Sorry for the delay! I was at Megacon 2013 all three days from March 15th to 17, and a day before and after. AND, I cosplayed as... RIKUO. Sorry they are sideways, I was lazy and didn't change them.
imgur a/jyVPW
Had a blast. Too much fun. Tired, lol. Got to hold a Portal gun, bought a Shizuo and Izaya keychain and Rikuo plush, and people loved the wig (even if they didn't know who I was. I have never had people ask to pet my hair...). I got about 20 people to recognize me, more who took my pic.
I hope there aren't any anime coming out in summer that I wanna watch. I won't have time! . This season was the first time I've watched multiple anime as they aired. I'm picky as hell, and it looks like there won't be any good ones this Spring season.
This is almost 10,000 words and 24 pages, so the length should make up for the wait. This chapter fought and fought us, and I still feel it isn't perfect, but it's as close as it's going to get.
Dennou wrote an excellent section here, so give thanks to her!
I hope you guys review. I wanna know how you like the big part of this section. You'll know when you get there... ;)
Rikuo only watched, half-interested as Zen checked over the passed out Kunai's injuries once more, satisfied with his own doctoring. Kunai was out of danger for now, his breathing labored but steady. It would take weeks, possibly months for the reptilian youkai to heal, much less be at full strength to do his duty.
Kunai might never fully recover. He might be cursed with breathing problems for the rest of his life from the severity of the injury. Even fetching his own food would be difficult for the first weeks, which would only be a blow to the youkai's stubborn ego. But even so, the slow process of recovery and the after-effects of the injury were perfectly understandable. After all, having punctured lungs combined with the damage from fight was not easily healed, even with youkai healing abilities that put humans to shame.
Most humans, anyway.
Rikuo knew his grandmother, Youhime, had extraordinary healing abilities when she was alive. From what he had heard when he was a child, she had a healing gift that could heal any sickness or injury just by placing a hand on the top of one's head. He also remembered his father had inherited that very amazing ability to heal, but not him. He wasn't able to heal others, but he had noticed that his injuries healed at an unusually fast pace, something Zen had commented about earlier. It was something to be grateful for, since human caused injuries were almost nothing to him, which he encountered a lot as a gang leader while Fear based ones were more difficult.
He wasn't even going to start with that damn wind based Fear sicko's idea of stalking, which was his excuse for fights, and the trouble that incident caused. Kunai spent weeks tracking him down, only for the youkai to show up at the most inopportune times when Kunai was absent. Explaining it to his Demons only made things worse for him.
Rikuo wouldn't be able to leave the kumi without a guard in his weakened 'day side', and Kunai was out of comission for now. As stubborn as Kunai was, he would come around to the Nura youkai, seeing that he shared the same idea with them: Protect Rikuo. Kunai had been shocked to discover his master was none other than the grandson of Nurarihyon, so he was taking it quite well - if a 30-minute argument that only ended when Zen had commented they fought like a married couple could be considered "taking it quite well", that is. Kunai thought he knew everything about Rikuo, and he felt betrayed at his lack of knowledge. It took awhile for him to convince Kunai that not even he knew the truth, something that most people wouldn't believe. But Kunai was not most people, thankfully.
It would take weeks for Kunai to trust anyone else with Rikuo's safety fully, but the flame user would have no choice in the matter at this point. When Zen deemed him healed, then Kunai could resume his duties, if his health was not affected by the incident. Though if he ever reunited with the clan, he was going to make Kunai a very high-ranked position in return for the two years they had spent together and the probably eternal damage his body had received for Rikuo's sake.
Rikuo wasn't defenseless, but he still needed a full-powered youkai to make up for his temporary daily weakness. Besides, having a Nura youkai along would prevent many fights from taking place in the first place. He was surprised his Day side didn't use them for that purpose alone, considering how many other ideas he had on how to use them.
Rikuo could still access his Fear in his day form, which was good against humans, but he couldn't use any of his Fear based powers, which left him at a disadvantage against youkai. He was slower and weaker in that form, and he couldn't handle as much abuse. Being thrown against a wall from 20 feet away as a youkai was something you could walk away from, which you did. A lot.
Humans weren't as lucky, and that kind of abuse meant you weren't, getting up from. Even if he wasn't part youkai, Rikuo would still be in danger from humans, for his gang position alone.
In other words, the human side, the side where the sunlight hit, was dangerous. If a human were to pull out a gun, not even the great Demon Leader could truly defend himself. His displacement-type of Fear was good against enemies, but it was not perfect, nor was it invincible. He could be caught unaware, and while he liked to think he could deflect bullets with his blade, he would certainly try, but it was smarter to dodge and prevent another round from being fired then do something stupid like that. After all, crossing swords was a battle of skill, luck, and perseverance, while a battle between guns was nearly nothing but aim. To be able to take away a life in an instant is too easy, something that's taken too lightly in today's human society. A fight to the death with swords could take hours, not seconds like between gun users. Rikuo despised guns for that reason, and had always pushed his members for less emphasis on them.
He also knew the effect guns could have on their victims, those still living and not as his dayside had been shot twice before. He had been on scene when his Demons were shot, sometimes killed, and the ones who survived complained about the pain everyday. Rikuo thought himself lucky, until he found himself on the wrong end of a barrel. He was shot on different occasions, two times, and still bore the scars from the encounters, mentally and physically. The first time he had been lucky that the shooter had poor aim, the bullet grazing his shoulder, leaving him able to defend himself and disarm his enemy. The other time, it was only thanks to his youkai strength he had been able to survive, with the bullet lodging in a rib and the scar that remained. That rib would ache every so often, a reminder of his pure dumb luck because visiting the ER was out of the question. It was also not something Rikuo wanted to feel again, and he would do everything he could to prevent that, but sadly, it all depended on his Day side.
