Senran Kagura: Overnight Burst

Chapter 1: The Boys of Providence

Ryugamine City. Nestled deep in Japan past where people would willingly go, tucked away past a sea of trees and mountains, surrounding the basin at the base of the grand Ryugamine Mountain. A place brimming with spiritual power, this city is home to humans and yokai alike. And, it is a city where the tradition of the samurai and onmyodo lives on. The Tenno clans, the overseers of Ryugamine and bearers of the traditions, the young heirs of these clans train in the arts of sword and mystics, learning to hunt down the Yoma, the evil spirits born of the negativity of man.

The strongest among these clan are the Tenno main branch, who's bloodline embodies the Void and whom created the swords known as the Sealing Blades: Rengoku and Jikogu. Passed down from heir to heir, these blades are blessed by Onymodo mantras and bear immense power to seal the Yoma away.

And now the twin swords fall to the hands of twin brothers. Joined by the heirs of the other three clans of Ryugamine, Kazama, Shiki, and Akabane, the heirs of the way of samurai venture forth. Onward brave souls, to the world that waits beyond!

The woods of the basin were rumbling as trees were knocked down in the bright light of a spring time noon hour. The creature doing so was like something out of a nightmare, spider-like but with contorted human faces in place of eyes and gnarled legs that cut through the trees before it like a blade cutting paper.

The beast was being pursued, flashes of lightning following it before a shape shot into the air, coming down with a hard crash, halting the beast's attempt to flee before bolting back to a tree, the figure snickering as the spider monster hissed up at him with spittle covered, blood dripping mandibles spreading out.

"Ahh! The big bad an arahna is mad! Shishishi! I barely even tapped you!"

The young man was one in his late teens, possessing cattish looks to him with slender gray eyes and sun-streaked blonde hair, plus a light tan to his skin to match. He was garbed in a light jacket with half sleeves colored white over a black shirt, loose tan pants and black boots. Covering his forearms were black gauntlets edged with silver, and matching greaves were on his legs. Of particular note, the gauntlets had characters embossed on them. On the right "Heaven" and the left "Hell."

One of the spider's limbs lashed out, and the fighter reeled back a fist, but as he did, something else flashed through the air, the spider screeching as the tip of its leg was severed, black blood spewing from the wound and splashing across the dirt.

"Ehhh?! Hey, don't steal my fun Ame!"

"Quit the whining Yuki. Your gauntlets wouldn't have stopped that thing's talon."

Another boy landed on the branch, spinning a karambit on his right-hand index finger, flecks of ice flying off the black blade, it's edge glinting in the sunlight. The younger looking boy's stoic expression could be said to comedically clash with his soft features, like he was trying too hard to look serious. Long, dark blue hair was tied up into an angled tail while the front was a mess of bangs that framed his sea green eyes. His own attire was a dark blue fur collared parka over a grey shirt with a belt holding a bunch of small throwing blades on it, black slacks with another belt on it holding more tools, with lighter boots on his feet.

"I had it!" Yuki snapped, the two boys leaping from the branch and to the floor of the woods. "Okay so, no time to argue!"

"Of course not! It's a Yoma, you think it cares?!" Ame shot to the side when the Yoma struck at him particularly, his karambit catching the talon of the incoming leg by the edge. "Bad move."

Ame's grip on the karambit tightened, and ice shot up from the blade and raced up the limb of the spider Yoma. With an excited yell, Yuki came running down, a few twirls coming to his moves, lightning sparking at his legs as he shot forward, spinning around with a leap and crashing through the frozen leg of the Yoma. When he landed, Yuki took off at a run, Ame quick to follow after him as the frozen limb fell to the ground.

"So, what's the plan now? Ain't Kaen setting something up? When's that gonna be done?" Yuki said, using some of the trees like vaults to move faster, Ame's own steps at times coming with ice forming where his feet or hands tapped off of.

"That's what we're doing remember?! Luring the Yoma to him. We're not far, so keep running!"

"Entendi!"

"Speak Japanese please!"

