---- Chapter 20: Tournament's True Purpose Revealed ----
The menacing demon Kuttakuta stepped forward, brandishing his two powerful claws. "Keyaku Nakadachi! You die today!" it called out, glaring menacingly at Keyaku. Without so much as a word, Keyaku sprung forward, drawing the Naginata from his back and holding it diagonally in front of him with one hand, the other at his side.
Smirking, he told the demon, "Come at me then."
A furious roar came from the demon as it rushed towards Keyaku, one claw raised high into the air. But before Kuttakuta came withing striking distance, it stopped, and called out, "Kaiten Kage Senpuu Kogeki!!" With a mighty swing of one claw, a huge black whirlwind shot from his weapon. Surprised by the sudden move, Keyaku had no real time to dodge, and was hit head-on. The fierce winds tore open wounds in his skin, causing the man to wince in pain, but with a wave of his Naginata, the attack dissipated. "W-What?!!" cried out Kuttakuta, before being hurled backwards by a fierce elbow strike from Keyaku. While the demon recovered from the attack, Keyaku rushed forward, leaping up and kicking off Kuttakuta's muscled chest into the air.
Holding his free hand up, a long spear of energy formed, as he called out, "Ryuga Yari!!!" And with that, he hurled the energy spear downwards, striking Kuttakuta's right shoulder and piercing all the way through. But then, the energy from the attack spread outwards, creating a huge dome of energy that engulfed the demon completely. Gracefully, Keyaku did a mid-air flip and landed, looking over at the devastation his attack had caused.
As the attack dissipated, a deep crater could be seen where solid ground once was. Kuttakuta's claw reached out of the crater, as the demon pulled itself up. Clearly, the attack had taken its toll - most of Kuttakuta's spiked armor was gone, and blood covered his body. Panting heavily, the demon began to laugh. At first, the laughter was quiet, but soon it became maniacal. Keyaku snapped, "What's so funny, demon?!"
His answer came in an unexpected form - three simple words....
"We fooled you."
High above the stadium, the leader of Reikai-Kakumei hovered, a malicious grin on his face. Extending one hand out palm-up, he called out, "Kage Hou!!!" A simply enormous blast of black energy shot out of his hand, towards Keyaku and Kuttakuta. Noticing just in time, Keyaku leapt out of the way, the blast engulfing a still-laughing Kuttakuta completely, vaporizing him on the spot. The attack spread outwards, destroying much of the stadium as the other warriors struggled to get out of the way. Moments later, all that remained of the stadium was a few pieces of scattered rubble, and a gigantic crater.
Keyaku looked up at his attacker, and froze in his tracks. Trembling violently, he dropped his Naginata to the ground as he fell to his knees, only able to mutter, "I-It's over...."
"Greetings, champions of Reikai!" called out Katsudo, the same evil smirk still plastered on his face. "I am Katsudo Sasuga, leader of the Reikai-Kakumei. I'm afraid that you've all fallen for our trap.... Mmeh-heh-heh.... While you fools were fighting our warriors, Reikai fell to a full-blown invasion. Now, all of its resources belong to me...."
Everyone was, obviously, shocked and angered at being used like that. Keyaku's eyes snapped open, as he stopped shaking. "M-My sister.... What has become of her?!"
Katsudo chuckled, calling out, "Oh, her? I ordered the execution of everyone there, so I expect she's dead by now.... Mmeh-heh-heh.... W-What?!!"
A fierce aura surrounded Keyaku, teardrops spilling from his eyes. When he looked back up at Katsudo, his eyes were bloodshot with rage and fury. Clenching his fist so tightly that he drew blood, he shot upwards, screaming out, "You bastard!!!"
Keyaku delivered a crushing punch to Katsudo's stomach, the young-looking boy vomiting up blood. Still yelling loudly, he continued to assault Katsudo, the boy unable to restrain his rage. With one single hit from Keyaku's elbow, Katsudo was sent shooting downwards, crashing into the ground roughly. Still in the air, Keyaku began to realize what he'd just done, and held out his hands, amazed at the power he'd displayed.
