The Way Through Hell

by Aredra

Nearby a small village Bankotsu who was hired on his way back to his comrades to hunt down some demons meets another demon slayer with a hot temper. This slayer turns out to be his next assignment which he accepts because of the big reward. But why is the reward so high? That's something you have to discover yourselves, just like the Band of Seven! :)

4. Father's Sins

Father's Sins

[Jakotsu]

He remembered. Everything.

This happened eight years ago, in the past. It was only a memory. So it couldn't be real even though it seemed that way. Jakotsu tried to push the flames around him mentally down to get a better look on his surroundings. 'It worked! After all, it's just an illusion, a dream.' He thought, smiling grimly. Then the cross-dresser noticed something he really had seen back then the but repressed it afterwards so far.

There, in the middle of the fire storm stood a young demon with sinister eyes, looking very satisfied down on someone. But Jakotsu felt – compared to before – nothing bad anymore. He could stand aloof. 'Well, maybe I'm a bit sad...' He admitted silently. 'But that man in my memory has to be the demon who attacked us earlier.' Jakotsu laid his head aside, somewhat surprised. 'So I really met him before. But why attack us again? Because we escaped back then?!'

He was starting to get angry at that yokai, quavering slightly. Letting him relive one of his worst memories brought back old grudges. Big grudges. Was that damned demon doing this because he wanted to have a complete score? How pathetic. The feelings inside him burned harder while his surrounding disappeared, leaving just darkness behind.

"I've had enough of this!" The cross-dresser said loud and angry. Then he noticed something. The angrier he got the more the darkness lightened up, too. 'Well, then...' This demon wanted to revenge somebody when he killed his father - but why destroy the whole village? Jakotsu clenched his teeth at the memory. 'An absolute overkill.' The mist exposed a haggard land now. 'My father may not have been a very kind, caring or nice person and maybe he deserved it but the rest...' His blood boiled. He shook the rest of the wicked feelings he felt because of that nightmare off.

Then, he sat up at one go, looking around attentive, still shaking of anger. The cross-dresser wasn't on the forest glade anymore but on an cachectic battlefield, some metallic weapons still laid around. Once many people fought against each other on these grounds, he sensed that. Further away the young man could see an old castle. He didn't know where he was exactly. Although Jakotsuto was still in his hand and Bankotsu laid unconscious where he had last seen him. But the demon who could create illusions was gone as was most of the mist. The rest of his anger vanished. The cross-dresser let it go, he would mind that bastard later. Now somebody else was more important. Jakotsu slowly stood up, stumbling towards his best friend. He had an pained expression on his face, moving not a bit.

[Akira]

"Damn it!" She yelled as the arrow hit only a part of the center which suddenly moved away from her arrow quickly as if it was alive. She nearly would have stamped on the ground like a child because of her frustration. If she wouldn't hit that bloody origin of the mist, the others were in great danger. Maybe she didn't like them but they were still people who were payed to protect her. Furthermore, her conscience wouldn't let her sleep well if the Seven Soldiers died – as bad as they might be and as much they deserved it. 'Damned code...'

But her arrow had at least one effect: the mist was partly dissolving. Akira expected to see the forest again but was mistaken. There was no forest anymore. What the fog revealed was a bleak landscape – she also noticed the rusty weapons and parts of amours – and a former glorious castle nearby. 'Senjou no heishi-tachi...(*)' She recited a part of an old song from her mother silently. She felt somewhat sad when she looked over this setting of a terrible war. The castle itself appeared decayed, abandoned. 'That forest must have been an illusion, too!' The young woman realized, her eyes widened in unbelief. She didn't know when the mirage had started but now she was pretty irritated. 'Then we were walking through an illusion the whole day...' The copper-haired raised the bow again but not to shoot in the sky this time. She would shoot directly through this bloody fog!

