Ride 6: Re:Adjustment

24th of March, 2019 AD

Another Sunday. Another Super Hero Time. Another large bowl of Cornfrost.

Yesterday's job left a sour aftertaste in Takeshi's mouth. He never thought that his very first client would make a last-minute addendum that would expose his lack of musical aptitude (generously speaking).

... I know what you're thinking, growled Nidhogg as he and his host watched Star Twinkle Pretty Cure, Episode 8, "Off to Space We GO/The Planet Kennel is Wonderful!" ... If you even try pulling that kind of shit, I will murder your parents while you're asleep.

Noted, Takeshi mentally replied as he and his Evil Dragon guest watched the Precure make complete asses of themselves in order to obtain the Libra Star Color Pen from a group of dog-aliens keeping said plot device as a cultural monument.

During which, an enemy raid led by Kappard of the Notraiders, is also after the Libra Star Color Pen. When the two sides came to blows, the commander points the Precure's inadvertently-dickish behavior, and the whole "Not So Different"-speech in their attempt to break their morale, of which instead fails, and allows the Precure to reevaluate their behavior to allow them to fight back and drive out the Notraiders raid of the week.

A tad simplistic, but I can understand his position, Nidhogg, once again, sympathizes with the villain.

After the whole situation was resolved (along with a few apologies made and the subtle Aesop of respecting other people's cultures, at least to not come off as an insensitive asshole), the pair then watched the next episode of Kamen Rider Zi-O.

The whole episode was just one giant fight sequence between an army of Another Riders led by Another Zi-O against the two Kamen Riders Zi-O and Geiz.

There were no words that needed to be said. The whole fight scene using all of the previous Ride Armor forms until reaching the main commander was nothing more than pure, turn-your-brain-off spectacle.

It was desperately needed, especially for Takeshi, after he'd read his performance review from yesterday that was posted this morning:

he fixed our stuff brand new but his drumming sucked so bad that we almost literally died

don't bring him to a music venue unless you want to see god and satan fuck each other anally

3/5

The band, Samurai Shinken, then had to postpone their concert due to "medical reasons."

... Just how are you that bad at music in general? Nidhogg asked.

Aside from dancing games, it was a thing way before my predisposition manifested, Takeshi answered as he and his Evil Dragon guest saw that Schwartz and White Woz were in cahoots with each other (to no one's surprise). ... Would you believe me that I actually got worse as time went on?

Like I believe that Thor has a cross-dressing kink, Nidhogg grumbled. ... Maybe you have Evil Dragon ancestry? That might explain why even I can't bear to suffer your failures of that skillset.

Like that'd be the day, deadpanned Takeshi as the second episode of Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, where the main cast of the newly-minted Ryusoulgers now had to face this week's threat on their own: that being a Unicorn Minosaur birthed from an overly-ambitious fencer.

If all Unicorns looked like that, then maybe I'd have something more to chew on, commented the Evil Dragon regarding the monster's appearance.

And while the Rangers were fighting against this grotesque approximation of a Unicorn, the YouTuber, Tatsui Ui/Ui-Chan, was trying to get viewership by live-streaming the fight for her channel, allowing Kleon to latch their own mucus onto said streamer for future use.

I'm not against humans becoming dumber with every passing era, deadpanned Nidhogg as Super Hero Time came to a close right before the doorbell rang.

"Coming!"

Takeshi then rushes to open the door, and the first thing he notices are a giant pair of boobs contained within a wool knit sweater.

"Ara," Takeshi then looks up, seeing Akeno's smile on her face. "... Aren't you a bold one?"

Takeshi's chokes on his own silence for a few seconds before stammering himself to speak once more. "... Himejima-senpai," he stuttered, stumbling back before he noticed that she was in a sweater & pencil skirt-combo that accentuated her curvaceous figure and her 168cm-tall majesty, making her look like a modern-day Aphrodite compared to his own at-home slacks that only covered his torso and thighs making him feel comparatively naked. "... Pray tell, what brings you here?"

"Ufufufu, I came here to cheer you up after... well yesterday happened," Akeno shifted her eyes to her side in both an embarrassed and pitiful expression. "No paperworks for me today, so I had time to scrounge up homemade bento boxes for just the two of us. Would you like to come spend some time with me?"

Takeshi blushes as he chuckles. "If you're offering, sure!" he answered beatifically. "... Wait in the living room while I go change, please."

Akeno then makes herself at home as Takeshi comes back to freshen up, coming upstairs and towards his room.

"Mom, one of Gremory-senpai's friends invited me to hang out with her!" Takeshi notified his mother. "Gonna go out on my bike! I'll text you when I get back!"

Shiori then sticks her head out of her living room door, her faded bleached hair spilling from her head like a hung mop.

A sly smirk creases her lips as she makes her way downstairs, greeted by the same majesty that her own son had bore witness to.

"Holy fuckmothering Buddha, you're big," Shiori remarked upon seeing Akeno sitting on the living room couch. "... Would you like something to drink in the meantime?"

"Do you have some tea?" Akeno requested as Shiori began boiling some water before taking out the box of teabags.

"We only have matcha, and not the good kind," Shiori off-handedly mentioned.

"Oh no, I don't mind," the majestic girl replied as Takeshi's mother sat across from her. "... You're quite nice, Ryuugamine-san."

"Eh, just call me Shiori," the mother smirked wryly. "... You know, ever since about two weeks ago, my kid's been hanging out with a lot more people and has been more outgoing ever since Junior High."

"Oh," Akeno remarked. "... Are you against it?"

"Hell no! In fact, I'm glad he made actual friends before he reached Second Year," Shiori replied before bowing her head towards Akeno. "... Thanks for being with my son. Him meeting Rias Gremory was quite literally, the best thing that could've ever happened to him in his life and for me as a parent. And as his mother for the last 16-17 years, I only request that you all keep looking out for his well-being and continue being friends with him, no matter what happens."

A tinge of guilt stemmed from her initial position regarding Takeshi's fate stung within Akeno's chest upon hearing the mother's heartfelt request. "Why of course," Akeno bowed back. "... Rest assured, I'll be there for him in your stead."

Then a loud whistle comes from the kettle, prompting Shiori to turn off the stove and begin pouring the tea for their house's current guest.

"Here you go," the mother then placed the cup of tea on the coffee table before where Akeno sat. "Careful, it's a bit hot-"

"I'm ready, senpai!" Takeshi announced as he came downstairs, now dressed in his ensemble of a brown leather biker's jacket over his white shirt reading "桜島" accompanied with cherry blossom petals with a mountain in the background, and a pair of gray jeans with black socks on his feet. "... Oh, mom. You met senpai."

"Takeshi, I will not blame you if you get freaky with her," Shiori blurted out before she and Takeshi realized what she'd said. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT-YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN-GODDAMMIT! ... I'm digging a hole for myself, am I?"

Both the mother and son shared their embarrassment while Akeno smiled from afar. "Ara, it's not like I'm against it, Shiori-san," Akeno remarked in a teasing manner. "Provided if he... well, I guess that's for the future to decide, is it?"

Takeshi then looked at Akeno incredulously. "... You're evil."

"Ara, but you're so adorable when you're flustered," she replied before finishing her tea. "... So, our picnic?"

"I know a place!" Takeshi then does an instant-180 as soon as the main task is brought up front as the two then head towards the door, with Takeshi strapping up his black motorcycle boots. "We're heading out, mom!"

"Don't forget to text on when you're getting back," Shiori replied as she saw her son and his friend leave the house. "... Good kid."

Takeshi and Akeno now walk towards the house's garage, where the repaired 155cc Yamaha YZF-R15m motorcycle waited for them.

"... Okay, this is going to be the first time riding with a passenger," sighed Takeshi before handing Akeno his spare helmet (and goggles). "... Just hold on, okay?"

"Where do you have in mind?" asked Akeno as she put her helmet and goggles on.

"Somewhere I had in mind ever since I watched Kamen Rider Build," he answered as he got onto his bike while putting on his helmet and goggles. "We're going to Tama City's Sakuragaoka Park! There's a perfect spot I know where we can hang out by ourselves!"

"Ufufufu, you're the driver!" Akeno then gets behind where Takeshi was sitting, pressing her ample bosom against his back (on purpose). "... Shall we?"

Takeshi focused on driving as he then revved up the engine. "Next stop, Tama City!"

The two then speed off into the open road before driving East out of Kuoh Town and towards the city located Tokyo Prefecture.

Over Three Hours Later...

"And here we are!" Takeshi heaved out as he and Akeno arrived at their ideal spot in Toritsu Sakuragaoka Park. "The Yuhinooka Viewing Platform from Episode 49 of Kamen Rider Build!"

"Ara ara, it's quite the view from up here," Akeno commented as she and Takeshi saw all of Tama City from above the plateau. "... You sure know how to pick and choose them."

The two of them then sit down on the bench overlooking this breathtaking view. The afternoon breeze was a gentle wave compared to the blustering winds when the two of them were on the motorbike. The sounds of nature lulling them into a state of calm like a mother's lullaby.

It felt as if the two of them were the only ones left in this world at that moment.

"... It's nice, isn't it?" Takeshi smiled.

"It really is," Akeno answered before leaning herself against Takeshi's shoulder, much to the latter's surprise and flustering. "... I still cannot believe that I doubted you for a moment."

"Well..." Takeshi then looks down on his waist, where his [Cataclysm Zone] would be manifested at, "... given what kind of world you were born in, I can't fault you for advocating for the default option."

That vixen has a way with words, whelp, Nidhogg growled from the depths of his soul. ... It's only a matter of time.

"But still," Akeno leaned down, facing her knees, "... I wasn't exactly gung-ho to smite you on the spot. That is the job of the gods, and I am not one myself."

They all say that, saying that it was beyond their control, snickered the Evil Dragon.

"Hey," Takeshi then faced Akeno. "No harm, no foul. I'll probably bitch about it when the time comes, but right now, I'm going to fight like Hell against the fate that was given to me."

Akeno smiles. "... You're a brave one, Ryuugamine-kun."

