Author's Note: I'm glad you guys could wait a little, and I'm happy I could get this out. I'm currently balancing a number of school papers, along with fic work, and I'm doing pretty good if I might say so myself. Which obviously I have and will continue to. Does dance of self-jubilance
Chapter Nine: Seeds of the Sinner
Night was beginning to drift in, so people were starting to look at him oddly. After all, the sun was beginning to set and he was still wearing his sunglasses. Yet despite their stares he walked casually down the streets of Kyoto, unperturbed. He'd experienced far worse in his lifetime than scornful stares.
'Discrimination, inferiority, hatred, misinformation, land, power, sexual drive, religion. Many reasons that people fight others, that wars are fought. Yet I can see it in their eyes that none of these people understand that. They don't truly understand the situation at work, or the nature of war and all that comes with it.' He kept his face still, even though on the inside his emotions were tossing him about.
Juushin paused in his walk, standing just a handful of feet away from a man pushing an ice cream cart down the street, children crowding around him. One of the older children, obviously a teenager, seemed to be bored by the whole situation and was thumbing through a textbook. "Hurry it up little brother, you're always the last in line for this stuff, and I've got an essay for class today. Our student teacher was really bitchy today about the topic, so he gave us a long essay."
A smile graced Juushin's features for two reasons. The first was that he could see with in his mind's eye the coils of demonic energy spinning off the man serving the ice cream. The second reason was that he recognized the specific mini-textbook that the student was reading.
Without another thought Juushin strolled over to where the cart was, standing just behind the teenager. With his hands shoved in his pockets he leaned over the boy's shoulder, startling him. "And what was the topic of your essay I might add?"
The teenager, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen with big brown eyes and bowl cut black hair, jerked away from Juushin. After a second he shoved one hand into his left pocket, his right arm tucking the book against his side. "Not like it's your business, but it's about the potential implications of demons breeding with humans. We're supposed to give our opinions on the situation and all that. So I got this textbook from the library, it's all about demons."
Juushin smiled, and though he gave the appearance of being warm and kindly, even the inexperienced teenager felt there was something off about the older man's smile. Something wrong. "I've read the book. If I might say so, the author is particularly inspired, a brilliant man. His views on the despicable nature of demons and potential breeding with humans are very important to our society. Don't you agree honorable ice cream vendor?"
The ice cream vendor, who by all appearances was a gray haired man in his fifties, jerked back a little. He knew somehow that the strange newcomer was looking directly into his eyes, even though he couldn't see the other man's. "I…have no opinion about it. I'm just an ice cream vendor, I don't know about such things."
Juushin shrugged, and then smiled back at the teenager. "You seem like an intelligent and well-informed boy for your age. How would you like to meet other people like yourself, learn a few things about the world?"
"What? Like meeting important people and hear them lecture? I can get enough lecturing from smart people like the author of this book. I don't need to meet this guy to know his views; I just have to read the book." Again Juushin just smiled, and reached out to place a hand on the teen's shoulders.
"You just met the author, boy. If you'd like to really learn more, come to the place listed on this card. I'm sure you'll find it…entertaining and educational. Trust me." The teen's eyes widened, and so did the ice cream vendor's as they realized exactly what he meant. Slowly the boy reached out his hand and accepted the card that was extended to him. He shivered as his fingers touched the older man's. The man's hands had no warmth to them at all.
"Y..yeah. Chouji, come on, we're going. And don't complain about ice cream." He grabbed his younger brother by the hand and walked away as fast as he could. He had a lot of thinking to do, and an essay to write. Not only that, but he could feel an air of danger surrounding them while they were near that man.
As soon as those two were gone around the corner, Juushin looked back up at the ice cream vendor, the calm smile still on his face. "With all these impressionable youths around sir, you really shouldn't speak like that. It frightens some of them; nothing of a violent or disturbing nature should be done around children."
Juushin nodded and reached across the ice cream cart, slapping his hand on the man's shoulders. The vendor jumped slightly, but calmed down when he realized it was just a supposedly friendly gesture. "Of course you're right; violence in front of children could be bad. We wouldn't want to…corrupt them, now would we?"
