A.N. - Hello again everyone! Thank you all once again for the wonderful reviews you left, however few there were left. I must admit, a big part of me has been questioning whether or not I should continue on and finish this story, in big part because of the lack of detailed reviews I've received the past couple of chapters. Much of that is my fault because I've let absurd amounts of time go by in between chapter releases, due in part to personal and professional distractions in my life. But believe me when I tell you, no way in hell I'm giving up on finishing this story! I simply ask that you all be patient with me to get through this. Thank you, and now, onto the story!
Poltergeist Report 2: The Untold Saga
Chapter 11 – Demonic Alliance pt. 2
by: Shisoukengo
Moonlight shone in through the small space of the open shoji, illuminating the darkness that would otherwise encapsulate the room. Far from the crowded cities and towns nearby, the pale light shone even brighter than normal, revealing the two still figures inside. One figure lay still on a futon as if in a comatose state, the supple, feminine form obscured beneath the blanket that lay on top. Dark hair the color of the night itself surrounded the figure, its pale skin a solid match to the moonlight from outside. Across from the sleeping person sat another figure, partially cloaked in darkness in a corner of the room. Dressed in a simple light blue kimono, the figure sat in seiza position, a book on the native animal life in the country resting in its lap.
Suddenly, the stillness of the night was broken by a groan released from the sleeping figure, who grimaced before slowly opening its eyes. Eyes which, as if by instinct, glanced over to the open doorway to peer at the light from outside. The crimson-colored orbs, surrounding serpent-like pupils, squinted as they tried to make out the environment, adjusting almost instantaneously to the dark. As those eyes surveyed the room, they were able to make out the figure seated in the corner, all but the lower half of its kimono-clad body obscured in the surrounding darkness. As the newly awakened figure's mind finished its mental jumpstart, memories from a recent time flooded in. Eyes snapping wide open, the feminine form sat up immediately, only to experience a piercing sensation at the sudden action. Clutching her chest, she was shocked to discover that the wound she'd sustained, and expected to find, seemed to be already fully healed. Suddenly, as she recognized that she was in unfamiliar surroundings, her eyes searched the room, looking for any signs of life. Or an enemy.
Glancing around, it only took the mysterious woman moments to confirm that she was not the only occupant in the room, as she spied the still form of another being sitting in a nearby corner. She eyed the other being with a certain amount of trepidation, initially, before realizing that the occupant was female as well. Her sudden movement, or rather the noise she made, seemed to be enough to awaken the other woman. She rustled, gradually coming to awareness, before moving over to sit beside the now wary wounded female.
"You shouldn't try so quickly to sit up," the strange woman spoke, attempting to coax her back into a relaxed position. "Although your wounds have been healed, there will likely be some after-effects from your injury."
"Who are you?" the injured woman spoke, allowing herself to be coaxed back to lying down, as she couldn't sense any sort of malice from her. However, her senses did detect something else, however faint emanating from the stranger. "You're a yokai as well, aren't you?"
At this, the stranger blinked, before giving a disarming smile and nodding her head.
"Yes, I'm from a land called Hyouga*, and my name is Yukina." She answered, bowing her head to the injured woman. "What is your name?"
"I am Sayonaka, and I hail from the land of Iyoshima," the demoness spoke in reply. She then began looking around, as if taking in her surroundings for the first time. "What is this place?"
Yukina sat back, not wanting to intrude in her fellow demon's personal space. Still, assuming her ever-present smile and serene look, she proceeded to answer the yokai's question, attempting to quell her unease.
"This place is a temple, and the home of Genkai-san," the two shared a momentary smile.
"Ah, the home of Genkai, I see," Sayonaka repeatedly softly, before her eyes widened comically in a look of abject horror. "GENKAI!" She shrieked, startling the young yuki-onna in front of her.