"My name means 'warrior' for a good reason!" boasted Takeshi as he flexed. "If I don't fight, then what was the point of my name?"

I look forward to your painful, inevitable demise, Nidhogg taunted from the abyss. Whichever way the winds blow, I will savor every bite.

Akeno then notices Takeshi looking discomforted. "... Is the mean Evil Dragon bothering you?"

"Yes," Takeshi answers immediately.

"In that case..." Akeno then conjures a magic circle from her hand before pulling out a wrapped bundle of cloth outlined in a massive cube.

She then unties the knot, revealing it to be a massive stack of black-lacquered bento boxes.

"Holy crap, senpai," Takeshi exclaimed in awe. "... You're spoiling me!"

Akeno chuckles before opening each layer, revealing an assortment of tempura, picked vegetables, potato salad, stewed meat, grilled fish, rolled eggs, and apple slices looking like rabbits. Another box then revealed rows of rice balls each wrapped and bundled in nori. Another box then reveals gyoza, fried pork cutlets, chicken meatballs, a separate compartment where the tonkatsu dipping sauce was located, and pickled plums and gingers. And the last box reveals an array of desserts, consisting of slices of Swiss roll cakes, slices of oranges, and blocks of sweet potato yōkan.

"And to wash it all down..." Akeno then pulls out two thermos, one of which smelled like miso soup, and the other was cold barley tea. "And of course, I brought travel mugs and utensils! Dig in!"

"Itadakimasu!" Takeshi and Akeno then ate the massive spread of food that the latter had brought, of which it was implied to be all done in a single morning.

The meat melted in their mouths. The vegetables were farm-fresh. And the drinks and sweets stimulated their appetite for this varied feast before their eyes.

"Holy crap, senpai, you should cook more often!" Takeshi savored his meal.

"I was planning to have a picnic earlier on during the Stray hunt, but there wasn't enough time," Akeno replied as she drank her tea. "... This is my way of making it up for you."

She was planning to use you as bait, Nidhogg remarked. And fatten you up too.

Don't care, food's great, gonna die happy, Takeshi shot back, causing Nidhogg to recoil in disgust from his joy.

... You will live for now, whelp, the Evil Dragon growled before he retreated into his den. ... I'll make sure that you'll die with nothing but despair in your heart!

As the two were left alone (specifically in Takeshi's case), they began conversing while picking away at their mountain of food.

"... You know, even after becoming a Devil, my life doesn't feel that different," he pointed out as he sipped on his barley tea. "Maybe I was a fool for assuming too much."

"Ufufu, well that could be said for all first time experiences," Akeno replied as she helped herself to a chicken meatball. "I mean, what were you first expecting when you were about to become a Devil?"

"Torturing the souls of the damned, administrative paperwork, being at my superior's mercy, and you know, typical stuff," he listed off as he then bit into a rice ball that was packed with pickled plums (which Nidhogg liked, but refuses to admit). "... Makes me come off as small-minded when I put it like that, huh?"

Akeno smiles. "As long as you understand and are willing to learn."

The two continued looking over Tama City as the clouds and birds above passed by their heads while eating their bounty.

"... So senpai," said Takeshi after sipping his miso soup, "how did you end up with the President in the first place?"

Akeno's expression becomes slightly forlorn, which Takeshi noticed.

"... Oh, I, uh, didn't mean to upset you," he redacted his prior question. "... Maybe save it for later? At least once we know each other better?"

Akeno's slight sorrow lifts into a smile. "... You're kind, Ryuugamine-kun," she spoke. "... But you don't need to put up a front for me."

Takeshi blinks, before knowing what she was talking about. "... Sorry," he apologized. "... Aside from the Pervert Trio, you and the rest of ORC are pretty much the only friends I had in my life."

Akeno notices a slight sense of longing and bitter sorrow hidden behind his peeled facade. "... You've been alone too?"

Takeshi nods, causing Akeno to lean into him once again.

"Not anymore," she replied. "As your senpai, it's my job to make sure that you don't die before I do."

Oh, I can guarantee that, cackled Nidhogg, bothering Takeshi with another implied death threat.

"Well, the Evil Dragon parking his ass in my soul agrees with you. For better or for worse," Takeshi vaguely relayed his message as a form of release. "... Let's talk about something else. How about how the whole job system works and its rewards?"

"I'm so glad that you asked," Akeno beamed serenely. "... So as you already know, the Evil Piece System and the Peerages that is birthed from it allows the Devils working within said structure to rise up through the ranks by performing great deeds that either catch the attention of the upper echelon, or provide a tangible benefit to the Underworld as a whole."

Takeshi scratches his chin before coming up with his own conjecture. "... So it's basically how one earns renown and gets raised up by the greater public as some sort of a hero?"

"You're getting there," Akeno reassured. "Not only deeds, but also acclimation of individual power. Before the Evil Piece System was set in place, the power disparity between High-Class and Low-Class Devils remained because of its inherently static nature. Not only do the Peerages allow a Low-Class Devil to grow in a relatively stable environment and competition, but also allow them to promote. I myself am a Middle-Class Devil, but I'm on my way towards becoming High-Class like President Gremory herself."

Takeshi smiles, now seeing a way forward to saving his own bacon (and earn some respect) while confined within the boundaries of his fate.

"Speaking of deeds..." Takeshi remarked as he looked over his phone. "... What kind of jobs does the President receive on her admin page?"

"More jobs than you think... less likely that they're actually accepted," explained Akeno. "Ever since we went digital around 2016, our influx of job requests has quadrupled, but the amount of jobs we nix also multiplied in the same quantity."

"I'm assuming more than half of those job requests are illicit," Takeshi pointed out, causing Akeno to sigh with a slight hint of frustration.

"Either they don't put up the proper commissioner's fee, or the contents of said job are so ethically unacceptable to take in the first place," she pointed out.

I guess no matter how many eras pass, the greed of humanity will never be sated... Nidhogg pointed out.

Takeshi then crosses his arms and legs in contemplation. "... Makes me wonder what's stopping the President from just coming up to one of them and smiting their asses through said contract," he pointed out. "I mean, usually in works of fiction, doesn't a fraudulent contract with the Devil result in the bogus recipients going the way of Sodom and Gomorrah?"

Akeno narrows her eyes in response. "... Ryuugamine, I have to be realistic with you, but we're not vigilantes," she pointed out with the utmost of seriousness. "There's an unspoken rule among the supernatural community, which is that we do not directly bother them as long as they don't bother us. So unless the greedy politicians and business suits discover our side and begin drilling for magic as if it were the late 20th century's oil boom, then we, and I mean everyone, intervenes. Otherwise, that thin red line isn't meant to be crossed. Because once that line has been crossed, it will result in pandemonium."

Takeshi has clearly underestimated how terrifying Akeno could be. Not in her powers over thunder and lightning, but also in her demeanor that could give Rias a run for her money. Whereas the President was akin to a Devil King straight out of Hell by her sheer power, Akeno's was more akin to an Angel or a goddess whose fury is masked heavily with a leaden facade of saintliness.

"... So no Devils or any gods are directly mind controlling the world's politicians?" he pointed out.

"We'll all know as soon as they do, we will," she replied before both of them sighed in exhaustion.

After that harrowing conversation, the two then sit in silence after their bento boxes and thermos ran empty, watching the sky and the clouds go by as the weight of this world was placed on their minds like Atlas and his great burden that was the whole world.

"... Sorry for asking," Takeshi apologized. "... I think I'm just... fathoming on how small I am in this world."

"As long as you're learning," Akeno accepted his apology. "... But if you're troubled or worried about something you do not know about, don't be afraid to ask me or anyone else in ORC for help, and includes during your contracts. Understood?"

"Yeah," nodded Takeshi. "... One small step at a time."

Then his phone vibrates, causing him to pull his personal device out and read the DM.

"Hey senpai, I got another job!" Takeshi spoke out. "... Apparently, a woodcutter and charcoal burner going by 'Tanaka' needs help chopping wood after he got into an accident."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Akeno replied as she then put her empty bento boxes and thermos back into her magic circle pocket space.

Just as Takeshi was about to get onto his motorcycle, Akeno runs ahead of him and conjures a bigger magic circle before them.

"Go through here," Akeno instructed as she got on behind Takeshi. "Don't worry, I'll teach you more about making your own teleportation arrays in case of situations like this. The one at the clubroom is for formality, and it's so that I don't have to strain myself casting this spell more than once a day."

"Holy shit...!" Takeshi's excitement peaked at what he was about to do. "... I'm about to ride through the mirror!"

"What mirror?" asked Akeno.

"Never mind, we're gonna travel in style!"

Takeshi then revs his bike before driving through the portal to arrive at their designated location.

At the Designated Job Site...

"Very good, Devil-san. A little more, and we should be done before night falls!" a burly, middle-aged man with messy brown hair tied up with a bandana spoke, his right arm hung on a cast and sling.

Takeshi then yelled as he swung his [Mayhem Striker], chopping through the thick trees with a single swing while Akeno was working to keep the furnace burning at right temperatures, turning the wood into binchōtan-style charcoal, something that their client Tanaka does as a living just outside of Kuoh Town.

Why am I subject to this humiliation? Nidhogg complained as the axe where his soul was imprisoned inside rend through another tree before it was felled in a single swing. I am Nidhogg! The Abyss Rage Dragon! And not some mundane woodcutter!

Yak it up, we need to earn our keep, Takeshi dismissed the Evil Dragon's indignation as he kept doing his work, keeping as close to a regular axe as much as possible to not deforest an entire acre by accident.

"Alright, that's enough!" Tanaka cried out, causing Takeshi to stop and dismiss his axe and armor. "... Man, no matter how many times I see you guys work, it never stops being impressive. You guys are real lifesavers, and I never thought that I'd say that about Devils."

"Life can be a bit strange at times, Tanaka-san," Akeno remarked as she pulled out the pyrolyzed wood from the furnace before cooling it with a mixture of dampened earth, sand, and ash. After cooling the heated wood, the products were then loaded into the back of the truck.

