Weed stood quietly by the entrance of Gajou as he waited patiently for the generals and the other high-ranking officers of Ohu to arrive. The reason for the wait was because Kyoushiro had been wounded when he fought against the demon Malum. But knowing how stubborn the young Kishu can be, Weed had decided that it'd be best to just wait for his friend to get here.
It was almost noon, but most of the Ohu Army was awake. A lot of the soldiers were gathered around Gajou, murmuring to each other about what had gone down in the field last night. And Weed could see it on their faces; fear. The pup couldn't exactly make out what they were saying with all the talking, but it sounded like they had heard that it had been a demon or something of the sort. What had him concerned was how these soldiers were afraid, some of them looking worried some about their chances against this new threat.
There wasn't much he could say to calm them down, not when he had to discuss the issue. And to his luck, Kyoushiro finally arrived. Weed wasn't particularly surprised when he noticed that his friend was limping a bit.
"Well? What are we waiting for? Are we gonna do something or what?"
Weed smiled despite himself. Leave it to Kyoushiro to show no fear. Although, Weed couldn't help but notice something odd about the Kishu's expression, as if he was trying to mask something. Whatever it was though, Weed would have to ask him later, because he already had something to focus on at the moment.
"Father, is everyone else here?" He asked.
Gin nodded. "Yes, Son. We're ready."
Weed nodded. "Good. Everyone, follow me inside."
The young Akita took the lead as the generals and his commander followed him into the stone fortress of Gajou. Each and every one of them sat down in a single, with Weed sitting in a spot meant only for the Ohu Leader. His father and his friend both sat at his sides as everyone in the main room waited for him to speak.
"Alright, everyone. I believe we are all ready to discuss the issue that we are currently having to deal with." Weed looked at his subordinates uneasily. "And I don't think there is an easy way to say it, but I will. It seems as though that we are at war, and since there is no other explanation for what we all witnessed last night, I believe we may actually be dealing with a demon. Not a demon in an evil sense like Akakabuto, but an actual demon. Now, that doesn't entirely change what we have to do. The question is this: What do we do?"
Akame spoke up. "I believe it would be wise if we tried to learn as much as we can about Malum. If he truly is a demonic being, then we must know how powerful he is and what a demon like him is capable of."
"We already know that he has supernatural strength." Kurotora said bluntly. "And I'm pretty sure demons aren't harmed by mortal means, unless his body or whatever isn't exactly supernatural like the rest of his powers. He's probably just more durable than a normal dog."
"Kurotora, how do you understand so much about demons?" Gin asked his friend, surprised as well as everyone else in the cave.
The Kai Dog simply shrugged. "I get bored, and the supernatural has a way of interesting me. I've read a lot about demons and demonic powers, but some of the information I got was different from each other. Some say a demon must possess someone in order to walk the Earth."
"We know that's not true." Kyoushiro stated.
Kurotora nodded. "It would've been good news, as we could've found a way to exorcise him. Some of the other information says that demons are vulnerable to things holy, and I'm not sure Ohu is exactly holy just because we view it that way. Or it is and demons just don't get affected by such."
"I do know a couple other things about Malum." Weed stated. "He had this aura that induces fear in others. I myself almost didn't have the courage to even make it to him as the fear kept getting stronger the closer I got to him. And there's also the fact that he is capable of using the battouga flawlessly."
Now that caused everyone's eyes to widen as they stared as their leader incredulously.
"Are you certain, Leader?" Tesshin asked.
Weed nodded. "Yes. That's how he countered my own battouga, except he headbutted me instead of delivering the proper blow."
"Then this is worse than we thought." Gin said, sounding worried. "And this may only be a part of the Demon's true power. My father called Akakabuto a demon, but this is something else entirely. As much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure the odds are in our favor."
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Gin." Kurotora objected. "If I can find out what information on the supernatural is true and what is false, I may be able to figure out a way to combat Malum. Not only that, but he may not actually be that imperious to mortal means."
Gin nodded, feeling reassured. "That could work. But, Kurotora, do you have any idea what might be true about demons?"
"Well, we already know he's supernaturally strong." The Kai Dog replied. "And last night, when he left, he just disappeared, so he may be able to teleport, or he moves at supernatural speeds. Personally, I believe it's the former, considering how we didn't see him move in the slightest. I also imagine that as a demon, he's immortal, and there's no telling what powers he may possess that are associated with immortality." He looked towards the leader. "Weed, did you see him use any other ability?"
The Akita shook his head. "No. Although, he did mention that he had a demonic soul."
