Kyugan productions brings you...
Tantei on a train
Please, enjoy.
21st period.
The train hurtled through the night towards it's destination, the spray of water trailing from one of the cabins unnoticed, as the talisman that warded the scene from the public carried out its work.
Amagasaki Chigusa watched the scene before her with no end of glee, feeling the little brats were getting their comeuppance for interfering in her plans. What right did a western Magi have to judge her? After everything his kind and their debase magic had wrought? Sakurazaki was getting her just desserts for abandoning Kyoto as well. She didn't personally have a grudge with the big fellow, other than the clothesline back at the station, but he and the mundane were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
She blinked, watching in interest as Kuwabara pulled himself forward using the headrest of the seats, face set in a mask of determination as he inched ever so slowly towards the door to the next cabin. 'Not much looks-wise.' She noted, taking him in 'still, for him to still be moving against a current that fierce, he's gotta be plenty strong, with the stamina to back it up.' She sighed regretfully at the latter 'Ah well, them's the breaks.'
No sooner had she said this did Setsuna send a blast of chi-enforced air through the flooded cabin, using Kuwabara as a brace to steady herself. The current was reversed, the pressure turning towards the door and bursting it open, water spilling into the other compartments even as Chigusa cried out in alarm, trying to keep her head, and Konoka's, above water.
Fortunately, the train pulled into the next station, the doors opening automatically, spilling the half drowned occupants out on the pavement.
--
"You see that, Saru-onna?!" Setsuna called out, pushing Yunagi out with her thumb slightly as she glared at the talisman wielder "Now surrender Oujo-sama and take your monkey business elsewhere…or YOU'RE next!"
"You did pretty well," Chigusa admitted, impressed despite herself as she picked up her captive prize "But I'm not surrendering Konoka Oujo-sama."
She made for the hills, or rather the stairs of the station, grinning as she heard the telltale signs of her pursuers. 'Perfect…just as planned.' She smirked, slipping out of the suit, Konoka laying on her back near her, well within reach, even as she gazed down at the group. "Good job chasing me this far." She commended, lifting up a talisman "Sadly, this little game of Oni-gokko ends here…O-fuda-san, O-fuda-san: Aid our escape!"
A blaze erupted, forming the kanji for 'Large' that blocked off the steps, the group backtracking from the heat even as Chigusa chuckled. "You won't be getting over those flames." she predicted, smirking at her apparent victory over the brats "Ja-na, sensei-Tachi."
--
"Kuso!" Kuwabara swore, holding a hand over his eyes "Why's it always freakin' psychopaths that do the damn kidnapping?!" he grimaced sourly "Oi Negi! Got any ideas?"
"I can disperse the flames but that still leaves her guardians." Negi replied, already beginning his incantation "if I activate Asuna-san's pactio she and Sakurazaki should prove more than enough for them but I'll need time to set up another spell!"
"Then Time's what you'll get!" Kuwabara replied confidently "Just take out the fire, Sakurazaki, you and Asuna back me up, we're going after that witch!"
Setsuna blinked at how easily the older sensei had taken control, it was as if he'd been in situations worse than this, which was the only thing that could explain his calmness despite all things. Asuna merely eyed the lanky professor in amazement, he sounded a bit like Takahata-sensei when he got serious.
'ACK! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!" the redhead swore, slapping her cheeks to get back in focus, even as Negi finished his incantation.
"Flet Une Vent!" the Welshman chanted, snapping the girls back to reality as he aimed a beginner's wand at the flames "Flans Saltatio Pulverea!"
The flaming kanji extinguished, Sakurazaki and Kuwabara leaping up the stairs, weapons at the ready. Asuna caught up and even overtook her sensei the second her contract activated, blinking at her comrades in envy "How come I'm the only one without a weapon?" she asked, even as Negi called out to her.
"Asuna-san! I'm activating your pactio weapon!" the young Welshman yelled out earnestly, holding up the card in question for emphasis "It's called Ensis Exorcizans, take it!"
"Alright! Lay it on me!" Asuna cried, gazing at her hands as the weapon slowly materialized to form…a steel harisen. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
'When did this become a comedy sketch?' Kuwabara and Setsuna wondered in tandem, shrugging it off as they continued to advance on Chigusa, only to be blocked by…a giant stuffed Teddy Bear and the monkey suit. "Oh come on!" Kuwabara snapped, looking seriously pissed off "Is anyone takin' this whole thing seriously?!"
"What's wrong with my guardians?!" Chigusa snapped, looking disgruntled "They're cute!"