"By the way," Takeshi said as he helped load the charcoal into the truck along with Akeno, "... I heard that this is the first time you made a request yourself, upon your son's recommendation."

"Yep, gotta stop being a skeptic despite my age," grumbled the burly man as Takeshi then finished chopping up the last tree that was needed to be felled. "Alright, put the last pile into the fire and we'll be done! These things gotta be shipped to Wakayama Prefecture by tomorrow morning!"

The sun had begun to set within Kuoh's outskirts, and Takeshi and Akeno ended their days with their clothes smelling like fresh charcoal.

"Here's your payment! A little bonus for coming out on Sunday!" Tanaka then handed Takeshi a fat envelope of money. "... Sorry if I didn't get enough for you, young lady."

"Oh, it's quite alright," Akeno reassured. "I'm just helping out a kouhai with the ins-and-outs of what we do for a living."

"Well, be sure to treat your senpai to something real nice with that, won't you?" Tanaka then winked at Takeshi, causing him to blush. "It's be a real shame if you let that fine of a lady slip from your grasp! Ahahaha!"

As Tanaka drove away, Takeshi and Akeno were heading back to where the former had parked their bike.

"It was a good thing that my second job was near where we live," he remarked. "Saves me the trouble of having to drive for six hours."

"You know that we can fly, right?" Akeno pointed out as she unfurled her wings.

"Yeah, well," Takeshi then pointed towards his bike, "... brought this beauty all the way out here. Might as well enjoy the ride-"

*CRASH!*

A flung kanabō club the size and width of a log lands right where Takeshi's bike was parked at, wrecking the main chassis into scrap metal.

"MY BIKE!" Takeshi cried out in distress. "I JUST GOT IT BACK FROM THE SHOP!"

Then a pulse of otherworldly energy spreads throughout the land, causing both Takeshi's and Akeno's senses to flare up, and for the former to manifest his Sacred Gear.

"I can smell blood coming from deeper within the woods..." cackled Nidhogg. "... Don't keep me waiting, whelp! Feed me!"

"Don't need you badgering me," grumbled Takeshi as he and Akeno unfurled their wings. "Come on!"

Both of them took off towards the epicenter of this surge of supernatural inclination.

Deep in surrounding woods were a group humanoid crows dressed in Buddhist grabs and each wielding a ringed staff, followed up by a group of muscular humanoids with brownish skin and horns growing out from their foreheads dressed in a mix of samurai armor and animal pelts all wielding katanas or studded kanabō clubs, a humanoid dog creature made purely out of lightning surrounded by thunderclouds acting as its mane/fur, a young Japanese man whose head was independently floating away from his neck who's dressed like a ninja and dual-wielding kodachi blades, and all of whom were rallied around a fair-skinned young girl who looked around his age range with her raven locks tied up into a side ponytail, her violet eyes glowing with blued trails as she moved about, and a pair of curved horns also growing from her forehead, dress in onna-bugeisha-like set of armor, dual wielding a naginata and a massive kanabō club with spikes studded around its main shaft.

"A gathering of Karasu-Tengu, several Oni, a Raiju, and a Nukekubi?!" Akeno remarked out loud. "What are the Yōkai doing all the way out here-?!"

"DO NOT FALTER!" they heard female Oni cried out as she brandished her weapons as the same thrush of woods were then breached by a larger group feral-looking Oni dressed like Sengoku Period bandits, all of whom exclusively wielding massive spiked kanabō clubs along with semi-naked and pot-bellied Gaki armed with bamboo spears dripping with mud-like gunk from the tip's hollow. "SLAY THEM ALL!"

The two groups of warlike Yōkai then resumed their brawl in the middle of the forest's clearing, the feral Oni putting up one Hell of a fight against their better-dressed (and hygienic) counterparts.

"Okay there's a fight going on," Takeshi remarked. "... Sorry senpai, but I can't sit still doing nothing! Henshin!"

Takeshi's [Cataclysm Zone] then manifests its armored form, diving into action with a flying Rider Kick.

"SEIYAAA!" He then lets out a battle cry right before his foot is reinforced with demonic energy then makes direct contact against a barbaric Oni who was about to pound the headless ninja into paste, sending the former to eat dirt. "HEY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

"... I-I'm okay! Thank you!" the Nukekubi replied before picking up his dual blades from the dirt and leaving for elsewhere on the battlefield.

Just before the kicked Oni could jump them after getting up, a stream of lightning fries him alive, courtesy of Akeno's magic.

"I'll provide air support," she addressed. "You handle the situation on the ground!"

"Yes, senpai!" Takeshi then pushes a button on his belt.

"[Transfer]!" announced his Sacred Gear as a dane axe manifested into his hand. "[Mayhem Striker]!"

Takeshi then swings his axe to cut off both of the feral Oni's arms with an ashen swing before knocking him over to his back with a well-placed kick into his groin. Upon being downed, the Raiju then pounced onto the Oni before staking him with a sword made of lightning.

"Who are you?" spoke the Raiju.

"Talk to me later, I need to take my anger out on those assholes that wrecked my bike!" Takeshi then runs screaming into the horde of feral Oni like a maniac with his [Mayhem Striker] in hand, cleaving through the feral Oni and Gaki with a spinning windmill slash while Akeno continues providing supporting fire.

"YEEESSS!" roared Nidhogg's voice from the belt as blood and guts flew everywhere around his host. "IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! NOW I SHALL FEAST ON THEIR CORPSES!"

The number of feral Oni and Gaki were reduced significantly after Takeshi and Akeno's intervention.

"They're on the run!" barked the female Oni as she raised her naginata after pulling it out from a Gaki's stomach. "Advance!"

Seeing that the enemy was falling back, the other Yōkai then pressed the advantage as their leader gave her orders to counterattack.

"Stop."

From atop one of the trees, from a swirl of red maple leaves appeared a young Oni with pale skin, messy red hair and equally sanguine-colored eyes appeared after uttering his, dressed in a finery consisting of a purple kimono with golden butterflies embroidered on the fabric, a gourd tied around his kimono's obi with a cord, and holding up his cape that was a pelt of a tiger were a pair of horned bovine skulls on his shoulders as armor.

"We've wasted enough time," he spoke as he then manifested a ringed staff with a half-kanabō club on one end of his shaft in his hand. "... Retreat."

Just as he gave his order, both the Raiju and the female Oni rushed towards the red-haired Oni.

"Wait, Hisaya!"

"I WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE-!"

The Oni named Hisaya then chugs onto his sake gourd before exhaling a stream of all-encompassing crimson mist, covering his allies' escape while preventing the opposing Yōkai from advancing any further, treating it as if it were a poisonous gas.

"Going somewhere?"

From the red mist then emerged Takeshi, heralded by Nidhogg's voice declaring his intent to kill, swinging his [Mayhem Striker] down towards him, tearing at the sleeve of his kimono and splitting his gourd in two, its caustic contents spilling onto the dirt with an audible hiss akin to acid.

"Defend me," ordered Hisaya as the remaining feral Oni and Gaki covered his escape, causing Nidhogg to cackle rapturously.

"THEN I'LL HAVE YOU SHITS FOR TAKEOUT!" With a roar, Takeshi's [Mayhem Striker] then unleashes a storm of ashes that sucked in the feral Oni and Gaki into the vortex, shredding and ripping their very flesh from their bones within the spiral.

As soon the dark sandstorm subsided, all that were left of the feral Yōkai were their bones piled up high. None but Hisaya has escaped.

"What the Hell was that for?!" Takeshi remarked as he talked to his Sacred Gear. "What if that mist was poisonous?"

"Eh relax, even if you were, I would've healed you in no time flat," Nidhogg's voice replied. "And don't worry, I checked and it wasn't poison, so that means no years of your life shaved off from your current warranty."

Takeshi sighs as he then dismisses his auxiliary Sacred Gear before withdrawing his armor. As soon as the ambient surge of magic dissipates, [Cataclysm Zone] then disappears from plain sight.

"Ryuugamine-kun!" Akeno then flew down towards him. "Are you hurt?! Did the mist do anything to you-?!"

"You there!" a female voice barked out towards them, revealing herself as the female Oni. "What are you two doing meddling with our affairs?!"

"You mean to say, 'thank you for saving our butts'," Takeshi bit back, already not liking her confrontational personality. "Also, one of those shitheels that are now a pile of bones probably trashed my bike parked back on the road, so I needed to give them their comeuppance."

Just as the female Oni could come up to him and probably punch him for his insolence, but both the Raiju and the Nukekubi stop her from doing anything rash.

"That's enough!" the Raiju scolded before he turned towards Takeshi and Akeno. "... My apologies. We've been pursuing those rogues for a while now. May I ask who you two are?"

Takeshi and Akeno then show off their seals denoting their allegiance with House Gremory on their hands.

"I see," nodded the old Raiju. "... Normally, I'd thank you for your assistance and be on our way, but given how dire our own affairs have become, I'd have to act otherwise."

The Oni's eyes widened at his proclamation. "... You can't mean that, Elder!" she protested. "Why must we debase ourselves by asking for help from Devils of all creatures?!"

"Eloquent as a golden toilet," deadpanned Takeshi. "And frankly, lady, you guys aren't looking too hot right now."

"Why you little-!" the Oni was then held back by the Nukekubi.

"Calm down for a second!" the disembodied head spoke. "... We already lost more than half of our own men during the pursuit! If we continue the chase as we are right now, we're going to end up way worse off than we already are!"

Reluctantly, the female Oni relents before turning away with a huff right as the Nukekubi then comes up to Takeshi.

"... Thanks for saving my ass back there," bowed the disembodied head. "A bit sooner, and I would've ended up as paste."

"You're welcome," nodded Takeshi as he then hung his arm over Akeno's shoulder.

"With that said..." she then looked towards the Raiju approaching her. "... How can we help you?"

The Raiju narrowed his eyes before he made his request.

"... Take us to your leader," he said. "Time is of the essence, and we need all the help we can get."

Akeno then pulls out her phone before making her call.

