Big thanks to all who reviewed! Your comments are always helpful and inspiring.
Rabid Lola: Why do I sense betrayal on Kouji's part? Or is it just my imagination...? Muahahaha...
Disclaimer: Not mine. Except maybe Tatsuo, Kouji, and Seiichi.
"Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee"
-Henry IV, part II. Act V, scene 5.
When Raitei walks down a street in Lower Town, everything trembles before him, even the earth, and everything lies deathly still behind him. The aura of authority that separates him from all other beings is apparent in his walk. Each step is cold and precise. There is no wasted effort, no meaningless movement. He is pure efficiency and calculated control. He walks slowly, regally, with purpose. With each stride, tiny cracks appear in the pavement, the dust swirls, and flares of electricity whip out, clearing a path for him. He is the lord of the castle and when he moves, he is all panther-like grace and power.
Make way. The lord has come.
Lightning flashes, and in that split second of illumination, the crooked gray buildings lining the street look like they're tiliting haphazardly toward the center, as if in a shaky bow before their ruler. Empty doorways gape like black mouths wide open. The windows, those that aren't boarded up or broken, are closed like eyes wide shut.
Close your eyes and bow. The emperor is coming. No one may see him and live.
All is silent. The street holds its breath, waiting, until the next shuddering crack of thunder resounds, and the lightning comes.
The surrounding area is nearly deserted. All of the residents had felt the approaching storm and had fled. The men, squinting into the late afternoon sun, had read the signs in the atmosphere and had secured their belongings and left. The women, feeling the prickle of electricity in the air, had gathered their children, and went in search of shelter. Even the children had sensed Mugenjou's rising dread and were quiet. The animals, of course, were long gone. It was a survival technique that man and beast had learned to master long ago, even before the appearance of Raitei. They learned it when running from the Beltline invaders. They learned it from living in their urban jungle. It was a law of nature. Anyone who didn't learn, didn't survive. It was a tough lesson, but there was a reason why Mugenjou bred tough people.
Another bolt of lightning flashes overhead, this time striking the central tower and snaking down its length. All of Mugenjou shudders at the impact. The air tastes like iron and steel. Kazuki flinches as he feels the power speed past him in the electric wiring that are the veins of Mugenjou, racing towards the glowing figure walking before him. The Raitei, Amano Ginji.
Raitei walks like a big cat stalking his prey. His pale, cold eyes are focused on the figure at the end of the street. Kazuki and Jubei try not to shrink back as he passes. Their minds tell them that they are safe, the Raitei is not angry with them and would never hurt them, but instinct tells them to beware. Raitei seldom ever fully appears, but when he does, it is only when he is extremely angry, and then he is extremely dangerous. They don't move, but the sheer force of Raitei's presence nearly knocks the wind out of them. They could feel the roiling anger and icy resolve washing over them in waves, threatening to suffocate them. Tendrils of electricity lash out from Raitei's body, crackling the air and licking the ground. Each step resounds with the weight of approaching doom...
Overhead, the sky is blotted out by clouds.
Even heaven did not want to bear witness to the Thunder Emperor's rage.
And he is very angry.
Ginji walked quickly, eyes foward, back straight, hands brushing his sides lightly. Kazuki was leading him and Juubei towards the meeting point in the old warehouse district on the east side. The Threadmaster, unlike Ginji, had an excellent memory and sense of direction. Juubei was walking silently to Kazuki's right and slightly behind, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Ginji, engrossed in his thoughts, was barely paying attention to the people around him. He didn't notice how people turned and eyed them curiously as they passed, trying to guess the cause of their brisk pace and serious expressions. He didn't notice how other pedestrians made way for them, giving them a wide berth down the middle of the street. Ginji was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he followed Kazuki automatically. If Kazuki had walked off a cliff, he probably would have followed.
He only came out of his inner world when the street started becoming less crowded and more run down. The buildings in this district were dilapidated, even for Mugenjou. There wasn't much activity. The few people around sensed that the three VOLTS members were on an important errand and quickly decided to go somewhere else. Finally, Kazuki stopped at the border to the warehouse district.
