Seimei leaned on the wall outside his apartment. This last job had taken a lot out of him. “Boss you ok?” Kenji asked.

 

A car passed by. Its lights hit Kenji and his brother Yuki full on showing them for what they were under the disguise of human skin. They were Kappas, turtle-like humanoids. They had short flat hair with a cup in the middle of their heads that held water.

 

Seimei stood up straight. “I'll be fine. Just need rest,” he said, wearily and straightened his clothes. The night’s events played in his head like an instant replay as he relived every moment…

 

The early evening was warm and the cool breeze was welcomed by the people of Tokyo. Yuki on the other hand was having trouble as he was tossed around like a rag doll by the monster they were fighting. His mildly expensive suit was almost completely shredded. “He's stronger… than he… seems,” Yuki said breathlessly as he was trying to stand up.

 

Kenji was holding onto the Demon's tail, his leather jacket was gone and his white t-shirt was covered in the demon’s black slime. “Well he is over a 5,000 years old and we're only 200,” Kenji said as the demon gave one more violent whip. Kenji went flying.

 

“Oh crap, this is going to hurt,” Yuki panicked noticing his brother was about to land on him. The crash the two made covered the room in a dust cloud coming from the crater they now made in the dirt floor. The demon gave a growling laugh as it made its way towards them. Its feet made the whole building shake as he took each step.

 

“You boys made me hungry again with that little workout,” it said licking its thick lips. It opened its jaw wider and wider unhinging his bottom jaw so he would be able to fit both brothers into his mouth. Just as he was about to lunge forward to eat them a rose flew right in front of him, stopping the creature in his tracks. “What's the big idea?” the creature’s expression seemed to say as he looked in the direction from which the rose came from.

 

A young man stood there on top of a rafter almost completely hidden. He stood nearly six feet tall and was very slim. He wore Converse All-Stars, the traditional black and white ones hidden under the hem of light blue jeans. A belt with a novelty buckle on it that read “Gotcha” with a red backing to it was looped through the belt holes. A white t-shirt with a traditional Japanese black school uniform over it hung unbuttoned like a jacket.

 

“You shouldn't pick on two little Kappas like that,” he said with a smile. “It isn't nice,” he added jumping down from the steel rafter. His hair was short and jet black, his face was thin but not too thin. His eyes seemed to glow in a way that resembled the flame of a lone candle in the dark leading wayward travelers to warmth and safety. His smile was just as warm and inviting. He was Abe no Seimei, the 27th descendent of the great legendary Onmyoji Abe no Seimei to bare his name.

 

“You've been hunting in the red light distract for a while now, haven’t you?” Seimei asked walking towards the demon.

 

“So what's it too YOU?” The demon asked growling.

 

“Some of the spirits of the women you’ve killed have asked me to stop you,” Seimei retorted stopping half way towards the demon.

 

“So, you an exorcist then?” The demon asked with a chuckle.

 

“Of sorts,” was all Seimei answered as spirit energy started to spark and crack over his body like a lose wire.

 

“You’re a bit young to play with the big boys!!” The demon roared and brought his gigantic claws down on Seimei only for them to be stopped as if grabbed by something ten times stronger than himself.

 

“Don't underestimate me ‘cause of my age,” he said. The light now beaming from Seimei as he held the demon at bay revealed the creature’s full form to him. Parts of the demon were lizard and other parts were crab-like. Its’ head was that of a crocodile, while the main parts of it torso and legs were the hardened shell of a King Crab. “So THAT’s what you are,” Seimei marveled, now fully knowing his enemy for what he was. “You’re a demon of hunger,” he said to the nameless spirit. “You’re made of two creatures known for devouring everything in your path. How fitting!” He made this last remark as he gave a powerful pulse of energy sending the demon’s claws away, thus causing the demon to fall backwards onto its hard crab shell.

 

“Who....who is this guy?!” The demon roared in bewilderment as he tried to get back up off of his back only to see Seimei jump, almost flying at him, his hands lined up with one another so his palms faced each other while energy flowing back and forth between them. The demon wriggled uselessly in attempt to right itself.

