Author Nate: I've decided I will release the finale of Chapter 5 as one [long] chapter tomorrow. I'm off Uni tomorrow so have the time; and I feel it will be best to do the final section of Arc5 in one go; to make the chapter as impactful as possible.
The finale of Arc 5 is probobly the biggest twist of the entire story, bar possibly one that is revealed soon afterwards; and is intended to be one of the most emotional parts of the story. Consider it a Haloween gift.
With that; onto this chapter!
Rumia walked out of Eientei; to find Seiga already there; due to passing through walls. On the opposite side of the clearing as a bored-looking woman. Her hair was in twintails; somewhere between red and pink; and she wore a blue dress; with a belt with a large; coin-like button on it at her waist. The dress certainly did not hide the fact her chest was... large to say the least. The owman also had a large scythe; which she was holding with one hand, slung over her shoulder.
However; what was most unsettling was the feeling the woman was giving off. It was cold. It was silent. Rumia could only think of the feeling this woman gave off as death itself.
"So... this is a Shinigami; eh; Seiga?" Rumia asked.
"Yes; although I didn't expect it to be this one following me. The Shinigami who serves the greatest of the Yama directly; Komachi Onozuka." Seiga said.
The shinigami laughed. "Oh Seiga; I don't even know why Eiki is bothering to send anyone after you. I guess it's just to keep up appearances. I mean; she can't be expecting me to accomplish much; after all; you've escaped the Kishin time and again."
"If I recall you are the one who came the closest to killing me." Seiga said. "Closer than all of the Kishin even came."
Seiga looked over her shoulder at Rumia; keeping one eye on Komachi.
"Be careful. Don't stand too close to me. Being badly sliced by the scythe of a Shinigami will kill you, even with your regeneration. The Shinigami's scythe attacks not just your body but your spirit; reaping it like a scythe would cut wheat for the harvest. The scythe cares not if the wound is mortal for your body; it only cares if it is mortal for your soul."
Rumia took three steps back.
"My my Seiga; you make us sound so morbid. It's enough to make someone turn in their graves with fright." Komachi said.
"It would help if you didn't make references to the dead or death every few words." Seiga retorted.
Suddenly; Komachi swung her scythe. Seiga raised a barricade of Dark Energy, despite the scythe not being anywhere near her. The strange thing was; however; it seemed like something actually impacted the barrier; as it flexed, before it dispelled.
"Your guard is never down; is it; Miss Kaku? This is such a pain, I'd much rather be sleeping on the Titanic right now..." Komachi said.
"I can't let my guard down. Not around you." Seiga said. "How can I let my guard down when you can manipulate the distance between us, allowing you to cut me down with that scythe from miles away if you had the line of sight to ensure no innocents would be caught?"
Rumia shuddered. She felt; at the precise moment Komachi's attack struck Seiga's barrier; a killing intent she had never felt before. Not from Shinki when she was angry; not from Yuuka; not even from herself. The killing intent of a Shinigami; who's job it was to collect the souls for the Yama... was beyond description. It made Rumia feel like she was the one about to die; not Seiga. She had no idea how the hermit could stand such an intent so calmly.
"It's too much effort. Why couldn't you roll over and let a Kishin kill you..." Komachi groaned. "I hate having to do this job... I'd rather just stick to being a ferrywoman."
"... Are you always this lazy?" Rumia asked.
"Yes." Komachi admitted flatly.
"Remember the flower incident? That was because this Shinigami was loafing around instead of doing her job." Seiga said, before she formed another barrier; this one flexing even more.
"Attacking while I'm talking to my mentor. How cruel." Seiga said; in a mocking voice.
"Raising those dead for your personal gains; how cruel." Komachi said; borderline yawning.
Seiga smirked; and black energy flowed from her fingers into the ground.
"Speaking of..." she said; before several skeletons of rabbits burst from the ground; some youkai; some not. They lunged at the Shinigami; who swiftly dealt with them with her scythe; causing the bones to fly over the ground.
But that was an opening Seiga needed; as she formed a sphere of dark energy; which extended; and changed shape into a halbred, which she swung at Komachi. The Shinigami blocked with her scythe; but was thrown back, before Seiga hurled the weapon at Komachi; which exploded, throwing her into the bamboo.
Rumia blinked. Even she couldn't transform Dark Energy that quickly. If she formed an actual weapon from Dark Energy, it would explode on contact. Seiga's seemed stable enough to be used as a melee weapon without exploding, and she didn't need to stop and focus to achieve it.
Has she surpassed me? Wow; did she under-estimate herself when she said ten years!
"You see Rumia; this is the fruit of dedication and hard training. Although Yoshika giving my some inspiration entirely by accident helped as well. You see; she went on about inner resolve and the mind's eye and all that. She was muttering some lines from some poem or book she read while she was alive; the sweet thing. I decided to work on that. Next thing I knew; the Dark Energy followed my whim. Then I worked on making it almost subconscious, requiring minimal effort."
