"Phew, Katsuya, how much longer?" Kaede exhaled as they overcame another nearly vertical slope.
The further they went, the more impassable the path became. The yokai living here clearly expended a lot of effort and time to settle in the most inaccessible place.
The spider woman proudly ignored her companion's question, but the Kuchisake-onna was not about to give up so easily.
"Katsuya, I'm tired of walking through these endless mountains," Kaede whined again. "When will we finally get there?"
Ketsumi quickly realized that patience wasn't one of Kaede's virtues. And over the past weeks, they had grown quite tired of each other.
However, unlike usual, the Kumo didn't shout this time; she merely smiled.
"We are very close, my dear. Look carefully - don't you see anything unusual?"
Kaede honestly looked around, then let out a groan of martyrdom. Right now, they were at the top of yet another mountain, and in front of them lay endless snow-capped peaks.
"There's nothing around! In what sense are we close?!"
"Don't trust your eyes, for they can deceive," the spider woman chuckled, then held out her palm. "Take my hand."
Kaede looked strangely at the Kumo but nevertheless did as she was asked.
Flash!
"No way," the girl exclaimed in amazement, to the chuckles of her older friend. "It's so beautiful here!"
A powerful illusion that had hidden this place rapidly receded, allowing their eyes to fully appreciate the Secret City of yokai in all its glory.
Despite the place being located in a cold and unfriendly valley, tall trees grew in vibrant splendor everywhere the eye could see.
Among them stood numerous small houses, sometimes even overlapping each other, so closely were they packed.
Apart from the small dwellings, one could easily spot the wealthy estates towering above everything else. Each of these buildings stood apart from the rest and had a sizeable front yard.
But even these wealthy homes paled in comparison to the gargantuan structures that stood like adults among foolish children.
There were exactly three of them, and they were positioned right in the center of the city, forming an equilateral triangle. Each was built in its own color, clockwise: red, gold, and green.
"Allow me to introduce you to the Secret City of yokai!" Katsuya declared proudly. "The illusion that protects this realm of freedom was created by the Lady Nine-Tails herself. The life and warmth that reign here were spawned by the Imperial Turtle, and the flowing rivers and all water were brought forth by the Serpent King."
Kaede had no words other than an ecstatic squeal. Katsuya was clearly very pleased with her reaction.
"Over there," she nodded towards the three complexes. "Live and rule the Great Spirits, the best among us. They tirelessly care for this world and for us as well. Unfortunately, after the last war with chaos, the Serpent King left us. This caused wild panic and grief among his creatures. There were even rumors that he was dead, but the other Great Ones always refuted these claims."
Kaede involuntarily froze. She knew the terrible truth, thanks to her acquaintance with Shiro the Serpent, but she'd be damned if she'd tell anyone.
"Perhaps he is in deep meditation," Katsuya continued uncertainly, not noticing Kaede's hesitation. "The Great Spirits think in different categories than we do. But the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Imperial Turtle must still be here."
"Hey, you said 'his creatures.' Which of the Great Spirits do I belong to?"
"Don't speak like that," the spider woman grimaced. "We yokai are free beings. We belong to no one. However, considering that illusions and fire are the domain of the Nine-Tails, you fall under her wing. And to answer your next question, my Great Spirit is the Imperial Turtle and Minoru's is the Serpent King."
"What I can't understand," Kaede squinted one eye in concentration. "The Fox is fire, the Turtle is earth, the Serpent is water. But where is air?"
"He was killed a very long time ago," the spider woman admitted dryly, causing Kaede to open her eyes in fear. "I don't know why or how it happened, but that's why air remains without a Great Spirit."
"How sad... Well, shall we go then?" suggested the energetic Kaede but was stopped by the Kumo.
"Wait, first, you need to learn the rules."
"Rules?"
"Yes, and it's very important," Katsuya frowned. "In the city of yokai, any fighting is forbidden. If spirits want to resolve their issues physically, they must either go to the arena or leave the city territory."
The spider woman's finger accurately pointed to a large square building in the distance. That must be the arena.
"Nevertheless, many yokai by their nature are very... let's say, mischievous. Take, for example, the kitsune, who love to get on everyone's nerves. If you get involved in a fight because of this, you will be the only one to blame. If you are harmed by someone's prank, file a complaint with the administration, but don't try to handle it yourself. Understand?"
"Okay," the girl's enthusiasm waned slightly. "Why such strange rules?"
