YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS

APOCALYPSE RISING

Chapter Thirty-Seven – Payback

Meifu

The alarms throughout the Shokan Division blared once more as part of the foundations within the Shokan Division began to crack with Yatonogami's assault on Hisoka.

A minute after Hisoka's body once again slammed hard against the wall and knocked the wind out of him, he did his best to get up before Yatonogami managed to fling its tail full-force against him.

Hisoka barely managed to roll away although his back had been caught by Yatonogami's tail, his left side throbbing more in pain as he landed hard on the marbled floor.

When Hisoka crawled and crouched on the floor in an effort to get up, he realized that his right arm was now badly sprained. Before the fact fully registered in his head, Yatonogami slithered towards him.

As Yatonogami shot its body towards Hisoka as if it was a missile seeking and intending to destroy its target, its efforts were badly curtailed once it hit against an invisible barrier and then hit against the cold wall.

The emerald-eyed shinigami was barely on his feet when Yatonogami spat, "Your magic cannot protect you from me for long! Do not be as foolish as your ancestor! Serve me or you will die!"

"I'd rather die than to serve you, monster! Let my father go!!" yelled back Hisoka, the accumulation of his injuries from battles with Kinu and Gyokuto, Enma, and now Yatonogami now taking greater toll against his now-mortal body.

"Never! I will have Nagare's soul rot in the pit of my heart so that I could feast and ravish him for eternity!"

Hisoka's eyes narrowed as he then harnessed his spiritual powers. He did his best not to flinch as he saw Yatonogami's face change into Nagare's face from time to time. He willed everything within his being to hail a large mass of offensive energies towards the snake god. He hated the snake god for he felt that the beast robbed him of his father, but hatred was not his motivation.

Saving Nagare's soul was Hisoka's motivation – that, and his love for a father that had been mostly cruel towards him.

At the same time, Yatonogami amassed massive dark energies to hurl towards Hisoka. Its angry and revenge-driven thoughts prodded it to do everything that it could to humiliate and destroy the enemy before it.

The sound of men sprinting towards the infirmary were drowned as the alarm blared louder still...then the sprinters stopped as they saw the cause of the alarm – one of them yelling…

"Kurosaki, no!! Don't do it!!"

But Konoe's yell was far too late as Hisoka and Yatonogami simultaneously launched a series of assaults while the two escaped the respective blows that the other hurled.

As fast as the events unfolded before Konoe, the Gushoshin Twins, and some of the maintenance workers, it seemed as if everything unfolded before everyone so vividly….

Yatonogami flinging and sending its tail full-force towards Hisoka as if its tail was a deadly lance….

Hisoka pouring everything that he had to amass power via an offensive spell – a spell that Konoe knew was too hard to handle unless one was skilled…and even though the skill was there, all of the conjurer's physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental faculties must be present and steadfast to ensure survival.

Then an explosion followed which sent everyone flying to different directions along with debris and other objects.

Along with the debris were Yatonogami's bloodcurdling cries. Its cries reverberated throughout Meifu and were heard even down towards the far corners of Makai while its body burned from the inside.

Eventually, the cries grew louder before they disappeared to oblivion along with their owner.

Part of the infirmary now became debris.

Minutes later, Tatsumi's shadows shot out in-between spaces of debris and rubble. They now worked in pushing away any obstacle that hampered Tatsumi's efforts to stand up.

It took about five more minutes before Tatsumi managed to shake off a sliver of disorientation. The secretary stood up with the help of his servant shadows, his blood freezing from another sight of destruction which now struck closer to his heart.

"Kacho!" called out Tatsumi, his eyes scanning the surroundings through his now-broken glasses. When he saw some of the stones move a couple of feet from where he stood, he did his best to be as quick yet as careful as he could be.

Tatsumi and his shadows worked together in removing the stones. He then offered his hand and helped Konoe sit up. He was thankful that save for a couple of cuts and a seemingly-sprained ankle, Konoe seemed fine to him.