Jumping back out of the ground, Katsudo emerged bruised and battered. "Y-Your power.... what was that power.... ? No matter. My plans will succeed.... and I will finally regain my true form once more!"
Confused, Keyaku descended rapidly, landing near Katsudo. "True form?" he asked.
Before he could react, Keyaku found himself impaled on Katsudo's arm, which was now flashing black and crackling with energy. Pulling out, Katsudo clutched a small glimmer of light in his hand, as Keyaku's eyes glazed over and he fell lifeless to the ground. The light in Katsudo's hand became encased in what looked like some sort of clear black rock, and the heartless Katsudo crushed it tightly, dropping the ashes to the ground.
Shinrai called out, "Keyaku!!" Ignoring the boy's anguished cry, Katsudo extended his arm, and fired a blast of black energy at the ship that the warriors had arrived on, destroying it easily. "Now," he said, "you won't leave this island so easily. Mmeh-heh-heh.... And, of course, the traitor Keyaku will never leave at all.... not with his soul crushed by my hand!!" Floating into the sky, Katsudo smiled wickedly one last time before vanishing in a flash of light.
Everything was silent for a few moments, everyone mourning the loss of a friend and ally. Shinrai's aura swirled around him, and he let out an ungodly scream - "This isn't over, Katsudo!!!!!"
=== At Reikai - Koenma's Throne Room ===
Koenma (in toddler form) was restrained by two small demons, as Botan looked on in horror from her own captivity - chained to the wall with shackles of energy. Katsudo, fully recovered, walked towards Koenma and ripped the pacifier from his mouth, crushing it in his fist tightly. "W-What do you want?!" yelled Koenma, provoking a chuckle from Katsudo.
"You don't recognize my Ki? How pathetic.... I thought I'd trained you better than that, fool."
Koenma's eyes snapped open in surprise and shock, as he murmured, "N-No.... it can't be.... !!!"
Smiling with that wicked smile, Katsudo stood proudly, a symbol appearing on his forehead - the symbol for 'king.'
"Stand proud, all of you! The great, undying Enma Daiou has returned!"
The menacing demon Kuttakuta stepped forward, brandishing his two powerful claws. "Keyaku Nakadachi! You die today!" it called out, glaring menacingly at Keyaku. Without so much as a word, Keyaku sprung forward, drawing the Naginata from his back and holding it diagonally in front of him with one hand, the other at his side.
Smirking, he told the demon, "Come at me then."
A furious roar came from the demon as it rushed towards Keyaku, one claw raised high into the air. But before Kuttakuta came withing striking distance, it stopped, and called out, "Kaiten Kage Senpuu Kogeki!!" With a mighty swing of one claw, a huge black whirlwind shot from his weapon. Surprised by the sudden move, Keyaku had no real time to dodge, and was hit head-on. The fierce winds tore open wounds in his skin, causing the man to wince in pain, but with a wave of his Naginata, the attack dissipated. "W-What?!!" cried out Kuttakuta, before being hurled backwards by a fierce elbow strike from Keyaku. While the demon recovered from the attack, Keyaku rushed forward, leaping up and kicking off Kuttakuta's muscled chest into the air.
Holding his free hand up, a long spear of energy formed, as he called out, "Ryuga Yari!!!" And with that, he hurled the energy spear downwards, striking Kuttakuta's right shoulder and piercing all the way through. But then, the energy from the attack spread outwards, creating a huge dome of energy that engulfed the demon completely. Gracefully, Keyaku did a mid-air flip and landed, looking over at the devastation his attack had caused.
As the attack dissipated, a deep crater could be seen where solid ground once was. Kuttakuta's claw reached out of the crater, as the demon pulled itself up. Clearly, the attack had taken its toll - most of Kuttakuta's spiked armor was gone, and blood covered his body. Panting heavily, the demon began to laugh. At first, the laughter was quiet, but soon it became maniacal. Keyaku snapped, "What's so funny, demon?!"
His answer came in an unexpected form - three simple words....
"We fooled you."
