It was past midnight when Akamaru had arrived back at the oni village. As per usual, his fellow villagers were partying in a drunken frenzy around campfires, singing songs and dancing until the break of dawn. Some took notice as he walked down the main street with his kimono opened and his red chest pumped out, an aura of importance surrounding the young prince. Among the reveling crowd he also saw three feline daiyoukai whom he immediately identified as Hyouma's family. Most likely they were seeking shelter after the queen had discovered her act of treason. As long as he was not forced to marry Hyouma due to whatever backdoor deal she struck with their former senator, he paid them no mind.
The party's noises lowered down as Akamaru stepped through a torii gate and entered his home's yard. The head family of the oni village lived in what was supposed to be a manor but was no different from any of the other houses with the exception that it actually had a second level and an attic. After going past a small pond surrounded by bonsai trees, he climbed a short staircase and left his sandals on the porch. The first room upon entering was also the largest, as it also served as the dining room and his father's office. Weapons and ink paintings were hung on the walls. Maps and magical scrolls were spread all around the floor, a few lying on his father's wooden desk. Dishes filled with food were left untouched on the dining table, a sign that the Oni King had been busy. That indeed seemed to be so, as the wise old oni sat in the lotus position on the floor, in front of him a portal in which a familiar white owl's face was speaking.
"This is the plan," Fukurokuju concluded.
"Worry not, my old friend. You have our full support!" the Oni King reassured him and closed the portal, after which he got up and turned to greet his son. "Akamaru, I heard you've finally resolved your grudge with Shishima."
"That is true, father. I now see what you also see in him. Still, he's a strong rival to test my strength on, so I guess I am grateful at least for that," Akamaru confessed and laughed lightheartedly.
"I am pleased to hear this. You are one step closer to surpassing me as a worthy leader." The Oni King's expression grew more stern. "The time has come to discuss serious matters, my son."
"Is this about your chat with Fukurokuju?"
"Yes, I was informed by my friend that Prince Shishima has changed his approach in regards to his taking of the throne. He wishes to capitalize on the final message his father had left for the kingdom and wants to rally as many denizens as he can to his cause."
"And you really think he'll succeed in this, dad? Keep in mind, the last time we rallied by his side, he failed us miserably, got himself captured and cost us plenty of lives. Will he have better chances with bigger numbers?"
"Koushishi can flaunt her powers and titles all day if she so desires, but in the end they are just intimidation tactics. We have the people on our side and they've always outnumbered the daiyoukai. Try as they may, in the end those self-important nobles are empowered by their slaves, workers and voters, not the other way around." The Oni King leaned down and picked up a map detailing the entirety of the Twilight Kingdom, running a clawed finger around each region. "Fukurokuju has tasked us with rallying allies from all youkai races. First thing in the morning, I will be sending parties of three soldiers in every corner of our kingdom and I will personally lead one of them. We may even get certain youkai leaders on our side, although I've been advised that some such as Lilith and Kanmi are fully loyal to Koushishi and would never be swayed to our side. We best be cautious, but I'm certain Fukurokuju's omniscience will be our greatest aid during these times."
"You do that, I've got a more direct approach with aiding our cause."
"Will you not join us then, son?"
"I've got a plan of my own which I intend to set into motion. My spies have uncovered a secret in the capital palace which I intend to exploit. If all goes well, I will bring us all an ace in the hole against Koushishi!" Akamaru confidently assured his father and walked past him, climbing the stairs to his room where he would have a quick rest. The next day would mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Twilight Kingdom's history and he planned to be part of it in a grandiose way that would surprise everyone.
Back at Fukurokuju's mansion, Nekohana awoke from her sleep. Much to her surprise, Shishima was sitting by her bedside with a book on his lap upon which he worked on upgrading his deck.
"You're up early," he remarked and set the book and his cards aside on a smaller table. "Here, have some of these." He reached for the nightstand and offered her a tray with a bowl of dragon scale soup and a cup of medicinal tea.