That was not the only response her shout garnered. A near eerie silence descended on the two until it was broken in mere moments by the sound of heavy footsteps racing across the wooden floor outside of the room. Suddenly, the already slightly open door was nearly flung off of its hinges, as it was violently slid open. Both pairs of eyes in the room darted toward the figure standing in the doorway. The angry gaze of one Kuwabara Kazuma stared back at both of the occupants, eyeing them as if expecting some type of confrontation. Processing the human's presence, as well as being assaulted with the memories of her brief and violent encounter with him from the night before, Sayonaka quickly reacted by clutching the ice demoness and pulling her close. Simultaneously, the harionna backed across the room against a far sidewall, a look of horror etched on her face.
Recalling her near-death experience from the previous night, she let loose a horrifying scream, her hair forming into knife-like blades as she shut her eyes and unleashed the numerous weapons in a panicky fashion. Caught off-guard by the sudden barrage, and because they were unleashed in a random fashion, Kuwabara was forced to instinctively use his reikan to dodge the attacks. However, this also resulted in the teen striking some awkward poses that would appear comical to other onlookers as if he were playing a game of Twister while standing. He managed to maneuver his way through the room though, and eventually found his way to the females' side. This resulted in Genkai and Enomoto, who entered the room mere moments later, both raising eyebrows as they were greeted with the sight of Kuwabara and Sayonaka engaged in a game of tug-of-war, a startled Yukina acting as the rope.
"Yukina-san, we must quickly escape from here! This human is a monster from Reikai, who kills yokai for sport!" She stated, straining with both her arms while using her hair as anchors, pulling the yuki-onna slightly toward her.
"Get yer hands off Yukina-chan! She's safe here, and got nothin to do wit this!" The human teen retorted, grunting as he tugged the love of his life back toward him.
Enomoto scratched the side of his head while struggling not to laugh at the comical scene. Genkai, for her part, frowned with irritation at what she was seeing. Quietly moving forward, the old psychic managed to cross the room swiftly for someone her age, until she was standing in front of the three figures. With a deep inhale, she proceeded to break up the display of stupidity being showcased before her.
"CUT THE CRAP, YOU MORONS!" She yelled, drawing the attention of the human and demoness as they both leaned away from her. Simultaneously, they hugged themselves to Yukina, who smiled awkwardly in the face of the reiki master's frustration. Realizing the perilous situation he was in, Kuwabara abruptly let go of Yukina, coughing into his hand in an attempt to cover his embarrassment.
"Sorry Genkai-baa-san, but I thought Yukina was in danger when I heard that scream. And this chick attacked me the moment I entered the room!" He spoke, jerking his thumb at the harionna, believing his explanation was enough to justify what the psychic had just seen.
However, this is only served to incense the female demon, who immediately let her ire be known.
"I was the one who screamed! It's a natural reaction of any yokai who comes into contact with one of the most notorious humans known in Makai," she declared, immediately melting away the teen's anger at being attacked unprovoked.
"Heh, well I guess that would make sense and all. Though I didn't know I had that sorta reputation in the Makai already," Kuwabara stated, scratching his chin while failing to keep the grin from his face.
"I was referring to her!" Sayonaka's statement was accompanied by her pointing a finger at Genkai, who merely observed the back and forth calmly as she listened to the argument play out.
To his credit, Kuwabara immediately flushed in embarrassment, suddenly recalling the conversation of the yokai from the previous night. In particular, their belief that he was supposed to be an ogre from Reikai. Quickly shedding his embarrassment, the teen coughed into his hand in an attempt to regain his composure.
"Whatever! That don't change tha fact that ya attacked a person who spared your life, for no reason at all," he stated, glaring at her in an effort to intimidate her.
"Are you daft? You're the one who nearly killed me in the first place. And you say I should be grateful to you?!" she replied, matching him with equal animosity.
"That's because you and those other guys were plannin to eat people. What'd ya expect me to do?!" Kuwabara responded, the two now nearly butting heads in their proximity to one another.
