Chapter 35
Choose your champion

When Itto mentioned to Kazuha that he knew all the places where cats congregated in Hanamizaka… it didn't take long for the wandering swordsman to realize that this wasn't actually an exaggeration. The two members of the Arataki Gang gave him a tour of several of the corners of that area. All of them, in fact, were inhabited by dozens of cats.

Orange, black, brown, tabby, gray, and even some totally white. But none of them were Tama. Most fled as soon as they were approached, but some came with extreme confidence, especially to Kazuha.

"It seems the animals love you, friend Kazuha," Itto pointed out, intrigued to see how a group of cats swirled around the fair-haired boy's feet. He crouched toward them, carefully running his hands over their heads and loins.

"Animals never fear those with a calm soul," the swordsman said, pronouncing it almost as if it were a poem.

"I guess that means your soul isn't very calm, boss," Akira murmured to his oni friend under his breath. He was startled, surprised by the statement.

"What are you saying? Animals adore me. Do you forget who the best onikabutos catcher in all of Inazuma is?"

"I don't know," Akira mumbled, a bit unsure. "I don't think scarabs count. They practically never run from anything. They almost always just sit there for you to grab."

"Ha, it's obvious you don't understand the complexity of a true warrior's mind. They keep their minds clear and blank until it is time to fight. We can all learn something from the way they think."

"You mean... always have our mind clear and blank?" Akira asked curiously. "Well, that doesn't sound too complicated..."

As Kazuha stood up again, the cats took off, heading down the street in a group.

"I'm afraid the cat I'm searching for may not be around," Kazuha muttered ruefully. "Perhaps instinctively, she went looking for my partner. I should go find him."

Although, of course, considering the place Tomo had said he was going to, the idea of going after him really didn't appeal to him at all.

"Hey, hey, don't worry, friend Kazuha," Itto exclaimed with extreme confidence. "There is still one site that needs to be added, the most popular of all. Surely the lost cat you are looking for will be found there. Come on, follow me."

Before Kazuha could say yes or no to his proposal, Itto immediately started walking briskly. Akira followed close behind, and Kazuha had no choice but to go after them.

Kazuha wasn't sure how worried he really was for Tama. Tomo had already adopted her when they met a few months ago (before recruiting him for that quick trip to Inazuma), and she was almost always wildly attached to her owner. So he had not known her long enough to see if she could care for herself. But whatever it was, Tomo entrusted her to him, and he needed to try to find her at least. But that city was so big; she could be anywhere right now.

At least Arataki Itto's company, now that they were no longer fighting each other, was pleasant and useful. Throughout his travels through Inazuma, Kazuha met many interesting people, including other oni and even other types of Youkai. But this individual was a bit more peculiar than most. But, above all, he was surprised that he could have lived for so long in the very heart of the Shogunate with a vision when the most rational thing to do would have been to get as far away from that place as possible. He must be someone very brave... or not very smart...

Or maybe both; one did not exclude the other, after all.

The place Itto directed him to was right at the main exit of the city, in the outermost part of Hanamizaka, on which stood a tall, leafy cherry tree, its branches now brimming with pink blossoms. It was one of the first things people saw as they entered the city from the main road.

Kazuha couldn't help but remember that a few days ago in that area, there had been that incident in which the Tenryou Commission stripped that ronin of his Pyro vision, the one that Ayaka had called Ouji. It had also been there where he saw Ayaka for the first time after so many years when she intervened to help that man.

Just as Itto had promised, several cats were hanging near that tree; some even rested comfortably on its branches. But there were not only cats because, in the shadow of its branches, there was also a group of four children, three boys and one girl, squatting in a circle.

"Look, they're that bunch of losers," Itto muttered arrogantly as they approached, smiling broadly.

"Losers?" Kazuha asked curiously. "Do you mean the children…?"

"Hey, you guys!" Itto snapped, waving a hand in the air as well. "Kouichi, Midori, Shouta, Daisuke! How are you wasting your time this afternoon? Eh?"

The four children raised their heads simultaneously, turning them toward the oni that had so indiscreetly caught their attention.

"Ah! Itto!" the boy named Daisuke exclaimed enthusiastically, sitting up quickly. "It's good that you're here! We thought you had been arrested."

"Huh?" Itto muttered in confusion. "And why did you think that?"