The area was pretty much abandoned. No one remembers what the warehouses used to store. A strange fire had burned most of the structures down long ago, and now it was a junkyard filled with debris of various sizes. The street urchins stayed away because there was nothing there, just random pieces of scorched bricks and huge chunks of twisted metal. The adults considered the area unlucky because not even rats lived there.
"Kouji-san said to meet him at the center clearing," said Kazuki. "It's about two blocks from here, straight ahead."
Ginji nodded and they made their way forward slowly, Ginji in the lead and Kazuki and Juubei following on either side. There was something eerie about the silence punctuated only by the quiet scuffing of their shoes on the gravel road. The warehouses were in various states of ruin. Some were merely scorched and had holes in the roof. Others were nothing but a pile of rubble.
Suddenly, a sizzling rock crashed into the ground at Ginji's feet and exploded, pieces flying everywhere. Ginji stopped short, and both Kazuki and Juubei reached for their weapons, their senses on high alert. And that's when they saw Kouji.
He came out of the warehouse on the right and stopped in the middle of the street, his hulking form, bulldog-ish build, spikey black hair, and thin white scar running diagonally across his right eye were unmistakable. His men, several dozen of them, also appeared and fanned out around Ginji, Kazuki and Juubei. They were led by Kouji's former second-in-command, Seiichi, from back when Kouji controlled his own gang. Seiichi, who looked like a pool hall hustler, complete with black suit, open red-collared shirt, and slicked back hair, stood slightly off to the side and behind his men, but had his sword at the ready.
Then there was the person that Kouji had dragged out with him, and it was on this person that Ginji focused his attention. Kazuki gasped when he saw who it was.
"Makubex!"
The boy had his hands bound before him and looked terrified, but otherwise unhurt. Kouji held Makubex directly in front of him and had one massive, thickly-padded hand wrapped around the boy's neck.
Ginji regarded the scene before him silently but without surprise. He had a funny feeling when he heard that Kouji had asked for his help. The older man was very proud, and rivalled Shido in terms of independence. In the nearly two years they had known each other as fellow VOLTS members, Kouji never asked for anything, nor volunteered anything. He and his gang merely continued patrolling the area they had controlled in the pre-VOLTS era, keeping things in order. His alliance with VOLTS was born out of necessity, so it was a working relationship, but a steady relationship nonetheless. Before this, Ginji never saw any shows of camaraderie from Kouji, but never anything unfriendly, much less antagonistic. Kouji and his group had always been cordial and cooperative. Until now, that is.
What really bothered Ginji during the walk over to the east side was the timing of Kouji's request and the rash of coincidental happenings around Mugenjou. Emishi and Sakura were gone, tending the sick Loulan clan members. Masaki was helping clean up the mess from the mysterious fire from the day before. Shido was gone too, which wasn't too strange since the beastmaster was somewhat of a loner anyways. But Makubex rarely left his computers or the VOLTS's lair.
"I will make this simple," said Kouji. "I want you to step down as leader of VOLTS and leave Mugenjou."
Ginji regarded Kouji in stony silence. Makubex was staying perfectly still in Kouji's grasp, but his jaw was clenched tightly and his breathing was strained.
"Be careful, Ginji-san," said Kazuki. "Kouji-san can heat things by touching them, using his ki. He must have been the one who threw the exploding rock."
"That's right," said Kouji. "If I wanted to, I could boil Makubex's blood right here without moving a muscle, so I wouldn't make any sudden movements if I were you."
Makubex's eyes widened at that, but he kept perfectly still, eyes searching Ginji's face for answers.
"What's the meaning of this, Kouji? Why are you doing this?" asked Ginji.
"It's simple, really," replied Kouji. "I want you to step aside and leave Lower Town to me. If you don't, I will kill your friend here."
"I don't believe it. Please stop this insanity now, Kouji," said Ginji, hoping that what he was hearing wasn't true, but knowing that it was. If this was a joke of some sort, it wasn't very funny at all. And Makubex wouldn't have been involved.
