Shadows of the Reborn

Chapter Nine

Unleashing the Fallen: From Curiosity to Chaos

Hisato rolled his eyes at his spirit as they argued in the pools. Years had flown by for both of them and now that his host was back on the mainland and training to use his abilities, the youth felt as though he was ready to avenge his brothers. With his son’s help, Heizo had woken his own spirit and focused on forming a long overdue bond with him.

Somehow, since the death of his host, Sashiki, they had all but forgotten about the spirits that had woken within them and ignored the need to focus training on abilities. After Sashiki had died, Hisanori, his eldest son, had lost control over his father’s territory, been left in exile, and chased off for years before he was captured and killed, just as the Youkai war had started.

Kin’ya, not being any better than his older brother, had taken his family and fled. They had been so ashamed by how their father had died that they had all but erased what had happened from their minds.

There had been no word of their sister Arina, so the family had been scattered and forgotten. Taizo knew that both had had their own children, but Heizo had no idea what happened with their families. Taizo had no idea whether they were still alive. The easiest way for them to find out would be to return to where Sashiki had resided and refresh Heizo’s memory, which had somehow become scattered. It was as though his memory had been erased and veiled with a shroud to prevent him from learning about his heritage.

Heizo barely remembered his grandfather, seeing as he was young when Sashiki died, but according to the young youkai, even his father barely remembered him. Now Kin’ya was gone, and any answers were gone with him. Taizo growled in frustration, mostly because Sashki’s journal was partly ruined from water damage.

Luckily for Taizo, he had had a hundred years to master memorization skills. Now, he just had to convince his host to rewrite the journal.

Heizo had not been kidding about the darkness that flooded the mainland. At least the family had escaped the island and the monstrous beasts that hunted them—for now. The fires that ravaged forests and human establishments were thick and stifling; the smells of death overwhelmed the other villagers who had been rescued, and others just broke down from the devastation that surrounded them.

They stayed in the forests that still stood, out of the focus of those battling in fields or clearings near them. Hisanori walked extremely close to his mother as though seeking courage from her. Heizo walked behind his wife, still recovering from his injuries but also suffering from the grief of losing his father and his son’s. His wife, Nene, fared no better.

The other survivors suffered their own forms of grief, some panicking from the sounds of battle close to their location or fearful of the beast youkai finding them. Hisato was the only one who seemed focused and determined to find a safe location away from all the fighting. It was so dark that even the sun rarely shone down on the land, which caused the foliage around them to wilt and die from lack of sustenance.

The only useful information Taizo had gathered was that Heizo had woken his inner spirit. Now, they stood on the outskirts of Sashiki’s former territory, surrounded by trees and out of the focus of any youkai. It had taken Heizo far too long to remember where his grandfather had lived, resulting in their slow journey lasting several years. They were worn, tired and exhausted from the constant need to be on high alert.

Hisato rolled his eyes again as his father talked to himself, having a one-sided conversation with his inner spirit that no one else was privy to. Nene giggled at the rather interesting conversation, and Heizo flushed.

Taizo shook his head and told Hisato where the old house used to be. To his great surprise, it still stood. ‘Your great grandfather built this,’ Taizo said.

Hisato toed the old rotting wood that used to be the large patio. ‘I suppose it will have to do,’ he said.

The young man entered the building, watching where he stepped to prevent himself from falling through the rotten floorboards. Old folded blankets and bedding lined the wall. Walking over to the shelves, he pulled one down and brought it to the open doors. All the items needed a good dusting before anyone could catch up on some much-needed sleep.

The days went by fairly quickly as the villagers began building small huts and tilling gardens in the area. So far, it had been void of any rival youkai, and whatever beast had taken it after Sashiki’s death was long gone.

Hisato and Hisanori grew into fine young men and trained their skills to the point of rivalling anyone who encountered them. As the years passed, Hisato began feeling more anxious to face the beast who had killed his older brothers. Even Heizo started feeling restless.

