Welcome to the next chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, but before starting the story. Let's answer some reviews:
MCRasengan: It appears as if that's the case, and their encounter won't be that far off.
altajir95: Thanks. Yes, the Numbers had their sparring sessions with one another and plans on going to China for both business and personal reasons. It looks like this is going to be the arrival of the "heroes" from the Hero Faction with "that" person making an appearance too.
Cristian: Yes, it is going to be an encounter between the Kibou Alliance and Hero Faction, which is going to make this one an enjoyable volume.
shephawk: We'll just have to wait and see who this person is, but her weapon and what she can do will be revealed, as well as her interactions with Kensei.
Slimereader11: You're welcome, and thanks. I'm looking forward to writing the scenes that'll involve both Kensei and Koneko too. I'm sure that Kensei is going to be a positive influence on Koneko in regards to the fear she has of using Senjutsu.
Guest: I have an idea of what Lu Lingqi's fighting style will end up being. But, it sounds like a good idea for someone else.
Teacher and Disciple Reunites
It was the moment that Kensei had been waiting for, for a long time, because it would end up being the moment he reunites with the three who rescued him. Two days passed since the group talked about heading out towards the Chinese Faction. At this moment, he, Claire, Alice, and Kunou were standing on top of the magic circle that he created himself based on the coordinates he remembered.
The group prepared themselves for the tip and went over all the things that their particular group would handle in the Chinese Faction. Of course, the members weren't expecting things to have a smooth ending, however, it will still end up being a fun trip.
"Alright, before heading out. Do we have all the things prepared?"
Kensei asked, turning over towards the three young women behind him.
"Cheerful Presents. Check."
"Official business. Check."
Kunou and Claire replied, showing a respective casual and composed expression.
"I'm looking forward to meeting Xuanzang Sanzang and seeing all the new environment."
Alice added, showing that she was looking forward to heading out towards another brand new faction, something that she'd liked the most about being a part of this team.
"Alright, then let's head out," Kensei said as he started activating the magic circle. "Before that, remember what I said about the fact that we'll be traveling into a place where a unique mist will make it difficult to transverse if you aren't strong enough. But, I doubt that'll be an issue for us."
[Right!]
Having heard that last comment from them, Kensei activated the magic circle and all of them were transported to the location he set.
Once the light faded, Kensei and the others found themselves standing in front of a mountain, where there were stone pillars and mist. He explained to them that this location was farther from where humans lived, and it was the place where people like Youkai Hermits lived. Having teleported there, Kensei felt an immediate nostalgic sense, because he passed here from time to time with Sun Wukong and Yu-Long.
"Well, let's head out into the mist and visit my second and or third teacher."
Kensei declared, raising his fist at the idea.
"Hehehehe, Ken-chan looks excited."
"Of course, I would too."
Kunou and Claire replied as the four of them started heading out into the mist.
Kensei began leading them to a place, where no other resident of the mountains would be able to sense them or notice their presence. As previously noted, the three young women could feel that the mist was different from the normal mist and meant to deter immature individuals. But, as Kensei had noted, it wasn't an issue for them at all, because their powers weren't weak at all.
It had been a couple of minutes since the group started traveling up the mountain leading to Xuanzang's house while having no issue with walking inside of the mist. For most, walking up a mountain like this for this long would be tiring after some time. But, these three women have been doing daily physical exercises with Kensei for a long time. So, doing something like this is a casual thing, even for Alice.
"If it was a long time ago, then Kunou would be struggling to handle talking around in this mist," Kunou stated as she grabbed a hold of Kensei's hand. "Since Kunou has become a super-strong Kyuubi, she can handle anything like this no trouble at all."
"Yes yes, Kunou sure has become stronger than before," Kensei replied petting the giggling Kyuubi on top of her head. "It brings back memories that I used to train around here. The mist made it difficult for me to use my power, but Sun-sensei made it the perfect place to train. Because of that, I removed the rust that accumulated from me not using the Amagiri-ryuu and other powers I inherited from the Amagiri Clan."
"I wonder how strong you would've become if you had used it. I know that you prided yourself in the Amagiri-ryuu to the point where you wouldn't use it in the underground tournament."
Claire noted, recalling those moments from Hagun Island, where Kensei wouldn't use the Amagiri-ryuu no matter the difficult monster.
"He said I would've been as strong as a High-Class Devil back then. But, I'm kinda glad about that I didn't."
"Let me guess, it allowed you to work harder and come up with things that you couldn't do before."
Alice guessed as she turned her attention over towards Kensei.
"Hah, you girls know me so well."
Kensei replied laughing a bit, as all three girls smiled at that moment themselves.
As Kensei and co continued heading in the direction of the Xuanzang's Residence, there was a slight pause from Kensei and Kunou to come extent. Claire and Alice, who started learning about sensing things felt that there was something wrong too.
"That's weird."
"I can feel two strong Youkai in the same direction as to where we were heading."
Kunou noted, sensing two powerful youki, the kind of energy that solely belongs to Youkai, but it was among the strongest presences she'd ever sensed from one. Aside from her mother, Yasaka, who was considered as one of the Daiyoukai who could rival Ultimate-Class Devils.
"I haven't sensed something like that before."
Kensei noted, not recognizing either presence in front of Xuanzang's home, but sensed the Buddha himself, who didn't appear worried at all.
"Kensei want to head out there quickly to be safe?"
Claire suggested, not wanting to take a chance, and something happens.
"Yea."
Kensei replied as the four teens started quickening their pace in an attempt to see what was happening right in front of Xuanzang's Residence.
The group pressed forward, soon breaking through the mist, and found themselves standing right in front of the Buddha's simple and humble stone house. Kensei was almost hit with a wave of nostalgia looking at it after all this time. But, the thing that caught his attention was the Youkai standing in front of the stone cabin.
Standing in front of the cabin's entrance, were two humanoid-type Youkai dressed in armor warriors from Ancient China wore. Both Youkai shared the same facial features, making it obvious that the two were related, and could even be twins; horns were growing from their heads, and were as tall as an average human male. The most notable thing was the fact that the two had the kanji for "Gold" and "Silver" on their respective armor.
"Xuanzang, this will be the final moments where you will live this casual and free lifestyle!"
"Because we the amazing brothers!"
