A/N: Sup Y'all, Doggie here with another chapter and the end of this Arc. This chapter will have some lore dump and action so I hope you guys enjoy. As I mention in the last chapter I will be posting a poll for me to work on my next project that won't get started until next year when I get back from Vacation after which I should a have rough draft and plotline done. The poll will run from here to near Christmas.
Other than that... ~HAPPY THANKSGIVING~!
Hope you dudes and dudettes enjoy the food, family time, and other stuff today as we move on towards the end of the year.
And once again, Thank You for your support and Time. I appreciate it with sincerity and humility as I grow and improve as a writer to know that everything starts small before they grown, so it's important to never forget your roots and those who are with ya since the beginning.
Well then let's get started.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OTHER THAN THIS SHOTGUN THAT I AM USING TO FIGHT THE CTHULHU TURKEY, TURKEY OF DEEP AND STAR CHILD OF THE MADNESS' IN THE VOID, BECAUSE I AM HUNGRY AND NEED TO FEED THE DOGGIE FAMILY! ALL PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO LILITH SOFT AND OTHER CORPOS.
Part II
Chapter 10
The Key that refuses to turn
***Inside the cavern hidden chamber***
Inside the deepest part of the cave, a high-level female demon dressed in a fashion of the geisha of old with her kimono loosely fitting her as it exposed her thighs and breasts with her hair done up with various ornaments and a comb holding all together. She was accompanied by a robed, hooded figure that was wielding magic, a wizard of sorts. The pair were investigating the cavern walls as they were covered in writing and hieroglyphics.
"Hurry. The lookouts have ordered an evacuation." The female demon said as the wizard was studying the cave's hieroglyphics.
"Why so suddenly!?" The wizard asks as he hates being interrupted in his research.
"The Demon gates here have been closed off for hundreds of years. It doesn't seem to be of any use to us. And while it would be great if we could restore it, there's nothing we can do now. Leave it and go." The female geisha demon as she was preparing to leave.
"Ha... But even if it's a closed gate, if we investigate further, then we can still gain more important information, like the secrets of Kremesanima and Animusfex. The power that the Livorigems wield is... it's nothing we have ever seen. I wanted to investigate it thoroughly." The wizard protested as he hungered for the secrets and knowledge that are hidden deep inside this cave.
"Obsession will lead to your downfall, wizard. A lot of our succubi seem to have already been taken out." The geisha demon said worryingly, as she did not want to meet whoever took out her subordinates.
"Impossible! This cavern is in the middle of nowhere!?" The wizard was shocked to know that apparently someone was strong enough to take on multiple succubi out in these remote mountains.
"You Fool! There's a village of Taimanin nearby, or did you forget that when you started this ridiculous research?" The geisha demon chastised the wizard, as she knew her associate had tunnel vision, but to forget such an important detail was headache-inducing.
"Taimanin? No way... the illusions were broken by the Taimanin!?" The wizard was in shock that someone was able to break the illusion of the succubus.
"Those disgusting Taimanin... It's not unexpected if they had someone who possesses the ability to break through illusions." The geisha demon commented.
"But... to give up this place after we've worked so hard to find to the Taimanin..." The wizard grumbled as he did not want to surrender all this knowledge and potential power to the Taimanin, as he felt it was his by right.
"Kuku, we're not going to give it to them," the geisha demon chuckled as she had a dastardly plan brewing.
It was at this moment that Fuma's team appeared.
"Here come the Taimanin. Go buy us some time. I'll finish up here." The female geisha demon said as she left to prepare her plan.
"Fine then... I shall handle these pests. Haaa!" The wizard's hands began to glow with magical power as he faced off against the Independent Rangers.
Kaiser, Kotaro, Shikanosuke, and Hebiko all faced off against the wizard and his horde of succubi.
"Don't let up! We have to take him down!" Kotaro roared as he launched his attack against the Wizard and succubi.
Kaiser just scoffed, "Don't die on me; I am not carrying your dumbass out of here."
Hebiko just sighs, "It's hard being a side character."
"Why do we always end up in these situations!?" Shikanosuke cried out.
"You guys take care of them while sensei goes and sees what that other demon has planned." Sakura said as she disappeared into shadow.
"Alright, you heard Sakura-sensei. LET'S KICK SOME ASS!" Kaiser yells out as the team charges forward.
The battle rages on, with the four young Taimanin against the Wizard and his succubi. Kaiser takes on the vanguard as he rushes in with his short sword and shotgun as he fires 12 gauge shells, killing a handful as he cuts up any succubi that gets close while Hebiko uses her four-sword technique as she uses her Ninja Art: Beast Transformation—Devil Fish to turn her legs into tentacles as they hold Hebiko's two other swords. Hebiko's slashes out and cuts the necks of two incubi as she holds off another two with her blades in hand. Kotaro backs up Hebiko as he sneaks around the incubi and stabs them through the back.