It had been a rather boring day for Hisato. While scouting the forest around their home, he heard singing, which had stolen whatever focus he had had. He had stumbled across a small female with a pale face and red facial markings on her cheeks. Her voice lured him to her while she was practicing her fire abilities, and he had all but forgotten any and all vengeance for his brothers.

It did not take long for Hisato and the small female to instantly become infatuated with one another, and soon after, they were married in the human fashion. Despite the increasing battle that was approaching their home, they had started their own family. Nene and Heizo were delighted and excited when Tazuko gave birth to two healthy boys. Hiromitsu and Hisamitsu became the village’s pride and joy as the boys grew quickly.

The distraction of the mischievous twins had all but taken over any revenge that Hisato and Heizo desired.

Like all young boys, the twins were pranksters, roughhousing at every chance and going on their own adventures in the nearby forest. Hiromitsu was more level-headed than his younger twin and mature for his age. He eagerly waited for his inner spirit to wake up so he could begin training, while his younger brother was more reserved and a daydreamer. Hisamitsu wanted nothing more than a peaceful existence and a relaxing life. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards for any of them.

Their small, modest village slowly grew in size. Hisato somehow revitalized the title his great-grandfather had held and was looked upon as the voice of all of them. Many different groups came to the small village and were greeted with open arms. To their great delight, other dog youkai also came. It allowed their small number to grow in size and become a great rivalling force.

Yet, the war grew closer to their home as the years passed, leaving them nervous about remaining in the territory. Many of the villagers had chosen to move closer to the ocean on the other side of the mountains, leaving the remaining clan to seek advice from Hisato. Now, they were left with the difficult choice of braving the warring territories between youkai and humans. They debated whether to return to the island now that they had not heard from the beast that had hunted them well over five hundred years ago.

Nene had argued with Heizo and finally gave in when he convinced her it was further away from the war that was fast approaching their small, secluded home. Finally, the family chose to move and did so quickly that traces of their being there were now just a memory. It didn’t take nearly as long to cross the land as their first time, and soon, they jumped out of the boat back on the island that had taken Takeru and Takeshi.

When they were first reintroduced to their old home, they were left breathless as everything flourished and thrived without interference from any living human or youkai. It seemed that the beasts had left long ago, and over several hundred years, the plants and animals had returned to a peaceful existence with nature. This did not sit well with Hisato, as those memories had washed over him, and that spark of vengeance had rekindled.

Tazuko had immediately started a garden with Nene. Heizo and Hisanori had put up a training ring to continue learning their skills and perfecting whatever abilities were available to them. Hisato had gone melancholy with memories and spent many evenings talking with Taizo about his plans to hunt down the beast who had destroyed his family.

More years passed without a word about the monster, so Hisato finally travelled the island searching for clues. He avoided the mountains, as the large dragon beast still resided at the top, so he kept out of its focus. What he found was not at all expected. Humans had come to the island and resided near the center.

Instead of interacting with them, Hisato continued to a small hut on the southern bank of the island. He had been rather surprised to find a small female youkai named Akari. Two small children with her smelt like his family. It didn’t take long for Hisato to realize that his eldest brother Takeshi had fallen in love and started his own family before his death. The woman Akari had gone into hiding and later discovered her husband had died. Soon after, she gave birth to twins while remaining hidden in the furthest part of the island.

Hisato visited her a few times until he finally convinced her to return with him to their home on the other side of the mountains. Heizo and Nene had been more than delighted to welcome the small female and her twins into their small family home.

Years passed quickly, and Hisato’s twins grew into young men wanting adventure. But before they could spread their wings and depart, war had returned to the island. Yet it wasn’t only beasts that returned but many different youkai clans, all trying to end the fighting that had spanned hundreds of years.

Although he did not want his sons involved in the war, it had spilled over into their territory. They had no choice but to form alliances with the other clans that followed the ferocious youkai. Hiromitsu’s new wife didn’t approve of the situation, but she had as few choices as the other women who lived there.