"The villain isn't supposed to look 'cute'!" the tantei shot back "I mean come on! You expect me to believe any self respecting demon looks like THAT!" He pointed at the guards for emphasis, the stuffed figures sweat dropping nervously and backing away from the digit as if it might go off. Asuna, feeling more than a little annoyed by the situation at the moment, took full advantage of their distraction to land a smart blow to the monkey's head, the creature dissolving with a cry and an echoing wail.
'How'd that damn girl repulse my monkey demon?!' Chigusa gaped, cursing herself for letting her guard down 'Who the hell are these people!?'
She cursed as Sakurazaki lunged at her, Kuwabara bringing up the rear along with Negi as Asuna drove off the bear with her fan, the demon not wishing to join it's comrade in the abyss. Just as the two attempted to double team her however, Kuwabara seemed to freeze, eyes shooting upwards and behind the woman, before lunging at Sakurazaki, pushing her out of the way with a yell, even as a white blur crashed into the floor before them.
"Kuwabara-sensei!?" Setsuna yelled, looking at the scowling tantei in shocked anger and confusion "Why did you do that? We had her!"
"If I hadn't…" Kuwabara muttered, gazing at the figure that was rising from it's own impromptu crater, coughing and dusting itself off "Then we'd have both been shish kabob."
Setsuna followed his gaze, only to shudder at the palpable killing intent radiating from the figure before them. She recognized it immediately as the battle aura of a Shinmeiryuu warrior, and was prepared to face one of her former comrades.
She wasn't prepared for a bespectacled girl in a frilly dress and sun hat that would make her any lollicon's wet dream, even with a Kodachi and Tanto in her hands.
"Yoroshku-desu." The apparition greeted politely, bowing slightly "I am Tsukuyomi of the Shinmeiryuu."
--
Silence reigned for a few moments, before Kuwabara turned to an equally stunned Setsuna, "Isn't the Shinmeiryuu YOUR school Sakurazaki-san?" he asked, nodding towards the new arrival "They really let girls like THAT join?"
"Times have…obviously changed." The kendo-ka muttered, looking mortified at the thought of anything so…frilly, being within a hundred paces of the training grounds, the elders would have had a conniption.
"Oh by all means, underestimate her." Chigusa called out, smirking as she regained hr footing, Konoka slung over one shoulder like a sack "Tsukuyomi-san, exterminate them."
"Hai," the girl replied, holding her swords up cutely before her "Now remember…go easy on me."
The next second blood filled the air, Kuwabara's eyes widening as a massive, bloody cross appeared on his chest, from which the lifeblood sprayed.
--
"Kuwabara-san!" Negi cried out, eyes widening as his friend fell on a heap on the floor, shooting Chigusa a glare as he channeled as much magic into his next spell as possible. "SAGGITTA MAGICA, SERIES AERIALIS!"
Eleven bursts of air launched themselves at Chigusa, only for the talisman wielder to duck behind Konoka, wary of the boy's strength after the stunts he'd performed prior. Negi's eyes widened and he altered the trajectory, the arrows flying off in all directions to avoid inadvertently harming his student and roommate. "Hiding behind a defenseless girl?!" he yelled out, trying to cover up his concern with anger "Get out here you coward!"
"Heh, that attempt at mockery proves my theory." Chigusa countered, "So long as there's a chance Oujo-sama may be hurt you won't launch any lethal attacks…presuming a brat like you knows any." She cackled in the manner of all self-important villains and any woman (and men of a certain persuasion) aged over thirty "How useful! A valuable prize that doubles as both a hostage and shield!"
"What do you think you're doing with Konoka!" Asuna yelled out, struggling in the grip of the bear, having been distracted, once again, by monkeys. Chigusa smirked and eyed the rescuers coyly.
"Since you asked…" she stated "First I'll find a means of rendering her mute magically…then we'll have her dance like a puppet for our benefit, as it was meant to be." She smirked at their looks of anger, knowing the battle to be won and committing the standard act of stupidity of any villain: taking the time to gloat instead of retreating. "I win," she boasted "which means Oujo-sama…and this snow white derriere of hers" she slapped the rump for emphasis "is all mine."
She cackled again, eyes shut as she reveled in her moment of superiority. At that moment, something rammed into the side of her face with the force of a pile driver, sending her skidding along the floor before crashing against the wall.
"Wha-what…?" the talisman user stammered, vision blurry as she tried to support herself on trembling arms "Where…did that-?" she trailed off as she gazed at her attacker through cracked lenses, her left ete swollen shut.
"Keep your hands off my students bitch." Kuwabara growled, steadying Konoka in the crook of his arm even as the one he'd used to punch Chigusa remained where it was "'cause next time I won't hold back."
"Kuwabara-san!" Negi exclaimed, dashing over to the man's side in concern along with the girls "Daijoubu? Your wounds! Let me see them!"