While Kotaro's back was turned, a succubus tried to stab him with her claws through his back but was suddenly stopped as her claws were deflected by two flying shuriken as Shikanosuke yelled out positions and foiled sneak attacks and ambushes.
"Watch your backs! They strike when you least expect it!" Shikanosuke yells out.
Kaiser's sword stabs an incubus through his heart as he brutally rips the blade out, causing blood to splash all over his face as he shoots another incubus with his shotgun, causing the demon to explode in a shower of gore that covered Kaiser. He was a literal slaughter incarnate, killing his way towards the wizard. Kotaro was able to dodge the succubi attack by jumping away from her, as he was now next to Shikanosuke and Hebiko. The trio now regroups and faces the Succubi with Kaiser, who was slaughtering his way towards the Wizard.
"Thanks, Shikanosuke," Kotaro said to Shikanosuke, who was breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath.
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Hebiko said it in concern for her friend.
"I'm fine; I'm just not used to this much action." Shikanosuke said he was still a little nervous.
As Kaiser reached the wizard, the man was amazed that group of kids were able to take on vast amounts of succubi and incubi.
"You are strong for Taimanin, but you won't beat me!" The Wizard said as he launched a barrage of fireballs at the group.
"Watch out!" Kotaro said as he jumped in front of Shikanosuke and Hebiko. Kotaro slashed at the incoming fireballs, causing them to explode harmlessly.
"Hebiko, Shikanosuke, take care of those Succubi and Incubi. Me and Kaiser handle the wizard." Kotaro said as he rushed forward at the wizard.
"Right!" Hebiko said as she got her twin swords out and rushed at the approaching Succubi. Shikanosuke followed behind her with his shuriken.
Kotaro swung his sword at the wizard, but the wizard blocked it with his staff.
"It seems like you're not bad yourself," the wizard said with a smile.
"My name is Fuuma Kotaro; who are you?" Kotaro said as he continued his attack.
"My name is Iyazaki; I am just a simple wizard doing my job." The wizard said as he fired multiple fireballs at Kotaro. Kotaro slashed at the fireballs destroying them, but the wizard appeared behind Kotaro and cast a spell causing chains to appear out of nowhere and bind Kotaro.
"Hahaha! You're not bad, but your skills are no match for mine!" The wizard said as he raised his staff to finish off Kotaro.
A fist intercepted the wizard's staff as Kaiser protected his friend as the blow knocked the wizard back.
"Ghrk! Lousy insect! You dare raise your fist against me!" the wizard yells as he prepares another spell. "And who would you be?"
"Hmph, Name's Kaiser, Kaiser Warth, Nerd." Kaiser said with a cocky smile.
"Ahh... I see, your that so-called Mad Dog of Ruin. I was expecting more, not some snot-nose punk." The wizard said as he launched his fireball. Kaiser simply jumps in the air and uses his Chaosbringer to shoot down the incoming fireball.
"I may be snot-nose punk, but I'm a punk that will kick your ass." Kaiser said as he charges at the Wizard.
The Wizard launched a fireball at Kaiser, only for Kaiser to jump out of the way and shoot the Wizard with his Chaosbringer, causing the Wizard to stagger. Kaiser then jumped into the air and landed a slash on the Wizard, but the Wizard teleported behind him.
The Wizard sent a fireball at him, only for Kaiser to dodge and continue firing his Chaosbringer at the Wizard. The Wizard raised his staff and summoned a barrier of light, protecting him from Kaiser's Chaosbringer.
"Damn Nerd. Need to find a way to get around that barrier." Kaiser said to himself as he noticed the drawings on the cave walls as he recognized some of the writing on the cave walls.
"The ancient language of the Prime Humans." Kaiser said to himself.
"Wait!...what did you say?" The wizard asks as he lowers his staff.
Kaiser looked at the wizard with a baffled expression as his before him lowered his guard. A part of him wanted to blast the man apart with his shotgun, but another... another part of him was curious, as this man obviously knows something about this cave and its origins.
"I... I don't know... all I know is that for some reason I can read these scribbles on the wall." Kaiser as he lowered his shotgun.
"Interesting...tell me more!" The wizard said as he walked over to Kaiser.
"Well, all I know is that it's the ancient language of the Prime Humans and that they were wiped out by the demons in a war." Kaiser said.
"I see...well, I'll be dammed, an Taimanin such as yourself that can read the ancient language of the Livorigem Humans." The wizard said with a smile.
"You know who these Livorigem Humans are!" Kaiser asks as once in his life... he had a lead. He had a lead to his forgotten past, or at least something that can help him understand who he is.
"I do... but I'm afraid I cannot tell you, as I don't trust you fully, but there is the fact that you know that ancient language, which just makes me curious about what else you can do." The wizard said.
"Look...I just want answers, please...just tell me what you know." Kaiser said as he pleads for the wizard to tell him what he knows.
