Soul Rebellion #04: Punishment
At the Tsu family house, the next morning.
*CRASH* "AAAAAARRRRGGHHHH"
Someone was not happy that day.
"Lin, please calm down!!" the older sister, Tsu Fei, tried to control her raging sister, Tsu Lin, who had her arm in a cast around her neck.
"HE WILL PAY" she grabbed a small table, smashing it into the nearby wall, "HE WILL PAY WITH HIS LIFE"
"Maybe you should think of why he did what he did, not that I agree with him, just that you might have angered him?"
She received a piercing stare from Lin.
"WHAT!?"
Fei shrunk back slightly, "You did insult his family, anyone would be upset"
Before the blonde sister could say anything, the door to her room opened slowly.
Tsu Wong, the current head of the Tsu family entered.
"What is all this noise, so early in the morning too" he looked around the room with an uninterested gaze.
"Father, you will make him pay right? Punish him for hurting you darling daughter?" she had a small maniacal smile on her lips.
Still with an uninterested look in his eyes, "do you know who you crossed paths with yesterday?"
Her smiled faded slowly.
"He is one of the Orochi clan, one of the four leading houses, and the strongest of the four"
She looked at him with confusion.
" *sigh* his family answers to the emperor himself, and only him, insulting the Orochis is just like insulting the emperor, so there is nothing I can do my dear" he looked sorrowful and hurt.
"But you're going to make him pay right? He hurt your dear daughter" she grabbed his yukata tightly.
"I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do" he turned and left the room.
Lin fell to her knees, crying softly, her sister rushed to her side, holding her in a motherly embrace.
Outside their room, Wong had the look of utter disgust on his face, "worthless spoiled brat, she will ruin everything if left alone"
He started walking away, but stop midway, "unless....."
Hi poked his head back into the room with a huge smile on his face, "oh Liiiiiin"
At the same time, on the other side of the city.
Shinobu woke up from a good dream, too bad he couldn't remember what it was.
He felt something soft yet firm on his face.
He looked up to find himself in Watari's arm, two arms actually, one on his shoulder, the other on his waist.
He almost jumped out of the big man's arms, since he realized both were naked, except for their underwear.
Then he remembered, they did nothing last night, just some kissing and cuddling, before falling asleep in each other's arms.
He sighed softly in relief, as he laid his head back on those firm lovely pecs.
His hand started caressing lightly, roaming over those beautiful pecs, moving slowly downwards to his abs, before resting on a fundoshi covered cock.
His eyes widened, it felt like he was grabbing a grapefruit, the guy was packing.
He was about to try rousing the sleeping beast in his hand, before another grabbed it.
He looked up, to find Watari staring back at him with still sleepy eyes.
"Good morning, hope you slept well, and had your fun while you're at it I see" he smiled softly at Shinobu.
The young man had a light blush crawling on his face, "Yeah I did, looks like you did too"
"Better than ever, looks like sleeping with someone you like really helps" he leaned his head slightly to kiss Shinobu's forehead lightly.
"It sure does"
They both got up, went to the bathroom to freshen up, before finally putting on their clothes, all the while gropes and 'accidental' touching was given all around.
Shinobu didn't like being groped by a stranger, that's why he reacted the first time he met the beetle.
Watari put in his yukata from yesterday, while Shinobu decided on a yukata of his own, it was black with light blue trimmings and decorated with water waves at the bottom, he also wore a shirt and a pair of loose pants underneath.
'Always be prepared for any situation' was one of the first rules of the Orochi family combat strategies he was taught.
Shinobu finally grabbed his sword and medallion, before both head out of the room.
Just as they reached the stairs, Shinobu stopped remembering something, "Wait a moment, I have to check on something, you go on ahead" he turned back and went to Kintaro's room.
He opened the door and found the same doctor from yesterday, "How is he today doc"
"He doesn't look all that well, but the fever went down slightly at least, I went ahead and gave him the medicine" he replied without looking at Shinobu.
"Thank you doc"
"I'm just doing my job here son"
They both left the room, and the pup to his rest.
"Did you find out anything about the slavers?"
Shinobu was surprised that this was the first question by the doctor, "Nothing yet, I got distracted yesterday" he clenched his fist tightly remembering the blonde bitch he encountered at the market.