The Gold and Silver brother stood right beside one another, while Xuanzang stood there as casual, almost as if he was used to all this. Kensei, Claire, Alice, and Kunou looked at the Gold and Silver brothers started doing an assortment of poses in front of the Buddha. Although it looked showy and childish, neither of the Youkai brothers gave the slightest opening.
"The Golden Horned King!"
"The Silver Horned King!"
Both the Gold and Silver brothers announced.
"I planned on coming here to see Xuanzang-sensei. But, I never thought that I'd meet the famous Youkai brothers who acted as their opponents in the Journey to the West."
Kensei pointed out reading about the "Journey to the West" as a child and hearing about the genuine tales from those involved in the events.
"I don't feel malice from them. It appears as if those two are just being naughty Youkai."
Kunou pointed out, not sensing much malice from them.
"And I think that Kunou knows all about being a naughty Youkai."
Claire added, as Kunou turned toward her and pouted without making her presence known.
"So, what're we going to do?"
Alice asked, tilting her head toward Kensei.
"Well, I didn't expect Kinkaku and Ginkaku would end up coming here at the same time as us," Kensei noted, not needing to think about what he was going to do next. "I don't feel like waiting for them to leave. So, I may as well reveal myself since it would be rude. And that's the last thing that I'd ever want to do here of all places."
Deciding on that, Kensei stepped out and started approaching the three without showing much concern or fear of the famous Gold and Silver brothers.
"I don't mind that the two of you come here from time to time to pass time since it does keep me preoccupied. It does make it difficult dealing with the mess that you two often cause."
Xuanzang commented.
"Hahaha, don't be ridiculous!"
"Since the time we first met!"
""We've been destined to proceed with this fateful meeting! For we have been enemies and opponents since the time you and your party met us in combat!""
Kinkaku and Ginkaku replied to Xuanzang.
"Come on, I doubt that Xuanzang-sensei was a fighter at that time like the others."
Kensei noted as he stood behind both Kinkaku and Ginkaku, making his presence known to the three legendary men originating from the Journey to the West.
""Wha?!""
Both Kinkaku and Ginkaku looked surprised as the two turned around to find Kensei standing behind them. Both Youkai Brothers stood in a prepared stance looking at the young man.
"Oh? This is a true surprise."
Xuanzang didn't need a second to recognize him, as Kensei carried almost the same facial expression and air as he did before. But, he felt a mixture of happiness and surprise, having once again encountered the child he had met all that time ago.
"Hmm, what is this?"
Kinkaku looked surprised after seeing Kensei standing behind him, and found himself sniffing the air.
"He is a human. But, this scent doesn't belong to a normal human."
Ginkaku finished, right after his brother.
"And he appears to have a decent, no a considerable amount of ki within him."
"Who is this child?"
Kinkaku and Ginkaku were wondering about the identity of Kensei.
"This is the person that Sun Wukong and I took under our wing almost over seven years ago. I might change at some point, but he might be the last disciple I teach," Xuanzang replied, showing a good amount of pride having witnessed the person that child had grown into. But, both Youkai brothers looked surprised about that truth. "And I wasn't expecting to see that disciple after all this time."
"Right, I apologize for that. There was a lot of stuff going on that I needed to sort out first," Kensei had answered, scratching the back of his head casually. "I kinda wanted to make this meeting a surprise. But, I ended up being the one surprised after meeting these two here as well. I never considered the chance that I might end up meeting the Gold and Silver Horned Kings at the same time."
"This kid was trained by the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven and Sanzang Xuanzang. It's almost laughable to think that something like that could be true. But, I can tell that he's quite knowledgeable in Senjutsu as well."
"This presence and ki that he's giving off make that believable. I thought that the number of people who could use Senjutsu was limited to the previous Sennin and high-ranking Youkai."
"You must be quite the rare prodigy. Especially, if someone such as Sun Wukong and Xuanzang were interested in you."
Both Kinkaku and Ginkaku started talking about Kensei right in front of him with greater interest compared to the first encounter. It wasn't surprising considering that the two fought against his teachers in the past and bothered the second one from time to time.
"Well, then that leaves us no other option, right brother?"
"Yes, brother. I believe that we can't leave here without doing that."
Both Youkai Brothers noted, making their minds without changing them.
""We, the Golden/Silver Horned King hereby challenges the Disciple of Sun Wukong and Xuanzang Sanzang to a battle!""
Both Kinkaku and Ginkaku stated, giving off a fighting spirit that did end up stirring up Kensei's fight instinct.
"That's a tempting offer," Kensei said almost taking them up on that offer, but surprisingly shook his head. "But, I came here with the intent of reuniting with my teacher so I want to do that before anything else. So, can we place this match on hold for the moment?"
"No, this is something that neither of us can let go of."
"The members of that party have been our enemies since the beginning."
"But, now that the battle has ended our fated rematch hasn't come about."
""So, as the disciple of two of our longtime and greatest enemies,"" Kinkaku and Ginkaku declared, getting into a fighting stance, releasing youki. ""So, we must do battle no matter what!""
Hearing their response was understandable and Kensei did want to fight against both of them, considering both brothers carried the Five Treasured Tools stolen from a god-class being.
"Come on. It sounds as if the two of you won't let this go until I fight against you too right here and now," Kensei said, noticing that the brothers weren't backing down from this. Claire and the others noted that the entire time, he was holding his right arm behind his back, then noticed something. "But, before that. Kinkaku and Ginkaku?"
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
Both brothers asked, as Kensei retrieved something from behind his back, which looked to be a gourd that looks too familiar gourd to them.
"Is this that famed Crimson Gourd that sucks in those who respond when they have their name called out?"
Kensei asked, as his question was answered without needing a response.
Coming out from the Crimson Gourd's tip was an abnormal whirlpool focused on Kinkaku and Ginkaku, both of which looked surprised at the same time.
"What the hell?!"
"When did you steal that?!"
Kinkaku and Ginkaku asked as both brothers were sucked inside the Crimson Gourd without being able to resist its suction. Soon enough, both brothers left the scene and were absorbed within their stolen treasure.
"Oh, I took this off Ginkaku around the same time that I walked up. It was that slight moment, but both of you let your guards down."
Kensei replied, while spinning around the Crimson Gourd on his index finger, causing Xuanzang to let out a jovial laugh having witnessed what happened.
[Ah, you thief! You stole that from me!]
