Author's Note: Yuuki~desu! Hey there guys! After some consideration, I've arrived to the decision that all the characters in my story will be two years older than originally. You get the drill – e.g. Yoh was supposed to be 14 at the manga, so think of him like he has 16. Capish to? :D (It felt just too awkward to write those scenes with two meanings when writing about 14-year-olds... -.-" )

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"Characters Talking"

Main character thinking

Stressing something or time skips announcements

"Main character's spirit talking"

Chapter 2: Orders To Follow

9 years later...

"Yami. Report." I ordered, more than a little bit annoyed.

I didn't have to wait for an answer as it came from my own shadow almost immediately. "Nothing amiss, Mistress. Anna Kyoyama is disciplining all the males present in the household in the courtyard. These include the young Asakura, Oyamada Manta, Umemiya Ryunosuke and Usui Horohoro."

I couldn't help but sigh. This situation was nothing new and if I had to be honest, I quite enjoyed watching Anna, or 'the Devil' as I dubbed her, punish the occupants of her home for the smallest reasons. But now, I wasn't in the mood. Not after I've passed up my chance in beating Ren.

All because of Hao and his stupid orders.

Instead of voicing my complaints, however, I groaned. "So the Devil's at it again, huh? How long have we been watching them, anyway?"

"Two months, Mistress."

I almost fell off the branch I was sitting on, having to grip on the rough tree bark to keep myself steady.

"The hell... Time sure runs fast." I noted aloud, remembering the first day I followed Asakura Yoh. He, along with his little friend was relaxing by the river bank, while I had to watch him all thorough it.

Relaxing. That's all the guy has on his mind.

And yet, I was wary of his every move, every word and every sigh. No matter how much he didn't act like it, he was one of the Asakura's AND Hao's younger twin. Adding that to the fact Hao wanted me to follow him, I was sure he was no weakling.

"Mistress. There is a new spiritual presence approaching them at fast speed."

This definitely caught my attention as I narrowed my eyes and jumped off the tree, instincts telling me I would need to move very soon. "Who is it?" I asked in a hurry, my own furyoku discreetly searching the surroundings.

"The pattern belongs to Bason."

I sucked in air, wondering why the hell I had this unsettling feeling at the pit of my stomach. "Ren?" I questioned.

"No sign of him."

I nodded, masking my furyoku and set off in the direction of the inn.

"Make direct link to the Inu tribe guy. I want to hear everything that is being said."

"Understood."

Mere meters away from the inn, I slowed down to a walk, careful not to make any noise that would give me out. Finding a suitable bush, I hid behind it, crouching.

In that instant, Yami completed the connection and started transmitting the whole conversation directly into my head.

The first voice to come through was Yoh's. "I hope... That feeling wasn't..."

Shortly after that, Bason's voice joined in, pleading "Ma- Master Yoh, I beg of you! Please, you must save young master Ren!"

To say I was shocked to hear Ren needed help was an understatement. I expected more from the Tao En's 'pet'.

"What happened?" cried out Horohoro, closely followed by Manta and Ryu. Anna, smacking the three idiots decided to take it upon herself to question the ghost.

"Tell us the whole story." she commanded.

Bason all too readily complied. "Ren-sama went back to China, saying he wanted to cut his family ties because they hindered him and his goals. In order to do so, he decided he needed to beat his father and surpass him, taking over his head of the clan position... But Tao En had intercepted us even before we got to the main building. He had captured Lady Jun and intended to use her as a warning, to deter Ren from defying him, however Ren refused to back down and attacked his father." Bason stopped talking for a while, probably trying to organize his thoughts. (Or catch his breath?)

"He- He was too strong. He defeated young master Ren in one blow, severely tortured him and then locked him up in the dungeon with Lady Jun."

"Tao En?!" exclaimed Ryu and Manta, closely followed by Horohoro's and Yoh's "Dungeon?!"

"I managed to escape from En and come here. It was the only thing I could do to save Ren." panted the spirit of Chinese warrior. "I beg of all of you! You are the only ones who can help save Ren! Please! Do... Do what you can to free him!"

I listened in for a little while longer, but they only discussed the situation, possible courses of action and the details of the journey, which wasn't something I needed to hear.

"Yami. Terminate the connection."

The spirit did as I asked without delay. "Observe the situation and tell me if anyone of them leaves the compound."

"As you wish."

I was grateful for the absence of foreign voices in my head and even more so for the absence of my guardian spirit. I had a very serious thinking to do and I needed to do it alone.

Without a backwards glance, I ran back to the tree and climbed it, perching myself on the branch I occupied previously.

So Ren has rebelled against his father... In a way, that made me somehow happy. Not that the fact Ren was becoming his own man mattered to me that much. No, it was the fact that man's own offspring, future heir, his sonwas determined to fight him if need be that made me overjoyed.

Oh, how I would have loved to see that man's expression when Ren attacked him... I giggled at the image that formed inside my mind.

But what does it mean to me? I asked myself, knowing this complicated the situation. Or did it?

I will still have the chance to fight Ren later on. However, there is no chance of that happening if he stays imprisoned...

It was becoming quite clear to me I would be tagging along with the band of those misfit shamans, and not only because I was to follow Yoh under Hao's orders.

Hao... He did say I was to observe Yoh from the sidelines and not interact with him unless it was unavoidable... But does this situation qualify?

I really wasn't sure Hao would approve of me revealing my identity to his younger twin just because I wanted to beat up En so much my hands itched.

But the Tournament is practically just around the corner and we will have to introduce ourselves eventually... But Yoh isn't really in any imminent danger, especially if he's going to be with his band of followers all the time and won't face En...

Really, arguing with myself was so hard... But at last, I have come to the decision. I would accompany Yoh Asakura on his rescue mission, help him from the sidelines and if I got lucky, exact my revenge on the head of the Tao clan.

Just you wait, Tao En. You will curse the day you wrote me off as a trash.

"Mistress, they are planning on leaving in two hours."

"Then I guess it's high time we started packing, Yami. We cannot afford losing sight of the young Asakura now, can we?"