Life 2. Five Principal Clans

Part 1

"Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome."

Ham prepares a tea cup for Goldentime. Ram asked Silverage to come, so he brought Goldentime, Akai and Nero with him. Yami isn't here because she's doing research about yokai for some reason.

"So, how was your game Silverage?"

"I lost."

Ehhhh?! How did Tiffania defeat Silverage?!

"Our game was a [Scramble Flag], so I told my peerage to lose. It was easy since in this kind of game you don't have to defeat the King, since defeating me isn't easy."

He lost, because he wanted to lose? But why?

"You know that if you don't win the last match, victory is ours, right?"

Haruka asks that. Oh, you little poor soul.

"This was intentional. I'll win that match, and once that happens, I can have my tie-breaker battle."

Silverage is looking at me while saying that. He told me he wanted to fight with me. This is the way he's planning to do it...?

"And how did you defeat that Himejima? Nero had serious problems with him, and Akai told me he isn't someone a Devil should face in hand-to-hand combat."

"He asked to be retired once he saw Rina."

Mint says that in a frank tone. We all look at Rina, who is still melancholic and repeating the name "Subaru…" over and over again.

"Her surname is Kushihashi, is it? She's Rina Kushihashi, right?"

After Nero says that, we all nod with our heads. I remember Kushihashi and Himejima are the name of two of the Five Principal Clans. Maybe she knows him from there…

"Well, she should be coming at any moment."

Silverage says that out of the blue. Then, a magic circle appears. I remember that symbol from a book… that's the Bael clan's symbol!

"Rina…"

Seila and her Queen appear from the circle. The Queen is melancholic and saying Rina… interesting.

"So the most hated peerage asked me to come. If it wasn't because Subaru has been this way since the game with Ram ended, I wouldn't have helped you."

The most hated peerage? She's talking about Silverage's, right? Akai gets close to me and whispers to my ear.

"This peerage is made of a half human [Extra Demon], two members of Grigori and a famous Exorcist. Goldentime is the only one here who doesn't have a reason to be hated."

Well, and since they're called the strongest peerage among young Devils, it makes sense the aristocrats hate them; specially the super conservative Great King clan.

"Do you want to hear how did I make Rina my Queen?"

Since Rina and the guy named Subaru are sitting together and we don't have anything else to do now, no one objects to hear the story.

Rina was raised within the Kushihashi clan as the only daughter of the current head; however, she was born without the power mysticism, and was only kept on the clan due to his father.

She always lived under the shadow of her cousin, Kaname Kushihashi, who was considered a prodigy in mysticism. Kaname always was assigned all kind of dangerous purifications, while Rina just stayed at home.

Kaname has had a huge hatred towards Devils his whole life, thanks to all the experience fighting against them he had; Rina, on her hand, just prepared talismans at the most.

One day, Seiryu Kushihashi, the strongest member of her clan, took Rina to come with him to purge a Devil. However, their opponent was no other than the heir of the Astaroth clan who was rapping a group of mikos. Seiryu asked Rina to run away while he faced the heir of Astaroth.

Rina ran until she found Ram, who was passing by Japan alongside Seila and Tiffania to buy some clothes for Seila. Ram would ask Rina if she wanted to travel with her, to which Rina accepted.

After Seila and Tiffania went back to the Underworld, Ram and Rina travelled across the entirety of Japan because Ram wanted to know the place. Because she enjoyed it, Ram asked her parents to buy her a house on Japan.

Rina wanted to stay with Ram, since she understood her feelings unlike the members of her clan; for that Ram turned Rina into a Devil. Since she was her first piece, she used the Queen to represent their friendship wouldn't break.

"Up to this day, Rina hasn't seen her family again since that day."

So she was ignored by her family since she didn't have any powers while her cousin was a prodigy… that must be hard.

"Well, I already got tired of you; take care of Subaru for me."

As she says that, Seila disappears. Silverage then mentions a crazy idea.

"I think we should take these two to their home; to the place of the Five Principal Clans."

What?! Are you even thinking?! We're Devils! Going to the territory of the Five Clans who are blessed with purification mysticism of Shintoism is going to mean death to us!

"Sure, it'll probably make them feel better."

Am I the only one here who thinks?!

"Don't worry Rito, I also find this idea to be stupid."