[Jakotsu]

He flinched as fast as he could when an arrow flow right over his head, almost hitting him. But this time the weapon didn't seem like an illusion, it was emitting pure energy. It couldn't have been created by the likes of that demon. The arrow was covered in light blue light and obviously had a purifying effect on the environment, dislodging the mist. When the arrow was gone everything was clearly visible. Jakotsu looked quickly to the source of the arrow. The shooter stood about a hundred meters away from him but he recognized the person immediately.

"Akira!" He yelled relieved, getting up to his feet again. The young woman had heard him, starting to run towards him. The cross-dresser sheathed his sword on his back again. He wouldn't need it now – he had a feeling that they were save at the moment. When she arrived the copper-haired seemed very stern and worried like he was. "You're alright!" She didn't even answer this obvious statement.

"Nii-chan, I need your help with..." She called out to him instead but then she saw Bankotsu laying on the ground next to the cross-dresser. The young woman frowned when she saw him like that. She whispered something. "He's unconscious, too..."

"The demon responsible lets all of them experience their worst nightmares. At least that's what the he said." Jakotsu answered before his friend could ask. What she would have done, she was analyzing everything right now. The young woman nodded understanding, didn't ask him about his nightmare – he appreciated it. Then, he remembered Akira needed his help. That meant she hadn't been alone, too. "Who was with you?"

"Suikotsu. When I looked into him I felt fear, despair and whatnot and I couldn't wake him." The copper-haired shook. Jakotsu looked behind her where she had come from. 'Akira lets him lie there all by himself?' The cross-dresser thought irritated. 'Suikotsu was probably too heavy for her...' Jakotsu hastened over to the place where the claw-man still laid while the copper-haired followed.

"We should drag him over to Bankotsu. That's way easier." Akira proposed then and the black-haired agreed. There, they could try to awake them in one place. He pulled the half-doctor up, Akira grabbed his feet, looking kind of stressed. It was harder to get him over than they thought. Obviously, the young woman had overestimated her physical strength. In the end, Jakotsu dragged his comrade almost by himself. 'Women...' He thought, sighing exaggerated. 'They're always a pain in the arse...' The cross-dresser laid the half-doctor down next to their leader. Then, he kneed down next to Suikotsu, trying to wake him up by shaking and yelling at him. But it didn't work, so he looked at Akira who sat opposite to him, seeking help. But she was at a loss, too, the black-haired realized when she shrugged.

"But there must be a way to get them out of their dreams!" The copper-haired stated contemplative. Jakotsu nodded in agreement, hatching an idea. His finger raised again and he looked almost happy. But even before the cross-dresser spoke he knew his friend would never agree.

"Maybe you should kiss him like in the story mother told us." Jakotsu suggested but Akira only gave him a cold glare. A very cold and menacing one. He didn't understand her. Why was she so mad all of the sudden?

"It's no time for joking around! The demon you mentioned could attack any time, this two are still out and we don't even know where the rest of your friends are, Nii-chan!" The copper-haired glared at him fiercely. Really, she was getting angry very easily. 'She just hates being helpless.' Jakotsu remembered, feeling almost the same thing. Helplessness. He couldn't awake his two friends... "And you..." She collared the leader – next to whom the young woman accidentally sat – pulled him up, joggling him almost violently. But he didn't even react – in any way. "Snap out of it!"

"Acchan..." Jakotsu started but she didn't let Bankotsu go. Akira didn't even look at the cross-dresser and gave no reaction that she heard him. 'I bet she would've done this to me to if I'd be the one out...' He thought, quivering at that image. But he knew his idea would be way better than joggling them to death. Perhaps. And perhaps it was like taking care of a healed wound. "Akira."

"What!" Her flaring eyes focused on him, showing her anger and frustration burning in them. 'Like back then with father...' He thought for a second, then he smiled slightly, but rather cunning and grim. Akira raised her brows in surprise, waiting for him to talk, still holding the young leader.

"What do you think about fighting fire with fire?"

[Not far away]

Yume observed the going-ons from save distance. This way, the damned red-head couldn't hurt him anymore. Cursing him, he looked at the arrow which entered his left shoulder deeply. That had been close. Too close. He wouldn't have believed that this one had spiritual powers if he hadn't seen it himself. Even worse: They were pretty immense. 'The good thing was the readhead shot only a part of his power. Otherwise, I'd be dead...'

