"What if everything was but a dream?"
Deep inside, this question bothered Fukurokuju the most every time he meditated all alone in his chambers. For someone whose omniscience reached every facet of existence, there was never a moment that he did not doubt the very reality they all inhabited. From the very moment he was spoken into being by the Creator as one of the very first angels in Heaven up until the point where he was sheltering three young youkai and one tiny plush creature in his hidden mansion, he relived everything daily. He reached out a wing and soon it turned into a human-like hand covered by a white robe, located in a sunny field of clouds, stretching towards the warm light above which birthed him. The same hand turned again into a bird's wing with black plumage as it reached for the Heaven that had once been his home while he was cast downward into the pit of flames not long after the birth of creation. But unlike the treacherous angels he had sided with, he understood very well his fault and deep inside had accepted his punishment. The same wing's plumage turned from black to white as he had successfully assisted Shishisa in escaping the throes of Hell and led those few brave demons who sided with them into their new home of the Twilight Kingdom, into a new era. In one moment he was Fukurokuju the founder, creating the law magic that would define the home of his fellow youkai; in the next he was Fukurokuju the hermit, meditating all alone in his cosmic chamber while three youngsters rested inside his cave mansion. But perhaps what was going on in their minds piqued his interest more than the reality of his past, present and future.
Shishima tossed and turned in his sleep as he relived the final encounter with his father in his dream.
"Is it power you wish to inherit, my son? What would you do with said power?"
He knew very well that he was being tested, perhaps that was the reason for him giving such a formal answer worthy of only the youngest and most naive politicians. But deep inside, he knew very well what his father actually wanted to know, which was why the following question stung him harder.
"Do you have someone else to fight for?"
How could Shishima confess that he did without revealing that he was having an affair with a youkai far beneath him? Nobody would have ever accepted what they had as actual love in the Twilight Kingdom. Lying was the only option he had.
"No. I, Shishima, fight only for myself."
"Then I have failed..."
His father's dying face filled with regret haunted him to that day. He awoke and immediately rose from the bed, breathing heavily in the room's dimness. A single small candle was weakly burning on the nightstand. Nekohana slept by his right side in the bed, the weight of that day's events having finally caught up to her. On the very middle of her scalp, he saw that the tiny Borof was also resting. He breathed a sigh of relief - at last, they were all safe for the time being. Then it dawned on him that it was the very first time that he had shared a bed with Nekohana. Even back when they lived at the topmost level of the capital palace, she always slept on a mattress. More so, they had never been physically intimate, despite Shishima having had both a harem in the Twilight Kingdom and plenty of affairs with mortals on Earth. Perhaps she had also been the same in her past lives while inhabiting human bodies; she had no reason not to, especially in those primitive times. In those solemn moments he could not help but wonder if history would have taken a different course if he had been honest with Akushishi. Indeed he would fight for Nekohana, perhaps more ardently than his own goals.
"You've been more loyal than any of my followers, even Borof," he mused in a whisper while softly caressing her sleeping face. "Yet you've suffered so much because of me. Perhaps the best way I can pay back your love is by fulfilling your wish."
Shishima paused for a moment, in awe of what he had just uttered, and giggled to himself. As much as his lover would have been happy from enjoying a normal life as a mortal, to him it would grow boring fast. Still, perhaps they could reach a compromise. Never before in his entire eternity would he have considered such a notion, but if it were for the sake of his beloved, he would have been willing to sacrifice at least a part of his own happiness.
Minutes later, Shishima found himself facing Hyouma in the mansion's kitchen as he headed to eat something after having been deprived of proper nutrition for so long. She was busying herself with making a soup out of the latest hunted dragon meat which Fukurokuju had just procured for them. The two distant cousins stared each other in the eye for a few silent moments until Shishima decided to step in and check the pantry. He had been well aware of Hyouma's desperate attempts to woo him since they had first met over a thousand years ago. No matter how well she tried to disguise her actions, his abilities to read emotions had easily revealed her true intentions, ruining any chance she may have had at wooing him. The fact that she had been so close to Koushishi always made him suspicious of her true intentions. But after she openly betrayed her protector and went to great lengths to aid Nekohana in freeing him, perhaps she had changed. From what emotions he could read, he was certain that she genuinely wanted to help him. All he needed to know was the reason, and after having checked her background all those years ago, he had a good suspicion...
