“Rikai!”

Yami dove onto Rikai, feeling the wrath of ten knives.

“Hey, we’re not done yet.”

Muhai tapped Yami with the tip of his foot, waking Yami up. Wiping his mouth, Yami picked himself up.

“Sorry, I guess I just felt too tired.”

Muhai stuck his sword into the floor and lit a cigarette.

“We’ve been doing this for three days now. How close are you?”

Yami looked at his right palm.

“I feel like I’m getting nowhere. It’s like I hit a barrier.”

Muhai sat behind his table and continued to smoke.

“Maybe you’re just not in the right place of mind.”

Yami clenched his fist, then began to walk towards the door.

“Where’re you off to?”

Yami opened the door. The dampness of a dark, quiet cave poured into the dojo.

“I know where I need to be. Will you follow me, Sir?”

Muhai sighed and stood up from his table.

“If you think this’ll get you out of my hair sooner.”

Yami walked into the main chamber where the pedestal once resided. Once inside, Yami stretched his arms. Muhai threw his cigarette on the ground, then smothered it with his foot.

“Ready?”

Yami cracked his neck.

“Yeah.”

Instantaneously, Yami’s eye became red, and he collided with Muhai.

“Muhai was right… I think this is helping.”

As Yami’s onslaught continued, Muhai countered every attack.

“I’m letting a little more juice out!”

“Go ahead!”

Yami’s pupils became slightly jagged, and the white became slightly gray. Yami's speed and force increased substantially, forcing Muhai to be more defensive.

“I’m at 40%! I’m going to 50!”

Muhai tightened his focus.

“Do it!”

The marking on Yami’s palm brought the two circles closer together, nearly touching one another.

“I overdid it….”

As Yami’s consciousness blacked out, his body did as well. Muhai stuck his sword into the ground and approached Yami.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

Yami’s right eye was black with a jagged red line, but his left eye was normal, with a light blue iris and normal pupil and white.

Yami opened his eyes. A fog of black seemed to drown his vision in darkness. Standing up, Yami looked around.

“Am I dead again? No… The Creator’s world is way too bright for this…”

“Hello.”

Yami turned around to see Haisen standing before him. Yami furrowed his eyebrows.

“What’re you doing here, Akahishi?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Akahishi raised his hands.

“Right now, you’re in the oh-so glorious Jinsei no Hogo’s seal - the one that I’ve been trapped in for all this time.”

Yami looked at his right palm, but the seal wasn’t present.

“What am I doing here?”

“I’m not sure, but while you’re here…”

Haisen’s kick hit Yami at a speed incomprehensible to him. Yami flew through the mist, but was pushed back to the ground by Haisen’s hand.

“...why don’t we have some fun?”

Yami tried to form a sphere in his hand, but failed.

“My life essence…!”

Haisen lifted Yami off the ground by his head, then set him on his feet.

“You’re so weak you can’t even block me?! How the hell was I trapped in you?!”

“I’m not sure… but what I do know is that you can’t leave…”

Yami was thrown to the ground.

“Maybe if I kill you I’ll be set free!”

Yami started to pick himself up, spitting blood on the ground.

“Maybe… or maybe I’ll beat your ass and we’ll come to understand one another!”

Haisen sent another blow into the back of Yami’s head.

“I can do this for all eternity, kid. It’s not like you’ll be able to defend yourself anyways.”

Yami stood up once again.

“You’ll come to find out I have a lot of stamina… Let’s see what lasts longer: Your attacks, or my body!”

Muhai kicked open Make’s door.

“What the hell?!”

Make ran out from her workshop to see that Yami was slung over Muhai’s shoulder.

“Muhai… what the hell do you want?”

Muhai dropped Yami onto the floor. Make ran to him to make sure he was okay.

“His sword said it was from here. Do you know him?”

“Of course I do! Why is he in this condition?!”

Make noticed Yami’s eye was transformed.

“Did he use that power again?!”

“Yes. We were training to master it, but after the third day, he suddenly collapsed like this.”

“Three days?! He can’t last one in that state!”

“Can you fix him up, or do we wait?”

“I’m not sure…”

Muhai walked out of Make’s house.

“Well, he’s your problem now. Tell he can come back when he’s ready to continue.”

“Muhai, you bastard! You killed so many people in our town, and you do this too?!”

Muhai scratched the back of his head.

“Lady, I don’t know you. Just get Yami feeling better.”

As Muhai headed back towards the mountains, Make searched through her cabinets.

“Last time he got like this, Jitsu had to return him to his world…”

“Ah!”

Make withdrew a warp tag.

“I just place it on a door and…”

Make opened the door to Rikai’s house.

“Hello? Rikai!”

There was no answer, only the howling of wind from the hole in the wall.

“I can’t believe she lives in this house!”

Make dragged Yami into the house, taking him upstairs. Opening a room, she noticed it was rather feminine.

“This must be Rikai’s room…”

Make set Yami on her bed, then sat next to it.

“I hope she comes back soon…”

As the bright sun shone into the apartment complex, Rikai and Shitto sat around.

“When is Yami gonna come back? It’s been almost three hours now…”

Shitto stood up from the couch.

“I’m not sure if he’ll ever come back. I’m gonna train.”

Shitto started doing pushups, and Rikai began to doze off on the couch.

“He’s been working tirelessly, but from what I’ve heard he’s gotten nowhere… I hope he’s doing alright…”

Splat

Blood hit the ground as Haisen continued to pummel Yami at Mach 2.

“You had enough?”

Yami spit out the blood and wiped his mouth.

“As if. I’m getting used to your speed, you know.”

Haisen laughed.

“You think you can match my speed? Then block this!”

