YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS

KYOTO FILES REVISITED

Chapter Eleven – Trials and Tribulations


To the Reader

This is another equally long chapter. May you enjoy reading this story, as much as I enjoy writing it ;-D

For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fic has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated.

Here is more YnM terminology...

Bon, as used in the series, means kid. It is also the affectionate nickname that Watari uses for Hisoka, and Oriya called Hisoka Bon when they dueled in Kokakuro during the Kyoto story arc.

Gensoukai is the realm where the shikigamis live, and where Tsuzuki frequents when he needs time to think or relax. Suzaku, Byakko, Sohryu, and Genbu are the four legendary and divine gods that inhabit the realm (with Sohryu being the leader)...along with other shikigamis such as Touda. Gensoukai's environment is reminiscent of ancient China.

Kagetsukai means shadow user or shadow magic user. A kagetsukai can manipulate the shadows to do just about anything. Tatsumi, a former shinigami who partnered with Tsuzuki decades ago and the current Secretary for EnmaCho, is one of the two shadow magic masters in JuOhCho...the other kagetsukai is his teacher.

Ooryu Dragon is the name of the high-level, winged dragon that Muraki Kazutaka summons during the Nagasaki story arc. I do not know if you could consider the dragon as Muraki's shikigami, but it makes Tsuzuki wonder if Muraki is human since he could summon such a high-level monster.

ReiBaku or Soul Catcher is one of the spells that Chief Konoe teaches Kurosaki Hisoka. Per Hisoka's request, Konoe has been teaching the young shinigami magic spells in his desire to be a powerful equal to Tsuzuki Asato. Hisoka eventually uses the ReiBaku or Soul Catcher to separate Sagatanas from Tsuzuki (after the demon and the leader of the wandering spirits possesses Tsuzuki) in the Devil's Trill story arc. For the purposes of this fic, I will be using the word ReiBaku to refer to this spell.

For more information about the series, I refer you to Theria's website and SakuraCrisis' scanlations. Theria's site is an awesome resource for Yami no Matsuei and Yu-Gi-Oh fans. SakuraCrisis' scanlations are the best ones out there so far. I give them credit and acknowledgement since their sites served as references for me to further understanding the series.


Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Troy's eyes went wide as Muraki drove the glinting dagger down to Hisoka's heart. Frantic yells coming from the three filled the church and mingled with the doctor's malevolent laughter.

The laughter, however, was replaced by piercing screams coming from the doctor.

Pandemonium broke loose the second before Muraki plunged the knife down to Hisoka's heart. The dagger in Muraki's hand liquefied and its molten metal burned his hand.

Tatsumi's shadows immediately struck Muraki, causing the latter to drop Hisoka on the floor near Troy and Aiko.

Tsuzuki, on the other hand, rushed to get Hisoka...only to be stopped by an unseen force and hurled from afar. He crashed against Tatsumi and knocked the secretary down to the floor along with him.

A violent gust of wind, water, soil, and fire blew fiercely...its combined strength flinging Muraki against the statues and as far away from Troy as possible. Although he was stunned, Muraki began the summoning ritual for his three-headed Ooryu Dragon.

Seeing what the evil doctor was doing, Tatsumi and Tsuzuki stood up as quickly as they could from the floor. Tatsumi ran towards Troy and Hisoka, while Tsuzuki closed his eyes and followed Muraki's lead as he chanted...


I bow to thee and beseech you,

The Twelve Gods that protect me,

Appear before me!

Come out, Suzaku!


Troy crawled on the floor towards Hisoka. He tried to pull the shinigami closer to where Aiko and he were situated but to no avail. Minutes later, Tatsumi came to the rescue and helped the young man secure Hisoka to safety.

Suzaku and the Ooryu Dragon exchanged multiple blows that deflected the other's attack. However, the Ooryu Dragon directed one of its attacks somewhere else other than Tsuzuki or Suzaku...

One of the dragon's heads directed a full-force stream of fire towards Tatsumi and the others.

Tsuzuki ordered Suzaku to launch a series of attacks that destroyed the Ooryu Dragon and cut one-third of the stream of fire.

However, two-thirds of the Ooryu Dragon's attack still headed towards her master's companions and left her master stunned, as to what happened next...

The dragon's flame was absorbed a few feet before reaching and injuring Tatsumi, Hisoka, and Troy...and Tatsumi's shadows were not responsible for protecting them.

