The Protagonist System

286 Don’t Poke The Bear

Was it weird that I was getting a kick out of the normal school life experience to break up the constant running around that I've been doing lately? The classes were kind of fun, with all the girls enjoying themselves as they learned everything Miss Yamanaka and I could teach them. The pop quiz she gave them without warning, that covered all of the subjects she had taught us so far this year, had all of the girls pass with flying colors, which shocked both the teacher and the students.

Let me tell you right now that all of the girls were very grateful about it, too. I received more hugs and cheek kisses than at any other time in my life, and that was really saying something. Again, I was pretty much carried to the cafeteria for lunch and surrounded by very happy girls as they told everyone about how they had crushed the teacher's surprise test.

I tried not to laugh at the sad faces when a bunch of their friends in other classes asked if there was any room left for them to transfer in. All of the seats were taken and the class was full, so the only way in was to switch with one of the very happy girls... and none of them would ever transfer out.

One girl had claimed her grade point average had risen by a full point and she had no worries about advancing to Kuoh Academy's college courses, which was all thanks to me for making learning so much fun. The other girls agreed with her, even the ones not continuing to college, like the Kendo Club girls. They did lament that I couldn't teach them in the club to make them excel there, though.

I hid my reaction to that by ducking my head and eating the pudding I was saving for desert. I couldn't let them know I actually could teach them during their club, because all of the girls would beg me to do so, especially the upper years. They would smash the yearly competition with what I could teach them, and that was not counting the physical boosts and enhancements I could give them as well.

The afternoon classes sped by, because everyone in the class enjoyed them as much as I did. The girls left the classroom with smiles on their faces and a pep in their step. I didn't mind the appreciative looks they gave me, either. A few I returned, just because I knew they expected it, and they looked cute when they blushed and felt flattered.

A quick stop at my locker later, I was out of the school and in my best suit before I stepped into Grayfia's office. She handed me a missive from the Youkai Faction and gave me raised eyebrows as well.

“It's about the cat people, isn't it?” I asked and she nodded. “What gave me away? My movements or my voice, even though it was disguised?”

“Both.” Grayfia said with a smile.

I had to chuckle at that and opened the letter to read it. “Am I being admonished for sending them proof or rewarded for handling things unofficially and not being caught?” I asked and skimmed it.

“You're being invited over to check on the protections you set up on their dimensional barrier.” Grayfia said with a knowing look.

“Ah, they're not acknowledging it at all. Got it.” I said and read it through, just to confirm what she said. “There's no set time for me to show up?”

“Yasaka is a ruler of her people, Issei. When leaders say to come at your convenience, they usually mean as soon as physically possible and you better be quick about it.” Grayfia informed me.

I barked a laugh. “That's a good point.” I said and looked at the piles of files we still had to go through. “Are you okay about me missing another full shift of work? I did miss the afternoons all last week while serving detention.”

“You came in the evenings to make up the time you missed, so it's fine.” Grayfia said and motioned to the door. “I can survive another afternoon without your help.”

“Oh!” I fake gasped and put a hand on my chest. “A direct shot to the heart!”

Grayfia ignored me and went back to work.

I did see her smile, though. “All right, I'll head right over.” I said and folded the missive up to keep it ready, then stepped to the right spot and faked the teleportation effect when I appeared. Instead of the partially hostile and intense looks I had gotten the last time, nearly all of the youkai in the area gave me very interested looks.

“Hello. Hi. Good afternoon. Lovely day. Hi, there.” I said in a constant stream to the people looking at me as I walked towards the normal meeting place, the youkai's main pagoda building. Almost all of them greeted me back in some way, either with a nod or a short spoken phrase.

No one came out to greet me, probably because I showed up so quickly. At least, I assumed that was why. They might not know that I was at school and couldn't get here until now, so I'd have to mention it pretty blatantly, just so they didn't think I had put the visit off on purpose.

