Three worlds intertwine
Here's the next chapter of the story. I hope you all enjoy reading it.
Chapter seven: The shadowy beast and Ushio's past part 3
Morning slowly came over the Fugen'In temple, and we find Nariko sleeping quietly on her futon. The young she-wolf began to awaken when the first rays of the sun's light fell on her face. Nariko let out a groan as she opened her eyes and sat up on her futon, while pushing the blankets off of her. She then let out a yawn before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Man...what a night," muttered Nariko in a tired voice.
Her ears then twitched when she caught the sound of feet walking towards her room. Nariko looked up just as the door slid open to reveal Ushio, who was already dressed and ready for the day. He wore a white buttoned up, short sleeved shirt, black pants and white socks.
"Hey, morning," greeted Ushio with a bright smile.
Nariko looked at Ushio for a moment before turning her head away with a huff. Ushio flinched slightly before he frowned at Nariko in annoyance.
"What's with you?" questioned Ushio as he placed his hands on his waist. "You didn't get enough sleep last night or something?"
"Oh no, I did," replied Nariko as she turned to glare at Ushio. "I just haven't forgotten our little conversation last night, that's all."
Ushio grimaced slightly before he lightly scratched the side of his right cheek. "I was hoping that you would have forgotten about that."
Nariko's eyes narrowed slightly at Ushio's words. "Are you saying that I'm some kind of dimwitted girl that easily forgets?"
"N-no!" stuttered Ushio as he held his hands up in front of him. "I was uh..."
"You what?" questioned Nariko with her voice holding a sharp edge to it.
Ushio became flustered as he tried to figure out what to say to Nariko. Luckily he was saved by his mother calling down from down the stairs.
"Breakfast is ready!"
"Coming!" shouted Ushio with a relieved expression before he quickly glanced back at Nariko. "I'll see you downstairs."
He then quickly turned and ran down the hallway. Nariko huffed as she relaxed her body once Ushio had left. The young she-wolf was kind of glad that he left, for she didn't really feel like talking to him right now.
'Man, he really needs to work on getting his words right when it comes to having conversations with girls,' thought Nariko to herself.
Nariko then decided to get herself ready for the day. As she was doing that, the young she-wolf's thoughts went back to last night's encounter with the youkai.
Flashback to last night
Nariko was staring at the youkai in surprise, while the said youkai now floated in front of her. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, while he crossed his right leg over his left knee. She then frowned at the shadowy beast before speaking in a guarded voice.
"So you're Nagatobimaru?"
"That's right," replied the beast with a frown. "Though I don't go by that name any more."
Nariko blinked as she stared at the youkai in surprise once again. "How come?"
"Because I hate being called by that stupid name," answered the monster as he turned to look away from Nariko.
Nariko frowned as she lifted her right hand up to scratch at the back of her head. This was the strangest youkai she had ever met.
'Though to be fair, he's only the second monster I've met so far,' thought Nariko to herself.
"Okay," sighed Nariko in exhaustion before crossing her arms over her chest. "Then what should I call you?"
The monster smirked as he turned to look back at Nariko again. "Not telling ya."
Nariko frowned in annoyance. "And why not?"
"Why should I tell someone who I'll wind up killing after eating the brat?" snarked the youkai with chuckle.
An anime tick mark appeared on the right side of Nariko's forehead. 'This guy...who knew that demons and monsters have such stuck up attitudes.'
Nariko then sighed out in exasperation before she spoke again. "Alright, if you want to play that game, then I'll just have to give you a nickname until you tell me your real name."
"*hump* whatever," scoffed the youkai as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Though I probably won't respond to whatever nickname you'll give me."
"Fair enough," said Nariko with a frown before going into thought. "Okay...since you look like a beast, and you basically hide in the shadows a lot. I'll give you the nickname Kagejuu."
"Kagejuu?" questioned the creature in annoyance. "That's the best you can come up with? That's a stupid nickname."
"To bad," said Nariko in a firm voice. "Because that's what I'll be calling you until you tell me your real name."
The creature, now known at Kagejuu, let out a growl as he glared at Nariko in anger. "You're just as annoying as Ushio."
"That's what teenagers do," said Nariko as a smirk appeared on her face. "We annoy people that we like or dislike."