Troy fell down on his knees and was short of breath.

From the fiery battlefield that he and Tsuzuki shared, Muraki glanced at Troy's direction with a twisted smirk curling from his lips. "A spirit shield... So, Tsuuri Troy, you've finally managed to unlock some of your powers. I'm very pleased."

Still suffering from the throes of fever and feeling the demonic change taking over him, Troy's body shivered and it became more difficult for him to breathe. He was on his hands and knees on the marbled floor, and there was little that Tatsumi could do to comfort or help him. As gut-wrenching as it was for Troy, he stared at Aiko as his last resort to maintain control.

Muraki walked towards the church's sanctuary and stood a few feet before the ailing young man...just enough distance for everyone to see the vial that he held in his left hand, as well as the burns resulting from the melted dagger mishap. "If you wish to stop the pain, come with me and I'll give you the cure to your problems. You will not only be cured, but you will have all your powers at your disposal."

Troy cringed and screamed in pain as a hexagram appeared underneath him and an unseen power flung a startled Tatsumi against the pews. The six-pointed star radiated a blinding light as the concentric circles, the fourth anagram, and the triangles that form the mystical symbol spun out of control.

Then a new set of anagrams appeared and emitted a different but equally blinding light.

After helping Tatsumi to his feet, Tsuzuki's eyes went wide as he understood what was going on, "The fifth code...one layer of anagrams represents a point of the hexagram..."

Before everyone's eyes, Troy's clothes tore off from his body as he transformed into the towering obsidian-scaled creature that committed the murders. Now standing at eight feet tall and with a muscular built, he released a reverberating roar that shattered all the church's mosaic windows.

"How do you like my new present, Tsuzuki-san?" asked Muraki. His maniacal laughter echoed throughout the church along with the flickering flames caused by his earlier supernatural battle against the shinigami.

Tsuzuki and Tatsumi were stunned and speechless as Suzaku hovered over them and a multitude of shadows swirled around...all of the supernatural servants waiting for their respective masters' instructions.

Muraki's blue eye glinted, and his lips let out a twisted smirk that oozed out of his voice. "I know how to share my toys. I'll leave my new and more permanent pet with you. I'm sure that my present will have fun tormenting my beautiful doll before he shreds him to pieces. It will be such a wonderful offering for me."

Immediately thereafter, white feathers fell from the church ceiling and marked the customary disappearance of the evil doctor.

Tsuzuki and Tatsumi stood side-by-side in disbelief. The handsome and innocent face that they remembered was now replaced with a towering demonic facade with sinister red eyes, a sleek body covered with shiny obsidian scales, protruding fangs, and sharp metal-like nails. They held their breath as they saw the demon that Troy turned into grab an unconscious Hisoka by the shirt collar, lift his scaly obsidian arm, and flash his metal-like nails.

"Tsuzuki..." gasped Tatsumi, as his former partner grabbed him by the arm. He was just a split-second away from calling out his shadows to launch an attack against Troy.

"Troy's not at fault. He doesn't know what's happening to him. We have to find another way," replied Tsuzuki, as he looked directly into Tatsumi's eyes.

Even though the secretary disagreed with his former partner's strategy, he nonetheless relented and telepathically communicated with his shadows to retreat into the darkness. The amethyst eyes that he stared into sent a clear message not to harm Troy, as if their owner was begging for his own life.

Knowing that Suzaku's screeching caused the demonic Troy to become more agitated, Tsuzuki closed his eyes and dismissed his shikigami.

The phoenix flapped her wings and screeched her disagreement, but nonetheless giving in to her master's command once she was mentally assured that she would be summoned once again if things go awry.

As soon as Suzaku followed her master's request and returned to Gensoukai, a conflicted Tsuzuki mused as some tears flowed down his cheeks, "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Troy is in there... I know it... But the second before he digs one of those nails on Hisoka, I'll kill him..."

Bracing for the inevitable, but praying for the best possible outcome, Tsuzuki clenched his fists and cried out as his body shook, "Troy, please stop! It's me, Tsuzuki!"

Tatsumi observed the demon's every move through vigilant eyes. When the demon stood stood before Hisoka and Aiko, he leaned forward aiming to strike. Before he could carry out any plan or action, Tsuzuki looked at him with eyes begging for the secretary to give him more time.