Yuki simply laughed as they continued along, their chase eventually taking the two boys past a clearing, which they shot right through, skidding to a stop at the other end and readying their weapons. The Yoma came crashing through into the clearing, stopping in front of the two boys, who merely smirked at it as they then leapt back and up into the trees.

"Fall to the shadows you were birthed from, being of Hell. Come Forth at Once!" From elsewhere at the clearing's edge, a paper tag went flying out and to the ground, shining and causing more tags that had been hidden on the ground to light up, a star connecting between all of the lines before the Yoma was blasted from below by a pillar of fire that went high into the sky, the heat alone singing the leaves in some of the nearby trees. Once the flames faded, the Yoma shuddered before collapsing onto the dirt, its body burnt black by the flames.

"Tch… wasn't enough to put it down eh? This one's got some strength to it." Fallen leaves crinkled as another boy stepped out into view as Ame and Yuki lowered back into the clearing. The new boy appeared to be at the same age as Ame, and just like the other two he seemed almost impossibly good looking. His ghostly pale face was marked by narrow golden eyes framed by dark crimson hair that while messy also had multiple small braids tied through it. His clothes were similar to the traditional robes of an onmyodo, but far lighter and made for movement rather than ceremony, to the point the resemblance seemed rather vague in some ways.

"Eesh? Seriously? Your spells typically put stuff right out though Kaen!" Yuki commented, Kaen turning to him with a sigh, though his expression remained rather neutral.

"Sometimes you just get unlucky. Now…" With a flick of a wrist, a length of chain dropped from one of Kaen's sleeves, the entire length of it absolutely covered inch to inch in ofudas. "… we shouldn't forget to actually fight it."

"Of course." Ame spun his karambit again, ice forming around the blade and extending it's length, Yuki chuckling as he took a few steps and got into a wavering but tight stance that kept his arms and legs moving.

The yoma shuddered and rose up again, roaring at the five boys, rearing up some of its none severed legs to strike at them. As it did, they heard bells ring.

Two more shapes arrived, shooting from the trees and landing where the spiked limbs were striking, the sound of metal being slammed into ringing the air as flares of white and black entered the vision of the three teenagers.

The two new arrivals were boys who were functionally identical. One's face was slightly softer in the look than the other, but they shared the same sharp, sky blue eyes and pale as snow skin, and their builds had the exact same measures to them.

The boy with the softer features bore bright white hair that at the front half was straight and loose, framing his face with crossed strands between his eyes, while the rest was in swept layers and the nape tied low in a thing tail that fell just past his shoulder blades, the tail tied by a blue and white chord with silver bells at the end, still ringing from the movements he had done. Along with the chord, his bangs had a fox shaped hair clip in them, the clip bearing a blue gem and a single tail. He was wearing a blue and grey jacket that had somewhat loose sleeves and went down to his mid-thigh, the style making it somewhat like a haori, while the jacket sat over a black shirt and a red waist sash with a fox pattern in white marking it, the sash holding the sheathe for a katana and under it a wakizashi. Black slacks with some armor on the shins covered his legs as well as the shoes he wore. On his hands were black fingerless gloves, and gripped tightly in those hands was a gleaming katana. The weapon's grip was wrapped in white leather and plated with silver, while the twisted manji shaped, jade tsuba bore a dragon design across it. And notably, even as sparks edged across the blade while it held back the Yoma's claw, one could see a series of characters etched onto it.

The other boy, as opposed to the other whos face was more solemn, bore a wild smirk on his face. His hair was raven black and shorter, but also a wild mess that stuck up in multiple places without much of a care for any kind of styling to it, with crossed locks near his left eye, and an x-shaped scar was on his right cheek. His attire consisted of a black jacket with a red piece of cloth tied around the left arm, the right half is worn loosely off right his arm like a ronin's haori, belts coming off the ends of the jacket and even his waist, those belts over black slacks, and combat boots on his feet. At the back of his waist were two short sheathes, no doubt for the red bladed chokuto in his hands, while strapped to his back was a third sword hidden by wrappings that themselves bore a myriad of ofudas covering it.