The females who had travelled with their clan swarmed the small, modest village while the males went to the battlefield to fight against the hordes of beasts that came from all directions. These were the beasts of nightmares, monstrosities that humans called demons and hellhounds. Hisato had read and reread his great grandfather’s journal, memorizing the different races of youkai. There were crow youkai, monkey youkai, eagles and hawks, kappa and many others. Cat youkai came and stayed close to their own kind, and the rush of power that flooded the fields sparked Hisato’s and Heizo’s. That surge earned the attention of many around them, making Taizo nervous.

Hiromitsu’s own family were grown and standing with the family, waiting for their chance to jump into the battle, despite Hisato protesting against his grandchildren being a part of this vicious assault. It was a dangerous time for the family as not only did other youkai clans come to fight the beasts, but great lords and generals.

Now, there were rivalling rulers seeking notice and territory. One, in particular, was a large dog youkai, massive and powerful, named Mitchitaro, and just the massive amount of energy he released indicated that he was thousands of years old. Far older than Heizo, who was now an elder in their small village.

Whenever Mitchitaro decided to rest from the battle, he moved through the small village as though he had already conquered it, which angered Hisato. Taizo warned Hisato to keep his anger in check and explained the different power levels.

Then there was the matter of the two girl youkai who had travelled with Mitchitaro. Taizo immediately went on high alert with them. It wasn’t the energy that caused him to be wary, but their demeanour. They appeared childlike, no more than maybe ten years of age, but their power indicated them far older. They were identical twins, so attuned to the other that they spoke simultaneously and knew exactly what the other would do before anything was done. They seemed innocent, but they were far more than that.

Hisato had witnessed their power on the battlefield, and the devastation it caused even left Taizo speechless. One girl could absorb any ability, and the other could repel that energy to the individual who had released the power. However, it would absorb all in its path at such a substantial intensity.

Then there was his son Genjiro, who was also thousands of years old and just as powerful as his father. The difference in energy levels between Hisato and the new youkai left Taizo somewhat confused and rather insignificant. It was as though they also held a spirit of God-like talents, and their inner spirits were far older and more powerful than Taizo’s. Yet, Mitchitaro seemed wary of Heizo and his family. With the advice of the twin girls, they kept a small distance.

Hisato and Taizo maintained a careful distance, watching warily as the battle dragged on. Hordes of deranged youkai kept flooding the battlefield in endless droves. Many lost their lives, including Hisanori and Hiromitsu’s twin brother. The loss hit the family hard, and Hiromitsu seemed to lose any excitement for life.

Heizo had little time to grieve the loss of his son and grandson as the flood of demons intensified. Taizo grew more suspicious of Mitchitaro and his son Genjiro when they kept their family in their focus. Even the twins seemed to focus on them a little too closely.

Hisomitsu’s children were horrified when the newest flood of youkai swarmed the battlefield, and the elder twin fell. With little thought, Heizo rushed into the field, and Hisato watched, horrified, as his father released his fury in the middle of the demonic horde. Heizo was lost in the mass of enemies, and even the twins at that point had vanished in the fray. Mitchitaro immediately rushed into the middle of the field, and a massive explosion of power erupted outward as the energy clashed.

Hisato almost entered the fight but stopped when Taizo gave a sharp warning. Instead, He crouched and missed being beheaded by a large metal spear as it flew where he had just stood. His eyes lifted to the spear embedded in the wooden pole beside him, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

‘Close.’ Taizo hissed, realizing how close he had come to losing another host.

Hisato stood, looked over the battle mound he stood on, and gasped when he saw two of his grandsons rush into the fight, slashing at whatever they could. ‘Dammit, it’s Itsuro and Joji!’

‘If you go in there, you might not make it out.’ Taizo snarled.

Hisato barely heard his spirit when he saw Taio and Okimoto grab their weapons. In a frantic move to stop them, he jumped off the mound of earth and raced to the two young men. “No!” He shouted.

Okimoto and his older brother Taio turned surprised.

