Up in the stands, Kintaro paused mid-bite, his hand still buried in his bucket of popcorn. His brows furrowed as something clicked in his mind. He nudged Ju with his elbow.
"Wait a minute… isn't that your name?"
Ju, still focused on the arena, blinked in confusion. "It is?"
Kintaro chewed thoughtfully, then continued, mouth still half-full. "Think she's a relative or something?"
Ju leaned forward slightly, his expression now mirroring Kintaro's curiosity. "I mean… I don't think so? I didn't even know I had any family members…" He paused, a sense of curiosity creeping up his spine.
Tenjin, who had been lazily watching the match, now turned to them with mild interest. "I see this as a blessing. Maybe she's as strong as you," he offered.
Ju scratched the back of his head. "Maybe…"
Kintaro smirked, pointing toward the arena. "Well, guess there's only one way to find out."
Ju sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah… I guess so."
Back in the arena, the two combatants remained locked in place, neither making the first move despite the fight having already begun. A tense quietness settled over the colosseum, thick with anticipation. Then, the silence shattered as the oni, Puma, took a single, deliberate step forward.
Its twin blades gleamed in the sunlight, catching the light in a way that made them seem almost ethereal. Without warning, Puma surged forward, slashing down at Akuma with immense force.
But before the blades could reach her, Akuma leaped onto the flat of one of the swords, using the momentum of its swing to propel herself forward. She sprinted up the length of the blade, then onto Puma's arm, her movements fluid and precise.
Realizing her intent, Puma swung his free hand at her, aiming to swat her away. But she was already ahead of him—at the last second, she flipped off his arm, sending herself soaring into the air. The oni's massive hand, instead of striking her, carved straight through his own limb.
With a sickening slice, Puma's arm detached and crashed to the ground, thick, purplish blood spilling onto the arena floor. Then, almost immediately, the severed limb ignited into an eerie blue flame, burning away into nothingness.
Yet Puma didn't flinch. Instead, he charged straight through the flames, his lost arm already beginning to regenerate before the audience's eyes.
How'd he do that?" Himeko asked, turning to Tobi beside her.
He shrugged.
She frowned, staring daggers at him. When he finally noticed the entire group now looking at him for an explanation, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Fine…" he muttered, clearly annoyed that he'd been forced into a lecture. "Spirits aren't physical beings… they're just forms of chi. So if you chop off an arm, it won't really do anything—it'll just come back. Unless—"
His explanation was abruptly drowned out by the loud clang of clashing blades.
In the arena, Puma swung for Akuma's neck, but she ducked at the last second, sliding between his legs and slicing into his ankles. The deep cuts sent the blue oni crashing to one knee.
"…Unless you destroy the core," Tobi finished.
As if proving his point, Akuma leaped into the air, her axe cocked back. With a single, devastating slash, she severed Puma's head from his shoulders.
For a brief moment, everything was still. Between his neck, where flesh once connected, a shattered orb flickered weakly before bursting into blue flames.
The fire spread quickly, consuming Puma's body. His head, still intact, landed on the ground, his fading eyes locked onto Akuma as his form began to dissipate into embers.
In the stands, the group watched in stunned silence. Then, after a beat, Ju smirked.
"The winner is AKUMA!!!" the announcer declared.
"Alright," Ju said, standing up. "Let's go. We need to go meet someone."
Kintaro quickly ate the rest of his popcorn and followed the rest of the group.
**************
Once again, they entered the city, walking down the roads until they reached the gates of a palace. Perched on a pole was a red and white parrot.
"Squawk! Who goes there!?" The parrot puffed out its chest of white feathers.
"I'm here to see Saruto," Tobi said as he approached the gate.
"Do you have an appointment!?" The bird interrupted his path and flew between him and the gate.
"I am the appointment." Tobi pushed the bird to the side. Padme caught it.
"That was mean, sensei…" she pouted, petting the bird as it nuzzled against her hands.
"Tsk." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, but continued through the gate.
As they walked further in, Kintaro examined the pillars of a shrine-like building. "I used to live in one of these."
Himeko glanced at him before smirking. "Really? I guess even the lower class can be interesting."
Kintaro frowned as she walked ahead to catch up with the rest of the group.
*********
Inside the shrine, a man dressed in a beautiful robe of red, black, and white patterns knelt before a statue of a fat, goat-like deity, his hands clasped in prayer.
"You know it's bad luck to interrupt prayer… Tobi."
His voice was playful and unbothered by their presence.
The man turned around, a small smirk on his face, two round black glasses covering his sharp eyes. Blue hair with two white bangs framed his face, reaching down to his shoulders.
