"We," An irate Nekomata with streaks of white interspersed between their mop of long black hair, their ears laying flat against their head, practically hissed out to the collective council members. Completely unconcerned with offending any of these powerful Yokai, "Demand justice! We raised that ungrateful brat for 16 plus years and this how she repays the clan? Using her witchery to not only kill 3 Elders but also a pair of our most prestigious healers?! This will not to be tolerated! We beg the council to, if not to support, to at least stand neutral as we apprehend this criminal!"
The respected Yokai couldn't help but look to their leader with a mix of helplessness, their eyes silently urging her to something about this frothing cat on their front door. No one wanted to get scratched or bitten and possibly catch whatever the wild beast had.
Yasaka could already feel a headache coming on at the series of bad-luck that had been following them since strong arming the Devils into accepting her terms. And just when the official signing was suppose to happen in just a few days from now, this most recent debacle had thrown everything up in the air.
With the completely humiliation of The Nekomata Clan and their absolute warpath to get back their honor at any cost. They had lashed out after recovering at any of their nearby rivals and even encouraged their youth to become more unruly than normal. Meaning a whole lot of fights broke out among both the younger and older generation.
This chaos had shown a crack in the armor and now suddenly all the diplomats 'mysteriously' fell down with a 'flu', each requiring at least a week of rest before they could do any form of work.
It made her grit her teeth in annoyance.
'These bastards just want to watch the show.'
That once unified front that had been used to bulldoze over any under the table bribing attempts now laid shattered as these fools ruined centuries of effort on her part. It took all her substantial self control not to just lash out in a flurry of primal wrath.
They had done the one thing she wanted to avoid, show weakness. If only they could've withheld their tantrums until after everything was sign then maybe she would've been more understanding.
But when they were pissing away all her plans and effort down the drain, it made her less than tolerant of their plight. And much more prone to violence.
"Elder Nakamura." Yasaka said calmly, despite the bubbling rage that threatened to boil over," I did not expect you would wait so long to come to me, especially with your Clan running a muck across all our districts. What exactly are you hoping for?"
The surrounding Council member's countenance darkened in turn at her words, it was true. Each of them had received a multitude of report about these troublemakers and frankly, it made none of them too happy to have their own face trampled on so openly.
"What," Elder Nakamura ignored the powerful Yokai and continued his tirade," We, The Nekomata Clan, wants? I did not know those ears were only for show! I've already said what we want! Justice! We want that witches head! How dare she bring that witchcraft into the clan! We will strip her of everything that makes her one of us! Now, Yasaka, hand over that witch! Oh! And hand over our family heirloom too! It has no business being in the hands of some outsider!"
There was an audible intake of air at his announcement. Insulting the Yokai Leader to her face like that was already shocking enough, but to strip the girl of all things that makes her a Nekomata?
No one there was stupid, they all knew exactly what he meant by that.
Mutilation.
They planned to cut off her ears, tails, completely rip out her Ki Channels and finally take away her family name. The harshest punishment that a Yokai Clan could give to one of it's members.
"Absolutely not!" Marui didn't wait to hear Yasaka's response and heavily slammed the tip of tree sized tetsubo on the ground with a heavy thump." We outlawed that barbaric practice almost a century ago! You'll have to go through the entirety of the unified Oni Clans if you wish to enact your barbarism!"
"Bring it on you big Oaf!" The Elder practically frothed at the mouth as he sneered up at the imposing Yokai," The Nekomata Clan isn't afraid of you!"
"Calm down you two," Akiko smiled softly at the two ready to throw the entirety of Kyoto into war, but the expression was thin and barely hid her own frosty countenance," Marui it won't come down to that and Elder Nakamura….You were there when we outlawed that practice. And if I remember correctly, your Clan were an advent supporter that contributed heavily to getting it outlawed. So I have no idea why when you were so against it back then but now wish to enact that same punishment on one of your own?"
"That," He spat the word out," Witch! Is not one of us! She killed multiple higher ups in our Clan and eviscerated the honor our Clan spent centuries accumulating! She needs to be made an example of! We will have it no other way!"
"While I do understand your plight," Nurarihyon leaned forward on stick thin arms covered in liver spots and wrinkles, his eyes cold as he gazed at the rabid cat," I know exactly the kind of situation this situation has put your family in. And if you had just asked to hand her over so that she could be either executed or exiled, then I would've been firmly on your side. But Jiko o Hagi Toru (Strip the Self) is a punishment worse than death. I've lived through that era. That practice will stay dead, no matter what."