Tsuzuki, still refusing to give up but pushing his emotions to the edge, repeatedly called out Troy's name. By his fourth plead, a glint of recognition flashed in the towering demon's crimson eyes.

Demon Troy let out a pained and furious roar...

Instantaneously, the huge wood-and-ivory crucifix suspended above the altar self-combusted. The flame spread throughout the church's high ceilings.

At the same time, two cyclones filled with fine sand and sharp slivers of metal debris – one on the left, and another on the right – danced through the two columns of pews and destroyed everything in their respective paths. Strong wind gusted throughout the church, helping the cyclone decimate the pews faster and for the now-flaming crucifix to burn more furiously.

The smoke and the myriad of intense emotions drove Tsuzuki into tears as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I understand what you're going through, Troy! If you want to hurt or kill someone, I'm here! Hurt me, or kill me -just don't do it to Hisoka!"

Tatsumi's eyes rarely narrowed even more as they were a second ago. The shadows under his command poised once more for attack. His shadows shot out from the dark, intending to kill Troy. Halfway through his shadows' full-scale attack against their target, his eyes went wide. He called out for his shadows to immediately halt...

The murderous glint in Troy's now-demonic eyes diminished, and his grip on Hisoka loosened. He let out a furious roar that sounded much different from the one that Tatsumi and Tsuzuki heard earlier. The demon's roar sounded more like a cry of anguish and sadness rather than one of anger.

As the demon released Hisoka and placed him on the ground, the hexagram of light appeared under his feet. He scooped Aiko from the floor and disappeared with her body along with the hexagram.

The two men ran towards Hisoka and scanned their devastated surroundings with chills traveling down their spine. They saw the burning wood-and-ivory cross that hung above the sanctuary fall from the ceiling and shatter as it crashed against the floor. Once they secured Hisoka, they disappeared and returned to EnmaCho long before the church's foundations collapsed and continued to burn throughout the night.


After examining his patient, Watari returned to EnmaCho's infirmary and confirmed to Tsuzuki and Tatsumi that Hisoka overloaded. As relieved as they were that Hisoka was not seriously injured, their hearts sank when Watari indicated that he did not have an idea as to when Hisoka would awaken.

"How about Tsuuri Troy?" asked Chief Konoe, who leaned against the door-frame and listened to Watari's update on Hisoka's condition.

Straightening his glasses, Watari replied, "I still haven't created an antidote for his transformation. I'll keep everyone posted, as soon as I get the results."

"Our retrieval's an element user. That's the most plausible explanation as to how he could summon cyclones and flames," remarked Tatsumi, as his transfixed gaze was focused on Hisoka.

Tsuzuki touched the nape of his neck, and mumbled as he thought about his retrieval, "Is that what you call that type of power?"

Tatsumi nodded, as he recalled his training and growth as a kagetsukai. "Elementals normally command one element - whether it be fire, water, metal, wood, wind, or earth. Last night showed that Tsuuri-kun could summon any of the six elements, but he couldn't control any of them. He could easily injure anybody, including himself, especially in his current state of mind. As of now, his abilities are controlling him rather than the other way around. However, something still doesn't make sense to me. Some of the powers that I saw last night, especially a spirit shield, doesn't coincide with an elemental's gifts."

Watari rubbed his chin, as his right eyebrow rose. "You both said that the anagram appeared?"

Tatsumi and Tsuzuki affirmatively nodded.

The scientist removed and re-tied the silk bow that customarily secured his blonde hair. With his handsome face radiating a glint of hope, he told the other, "It means that Troy's not totally out of control as you think he is."

"What do you mean?" asked Tatsumi, as he looked at his blonde peer with probing eyes.

Watari removed his glasses and cleaned them using a portion of his white laboratory coat. "The fifth anagram, once Troy unlocked it, was supposed to transform and retain him in his demon form. Aside from that, he listened to Tsuzuki and spared Hisoka in spite of the poison that's working in his system. He's fighting this change every step in the way."

Chief Konoe, feeling sorry for Hisoka, stared at the still-unconscious young man lying in bed. "Kurosaki's been learning spells from me since he joined the Shokan Division. His powers are growing, and his body and psyche must be adjusting to accommodate that change. The spells he's been mastering lately require a lot of psychic energy to activate, let alone control."

The three younger men gaped at their chief, as they pondered on his explanation...

