The yokai in the corner suddenly got up and dusted himself off; his hunched, scared demeanor seemed to change as the yokai’s back straightened. The scared and almost timid expression he had been wearing on his face slid off to be replaced with an almost carefree expression. “Whew, I’m glad the wicked witch of the west is gone. Now, I can breath a bit easier ya know?” He shot Ranmaru a cheeky smile and came over to stand in front of him, looking Ranmaru up and down. Ranmaru immediately turned stiff and on guard. “Hmm.” Ryoga smirked and held out his hand to Ranmaru. “Hey there, I’m Ryoga, and what’s your name buddy?”
Ranmaru blinked back at this strange yokai man. There was stubble on the man’s chin; he had shaggy brown hair, slightly pointed ears, yellow-gold eyes, and bushy brows. He was the type of man who was easily overlooked. He was wearing an open, red kimono shirt, along with a pair of red capris. And there was a pair of zori sandals on his feet. He looked at Ryoga’s hand suspiciously and didn’t take it. “What is this place?” He couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him. It was Ryoga’s turn to blink, “You don’t know?” A single furry brow raised at him.
“I was blindfolded.” Ranmaru said by way of explanation. Ryoga nodded. “Welcome to hell.” He motioned his hand at the other prison cells. “We’re all prisoners here. Some of us are Spell-Collared yokai slaves but others...like myself were simply abducted by humans and brought here for their amusement. We’re all being forced to fight in Death Matches down here.”
So Ranmaru’s hunch about this being some kind of fight club had been right. An illegal Death Match ring perhaps. Was Bitch 313
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the mafia involved in this somehow? Ranmaru looked around and noticed that there were also women and children among the prisoners. Strange. “But some of you are not fighters.”
Ryoga laughed a broken laugh and fingered the hilt of his sword. Ranmaru blinked, he hadn’t even noticed that Ryoga had been wearing a sword. In fact, Ranmaru’s own hand went instinctively to his own sword and was surprised to find that Kuroki Ryu was still there. Why hadn’t Kagura taken it? “I may have this old thing but I don’t know if I’d consider myself a
‘fighter’ either. I hate fighting.” Ryoga spit off to one side. “And to be forced to kill...” Ryoga shook his head. “It’s sickening.”
Ryoga seemed to notice Ranmaru’s surprise that he still had his sword. “Don’t assume she forgot or doesn’t know you have it. She did it on purpose. To show you that even if you’re armed there’s no chance of you escaping.”
Ranmaru nodded and removed his hand from his sword’s hilt, silently glad for its constant presence. Ranmaru couldn’t quite understand why someone would ‘hate’ fighting though or let ‘killing’ someone bother him as much as it seemed to bother Ryoga, and so wisely kept quiet on the topic. Ranmaru had been a warrior all his life, a fighter. Killing...had become a natural thing to him, as natural as breathing perhaps. Ryoga, however, didn’t seem to mind how quiet Ranmaru was one bit and just kept on talking about various things. He was quite a boisterous and talkative fellow, Ranmaru decided and thought that perhaps he and Kusanagi would get along well... Kusanagi...
A kappa demon dressed in a ragged business suit with a pair of thick, nerdy, square-rimmed glasses on his face, sallow, green-tinged skin, and who was in the cell directly across from them began to complain. “Ryoga, why don’t you just shut up already? He obviously doesn’t give a damn about what you’re saying. You’re probably boring him to death. Besides, what’s the point in getting friendly - he may be your next opponent.” The demon man had oily, black hair that was sticking to the sides of his head in places, and which he was trying to smooth futilely 314
with his hands as he spoke.
Ryoga sighed and hung his head, “I just...” He clenched his fists at his sides. “I can’t think like that. Maybe we’ll all get out of here somehow. I can’t give up hope.”
“Get out?” The kappa demon scoffed, “Impossible...this is the end...for all of us. You better just accept it. No one can resist HER.”
Ranmaru inwardly found himself agreeing with the cowardly kappa.