Kagejuu huffed as he turned away with his back now facing towards Nariko. The young she-wolf sighed as her shoulders slumped in exhaustion while she frowned at the youkai in front of her.
'This is getting me no where,' thought Nariko quietly to herself. 'With the way that things are going right now, he'll probably never tell me about the Beast Spear or Ushio's past. I guess I'll try again some other time after he's calmed down.'
Nariko let out another sigh before straightening up and began to speak to the youkai in a calmer voice.
"Okay...since I'm not going to get any information out of you tonight. I'll just head back to the temple now before it get's too late. Hopefully that will give you and I time to cool off until morning."
Kagejuu turned to look at Nariko with eyes slightly wide in surprise and spoke to the young she-wolf in a calmer voice.
"Well this is a surprise. I'm guessing you're not the type to push for information, huh?"
"No," replied Nariko with a shake of her head. "I prefer to talk things out with people when they're comfortable in sharing information with me."
"Not to mention their feelings?" added Kagejuu with a suspicious frown.
"Yeah...but I can tell you're not the touchy-feely type," said Nariko with a tired smile. "So I won't push your boundaries."
A low rumble emerged from Kagejuu's chest, but Nariko got the feeling that it wasn't a growl of annoyance or anger. She'll take it as a positive sign that the youkai wasn't all that irritated with her anymore.
"Anyways; I really got ta get going," said Nariko as she started to turn. "Maybe we'll try talking again some other time."
Nariko began to head back the way she came, but she only got about four steps before Kagejuu spoke again.
"You know that shrine that stands on the grounds of the temple?"
Nariko paused as she turned to look back at the youkai in confusion before replying. "Yeah, what about it?"
Kagejuu looked at Nariko was an unreadable expression before he replied. "When both Ushio and his mother aren't around the temple, meet me inside the shrine. Maybe then I'll tell you what you need to know."
Nariko blinked as she stared at the beast in surprise. She then smiled and nodded her head at him before turning once again, and started to make her way back towards the temple.
End flashback
'That night was pretty weird for me,' thought Nariko as she picked out some of her morning clothes that she would wear for today. 'But still...I'd take weird over being trapped in a lab any old day.'
It didn't take long for Nariko to change into the clothes that she would be wearing for the day. The clothing that she chose was a blue baggy short sleeved shirt and jean shorts. Nariko frowned slightly at the shirt she was wearing before sighing.
"Hopefully I won't wind up burning this shirt while I'm wearing it," voiced Nariko quietly to herself. "I don't want to add another destroyed shirt to the list."
After giving herself a once over, Nariko headed downstairs to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. The young-she wolf let out a yawn as she descended down the stairs. When she reached the end, Nariko headed towards the living room where she smelt the delicious aroma of breakfast wafting through the air. She opened the door to the living room to see Sumako and Ushio sitting at the chabudai table. Sumako was wearing a light pink apron over top of her blue kimono. Nariko blinked in surprise when she saw Ushio shoveling food into his mouth like there was no tomorrow.
"Someone's hungry," spoke Nariko as she walked over to the table. "You'd better slow down Ushio or you'll wind up biting off your tongue."
"Sorry...can't do that!" exclaimed Ushio between bites. "If I don't finish my...breakfast quickly...I'll be late...for class!"
Nariko only hummed as she sat down at the table. She then began to dig into her own breakfast, which was of steamed rice, grilled fish, rolled omelets and pickled vegetables. The young she-wolf smiled as she savored the flavors of the food that she was tasting. While she did, Ushio had quickly polished off the last of his breakfast before he quickly stood up from the table.
"Okay, got ta run!" exclaimed Ushio as he headed towards the door.
"You be careful on your way to collage Ushio!" called Sumako in a firm voice.
"I will!" shouted Ushio.
Nariko rolled her eyes before she continued on with eating her breakfast. She just popped a piece of fish into her mouth before Sumako spoke.
"I'm guessing that you still haven't forgiven Ushio for what he said to you last night Nariko?"
Nariko swallowed before she answered. "No, not really."
"I see," voiced Sumako with a soft frown.
Nariko noticed this before letting out a soft sigh. "Listen Mrs. Sumako. I know that Ushio has good intentions and all that, but he doesn't need to protect me or anything. I've been able to take care of myself after escaping the facility, and I'm not as weak as he believes me to be."
