Hell/Former Hell - part 2

Following this incident, Kasen scolds Suika and Yuugi comes to see me in a more usual way.  I wonder why.  I hope she doesn't think I'm stupid, even though I don't remember everything.  Since then, I don't leave my house except to go to train or to get some fresh air.  Speaking of training, Kasen spent an entire hour scolding me for my act.  And yet I don't remember.

In truth, they all thought it was an accident, except Suika who heard what he thought and doesn't know where to stand, so she drinks.

What happened at the end?

Nevertheless, I have progressed a lot during this period so that one day, Yuugi and Suika arrive with a leaflet that they tempt me.

"See you at the Old Hell Tournament?  I ask him."

"It's the annual tournament of the inhabitants of the old hell" She answers ans arrives with a bang "And I refuse that he participates!"

"Please, I said, could I participate to test my strength?"

"But ...." She hesitate.

"Don't worry, it's just to see where I am at the moment." Yuugi defends me.

"The best way to learn is to compare your experience with that of the other participants." Suika adds.

"Hmmmm okay but on three conditions!

First, you don't use a sword.  Second, you only use basic projectiles.  Third, have fun!"

"It's understood.  I imagine that you also participate girls!"

"Yes !"  they answer.

"Well, may the best win!"

The day of the tournament arrives, and the three of us sign up for this martial discipline, Kasen preferring to encourage us from the stands.  Too bad, because I would like to face him in an official match.  Looking around me, I see many participants whose names I cannot remember.  Among them is a purple-haired girl with a mask over a tight-fitting purple sleeveless top of the same color, and traditional long white combat pants and a scroll behind.  The first fight opposes me to an oni making more than two meters and me one meter eighty.

"Hahahahahaha!  So you are human.  You normally know where your place is, don't you?  So what are you doing in my..."

In response, I give him a right that ejects him out of the ring and then turns me around.  If I'm here it's for a certain person to answer my questions so get out of my way or I'll crush you, demon.  I then join Kasen in the stands who congratulates me on my lightning victory.  Yuugi and Suika also pass the first round then Kasen suddenly decides to leave on the pretext of a stomach ache.  The two champions come to where I am, wondering where she is.  After that, a hooded fighter, and the young girl from earlier also succeed, then an individual with a saber and a horn eliminates his opponent in his cold blood and then points his blade at me.  In the language of the sword, this means: You are next.  I reply imitating the sign of a blade cutting the throat;  simple and efficient.  Round two and round three are going like clockwork.  I even manage to defeat a creature with a sword.  Since it's the break, our group goes to a restaurant to celebrate our qualification.  These order alcohol while I content myself with a water worm.  None of them notice it to me, and fortunately.  On the other hand, Yuugi starts the conversation while messing my hair.

"Cheer !  You have become quite strong but on the other hand do not take the big head because I intend to beat you flat of seams"

"Thank you very much and it's the same for me to admit everything.  If not, who are you going to face?"

"I'm against a girl with a mask.  I can't wait to see what she has in her stomach.

"And you ?"  I asked Suika.

"I'm the hooded warrior!  I feel like I'm going to have fun!  But who will you face?"

"Probably another fighter."

The atmosphere becomes heavy as Yuugi lifts me like a potato sack until we're out of the way.  Now safe from witnesses, she takes off her clothes without embarrassment so that what I see is her scars but not just any.

"These are blade scars!  What did this to you?" I shout.

Yes, my fists clench then tremble, furious to see this in the body of a woman but also of a friend.  Who would have thought ?  A human who regards an onii as his friend.

This is just the beginning.

Yuugi smiled at me before whispering in my ear:

- You have nothing more to prove now and I can tell you, I'm proud of you.  However, Kongara is on a whole level.  If you cross paths with him - as long as he's not one of your obstacles - you have to give up, understand?  I don't want to see you risking your life for nothing like the time you nearly threw yourself over the edge.

- All right...

- Promise me

- I promise you Yuugi.  Now can you let me go?

- Whoops.

- And get dressed too.

- Roh it's okay!  Have you ever seen someone shirtless?

- No.

- You really don't know what you're missing.  But you have honor, I like that!  So, friends?

- Friends !

Yuugi , I'm glad that we are no longer cold. We perform the famous manly grip. After this exchange, the fourth begins. But the participant does not come after more than thirty minutes. As a result, I win by forfeit. Wanting to go to the bathroom, I go there when the smell of blood tickles my nostrils. Then I come across the corpse of the fighter I'm supposed to fight. Immediately, the individual with a red horn and a black kimono attacks me with his sword except that he stops his movement at the last moment. In return, I pass without looking at him, not without declaring to him:

- Out of respect for my friend, I don't intend to fight you. But if you hurt him....

The other quarter-finals have just ended.  So here are the results:

Me vs. Murder Victim: I'm in the semi-finals by default.

The hooded one against Suika: Suika is eliminated and the hooded one goes to the semi-finals.

Yuugi vs a young woman with a mask: Yuugi wins.

