Down they went, in large circles that matched the swirls that seemed to have no end below them. Goemon and Yae became disoriented and slightly nauseous as they tumbled down and watched the outside spiral pass by them. The only sounds they heard as they rushed downwards were their elongated moans, which became louder the further they went.

Finally, the spinning stopped, and they saw that they were finally in a place that looked somewhat normal. Of course, their idea of normal didn't include stalagmites and dirt that was a red color, but compared to the portal this was a nice relief. Unfortunately, all they could really see of this place was the floor accelerating towards them. "I've got you guys!" said a familiar voice. Ebisumaru ran below them and held his arms out.

The ninjas continued screaming and plummeting, and Ebisumaru adjusted his position accordingly. Yae landed in Ebisumaru's arms with a small sigh, but Goemon was alarmed to see that nothing separated him from the ground below. He was about to release a loud and vulgar curse, but landed flat on his face with a loud crash before he had the chance to do so.

"Oh, wow. Sorry, Goemon," Ebisumaru said as he put Yae safely on the ground. "I guess I miscalculated how fast you were falling." Goemon made sounds that seemed like they may have been words, but they made no sense due to the fact that his face was embedded in the dirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?" Ebisumaru asked as he helped Goemon up.

Goemon forcefully ejected a few small rocks and clumps of dirt from his mouth. "I said, did you really expect to catch both of us?" Ebisumaru thought for a moment before grinning and shrugging his shoulders. Goemon shook his head and brushed some dirt off of his clothes. "Anyway, how did you manage to get down here without hurting yourself? And where's Sasuke?"

Ebisumaru patted his plump stomach proudly. "Sometimes, it helps to have a little extra weight to absorb the shock. Sasuke got a little beaten up during the landing, but he'll be fine." Ebisumaru pointed over his shoulder, where Sasuke was trying to tighten the screws that held his arms in place, but was having some difficulty with it because of his round hands. Yae walked over to assist him. "Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out where Makurayami's gone off to. Just look around."

Goemon did so to see that this part of the Underworld was in a complete state of disarray. Houses were destroyed, and smoke rose from the rubble. This destruction continued for as far as he could see. The entire area was deserted, making this already creepy place even more frightening.

"Hey! It's about time you guys got here!" said a voice from behind Goemon. He turned around to see Suzaku running towards them. She looked at each of the ninjas with their respective jewels. "I see you managed to get all four Jewels of Light. He's headed towards Dochuki's prison in his new host, a young woman." Goemon shifted nervously. "Is something wrong, Goemon?" The spiky-haired ninja made no verbal reply, but looked down at his feet.

"That young woman is Omitsu," Yae said. "She's...she's Goemon's girlfriend." Goemon shot an angry look at Yae. "Suzaku, we can't get the Jewels of Light to work properly. Can you tell us how to use them?"

"I'll try to explain it on the way. Come on, we have to get over to the tower where Dochuki's spirit is being held!" Suzaku ran ahead of the ninjas and signaled for them to follow her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Goemon said grumpily. The others looked at him with their mouths wide open. Of all the strange things Goemon could say, this was probably the most outrageous.

"Wha--What did you say?" Yae asked, not making any effort at all to hide her surprise.

"I said, I'm not going," Goemon repeated. He folded his arms across his chest like a pouting child. "I can't bear to look at Omitsu knowing that monster is causing her to feel all kinds of unimaginable pain."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. This is--Where is all this nonsense coming from?"

"Goemon, I thought you were so eager to teach Makurayami a lesson. What happened?" Ebisumaru asked, a look of genuine concern on his face. "What about all that stuff you said on the way to Ugo, and everything that happened once we got there?"

"Don't act so surprised. I'm doing exactly as you told me, Yae. I'm thinking things through logically instead of making stupid, rash decisions," Goemon said. "And Ebisumaru, I can't believe that you, of all people, would convince me that we could save her! You were there, you saw that the Jewels of Light did absolutely nothing against Makurayami! I thought you were my friend, Ebisumaru. I never imagined that you would fill me with false hope like that!"