"Shi-shima... you shouldn't be back on your feet so soon. How are your wounds doing?" she asked as she only picked the teacup from the tray.
"Most have fully healed. The rest are nothing I cannot handle."
Nekohana sighed at his stubbornness and sniffed the warm tea. "This contains herbs for healing fatigue and back problems. Did you make this?" Shishima gave a silent nod. "Why? I thought you said way back when that cooking was beneath you."
"That is true. But this is the least I can do to repay your efforts of healing me... twice."
Nekohana was stunned by his response. After a few moments of silence, she drank the teacup's full contents and set it aside, licking her lips and exclaiming, "That was indeed refreshing! Thank you."
"While you were asleep, Fukurokuju and I have planned our next move against Koushishi. Rest assured, once this is all over, I will do everything in my power to bring things back to the way they were."
"Does this mean we will move back into the capital palace where I will live an utterly sheltered existence while you enjoy a king's life?"
Shishima blinked, taken aback by her attitude. "What? No! I wish for us to go back to the night when we confessed our feelings. Don't you remember? Back then we were both looking forward to a better future."
"Oh no, I haven't forgotten that one bit! Unlike you, who chose to forget, I kept that night in my heart for the past thousand years. Not a single day had gone by without me remembering what we've shared. But you were the only one back then who wanted that better future to be in the Twilight Kingdom." Shishima was left speechless, unable to find an answer. "Which reminds me, are you looking forward to marrying Hyouma and becoming the new king?"
"Nekohana, you're being unreasonable. I've talked to my cousin and we've come to an agreement that she's worthy of becoming my wife or 'official mate' so to say due to the efforts she put in rescuing me."
"I am being unreasonable?! Last I checked, I wasn't the one who kept giving this corrupt kingdom chances when it's obvious that its inhabitants will always end up backstabbing each other! Just be honest with me, Shishima, that's all I ask! Marrying Hyouma is only another step to grabbing power, isn't it?"
"I'm not sure..." he confessed. "I don't know what I will do with the Twilight Kingdom once I achieve its ultimate power. But I am aware that Hyouma seeks my hand in marriage solely so she can rule by my side. She's even told me that we can keep our relationship behind the scenes and she won't mind it one bit. But I would never throw you in my harem, you know that too well. I don't know whether I would like to go along with this plan of hers. If someone were to discover that I am having an affair behind the scenes, even with my queen's approval, the ensuing scandal would be disastrous." He reached and grabbed her hand tight, leaning in and looking her straight in the eye. "What I am sure of, however, is that I would have become the monster Koushishi wanted if not for you. Which is why I must thank you, Nekohana... for everything."
Nekohana did not reply, she simply leaned in as well and kissed him. Although surprised at first, Shishima immediately closed his eyes and accepted her. Nothing else mattered in those solemn moments hidden behind four walls. The taste of each other's mouths reminded them of that fateful night when they were in the garden, by the lake. This time around she would not hesitate. She had craved her prince's touch for too long and would not lose him again. Nekohana wrapped her arms around her lover and pulled him in the bed. As he crawled under the sheets, his kisses become more passionate and he descended from her neck to her breasts, suckling one and massaging the other. Never did she expect his clawed hands or fanged mouth to be this gentle, or perhaps he chose to be gentle only with her, which made their sensation even more special. By the time he penetrated her, she blew off the small candle on the nightstand so that the only light left was from their glowing red pupils. Being entwined as one with the male she loved more than anything else was an experience unlike any other, she felt like a blooming flower which drowned in the symphony of colors, perfumes and warmth that spring offered. In the remaining hour of the night they eagerly explored the sensual gifts that love had to offer, a sweet experience that would become a new happy memory for both to cherish.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Hyouma finished rolling the slices of dragon meat in flour and yolk and carefully placed each of them on a large pan under which a stove's fire burned. It was the first time she had experimented with breaded cutlet, but if its taste was pleasing enough, she hoped she could strengthen the bonds of her newfound friends.
