Chapter Thirteen: An Inevitable Demotion
Amaya couldn't see Itsuki's blade as it stole her life. She could only feel her life's blood flowing out of her with all her memories, happiness, and everything that she was pool into red.
The tengu, her human classmates, her team, and all things slowly flowed away leaving behind an empty shell and darkness.
Once the suffocating things had been stripped away, the tiny everlasting glimmer in her soul could at last ignite into a powerful blaze and the secret that had been sealed away for thousands of years once again made its way free.
"She's beautiful." Nemed said in awe as he held a tiny bundle gently in his hands. "She looks just like you."
"But I've no doubt she's every bit like you." Macha replied shaking her head at her husband's antics.
Nemed smiled. "We will raise the flags. Call up the warriors! Let the Formorians know true fear once they hear our little battle song."
Macha smiled now too. "That's a good name. We shall call her…"
"War-cry," Itsuki growled her name in disgust. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was not pleased with the sudden turn of events. The newly awakened goddess held a certain majesty about her like the dark blanket of night as she laughed. She turned her shining eyes so that she could examine the mortals' reactions in a side glance. Some of her more humanemotions still lingered, but they would be squelched soon by the promise of ultimate power. War-cry let out a long exhale as her mother bragged on.
"Absolutely livid." War-cry whispered feeling the anger seep from inside her belly turning into power. "I had no desire to awaken from my mortal dream." The winged goddess lifted her slender arms to the sky woefully and flapped her black wings. "What a dream…"
"Y-You you don't have power over me! You can't stop me!" Itsuki protested. It was over. All his self-preservation instincts told him that. This was his realm and so he had nowhere to run.
"True, I cannot wield great powers and such." The new goddess confessed. Her cryptic tone told Itsuki that such a technicality wouldn't be a problem in the slightest. Instead the lovely war goddess pointed to team Urameshi and said, "My power is theirs."
"Let it be known that the most feared type of deity is the one that sides with man." Macha chuckled. Those deities in the past that had rejected the age old principal were labeled as devils and hunted down to destruction. As such the support class, like the girl, was by far the most to be feared. It was a shame Itsuki and his little band of followers hadn't realized it. War-cry poured all her power into Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama until it flowed out of their every pore. Their natural talents increased tenfold and their strength so much so that they all feared their minds would break. It was only the goddesses' voices that saved them from power driven madness.
"This is but a loan," War-cry warned. "It is yours so that you may defeat him."
Macha cackled. "But I must warn you will not come out unscathed."
"To know such strength will become an addiction to the weak minded." War-cry agreed. "You will know it once and never again. Fear yourselves more than this man and I shall offer you victory."
"And I offer you my favor." Macha agreed. Itsuki broke out into a cold sweat. His real foes were the girls, but now the mortals stood in his way.
"I won't be manipulated." Hiei warned the ladies and both goddesses shrugged in unison.
"You need to defeat him if you wish to go home." Macha replied nonchalantly. "By no means would I ever ask a manto fight on my behalf."
"Take the gift, warriors," War-cry whispered with her eyes glittering in mirth. "It shall be the last battle of the tournament. Shall we give a grand prize to the winner, mother?"
"Sounds fair," Macha agreed with a playful wink. "And I think I know just the thing."
"Such things always have a price." Kurama said quietly never relaxing his caution.
War-cry replied smoothly, "It has already been paid." Her fingers brushed over her chest. The hollow cavity beneath her breasts was dead silent.
Once again it was Yusuke who made the decision for his team. Rather than hesitating over "complicated matters" he came to a swift conclusion. He had no intention of dying and wasn't planning on spending the rest of his life trapped in Reikai. Defeating Itsuki was the easy answer. Unlike Macha and War-cry, who obviously had a good deal more experience in using their divine gifts, Itsuki was practically flailing around like a child in a tantrum. However, Itsuki definitely wasn't going down without a fight. He was still a god and mad as hell.
"Rei-gun!" Yusuke fired his signature at the god. The blast of power forced the god back leaving him unprepared for the assaults of the other three.
Kuwabara stumbled slightly as his own spirit sword nearly overwhelmed him, but the two youkai were prepared and covered for him. Itsuki screamed in rage with a cry that was so alien that his attackers faltered a bit. Hiei's dragon duo was bursting at the seams of the bindings that barely contained them. Kurama's wit was always in top form which let him keep two or three steps ahead of the now seemingly childish god. Kuwabara was quick to recover and regained mastery of his abilities forcing Ituski back as his team captain powered up for the big finish.
