Hey everybody, I'm back; I'm alive!

Sorry that I left you in suspense for longer than usual. I've been battling two different spouts of the cold/flu for the past few weeks, plus busy with prepping my fall schedule for school and finding some p/t work (mission accomplished on that front a few days ago; yay!).

But I'm feeling better and a little less congested, physically and mentally, and I usually find a slower pace pays off.

Anyway, hope you enjoy my newest addition to the story! Read on :)

Chapter 106 (Special): Goblins, Ninjas & Saki's Strike

"Breaking News: A priceless heirloom sword has been stolen from the Tokyo National Museum yesterday night. No major details have been released about this said artifact, other than it was discovered by Archaeologist Professor Reo Hashimoto and his team in an excavation project several months back. Requests for interviews are being denied at this time to allow the police time to conduct a thorough investigation of the crime scene, whom so far have no conclusive details to report with regards to whom was responsible for the theft. We will continue to follow this story as it develops..."

That would be the newest report broadcasted over Tokyo's news stations for the coming afternoon, leaving all watching or listening to ponder in their own circles what could've brought about this thievery and 'who done it?'...

With the exception of two individuals.

First, we zoom in on a tall skyscraper nestled discreetly within the other hulking buildings of the Japan's capital's busy downtown, made from black glass and gray concrete, and had a large symbol in the middle depicting a headset communicator hovering around a simple picture of the infamous Mount Fuji, the icon of an infamous technology company known as Fujiterra.

Inside, its CEO, Saki Hikiji, was sitting in his private study overlooking some new files, when one of the shadows in the ceiling shifts, and he looks up to see three ninja drop down to kneel several feet in front of his desk, their outfits being rather standard in terms of the iconic look.

Full-black garments, shin and arm guards made from what looks to be steel, and masks that merely covered their lower faces rather than their entire heads. On the part of their robes over their hearts, was a circular patch that shows a black tri-claw mark overtop a light purple background...

Saki pauses his work to address these new arrivals, his brown eyes narrowed in a calculated expression, highlighting the light ring of purple.

"Your report."

The ninja in the middle of the other two stands up, and removes a silver cloth-wrapped bundle from his back, before walking up to present the mystery item to the man.

"The mission was a success, master. We secured the blade in question."

Saki unwraps the cloth, and smirks when he sees the bounty that his subordinates had acquired: The Sword of Tengu!

"Ha. At last...The sword is back in the hands of those meant to use it."

The damage done to the blade is but a formality to be fixed. The rest of the sword is as immaculate as ever...

All I need, is the gem that binds.

Looking up at the ninja, he then orders,

"Proceed to phase two, and send the 'invitation'."

"(Bow) Yes, master."

A few seconds later, the three black-clothed warriors were gone, disappearing into the cloak of the dark, while Saki carefully sets the ancient blade down on the cloth on his desk, before turning his view from the highest point of his building, face set in a mix of indifference and a dull burn of fury.

This time, none shall stand in the way...not even you, 'old friend'.

Moving to another part of the city, we find ourselves inside a condo apartment building nearby the dojo run by Master Yoshi, who was currently in meditation in his living room, legs crossed and eyes closed in thought since he awoke early in the morning from a rather foreboding vision he received in his dreams.

...The darkness is on the rise once more, after all these years...

That blade wishes to be made again, but for what purpose and whose?

...What truly worries me, is the battle I saw, but there is nothing I can do to stop it. Fate has control this time.

I can only hope they are ready for what comes...and will be able to stop him.

"...Hm?"

(Toss, shooooom)

Suddenly, Yoshi snaps his soft brown irises open, and quickly springs away in a back-flip from the path of a shuriken that came flying for his head! He darts his eyes towards the direction of the weapon's path, that being his halfway-opened window, but sees nothing...

Using caution, he steps up to dislodge the shuriken from the floor, noting a small scroll of paper tucked inside a sliver cut in the metal.

"Hmm..."

Unrolling the scroll, Yoshi reads the message, his eyes narrowing with each word, before letting out a weary breath.