"So the Twilight Kingdom's dishes don't differ too much from those in my world or the human world!" Borof remarked while flying by Hyouma's left ear.
"I don't suppose they do. We all enjoy a healthy amount of meat every once in a while," Hyouma replied placidly. "Shishima told me you had an affinity for cooking him meals. For a duelist and his creature partner, you two surely have quite a close relationship."
"What can I say? My master is unlike any other duelist I've partnered with. I'm having so much fun working for him that I don't mind being in a subservient position at all!"
"He told me you've gotten in quite the trouble back in the creature world due to your active participation in his massacres. Yet you still chose to stay by his side despite being branded a villain by your former comrades. I suppose it wasn't hard to forsake them for Shishima, seeing how he's letting you be who you really are, which is an unhinged murderer."
"Ehehe, you got me, credit where it's due."
"Out of curiosity, how would you describe the creature world?" Hyouma wondered.
"Hmm, how to put it?" Borof placed a gloved hand under his chin as he reflected. "Safer than the Twilight Kingdom but more dangerous than Earth. A place of constant war with new sides always emerging and peace being short-lived. But more importantly, a place where you get to have your five minutes of fame and then be buried in history's dumpster while new heroes always keep rising."
"If you two are quite done here, there are more important matters for you to attend," Fukurokuju spoke from the kitchen's doorway, catching their attention. "Once daylight comes, we will be recruiting a large number of youkai to our cause. My cave will be their shelter for the time being until Shishima formulates a plan of assault on the capital palace. Our new allies will need all the strength they can get, so I hereby ask the both of you to go into the pantry, take all of the ingredients I have left there and cook as much as you can."
"And how do you expect me to cook anything when everything around me is-" Borof did not get to finish his sentence as Fukurokuju fired red beams from his eyes which caused the wolf plushie to grow in size. He crashed on the floor and upon getting up, he saw that his head now easily reached Hyouma's waist. "Wait a minute... I'm actually taller?!"
"Do not underestimate my power, little one. And before you ask, no, Shishima did not intend to grow your size because he found you more useful in your previous form. If you dare start crying about this being unfair, I will personally send you back to the creature world." Borof stared at him in utter shock, unable to have any reaction. "Now both of you, get to work. You will shrink back to your regular size by noon time, Borof, so I suggest you prove yourself useful and be swift." With those parting words said, Fukurokuju left the kitchen.
It was by the break of dawn that Akamaru woke from his short sleep and left his village with only a gray hooded cloak on. After taking numerous shortcuts memorized only by a few oni, he traversed the mountains and desert fairly easily underground and soon found himself infiltrating the capital palace under his guise as a poor beggar. Mixing in with the large crowd at the bazaars of the lowest level was easier than expected. Once he took a turn and ended in an empty corridor, he placed his hand on a brick wall and carefully moved it until he felt a slightly dented space. It took only three light knocks from his fist to have a secret passageway open, revealing a pair of spiraled stairs which led upwards. Making haste, he entered it and closed the wall behind.
While climbing, he recalled the anonymous tip he had received from one of his spies. There was a rumor going around that high-ranking daiyoukai senators had commissioned such passages be built into the palace's walls which they could use for spying, smuggling goods and the occasional assassination. Usually those passageways were magically sealed, which ensured no brick was dented whatsoever. But it just so happened that one of those senators had gotten quite distracted lately and thus they were careless enough to forget placing a magical seal on this important secret. Akamaru would be using this to his advantage. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he was faced with another brick wall. He approached it while tiptoeing and peeked into a small hole where he saw... Senator Sazansho sitting at his desk, writing a detailed report in his folder with an elaborate jewel-encrusted quill. Soon enough, one of the queen's most important advisors would become Akamaru's hostage.
