Chapter 16: 016
The training left Jaguar gasping for breath, his legs burning, his vision clouded and foggy, and his arms a baffling combination of both stiff with soreness and also feeling weak and rubbery, like wet noodles.
And this was just the introductory basics that Mikumo felt was required for a person to use any kind of spear with any kind of martial discipline! Kushinada Mikumo was a harsh taskmistress indeed.
"You asked for this, brat." was all that the woman had to say about it, voice cold, whenever he showed a sign of weakness.
And that was true enough. Jaguar had asked for this, more fool him.
Her disciple, Kushinada Chikage, was more empathic about things... Technically, in that she was simply silent and passive, observing his efforts rather than coldly pushing him further and further until he felt like he was about to break and crumble apart.
Jaguar was in a state of near collapse when Mikumo finally called things to a halt.
"Alright, brat. It's time for us to take a trip." Mikumo said.
"Already?" Jaguar asked.
"You've paid enough for one lesson." Mikumo replied. "The basics and fundamentals. Enough for me to get some idea of how to develop you. If you want more then you'll have to pay for more. Also..."
Mikumo shrugged, sending a ripple through her generously sized breasts.
"Serious claims require serious evidence." Mikumo said. "I am a member of Yami's One Shadow Nine Fists. I will not risk humiliation by bringing what seem to be wild stories that I have not personally verified to the other members."
That, well... Jaguar could hardly argue with that. The timing though... No, it had to be orchestrated. Exhaust him first, then see if he slipped up on something. The same principle as having math class immediately after gym lessons.
Jaguar was just going to have to figure out how to move other people with him very quickly, then. It was... Actually, the principles didn't seem that difficult, when he stopped to think about them.
"Don't resist it." he said, as his divine energy wafted out to envelop their bodies like he were cupping small animals in his palms. "If I drop you midway then I have no idea where you might end up."
Mikumo silently acknowledged that, remaining composed and still, confident in the knowledge that if Jaguar tried anything, she could kill him with barely any effort, he didn't doubt. Comparatively, Chikage, who had not yet received any significant explanations, was more fidgety and her eyes darted slightly around at the strange feeling enveloping her.
And then they were off.
"... This place?" Mikumo asked, turning her head slightly to look around Jaguar's demiplane as his clothes changed to the less modern outfit.
"You aren't really supposed to be here. Not alive, at least." Jaguar said idly. "This is a part of my domain, a gatehouse of sorts, attached to the underworld that I control and govern. Don't go wandering off. For now, think of it as a mid-way station for a train, pausing momentarily as tracks are turned. Now then, where should I bring you... El Dorado or Orario...?"
Jaguar paused and laughed a little to himself.
"Of course, Orario." he concluded. "El Dorado is where my worshipers live, the blooming seed of my people and empire, but there is nothing that would itself be convincing that you had gone to another world... rather than, say, an indigenous tribe in the Amazon with a shocking stockpile of gold and where coincidentally no planes ever appear on the horizon. Orario, though. That's a different story. Much harder for someone to reasonably fake that. Let's be on our way, then."
With only those few moments of rest, Jaguar's power engulfed them once more as he brought them along with him through the step to Orario.
Once again, Mikumo was entirely unruffled by the transition, unbothered by their sudden appearance in the countryside, looking out over the walled city of Orario, while Chikage momentarily gaped before catching herself.
"Orario. Home of the dungeon, and many of the incarnated gods of this world." Jaguar said grandly. "Do forget those last three words, though. It's still very hush-hush that I'm not from here and neither are you. Also, apologies for the short walk. I could drop us off inside the walls, but not only do I not have a private location prepared for arrivals... Weeell it just seems like the sort of thing that the forces governing Orario would get so bent out of shape over, given that they put so much effort into trying to monitor and restrict the comings and goings of gods and strong adventurers. Feels like rubbing it right in their face that there's nothing they can do to stop me from entering or leaving anywhere I feel like, hehe."
"It is of no concern." Mikumo replied idly, already setting off in a steady ground-devouring lope with her long legs...
... While Jaguar's own shorter felt like they had been dipped in lead.