"Hyouma, let's cut to the chase - I know what you want. You were raised for this," Shishima broke the silence between them, sensing that nervousness was beginning to build inside her mind. "And I can also tell that you genuinely wish to help us. If there is one thing I can say about our family... it's that we're downright persistent. You've helped me today, and for that I am grateful. But I also know that as all smart demons, you expect something in return for your generosity."
"You're saying that you know what I want?" she finally spoke, trying her best to seem aloof.
"If it's the throne you want, I'll help you get it. I'll even marry you if necessary." Shishima's words echoed in Hyouma's mind as she remained stunned by this sudden revelation. Mere moments seemed to pass like an eternity as the realization that her life's main goal was almost in her grasp hit her hard. Eventually the rest of his words were also processed. "What happens afterwards, we'll see. But know this much, I've changed. I'm no longer that young starry-eyed loner who believed he could change this kingdom and make his father proud. All I want now is vengeance. From here on, the future is unclear. And you know what?" He smirked at her, exposing his sharp fangs. "That's the best part."
"I'll be your ally!" Hyouma replied, looking more determined than ever. "We'll see this through to the end. And trust me, I'll do anything to ensure we both sit on our rightful thrones!"
Shishima's smirk turned into a satisfied grin. "I have no doubt about it."
The scene of the reconciling cousins melted in Fukurokuju's mind and transitioned to that of a marching army crossing the southeastern woods, a healed and angered Koushishi at its helm. He reached out to the vast cosmos around him and got his answer: this had not yet happened, but it was something certain to take place in the very near future. The warning he received was loud and clear. He had remained neutral to the queen's tyranny for far too long. The time for action had come at last...
Far away from the hidden cave, Akamaru carelessly wandered the woods on his way back to his home in the mountains. Although rumors circulated that the area he was in had been home over the centuries to a particularly dangerous brand of plant youkai serving directly under their patron Jubokko, he paid them no mind. The prince casually reached into his kimono and pulled out a small pile of cards - the magical copies which had been gifted to him by none other than Queen Koushishi herself. He internally laughed at her audacity of using him to kill her own son. There was simply no maternal regard coming from her, perhaps another factor which shaped Shishima into the person he currently was. But in the end, those matters did not concern Akamaru. He had tasted the satisfaction of not only using the full power of the Onifuda Kingdom, but also of settling the score with his rival. As far as he was concerned, those cards had served their purpose, so instead of waiting for them to crumble into ash at dawn, he personally spat fire on them until they vanished.
General Rufu scowled as he spied on Akamaru afar from a hill. Not only did he destroy the queen's generous gift, but there was no trace of Shishima's blood's scent on him whatsoever. He had most likely failed on his mission. Did he lose? If yes, why did he seem so happy? Did he win? If that were the case, there was no way he would spare Shishima's life or renounce his father's inheritance. Those nagging questions only frustrated Rufu even more and he considered taking off his glove and launching a magic claw attack on the unsuspecting oni. At least his death would have been satisfying.
"Rufu, how is the progress going?" an unexpected voice asked from the sky, prompting him to look up and freeze in shock upon seeing none other than Koushishi descend from the night sky, her purple fur seeming bloodier in the red moonlight. She landed in front of him, prompting the general to fall down on one knee.
"Your Majesty, I welcome you to our little camping ground! I'm afraid our plan was not a success, as Akamaru has not killed Shishima."
"What?!" she raised her voice, a rare occurrence, but it was still enough to startle Rufu and force him in a panicked state where he would try his best to appease the queen. "I should've known better than to rely on an uneducated sheltered brat and the son of a wannabe noble!"
"M-my sincere apologies, Your Highness! I-if possible, sh-shall I l-lead a full on assault on Fukurokuju's cave? Perhaps this should be enough to capture your son?"
"Yes, you make a good point, general." Koushishi rubbed her chin and looked far deep in the woods in the direction of her former advisor's hideout. "Sazansho has confirmed it, he's seen it with his eyes. Fukurokuju helped those traitors escape with Shishima. Oh I should've known all those years ago when he willingly chose to forsake my court and go into his self-imposed exile that one day he would become my enemy."
