17

"The Reincarnation of Merlin huh?" asked Gabriel. "You look nothing like that old geezer."

Mihiro had a hard time believing that this eccentric haired street performer was the reincarnation of the greatest magician the world had ever seen. She had read stories of the great Merlin and his adventures with King Arthur and his knights, but there was never a concrete picture of how Merlin appeared as so really no one aside from those who knew him actually knew what he looked like.

Kenzaki Seijuro didn't come off as someone particular skilled in magic, aside from cheap card tricks albeit with a particular flair. His crimson hair was as dark yet vibrant as those of the Gremory family, yet the contrast of his left eye set his particular features apart. He had delicate features that came off with a more feminine look, however his sharp jawline and curvy smile was certainly charming.

"I wouldn't expect you to think I look like my old self," sighed Seijuro as he stood up. "I only awakened this powers this year so there's still a lot I have to work on."

"But why were you with the Hero Faction?" asked Gabriel. "Don't tell me you're working with them."

Seijuro shook his head. "They came to Kyoto to recruit me, saying that I had potential. But then I realized they were only using me."

"To awaken the Trihexa," said Kuroka. "Can you even do that?"

"I honestly have no idea," said Seijuro. "They said that they have a magician there who could train me, she's supposed to be a child prodigy and the Reincarnation of Le Fay Pendragon."

"Sister of King Arthur huh?" asked Mihiro. "I didn't know that there were other people out there who could break the seals."

"So you escaped and now they sent Mihiro's mom to come take you back?" asked Kuroka.

"I hadn't realized this one was a warrior of the Arashikages," said Susanoo. "I mistook you for just a maid who was good with a sword. To think you're a descendant of those Dragon Slayers."

"How is she still alive Mihiro?" asked Gabriel. "Weren't you turned to a Devil hundreds of years ago? If she's still human, there's no way she's still alive."

"I don't know," said Mihiro as she balled her fist. "I thought she was dead, my father said he made sure of it."

Gabriel narrowed her eyes. "What exactly happened, Mihiro?"

"It's not something I like to talk about," said Mihiro. "Now we have to focus on finding that sword."

"Sword?" asked Seijuro. "Could you be talking about Caliburn?"

"How do you know about that?" asked Mihiro.

"It's why I came back to Kyoto," said Seijuro. "I heard word that the Youkai's were in trouble. I owe a debt to Lady Yasaka so I came back here as soon as I heard."

"Yasaka? The leader of the Yokai?" asked Kuroka. "That means you're a Youkai?"

Seijuro smiled and bowed with an arm across his chest. "Kenzaki Seijuro, Reincarnation of Merlin and a Nighlon at your service."

"A Nighlon?" asked Mihiro. "I've never heard of that kind of Yokai."

"I wouldn't expect you to," said Seijuro. "My kind are rather obscure, I doubt that there are more than 5 of us in the world right now."

"I never expected to see a Nighlon," said Gabriel. "The child of a human and a dragon."

"That's what a Nighlon is?" asked Mihiro. "Holy crap, you're part dragon?"

Seijuro smiled and held up a peace sign. "Pretty cool right? I know, I'm amazing."

"That could prove to be an interesting opponent," Susanoo smirked. "Fight me, Nighlon boy."

"Cut it out Lady Susanoo," said Gabriel. "We have to worry about finding Caliburn."

"It's in the Yokai district," said Seijuro. "Lady Yasaka said that it was urgent. Come with me."

The group dropped back down to the streets and followed Seijuro as he walked through the streets.

Even though she wanted to be focused on the mission, her entire focus was set on her mother. She wasn't able to help her father at the time, but she saw what happened.

Trapped underneath the rubble of a village, Mihiro had watched as her mother sold the entire Arashikage Clan out. What had originally been a rescue mission to save lives after the Battle of Kawanakajima, turned into a bloodbath as they were ambushed. It was on that night that the entire Arashikage clan went extinct. Mihiro watched as her father had to kill her mother in cold blood, before succumbing to his wounds and dying. If it weren't for Lady Venelana that night, they'd be long dead by now.

But how had she survived? She hadn't been able to confirm it, but she saw her father run a sword through her mother's heart. There's no way she could have lived, and she wasn't a Devil so…

"Mihiro…Mihiro!" cried Kuroka. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sorry," said Mihiro.

"Do not be so hard on her, nekomata," said Susanoo. "The child's mother seemingly returned from the dead and attacked us, and disgraced her. I can understand if she weren't in the right mindset right about now."

Gabriel walked over and took her hand. "We'll talk about it after this is done, I promise."

Mihiro nodded, before realizing that they had arrived at a weird shop. It looked like an old fashioned candy store with sliding doors that was modeled after a temple.

"This is the entryway to Yokai district," said Seijuro as he held out his hand and opened a magic circle. The doors of the store opened as a bright light illuminated the store.

Upon walking in, Mihiro was met with destruction. The Yokai district certainly looked impressive, and beautiful as she imagined it was. It felt like she was looking at Kyoto during the night, the buildings all looked similar to each other as various paths led down to a grand temple atop a hill with a grand staircase. She would have taken the time to go sightseeing if it weren't for the complete destruction at her feet.

