Welcome to the next chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, but before starting the story. Let's answer some reviews:
Sonic: Thanks.
Kalashnikov ak47: Thanks.
Hellspam: Thanks, I wanted to do one where the character wasn't affiliated with Rias and the others (or at least not at the start). I also thought that it would be fun writing a human who fights using combat skills and training his natural abilities instead of relying on sacred gear kind of like Vasco Strada. That would be funny, I mean seeing a character like that acting in that manner would be hilarious to write. Not that I hate the series itself, I mean I love everything about Avatar the Last Airbender (not the movie) from all characters, their development, and fights. I just don't think that I can write one about them that would do Avatar the Last Airbender justice.
Preparing for the Future
―One Hour Earlier
Everyone gathered inside of Zane's home, Zane himself, Hisui, Rui, Abigail, Alice, and Claire. All of them wore a look of utter confusion and loss, but Claire wore an expression that looked as if she were starting to lose all form of hope. It has been almost half an hour and none of them still hadn't found or heard anything about the location of Kensei. Even Maria and her small group assisted and looked around to no avail.
"I just heard from Maria and Layla, but he isn't in their area."
Abigail stated as she wore a worried look.
She thought of herself as an "older sister" to the younger children on this island and it would crush her every time they were taken off the island never to be seen again.
What else could she do?
If Abigail could fight back and save all the children in need, then she would fight to her last breath, but due to the bracelet on her wrist, she couldn't muster the strength to rescue them. And she couldn't bear looking at the look of despair that was essentially etched on Claire's face from the thought that the one who acted as not just an "older brother", but also as one of her emotional support.
"Hisui? Did either you or Rui locate him?"
Zane questioned as he glanced towards the two youkai, Hisui who would use senjutsu to locate him, and Rui who has enhances senses such as smell along with being skilled in general detection.
"I tried tracking him down based on his ki and I couldn't find him anywhere," Hisui replied as she glanced in the direction of Claire with a worried look. "And trust me, I wouldn't be able to forget his ki."
"I went into town to the place where Kensei-kun would frequently go whenever purchasing items and the guy that I had talked to said that he was in there almost an hour ago. I also followed his scent and lost track somewhere in the street of the so-called Paradise. And―"
"And?"
Zane questioned again feeling worried about why Rui had stopped like that.
"I don't know. Something happened in that capital, a lot of the people who were there looked to be in a panic and I smelt smoke at where I think came from a cafe. Based on what I could hear, it sounded as if Taro and some devils that were sponsoring him were attacked."
"""What?"""
Zane, Abigail, and even Alice replied in a surprised tone causing Hisui to cross her arms with a look as if to show the shock that she had on her face.
"I was surprised when Rui-chan told me about it, then I was more shocked to find out who attacked them," Hisui replied as she recalled the presence that she felt when Rui brought her there to use senjutsu. "Without a doubt, it was Ken Ken. A person's ki and magical power remain almost like a scent for a while before it vanishes."
"Why would Kensei go into the capital and attack them?"
Abigail questioned confused with Claire reacting a little after hearing his name being spoken.
"Kensei wouldn't attack them without a reason that's the point. The question is, why would Kensei attack?"
Everyone looked down with a worried look on their faces, but it became confusing as the door opened without the person knocking on the door.
"Who is….?"
Zane asked as he glanced at the door confused―no appalled to see that the person waiting at the now opened door. Wearing the same childlike smile on his face and an expensive tailored suit under the guard of the same white armored Gehenna Guards. His presence felt like someone who had their lives within their hands like a counterfeit grim reaper or god. Standing there at the door was Taro.
"It's him."
That was the thought that came to everyone's minds as if it were a reflex.
"Hello. Zane Wayland, correct," hearing Taro speak his name caused a sickening sensation to well up within said person's chest. "Would you mind if I were to enter…no, wait. I'm the person who was kind enough to have grant you this little home in the first place. So, I guess that I'll enter my own volition."
His snide remarked caused a feeling of aggression to well up in their chests as he walked into the living room, his hands locked behind him. As he entered the room, Zane and the others backed away from him (with Alice pulling Claire along with her). Seeing that caused Taro to shrug his shoulders as if he didn't care about their reactions in their presence.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Taro started that displayed 'concern', but they could tell that it was just a lie. "I'm sure that you all have noticed that a certain person was absent among your small group."
Hearing those words from him caused a feeling of distress that could be felt inside of the room with the next few words that came from his mouth putting the final nail in the coffin.
"As of an hour ago, Kensei Amagiri has been declared dead."
Those words felt as if a knife had just been stabbed into their hearts. None of them could speak, all of them were for different reasons as to why neither of them could speak. For Zane, it was due to Kensei being the closest one that he could call his best friend and most trusted companion. For Alice, Kensei was the one person in her life that she felt that she could rely on since being abandoned by her parents. For Hisui, he was someone that she fell in love with at first sight, and since he showed compassion to those around him. For Rui, it was due to the last part of what Hisui felt. And for Abigail, it felt as if she lost a younger sibling.
Most of all, Claire who lost other people who she considered to be a family member, felt as if her world was starting to crumble apart. The light that was in her eyes fading away turning into a lifeless expression.
"…Nii-chan."
Claire spoke as she slumped on the ground.
Kensei found himself floating in the darkness that didn't possess the slightest bit of light within it. Both of his eyes were opened as he continued to float aimlessly, though he began to think about his situation after he realized that he wasn't in the real world.
[Hmm, where am I? I don't feel anything. Not the pain that I felt beforehand from those guys' attacks. Not that the sensation of having arrows piercing my skin. I can't feel anything at all.]
Kensei thought as he stared upwards without much emotion in his voice. As if he was starting to give up.
[Did I die?] He questioned himself as he let out a sigh of defeat. [What a pathetic end of the Last Amagiri. This isn't how I thought that it would end. What am I going to tell everyone when I see them again? Mom said that by inheriting the Amagiri-ryū, I inherited the will of everyone…having all that faith wasted in the end over this….]
Kensei said as he started to close his eyes as if he were beginning to give up.
[*Sniff* *Sniff* Do, you promise? That we'll be together forever?]
The words of a girl who felt that she lost her family echoed into his mind and the words that he spoke to that girl in a tone that displayed nothing but confidence.
[That's a promise. Even if I'm rejected by the people who don't care for devils that were once comrades to the Amagiri Clan. And even if that means the Shinto Gods as well. You don't have to worry about anything anymore, because I will always be with you forever.]
Those final words caused him to open up his eyes wide clenching both his fist and teeth as if in defiance.
[No way in hell! There is no way that I'm going to accept dying like this! Not by the hands of a bunch of old losers like that! I made a promise…not to just Claire, but other people that I won't die like this and abandon them. And if keeping that promise means that I have to reject death itself, then I fine!]
