Hi everyone I apologize for having deleted the first one and not continuing it. I forgot about this story because of school and kind of forgot the plot so I decided to re write it. By the way, thank you for those who wanted me to continue this story and liked it before.
I'm still debating if I should keep this short or long.
Anyway, I hope you'd like it – as much as you did the original one for those who've read it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not claim any ownership to BEYBLADE.
Chapter One. The Demon and the Priest
The slowly forming thick and dark clouds signalled the arrival of a huge storm. Streaks of lightning continued to slice across the vast gloomy skies while loud roars of thunder echoed throughout the land. All the citizens have evacuated into their homes where it will be safer. It was ordered earlier that no one was allowed to leave their residences unless it's for emergency.
In the shrine, in an isolated and guarded room of the Shinshoku, the priest and oracle who serve as the intermediary between the gods and the humans, the young man sat on the tatami floors listening to the rather loud noises outside; noises coming from the monks who were busy running here and there to secure the entire manor from the storm. He couldn't help but chuckle when he heard one of the monks trip and fall and then blamed another monk which started a childish argument of whose fault it was.
"They sure are noisy" Lee, one of the onmyoujis who protect the Shinshoku furrowed his eyebrow, fighting the urge to shout at the monks outside.
"Oh c'mon, give them a break" Brooklyn, another onmyouji, laughed.
"Besides, seems like the Shinshoku doesn't mind" Mystel added peeking through the door where he caught a glimpse of the young man.
"Hey, don't peek" Ming-Ming scolded giving the young blonde onmyouji a light thump on the head with her a paper fan.
"What's he doing?" Brooklyn asked.
"Probably praying to appease the storm god" Mystel shrugged his shoulders.
The Shinshoku, more known by some as Rei, was a young man who was in his early twenties, the youngest Shinshoku the country ever had. He had long raven mane that freely cascaded on his back down to his ankles. He wore gold and white robes that barely showed his sun-kissed skin and only revealed his face and hands. And the feature that the monks, onmyoujis and the countrymen, even the king, marvelled the most were his golden eyes that many believed to be a symbol of how much the gods loved him.
All the previous Shinshokus came from either a family of onmyoujis or a family of exorcists that when the "light of god", the symbol of the gods' choice for the next Shinshoku, appeared on a child who was born from a 'sinful' woman, it was a much unexpected event and some others even called it an ominous omen. Nevertheles, Rei was taken from his family and raised in the shrine by the monks. His spiritual powers were undoubtedly strong which attracted a lot of demons thus the onmyoujis' presence were needed.
As time passed and the new Shinshoku grew, he proved that he was unlike all the previous Shinshokus. His powers were beyond anyone else's to the point that even some of the demons daren't to attack him. The people gradually believed and revered him.
"Seems like we have a huge one" Robert said as he approached his fellow onmyoujis.
"Got that right" Mystel yawned.
"How are the monks?" Brooklyn wondered.
"Well they're in some kind of panic since they could sense the abnormality of this storm."
"So a demon is really causing it?" Ming-Ming asked.
"Yeah, besides its summer, it's almost impossible to have such large storms at this time of the year."
Within the room, Rei could hear their conversation. He sighed and pulled out his flute from the sleeves of his robe.
"He's pretty mad" he thought to himself. He walked to the doors of his porch and slid it open. The onmyoujis outside heard it and immediately came inside his room to warn him not to go outside.
"Rei, that's dangerous!" Lee exclaimed. Rei had walked out to the porch. The panic and worry in the onmyoujis slowly faded when they noticed a golden glow that seemed to be protecting the Shinshoku from the heavy rain and strong wind.
"He's mad" Rei said with a small smile.
"He?" Ming-Ming wondered.
"Did some people climb the southern mountain?" Rei asked.
"Aah, yea, about three to five men but we were able to save them before the demons nesting in that mountain devoured them" Brooklyn scratched his head.
"Those people never learn do they? We've warned them of how dangerous that mountain is" Robert sighed.
"So that's why" Rei laughed.
"Rei?"
The raven-haired raised the flute to his mouth and blew. Rei's spiritual powers amplified the sound of the flute which replaced the thunders from echoing throughout the land. As he continued playing, the rain gradually stopped and the wind became gentler. The thick clouds parted and some even faded away revealing the beautiful blue sky and the magnificent sun.
"Did he just―" Ming-Ming stuttered.
"―stop the storm with his flute?" Mystel continued.
The three older onmyoujis couldn't help but snicker.
"See, the monks didn't have to panic at all" Brooklyn laughed.
Rei inhaled the fresh cold breeze and smiled to himself.
"Did you like it?" he wondered.
Golden eyes were suddenly staring into blood crimson ones. The onmyoujis' eyes were wide and their faces were pasted with expressions of shock, panic and small hints of fear.