With two yells, the identical boys shoved their swords up and moved the yoma's limbs back, blades flashing through the air and severing the legs, the yoma retreating as it howled again.

"Eesh, four legs gone and it's just pissed off ehh? Persistent son of a bitch this one!" The black-haired boy chuckled as he spun one of his swords, placing the other on his shoulder. "Whaddya think is gonna happen next Shin?"

"Regeneration." The other boy curtly said, drawing wide eyes from the others. And just as he said, the yoma's severed limbs suddenly shuddered, new ones bursting from the sumps and taking its place… what made it all the worse were the faces on it's head now creepily grinning at the boys. "See Kyo?"

"Obviously! Damn this one's creepy." Kyo grumbled, shuddering a bit.

"Just means we need to kill it faster." Shin murmured, setting his blade into a stance where he held it on his shoulder, meaning his arms were able to remain relatively relaxed. "Yuki, Ame, Kaen, let's drive it closer to the basin. It won't have much room to work with near the cliff."

The other three boys nodded, Shin and Kyo parrying the Yoma when it struck again. As he was struck at, Yuki dodged with a small twirl, his follow up motion rapidly moving his feet as he twirled, his arm sparking as he wheeled around and slammed it into the leg of the Yoma, a loud crack sounding as the limb was broken. With another move as Ame leapt at him, Yuki wheeled and launched the other boy into the air. Ame grabbed some of the throwing daggers he had, ice coating them before he threw them, the extended blades piercing some of the faces of the yoma, Ame spinning as he came down, his extended karambit slashing through the mandibles of the beast. As it wailed from the pain of such wounds so quickly, the spider was lashed by Kaen's chain, which had some of it's ofudas lit up to multiple elements around it, and another ofuda landed clean on it when he tossed it, flames bursting from the tag.

"And let's go now!" Kyo shouted, veering back and through the trees, Shin following after him but going off another way. The other boys quickly followed suit. The yoma looked around, it's faces reflecting confusion, before charging off in a random direction after the boys. As the beast crashed through the woods yet again, charging through after the scent it had caught onto.

"Over here as aranha!" With a yell, Yuki swung around one of the trees, his feet crashed into the yoma and sent it skidding along the group before slamming into a tree, Yuki diving back through the woods as globs of webbing were shot at him, cackling as he vanished into the thick of it.

The yoma then got a few daggers thrown into its abdomen, turning to see Ame smirking at it from up in a tree, the boy grabbing the branch he was on and vaulting off. The yoma gave chase, relentlessly after the target as Ame swung from tree to tree, though the line was starting to get thinner as they went, and the view that overlooked the city and the basin was becoming easier and easier to see.

And then that ofuda covered chain came reeling out, snaring one of the Yoma's legs, making it come to a stop before the limb could be pulled off from its own rushing. Kaen dropped into view, and with some rapidly spoken words as his other hand had an ofuda between its fingers, the chain lit up with flames. Kaen lashed the chain and then tossed the ofuda, a blast of air slamming into the yoma and sending it reeling, also causing the snared leg to come clean off with sprays of goopy black blood following. Kaen and Ame went back into the trees as the yoma rolled back.

"My turn!" Kyo laughed aloud from the break in the trees, the Yoma turning and hissing from its sheered mandibles, venom spewing from its maw. Kyo dodged to the side and jumped off a tree, swiping his blades and severing another leg as the Yoma continued careening down. With another move, waves of energy flew from Kyo's blades and slammed into the Yoma, sending it over the edge of the basin wall, but it shot out webbing and managed to stick to it. "Shin, you're up little bro!"

Shin was below in the basin itself, standing atop the still water with the only ripples coming from below his feet, where a slight glow showed he was using his energy to keep himself on the surface. As the Yoma's glare turned towards him, he twirled his sword and held it level, two fingers of his left hand going to the etched characters, starting to slide them along the flat.

"Banish all Evil, Return all to Earth, Cross now the Sanzu! Be cleansed, be purified, cast away malice and return to the stars!" As Shin spoke the words on the blade, flickers of blue energy began edging along it, following his fingers before flaring up like a flame as his fingers left the sword, swiping it through and back into a two-handed grip, his gaze steady on the Yoma.

