**Revision v.1 Completed 03 Jul 17**
Disclaimer:
The characters and setting of Omamori Himari are properties of Fujimi Shobo and Milan Matra. Please support the author and publisher by buying the volumes in your country or region. I'm a fan of the series and all, but hey, it's not mine. And never will be. I only write for fun, not for profits. That's what a fanfic should be all about.
Also, all other characters referenced in the story, including OCs, belong to their respective owners.
Legend:
"Normal (Japanese) speech"
{"English speech"}
"Thoughts (Assume character's native language)"
Quotes from other characters are centered, regardless of perspective
######
Useful notes:
Ippon-datara – a monopedal, cyclopean youkai that resides deep in the mountains
Tsuka – the handle of a katana, made of wood and wrapped in samegawa
Fujiwara armbar – a wrestling move in which the user grabs the opponent's arm while lying on the opponent's back, using all his weight on the opponent to keep them from moving. Named after Japanese wrestler Yoshiaki Fujiwara who first utilized this technique.
Mandala – A Sanskrit word meaning "circle" that serves as a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe.
Eighth Round – Home, Part Two: Awakening
Chapter pic: A close-up of Gordon's face with a blue aura surrounding him. Himari is reflected in his eyes, her eyes shadowed and her teeth bare with Yasutsuna drawn.
General POV
{"Hff! Hff! Hff! Hff!"}
Gordon was rushing through the forest at a quickening pace, the sounds of snapped twigs and the chirping cicadas being all the Brooklyn teen heard. His breathing became progressively faster as a result of his lungs' continually contracting and expanding, while his heart pumped faster to provide the necessary nutrients for his blood. The muscles in his legs were beginning to ache a little, but Gordon paid no heed to them. What mattered now was making sure he got to his grandfather's house.
As he continued running and pushing himself close to his limit, Gordon started to have concerns for Himari. Right now she's taking on Ageha and that Daidara-whatever all by herself. He did tell her to not die under any circumstance, but...was that even enough? Should he have encouraged her to fight her hardest instead of making her promise she wouldn't die?
But what if she fails? What if Himari ends up getting killed by those two and they start coming after him? What will he do then? And with his demon slayer powers still under wraps he's pretty much a helpless gazelle surrounded by rabid, hungry lions.
He would probably be crushed by the massive foot of that white-skinned titan. Or get killed while trapped under heavy debris as a result of the white giant throwing them.
...Or worse, he would have his blood sucked dry by that shrine girl and die from major blood loss.
Gordon shook his head after imagining that last one. "Please Himari. You gotta make it back alive! Urgh!"
The black teen fell on his knee after feeling a sharp pain from his left thigh.
"Damn, almost pulled a muscle there," he chided himself, gently massaging it. "I need to be more careful from now on. One wrong move and I'm good as fucked."
After the pain had subsided, Gordon stood up and did a quick stretch of his legs before starting to run again.
While running, he caught eye of a familiar red-haired person standing in his path and stopped.
{"Fuhuhu~ Hey bro, how's it goin'?"} Nariko waved with a smile.
{"Na...Nariko, what the-?"}
Gordon's eyes drifted down at the redhead's clothes, which consisted of a yellow tank top that showed a good amount of cleavage from her gratuitous chest, light blue capri jeans that hugged her legs and hips, and white Chuck Taylor hi-tops. Over her tank top was a red leather jacket that stopped at her midriff.
"Doesn't she feel hot wearing that? It's the middle of summer," he thought to himself before asking Nariko, {"What are you doing here?"}
{"Oh, I was just taking a walk,"} she answered. {"Where're you headed? You seem to be in a rush."}
Gordon's felt his body grow tense. He can't just tell her he's running because Himari is battling a towering giant and a blood-sucking succubus in a shrine maiden's outfit. She would think he's gone mad.
"Christ, I don't have time to deal with her right now. I have to get to the house!"
Gordon started to run but Nariko quickly blocked his path. The New Yorker clicked his tongue and tried going left, then right. Both times the scarlette stepped in his way which made the black teen's eyebrow twitch in annoyance.
{"Come on. Aren't you gonna tell me where you're going?"}
{"It's none of your damn business, Red,"} Gordon said tersely. {"Now move! Let me through!"}
Nariko's expression turned sour. "Does it have anything to do with her?"
Gordon's eyes briefly widened at the redhead's question concerning Himari (and her switch to Japanese) before they narrowed with a grimace. "I don't know who you're talking about," he lied.
"Don't play dumb with me," she scoffed with her arms crossed. "You're only running because she told you to, right?"
Gordon bit his lip in an attempt to keep calm. "Please, Nariko. Just let me through. I need to hurry."
Nariko breathed an irritable sigh. "You really don't care about what happens to that girl, don't you?" she asked with a scowl.
"The hell are you talking about? Of course I care about WAAH!"
Gordon immediately crouched down at a blue fireball that almost went for his face. He quickly turned and watched it hit a nearby tree, where it created a fiery explosion upon impact. His face turned pale before turning back to Nariko, who was tossing up another fireball in her hand.
{"You know,"} she began, quelling the flame, {"there're three things that get me pissed off most. One: I don't like being called a tomato. Two: I don't like anyone eating all my aburage without leaving one for me first."}
"At least there's something in common we share," Gordon remarked flatly.
{"And three..."} Nariko's eyes narrowed into a cold and piercing glare, her pupils becoming slit. {"I despise human men who put on a front but turn out to be huge cowards. To me, they're the worst kind."}
A chill rushed down Gordon's spine after hearing the word human. {"N...Nariko, are you telling me you're..."}
{"Mmm-hmm,"} she nodded with a sly smirk. "You guessed right. I'm an ayakashi."
After saying that, a pair of fox ears suddenly appeared on Nariko's head, matching her fiery red hair with white frosted tips at the end. Four fox tails then emerged from the girl's shapely rear, all matching her hair color with frosted tips and filled with volume.
"Now then," the newly-revealed kitsune grinned, revealing her longer and sharper fangs as she ignited another fireball. "Let's have us some fun, shall we? Fuhuhuhu~"
Cold sweat formed on Gordon's face at Nariko's chuckle. It was the first time he heard such a laugh coming from her. It wasn't one of her teasing laughs at all, rather it was dark and full of malicious intent.
Almost on instinct, the New Yorker started running, allowing a conniving smile to emerge from Nariko's lips.
"Typical. They always run. Oh, I'm gonna have lots of fun playing with him."
The kitsune jumped and began her pursuit of Gordon through the trees, letting out a few giggles along the way.
In another part of the forest, Himari was duking it out against Ageha, the two ayakashi running through the thick brush and leaping across tree branches. The sharp sounds of steel against steel rang through the woodland atmosphere as the pair exchanged blows.
"Hmph. You're doing well for a two-on-one fight, Crimson Blade," a sneering Ageha complemented before lashing her kunai sword towards Himari.
Himari deflected the oncoming strike with a quick swing of her katana before rushing to the Hinoenma. Their blades clashed once more, the force of the strikes creating a subtle spark in the air as the two engaged in deadlock, green eyes leering at purple.
"Do you really want to protect your master so badly?" Ageha growled with her teeth clenched.
"After what I have to go through to bring the Young Lord to the Benigawa estate, it was well worth the effort," Himari countered with a smirk. "And even if there is a Daidarabocchi, I will not allow it near the house. A Zashiki-warashi guards the place."
"GWOOOOOOOOOOHHH!-!"
Hearing its roar, Himari looked up and saw the white-skinned behemoth preparing to swing its arm to attack her. Without a moment's hesitation, the blackette quickly broke the deadlock and leapt back, briefly stepping on the Daidarabocchi's arm in the process and landing on a nearby branch.
Upon turning her head, however, Himari spotted Ageha leaping off to where Gordon was running. Pumping a fair amount of youki into her legs, the cat swordswoman leapt several meters above the Hinoenma and threw three knives that were hidden inside her kimono.
Ageha took note of the three projectiles coming at her and deflected them with a swing of her kunai blade.
"I'm not letting you take a single step towards the Young Lord, Hinoenma," Himari decreed.
A wry, yet sinister smile crept up Ageha's lips. "Heh. Actually, I won't even have to go there. By now, Sasa should've dealt with that foreigner."
Himari's face became one of shock and fear at the sudden revelation. "What...did you say? Geh!"
The bakeneko rolled out of the way to avoid a deforestating swipe from the Daidarabocchi's arm.
"Damn!" she cursed herself. "All this time it was an ambush!"
"Die!"
"Ah-!"
CLANG!
Himari quickly used Yasutsuna to block an overhead strike from Ageha, almost taking a knee to the ground while struggling against the force of the clash. Luckily she found the strength to push back and immediately followed it with a low sword sweep, using her left foot as a pivot.
Ageha hopped over the blade and swung her kunai sword back at Himari, creating another clash before the two combatants hopped back to give each other space.
"Mark my words, Hinoenma," the bakeneko growled. "You and your accomplice will not get away with this!"
Ageha hefted her blade over her shoulder with a condescending grin. "So? What about it? Besides, Sasa won't really kill him. I, on the other hand, only want his blood."
Himari's blood boiled to a roast after watching the Hinoenma lick her lips in anticipation. The feline samurai bared her teeth in anger, her hands subconsciously placing a firmer grip on Yasutsuna's tsuka. She wasn't going to have this from her. Not at all.
"I would rather subject myself to harakiri...than let you have a single drop of the Young Lord's blood!"
Himari sprinted at Ageha with a loud battle cry as the two-on-one battle entered its second round.
(Earlier)
"What...on earth...?"
At the Benigawa estate, Yuuto was staring wide-eyed at the Daidarabocchi dominating the landscape, the leviathan ayakashi towering over the forest and mountains.
"Wha-Wha-Wha...! What on earth is that thing?! I've never seen an ayakashi that big before!" a shocked Rinko spouted out, pointing her shaky finger at the spectacle.
"You and me both," Yuuto gaped. "It's so huge!"
"Aaah! Oh no!" a worried Kaya cried out. "Himari's in big trouble! I don't give a crap about the mutt, but we have to go and save her~!"
