Honor Thy Masters

I'm sure the first thing on a lot of readers' minds is : Why the hell isn't this a chapter of In Flight?

Well, I have a small thread on my forum explaining the basics but the truth of the matter is work problems and home problems have been keeping me down. I actually have twenty pages of chapter 29 finished, but when I looked back and reviewed them, well they were all crap. The stop and go nature of my writing, combined with some frustration from the real world, has led to me seemingly being unable to string together a coherent story line or even a train of thought at points. When I wrote, I figured I'd go back and brush it up, but when I reread it I realized there would be no brush big enough to fix that piece of crap.

This story actually began as a massive free write session that was spawned by sheer frustration over my inability to write anything coherent. A good portion of it was just stress relief, and there might have been some venting contributing to the monster and violence scenes. However, once I paused in my keyboard banging, I realized I had a good thirty or forty pages hammered out, and decided, 'what the heck might as well finish it'.

No idea if this will be just a one shot which will lay abandoned, or if it'll ever get a proper finish to it of its own, but I figured I might as well post it if for no other reason than to assure everyone that I'm not dead yet. In fact, I'm getting better! (That was said in a fake British accent, by the way).

Anyway, it ended up being another Bakemonogatari pseudo-fusion. I know that most Bakemonogatari fans will be frustrated with my lack of Bakemonogatari characters, but the truth is I actually like the premise of Bakemonogatari more than I actually liked the story, baring Shinobu of course. The story world just has so much potential for horror, the genre I seem to be stuck in at the moment, that whenever I'm letting my mind wander it usually ends up in 'what if' scenarios based around a character with Koyomi's back story.

As for History's Strongest Disciple: Kenichi, just like with Medaka Box the current story arc really caught my eye, and it ended up being used for the other half of the crossover. There's no raging reactionism towards anything in particular this time, like with Those Who Love Monsters, but HSD: Kenichi is a good series with a nice character base and a well developed plot, so it was fun to add it in.

So, here you go. A little bit of something to prove I'm still writing, and hopefully it won't be a while before the next piece comes out either. My work problems are almost resolved, and though it looks like the home problems might take a bit longer, just having half of the teeth gnashing in my life gone is enough to make me sigh in relief.

*Story Start*

It was the specter of death that was watching Chikage which first alerted me to the possibility that the delicate, albeit violent, lifestyle that I had become accustomed to was about to be interrupted in the most brutal of ways.

It had been nearly two and a half years since that fateful day in the park when I had been eaten by a vampire and exposed to the Nightworld and what it means to know of the Kai. It had been one and a half years since that equally fateful day when I thought I had been torn free from that same world. It had been one year since I had found myself drifting into the care of Ryouzanpaku and welcomed into yet another strange realm of existence, the Underworld. I had thought that perhaps I had truly moved on from that previous portion of my life, that I might truly have escaped the notice of the Kai for good. That was why it honestly took me a second to realize the meaning of what I was looking at, and the significance of it as well.

It had been nearly a week since the battle for the Akabaneto, the Red Feather Swords, and though I had seen Chikage during the course of school quite often since then, this was the first time the cloying sweet scent of rot had been clinging to her. For a moment I wondered if it had finally happened, if Yomi had finally called upon the too young girl to dirty her hands and the girl no older than my sister had finally taken a life.

But no, even as the tiny genius' eyes sparkled with childish joy at the sundae that was being presented to her with false reluctance by Ukita I realized that it wasn't her herself which was prickling my senses.

It was the thing that was lurking outside the window, across the street, standing stock still like a statue carved of rotten ebony among the filth piled around a dumpster waiting to be picked up by the municipal garbage collectors. It was barely discernible to my seeking eyes, female in shape with long ratty hair matted across its head and over its body in irregular stripes. Its clothing was similarly disarrayed, dark and ragged and barely covering the unhealthy looking skin that occasionally flashed despite the fact that the thing wasn't moving nearly enough to justify the changing view. That was all I could make out of it, despite its relative closeness. I couldn't see clearly any of its facial features, but despite that I knew, just KNEW, that it was Chikage that it was watching.

I had thought that those instincts had long since bled out of me.

Despite the unkempt nature of the thing, not a single soul noticed it as they passed by. Pedestrians and traffic alike glided by, and despite the wide birth everyone gave the thing none of the passersby gave any indication that they had noticed what they were avoiding at an unconscious level.

'Well, crap,' I thought to myself, even as I felt something clamp down on my arm, my elbow being secured to something which was entirely too warm and too soft for my comfort. 'That can't be good.'

"Kenichi," Renka chirped, gazing up at me from where she had latched on, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity. She followed my gaze, glancing out across the street, and just like with the rest her eyes slid off the thing without a second's regard. "What are you looking at?"

'Double crap,' I updated my summation of the situation. If even Renka, a trained martial artist, couldn't take in the sight of the thing than that meant it wasn't just some crazy bag lady or an escapee from a diabolical and abusive mental institution who had just happened to fixate on the innocent looking Chikage, whom hadn't even noticed that my attention had been elsewhere.

It was a long-shot, I know, but a man has to hope, doesn't he?

"Maybe he saw some pretty little honey walk by," Takeda suggested, drawling as he did so with a grin. Somehow, despite the fact that he still had stalk of grass clenched beneath his teeth he was still making steady headway into his strawberry shortcake that he had managed to sneak into the order before Chikage had gone completely wild with sugar-lust. Or maybe the boxer had just managed to nick one of the desserts that the youngest member of Yomi hadn't been paying attention to.

"What?" I stuttered, managing to drag my attention away from the thing that was watching us for a second, so that I could rush to defend myself from the unfounded accusation. "No, that's not what I was doing at all!"

"Hmmm," Miu hummed, giving me a glance that didn't quite manage to make it to suspicious, but still firmly expressed her disapproval of the thought of me having wandering eyes.

"Now, now," Ukita chimed in, laughing as he adjusted his sunglasses, one hand casually ruffling the distracted Chikage's hair. "I'm sure Kenichi wasn't looking at anything like that!"

Despite the girl's distracted state and the playfulness of the assault, I saw the minute twitches that suddenly coursed through Chikage's tiny frame. Though the knowledge was limited to only a few members of the Shinpaku Alliance, that innocent looking fairy who was currently holding a spoon dug deep into a sundae with one hand and a fork that was trembling with enforced restraint while it hung over a piece of devil food with the other was a Disciple class fighter learning at the feet of one of the strongest and most terrible Masters that walked the face of the Earth.

I knew for a fact that just like Miu, Chikage had a natural and probably well-deserved tendency to throw anything that touched her instinctively. It had most likely been only a combination of her desire not to expose her fighting prowess combined with the knowledge that if she had attacked the judo user then she might not get more sweets out of him later which had let her hold herself back.

"Regardless of Kenichi's wandering eye," Niijima broke in, the evil alien's wide grin displaying too sharp teeth as his forked tongue darted out like a snake, "I didn't call the Shinpaku Alliance Captains here today just so we could eat sweets."

"But I thought that was exactly why you called us here," Kisara pointed out, not the least bit put out by Niijima's attempt to take control of the situation.

"Mmhmmm," Miu chimed in, turning back to the parfait she had been savoring now that the attention had been called off my so called wandering eye. It seemed that even her not so unsubstantial wrath couldn't hold her attention for long when faced with the delectable treat in front of her.

Thus was the power of sweets: distracting angry females since their original creation. I had little doubt it was a man who had invented dessert, and it was most likely in order to keep an angry girlfriend or wife from killing him.

"Why else would we put up with you?" Renka chimed in, turning to the anmitsu she was also sampling. Whenever we came out on trips like this, Renka usually did her best to be inconspicuous, but I had noted that she always seemed to order Japanese style desserts.

Niijima rolled his eyes, but subsided backwards as he did so, taking the opportunity to eat something which looked to be comprised mostly of prunes. For some reason, the choice just seemed to fit him. He always did have a habit of favoring odd things; like accordions for instance.

Normally the Viceroy of the Shinpaku Alliance would put up more of a fight in order to keep the attention of his so called minions, but I knew for a fact that in this particular case, there really wasn't anything more important to bring to table than the sweets. We had all gathered at one of our more popular meeting spots at his insistence: Matsue Lark, a cake shop and sweet parlor that somehow became the unofficial 'base away from base' for the Shinpaku Alliance. It was all part of Niijima's ongoing attempts to corrupt the impressionable Chikage so that he could further take advantage of her childish nature to gather more blackmail and dirt on the member of Yomi who was starting her third helping of pudding, a stack of empty plates and dishes already beginning to form beside her as she devoured the delicacies before her.

And so it was that with minimal fuss, the impromptu dessert sampling party continued along. It would appear to any of the other customers or servers as nothing more than a group of high school friends taking what was probably a younger sibling out for a party to celebrate some sort of special occasion.

Despite that and the disarmingly lighthearted atmosphere that had developed since Chikage had first slipped into her child mode at the sight of sweets, I had my doubts that the thing hidden in shadows was looking with the same kinds of eyes as the rest of our observers.

*Scene Break*

It was nearly an hour later before the party finally managed to break itself up. I could already imagine that I hadn't been the best of company during the entire event. Still, considering the circumstances, even if I might have been a bit of a let down to the rest of the group I still considered my distraction to be entirely justified.

The entire time we had been in there, the thing in the shadows had been watching. If that had been all, then I might have been able to devote more of my attention to the pastries presented to me. However, that hadn't been the case:

Throughout the entire party, the thing had been getting closer.

I hadn't been certain at first, seeing as I could only spare casual glances out of the corner of my eyes as the party had continued. However, soon it was impossible to ignore the fact that the thing was slowly growing closer. At first it had only been present in the alley across the street, tucked away innocuously behind the dumpster where I had first caught sight of it. However, in between an argument where Miu and Renka had barred their fangs at each other for some inscrutable reason, I realized that where once it had been behind the dumpster it was now standing in front of it. Despite the fact that it was now in the open, no longer concealed behind the dumpsters cover, it was still in the shadows, and I found that I could make out no further details of its shape besides what I had already picked out.

The next time I looked, in between a friendly argument between Takeda and Ukita over who would get the last piece of cake that had finally been settled when Kisara had just eaten it during their distraction, the thing had been in the middle of the side walk. Despite its prominent position in the middle of a busy flow of foot traffic, the space around it was once more free of pedestrians. The passersby didn't seem to notice as they pressed against themselves in order to keep from violating the things no man's land, the invisible circumference of the circle that none would unconsciously penetrate. Without regard to the social necessities, anyone passing by the thing would press themselves against each other as though they were forcing themselves into a packed subway train.

Although after they passed the thing it seemed like the realization of their closeness to their fellow travelers would return to them. I saw more than a few schoolgirls and careerwomen launch angry glares, and in a few occasions' angry slaps, at the bewildered men who happened to have been too close to them while passing the thing.

The next time I managed to look, it was to find that the thing was standing directly in the middle of traffic, somehow poised between oncoming and outgoing lanes. The vehicles that passed by did so without regard to the closeness of it for the most part, though I did see a few of the cars swerve a bit in order to avoid clipping it, maneuvers which were usually greeted by angry honks from other vehicles.

It was around that time that I realized what was marking the creature's progress: every time I looked at it it was only to be able to discern its shape, unnaturally concealed by the shadows of the building around it, the growing shade that it was apparently keeping to. It was coming from the west, whatever it was, and as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky the shade cast by the office building across the street from the café was slowly progressing, a progress which the thing was mimicking.

It was taking a great deal more skill at acting than I thought I had to conceal how unnerving I found the creatures progress. Especially when I took in fact that by the time the party was closing down the thing was right next to the window beside our table.

It had stood there, a too black shape, the feel of its malignant presence palpable even through the glass that separated us, staring at the group of teenagers happily sharing sweets, and I had been the only one to ever notice it.

Sometimes, I wondered about the choices in life I had made that led me to my current position. At least I had gotten better at making excuses. There was no way I was going to be able to eat anything when I could make that things shape out of the corner of my eye. Up close, though I couldn't make out any newer details, I could still only see what I had originally observed: rotted clothes, matted hair, and too pale skin. But more than what I could see, it was what I could smell that threw off my appetite.

Once, several years ago, Honoka had accidently unplugged the fridge before our family had gone on a week-long vacation while leaving the fridge door open as well. When we had returned the smell that had met us reminded me of the one this thing emitted: the musty smell of old blood mixed with the cloy of rot and decaying meat, the sour scent of spoiled milk and fruit, and all intermingled but not overshadowed with musky odor that generally accompanied large colonies of insects.

"Are you okay?" Miu asked me as we finally departed the store as a whole, her voice nearly lost in the general raucous of the farewells of the rest of the Shinpaku Alliance. "You look a little pale, and you barely ate a thing!"

I smiled halfheartedly at the small twinge of worry in the cheerful girl's voice. Normally the thought of the bubbly blonde showing concern for me would have made me ecstatic, the knowledge that the girl I thought so highly of paying attention to me enough to set me on cloud nine.

Right now though, I was too busy keeping an eye on the thing that had spoiled my meal as it stood stock still in the last place I had seen it, the bubble of silence around it untouched as it remained statue still. Still, the thought that Miu was worried about me was enough for me to drag my eyes to meet hers, what I hoped was a reassuring smile on my lips.

"Don't worry about it," I told her, laughing slightly as I put my hand behind my head. "I think it was just something I ate earlier."

"That's good!" Miu chirped, giving me a relieved grin as she did so. "I would hate to have to explain to the Masters if you were sick!" The thought of the response of the elite martial artists who had been training me if they discovered I had a cold was enough to make my laugh even more nervous.

Sakaki would probably just throw me into the yard with a shout of 'If you can't do it, just die!' Akisame would most likely work out an even more strenuous exercise that would take advantage of a body weakened by sickness, most likely involving a machine shaped like some kind of mouse wheel. And Ma, well, Ma would probably try to use another of his ancient Chinese medicines to heal me up with unnatural speed.

It was in the midst of my unpleasant speculation of what might await me if ever did get sick at Ryouzanpaku that I glanced back at where the thing had been and froze. It was no longer standing by the window, staring into the empty booth we had left behind.

It was standing right behind Chikage, its dark shape still as it loomed over the unaware and unprepared girl.

"Miu-san!" I yelped, my voice a bit higher pitched than I was comfortable admitting. I could make out my fellow disciple as she glanced at me with curiosity at my sudden increase in volume. Despite her concern, I kept my gaze locked on Chikage and the thing, not daring to take my eyes off it. So far it hadn't moved while I was observing it. I was praying to any god that would listen that that trait would remain true, for the sake of the girl who I had befriended.

"What is it, Kenichi-san?" Miu asked, concern lacing her voice as she did so.

"Sorry," I began, eyes still locked on the thing. Chikage had continued to walk, unaware of what was just behind her, shrouded in darkness so thick that even she couldn't make it out when it was right next to her. So far, the thing remained frozen, not getting any closer as the girl continued to walk away unaware. "But there's something I need to talk to Chikage about for a bit. Could you go on ahead?"

"Are you sure?" Miu asked, and I could hear the wariness in her voice as she did so. Despite the friendly atmosphere of the scene we had just departed from, it didn't change the fact that Chikage was a member of an organization that had tried to kill me several times so far.

"It'll be fine," I assured her, not daring to even blink as I did so, already beginning to move so that I could catch up with the departing girl. "Don't worry about it!"

"Kenichi-san," Miu began, but I ignored her, rushing to catch up with Chikage. The street was crowded, and in order to make my way through as quickly as possible I found myself relying on the training the Elder had given me, slipping through blind spot after blind spot in order to weave effortlessly through the press.

While doing so in order to cover ground I didn't even realize that I would unconsciously make use of the biggest blind spot present at the moment. It was only after I had taken the first step into the large gap in the crowd which surrounded the thing that I realized utilizing that space might not have been the best of ideas.

Whip-like, the thing which had otherwise been completely still every time I had caught sight of it, turned its head to face me. One of the arms, hanging loose at its side the entire time twitched, its fingers stretching out towards me even though the rest of the limb remained stationary. It was only a second before I was past it and back into the crowd, and it made no other move besides that. Once I was clear it made no other motion, its head still facing the direction I had been in when I had violated its circle, its fingers paused and no longer moving.

Despite the brevity of its reaction, I felt the beginnings of a cold sweat as it formed on my forehead. 'That had been stupid, Kenichi' I berated myself intensely. 'Haven't you learned to be more cautious with things like that at this point?'

"What is it?" a voice I hadn't been expecting chimed in, and I realized with a start that even while distracted by my near encounter with the thing behind me I had still unconsciously made my way to the much shorter girl whom I had decided to accompany for the sake of her own safety. I glanced down to find that Chikage, whose voice had gone flat now that the presence of sweets weren't around to distract her, was staring up at me with a flat gaze. Her Yomi mode had firmly been pressed back into place.

"Ah," I began, before realizing that when I had glanced at her I had taken my eyes off the thing which had been stalking her. Hurriedly I glanced behind me, nearly shivering as I expected the creature to once more be directly behind the two of us, wondering if this time when it came into sight it would be with hands outstretched, preparing to attack.

Instead, I discovered that it was gone. The sidewalk behind us once more bustling, the unnatural congestion which had been beleaguering it no lingering evident. My eyes darted from side to side, trying to figure out where the thing had gone to, hoping that maybe it had just decided to leave.

While it was fortunate that the thing didn't appear about to strike anymore, it was also apparent that I wasn't quite fortunate enough for it to have disappeared entirely. There, at the mouth of an alley not too far away from us but much further than it had been earlier, the thing stood. With the setting of the sun well on its way, the street was getting darker than it had been earlier. It stood at the lip of a small space between two close set buildings, its body halfway hidden behind the nearest one. Though it was getting darker now, I realized that I could still make out the exact same amount of details on it as I had earlier when it was brighter out: matted hair, rotting clothes, and pale white flashes of skin.

I also could make out Miu, much further up the street, but still present. My friend and fellow disciple was making her way back to Ryouzanpaku, but it looked like she was taking her time about it. She should be nearly twice as far away at this point, but judging from the way my eyes met hers briefly it appeared she was being deliberately slow, no doubt trying to judge whether or not she should put off returning in order to come and support me in case I needed it.

