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KAIZEN
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The past dozen millennia, give or take a few, were not kind to Kaizen.
Still, the suffering and agony quickly faded away when he finally reunited with his trusty familiar, Rukia, the yokai fox. She sat patiently waiting for him, as always, at an intersection of the rough dirt road he walked along. Kaizen recognized her immediately, though she wasn’t the colossal beast he’d previously known, that he’d previously led to slaughter.
He drew a deep breath. Today is not for sorrow.
Now a fraction of her former tigress size, Rukia inhabited the body of a tiny snow fox kit with black paws and ears, and crimson tail and eyes.
Kaizen spread his feet, dug into the ground, and glared at her. He spread his arms to the side. She stood up on all fours with narrowed eyes. He jabbed a hand inside his kimono, grabbed something, and stood motionless with his hand still concealed. In turn, she slowly leaned forward and raised one paw in a point. Her nose twitched wildly. He ripped the item from his kimono and raised the hand above his head in a threat. Rukia snarled. Her wet nose glistened in the moonlight. Drool dripped from her jowls with murderous intent.
Kaizen chucked the ball far to her side. Rukia dashed through the air in a furry fury and caught it before it touched the ground.
“Still haven’t lost your touch, I see,” he said. Rukia growled and thrashed about. She shook her stubby snout and the ball, pretending to crush its vitals.
“Hell no!” Her growls were low, but her voice pitched high. “I’ll kill it, kill it, kill it!” Rukia snapped into a neck-breaking frenzy, surely to showcase her overwhelming strength in her new body in this new world in this new Cycle.
When she’d made her point, she proudly cantered over to Kaizen, who crouched down with arms wide open. She jumped into them, and they embraced with plenty of rubs, scratches behind the ear, and slobbery licks.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you, Little One,” Rukia said.
“Seems like you’re the pipsqueak now. How long have you been waiting?” Rukia withdrew from the embrace and tucked her tail. She flashed droopy puppy dog eyes and pulled her ears back. “Ah, that long. It’s been the same for me, Ruke. It’s been the same for me…”
“You know, I always lose my memories,” she said. “I can remember you clearly, our bond. But I just don’t remember what happened last time. And somehow I remember there was a last time.” Kaizen stroked the soft spot between her eyes with his thumb.
“I’m glad you don’t remember. But,” Kaizen sighed and looked away, “lucky for us, I do. I’ll hold on to that weight for the both of us. Come, we need to meet our protégé. Should be born any time now.”
Kaizen picked up Rukia and carried her on his wide-set shoulders. He couldn’t stand to be as far apart from her as even walking side-by-side. It’s nice to finally repay her for all the rides she’s given me.
“So, how long have you been here, in this world?” Kaizen asked. “I’ve only just arrived.”
“I was reincarnated last week. Gave me mum quite the scare.” Rukia dropped her playful demeanor and addressed the real question. “The only intel I’ve gathered is that this world operates on a life force called Ryoku. It powers all life and exists in everything, even the sticks, squirrels—and that insufficiently squeaky ball.”
She dropped her voice to a low but quick whisper. “Seriously, do better next time, Kaizen. I need to really, really hear the life draining out of its voice as I crush its dreams, hopes, and ambitions. I know you can do better, I've seen you do better, though I don't actually have the memory, it's a strong feeling, and before you say anything, no I'm not gaslighting you. Ok, I trust we won't have to have this conversation again. Anyway!” She returned to her high pitched, squeaky voice. “The humans also have certain systems they have to abide by—classes and ranks or some crap.”
“Not so different from our world, is it? Social castes and all.” He reached into his kimono again to fetch Rukia’s collar.
“Well, yes and no. The system here, it’s not necessarily social classes, but I only just started going out on my own yesterday.” Kaizen fixed the collar around Rukia, and she resumed her playful nature. “Also, everyone must be chefs because they’re always talking about their menus.”
Huh, odd.
“Anyways, maaaaan, everywhere I go—I’m a wondrous sight to behold! So it’s hard to stay stealthy.”
“What’s a fox if not sly?” he asked.
“What’s a star that can’t shine?” They spotted their destination, a solemn cottage deep in the woods. “What are you going to tell them?”
Kaizen chewed his lip while they approached a window. “I’ve rehearsed this moment a thousand times. Now that we’re here, I find myself…doubting…myself.”
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Rukia blinked. A leaf drifted past them in the cool night breeze. “You’re certainly off to a great start.”
They spied through the cottage window beside the front door. Two men surrounded a woman lying down on a kitchen table. Luxurious satin cushions lined her body, but she still shouted horrific obscenities at both men. Every so often, she grabbed one man’s hand, and they’d gaze into each other’s eyes during a fleeting moment of respite. Kaizen noticed this man’s lean and surly arms because they were sleeved in tattoos, mostly blue, though also speckled with green and black. The woman boasted a few tattoos around her wrists and one eye, as well.
Are those written in some type of text? Kaizen leaned into the window.
“Evelyn, my dear,” the other man, short and plump, said. “You couldn’t be doing any better. I wish all my patients were as easy as you are.” Evelyn muttered more insults at him. “You are so close!”
“Doctor—isn’t there something you can give me to prolong this?” Evelyn looked nervously at the doctor and occasionally grimaced in pain while speaking. “I’m not ready.”