"She must really hate Evans-san/the Skate Punk, doesn't she?" Yuuto and Rinko thought simultaneously before the latter spoke up. "Yeah, but how are we going to save the Cat Princess from that?"
"I highly doubt two humans are capable of doing anything at the moment...you know," Shizuku said flatly.
The ribbon girl gained a tick mark on her forehead from the snake child's remark. "I know that much, but we can't just leave them over there."
Yuuto gave a determined nod. "Rinko's right. Himari-san and Evans-san are our friends. Besides, if it weren't for them, I never would have learned about ayakashi and demon slayers in the first place."
"Me too," Rinko nodded. "That's why we need to..."
"Fufufu~" a child-like voice tittered. "Where do you think you're going, Onii-chan, Onee-chan? Come on, let's play a game together."
The two humans looked and saw a one-legged, humanoid figure with short, lilac-colored hair and a childlike frame hopping towards them, wobbling to keep its balance. She (judging by the voice) had on a white kimono top with sleeves going past her wrists, a lavender obi tied around her waist, and a sandal on her foot with a leg warmer on her shin.
"What...the...?" Yuuto gasped.
Shizuku's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the one-legged girl. "Ippon-datara..." she murmured.
"If either of you gets hit by my pillars, you'll both lose and die!" the newly-identified Ippon-datara proclaimed before raising her arms up with a loud, "Ey!"
Yuuto and Rinko spotted multiple shadows surrounding them, forcing them to look up to see numerous objects falling at an increasing rate.
Upon closer inspection, though, they let out horrified gasps when they realized said objects were actually gigantic wooden pillars!
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaah!"
The terrified pair quickly ran away from the pillars as fast as they could, each of them striking the ground with earthquake-inducing thuds that sent the brunettes off balance.
"Guh..." Rinko grunted, laying on the ground. "Oh man, this is getting out of hand really fast!"
"Count me in on this, too," Yuuto added. "Ah-!"
Another set of pillars were about to come down on them, forcing the two to scream in fear once more until a sudden shot of water sliced them in two. Yuuto and Rinko then watched the numerous halves fall to the ground with loud thuds before taking a look back at their savior.
"Shizuku-san!"
"You two need to get away from here," the mizuchi ordered. "I'll take care of this...you know."
Yuuto and Rinko nodded while running back to the house.
"They should be safe with the Zashiki-warashi for the time being...you know," she thought while directing her attention to the Ippon-datara.
"Aww... Onii-chan and Onee-chan ran away," she complained, tottering. "I was really looking forward to seeing their blood spill all over when I win... Hee-hee."
Shizuku's eyebrows furrowed at the one-legged child's bloodlust. She needed to subdue this girl before she ends up destroying the house with those pillars of hers.
The mizuchi stole a quick glance at a nearby well and jumped back a fair distance, performing a backflip that briefly gave view to her pink panties before landing on its lid crouched down.
"There's not much water left in here, but it'll have to do, you know," she mused before looking up at the Ippon-datara.
"Are you going to play with me, Onee-chan," the monopedal ayakashi asked giddily
A small grin graced Shizuku's lips. "Yes. However..."
Water from the well began seeping from its lid, slowly gathering around the lolita's arms before they took the shape of blades mounted at her wrists.
"This time, I'm turning the tables right back at you...you know," she finished.
The Ippon-datara had a wild grin on her face as she raised her arm up, summoning more pillars from the sky and directing them towards Shizuku.
Shizuku jumped and used her newly-formed blades to slice and chop at the pillars, running and jumping off some of them while leaving halved pieces of wood behind her.
"Haaahhh!"
Near the house, a barrier formed around Kaya after holding her hands up, deflecting the oncoming projectiles hurled at her.
"Jeez, the things I do to make Himari fall for me!" the Zashiki-warashi muttered in her head while looking back at a scared Yuuto and Rinko holding each other. "Hey. You two."
"Huh?" the pair looked up at the twin-tailed child.
"Don't get yourselves worried about Himari too much. She's faced stronger ayakashi before and even went up against a high-ranking demon slayer once, so I know she can beat that big lug into next week!" Kaya said with a grin that was short-lived when three more of the wooden pillars struck her force field, frightening Yuuto and Rinko.
"KYAAAAH!"
"AAAAAAH!"
Kaya clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Hey you damn snake! If this barrier gives all three of us are gonna get squashed, so watch yourself!"
Shizuku cursed at her incompetence as the water blades in her arms elongated and thinned out into a pair of water tentacles. She then snared one of the pillars with them and hurled it back towards the Ippon-datara.
The Ippon-datara hopped quickly to get out of the pillar's way but tripped and fell when it hit the ground, missing the lavender-haired child by a few feet.
Shizuku seized this opportunity to come in close for the kill but let out a quick gasp when she saw the Ippon-datara lift her head up, revealing a single eye that was glowing ominously.
The green-haired snake instinctively leapt out of the way after a powerful beam came erupted from of the cyclopean child's eye, destroying everything and anything that was unfortunate to be in its line of fire. Trees, wildlife, shrubs, all of them gone in an instant by the destructive blast.
A loud boom was then heard, followed by a billowing pillar of smoke.
"Th-That girl..." a petrified Yuuto gasped, staring at the destruction.
"Wha...What IS she?!" Rinko cried.
Kaya was just as surprised and intimidated by the Ippon-datara's beam as the humans behind her. "Boy, I'm glad that didn't hit us. Heck, I don't know if I can take that thing head-on!"
The Zashiki-warashi looked up at the Daidarabocchi that was flinging away the trees with its massive arms and pounding its fists into the ground, all with slow movements.
"Himari!" she begged, tears welling up in her eyes. "Whatever you do, please don't get beaten by that giant!"
BOOM! BOOM BOOM! BOOM!
{"Hff! Hah! Yow! Whoa!"}
At another part of the forest, Gordon was busy running from Nariko's ongoing volley of fox flames, jumping and leaping like a gazelle that was high on crystal meth. Sweat accumulated all over the New Yorker's face and body and the smell of burning fire filled his nostrils while the kitsune's meteoric projectiles left fiery blue patches and burning trees behind him, turning the forest into an all-out war zone.
{"For crying out loud, Red!"} Gordon shouted. {"You seriously trying to start a wildfire here!?"}
Nariko's familiar giggle resonated through the forest. {"Sorry sweetheart, not my problem."}
{"Well, it is now, woman! Gah!"}
Gordon became startled when a fireball struck and ignited a nearby tree in front of him, forcing the black teen to take off from his left.
{"Fuhuhuhu~ You really don't have much of a chance surviving here, bro,"} Nariko's voice echoed. {"To us kitsune, the forest has always been our main element before we even get our human forms. I'm no exception to this rule."}
{"Then why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"} Gordon retorted, looking up at the trees.
...
...
...
The air around him stood still for a few moments until the sound of Nariko's chuckling permeated the atmosphere.
{"Fu. Fuhuhu. Hahaha! Ahahahahaha!"}
Gordon scowled at the kitsune's laughter. {"The hell's so funny, Red?"}
{"Ahahahaha! Haha...! Haah... Wow, sweetheart, you're such a riot sometimes. But seriously, do you really want me to get killed by that barbarous cat of yours? Hmm?"}
{"It was rhetorical,"} he claimed, albeit a bit offended at Nariko's offhanded remark about Himari.
{"Well, it was a pretty dumb one. Besides, I'm way too young to have my head on that kitty's chopping block."}
Gordon placed a hand on his hip. {"You're no older than I am, Red."} he scoffed, despite knowing Shizuku and Lizlet are much older than they appear to be.
{"Hey, I'll have you know I'm almost reaching four hundred,"} Nariko said matter-of-factly.
Gordon's expression turned flat at her statement. {"Is that really something for you to be bragging about? That basically tells me you're a WHOA!?"}
He was immediately blasted back by a giant fireball that landed near his feet, the force of which sent the boy hurtling towards a tree and hitting it on impact, almost breaking his spine in the process.
{"Argh! Ow..."}
{"Don't even think about finishing that sentence,"} the redhead warned harshly.
Gordon let out a weak chuckle with one of his eyes cracked open. {"Oh sorry, did I strike a nerve? Kinda hard to tell with all those damn FIREBALLS YOU KEEP THROWING AT ME!"}
Nariko gave what sounded like an annoyed huff. {"Wow, was that supposed to be sarcasm?"}
{"I don't know,"} Gordon remarked dryly. {"You tell me."}
...
...
Things fell silent for a few moments before Nariko spoke up.
{"Hey, Gordon?"}
Gordon raised an eyebrow at the scarlette calling him by his name, the first since he introduced himself to her. {"What?"}
{"You were about to say you care for the Crimson Blade, right? If that's the case, why did you tell her not to die? You knew very well the odds were against her."}
Gordon cast his eyes down at the ground. {"Yeah, I knew that much, but..."}
{"But...?"}
Gordon breathed a sigh that read discomfort. {"Even though I've known Himari for a few months now, I..."} A brief pause. {"I still get worried about her sometimes. Ever since she told me what her duties were, I constantly felt the need to at least try and help her out, but I keep getting reminded at the back of my head that I'll just be in her way. And now with her taking on that giant..."}
Gordon swung his arm back until it struck a nearby tree, creating a small dent in the bark with his fist. There were cuts on the back of his hand, but his frustration overtook the pain.
{"Urgh! Dammit, I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a fucking hard place right now! If only I knew what my damn powers were or how to get them to work, I might be able to help her out!"}
Plus...he didn't want Himari to become fourth in the line of dead people related to him. After all, he had just learned of his grandfather's death not too long ago. Add Himari on top of that and...
Gordon prepared to swing his arm again but was promptly stopped by something. He turned his head back and to his quick surprise saw Nariko with a soft and subtle smile on her face.
{"Looks like I'll have to take back what I said about you being a coward,"} she spoke, lowering the New Yorker's hand before hugging him from behind. {"Well, most of it, anyway. I'm still feeling a bit pissed. Heh-heh."}
Gordon tried to keep calm from the soft sensation of Nariko's breasts on his back, though the faint hint of red on his cheeks say otherwise. {"O-Okay, so what do you want from me?"}
{"Let's see, now..."}
Gordon's body froze stiff upon feeling Nariko's moist breath in his ear.
