Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
It has been a long arduous struggle my friends. I had almost finished a chapter, and then I got hit by covid hard. Thankfully most of the sight effects went to my back so now I just got fatigue and backburning pain sometimes. I hope you all have been well. After this chapter we have just one more to finish this particular arc and then we'll really see Rei Kurenada in action. I hope I can get this next chapter up sometime faster. Until then be well everyone. I'm kind of disappointed about my lack of a one liner. Let me see if I got one. Let's see here...If you keep monkeying around, you're going to drive me bananas. Naw that's no good. Yamada Dameyo!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Monkey King Hijinx
Rei Kurenada calmly sipped his black tea, having already converted it to his digital composition for consumption. The outdoor venue seemed calm and peaceful, and he seemed in a chipper mood. All he needed were two more vessels to convert to his new world, and, with that in place he would be completely prepared for raising the next children that Homeostasis summoned. And if they were worthy and got strong enough…
...He grinned cherishing thought. Yes, if they were that way, he could restore his power and position himself perfectly to get the attention of The Digital Creator once more.
He sipped his tea wondering about what kind of person would agree to be his next prospect.
"Hmmm," he mused resting himself against the back of his chair.
All of a sudden revving cars came screeching from somewhere towards his general vicinity. A ton of negative energy emitted that way following another one.
A man suddenly appeared across from him with long shaggy hair, a chiseled face, and wild brown eyes. He looked to be in a bit of a panic, running as fast as he could away.
Suddenly he stopped, looked towards Rei and jumped over the fence separating from him and hid underneath one of the outdoor venues. The tablecloths were long enough to cover him.
Just in the nick of time black cars screamed across the road along with a couple other men with guns, black suits, ties, and sunglasses. Yamada Dameyo! Get back here and cough it up!"
"Where is he?" one of them asked panting heavily.
"I don't know he was just here. He couldn't have gotten far!"
A swarm of them noticed Rei and surrounded him.
"Have you seen this man?" the guy said showing a picture of the most ridiculous man he had ever laid eyes on. The strong chinned, tuffed up hair, and ludicrous smile painted the word 'idiot' across the tapestry of time.
"Afraid not friend," he smiled.
"You hear that? Then he could not have gone this way," one of them scoffed kicking the table the buffoon had hidden under.
"Let's go check the alley," another one agreed as they all made their exit.
Rei watched them go. He calmly remained there sipping down his tea ignoring the buffoon motioning about a bit under the table. He poked his head out after a few minutes looking this way and that.
"Hey! Would you look at that!" he said chuckling to himself. "Are they gone? They're gone, aren't they?"
"So, it would seem," Rei said closing his eyes still trying to ignore him.
Immediately the man scuffled about standing on his feet. "Thanks a lot, little buddy!" he said reaching out, grabbing Rei's hand and shaking it. "Once I hit the big time I'll pay you back big time with an autograph. Oh yeah, you'll be rich baby!"
Rei could not help but wonder about him. Yes, the man had charisma, but it utterly became lost in some foolish facade of confidence. It had to be fake. There was no one alive that believed in themselves as much as this man appeared to.
"By the way the name is Yamada Dameyo. So says the shirt," he said showing it off with his name on it. "My Daddy always said if you got something to say put it on a t-shirt!"
Rei scoffed slightly covering his hand to his face. This one certainly was an interesting...fellow.
"But" Yamada grinned, "What I gotta say is more important than even t-shirts. I'm talking billboards baby! Making a name for myself! Hitting the big time! One of these days I'll be bigger than sliced bread!"
Rei opened his eyes a bit more bewildered wondering if by chance it could be possible to lose brain cells talking with someone with such low intelligence.
Yamada put on a pair of sunglasses, checked out his face in a glass mirror and grinned cheekily. "Well I'll see you around little buddy. You can catch me around at my next concert," he said taking a flier out and giving to him.
"You just be there. You'll witness greatness in the making!"
With that the man walked away casually in the other direction of those that chased after him.
Rei took a small breath, placing his hand over a head. "Absolutely not," he said shaking his head. "No one that big an imbecile could ever be used in my master plan."