"Believe it. This was set up from the beginning," Kouji said, not changing course. "I poisoned the Loulan clan, hoping to distract Emishi and Juubei, with his medicinal skills. That Sakura went to try to help them instead of Juubei actually worked out in my favor, since that left Makubex vulnerable. My men set those fires, hoping to keep Masaki busy and knowing that Shido would probably be there to have his animals help out with the recovery process. Unfortunately, Shido somehow heard that the fire was set deliberately and was going to investigate. My men and I had to move quickly to ambush him, and the whole plan was moved up to today so you wouldn't notice his absence. Everyone else is out patrolling various districts. Now it's just you and two followers. You are surrounded, and you can't attack me or you will hit Makubex as well. You are trapped, but," said Kouji, "I am offering you a way out. Leave Mugenjou and hand the leadership of VOLTS to me."
"But why, Kouji? Why are you doing this?" said Ginji.
One look at Makubex's terrified expression was enough to tell him that Kouji and his men were deadly serious. Still, it was hard for Ginji to give up his belief in his fellow VOLTS members. He wasn't so naive to believe that betrayal was impossible, but accepting that people he knew and cared about were capable of betraying him was difficult, especially when the whole scene seemed surreal and he didn't even know why it was happening.
"Why?" sneered Kouji. "Because you are unfit to lead VOLTS or Lower Town."
"What are you talking about?" said Kazuki angrily stepping forward, and even Juubei, who wasn't one for talking much, looked like he wanted to say something. "Lower Town has never been more peaceful."
"I'm talking about how the Thunder Emperor is reckless and out of control," countered Kouji. He turned back to Ginji, watching him as he counted off each accusation. "He destroys streets and buildings in fits of rage, and we are the ones who have to clean up the mess afterwards. How much damage has he caused since he's been in control? How many innocent bystanders have had their homes destroyed because of his recklessness? How many people have been injured for not getting out of the way in time?"
Ginji was quiet.
"But you're wrong. Ginji-san doesn't do it on purpose," said Kazuki.
"That's exactly my point. He doesn't do it on purpose and yet it still happens because he can't control his power. If he can't control himself, how can we let him control all of Lower Town?"
"But-"
"Kazuki-san, even you have to admit that Ginji cannot fully control his power or his rage. He already knows this himself," said Kouji.
Kazuki fell silent, scowling. Ginji was doing nothing to defend himself against these accusations, and the threadmaster could tell by the heaviness in his stance that he felt the truth in these words.
"Furthermore," said Kouji, gaining momentum, "Ginji is mentally weak. He is too naive and his trusting nature leaves him open to attack. He didn't even see this coming. And we all know how limited his intelligence is. He is just a kid, trying to play adult games, and he has been out-smarted and out-maneuvered."
Ginji felt the impact of each argument and felt heavier and heavier under Kouji's verbal barrage. He knew that these things, too, were true in some ways.
"You don't have the strength to do what is necessary," said Kouji, addressing Ginji directly now. He had the upper hand and so he went in for the kill, knowing that he was right and that Ginji could say nothing in his own defense. "Will you forfeit Makubex's life to hold on to your precious status, or will you acknowledge that you've lost and step aside?"
Kazuki turned to Ginji, his expression tense. Juubei stood there impassively. They both knew that Ginji would do anything to save his friends, but would that include handing Lower Town over to Kouji?
"I'm sorry," said Ginji. Kazuki's breath caught in his throat. Was it possible? Would he...
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave even if I wanted to," said Ginji sadly, turning to face Kouji. "If I left, Lower Town would fall into chaos, and I can't sacrifice the happiness of so many people."
Kouji snorted and scowled. "This is why I despise you. You're so self-centered and arrogant, thinking that because the VOLTS follow you, Lower Town revolves around you. But the residents don't follow you, or they do so only because they need you for protection. They don't do it willingly and they don't do it because they love or respect you. They follow you because they need you and they are afraid of crossing you."
"No, that's not true," said Ginji, quietly. He knew that it was untrue, but a small part of his mind made him doubt himself.
"They respect you because they have no other choice," continued Kouji. "You rule Lower Town as a dictator and you tolerate no dissent. All the old gangs who didn't merge with VOLTS were destroyed. That's not choice, that's force."
"I did what I had to do to attain peace and order," said Ginji, but even that sounded a little hollow.
"Yes, you did it through violence and force. No one opposes you because they're too scared to. But I'm not," said Kouji. "You know that all of my accusations are true, I can see it in your eyes. You are unfit to lead VOLTS. I am smarter than you, I'm older, and I've experienced more than you. Hand over the leadership to me and leave Mugenjou, or I will kill Makubex."