But when Ryoga looked up, he had a fierce look in his golden eyes, “No one knows until they try. I won’t give up on life...or hope...or my family until the very end. Because I want to live.” A tail suddenly appeared behind Ryoga and it was wagging back and forth excitedly. Ranmaru’s brows rose, apparently Ryoga was a dog demon. Dogs...such silly creatures. He couldn’t help but wonder though how Kaze was doing. He had looked so worried as he watched Ranmaru leave with Kagura…
The kappa shrugged, “Suit yourself, baka. Better hope the new guy doesn’t run you through in five seconds flat.”
Ryoga looked over at Ranmaru, “If that is my fate then I will simply accept it. I don’t fear death, but I would rather live.”
Ryoga shrugged.
Ranmaru had to admit that he was impressed by this man’s inner strength in the face of such overwhelming odds. Ranmaru smelled the scent of tears and turned his head to see two small children hugging each other and crying. One was a small blonde girl of around seven years of age and the other was a small blonde boy, who looked to be about the same age. They had similar facial features so Ranmaru thought that they were probably brother and sister. Ranmaru also couldn’t fail but notice that both of the children had slightly pointed ears. Hell indeed.
“By the way, that guy’s an accountant.” Ryoga began to explain to Ranmaru in a low, slightly amused voice. “So don’t let his pessimism get to you. It’s part of his trade. Eiji’s his name.”
Ranmaru raised an eyebrow at this bit of information.
“I heard that.” Eiji complained.
Ranmaru sat down and tried his best to rest, but found that he couldn’t sleep, and so remained wide-awake until eventually Bitch 315
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the guards came. Had night fallen already? Or was it already the next day? In a place with no windows it was hard to figure out the time of day. The guards were nondescript looking men in dark uniforms and military hats that shadowed their eyes and expressions. From the smell of them Ranmaru knew that they were human. But they didn’t seem afraid of their yokai prisoners and had strange looking weapons in their hands that resembled long metal sticks. One of the guards went over to open Ranmaru’s cell door. The guard then pointed to Ranmaru and then to Ryoga. “You and you.” He grunted. “Isoge! Hurry up!”
Ranmaru and Ryoga exited the cell obediently and watched as another guard dragged the resisting Eiji out from his cell and the small yellow-haired boy was also pried away from his sister and made to join the others. The four prisoners were led down the hall and then shoved through a large gateway where a metal door had been raised. A huge auditorium greeted Ranmaru’s eyes. There were tiers of seats surrounding a grand stadium that had a large open space in the center. Ranmaru realized they were inside of an underground coliseum. Ruckus cheers, jeers and catcalls went up from the stands as Ranmaru, Ryoga, Eiji and the little boy all walked out onto the dirt ground arena.
Directly across from them on the other side of the arena, another metal door was raised and a group of hulking yokai emerged. These yokai had polished, bulky armor on and gleaming, sharpened weapons in their hands. These men were professional killers, Ranmaru realized as he sized them up. They too had an aura of blood and death surrounding them. To men like these combatants Ryoga, the kappa and the boy would be nothing more than mere insects, flies to be batted down, or torn apart. They didn’t stand a chance. Ranmaru sniffed and recognized their scent - they were wolf yokai. Ranmaru could sense their murderous intent and was glad that his cellmates didn’t have the ability to sense an opponent’s strength by their aura alone. They probably would have pissed in their pants. Ryoga appeared afraid but didn’t take a step back and 316
instead withdrew his sword, “Shit.” He cursed as he raised his trembling sword before him in a two-handed grip and pointed it
across the coliseum arena.
“That’s it. I’m dead.” Eiji deadpanned. The yellow-haired boy began to cry.
“It’ll be alright Kei. You’ll see.” Ryoga tried to reassure the small boy .
Ah, so Kei is the boy’s name. Ranmaru noted. Ranmaru sensed eyes upon him and looked up directly across from where he was and up into the stands. It was Kagura. It seemed she and some others had a special area reserved to watch the fight from. Standing next to Kagura was a man dressed in a slick, gray and black pinstriped suit, which he had paired with a deep red shirt and black tie. He was wearing a skull mask on his face that covered his eyes and nose but that ended in the upper jaw of the skull leaving the man’s own mouth visible, which was currently set in a twisted and amused grin. The man had long, straight, silvery-white hair. Ranmaru’s eyes widened. That man seemed eerily familiar but it couldn’t be...?
