Chapter 15
Win or Lose
With the youma easily exterminated before him, Danzo walked off to find out what would be waiting for him up ahead. His walk lead him to a swarm of Youma that were plotting to have him exterminated but he was past them with a flurry of Arjuna and Rama. although wounded, they charged at him forcing Danzo to kill them all.
Team Hebijo was now moving onwards quickly with their unexpected Ally joining the fray after her halo returned to it's normal golden color. They had barely gotten further when the nearest of the youma attacked Ryoki. It was filleted in seconds, blown to bits by her double barreled shotgun. More of the Youma proceeded to ambush team hebijo, but with her fuma shuriken at the ready Murasaki cut them all down in mere seconds.
Team Master was now moving quickly now when Fubuki dropped to her knees and clutched at her head, writhing in pain. Senko and Gekko quickly rushed to her side.
"What's wrong Fubuki?" Gekko asked.
"The door to the Youma Realm has open," gasped Fubuki in shock.
Senko was horrified.
"Akira did it. He's unleashed hell!" she hissed her eyes etched with grim determination.
Fubuki slowly stood up and steadied herself on a nearby wall. But the youma they saw ahead of them charged at her. One more powerful than the rest, called Fubuki a traitor to both human and youma alike.
"I may be a traitor to both, but I will fight for mankind and repent for my actions," Fubuki said, glaring defiantly at the youma who was called Ravana.
Senko and Gekko also prepared themselves as well, and proceeded to fight Ravana.
"So be it. If you are so eager to die, then I shall end you myself and wipe humanity off the face of the earth for all time," Ravana replied quietly.
The four combatants charged forward in a deadly dance of power.
Team Hanzo was now moving forward towards their goal when they saw Miyabi slowly staggering. She looked to be tired out but still moved onwards until she came to a library to rest. Ikaruga turned towards Asuka.
"Don't think about Miyabi just yet," she assured her.
"Yeah, we got youma to deal with," Katsuragi added.
The five friends prepared for battle, cutting down the youma before them. When they had been defeated, Asuka knew that even Kagura's fumakourin would not be enough to push them back, so they had to take them out the old fashioned way.
Team Gessen quickly moved onwards through the corridors with Yumi at the lead. Minori, Yozakura, Murakumo, and Shiki all saw the youma were all marching forward brandishing deadly weapons of war. They were about to attack when they saw a young girl of 16 with dark hair, a red ofuda ribbon tied in a bow on the left side, deep red eyes. a pair of iron gauntlets on her hands, iron boots on her feet that looked similar to Katsuragi's boots with little pink bows, A white short sleeved blouse that was partially buttoned up with a red necktie hanging loosely around her neck, a ruby and peach skirt, with thick white socks under her boots and thick white sleeves under her gauntlets.
"Ayame, what are you doing here?" Yumi asked her.
"I'm looking for Master Katsuragi," Ayame replied.
"Well that's totally good for you," said Shiki with a smirk.
"We're helping a human/youma hybrid called Danzo who is the son of the legendary black ninja Sato who sealed the gates to the Youma realm. Now Miyabi's crazed brother Akira is trying to obtain that power or himself so that he'll become a god," explained Yozakura.
"Danzo, son of the legendary Sato. Is this Sato still alive?" Ayame asked, punching another Youma behind her.
"No, Sato passed away after he left his family behind. Then Kagura told us about how she raised the young Danzo after his mother Emika had been killed by youma while searching for her other son Ryuki, who wants the limitless power of Sato in the palm of his hand," Murakumo explained, from beneath her white Hanya mask.
Ayame thought for a moment, then took Yumi's hand.
"I'll help you out to the best of my abilities," she said to Team Gessen.
"Welcome aboard Ayame," grinned Minori.
Then they raced off to battle the Youma.
Team Mikagura was now having very little difficulty with the youma thanks to Kagura's presence giving them an edge they needed to take them down. They had barely managed to get themselves to a safer location when another Youma challenged them only for Kagura to blast it to bits in seconds. They knew that with the onslaught of youma, it would be impossible to help Danzo and hold back the invading youma at the same time.