Feeling the energy of the blade that had been released, the yoma roared and began skittering along the side of the cliff. Shin took off after it, the water beneath his feet rippling with each step as he ran. The Yoma spat at him with both web and venom, Shin dodging or jumping to avoid the shots. With a dash that kicked up a wake behind him, Shin shot forward and cut off, leaping into the air and gripping the sword tightly, cutting through the line of web that was shot at him, spinning around and driving the blade through the yoma's head, though he was batted away by one of the legs. Shin flipped in the air and landed on the water, kicking up a spray as he went backwards. The Yoma's head may have been cut open, but he clearly hadn't landed the killing blow.

The yoma paused for a moment when it saw that the blood dripping from it and into the basin turned to steam the moment it touched it, a sign that brought Shin to produce a smirk at the monster as its faces showed confusion. Clearly it was thinking on what to do. Pursue him, or stay on that wall and become a big fat target for the other boys, who had left the tree line and were watching for possible openings of their own.

It had clearly made its choice, because the creature's legs bent, and it leapt for Shin. The teenager jumped back, and the yoma crashed down onto the water, staying afloat by its legs via its own energy being focused to them. Shin's smirk faltered back to a serious expression as he jumped back when a leg lashed at him, shifting his sword to parry another. His feet only shifted slight as he moved and cut the leg in two, at the same time driving the stump into the water as the severed end fell. The yoma screeched as its limb pulled back, but the stump had already burned shut.

"Now you can't regenerate like you did before." Shin remarked, the yoma roaring at him again and lashing out with multiple legs at once. In a flash of movement, the air showed multiple slashes for as many limbs had lashed at him, more severed chunks falling into the water and kicking up steam. The yoma leapt again, and Shin slid under… though it seems that's what it had wanted, as with it's remaining legs, the yoma began running towards the city, cackling all the while. "No you don't! Nasu, synch Rengoku to me!"

The aura from his sword surged across Shin's body as fox ears popped up on his head and a matching tail furled out, while blue markings appeared around his eyes and over his cheeks. As he stood straight, with another step, be blasted forward at a speed far faster than before, the wake kicking up behind him appropriately large. The yoma turned as it sensed what was coming for it, and as it neared the shore, Shin shifted his grip, his blade swinging forward. The blade cut in, and cleaved right through the back of the Yoma, Shin yelling as the motion continued and carried him forward even more, cutting the yoma clean into two once he'd finished the cut, only coming to a stop as he skid right at the shore, the two halves of the yoma crashing across the surface of the basin before flopping messily to a stop on the rocky shore, Shin approaching as the upper portion still twitched with life, setting a hand near one of the faces and raising the sword up.

"Cross now the Sanzu, and return to the stars." Shin lifted his sword and plunged it into the Yoma, one final shudder coming from it before it fell dead at last. As he pulled the sword out, the aura around Shin and the sword died down as his figure also returned to normal, and with a spin, he brought the tip to its sheathe and moved the blade in, a satisfying clack sounding as the tsuba hit the top. "Now as for this mess…"

"Oiii, Shin!"

Shin turned, and a small smile came around when he saw the others rushing down the shore to him, Kyo in the lead and coming to a stop, clapping Shin on the back.

"Nice move bro! Hehehe, you're really starting to get the hang of using Rengoku now." Kyo said, Shin adjusting his sword a bit.

"I mean I'd have to. I've had it since we were ten." Shin commented.

"I'll get to purifying the body so nothing spreads past the shore." Kaen just immediately veered off and started tossing around ofudas at the two parts of the dead Yoma, clapping his hands together and beginning to rapidly chant mantras as the ofudas he'd thrown out started glowing.

"I think we should be concerned a Yoma like this appeared not too far from the city at all." Ame said, spinning his karambit before shoving it into a sheath at his waist, scanning the progressively fading parts of the yoma. "If Yuki couldn't one shot it or Kaen's spells weren't enough to outright destroy it then…"

"Ah but Yoma are always that way." Kyo said, holding a finger up, Ame giving a scoff. "Sure you can kill 'em in one shot if you know what you're doing, but stronger Yoma are tricky bastards!"