Though it was accidental, when I met my gaze I found myself giving her a brief smile. Realizing what my initial reaction was, I broadened the grin, giving her a quick nod as I did so. The look seemed to reassure her, and with one last smile she turned, and began to pick up the pace as she made her way back to the home I shared with her and the other Masters.

With one last lingering look at the thing which was still watching the two of us, I turned back to Chikage. The observant girl had followed my gaze, though only when it was on Miu. When my look turned to the thing, Chikage had turned away uninterested. It looked like she too couldn't make out the monster following her in the shadows.

"Well?" Chikage prompted me, sounding annoyed at my delay. I hesitated again, and realized how awkward this situation could get. Despite our friendly nature, the two of us were on opposite sides of a philosophical debate between two opposing schools of martial arts: her, with the Satsujin Ken, the Killing Fist philosophy which adhered to the belief of ending lives through martial arts, and me with the Katsujin Ken, the Preserving Fist philosophy that believed in preserving lives through the same means.

"Not now," I told her finally, deciding to play it safe. "Let's wait until we have a bit more privacy." It was a statement with a double meaning, though only I would probably understand that meaning at this point. Chikage would probably take it to mean that I didn't want any of the Shinpaku Alliance or Miu to hear what we were about to discuss. And I didn't.

But more than that, I was hoping that if I waited a bit longer, than maybe the thing behind us would go on its own accord.

Somehow, I doubted that would be the way it turned out. In the end, it seemed more likely that I would have to be taking this matter into my own hand. The thought chilled me briefly, a new round of cold sweat forming as I suppressed a shiver. It had been nearly a year and a half since I had performed an exorcism, and considering how the last encounter I had with creatures like that had turned out, I wasn't too certain how well I could handle a new one.

Especially considering the fact that I was now alone in such endeavors. Back in the beginning I had Oshino to teach me the ropes, and after he had left I had still had others I could rely on.

But now, there was no one: not Senjougahara, not Kanbaru, not Hanekawa, and not even Shi….

I cut the thought off harshly, nearly slapping myself so that I wouldn't think it. I would not go down that road again. I wouldn't even let myself think about it.

It just hurt too much to consider, even after a year had passed.

"And when will we be able to talk about it?" Chikage prompted after a moment's thought. She had no doubt come to the logical conclusion of me not wanting any of my other friends to hear our conversation. "I will be needing to meet my Master soon."

I paused, and I wasn't certain if the next thought that crossed my mind was either sheer genius or utter stupidity. It was quite possibly one of the most reckless and idiotic things that had ever occurred to me. I blinked, and hesitated, glancing behind me once more. During the brief conversation the two of us had continued walking, her at a brisk pace and me at a more leisurely one. Despite the ground we had covered, the thing had been keeping pace with us. It was once more half concealed by the lip of an alley, but this time I noticed that it had drawn a little bit closer than it had earlier.

Alright. I guess that settled it.

"Your Master," I began, trying my best not to seem too distracted while still keeping an eye on the thing which was trailing the two of us. "Kushinada Mikumo; she's a Miko, isn't she?" It was a bit of a long-shot, but I had met the woman twice. Admittedly, both times she had scared the crap out of me, but on both those occasions she had been dressed in priestess robes. Admittedly, they looked a bit more fetishy than the actual robes a priestess might wear, but they were in the same general ball park.

"A Miko?" Chikage repeated, sounding childishly surprised at the question. I was treated to one of the rare instances where the younger girl looked honestly unprepared, an expression that didn't quite fit into either her childish or her Yomi personas.

"Because if she is," I continued, deciding to go ahead and roll the dice on this gambit, "then I would like to hire her for something."

Sakaki would be proud. It's just the kind of reckless gamble that he liked to make whenever he took a trip to the race tracks.

*Scene Break*

It took close to two more hours before a meeting between Kushinada and myself could be made. All things considering, there were plenty of logical reasons why it would take so long for me to meet Chikage's Master. After all, Kushinada Mikumo is a member of the One-Shadow Nine-Fists, the collection of the ten most powerful practitioners of the Satsujin Ken. With such an auspicious title to her name it stood to reason that she wouldn't have time to come out and meet with a teenage boy who just happened to request to hire her.

Then again, the fact that I was that boy was probably what let the meeting be arranged in the first place. I was the Disciple of Ryouzanpaku after all, the corresponding collection of the greatest Masters who practiced the Katsujin Ken. For a dedicated member of the Life Giving Fist to admit up front that he was hoping to hire a member of the Killing Fists for a job was probably enticement enough for someone to be dispatched, even if it was for no other reason than to determine whether or not it was a trap of some kind. Even more peculiar was that it would be me doing the requesting. I had already had several pseudo-death-matches with a number of the different Disciples of their group, and had more than enough reason to be wary of them as well.

For me to not only request a meeting with one of their members, but with one of the highest ranking Masters in their organization, and one who had already threatened to kill me twice at that, must seem like a lamb dipping itself in meat jelly before walking into the lions' den.

"This way, bandaid," Chikage told me, the girl's face expressionless as she once more sank herself deep into her Yomi mode. The girl was still in her schoolgirl uniform, and had her cellphone pressed securely against her ear as she continued to lead me. It had been a while since I had seen her this tense, and it was only now that it was gone that I was able to make out just how much more relaxed the younger girl had become in my presence. Under that flat look, it seemed that I wasn't able to conceal as much as I normally did, because after a moment's pause the jujitsu user continued. "Nervous?"

"Oh, you could say that," I muttered, trying to keep the hitch out of my voice as I did so. I glanced nervously behind me, and Chikage seemed to interpret my unease in the matter which she felt was most appropriate.

"My Master has no need of an ambush," Chikage assured me, turning to face the front as she continued to lead the way. "There is no one here but us. Though if you're worried, it's not too late to back out."

Chikage's tone changed just a bit at her last statement, as though she was still holding out the hope that I would give up on this meeting. I gave her a halfhearted smile, but even as I did so it was while keeping one eye behind us.

The thing was getting closer again. For the last two hours, no matter what twisting road we took or what alley Chikage led the two of us down, it had always found a way to keep itself even with us. Originally, it had seemed content to stay half hidden, its wretched form partially concealed by the lips of alleys and the bulk of various obstacles. I had almost been able to find the time it had stood directly behind a lamp post as though the thin metal pole actually concealed it as vaguely amusing at one point.

However, in the last half hour whatever factor that had originally caused it to maintain its distance seemed to be losing its importance to the thing. Just like before it seemed to have gradually become bolder in its approach of the two of us.

When Chikage and I had taken the train for fifteen minutes, it had been present in the space between subway cars, standing directly in front of the window that let passengers see into the neighboring cars. When we had turned off a busy street to take a shortcut, it had been present, standing directly at the entrance of the alley, forcing all the other pedestrians who might have taken the same turn to unconsciously seek a different route. When the two of us had waited for a train to pass, it had been even closer behind us, standing directly in the road again.

And now, as Chikage led me up a weathered set of stone stairs and beneath the bright red Torii gates which marked the entrance of a shrine, it was here again, no more than a half dozen yards away, framed by the torii which marked the beginning of the shrine grounds.

"Thanks, Chikage-chan," I told the other girl, trying to alleviate her concern for my safety. "But I don't think backing out is a choice at this point."

It might have been once. When I had first identified the thing that had been following us it had been focused on Chikage only. If I had just sat back, ignored it, gone home with Miu and started my daily routine with my Masters, then I doubt I would ever have seen the creature again. However, I think that leniency vanished the moment I had accidently got too close to the creature while pursuing my younger friend. If the two of us were to separate at this point, I had no idea what the creature would do. It could be that my actions might have presented sufficient insult or provocation to the creature that it would abandon its stalking of the smaller girl. Then again, it might just continue its haunting of the unprepared Chikage and ignore me completely.

If I thought that the thing would come after me alone from now on, I would already have left, and done my best to weather the storm that its presence would no doubt bring on me. I've done just that before, and I had no doubt that I would inevitably have to do so again at some point. However, if there was even a chance that the creature would be continuing after the unprepared Chikage than there was no way I was going to leave her alone, not until this was finished properly.

"Then prepare yourself, bandaid," Chikage told me, apparently steeling herself to the confrontation that was about to happen. "We're here."

Even as she made her announcement, the two of us arrived at the final Torii that led to the shrine that had been our destination. The final gate was a large and grand old thing, though it looked as though it was well cared for. The bright red paint looked relatively fresh, and there was a broad shimenawa, a ritualistic braided rope, hanging below the nuki, the bottom portion of the gate. On resting on it was a small wooden plaque with the words 'Kushinada Shrine' emblazed on it, a sign that was engraved on the stone boulder resting beside it. The shrine itself had been well hidden, located on the outskirts of Tokyo amidst a small pine forest.

Even as we passed through the gate onto the shrine's grounds, traditionally known as 'God's Country' to most and was more exactly known as 'Enemy Territory' to me, I couldn't help but be disappointed that such a fine shrine was in the care of an enemy. I glanced around, for a moment unable to take in anything but the elegant simplicity of the shrine grounds.

"Do you like it, boya?" a voice cut in, and for a second I was too enraptured by the beauty of the grounds to realize just who it was that was talking.

"Yeah," I admitted, a bit of excitement in my voice. "You have such an elegant Kagura-den," I pointed at the stage normally used for Noh plays and traditional Miko dances. My mind briefly wandered to the other uses for Kagura-den, that being for marriage ceremonies, and had the stray thought of whether or not Miu would like to come here sometime with me, before I realized just who it was that was talking. "I mean," I began, hurriedly turning back to face the speaker, swallowing hard as I did so.

Standing before me was Kushinada Mikumo, the Bewitching Fist of Yami and practitioner of the Kushinada style of jujitsu. I knew, intellectually, that Kushinada was closer in age to the Elder than she was to me. The woman before me was probably pushing eighty, or even ninety years of age. Despite that, her physical features were more appropriate on a girl just graduating college, looking to be no older than her mid to late-twenties at best.

She had long, elegant black hair and was dressed in what loosely could be called a Miko's hakama and haori, though the garments had been modified in what was truly a provocative manner. The red hakama had long gaps trailing down the sides of her legs, tied loosely with red ribbons to keep it close even as it exposed long swathes of creamy white skin. Her white haori was similarly altered, loose black threads holding her sleeves off her shoulder and exposing the skin of her sides. More than that, her top was closed rather loosely in the front, open so low that her belly button could be seen peeking out from behind the white garment, and it must have been some secret feminine art which allowed her to keep her massive breasts secured so loosely within her revealing top.

She stood casually, half concealed by one of the tourou, the stone lanterns which lined the pathway from the gate to the shrine proper. The only light visible in the shrine were being produced from the candles that had been set in the tourou, and in the flickering illumination the woman before me looked more like some kind of ephemeral fairy or tempting kitsune than a brutal practitioner of a killing style of martial arts.

It actually took me a second to remember, but the way that Kushinada was half concealed was enough to jolt my memory. There were other things about that were probably equally dangerous as the Master before me.

It was only a quick look, a glance over my shoulder, but I was relieved when I discovered that the thing which had been following me hadn't closed to an uncomfortable closeness while I had been distracted. It was still present and standing in the open, but it had come no nearer. Instead, it had frozen, statue still as always, directly beneath the torii which led into the shrine proper. I had to suppress a sigh of relief that it was apparently being stymied from getting any closer.

It appeared as though this shrine was more than just a hideout for the Bewitching Fist. It looked like it was actually consecrated. It seemed that the thing was hesitating about stepping into God's Country after all.

"What a charming boy," Kushinada murmured, one hand coming up to conceal what was most likely a smile. "Not at all like that boorish Hayato."

"Ah," I began, rubbing the back of my head as I felt inexplicably embarrassed at her teasing compliment. "Thank you," I finally stuttered out. "It's a little late for offerings, but if its polite I can still make one," I offered. "What kinds of prayers are granted here?"

It was rude to simply attend a shrine without making an offering to the kami that reside there. This was a place of worship after all. It was also usually more appropriate to pray for something which was within a god's purview when attending a shrine. Asking a kami dedicated to love to help with financial troubles rarely got any results, and if I was going to make an offering I might as well make one that was within a kami's area of influence.

"Glorious death in battle," Kushinada informed me, still concealing her mouth as she did so, and I couldn't keep a small sigh from escaping as I hung my head. I really should have known. It made sense for a Satsujin Ken to worship a god of war.

"You know," I muttered, one hand coming up to massage my forehead, "there are worse ways to go I suppose." I glanced at the still amused woman dressed as a priestess. "Should I make my offering now, or wait until the grounds are open?"

"There will be time for that later," Kushinada assured me, finally stepping fully out onto the path that connected the gate to the shrine proper. It was a position meant to put herself directly before me, but I found myself unconsciously shifting so that I could keep her on my left. It might have been a bit rude, and I noticed Kushinada's smile shrink slightly in response to my actions, but if I had confronted her face on than it would have meant putting my back to the thing still lingering at the gate to the grounds. "For now though," the Bewitching Fist continued, her smile disappearing into a more stern expression. "Perhaps we should focus on the meaning behind this meeting."

"The meaning," I repeated, unconsciously glancing to my right, still trying to keep an eye on the creature at the gate. For a moment I thought that the thing was still unmoving, before another flash of long dormant instincts made me look closer. It was subtle, only a minutia of difference, but the thing was no longer as it once had been. The unaccountable flashing of its flesh beneath its rotten clothes was no long moving. Whatever illusion of movement that had been causing it to appear to shift was no longer present.

What had changed between now and only a few moments before? I glanced back to Chikage, hoping to see what had caused the deviation from the norm, only to freeze. I could no longer see Chikage at all.

Instead, all I could see was Kushinada. The ephemeral martial artist had closed the distance between the two of us in the brief second when I had looked away and was now looming over me, her face close to mine as she leaned in. It wasn't the first time I had been confronted by the visage of this martial artist as she studied me like a mildly interesting bug. Just like before, after the battle between Master Ma and Maestro Castor of the Nine Fists I froze.

It wasn't just a reaction of fear or surprise. I felt my body lock up, as though every muscle in it had been turned to ice. My first instinctive reaction was to panic, to jump back and give myself some distance. Despite the urge to move, to do anything, no order my brain sent my limbs was received and I found myself as stock still as the thing which was still at the gate. The only thing I could do was stare at the seemingly too large face of the Master glaring down at me, the scent of her sandalwood beads thick in my nose as she crowded me. It was almost enough to block out the scent of rot that had been pervading my senses since the thing had shown up.

"It's impolite to look away from a lady when she's talking, boya," Kushinada informed me, the same imperious tone of voice I was accustomed to hearing from her present. "I was surprised when a Disciple of Ryouzanpaku, of Hayato, would be so brazen as to deliberately seek out a member of the Nine Fists like this. I was even intrigued as to just why such an earnest young man as yourself might seek out his enemy. However, if you persist in wasting my time, my tolerance for this experience will quickly run out."

Just as suddenly as my paralysis occurred, it was gone, and I found myself able to move again. Despite my returned mobility, I could do nothing more than fall to my knees and gasp for breath. Kushinada stood over me, and I realized for the first time just how tall she really was. Even if she was a woman, she still towered over me even without her intimidation technique, her height maybe even higher than even Sakaki's.

It was a glaring reminder that the creature behind me wasn't the only dangerous thing in the courtyard.

"Now," Kushinada continued, apparently satisfied that she once more had my full attention. "What does one of the Katsujin Ken want with one of the Satsujin Ken? Tell me boya, are you here to beg for your life? Or do you perhaps seek the employ of one who is willing to end a life?" A small smile, an expression that seemed to express more in the ways of malice than it did amusement, made its way to her face. "Or perhaps you've come to seek instruction in Martial Arts less restricting than what you receive from your more conservative Masters?"

"Actually," I got out, still trying to regain my breath from her earlier attack. "I was just looking for a good Miko." It was the first thing that I could think to say, and immediately after the words left my mouth, I winced. That might have not been the best thing to say, considering the situation.

"A Miko?" Kushinada repeated, her eyes narrowing as she did so. "If this is meant to be a joke, than I should inform you that I have no tolerance for such mischief. Bad children who indulge in such things should be punished."

Okay, that was not a promising statement.

"No," I shook my head quickly, "it's not a joke!" I was about to go on, though I had no idea what I was going to say when a new noise interrupted me and I froze. Despite the chastisement I had just received, I found my eyes drawn irresistibly to the thing which had been following Chikage all day.

It was still standing in the same position, not even the subtle shifting which had previously disappeared present. But now, despite its frozen nature, it was beginning to show a response different than just the silent shadowing it had been doing all day.

It was growling.

At least, growling was the best way I could think to describe the sound that was being emitted from the thing. The noise was slow, low and throaty. If anything, the best way I could think to describe it was a slow clucking noise being made one broken sound at a time. Even as I identified the noise, it began to speed up. As the strange percussive noises began to gain speed, I realized that it wasn't a click or a growl.

It was a rattle: a death rattle.

When a body dies, the decomposition process begins almost immediately. A major byproduct of the process was the creation of various gasses, methane in particular. It wasn't uncommon for bodies to vent those gasses through a variety of means, and the violent expulsion was often accompanied by a number of different noises. One of the most famous was when gases escaped through the throat, the violent release often causing vocal cords tightened with rigor mortis to make clicking noises. The end result was most often a rattling noise, a sound originally made famous through a particular horror movie about a house haunted by a murdered wife.

"Boya," an annoyed voice drew my attention back to the other dangerous thing in the courtyard, and when I whipped my head back to look at Kushinada, I found myself once more paralyzed, this time mid swallow as the glare I received moments ago proved to not even be close to the full potential of what an ancient Master could produce. "It seems that you are a slow learner. Regardless of the reason you have sought me out, I think I might take a moment to instruct you on the importance of focus."

There was definite malice in her words as Kushinada began to reach out to me, one hand moving slowly towards my head, and if I wasn't already frozen mid swallow I would have gulped again. I had seen what the jujitsu Master could do once she laid her hands on someone, and I had no wish to experience it for myself.