The demon grabbed the cursed, beastly arrow, pulled it out and threw it away in despise. 'I bet my fog didn't work on this one because of his powers. But everyone can be fooled.' He grinned widely. Now he was motivated to kill the two personally. 'And because the arrow distracted me the two escaped...' He let them have their feeling of victory for the moment. Yume knew that their despair later would be even worse because of that. Maybe this was going to be more interesting than he thought – after all, humans were normally very weak, just like fleas... but this group was – for humans – pretty strong. The black-haired somewhat female man could have hacked him into pieces with his sword. Or the younger one next to him with his unusual weapon... But they were still only humans, they could be bewitched easily. Now they would sleep, forever caught in his illusions. The energy he got from them was more than that of the mere villagers. And at the same time he could revenge his father."Let the game begin I suppose."

[Akira]

"I can't do that! I'm not THAT violent, you know!" She said surprised and startled at the same time. Furthermore... Why did she have to do it? Why didn't he do it by himself? They were his friends, not hers. Jakotsu stared at her unconvinced, slightly smiling as if he knew more than her. Or as if she got it all wrong...

"I didn't mean we should hit them." He responded emphatic. She sighed relieved. Even if she got a bit over the edge while arguing she always tried not to lose her temper. Jakotsu should know that much. "I meant we..."

"Gesh!" A loud growl came from behind him. Both of them hadn't noticed the big, machine-like redhead who had suddenly appeared. Jakotsu's face lightened up and Akira could understand him completely. They weren't the only ones who were awake. And the machine-guy wasn't alone. Ginkotsu had carried two men, Mukotsu and Renkotsu, on his shoulder – it looked like he wasn't the least affected – and dragged the other big man with green hair behind him.

"Ginkotsu! Glad you're fine!"

"Ihihi, of course. I garnered the others." He said with a mechanical voice. Akira froze. This was the first time she actually understood a thing he said. Maybe without his friend he spoke more clearly. But she still couldn't tell in which mood the big guy was. "They are unwakeble."

"Yeah, we tried everything with these two, too..." Akira answered still frustrated, laying the leader gently back on the ground. She wasn't mad at him, just mad at the situation they were in. And he had been a pretty good "punching bag". Hopefully, Bankotsu would never figure that out. However, Ginkotsu gave her an unreadable look, turning his head to Jakotsu again. Then he laid his two comrades on the ground. "So... what now?"

"I already told you!" Jakotsu pouted childlike, looking disappointed at her. 'Is that real or just a game like back then?' Akira wondered while rolling her eyes. From one moment to another he got more serious again. "We'll go and kill that demon." Her friend smiled widely at that thought. The young woman looked surprised. Since when was her old friend and brother so serious when it got to fighting? She grabbed her bow which laid on the ground next to her, getting on her feet. The cross-dresser approached Ginkotsu. "Could you stay here and watch over our friends till we're back?" Surprisingly, the mechanical man nodded in agreement. Akira would have thought that the mechanical man would remind Jakotsu about their leader's orders. Then, her friend turned towards her. For him he looked very serious now, not having this child-like, frisky attitude anymore.

"You still have spiritual power, haven't you?" He asked, looking at her eagerly. She rolled her eyes again. Did he really think she would lose all her power by shooting one arrow? He read her mimic well and obviously took it as a "yes". The copper-haired was relieved she didn't have to answer this stupid question. "Can you find the demon, then?"

"Sure." Another – but not so dumb – question. Akira focused on the ominous, demonic aura that still lingered around slightly. Obviously, this bit came from the bodies of Jakotsu's friends. The bigger one came directly from the old castle. 'How surprising.' She thought sarcastically, looking confident at the big mechanic, then at her other companion. "The castle. He's in the castle."

