"Free stickers! Free stickers!" Babuu shouted at the top of his lungs. He was clad in the same baby outfit he wore from the sequel manga beneath a massive overcoat. On top of the coat he was flashing free stickers of cutesy animals and such. A passerby spotted him and recognized him from the previous part.
"But weren't you selling child porn? And are there really rumors about you being ga-"
"SILENCE!" Babuu screamed, sending the passerby into the great beyond.
"He needs shock therapy…" Jobus sighed.
-X-
Third Prelude
(Part 4: HELLLLLLP!)
On a subway train bound for an unknown location…
Jobus and Porusutoroi were quietly conversing during the train ride, while Namero was tied to the door in the seating section reserved for the handicapped. He tried to listen in on the two mens' conversation, but heard little due to the low volume of their voices. Already he was suspicious, as one would expect.
"So," Porusutori sighed, twirling a lock of his hair. "How was the meeting with the chancellor? You were there, right?"
"Indeed. It went well. There wasn't any blood flying anywhere, surprisingly."
"Well? Give me some details, will you?"
"Ugh, let's see…" Jobus pulled out a small notepad filled with intricate handwriting. "It's blatantly obvious that they revoked our need for five billion yen. We're already causing enough trouble for every other nation on Deo. The chancellor also revoked our offer to build several nuclear reactor plants in the kingdom for their own use. Sheesh, they're so stubborn."
"That wizard that attacked them's the problem. They won't contact anyone outside or do any other affairs until the kingdom's back to harmony. How dumb."
"The Maruhage Empire is in no better a situation. Considering the emperor's reputation, outside contact isn't helping as much as I expected. He needs the palace rebuilt, an economic redistribution, and an heir."
Jobus glanced briefly at Namero, who in response gave him a small glare.
"The palace is in shambles, and though the trading market and stocks are recovering, where in the holy name of f—k are we getting this heir?" Porusutoroi asked with a small snarl.
Jobus said nothing as the subway began to slow down at their destination. He kept the corner of his left eye fixed on Namero, who had still kept his suspicions alert…
-X-
Zircon Region
The shadow began to form a female bodily shape, increasing dramatically in height. The light silver mist was now replaced with bloody colored smoke that carried the odor of a rotten corpse. Everyone was agape at the sight of the shadow forming long, demonic arms complete with claws. A head spurted from the neck, forming horns, slit eyes, a wide mouth littered with fangs. A kimono-like outfit formed on the shadow's body before its red skin solidified. A second of sheer silence passed as the demon began to stir.
"Oh…" Bo-bobo raised an eyebrow at the forming demon. The bag on his head began to stink from the stench of the mist.
"Blimey…" Hatenkou stuttered like a British schoolboy.
"Oy…" Beauty squeaked, eyes shining in both awe and fear.
"Yike…" Suzu hiccupped, stuffing her face with potato chips.
"Moo…" Serviceman coughed from his medical bed.
"Ugh…" Heppokomaru sighed from Serviceman's comment.
"CHURROS!" Don Patch screamed for the first time in a while. Although he finally broke face, he returned to his brain-dead state right after.
The demon's body solidified from shadow to scaly red skin that crackled like fireworks. It grinned its mouth and slowly opened it, like the gates of Hell, brandishing its ivory fangs and a moist, saliva-drenched tongue. It hissed and growled like a basilisk, making Serviceman explode from fear. Its eyes slowly opened; they were a deep yellow with sharp, cat-eye pupils, making them appear like spearheads. As a fan-like object jutted from the top of its skull, Heppokomaru made a noise akin to that of a cough and a whimper.
"Ah…that is…I know that thing…"
The black and golden fan-like object completely formed, making the demon appear like a regal queen of Hades, a lieutenant of the Devil, a messenger of Armageddon. She released a high-pitched growl that made the ice on the leaves of the trees break apart like glass.
"It's…"
Heppokomaru tried to shake off the memories he had over a decade ago, but with the same demon that gave him his powers looming right in front of him, it was impossible.
"Help…" he sighed hopelessly. His iron fighting will had rusted and flaked away as the demon Fûjin-Uzume made her presence to the party.
