Author's Apology: Sorry about the wait, guys. I'd love to tell you I'll be more consistent, but that's unlikely. However, I am mulling over another Raidou fifteen which would go into how he became Raidou. Any thoughts? Basically, I'm in Thailand right now and am considering having him travel here while hunting down a demon. Does that sound like something you'd enjoy?

Beyond that I am continuing to peck through this story. It feels so fast in my head and is then so slow to write. Unfortunately, I'm really slow with combat and so that's really dragging things down. Oh well, hope it's still enjoyable and that all that staring at word choice pays off.

The untz-unts of club music drifted through the traditional paper door. Raidou could see Souji's eyebrows fold in confusion. Butterfly, however, seemed completely unfazed.

"You know, don't you?"

Butterfly shrugged.

"What's beyond that door?" Souji demanded.

Raidou smirked, feeling more at ease with a slightly increased sense of superiority. Not knowing something others did clearly bothered the young man intensely. Despite the brief respite from his worries however, Raidou knew he had to start resolving this quickly. He placed a hand on the door, took a deep breath, then opened it slowly.

A colorful night club opened itself before them. Lights blazed and music thrummed through the air. Four poles stood on a single platform and reached to the ceiling. A bar stood in the back.

"Rise," Souji muttered, seeming to remember something unpleasant.

"Why is it empty?" Butterfly asked.

The music stopped. The flashing lights turned off. Only a steady multi-colored light remained. The club had closed. Raidou tensed.

A choking sob echoed through the room. A moment later a spotlight shone on one of the poles.

"Weak, weak, weak." The voice came from where the spotlight shone and all around at once, permeating the very air. The words numbed Raidou and he wondered if, perhaps, he had spoken them.

A young man hung limply from the center pole, tied with red ribbon. He'd been completely stripped and blood oozed from a myriad of wounds to drop into a shallow bowl beneath him.

"Scared. I have to stop being so scared. I'm terrified," the boy whispered under his breath. It came out ragged, scared, but intense.

Raidou stepped back, hands trembling.

"If I want to fight back I can't...I can't be scared."

A humanoid shadow appeared before the hanging man, serrated knife in hand. Slowly, almost gently, it drew the knife against the man's skin. New red pearls dropped into the bowl. The shadow leaned in to lick the man's stomach.

"We need to act." Souji's voice trembled and he seemed firmly rooted to the spot.

"Look away."

Once again Raidou couldn't decide if he had spoken or not. He could feel the wounds on his stomach though, and shuddered instinctively from the tongue licking away the stray blood.

The shadow sent its tongue lower. To the sides of him Raidou could see Butterfly tense and Souji gape, surprised.

"I can't stop it." Raidou fell to his knees, the force of memory too strong to fight any longer. The knife slid along the young man's ass, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. "I can't stop it." Something wet slid down his face.

Butterfly rushed forward, contained rage bursting forth. Darkness enveloped the shadow, sigils etching themselves into the air. The shadow disappeared along with the darkness a moment later. A quick slash at the ribbons cut the man down from the pole and he vanished as he fell.

The bowl remained.

With a quick glance at Raidou, Souji rushed forward. He peered into the bowl when he got there.

A hand reached up out and grabbed his throat.

Raidou lurched to his feet.

The Shadow, Akira, rose from the bowl and tossed Souji aside as though the large man were simply a rag doll. The young man landed heavily against the wall.

"You're his Shadow," Butterfly whispered, keeping focus firmly on Akira.

With a glare, Akira stepped out of the bowl. "You aren't supposed to know. No one is supposed to know."

"Know what?" Butterfly demanded.

With a guttural roar he wasn't convinced he could actually make, Raidou charged Akira. The Shadow easily sidestepped the sloppy attack and Raidou fell over the bowl's rim. He tucked his body closer as he fell, falling fully into the bowl now, instead of slamming his head against the rim. Butterfly came in with his katana raised.

Akira smiled and rushed forward. He seemed to grab at something then and pulled back before making actual contact. Butterfly vanished.

"What did you do?" Raidou demanded as he stood again.

The Shadow turned and fired a bolt of energy at the still stunned Souji. He disappeared as well.

"Summoning." A katana appeared in Akira's hand. "Now we have time to ourselves."

"Summoning?"

"No matter how much I fight, how much I drain, summoning is in the blood."

"Akira, don't let him talk," Gouto warned.

"I'm not," Akira retorted.

"Take cover," Raidou warned.

"Don't worry. I only have eyes on my murderer." The Shadow took a fighting stance. "Will you resurrect me, or silence me for eternity, Raidou Kuzunoha the Fifteenth?"

Raidou took the same stance. "Silence."

Akira was his shadow. That meant they would use a similar style and possess similar skills. Confident in that assertion Raidou entered a short bout, receiving a nasty gash on his shoulder in the process. Raidou had known Akira to be physically strong, but he hadn't expected the increases skill as well.

"Weak," Akira hissed.

Raidou gritted his teeth. Despite the rage in Akira's eyes the Shadow hung back, patiently waiting for the next mistake.

"You're furious," Raidou shouted out. "Why not charge?"

Akira shrugged. "Why teach a forgettable lesson?"

Raidou sprang forward. Akira slid his katana against Raidou's as their blades clashed, catching them hilt to hilt. Just as Raidou's eyes widened with realization Akira moved one hand and reached for his opponent's throat. A quick twist of his other hand sent Raidou's katana flying away.

The cold cylinder of the pole hit Raidou hard as Akira slammed him against it. His back seemed to mesh perfectly against it.

"Weak, weak. Weak!" Akira drove the katana through Raidou's gut and let go.

"Raidou!" Gouto shouted.

Being impaled against a stripper pole was certainly an odd sensation and Raidou felt like a caught fish desperately gasping for air. Everything hurt, but Akira had avoided any vital organs and the external bleeding seemed mostly stopped by the katana's hilt. He would eventually die like this, but it would take a very long time. In the meantime it just hurt.

"Why are you so weak?" Akira stepped back. "Why do I have to suffer?" Raidou could have sworn he saw Akira's hair flash blonde. "Why can't I make my own choices?"

Akira stepped forward once more, but Gouto launched himself between them, hackles raised. "Stay away from him."

"Don't worry." Akira sat down so his head could rest against Raidou's legs. "I won't let him die."

"I thought that was your goal."

"Really?"

Even in his pain-induced haze Raidou thought Akira seemed tired and felt he could hear a quiver in the Shadow's voice. From exhaustion or fear?

"I only thought this far," the Shadow admitted with a chuckle.

"You won't kill him?"

"Heh, so insistent." Raidou felt Akira tilt his head. "If I kill him, where will that put me?"

Raidou attempted to look down so he could see Akira, but the movement was too much. It hurt too much. He passed out.