A period of near silence followed as Juushin watched the vendor carry out the orders of each of the children as slowly as possible, drawing out every second he could. Finally there was nothing more he could do, and all the children were gone, leaving just him and Juushin. "What do you want?"
"You cut me to the quick demon. I want nothing more than the complete and total eradication of every trace that the demon race ever existed upon this Earth. Is that too much to ask?" The elderly demon ground his teeth together, his canines lengthening slightly and his pupils contracting into slits.
"You're a sick disgusting man. I despise violence myself, but if I can rid the world of scum like you, then I'll do so right now." The demon raised his right arm, and his fingernails started to elongate into claws. When they were ready he began a swing at Juushin, but froze up all of a sudden, a look of panic on his face.
Juushin chuckled, his hands still casually in his pockets. "You really didn't think I was just being friendly when I patted you on the shoulder, did you? This is one of my special techniques, and a favorite of mine which involves a plant I developed. I call it the Beautiful Silent Assassin."
Through gritted teeth, the demon managed to respond. "What did you do to me? I can't move my body at all…and my arm is beginning to go completely numb."
"When I patted you on the shoulder I stealthily slipped a seed onto you, the seed of my technique. Using my own spiritual power I carefully mutated an African flower that produces a special neuro-toxin, adapting it into one that targets demons only. It'll kill a demon in an hour, but it's still not perfected. Right now I have to attach it so the seed grows the flower into the demon's body, whereas once perfected just the pollen will be enough to kill demons. It's my genetic agent to slaughter the demon race." He smirked, cocking his head to the side in the same casual manner he had been holding.
The old demon felt his muscles burning as he tried desperately to move, but the numbness was quickly spreading throughout his body. "You're disgusting. But…how is it going so fast…you said it takes an hour. You…you're bluffing!"
Instead of taking affront, Juushin just shrugged. "I told you it's a special technique of mine. Assassins kill quickly, not slowly. My new plant species, which I'm calling the Genocide Blossom, responds to my spiritual energy. Which means when in close range I can use my energy to speed up the process. Within a minute you'll be dead."
As Juushin silently watched, the old man's eyes began to bulge as the toxin reached his brain. From behind his shades he watched the flower blossoming within the man's chest, little roots lacing throughout the body. "It's a beautiful flower, the Genocide Blossom. I wish you could see it right now, it's magnificent to behold. It has the power to destroy life as we know it on this planet, except perhaps microbial life. If it weren't for my control, it could mutate and be the perfect killer for all species, since it attacks both the physical and spiritual aspects of a living being."
"You have it…don't you?" Juushin paused at these words, his smile fading away. He looked directly into the demon's eyes, and then followed the gaze. It was staring straight at the center of Juushin's own chest.
"You can tell then, is that it? You can feel it within me…the evil, raw untainted. You should feel mortified demon, knowing that this is the result. I am the result of the evil of the demon race. I am an avenger from the depths of hell! I am the death of the demon race, the incarnation of all its sins! And this…is your end." Juushin held up his right hand, and then squeezed it into a tight fist.
Immediately his spiritual energy poured into the Genocide Blossom, and its work was finished within moments. The old demon collapsed onto the ice cream cart and lay there, still. Juushin unclenched his fist, and then shoved his hands back into his pockets. 'Hmmm…Dolgrune, are you still watching that demon? Observe him until he is home, and then confront him.'
A silent message of acknowledgment came across the bond, and then Juushin mentally severed the connection. It was easy to do so, because each of his special servants was bonded to him. "This is such a vast city as well. Hmm…I wouldn't be surprised if at least one or two of my servants were slain in this city, purging it of demons. I'll have to collect more. That means a visit to my old florist. I do hope the old lady is still in business."
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"Hag! You still alive old lady?" Juushin stepped in through the door to a small flower shop, which displayed many beautiful flowers all over the place. They were seemingly arranged haphazardly, but Juushin knew better.
"Who's yelling like that? I'm old, not deaf you know!" The door to the back room swung open and a tiny little old woman, her face wrinkled like a prune, walked out. The teenager at the front desk looked surprised to see her come out. He also seemed slightly afraid of her, which was odd since she probably wasn't even five feet in height.