Gray clouds reigned upon the morning sky. Murmurs were spread through the shadows of the southeastern forest. King Akushishi's parting message which had been broadcast on the previous night raised enough questions, but rumors were spreading that the disgraced Prince Shishima had escaped imprisonment and was preparing to overthrow the current government yet again. Most surprisingly, there seemed to be a tacit invitation for the disgruntled people to join his new uprising. As the hidden creatures debated these surprising events, a hunched tanuki walked with a cane down the deserted footpaths. Despite his frail appearance, the old youkai did not show any sign of fear. Should anyone have been foolish enough to attack him, judging by their power, he would have either morphed into a giant boulder to crush the aggressor or immediately vanished out of sight. Having spent countless eons struggling to survive as one of the weaker races had taught him to be prepared for anything in that hostile environment.
Eventually he stopped into a hidden grove wherein countless youkai corpses were lying on the ground with roots stabbed through them which sucked their blood. He glanced at a dead incubus and had no pleasure in seeing the agonized expression on his dried prune-like face. In a matter of seconds, the last drop of blood had been consumed, his body finally turning into ash which vanished into thin air, allowing him to become one with the Abyss. The tanuki looked ahead at the tree with crimson leaves and spoke:
"Jubokko, patron of all plant life, I am deeply sorry to disturb you! I am certain that you, like everyone else, have seen the message of our fallen king and are well aware of what the prince is trying to accomplish. More and more minor uprisings have occurred since the people have finally realized how dissatisfying the queen's rule has become. Surely your plant youkai also fall in this category! There is no reason for you to keep going on being exploited by Koushishi's reign which has done nothing but impoverish all regions and constantly favor the supposedly strong minority over everyone else! Which is why I beseech you, please lend your aid to us and help Prince Shishima bring forth a new future for the Twilight Kingdom!"
Almost immediately, Jubokko's roots sprung out of the ground and aimed to stab the elder tanuki. With surprising speed, he jumped in the air and morphed into a giant bat which hovered just above the tree's crown.
"So, you still wish to sit around and do nothing? Very well, do not try to claim Nekohana as one of your own ever again! She has chosen Shishima's action over your useless passive nature, and if you ever dare threaten her, the tanuki will fervently stand by her side!" With those warning words imparted, the elder vanished in a puff of smoke before Jubokko's roots could reach out to him again.
Akamaru barged through the wall with his kanabo and aimed the spiked metallic club right at Sazansho's head. With a shocked yelp, the salamander daiyoukai grabbed his paperwork and jumped from his seat, the desk ending up crashed beneath the weapon's great weight.
"The Oni King's brat?! How did you get here?" the senator asked.
Akamaru wasted no time and spat fire right at his victim. Much to his chagrin, Sazansho countered by spitting his own blue fire which canceled the magical attack. Taking the opportunity, Akamaru tossed the kanabo right into his scaly face, knocking him right into a bookshelf. The oni jumped on him and both youkai rolled down the floor, struggling to overpower each other, but it soon became clear that the Saznasho was at a disadvantage. Eventually they collided into a wall, Akamaru on top of the reptilian senator whom he strangled as hard as he could in an attempt to knock him unconscious. Unable to match his attacker's physical strength, Sazansho kicked him in the crotch, causing Akamaru to loosen his grasp around the other's neck.
Able to breathe again, the senator once more spat blue fire upon him, canceling his magic and sapping away his body's energy. When he felt that Akamaru had been weakened enough, Sazansho pushed him off and got back on his feet.
"Aha-ahahaha, did you really think that you were actually ambushing me? Haven't you wondered even for a moment why one of your pathetic spies would only now come to you with such a valuable secret? That message you received was from an oni I have easily bought into my service! I was wondering if you would bite the bait and fall into my trap, and like clockwork, you did!" Sazansho circled him with a predatory glare, delighting in the humiliation he was subjecting Akamaru. "I was considering bringing you as a trophy to cheer up the queen. But now that I'm seeing you better... you're quite the looker." He leaned in and grabbed the oni's soft cheeks with his nubby fingers. "I will make you part of my harem. What do you say?"
Akamaru looked away from the reptilian face and saw his kanabo in the pile of scattered books and broken wood. Mustering all the strength he could, he punched the senator in the gut and dashed for his weapon.
