- Xiao, Lao, Sabu -
Lao and Sabu were at a crowded food stand. Sabu had asked to speak with Lao one-on-one before the two would go their separate ways. Sabu slid his bowl of food to Lao.
"I respect the choice, if that's worth anything to you?"
"Never thought you didn't," Lao responded. "Personally, I still think it would be good for you to join the team with me."
As Lao started to make quick work of the two bowls of food, Sabu subtlety looked around at the various yokai. Images of his past life came and went in what felt like an instant. Sabu asked Lao a question in a careful tone.
"I never asked out of respect, but how old were you?"
Lao swallowed his mouthful. "Fifteen, from what Lucifer tells me. Beaten to death after what I did."
"Lucifer said it was self-defense," Sabu argued.
"I don't care," Lao shrugged. "That part of my existence is a fraction of a fraction of my total time. The Scales can weigh my past actions however they wish, it doesn't matter."
"Fifteen?" Sabu questioned under his breath.
"You?" Lao asked before filling his mouth with more food.
"Twenty-three..." Sabu rubbed his arm. "Caught and beheaded by one of my target's men."
Lao looked around at the buildings. He watched the interactions between yokai and looked at the food that was being served. He swallowed his food and asked Sabu a surprising question.
"What was your homeland like?"
"Don't know," Sabu answered without hesitation. "Maybe this was similar? But the memories are hazy and few of them include peacefulness such as this."
Lao placed his chopsticks on top of his empty bowls. "I don't know you as well as I should, so I want to apologize before I say what I'm about to say."
Sabu's eyes shifted to confusion before returning to a melancholic stare. "Go on. Whatever it is, I'm not going to fight you."
Lao exhaled before speaking earnestly, "You need to retake the rehumanization courses in Hell, or join the Grim squad with me; staying with Lucifer forever isn't right for you...I think."
Sabu didn't respond. The somber look in his eyes deepened. Lao took the silence as a chance to further his point.
"Peter dedicated his life to Lucifer for reasons I don't know but given the kind of man Peter is, it seems to have worked for him. I don't think continuing to travel with Lucifer will yield the same results for you."
"...Why?" Sabu grumbled.
Lao stumbled on his words. "Difference in goals? Or Lucifer? Maybe?" he took a breath and collected himself. "I think purely following Lucifer is the wrong choice for you, in my opinion at least."
"I appreciate it," Sabu glanced at an approaching figure in the crowd.
Xiao approached the two.
"What's g-"
Xiao interrupted, "Lao, with me; Sabu, go join Sig and Lina."
Sabu's face scrunched slightly. "Since when do you-"
Xiao cut him off. "Might be nothing, probably not, given Lucifer's history," He leaned in and whispered. "K.T.Q. order," He looked at Sabu. "Help the best way you can and follow my team's lead."
- Izanagi and Death -
Death rushed toward Izanagi, his hand's grip loosening and tightening around his scythe's handle. A bolt of lightning shot from Izanagi's spear. Death threw his scythe to the left and blinked.
'Surely not,' Izanagi thought as he aimed his spear at the scythe.
Death reappeared on the right and got within a few feet of Izanagi. Izanagi swung his spear around. Death blinked just out of the striking range of the spear.
'What is he doing?' Izanagi questioned as he slammed the spear's handle into the ground.
A ring of fire appeared around Izanagi and shot outward. Izanagi rushed into the flames, weaving them around his spear. He jabbed his spear into the flames where he thought Death would be. When he felt no contact he immediately switched back into a defensive stance. The flames dissipated, and Death was nowhere to be seen.
'Does he know?!' Izanagi's mind was overwhelmed with worry.
Izanagi's worrying slowed his reactions. He felt the back of Death's scythe's blade slam into his shoulder. Before he could collect himself, Death reappeared within striking range. He went to move his spear but the pain in his shoulder slowed him. Death's fingers stopped right in front of his eyes.
Death left his hunter form as he pulled his hand away from Izanagi's face. "Something wrong?"
Izanagi's breathing was ragged. "I'm...I'm just f-far rustier than I expected. I think I've spent too much time in my head?"
Death reassured Izanagi, "There's nothing wrong with growing temporarily weaker because of peace. I'm sure you'll be back to full strength after a few more matches."
"Y-yeah..." Izanagi rubbed his eyes. "To the next location," He healed his shoulder.
Death and Izanagi moved on from the crater and continued up the mountain. Death was taking in the sights of the floating environment while Izanagi lamented his own weakness.
'Speed, strength, even tactics!' he gripped his spear tighter. 'Am I really so out of practice that he could beat me so easily WHILE holding back?' he exhaled sharply. 'Focus on the now. Return to the basics. Watch and study how he fights. The goal was never to beat him, remember that you fool.'