"So...the time has come once again, has it?"

He walks out of the living room and into his bedroom, unhooking a floorboard near his closet to reveal a secret compartment he made to hide his more precious valuables, and reaches in to pull out a set of sheathed double katana.

"...Hah...I had hoped I wouldn't have to use these again in battle aside from assisting the young ones with training...but I suppose one cannot avoid forever."

After strapping the swords to his person, Yoshi prepares to exit his home, thinking to himself,

Hard to say if this will be my last battle...but I shall not deter my duty to prevent those from abusing the powers of the ancient.

...So...this is the path you chose...'old friend'.

Meanwhile, in Sengoku Edo...

"Weeeell, this is a different compared to what we've seen this last while..."

Freeman's characterization was directed to the group's latest destination:

A rather old and worn-down village sitting near the bottom of a large cliff that looks to have been abandoned for a substantial amount of time. It was a bit smaller than some of the other places they've come across in their adventures, the grounds being flat, dry and void of any real nutrients required for anything to grow, other than a few odd patches of crackled grass. Most of the homes have deteriorated, but the few that were still standing looked to be made from a mix of wood and mud bricks, the roofs partly caved in from the pressures of nature and holding fragmented remnants of rather random items, from pottery to sharpening tools and calligraphy brushes, telling us that the people of this village must've had a rather, diverse culture. Whether peaceful or not, is anyone's guess...

As everyone stole glances around the landscape, Miroku notes a strangeness in the air's aura.

"Hm...This does not feel like the type of village to house humans..."

Coraline, who today was wearing a white tank-top with deep blue jeans and her combat boots while her long red hair was tied back into a braid, asks him,

"Are you suggesting that this place may have been a demon village at one time?"

"It's possible. I do sense demonic energy, but it's much too dull to indicate a presence..."

Inuyasha hops up a barren tree and peers around with narrowed eyes before sniffing the air, checking out the vibe of this new area for himself.

"...Yeah, this place is definitely dead. I can smell demon, but it's way too weak a scent to say there's anyone left."

Besa, his day outfit being a tan tank-top with a pair of dark grey khakis and his monochrome hightops (mirroring his brother minus their top being the muscle-style other than a regular tank-top), calls up to the dog demon in curiousity,

"Any idea to what the demons might've been?"

"Hrmm...I only caught this scent once a long time ago when I was a kid, but, I think it might be goblin."

"Goblin? That's different..."

Shippo pops out from inside a shallow-dug well with Kilala (she in her dormant form) and chimes,

"I've heard of 'em: They're suppose to be these weird bird-like demons, but some have claimed to have seen them looking like monster kites. (Shudder) And the last thing you wanna do is tick one off, for they aren't short on having the smarts to kick butt."

Sango adds in her own insight:

"Yes, I too have heard such depictions. Not all are described as malevolent beings, but they've often been associated with foreshadowing wars to come, as well as being rather fierce guardians of the forests and mountains."

Leaping back down from the tall trunk, the dog demon of our group scoffs,

"Psh, big deal! So goblins have a tough reputation; I've heard scarier. Anyway, it doesn't look like there's anything worthwhile here, so let's keep moving."

Everyone agrees to the plan...well, all except Coraline, whose attention was suddenly caught by one large hut down the end nearing the cliff face.

Huh...Strange...I feel, something, coming from that hut over there.

"Hang on a second, Inuyasha..."

She begins to jog over to the old home, much to everyone else's confusion:

"Huh?" "What's she..."

"Hey, Cor! What gives?"

Ignoring them, Coraline reaches the hut and pulls back the shredded cloth door covering the entrance way, finding herself in what looks to be an old weapons workshop, with an old, chipped stone table in the middle that had a few scratch marks on the surface, along with some worn crafting tools, a firing hearth in the back, a few large vase-shaped pots sitting by a window on the left side filled with what looked to be rusted metals, some in straight cuts while others looked more shaped into blunt blades, and another small table standing on the corner right that held an old scroll or two in surprisingly fair shape and a few old ink stains.

