Well, he finally appears. XD. Thank you for those who took the time to read this story. :).
Gintama is owned by the one and only Hideaki Sorachi-sensei, and Nurarihyon no Mago by Hiroshi Shibashii-sensei.
Chapter VI: Crimson and Silver
The blue-green man knew instantly that the leader was in an extremely rare fit of good mood eversince he negotiated with the Amanto.
"Was she that amusing?"
"What?", snapped Takasugi.
"You seem happy." The man was nodding to the beat and rhythm of the music playing in his newly-bought headphones. "Well, you accepted it?"
"Atarimae da." Takasugi flatly replied. "Order them to take a good care of the chests. And thieves still exist among us. Kill anyone who attempts to touch even a single coin, Bansai."
"Are they that many?", the blue green man, whose name turned out to be Bansai, asked, his brows slightly raised.
Takasugi shoved the piece of paper the Amanto gave to him.
"This is—", Bansai did not have even have to think long to recognize the woman on the picture. So it turns out that he was right.
"Kore wa—"
Takasugi noticed the tone of recognition upon hearing Bansai's voice. He then looked back, finding Bansai's eyes fixed on the picture. "You know her?"
"This woman was working on part-time job in the convenience store where I bought this headphone as a replacement for the one you destroy—ah, this song again.", Bansai ran his thumb over the shuffle button. He then pressed the volume button, making the volume twice as loud. Takasugi could clearly discern the words: CHOME CHOME! CHOME CHOME! Bansai noticed the smug look on the Kiheitai leader's face, his hands already under his purple sleeves to where his katana was hidden.
"Shouganai na." Bansai turned off the headphones off before saying another goodbye to a gadget. "Yeah, well. She was the one whose this wonderful headphones for me. And do you know what she said?"
Takasugi only raised an eyebrow.
"It will definitely match the music of my soul.", the music-loving blue-green man said as he leaned over a post. "Such a demonic way of word service from the queen of demons herself."
Takasugi could not help himself anymore. The grin he had been trying to suppress earlier gave in. Pupils diluted, his eyes contorted in such a way that there was no other way to describe the howling excitement in his eyes.
"Omoshiroii…"
Bansai had just told him n account of that day's events.
"Indeed, she is a rare spectacle. Like a fragile fragment of glass that will pierce your soul. And if she were a piece, her music would be one that could poison her enemies' thoughts, killing them slowly—like some vermin."
"Always the poetic words, Kawakami Bansai.", Takasugi's eyes then turned into the sea. The waves had been rather strong since yesterday. They were, after all, returning into the harbors of Edo. "But we have no need for that.
"Listen."
"What."
"We will capture that woman.", Takasugi let out his devilish smile. Bansai noticed the intensity of evilness that he could not help himself from pointing it out.
"You know, you could pass us a demon yourself. Why don't you just go to their realm and go undercover? Some demons do really look nothing less than a human."
The next thing that Bansai noticed was the blade of a katana only half of an inch away from the cord of his newly-bought headphones.
"Tell Matako and Takechi to alert the units…". Takasugi took back the picture from Bansai. He then raised so that it was gazing down on him. Despite being a picture, the woman's eyes and smile seemed so alive it seemed mock him.
"First Amantos. And now demons. Hontou ni, kono machi wa, this city is becoming more and more of a paradise for my plans."
"A paradise that you dream of destroying."
"Sou." The Kiheitai leader raised his right hand that held the katana.
"You say you want my soul? Ja, tanoshimi da yo."
The picture split into halves. A strong wind blew.
Somewhere inside a dark room, a crimson light was gleaming. It was the only source of illumination, and yet it filled the space with so much fear that the men guarding over the door of the said room could not help but feel a strange tingling in their spines.
"O-Oi…Okashii na…", the man said, his voice shaking.
"D-Damare, l-l-let us just do our jobs." The man stood stiffly, puffing his chest. They had been ordered to guard the room with their life.
"B-B-But it's really creepy! It's like—it's like its alive!"
"Kinousei na, kinousei na!"
"D-Demo—"
Before the man could even finish his sentence, a rope-looking object sprang had made its way out of the door.
Then there was the sound of a scream.
The crimson light illuminated even more.
Then there was the sound of grinding flesh.
Reiya opened one of her eyes. It was a cloudy afternoon, and she had been sitting infront of the large sakura tree that had been witness to the contemplation of the three generation of Demon Lords. Infront of her kneeled three demons in their human forms, each bearing black wings.