However, before I could experience firsthand just how the upset Kushinada punished bad children, a blur of silver cut in front of me, slicing through the hand that had been closing in so ominously with my face. For a moment it appeared as though the cut was so clean that the blood hadn't had a chance to come out, and then just as though magic the hand, and the body the hand was attached to disappeared as though it were mist.

"Bunshin," I gasped, and realized that I could once more move again. My throat ached from having been paused in mid motion for so long, and I started coughing as the sore muscles of my neck protested the abuse they had been subjected too. I paused, my hazy thoughts realizing that there had been more going on than just a bunshin. My eyes darted down to the thing which had interrupted by imminent punishment, and I wasn't certain if I was surprised or not by the sight of the shuriken embedded in the stone of the walkway.

"Kenichi," the voice of my savior said, her tone flat and disinterested. "You are… late." The rustle of clothes was enough to drag my attention to the side where I located the one who had interrupted Kushinada's attack on me. Clad in a long coat over a short kimono with chain mail beneath, a young woman stood. With her long black hair set in a ponytail and delicate features, she appeared to be in her early twenties, and wouldn't have looked out of place walking to and from university courses, if it wasn't for the enormous katana that she had strapped to her back.

"Shigure-san," I gasped, still trying to get my voice back. "What are you doing here?" Kousaka Shigure, the prodigy of all bladed weapons, and the youngest Master of Ryouzanpaku was standing on one of the tourou lanterns, perched as easily as if she were standing on the ground.

"Dinner," Shigure began, before pausing as though searching through her memory for the word she had planned on saying next. "Was getting cold," she finally concluded. With a nod as though to confirm her statement to herself the swordswoman went still for a second, before she suddenly arched into the air, her sword being drawn in one quick motion and cutting through an otherwise empty space.

"Oh," as though appearing from nowhere Kushinada appeared, hovering in the air just out of reach of the sword strike for a moment before the woman dressed as a shrine maiden once more disappeared. "Is this whom you were looking for, boya?"

The words came from an entirely different place this time, and I started when I realized that they were coming from directly behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, taking in the newly reappeared Kushinada as she stood behind me. Well, where several of her stood behind me. Once more, just like before, it looked like the Master class jujitsu user was using whatever unbelievable trick that she had in her repertoire to make seemingly solid images of herself.

"So this is the level of the Katsujin Ken?" Kushinada continued, a tone of amusement in her voice. "To use the disciple to try and launch an ambush on a Master?"

"And for a Master to attack a disciple…" Shirgure responded right back, a touch of heat in her usually calm voice, "…Is that the way of the Satsujin Ken?"

"Though you concealed your presence well, I knew that you were there," Kushinada returned, and this time her voice echoed from around the courtyard, no longer coming from one place in particular. "Your name, girl: it was Kousaka Shigure, wasn't it?" Even the bunshin that had been present behind me disappeared, and I was beginning to feel like Kushinada had more in common with some kind of fantasy ninja than she did with a modern Martial Art Master. "It seems like we shall have the chance to have our rematch now."

"Agreed," Shigure muttered, reminding me that the two had already met once before, during the battle for the Red Feather Swords. For a third time, I found myself paralyzed, though this time it was a paralysis I was more familiar with as both Master class fighters unleashed their Ki, the heady force of their physical power a crushing though familiar weight on my spirit.

"Oi, bandaid," Chikage muttered, and I realized that at some point the other disciple present had made her way to stand beside me. The young girl was glaring at me, a look which seemed to go beyond the usual casual disdain she emitted to the world when she was in Yomi mode. "Is this why you wanted to meet my Master?"

"No," I shook my head frantically, one hand still massaging my throat as I desperately tried to figure out how the situation had devolved to such an extent. "It was because of…"

I froze, realizing that I had taken my attention of the real reason I had tried to get in contact with Chikage's Master. My head whipped around, once more trying to find where the thing was, and my breath caught in my throat as I located it.

"Well, now I know for certain that you're not really a Miko, Kushinada-san," I managed to get out, my voice shaky as I did so.

"Boya," Kushinada responded, annoyance present in her tone and her voice was accompanied by the sound of a blade clashing with something out of sight. "It's not charming at all to use the same joke all the time."

"Because if you were any kind of Miko at all," I continued, not responding to her own words as I lifted one shaky hand to point towards the entrance to the courtyard, "then there's no way in hell you wouldn't have noticed that by now."

"Noticed…?" Kushinada began, and then just as suddenly as it had started, the Ki that accompanied a battle between two Masters vanished. As quickly as she disappeared, the jujitsu user reappeared, standing beside her disciple as though she had always been there, her eyes narrowed as the mature woman stared towards where I was pointing. Beside her, Chikage too had followed my finger, and it seemed that even the usually unflappable Shigure had been caught unaware as she too retreated to my side. Kushinada continued, her tone sounding equal parts perplexed as it did angry. "Who on earth are you?"

At some time during the escalating confrontation between Kushinada and Shigure the death rattle it started emitting earlier had begun to escalate, a long loud noise that reminded me of the sound some sort of hellish cicada might emit. For the second time since I identified it I watched as the thing moved. Its limbs twitched as they shifted, its body swaying like a doll being poorly manipulated by some amateur puppeteer. With a dragging motion, as though it couldn't properly make use of its legs, it took a slow step, crossing the border that the torii gate marked from the outside world to the shrine and as it did so it emerged into the candlelight which illuminated the courtyard.

Finally, for the first time since I had first laid eyes on the thing someone besides me seemed at last able to perceive it. I almost felt sorry for the others who had only now managed to make out the monster that had been shadowing Chikage for a good portion of the day. When I had first seen it I hadn't been able to make out much of the details. I just knew it was there, and that whatever it was it was foul. Now though, for the first time the thing had stepped out of the shadows and with whatever art or principle which kept me from scrutinizing it earlier removed the true travesty of its nature was revealed at last

The brief shudder of terror that flit through me at the realization that whatever the thing was it had ventured freely onto the God's Country of a shrine was overshadowed by the revulsion its true appearance inspired.

It was definitely female, that much I had already been able to determine. However if the gender had ever indicated some potential for being attractive that illusion had been dispelled. Its skin was pale, not the porcelain pale of a girl that simply stayed out of the sun but the freakish whiteness of a bloodless corpse. Its flesh looked rubbery, and was set with blue varicose veins which bulged prominently across its form. More than just veins, its flesh was marred with lesions, sores, and what looked like dark gangrenous swelling. Wherever its flesh was marred the wounds were moist and foul looking, seeping pale secretions which might have been pus but could just as well be something equally disgusting.

There were places where it looked like something was moving within it, as though there were squirming things beneath her skin, and when one of those squirming things made its way to one of her open wounds the bone white of a maggot made itself known as the grub poked its way lightly out as though to test the temperature outside its host before it vanished back within to continue its borrowing feast.

Covering this putrescent body was its equally wretched garments. What I had originally thought to be simply dark clothing was revealed to in fact once have been a lighter shade, perhaps white. However, the secretions which the creature oozed from its unhealthy body had apparently long since saturated the garment, and dirt and grime had caked itself to the moisture the wounds had given the clothes. It looked like the clothes stuck to the thing at some places, hung too loose in others, was made thicker and stiffer by its decay at points, and was too thin to be repaired in others. The only part of its outfit it still had that even resembled what it once might have been was the hitaikakushi, the triangular forehead covering that was used as ceremonial burial garments in ancient times.

It was thanks to the hitaikakushi that I couldn't make out the creatures face, and for that I was grateful. Instead, all I could see was its hair. I had been able to see the matted nature of its locks even in the dark, but the full extent of the soiling was only now becoming apparent. Its hair was long and wrapped around it almost as though it was being used as a second garment to help support the other decaying and less useful dress. At places the hair glistened oily, perhaps through general unkemptness and perhaps through having been soaked in the creature's fluids. At other places it was flat and dry, the individual strands having caked together and hardened until they were plate like patches covering its body at irregular intervals.

It looked like it was a corpse that had spent the better part of a month or two buried somewhere damp and filthy. Even for me, who had been expecting something along those lines, it was a sight enough to turn my stomach. For the three others present it was something which must have come out of nowhere, a creature that had appeared without any warning and without their notice despite the fact that all three of them had been trained to be preternaturally aware of their environment.

"That smell…" Shigure noted, and I glanced to the side to see the normally unflappable Mistress of Weapons wrinkling her nose. It looked like now that the creature had been revealed completely they were able to make out all the signs of its presence, including its scent. I began to make my way to my feet, getting up from the kneeling position that Kushinada's paralysis techniques had forced me into earlier, and I managed to catch sight of Chikage perhaps unconsciously imitating the older girl's gesture as she too was beset upon by the scent of rot. Only Kushinada seemed unaffected, striding forward until her body was firmly between the thing and her disciple.

"Did you not hear me?" Kushinada demanded of the thing, standing imperious and iron in her voice as she confronted the creature. As though in response to the challenge the thing took another step, lurching as though it was about to lose balance before it righted itself, moving closer. The noise, the long ghastly rattle continued to build even louder, a crescendo that was picking up speed and force as it did so. "I said…"

Kushinada got not further in her attempt to question it as the thing's arm snapped up, all its previous clumsiness disappearing in one sharp movement. It's fingers outstretched, fingernails blackened from grave dirt of something equally disgusting, it reached towards where the four of us had perhaps unconsciously retreated when it appeared. As though the movement was a signal, its long rattle, too long for human lungs to have sustained for the same period of time, drew together until it was no longer making individual clicking noises but was instead screeching, a sound like nails on a chalkboard. Even though the rest of its face was still concealed I could make out her mouth, her teeth chipped and jagged and black with what would no doubt be a dentist's nightmare of plague and filth.

And then it moved.

I could barely make it out as it streaked forward, screeching all the while. It covered the ground between where it had been standing and where we had gathered in less time than I thought possible. Despite its increased speed, I could make out that its gait was still unnatural, its limbs jerking in odd ways as it half sprinted and half tumbled towards the four of us.

"Chikage-chan!" was all I managed to get out, and it was thanks to the hellish martial arts training I was receiving from my Masters at Ryouzanpaku that I was able to move in time, throwing myself on the smaller girl and forcing her to the side and to the ground. I didn't know what the thing wanted with her, but it looked like it was finally ready to make a move to get it. I heard Chikage 'eep', surprised at my sudden movement towards her and even as I tried to shelter her with my body as best I could I felt sudden pain blossom in my shoulder, ribs, and gut as she instinctively struck out at me. I grunted, and despite the pain held on.

If this had been a fight then I had no doubt that those attacks would have continued, but it seemed like Chikage managed to realize that I wasn't trying to attack her after the first half dozen attacks finished. Her onslaught had only lasted a second, occurring before the two of us had even hit the ground after I had tackled her, but even that amount of time I had no doubt she had done some pretty serious damage to me.

Honestly, I had thought that the pain of her strikes would be the least of my worries considering how fast the thing attacking Chikage was and how dangerous it most likely was as well. However, after I had spent a second bracing myself, covering Chikage's body with my own, and still hadn't felt any other blow hit me I dared to open my eyes to see where the thing was.

Doing so revealed that I had been mistaken about one very important element of the thing's nature: it appears that it wasn't Chikage that it had been after at all.

It had been after Kushinada instead.

I had seen Masters battle before. For all the skill and power that a Master brought to the table, the fights themselves were often somewhat uninspiring to those who didn't know what to look for. To the uninitiated a battle between Masters usually consisted of three parts: a period of the two staring at each other, a brief exchange of attacks, and then one fighter landing a blow and the other falling down. While it may seem that simple to someone not trained to fight, those who could recognize the specifics knew that something entirely different was really happening.

During the initial period of stillness, the Masters were actually having a fierce battle of hypothetical exchanges of blows. These battles, called Attack Trail Battles, were when both Masters were attempting to judge the possible combinations or attacks that the other might use. It was only once a Master determined that they had sufficient advantage to risk an actual fight that the two would begin to throw real attacks. While the punches or kicks might not seem like much, for the most part a Master's attacks were generally so strong that they could shatter concrete into dust or held some secret technique or trick that multiplied the power anywhere from a dozen to a hundredfold. And when a fight ends it was usually only after one of the Masters managed to land a secret technique or a finishing move, an attack so powerful that it would be able to overcome whatever technique or purely physical defense the other Master was relying on to protect them.

What was going on right now was nothing like a battle between Masters.

There was no period of staring, no careful measure of strength from the thing. It simply struck with clawed hands and jagged feet, its mouth still open and that shrill ear splitting screech continuing unabated all the while. It flung its arms and legs at the jujitsu Master with inhuman speed and power, still looking like it was some puppet being unskillfully manipulated. Its torso would twitch one way than the other and an arm would follow in accordance, outstretched and flopping as it did so even as it cut through the air fast enough to be audible. Whichever limb wasn't being used would simply dangle or spin without regard until it suddenly was used again.

And despite the unskilled nature of its assault, Kushinada looked like she was losing. The older woman's eyes were narrowed, and there was no sign of any of her previously displayed bunshin. Instead, it looked as though she too were relying on nothing but her physical abilities to fight this battle. A blow would be dodged by the barest of margins, and a counter attack in the shape of a fist or a kick would be launched in return. Each blow Kushinada launched hit, but none of them seemed to have any effect on the creature.

For a moment I thought that the jujitsu user was simply holding back in order to judge the threat of the creature attacking her, but when one slashing blow wasn't entirely dodged and the thing's jagged nails tore open the front of Kushinada's low cut haori I realized that the Master wasn't playing around. She was honestly being pressed by the creature's assault.

As though she too seemed to realize that she was losing, Kushinada tried to take control of the fight. I didn't even realize it was happening until one second the creature was swinging wildly, and the next there was only a blur of white and red as the jujitsu user moved. It was only afterwards when I had managed to figure out the exact sequence of movements. It was while the creature was overextended, one hand crossing its body entirely that Kushinada had grasped its wrist. In the same movement, she had stepped, a move which had swept the creature's feet out from beneath it. Then she had moved until she was standing behind it, still holding its arm with one hand as the other went to the things shoulder in what looked like a precursor to one of the more basic of jujitsu moves, an arm bar take down.

If the move would have worked then it would have left the thing pinned to the ground, its arm captured and under Kushinada's less then tender mercy. Instead, before she could finish her attack while the thing was still midair it simply turned its head to face her. The movement was accompanied by a gruesome cracking noise which was most likely its spine snapping as its head spun nearly two hundred and seventy degrees. Even as Kushinada seemed to realize that the thing had somehow positioned itself to attack mid strike, and despite the fact that the move shouldn't be physically possible, the creature stretched its broken neck, moving its jagged teeth into position to tear into the jujitsu user's arm.

I had no idea what affect that things bite would have on the other woman. I still hadn't even figured out just what the thing really was. For all I knew a bite from that thing could have some sort of curse attached to it, or a poison of some kind that could be injected. Considering just how fetid that thing's jaws looked, it could even just cause something as mundane as septic shock if the debris littering its mouth managed to make its way through Kushinada's skin. However, just as its teeth began to close in a blur of silver darted between the two and as the jaw snapped shut it was with an audible 'clang' that could be heard even over the noise of the thing as it STILL continued its shriek even with its mouth full and closed.

Shigure had joined the fight, and just in time it seemed. The weapon prodigy had appeared in a blur of lavender kimono, her sword poised to interrupt the things bite. I could make out the scene for a second as all three of the combatants seemed to hang in the air for a moment, and I could make out that despite the fact that Shigure had blocked with the sword she had carefully angled so that the back of the blade would be facing the creature.

And then the creature moved again, once more defying common sense and physics as the arm that wasn't still captured by Kushinada moved, another awful cracking noise emitting as it forced the arm behind it, either dislocating it at the shoulder or maybe just shattering its shoulder blade to get the range of motion necessary for the attack. Unprepared, Shigure only had a moment to get her arm out of the way, a kusari appearing from her voluminous sleeve of her overcoat that intercepted the full force of the creatures attack. It wasn't enough to stop it completely though, and the force of the attack tore a patch through both her coat and her kimono before the force of it sent the midair Shigure into Kushinada, sending both of them skidding away from the creature.

"Mind yourself, girl," Kushinada snapped, even as the two separated inflight before either of them landed. "There's no need for the Katsujin Ken to involve themselves in this affair."

"It already…" Shigure began, flipping once before she made it completely to the ground, her sword held in front of her in a guard position, "…interrupted our fight."

It was a bit of a vague statement, but prior experience had helped me develop a better understanding of the sword user's sometimes cryptic remarks. It looked like Shigure was actually a little upset that her fight with Kushinada had been interrupted. I still wasn't certain if the main motivation behind the sword user helping the other woman was that she just wanted to finish the fight with the creature as quick as possible so that they could resume, or if she was worried that if Kushinada was hurt that the two wouldn't be able to have a fair match.

Whatever argument that was about to spring up between the two was interrupted as the creature also began to recover itself. However, instead of getting to its feet, the thing seemed to favor a more gruesome manner of getting back to the fight. When it had managed to free itself, the momentum of its final blow had sent it spinning through the air before it finally collided with the ground, belly up. For a normal person, this position would have left their heads facing the sky as well, however with the thing's unnatural position of its neck its head looked right side up in that position from our perspective. The logical next step would have been for the person to stand and right themselves. The creature however, with its head still twisted from when it had tried to bite Kushinada, didn't seem to care much for logic.

Rather than stand up, it simply pushed itself onto all fours. When it found the position of its elbows made the stance awkward, it made another spastic motion, twin pops echoing as its arms wrenched themselves, twisting gruesomely in their sockets as they spun around until they could be positioned more comfortably beneath it. The flesh of the arms was pulled tight, and the lesions and sores began to ooze more fiercely as the pressure on the muscles of its arms squeezed the noxious fluids out of the body like water being wrung from a dish cloth.