{"How about a fight?"} she suggested sultrily.
The New Yorker quickly turned his head to the kitsune in shock. {"Say what now?"}
{"You heard me."}
Nariko leapt off Gordon, gaining considerable distance before landing and pointed to herself.
{"If you do mean what you say, then try proving it to me in a fight."}
{"Wha? H-Hold on Nariko, you can't be serious about this, right?"} he asked tentatively.
{"Oh, but I am, sweetheart,"} she smirked. {"Unless, of course, you want me to shoot fireballs at you again."}
Gordon let out an annoyed grumble with his right eyebrow twitching. After the hell he had to go through keeping himself from getting roasted alive, the options Nariko gave were pretty narrow.
"Looks like there's no other choice."
The Brooklyn teen reached into the back pocket of his shorts and took out a pair of black fingerless gloves. However, this particular pair was unique in which they were equipped with eight ounces of powdered steel sewn into the knuckles and top of the hand that increase the gloves' mass, thereby increasing the kinetic energy in Gordon's punches and resulting in more physical damage being dealt to his opponents. In fact, a hard-enough blow to the head with these gloves can easily result in a knockout, or a very painful concussion.
Though he was doubtful of them dealing actual damage to ayakashi. They are more durable than humans, after all. Not to mention they heal at a faster rate.
Though at least it wouldn't hurt to try.
Gordon held his gloved fists close to his face while bending his knees down slightly. {"All right. But don't think for a second I'll be pulling my punches, vixen."}
An aroused smile spread across Nariko's blushing face with her ears perking up. Her tails also swished excitedly.
{"I don't mean it as a compliment,"} he clarified with a frown.
{"Sorry, too late for that now,"} Nariko giggled, holding her fists to her chest. {"But I'll have to warn you, though. I'm no pushover myself."}
A deep, dark, and silent tension filled the atmosphere, the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds being the only sounds heard. The would-be combatants engaged in an intense standoff, staring down each other's eyes in a battle of wills.
The atmosphere then became polluted by the sounds of multiple birds taking flight, their feathers falling gracefully to the ground.
[Music: "Scarlet" by Periphery]
As if on cue, Gordon and Nariko rushed towards each other, marking the beginning of their duel. The first strike was given to the red-haired fox in the form of a sliding tackle towards Gordon, kicking up dust with her front foot and dirtying her capris.
Gordon slipped by Nariko's attack but was immediately knocked back by the kitsune's sweep kick. The young boxer maintained his ground but gasped after sensing a roundhouse coming for his face, forcing him to use his hand to stop Nariko's heel dead in its tracks. It was then Gordon realized he was at a serious disadvantage. Because Nariko's fighting style mainly focuses on kicks it would be difficult to land a blow due of the extended range of her legs. Not to mention he might also suffer a few broken bones if he's not careful.
Gordon soon put his thoughts on hold after being forced to block an incoming flying kick from Nariko. Sharp stings were felt on the young boxer's forearms while he was pushed back, struggling to keep his footing.
{"Agh! Kh...!"}
{"Fuhuhu~ Aww, don't tell me you can't take a few hits here and there, sweetheart,"} Nariko taunted with a playful and teasing smile. {"I'm just getting warmed up."}
{"Haa...! Haa...!"} Gordon forced a grin, albeit more pained than confident. {"Heh. The hell you talking about, Vixen? Compared to the spars I had with one of my friends back home, this is nothing."}
Nariko's cheeks flushed red with her tails bristling behind her. {"My my, you don't hold back calling me that, don't you? You naughty boy, you."}
{"Aagh! Like I said, I don't mean it as a compliment!"}
Gordon punctuated the last word with a fierce left jab Nariko easily swatted with her forearm. However that didn't stop the New Yorker from continuing on with a string of punches.
Right jab, avoided by jumped back. Left straight, slipped. Right upper, blocked. Right straight, slipped by Nariko tilting her head back.
WHOOSH!
The sound of wind zipped past Gordon's right ear after evading Nariko's kick, then after nearly avoiding a reverse roundhouse from the scarlette the young boxer quickly countered with a one-two combo, throwing a quick jab with his right and a cross with his left.
Nariko's lips curled into a frown as she once again tilted her head back at the jab and leaned her body sideways to avoid the oncoming cross, a quick whoosh whipping past her ear. The kitsune then spun back and with her left leg directed a low kick to Gordon's shins. The dark-skinned fighter scurried back, missing her kick by a very narrow margin. Though Nariko apparently wasn't finished as the red-haired vixen quickly followed it up with a triple kick.
Gordon face turned into a grimace while crouching down to skirt the high kick. Unfortunately the New Yorker stumbled after being struck hard in the chest by the vixen's mid kick and nearly getting knocked down with the low. As he held his pained sternum, he spotted an oncoming flying kick from Nariko and immediately leaned his body to the side, the speed of which created a blur in his eyes.
Then with his free hand, Gordon dealt the kitsune a powerful blow to her chest.
WHAM!
"Oof!"
Sensing this as an opportunity, the young boxer continued his assault with a triple combo to the stunned scarlette's stomach.
WHUD WHUD WHUD
"Nnh! Buh! Guh-huh!"
Nariko tripped back a few steps before falling on her knee, holding her stomach while gritting her teeth at the pain.
Not taking any risks, Gordon cocked his right fist back and threw a swift hook at Nariko to finish the vixen. Just when it was about to reach her face, however, it was intercepted by her tails, two grabbing his wrist and the remaining two grabbing his forearm and elbow.
"Wh-What the...!?" Gordon tried pulling his arm but to no avail.
Nariko let out a playful giggle. {"Sorry sweetie, but a broken nose is the last thing I want out of this fight. They don't call us kitsune 'Creatures of Beauty' for nothing, you know."}
Gordon tried pulling the scarlette's tails with his other arm, but the boxer's efforts proved futile as they were held tight like Krazy Glue.
{"Fuhuhu~ No use trying to get them off. I enhanced my tails with my demon energy so they're much stronger than they appear to be. Not even a sumo wrestler can get out of them without injuring himself. Sorry to disappoint."}
"D...Dammit," Gordon cursed before he was thrown to the ground by Nariko's tails. The New Yorker then yelled at the top of his lungs after finding himself being spun around by the red-haired vixen, his other hand keeping a tight grip on to one of her tails.
Nariko laughed mischievously at Gordon's hapless misfortune before releasing him after one last swing, sending the Benigawa descendant flying and landing hard on his side, almost hitting a nearby tree.
{"Argh! Ow ow...!"}
{"Had a nice ride, sweetheart?"} Nariko winked, bending over with her tails wagging.
Gordon held his shoulder with a pained grimace while teetering about, struggling to keep straight. {"Yeah. Felt like I rode the back of a flippin' Maybach."}
Nariko flashed a toothy grin worthy of her trickery. {"Really now? Guess I should do it more often."}
{"In your dreams, Red,"} he frowned.
{"Aww~"} the kitsune pouted. {"That's too bad, 'cuz there's more where that came from."}
Gordon quickly held his fists up the moment Nariko closed in on him. The scarlette jumped and executed a spinning roundhouse kick that the young boxer easily ducked under, her foot nearly grazing his head. However he quickly stumbled forward after being struck from behind by Nariko's tails, the kitsune having used a nearby tree as a rebound.
{"Nyeeeh!"} she taunted, pulling down her bottom eyelid and sticking her tongue out.
A slightly vexed Gordon growled while throwing a fast left hook to Nariko, only to have it blocked by one of her tails.
Nariko laughed as each of her tails repelled Gordon's string of punches before leaping up and delivering a wrestling dropkick to the New Yorker's chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. Upon seeing the fox preparing to stomp on his chest and crush his ribs, Gordon immediately rolled over, allowing Nariko to instead strike the ground and leave a small imprint of her foot.
{"Tch!"}
Gordon shuffled back with his arms held in a defensive stance. That girl was getting aggressive with her attacks now. And landing a hit is going to be more difficult with her tails now in action.
"Dammit, the hell should I do," he asked himself before leaning sideways at an oncoming axe kick.
Meanwhile, Himari continued waging her two-on-one battle against Ageha and the Daidarabocchi. She had encountered a few life-threatening misses but so far it has been nothing but deadlocked swords, clashes, and the occasional evading of uprooted trees thrown at her by the skyscraping colossus.
Yep, just another day's work for the busty samurai kitten. She wouldn't be doing this job in the first place if she knew what she was getting herself into. She didn't have much of a choice in the matter either, given it was her ancestor who forged this agreement long before she even came into being.
CLANG!
Himari quickly parried an oncoming strike from Ageha's kunai sword with an annoyed expression.
"Hmph. You're cutting it close, Crimson Blade," the Hinoenma sneered.
Himari casted a side glance at her opponent. "I have no interest in dealing with you," she stated firmly. "Cease this action at once."
"GUUUOOOOOOOOOHHHH!-!"
The blackette looked ahead and saw the Daidarabocchi's hand blocking her path.
"Grr...! Out of my way!" she warned harshly. "Move or I will use force!"
Just when she was about to use Yasutsuna to cut the white-skinned giant's palm, Himari felt her ankle get grabbed by Ageha's stretched hand.
"Shi...!"
Himari's curse was cut short when she was quickly hurled up into the air. The helpless kitten heard sadistic laughter coming from the Hinoenma while being swung against numerous trees, each hit more painful than the last. Not even an old rag doll can withstand this much abuse.
After the thrashing continued for a minute or two, Himari was soon thrown to the ground, landing with a heavy thud.
"Ugh...! Damn... I was careless... Ah!"
A faint gasp slipped through the blackette's lips when she saw Ageha preparing to make the finishing blow, the Hinoenma's eyes hidden by her hair and her blade swung back.
"Young Lord, forgive me. I failed to keep your promise. So please..."
And so Himari clamped her eyes shut to await her oncoming fate.
{"DYNAMIC ENTRYYYY!-!"}
But after hearing that familiar English-speaking voice, she quickly opened them and was bewildered after seeing Gordon deliver a high-flying kick to Ageha's face, the force of which sent the Hinoenma crashing face-first into the dirt.
[Music ends]
"Y-Young Lord...?"