He glanced towards Zen, who was still stewing over the knowledge he had gained from his story, outrageous it sounded at times. He could tell from the frustrated healer's face that he wanted nothing more than the sun to rise, and this Rikuo, Nura Rikuo, to remain instead. Then there was no need for the charade.
Or, at least, have Rikuo's other side remember everything.
Rikuo was also still concerned about his secret being revealed this early in his 'Return To The Clan' plans. He had hoped for it to remain quiet for a little bit longer, but he wasn't about to die for the sake of secrecy. He needed Zen to keep quiet. If the whole clan found out before he remembered, he would become an easy target.
If his father's killers got ahold of him before he remembered, he would stand little chance of survival, still remembering the chilling voice from that night. The face of the killer was still fresh in his mind, and he was not going to forget it, and he still blamed himself for it. He had been the one who allowed his father to die, too frozen in fear and confused with what was happening to even call for help. It was partly his fault, and the nightmares only enforced that thought, which had been haunting him since that night. His ignorant Day side was lucky, believing they were nothing more than figments of childhood imagination.
But he knew the truth.
Unbeknownst at that time of his kidnapping, his youkai side stirred for the first time, giving him strength and will to live, despite all his confusion and pain. This was the birth of Rikuo of the night, who relied on his instincts to keep himself and his ignorant Day side alive.
While the Night Rikuo remembered all of the fights, memories of his family, and general youkai-ness, his day side did not. His Day side chalked up the odd memories to dreams and faults of his first abusive parents. Every time he was called upon (a stunning three times) Rikuo assumed he had been saved by the white haired, smirking youkai who appeared every time, unaware of the identity of said youkai.
Rikuo still relied on his innate Fear during the day, which at least kept him in touch with his other side. His personality evolved from years of experience, a mixing of his youkai and human instincts. But he knew it wouldn't be too much longer before his dayside accepted the truth. He wasn't an idiot.
He could already feeling the stir of his human blood awakening as the sun grew closer and closer to rising. When his other side was able to remember everything, he would no longer be 'Night' Rikuo, or 'Day' Rikuo. Rikuo Nishimura would be gone, the mask no longer needed.
He'd be Nura Rikuo, the perfect blend of both worlds.
Tsurara gasped in surprise, the very powerful Fear breaking her thoughts. The surprise caused her to stumble over her zori. Ao threw an arm out, preventing her from falling onto her face and earning her gratitude with an embarrassed blush to her face.
She realigned her furisode, wiping imaginary dirt off. She had always been a little clumsy, but the Fear was at fault this time, not hers. She pursed her lips, a slight tilt to her head, trying to identify the Fear.
Who was the powerful youkai trespassing into Nura territory?
She was almost angry at the blatant disregard for the Nura's hard earned borders, but it was useless. Since the Nidaime's death and the gradual fall of the Nura Gumi's reputation, there were more youkai trespassing, and little could be done to stop it. It was impossible to find all the youkai who did, especially if they didn't want to be found.
But it was odd since one this powerful was usually a friend, yet the Fear was unknown to her - and Ao by the confusion on his face as well. The more powerful youkai usually aligned with the kumi. If not friendly, enemies were better at hiding their presence, since attracting unwanted attention was a rather stupid move in enemy territory. This youkai was not making any attempts to hide its presence, and such it was either a ballsy enemy, a neutral party, or an unknown ally.
With that said, she was almost going to ignore the Fear and continue on the trail of Rikuo, Kunai and Zen. They were following the last spotted reports of them with the three Tengu's help, until she felt something else. Just beneath the overpowering Fear, she felt two familiar Fears. Zen, who was nowhere near the power levels of the stranger, a testament to the stranger's strength and the other was fire-based, she knew it was Kunai's, which meant Rikuo was nearby. It was rather weak for Kunai, though, something worrying to her.
Both the stranger and Zen's Fears were calm, eliminating the possibility they were in battle at the moment. She could assume they were friends, or at least, friendly enough to interact without killing intent. While she was only an attendant, and a young one at that, she still knew a majority of kumi meant it was possible for the Fear to be a member of the kumi, just a rarely seen one. However, Ao was much older, so he could recognize the stranger.
She looked at him, a curious look on her face. He only shrugged, not having a clue. Some help he was, she sighed. But she couldn't really blame him. After all, the strangest part of the Fear was that she felt she knew it somehow, but couldn't place her finger on it. It was so familiar it tickled her mind, only frustrating her. It was like she could reach out and grab the name, but it was vanishing as quickly as the Nidaime was known to.
Something clicked in her head upon thinking that, a surprised gasp escaping her lips.
It was only a moment before she disregarded the idea. She shook her head, knowing that possibility was impossible. The Nidaime was dead, she had seen his both his lifeless body and funeral, and either she or others would have recognized it instantly if it was a fake one. Besides, anyone in the kumi would recognize the Fear, and if it really was the Nidaime, someone else would have felt it first.
But then again, would it explain why Zen was so calm?
No. She would not get her hopes up on such baseless information. But it still puzzled her. Why did the Fear trigger her familiarity? How come she knew yet didn't know it at the same time? Why was it so similar to the Nidaime's? Was it an attempt at trickery? Was Zen falling for it, or being cautious as well?
She straightened up, knowing the stranger would remain a stranger if they stayed on this side of the building.
"Yuki Onna." Ao almost growled.
Her eyes were serious with a hint of concern for the human's safety. Her chore list would know no end if she failed her duties again.
"That Nishimura fellow's gotta be around somewhere." Like herself, Ao didn't care much for the pesky, snarky human. But while she called him Rikuo-kun to annoy him, Ao didn't care for such trivial means. He did plan on getting revenge by being the one to kick Rikuo out of the compound when the week was up, cracking his knuckles at the thought this instant.
"Enough, Ao. Let's find out who's on the other side." With that, the two set off at a brisk pace, clearing the first large fence separating them from the stranger on the other side of the building.