The Gushoshin Twins were the next ones to be freed, the effort to help them being much easier since the two managed to fly as fast and as far away as they could.

Tatsumi's servant shadows then shot out twenty feet away from where their master stood, with their master, Konoe, and the Gushoshin following their lead.

"Kurosaki-kun…please be fine…" was Tatsumi's silent and repeated prayer. At first, he was happy to see Hisoka although he had suffered many deep cuts.

As his eyes scanned Hisoka's body, Tatsumi felt his heart seemingly stop beating as he saw what the others saw.

There was a large and gaping wound at Hisoka's stomach, dark blood leaving his already-battered body and rendering him pale. He was unconscious although his body shivered and spasmed here and there.

Konoe closed his eyes as he saw Hisoka. If it was not for his sprained ankle, he would have carried Hisoka instead of watching Tatsumi scoop the latter from the ground.

The others then followed Tatsumi as he disappeared then reappeared at the still-intact part of the infirmary. Each of them worked to get whatever Hisoka needed…each one refusing to accept or let alone think of the highly-probable or even inevitable that could happen to Hisoka.

Hisoka might have won over Yatonogami and released Nagare's soul, but he paid such a heavy price for that victory…

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Kyoto, Japan

"It's beautiful here…just as if this was Meifu," murmured an awe-stricken Tsuzuki as his eyes scanned Oriya's vast backyard garden – the first sight that his eyes laid upon once he and Muraki teleported from Nagasaki to Kyoto.

Little did Tsuzuki know that at the same time, Hisoka was battling Yatonogami.

"And I thought that you're not very observant. From seeing something so serene and beautiful, you sound sad," said Muraki as his silvery-gray and ice-blue gaze rested on Tsuzuki.

Tsuzuki did not reply. Instead, he opened his hand and let a couple of petals land on his palm. The perpetual sight of sakura trees had always been beautiful, poignant, and metaphoric for him. To him, the trees and their pinkish-white silk-like petals represented the irony of the life that he had as a shinigami.

The sight of these sakura trees and their petals blanketing the usually-lush ground reminded Tsuzuki of his friends at Meifu. It reminded him of Tatsumi and how the secretary and he appreciate its beauty yet differed in perspective as well as the emotions evoked once it was before them. It reminded him of Hisoka and how the two of them spent much time together in such beautiful scenery, with Hisoka's presence and companionship painting a glimmer of hope over the environment that caused him such despair.

Then there were Watari and Wakaba, two of Tsuzuki's closest and dearest friends who died so unexpectedly not just in body but also most probably in soul as well. Who could ever predict that the life of a shinigami was as fleeting as the life of sakura petals?

And now, the lives of Tsuzuki's surviving peers were now just as fragile as humans – all while a full-on battle between realms was about to be waged by the primordials.

Tsuzuki closed his eyes as he reached deep down in the core of his being as he thought, "How many more people…friends….loved ones….have to die? How many more….?"

The recent sequence of events, gave Tsuzuki another sad interpretation of the ever-blooming sakura trees for he compared them with the myriad of lives now abnormally suspended between life and death. He lost count of how many people he spared from further agony by claiming their souls…all of them claimed in one day.

"Why, Tsuzuki-san? Did you have a long day today? Have you not worked as hard as you did today?"

Seeing that slight smirk escape from Muraki's lips made Tsuzuki scowl. "You caused all of this, so shut up."

"I beg to disagree, dear Brother. You must give credit where credit is due."

The amethyst-eyed shinigami turned around to see who owned that feminine voice that came from behind. His gaze reverted to its awe-struck state as a beautiful young woman who floated from the sky had her feet land gently on the ground.

"I have missed you, Brother. I know that you might not remember me, but you will in due time," said the beautiful woman with a smile.

The young woman then gazed at Muraki and gave the evil doctor a slight yet grateful nod. "I thank you for being loyal and diligent, Kazutaka."

As a response, Muraki closed his eyes, laid a hand above his heart, and gave the young woman a genial bow with a soft smile gracing from his lips.