"Tell me human. Do you know of the Kremesanima?" The wizard asks.
"Kremesanima..." Kaiser remembers when he fought against Edwin Black that the vampire was interested in it and that Kaiser somehow fit into it or something. "What is Kremesanima?"
"It's the ancient power of the Livorigem Humans." The wizard explains to Kaiser. "The writing on these walls is Language of the Livorigem Humans that spoke in a tongue that is known as Bablingua or the 'First Tongue'. The writing here is proof that they had been here in this world."
"Ancient language?" Kaiser was confused as to what this power has to do with his past.
"The language itself is so old that there is no modern counterpart to it, not even a fragment." The Wizard explains. "The Livorigem Humans were also very similar to demons, but they were very different in one way. They were able to use energy known as Kremesanima Energy and could harness it for their own use and could even pass it to others—a power that shapes the fabric of reality and life itself."
Kaiser is now starting to get an understanding of what this mysterious power he is wielding is.
"You are not the first being to possess the knowledge to understand Bablingua in this world... You are the second." The wizard says with a smile.
"Who was the first?" Kaiser asks.
"That is something you must find out yourself, but what I can tell you is that the power is known as 'Kremesanima Energy,' or as it's known, 'Crimson Soul'. The Livorigem Humans harnessed this power to change reality itself, but tell me... how are you connected to all of this?" The Wizard asks.
"I don't know." Kaiser replies. "I... I can't remember anything about my past."
"Well, that is strange." The Wizard says. "What's this! That mark on your right forearm! Show me!"
The wizard focuses on Kaiser's right arm as the sigil on it caught his attention.
"It's the Mark of Wrath! If you have this mark, that means that you are one of the... no, it can't be... an Aeon or perhaps an Ascended?" The Wizard says
"Aeon? What is that?" Kaiser asked
"Aeons are the ancient beings of the Ageless Sea that protect the balance of life and death. Aeons can only be summoned by those who have made a pact." The wizard explained.
Kaiser remembers the voice mentioning the pact, but to what? The question eludes him.
"The Pact... What is this Pact that I made?" Kaiser started to breathe heavily as he was getting closer to answers he sought for most of his life, as he needed to know why he was brought into this world for and who he was before.
"That unfortunately between you and the being you made the pact with... but regardless if you seek answers, then why not... come with me," the wizard suggests as he approaches Kaiser in a non-threatening manner. "You want answers, correct?"
"...Yes." Kaiser answered quietly as his desire to find out about his past was near overwhelming his sense of reason. "Yes, I do."
"Then why not join me?" The Wizard asked, "Why not join me in my quest to seek out the truth that you so desperately desire? Why not join me in my journey in uncovering the secrets of the Livorigem Humans?"
Kaiser could hear the voice in his head screaming to him not to follow the Wizard, but something told him that if he wanted to find the answers that he was looking for, then this opportunity was the best one he had.
As Kaiser was talking to the wizard, Kotaro, who was still bound by magic, watched and listened to the discussion as he was shocked at the revelations. He understood now why Kaiser was so interested in these ruins and why he was isolating himself from everyone. His friend was trying to find out about his past and find something to fill his existence with purpose. Kotaro berated himself as he knew that Kaiser always put up a tough front to those who worried about him. He was just a nice guy like that, but now he had a lead, and that offer alone was tempting enough for Kaiser to consider. Kotaro didn't want to lose his friend, but he also wanted help him find out about his past.
"Kai! Wait! Don't do this; that bastard could be lying or be playing a trick on you!" Kotaro yells out.
Kaiser's thoughts stopped as he never considered the possibility of him being tricked or falling for a trap. The wizard looked at Kotaro with annoyance as he raised out his hand to shock Kotaro with his magical binds.
"Silence! Listen here, boy. I am the best option you have at finding out your past and unlocking the secrets of the Livorigem Humans. Join me, and the power of Kremesanima can yours as well."
"Kai..." Kotaro says, trying to speak while trying to get up in pain.
"Join us, Kaiser Wrath, and you can find answers to your past. You can learn about your family, your bloodline, your origins, and who you truly are." The wizard says in a tempting voice.
"Shut it, wizard!" Kotaro shouts out, trying to stand up as the magical binds around him shock him again, making him fall down on the ground in pain.
"I...I..."
Kaiser was conflicted as to what he wanted to do. Should he leave Kotaro there to suffer or kill the wizard himself?
"What makes a man, a man? Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't think so. It's... the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them!" Kotaro yells out in pain as he tries to get through to his friend. "Tell me, Kai. Is this how you would end things? Is the man to whom I spoke on the rooftop the type of man to turn his back on his friends and family? Is he the kind of person who would give in to the demands of others? IS THIS MAN IN FRONT ME SUCH A PUSSY THAT HE CAN'T EVEN REACH OUT TO US AND ASK FOR HELP!"