Himari shook the cobwebs from her head while being helped up by Gordon. The cat samurai's expression then changed into that of a mother about to give her child a thorough scolding.
"Fool! Why did you come back here!?" she shouted. "I told you to run away, did I not?"
"And I told you to not die on me. Y'know, I find it funny for someone who's supposed to serve my family to not understand what promises are."
"Kuh! Ugh..."
Gordon and Himari turned their heads to Ageha, who was using her kunai sword to steady herself while getting up. The Hinonema's face was covered in dirt and scrapes until she used one of her sleeves to wipe it clean, spitting out the cluster of dirt that was in her mouth. The mark where Gordon's foot struck, however, remained visible as the brunette directed a sharp glare at the dark-skinned foreigner.
"Dammit! What's he doing here? I thought Sasa took care of him when he got to the estate!"
Gordon crossed his arms with an arrogant grin spread across his face. "I hear mud facials do wonders on a woman's skin," he quipped. "So how was it? Did it make ya feel good?"
Ageha bared her teeth and lashed her kunai blade out at the black teen with a loud battle cry. Unfortunately, it was quickly deflected by Himari's Yasutsuna.
"Have you forgotten that I am still here?"
Ageha clicked her tongue before rushing towards the bakeneko for an attack, only to be knocked back by a swift punch to the face and gut. The Hinoenma backpedaled, holding her chest while directing an angry scowl at the person responsible. "You...!"
Gordon lowered his extended fist with a cold glare. "Hey, Swallowtail. Your beef's gonna be with me, got that?"
Himari easily became aghast at her master's sudden challenge. "Young Lord, what on earth are you even thinking!? Do you understand what you're..."
"GODDAMMIT HIMARI, YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW BY NOW!?"
The cat samurai quietly backed away, taken aback at Gordon's dangerous rise in tone.
Meanwhile, the New Yorker began to replay in his mind the pivotal moment of his fight with Nariko.
######
{"Agh! Kh-!"}
Gordon was struggling to escape a Fujiwara armlock conducted by the fox ayakashi. Pain surged through his forearms and biceps, not to mention a some of his ribs since Nariko had her tails wrapped around his torso.
{"So, had enough, sweetie?"} she grunted with a grin.
{"Nnagh! What're you...talking about...you damn vixen?"}
Nariko's cheeks turned a bright shade of red. {"Wow, three in a row. Fuhuhu~ Seriously, are you trying to turn me on? You are, aren't you?"}
{"Rrgh...! Fuck, for the last time, you...stupid tomato..."} an annoyed Gordon grumbled through clenched teeth. {"I'm not complimenting you! Gaah! Aaah!"}
Gordon suddenly screamed after feeling his arm get pulled back further and more pressure on his ribs and back. The young boxer turned his head to see Nariko with a sullen look on her face, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips contorted into a deep frown.
"...I dare you to call me that again, sweetheart," she threatened in a low voice, her pupils constricting. "Go on, say it. I promise you won't ever be able to see this arm I'm holding here!"
CRICK! CRICK!
{"Aaah! AAAAAAAGGGHHH!-!"}
Gordon howled in pain after feeling his arm joint get dislocated. Goddamn this girl. She's seriously going to rip his arm out! And not only that, her tails were pressing harder against his ribs, threatening to crush them along with his organs.
"Ha. Haha! Ahahahaha! Yes! YES! Scream for me some more, Gordon Benigawa! I'll make you regret calling me a tomato right here and now! Oh yes, I will. Fuhu. Fuhuhuhu..."
Gordon twisted his body in his last-ditch effort to get the crazed redhead off his back. However it proved futile as the New Yorker felt even more pressure on his ribs, while the tendon and ligaments from his afflicted shoulder was slowly tearing away.
{"Promise me you'll be safe out there."}
{"I will."}
Gordon's eyes widened in realization. That's right. He made a promise to Rika the day he left home. He can't afford to lose his life here in Japan, at least not like this. After all he has been through and the friends he's made thus far.
Yuuto... Rinko...
Shimamura... Taizou...
Shizuku... Lizlet...
And...
"The pledge my ancestor made was to serve the Benigawa family for all eternity, even today with me serving you, Young Lord."
Of course. Himari has shown Gordon another side of Japan that was originally thought by the common people as myth. She was the one who explained the legacy that was kept hidden by his grandmother all these years of his life.
No. No way can he afford to die here. There's still a lot of things about the Benigawas he doesn't know yet.
"Himari... I... Agh!?"
Gordon suddenly felt a sharp spike of energy overtake his body, his vision turning white. The last thing the New Yorker heard was a girl's yell before his consciousness quickly faded, not even getting a chance to see what he just did.
"What...the...?"
...
...
...
A few moments passed until Gordon slowly regained consciousness. After opening his eyes and giving them time to adjust to the light, the Brooklyn teen checked his surroundings and realized he was still in the forest, resting under a tree. He then looked down and found he was being held at the waist by a pair of delicate-looking hands. He also felt two squishy mounds pressing against the back of his head.
But the dead giveaway to Gordon was the four furry fox tails resting on his thighs, forcing him to look back to see Nariko sitting behind him.
{"I was worried you wouldn't wake up,"} the scarlette said with a gentle smile. {"Didja have a nice nap?"}
{"Nari...ko?"}
{"That's my name,"} she giggled. {"I gotta say, your demon slayer powers got me surprised for a moment there. Almost sent me flying."}
Gordon gave a surprised look at the redhead. So that surge of energy he felt before was...?
{"Unfortunately..."} Nariko's cheeks slowly turned as red as her hair while looking away, holding back a few giggles. {"You were out cold when I came back here, so..."}
Gordon's entire face paled with horror after slowly piecing everything together. {"N-N-Nariko, don't tell me you...!?"}
The kitsune let out a loud and raucous laugh, her tails wiggling along. {"Got ya didn't I? Of course I wouldn't do that to you in your sleep. Buuut now that you're awake we can..."}
{"Hell no."}
Nariko's fox ears drooped at Gordon's quick rejection. {"Jeez, can't you take a joke every once in awhile?"} she pouted.
"Kinda hard to tell with that personality of yours," the black teen retorted with an inward sigh. {"Anyways, what'd you really do to me? And spare me the bullshit this time around, alright?"}
Nariko sighed irritably at Gordon's straightforwardness. {"Fine, fine. I used Senjutsu to heal your shoulder and ribs,"} she explained. {"That's all I did."}
{"Sen...jutsu?"} a confused Gordon asked.
{"You don't need to know that. All that matters is your body's back to normal."}
Gordon gave a slow nod before his eyes unconsciously gazed down to Nariko's moving tails.
The scarlette didn't waste any time to see what was going on, bouncing right back into teasing mode. {"Oh, what's this? Got a liking for my tails, I see?"} she purred, tickling his chin with one of them.
Gordon swatted the vulpine appendage aside. {"Ha-ha, real funny, Red. Now could you let go? I think you overstayed your welcome."}
Nariko puffed her cheeks out before releasing her hold on Gordon, giving the Brooklyn teen a chance to stand. After a quick run-through of his body, he began taking off into the woods. He could've sworn he heard harsh coughing from Nariko off in the distance, but he silently brushed that aside. Right now, getting to Himari was his top priority.
######
Gordon gazed down at his hand with inquisitive eyes. He didn't know how or why his demon slayer power acted the way it did back then, but at least it saved him from a cruel and gruesome outcome.
"Sorry for lashing out like that," he apologized to Himari. "It's just...I'm so sick and tired of standing around doing nothing while I should be doing something. Yes, I know I'm putting the fate of the Benigawas on the line by doing this, and I also know I'm putting myself at a huge risk. However..."
Gordon looked up at the Daidarabocchi that was standing still at the moment, its head looking down on the New Yorker like some insignificant pest that needed to be crushed.
"The very last person I ever want to see dead...is the one who showed me what's beyond the world I'm living in right now."
Himari's eyes briefly widened at her master's words, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of pink.
"And despite having are a pair of fists that do absolutely nothing at this point, I'm not gonna let you die a needless death here. Not while I'm around."
Himari looked away from Gordon with downcast eyes. What on earth is he even saying? Her own death, pointless? Why? Why would he even think that when all she's trying to do is make sure he doesn't get killed, too? It's what she has been sworn to do, after all.
Gordon breathed out a nervous sigh. "I guess what I'm trying to say is this." He turned his head to Himari with a shy smile. "If Noihara's your home, then it's my home, too! And there's no way I'll let it get destroyed while I'm around!"
The New Yorker directed his attention towards Ageha, at whom he stuck out his middle finger with a smug grin.
"And as for you, you ain't getting jack shit from me, ya vampire fuckwit! Now come on!"
"G-Grrrr...!"
Ageha was shaking infuriatingly with rage to the point she might actually pop a blood vessel. Never in her life has she ever felt this insulted before! She won't stand for this brand of mockery, especially from a foreigner like him!
"GRRRRAAAAAAAHHH!"
With a loud battle cry that would make Leeroy Jenkins pee in his armor, she rushed towards Gordon at a blinding speed.
Meanwhile, Himari can feel her body grow heavy at her master's obscene challenge to the Hinoenma. What has that fool done? After all she did to keep him out of harm's way, he's really going to...
Gordon put his arms up while leaning his body to avoid Ageha's sword thrust. The Hinoenma, however, didn't waste any time as she stretched her arm and caught Gordon's face the moment he turned his head. The young boxer did display resistance by keeping his feet planted in the dirt, though it didn't stop Ageha from slowly crushing his temples with her iron grip.
{"Ack! Kh...! Argh!"}
"Young Lord!"
Himari ran to assist her troubled master but was once again blocked off by the Daidarabocchi's gigantic forearm, forcing the cat samurai to ready Yasutsuna for battle with her fingers bearing a forceful grip on the tsuka.
Meanwhile, Gordon was thrashing his head about in an effort to get Ageha's hand off his face. However the Hinoenma's grip was much firmer than the New Yorker anticipated, and he was very concerned she might actually crush his skull.
"You know, I was going to make your death quick and painless, but now you've really pissed me off!"
Gordon clenched his teeth before using them to bite deep into Ageha's palm, forcing a loud yelp from the Hinoenma as she released her hold. She looked down at her hand and saw a noticeable bite mark on it, along with hints of saliva.