I stopped in front of Yasaka's office and knocked on the door. A familiar voice said to enter and there was her attendant, the cat-woman I had petted a lot. She choked when she saw me and I held in my laugh as she blushed and her tail swished happily as her ears perked up and twitched at me.

“Hello, Meow-hiss-purr.” I said, because her name couldn't be pronounced in English, and I held up the missive. “I received the notice to visit as soon as I arrived in the office and came right here.”

She took it from me and read it, sniffed it and nodded, then set it aside. “My queen is in a meeting right now. Can you sit and wait for a little while? She did not expect her other meetings to run so long today.”

“That's not a problem. My boss excused me for the whole afternoon to attend to Queen Yasaka's request.” I said and she gave me a wide smile in return. “Is over here by the door where you want me, or should I find somewhere that might be more convenient for your needs?”

The cat-woman blushed and her tail sped up, clearly understanding what I was really asking her. “B-by the d-door, please. I'm working.”

I smiled crookedly and sat right by the door. “As you like.”

She did her best to not keep looking over at me as she worked on paperwork. I did my best to keep smiling knowingly at her each time she lost her struggle to keep her mind on her current task. It was kind of funny to watch her ears and tail show off her moods as she tried to focus on work with me right there to distract her, and I did nothing but sit there.

It was almost two hours later when the inner office door opened and a very strong and dark power flooded into the outer office.

“You will regret denying my rightful challenge again, you disgusting pacifist!” A harsh voice spat as an old woman who was almost wrapped in dark energy stepped out of the office. She stopped walking and turned around as a weapon that looked like a sword formed in her hand. “One of these days, you will let your guard down, and I will be there to let you feel the sting of my blade before you die!”

I stepped forward as I formed a black blade of disintegration energy and lopped her arm off, turned 360 degrees, and followed through on the swing to take her head as well.

Both Yasaka and her attendant stared as the headless body dropped to the floor. The dark energy didn't dissipate and started to form a humanoid form. I wasn't allowing that to happen, not after the threat she just uttered, so I brought out the ghostly form of Glastig Uaine and she touched the energy. It immediately 'died' and disappeared, then she knelt to touch the body as well, just in case.

“Thank you, Fairy Queen.” I said, respectfully.

Glastig Uaine smiled and nodded at me before she faded away.

“What did you just do?” Yasaka asked, because her attendant was too stunned to speak.

“I was enforcing the protection clause of the contract we signed in good faith.” I said and she sucked in a sharp breath. “When we agreed that any threat to you would be dealt with, I didn't only mean when they came for you or your daughter in your home dimension.”

Yasaka looked down at the body in three pieces. “I didn't think this would be the result of his posturing.”

“That was a man?” I asked, surprised. “Are you sure?”

The cat-woman covered her mouth to muffle her laugh.

“Yes, Nurarihyon is my closest political rival.” Yasaka said and looked back down at the body. “He was my political rival and he boasts like that constantly.”

“It wasn't a boast, it was a promise.” I said and she looked up at my face. “He had drawn a sword and threatened to attack you when you weren't expecting it.” I didn't tell her that the man was already planning to ambush her the next time she and her daughter left the pagoda to take a walk along the market district. I would have to deal with the spies in Yasaka's organization, too.

“I'm not sure what to tell the dark faction about this.” Yasaka said and looked back at me.

I poked the arm with my sword and it dissolved into nothing after a few seconds. I stabbed the torso and let the blade go to let it disintegrate the body as quickly as possible.

“The simple solution is to say you denied his challenge because you were too strong for his wrinkly old ass to face. Your chosen champion fought him instead and he lost.” I said and formed an ice block around the severed head and made it permanent.

Yasaka accepted it when I picked it up and handed it to her.

“I'll spend an hour or so setting up much milder wards around your lands here in the real world and around any businesses you want. Any ill intent will trip them and let the people inside know to be careful.”

“It won't automatically kill them?” The cat-woman asked.

“No, unless they came there to kill others, then their own intent will do to them what they want to do to others.” I explained and she nodded.