"No...you've proven that you are strong," spoke Sumako as a gentle smile appeared on her face. "It's just that, Ushio will go out of his way to help and protect people no matter what they say to him."
Nariko looked at Sumako for a moment before gazing down at the table. The young she-wolf remembered Shigure telling her about how Ushio would do anything to keep his friends or strangers safe from harm. Even at the cost of his own life if he had to.
'Still, that's no excuse for what he said last night,' thought Nariko quietly to herself.
Just then, the room was filled with the ringing of the house's telephone. Sumako stood up from the floor and quickly headed into the kitchen to answer the house phone. Nariko watch Sumako leave before going back to eating her breakfast. But as she did, the young she-wolf's sharp hearing caught Sumako's voice speaking to the other person on the phone.
"Hello?...Oh, Mrs. Inoue, what can I do for you?...Of course, I'll come over and enjoy a cup of tea with you...Okay, I'll see you at around ten...Alright, goodbye."
Nariko then heard the phone hanging up before Sumako walked back into the room. Nariko placed her bowl down on the table and turned to look at Sumako.
"I just got a call from Mayuko's mother," said Sumako with a smile. "She invited me over for afternoon tea."
"That sounds nice," said Nariko as she smiled back at Sumako.
"Yes, so I probably won't be home until one O'clock. Do you think you'll be alright on your own for a while?"
"Don't worry Mrs. Sumako. This won't be the first time I've been on my own," said Nariko in a reassuring voice before quietly thinking to herself.
'Also it'll be the perfect time to talk with that monster in the temple.'
"Alright then," said Sumako as she sat back down at the table. "I'll finish having breakfast with you and then I'll get myself ready."
Nariko nodded her head before going back to finishing her breakfast with Sumako. It was a minute later that we see Nariko standing at the front door with Sumako standing outside, while facing the young she-wolf. Sumako was now wearing a light blue dress with dark blue flower patterns on the skirt. The skirt went down just below Sumako's knees. She also wore a pair of white flat heel shoes on her feet, while hanging from her shoulder was a lavender blue purse. Sumako had tied her long hair into a bun to keep it out of her face.
"I'll be back in a little bit," said Sumako to Nariko. "Until then, please stay here within the temple."
"Don't worry I will," promised Nariko with a smile. "Anyways you should get going. Otherwise you'll be late for your afternoon tea chat with Mrs. Inoue."
"Alright," Sumako said with a smile and turned. "Look after the temple while I'm out."
"Yeah," said Nariko in reply.
The young she-wolf watched as Sumako walked out of the temple gate. Once the woman had disappeared from sight, Nariko took the chance to head towards the shrine that stood within the center of the temple grounds. Nariko cautiously walked towards the shrine before pausing at the steps. She stared up at the shrine doors before her and took in a calming breath. The young she-wolf then began to climb up the stairs until she came to stand in front of the doors.
'Alright, it's time to get some answers,' thought Nariko before grabbing of one the doors' handles.
Nariko slowly opened the sliding door before pausing to take a look inside. She saw a large brass statue of a buddha sitting at the far end of the room, along with a few other items that stood near it. Other than that, the room didn't have anything else inside it. Nariko glanced around for a moment before stepping into the shrine. She slowly closed the door behind her before walking towards the center of the room. Once she did, the young she-wolf lowered herself to the floor, and sat down on her knees where she was facing the far left wall of the shrine. Nariko stared at the wall for a long moment, before she felt the familiar aura of the youkai floating within the room.
"Mrs. Sumako and Ushio have already gone," spoke Nariko in a calm voice. "So we're pretty much alone without anyone to disturbed us, Kagejuu."
A soft growl was Nariko's only reply before the familiar shadow clad figure appeared in front of her. Yet when it did, Nariko was given the chance to really see some of the characteristics, which were hidden within the shadow veil that surrounded the beast. The first feature she noticed was that the beast had a large mane of hair, which grew down to the floor of the temple as the beast sat before the she-wolf. It also had long bangs that hung down both sides of its face, while the tips of the bangs touched the top of the creature's chest. Nariko also noticed something slightly twitching behind the beast, and saw that it was a tail that laid across the ground. The next feature that the she-wolf could make out was the faint color of orange, that was almost completely hidden within the black shadow. The last thing Nariko could see passed the dark veil was that the upper half of the beast's body was humanoid, while the lower half held the features of an animal.