"Any yokai inherently has some abilities and powers," Katsuya shrugged, starting to descend. "If everyone starts fighting each other, the city will quickly meet its end. Moreover, there is a longstanding enmity between some types of yokai. For example, the war between the Inugami and Bakeneko clans - were-dogs and were-cats - has never stopped. This place is the only neutral territory. So, bark but don't bite - this rule is the same for everyone."
So, amidst discussions of this or that rule of the Secret City, the travelers descended.
There weren't any walls around the city, just an impenetrable barrier of trees, but there were indeed gates. Heavy, painted red pillars soared high, supporting a heavy, tiled roof.
Near the gates also stood guards.
Seeing the approaching friends, the warriors slowly stood up, blocking the way.
Kaede examined the unusual spirits with great interest.
The first was a huge drop of dark, oily liquid, in which something flickered now and then before being swept back into the depths of the body. The girl could swear she saw someone's skull and a bony hand still clutching a sword.
Kaede had a hard time remembering the name of its kind, Umibozu. A rare type of yokai, usually living near the shores of the Great Ocean. What he was doing so far from the water was a big question.
The second guard was more human-like, albeit even more repulsive.
He looked like a mix of a man and a giant boar, put on hind legs, dressed in armor, and given a heavy naginata.
The small piggy eyes carefully examined them, and only then did the Katakirauwa speak.
But unlike his kind, the voice was surprisingly pleasant and clear.
"Who are you, and why have you come to the Secret City?"
"Kumo Ketsumi," the spider woman introduced herself without question, and Kaede followed suit without hesitation.
"Your purpose for arrival?" This time, the Umibozu bubbled.
"To speak with the Great Spirits," Katsuya declared loudly, causing the guards to freeze. The Katakirauwa even sucked in his belly and straightened up.
"Reason?" After a long silence, the boar finally spoke.
"Invasion of chaos," the spider woman's words made both guards visibly flinch. Katsuya wasn't surprised; judging by her senses, both yokai were old enough to have witnessed those terrible times.
"Pass," the boar nodded, removing his naginata and stepping aside. The Umibozu also cleared the path, drifting away. "We will inform the Common Palace of your arrival. You will be met. You've brought very serious news. I'm sure the Great Ones will not keep you waiting long."
*****
"Master Katashi, everyone has arrived," whispered the advisor seated to the right of the Mizuno clan's head.
"Thank you, Uruoi," the young supreme nodded, carefully surveying the assembled. "I give you the floor, Shigo. What is the current situation at the front?"
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Every warmaster present perked up their ears. There was no one among them who didn't hold a high position. Each played an active role in clan activities and wielded impressive influence.
And now they all needed to decide on a strategy for the upcoming battles.
The tall warmaster sitting slightly aside slowly stood up and made a small bow, showing respect to the assembly.
"Our position is far from ideal," he began hoarsely, staring blankly into space. "The unexpected attack by the southern clan alliance caught us by surprise. While we were busy with the war against the Sumada, our southern neighbors dealt us a treacherous blow to the back."
The listeners murmured threats under their breath. The words of the clan head's representative found understanding in their hearts.
"And although we managed to hold their advance, we are still slowly retreating, giving up our own territories." Now, these words caused a real storm of indignation.
"It's because a significant part of our forces senselessly guards the Sumada borders and does not participate in defending against a much more pressing enemy."
"Don't compare some Itasabi or Raigachi to the Sumada!" one of the most respected elders objected. "One way or another, we will deal with these mongrels and then return to the real enemy."
"That's why," Shigo threw a fleeting glance at Katashi. "I propose we make peace with the Sumada."
The words he uttered were like an explosion in a closed space. For a second, the warmasters sat in silence, not believing what they heard, but then erupted, shouting in protest.
"Make peace with the Sumada?! What nonsense is this?!"
"Treason!"
"What is he even thinking?!"
"Quiet!" Katashi roared, calling the council to order. "Let him finish."
"As I said," Shigo continued as if nothing had happened. "We need to make peace with the Sumada and focus on the southern clans. As everyone here knows, the earth warmasters are also holding back an attack by an alliance of small clans. If we stop wasting troops on each other, we can deal with the southern threat more quickly and with far fewer losses."
"I like this idea," suddenly spoke another elder, Ryui, who also commanded respect. "I'm for punishing the Southern Alliance as soon as possible. Or are you in favor of them continuing to kill us with impunity?"
Katashi mentally nodded. Ryui had done well. No one knew that they had managed to come to an agreement on this issue earlier.
But even so, many were still against it.
After shouts of "against," those who were "for" began to stand up. Mostly these were the ones Katashi had spoken to in advance.
And as sad as it was, the number of those who voted "against" was much larger.