Tsuzuki's curiosity stirred. He never remembered laying eyes on the young woman yet there was something so familiar and definitely endearing about her – something that only his feelings had communicated to him. He asked the new arrival, "Who are you and why do you call me Brother?"

The young woman's beauty was timeless, ethereal, and captivating. Her eyes were deep blue-green as if they emulated the depths of a vast yet clear sea, those eyes expressing such wisdom and experience although she did not look older than twenty years old. The well-shaped nose, high cheekbones, and supple lips that were so akin to her siblings which included Tsuzuki added an air of nobility about her. Her skin from her face down to her feet were flawlessly smooth and clear, the slight pinkish tone of her skin reflecting the vibrancy within her being. Her cheeks and lips had their natural blush, especially when she smiled.

Small parts of the young woman's straight platinum-blonde hair were in braids, the rest of her long hair covering part of her heart-shaped face as well as the rest of her back and buttocks. She wore a short and sleeveless ivory silk dress with a satin cape fastened with a gold brooch. Her dress and its intricate needlework of gold, black, and silver at the skirt's hem were reminiscent of a youthful and noble Athenian virgin who was about to be sacrificed to a mythical monster such as the Minotaur. Her dress and her cape were of the same length, and her hair ran longer than the hem of her short skirt so one could easily mistaken her to be nude from behind save for her gold-colored sandals whose straps reached up to her knees.

Tsuzuki stood there as he stared at the young woman. To him, she was not only beautiful but she had an air of kindness about her which made him ponder, "She's a primordial? It can't be. How…?"

"My name is Naiaca, Tsuzuki Asato. I call you Brother because that is what and who you are. Your siblings used to call you Verus – your true name."

"You're…a primordial?" asked Tsuzuki who now decided to openly express the question that nagged him since he laid eyes on the young woman.

Naiaca gave Tsuzuki a kind smile and nodded. She then asked while her amiable gaze continued to rest on him, "Does that fact bother you?"

"It doesn't," was Tsuzuki's sincere reply, his mind still not understanding why he felt comfortable being with Naiaca although he knew fully well that she was a primordial and his enemy.

"You were close and dear to all of your siblings, most especially with Tellix and me. Tellix was with me earlier, but he returned to our home to let our other siblings know that we have finally awakened. It was he and I who caused this destruction. Tellix has dominion over the earth. I have dominion over the waters. They do as we wish. The destruction that you now see is only the beginning of our work."

The shinigami blinked. His mind was curious but he did not doubt Naiaca's words. "Why? Why all of this…?"

"There are eight of us. Each one of us protected and loved the other seven. The human race has treated you with such cruelty, yet your heart still bleeds for them. They ought to be punished for what they have done to you. Any offense done to a sibling is an offense done to all eight of us – most especially towards you."

Naiaca's comment made Tsuzuki blink. His lips pursed a little bit as he frowned. "Why me…? What's so special about me?"

Without hesitation, Naiaca responded, "Because you are our Brother and we deeply care about you. You are the one out of eight siblings who had the most propensities towards mercy. Actually, you are the only one out of all eight siblings who has a semblance of mercy within his heart – especially towards such lowly and undeserving creatures. You have always wanted to be one of them. These humans should have recognized your gesture of kindness and goodwill as a privilege."

Then the kindness reflected in Naiaca's beautiful face changed a bit – that change being mostly reflected from her deep blue-green eyes…those eyes being reminiscent of a sea's serenity now marred by an approaching maelstrom.

During that silence between all of them, Tsuzuki's blood froze as Naiaca said with quiet intent, "You have always been kind to them. We…most especially Tellix and I…watched all those years when you were with them. We were not allowed to interfere with your fate. It broke all our hearts to see you suffer. Instead of being grateful and accepting, those humans slapped everything that you have given them back at your face. They then repeated the same mistakes when Abigor became human, or have you forgotten that so quickly? For the atrocities that they did to us primordials, the rest of the realms must pay…especially Heaven and Chijou."

