Chapter 10: Infiltration

_Realm's Conference Room_

As they wrap up the meeting, Sunoco, Koru and Aoru decided to look for the Portal to go through. Their logic, if they beat the boss right away, things should go back to the way it was before. It would be their logic, if Shissou didn't object to it.

"Aw come on Shissou. This is basic logic we're talking about here!"

"It would be, if we were in a video game! Besides we don't even know where to start!" Shissou huffed.

"We won't know unless we try. Don't be such a wuss and let's go."

"You were always a bad motivator, brother..."

"What was that?" Aoru was in his face and gave him a little shove. "Don't think for a second that I'm no longer your leader. You look buff, but you're a coward. And you always will be."

"Ouch…that was a bit harsh. But don't think that I haven't been training for a year for nothing."

"It was only an hour!"

"Not from here."

Sunoco walked between the two and grabbed their wrists. "Guys, before you start beating each other up, don't forget there are some Slieks in the human world now. And I think we should go back and help them first."

"We agree. There lies a great threat for them." They turn to see Hemnos and Mona coming from her chamber.

"Mona! You're alright." Sunoco gave a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Are you well enough to stand?" Mona gave a small nod. "I'm okay. Thanks for your concern, but you must head back home straight away."

"Hm?" Hemnos stared at his younger sister. "Is something wrong, my sister?"

"When I was kidnapped, this aura I felt from one of the Superiors….there's no mistake. There is a superior in your world already…"

"Superior huh? Guess their level is strong?" Aoru gave an evil smile and turned to Shissou. Shissou stared at him with his 'I-don't-like-that-gleam-in-your-eyes' look. Aoru then grabbed his brother's and Sunoco's arm and decided to run. The portal Sunoco made earlier appeared again. Mona and Hemnos looked at Koru. "Is Aoru really going to fight them straight on? What's his deal?"

"Oh so that's what you're on about. He's a little competitive on who's stronger. Stuff like this is a game to him. If it were me, I'd worry more about the Superiors."

"So that's it? Strange that they're twins, but they're the complete opposite. Hah, they'll make a strong pair. "

"Hey Riga!" Aoru called out. "What's the hold up? If you don't hurry up, we're leaving without you!" Koru rolled his eyes. "Uh, I guess we'll see you later. Oh, Mona, by any chance, you know where specifically this Superior is?"

She closed her eyes as she attempts to see a clear picture."I see her, near a clean building on this cliff. I think you call it, Siren's Peak? Hope this helps."

*Red Band's Hideout? What a coincidence. I hope Ana's okay.* Koru ran back to where the portal is. He soon caught up to the others. "What took you, Riga?"

"We're going back to the hideout. She's already there. Mona confirmed it for us."

"Waaaaiiiitt! You're not gonna leave us are you?" Meiko and Ponopon ran dashing between breaths panting along the way. "We couldn't find the paper …that we owned to open our own …hah….portal and my staff used too much of this magic stuff so Ponopon can't transform at the moment, otherwise we'd let you ride. Man I'm horrible on keeping things!"

"Well hurry up, because we're heading back to the hideout. A superior is there."

_Red Band's Hideout_

When they were heading back, the remaining members, Tsugumi and Sai, were watching the hideout with caution…well, with semi-caution. Sai was reading his books while Tsugumi was thinking about the situation at hand.

"Hey Sai?"

"What?"

"This is very strange don't you think?

"What do you mean?"

"This whole situation. I mean first we saw a huge panther from a black cat, Koru's necklace glows along with that girl's staff, And Shissou disappears out of nowhere. Crazy, isn't it? All in a few weeks."

"Hm, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I suppose?"

Tsugumi rolled her eyes. "I'm going to check around again. Be back in a bit." She walked out the door. As she was walking, she noticed a strange red headed hooded girl around the gate. "Hey you!" The girl looks at her with curiosity. Tsugumi attempted to speak again. "What are you doing here? This is a restricted area. Go before I call backup."

The girl looked at her strangely and began to sniff her. "Source?"

"Huh?"

"Source? Do you have source? Baki can smell it all over you." Tsugumi seemed puzzled, more than usual. *What is up with this girl? Does she not know proper language?* Baki went and smelled her again. Then she came back and held her breath as if she were to throw up. "Not source…but obsessiveness."

Tsugumi was getting rather impatient with her. "Are you trying to tease me? Get out of here."

