So here we are, back in the Demon Plane. We've been running for five days to reach the old man's territory. Sayomi glanced ahead at Hokushin and Seitei. Then she looked at Yusuke who ran just ahead of her. Probably part of his training.
She used her aura, focused around her feet and legs, to keep from falling behind. Her senses were on high alert for any unfriendly demons. Though she was with other powerful fighters, there was always someone stronger.
The Underworld's hunters were surprisingly helpful, though it was interesting to see them open a portal so easily compared to Sensui's grand attempt. Koenma told us that the three demons each sent a message to the Underworld saying this would be the best way to get rid of us, though that was kinda obvious.
Sayomi couldn't help but smirk at Yusuke's back. He didn't care about the issues between the Underworld and the Demon Plane. He just wanted to make sure the Human World was okay. The night before we left, we all met up at Mater Genkai's temple. Her smirk slipped into a sad smile. Koenma and the hunters were already there. Needless to say, Kuwabara wasn't very happy...
Five nights ago...
"Have you completely flipped out?!" Kuwabara roared. He held Yusuke by the collar of his shirt with his other fist clenched at his side. "Or did you just go back to bein' as stupid as you look? The Demon Plane isn't a video game, y'know! What you're gonna do is suicide!"
Kuwabara's anger didn't just target Yusuke. He turned to glare at the new lead hunter with powder blue hair. "And as for you guys – You're just out to get rid of him!"
"I won't deny it," the hunter replied easily. "But our orders are to assist him."
Sayomi leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Hiei stood next to her with his arms in his cloak pockets. Beside him, Kurama sat on the floor with his elbows resting over his knees. When Kuwabara turned his glare on them, Sayomi felt a small pang of sadness.
Kuwabara jabbed an accusing finger at them and asked, "What about you three?! Gonna join the demons who tried to recruit you?!"
"I will," Hiei answered immediately.
Kurama took a moment to think over his answer. "I suppose I will, too. Though not right away."
Sayomi closed her eyes. "The whole reason I came here was to take Yusuke back."
Kuwabara ground his teeth at their answers. His shoulders slumped as he muttered, "So that's how it is, huh? Just another buncha bloodthirsty demons." Then he pointed at each of them and shouted, "The reasons don't matter, just so you can fight! Fine then! The Demon Plane's obviously where you belong!"
"Heh..." Hiei smirked. "At last we can agree."
"Yaargh!" Kuwabara nearly bit off his own tongue with rage.
Sayomi snuck a glance at Hiei. He's not wrong, but you didn't have to add fuel to the fire.
Without looking her way, Hiei grunted. He'll get over it.
"Kuwabara," Yusuke called out casually.
"What?" Kuwabara snapped.
When Yusuke threw his arm around Kuwabara's shoulders, they started to talk with hushed voices. Sayomi quirked her brow curiously but decided against listening in. Whatever it is, they must want to keep it secret. I can let them have that much since they won't see each other for a long time.
How long will it take you to return with my prize?
Sayomi felt a blush blooming on her cheeks and she made it a point to not look at the fire demon. Do you want an estimated guess? Because I don't really know.
Hiei's gaze shifted to her. Then I'll give you a deadline. If you're not at Mukuro's fortress in a month, I'll take that as running from our deal.
Sayomi felt her eyes widen at the idea. You're joking, right? You think Mukuro will let you skip out on your training for something like that?
Hiei smirked. Whether it's allowed or not doesn't matter. This is between you and me. If you can't return with a suitable offer, then I'll have to resort to alternative methods of payment.
Sayomi scowled at the added condition. No. You accept whatever I give you. If you want something better, then just beat me again. But now that I know we're fighting for prizes, you won't win so easily.
I doubt it will require much effort. You haven't won a single match against me. You're only delaying the inevitable.
Oh? Sayomi's brow arched curiously. Is there something you're trying to get? When he didn't answer, she slid a sideways glance his way. He was glaring over his shoulder at Kuwabara and Yusuke who were still speaking in hushed tones. She arched a curious brow. Is something wrong?
The fool is getting suspicious. Hiei said nothing more on the matter as he watched Kuwabara carefully.
She understood when a certain demoness walked into the room with a tray of water and tea leaves. Despite her wintry origin, her smile was warm and genuine. "Would anyone like more tea?"
"Just water for me!" Genkai said.
"Oops!" Yukina looked down at the kettle in surprise. "I let it get cold."
"I'll help warm it up!" Kuwabara volunteered.