Tsurara had a odd and unfounded feeling she would enjoy this meeting.
Zen grunted in front of Rikuo, his face wracked with concentration. He knew the Nidaime had a rarely-seen human form and while Zen himself had never seen it, he knew other youkai within the kumi had. In comparison, since Rikuo was only 1/4 youkai, it made sense his human form was dominant. However, what did he think of himself? Did he consider himself human, and his youkai part a bonus (something that gave him superhuman strength, or an advantage over his human opponents)? Or did he consider it a burden, his hatred of youkai still strong within him?
Rikuo listened intently when Zen started to fill him in on the big and important happenings since Rikuo vanished, asking questions and filling in from what he barely remembered. Zen was impressed with how well he was able to follow the kumi's current situation and political problems. Rikuo made connections that not even Zen himself had considered, and only proved to him that even though the partly youkai was raised away from the clan, it was not a bad thing. But then again, he was already used to dealing with the same situations with his gang. There were differences between a human gang and a yakuza kumi (especially a youkai one), but certain situations were the same.
But something still bothered the Yakuzen healer. Rikuo's blood was so diluted that the sun was his youkai side's biggest enemy, only able to hold his form at night. That was a disturbing thought. How could he run the kumi with that human face? It certainly wasn't very threatening, not like the form in front of him.
He snorted at the thought. The day before, Zen, much like the rest of the Nura-gumi had been fearing for their eminent fall due to the lack of an heir, and now he's nitpicking the kumi's potential savior. Even 1/4 of Nurarihyon's blood was enough to lead the kumi. He should be grateful that the young Nura boy returned safely at all. There was always the chance that his weakness could change with training as well. It could be a strength thing, or even a mental thing. That was something to consider at a later date.
Still, that left the question of if Rikuo wanted to take command of the kumi. Zen had yet to see any sign of that idea. Rikuo wanted to return and take revenge for the Nidaime's death, but he didn't mention becoming the Sandaime anywhere in the story.
Four-year-old Rikuo didn't even know he was in the running to become the Sandaime, and such this Rikuo probably hadn't even considered it yet. Revenge and returning to his proper family were hot on Rikuo's mind, not really the future of what came after these two things were accomplished. But he had yet to think further about the responsibilities he would have to take after doing that. Rikuo was the son of the Nidaime, who did he expect to take over other than himself?
As Head of the Yakushi Ippa and an experient Kashimoto of the Nura-gumi, it was his responsibility to inform Rikuo of that rather obvious fact. "Rikuo." he called, drawing the attention of the distracted youkai across from him, who had taken an interest in his personal sword when silence fell finally between the two of them. Rikuo was particularly interested in the new nick that appeared, an eyebrow raised in concern at the damage. He mumbled something to himself, before speaking.
"What, Zen?" He glanced up, acknowledging the bird youkai, before returning his eyes to Tora-Oni. He dragged his fingers gently along the blade, pausing along the damage areas.
After another moment of silence, he looked up again, curious since Zen was still trying to figure out the best way to phrase it. Blurting it out wasn't the right way.
"Rikuo..." Zen started again, before sighing, rubbing his face. Would saying this now offend Rikuo? Would this push him farther away? What if he didn't explain it clearly enough, and Rikuo thought he was being pressured into taking the position? Rikuo already had enough to worry about, he didn't need this as well. Maybe he should save it for the Soudaishou to explain? Gyuuki might even have a better way of explaining it.
No. Rikuo needed to know, and he was the only person Rikuo trusted. As the rightful heir, leaving him in the dark would only cause strife later. Now was the best time.
"The Nidaime..." He began again, this time a little more confidently, "wanted you to choose your path, as you are more human than youkai. He wanted you to have the choice of the life you wanted. Human... youkai... or both." Zen said, remembering Nidaime's words clearly. Kubinashi spoke of it first, but the Nidaime made it very clear what he expected. Not everyone had been pleased with the idea, but it had been respected as much as possible. Rihan himself was conflicted, wanting the best for the mostly human child, but also for the kumi.
Zen also shared this idea, since Rikuo deserved to live life how he wanted. After all, even if he had Fear, he could still live as semi-normal human. That human baby face would never be suited to running a kumi without a youkai form. He would forever be looked down upon as the weakest Nura, and Zen would rather Rikuo live life as a human then deal with that kind of scorn for the rest of his life.
In short, if the kumi never found Rikuo, it seemed like he could be plenty content to life unaware as a human.
It was a sad thought, knowing that one mistake, one day difference, one changed decision and Rikuo would have returned on a train home, and the kumi would have never known the difference. But looking at him now, like this, it was nearly impossible that he could chose the human life, throwing away 1/4 of his blood, heritage, and everything else that came with it. It would be difficult for him to fit in with the full youkai, only able to hold his other form at night. There would be talk of him being weak, of course. But it would all be worth returning to his home, with his family.
The one which he rightfully belonged to. It would take time for the kumi to accept the idea, but Rikuo could lead no matter what time of day it was.
Gaining confidence as he spoke, he continued. "The Soudaishou always planned on you taking over as the Sandaime, even if his son wasn't keen on the idea. The position is still open, since until today, no one else has proved themselves worthy of taking it, and the kumi has been led astray." He looked seriously at the young one, who had perked up at what he was suggesting, seeming to have reacted as expected: showing signs that was something he hadn't considered until now. Sighing at the boy's immaturity, he continued, "The thing is-we need a new leader. Shoudaime is ready to retire, and he wanted his grandson to become the leader. That still hasn't changed, even with your... disappearance. You have been raised away from the kumi, but no matter what, you can't change your bloodline. ¼ of Nurarihyon blood runs through your veins, that blood means you can become the Sandaime."