"That explains why Bon's been fainting and overloading more often. What type of spells have you been teaching him, Chief?" asked Watari, as he quieted down 003 by gently smoothing her feathers with his index finger.

"Offensive ones...spells that place the ReiBaku into the child's play category."

As Tatsumi and Watari inconspicuously shuddered from what they just heard, Tsuzuki stared at his left hand and recalled a time wherein Hisoka accidentally injured him during their first days as partners. He finally recovered his composure, and managed to mutter under his breath, "Hisoka's an empath, Chief. Although his gifts mostly harness defensive magic, he can build offensive strength through obtaining a shikigami. Harnessing such power through his own goes against the nature of his empathy, and that can destroy him."

The elderly chief buried his hands inside his trouser pockets, as he responded, "I didn't want to train Kurosaki on those spells yet, but he's been insistent to learn them especially recently. I have faith that he'll gain mastery of those spells before those spells break him."

After many minutes' worth of silenced passed between the four men, Chief Konoe cleared his throat and said, "Tatsumi-san, we're leaving thirty minutes from now for the bi-weekly meeting at EnmaDaiOh's court." Once he received a slight but reverent bow of acknowledgement from his secretary, he left the infirmary.

Shortly thereafter, Watari excused himself to go to the laboratory.

Once he and Tatsumi were left alone with Hisoka, Tsuzuki lifted his chair and moved it as close to Hisoka's bed as possible. He leaned forward, held his young partner's hand, lifted it close to his face, and clutched it with such longing and pain.

Tatsumi stood a few feet behind Tsuzuki, and watched as his former partner quietly agonized. Sinking into a state of despair and guilt himself, he wished that he could do something to ease his former partner's burden...

Resting his forehead against Hisoka's hand and drenching it with his silent tears, Tsuzuki mused, "I'm sorry, Hisoka. You're already dealing with an emotionally unstable partner, and then having to retrieve a person whose going through such hardships... This...all of this...must be so hard for you. I'm so sorry to burden you... How could I expect you to rely on me for strength, when I'm not even strong enough to protect you from all of this?"

Tatsumi felt as if the core of his heart had been stabbed by a knife when he heard Tsuzuki say to a still-unconscious Hisoka, "I'm so sorry to repeat the same mistakes of the past...the reason why people...my partners...leave me..."

After many minutes had passed, Tatsumi approached Tsuzuki until he stood at the shinigami's left side. The secretary's empathetic glance shifted from Tsuzuki to Hisoka, and then back to Tsuzuki. Once he pondered on what to say, he pushed back his glasses and asked, "Since we've taken this assignment, have you ever considered as to how you've been doing throughout this entire time?"

Tsuzuki did not reply and continued his gaze at Hisoka.

A burdened but silent sigh escaped from Tatsumi. "This case isn't easy for everyone, especially for you."

"I know that you don't like seeing me like this, Tatsumi, but I can't help but feel so responsible for everything. Aiko's dead. Hisoka and Troy are in danger. Troy's also missing, and there's nothing that I could do to protect any of them from Muraki."

"What happened at the church isn't your fault. We will find Troy. We will do our best, as always. You and I won't stop until everything is well again."

"Some people may not think the way that you do..." said Tsuzuki before his sad voice trailed off, and once again wished in his heart that Hisoka would awaken very soon.

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed as he stared at his pained former partner. "Nobody's putting the blame on you, and no one should make such an accusation against you. Who are you referring to?"

Shaking his head in resigned silence, Tsuzuki murmured, "It's nothing, Tatsumi..."

The secretary's probing eyes stayed on Tsuzuki as he tried to figure out the hidden message from the tight-lipped response. "If it was within my power, I wouldn't assign this case to you. We only have three days left to retrieve Troy's soul. If you want to step away from this case, just give word and -"

Tsuzuki did not move from his seat and kept his gaze on Hisoka. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I want to see this case through."

"We don't want to lose you again, Tsuzuki-san..."

Feeling as if he was about to break down any minute, Tsuzuki remembered the incident at Shion University and Touda's flames. He lay his head on Hisoka's bed as he held his partner's limp hand. He closed his eyes while musing, "You won't lose me, Hisoka. I made promise to you. I'll be there for you, no matter what happens. Just please be patient with me..."

Respecting his former partner's silence, a half-smile graced Tatsumi's face as he placed a consoling hand on Tsuzuki's back. "As much as Kurosaki-kun needs us more than he's willing to admit, he's strong in his own right. He'll come out stronger in the end, just as all of us would when this case is all over. You'll see."