"Rias, it's me," she spoke while hastily conjuring another portal. "We have an emergency. Gather everyone to ORC, ASAP."

Meanwhile, Takeshi then texts his mother the following:

"Gonna be over at my friend's house. Kiba Yuuto and I are sharing the same room away from the rest of the girls."

At ORC's Clubroom...

Both in and outside of the ORC Building, several Yōkai took sentry positions while the main office was now occupied with the members of ORC and the three Yōkai representing the current band.

Sitting on the couches between the coffee table were Rias, Akeno, and Takeshi (Koneko and Yuuto are guarding the door leading into the office), while the Raiju, Nukekubi, and the Oni sat on the other side.

A tea set was set out for them, as a common practice of courtesy, albeit Western.

"Thank you for letting us meet with you on a short notice," the Raiju bowed his head. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kumowatari, representing the Kantō Yōkai Faction under Nurarihyon-sama's authority."

"I am Rias Gremory, President of ORC, and holder of the King Piece within my Peerage," she greeted back.

"I am Himejima Akeno, holder of the Queen Piece within the same Peerage," the other Devil greeted shortly after.

"I'm Suguru," the Nukekubi bowed his disconnected head. "I am a ninja serving under the same faction."

"... Chiharu," grumbled the female Oni as she avoided eye contact.

"And I'm Ryuugamine Takeshi, holder of all eight Pawn Pieces within President Gremory's Peerage." He then bows his head towards the Yōkai before looking at his reappeared [Cataclysm Zone]. "... And this is Nidhogg. Say hello."

"Fuck you," he bit back before retreated back into his prison.

Just then, a knock was heard on the door.

"President, it's the Sitri Peerage," Koneko's voice said. "Permission to let them in?"

"Permission granted," Rias approved, allowing Sona and a bespectacled girl with long black hair that reached all the way down to her knees and heterochromatic eyes, the left being violet with the right being a regular dark-brown.

Both members of the Student Council were in their school uniforms, due to them doing leftover clerical work for the school during Sunday.

"... Oh, it's you," Sona spoke towards Takeshi. "... What are you doing here?"

"He's a witness," Rias answered. "Anyway, please introduce yourselves to our guests."

"Right." Sona then adjusts her glasses before greeting. "Publicly, I go by the alias Shitori Souna, the President of Kuoh Academy's Student Council, but in truth, I am Sona Sitri, the holder of the King Piece within my Peerage under House Sitri."

"And I am Shinra Tsubaki," bowed the other girl. "Vice-President of the Student Council, and holder of the Queen Piece within House Sitri's Peerage. It is nice to meet you all."

Takeshi's eyebrow glowered before shaking his head.

... Now's not the time.

"Oh don't hide it, you're still salty that you lost to her during last year's Chess Tournament," snickered Nidhogg. "... Or the fact that she's still ahead of you in terms of academics."

"Now's not the time, Nidhogg!" hissed Takeshi before turning towards the Yōkai present. "... Sorry, we literally share a body and brain."

Chiharu scoffs at his plight.

"Thank you for keeping on the main topic at hand," Sona acknowledged his attempt at professionalism. "... Now then, can we all get a synopsis on what is happening right now?"

Kumowatari nods. "... For the past three weeks, my contingents were sent on a pursuit for a rogue Oni going by Hisaya," he began. "It all began with a raid on Hakone Shrine, where the traitor allied with the one leading the raid, a three-horned Oni named Rengokuki. After one of our defensive points was compromised, they made off with the object sealed within. A magatama jewel containing the essence of Hinokagutsuchi-sama's divine flame is now in their hands!"

"What are they planning to do with it?" asked Takeshi. "I assume that those flames are extremely powerful, but my gut instincts are telling me that they're planning to use it as something beyond a mere superweapon."

"It is as you hypothesized," Suguru confirmed. "... They're using the divine flames to accomplish the Yomi Faction's ultimate goal: release Izanami-no-Mikoto from the realm of Yomi and run roughshod across the mortal realm with an army of the damned."

Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing that. Akeno then turns towards Tsubaki for the following.

"... Can you contact your relatives from one of the Five Principal Clans to ensure that one of the seals is still intact?!" she urgently requested.

Tsubaki nods before texting her relatives of this harrowing news.

"That is grave news, indeed," Sona remarked with calm, but necessary urgency. "... Do the other Yōkai Factions know of this? Does the Shinto Pantheon know about all of this?!"

"We've contacted the Kyoto Yōkai Faction, and have confirmed that they are reinforcing their defenses around Mt. Kurama's hidden shrine," confirmed Kumowatari. "... Unfortunately, the Northern Tōhoku Yōkai Faction fell just last week, failing to protect Mt. Chōkai's seal. Mt. Iwafune and Fuji's seals remain intact as they remain under the sentry of our own Kantō Yōkai Faction. But the most harrowing of all... we lost all contact with the Western Chūgoku Yōkai Faction. I suspect given that they're protecting Mt. Hiba, where Izanami-sama was buried, the Yomi Faction had made it their top priority, and had taken over the area."

"Wait a minute," Takeshi raised his hand. "... I didn't hear anything about the gods intervening."

Kumowatari sighed. "... Amaterasu-sama has decreed that they shall not intervene until the situation reaches to the point of no return," the Raiju confirmed. "At best, all we could do is contact the local kami to mend the breached seals within each area, but are extremely reluctant to do so."

Upon hearing that, Takeshi couldn't hold it in his disbelief anymore.

"ARE YOU FREAKING BULLSHITTING ME?!" He then burst up from his seat. "JAPAN'S ABOUT TO BE RIPPED IN TWO, AND THE GODS IN CHARGE ARE DOING NOTHING BUT TWIDDLING THEIR THUMBS?!"

"Tch, spoken like a true fool," Chiharu smugly scoffed. "Are your ears stuffed with wax? Didn't the implication of Yomi's leaking influence being harmful to the Shinto Pantheon not get through? Do I also need to mention how powerful Izanami is?!"

"Yeah, I read and know my myths," Takeshi shot back. "I know that Izanagi and Izanami were the first two gods of Japan, the former creating land out of the sea with his spear while the latter birthed life until Hinokagutsuchi burned her alive during his birth, and then came the weirdest method of coping with a beloved's death, going to Yomi and getting her out, but ditched her because he didn't want to look at her ugly-ass face."

"Then you're already aware how much of an anathema Izanami is to them," Chiharu growled. "Even her lowest servants are poisonous to the divinity, so when Yomi gets involved, they always suspect Izanami had laid a trap for them, which is always the case. And besides..."

*SHATTER!*

Suddenly, Chiharu springs from her seat right as she then flips aside the entire table, shattering the cups and teapot on the floor before grabbing Takeshi by his jacket.

"IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE ANY BETTER, EVIL DRAGON USER!" she snarled as the Oni pulled him in closer. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR PRESIDENT TO THINK THAT SHE CAN TAME YOU, BUT I KNOW BETTER! YOU'RE THIS GENERATION'S CALAMITY, AND WHO'S TO SAY THAT THE YOMI FACTION ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO GET THEIR HANDS ON YOU FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT?!"

Takeshi scoffs. "... Well aren't you a charmer," he deadpanned. "... Does the fact that I saved your friend's life mean nothing to you?"

"Don't get coy with me, filth," the Oni snarled. "It's only a matter of time before you turn on us. Perhaps I should do you the kindness by killing you now-!"

"Um, everyone?"

The gathered group then turns towards Tsubaki, who's expression was now that of pure dismay.

"... What is it?" Rias asked. "Did you get a reply from your relatives?"

Her hands trembling, she then shows her text she'd received from one of her relatives.

"... Mt. Kurama has been compromised."

At the Secret Shrine Underneath Mt. Kurama...

"Hey there, just checking in on how you're doing," spoke a three-horned Oni with dirty-golden hair akin to a lion's mane, dressed in a mishmash of a worker's kimono with a short tunic raised up towards his thighs and a pair of massive sode-pauldrons hanging from both of his shoulders, and a pair of tall geta sandals that clacked against the stone stairs leading up towards the main shrine. "... Whoa."

Standing in the middle of an aftermath of a bloodbath was a lone, brown-haired Oni with a pair of mismatched horns, with his left horn being incorrectly grown as a mangle of spikes and curls akin to a tree branch. His bloodstained forest green hanten jacket draped over his charcoal-black samue garb, and brushing against the blooded stone floor were a pair of bare feet contained within a pair of straw waraji sandals, splashing the red puddles onto his bare toes as it tread past the lifeless bodies of butchered Koppa-Tengu and Onmyōji that defended this place with their lives, cut up messily like common livestock.

Carried over his shoulder was a shabari-gasa parasol, whose shaft was in the middle of sheathing a hidden blade with a small chime bell hanging off of its pommel from a thin red and white cord. The Oni with the mismatched horns then turned to face his three-horned associate, bearing an apathetic expression whose eyes were completely devoid of all life and vigor, almost as if the death he'd inflicted upon those around him meant nothing to him at all.

"It is done," he said as the Oni walked past him.

As soon as he uttered his proclamation, the stone wreathed with a thick length of shimenawa enshrined in the middle of underground temple then splits in twain, releasing a stream of dark red miasma from within the split gap, causing the corpses within its proximity to rot instantly, and the three-horned Oni to cackle at this horrific sight of bodies turning into sludge.

"Another step towards the realization of our goal!" the Oni cheered before walking towards his odd-horned compatriot. "Come on, Kataki! Give me a smile!"

Kataki aloofly looks away. "... Our relationship is strictly professional, Rengokuki-san," the Oni pointed out as he walked ahead. "Once I'm done with my work, you won't hear from me ever again."

Rengokuki sighed before shaking his head. "... I swear, they're all a bunch of party poopers," the Oni grumbled to himself before slapping his cheeks to pump himself up and picking up his massive kanabō club from a Nue he bludgeoned to death a short while ago. "Eh, their loss."

25th of March, 2019 AD

After the news of Mt. Kurama falling before the Yomi Faction, the situation has now taken for the worse.