"You better find something fast"
Shinobu raised an eyebrow.
"More former slaves are turning up on the streets, the local police rounded almost eight last night alone, all bruised and injured, sending them to the hospital I work at, that's why I come all the way here, because there is no room for the kid"
"I'll see what I can do"
Both reached the bottom of the stairs, and made their way to the reception area.
"Before I forget" the doctor pulled out a document of some sort, "I had time to print out a contract, saying that you will pay for the boy's treatment"
Shinobu nodded lightly, before taking the document in his hands.
After reading it, he laid it on the reception desk, and pulled out his medallion.
He then pressed the medallion with the side with his family's crest, hard on the paper. It gave out a soft glow before he pulled it back, leaving a clear stamp of his family's crest on the bottom of the paper.
"Thank you for your contribution" the doctor took the contract, rolled it up, then put it away in his bag.
The doctor left Shinobu to his thoughts.
"You really think it was the Suzaku family?" That was Dokumaru, the demon snake possessing the young warrior.
'Hey, where were you last night, you stayed quite all yesterday actually'
"Well, I didn't want to break our agreement like last time"
'Thank you for your thoughtfulness, as for your question, no I don't think so'
"My thoughts exactly, you and I met with a few members of the Suzaku clan, it's totally absurd to even think they had a hand in allowing slavery, let alone support it"
'You're right, I need you to go and contact my grandfather, if anyone knows anything, or at least confront the Suzaku clan without staring a clan war, it's him'
Shinobu went quietly to the front of the inn, luckily no one was around.
He knelt down as demonic miasma slithered from his hand changing into a feral cobra with sharp edges lining it's hood.
"Go, and don't let anyone see you"
The snake hissed in confirmation before slithering down a nearby alley, eventually finding a river going through the city, and slithered in, before swimming away.
Shinobu heard some loud laughter coming from the lounge area of the inn.
The lounge area was like a small restaurant, with ground level tables laid in order in a big room, separated from the rest of the inn by a sliding door.
He went in to find a few staff members, along with his two cousins, Ame and Harusame, Watari and some customers.
They were huddled together, joking and laughing.
His cousins, being the goofy clowns they are, Ame the gecko, who was wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt and a pair of black pants, was dancing a ridiculous dance, wiggling his arms in different directions, and Harusame the shark, who was wearing a loose fitting white t-shirt and red shorts, was doing some muscle poses for the customers, flexing his big muscles for everyone's delight.
Both their actions brought a few rounds of laughter from the others around, as the staff was pouring drinks to the customers, who seemed like very important people.
He counted four customers, a slim sand coloured weasel, a chubby tanuki, a similarly chubby panda, and a buff bison, all were wearing dark blue yukata's.
"They are the wealthy people of this city"
He looked behind him, to find Sasori leaning at the wall beside the door and smoking her pipe.
"Then what are they doing here?"
"This inn does entertain some really important people as well, we do have an impressive reputation you know"
He turned back to find that his cousins had stopped their silliness.
Only to find them sitting a little bit too close to a pair of the customers.
Harusame was beside the weasel, who seemed attracted to the big shark's impressive body, his small hands roaming over those big muscles, his pecs, his abs, before dodging the front of those shorts and resuming towards his thighs.
Ame had his arms hooked to the bison's arm, using his free hand to reach out and caress the big bovine's long beard.
"Who are they?" Shinobu asked Sasori without turning his gaze from the group.
She blew a cloud of smoke before speaking, "The tanuki is Mei Fong, a spice merchant who owns most of the city's spice and gift shops.
The panda, Xian Wei, is a cloth trader, using his connections to contact and trade with other countries.
The bison, Aohoshi Kurumaru, and the weasel, Hanasaki Genta, both work as partners in jewel trade.
They are acquainted with a fifth, a human, by the name Tsu Wong"
He turned to her sharply at hearing the name Tsu.
"You look like you heard that name before" she took a brief drag from her pipe and blew another cloud.
"Let's just say I had bumped into them"
"Fair enough, although all are rumored to be doing some dirty work in the shadows"
"What are you two talking about?" Watari appeared right behind Shinobu.
"Nothing, just business" Shinobu replied with a convincing polite smile.
"I need to head back to my inn soon, wouldn't want my swords to be stolen"
Shinobu was stunned, "you're a swordsman? Why didn't you say so?"