Behind Kagura and the man in the pinstriped suit stood four mysterious figures, who were all similarly dressed in sinister, black, hooded cloaks. They were also all wearing skull masks on their faces though each mask was a little bit different. One mask resembled the skull of a bird, another the skull of a dragon, one resembled a human’s skull and lastly one appeared to be the horned skull of some kind of beast.
Ranmaru unsheathed his sword in one fluid motion, an almost disinterested manner about him as he casually asked Ryoga, “So our objective is to kill the opposing team correct?”
“Well, yea but-” Ryoga began.
But Ranmaru had already charged forward and zoomed past Ryoga, Eiji the kappa demon, and the boy Kei, and attacked the wolf yokai on his own leaving them behind. Ranmaru’s sword moved through the air and clashed with one of the wolf yokai’s swords, but in his next move Ranmaru easily managed to slip
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past the demon’s defenses and was slicing through his chest in a horizontal slash.
The slaughter had begun.
Ranmaru spun and beheaded another wolf demon in one quick fluid motion. Ducking low Ranmaru cut through the legs of another of the wolf yokai, who howled in pain and outrage. Ranmaru ignored him and turned his sword bringing it down upon another wolf yokai, who stood in his way, sword raised. Ranmaru had never stopped moving. Their swords clashed and this time Ranmaru simply applied more pressure, strength, and power to his sword and continued to press forward - Kuroki Ryu managed to cut through the demon’s sword easily and then Ranmaru was slicing through the yokai wolf next in a downwards slash. Blood gushed out of the demon’s chest wound and splattered across Ranmaru’s face-Kuroki Ryu, the demon dragon spirit, was cackling madly, thoroughly enjoying himself and the slaughter. It had been far too long since he had tasted the blood of battle. Yes! Hell yes! This is it! The moment I’ve been waiting for. More Ranmaru- teme! Give me more blood! More death! Let’s kill all of these frickin bastards! The sword was glowing, pulsing with an excited red light.
Ranmaru could hear the voice and continued laughter of his sword in his mind. His sword was really beginning to get irritating.
That’s it Ranmaru, give into your killer instincts, let your inner beast, your inner yokai free - free to kill! You know you’ve wanted this too - I can feel it. Pulsing in your veins - the excitement. The rush of adrenaline and bloodlust. You’re enjoying yourself a LOT aren’t you? You always did enjoy a good battle. The heat of a good battle where your life is on the line - that moment where you’re balanced between life and death
-that’s when you truly feel alive, isn’t it Ranmaru? Don’t worry I understand perfectly, now feed me! Feed me more you stingy bastard! I’ve gone far too long without blood!
Ranmaru frowned and tried to block out and ignore Kuroki Ryu in his head. But at the same time he realized that some of what the sword was saying was true... Kagura watched from the stands and pouted, “How Bitch 319
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boring, how about I make things a bit more interesting. Embrace. ” An evil smirk formed on her blood-red lips as she spoke the word of subjugation.
The collar tightened painfully around Ranmaru’s neck and a harsh electric shock was sent coursing through his body. For a moment Ranmaru was simply paralyzed by the excruciating pain.
A moment in time.
A split second was all it took.
Ryoga noticed Ranmaru’s pained grimace and how he had suddenly just frozen up on the spot. “What the-?” He followed Ranmaru’s line of sight and spotted Kagura mouthing something, and looking quite pleased with herself, her expression smug. Ryoga then noticed how the collar around Ranmaru’s neck was glowing. “Oh shit, she used the word of subjugation! That bitch!”
Two of the remaining wolf yokai took this opportunity to move in for the kill, leering at Ranmaru happily now that he had finally lowered his guard. One of them aimed his sword directly at Ranmaru’s heart-Ryoga acted quickly and holding his sword like a javelin launched it at the wolf yokai who was about to run Ranmaru through. The sword hit the wolf yokai’s shoulder just as he was making his forward jab so that his aim veered off and stabbed Ranmaru through his side instead. The other wolf yokai hesitated upon seeing his comrade attacked, but then pulled himself together to suddenly jab his sword forward and stab Ranmaru’s thigh with his sword.