 

“Try this on for size!!!” Seimei yelled and sent the energy ball straight into the demon's face sending it flying through the wall into the next room. Seimei floated down landing softly onto his feet.

 

Kenji was the first to stand up, as he did all the bones in his body seemed to crack all at the same time. “Yeah, I'm gonna feel that in the morning!” He made his towards Seimei. “So, uh, boss you got him, right,” he asked, one hand holding his sore back. Seimei just smiled.

 

“When has it ever been that easy?” Then they both heard growling coming from the darkness of the next room. “You may want to move.” He said this over his shoulder to Kenji as another of the giant crab like claws came speeding out of the darkness towards him.

 

“Oh shit!” Kenji screamed as he nearly did not dodge out of the way in time. Seimei however jumped high in the air again to avoid it, but was stabbed by another claw and slammed into the other wall. “BOSS!!” Both brothers yelled at the sight. The demon laughed as he made his way into the room, his laughter getting louder and louder as he did. It was completely back in when it noticed that where Seimei should be pinned dead to the wall was nothing more than just claws.

 

“You didn't think you really had me, did you?” he smirked. The demon looked down and there was Seimei standing on its other claw. The two brothers blinked in the shock that the man they called boss was really that fast and that strong. “Look! I told you, those women spirits wanted justice. Otherwise why do you think they came and found Abe no Seimei?”

 

He calmly walked the length of the claw he’d been standing on and jumped off to the ground. The demon just stood there in shock that this young man who he’d mistaken for a mere boy playing exorcist was really the modern day Abe no Seimei. The young man had sent many a malevolent spirit back to the void, including those he and many others considered to be almost demon saints, the highest of the demon orders.

 

“So let’s get started, shall we?” He asked rhetorically as the energy started to surge through him again sparking and crackling louder than the first time.

 

The demon lunged forward as an attempt to catch Seimei by surprise. However, the young man was waiting for this and when the demon tried to bite down on him a loud cracking sound filled the air. A blinding light like heaven's beacon filled the room and with the sound of thunder the demon went flying again into the room. This time Seimei followed suit. Seimei walked slowly in the deep, dark room. The only light was the crack of the spirit energy flowing through Seimei and out of his fingers. Seimei made it to the middle of the room and pulled a long, thin sheet of paper almost like small scroll that was not yet rolled up, out of the air as if it was an extra pocket for him to use. He held it between his index and middle fingers, put it close to his lips and began to whisper.

 

The demon was deep in the shadows circling him back and forth, but this did not faze Seimei as he kept whispering. Slowly on the thin, small parchment Japanese calligraphy began to appear and float upward. Soon the calligraphy touched Seimei's fingers. The demon tried to attack again but as his jaws started to come down onto Seimei a strange looking ox-like creature grabbed his jaws on either end and kept them from closing on Seimei.

 

“Thanks Oolong,” he thanked the ox. It was a spirit of strength that Seimei used from time to time as a little extra help. Seimei put his fingers back to his lips in whispers again, forgetting to mind the demon’s tongue. Like lightening the giant tongue wrapped around him and started to squeeze down hard causing Seimei to groan with pain. Oolong couldn't help. If he let go of either of the creature’s jaws they would snap down upon him and trap him inside. In between groans Seimei continued to whisper, slowly and weakly.

 

The demon began to panic, wriggling as hundreds of thousands of tiny black spiders poured out of its own mouth. The spiders bit the demon's tongue, leaving small red welts and causing him to lose his tongue’s grip on Seimei till finally Seimei was free. Oolong let go and grabbed Seimei, as the spiders poured into the demon’s noise, eyes and back out its mouth, before repeating their invasion over and over again.

 

Oolong held on to Seimei as Kenji and Yuki came running. “Boss!!!” they screamed. Oolong put Seimei down. The two brothers kept running, but stopped when Seimei's energy filled the whole room. “Oh shit! boss's pissed!!” Yuki yelled as the two now started running the other way.

 

Seimei put his hands together in prayer posture, as the demon’s agonized howling turned to laughter. “That's right! Pray to your gods, beg them to take you into their arms!” He laughed as the spiders continued their attack thinking that he had weakened Seimei.