"His fabled omniscience as the daiyoukai of knowledge and wisdom can be an invaluable asset to us, though. Perhaps you hoped he would realize the error of his ways and rejoin us?"
"That is indeed the case, my dearest Rufu. But now I've given up on that hope." Koushishi straightened up and formally spoke with a raised voice to ensure the camping soldiers would also hear her. "Since Fukurokuju holds responsibility for aiding the treacherous Prince Shishima, I have hereby declared him a public enemy in the senate and put out a warrant for his arrest. I wish to personally lead this army into Fukurokuju's hideout where we will raid it, confiscate all of his goods and then we will execute all those who dared stand in my way! Remember - Fukurokuju, Nekohana and Hyouma are to be arrested and executed! Shishima, on the other hand, will be fully restrained and brought to me. Is that understood?!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" the soldiers replied in unison.
Not wasting any time, General Rufu rallied all of his troops, including the scouts who were out patrolling the woods. In just a matter of minutes they were all marching forward, the queen leading him into a new glorious battle.
Back at Fukurokuju's mansion, Shishima and Hyouma conversed in the kitchen after having finished their bowls of dragon scale soup. It was the first time in over a millennia that the two cousins had a genuine discussion without any fake pleasantries or strings attached. And as it advanced, they both discovered a trait they had in common - curiosity. Hyouma tried to expand her horizons and gain knowledge of as many subjects she could, provided they would have been useful in the future. Shishima's curiosity extended more towards studying arcane magic, universal expansion and especially sentient beings; he even admitted that he found genuine pleasure in experimenting with different ways of torture. It soon became more than obvious that she was an utter pragmatist while he was a sadistic egomaniac with dreams of godhood. And yet they could both be pleasant to each other and quite engaging in their conversation. Perhaps there was some chemistry there that could have been abused back in their days as spoiled nobles, Hyouma wondered.
"Did you know that a mortal's mind is in very similar to a low class youkai's, except with even weaker mental wards?" Shishima recalled with an amused smile.
"I've read that humans indeed are very similar to us spiritual beings since they happen to possess mortal souls which come here in the afterlife upon death. Tell me, is it true that they empower us simply by believing in our existence?" Hyouma wondered.
"That is very much true. In fact, my power has been fed extremely well and had reached its peak while on Earth. Those tiny flesh bags feared me with their entire existence and unwillingly fueled their own nightmares. Then again, it's not like they had a choice."
"I don't suppose they did. I wonder, Shishima, would you begin a conquest on planet Earth once we become king and queen?"
"No, I don't think I would." His answer surprised her. "The main reason being that the world of mortals is a treasure I intend to share with Nekohana. You're also welcome to join us, if you so desire. I'm sure you'd have a blast toying with them. But the rest of the Twilight Kingdom need not discover the true value that these humans give us, or else..."
"...they'll all exploit it, perhaps even start a new war over them," she finished for him and nodded. "I suppose it's best we keep this is a secret. Why would you even share something this crucial with me?"
"It's only natural, seeing as you're my future wife," Shishima replied with a confident smirk.
After so many centuries of trial and error, that very notion still seemed unreal to Hyouma. But she had to get used to it, her cousin Shishima would soon become her husband and then they would both rule together.
"Koushishi is on her way here," Fukurokuju's voice spoke inside their heads, the two of them immediately rising from their chairs. "Stay put, I've already circled the mansion in chalk and will raise a barrier if necessary. Don't worry, I will personally deal with her. I've waited over a millennia to give her a piece of my mind."
Shishima and Hyouma looked at each other for a moment and there was no need for any words, they had already decided what to do - head over to the window and witness the upcoming encounter.
Fukurokuju stood by the mansion's main entrance and quickly glanced at a small piece of paper he held in his wing, smiling down at it. As soon as the visitors appeared in sight, he slid it behind his plumage and turned to face them. Koushishi and General Rufu marched around the lake, their small army of tens of soldiers quickly following behind.
"Your Highness, it's been a long time indeed!" Fukurokuju humbly saluted and did a quick bow to his waist. "I must mention this is the very first time you did not bother to send a messenger asking for my return. It's quite unlike you to actually come here in person. I wonder, how long did it take for your spies to finally discover my cave?"