Tsuzuki's heart clenched. "But those who were mean to me…. That's not the entire human race. You cannot blame the entire human race due to one or a handful of people's errors. You cannot and should not destroy all of existence for the mistake of the few."

"We can, we have, and we will blame and destroy anyone and everyone we please."

The amethyst-eyed shinigami fell quiet and so did Naiaca. Her gaze rested on him as she let out a sigh.

Muraki's gaze, on the other hand, wandered momentarily towards the house…his thoughts drifting towards Oriya and the latter's frail condition. Nonetheless, he heard and absorbed the full essence of the conversation between the long-lost siblings.

Naiaca said without hesitation, her voice still calm yet firm as if she explaining the reason for her orders to battalions of soldiers, "Your mortal sister Ruka was an exception. Kazutaka and his friend are also exceptions, especially since Kazutaka understood who we really are. The rest of humanity can burn not only in Makai but also out of existence for all I care. We are God's nemesis, Brother. We have been God's nemesis before all of creation existed. As your siblings, we opened our minds thinking that there must be something that God and you see in the human race. Both you and He are too blind to see that these creatures do not deserve even a drop of compassion and mercy. They all should be destroyed along with everything that had been created along with them."

The beautiful primordial then glanced at Muraki, the kindness in her face returning fully and the aura of lightheartedness returning to her once more. "I am sorry, Kazutaka. I do not wish for your friend to wait any longer. Please take Brother with you to see Oriya."

Tsuzuki asked Naiaca, his tone not bearing any hint of anger or haughtiness, "If you and the primordials have all this power then why don't you help your servant give his friend death?"

"Because death and darkness are your dominion, Brother Verus…. In the absence of death, only you and those bequeathed by that power will be the only ones able to bring a swift death to others. The only difference between you and your shinigami peers is that your immortality is not bound through a pact with a god because you are a god."

Seeing Muraki and not wanting to make the doctor wait any longer, Naiaca said with a faint smile to Tsuzuki, "We have much to catch up on. Please help Oriya first. If you cannot or will not do it for Kazutaka or me, please do it for Oriya's sake. He did help your peers before even though his love and devotion wholly belongs to Kazutaka and Ukyo."

Tsuzuki then froze as he saw Naiaca approach him, that reaction slowly but surely changing into warmth that he longed for – maybe not quite the same warmth and comfort that Hisoka would give, but it was something closer to the warmth and comfort that Ruka gave him. His eyes instinctively closed, as if his affection-starved and peace-deprived heart and soul wanted to focus on every drop of affectionate warmth coming from her touch.

When Naiaca saw that Tsuzuki was momentarily perturbed, she kissed him on the cheek and the forehead, the gestures stirring unexplained feelings of familiarity and comfort from Tsuzuki. Her hand then affectionately clasped his hand. "Please go and help Oriya. At least there's one human in there who does deserve your mercy."

"Yes," said Tsuzuki with a rueful smile, his feelings and thoughts still garbled. He then looked at Muraki and followed the doctor inside Oriya's home.

There was a moment of silence as they entered Oriya's bedroom, with Tsuzuki being surprised as to what he witnessed afterwards.

"Oriya, I'm here and so is he. You've asked for him, didn't you?" asked Muraki in a soft voice immediately after he sat down on Oriya's bed, his hands sweeping the black hair away from Oriya's face.

Oriya opened his eyes although his pained movements were demonstrative of the fact that there was very little to no strength left in his body. His rather blurry stare concentrated on Tsuzuki, his gaze staying on the shinigami for a long time before he managed to say, "So he's the one who you've been obsessing about…the one that they boy had been fighting for all this time…."

As Tsuzuki gave Oriya a confused look, Muraki replied, "Yes, he is. You said that you would like to see him…that you'd like him to be here to give you a choice. But you don't have to go through with this. I don't want this to happen to you."

"I don't want it to happen, either, but I don't want to be like this." After those words, Oriya coughed and his chest tightened as well as his breathing.

Once Tsuzuki finished approaching Oriya and now stood just by the foot of Oriya's bed, he asked Oriya, "You don't want to die yet you don't want to live like this. Is that right…?"