"Yea, that sounds so like you. Of course, you're mine and his child."
Another familiar voice had arrived causing his eyes to widen in shock as he looked and noticed that there was a hint of light that appeared in his path. Though the light was shapeless and without the physical form of the person whose voice is belonged, there was no way that I could mistake it for someone else.
[Mom?]
"You inherited more than strong genes, you also inherited our unbreakable will to never give up no matter who's the opponent and no matter how powerful they are. If you were to give up, then Minako-chan and Kunou-chan would never forgive you. So stand up and continue to live your life. And as your mother and teacher…and go kick their collective stuck up asses."
That was without his mother and hearing those words sparked something within him. He didn't know if it were just an illusion or it was her spirit helping him even now, but it didn't matter. Kensei had finally rekindled his fighting spirit and the darkness that was around him started to fade away into a realm of light.
―Two Days Later
Meanwhile, in a simple cabin built using stone built on a mountain located in China, Kensei found himself lying on a bed inside what seemed like an examination room. And he felt pain signals traveling to his brain causing him to groan as a result of it.
"…there it is," Kensei groaned as he leaned forward resulting in more pain. "There's the pain."
He noticed that there were bandages wrapped around his face with his left eye and forehead covered. There were also bandages wrapped around his chest, arms, and legs making him feel almost like a semi-covered mummy. It made him realize that he had been saved by someone and tended to, but he didn't know who it was. He glanced around the room hoping to find some clue as to where he was. Kensei later noticed that no equipment looked to be modern and more were made from wood and bamboo.
"Wait, bamboo? Am I China?"
Kensei questioned as he noticed the bamboo-made things around the room and got the shaking feeling that he's in China. Wanting more answers, he turned himself around so that his feet would hover off the ground just above the floor. He intended to get out of this room and found out where he is. He scooted himself forward until his feet touched the hard floor with his hands positioned on both sides of himself. Kensei carefully got out of the bed with his legs starting to shake and buckle resulting in him almost falling forward.
Or at least, he would have, if it wasn't for him holding his hands out and kept himself from hitting the ground hard. In response to this incident, Kensei sighed as if felt as if he hadn't walked in a long time. Soon enough, he looked around the room in an attempt at looking for something to use as a walking stick. He later discovered what he was looking for placed next to the bed as if it were there just in case he woke up.
"Okay."
Kensei said as he reached his hand out grasping the bamboo-made walking stick and hoisted himself to his feet, then began walking outside of the room using the walking stick. Walking through the halls, he found a window that led outside of the cabin and noticed that there was mist covering portions of this area. Once Kensei looked out of the cabin, he realized that it was built in a mountainous area.
{I checked on him a while ago and his external injuries were healed and his internal ones were taken care of. If you hadn't been in that forest, even if he lived through those injuries, the malevolent youkai living there would've torn him apart. What was he doing there anyway?}
{I hadn't asked him yet, the lad was passed out when I found him.}
{I find it hard to believe that a child like that just wound in that specific place.}
He started to head in the direction of the voices that he heard in what he believed would be the living room. Or at least, that's what he thought the room was. Kensei continued and entered the room noticing that there were a total of three people inside of the room and his eyes widened after seeing what three of the two were. One of the people was Sun Wukong, a monkey youkai who looked almost as tall as himself. The second was Yu-Long as a small reptile, but Kensei could feel a powerful aura radiating from him. And third, was an aging quiet man who has a peaceful atmosphere around him.
From all three of them, Kensei couldn't see the slightest opening to where it was almost unbelievable. Once Sun Wukong saw him standing there, he started to let out a cheerful laugh.
"Oooh~ looks like the lad woke up today after all."
He stated as he stood in front of Kensei with their similar height becoming more apparent.
"Who're you all?"
"And you sound as aggressive as I thought," Sun Wukong replied with a slight laugh as he patted his head. "I am the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. The Jade Iguana over there is Yu-Long. And the person over there was the one who took care of your injuries, Xuanzang Sanzang."
"Hey, don't call me an Iguana. I'm a dragon!"
Blink.
Blink.
Blink.
Blink.
"Eeeeeeeeeh! Y-Y-You're all from the Journey to the West."
"I would be careful with becoming excited," Xuanzang said in a tone one would hear from a doctor. "Though your injuries are healed, you'll hurt yourself if you overwork yourself."
"How can I not become excited? I'm standing in front of the Monkey King who had become a Buddha, the Great Victorious Fighting Buddha. One of the Five Great Dragon Kings, the Mischievous Dragon. And the monk who traveled all across India to bring back the sutras and became a Buddha."
Kensei replied in a still exciting causing Sun Wukong to continue joyfully patting his head.
"I've never met a kid this excited to meet a bunch of old men like this. Though I would like to continue to kind of talk for a while, there is something serious that I would like to ask you," Sun Wukong stated as he moved his hand from off of Kensei's head. "First, what's your name?"
"Kensei Amagiri."
"How did you end up inside that forest?"
As soon as those words left from Sun Wukong, Kensei's eyes widened in realization and could sense the level of killing intent that radiated from him.
"It was those old bastards from the underworld!"
"Are you referring to the Devils from the Bible?"
Xuanzang this time questioned in wonder, as it was the first thing that came to mind causing Kensei to nod his head in agreement, but then he questioned.
"What how did you know that? I think that other places are called the underworld in other factions."
"Well, this little thing that was on you was made using devil-based spells among others that I thought had already been classified as forbidden by the Magician's Association."
Seeing the bracelet that used to be attached to his arm, caused Kensei to stare at his wrist in shock and relief as he held his hand. It almost didn't look real as it meant that he was no longer being monitored or under a chain, it did mean, however, that his friends were still being held on that island. And knowing that caused some tears to start falling from his eyes. Sun Wukong later placed his hand on Kensei's shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Okay, calm down and explain."
"…fine, this is what happened."
Just like that, Kensei started to explain the whole situation to the three legends from the Journey to the West. All that happened about Hagun Island, the Gehenna Tournament, the conditions that the children and teens there all were put under daily. Hearing his tale caused Xuanzang to sigh as if displaying his distaste about the whole situation and crossed his arms, while Yu-Long remained silent.
"Gathering children and teens with varying special abilities, talents, and sacred gears," Sun Wukong stated as he placed his hand on his head. "Those lot crossed a line that they shouldn't have, they should be concerned about how this is going to affect the Three Factions' already shaky balance. Even choosing to do this in the territory of the Shinto gods and to do this kind of business behind the backs of the four maou is a clear sign of disrespect from both sides. If this were to get out, then it might cause turbulence between the Shinto Faction along with the Underworld."
Sun Wukong explained as he stared at Kensei who took a seat nearby and was holding a cup of tea given to him by Xuanzang. He soon rubbed his chin with a surprised look.
"I'm surprised though."
"About what," Kensei replied as he took a sip of the tea in his hand.