Juushin smirked upon seeing her, and leaned down to look at her more carefully. "You've dyed your hair old lady. There was more grey to it last time, and it's been twelve years. But really, I'm just surprised an old hag like you is still alive."
She stared up at him, and then kicked him in the shin, scowling. "And kicking. Shut up Kyouki, you're older than me anyways. Now, are you here for the special stock, or just to reminisce?"
"Ah, old lady you know me too well. Oh, and before we go take a look at what you've got, I just wanted you to know one thing. They call me Juushin now." Once again the old lady just stared at him for several seconds, and then turned her back on him. Finally she started walking towards the back room, shooting a scowl at her clerk, who looked curious.
"Mind the store while we're busy. And don't be nosy, or I'll make you a snack for Leslie." The clerk gulped and turned away, staring straight ahead at the door. Juushin smiled at the teenager, who immediately shivered.
Once they pushed through the door, Juushin felt a sweep of energy over his body, and then the area around them changed. Instead of a simple office like it would appear from the outside, it was a massive greenhouse, with thousands of different types of plants in a variety of shapes and colors. "Leslie's still around? I would have thought she'd have died by now, just like you old lady."
"I'm not dead Juushin, and Leslie can't die as long as my spiritual power sustains her. That and she gets a good meal occasionally. It's a pity but, these days I can't let her have anything but animal meat. Of course, I know you never approved of her original eating habits." Juushin nodded, remembering the first time he had seen the giant man-eating plant's feeding area. It had been enough to tell him that it didn't just look like a man-eating plant, but that it was one.
They continued to walk down the path, Juushin looking at the various plants as they passed by. Some of them were very interesting ones, but not quite what he was looking for. "Old lady, some of these are mine aren't they? That's very flattering."
"Don't fish for compliments Juushin, you were always better than anyone else I've met at manipulating the genetic structure of plants. Then again, you've got a bit of an advantage don't you?" She turned and tapped him on the chest, directly in the hollow between his ribs.
Juushin moved her hand away, his smile still set on, though not nearly as convincing anymore. "Yes, of course. Now, there are a number of seeds I'd like to pick up, as well as a few of your specialty. I'd like the Devotion Flower."
She stared at him, then looked aside and sighed. "Very well, I was fairly sure that was the case. You're going to recruit more of your servants aren't you?" When Juushin nodded, she began to walk, letting him follow along.
They continued their trek, stopping occasionally for Juushin to select the seeds he wanted. Eventually they stopped in front of a small row of flowers, each of them a vibrant blue color. If someone were to make a closer inspection of them they would see that the center of the flower was inverted, and seemed to go inwards forever. "I always enjoyed that little trick. To think it appears as infinity but is only a few centimeters. You're masterful at creating beautiful plants that are equally as effective. And I always loved this flower."
"Perhaps I am, but I've been making these flowers for many years now. It's second nature to me. Then again, you were able to surpass me so easily, even though you were only my student for a year. To think that was sixty years ago…" She looked rather wistful, remembering the past.
Juushin didn't respond to her, he was still busy inspecting the row of Devotion Flowers. Since he wasn't saying anything at the time, she continued to speak. "Back in those days I was in the prime of my youth, I had learned the art from my mother, the passed down tradition of our family of plant experts. Then you came in the door."
She sighed again, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Amazing to think that in a single year you surpassed our family's art which had taken dozens of generations to perfect. And back then, you didn't call me old lady. We were close, and now we couldn't be farther away."
Without looking at her Juushin finally spoke. "That was a long time ago. But I'm not like other people; I am eternally frozen in the past. I can't move on and reach the climax of my life until my divine retribution is complete. You knew then what you know now. I can never have a life with anyone, I cannot love. I can only hate."
With that said he stood, and looked over his shoulder. Seconds later a figure appeared by his side. It was a woman in casual street clothes, who had vibrant green eyes and a surgeon's mask over her face. Her arms were also abnormally long. "Cressa, I've got a task for you. About five blocks from here there are two bounty hunters; you'll recognize them by the way they act. Bring them to me; they'll be joining your number."