Nevertheless, the alliance between the Peerages of Houses Gremory and Sitri with the representatives of the Kantō Yōkai Faction had already developed a course of action.

During daytime, the Yōkai will patrol the surrounding areas to watch for any incoming presence of the Yomi Faction, working in tandem with Sitri Peerage's own familiars to survey the area. Once school ends, both Peerages will join in their investigation while the three leaders, Rias, Sona, and Kumowatari will coordinate the joint efforts while keeping close contact with the remaining Kantō Faction Yōkai and their affiliates in the hopes of one side notifying the other of recent developments while maintaining the barrier around the whole town.

The deadline to stop the Yomi Faction from releasing Izanami-no-Mikoto from her realm was 31st of March, midnight.

All Peerage requests were now put on hold (cited publicly on their websites as "emergency restructuring") in favor of addressing this upcoming crisis.

Akeno and Yuuto patrolled the skies with the Karasu-Tengu and House Sitri's familiars, while Takeshi himself was on ground patrol throughout Kuoh Town's streets, with Koneko herself hitching a ride behind him on his repaired motorcycle, with the Kanto-affiliated Oni patrolled the town's borders.

"Damn, magic is so convenient..." beamed Takeshi as his bike rumbled as it rode through the nighttime streets of their town. "... Granted, I had help, but still, no more repair bills!"

Koneko grumbles as she holds on tight around his waist from behind. "... You barely helped me pack my stuff."

"Sorry about that, Toujou-san," he apologized as they turned a corner. "... So much shit is happening so quickly that I couldn't help you as much as I liked to."

"... Alright, but you're helping me move, senpai," she huffed. "First thing after school, next week."

Takeshi nervously chuckles as he comprehended the situation that he found himself in. "... I've been here for only about two weeks, and already, I'm fighting the final boss."

"Assuming she gets out," Koneko pointed out. "... But I guess in that case, it might as well be an automatic 'game over'."

Takeshi nervously chuckles at what this "game over" would look like before refocusing his mind on the possible positives he can squeeze out of this looming doom. "... But I suppose if we stop this, then maybe we can gain some serious renown within the Underworld's public? Maybe we will have ourselves promoted from Low-Class to Middle-Class once we come out of this."

"... Maybe, but don't get your hopes up," she warned as the two kept riding through the town's winding roads. "The number of Low-Class Devils promoted is a mere twenty out of a hundred-thousand. Lord Beelzebub's system may have introduced a meritocratic system, but the majority of the Underworld's nobility will make sure that they'll stay Low-Class whether it's moving up the goalposts or just flat-out sabotaging their efforts."

"Ugh, forgot about all that..." he winced as they both then turned another corner before stopping next to a convenience store. "... Well, we're gonna be in for a long night. Want something to eat?"

"... You read my mind, senpai." Koneko then drags Takeshi into the 7-Eleven's automatic doors.

"Tch, it's you."

Upon entering, both then run into familiar company.

Inside the store were Chiharu and Suguru, disguised as regular human civilians (the Oni's horns were nowhere in plain sight, while the Nukekubi's head was contained), the former dressed in an ensemble of a jean jacket over her black crop top, a navy-colored leather wrap-miniskirt with her legs covered in netted leggings and pair of combat boots, while the latter was wearing a thick black hoodie with a cartoony picture of a rabbit's head stitched onto its center, and a pair of olive-green cargo shorts with gray-white sneakers.

Both of them were also wearing face masks and shades, just to add another layer of protection from prying eyes, and even went as far as to change their hair colors, with Chiharu being a platinum blonde while Suguru was a reddish-orange. Their disguises were Sona's suggestion (and credit card), to which in her credit, worked for the most part.

"Huh, almost didn't recognize you two," Takeshi remarked as he and Koneko went to the side where the food was being kept. "... How's Kuoh Town been treating you two?"

Chiharu grimaces. "... I had several males staring at me, all of them coming from your school."

Takeshi's mind wandered towards the realm of the Pervert Trio being involved, but as much as he disliked the (disguised) Oni, he chose to spare her of the associated brainrot.

Normally, I'd say go for it, egged Nidhogg as his host and his friend were backing their basket to the brim with rice balls and bottled drinks. But given that the three of them give that eight-headed pervert a run for his money... I'm conflicted. And it's coming from me, of all beings.

Never took you for the conscientious type, Takeshi deadpanned as he and Koneko went to the counter to pay for their stuff.

I know, it's weird even for me, Nidhogg remarked with genuine shock. ... I like things when they are simple. Why do you humans have to confound me as much as you all disgust me?

Welcome to my life, the host grumbled internally as he and his kouhai walked out of the doors, only for the former to notice the Yōkai still window-shopping. "... You guys gonna buy something or what?"

Suguru raises his hand nervously. "... Um," the (disguised) Nukekubi said, "how do you buy things here?"

Takeshi sighs as Chiharu tries not to explode red in embarrassment. "... Come on," he then hands the bag of food and drinks to Koneko as she goes ahead. "I'll help you two out, no strings attached."

Takeshi then helps them through the convenience store's whereabouts before the two then settle on microwaved bento boxes and cans of cold-brew matcha tea, and teach them how to pay using modern-day cash.

"Don't tell me you guys still use the old mon currency," Takeshi remarked as the two Yōkai walked out of 7-Eleven.

"Excuse you, but we have no reason to interact with the human world," Chiharu barbed as she ate her bento box with a huff.

"Ignore them, senpai," Koneko said as she devoured her (10th) rice ball (salmon-flavored) without so much as looking them in the eye. "... They chose to remain in the past."

Takeshi noticed the slight sense of disdain in her voice.

... I can taste the pain, the Evil Dragon snickered as his host looked at Koneko with concern. ... Well, aren't you gonna play gumshoe?

Normally, Takeshi wouldn't pry at such a sensitive topic, but given that they're working with Yōkai for the duration of the week, he feels and is compelled to address this issue sooner rather than later.

"... Talk to me," Takeshi said to his kouhai as he ate his pickled plum-flavored rice ball. "... Do you have an issue with our current allies?"

"Well aren't you the king of assumptions," Chiharu snarked, upsetting Koneko enough to make her answer out of pure spite.

"... Have you ever heard of Senjutsu?" the white-haired girl spoke.

"Um... I know Taijutsu is a martial art, Genjutsu is the art of illusion, Yōjutsu is basically black magic famously used by Yōkai," Takeshi listed off of his own personal encyclopedia of prior knowledge welled from various forms of media he'd devoured throughout his life. "... I assume that Senjutsu, going by its name meaning 'Sage Arts'... is more akin to... Final Fantasy's white magic?"

Koneko nods. "Right on the money," she confirmed. "Senjutsu is the mastery of manipulating ki, or the ambient life force that is present throughout the whole world. While it isn't as potent as demonic or holy energies that Devils and Angels use daily, its application is significantly more varied."

"For common usage, Senjutsu can be used to heal wounds, structurally reinforce one's own body, enhance one of the five senses of the applicant..." Suguru listed off.

"Or more esoterically, it can be used to target the weak points of an enemy's body and destroy them from within," Chiharu slightly grinned. "... Luckily for you, your ki is so rotten and putrid from that Sacred Gear of yours that your body is practically immune to all aspects of it, so take that as solace, Evil Dragon User."

"Wow, you literally cannot go a few minutes insulting me directly to my face," grumbled Takeshi. "Also, I have a name, you know!"

Chiharu spits him onto his face out of spite, causing Suguru to wipe it off hastily with a napkin. "Sorry, she's kinda been through a lot."

Takeshi grumbles before realigning his attention towards Koneko. "... Curious, but can anyone pick up Senjutsu and master it?"

"... Human practitioners of Senjutsu have been known to exist beside the Yōkai, but generally, it is more common for them to pick up learning Yōjutsu instead, and for a good reason," Koneko answered. "Since Senjutsu directly connects the user's own ki to the ambient ki surrounding them, that leaves their own lifeforce susceptible to the negative energy that comes with it. I'll just say that the potential backlash from misapplication of Senjutsu is... lethal."

"... You know, that reminds me of something," Chiharu spoke. "Apparently, there was an incident where a Nekomata that joined a Peerage under House Naberius along with her sister, but their new master had proven himself unworthy, resulting in her killing the Devil by overusing her Senjutsu to destroy him inside-out, allegedly driving her insane in the process, and was later declared a SS-Rank Stray after the Peerage was officially dissolved."

Takeshi then notices that Koneko's expression was darkening at the mention of that incident.

Ooh, I like how she tastes, whelp, Nidhogg snickered while salivating at her ambient negativity. Grill her a bit more about it. She must know something!

Yeah, I'm cutting you off, Takeshi defied his guest's request. I'm not going to violate her trust until she speaks to me first.

Takeshi sighs as he then gets up put his empty bottle into the recycling bin. "Well, thank you for the education," he remarked. "... I feel as if I learned more about you guys, so I think I can trust you guys with my life a bit more."

Chiharu looks at him incredulously. "... How naive are you?"

"Hey, if I were a paranoid schizophrenic 24/7, then I wouldn't be classified as a living being, now would I?" Takeshi retorted back with a smile. "So, let's finish up our grub and get back on the road as soon as we can! We got the whole night ahead of us!"

"Good," Chiharu then wolfed down the rest of her bento box.

"Wait, Chiharu, you're going to choke-!" the Nukekubi's worries were made reality as the disguised Oni gagged on a clump of rice. "Aw crud!"

Hastily, he then takes his own can of matcha tea before spilling its contents into her throat, washing the grains down and allowing her to breathe after a wet cough.

"Phew, crisis averted," Suguru sighed in relief. "... As for what you were about to say... thank you."

Takeshi gives him a thumbs-up. "Here's to our collaboration-!"

Then all of the sudden, his phone vibrates, causing him to take it out before reading the message.

"Senpai?" Koneko spoke as she finished her last/20th rice ball (tuna mayo-flavored) before throwing the garbage away.