A moment of silence followed after that speech. Rikuo slowly lowered his head to the ground, deep in thought. And then suddenly, he snorted, before bursting into laughter, aware of the confusion on the bird youkai's face. He had been so busy with other thoughts, he hadn't even had time to consider the idea. Him? The Sandaime of the Nura Clan? The one who hated youkai for years, unaware of his true self lying beneath the surface, the leader of hundreds or more youkai?
The idea was highly amusing.
But Zen was right. He remembered the talks about one day receiving the command, but it had all been jokingly and quickly forgotten, the Nura youkai complaining about him. He was human, they all assumed. He would never grow up to become worthy of taking command, his human ideals and human instincts useless at leading a kumi.
How wrong they had been.
"Zen, I..." he began, making a brief pause. Whether it was just for suspense or if he was just taking a moment to think of what to say, Zen couldn't decide. "I am Nishimura Rikuo, leader of the Deathside Demons. My gang is my family. We've been through thick and thin, and solved more problems than I wish came up. They are the reason I'm alive today, which is not something I'm proud to admit. Yasuo, Fujimoto and Ren... everyone pitched in to train me to become the leader, change who I was, and then change the Demons into what it is today. Ren's ideals are spreading across Japan, and probably even farther. Everyone is deadly loyal to me, and I to them. My only concern is of my gang."
A rather long moment of silence followed.
Finally, Rikuo sighed, before looking seriously at the concerned brother. "Still... I'm also Nura Rikuo, son of the Nidaime and grandson of the Soudaishou of the Nura-gumi. I'm 1/4 youkai, something I've despised my entire life. My duty lies with my real family, even if I barely remember them. I'm strong enough now to return now, ready to face my father's murderers when they dare show their faces. I'm not going to allow them to live free any longer. I will track them down, and make them pay for this. My life would be so different if they...if I..."
He paused, fists clenched at the thought, knowing this was better discussed later and with the full members of the clan.
He looked at the sky, which was slowly becoming lighter, knowing his time was running out.
"Bloodlines may run deep, but friends come first. I will revenge Oyaji, and I know the kumi... my family... needs me. I'll accept the position in a few years after my gang doesn't need me anymore and after I learn more about the workings of the kumi."
"I will need a place to stay over here, since I can't go back, ne Zen?" His right eye closed, Rikuo smirked towards the surprised healer in a way, very familiar to Zen.
For a second, just a second, Zen swore he saw the Nidaime in all his glory, sitting across him. The mental image nodded once, satisfied. Zen could only assume he was glad for Rikuo, or possibly the fact that his son was returning home. It could have been a blessing, even.
The image was gone, leaving Rikuo in his place.
His response hadn't been a "yes", but it was close enough. The Soudaishou wouldn't be all that happy with the decision that had been taken, but given the incredibly complicated situation, everyone would have to respect that. Zen just seriously hoped he wouldn't have to keep that secret from everyone and the source of the secret himself for long.
"Well..." the purple-haired youkai began, finally breaking the slightly awkward silence of the place, "this is may be less than I was hoping for, but it's certainly more than I expecte–" he was never able to finish his sentence, which only puzzled the Nura heir even more. But it was only a matter of after his companion interrupted himself that he was able to understand everything.
The two of them had been too careless.
Lost in their conversation, they hadn't been able to feel the presence of other two parties slowly coming closer while hiding their presence carefully. It was easy to conclude said parties weren't enemies, but that was the great problem in the fact they were there – had they been a threat, they could have been slayed immediately, and nothing that had happened right then and there, especially the revelation of the heir's identity, would be allowed to be passed on. But since the two weren't fiends, yet actually Nura-gumi members, there was no way they could be taken as such, or else, everything would only become more complicated. In other words, they couldn't be fought, but couldn't see anything either, or else, they could be able to put two and two together. And so, with something as simple as an exchanged look, both Zen and Rikuo decided it was time for him to flee, for it was their only option.
But it was already too late.
As soon as Rikuo prepared himself to leave the medic and his bodyguard as quickly as he could, a trembling masculine voice spoke hesitantly behind them, "N... Nidai... me...?"
The rough tone echoed through the white-haired young man's head as the single word was repeated thrice or more, his movements stopping as he seemed to have become furniture. With his ruby eyes slightly widened, he dared to turn around after his suspicions of who could have referred to him with the title that had once belonged to his father were confirmed as he was able to hear his old friend almost choking with his words, "A... Aotabou...?!"
"W-What's the meaning of this, Zen-sama...?" in a similar condition of disbelief, the confused black youkai asked, his rather long jaw agape.
The situation couldn't be more confusing to the monk youkai. He wasn't sure if he was going crazy and hallucinating or if what the sight before him was real, but by the looks of it, the second option seemed more plausible, even though it was still quite a bit impossible.
After all, the Nidaime couldn't be alive, so just who was standing before him?
Trying to dismiss the mess of thoughts in his head, Aotabou calmed down a little, up to analyzing everything carefully. The one in front of him really did resemble the late first Nura heir, but there were quite a few differences, which disproved the possibility of the Soudaishou's only son coming back to life. It could either be some youkai trying to use their Fear to disguise themselves as him and failing at some parts, or someone who actually looked a lot like him.
And he was going to find out which was the right option right then and there.
"Who... are you...?" he asked slowly, his authoritative and adamant facade ruined by his curiosity and confusion.
It had taken a little while, but after a lot of thinking in a considerably short time span, Rikuo finally decided to open his mouth to answer the rather patient black man, when his childhood friend stopped him with a gesture.
"It's no use. Tell him the truth." was all Zen could muster with a solemn look on his face and his head down.
Understandingly, the white-haired one directed his ruby eyes straight into the taller youkai's, and, as clearly as he could, he spoke slowly, "I am––oof?!" The ever so dramatic revelation of the truth, however, was interrupted quite suddenly as the gang leader was yet again caught off-guard – this time, by the front. Before he could see it coming, Aotabou was pushed to the side as a figure rushed past him and Zen, straight to the unprotected chest of the supposed second heir, taking all of the air in it altogether. As he looked down, Rikuo was able to figure out by the bluish black hair and white clothes of whoever was embracing him with express force was no one other than the young female youkai that had been assisting him the past days.