"Fu fu fu fu fu…who disturbs the hunting grounds of the Slamandra Demon Tribe, I wonder? There hasn't been a soul that has infiltrated this ground…"
The mist overpowered the party, yet they were able to hide within the shroud. Everyone took a hiding position in a part of the forest. Fûjin-Uzume dropped her claws down to her torso and began to slither in search of them.
"I can smell the meat of humans…come on out…" she stuck out her mammoth tongue that relished for food. Heppokomaru, Beauty, and Hatenkou were perched behind a large tree surrounded by some high-topped ivy vines.
"Ahhh, a demon…" Beauty shivered. "I've seen them before…" Beauty sighed, remembering traces of memories that hosted a traumatic experience.
Beauty Flashback Mode
Demons flew everywhere. They ripped people apart. They ripped themselves apart. They turned buildings to dust with their sheer power. They feasted on the organs of their victims. They used their magic to create even more chaos. Among them was a young girl, drenched in the blood of several victimized demons. Tears splattered down her face, desperately looking for anyone that cared for her.
"Waaah!"
End Flashback
"Uuu-fuuu…" Beauty sighed, frightened. She glanced over at Heppokomaru, who remembered the demon himself.
Heppokomaru Flashback Mode
"Take my power. Take as much of it as you need, for I am the strongest demon of winds and revelry. Take it and turn into a god for all I care. This power is yours for fourteen more years…until you reach manhood…and then…your soul…your heart…your life…will…"
End Flashback
Heppokomaru's nervousness got to him. He dry-heaved to the side, vomiting out a brownish-orange substance. Fûjin-Uzume glanced in his direction, but continued to search without checking.
"He-kun…" Beauty gently rubbed his back, and he relaxed; his tense muscles shivered in calmness like gentle hot bath water. He faintly smiled at her in thanks.
Hatenkou himself began to remember some demons that attacked him one day…
Hatenkou Flashback Mode
Hatenkou was at the tender age of two and a half when a demonic figure stalked into his life. The demon was a massive purple ogre sporting massive lower fangs, ram-like horns, and circular marks etched all over his body. Whimpering and muttering babble in fear, little Hatenkou crouched inside the sandbox, hoping that the darkness of the night along with the sand grains hid him. The demon glanced over the playground, its empty white eyes full of anger and a desire for kill. It stomped off, crushing the slide into pieces in the process.
Hatenkou at that time made a decision to stay at the playground after dark due to him and Bo-bobo getting into a fight. Now he didn't know what to do; try to risk escaping and getting eaten, or hiding. The demon was heading toward the palace where Bo-bobo and his siblings slept…
"Uh!?"
The demon sensed the sleeping children inside. Instinctively, he reached for the window quietly and slowly opened it without breaking a thing; he was rather intelligent for a demon. He placed his eyes onto Bo-bobo's sleeping self, dreaming about playing the CD-i. The demon slowly but surely reached his hand for his chosen prey…
"Uh, uh!? Nnh mna!"
Due to a disability, Hatenkou could only utter gibberish. He cried out and ran at the demon, despite his unarmed state. He began to cry as the demon grabbed Bo-bobo, who was still asleep. Facing the demon, Hatenkou wondered if he should run or fight…
"Mo-mmo!"
End Flashback
"In the end, adults rescued us both…I swore that day that I would always protect those who cared for me during my hard youth…especially you, Bo-bobo." Hatenkou shut his eyes as the painful memory swept over him.
Bo-bobo had taken Serviceman and Suzu under his wing and protected them from behind a tall tree. He bore his teeth as the ogress laid her eyes onto Beauty, Heppokomaru, and Hatenkou's hiding spot. He flinched in worry, remembering how a demon like her had nearly killed him!
Bo-bobo Flashback Mode
Entering the same scenario Hatenkou had, the demon grabbed a five-year-old Bo-bobo and attempted to strangle him. Dribbles of blood fell down his chin as the grotesque figure crushed his insides and squeezed life from him.
"Mo-mmo!" Hatenkou choked between sobs as he could only stand by in fear.