About an hour later Rei found himself browsing a bookstore glancing through theoretical papers about computer engineering. Despite his attempts he could not get the impression of the man out of his mind, so, in the most practical sense of the term, he decided to bash out his memory with knowledge.
He found a particular passage about quantum leaping that held his interest, but the sudden roar of a guitar shattered any semblance of peace the bookstore held.
An odd strumming of guitar and beat boxing from the familiar lips of a baboon sparked the attention of the whole story.
"Now listen here," Yamada said checking himself out. "Listen to my jam," he said dramatically. "My words are like honey! My melody is like peanut butter! My guitar is the sweetest banana. It's ripe with song! And I'm the bread holding it altogether because I was bred for glory don't you know! You know why? I'll tell you why-cuz' I'm Yamada Dameyo! The King will make the chickadees sing! He's robbin' their hearts and nestin' in their flutterin' eyes and they all go swoon when King Yamada Dameyo enters the room!"
"Can I get an encoooooore!" he exclaimed holding out a high note for as long as he could followed by a bizarre guitar rift.
Rei lowered the book he was reading, his eye twitching in irritation. He calmly closed the book and walked over to the customer counter, had a few choice words with them and then walked over to him.
"Why look who it iiiiiiiiiiis!" Yamada sung emphatically. "I knew you would turn up because you're a radical radish. How about you listen to me cry out my number one number? It'll move you more than any onion!" he grinned holding up his guitar confidently.
"I've taken the liberty of calling security," Rei responded calmly.
"Huh?" he wondered, his glasses starting to fall down his face.
"Hey!" a security guard growled. "Stop right there!"
Yamada looked at him approach him and swung his guitar on his back.
"Uh-oh, got to go son, buh-bye!" he said exiting stage left.
"You get back here!" The security officer shouted. "That's the fifth time this week!"
"What can I say baby?" he puffed. "I was born for greatness. You can invite me back for a venue any time!"
"Like hell we will!" a hoard of people shouted.
Yamada started to get pelted by books, but it did not stop him. He only grinned back even more confident.
"Look at that!" he exclaimed. "They love me! But next time throw some broads or champagne over!" he chuckled.
With that this loony farce left the building, Rei standing their even more perplexed.
"Is what he said true?" he asked one of the customer service agents.
"Well," a lady said trying her best to try to communicate with him just who Yamada Dameyo was to the bookstore. "The man's an idiot, but boy can he get attention," she grinned. "Our customer base is up 1000% because of him. Even with paying security extra and putting up with his nonsense we're getting a lot more customers now! It's well worth putting up with him!"
"And you don't pay him, do you?"
She only grinned. "Like I said the man's an utter buffoon. It's his fault for not figuring out to profit from his literal drama every now and then."
Rei nodded his head putting his hand over his chin.
"Well, this has been mildly amusing," he said trying to read his book, but then closing it. The man had definitely left a negative impression on him, and he couldn't even focus on his book. "But at least I will never see him again."
After nearly a week from researching Rei looked over some potential prospects. One had been a scientific researcher with a personal vendetta. Another had been a war general with a tarnished reputation using bizarre bloodletting rituals. The last one happened to be a hacker still on the run and mysteriously leaving cryptic quotes.
Rei grinned putting his hand on each one to get a feel for their negativity. Sure, they had some each, but they were flimsy and brittle. He needed someone with a lot more depth and fortitude. Someone like…
...Rei questioned himself unbelievably having thought that somehow that Monkey King Yamada Dameyo could be used for a purpose. But still, with someone as bizarre as him could he even follow proper instruction?
He pondered about him and then took out the tickets to his venue Dameyo had rent out in the evening. Normally something of that magnitude had to have been financed by other companies, but it seems there were no sponsors listed. He wondered how in the world that man could pull it off seemingly by himself?
"I suppose the lug would require me to investigate him," he said. "What with how twisted the man is mentally, with an ego so vast even Narcissus would have been jealous."
If Rei had ever heard of someone being called a scoundrel, this man was on a completely different level. He started out researching his family and speaking with relatives. Apparently, all of them some time or another in their lives had lent him money, but he never paid them back.