"Oh, he is so...!"
Ageha lifted her head up and spotted Gordon making a run for the forest, allowing a sinister grin to grace her lips. That foreigner just dug his own grave.
Once again, Gordon found himself hightailing through the forest at breakneck speed. He was thankful to get away from the Hinoenma after biting her hand, but that tactic was only temporary. She's probably catching up to him right now, and if she does...
The New Yorker shook his head. He didn't even want to go there, what with his bad memories of having his blood withdrawn at the doctor's office when he was a child.
But now wasn't the time for trips down Memory Lane. He needs to know what he's got on Ageha thus far.
Okay, other than the obvious fact of her being an ayakashi, she can stretch her arms to unimaginable lengths like Rubberband Man from Static Shock. And she's armed with an oversized kunai. Damn, that's two strikes before the battle even started.
And don't even get started on him not having his demon slayer powers. Aw man, is he screwed! How can he even take her on if he can't even lay a damn fist without getting stabbed in the gut or get thrown around like some abused stuffed animal?
Huh? Wait, hold on a minute. Hmm... Yeah, that should be able to work. All he needs now is the bait.
"There you are!"
Gordon looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Ageha closing in on him. He couldn't get a look at her face because of the angle, but he can definitely tell she's beyond pissed.
The Brooklyn teen skidded to a halt, giving Ageha a chance to catch up with him. If it weren't for the cruel, mocking smile she had on her face and the fact she was trying to kill him in cold blood, Gordon would've acknowledged her as cute. Heck, he can already imagine Dante trying to ask her out a couple times.
"Giving up already? Hmph. I knew all that talk you said earlier was a load of crap."
Gordon flashed a wry smile at Ageha before opening his mouth. It was all or nothing now.
"Bitch, the fuck you talkin' about? You think I enjoy being targeted by monster chicks like you? And what's with the shitty cosplay getup? You looking to get laid with a few otaku or something?"
Deep inside, Gordon cursed himself for having to go through with this. Unfortunately that's the price you pay for being around douches like Malcolm and his gang all the damn time. Throwing crude insults at people and roasting them to their core happens to be one of their trademarks, if you can call it that.
The New Yorker watched Ageha's expression sour, her large forehead crinkling as a result of her eyebrows furrowing. He could have sworn he saw some of her veins pop out.
No, it wasn't enough. He needed to go much further than that.
"Aww, what's wrong, you big-foreheaded Swallowtail?" he jeered. "Don't tell me you got PMS or something? Man, you really need to do something 'bout that, know what I'm saying? At least wear a tampon next time, 'cuz I'm tellin' ya, last thing I want from a girl is a rotten pussy." he held his nose with one hand and pretended to banish the smell with the other. "Whoo! Haha."
Ageha's cheeks burned red in embarrassment, her green eyes glowering at Gordon with the amount of hatred that would've set off a dozen nuclear bombs in the vicinity. That comment really got to the Hinoenma's skin big time. Heck, any girl would get like that if a guy ever mentioned her period.
Also, her forehead is not big! It's normal, thank you very much!
"Why, I oughta...!"
Gordon let out a sly grin before taking off again, hearing Ageha's screeching voice behind him.
"YOU ARE SO DEAD, YOU DEMON-SLAYING GAIJIN! I'LL RIP YOUR BODY TO SHREDS 'TIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF YOU!"
The Brooklyn teen let out a mocking laugh in response. "Yeah, I'd like to see you try, Swallowtail!"
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"Why? It's what your name means, anyway! Hahaha!"
"AAARGH! SHUT UP! YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"
"So I was told! Yikes!"
Ageha's hands came stretching after Gordon, and at a fast pace, too. Good, that's just what he needed from her.
Picking up the pace, the black teen ran around the trees in multiple patterns, watching Ageha's arms snake and coil around the trunks. He laughed jokingly in an attempt to further aggravate Ageha, resulting in the Hinoenma becoming more ferocious with her arms. He was literally scared to fucking death pulling a stunt like that, but the heavy dose of adrenaline prevented the Benigawa descendant from displaying that fear.
Gordon almost felt sorry for Ageha, but he couldn't let her kill him. He kind of needed his blood to keep on living, after all. Plus everyone he's known and met would go insane over him dying, Himari and The Crew especially.
"Hahaha! Hey, hey, what's goin' on, Swallowtail? Can't hit a moving target?"
"Rrrgh! How many times I keep telling you to quit calling me that!"
Gordon slipped past Ageha's oncoming swipes. "Aw, you sure? I thought you'd like it. Compliments what you are, anyway."
"Aaaaaagh! NO, I DON'T! Now quit moving so I can... Huh!?"
Hm. About time she figured it out. Talk about slow.
Gordon stopped running and looked back at the wild and tangled mess that was Ageha's arms. The Hinoenma's stretched limbs were caught around multiple tree trunks and a couple of branches, bringing back memories of how he and The Crew used to throw toilet paper up at each other's trees back home during Halloween. They would catch serious heat from that, but they've always made it up by taking them out.
Gordon headed over to one of the trees near Ageha and gave one of her arms a pinch, pulling and twisting her skin a little.
"OW! Hey, what gives!?"
"Hm, so it does hurt?" he murmured, feigning ignorance. "Kinda hard to tell with you all tied up like this."
Ageha struggled to get her arms out, but her attempts proved futile. "Damn...you...! You had this planned out, didn't you!?"
"Bravo! Give the lovely Swallowtail a prize, ladies and gentlemen," Gordon applauded derisively before going under and over the tangled mess that was Ageha's arms.
The Hinoenma bared her teeth in outrage and tried kicking Gordon the moment he approached her.
"Whoa! Feisty, aren't we? I figured much from that attitude of yours."
Ageha glared daggers at the dark-skinned foreigner before closing her eyes and relaxing for a bit. The brown-haired ayakashi then turned her head away with a chuckle Gordon easily picked up.
"The hell's so funny, Swallowtail?" he demanded irritably.
"Heh. Honestly, do you really think you've won, Gordon Benigawa?"
Gordon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What're you blabbing about?"
Ageha let out a disdainful snort while cracking an eye open. "I already explained this to the cat, but there's another ayakashi attacking your precious little home."
"Wha-!?"
Gordon felt his heart drop like a two-ton anvil following the grim revelation. The New Yorker can already feel his head spinning from the sudden loss of blood circulation, and his vision was starting to become hazy.
"Say...what now?"
Ageha let out a loud laugh in response. "What, are you deaf? It's exactly what I'm saying, you stupid foreigner. My little friend is attacking the old man's house, and it should be destroyed any minute now. Too bad for you, huh? I already won."
A large mass of rage and contempt started welling up inside Gordon, filtering out the brunette ayakashi's cruel laughter. He couldn't believe this heartless bitch! She would go so far as to have someone wreck Gramps' and Himari's house?!
And to make matters worse, Yuuto and Rinko are there. Even if Kaya and Shizuku are with them, god knows what will happen if those two get injured. Or worse...
No. It's already painful enough to see Himari take on that giant all by herself, but to see Yuuto and Rinko dead...
"Ahahahaha! What's wrong? Afraid your friends will BWUH!"
Ageha's gloating was interrupted by Gordon throwing a fierce left hook to her face. The Hinoenma glared scornfully at the black teenager, her eye blackened and her cheek swollen.
"You know, I had just about enough of you laughing, Swallowtail," he said in a livid tone. "My ears are starting to rot."
"Kuh! Rotten little GWOOH!?"
Ageha was again interrupted by a powerful low blow to the gut, knocking the wind out of her as Gordon continued his onslaught.
WHUD!
Left straight.
BAM! BAM!
A hook, followed by an upper.
WHAM WHAM WHAM! WHAM!
A flurry of jabs.
WHUD! POW! BAM! BAM BAM!
Gordon's punches continued to intensify with each successive strike. Ribs, chest, shoulders, clavicle, head, cheekbones, the cartilage of her nose. All those areas he can feel their bones become fractured under the sheer weight of his blows, and the young boxer was beginning to see bruises form on Ageha's skin. Blood started to drip from the Hinoenma's misaligned nose, as well as her mouth and forehead from being punched in the face too many times.
Normally, Gordon wouldn't hit girls unless he's sparring with them, and even then he would never beat one up as badly as he was doing right now to Ageha.
But even so, that didn't change the fact she was the ayakashi that plotted the attack on his grandfather's home. That alone warrants him every right to beat the ever-living shit out of her.
And if there's one thing Ageha should know about New Yorkers...is that you don't ever want to piss them off.
Especially not this one.
{"RRRRAAAAAAAAAGH!"}
WHACK!
With a loud yell, Gordon finished Ageha off with an earth-shattering uppercut to her jaw. The Hinoenma's neck nearly snapped at the mere force of the blow before her head quickly came back down.
"Ack! Hff...! *Cough cough cough!*"
Gordon watched Ageha's struggle to lift her head up, giving the young boxer a view of her battered and bruised face. Her breathing was heavy and ragged, and her emerald green eyes (one of which barely opened because of her black eye) were flickering in the Hinoenma's struggle to keep herself awake. Her blood-stained mouth quivered in an attempt to speak, but the brown-haired ayakashi lost consciousness before a single syllable was uttered, her head drooping down following by her stretched arms retracting before collapsing to the dirt.
Gordon lowered his fists and crouched down to check Ageha's pulse, placing two of his fingers on the Hinoenma's neck. Good. She's still breathing. He can't say much for her injuries, though, as she probably won't be able to move for a while.
The New Yorker let off a calming sigh before he was forced to hold his neck, feeling a sharp sting coming from it. After feeling it wear off, Gordon shook his head and went back to rendezvous with Himari, unaware of the minute movements coming from Ageha's hand.
"Kuh!"
Himari was nearly at wits' end defending herself against the Daidarabocchi. Even if it was slow, the cat samurai was still at a disadvantage the size department. Not to mention she was constantly worried about Gordon after he took off into the forest with the Hinoenma. She swears, if that blood-sucking wench sics her blade on her Young Lord, there will be hell to pay.
"GUOOOOOOOOOHHHH!-!"