[Are you a disciple of those two people who became mild-mannered Buddha?!]
Both Ginkaku and Kinkaku complained, while inside the Crimson Gourd.
"I don't think that the thieves who stole it from Taishang Laojun have the right to call me a thief."
Kensei replied while tossing it in the air as both Youkai Brothers continued grumbling inside the gourd. Neither of them could rebuke that considering the fact the two did steal the Five Treasures in the first place and weren't able to complain if said weapons got stolen.
"This is a pleasant surprise," Xuanzang stated as he approached his disciple. "Are you the same child from that time? The Kensei that I knew was the kind of person who'd take on that challenge and worried about other things later."
"Well, I do recall a certain Buddha teaching that child about being patient and respectful to people," Kensei noted catching the Crimson Gourd inside his hand. "To me, choosing a fight over reuniting with the person who took a month off to teach him the things he learned in his travels would've been disrespectful."
Kensei's response caused a grateful and proud smile to appear on Xuanzang's face, staring at the young man he had a hand in raising. It made him thankful that he decided on taking Kensei on as a disciple.
"Well, I'll be interested in hearing about all the things that you experienced since leaving. But, before that," there was a moment he turned his attention over toward Claire and the others. "I think that I'm interested in meeting all three of the young women you've brought with you."
"Alright."
Kensei signaled for Claire, Alice, and Kunou to walk up to Xuanzang with a polite and well-mannered posture. All three of them wanted to leave a good impression on the Buddha in front of them, more so since he was the main reason that Kensei survived.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sanzang Xuanzang," Claire respectfully bowed her head using what she learned as a little girl. "My name is Claire Yaegaki Belial."
"My name is Alice Evangelista. I hope that we're not being a bother."
"It's a pleasure and honor to meet the famous Buddha, Sanzang Xuanzang," Kunou finished bowing her head as a princess would, not putting her honor as one to shame. "My name is Kunou. I am the daughter of the Daiyoukai and Kyuubi who rules Kyoto, Yasaka."
"Well, this is an interesting meeting. But, those, more so the people who're related to Kensei can call me Xuanzang," an amused laugh could be heard from Xuanzang who noticed something else about the manner the three acted around Kensei. "But, I do believe that there's more to it than that, Kensei."
"Hah, I can't get anything past you can I," Kensei said, never intending on hiding this part from him. "I wasn't going to hide this, but these three including two others are also my fiancées."
"I can see that my disciple has become more mature in regards to this," Xuanzang noted before showing them all the entrance leading into his cabin. "I look forward to hearing about all the things that you've done since the last time we saw one another. So, I believe that tea is in order."
"That's good. Since we brought some snacks that you said you were interested in a long time ago. And all of the snacks here were handmade by Claire."
Kensei noted, reaching inside another dimension, revealing a box containing said snacks meant for tea.
"That's perfect."
It wasn't long until Kensei, Claire, Alice, and Kunou entered Xuanzang's Residence, hauling around the Crimson Gourd containing the Youkai Brothers.
Once the tea was prepared for them, the six people were talking among themselves, while Kinkaku and Ginkaku listened in. Not that the two brothers had a choice in the matter considering both of them were still sealed inside the Crimson Guards.
As promised, Kensei started talking about what happened sometime after leaving Hagun Island, consisting of their life in Kibou Town. From there, he went on to the situations their group needed to handle ranging from the Demon Eater, the Norse Faction, and even the situation concerning the Underworld and Church. Kensei and the others spent almost an hour and a half talking to the well-mannered Buddha.
"Well, it sounds as if you've all been through quite a lot during your childhood and teenage years. It reminds me a lot of Sun Wukong and the others during their youths. They were quite the troublemakers, and it was at times just a bit difficult to reign them in," Xuanzang replied, taking a bite from the snack Claire prepared. A round Japanese confection with sweet filling, which sent a pleasant sensation throughout his taste buds. "But, it was all in good fun rather than genuine malice. I must admit that this Daifuku is delicious. I can tell that Claire here is a wonderful cook and housekeeper."
"Thank you, Xuanzang," Claire replied bowing her head before glancing at a certain pair. "I have no other choice, but to be good at that considering these two here wouldn't last long without me."
"…."
"…."
Neither Kensei nor Alice denied or commented about that since that has been the truth since the three of them all lived on Hagun Island together. Even though it changed since then, it was an undeniable fact that Claire was a big part of maintaining the Amagiri Residence.
"I can relate to that. It was hard tending to the youngest Dragon King, Yu-Long, and someone younger than the three of us. It is a shame though, neither Sun Wukong nor Yu-Long has been here in quite some time due to some business."
"I see. I kinda wanted to see them too," Kensei pointed out as he leaned his head against his opened palm. "But, I did hear that Sun-sensei acted as the Vanguard of Śakra, Indra. And he took a month off to train me. So, being the Vanguard of one of the ultimate-class Gods in the world makes one busier than most. I can tell that it must be rougher for Yu-Long who is among the laziest Dragons around."
Hearing Kensei's joke caused Xuanzang to laugh a bit.
"Yes, Yu-Long despite being one of the strongest Dragons aside from the Heavenly Dragons and Dragon Gods are someone who'd rather do nothing. Aside from eating and lazying around, he does owe our group a dept, so it's admirable that he's continuing being around us."
"Well, if I end up running into them, then I might as well give Sun-sensei and Yu-Long his present."
Kensei said, leaning back a bit.
"I kinda wanted to meet the other person responsible for turning Kensei into such a patient person," Claire joked as Alice and Kunou gave a faint laugh, while Kensei narrowed his eyes. "But, it makes me wonder what situation would the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven and Jade Dragon would need to pursue."
"Hmmhmm, Wukong-sama and Yu-Long-sama are among the most famous figures even in Shintoism."
"I can agree to that."
"Hmm, I see that Kensei found himself some clever girls," Xuanzang nodded his head, having heard their replies to that comment. "Based on what Sun Wukong said once, a certain group of people has caught the attention of Indra. One of them, in particular, who is similar to Kensei here caught Sun Wukong's attention when he was a child. Unlike you, however, he didn't train this young man, but it appears as if he became quite a combatant in traveling across the Human World alone."
"Oh, and here I thought this person would have been like my senpai," Kensei commented, but his interest in who like him caught the attention of someone as renowned as the First-Generation Monkey King. "So, who's this person who caught Sun-sensei's attention?"