A brother of his met with Rei and angrily told him he let him borrow a credit card one time and maxed it out for over $10,000 dollars. A sister informed Rei that she let him stay the night one time because he got in a fight with his roommates and the next day, she was missing half of her jewelry. The few friends he had also told him the same thing.
When Rei pressed a bit asking them how they knew it was him, they angrily told him 'Because he left a dam written message saying "I'm just going to borrow this. When I hit the big time, this autograph will be worth thousands!"
Rei could not believe how much of an imbecile Yamada Dameyo truly was. He could not count how many times he face-palmed himself when they told him that each time.
Had he been cool about it Yamada could have gotten away with half of his crimes. The other odd part about this though is when Rei pressed on why the authorities were never contacted, they all for some reason or another gave excuses. The whole thing felt very peculiar.
Their eyes looked like they were in despair, but also kind of gave off a different kind of glint, as if they really believed in him. Perhaps that is why they never contacted the authorities.
Rei had to take some time himself pondering about them. He walked along the road and passed by some unsavory characters, some who looked vaguely familiar.
Instantly he reached forward and grabbed one by the collar. Yes, he did recognize him.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" the man asked. "Let go! Do you know who exactly you're messing with!"
"You must have a death wish!" another one growled. "No one messes with the Yakuza!" he added taking out a gun and pointing it to the back of his head.
Rei turned back towards him and glared at him. "Gentleman," he said dangerously, "I heard you have a bounty out for a man who has borrowed money from you."
"Whozzat?" one asked. "We get all kinds of riffraff like that. But if you know someone that does owe us they're dead meat, and so are you," he said dangerously grinning.
Rei grinned back equally dangerous. "Fascinating. I'll tell you what, I have in my pocket the location of this man next Saturday. It's yours," he said giving them a ticket.
"Is that him?" one of them said chuckling staring at the ticket.
"Finally, we got him. That cocky bastard won't know what hit him. We'll make him pay every penny!"
Rei Kurenada fidgeted with the other ticket in his pocket.
"I don't know him personally," he said, "but he did invite me to his concert. I will be in attendance as well. Do make it a good show," he said turning around and walking away.
"Hey, we aren't done with you yet!" one of them scolded. "Get back here!"
Rei turned around glaring at the piece of filth like he was beneath him. "What do you have to say with me?" he said seriously dropping his whimsical ways for an instant.
The man instantly averted his gaze and lowered his head. "N-nothing," he murmured.
"That's what I thought," Rei replied. "I do enjoy a good show. Make sure you make it as entertaining as you can. But, if he does so well, you best get him after. Who knows? Maybe he'll be able to pay you back everything with even interest," he smiled heartily.
It was the night of the concert. Rei slipped in but detested the crowds. He quickly dispatched a security guard who kept grumbling about his job and went up a long staircase to the top of the venue.
"Narely a soul around," he observed walking forward and staring down over a railing.
"A pleasant view I should say, but who knows how long I-"
"-Hey, you!" a security exclaimed rushing up to him flashing a light. This is a restricted area! You have no right to be here!"
Rei closed one of his eyes a bit annoyed by him. "If I have no right to be here," he said observing his negativity rising within him, "Then you have no right to exist."
Rei grabbed his face instantly dissolving him into the negative digital information and absorbing them into himself.
He licked his lips savoring his snack. "Who says venues don't have tasty snacks?" he quipped leaning down over the rails, noticing the lights were shining down even more directly, drums starting to beat in the background.
"Look at all of those walking piles of trash," he grinned. "They would be better off letting the roof cave in on them than spending another moment breathing. At least some of them will be useful," he said noticing a smoke screen start to appear.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" blaring speakers shouted. "Now is the moment you have all been waiting for! Introducing for the very first time the living sensation, the embodiment of-"
"-Do I really have to say that?" the speaker said, another voice scolding him in the background.
"-Like I said, the embodiment of sexiness and the Adonis of the Music Word! The Rock legend in the making, Give it up for Yamada Dameyo, The Monkey King!"
With that the crowd erupted into applause as Yamada appeared in a ridiculous star-studded jacket and slacks. He posed holding up his fist, clutching his microphone in the air.
"Why thank you, thank you very much!" he grinned behind a pair of sunglasses.