"Mr. Goemon, please calm down!" Sasuke pleaded. "Yae and I asked Ebisumaru to try to comfort you because you've been such good friends for so long, and we were all certain it worked. I don't understand why you're acting like this, but it's unlike you, and everybody needs your help right now, especially Omitsu."

"He's right, Goemon," Suzaku said. "The Jewels of Light work best when their power is combined, so you'll have the best chance of defeating Makurayami if you go now with the others. And if you do nothing, not only will there be nothing to stop both worlds from being thrown into darkness, but Omitsu will certainly die! You have to at least try!"

"You! You were the one that started us down this path of misery in the first place!" Goemon pointed an accusatory finger at Suzaku, who said nothing but stared intently into his eyes, silently begging him to come to his senses. "You convinced me that this journey would be worth putting the love of my life in harm's way, and forced that thought to haunt me in the back of my mind this entire time!"

Yae slowly moved closer to a shaking Goemon. He lowered his arm, but glared furiously at the kunoichi. Yae bit her lower lip and looked down to the ground next to her feet. Her plan was risky and would most likely have many negative ramifications, but desperate times called for desperate measures. A frustrated Yae stared straight into Goemon's eyes before she pulled her arm back and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. The force of the slap sent Goemon spinning and falling to the ground, and the clap produced by the impact of Yae's hand to Goemon's cheek rang out and echoed throughout the desolate Underworld. Everybody remained motionless and silent except Yae, who grabbed Goemon by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"Okay, I've only got one good rant in me, and here it is," Yae began. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's really starting to scare me. You've GOT to get a hold of yourself, Goemon, or else everything we've fought for and all the sacrifices we've made will mean nothing! I want to say some things that I think you really need to hear, and we don't have a lot of time so please don't interrupt me with any stupid crap about how we can't possibly win or how any of us are responsible for your ridiculously sour outlook.

"First of all, you have no right to blame any of us for Omitsu's fate. All three of you knew that there was a risk of the ones you care about becoming a slave of that monster. But even so, you accepted this mission, leaving those people behind so you could do something to at least try to stop him. And why did you do that? Why did you make that initial sacrifice of leaving the people you care about so deeply, perhaps never being able to see them again? I think you need to be reminded of that reason, Goemon. You did it because every person in both worlds needs you. You did it because nobody else would do it, and if you sat there on your hands and did nothing, millions, maybe even billions of people would suffer. I know I'm not the best person to tell you this. I mean, I didn't stay behind because I felt like I had an obligation to protect somebody. I stayed behind because I was worried about keeping my job. I still can't believe how selfish I was, but my point is that your sense of justice was strong enough to realize that, as a righteous ninja, you don't do what you do just for yourself or even for just one other person. You do it for anybody that needs your help. The only one who is responsible for what happened to Omitsu is Makurayami. Not Suzaku. Not Ebisumaru. And certainly not yourself.

"Secondly, we can win. As soon as you stop thinking like a loser, and instead focus on doing everything you can to give this guy what he deserves, you give yourself the potential to win. You heard Suzaku, she's going to help us get the Jewels of Light to work properly. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much. No matter how bad you think things have gotten, Omitsu's not beyond saving. But if you sit here and do nothing, then she might as well be dead, and we might as well just bow down to Makurayami right now. We have to at least try! You can't just give up now, when we're so close to finishing this! I--I won't let you."

By this time, Yae was shaking from head to toe. She closed her eyes momentarily and took a breath before opening them again and continuing. "One more thing before I let you go, Goemon. If I'm responsible for making you think this way, if I've somehow convinced you that it's always a bad idea to act based only on what's in your heart instead of what's in your head, I'm..." She sniffed and closed her eyes again. When she opened them, small pools of water began forming at the tips. She took another deep breath, her exhalation long and uneven. "...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think like that. I said that because...well, because I didn't want you or anybody else to get hurt. But it looks like following my advice may have caused you pain anyway. This isn't the time to think with just your head, Goemon. Logic will tell you that this is a hopeless endeavor, but don't listen to it! Look at what's really in your heart, I think you'll find the strength to fight."