By then the subjugation spell had finally worn off and Ranmaru was able to move again. He moved as fast as lightning not knowing if Kagura would dare to utter the cursed word again, and quickly and easily killed the last two remaining opponents. His sword flashed through the air, pulsing with energy, laughing happily, insanely, that blood was being spilled once again. Ranmaru could feel his own lip twitching into a half-smile but caught himself.
I’ve waited too long for this, you asshole! That was great!
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Hell yea! Kuroki Ryu declared excitedly in Ranmaru’s mind. Oh shut up. Ranmaru shot back in his mind to his sword, bastard sword.
Even heavily wounded Ranmaru had not slowed down in the least and had killed the remaining wolf yokai in just a few seconds. Ryoga was more than impressed, he was in awe. Ranmaru swished his sword through the air to remove the blood from it and resheathed his sword in one elegant motion. Ryoga then ran up to him. “Ranmaru- san are you alright?” Ryoga asked concernedly as he looked at the wound in Ranmaru’s side and the one in his thigh - both were bleeding profusely.
“This is nothing.” Ranmaru explained in his monotone voice.
Ryoga watched as the wounds on Ranmaru’s shoulder and leg began to steam and heal themselves right before his very eyes. Ryoga’s eyes widened. “Regeneration...sweet.”
Kei was looking at Ranmaru a bit starry-eyed, “That was so cool, Mister!”
Cool? Since when had the ability to kill six yokai warriors in seconds become something considered ‘cool’? This era is so strange...
Eiji was also apparently quite impressed - if his dropped jaw was anything to go by. He remained like that for several moments too until Ryoga took pity on him and shut his jaw for him. The kappa blushed in response not having realized what he was doing.
Ranmaru looked down at his now blood-splattered butler’s uniform that he usually managed to keep immaculate, with an emotionless expression on his face. For some reason the image of Kusanagi’s frowning face popped up in his mind. Ranmaru! How could you get blood on your uniform? Mou!
Kusanagi...Oujo-sama...
Ranmaru shook his head. These yokai may praise him for his skill in killing now but...he was sure his Oujo-sama would do no such thing. He was also sure that she wouldn’t be coming for him. She had finally managed to get rid of him after all, which was what she had wanted all along. She had never wanted a Samurai Butler to begin with - let alone a Spell-Collared yokai slave. Kusanagi would probably be relieved now that he was Bitch 321
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gone...
***
Meanwhile, Kusanagi had decided to go on ahead to school without Ranmaru assuming
that he had gone on ahead and would probably already be there waiting for her. When he wasn’t there she still wasn’t too worried - after all he was a superpowerful, nearly invincible yokai... At lunch Kusanagi was seated with Katsumi and Shinichi when Orihime came up to them and frowned down at Kusanagi when she didn’t catch sight of Ranmaru. Hands on her hips, she looked around, “Oi, Kusanagi, where’s Ranmaru?”
Kusanagi shrugged carelessly and popped another rice ball into her mouth, she responded while chewing, “Hell if I know.” Or care...
Orihime’s golden eyes immediately narrowed at Kusanagi, “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re his Master. You of all people should know.”
Kusanagi glared back at Orihime, “Well, I don’t and so what? He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”
Orihime’s expression darkened, “Haven’t you heard the news?”
Katsumi’s ears perked up, “News? What news?”
Orihime threw a newspaper down at Kusanagi; Katsumi peered over her shoulder to read the main headline. It read:
ILLEGAL YOKAI DEATH MATCHES
Recently it has come to the attention of Tokyo police that yokai are being captured and targeted by unknown entities. Entire families have suddenly ‘disappeared’ into the night. At first there were no leads but now thanks to a certain spy we now know what has happened to these yokai. Several yokai slaves have been purchased recently in the black market and several other yokai have been captured off the street - why? They’re taken to an underground coliseum where they’re forced to participate in brutal, bloody Death Matches. The Shiro Tsubaki yakuza clan is suspected of being involved. Although other mafia groups and yakuza clans have 322
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