"Sanba Garasu, I see you bring good news for me. Maa, maybe not exactly good news.", said the Supreme Commander.
"Soudaisho, we've found information about the sword.", the Karasu Tengu at the middle spoke, the eldest named Kuromaru.
"Dochira?"
"The crimson sword. Benizakura.", the sole female Karasu Tengu whose name was Sasami replied, adjusting her spectacles.
"Your suspicions are right. The man that you saw that night. Takasugi Shinsuke. He is the leader of an extremist group of the rounin who rebelled against the Amanto twenty years ago."
"Jouishishi?"
"Sou.", the remaining Karasu Tengu who bore a blond Mohawk spoke, whose name was Tosakamaru. "The Kiheitai. They had been underground for years, but lately, there have been significant incidents in which they were directly involved, one of which is the incident involving Benizakura."
"Oh…"
"Years ago, a man by the name of Okada Nizou executed a series of tsujigiri in the town of Kabuki-chou.", spoke Sasami.
"Tsujigiri? Then that means that the sword that he used—"
"E. It was the Benizakura. Sasami nodded. "Shikashi—",
"Shikashi?"
Sasami continued. "The sword that he used. It was only a copy of the real Benizakura. The copy was then forged by a man named Jinsetsu, the most famous swordsman in Edo. It is said that the sword can cut through rocks, and appears to be extremely ordinary in daylight. Shikashi, when exposed to moonlight, it becomes a crimson blade."
"When Jinsetsu died, he left this in the care of two children—the son and the elder one, Tetsuya, and the daughter, Tetsuko. The older son, Tetsuya, apparently was dazed by his desperation to surpass his father's skills. He continued on molding and molding a sword which will be the strongest of all, until he was able to make his own Benizakura—a sword that uses the energy of its wielder to cut its enemies. It is a parasitic sword, so to speak.", explained Kuromaru.
It was Tosakamaru who continued. "Tetsuya then went on an alliance with the Kiheitai, eager to see the power of the sword he invented. They reproduced the sword, all for the plan of destroying Edo, with the invader Amantos as their target, even the Bakufu."
"But I take it that they failed, otherwise Edo would have been destroyed by now.", said Reiya, looking amused what with all the information.
"Sou.", said Kuromaru. "It was all because that the man who wielded the main sword, Nizou, was defeated by a certain samurai."
At this, Reiya's interest peaked. "A certain samurai? Oh...I'd like to meet this samurai then."
"Yes. And according to our sources, he was man who carried a very interesting trait.
"He had a silver hair, and even his name echoes such shade."
The Sanbasu Garasu all spoke at once.
"SAKATA GINTOKI".
Reiya opened the council room. She then found Zen sitting with his eyes closed. When Reiya looked closely, she found that the leader of the Yakushi clan had been dozing off.
"Zen, what is this important thing that you have to discuss with me, making you doze off from waiting."
Zen jumped. "R-Reiya-sama. K-Kitta."
Reiya chuckled. "De, nani?"
Zen bowed, then proceeded. "Please use me as a spy at least. I want to help in the search for Nenekimaru and this sword, Benizakura."
"Ah sou…"
"Tanomu." Zen was looking dead serious, and he looked as if he had no plan to take a breath lest she would give her affirmation.
"Maa, I suppose spying won't be that hazardous for you.", said Reiya, surveying Zen.
A smile immediately spread across Zen's face. "A-arigatougozaimasu!", said Zen, bowing lowly.
"Well then, here's you mission."
"Hai!", Zen responded with all enthusiasm.
"Zen, you're going to spy this man."
Reiya pulled out a picture from her sleeves. She then handed it to Zen. The bird demon carefully took it.
"That is a man who is deeply involved in the Benizakura incident which happened in Kabuki-chou. Are wa—" Reiya paused. She had never seen Zen make such a smug face, as if he had just been trolled for the first time in his demon life.
"Ano, Reiya-sama…"
Reiya only stared at Zen.
"Kore wa—nani?"
"Nani? That's a human."
"Shitteru zo! Demo—"
"Demo?"
"WHY ON EARTH SHOULD SOMEONE LIKE THIS BE TRAILED! MIRU YO!"
It was then that Zen shoved the picture face to face with the Queen of Pandemonium. And on it, proudly, was the picture of man who seemed to have been bored all his life, his lifeless deadfish eyes echoing laziness and hopelessness, mouth hanging open and in such a stupid way, and spread across his face was the sensation of blankness as he stuck his finger inside his nose, busy picking inside it.
"I just said that he's involved with the Benizakura. In fact, he defeated its wielder."