“Why Evelyn, I’ve never had a patient who didn’t want to rush through this part.”
“It can’t be today, it can’t be tonight—oh fucking shiiiiit.” She heaved short but deep breaths. “Slow it. Down.”
“My dear—”
The gray tattoo around Evelyn's eye burned bright red. “Call me dear one more time and Salvos himself—”
“We can only speed things up at this point. That baby is coming—”
“What about the prophecies? All those fanatics and Zeke, talking about the births tonight—about how the Fourteen will be born?”
“Evelyn, we’ve been over this.” The large, tattooed man sighed. “Those cultists are just shilling everyone for money. They want to scare us into donations and contributing to their Church. Nothing they say can affect our baby.”
Kaizen felt Rukia glance at him from the corner of her eyes, watching him for a reaction. She’s forgotten what my mother was like, but she can still sense when I’m reliving moments I’d rather not.
“Think we’ll just wing it, then?” Rukia asked innocently.
“No,” Kaizen said. “I think I will just wing it.”
“Okay, then—Let’s wing it!” Rukia shook while she spoke, and her mischievous eyes widened with the thrill of the hunt. She leapt from Kaizen’s shoulder.
“No, wait—” Kaizen reached for her but only caught air. He loved how wild she was, even as she burst through the door beside him. Kami, how I've missed you.
Through the window, he saw the three startled figures and clambered inside after her. He locked eyes with the woman first and hesitated. Practiced this a hundred times, must achieve perfection. Just inside the door and facing the three strangers, Kaizen slammed down to his knees and bowed to them, forehead to the ground—a sacred act in his homeland where the proportions of the bow mattered. He eased his muscles into position and—
Ah, yes, perfection. An impeccable bow of humility, honor, and peace. Head still pressed to the ground, he began his speech.
“Honorable parents, I have journeyed a long way to witness the birth of your daughter. She has a prophecy to fulfill, and—and a destiny—and, I’ve prepared—I will prepare her…” Tongue-tied in the final hour, dammit. Lost that bet to Wrath.
“Son.” The doctor spoke first. “I don’t know what nonsense you’re hollering about, but shut the damn door. This woman is in labor and it’s freezing outside.”
Kaizen gave Rukia a glance and then got up to face the door. He wasn’t sure if any of them had noticed her or not, but he needed her to shut the door for him. She nodded at him with furrowed brows. Kaizen sighed in relief. Glad she remembers.
Rukia stood up on her hind legs, skipped to the door with flailing front paws, and slammed it shut with a roundhouse kick. Kaizen looked back to see everyone staring at their newest guest. He ran a slow hand through his long auburn hair.
A gust of freezing air swung the door open again and toppled Rukia over into a clumsy sploot. The icy wind extinguished all the cottage’s candles, which provided the only light besides the stars and the moons.
“Quickly, Doctor,” Kaizen said. “It’s time. She’s coming.”
Evelyn shrieked in pain and the doctor rushed to her. Kaizen’s heart raced. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead into his eyes. Rukia’s tiny fangs dripped with saliva, and her pupils widened out to her irises. The tattooed man ignored the intruders and squeezed the woman’s hand. Moments later, a baby was successfully delivered.
“What do you want to call him?” the doctor asked the parents.
Rukia and Kaizen looked at each other, puzzled. He mouthed, Him!? Did you pick the right house!?
Evelyn admired the baby boy still held by the doctor. Not even the mass confusion of what just happened could override the joy of a newborn baby.
“Jules. His name is Jules,” Evelyn whispered. She kissed the icon strung about her necklace. “Thank Salvos.”
She smiled warmly, then looked over at her intruders. “If you’re with those cultists, then looks like you were mistaken. This boy isn’t one of The Fourteen. Now if you wouldn't mind to fu—"
A bright light emerged from Jules’ little baby chest, and his body grew scalding hot. The doctor flinched and clumsily dropped the infant into the bucket of water prepared to clean him. The water evaporated within seconds, and Baby Jules burst into flames.
A column of vertical light emitted from Jules’ chest and burst through the thatch roof high into the night sky. The light eventually stopped radiating from Jules, but continued shooting upward until it’d left the atmosphere.
“Yeah well, ya know," Rukia said,j "I’d say we’re definitely at the right house and all."
Evelyn shrieked again, and the father looked at the doctor in disbelief. Here it comes.
“Did you just drop my son?” he shouted.
“Ah—Um—Well…” The doctor fumbled his words and shrank away from the father. He fears you. Why, I wonder?
Kaizen stared at Jules and felt a truly deep mix of guilt and obligation, as if the infant were his own son. Rukia, on all fours again, cantered over to the bucket and licked the baby before the fire even died down. Kaizen felt a tinge of envy. Jules giggled. Everyone else was silent.
“This,” Kaizen, composed once more, gestured to the fox, “is Rukia. She is Jules’ guide, his Familiar. She will go with him everywhere, and their lives are intricately laced. As for me, I am Kaizen, and—”
“The hell is going on here,” the father demanded. “Are you one of those damn cultists after all? If you wanna see some real magic tricks, just try me.”
The tattoos all over his body illuminated brighter shades of their base hues. Kaizen met the threat with compassion and patience. Chill air misted around the father’s clenched fists.
> « Ice »
He shouted the incantation in a harsh, foreign tongue and launched a flurry of ice spikes at Kaizen.
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