Himari looked up and spotted the Daidarabocchi about to slam the ground with its arm. Picking up the pace, the cat samurai sped up and performed a baseball-style slide, nearly missing the white-skinned behemoth's arm by a thread. She then leapt and ran up the Daidarabocchi's arm in an effort to slash its eyes, but was flicked away like a flea by the giant's clawed fingers and was sent plummeting to the ground with a loud meow.
"D...Damn...!" Himari grunted until her ears picked up a familiar voice calling her.
"Himari!"
The catgirl turned and spotted Gordon emerging from the forest brush.
"Young Lord...?"
"Hey, you alright?" he asked, helping her up. "That was some nasty fall you took."
Himari shook her head. "I'll...be fine. Tell me, have you..."
Gordon gave a satisfying grin. "Yep. Gave that Swallowtail one helluva K-O. She won't be messing with us anytime soon."
Himari was nearly dumbfounded at her master's achievement. A side of her wanted to scold and lecture Gordon for hours on end about risking his own clan's existence by challenging an ayakashi like Ageha. On the other hand, she was impressed at how he even managed to fend himself off against the Hinoenma completely unscathed.
"Of course, her taffy arms were a pain in the ass to deal with," he continued explaining, rubbing the back of his head. "So I needed to piss her off just to get 'em tangled around some trees. Boy, I seriously thought I was gonna die."
Himari's once-surprised face now became one of disappointment. Why did she get the feeling her master said something to Ageha that he really shouldn't? It seems she does need to lecture him after all.
But all of that can wait for another time.
Gordon became puzzled at his guardian's change in expression. "Hm? What's up?"
Himari let out a sigh that barely hid her irritation. "It's nothing. Do not ask about it."
"O...kay...?" he said slowly, trying to comprehend why she was giving him the cold shoulder.
Himari looked up at the Daidarabocchi that was standing still at the moment, its head wandering about. She can't do anything about it physically since her sword can do nothing more than scratch it, which means the only option left to her is...
{"AAAAAAGH!"}
"Ah...!"
[Music: "Kyokotsu no Nari" by Dir En Grey]
Himari whirled her head and let out a startled gasp after seeing Gordon on his hands and knees, coughing and retching out blood. The catgirl's eyes then widened at a familiar-looking sword pinned on her master's back, the deep crimson liquid that is his blood seeping into the neon blue T-shirt he had on.
"Y-Young Lord...!"
BA-THUMP!
Himari's heartbeat suddenly became heavy, like she had just witnessed two oncoming trains collide at an intercrossing up close. All feeling was lost in the cat samurai's body, her violet eyes slowly losing their glint.
"N...No..."
BA-THUMP!
"Well well, what do we have here? A tragic death in the making?"
After hearing that arrogant voice, Himari glanced back and spotted Ageha coming out from the brush. To the cat's shock and surprise, the Hinoenma was completely unharmed. No scars, no scratches, not even an injury.
But how can that be? Gordon said he knocked her out cold so there should be bruises all over her body. Yet there were none.
"Hmph. As if I'm going to let some foreigner get away with beating the living hell out of me, especially if it's one with demon slayer blood," she said smugly, taking out a small, ornate vial from inside her cleavage. It was empty, hinting she drank from it.
"A-Are those...!"
"Phoenix Tears. One sip from it can heal almost any wound. Never thought I'd use it up until now since they're really hard to come by. Most ayakashi would literally kill to get their hands on just one."
Ageha's eyes shifted to the blood on Gordon's back, at which the Hinoenma licked her lips.
"Ah, the sweet smell of blood," she sighed blissfully, her cheeks turning scarlet. "It's so beautiful just looking at it. I always wondered what a foreigner's blood tastes like? Fufufu~ Just thinking about it now makes me want to find out."
BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP
Himari's heart throbbed crazily, her mind slowly beginning to erode trying to comprehend what happened to Gordon. The sword pierced through his back, the blood pouring from the wound it made, and his near-lifeless corpse lying on the ground, unable to move from severe loss.
"H-How can I...let this...!"
BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP
Memories of Gordon flooded Himari's head, from their first meeting up to her brief moment together at the lake.
{"Don't die on me! Whatever you do, don't you dare die on me, you got that!? Absolutely do not die! Not even for a fucking nanosecond, okaaaay!?"}
That's right. She promised Gordon she wouldn't die in this battle, yet he himself was killed right in front of her.
Damn it! This is exactly why she told him not to engage in battle with ayakashi until his powers awaken. Why couldn't he heed her warning just this one time? Thanks to him, the entire Benigawa bloodline is now all but extinct.
No. She cannot place all of the blame on Gordon. He only wanted to help out in her battles any way he can, but Himari pushed him away because her pride as a bodyguard wouldn't allow it.
So if there's anyone to blame for what just happened, it's her. She planted the seed that eventually led to Gordon's demise.
"Rrr... Rrrr...! Rrrrrr...!"
BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP
Himari clenched her teeth furiously while her heart continued to pound with intensity, no longer able to hear Ageha's condescending laughter.
She can't accept this.
No. She won't accept this. She won't ever accept this. That damn Hinoenma will pay for killing her beloved master! She'll make sure of it!
That's why... That's why...!
BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP
...
...
...
BA-THUMP!
"I'll...KILL HER!"
[Music ends]
Gordon's POV
...
...
Darkness.
Not the kind of darkness that you see on a regular basis, like when you shut off all the lights in the house and close all the curtains. You still have a small sliver of light in some instances. This darkness, however, was different.
...
...
It was pitch black.
There was no light. None. Not even a damn ray or speck. I can't see my arms, my legs, or even the goddamn floor. If there is one under me.
"UUUURRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!-!-!"
{"...!?"}
H-Huh!? Wh-What...the hell was that roar just now? I've never heard anything like that before! Aw crap, don't tell me it's that Daidarabocchi Himari's facing. That can't be good. She doesn't stand a chance against that behemoth!
Oh, but what can I do about it? I'm already dead thanks to that Swallowtail stabbing me in the back. Man, I really thought I took her down, but it turns out she had an ace up her sleeve the moment I turn my back on her.
...
...
...
So this is it, huh? The end of my rope. Man, I...never thought I would die at just sixteen. I still have many things to do than lie dead.
But hey, at least I got a chance to see Gramps. Though he's been dead a long time, I did manage to thank him for doing what he did. That makes my death all the more worthwhile.
As I was about to let the Reaper whisk me away, a light appeared in the distance, blinding me for a moment. It was then I finally get to see myself for the first time, and to my shock and surprise I was totally fine. Heck, I don't even feel the weight of Ageha's sword on my back anymore.
I brought myself up to my feet and instinctively began making my way towards the light, shielding my eyes as I got closer and closer until it swallowed me whole.
When it dimmed down, I removed my arm and realized I was in some kind of cave. However unlike most caves this one was lit. It made me feel like I was in one of those Indiana Jones films me and The Crew used to watch when we were kids.
{"The hell is this place? Hm?"}
Looking ahead, I saw a mysterious young man standing not too far off from me. From what I can tell he appeared to be of Asian descent, and he had on a unique-looking set of armor with a scarf around his neck, all sharing numerous hues of blues and greys. His hair was snow white and short, and there was a deep purple mark on his left cheek, just below his eye. His grayish-blue eyes gazed straight into mine with the utmost scrutiny, like he was trying to search my soul for the most minute of sins.
The man then started to approach me, his eyes taking on an eerie white glow while his footsteps echoed. At the same time, some strange markings the same color as his face mark began appearing on his exposed bicep, also taking on a glow as he extended his arm out. For some strange reason, I wasn't intimidated by this guy. I didn't feel like running away. Instead, I feel like...he was trying to help me with something.
{"Guh! Aaah!"}
I suddenly find myself falling to my knees, holding the back of my neck after feeling something like a needle pierce through it, tracing at a very slow pace. It was like getting your very first tattoo; it hurt like freaking hell.
A few moments passed before the pain gradually started to lessen, and when I can no longer feel it I stood up, rubbing my pained neck while looking ahead at the armored man. The markings on his bicep vanished, and his eyes lost their glow.
"It's done."
It was the first time hearing the man speak. "Huh? What do you mean?" I ask him, confused.
"What you've wanted all along," he answered in a cryptic tone. "Now go. Someone needs your help."
A bright light quickly flooded the cave before I got a chance to clarify his answer. Shielding my eyes once more, I heard one last message from the armored man.
"Also, your friend...needs some saving of her own, as well."
Everything went pitch black again after those parting words.
Just who on Earth...was that guy, anyway?
General POV
"Kyaaaaah!"
Ageha was sent flying a few feet before tumbling on the ground hard. The brunette ayakashi painfully lifted her neck up, her teeth clenched in anger.
"Kuh! Why that...! Daidarabo...!"
Ageha held her tongue the moment she saw the colossal giant's arm get sliced away by a purple streak of energy. That shouldn't be possible! No ayakashi should have the capacity to cut a Daidarabocchi's arm off like that! Especially not her!
Was that a display of her true power? What she can really do?
"Y-You're kidding me!" the Hinoenma stammered while the purple streak landed in front of her, revealing the one responsible for such a feat.
It was Himari. Indeed, it was the one and only Noihara Crimson Blade in flesh and bone, her cat ears and tail exposed as per usual. However, it was everything else about the dark-haired swordswoman that got Ageha shaking in her boots.
Her eyes, once a captivating and mystic amethyst, had been replaced with a feral and aggressive ruby red. The demon cat's round pupils narrowed into paper-thin slits that glared daggers through Ageha's eyes. Her fangs were also more pronounced, giving her a savage look with them bared, and her body was engulfed in a dark and sickly purple miasma that twisted and meandered with incessant malice.
"I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you…! I'll kill you...!"
That same phrase was repeated by Himari over and over again in a dreadful mantra while the aura pulsated, almost like a heartbeat. No doubt Ageha was dealing with a total monster. A monster with power strong enough to render her titanic accomplice incapacitated with just a swing of her sword.
Is it not too late to turn back and withdraw?
No, of course not. It would be a fool's bet given everything that happened over the past few minutes.