The strange woman gave him a bow, and then vanished, leaving Juushin alone with the old woman once again. "Now we wait old lady. Soon I'll have more servants. Now, tell me what you've been up to these past twelve years while you weren't dead."
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Juushin looked down at the two men in front of him, appearing extremely bored. Each of the two men were dressed in street clothes, but had a rugged look to them. The first was a blonde, and clearly American, with scruffy hair. The second was possibly European, with smooth brown hair. "Excellent work Cressa. You're one of my most effective servants."
He nudged the two men with his booted right foot, and they scrambled to their feet, looking furious at having been dragged away from their hunt. Juushin didn't want to hear them blather, so he chose to forestall them. "You two were hunting for the demon Amarai, correct?"
They nodded, looking a bit nervous under his strange gaze. With those shades on they couldn't tell where he was looking. "Good. The way you go about it, doing it for money, annoys me. So I'm just going to put you to the same task in my manner, by using your flesh and your souls to create perfectly obedient servants like Cressa here. Don't worry, you won't die, you'll just become something new."
The two bounty hunters looked a little panicked, most likely because of how bored Juushin seemed when talking about it, and how easily Cressa had captured them. Against one of his servants as powerful as Cressa, those two were nothing. "Cressa, hold them down so I can begin the process."
The blonde gulped, backing away from the freaky woman. "No way you freak job! We're not becoming anything for you! I'm Gene Moores, a famous bounty hunter, and I don't bow to any wacko!"
Juushin looked over at the brunette, who nodded furiously as well. "And I'm Alec Saursen, another master bounty hunter. I too would never bow to any person like you. I'd sooner work for a demon who could pay me than work for some weirdo who wears sunglasses at night and wants to mutate us or some crap like that!"
The moment he said those words the old lady sighed and looked away. At the same time Cressa drifted back away from them, seeing the tell-tale signs of Juushin's anger. His jaw was tightening up. "You would…consort with demons?"
Both bounty hunters exchanged looks, recognizing that somehow they had gotten in deep. But if they were already there, they might as well run with it. So Gene raised his clenched right fist and made his declaration. "That's right! I'd crush anyone in my way for any employer as long as they pay! And freaks like you aren't up my alley!"
"You would willingly consort with demons…merely for pay? You are disgraces! I'll purge you in the darkness and resurrect you as my puppets, weapons for my war against the demon race! Prepare yourself!" The bounty hunters were sent flying back as his spiritual power flared up, and a duel disk of vines formed on his arm. (JLP: 4000)
As waves of beyond black smoke rolled out around their feet both bounty hunters knew that they had little choice. So at the same time they raised their duel disks and drew their first hands, the blonde Gene drawing six. "Fine, we'll take this as a chance to escape from you, freak job!" (GLP: 4000)
He snagged one of his six cards and laid it down carefully onto his duel disk. A horizontal holographic image of a card was created, and then another card appeared in a vertical position behind it. "A monster and a magic or trap. Two against one…easy as pie, right Alec?"
The brunette nodded, certain that the game was already in the bag. After all, each of them was highly talented at both dueling and hunting. So in a two against one there was no way they'd lose. "I summon Goblin Attack Force(2300/0) and set one card face down!" (ALP: 4000)
A group of ragged looking green-skinned men gathered together in front of Alec, lounging around and looking supremely bored. One of them was even picking his nose. "Against two duelists, one duelist can't win. No matter what move you make it won't help."
Juushin didn't respond vocally, instead he drew his opening hand of six cards. "Against weeds like you, I knew just which deck to use. Flame Weed(600/700) in defense mode!"
The ground in front of his feet shook, and then a fiery tendril shot up and out, curling into a vague plant-shape. Gene looked at the monster carefully, not sure what to make of it. "A burning…plant? You're really going to fight us with a plant deck? Everybody knows that's one of the weakest deck types out there!"
"I set two cards face down. Take your turn weed, and don't mock these weeds. They're of a higher caliber than you and your friend." He stood there casually, his left arm held up, cards in hand, while his right arm hung at his side.
Gene drew, and threw the monster down immediately. "Tribe-Infecting Virus(1600/1000), the ultimate anti-theme monster! This pesky virus lets me discard a card from my hand…" He slid one of his cards into the grave.
