Ichitiro’s servants cowered as he continued to rage, destroying everything he touched with violent finality.

How dare his sister allow herself to be dirtied, violated, by a lesser being, a human no less? True, bastard offspring weren’t an issue unique to Midnite. Despite their fragile stupidity, some human women could be desirable. Even Ichitiro had taken a few in his time, although more to savor their screams than anything.

What angered Ichitiro more was that Ito claimed the child was of forbidden stock. The miserable youkai said he’d smelled it upon her. If his words were to be believed, a dubious proposition at best, then Midnite had sullied herself with little better than a pig.

Her worst transgression by far, though, was that she’d rejected Ichitiro to be with such a lowly creature. Such an insult was impossible to ignore. She could have consented to be his mate, borne warrior children of great power with him. Together they could have created an army that would have served none save him. With that and the Taiyosori in his possession, he would have been unstoppable.

Instead, her actions were the equivalent of spitting in his face. Even if the child had been born of the blessed isles, a union barely tolerated among his kind, he could not suffer it to live. Its continued existence was an affront to him that could not be allowed. His brothers on the council might frown on such action, but he knew they would do little to stop him.

As for Midnite, perhaps it would serve as a lesson to her. He was not one to be trifled with, no matter by who. Neither human, youkai, nor daimao were immune to his wrath. Even the elder gods would be wise to...

Ichitiro paused in his destruction. The barest tingle of power vibrated at the base of his skull. It was his own energy, calling out to him, letting him know it had been used.

Someone had used one of his crystals, and they had done so without his blessing. Though the crystals were supposed to be for any youkai’s needs, there was an unspoken agreement amongst the many servants of the palace that those empowered by Ichitiro were to be avoided, unless told otherwise by him and him alone. He knew this agreement existed because he had fostered it, subtly encouraging the rumor that it would be wise to consider his wrath. Few had ever broken that pact, and none had openly complained about it. They knew better. Besides, there were plenty of others to choose from.

But even that fact was irrelevant. Permission to use any of the crystals had been rescinded. The ruling had stood for decades, ever since the daimao had witnessed mankind’s destructive potential.

So, not only had someone broken that rule, they had done so with Ichitiro’s power. Interesting, he considered. Who would dare such a thing?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

His servants were all accounted for and none of them would dare make such a move without begging his favor first. Ito might have tried, coward that he was, but he was currently in no condition to do much of anything.

Ichitiro reached out to the errant strand of energy before it could dissipate, grabbing hold of it as if by the throat.

Incredible. Whoever had used it hadn’t been in the sending chamber after all. Someone had dared to activate one of his crystals without permission, but they had done so from Earth. From one of the blessed isles, to be exact. How had they gotten hold of it, and why were they there?

He continued to trace the fragile thread of magic, following its strands to elsewhere upon that world, to a place far away from the isles favored by the daimao.

Though Ichitiro had little interest in the world of man, as a warrior he'd studied them much as a general studies an enemy army. Whoever the transgressor was, they'd used his power to send themselves to a land with the ridiculous name of America.

♦ ♦ ♦

Ichitiro knew well the dictate Reiden had lain down regarding Earth. By all accounts, he should have reported this transgression to the court and then waited for them to contemplate an appropriate response. However, knowing about a dictate wasn’t the same as respecting or even caring about one, and Ichitiro did neither.

Once upon a time, the court acted quickly. Those who were deemed criminals met swift justice, but the eons had slowly changed the daimao. Now the celestial court was less a military tribunal and more a home to bureaucrats and their endless pontification. The issue of what to do with the humans was a prime example – decades spent debating with no resolution. In the meantime, the humans had been allowed to continue to evolve their technology.

It was more than likely that the stars would burn out before any transgressors faced punishment from the council. That would not do. Ichitiro couldn’t have cared less that they went to Earth. That was of no matter. He’d sent his servants there several times in the years since the edict was passed. He himself couldn’t go, not without the rest of the daimao being made aware, but those under his rule, using crystals that only he was attuned to, had made the journey. That way, he’d been able to gather intelligence on the humans while also swaying many of the Youkai trapped on Earth to follow his rule.

Reiden and the council had abandoned them to their own fate, leaving them the choice of being hunted, assimilated like cattle, or hiding. Ichitiro saw opportunity in their misery. Though he cared for no one save himself, he’d sent supplies, aid, and advice wherever it benefited him. For over seventy of their years, he had been the only divine power that the youkai on Earth knew. As a result, he now had agents and assassins residing in all of the humans’ many lands.

It was that latter he would call upon now. They would be tasked with hunting down the transgressor. It would be a simple matter to do so. Unlike the crystals of his siblings, Ichitiro poisoned his with his own personal miasma. Though it wouldn’t kill the victim, it would stay with them for some time, allowing him to track them down long after the power of the crystal dissipated.

Yes. His minions would find the transgressor and make them aware that none could steal from Ichitiro without paying a dire price.

The thought pleased him, ending his rage and bringing with it cold and calculating logic. He still had another important issue to attend to, one that wouldn’t be solved by destroying his own residence.

It was time he paid Midnite a visit. It had been far too long since he’d done so.