Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
Chapter 14
Kami stood facing Azazel, having ran from an onslaught of rage from Yin but not allowed to leave the building which Yin put a secondary seal on, besides Kami's own which he was working on breaking mentally, as Yin suddenly reappeared behind him floating off the ground with a fierceness that was so unlike him to everyone but Kami.
"Why run, I wonder?" Azazel asked as he stood above Kami on a broken pillar with his tail swishing as Kami scowled "watch that mouth, Demon...talking like that will only get you in trouble around here."
Azazel jumped down with a kick to Kami's face, which he dodged swiftly and attempted to grab the Demon Lord while dodging his pesky tail from taking his head off and at the last second Azazel teleported, leaving the Ghoul with nothing but sulphuric smoke "Is that the best you've got, Ghoul?" Kami scowled and threw his elbow back, without looking, and hit Azazel in the forehead mere seconds after he teleports behind him knocking him away "I guess it doesn't take much to become a Demon Lord then, if I can still predict you this easily...I bet I could even replace you and do a better job"
He then turned to clash fists with both Yin and Tsujin who came with a flurry of angry blows before headbutting Yin in the face and while Tsujin was distracted, grabbing him and slamming him on the nearest wall like a ragdoll just because he could take it.
He turned his attention to Lebeau just in time to see Bane, now freed from his influence, awakening "Lebeau, come meet you maker!"
With Tsume, Yamamoto and Bane...the young Ghoul awakens with a killer migraine that almost sent him back to unconsciousness
"Mother..." Bane attempted to regain a grasp of what was going on with the unignorably agonizing pain in his skull he was trying and failing to ignore as Yamamoto pinned him back down on the floor with his knee and pulled out a tong-like device in hopes of removing the deadly and numerous centipedes in his head as well as weighing the risk of what will happen to Bane both if he does and doesn't remove them "Stay down and zip it...whatever you do, DO NOT SCREAM." As he brought the device to Bane's ear and he grabbed his hand "Why?"
Tsume and Yamamoto looked at each other sadly, Bane knew the insects were in his head as he could feel them but not what would be his case if they're left unchecked, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was as Kami had done this to someone else very close to Yamamoto in the past, a member of his family/Clan, the Hatake Clansmen who like Lebeau held ties and members that were either fully human or fully a Ghoul like Yamamoto himself though he was originally human like Bane and is uncertain of how he became a Ghoul, not believing for a moment when Kami himself revealed him to be a blood born Ghoul and Ghoul Lord-to be...he didn't believe that the moment it left Kurosaki's mouth as he was known for his deceit and silver tongue at the time, a goddamn king among liars to Yamamoto "Stop moving unless you want me to knock you out, dumbass..." Yamamoto cursed as Tsume slapped him in the back of his neck, which stung like a bitch before he turned to her and snarled in her face "buzz off and let me concentrate, it was a joke, Tsundere!" as he began phishing the insects out but it proved useless as even touching them caused Bane tremendous pain although no permanent damage to his ear at all besides the 'do not touch' warnings.
Bane looked up and straight at Kami, who although fighting Yin and Tsujin still turned slowly to look him straight in the eye as he tried and failed to avoid eye contact.
Yamamoto shuddered as his hands suddenly fell to his sides as Tsume looked distraught as did J'onn who was sitting behind them without even their knowledge as Yamamoto began seething with anger knowing he could do nothing "you're wasting your time and effort, Yamamoto..." Kami sneered as Yamamoto's blinding rage only worsened faster than flipping a coin. He would've snapped and murdered anyone within arms reach of him but remembered his training for years under Salazar and how much loopholes his rage could really give someone as perceptive as Kami and so, he was silent and defeated "even if you do manage to remove the insects, which is a big if as even I cannot remove them now if I wanted to, Bane and I are now and always connected until one of us dies. He belongs to me now and forever, that isn't even all..."
"I promise you this, Kami Kurosaki" Yamamoto growled under his breath though Kami could still hear him though his eyes moved away in disinterest "I'll make you suffer for this and then some!" All Ghouls were able to torture others, but not all knew they could or could resist the urge when angered enough against someone they felt deserving of it. That and part of Yamamoto, who had been repeatedly insulted and shamed by Kurosaki in the past until he was suicidal for being a Ghoul that healed as opposed to a murderer although he knew himself he was a bit of both, he couldn't bring himself to get near an enraged greed-possessed Kami
Bane's eyes suddenly widen as did Kami's "What are you planning?" Bane asks as Kami replies "Wouldn't you love to know...though, you already somehow know, boy."
J'onn and Scar looked at Bane, shell shocked as Bane nodded unwillingly.
Kami turned to Bane, a dark energy radiating in his palm causing Bane's head to ache "Before you say something stupid, this is your own doing and not mine"
J'onn and Ryuken charged at Kami but his palms blazed, fortunately for Ryuken not with Amaterasu, as he swung wildly knocking Scar away with only a nick but J'onn was persistent as Kami switched to Amaterasu in his hands which clashed with J'onn's specialty energy based spells which were really part of his X-Gene mutations, easily overpowering but not killing his former master before knocking Tsume aside and casting a sad, apologetic look to J'onn "I wish you could see his face when I break him"
Kami pulled out a mask of a devil and puts it on, making Bane want to be extremely far from him, seeing what the Devil-masked Ghoul was capable of as both a Human and Ghoul or anything that walks or breathes murderer but not fully knowing or caring until now that it was Kami as he gestured to Bane and growled the order "come here, son!"