"Huh...Looks like a rather understated forger's depot...Hm?"

The redhead then spots a fragment of bone near the pottery holding the metal samples, and steps over to get a closer look, feeling something strange radiating off it.

That bone...I sense a dormancy of power in it, which isn't common for ones of human origin.

...Uh! Is it a demon bone then?

"Hmm...I don't sense the dark energy making any beelines to attack, but Sango's always said that any parts of a demon that haven't been exorcised are usually hostile, so I better not agitate it."

Turning away, Coraline's eyes then catch sight of the scrolls on the tiny table set aside in the back of the room, and was immediately interested in their contents.

"Huh...curious: Considering how old this place looks, I'm surprised there's any written records here..."

She walks over and picks up the one that had a more rusted tan hue, just as everyone else caught up to her, with Inuyasha being the second to enter with a confused scowl on his face.

"Hey! What'd ya dart off fo-What, the...?"

His sentence breaks off when his amber irises take in the details of the hut:

"...What is this place?"

Coraline replies as she unrolls the paper,

"Can't say for sure, but I think this might've been a forger's hut at some time ago...Uh!"

Her eyes then bulge out in surprise after unfurling the scroll, the contents being something she did not expect.

A scene of several events tied together, with the protagonists being that of demonic origins, anthropomorphic beings with rust red skin pigments of various hues, thick, aviary wings protruding from their backs, heads shaped in a mix of a falcon and human, the noses being very long and phallic, and wearing garments of similar fashion to that of mountain hermits, including the tokin headpiece and pom-pom sash going around their robes. Some carried fans made from feathers similar to their own, while others held staffs, and one held a very familiar-looking katana...

Noticing that Coraline's hand was starting to shake from shock, making the paper scroll rattle a little, Miroku, whom had just entered inside the hut, asks with a bit of concern,

"What's wrong?"

"...This village...It's, where it was forged. That sword."

That only served to confuse the others more...until Besa puts the pieces together:

"Gh, wait a second: A goblin village with a weapon forger...Sis, are you saying-"

"Uh-huh...This, is where the Sword of Tengu was made."

The twins gasp at the same time Inuyasha's eyes widen with surprise, while Shippo asks with a confused expression,

"The Sword of what? Since when do goblins wield swords?"

The redhead clears up the muddle by regaling what she has found out thus far with Professor Hashimoto about the blade in question...Once she was done, the group found this hut and the rest of the ancient village to be much more interesting than earlier.

"This is a rather intriguing yet peculiar mystery: What on earth would goblins need a sword for, and what happened to it?"

The scroll Coraline found was now spread completely out on the large stone table for all to see, along with the notes and images she possesses in a file folder for her research. She replies with a hm to Miroku,

"Well I dunno about the why, but based on the comparisons of the sheath's message to this scroll, it's a definite possibility that the sword was stolen from the goblin forger by a human samurai after they engaged in battle on an unknown date. After that, it looks like the forger left the village to hunt down the human to retake his creation, and never returned...Then I guess the goblins must've exhausted the natural resources out and moved on from this place..."

Freeman finishes with a casual hand,

"And this village became a ghost town...Say, is it possible that the forger might still be alive and somewhere else in Japan?"

Sango remarks,

"More than likely, since demons have exceptionally-long lifespans."

Besa then wonders,

"And what about that samurai? What happened to him after the theft?"

Inuyasha scoffs and replies with a gruff air,

"Well assuming the sword's power didn't kill 'im, he likely passed it onto his next of kin, whoever that is...Still, somethin' about this seems off: How could a samurai have gotten away from a goblin without leaving a trail?"

"Maybe the samurai...wasn't a samurai at all."

"Huh?"

Eyes fall on Coraline's form, as she takes a magnifying glass out of her satchel to run over the images captured on the scroll and the pictures of the sheath's secret message, hovering specifically over the human samurai figures. Zooming in, we see that on the right breast of the samurai armour, despite some faded obscurity, was a crest of sorts, one that the redhead would recognize instantly.