"Let's go, then." The cross-dresser just stated, walking as fast as possible towards the old building. She followed him immediately. The young woman hadn't much on her mind. Right now, she didn't even thought about the destination of their traveling. This was more exciting. How she expected her life to be when she was trained for fighting by her father, with using the katana by the old swordsmith who raised her the last years or her training in order to become a miko. Akira never really thought about getting married or having children. This part of the expected female life she feared badly. She frowned, shook the thoughts and memories off. Why did they always come at the worst times? The young woman looked at her black-haired companion. Something wasn't right, she could feel that. It was like Jakotsu was hiding something. But what? And why? It was true that they hadn't seen each other in years but somehow there was still a connection.

"What's up?" Her friend looked at her in surprise as if he didn't know what Akira was talking about. Maybe he really didn't know. But there was something up. "Come on, Ja-chan. I know you since we were little and I always knew when you weren't telling something."

"That wasn't on purpose." The cross-dresser just answered cagey, looking down a bit embarrassed. He had never been like that except when it came down to... "I was thinking about father."

"Huh, why now?" Her hunch had been correct. Maybe he spaced out like she did. The two were walking only for some minutes but... they had time to think. The copper-haired looked suspiciously at the castle. They would approach it any time soon. Her thoughts went back to Jakotsu. 'Father? Why think about him? He's dead for a pretty long time now...' Her thoughts were interrupted

"This yokai told me he killed father because of vengeance." Jakotsu said a bit angry and a bit sulky, looking her directly in the eyes. Many emotions flooded her mind. Anger, sadness, surprise, seeking for retaliation. In his eyes Akira saw similar feelings. At least some of them. "I couldn't get that out of my mind..."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?! You know I vowed revenge for the one who killed father. That's the code of honour father taught us!" The young woman responded directly and louder than before. That was her duty. To avenge her father. If she had done that she was free to do whatever she wanted to. 'Well... except father didn't wanted THAT for me...' The copper-haired huffed.

"I just forgot." He scratched his head innocently, laughing somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry, Nee-chan."

"You don't have to apologize." Akira closed her eyes and sighed. This way it was easier. She and Jakotsu would get revenge and it would exonerate both – well, at least Akira herself – from their father. Jakotsu smiled, maybe because he knew what was coming next. "I'd kill him either way."

"Good. Because there's the castle..."

{Inside the castle}

"So, it's like that, little priest, weirdo." Yume laughed when the siblings entered his castle. The redhead took the weird black-haired by the wrist, dragged him in his own direction. Obviously, the young warrior could sense his demonic presence. 'If they were stupid enough to come here, the two don't really live up to their father's name.' He created several images of himself which stood everywhere in this room. The demon remembered this had been a big hall for the amusement of his family and the family's friends. But this was all over now. He clenched his fist, the illusions copied his move. 'Good. I can't be too careful but...' The yokai extended his demonic presence a bit to lure them to this room. 'They'll know it's a trap but come anyway.' He grinned at the thought of the imminent slaughter.

[Jakotsu]

"Don't be so tempestuously!" He complained. Akira held his wrist vigorously, dragging him very fast and a bit boorish towards a specific door. She seemed very certain about it.

"Sorry! But it's that room over there..." Jakotsu stopped suddenly. 'This is clearly a trap, it'd be too easy.' He thought estimating when something else came to his mind.

"Hey, do you..." The cross-dresser wanted to ask her whether she knew why the demon demanded revenge. But he stopped after a few words because the young woman had been too little when all of it happened to know something like that. He wagged his head, letting her drag him to the slide door.

"Yes?" Akira looked at him for a second with her blue eyes. Then, she focused on the door and opened it, walking through it. She had something else on her mind right now, was preparing for what was coming now. Like he should do it, too. The young man followed her, already in a battle mode.