"We'll just have to keep going," Renka told them, and they moved off to find the others.
Team Crimson had just managed to dispatch the last of the youma when they saw Danzo racing by with the Onyx Moonshard, and the Sun Crystal in his hands. He placed them in the appropriate key holes as he strode proudly away through the open doors retracing his steps back to the top of the tower. They had managed to fight their way through the youma quickly as they arrived in a room that Asuka met him in before. Danzo raised his hand quickly as if to tell them to hold their position. Homura nodded then signaled her friends to prepare themselves for any youma nearby, but none came to them.
"Mirai, can you send out a flare so that the others can meet us at this designated checkpoint?" Danzo asked.
"Of course I can Danzo," replied Mirai, happily knowing that Danzo was kind and trustworthy.
Danzo gently stroked her head making her blush as she smiled at him. Then she went outside and fired a signal flare into the sky above for her friendly rivals to see. She waited patiently as the remaining kunoichi arrived with two new unexpected allies she knew as Ayame and Ryoki.
"Danzo says he wants to see you guys," she said to them. They arrived inside to see that the room Asuka met Danzo in had changed completely with the clockwork gears turning.
"Listen everyone, I have to face Miyabi alone and let her know that this is also a family matter I have to deal with. Since Mirai called you guys here, You need to wait for her signal when I give her the all clear," Danzo explained.
"We'll be right behind you Danzo," Ikaruga said gently touching his shoulder.
"Yeah, we got your back on this. You can bet your heart that we'll hold back any Youma that come after you," added Katsuragi, gently touching his cheek.
Danzo gently took Katsuragi's hand, then pulled her into a friendly hug, making her blush immensely.
"Thanks, you girls are the best," he said, and soon parted away from her.
The girls watched as Danzo bravely marched forward to into the dark library to see Miyabi leaning on a bookshelf looking exhausted. Danzo soon approached her noticed her breathing heavily.
"What's wrong, you tired? Then stand back. I'll take care of this," Danzo said arrogantly.
"No, YOU stand back," protested Miyabi.
Danzo whirled around, grabbed her kunai, and tossed it aside.
"I told, you can't do it. Don't you get it? This is not a human's job," Danzo said glaring at her.
"You're the one who doesn't get it. It's not something you can reason with. It has nothing to do with me being a human and you being a youma. I'm driven by the inability to forgive him. My soul is screaming, demanding me to kill him. That's enough motivation to keep me going. Besides, this is my family matter. You should stay out of it," Miyabi explained as she was about to walk away.
Danzo turned with a modicum of understanding in his eyes.
"Okay Miyabi, I get the picture now. But I can't just sit back and watch either. I'm pretty pissed at him just like everyone else, ya know," he replied, tossing another Kunai at her, which landed harmlessly near her feet.
Then he grabbed his guns and pointed them at her.
"Now, get out of my way or there will be consequences," he warned.
"Fair enough. I wasn't planning on letting any youma live anyway. Not even one!" Miyabi replied as she brandished her sword.
Miyabi swung, creating a powerful blade beam at Danzo who back flipped behind the bookcase as it exploded in a shower of burning pages and covers. She charged at Danzo with every ounce of reserved strength in her body hacking and slashing at him with ferocious determination. Danzo quickly reacted blocking her attacks with his sword in hand. He countered with a flurry of strikes from his sword as Miyabi felt the stainless youma steel collide with her sword forcing her back.
Mirai stood watching in awe, as she saw Danzo and Miyabi lashing out with a ferocious flurry of their swords colliding that left the library ringing with the thudding of the boots, and the clashing of their blades.
"Youma scum like you are the reason why I can never have happiness in my life. You're all scum, monsters, everything that I hate because of my mother. My father's soul will rest peacefully once he's avenged!" Miyabi cried out in anger.
"You're forgetting one thing about revenge," Danzo replied as he pushed Miyabi back.
"And what would that be?" she demanded.
"It doesn't bring back those we love from the dead. It makes them ashamed of the actions we committed. I have someone to blame just as you do. A youma who overthrew the previous emperor of the Youma Realm so that he could launch an all out offensive on Humanity all those years ago only to have my mother taken away from me when she told me to hide and never come out until things settled down," Danzo replied.