"Yu... Yuki Onna?!" Zen couldn't help but exclaim as soon as he recognized the Nura mansion's top aide, blushing very slightly at the sight of her hugging the Nidaime's once lost only child. Although he was aware what she was doing was a far cry from anything related to flirting, the scene was impossible to ignore.
"O-Oi..." placing one hand on her tiny shoulder and another on the top of her head, Rikuo was left not knowing what to do as he felt his chest becoming warm and wet - more precisely, where Tsurara's face was buried into. "you're not... crying, are you?" he asked hopefully, feeling his chest tightening as she lifted her head to look at him, her watery eyes and pink cheeks catching him defenseless.
As well as how she weakly whispered his name.
"Rikuo-sama..." she sobbed softly, her ringed amber eyes staring straight into his confused ruby ones as if nothing else existed in the world.
"E-Eh? Y... you... What are you saying, Yuki Onna?!" Aotabou demanded, but was ignored by the ice youkai.
"You actually... recognized him...?" Zen whispered in amazement.
"What are you saying, Zen-sama?" she asked lowly, not moving an inch to look at the purple-haired young man. "There's no doubt this is Rikuo-sama. His Fear... his appearance... everything in him is Rihan-sama's splitting self. Of course there's no way he can be Rihan-sama if Rihan-sama had been confirmed dead long ago." she spoke rather calmly, contrasting the look in her face as she lifted a cold hand to touch one of the white-haired young man's cheeks. "But Rikuo-sama hadn't. And..." slowly, a smile started forming on her pale lips, gradually growing wider with the memories being brought to her just by staring up at her supposed master's handsome face, "now he never will."
She had almost lost hope.
Within the long time that had passed after the Nidaime's death without the smallest clues about the whereabouts of the young master, the great majority of the clan had already reluctantly given up, and nearly everyone had moved on since then. Only three people were the exceptions amongst everyone else - the clan's founder, the first heir's second wife and the second heir's closest servant. And, amongst the three, the latter was the one that had struggled against the cruelty of the facts the most, grasping firmly onto the belief that, one day, a miracle would happen - that, one day, she'd be able to meet him again.
The one she had vowed to protect with her life.
"I... It can't be..." Aotabou choked, on the verge of sharing man tears. "W-Waka... Waka is... alive...?!"
"And awakened." Tsurara added, drawing back her hand to be able to envelop the rightful Nura heir with her tiny arms yet again, her smile still intact and probably never fading away anymore, for her most impossible dreams had come true.
With his lips twisting a little, Rikuo, in all his bluntness, allowed himself to wrap his own muscular arms around the girl's thin back as well. As he kindly returned her gesture, the aide couldn't help but blush and the two other men in the room, who had been stiff the whole time upon experiencing the earlier revelations, fidgeted and sweat-dropped in embarrassment and startelement.
"O... Oi... Rikuo...?!"
"Rikuo-sama...?" Tsurara stuttered, her arms slowly withdrawing as his grip on her tightened a little.
"Tsurara..." he whispered into her ear, not caring about the slight heat in his cheeks, "I..."
When he took a little too long to continue, she urged him gently, "Y-You...?"
"Kh..." he tried to resume whatever he was about to say, but ended up letting out a sound of what resembled agony, while the sun rays reached his back, black smoke-like matters arising from it.
"Waka?!" as darkness started to surround him and his weight to fall over her, Tsurara did her best to hold onto the passing-out young man as Zen prevented Aotabou from advancing onto him.
"What's happening, Zen-sama? An enemy?!" the black man asked hurriedly.
"N-Nothing of the sort! Just calm down and you'll see for yourse-"
"Wah!" with a thud, the poor Yuki Onna landed on the floor, still firmly holding onto her master. As the darkness started fading as quickly as it had appeared, she tried to move his face to be able to see if he was okay. However, all she could find after the mess was completely cleared was a soundly sleeping chocolate-haired human boy.
Seeing him, Zen mentally face-palmed as he could finally let go of the gigantic youkai next to him. By the looks of the situation, he was going to have a lot of explanation to do. And poor wounded Kunai, who had still managed to stay unconscious during the whole thing, was now probably going to have a hard time (literally) jumping awake from his slumber. What was coming was no good - Zen could tell simply by the look on the aide's face as she opened her mouth a little.
"E... EEEEEH?!"
Rikuo yawned as he awoke from his slumber, the sunlight hitting his eyes as it peeked in. He blinked a few times, before sitting up, his shoulder sending out pain signals as he sat up.
He... was back in the Nura house. Which wasn't unusual in itself, except for the fact he couldn't remember what happened last night, how he got back, or why Kunai was missing, bed and all.
Last night's memories returned slowly as he sat there grunting, although fuzzy and somewhat blank. The leopard was winning the fight, and Kunai sacrificed himself while fighting. He was losing and then what? He vaguely remembered being rescued, but by whom? Had he passed out from exhaustion?
A feeling of unease over came him. Something... was different. Not exactly wrong, but still enough to make him wonder what had happened last night. He could see flashes of the fight, then darkness. It only made his head hurt thinking about it.
His phone rang, startling him from his thoughts. The phone rang again, vibrating on a piece of blue fabric next to him. As he took it and opened it, he saw that a notification that read "13 NEW MESSAGES" flashed across the screen with the caller ID as "FUJIMOTO", which caused him to groan. It was too early in the morning for this.
Early?
Was that really so? How long had he been asleep? Some hours? A day? Longer? A glance at his phone told him he had been asleep for 8 hours or so.
Maybe what was different was the fact that it was the first time recently he had slept peacefully without that nightmare? That could explain it.
He couldn't leave Fujimoto hanging any longer, so he dialed her.