"Forget about that." The cross-dresser responded. In the end it wasn't that important to know about. After he walked through the door it disappeared suddenly, showing only a wall that one couldn't distinguish. 'If we move we won't find the exit anymore!' He realized alarmed, looking around vigilant. Jakotsu didn't like what he saw: Everywhere stood the demon multiple times. Normally he would be thrilled because of so many handsome yokai. But first these were looking all the same and second most of them were mere illusions that couldn't even harm the two humans. Even though he couldn't sense the origin of the demonic energy he could still feel it. And he was experienced enough to know where the demon would probably be what was clearly a advantage. His eyes wandered over a weird shape in the middle of the room. It was big, earth brown and scaled. It looked like dried out branches or maybe a toasted flower with former succulent petals. Jakotsu couldn't look at it any further because finally the demon spoke up.

"There you are. Finally." His voice sounded like it came from all sides. As if every copy of him was real. The cross-dresser drew his sword, trying to estimate where the real yokai was. Suddenly one of the "petals" – which seemed more like a tentacle now – kicked the two easily away from the exit while he laughed as if it was the funniest thing to watch. "Shall we begin?"

'Great...' He clenched his teeth when he fell back on the ground. But it didn't hurt as much as he would have expected, so he leaped to his feet quickly afterward, dusting his beloved kimono off while glaring at one of the illusions. The floor was soiled and at many places laid earth. Maybe this was why the room looked so brown. 'How dare he to soil my clothes...' Jakotsu resented, grabbing Jakotsuto again. He heard an "Ouch!" when the copper-haired landed next to him. He gave her a short look, noticing that almost all of her arrows were useless and she landed on her bow. The bow would probably be broken, too. 'Maybe I can lure him out...'

"I know you destroyed my home village. But... what did our father do that made you so vengeful, cutie?" For that a tentacle crashed right in front of him on the ground and he could barely elude. The cross-dresser bet that Akira rolled away, too.

"You really don't know what your father did back then?" The laughing sounded bitter from everywhere. But Jakotsu could still narrow the area where the demon was down. He raised his sword slightly. The demon continued talking. "He murdered my father sanguinary when he was very weak. Furthermore, he killed hundreds of demons around back then like he was in a blood frenzy and he wasn't even a demon. And most of them had nothing to do with my father! That's disgusting! So your ignoble family has to be erased. And I'm not the only one who thinks like that."

"We don't have anything to do with what our father has done! We were just kids back then!" Akira yelled, trying to get to the demon's mind but Jakotsu knew it was a hopeless endeavor. This yokai wouldn't listen even if they were telling the truth or if they were completely innocent. At that thought the cross-dresser chuckled a bit.

"Maybe. But nothing good will come from your family, only blood will course from your hands. That's another reason why I, Yume, the master of illusions, will kill you now. For the sake of this world!" A scaled tentacle moved dangerously quick towards Akira. Jakotsu couldn't let this happen, he waved his sword towards that thing.

[Akira]

She was slang away by a big, brown tentacle, dashing hard against the floor. All air was pressed out of her lungs within a second, waves of pain flooded her mind. The young woman couldn't think clearly, moaning silently.

"You know... I thought we could have a little fun together. But unfortunately you just hurt my sister. I hope for your sake she's not too badly injured." The pain eased after a few moments, so she could understand now what they were saying.

"Really? That's a woman?" He didn't dwell on Jakotsu's statement, just laughed contemptuous, looking in her direction for a second. Yume was just playing with them, teasing the two with his words to make their pain – or anger, Akira wasn't sure – even worse. She tried to get up but instantly fell back. Her lower chest hurt severely. 'It feels like it's burning and a thousand needles stabbing me there...' The copper-haired grimaced, supporting herself on the wooden wall. Her black-haired companion was covered by the enormous true form of that evil demon, she couldn't even see him. But the young woman had to do something even though she could barely move. She couldn't let Jakotsu fight on his own! "Your family is much stranger than I thought. Seriously, the son's dressing as woman, the daughter as man. What would your conceited father say? I bet he'd be ashamed."