"Yeah, I forgot to mention it, I told you how those monks taught us martial arts right? The swords are just some extra precautions"
"Okay, I'll come with you"
"What about the other two, they said they were from your family. Brothers?"
"Cousins. Sasori, can you watch over them? Make sure that they don't cause any trouble?"
She just nodded, as the duo made their way out of the inn.
After passing the bridge, Shinobu and Watari went their own ways.
Shinobu had to ask around a few times before reaching a big building, it had a few flights of stairs, beyond them was a big red, gold studded door, with two pillars of marble holding a stone roof above the entrance.
The insides were big, the reception area was a few feet wider than the entrance, with a few staff, taking requests from people.
But there were also other kinds of people, other than civilians, there.
They looked like warriors from different places of the kingdom, carrying a different variety of weapons and wearing different kinds of armor, some analyzing a board filled with requests from the people that the guild can't handle, and others at the reception area, receiving their rewards for the already completed requests.
It was the best place to look for information.
Shinobu went over to an unoccupied receptionist, a human girl with short brown hair, "excuse me, is there any requests about missing people?"
"The special request board is to your left, you'll find what you need their, to tell you the truth I'm really worried"
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The missing person bounties are coming to us a lot, the guild is looking for them, but even with all the able members, they can't find anything, and the people they find are mostly at the local hospital, injured and barely alive"
The doctor said the same thing this morning.
"Thank you, I'll do whatever I can to help"
That seemed to calm her down, as she gave him a weak smile.
He stood at the designated board, it was cramped, to the point that some requests were stamped above others.
His eyes widened as he found one with a familiar face.
"Kintaro...."
He read it closely, it said that the kid is to be transferred to the local orphanage if/when found.
"The orphanage?"
"Yes" a deep voice confirmed it.
He turned around to the voice, to find a very buff dog, a shiba inu, standing behind him with his arms crossed.
Shinobu recognized the outfit he wore.
Shirt with torn and tattered sleeves, baggy pants, and beads on his wrists and neck, and the unmistakable medallion of a tiger biting down on a blue stone.
The monk clan of Byakko.
"The parents, who put the request were found dead in their home a few days after, probably murdered" the big dog continued.
Shinobu remained silent with a neutral face, but slightly sorrowful and sad.
What is he supposed to tell the pup?
"The guild and local police, plus a few volunteers are still looking for the murderers, but still no luck"
"I may have a lead" Shinobu was really pissed off now.
The shiba guy just looked at him with a raised brow, "please do tell young serpent"
Shinobu recapped his tale of meeting and saving the pup from a bunch of thugs, as well as his suspicions of the Tsu and Suzaku families, and the merchants at the inn.
He thought since he is a Byakko monk, he can be trusted with such information.
The dog looked deep in thought, "I heard the rumors, it's worth investigating, but the Suzaku will be difficult, it's also better to keep the pup out of sight, the slavers are still out there"
Shinobu nodded in agreement.
"My name is Inamura Gouda" he extended his hand to Shinobu.
"Orochi Shinobu" they shook hands firmly.
*BOOOOOM*
The building and the ground around them shook roughly.
Both Shinobu and Gouda managed to regain their footing and went outside.
Just as an energy blast wisped past them, blowing a good portion of the reception area.
"What the hell?" Shinobu and Gouda said in unison.
They both looked outside, they saw something really horrible.
Meanwhile at the Orochi main household.
The elder Orochi clan leader sat in front of a phoenix lady, beside her a fox with ten-tails.
All looked troubled as the snake familiar summoned by Shinobu rested at a table in front of them, with the medallions of the three houses laying in front of each of them.
The Orochi clan's medallion, The Suzaku house medallion, a majestic bird covering, almost looked protectively of a red stone, and the fox's medallion, with a kind of flower with a green stone right at the centre.
"There has to be some kind of mistake, our clan would never help such monstrosity to flourish" the phoenix, appearing to be the leader of the Suzaku clan, stated.
She was wearing a red, gold and white yukata that hugged her figure at the top,
"Are you sure?" the fox, who was wearing a white pink hued yukata, had a very wide smile on his face, asked with some mischief in his tone.
"What are you implying?"
"There have been some really nasty rumors about your house, lady Ishida" the smile and mischief never left his face.