"I thought that the moment, that you woke up, you would try to head back to that island. But instead, you took a seat and is now drinking tea."
"I want to head back there and kick their collective asses, but I can't do that with all my minor injuries still healing. And besides, me going there alone would help anything against what is a small armed force led by an experienced mercenary who can predict all my moves."
"My my, that is a smart assessment. I wouldn't have expected that from a child your age."
"Zane, a friend of mine would have said it a lot better. Besides, one of the first things that I was taught within the Amagiri Clan was about thinking about my battles before fighting them unless I had the combat experience to fall back on. Besides, I'm going to need to take something with me before heading back there."
Kensei replied as he took another sip from that tea and placed it on the table.
"Isn't there others among the Shinto Faction would assist you," Yu-Long had pointed out. "Aren't there a group of clans who deal in this sort of thing?"
"You must be referred to the Five Principle Clans. They're more of the people who would act if it were just citizens of Japan and the number of children on Hagun Island is from varying factions with some of them being a part of regular families in Japan, but they're born with unique abilities. But, there are also half breeds and pureblood apart of races that they would call "impure" and I don't think that the current heads would assist them without starting a conflict with the more zealous members. I do some other people from different Japanese Clans, but I'm not even sure that I want to contact either of them."
"Why not? It would be foolish if you were to go there alone."
"I know that, but the pudgy bastard who brought me to those bastards, to begin with, is good at finding out secrets from other clans among Japan. And if he found that I was still alive, then he would inform the people on Hagun Island about that fact and I would lose the element of surprise since they think that I'm dead."
"Why do you always curse? That isn't something that a child should do."
Yu-Long questioned as he noticed that Kensei has been cursing whenever being either upset or angry.
"Can't help it, I inherited that from my parents as well. I heard that they used to throw a barrage of curse words at one another whenever they met."
Kensei replied as he crossed his arms and glanced away from the miniature jade dragon who continued to stare at him with a somber look.
"Well, what about informing the Shinto Gods? If you were to inform the Chief-God directly, then whoever you are worried about finding out that you're still alive wouldn't find out."
Hearing Xuanzang pointing that out caused Kensei to glance down and think about the situation. He knew that it would be possible to just inform the Chief-God and he knew that it would be possible to contact them through the use of a special ceremony. Though Kensei was still considering the negatives about doing so and not acting more rationally.
"You should attempt it, believe me, there were a lot of people in the past who went into a situation by themselves and it ended disastrously. And if what you're saying is correct, then you have a month before that adoptive sister of yours is taken to the Underworld."
Sun Wukong stated in a tone one would expect from someone with as much immense experience in these kinds of situations. With no other option, Kensei stood up and nodded his head in agreement at what the Monkey King had suggested to him.
"I can't disagree with someone of your status. Besides, I would like to stop at my old home and pick up a couple of things."
Kensei stated as he noticed that Xuanzang had left the room and walked into another room that appeared to be a place acting as storage. As soon as he came back, he carried a white cloak that has various designs that come from China and looked large enough to fit Kensei along with a hood to cover his face.
"Since you don't want to be discovered, you can wear this," Xuanzang had suggested. "It also enhanced so that your presence will remain hidden even if you fight."
"Thanks, I don't know how to repay you all for this."
Kensei replied in an almost embarrassed tone after being given this level of hospitality from someone such as Xuanzang Sanzang.
"Well, if you are going now," Sun Wukong said out loud as he stood up. "Yu-Long can be the one who takes you there to Japan."
"W-What? You mean just me. What about you?"
"It would be rude for a Buddha from another faction to arrive in the Shinto Faction without proper contact first. It'll be better if it were a dragon who had a habit of doing mischievous things such as that. Isn't that right, Yu-Long?"
Sun Wukong said in a tone that displayed his joking with the dragon causing Yu-Long to become a bit unnerved about it.
"You sure like ordering around dragons. Besides wouldn't be even ruder for one of the Five Great Dragon Kings to arrive in the shrine of the Chief Gods."
"Sun may be correct, having a dragon with him may catch the attention of the Chief-God."
Xuanzang realized the intent of having Yu-Long go with Kensei and not as just as his mode of transportation.
"If you want, we can stop for something to eat in Japan."
Kensei suggested causing the attention of the youngest Dragon King.
"Well, since you say it like that. I can't disagree with taking you there, but what will you be doing, old man?"
"Hmm, things are starting to get interesting. And if it goes the way that I think that it will, then I have some things to think about."
Sun Wukong said in an almost cryptic manner with Xuanzang catching onto the meaning, leaving just Kensei and Yu-Long in the dark.
"Well, before you leave. Let me remove those bandages, as I said before your external injuries should be healed at this point and the medicine that I added to your tea should have dealt with your internal ones."
"Wait, there was medicine in my tea."
A part of the training that Kensei had done among the Amagiri Clan is to recognize anything that has an irregular taste. As such, it would make it easier for him to recognize the taste of different medicine and poisons, then use their ki to rid themselves of it. However, Kensei hadn't attempted the second part of that training.
"Yes, you don't have to worry though. It was a unique blend of herbs and medicine that will increase the functions of ones' internal organs. I checked and there were minor fractures to your ribs aside from that the other injuries were more minor. I'm sure that you'll be able to tell that the injuries done to your internal organs should be alright as soon as you land in Japan. If not, then take it easy and don't do anything too extraneous."
"O-Okay."
Surprised by the act of Xuanzang, Kensei couldn't say anything else aside from that.
"Well, why don't you both head off."
Sun Wukong has picked up Yu-Long (without permission) and dropped him on Kensei's shoulder after putting on the cloak given to him by Xuanzang.
"Ugh. Fine."
Yu-Long said after hearing the tone that Sun Wukong had given him due to that order.
Having Yu-Long on his shoulder, Kensei started to head outside were further away from the stone cabin so that the jade dragon returning to full size and flying off wouldn't cause any damage. Seeing that Kensei had jumped on top of the head of Yu-Long and flew off in the direction of Japan, Xuanzang had glanced in the direction of his longtime comrade and friend.
"I still can't believe that a child like that went through all that. It goes to show you that humans can be both just as cruel and greedy as actual devils. I even find it harder to believe that children like that can survive at all in that kind of situation."
"If what Kensei says is true, then a lot of the children on that island have potential and the older ones have started to realize that potential in those 'fights'. I have to give them at least some credit in finding children with potential, but this fight will end up in one obvious end."
"Yes, the humans and old devils believe that they can control them due to their position. Whether or not with their intervention, those children without a goal in mind yet with potential could have become stronger in the future as soon as they realize that they can become stronger in the future. However, putting them in that kind of situation will just end up creating more enemies who gained a hatred for devils. Speaking of which, what did you and Yu-Long notice about him?"
"Oh~ So you noticed it as well."