"Gh!"

It's, that clawed crest...The one from the dream I had when I was sick.

...Does this mean, this samurai in both records, is a member of the Kage no tusme?

"Then that dream...was it a premonition of things to come?"

"What dream? Sis, is there something you haven't told us?"

Coraline snaps out of her rising epiphany to meet the eyes of her brother Besa, whom was gazing at her with a serious expression laced with concern, which would fall similar for the rest of the group. Taking a breath, she would reply somewhat hesitantly,

"Actually...yes, there was something I meant to bring up with you all. I only haven't said anything yet 'cause I wanted some time to think about it on my own and be sure that it wasn't just one of those paranoia night terrors. But after seeing this...well, I'm starting to think otherwise."

She would then reveal the details of the strange dream she had during her recovery in her era from the cold she got, from the battle between the Bishop doppelganger and her look-alike, all the way down to the appearance of Naraku and the mysterious male figure with the Shadow Claw clan crest. Faces would be struck with shock over the retelling, though Inuyasha's would fade away first thanks to a new surge of anger and overprotective tendencies.

"So lemme see if I got this right: You had a dream that involved that bastard Naraku and didn't think to tell me right away?!"

Holding her hands out on the defense, Coraline calmly if a little loudly explained her reasoning.

"First of all, I was still sick: If I panicked over something I didn't understand off the bat, I would've only succeeded in making myself feel worse thanks to stress. And second, it's not like I wasn't going to tell you! But I knew that getting you riled up more while worrying over me wouldn't be a smart combination. I wanted to wait until we were both in a fair place mentally, but then the subject kept getting backseated by other problems as soon as we returned to Edo, and it wasn't until now that the thought came out of its hidey-hole. Honestly...I dismissed the dream as just a weird night terror."

Looking down, she adds a little more quietly from a sudden rise of nerves,

"But it seems the universe wants to prove me wrong today. I'm sorry."

Inuyasha grumbles incoherently to himself for a few seconds, eyeing the girl before him with a scowl...before letting out a sigh and tilts her chin up with one of his clawed fingers, looking at her with slightly softer amber irises.

"Damn right you should be sorry...but I guess I get why you wanted to keep it to yourself for a bit. You shouldn't hafta mull about it on your own, though: This is something that needs a second opinion or more."

"I know..."

"Good...Now moving away from that bastard for a second, the other figure you saw standing beside him: They had this clawed crest on their robes, right?"

Once her chin was released, Coraline nodded in confirmation:

"That's right, the same one that's pictured here on this scroll and the one in the sword sheath...And thinking more on it now...their build seemed similar to, Saki's."

The twins hm, and Freeman mutters with a frown,

"The same jerk who's been harassing Master Yoshi, who said that Saki is secretly the leader of a ninja clan called Shadow Claw-(Shakes head) No way. Too freaky to be a coincidence; the symbol and name have gotta be one in the same."

Besa adds with a grimmer air,

"Which means that samurai on the scrolls...There's a good chance they were a disguised member of the Kage no tsume, which would explain how they got away from the tengu weapon forger."

Sango nods, recalling her encounter with the Shinobi sisters Serina and Suzuna:

"Yes: While they are not quite as skilled in fighting demons like demon slayers, Shinobi are masters of stealth and using trickery. This one could've easily used something like a smoke bomb to elude the goblin long enough to get out of sight."

Coraline concludes,

"I guess this confirms that the Kage no tsume did exist back in the older days of Japan, real old since these scrolls and the fragmented sword date back to the eleventh century..."

Everyone bops their heads in agreement...just as another sub-topic pops up in Freeman's head.

"Say...call this a huge stretch, but, I'm almost wondering if this warrior pictured here, might be an ancestor of the Hikiji family..."

Miroku tilts his head in confusion:

"Hikiji?"

"Yeah, that's Saki's family name...Wait. Okay, prepare yourselves for another stretch, but, what if this is tied into why Saki has been threatening Master Yoshi?"