But one should never underestimate the role of the clan head.
"Alright," Katashi clapped his hands, drawing attention and stopping the mutual insults. "Considering everything said, I, Katashi Mizuno, have made a decision. I believe that, at this time, a peace treaty with the Sumada would benefit the clan. Therefore, envoys will soon be sent to discuss a peace agreement with the stone masters."
"Katashi-sama!" the nearest advisor bellowed. "How can you? Have you forgotten what those fiends did?! They killed your father, and now you're going to make peace with them?!"
In the same instant, the entire room crackled palpably under Katashi's erupted bloodlust, as he fixed his gaze upon the whitened elder who had the audacity to oppose him.
"Elder Goyo," Katashi hissed through clenched teeth. "You are only excused because you've lost a son, so you don't quite realize what and to whom you are speaking. I will no longer tolerate such words from you or anyone else. Yes, I am kind, but even my kindness has a limit. And if you find it, the result will be very unpleasant for you and your loved ones."
Dead silence reigned in the hall as Katashi sharply surveyed the assembly.
"Right now, our clan members are dying just because we cannot move forward and forget past grievances, if only for a while. Nevertheless, I have listened to your words."
The young clan head, sighing, sat back down. A little stir arose around.
"Only a proposal to discuss a peace treaty will be sent to the Sumada. The Mizuno clan will not be begging. If peace is made, it will only be on equal terms."
What was heard was not what most of the elders wanted to hear. But it was something. After all, almost everyone assembled was sure that the Sumada would never agree. Some sincerely considered the whole proposal a farce, while others thought that the head, who had already proven himself, had planned some cunning scam.
However, one way or another, everyone obediently bowed their heads, accepting their leader's decision.
The Mizuno clan decided to set aside revenge for a time. And only the merciful Kami know how long that time will last.
*****
"Are you sure about this?" Ordyntsev skeptically looked over the latest notes spread out on the table. They were an equal mix of Stas's messy scribbles and Satoshi's meticulously neat handwriting.
When Takehiro saw how the earthling wrote certain characters, he almost suffered his first stroke. For someone who had built his entire life on the art of runes and seals, writing like that was akin to blasphemy.
Stas didn't bother to say that he had the best handwriting in his medical university cohort[1]. Ordyntsev doubted the old man would understand his words correctly.
Instead, he would probably want to burn down the nest of incompetence that produced such "scribblers."
"Don't say these banalities, Shiro-kun, don't make me think less of you than you are," Satoshi dismissed his doubt. "You know my condition perfectly well. This damned body decided to screw me over again, and, Kami see, it almost succeeded. You've already delayed this moment longer than I could even dream."
Levi, lying nearby, sadly lowered her head.
Despite all of Stas's efforts, Satoshi's condition was getting worse every day. And if, at first, Ordyntsev needed to use the Healing Palm every couple of days, gradually, the frequency shifted to almost five or six times a day.
The regenerated cells immediately began to rapidly deteriorate, as if trying to follow a preset order.
As if that weren't enough, Takehiro began to experience constant pain. Those who don't know what it's like can't understand the horror of such a situation.
When no matter how you lie, sit, or stand, your body still hurts and torments you with incessant suffering, so you just want to make it all stop. And it doesn't matter how.
Needless to say, few could live in such conditions.
That's why Takehiro, more than anyone, was interested in the successful creation of the technique.
And it had to be acknowledged, they were making serious progress.
The latest subjects on whom they tested the final technique had been living for several days now. Moreover, their health raised almost no questions. And considering that their age had indeed been reduced, it could be viewed as a success.
However, one had to understand that before using the technique on oneself, they were supposed to first observe the subjects for at least half a year to a year - to ensure there were no long-term side effects.
And here lay the difficulty.
Satoshi could not wait that long.
He needed the technique here and now, and so far, no one in this world could guarantee that everything would go well.
"Enough dragging it out - unless, of course, you're hoping that I'll just croak right now," Takehiro grumbled. His character had become even more spoiled than before due to constant pain. "After all, I choose for myself which death I die."
"That's your right," Stas agreed with a nod. "Then I will prepare a place for you."
*****
"Unusual sensations," Satoshi fidgeted with his hands, which were firmly tied to the floor. The only difference from captives was that he had a futon beneath him instead of a bare floor. "Now I know how those we experimented on felt. I tell you, there's something to it."
Stas said nothing, slowly forming the future technique in his body and mind, all while feeling the old man's piercing gaze.
Despite all his jokes and attempts to behave as if nothing was happening, Takehiro was clearly uneasy.