"... Shit. Everyone, get to Kuoh's town hall!" Takeshi ordered as he and Koneko got on the motorbike. "Aerial patrol spotted Yomi Faction movement there! Follow me!"

"Don't order me around, Evil Dragon User!" Chiharu bit back before reluctantly following the bike speeding off towards their destination.

Near Kuoh's Town Hall...

"Well would you look at that, boys?" a three-horned Oni looked up at the tall governmental building as he was followed by an entourage of feral Oni and Gaki. "... Looks like Japan's been busy while we were away. What should we do with it? Oh! I know!"

Raising his club into the sky, he then slams it down, unleashing a wave of sharpened giant bones from the earth that sped towards the main building.

"I wonder how many people are going to die when that thing collapses?" snickered the three-horned Oni as his minions cheered. "Well what are you louts waiting for?! Tear this whole place apart-!"

*FWOOSH*

A tidal wave of shredding ash intercepts the bones.

"Oh what gives?!" the Oni cried out before his ears picked up on the rumbling sound of an engine. "... Well, guess we'll have our fun either way."

Riding towards the main building, Takeshi, now already in his armored form and with [Mayhem Striker] in hand, accelerated to where the evil energy was coming from.

"BACK FOR ROUND TWO!" cackled Nidhogg. "KILL THEM ALL, WHELP! MAKE THEM SUFFER!"

Takeshi then lets out a roar as he then speeds up his bike while reinforcing it to have it be durable enough to ram through the crowd of Yōkai before him, knocking back several Gaki and a few Oni before sliding to a stop like in the movie, Akira.

"That was for wrecking my bike yesterday, you jackasses!" declared the armored Takeshi as he flipped them off.

"Senpai, you're never gonna let that go, aren't you?" Koneko remarked as she took off her helmet.

"Hell no!" Takeshi then jumps into the fray without hesitation, screaming like a madman to avenge his motorbike (despite it being repaired very easily).

"Well someone's eager to die tonight!" cackled the lead three-horned Oni. "KILL THAT BASTARD!"

The Oni and Gaki all rush towards Takeshi, the latter swinging his ashen axe and cleaving through the feral Yōkai like a hot knife through butter.

Koneko then noticed more Gaki coming out of the manholes, prompting her to deal with them with her basic martial arts, battering away the goblin-sized Yōkai like ragdolls. Just then, a massive Oni then tries to crush her with his club from behind, only to dodge the swing before choking him out from behind with her legs constricted around his throat.

While she was busy doing that, she then made her phone call. "... President, it's me," spoke Koneko as she hung upside-down (thankfully wearing shorts) while hanging around the Oni's neck. "We're engaged with the enemy near the town hall. Is anyone else available nearby?"

"No, Yuuto and Akeno are intercepted by a flock of Hinoenma about four miles away, and the Karasu-Tengu are busy dealing with an Itsumade that just appeared out of nowhere!" she answered over the speaker before a large avian Yōkai was faintly spotted from above being surrounded by the corvid Yōkai. "I'll request the Sitri Peerage to get to your location! Until then, hold on!"

"Got it," Koneko then hangs up before she crunches her abs inwards to evade another Oni's club swing that then accidentally spanks the Oni that she was busy choking out. Using the forward momentum, she then flips the Oni over itself, turning her thigh-choke into a guillotine choke slam.

Upon releasing the Oni, Koneko then uppercuts the other Oni that tried to jump her from behind, sending him flying into a group of Gaki that were about to assist him.

"Weak," she snarked before checking on Takeshi. "Senpai!"

Takeshi was busy struggling to clove his axe through the Oni's bodies, now being tough enough to stop his axe swings with their mere forearms, getting the weapon stuck.

"GODDAMMIT! WHY ISN'T IT GOING THROUGH?!" he screamed in frustration as he then hammered his foot into the weapon's head before being knocked away by the Oni's club swing.

"Ha ha, joke's on you, moron," taunted the three-horned Oni as he sat above on one of the shades above the public benches. "I taught a few of my boys basic Senjutsu to reinforce their bodies by using their own kegare-infused ki! They ain't goin' down as easy as the last batch you wasted!"

As he then jumps down, the three-horned leader then slams his club into the ground, surrounding them into a ring of sharpened bone pillars that were introduced with sanguine splashes from where they burst forth from.

"And that's for thinking about bailing too soon," the three-horned leader pointed out. "Nowhere left for them to run, boys! Run 'em over!"

The Senjutsu-reinforced Oni then all charge towards Takeshi and Koneko, but just as they could reach them, a thrown kanabō club crashes into the the horde of Yomi-allied Oni, scattering them across the pavement after an explosion-inducing impact.

"Tch, I missed."

Behind the two Devils were Chiharu, her hand extended outwards as her human guise peeled away to reveal her Oni form as she then traces a small magic circle to then pull out her naginata.

"Took you long enough!" Takeshi cried out as he got back up with Koneko's help. "Also, what do you mean that 'you missed'-seriously?!"

Nidhogg cackles at his host's plight at him discovering his missed friendly fire. "I like her moxie, whelp," the Evil Dragon remarked. "Thanks for the jest, little stelpa."

"DON'T FLATTER ME!" the Oni then ran towards the battlefield as she then began chopping through the enemy Oni with her naginata before retrieving her thrown club and transitioning back into her dual-wielding fighting style as she approached the leader. "YOUR HEAD IS MINE, RENGOKUKI!"

"Seeing red already... typical of a dog leashed by Nurarihyon," sighed the three-horned Oni before he then swung his own club down against Chiharu's both matching blow for blow as each cudgel banged against each other. Chiharu tries to stab her naginata with her open hand, but Rengokuki catches the blade with his teeth, locking the two against each other.

While the two Oni were occupied, the rest of the Oni and Gaki then reengaged Takeshi and Koneko, the former's Senjutsu-enhanced bodies acting as an additional layer of armor for defending against the two Devils' attacks.

"MY AXE STILL AIN'T GETTING THROUGH!" Takeshi cried out even as his ashen swings of his [Mayhem Striker] barely cut into the Oni's flesh and bone with a single swing.

"It's vexing," deadpanned Nidhogg, admittedly frustrated that even the emulation of his powers were being challenged. "FIX IT, WHELP!"

Koneko, tapping into her Rook powers, then shatters the layer of Senjutsu protecting the Oni with a single punch before shoulder-throwing him over towards Takeshi, allowing the latter to chop him up as easily as any Gaki.

"Guess it's as good a time as any," she remarked before punting a Gaki like a soccer ball, impaling the impish Yōkai into one the sharpened bone spires surrounding their area. "Senpai! It's time to teach you how the Pawn really works!"

"I'M ALL EARS!" Takeshi replied as he dodge-rolled away from another Oni's club swing that instead crushed a few Gaki into paste.

"The Pawn's unpredictability comes from their signature ability, [Promotion]!" Koneko explained as she then caught a muck-covered bamboo spear from a Gaki before throwing it into an Oni's eye before throwing the imp into the same shaft, impaling his chest from the blunt end in. "With the King's permission, if the Pawn finds themselves within a claimed enemy territory, then they can temporarily become any piece sans the King! Just declare the name after citing [Promotion] and you're all set!"

"SO I HAVE TO CALL THE PRESIDENT FIRST FOR CLEARANCE?!" Takeshi parroted back before pulling out his phone while ducking under a flung Gaki. "KINDA HARD TO DO THAT WHEN I'M BEING JUMPED FROM ALL OVER-!"

*POP!*

A smoke bomb then explodes in the middle of the battlefield, blinding both friend and foe alike followed up by the sounds of several bodies hitting the floor.

Once the chaff clears, Suguru appears, surrounded in several slain Yōkai all with slit throats, his head floating over him like a miniature sentry. "Sorry for the wait, everyone," he remarked. "I'm not as strong as Chiharu, so it took me a while to break through the kegare-infused seal."

"You couldn't have come at a better time!" Takeshi replied as he then contacted Rias' number. "Give me a minute!"

As Koneko and Suguru defend Takeshi, the armored Devil then makes his phone call.

"It's me," Rias answered.

"President, I ask for your permission to give me clearance for me to use [Promotion]!" requested Takeshi.

"Permission granted, Takeshi," the President replied without hesitation. "Wreck havoc, my Pawn!"

"YES MA'AM!" Upon that declaration of vigor, Takeshi then puts his phone away before figuring out the best form to deal with the Senjutsu-reinforced Oni. "... Got it in one. [Promotion: Rook]!"

A faint red glow then coats over Takeshi's armor, now boosting his strength and durability by a significant margin.

The feral Oni physically enhanced with kegare-infused Senjutsu then tries to bring his own club down onto his head, but Takeshi then parries the attack with his enhanced swing from his [Mayhem Striker], cleaving through his protection in the same attack before the ashes then breached into the wound and shredding the Yomi-aligned Yōkai from the inside-out.

"To think I'm forced to take charity from my lessers..." growled Nidhogg as the other Gaki and Oni all charged at Takeshi. "... It matters not. Kill them all, whelp."

Takeshi then swings his dane axe through the Yōkai surrounding him, running past Suguru and Koneko in a barbaric display of rage akin to a Nordic warrior after breaking through his encirclement with ease.

"Glad he's on our side!" remarked Suguru as he ripped out his pair of kodachi from an Oni's throat.

"... Senpai's learning the ins and outs abnormally fast," Koneko couldn't help but slightly smile at his prowess.

Takeshi runs towards where Rengokuki and Chiharu were at, dragging [Mayhem Striker] across the ground before flicking it forward, unleashing a sharp wave of ash towards the Oni, separating the two from each other before Takeshi takes a swing at the three-horned Oni.

"THAT WAS FROM EARLIER!" he pointed out before pushing his [Mayhem Striker] against Rengokuki's club. "NOW KILL THIS MOTHERFUCKER WHILE I KEEP TRICERATOPS BUSY!"

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR HELP, EVIL DRAGON USER!" Chiharu snarled back as she then ditched her broken naginata before switching to wielding her kanabō two-handed. "ALSO, WHAT'S A TRICERATOPS-?!"