"Saruto."
Tobi nodded before sitting next to him on the ground.
"Tobi." Saruto smiled. "Oh? And who are these young ones with you?"
"They're a bunch of brats I got stuck with, that's all," Tobi said bluntly. "But I do have a favor to ask."
Saruto perked up, smirking as he shook his head. "What makes you think I owe you a favor?"
Tobi scoffed. "What about the time I carried you on my back for over a hundred miles because you got ambushed?"
Saruto clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "If I remember right, it was you my young student that rushed into the battle. So that doesn't count."
The students looked at each other in shock coming to realize that the young man in front of them was their master's master!
Padme stepped forward. "Um, Mister Saruto, right? If you don't mind me asking… how old are you exactly?"
Saruto turned slightly, smiling. "Oh, my dear, if memory serves me right, I should be about… 61!"
Everyone gasped in disbelief.
"I thought Tobi-sensei was his master?" Ju said, rubbing his chin.
"Yeah, but Tobi looks so old… Might be all the cigarettes he smokes," Tenjin added. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.
"CAN'T Y'ALL JUST BE QUIET?!" Tobi snapped.
Saruto pouted. "Now, now, Tobi, that's no way to talk to children. I thought I taught you better than that."
Kintaro sniffles dramatically his voice quivering. "Yeah! He's always bullying us, Saruto-sensei—especially me!"
Himeko joined in, wiping imaginary tears. "Exactly!"
Saruto gasped, covering his mouth with his sleeve. "You poor, poor children…"
Tobi groaned. "I'm your master you know…" He grumbled under his breath. "…Master may we use your compound for some training I need to teach these kids some lessons…" He smirks mischievous making the rest do the group shiver a bit.
Saruto thought for a moment before nodding. "Well, clearly, these students need training they look like they can't even handle a Common ranked spirit." Kintaro looks away feeling embarrassed and put on the spot from that reference.
"So I'll allow it. But first—" he clapped his hands together, "—let's eat!"
********
Everyone is brought to a large hall, the group sat around a grand table, feasting on the extravagant spread prepared by the many servants. Plates of steaming rice, roasted meats, and fresh vegetables covered every inch of the table, filling the air with rich aromas.
Saruto, seated at the head, chuckled as he sipped his sake.
"Saruto-sensei, I have a question," Kintaro said, his mouth half-full of rice. "If you're Tobi's master, why are you in a different country?"
Saruto smiled at him from across the table. "Well, I'm retired. And since I had enough money, I decided to settle down here… with my wives."
Tenjin choked on his drink, coughing violently. "Did… did you just say wives?"
Before Saruto could answer, two women entered the room.
One was a regal-looking woman dressed in a robe with a crescent moon design. Her long black bangs framed her face, and her deep purple eyes scanned the room with a quiet intelligence. She moved with an air of grace, settling neatly beside Saruto with her hands folded in her lap.
The second woman was far less composed. Clad in the same battle-worn colosseum outfit from earlier, Akuma flopped into the seat next to Saruto with an exaggerated sigh. Without hesitation, she grabbed a large jug of sake, taking a deep swig.
She wiped her chin with the back of her hand before finally acknowledging the group, her crimson eyes narrowing as she studied them.
"Who the hell are these guys?"
*********
Inside a dark, smoky room, a man sat seething, his fists clenched so tightly that blood dripped between his fingers. His rage-filled expression twisted further as he took another deep breath, his broad chest rising and falling erratically.
Dressed in black robes with red stripes running down the sides, his large, buggy black eyes glowed red with pure hatred.
"Again… THAT BITCH WON AGAIN!" he roared, grabbing a bottle of liquor and downing most of it before hurling it at the wall. The glass shattered on impact, shards scattering across the floor. He shot to his feet, pacing furiously.
"Ten… TEN MILLION LOST! AND TO A DEMON BITCH OF ALL THINGS?!"
With a furious kick, he sent the table flying, its contents crashing onto the ground.
From the shadows, a rough, rural voice spoke, completely unimpressed.
"…Are you done yet? 'Cause I don't get paid to listen to personal rants."
The man growled, turning sharply to glare at the unseen speaker. "YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE GETTING PAID AT ALL!"
The voice from the shadows doesn't respond just sighing.
"Well I can't read your mind so what do you want me to do now?…boss." He spits out that last word which only makes him getting angrier.
He turns to the corner clenching his fists at his sides.
"I WANT YOU TO KILL HER! KILL AKUMA!"
*To be continued——>…*