"I don't have the patience for your quips today, Fukurokuju." Koushishi immediately pointed at her former advisor and yelled, "You of all should know very well why I've come here, seeing how you're the one who facilitated Shishima's escape!"
"That is quite the accusation that you bring forth, my queen."
"Don't insult my intelligence by acting all senile; I'm aware that you seek to conspire with those young traitors and dethrone me! I knew all along that your claims of being neutral were all garbage!"
"This is where you are wrong, my queen. I had indeed been neutral... until the very moment your son set foot again in the Twilight Kingdom and chose to fight for his birth right."
"I should've known - you're the one who always sided with Akushishi over me." Koushishi turned to her soldiers and ordered, "Raid his den and arrest whoever you find inside!"
"My queen, I suggest you not be hasty in this matter," General Rufu intervened. "Fukurokuju's psychic powers are unrivaled, he could destroy the minds of our entire army and I don't wish to waste the valuable lives of my men."
"That's indeed true," Koushishi reconsidered. "If only Sazansho had recovered quicker, his powers of canceling magic would've been of great help to us right now."
"Is it just me, or has Her Majesty not thought things through?" Fukurokuju snidely replied. "Perhaps you should have also thought better when deciding how to raise your offspring. I indeed warned you about the monster you were trying to create."
"Worry not, my queen. I shall personally deal with this disgrace of a youkai for you!" Rufu declared while puffing his chest forward and taking out his deck. "He's been a thorn on our side for millennia and I've long waited to give him a piece of my mind!"
"Rest assured, I already know what you're thinking and the feeling is quite mutual." Fukurokuju also took out his deck and two dueling tables emerged from the cave's floor between them. Both players set their cards and five blue rectangular shields materialized above each, thus starting their showdown.
"I summon Zanboron, Gig." A small toy with a large blue head appeared by Fukurokuju's side.
"I summon Esmer, Celestial Faerie." A green-haired Snow Faerie wearing a modest pink and white dress with three pairs of pixie wings coming out of her back appeared by the other's side and sent one of Rufu's shields to his mana zone, the card being Shinobu, Boost Chain.
"I summon Dugenda, Gig." A floating kendama with five chained blue maces appeared by the owl's side, allowing him to draw two cards and discard Wodara Gai, Crime and Astrochuuno, Nayuta.
"I summon Britanneko, Mana Zone Chain." A pink anthropomorphic cat dressed like a Chinese martial artist appeared in the battle zone. "With her effect I send my Esmer and your Zanboron to our mana zones." She jumped in the air and kicked the toy and the faerie, making them both vanish.
"I summon Zanboron, Gig again. Mugen Crime 2, I tap both Zanboron and Dugenda as well as pay 2 mana to revive Astrochuuno, Nayuta." A toy cosmonaut with a ghostly face appeared alongside the other toy creatures. "Since I tapped Zanboron with a Mugen Crime ability, I draw a card. Now with Astrochuuno's effect, I draw a card for each tapped creature and discard the same amount. So I'll draw two more and discard Dorokio Gai, Crime and Mizugem Gai, Crime. With the other effect of Astrochuuno, all of my creatures have slayer until the start of my next turn."
"Hah, your graveyard shenanigans are no match for the brute power of my Bouken Kingdom! I summon Shinobu, Boost Chain and Gorio Bugori, Gorira King!" A purple-haired Snow Faerie dressed in a pink ninja suit appeared alongside a orange gorilla donning silvery armor with two golden chains wrapped around his fists that were double the size of his body. "I attack with Britanneko and thanks to Gorio Bugori's effect, I activate Abarechain twice! Shinobu puts the top two cards of my deck to my mana zone, Britanneko does the same and I can also return two cards to my hand!" Punchfox, Knuckle Chain, Hakiri, Leafcry Faerie, Ougon! Bouken MAX and Hayabusatwin, Earth Chain landed in Rufu's mana zone, then he recovered Namakeira, Alive Chain and another Gorio Bugori, Gorira King. "Britanneko's power is doubled and she gains powered breaker, so I break two of your shields!" The cat jumped in the air again and kicked through two shields.
