My eyes opened as the smell of tea and running water went through my nose. I was laying down on a tatami mat floor as tea can be heard being poured down a cup. I sit up and I find Hijikata pouring a cup for me with a plate of some ohagi on the table.
Hijikata slides the cup of tea towards me and hands me some ohagi with a small bamboo knife on a saucer. "Eat. You haven't been getting a decent one for awhile." He insisted. I sighed and cut a small piece of the mochi and started eating it. The red bean was sweet and had a light flavor as it accompanied the soft texture of the mochi.
But it was ohagi. This was Lilith's favorite. I was stuck with that same image of her. Her face was censored except for her blue eyes. We were at Kyoto again and eating a few of these after a job. It was close to sunset we were both worn out. "Relax a little, will ya?" She says, "You did most of the work today. After a few months in the job and you don't know how to do that."
"I still got school tommorow." I replied.
"I thought you hated school..." She puts out.
"I do, it's just Kenshin finds it necessary for me to keep going."
"Really? He and your other past lives taught you to use omnyoudou, martial arts, and majutsu...yet still need to keep going?"
"It's not bad. Biology taught me to take down animal and plant related demons, chemistry gave me a better arsenal, and I could use the Japanese to improve making my Ofuda Talismans." I replied.
The person gave me a dumbstruck stare. She sighed as she couldn't believe what I was saying. "We really have to get you away from something that doesn't deal with monster slaying or exorcism. I even got you into videogames and you started using some of the moves for your monster hunting as well." Lilith mumbles, "Heck you even used a farming and survival simulator to make a greenhouse full of medicinal and poisonous plants."
"Quit overreacting. Fighting, Exorcism, and Demon slaying is all I got." I tell her, "Besides...my classmates are already getting pissed for being able to get good grades."
"Shut up! Your grades are top ten, at least get somebody nice." She put out.
"Sure...getting hate mail because of being a lady killer...I haven't been on a date before!" I shouted.
"You're polite, mysterious, and good looking too at public. Of course girls are going to swoon." Lilith replied.
"If I don't take care for myself then Kenshin is going to sermon me at the white room. And note, time and space don't exist there so sometimes it goes for hours." I groaned.
"Yet because of those looks, your uncle has a lot of students now. Training with an onii-sama beshounen prince; now the dojo isn't a sausage fest anymore." Lilith teased.
I slapped my forehead to the position of a facepalm. My mind was pissed, only to remember that I still needed to memorize the lesson plan for tomorrow's kenjutsu class. Despite that I still ordered dango to go with reading the lesson plan. "You should rest, you know. What are you even going to do with all that money from those jobs you've been doing?" Lilith mouthed off.
"First, I need a new sword to use Kenshin's Ashura Makenjutsu. After that I still need to buy supplies for our next hunt at Osaka in two days. Then I still need to go to that hardware shop to make more weapons and tools. After that I still to pick up that blacksmith hammer at Fukui around Saturday. Yet I still need to pick up those paper and hemp supplies in the surplus along with the charcoal...so yeah... a lot." I babbled.
Lilith was rather speachless. But she gave a weird look at me, rather blank and indifferent by the response. She rubs the look out her face. "How about buy something not related to our jobs? Like something a regular teenager at his mid-teens would like." She suggested.
The sudden thought went to my head. I mumbled something. I couldn't say it with a straight face. "What was that, (Bleep)?" Lilith wanted to clarify. "I want a fast motorcycle. I don't like going at the train anymore..." I mumbled.
"Ehh...? Why don't you go for a car then? It's safer and better." She questioned.
"We don't have space to fit another car in the house or in the Dojo...and I like how cool it looks..." I replied, reluctantly.
I couldn't look at her. I was barely honest and was red. But Lilith messes up my hair and teases, "At least act like a kid! You're young. Give yourself some slack!" Hearing that from her alone made sense. But then again I was getting hungry. "Can we get some blueberry strudel before we call it a day?" I whined.