He grabbed Bane by the throat as he knocked others aside until only two remained, Tsume and J'onn.
Kami walked up with no fear "Stay back" Tsume yelled standing between Kami and what he seeks "out of my way!" He snapped as he pushed her aside only for J'onn to prove to be a bigger problem and a constant thorn in his boot.
"Stay back, Kurosaki" J'onn stood as Kami looked at Bane, smiling in the least evil way under his mask "Naze, bein o sakerarenai o okurasemasu ka?" (Why delay the inevitable, Bane?)
He dashed past everyone and made a beeline for the young Ghoul with a great amount of Amaterasu focused into a small point in his palm but as he was about to strike him, Bane's eyes went wide as someone cast a shadow over him and he saw a Kagune similar to his own fading away as Yang took the attack for his son.
Kami was still smiling in a good way as he saw his former student protect the boy, Yang looked at him and noticed it before succumbing to immense pain "Yang...I can't ask for your forgiveness, but this is what I have to do and no one will stand in my way...not...even...you, my prodigal student." He said as Yang's eyes widened "Kami...is this what you've thought of me all along?"
Kami only nodded and replaced his mask on his face as he rammed his arm through Yang's stomach and made sure Bane was watching before grabbing Bane and disintegrating into flames before Yang's body hit the ground without a sound.
"No!" J'onn yelled but he had seen Kami do this one time too many and was highly enraged by it as Tsume, stunned and speechless, stayed by her now unconscious husband's side as he woke up and caressed her face weakly "T-Tsume..." but she shut him up "Don't talk...you're hurt."
Yang laughed, growing weaker as tears came to his eyes "If I were human, but I'm not human...I'm sorry for not telling you I was a Ghoul and mistreating our son-" Yang passed out as Tsume broke down crying into his chest, all his bodily functions had stopped including his heart and brain but he was smiling.
J'onn was frozen in place, Azazel was unconscious, Yang was probably dead by now and everyone else was hopeless and helpless while J'onn was officially pissed off as he growled and made for the exit showing a side that no one knew or wanted to test but took Azazel's body with him.
Several days later, Yang was in a room at Yamamoto's and Ryuken's shared three story home not having woken since they last saw either Kami or Bane...Tsume had slept with him, refusing to leave his side as Yamamoto did his best every once in a while to heal him...he still fails to understand what Kami does to his opponents that make them hard to heal as the others were downstairs.
Downstairs, Yamamoto (while not healing Yang) and Ryuken were discussing what to do next, what J'onn is up to, what Kami is planning and what it all has to do with Bane and Azazel. All while keeping Tsujin from doing any further harm to Yang's body.
"Come on..." Tsujin was not calm being in the same room as killers this much "just one punch" he made his way to Yang's room for the hundredth time as Yamamoto glared up at him from his tome "So much for revenge...did you not already forgive him for your nii-san's death, Tsujin-san?"
"Yes, but I said nothing about payback" Tsujin made it upstairs to Yang's bedroom and opened the door to find Scar inside giving him a look that made him shudder "Tsujin, get out of here NOW" Scar was trying to console Tsume who hadn't left the man's side since and coax her into eating some food, which he had in fresh quantity and never use with all Ghoul's inability to digest regular human food.
"I won't allow him to live with what he's done" Tsujin argues as he tries to make his way to Yang's bed, which Ryuken won't allow him to do "What would you do if Kami was on that bed and your sister had died at his hand?!"
Scar was petrified with cold anger as Tsujin made his way past him "...I thought so" as Scar twitched.
Yamamoto heard the argument from downstairs but refused to get involved knowing that although Tsujin had a valid point and everyone who were close to either of the Salazar siblings knew how close they were, they knew better than to use it to spark an argument with Ryuken or rile him up unless they fancied eating through a straw from then on...after the savage beating Ryuken would give them before being calmed or held back from killing them.
Tsume now stood between her husband Hiachi and Tsujin with a look in her eye that she only got when people tried to screw with her or her family, Yang's over-protectiveness had rubbed off on her and with the little training Salazar gave her concerning what little he knew of shadowbending, an ability that Tsume doesn't even have but some Ghouls including J'onn, Kami prior to losing his soul and himself has to mimic controlling shadows as she demonstrates her new, more refined Shadow abilities as a shadow tried to chop the Ghoul to pieces but he knew Bane's shadow's were inherited from her as he dodged and got close to her "Don't touch my husband or-" she was cut off by Tsujin grabbing her throat and lifting her off the ground squeezing tighter every second "or you'll what?" The physically shorter than her Ghoul snarled lowly in annoyance
This sparked a connection stronger than any magic within Tsume and Yang, waking him in a terrible mood as he heard everything, he was unconscious but not deaf, as he broke a piece of glass like it was a cookie and put it at Tsujin's throat with such blinding speed that no one saw him move as he pushed the Ghoul off and shook his head with an intimidating look of barely suppressed rage in his red eyes "... Anata wa... Tatchi-dzume o aete shinaide kudasai" (Don't...you...dare touch Tsume) he put the glass blade at his throat as he assured Tsume silently that he would never again let harm come to her as Tsujin cracked his knuckles as Yang's eyes narrowed dangerously "Anata ga nozomu yō ni, watashi wa anata ga ga watashi no otōto no shi de no yakuwari no tame ni shiharau yō ni narimasu" (As you wish, I will make you pay for your role in my brother's death though) he charged at Yang, who looked as he'd seen better days.
Downstairs, Yamamoto began a ten count for how long it would take for either Ryuken or Yang to beat Tsujin to a softened pulp.