"He's someone quite similar to you. He is also a descendant of a Hero, the famous Chinese Warlord, Cao Cao. It even looks as if he's forsaken his birth name and taken his ancestor's name," Xuanzang revealed then continued with the conversation. "Aside from Cao Cao's natural talent and genius, it appears as if he owns the first and most powerful Longinus."
Hearing that comment, caused silence within the room, even from Kinkaku and Ginkaku who had been sealed in the Crimson Gourd. There's not a single person inside of this room who didn't realize what Longinus, among the thirteen Longinus, that Xuanzang was referring to.
"The First and Strongest Longinus, which is the source of the name 'Longinus' for all the others that have the power to bring down God. A spear that had pierced Jesus Christ and now carries his blood within it, the True Longinus."
Claire stated, knowing most about Christian legends, the Three Faction having learned all about them from both of her parents as a child.
"It is ranked number one among the four High-Tier Longinus, which holds enough power to destroy the world. If I ranked mine, I guess that it would be ranked third on that list."
Alice added, not knowing in what manner to rank hers and the Dimension Lost, which is the one that's among the High-Tier Longinus too.
"Yes, he is a person who holds the most powerful Longinus in his hands and has gathered quite a good number of humans among his ranks. I don't know what their intentions are, but it appears as if Sun Wukong is keeping all of them within his sights for the time being," Xuanzang said, before looking straight at Kensei as a small started to form on the Buddha's face. "Well, I'm glad to see that at least one thing hasn't changed."
As expected, Kensei was wearing an undeniable smile on his face, having heard that the True Longinus wielder had appeared in this manner. A spear that the Maou and Seraph were terrified of, something that pierced a God, the first and most powerful Longinus. Instead of fear or awe building up within him, Kensei instead felt his fighting instincts starting to build up.
"A genius hero descendant wielding the True Longinus, the most powerful Longinus that surpasses even Alice's Annihilation Maker. I want to see if I can have a match with that person as soon as…."
Kensei couldn't do anything but think about that at that moment.
Smack!
"Don't forget the reason we're here, Kensei."
Claire smacked Kensei on the head using a karate chop, most notable her hand was coated in demonic power, making her point come across more.
"Ouch ouch, I know."
Kensei replied, rubbing the spot where Claire smacked him.
He was the kind of person who could endure powerful blows from opponents, but nothing hurts him more than a blow from his fiancées.
"Hahaha, I'm glad to see that Kensei is still someone who looks forward to a battle. There are people in the world who carry that same mindset, but you look at it from a different perspective. All things, people, and creatures is a challenge that you desire to take on."
"Well, you're one of the few people in the world who can see that in me. All the things I was born with and all the things I learned, I want to test them out against some of the strongest people and beings in the world. That aside from the people in my life gives me nothing but an incredible amount of happiness."
Hearing that comment caused Xuanzang to nod his head in agreement, while the girls sitting beside him smiled at that as well.
"There's no doubt that he's someone who relishes a good challenge, but I'm happy that he found something else in life that matters to him. And in that, I believe that he's going to become a warrior no one in this world can deny stands above the rest," Xuanzang smiled glad about the person his disciple has grown into. "Now, I believe that you're all here to see if you can see if it would be possible to form a pact with the Chinese Chief-God."
"That would be the professional reason that we're here, yes," Kensei replied as he continued. "Well, our idea was that if our group ended up forming foreign relations with other factions it would make it difficult for those from the Underworld to attack us. But, then it started growing into us attempting to form a connection with all the factions in a friendlier manner. I mean, most of the people in the Kibou Alliance are those who come from those factions and it would make things easier for them to maintain contact with home."
"It was an idea that came to mind after we managed to form good ties with the Greek Faction during the following year leading to this one. Not that it was all that difficult with the Greek Gods compared to the Norse Gods, I mean a lot of them were more light-hearted compared to their legends."
Claire added right after Kensei finished his statement, as Xuanzang nodded his head.
"That's the case with some gods who have lived for a long time and acting in a manner that humans could view as being cruel or excessive. In watching humans live short lives or thinking about the mistakes made in the past, even gods can learn from such things," Xuanzang stated, giving them some words of wisdom. "Of course, there are some gods who maintain their original personalities even now as even they're honest and simple beings too. It might work out in forming ties with the Chinese Gods since their gods share beliefs in Shintoism. But, there's a lot that has been going around in the faction as of late."
"Huh?"
Kensei asked confused about the situation.
"This always seems to happen wherever we go."
Claire added under her breath, noting that their group appears to run into some trouble wherever going to some new location.
"I don't know the full details, but it looks as if someone has angered the Chinese Gods because of their actions. It appears as if the entire thing might result in some more trouble in the future if it isn't resolved. But, I do know at least one thing about this person based on their actions."
"And that is?"
"Based on the information that I received, he's a sacred gear user currently making waves across China, on both the human and supernatural side. It's obvious enough that the gods would be concerned considering because he is attempting to influence things on both sides. Almost Sacred Gear users can wield the power that can influence the world to some extent, and this person's intentions appear to be malicious."
Xuanzang explained with some concerns as Kensei could see that as a Buddha, it meant that he could end up a target too. But, a positive fact was that Xuanzang had the Monkey King and Dragon King on his side, so there's a chance he wouldn't be targeted.
"Well, if something happens…."
"I know, I know, but don't forget that I'm alone here. This person appears to be proceeding with caution based on his current movements being this infrequent. There's no one reckless enough to attack a mountain here without thinking about the potential risks of fighting Sun Wukong."
Xuanzang removed all the concern building up within Kensei at that moment as he smiled.
"That's good. I do think that it would be hard meeting the Chinese Gods right now, but we might as well do some sightseeing as we intended in the first place."
"Did your groups require sleeping arrangements? I know a couple of places around here if not."
Xuanzang suggested, staring at his former disciple.
"That's fine. We made some arrangements before coming here, and plan on remaining at a hotel. At most, we'll likely remain in China for a week. All of us have shikigami made in our likeness going to school in our place and will record anything we miss."
"That's good. I'm glad to see that you're taking your studies seriously."
"Well, if I didn't, then the fact that I studied under a world-famous scholar how turned into a Buddha would have all been for nothing."