"Then I can name any sub-type of monster, and all of those types in play are destroyed! I call plant, and send your stupid weed to the grave!" Gene's sickening mucus-like monster sprayed some sort of ichor onto the weed. The flames struggled against it, but soon the entire plant melted away.
"See, not a thing you could do! Tribe-Infecting Virus, attack that freak job directly!" The virus compacted its body, and then fired off another volley of the disgusting slime that it had used against Flame Weed. This time however it was aimed directly for Juushin.
"Open face down card, Rot! This trap cards reduces the attack of all attack mode opposing monsters by one hundred times their level and prevents them from attacking." The slime splattered harmlessly on the ground as the virus itself shrank back, its attack points falling to twelve hundred. At the same time the goblins' skin paled slightly, their attack points dropping to nineteen hundred.
Gene's left eye twitched, not happy that his attempt for a direct attack had failed. Not only that, but his partner's monster wouldn't be able to attack either. "Fine, I end my turn."
Alec drew, and to his horror the goblins weakened even further, one of them completely collapsing. "They…lose that attack power each turn?" Juushin nodded, confirming Alec's suspicion.
"That's just fine with me! Continuous magic card, Frontline Base! This card lets me once per turn special summon a level four or lower union monster to the field. And I special summon Second Goblin(100/100)!" A tiny little green skinned monster struggled out onto the field, looking weaker than a day old kitten.
"Now I normal summon the brutish Giant Orc(2200/0), and equip Second Goblin to him! Since Second Goblin is unioned to Giant Orc I can once per turn forcefully change Giant Orc's position. That eliminates the drawback he shares in common with Goblin Attack Force!" A massive dark skinned beast stomped out, a club in one hand. Then it reached out with one hand and placed the little goblin on its back.
"Giant Orc, attack him directly!" The beast roared, charging in with club held overhead. Juushin looked up at the oncoming monster with a bored expression on his face, and without him making a move his set card flipped up.
"Weakening Drought negates your attack and drains two hundred attack from your monster per level. That amount is then added to my life points." A strange mist fell around Giant Orc, and the monster stumbled backwards, coughing as it was weakened. (JLP: 4800)
As Alec finished his unproductive turn, the old lady looked on, with the bored Cressa beside her. "It seems he's just as good as ever. These two never stood a chance, particularly if his skills have improved in the past twelve years, which I don't doubt."
Juushin snapped his fingers, and the burning weed from before popped back out of its former hole. "During your end phase I use Flame Weed's special ability to special summon it from the cemetery. It returns in defense mode."
Once it was in play he drew, and the weed's body shook violently. Three balls of fire flew off of it, one striking each duelist. "During my standby phase Flame Weed deals five hundred damage to each player." (JLP: 4300, GLP: 3500, ALP: 3500)
"I summon Bone Weed(1700/1200) in attack mode." A five foot tall plant uncurled from the ground next to Flame Weed, its shape just like a normal plant with five leaves, but it appeared to be made of pure white bone.
The shade wearing duelist raised his hand and pointed at Gene's set monster, and Bone Weed's body tilted to face it. "Bone Weed, obliterate that set monster." The weed swung its stalk in a downwards arc, sending shards of bone flying at the set monster.
In seconds the monster splattered, and then two purple spheres with hairs on them appeared on Gene's field. "You destroyed Giant Germ, which deals you five hundred damage and lets me special summon two more." (JLP: 3800)
Gene smirked and pointed to his set card, which immediately flipped up. It was a trap showing a bunch of spores floating in a reddish background. "Not only that, but you've triggered my deadly trap card, Deck Destruction Virus of Death! Now all monsters on your field, in your hand, and in your deck with fifteen hundred or more attack are sent to the grave!"
Bone Weed faded away, and Juushin thumbed through his deck, finally selected all of the cards that fit into the category. To both Gene and Alec's surprise the number of cards was very small. "That doesn't set me back; counting Bone Weed this deck only has seven monsters that fit that requirement."
"You act so cocky, but we've still got you at a disadvantage. If all your monsters are weaklings, which isn't surprising in a plant deck, then you've got no way to win!" Juushin just stared right back at him and then extended his right arm, palm outstretched.