"Sure, don't mind us," the hunter behind him said.
"Urameshi..."
Yusuke turned to Kuwabara curiously.
"I understand." Without turning to face him, Kuwabara said, "We've just chosen different paths. Don't you dare get killed on yours, though. Come back so I can gloat about making it to the top of my class. No excuses, got it?"
Sayomi smiled as the boys seemed to reach an agreement of their own. So return in a month with a worthy prize?
Hiei's attention redirected to her with an emotion she couldn't identify. Or I will hunt you down to claim it.
Present day...
Now I have another problem... Sayomi's jaw set firmly as she ran. I only have a month and I still don't know what to bring him for -
"Mr. Urameshi."
Sayomi snapped out of her thoughts as they came to an abrupt stop at the edge of a cliff.
"We're here," Hokushin said, letting Yusuke take in the view.
Sayomi scowled. Beyond the cliff were stone pillars and plateaus. The tallest pillar stood in the center, with a chamber connected near the top by a narrow branch of stone. Low rumbles thundered, sending a subtle tremor through her body from the ground up.
"What's that sound?" Yusuke asked.
"The king's empty stomach," Hokushin answered.
Sayomi's eyes darkened a couple shades as they made their way down a path to the kingdom. Stubborn old man...
It only took a couple minutes of sprinting to reach the town. By the time they slowed to a walk, the two monks were out of breath and dripping with sweat. Seitei had to take a moment to stop and catch his breath while Hokushin kept his stern gaze ahead.
"I'm impressed," Hokushin said.
"Huh?" Yusuke asked.
"I was sure I'd have you both eating my dust, but you kept up without breaking a sweat."
Yusuke smirked, accepting the compliment.
Sayomi glanced at Seitei's exhausted state, then shifted her gaze to her teacher. He's telling the truth. He was seriously trying to lose us. Was he not expecting me to keep up either, then?
Their stroll through town was a silent one. Though Hokushin was putting up a serious front, Yusuke smiled the whole way.
Sayomi did her best to ignore the eyes of the other monks. They openly watched as they passed through the streets. She kept her eyes forward and her arms crossed. Though she watched for movement in her peripherals, she knew they wouldn't try anything now.
I've become their worst fear in the flesh. They were all so adamant about not letting me fight. Now... They're afraid of meeting my eyes. Is this what happens? Once you have enough power, people start to fear you... Her hands tightened into fists and relaxed as she took a deep breath. Because you become the dominant predator.
When they made it to the base of the king's pillar, Hokushin pointed up at the small chamber. "He's waiting for you at the top of the tower."
"Thanks." Yusuke smiled and hefted his bag. "I think I can take it from here."
As Yusuke opened the front door, Sayomi started to follow after him.
"Sayomi."
She stopped and turned to see Hokushin giving her a stern glare. "This meeting is between the king and Yusuke. You will take no part in it."
Sayomi narrowed her eyes as she felt the barest shift in her aura. Before she could give her answer, Yusuke placed his hand on her head. Though her body relaxed, her gaze remained guarded.
Yusuke's eyes fixed on Hokushin as he said, "It's a family meeting. I don't see any issue with her tagging along."
"She is not of the king's blood—"
"Blood's got nothin' to do with it." Yusuke's glare didn't waiver as he walked through the door with Sayomi in tow. "Now just hang tight until we get back. This won't take too long."
Their trek through the tower was silent, but not to the point of being awkward. Sayomi followed the winding hallway for what she hoped was her last time. The stone walls bulged and dipped with occasional luminescent domes. The king's stomach continued to rumble louder than it did outside. As they ascended, she could feel a sense of dread weighing her down. Just how much longer can the old man hold out?
At the end of the long hike, they were greeted by two large double doors. Yusuke and Sayomi placed a hand on each door and let themselves in.
The king's chamber looked just like the rest of the castle. Though Sayomi felt it could do without the creepy deformed infants carved into the walls. They were as large as the king's throne with one eye wide open and the other drooping shut. Each expression varied, but the umbilical cords connecting them to the room always made her wonder. Does he enjoy this creepy atmosphere?
Her attention was brought back to the king himself as his stomach rumbled again, echoing loud throughout the room. Raizen sat in his throne with his elbows resting over his knees. His eyes gleamed as he smiled. "Hello, son..."
"Don't start." Yusuke fixed a dangerous glare on the old man. "I'm only here to ask why you stuck your nose into my fight with Sensui! What gave you the right?!"