"It was during the time I was giving him an examination to tell the full extent of his internal injuries and it was at that point that I noticed something irregular. Though, I couldn't quite put my finger on it."
"Well, Yu-Long noticed it by a faint scent on him. I'll be able to concern it if he asks the question that I know he'll ask me in the end."
Sun Wukong replied in a jovial tone.
Kensei and Yu-Long soon arrived inside of a forest near a town that he requested the dragon king to stop at before heading off to contact the Chief-God of the Shinto Faction. He had the hood of the cloak granted to him by Xuanzang covering his face with Yu-Long hidden in that cloak wrapped around his neck. Kensei couldn't help but go back to the amazing skyline view that he had witnessed riding on the head of the dragon king. And it was decided that it would be better if they were to land in the forest to avoid being seen.
"Thanks for landing here first, Yu-Long. I wanted to get some things first."
"It's fine. That old man had asked me to act as your mode of transportation, so I'll do just that."
"So, do you and Sun Wukong not get along?"
"It's not that, this is just the kind of partnership that we have. Though our time adventuring together wasn't bad at all, but never tell him that. I wouldn't hear the end of that old man's teasing, even though, he isn't as mischievous as he was in the past, he still has his moments."
Yu-Long has informed Kensei who continued to head in the direction of the nearby town.
"So, how do you feel?"
"You mean my internal injuries. Well, since coming to the point, I can tell that he was right. I'm in top condition, I have to Xuanzang for that."
"Well, when you've been around for as long as Xuanzang, you learn about different methods to mending injuries."
"You seem to have a lot more respect Xuanzang more than Sun Wukong."
"Of course, I acted as Xuanzang's horse throughout our quest to retrieving the Buddhist sutras. From his past, he is also one most people would respect due to his knowledge and overall personality. In terms of Sun Wukong, others would respect him due to his accomplishments and monstrous combat strength that several gods are still in fear of."
Kensei couldn't disagree with him at all since he found himself having a similar sense of respect towards the Monkey King that he read about in stories. Before long, both he and Yu-Long found themselves coming outside of the forest staring at a beautiful town that seemed almost covered with different greenery and mountains in the background. Staring at this town had caused a wide smile to form on Kensei's face with Yu-Long realizing why he asked to stop by here.
"This place is…."
"Yep, this is my hometown. Kibou Town, a place that is governed and protected by the Amagiri Clan."
Kensei said in an ecstatic tone after seeing this place again.
Not wasting time anymore, he took off heading in the direction of the one place that meant the most to him at the kind of speed that no human could keep up with.
Kensei continued to run down the street passing by various locations and houses causing a lot of people to become confused after seeing a white blur passing them. Running through here, he could recall all the locations inside of Kibou Town by heart as he used to run around town all the time. Soon enough, Kensei found himself standing in front of a gate and stopped running as if making it to his location.
"Here we are," Kensei said with a heartfelt smile.
"This is where you lived?"
Yu-Long questioned as he stared up from inside of the cloak.
Kensei stood in front of a large residence that consisted of two buildings: the first was the main residence which is a large home that consists of four floors and the second was a dojo build that could be seen in front of him behind the gate leading into the residence, which also has a grassland with a pond nearby.
"It's been a long time since I've been here that it feels almost unreal."
"Didn't you say that just you and your mother lived here? So, why is the house this big?"
"It was owned by the Amagiri Clan and one of the previous clan lords lived here with their family a long time ago. Even after he died and the family moved on somewhere, the Amagiri Clan still maintained it and my mother had decided to move here. Though, it looks like someone has been taking care of the place."
"So, aren't you going to open the gate?"
"Nah, I don't want to run the risk of someone who knows that this place is supposed to be vacant thinking that I had come back here."
"So, how're you doing to….?"
Before Yu-Long could finish, Kensei had leaped on the other side of the gate without any issues at all and landed on the ground with his hands in his pocket.
"Like that," Kensei said with a confident smirk. "To be honest, I enter like this all the time anyway."
Kensei then started to head in the direction of the pond thinking to find out the terrible condition that the fish who lived there would be in. However, he was surprised to find that the fishes in the pond were in pristine health as a number of them swam towards him as if noticing that their owner had returned.
"It looks as if someone has been feeding the fishes as well."
After saying that, Kensei started to head in the direction of the front door and he started to reach his hand around in a hidden part of the ground and located a key for the front door. Inserting the key inside of the lock, he turned it and entered the home through the front door. As soon as he entered the room, he closed the door behind him in a quick manner. Once he entered the house, Kensei found himself taking in the homely atmosphere that one will expect from their own.
No dust. No smell. Inside the room, it looked as if it were maintained and cleaned as if people had been living inside the home. Seeing that there was no one inside of the home, Kensei has taken off the white cloak that he has been given and threw it onto the couch. After seeing no need for him to continue being around his neck, Yu-Long had jumped off and landed on the couch with the cloak.
"I'll wait here until you are finished with what you need to do."
Yu-Long had informed as Kensei started to head upstairs to the second floor, then he walked down the corridor leading to his bedroom. Stepping inside, it was like the rest of the house, it was cleaned, not that it was like that even before he left. Kensei was almost tempted to lay down in his bed, but he didn't think that it was the correct thing for him to do right now.
He later glanced in the direction of his nightstand and noticed three different photos; one of them was of him and a pink-haired girl whose hair almost looked like a sakura flower around the same age as himself playing inside of the garden outside; and the second was of him and a younger girl looked at least a year or two younger than him with golden blonde hair and matching eyes dressed in a miko uniform, but the most notable being the nine-tailed fox tails and ears on her.
Seeing those photos, he smiled a bit before heading in the direction of his closet and had pulled out a change of clothing as his current ones couldn't be referred to as "clothing" anymore. Once he finished getting everything that he needed to bring with him and taking a bath to clean all the dirt and blood off him, Kensei was prepared to head to the Ise Grand Shrine dedicated to the Chief-God located in the City of Ise, the Mie Prefecture of Japan.
Moments later, after traveling around, Kensei and Yu-Long found themselves walking down the road leading in the direction of the Ise Grand Shrine. Shortly before arriving there, he stopped at a concession stand nearby whereas promised he bought a snack for himself and Yu-Long; the latter was still chewing on it from inside of his cloak.
Seeing this caught the attention of the people around him who started to wonder what was wrapped around his neck as he continued to walk down the street.
"Yu-Long, I think that you are attracting attention."
Kensei said in a tone low enough for just the dragon to hear him.
"…If anyone asks…just tell them that it's your…pet…ferret…."
Yu-Long managed to speak in-between eating the snack bought for him by Kensei, thus making him realize just how much this dragon liked eating. These odd stares continued until making it in the direction of the Ise Grand Shrine where the steps leading there and found several hundred-year-old cedar trees planted with Kensei being able to sense the mystical powers radiating around him. Kensei could also see several patrons who came to visit the shrine to pray and show their gratitude. Though, he noticed that there was an odd presence in the air.