"When Bone Weed is destroyed, all monsters are destroyed. Say goodbye to your gathered efforts." A barrage of bone shards came flying out of the ground, piercing into all of the enemy monsters.
Once the barrage was over, only one monster was still on the field, and that was Giant Orc. "When a monster with a union monster equipped to it would be destroyed the union monster dies in its place. So my monster remains."
Juushin didn't respond at all. Instead he slid one of his three remaining cards into his duel disk. "End turn."
Gene's eye twitching finished as he snatched up the top card of his deck. "You won't get away with trying to make sport of us! Virus Cannon(1800/200) in attack mode! This machine generates viruses by having me discard cards from my hand. For each I discard you have to send a monster from your deck to the grave!"
He slipped one of three cards in hand into the grave, and the giant blocky machine shot a needle out at Juushin. The demon exterminator caught it between two fingers, and then tossed it aside. "Very well, I send a monster to my grave."
"I activate the continuous magic card Viral Genome. Then, Virus Cannon will attack you directly!" The machine fired off another dart, but instead of going directly at Juushin, a new monster appeared on the duelist's field. It was a brown and dying weed, tears in its leaves.
"I special summon Rot Weed(0/500) in defense mode. Since the number of monsters on my field has changed you have the right of recall. Will you take it?" Juushin's answer came as the dart continued on its path, striking Rot Weed dead on. The weed shook, and then crumbled into dust.
"That was your mistake. When Rot Weed is destroyed in battle it takes the destroyer with it, dealing half that monster's attack as damage to the controller's life points. Say farewell to your monster." The machine exploded, fire licking at Gene's skin. (GLP: 2600)
The bounty hunter growled in the back of his throat, furious at his own mistake. "You keep acting superior, but we'll break through your defenses sooner or later, and then you're finished!"
Alec snapped his drawn card around, showing the ankh that was familiar to all duelists. "Monster Reborn raises Goblin Attack Force(2300/0) from the grave! And I'll summon out Goblin Tasker(400/100) which unions to my attack force, working like Second Goblin!"
A shorter goblin with a whip in hand appeared, snapping the whip out at the lazy goblins. They immediately scrambled upright, snapping to attention. "Goblin Attack Force, attack this jerk with your Rampaging Brutality Attack!"
All dozen of the goblins came for Juushin head on, their many and varied weapons all at the ready to pummel Juushin within an inch of his life. "Using its special ability I revive Nightmare Weed(3000/3000) from the graveyard to the field."
The rampaging goblins came sliding to a stop as a huge shape burst out of the ground. It looked like a normal plant, but black lines snacked up its body, and instead of normal leaves, the leaves on the weed had wide eyes. Big eyes on every leaf, all of them staring at the goblins or the two hunters.
Alec gulped, and the goblins back away. "I…see. The special ability of all your weed monsters is that the can be special summoned from the grave. But it's only once isn't it?"
"You catch on quicker than many of my other opponents have, but ultimately that won't save you. Like regular weeds all of my weeds return even after being destroyed. Against such a force, can you possibly win?" The bounty hunters gulped, not quite as sure of themselves anymore.
"I…switch Giant Orc into defense mode. End turn…" He gulped, looking over at Gene for reassurance. But he got none, as his partner looked just as worried as he was. Bit by bit they were becoming worried by this freaky man who had gotten them into this mess.
Juushin drew, but whether he looked at the card they couldn't tell thanks to his shades. "It's time to purge you in this darkness, just as I promised. You have been instruments of your own defeat by sending my weeds to the grave. Now, they will rise to destroy you!"
He snapped his fingers, and one by one new weeds rose onto the field. The first was the same weed he had brought out earlier, the Bone Weed(1700/1200). The second was a weed with a reddish tint and black thorns poking out of it, and long vine-like arms that were also barbed by those dangerous looking black thorns. "This is Hell Weed(2400/700)."
The third one was even bigger than Nightmare Weed, with its vines and stem thick, and lined with what looked like veins bulging out. "This one is Weed of Might(2800/2500)."
Last but not least of them was a simple looking but tall weed with three petals for a head, and extending out of the sides were two ropy vines. The vines ended with big bulges that looked slightly like clenched fists. "And lastly is Brute Weed(2400/1900)."