"Not yet. Not until Baki finds her source."

"You're ticking me off. What source?"

"Don't play dumb with Baki. You know exactly what she wants." Her eyes flared of irritation and grabbed her arm. "I warned you; now get out before I go crazy."

Baki threw her off as if she were nothing more than a speck of dust.

"I won't hesitate to call back up! Try me!" Baki gave her a cold stare that would freeze anyone in their tracks. "You think Baki is an idiot, don't you? She knows that there's one other human here. Baki was informed that a source should be here. Guardian should be here too." She stopped speaking and continued to look for her objective.

*Guardian? Does she mean Shissou? So do they have something she wants?*

Tsugumi thought if she stalled long enough, The Sliek will eventually leave."W…what's a guardian, if I may ask?"

"Baki's not stupid. It's easy to tell you're stalling for friend. Stupid blonde human girl." She pushes Tsugumi back far enough to feel her ribs crack. Her back slammed on the wall as she backed out.

*What the hell is she…?*

As she came unconscious, Baki's arm became clear air. She touched Tsugumi's face and soon transformed. She had stolen her face, her whole appearance. Tsugumi's appearance looks more like Baki. As she laid there silently against the wall, Baki smiled rather cruelly. *Hmhmhm…there will be no trouble getting information.* As 'Tsugumi' came from round the gate, she saw Sai reading his books.

He looked at her sternly. "So…you're done checking the gate? No intruders or anything."

"Uh, Yeah. No trouble at all. Tsugumi found no trouble. I'm going to check inside for source now."

"Uh...Okay then. If you find Riga's old belongings inside, you better not keep it in your room. That belongs to him."

"Oh, okay. Tsugumi will be sure." Sai gave her a suspicious look and went back to reading his books. Baki gave a small smirk. *Hm, human is fooled. Baki must look for source or Mistress will be displeased or at least find the guardian who holds it.*

She explored around inside. Seeing nothing of interest, she checks the rest of the house. Baki then sees the hidden back door. Seeing red made her rather excited and dashed inside. "W…what is this? It smells of sorrow, rather than that sick feeling. I was sure that source was in here." She completely ignored the main attraction and closed the door. Baki soon went walking upstairs, leading to the door of Aoru's room. *The scent of the source in here…but Baki doesn't see anyone around, let alone humans…Is mistress sure about this?*She jumped as Sai grabbed her arm. "What are you doing Tsugumi?"

"Uh, Tsugumi isn't going into this room to find the source if that's what you're thinking."

"Whatever it is you're talking about, Riga's stuff isn't in there either. You got to stop with the false hope. He's not coming back to the group and you know it. Besides, no one is allowed in there anyway."

"The more reason Tsugumi wants in! Maybe there's blood involved!" She pushed Sai back and broke into his room. She sniffs deeply and her eyes widened. "The source isn't here either? This is disappointing!" She looked around to see his belongings everywhere. "Humans are sloppy." A stone was hurled at her and it hit her cheek. "Give me back my body!" Tsugumi in Baki's body fell to the floor after over exerting her throw. She staggered up again to face her imposter.

"Tsugumi? Who's the real one? Oh by the way, I took Riga's old paper that you treasured so much…from when we were at school."

Baki looked away as Tsugumi looked at Sai with daggers. "So it WAS you! I'm going to apologize to Shissou later and kick your ass!"

Sai rolled his eyes in indifference and smacked both their faces. "That's for thinking you can fool me, and that's for letting her get the best of you."

"Ow…if feels like you smacked me twice."

"Idiot. Don't you know that when you get hurt, Baki gets hurt too? Shoot, Baki never perfected this technique."

"Is that so?" Sai said in a twisted grin. He pulled Baki's hair and punched as he could in the gut. She fell to the ground hard. He repeatedly kicked her merciless as Tsugumi begged him to stop. "You're hurting me! My body! Stop! Please! You're not even leaving a scratch on her!"

He gave her one last kick before he ceased his rage. He turned to her and only replied, "I know."

_Tunnel of Darkness_

They continue to run as they see nothing but black ahead them. Fatigue was starting to get to them along with irritation. "How long is this damn tunnel? My feet are getting tired!"

"Suck it up brother! We have to keep going!" Shissou shouted back. That caused Aoru to chase after his brother and they both ran faster ahead.