Bo-bobo couldn't hear his friend's plea. All he could see were millions of stars fading into blackness…
Eventually, both boys were rescued by adults. Neither of them, however, could shake off the feeling of something large and terrifying stalking them. Several months later, Bo-bobo had to protect an injured Be-bebe from a snake demon and broke his leg. Another attacked during his seventh birthday and he broke both his arms. Another ate his ice cream when he was ten and he had to get surgery on his spine and his butt. His head nearly got eaten during his high school graduation and he needed to get stitches on his jaw. Everywhere a demon lurked, Bo-bobo would get hurt…
End Flashback
"Rrgh…" Bo-bobo worriedly glanced at Beauty's hiding spot. He didn't want either him or them to get hurt. He wondered if he would hurt himself anyway…
Serviceman was sleeping off the poison, having a nightmare about when a demon attacked him…
Serviceman Flashback Mode
Serviceman's father was running out of time, suffering from Huntington's disease (1). There was only one known cure…
"GIMME ALL THE BELGIAN WAFFLES YOU HAVE!" A fifteen-year-old Serviceman screamed at a fish mongrel.
"Okay!"
Later Serviceman had the waffles delivered. His father ate them. He died instantaneously.
"WTF!?" Serviceman screamed.
"Huntington's disease is incurable, dumbass. And those Belgian Waffles were so hot that they sped up the brain-deteriorating process." A doctor packed his bag and walked out the door.
"NOOO!"
End Flashback
Horrified from shock, despite that the memory was completely unrelated to demons, Serviceman's spirit began to enter the great beyond. Bo-bobo ignored him.
Suzu was equally as frightened, but also overly concerned for her food. She passed out five seconds after eating a bag of chocolate chips.
Don Patch was still brain-dead. Go figure.
Fûjin-Uzume's eyes spun in the direction of Bo-bobo's hiding spot; she had heard Serviceman's shock. Reaching her massive claws back, she lashed her entire arm into the knight and mailman's direction at mach 5 speed. Taking Serviceman, Bo-bobo dashed back under an ice-crusted bush.
"You can run, but you can't hide, stubborn knight!"
Inhaling the ice-cold air, Fûjin-Uzume released an icy breath the color of a pearl; it smelled like burnt rubber and had a near-zero temperature. Bo-bobo tossed Serviceman away to take the blow. Immediately he could see his leg encasing itself into ice.
"Bo-bobo…" Beauty whispered in despair. Heppokomaru's body trembled from fright and anger, torn between his friend and the demon that empowered him.
"Ggh…I can't take this! I have to help…" Hatenkou vanished in a ghost-like fashion and reappeared right behind Fûjin-Uzume's back. He tossed one of his keys dead center, and the backside began to turn into stone.
"Oh!" Beauty shouted in surprise.
"Can't be…" Heppokomaru sighed in disbelief.
Uzume glanced behind to see a snarling Hatenkou flare his ghostly aura and speed up the "locking" process. Taking one of her claws, the demon tore right through the key, returning her scaly red skin back to its original state. Hatenkou's eyes were wide, distraught.
"The hell!?"
"Childish tricks won't work on me. I am the empress of the wind and of revelry. I cannot be stopped…"
Uzume reached back again and lashed at Hatenkou, who actually felt the physical blow. He smashed into several trees, collapsing onto the ground with a cracked rib.
"Oh no!" Beauty cried.
Hatenkou had actually felt physical pain, even as a ghost. He spat up blood and some other brownish-colored fluid. His head had detached itself from the world for a moment, in a whirl of color that fogged his vision.
"-Glorb_...ah…"
Fûjin-Uzume had shown no mercy. Bo-bobo winced as his best friend wallowed in pain. His own two legs were now completely frozen. The two teenagers didn't know what to do. Serviceman was still poisoned. Don Patch was playing bocce ball with himself, smashing his face off several times.
"Ohh, I'm so scared, He-kun…" Beauty sighed, gazing at poor Bo-bobo in despair.
"D-do not worry…" Heppokomaru grasped Beauty's shoulders. "I'm here…"
They gently embraced one another. Heppokomaru didn't want the moment to end, and Beauty didn't either. The frozen grounds, the ice-topped trees, the hideous demon, and their friends in danger had all lost their importance, at least for a moment.
"His chest…so warm…but…why do I feel so uneasy? He's my friend…" Beauty's face glowed a slight shade of red.
"I've longed for something like this, probably since…since puberty…and yet…" Heppokomaru sighed, rethinking about what had happened through the past three months. Their talks, their casual attendances between adventures…but did they all spell out how he felt?