"Jū, kyū, hachi, nana, roku..." (Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six...) Yamamoto Hatake began his countdown "Go, shi, san, ni, ichi..." (Five, Four, Three, Two, One)
He looked down at Tsujin who was punched right out of the room on the second floor by Yang before the Ghoul stood over him "He's changed somehow...I like it" Yamamoto assessed immediately once their eyes met for the short glace Yang gave him as Yang with his Kyū-Tanken/Ten Daggers of his tails were aimed to kill Tsujin as he frowned "You wouldn't kill me..."
Yang smiled at him evilly "Care to test that?" He said "My feud isn't with you and no one can feel worse about your brother's death, but he allied with Kami which makes him an idiot in my book...where's Kami and Bane?"
"Don't you remember, although you sacrificed yourself for your son, Kami still took him and almost killed you" Yamamoto supplied "We haven't seen him, Bane, the Demon Lord or Lebeau since." He glared again at the Ghoul at his feet "unless you want me to scrub the pavement with both your faces, don't fight in my home again and I could give a monkey's ass about you or your teme brother, get off the floor. He's dead, so get the fuck over it already!"
Yang went to the door with a frown before looking at the three Ghouls and his wife "I don't need this, I'm out of here" as Tsujin added "Kami's own men can't even find him, though he's still in the city somewhere, what chance do you have?"
Yang was shaking as he knew Tsujin was right as he knew how Kami's entourage worked better than anyone but Yang himself, causing the Ghoul to begrudgedly stay with an almost permanent scowl.
"Fine" Yang grunts "I will stay...but you" he looked at Tsujin with a crazed look in his widened eyes "Stay away from Tsume, stay away from me and stay OUT of my room unless Kami is found or this house is on fire unless you want a mass killing spree to take place here, got it?!" Tsujin shook, never knowing just how intimidating an angry Yang was as he found himself unable to break eye contact with the cranky Ghoul as he walked away, having made his threat very clear.
Elsewhere, Kami had made it to an old oil refinery with Bane, and was growing weary of waiting as he wished to transfer Bane's heart and soul into his body, or if that failed Kami would just transfer his own mind into Bane's body and use his stronger consciousness take his over. Both took time Kami didn't want to waste with J'onn still out there and Azazel with him. The Demon Lord was too smart for his tastes where Ghouls were concerned.
Kami appeared in a forested area in a burst of flame and was kneeling with Bane over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He was deep enough in the forest that no Ghoul with common sense would venture far enough to find him as he was in Human territory and his very enemy would kill them for him, only to fall prey to Kami himself, though the last forbidden spell he used on Bane has had some...unexpected and unforseen results as they have some parts of each other's natures. NOT what Kurosaki had in mind as the more evil Bane became, the more Kami seemed to become his old self again.
"You are worth more trouble than you realize..." Kami muttered tossing Bane onto a metal table, easily denting it as he raised an eyebrow "wake up, Bane" as a voice in his head reprimanded him with a migraine, it was Bane's voice whispering scoldingly 'don't be so rude' but he quickly shook it off.
Kami tried to keep his calm and distance for Bane's sake but found himself grabbing Bane's head with a sad look "Why do I have to make you do everything?" He slammed his face on the table full force until he felt him move as he warned the now awake, bloodied Bane that as a Ghoul, he could take punishments that would otherwise kill a human and most other beings "Do as you're told and don't test my patience" he pointed at the table he used Bane's head to dent "things will be more...pleasurable for us both, I assure you"
He stepped back as Bane dropped to the floor.
Bane woke up, noting that he was no longer in the Ghoul City... wherever here was, his head was bleeding and he was with the Demon masked Kami who was creepily silent with one hand behind his back.
"Bread?" Kami offered showing he had a piece of bread behind his back "you seem...peckish"
But Bane declined the offer swatting the bread from the Elder Ghoul's hand "cut the crap, Kurosaki, what is this place?"
But this was another side of Kami he'd yet to see "What crap, I'm only offering you food" as Bane scowled and they looked at the bread and Kami smiled darkly, which was normal for him weather he was good or evil "You think you really understand the type of person I am?"
"Monsters only have one face" Bane growled warningly as Kami's eye turned to him but gave one agreeing nod "That they do...that's why I will give you a few choices, care to hear me out?" He touched Bane's face far too gently for his own safety, startling him as he closed the distance between them in seconds.
Elsewhere, Azazel has woken up in a strange place...something he thought was a routine in a city that literally never sleeps, by normal means and circumstances anyway as his savior nowhere to be found.
"Where am I?" Azazel asked himself as he rose and found himself alone in a small house that looked like a F5 Hurricane had happened indoors as his wounds were either fully healed or healed enough not hinder him but he felt someone watching him "Yang, is that you?"
No answer...
He went and opened the door, only to find J'onn standing behind it, wearing a Dragon mask and an all black suit and Azazel also saw that he had tears dripping from his chin
"Finally awake?" He raised his hand as a gust that Azazel was sure could easily obliterate the house was generated pushing Azazel and slamming him against the wall as Azazel looked at him knowingly "J'onn...or should I say the Wingless Dragon, we're a bit far from China for such orientals, don't you think?" He had a daring look in his eye, daring the Ghoul to try to really pissing him off "You are not even J'onn Lucario Lebeau anymore, I take it and he is fairly uncertain of your existence."
