"Please, Yasaka-sama, tell us what shall be done."
In moments like this, with tensions and personal interest poking their ugly heads out of the woodwork, Yasaka couldn't help but pat herself on the back for having the foreknowledge to take in Nurarihyon all those centuries ago. Many Yokai had been hesitant to allow such a figure as he into their lives, much less have him in control of any important decisions.
Her daughter might just see a kindly but stern grandfather in him, but to the older generation, it was like seeing an old lion playing around with cubs. Tyranny, that was his past. Domination, his currency. As behind him, stands an army of a hundred marching demons. Each once Yokai that voluntarily gave up their lives to further empower the technique known as Hyakki Yagyō until it had reached the very limits of his body and allowed him to stand toe-to-toe against High Ranking supernatural foes. But despite his obvious strength, one on one battles wasn't his forte. Instead it was his insidious mind. A weapon that had spell doom for many of Yokai clans that dared to stand before him in the past.
But as much as she wanted to really congratulate herself on the accomplishment of wrangling this warlord under her banner, she wouldn't insult one of her most trusted advisors so easily. He'd been one of the first few Yokai that had sworn fealty to her without requiring her protection. Maybe he sensed the turning tides and wished to be on the winning side or just grown weary of the ceaseless fighting.
If there was anyone's loyalty she never had to worry about, it was him. He wouldn't be blinded by self interest or greed, especially with the secret details known shared between the two of them. That was even before her Master came out of seclusion had granted her faction his backing.
Only they knew the absolute last resort should everything be lost. Something that would surely cause the entirety of the council, no matter how loyal they claimed, to turn on her in a heartbeat...Maybe Yū wouldn't. But that was simply because neither of them had any clan or family members left.
And maybe that's why it was those two that were the most composed, they had no skin in the game here. Shrine Water didn't hold the same appeal as it did to the other council members.
But the other's? All of them had eyes zeroed in on her. Gaze borrowing into her form, as though trying to transmit their desired results directly into her.
They would not be pleased with her decision.
"I will not be using it on my daughter." There was no way she was going let something so suspicious anywhere near her daughter. Who knew what kind of traps they had hidden within that seemingly clear liquid? Divinity and Miracles were a strange art that didn't abide by the rules of reality. Maybe it'll make Kunou more susceptible to Kami influence and turn her into a Yokai priest of all things. At her words, she ignored the relieved flickers across over half her council's aura. They tried to hide it, but she knew them far, far too well not to pick up the tell-tales. "Nor will I suggest any of you use or provide it to your younger generations. I say we either destroy it, or allow it's effects to fade."
Silence could be loud, and this was positively deafening. All but two of her council looked positively stricken, jaws hanging open. It would've been humorous, if only the conversation wasn't so critical.
Xoru was the first to cry out.
"But Yasaka-sama!" The Tengu, usually so respectful and restrained, looked positively upset. Off balance even. His pristine white suit, with not even a single wrinkle out of place, now had a small crease. Not much, but for the anal-retentive Yoaki, it was a dire premonition. "We would be missing out on such a massive gold mine! I can understand your concern of our descendant's well-being, but even then, we could sell it for such a massive amount that it could take care of our expensive for the next quarter! It could be another buffer while we wait for our Spirit Trees to bare fruit!"
He didn't even try to argue for his own personal use of the natural treasure, probably already knowing that it wouldn't go to his clan with three of the council members showing such keen interest in it.
"We can't sell a gift." Akiko shook her ebony locks, that frosty expression losing a few extra degrees. A fan unfurled to cover up that disdainful smile. "No matter how hated they might be, us being shown to sell a gift would make us seem desperate for money. Poor."
"WE ARE POOR!" He squawked, glasses nearly flying off his face as he gripped at his hair. Shocking everyone as their accountant lost his composure. "We are alone here, there is no need for us to pretend! No matter how minute they might've paid us, the yearly payment for our supply of Spirit Fruit would've already came by now! But because none of these cursed people will sign the new treaty, we haven't gotten a single cent yet! And with our new implementations, we are burning through our reserve! So yes, A-K-I-K-O, we are desperate for money! We are poor!"
Yasaka did feel bad, she really did for putting so much stress on the Tengu's head...maybe it was time for him to take a vacation after all this was over.
"All the more reason to have one of our more powerful fighters take the water!" Marui's voice boomed out a short while later, taking only a moment to cut through the stun silence from the treasurer's outburst. "If we divi it up into smaller doses, we can even create an entire team of elites! That way, with this new strength none of those foreigners will be able to continue dragging their feet like this! They're only treating us like because we're weak in their eyes! If we can even create one more High-Class-"
"One more High-Class won't solve our problem, you brute!" Kiyo snapped, beady little highers glowing with barely withheld contempt. "They don't care how many High-Class we have! You know why? They have more! It becomes a numbers game at that point! And with how the Devils breed like fungi, they'll have plenty of Middle-to-High-Class Devils to overwhelm our elites! What we need, are allies! Allies that have a vested interest in keeping us independent! Something that can only be done if we have something unique! A different variety of Spirit Fruit are fine, but you know what'll be better? Crafters that can actually take these Ki-infused fruits and develop them into powerful concoctions! That'll make us money, forge connections and provide us an entire army of elites!"
"That'll take time that we do not have!"
As usual, when sober, the two councilmen were like oil and water. Each wanting the same thing but going about it in different ways. But she could tell, while both of them did believe deeply in their causes, they weren't being entirely honest.
And it seemed like she wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Yasaka-sama," The Yuki-Onna said cooly, ignoring the bickering pair. "Since they will say what they actually want, I will. I want to use this Shrine Water on a pair of my descendants. Stephanie and Christie. They are both exceedingly talented and I want them to have the same level of control as I do over my form but due to how holy grounds being over ran by humans, none of younger generation can do so. This will help them on achieving this."
"Oh look!" Kiyo, snipped back. A mocking lilt to their voice as their face morphed rapidly between thousands of forms. From beautiful women, to overly muscled men to even refined gentleman and ladies. It was mean spirited, all of them knowing exactly how sensitive that particular topic was to Yuki-Onna as a whole. "See? Why should your clan of stupid gorillas should be afforded special privileges just because your disability? Stop blaming us for a decision you all made centuries ago! It's always brutes and gorillas like you that makes things so-"
They weren't afforded the opportunity to continue, as a sudden blast of frigid cold air slammed into all four walls and a massive, fury arm loomed high in the air. It's shadow encompassing the entirety of the tanuki's form.
Akiko stood, her form looking strange and monstrous. One half, a beautiful cold beauty, and the other, a massive creature of muscle, fur and fury. A single glowing azure eyes oozed a frosty mist. A maw filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, fangs poised just a foot away from the Yokai.