CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - DUELING WITH DEMONS
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Gozu swung his massive metal club downwards toward Sigma. Sigma leapt, but the Kanabo hit his tail. Sigma let out a loud cry of pain; he could feel every bone his tail shatter as if a train had run it over. He knew that this fight was going to be a major chore, but he didn't expect to be so gravely injured within the first three seconds of the bout.
"Aw, did I hurt the puppy's tail?" Gozu laughed and leaned his Kanabo on his shoulder. Throwing his head back in laughter, the demon's voice echoed off of the cavern walls and caused a small vibration in the air. Despite being in intense pain, Sigma would not be so easily felled when he had such a mission to complete. The woman he loved was dead and he had one shot to bring her back; this was an opportunity he would not waste. As Gozu laughed, Sigma used the Oni's oblivious status as an opening. Sigma leapt into the air and delivered a hard, deep jump kick to his stomach. However, not only was the attack ineffective, but Sigma was sure that kicking Gozu's body created a hairline fracture in the sole of his foot.
Now Mezu had joined in on the laughter. A combination of failure and the Onis' booming laughter was beginning to give Sigma a headache; he rubbed his temples to attempt to soothe his pain. Sigma had predicted that this battle was to take all he had and it appeared as if even then, he had underestimated his foes. This fight was going to take more of a tactical approach if it were to go anywhere.Sigma crouched down and gathered a handful of small stones from the cavern floor with his left paw, then stood and placed one of them with his right paw, and heaved back his arm, following through with a massive whip of the arm. The pebble sliced the air as fast as any shuriken, and popped Mezu right between the eyes. Mezu dropped his shield and rubbed the point of impact.
"Ow, you little bugger! That STUNG!" The Oni turned his sights on Sigma and began stomping towards him, his weapon-wielding arm high above his head. Sigma took a couple of steps back, and threw a second pebble, this time hitting the unassuming Gozu in the left eye.
"By Lord Enma's beard!" Gozu shouted. "Who threw that?"
"Who do you think, you knucklehead! It was the dog!" Mezu yelled. Both Oni turned towards Sigma and raised their Kanabo. Sigma took a leap backwards as Mezu swung his weapon. Then, as Gozu swung his, Sigma leapt up, landing on top of the club. Gozu kept his arm and weapon outstretched and stared at Sigma, letting out a dumbfounded "Huh?"
Sigma narrowed his eye and threw a pebble at the demon's other eye, effectively blinding him. Sigma hopped backwards off of the Kanabo, and ducked as Gozu swung his weapon, which effectively caused him to bash his partner.
"Hey! Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Mezu screamed.
"Sorry man... It's just... I can't see! I thought you were him!"
"Yeah, right! You've just been achin' to hit me all these years... you were just looking for an excuse!"
"Nu-uh!" Gozu protested. However, Mezu had chosen to smash the handle of his Kanabo into the top of Gozu's head. This infuriated the blind Oni, who then swung his Kanabo, this time purposely clocking Mezu in the side of the head.
Sigma simply stood back and watched as the two demons brawled. Several other Oni had gathered around to watch the fight with looks of confusion and admiration peppered throughout the crowd. Despite not being able to see, Gozu seemed to have an advantage over Mezu. Eventually, with one hard swing of his Kanabo, Gozu crushed Mezu's skull, effectively knocking him to the ground. However, Gozu was unaware that his opponent had fallen, and admist a string of taunts, he spun around with his Kanabo and conked himself in the head, knocking him backwards to the ground as well.
A blue-skinned Oni in a business suit spoke up after it was apparent that both guards were unconcious. "Wh...what exactly happened here?"
Another blue-skinned Oni, this one wearing a tiger-stripe loincloth, said "I think this canine guy was fighting them to get into see Lord Enma, and he tricked them into fighting."
A red-skinned Oni with a tiger-stripe loincloth and with a large scar down his cheek let out a low whistle. "Man... not only have I not seen these two in a fight in a long time, I've not ever seen anyone beat them. Lord Enma is sure to fulfill his request!"
Sigma's ears perked up. This was a best thing he'd heard since he'd gone to Hell. Sigma pocketed the rest of the pebbles and continued to the doors of the building, leaping over the enormous body of Mezu as he came across it. There was a couple of woops and yells from the crowd of Oni, but Sigma ignored them. He pushed open the doors and was greeted by a humanlike female wearing a tattered robe and with wild, red hair. She looked - and smelled - as if she had not bathed in all of eternity.
The woman's voice was raspy and had a hint of a growl in it. "So, you made it past Gozu and Mezu, huh? You must be a tough one. I'm Sandora the shikome. You must be here to see Lord Enma."
Sigma nodded slowly, keeping his eye trained on the grotesquely flithy woman - he was not entirely sure he trusted her. Nevertheless, when she gestured for him to follow her into an elevator, he did - albeit he kept his hand in his pocket just in case he needed to throw a stone at her.
The elevator ride was short but ungodly horrible. Sigma knew that the shikome were patrons of death known as the "foul women", but he has assumed that it was solely because of their disposition and not their lack of hygeine. In a world where death was commonplace, Sigma was certain that Sandora's smell was by far worse than the stench of rotting flesh.
The elevator doors opened and a rush of air filled the small chamber. Sigma took a deep breath, relieved to obtain some air that was not contaminated by the shikome. As Sigma and Sandora exited the elevator, they came upon a vast hallway where various death entities, including Oni and shikome, busily worked. Sandora led him to a large office at the end of the hallway. There, seated at an enormous desk, was an Oni-like entity who was at least twenty feet tall. He wore ornate robes and a skull cap with the Japanese symbol for King printed on it. He absent-mindedly scratched his large, bushy beard as he looked at a piece of paper.
"Sir!" Sandora called out to him, which caused him to turn toward her. "This individual has bested both Gozu and Mezu, and has come to ask you for a favor."
Enma scratched his beard again. "State your name and your purpose of visit," he said. His voice was gruff and deep, but not booming and loud like Sigma had expected.
Sigma bowed. "My name is Inukawa Sousuke, the Daishishou of the Yamiokami ninja clan. I have come to ask for the resurrection of someone who died not too long ago."
Topic: Yamiokami Densetsu (Read 6993 times)