Miyabi's eyes looked in shock, but she still struck back with her sword pushing Danzo back. Danzo soon retaliated as Miyabi tried to flee, but her opponent was right behind her. Miyabi tried to counter attack rushing Danzo with a series of strikes designed to bring him. She fainted an attack to his left, then brought her own sword towards Danzo who barely blocked the blow making him stagger. Crying out in fury she cut triumphantly at the youma hunter's head for a killing blow, and missed him completely.
Danzo anticipating the attack stepped slowly away from her. He charged at her much more furiously this time, and with a powerful strike unleashed a blade beam that collided with Miyabi's sword causing her body to feel it's effects. Then he struck at her with such force that her clothes were soon reduced to ashe sending her crashing through another bookshelf, and into another bookshelf causing an avalanche of books to fall on her naked form covering her from head to foot.
Danzo saw her struggling to get up, but the force of the attack left her badly beaten and bruised from head to foot. He slowly approached her, pulled out a pair of clothes for her to put on, and set them near her. He then looked straight into her eyes not even daring to see the rest of her exposed body.
"I'll take care of him," he said in a near whisper.
He turned towards Mirai giving her a thumbs up, then she signaled the other kunoichi to enter. he turned away as Miyabi put on the clothes she had been given, then slowly turned around. Miyabi was surprised that he had managed to beat her, but looked at him in confusion.
"Why do you care so much?" she asked.
"This whole business started with my father sealing the entrance between the two worlds. And now my brother's trying to break that spell and turn everything into youmaville. This is my family matter too. Quite frankly at first I didn't give a damn. But because of you, I know what's important now. I know what I need to do," he explained, before turning and walking away.
"Wait!" she called weakly, making him turn to face her again.
"Trust me, I'll make things right for you. That's what my soul is telling me to do," Danzo assured Miyabi.
He saw her removing a pendant that she kept on her person at all times to remember her parents before it fell apart and present it to him.
"Take my necklace," Miyabi said.
"How much is it gonna cost me?" Danzo asked her reaching out to take it.
Miyabi closed her fingers around it.
"You can give me your name," Miyabi answered, looking at his azure eyes that seemed glow like the sky above.
"Danzo," he said.
Miyabi nodded, stepped closer to him, then placed the necklace around his neck.
Danzo looked inside of it to see a picture of two people that he assumed were Miyabi's parents holding an infant Miyabi in their arms with her brother Akira without the scar across his face smiling at his little sister. He closed it then walked away, tucking it underneath his shirt.
"Danzo. Please, free my brother," she said.
"I will, Miyabi," he replied, acknowledging her request, and walked off.
Miyabi stepped back towards the bookcase, sat down, and hung her looked down at her knees as Danzo walked through another door ahead of her.
"I guess, we have one thing in common Imu," she said to her childhood friend.
"And what would that would be?" Imu asked, gently placing her hand on Miyabi's shoulder.
"We both lost something irreplaceable," Miyabi replied as a small tear rolled down her cheek.
Asuka and the others knelt down and gently made sure that she would recover from her battle with Danzo. As they left the dark library, Yumi turned around and looked at her friendly rival.
"You'll come through eventually Miyabi, I know you will," she said, smiling at her in respect.
"Thanks Yumi," Miyabi said, feeling a little better, as Yumi turned and walked away.
In the realm of the youma, Akira walked slowly across the rocky formation to the the very weapon that was in front of him. Looking carefully upon it, He knew that it was Sato's sword Shadow-Edge. He took note of the polished silver blade, a W shaped crossguard represented his horns, a spiral hilt for an easy grip, and four skulls at the pommel with a single spike at the top of the pommel.
The amulets began to vibrate as they did in the lair of judgement, when Ryuki was attempting to gain the power of Sato for himself. They connected, spun slowly in the air glowing bright crimson, and spiraled into the sword which began to radiate with a purple aura. Akira soon took hold of the blade and pulled it out causing the other spires to pull apart as he swung it upwards and held it in front of him pointing the blade skyward. His time had come for him to claim the power he craved for all his life.