From an angle, Tatsumi's smile widened as he saw a slowly-pacifying Tsuzuki slip into sleep. After he cautiously lifted his hand of consolation, he removed his dark brown trench coat, draped his coat on Tsuzuki as a blanket, and stepped outside the room to prepare for his bi-weekly meeting with Konoe.

As Watari met him at the hallway, the blonde scientist asked, "How's Tsuzuki doing?"

Tatsumi motioned Watari to walk with him towards his office. Once the two men built up the appropriate pace, he explained, "Tsuzuki's hanging in there, although I'm not so sure for how long. I don't know how he'll be able to handle it when it's time for us to retrieve Tsuuri-kun."

Tatsumi and Watari finally reached Tatsumi's office. Once they were there, the audible shuffling of papers were heard as the secretary slipped in folders of paperwork inside his briefcase.

A grim-sounding Watari replied as he closed Tatsumi's office door and leaned against it, "Unfortunately, I don't think that you have anything to worry about in that department. The poison has spread throughout Troy's system, and is now affecting his organs. I don't know if it was Tsuzuki's Fuda spell that halted Troy's change, or if Troy blocked his own transformation. When the transformation was blocked, the only way to save his life was blocked, too. Unless he completely and permanently turns into a demon, or a miracle beyond our grasp happens, Troy will die within a matter of hours or days."

While organizing the paperwork on his desk in neat piles, Tatsumi asked, "Please continue searching for a cure, while we work together in preparing for the worst."

Crossing his arms over him and hugging his patients' medical charts, Watari nodded his head. "Poor Tsuzuki... Not only does he have to deal with Ikuru's death, Bon's illness, and Troy's transformation, but he also has to deal with that idiotic division head's harassment."

Tatsumi's eyes went wide at first, and then narrowed in stunned and silent rage. He stopped everything that he was doing to prepare for his meeting and stared into Watari's eyes. "What do you mean harassment? Harassment from who?"

Taken aback for a second when he saw that murderous glint in Tatsumi's eyes, Watari cautiously explained, "Wakaba told me that the Peace Preservation Chief bumped into Tsuzuki this morning and..."

Watari's words became blurred to Tatsumi. Blood pounded in his ears as he heard from the blonde scientist as to how Tsuzuki reacted from the Division Chief's comments. Tatsumi vividly pictured in his mind's eye as to how hurt Tsuzuki must have been from that particular division head confronting Tsuzuki at the infirmary at the worst possible time. Tatsumi saw and heard nothing but his servant shadows flickering, wailing, and waiting to come out and exact a fitting revenge on anyone who dare hurt those he cared for...especially Tsuzuki.


As usual, the bi-weekly multi-divisional secretaries' meeting ended before their superiors' proceedings. Tatsumi, being the secretary and budgetary advisor for the Shokan Division and EnmaCho, presided the two-hour meeting. The formality would have been reduced by thirty minutes if the bickering between departments did not occur...and the meeting would still be ongoing if Tatsumi did not put a quiet but forceful stop to the squabbling.

While his peers left to end their workday, Tatsumi sat on the posh leather couch and worked on budgetary figures while waiting for Chief Konoe. From time to time, his eyes narrowed and his hand clenched his red pencil harder as he thought and fumed over the information that Watari shared with him earlier. His briefcase carried a heavier workload, since he anticipated that this particular multi-divisional proceedings would take longer than usual. Before him stood a towering door made of gold, silver, and bronze – the door where only a privileged few were allowed to enter, and most were only given one opportunity in their afterlife to have an audience with EnmaDaiOh.

Only a handful of those privileged few were able to see EnmaDaiOh...and none of them knew the Lord of Hades' true face.

Staring at the cold-looking door before him, Tatsumi recalled the few times that he had spoken with EnmaDai-Oh. His first meeting with the Lord of Hades was when he became a shinigami, and the rest were regarding highly-confidential cases as well as divisional and multi-divisional matters. Even though he should have been more acquainted with such intimidating surroundings, he always kept a wary eye inside EnmaDai-Oh's inner sanctum.

For the first time, Tatsumi incorrectly gauged the right amount of paperwork to take with him. Although he took a heavier load with him, he finished and proofread his work many times before returning them inside his briefcase. Afterwards, he completed his projections for the burned church and other liabilities resulting from that incident.