Komachi wandered out of the bamboo; looking no worse for wear. It was clear she was pretty resilient.
"They say death knocks on your door; but you're the one knocking on me..." she moaned. "Oh why couldn't Eiki just try and convince what's her name to come after you instead of sitting at that portal..."
"Rumia; I'm bored. I'll end this in a few moments." Seiga said; before she put her hands together; and closed her eyes.
"Yin De Dao" [Translation: Dark Virtue Way] the hermit said, before a assive amount of Dark Energy swirled aroun her body, she she rose into the air. The Dark Energy kept flowing; Seiga hardly visible within it, forming a figure about three times the size of a normal human; wielding a massive halberd.
"What is that supposed to be?!" Komachi exclaimed.
"It is an armor of dark energy; shaped like the great Chinese general Guan Yu." Seiga said flatly. "He is frequently worshiped by Taoists, as 'The Immortal of Chongning', so I thought of him as a good pillar to base my strength around."
Suddenly; Komachi held out her hand; and a large amount of will-o-wisps formed around the titanic aura around Seiga. She attempted to move; but it seemed like the wisps were forming a barrier. "Malice Sign; Regretful Bound Spirits."
"It's such a drag... to have to use this attack again, but with your growing power; I guess I'll have to throw my most powerful attack at you. Darkness Youkai; I suggest you fly away. Further away; if you value your life."
Rumia backed up to the door of Eientei, as Komachi took a stance; pulling her scythe back, and twisting her body. "That titan of dark energy is still volatile; Seiga. Even if this does not reach you; the detonation of that amount of Dark Energy will make you an easy target!"
"Death Sign: Scythe of Final Judgement!" Komachi said; swinging her scythe with incredible force, leaving behind a purple trail. The bamboo near the path of the scythe was cut, and died instantly and the purple line approached Seiga fast.
Seiga smirked; and the mouth of the titan opened; before unleashing a chain-blast of Dark Energy towards Komachi; the explosions of dark energy swamping the Shinigami before her scythe could reach Seiga; the Will-O-Wisps fading. The explosions cleared; and Komachi was on the ground, struggling up. That attack seemed like it did hurt her.
"Eh; I guess it's over, right Seiga?" Komachi said.
"Not yet. I can't trust that you won't strike me down the instant I let down my guard. Goodbye." Seiga said; before she dashed towards Komachi; before she could raise her guard; and slammed the halbred of the titan into Komachi; an upwards swing that sent the Shinigami into the air, before Seiga lunched a beam of Dark Energy from the titan's palm; blasting Komachi away, out of sight, high into the air.
"Now it's over." Seiga said; the titan fading; and her landing elegantly on the ground; breathing heavily.
"To fight off death itself; you cannot be afraid of it." Seiga said simply.
"Wow... you got a lot stronger Seiga!" Rumia said.
"It seems Dark Energy responds to someone with clear; strong desires. I know what I want out of life; you see; Rumia. It is clear as day to me. The question is; do you know what your goal is? Once you have something to strive towards with all of your being; you should be able to do things like I can now, instead of relying on brute force of the Dark Energy." Seiga explained.
Rumia was quiet for a few moments; thinking over what Seiga said.
"So... what is your aim?" Rumia asked.
"That is a secret." Seiga replied, before she smiled. "Anyway; I have nothing more to learn from you; and as such..."
Seiga raised her hand, and wrist; which began to glow. Rumia's wrist glowed as well.
"We are unbound from out pact. We have both upheld our bargains."
Rumia smiled. "Well, Seiga; don't lose interest in me just because we're no longer bound by that magic of yours!"
"Don't worry. I only lose interest in things that are boring." Seiga said. "And you are not boring in the slightest; Rumia..."
Two days later; during the night; Rumia was floating around her forest home; looking for Rika again. She knew she had to have Rika's assistance before going to Makai; since only Rika new how to shut down the extractor device Yumemi had set up.
Remilia and Flandre had explained what happened after she had left the others; and she wasn't surprised at all. She expected Rika to try something like that; and also expected her to have backup plans in case something went wrong; especially after Yorihime cut her into two.
That was when Yukari appeared in front of Rumia.
"Hello Rumia. Won't you come with me? I have someone waiting for you." Yukari said.
"Who would that be Yukari? I'm busy looking for Rika to help Makai right now..." Rumia said.
"You won't find her. She's in my gaps right now; waiting for you. I'm coming to Makai with you as well." Yukari explained. "I fear my assistance will be required to keep you sane."
"What do you mean; your assistance?" Rumia asked.
"I've been talking to Shinki. Going to the Heart of Makai is something you must do; but it is also something you cannot do alone. Someone such as Satori would not survive in Makai's core; so it must be me who accompanies you and Rika to keep you from returning to your true nature. I will have Shinki explain the rest once we are in Makai." Yukari said calmly, holding out her hand.
"So; Rumia; are you ready to meet your maker?"