All around her, Yokai were running around avoiding other Yokai that wielded a golden sword. People were being cut down on the street left and right, children screaming and running for their lives, and general mayhem exploded in the streets.

"W…What is this?" asked a speechless Seijuro. "What happened here?"

"This is crazy," said Kuroka. "This isn't…This isn't what it looked like before."

"Watch out!" Mihiro leaped forward and manifested her sword as she blocked an attack from a deranged Yokai with wings and a tail. His eyes were bloodshot and she sensed nothing but bloodlust. Mihiro looked down at the little boy who was about to be attacked. "Are you okay?"

"D..Daddy!"

Mihiro's heart dropped. This man…was his father? And he was about to kill his own son?

Kuroka grabbed the man's head and kneed him, knocking him out cold.

"Daddy…Daddy…" the little boy crawled to man's body and shook him. "Please…Please wake up…Daddy…"

Mihiro felt sick. How could this have happened. She knelt down and picked the boy up in her arms as he cried and cried. She could do nothing for a boy at a time like this, other then offer her comfort.

Gabriel picked up the sword the man was wielding. "This is Caliburn alright, but a copy."

"It can make copies of itself?" asked Kuroka.

"Caliburn is a Holy Sword," said Susanoo. "With the ability to make an unlimited amount of copies of itself that can be altered to shape it's wielder's will. Technically speaking, any Caliburn can look different depending on who's holding it."

"We have to find Lady Yasaka," said Seijuro. "She has to be okay."

"Toshi!" cried a woman as she ran down the blood and corpse filled path. "Toshi! Toshi!"

The little boy sprung free of Mihiro's arms and ran towards the woman, leaping into her arms. She had tanned skin and two white horns on her head.

"M-Miss Hoshimori?" asked Seijuro as he waddled forward. "Miss Hoshimori…what happened here?"

"Sei-Chan," the woman said in disbelief. "Oh my god it's really you." She walked over and caressed his cheek before tears filled her eyes. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Miss Hoshimori, where's Lady Yasaka?" asked Seijuro, his voice distorted with pain.

"Please come with me," said Miss Hoshimori.

They followed the Yokai woman on the outskirts of the district and took a long path outside. It was too dangerous to walk in the district right now as they entered the woods. Hidden deep in the woods was an old log cabin that was protected by a barrier.

Upon entering the cabin, Mihiro saw a beautiful young woman in her mid twenties, laying in a futon with several Yokai around her. She had long and fluffy blonde hair, and delicate features that accentuated her beauty. However her skin was extremely pale and her breathing was erratic.

"She's dying…" Mihiro said on instinct.

"Hoshimori, who are these people?" asked an old man that walked forward with a cane. He was a monkey Yokai, with a long beard and a tail. His back was hunched over as he leaned on his cane.

"Old man," said Seijuro. "Old man it's me, Seijuro."

The old man widened his eyes in shock. "Seijuro…It's been years." He reached his hand out. His eyes found Kuroka as well. "And Kuroka too…I am overjoyed to see you too so healthy."

"You lived here too?" asked Gabriel.

Kuroka nodded as she took the old man's hands. "For a few years with Shirone, before Naberius found us. Lady Yasaka was like a mother to us, always taking care of Shirone. Chief, what's happened?"

"There was a coup," said Miss Hoshimori. "A sword fell from the sky and landed in this forest. Lady Yasaka's husband, Lord Kurama, went to investigate. When he arrived, he injured Lady Yasaka and led a rebellion. It's been only days, but I fear that our home will be lost."

Mihiro dropped to her knees and examined Lady Yasaka.

"W-What are you-" the Old man was cut off by Kuroka.

"Let her work, Chief," said Kuroka.

Mihiro checked her temperature. It was high, but it was steadily climbing. She pulled back Lady Yasaka's covers and held her ear to her chest, checking her heartbeat. It was erratic and unstable…

Lastly, Mihiro checked her pupils. The color was completely drained from her eyes and they had been dilated.

"She's been poisoned," said Mihiro as she pulled the covers over Lady Yasaka. "Caliburn didn't do this. This is mirakuru poisoning. It's like injecting too much adrenaline to your heart. Her fever's going to spike soon and she'll have a heart attack if her heartbeat keeps rising."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Gabriel.

"I'm going to need your help Kuroka," said Mihiro. "Seijuro too if you can."

"Of course," Seijuro dropped besides her. "Please…anything."

"I'm going to need several pans of water, and the same number of empty pans," said Mihiro. "I'm also going to need several people to hold her down, and make sure she's hydrated. This isn't going to be easy."

"What are you planning on doing?" asked Gabriel.

"Kuroka is going to locate trace amounts of the poison in her body," said Mihiro. "Seijuro and I are going to extract them out of her body, however it'll be painful because mirakuru negates her ability to heal. She'll feel everything, and until the last drop of the poison is out, it won't be over."

Several of the Yokai brought over numerous amounts of pans with cold water. "Bear with me Lady Yasaka." She pulled out a small knife. "Alright, you're all going to need to hold her down. If she moves around too much, the poison could spread even more."