"Maybe it isn't…it shouldn't be…"
The boy watched in fright as Uzume raised her massive arm once more and slashed three slash wounds on Bo-bobo's chest. Blood flew out in droplets, making Bo-bobo agonize in pain. Shaking in rage, Heppokomaru let his anger rush through his pistols, keeping Beauty in his arms and shooting Uzume.
"Die! Die! Die! Die! DIE!" Heppokomaru screamed over and over as he let out a rapid-paced barrage of bullets at Uzume's arm. He dashed over (with Beauty still in his arm), cutting loose sheer emotion fueled by an inextinguishable flame. Combining black flatulence with bullets, Uzume fell back and moaned as her own blood gushed from her arm. It was a deep crimson, almost black, and ink-like.
"Ugh…" Heppokomaru spat his tongue out. The blood had a nasty odor, splattering on his and Beauty's bodies.
"I'm gonna pass out…" Beauty sighed, her eyes spinning.
Uzume seethed as she grasped the painful wound. She carefully and slowly injected her nail where all the bullets landed. She was able to successfully pick out all the bullets, like scabs on a leg. The blood still fell in heavy clumps.
"Tthhh…you…" she sighed, recognizing Heppokomaru. "How dare you…"
Heppokomaru arched back. He remained on guard, gently releasing Beauty's body. He reloaded one of his guns and also pulled out the unused knife strapped on his pants leg.
"Beauty…please run from here. Get the package back to the chancellor." He did not turn; his voice was deep, shaky, and full of bitterness.
"B-but…" Beauty protested, glancing at Bo-bobo, who was almost completely frozen.
"I said run!"
Beauty shivered. "He-kun…"
"Get out of here, dammit!"
Beauty got herself up and grabbed the package, but still walked over to Heppokomaru. She sighed out of concern. "I…can still help…please?"
/Slap!/
The boy delt a painful slap in the face on the poor girl. She stood there a moment in shock, with a mix of electrified emotions swirling into her head.
"Ah…"
"Get the f—k out of here! Are you retarded or something!? You can't help me this time!"
Heppokomaru's ferocity got to Beauty. She frowned in sadness and slowly trotted off, package in tow. Heppokomaru grunted and turned his attention back to the demon he tangled with years ago.
Tears flew off Beauty's face as she ran away. Why was Heppokomaru so angry at her for wanting to help? She knew he had a masculine pride that she couldn't undermine, but this time seemed a bit ridiculous.
"Well, if Bo-bobo and Hatenkou are dead because of him, then he can't blame me for it…" Beauty sighed in frustration. Through the mist, she could see the clearing that led out of the Zircon Region and back to Sapphire Village.
"I swear…" she sighed.
Beauty Flashback Mode
Beauty and Heppokomaru were standing outside the Acerola Theater in the Crystal Town plaza waiting to see a movie. The particular movie they were seeing involved a warrior going on a journey through his own mind and strengths, something Heppokomaru adored. Beauty came along to see for herself, and although she was interested, she was a bit irked at Heppokomaru's slightly childish behavior.
"C'mon c'mon c'mon…" Heppokomaru was antsy for the line to move. Beauty sweatdropped at his fiery attitude.
"He-kun, won't you calm down? You're drawing in attention."
"Can I not help being so excited? I've wanted to see this movie, like, forever…"
"Why are you so hell-bent on seeing it?"
"Because…" The boy swept back some of his hair. "It contains all that I ever read about on the path of a warrior. I want to absorb the movie's wisdom. You may not have the same interest, but it contains good life lessons."
Beauty raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I read up on it. What I saw on those so-called 'life lessons' were actually quite interesting. But reviewers say that it's mainly an action flick."
Heppokomaru twitched. "We'll see about that. Why can't you take a good look at something, well good? I mean, magic history is interesting, but it's a tad…how should I say this? Dull."
Heppokomaru spun back around. Beauty sighed in annoyance. It was going to be a long two hours.
End Flashback
The clearing came in view and the mist cleared away. Beauty could see the back of Namero's house. She slowly stepped into it, but tripped over her own foot.
"Oww…"
Beauty gently rubbed her head, picking herself up. She blanked out from reality for a second, and within that second…
"Beau-kô! (2)"
Beauty completely spaced out. A second later, reality gently sunk back into her body. She got up and toted the package behind her into Namero's house, still thinking of that space in her memory.