"I don't really care about what he would've said or thought. For whatever he has done he will be punished in hell or wherever he is." Akira suspected the demon could see a complacent smile on Jakotsu's face right now. She noticed with satisfaction that the demon waved his hand impatiently to create another ugly scaled tentacle, while she felt for Surudoi in her belt. 'Jakotsu will attack anytime... Is that... what the yokai wants...?' Akira stood up weak-kneed. She was surprised she could even stand up. Counting on the fact that the demon saw her as too feeble to be a threat, she trudged towards her enemy, her left hand firmly pressed on her painful spot. "Unlike you. I'll slice you up in pieces with zest."

"How could you harm me in any way? You mere human?" He didn't seem to have noticed her presence behind him – maybe the lila-haired demon was too busy with trying to upset the cross-dresser or he just ignored her. Anyway, Akira drew Surudoi, piercing the katana right through the gut of the yokai from behind. With satisfaction she watched dark blood extravasating, trickling over the blade. Then, the young woman toppled, falling to the yokai's feet. 'Father's sword is... It occurs to me...' She smiled slightly, barely conscious. '…that I am sorely affected by his spell, too... I can't... move anymore...' Yume turned around and looked first at her, then at the blade which was even visible from the front while he ignored Jakotsu foolishly. "Did you really think that..." The yokai looked meaningful down on her blade, then he gave her a superior look. He was clearly making fun of her last attempt. "...this would hurt me? A bare katana? You should've attacked me with your priestess powers."

She didn't know what Jakotsu was up to right now but she focused her eyes on the blade again. Something was happening with it. Her enemy's eyes widened when he eyed the katana again. Obviously, he felt something she couldn't tell. "What the hell...?!" Her own eyes narrowed. 'That... that's impossible...!' She thought in disbelief. Surudoi bleeded Yume, absorbing his blood. Quickly. He grew pale. All of this happened within seconds, so Akira was very shocked when the demon was cut all over his body. He didn't say anything else anymore when his body fell lifeless on the ground sideways, bellylanding. The illusions of the other same-looking demons and tentacles disappeared immediately, leaving only the corpus and the two humans in the big old room alone. Even the door appeared again. Akira sat up as fast as she could, looking grateful to her friend whose blades were still lying around the demon's body. With only a wave of Jakotsuto there was just one blade left, then Jakotsu sheathed it again, walking towards her.

"How bad is it?" He asked worried, not even looking at the corpse next to them. The copper-haired wagged her head. She was feeling much better now. The yokai was dead and their companions should be awake by now. Furthermore, most of the pain must have been imagination, too. The cross-dresser still stood over her.

"I'm fine. It's just a contusion." She answered honestly. Her chest was still hurting but it wasn't as bad as before. 'I bet I owe the pain to the dead yokai...' Akira thought and let Jakotsu help her up. The cross-dresser scrutinized her. "Really, I am okay!"

"If you say so..." His eyes followed her as she walked to the cadaver with Surudoi still piercing right through it, cut into pieces. But the body looked different after the few moments that had passed: it looked like a sliced up mummy. She grimaced at that eyesore, reaching out for her katana. But at the second she touched it with her fingertips, it sent out black or dark lilac lightnings, sizzling. The young woman recoiled immediately. Not only her fingers but her whole right palm was scorched, suffused with black lines that looked like the flashes. And they burned like hell. 'It's like Surudoi is defending itself. Like it has its own will!' She looked at the sword incredulously. An item couldn't be alive. Then, the copper-haired heard steps behind her. She knew it was Jakotsu.

"Do you know what this means?" He said, sounding content, maybe a bit happy. But right now there was another issue she had to deal with. The young woman concentrated deeply so that she could channel her spiritual powers to her right hand. Maybe this would help because she suspected that the katana had absorbed some demonic power. Then, Akira tried to grab it again and this time she succeeded.

"Yeah..." She answered, smiling victorious. She sheathed Surudoi casually, channeling some of her energy to the scabbard, letting it float around it. Even if it wouldn't be purified, the energy would contain her sword till she knew more about it. And maybe the problem would solve itself in a few minutes or hours. Akira turned around to the cross-dresser, looking to her broken bow for a moment. For a moment she was sad about the loss, she had had that bow for a pretty long time now. "I need a new bow."