The sight of the inhuman position, head backwards and limbs crooked, was so wrong, so unnatural, that it looked to be enough to interrupt even the argument between the two proud Masters. Without another word, both of the dangerous women seemed to come to some unspoken agreement, each circling away from each other as they put space between them so that they would have room to maneuver. The creature didn't seem to care, and still shrieking it simply charged its way back towards Kushinada, the movements of its twisted limbs and flopping neck like some kind of insect or crab as it scuttled back to battle.

"Bandaid," I heard Chikage his, and glanced down ready to comfort the no doubt scared child. Instead, I found that the younger girl showed none of the terror which would no doubt be appropriate for kid when confronted by something that seemed willing to break its own neck in order to sink its teeth into an enemy. Instead, I found the younger disciple with wide and intense eyes as she took in the sight before her. "What is that thing, and how do we fight it?"

I had to suppress a sigh as I was once again confronted by the difference between a member of Yami and myself. Would it be that hard to be even a little bit scared?

Gods know I was.

"I don't know yet," I told her, and then, somewhat hypocritically I suppose, did the exact same thing the younger girl was doing: watched my Master and tried to figure out just how I could contribute to the battle in some meaningful way.

It looked like the change in height that the creature had effectively imposed on itself was doing nothing to help Kushinada in terms of fighting it. Jujitsu had always been a martial art that focused on grabbing, throwing, and then pinning the enemy. I don't know why it was that the Yomi member wasn't using any of her more esoteric arts, but it looked like Kushinada was instead focusing solely on using her physical capabilities to combat the creature. I don't know how she could bring herself to do so as even the sight of the thing's leprous skin was enough to send a shiver down my spine. Still, in order to effectively put herself on the same height, Kushinada had sank into seiza position, the way of sitting position customarily used by warriors in order to be able to fight even when they were seated.

If the situation was any less hazardous, I think I might be awed at just how well the Master used her new position to her advantage. I had used seiza myself before, when I had been forced to fight Li Raichi, one of the first members of Yomi I had encountered once I had truly begun to set foot into the Underworld of Martial Arts.

The display Kushinada was putting on was enough to make my own efforts back then resemble those of a crippled child.

The thing was attacking much like an animal would at this point. It would hunch back on its bent legs, swiping its clawed hands in irregular patterns, attacks which would change direction seemingly without warning all the while gnashing its teeth and biting at the woman it was attacking. It was still screeching even as it opened and shut its mouth, causing the already ear splitting noise to warble and echo as it was muffled and altered with the movement of its jaws.

In response Kushinada was fighting purely on the defensive, her arms flickering as they moved nearly too fast to be seen. She seemed to have learned her lesson the first time and was no longer even attempting to throw or pin the thing. Instead she would brush against its wrist or elbow as necessary, forcing its already wild attacks to go even more out of control. When the thing would press forward, trying to use its weight to overwhelm her she would simply shift. I couldn't think of any other way to describe it. One second the thing would be bearing down on Kushinada, and then in less time than it took to blink she would simply be behind it, the thing faltering and whirling as it single mindedly continued its attempt to kill the jujitsu user.

Throughout it all Shigure was darting like a demented dragonfly as she did her best to try and stop the creature. It would seem like a simple thing for a woman carrying a sword nearly as large as she was to stop somebody who was crawling around on the ground like that, but the truth was far from that. Despite the creature's fearsome attack and hideous appearance, Shigure was a user of the Katsujin Ken. No matter how hard she struck the thing, she steadfastly refused to use the edge of her sword. However, no matter how hard the weapon user struck the thing, no matter how much likely the landed blow would have crippled a normal human, the thing gave less attention to the sword user that a normal person would give a bothersome insect flitting about around them.

"Should we attack?" Chikage asked me, sparing a moment to glance away from the fight unfolding before us, and I realized that for whatever the reason the more experienced and better trained disciple was looking to me for guidance in the face of an unexpected situation. If the scene wasn't so tense I might have been happy for that.

"As it stands now we would either just get in the way, or be completely ineffective," I told her, my voice tense as I gave my best summation of what our efforts would add to the battle. "Even Shigure-san isn't able to do anything to it, and it looks like your Master is having just as tough a time. Better to hold back and wait for an opening." Chikage nodded, already turning back to regard the fight as she pulled away from where I had still been covering her from my earlier attempt at protecting her. "Besides…" I began, before pausing realizing that finishing the thought I was about to say out loud might not be the best idea.

"Besides?" Chikage snapped, her attention once more riveted on me as it appeared as though I might have something to add. Knowing that I would have to say what I was thinking, I sighed, and prepared myself for the worst.

"Besides," I mumbled putting a sheepish hand to the back of my head. "It's a woman. I don't fight women."

The look that Chikage gave me was probably the most incredulous thing I had ever seen as I refused to meet her eyes. I knew that the thing most likely wasn't an actual woman, and that even if it had at one point it probably didn't count as one now. But just like Shigure refused to use the edge of her blade, I too had my convictions, even in a situation like this.

My own feminism aside, it didn't look like there was much I would be able to contribute at this point anyway. It was taking two Masters, one of which who could rival even the Elder and the other who was using a plethora of weapons to augment herself, but it looked like a stalemate had evolved at some point during the fight. Though the two Martial Artists couldn't seem to beat the thing, it looked like the thing itself was also unable to finish the battle either.

Still, if there was one thing I learned over the course of my own duels it was that stalemates like this couldn't last forever. The two Masters were only human after all, and not even they could maintain this kind of pace forever. The thing on the other hand didn't seem to have the same kinds of limitations.

I wasn't certain if Kushinada was just a second too slow at one point or if the creature had just managed to get a lucky strike, but after nearly a minute of this strange ground battle the thing finally managed to land more than just a glancing hit. I could barely hear the sound of Kushinada's grunt as its clawed nails raked across her mostly exposed chest, a shallow blow at best but still a blow. The thick sandalwood necklace that Kushinada wore exploded as they acted as an impromptu armor to guard her throat and collar, sending individual beads of wood ricocheting across the courtyard amidst the hollow clack of wood on stone as they bounced and scattered.

There was a moment of shock as intense as though I had accidently fingered an electric socket as I took in the change in the pace of the battle, already convinced that this would be the point where things stopped going in the favor of the Masters. However, instead of pressing the attack the thing paused, and for the first time since it started its onslaught it seemed to hesitate, its heading whipping back and forth as though it were trying to follow the path of the beads as they scattered. Even its screeching seemed to slow, the ear piercing noise lowering in tone for moment though it didn't stop completely.

Both Kushinada and Shigure seemed to catch onto this change immediately. As skilled as the two were there was no way that they would miss such a change in the pace of the fight. Kushinada used it to fall back, the leap away from the thing taking her halfway across the courtyard as though she were a leaf being tossed by an unfelt breeze. She landed on her feet again, abandoning her seated position even as she stood ready, one hand coming up to delicately trace a thin red line across the top of her breasts which the destroyed necklace hadn't been able to protect her from. Kushinada's expression was calm, though the ferocity of the glare she was unleashing on the creature as it started to scrabble across the courtyard, was so intense it made me shiver.

Shigure's response on the other hand seemed to be less inclined towards taking further defensive maneuvers and more in the area of trying to go on the offense instead. Even as the creature began to swat at the fallen beads, each strike smashing a different orb into splinters, the sword user had sunk down into a position I'd seen her use twice before. With her sword behind her in a ready position, I could feel as the Ki she emitted seemed to grow until it was almost a palpable presence on my skin.

"Shinto Gourenzan!" For a moment the Ki was so powerful that I could feel it like a force on the back of my eyes as I watched. The Shinto Gourenzan, the Heart And Blade As One strike, was considered to be the absolute pinnacle of weapon using. It was when a wielder was so in tune with their weapon that rather than the weapon being like a part of their body it was as though their body instead became a part of the weapon. With speed the likes of which I still couldn't fully comprehend, Shigure moved like a flash of silver. The light of the candles reflecting off her sword as she moved gave the illusion of luminescent roads being carved in the air itself as her sword struck the thing relentlessly, seemingly from all sides at once.

For the first time since the fight began the things screech broke, cut off with a high pitched choking noise like the way old records would sometimes skip where the vinyl had been scratched. It froze, no longer continuing its bizarre game of chase with the still settling beads. Unfortunately, that was the only reaction the thing made. When Shigure had used the same move against her human opponents the attack was usually accompanied by vast quantities of shredded clothes and the targets immediate collapse. Even using the flat of the blade like she usually did, the Shinto Gourenzan still was a move which combined immense power and uncountable strikes against the target.

After a tense moment where I found myself desperately praying that the thing was just being dramatic and was about to go down at any second, the things clothes began to shift slightly. For a second I thought that it might be the precursor to the creatures stained and ratty garments coming apart at the seams from the strike, though the thought of seeing more of the wretched corpse-like body was enough to turn my stomach. However when the thing continued to remain thankfully covered, I realized that it wasn't the creature's clothing that was moving.

It was its hair.

Rising from where it had remained wrapped around the creatures body strands of the long dirty black hair were beginning to uncoil themselves. Whenever the places where the hair had caked solid began to move they were accompanied by 'cracking' noises as the noxious dried fluids shattered and began to work themselves free of their knots. The freed strands began to twine themselves, forming oily and twisted braids that swayed in a nonexistent breeze around the still crouching body of the creature. It was such an unnatural and yet hypnotic sight that despite the fact that the battle hadn't yet ended, no one in the clearing seemed to be able to look away from the twitching strands.

Slowly at first and then with mounting speed, the thing began to rattle again. It was the only warning the creature delivered before it resumed its attack.

With the cracking noise of a whip being snapped in the air, several of the newly created appendages launched themselves, black blurs in the dark night as they closed in on the unprepared Shigure. Despite being confronted by something which should be impossible, the weapons prodigy managed to react in time. Her sword swung, flashing as it moved to parry the first few braids, and though she managed to block them for some reason the incredibly sharp blade that she wielded didn't seem to do any damage to the hair that should have been easily cut.

Even though she managed to defend against the first few knots, there were more close on the heels of the first assault. Using some of the bizarre agility I had seen her utilize in the past, Shigure somehow managed to force herself into some kind of demented game of midair keep away. Each block seemed to provide the purchase she needed to maneuver as she tried to retreat in the face of the creature's unconventional assault. However, even as the thing's rattle began to once more build in speed and intensity, for the first time since it began its mindless attack on Kushinada it seemed to finally be paying attention to something besides its original target.

It scuttled along the ground with the same crablike gait that it had been utilizing for most of the battle, though with the addition of its hair to the battle it looked as though it was beginning to utilize some form of strategy as well. Rather than charge in headlong like it had been earlier, it instead continued to crawl so that the space between it and Shigure remained unchanged, even as the swordswoman tried to separate and get some space. It was still rattling, the noise building slightly than subsiding again at random intervals, reminding me vaguely of the shaking of train tracks in the distance. It looked like even if Shigure's attack hadn't dealt any real damage to it, the Shinto Gourenzen had still managed to make it cautious.

That was a good news/ bad news kind of thing. The good news was that the creature apparently could be hurt, if it was taking the time to try and be cautious in its assault.

The bad news was that apparently it would take something a lot more powerful than the ultimate expression of a weapon user's ability with their blade.

All it took was one misstep for the desperately blocking Shigure, and then the creature would have her in its hairy grasp. I held my breath, hoping that the misstep wouldn't come, that my Master would manage to escape safely.

I released that breath in a pained 'whoosh' when she didn't.

I don't know if it was intentional or not, but between one dodge and another, one of the oily of the tresses of the thing's hair managed to circle Shigure's sword just above the tsuba but before the cutting edge of the blade itself. When the plait of hair tightened, it jerked Shigure's skillful defense just enough for the next strand to land on her body, tightening across her upper arm. As though I was watching some wicked game of dominos, more and more strands began to find their way around Shigure, whose struggles were becoming more and more desperate. First her arm, then her ankle, then her waist, more and more parts of her body were being constricted by the creature's relentless attacks.

She had time for one desperate move, releasing her father's sword and using the newly freed hand to dart into her coat, pulling free a brace of shuriken, and then a new braid found even that hand, wrapping around it at the wrist. Even as the thing's rattle began to build at its apparent conquest, the strand wrapped around the sword flicked, sending the elegant weapon flying through the air as though it was nothing more than trash to be discarded. Instead, the creature's attentions instead seemed fixated on the now captured Master. Its growl escalated even more as it somehow found the leverage to keep Shigure suspended midair, despite the physical improbability of it being able to support holding up a body with nothing but its hair without some sort of bracing.

I managed to make out a harsh 'grunt' as the bands securing my Master began to tighten, oily streaks left behind as the plaits of hair coiled around her, before Kushinada made her presence known. Without any sort of grace, apparently having decided to forego Martial Arts entirely for some reason, Kushinada appeared next to the creature, foot reared back for one still framed moment, before the Jujitsu user simply punted the creature square in the small of its back. With the creature's current warped position, it meant that Kushinada had kicked it from below, and the creature let out a surprised sounding warble as it was lifted off the ground entirely.

Even if it wasn't some fancy technique like I had been expecting, it looked like Kushinada's pure physical strength seemed to definitely be in the upper end of the Master class range. The thing was sent flying, its limbs flapping comically as flailed about. It looked like the blow was enough to even cause the creature to forget about torturing my Master where it had her bound if the way Shigure began to suck in air was any indication. Still, the bonds about my Master were still connected to the thing, and as it went flying Shigure was forced to trail after as its hair was once more pulled taught.

I didn't pay any attention to just where the thing was going. Instead, I had finally found the chance for me to contribute to this battle, no matter how small my actions might be.

"Bandaid!" Chikage yelped as I charged, scrabbling on all fours to get as much traction as I could. Behind me, I heard a horrific crashing noise as the creature's flight was arrested by something, probably a tree or a wall. There was a second noise a moment after, this one accompanied by the sound of someone gasping, and I knew that Shigure's flight too had come to an unfortunate end. That didn't matter though, not right now.

One of my Masters was in trouble. I'd already seen the thing in action, and I knew well how my own skills would compare to it: I would be slaughtered in a heartbeat. Even with its ungainly movements and shambling motions it still moved with enough speed and power to push two Master class fighters to their limits. Add in the hair, and the most I could do directly against that thing is die a humiliating death.

But there was something I could do, and the knowledge sang through me, empowering me, forcing me to move at the upper limits of my ability. I could help my Master, I could give her back the means to fight against the thing.

And so, my eyes locked on the flying blade which had been wrenched from Shigure's grip, and knowing that the act could shave seconds off my time, rather than wait until Shigure's father's sword landed I threw myself at it, jumping higher and faster than most humans could dream of moving. Even before it hit the ground, I felt my arms close around the sword, embracing it to my chest as I spun and managed to regain my footing so that I could land in a crouched position with the blade securely in my possession.

"Shigure-san!" I shouted, spinning as fast as I could towards the last sounds I heard of the battle behind me. I had only taken my eyes away from it for moments, but already the battle had evolved into something which was completely different from what it was before.

Somehow, the fight had moved away from the grounds of the shrine proper and into the pine trees which surrounded the holy place. The creature's voice had risen again, the dreadful clicking noise once more blurring into that ear splitting screeching sound which had flavored the battle so far. The thing was attacking Kushinada with all its might again, flung limbs and twisted body shattering wood with every motion of its rotting frame.

Kushinada was once more showing a defense against its actions far beyond anything I could muster at this point. Every time it seemed like a blow would connect, it was instead met with a branch of tree, an unearthed root, a suddenly swaying trunk. It was almost as though Kushinada was warping the world around her in order to counter the creature's assault. The two of them raced with unnatural speed and grace through the small copse of pine which was meant only to serve as decoration to the shrine in general.

And as the two raced, Shigure-san was forced to follow after them.

The creature's hair was still securely locked around the weapons user. Her neck, her shoulders, her elbows, her thighs, her knees, her ankles, around all her joints and in various other places oily or stiff plaits of hair were firmly coiled. My Master was being pulled behind the ongoing fight like a puppy on a leash being dragged after an overeager child trying to walk their new pet. Despite what should be an immobilizing grasp on my Master, Shigure was still fighting.

It was inspiring to watch. Every twitch of the woman's frame pulled forth some knew weapon, a weapon which was used to try and cut the bound woman free. A roll of shuriken was produced, the sharp edges cutting and biting into the locks holding Shigure's thighs, only for a whip like braid to strike them away. Even as the freed thigh was re-secured by new hair, the brief moment of freedom was enough for Shigure to flex, and seemingly from nowhere a kodachi appeared, the weapon used to strike at the strands securing a shoulder. When that was struck away it was only for a kusari to spring forth, the sickle biting into yet another of the imprisoning hairs.

And even though it was inspiring, it was a doomed effort. Perhaps that was what made it so inspiring in the first place.

"Shigure-san," I shouted again, digging my feet hard as I pushed myself into a charge, the weight of my Master's sword unexpectedly heavy in my arms as I fumbled with it. I was only passingly familiar with weapons in general, most of my training over how to counter them barehanded, but I was going to have to make do as best I could. I knew, intellectually that what I was about to do was probably stupid. In fact, it was definitely more along the lines of 'very stupid' rather than just 'stupid'.

Well, no one ever accused me of being terribly smart in the first place.

It was hard to keep track of the flashing bodies as the fight continued to weave in and out of the copse of firs, but despite the speed of the battle Kushinada seemed to be intent on keeping the battle among the trees. I knew better than to try and approach the creature itself. If even two Masters couldn't take it on than a Disciple like myself would be so outclassed it wouldn't be funny. However, I didn't need to attack it directly in order to contribute to the fight.

Instead, I shifted my grip on Shigure's sword, grasping it around the hilt as I fumbled to raise it into a striking position without hitting any of the branches that were encircling me or tripping at the haste with which I was moving. The stink of rot grew thicker around me as I got closer to the fight, nearly overpowering me as I finally got within range.

Hoping that I this would work, I attacked not the creature itself but the hair which was binding my Master so securely. I wasn't certain if I would be able to cut all the winding trails flowing from the creature's scalp, but even if I only severed a few of them that would hopefully be enough for Shigure to take care of the rest.

It was a do or die assault. Either this would work and Shigure would be able to rejoin the fight properly armed and unencumbered, or I would fail and most likely either die or join Shigure in her braided bondage.

"Hyah!" I shouted, swinging the enormous sword as best I could, aiming for a space between the creature and Shigure where the snakelike locks were thickest.

I missed completely.

Well, not exactly a miss. The moment I had begun my attack the creature had twisted, launching itself away from both Shigure and Kushinada and back out into the courtyard proper. Rather than drag Shigure after it the creature's hair had writhed in a frenzy so intense the space it occupied looked almost liquid from the movement as it had unwound itself from where it was holding my Master's body. I had struck as fast as I could but it hadn't been fast enough as between one second and the next what had once been a space thick with tangled strands blurred like spilled ink and then there was nothing there anymore.

I blinked, completely surprised at the creature's retreat, feeling slightly foolish at having launched such a fierce war cry only to have hit nothing at all. Shigure seemed equally surprised at her sudden freedom as she dropped to the ground, landing flat on her butt with her legs sprawled out in front of her. Even Kushinada appeared a bit unprepared as once more a lull settled into the combat.

The creature settled itself in the courtyard, its twisted arms and bent knees flexing as it lowered and raised its body, its hair whipping about it as it did so. I could make out Chikage behind it, slightly concealed where she was standing behind a tourou, and for a second I worried that I had been mistaken earlier and that the thing really was going to attack the younger girl. However, the creature made no further hostile action, even its shriek slowly dying back down to a fierce rattle. It snapped its jaws a few times, clawing at the stone of the courtyard with its rotten nails, but made no other move.

"Why does it hesitate?" I heard Kushinada ask, her voice low as the Jujitsu user studied the thing intently. I spared a glance at her, checking to see how she was doing now that she wasn't constantly blurring about. There was a thin sheen of sweat on the older woman, and her long dark hair was sticking to her forehead and shoulders where it made contact with her skin. Her top had sprouted a few more rips around it, tears which were doing very little to assist in preserving her modesty. Despite the tense atmosphere I couldn't quite prevent a blush as I caught sight of more of her chest than should be appropriate. Kushinada didn't seem to even notice her exposure, and remained standing as tall and as regal as she normally did.

"Kenichi…" a new voice caused me to glance away from the Jujitsu user, and I saw that Shigure had managed to right herself. She was standing next to me, giving me her customary blank glance though she held one hand out in front of her. "…my sword," she continued after a second and I realized I was still holding on to her father's blade, the weapon slumping off to the side as I forgot to even try to hold it in a guard position.

Just like Kushinada, Shigure hadn't escaped combat untouched so far. Her coat and kimono were both torn in a nasty looking stretch across her ribs, though the gleam of chainmail which peaked out revealed that the weapon user had managed to avoid taking any actual damage. There were dark lines forming across some of Shigure's exposed skin where the plaits of hair had managed to squeeze tight enough to bruise, and there were sheens of glistening fluid that marked other parts where the soaked hair had rubbed against her flesh and clothes.

"Ah!" I gulped, and quickly did my best to offer the weapon back to the Master. "Sorry, Shigure-san," I apologized, hoping that she wouldn't be offended by my clumsy attempt to use her sword.

"It's….fine," Shigure assured me, taking the blade back by its hilt with far more grace present even in that simple maneuver than I could ever accomplish in the same move. Far more of her attention was focused on the creature than it was on me, and I also turned my gaze towards the thing once more.

"After such a fierce assault, why does it pause?" Kushinada murmured, her presence austere from where she stood nearby.

"Don't…know," Shigure shrugged, not looking too concerned at trying to find the reason for the things hesitation. The kunai which had appeared in the weapons user's left hand and was being spun by the ring of the handle betrayed her apparent unconcern, as did the way her eyes never left where the creature was still restlessly pawing at the ground.

"Actually," I began, my voice hesitant. "I think I might have an idea…"

I actually heard a cracking noise as both the Masters turned their attention to me so fast that Kushinada's neck actually popped as though it were a knuckle being stretched. That definitely had not been what either of them had been expecting to hear, especially not from a boy who was just a Disciple class Martial Artist.

Still, I had been involved with these kinds of situations for a lot longer than I have been having death matches with other Disciples from shadowy organizations or confronting delinquent gangs. I might never have come across a creature exactly like this one before, but I had enough experience to make a few guesses. I'd been studying the thing for a few hours now as it followed Chikage, and it had done a few odd things during its fight to help provide a few more hints as to its true nature.

However, regardless of just what it was, there had been one particular character trait that had remained constant during all of my interactions with it.

"Well, boya?" Kushinada prompted, her tone at best mildly curious at my unexpected contribution. "Though if you're lying about such a thing for the sake of appearances, I should warn you that such actions are hardly charming at all."

The unspoken threat in the last part of her comments made me grimace, but I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Nothing was going to change for the better if this fight kept on in the same vein. Kushinada was already starting to show signs of being tired, and Shigure had also already been captured once. None of their attacks were having any effect on the thing. If something wasn't done quickly, then things could go very bad, very quickly.

Once, I had jumped off a cliff head first into shark infested waters and then punched one of the sharks square in the face. Afterwards, well, I had told myself that that had to have been the stupidest thing I'd ever done. Another time I once climbed up the back of a killer enemy Martial Artist assassin while he was engaged in a battle with Apachai in order to rescue a bird that was sitting on top of the assassin's head. After that had happened, I had included that particular instance in my head as one the most brain dead idiotic action I could ever possible do.

It looks like I was going to have to update my 'Kenichi's Stupidest Moments List' to include tonight's plan as well.

"Whatever you do," I began, opening my eyes so I could focus them on the creature that was beginning to seem restless as it flopped raggedly in place, "don't make any sudden moves."

And without any other warning, I stepped out of the protection of the small copse, and began to approach the creature slowly; arms down and palms open in show of peace.

"Kenichi!" I heard Shigure snap, and there was a quick rustle of movement behind me that I didn't dare turn to face. The creature seemed to notice the movement as well and hunched down, its rattle beginning to once more increase in speed as it prepared itself. With a slightly quicker step, I placed myself more directly in front of it, feeling a bead of sweat form on my forehead as I tried to catch its attention directly.

I had to force myself to keep breathing as my ploy seemed to work. The creature's hitaikakushi shifted as its head flopped on its broken neck, and the stained formerly white garment seemed to focus on me as though indicating where its eyes were looking. The creature's rattle began to slow again, and its restless movements seemed to pause as it focused its attention directly on me. For a second I was afraid that I had drastically misread the situation, and that the thing was about to unleash that same unnatural speed against me. I would probably survive the initial assault, but there was no way I would come out of it nearly as well as the two Masters had so far.

Instead of flying at me with ragged claws and jagged teeth the creature instead shifted slightly, seeming to sink in on itself as it did so. Its hair, which had continued to twine and snake through the air as it had stood still began to slow its serpentine undulations as well. Its rattle began to slow even more than it had earlier, subsiding to the point where it was once more a low pitch rumbling noise rather than a high pitched screeching.

If I thought I could have gotten away with it, I would have sagged to the ground in relief. So far, the only time the creature had reacted besides when it wasn't attacking had been directly in relation to my presence. When it had been trailing Chikage, the moment I had joined up with the other Disciple it had backed away from the girl even though it continued to follow the two of us. That might have just been coincidence, but again only moments ago when I had joined the combat, rather than treat me like a target as it had with Shigure the thing had instead retreated. It had even released its captive as it did so.

If that had been all than I might have chalked it up to coincidence, but there had been one other time when the creature had reacted to me: when I had violated its bubble of solitude by accident. At the time the thing had definitely reacted specifically to me, turning to look at me and starting to stretch out to me. There was no other impetuous that would have made it move as it had beside myself.

That meant that the thing definitely noticed me, and not like it did Shigure or Kushinada. Kushinada was almost certainly the thing's original target, and it had only started reacting to Shigure when the weapon user had proved herself dangerous enough to pay attention to. However, whenever it had reacted to the two it had only been with violence, that loud rattle or unearthly scream punctuating its hateful notice.

For me, it had made no such noise. Maybe I was just reaching for something that wasn't there, but if vocalizations seemed to punctuate the creature's aggression, than maybe, just maybe, to me it wasn't hostile.

I continued my slow approach towards the thing, hoping that just getting near it would be enough. Twice in the past it had fled my approach, putting as much distance between itself and I as it could spare. My advance was me betting that the thing might do so again.

It was a bet I looked to be losing. No matter how close I got to the thing, it didn't move from the spot where it had planted itself. Despite how nervous that made me it looked like my approach was having some kind of effect on the thing. The closer I got to it, the slower and lower its rattle became. Its hair too was starting to calm, whole strands of it beginning to fall limply upon its rotten frame, others recoiling around its body slowly. Still in its twisted position, it definitely was lowering itself closer to the ground, a movement that almost resembled the way a dog might cringe from a threatening and abusive owner.

I could hear some rustling behind me, though it was nowhere near as loud as it had been when I first started this gambit. It looked like the two Masters had also realized that whatever I was doing it seemed to be having an effect on the creature. I could make out Chikage as well from where the girl was still crouched behind one of the stone lanterns. The younger girl was staring at me with wide incredulous eyes, and was desperately waving one of her arms as though to signal me to get away. However, when Chikage's eyes darted past me, she suddenly froze, and in a move so fast it almost made me doubt I had ever seen her original panic the girl was once more composed, the eyes of a killer being displayed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I had no more space to advance. The thing was directly in front of me, only a few feet away from where I was standing. Its hair was once more limp and knotted around her in places, and the rattle had died away until it was nothing than a pathetic mewling noise, strange throaty sounds that sounded more like a person who had the wind knocked out of them trying to gasp than like the noise a corpse might make. With the way it was laying on the ground now it looked nothing like the horrific murderous beast it had been earlier and more as though it was just a sad fragile corpse that had washed up out of a sewage line.

Well. Now what? I added the fact that I hadn't planned what I would do if the thing didn't flee to the list of reasons why this was the stupidest thing I'd ever done. The list was getting quite long at this point.

It was dead quiet in the shrine now, the only noise the thing's strange panting. A few sounds of the nearby city could be made out, the growling of cars as they passed and the rumble of a train as made its way down the tracks, as well as the soft hum of electricity as it flowed through nearby wires. It was the quiet of the eye of the storm. Even if I had managed to calm the thing down, it was still here. Moreover, there was no way of knowing how long this new stalemate would last either. I doubted I would be able to convince Kushinada to flee from this enemy, and even if I did it might just hunt her down at a later time. I thought it more likely that the two Masters behind me might instead try to launch a new assault on the thing, or that whatever reasons the creature wouldn't attack me might expire.

Well, I guess if all else fails, sometimes talking might resolve things. Funny how I used to think that talking before violence was the correct order of things.

"What is it you want?" I spoke to thing, my voice cracking with nervous tension as I did so. For a moment there was no response besides the low 'uhngh' of the creature's groans.

Then without any warning, not even one its customary twitches from its torso, the creature's arm shot out, still twisted from the strange position it had assumed when it had descended to all fours, and latched onto my ankle with a grip like iron.

If I didn't have other things on my mind, I might have been concerned by the increase in the sounds of scuffling behind me. I couldn't look to be sure, but if I were to hazard a guess I'd say the sounds were a result of Shigure trying to interfere by coming to the aid of her cute little disciple, and Kushinada making sure that whatever it was that I was doing that was working wouldn't be interrupted. Honestly, I wasn't certain how well my luck would hold if Shigure were to come out here, sword-a-flashing as she did, so in a strange turn of events I was actually thankful to a member of the Satsujin Ken for attacking one of my Masters. The gratitude left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Regardless of the interference of the creature there were still two Martial Arts Masters behind me that weren't very fond of each other. Just because it had been temporarily put on hold didn't change the fact that there was a potential death match brewing between the two women fighters, and considering Kushinada's true power I was honestly scared for Shigure's safety if the two were to fight seriously.

However, I was more concerned with not crapping myself as a rotting corpse began to crawl its way up my legs.

Despite the thing's iron grip, it wasn't a painful hold at all. It was cold, and I could feel moisture seeping through my pant leg and sock, but considering the way the creature's claws had torn through clothes and flesh earlier the fact that I wasn't actually being injured was the only thing that kept me from screaming like a little girl. It was a close thing though, especially when its other arm flopped, coming to rest with a clawing hold a little higher on the same leg, digging into the cloth of my pants without cutting through. As though it were pulling itself out of a pit of tar the creature continued its dragging motion, its legs scrabbling slightly as it began to push itself closer to me.

When its hair began to unwind from around its body once more, I officially decided I needed a whole new list to put this experience on. 'Stupid' was apparently far, far too tame to describe the sheer lunatic idiocy of this plan. 'Walk up to it and hope it runs'? What the hell had I been thinking!

After the creature grabbed me with its other hand, the first one released and a new tremor of its body caused it to raise even higher, its grip resting above my knee this time. It pressed itself with its legs, pushing its torso and backwards head against my shins, and I could feel the spasmodic tremors of its body as it forced its hand even higher, climbing up my body one ice cold grip after the next. Its hair, still a strange dichotomy of glistening oils and dry matting began to envelop me like some kind of noxious cloud. Though the strands did not form into those whip like plaits from earlier, nor did they grasp me tightly like they had with Shigure, I could feel the individual hairs as they brushed against me, almost tickling at times as they caressed me like demented feathers.

My breath came in short gasps as I could feel its hands make their way to level of my chest, its flopping head banging almost painfully against my hip bone, its claw like toenails making an audible scratching noise as they pushed against the courtyard stone for grips. I felt terror, cold and sharp stabbing through me, and I almost cursed Shigure for having taught me how to deal with fear so effectively. If I could just descend into blind panic, succumb to the horror coursing through me, than I wouldn't have to deal with the feel of the thing against me, of the way its flesh seemed to press at irregular patches as the maggots moving beneath its skin made themselves known to me. Instead, I found myself fighting my animal like instinct to flee or pass out, and instead I focused everything on what I was going to do next.

So far, the best I could come up with was hold still and hope it goes away. Even if it was touching me, it still hadn't made a single hostile move. It was holding, but without damaging. It was encircling me, but not trapping me. The strength in its corpselike limbs could snap me like a twig, and yet I was still unbroken.

Its hair was all around me, a clotted mass which seemed far too voluminous for what should be attached to its head. Its arms had reached my shoulders, encircling around me so that it could press its hands against my cheeks as it held itself against me. Its hands were wrong, the thumbs and fingers in positions they shouldn't be in due to the twisted position of its arms. They were clammy as they pressed against me, trapping my head, forcing me to look down.

I can face to face with the creature, less than a half dozen inches separating my eyes form the foul hitaikakaushi which covered the thing's features. The previously white cloth was even more stained and dirty this close, and the foul stench of decaying matter which emerged from the gash that was the creature's mouth was even more eye watering when I was this near. Here I could feel the air the creature exhaled as it moaned piteously against my cheek.

The creature hung off of me, for several moments once it finished climbing me as though I were a land mass it was simply going over. Its head twitched and rolled minutely, and its hair looked like a current of roiling oil around us. It almost seemed that once the creature had finished ascending me it had promptly forgotten just why it was it needed to violate my personal space so badly. My body was screaming in impatience, wanting to do anything to get the thing away from me, to get somewhere that didn't smell rotten or have unnatural things present. But I couldn't move. The thing had me gripped like a vice, its hair a constant barrier between me and escape to somewhere safer.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably less than a minute, desperate to get the thing off of me and away, I asked it in a wavering voice, "What do you want from me?"

It was apparently the wrong thing to say as a spasm traveled down the thing's entire frame, its shaking obvious to me due to our proximity. It gave one last long moan, just barely touched with its death rattle, than the grip it had on my face tightened, and it jerked me hard, dragging my head down towards its jagged maw. Too late, I began to struggle against it as it pulled me in to its chipped teeth.

Oh god, I was going to die. Again. But unlike the first two times, I doubted that I was going to escape without having my flesh rent apart. This thing was going to bite into me, it was going to tear out my throat, and I had been the one stupid enough to give it the chance, and I had to do something, anything, I had to escape and get away….

Despite my desperate struggle, I couldn't escape as its mouth closed in on me. However, instead of the anticipated pain of the thing beginning to eat me alive, its mouth instead fastened onto mine, its cracked and rotting lips pressing on to my own dry and nervous ones.

My eyes widened in a look which would probably have been ridiculous if the situation had been any less disgusting. I could taste it, the creature's rotten flesh, and feel the things beneath its skin moving against my face where my skin pressed against its hitaikakushi. I opened my mouth to scream, and that was a mistake as I felt something enter my mouth, something which probed me clumsily, and I realized that it was the thing's tongue. My teeth clattered against its, and I felt its rotting and decayed fangs chip as the force of its clumsy assault on me crashed our teeth against each other's.

My mind went white as it shut down, as just what was happening to me finally proved enough to erase my higher brain functions. I was doing all I could not to think about what was going on, about what was pressing against me and where it was doing the pressing.

I think, all things considered, I might have preferred it if the thing had just taken a bite out of me.

The creature's assault on me lasted only for a few seconds, seconds I desperately wished I could unmake and never remember, and then it jerked away forcefully. Its hair, snapped away from me, and its arms jerked off so fast that I could feel my skin heat up from the friction of their removal. They found me again a second later, though this time they rested against my chest.

The thing made a noise different from any it had made so far. Instead of the deathly rattle, or unearthly shriek, or even the piteous moaning, the noise it made sounded almost recognizable as a human voice. In fact, it sounded remarkably like the thing was saying something along the lines of, 'Kya!'

And then it pushed me. The sheer force behind the blow was so unexpected that it drove the wind out of me and lifted me clear off the ground. I was still trying to figure out what was going on, trying to get my mind to reboot from having shut down in order to preserve itself earlier, and thus was unable to do anything to arrest my flight as I rocketed towards the copse of trees I had emerged from earlier. I might have seriously hurt myself by running into one of those pine trunks, but instead something much softer collided with me, and I realized that the face I was staring up at dazedly was that of Shigure. It seems that my Master had managed to intercept my flying body before my trip came to an unpleasant ending.