"Yes…" was Oriya's reply. His eyes closed as the last of his strength ebbed away, his supposed-to-be-dead body begging him for rest as it slipped him back to unconsciousness.

Muraki's face turned somber as he closed his eyes, his eyes squeezing more tightly as he willed to understand and accept Oriya's wish. In all his knowledge and power as a doctor and one who sold his soul for supernatural gifts, he felt so helpless about everything…

Especially about Ukyo and Oriya….

Tsuzuki's eyes remained focused on Muraki for a long time, with him watching how the evil doctor…his nemesis and tormentor…showed such subtle affection towards a suffering friend.

The sight of a gentler side of Muraki reminded Tsuzuki of the first time that he laid eyes on the doctor inside the church at Nagasaki. Another memory panned before his mind's eye – the time when Muraki diligently took care of an unconscious girl after bat-like creatures attacked. Although he knew that Muraki caused the attacks, witnessing the latter's bedside manner as a doctor made him feel that there was a semblance of humanity inside Muraki.

When Muraki's relentless tormenting became too rampant to take, Tsuzuki and the others deemed that the doctor was just evil to the core.

Yet the sight before Tsuzuki – the sight of Muraki being gentle and attentive of Oriya – made him somewhat return to his initial impression of Muraki.

Even if it was just a second, Tsuzuki thought that maybe – just maybe – Muraki still had that semblance of goodness left inside.

Tsuzuki's gaze then moved over to Oriya. He had never seen Oriya before tonight. All he knew about the man was through Watari's narratives and short comments from Hisoka and Tsuzuki. Nonetheless, there was consensus with the three peers that Oriya was a man of honor even though he had a strong bond with Muraki and would do anything to cover up the evil doctor's tracks.

"I'll take him to Meifu with me. I could better help him there while he makes up his mind on what he really wants – death or life."

Muraki's gaze then moved from Oriya to Tsuzuki, a nod being his only response. After he closed his eyes while he held Oriya's hand and silently offered a prayer for Oriya, he then lifted Oriya's limp body from the bed. He then stared into Tsuzuki's amethyst eyes and said, "He's in your hands for now. Please let me know what he wishes to do before you lay your hand to finish the work. If you do give him death, make sure that he gets the same kindness that you give towards others. He deserves it."

"I give you my word," was Tsuzuki's response before Muraki carefully transferred Oriya into his arms. His heart clenched this very moment as another hapless soul had been delivered into his hands for execution.

Before Tsuzuki disappeared for Meifu, Muraki told him, "We still have unfinished business to discuss. That, my love, will be finally settled tomorrow night. Now that you know this place, you know where to find me between now and tomorrow night."

The battle between Yatonogami and Hisoka then came to a close….

At the same time that Yatonogami's tail deeply and fatally pierced Hisoka's stomach, Tsuzuki felt a sharp pain lance and spread throughout his body. His heart pounded and his thoughts drifted back to Hisoka.

"Something's wrong…" thought Tsuzuki as his concern for his peers and most especially for Hisoka coursed throughout his being.

Tsuzuki did not respond to Muraki's comment. He saw Naiaca appear beside Muraki a couple of seconds before he and an unconscious Oriya dematerialized for Meifu, with Tsuzuki being completely unaware of what had been going on at the Shokan Division…

Or Hisoka….

End of Chapter Thirty-Seven

Terminology

Abigor - Demonology books differ in interpretation about Abigor's position in regards with Ashtarote. Some books say that Abigor is a higher-ranking demon than Ashtarote, and some say otherwise. The books, however, agree with the fact that Abigor is a demon commander, a war strategist, a seer, and the ruler of 60 realms in Hell. For the purposes of this fic, I used the interpretation that Abigor ranks higher than Ashtarote. I also took liberalities in fleshing out a background story for him.

Chapter Eight revealed that Abigor, whose seal has been mysteriously appearing in Kyoto Files Revisited, is none other than Tsuuri Troy. For the purposes of this fic, Enma, the primordial demons, Ashtarote, and the other demons will call him Abigor. Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Tatsumi, Watari, Konoe, Muraki, and Troy's loved ones will call him Troy or Tsuuri-kun. Troy, by this time, is used to being called by either name.

Subsequent chapters of Apocalypse Rising will explain more about his past, how he fell from God's grace, how he obtained his powers, how his relationship had been with Enma, and why he became involved with the Shokan Division. The depiction of Abigor in this fanfic belongs to PJ Zatken. Tsuuri Troy wholly belongs to PJ Zatken.

Ashtarote – The Grand Duke of Hell or Makai. He has been eyeing on Tsuzuki to replace Sargatanas as the Brigadier Commander of the demon army since Sargatanas has been vanquished in The Devil's Trill manga and anime story arc. The series itself refers to Ashtarote, and the depiction of Ashtarote in the YnM series belongs to Matshushita Yoko.

Enma – The Lord of Death. Aside from passing judgment on a soul for deeds (or misdeeds) done during that soul's mortal existence, he also spearheads JuOhCho and EnmaCho.

EnmaCho – The Cho (or division) that Enma spearheads. Also known as the Judgment Bureau.

Father Lorenzo Opava - A minor original character (OC) created by PJ Zatken. A good friend and advisor to Tsuuri Troy, the priest also has psychic abilities. He can see spirits and demons. He can also heal the sick.

In chapter one, Father Opava is maimed by someone. In a later chapter, Troy and Tatsumi retrieve Father Opava's soul. The mystery gets even more complicated when Hisoka's empathic powers pick up that Troy - or someone who looks like Troy - is the one responsible for the priest's assault.

So far, Troy is still implicated in Father Lorenzo Opava's assault.

Golden Emperor – The ruler of Gensoukai that has gone missing for ages. Before war erupted in Gensoukai, the Golden Emperor had a plan to save Gensoukai and ensure its existence by destroying Chijou and humanity. As a result, a civil war erupted which pitted Sohryu against Kurikara – the two being long-time friends. Sohryu supported the Golden Emperor and Kurikara took a stand for humanity. The Golden Emperor lent his powers to Sohryu, which enabled Sohryu to banish Kurikara and seal him at the far corners of Gensoukai. Up to the last book of the manga, the Golden Emperor has not been found.

Genbu – the Guardian God of the North. He appears as a short and wise old man. He is Rikugo's teacher and mentor. His true form is a turtle.

Gushoshin Twins – The bird-like creatures that are the librarians and chroniclers for the Shokan Division, EnmaCho, and Meifu. They also assist as needed on research and cases.

Kinu and Gyokuto – Golden bird and jade hare respectively. Enma mentions these two names in the Gensoukai/Kamakura story arc. It is insinuated that Enma refers to Watari as Kinu when Watari and Tatsumi "break in" JuOhCho's mother computer. Apparently, the manga-ka's insinuating that Enma has plans for Watari since he talks about Kinu and Gyokuto coming together to fulfill his goals.

Makai – Hell, or the equivalent of Hell.

Meifu – The land of the dead where sakura trees are almost in bloom all year round. Enma oversees Meifu. It is the equivalent of purgatory.

Kacho – Chief. Another name called for Konoe since he is the Shokan Division Chief.

KaGanKokuShunGeiKuro - roughly translated as red-eyed black lion. This is the parasitic shikigami that shares Terazuma's body and takes control when Terazuma is touched by a woman. Watari endearingly calls Terazuma's shikigami as Kuro

Kurikara - A fiery dragon / shikigami introduced in the Gensoukai / Kamakura story arc. The manga-ka has left fans hanging for more than a year, so there is no canon resolution regarding the outcome of Hisoka's quest...as to whether he "won" Kurikara as his shikigami. For the purposes of this fan fiction series, the Gensoukai / Kamakura story arc is over, Hisoka wins Kurikara, and he is Hisoka's most powerful shikigami to date.