"Got it," said Miss Hoshimori.

"Kuroka, are you ready?" asked Mihiro.

Kuroka opened a magic circle in her hand and nodded.

"When she finds where it is," said Mihiro. "I'm going to make an incision. Seijuro-Kun, you have to use water magic to extract her blood and drop it in the pan. Go as fast as you can, but as slow as you need to."

"Understood," said Seijuro.

"Alright," said Mihiro as she took in a deep breath. "Let's do this."

…

Gabriel sat on the outside of the cabin as Mihiro and the others went to work on healing Yasaka.

Of course she knew that she could have healed Yasaka easily, however it was the first time that she's seen Mihiro so fired up. Gabriel couldn't possibly intervene when there was so much passion burning in Mihiro like that. She somehow wished that Masamune could see her right now, she was definitely a formidable enemy.

Gabriel had heard tales of the ancient Dragon Slayers, servants of the God Slayers. Rather than gaining power by slaying gods, they usurped the strength of dragons by learning how to use the magic that dragons used. Using the elements of the dragons, humans who gained enough power to crack the scales of those exact same dragons. There were still tons of questions that arose from this, because like the God Slayers, Gabriel hadn't ever seen a true Dragon Slayer in a long time. They were thought to have been perished when the God Slayers did, and as most of the dragons in the world were either killed or sealed in Sacred Gears, true Dragon Slayers who gained power from dragons themselves were extremely rare. Does Mihiro possess a Sacred Gear…or was it something else.

"Lady Gabriel," said the Chief as he sat down besides her. "I cannot thank you enough for what you've done."

Gabriel smiled. "I haven't done a thing Chief, I have no idea what you mean."

"But I thank you nonetheless," said the Chief.

"Tell me," said Gabriel. "This Kurama, where is he right now?"

"In the grand temple at the top of the district," said the Chief. "We were able to escape, however at too high of a cost. Our top priority was getting Lady Yasaka and her child safely out."

"Child? She has a child?" asked Gabriel.

The Chief nodded. "Lady Kunou…she's only two years old. I had thought that she would have to grow up never knowing the warmth of familial love. But thanks to Seijuro and Kuroka, and that wonderful young mistress, we might have a chance."

Lady Susanoo flew over to them. "I feel a powerful magic pulse coming from the temple. It's a nine tailed fox."

Chief nodded. "Lord Kurama is the most powerful nine tailed fox to ever have been born. He was able to unite the Yokai under one domain and bring peace to our land. However…he's been taken over by that sword. It feels like he's a completely different person."

"It must be Caliburn," said Gabriel.

Mihiro walked out to the patio and wiped her hands. "Lady Yasaka's not in danger anymore, but her body will take some time to recover. We just need to make sure she gets enough rest and is eating right."

The Chief got on his knees and bowed to Mihiro. "Thank you, so much Arashikage Mihiro. I cannot thank you enough, for saving the Lady Yasaka."

Mihiro smiled. "It really is nothing to thank me for. I'm just happy I can be of help."

Gabriel stood up and walked inside, to see Kuroka and Seijuro holding Yasaka's hand.

She smiled. "I think it's time we call Masamune, don't you think? We could use his help in stopping Kurama."

Kuroka nodded and stood up before walking outside to call Masamune. Gabriel sat down besides Yasaka.

"Long time no see, Yasaka," said Gabriel.

Slowly, Yasaka began to open her eyes. "L-Lady Gabriel…Oh my, I didn't think I'd get to see you again. It's been so long."

"I'm not the only one," said Gabriel.

Seijuro seemed to squeeze Yasaka's hand as she looked to him. Her eyes widened as she smiled at him. "Seijuro…Look how you've grown up."

"Lady Yasaka…It's been a long time," smiled Seijuro. "I come back and you're on your deathbed. The least you can do is not worry me so much."

Yasaka giggled. "I have a daughter now, Seijuro. I'd love for you to meet her. I know you two will get along."

"Of course," said Seijuro as tears ran down his cheeks. "I'd love to."

Just then, footsteps approached the cabin. "Yasaka? You look rather terrible."

Gabriel looked up to see Sera, Dulio, Rose, and Kuro by the door. Sera walked over and sat down besides Seijuro by Yasaka's side.

"Sera…what the hell are you wearing?" asked Gabriel.

"Nothing," sighed Kuro. "She's practically wearing nothing."

Sera looked down at her bikini. "I-It was super hot in Egypt okay?"

"Lady Leviathan," said Yasaka. "It's good to see you again."

"Yasaka," said Gabriel. "Please let me introduce you to the others. This is Dulio, my brother Michael's Ace. The one with that looks like a girl is Kuromaru, and the lady there is an Asgardian, Rossweisse."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," smiled Yasaka.

"So?" asked Kuro. "Did you find the sword?"

Gabriel nodded. "It's possessed Yasaka's husband, Kurama. He's hiding out in the grand temple, and is leading a rebellion. A lot of people have died already."

"Wait a minute," said Mihiro. "Where's Lord Masamune?"