"Everyone is saying that you trashed Old Shinai's restaurant," the boy named Kouichi pointed out. "And now he is looking for you to pay him every dam…"

Itto coughed hard covertly, turning away.

"That's just a misunderstanding," he murmured with a hint of nervousness. "As soon as his anger passes, I'll go and repair his wall. It'll be okay," he added with more conviction, accompanied by a confident laugh. "That does not matter now. Have you seen a lost cat around here?"

"A cat?" pronounced the four children at the same time, and each one diverted their gaze towards a different direction around them, and in each one, there was at least one cat.

"I don't mean the normal cats that are always hanging around here!" Itto growled sullenly. "I am talking about a new cat. One… ah… how did you say it was, friend Kazuha?" he asked, turning back to the swordsman accompanying him.

"A little kitten, no more than two years old, I think, with completely white fur and blue eyes," Kazuha explained calmly and serenely.

"Like that?" Shouta asked, pointing to a cat perched on a branch just overhead.

"That's gray, silly," Midori replied.

"Is not the same?" Shouta muttered again, embarrassed.

"Who is your friend, Itto?" Daisuke asked, looking at Kazuha curiously.

"Ah, this is Kazuha; only Kazuha," Itto hurried to introduce him. "He's my new samurai friend, looking for his missing cat."

"It's a pleasure," the samurai greeted them, slightly bowing toward them. The four children, by mere reflex, returned the greeting with a slight nod.

Kazuha advanced around the tree, inspecting each of the cats with his attentive gaze. Some were watching him curiously or perhaps waiting for him to feed them. Maybe the people from the surrounding area used to leave food for them under that tree, which is why they used to gather there. However, none of them seemed to be the one he was looking for.

He sighed in resignation, walking back to join his guides.

"Were you guys playing onikabutos fight without me?!" He heard Itto's sonorous voice resound as he approached. Looking up, he could see the oni leaning over the circle formed by the four children.

Onikabutos fight? Kazuha thought, a bit surprised but mostly curious.

He got close enough to see that between the four children, there was a circle drawn on the ground. Inside the circle, a purple beetle was motionless in its place, while outside it, another one lay on its back, waving its legs frantically, perhaps trying somehow to turn over.

That scene inevitably brought a small memory to Kazuha's mind. It was a happy one since it involved another of those moments from his childhood with Ayaka, in which they also tried to play that game without much result.

My brother said this was fun, but… Are we doing something wrong?

Maybe they don't want to fight because they're friends.

Can onikabutos make friends?

I wouldn't see why not. Animals are just as or more sensitive than us.

Since you put it that way, now it makes me a little sad to want to make them fight. It must be horrid to be forced to turn your back on a friend.

Yes, I agree. Or maybe fighting is also their way of playing. Either one, I guess they're not in the mood to do it right now.

But it was also an unpleasant memory since that had happened just the last afternoon that he was allowed to enter the Kamisato Estate. The last time he was allowed to see Ayaka until their reunion eight years later.

"Well, we thought you were under arrest again," Kouichi stated in response to Itto's complaint.

"Besides," Shouta intervened, "after last time, you probably don't have anything left to bet with, do you?"

"What are you saying?" Itto muttered with an indignant tone, placing his hands on his waist with confidence. "Of course I have. I must have some candies around here," he indicated as he began to search the depths of his pockets.

"No candies," Midori denied emphatically. "Today, we are betting moras and nothing else."

"Moras?!" Itto exclaimed in surprise. "And since when do you have moras to bet on, you little brats?"

"What? Are you a guard to be interrogating us?" Midori replied, crossing her arms. "If you don't have any money, step aside and let us play."

"You're terrible, Midori," Daisuke whispered, somewhat uncomfortable by his friend's words.

"Ha! Of course, I have money," Itto declared with great confidence. "Akira, lend me money," he said seriously, extending his hand toward his friend.

"Huh? And why me?" Akira questioned, somewhat stunned.

"Didn't you say you would invite me to eat?! You mean you have money, right?"

"Actually, it was you who told me to invite you..."

"Does not matter! We don't pay for the food before we leave, so you must still have it available."

"Only because, in effect, we left without paying... besides having broken that wall..."

Despite his complaints, Akira took out a small bag of money from under his clothes, digging inside it to get some moras.