"Enough!" Genkai shouted, once again having had her fill with their bickering, and garnering their attention. The two immediately backed down, while still glaring at one another. Having gotten their silence, Genkai continued to speak.
"While Kuwabara here isn't known for making sound arguments, in this instance he does bring up a good point. Most yokai aren't allowed here in Ningenkai, especially without the approval of Reikai, given their penchant for eating humans. As someone of your standing, I'd say it's fortunate for you that this idiot was the one who found you instead." And just like that, Kuwabara went from basking in the old woman's perceived praise to deflating at the insult she'd habitually thrown in.
"Genkai-san is right," a calm voice spoke, directing everyone's attention to the newly arrived occupant. All eyes, except for Genkai, turned to acknowledge the presence of Koenma, the prince of Reikai. Stepping into the room, the toddler, who was now in his adult form, continued to address the new demon. "I'd say you're quite fortunate that Kuwabara-kun was the one who found you first. Had it been one of the Reikai Defense Force members instead, you would be dead right now."
Sayonaka balked at that information, as every being within Makai knew of the fearsome reputation of Reikai's most powerful soldiers. And even still, only the most powerful yokai were capable of defeating them, and it said something that even they chose to remain in seclusion and out of sight rather than attacking Reikai head-on. Of course, she was well aware that much of that was due to the tentative stalemate which had been held between the top three ruling powers of Makai for centuries. And while either of the three kings was each capable of taking on, and taking down, Reikai's powerful military force, only one of them had the drive to do so, as the others preferred sticking to their own devices, rather than have any involvement with Ningenkai.
'And gozei-sama, powerful as she may be, isn't anywhere close to being in the class of the three kings,' the demoness thought, her eyes straying from the prince of Reikai, to the famed human psychic, before finally landing on the newest enforcer of Reikai. 'And this one, dumb as he may be, seems to possess power on a similar level to gozei-sama.'
Kuwabara met Sayonaka's gaze, seemingly clueless as to what the yokai was thinking. However, he did see this as a prime opportunity to get some answers, to questions both old and new. The teen was certain that the others in the room shared his curiosity, and about more than just the sudden appearance of the yokai.
"What brings you here Koenma? I doubt it's a social visit," Genkai asked, her question giving voice to his thoughts.
"You're right, Genkai. I'm here for two reasons, the first is to update you all about the activities in Makai. The tournament is set to begin soon." Kuwabara blinked at the information, apparently having forgotten about it due to his training and new role as tantei.
"Really? Ya think Urameshi can win it?" Kuwabara asked, a look of earnest curiosity displayed in his expression.
"It's honestly hard to tell at this point, Kuwabara. Based on Kurama's latest report, he's only seen Yusuke once since the two of them, and Hiei, traveled to Makai. And according to Kurama, although Yusuke has clearly made significant gains in his training, his power still pales to the likes of Yomi. I don't think I have to tell you that he's clearly one of the significant favorites to win the tournament," Koenma replied.
As Kuwabara noticeably deflated at the deity's words, Koenma and the others assumed that it was at the assumption his friend seemed guaranteed to lose. However, his following words dispelled that notion right away.
"If it's Urameshi, I'm sure he'll be able to do it," Kuwabara stated, fully confident in his friend's ability.
Both Koenma and Genkai, along with Kuroko Sato, smiled at Kuwabara's belief in his friend. And though neither man had met Yusuke Urameshi, both Enomoto and Rentatsu couldn't help prideful looks themselves, hearing the fervor with which their mutual student expressed his belief. The moment didn't last long though, as a voice sought to disrupt the moment.
"Ha, you're all crazy if you think a runt like that could take on the likes of Mukuro-sama and Yomi-sama." At her words, all eyes turned to Sayonaka, whose amused smile continued to irritate Kuwabara to no end.