Kuroka joined them. "He said he'll meet us here. What happened?"

Kuro's eye twitched. "It's…a long story. You'll see when he gets here."

"In the meantime," said Dulio. "Why don't we pay this Kurama a visit? I'm sure he'll be here by the time we're there."

"Assuming Bast doesn't do anything to him," said Kuro underneath his breath.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Bast? The goddess?"

"W-Who are these people?" asked Seijuro.

"Oh I almost forgot," said Mihiro. "Everyone, this is Kenzaki Seijuro. He's the Reincarnation of Merlin. Kenzaki-Kun, I'll have to introduce everyone to you later. We have work to do."

…

In 7,000 years of life, Masamune had never been on a pirate ship before. The Helio definitely didn't disappoint. It's top deck was an expansive center with a main control section towards the back where Bast piloted the ship with ease using magic. The main mast standing right in the middle of the ship wore a blank white flag, however Masamune had ideas for his own banner.

As he looked over the edge of the ship, they were moving pretty fast for something so big. They had left Egypt in the matter of minutes, in fact he was pretty sure they had already passed India.

"Don't be so surprised," said Bast. "The Helio is the fastest ship in the world. It was a modified form of Mother's original chariot, though she had a lot of help from Hephaestus."

"The old man helped her build this?" asked Masamune. Somehow it brought a smile to him, knowing that there was something out there that left a legacy for the kind and gentle old man who gave him company on Olympus.

"Let me tell you something rather interesting, God Slayer," Bast left her stationed and walked over to Masamune, laying her finger on his chest. "Did you know that celestial deities share a collective consciousness? Though they're blocked off from viewing the memories of their other selves, however if you know the right magic…" she slid her finger down his stomach.

A cold chill went down his spine as Masamune backed to the edge of the ship and fell on his butt, with Bast crawling towards her. Her long and wavy purple hair was flowing with the breeze. Her tanned skin and golden eyes were breathtakingly captivating…he wouldn't be surprised if she was the goddess of love and not protection and cats.

"You're quite the sly devil," Bast licked her lips seductively as she pressed her arms underneath her breasts. "I can't believe my counterpart fell for such tricks."

"I…I'm sorry…" said Masamune.

"Tell me, Asa Masamune," said Bast as she moved to his ear. "I wonder what kind of child would be born, from a God Slayer and a Goddess."

His heart dropped. Memories came flooding back to him. Masamori.

Masamune pushed Bast away, his fingers gripping her shoulder.

"M-Masamune?" asked Bast. "I was only joking…Are you okay?"

"The child of a God Slayer and a deity…" said Masamune as he bit his lower lip hard enough to bleed. "Is not a good thing…"

"You…You couldn't have," said Bast.

Masamune stood up and faced the ever expanding sky and horizon. "If you're upset, Bast, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Kuro was injured because of me…because of my own greed and malicious desire to not be alone. I'd understand if you didn't trust me, since you were forced to come with us. If I could," he balled his fists. "I would gladly offer up my life to you as compensation for my mistakes."

Bast walked up besides him. "You're not in the wrong for wanting comfort in others. I can understand why you would want to start a family, a family of immortals. The idea doesn't sound so bad. I hold no grudge against you, because I saw how much you care for that Kuromaru. I can see he means a lot to you, seeing as you were willing to steal a god's Authority for him."

"He was the only thing I had left," said Masamune. "Family is thicker than blood. It was Kuro who taught me that."

"Then just be sure you protect that family, to the best of your ability," said Bast. "Looks like we're coming up on Kyoto right now."

"A-Already?" asked Masamune, baffled at how fast this ship was.

"The engine of the ship is powered by a miniaturized dwarf star," said Bast. "It uses compressed magic to fly, and also has a cloaking feature so we won't be spotted by humans. Tell me, what is it are we facing in Kyoto?"

"A Divine Artifact, Caliburn," said Masamune. "Artifacts have a living will of their own, however there are some out there than twist the user's will rather than react to it. Caliburn is one of them."

"So it really is similar to a Sacred Gear," said Bast.

Masamune faced her. "I still don't fully grasp what a Sacred Gear is. We didn't have anything like that on my world."

Bast grinned. "You'll find out along this journey, however there are a few you should be weary of. The Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Overlord in particular."

"Red Dragon Emperor…White Dragon Overlord."

Bast nodded. "They're two unique powerful Longinus type Sacred Gears with the spirits of two Heavenly Dragons sealed within them. Even to an untrained user, they are extremely powerful. Once mastered, they have the ability to kill gods. But I suppose all the Longinus type do. That boy that was with you, Dulio, possesses one too."

"Zenith Tempest," said Masamune.

Bast nodded. "The ability to control weather as well as the various elements. That boy possesses an extraordinary weapon."

"Bast," said Masamune. "Have you heard of the Khaos Brigade?"

Bast sighed. "Unfortunately I have. I hear that a certain Dragon of Infinity is their leader, however there's someone else you should be worried about besides Ophis."

"Who?"