Rengokuki then breaks off from Takeshi's weapon lock to free himself to deliver an overhead swing with his club. Takeshi attempts to block it with his [Mayhem Striker]...

*BOOM*

... Only to find himself being pressed down by a force greater than he'd anticipated, knocking him down onto his butt, feeling as if he's being pressed down by a mountain.

"Huh, surprised that you didn't get crushed into paste after that attack," smirked the three-horned Oni.

"... What... the Hell-" Takeshi then coughed out blood from within his helmet, with Nidhogg fixing his internal injuries as quickly as he could. "... How is... heavier than a dump truck?!"

"My kanabō's a bit special," Rengokuki explained with a sneer. "Its weight upon impact is proportional to how heavy the target's sins are. Given how it nearly ruptured your spine from out of your back with an overhead swing... guess someone must've been a really naughty boy, aren't they?"

Takeshi then looks down at his [Cataclysm Zone] after remembering that he and the Evil Dragon now share the same body.

... In every sense of the word.

"... Oh that's just not fair, man," Takeshi remarked. "... Also, how did you commit that much evil when your ass was parked in Náströnd 24/7?!"

"Not my fault that a bunch of those self-proclaimed 'heroes' took their chances with me," scoffed the Evil Dragon. "Blame the ones writing the rules, whelp. On a good day, all of Asgard treats me as their communal trash bin."

Chiharu then jumps in with her club brought down towards Rengokuki's head, but the latter then grabs the other Oni's weapon to stop its descent.

"Took you long enough to actually attack me," snickered the three-horned Oni. "What? Were you waiting for the Devil to bite the dust?"

"I DO NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO YOU!" Chiharu then began to glow white as Rengokuki then glowed dark red.

Both Yōkai began unleashing their Senjutsu onto each others' ki, like a pair of wildfires trying to burn the other one out first.

Thank Satan that my temporary Rook status is preventing me from getting crushed... grimaced Takeshi as he and Nidhogg were now under the clash between exceptionally strong ki signatures. ... Hey Nidhogg, got any plans?! Because I'm coming up short!

"Quite the pinch we're in, whelp," spoke the Evil Dragon. "... No point in dragging this out any further."

Then suddenly, Nidhogg's [Mayhem Striker] then blasts a jet of dark red miasma from its edge, to which Takeshi then cut through Rengokuki's kanabō, freeing him from his pin as he and Chiharu struck the three-horned Oni at the same time.

Chiharu's own kanabō snaps off one of Rengokuki's horns as the rest of the studded shaft whacked him across his brow, and Takeshi's sanguine-bladed dane axe rips its blade across the Oni's chest and kimono, opening a large, but semi-fatal gash diagonally across his torso.

"... Well shit," the three-horned Oni chuckled as he saw his broken weapon before spotting the familiar essence coming from the Devil's axe.

"IS THAT KEGARE?!" Chiharu exclaimed. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?! AND HOW ARE YOU USING IT?!"

"Nidhogg, explain!" Takeshi cried out as the Evil Dragon snickered.

"My Sacred Gear has a new, additional function," Nidhogg began to explain as [Mayhem Striker]'s edge then goes back to normal. "I can now absorb all harmful essences targeting my host and make it solely my own. And I have to say, that red mist I had you jump through yesterday was quite scrumptious. Pungent like well-aged corpses but goes down well as a stream of bile."

Both Koneko and Suguru overhear the Evil Dragon's revealed function.

"... That might explain a few things," the Nukekubi remarked as he pulled out his kodachi from a Gaki's potbelly.

"Senpai can manipulate kegare through Nidhogg's Sacred Gear..." Koneko commented while she was choking a feral Oni out.

Just as Rengokuki can continue fighting as is, a Tatarimokke flies over where they were, letting out a screech that was more akin to a baby's wail, to which the remaining Yomi-affiliated Yōkai took notice.

"... Guess that's the signal," sighed the three-horned Oni before he collected his broken horn. "You guys can have this round. Alright boys, we're pulling out!"

"WAIT-!"

But just before Chiharu can go after them several lit bombs were dropped from the owl flying above, all of them exploding into massive clouds of red mist that Chiharu and Suguru were repelled by as if it were poisonous to them.

*FWHOOM*

However, Takeshi's [Cataclysm Zone] sucks up the released kegare like a vacuum, clearing the air of its introduced impurities without affecting the host, and completely exposing the retreating enemy.

"Where do you bastards think you're going?!" Both Takeshi and Nidhogg's voices intertwined in unison. "I DIDN'T HEAR NO BELL!"

The ashes scattered around him then solidified into an array of spikes before they were all launched towards Rengokuki's back. However, several Oni then shielded their leader from the ashen arrows, allowing the three-horned Oni to hitch a ride on the giant owl's talons, leaving the rest of his men to cover for his escape.

Letting out a furious roar akin to that of a Dragon's, Takeshi and Nidhogg both then turn their ashes and spikes into a satellite of myriad four-pronged shurikens of various-shaped blades, turning the air itself into a giant blender hit on "frappé" as it then mulched the remaining Yomi-affiliated Yōkai into mincemeat.

Koneko, Suguru, and Chiharu all hit the deck to avoid being killed by his area-sweeping attack. And just as the enemy was dealt with, Takeshi then aims all of the throwing stars towards the fleeing Rengokuki in a storm of blades.

"How persistent is he?!" the three-horned Oni remarked as he watched in horror as his only ride had its wings shredded. As it descended, Takeshi then ran towards where the owl was falling towards, right before he then threw [Mayhem Striker] towards the Tatarimokke, propelled by a jet of ash that accelerated its flight path.

*CRACK!*

The thrown dane axe splits the owl's skull in twain from behind, now quickly heading towards free-fall as Takeshi then takes out his phone to call the others.

"EVERYONE! THE ENEMY COMMANDER IS ESCAPING FROM SOUTH OF KUOH TOWN HALL!" he informed as he then got onto his bike before heading off. "CUT HIM OFF FROM ALL SIDES! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"

"On it!" Yuuto replied from the other side of the call as he and Akeno then spotted the falling Oni and owl, flying fast as their wings could take them, coordinating with the remaining Karasu-Tengu as they all surrounded Rengokuki from all sides.

"EVERYONE! WHENEVER YOU'RE READY!" announced Akeno as she readied her thunderbolt while Yuuto readied his swords from his Sacred Gear and the Karasu-Tengu preparing their Yōjutsu. "... NOW-!"

*chime*

A faint clamor of a suzu bell could be heard cutting through the tense night air as the three-way alliance were about to take out Rengokuki from all sides.

Then the rapid clacking of hyōshigi bamboo clappers rapped as a swirl of cherry blossoms surrounded the three-horned Oni in his descent before he was spirited away along with the wounded Tatarimokke.

After snapping out of their trance, the gathered fliers then noticed that their target had disappeared.

"... What the Hell was that?" Yuuto asked.

"Genjutsu," Akeno answered as she and everyone else saw the cherry blossom petals linger in the air. "... We've been had."

Yuuto then takes out his phone to relay the bad news to everyone else.

"DAMN IT!" cursed Takeshi as he nearly crushes his phone in his hand. "AND WE WERE SO CLOSE TOO!"

"It cannot be helped," Rias replied from the other side. "... Everyone return to ORC. We need to reconvene."

With a snarl of frustration, Takeshi dismisses his armored form back into his Sacred Gear.

"You tried your best, senpai," Koneko reassured him.

"Pah, he should've stayed out of my way," scoffed Chiharu as she returned to her human disguise. "... But I suppose the Evil Dragon User couldn't help himself from gorging himself on the death of his enemies, can he?"

Takeshi grits his teeth in frustration, wanting to punch the daylights out of her right now.

"Knock it off, Chiharu!" Suguru interjected. "... I'm sorry, but she doesn't mean any ill will to you all."

"Now that's a bald-faced lie if I ever heard of one," deadpanned Nidhogg, fanning the flames of tension even more as Koneko carried Takeshi on her back with one hand while towing his motorbike by its front wheel with her other hand. "... Still, I thoroughly enjoyed myself tonight. Here's to what's more up ahead, whelp."

Takeshi couldn't speak. He was way too tired and furious at himself for letting the enemy get away for him to speak a single word.

A feeling of boiling resentment over how weak he still was inflamed inside of his heart.

Nidhogg felt comfortable around this kindled hearth of despair after an eternity of Helheim's cold.

At an Undisclosed Location...

Sitting cross-legged before a large bronze statue of Buddha, Hisaya was found in a state of deep meditation.

That was then interrupted when the doors behind him burst open with Rengokuki coming in completely haggard.

"... You're late," said the Oni without turning his head towards his companion.

"Sorry, but my playdate with those Devils you mentioned kinda went south," Rengokuki remarked as he then collapsed onto his knees.

"... Playdate?" the other Oni spoke with a skeptical tone. "... Since when was this meant to be about having fun?"

"Hey, you know what they say about 'all work and no play'," the three-horned Oni replied as he then used his own Senjutsu to reattach his chipped horn back onto the stump.

"I'll 'play' once our mission has been completed," Hisaya replied. "... Those Devils have proven themselves to be rather formidable despite our own additions."

"Ohohoho! You know what they say about the young!"

Emerging from the shadows of the monastery was an old man with a puffy mop of white hair akin to frazzled clouds wreathing his balding head accompanied by a small white goatee, his eyes completely covered in a pair of red circular shades with a small mole under his left eye, and over his dark-brown and forest kimono was a massive black suit jacket that draped over his shoulders.

A wooden cane supported this old man, but despite his physical frailty, he did not appear even remotely weak compared to two fierce Oni that he accompanied.

"The young are this land's future, and their current strength will grow a thousandfold in time!" chortled the old man.

"Ashiya Dōman," Hisaya sighed with slight annoyance. "... Here to see your pet return?"

Kataki then appears next to him from a swirl of cherry blossoms, kneeling like a page before his liege.

"Partially," the old man then pulls out an ofuda tag from his sleeve before sealing the asymmetrically-horned Oni into the parchment itself. "But that's not all. I've also seen something rather interesting!"