"Kotarin, stop him!" Sazansho shouted.
A small three-legged black crow youkai known as a yatagarasu dashed through the air at incredible speed, hitting the weakened oni from all directions, scratching his skin with its beak and talons. While the intruder was distracted, Sazansho kicked the kanabo all the way beneath his shattered desk. After a few minutes of enjoying the torture, he called off his trusty servant for whom he tossed a small treat. Usually he would have had the mindless bird do a dance to entertain him before offering it a reward, but he had more urgent matters to attend. Akamaru struggled to stand on his feet and breathed heavily as he saw the senator approach him with all four hands crossed behind his back.
"Well, well, I've put you in quite the corner, haven't I? But you know, I'm not quite in the mood for checkmate just yet. Let's make this interesting..." Sazansho pulled out his deck which glowed brightly. "You entertain me with a duel and I offer you a slim chance to earn your freedom. Of course, I highly doubt you can defeat me, but it will be amusing to see you try!"
"You're on!" Akamaru immediately accepted and took out his own deck from his hakama's pockets.
The two walked over to a pair of dueling tables in another corner of the office, set up their cards and five blue rectangular shields soon materialized above each player, thus marking the start of their match.
"I cast Brain Storm." Sazansho drew three cards and put two on the top of his deck.
"Bad Action Dynamite 2, I summon Dorgan Churis and attack with him to Revolution Change into Dogiragon Nova, Blue Guardian Deity!" A small blue rodent wearing the fossilized remains of a dragon appeared and rushed ahead, then jumped in the air and hi-fived a dragon wearing a mechanical red and golden armor with a flowing blonde mane, a sword in his mouth. "Final Revolution, I'll reveal the top four cards of my deck and put any number of multicolored creatures which cost 6 or less into the battle zone!" Akamaru flashed his top four cards - Gashadodokuro, Oni of "Tamagari", Evil Heat, Screaming Demon Dragon, Gedogongen, Oni of "Korekara" and Jaouga, Oniga Overlord. "I put Gedogongen in the battle zone and the other three go to the bottom of my deck. Now, Dogiragon Nova, triple break his shields!" The dragon flew ahead and swung the sword with his mouth, slashing away three shields.
"Shield trigger, I expand Cyberdice Vegas, Gambling Expert of D." Their surroundings changed to those of a cybernetic blue casino filled with slot machines and roulette tables, a floating dice in its middle. "Then shield trigger, I summon The Clock, Ragnarok and end your turn!" A muscular humanoid with spiky blue hair and two golden clock arms coming out of his chest appeared and made the opposing creatures freeze in place. "Aha-ahahaha, your ruffian attempts at a rush end here! Now my turn begins, Vividdraw 2! I cast Aesthetic Movement is an Explosion to prevent your Dogiragon Nova from attacking or blocking until the start of my next turn." A shower of multicolored meteors fell on the armored dragon and forced him on his knees. "Then I also cast Lost Watergate to search my deck and set Celebrate! The final curtain of this story on top."
"Don't think my assault ends here just because you've prevented one attack - I summon Bakurohoshi, Oni of "Musabori" and return two shields to my hand without activating shield trigger!" A tall red oni with two pairs of black wings coming out of his back, a crown of black feathers on his head with long flowing white hair appeared. "Onitime has now activated! Gedogongen, break his final shields!"
"Not so fast - I activate Cyberdice Vegas's Denjara Switch effect and cast Aesthetic Movement is an Explosion to destroy Bakurohoshi!" Another shower of multicolored meteors fell, this one crushing the winged oni. "Then Ninja Strike 4, I summon Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja to block Gedogongen!" The samurai oni's katanas collided against a small plane creature which imploded in an instant. "I've already told you, boy, you cannot rush me - Vividdraw 4, I cast Celebrate! The final curtain of this story to draw a card and bring out Sr Spellcyclica, Dragment Symbol which gains speed attacker and recasts Celebrate again! I'll draw again and bring out Meteorshower Auroratheater as well!" A dragon made of sharp crystals and a phoenix modeled after a carnival mask both appeared by Sazansho's side, who laughed maniacally as he drew three cards. "Aha-ahahaha, this is how you properly rush someone - Meteorshower, break his final shields!" Akamaru took cover as the creature flew through his remaining three shields and shattered them all in an instant. "Sr Spellcyclica, todomeda!"