"I was surprised to see that a ten-year-old who focused more on battle would be interested in learning something from a Buddhist scholar. But, I do think that it shows the amount of respect that you have for us as a whole."
"I mean, it would have been a wasted chance to learn something from a Buddha. And because of that, I can now speak multiple different languages as fluent as I do Japanese."
Kensei said a bit embarrassed at that moment.
"Uh, Xuanzang."
Alice said, raising her hand a bit, catching his attention.
"Yes, Alice?"
"I was wondering whether or not it would be alright for me to draw out the landscape around here."
Alice replied, showing the sketch pad that she carried around inside her dimensional storage, which was among the number of art supplies she carried around at all times.
"I don't mind. I wasn't aware that you were an artist," Xuanzang stated, taking note of the sketchbook in Alice's hands. "Could I take a look?"
"Of course."
Alice replied, not minding showing Xuanzang the drawings that she drew in the sketch pad resting in her hands. It wasn't a second as Alice handed over the sketch pad towards the Buddha, who started going through the pages with great interest.
"Oh," Xuanzang couldn't hide the admiration that started building up within him while flipping through the pages. All the sketches of landscapes, people, and things from imagination alone were well-drawn and had more detail in them than he would've thought from someone her age. "All these drawings are quite detailed and well-drawn. I've seen more art and paintings than the people in the room, and I must say that I'm impressed."
"Thank you. Coming from someone of your stature, it means a lot more than you'd believe."
Alice replied, showing a genuine bright smile at the compliment received from Xuanzang himself.
At that, the group spent the rest of their time right there relishing in the peaceful reunion, even with Kinkaku and Ginkaku still resisting inside the Crimson Gourd complaining to be released. Kensei relished spending time with one of the people who acted kind to and taught him things that have saved him time and time again. Claire, Alice, and Kunou also loved spending time around the person who saved the person the three loved.
In one of the towns located in the capital, China, Beijing all of the people proceeded with their usual business and lives without a care in the world. Not a single person there thought that there would be a single incident in their life as their regular activities continued as such. And the same could be said about the hoodlums who were all loitering around without a care in the world.
Being a group of ten people, but three, in particular, seemed to be the most vocal.
"Ugh, today has been boring."
The lean male said as a cigarette could be seen in their mouth.
"Well, we'll be having more fun as soon as nighttime comes. I plan on meeting those women we came across the other night and having a good time."
The biggest among them replied, sounding as if he was the leader of the bunch.
"Hahaha, you always know how to have a good…whoa!"
The smallest among the group replied but seemed to stop once something, or someone caught his attention and caused his mouth to become agape.
"What's wrong with you?"
The leader asked, confused about his friend's suggestion reaction.
"L-Look at her."
His friend replied, pointing his finger toward the other side of the street.
In response to this, his two friends looked there too and their mouths similar to his became agape.
Heading in their direction was a young woman who was so beautiful that no other woman any of them saw could compare to. She was an eighteen-year-old young woman of average height, her hair was an unusual mixture of blonde and white on top, and blue eyes that looked almost like gems. Her figure was slender, but well-endowed and curvaceous, without too much or too little of anything; dressed in casual clothing and an earring on her right ear.
"I managed to escape and hide from them," the beautiful young woman uttered under her breath so no one could hear something that would appear odd. "I don't feel like getting into a fight with them. There's something that I need to look into and fighting would attract too much attention."
"Damn, she's too beautiful."
"Those breasts and ass are perfect, not too big or too small for her build."
"I want her."
Those were the thoughts going through the minds of the three friends as the young woman proceeded to walk in the direction opposite to them. Without wasting time, the three men and the seven others following behind them all headed across the street. In doing so, the cars passing by slowed down a bit in an attempt not to hit them and in seeing their following holding out their hands.
"There's no doubt that I'll find what I need," she spoke to herself but stopped as she noticed the three men right in front of her. "Excuse me, I need to be somewhere."
"Wait wait, I wanted to tell you that you're the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen."
The leader stated as she stared on not reacting to the compliment at all.
"Thank you, but I need to go somewhere…."
She tried reasoning, but the group continued pressing forward.
"Come on, it can't be that important. There was a place that we were planning on going to tonight and it would be a good thing if you joined us."
The smallest one stated, trying to get the young woman to come with them.
"I'll be busy tonight too. I have something important that I need to do tonight."
The young woman replied to the smallest one.
"Come on, is there a boyfriend or something. If so, then I'm sure that we can…."
The one with the cigarette in his mouth stated.
"I don't have a boyfriend or a significant other," she replied, being neither rude nor irritated, but focused. "If you all will excuse me. I'll be leaving now."
She started walking forward, having bowed her head a bit, and proceeded forward, ignoring the group that started to surround her. Before the young woman could take another step forward, the leader placed his hand on top of her shoulder.
"Come on, don't be rude and come with us. I promise that we'll show you…a good…time."
The leader spoke with a rougher and strained tone, while he tried pulling the young woman back in his direction.
"What's wrong? Are we not trying to get her?"
One of his friends asked, confused.
"It's not that. I can't pull her."
The leader replied.
He was right, the young woman was standing in the same straight position as she had been before, but she had remained in that same position. The leader was far bulkier than his friends and followers and held no issue with sending a grown man backward from a punch. But, there he was pulling the young woman back using as much strength as possible and she wasn't even moving an inch.
"It feels as if I'm pulling on a stone pillar. She's not budging at all."
The leader complained as he tried using a second hand.
But, the leader stopped as soon as she grabbed onto his hand without turning to face him. Before, the leader can register the next couple of movements. He realized that he was staring at the concrete ground, the blue sky, and now the beautiful young woman their group tried picking up.
"I apologize, but I need to be going now," the young woman stated as she let go of the leader, who still couldn't register what happened right in front of him. "Before that."
[…!]
Before the group could resister was was happening, all of them who had kept cigarettes in their mouths found all of them not there anymore. And the young woman, who the three friends surrounded and seven men who stood in her path wasn't there anymore.
"You should quit smoking. It's not good for the body at all."
[…!]
All ten young men turned around to find the young woman walking from them, tossing the cigarettes that were in their mouths into the trashcan. Not a single person could utter a single word at what happened, no one there was able to see a single thing happen. The lone young woman that this group of ten tried picking up treated them all as if they were nothing more than pests standing before her without ever saying that at all.