 

“No, I'm just making myself into a router,” Seimei said. Thunder clouds began to form. A monstrously, wicked thunderbolt hit Seimei and then went straight for the demon electrocuting it.

 

“DAMN YOU SEIMEI!!!” It roared in great pain as it fell onto its side. Seimei slowly started to separate his hands, as he did a long silver javelin began to form. He balanced the javelin on the tip of his finger. The lighting storm Seimei had summoned lit up the whole apartment. The silver javelin glimmered in the light as Seimei threw it high into the air. Once as high as it could go it floated in mid air and began to multiply till there was over 100 javelins hovering in the air. Seimei kept the finger that the javelin was resting on dead still, before sending the javelin into the air pointing it at the other 100 javelins as if it was what was keeping them up there.

 

“I hope you find peace,” he said softly. In an instant he brought his finger down pointing at the demon. The javelins swiftly flew into the demon. The creature howled in bloody agony as all 100 javelins pierced and tore him apart, stabbing deeper into him.

 

The silence was almost was almost deafening when the creature finally breathed his last. Seimei made his way to the slowly melting demon corpse. He gave it a good “once over” then put his hands together once again. This time he was praying as the ghosts of twenty-six beautiful, young women appeared behind him one by one.

 

“I did what you asked,” he breathed softly as he finished his prayer. “Now please find peace for yourselves too,” he said as he turned to them. They all smiled. One by one they slowly turned into tiny balls of blue light that floated upwards into the heavens.

 

Back at the apartment they shared Yuki and Kenji were already passed out on the bunk beds they had bought when they moved into Seimei's apartment above the pet shop that he owned. Though sometimes Seimei did take payments for his spiritual services most nights, like tonight, were freebees. Seimei took his shirt off and headed to the bathroom to wash up before bed. He resisted a cleansing spell as he poured warm water over his head. Stopping at the top letting the water pour from his hand onto his head he waited till exactly six drops fell on his head before praying Shinto prayer. He did this repeatedly for about an hour.

 

He had overdone it this time. He’d too much spirit energy tonight. He showed off today, but sometimes he had too. He had to show off just to make sure his enemy was weak enough before he finished it off. Otherwise all he would have done was piss off the demon spirit. Seimei sat on the edge of his bed with a thud. He was exhausted and he knew it was useless to fight his exhaustion any longer. He kicked off his shoes and slowly unbuttoned his jeans. When he was only in his boxers he climbed wearily under the sheets and soft down comforter. He lay there in bed for a moment then slowly, peacefully drifted into a deep sleep. The warm light in his eyes disappeared into the comfort of a quite peaceful night. Little did he know a new adventure awaited him sooner than he expected.

2: Chapter two: The new case

Seimei's face was revealed by the sun as its rays lightly touched his face. He was a handsome young man with a thin, angular face. He could be an actor or model if it wasn't for the whole Onmyoji job. All his symmetrical features made him appear to be what some would call “perfect.” Seimei's eyes slowly opened as a small figure began to take shape in his line of vision. A small girl with purple skin and blue hair was staring him in the face.

 

“Morning, Master Seimei!!” She screamed loud and happily. Her childlike face had a big smile as she stared at him and gave a little “hehe” laugh.

 

“Keiko, what did I say about calling me Master?” he asked. The little sprite stood there thinking. She was dressed in what could be mistaken for a traditional kimono except that only the top was a kimono and her bottoms were some sort of designer pants with matching boots.

 

“Oh, yeah, never to call you that cause I'm here as a friend and you pay me for taking care of the apartment,” she said with a giggle. Seimei sat up and grabbed his jeans at the end of the bed. He pulled them on under the covers and stood up. Compared to Keiko Seimei was a giant! She with her long, blue hair barely came up to his waist. Seimei was small but built enough to have abs, and muscles on his biceps. He walked to his closet and took out the first shirt he grabbed. It was a shirt made to resemble the British Union Jack.

 

“The other two awake?” He asked walking into the bathroom and beginning to washing up.

 

“As usual those two are being lazy and still sleeping.” Keiko answered.