Wingless Dragon smiled evilly, face still cold with distrust for the rude Demon Lord "you can say that...J'onn knows nothing of me in his own body but since you got here, he's been becoming more mindful and I can't allow that to go on" as a crimson energy appeared in his palm "If you know who I am then you should know what happens if I so much as touch you, right?" Azazel wasn't dumb, he knew that the slightest touch from the Ghoul Lord, although it can reduce a mere mortal to dust could still very seriously hurt him and was mind numbingly painful.
Azazel grabbed his bed and swung it at the Ghoul with a superhuman strength that didn't fit his normally fit humanoid form as he only stopped it with one arm, a red energy absorbed into his body upon impact before he growled "Goodbye, Demon Lord" and brought his hands close together as red energy forms a sphere which he shot right at Azazel, seemingly hitting him but he turned to leave only for Azazel to stand in his way yet again and attempted to choke him with his tail only for Wingless Dragon to remove his mask only long enough to chomp Azazel's tail as he screamed, his tail was a weakness he'd overcome long ago but he's never had it bitten before even with the Demon's natural immunity to the virus that make the Ghouls what they are as it was developed by Demons in the first place under the watch of the Demon Lords.
"You will lure Kuro to me" Wingless Dragon explained as Azazel snapped "Kuro...you want that other Ghoul, Kami but I refuse until you come to your senses"
"Refuse?" Wingless Dragon's eyes widened "you're acting like you're given a choice in the matter"
"You're half-mutant..." Azazel said thoughtfully "a powerful one at that even for a half blood, but I've figure out the power you've been hiding even from yourself...you're not only a powerful empath but have the power to manipulate kinetic energy at will, this should be fun" he smiled evilly.
"No matter..." Wingless Dragon snarled "either you lure Kuro to me or be used as bait...one way or another, you WILL lure Kami Kurosaki to me"
"What are you, a half-mutant AND an idiot?" Azazel said growing a bit serious which was scarier than his sometimes uncalled for and dark witty sarcasm "when I say no, I mean no...you're stupid enough to think I will simply bow to your whims?"
Back with Kami and Bane were becoming one with the very parts of each other they despised. This gave them an innate understanding of how the other's mind worked though, which was horror for Bane but quite a bit of insight for Kami.
"Kurosaki!" Bane felt a never before felt burst of anger as he came within inches of hitting Kami, only to miss as he tried to calm him the only way he knew, punching him in the gut "please...call me Kuro and I have not brought you here for a fight" only for him to be physically held by Bane's shadows as Kami looked at him with little to no malice in his eyes "How interesting...I have never met another Ghoul in my life with the power to manipulate one's shadows" he then broke himself free as Bane lost his focus and thus his hold on Kami as Bane thought back to his confrontation with J'onn 'wait...that was the name J'onn called him and he said that side of him no longer existed, so why is he now insisting I call him that then?' He thought as Kami noticed his confusion as he held his head and groaned, urging Bane to stay back "Stay back, I-I can't control it for long before my dark side takes over!"
"I'm leaving" Bane said with no interest in helping Kami as he said "wait, I'll bring one of them here as proof...one for you to eat"
Bane stopped in his tracks, not liking how he used the word 'eat' "he will watch to see which of us wins and the winner gets...well you get it." As Bane's jaw dropped and Kami leaves while he stays, thinking of the Ghoul's words.
Elsewhere, a Government funded Anti-Ghoul group called the GEC (Ghoul Eradication Corps) had cornered a Ghoul they caught feasting on one of their men...the leader, Nobunaga 'Naga' Uchino was among the most ruthless humans a Ghoul had been ill-fated to cross paths with as he readied his spear, artificially made, like all their weapons, based on the anatomy of Ghouls to absorb ambient RZ cells to use against Ghouls.
"Fan out and find it" Naga ordered the men far too calmly for even the men's tastes, though none of them would say it as he was in a nasty mood whenever he caught a lone, foolish Ghoul's hunt to them being his prey "don't fight it or do anything stupid, just lure it to me" as the men nodded "Hai"
One stayed with him, much to his irritability "Uh, sir?" The younger blonde, green eyed man asked as Nobu grunted "Hm?" His brown eyes scanning his surroundings.
"Well, aren't you afraid...this thing could tear flesh from bone easily and we seem to have too many men just to deal with one" he was scared both of the Ghoul who could be anywhere and Uchino who turned to look at him, never smiling.
"Don't I look afraid, kid?" Nobu countered as the man shook his head uncertainly "I'm afraid every day I fight these things but be ready...soon enough, we won't be dealing with just one"
The young man chuckled halfheartedly "you, sir, are afraid?" He shook his head "you look like you could take ten Ghouls by yourself"
Nobu smirked "My only reason for living is to kill the Ghoul that made me watch him slaughter my wife and child...at his leisure"
The younger man pales as Nobu's darker brown eyes looked at him like a lion protecting it's cubs "Wow, I thought you were so serious because you just hated your job"
"Nobunaga-san, we got him!" A man called in the distance cornering a young Ghoul, only a few years older than Bane, who looked at him angrily with sharp, talon like fingernails and snarling mouth dripping fresh blood.
He'd bitten another two of the armored men, in sensitive parts of the dark blue/black suits made of a non-metal material even Ghouls can't easily bite their way through as they've proven to be able to bite through most hard metals as Nobu beelined for the screaming men and the swearing, biting Ghoul.
"Just call me Nobu, for Christ's sake" he growled annoyed, clearly scarier to the men than any Ghoul as the Ghoul, who refuses to reveal his name to the humans looked at him.