"So, where…is the shrine located?"
"There are two shrines here where are two different deities are worshiped. One of them being where the Chief-God. And the other where Toyouke-Ōmikami, the goddess of agriculture and industry. So, it is customary to visit both shrines whenever visiting. Both shrines are also torn down and rebuilt every twenty years per ancient Shinto tradition."
Kensei explained as he continued heading to the first shrine that he needed to head towards passing through all the people who were doing their own business. To Naikū, the Inner Shrine.
Once Kensei arrived there, he witnessed a lot of people passing by and perform the usual procedures that were a natural custom. Such as bowing his head before passing each tori gate. Before he noticed it, Kensei made it to the inner shrine where there were a lot of shrine priests and priestesses working on their duties. Though, it was just them remaining in the area and no one else.
"That's weird. There should be more people here."
"…do you think something happened?"
After noticing his presence, one of the Shinto priestesses informed a priest of his presence and an older man in his 40s' to 50s'. He stared at the young child with a generous and kind look.
"I apologize," he said in a tone matching his generous tone. "But, due to some inconveniences, we are not letting people enter this part of the shrine."
"Is the Chief-God in a bad mood today?"
Kensei asking the question in that specific manner caused the priest to glance at him in shock along with the rest of the priestesses who were around him. It would mean that he wasn't just a normal patron.
"Who are you, child?"
"It would like to meet the current Supreme Priestess of the Shrine, Sayaka Hakurei-sama."
"I asked you a question."
Holding his hand out, revealing the katana sheathed due to the movement of the cloak causing the shine priests and priestesses to prepare for a fight against him. Though Kensei didn't reach for the katana, instead he reached in his pocket and pulled out an object from his pocket.
"For certain reasons, I won't tell you my name. But, I'm sure that you can remember this."
Kensei held out a silver medallion that had a unique symbol engraved on it, which depicted the rising sun. It acts as the renowned symbol of Japan on one side, but on the other side was the symbol of the Amagiri Clan. Seeing it in his hands caused the people around him to lower their guard and become shocked.
"I-I-I recognize that medallion."
The older male was shocked about seeing it in his hands and came to a sudden realization, this also caused all the people around him to lower their guard in shock.
"I was wondering what the commotion was, but I'm surprised to see you here," a sudden voice arrived on the scene. "A lot of people were in shock after hearing that not just Sakura-san, a member of that Bold Trio vanished without a trace at the same time as her son."
Being them was a woman in her 40s' with short black hair and dressed in formal wear meant for someone of their status. In her presence, the others stopped and bowed their heads in respect. Kensei recalled meeting her once in the past during a visit and recognized her as the supreme priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine. And Sayaka gave all of them a single signal that meant that they could go back to their usual work.
"It is alright, he and his guest may enter the main shrine hall."
Hearing her remark caused him to realize that she knew of Yu-Long's presence, but he wasn't surprised about it at all. Kensei bowed his head and started to walk forward into the inner shrine that was in front of him.
"Are you sure that it is fine for him to enter the shrine where one of our sacred treasures is?"
"I don't have any reason to doubt that child at all. All of the other clans who had worshiped the Shinto Gods have high hopes for that child, this includes inheriting the hopes of his deceased brethren. From birth, his potential had also been recognized by the people of the Amagiri Clan and even two certain gods started to become interested in him after he started training."
Sayaka replied in a tone that displayed her faith, before dropping into a more serious one as she thought about what was said about what his future would entail.
Once Kensei entered the inner shrine, a wooden built shrine that been built by experts and whose floor was also polished. Though the first thing that he noticed most was the ornate bluish dark mirror that reflected the light on its reflective surface. It wasn't a normal mirror, as it released an almost unbelievable sacred presence, which he could sense as soon as he entered the shrine. Even Yu-Long could sense the presence that it was releasing.
"What is that?"
"In the Shinto Faction, there are three different ones referred to as the Imperial Regalia of Japan or Three Sacred Treasures whichever you prefer, which represents three different virtues. All three of them are said to be a similar existence to the sacred gear," he explained. "The mirror enshrined in front of us is known as Yata-no-Kagami, the Eight Span Mirror, which represents wisdom. It is most known as being used to attract the attention of the Chief-God, Amaterasu-Ōmikami, the Goddess of the Sun."
"You just said that they are similar to Sacred Gears. How so?"
"All three of the sacred treasures are items with powerful abilities imbued in them. Also aside from one of them, both of them were forged by the Shinto gods."
"What about the other two?"
"Yasakani-no-Magatama, the Eight Shaku Curved Jewel, which represents benevolence is kept within the Kashiko-dokoro, the central shrine of the Three Palace Sanctuaries at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. And Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the Sword of the Gathering Clouds that represent valor. From what I heard, Murakumo broke and it was taken to someone to be repaired."
Kensei has explained as he removed the white cloak that was around him causing Yu-Long to come from around his neck and floated next to him. It revealed that he was dressed in a black gakuran uniform with the blazer unbuttoned showing the blue undershirt that has his first name as a kanji meaning "Sword Saint".
He took the medallion and placed it on the ground displaying the symbol of the Amagiri Clan in front of him. Yu-Long stared at him with a curious look as Kensei stood inside of the light that was being projected by the Yata-no-Kagami.
"Yu-Long, I would rather you not see this, as it is embarrassing," Kensei said in a tone that displayed how much it would be embarrassing for him causing the dragon king to become curious. "If Amaterasu-sama is in a bad room, then this is the easiest way to get her attention."
"So, what am I supposed to do?"
"You'll know in a second," Kensei replied as he turned around facing the mirror before sighing out loud. "Come on, let's just get this over with."
Once he finishing that final thought, Kensei started to dance in an embarrassing manner causing the dragon king to stare at him in a confusing manner wondering why he was dancing like that. He continued watching all the terrible movements that came from the young child, despite him being skilled in combat, Kensei knew that he had no skill at all in dancing. Seeing this caused Yu-Long to crack up into a smile before going into full-blown laughter that echoed across the room.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
Yu-Long has lost it and started to laugh uncontrollably as if he had grown into full-size his laugh began passing through the walls of the shrine. The laughter of the dragon king started echoing across the area causing all of the people around them to wonder what it was. Reacting to the dance of Kensei and the laughter of the Dragon King, the Yata-no-Kagami started shining with a brilliant light that stretched across the entire shrine turning it into almost a bright white void. Radiating from the room was an almost overwhelming godlike aura and a voice started to come from the mirror, which blinks with bright light with every word. Though due to the light that was shining from the mirror, just the silhouette of a woman could be seen.