 

Seimei started to comb his hair slick back and neat. He then put his shirt on and headed for the kitchen. Once there he opened the refrigerator, his eyes narrowing in confusion at the sight of his fridge filled from top to bottom with cucumbers and cucumber products. Its drawers were stocked with fresh green cucumbers of endless varieties, including English garden cucumbers, long, slender Japanese cucumbers, lemon cucumbers. Whole pickled cucumbers in various jars and minced ones in mint- cucumber jelly lined the refrigerator shelves.

 

“Ooookaaay…..” he paused. “Odd,” Seimei thought as he closed the door and started for the cupboards. His right eyebrow raised when he saw that all the cupboards were also filled with cucumber products. Packaged cucumber finger sandwiches were stacked on the shelves next to packaged “hostess” style cucumber cakes of endless flavors and varieties. Next to the junk food was a wine rack stacked with cucumber flavored Ramune sodas from top to bottom. “This is what I get for having two Kappas for roommates.” He grumbled to himself with a smile thinking, “At least I won't have to worry about feeding them for a while.”

 

Just then the two brothers walked in, although they were of the same hatch group, Kenji was the oldest by two days. He stood at 5 foot 9 and was quite slim by Kappa standards. By human standards he was fit with an athletic build. His hair was short and very spiked, jet black but in certain light it looked brown. His eyes were light green and always glittered. He’d been considered to be the Japanese Jude Law. Yuki, his brother was 5 foot 5 with long, messy hair. In contrast he kept his facial hair short and neat with an immaculately trimmed mustache and goatee. His eyes were light brown like his hair, matching the somewhat dim look on his face with his pointed noise. Seimei just looked at them, Kenji was dressed in a Rage Against the Machine t-shirt and green khaki shorts. Yuki on the other hand had One Piece anime Pajamas on. “You actually wear those?” Seimei asked. Yuki just rubbed his hair and yawned in reply. The two brothers wasted almost no time raiding the fridge and grabbing cumbers.

 

“Oh, I slept great thanks for asking,” Seimei said nonchalantly as the two stuffed their faces. The two brothers sat down, their arms filled as much as they could hold with cucumbers and cucumber sodas.

 

“Boss, you’re not eating?” Kenji finally asked between bites of cucumber sandwich. Seimei looked at him, and shook his head.

 

“I would be if there was any REAL human food,” he said looking at the two of them. The two brothers just sat at the table blinking in confusion. Suddenly the idea hit Kenji as if it had been a physical slap across his face. “That's right! Humans don't just live off cucumbers.” He said the last mystified that humans could possibly need more than cucumbers to survive. He chugged a few gulps of cucumber soda then went right back to devouring his food.

 

“That's right,” Seimei said standing up. “Now I'm going to the bakery and getting some breakfast, you two go downstairs and open the pet store,” he ordered, annoyed.

 

“Right, Boss.” They spoke in unison not bothering look to up from stuffing their faces and shrugged as the door shut.

 

 

The bell on the door jingled as Seimei walked in eating his bagel with cream cheese as two happy costumers walked out. The pet shop had a very wide selection of pets, from dogs to cats and fish to lizards of endless varieties. The majority of these pets were normal, but a select few were special…very special. They were once spirits that he had helped who’d been reincarnated into animals so that could help other people with their problems. Dogs help could help someone get over their ex lover who had left them, while a gold fish could end one’s money troubles enough to make their life comfortable but not give them Donald Trump’s lavish lifestyle. Seimei knew just who to give which pet too for whatever they desperately needed.

 

“So, we doing good today?” He asked the brothers who had come down to the store after finishing their cucumber breakfast. They just nodded happily and pointed to one of the aisles. Seimei took another bite of his bagel as he looked curiously down the aisle.

 

The first thing he saw was her black, three-inch heels. His gaze moved slowly up to her black rose patterned stockings which complemented her red skirt and jacket. He couldn't see what blouse she was wearing, only the jacket due to how she had her shoulders to him as she browsed the shelf in front of her. He could tell that she was well developed as his eyes moved to her face.