"His name is Rizevim Lucifer," said Bast. "The son of the Archangel Lucifer and the mother of Devils Lilith. Word is he wants to end the world to start it anew. This Trihexa might be his means of doing it."

"But then Ophis…The Dragon of Infinity."

"Ophis wants eternal peace," said Bast. "She wants to do so through the means of entering the Dimensional Gap. However Rizevim seems to have trapped the Dragon of Dragons in the Gap, meaning that Ophis cannot return until Rizevim lets him out. I assume that's why they're working together."

Rizevim Lucifer…So he's the one behind all of this.

"There's Kyoto," said Bast. "Where are we headed?"

"The Yokai District," said Masamune. "Can we get there from here?"

"I'll have to use the dimensional jumper, but yes," said Bast as the two walked to the control section. "The Yokai district is hidden behind a barrier that separates dimensions. But…" She opened two magic circles as the ship gained speed. "We can jump right in. You'd better hang on to something."

…

"Mow em down!" cried Sera as everyone marched forward.

Mihiro used the back of her sword to cut down everybody who was possessed by the sword.

"Don't kill them! They're only possessed by Caliburn!" cried Mihiro.

"Not like…" Kuroka jumped and kicked one of the men in the face. "They're giving us any options here."

Mihiro and the others had entered the Yokai district and immediately were ambushed by hordes of Yokai possessed by copies of the sword. There was just no end to them, the bodies just kept piling on no matter how hard they pushed.

"Dulio!" Gabriel shouted.

"I'm on it!"

Dulio slammed his hands on the ground as the very earth became liquid and pliable. The ground became to suck up every single person possessed by the sword and drag them underneath until only their heads were poking up.

"Why didn't you do that before?" asked Sera.

"Not the time!" Dulio blocked an attack from a woman and punched her in the gut to knock her out. "Earth isn't my favorite element to use so I can't use it very often."

"Finally," said Susanoo as she stepped forward. "He arrives."

Like a messenger of god sent to cleanse the earth, a man descended down from the temple. He was tall with nine corporeal tails coming from his back that emitted an orange energy. His hair was long and blonde with his eyes a fiery red and crazed with a distinct bloodlust. He wore a red and white gi, must like Seijuro's. In his hand was the original Caliburn, a long sword with a golden guard and strange markings along the blade.

"L-Lord Kurama…" said Seijuro. "What's happened to you?"

"Oh? So the little runt's come home," said Kurama in a distorted voice as he smiled maniacally.

"Stop this Lord Kurama!" cried Seijuro. "Lady Yasaka's been injured…You have to-"

Susanoo flew forward and in one fatal swoop, met Kurama's sword as the force of the impact created a blast of wind that destroyed part of the district.

"You shall entertain me some!" cried Susanoo as she put more and more force into the Ama-no-Murakumo, plunging Kurama into the ground.

Kurama's tails began to move. One of them took the form of a fist as it grabbed Susanoo and lifted her up.

"W-What?"

Another one of his tails created a spiraling ball of compressed air and magic. Kurama plunged the ball directly at Susanoo's stomach as it blasted her back.

Mihiro acted instinctively and threw her sword back to meet Susanoo. She teleported to her sword and caught both Susanoo and her sword, slamming it into the ground to slow their push.

"M…My regards, Arashikage Mihiro," said Susanoo as she coughed up blood. "That was quite the attack."

"Lady Susanoo, your stomach," said Dulio.

Mihiro took a look to see her stomach completely destroyed. The skin had been completely torn away and her organs looked like they were about to spill out.

"This is nothing," Susanoo forced herself to her feet. "That wasn't your ordinary wind magic. So this is the secret move of the Kitsune's…interesting."

"I've never seen a Rasengan that powerful before," Seijuro gulped.

"What's the matter?" asked Kurama. "Not entertaining enough for you?"

"Oh you're gonna get it now you nine tailed rat," Susanoo slowly moved forward, using her sword as a cane.

Gabriel and Sera stepped in front of her to stop her.

"Now's not the time to be reckless Lady Susanoo," said Gabriel.

"We won't last too long if we recklessly attack him," said Sera.

"Well what do you suggest we do, Archangel?" asked Susanoo. "That monster will destroy this entire district, and most likely move onto the city next."

"F-For starters," said Seijuro, much to Mihiro's surprise. "We can try to take the sword from him. But we have to deal with his tails first. He can counter us from all angles with them."

"Do you have a plan?" asked Mihiro.

"Well not so much of a plan-"

Kurama appeared in the middle of their huddle. "What makes you think you can just have a nice conversation in the middle of battle?"

"Scatter!" cried Susanoo as she met his sword once again. She released an enormous amount of divine power as the Ama-no-Murakumo changed it's shape.

"You must really be looking to die," Kurama smiled wickedly.

Two of his tails converged onto Susanoo, however they were met with two skeletal hands coming from the goddess's back. It was like Mihiro was watching an entire skeleton form from one person as multiple ethereal arms formed from Susanoo, each wielding an ethereal form of the Ama-no-Murakumo. They emitted a purple aura as Susanoo had a maniacal look in her face.