“You stay put!” Hisato snapped. “Taio, you have no family to continue our line, so rushing to your death is reckless!”

Taio snorted. “Neither do Itsuro or Joji. I didn’t see you rush in to stop them.”

Okimoto placed his hand over his brother’s mouth.

Hisato narrowed his eyes and brought his nose close to his eldest grandson’s. “Mind your place, pup!” He turned to Okimoto and said, “And you, you just got married and have two young boys to care for.”

“Granddad, if we don’t do something, it won’t matter if we have families or not.” Okimoto shook his head.

“For now, we wait. Whatever my father did, it gave us a bit of a reprieve.” Hisato pointed to the hordes of youkai backing away from the massive black hole in the middle of the battlefield. His eyes snapped to Mitchitaro, who carried a limp figure, and Hisato immediately moved. It was his son, Hiromitsu.

His grandson’s cries followed as they saw their father being carried from the battlefield.

As he ran, his eyes scanned the field for signs of his father but found nothing but dead bodies in every direction. Taizo hissed as Hisato approached the massive male, which caused his host to slow down and pause.

‘Careful.’ Taizo warned.

Hisato wiggled his nose, watched as Mitchitaro placed Hiromitsu on the ground, and backed away. “My son Genjiro is searching for your father.”

Hisato furrowed his brow as he knelt at his son’s side. Hiromitsu had severe injuries that left the male gasping for air. “Father.” He wheezed.

“Shush,” Hisato whispered, placing his hand on his forehead.

“Hisamitsu fell.”

“I know. Shush, conserve your energy.”

“It’s too late. He said I have used too much.”

Hisato sucked his breath in sharply. Was he really going to lose both his sons in this battle?

“My sons?”

Hisato bit his cheek and said, “Focus on healing.” He lifted his son into his arms and carried him off the battlefield. He wasn’t about to lose his dignity in front of everyone and wanted to spend as much time as possible with his boy.

Taizo shook his head sadly. Turning to his host’s tree, he frowned when he felt a soft pull from it. ‘What is it?’

The tree pulsed softly, and Taizo placed his hand on it. Shocked and surprised, he took a step back curiously. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the small wavering point that indicated an exit. Turning back to the tree, he lifted a brow. ‘Are you certain? Can I find my way back?’

Trusting the tree of his host, which he had known for well over a thousand years, he walked through the small tear and entered another pool. His mouth fell open at the gouged tree and spirit frantically trying to staunch the escaping lifeforce. ‘You’re Hiromitsu’s spirit.’ Taizo gasped.

The spirit whirled around, shocked. ‘Who are you?’

‘I am your host’s father’s spirit.’ Taizo breathed. This was not the first time he had had contact with another’s inner spirit, but it was very different this time.

‘Impossible. This has never been done before.’

Taizo shrugged and shook his head. ‘I have no answers for you. My host’s tree of life urged me to come, but I do not know for what purpose.’

The spirit frowned. ‘I wonder if it was due to what my host witnessed.’

Taizo raised a brow. ‘Oh?’

The spirit seemed to realize that his frantic healing would do no good and lowered his head, defeated. ‘The twin girls. There is something off with them. Please promise me and my host that you will keep your distance. They are on the hunt for something and pulling the souls of the dead out. Somehow, they absorb that energy and combine it with their own.’

Taizo furrowed his brow. That seemed far too familiar. ‘Susanoo?’

The spirit lifted his head sharply. ‘You have your memories?’

Now, Taizo was even more confused.

‘Get your host and his family out of here before they make you forget everything. They are seers and can see everything before it even happens. They have allied themselves with Mitchitaro and his son Genjiro. Those two girls have given them unlimited powers to take over any territory they desire. That explosion of energy was from Heizo fighting the girls, and your host’s father lost.’

Taizo’s mouth fell open. ‘You saw all this?’

The spirit nodded, ‘Just before the twins turned on your hosts son. They will kill everyone in your family to find whatever it is they seek. I trust it is the power that this family houses.’