 

Her eyes were shielded by the dark sunglasses she wore but the delicate features of her face were the picture of beautiful in many men’s minds Seimei thought. That is until she turned to face him. Her designer sunglasses hid her eyes, while her ponytailed, blond hair had a bang that covered the top half of her face making seem smaller then it was, but it was there nonetheless. A thick, ropey scar from the middle of her forehead and all the way down to where her lower jaw ended marred her features. Another scar on her chest was concealed by the black blouse lay hidden underneath her jacket. Her walk as she headed towards Seimei was a bit less feminine then most women, but her hips and womanly curves told you she was the real deal.

 

“So, you must be the famous, Abe no Seimei?” she asked seductively, taking off her sunglasses to reveal the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. He was speechless for a split second.

 

“No, I'm not. My name is Ryuji Seimei,” he replied quickly, taking another bite of his bagel and darting behind the counter.

 

“So my source was wrong then?” She asked pointedly making her way closer to the counter.

 

“Depends on who they are,” he said leaning on the counter and reading a magazine.

 

Normally Seimei would not do this, but sometimes being rude was how he got useful information. She looked at him and flashed a slight smile.

 

“Well, it just so happens that his name was also Ryuji Seimei.” The woman pulled out a picture of Seimei’s grandfather smiling and waving from her purse and placed it on the counter in front of him.

“Thanks for selling me out, Grandfather,” Seimei thought to himself.

 

“My name is Haruna Masaki. I represent Boss, Ichigo Honma,” she said brusquely. Seimei raised his head and their eyes met.

 

“Let me stop you right there. I don't help Yakuza.” He held his hand up in a gesture of silence. “Usually they try to get me to balance their business out with some spiritual help, and when it comes to them being haunted or tormented…… well, let’s just say I usually just chuck it up to Karma,” he declared matter-of-factly. Surprisingly, she simply smiled at him in acknowledgment, causing Seimei to raise an eyebrow.

 

“So you are THE Abe no Seimei then?” She said this as a statement more than a question. Seimei just looked at Haruna and gave a chuckle after a few seconds.

 

“Yes, but I still don't help Yakuza,” he said as he showed her the way out.

 

“So you won't think about it?” She asked hopefully as she let herself be guided towards the door.

 

“Nope. And It would take a lot to get me to change my mind,” he said with finality, holding the door open for her to leave. No matter how rude he chose to appear being gentlemanly in the presence of a woman was the one thing he would never change.

 

She barely came up to his chest, but as she looked up their eyes met. It was only for a moment, but to Seimei it was hours. “I'm sorry I couldn't help, but I have standards,” he said with a smile.

 

She smiled and put her sunglasses back on. “I'll be seeing you.” She shrugged her shoulders and left. Seimei's eyes narrow a bit in confusion before he gently closed the door after her.

 

It was closing time and Seimei was helping a university student with her pet choice. He could see her real problem; she was with a new boyfriend but kept pushing him away. Her last boyfriend was very, very different from the man she was with now. The physical bruises and marks were long gone but she still wore turtle necks and long sleeves. Now it was only the emotional scars that remained to be seen.

 

Seimei lead her to the back and a few moments later when they came back to the front she was holding a small white and brown rabbit. It had the spirit of a kuchisake-onna (also known as a slit mouth woman.) that Seimei had faced in Hiroshima. The kuchisake-onna was a vengeful spirit of an abused woman whose husband had killed her by cutting her mouth in two, separating the top and bottom mandible. This spirit would do the same to its victim after they answered its call of, “Do you think I'm pretty?”

 

Seimei decided she’d deserved a second chance so he put her spirit into the rabbit. Once with the girl it would help take away all her pain and remind her to open her heart to love.

 

“That's enough food to keep her happy for a month, but you can feed her vegetables too,” Seimei told her with a smile. She hesitated to reach for the bag. When she did she quickly brought it to her, almost clinching it to her body. “She's really scared.” Seimei heard a voice in his head.

 

“I know, but that's why you’re with her now, to help.” Seimei answered.

 

“Right I'll do my best.” The voice of the rabbit said in his mind.