"Forcing me to use this…you have a lot of courage, for a dead man," said Susanoo. "Sorry to disappoint you Kitsune, but there's only one man out there who's allowed to kill me!"

Susanoo charged at the Kitsune with ferocity and strength, meeting his sword and his tails with the ethereal arms.

Mihiro's legs buckled as she began to feel the magic pressure coming from them. She fell to her knees as her body began to grow numb.

"Now's not the time to be overwhelmed, Mihiro-Chan," said Kuro as he placed a hand on her.

"W…What is that thing?" asked Mihiro. "I've never seen a power like that…Susanoo…"

"Susanoo's Warrior Authority," said Dulio as he helped her up. "It creates an avatar made entirely of divinity. It's Susanoo's strongest Authority."

"I didn't think this Susanoo had it too." Mihiro looked to Kuro, who was smiling.

"H-How can you smile in a situation like this?" asked Mihiro. "There's so much destruction around us…up against someone we don't even know we can beat. How can you be so calm and smile at a time like this?"

"Because I can feel it," said Kuro as he squeezed her shoulder. "Can't you?"

Footsteps came from behind them as Lady Yasaka stumped forward, leaning on Miss Hoshimori.

"Kurama…" she said with pain behind her voice. "Oh honey…"

"L-Lady Yasaka!" Seijuro ran back to her. "You shouldn't be out of bed. It's too dangerous here."

"He's right," Rose joined him, though a smile crept at her face. "Please, stay away."

"I feel a powerful magic pressure headed this way," said Yasaka.

Mihiro hadn't realized it, but both Gabriel and Sera were smiling as well. Even Dulio became suddenly confident. A loud bang cracked the sky as she looked up.

Mihiro's jaw practically dropped as she saw a massive sword pierce through the very air. In seconds, a massive ship emerged from an invisible wall in the sky. She watched as the ship sailed the skies and hovered above them, as a figure jumped from the tip of the massive sword at the front hull and landed before them.

"Took your sweet time didn't you?" asked Kuro. "Master."

Mihiro watched as Masamune confidently stood up, wearing a long black coat. All she could see was his back, but for a split second, she thought it was her father. This same rush of warmth running through her…

"Is that who's the sword possessing?" asked Masamune.

Lady Yasaka walked to Masamune's side and Kuro joined him. "That is my husband…"

"I see," said Masamune. "I'm sorry."

"Please, do what you have to," said Lady Yasaka.

"I understand," said Masamune. "I'll handle the rest."

Seijuro helped Lady Yasaka back as Mihiro joined them. Standing by Masamune's side were Kuro, Gabriel, Sera, Kuroka, Dulio, and Rose. She felt completely useless sitting back watching the backs of those seven. She felt like a child again, watching helplessly as others fought for her. Watching as she could do nothing but be a helpless bystander.

"Dammit…"

…

"Took your time didn't you, God Slayer?" Susanoo jumped back and joined them.

Masamune took a look at this Kurama. His power was incredible, he must have already been a powerful Yokai before being possessed by the sword.

"Dulio, Kuroka, Sera. You three lock down his tails. Rose, Gabriel, Susanoo, you're with me," said Masamune as he held up his hand. "We're going to get that sword off of him."

Lightning struck his hand as the Bolt formed a spear. The others jumped into action.

Dulio managed to ground Kurama by locking his feet under the ground. Sera and Rose seemed to lock his tails on the ground using ice and magic restraints.

"You think this will hold me?" asked Kurama. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

Kurama let out a wild roar that broke apart Sera's ice and Rose's magic circles. Masamune slammed the Bolt into the ground and activated Enkidu's chains. The chains erupted from an invisible barrier that rippled the very air, wrapping them around Kurama's body.

"Rose!" Masamune shouted.

"I'm on it Master!"

Rose jumped into the air and opened several magic circles, all shooting forth blades of light that slammed themselves into Kurama's tails.

"Kuro!"

Kuro leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Kurama's right arm, locking him into place so he can't swing that sword. Just to be sure, Kuro chomped onto Kurama's shoulder and locked him in place.

"Why…" asked Kurama. "Why must you stop me? If I don't cull this district of the weak…they'll be trampled on by those humans…My people need a ruler!"

"Not like this!" Masamune drove the Bolt into Kurama's stomach. "All you're doing is senseless slaughter! You even injured your wife didn't you? And you call yourself a ruler? You call yourself a man?"

From the inside of Masamune's coat, a black cat jumped onto the ground and transformed into Bast. She held one hand on his hand and the other at Kurama's heart.

"Ready?"

Masamune nodded, as he was thrust into a world of light.

Once his vision cleared, Masamune saw that he and Kurama were standing in a field of white. His sense of direction went directly out the window since he wasn't standing on anything he could tangibly see, however he saw Kurama. The Kitsune was knelt onto the ground with his arms held up by chains with spikes that drove into his body.

"Why…" asked Kurama, in his normal voice. "Why doesn't anyone understand…I did this for them…"

Masamune walked over and sat down before Kurama. "You went at this the wrong way. A good ruler, a good man doesn't go about protection through senselessly killing those he thinks is weak. Coming from me, that might be the most sound advice you can get."