"Yeah it's not really like we're just cleaning up the small fry like when we were kids." Yuki pointed out, having since donned a pair of headphones and now bobbing along to the music they were playing. "Besides it's no fun if they ain't fighting back! Can't get into a good flow that way."

"So says the Brazilian-Japanese who fights with modified capoeira." Ame dryly remarked, Yuki snickering as he started bouncing around.

"Well hey we killed it, so what's the big deal? Not like there's gonna be another problem for a while eh?" Kyo remarked.

"True. But, there have been more Yoma sightings ever since the Orochi incident a few months ago."

All the boys sans Kaen screamed at the sudden voice, all of them shooting around to see there was someone else at the shore. An old man who despite his age showing on his weathered face covered by a dark grey but still mostly black beard and long hair, radiated with power, dressed in dark clothes fit for a samurai lord in appearance. But sticking out most of all were the same kind of sky-blue eyes as Shin and Kyo.

"Grandpa?! When did you get here?" Shin asked, a surprised look on, the old man chuckling as he pulled back the fishing rod in his hands and cast it again.

"I've been here since lunch. I saw what you all did, and your performance was truly impressive." The old man said, looking to the boys with a smile. "Shin, you use Rengoku well. The blade really has become yours in full."

"Ahehehe, ah, thanks grandpa." Shin said, putting a hand behind his head as he chuckled.

"And Kyo, how are you? Have those dreams you've been having stopped by now?" The old man said, Kyo pocketing his hands as he looked to the side. "Being inside of the Orochi itself must have been quite the experience."

"Ah don't worry old timer, I'm fine. Been sleeping like a log since I fell into the basin last week! So I'll be a-ok whenever we head back to Asakusa, don't worry!" Kyo pumped an arm as he spoke, the old samurai nodding, tugging at his rod a bit.

"Good to hear. The waters of Ryugamine do well for the soul after all." Said the old man. "Yuki, Ame, how are you two? What were your thoughts on Asakusa hmm?"

"I'm personally not that impressed by things, for now." Ame said, folding his arms. "For one even if those girls were able to stop Orochi-HEY!"

"Yeah but those bambinas are rockin'! Hehehe, so damn glad I went, my photo album got crazy huge!" Yuki said, while also shoving Ame down, the younger boy hissing and immediately clawing at him as he was then used as an arm rest. "That and Kaen here got to store up those Yin and Yang scrolls thanks to old man Hanzo."

"Well we don't want a repeat of a few months ago." Kaen stepped over, filing the now blank ofudas into a pocket in his robes. "I do have to give Hanzo a great thanks though. Handing over the Yin and Yang scrolls is no doubt going to be problematic for the Shinobi, but, personally I think it's better we leave them sealed on top of the mountain shrine. What do you think, Tenno-sama?"

"If that is the will of the Kazama Heir, then we will leave it at that." Tenno said, recasting his line again, giving a click of the tongue. "I think that yoma disturbed the waters too much. I was making good catches before. Tch, catching the Emperor of the Basin is going to be a trial of my patience yet again is it?"

"You're still trying to catch that thing grandpa?" Shin asked, putting a hand to the hilt of his sword, the old man nodding. "I think it's kinda hopeless. You've been trying since you were my and Kyo's age!"

"And thus why I continue." Tenno stated. "I've pulled the dastardly beast up before, but to catch it… hmhmhm, only then will I consider that a true victory over this longtime enemy of mine! Besides, it'll be another thing I can brag to Hanzo about once I do."

"You two are never gonna stop being rivals are ya' old man?" Kyo put his arms behind his head, Tenno just replying with a smug chuckle. "Don't be proud of that!"

"Ah leave it be. Maybe the Emperor swallowed some old secret scroll or something?" Shin said, then giving a chuckle. "Ah what am I saying?"

"Well, I'm gonna go hit up the arcade, who wants to come with?" Kyo said, Ame shrugging and putting up a hand.

"What the hell, I've got time to kill." Ame said, following Kyo as he left.

"I've got other business to attend to. See ya guys later!" Yuki then left too, and Kaen was already starting to leave.

"I'll be heading back to the shrine to redo these ofudas. Shin, Tenno-sama, farewell." Kaen took a short bow before then leaving himself, and then only the grandson and grandfather were left on the shore, Shin deciding to sit down next to his grandfather.

"So…" Tenno said, Shin looking at him. "How has progress been on the Gates?"

"Well… I still haven't gotten past the 1st Gate." Shin muttered, giving a sigh. "You'd think I'd have the answer for at least the first one by now… but I still don't feel like I have the real answer to the question it's asking me. You'd think "why do you choose to fight" wouldn't be so hard of an answer."

"Well the questions the Gates have on them are somewhat obtuse." Tenno cast the line again and chuckled. "Frankly I was surprised the Kazama of the time chose to make some of them so difficult. But, one's reason for fighting is such a first step, I believe it being an obtuse answer in truth is fitting. You may feel like you have an answer, but perhaps the problem is that it's not the answer you want that is leaving the gate sealed."

"Maybe, I dunno." Shin murmured, picking at some grass and starting to braid it together. "That or it's just that I'm not confident in my answer. I mean, I thought I'd be settled with "for the people I care about" but when it didn't do anything it threw the entire perspective out of whack! If that's not the real answer for me than what is?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far." Tenno stated, tapping the teenager on the head. "There are some people who fight with no true reason. They merely wish to do battle because it is what they find joy in from life. Take Kyo for example. He's a fine boy, but he fights moreso for the sake of the fight itself than any other reason. He's like your father in that way, a man who sees a "fight" as a guiding force in itself, and not just something to be done."

"Why did you fight grandpa?"

"Simple: I fought to test myself, to grow stronger as both a person and a warrior. Shin, do not try to remain selfless. You can be allowed to be selfish in your desires if you so wish. Fighting for the people you care for is plenty well and good, admirable even… but if it turns out your true reason to do battle with others is something else, something potentially more selfish, than would that be so bad?"

"Well, no…"

"Then ponder on it more. You will find your answer in time, don't worry."

"Time huh… guess we've got plenty of it."

"Hahaha. Oh to be young again."

Six months ago, all of us were sent on a mission, our first one outside of Ryugamine. Me, Kyo, Yuki, Ame, and Kaen were sent to a city known as Asakusa. A city where Shinobi roamed, not Samurai or Onmyodo like us. It didn't feel different at first. But it was still like being a fish out of water.

Kyo and I in particular were given more direct missions. Kyo headed off to find the Hebijo Clandestine Academy at the outskirts of the city, and I was going to Hanzo International Academy with Yuki. We met the Shinobi students who attended there, five girls, all talented Shinobi in their own right. Asuka, Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Yagyu, and Hibari. Yuki and I became friends with them surprisingly quickly… sort of. Some of them weren't as receptive to us as others and it made for some rocky patches in the following weeks. Kyo met the Elites of Hebijo as well, after having to fight his way through their outer yard since they attacked him before he could get a word in. Homura, Yomi, Haruka, Hikage, and Mirai. I don't really know what all happened to Kyo while he was there, I just know most of them look at him oddly. Kyo's kind of a weird guy so I worry about what he did.

Ame and Kaen remained hidden, observing from elsewhere and carrying out their own more secretive missions in the city at the behest of my grandfather, Senzaemon Tenno. Hanzo and Hebijo wound up clashing, and we Samurai found ourselves caught in the crossfire.

"Good Shinobi" and "Evil Shinobi"… a conflict that's been going on for as long as some can remember. I found it pointless though. Shinobi are Shinobi aren't they? It felt like the only difference was their employers and how many people one side or the other took in… the Hanzo girls didn't seem to disagree with me but they didn't seem to know better either.