"Listen up my people!" he shouted. "A lot of people say I'm ridiculous! And they have no idea how right they are! I am ridiculously talented!" he grinned strumming a guitar.
"You know what else they say about me? That I'm a waste of time!" he chuckled. "And I couldn't agree more! Why waste time with naysayers that can't appreciate good music?!"
With that the audience erupted into some sort of pseudo laughter.
"And you know what else?" he said wagging his finger. "What folks say the most about me, the Monkey King, is that I am no good. Nooo!" he cried strumming together a guitar rift.
"So, you know what I did? Let me tell you baby! I wrote a song about it! To all you haters out there this song is for you! Let me tell you about it! Let me show you about how great the Monkey King Truly Is!"
With that Yamada Dameyo erupted into song, truly with a captivating performance, his audience growing and loving every minute of it.
Rei could not help in a partial way understand it. For the foolish, overconfident, piece of work that he was, the man truly exhibited confidence and charisma that rivaled even him.
He listened keenly to Yamada, noticing some movement in the shadows of sinister negativity.
"I thought I told them," Rei said a bit irritated, "To wait till after the show?"
As 'The Monkey King' continued his captivating performance performing songs such as 'He's no good', 'I'm going bananas', 'You wanna make something of it?', Superstarrin'and what came to be a song Rei actually liked, 'Too Much For Ya to Handle' he wrapped the first half up a bit sweaty but still strutting himself on the stage.
"Now, now don't you go anywhere!" he grinned. "Listen up baby! The King's going to refresh himself. So hold tight during this intermission my faithful subjects! You're King shall return momentarily! And then let me tell ya somethin', The Monkey King Yamada Dameyo will rock this house till the whole city wakes up! Till then baby!" he said waving and turning around to go back inside.
Rei clapped himself grinning truly impressed by him. "Looks like things are set. Now it's time to make my move."
In the backstage of the stage Rei waited within the shadows noticing the Monkey King bend down over a sink washing his face.
"Now let me tell you something baby," he grinned. "You're a superstar. You finally got your kingdom and it's just going to grow from here," he said. "After all, why not? You are the Monkey King..." he said looking up into the mirror drying his face. He removed it from him, grinning as he stared into the mirror.
...Yamada Dame- oh no," he said, his face turning pale as a hand came forward against the back of his head, and pushed it into the sink, another hand running the water soaking him in it, filling him with water.
Rei wanted to intervene, but he knew he had to wait for his opportunity. If the Monkey King were to join him and be a useful idiot, he would have to go through a lot more suffering. He closed his eyes letting it continue.
"Not the hair baby," Yamada quipped getting the waterboarding treatment some more.
This happened for a few minutes until one of them nodded his head and signaled him to be thrown on the ground.
The Monkey King bounced around a bit landing on his back.
A man without glasses went over to him staring down at Yamada who still choked out water.
"A pleasure to see you Monkey King," he grinned. "You've caused quite a stir among the Yakuza."
The Monkey King looked slightly terrified, the man taking out a knife.
"Now just wait a second there," he groaned, "If it's about your money the rate I am going I only need ten autographs to pay you back. I swear baby!"
The other Yakuza there started cracking up a bit, but the leader in front of him looked even more pissed.
"It looks like you don't know who you are dealing with," he grinned. "All right Foolish Monkey King. Let me show you!" With that the man started to pummel Yamada mercilessly, his face swollen and bloody by the time he was done.
"Well now," he said, "Do you get it now? We own you. You took our money. You didn't pay it back and now you're going to pay for it. With your life."
Yamada coughed up blood slightly. "Oh, my pretty face," he groaned, the man looking down on him grinning like he was going to murder him.
"It's all part of show biz," I guess he grinned trying to get up, but still pinned to the ground. "Hey, let me up buddy. The King's still got to finish his show and then I'll get you an autograph. I promise baby!"
With that the countenance on the man's changed as he pressed his foot down making Yamada yell out in pain. "Just how much pain do you have to go through to get my point!" he snarled. "Then I'll show ya!" he growled pushing his foot down on Yamada's guitar playing arm until Rei heard a sickening crunching sound.