Eyebrows raise up in surprise, and Coraline asks,

"Are you thinking that Master Yoshi might know something about the sword?"

"Can't say for sure...but all this new and old info is givin' me this creepy shiver down my spine, like, something's coming: Somethin' that'll tie this era and ours together again like what happened with Trinity."

A flinch wave passes through the bodies in the room, with the dog demon holding down a low growl in recollection of the events regarding said organization, his fixation being on a certain deceased commander and what they had nearly done to his girlfriend/intended. Sensing the rise of anger, Coraline took one of his hands into hers to squeeze in a reassuring gesture, which helped to cool his temper a little, but didn't stop him from muttering while gritting his teeth,

"Those guys...If I so much as see another member of those bastard humans, (Knuckle crack) I'm gonna bust some heads."

"Easy, Inuyasha. We don't know if they have any ties into this possible development."

"Doesn't change my opinion."

Rolling her eyes slightly, Coraline nods understandingly, knowing that this was a part of his protective nature in their relationship...

Suddenly:

(Pulse)

"Rh!" "Uh!" "Mh!"

She and the twins felt a faint yet prominent wave of energy go through their nerves, as if they were struck by a stronger version of static electricity! The other two humans and two demons ask,

"What is it?"

"Now what's wrong?"

"Are you three okay?"

"What's the matter?"

Lumos floats closer to his partner's side, his wispy moans laced with concern as he taps into Coraline's mind to help amplify and identify what the trouble was.

(Glow...)

He would not be the only source of clarity: At the same time the Will O' Wisp sends his own power into the redhead's mind, the Seven Light Crystal shards owned by Freeman and Besa begin to shine that rainbow light, it traveling up their arms to billow over their heads and unhinge the uncertainty they were also feeling from the static-like shock.

...But what the three saw, only brought a course of further unease and worry in regards to recent information and theory.

(Flash)

Two blurred but familiar male figures are seen going head-to-head in a battle on a small expansion of grass near a bridge going over a brook, one using what appears to be a twin set of swords, while the other was using some sort of a twin set of triple-bladed metal plaque guards that rested on the back of the figure's hands.

After a series of clashes between both weapons, the one with the clawed blades on his hands gains an opening and lunges forward before slashing the swordsman across his torso.

(SWIPE)

"Graaah!"

(Flash)

Blinking sharply back to reality, the three teens dart their eyes to meet eachother's saucer-wide stares for a moment, before Coraline shakily broke the silence by asking in a hushed tone,

"U-Uh...did y-you two see...?!"

Both twins nod vigorously, feeling a new rush of anxiety creeping up on their bodies:

"Uh-huh..."

"Th-There's no mistaking that voice...That, had to have been Master Yoshi."

Miroku cuts into their new conversation, he, along with the rest of the group, becoming gravely concerned by these new expressions on the modern teens.

"What happened?"

"We're, not exactly sure ourselves, Miroku, but...I think, something just sent us a warning of things to come."

Inuyasha folds his arms in a skeptical manner:

"Just a something? Can't you be more specific?"

Besa shakes his head and continues on for his sister:

"Afraid not. I'd say it's like a more visual version of those gut feelings, but maybe this is a new kind of paranoia. I dunno..."

Sango slowly asks,

"What exactly did you three see?"

"It wasn't in complete focus, but...there were two figures, both blurred, fighting against one another, each one using their own twin set of weapons."

Freeman pipes in,

"That's what I saw too! They were at this, quiet area by a brook and bridge; one of those kinds of places that you seldom see alot of people...I think, one was using katana, and the other..."

Coraline finishes,

"The other was using a strange set of metal claws built in the style of wrist guards crossed over with brass knuckles...They were wearing full black, while the other was wearing robes that reminds me of...Master Yoshi's sensei uniform..."

The three shiver and add together,

"We also, heard his voice cry out in pain,"

"When the one in black,"

"Swiped at the other's torso with his weapons..."