"All are false, Mr.Kawasaki"
"I don't know about that, lots of bad publicity for it to be ALL false"
"And who are you to speak about one of the four families like that, your clan has no place among us, you are only here because the Byakko and Orochi clans suggested and allowed it"
The smile finally faded from his face, "well, my family at least doesn't have a black mark on it like yours, we, the Inugami clan of the onmyouji, are respected exorcists, the emperor made the right choice of adding us to the four"
"The emperor did no such thing yet, he simply said you can aid the four when needed, and now we don't need your interference, you worthless jester"
"ENOUGH"
Both sealed their mouths and looked at the head of the Orochi family.
"Fighting amongst ourselves will not do anything" he was stroking his beard lightly.
They both sat down quietly.
"The Suzaku and Inugami clans are both great assets to the emperor as much as the other three, even if the Inugami house is not an official member of the leading families"
It was true the Inugami family were a group of exorcists, who banded together to form a school and clan of onmyouji, they asked to be added to the four leading families, although powerful, the other clans and the emperor were yet to decide on the matter, but the Byakko and the Orochi families both agreed, swaying the emperors thoughts towards them, since he trusted their judgment.
The Inugami clan are literally the unofficial fifth of the ruling families.
"My grandson, Shinobu is already in the city, he was the one who informed me of this"
"Oooooh, the great top assassin in the family, he is that delectable young human isn't he?" the fox licked his lips lightly thinking of Shinobu.
" *UGH*, You disgusting, perverted fox, how can you think with your crotch at a time like this!?" lady Ishida really didn't like the old fox.
" *sigh* that's your problem, you old bird. You need to relax from time to time, maybe even find a nice guy to accompany you for a night if you know what I mean" he smiled widely, lewdly doing a jerk-off gesture with his hands.
"WHY YOU LITTLE....."
As the two returned to bickering, the elder Orochi just looked at them unamused.
"May the gods give me patience", this was going to be a long meeting.
Back at the city.
Shinobu and Gouda made their way to the source of the explosion.
Only to find the main marketplace in ruins, injured, lost and dead were littering the destroyed streets.
"What the hell happened here?" Gouda wondered as he followed the young human.
"Looks like we're about to find out" Shinobu stood a few feet away from Gouda, looking straight ahead.
Gouda stood beside him and followed his gaze.
He was totally speechless at what he saw.
"This doesn't look good" Dokumaru stated from within Shinobu's mind.
A flying monster, looking like a goblin, with a demon mask and a wing sleeved kimono, was gliding around the city, shooting the same energy blasts as before, at the civilians and city below.
"Demon Witch!!!!"
Shinobu drew his sword as he charged at the big monster, followed closely by Gouda who was also ready for battle.
It was bigger than both warriors, standing almost at eleven feet tall, minus the horns.
The big creature noticed them, giving out a loud screech of anger, before swooping down on them.
The jumped aside, dodging the charging beast.
"What's a demon witch doing here" Gouda took a stance ready for anymore attacks.
"I don't know, but let's worry about dealing with it before anything else" Shinobu wanted to end this quickly before any more people suffered.
The witch turned to Shinobu, "YOOOOUUU", her demonic voiced echoed.
Shinobu didn't know how to respond to that, he didn't even want to.
She shot another blast this time directly at him. He jumped back, the shot missing him, Gouda charged at her his fist surrounded by pure green energy.
He struck her on her side.
But she only staggered and regained her concentration on Shinobu.
She was clearly aiming for him.
Before she shot another blast, Shinobu charged at her, jumping high and behind her, as she was turning around, he swiped at her back, slashing it deeply.
She gave another screech, this time of pain, but that didn't last long.
Seconds later, her injury and the slashed kimono both regenerated.
" We need something stronger, Demon Witches can only be sealed or defeated by other demons or using demonic spells" Dokumaru just gave Shinobu an idea.
'Dokumaru, it's your turn'
" But last time you almost lost control and died"
'Do it!!!'
Dokumaru,hesitantly released his own demonic energy and fused it with Shinobu's soul.
Shinobu's eyes changed, his teeth extended, and this time his nails sharpened to claws and black tribal markings appeared on his body.
The remaining energy fused with his sword.
The blade formed black jagged edges on its back, making it look like a upside-down saw.