It was then that Kotaro's voice broke through Kaiser's indecisions and thoughts.
"...I see now...the answer was so clear before me." Kaiser said he turned his back to his friend. Kotaro looked in shock as he couldn't believe that his friend, whom he would trust with his life, would turn his back on him, but then again Kotaro figured that the answers that Kaiser sought were always something that bothered him since childhood. If he were in Kaiser's position, then perhaps he too would have made the same choice.
The wizard smiled as he turned around and spoke to Kaiser, "You made a smart choice, boy. The power, the knowledge, and the potential are worth more than some silly bonds of friendship or comradery. In this world, power is everything, and those who are willing to seek it are the only ones who get to decide their own fate."
Kaiser stood still as he listened to the wizard. "Well on that, we can agree... which is why I will do this."
In a quick draw, Kaiser unholsters his shotgun as he fires both barrels of his double-barrel shotgun at the wizard.
"The day that Kaiser Wrath, turns his back on his friends and allies himself with demon scum is the day that I stop being who I am, and today ain't that day, Nerd."
The wizard had put up a magical barrier at the last minute as he turned to face Kaiser with a scowl on his face.
"You Fool! You would throw away a chance at unlimited power and knowledge all for...some abstract thing you call a bond."
Kaiser snorted as he looked back at the wizard with a mocking smile. "Listen here, you fucking shriveled upol pain in my ass Nerd. You don't know shit about me, and you definitely don't know who I am or what I want, and right now, I really want to kick your ass. Now stop talking and FIGHT ME!"
Kaiser roared as he charged at the wizard with his short sword and shotgun as the wizard fired a fireball at him. Kaiser dodged it and unleashed two shots of his shotgun that were negated by the wizard's barrier. Kaiser didn't let up as he then ran forward with his blade slashing with a flurry of strikes at the wizard's magical shield, with the wizard barely able to block or deflect them.
Kaiser then kicked the wizard's barrier as a springboard to backflip in the air as he then blasted the wizard with his shotgun. The wizard mocked Kaiser as he couldn't break through the magic barrier.
"Hah, this is child's play; I can keep this up all day, Boy." The Wizard boasted.
"That's great. You'll need all the protection you can get, Nerd." Kaiser said with a grin as he then loaded his special ammunition into his shotgun. "But let's see if that barrier of yours's can handle 00 Hellshot!"
The shotgun roars out as the overpowering armor-piercing pellets shots flew at the wizard at high speed like bullets from a machine gun as they tore through the magic barrier.
"What! How?!" The wizard shouted as he put up another magical barrier to keep his defense up.
"Not so fast, Nerd. Here comes a second serving." Kaiser said as he reloaded his shotgun with another 00 Hellshot. "NOW EAT SHIT AND DIE!"
Kaiser fired Chaosbringer as another loud cannon shot pierced through the Wizard's shield and blasted him in the shoulder, sending him back a few feet. The wizard cried in agony as he clutched his shoulder as his entire arm was blown off. Kaiser didn't give the wizard any time to recover as he charged towards him, and he then used the shotgun as a blunt weapon to bash the wizard across the face. Kaiser then proceeded to grab the wizard by the throat and choke the life out of him. The wizard struggled to break free from Kaiser's grip as he gasped for air.
"Damn (choke) you! You (choke) Fool...power untold, and the chance (choke) to ascend to a higher existence (choke) could've been...yours." The wizard wheezes out as Kaiser started to squeeze tighter.
"Oh, cry me a fucking river, Nerd. I'll find the answers I seek my way, and I won't abandon my friends or family for it, and if I never reach those answers... well, I guess somethings are best left forgotten." Kaiser said.
As the Wizard was being choked out, he slowly lifted his hand as he struggled to say some words.
"L...L...Ligh...Lighting Bolt!" The Wizard said as he pointed his fingers at Kaiser as a bolt of lightning shot out of his fingers and hit Kaiser square in the chest.
Kaiser screamed in pain as he was electrocuted by the Wizard's attack as he was flung back, hitting the ground hard. Kaiser lay there in a daze as he tried to get up but couldn't due to the electric shock he suffered.
"Kai-kun!" Hebiko shouted.
Kaiser lay on the ground groaning as he tried to shake the stars in his vision as he tried to recover but couldn't as the spell did more damage than he thought. The Wizard began to cackle as he stood above Kaiser with his staff raised high.
"You are done now, fool! Now prepare to meet your doom!" The Wizard cackled as he slammed his staff down towards Kaiser.
"Lighting Bolt!"
In that decisive moment Kaiser held out his hand, a spark of crimson energy made contact with the spell as it absorbed the lightning into Kaiser. It accelerated in healing his wounds, as in that instant Kaiser's felt power overflowing through his body as his fist was covered in the crimson power as he got up and faced the wizard, who had a look of awe on his face.
"No...it cannot be... you... you are wielding the... Kremesanima!" The wizard exclaimed in shock.