Finally Juushin made another move, holding up one of the three cards in his hand. "Weed Lynching shuts down all magic and trap cards on my opponent's field for the duration of the turn. There will be no defending yourselves from the end."
"Weed of Might, attack Goblin Attack Force." The massive bulging vines of the weed swung out, slamming into the goblins. They were forced to the side, and the Goblin Tasker took the hit heavily, and was flattened. (ALP: 3000)
"Hell Weed, finish it off!" The demon-like weed's body shivered, and the black thorns launched out, one driving into the chest of each goblin. They screamed, and then shattered into digital pixels. (ALP: 2400)
"When Hell Weed battles the opponent, it deals five hundred damage no matter what else happens. Now, Bone Weed will destroy Giant Orc." Alec fell to his knees in despair as his final defense was broken down by a wave of bone splinters from the weed monster.
"Brute Weed, finish him off!" One of those studded vines shot out, striking Alec in the face exactly like a fist would. He was sent flying backwards, blood spraying out of his crushed nose. And as Gene watched, he knew he was next. (ALP: 0)
Looking at the terrifying form of Nightmare Weed, Gene could only imagine the horrible things that would happen if it attacked him directly. There was no way he was going to go through that if he didn't have to. "I…surrender." (G: FORFEIT)
The monsters faded from the field, and Juushin's vine duel disk retracted into his arm. He stalked forwards, and with a single gesture of a hand Cressa was by their side, forcing them to their feet. "You lost, just as I declared. And now you will become like Cressa and the rest of my servants. You will become Seed Puppets, your bodies and souls going into the process of creating a perfectly obedient demon hunting servant."
They could only stare at him, looking terrified out of their wits. Cressa ripped their shirts open, holding them steady as Juushin held up two Devotion Flowers and two seeds that he had selected. He placed them against the men's chests with his palms, and began to focus, his own energy pouring into those.
He ignored the screams of pain from the two men as the flowers and seeds dug into their chests, going deeper and deeper to be bonded by the soul, one of the core ingredients. "No need to worry, your souls will be filtered out, they merely become the bonding agent. You will be perfect assassins, unable to feel pain and completely obedient. Far superior to your pathetic states as you are now."
As the two bounty hunters trembled under the pain inflicted by the bonding process, he pulled up his own shirt. There in the center of his chest was a puckered scar, and surrounding it going in a spiral pattern were strange archaic symbols that neither hunter recognized. "The primary aspect that makes you as you are, seeds I forge from within me. Spiritual fragments of the legendary Seed of the Sinner."
The puckered scar was forced open as two tiny pitch black seeds came out, and Juushin took them up. He dropped his shirt and then shoved the seeds into the two men's chests. They no longer struggled as the Devotion Flower bound them too tightly for that. Now they simply accepted it as the process began to overtake them.
Their arms lengthened, making room for the vines and roots of the seeds that Juushin had implanted in their bodies. At the same time their jaws were tightening up, turning into a dark brown like that of a tree trunk. Their eyes also changed color, becoming vibrant green. At last it was over, and they drooped forwards. "Take these, you'll need them to blend into a crowd at all."
He dropped two surgeon's masks at their feet, and then turned away. "Cressa, give them the information needed to report to the two other agents in this city. Inform them that they won't be needed. I'm going to oversee Dolgrune's efforts."
Without another word he walked away from them, stopping in front of the old woman, who he looked down at briefly. "Thank you for help old lady. It was a pleasure to see you again. It may be a while before we see each other again. Don't die in that time old lady."
He walked back out through the door, pausing only to smirk at the terrified teenage clerk, and then he was on his way. As he walked out the door, the old woman followed part-way, standing at the threshold to her special greenhouse. "Don't you die either…Seijou."
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Author's Notes: Shock and awe…or something like that.
Amarai can no longer hide. Even though he now had Rioge, the apparent invincible duelist, on his side, he knows that there are numerous different groups after him for his power/knowledge, etc. This is the time to fight back, and show them that he refuses to be prey, not when he can fight.
Next Chapter by Wolf General: A stand against your hunters.