At Mach 5, Haisen swung his fist at Yami.

Crunch

“What the-”

Yami’s hand was wrapped around Haisen’s.

“I’ve been here long enough to learn a thing or two… Like I said, I’m not going down without a fight!”

A blindsided kick drilled into Yami’s temple.

“That was just a fluke. There’s no way the little bastard can keep up...”

“I’m tired of this shit.”

Shitto withdrew a warp tag from his pocket.

“What’re you doing Shitto?”

“I’m going back home. If Yami’s not gonna check out when Shippai’ll strike, I will.”

Rikai stood up from the couch.

“We should wait for him. If she comes, we’ll die!”

“Tch. Yami’s just weak against her. He’s still in love with her.”

Rikai shook her head.

“There’s no way he is! She’s killed so many people!”

“I never said he wants to let her live. Besides, why does it matter to you who he likes?”

Rikai angrily pushed Shitto through the door.

“Let’s just go and hurry back!”

The pair walked into Shitto’s apartment. On the floor was a collection of mail addressed to Shitto, who began to inspect it.

“Shit, I’m behind on my water bill now…”

As Shitto threw certain pieces of mail into the garbage, Rikai silently watched.

“Oh yeah, the festival is coming soon, huh.”

Shitto dropped a colored light purple piece of paper into the garbage can.

Rikai leaned against the wall.

“The festival… I hope all of my friends and I can go again, it was a lot of fun last year… wait!”

Rikai shoved Shitto out of the way and rummaged through the garbage can.

“What are you doing in my trash?”

Rikai withdrew the light purple flyer, then gasped.

“June 25th! That’s tomorrow!”

“So?”

“Shitto, there’s going to be a lot of people at the festival!”

“...and?”

“Shippai’s gonna steal everyone’s souls at the festival!”

“You’re right! It’d be the perfect time, not to mention she’ll blend in with the crowd.”

“We need to warn Yami.”

“But how do we get to him?”

Rikai withdrew four warp tags.

“What are those?”

“These are warp tags that Yami gave me. They go to his master’s house, Make’s house, the apartments, and my house. He should be at his master’s house, so we’ll go there.”

“Right.”

Walking through the door, Rikai and Shitto entered the dojo. Muhai sat behind his table sipping tea.

Rikai slowly approached Muhai.

“Um, excuse me? We were looking for Yami…”

Muhai ignored Rikai and continued to enjoy his tea.

“Uh, Sir?”

Shitto arrogantly passed Rikai and spoke sternly to Muhai.

“Oi! Where’s Yami at?”

Muhai set down his cup for a moment.

“You should act more politely, like your friend. You’re in my house, if you don’t remember.”

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any time to waste. We need to know where Yami is NOW.”

Muhai withdrew his sword.

“Yami’s resting up a bit. How about we spar in the meantime?”

Shitto snickered.

“As if I’d fight you. Go get Yami and tell him we know when she’ll strike.”

Muhai kicked his table across the room, shattering it.

“I don’t think you understood me, boy. I said we’re going to spar.”

“Alright then, let’s do this!”

Shitto charged at Muhai.

“Really? This all the fast you are?”

Shitto gritted his teeth, then formed an axe in his hand. As he saw Shitto lunge at him with his axe, Muhai planted his sword into the floor, then blocked with his arm.

“Compared to Yami, you’re nothing.”

As Muhai’s words boiled inside of Shitto, he manifested an even greater axe, then increased his speed.

“I’ll make you eat those words!”

With each attack the Shitto unleashed, Muhai would manipulate his own attacks against him, making Shitto tire and harm himself. After a long offensive, Shitto withdrew, panting.

“You bastard… Why don’t you draw your sword?”

“Because I’d kill you, and if you’re truly Yami’s friend, then I would rather not cause my disciple any grief right now.”

“Draw your damn sword!”

Muhai walked to where his table lay in shambles and withdrew a leg of it.

“This’ll be more than I need to kill you.”

“Let’s see it!”

Shitto darted at Muhai. As he dashed across the floor, he changed his axe into a rapier. Leading with the fine point, Shitto prepared to pierce into Muhai’s flesh. Muhai knocked Shitto’s arm, leading his rapier towards the way he came from. Then Muhai grabbed Shitto’s throat and slammed him into the ground. As Muhai raised the table leg into the air above Shitto’s head in preparation for a strike, Shitto’s face scrunched up and angered tears formed on his eyes. Muhai swung at full force, but just before it hit Shitto, he reduced it to a soft strike, however it still left a bruise.

“Like I said, I won’t kill y-”

“Don’t touch him!”

“Huh?”

Muhai turned to see Rikai mid-slash with Muhai’s sword.

Muhai gripped the blade with his bare hand and pulled it away from Rikai.

“You would’ve hurt your friend more than I have!”

Shitto and Rikai bowed their heads in front of Muhai. They apologized in unison.

“We’re sorry we were disrespectful, Sir.”

“Good. Now, as for Yami, he passed out during some training. I dropped him off at some blacksmith’s place.”

“Make?”

“Hell if I know. It’s where he got his sword.”

Shitto nodded at Rikai.

“Thank you, Sir. We’ll be going now.”

“Damn disrespectful brats. I thought that Yami was a kid…”

Walking into Make’s house, the pair were greeted by a vacant home. Shitto turned to Rikai.

“Do you think he went back to the apartments?”

Rikai shook her head.

“He may have, but if he passed out, wouldn’t that be from fatigue? He’d have no life essence to warp back home… wait, didn’t Make have a warp tag to our world?”

“I think so. Where did it go to?”

“My house. And thanks to our little excursion, we’ve wasted more time than needed.”

“Well let’s get going! We have no time to waste!”