Chapter One: Confrontation
Nasuti stared at the birth certificate. It was late in the afternoon and she was tired from the eleven hours of labor. Nasuti had stayed with Ito, a friend of hers that she made just after moving to Tome village on the island of Okinawa. During the final days of pregnancy, Ito and her husband Akira, invited Nasuti to stay with them until after the baby was born. As long as she could handle a three-year-old girl running around the house.
At one-thirty in the morning, Nasuti's water broke and she was quickly rushed to the medical center. There, Nasuti gave birth to a seven pound, two ounce baby boy. Nasuti didn't care if she had a girl or a boy. But as she looked at her son fast asleep in the cradle next to her, she was glad that she did have a son.
"You're still awake?" Nasuti looked and saw Ito standing by the door. "You need your rest, tomodachi," Ito said as she walked into the room. "Or you'll be too tired when your son needs you."
"I can't sleep," sighed Nasuti. "I'm thinking about too many things and I haven't finished this."
Ito looked at the certificate. "You still haven't named him yet? And what about his father's name? Don't you want him to know his father?"
"Of course I do."
"Speaking of the father, where is he?"
A sad look came across Nasuti's face. "He died in an accident before I found out I was pregnant."
"Oh gomen, Nasuti," Ito apologized. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's all right. You didn't know." Nasuti smiled at her. "I miss him. And I wish he was here to see his son."
"He can see him, Nasuti," said Ito. "He can see both of you. And do you still have that crazy idea about moving out in your head?"
"I'm going to start looking for a new place and we're leaving."
"Why do I get the feeling that it has something to do with your son?"
"It does," Nasuti answered.
Ito sighed. "If anyone comes looking for you, I haven't seen you. But I would like to hear from you once in a while."
"Arigato." Nasuti smiled. "And I promise I will." The baby started fussing. "He's probably hungry." Nasuti started getting up.
"No, you stay there." Ito said. She walked over to the cradle, lifted the baby up, and carried him to his mother. "Nasuti, don't deny him his father's name." Ito left, leaving Nasuti pondering her words.
As she nursed her child, Nasuti looked at the birth certificate. Carefully holding her son with one arm, she wrote on the paper: Father's Name: Doji Shuten
"His father's name." Nasuti repeated Ito's words and she smiled at her baby. "I know what name to give you, my son."
*****
"Over sixteen years have passed already?" Shin asked surprised.
"Damn," said Touma, equally shocked. "We look good for being in our thirties."
"And four hundreds," said Anubis.
"True," Ryo said. "By the way, Seiji, how's Kayura?"
"Still the same," Seiji answered. "No change. But she was awake for a few minutes."
"That's progress," said Naaza.
"You're Korin," Rajura said. "Why can't you help her?"
"Healing is one thing," said Seiji. "Diagnosing is a completely different subject. That reminds me, she has a message for the three of you."
"What kind of message?" Naaza asked.
"I don't what she meant by it," Seiji said. "But she said to tell you to bring him here."
Shin raised an eyebrow. "'Him' who?"
"How should I know? She's probably a little delirious."
"No, she's not," Naaza said.
The five Troopers looked at the now grim faced Ma Sho. "You know who she's talking about?" Touma asked.
"Hai," answered Rajura. "Care to take a trip to the Nigenkai? We'll explain on the way."
"Why not?" said Ryo. "We can see how much has changed. Maybe we can find Nasuti. Where we going?"
"Tome Village on Okinawa," said Anubis. "A few miles north, actually."
"That's a little far from Shinjuku," Shu said.
____
The eight warriors appeared in a forest not far from Tome Village. "How do you know about this guy?" Ryo asked the Ma Sho.
"We've been keeping an eye on him since he was born," said Anubis. "He's sixteen now."
"So why does Kayura want him in the Youjakai?"
"There's a great possibility that he might be able to wear the Oni yoroi," Rajura said.
The Troopers stopped. "You're joking." Touma said.
The three Ma Sho shook their heads and continued through the forest. As they walked on, the musical sound of a flute echoed through the air. The sweet haunting melody grew louder as the eight warriors came upon a person kneeling in front of a mound of earth covered with rocks. He was wearing black jeans and sneakers and a long denim jacket with the hood pulled up.
"Shoji," Rajura called.
The music stopped. "I gave you my answer the last time you came," he said. "Or didn't I make myself clear enough?"
"We heard you," said Anubis.
"My answer hasn't changed."
"We're not here to ask you this time," said Naaza.
"So regardless if I say yes or no," Shoji rose to his feet. "You're going to drag me into the Youjakai unwillingly?"