Now left with nothing to do, Tatsumi could not help but shift his glance between his wristwatch and the door, frowning and pondering, "It's been three hours since they all went inside... there's no sign that they're even halfway through this meeting. Something must be up."

Tatsumi did not know as to how accurate he was with his assessment.

The multi-divisional meeting was even more brutal than it normally was. The proceedings highlighted discussions as to how the recent events – starting from the defeat of Sargatanas up to the present – had changed the course of events towards the inevitable...the very prophetic event that everyone feared would come true...

Once again, most of the chiefs blamed Tsuzuki Asato.

"Tsuzuki owes his existence to EnmaDai-Oh, yet he repays it by causing havoc! Now he just destroyed a church in Kyoto, and a girl died as a result of his incompetence!" cried out the Chief from the Peace Preservation Division as he slammed his hands for the fourth time against the mahogany conference table.

Konoe stood up and glared as his customary nemesis in these proceedings. "Tsuzuki did not cause the church to be destroyed, and Muraki murdered Ikuru Aiko! If there's anyone here who owes something to someone, it's your Division - starting with an apology to Tsuzuki, my staff, and me for your unsubstantiated insults!"

Another one of his peers, the Chief from the Reincarnation Division, drummed his fingers against the shared circular table many feet before an elaborate and raised dais. With a watchful eye, he asked his peer, "Why do you keep covering for Tsuzuki's treachery, Konoe? If you keep up your faith on Tsuzuki and the rest of your inept shinigami, the prestige that your Division richly upheld these many eons will be pulled down. By that time, your high prestige will be comparable to the paltry salaries that you all make."

Gritting his teeth and wishing to punch someone - something that his nature would normally not resort to - Konoe retorted with a dagger glare, "I am not covering up for Tsuzuki, and neither is Tsuzuki hiding from his mistakes! He's been paying for the damages that he has made all this time, and you can't blame him for being involved in these high-profile incidents. The demon world has been trying to kill him, and Doctor Muraki has been pursuing him! He was merely defending himself and those around him!"

The head of the Advocate Division shook his head and snorted. "That's a joke! Tsuzuki makes such a paltry salary to pay for even a fraction of the damage that he made in the past decades, let alone this year. Having him here in EnmaCho gives him and his shikigami the opportunity to decimate JuOhCho. It was stupid not to punish and banish Tsuzuki immediately after the Sargatanas incident!"

His temper now on the edge, and no longer mindful on observing decorum and civility before EnmaDai-Oh and his peers, Konoe yelled back, "I didn't hear Peace Preservation, or anyone complain about Tsuzuki or my Division when you've asked us to save your scrawny hides. In fact, I didn't even here a word of gratitude coming from any of you!"

Dismissively snickering, the Peace Preservation Chief intently said, "Either you're an idiot or you're blind! At least your precious shinigami had half a brain to admit that he's responsible!"

Hoping that his most hated peer did not do the unthinkable, Konoe asked through clenched fists and narrowed eyes, "What did you do?"

With a sarcastic smirk, the Peace Preservation Chief responded, "Simple. I told Tsuzuki that he destroys everything that he touches. The truth hurts, but it's the truth nonetheless."

In a second, the blood rushed to Konoe's head. Having heard more than enough, he pushed back his sleeves and lunged at his obnoxious nemesis. As his other peers stopped him, the voice belonging to the unseen occupant of the raised dais thundered, "Enough!"

All the men immediately kept silent as that fearful voice echoed and filled the meeting chamber. Those who passionately rose from their seats meekly retreated to their spots.

The angry owner of that thundering voice, EnmaDai-Oh, moved about his throne as he told everyone: "I have already received the incident report from Chief Konoe and Secretary Tatsumi Seiichiro about this matter. I asked you gentlemen to meet with me regarding upcoming events. I did not ask for this meeting so that you could harass Konoe, or to bicker on how Tsuzuki Asato doesn't fit into your definition of our plans!"

"But my lord -" stammered the Peace Preservation Chief with pleading eyes.

Before the Advocate Division Chief finished his sentence, EnmaDai-Oh's unearthly eyes flashed. Although the division chiefs did not see him, they somehow knew that the Lord of Hades glared down at them. This time, the Advocate Chief knew that burning eyes were transfixed on him as everyone heard EnmaDai-Oh say, "I was the one who found no fault in Tsuzuki for the Sargatanas incident! I know who's expendable or not! I'm the only one who sees where the future's heading! Do any of you consider my judgment and decision as downright stupid?"