I was barely able to make out as the creature began to shake, still standing where the two of us had been seconds earlier. Its hair was whipping about in a frenzy, its arms spasmodically wrapping around itself, its nails clawing at its own flesh and dirtied clothes. For a second it continued to stand there.

And then it was moving again, the same unnatural speed with which it was attacking with earlier. It launched itself, apparently unbalancing as it did so and collapsing to the ground even as it traveled along the path it had been describing. Not seeming to notice its descent to four limbs again it continued to scrabble, assuming that insect like movement until it managed to regain its footing on its legs again. It was moving so fast that it was a blur of soiled white clothes and glistening black hair.

However, instead of attacking the thing was heading towards the gate of the shrine. In seconds it had passed beneath the boundary of God's Country and was back into the city proper. It's long echoing cry that it had begun before throwing me away hung in the air for a few moments, and then even that was gone as though the night had swallowed the noise whole.

The silence that reigned on the courtyard that had been a battlefield only moments ago seemed almost surreal in my ears. I could still hear the thing's piercing screech echoing in my mind. The fact that the thing had run off seemed almost an impossibility, one which I found my mind lingering on almost desperately. If I was thinking about the thing's flight, than I wasn't thinking about what it had been doing to me right before it had ran.

"Bandaid!" a voice was shouting in my ear, and I felt something tug at my shirt. It was enough to make me start, and I realized belatedly that the voice that had been calling for me had been calling for a bit now. I struggled to bring my focus back to the here and now, and when I managed to do so it was to find myself surrounded by the other three participants in the battle.

"Chikage-chan?" I asked, and I realized that I sounded dazed even to myself. "What is it?"

"I said, 'Is it gone now?'" the young member of Yomi demanded, her face locked into her expressionless battle mode. Chikage looked like she was going to say something else, but she was casually brushed aside by Shigure. The swordswoman was leaning over me, and I realized that I had been propped into a sitting position against the trunk of one of the trees that my Master had saved me from impacting with earlier when the thing had flung me.

"Kenichi…alright?" Shigure asked, her expression her usual placid mask of disinterest even as her voice was tinged with concern. "That thing didn't hurt you?"

"Huh?" I grunted, focusing on my Master slowly. "No," I finally shook my head, thoughts still wandering without regard to where I wanted to focus them. "I'm…" I couldn't quite bring myself to use the word 'fine' not after what had just happened, so I finally settled on, "…not dead."

"What happened, boya?" This time it was Kushinada who demanded my attention. The stern older woman had once more regained her poise, standing as though the large red gash across her exposed chest was something not even worth deigning with attention. Come to think of it, Shigure too was crouched over me without regard to the exposure that the damage done to her chainmail was revealing. Was this some kind of trait of all Masters? A complete disregard for modesty? Sakaki tended to lose his shirt a lot too, come to think of it…

"Boya," Kushinada snapped, and I realized that my mind had been wandering again. "I believed I mentioned before that it was impolite to ignore a lady when she's speaking."

"Oh, yeah," I nodded, remembering her saying something to that affect before. "Sorry," I added, my voice somewhat fuzzy. "What was it you were saying, Kushinada-san?"

"I said," Kushinada's eyes narrowed, though this time she refrained from accompanying her correction of my behavior with threats of imminent physical violence. "What happened when that thing caught hold of you? Your confrontation was obscured by that beast's hair."

"Oh…" I blinked, not sure of just what had happened there as well. Still, the way the creature had behaved vaguely reminded me of something I had experienced before. I think Renka had done something almost identical once…

"I think," I began, trailing off slightly before continuing in voice which betrayed my uncertainty. "I think that it kissed me, than got embarrassed and ran away."

Dead silence reigned after my tentative proclamation. Finally, it was Shigure who managed to make a response to my theory.

"What?"

"By the way," I continued, and I could feel one of my eyes twitch slightly. "Do you have any mouthwash, Kushinada-san? I think I swallowed a maggot." My eye twitched again. "At least, I hope it was just a maggot. Actually, do you mind if I use your restroom? I think I'm about to throw up."

*Scene Break*

"Welcome," I began, "to the Nightworld."

It had been about an hour since the final, somewhat anti-climactic yet somehow still hideously scarring ending of the confrontation in the courtyard. The hour had passed mostly in a blur for me, what with the repetitive cycle of vomiting and brushing my teeth with the tooth brush that Chikage had generously gifted me with. I think I might have used an entire roll of toothpaste, and yet the taste of the thing's mouth against mine was still lingering.

The lingering foulness in my mouth was probably entirely in my head at this point, but if brushing my teeth until my gums bled was what it took for me to get over the experience, than I would gladly scrub until there was nothing left but nubs in my mouth.

Unfortunately, my own personal crisis aside, there were entirely too many unanswered questions for the rest of the group of witnesses to this particular unfortunate encounter for me to be able to properly curl up in a corner and cry, and thus rather than finding something to distract myself from what just happened to me I was instead finding myself seated on a rather comfortable cushion in the center of a tatami room in the center of the Kushinada shrine. Arrayed around me was a rather intimidating gathering of Martial Artists who were all, even Chikage, probably skilled enough to kick my ass.

And they all wanted answers as to just what the hell had just happened.

"Nightworld?" Chikage was first to speak up into the silence my proclamation had brought. The smaller girl was also seated like I was, seiza style on a cushion. The four of us had sketched out a rough square in the middle of the central room of the shrine. It had all the makings of a potentially tense scene: Shigure and I were kneeling side by side and directly facing Kushinada and Chikage. If the situation were different, it would have all the makings of a soon-to-be confrontation between the Katsujin Ken and the Satsujin Ken.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, it looked like all the potential hostility was being currently directed at me in the form of nerve-wracking impatience as the three very dangerous women looked to me for an explanation as to what the hell had just happened earlier.

"The Nightworld," I repeated, my eyes slightly unfocused as they rested on the tatami mat directly in front of my knees. "The world of the Kai: spirits, demons, monsters, and gods."

"The Kai…" Shigure repeated, her voice monotonous as she did so. Despite her tone though she was definitely looking at me, her flat gaze almost unnerving with its intensity.

"You did mention that you were searching for the services of a Miko," Kushinada chimed in, taking a sip of tea as she did so. I don't know if there was some secret meaning to it or whether or not Kushinada was just being polite for politeness sake but the Satsujin Ken had instructed her Disciple to serve tea while this conversation was going on. Chikage had proven to be rather skilled at basic tea ceremony movements so far, though the presentation was a far cry from the full formal ceremony. "Is that what that thing was? A spirit? Perhaps an onryou?"

"A Kai, yes," I nodded to her question, before Chikage put a cup of tea in front of me as well. "But an onryou?" The onryou were spirits of vengeance, people who had died with great rage or hatred in them, and were able to return from the next life in order to have their revenge on the ones who had wronged them. Kushinada was a killer, and it wouldn't be a surprise if there was an angry ghost or two after her. However…

"An onryou that would enter God's Country? Or attack head on? Onryou will attack, but generally only their target's friends and family. They prefer to drive their victims mad themselves." I shook my head firmly. "I only have a good guess at what that creature was, but I'm almost positive that it wasn't a simple Onryou."

I took a sip of it and nearly grimaced when the flavor hit me. "Delicious," I remarked, the traditional response to presented tea, though what I was drinking was a far cry from the usual tea ceremony fair.

Traditionally served tea was supposed to be very bitter, yet somehow Chikage had found a way to sweeten the brew to more suit her taste. It was nearly like drinking sugar water. Despite that I continued to drink it, hoping that the sweetness would be enough to wash the imagined taste which still lingered in my mouth.

Chikage seemed oddly happy as I continued to sip the tea she had prepared, though it was hard to tell through her customarily blank facial expressions. Judging from the way Shigure and Kushinada both continued to sip their own tea without any indication that they found the flavor strange I got the impression that I was the only one whose tea Chikage had flavored like this. It was a strangely touching gesture from the sweet loving little girl.

"You seem quite certain of that, boya," Kushinada commented. "I'm curious as to just how you came to know of that beast. You seemed did seem forewarned about its attack."

"Kenichi wouldn't have anything to do… with something like that," Shigure interjected, her flat gaze turning to glare at Kushinada. I realized belatedly that Kushinada had been implying that I had in some way been responsible for the creature's assault, and I hastily shook my head.

"No," I assured the very scary woman giving me hostile looks, both hands coming up as though to block the accusations physically. "I only knew about it ahead of time because it had been following Chikage-chan since school let out."

"Eh?" Chikage yelped, a nervous look appearing on her face as I revealed just how long that thing had been around her without her ever even knowing. The stalking of her Disciple didn't seem to give much pause to Kushinada, though the older woman did glance briefly at her charge before returning her attention back to me.

"And when you discovered the danger my Disciple was in, you decided to accompany her until you could ascertain my ability to deal with the spirit?" Kushinada asked, though it sounded like a rhetorical question in my ears. When I nodded in response, a brief smile flickered across the Jujitsu user's expression. "A Katsujin Ken to the core."

The announcement seemed oddly complimentary from one who steadfastly walked the path of a killer herself.

"Thank you," I nodded, wondering if she actually had perhaps meant it as a compliment rather than with her usual distaste for my philosophy of Martial Arts. "You seem to be taking this rather well," I continued, hoping I wasn't overstretching my bounds with my next statement. "Most take a little longer to accept the fact that the Kai exist, but you don't seem to be having that kind of trouble. If you don't mind me asking, just why is that?"

"There was no way that thing was human," Kushinada declared, sounding absolutely certain of her statement.

"Because the Kushinada style… was useless," Shigure chimed in, and from the glare Kushinada shot at the younger Master it seemed the weapon user had managed to hit the nail right on the head. "The Kushinada style… is all skill, and no power," Shigure continued. "It uses ki feints to confuse the enemy, and make them see things. That thing… was not affected by any of her ki strikes."

"Oh," I blinked, surprised at the insight that Shigure was offering on Kushinada's fighting style. "That would make sense," I added, nodding too myself.

I had seen Kushinada fight a few times, and each time I had noticed the way her opponents would always seem to move on their own. When the jujitsu user had thrown Diego the Laughing Fist from the boat after his defeat it had been almost as if Diego had been jumping himself, despite him being unconscious. The same had happened with the defeated weapon users when we had been guarding the Red Feather Swords as well. If her usual means of fighting weren't working on the creature, than it would make sense why Kushinada had been only using physical skills throughout the entire fight.

"Regardless," Kushinada continued, brushing aside the ineffectiveness of her style on the Kai somewhat brusquely. It seemed that the older Master might be a little unhappy with the fact that her favored style had been less than effective in the fight. "I am still curious as to precisely what that beast was. Boya, you mentioned that you had some idea as to that creature's nature."

"Ah," I began, before trailing of, my eyes focused once more on the tatami in front of me as I gathered my thoughts. "I think I might," I finally admitted. "But first, I have to ask: Kushinada-san, have you been in Izumo Province recently?"

"Yes…." Kushinada acknowledged, sounding surprised by my guess of where she had been. "Why does that have anything to do with this?"

"And why you were there, you killed someone? While wearing your usual uniform?" I continued, and though Kushinada's eyes narrowed at my interrogation, she nodded briefly to my questions. I took a deep breath, and then continued on. "In that case, I think that I know what that thing was."

"Well?" Kushinada prompted, sounding impatient as I continued to hesistate.

"I think you were just attacked by a Yomotsu-Shikome," I told her, my tone dead serious as I did so.

"Yomotsu… Shikome?" Shigure repeated, and I could see the confusion on her and Chikage's face. Kushinada on the other hand, responded to my declaration by sitting upright, her back ramrod straight as she apparently understood just what I was implying.

"The Yomotsu-Shikome, called just the Shikome sometimes, are the divine handmaidens of the goddess Izanami-sama," I explained, my voice low as I did so. "They are called 'The Wretched Women of Yomi' and are the personifications of the pollution of death."

I settled a little, shifting my feet to a more comfortable position as I did so, taking a quick sip of my sweet tea before continuing. "According to legend, when Izanami-no-Mikoto-sama died in childbirth, her husband Izanagi-no-Mikoto-sama went down to the Yomi, the underworld, in order to try and bring her back to life. However, while she was dead Izanami had eaten of the food of the land of the dead, and had begun to decay and rot. When Izanagi saw what had happened to his wife, he fled.

"Angered by his spurning of her because of her new body, Izanami sent her handmaidens, the Shikome, to chase him and kill him so that he would live in Yomi with her forever. Izanagi managed to distract the Shikome by throwing his headdress behind him, transforming it into grapes which distracted the Shikome long enough for him to escape and block the exit of Yomi with a large boulder so that the Shikome would not be able to chase him.

"Afterwards, still enraged by his betrayal, Izanami swore that from that day forward she would kill one hundred people each day. In order to counter her oath, Izanagi promised to help bring forth one hundred and fifty people in order to preserve the population." I finished my brief summary of the ancient legend, and then couldn't quite suppress a shudder that went through my frame. "You know," I added somewhat hollowly. "I always kind of felt that Izanagi might have been overreacting when he ran away screaming from his dead wife. Now though, now I have a new appreciation for the man's circumstances."

If Izanami had been anything like the Shikome that had kissed me earlier, I would have ran away just as fast as Izanagi had.

"And you think that that creature was one of the Shikome?" Kushinada asked, her expression intense as she studied me carefully after ignoring my personal addition to the legend. I nodded, my own expression becoming serious again.

"It certainly looked like a creature which personifies the pollution of death," I pointed out. "And when you were fighting and it broke your beads it was easily distracted in the same way. Heck," I shuddered again, my shoulders rising slightly as though to help ward off my imaginary chills, "it got distracted by me as well for that matter."

"Certainly, it seems as though the creature might be one of these Shikome," Kushinada commented, her eyes narrowed as she took in my argument for the things identity. "However, what does this have to do with where I have been, or what I was doing there?"

"Because Izumo is the geographic location of hell," I told her. "It's the land where the entrance of Yomi lies. I think I can guess as to what happened. You were probably on an assignment from Yami, and happened to stray within sight of Izanami or one of her minions. Both Izanami and the Shikome are jealous goddesses by nature. If they had seen you dressed as a Miko and looking," I hesitated before continuing on in a rush, "well, looking young and beautiful then that would have been enough on its own to make them envious. Add on to that and you were probably killing people at the same time, one of the duties that Izanami and her Shikome are responsible for, then their jealousy would have been added on to the fact that it would seem like you were challenging them."

"Young and beautiful?" Kushinada repeated, a brief hint of a smile forming as I flushed in response to her comment. "My, my. How charming indeed." It was probably a good sign that Kushinada was apparently enough at ease with my presence to tease me, seeing as it decreased the likelihood of her deciding to kill me later on. "Still," she continued, the smile slipping away as she returned to the previous topic. "While your argument holds a great deal of merit, there is another matter which I am curious about." The look she turned on me was intense, as though she was weighing me with her gaze. "Just why was it that the Shikome was apparently so enraptured by you, boya?"

I suppressed a grimace at her phrasing. I really didn't like contemplating just what about me it was that was apparently enough to inspire amorous intent in a glorified walking corpse. Finally, with a hesitant shrug, I answered.

"If I had to guess," I began slowly, not liking what I was about to admit. "I would have to say it's because I've already died." I paused, and then corrected myself. "Twice, actually."

"Died?" Chikage chimed in, her surprise at my admitted double demise enough to cause her to speak up, despite the presence of her Master. Chikage seemed to collect herself, and then continued. "Tirawit Koukin?"

"Yeah, that's one," I grimaced again, though this one was a bit angrier than it was disgusted. Tirawit, the Muay Tai using member of Yomi had once stopped my heart. He had done so with the intent to plant the seeds of fear within me, to make me hesitate when faced with battle again. He had been intending to force me to retire from the world of Martial Arts, the Underworld, by making me incapable of going into battle again.

It was thanks to the Master next to me, Shigure, and her insane training trip into the middle of a trap against nearly a two dozen other weapon wielding Masters trying to kill us that I had managed to recover from the spiritual wound Tirawit had given me, though sometimes I wondered if maybe the cure was worse than the poison.

"And training," Shigure concluded, nodding slowly as she did so. "We had thought… that Kenichi didn't remember that," she added slowly.

"Wait, what?" I turned to look at Shigure with confusion. "I was talking about before, when I first entered the Nightworld." Shigure blinked, seeming surprised, and then looked away quickly, coughing slightly. My eyes widened in incredulity. "Wait, you mean I died again? And in TRAINING of all things?"

Shigure coughed again, and seemed particularly interested in something that was on the far wall. With a groan I sank my head into my hands, a wash of despair flooding through me.

"I knew it," I muttered, somehow not able to be surprised by this revelation. "I knew that the training would kill me someday. I always thought it was too insane. And here it is: proof that I was always right."

"Goodness," Kushinada chimed in, once more sounding far too amused by my troubles. "It seems you have a surplus of experience in a matter which most only have to endure once." I groaned again at the rather cutting remark. She was right too. Generally people only died once in their lives. For most, like Kushinada, the experience is put off for many decades before they have to go through it. And here I was, barely seventeen, and I've already experienced three times what most only have to go through once. "Nonetheless, you mentioned that your experience in those matters was what prompted the Shikome to be attracted to you?"

"Yeah, that's the best guess I have," I admitted, head still in my palms as I sighed. "That or the way that I died the first time might have something to do with it as well."

Truthfully, I think the death itself might have only had a factor in the things actions. The way I died the first time, and the state that I had found myself in afterwards was probably a bigger factor in why an undead goddess would find me so irresistible. After all, though I might have technically returned to a nearly human state I still wasn't really a human anymore. I had been killed by a vampire, after all, and had become one myself immediately afterwards. There wasn't a word for what I was now, but the best way to describe me would either be as a vampire infinitely close to being a human, or a human that was just barely a vampire.

Either way vampires, just like the Shikome, were undead things. No wonder a handmaiden of hell would find me somewhat easy on the eyes. After being dead for two years I was one of the best preserved corpses in the world at the moment.

"How did you die… the first time, Kenichi?" Shigure asked, and I could make out her glancing at me from the corner of her eyes as she did so.