Not giving a single harsh comment, not showing herself as superior, but the young woman gave off the feeling of being all that without even once stating it herself. It was an odd sensation and description, but it felt almost as if a female tiger had left after choosing to release her prey.
"I'll need to find somewhere to sleep and eat too. I won't be able to continue with determination alone without rest and food."
She reasoned with herself as she pressed forward, ignoring the looks she was receiving from behind from all the ten men and people who witnessed the entire situation.
Almost an hour and a half passed, Kensei, Claire, Alice, and Kunou finished conversing with the gentle Buddha, the four found themselves venturing in the same town. Kensei entered the town smiling to himself, feeling upbeat about the fact that he managed to reunite with one of his instructors again. A peaceful reunion, while the Buddha met three of Kensei's five fiancées.
Kensei also left the imprisoned Kinkaku and Ginkaku to Xuanzang, who was far more experienced in dealing with the Youkai Brothers. And planning on having the two brothers assist around his residence as punishment, which was a feeling Kensei knew all too well.
"I'm glad that at least the three of you managed to meet Xuanzang-sensei."
Kensei stated, still feeling happier about the successful meeting.
"Talking to Xuanzang was sure something. I never thought that it would be that calm and peaceful a conversation between us. I hope to learn about brewing the same kind of tea that he made for us all. It had such a calming and warm sensation after drinking it."
Claire replied, thinking back to the time she drank Xuanzang's brewed tea.
"That's what you'd expect from a Buddha with centuries worth of experience, and special leaves planted around their mountains."
Kensei stated, smiling a bit.
"Ken-chan, can't we ask for some of those plant them in one of the special bounded fields in the Kibou Alliance?"
"Uh, I don't know. I know some of our bounded fields can produce different conditions, but those kinds of plants require more special conditions that could be found around there. Almost all of them can cause special effects, a lot more if you consider that Xuanzang-sensei can make medicine too. But, using Senjutsu, I could make it so that it'll last longer even if we get the leaves."
"I hope so because Kunou loved drinking that tea too. I think that Hahaue would love drinking that tea too."
Kunou replied, sharing the same sentiment as Claire.
"He also has good taste in art and gave some good advice."
Alice said, showing a brighter smile than usual after recalling the time that Xuanzang looked at all the drawings in her sketch pad.
Claire, Alice, and Kunou showed a brighter expression after recalling their respective conversations with the kind Buddha. It wasn't surprising for them considering Kensei, who was formerly often far rash and combative ended up a more patient and calmer in Xuanzang's presence since childhood.
"It's not surprising considering that he reigned in three rambunctious Youkai, and a Dragon even when he was a normal human monk. And even in handling those two rambunctious brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
Kensei replied something that the three young women had to agree with too.
"So, are we headed towards the hotel first?"
Claire asked, turning her attention over towards Kensei.
"Yea, I think that would be the right thing first," Kensei replied to Claire, looking forward at the new places around them all and the people minding their business. "First, we should get settled into the hotel and do whatever we can before anything else. Then, tomorrow, we can start touring around the places that we planned on."
"Right, we also spent quite a lot of time at Xuanzang's residence and the sun looks as if it'll be setting soon."
"So, we head out to the hotel first."
Claire and Alice reasoned.
"But, how're we going to figure out who rooms with who?"
Kunou brought up that fact, causing the three others to have a slight pause from that question being brought up.
There's a high chance that the hotel rooms, even their extravagant ones opened at the moment would be limited to two people rather than four people. So, there would be the decision of who would end up sleeping in the same room as to who. And it was true that the five women agreed on not getting in one another's way in regards to them showing their feelings towards Kensei.
In this situation, it would result in a competition between who'd end up sleeping in the same hotel room as the black-haired young man. Since the entire group stopped moving and stood in the same potion on the street a presence could be felt around the four women.
All the people who were around, ignored them, more so since the presence originating from them felt as if those normal humans were in the presence of wild animals. Kensei looked on as Claire, Alice, and Kunou stood there in a makeshift circle as their expressions couldn't be read.
"Alright…."
"…there's one way…."
"…to settle this!"
Claire, Alice, and Kunou said in a low tone, while the three wore a determined look on their faces.
[Rock, Paper, Scissors!]
All three young women started doing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors in an attempt to settle this dispute, which was something their group did from time to time. As the three continued repeating the same hand movements in front of one another, Kensei remained in the same position.
"Hmm, well this looks like it'll take some time. I wonder what…."
"Look here, there are three beauties right here. All of them look like foreigners."
Kensei turned his attention to the same robust leader from before as he and his friends, as well as the ten men all, stood beside them.
"That one there has a graceful face and a decent body."
The smallest one commented.
"That one there is the same, but she looks adorable."
The second one commented.
"And that one there is a total foreign bombshell."
The largest one said.
All three men seemed intent on taking Claire, Kunou, and Alice respectively, all three still weren't registering what was happening around them. Instead of being mostly focused on the situation right there in front of them. As all three hoodlums were preparing to approach them, Kensei stood in front of them blocking their bath.
"Huh, there's someone with them."
The second one commented, staring straight at Kensei.
"Hey, are you their friend or something," the smallest one asked. "Oi, can you speak our language?"
"Yea, I can speak Chinese too."
Kensei replied, tilting his head to the side.
All three of men could hear that Kensei was speaking Chinese so fluent that it was sounded almost as if he had been speaking it all his life.
"Well, then are you dating at least one of them? Because if so, would the other two be interested in coming with us for some fun later?"
The burliest one asked.
"You could say that," Kensei replied, not wanting to reveal their situation to other people. "But, we're preoccupied with other business, so neither of them would be interested."
"Come on, no women that beautiful would need to be focused on serious stuff."
The leanest one added.
"Come on, don't be stingy, and at least let one of them come with us."
The smallest one added.
"Don't let me that you're…dating all of…them…."
The burliest one added.
The leader, his friends, and followers stopped once Kensei stared at them with serious eyes.
He learned a long time ago that all he needed to do in handling situations like this was apply a bit of pressure on delinquents. And at this point, it wasn't odd that even wild animals, some supernatural animals wouldn't even attempt to approach Kensei.
"Uh, you know what. I think that we should go somewhere else. Right guys?"
The leader said.
"Yea, I think there's some…restaurant we could go to."
The leanest one stated.
