Corpse Collector

Chapter X

"Geezus, we're getting our asses kicked by shadows and they're kissing." Nao groaned as she barely deflected an attack from one of the shadows. "I agree!" Haruka shouted as she was sent flying. "Oh shit!" Nao cursed as she leaped after Haruka trying to catch the tousle blonde before another shadow pierced her with its black sword. "Boss, you can save our asses anytime now!" Nao shouted as she grabbed onto Haruka's hand but the force was so strong that even she went flying as well.

Mikoto finally moved away from Mai a little, causing the strawberry orange top to lean forward a little as she has yet to want to stop the kiss. Finally, they stopped and pulled away from each other, Mai saw a catlike smile appearing on the other girl's face. She knew that she failed to control herself; the Corpse Collector is truly something else as Diamon said just nearly two days ago.

Raising her left hand in Nao and Haruka's direction, two small silver orbs shoot out from her palm and right at them swallowing them up and moved them back to where Mikoto is standing. "Rest up; we'll take care of them." Mikoto offered as her eyes held Mai's gaze still. Mai couldn't help it but leaned in and brushed her lips against that of Mikoto before she quickly turned away and face the enemies.

"Call my name and your mother's swords and power are yours for the taking," Mikoto said ever so calmly. "What do you mean?" Mai asked looking over at Mikoto with a puzzle expression on her face. "Just shut up and call her name woman!" Haruka yelled. "I'll give you a short version since time isn't really on our hands at this point," Nao interrupted. "Your mother and I were to hunt a Shadow Demon about forty something years ago, she died because she was protecting you from being attack by it. You were around three or four then," Nao said. "When human died, they go to the Netherworld for judgment, but when angels and demons die…" Nao paused. "They just die," Haruka finished.

"These… these are Shadow Demons?" Mai asked in shaky voice. "No, they are Shadow Spawns. It is a forbidden art even in Hell, and one who mastered this art becomes a Shadow Demon." Nao explained. "I would never think of seeing this evilness again," Haruka said with regret in her voice. "We were lucky that Mikoto come to our aid, but it was simply too late for your mother. Your mother made a plead bargain with her to completely erased the horror of that night from your memory," Nao continued. "But the price she had to pay for it would be high according to the laws of the three worlds, Minagi here, however, didn't follow any laws and even kept her power and weapons for you if destiny led you here." Haruka said grudgingly.

Faint memories returned to her, of a faint figure smiling down at her consoling her that her mother was in a bad accident and stayed with her until her father came. Bought her treats and give her piggyback ride, even lulled her to sleep when she couldn't stop crying after learned that her mother will never come back to her again. That faint figure visited her many times at night throughout the years, but as she matured the visit lessens until it stopped completely. She remembered one time where there were two faint figures in her room, the one with amber eyes always smiled at her and ruffled up her hair but the other one with red hair made scary faces and got her screaming with fright.

"You…" Mai hissed remembering that it was Nao who would always sent her screaming whenever she came with Mikoto. "What can I say? I'm a demon; you can't expect me to be nice." Nao shrugged. "Oh for the love of humanity, just call Mikoto's name already." Haruka cut in to stop the squabbling between the two women.

Pressing for time, Mai called out for Mikoto and a surge of power spread throughout her entire body like electricity. Her armors were anew again with a beautiful faint gold aura around her, appearing in her hands were two glowing magma swords splitting from her crimson blade. A single white wing sprout from her back, due to the fact that Mai is a half-breed she was bestowed only the right wing but that hardly matter right now. Her white wing was as magnificent as any angel's wings out there in Heaven, because it was the gift that her mother left for her and one of the few things that she could remember her mother by.

Like an angel with a broken wing, Mai danced beautifully with her swords cutting through the shadows that dare to come at her while Mikoto stood there watching and setting the shadows that were killed by Mai aflame. It is as if they sudden become one, as any shadows attempted to go after Mikoto seemed to never able to escape from Mai's raging swords. But one seemed to manage to bypass the raging swords and attacked Mikoto, Mai was enraged by her inability to keep the shadows from ever touching the girl but what happened next made the others and her felt like ants. Mikoto only smirked as she reached out her right hand to catch the black blade from the shadow, like static a serpent appeared and disappeared was seen wrapping itself around her arm as it moved for the shadow and devouring it whole.

Just as that happened, the others returned to a flatten house from their trip into the Mortal Realm. "What the hell happened?" Natsuki shouted in her cutesy voice as she leaped off of Shizuru's shoulder and changed back to her original size. "What do you think happened, you stupid Soul Guider?!" Nao shouted pointing at a few remaining shadows in front of them. "There's more coming our way," Fumi said still sitting on Reito's shoulder in her doll form. "Pff… they're cake," Natsuki said cockily. "This coming from a doll that never fought the Shadows before," Nao rolled her eyes as Shiho helped her up as Yukino tended to Haruka's wound.

"Don't bother, the more you kill the more they spawn." Haruka said after Yukino healed the major wound on her back. "Let them do it," Nao nodded her head looking over at a shocked Mai and a calm Mikoto. "Please tell me you didn't remove her ear cuffs," Reito said almost hopefully when he noticed his cousin's ears. "We didn't," Nao replied without giving it a second thought. "Then who the hell did it, if it wasn't you demon?" Natsuki scowled at Nao. "Oh, just because I'm the only demon here it's my fault then?" Nao got up and about to ripped Natsuki's throat out with her claws.

"I told Tohkiha to take it off," Haruka said in a matter of calmly voice. Everyone was shocked at her words, as the great ruler never broke a rule before and this is a major rule that was broken. "It's either taking it off or she dies," Haruka said grimly. "You're out of your mind!" Natsuki shouted. "Shut up! You're not the one that has to weight that decision, okay?!" Nao defended Haruka who looked down at the ground guiltily. The demon can't believe what she just said; the three of them never liked one another even though they have to tolerate one another because of their position and duty.

Even though the dark side of Mikoto scared Mai somewhat, but there's just something about that evil smirk of hers that caused Mai's body to reacted in a very positive way. She may be fifty years old, but Tohkiha Mai doesn't look a day over twenty-five. By the time she turned ten, Mikoto and Nao seemed to stop visiting her at night and she herself slowly forgot about it all. Throughout her teenage years, Mai dated a few guys but they all quickly bored her as she found out they only dated her because of her body (of course, she never give them what they wanted). Mai was now trying to grappling with how does her once savior become her enemy and now as someone she desired. Everything seemed so confusing to her, but her body seemed to know clearly what it wanted from the young Corpse Collector.