"Clearly, you don't know Yusuke," Genkai stated, cutting off a response from Kuwabara in an attempt to not allow him to get riled up by the demoness' prodding. "That baka has more than enough experience upsetting the applecart."
"Oh, I know who Urameshi Yusuke is, everyone in Makai has heard of the bastard son of Toshin Raizen. He's gained a reputation among yokai in a short time, but no matter how much power he has, there's no way he'll ever be able to take on either of the two kings of Makai." She shot back, not in the least bit cowed with her exchange with the most notorious psychic Ningenkai had ever produced. The response she got back wasn't from the psychic, the human martial artists, or even the deity of Reikai, but from the orange-haired teen who sat in front of her.
"Yeah, ya definitely don't know a damn thing about Urameshi," Kuwabara replied, his confident grin in place. "I've heard tha same crap from plenty of guys who thought tha same thing. And Urameshi's taken down every one of em. Those two ain't gonna be any different, especially with Kurama and Hiei backin him up. And if, by some chance those guys ain't able ta get tha job done, then I'll go myself."
Genkai and the others once again smiled at the confidence Kuwabara exuded, not just in his friend and rival, but also in the changes to himself as well. Sayonaka huffed, annoyed that her attempt to demoralize the group failed.
'Before, he'd have let the girl provoke him into making an idiot of himself,' Genkai thought, before turning her attention back to Koenma. "You mentioned you were here for two reasons, you've told us the first one. What was the other reason?"
"The second one is because of the tunnel," Koenma stated, his face also reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
"Tunnel? What tunnel?" Kuwabara asked, confused as to what the transformed deity meant. However, it was Genkai who answered, bringing clarity to the teen's confusion.
"I take it you're referring to the tunnel Sensui opened?" The reiki master asked, receiving a look from the deity.
"Wha? But I thought that tunnel was closed by those Spirit force guys o' yours?" Kuwabara queried, then turned a suspicious gaze to the harionna he'd just been tussling with. She initially recoiled at the look she received from the tantei, before her face morphed into a look of outrage at his insinuation.
"What are you looking at?!" She questioned, clearly indignant at his look.
"Simple, I'm thinkin maybe that tunnel's the one you came through," Kuwabara answered, moving to crack his knuckles as a form of intimidation.
"Baka! That tunnel has been closed for well over a year now. It's highly unlikely that a yokai of her caliber could have made it through and hid this long in Ningenkai, without anyone noticing," Genkai chastised, causing Kuwabara to balk in embarrassment, Sayonaka poking her tongue out at him in response.
"That's true," Koenma stated, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "And for all intents and purposes, it will stay that way. However, that doesn't mean that lower-class apparitions couldn't have gotten through during the fight with Sensui. But, that wasn't the one I was referring to anyway."
Kuwabara wasn't sure how to react to the knowledge that there could be B, C, D, or E class demons running loose throughout Ningenkai.
'Pretty sure Koenma wouldn't have mentioned that sorta thing if it wasn't an issue. And while I'm confident I can handle any threat equal to or lower than Toguro, that doesn't mean we're still not stretched pretty thin as is.' As if reading the teen's thoughts on his face, Koenma addressed his newest Reikai Tantei's concerns.
"It's not a problem at the moment Kuwabara, but it is something to be wary of. No, what I'm referring to is the one that spawned your friend here," Koenma stated, directing a pointed look at the newest occupant in the room.
All eyes turned to Sayonaka, as she was the only surviving member of the trio of yokai Kuwabara had encountered the previous night. The demoness balked, taking in the scrutinizing looks of almost all of the room occupants.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. W-What makes you think we came through some tunnel? She stammered, attempting to dissuade her captors from prying. Judging by the looks on their faces, her attempt to withhold information failed spectacularly.
"I'm the son of the ruler of Reikai, and have lived for centuries. I know a thing or two about the differences between naturally occurring portals, and deliberately opened tunnels," Koenma replied, stepping to within a few feet of the harionna.