In that moment, she saw the shadow of a teenage boy, one she knew only so well.
"Why did I remember my brother just now…?"
-X-
Zircon Region
"So, you want to hand your powers back to me, little boy?" Uzume hissed, drawing up a stench-filled aura. Heppokomaru twitched violently.
"I've no intention of ever doing that…" his voice quivered. "Not after what I had seen that night…"
Uzume's interests perked. "Oh? Is that so? Are you sure you want to do that? It won't matter in about another three years."
Heppokomaru's confidence shattered in an instant. The price he had to pay that night had haunted him all his life, and now it was returning. His life's goal was beginning to fall out of reach.
"N…no…it's a lie…I can't…"
Uzume saw the opening the poor boy had made and struck him head-on with her talon. Blood flew and soaked into the snow from Heppokomaru's face and upper body. He didn't move, for the fright had gotten to him.
"My promise…is…"
One more slash. More blood.
"Heppokoma-" Bo-bobo had been frozen over completely.
"Heh heh heh…I'd kill you right here, but I won't get anything out of you unless the promise is completely fulfilled…"
Uzume glanced at the still injured Bo-bobo, Hatenkou, and Serviceman, and the frightened Suzu. She noticed that Beauty was gone, and that Heppokomaru and Don Patch remained immobile.
"…and so she has run away…and yet…"
Heppokomaru slumped to the ground, at the mercy of the demon's words.
"Do not even think once that we will never meet again. Surely, we will…surely we will meet in the place where your so-called promise is waiting to kill you."
Heppokomaru remained immobile, but perked. "What do you mean!?"
"And…be sure to tell your knightly friend that one of his 'siblings' may have…betrayed him…"
Hatenkou himself was now faced with shock. Both could only watch Uzume slowly evaporate into mist.
"Until then…I bid thee farewell. Go on…your princess is waiting for you…ke ke ke…"
After a moment, Uzume completely vanished, a cloud of smoke rising into the air. The mist regained its odorless scent and icy color. Silence and shock was the feeling that struck and stayed.
"Is it…over?" Suzu asked, coming to.
"I think so…" Serviceman coughed.
Heppokomaru said nothing. Something terrible was going to happen, and soon. His eyes, skin, and face were stark white.
"Heppokomaru? What's wrong?" Suzu worriedly glanced at Heppokomaru.
"Ah…uh…"
"You look like you're going to puke. Let's get you back. Beauty has the package, thus, our mission is accomplished…" Suzu grabbed a wheeling cart she bought along with her and placed Serviceman, Heppokomaru, and the now-frozen Bo-bobo ice sculpture on it. Hatenkou slowly and awkwardly fluttered by her.
"Let's just take our time getting into the city…we need to recover…and look at Bo-bobo! How are we going to unfreeze him?" Hatenkou sighed, still woozy from the crash.
"I'm sure we'll find a way…he is Sir Bo-bobo, after all…" Suzu smiled as they carted back to the Sapphire Region.
Meanwhile, completely left in the dust was the brain-dead Don Patch, moving, still as a wax figure. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tree crashed onto the ground, and one of its branches pried the nail and board that was stuck in his forehead out. Within seconds, beeps signaled that his system was restarting…
Double Obsidian Nanotech-Interface + Paralysis Adaptation Triple Catharsis Home-Unit memory system rebooting…
As the android returned to normal, only one thing was on his mind right there. His face became filled with rage, and he whipped out two things he craved for…
"CHURROOOOOOOS!"
And with that, he charged out of the region at roadrunner speed.
-X-
Sapphire Region, Azure Train Station
Suzu and Hatenkou reached the station in one piece; however, Bo-bobo was still frozen over. Suzu attempted to melt the ice, even with magic, but had no avail.
"Okay, now we're in trouble. Serviceman's dying, Bo-bobo's a sculpture, and Heppokomaru's in shock. Oh yeah, and I just noticed that Namero's been missing!"
"Gee, what is it with you people and how long it takes you before you realize one of your friends is missing?" Hatenkou thought with a sigh.
"Ugh, let's go…"
The party hopped on board of the train. They sat down, Hatenkou sitting next to a rather shady figure. The person he was sitting next to appeared to be a teenage boy, wrapped in some kind of dark blue cloak. He glanced over at him several times, trying not to get his attention. The boy's face couldn't be seen from beneath his hood.
