THIRD CHAPTER OF DEMONIC PEACEKEEPER. This chapter is lenghty I'll admit, but I like to fit everything I can into one chapter, thereby eliminating other chapters that prolong the torture of the coming of the good chapters. You know I'll let you read and review.
I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN.
"Ahem..." Kaoru cleared her throat before giving out a polite invitation, "Mr. Aritomo, would you and... Mr. Kragas, care to sit down with us?"
"Thank you." Yamagata bowed before he and the monster took a seat next to Saitou.
Kaoru sat back down next to Kenshin on his right. As Aoshi offered the two new guests some refreshments which they declined respectfully, Kaoru secretly and somewhat unconsciously grabbed the back of Kenshin's sleeve out of mild concern for him.
Kenshin and the others stared at this scrawny creature with wide eyes. Some like Sano stared at it with mild fear and traditional paranoia. Aoshi only gazed at it with no feeling.
"Ekkota (eh-koe-tah) katiohorah, koota sorka Himura... Battousai." Kragas said raising his arms as though he was praying to the red haired swordsman. Kenshin's eyes widened even more at the monster before him who mentioned his former alias, but he didnt know how that could be possible, after all Yamagata said he was a foreign diplomat.
"Oppoeroe asago tookara nazhüdul. Forroudö skwordas Kringas Ebenezer Forrgon. Kringas O' sorka Continenten O' Krêta-Dräko-Demonäria, coüntryener O' Cobreiny, ønd O' Demons." Varrooschka slowly said in his mild rasp.
Kenshin and his friends stared at the nicely dressed creature standing before them that was speaking. But somehow their attention was caught entirely when he said, 'Demons.'
"In translation he said, Peace be with you Himura the Battousai. Straight from the words of king Ebenezer Forrgon. King of the continent of Krêta-Dräko-Demonäria, or Cobria for short, the country of Cobreiny (co-breh-ni) (A/N: the reni is like rony in IRONY, only without the I, now say it) and the demon race." Yamagata said.
"You understand his strange language?" Kenshin asked.
"Well only what I know from the Latin interpretation. He speaks Latin as a second language, and so do I. However he seems to understand our language, but he doesn't speak it for some reason."
"Latin? Isn't that a language primarily used by the Catholic Church in Europe? Just how would he know a European language?" Aoshi asked raising an eyebrow.
"This may surprise you Mr. Shinomori, all of you," Yamagata began, "They're everywhere."
"W-w-what do you mean by everywhere?" A fearful Sano asked turning blue.
"He means they're all over the world you moron." Saito said nonchalantly.
THUD. Sanosuke fainted.
Everyone, except for Yamagata and Kragas, all sweat dropped at the now fainted, swirly eyed, former fighter for higher.
"Wait a minute," Kaoru interjected snapping out of her trance, "if they're all over the world... that would mean... there are demons living in Japan." She stated.
"Correct Miss Kamiya. With about 2000 living in Tokyo." Yamagata added.
Foam started to bubble up from Sano's mouth after subconsciously hearing that small number, but no one seemed to notice.
"The news of this discovery have been spreading around like wildfire over Japan since yesterday when it was finally released to the public." Saitou stated.
"How is that possible? Wouldn't somebody notice any strange creatures running around long before?" Ochika asked in astonishment.
"Yuppa eetoy lœwet šaarło rasaryërtii hiesse werta numiliesch ukhai urufuta kaultos-hera gyûøk dæg hijöpor." Kragas threw out waving his right clawed hand.
"Oro?"
POP POP POP POP POP POP...
Question marks appeared around the residents' heads wondering what he said, including Sanosuke who spontaneously regained conscious after hearing the demon's language.
"He said that majority of demons are born with a permanent human look, fully or partially, if they're from a specified culture or tribe." The defense minister translated.
"Specified culture or tribe?" Sano asked standing up.
"My apologies Mr. Yamagata, but we should get to the point of this meeting, for we have another to attend to." Saitou interrupted as he checked his watch before finishing his light meal.