"How can I even face them…after what I've done," asked Kurama, his head still stooped down.

"You hardened your heart and face the consequences of your actions," said Masamune. "You get on your knees and apologize from your heart, and then you spend the rest of your life atoning for your sins."

"Can I really…do that?"

"Yes, because I've done it," said Masamune. "It'll be a long and difficult road, but you can do it."

"This power…" said Kurama. "I can't let go."

"Look at me Kurama," said Masamune. The man finally raised his hand to reveal a rather handsome and gentle face. He didn't look any older than 30, and yet he had the vibrant and charm that Yasaka seemed to have.

"You don't need this power," said Masamune. "This power won't help you with anything but destruction. You've got a beautiful wife waiting for you."

"My…My daughter…Kunou," said Kurama.

"And a daughter?" smiled Masamune. "Stop this and go home to them, Kurama."

"I've fused with the sword," said Kurama. "I can't detach myself."

Masamune gritted his teeth. He knew this would be a possibility, but he had hoped he was wrong.

"Will you keep watching over your family?" asked Masamune. "I can seal you within the sword. You won't die, but you'll be trapped in here, in this world by yourself."

"Will I be able to see my family?" asked Kurama.

Masamune nodded. "You'll still be able to see and hear through the sword, but you won't be able to interact with them for a long time."

"Then that doesn't sound so bad," said Kurama.

"Maybe one day you can learn to control the sword's power, and leave," said Masamune. "But that will be entirely up to you."

"What is your name…God Slayer?"

Masamune smiled. "Masamune. Asa Masamune."

"Masamune," said Kurama. "You have my gratitude."

"You idiot," said Masamune. "Next time, don't go looking for power. I'm sure you have more power than you realize."

Masamune was beginning to be pulled back to the real world. When he opened his eyes once more, he was kneeling on the ground with Caliburn stabbed into the ground in front of him.

…

"I see," said Yasaka as she held Caliburn in her arms. "So his spirit's trapped inside this sword."

Masamune and the others reconvened at an old abandoned cabin out in the woods of the Yokai district. While all the Yokai sat behind Yasaka, everyone with the Jaegers sat behind Masamune, although Bast and Susanoo stood by the door frame.

"I'm sorry," said Masamune. "He was too fused with the sword for me to free him. Even if I did, he wouldn't have been the same person. This way, maybe there's a way to free him in the future."

Yasaka smiled before setting the sword down in front of them. "Will you take it with you?"

Masamune shook his head. "Kurama's soul is already infused into this sword, making it as much a Yokai weapon as it is a Divine Artifact. It belongs with you…plus, he said that as long as he can watch over you and your daughter."

"How did you know I have a daughter?" asked Yasaka.

"Kurama told me," said Masamune. "I spoke to him in the sword's inner world. He's still hanging on, and I hope that in time he can learn to control the sword. It's my hope that there can be a way to separate them."

Yasaka smiled and caressed the handle of the sword. "I see…I thank you God Slayer, from the bottom of my heart."

"It wasn't me Yasaka," said Masamune. "If you should be thanking anybody, I think it should be Mihiro here."

"Huh?" asked a startled Mihiro.

"Gabriel told me," said Masamune as he placed a hand on her head. "I'm proud of you."

Mihiro's face suddenly went red as she looked down. "S-Stop that my Lord, I don't know what I'm supposed to say to that."

"Just accept the compliment will ya?" Kuroka wrapped an arm around her and smiled. "You did an amazing thing here Mihiro. Be proud of it."

"Yasaka," said Masamune. "If it's okay, we'd like to stay here for a few days to help with the rebuilding process. There's been a lot of destruction here, I can't just leave it like this."

Yasaka shook her head. "You've already done more than enough, Masamune-Kun. I can't ask you to help even more."

"I see…" said Masamune, slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to do more.

"Then take these," said Bast as she walked over and handed Yasaka a stack of paper with hieroglyphs on it. "There what you would call shikigami papers. They'll help out with the rebuilding."

"Mihiro-Chan," said a boy with crimson hair. He bowed down so that his forehead touched the floor. "Thank you…so much, for saving Lady Yasaka. I'm truly grateful."

"Eh!" Mihiro flustered. "N-No it's nothing really!"

"A friend of yours?" asked Masamune with a sly smirk.

"Oh that's right," said Kuroka. "Masamune, apparently he has enough magical power to break the seals."

Masamune's widened as he looked to this boy. "What?"

"K-Kenzaki Seijuro…" the boy said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Why don't you two talk outside?" asked Yasaka. "It seems important."

"Y-Yeah…" said Masamune as he and the boy stepped outside with Bast and Susanoo.

They sat down on the patio as they looked out into the city. Masamune could see the survivors already starting to put out the fires. With the compulsion over them lifted once the sword was sealed, everybody returned to normal. Well…as normal as one can get. They're going to have a long journey ahead of them to rebuild and become settled once again.

"Is this true?" asked Bast.

"He was attacked by a man who held the True Longinus," said Susanoo. "It seems they were working with the Khaos Brigade, called the Hero Faction."