- Shiri and Susano'o -
Shiri skated on ice as he froze over the path in front of him. He was rambling under his breath as he went.
"This is too deep into Lord Enma's territory for the Grim soldiers or even Death to get here quickly if needed. Surely they won't be needed though and Lucifer is just being paranoid?"
The only things around Shiri were bare trees. He kept his maul over his shoulder as he moved. He noticed a figure waiting for him on the road. He stopped.
"Yes, Lord Susano'o?"
Susano'o stared at Shiri's maul. "My mother instructed me not to allow any extra ears to join her and Lucifer's session. That includes you, Zero."
"Shiri," Shiri corrected. "And I have no plans on joining the discussion, I simply wish to be close by when it is done so I can ask Lucifer my own questions."
Susano'o pointed at the maul. "And you need THAT to do it?"
Shiri glanced at his maul. "There could be rogue members of the former rebellion. Given my status, I could draw unwanted attention."
"Mmm," Susano'o's face was filled with doubt. "Well," he drew his curved sword, "can I interest you in a quick match before you go back the way you came?"
Shiri looked around. "Where are your soldiers, Lord Susano'o?"
"Don't change the subject," Susano'o stared at Shiri. "I thought we could have a bit of fun while my mother and Lucifer handle their business."
"Fun?" Shiri said under his breath as his hand tightened around his maul's handle. "You think this is fun?"
"Why wouldn't I?!" Susano'o boomed with laughter. "A match with the illustrious "Zero" that I've heard so many yuki talking about. Not since Michael have I been this excited about a potential duel! SO," he taunted Shiri to come over. "COME ON THEN!"
Shiri stayed in his head before responding. 'Do I lie to avoid an unnecessary fight? If I don't fight him now he might just pose a threat to Lucifer and the others. He thinks this is fun? Maybe I should just try convincing him to get out of my way? Fun?'
"Lord Susano'o," Shiri stayed calm as he spoke. "I would owe you a favor if you let me through without trouble. My ties to Lord Satan give me a wealth-"
"NOPE!" Susano'o interrupted. "Sorry, but nothing you say is changing my mind on this."
"Ask Lord Izanami and-"
"NOPE! They're the ones who gave me this order."
Shiri's eyes widened. 'No being in this world would turn that favor down under normal circumstances,' his calm expression started to sour. 'Lucifer was right to be paranoid,' he dropped his maul on the ground.
The loud thud and small explosion of snow that resulted from the maul hitting the ground surprised Susano'o.
"Fun?" Shiri mumbled with growing anger.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Susano'o placed his hand by his ear.
Shiri grabbed his maul's handle. "Why?"
Susano'o smiled. "BECAUSE A BATTLE WITH YOU WILL BE-"
"WHY?!" Shiri shouted over Susano'o. "WHY CAN'T YOU BEINGS LEAVE HIM ALONE?!"
Susano'o was taken aback by Shiri's anger. He stopped smiling and pointed his sword at Shiri.
"I'll offer you the warrior's code out of respect," His sword sparked with electricity. "We're not monsters, just a family protecting their own."
Shiri's horns iced over as he exhaled a thick white plume of icy mist. His skin gained a blue hue to it as his hands became icy claws. He leaned forward with a deep scowl.
"COME ON THEN!"
- Sig and Lina -
Sig and Lina moved through crowds of yokai. Sig had the two disguised with illusion magic as they moved smoothly around the yokai.
"Three o'clock, ten meters," Lina whispered in a barely audible tone.
Sig turned with Lina as they seemingly glided through the crowd. An approaching force of yokai, all brandishing weapons, led by a crow-faced yokai, started to march through the streets. All the other yokai that had crowded the streets started to run into the nearest buildings.
"Lord Susano'o told us to stay out of it for the first hour," The crow-faced yokai stated. "He better win or Lord Izanagi and Izanami are going to kill us for listening to him."
Sig and Lina were among the marching yokai. They were both careful not to come into contact with the yokai so as to not break Sig's illusion.
- Julius and Salim -
"The call should be coming soon," Julius said to Salim.
The two were sitting on top of a rooftop watching Susano'o's forces march through the town.
"It worries me that we lost sight of the others," Salim said.
A giant bolt of lightning, far in the distance, shot into the sky. Chunks of ice started to float around where the bolt struck. The two stared in the direction of the lightning.
"Well," Julius sighed, "Hopefully the call is any minute now or that might complicate things."
Salim shook his head. "What do we do if he loses?"
"Best not to think about it," Julius replied with a grin.