"Yasuo! Are you going to be ready or not?" She complained, tired of the delay by the 3rd in command.
"I'm still trying to find my keys." He replied from the other room, rather exasperated sounding.
Her eye twitched, knowing the keys were most likely still in his back pocket, the same place he put them earlier. Yasuo was smart, but in some areas he was just clueless.
Yasuo was still packing paperwork, and then they would be leaving from the headquarters together in her car. She also had a suitcase stuffed full of paperwork, some her own, some Rikuo's. He had been falling behind, and she'd like to lighten her own load a little bit.
Her clothes shared with the weapons in the other suitcase, with a false bottom for her matching Wakizashi. Taiyo and Tsuki were heirloom blades older than Rikuo, something that was joked upon often, almost becoming a running gag. They had seen many fights and repairs, but she trusted nothing else with her life. It was a different set of skills to be able to use two blades, and learning to be ambidextrous was not easy. That skill paid off in another way: paperwork, able to sign two things at once.
But this trip was rather troublesome.
For some reason, Yasuo was being rather quiet, and she knew he knew something she didn't. She wasn't sure how Rikuo was going to deal with the cop situation. His house had been doubly checked over, the report on the news. His name or picture wasn't released due to his age, which was a good thing for Rikuo.
She was about to remind Yasuo of where he put his keys, but he beat her to it. "Found them!" Yasuo took life a little more joyfully than herself, and even more than Rikuo, who seriousness could turn the sky gray.
Or it was rumored to.
Rikuo was an enigma. Still was. Two years was not enough time to discover everything about Rikuo, even if she tried. If Rikuo was going to keep something secret, it was going to remain that way. Speaking to thin air was something he was caught regularly doing, but even Kunai was caught doing that. She doubted drugs had anything to do with it, since Rikuo had a strict drug-free code. Other people might make rules to break them, but Rikuo was not one of them.
His skills were unusual, even with the excuse he took lessons from a young age. His knack for dealing with people, and his sword skills made a deadly pair. If only he chose to use those skills for socialising with people closer to his age.
She doted on him, she hated to admit. It was hard not to. There was nothing wrong with being a little over protective, or going out of her way to do something for him. he had enough to do everyday.
How he balanced school, his 'idiotic fosters', and the gang was beyond her.
Kunai was as weird as Rikuo was. Kunai was Rikuo's balance. Without Ren, he needed someone to hold him back. Rarely did he need it, but sometimes...sometimes Rikuo snapped. And Kunai was not afraid to pull him back.
Although it was usually the second in command who filled that role t in a gang setting, she only felt slightly jealous that Ren and Kunai knew more about Rikuo then she did.
Kunai knew Rikuo better. Rikuo acted the same way around Ren. Somehow, Kunai and Ren were in on some secret of Rikuo's that made it easier for him to be around them. Were they more understanding somehow?
She would probably never know, but she was strangely okay with that. She had no right to learn what she wasn't supposed to. But she was willing to accept whatever Rikuo told her when that day came, if it came.
Rikuo and Kunai just showed up one day, and Kuani became his bodyguard with a 3 sentence introduction.
"This is Kunai Morioka. He's my bodyguard. Don't fuck with him."
The two clicked together like childhood friends, and they worked together even better. They fought more battles together then she and Rikuo did. But she accepted that as well. Rikuo was not normal, so normal ways of working and running a gang would change.
Normal was an odd word.
The first meeting between her, Ren and Rikuo was a mysterious one.
She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared that night when they first encountered Rikuo. His aura screamed danger, they way he sized them up, and even though she did not believe in ayakashi or other mythical creatures that called Japan home, she just knew Rikuo was not human. He must have lost his humanity, and was now this crazy killer, or even a bakemono. There was no way he could have fought the way he did, she told herself. He moved like a seasoned warrior, and he was unconcerned with the blood on his hands. It wasn't natural. There was no way a barely-a-teen fought off those men, without killing a single one of them.
Well, she was wrong. He did.
The odd illusion around him vanished when Rikuo realized they were only looking for the people he saved, and not another fight. Instead of the bloodthirsty killer she assumed him to be, that idea gradually morphed to a unfortunate teenager. Unfortunate in the fact weak people liked to challenge him, and they only pissed him off in the process.
She was still unsure of Rikuo, but while Ren explained who he was did Rikuo become a teen who was quick, sharp, and had no problems following Ren's ramblings.
The red eyes were just a trick of lighting, that deathly smirk did not mean anything bad, and he was just as human as they were, she said to herself, repeating that demons did not exist.
It surprised her when Rikuo accepted Ren's offer to join. She expected a delay, or even a complain of him being too young. But Rikuo just grinned and shook hands with Ren .Rikuo was not forthcoming about his past, but not many Demons were. The present and looking to the future were the only things the Demons were concerned with. Yes, background checks were done on those worrisome, but rarely did anything of major concern come up. Ren considered himself an excellent judge of character.
She was still suspicious from the start, knowing there was no way a kid could possess those skills.
She was surprised when Rikuo's personality changed in the presence of other Demon members. The serious and skilled teen was replaced with a shy, quiet boy. Where did the cocky and strong fighter go? Was he like this all the time?
Everyone thought Ren was crazy, letting a kid in, especially one like Rikuo. Ren said he had the skills to prove it, but everyone doubted him.
How could a kid have the skills to join a gang, much less want to?
Rikuo certainly wasn't much to look at. Fujimoto just let the whole thing lie, knowing it would only be a matter of time before his true talent was exposed. He was treated as the kid of the group, and Ren didn't even make him a seat in the hierarchy, only furthering the crazy idea. If he really was that good, why wasn't he ranked?
Only when someone challenged him to a fight did he finally gain some credibility. Everyone turned out to watch. The one who challenged him was a middle ranked member, one whose skills were good enough to be on the hierarchy, but not any higher.