Oriya Mibu or Oriya – Muraki's long-time best friend, the friendship starting at least during their high school years. He is a master swordsman and is the proprietor of the Kokakuro (a restaurant which is also a brothel in disguise for influential clients). He is referred by many as Wakadanna (young master) by his clients and his women.

In the anime and manga, the Kyoto Files Arc, Oriya challenges Hisoka to a duel.

Our beloved manga-ka had done two side-stories which involve three characters – Oriya, Ukyo, and Muraki fairly recently. The stories pick up from after the Kyoto incident where Oriya and Ukyo wait for Muraki's return. I just read the scanlations a couple of days before this chapter posted on

In the stories, the three characters have been friends since their school days. In their earlier days, Oriya constantly wonders as to whether his two friends are a couple. Eventually, the truth comes out and their friendship has endured throughout the years.

In these side-stories, it seems that Oriya is not only fond and loyal of Muraki but also of Ukyo (which gives me the hint that Oriya may be bi). He had been friends with Muraki since high school while he became classmates and close friends with Ukyo during his university days.

You have to read them. Do a Yahoo or Google search on Oriya and Ukyo. I stumbled on them when I was looking for the Tatsumi side-story. The stories, as usual in true YnM style, are adorable.

Major hugs to famous YnM fanfiction author Lyrebird and group for giving the rest of us fans this wonderful treat. Visit Lyrebird's profile for more information.

Primordial demons – A band of demonic beings living in the deepest regions of Hell or Makai. The region where the primordial demons live is mostly unreachable by Hell's residents. There are eight primordial demons – each one representing a point of a Chaos star and all of them drawing powers from Chaotic sources.

Scroll down for further information about the primordial demons. More will be revealed about them in the subsequent chapters. As much as this term has been used from time-to-time, the characters comprising of this group of beings has been created by PJ Zatken.

Rikugo – one of Tsuzuki's twelve shikigami He appears as a handsome man with long hair and an attitude to match Watari's. He is the astrologer shikigami and Genbu's student. He is easily recognized by the extra pair of eyes in his forehead and an eye in each hand

Shikigami – Mystical servants who take on the shape of animals in their battle form.

Shinigami – Angels or Guardians of Death. Those who become shinigami have deep regrets and strong ties to the mortal world. Out of those who die and face judgment before Enma, the Lord of Death selects a handful to become shinigami. All shinigami are to work in pairs to prevent the abuse of privileges, since they each can pass freely between Chijou and Meifu. Each shinigami also chooses a mystical power to master, which will aid him or her during duty. Although they hold one of the most prestigious positions in Meifu, they are also unfortunately the lowest paid employees in JuOhCho.

Shokan Division – The summons sections of EnmaCho or the Judgment Bureau. Their agents, known as shinigami or angels of death, retrieve souls of those who appear in the list but have not faced judgment before Enma.

Sohryu – The guardian of the East, one of Tsuzuki's shikigami, and the Golden Emperor's representative. He is the acting leader of the shikigami. He appears as a tall and handsome man with light-colored hair. In his true form, he is a powerful water dragon.

Terazuma Hajime - He is Wakaba Kannuki's senior partner in the Chugoku area. Although he has pointed ears and dark marks under his eyes due to his parasitic shikigami, he is handsome in his own right and bears a strong resemblance to Tsuzuki. A former detective of the Hiroshima Prefecture Police, an excellent archer, and a current shinigami, Terazuma's motto is efficiency and utilization of strength. He despises Tsuzuki because he sees his senior colleague as a "waste," not only due to Tsuzuki's lackadaisical attitude but also for the latter's possession and almost non-utility of his Fuda and shikigamis' powers. He avoids women and physical contact with women since he turns into his shikigami form with a woman's touch. Hisoka, too, also has the same effect on Terazuma. Although he avoids women, he welcomes Wakaba's presence for more reasons other than his partner's ability to turn him back into his human form.

Almost everyone calls him Terazuma, and Wakaba calls him Hajime-chan. Terazuma Hajime belongs to Matshushita Yoko, the manga-ka.