Kurotora nodded, looking intrigued. "That's interesting. Sounds like his soul itself is made out of demonic power. From my reading, I stumbled upon theories that souls are not made up of matter or energy of anything kind, especially when they have no particles. They're this indeterminable thing beyond mortal comprehension. According to the theory, the soul itself is made up of pure, sentient supernatural power. And I wonder, if his soul is made up of demonic supernatural power, then does that mean that he can tap into its power? And if he can, then what does that allow him to do?"
"First, though, I think it would be best if we focused on what we already know rather than assume what Malum might be capable of." Akame said. "The soldiers are already becoming worried about the situation, and they may question whether or not we're capable of dealing with a supernatural threat."
"As much sense as that makes, Akame, we still have very limited information on Malum, and there's still the possibility that he does possess more abilities than what we've seen." Gin stated.
"My father's right. Until we find a way to actually fight back, we're going to have to keep our guard up." Weed said. "Should anyone see him, I do not want them to engage. We cannot afford to take our chances considering the circumstances. The last thing we need is for anyone to die needlessly."
Gin nodded. "Since not much else can be said, this meeting is now over."
Everyone in the room nodded before standing up and making their way out of Gajou. Weed looked up at his father.
"Are you sure about this?"
Gin raised a brow. "What do you mean, son?"
"Do you think we'll be ready for something like this? This is unlike anything we've ever seen." Weed replied.
Gin sighed. "I worried we won't be, but this'll all work out fine. All we need to do is be ready for if and when he strikes again."
Weed nodded. "I hope we will be."
Most people were foolish. At least, that's what Malum believed. It wasn't hard for him to hear the conversation within Gajou, even though he was standing outside the fortress. A benefit to being such a powerful supernatural being, supernatural senses. It was near impossible for mortals to ever get the jump on him, not that one has ever even come close. No mortal could get close to him unless he let them, just like he did last night.
"Pitiful." He said. "How they think they'll stand a chance against me. But I guess I shouldn't talk like that. It sounds almost arrogant."
The Demonic Dog let out a tired sigh. Up until last night's fight, things had been relatively uneventful for him, and he had been waiting for quite some time, trying to figure out what his plan was. What he should do. So after a while, he had eventually decided to come here to Ohu, and his plan was already set in motion.
"Sir?"
Malum did not look over his shoulder towards the dog who spoke, but he did response. "What is it, Akio?"
Behind him stood one of his subordinates, a Belgian malinois named Akio. This dog, who was mortal, was actually his second in command, as well as his brightest and most loyal soldier, which is what earned him his rank.
"We've finally reached word from the rest of our messengers. Each and every one of our battalions are complete. The generals are just waiting for your order, Sir. Are we ready?"
Malum nodded, not taking his gaze off of Gajou, which stood in the distance, not very far from where he stood, in a spot where he wouldn't be seen. "I've already intimidated the Ohu Army, so they'll be worried more about me than an army they won't know is in any way associated with me. It is time for the next step of the plan. Spread the word to the generals in the south, tell them to wait until nightfall. That's when they'll make their move."
Akio nodded, although he appeared to be worried. "But, S-Sir? If I may, I just wonder, is all of it truly necessary? I mean, I do see your point. I really do. But... I can't help but feel like it's just a bit much. Isn't it all just too much force?"
Now, had it been another one of his subordinates, Malum would've spoken much more sternly, but he knew how speak to Akio, his favorite.
"Now, Akio, you are correct, one would interpret our methods as too much, but you and I both know that the world just isn't perfect like that. People will not listen, they never do. That is why force is our only option, because if they won't hear us, then we have to make them hear us."
"Of course, Sir." The Belgian Malinois replied somewhat shakily, nodding his head as he turned away, only for his eyes to widen as Malum appeared in front of him. However, the Demon's demonic aura was... calm, somehow friendly and comforting as he placed a paw on his subordinate's shoulder.
"I understand that this is not something you are used to. Believe me, there was a time where I used another method to achieve this goal that we are after. But people didn't listen to me. They didn't like my ways. They thought I was weak. In the end, I had no choice but to change my ways... along with who I was." Akio looked shocked when he saw what appeared to be pain and sadness in his leader's eyes, but it only lasted for a moment. "I do not wish for you to go through what I did, because the change was difficult. I forgot who I was. I even questioned if I ever even knew who I had been to begin with. The point is, I plan to do this, without you having to change who you are. You understand?"
Despite how kind a demon like Malum could be to their subordinates, Akio never expected such empathy. His kindness was actually one of the reasons he was willing to follow a demonic being in the first place, and his ways made sense. Malum's plans were something that just had to work, because it compensated for how people are and what it takes for them to listen. In short, Malum was perfect, despite having a soul full of darkness. He was someone that could be mistaken for a god.
"I understand, my Lord."