Zen could not believe it. This man—defeated the Benizakura?"
"Maa, tashika ni it was only a prototype of the Benizakura, but still it's no joke to defeat a sword as strong as that. Tonikaku, I'm getting my hopes up for a successful surveillance, Zen." Reiya was smiling as she patted the poor man, whose mouth was still gaping in disbelief. "Make your wife and children proud. Ganbare yo."
And with that, Reiya left.
Zen stayed rooted on his feet, unable to move.
"Pft." Reiya was wondering if she could still hold out her laughter. It was then that she heard the sound of a paper being torn.
"Ah…dame…muri da yo. I-I can't hold it any longer!"
"Make it sexier Kagura."
"Ahhhhhhh…"
"Sou da sou da, ii ja nee ka!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—"
It was then that the bespectacled boy hit the girl, whose Lolita voice had been filling the whole room.
"FUTARI, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
"Ah. Patssuan. Can you do the voice of the man? Make it sound that you're really fulfilling the girl's desi—"
It was the man's turn to be hit. "Itta!'" The man massaged his hair, a permed and silver one.
"Shinpachi, unlike you, we're trying our best to earn money. Sou! All we want is to feed your foul mouth!" The girl's eyes glistened with tears. The silver-haired man played a dramatic music on cue, and kneeled beside the little girl. "Okaasan, I'm sure he'll understand one day." The two then broke into tears.
"To hell with this drama! What exactly have you two been up again? The old hag—iia—Otose-san is already climbing upstairs for the rent! Aniue has been making me sleep outside, she even bought me a doghouse! WHAT AM I, A MADAO?!", the boy said, breaking into hysterical fits of exclamations.
"Wakatta, wakatta." The silver-haired ma scratched his permed hair. "Jitsu wa, I and Kagura have been auditioning for landing a seiyuu role in a movie."
"And what kind of movie would demand such dirty voices except for hen—"
"BLASPHEMOUS! SIMPLY BLASPHEMOUS! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF YOUR MOTHER AS A PROSTITUTE!", Kagura bawled louder, hugging the leg of the kotatsu. "You were so little then, and yet look at you, that's when you get with taking drugs!"
"OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN HOOKED TO SUCH THINGS!"
"Worf!" A huge white dog replied.
"Tch." The boy's real name was in fact Shinpachi, and he had the look of a sixteen-year old virgin boy. Well, he really is. In many aspects.
"Have you seen the news? They said that there's been a criminal wandering the streets of Edo. And on top of that, it's a woman."
"That's probably just some woman who's just been left by her bastard boyfriend. Avengers of love have always been criminals."
"That's not it! Even a convenience store was broken because of her! And mind you, that store was really broken to pieces! That powerful!", bellowed Shinpachi.
"AAAAAAAAH…Kowaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiii!", Kagura suddenly broke out in a very erotic voice.
"THE HELL WOULD YOU STOP SPEAKING LIKE LOVESICK IDIOTS!"
"All citizens of Edo, please be wary then of this woman. She had been involved in the murder of a customer who entered this certain convenience store."
A picture of a woman was flashed on the screen.
"Woah…and she's very beautiful.", Shinpachi sighed, apparently feeling that it was such a waste for the girl being a criminal.
"Kirei? She's probable had a thousand cosmetic surgeries! Most artists have been that way, fixing their flat noses over and over again till they transformed their noses into rock-cutting swords, making their flat chests pumped bigger till they have created missile-launching puff-puff action weapons!", the silver-haired man retorted, picking his nose.
Shinpachi only replied with a smug look. "Yamettoke, Gin-san."
Just then, they heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. The three froze. Must it be too late? Have they let their guard down that much, so much that the news of the woman murderer had let them forget that here comes the real-life criminal, the feared Baba that lived underneath?
The two cramped under the Kotatsu in a snap. Leaving Shinpachi behind. Shinpachi frozed in shock. Matte, what if it was the murderer, the woman showed on TV?
The glasses boy ran, in slow motion effect, ready to hide behind the huge white dog named Sadaharu.
It was too late.
The door opened.
"Eh?—"
The three just set their eyes on a green-haired man, looking murderous. He was wearing a traditional kimono, so ancient looking he looked like as if he just came out fresh from a folklore book.
He then shouted.
"I AM THE GREAT LEADER OF THE YAKUSHI CLAN. I, ZEN, A BIRD DEMON, DEMANDS SAKATA GINTOKI, SHOW YOURSELF TO ME!"
The two looked at Gin-san.