Todoroki - The chief of the Peace Preservation Bureau. Chief Todoroki is one of Chief Konoe's fiercest enemies, and is an unseen character in the series.

I know. I know...what's Chief Satori doing in the story?

When I was doing my research on the series, I thought that the chief of the Peace Preservation Bureau is un-named. After doing more research for the purposes of this fic, I found out (much to my embarrassment) that Todoroki is the name of the chief. So for less confusion (and in an effort to save face), this is how the story goes...

The Peace Preservation Bureau has two chiefs - one handling internal affairs, and the other managing affairs outside affairs. Chief Satori handles internal affairs, and Chief Todoroki is in charge of external affairs. Although the two of them have different responsibilities, they have equal power and they have their respective staff. At the same time, both of them are thorns in Konoe's side.

Chief Satori is a character created by PJ Zatken, and Chief Todoroki is a creation of manga-ka Matshushita Yoko.

Ukyo / Ukyou / Sakuraiji Ukyou – A young lady from Sakura Pharmaceuticals, a leading drug manufacturer. She is an important woman in Muraki's life. Two years younger than Oriya, they became acquaintances in the university. Together with Oriya, she is anxious about Muraki's fate. In the side-stories, it turned out that Oriya took pharmaceutical sciences with Ukyo at the university.

The excerpt above comes from Lyrebird's site. Many thanks to her and her team for bringing this to life to us who don't speak or read Japanese.

For the purposes of this fic, Ukyo died and Muraki had just found out about it upon his recent return to see the two.

Wakaba Kannuki - She is Terazuma Hajime's partner in the Chugoku area. A Fuda user, she is the only one who could control Terazuma when he changes into his shikigami form. She looks like a pretty and bubbly high school girl in a shaded sailor uniform with long wavy hair entwined with ribbons. Aside from having a sweet disposition, she is an awesome cook and a wonderful baker who spoils Tsuzuki and the rest of the Shokan Division with her pastries.

Her partner, Terazuma, calls her Kannuki. Tsuzuki affectionately calls her Wakaba-chan. The rest of her peers call her Wakaba, and she belongs to Matshushita Yoko.

And a Guide to the Primordials (list will be added as they appear. All that appear in this section are original characters created by PJ Zatken except for Tsuzuki Asato, of course. However, the depiction of Tsuzuki's primordial character is mine.)

Caer – the first of the primordials to have awakened. He is the one who saves Muraki from the fires in Shion University at Kyoto. He appears at the Inquisition Hall to lay claim on Tsuzuki. He bears a grudge against Enma for taking Abigor away from him.

Ruen – the second primordial introduced in the story. She knows Abigor very well and has chatted with him in the past. Do not let her warm sisterly side fool you. She has powers as dark as Caer and knows how to set up chain of events to manipulate those around her and her primordial siblings.

Dymion – the third primordial introduced in the story. His powers have influence over the moon, its appearance, and its phases. He also has other powers that will be revealed as the story unfolds. An excellent archer and gifted mystic just as his siblings, he uses his powers to create havoc. He has a more down-to-earth attitude than most of his siblings yet his temperament is also one of the most volatile.

Lumys – the fourth primordial in the story. He is the most cerebral of the eight siblings although all eight of them are intelligent in his or her right. His mind registers information quickly as well as holds vast amounts of arcane secrets.

Mirmi – the fifth primordial introduced in the story. He was the warrior and shape-shifter among the eight siblings. He was responsible for maiming Father Lorenzo Opava – a long-time friend and mentor to Tsuuri Troy. His business is war and destruction. His deceivingly-handsome looks hide how cruel he could be.

Naiaca – the sixth primordial in the story. She has control over the bodies of water throughout the realms. She, along with Tellix, caused the earthquakes and tsunamis worldwide which rendered a third of the world in the midst of death yet could not die because of Enma's absence from the throne.. Although all of the siblings care for each other, she cares about Tsuzuki very much.

Tellix is the only one that has not been introduced yet. The eighth primordial is Tsuzuki Asato and he definitely needs no introductions :)

Normal Disclaimer

I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and its original characters.