Without answering, Raizen pointed his finger at Yusuke. The moment it started to glow red, Yusuke winced in pain. "Ow!"
Raizen smirked. "Get over yourself, kid. I've got you in the palm of my hand. You've got to learn to control your own piddly demonic aura before I'll let you waltz in here and mouth off like that."
Yusuke snapped.
Sayomi sensed the spike in Yusuke's aura and quickly stepped out of the way. She watched as Yusuke charged and tried to land a hit on the old man. Every time, Raizen either deflected it or used his aura to shoot Yusuke down again. She did her best to keep from jumping in to help. The old man won't kill him, but he's not gonna roll over so easily.
In just a few minutes, the most Yusuke could do was sit against a wall and catch his breath. His clothes were torn and he was covered in bruises. Blood trickled over his eye from his head.
"See?" Raizen asked. "You can't even knock me off my seat."
Yusuke spat out some blood and said, "I hear you're close to death."
"Which should tell you something," Raizen said. "For the record, I'll be dead within a year."
"Heh... Heh heh..." Yusuke chuckled despite his pain. Then he lifted his arm and aimed his trigger finger with a bloody smirk. "Die now."
Raizen's eyes widened at the same time Sayomi vanished within her cloak. When Yusuke fired his Reigun, there was a bright flash and the whole wall behind Raizen was blown away.
Sayomi returned just as the wind blew away the smoke and dust. She gasped when she saw the large hole in the wall behind the old man who stood on his feet.
"Hm..." Raizen smirked as he stalked towards Yusuke. "You step up and go for it. I like that." He crouched down to speak with the boy at eye level. "I usually sleep here, so come over and try to kill me anytime. No need to knock. You're also free to run home or stay on the Demon Plane and train." He jerked his thumb at himself and said, "But if you can't beat a demon near death, you've no chance against Yomi and Mukuro."
"Say..." Yusuke struggled to speak through the pain. "Why did you stop feeding on humans?"
Raizen's smirk grew. "I'll tell you once you're out of diapers."
"Feh!" Yusuke scoffed. "Old fart."
"Sayomi," Raizen called.
The demoness nodded, already knowing what he was going to say. "Right. I got it from here."
Raizen rose from his crouch and took a seat on a small boulder, resting his elbows over his knees. He watched as Sayomi started to heal Yusuke's wounds. "Once she's done patching you up, you can follow Hokushin to the training grounds. Sayomi and I have some things to discuss."
Yusuke glared at his ancestor before looking at Sayomi. "Is that what you want?"
Sayomi nodded. "Yeah, it's okay. I won't try to pick a fight with him like you just did."
"You could at least try," Yusuke mumbled. Once healed, he left the two demons alone to talk.
"I see you've gotten stronger." Raizen jumped straight to the point. "Do you feel capable of surviving on your own?"
Sayomi leaned against a wall and shrugged. "You tell me. If Yusuke's aura is ranked piddly on you power scale, I can only imagine what my ranking would be."
"Heh heh... That's a good point." Raizen chuckled and pointed at her. "If I was to pit you against any of the monks outside, would you be able to beat them?"
Another shrug. "So long as it's not Hokushin... Probably, though I doubt they'll let me try."
"Then I see no reason for you to stick around here any longer. Unless you've changed your mind."
"I haven't." Sayomi looked down at her black nails. Then she met the king's gaze. "To be honest, I was expecting you to make me stay."
"Oh?" Raizen tilted his head. "Why would you think that?"
"Because I didn't bring him back right away." Sayomi clenched her fist and focused on keeping her breathing calm. "You obviously knew, so why are you still letting me go?"
"There are two reasons." Raizen held up two fingers and counted them down. "One: You were under my protection, not a prisoner of war. Two: I never said you had to bring him right away, but time was of the essence. Since you accompanied him here, you fulfilled your end of the deal. I'm only upholding my end by letting you go."
Sayomi bit her lip and looked down at the floor. So he's really letting me go? That was easy, but it feels... kinda weird. I've been here for so long... and yet... "Mind if I ask you something?"
"This might just be our last conversation. You might as well speak your last thoughts."
Sayomi took in a deep breath and asked, "Why are you starving yourself?"
"You want to know?" He asked.
"I've been wondering about since I first got here." She looked at his anorexic physique, amplified by wait remained of his muscles. "You've been getting thinner every time I've come to see you and now you say you only have a year left. I want to know why you think it's worth starving over."