"No, stupid." Jakotsu rolled his eyes about her lousy joke, then he looked to the door. The copper-haired understood immediately. He wanted to return to his friends, wanted to know if his friends were alright now, without showing her his concern. She smiled a bit, leaving the cadaver behind and heading towards the exit. The black-haired catched up to her. "Father's avenged and the others are alright!"

"They should be... But somehow I doubt it..." The cross-dresser gave her a alarmed and anxious look. Apparently, she enunciated it inaccurate. "Yume said that another demon told him where our home village was... where father lived."

"Oh, I see..." Jakotsu sighed eased again, smiling soothing. Akira detected the pain in her chest again but not so bad. She faked a smile to cover her sentiency. "You're not off the hook I guess."

[Ginkotsu]

The big redhead looked over his small friends once more. Jakotsu and the weird one were gone for over an hour and he began to get uneasy. He didn't like tranquility. Most of the times his comrades were loud, it was always noisy around them. So now the silence that lingered around was almost eerie. Suddenly he saw out of the corner of his eye a little movement, then another one. Quickly, he turned his head just to see Renkotsu opening his eyes, creasing his face pained. The next one moving was the leader. Bankotsu put his hand to his forehead, groaning like he always did when he had drunk too much.

"Why does my head feel like it could explode anytime?" He railed, trying to sit up. But obviously, he was still in a poor health, so he laid down again.

"Whoever that did..." Renkotsu whispered as angry as he could, still stricken. Ginkotsu walked over to the two who were the first to awake. He smiled though nobody could tell it was a relieved one. "...is a dead man when I'll find him..."

"That won't be necessary. The two did it." Ginkotsu said as quiet as he could with his mechanic voice but the two grimaced once more. The other mercenaries began to stir. He was still speaking too loud but continued anyway. "If the one responsible wouldn't be dead you wouldn't be awake."

{Hours later, again on their way}

[Bankotsu]

"So... your father was a samurai?" Bankotsu asked his best friend interested, trying to get his minds off his still existent headaches. The pain was easing with every hour that passed but he noticed that it was even easier by distracting himself. Furthermore, the black-haired realized he knew almost nothing about Jakotsu's past. After the events with that Illusion-Demon only fragments of his and Akira's past had been revealed.

"I don't know..." The cross-dresser shrugged, laying his right hand on his chin pensively. He was seriously thinking about it. Was it possible he didn't remember? The young leader focused on the copper-haired who was walking in front of him – and who tried to help them with his spiritual powers, to ease their pain but Suikotsu said that his pure energy would cause them even more pain – because of their evil thoughts. But why did the black-haired never mention his family? Then, he continued, smiling. "He never called himself a samurai though he was very skilled with weapons."

"He never called himself like that because he wasn't one." Akira stated without turning his head around. Right now, the copper-haired looked stoic as if he wouldn't let anyone get close to him. The cold side again. Jakotsu looked really surprised.

"Huh? He wasn't?" Jakotsu looked really surprised. Bankotsu was slightly amused about the situation. Sometimes the cross-dresser was pretty oblivious, other times his mind was as keen as a razor. "But the demon..."

"That stupid fool didn't even know the correct term for him." The copper-haired snorted, almost laughing. Obviously, he didn't think about the dead yokai very highly. 'Well, I do not, too.' Bankotsu admitted and began to grin. Then, he explained further. "He was a ronin." Jakotsu's eyes widened while he mumbled something like "Aha!". The young leader wasn't really sure about that.

"A masterless samurai... That makes you one, too." Bankotsu smirked at the young charge. Eventually, the boy looked asquint at him. He didn't seem angry or pissed this time. 'What a pity!' He thought, somewhat disappointed.

"So what?"

"We're more alike than I'd have thought." He patted him on his shoulder. Now his eyes started to glint annoyed. Bankotsu's grin grew wider when the copper-haired spat:

"Knock it off!"

*Senjou no heishi-tachi: Remember the soldiers on the battlefields