Sayonaka grimaced, intimidated by the toddler-turned-teen deity's stare and being called on her lie, while unaware that the Reikai deity didn't really have the adequate power to physically threaten her. However, one person did, and he had no intention of not backing up his benefactor when it counted. In a replay of the previous night's events, Kuwabara subtly concentrated his ki again, catching the harionna off-guard as the pressure from his reiki bore down on her. None of the other occupants reacted, having become more than familiar with his ki, though Koenma's eyes did shift to him, brimming with curiosity.
'Genkai-san's training certainly has born fruit, she and the others have managed to bring out Kuwabara-kun's latent potential to its fullest extent, in such a short time,' Koenma thought, honestly impressed with the gains the teen had made during his brief training stint.
While Koenma had been keeping a close eye on the events in the Makai, particularly those surrounding his previous detective, Yusuke, he'd still made it a point to have eyes watching over Kuwabara's progress. And though Yusuke had acquired incredible power, raising himself to the level of upper S-class beings, he'd had the past two years to achieve those gains. But Kuwabara, under the tutelage of Genkai and the other masters, had only a fraction of that time dedicated to his training. Yet, he'd been able to raise himself from the previous level of a mid-B-class warrior to a solid A-class within that time frame. A feat that Koenma was willing to bet the teen probably didn't realize how difficult such an achievement was to reach.
'Then again, I suppose such a feat shouldn't be all that surprising, given his lineage,' Koenma thought, momentarily curious if the human himself was aware of his own family's history.
His thoughts went back to the matter at hand, his attention turning back to the yokai, managing to catch the look of apprehension and fear painted on her face. It was clear to all in the room that the teen's action had an effect on her, probably reminding her of the danger she'd encountered in her confrontation with him the previous night. He watched her gather her thoughts, before a look of concession settled on her face, seemingly acknowledging her situation.
"A wise decision," Koenma stated, "it appears you understand that you're in a strange world, with potentially hostile beings around you. Add to that, the fact that according to the reports I received, you attempted to abduct and eat humans after your arrival. And I'm more than certain you're aware that many of the people in this room are strong enough to put you down, should you attempt any hostile actions at this point."
He watched as her face grew more and more despondent under his cool gaze, careful not to let on to any of his bluffs. After all, while he was confident in the abilities of Kuroko-san, he was only vaguely aware of the abilities of the man called Enomoto. Genkai's reputation was still sound and would keep the demoness from potentially discovering the old psychic had passed on the majority of her powers. The man called Kanekita was still a mystery to him, though the name sounded familiar, and according to the updates he received routinely from Genkai, the man was apparently an expert with the sword.
"I can't really speak for everyone else here, but I ain't the kinda guy ta tolerate someone tryin ta pull a fast one on me or my friends," Kuwabara spoke up, his eyes hard and his voice containing the edge to it he'd developed due to the fruits of his training. "I kept half my end of the bargain and brought ya back here to patch ya up. Right now, I'm still willin to return ya to tha Makai, but I can change my mind if you're not gonna be straight with us about why you're here."
"Kazuma-san!" Yukina gasped, appalled at the implied threat made by her human friend.
As Koenma watched the emotions play out further on the yokai's face, the deity had to inwardly applaud the human teen's attempt at psychological warfare. Practically everyone in the room knew he wouldn't follow through on such a threat. Well, everyone but the harionna, and while he wasn't sure if Yukina believed he would or not, Koenma thought it providence that her reaction only seemed to bolster the harionna's fear. After another moment of hesitation, the yokai finally seemed resigned to her predicament.
"Alright, alright, I've got it. I will tell you what you want to know," she stated, assuming a more regal posture as if attempting to regain a little bit of the dignity she'd lost in openly displaying her fear of the pseudo tantei. Closing her eyes momentarily, she reopened them and leveled the room with the most serious gaze she could muster.
"Soon, not just Makai, but Ningenkai as well, will experience a great calamity at the hands of Ginma, the dark warlord."