{Uhhh. Who is attempting to contact me? I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be visited by anyone for a while. I'm also not in the mood for someone to be contacting me using…huh?}
A somber female voice came from the mirror. And as if it were a video call, the woman could also peer inside of the inner shrine and witnessed the object that was laying on the floor and Yu-Long who continued laughing. This made her all the more confused as there shouldn't have been a dragon here.
{That's the medallion belonging to the Amagiri Clan…I gave it to….} she said in a confused tone. {…and isn't that the Mischievous Dragon, Yu-Long? Where did you get that medallion?}
"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
She didn't get a response as Yu-Long continued laughing for whatever reason, but she later heard the soft sound from the other person inside of the room.
"I did it for Claire. I did it for Alice. I did it for Zane. I did it for Hisui. I did it for Rui-chan. I did it for Abigail."
Kensei mumbled as if he had lost something important to him in doing that embarrassing dance.
It was a part of the legend where Amaterasu fell into a depression due to the actions of her younger brother who killed one of her attendants and hid inside of a cave. This resulted in the God of Mirrors, Ishikori-dome-no-Mikoto to create the Yata-no-Kagami and hung it in front of the cave alongside Yasakani-no-Magatama, then danced in front of the cave to gain her attention and get her outside of the cave.
{Huh. T-That voice. Is that….?}
Turning their attention to Kensei who sat in the corner with an almost dead look in his eyes as he recalled all the dance moves that he just did.
{Kensei?! Kensei Amagiri?! I thought that you died….! …this is wonderful!}
Instead of speaking in a somber tone the woman talking to him spoke in a joyful tone catching his attention.
"Hello, again. Amaterasu-sama," Kensei bowed his head before snapping towards Yu-Long. "Okay, I stopped the dance! You can stop laughing!"
Despite him shouting at Yu-Long, the dragon king continued laughing in an almost uncontrollable manner.
―Ten minutes later
It took almost ten minutes for Yu-Long to stop laughing, but in that period, Kensei explained the situation to Amaterasu. He noticed that the young woman wasn't at all happy about the situation that occurred in her faction and containing the amount of fury that started to build up.
{I see? For someone like Sakura to die in such a manner is unforgivable. To think that humans and devils would do this under the noses of everyone in this faction.}
"It is possible for anyone to do these kinds of things under the nose of the Shinto gods?"
Yu-Long questioned in a manner befitting his title as the youngest among the Dragon Kings.
{You know well enough that gods don't see every single thing that occurs in our faction. It's also not like we can interfere in the business of humans all the time unless it endangered the faction as a whole. It would be better to inform a member of the many Shinto clans who worship or those who have received different blessings. I did receive a message from chichi about one of the islands around Japan vanished without a trace a couple of years ago. I didn't think that the island would be involved in all this.}
Amaterasu had replied in a tone that displayed the anger that she held towards the people who such atrocities in her faction.
"I was possibly due to the barrier that covered the place. The people who were there before attempted to destroy it several times, but it never budged."
{If it is similar to a bounded field like the rating games played by devils, then it would make sense that their presence couldn't be sensed since it is kept inside a separate space. If I'm correct, then those people would need to use a nearby magic circle to enter the island. Kensei if possible, were you able to tell if they took you somewhere outside of Japan?}
"From what I could remember, a bunch of their mercenaries kidnapped me after leaving from my dad's house. I think that we were still in Japan since we didn't travel that far. A friend of mine believes that different teleportation magic circles were placed around different locations as a number of the people there were from different parts of the world and even some supernatural races. Amaterasu-sama, I came here to ask for your help in locating one of those magic circles in Japan."
{…and if I disagree?}
"What do you mean?"
{I'm sure that you know that the Amagiri Clan forged an illustrious reputation and accomplished several feats for the Shinto with a number of them even receiving blessings from several gods. Even the feats that your progenitor accomplished are still talked about as a legend and if he had chosen to do so, he could have become a god due to his virtuous nature and pure soul, but he felt content with his human life. And after all this time, you're all that is left and as the Chief-God of the Shinto Faction, I cannot let you die in a fight that you can't win.}
After hearing Amaterasu give her analytical explanation caused Kensei to stand up from his position and stared at the mirror with a confident look on his face.
"You're right, I am the Last Amagiri. As such, I inherited all of the Amagiri-ryū that my clan had invented and I must nurture those skills for the Shinto Factions. I'm sure that a lot of people from the Five Principle Clans would agree with me on that," he replied in a manner that sounded as if he were preparing to follow what Amaterasu had told him. "But, I have another obligation that is just as important. And that's keeping the promise that I made with that little guy who placed all her faith and trust in me…and I promised that no matter what even if it meant going against the gods, I would be there for her. I made that same promise to my friends that no matter what, I would have their backs."
Hearing that from him caused Yu-Long to acknowledge the young man, while Amaterasu remained silent for a bit before she started laughing lightly.
{Of course, I expected that answer. If you had just agreed with what I had told you, then you wouldn't have been the child of Sakura and Tetsuo. Even in the past, neither of them would have abandoned anyone to save themselves. Now that I've heard your answer, I will grant my assistance.}
"Thank You, Amaterasu-sama."
Kensei thanked her with an energetic smile as he bowed his head.
{I will inform my Yatagarasu to look around the area for these magic circles and locate you when he discovers it, I'll also have some spirits who have become bored as of late help.}
"Is it really alright for the Chief-God to do something like this? We heard from Kensei that it was possible that the Five Principal Clans would assist him in saving those children."
{That is true that some clans believe that all manner of impurities requires to be removed from the families to maintain them. And it is unfortunate to say that it is true. Say for example that a certain clan that has formed a contract with a god or spirit, the birth of a child born with a special power. Even though that power could become formidable if groomed and trained, but that same power could go against the contract formed with the god or spirit causing an eventual rift if it isn't taken care of. …resulting in the child being removed from their clan. However, removing the child from the clan is one thing…taking their life afterward is another.}
"That is true, I heard about the same thing happening every once in a while."
{It's a shame that they don't have anywhere to turn to. Due to their unique power, no other clan would attempt to accept them in fear of ruining their pacts with their god or spirit. In the end, it would result in them being taken up by some shady group.}
"A place to go huh….?"
Kensei mumbled as he stood up from off the ground.
{Are you leaving?}
"Yes, there are some things that I need to prepare before heading back to Hagun Island."
{Oh, there is something that would help you. I'll prepare everything on my end, I'll send a messenger to you when it is confirmed.}
Amaterasu said again in a gentle manner causing Kensei to become more upbeat about the situation.
"Let's go, Yu-Long. Before leaving, I'll visit the Gekū Shrine and pay my respects to Toyouke-Ōmikami."
"Alright."
Saying their final goodbyes to Amaterasu, Kensei and Yu-Long started to leave the inner shrine with the light and godlike aura that covered the room started to fade along with the shine around Yata-no-Kagami.