He then snaps his fingers, conjuring a pair of violet will-o-wisps before they then expand into screens depicting the armored Ryuugamine Takeshi and Toujou Koneko respectively.

"... So she's the 'key' that our benefactor had mentioned," Hisaya remarked as he and everyone else sensed something familiar about that girl. "... So our foray into that eyesore of a town wasn't for naught."

"But wait! There's more!" Dōman exclaimed before snickering. "... Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

The three then see Takeshi utilize kegare against Rengokuki, splitting his kanabō in two with his dane axe before inflicting a wound across his chest.

"Yeah," nodded the three-horned Oni. "That son of a bitch spooked me with that sudden turnaround. What gives?!"

"It's him," Dōman nodded. "... He's the fiftieth recorded Evil Dragon User."

Hisaya and Rengokuki both look at the old man incredulously.

"... What are you suggesting?" asked Hisaya.

"Thinking of... shall we say... use him to our advantage?" the old man suggested. "After all, he'd proven himself extremely formidable by slaughtering your comrades in droves, leaving nothing behind sans their bones, I might add! I think, in my opinion, that if he were to succumb to that Sacred Gear's madness..."

Hisaya then grins wickedly at this possible prospect. "... Then he'll make up for our attrition rate should we subvert him to our side."

"Wait, can't we just nab the chick and be done with the rite?" Rengokuki pointed out. "I mean, we know who the 'key' is, so I think a quick smash and grab would suffice."

"If we could, we would've done so already," Hisaya pointed out. "But need I remind you that Mt. Fuji and Iwafune's seals are still intact and heavily guarded while we recently took Kurama and Mt. Hiba is our only stable foothold on the account of the ambient kegare present over there?"

"I know, but I'd figure that we get all the pieces in place before we break open the seals," the three-horned Oni suggested.

"Patience, Rengokuki," Dōman suggested. "The damage we've done to Chōkai and Kurama isn't permanent. We improperly designate our given time, and they'll be repaired before we can get on with our rite."

The three-horned Oni then clicks his tongue in frustration before sitting down on the stairway. "Then patch me up, old man!" Rengokuki ordered as he stripped off his kimono's top. "The sooner I get back into fighting shape, the faster I can break the seals!"

"Ohohoho! Someone's raring to go!" Dōman then begins healing the Oni with his own Senjutsu, his own kegare-infused ki resonating with Rengokuki's own. "... Speaking of, I suppose that you're still keeping your end of our deal, no?"

"Get rid of the seals around Mt. Fuji and Mt. Iwafune before the end of this week and I'll uphold it," Hisaya replied as he got up to face the moonlight shining before them. "... By the way, Rengokuki, have you run into a girl named 'Chiharu'?"

"Eh... you mean that Oni strumpet with the side ponytail and armed with a naginata and a kanabō?" answered the three-horned Oni, causing Hisaya to then laugh out loud. "... Uh, Hisaya? You okay?"

The wicked Oni then calms down from his jubilance. "... Never better," he answered with a twisted and malicious grin creasing his lips. "... In fact, I've figured out the perfect way to orchestrate this upcoming tragedy!"

"Oh?" Dōman piqued in curiosity. "Then I suppose you have something in mind, little Hisaya?"

"Something of sorts," he nodded. "... Because it won't be the Evil Dragon User himself that will come to us willingly. Rather, that stupid girl is going to hand him over to us in a gift box, willingly or not."

Rengokuki cackled as he slapped his knee. "Man kid, you're real fucked up in the head, you know that?!" the three-horned Oni pointed out. "Can't believe you started out as one of those domesticated Yōkai when I first met you. You came far ever since you slew that fiancé of yours in cold blood in front of her kid sister! Now that's a way to embrace your true self!"

"The 'me' born and raised at Hakone Shrine was nothing more than a facade that I've discarded," Hisaya coldly dismissed the fact. "... Her death was my act of mercy."

"Eh, whatever you say, pal," shrugged Rengokuki as he then looked back at Dōman. "... Then again, he ain't the strangest fellow I met. I mean, never thought we'd find a human supporting our cause so wholeheartedly!"

"My business is not with Yomi specifically, but our goals align well enough for me to assist you two," the old man answered. "... That said, as long as the land of Yamato is irreparably damaged, I will be satisfied."

Rengokuki laughs at this old man's callous disregard for life in general. "Man, you guys are awesome!" the Oni beamed. "Once Yomi's spilling into this world after this country gets a fresh new one torn open, Izanami-sama will reward all of us handsomely!"

Hisaya smirks. "Then we'd best move carefully. If we do this right, then our new dawn shall rise! An age of Yomi where the Shinto Pantheon growing fat atop of Takamagahara will all be rotting beneath our feet!"

Rengokuki cackles rapturously while Dōman smirks.

"In the name of Izanami-no-Mikoto..."

But unbeknownst to any of them, a cloaked figure was hiding from afar, snapping a picture of their location on their phone.

"... Amateurs," they scoffed as they then clicked their tally counter to "006" before disappearing into a spatial distortion.

To Be Continued...

Been on a Gunpla building binge lately. Also picked up playing Monster Hunter Rise again with another profile because my brain hates me sometimes.

So some good news and bad news regarding this chapter's development.

Bad news is that I had to cut out and compact a lot of content from the original Chapter 6, mainly the Pervert Trio's conversation with Takeshi as he is sorting through applications, and the toning downTakeshi's "competition freak" nature against Sona Sitri. Former is to coincide with the fact that publicly, ORC is a defunct club, which in the updated setting, makes sense given that their utilization of the internet to send out their contracts for their Peerage jobs requires another layer of secrecy. While the latter was just filler, and it's at least implied Takeshi is still salty about being second place compared to Sona, but given the direness of the current situation at hand, personal feelings unrelated to this problem are to be set aside. As for the content that got compressed, given that the deadline for Yomi's opening is 31st of March, 2019, I can't afford to set asides days worth of filler fights, and some of them are going to be spent on investigating on the Yomi Faction's whereabouts.

Also, I'm cutting out the whole "vote"-part of the conflict, and replacing it with something else, since I just see that as an unnecessary "conflict ball."

Good news, I finally caught up with the original fic's beats, meaning that I don't have to deviate the flow of my sequence via compacting or cutting out original fic's events as much as I have to.

Now with that, another one of my "mercenary" OC, Kataki. I based his horns off of a Bloodbath Diablos' to make him stand out from the other Oni, and gave him a general "ronin"-feel to him. Unlike Astrid from the previous arc, Kataki is going to be a bit more pronounced and fleshed out, and more about him will be addressed in the next chapter. Also, on a side note, I added other Yōkai Factions like the Northern Tōhoku Yōkai Faction and the Western Chūgoku Yōkai Faction named after their regions, since Yōkai habitation and populations vary from region to region.

Speaking of Kataki, his expanded role compared to Astrid's makes sense, given that he's Ashiya Dōman's personal familiar. Oh, speaking of which, an early bird cameo!

As for dvdryms' own OCs, I gave Hisaya Takasugi's kimono from Gintama, while I gave Rengokuki Kozuki Oden's style with some Heian and Muromachi Period-flair to better contrast their personalities, the former being the "blue oni" whereas the latter is the "red oni" in terms of temperament/behavior.

Regarding me sparing the Nukekubi Suguru, I thought it'd be a better justification to explore Chiharu's jerk-attitude a bit more in-depth by giving her an advocate. And speaking of the latter, I did not know how to adapt her jackassery from the original, so I had to rework it from the ground up. It may come off as slightly irrational now that she has no reason to resent Takeshi, but given that she's a bit prejudiced to start with even in the original fic... I got my work cut out for me.

With that said, how do you like the reboot-exclusive content? Should I implement the original fic's content faithfully or keep doing my own thing? Just asking.

Tokusatsu References:

- Takeshi's shirt reading "桜島"/"Cherry Blossom Island" is a reference to Kamen Rider Ichigo, where he's also referred to as "Sakurajima 1."

- The park where Takeshi and Akeno have their picnic is the Yuhinooka Viewing Platform that was shown in the last scene of the final episode of Kamen Rider Build.

- The Yomi Faction's plans of opening up a way for Izanami-no-Mikoto by undoing five seals located within five mountains of Chōkai (Akita/Yamagata Prefectures), Iwafune (Tochigi Prefecture), Fuji (Shizuoka/Yamanashi Prefectures), Kurama (Kyoto Prefecture), and Hiba (Shimane Prefecture) to "rip Japan in two" is based off Samurai Sentai Shinkenger's Akumuro's plan to "reverse Hell and Earth," with the whole "gap"-part being based off Power Ranger Samurai's Serrator/Akumuro's English counterpart to flood the world with Sanzu River's corrosive waters, but replace water with the Shinto Goddess of Decay and Entropy with her legions of damned souls.

- The town hall where Takeshi and Koneko run into Rengokuki and his mooks is based off the Ibaraki Prefecture Government Building, another iconic Tokusatsu filming location.

OC Fancast:

- Tanaka: Hiroshi Shimozaki (JPN), Marcus D. Stimac (ENG)

- Kumowatari: Norio Wakamoto (JPN) Charles Campbell (ENG)

- Chiharu: Ami Koshimizu (JPN), Anne Yatco (ENG)

- Suguru: Ryōhei Kimura (JPN), Miles Luna (ENG)

- Hisaya: Katsuyuki Konishi (JPN), David Kaye (ENG)

- Rengokuki: Nobuhiko Okamoto (JPN), Ray Chase (ENG)

- Kataki: Mackenyu (JPN & ENG)

- Ashiya Dōman: Nobuo Tobita (JPN), Terrance Stone (ENG)

NOTE (23rd of July, 2024): I messed up again. Super Hero Time is meant to go in the sequence of Pretty Cure, Kamen Rider, and then Super Sentai, the latter two being switched placed initially before I set it back straight. MY BAD.

ADDENDUM NOTE (2nd of October, 2024): Checked Akeno's canon height, and changed it to 168cm. My bad. AGAIN.