"We'll I do... but you don't." He pointed out.
"What?" He asked in his polite Fujita tone.
"Tokio has requested for you to have a two weeks vacation, starting today. Which excludes you from all meetings. You should request this more often, so you can spend more time with her."
"You know Saitou he's right," Kenshin agreed, "you have other duties outside of work that you need to fulfill, that you do."
"Yeah that's right!" Misao cheerfully agreed.
"Who's Tokio?" Kaoru asked.
"My wife." He struggled to say with a half groaning mumble.
ANIME STYLE EXPLOSION.
"Since when did you have a wife!?" Yahiko, Kaoru, and Sano yelled simultaneously in utter shock and disbelief.
"Hmmm... well we met around the end of the battle at Toba-Fushima, three years later we were engaged and two years later we married. Sooo five years." He calmly said as he recollected his memories.
"Kenshin and Misao how long have you guys known about this?!" Sano and Kaoru asked.
"After first meeting Makoto Shishio." Kenshin said.
"Hootkasdar gyos ryuupos tyul Makato Shishio trutöff önd bättęr swardef O' Toba-Fushima?" (Who is this Makoto Shishio and this battle of Toba-Fushima) Kragas asked looking up at Yamagata.
"We'll talk about that later." Yamagata replied.
"Man forget about demons being scary. I find that a woman being your wife as the most scariest thing ever." Sano said aloud.
"So this was an originally arranged marriage?" Kaoru asked with beady eyes.
Saitou gave off a cocky smirk, "Nope I asked her out of love."
"I find that hard to believe a woman would love and marry a guy like you, let alone you love somebody!" Yahiko coldly said.
"I actually can say the same thing about you when it comes to that Tsubame girl." He coldly, yet cleverly retorted.
"What was that?!" Yahiko shot him blank, pointy angry eyes as he struggled to keep his cheeks from showing any embarrassment.
"Same goes for the fox and the idiot street fighter here. You guys are in a relationship right?"
"Ehh. Depends on how you look at it." Sano said giving his half-admitted reply while shaking his right as a so-and-so gesture.
"And don't get me started about the compromising position I caught the Battousai and raccoon girl-"
"SAITOU! ME AND MISS KAORU WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING!" Kenshin yelled as he and Kaoru blushed furiously.
"Himura, you and Kaoru were in the act!?" Misao asked with wide eyes.
"We've been waiting for something like that to happen." Sanosuke stated with his eyes closed, scowling as if he really didn't care.
"Himura I'm surprised to hear this about you. I had been under the assumption that you were courting Miss Kaoru, but I didn't know you were a man to move that fast." Yamagata said.
"ORO!?
Saitou smirked at his little torture he was giving Kenshin, "Oh yeah she was straddling him, while he had his back against the wall-"
"Nothing happened between them." Aoshi interrupted still tending to the cooking of breakfast.
"Thank you Aoshi." Kenshin sighed and bowed gracefully to the man who ended his embarrassing torture from the Wolf of Mibu.
"Ehhh... yaaror tyuop kilopyor poylas metœû byarøp hükpæg?"
"I agree Mr. Kragas, we should continue this meeting." Yamagata translated.
"Oro? We're sorry Mr. Kragas, that we are." Kenshin apologized.
"So Aritomo," Kaoru began, "this king of the demons, what is he like?"
"I haven't met him personally. But I heard that when he was a prince he was a powerful and mighty warrior, now he's a king who values one thing the most... and that is peace."
Kenshin smiled warmly upon hearing this king's values of peace. He too valued peace the most, for he fought 4-5 years for it as a manslayer and another 10 years for it as a wanderer.
"Which probably explains the massive, highly trained and disciplined armed forces he's commanding that we became acquainted with." Saitou said, somewhat sarcastically.
Kenshin snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Saitou bring up a militaristic subject regarding the king and the people that he leads.