 

“Thank-thank you.” The girl stuttered as she quickly made it to the door, the bell jiggling as she walked out, clinging to her new rabbit. Her current boyfriend trailed behind her carrying the rabbit food.

 

“Right, boys, let’s close up and head to the shrine,” Seimei said, as though it was the norm for Seimei to simply close up shop and head to the Senso-ji Shrine. If he left now he would be there an hour before they closed to the public. Seimei and the boys hurried to pick up everything, clean every cage and counter, and make sure every animal was feed. The keys jingled in Seimei's hands as he turned and locked the door. Kenji at the same time pulled down the metal blinds that covered the windows and locked them. Yuki just stood there waiting for the two of them. He noticed Seimei had a different jacket on from the one he had on earlier. It was a nice blue and gray one with the Japanese character for “Free” on the back in black with a white backing.

 

The shrine was a short walk from the store, which was a good thing seeing how Seimei didn't have a car. He mainly got around on foot or bus, a common occurence in Tokyo. Once there at the shrine’s entrance Seimei pulled out a small set of prayer beads out of his pocket and made his way to the area where everyone was lost in prayer. He couldn’t help but notice that the usual crowd of worshippers had gotten bigger as of late.

 

“More lost souls trying to find the light and guidance from those who look down on us from the Heaven they call home,” he thought he started to pray. He didn't really pray for himself but prefered praying for others. He prayed for the souls he helped, the people around him even if he didn't know them, and even for some the spirits, ghosts, demons and monsters he faced. He prayed they would find peace. In Seimei's book everything and everyone deserved a second chance.

 

Seimei's thoughts were quickly interrupted by a massive wave of negative energy that caused his eyes to open and made him spin faster than quicksilver. He saw Haruna, the Yakuza woman he’d met earlier, standing a few feet behind him. Two men in matching black, pin-stripe suits with sunglasses and matching black shoes with almost military like haircuts stood on either side of her. A third man stood directly behind her clinching a medallion in his hand. He was dressed in ragged black clothes and shoes that looked like animal hide sewn. His face looked rather like a rat with buck teeth and long, snout-like noise. His long, green hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed for several

 

“How DARE you bring him here!” Seimei roared in anger. Not many but some of the other people joined Yuki and Kenji in observing the goings-on.

 

“My boss wouldn't be happy with a second choice instead of you. Unless of course I made sure to match you with someone of equal abilities,” she said with a smile dripping in distain.

 

Seimei just looked at her. “He is the worst choice you could ever make! He doesn't help the spirits, he tries to control them!” He yelled, pointing at the green-haired man.

 

The man simply grinned a particularly malevolent grin in reply. His teeth were horribly yellowed and tobacco stained. The rat-man, as Seimei mentally dubbed him, began to laugh manically. It was a low, deep growl of a laugh which sounded like teeth gnawing on a piece of wood. “Please tell me he doesn't really laugh like that,” Seimei thought.

 

“You don't look so tough,” the rat-man said to Seimei as he rubbed his medallion. Seimei looked at him and then realized what he was doing. And he then heard it; a slight moaning sound. Seimei started looking around and saw them, dozens upon dozens of walking dead.

 

“So we beat them off the till they die again right?” Yuki asked in a panic. Before he did anything Seimei stopped and gave an annoyed look to Yuki on that comment. “Ummm, we put seals on them to peacefully send them back to rest,” he corrected himself with a wide grin.

 

“Yeah.” Seimei replied and shook his head.

 

Kenji appeared behind his brother and smacked him upside his head. “Quite fooling around and let’s get to work,” he said to his younger brother.

 

Seimei ran into the now screaming crowd and started making seals appear on the palm of his hand with simple hand movements. Smacking his palm on the zombies heads caused them to fall to the ground lifeless once again. Kenji was doing the same. Yuki was trying to help, but ended up running away from the zombies more than helping. “Its eye is sticking out, its eye is sticking out!!!!!” he said running away form one zombie.

 

“And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is my younger brother,” Kenji teased as a zombie came up behind him. Kenji just reached behind him and smacked a seal on it. “Down boy!” He yelled as he did.

