilgamesh, the most infamous and wanted treasure hunter of their time, Yasaka could only lament her abysmal luck.

'Is a little relaxation too much to ask?'

As if sensing her current apprehension, the cause of all her woes spoke up in a manner that indicated she was enjoying her suffering.

"Is something the matter? You didn't call me and my companion all the way here for nothing, did you?"

Yasaka gulped, before steeling her nerves, The gold-clad woman infront of her was the subject of hundreds of rumours, all of them varying in scope and believability, but one thing remained constant in every one of them.

That she was incredibly powerful.

Still, she could not show weakness in the face of such a foe. Whatever it is she wanted, whatever her game was in coming here, Yasaka would not yield without a fight. She was the ruler of these lands, and at the end of the day it fell upon her shoulders to protect everyone from harm. This was a delicate situation though, because while she couldn't afford to back down from confronting Gilgamesh, she still had to treat the woman with diplomacy.

A battle between the two of them would be surely destructive regardless of who won, and although Yasaka was confident in herself she would much rather reach a peaceful resolution.

Channeling every ounce of authority she possessed into her voice, she spoke.

"First, I must welcome you to our lands. I hope your stay, however brief, has been to your liking."

Instead of being replied to by the golden-haired woman, another voice echoed throughout the room.

"Mmm, it's been pretty cool miss. Seeing so many different-looking people has been interesting, and that food we had was really delicious! What was it called again Gilgamesh? Ramen? I've never had anything like it before!"

Being as focused on the treasure hunter as she was, Yasaka could shamefully say that she had completely forgot there was supposed to be another person here. She looked at him again, more intensely this time, and a profound flush overcame her cheeks.

It was hard to tell whether they were man or woman, although their voice seemed at least slightly masculine. Their appearance was something beautiful in an almost primal way, tickling at her heart in a way she couldn't quite comprehend. The longer she stared, the more she found herself lost in his visage, and only a huff of annoyance broke her from the trance.

Yasaka broke eyesight, although that sight still lingered within her mind. She had seen all manner of people over her long life, yet none came close to that boys level of grace. His aura too was equally as magnificent, and even the small amounts she could sense from him had her reeling in awe.

"Yes Enkidu, it was indeed called ramen."

Yasaka hardly registered the conversation, too busy in her own thoughts to pay it any attention.

Youkai are known as one of the few supernatural races able to easily access the energy naturally produced by the earth. With that inherent connection they created senjutsu, a spiritual art both deadly and full of utility, highly coveted and sought after by many. Senjustsu itself, however, is known it be one of the most difficult practises to master. Even for youkai it can be hard, and for those not in-tune with the world it's almost impossible. Tapping into such power can even prove fatal for those unprepared for the backlash, as the world contains both good and ill in dizzying magnitutde. The more energy you gather the harder it can become to retain your sanity, and many promising acolytes have been known to lose themselves to the allure of such a power, becoming raving beasts in the process.

Such things seemingly didn't matter to the green-haired boy. His entire presence screamed life, so overwhelming in its potency she wondered how she could have missed it.

"Do you think we can go again? I don't think a single bowl was enough."

'I couldn't have.' She realised, for such an aura was near unmissable. Looking at Gilgamesh once more, she realised what had happened. The gold-clad woman's presence exuded such authority, such power and such nobility that it was hard to focus on anything else. It was something that demanded your undiluted attention, and in the process anything else was hidden under a blanket of obscurity.

Now that she could feel it though, it was impossible to ever ignore again. It was so powerful, so breathtaking, that she already felt as if she couldn't live without it.

Whoever this person was, he seemed to be the solution to all her problems, both past and present. Yasaka didn't know what he was doing with that treasure hunter, but at the end of the day it didn't matter. She had been in need of a special agent for a long while, and one so adept in senjutsu would be a perfect pick. It was something borne completely out of base impulse, but her instincts had never been wrong before.

She just had to convince him.

"I don't see why not. This woman has just been staring slack-jawed for the last minute, so I presume we are free to go."

The King of Heroes turned to leave, and Yasaka instantly snapped back to attention, sputtering denials.

"W-Wait! Stay for just a little longer, please!"

It seemed that somewhere along the way, she had forgotten that it was her that was supposed to be the one in charge.

Gilgamesh spun back around, a single delicate eyebrow arched in mocking condescension.

"And why should we do that? You have not been a particularly good host, I must say. To first arrest your guests and then ignore their presence, I find myself quite dissatisfied with your hospitality. I demand recompense."

"Ah, Um…"

Yasaka wracked her brain for any solution to her current dilemma, before coming upon a possible course of action. She wasn't sure it would work, but it was the best she had.

"How about dinner?"

Enkidu's beaming smile was all the answer she needed.