"Sure let's go to that place."
The smallest one finished, as the men behind them nodded their head in agreement.
From there, the men began leaving them alone in an orderly fashion deciding not to bother Kensei and the others anymore. All of them wanted to leave there as soon as possible without going through something like that a third time.
"What was that," the leader thought, recalling the feeling of Kensei staring him down like that. "First, with that girl from before, it felt as if we escaped from a tiger. And now, it felt as if a dragon was staring us down. Ugh, I might end up deciding to return to school and focus on being a student. It might be too late to act like a decent student. I could try doing something more creative."
The leader wasn't alone in that regard as his friends and followers started sharing the same feeling, having had a mysterious experience of escaping apex predators. It felt as if their sheer numbers didn't matter at all right in front of just two people alone.
"Yippee, Kunou won! Kunou gets to share a room with Ken-chan!"
Kunou jumped from excitement as she jumped into the air, while Claire and Alice groaned a bit.
"I feel as if I'm not going to hear the end of this at some point."
Claire groaned not looking forward to hearing Kunou gloating at some point.
"Hmm, but look at the bright side," Alice said as she wrapped her arms around a now flushed Claire at the abrupt contact from her oldest sister-figure. "You and I are sharing a room."
"Right, that's good too."
Claire said, recovering from the previous disappointment and looking at that as a bright side.
"Ken-chan, are you looking forward to sharing a room with Kunou too?"
Kunou asked, wrapping her arms around Kensei's right arm.
"Oh, that sounds terrible. I would've preferred Claire or Alice more."
Kensei teased, something that Kunou revealed, but hearing that caused the young Kyuubi to pout out as she had stared at Kensei.
"Come on, I'm kidding. I'm looking forward to sharing a room with Kunou."
"Fine, but don't be so mean to Kunou," Kunou said, looking as if she had wanted to be pampered as a means of forgiving him. Something that Kensei laughed a bit at, then started petting the young girl on top of her head. If it wasn't due to her Kyuubi ears and tails being hidden, they would've been wagging. "Hehehe, I guess that Kunou will forgive Ken-chan."
"Good," Kensei thought removing his hand from on top of her head, then thought about something. "How about once we're finished here, we head out to eat something tonight?"
Hearing that, the three young women thought about it for a second before agreeing with him after nodding.
"That sounds like a good idea. I'd like to eat our first time here."
"I wanted to get more of a taste in Chinese food."
"Hmmhmm, Kunou wants that too."
All three young women agreed with Kensei in going out to eat their first night in China, Beijing, and getting more of a taste of Chinese cuisine. Planning on doing that, their group headed out towards the hotel their group chose for their residence for this trip.
Soon enough, the group arrived at the hotel named the Jade Dragon Hotel, which looked high-class from just the outside, showing off the designs of a Jade Chinese Dragon around them. Having entered the building, the same high-class feeling could be seen all around as the people were heading toward their rooms or booking rooms. All the workers were doing diligent work.
Noticing the pleasant feel around them, Kensei, Claire, Alice, and Kunou couldn't help looking around interested in the things around them. Knowing that it couldn't last long, the group proceeded to head in the direction of the front desk. There, a young woman dressed in professional wear stood behind the desk working on giving out the rooms for the couple in front of them.
It wasn't long until their group was next as the young woman looked towards them and smiled after seeing them in front of her.
"Greetings what could I do for you?"
"Excuse me, could we have two rooms. Two for me and her," Kensei requested pointing to himself and Kunou, then Claire and Alice. "And two for my friends here."
"Alright, I'll need ID, essential contact information, the date you'll be departing, and payment."
"Alright."
Hearing that, Kensei, Claire, Alice, and Kunou all handed out the essential ID, then explained that their group will leave in about a week at most. Having inputted all the information into the computer in front of her, then receiving the payment from Kensei, the woman smiled in response.
"That'll handle all the essentials. I hope that you all have a great time and enjoy your stay inside the Jade Dragon Hotel," she replied giving a pleasant smile as she handed them all their room card keys, then handed a brochure over to Kensei too. "We have a lot of activities that your group will enjoy here. And don't hesitate to contact the front desk if you require anything."
"I'll keep that in mind. And thank you."
Kensei replied, bowing his head as respect, something that the three young women beside him mimicked.
Once that matter was finished, the group started heading out to look at their rooms, as Kensei handed Claire and Alice their card. It wasn't long until the group of four headed towards their hotel room using the elevator, which had multiple people inside. Unbeknownst to them, the young woman who'd had a previous encounter with those hoodlums was sitting in the far right corner.
"I wonder what our hotel room is going to look like."
Kunou asked excitedly to herself as she remain besides Kensei, Claire, and Alice.
"Well, if it's anything like this hotel, I think that it's going to be high-class too."
Claire replied, as she too was looking forward to seeing what their hotel room would be like.
"Whatever it's going to look like, I think we're going to make a lot of new memories here."
Kensei added after them, something that Alice agreed with.
Some people left the elevator to head out to their rooms, leaving the six teens inside of the elevator just waiting for it to stop at their floor. It wasn't long until that happened, with the doors opening, but Kensei and even the young woman allowed Claire, Alice, and Kunou to exit first. This left him and her in their alone as both stood in the same position, not moving. It was as if, the two were waiting for the other to leave first in an attempt to be polite to the other.
""Excuse me.""
Both Kensei and the young woman found themselves speaking at the same time, much to their surprise. It was a weird moment between them as the two seemed to wait for a moment, then Kensei ended up speaking first.
"Would you like to leave first?"
Kensei asked, pointing toward the exit.
"Yes, thank you for being generous."
The young woman replied, accepting the generous offer, bowing her head as she exited the elevator with Kensei following behind. It was odd, but both of them had a kind of feeling about the other without uttering a single word about it. Despite hiding themselves from others, the two could still feel something was different about them when compared to the normal crowd.
""…?""
Kensei and the young woman ended up exchanging a light glance at one another.
But, the two had their own business to handle and decided on proceeding forward without asking the other about that weird feeling.
"I hope that you have a good day."
The young woman stated.
"Yea, same here."
Kensei replied in response.
Both the young man and woman started walking off in opposite direction, with the former following after the three young women ahead of him. The four of them were glad that the female receptionist managed to give their group two rooms near one another. And it wasn't long until the four entered their two respective rooms, with the young Kyuubi entering the room she shared with Kensei.