"Leave him out of this, Kouji," said Ginji, strength returning to his voice. No matter what, even if Kouji's accusations were true, he couldn't let his friend get hurt. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."
"That doesn't matter. Do what I say, or he dies," said Kouji, tightening his grip on the boy's neck.
"But you are comrades, brothers even, in VOLTS. How can you do this to him?" said Ginji, pressing him.
"We were never friends. Our alliance with VOLTS was purely for survival. I was biding my time, and now that it's here, if I must sacrifice him for the sake of my goals, I will."
"Don't be so selfish!" cried Ginji angrily. "People aren't objects to be used for petty aims. Let him go."
"If I do, will you step down and leave?"
"No," said Ginji, his resolve hardening. "I refuse to sacrifice the safety of the residents OR Makubex."
"Then we have nothing to talk about," said Kouji, coldly. He nodded to his men. "Get them."
"No..." said Makubex, but his protest was cut by a squeeze of Kouji's hand on his throat.
Seiichi drew his sword and Kouji's men charged en masse. Ginji braced himself, but Kazuki put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let us take care of these traitors," he said, stepping forward.
"They are no match for us," said Juubei, drawing his needles.
Ginji nodded his assent, and stayed where he was, watching Kouji and Makubex closely.
With a cry, Kazuki and Juubei met the charging gang members head on. Juubei easily dispacthed men left and right, his needles flying through the air and embedding themselves in key pressure points. The targets yelled and dropped like dumb beasts, their muscles paralyzed. Kazuki sliced his way through the crowd, heading for Seiichi, the leader, who stood outside the fray.
Kazuki shot out his threads, trying to trap the swordsman. Seiichi parried the attack and closed in for a counterattack, sword at his side. His speed was admirable, but not amazing. Anyone other than one of the Four Kings would've been hard pressed to escape him, but Kazuki threw up a shield and ducked behind him. There followed a furious series of moves and countermoves, an intricate and deadly dance. Kazuki unleashed attack after attack, driving the swordsman back. Seiichi was losing, but always just as he was about to be defeated, one of his men would throw themselves in the way or try to attack Kazuki from behind. Kazuki growled in frustration and anger, and ducked out of the way as Seiichi's sword burst through his own man's chest, barely escaping being stabbed through the heart. Juubei covered Kazuki as best he could while cleaning up the rest of the men, but there was enough distraction to prevent Kazuki from finishing the swordsman.
"Your strings won't work on me," said Seiichi, panting. "I don't care what the stories about your legendary fighting abilities are, Kazuki of the Thread, you won't get past me." He braced himself for the next onslaught.
"Hmph," said Kazuki, launching another attack, "your confidence is admirable, but ill placed. My strings can be soft as silk, but they can also be hard as steel. Give up now. You are no match for me."
Seiichi dodged past the attack and ran forward, sword out, ready to skewer Kazuki.
Unfortunately for him, Kazuki had read his move already and had set his trap. As the swordsman swung, he cut through the trigger thread, the trap snapped shut, and he was caught in the threads, dangling a foot off the ground, the threads forced him to turn his own sword at his own throat.
"Drop your weapon," said Kazuki, landing neatly beside the caught man.
"Heh," said Seiichi, smiling wryly. "I guess I lost."
Kazuki didn't like the look on his face.
"Kouji-san," called out Seiichi, "I am sorry, but I have failed you." He had a crazed look in his eyes.
"Seiichi-san, what are you-"
Kazuki didn't finish his question as the swordsman threw his body forward with all his force, fighting against the strings, as he strained back with his sword hand, neatly cutting his own throat. Kazuki barely avoided getting drenched with blood as the man severed his own artery.
"Seiichi-san!" But Kazuki saw that it was no use. The blood sprayed everywhere, but quickly died down to a trickle and pooled in the dirt. Seiichi was dead.
Juubei turned at Kazuki's shout, dropping the unconscious gang member in his hands, the last of Kouji's men, and saw Kazuki standing there, with blood sprayed on his clothes. He ran over, but pulled up short when he realized that Kazuki was unhurt and that all of the blood belonged to the dead man still hanging from the threads. It was grotesque, the way the blood dripped from the open throat of the limp form. Kazuki looked grieved.