Everyone assumed Rikuo was trying to get himself killed when he left his sword on the side, and went against the man weaponless, going against the 180 pound man to his barely 100 pound frame. The man felt cocky enough to use a dull sword, saying it would be a 'quick fight'. Bets were made, and only two people voted for Rikuo.
Fujimoto, and a man named Yasuo Kazuma, a 5th seat.
They split the winnings between them.
The challenger ended up flat on his back, not used to the smaller opponent and his nimbleness. Rikuo was quick, and he used his opponent's weight against him, knocking the man out.
"Never underestimate the short ones." He had mumbled, only repeated by a bystander so everyone could hear. Everyone challenged him after that for a challenge in height, and later sword skills. No one else wanted to face a shorty in battle and lose, so Rikuo was the perfect training partner.
Many tried their skills against Rikuo in a serious battle, but those who did usually regretted it. Only those with skills worth bragging about (but didn't) won against Rikuo. Rikuo took every loss as a lesson, and learned from it, getting lessons from those who did beat him.
But this still didn't change the boy's personality. He had no reason to be shy, but rarely did the boy say anything. He was usually running off, sometimes for Ren, sometimes not.
He remained off the hierarchy, and she wasn't sure if it was Ren's or Rikuo's doings. Maybe he felt no one would listen to him, or didn't want the burden of being in charge? Maybe Ren felt the orders would be ignored? Whatever the case, neither of them seemed to mind.
Ren spent day after day trying to learn something about Rikuo, taking the secretiveness as a challenge. She suspected Ren did found out what he wanted, since the attitude changed between the two of them.
Until Ren left, the true Rikuo came out only around Ren, the one she saw that night of the attack, but it was not because Rikuo wanted to hide it.
The snarky, spunky, clever and dangerous Rikuo was the same shy, almost invisible Rikuo that everyone knew. The one who rarely spoke, mostly mumbled, and spent his time with Ren. The one who no one was afraid to talk around, and who could easily pick up on gossip. He was known to stand in the middle of a conversation, and only those outside the conversation noticed him.
The same one who planned an attack on an opposing human trafficking gang, lead the assault, and escape with barely an injury between the whole group.
Ren was using Rikuo, which was why he was always on top of everything happening, from pregnancies to deaths, and everything in between. Rikuo could get the juiciest facts, and it kept Ren in the know. Rikuo in return got a place to learn and train, have intelligent conversations, and an hour or two quiet in Ren's office while the two of them did paperwork and homework.
She was still unprepared when Rikuo was chosen to replace Ren, and everyone felt she was the logical choice. She was even more surprised when Rikuo accepted the position. She was sure Rikuo would drop the position in a few months. He was only a teen, after all, and that much stress was not healthy. He wasn't fit to lead, and he was only kid.
Some people became leaders through experience. Most of the famous leaders learned from their mistakes, paired with some other talent or knack, became...well, famous.
Others were born that way. The charism, the cleverness, the IQ, the natural talent, everything just comes together, creating someone born to lead.
Rikuo became the Demon leader. There was no hesitation in his responses, no questioning of his decisions. He ruled the gang as well as Ren did, the leadership came naturally to him. She remained 2nd, and Yasuo Kazuma became the 3rd when the previous one retired.
Together, the Demons flourished.
Rikuo had not answered, and every minute ticking away only made the worry worse. Even the usually unshakeable Yasuo was worried, and they moved their train up to as early as possible. They would head straight to the Demons branch, and go from there, looking for Rikuo through all of Ukiyoe if needed. She was not jumping to conclusions until evidence was found, but she would worry until then.
Rikuo's behavior had been odd since he left. On edge, snappy, easy to anger. But his behavior was only getting worse. Members called in, saying Rikuo had vanished without a trace. The usual Demons first-questions later leader was missing and no one knew where he was, or staying, or anything!
She could think of nothing that should cause him to vanish. And then, when the building was attacked, he showed up 20 minutes late. What was more important than his gang, the ones he called his family?
So when her phone rang next to her suitcase, she dove for it before the first ring silenced.
"Fujimoto? Is everything alright?"
"Rikuo-sama? Is everything alright? Is everything alright? You're the one who's vanished!" She swallowed, her worry and shock come through a little thicker than she liked.
"I've been busy, sorting things out." Evasive and somehow foreboding. Not a good mix.
"What things?" Her voice shrilled over the phone.
The response was quick, telling her to back off. "Things I'll tell you about when you get here." It almost hurt, for him to say that to her. Rikuo knew they were trustworthy, but he was keeping secrets. Secrets that Yasuo was in on, she couldn't be sure.
"We changed our train departure time to earlier. We should arrive at the station at 7."
There was a pause on the other end, and a grunt in response.
"Oh. I'll be there at the station to pick you up." His sentenced dissolved into a hiss of pain.
She had one last attempt to get him to come clean before they arrived. "Rikuo-sama, is everything alright? Just because you're the leader does not mean you have to handle everything by yourself."
There was a long pause, and she could see him mentally working out what she meant, before he spoke. "I'm fine, Fujimoto. What train will you be arriving on?"
She rattled off the specific time and location.
"I'll be there to pick you up. Call me if the train gets delayed."
"Alright." She paused, before speaking again. "Be safe." The phone went dead without a response, and she sighed, before hanging up. That last line was unnecessary, it was undermining his authority. Of course he would be safe, Rikuo was not one to sacrifice himself unnecessarily, and with Kunai there...
He would be fine until they arrived.
"Yasuo! Rikuo just called. Are you sure you don't want to tell me what's going on?"
He hated lying to them. He almost wanted them not to come, or create an excuse to put it off till tomorrow, give him time.
He needed time to think. He needed time alone away from the youkai. But doing that would only further the idea that his priorities were slipping, which they were, but he wasn't going to admit that. As soon as he left this place, everything would be fine.
At least, that was what he kept telling himself.