Yae loosened her grip on Goemon's shoulders and gently moved her hands up and down his arms. She sighed and spoke again, in a half-whisper that the people behind her had to lean forward to hear. "Please don't give up on Omitsu, Goemon. I know you'll end up regretting it someday. I can't thank you enough for what you did for me in Zazen. Now it's my turn to return the favor. I hope I was able to help you as much as you helped me. You're such a caring person, Goemon, more than you'll ever know. Why not draw on the strength of the love you feel for Omitsu? I bet if you do that, all the ghosts, demons, monsters, and whatever else is out there won't stand a chance against you."

Yae let go of Goemon and stood up as she extended her hand to him. "So what do you say? Will the noble and righteous Goemon, the greatest ninja in all of Japan, the bringer of justice and champion of the downtrodden, sit here and wallow in his despair? Or will he stand strong, and reinforce his right to that title as he strives to vanquish this great evil?"

Goemon stared into Yae's soft emerald eyes. They were slightly glazed from the few tears that had formed and threatened to fall from their precarious positions, something Goemon had never seen there before. This was all the proof he needed of her genuine concern and the strength of their friendship. He grinned as he put his tough, thick hand in Yae's smaller, more delicate palm. She returned the smile as she helped him to his feet.

Suzaku, meanwhile, gazed intently at Goemon's hand. "Ebisumaru, let me see your ring," she said as she held her own hand out. "No, not your wedding ring! The Jewel of Light, let me see it!" She studied the Topaz of Power wrapped around Ebisumaru's finger for a brief time before turning back to Goemon. "Now Goemon, let me see your ring."

There was a moment of anxious silence as Suzaku examined the red jewel situated in the middle of the ring. After staring at it for some time, Goemon noticed a small, barely visible crack on the outer edge. He wondered how Suzaku had noticed it so quickly, if that was in fact what she was looking at.

Suzaku released Goemon's hand and brought her head up, a deathly serious expression painted on her face. "This is worse than I thought," she said. "Come on! We've gotta hurry!" She turned around and began to run in the presumed direction of Dochuki's prison.

"Hey, wait! What's worse than you thought?" Goemon shouted as he and the others ran after her. "What's going on, Suzaku?"

Suzaku ran a little further before gradually slowing to a stop and turning around. "Goemon, that little...outburst of yours probably wasn't entirely your fault. I found a small fracture in the Ruby of Courage, and I don't think it was caused just by your rough landing. Makurayami's getting stronger by the minute, and he's somehow managed to gain the greatest amount of control over you."

Everybody looked at her with blank stares. There was no movement, except for Ebisumaru, who moved just his arm to scratch his head before putting his hand back down at his side. Suzaku sighed as she went into greater detail about the situation. "Look, Makurayami embodies everything that the Jewels of Light are not. Fear, sorrow, hatred, and prejudice." She pointed to Goemon, Ebisumaru, Sasuke, and Yae in order as she listed their respective opposing forces. "He's draining the power of the Ruby of Courage in particular, and Goemon's becoming adversely affected by it. My guess is that the pain he felt when he saw that Makurayami possessed Omitsu gave the demon an opening to instill fear in his heart. And that's why he was losing the will to fight. Goemon, you're lucky you have such a great friend like Yae to bring you back to your senses."

"So, you're saying that Makurayami's partially possessed me?" Goemon asked.

"Well, I guess you could say that."

Goemon glared at Yae. "What?" she asked casually when she eventually noticed him looking at her.

"You slapped me," Goemon whined.

Yae shrugged her shoulders. "It looked like you were losing your mind. I had to get through to you somehow."

"I don't know why we're all standing around here discussing this. We've gotta keep moving!" As soon as she finished speaking, Suzaku turned around and once again began sprinting down the path to the prison.

"Hey!" Goemon called out. The ninjas followed Suzaku, who was considerably faster than any of them. "Hey, Suzaku! Weren't you going to tell us why the Jewels of Light are broken?"

"They're not broken," Suzaku replied, turning her head back momentarily, and then forward for a second before turning it back again, repeating the cycle every so often to make sure everybody was following her and that she didn't accidentally run into a wall or stalagmite. She slowed down slightly to make sure she didn't get too far ahead of the ninjas. "It's just that conditions aren't ideal for them to work properly. Any number of factors could be responsible for that. One possibility is that the host isn't trying to resist Makurayami hard enough."