"And you're sure it was his voice you heard, no one else's?"

They nod in confirmation to the monk, causing everyone to frown in a foreboding manner...Another moment of silence passes, before Inuyasha broke it with the following suggestion.

"Okay, normally I'd say we should ignore this and move on in our mission to find that demon bastard, Naraku, but this, on top of all the other uncovered info is givin' me a bad feeling. I dunno what the hell's goin' on, but it wouldn't kill us to comb this ghost town again for more answers."

The rest of the group gazes at the dog demon with mild surprise by his lenience on the subject, before nodding in agreement. Coraline then says,

"In that case, I think I'll keep looking in here for more clues about the goblin forger. Maybe there's something in here that can tell us where he went after the sword was stolen."

Besa chimes,

"I'll help, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. What about the rest of you?"

Freeman gestures back out the door and says,

"I'm gonna see about that one hut with those feather imprints I saw on the walls."

Miroku finishes,

"And the rest of us will try and uncover anything we might've missed from our first look."

With a plan set, Coraline, Besa and Lumos would soon be the only ones left inside the decayed weapon workshop while everyone else moved to other parts of the ancient village to see about finding something that could help in removing the blockades in this new mystery...

Modern-Day Japan, Yoshi's POV

Following the directions written in the message sent to me, it would be roughly an hour and a half before I arrived at the place where he and I are to meet that laid just outside the concrete buildings.

The area is one rarely touched by human activity, save a quaint little wooden bridge that arched over a stream connecting to one of the main city rivers, the green of the grass bright and inviting, dusted with both cherry blossom petals from the surrounding trees and gentle white daisies.

...But any tranquility this place may have to offer, does nothing to quell the unease and tension that was building within me.

Shortly after retrieving my blades, I had switched into my white and gray haori and hakama, and readjusted my cherished gem pendant so it was resting on a stronger chain rather than the black ribbon.

Coming over the bridge, I found myself gripping the small bit of crystallized pearl-blue under my robes as if it were a lifeline.

...I can only pray that this will not be my final confrontation.

I still have much to offer to the minds of youth in this city...especially those three.

...Croft-san, Brownlee-sans...they have so much potential.

"...Yoshi."

I look back up, and see my opponent standing a few feet away from my person, he dressed in sensei garments similar to mine, but were in the full black like his student ninja, complete with the Kage no tsume crest on his right breast, his hands carrying that dreaded weapon I hoped to never see again.

The Panther Claws...

"Saki..."

"This confrontation does not have to come to pass. All you need do is hand over the Gem of the Ancient One, and the both of us can walk away with our lives."

I shook my head with a neutral expression:

"You and I both know I cannot do that. I swore to protect it from the wavering and the selfish, and I intend to uphold that promise, just as my predecessors have done before me."

His face contorts into one that hid his fury behind a tight-lipped smile:

"I see...Tell me, Yoshi, how long do you think you can continue to pretend that you are not among the abnormal?"

My eyebrows knit and narrow to his question:

"What do you mean?"

"Come now, don't play the part of a fool with me, old friend. We both know the true reason you were entrusted with that particular jewel...I find it remarkable that no one has figured out your mystery after all these years."

I form a grim smile and reply,

"I have become careful in keeping that identity under guise...I do appreciate that you've kept my secret, (small frown) yet I am curious as to why, since you no longer wish to see me as a mutual companion."

"Call it a last formality, the only one I'm willing to continue to respect...But nevermind the past: My destiny is within reach and I shall not let anyone stand within my way. Not even you."

"Saki, I implore you to rethink your goals: Blades such as the Sword of Tengu are not meant to be wielded by mortal hands. You will only lead yourself down the same path as your ancestor did, one that had not a pleasant ending."

He holds up a hand to stop my speech:

"Enough. Your words fall on deaf ears; I will restore the Sword of Tengu to its former glory. And since you've obviously chosen to not hand over the Gem of the Ancient One willingly..."

Saki poises himself into battle position:

"There is but only one other way to obtain the item. Prepare yourself!"