“Do we need to negotiate another contract?” Yasaka asked, her voice slightly hopeful.

I wasn't sure if she did want to make a new contract or only wanted to spend more time with me. Either way, I was sticking around for a while and I didn't have to be home for supper for two more hours. “Sure, why not? We can work out any sub-clauses for teleporting them away instead of killing them outright.”

Yasaka smiled wickedly and stepped backwards. “Then please, come inside.”

Both I and her attendant heard the double meaning and the cat-woman let out a little purr.

I could see she was a lot more horny than she was a minute ago. “I would be delighted to.” I said and motioned to her attendant. “We might need a scribe to keep track of everything...”

“Right away!” The cat-woman gasped, hopped over her desk to land by the outer door, put out a busy sign, then she shut and locked the door. She ran over to me and grabbed my hand and hauled me into Yasaka's office before she slammed the door behind us.

I think she might be a little eager for another petting session. I thought with a chuckle.

The cat-woman tore off her clothing in seconds and jumped up onto Yasaka's desk before she stuck her ass out at me. Yasaka and I saw her dripping onto the varnished desk and both of her cute little holes seemed to pucker in and out, clearly showing that they needed attention.

“Hurry, hurry!” She begged as her claws popped out of her hands and feet to dig into the wood of the desk. She secured herself for what she knew was going to be another wonderful experience.

Yasaka softly laughed and dropped her own kimono to the floor and walked over to her desk. She hauled her hand back and slapped her attendant's ass with a loud smack.

“AHHHNNNNN!” The cat-woman moaned through clenched teeth and a tiny spray of liquid came out of her.

I laughed and stored my clothing before I also slapped the eager cat-woman's other cheek, leaving my handprint there. Apparently, an assistant's work was never done while in the pursuit of peace.

*

Sun Wukong, or as he was known by the west, Son Goku the Monkey King, walked through the remains of the Khaos Brigade's main base. He had finally tracked down his descendant to this place, only to find that he had been murdered and his body was nowhere to be found. He checked with his senses and took several sniffs to pick out the most recent smell hat didn't belong there.

With something to follow, he spent the next few hours trying to find anything else that he could use to find Bikou's murderer. He was a monkey youkai that died much too young and Son Goku would have his revenge. He caught a whiff of the scent and followed it to a closed and barred door, which was nothing to someone as powerful as him.

A slap of his hand smashed it into splinters and he walked into the room as if he owned it. A moment later, his breath was somehow gone and he didn't know what happened or how to get it back. He desperately tried several techniques and none of them worked. His vision started to go dark as he dropped to his knees and suffocated from his lack of ability to breathe.

Standing in front of him was a young girl with dark hair and black tape over her tiny nipples. She picked a splinter out of her hair and she frowned at him as she held it out to him as if it highly offended her.

Son Goku's eyes widened when he realized who it was, Ophis the Infinite Dragon, and it was much too late for him to apologize. The splinter glowed black and was shoved right through his eye and into his brain. His dead body dropped to the floor and a dainty foot crushed the face with a nod and then it was kicked out of her room.

A wave of her hand pulled a giant boulder up out of the ground and it was shoved into the space the door had been. No one else was going to bother her while she was busy enjoying her never ending pile of treats. It was such a nice power that her friend had given her.

Ophis went back to her large bed and laid down to relax. Another plate of cookies appeared right under her hand in the perfect spot to reach them with minimal effort, and she picked one up and munched on the delicious cookie with a smile on her face.

*

The Hindu god Indra looked upon the scene with his viewing spell and sighed at the broken body of his long-time friend. It was then that he decided he was going to stop setting others up to enact revenge for the death of his protege, Cao Cao.

Since he was never going to do anything himself against the murderer, and sending others hadn't worked the last three times, he had to let it go. Indra didn't want Ophis to turn her attention to him and he ended the spell. He would only watch from now on and see what was going to happen with all the new players on the board.