He couldn't even imagine leaving the gang. Ren trusted him with the safety of the Demons, he couldn't betray the first leader now.
It was all the youkai's fault. They dragged him into this...
This whole thing stunk. He knew there were hidden reasons for Nurarihyon's interest in him. The reason eluded him, but the idea kept him on his toes, always aware...
"Hello, Rikuo-sama!" he jumped in surprise as the door was pushed open, temporarily blinding him. When his eyes adjusted, Tsurara stood before him with a triumphant grin on her face, and a tray of food in her hands, "I've brought you lunch. How are you feeling?"
Ever perky, he wished he could retain some of her optimism sometimes.
This was unusual, to say the least. Tsurara... was bringing him food? And she was happy? Wasn't she barely tolerating him yesterday?
"Tsurara? What are you doing?"
"I'm...bringing you lunch?" She set down the tray next to him. "Because you must be hungry? I mean, if you aren't, I can always come back..." Her face shifted from happy to slightly embarrassed as she spoke, unsure of what he meant by the question.
"No, I meant why. Why did you decide to bring me lunch? What happened last night?"
"You... really don't remember?" She tilted her head, a look of confusion and sadness.
Zen had explained everything to them last night on the slow walk home, and it was quite a story. Rikuo had not had an easy life, which also explained his hate of youkai. It only upset Tsurara. They had failed Rikuo. They let the Nidaime's killers and Rikuo's kidnappers escape alive. If they hadn't been celebrating that night, if they had a guard with Rihan-sama... It was their fault Rikuo grew up alone with the humans. How different would Rikuo be if he grew up with his family? Would he be kinder to youkai? More attuned to his youkai side?
On the other side, was this fate? Was Rikuo supposed to be kidnapped? Was he supposed to meet Kunai, and hate youkai?
It was an odd thought, but she couldn't prove it either way. What happened was past, and now they had to fix the mistake they made. It was their duty to help Rikuo readjust to his true life, and living with youkai.
She didn't care. She'd be faithful and protect him anyway, even if he hated it untill he remembered.
"I remember most of it. I passed out, right? And then you came, right? What happened when you found us?"
"Aotabou and I found you fighting against the leopard youkai, and we were able to defeat him together. Zen-sama bandaged you up, and we brought you and Kunai home. You've only been asleep for a few hours."
His eyes narrowed at her, feeling the shift as she switched from the truth to lie. While he wasn't as good as Ren as deciphering human emotions, Tsurara was easy to read. She blushed when she lied, and she would rub her hands together a little...
How did he know that? He'd only spent a few days with her, how would he know that?
Hmph. Maybe he was getting better that this reading thing...
Tsurara faked a grin, trying her best to stick to the pre-planned lie. She kept hitting herself over the head wondering why she didn't figure it out before. With the brown hair, it was stupidly easy to see the resemblance. Even though he was older, the facial expressions were the same.
"What about Kunai?" He asked sullenly, his face distracted with something.
"Kunai-kun is fine, and Zen-sama says he'll be able to be moving around in a few days. He's worried that Kunai-kun's lungs won't heal right, especially if Kunai-kun keeps moving around so he's keeping a close eye on him. He's staying in Zen-sama's room until he says Kunai-kun is in the clear. He won't be able to go with you on your errands, so Zen suggested that so one of us will with you instead. Since Aotabou is busy today, I'll be accompanying you." she grinned at little too happy for Rikuo's taste.
"Where did Rikuo-sama come from? Why are you being so friendly all of a sudden?" He asked suspiciously, glaring at the ice youkai.
Tsurara scratched her head sheepishly, her thoughts freezing instead of thinking of an excuse. "Etto...I felt that Rikuo-sama deserved to be called Rikuo-sama! Excuse me, but I have chores." She almost ran from the room nervously, leaving the door open. Small youkai peeked in, but they quickly left after receiving a glare from him.
With a look of stunned confusion, he turned towards the plate of food, his thoughts returning to last night. Yasuo and Fujimoto would be here in two hours.
How was he going to explain everything? How was he going to explain about his losing bet? Could he explain that without explaining youkai and it still make sense? He groaned at the thought. Both Yasuo and Fujimoto were stern believers in science (he was as well, but magic was a better explanation for many youkai abilities then science was.) and he hoped to never reveal youkai to them. Ren was an accident, but he felt the two of them wouldn't take it as well as Ren would.
Rikuo swallowed a bite of food, which was actually pretty good for Tsurara's cooking as another, potentially bigger, problem came to mind.
How was he going to explain Tsurara? At least with Ao, he could pretend he was a Demon member, but Tsurara? She looked more like a girlfriend than a Demon member.
And there was no way in hell he would pretend to be a couple. That was out of the question. He'd have to come up with a better lie before then.
He rose from his bed and closed the door, before stopping in front of a mirror. He looked fine, other than the bags under his eyes. His sleep was becoming more and more disrupted.
The dreams were odd. Things that were familiar, but not at the same time. Strangers who pulled at his emotions. It was a very surreal thing, to say the least. It was like watching stuff happen through someone else's eyes.
The strangest one was when Tsurara appeared, looking the exact same as today.
His eyes were drawn down to the rest of his body, and the clothes covering it. Where did he get this yukata? And when did he, or more correctly, who had put it on? He really hoped it was Zen. Really hoped so. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone else doing it. At least Zen was a doctor, or close enough.
On a brighter note, the yukata was surprisingly comfortable, not restrictive at all, and it hid the bandages from the eyes of his subordinates. He had never time or money to buy one of his own, so this was new for him.
He glanced behind him, remembering where his phone sat to the piece of fabric. He picked the blue fabric up, finding it to be a haori, and being careful of his shoulder, put it on. Considering his clothes were either torn apart or dirty, he would have to make due with this.
Hopefully his clothing change wouldn't be too odd.
With time slowly ticking away, he returned to his meal and preparation to leave.