Letting out a breath of despair through my nose, I unsheathe my own weapons, my double katana, the blades gleaming in the light of the sun...

A breeze flutters by, before our match began:

(Lunge)

"Haaaaaahhhh!"

"Hrrrrraaaaahhhh!"

(Swipe, clang, clang...)

Using all the techniques I had learned over the years in my training as a master of the martial arts, I fought with all my ferocity and wisdom against Saki, the tips of my swords colliding with the steel claws on his knuckles, our legs occasionally striking true outward to try and knock down the other...

Come about twenty minutes, and many intricate flips later, my opponent would get the upper hand, lunging forward just as I landed back on the ground from a backflip to swipe his triple-clawed blade across my torso.

(SWIPE)

"Graaah!"

(Pulse...)

Uh! That was...The Gem...

...Could it be projecting this scene to elsewhere? But why?

Sliding back on the grass, I grimace while holding one of my fists to my bloodied chest, before realizing,

Ah, I see: It also senses the connection...with those children...

Or perhaps this is the doing of another jewel that has been causing unnecessary issues...

Either way, I must try to uphold my position...no matter how dim the ending will be.

Though my body was sore and pained from the stress it was undergoing, I rose back to my feet and readied myself to continue. Saki watches me with a fist extended outward in a threatening manner, his face neutral and indifferent, though his eyes reflected an old gleam from the past when he and I were comrades and not enemies.

"Yoshi. Why do you insist on wearing down your body for an old promise made to the divine?"

"I feel that explaining such a reason would become lost to you. Perhaps not years ago when our connection ran as strong as a brotherhood, but now, it would just be wasted on your selfish heart...Saki, please, I ask you once more: Do not rebuild the Sword of Tengu, if not for the sake of the lives you'll jeopardize, but for your own fate."

"Silence! I have heard all I can take of your passive words."

He then charges at me with a renowned speed, uppercutting his weapons against me to try and doll new damage to my body, to which I would dodge and block with my katana for the most part, save a few attacks that slipped by my vision to create new tears in my flesh and clothing...

Come another ten minutes, and my stamina will have worn down considerably thanks to blood loss from my more prominent injury across my chest and the push I was forcing on my muscles.

"Hah...Hah...Hah...!"

This, is quickly, becoming a problem. I won't, be able to, fight for much, longer...!

(Dash)

"Hrh!"

"Hiiiirrrrrrah!"

(SLICE)

"AAAAAGH!"

And my disadvantage would be my downfall, when Saki suddenly rushes out of my sight, only to use his Panther Claws against my back this time, opening a new wound, throwing me to the ground...!

...I hit the grass hard, forcing most of the air out of my lungs, and a new shot of nerve pain to run from my injuries to the rest of my body.

"Rrh! R-Rgh...!"

Curses...I've, been defeated...

...Forgive me, gods.

Footsteps softly approach my battered body, and the owner would harshly roll me onto my back with the tip of their foot, causing me to grimace, before looking up with a pained expression at Saki, his own face holding indifference but with triumph gleaming in his irises. Letting out a cough that spattered out a little of my blood, I try once more to talk sense into my former friend, my voice coming out weak and wheezed.

"S-Saki...don't, do this...It will only, (hack) end in, t-turmoil for you..."

He ignores me, and bends down to snap off my chained jewel from my neck, before rising to a stand and making his way out of the area, leaving me to watch helplessly as he disappears through what looks to be a rip in space and time...

I knew instantly where he was going:

He now has the fragmented sword...and the gem that will help bind a new blade.

God help the people of that era...

But all hope is not lost, if those three and their friends become wise to the danger approaching.

"...Yoshi! Is that you, boy?!"

I wasn't aware how long exactly I was laying on the grass-bedded earth after Saki left, but it seems the world will not let me leave it yet, when suddenly, I was met with the voice and face of an old colleague of mine.

Higurashi-san...