"Shield trigger, I summon Weimodel, Gig. With its effect I self mill three cards and revive The Clock, Ragnarok who ends your turn here!" A purple toy robot appeared alongside a muscular humanoid with spiky blue hair and two golden clock arms coming out of his chest, the latter making all opposing creatures freeze in place. "My turn begins here, I charge mana and Mugen Crime 4, I tap Zanboron, Dugenda, Weimodel and The Clock as well as pay 4 mana. I draw a card from Zanboron's effect and put Genmu Emperor, Illusionary Dragon from my hand into the battle zone!"
A large shadow was cast upon all youkai present as a winged scaled faceless dragon made of pure darkness arose above them all.
"Witness the mighty king of Team Zero! When Genmu Emperor is put into the battle zone, I send three creatures back to your hand!" Fukurokuju announced and he enjoyed the scowl Rufu made as his entire field was bounced back. "And whenever Genmu Emperor attacks, I discard three cards at random from your hand."
"I won't let you get to attack with that thing - I summon Shinobu and Britanneko again; the latter sends both Shinobu and Genmu Emperor to our mana zones!" The pink cat reappeared and bravely jumped in the air, kicking the shadowy dragon with all of her might, making him disappear into thin air as his card fell into his owner's mana zone. "Then I also summon Gorio Bugori and mach fighter, he attacks and destroys your Zanboron! Abarechain, I ramp Imen's Sign and Namakeira, Alive Chain, both of which I recover!"
"Such brutish efforts will fall short from standing up against the true powers of Infinity. I summon Zanbari, Darma and discard Dorokio Gai, Crime." A floating syringe with an eerie face on its cracked glass appeared. "Mugen Crime 4, I tap Dugenda, Astrochuuno, Weimodel and The Clock and pay 4 mana to put Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon from my hand into the battle zone!" The shadowy dragon spread his wings as he hovered above the gathering of creatures and youkai once again. "Witness the true form of Team Zero's king! While Genmu Emperor is in the battle zone, all of our creatures and spells which cost 5 mana or less lose their effects!"
"What?!" Rufu exclaimed, his one eye widening at the revelation that the majority of his deck had been rendered useless.
"I also destroy my Dugenda, Astrochuuno, Weimodel and The Clock to summon Georges Bataille for free!" All four creatures exploded and a tall humanoid dressed in an elegant purple robe and having a gray hat cover his dark face from which only the shining red eyes were distinguished arose in their place. "Since I have 11 cards in my graveyard, Georges Bataille doubles their amount. Whenever he would leave the battle zone, I may send 6 cards from my graveyard to the bottom of my deck. Now, what did you say about my 'graveyard shenanigans' again?"
"Grr, I summon two Namakeira, Alive Chain. I attack with Britanneko and double Abarechain, I check the top two cards of my deck, add a shield and send Shinobu, Boost Chain to my mana zone. I repeat this process to add another shield and send Punchfox, Knuckle Chain to my mana zone as well. Then Britanneko breaks your shield!"
"Genmu Emperor blocks this attack!" The dragon descended from the cave's ceiling and slashed the pink cat with his wings. "Now I believe my turn begins, so I cast Hardboiled Underworld which allows me to draw a card and discard Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon. With the spell's effect, I can return any number of your creatures which in total cost equal or less to the discarded card's cost. And since Genmu Emperor's cost is infinite, I return your entire field to your hand!" Fukurokuju declared and storm clouds gathered above their field, surrounding his shadowy dragon, then a wild typhoon was unleashed which blew away all opposing creatures. "Genmu Emperor, break all of his shields!" The clouds dissipated and his creature flew the opposing shields, shattering them all with one attack. General Rufu gritted his fangs in frustration as none of shield triggers could work. "Georges Bataille, todomeda!"
"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja and-"
"Genmu Emperor affects your Ninja Strikes as well, meaning he's useless!"
The small plane-shaped creature descended and attempted to stand in the way of the tall humanoid who merely swatted it as if it were a fly and punched Rufu, knocking him unconscious as he collapsed by the lake's shore, soldiers rushing to his aid.
A goat youkai colonel shyly approached the monarch and asked, "My queen, our general has been defeated! What are your orders?"
Koushishi could do nothing but laugh, a psychopathic tinge to her mirth. "General Rufu is too weak for the kind of skills Fukurokuju has, but that match was still entertaining to watch!" She immediately took out her own deck and walked straight towards the victor, showing no sign of fear whatsoever. "I challenge you as well, my former advisor! Worry not, I will be the one to push you to the brink!"