Kaiser's eyes narrowed, and he said nothing as he charged at the Wizard at high speed. The Wizard tried to fire another lightning bolt but was met with a fist covered in crimson energy as it shatters his defenses and went through his chest. As blood erupted from the wound, the Wizard was frozen in shock as Kaiser's eyes looked down upon him with a cold and dark stare as the crimson energy flowed through him.
"How...can a human being possess such power... so much like that of the Dark Lords of old... are you perhaps a Livorigem?" The wizard was unable to continue to speak as he coughed out a large amount of blood from his mouth. "Ack... hehehe... so it does exist... The Pact... The Harbinger of Oblivion... you are The Key...you are... The Aeon of Ruin."
With his last breath, the wizard grin with a wide with an almost content expression on his face as the light in his eyes slowly faded like a flickering candle desperately holding before being snuffed out.
Kaiser stood with his fist inside the wizard's chest as he pulled it out once he was assured that the man was dead. Kaiser toss the body aside as he ran to his friend Kotaro, who was still bound by the wizard's magic.
"Hey there... enjoying the dirty floor there?" Kaiser joked as he was trying to figure out how to free his friend.
"Shut up and get me out of here," Kotaro groaned as Kaiser was trying to break the magic binds that kept Kotaro with no success. "This thing is some serious heavy-duty stuff. This will take too much time to break."
Kaiser was thinking about how to break these binds that kept Kotaro trapped as he started to remember what happened when his fist that was wrapped in crimson energy did when it made contact with the lighting bolt.
"We don't have time, Kaiser; more demons are coming our way." Kotaro said as he tried to hurry his second-in-command.
"What if I... maybe... well, I got nothing to lose if it fails." Kaiser said to himself as he tried to focus the crimson power into his right hand, as this time wielding the mysterious power became easier as he felt that he had more control over it. "Hey, One Eye. Imma try something, so hold still."
"Wha..." Kotaro managed to say before Kaiser reach out towards the binds as Kotaro saw Kaiser's right hand glowing with some kind of crimson power. At first, Kotaro panicked as he saw the crimson cover fist reach out towards the magic binds, but he then remembered that this was his most caring friend who would never willingly put his own allies in danger.
When Kaiser's hand touched the magical binds, they were absorbed into him as Kotaro was free from the spell the wizard had cast. Kaiser was surprised that his gamble paid off as he held out his hand to help his leader to his feet. Kotaro looked at his friend's out-of-reach hand as he saw a look of shame and regret on his friend's face.
"...Kai." Kotaro said as he was silent before he could speak further.
"Kotaro... I'm... I'm sorry... I have no excuse for my actions... I know that it may not mean much, and you probably don't trust me anymore, but... I swear to you that something like this will never happen again." Kaiser apologizes with his head hung low in shame and self-remorse.
Kotaro was on his feet as he saw that Kaiser was ashamed of himself for nearly taking the wizard's offer and abandoning his friends. For Kaiser, this was something that nearly made him give up who he was now for a chance to find out who he was before. Kotaro couldn't blame his closest friend's conflict and possible decision if he too was in his shoes.
To have no memories of past loved ones or history. To wake up alone in a strange world with nothing to guide you and with no connection, one would find themselves lost in trying to figure out where it is that they fit in or what your purpose is in life.
Anyone who was lost and empty would have jumped at the chance at finding the answers they seek, as Kotaro remembers reading an article that adopted children would try to find their real parents even if they had no familial connection or that orphans would travel to their place of birth only for the sole fact of curiosity or a sense of regaining something they had lost—their heritage. Humans would base their entire lives on history, experiences, and cultures that would define them, but more importantly, the connection that blood and genetics have makes one seek those who are like them, as after all, humans are social creatures.
For Kotaro, who was born into a large family, even though he hated his bastard of a Father; he at least knew who he was and where he came from. Kaiser grew up with none of those, and even though he was happy with being the adopted son of the Mizuki, a part of him still yearns to learn who his real parents were or where he came from.
To have the closest thing to answers dangling in front of you after years of looking for them was the most tempting offer that some would have taken that offer... if they were weak.
Kaiser was many things, but being weak was not one of them.
"Kai... I know that this was probably your only chance at finding out who you are or finding the answers that you so desperately want to know, but... I'm glad you didn't take that deal, because you deserve to find the answers on your own terms." Kaiser was silent as he looked at the Taimanin before him. "Kaiser, you don't have to do things alone anymore; I'm here for you, as well as all the other Taimanin... you're my friend and a treasured comrade. I'll never betray you because... you are one of us...You are Taimanin."
"Thanks, Kotaro...but you don't need to forgive me... I am sorry...for everything, Kotaro." Kaiser said, bowing his head in shame. "I don't deserve to be forgiven for what I've done."
Kotaro's hand reached out and ruffled Kaiser's hair.