The harionna's statement caused more than a few eyebrows, primarily because of the lack of notoriety the name brought forth.
"Who the hell's that?" Kuwabara eloquently inquired.
"He is as his title implies, a warlord of great power, bent on gathering power and usurping the would-be rulers of the Makai. As well as expanding his influence into the Ningenkai." She responded, meeting the human's questioning gaze.
"I've never heard mention of any yokai by that name, and I've heard of most," Koenma responded. The demoness addressed the deity with a gaze full of amusement.
"Of course, as you well know, the Makai encompasses innumerable territories. I am willing to wager that most of those you are familiar with are those possessing not only tremendous power but also tremendous ego as well, yes?" She questioned. Koenma remained silent, giving the yokai the answer she suspected. "But there are many powerful yokai who, while possessing great power of their own, aren't so given to their ego that they require notoriety in the other worlds. Ginma, the dark warlord, is such a being.
Barbaric, cunning, and skilled, he is a monstrous being with equal power and an unquenchable lust for conquest. He seeks to resurrect the lost pit of the Ankokukai, and spread its darkness throughout the Makai and Ningenkai." She responded, her ominous words hanging in the air in the ensuing silence. It didn't take long, however, for that silence to be broken.
"Sounds like a bunch of crap ta me," Kuwabara responded, his gruff voice cutting the tension, and his tone defiant.
"What?! Are you calling me a liar?" Sayonaka demanded, once again incensed at the teen's words.
"I'm sayin that if this guy's posed to be so strong, why ain't he competin in the tournament with Urameshi and the others?" Kuwabara challenged.
"A valid question by Kuwabara," Koenma spoke, backing up his would-be tantei. "This Ginma can't be all that powerful if he refuses to compete in an event that would provide him with the fastest means of achieving his goals."
"Hmph, you people are far too simple-minded. Yes, the tournament would be the fastest means of conquering the Makai, but as every yokai knows of it, it also provides an equal opportunity in other areas as well," Sayonaka responded, a wry smirk gracing her face.
Koenma narrowed his eyes, silently pondering the yokai's implication. Kuwabara appeared confused, wondering as to the meaning of the harionna's cryptic words. It was Genkai who spoke next, having put the pieces together almost as soon as the yokai had laid them out.
"You're saying that this Ginma is using the distraction of the tournament, to operate and accomplish his goals from the shadows," she stated, receiving an agreeing nod from the yokai.
"Correct, Genkai-san," her respect for the old psychic evident in her use of the honorific. "The tournament invites only the strongest of the Makai to compete, particularly those who presume themselves to rule over the realm, while even those of lesser status will be inclined to watch. Ensuring that the warlord is able to move about unimpeded, and achieve his goals."
"What exactly are those? And what does that have to do with how and why you wound up here in Ningenkai?" Koenma questioned, his tone more of a demand than a request. The harionna merely shook her head in reply.
"As to Ginma-sama's goals or how he intends to achieve them, I do not know. I know only that he struck a bargain with the leaders of two yokai clans, gozei-sama, who leads my people. And Shutendoji-sama, leader of the oni, to recruit their most capable yokai lower than those of A-class status, to scout Ningenkai."
At that last name, Kuwabara startled, having heard tales of the yokai as a kid. Even Genkai gave the harionna a sharp stare, wondering what other secrets the yokai would reveal.
[]-[]-[]-[]-[]
Located within a damaged structure, outside of an obscure village within the Makai, a figure clad in dark, heavy armor, stood gazing upon a pair of large, onyx colored gates. Flowing silver hair extended from the back of its helmet, which was adorned with similarly colored horns shaped like elephant tusks that extended outward. Staring at the gates, the monstrous figure was unperturbed as the doors to the room opened, revealing a skull-like figure in similar dark armor and fiery red hair. The yokai approached, bowing to the larger figure, who addressed it without turning.