With a feral roar, Shinobu charged at the demon, disappearing from sight, only to appear behind the creature in a second.
He swung his sword downwards.
The witch dodged, but wasn't fast enough, and the blade sliced off an arm.
The monster let out a demonic dry of pain, and slumped to the ground on its knees.
But Shinobu didn't stop there, he began dashing and jumping around the injured beast, moving too fast for the naked eye.
He struck again, making a long claw mark on its back, another strike tore off an ankle, another and another and another, not giving the monster a chance to heal.
As he was striking, his body began feeling heavier and heavier by the minute.
He stopped in front of the monster, kneeling on one knee, holding his body with his sword.
The creature began healing itself.
Before noticing Gouda charging his fist for a bigger attack.
She tried flying away, only to be struck in the heart by Shinobu's sword, forcing her down again.
"Now Gouda!!!!"
Gouda charged at the beast, his fist glowing brightly, "Oh great ones on heaven and earth. Grant me your power to cleanse the evil of this land. And may my fist be the judge of all" Gouda struck the Witch on the side, releasing all his charged energy, "BEGONE!!!!"
The creature was slammed into the nearby building, before exploding in demonic fire.
Shinobu was barely standing up, his body now returned to normal, staggering towards the debris of the fallen demon.
Gouda ran up to him, and held him to save him from falling face first to the ground.
The two walked towards the monster's remains, but it was nowhere to be found. But what they did find left them dumbfounded.
Instead of the monster, they found the bloodied body of a blond girl, with a broken demon mask beside her head.
Shinobu instantly went to her, almost falling a few times, "Hey, wake up. What happened to you?"
She was barely breathing when she replied, "Let go off me. You disgusting man-whore"
Those where her last words, before her body went limp and lifeless.
He looked at her with a blank expression, 'Wow, a bitch to the very end'
Shinobu let her body down softly, and picked up the broken mask.
'Dokumaru, know anything about this?'
" It's a demonic artifact, an item that was used to seal demons, commonly used by onmyouji"
Gouda took the mask from him, analyzing it, "They say if a person came in contact with a demonic artifact like this one, they become possessed by whatever demon sealed inside" He turned his gaze to the girl, "Looks like this is what happened to her, can't even comprehend the pain she must have went through"
Shinobu turned to him, confusion written on his face.
The shiba gave him back the mask, "The possession process really damages your mentality, and then the transformation process allows the demon to devour the soul from the inside-out, before taking over the body, which seems to be the easiest part"
Shinobu was really confused now, not because of the explanation, but with how the girl managed to get her hands on a demonic artifact.
But he knew where to start asking.
Back at the Tsu household.
Fei was crying in her room.
**********************
*A few minutes ago.*
Fei looked at her father, "Father we should get out of here, they might get here soon"
"No he won't" her father was looking out the window at the demon wreaking havoc.
"What makes you so sure of this?"
"Because you should know your sister better than anyone"
"My sister? What does she have to do-" Her eyes widened in realization, taking a few slow steps back, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "No.....no...you couldn't have..."
"I did it for the family, your sister is the only one who has enough power to control this power"
"For the family, or your business!?"
Wong didn't reply.
"How could you father, she loved, she cared for you. I know she could be annoying at times, but to turn her into a monster and let her loose in the city? What if the Orochi found out about this?" Another realization hit her, "You wanted her to attack the young Orochi"
"Him staying here is bad for business, we can't let him live. If he found out about us, he will destroy us"
"So you turned your own daughter into a monster? You would sacrifice your flesh and blood for money?"
He didn't reply yet again.
"I can't believe you father, I just can't" she ran out of the room crying, and slammed the door behind her.
**********************
*Present.*
She held a picture of her and her sister, looking at it with love and longing, before hugging it to her heart, crying even more loudly.
Oblivious to the duck servant of her father's looking apologetically at her through the door.
Back at the inn.
"Okay, now I need you to refrain from doing anything extreme for a few days, and you will be better in no time"
The doctor packed his equipment, and left a now bandaged Shinobu in his room.
A few minutes later, his cousins, Ame and Harusame came into the room with a tray of tea, "Here you go cousin, thought you might need it" Harusame laid the tray besides Shinobu.