"Hmm…"
Hatenkou silently analyzed the passenger before disembarking to Sapphire City. The boy that stayed behind smirked and removed his hood-and it was none other than Hiragi from Emerald Village…
"Now then…Jobus and Porusutori await." He sighed in a lax fashion. "Maybe they have the new heir with them…"
-X-
Sapphire City, MuraMura Bookstore
"Wow, you were waiting here all this time?" Suzu asked Chancellor Tofu, who was sipping some tea. Beauty had already delivered the package at this time, and was currently pouting alongside some agar.
"Yep. I love this place!" The chancellor was unusually peppy from the return of the package.
"Umm, if I can ask, what's inside the package anyway?" Suzu asked.
The chancellor looked rather uncomfortable. "Well, um…it's an old family…uh, heirloom…"
"Your stuttering clearly implies that you're lying," Beauty bitterly spat.
The chancellor sighed in defeat. "Okay, you got me. It's a painting. But I don't want to open this until I get back to my home. The workers of the castle that haven't been kidnapped want to see it too."
"What's it a painting of?"
"The royal family."
"Oh." Beauty sighed. "No big deal then." The chancellor said nothing and gave her a small glare.
"So...this small sidequest is over?" Suzu asked.
"You bet your ass!" Bo-bobo shouted, breaking free from the ice suddenly. Everyone else, including the chancellor, freaked out and screamed.
"What the hell!?"
"Now that this ordeal is done, give me the tank! Gimme gimme gimme gimmee!" Bo-bobo panted like a dog, complete with a dog costume to match.
"Okay, okay! Seesh!" The chancellor pushed a button on a switch he randomly pulled from his pocket. A large present box fell onto the parking lot, where the tank was revealed.
"YAAAY!" Bo-bobo squealed like a fangirl. He opened the window and dropped down into it, driving away and using the tank's features feverishly.
"Hahahahaha! Take this, bee-yatches!" He chortled as he drove off into the sunset.
Everyone who was left behind sighed. Their only reward was going to be hogged by their leader."
"Okay, I'm tired. Can we go home now?" Heppokomaru whined. "Not insulting Namero makes me hungry for some food."
"If you're so hungry, then eat your jizz, He-kun." Beauty grumbled and took a bite of agar.
"Huh!?" Heppokomaru freaked out. He had never heard Beauty say such a thing so blatantly before.
"Uhh…okay? That was a bit uncalled for, you know."
"Everything's uncalled for."
"What's your problem? Geez."
"What's your own problem?"
Tension rose between the two. Suzu tried to intervene. "Okay, okay, we're all tired, I can see. Let's just get Serviceman into a hospital and go home…"
"Hey moron! Ever hear of those antidotes you find in an RPG? Don't worry your pretty little head about me." Serviceman flipped his one strand of hair, facing the others, healthy.
"Ugh…"
"DON SMASH!!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Don Patch smashed through the window of the bookstore, complete with Torpedo Girl tied up as a damsel-in-distress in one arm and a box of churros in another. Everyone yelped in fright and ran away immediately.
Don Patch ignored the stares being given to him and sighed. "What?"
-X-
Bo-bobo's House
Serving a dinner of over-spiced dandelions pickled in beets, Bo-bobo was wolfing down his home creation while others lagged in depression. Hatenkou couldn't eat because he was a ghost, Suzu was too stuffed from the emergency rations, Beauty was too frustrated at Heppokomaru to eat, Heppokomaru was pissy moody for the same reason, Serviceman was too busy enhancing himself, Torpedo Girl was sedated on churros, and Don Patch was blowing up the sides of the house to care about dinner.
"Okay, no word from the fairy, huh?" Beauty sighed. "Oh well. Might as well go to bed. Good night." Beauty sighed, walking toward the bathroom.
"She's gotta have PMS or something…" Heppokomaru grunted.
"Maybe YOU have PMS. Don't think I didn't hear you cuss at Beauty when you wanted her to leave the Zircon Region back there." Hatenkou twirled his keys around his finger.
Heppokomaru's frown faded. He realized Hatenkou was right. "Okay…you're right. But…why won't she forgive me?"
"Because you're compulsive and you think too much about yourself?" Suzu suggested.
"Nobody asked you!" Heppokomaru grabbed his things and headed for the shower.