He bends down by my head and asks with a frantic expression in his elder features,

"Good lord, what happened to you?! Akari, call for an ambulance!"

"Right, dad!"

A younger boy, his grandson, appears on my other side, looking down at me in a higher concern and panic.

"Grandpa, is he gonna be okay?!"

"He will as long as we hurry. (Looks down) Yoshi, don't try to speak: Focus on staying awake for as long as you can!"

I nod slightly, a grave smile forming on my blood-stained lips, and keep my vision on the elder man and his grandson, who would soon be joined by Akari, also looking at me with concern.

"The ambulance should be here shortly. Stay strong, Yoshi-sama; we won't leave your side."

Higurashi-san remarks with a half-smile,

"It's a good thing we chose today to come here on a family outing...If only this were a more peaceful circumstance..."

If I had the strength, I would've chuckled at the well-timed irony:

Ha, how fortunate. Perhaps I will not be moving onto the heavens today...

(Frown) But the Gem of the Ancient One...I can only pray that it will return to me somehow.

And as for the Sword of Tengu, I leave the task to them. Croft-san, Brownlee-sans...be strong, and be prepared.

Small Time Skip, Sengoku Edo, Saki's POV

After returning to my office to grab the sword and clean my weapons from the earlier battle, I used the transporter I acquired from Trinity base several days ago to travel back in time to Edo, using similar coordinates to that of the deceased Constantine...

Once I had landed, I immediately began following the directions I had deciphered from the scroll hidden in the sheath, and another old scroll containing the last testament of one of my family's ancestors who last saw the goblin forger who created the sword.

My journey would take me up a high mountain peak cloaked in a misty fog, sitting near another currently in volcanic activity, said to house another demon weapon forger of equally mysterious title...

As I neared the cave entrance where the goblin supposingly is, I think to myself,

Rather unfortunate that Yoshi and I had to part on such violent terms...but it was unavoidable.

"...Who are you, mortal, and why do you dare approach the home of Yokuto?"

I stop a few feet away from the mouth of the cave, and call back calmly to the deep voice carrying a light nasal mixed in,

"My name is Saki Hikiji, and I have come to offer you a proposition regarding one of your older creations..."

Reaching to my back, I pull out and unwrap the sword from the silver cloth to hold out in both of my hands towards the forger inside the shadow of the cave.

"I'm sure you recognize the Sword of Tengu?"

"...The Sword of Tengu. Ha, it's been so long since I've laid eyes on it, when it was stolen by another one of your kind."

There's a pause, before footsteps echo towards me, and I'm greeted by the demon forger's appearance.

Much similar to the images portrayed in ancient texts written by humanity, he had the body of an anthropomorphic bird, his skin a muted shade of rust red, thick, white and gray aviary wings protruding from his back with red tipped feathers, his head humanoid but with falcon-shaped irises of a sharp yellow and black-gray feathers intermingling with short, sleeked hair, a long and phallic nose, and was wearing the garments of a mountain hermit, worn and dusted with what appears to be ash, his head holding the tokin headpiece, his feet baring wooden sandals.

He narrows his eyes as he looks at me up and down, before stating,

"You carry similar features to that human shinobi who first robbed me of my treasured blade. I assume you are related kin?"

"That is correct."

"Teh, if you are wishing me to repair the sword so you can use it yourself, then you may as well give it to me now and leave with your life. Your ancestor is already dead thanks to its power, and it would be a waste of your existence and my own energy to repeat their mistake."

Expecting such an answer, I reply smoothly,

"Ah, but unlike my ancestor, I come prepared with an item that will help me gain the sword's acceptance."

"Is that so?"

Shifting my hold so the sword was balancing on my right palm, I reach into the left pocket of my robes to pull out the Gem of the Ancient One, its shine catching Yokuto's attention.

"Ooh...You have that gem, do you? Hmm...Perhaps we might be able to exchange civil talk after all."

I smirk in anticipation:

Excellent. Everything is coming together as I planned...

Soon, the Sword of Tengu will be restored once more, and none shall stand against my power!