"There now," he said. "You'll never play again."
Yamada groaned out but chuckled a bit. "You don't know who you're messing with son," he said. "I am the Monkey King. My talent far exceeds your methods. You know why? Because I may have one broken arm, but I can still use the other one. I'm ambidextrous baby!" he laughed heartily.
"What's the matter with you?!" the man cried in a frenzy taking his knife and stabbing him repetitively in the arm, Yamada interjecting out cries, and a few 'I must say that hurts you know' in there, him barely able to move his arm after that.
"Boss," one of his men interjected. "He's going to bleed out like this."
"I know that!" he spat out. "He's too dumb to even kick the bucket," he groaned.
"Look what you did to me!" Yamada blurted out. "But it will be all right kid. I just need fifty thousand more to get my arms fixed and I can heal back and get you all the money you need. I'm a King! My faithful subjects will be more than glad to-"
"-Just shut up!" the leading man cried out pounding his face.
"It's over Monkey King!" he said pointing a gun at him. "Your Kingdom's gone before you even established it! Your fans will go away! You'll never play again! By the time your concert is supposed to end you'll be in pieces for the pigs to feast on! There will not be one shred of evidence that says you are alive."
With that one of them went behind him and put tape over his mouth.
"Let's finish him off by the river," he said recomposing himself.
"I seemed to have lost control," he said tilting his glasses on his head. "Oh well. I guess even I need to cut loose for a while. Go load him in the trunk."
Rei took a calming breath and shook his head. "Why do I want him again?" he said furrowing his eyebrows.
He re-imagined in his mind the arrogance of Yamada Dameyo up until his current condition. Even though he had the living stuffing beat out of him he still kept going for the sake of his dream.
Rei then went forward in front of them clapping having convinced himself of his decision.
"That was a moving performance," he said walking up to them, all of the Yakuza instantly drawing guns at him.
"Who are you?" the leader asked. "Are you his manager? How much has he made so far tonight? You better give us all of it if you know what's good for ya."
Rei didn't even address him ignoring his taunts and threats to a point where in his frustration he shot him, Rei barely feeling anything.
"You can say and do whatever you want," he said. "But the fool has become a chosen vessel for my greatness. And if I selected him that means what you just did to him right now can only mean the loss of your lives," he said picking up Yamada's guitar.
The leader stared at him incredulously. "Just the hell do you think you are?!" he yelled out desperately. "We are the Yakuza! You mess with us you sign your death warrant! Kill him!" he cried out as all the Yakuza started to fire their weapons, Rei using the guitar to smash down all the bullets in nearly the blink of an eye.
"You know what?" Rei grinned. "Insects such as yourself truly have no value. Though you may be 'negative' you never fleshed out your negativity and only used it to punish people out of the sheer pleasure of it," he said thinking about all of his chosen vessels so far.
"You never made that negativity a part of your own. And for that reason, it disgusts me," he quipped staring down at Yamada and then at the instrument.
"But thanks to you, though I am not a musician, you've inspired me to make a song," he grinned holding up the guitar threateningly behind his back against his head like a club. "Allow me to show you my one and only 'hit piece.'
With that Rei rushed forward slamming his guitar against one of them, the man's glasses flying off while bullets shot into the rafters overhead. Another turned his gun directly at him, but Rei swept by his side effortlessly and used the strap to choke him to death and using it as a shield against the other flunkies.
"When I play my instrument it makes a sound," Rei said. "How do you like it? Would you like to hear more?"
"Eat lead asshole," the leader said taking his gun out and trying to shoot Rei, but he beat down the bullets with guitar, the guitar showing cracks in it.
He then took the third man and with both hands raised above him he crushed his skull with the guitar while avoiding the bloodshed.
"This ain't over!" the leader grimaced. He took out two guns and started blasting him as best as he could, but Rei could not help but toy with him. He guided the man until he slipped backwards on his back, Rei jamming the guitar in there through bleeding gums and broken teeth.
"I guess you're so moved by my song you're at a loss for words now, aren't you?" he snickered wickedly jamming it further in there. "How far do you think I can go?" he said rhetorically pressing it further and further, the man's eyes panicking, him grasping the guitar as if he was choking.