"I supposed you've earned it now that you're leaving the nest." Raizen smirked. "It was almost 700 years ago in an age of chaos and violence. Rogues ran rampant, and the populace lived on the ragged edge of ruin. Back then there was no barrier between the Human World and the Demon Plane. Monsters and goblins involved themselves in many facets of human life. The government even called on us to help repel foreign invasion."
"Whoah..." Sayomi tried to imagine such a time when humans and demons coexisted.
"At that time, I was an ogre eager to devour human flesh until I met a certain pale, gaunt human..." His smirk grew into a genuine smile. "A woman who reeked of shamanic incense. I'd never seen such eyes. Her gaze bore into me..."
Sayomi automatically thought of Hiei's intense stare.
"You've heard of cannibal healers?" Raizen asked.
"Huh?" Sayomi's eyebrow arched. "No. What are those?"
"In those days sickness was thought to be caused by karma and evil spirits. Treatment was left to ascetics and priestesses with the greatest demands placed on cannibal healers. By consuming the rancid flesh of the afflicted, they turned their own blood into powerful and fast-acting antidotes to those same maladies."
Sayomi could feel her mouth hang open in shock and disgust. That sounds terrible...
"This woman was one such healer, prominent among esoteric Buddhists," Raizen continued. "Her eyes drew me, and so I casually approached her, intending to slowly consume her. However, she exposed her flesh, offering herself as my last meal. She went on to describe her poisonous body as 'a cesspool of the countless mortal diseases she'd ingested.' She promised I would be dead before the day was out. I did not want to die, but that wasn't all that stopped me. I was in awe."
"So why didn't you just kill her?" Sayomi asked, absorbed in the king's story.
"There would've been no point to it if I just killed her. In her eyes, I was just a mere beast."
"So then what did you do?" She asked.
"I wooed her," Raizen answered with a mischievous smirk. "She'd seized my soul. It took the whole night. I didn't probe into her background, but she did say she wasn't born a shaman. She ate human flesh by choice. By choice! Compared to her I was nothing. I vowed, then and there, to taste no human flesh until we met again—though we made no promises of that sort. She died soon after giving birth."
He paused in his story for a moment. Sayomi waited patiently for him to continue.
"I awaited her reincarnation..." He eventually said. "But such a woman isn't reborn that often. The Demon Plane, Human World, and Underworld are all living realms. Even the Underworld is unsure of the ultimate fate of souls." He looked Sayomi in the eye and asked, "Do you think my son would choose to eat humans?"
"Uh... I highly doubt it." Sayomi couldn't imagine to boy doing such a thing. Especially after his reaction when he found out about Hokushin.
"And what about you?" He pointed at her. "Would you eat a human if offered the choice?"
"No."
"I see." Raizen's smirk was layered with amusement and another emotion Sayomi couldn't name. "I've come to view demons like me as a transitional phase in evolution. One day, people will come and go freely through all the living realms. We'll just be in the way then."
Again, Sayomi tried to imagine such a thing. Would that kind of scenario really be possible?
"At first," Raizen continued, "Mukuro, Yomi, and I fought because we simply didn't like each other. But that dislike burnt out long ago. We now battle for the future. Have you given any thought to where you will go once you leave?"
Sayomi nodded. "I've been thinking about it almost constantly. I know I don't want to stay here, but it's the only place I really know."
"If you're unsure, then I recommend going to Mukuro's territory."
"Mukuro? I thought he was supposed to be a bloodthirsty tyrant."
"Mukuro likes the Demon Plane the way it is and has no designs on the Underworld or the Human World." His eyes narrowed. "But watch out for Yomi. He seeks to conquer all the living realms. If you need somewhere to go, then go to Mukuro."
Sayomi clenched and unclenched her fists. "One more question..." She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Why did you agree to let me stay here?"
"I always wanted a daughter." Razien grinned when he saw her bewildered expression. "You were barely a kid and you were terrified. The trauma you experienced was enough to keep you running until exhaustion nearly claimed you. When they brought you here, you were malnourished and dehydrated. You flinched at every sudden motion."
Sayomi's eyes reflexively scanned her surroundings. I don't think Yasuhiro is here...
"Since I had nothing better to do, I let you stay with me. It didn't take long to figure out what kind of demon you were. You were always lurking in the shadows. I gave them orders to teach you meditation to help you cope. You were a quick study so they let you focus your energy on healing techniques."