"He didn't have to kill himself," he said, quietly. Carefully, he undid his strings and lowered Seiichi to the ground.
"No, but he wanted to," said Kouji, who had watched the whole scene, his face impassive. "He did what he felt was honorable."
Makubex looked stricken.
Ginji, who had also witnessed everything, was seething. His gaze bored into the two figures before him.
"Why did you do that!" he shouted at Kouji. "You knew they were no match for us, and yet you commanded them to attack us anyways."
"To show you how much they loved me, that they would die for me," answered Kouji. "They believed in me and were willing to sacrifice themselves for me because I am a true leader. They knew that I could lead the VOLTS."
Ginji was quiet, his fists clenched so tightly that his arms shook. Kazuki and Juubei were worried that Kouji would push Ginji over the edge, and that the Raitei was starting to take over. A quiet and angry Ginji was never a good sign.
"I see the real you," said Ginji in a low voice, looking Kouji directly in the eyes. "You hide your ambition and selfishness behind excuses and accusations. You don't want to lead VOLTS because you think I'm incompetent. You want to lead VOLTS because you are greedy for power and respect."
Kouji flinched at his words, then scowled at himself for showing how the words affected him.
"Shut up," he growled, tightening his hold on Makubex. "What would you know about earning power and respect? Everyone automatically loves you. You didn't earn their love or respect and you certainly didn't earn your powers as the Raitei. You had all that dropped in your lap."
Ginji narrowed his eyes, but did not respond.
"Oh yes, I did my research," continued Kouji. "I know that your powers just emerged randomly one day, and that you never had to do anything to gain them, whereas I had to earn everything I got. I trained for years to reach this level of ki, where I can heat anything at a touch and cause it to spontaneously combust. I sacrificed everything to become strong and have gained nothing, not even a place as one of your Four Kings. You have sacrificed nothing and yet you have everything: the respect of the Four Kings, the love of the residents, and the power to do whatever you want."
"Do you really think so?" asked Ginji, coldly. "You really think that I have sacrificed nothing and gained everything?"
Kouji didn't back down.
"I pity you, then," said Ginji, "because you don't understand anything. What you seek is the promise of power, but that is an empty promise. Attaining power is a fool's dream, a mirage. Power is nothing. You think that I have not sacrificed; you don't know what sacrifice is. It is when you give up something of yourself for the sake of others. You have sacrificed others for your own sake. Seiichi is dead because of you. That isn't sacrifice, that is selfishness, and I will not tolerate it."
Ginji's voice was dangerously low, and Kazuki shuddered at the coldness in Ginji's expression. Clouds were coming in from the east, the air was thick with tension, and Kazuki sensed the approach of lightning. We are getting into dangerous territory here, thought the threadmaster.
"Let Makubex go," said Ginji. It wasn't a request.
"No," said Kouji stubbornly. "I refuse to take orders from a 16-year-old brat. Kazuki-san," he said, turning to the man who controlled the strings. "Surely you'd understand. You used to be magnificent. You were the feared leader of Fuuga, and the deadly elegance of the Fuuchoin style caused your name to be whispered with reverence by all. Do you not resent being controlled by a throw-away junkyard kid? A street urchin who has no legacy? You can reclaim your former power and glory if you join me in throwing out this common mongrel."
Kazuki glared at Kouji. "You have it wrong, Kouji-san. I hated being the ruthless leader of Fuuga. I only did it to survive and protect the ones I love. Ginji-san showed me another way. He showed me that I didn't have to shoulder the burden of leadership alone. Give it up, Kouji-san. Seiichi-san's blood is on your hands and your followers are all dead or unconscious. You're done for. Let Makubex go."
Kouji smiled grimly. "I'm disappointed in you, Kazuki-san. I thought you of all people would understand the frustration of following someone who is unworthy of your loyalty. That is why I asked you to bring Ginji here. I don't care what you say, though, I refuse to back down. I don't care that all of my followers are injured or dead; I will get new followers once Ginji steps down. Seiichi gave his life willingly for me. A true leader knows when to let others sacrifice themselves for the cause."
"No," said Ginji, his gaze boring ever deeper into Kouji. "A true leader knows when the cost of the sacrifice is too high. He won't throw the lives of his friends away for nothing, especially something as petty as power. You don't understand the value of a friend's life, and for that reason, I cannot let you lead VOLTS or rule Lower Town. Step down, Kouji, and let Makubex go. This is between you and me."