"So it has come to this after all these millennia." Fukurokuju narrowed his large eyes while staring at his opponent. "Koushishi, I've known you since you were born and I've personally dealt with your education since your early years as a cub. Never once did you show me any genuine gratitude or respect for the great efforts I've made for you. Tell me, are you truly this rotten on the inside?"
"Oh my, wouldn't the great all-knowing Fukurokuju know the answer to this question already?" Koushishi arrogantly asked and enjoyed the angered expression her opponent made. "Perhaps there are limits to your supposed omniscience? Or better yet, there are holes in your omniscience, holes that I can personally poke to ensure you can no longer read me or my closest allies. Oh how it must've frustrated you so, to be aware that there is something out there that you cannot perceive. I bet you've spent sleepless nights trying to figure out how I did it."
Fukurokuju did not respond to the queen's taunts. He looked her in the eye coldly and showed his reshuffled deck, accepting her challenge as both started setting their cards on the tables.
"I summon Zanbari, Darma and discard Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon." The syringe creature reappeared by Fukurokuju's side.
"I summon Mixel, Strange Stone." An airship made of red crystal appeared by Koushishi's side. "Whenever you put creatures which cost more than the number of cards in your mana zone, they are sent to the bottom of your deck. A good counter to Mugen Crime, wouldn't you agree?"
Fukurokuju ignored her and began his turn, "I summon Dugenda, Gig." A floating kendama creature appeared next to the syringe one as their own drew two cards and discarded Mizugem Gai, Crime and Astrochuuno, Nayuta.
"I cast Kenzan Charger." Koushishi revealed the top card of her deck which was Hades, the New Moon that Rules the Underworld and added it to her hand.
"I summon Zanboron, Gig." A toy creature with a large head appeared next to the syringe and kendama. "Mugen Crime 2, I tap Zanbari and Zanboron and pay 2 mana, draw a card from Zanboron's effect and revive Mizugem Gai, Crime." A blue toy robot joined the fray of small creatures. "With his effect I draw a card and discard Wodara Gai, Crime."
"I summon Loneliness, Treasure-Taking Moon." An angelic warrior in a golden and white armor who was armed with a sword and a gun arose by Koushishi's side.
"I summon another Dugenda, Gig." A second kendama appeared, Fukurokuju drawing two cards again and discard Dorokio Gai, Crime and Genmu Emperor, Illusionary Dragon. "Mugen Crime 2, I tap Zanbari and Zanboron, pay 2 mana and also draw a card from Zanboron's effect to revive Astrochuuno, Nayuta." The toy astronaut with a ghostly face appeared as his owner to drew two cards and discarded Zanbari, Darma and Hardboiled Underworld. "All of my creatures get slayer until the start of my next turn."
Koushishi visibly grinned at her opponent and in that moment his mind was assaulted by terrible visions. An army of creatures, his own creatures easily destroyed, his spells locked down, his shields broken in one go, a terrible direct attack that would render him helpless as the victorious queen ordered the soldiers to march inside his mansion. He would be unable to activate the barrier and then all those inside would be overwhelmed with Shishima still recovering. He immediately started calculating and tried thinking of a way to stop her upcoming assault or at least bring out Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon before...
"I cast Heaven's Gate and bring out Hades, the New Moon that Rules the Underworld and Moon, Destruction, Satan and Angel!" A six armed angel-demon hybrid donning a purple armor and holding a weapon in each of his hands and another taller angel-demon hybrid with limbs and wings made of black cannons and four gun barrels coming out of a faceless head appeared from a portal of light. "I gain two new shields from Satan and Angel's effect. I now end my turn and Satan and Angel breaks one of my shields. Oshiokimoon! Loneliness brings out Waltz, Almost Transparent, Hades destroys Zanboron and Satan and Angel breaks one of your shields!"
The amount of effects and interactions were too much to get around even for Fukurokuju's mind. The chances of him pulling out a victory were very slim. Little did anyone know that he had foreseen such an event and had prepared an ace up his sleeve. He discreetly slid the piece of paper from under his wing and it landed on the magic circle, burning away and igniting it. All of a sudden, a bright beam of light was fired into the hole in the cave's ceiling, ending up in the Twilight Kingdom's night sky. In those solemn moments all youkai residents bore witness to none other than their fallen king, Akushishi.