{Saving children even if it goes against the wishes of others, Kensei, you truly are an amazing child.}
Those were her final words as the light around the sacred mirror vanished, with Amaterasu beginning to fulfill the promise that she made.
Meanwhile, in front of the cabin built on the hidden mountain covered in mist and located in China, Kensei jumped off of Yu-Long's head with a smirk on his face. Both Sun Wukong and Xuanzang were standing outside the cabin already taking note of them coming back. Leaving from giving his respects to Toyouke-Ōmikami, Kensei took Yu-Long to different places and as promised let him as his fill-in cuisine from Japan resulting in great happiness for the youngest dragon king.
"I'm back."
Kensei called out in an energetic manner landing on the ground without damage or injury causing Xuanzang to laugh lightly.
"I see that your injuries are fine. Since if you were to do that while injured, then I would have to tend to far more internal injuries."
Xuanzang stated as he glanced at Kensei with a slight smile on his face.
"So how did it go."
"It went fine…no it went awesome. Amaterasu-sama is having her Yatagarasu and some other spirits looking for the magic circles used to enter Hagun Island."
"That's great. What do you plan on doing for the entire time? Do you plan on waiting for the Chief-God?"
"That would be dumb just waiting around with any form of preparation first. And so, I was wondering if…."
Kensei replied in a more nervous manner causing Sun Wukong to smirk in an almost cheerful manner that would be typical for someone his age.
"…you could train me. Though the guy that caught me is a lot weaker compared to my mom, I could tell from that short exchange that he was a lot skilled with a sword than I am and has far more actual combat experience than me. And even if I were to train myself, there is no guarantee at all that I would be able to fight him in a fair fight…or if he uses the same sneak attack that he did on my mom. I'm not an idiot, I know that I have a long way to go when it comes to being a martial artist and warrior," Kensei said clenching his fist. "However, there are people I have to protect, so I'll continue fighting even if it means that I end up making the entire Underworld my enemy."
Hearing that from Kensei caused Sun Wukong to smile. It wasn't the kind of tone from someone who would turn their anger towards an entire species just because of the mistakes caused by just a small number of people. But, it had to come to him having to fight against the entire underworld if it meant protecting the people close to him.
"I was planning on training you on how to fight if you were to ask me. I never met anyone with this level of talent for fighting, while also having such a kind heart."
"Awesome," Kensei said in an excited tone as his eyes started to sparkle almost like a…no like a child inside of a candy store. "What am I going to learn first?"
Sun Wukong almost laughed at how energetic Kensei got about this.
"I wish that brat descendant of mine were at least half like you. But, first things first, I will be teaching you about how to fight from scratch. I thought that since you can already use ki, I'll teach you about senjutsu. And since it would be a great match for training you in both body and spirit, I will also be teaching you Chinese Kenpō. Before that, we'll start with instructing you about senjutsu by sitting in a meditative position, then silently release your ki, while focusing on the natural ki around you. That is the basic to learning senjutsu. It will also be better for you to learn at a further distance away from other people."
"I thought that there was a risk in gathering the malice in the world."
"There is, but if it gets to that point. I'll just bonk you on the head."
Sun Wukong replied in a joking manner, but it caused Kensei to laugh nervously not wanting to get a bonk on the head from him for various reasons.
"Alright, then let's get this started."
Kensei said after returning to his energetic tone and went to a place further away from Sun Wukong, Xuanzang, and Yu-Long. He took a seat down with his legs cross and his hands-on placed on the side, then begun releasing his ki from his entire body and started to focus on the natural ki around him. Seeing him starting to train caused Xuanzang to laugh cheerfully.
"Well, looks like things went as you wanted Sun."
"Oh oh oh~ well, I thought that it would interesting to train the young lad," Sun Wukong said as he returned next to Xuanzang and started at Kensei as he began focusing on learning senjutsu. "Although he doesn't have a sacred gear residing in him, his overall potential is something to be awed at. However, within that, there is also this unknown feeling that I can sense from him, but I still can't quite place my finger on it."
"What would that be?"
"I don't know. When we first found him, Yu-Long said that he had this odd scent. I guess, that it will be revealed during his training," Sun Wukong said in a cheerful tone before noticing something and stood up. "Excuse me."
As if he teleported, the monkey king vanished and appeared in front of Kensei smacking him on his head causing Kensei to shout out loud in pain. It was noticed that Kensei started to gather some malice around him and as his instructor, Sun Wukong intervened.
"Ouch, I got it," Kensei said as he rubbed his head before staring at the ground. "Don't worry, guys I'll be back as soon as I finish this training. Claire, please don't give up."
On Hagun Island, everyone had been informed about the "death" of Kensei and it caused various people around them to become shocked and confused about it. For his friends such as Zane who viewed him as his best friend, it felt as if a piece of themselves had just been lost. However, there was someone among them who felt as if their heart was ripped out of their heart in the harshest manner possible.
In the home where both Alice and Claire now reside alone, Alice stared into the lone room where the youngest resident laid with a saddened look. It was Claire who hugged onto her legs with a lifeless look in her eyes. Not a single word has come from her mouth in the past two days since Kensei had left and hadn't even left the house.
"Is she still there?"
Hisui questioned with the same kind of worried look as Alice.
Knowing the feelings that Claire had towards Kensei, Hisui would make it a habit to visit whenever she could, but even she couldn't get a single word out of her.
"Yes, she hadn't said or done anything after hearing about Kensei. Claire had just gotten out of bed to take care of the necessities like going to the bathroom or eating."
"She's almost like a robot."
"No matter what I say, Claire just remains in this emotionless state. And I don't know what to do."
Alice stated after hearing what Hisui had told her, both older girls attempted to do a lot of things to get Claire to give them a response, but nothing worked. It didn't take either of them long at all to realize the reasons.
"Being unaware of the fate of her parents, she expected the worse and concluded that they must be dead," Hisui said in a saddened manner. "Meeting Ken Ken somewhat filled in the void in her heart and it made her life on Hagun Island manageable. He became what you could call a linchpin for her life, and now that linchpin is lost, she is having a hard time finding any reason to continue."
Hearing Hisui respond to her like that caused Alice to stare at her with a surprised look on her face.
"I didn't expect to hear that kind of thing from you Hisui."
"Humph," Hisui pouted after hearing that from Alice. "Don't think that I'm just a cute face, I'll have you know that my Kaa-chan is an important person among the nekomata. And as her daughter, I'm awesome as well."
"You know, you are being casual about this. I mean, we were all shocked after hearing about Kensei, but you're acting the same as before."
Everything that Alice had said was correct, ever since that incident, Hisui has been acting the same as before as if she didn't care about what she heard from Taro.
"Oh, that's because I don't believe that Kensei is dead."
"Huh."
"Everyone is too used to losing the people that are close to them to even maintain the sliver of hope that they are still alive in fear of discovering that person is dead. I mean, this is Kensei we're talking about. If anyone can survive through anything these guys can dish out, it is him."