With a conflict with Hebijo looming on the horizon, Yuki and I decided to help Hanzo. We trained with them, and learned more about who they were and how they ended up where they are. We actually managed to become friends in that time. I got close to Asuka in particular. The granddaughter of the great Shinobi Hanzo himself, she's a kind, innocent girl who had potential she hadn't been able to fully tap into at the time. I guess we're kind of similar in that extent.

We're close in age so we wound up sticking together through most of it. I told Asuka a lot about myself, and she in turn told me a lot about her. Our lives honestly couldn't have been more different. I was raised learning how to fight Yoma, a thing Asuka didn't even know exist at the time, and even though Asuka has wanted to become a Shinobi her whole life, she only truly became one last year. Well… okay my past is a bit more complicated than that kind of simple statement, but, still.

I liked Asuka almost immediately honestly… she was nice to me from the day we met and didn't think anything different of me because I wasn't a Shinobi. Of all of them I felt oddly drawn to her more… Asuka has this weird magnetism to her, an ability to draw people together and help them stick it through even the worst times.

Ahhh… dammit now I'm remembering something weird that doesn't fit into this kind of thing. Ahem. I'll uh… at least say we got… close, very close, over the course of the training that happened. It was uh… stop staring at me with that smirk, it's rude… no it… well, yes we kind of… why is that relevant to what I'm explaining?!... did Grandpa put you up to this?

… fine we'll move on. It was after that where things started for real. Hanzo Academy held one of two secret scrolls, the Yang Scroll, pair to the Yin Scroll. These scrolls were items of great power, and they held the secret to summoning Orochi, a powerful Yoma that could raze a city even in a weak state. It was these scrolls that Kaen was investigating at the time. And the Yang scroll was stolen.

Hibari, even when I tried to convince her not to, left to infiltrate Hebijo. I found it surprising since she's normally meek and timid… Yagyu punched me clean in the face for not stopping her despite what I said. I met with Kaen not long after, and he explained what had actually happened. Hibari's mind had been influenced by the Yang Scroll, and she'd given it away to Hebijo while under its influence-something about the two desiring to reunite. He was urgent about it, because he wanted to seal the scrolls away before something bad happened.

You can probably guess we didn't have that kind of luck with it.

More fighting began as Yagyu left to get Hibari back from Hebijo, and amid it, I was able to meet up with Kyo. He'd come to really care about the Hebijo girls in the time since he joined them, and he could tell I'd made good friends at Hanzo too. We fought, but not for the sakes of Hanzo and Hebijo… just to fight, to test each other's edges and see how we'd grown since then. Just a fight between brothers to see who'd become stronger. We weren't Shinobi after all. In the end the concerns of the world of Shinobi don't matter to us. What mattered to us wasn't anything like good or evil, but who we were fighting for. Kyo wanted to fight for his friends, and me mine. It had nothing to do with them as Shinobi, that came across plenty to me and him as we fought.

After the fight, Kyo and I split off, knowing that the next time Hanzo and Hebijo fought would be for real. I headed back to Hanzo Academy, and left with Asuka to walk because she wanted to talk. What was coming up was troubling for her of course, it would be for anyone. We wound up finding ourselves at Hanzo's sushi shop, uh, he runs one of those, and who else do we see there but Kyo and Homura? Asuka and Homura got to talking as they ate… Kyo and I were too tense to have any kind of appetite even when Hanzo put sushi out in front of us. We knew that in the next few hours, things could very well begin going to hell in a handbasket.

Kyo spoke first, saying that he wanted to support Homura and her friends the best he could. Maybe he couldn't get them off the path of an "evil shinobi", but he felt like he could do something, something more to help these girls he'd come to care for. He didn't have to say much more, I could feel the resolve in his words… I couldn't help but feel like Kyo was someone I'd always be behind in that moment. Real heir my ass… I still don't know why Kyo stepped down and let me be the heir to the family instead of him. But, I didn't want my friends to lose either. I thought this whole fight to the death thing was bullshit… and I couldn't help but shake the feeling something else was at play, not after what Kaen had told me. Someone wanted this to happen.