The the beast, Kagejuu, stared down at Nariko with his white eyes narrowed, while the young she-wolf calmly stared up at him from her seat on the floor. The two sat in complete silence for a moment before Nariko spoke.
"So...want can you tell me about Ushio's past with both you and the Beast Spear?"
Kagejuu smirked before he spoke. "Getting straight to the point of our conversation, huh? Well then I'll humor you, and tell you all you need to know. But I'll leave out some of the important details and let Ushio to tell you, when he feels ready to spill the beans that is."
"Alright," said Nariko with a nod of her head. "Then tell me as much as you can."
Kagejuu's face soon took on a serious expression before he began to speak.
"To start off with, the Beast Spear was made 2,000 years ago in China. It was a weapon that was created for one thing, and one thing only...to slay youkai. It also has the power to give its human user the power and strength of a beast. The spear is something that all youkai fear and hate as it is a threat to their very existence. Yet there is one other detail to the Beast Spear that's not mentioned in the history books of this temple."
Nariko frowned slightly, but kept quiet as she listened closely to what Kagejuu was telling her.
"The spear is like a double edge sword. While giving its human wielder the strength of a beast, the spear feeds off of the human's soul in return. And as the human continues to use it, they'll slowly wind-up losing their humanity."
Kagejuu paused while Nariko stared up at him with a serious expression upon her face. She processed what the youkai had just told her before asking him her question.
"Then...what happens to the people who used the spear?"
Kagejuu's eyes narrowed before he answered. "Those fools wind up becoming beasts. Monsters that have lost all of their memories of being human."
Nariko's eyes winded at what Kagejuu had just said. Humans who had wielded the spear winded up turning into beasts, while losing their memories of being human in the process? That thought made Nariko feel pity for the poor souls that had come into contact with the weapon. She understood what it felt like to be turned into something that you fear and hated. Yet she couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose the memories of who you had once been.
"So that's what the Beast Spear really is," voiced Nariko as she looked down at the ground. "But...why would someone create such a weapon?"
Kagejuu stared down at Nariko with an unreadable expression upon his face. He then spoke after a moment, and what he said caused Nariko to look up at him in surprise.
"The one who made the weapon held a deep hatred for a monster that had killed his family. You probably already know who I'm talking about, right?"
Nariko thought for a moment before realization came over her. The she-wolf's face turned serious as she voiced the name of the monster that both the Uwabami and Sumako had spoken of.
"Hakumen no Mono...the nine tailed beast."
"Yeah," spoke Kagejuu as a low growl rose up from his throat. "The bastard that takes pleasure in messing around with the lives of humans, while killing off youkai that stand in its way. And the man that created the spear was one of surviving victims from Hakumen's rampage. After his family had been killed, the man poured all of his hatred and anger into making the spear. As he did, those feelings were transferred into the weapon, which caused it to have a will of its own. When that happened, it began to seek Hakumen no Mono throughout all of the lands of ancient China in hopes of destroying it."
"I see," voiced Nariko as her eyes became slightly hooded as she went into thought. "So that's the reason for the weapon smith to create such a weapon."
Kagejuu let out a soft snort as he bared his teeth slightly before he continued speaking.
"It was my damn misfortune that I winded up crossing paths with the Beast Spear. At that time, the spear was in the possession of Ushio's ancestor. As you've already been told, the samurai and I fought each other for four days and four nights. It was during that time that he was starting to turn into a beast himself. Yet that stopped when he stabbed that stupid spear right into my shoulder, and pinned me against a large boulder that stood behind me."
"And the samurai?" asked Nariko curiously.
"After that bastard stabbed me, he stopped transforming into a beast," answered Kagejuu gruffly. "So he pretty much got off lucky after impaling me on that damn spear."
"I see," voiced Nariko with a frown. "So does that mean that you hold a deep grudge for the Aotsuki family?"
Bikou let out an indignant snort as he turned his head away from Nariko. "Yeah right, as if! Sure, I may harbor a dislike for the samurai that pinned me to the rock all those years ago. But that doesn't mean I hold any hostility towards his descendants for what he did in the past. The only member within the Aotsuki family that I dislike is that stupid brat, Ushio, and that's all."
