+----+ Chapter 7: Defend Reikai! Keyaku Nakadachi.... The Master of the Naginata! +----+
=== Reikai - Before the Invasion ===
Everything seemed normal that day. Reikai was running just the way it had been for the past thirty years - clean, effecient, and without any complaints from the oni. A statue of Koenma stood in the main lobby, and the oni were polishing it, as always. It was then that the statue imploded, and demons began to flood into Reikai from where the statue once stood. The oni who worked at Reikai didn't stand a chance against the demons, and were slaughtered quickly. From out of the statue, a shadowy figure leapt into the air, and landed gracefully in front of the broken statue.
Golden spikes of hair jutted from his head, bangs falling to his face. His black eyes were cold, and uncaring. In his hand, he held a long staff with a blade at the end - a Naginata. Looking around, he scowled.
"I thought I'd told you not to kill anyone - only wound." he spoke in a commanding voice. One of the demons, apparently the leader, cowered. "I.... I'm sorry, sir...." In a flash of light, the demon gave out a small, pathetic noise that sounded something like, 'gkk,' before falling neatly into small pieces on the ground. The man shouldered his Naginata and glanced around the room.
"You've seen what happens to those who disobey my orders. Now, go and bring me Koenma." The demons nodded nervously, and scampered off. A lone tear fell down the face of the man, as he whispered softly, "Hold on, my sister.... I'm coming for you."
=== Reikai - The Present ===
Taisho backhanded one demon into a wall, and, without even bothering to stop, roundhouse kicked another through the ceiling. He groaned, "How many more of these things are there?" A scoff came from behind him, and he glanced over to Hazumi. "Quit complaining," she said, "or I'll bash your nuts in." Taisho cringed, and, thus invigorated, charged headfirst into a swarm of demons. Hazumi sighed and shook her head. "Well, it made him get to work, at least...." And she quickly followed him, her Bo-staff at the ready. Before she could reach him, though, the ceiling collapsed above her. She managed to dodge just in time, and was greeted by a sharp blow to the back. Slowly, Hazumi stood up and turned around, and gasped.
Standing in front of her was a blue-skinned creature, long blue hair streaming like waves down from her head. It was a female water demon, and one that Hazumi recognized - as a Reikai Tantei, a master of the Bo-staff just like her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" cried Hazumi.
The water demon smirked. "Fulfilling my mission - to overthrow Reikai and kill all who oppose me. Really, did you think that the great Kosame would stay on the losing side?"
Hazumi's eyes narrowed, and she gripped her weapon tightly. "If you're revolting against Reikai.... then I'll just have to put you down for good." She charged, and Kosame snickered. "Really, a frontal assault? A wasted effort."
The water demoness swung her staff at Hazumi - and hit nothing but air. "What?!" At the last moment, Hazumi had flipped into the air, and just now landed behind Kosame. "Vault Crush!" Hazumi cried, as she smashed her staff into the back of Kosame's knee. Unbalanced, Kosame fell to the ground, and Hazumi swung her staff down hard. Just before the attack hit, the water demon rolled out of the way, and delivered an attack of her own to Hazumi's knee. Hazumi cried out, but remained standing with much effort. Kosame flipped into the air and landed on her one good leg, in the crane stance. Both fighters stared each other down, when suddenly an anguished cry came out from across the room. Immediately, Hazumi and Kosame glanced over at the source of the scream, and saw Taisho fall to the ground, blood spurting from a wound in his chest. A man stood over him, coldly glaring over at the two women.
"Kosame! Enough playtime. Get to work finding Koenma," spoke the man in a vicious tone.
"But, Keyaku-sama....!!!" whimpered Kosame. The man glared at her, and for a moment his hand crackled with electricity. Kosame recoiled, and nodded her head before bowing to the leader. She leered at Hazumi. "You got lucky this time. Next time, I'll smash your skull in. Ta-ta!" And thus she ran off, Hazumi turning to follow her.... but running head-first into the same man.
"Not so fast, Tantei." spoke Keyaku. "You aren't going to be helping your friends any more." He lifted up his Naginata, and swung the blunt end of it onto Hazumi's head, sending her spiraling to the ground. "Forgive me.... But I do this for the greater good." He began to walk off, in the same direction that Kosame had run. As Hazumi faded into unconsciousness, she thought she heard a faint sob from the man who had just attacked her. She thought that she was imagining things at first, but then she saw a tear fall to the ground beside her. Now she knew that this man was not a cold-blooded killer.... something inside him knew this was wrong, but he was suppressing it.
A call echoed through the halls of Reikai....