"This...can't be the end for me... Can it?" was what ran through Ageha's head. Her pride, the keystone she had relied on through the course of the battle, had all but vanished. Replacing it in its stead was fear and uncertainty. The uncertainty of her actually surviving this whole ordeal.
Ageha's eyes then widened the moment she saw Himari with her katana raised over her head.
"Grr…! Hrr…! Hrrrr….!"
A small "Eep!" left the Hinoenma quivering lips while Himari swung her Yasutsuna down for the finishing blow.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!-!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAHH!-!"
Ageha let out a fearful cry, holding her arm in front and clamping her eyes shut to await her most gruesome fate.
...
...
...
{"Haa...! Haa... Phew! Managed to get the Swallowtail outta there in time. Man, I swear to god this just ain't my day."}
Her lack of knowing the English language notwithstanding, Ageha knew all but one person who would have called her by that annoying nickname.
Worse, it was the same person she thought was killed by her hands moments ago.
Ageha opened her eyes and glanced up to see Gordon, alive and completely unharmed. The Hinoenma then noticed she was being held by the foreigner to her consternation (and slight embarrassment), but all of that was overshadowed by an ethereal blue aura engulfing his body.
"N-No way, that's...!"
"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Himari's loud and deafening roar interrupted Ageha's train of thought as the enraged demon cat came after her and Gordon.
"Shit, we gotta move!" Gordon exclaimed, startling Ageha when he picked her up in a bridal carry and took off into the forest.
The first thing the New Yorker noticed while running was the incredible speed at which he was going. Sure he was fast a few times during his exercise runs and had one of the better track times at his school back home, but he certainly wasn't this fast. And the fact Ageha (who was yelling for him to let her go while kicking her legs crazily, to his growing annoyance) felt light as a feather in his arms indicated his strength has somehow gone up significantly.
"Is this...my demon slayer power...?"
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
Gordon looked back and became frightened after seeing Himari close in on him. He needs to find a way to lose the berserk cat, and fast.
"Dammit, the hell's goin' on with her? Doesn't Miss Samurai recognize me at all?"
Gordon turned his attention to the trees above him. With whatever that was surrounding his body enhancing his strength he should be able to get on the branches effortlessly. It was the only way he thought of losing her.
"First time for everything, I guess," he decided. bracing himself before telling Ageha, "Alright Swallowtail, you better hold onto me tight."
"Hey, you're the one who's holding me tight, you moROOOOOOOOOOOON!?"
Ageha let out a terrifying yell the moment Gordon took off from the ground, leaping several meters up in the air before landing on a high tree branch. He then repeated that with another leap onto a lower branch, followed by another until he was virtually a ring-tailed lemur hopping through the forests of Madagascar for the first time.
"Gotta move, gotta move, gotta move, gotta move, gotta move, gotta...!"
SNAP!
Gordon's face froze the moment he felt a tree branch snap under his feet. Before he knew it, he and Ageha were sent crashing and tumbling through the trees, each impact harsher than the last as the pair made their rough descent towards the ground.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
{"Waaaah!"}
CRASH!
...
...
...
"O-Ouch..." Gordon groaned after regaining consciousness a few moments later. "Man, that shit hurts. At least I landed on some...thing..."
The Brooklyn teen's words fell short when he found himself on top of an unconscious Ageha, his right hand resting on one of her breasts.
{"Soft..."} he trailed out, cold sweat trickling down his face. Sure, he may had a handful of Himari's chest on one occasion, but to touch the breasts of the ayakashi who put her sword through his back was a little too much for Gordon to handle.
On the other hand, he did find Ageha's breasts to be just as soft and pillowy as Himari's own. And just as tempting. The only other thing Gordon can think of is how both of them don't even bother to wear bras underneath their outfits in spite of them being swordswomen. And he knew all too well how that played out when Himari nicked part of her top.
"Nnnnh... Hnn..."
Gordon's face turned pale as a ghost the moment he heard Ageha slowly starting to wake up, her green eyes fluttering open until they met his own. The brown-haired ayakashi gazed down at her chest and her cheeks flushed a furious shade of red the moment she saw the foreigner's hand on her breasts. And it didn't take very long for her face to twist into an angry scowl.
"Why you...! GET OFF!"
WHUD!
{"Aaah!"}
Gordon was swiftly sent flying after receiving a crude kick from Ageha, who turned away with an arrogant huff as the boy landed with a harsh thud on the ground.
"Aagh! Ow... Jeez, the hell did you do that for!?" he demanded, holding his pained chest while attempting to stand. "I just saved your ass and the first thing you do is send me flyin'? And it's not like that happened on purpose, you know!"
"On purpose...!?" she growled, her cheeks still red from embarrassment. "You had your hands on one of my boobs! How'd you think I'd react!?"
Gordon gave a flat look at the Hinoenma. "Oh, I dunno, Swallowtail. Maybe along the lines of, 'Get the hell off of me, you demon-slaying gaijin perv!' or something along those lines."
A large tick mark grew on Ageha's forehead while pointing her sword at him. "I swear I'm really gonna take your head if you call me that one more...!"
"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!-!"
The two ceased their bickering after hearing that dreaded roar, not taking long for them to figure out who it might be.
Emerging high from the trees was Himari, still in her berserker state as the demon cat descended towards Gordon and Ageha with her katana held high, forcing them to split to avoid getting cleaved.
Gordon shook the cobwebs from his head until he noticed Ageha running away. "H-Hey!" he shouted. "Where're you going!?"
"What do you think!? You're the only one who can tame the Crimson Blade so I'm leaving her to you!"
"WHAT!? Wait, you can't be...!"
Gordon's plea fell on deaf ears when Ageha stretched out her arm and made her retreat.
"Ugh. Well, that's just prime. Whoa!"
The New Yorker quickly backed away from a horizontal swing from Himari's sword, one that could have easily sliced his head clean off.
"Dammit, why can't she see it's me!?"
"Hrah! Hyah! Yah! Hah! Hraah!"
Gordon continued jumping back, frightfully avoiding each of the berserk kitten's swings until he froze stiff after his back touched a tree. He then saw Himari close in on him at a quickening pace with a loud battle roar, and as time slowed down for the New York native his mind flashed back to what his guardian said during their mountain picnic.
"The first ayakashi you slay shall probably be me."
Gordon's heart sank remembering those words. Why did she have to say it so casually back then? Is it because she knew something like this would happen? That she would be so out of control, he'd have no choice but to put her down for good?
"Your friend...needs some saving of her own, as well."
Gordon's fingers dug into the bark, threatening to split his skin. No way will he let it end like this. Himari has always been protecting him since the day he found out his heritage. Now it was his turn to do the same. As he said before when he saved her from Ageha: If Noihara was her home, it was his home as well.
Even if means having to fight a friend to protect it.
[Music: "Decadence" by Disturbed]
At the same time Gordon tightened his gloved fists, the mysterious aura that aided him in saving Ageha appeared once more while the raging blackette prepared to swing her sword to deal the fatal blow.
"RAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
{"Stay back!"}
FWOOM!
The moment Gordon said that, a strong burst of energy suddenly erupted from the aura, sending Himari flying but made a quick recovery after skidding on her feet. The crazed and berserk cat glared at him hatefully while Gordon looked at his hands in puzzlement after the light died down.
"Whoa, did I...do that?" he thought curiously before Himari's loud roar caught him off guard, her dark and fiendish aura flaring up as the raging feline made her charge.
Gordon raised his fists defensively while leaning his body to the side to avoid an oncoming swing. Not wasting time to search for openings, he reared his left fist and hurled a string of punches at Himari.
"Kuh! Guh! Agh! Aaargh!"
Himari stumbled back a few feet but maintained her ground until she was sent hurdling several meters by a fierce straight from Gordon. However, the wild kitten flipped her body back and landed safely on her feet, again skidding against the dirt. There was a bruise on the right side of her face, which only made Himari even angrier as she bared her fanged teeth.
"Grrr…! RAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!-!"
Gordon clenched his teeth anxiously while gazing down at his fist. He didn't want to run the risk of killing Himari by accident with his powers, especially when he's just learning how it works. Of course, he didn't want to die either, making the fight a real dilemma.
Then came the problem of Yasutsuna, Himari's katana. He somehow needs to disarm her of that, or else this battle is going to get messy the longer it drags on.
Himari roared and charged at Gordon again, this time leaving behind a dark purple streak. When she attempted to claw her master's face, however, the New Yorker vanished, a blue streak being left behind. The cat samurai let out an annoyed growl while Gordon reappeared several meters away from her, struggling to keep his balance.
"Wh...Whoa, now I'm freakin' Road Runner now? The hell's up with this? Huh?"
Warning bells rang inside Gordon's head after spotting Himari in midair, the savage kitty preparing to strike with her claws.
{"Dammit Himari, it's me, Gordon! Pull yourself together!"}
The moment Gordon held his arms in a defensive stance, a glowing, circular projection appeared in front of him, featuring intricate patterns and a lotus flower in the middle. The mandala glowed for a few seconds before it hurled itself towards Himari, striking the cat samurai with a loud explosion. The force of the blast sent Himari flying towards a tree, where she quickly lost consciousness after her head struck hard against the bark. It also caused the dark aura surrounding her to vanish while the cat-eared samurai unceremoniously slumped to the ground.
{"Shit! Himari!"}
Gordon tried running over to her, only to feel his body grow heavy while nearly tripping over himself.
"N...Not good, I'm starting to feel fatigue already. Could it be that last attack? Ah-!"
Gordon's eyes widened in befuddlement when the vile miasma engulfed Himari once more, this time with a much stronger presence. The berserk cat's hand reached for Yasutsuna and after gripping it dug the katana into the ground. Using it as a means of support, she propped herself up, all while directing a bloodthirsty gaze at Gordon. She then let out a powerful roar, her aura becoming wilder and more intense as the battlefield became flooded with her killing intent.
Gordon shielded his eyes from the strong breeze that came after that. Things were really beginning to heat up now. If he doesn't do something about Himari's current condition he's toast.
But he needed to match her newfound strength somehow. Is this really be the extent of his demon slayer powers? He has enhanced strength and speed, can almost teleport, and he can somehow fire exploding energy circles.
No, that can't be it. There has to be something more to this.