"Hmmm... Well 2nd Lieutenant Cobra and Captain Khruschota did say that a strong national defense is essential at maintaining peace and protecting their country from potential foreign invaders is what they're trained to do," Yamagata responded, "which was something we learned the hard way." The mustache man finished mournfully.
Kenshin and the others, save for Saitou and Kragas, noticed the sorrowful look on the powerful Japanese leader's face when he mentioned, 'learned the hard way'.
"I'm going to guess that Hajime must've mentioned something about the Imperial Army and Navy engaging in a... series of skirmishes against the continent's inhabitants."
Kenshin cringed at hearing the word 'skirmishes' twice today, and he cringed in fear even more at the thought of the answer no his upcoming question he was about to ask the military leader, "How long were these skirmishes going on and how many..." Kenshin paused and took a deep breath before finishing his question, "how many casualties were there?"
"About a month and... less than 3300, while are adversary lost just over 1200, both demon and human, not a big deal." Saitou said emotionlessly before sipping some more of his tea.
"Almost 4500?" Kenshin whispered to himself lowering his head and clenching his fists, it was as though somebody stuck a dagger into his back.
Kaoru noticed the expression on Kenshin's face, despite it being concealed by this red bangs. She felt deeply sorry for the thousands of lives who were lost and she also greatly understood to what Kenshin was feeling right now that she placed her hand atop of Kenshin's.
"As I said Battousai, not a big deal."
"Hold on a minute you cold hearted jerk!" Misao yelled standing up.
"Misao!" Omasu and Ochika both pleaded for her to calm down.
"How could you take this so lightly? Over 3000 of your men died and your saying its not a big deal?! Aren't you being a little cold hearted!?"
"Yeah wolf face!" Yahiko stood up in agreement.
"Little morons." Was his only reply.
"WHAT WAS THAT!? Misao and Yahiko threw blank angry eyes at the insulting police officer with the greatest of urges to give him a thrashing.
"Now now you two, he is a police officer who could arrest you, that he could." Kenshin tried calming them down, before things got violent.
"I hate to say this, I really do," Sano surprisingly began, "but Saitou's actually right."
Almost everyone turned and gasped at Sanosuke who just agreed for the first time with Hajime Saitou. The only guy they know that wants to kill Kenshin.
"Ohh... So you probably have a theory to why you should agree with me?" Saitou sneered at him.
"Yeah I do." He said mildly glaring at him.
"Enlighten us." Saito smirked lighting up a cigarette.
"Alright. Almost 5000 deaths from both sides caused by two armies fighting each other. That's normal. But that number would be nothing compared to what might've actually happened. An all out war." Sano pointed out before continuing, "And that's probably why this King Forrgon is coming to Japan to sign a treaty, to prevent any more killing between the two countries. And I'd say that this demon army probably reacted violently at the sight of an unknown foreign army on their shores, since they probably didn't want anyone else to know of their existence. Thats my theory."
Saitou grinned while blowing out some smoke, "I guess your less moronic than I thought."
Sanosuke smirked at the complement.
"Still, in the end," The wandering swordsman began his response, "it was unnecessary for any of those men, demon or human, to die needlessly, that it most certainly was." His voice was laden with guilt for both the men and the demonic creatures who met a bloody end.
Kenshin felt the somewhat calloused, yet very soft female hand, tighten its grip around his.
"Rustaros eetoy Kringas fretis blutisch øllyukips beruuł lœwêt îjop werta hiesse dæg."
"The king feels complete regret of those whose blood that stains the once peaceful sandy soil of the beaches." Yamagata sorrowfully translated.
"I don't think that Lieutenant Cobra was regretful on his part." Saitou added tapping his cigarette to remove the ashes.
"Who is this Cobra?" Ochika asked, after when everyone else noticed that the name Cobra, was mentioned twice by the two men from the government.
"An adversary that single handedly killed 150 of our men in three minutes." The wolf answered removing the cigarette from his mouth and holding it between his index and middle fingers.