All the men present muttered, "No, my lord..."

EnmaDai-Oh's insatiable anger and piercing eyes reflected in his booming voice. "Do any of you dare question my authority?"

"Forgive me, my lord. I didn't intend on having my words be perceived as such. It would never happen again..." stammered the Advocate Division Chief.

Although his other peer from the Peace Preservation Division felt the urge to apologize to the Lord of Death, the intimidating fear already filled his being and stopped him from such gesture.

After a long period of silence filled the huge meeting room, EnmaDai-Oh muttered, "There won't be a next time. I assure everyone of that fact. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

The men around the huge circular table stared at each other without a sound. No one dared to draw any more attention or ire.

"Answer me!"

"Y – Yes, my lord..." said all the attendees as most of them, save for Konoe, shuddered in their seats.

EnmaDai-Oh's burning eyes now concentrated on the Peace Preservation Chief. "Next time, the Division Chief that questions any of my decisions regarding Tsuzuki Asato will have their Cho's budget slashed in half and given to the Shokan Division. Anyone who wastes my valuable time will face demotion and a pay cut...that is, if I don't decide to destroy that person first. I'm sure that Tatsumi Seiichiro will be happy and relentless in enforcing my budgetary edict, and that Chief Konoe will be grateful from receiving a long-overdue raise. Am I being perfectly clear, all of you?"

"Yes, my lord..."

Many minutes later, EnmaDai-Oh declared to the silent and fearful chiefs. "These proceedings will resume next week. You are all dismissed, with the exception of Konoe."

Everyone rose from their seats and left in a single file – leaving Konoe and EnmaDai-Oh alone in the huge chamber.

Observing customary procedure, Konoe approached the throne area until he was twenty paces from it, gave a reverent bow before its unseen occupant, and said, "I apologize for my behavior today, my lord."

A semi-pacified EnmaDai-Oh nonchalantly replied, "You shouldn't apologize for defending your convictions or your staff. I'd like to know how Tsuzuki is handling the minor case."

After letting out a sigh and keeping silent for a few minutes, Konoe admitted, "He's doing his best, considering the circumstances. He's burdened about Kurosaki's weakening health, Ikuru's sudden death, and Troy's crumbling sanity and unknown whereabouts. Tsuzuki had already served Troy the summons last night. It's just a matter of time before the case wraps up."

"Kurosaki's condition will pass, as you know through experience and observation. Would Tsuuri Troy's predicament, however, make matters easier for Tsuzuki?"

"I'm afraid not, my lord. Tsuzuki would like Troy to live a long and happy life. The retrieval isn't the only matter that bothers Tsuzuki. Circumstances have never been kind to Troy. The boy could easily die by his own hand, or those around him whoever comes first. Tsuzuki agonizes about these facts as he prepares to take Troy's soul for judgment."

EnmaDai-Oh shifted from his ornate throne. "Is Muraki involved in the major case, just as we have suspected?"

"Yes. He summoned a demon to perform the murders, and now Tsuuri Troy's turning into one of them."

"I see... The grandson has been a bigger thorn on our side compared to his grandfather and father. For generations, the Muraki family has caused nothing but trouble for Hades."

Recalling all the reports of harassment that Muraki had done against Tsuzuki, Konoe confirmed, "The grandson won't stop until he breaks Tsuzuki."

"For now, I have faith that matters will be resolved without my...personal intervention. I'm sure that your Division can handle such trivialities. Tsuzuki has a purpose far greater than being a human's pawn or plaything. He's meant to satisfy my purpose, and my purpose alone. The same goes with everyone else who serves me."

Long silence filled the room for many minutes.

Knowing that he could not draw out as much fear from the Shokan Division Chief as he would from the others, EnmaDa-iOh relaxed and remarked, "You care about your subordinates, Konoe. You wouldn't go through such lengths and endure hostility from your peers if that weren't the case. Tell me...do you think of me as cruel for personally requesting that Tsuzuki and Kurosaki be assigned on this case?"

Konoe looked straight ahead, pretending as if he was staring at a pair of intent eyes. His voice was calm, and his response radiated the authenticity in his heart. "I can't help but feel sorry for Tsuzuki. Kyoto holds too many bitter memories for him, especially the most recent one. Aside from this, his retrieval reminds him a lot of his own life when he was still alive."