Kyo didn't say much after that, just said that the Rengoku, the strongest of the Sealing Blades, chose me for a reason… I'd learn it eventually, just not yet. That was where it ended for that time. The final battle was starting, and all of us only had a bit of time left to prepare for it. At the request of the Hanzo girls, Yuki and I hung back, though Yuki didn't really care and ran off to join Katsuragi after everyone split off. Those two have an… interesting relationship with one another.

Kaen and Ame showed up while I was waiting, both having news with them. Ame had gotten into Hebijo discreetly to snoop around, while Kaen had news about the scrolls. Someone was trying to summon Orochi. The Yin and Yang scrolls, and the bodies of talented Shinobi… that was what was required for the summoning of this beast… it's what this seemingly pointless final battle was for. We saw that as their fights with the Hanzo girls ended and each of them settled their differences, the Hebijo girls were absorbed one by one… in the end, Asuka and Homura, at their full powers, fought on the roof. Homura came out the victor, but she was too wounded, and became the last sacrifice to Orochi.

The castle of Hebijo itself shook as the beast formed. I… well I'm not really sure how to describe Orochi. It sure as hell wasn't the eight headed dragon from the myths, that was for damn sure. It was horrifying… but also weak, and falling apart. But it was still dangerous, Kaen made that clear. We had to do something about it… though then Kyo showed up. And amid all of that chaos, he asked me to fight him again, all out, so that he could enter Orochi and go after Homura and the other Elites… it's as crazy an idea as it sounded. But, there's reckless, and then there's Kyo. Kaen tried to talk us down, but Kyo wasn't having it… I had to answer his resolve with my own, so I drew Rengoku, and he drew the other Sealing Blade, Jigoku. With the blade's powers released, we clashed again, throwing everything we had at one another.

The battle was a draw, neither of us managing to really win… but it was enough, from what Kyo said. He vanished in a flash of red light, giving us a wave. And so that left the rest of us to hold off Orochi. While the others were too wounded to fight, Asuka still had strength left. Kaen said he and Ame wouldn't be much help, but he could do something for me… temporarily release a few of the Gates that lock away the full extent of my own powers. Asuka had already used of the scrolls to increase her own power too. With those boosts behind us, both of us went off to fight Orochi from the outside.

The fight was… not easy. The damn thing spoke, it fucking spoke. Most Yoma just don't do that under normal circumstances. Or maybe we just haven't, luckily, run into any Yoma like that, I dunno… I just know I'm never gonna forget that voice ringing in my head no matter how many times I fall into the Ryugamine Basin. But for as bad as that was… I can't help but wonder what it was like for the ones inside of that monster. The Hebijo girls and Kyo… I don't think they're ever going to forget what happened to them no matter how they act about it from here on. Kyo sure as hell didn't, he had nightmares for months until he, well, fell into the basin. It fixes a lot of problems for some reason.

Whether it was by pure determination or something else though, Asuka and I managed to beat Orochi down. I'm sure part of it also had to do with Kyo and Homura's own battle on the inside… we were only fighting one part of Orochi, they were fighting another. Living in Ryugamine, fighting Yoma is something of a normal occurrence once you're old enough. Spiritual powers run strong here, so people born in Ryugamine tend to be powerful… we're born Yoma hunters people say… but Orochi? I'd never seen something fight more desperately for the sole sake of destruction in my entire life, as short as it is. And it was strong, even in the weak state that it was at the time… I don't want to imagine how powerful Orochi would be if it had been summoned correctly. I'm glad Kaen sealed those damn scrolls high in the mountain shrine where they won't be touched again.

After that… well, thankfully for the rest of us everyone was alive. Obviously, really, we wouldn't be making this report if we hadn't… at least, well, you get the point. Kyo left with the Hebijo girls off to wherever, but, we were called back to Ryugamine not long after, so he's got no clue where they're at now, but he's got people looking… they might have found something actually, I heard him hollering in joy the other night. But, that's where that ended, though Yuki and I didn't stay out of contact with the Hanzo girls… Asuka sends way too many texts…

And now that leads us to here… six months later, and about to head to Asakusa again.