Nariko blinked as she stared at Kagejuu in surprise and confusion at what he had just said. She was really mystified by this strange youkai, and wondered why Kagejuu only had a disliking for Ushio.
"Um...what exactly did Ushio do to you that made you dislike him so badly?" asked Nariko in a cautious voice.
"You're seriously asking me about that?" spoke Kagejuu with a growl as he turned to glared down at the she-wolf.
Nariko slowly nodded her head before Kagejuu let out a huff before answering her question.
"Alright then. Listen carefully, because I'm only going to explain this once to you. After five hundred years have passed, that stupid brat opened the damn cellar doors to the warehouse and fell in. And that was when we met each other face-to-face for the first time."-a smirk appeared on Kagejuu's face as the memory of his meeting with Ushio played out within his mind-"You should have seen him back then. He was totally freaking out when he first laid eyes on me."
"Well I can't really blame him," said Nariko as she raised her right hand up and used her index finger to gently scratch the side of cheek. "You are pretty scary, what with you being taller than him and everything."
Kagejuu let out a huff before he continued on with his story. "Anyways, after he finally calmed down I asked the brat to pull the spear out of my shoulder. And the reason for that was because only a human could pull it out. Then he questioned me on what I would do after he pulled the spear out."
Nariko narrowed her eyes as she gave Kagejuu a suspicious look. "And what answer did you give him?"
"The simple and honest truth. After he freed me; I was going to eat him and then turn this whole damn city into a living hell like I did for the humans in the past."
"I had a feeling you would say that," said Nariko with a grimace before she took on a serious expression. "Well...what happened after you gave Ushio your answer?"
"Something that made me dislike him after our first meeting," growled Kagejuu angrily. "He decided to kick and push the spear deeper into my shoulder!"
A anime sweat drop appeared on the side of Nariko's head before she let out a sigh.
'Somehow, that doesn't really surprise me,' thought the young she-wolf with a shake of her head. 'Even though I've only known him for two days, I can tell that Ushio's the type of guy that doesn't think before he acts.'
"ACHOO!"
Mayko and Asako turned to look at Ushio in confusion after hearing him sneeze. They had just been heading to school when Ushio suddenly stopped, and let out a loud sneeze.
"Are you alright Ushio?" asked Mayuko in concern.
Mayuko was wearing a collage uniform, which was that of a white short sleeved shirt underneath a sky blue vest, a long light blue skirt and brown shoes. Tied around the collar of her shirt was a light blue bowtie.
"Yeah," replied Ushio with a sniff.
Asako, who was also wearing the same uniform as Mayuko, lifted her right eyebrow up suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you're catching a cold," said Asako with a frown.
"No, I don't think so," answered Ushio before frowning as he glanced up towards the sky. "I wonder if somebody is talking about me?"
"So what happened after Ushio pushed the Beast Spear into your shoulder?" asked Nariko curiously.
"After that, he pretty much walked out of the cellar and piled crates, along with some other shit, on top of the entrance." Kagejuu answered with a huff before a smirk reappeared on his face. "But what the brat didn't know was that upon opening the doors of the cellar, my anger and malice, which had been building up over five hundred years, began to leak out into the world. As it did, the miasma of my frustration began to attract a group of demons. A weak group of fish and bug youkai."
Nariko's expression hardened as she stared at Kagejuu uneasily. "I see, so when that happened the weaker demons came to the temple because of your aura right?"
"That's right," said Kagejuu with a chuckle. "But my aura, as you called it, is actually known as youki. It's an energy that we youkai give off that depends on how strong we are."
"I see. So that's what I've been sensing from you all this time."
"Yeah, which surprises me."
Nariko cocked an eyebrow as she gave Kagejuu a curious look before the youkai continued.
"Usually only humans with strong spiritual powers or other youkai are able to sense youki. But from what I can tell, you don't have any spiritual powers flowing through your body. And you don't have the scent that demons carry around, so you can't be that either. Which makes me think that there might be something else about you that you're telling Ushio and his parents."
Nariko blinked in surprise before frowning as she looked down at her lap. For a moment, silence hung over the two as Nariko thought over what Kagejuu had said, while the youkai stared down at her with an unreadable expression upon his face. After a while, Nariko finally spoke as she looked up at the youkai in front of her.