"There's a reason why I have made Tsuzuki into a shinigami. There's a reason why I agreed for Tsuzuki and Kurosaki to become partners. In the same token, there's also a reason why I asked you to have them personally retrieve Tsuuri Troy and handle this case in such a manner. All of these decisions have been made to push my agenda forward, in spite of the unanimous disapproval of your peers. As much as you're informed in a need-to-know basis, I expect your division to carry out my plans."

The elderly chief replied in quiet but absolute certainty, "The Shokan Division won't fail you, my lord. We will do our best, as always."

EnmaDai-Oh then asked, more for his assurance rather than to satiate his curiosity, "You know what to do, once these two cases are resolved?"

Konoe affirmatively nodded as his response. Once he was dismissed, he bowed before the raised dais and left EnmaDai-Oh's chambers.

The huge metal door closed behind Konoe - leaving the Lord of Hades alone in his throne room as he pondered, "That girl was an unfortunate casualty for much greater matters to come. The crucial times are fast approaching, and the cornerstone to my plans...my beautiful and dangerous Tsuzuki...is almost ready to be unleashed. I won't allow eons' worth of careful and deliberate planning be destroyed due to any meddling human or rank-aspiring demon...and I'll eliminate anyone who dares to interfere with my plans."

End of Chapter Eleven


Normal Disclaimer

Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters (Troy Tsuuri, Yuta Tsuuri, Aiko Ikuru, Senji Kota, Tia, and Principal Yamada) that appear within this fan fiction belong to Zatken.


Review Responses

To everyone: Thanks for your reviews! Many thanks to ManderNaner and RuByMoOn17 for responding to my emails...your objective feedbacks are really helpful ;-D I also thank Mischa Kitsune, Angel of the Eclipse, and Proxima Centauri for keeping me up on my toes with their insightful reviews. You guys are great! You inspire me strive harder to make my stories better.

I made those recommended changes (just as I do with the rest of my fics), especially the clichéd phrases and that weird language that Troy used in Chapter 10. Let me know if the changes make sense...or not.

Angel of the Eclipse: This is the chapter disclosing what's causing Hisoka faint often. Hisoka's anything but wimpy, as you and I both agree ;-D

As to Troy's parents, they are already dead. Troy's father and the demon committing the serial murders for Muraki are of the same kind...and Troy is slowly turning into the same type of creature.

Just as shinigamis do, demons have ways of crossing from one realm to another...so in my mind, Troy can leave Meifu to return to the real world. However, Troy cannot return to Meifu unless a shinigami accompanies him. As to why he didn't wreak hell in Meifu, he's acting on his instincts alone. His slow descent to insanity drives him to escape and find a safe place to be...the church. I also like his affinity with the church in spite of his demonic change for many reasons. My minor reason is to break the myth that demons couldn't step on holy ground, and the rest will reveal themselves as the story progresses.

(LOL after reading review that Troy has Spanish-speaking demons in his head)

Although that part's more finely tuned now, I'm still not satisfied...it hasn't completely captured what's in my "mind's ear," if you know what I mean.

Oh, and the DNA-specific poisons...it IS a very interesting topic. This type of development (success not guaranteed) takes time and money. For the purposes of this fic, Muraki is well skilled in this realm of science, is prepared for contingencies (such as wiping out obstacles like Kawasawa), and has help from occult sources to make matters possible.

Proxima Centauri: Hi, Luna-chan ;-D I always love your reviews! Thanks for pointing out the clichés in chapter. They have been fixed.

Oh, and as to a body getting cold after ten minutes...I based it on my surreal experience of touching my grandfather a short time after he died. Another basis was my close friend's death from stabbing. Apparently, the body gets colder once circulation is cut off...more so for victims who die violently like my friend and Aiko because they try to "fight" while breathing their last breaths. There might be another way to describe such a state of coldness, and I'm trying to find out what word to best use. I'm learning something new everyday, which is good ;-D

Oh, and about the "speaking in another language" thing...I'd be scared, if I started speaking in a different tongue all of a sudden. The same goes with having a ton of expert knowledge where I have no clue as to where it came from. They're just some of the "weird improbables" that I find scary and fascinating...and they can only happen if something supernatural or unexplainable is involved.