"Forgiveness isn't about deserving it, Kai...it is something that needs to be earned." Kotaro smiled at his friend as he stood before Kaiser and held out a hand to him. "because I know you earned my trust."
Kaiser nodded as he took the offered hand and allowed himself to look Kotaro in the eye.
"Thank you, Kotaro. I promise that I won't abandon you for anything. Even if it means not getting the answers I so desperately seek. It's like you said... What makes a Man, a Man. Is the choices he makes, and I choose to protect people like you, and that is a promise that I intend to keep no matter what. That is why I will always choose to be Taimanin and protect those who cannot protect themselves; that is my mission as a Taimanin, and it is one that I will never abandon." Kaiser said as he looked at Kotaro, with a small smirk on his lips.
"Alright, then! Let's get back to our mission... partner." Kotaro said with a grin on his face.
"Right." Kaiser nodded as they both headed out towards the rest of the team... together.
***Deep inside the cavern's hidden chamber***
Sakura was pursuing the Geisha demon as she dispatched a couple of succubi and incubi who barred her path. The geisha arrived at a huge open chamber of the cave, as there were many anchialine systems of pools with staglities and stalagmites throughout the chamber.
"You...dirty humans... Kukuku... the preparations are already complete." The geisha demon said facing off against Sakura.
"Surrender, and I might take it easy on Nya~." Sakura smirked as she held her two Ninjato swords in front of her.
"As if... You Taimanin can't do anything against my magic." The geisha demon said confidently.
Sakura rushed towards the geisha demon with a thrust from her sword.
"Kukuku! You're too slow!" The Geisha demon said, dodging the attack as she teleported out of the way.
"What!?" Sakura yelled as she turned to see the geisha demon appearing behind her.
"Die!" The geisha demon said as she sent out a wave of purple energy at Sakura. The energy exploded, as it seems that Sakura was disintegrated, as not even a body or ashes were left.
"Hahaha... that takes care of that pest now on to those brats." The geisha demon said, turning her attention towards the rest of the Independent Rangers. The demon, however, did not expect a hand to grab her ankle as Sakura emerged from the geisha demon's shadow.
Spikes of shadow shot out as one of them pierced the geisha demon's stomach. The geisha demon staggered back as the spikes of shadow retract into shadow. The geisha demon coughed out blood as she stared at Sakura with anger in her eyes.
Sakura had an almost bored look on her face as the geisha demon tried to use her magic. But before the demon could finish, Sakura had already launched her shadow blades at the Geisha demon. The geisha demon was sent flying by the force of the impact as Sakura held her two Ninjato swords.
"Damn you, you bitch!" The geisha demon spat out as she stood back up and charged at Sakura.
Sakura only scoffed at the geisha demon's words as she easily dodged the geisha demon's attack. The geisha demon stumbled forward as Sakura appeared behind her and slashed the geisha demon's back. The geisha demon let out a scream of pain as she fell to the ground. The geisha demon slowly pushed herself off the ground as she turned her head to face Sakura, who stood behind her.
"It's over," Sakura said coldly.
Before the geisha demon could say anything, Sakura's shadow blades impaled the demon.
The geisha demon let out one last gurgle before her body went limp as her blood pooled beneath her. Sakura removed her shadow blades from the geisha demon as she watched the geisha demon's body slowly disintegrate. Sakura sheathed her two swords as she walked back towards the entrance of the cave.
"Sensei!" A voice called out as Sakura turned to see her precious student approach her with everyone not looking worse for wear.
"Everyone okay, nya?" Sakura asks.
"Yes!" Everyone said.
Sakura nodded at that.
"Great job, everyone! I'm proud of you, Nya~" Sakura said. "But I think we should hurry back to the base now. We've done enough."
Everyone nodded as they followed their Sensei out of the cave...until the cave started rumbling.
"Did that demon bitch just..." Kaiser said as a staglite fell and nearly impales him.
"Fuck she did. Everyone make for the cave entrance on the double!" Kotaro ordered as everyone ran at full speed as though their lives literally depended while dodging falling staglaties.
"Gyaaaaahhhhh!"Shikanosuke girlishly yelled out as the femboy was running faster than even Kaiser.
"Just a little more till the exit! Run!" Hebiko urged as the team pushed through the final stretch.
They made it through as the cave collapsed behind them as the team barely survived by the skin of their teeth.
"Haaaaaa! We're outttttt! But where are we!?" Shikanosuke said as he was nearly out of breath.
The team was covered in dirt and a bit bruised as they took a moment to take a deep breath of fresh mountain air as they noticed their surroundings. The view around them was of the same grassed-covered castle ruins that they had investigated a few days ago.
"The castle is gone," Hebiko said as she was surprised at the turn of events.
"Seems like everyone's okay..." Kotaro observed as he looked over his team to make sure everyone was okay.
"Fuck me sideways and call me a Thailand Hooker... That was a close one. I guess we can cross off Spelunking off the bucket list." Kaiser commented as he was the only one without a top on as he was bare chested for all to see.