"150 men?!" Omasu and Ochika said in unison.
"Three minutes?" Kaoru gasped.
Saitou nodded, "All armed to the teeth. Guns, swords, everything! And when I fought him he defeated me without much effort, but for some reason spared my life."
"I find it hard to believe that someone would be that stupid enough to let someone like you live!" Yahiko glared coldly at Kenshin's nemesis.
"Yahiko, quit making yourself look like an idiot." Sanosuke commanded.
"What was that!?"
"Kenshin spared Saitou's life and your calling him stupid?" Sano asked.
Yahiko's face turned blue for indirectly calling his idol's non-killing vow stupid. And thought of all the opponents Kenshin has had to face, that he could've killed.
"Plus," Aoshi interjected, "I don't classify a man er... demon that kills 150 enemy combatants and sparring one, counts as merciful. Still, just as Saitou says, what could this Cobra's reasons be for sparing you?"
"Yuuthosork Kringas brütôsas usark jüjalipment norka bättęr."
"Huh... I think he said the king's younger brother uses his judgement in battle. I don't know what he means by that. Himura do you? Himura!"
Everyone immediately forgot the politician's translation, and turned to Kenshin, who was visibly shaking, lightly, due to the recent stories of men dying needlessly. Kaoru placed her hand on Kenshin's back in a small effort to provide some comfort to calm him.
Yamagata closes his eyes and nodded in understanding, "Hmmm... It appears as though Himura is in conflict with his emotions after unnecessarily hearing the news..."
"No! I'm fine, that I am. But why don't we listen to how a truce was called in the first place. It might take my mind off of all this talk about killing. However, Saitou..."
"Hmmm?" Saitou shifted his amber eyes towards the wanderer, puffing on his cigarette.
"Before you leave I want you to talk more about this Cobra. But now I want to hear Lord Yamagata, that I do."
"Very well." Yamagata nodded.
He turned his head to the side, gesturing towards the carriage at the dojo gates, "Captain Khruschota?!" He called out.
The door to the carriage opened, and out stepped a masculine figure. As the figure, made its way to the group, almost everyone gasped as their eyes went wide at the person before them. For the only thing they saw from the middle ranking officer was the metal covering half of his face.
FLASH BACK. JULY 21, 1878.
Aritoma Yamagata, mounted on his horse, stood on the beach of a mysterious foreign land, flanked by four other mounted high ranking officers, two on each side, with a 1000 soldiers, backed up by 350 cavalrymen of the Imperial Army of Japan. Armed to the teeth with rifles and swords, 10 cannons and 5 Gatling guns, and finally 10 ships from Japan's Imperial Navy.
Every man was on full alert, for 1000 feet away from them, stood another army in front of the tree line. A demon army. And inside this thousand or more so army contained what looked like... human soldiers standing proudly alongside their demonic comrades, also armed with guns and swords, and at least 20 howitzers.
However, this interspecies army's armaments had a surprising variation; they had shields, both wood and metal, spears, scythes, body armor, full and partial, axes, and more surprising... bows.
The sun was absent, making it cloudy. Yamagata was filled with dread, thinking of it as a sign for another day of bloodshed. In the past month, more than 3000 men have died needlessly on foreign soil, from the several skirmishes that have taken place with no pleasurable results.
Just then, there was movement inside of the powerful demonic-human military, catching the attention of the Japanese army. Yamagata also saw this, but it didn't look like they were about to attack. Two minutes later, out of the front lines of the demonic army, came five horsemen galloping through the sand towards the all human army.
Aritoma Yamagata, the lord of the Imperial Army of Japan, felt a ray of hope, shining down upon him, and striking his heart with something he couldn't quite describe.
Some of his soldiers felt differently and drew their swords, readied their guns and...
"No!" Yamagata ordered extending his arm out as a supporting gesture.
They quickly obeyed his order, realizing that this maybe their ticket back home.
"Sir?" One officer asked.