Mint whispers that to my ear. I think I feel a little better now…

Part 2

We already got close to the area of the Five Principal Clans. Ram and Silverage asked Lucifer-sama for some kind of item that allows us to enter the shrines; he gave it to us since he understands our reasons for going here and because his little game would be over if we die.

I was extremely worried of the injuries we would get here, but Ram brought 3 Phoenix's tears with her. She said that she created them by herself; after all, they aren't easy to create, since the Phenex needs to cry without feeling any emotion on a bowl of water while being surrounded by a magic circle or something like that.

"This place hasn't changed at all in all these years, it is truly nostalgic."

Rina who looks around the place non-stop says that. So she's feeling nostalgia…

"I won't allow a group of dirty Devils to be in my territory!"

A blue haired boy says that while pointing at us with some kind of really bright water! Light is poisonous to Devils, so whatever that is it's bad! Even then, Rina seems to be shocked to see him…

"Kaname?"

So this boy is her cousin?!

"I don't go by that name anymore; I'm Seiryu Kushihashi now, and a group of dirty evil beings like you should die here and now!"

As he says that, I prepare for the worst to happen…

"Stop this right now, Seiryu."

After hearing that, Seiryu disperses his attack and turns around.

"Why are you supporting them, Byakko? They're Devils! Evil beings from Christian mythology! We can't allow them to enter the sacred territory of the Five Principal Clans! For that I, as the Blue Dragon of the Kushihashi clan, have the deed to kill them."

"Sigh, you won't calm down if the topic is Devils, Seiryu… If it wasn't because the Blue Dragon picked you as its inheritor, I swear I wouldn't get close to you."

The long haired man named Byakko seems to have some problems with Seiryu. Well, going by his personality, I wouldn't like to spend time with him either.

"Devils are Christian. We are the Five Principal Clans, the families blessed with the power of mysticism by the Shinto gods. Both you and I bear one of the Four Sacred Beasts. People like us have no reason to hold a grudge against Devils."

"You're missing the point, Byakko. Our job is to purge evil beings, like these Devils here. How am I going to calm down if a group of Christian monsters enter our territory?!"

"These two won't stop arguing, right Suzaku?"

"You're totally right, Genbu."

A black haired girl named Suzaku and man with a really weird hairstyle named Genbu appeared. Just how many more people are going to come?

"I'm with Byakko on this one. If they didn't die entering our territory, then it's safe to assume they have a good reason to be here. What do you think, Suzaku?"

"Totally agree, Genbu."

"Well, it's decided. Seiryu, you won't be able to kill them as long as they're here. Understand?"

"I hate you so much."

As Genbu and Suzaku calm down Seiryu, Byakko guides us to the main house of the clans.

Part 3

Once we're on the place, I can see a kid whose hairstyle is even weirder than Genbu's sitting on the centre of the room. Actually, there are 5 pillows on the centre; they're red, blue, white, black and yellow, in that order. As we come in, Suzaku sits on the red one, Seiryu on the blue one, Byakko on the white one and Genbu on the black one; the kid is sitting on the yellow one.

"I think I should introduce us formally. On the red spot is Suzaku Himejima, inheritor of the Vermillion Bird; on the blue spot is Seiryu Kushihashi, inheritor of the Blue Dragon; on the black spot is Genbu Domon, inheritor of the Black Turtle; and I'm on the white spot, my name is Byakko Shinra and I'm the inheritor of the White Tiger."

So these people are the inheritors of the Four Sacred Beasts… then the kid must be the inheritor of the Yellow Dragon that accompanies the Shinto beasts.

"I'm Silverage Lucifuge, and the people who came with me are Goldentime Erklight, Akai Asagiri, Spadaccino Nero and Subaru Himejima."

"It's nice to see you again, Subaru."

"Yeah, long time no see, Suzaku."

Well, both are Himejima, but they aren't as closely related as Rina and Seiryu are.

"I'm Ram Phenex, and the people who came with me are Rina Kushihashi, Mint Borrow, Abraham Hawkthorn, María Hernández, Haruka Sorami and Rito Yuma."

The kid looks at me with his eyes filled with bright. Then, he stands up and gets close to me.

"I'm Oryu Nakiri, but I was born as Rito Nakiri, so we share the same name! Can you write it to confirm something?"

Oryu gives me paper and a brush with ink… I ignore how Edo Period that looks like and write my name on it. As I show it to Oryu, his eyes fill with bright once again.