Having entered the hotel room, Kunou looked around with excitement at the Western feel that the room had and looked at the two beds in the room.
"This room looks so awesome!"
Kunou declared as she hoped and landed on the right bed, relishing in the soft sensation that she was feeling as she feel on the somewhat disheveled bed. Kensei looked around impressed as the room seemed to have the things a couple could ask for. There was a smart TV, WIFI, refrigerator, and a Luxurious bathroom to list the few things he could see right now.
Seeing Kunou relaxing on the lone bed, Kensei walked over and sat down beside her as the Kyuubi almost felt like revealing her youkai parts. But, that had to wait for later on as the group would be heading out to eat once all of them got better acquainted with the room.
"Well, Claire was right about the room looking high-class," Kensei said, looking around, then turned his attention toward the brochure in his hands. "I'll be looking at this another time. Since there are two beds here, I guess that Kunou and I will be sleeping in two different beds."
"Kunou wouldn't mind sharing a bed with Ken-chan," Kunou stated, showing him an adorable look. "Kunou loves sleeping in the same bed as Ken-chan. Ken-chan and Kunou could push the bed together to make one bed!"
"Well, looks who's being the excited fox. I wouldn't mind pushing the beds together if Kunou doesn't mind," there was a calm and strong tone that could be heard from Kensei as he leaned back. "But, that means that we'll have all the space needed to do whatever."
"Hmm, like I don't know~"
Kunou started blushing at the idea that had entered her mind, more so since she was well aware that Kensei had sex with both Claire and Alice. And there was something else that she couldn't bring up to them.
"I can tell that the naughty fox is thinking about something naughty."
Kensei added in a more teasing tone.
"Uh, I think that Ken-chan is starting to be mean to Kunou again."
Kunou stated pouting a bit.
"I wouldn't dream of making Kunou sad. But, I might dream of making her give me that adorable look of hers."
Kensei stated leaning up a bit as he placed a hand on Kunou's cheek, sending a pleasant sensation across that particular area. Reacting to that, Kunou started nuzzling against his hand as if wanting to feel something more at that moment and didn't care about anything else.
"So, Kensei when are we…," Claire ended up entering the room, which wasn't locked at that moment and soon revealed she had done at that moment. "I'm interrupting, aren't I?"
"Huh, it's been a long time since that last happened."
Kensei stated to himself, wondering the last time that he and someone else was interrupted when something was close to happening.
"Uh, Claire-san ruined it."
Kunou said, pouting as Claire started giving a nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry about that. So, are we leaving for dinner soon?"
"Hmm, yea, we might as well leave now and find a place."
Kensei replied as he and Kunou stood up from the bed, then he placed a hand comforting hand on the Kyuubi's head who seemed to recover from her previous disappointment. Smiling at that, and knowing that there would be more chances in the future, Kunou started following behind them in leaving the room. After locking their rooms, the group started heading out to eat out.
Through using Kensei's Oracle Phone, the group managed to find a good Chinese restaurant that didn't require a lot of waiting or reservation. A couple of minutes passed since the group entered the chosen establishment, then the group was led in the direction of their table.
"I hope that you can forgive us," the waiter stated as he was leading them all to their table, while the group later wondered what he meant about that. "At the moment, there was one other table opened at the moment. But, the women there didn't mind if others joined her at the same table."
"That's fine. We weren't planning on doing anything…fancy."
Kensei found himself stopping in that last sentence, having noticed the young woman from the elevator sitting at the same table their waiter was leading them. Nothing the group being led to her table, the young woman turned around to face them all.
"Oh, I believe we've seen one another before at the hotel."
The young woman stated, giving a faint smile.
"Yea, what a weird coincidence that we ended up at the same restaurant too."
Kensei pointed out.
"Uh, Ken-chan who is this woman?"
Kunou asked confused, not recognizing the woman from appearance, but the scent was familiar.
"Oh, you weren't paying attention. But, this is the woman that Kensei had a slight run-in within the elevator back at the hotel," Claire explained, recalling that Kunou was too excited to pay attention in full detail. "But, it is kinda weird that we all ended up at the same place."
"So, I guess that we're going to be sharing this table for some time," the young woman said as she signaled for all of them to take a seat. "Here have a seat. I wouldn't mind having some good company during a meal."
"Thanks for the generous offer."
Kensei said before taking a seat in front of the young woman, Claire and Kunou ended up sitting beside him and Alice ended up sitting beside the young woman. All their menus were left on the table for them to pick whatever their occupants wanted to eat.
"So, before looking at the menus. I think that it would be better to introduce ourselves since we'll be sitting next to one another," Kensei suggested as all the young women sitting at the table agreed with that. "My name is Kensei Amagiri."
"My name is Claire Belial."
"My name is Kunou Inari."
"My name is Alice Evangelista."
Claire, Kunou, and Alice introduced themselves after Kensei. Kunou used that surname as her alias since it may be weird if she referred to herself as just Kunou without one at school. Hearing the kind and respectful tone from all of them caused a smile to form on the young woman's face.
"Well, then it's great to meet you, Kensei, Claire, Kunou, and Alice," she said smiling before introducing herself to them with a gentle tone as she uttered her name. "My name is Lu Lingqi."
Hearing the woman now named Lu Lingqi introduce herself, the group looked on with new interest as the woman looked to be someone all of them could get along with.
A/N: And there goes the next chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, welcome to the second chapter of the seventh volume. In this one, Kensei and the others arrived at the Chinese Faction, where the group met up with Sanzang Xuanzang. It was the introduction of the Golden and Silver Horned King, who was there to mess with Xuanzang. But, both brothers had ended up being dealt with by Kensei who used their Crimson Gourd against them.
After some conversation, Kensei and co ended up hearing about Cao Cao to some extent, then it moved into their arrival to China, Beijing. In the end, it was the official introduction of Lu Lingqi, which has been a long time coming considering the time that I first planned on her being in this. I thought a lot about the kind of character she'll be in the Last Amagiri and I hope that you'll all enjoy dwelling on her character.
Kensei's Harem: Alice, Claire, Hisui, Kunou, Yasaka, Lu Lingqi, Sarah, Minako, Koneko, Kuroka, Ravel, Amaterasu, Brynhildr, Rossweisse, Ophis.