Serviceman compulsively injected enhancement in himself until he passed out. Bo-bobo dragged him and Torpedo Girl off to bed and soon returned.
"Sigh…this is bad…we've just been stalked by a demon, and she may return and cause danger for us…"
"True, true, but you promised yourself to rescue the other High Spirits, right? Then, don't let Fûjin-Uzume worry you."
"Yeah, but…when I was frozen, I could still hear what she was saying. She mentioned promise, Heppokomaru, and princess. Err…something to that extent."
"It mainly involved her and Heppokomaru…about some promise he once made…with a demon!? What could this mean!?"
The two men stared at one another and thought, trying to piece the puzzle together. Heppokomaru made a promise with Fûjin-Uzume long ago, but now that supposed 'promise' wants to kill him. The logic seemed messed up, and there was also the mention of one of Bo-bobo's siblings…
"I wonder who it was…probably Bi-bibi…" Hatenkou sighed and hissed, looking down.
"Woah, woah! Easy…you know what, let's just go to bed…" Bo-bobo quickly dropped the subject and grabbed his things. Hatenkou sighed.
"Oh, Bo-bobo…"
-X-
The next day…
"Bo-bo-ugh!"
Dengaku-man crashed into the window, a munchkin kitten (3) in tow. He slid down, now having a broken nose. Bo-bobo had just awoken, now making breakfast. He noticed the blood on his window pane and saw poor Dengaku-man below.
"Oh, Dengaku-man! Come on in!" he waved with a smile.
Frozen stiff, Dengaku-man stumbled inside the house, sighing in pain. He set down the kitten and collapsed on the table.
"Gee, you okay?" Bo-bobo asked.
"Owww…Bo-bobo…"
"Here, have some tea." Bo-bobo handed a cup of honey and lemon infused tea and poured a little down the fairy-spirit's throat. He was revitalized within a minute.
"Thank you. And I first want to apologize for being so late." Dengaku-man smiled weakly.
"It's nothing. But why were you so late?"
Dengaku-man flustered. "Well…I…"
"Yes?"
Dengaku-man waved around a banner sporting munchkin cats all over it. "I saw all these adorable munchkin cats for sale and I just HAD to go! They were sooo cute!" Dengaku-man squealed like a junior high girl.
"Ah…kittens?" Bo-bobo immediately cried in jealousy. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"
The rest of the party walked in on the grown man and the cute white fairy crying over a bunch of kittens. They sweadropped (no surprise there) and sat down, all in a bad mood.
"What up, Den-chan?" Beauty sighed.
"Hiii! How are you guys?" he asked happily.
"SHUT UP!!" They all grumbled. Dengaku-man whimpered.
"Ah…everyone had a fight for the washroom last night, and it didn't end well…" Hatenkou sighed, relieving his death state.
"Wow, that sucks. Anyway, I do have information on the next High Spirit, Sir Bo-bobo and friends."
"Oh!"
"And not only that, but I think you need to come into town first…" Dengaku-man's eyes shrunk; he rubbed the back of his head.
"Huh?"
"Things are…looking pretty bad out there…"
End of Part 4.
-X-
-Yeah, I was a tad lazy in the end. Sorry…
-Chapter 4 starts next time. Until then…
-Now that their sidequest is done, what awaits Sir Bo-bobo and his party in the search for the fourth High Spirit? What is happening to Crystal Town? What is the meaning of Fûjin-Uzume's message to Heppokomaru? What was that 'promise' that supposedly betrayed him? Why is Don Patch all testosterone-jacked all of a sudden? Read on and find out!
FOOTNOTES
-(1). A genetic disorder that does not take full effect until the victim is at least 40 years old. When it does go into effect, the brain tissue slowly deteriorates and the body often experiences jerky, random movements that cause severe lack of coordination. The symptoms continue to worsen until the person dies, usually within a 15 to 20 year period.
-(2). A suffix of both endearment and insult, it literally means "child." The ending itself is also a common ending in general female Japanese names ("maru" is the male equivalent).
-(3). A fairly new breed of cat that wasn't discovered until 1983. The breed is created via mutation within the cat's genetic material, which gives the cat achondroplasia (a cause of dwarfism). The end result is a cat that possesses abnormally short legs.
-Knowledge is powah…NINTENDO POWAH! Or not…