"No," said Kouji, drawing Makubex even closer to him, using him as a shield. "I'm not so stupid as to fight you head-on, since our fight would destroy half of Lower Town and I'm not guaranteed a win. Keep in mind that this place, with all of the debris lying around, is a perfect battleground for me. I can turn anything I touch into a sizzling projectile that will burn a hole right through you. You'll have to play on my terms: choose your own selfish hold on power, or Makubex's life. Which will it be?"
"You can't win this way, Kouji," said Ginji, dangerously.
A spark flared out from Ginji's body and licked the ground. Ginji's hair was buffeted softly by the static electricity, and his skin was taking on a dangerous luminescence.
Kazuki recognized the signs and stepped back. He looked worriedly at Juubei, but so long as Kouji refused to back down or release Makubex, there was nothing either one of them could do.
"You're wrong," pressed Kouji, recklessly. "Either way, I win. If you choose Makubex's life, you'll have to leave Mugenjou. I know you. Your sense of honor will prevent you from going back on your word. If you choose to stubbornly retain your hold on VOLTS, no one will be willing to follow someone who abandons his friend or is too weak to defend him. You think you know me, but I know you too. You don't have the guts or strength to make this type of decision because either choice will cost you too much. You are trapped, and you can't attack me or else you'll hit Makubex too. You don't have the conviction to sacrifice yourself OR Makubex. That's why you should step down and hand your place to me."
The sparks of electricity dancing around Ginji's body increased as he listened to Kouji's argument. The air was still, like the calm before the storm. Kazuki and Juubei held their breaths.
"No, I refuse to decide," said Ginji. "You can't make me choose."
"Fine. I had hoped to avoid this, but you leave me no choice," said Kouji, finally. Keeping hold of Makubex with one hand, he covered the boy's eyes with the other. "If you refuse to choose, then I will make you. You have ten seconds to decide before I burn this boy's eyes out with my ki. Next I will take his precious hands that he uses to type with, and then I'll take his life. You have ten seconds. Ten...nine..."
"Ginji-san!" said Kazuki, his heart jumping to his throat. Vision was everything to Makubex. How could he use his computers if he couldn't see?
Juubei moved to draw his needles, but Kouji saw the movement and shook Makubex threateningly. Makubex tried to wriggle away, but Kouji held him firmly by the throat.
"...eight..."
The clouds moved in and covered up the sky.
Makubex kicked at Kouji blindly, but his short legs couldn't reach back far enough, and he was off balance. He gasped for air as Kouji's hand tightened. His bound hands were useless in freeing his eyes. Panic set in when he realized there was no escape.
"Ginji-san!" cried out Makubex, desperately.
The wind howled, and thunder boomed in the distance. Mugenjou was dark.
"...seven..."
Kazuki tensed and steadied himself for the outcome. This is it. The pressure was unbelievable.
"...six..."
Juubei moved in front of Kazuki defensively, ready.
"...five..."
Lightning crashed overhead, throwing everything into stark contrast: Kouji and Makubex, Kazuki and Juubei. Ginji glowed with an eerie light.
"...four..."
"I'm sorry, Makubex," said Ginji, his voice distant as the stars. He could not look at the boy.
"Ginji-san..."
"...three..."
Ginji shut his eyes.
Makubex fell silent. He set his jaw and braced himself for what was to come.
"...two..."
When Ginji opened his eyes again, Kazuki gasped. His eyes were terrible. They were as unfathomable and forbidding as an abyss, as cold and black as the depths of space. They were the eyes of an angry god, and they contained no mercy.
"...one..."
He's here, thought Kazuki wildly, but the thought was burned away by a blinding flash of light. The Raitei is here.
Endnote: Whew! That was fun, hehe. To be finished next chapter. What do you think is going to happen? Please review!
Question: Ginji's eyes are brown, right? Are they still brown when he goes Raitei?
Question #2: What's the story with the Miroku brothers? I hear that the anime leaves out a lot. Have plot bunny for drabble, but need more info, especially on their relationship to Ginji in Venus de Milo arc. Anyone know where I can find out more specifics?