Lastly Yusuke, whose ancestor was godlike in his own way, was not one to be trifled with. Each punch he delivered was backed up by his hero's spirit. Both Macha and her daughter knew the worth of such a thing, but Itsuki did not. Itsuki had been too infatuate with his own power and was blind to the brilliance before him. The god's weakened defenses were soon shattered and all the deranged deity could do was fall to his knees and weep, but this did not mean victory for team Urameshi. The god's power fluxed wildly out of control searing the combatants. The pure light was awe inspiring and terrifying. Then at last the Itsuki fell and didn't rise again.
"Watch it!"
A single moment of miscalculation nearly cost Yusuke his life, but War-cry was quick to intervene. A black snake, Itsuki's last follower and last ace in the hole, rose up from behind the fallen god's body with venomous fangs bared. The winged goddess shoved the mortal leader out of her way so that the unsightly scaled creature bit her right pinky finger rather than Yusuke's neck which had been the beast's intended target. War-cry scream nearly stopped the hearts of all who heard it before Hiei decapitated the creature. Macha flew to her daughter's side with lines of worry marring her beautiful face.
"C-cut it…off…." War-cry hissed in pain, but it was too late. The poison had seeped into her finger turning it black. This venom was different from the pain bite her mortal form had received earlier. This snake was a god-killer. Furious War-cry turned to Yusuke and shrieked, "You foolish man! You would be dead, but now I will be the one to pay the price for your stupidity. How do you expect to repay me?"
Terrified Yusuke scrabbled backwards. The half unconscious Itsuki was unable to move, but also felt the full force of the enraged goddess. The defeated god trembled in fear, but a smug expression formed on his bruised face.
"Ah-! Ha haha." Itsuki laughed quietly. "This is perfect! This is-"
"Oh, just shut up already." Macha gave him a quick blow to the head to shut him up.
"An eye? A lung? Ten years of your life?" War-cry took a step with each question until she could look Yusuke in the eye. "Or perhaps you'd do better to become my servant for the rest of your pathetic mortal life."
The rest of team Urameshi were about to protest when War-cry pinched her "team captain" playfully on the cheek.
"Just kidding!" She smiled in a manner that was eerily similar to Amaya's. The goddess dropped down to rest her elbows on her knees and looked at them innocently. "Awww, you guys didn't really think I was a bad guy did ya?" War-cry stuck her lip out in a pout. "Come'on, I'm like your biggest fan!"
A wave of relief rolled over them all. The fight was over and the tension was released. It was then that they noticed that the goddess has taken back her power. The cunning manner in which she did meant that they would feel no ill effects from the sudden shift. Had it happened any other way it was very likely the mortal would have suffered from the withdraw, but this way it felt no different than their natural adrenaline wearing off, although they all felt very, very, tired. War-cry looked at them tenderly and her teammates practically fell over relaxed.
"You see?" Macha threw up her hands exasperated. "She would rather be mortalthan have all that power. She truly is crazy." The goddesses sighed, but not unhappily. "Ah, just like her father."
A sudden flux in the dimension space alerted the goddesses that another, much more "powerful" deity had appeared. Bright lights and fanfair signaled the arrival of the one and only ruler of Reikai.
"You're late, Koenma." War-cry scolded as Koenma tugged on his shirt collar. Seven shining shinigami figures dressed completely in black stood by his side. Macha raised an eyebrow. These were not the cheerful oarswomen that Yusuke and company were familiar with. A blond man and a red haired woman stood out the most among the seven. Macha glanced at the western looking duo and knew without a doubt that they were "gifts" from the other death gods. This was irrefutable proof that Koenma's ascension to the throne had at last been recognized by all.
"My self and the Rekai special forces spent the last few weeks sifting through the piles of dust called 'records' to find what we needed." Koenma replied tartly. "But, we found it."
"It?" Yusuke asked. "And hello Mr. Late-Again." The two foreigners in Koenma's entourage smothered amused snickers, but with a quick glare from Koenma instantly silenced them.
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth Yusuke," Koenma replied. "That causes me more paper work than you could ever dream, Yusuke. Our lady friends are merely one example."
"Itsuki is restrained as you requested," Macha said as if she alone were responsible for the rogue god's capture.
"Right." Koenma rolled up his sleeves. "Two seals coming up." And Koenma proceeded to make himself useful.
Once both Itsuki and Amaya were properly sealed and returned to their mortal forms, Koenma and his seven attendants hulled the rouge god back to the underworld. Before he left Koenma turned to Macha.
"This is the last of our dealings goddess," Koenma warned her. "Our business is done."
"Agreed." Macha replied. "I'll see the mortals home and send you the bill in the mail."