"Will you tell me your name...or do I have to call you 'bitey'?" Nobu came up to the Ghoul who looked at him as if he was insane, which none of the experienced men on his team were particularly experienced with before the Ghoul sensed something the humans couldn't was coming straight their way as he laughed "Orokana ningen wa, anata wa jūdaina misu o okashita watashi o koko ni tsugimashita" (Foolish humans, you've made a grave mistake following me here) he laughed before dodging to the side from a spear to the face as he glared at the black bladed Glaive in poorly hidden disgust as it turned into a Ghoul's Kagune which only hardened to a larger blade and swung at the Ghoul, narrowly missing but leaving a large gash in his shoulder...it didn't help Ghouls that it was anti-magical either but it does cause agonizing pain, if overused and the humans to have a bloodlust almost as terrifying as a Ghoul's as well as exactly half the strength and speed of a Ghoul Lord (like Kami or J'onn) to take almost any Ghoul on.
Elsewhere, Kami's search for something/one for Bane to eat was less than fruitful...that was until he smelled another Ghoul nearby with a total of ten humans, the typical number in the Ghoul Hunters of the GEC as he stayed hidden and watched. He personally disliked human because they tend to bully and overwhelm lone Ghouls, like this retard, with sheer numbers but he watched his favorite human for now and waited as he had no interest in if the young Ghoul would even eat this other Ghoul or not.
'Well, what do we have here, an all grown up little Nobunaga with that still ever-present resentment of Ghouls...' Kami thought of how he mangled the man's parents before his eyes and left him to live with his festering hatred of all Ghouls 'He'll do good as a snack for Bane'
The Ghoul's eyes widened as he felt Kami's eyes boring into his entire body before even knowing the Ghoul Lord's location "Anata no jikan ga nakunatta yō ni, watashi wa hotondo mochiron, watashi wa anata no satsujin-sha ni dōjō shinai, matte... Anata no tame ni kinodoku ni miemasu" (Looks like your time has run out, I almost feel sorry for you...wait, of course I don't feel sorry for you murderers)
"Greetings, G...E...C lapdogs" Kami's voice came from a tree behind the men as they turned and fired their guns immediately but his body turned to crows and flew around them before appearing as Kami again beside the Ghoul "You dare come here after one of my brothers, do you have death wishes?" Kami put his arm around the Ghoul's shoulder casually before he dropped to his knees bowing in respect "Thank you, milord Kami-sama"
Kami was not in the mood for him very much though as all he wanted was him to shut up and a hard backhand to shatter his nose did wonders for it as Kami glared at him "You're next with all the thanks you're givin' me, I'll deal with you once I have my human for Bane"
"Oy, Nobunaga!" Kami called out, not having seen the human since he forced him to watch as he devoured his parents as a boy...seriously fucking up his psyche "I thought you were dead by now, old friend...seems fate meant for us to meet again, not that I wasn't watching ya to make sure no one kills you but me but your parents miss you on the other side!" Kami grinned at the look of horror and anger on Nobu's face as he snarled "This is the thing that murdered my parents, men...bring him to me alive but NOT in one peace" Nobu ordered before glaring into Kami's eyes "and you...don't you dare talk about my parents!"
The men attacked as Kami repelled them with his Fire magic although knowing all too well that they all were fire proof and fairly magic resistant due to their bluish black suits.
"Nice tin suits...you'll have to kill me if you have any intention of capturing me" Kami pinned one of the men under his boot "otherwise you're all dead, I'll crack you all open like juicy Oysters"
The men, although brave, smart and strong were still not enough to be able to take Kami as he snapped when one of the humans hit him in the face with a whole gun, which was destroyed leaving a deep cut on the side of his forehead as Kami's glare turned dead serious "Ya know, I don't take kindly to being referred to as a 'thing'...I will make you all burn to nothingness for this disrespect!" Kami fell to his knees silently asking J'onn for forgiveness quiet enough that humans couldn't hear him if they tried "Forgive me...Master Lebeau" as his flames drew in a ring around him alternating between normal flames and the black Amaterasu flames as the men were reduced to charred heaps...all but Nobu and one other, who refused to get anywhere near the Ghoul.
"Thank you, master" the other Ghoul tries to hug Kami who froze him with a glare "run away now, whelp" he slapped the Ghoul away and readied his flames to fry him to a crisp when he was attacked from behind by Nobu and he jumped on Kami's shoulder and bit him in the neck...
"Baka...you intend to protect something that was about to kill you from something that is going to surely kill you?" Kami asks warningly as Nobu was shaking with a mixture of fear (which he won't admit is there) and pure rage that he's finally face to face with the devourer of his family as he snapped "It's him...he-he's the one!"
"What?" one of the other men asked, confused as the rage on Nobunaga's face said it all as he replied teary eyed "He's the freak that murdered my wife and child!"
All the living Ghoul Hunters' faces went pale and blank, having heard the story in full detail of the slaughter of Nobu's family as Kami grinned "aw, I'm flattered...you told them of how I tore your slut of a wife's body limb from limb as I used your child as a toothpick and why would you bite me?" Kami proudly confirmed that he did tear Nobu's family limb from limb as he has no mercy for humans, even children especially if they did him wrong or he just hated them and he did hate Nobunaga...he just loved hurting him so much more that he couldn't kill him.