"Yeah... I remember." Sayomi's smile was sad and somewhat bitter. "They had me heal their wounds after training sessions and missions."
"It didn't take you long to want to learn how to fight." Raizen smirked.
"They were telling stories about their trips outside the border about battles that they either triumphed or barely survived. It sounded fun compared to what they were having me do."
"Do you recall what happened when they attempted to teach you?"
"Oh..." Sayomi scowled at the floor. "You mean when they started having nightmares?"
"So you remember."
"I remember when it happened, but I don't remember ever doing that to them."
"Not consciously," Raizen amended. "My theory is your aura connected with the men and left traces of residue behind, manifesting into nightmares. It's an advanced technique that you performed subconsciously. You made them suffer their worst fears in such a way that rendered them helpless. That's when they barred you from combat training."
"So why did you encourage me to learn when you sent me off to the Human World?" It was another question that had been troubling her since her markings first started to appear.
"You've matured since then. You also stopped having sleeping fits. Though Hokushin advised against it, I argued that you had a fighter's spirit. I could see it burning in your eyes every time you came up to visit. Once I'm gone, the other monks would no longer need to tolerate your presence. To say he was reluctant is an understatement."
"That's why he gave me the weapon." Sayomi could feel the weight of her sickle across her lower back. "It's come in handy on more than one occasion."
"I'm sure it has." The dying king smiled. "Any more questions while you're still here? Last chance."
"I think that's everything I needed to ask." She straightened up and turned to leave. As she was about to push the door open, she paused and turned to the old man. "Just, do me a favor and take care of Yusuke. He has someone waiting for him back in the Human World and I would hate to be the one to break it to her if anything happened. He's already died twice and I don't know if she could handle a third time."
Raizen smirked knowingly. "I'll keep that in mind."
When Sayomi left the tower, she found Hokushin waiting for her outside. His eyes were as stern as always. Even if he is second-in-command, he's too stiff.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked.
"Almost. I'd like to see Yusuke one more time before I leave."
"Yusuke is training at the moment. It will take time before he'll be able to see you."
"He'll make the time." Sayomi walked past her teacher to the training grounds. It didn't take her long to spot the boy in the middle of four other fighters. He was absorbed in the match, taking punches and countering with his own. Rather than interrupt, she stood back and enjoyed the show.
About an hour later, Yusuke tapped out for a break. He made his way to Sayomi and ruffled her hair. "You don't look like a train wreck, at least."
"I just know better, Yusuke." She grinned and pushed his arm away. "I just came by to let you know I'm heading out."
"Out where?" Yusuke asked. "You got a date with Hiei or somethin'?"
Sayomi glared at the boy. "Not exactly. More like a family reunion."
"Ah." Yusuke crossed his arms. "You need me to go with you? I know you've gotten stronger, too, but..."
"I'll be fine." Sayomi waved off his worry. "I just wanted to see you one more time before I left."
"Don't you go all mushy on me, Sai. This isn't goodbye. It's just a break to focus on ourselves for a while. Just don't be a stranger and tell Hiei that if he does anything to you, I'll kick his ass."
"Ha ha ha!" Sayomi couldn't help laughing at Yusuke's attempt at being protective. "If I see him, I'll let him know. Just promise me you won't die before the old man."
"The only way the old fart is passing on is through my fist." Yusuke smirked and jerked his thumb at himself. "The next time you see me, I'll be the one calling the shots!"
That's what I'm counting on. Sayomi returned his smirk and said, "And next time you see me, we'll have our own sparring match."
"You know, I just realized we never sparred." He rubbed his chin and grinned. "I'll be looking forward to it!"
After exchanging goodbyes, Hokushin guided Sayomi to the border. As they passed through town, she ignored the hateful glares from the other monks. "Why don't you look at me like them?"
"Hm?" Hokushin looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
Sayomi scowled. "You know exactly what I mean."
Hokushin turned to face ahead as he said, "I'm the one who brought you here. Am I supposed to regret my choice?"
"Are you saying you don't?" Sayomi asked.
"When I found you, your life was in danger," he said. "You were unconscious and cold to the touch, but you were breathing. I had just finished an assignment and was returning to Tourin when I spotted you. When I presented you to King Raizen, he appointed me with the task of teaching you and monitoring your growth."
"Kinda like what he told me to do with Yusuke," Sayomi said.
"Yes, only I trained you in meditation and healing. You became a handful when you wanted to learn to fight. After the incident, no one wanted to spar with you, claiming that you cursed them. I trained with you myself and understood what they were talking about. In a way it is a curse, but you weren't aware that you were doing it."