"See, brats?" Itto snapped, turning back to the four children. "Who doesn't have money now? Eh?"

"Not you; you had to force Akira to lend it to you," Kouichi grumbled, turning away. "Aren't you ashamed?"

"It doesn't matter because I'll win it back anyway!" Itto answered them sternly, immediately taking the moras that Akira had handed him and extending them towards the children. "So here is my bet! Friend Kazuha," he pronounced suddenly, turning to the Kaedehara swordsman, who had been watching everything a bit on the sidelines. "Do you want to play too? It's fun. I bet a warrior like you must be good at onikabutos fights. But I warn you that I am the champion around here."

The four children, and Akira, looked at each other, apparently not very convinced of such a statement.

"Sorry, I'm not interested," Kazuha denied respectfully. "I must continue looking for the kitten I lost, or at least go find my traveling companion to let him know that she is missing. But don't worry, I can continue on my own," he said solemnly, heading back to the city. "Have fun."

"Hey, hey, don't go so fast," Itto insisted, moving in front of him. "Come on, just a quick, friendly competition. I assure you it will help you clear your head a bit. Besides, I'm sure the cat you're looking for is okay. And if you come out triumphant, you could win... how much is the prize?" he asked, turning to the four children.

"With your money, it's two hundred moras," Kouichi pointed out. "If your friend participates, it can be a little more."

"200 moras?" Kazuha muttered thoughtfully.

Money didn't usually mean much to the former nobleman now that he had become a wanderer. Usually, having enough for a portion of prepared food or occasional lodging used to be more than enough. But, on that particular day, seeing that set of blue butterflies on that peddler's blanket… he had a strange desire to have a little more money than he used to bring with him. And, almost as if it were the work of fate, two hundred moras was more than enough for it.

Kazuha shifted her gaze to the side, cupped her chin with one hand, and even allowed himself to close his eyes a bit, sinking deep into his thoughts.

"Huh? And now, what is happening to you?" Itto asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking for a second about how proper it would be to gamble and win the money of a group of children in a game of onikabutos. Especially considering what I'm considering using that money for… A part of me tells me it's harmless, but I shouldn't be doing such a thing, especially right now…."

"Ha, nonsense," Itto snapped calmly. "Come on, don't be a chicken. Come with me, and let's find a couple of good beetles for fighting."

Itto then placed a hand on Kazuha's back and began to guide him, practically pushing him towards the trees further into the plain in front of the city. Kazuha didn't object too much, and even if he had tried, the strength of the oni's heavy hand might not have made it easy for him.

Well, in the end, it was just a harmless child's play. It wouldn't hurt to play… just a little.

Itto directed him to a large group of trees and bushes. From that site, they could see the sea that stretched in the distance; a few more steps and they could easily walk down the slope to the beach. During his travels, Kazuha had spent much time in contact with the elements, even sleeping in different forests and mountains. Those trees certainly looked like the places he had seen that the beetles used to take up as their abode.

"Let's see," Itto pointed out with apparent excitement as he walked through the trees. "The key to winning an onikabuto fight is having a good eye for choosing your champion. This one doesn't have to be the biggest or the baddest, but have something more profound than that, something much more important: spirit! Do you understand what I'm saying, friend Kazuha?"

"Yeah, I understand it," Kazuha suddenly replied without hesitation, which took Itto a bit by surprise.

"Really…? I mean! Of course, you understand. Now, let's see what options we have around here..."

They both began to move through the trees and bushes, looking for some beetle that met their expectations. They came across two first, one small and one considerably larger, which Itto inspected carefully, even taking the largest in one hand, before discarding them. The third, however, powerfully caught his attention. It was intermediate in size between the first two, with its long, thick front horn and lively legs. When Itto first glimpsed it, it was climbing rapidly up a log. It was that swiftness that called Itto to him above all else.

"This is my chosen one!" he stated enthusiastically, taking the beetle in his hands. "Look at that energy, that verve. It has everything to be a champion, Demon Warrior X!"

"Demon Warrior X?" Kazuha asked curiously.

"It totally has the face for that name, don't you think?"

Kazuha didn't have a concrete answer to such a question, but if it was okay with him, he didn't have to question it.