"Keyaku-sama! I found Koenma, and he's with that boy who beat Kakitome!"
=== Reikai - Before the Invasion ===
Everything seemed normal that day. Reikai was running just the way it had been for the past thirty years - clean, effecient, and without any complaints from the oni. A statue of Koenma stood in the main lobby, and the oni were polishing it, as always. It was then that the statue imploded, and demons began to flood into Reikai from where the statue once stood. The oni who worked at Reikai didn't stand a chance against the demons, and were slaughtered quickly. From out of the statue, a shadowy figure leapt into the air, and landed gracefully in front of the broken statue.
Golden spikes of hair jutted from his head, bangs falling to his face. His black eyes were cold, and uncaring. In his hand, he held a long staff with a blade at the end - a Naginata. Looking around, he scowled.
"I thought I'd told you not to kill anyone - only wound." he spoke in a commanding voice. One of the demons, apparently the leader, cowered. "I.... I'm sorry, sir...." In a flash of light, the demon gave out a small, pathetic noise that sounded something like, 'gkk,' before falling neatly into small pieces on the ground. The man shouldered his Naginata and glanced around the room.
"You've seen what happens to those who disobey my orders. Now, go and bring me Koenma." The demons nodded nervously, and scampered off. A lone tear fell down the face of the man, as he whispered softly, "Hold on, my sister.... I'm coming for you."
=== Reikai - The Present ===
Taisho backhanded one demon into a wall, and, without even bothering to stop, roundhouse kicked another through the ceiling. He groaned, "How many more of these things are there?" A scoff came from behind him, and he glanced over to Hazumi. "Quit complaining," she said, "or I'll bash your nuts in." Taisho cringed, and, thus invigorated, charged headfirst into a swarm of demons. Hazumi sighed and shook her head. "Well, it made him get to work, at least...." And she quickly followed him, her Bo-staff at the ready. Before she could reach him, though, the ceiling collapsed above her. She managed to dodge just in time, and was greeted by a sharp blow to the back. Slowly, Hazumi stood up and turned around, and gasped.
Standing in front of her was a blue-skinned creature, long blue hair streaming like waves down from her head. It was a female water demon, and one that Hazumi recognized - as a Reikai Tantei, a master of the Bo-staff just like her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" cried Hazumi.
The water demon smirked. "Fulfilling my mission - to overthrow Reikai and kill all who oppose me. Really, did you think that the great Kosame would stay on the losing side?"
Hazumi's eyes narrowed, and she gripped her weapon tightly. "If you're revolting against Reikai.... then I'll just have to put you down for good." She charged, and Kosame snickered. "Really, a frontal assault? A wasted effort."
The water demoness swung her staff at Hazumi - and hit nothing but air. "What?!" At the last moment, Hazumi had flipped into the air, and just now landed behind Kosame. "Vault Crush!" Hazumi cried, as she smashed her staff into the back of Kosame's knee. Unbalanced, Kosame fell to the ground, and Hazumi swung her staff down hard. Just before the attack hit, the water demon rolled out of the way, and delivered an attack of her own to Hazumi's knee. Hazumi cried out, but remained standing with much effort. Kosame flipped into the air and landed on her one good leg, in the crane stance. Both fighters stared each other down, when suddenly an anguished cry came out from across the room. Immediately, Hazumi and Kosame glanced over at the source of the scream, and saw Taisho fall to the ground, blood spurting from a wound in his chest. A man stood over him, coldly glaring over at the two women.
"Kosame! Enough playtime. Get to work finding Koenma," spoke the man in a vicious tone.
"But, Keyaku-sama....!!!" whimpered Kosame. The man glared at her, and for a moment his hand crackled with electricity. Kosame recoiled, and nodded her head before bowing to the leader. She leered at Hazumi. "You got lucky this time. Next time, I'll smash your skull in. Ta-ta!" And thus she ran off, Hazumi turning to follow her.... but running head-first into the same man.
"Not so fast, Tantei." spoke Keyaku. "You aren't going to be helping your friends any more." He lifted up his Naginata, and swung the blunt end of it onto Hazumi's head, sending her spiraling to the ground. "Forgive me.... But I do this for the greater good." He began to walk off, in the same direction that Kosame had run. As Hazumi faded into unconsciousness, she thought she heard a faint sob from the man who had just attacked her. She thought that she was imagining things at first, but then she saw a tear fall to the ground beside her. Now she knew that this man was not a cold-blooded killer.... something inside him knew this was wrong, but he was suppressing it.
A call echoed through the halls of Reikai....
"Keyaku-sama! I found Koenma, and he's with that boy who beat Kakitome!"