"Care for a...demonstration of what happed that Holloween night?" Kami said as he urged the remaining human with Nobu to come to him against his will and remove his suit revealing civilian clothes underneath as the man presented his neck to Kami, also against his will as Nobu cringed visibly before Kami even did anything as the Ghoul Lord bit down on the man's neck and shoulder several time hard with his eyes on Nobu the entire time, even held him off the ground in his jaws before throwing him to Nobu's feet as Nobu's terror filled scream filled the forest for every Ghoul and Human to hear for miles before Kami dragged his terrified human away. The shuddering young man he bit still alive screams as Kami glances at him, almost tempted to finish him but gave an echoing dark chuckle and left him be instead as he has what he wants "Live on, boy as I'll be back for you soon enough."
Elsewhere, Yang, Tsujin, Ryuken and Yamamoto were at the edge of the forest or specifically above it, thanks to the powerful winds Yang created...heading straight to where the scream came from once they heard it.
"Did you hear that?" Yang asked hearing the most subtle scream which was quickly silenced then and equally as subtle and quick chuckle as he began wondering if he was going out of his mind as Tsujin stared at him with malice still in his eyes from their previous argument but shook his head wordlessly as his demeanor said 'no, you brainless teme' which caused Ryuken to glare at the two "I'm not going to warn you two imbeciles about fighting again...no, I heard nothing. Yamamoto?"
"I heard nothing either" his eyes glaring at Yang's back intently since they've gotten airborne "The Yang family or clan were once known as the Windriders for their mastery of Wind Magics as well as even some airbending forms that you've unknowingly incorporated into your martial arts style, your foreparents must be proud...or bored and desperate"
"I've never cared if there were others like me, as long as they left me alone" Yang replied stoically as the dead people came into view "there they are..."
Landing, the group were actually surprised and a bit excited by the little killing spree as Yang's persona switched with Yin's, putting the other three on alert.
"Kami was here...having fun" Yin said, smiling sadistically as he loosened his scarf on his neck "Bane wasn't here, though he could've called me over if he was going all out like this" Yin inwardly ate his words, figuring Kami was too much of a sadist to want to share his bloodshed with him, of all people.
"This is getting me exhilerated" Yamamoto said darkly as he cracked his neck and felt someone flinch at the sound of his popping bones and turned to see a human, the one Kami bit, was still alive at the feet of the very alive with slapped in nose and smacked out teeth Ghoul who was still crying over spilled milk as Yamamoto growled walking towards them as they tried to move away "well, look what I found..."
"Kami's going to save me" the Ghoul said weakly laying on his side as Yin lifted him and gave him a cold stare "You think if he was going to 'save you', he'd leave you here to die?" He narrowed his eyes "you're as good as dead, he'll be back to finish the job of taking you life if anything else and torturing this poor guy" Yin's eye shifted making eye contact with the victim for a moment
Tsujin looked at the other man, examining his obvious bite wound as he looked back at the Ghoul, terrified as he stared slowly at Yamamoto then Ryuken, whose eyes he avoided looking at before locking eyes with Yin with a sneer "I wish I could be there to see Lord Kurosaki force that human down the gaki's throat!"
Yin was still for a moment just looking at this fool before his eye widened in anger "Fuck this...we need to have a talk, you and I, big mouth." He grabbed him and slammed him against a tree, denting the trunk and he even caught the trunk with one hand as it was about to fall on him and threw it aside "I haven't gotten a straight answer since I got here but I hope you can help me...for your sake that is." Yin said as the Ghoul's answer was to spit blood at his feet, a huge disrespect as he replied "I don't answer to trash"
"Where is Kami?!" Yin barked angrily choking the Ghoul until he tapped his arm, fully realizing but not accepting that if Yin didn't kill him first then Tsujin, Yamamoto or Ryuken most definitely would and if not them, Kami would if he decides that coming back here for him is worth his time "You'll answer this trash if you like your head where it is...along with the rest of you"
"Fine...as long as the noob gets all these dead humans" The Ghoul saw no choice as he pointed past Yin who looked at the suddenly hungry eyed former human and nodded with a small knowing smile "Go far enough east that you're far enough from Ghoul and Human alike or until you see a cottage built for one and there you'll find Kurosaki"
"How far..." Yin scowled as the man scowled as if he asked a stupid question.
"How the fuck would I know!" The Ghoul snapped "All I know is he only goes that way when he doesn't wish for himself or someone else to be found...I don't know how far or where specifically but whoever he goes there with, he doesn't return with as he might eat them or even leave them for those persistent Humans to find, if they're lucky enough to ever see the light of day again"
"I presume you're speaking of the crypt?" Scar said knowingly as Yin looks at him distrusting of how he knows of this but the look in his golden eyes were enough to say it was no paradise for Ghouls and for Yin not to push his luck by asking.
Elsewhere, Bane was still waiting for Kami, who was taking his sweet time coming so he had free reign of the cottage until the Elder Ghoul's return.
Bane hadn't moved from the spot where Kami had left him for hours now as a spark of flame demanded his attention, when he looked around he saw Kami had a small study despite the building being way too small to hold a study...Kami had used a very common and wisely used spell learned from a German Ghoul that wasn't a Ghoul Lord as he despised Germany's Ghoul Lord to pack a lot into a small space. There was a list on the wall "What's this?"
It was a note left by Kami the day he became a Ghoul Lord and learned that he wasn't the only one, it said...
Kurosaki Kami, the Ghoul Lord and student of fellow Ghoul Lord J'onn Lucario Lebeau...a rank that should be worn proudly as one of the most powerful Ghouls on Earth though with great caution as you will be the target of many physical and psychological attacks not only from your master and fellow Ghoul Lords but also by those who look up and worship you to test if you are truly worthy...
Those were the words printed in a fine handwriting and bright golden ink that almost made it seem like it was just written.