At this point, the immortality technique was somewhat ready. Yes, it had many downsides, limitations, and simply problematic areas, but it worked, albeit with difficulty, which was already an achievement.
And this meant that, given the circumstances, Ordyntsev no longer really needed Satoshi anymore.
If Shiro the Serpent suddenly made a mistake in the technique and the seal master died, no one would blame him.
Stas understood this perfectly well, and of course, so did Satoshi, which added a "pinch" of tension to the situation.
"I'm ready to begin. Levi?" Obeying the snake's telekinesis, a piece of wood tightly wrapped in sturdy rope floated in front of the old man, which he firmly bit down on.
One of the side effects of the technique was excruciating pain, which was almost impossible to endure.
A cord attached to the wood was tightly secured on the new "subject's" head. Now, even if he wanted to, he could not remove the gag.
"I'm starting," Ordyntsev forced out and, with great caution, lowered the glowing purple droplet that appeared in his outstretched palms onto Satoshi's chest.
The droplet, like a real liquid rather than manifested energy, began to quickly spread and soak into the skin.
For a few moments, nothing happened, and then the old man's limbs began to tremble slightly.
The convulsions grew stronger with each passing second, causing the master to lose control over his own body.
At first, a glint of reason shone in the old man's eyes, but at some point, it was completely lost in the abyss of raging pain.
Leviathan cautiously enveloped him in a cocoon of her force, preventing him from thrashing too violently, but even so, it was evident that his body was still being ravaged by the excessive strain on his muscles.
Nonetheless, Stas could do nothing. The Healing Palm would only interfere with the ongoing metamorphosis.
The transformation took a long thirty minutes. Various changes visibly took place within the body, and the skin sometimes rippled like the surface of water.
Towards the end of the process, Takehiro finally lost consciousness, and when it was all over, he barely twitched.
Since the skin had given way in a couple of places, the sheets were stained with blood and other bodily fluids.
Yet, Ordyntsev felt no disgust as he began to diagnose the master's condition.
Most importantly, he was alive.
And judging by the significant reduction in wrinkles and the partial return of his hair to its original dark color, one could cautiously consider at least a partial success.
However, there was still something Stas needed to verify first.
He ran his Healing Palm over the master, mending the most severe tears in the muscles and skin.
Overall, Takehiro's condition had definitely improved compared to before. Yes, he was not brimming with life, being somewhere around fifty years of age, but there was no longer any talk of his immediate death.
Why exactly fifty years? Because the risk was the least. The lower the final age, the higher the chance of error and the technique getting out of control. Due to the master's great age, they had to settle on this round number.
Though, in any case, the calculations were made rather imprecisely.
Obeying Stas's technique, the old man's eyelids fluttered, and he winced noticeably.
Finally, his eyes slowly opened, and squinting, he stared at Ordyntsev, who was leaning over him.
"How do you feel?" Stanislav immediately asked, his impatience palpable.
He had just created the most perfect and complex technique of all he had ever devised. Naturally, he was curious about the result.
"Um-m-m, who are you?" the old man's question caused something to snap sharply in Stas's chest.
'No, no, no! Not again! We worked through this part! The brain cells were supposed to be rewritten onto new 'carriers.' So why the hell doesn't he remember me? Has he somehow reverted to his fifty-year-old memory? That would be a disaster! If I use it on myself, I'll forget everything too! What's the point of living forever if you're killing your own memory over and over...'
"Have you shit yourself already?" The sudden chuckle from the still-restrained Takehiro made Ordyntsev freeze, then slo-o-owly direct a burning glance his way. "I'm fine. And that means," Satoshi added with a dramatic pause, "that the old man Takehiro Satoshi is back!"
Having shouted this, the master suddenly noticed that the Serpent was looking at him strangely, and Leviathan was inching toward the exit with her tail leading the way.
Takehiro also finally felt that no one had removed his restraints.
"Hey, what are you plotting now?" Satoshi cautiously asked, instinctively tugging at the bindings. They were snug as could be.
Stas Ordyntsev remained silent, but his expressive glance said it all. As if it wasn't enough for him to deal with Jun Sumada and his endless jokes, now this sensei dared to play on his nerves!
At that moment, the seal master suddenly realized that maybe, just maybe, the great Takehiro Satoshi might have overlooked something.
[1] Translator's note: I'm not sure about other countries, but here (post-USSR space), doctors are particularly infamous for their poor handwriting; it's almost like a secret code that only people at a pharmacy can decipher. So, the fact that Stas was better than a hundred or two of his colleagues meant a lot, at least in his previous life.