"Hold on!" Goemon yelled as he skidded to a halt. The other three ninjas followed suit. Goemon and Ebisumaru were hunched over and gasping for air, while Sasuke and Yae watched them and tapped their feet against the floor impatiently. "How could you say that? How can you even suggest that Omitsu's not trying as hard as she can to break free from Makurayami?"

Suzaku turned her head once more and was about to give a response when she noticed that all four ninjas were standing far behind her. She slowed down and eventually stopped, her mouth wide open as she looked at Goemon and Ebisumaru. "Oh, for Pete's sake!" she groaned. "Why do you guys keep stopping?! We're almost there!" Suzaku pointed to a tall, cylindrical stone structure in the valley at the foot of the hill they were situated on. The hill went down in a steep incline, but the ninjas were too far away from the edge to see exactly what was waiting for them down there or at the foot of the tower.

"What do you mean, 'for Pete's sake'?! You run way too fast," Ebisumaru said between huge gasps for air. He finally caught his breath and stood up straight, his fingers stroking the bottom of his chin as if in deep thought. "Say, who is this 'Pete' fellow, anyway? That's really going to be bugging me for a while."

Yae slapped her forehead and screamed in frustration. "Are you serious?! Suzaku, are you sure the opposite of power is sorrow and not stupidity?"

Suzaku ignored both Ebisumaru and Yae and instead addressed Goemon. "Look, I can't say for sure what Omitsu's experiencing. I've never been possessed by Makurayami. But what I do know is that the host can usually only sustain a sufficient amount of resistance for a brief period of time, no matter her strength or her desire to be free. Your job is to make sure that conditions are optimal for the Jewels of Light to work. One of the things that entails is getting the host to fight against Makurayami at the right moment. Timing is going to be especially critical since the ruby is damaged, but I think you guys'll manage. Now, come on! No more stops." And without any further ado, Suzaku disappeared from sight as she ran down towards the tower, hoping that the numerous delays wouldn't mean that they were too late.

---

The immediate area around the prison had not been spared from the destruction. Omitsu stood with her back to Suzaku and the ninjas, her hand placed flat against the center of the door. Two guards lay unconscious on either side of her, the first Underworld denizens the ninjas had seen besides Suzaku since they arrived.

Just as the ninjas came to a stop in front of the tower, a filled circle around Omitsu's hand began to shine with a blinding light. Some of the light faded away to reveal an intricately designed pattern that encircled and slithered towards the center of Omitsu's palm from every angle. "Well, so much for getting here early," Suzaku said in an irritated tone.

Omitsu turned around at the sound of this unexpected voice. Her eyes shot open at what they saw. "What?! How did you--" She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head rapidly before continuing. "Well, I suppose that doesn't really matter, does it? The important thing is that you have ignored my advice and made a foolish choice by coming here. I will make sure it is the last and biggest mistake any of you ever make."

Omitsu held her arm in front of her, her palm parallel to the ground as she moved it in a slow, circular motion. "Come to me, souls of the damned, and destroy these pests!" she shouted. Two holes formed in the ground, leading as far down as the eye could see. Mere seconds after the circles appeared, a bulky human-like figure slowly climbed out of each one. They were each missing an eye, and what little skin they had was a pale blue and looked like worn out leather. The spots where no skin was present exposed sections of a moldy skeleton. The holes behind them closed as they stared at the ninjas with nearly toothless grins.

"Omitsu!" Goemon shouted. "I know you can hear me. You've got to fight this!"

Omitsu looked into Goemon's loving eyes. For the first time since seeing the real Omitsu, Goemon thought he saw a glimpse of her kindhearted nature present in them, the windows of her soul allowing her true self to peek through. It disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, however, replaced once again with the cold, heartless Makurayami's eyes. This brief moment caused a chill to run down Goemon's spine before giving him a renewed confidence. There was still hope.

The door to the tower creaked open as soon as Omitsu faced it once more. She quickly went inside and shut the door, leaving the ninjas to deal with the two zombies that separated them from her.