High above the stadium, the leader of Reikai-Kakumei hovered, a malicious grin on his face. Extending one hand out palm-up, he called out, "Kage Hou!!!" A simply enormous blast of black energy shot out of his hand, towards Keyaku and Kuttakuta. Noticing just in time, Keyaku leapt out of the way, the blast engulfing a still-laughing Kuttakuta completely, vaporizing him on the spot. The attack spread outwards, destroying much of the stadium as the other warriors struggled to get out of the way. Moments later, all that remained of the stadium was a few pieces of scattered rubble, and a gigantic crater.
Keyaku looked up at his attacker, and froze in his tracks. Trembling violently, he dropped his Naginata to the ground as he fell to his knees, only able to mutter, "I-It's over...."
"Greetings, champions of Reikai!" called out Katsudo, the same evil smirk still plastered on his face. "I am Katsudo Sasuga, leader of the Reikai-Kakumei. I'm afraid that you've all fallen for our trap.... Mmeh-heh-heh.... While you fools were fighting our warriors, Reikai fell to a full-blown invasion. Now, all of its resources belong to me...."
Everyone was, obviously, shocked and angered at being used like that. Keyaku's eyes snapped open, as he stopped shaking. "M-My sister.... What has become of her?!"
Katsudo chuckled, calling out, "Oh, her? I ordered the execution of everyone there, so I expect she's dead by now.... Mmeh-heh-heh.... W-What?!!"
A fierce aura surrounded Keyaku, teardrops spilling from his eyes. When he looked back up at Katsudo, his eyes were bloodshot with rage and fury. Clenching his fist so tightly that he drew blood, he shot upwards, screaming out, "You bastard!!!"
Keyaku delivered a crushing punch to Katsudo's stomach, the young-looking boy vomiting up blood. Still yelling loudly, he continued to assault Katsudo, the boy unable to restrain his rage. With one single hit from Keyaku's elbow, Katsudo was sent shooting downwards, crashing into the ground roughly. Still in the air, Keyaku began to realize what he'd just done, and held out his hands, amazed at the power he'd displayed.
Jumping back out of the ground, Katsudo emerged bruised and battered. "Y-Your power.... what was that power.... ? No matter. My plans will succeed.... and I will finally regain my true form once more!"
Confused, Keyaku descended rapidly, landing near Katsudo. "True form?" he asked.
Before he could react, Keyaku found himself impaled on Katsudo's arm, which was now flashing black and crackling with energy. Pulling out, Katsudo clutched a small glimmer of light in his hand, as Keyaku's eyes glazed over and he fell lifeless to the ground. The light in Katsudo's hand became encased in what looked like some sort of clear black rock, and the heartless Katsudo crushed it tightly, dropping the ashes to the ground.
Shinrai called out, "Keyaku!!" Ignoring the boy's anguished cry, Katsudo extended his arm, and fired a blast of black energy at the ship that the warriors had arrived on, destroying it easily. "Now," he said, "you won't leave this island so easily. Mmeh-heh-heh.... And, of course, the traitor Keyaku will never leave at all.... not with his soul crushed by my hand!!" Floating into the sky, Katsudo smiled wickedly one last time before vanishing in a flash of light.
Everything was silent for a few moments, everyone mourning the loss of a friend and ally. Shinrai's aura swirled around him, and he let out an ungodly scream - "This isn't over, Katsudo!!!!!"
=== At Reikai - Koenma's Throne Room ===
Koenma (in toddler form) was restrained by two small demons, as Botan looked on in horror from her own captivity - chained to the wall with shackles of energy. Katsudo, fully recovered, walked towards Koenma and ripped the pacifier from his mouth, crushing it in his fist tightly. "W-What do you want?!" yelled Koenma, provoking a chuckle from Katsudo.
"You don't recognize my Ki? How pathetic.... I thought I'd trained you better than that, fool."
Koenma's eyes snapped open in surprise and shock, as he murmured, "N-No.... it can't be.... !!!"
Smiling with that wicked smile, Katsudo stood proudly, a symbol appearing on his forehead - the symbol for 'king.'
"Stand proud, all of you! The great, undying Enma Daiou has returned!"