"Oh my God! My Eyes!" Sakura yelled out as she tried to cover her eyes in a comical fashion.
"Damn. You're ripped like a Greek God, man." Hebiko commented as her eyes were glued to Kaiser's upper body even though she wasn't attracted to him— at least not romantically as her heart belonged to another.
"Aww come on, man. Now I feel self-conscious." Kotaro said as he felt envious of his friend's physique.
"Oh my god... you can grind meat on those..." Shikanosuke quietly commented.
There were no signs of the Phantom Castle. Just the tombstone and the sign that was there before as the team was back at the ruins when they first started their investigation
"It looks like it was all an illusion... But I wonder what was real and what was fake?" Hebiko questions as everyone was exhausted after a difficult wisdom.
"At least the shitty rain has stopped." Kaiser said as he was looking more chipper and relaxed than he was a few days ago.
"Hey Kai...are you doing alright? You seem... different?" Shikanosuke asks as he was confused by Kaiser's personality change.
"I'm fine. The clear weather just puts me in a better mood." Kaiser answered as he stretches out his arms.
"Really!? That's great to hear. I'm glad to see you are doing better!" Shikanosuke cheered with a smile on his face.
"Yup...it's going to be a good day tomorrow. I can feel it..." Kaiser said as he had a smile on his face that surprised everyone as he was usually grumpy and cranky.
"Well the cave is gone now... but I wonder what the were demons after?" Shikanosuke asks as Kaiser suddenly froze up.
After what the wizard told him and revealed Kaiser had learned more about himself in the last few hours than he did when he first showed up in Gosha Village all those years ago.
"They were looking for a gate...a gate that connected to the dark world as well as the secrets to something called Kremesanima and the Livorigem Humans, or whatever that means." Kaiser stated as Sakura had a serious look in her eye.
'Big Sis is gonna wanna hear about this...maybe we finally help Kaiser figure out who he is.' Sakura thought to herself as she had quite the report to make when she got back to the Academy.
"Kremesanima? Livorigem Humans? What are those?" Hebiko asks with curiosity.
Kaiser shrugs his shoulders as he shakes his head. " Beats me. From what the nerd told me, it's some ancient and really powerful energy that belongs to some ancient race of humans. Other than that, not much else."
Kaiser conveniently left out the parts that he was somehow connected to it all as he can wield this ancient power and the wizard's last words that still run through his head.
"You Are The Aeon of Ruin"
Those words for some reason resonated with him. It was as though they defined his entire being as his existence alone is dependent on those words alone.
"..." Kaiser was lost in thought as Kotaro watched his friend ruminate in his thoughts as he knew that him and Kaiser needed to talk once they returned to base.
"Regardless, in the end the ghost Shikanosuke saw never showed up. And whatever the demons were after is now buried inside that cave, under all those rocks now." Kotaro said.
"..."
Kaiser didn't say anything as he continued to stare off into space, his mind deep in thought.
"Oi! You listening to me, Kaiser!" Kotaro asked as he nudged his friend's shoulder as Kaiser snapped out of his train of thought.
"Huh!? Oh yeah... Job well done and shit... Kinda sucks though that I couldn't smoke that old fuck, Gonza." Kaiser said as he let out a yawn.
"A pretty unsatisfying result if you ask me." Sakura pouted as she never got to encounter the ghost.
"Are you still hung up on that Sensei! Even though I went through all that scary stuff." Shikanosuke cried out.
"Well, at least we defeated the demons. We should leave the rest of the investigation to the Head Mistress right?" Kotaro concluded by letting out another yawn as everyone's shoulders slumped as they were all tired.
"Well ,if you guys are done bitching, I'm going back to base. I'm fucking tired as shit and want to take a shower after which Imma crash out on my soft warm bed." Kaiser said as he began to walk back towards Gosha Academy.
"Yeah... Kai-san is right. I'm exhausted and need a warm bath and a good night's rest after tonight." Shikanosuke yawns as well as the femboy eyelids was sleepy. "...WAIT! SHIT... AHHHH! WASN'T THERE A QUIZ TOMORROW? I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TO STUDY FOR IT. COME ON WE NEED TO CRAM ASAP!"
Shikanosuke panicked as he ran towards base in a hurry to cram a full night of study in just a few hours.
"Normally, if you study diligently, then that's not a problem, you know?" Hebiko smirked at her friends predicament
"... I'm kinda in the boat as well." Kotaro said nervously as he tried sliding up to Kaiser. "Hey, Kai, buddy, pal, my most trusted partner... can you let me copy off of you?"
"No way in hell am I doing that. I don't have to study, cause I'm going to skip out on that snooze fest." Kaiser said bluntly.
"Haa~! It's hopeless...! I'm so dead!" Shikanosuke cried out. "Ahhhh! My future looks so dark and grim! No! I refuse! I can't accept this!"