 

Seimei just looked at the seemingly endless army of zombies. He thought about a quicker solution to this particular problem, glanced at the entrance and an idea came to him like a bolt of lightening. Seimei ran towards the entrance and jumped up putting his foot on one zombie's head to get one more good jump. ”Sorry, I'll try to make it up to you,” he said. The walking corpse just let out a groan.

 

With one good push off Seimei flew like the night onto the roof of the entrance. Once up there he turned his palms so towards the courtyard of the shrine, as eight, pointed, paper stars filled his hands; four in each hand. He closed his eyes as the paper stars flew from his hands and floated down till they landed at eight different strategic points. Seimei stood unmoving for a moment, the people still screaming. Kenji and Yuki were now fighting with the zombies, and at Seimei’s feet they were starting to pile up on each other their efforts to get to him. Right when one started to reach at his feet Seimei's eyes shot open.

 

The paper stars started to glow a bright purple as what looked like white fabric shot out from each of them making a circle followed by another smaller circle inside the first. Finally they formed a giant six pointed star in the second circle. In between the circles a cleansing seal began to form. Once completed a great purple light filled the courtyard that could be seen for miles. Once the light beamed the bodies of the zombies started to fall.

 

“It's trying to eat my brains!!!!” Yuki screamed, almost in a high pitched shrill. Kenji just put his hand over his face and shook it in his palm in disbelief of his brother.

 

“And he's mother's favorite,” he said, slowly walking towards his brother to take the corpse off him. “It's dead again genus,” he said laying the body down gently. Yuki shot up and cleaned himself off.

 

“I, ummm, …I knew that, h replied sheepishly. Seimei floated down back down to the ground, Haruna watching him float all the way down.

 

“So, you going to call it a day?” Seimei asked her. The little rat man made a set of gnawing sounds in response, but it was more of him being nervous. Seimei just looked at him.

 

“I'm Ikawa, I'm the greatest necromancer in all of Okinawa, I will not be bested by a child!!!” Ikawa roared, rubbing his medallion with both hands now. Seimei felt a dark energy and started looking around, then the ground started to shake violently.

 

“You didn't?!” Seimei roared as it dawned on him what evil was coming to the shrine now. Kenji and Yuki ran back and forth grabbing many of the holy artifacts to keep them from shattering during the earthquake.

 

In the middle of the court yard the ground started to rise up into a mound with the bricks braking and parting till the giant Gashadokuro revealed itself. The skeleton creature’s head appeared slowly pushing itself out of the ground with a groaning noise as it emerged. It's bleached white bones bones inched themselves out of the earth shaking as if trying to keep themselves together, the spinal vertebra emerging one after the other.

 

 Seimei just looked at his new foe, taking in the sight of the purple lightning covering his body, cracking and snapping louder and louder with each bolt of lightning.

 

“That look on the boss's face....” Yuki said, mystified as he saw the serious look on Seimei's face.

 “ I know.” His brother simply said taking in Seimei’s expression as well. “He's got something big in mind,” he added as Seimei started running towards the monster. The Gashadokuro let out a defining shrill as it took a swing at Seimei, only to see him disappear and then in mid air he sent both his hands at it with spirit energy spewing from both hands into the creature’s face sending it falling backwards. The creature landed with a thud on its back. Seimei jumped on its chest and started breathing heavier and heavier as the energy gathered force in his hands again till finally he let lose a defining roar.

 “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Take this!!!!!!!” He roared and fired the energy attacks at the Gashadokuro’s face again and again till it was completely covered in dust and smoke. Seimei continued to pelt the monster, panting for breath from the effort but was swiftly tossed off by the monster. The creature screeched like a banshee as it brought its hand down on Seimei’s chest, pinning him to the ground in a moment of weakness. Seimei groaned and tried to get free.

 

“Ah you… bastard!” Seimei growled as Ikawa laughed with his gnaw like laugh. The Gashadokuro screeched loudly and leaned in close, staring dead at Seimei. “Yeah you’re ugly,” Seimei said and swung his free arm sending a massive wave of spirit energy into his opponent causing it to steady itself for balance while still keeping its hand on Seimei, keeping him pinned.