Alice was amazed by the faith that Hisui had in Kensei and it caused her to become jealous, as she was wrapped in the despair of hearing that Kensei had died from Taro.
"You're right, I should have had more faith in Kensei."
"Of course, I have faith in him."
Hisui replied with a bright smile on her face with Alice returning that smile.
"Kensei if you are indeed alive, then please make it back."
Within the darkness that Claire had been in beforehand after encountering that male's voice, he continued to lay down in the same fetal position with the same dead look.
"I shouldn't have been born. Those around me, the people that I care about all end up getting hurt."
Claire said in a solemn tone.
"If not, then Kaa-san and Tou-san wouldn't have gotten attacked. And everyone in her peerage wouldn't have…."
[You shouldn't talk like that.]
She heard the same male from before with Claire not responding at all with the unknown male still as a formless mass of light staring down at her with a solemn voice.
"What would you understand about it? Losing everyone important to you."
[Everyone experiences loss no matter who they are or what species they are. No matter what, even if you weren't born, your parents would have still been targeted by those who believed in the current imbalance. Instead, you should focus on what your birth signified.]
Hearing that from him caused Claire to lift her head in response to his statement.
"What would that be?"
[A female devil who was supposed to hate exorcists who believe in god. A male exorcist believed that their exorcising devils should be their just purpose in life. Instead of hating one another due to their differing alliances, your mother and father saw something in one another. And that was a love that transcended race and teaching that they were taught from a young age. I don't know the fate of your parents, but I do know that neither of them regrets having you as their daughter. And if they could do it over again, even if it were to end in them losing their lives and state, they would do it again. There was an incredible person who grew to love and respect, whose love and benevolence knew no limit. If they were still alive and could witness such pure love, I wonder what kind of look that they would have made.]
"…is that right?"
Claire questioned as she looked down saddened about everything that had happened as of late.
"I know that there is a great chance that my parents died, even then I could tell from the look that was on Oba-san's face that something had happened. I lost everyone that I came to know and loved. …and now, I even lost Nii-chan too."
[…even if that is true. Even if you did lose the one you called your older brother. Do you believe that this Kensei would stop if he were to lose you?]
"…huh?"
[As I said, I've been watching on the events of your life while within you like this. Even after losing everyone in his clan and even his mother, he continued to push forward no matter what instead of despairing. All for the sake of the people with who he grew to have a connection. I've seen a lot of humans like that from my home, there was a lot of him who did despair of the loss of their important person. But, in the end, some of them stood up and they pushed forward continuing to live as they would want them to. I have also lost precious friends during a certain incident a long time ago caused by the leaders of another side and I did lose myself a little. But, it was then that I realized that stopping would just smear their memories and so I continued fighting with their memories within my heart until the very end.]
Hearing this man's heartfelt statement caused the life in Claire's eyes to return bit by bit.
[I won't tell you that it is wrong to shed tears or to despair, but I just want you to know one thing.]
The mass of light soon started to take shape into a physical form with their hand extending towards Claire and it progressed to where the light turned into the skin as if the light particles were cracking apart revealing his physical form.
Instead of being a monster like she thought, it was a young man who looked around the same age as her father, but with a more muscular build with silver hair and clear blue eyes that looked almost like an ocean; he donned a gleaming white armor that looked almost heavenly without armor covering his arms, a clear white sash wrapped around his waist that kept portions of his lower armor covered. What surprised her most were the ten angel wings that sprouted from his back.
[If the time ever comes where you stand up and fight, I will grant you the power that you need. And when the time comes where you lose, I'll grant you whatever advice you require.]
"Y-You're a…. Why would you…?"
[I lost a lot of my friends and comrades during the Great War, but I continued to fight for the sake of Heaven and the Human World. In the end, I lost my life defending my comrades that remained from a certain pair of dragons. Despite being close to death, I still wanted to be of some use for the goal of god in creating some kind of miracle for the Human World no matter the form that I took.] He said as if reminiscing about his past. [However, not once would I have thought that My host would be a half-devil who has talent and potential in demonic power. You are an abnormal existence who possesses an angel within you. My name is Radueriel, the Nemesis Angel. So, what will you do partner?]
After sitting down on the couch, both Alice and Hisui heard the springs of the bed and noticed someone starting to walk outside of the room. Once they turned around, both of them noticed Claire standing in front of him with the life in her eyes starting to return to normal.
"Claire."
Exciting to see that she was alright, Alice started to rush towards her as fast as she could. Alice soon wrapped her arms around Claire after seeing that she was alright. Getting off of the couch, Hisui also approached them as a smile graced her face.
"Are you alright?"
"I made a decision."
Claire replied to the question that Hisui had asked, the latter noticed a different change in the younger girl aside from the tone different from her usual cheerful one.
"…a decision?"
Shine!
Several light particles started to gather around Claire's hand and started to take physical form as a brilliant white angelic knife with a blue blade and light traced across it. Seeing this caused Alice to become shocked while Hisui not looking as surprised as her.
Cut!
In an almost skilled manner, Claire spun the knife around in her hand and moved it towards her long hair cutting down short. This stunt caused both Alice and this time even Hisui to stare at the girl in a confused state. Claire soon summoned flames using her demonic power and burned away the hair that she cut off watching as it turned into ashes as if burning away another part of herself.
"I'm done crying. And being the one needing to be saved."
Claire said in a more determined tone as she stared at both Alice and Hisui with a stare matching her tone. And it just took that single short sentence to realize that they weren't looking at the same girl anymore.
A/N: And there goes the seventh chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, this was without a doubt the longest chapter that I've written. A lot of things happened in this chapter, but first was Claire and the other being informed about the "death" of Kensei with their reactions being what you would expect. Next Kensei had the official meeting with the living legends from the Journey to the West with his reaction being what you would expect. After hearing about the situation, Sun Wukong told him that it would be best to inform the Shinto Gods, which is the unofficial arrival of the Chief-God Amaterasu who said that she would provide her assistance.
We later returned to Hagun Island where we see the effects that Kensei's "death" had on the younger girl along with Claire figuring out the identity of the person she had been talking to and it is a…angel sealed in sacred gear. I thought about this since it would be symbolic as her mother was a pure-blooded devil from the Underworld and her father was an Exorcist on the side of Heaven. It will also give her more of an edge against devils sent after her. Its abilities and name will be revealed in the future. Also, Radueriel is the name of an actual angel. Claire also displays her growth and gaining the will to fight. The chapter ends with Kensei beginning his training with Sun Wukong.
So, until next time.
Kensei's Harem: Alice, Claire, Hisui, Kunou, Lu Lingqi, Mirana, Sarah, Minako, Koneko, Kuroka, Ravel, Amaterasu, Brynhildr