"Y-You're―"
"The Demon God of the Southern Mountains, Kai" Lee hissed and was just about ready to draw his sword and attack when the crimson-eyed demon smirked and with a whip of wind, vanished just as quickly as he appeared.
"Wha?" Brooklyn blinked.
"Tch, he escaped" Lee scoffed and sheathed his sword again. His narrowed eyes moved to Rei who was still standing at the porch, as calm as he had always been. He walked over to him and tapped his shoulder.
"Rei, are you alright?"
"Yep, now, why don't you all just relax and have tea with me?" Rei smiled and without hearing any retorts and other reactions from the onmyoujis, he proceeded to the exit of his room.
"Did he just completely brush off what happened here?" Brooklyn asked in disbelief.
"Let it go, Brook, let it go" Robert tapped the redhead's shoulder.
Tyson and Max who had just arrived after having a meeting with the King met the Shinshoku on their way to visit him in his room. They noticed the approaching onmyoujis and wondered why one of their friends had such an ominous aura around him.
"Um, how much did we miss?" Max asked.
"The Southern Demon God was here… I think" Brooklyn wrinkled his nose.
"What?!" Tyson panicked, "Where? Where is he?"
"Was Ty, was" Ming-Ming shook her head.
"He broke through a barrier that was created by the combined powers of fourteen onmyoujis… again" Robert furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"He's not called a demon god for no reason you know" Brooklyn sighed.
"Damn it" Lee scoffed and walked out of the room.
It happened a few months ago. The infamous and feared demon god from the Southern mountains suddenly appeared in the shrine and in front of the Shinshoku no less.
/Flashback/
The day was like the others. The sun shone brightly on the clear blue sky. The cherry blossoms that have started to bloom showered around the shrine manor and covered the ground with beautiful pink petals. Rei sat on the porch of his room playing his flute while the seven onmyoujis sat around him as audience while enjoying the tea and pastries the King sent.
"It's so peaceful" Ming-Ming hummed while taking in the aroma of the freshly brewed tea.
"Indeed" an unfamiliar voice replied. The seven onmyoujis were immediately on their feet to attack the intruder. They were filled with panic and shock when they found Kai sitting next to the Shinshoku, a couple of strands of Rei's hair in his hand. Rei blinked back and was speechless.
"K-Kai!" Robert roared,
"Don't move!" Lee commanded, sweat rolling down his face. Their precious Shinshoku's life was currently at the hand of a merciless and blood-tainted demon god. One false move and Kai might slash though Rei's throat in a blink of an eye.
Opposite to the expressions of the onmyoujis, Kai was at ease wearing a confident smirk. He gently pulled the strands of hair to his nose. The onmyoujis could only watch with utter disbelief but there was still that hint of panic.
"Um…" Rei blinked.
Kai smirked and caressed Rei's cheeks which made the raven-haired flinch.
"I want you" Kai said.
Rei tilted his head, "Eh?"
The onmyoujis were practically turned to stones when they heard it.
To the language of demons and the understanding of the humans as well as the general population of onmyoujis, what Kai said could be translated to "I want to devour you" as in literally eat Rei. But to the understanding of the much older onmyoujis who have a wider range of knowledge and experiences, it was interpreted as wanting to do it.
With a mischievous laughter, Kai vanished immediately after he said those words leaving Rei rather confused since his mind hasn't really processed what happened and what the demon said, and Lee and the others with an eternal vow to never let the demon god near their precious Shinshoku ever again―for two separate and different reasons.
Although their plan of keeping Rei out of the now dubbed as the perverted demon god's reach was nothing less than a complete failure since Kai had just made it an everyday routine to visit the shrine to listen to Rei's flute.
/END OF FLASHBACK/
"Who knew a fearsome demon like him would be fascinated by Rei's music?" Brooklyn wondered while on their way to the shrine garden to have tea.
"I guess there really are some things only Rei could do" Ming-Ming laughed.
"This is not a laughing matter. The Shinshoku is being pursued by a demon, literally. We, as onmyoujis tasked to protecting him, have to do something about it!" Lee roared, the pupils of his eyes turning to slits and an invisible fire burst from him.
"Lee, Rei doesn't like violence in the shrine" Robert reminded.
"In any case, why don't we just enjoy the tea today? The storm's just passed after all" Tyson cheered.
"What the hell does that have to do with this?" Brooklyn raised an eyebrow. Tyson ignored the comment and instead ran towards the exit where Rei was waiting.
"Maybe we should tell Rei to stop playing his flute, maybe Kai would stop coming if he did" Ming-Ming thought.
"Oh I doubt about that" Robert smirked. Lee narrowed his eyes while Brooklyn stifled his laughter.
"What? What's so funny?" Mystel wondered.
"You're too young to know" the two replied in chorus while Lee just snorted and stomped his way out.
-x-
TBC…
I'll be updating this every Friday or Saturday.