SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 8 out, this is Chapter 9 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review other than just simply putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot and pairing.

Chapter 9: The Impure King

"Kakura, now is the time to lend me the powers of your flame." Tatsuma summoned his familiar. "That was the contact we made. I will accede to any request you make."

"Kakura..." Todo mused. "Should I call that Suzaku or a Phoenix?" he grinned. "You have a most wonderful familiar indeed."

"Damn demon..." Tatsuma hissed. "I know not your objective, but the 'Impure King' isn't as simple as that. Put down the 'Left and Right Eyes' and scam!"

"That ain't gonna happen." Todo corrected, dodging the fire blast easily. "I have lived every year of life thus far for this very moment."

"Kakura En, Kashoku no In!" Tatsuma engulfed the charging Todo with another burst of fire. "What amazing robustness." he was shocked to see Todo was unburned. "Who knew a human possessed by a demon would become like that. In that case... Kakura En, Kashoku no In!" he fired off the same attack again.

"I can't regenerate fast enough." Todo winced when he was hit by the second wave of fire. "So this is the power of Kakura's flames. In that case, it's time to use my trump card."

"You mustn't!" Tatsuma yelled, seeing Todo removing both the 'Impure King's' eyes and inserting them into the empty eye sockets. "Mamushi, pull yourself together." he urged. "Hang on tight! The 'Impure King' has been revived."

"Most High Priest, Mamushi!" Shima Juzo exclaimed outside the abandoned temple when he saw the 'Impure King' shoot up into the sky and Tatsuma carrying the gravely injured Mamushi out.

"Juzo, be careful of the spray." Tatsuma warned.

"What is that?" Juzo wondered, using his K'rik to fend off the rising liquid-like structure.

"Juzo, you came at the right time." Tatsuma replied. "Yaozu must have been the brains behind that, thank goodness. You can leave this place to me, so bring Mamushi to the Branch Office and call for help, won't you?"

"I'll contract them." Juzo promised. "Just what is that monster?"

"Mamushi knows all that." Tatsuma answered, passing the wounded girl over. "She's contacted a serious illness from putting the 'Impure King's Right Eye' into her body. Take her to her father in my place."

"What about you, Most High Priest?" Juzo asked.

"I'll stay and try to stop this guy." Tatsuma replied. "Mamushi, you have to tell everyone the truth. Please. Hurry up and go!" he barked.

"We're going, Mamushi." Juzo heaved the girl on his back. "Get on."

"my secret has come to light." Tatsuma told his familiar. "The contact I have with the Head Priests of the Myou Dha ends today. The other contact you made with me still stands, no? At the very least, before the 'Impure King' matures and spreads its miasma everywhere, we have to use the Gōha En, Jōkafū no In."

"You do know that the Gōha En, Jōkafū no In requires a large amount of flames." Kakura reminded.

"Then we'll use Gōha En." Tatsuma was firm.

"Isn't Gōha En the one you perfected to defeat the 'Impure King' with?" Kakura stated. "If you use that now, you'll lose the chance to defeat the 'Impure King' forever. Besides, the burden on your body will be unfathomable."

"We don't have a choice anymore." Tatsuma retorted. "Let's go! Gōha En, Jōkafū no In! Alright... first we seal its legs." he panted to recover his breath. "This is rather bothersome..." he fell to his knees.

"That's why I warned you about it." Kakura reminded.

"Come on, I'm not dead yet." Tatsuma chided. "As long as I'm alive,there are any number of ways to defeat him."

"My, my." Todo tsked, pulling out the tanto he had used to stab Tatsuma's neck with. "I really did a terrible thing to Houjo-kun. As any rate, you're a mysterious character." he told the incapacitated Tatsuma. "You hardly show yourself to humans. People never know where you are." he swiped the blade with a cloth. "I thought of how to best drag you out onto the center stage. And I thought the only way would be to revive the 'Impure King'. I believed that the Myou Dha would be able to seal the 'Impure King' with Kakura. However, I devoted many years to welcome this day. My objective is you, Suguro Tatsuma. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I was after your familiar." he stabbed the fiery bird with the tanto.

"Tatsuma!" Kakura wailed as he was swallowed by Todo.

"This is an even greater power than I imagined." Todo grinned. "What's this?" he felt his face. "I seem to have gotten considerably younger. Is this a little freebie from attaining Kakura's power? Wrecking a havoc in my stomach, hm?" he mused, feeling his stomach wrench. "Looks like you can't quite settle in this vessel of mine. But you'll get used to it. With this, I'm yet another step closer to my goal. Thank you Suguro Tatsuma." with that, he walked off.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.