The assassin against another participant: He wins by killing his opponent.

Suddenly, the first semi-final opposes me to the mysterious fighter and the second semi-final opposes .... Oh no!  Yuugi will face him!  In addition, during the quarter-finals, the young woman inflicted a spell of purification of evil on him.

As normal, only an S-class exorcist can use it, who draws, is part of the Yakumo clan, more precisely of the main branch.  Small aside, from the time when the Yakumo clan was the most illustrious, we, exorcists, being ranked from rank C to rank S, and the strongest in history is undoubtedly Yakumo Ishiraiki, chief of the clan during the war between the  humans to yokai, of which the Yakumo clan was the undisputed leader.  But don't be fooled, the strongest reach rank A at most, rank S being reserved for the elite, ie the main branch... At the moment, Yuugi is in the hospital.  I intend to go see her except that the hooded stranger stops me.

"Who are you in the end and what are you doing here?"

"I expected you to recognize me sooner but apparently I'm disappointed. Your intelligence is expressed more in combat it seems."  She states then removes her hood showing me a familiar face.

"...Kasen, is that you? I find that rude of you, you know."  I point it out to him.

"Yes it was me. Sorry, I wanted to make you react. Nevertheless, I stand by what I say."

"Besides, why did you arrest me? You think..."

!  Announcement !

"Attention! The first semi-final will soon begin! Both participants are requested to come to the ring."

So I'll have to face Kasen.  I get ahead, head to the ring, ready for the fight.  My mistress masters not only the hermit arts but also the ability to summon animals.  As for me, my physical strength and my mastery of the arts will be my weapons.  Once she arrives, not a sound.  The fight can finally begin.

A few minutes later, however, I find myself on the ground unable to do much, while my opponent remains standing.  Again, she only fights with a third of her power.  Damn, so I can't move, almost fainting at any moment.  What can I do ?

"I can't beat you. I give up."

There is a huge level difference between her and me.  Besides, I'm not sure I want to face him one more minute.  Against a Mima or Kukuri, they were hostile yes but not Kasen.

"It's my fault" She concludes, looking disappointed.  "I shouldn't have trained such a coward"

What ?

!  Break!

What is she doing to me here?  Is she losing her mind?

"For the trouble, I intend to kill you. We had fun during these four months. I would tell the others that you are dead. Ah yes! Maybe I shouldn't. Good as we say at home: Goodbye  little human! Also, you can say goodbye to information about Yukari. That's what you originally came for, huh?"

Swelling!  You just made the worst mistake of your life.

"Prepare to die, you filthy traitor!"  I threaten her with an eerie calm.

!  Pierce !

Blood begins to flow on the ground.  I won't let you guess who it belongs to.  In truth, all members of the Yakumo clan, according to my father, have a very rare faculty, so rare that even I do not suspect its existence, at least a very distinct group: that opposed to the main branch  , namely the parallel branch.

This allows us to immediately defeat our opponent in one hit, regardless of his power, his haxx, and his condition.  But this is on one important condition: I must be in a state of dead calm, or in extreme anger to the point where I no longer feel anything.  The problem is that the more you dive into this state, the less you keep your humanity intact.  That's why I don't like to use it and already don't want to do it anymore.

"The fight is over" The referee announces.  "Victory goes to Kenpyri who pierced his opponent through the heart."

This is what happens when I'm betrayed, Kasen.  You must have known it though... So why did you turn against me?  This one, now on the ground, smiled at me saying:

"You did it Kenpyri... You broke your psychological lock... I'm proud of you... Now don't worry about me! I'll get through this..."

She fainted right after.  A care group brings her back to the hospital while my back is turned, I cry silently on my side.  The second semi-final does not take place as Yuugi does not recover from his injury. 

What do I have to do ? 

I promised the latter not to fight him, yet the fight against Kasen shows me the opposite way.  Argh!  Why do I have to make such a choice?  Lord help me!

I'm still here Kenpyri.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Listen to me !  For the tournament, keep the promise you made to this onii!  But after the tournament, wait three days, and if any of the three are attacked by him by then, go to hell for good and challenge him then defeat him!

I nod after these words then take out my Bible now to read it while remembering the proverb: There is a time for you.  This is how during the semi-final and the final, neither Yuugi nor I participate. 

Kongara then wins the tournament.  On the way back, Suika walks with Yuugi, while I walk Kasen home.  I hear whispers about me calling me a coward.  To admit everything, I don't care because the word given remains more important than winning a simple fight.  Tonight, I take care of the kitchen and the dishes while she rests. 

Then I go into the room, open the gift packages one by one.  The first contains a white and black alb, the second contains specialized footwear.  I wear them and then take care of the rest until I come across the black packet.  For the moment, I don't intend to touch it when the hermit appears in my room with a tachi and a wakisashi then hands them to me.  I take her in my arms after having taken up arms.  But from outside, the dove comes to warn me:

Suika and Yuugi are in danger.