Now Bane went over to the Tome that was demanding his attention on a side table with three other tomes.
"Maybe I could find a spell here to counter Kami's favored Amaterasu..." Bane touched the bright red orange cover and orange gemstone in the centre of the Fire tome as the Kami in his head growled 'Not that one...' silently as he found himself unwillingly reaching for an obsidian navy tome with a black gemstone in the centre but he grabbed two tomes accidentally first...Fire, to hopefully learn Amaterasu's weakness if there was such a thing and Ice, Light and Wind tomes due to his curiosity which were Silver (Ice), White (Light) and Green (Wind) respectively and immediately began reading and practicing as he saw a bookmark with a Dragon on it and Lebeau's last name in hopes that when Kami returned them to the Librarian, he could get Bane to continue learning the magics that thrilled him, assuming he lives long enough after what he has in mind now.
Several hours and Bane had mastered only the basics in the Magics he chose from Kami's study even the Darkness Tome as he didn't have the willpower to resist it's dark allure, but by this time Kami had returned with Nobu as Bane came out of the study.
"Boy, get out here..." Kami said as Bane came out to the strange new scent with his new heightened senses and scowled at Kami "What do you intend to get by kidnapping me?"
Kami waved his finger "I intend to feast on a Demon Lord and you will help me to do so as I plan to share my feast with you" Kami noticed that Bane was looking at the weakened human prey in his grasp.
"Ah, before I forget..." He tossed Nobu to the ground a few feet from Bane "I brought you lunch..."
The human seemed to be what was smelling so good since Kami's return as Bane stepped back and shook "I-I can't just eat another person like that!"
"Oy, Ghoul's tongues are made up differently from human tongues" Kami stuck his large tongue out to prove his point "We're very highly allergic to their food...but not to them, you had no problem with it at my banquet, why now?"
"The food I ate there was actually...?" Bane whispered as Kami glared at him and finished "Human flesh, yes although that was cooked...you can eat this one raw" he kicked Nobu closer to Bane as he groaned and laid on his stomach. His eye opened startling Bane who snarled at Kami "I won't eat him!" But his stomach protested angrily and painfully.
Kami sighed as a demonic grin slowly appeared on his face "Fight me then...entertain the human, if I lose you leave and make up your own mind if you eat him or starve on your own" flames began coming from Kami's body as the room felt much hotter.
"And if I lose...?" Bane asks as their Kakugans activated on their own "You will never see the sun or moon again" he said unjoking and very truthfully.
Kami laughed as he did what Bane least expected and used Amaterasu right off the bat as the flames charged at him.
Bane thought fast, using a spell that seemed related to Kami's though possibly more forbidden, Tsukuyomi which produced red flames that not only absorbed Amaterasu's flames but knocked both Ghouls back as Nobu looked on in shock and awe.
Kami rose to his feet and growled making his way to Bane who was slammed directly into a wall but was somewhat protected by ice crystals growing from his body.
Kami readied a flame to end Bane's life but found that he was still able to use his Amaterasu much stronger now "What did you do to acquire that flame?!" Kami demanded as he nearly stomped Bane's skull.
"I'm not...sure but I'm out of here" Bane declared as Kami snapped "Like hell you are" as he began using Dark element Magic.
"Yami o ukeiremasu" (Embrace the darkness) as a black smoke shot from his hand and went right through Bane's chest.
Kami just sneered as, to Bane, it seems as if Kami's spell did nothing as he rose to his feet, a bit dizzy and wobbly on his feet but knew how to get back at the vengeful Ghoul, raising his hand to Nobunaga just as he was about to be torn to ribbons by Kami, who was fast but not faster than Bane's shadow which took possession of Nobu's body and made him toss himself out of the nearest window in order for him to escape being torn to ribbons.
Nobunaga ran like hell to get out of there but stopped a distance away, looking back to see that Bane would suffer Kami's full wrath but respecting the Ghoul that was meant to kill him but saved him instead "that Ghoul kid...whatever he did, he saved me but why?" He vowed to meet and repay the Ghoul one day as he remembered Kami calling him 'Bane' as he went back to where he was when Kami abducted him.
Back with Kami, Bane was losing consciousness after the beating Kami has been putting on him due to the ineffectiveness of his Amaterasu now.
Kami was extremely pissed and Bane could barely protect himself from a flurry of punches and kicks from the Ghoul who moved like a blur. Kami then kicked Bane hard into a hard wooden door, surprisingly not sending him through it as Bane received one last punch to the face before being pulled under by whatever spell Kami used earlier "sleep tight and don't wake up" were the last words he heard before hearing nothing and seeing only darkness and Kami already knew how long he needed to wait now before getting the answer of if Bane will let his dark side take control of him or not as Bane's eyes went blank with a red glow, remaining wide open as his body showed signs that he was still alive but helpless and at Kami's mercy.
Kami went to an empty wall and placed his palm against it as a secret doorway to a small though infinite pocket dimension called the Crypt and tossed Bane in before permanently sealing any and all exits to it. Not that there were much to begin with.
There was a knock on the door before a furious Yang burst in and confronts his old mentor with Tsujin, Yamamoto and Ryuken who happened to see the gateway to the Crypt moments before it disappeared.
"So, my hunch was right...there is no return from a place like the Crypt" Ryuken said hopelessly as Tsujin rolled his eyes "Well, there goes encouragement...how do you know so much 'bout this Crypt place anyway?"