The memory ended there with me looking at a blueberry strudel. It was a good memory at least and the strudel was delicious. Toshizo forms a smirk at his face and drinks his tea. "You had one of those memories again, didn't you?" He asked me. I decided to dodge the question. There was no reason why but recalling it made me uncomfortable. "(I)Remember taking you here when you were just a child." He says, "I'd give you a few sweets and some tea after I taught you how to use a sword. But most of our time was within the origin plain."
"What is the origin plain?" I asked.
"It's what you called the White Room. It's a realm in which time and space does not exist, only to see what all being start as. Nothing more than souls attached to dolls."
"So...all living things are nothing more that a bunch of batteries attached to mannequins?"
"I was surprised too. But then again, you and Kenshin are the only ones of our reincarnations to discover this."
"Then how were you able to see the other reincarnations without the White Room?"
"The old-fashioned way, them appearing in front of me to give information or coming here in afterlife."
"But why were we given the opportunity be in the White Room?"
"Kenshin was supposed to die back at Pearl Harbor..."
I was taken back to a memory. As Hijikata was telling Kenshin's story, the memory came into play into unison as the man narrates. Kenshin was a young adult during prologue of Japan's invasion of China. The Yanagi family was a mercenary family of spymasters specializing in infiltration. They originate from the remnants of the Koga clan after the Iga clan wiped them out. Little by little the clan secretly reinvented themselves to fit the means in both ancient and modern techniques.
After working in the underworld for so long, the Japanese Imperial Government came into notice of their activities. With their talents, the Yanagi clan was hired to scout numerous locations around the world. It was to find information and weaknesses of the land to prepare for the invasion. However after that, they were cornered by the government for some of us to take part of the war. Kenshin and his father were to be assigned in the intelligence committee to make a manual that can be used as a text to practice infiltration, assassinations and wars. This were to include techniques to tools pull off such deeds. But to perfect it, the clan needed to participate in the war. It took two years but we managed to make the Kagami Anssatsu Ryu Manual.
It was during of the invasion of the Philippines, Kenshin was assigned to Hawaii to infiltrate the United States. But that was a lie. In real truth the land was already infiltrated by the Japanese Intelligence. Kenshin was supposed to die that day as the bombs hit the harbor. But his death was intervened by an unknown element. It was the appearance of the King Enma, the ruler of hell.
The Second World war was taking a toll on the world and somehow there was an additional player in the mix. One that involved with magic. Kenshin was already adapting his martial arts with the ninjutsu of his recent past life. The god wanted Kenshin to be part of this war. However this wasn't part of either of the two sides. It was his own war. But before Kenshin could be apart of it, he was to be given one wish. It was to see his family. The clan was assigned at a sugar cane ranch to prepare for espionage. They was supposed to separate around the United States to infiltrate military bases and governments. Since he was supposed to be dead, he wanted to leave a goodbye. King Enma granted the request, only to be greeted with a startling response. But he warns him as once he steps in, there is no turning back.
Kenshin found himself in front of the farm and it was on fire. There was a military bomber that crash-landed on the field. There was nobody in it but out of it was another story. The only weapon there was a military issue katana, an outdated weapon in this era. It was the only thing he had as he encountered a bizarre sight. Military soldiers captured his whole clan with others dead. The old were dead and young remained. All of the young were stabbed with a glowing short spear with a crystal tip attached to wiring. The crystal starts to glow as a certain flowing energy was being absorbed from them. The clan members were being drained till they were nothing but skin and bones. The Japanese troops took out the crystal from the spear and attached it to the stock of their rifles. The troops start to glow a dark red and smile. They pointed their rifles and shoot out bolts of light that made the remaining clan members burst into combustible flames.
This sent Kenshin into a silent rage. But by that rage, Enma sent him to the origin plain to see the color fade in the world. "You see this world you are in?" He says, "You maybe in this conquest for superiority and righteousness but those values have be long been perverted and abused a long time since the first sign of malice has been spread." The god's index finger glows a crimson red. "Now fate has called onto us gods to get the Terrans involved once more." He says, "Your clan was a lose end as even with magic you are what stand in their way."
"How are we, a troop of spies and rogues even a threat? Why are we so special?" Kenshin asked, rather confused.