"I think that Buddha, maybe be smiling down upon us. Come let's meet the enemy, not as fighters, but as negotiators."
He didn't say another word, and when he saw the five horsemen ceased their galloping half way from their previous location, waiting for them, Aritoma silently decided to join the other five, and took off on his horse, and was quickly followed by his four officers.
A few minutes later, they met their counterpart representatives, who were still mounted on the horses, and stood six feet away from the other side.
Aritoma stood in the middle of his group, in front of the supposed, leader in front of him. However, he and his four officers were shocked to when they saw the middle horseman's face, or whatever was left of it and not replaced.
The unknown horseman's head rather roundish, in a somewhat circular figure. His face, or at least the left half, had a dull greyish color with several shades of black, and few red rectangular markings were found on his cheek and chin.
The other half was... two peaces of thick metal bolted to each other, save for a thin horizontal slit acting as a eyehole to see through, if there was an eye back there, and then screwed into place, with two very thick leather straps going around his head and back half way. This physical characteristic, indicates that this man or creature has seen some pretty rough battles in his life. The only two things that weren't covered by the metal on his face were his mouth and nose.
He had horns coming out, near the top of his head at a 90° angle. However, the two horns looked worn out from years of neglect and abuse. The one on his right side, was broken in half creating a slant, and the other was at least a foot long, but clearly showed the abuse, for it was dulled, chipped in places like the other, and a couple of hair thin cracks.
"Staten yourn namen pleasen." The middle horseman spoke in a broken language, with a nasally voice.
The five Japanese men snapped out of there trance, and looked cautiously into the horseman's visible brown eye.
"Uhh... Aritom... Ahem! Aritoma Yamagata!" He responded after slightly hesitating, but finished in a dutiful manner.
"Strangen namen strangeren. Mine namen'es Captain Aratoma Khruschota, of'n 87th battalion of'n the third Iron Brigaden Armeen. Are youn the leaderen of'n truppens here'n?"
"I am."
"Are youn leaderen of the country therein from?"
"No, but I am the leader of all the soldiers from the country which they serve."
"What'n your ranken?"
"Lord of the Meiji imperial army."
"Meiji. No hearden of Meiji before."
"It's the name of the era are country has been in for the past 11 years."
"Staten namen O' country pleasen."
"Japan. Now will you please tell me of the country your serving kind... sir?"
"Cobreiny. Önd leaderen isht greaten Kingen Ebenezer Forrgon. I comen heren talksen peacen."
"And peace is what we desire most after a month of blood shed."
END OF FLASHBACK.
After Aritoma explained for 10 minutes, and an an additional of two more cigarettes being smokes by Saitou, on what happened, he realized the time and he and the two demons got up for the carriage waiting to take them to their next meeting.
"So," Kenshin began to clarify, "the cease fire that you agreed to, has lead to a signing of a long lasting treaty, hopefully. And their king would like to meet me and my friends?"
"Yes, and a ball will be held next week, in honor for the upcoming historic event, in the outskirts of Tokyo, at one the of Emperor's palaces, that will be transformed into an embassy for the demonic country. You're also invited Himura and your friends here, in fact you have a 20 invite limit. So just give them to Saitou, he'll be more than happy to oblige. Right Saitou?" Aritoma finsished before climbing into the carriage.
"Right." Saitou answered in his Goro Fujita persona.
"Thank you." Kenshin bowed.
The carriage took off, creating a small trail of dust in the air, that quickly dispersed.
Kenshin and Saitou stood under the dojo's gates watching the carriage disappear from their sight down the dirt road, as everyone else cleaned up after themselves.
"Now Battousai, let's talk about your interest in the King's younger brother Cobra." Saitou suggested, creating a serious look on Kenshin's face.
DONE! I'm sorry if the ending wasn't really good. I just wanted to end this chapter finally.
How did ya like the demon language I made up.
Now what's they're to talk about Cobra and what is the king like, find our next time.
Please review.