"A little more," he said pushing further and further until he heard a sickening snap, the man's neck having been broken.
He then sighed and leaned his foot against the guitar, the impact eventually going through the back of his mouth sinking deeper in, a fresh pool of blood coating the floor.
He looked at himself and started snickering. "So, this is what it's like to 'cut loose' as they say? It feels pretty good."
Behind him he heard the sound of rustling, Yamada grunting, breathing heavily.
"I can't have you suffocate yourself to death," Rei said grabbing the bandage and twisting it off.
"Y-you, that th-that guy, he-he-"
"Yes, I killed them," Rei said plainly, some blood sliding down his face.
"B-but why? All I did was owe them money baby."
"Because." Rei said snapping his wrist downward freeing his jacket of some blood, "They would have killed you, but in an even more painful way. Aren't you glad I saved you?"
"I-I am grateful," he stammered. "I can't believe you came to my rescue like that. I must be a smart guy for choosing you to be my friend. Ain't that right little buddy?" he chuckled.
Rei had had enough. He took a sharp breath in and walked over to him grabbing him by the collar.
"Enough of the Monkey King Hijynx," he said throwing him back down. "I spared you Yamada Dameyo because I see a potential no one else can."
"People tell me that all the time," he grinned. "No sweat kid I'll get you an autograph signed by yours truly. Just after I finished my concert now y'hear?
He looked around a bit baffled. "Now where did I put that guitar?" he said walking over-the instrument entrenched in the poor squad leader's face.
"Oh no!" he cried noticing the bullet holes and chips in it, "My beautiful guitar! Say something to me honey!" he cried putting his ear to it.
"I'm afraid that won't do you any good Monkey King. It was short lived, but it looks like your performance is over."
"What? Just how so?"
"Once the Yakuza find out what happened to this man here, I do believe they will be truly pissed. They will want nothing less than to slaughter you and your most die-hard fans."
"That can't be!" he exclaimed. "Why, everyone loves me! That's why they listen to what the King says! He's got faithful subjects."
Rei snickered and held up his index finger wagging it. "No, No, No, Dameyo," he said kind of going along with one of the songs he had sung. "You'll spend all of your days on the run. You will have to pay for another guitar to, not to mention losing your kingdom. Any mention of your performance will be ruined by the immediate note of all the dead bodies here."
"But it's not fair!" he groaned. "I spent my whole life trying to be a super star. Even if people called me annoying or 'I'm no good' I kept pressing on baby. I struggled until I built up my skills and my confidence. Oh yeah, eventually the King was born. The King Yamada Dameyo!"
"Yes, well, that sounds lovely," Rei said a bit annoyed, "But I'm afraid I will have to go now."
"You can't go," Yamada immediately responded holding onto his bleeding arm. If you leave, I'm dead meat son! You got to help me buddy!"
Rei sighed out and just leaned back against a wall. "Assuming all of this goes through, and your reputation is preserved and you become a superstar it will not last. You're probably bleeding to death right now as we speak. Unless you get to a hospital soon the King will have to have a royal funeral."
"That can't be!" he groaned. "It might hurt but I'll be ok! I don't wanna die!"
"Sadly, that looks like exactly what's happening now," he said pointing towards him. "It's turning a pale blue color. Looks like necrosis is starting to set in around your upper left arm. I can also tell by your labored breathing your heart is starting to slow down. Not looking good Monkey King," he said getting up and shaking his head.
"Well, you got to help me son! Do something! Take me to the emergency room and say I'm on your insurance policy! I'm the King! What will my faithful subjects do without me! It wasn't supposed to be this way baby!" he groaned.
Rei sighed and put his hand on his shoulder. "You're reign oh monkey king was short lived," he said seriously. "You will never recover from this injury. You may not even be alive in the next few hrs."
"But-"
"-Your Kingdom has fallen," he said coldly. "The only thing that remains is your pride. And once you die, it will only survive in the memories of your fans, but they will move on."
"No!" he said trying to shake his fist, but he could not get enough blood flow and stared at it shocked.
"Oh dear," Rei chuckled, "It appears you're aggravating your condition causing your death to speed up."