"The Yanagi have always been recorded to be a void that absorbs anything to become the greatest shadows that even gods fear. Your manual showed it all. Imagine if your clan had magic, you would have become the gods of death themselves." Enma laughed.
That's when Kenshin lost it. He then throws the sword be tween he king of hell's legs. Kenshin's eyes turn red, black horns extended from his skull. "Then I will be the god of death himself!" He shouts in anger, "My clan is gone and so is my life! I will take away everything from them! All that have wronged my clan and the world that treated me like their puppet! I will control this world now!"
The king of hell sinisterly smiles. He laughs, happy at my resolve for revenge. "We're going to need more space in hell!" He says proudly, "I grant you access to the origin plain, a place where time and space do not exist! Use your time to manage the skills I will give you, this is My magic!"
He presses his finger at my forehead. I could feel the energy flowing into my veins. the pain felt like a thousand burning suns. I could feel Kenshin's pain. But his inner rage consumed it. He screamed in agony but soon Enma's task was finished and the king of hell preaches, "You now bare my mark, eliminate those who abuse the magic of the gods! Do it for your lost clan! Do it for the sake of your own hatred! Eliminate them all till their accomplishments and memories cease to exist! GO FORTH! MY TASOGARE! MY ETERNAL ASSASSIN OF TWILIGHT!!!"
The god disappears and Kenshin's transformation was complete. A ninja then soon appears in front of him. He throws his chain at Kenshin and reels the angry revenant. "So you wanna be a vengeful god of death?" He questioned.
"I will take everything from them!" Kenshin shouted.
The ninja then chokes him. "The balance of the world is at stake!" The ninja shouts, "Conceal your rage! You will lose yourself by this cursed power!"
"He won't listen to you!" Someone said.
Toshizo Hijikata then appears. He lights his pipe. "Let this 'hero' play his role." He says, "We were the devils of our time, time for a new one to emerge. Let's teach this world what 'real' fear is. The fear that comes as swift as death."
"I can never agree to this!" The ninja shouted.
"Just give him the power to contain the darkness within him. The darkness in him is already feeding his rage. We don't want him to die before his fate is done."
"I don't agree to this! The age of magic is no longer needed!"
"Well too bad! The enemy has transformed into a ticking time bomb! Your real power only comes when imbalance appears! Even if our current incarnate is a bitch! But if we don't do anything the whole world's gonna be a fuckshow!"
Reluctantly, Kenshin and the ninja taught all he needed to know at the origin plain. Kenshin trained in that non-existant plain void of time till he finally developed his assassination and killing art of destruction, discourse, and void. This was known as the style of various magic that can kill many. Ashura Makenjutsu has been formed.
But before Kenshin can return into his own time and return into reality, the ninja chokes him from behind. "You better not dishonor us!" He grunts in anger, "The honor of the gods is at stake! If you use your power, make sure it doesn't eat you!"
He then kicks Kenshin to that moment of rage began. The chains were released and the sole survivor of the pack comes out as an enraged wolf. The rage of miburo was released once more. Kenshin slowly walks in slowly. People do not notice him. He was invisible to everyone. His aura almost non-existent. But soon one of the soldiers noticed Kenshin. But it was too late. Kenshin's body releases a could of miasma and changes to his tasogare form. All the troops started flying at all directions. They were so confused. The dark fog hindered visibility and caused wide panic. Kenshin stood at the center as his sword started to glow grey.
Kenshin soon hears the sound of Enma's voice in his ear. "Show them a preview of hell. My company is waiting for them at the river styx. Let's see how much you have 'corrupted' my devious techniques." He said. The miasma then fades and reveals a demon at the center. Troops point their guns at Kenshin. Kenshin stabbed his sword at the ground and clapped his hands. It shined bright, only to release a vapor all around and the troops start to scream. Their minds were trapped inside an illusion, seeing their worst fears come into life in their minds. This was Ashura Makenjutsu: Kyoukan stage 1: Shinkirou.