"To be honest with you, I don't really know what I can tell you about myself. Except that I had once been a human girl a few months ago before I changed into a beastman. I don't even know how I winded changing into this form. All I know is that my body feels different somehow."-She then turned her gaze downwards as she lifted her paw-hands up from her lap and looked down at them-"My claws are able to tear through steel with ease, and I'm able to punch through thick layers of ice without any problems either. I'm not sure whether if this is what beastmen can do or not, because I've never really met a beastman...Except once."
Kagejuu's face took on a curious expression at what Nariko had just said. "What do you mean by 'once'?"
Nariko let out a soft chuff as a small smile appeared on her face. "It all happened when I had been eight years old, and it's a story that you'll probably scoff at if I told you."
"Yeah, I'd probably would," spoke Kagejuu with a huff.
"Anyway, we're getting a little off topic," said Nariko as she looked up at Kagejuu again. "You mind continuing on with your story? If you do, then I'll tell you my story of my encounter with a beastman. That is...if you'll still be interested in hearing it afterwards."
Kagejuu blinked at Nariko in surprise before an amused smirk appeared on his face. "So that's how it's going to be, huh? Well I guess I don't have much of a choice then. Just make sure you hold up your side of the bargain runt."
"Don't worry," said Nariko as she placed her right hand upon her chest. "I always keep my promises."
"Alright then. Well as the fish and bug youkai were gathering around the temple. Ushio's two girlfriends, Mayuko and Asako, decided to come over to visit him. But when they did, those two were unaware of the danger they were in. As for Ushio, well after coming in contact with me, he was able to see the weak youkai way before those girls did. After he became aware of the weaker youkai, he rushed back into the storehouse and removed the items that he piled on top of the cellar's entrance. He then questioned me whether I placed some kind of spell on him to make him see youkai. I pretty much laughed and mocked him about that, before telling the brat about what you already know right now. After that, I told Ushio that I would help him if he would remove the spear from my shoulder. But before he did, he made me promise to help kill the youkai once he freed me. I then gave him my word that I would do as he requested. And being the idiot that he was, Ushio pulled the Beast Spear out from my shoulder."
"I see," voiced Nariko with a nod before a flat look appeared on her face. "But I'm guessing that after he pulled the spear out from your shoulder, you didn't up-hold your end of the bargain right?"
Kagejuu's eyes comically widened in surprise at what Nariko had said. "How did you figure that part out?"
"Lucky guess," replied Nariko in a casual voice while shrugging her shoulders. "And as you said, Ushio pretty much made it to your top list of people that you've come to dislike."
"Cheeky little whelp," grumbled Bikou with a pout before he got back to telling his story. "Anyways, after I pretty much told him that I had no intention of helping him, the kid became pissed. And when he did, the Beast Spear that he was still holding onto began to give him the power to do battle with me. When I saw him with the spear, and remembered what had happened to me with my battle against his ancestor I..."
Kagejuu paused and turned his head away with a look of embarrassment on his face. Nariko noticed this and couldn't help smiling in amusement as she could only guess what had happened next. But she decided to take pity on the large youkai and not bring up his beaten pride.
"So did you wind up having to help Ushio in the end?" asked Nariko curiously.
Kagejuu blinked and looked at the young she-wolf in surprise before huffing. "Yeah...I winded up helping him in the end after he threatened to stab me with the Beast Spear. We pretty much worked together in destroying the weaker youkai, which were gathering up to form into a bigger youkai. After that he pretty much forced me to stick around to, as he said; to clean up the mess my youki had created. Yet after he forced me to stick around, I made a vow to kill and devour him the first chance I got. I didn't imagined that I would wind going on crazy adventures with the brat afterwards."
"Well, that's what comes with sticking around people sometimes," said Nariko as she shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor. "You always wind up going on unplanned adventures together when you least expect it."
"*hump* like your one to talk," grumbled Kagejuu with a frown. "Anyways, I think it's time that you kept your promise, and tell me your story about your encounter with that so called beastman you mentioned."
"Alright," spoke Nariko with a chuckle. "I'll tell you about what happened to me when I had been a little kid."
To be continued