Neither one nor two, I run to the place of carnage, guided by the white bird.  Arrived there, I notice that there is the horned swordsman as well as the young masked girl.  Yuugi, having his hands in plaster, cannot defend himself.  So it's a two against one.

"The retort may not be an onii after all!"

I intervene in the confrontation;  which surprises my two friends before I draw my two swords.  I am ready for the final confrontation.

"You decide to finally show yourself! Well, Ishiha Kenpyri, I challenge you to single combat. Meet me right now in Hell. Mei, watch them!"

"Understood master!"

The young girl holds Suika in awe while she yells not to leave with him and to the stranger to stop.  As for me, I follow this swordsman to an unknown place in hell, where several swords remain planted in the ground.

"Do you know Kikuri? He asks me suddenly.

"Yes."  I answer "I sealed it in my tachi because she wanted to devour me. And you?"

"It's about my girlfriend, and you sealed it... Sorry for you, but your actions have consequences. My name is Kongara and remember that name because it may be the last you hear  !"

I understand better.  Thus, he wants revenge for the sealing of his betrothed.

"Very well. Since you take it like that, I'm going to make you regret taking it out on Yuugi and Suika. Actions have consequences after all."

This place where all the swords are pointed remains an ideal place for a fight to the death.  I give him the first attack that he blocks his blade cutting the trajectory of mine to his blow before almost cutting mine to report on slicing my chest. 

Therefore, I retreat, avoiding getting killed, barely blocking a counterattack.  Then everything happens at the same time;  none of us are holding back.  We seek indeed to destroy the vital points of one another.  The most frustrating thing is that neither of us can still get the upper hand on the other, even if Kongara has a big advantage. 

That's when I have an idea: to instill faith in the swords as well as in my arms.  So, I push him back harder sending him waltzing on the floor then chopping off his head.  Suddenly, a blade lodged in my right eye then almost cut me half of the face if I did not step back again.  Until then, things remain clear: Kongara surpasses me in swordsmanship, while I surpass him in life with martial force and weapons.  In this case, I put them away, and decide to put myself in a defensive position. 

My opponent - not understanding why - laughs and mocks.  In addition, he attacks me with an extremely powerful sword technique.  Alas for him, I grab his blade then break it with one hand.  Then I punch him, giving him a thousand punches a second in two minutes. 

For the last, I slice it with my two hands, taking - in addition - a piece of its horn, and planting it with it.  This helpless one remains - however - standing facing me.  Raising my hand like a man who raises his sword, I cut him down, coldly cutting off his head, well no. 

In truth, I stop at the last moment;  which surprises him.  Let him know he's not the only one, since he didn't hesitate to do this to Yuugi.  I thus turn my back on him, confessing to him in half words:

"Killing me is useless. I don't know why but I keep coming back. Also, I'm sorry for Kukuri; I didn't know that.  had a choice in view of the situation. For the trouble, if you want to free her, and get a new sword, it's now or never. Goodbye, ex-deva! Don't forget to apologize to your old ones  friends on the other hand, otherwise I will find you and you risk not surviving for a long time.

I greet him one last time before leaving, except that I have my chest cut off.  Yet no one is in front of me.  Turning around to ask him, I see his smile.  You too, you weren't thoroughly, huh?  Decidedly, one can is really stupid.  However, my chest is regenerating as if nothing had happened;  which makes him understand the uselessness of his revenge.  Seeing that it is not a blow in train, not a blow post-pugna, I return alone to the old hell without being worried.  I see on my way again the dove which guides me to the last place.  However, no one is there anymore;  everyone seems to have disappeared.  Despite everything, while looking, I see Kasen taking care of Yuugi and Suika, and hear his reprimands which will make this infernal duo laugh more than anything.  Not wanting to interrupt this moment, I am about to leave, at the same time, separate myself from them.  Why now ?  Well, I sense a breach near where we are, and I want to go look.  However, I stay there stupidly waiting for them to finish to say goodbye.  I cry my heart out thinking about it: What if I never come back?  What if I become their enemy?  I've never had any friends before except Yu, and now... We no!  They arrive !  I don't want her to see me like this, so... weak.

Then they wouldn't be real friends.

Kasen, Yuugi, and Suika are right in front of me.  Without thinking, I give them a hug and then confess:

"I will miss you! I will miss you so much. Except that I have to leave. Even if I will live a romance if I stay, I have an answer to seek... If I had been told one day that you would be my  friends, I would have laughed at him. And now I'm cuddling you right now without knowing why. No, I know why: I love you very much, friendly I mean."

Yuugi is the first to laugh followed by Suika, while Kasen seems much more moved.  As a bonus, she gives me a huge bag that contains my gifts and some surprises in it.  Suika gives me a canteen and Yuugi gives me a nice friendly pat and a new weapon.  She tells me like this:

"Even though we are far apart, we still remain close with our hearts. We will meet again, Pyri! You have our undying respect!"

I must admit ;  calling me that makes me blush.  The last goodbyes said, I join the breach that opens with these thousand eyes that look at me then affirm:

"I'll be close to my goal. And I'll be back for a drink with you."