"(Sigh) Fine then...just this time, Hebiko will teach you boys the parts that might come up." Hebiko said this as an excuse to get closer to Kotaro.
"He...Hebiko! You're an angel. An octopus angel!" Shikanosuke cheered.
"Thank you, Hebiko! I owe you big time!" Kotaro said.
"You owe me? Alright then. Hebiko will remember that Fuma-chan?" Hebiko said.
As the friends walked back towards the villages they once again overcome the trials and challenges that were set before them as a team.
***Meanwhile, in the forest a few kilometers away from the castle ruin***
A man stood alone in the forest as he looked up at the moon between the rifts in the clouds.
"... So it's you, Gonza." Said the man as the moonlight bath the woods with it's ethereal glow
Gonza release his technique, as he rose up from the ground as stood before the man who had called him out.
"Sir..." Gonza said as he bowed in front of his lord, Gaiza Nisha, the current Head of the now disgraced and traitorous Nisha Clan. "The Demon Gate under the castle ruins have decayed and no longer work. It has seem that the Iron Knight had it sealed for hundreds of years."
"Hmm... The information from NOMAD seems to be unexpectedly unreliable, I see." Gaiza assessed as he was disappointed at the turn of events but not bothered by it as he didn't expect anything from the beginning." From what the legends say, the owner of the castle ruins in the past submitted to the Onis and apparitions and inflicted fear on the populace. But suddenly that came to an end as a warrior clad in iron armor that came from the Heavens and Stars, arrived to deliver judgment on the lord. This warrior led a clan of demon slayers, and the people that lived near the castle rallied against the lord and overthrew the demons. The castle's owner was slain by the Iron Knight, and the gateway was sealed by him as well... They say that this warrior was considered to be the First Taimanin, as the warriors who followed him learned all of his demon-slaying techniques and were able to learn to use the Ninja Arts. Or so the legend says."
"If the legends are true, then the Oni's and apparitions were probably summoned through that gate. If that is the case, then wouldn't the power of the Iron Knight coincide with the gates being sealed off?" Gonza asks, as he was curious as to what his young lord knew..
"Well, the Iron Knight is apparently wielded a power like no other, as he was able to shape fate and life to bend to his own will... Kremesanima," Gaiza revealed, "and it is prophesied that 'A Pact will be made with the Harbinger of Oblivion, as One will bare the Mark of Wrath and become the Aeon of Ruin', at least that is the legend that our contact tells us."
"Young Master." Gonza said as he listen to his charge share with him this piece of not very well known information.
"What is it?" Gaiza asked, his face was emotionless and blank, but his eyes show a hint of curiosity.
"During my investigation, there were some guests who were there before us, so a lot of our members were killed. I must apologize." Gonza said, lowering his head in shame.
"Hoh? A tough battle even with you there, Gonza?" Gaiza inquired.
"...An ominous demon accompanied by a group of skilled female warriors." Gonza answered as he remembered the demon, he had been unable to fight against.
"A demon... and female warriors?" Gaiza asked as he raised his eyebrow. "Hoh? I thought the demons were all part of NOMAD, one way or another, but it seems like there are many factions with the demons as well."
"A demon... and female warriors?" Gaiza asked as he raised his eyebrow.
"Yes... The only reason we survived was because they left right away, after slaying most of our people." Gonza reported. "However..."
"There's more?" Gaiza asked with a slight frown.
"Sir... Kotaro and his team were here." Gonza reported. "They were here with their Mongrel Mutt and...apparently he knows something about the Livorigem Humans and is connect to the Kremeseanima... He might be The Key that is needed to gain Kremesanima. "
"I see...so we have yet another obstacle in our way." Gaiza said with a frown.
"What shall we do about it?" Gonza asked.
"I'm thinking..." Gaiza said as he closed his eyes and started to think about what he should do about the Independent Rangers and Kaiser Wrath. "This News alone was worth the trip, Gonza. For now let's leave the Mongrel Mutt alone and see how this situation will develop."
Leaving with those words alone, Gaiza departed the forest. Gonza on the other hand saw his master off with one knee on the ground until his master was longer anywhere to be seen.
Thus Shadows in the dark watch with bated breath as the desire to control the Power of Crimson Soul and the Individual who is The Key to Godhood.
A/N: Well now that is quite the shocker. Well Kaiser and the team have quite the road ahead of them as they delve into a past that is forgotten by history. Well then now that is over the next chapter will be a day off and will introduce some new characters but The Poll will be posted and hopefully this can be fun for everyone to see what else I can work on.
What awaits Kaiser and will he find the answers that he seeks? Does Kotaro know his Friend as well as he think he does? What is Gaiza plan for the Independent Ranger and the Taimanin? What will be NOMAD's next move? Find out in the next chapter...
Part II
Chapter 11
A Day Off? More Like A Day Ruined!