"Dogiragon Nova, block the attack!" The two dragons tackled each other and the one with red and golden armor emerged victorious after he cut the other with the sword in his mouth.
"Sr Spellcyclica goes to the bottom of my deck when destroyed. But no matter, this was my second attack, so I summon Valchuris, Dragon Armored for free!" A trio of mine wearing dragon skulls and wielding repair tools appeared as well. "Valchuris is a speed attacker, todomeda!"
"Oniend - I cast Hyakki no Jaoumon!" A red gate with lava horns above, six glowing purple kanji floating around its doors and Jaouga's head painted on it arose and opened as Akamaru sent the top four cards of his deck into the graveyard - Dorgan Churis, Valchuris, Dragon Armored, Hyakki no Tenjakaku and Gashadodokuro, Oni of "Tamagari". "I'll revive Gashadodokuro and force battle your Valchuris!" A giant skeleton wearing a samurai helmet and shoulder pads emerged from the gate and unsheathed both its katanas to slash the mice into pieces.
"This isn't over - The Clock, todomeda!"
"I destroy Gedogongen to not lose the game!"
"Hmph, very well, I'll end my turn and Meteorshower goes back to the top of my deck due to Celebrate's effect. You have one last turn to defeat me, boy. Make it count!"
"I summon Dorgan Churis and attack with him. Revolution Change, I swap him with Dogiragon Buster, Blue Leader and Final Revolution, I bring out Dokuganryu, Oni of "Kagekiri" from my hand for free!" A dragon wearing a blue mechanical armor with a long flowing blonde mane and a sword in his mouth appeared alongside another dragon donning a white and purple armor, the former hacking away the two remaining opposing shields.
"Shield trigger, I summon another The Clock, Ragnarok and end your turn here!"
"Not a problem." Akamaru placed his hands on his hips proudly. "Since Onitime has activated, Dokuganryu makes all my creatures blockers and slayers. There's no way you can get past my defense now. I'm afraid it's you who has one last turn left!"
"Aha-ahahaha, that's where you are wrong, fool!" Sazansho laughed as he began his turn. "Vividdraw 5, I summon Meteorshower Auroratheater again and draw three cards. But in case you didn't know, my Phoenix can't be blocked!"
"What?!"
"It's time to finish this farce - Meteorshower, todomeda!"
The carnival mask phoenix flew ahead, going past all the oni creatures which tried blocking its attack in vain and ultimately headbutted Akamaru hard, knocking him unconscious. Then the creatures all disappeared and the surroundings reverted from the casino into Sazansho's office. In a few minutes he would summon a member of his sealing corps to arrest Akamaru and bring him to his personal chambers. But first he checked the folder which he had saved from the kanabo's wrath after picking up his quill from the floor. The blackmailing letter he was writing for the Oni King was almost done.
Back at Fukurokuju's mansion, Shishima walked out of the bedroom and cast one last glance at the resting Nekohana. The mere sight of her being safe and happy was enough to melt even a heart as cold as his. After making love to her for the first time, he felt as if she had grown closer to him more than anyone else; and no matter what would happen afterwards, he would never let go of her again, for they were destined to spend their eternities together. It had been a long time since he had experienced such warm emotions, but for some reason he did not mind them at all.
"I am glad to see you in such high spirits, my prince," Fukurokuju said while walking up to him. "I know that the morning hours are still early, but if you don't mind... would you care to join me in my meditation chambers once more?"
"Is there any particular reason for this invitation?" Shishima wondered.
Fukurokuju smiled slickly. "Yes, I have a surprise ready just for you."