"Hey!" Sunoco shouted. "You'll get lost if you go ahead!" Ponopon shook his head as they continued to run. He closed his eyes tightly as he felt himself transform again. His lost strength has been restored and grew bigger as he leaped to grab those two.

"So you've been meaning to tell us that you could change again?" Koru said, rather annoyed from all the running. "Let us ride your back then!" Ponopon nodded as he threw the brothers and caught them on his back. He motioned everyone to get on his back. "You're going to get it, you do realize that, you stupid cat?" Sunoco said with a growl. Ponopon ignored the last statement and began to run. "Hold on tight to him everyone!" Meiko shouted. "Otherwise, you'd get left behind for good!"

His feet picked up speed faster than a cheetah and began to go hyper speed. Dust was starting to grow immensely as the winds grew stronger. Everyone was clinging on his fur for dear life. They felt as if they were riding an ultimate roller coaster, the speed was incredible. Although the tunnel was black and purple, they began to see streaks of lights that appear to be LED and eventually they see the tunnel's end.

"Look! The light!"

"I see it too! Are we dead?!"

"Not in the slightest! Look at this Koru!"

They all stare in astonishment as they see the Hideout that the Red Band Gang uses. They also see the destruction that's taking place. Debris and broken objects are scattered all over the gate, the building looks as if it were to collapse. Some of the windows have been broken. Soon, they see Sai flying along with a demon figure. Tsugumi comes down after them.

"That's my room!" Aoru exclaimed. "Those two are so going to get it!" Shissou only rolled his eyes. "Forget about that brother, look at who's getting beaten!"

"Ponopon, let's get them before they hit the ground!" Ponopon nodded as he leaped forward to have Sai on his back along with the mysterious figure. Sai was covered in many cuts and bruises, but no bones seem to be broken. He seemed beaten rather roughly. "Uggh…..w…what? Am I dead?"

"No, just humiliated." Aoru replied thoughtlessly.

He looked down to see Ponopon with his gigantic form. He was about to panic until he realized that his fight isn't over. Tsugumi came over, grabbed his leg and flung him. "Tsugumi! What the hell are you doing?!" Aoru cried out. Tsugumi stopped and stared at him momentarily. She gave a quick whiff and held her nose. She turned to Koru and did the same thing "Baki found them… finally. Sources has been found."

"T…Tsugumi? Aren't you glad Koru's here?" Shissou asked weakly.

"W-w-what the hell Shissou?!"

"Baki?!" Meiko pushed her off Ponopon's back. "What did you do to the obsessive girl!?"

Baki gave a cruel smile that made anyone's blood run cold. "Hehehe…Oh her? She's sleeping, for a long time. That girl you hold."

Koru looked at the figure. Baki's body. With her long red hair and revealing skin, his nose started to bleed. "Please tell me this isn't Tsugumi I'm holding." Baki laughed ruthlessly. "You humans are hilarious!" Everyone stared at her and at Tsugumi's who's still unconscious.

"Tsugumi's kinda hot now don't you think Koru?"

"AAAHHH! No way Jose! She's still the psychopath we all know and dread!"

"You guys, go ahead, I'll take care of her for you." Meiko spoke softly. Aoru glared at Baki, a monster who stole a friend's face. Aoru made many attempts to give her throttles, but all he kept hitting was air. Koru was getting angry at the demon in general and began to attack with his fist. Again, to no avail. Shissou used his newfound power to get back, but he was really bad with aiming and missed half the shots he threw. Sunoco attempted to use daggers, part of her power, but The Sliek was no match.

Baki's laughter shook the place. "You know why Baki is so powerful? She is one of the Superiors." She began to lay down, beginning to melt slowly through the floor back to the demon world. "Human's too weak; too boring. Tell you what. Beat me in demon world, and I'll give her body back. But know it's only the beginning. War is coming."

"What are you saying? What war? You monster! Say something!" Baki only laughed as she finished melting. Her laugh echoed through the sky. Aoru pounded the ground. "Dammit! What did she mean by war?"

"Was I a little rough?" Shissou came from their hideout, unscratched.

"No…you were perfectly normal! You almost killed us!"

"Sorry 'bout that…"

Koru looked at Sai, and Tsugumi, who still has Baki's body. "Meiko, we need you to stay behind and watch these two for us."

"M..me? Then what are you going to do?" Meiko asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"We're going to the demon's world, to kick their asses before they humiliate us again...but before that..."

They vanished through the portal they came from, leaving Ponopon with multiple bumps on his head.