"I don't care about that," he scoffed. "Sure, I may be bruised, I may be bloody, hell I may be dying, but I'll be damned if I look like a pathetic mess if I kick the bucket," he grinned. "Now, let me just see if I can find some hair gel."
Rei picked up the broken guitar and threw it at a mirror shattering it. "It seems even death will not break your ego and you will have to bring it along with you. There is something admirable about that," he said. "And if you can be this stubborn about this, I wonder what else you can be stubborn about?"
"What do you mean?" he said a bit labored starting to spit up some blood.
"I offer you Yamada Dameyo a chance," he said walking forward and dropping a syringe into the ground on the tip part making it stand vertically.
"A chance?"
Yes," Rei acknowledged. "Call it an opportunity if you will," he said casually placing a hand in his pocket. "He held up his hand with the other and slowly raised it in the air. "A bigger stage awaits you Monkey King. A new kingdom far grander than this and far more subjects that you can boss around to your liking. You truly will become a king, and not just of rock music."
Yamada breathed in slightly in pain and looked towards the vial. "Well tell me. What do I got to do to get me that kingdom? I'll do anything baby!"
"To me," Rei said, "You have already passed my test. The only thing you will have to get used to is acknowledging a King, nay a deity greater than you. Obedience will yield rewards, but disobedience will rob you of all future benefits."
"Y'mean all I got to do is listen to you and do whatever you say?"
"From time to time," Rei said certainly, "otherwise I will just leave you to your own devices."
Yamada grinned, shaking partly from shock, partly what appeared to be elation. He started chuckling and then broke out into a full-blown cackle. "That's right baby!" he shouted. "The King Reigns Supreme! You might have gotten the best of me this time, but next time you better watch out 'Cause the King will come back bigger, stronger, and with more swagger than ever before! Just you watch my faithful subjects!"
"So, is that a yes?" Rei quipped.
"I'm all your's baby," he said trying to grab the syringe, but unable to do so with his hands.
"Uh-oh," he said like he had just gotten into trouble.
"I'm sure there are other ways to get that into your body. If you can't even do that much your even more of an idiot than I thought."
With that Yamada growled and locked his jaw onto the syringe.
"Don't you underestimate me buddy," he snapped holding on and jamming the syringe into his body.
"The King always finds a way and I have found a way. Just you watch son!"
With that he started to shake, the syringe falling to the ground after his body kept shaking. "I feel...something," he said elated. "I don't know what to call this son, but this is the best high I have ever felt. Even more than all the booze, all the women, and everything else!"
Rei said nothing merely watch him be added to his arsenal as he started to slowly dissipate into Negative particles.
"I'll be, it's starting to work even now," he grinned.
Rei managed a curt smile and turned his back waiting for him to finish dissolving.
"Say, can you tell me one thing?" he said seriously.
"Heh," Rei smirked. "What is it?"
"Can you get me a new guitar and sunglasses in this world? A Superstar has to look the part you know."
"That can be...arranged," Rei agreed closing his eyes.
"Perfect baby. Oh mannn I am so excited! If only I could play my guitar right now! I feel like breakin' out into song!"
Rei glanced back towards him. "You're already singing. Your body is crying out one last time cell by cell as they become greater and change your body of a lowly King to the body of a Higher King."
"If I truly am going to be a King," Yamada said, "Then where's my crown baby?"
Rei closed his eyes. "Oh look, it appears we're out of time. I guess you'll have to find out on the other side."
"Oh, I guess so," he acknowledged still giddy, his mind appearing to race as if he had been stirred up by the changes happening to him. "Listen up my faithful subjects!" he shouted. "This concert might be over, but my tour is just beginning! For I'm always going to be your King, Yamada Dame-"
-And with that his body had completely changed into negative digital particles.
Rei bent towards him and picked up his glasses. "You truly are no good," he grinned crumbling them up in his fist. "A man that seeks after a crown will end up polishing its jewels with their own blood...just like so many others. But you are no longer just a man," he said thinking about him.
"Nevertheless, if you wish for a crown, then I will give it to you when you awaken," he said turning around and started humming to himself one of Yamada's ditties.
"I will crown thee...a fool."