Bullying! This was bullying of a poor, tired god! On the other hand, walking behind them offered him a fantastic view of the swing of Mikumo's ass as she walked, and so it wasn't like there were no benefits... Chikage was half-jogging as well to keep up with her own shorter stature, but as a loli she didn't really have a lot to demand attention with or for. Not with her current outfit, anyway.
Regardless, it wasn't long until they were being checked in through the gates by a border guard, who checked Jaguar's references and nodded.
"Lord Jaguar, plus two guest travelers." he recorded. "Your names here, if you please. Ah, and we had heard rumor that you had been captured by some disrespectful louts trying to curry favor with Lord Ares, only to disappear. The rumor suggested you had returned to Tenkai...?"
"Now, why would I have done something like that?" Jaguar said, feigning melodramatically feigning an aghast expression at the guard's probing. "I was captured, yes. Held prisoner for a bit. Very interesting experience at first, got tedious quite quickly, and so I got bored and left."
Jaguar didn't elaborate on the subject and just gave a cheeky grin.
"Right you are, Lord Jaguar." the guard said, knowing when not to press things. "You and your Familia are welcome to enter Orario."
"Oh, they aren't that. Not yet, at least." Jaguar said. "Perhaps not ever. We're still in a bit of a negotiating phase. Today, I, Lord Jaguar, am here as a humble tour guide."
"Of course you are, sir." the guard replied, not missing a beat as he waved the group through regardless.
Once again, once inside, Chikage briefly stared in amazement with her fingers lightly twitching at the people with furry animal ears, and sometimes horns, on open display as they walked the streets of Orario. Then she recovered and joined her master once more in cool composure as Jaguar pointed to Babel.
"That's the seal that the gods placed on the Dungeon, maintained and enforced by Lord Ouranos to keep it... relatively under control." Jaguar said. "The Dungeon entrance is beneath the tower Babel, and I imagine that you will find it of great interest. Don't run off quite yet, though! One thing you should keep in mind is that the monsters spawning within form with a Magic Stone inside of them. Since it keeps them alive, destroying the crystal within them will kill them immediately... However, they are worth money if extracted undamaged. Even if you don't care about the money, it's polite to ensure the stones don't stay sitting on the Dungeon floor... the other monsters within can and will eat them to drastically grow in power."
Jaguar offered a sly, toothy grin, as though saying without words 'Do with that information what you will'.
What he actually continued the conversation with, however, was:
"I would advise negotiating an agreement with a supporter who has some free time... adventurers who are dedicated more towards collection, carrying, and various menial tasks rather than combat." Jaguar said. "You don't have any of the local currency, after all, which can complicate things. Let's meet up again... tomorrow at around noon, I think, in the tower courtyard. Once you've had plenty of time to look around and sate your curiosity without wondering if I'm trying to slant or bias things in one direction or another."
"You won't be joining us for the training, brat?" Mikumo asked, archly.
"Unfortunately, custom declares that I cannot." Jaguar said, shaking his head. "Lord Ouranos controls the Dungeon firmly... but it resents that control and greatly hates divinity, perhaps directly because of it or perhaps not. Either way, walking myself directly into the thing's yawning maw and hoping that it will refrain from biting down seems... one could say unwise for me."
Mikumo nodded briskly and gestured for Chikage to follow as she strode away.
And that was that.
With matters arranged, Jaguar rolled his tired shoulders and set out to find a cheap food stall that wouldn't ask too many questions about being paid in foreign jewelry instead of money and set in to chicken skewers alongside some very old-Europe ale.
It wasn't too long before he was joined by a god he didn't know.
"So, how did you get away from the kidnappers?" he asked Jaguar without sparing time for paltry things like introductions or small talk. "The way I hear it they had you tied up and a bag over your head in a travel chest. It wasn't using your Arcanum... everyone would notice that and then you'd have been back off to Tenkai."
Jaguar took a moment to wash down a morsel of chicken and probably-rutabaga with ale before answering.
"Are you saying you couldn't do the same?" Jaguar asked, before offering the most bratty shit-eating grin that he could muster, full of teeth and self-superiority. "That sounds like a skill issue to me."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone