+----+ Chapter 8: The Battle's Conclusion. Project Reaper Revealed +----+
An ogre ran into the room, crying out, "Koenma-sama! The Reikai-Kakumei have gotten more reinforcements, and we've just received word that the Hanshu Reikai Tantei have all been killed! What do we do now, sir?!!"
"Oh, lovely. Could this get any better? I can only hope it doesn't...."
Shinrai woke with a start, surprising Botan and Koenma, and slowly got to his knees. Groggily, he groaned, "Ugh.... What happened? Why am I still alive?" Botan chuckled, and replied, "Because I healed you, silly."
Trying to smile, Shinrai tensed his face muscles, but only managed a faint grimace. "Seems I won't be doing much fighting for a while.... What's the news, Koenma-san?"
"That's Koenma-SAMA!!" cried out Koenma angrily. He composed himself quickly, and spoke. "The Reikai-Kakumei are heading here full-force. We don't have much choice.... I'll surrender myself."
"But, Koenma-sama....!!!" Botan protested, "They'll kill you! Don't just surrender yourself!"
Koenma was silent, before he said, "If I can prevent any more loss of life, then I'll do all I can."
"How touching."
All three turned to look at the door, and standing in the hallway was Kosame, her Bo-staff at the ready. She smiled wickedly. "Good choice, Koenma. Now, just come with me and we'll leave...."
With a heavy sigh, Koenma started to head towards Kosame, but Shinrai blocked his path. "W-What?! Get out of the way, Shinrai!" yelled Koenma. Shinrai silently shook his head 'no,' and turned to face Kosame.
"I swore that no harm would come to Koenma, and I'll keep that promise. You'll not have him!"
Kosame grinned. "Ooh, goody! I was hoping for some action!" Just as she readied her staff for a charge, a hand grasped her shoulder firmly, making her freeze in fear. Behind her was Keyaku, the leader of the assault on Reikai. Keyaku firmly said, "He's injured. You won't fight an injured man. Understood, Kosame?" His eyes narrowed, and Kosame whimpered lightly.
"Y-Yes, sir...." she squeaked out. Keyaku's hand released her, and she meekly slinked away from the room. His eyes turned to Koenma for a moment, but then he noticed Botan.
".... !!!!" Keyaku's eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back. "Y-You're...." Botan, confused, asked, "Do I know you or something, or what? Why are you staring at me?"
Keyaku stared blankly at Botan for a moment, a faint whisper escaping his lips: "Sister...." Shinrai was the only one who caught the words, and recoiled at the revelation. Wasn't Botan the Grim Reaper? Why would she have a brother? Swallowing his fears (and the lump in his throat), Shinrai spoke out.
"You're Botan's brother? What.... What do you mean?"
Koenma's eyes shot open in shock, and he collapsed to the ground. "Koenma-sama!" cried Botan, dropping to his side to see what was wrong. Koenma could only mutter curses to himself, but he eventually managed to speak.
"So.... that must be what that name meant.... How could he? How could my father.... ?" Botan cocked her head in confusion. "Koenma-sama?" She reached for him, but he batted her hand away.
"Botan.... I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry that I didn't know earlier...." Keyaku was silent, though tears started to form in his eyes. "Once, I looked through your file at the administration office, out of a filing mistake by one of the oni. There was your name and your Grim Reaper Assignment Number, just like on all the files.... but then I saw something written in my father's handwriting that I hadn't noticed on any other file.... a name...." Keyaku spoke again.
"So.... You really didn't know about 'Project Reaper'...." he said slowly, as if coming to a revelation. Seeing the confused faces of the other three, Keyaku continued. "Your father, Enma Daiou, founded Reikai several centuries ago, that much is true.... And he's always had the assistance of the Grim Reapers - young women who guide souls to the afterlife. But he never revealed the truth of how these Grim Reapers came into existance, let alone how they ended up working for him. The harsh truth is that he kidnapped young girls from villages all across Ningenkai, and erased their memories. He turned them into shapeless clay to mold as he wished.... My sister, Shizuka, was one of those girls. I swore an oath that I wouldn't rest until I'd found my sister.... and all these thousands of years later, I have. The name in that file was 'Shizuka'.... The true name of the one you know as Botan." Koenma let out an anguished cry, and Botan gasped. Shinrai's jaw dropped, and Keyaku shed his tears, starting to sob softly.
"After.... after all these years.... these thousands of years.... I've found you...." And he burst into tears, falling to the floor with a sob. "Damn that Enma! He had.... he had no right...."
Koenma, who was still crying, transformed into his teenage form and walked towards Keyaku. And then he spoke....
"My father is dead. But the pain he brought still lives.... You have every right to the blood of Enma, and now the only blood of his that remains is mine. Shed my blood, so that your suffering can finally end.... Kill me, Keyaku."
Keyaku's eyes shot open, as he slowly raised his head to look at Koenma. ".... No. You had nothing to do with this.... I'll not shed the blood of an innocent."
He slowly rose to his feet, and turned to leave. "I'll order the Reikai-Kakumei to retreat. Just take care of yourself, Shizuka.... and wait for me to return."
As he left, teardrops stained the floor as he stepped. Keyaku knew that ordering a retreat like this would be considered treason in the ranks of the Reikai-Kakumei, an offense that always resulted in execution.... but he wouldn't die yet. Now he had a true reason to live - to be with his sister, for all of eternity.
=== Later ===
Demons ran from Reikai in hordes, retreating as ordered. Medical teams treated the wound and prayed for the dead. The battle for Reikai was over.... for now.
An ogre ran into the room, crying out, "Koenma-sama! The Reikai-Kakumei have gotten more reinforcements, and we've just received word that the Hanshu Reikai Tantei have all been killed! What do we do now, sir?!!"
"Oh, lovely. Could this get any better? I can only hope it doesn't...."
Shinrai woke with a start, surprising Botan and Koenma, and slowly got to his knees. Groggily, he groaned, "Ugh.... What happened? Why am I still alive?" Botan chuckled, and replied, "Because I healed you, silly."
Trying to smile, Shinrai tensed his face muscles, but only managed a faint grimace. "Seems I won't be doing much fighting for a while.... What's the news, Koenma-san?"
"That's Koenma-SAMA!!" cried out Koenma angrily. He composed himself quickly, and spoke. "The Reikai-Kakumei are heading here full-force. We don't have much choice.... I'll surrender myself."
"But, Koenma-sama....!!!" Botan protested, "They'll kill you! Don't just surrender yourself!"
Koenma was silent, before he said, "If I can prevent any more loss of life, then I'll do all I can."
"How touching."
All three turned to look at the door, and standing in the hallway was Kosame, her Bo-staff at the ready. She smiled wickedly. "Good choice, Koenma. Now, just come with me and we'll leave...."
With a heavy sigh, Koenma started to head towards Kosame, but Shinrai blocked his path. "W-What?! Get out of the way, Shinrai!" yelled Koenma. Shinrai silently shook his head 'no,' and turned to face Kosame.
"I swore that no harm would come to Koenma, and I'll keep that promise. You'll not have him!"
Kosame grinned. "Ooh, goody! I was hoping for some action!" Just as she readied her staff for a charge, a hand grasped her shoulder firmly, making her freeze in fear. Behind her was Keyaku, the leader of the assault on Reikai. Keyaku firmly said, "He's injured. You won't fight an injured man. Understood, Kosame?" His eyes narrowed, and Kosame whimpered lightly.
"Y-Yes, sir...." she squeaked out. Keyaku's hand released her, and she meekly slinked away from the room. His eyes turned to Koenma for a moment, but then he noticed Botan.
".... !!!!" Keyaku's eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back. "Y-You're...." Botan, confused, asked, "Do I know you or something, or what? Why are you staring at me?"
Keyaku stared blankly at Botan for a moment, a faint whisper escaping his lips: "Sister...." Shinrai was the only one who caught the words, and recoiled at the revelation. Wasn't Botan the Grim Reaper? Why would she have a brother? Swallowing his fears (and the lump in his throat), Shinrai spoke out.
"You're Botan's brother? What.... What do you mean?"
Koenma's eyes shot open in shock, and he collapsed to the ground. "Koenma-sama!" cried Botan, dropping to his side to see what was wrong. Koenma could only mutter curses to himself, but he eventually managed to speak.
"So.... that must be what that name meant.... How could he? How could my father.... ?" Botan cocked her head in confusion. "Koenma-sama?" She reached for him, but he batted her hand away.
"Botan.... I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry that I didn't know earlier...." Keyaku was silent, though tears started to form in his eyes. "Once, I looked through your file at the administration office, out of a filing mistake by one of the oni. There was your name and your Grim Reaper Assignment Number, just like on all the files.... but then I saw something written in my father's handwriting that I hadn't noticed on any other file.... a name...." Keyaku spoke again.
"So.... You really didn't know about 'Project Reaper'...." he said slowly, as if coming to a revelation. Seeing the confused faces of the other three, Keyaku continued. "Your father, Enma Daiou, founded Reikai several centuries ago, that much is true.... And he's always had the assistance of the Grim Reapers - young women who guide souls to the afterlife. But he never revealed the truth of how these Grim Reapers came into existance, let alone how they ended up working for him. The harsh truth is that he kidnapped young girls from villages all across Ningenkai, and erased their memories. He turned them into shapeless clay to mold as he wished.... My sister, Shizuka, was one of those girls. I swore an oath that I wouldn't rest until I'd found my sister.... and all these thousands of years later, I have. The name in that file was 'Shizuka'.... The true name of the one you know as Botan." Koenma let out an anguished cry, and Botan gasped. Shinrai's jaw dropped, and Keyaku shed his tears, starting to sob softly.
"After.... after all these years.... these thousands of years.... I've found you...." And he burst into tears, falling to the floor with a sob. "Damn that Enma! He had.... he had no right...."
Koenma, who was still crying, transformed into his teenage form and walked towards Keyaku. And then he spoke....
"My father is dead. But the pain he brought still lives.... You have every right to the blood of Enma, and now the only blood of his that remains is mine. Shed my blood, so that your suffering can finally end.... Kill me, Keyaku."
Keyaku's eyes shot open, as he slowly raised his head to look at Koenma. ".... No. You had nothing to do with this.... I'll not shed the blood of an innocent."
He slowly rose to his feet, and turned to leave. "I'll order the Reikai-Kakumei to retreat. Just take care of yourself, Shizuka.... and wait for me to return."
As he left, teardrops stained the floor as he stepped. Keyaku knew that ordering a retreat like this would be considered treason in the ranks of the Reikai-Kakumei, an offense that always resulted in execution.... but he wouldn't die yet. Now he had a true reason to live - to be with his sister, for all of eternity.
=== Later ===
Demons ran from Reikai in hordes, retreating as ordered. Medical teams treated the wound and prayed for the dead. The battle for Reikai was over.... for now.