Chapter 15: 015
Mikumo Kushinada liked to play-act at being a Miko. Whether she had the qualifications or not, Jaguar didn't know, but she had a definite preference for attire that resembled that of a shrine maiden, customized as it was.
This, and the fact that she resided in a converted shrine, made it surprisingly easy for Jaguar to track her down with his little bit of divinity. There were no active gods here, so far as he could tell, but the idea of treading in the divine domain... It left traces, to some degree.
It would have been a little harder to track down other members of Yomi, he had quickly concluded. And, seemingly, Mikumo Kushinada was amused enough at the idea to give Jaguar an audience.
Oh, there was no doubt in his mind that if she stopped being amused or interested by what he had to say then she was going to just wash her hands of the matter and kill him, or have her personal student Chikage kill him, but that was just to be expected. It was something that Jaguar had known going in, and so there wasn't really any reason to get bent out of shape over it.
"So, Gaijin Brat." Mikumo said. "You've come looking for me. Is what you have to say worth my time?"
"Ah, the famed politeness and hospitality." Jaguar chuckled. "My name is Jaguar. It is not only a name, but also a title. A job description. One that I have... Assumed. Usurped. Inherited. Stolen. All the descriptions are somewhat accurate in their own way. The simple fact of the matter is this. I require services in multiple forms, and believe that Yomi is best suited to provide them."
He could see that he was losing Mikumo, her eyes becoming dull and uninterested at the pomp and ceremony. As such, he extended his hand to one side and called up just a mote of divine authority, calling his stone-headed spear into one hand, pointed politely away, and replacing the casual clothes that he had been wearing with the furs worn by Jaguar.
Mikumo Kushinada sat up a little straighter at that, from the realization of not only what Jaguar had just done... but, and probably more importantly, that she had no real idea of how exactly he had done it.
"Among other matters... the position comes with this. Both a weapon for self defense and a symbol of office." Jaguar said, lifting the spear to wiggle the tip in the air a little before thumping the butt of it back down on the floor. "However, I am unaccustomed to combat and have no experience using such a thing in a practical sense. Instruction... a petty, personal inquiry, set against the much broader scope of matters which I require aid for... and offer in turn."
"... Jaguar. Mesoamerican pantheism." Mikumo hummed to herself. "Bold words, claiming to be a god or any kind. I could kill you right now, little boy. Would your 'god powers' prevent it?"
"Probably not, and it would be deeply upsetting. As I said, I am unaccustomed to battle, and this body is formed of flesh and bone with all the typical physical requirements." Jaguar replied, idly and seemingly uncaring. "I'd be rather put out if I had to make another to reside and travel in. Enough that I'd have to consider if it was worth the effort to place a curse of some kind upon you in equivalent exchange."
Mikumo let out a quiet chuckle.
"Either you believe it or you're a surprisingly good bluffer, brat." she said, idly. "So. You've come to request the services of Yomi. How do you intend to pay?"
"There are a few options." Jaguar replied. "The first, and most simple..."
He wiggled his fingers, pulling an ornamental golden necklace from his residence to dangle from them before tossing it carelessly to the table with heavy clunks.
"Gold, from my city of worshipers." he said. "little intrinsic value to the stuff, beyond how well it carries electric current, but it does gleam very prettily when fashioned into artwork or stamped into coins. Humans and similar races do tend to fixate on the material."
Mikumo hummed as she tested one of the pieces of worked metal with a fingernail.
"Second, travel. Tell me, what do you know about multiverse theory?" Jaguar asked.
"... Go on." Mikumo said.
"Fundamentally, there is a theory that any action taken creates multiple worlds. If you take a walk at random and come to a fork in the road, then there will exist three worlds. One where you turn left, another where you turn right, and a third where you decide that you are bored and head back home." Jaguar said. "In theory, this would go back to the creation of the universe, starting with the precise time of when it happened, and what rules would apply to the forming universe. How long a second lasts, for example. I honestly don't know or care how true the notion is, but as Jaguar, my roaming cannot be restricted by only the places that actually exist in a single world to roam to."
He shrugged.
"If I so wish, I may bring others along on the journey. Indeed, I intend to do so, for I have recently taken on the mantle of Jaguar to a people who have only just been introduced to Spaniards from across the ocean for the first time." Jaguar elaborated. "Meaning death and destruction is soon to come upon them, and I am invested in ensuring the survival and prosperity of my people. Violence, medicine, and progress will be required for that."
"You believe that members of Yomi will be interested in relocating?" Mikumo asked.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Jaguar said. "In a modern world, the idea that all people have some intrinsic right to life, no matter how they use that life, becomes common. With the spread of that common idea, the notion arises that anyone who takes lives is inherently morally wrong. They become shamed for it. Those who take pride in their ability to fight, to win, to permanently defeat their opponents in a way that they cannot simply slink off, lick their wounds, and come back stronger and more ready for them... They become unwanted, and must choose whether to change with the times or stand defiant against them, no matter what."
Jaguar grinned.
"Is it possible that some of your organization might wish to relocate to a world where there is no such notion that killing your enemies is somehow fundamentally wrong? I think so." Jaguar said. "In the city known as El Dorado, the seat of the Empire that I am creating, their skills and outlook would be welcomed. Or, if they are fond of a more fantastical bent of life, I have recently begun making a foothold in another world of many exotic races... Elves and beastkin and so on. The city of Orario sits on the mouth of their world's Dungeon, with an economy fueled primarily by the efforts of bold warriors who enter it to slay monsters and harvest them for resources."
Mikumo hummed.
"And that leads to the third option. One a little more... intimate than the rest." Jaguar continued, smirking a little. "My personal Blessing. If you are familiar with mythological records of great heroes from any culture entreating their gods for aid and being bestowed with great power to complete their quest, or to slay a powerful monster that has been threatening the populace... it's something like that. Not precisely, but it's close enough to give some idea of what can come of it."
Jaguar paused, to make sure that it was clear that he was getting serious.
"Let me be very clear on that last option. The Blessing of a Falna is not a gift. It is a commitment, and one that I must insist you be very certain of before pursuing. It is an avenue of growth, formed with a pledge of service, as a samurai swearing fealty to his Daimyo and being granted a stretch of land to oversee and use." Jaguar stipulated. "It is something that requires my regular, if infrequent, attention to maintain and stimulate to see the proper results, and it is a form of support that I can withdraw if I need to, or if this body should be destroyed. I need not be near, or in the same world, but this body dying will render the Falna nonfunctional until I can make a new one and reactivate it."
Jaguar smirked again.
"In short summary, it's a relationship with benefits for both parties." he said. "Not always sexual, though that happens. Sometimes the god treats the mortals as their adopted children. Sex might also happen there. Or the gods in question might treat the mortals as cherished pets, useful servants, or slaves to toy with. Interesting place, Orario."
"But essentially, going to that place and receiving a Blessing from other... gods... would be an option." Mikumo noted.
"Sure. Not my problem." Jaguar agreed. "It's up to them to find a god they like, though, I'm not going to serve as a matchmaker for people I don't really like, you know? But like I said, it's something that requires some consistent and maintained investment on my part to maintain, so I'm not really interested in just signing on everyone that wants a quick power-up to begin with. I imagine a lot of the gods of Orario are going to feel the same way, you know?"
"I'm sure." Mikumo hummed, setting the gold necklace back down.
She drummed her nails across the table in a few long moments of consideration.
"Alright." Mikumo said. "I believe that we can come to an... Arrangement."
Weekly Power Status
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