"H-how?" Chigusa croaked, eyeing the taller sensei in stunned shock as she fought to stay awake "Tsukuyomi hit you…she carved you open!"
"Yeah she got me pretty good." Kuwabara agreed, lowering Konoka to reveal the thin scars on his chest, the bleeding long since staunched "But she DIDN'T connect, I sensed her coming just in time to back up enough the edge of the blade missed." He smirked at the downed woman "She's fast, but I've seen faster."
--
'Kuwabara-sensei couldn't have known that the Shinmeiryuu fight with ki in their swords as well as blades.' Setsuna noted grimly, eyeing the sensei with admiration 'Still the fact he sensed the attack in time to step back and lessen the damage speaks for itself.'
Chigusa growled and pulled a talisman out, summoning another monkey demon even as Tsukuyomi crawled past, whining about her glasses. "I won't forget this!" the talisman wielder called out vengefully as the beast leapt in the air, Tsukuyomi hanging from the tail "This isn't over!"
"Ah, get stuffed along with your puppets." Kuwabara muttered, flipping the bird as he set Konoka on the ground gently, Setsuna fussing over the comatose girl, trying to rouse her from whatever Chigusa had done to her.
"Mmmm…Set-chan?" the heiress murmured, looking up at the kendo-ka "Set-chan, I had the strangest dream…I was kidnapped by monkeys…and Set-chan, Asuna, Negi-kun and Kuwabara-sensei came to save me…"
"It's alright," Setsuna assured the girl, smiling warmly "everything's going to be fine now…Konoka Oujo-sama."
Konoka blinked, a happy flush coming to her face as she smiled, tears of joy forming in the corners of her eyes "I'm so happy…" she stated in relief "to know you don't hate me Set-chan."
Setsuna blinked, only to flush at the memory of the last time she'd truly spoken with her childhood friend, retreating and kneeling before her "Forgive me!" she called out, red with embarrassment "K-Kono-chan…" she stammered "Protecting you gives me all the happiness I could want…" her blush deepened "But…it's probably best that I do so from the shadows an so…" she dashed off, sword in hand "I'm sorry!"
"Sakurazaki!" Kuwabara called out, stalling the girl and drawing attention to him as he smirked "I better see you for roll call tomorrow or there's gonna be trouble, that means you'd better get to bed soon." He eyed Konoka and Asuna "You two as well."
The trio blinked, before Asuna caught on to what the man was implying and grinned, "That's right! Setsuna-san! We're going as a group to Nara Park tomorrow!" she waved at the girl "C'mon! Lets get back to the inn!"
--
"I think we handled that well." Kuwabara noted, wincing as Negi wrapped a few bandages around his torso a little TOO tightly "I said I'm fine bozu! I've had worse."
"It still needs to be treated Kuwabara-san." Negi insisted, tying the last roll off with a releived smile, before turning to look up at the man "Is your hand okay?"
"Fine." Kuwabara replied, only to blink as he realized something, something that made his mind shut down and reboot in an instant. He hadn't given it much thought because of the situation at hand, and besides, Chigusa had pissed everyone off with that arrogant act, patting Konoka on the rear had been the last straw.
But no matter how you looked at it, the facts didn't change that he had STRUCK Chigusa. A Woman. On the FACE.
"Kuwabara-san?" Negi asked, regarding his still companion and colleague curiously, as he seemed to have frozen. Chamo placed a paw to the man's head and winced, withdrawing it with a brief sizzling sound.
"Looks like a meltdown Aniki." the ermine stated sadly, shaking a head as they called the girls over to help drag the recumbent form to the nearest train. "Only to be expected, after all, the reality of what happened probably only reached him."
"I…hit…a…girl…" Kuwabara droned, repeating this mantra over and over like it was a prayer.
--
"Wow, Kuwabara-sensei's really out of it." Yuna noted at breakfast the next morning, gazing at the professor as he absently tried to devour his own tie with soy sauce, a dazed expression on his face.
"You think he didn't get enough sleep?" Makie wondered, giggling as Nita actually had to force the man to relinquish his chopsticks, a battle which would go down in history breaking out between oni and tantei that wound up with the chpopsticks buried in the walls...in splinters.
"Can't be, we were all passed out last night," Yuna muttered, looking depressed "The first night of the trip and we were to wasted to do anything!"
The group sighed, only to blink as they watched the exchange between Konoka and the unusually embarrassed Setsuna. "Wow, that's the first time I've seen Sakurazaki-san act like that." Ako wondered, watching as the normally reserved Kendo-ka dashed around the dining room in a bid to escape Konoka.