‘They are searching for me.’ Taizo snarled.

‘Then you are the spirit of the God that they fear.’ The spirit fell to his knees.

Taizo shook his head sadly as he watched the lifeblood spill out of his host’s son. ‘They fear me because of my power, but they fear this bloodline because it is my twin’s blood that flows through their veins.’

The spirit’s eyes widened, ‘Raijin and Fujin! That’s why my host could harness that unlimited amount of energy.’

Taizo gave a sad smile. ‘Tend to your host. I will return to mine and inform him what you told me.’

‘If you do that, you sentence him to death. Lock this away in your heart. Lock your powers away, hide them, and give your host minimal access, otherwise, more deaths will be the result.’ The spirit got to his feet. ‘When this battle is over, keep your powers locked away; do not give the girls an excuse to erase this family from existence. They want something, and they will stop at nothing to gain it. I suspect that God, Susanoo, promised them something if they did his bidding.’

Taizo nodded.

‘They will do everything possible to weaken your host and you. Remember, they see everything and will make you and your host forget everything you know.’

‘That sounds more like the God of knowledge. Kuebiko.’ Furrowing his brow, he recalled his brother’s warning before he was sent as a sentient being. Was Kuebiko one of the other Gods who wished for his downfall? Were they working together? Who else did he have to watch out for?’ Nodding in understanding, Taizo slipped back into his host’s pools through the rift.

Now, he had a whole new problem. Who were these girls? Did Susanoo really form a pact with them to search for him? Was Susanoo really that petty? Why did Susanoo despise him and his twin so much that he would risk his entire existence to erase him from the world? No, there was something more that didn’t make sense.

Taizo paced back and forth, frantically thinking of any reason why this turn of events was happening. The first time he had witnessed the stealing of souls was when Kin’ya Takeru and Takeshi had died. Heizo had been taken, and Hisato and Hisanori had been hunted for.

Now, this battle that took many lives, including his host’s father and both his sons. Two of his grandsons were missing, and their own families were at risk of the flood of evil. If the lords were also in on this massacre commissioned by Susanoo, then Taizo had to ensure that his host and his extended family escaped undetected before they fell into whatever trap had been set for them.

But could he convince his host to leave the island again? Could he get Hisato to move his family back to the mainland without explaining the importance of it? With a heavy sigh, Taizo knew he would have to tell his host something, but would Hisato listen? Or would his hotheaded host seek vengeance?

Taizo furrowed his brow. Hisato still lived, as well as his wife, who would be devastated hearing of her son’s deaths. Then there was Nene, who would also be grief-stricken after losing her husband and her youngest son. Okimoto had his wife, Chuya and their two young sons, Manami and Hisashi.

Taio was unwed, and Kakutaro had just married. Even though Hisamitsu had been married for years, they had no children. The family was dwindling away quickly, and if they stayed, Susanoo might have fulfilled his wish of eliminating his rivals. Shaking his head, Taizo frowned while staring at his host’s tree. No, Taizo needed to find his other siblings somehow and bring everyone together in one clan. That would be the only way to form a strong opposition against a God and his minions.

Now, all he needed to do was figure out how to accomplish this when names were forbidden among inner spirits. It opened up too many risks, and Taizo had no idea who he could trust. Hell, he couldn’t even remember any of his siblings’ names besides Susanoo. He remembered being in a large house in the clouds, his twin’s face, his parents and Susanoo, but everyone’s names eluded him. He suspected it was due to their current tasks of being sentient beings within a mortal figure.

His top priority was the safety of his host and keeping the family line safe. The only way for him to do that was to bring his host into his pools and ensure he was aware of the immediate danger. Snarling, Taizo placed his hand on the tree and called his host to the pools. He might not have another chance if he didn’t do it now. If the girls could erase memories, he had to work quickly and ensure Hisato recorded everything before that happened.

It was time to put forth a plan, one that would have to be kept secret until fate decided it was time.