"Come on," Gordon pleaded, biting his upper lip to the point of drawing blood while tightening his fists. "This can't be all I have. Please, I need more of it! Otherwise... Otherwise...!"
A mark bearing the same design as the projection from earlier appeared on Gordon's neck, glowing as the young Benigawa yelled from the top of his lungs...
{"I won't be able to SAVE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR!-!"}
The mark's glow intensified as with the aura, which was now flaring wildly like an Olympic torch. At that moment, a set of mysterious markings appeared all over Gordon's arms and legs, taking on a burnt orange glow. His eyes also took on a white glow while his hair gained a prominent white streak near his left temple.
{"Haa... Haa... Grr!"}
The fatigue in Gordon's body was getting worse by the second, but it was compensated by the overwhelming surge of energy the young boxer felt. Looking ahead, he can see Himari lick her lips, which then curled into a twisted and delighted grin that sent chills running through his body.
"Please, for the last time, Himari...!"
Gordon gripped his right fist tightly, causing the aura surrounding it to gradually become dense.
Himari spotted this and reacted by tightening her grip on Yasutsuna's tsuka, channeling her demon energy through the katana's blade. With no time to waste, the cat samurai rushed towards Gordon at a maddening pace in hopes of ending the skirmish once and for all.
Meanwhile, Nariko was observing the battle's upcoming climax from afar, situating herself on a high treebranch. The kitsune's tails were bristling nervously in anticipation as to what will happen next. At the same time, though, she couldn't help but worry as to whether or not Gordon will survive the whole ordeal. Especially after just awakening his demon slayer powers.
Down at the battlefield, Gordon clicked his tongue before he, too, started sprinting. Both combatants quickly drew close to each other as they exchanged their final blows.
"DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!-!"
{"SNAP OUT OF IT!-!"}
A violent clash of energies occurred the instant their attacks collided, sword against fist. Gordon and Himari both vied heavily for dominance while their respective energies grew and expanded, eventually merging into a white dome of light that quickly enveloped the whole battlefield.
[Music ends]
At the Benigawa compound, Shizuku was about to put the tip of her water blade through a pinned Sasa's neck when her ears picked up a loud boom. The green-haired Mizuchi raised her head up to see a huge explosion along with a large pillar of blue and purple energy shooting towards the sky.
"...I see," she mused, narrowing her eyes. "So that's...the power of the Noihara Crimson Blade and the Benigawas...you know."
Yuuto, Rinko, and Kaya were also witnesses to the spectacle, their bodies trembling ever so slightly while they watched the pillar diminish.
"Wh-What...was that...just now?" Yuuto croaked out, his face pale.
"That's what I want to know too, Yuuto," an astonished Rinko gaped. "Please... Please just be all right. Himari. Gordon."
Meanwhile, a visibly shocked Kaya fell to her hands and knees, struggling to keep her tears from overflowing.
"N-No way! I...I can't believe this is happening. Himari...!"
The Zashiki-warashi could no longer contain her thoughts as she raised her head and cried out the name of her beloved companion.
"HIMARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!-!"
At another area far from where the explosion took place, a girl wearing a black gothic lolita dress and a matching hairband stood. Her ghostly, silvery-white tresses flowed freely in the summer breeze, while her violet eyes kept a keen watch on the phenomenon that lay in front of her.
"So at long last he's finally awoken," she spoke in a refined and intrigued manner. "I'll be looking forward to having our first meeting together...Gordon Evans."
The girl held out an old, leather-bound book in her hand and pages began flapping out of it, creating a whirlwind that surrounded the silver-haired beauty until she disappeared from sight, leaving only the empty pages behind.
Unknown to the girl, she was silently being observed by Sae, who was leaning on a tree with her arms crossed underneath her bust.
"That girl just now," she thought, looking at the scattered pages. "There's no mistaking her powers. She's definitely from the Jinguuji family."
The green-haired teacher breathed a troubling sigh, all while taking a cigarette from its pack and lighting the cancer stick up.
"Man, she's going to be one huge pain to deal with. I just know it," she muttered, taking a nice long drag and exhaling a puff of smoke as she looked ahead at the destruction.
"At least the kid got his powers working. That's a good sign. Though I can't say much about his cat."
The mysterious, well-dressed man Gordon met at the summer festival was also a spectator to the explosion, his red eyes piqued in interest. His blond-haired companion was also beside him, sitting on a nearby bench and quietly munching on a crepe.
"What do you make of the battle, Tama-san," he asked her. "Did you find the young demon slayer and his cat to your liking?"
Tama, the child, glanced up at the man wordlessly for a few seconds before she resumed eating her crepe.
The red-eyed man let out a soft chuckle. "I see. You wish to wait until they're ripe enough. I understand. I suppose we'll leave them be for the time being. After all, there are plenty more creatures worthy of our growing hunger, wouldn't you agree?"
After finishing her crepe, Tama lit the wrapper with a blue flame, reducing it to ashes while giving the man a curt nod.
And that covers chapter 8! This was a long, difficult, yet fun chapter for me to write and for good reason. It is the chapter where Gordon finally awakens his clan's demon slayer powers. All the buildup beforehand, from his chase and fight with Nariko to his near-death experience after Ageha stabbed him, led to that happening. Unfortunately, his first opponent with his new powers is Himari, who wasn't exactly feeling like herself after seeing Gordon's apparent death.
The fight scenes before Gordon got his powers were the hardest to make in my opinion, since I didn't want to run the risk of making him overpowered. He's strong, yes, but you also have to keep in mind he's only human. He doesn't possess the same supernatural healing factor most ayakashi seem to have and as a result has to be really careful taking them on. Otherwise, he'll wind up dead.
As for Ageha and Himari knowing about the Phoenix Tears, let's just say the world of ayakashi has a way of getting information. Expect just a few more of those items in the far future.
Now I know some of you guys are probably thinking this right now regarding Gordon's powers:
"Damn that KID2NR! He said the Benigawa's power would be Touki like the one Sairaorg and other characters used in DxD! Traitor! I'm removing you from my follows!"
Just to clarify things in case you haven't read the endnotes from the first chapter (which I suggest if you hadn't caught up), I specifically said Touki is the name of the Benigawa's power, not the actual power itself. Instead, it will be based on the abilities of one of the Magna Carta II characters whose name I mentioned in those endnotes. This will also be discussed in greater detail in the next chapter as well.
Putting that aside, it seems people with hidden agendas are already beginning to take notice of Gordon's powers, namely Kuesu, Shuten, and Tama. And while Sae may be playing the role of spectator for the time being, she will play an important role later in the story.
As for why Gordon keeps calling Ageha "Swallowtail," the reason is that her name's taken from the Japanese word for the swallowtail butterfly (アゲハ蝶, Ageha-chō), albeit written with different kanji (明夏羽). Because of this, Gordon plays around with her name by saying the English word in Romaji (Swallowtail - Suwārōtēru). So if this story were to be written in Japanese, Ageha's kanji would have the furigana for her nickname (Katakana: スワーローテール) above it if Gordon was speaking to her (There's a mouthful right there).
And speaking of Ageha, she's one of my favorite OmaHima characters to write, hands down.
So before I go, here's a deleted scene for you guys.
Deleted Scene: Nariko's Hidden Condition
"Kuh...! Ngh!"
Nariko was shielding her eyes from the blast caused by Gordon and Himari's powers colliding with each other, the gale force winds rushing through her body with her tails fluttering about. When it died down, the scarlette removed her arm and gazed at the aftermath with amazed eyes.
A large crater stood in front of the quad-tailed kitsune, much of the landscape having been destroyed in a heartbeat. She also noticed the Daidarabocchi no longer being present, suggesting it got killed in the blast.
Nariko let out a long whistle. She wouldn't want to get caught in that, that's for sure.
She then focused her eyes on the battered and unconscious bodies of Gordon and Himari, the latter having returned to normal. The vixen's eyebrow let off an unfortunate twitch when she saw her sweetheart's head resting on the cat samurai's breasts.
"Hmph! Screw those F-bombs of hers. They're more likely to sag, anyway."
Yes, hello, Mr. Kettle? It's Mr. Pot. I'm calling you to say you're black.
Nariko released a relieved sigh before vanishing into the forest. A few minutes had passed before the kitsune picked up a pungent stench with her nose, forcing her to hold her nostrils.
"Yeesh! No doubt I'm getting close. I really hope she's doing fine."
It didn't take long for the redhead to find what she was looking for.
Leaning on a tree in front of Nariko was...Nariko. Same hair, same eyes, same fluffy tails, everything. However this Nariko was holding her chest tightly, and was panting slightly as if she had just regained her breath.
And lying in front of her...was a pool of her own blood and vomit.
"How...did it go?" she asked between breaths.
"Looks like both of them survived, boss," her doppelganger reported. "I was lucky to get away from that explosion in time, else it would've vaporized me."
Nariko flashed a wry smile at the news. "That's good to hear. Guess I'll take things from here, then."
"You sure you're gonna be fine? I mean, you had it pretty rough when you summoned me. Heck, I'm still smelling your dried-up puke."
Nariko's expression became distant, bringing more worry to her doppelganger who breathed an exasperated sigh.
"Look, you should be lucky it wasn't fatal this time. I know you wanted to heal Sweetheart after almost ripping his arm out, but..."
"Shut it!"
Nariko's clone flinched at her boss' sudden outburst, her tails also following the same matter.
"I'm well aware of my condition," she said, looking away from her double. "I don't need a clone to tell me that. And besides..."
The scarlette had her hand close to her chest, a bitter expression marring her face.
"I can't even use Senjutsu at all without puking my own guts out, all thanks to this shitty body I was born with."
Nariko's double noticed the edge in her boss's voice and took a step back in hesitance. "Yeah, probably should be going now. See ya."
The doppelganger vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the real Nariko by her lonesome. The four-tailed redhead closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them again, her lips now curled into an amused smile.
"Hmm. That's the Benigawa's power in action, huh? Makes me want the boy even more now. Fuhuhu~ Kuh! *cough cough!*"
Next time on The Brooklyn Demon Slayer: "Ninth Round - Roots! (Bloody Roots!)"
This is KID2NR, signing off for now. See ya!