The image of the winged and horned demonic lion with a long black mane resembling a beard was enough to strike utter terror into Koushishi's face that she immediately backed down. Inside the mansion, Shishima stared with awe at his father, rendered utterly speechless.
"Youkai of the Twilight Kingdom, I have dedicated my entire life to serving you because I always knew that a proper king has to guide his people towards a better future. After escaping Hell, our founding ancestors only had themselves to rely upon. The only reason our realm still stands strong is because of cooperation among ourselves, despite our different races or statuses. Throughout history our society has endured only because of cooperation. If you are witnessing this message, that means I am no longer alive and have decided to leave the throne solely to my mate Koushishi rather than my son Shishima. Let it be known that a true ruler's worth can be seen by their fruits, so ask yourselves if you are truly satisfied with the results of Koushishi's rule. In the moment my son realizes the importance of fighting for someone other than himself, he will have proven himself as the worthy king I have acknowledged all those years ago."
The former king's image disappeared along with the bright beacon of light. Hyouma was surprised to see Shishima being left in tears by that message that he could only mutter solemnly under his breath one word, "Father..."
"What kind of trickery is this?!" an angered Koushishi demanded, but then she was startled by noise and turned around to see infighting between her own soldiers. Weapons were being thrown around, magic attacks blazed like fireworks in the night, chopped limbs flew in the air and dissolved in the span of a few seconds.
"It seems that half of your army has been touched by your mate's message," Fukurokuju replied. "If you truly wish to know - I simply burned away the final letter he had written before going to war and used my magic to project those words into an illusion of him to broadcast them all over the kingdom. You see, it seems that Akushishi knew somewhere deep inside that he would not survive the final battle against Purgatory. So, like the responsible king he was, he had prepared some final words of wisdom for those he would leave behind and had a carrier bring me the letter, advising me to keep it safe until I deemed the time was right."
"Curse him, he causes me trouble even beyond the grave!" the queen spat and started packing her cards, their shields and creatures disappearing. "Soldiers, we're retreating now!"
Two angered youkai tried lashing at her with their weapons, but with a single foot stomp she opened a gate to Hell and chains immediately emerged out of the fiery pit, dragging them kicking and screaming.
"Did you fools forget that I can damn you all back into the very Hell our ancestors crawled out of in an instant?" The entire army fell silent upon witnessing the scene. "Now when I said we're leaving, I meant it. All of you, get out of here!" At her yelled prompting, the soldiers immediately began marching out of the cave, a pair carrying their unconscious general with them. "You'll pay for what happened tonight, Fukurokuju. Don't think I won't be back!" Koushishi threatened, then she spread her wings and flew after her followers.
Satisfied with the outcome, Fukurokuju walked back inside his mansion and found both Hyouma and Shishima waiting for him. Then and there, he let his avian body be enveloped by a purple aura; it grew in size, taking the form of a human-like sage hermit in white robes, his black hair wrapped behind in a ponytail, his face sporting a long goatee, a Fu Manchu mustache and Asian features.
"My prince, here before you I bring thee my true form, the one I have had since the Creator had given birth to me in Heaven at the beginning of time. The only reason I have assumed my demonic owl form was to fit in with the newly-founded Twilight Kingdom back then," Fukurokuju earnestly confessed, having dropped his snarky aloof attitude. "Will I be judged for keeping this secret from everyone?"
Shishima's only response was to hug him and whisper in his ear, "Thank you for everything... my mentor."
"Shall I assume that the young prince I've known and tutored has returned?"
"Who said he left?" Shishima broke the hug and faced him, a new resolve and determination easily read on his face. "I am now ready to dethrone my mother. But this time around I will use a different approach."
"That sounds promising. Let us take this discussion into my private chambers," Fukurokuju suggested and turned to Hyouma. "If you don't mind, I would like you to keep watch on Nekohana and Borof for the time being. Should they wake up, update them to what had just transpired outside, please."
Hyouma nodded and watched the two of them walk down the hallway. Things had taken an interesting turn, surprisingly in her favor.