"What was I doing?" she asked.
"From what I recall, your eyes would change. They became completely black and you were covered with a thin layer of shadow. It was barely noticeable you were doing anything if not for the eyes. When you attacked, your aura mixed with your opponent's. It would start off harmless enough. A couple nightmares here and there. Continued exposure would progress to vivid hallucinations."
Sayomi's fists clenched. She focused on her breathing as they reached the edge of the town and continued through the forest. It's no wonder they're all so afraid of me... "Why aren't you afraid of me, too?"
"Because you weren't doing it on purpose," Hokushin answered. "You were too young to fight in such a way. I concluded someone either taught you how to fight like that, or your instincts kicked in as a result of your time alone. Either way, it wasn't your intention. Rather than be angry at you for something out of your control, I redirected you to meditation and healing. I was hoping it would help your subconscious."
"I see..." Sayomi stared down at her black nails. "I honestly can't say if it's helped or not. When I started using my aura to fight, these makings started to appear. As time went on, they grew until my whole body was nearly covered. After Yusuke died, I was told that my eyes became black and I wasn't completely aware of what I was doing. All I can remember is darkness..."
She didn't want to tell Hokushin about how she came out of it. She could feel flutters in her stomach at the thought of Hiei showing up to help her. He doesn't need to know that part...
"Shadow demons are a mystery. I can't say I've met any others besides you. The only thing I can tell you is to be careful. Now that you're on your own, you'll have a tougher time surviving if you can't master your abilities."
"Right..." Sayomi sighed. "I probably could've had them mastered by now if I stuck with training."
"True as that may be, it was best for everyone involved. You're still young, but at least you've matured. If you've become this strong and have only lost control once, that shows how much you've progressed since then."
"Is that why you gave me a weapon?" she asked.
"I knew that once you were in the Human World, there would be no stopping you. I also thought it would be handy to have something other than your aura to rely on for defense. Have you been able to use it?"
Sayomi smiled and nodded. "I use it all the time. I'm able to use it as a weapon and a shield."
Hokushin's smile was subtle but warm. "I'm grateful to hear that. I had it forged specifically for you."
"You did?" Sayomi reached for her sickle to observe it again. The black blade reflected light with a faint blue sheen. The handle was wrapped with black cloth and the chain was made of the same material as the blade.
"I had to travel to a smith outside of Tourin because no one here was capable or willing to craft such a weapon. It's designed to be compatible with your aura. The stronger you become, the more aura it absorbs."
"It absorbs my aura?" Sayomi looked up at the monk in wonder.
"Yes." He nodded. "Just a small portion each time. It helps amplify the strength of your attacks, and I suppose your shield. It's also supposed to help you focus your aura on something other than yourself so you stay grounded. I don't know much about shadow demons, but I figured having a grounding tool would help you in the long run."
Sayomi looked down at the weapon that suddenly felt heavy. Even though he was against it, he was making sure I would be safe. "I didn't even notice my aura was being absorbed."
"You're not supposed to. Just keeping it on your person when using your aura is enough. So, if you always have it with your during your meditations or battle, it should have absorbed a decent amount of your aura by now."
"How much can it hold?" Sayomi tucked away her weapon.
"I was told it could hold as much as needed, so I imagine there's no limit." Hokushin stopped walking and turned to face Sayomi. "This is the edge of our territory. I trust you can handle yourself from here."
Sayomi looked through the trees, then turned to look back at the pillars in the distance. She looked up at Hokushin and said, "Yeah, I think I can. Take care of Yusuke. He's more like the old man than you realize. I'll warn you though, just when you think you have him figured out, he'll surprise you every time."
Hokushin smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. You're welcome back any time, though I doubt we'll be seeing you very often."
Sayomi smirked. "Not too soon, at least. But I do want to say thanks... for everything. You didn't have to take me in, but I'm glad you did."
"Don't mention it." Hokushin turned to leave and said, "Just do me a favor and take care of yourself. Out there, it's all about who's the strongest and the most cunning."
Sayomi watched him until he disappeared behind the trees. When she turned around to leave, she froze. Her muscles tensed as she fought the urge to flee or attack. Her eyes turned dark as she kept her breathing slow.
"Hello, Sayomi. Are you ready to go?" Yasuhiro asked with a hand on his hip and a smirk on his lips. "We have a lot of catching up to do."