"The first time I died was when I entered the Nightworld," I answered pretending to misunderstand her question, and with one last sigh I pulled my head from my hands, shelving my righteous despair over the fact that I had effectively been killed once by my own Masters during a time of peace. "And that brings me back to the next important thing I have to tell you all."

"Important thing?" Kushinada repeated, prompting me to continue as she took a sip of her tea, one eyebrow raised as though to invite me to continued.

"Today you all just met a Kai for the first time," I reminded them. "Now, you can never escape them again."

"And what does that mean, boya?" Kushinada bristled slightly, apparently taking my comment as threatening. I shook my head, dismissing her concern.

"I mean that just like the Underworld, the Nightworld is a different thing entirely." I took a sip of my too sweat tea, and prepared to explain it all to the waiting group of women. "For most people, they only live in the normal world. They go to school or work, they deal with normal issues, they rarely if ever have to face things which are beyond their expectations. You all are lucky in a way: you are all already experienced with the Underworld, the world of Martial Arts. It's a world where fights to the death happen in dark alleys, and where strength of arms is important. You're used to there being a secret society with different rules from the normal ones. You're used to knowing that there are other things out there, things which seem to defy what is physically possible.

"The Nightworld is very similar in a way to that. In other ways, it's very different as well.

"The only qualification for entering the Nightworld is to have an encounter with the Kai. It doesn't matter what kind of Kai you meet, just that you survive the encounter. Once you have though, you can't ever escape the presence of the Kai, not completely."

"And what do you mean by that, boya?" Kushinada demanded, her voice stern. "And what precisely are these things, the 'Kai'?"

"The Kai is just the way to refer to the Oddities," I explained. "It's a generalization for any kind of spiritual or magical creature. There are so many different types of them that it's impossible to call them by any other term without excluding some of them. In a way, it's like Martial Arts," I tried to think of a way to explain just what the Kai were in a way that this rather selective group of people would understand.

"Martial Arts is just a blanket term used to describe any form of ritualized combat. Even if they're completely different, all the different forms like Jujitsu, Muay Tai, or Kalarippayattu are called Martial arts in general," I continued. "That's the same way it is with the Kai. Even if one Kai is a ghost or a spirit and the other is a god or a demon, they're all considered to be of the Kai. And just like there are dozens of different types of styles of the same martial arts, like the difference between the Kushinada School of Jujitsu and the Akisame Aikijujitsu School, each of the different types of Kai have variations as well." I paused, trying to read the mood of my audience. "Does that make sense?"

"Indeed," Kushinada nodded slowly. "Just as today we have encountered a Shikome, the Shikome is only one type of god, after all. There are others whom are also gods, yet not Shikome." It was actually something of a relief that the older woman was so intelligent and experienced. It made explaining the situation to them that much easier all around. "You mentioned something else which caught my attention, boya," the Jujitsu user continued, still studying me closely. "What was it you meant by not being able to escape the Kai ever again?"

I nodded, having expected the question. This was actually the main topic I really wanted to cover in the first place in this conversation. "I meant that once you've been touched by the Kai, you've been forever marked by them.

"Most people," I continued, already knowing that I would need to explain better for this group, "never come across the Kai at all. They go through their lives never once knowing that some of the legends and stories they heard throughout their lives are actually real. However, sometimes a person will come across one, like we did tonight. Even if they survived the encounter, regardless of if it was only a one in a million chance that they met the first Kai, afterwards the chances of them meeting another Kai are no longer one in a million. Instead, they are almost guaranteed to meet the Kai again."

"And what precisely do you mean by that, boya?" Kushinada prompted, the rest of the room paying just as much attention as she was at this point. Chikage was directing a look at me that was different from any of the ones I had come across before. Her eyes were wide, and focused with an intensity that surpassed even the one she wore when she was in combat. It took me a moment to realize that this was the look she must wear when she was learning at the foot of her Master: it was the look Chikage gave when she was learning something which she deemed to be important. Shigure too was watching me closely, her eyes lidded and her frame still, the look she gave only when she was in combat preparing her next move.

"Nobody knows precisely why," I admitted. "Maybe it's because the Kai can smell their own scent on a person, or maybe it's just that a person's karma has forever been tainted once they meet one. Whatever the reason, once a person has met a Kai, they will continually meet more afterwards. It might not be the next day, or the next month, or even the next year, but they will eventually meet another. Sometimes it's the same one they met in the first place, and sometimes it's the same breed though it's a different individual Kai. Sometimes it's something completely different from what they have encountered before. Whatever the case," I gave each of the ladies paying attention to my lecture a direct look, making sure to catch each of their eyes in turn, "it will be up to you to prepare yourselves and be ready."

"And how are we to do that?" Kushinada asked, not showing any sign of finding it annoying to continue to prompt me as she had. Instead, she was giving me a look very much like the one Chikage was directing at me. It occurred to me that for all her age and experience, this was a woman who was not afraid to acknowledge when there was an area she was not fully informed about, nor at all ashamed to seek correction in that area when she identified it.

Even if she was a Katsujin Ken, it occurred to me that Chikage was lucky to have found a Master like Kushinada. However, it looked like I would have to be a disappointment as a teacher now.

"I have no idea," I admitted, though it wasn't with any shame myself. "There's no way of knowing just what kind of Kai will appear next, or what the Kai will want when it does. There's no cure-all preparation which will protect you if they are malicious, nor way to safeguard yourself if they're just being mischievous, or way to stop them if they're trying to be benevolent." I shrugged, somewhat apologetically as all three of my audience seemed unsatisfied by the limit of my wisdom.

"That is a disappointing answer, boya," Kushinada made a stern expression as she chastised me. I gave another apologetic shrug in response, but remained firm in my position.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but there really is no way that I know of to truly prepare for the Kai," I reaffirmed. "Even if it's not what you want to hear, it would be worse if I were to try and give some advice and have it turn out to be the wrong thing the next time you encounter one of the Kai."

"Even if it is a disappointing answer, at least it is an honest one," Kushinada allowed, and though she didn't look happy about my response she at least seemed to appreciate the truthfulness behind it. "Then if I were to ask you how to prepare myself in the case of the Shikome returning, would you be able to give a more specific answer?"

"I would say that you should find an exorcist," I advised her, moving to take one last sip of my tea before realizing that the cup was empty. "Even if it's uncommon, there are some out there that are very good at their jobs."

My answer did not seem to satisfy Kushinada in the slightest. Her eyes narrowed, as she gave me another of those piercing looks which made me hope that I wasn't about to be killed off hand. "I have come across many so called exorcists and priests in my time," she told me sternly, "and there were very few which I considered to be anything more than charlatans and liars."

"Most are," I admitted with a nod, remembering the trouble that Senjougahara had gone through trying to find someone who could genuinely help with the blessing of a Crab of Burden, the god which had taken her weight away from her in order to relieve her of the pain of her memories.

"And tell me, boya," Kushinada continued, eyes still narrowed as I admitted that her chances of finding a good exorcist weren't that good. "Just how long have you yourself been a member of this so called 'Nightworld'?"

"It's been nearly two and a half years now, I think," I admitted. I think I could already guess where this line of questioning was going. Beside me, I heard Shigure shift slightly, though I didn't take my eyes of Kushinada.

"And during that time, how many of the Kai have you come across?" Kushinada continued to press me for information.

"About…" I trailed off, and had to briefly tick off on my fingers as I tried to recall the exact number of Kai I had come across. "Well, there was only about a dozen different types, but some of those were multiple encounters," I admitted. "And one of those was very common, so if I were to keep that one out I'd say probably two or three dozen encounters."

"Even if you are lying about the number of the Kai you have come across, I know for certain that you have at least one encounter with a monster that you managed to overcome," Kushinada pointed out. "Which is at least one more experience which I can be assured of over any other priest or exorcist I might try to employ. So tell me, boya…" she paused, and then corrected herself, "…Shirahama-kun: why should I seek to find another exorcist when there is one right in front of me whom has already proven reliable?"

For a few moments I was honestly stunned by Kushinada's question. Not only had she deigned to use my actual name, with an honorific nonetheless, but she also in the same breath expressed genuine confidence in my abilities when it came to dealing with the Kai while simultaneously implying that she was seeking to employ me herself. This was a Martial Arts Master probably just as old and experienced as the Elder that for all appearances was admitting that a boy probably only a fifth of her age at best could in some way be capable of performing a feat that she herself was not certain she could. And more than that, this was a member of the Satsujin Ken who was deliberately looking for help from a Katsujin Ken as well.

I think if the situation was anything else besides what it currently was, this might have been enough to cause one of the fuses in my head to explode.

"I'm not an exorcist," I found myself hesitantly explaining, as the sheer incredulity of the situation seemed enough to cause me not to dismiss the request out of hand. "There are those who specialize in killing the Kai, and some of them are very good at it. I'm more a negotiator than anything else, someone who prefers to find ways to ward off the Kai, or appease them as necessary."

"Hmph," Kushinada grunted, a feminine sound despite its coarseness. It sounded as though my response amused her despite the fact that it probably wasn't the exact answer she was hoping for. "A Katsujin Ken even in this field? No wonder that boorish Hayato is so fond of you." Despite her amusement, Kushinada's expression remained firm. "Regardless, Shirahama-kun, the question remains: how would you prepare for another encounter with the Shikome?"

Wow. She really was serious about this. Even though I still wasn't certain whether or not the woman in front of me would someday either kill me or give the order to her disciple to do so, I found myself taking a deep breath and preparing to add yet another addition to my 'Kenichi's Stupidest Moments' list.

"Alright," I agreed to the consultation. It gave me a strange feeling of vertigo to realize that once more I would be setting foot into the Nightworld, and again taking up the mantle of negotiator with the Kai. However, I had learned my lessons the hard way once before. If I was going to do this, then I was going to do it right.

"First of all," I began slowly, not sure how else to breech this topic but knowing it had to be done, "…we need to discuss payment."

If anything, the subject of money seemed to amuse Kushinada even more than my honesty had earlier. "Oh my," she murmured, sounding as though she found my apparent greed to be something delightful. "And here I thought that as a Katsujin Ken you would help me out of the kindness of your heart."

"It has nothing to do with Katsujin Ken or Satsujin Ken," I defended myself, and I realized that my voice might be growing a bit too stern for the situation. Despite that, I still found myself addressing the woman who could kill me with probably little more than a look as though I was scolding her. "And it has nothing to do with the money either." I paused, and grimaced. "Well, very little to do with the money anyway."

Never underestimate the financial difficulties of Ryouzanpaku.

"It has to do with equality," I continued, recovering from my brief slip of the tongue. "In the Nightworld, debts are important, and promises have power. So far, I haven't done anything that would put anyone here in my debt, but if I give you the consultation you want, than that would leave you owing me a substantial recompense later on."

"Recompense?" Kushinada repeated, her amusement slipping away and the attentive look she had been giving me earlier returning as she once more began to take my words seriously. "In what way?"

"Like I said, debts are important in the Nightworld," I explained, slipping into a somewhat businesslike manner as I continued to explain why I would need money from the other woman before I told her what she wanted to know. "If I were to simply tell you what you wanted to know, then I would be putting you in my debt. There are things out there who would be able to tell that, and they would know of our association because of it. There would be a connection between us, one which could be taken advantage of from either side." I paused, wondering if that explanation would be clear enough for them before deciding to press on anyway. "More than that, this information might be the difference between life and death for you someday. If it does save you, than the connection between us would only grow stronger."

"To save someone's life…is to own them forever after," Shigure murmured, quoting the ancient Chinese proverb about responsibilities. Kushinada's eyes narrowed as she understood just what I was trying to imply.

"Indeed," she murmured. "I have no desire to find myself indebted to one of the Katsujin Ken." She gave me another studying look. "But if that is the case, hasn't everyone here already found themselves in your debt already? Doesn't your previous explanation count towards a debt to you?"

I shook my head, having already considered this before I had even begun this little meeting. "In the case of the Shikome, I wasn't acting out of anyone's interest. I was simply a passerby who happened to come across a monster and acted accordingly. I was saving my own life as much as I was helping everyone else. And as for explaining the Nightworld, this is nothing more than me repaying the debt of my own initiation forward. I've told you nothing that wasn't already told me when I first had my encounter with the Kai."

"It seems you have a talent for sophistry, boya," Kushinada informed me, her expression still studying as she took in my justifications for my earlier actions. I grimaced, slightly, but made no other comment. Even if I probably could have walked away from the Shikome itself, my involving myself in the fight could very well constitute assistance to both Kushinada and Shigure. Saying that I just happened to come across a monster and respond was a bit of an exaggeration, but I was confident enough that my actions weren't enough to truly qualify as me having earned a debt from any of the three. Still, even if Kushinada seemed aware of how close a line I was dancing, she didn't seem to care. "Very well. Tell me, Shirahama-kun: what would be the price of your consultation?"

"You can pay me whatever you think my advice will be worth to you," I told her. Kushinada's eyebrow rose slightly, but I didn't make any move to change the price.

I probably could have asked for any amount, whether it be something ridiculously small or unfairly large, and no one here would have had any experience to argue with it. However, this too was a way of ensuring that the repayment of the debt would be even. Only Kushinada truly knew how much my advice would be worth to her, so only she could set the price. If I were to attempt to name any other amount, then I might find myself over or under charging without even realizing it.

"Chikage," Kushinada addressed her disciple after a moment's pause.

"Yes, Master?" the girl was instantly attentive, turning all her attention to her instructor as she patiently waited for her orders.

"Go into my office. On the bottom drawer, you will find a black briefcase. Please fetch it here."

"Right away, Master," Chikage was up in an instant, nearly racing to accomplish the task set to her. I wasn't certain how far away Kushinada's office was, but no one spoke while we waited for the Disciples return.

It took less than a minute, but when Chikage returned she was carrying a moderately sized briefcase which she clutched tightly to her chest. The young disciple approached her Master from the side, before kneeling in one smooth motion and offering the briefcase to Kushinada gracefully. When the elder Jujitsu user took it, Chikage stood and then quickly returned to her cushion, kneeling again in the same position she had earlier.

"Will this be sufficient?" Kushinada asked as she set the briefcase before her and clicked it open in one easy move. My eyes bugged out as I saw just what was in it.

"Y-you certainly seem to hold my advice in high value," I squeaked out as I took in row upon row of thousand yen bills stacked neatly in the briefcase. Even Shigure seemed moderately affected by the sight of that much money gathered into one place. There must have been hundreds of thousands of yen in there.

"Whether or not your advice will be worth this much remains to be seen," Kushinada commented in a somewhat dry voice. "Nonetheless, this shall be sufficient for now."

"Right," I began, swallowing hard as Kushinada closed the briefcase, leaving it in front of her. It took an effort of will, but I dragged my eyes off the small fortune in front of me so that I could focus on the older woman once more. "Very well." I took a deep breath, and then began my consultation.

"From what I know of the Kai," I began, "and of the Shikome in particular, I can think of five possible methods with which to deal with them. The first is the simplest: simply ignore the problem and hope it goes away."

"Boya," Kushinada began, her tone darkening as her eyes narrowed. I held up one hand to forestall what would no doubt be a frightening scolding, already having expected this reaction.

"As inadequate as it is, it is still the simplest method of dealing with the Shikome," I explained, and Kushinada paused as she waited to hear me out. "As powerful as Shikome might be, they aren't omniscient or omnipotent. Earlier, the Shikome couldn't find you directly, having to rely on following Chikage until she returned to you. And even though it did track you down eventually, it wasn't until sometime after you had caught its attention."

"Indeed," Kushinada agreed slowly, nodding as she realized that I wasn't just trying to give bad advice. "You're implying that the Shikome might not return at all?"

"Either that, or it won't be able to find you again," I added. "When your necklace was broken it was distracted, even going so far as to attack the individual beads rather than you yourself. It's a bit of a guess, but it's possible that the Shikome was only tracking you by scent. Its eyes were covered after all, and that might not have been just for show: the eyes are some of the first parts of a body to decay once it's dead. It might actually be completely blind on its own. If you were to simply avoid returning to Izumo province…"

"Then the Shikome might not be able to find me again," Kushinada completed my thought, nodding slightly as she caught my train of logic. "You seem to be basing a great deal of this theory off of conjuncture, boya," she pointed out, no doubt referring to my assumptions that the Shikome had been tracking her through smell or were blind naturally.

"I've studied a lot of different legends ever since I entered the Nightworld," I admitted, "but a lot of the information I've gathered is suspect, and there's no real way to confirm a lot of it until I've come across a specific Kai. Since this is the first time I've met a Shikome..." I trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "If you want, you can retain your payment and I can stop this consultation now," I offered, giving Kushinada a chance to back out from paying a whole lot for advice which could end up being completely useless.

Kushinada shook her head, apparently still willing to hear the rest of my advice. "You mentioned four other options," she pointed out, "continue."

"The second is to either gather more skilled fighters, or to adjust your own style until you have the physical abilities to match a Shikome," I continued. "When Shigure-san attacked with the Shinto Gourenzan the thing responded, treating her like a threat. Even though the move itself didn't hurt the thing, Shigure-san was still using the flat of her blade. If she had used the edge, then it might have been possible to kill the Shikome directly."

"But isn't the Shikome a goddess?" Kushinada asked, her eyes narrowed as she took in the new advice. It appeared she didn't care for it that much as well. She was a Master of a Martial Art style that she was particularly proud of, after all. I was in affect saying that the Kushinada style of Jujitsu was useless in this situation, and that she should rely on another style or fighter to protect her. "I would not think that gods would be so easily killed."

"Gods die," I told her bluntly, my voice serious. "They die all the time. It's why Izanami is in Yomi in the first place after all: because she died. I've never seen one killed myself, but there were four times when I had to deal with gods before, and in two of them killing was very nearly the only answer I could find." I paused, meeting Kushinada's eyes directly before I continued. "If you choose this method, then do so only after careful consideration: killing a god has consequences of its own as well."

"I see," Kushinada answered, and though she didn't stutter she did sound surprised at how directly I was meeting her gaze, and how serious my tone of voice was.