"Thanks you two, just what I needed right now"
Ame poured a cup for each of them, and they sat down drinking silently.
After a while of silence, Shinobu felt a small presence enter his room through the window.
He looked behind him, to find his snake familiar slithering towards him.
He held his arm for it and it climbed to reach his shoulder.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds before the familiar disappeared in a cloud of purple and black smoke.
Shinobu turned to his cousins, "Grandfather first sends his regards, second he did some investigation. It turns out that those rumors regarding the Suzaku family were simply half true"
Both Ame and Harusame both looked at him confused, "Half true?"
"It's true that those people who were supporting slave trading are avians and other flying creatures, but those were just imposters who used the Suzaku name to do their bidding. He also told me that others attempted to use the names of the other families the same way, but with no success. Lady Ishida said they found out who the imposters are and are on their way to capturing them"
Both nodded in understandment.
Shinobu was thinking of something, before a light went off in his head, "Ame, could you do me a favor?"
Shinobu and Harusame were walking around town for a while, just enjoying the city's natural beauty.
"Young Orochi!" The two turned their heads to find Gouda jogging towards them.
"Oh hello Gouda" Shinobu waved at him briefly, before replying to his brother's confused expression, "He was the one who helped me to take down the demon"
Gouda reached them before his expression turned serious, "I got some intel on Tsu"
He reported that he called other members of the Byakko house to help the investigation.
One of them found that Tsu has some dark connections with the city's underworld organizations, like the Red Talons, who were the prime suspects for recent kidnappings and slave trading.
Shinobu was in deep thought on what to do next, before reaching his solution, "I'll talk to Tsu Wong myself, Haru and Gouda, you should help Ame with his task"
Harusame nodded his head firmly, but Gouda was reluctant before nodding himself, trusting Shinobu's judgment.
Shinobu stood near an open area, filled with people wearing black and grey clothing.
A funeral.
Shinobu hated funerals, nothing but sadness and sorrow, a perfect place for demons, phantoms and ghosts to gather.
He could already see some malicious and eerie shadows floating around, like customers walking in an open market, which in a way it was for demons.
He stayed in his position, waiting for the funeral to end.
"What are you doing here snake?"
Shinobu turned to the owner of the voice.
A crane bird with a straw hat, and samurai outfit, a band around his neck holding a medallion of three swords crossing each other.
A member of one of the samurai houses.
This crane belonged to the house of the Great Blade Kogarasumaru and those guys hated the Orochi house with a passion.
And to Shinobu, the feeling was mutual.
"I thought I smelled overcooked bird, didn't think I would see one of the blades here. What's your purpose in the city?" before the crane could answer, he held his hand, silencing him, "On second thought, don't answer, not interested"
The crane was drawing his sword to silence the young serpent, but was held back by a black hand.
"There is no reason for us to quarrel" The owner of the black hand was a black wolf who wore the same uniform and band on his left bicep as the crane's, he had his left sleeve unworn, leaving his whole arm and top left side naked to the wind.
"Finally, a blade that knows when it's outmatched and outclassed" Again the crane was drawing his sword, and stopped again by the wolf.
"We are here for the protection of Tsu Wong, the one whose daughter was one of the victims of the demon attack"
Shinobu wanted to tell them that the 'victim' was the demon herself and see the looks on their faces.
"Like I said, don't care" after that reply, the trio remained silent for the rest of the funeral.
After letting the priest chant some prayers for the spirit's safe travel to heaven, Shinobu couldn't help but release a short laugh, causing the two to look at him with anger.
He just couldn't picture the thought of a bitch like her going to heaven, but he was no deity or god of any sort, so can't judge who goes to heaven or hell.
After the priest finished, her family and friends were asked to give a few words about her.
Hearing them talk, praising her, painting her as the perfect angel, just made him sick to his stomach.
' Guess they missed the spear-tipped tail'
A soft giggle escaped him at Dokumaru's comment
When they all finished and just before they lifted her coffin to bury it.
"Wait, I have a few things to say!"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice.
A young white weasel guy, followed by a scorpion and a crow.
The weasel was wearing black loose pants, and a black and white top slightly hugging his figure, showing his slim build, a long white scarf and an eye-patch.
His medallion was of an insect with its wing caps made of beautifully glimmering topaz.
The mark of the Kuwagata House of the scarab.