"It must have been the guy that Loki got the spear from," sighed Masamune. "So? Do you really know how to break the seals?"

The boy shook his head. "They said that they were going to teach me, but I ran away when I found out what they wanted to do. I came back to Kyoto when I heard something had happened to the Yokai."

He spoke with a kansai dialect, how nostalgic. Masamune smiled. "Well then no harm done."

"There's another thing," said Susanoo. "The person who attacked us and tried to kidnap this boy…she was Mihiro's mother."

Masamune narrowed his eyes. "What? Her mother? But she was Reincarnated hundreds of years ago. How's she still alive?"

"We don't know," said Susanoo. "Mihiro doesn't know either, which doesn't leave us with much to go on."

"T-The Hero Faction has someone though," said Seijuro. "She's a child prodigy magician, Le Fay Pendragon. Her brother Arthur is with the Hero Faction as well."

"And as it happens," said Susanoo. "This boy here is the Reincarnation of the old geezer Merlin."

"Oh is he?" asked Bast. "And here I thought that Merlin was still trapped in that tower…How strange."

"Wait," said Masamune. "People get Reincarnated…like into the next life?"

"Heroic spirits, yes," said Bast. "Heroes that are recognized for their valor in recorded history have the potential to be Reincarnated back into the world. Merlin, Le Fay, even King Arthur."

Masamune sighed. "So I'm guess this Le Fay and Arthur are reincarnations of the original Le Fay and Arthur Pendragon?"

"Yes sir," said Seijuro. "W-What's going to happen to me?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Masamune.

"I doubt they'll stop targeting me," said Seijuro. "But I can't just leave Lady Yasaka…not like this anyway."

"Then why don't you stay?" asked Masamune.

"You knew they'll target him again, don't you?" asked Susanoo. "This won't end just because we stopped Caliburn. I doubt that the sword arrived here by accident. From what it sounded like, they lured him back here."

"I doubt they'll stop just because you sealed the sword," said Bast. "If he stays here, he'll put everyone here in grave danger, especially himself."

Masamune stood up and faced Seijuro. "What will you do?"

"W-What?" the boy buckled his knees.

"Will you stay here with the people you love, or leave with us and be safe," said Masamune. "The choice is yours, but I guarantee you it won't be so easy." He held out his hand as a magic circle dropped an old grimoire into his hand. "This book contains spells that you can learn if you want to stay here. Use it to train yourself…"

"But…what can I do?" asked Seijuro as he balled his fists. "I'm just a street magician…It's not like I've ever done actual magic."

"Why do you think I'm giving this to you?" asked Masamune with a smile. "If you're afraid of your own weakness, then harden yourself and become stronger. Strong enough to protect Yasaka and Kunou, to protect this district. The choice is yours."

"You're really putting him on the spot, aren't you?" asked Susanoo.

"Because this is how dire the situation is," said Masamune as he held out the grimoire. "Will you flee and stay safe, knowing that they might target this district again to lure you back? Or will you stand on your own two feet and protect them."

Masamune was right on the money. Seijuro might be a street performer, but he held a vast potential in him. Something he hasn't seen in many people, maybe two people since coming to this world…and the other one just saved the life of the Yokai leader after learning her mother was alive and tried to kill her.

"It won't be easy, by any stretch of the imagination," said Masamune. "But I don't want you to regret your decisions."

Seijuro took in a deep breath before taking the grimoire. "I'll become stronger…I will."

Masamune smiled and patted him on the head. "Good choice."

He walked back inside to the others while Masamune stayed outside with the two goddesses. He looked up at the Helio, parked in the sky and anchored to the forest.

"So," said Kuro and Rose as they walked outside. "You got yourself a pirate ship."

"It's definitely a pretty ship," said Rose.

"Who knows," said Masamune. "Maybe this will turn out to be quite the adventure."

"Will you be off then?" asked Yasaka as she and the others walked outside.

"The sun's about to come up, so I think we should leave as soon as possible," said Masamune.

"Will they come back?" asked an old man with a cane.

"They might," said Masamune. "But you're in good hands. Right, Seijuro?"

The boy hugged the grimoire as he stood proudly next to Yasaka. "Yes."

"Masamune-Kun," said Yasaka as she walked to him. "Allow me to thank you once again. "She leaned up and kissed his cheek before parting and stepping back. "Feel free to come visit Kyoto again anytime. Next time, I'll be sure to give you a proper tour."

Masamune rubbed his cheek with a smile. "Yeah. Till next time."

"Why do you look so happy!" Kuroka smacked him on the head.

"You jerk!" Sera punched his stomach.

"W…What did I do?" asked Masamune as he looked up.

"Honestly Master," said Rose. "I wish you'd take the feelings of the women around you into consideration before doing something like that again."

"Not your proudest moment, Masamune," Dulio giggled as he walked up to join the girls.

"Come on Master," said Kuro as he crossed his arms. "Off to our next adventure.

Masamune sighed before walking up to join the rest of the group. He looked back to the Yokai and gave one last wave, before Bast opened another magic circle and beamed everybody up to the Helio.