"The third option is to retire from the life of the Satsujin Ken, and to dedicate yourself to the life of a Miko," I continued, my voice less stern as I forced myself to calm down slightly. "Izanami is a goddess, after all. Even if you angered her, if you were to make an attempt to appease then she might forgive her grudge against you. If you were to cease killing, you would no longer be infringing on her domain of death, and if you were to dedicate yourself to her as a priestess, then she would most likely no longer be concerned about your appearance."

"Repentance and restitution," Kushinada nodded, and though she didn't sound as though she cared much for this particular method either it was more along the lines of what she had been expecting when she first asked me for this consultation. "Though at the cost of me no longer being able to practice my style, either."

"It's a method, nothing more, nothing less," I reminded her, and she nodded once before tilting her head as though to invite me to continue. "The fourth method is to maim yourself."

"What?" Kushinada definitely had not been expecting this particular way of Shikome-proofing herself. I nodded, continuing in the same serious tone I'd been using since I began.

"Just like becoming a priestess, this is a way to reduce Izanami's grudge against you," I explained. "There are plenty of killers out there in the world, after all. Izanami doesn't get angry at all of those who infringe upon her domain. In fact, she often favors many of them, blessing them for helping her fulfill her desire to end all life. In your case, it's your beauty in particular as well as your apparent status as a Miko. If you had killed in something besides the robes of a priestess, then maybe Izanami wouldn't have taken particular note of you, but now that she has marked you then just a change of clothes would probably not be enough. However, if you were to diminish your beauty then it might be enough for the goddess to quell her wrath."

"And to what extent would you proscribe maiming as a method?" Kushinada prompted me, her lips pursed as she took in this new course of action.

"I doubt it would have to be to the extent that it would affect your ability to perform your style," I admitted, my own eyes narrowing as I considered just how badly she would have to disfigure herself in order to slip beneath Izanami and the Shikome's notice. "It would most likely just have to be something noticeable and unattractive, something to diminish your physical appearance to the point where you would no longer inspire envy."

"I see," Kushinada nodded slowly, her gaze slipping to the floor in front of her. It looked as though she was taking my words seriously, and that filled me with a bit of relief. It had been a long time since I had given a consultation like this, and even longer since I had had a reliable person to seek advice from in these cases. Oshino Meme, the man who had first taught me about the Kai, was long gone, and now I only had the experience I had gained and the studying I had done to guide me. Kushinada seemed to ponder the courses of action I had described already before once more focusing her attention on me. "And the final method?"

I took a deep breath, remaining silent for a moment, before I glanced down at my clothes, searching for something. It only took me a second to locate one: a hair from the Shikome which had got caught on my clothing earlier when the thing had been molesting me. I plucked the long filthy hair from where it had gotten snagged on one of my buttons and then held it out to the patiently waiting Kushinada.

"The final method to prevent the Shikome from returning for you is to kill," I told the older woman, my voice dead serious. "Kill, kill, and kill again. Kill endlessly. Take this thread of hair, and sew it into your flesh somewhere as a sign of consecration, and then commit yourself to Izanami's service, not as a priestess to give her glory but as a killer to help her accomplish her goal of ending all life."

"Kenichi," Shigure hissed, sounding genuinely shocked at my final solution. Even Chikage and Kushinada seemed surprised at hearing a Katsujin Ken casually advising a person to engage in endless murder.

"How surprising," Kushinada murmured, and though she managed to conceal it mostly I could definitely tell she was surprised by my final suggestion. "I hadn't expected to hear such a thing from you, boya."

"You paid me what you thought my advice was worth," I reminded her, my tone grim. "If I were to give you anything less than my best advice, then it would be me who was failing to hold up to the agreement and I would instead be in your debt. No offense, Kushinada-san, but I definitely don't want to owe you anything."

"How charmingly straightforward," Kushinada's smile grew a bit at my statement. Reaching out across the space between us her hand brushed my ever so slightly as she took the thread of hair from my grasp. "So if I were to simply bear this charm and continue my life, then I would never have to be wary of the Shikome again?"

"It would be more than that, Kushinada-san," I corrected, and her smile faded slightly as she realized that I hadn't finished yet. "I told you, wear this hair, kill in her name, and dedicate yourself to her service; you wouldn't just be continuing your life, you would be becoming one of Izanami's servants, her handmaiden."

Kushinada's eyes widened as she realized what I was saying. I nodded, and said it out loud just so there would be no doubt in her mind what I was telling her.

"You would become one of the Shikome yourself."

"So I would become one of the Wretched Women of Yomi," Kushinada murmured, and I think there might have been a trace of irony in her voice as she did so. She already was a woman of Yami, after all, seeing as that was what the organization she belonged to called itself. "Just like that rotten creature earlier?"

"Rotten or not," I reminded her, my voice soft, "that thing was a goddess. It was a creature more powerful than most humans' could ever dream of. You most likely wouldn't become one until you died anyway, but once you did you would be one of the servants of one of the most powerful and oldest of divinities in this land. With the strength you already have in life combined with the power you would receive in death, you may very well become the foremost of her handmaidens as well."

It was a terrifying thought, truth be told. Kushinada was already a frighteningly powerful fighter as it was. The thought of her as a divine creature, one of the murderous personifications of death itself tasked with the destruction of all human life by their vengeful goddess, was enough to make my blood run like ice in my veins.

"It seems that I was right to seek your advice, Shirahama-kun," Kushinada finally concluded, her voice distant as she glanced down at the hair still in her hand. "It seems that the price of your consultation was money well spent."

"Thank you," I said, trying to be professional as I did so. "Was there anything else you needed, Kushinada-san?"

"Oh?" Kushinada managed to drag her gaze up from the small black thread she was fingering idly. "Not going to advise me on which of the paths to take?"

"You hired me to give you choices," I reminded Kushinada, feeling a bit anxious despite the fact that I wasn't going to pry. "Not to tell you which one to take."

"Hmmm," Kushinada hummed, and gave me another one of those cold smiles which made my blood freeze. Just think, I reminded myself, very soon that could be a smile on a rotting corpse goddess. That thought made me literally shiver. "That's fine, boya. I've already decided just which choice I will make."

*Scene Break*

The trip back to Ryouzanpaku was quiet for the most part. If I had been making the trip back with anyone else, I might attribute the silence to them being disturbed by the battle beforehand, or maybe them trying to acclimate to the new change in their perception of reality that typically accompanied being welcomed to the Nightworld.

However, since the one I was traveling with was Shigure, I thought it more likely that it was simply because the swordswoman didn't have anything in particular to say.

We must have made for an odd looking pair. Shigure was using my school shirt over her kimono to help preserve her modesty while we traveled back. It was a pretty common action whenever the two of us went out on Underworld field trips. For all her immense skill, Shigure did have a tendency to lose large portions of her clothing during her battles. It was most likely due to the fact that most of her opponents tended to use weapons and be skilled enough to get close to nearly harm her while they were dueling.

In return, this time Shigure had lent me her trench coat so that I wouldn't have to ride the train back looking like a delinquent in nothing but the wife beater that I used as an undershirt. The coat was an unusually heavy garment, which might have had something to do with the dozens upon dozens of weapons that I learned were strapped to the inside of the coat in just about every available space the garment had.

The entire trip we got more than a few odd looks, which might have had something to do with the way the two of us were dressed. If I had to guess I would probably say it had more to do with the way the two of us smelled though. The scent of the Shikome was still lingering on us, Shigure from when it had bound her in its hair, and myself from when it had gotten too know me a little too much for my comfort.

It wasn't until the trip was almost finished and the two of us were nearly in sight of Ryouzanpaku that Shigure finally spoke.

"Dinner… is probably cold by now," she noted, sounding as though the observation was something not even she was really interested in.

"Sorry," I apologized, not sure what else to say to her.

"It's fine. As long as Kenichi is alright… then I don't mind," Shigure told me. "It is the Master's responsibility… to look after the disciple." Shigure nodded, and it would have been a touching display of concern if I didn't notice the way she made a small fist in front of her as though to say 'Yes!' at having said something cool in front of her disciple.

"Thank you, Shigure-san," I told her, and found myself meaning it. Shigure, for all that I counted her as one of my Masters ,was probably the person I spent the least time with out of all of Ryouzanpaku.

Truthfully, I often found myself uncomfortable in her presence. It might have had something to do with her noticeable lack of nudity taboos, or the way she tended to wield sharp and pointy weapons which often seemed to only just avoid hitting me, or it could just be that her personality was kind of unapproachable. Whatever the case was, I often found myself making excuses not to be around the older woman.

Strangely though, it was these same traits which made me a little happy that it had been Shigure out of all my Masters who had discovered this piece of my history. I think she was the least likely to ever reveal any of my secrets, either on purpose like Akisame or Ma might, or by accident like Apachai or Sakaki probably would. More than that, I think she might be the only one in Ryouzanpaku which might be able to emphasize with what it meant to deal with things like the Kai.

I knew a little about her past, which she had allowed Akisame to tell me once a while back. Shigure had never had a very normal childhood, being raised out in the wilderness by her blacksmith father. So many of the norms and habits that those raised in civilization had tended to interfere with dealing with the Kai. The Kai didn't care about things like rules, or laws. They were creatures that existed according to their own nature, bereft of the common sense which marked human civilization.

Common sense that Shigure often didn't seem to have either for that matter. The only other Master that even came close to having divorced themselves from human civilization was Sakaki, come to think of it. And as reassuring as Sakaki could be to have at your back, I honestly don't think we would have come out of the Kushinada shrine without having at least one more fight if I had had to rely on Sakaki's definition of diplomacy when negotiating with Kushinada.

Still, even though I was thankful for Shigure's discretion, I couldn't help but feel that maybe I was taking advantage of it as well. Even if I didn't want to talk about certain things, even with one of my beloved Masters, it didn't change the fact that Shigure might want to know. If she had asked me, then I could politely decline, true, but if she didn't even ask, it made me feel as though I was taking her complacency for granted.

"Shigure-san," I began, and when she glanced at me slightly without saying anything I took it as a sign to continue. "Was there anything you wanted to ask me?"

"No," Shigure responded, shaking her head as she did so. "It's fine, Kenichi," she reassured me, as though she had been reading my mind. "If you want to tell me… than you will tell me."

I found myself smiling back at her. "Thank you, Shigure-san," I told her earnestly. The look she gave me back wasn't quite a smile, but I could definitely make out the faintest lifting of the corner of her mouth. It was enough to make me miss a step for a moment. The last time I had seen that expression on her face was back on Horinji Island when she had taught me how to swim.

"We're… here," Shigure pointed out, and I realized that without having noticed we had arrived right in front of the gates to Ryouzanpaku.

"Ah, right," I nodded, and went ahead to open the immense doors. I knew that Shigure could handle it by herself, but it seemed polite to do it for her. That and I still felt a proud little thrill whenever I managed to open the incredibly heavy gates that had once bedeviled me so.

I had barely gotten the gate open enough for the two of us to walk through side by side when I suddenly found myself lying on my back on the ground, staring up into the panicked face of Miu as she sat on my chest after having tackled me.

"Kenichi-san," the blond wailed, looking me over as she clutched both her hands in front of her chest. "You're okay!" Even as she made the announcement Miu proceeded to start checking me all over, as though a more thorough search might reveal missing limbs that she had missed the first time around. "When you didn't come back right away, everyone was worried that maybe Yami had tried something," she continued, "and then when we realized that Shigure had gone to look for you everyone got even more worried!"

"How… rude," Shigure murmured, though she didn't seem overly concerned over the implication that me being in her presence somehow managed to increase the danger that I might have been in.

"Oh," a new voice joined in as Akisame made his way to where I was still pinned at the entrance. "What's this? Did something unexpected happen while you two were out?"

"Surprise…Underworld field trip," Shigure responded, already walking past Akisame and where I was still pleasantly pinned by a worried Miu.

"So something did happen?" It was Sakaki who spoke up there, the bulky Karate Master lumbering up as well. "Did the old man's old squeeze try something after all?" Sakaki threw back his head and laughed uproariously at the implication that Kushinada and the Elder might have once been an item. The fact that he seemed to find that more important than the fact that we had both had come home dirtied and injured was a sure sign that he had begun his nightly drinking already.

"Just… a little," Shigure answered perfunctory to the accusation made in jest by the bigger man.

"Are you injured again, Shigure-san?" Ma broke in, appearing from the house proper as Miu regretfully got off of me finally. Secretly, I was rather happy to have the feeling of her weight on me. It was so much more pleasant than when something else had been pressing against me earlier, and in a flash of genius I realized that I had inadvertently discovered a way to help bury the memories of the Shikome's assault on me.

"No… just my clothes," Shigure admitted, and without a second thought began to shrug off my shirt to reveal the large gash in her kimono and chainmail. Though her armor had managed to protect her, closer inspection revealed large abrasions across her body where the Shikome's hair bondage had caused friction abrasions on her. Still, she wasn't bleeding anywhere, so she was one better than Kushinada had managed.

"Kenichi-san!" Miu yelped, covering my eyes quickly to prevent me from getting yet another eyeful of Shigure's ample and exposed chest. Despite the brevity of the moment, I decided that I would treasure the memory as yet another addition to my recently invented 'Etchi To Beat The Revulsion' cache of memory.

"Thank you… for the shirt, Kenichi," Shigure told me, before tossing me back the garment. "Bring my coat by… later."

"Wait, Shigure-san," Akisame called after her, his tone curious. "Just what exactly happened?"

"It's… a secret," was the last thing Shigure called back before making her escape.

"Hmmm," Sakaki hummed as the enigmatic swordswoman as she left. "Guess we'll just have to ask the other one instead…" It might have been my imagination, but it was almost as though hellish light was emitting from the drunken Master's eyes as he turned to face me.

Finding myself the sudden center of the attention of a large number of Masters and Miu all staring at me intently, I decided that a distraction was in order. Pulling the briefcase with the payment I had received from the job, I popped it open and showed it to the crowd at large.

"Hrk," Sakaki's was probably the most eloquent response among the Masters as the sight of a very large number of bills. Miu's was probably the most honest however, as the girl's eyes widened until they seemed to take up a much larger proportion of her head than they normally did. I swear, I could see yen signs appearing in her eyes as she took in just how much money was being stored in the briefcase I was holding.

"K-K-Kenichi-san," she gasped, and she was literally trembling as she stuttered. "W-w-where did you get that much money!"

"Payment for services rendered," I told her, waving the briefcase back and forth slightly, and feeling guiltily amused by the way Miu's head seemed to follow the movements as though in a trance.

"A-a-and some of that goes to Ryouzanpaku, right?" Miu's voice was slightly distorted as a bit of drool began to leak its way unnoticed down the side of her mouth. I felt a brief stab of guilt as I realized why it was that Miu was so entranced with the money. Ryouzanpaku was never the most prosperous of dojos, considering how despite how much raw talent and skill was gathered here there was very little in the way of teaching besides myself.

I had originally been planning to keep the money for myself, honestly. It was after all a payment made directly to me for services rendered, and while I might have trouble explaining it to my parents it was still rightfully mine. Despite that, I decided that I could let it slide just this once.

"Since it was Shigure-san who did all the work," I lied with what I hoped was a convincing smile, "it all belongs to Ryouzanpaku. I was just carrying it because Shigure doesn't have a head for money."

I had always known that Miu was a great deal faster than me, but that didn't prepare me for just how quickly the girl managed to take the briefcase from me, holding it to her ample chest as she began to spin happily.

"Oh! With this we don't have to worry about food for at least three months!" she cheered happily, her eyes closed with bliss as she gloried in the unexpected contribution to the household expenses. "We can repair the roof! And the wall! We might even be able to afford an air conditioner!"

"And beer!" Sakaki cheered happily, and Miu paused to give him a flat look.

"This money is going to the dojo, not to your drinking, Sakaki-san," she scolded him crossly, and Sakaki flinched, giving the much younger girl a sheepish grin as she continued to berate him.

"While this windfall is welcome, it is still unexpected," Akisame noted, where he was still standing near me. The Philosophical Jujitsu Master was still giving me a grave look as he studied me. "Kenichi-kun, if you don't mind me asking, just what happened to rate such a sum?"

"I was forced to endure an experience so horrible and terrifying that I don't think I will ever fully recover from it," I told him bluntly. Akisame blinked, surprised at my straightforward answer. "It will be a scar I will bear my entire life, and one that I will never speak of, not even on pains of death."

"Hmmm," Akisame murmured, giving me a measuring look. "Well, if you're so certain of that, perhaps we should begin todays training," he reminded me, and I could hear the unspoken threat in his voice.

"You know," I began, my eyes narrowing in response. "Shigure mentioned something interesting by accident earlier. Something about how I already died once during training. Akisame-sensei, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Oh!" Akisame declared, already turning and walking away, apparently ignoring my question entirely. "Look at the time. I have that appointment at my clinic that I need to be getting too. Feel free to take the day off, Kenichi-kun."

Despite myself, I couldn't help a small smile at the reaction. Sometimes it was easy to forget, amidst all the pain and hardship that living at Ryouzanpaku brought with it, just how much I enjoyed the company and guidance of my Masters.

And blackmailing them. Blackmailing them was definitely a surprisingly enjoyable experience at times.

"Ma-sensei," I began, and the Chinaman froze from where he was halfheartedly creeping away after the revelation that I had discovered about my death at all of their collective hands.

"Ah, Kenichi-kun," Ma began, the smaller man giving me an innocent look from beneath his enormous eyebrows. "When did you get here?"

"Ma-sensei," I began, ignoring his question so that I could get straight to his point. "I have suffered something so horrible today that I don't think I'll ever fully recover from it. So far, the only answer I have as to how to deal with it is to drown the memory of the experience in something infinitely more pleasant and hope that I can block it out completely."

"I see," Ma said slowly, though it was clear to me that he wasn't quite certain where I was going with this train of thought. "And what does this have to do with me again?"

"Can I borrow some of your ero-books?" I asked him plaintively. For a moment, Ma seemed surprised at my request, and then he recovered. Giving me a sage smile, he patted my shoulder gently.

"Of course you can, my Disciple," he assured me. "Of course you can."