"We even share the same kanji! From now on I'm calling you Yuma-senpai, Yuma-senpai."

This kid gained a huge respect towards me so fast… I like it.

"So, what's your goal here?"

"We just wanted to spend this weekend with you so our friends can relieve the sorrow they have been feeling lately."

"We'll make a vote to decide if you can stay. Raise your hand if you agree."

While Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku and Oryu raise their hands, Seiryu doesn't. He clearly doesn't want us here.

"It's decided, you can stay. I lift this conference of the inheritors."

As Byakko says that, Seiryu leaves the place. The rest of them, however, stay here to talk with us.

"When did you gain all this power over the other inheritors, Byakko?"

"As you should remember, the inheritor who has been on the spot for the most time is considered the de facto leader. After the Seiryu you met died, I became the oldest one so I was chosen as the leader, and if I were to die, Genbu would be the leader."

Rina asks that to Byakko. So they pick the oldest one to be the leader… poor Oryu. As I thought that, Subaru gets close to Byakko.

"Thanks for all the tools and talismans you sent me after becoming a Devil."

"That's the least I can do for my childhood friend. A shame you became a Devil before the former Suzaku passed away, otherwise I think the Vermillion Bird would have picked you over her."

"Nah, she has always been stronger than me, but I feel honoured you think that way."

As they day went by, I ended up spending a lot of time with Oryu. He's the youngest Oryu in history; he's 13 now and was 12 when he was selected as the inheritor of the Yellow Dragon.

Just like Seiryu, who is a mysticism prodigy who got selected at age 14, he has been told that he possesses an immense control of his mysticism despite being so young.

We even got a training session together. I want to think it was because his mysticism inflicts big damage to Devils, since otherwise a kid was kicking my ass using rocks and touki.

By the time to sleep, they told us that we would have to fit on the rooms, which could only hold two people each. Ram and Silverage, Ham and Mint, Rina and Subaru, María and Haruka, all of them got into the rooms immediately.

"Well, this situation is uncomfortable."

Goldentime described it perfectly. Nero looks closely at the last two available rooms.

"I think that solving this is going to be simple. The couple are going to sleep together while I sleep with Goldentime."

"Did you just call me his boyfriend?!"

Both Akai and I yell at the same time! I mean, he has been my friend since I was in middle school, off course I'm close to him! But being close to him doesn't make me gay! I'm not Ham who seems to have no problem with touching Mint's royal staff!

"Whatever."

Nero and Goldentime just get into their room. As I was about to enter the room with Akai, Oryu and girl who seems to be about his age comes close to us.

"Wait a moment, Yuma-senpai! I want to sleep with you!"

After saying that, Oryu explained that the girl is his cousin, and that she and Akai will change places so I can sleep with him. I accepted for obvious reasons, but before going-

"Enjoy your night, Rito, I surely will."

Akai, alias "The Shadow Lolicon", looks at Oryu's cousin with erotic eyes. What is he planning to do?... actually, I don't want to know.

Once I get into Oryu's bedroom, which is at the side of Ram's, he starts taking off his clothes. Thanks to my impulse of curiosity, I can see he hasn't developed his part. I'm sure I already developed at age 13, so I don't know what's up with him.

"You aren't going to get naked?"

"Wh-Why would I?"

"My cousin and I sleep like this every night."

"You know she's a girl, right?"

"And what? I have seen her naked even before her breasts started to grow."

So his parents haven't give him "the talk"… this can't be helped.

"Ok, but why do I have to get naked?"

"I'll feel uncomfortable if you don't do it, Yuma-senpai."

I don't want to crush this kid's dream, so I'll do it. I take off my pants and underwear, and he looks at me with a shocked face.

"Wow, you also have that thing Seiryu-san, Byakko-san and Genbu-san has between their legs. How do you get that?"

"Believe me Oryu, you don't want to know the answer."

After taking off my shirt, I lay on the bed. I can see Oryu cannot take his eyes away from me, so I'm unable to sleep.

As time passes, I can hear moans from Ram's room. I knew you two weren't virgin, but please, don't overdo it Silverage.

"That Ram girl seems to be in pain. That Silverage guy must be hurting her."

Seriously, why am I the one who have to give "the talk" to this kid?!

"Don't worry, if just that they love each other so much that they groan that way."

"Oh, so like Genbu-san and Suzaku-san, that's cool."

I just try harder to sleep after hearing that information I shouldn't have heard.