The sound of an unfurling flag could be heard, a cacophony of screeching beasts and cackling demons only further emphasized his stance. A truth that reverberated out to all those present.
Everyone knew Nurarihyon words were absolute law in that moment.
"Enough." Yasaka interrupted the impromptu stand off between the Yokai, her voice sickly sweet. She was done playing nice with the man and his accursed clan. While her heart went out to them for their lost, any sympathy had been thoroughly squeezed out from their recent antics. "Here's what I'm going to do."
"Jiko o Hagi Toru is off the table no matter what." The Kitsune spoke over any arguments he might've been capable of mustering. This was no longer a discussion, it was an ultimatum. A path that allowed for all sides to depart somewhat amicably. She would get her people's independence and the Clan would get their 'justice'. It only cost them all the goodwill they had accrued over the centuries to do so. "Here are your 3 choices."
The man only glared at the table of somber Yokai, his feline eyes flickered across each of their blank faces before nodding slightly. Seeing this, Yasaka held up a trio of lithe fingers," 1. We give you Sugita-"
"That witch is Sugita no longer!" Elder Nakamura snarled. "That won't change no matter what!"
"1." The blonde repeated, a vein visible on her temple," We give you Riko. And as long as the punishment you give to her is accordance to our laws, then no one here will find issue with your decision."
She dropped a single finger.
"2. I give you back your family heirloom," Here the Kitsune reached her hand underneath the table and pulled out a fine scabbard. Those feline eyes immediately zeroed in on the artifact with near fanatical glee," Grandmaster Yamato Iori has already studied all he wanted from the weapon and he's magnanimous enough to give this up in exchange for Riko."
"Or 3," She dropped the final finger and placed the ornate weapon on the table with an audible thump," You turn around and walk away. Call back all your members and stop causing all this trouble. Provide a written apology to each Major Clan that your people have offended with this stunt and no one, and I mean no one, will treat this as nothing than a mere prank. I will even pay for all the damages your Clan have accrued personally. Everything will go back to how it was before. That and Riko will also be punished for the death of 5 Nekomatas by the council itself."
"Now choose."
Yasaka set back in her chair, golden eyes locked onto his. She knew she was too kind. Her kindness is why they're even in this situation, but she couldn't help it. She still remembered those small kittens curling up to her side, accepting them under her wing as they begged her for protection. The Nekomata Clan was probably one of the first Yokai Clan to fall under her rule, a founding member of what their society is like today.
So she couldn't help but provide them this one last chance to redeem themselves, to not completely turn all these bridges into mere kindling.
But judging from how his eyes kept flickering, she already knew their decision.
"The Boidokī is OUR family heirloom, it shouldn't even be a choice by itself. We'll take it and-"
"Pick one."
That hope was dashed in the face of life's greatest enemy. Greed. The very emotion that toppled nations, turned good kings bad, made holy men into monsters and Yokai, who made fools of others, into fools themselves.
"We'll take the Boidokī," Elder Nakamura snatched up the weapon reverently, his tails whipped happily in the air. Whether he could sense the darkening mood or just didn't care, mattered not to Yasaka. They had made their choice," After the foreigners leave, we'll have to discuss the witch problem. But that can wait. Thank you for finally granting us some amount of justice for our lost."
"I can rely that Riko's mother will not be punished for her daughter's crimes?"
Kiyo piped up, their usual drunken air no longer in sight. Their large hat covered those beady eyes that looked like they belonged on a stuffed animal instead of a living creature.
"The witch's mother has already been punished." He snapped, thin fingers ran itself across the surface of the freshly polished sheath. "As is our right. What kind of mother must she have been to raise a witch right under our noses. She's been stripped of her name and will be kicked out of the Main Family after I get back."
"If that is all," Yasaka waved sleeves and a pair of servants opened the paper doors behind him with an audible click," Please leave. We have a lot of work to do."
"Of course."
The Nekomata Elder bowed shallowly and with the swirl of his kimono, marched out of the room. A series of dark eyes bore a hole in the idiotic Yokai's back as he left, Yasaka could already feel that headache coming back in full force.
"Yasaka-sama." Marui's deep rumbling voice broke the tense silence, his tone grave and accepting," I'll agree with your previous suggestion...I don't want my own son to go through what young Riko is. If such a thing were to happen in my clan…"
"I understand."
His sentence didn't need finishing, they all knew the type of Yokai Oni truly were and the way their clan solved problems. It often ended with a splash.