 

 The Brothers started to run to help him but Seimei just pointed a finger at them telling to stay put. “Damn it!” Kenji yelled as he skitted to a halt in his tracks, stopping his brother too. The Gashadokuro applied more pressure on Seimei. Seimei groaned loudly as he pinned tighter to the floor but did not try to free himself.

 

 “What's this.......?” Ikawa asked, and made his rat-like gnawing sound once again. “Has he given up?” He asked again as Haruna looked on. Seimei still didn't move as the pressure on him increased. That's when Haruna noticed that though Seimei wasn't moving his lips were.

“What's he doing?” She asked as a stream of water trickled slowly over her feet past her, her men and Ikawa increasing to a steady gushing flow .

 

“Is he calling.......” Yuki started as he noticed the water too. “Lord Onizu!!” Kenji said and pulled his brother down on his knees as he did the same and began to pray fervently. Though everyone was standing completely dry on top of the water whole courtyard of the shrine looked like a lake at this point.

 

Seimei sank into the watery depths. The Gashadokuro shrieked at the sight of this and clawed desperately at the water looking for Seimei. Suddenly the legendary Onizu, the giant Catfish jumped out of the water and hit Gashadokuro in the chest taking it down into the water with him, flicking its massive fish tail as he dove. The Gashadokuro raised itself out of the water only to be smacked back down. This fight went on with Gashadokuro emerging from the Onizu’s grasp and surfacing long enough to grab the Onizu by its tail and throw him only for it to disappear and reappear as soon as it disappeared into the water. Gashadokuro’s bones cracked and broke with each new blow.

“NNN….NO! This can't be happening, Gashadokuro is unbeatable,” Ikawa said more to himself than out loud. He was in total shock that the strongest creature he;d ever seen was getting beating by a fish.

 

“That's because you put your faith in the dead, I put my faith in life and the spirit,” Seimei said behind Ikawa’s back. Both Ikawa and Haruna reeled around to stare at Seimei who stood unharmed with his arm crossed watching the fight.

 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ikawa screamed in rage. Haruna just smiled a cocky smile.

“You’re just a show off aren’t you?” she toyed. Seimei just smiled.

 

“Shows not over yet,” he said as the spirit energy cracked and sparked again even louder than before causing everyone to back away from him. Seimei ran towards the fight of the two titans, his energy charging more and more till both hands were glowing bright red and then he bought his hands together at the wrist. Onizu went deep under the water to pick up speed and then with force only matched by the eruption at Pompeii he smacked his powerful tail into the chest of Gashadokuro sending him flying backward in Seimei’s directon. The giant skeleton splintered into a pile of bones that rained down over Seimei’s head.

 

“Find PEACE!” He roared sending his hands upward towards the monster skeleton as it fell in pieces over him unleashing the power in his hands. The bones shattered like glass. The dust that was left fell like snowflakes over the city of Tokyo, blanketing it winter white though it was the in the heat of summer. In the blink of an eye the water was gone and ground was dry. No trace of it remained. The hole was gone and so were dead bodies.

 

“Man am I gonna sleep like a baby tonight,” Seimei said stretching without a pause. Ikawa was on his knees gnawing in disbelief at the sight. Seimei just walked up to him and touched his head before Ikawa could protest. He put his index and middle fingers together and whispered softly and with that Ikawa passed out.

 

“Is he dead?” Haruna asked in amazement. Seimei just bent over and pulled his medallion off of him. “No but when he wakes he won't remember anything of Necromancy,” he replied, whispering a binding spell on Ikawa’s medallion.

 

“What time?” he asked. Haruna just looked at him not comprehending. “What time do we leave, tomorrow?” he asked her.

 

Haruna smiled in surprise as she realized what he was implying. “So you’re taking the job then?” She asked cautiously.

 

Seimei looked around. “You went through all this, might as well see what it's all about,” he said as if it was a given.

 

Haruna put her sunglasses back on. “Eight am and DON”T be late,” she said emphatically.

Seimei flashed her a smile in response, turned around and walked away with Kenji and Yuki silently in toe. What am I getting myself into?” he asked himself as he headed home. It had been a long day.