Chapter 1.8: Cursed Clans

-Kyuuseishu-

Electricity…

Electricity…flowing through me…like this…

It seems familiar somehow…

My vision's clearing. Still blurred, but clearing. I see…clouds? Am I dead?

"Kyuuseishu." It's that voice from before.

"Who's there? Where am I?" My voice…it's…higher?

"Do you wish to continue your existence, boy? The electricity being transmitted into your body will not suffice for much longer." Suddenly, I feel like I'm falling. When I look up, I see that a hole opened up on the cloud I had been standing on. A large, white mass of energy with green eyeholes flies through the hole, pursuing me.

"Yes, I want to keep living!" I reach out to the energy. "Help me!"

"As you wish, Master." The energy changes shape and form as it approaches me.

It was late in the afternoon. Kyuuseishu snapped awake just in time to catch Rin, who had been sent flying from enemy attack. He found her with a few bruises and a deep cut in her left shoulder. Blood had soaked through her T-shirt, darkening its color and was running down her arm. She opened her eyes and slowly got up.

"Rin, are you OK?" he asked.

"OK? This is nothing for me." She said.

"What's going on?"

"After you went crazy, hordes of Shadows began swarming the place. We took care of all but that big one down there in the street. Earlier it was on the building across, but it flung me back and dove off. Emiko and Kiba are fighting it now." She jumped off the building.

"What do you mean 'went crazy'?" Kyuu asked as he followed her.

"You mean you don't know? You're the reason these Shadows swarmed us! Whatever power that was, I suggest you use it on the big one." They landed.

"What power?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You released this strong aura and could've killed me and Kiba if Emiko didn't subdue you!"

"Sorry, all I remember is you tying me up and then I blacked out."

"I see…" So this strange power of his…it seems he can't control it very well. The Shadow made note of the two new presences. It made eye contact with Kyuu and stopped fighting Kiba and Emiko, who were already cut, bruised, and growing weary. It jumped over all of them and landed behind Kyuu. The Shadow appeared ape-like with what appeared to be frog's legs and a head akin to a piranha.

"You! You're alive?" It growled. "And those damned abilities of yours as well? I thought my master had dealt with you. No matter. In your weakened state, I'll finish what he started and please him most greatly!" Kyuu quickly summoned his sword to block his attack. The impact pushed him back a little. As he recovered, the Shadow's teeth pierced his arms. It licked the blood off.

"Strange…" it pondered. "The blood of the White-Wind clan tastes much different from the aura I had absorbed…"

"That's because you bit a Mountain-Dog." Said Kiba, who was on his knees in front of the Shadow. There were bit marks on his hands.

"What?"

"Did you really think you were fighting Kyuuseishu Shirokaze?" came Emiko's voice from behind. The Shadow turned towards her. "Now, Kyuu!"

"Right!" Kyuu responded. The Shadow looked up to see a boy with brightly-colored hair diving towards him at break-neck speed. The Shadow responded by punching him in the face, giving him a bloody nose. Kyuu recovered on the ground and sped toward it again, this time landing a hit on its leg. The Shadow tested Kyuu's blood.

"There it is. The rumored delectable Shirokaze blood, made sweeter with a just-activated aura...I…MUST…HAVE…MORE!" The Shadow lunged at Kyuu.

"I think I've seen enough." Rin said. She aimed her sword at the Shadow's head. A red-hot beam that stood out in the night came from the tip, extending the blade and killing the Shadow.

"Finally, it's dead." Kiba said, relieved. "I was getting sick of all that thing's 'blood-drinking' crap."

"I sensed a greater darkness in what we just fought." Emiko added. "It was no ordinary Shadow. It must have absorbed a lot of Kyuu's aura and became close to a lesser demon." She fell down to her knees and began panting.

"Emiko, are you alright?" Kyuu asked.

"I'm fine. Those last two illusion techniques just took a lot out of me, that's all." She reassured.

"Those statements were the icing on the cake." Rin stated. "If my suspicions and the obvious signs were correct, you three are part of the Cursed, am I right?" Kiba and Emiko glared daggers at her. Kyuu looked back and forth between the two, confused.

"And what exactly in wrong with the Cursed?" Kiba growled, approaching her.

"Nothing, nothing." She said, holding her ground. "I just wanted to see if my suspicions were right, is all. I'm not big on stories from the Alternate World."

"You aren't?" Emiko asked.

"Famous Agents, the World's creation; not even the Legend of the Guardian." She replied. "Now, about those wounds…" She saw Kyuu and Kiba fully healed. "Emiko, did you…"

"How could I, when I've used up most of my aura?" she asked.

"I guess we just heal unnaturally fast. Right, Kiba?" Kyuu laughed.

"I guess…"

Rin's only comment: "I don't get it…"

While they were walking home after the group departed, Emiko asked Kiba,

"Kiba, do you think we should tell Rin who exactly Kyuu is?"

"No, not yet."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't feel right to tell someone we barely know about him, even if she is our superior. Anyways, it's Kyuu, not us. When he remembers, he'll be the one to tell."

"I guess you're right."

The front door opens in the Shirokaze house. A figure steps out, fire in their hand. A winged Shadow glides over the house. The figure takes aim and launches the fireball. It kills the Shadow and the figure steps back in.