"Now you," Itto said. "Choose your champion wisely. We are talking about two hundred moras at stake. Do you want me to help you find it?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine," Kazuha replied calmly, beginning to pace the surroundings at a leisurely, calculated pace.

He carefully observed each beetle, also delicately touching one with his finger to make even a tiny connection. They all seemed quite calm, still in their position, unfazed by the presence of both of them in their home. Few animals had such a capacity for calm, so it had always surprised him that they suddenly chose to attack each other, and sometimes, like when he and Ayaka tried to do it, they remained just as still as those he was watching right now.

Maybe it has more to do with the person taking it than the beetle, he thought as he continued walking through the trees. Maybe at that time, Ayaka and I didn't really want to fight, and that's why our scarabs responded to that feeling. They could be much more sensitive animals than we think, being able to understand human emotions at that level. For this reason, perhaps they are not fleeing from us at this time, as they do not feel an immediate threat from us.

It was a topic worth pondering and exploring, maybe even writing about it. But for now, he had to choose his champion, as Itto had well said.

After a few minutes of searching, something stood out in the surroundings for Kazuha. A small, barely perceptible, cool breeze touched his face, and he continued toward his left. That movement was unusual because of the way it was blowing that day; it was as if it was trying to point him in a specific direction, to just behind some bushes to his side.

Kazuha walked over to the bushes, pushed them aside, and there he saw it, almost hidden from his view if it weren't for that little clue. It was a beetle of a peculiar bluish hue with white stripes. It was a little small, and it was still and calm like all the others, although when Kazuha peeked in, he could swear it had looked up to see him back.

The swordsman crouched closer to the beetle and delicately extended a hand toward it. The insect came closer and seemed to inspect the offered hand somewhat hesitantly, but in the end, it moved forward of its own accord until it was placed on his palm. Kazuha sat up again and held the tiny insect close to his face. Again, he could feel it look back at him as if they were both looking into each other's eyes.

He felt it clearly at that moment: this little guy had the spirit he was looking for and in abundance.

"I guess I'll take this one," Kazuha stated, rejoining Itto with his champion in hand.

"That?" Itto mumbled, looking at the blue beetle, not very convinced. "I don't know… he seems a bit puny, don't you think?"

"I think it'll be fine," Kazuha replied with a confident smile. "I feel it has quite a lot of spirit inside."

"If you say so," Itto replied with a shrug. "And what name will you choose for it?"

"Name…?"

Kazuha raised his gaze to the sky, meditating a bit on how to answer him. When looking at that beetle and its peculiar colors, not to call them unique, she couldn't help but think of that person too... Although, to be fair, it was as if anything that day reminded her somehow.

"I think I'll call it… Heron Princess…"

"Heron Princess?" Itto snapped, followed by a small laugh, though he immediately stopped himself. "I mean... that's an unusual name for an onikabuto warrior. Also, how do you know it's female?"

"I don't know if it is," Kazuha answered without much trouble. "I just think it's appropriate."

"If you say it. Well, let's go back to the others to immediately start the battle, shall we?"

Kazuha nodded, and the two began to walk back to the cherry blossom tree with their chosen champions.

While Itto and Kazuha had gone to find their beetles, the children had taken the opportunity to challenge Akira to a game of marbles in exchange for the rest of their moras that he hadn't lent Itto. Although at first the guy resisted it, the insistence of the little ones, not to call it a provocation, ended up making him give in. Which, of course, ended up backfiring when after only a few minutes, the four children had practically stripped him of almost everything he had brought with him.

"It just can't be!" Akira exclaimed in total disbelief. "You brats are cheating bullies!"

"Don't cry. Aren't you an adult?" Midori chided sternly.

"You…!"

"Akira!" someone nearby was heard shouting, cutting off what the Arataki Gang member was about to say and, at the same time, drawing the attention of him and the four children.

Quickly approaching the main road leading into the city, the five caught sight of Kuki Shinobu's characteristic green hair and attire, hurrying towards them. A few steps behind her, Genta and Mamoru came to the same in a hurry in their trot.

"Ah, Shinobu, guys," Akira muttered, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"What are we doing here?" Shinobu exclaimed sternly, stopping dead in front of her friend. "Where have you been all day? We went to Shinai's restaurant, and everyone said that the boss started a fight, broke everything, and then ran away."