"Think something happened between them last night?" Makie wondered, eliciting an aggravated curse from Yuna as she complained at missing out on the fun.
"You won't miss anything if you don't sleep tonight!" Sakurako chirped, already planning how to spend the evening, namely stirring up all kinds of trouble, preferably with Negi-kun.
--
"You feeling better?" Sayo asked, looking on in concern as Kuwabara stumbled out of the dinning hall, "You seem worried sensei."
"No just…" Kuwabara sighed in embarrassment "My sister always raised me to never hit girls…I keep expecting her to lunge out from around the corner and bean me over the head for what happened yesterday."
Sayo giggled and followed the man as he walked along, only to blink as he made for the doorway, attaché case in hand "Um…sensei? What about your group?"
"Eh? Oh, the trip." Kuwabara recalled "Relax, all the groups are covered, and Nita said I needed a break anyways." He pulled out a letter "So I figured I'd go to this address Genkai told me about…" he read the address before pulling out a map the woman had given him, sweat dropping after a few minutes "uh…"
"Are you okay sensei?" Setsuna asked, appearing out of nowhere, slightly flushed, having escaped Konoka's clutches for the moment.
"Sakurazaki…you're from around here right?" the tantei asked, turning to face the girl with an embarrassed smirk "You know where this place is?"
Setsuna accepted the letter, looking it over carefully, only to blanch, eyes wide with terror at the sight. "S-Sensei…" she stammered "Who…who gave you this address?"
"Uh…MY sensei?" the tantei hazarded, not really knowing how to refer to Genkai. Technically she WAS training him, but she'd already chosen her successor.
"I-I see." Setsuna noted, calming down visibly, though she still looked alarmed "I know where this is, and I'd lead you there myself but…" she shuddered, making a seal and channeling ki "Om."
A small puff of smoke and a chibi version of Setsuna in Hakama and a Kimono top appeared. "My Shikigami will show you the way." The kendo-ka stated, the figure bowing to the stunned tantei "I must return, Oujo-sama's group departs in a few minutes." She looked to the miniature "Take care of him."
"I will!" the figure promised, saluting, before bowing to Kuwabara "You can call me Chibi-Setsuna."
Kuwabara nodded, before turning to regard his retreating student "Sakurazaki." He called out, causing her to turn and face him "Is there…something I should know about this address?"
Setsuna was quiet for a few seconds before looking her sensei solemnly in the eye "IT is the home of the greatest warrior of the Shinmeiryuu since the founder," she replied "And also, the ancestral training grounds where the dojo is kept."
Kuwabara's eyes widened at this piece of information, wondering what the hell Genkai wanted him to do THERE when Setsuna's voice calling his name snapped him back.
"Don't die sensei." The Kendo-ka asked, bowing one last time and retreating back to the inn, leaving a decidedly nervous Kuwabara and Chibi-Setsuna in her wake.
--
An hour by cab and tram, followed by a walk up a winding path and Kuwabara found himself at the base of a series of steps, leading up to what he presumed to be the dojo. Several Shinto shrine gates lined the steps, wreathed in wards against evil, much like Genkai's gate back home.
'Guess this is the place.' The tantei muttered, looking over to find the shikigami, whom he merely referred to as Chibizaki, a name the Setsuna clone had taken a liking to, in chatting amiably with Sayo about life at Mahora. "So do I just walk in or not?"
"I suppose so." Chibizaki noted, looking nervous all of a sudden "But Setsuna-dono warned me that considering how Tsukuyomi was of the Shinmeiryuu, you should expect a fight." She then poofed out of existence, returning to talisman form.
"Story of my life." Kuwabara muttered bitterly, holding the attaché case over his shoulder and walking up the steps, his senses on high alert, already detecting several ki signatures nearby. They had been shadowing him since he walked up the trail, but since there was no malice detected, he presumed they were merely keeping an eye on him.
The minute he stepped onto solid ground however, he immediately found himself facing several girls armed with a wide variety of katana, all dressed in the same red Hakama and white kimono top the shikigami had worn.
They didn't appear too happy to see him either.
--
Cue the Nadesico music!
What's this? Kuwabara waks into the den of wolves!
Random Shinmeiryuu swordswoman: VILE MALE!
What could he be thinking? is this the end!
RSS: WE SHALL ERADICATE YOUR VILE PRESENCE!
Fight on Kuwabara, your strength knowsno limits!
Next time on Reikai Sensei Kuwabara: Dojo destroyer! Kuwabara's wild Shogun!
Jiraiya: Hmm...sounds like a good chapter for my new book!
RSS: THE OLD LETCH IS BACK! DESTROY HIM!
R&R or Jiraiya will be horribly mutilated.