Yamamoto looked at Scar understanding everything without him saying a word by the absence of life in his eyes that he had personal experience with this Crypt that scarred him emotionally even though he was the only one to ever escape it alive "You've been there, haven't you?" He confirmed more than asked.
Scar nodded "it's a place that can make anyone feel fear in it's purest form, even a Ghoul, I spent three whole years in that place alone wandering endlessly for what felt like forever, no hunger, no nothing...and rumor has it, it's one of the origin places of evil"
"You're gonna give me nightmares about this and I don't even sleep...Hell sounds like a paradise to this" Yang grumbled as he realized something "I bet Bane isn't the only one there, with the loss of your sibling either...Ryuken" he lunged at Kami as Tsujin thought of if Kami faked his brother's death too, even if Yang did the deed and Ryuken looked extra murderous and silent as he kept constant watch over Yang.
Kami took on the Ghouls, meanwhile within the Crypt, a mini interdimensional-prison that Kami had gained unwarranted access to by threatening the rightful owners, the Kurosaki Clan and his relatives only by name. With him was a girl with long, black hair nearly reaching her ankles which she hated a bit as well as the unmistakable and remarkably beautiful golden eyes that, like her elder brother, distinguished her as a member of the Ryu Clan, the same clan the Salazar family originates from and her older brother was said to be named for, another was there also...Yuuki Hatake, Yamamoto's sister who light blonde hair and a blank look on her face as they among other simply stared at Bane.
Within Bane's mind, he stood in the middle of darkness as figures that he knew appeared in a circle around him. His mind's twisted versions of his parents, Ryuken, Yamamoto, Tsujin, Kami and even himself all stood around him.
"Bane..." the twisted versions of those he's known and met since his arrival in the City of the Ghouls chorused his name and grinned evilly.
"Who are you?" Bane questioned "what do you want?"
"What do you mean 'whaddaya want', I desire only what you desire..." Yamamoto, Bane's mind's representation of him said as his eyes were red on black like the others.
"...and I know what you desire..." Kami continued as if they were one being and not seven separate individuals which they were in fact only parts of the one being, Dark Bane as Tsume added sweetly "...you desire to kill..."
"...to murder..." Yang said darkly.
"...to destroy..." Kami grinned sharkily
"EVERYTHING" Tsujin snarled, startling Bane.
Bane made eye contact with himself, his dark side's true form who was sneering at him and doing or saying nothing "Stop this, whoever you are" Bane said with no emotion, the ruse wasn't hard to see through "you're doing a great job if you're trying to piss me off"
Everyone else disappeared as he was now alone with...himself "What is 'Whoever I am' supposed to mean, are we not one and the same?" Dark Bane said.
"Let me back in, so we can kill some more!" Dark Bane said with bloodlust in his black eyes as silver pupils appeared and his right eye changed to normal like a Ghoul when the Kakugan is inactive "take my hand and I'll make all your dark dreams a reality"
"What dark dreams?" Bane was still very angry and the angrier he grew, the harder it was to resist his other self's request "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"You can't lie to someone who knows your mind even better than you do" Dark Bane smirked "...and I know you want to see what you're really capable of as a Ghoul"
"This is MY mind and I won't let you do this!" Bane said as his dark half snapped "Wrong, this is OUR mind and you can leave here if only you'd just embrace my damn power already!"
Bane is backed against a wall by his dark side while elsewhere, despite being trapped in a place that makes it seem that he didn't exist he was attracting Wingless Dragon who'd reverted back to J'onn and Azazel to him like a moth to a black flame.
"Bite my tail ever again, J'onn and I'll tear your freaking head off, got it?" Azazel said as J'onn, who vaguely remembers biting the Demon Lord in the first place as he used his abilities to sense energy and even movement from over 50 miles away "Save that for Kami when we find him..."
"Speaking of Kami, there's something I've been meaning to ask you" Azazel said "How could he be so powerful?"
J'onn closed his eyes, reminiscing of the past and Kami's youth as a escaped slave turned student of a Ghoul Lord and Ghoul Lord in the making himself "although Kami is powerful, neither he nor I am the strongest among the Ghoul Lords, I am one of the smartest but he was by all means the weakest and smarter than I was" J'onn said as Azazel was amazed, which rarely happened and jaw dropped, which never happened as J'onn laughed awkwardly "He was ostracised by the other Ghoul Lords, all from different countries, for the fact that all our memories of our personal pasts were intact but him and despite his mark as a natural prodigy..." J'onn paused again for a moment "...he felt like he needed to prove himself and even more to prove the Ghoul Lords who were now his colleagues that they were wrong and he was as powerful as any of them, that encouraged me to take him under my wing. If I may ask, what happened to your tail?" J'onn couldn't help but smirk at the look on Azazel's face.
Azazel scowled bringing his spade tipped tail to J'onn's jugular "You bit me, don't play dumb with me..." as J'onn raised his hands in defence, smiling wickedly as he tried not to laugh and faked a straight face under the Demon Lord's glare "How tempting, if only you'd stop moving it so much I would not want to bite it up, mon ami" he grabbed the tail in his firm grip only for Azazel to kick him hard in the face which he took before smiling evilly with dark things in mind for the Demon Lord's tail as he snarls "Let's go, we've wasted enough time already" Azazel only nodded with a dangerous look in his eyes as he grabbed J'onn's arm and teleported.
A/N - Yang has finally cornered Kami with J'onn and Azazel on their way there, but with them too late from Kami executing his plans for Bane what will be the Ghoul's fate as he faces his dark side and finds Ryuken's sister? More next chapter!