"That... wasn't exactly like that," Akira commented nervously, placing a hand behind his head.

"Where is the boss?" Genta asked hurriedly. "They didn't arrest him, did they?"

"No, no, he's..."

"Looking for an onikabuto!" Daisuke hurried to reply enthusiastically. "He's going to duel that new guy he brought with him."

"New guy?" Shinobu asked, confused. "What new guy?"

"Well, it's a bit long to explain," Akira pointed out, shrugging. "I myself don't quite understand what happened..."

Before Akira could explain or Shinobu questioned him further, Itto's huge figure walking up the hill became apparent.

"There is!" Mamoru pointed out. "Oh good, the Tenryou guards didn't catch him like everyone said."

The four members of the Arataki Gang rushed to catch up with him halfway. Itto watched them, a bit puzzled to see his other friends there.

"Hey, guys," Itto exclaimed, smiling, placing one hand on his waist while holding his Demon Warrior X with the other. "Did you come to see me sweep the floor with all these losers with my new champion?"

"Not at all," Shinobu hastened to point out, taking a step forward. "We've been looking everywhere for you, Itto. There is something we must..."

Shinobu fell silent when she noticed the second person approaching behind Itto, a skinny boy with light hair, a reddish lock on one side, and a blue beetle in his hands. Was he the new guy the kids mentioned?

"Who is this dude?" Genta asked, a little defensive as he suddenly found himself met with a face he didn't know at all.

"Calm down, calm down," Itto hurried to try to calm them down. "He is Kazuha, my new friend. It's a funny story, I thought he was with the thieves who robbed the restaurant, and we had a little fight, but it was all a misunderstanding. Now we are good. Even he has a vision too, an anemo one."

"Hey!" Kazuha exclaimed, alarmed and a little annoyed at how he'd suddenly revealed that.

"Don't worry, nothing's wrong. They are my friends. They know about my vision and keep my secret. Even Shinobu has a vision, too," Itto added, pointing to the green-haired girl.

"Boss!" Shinobu snapped, considerably more annoyed than Kazuha. "You can't be saying that to anyone!"

"Yeah, yeah, what's up with all of you today?" Itto muttered, apparently brushing it off. He then began to head back to the cherry tree. "Why are you so tense? Relax. We are among friends."

"Among friends? We don't even know who this guy is," Mamoru declared, jerking his thumb at Kazuha inconspicuously.

"I told him the same thing," Akira murmured as a small claim.

"Your friends are right," Kazuha intervened at that moment, taking the others a bit by surprise. "The situation with visions is extremely delicate right now. You can't let just anyone know you have one, especially with the Tenryou commission hovering so close to you."

"Thank you…" Shinobu murmured, not really used to hearing another voice with common sense in that group besides her own.

"You exaggerate," Itto replied nonchalantly. "The Tenryou commission is currently more interested in their small festival. Who in these surroundings can be interested in whether or not we have one…?"

"Well, well, I see a few familiar faces around here," they suddenly heard a new voice pronounce when they were already a few steps from the cherry tree.

The group stopped short at hearing that and looked up at the front. The person who had spoken became more than evident to everyone instantly: a tall man with blue hair tied up in a long tail, a white suit and black gloves, and a transparent glass with boba tea that he held in one hand. That man stopped right under the cherry tree, next to the children, and observed the group with a discreet smile.

"What a pleasant surprise to find you guys again," the individual muttered, running his gaze over each one of them. "Have you been behaving well?"

Kazuha was speechless, totally stunned to see the man he recognized instantly. And, of course, he had recognized him without a doubt as well.

Lord Kamisato... he thought in astonishment. And, in his expression, the shock must have been more than evident because when the man fixed his deep blue eyes on Kazuha, Kamisato Ayato's smile widened a little more, and he also allowed himself to drink a little of his drink through the straw.

Author Notes:

A little more about the adventures of Kazuha and the Arataki Gang, and of course, there had to be an onikabutos fight. And even with a little special guest at the end… And Itto being a bit reckless with his tongue, but that's how we love him.

In this chapter, there was a remembrance of something narrated in the flashback of Chapter 13, just in case you didn't remember it and want to keep an eye on it (although it's still not that important). In the next chapter, we will see how this duel between Demon Warrior X and Heron Princess turns out.