Kenshin started to slice each of them, one by one. However some of them were able to break through the illusion. With that they started to fire at Kenshin. Flaming bullets started to shoot at him. He started blocking and slicing with the each one using his tasogare powers and Majinken. However this lead to Kenshin killing the ones behind him as once he split the bullets in half, the sliced halves of the bullets hit major arteries. Combining it with the flame magic enhanced in the bullets, whoever was hit by these magically enhanced bullets were burned from the inside. However some were alive but were paralyzed in fear. The miasma must have taken to effect, I thought. One even had prayer beads with him and begged to the heavens for mercy.
There were three left. It was a Japanese corporal and two remaining infantry. They were about to shoot. But before they could, Kenshin summoned two bird shikigami and hit both the infantrymen at their heads. The impact was so strong that their heads exploded. He then summoned another bird shikigami of a crane. With a flap of its wings feathers shot out of the shikigamis wings. The wings were a direct hit and pinned the corporal at the wall. He then rips his right sleeve away to reach for a knife from his belt. But just in time Kenshin threw his sword at the soldier's forearm and pinned it once more. "You dare betray the emperor! You're Japanese!" The soldier shouted. Kenshin used genki ito and shot energy strings all over his joints and pressure points to prevent the corporal from moving. Kenshin then takes the knife from corporal and cuts his hand. The aethreal binds turn red and eventually black. The corporal reacts into bigger pain as the threads started to give a burning sensation all over his body. Another of one of Kenshin's techniques, Ashura Majutsu: Kokujou.
"No matter what you do, I will never give in! Long live the Emperor!" The man shouted once more.
Kenshin started to crack up. He burst with laughter in a maniacal manner. "You really think I was gonna torture you till you talk? I can get that on my own!" Kenshin tells the man, "All you Japanese Imperial soldiers are dogmatic till the end. I just have to break your sanity and get what I need."
Kenshin held onto his sword used Kyoukan to make illusions of fear. After that he drops a bit of his blood on the sword and little by little the sword starts to absorb blood. It was a technique at the lowest level called, Jikininki. Slowly the mind of the corporal becomes heavy and weak. This give Kenshin to use another techniques known as Gaki by placing his palm on the soldier. With the weak soldier's mind, Kenshin was able to take information away from him. The soldier tries to fight it. "Don't bother. I'm not only taking away your memories but taking away your reflexes. You'll only be nothing more than a immoveable doll." Kenshin said.
Soon Kenshin got all what he needed and he pulls out his word and the aethreal feathers and binds fade. The soldier was nothing more than an emotionless marionette. "So the reason why your troops were here for was a side mission. While the main troops attacked Pearl harbor, you went to eliminate my clan as not only a lose end but because the Yanagi clan members have skyrocketing amounts of chi." Kenshin summaries, "But you made a mistake messing with me, especially since I'm part demon now."
"Japan will destroy...you." The soldier said with a lack of energy.
Kenshin then stabs the man in the gut with his sword. His blade starts to absorb his blood. "You know, I was gonna let you and your men die quicly after you gave me all that information, until I saw what you did at the China and Koryo campaign." Kenshin says, "Not only you went for the women but you violated the little kids too. Plus torture as well. I'm not gonna make that stand." And just like that, all the blood absorbed by the blade came out and formed a large snapping jaw then chomped off the soldier's lower half. This was Ashura Makenjutsu: Jikininki Stage Two: Agito.
Kenshin then drags and the critically injured and psychologically damaged people at the center at the barn. They were separated by rows and columns. They were afraid as and they were in binds and chains. The miasma's effects were about to fade so he decided to wrap up.
Kenshin took a blank paper talisman from his bag and bit his finger. He writes the glyphs with his own blood and places it at the floor. There he uses Majinken to stab through the charm. Glyphs form all over the farm. There Kenshin draws out his sword and walks away as he sheathes it. But as he leaves the farm something happens. A large door the size of a basketball court forms below the troops and slowly opens. Demons come out and tear them open as they drag their souls to hell. This was a summoning spell that summons one of the gates of hell Rashomon.
Kenshin didn't bother to look back as he heard their screams. Out then comes out a dark portal. Behind comes Enma. "Your first task is at hand, Tasogare." The god told him as he passes him a scroll. Kenshin snatches the scroll and say, "Hell or high water, they will drown in their blood."