"Are the preparations put into place?" the deep baritone voice growled out.
"Yes Ginma-sama, the psychics have all been gathered and prepared as instructed," the yokai responded.
"And what of the operatives sent to Ningenkai?" At this, the figure turned, addressing his subordinate directly for the first time.
"There has been no word of them yet, but we have our scouts currently searching the agreed arrival point."
"Hmph, it appears we may have expected too much of our newfound companions. Perhaps it is time we use the power of the psychics we've gathered, and send our more capable warriors to locate what we seek." At this, the skull-like figure's eyes glowed red, meeting the gaze of its master.
"At your command, I will march into Ningenkai myself," it declared, awaiting its orders.
"No, Shiryo-kishi*, we have other options at our disposal," Ginma responded, striding toward and past the skull warrior.
The two figures walked silently, their heavy footsteps and the clank of their armor the only sounds heard as they navigated the passageways of the stone structure. Arriving at another set of doors, Ginma pushed them open, revealing the contents therein. In a large, spacious room supported by several giant pillars, the bodies of numerous yokai lay scattered about, each having suffered debilitating injuries that led to their deaths. Ginma and the skull warrior casually stepped over the carcasses, making their way further into the room, where the sounds of an intense struggle could be heard. Upon arriving near the center, they viewed two figures clashing in a heated battle, both attempting to inflict killing blows upon the other.
After a particularly vicious exchange, the figures separated, and Ginma took the opportunity to call a halt to the battle. The figure on the right, a tall, hulking monstrosity with pine green skin, and two sets of horns on its head, a smaller pair situated in between a much larger pair. In its hands, it wielded two giant scimitar-style blades and showed little signs of damage. At the command of the newly present yokai, the horned figure remained still. The figure on the left, appeared human-like with fair skin and black hair, dressed in an all-black uniform with long sleeves that were now in tatters, with a red sash wrapped around its waist. Its body, while appearing lean, was toned with rippled muscles and covered in stone-like body armor, and matching arm gauntlets and shin guards.
The figure remained on guard, even as it eyed the approach of the armor-clad demon, who stopped just feet away from them. Ginma surveyed the room, taking in all of the structural damage and death that had occurred from the conflict that had taken place. More bodies littered the ground in various stages of death, some missing limbs, others completely split in half. Some were impaled on stone-like protrusions, others appeared to have been crushed. After taking in the carnage, Ginma then turned to address the figure on the left.
"I must say I'm quite impressed, you were far from the one I would have picked to survive this battle royale. And to last against the Talwar yokai no less, an impressive feat indeed."
At that, the figure appeared to relax slightly, holding itself upright as it glared at Ginma.
"You should learn not to underestimate the survival skills of a trained shinobi of the Makai," it responded, keeping its stone armor intact.
"Hmm, you've certainly acquired a tremendous amount of power since we recruited you to our cause. Perhaps it is time to make use of those skills of yours." Ginma replied, his tone challenging in nature.
"And what would you have me do?" the yokai asked, one eye still held on the green beast it was just fighting with.
"I require a psychic of considerable talent from Ningenkai, in order to finalize my preparations and begin my quest to conquer the realms," Ginma replied. "I sent a group of yokai from the lower class to infiltrate the realm, but so far we have not received word of them. I can only assume they have been discovered and disposed of, so I would see if you can succeed in their stead."
"Return to Ningenkai?" the stone-clad figure responded, eyes narrowing even as it adorned a malicious grin. "I'll be all too happy to accept this task."
"Excellent, you will have two days to recover your strength, before you leave," Ginma replied, turning to leave. However, it continued speaking as it left the room. "Do be sure not to fail, earth charmer!"
To Be Continued…
At last, the newest evil has revealed itself. What chaos will Ginma reap? Can Kuwabara prevent the impending calamity? More importantly, can I freaking put out another new chapter without taking another 2-3 years to do so? Find out next time!