"We're hoping that you won't be giving us a hard time about this," Anubis said.
"There's only two ways I'll go into the Youjakai," said Shoji. "And that's either unconscious or dead."
"I can tell you this much, Shoji," Rajura said. "It won't be the latter."
Shoji turned around and they could see his black shirt, but the hood from his jacket prevented them from seeing his face. In his left hand he held a katana with a dragon on the sheath.
Nasuti had a katana like that hanging in the study, Ryo thought. How'd he get it?
"I'm not going," said Shoji. "And that's final."
"Boy is he a punk-ass brat," Shu whispered.
Shoji cocked his head. "You never told them who I am? Good, then I'll be able to see the looks on their faces when they find out. Tell me, do you know who I am?"
"Your name is Shoji," said Ryo. "And I think you're full of yourself."
Shoji grinned. "That's all? Pity, because I know who you are Rekka no Ryo, Korin no Seiji, Suiko no Shin, Kongo no Shu, Tenku no Touma. I know all about the five of you and how you beat Arago just a little more than sixteen years ago."
"How much have you told him?" Seiji asked the Ma Sho.
"They only told me how your health is," said Shoji. "Everything else was told to me as a bedtime story. What else do you know about me?"
"You might be able to wear the Oni yoroi," Shin answered.
"So I've been told," Shoji said. "Is that the only reason that you're here? To bring me to the Youjikai so that I can become the next Oni Ma Sho. To have all wearers of the mystic yoroi male again. Is that it? Or perhaps," Shoji pulled back the hood. "It's because I look exactly like my father."
The five Troopers mouths practically fell to the ground. They could swear they were staring at Shuten!
"Y-you're Shuten's s-son!?" stuttered Touma.
"Doji Shuten is my father, hai," Shoji answered. "I was named after him, in a way."
"So what's your whole name?" asked Seiji.
"Yagyu Shoji."
"Nasuti?" Ryo asked. "Yagyu Nasuti is your mother?"
Shoji nodded. The Troopers stared at him. He was indeed the spitting image of Shuten, although Shoji's hair was cut short with a small rattail braid in at the back of his head. And his hair and eyes were the same color as Nasuti's.
"You knew that Nasuti had a kid?" Shu asked. "Shuten's kid, no less!"
"We always thought that we could never have children," said Naaza.
"Surprise, surprise." Shoji's voice hinted sarcasm.
"How come you never told us about Nasuti and Shuten?" asked Shin.
"It was better if you didn't know at the time," said Anubis. "We were going to tell you, but Nasuti took off. She was afraid that we were going to take Shoji away when he was still a baby."
"Didn't stop you from finding us," Shoji snapped. "You kept popping in and out of our lives."
"Wait a minute," said Touma. "Where is Nasuti?"
Shoji turned to the rock-covered mound. "Where she has been for three months now."
The Troopers and the Ma Sho gasped as they looked at the mound: Nasuti's grave. "Oh no," Ryo whispered. "Nasuti."
The five Troopers walked over to their deceased friend's resting-place. The three Ma Sho started to walk over to join their comrades, but Shoji pulled out his sword, blocking them. They saw the look in his eyes warning them not to go near his mother's grave.
"How?" Rajura asked. "What happened?"
Shoji lowered his sword. "Let's just say that the three of you haven't been our only visitors."
"Soldiers," said Ryo. "They've been chasing after you because Shuten is your father."
"Bingo!"
"You must realize now that it's not safe for you to stay here," said Naaza.
"Shoji."
"I'm not going into the Youjikai," said Shoji. "Kayura can wear the Oni yoroi. You don't need me."
"Not anymore," said Seiji. "Kayura's sick. We don't know what's wrong with her."
"That's her problem and yours." Shoji turned and started walking away.
"You still resent her," Rajura said. "Nasuti told us that she no longer had any grudges against Kayura."
Shoji glared at him. "Maybe my mother can and did forgive her, but not me."
"You're blaming Kayura for Shuten's death?" Touma asked. "She didn't kill him. He sacrificed his life to save her from Badamon."
"You can believe what you want," said Shoji. "But because of her, I never knew my father."
"We were there," said Anubis.
"You didn't see it happen," Shoji said. "Byakuen, Jun, and my mother saw everything. She was already pregnant with me when my father died. Mother never knew whether he wasn't sure if he could give her children or he lied in case nothing happened. I didn't see father die, but I was there myself."
"Shoji, listen." Rajura stepped forward. "We swore on your father's grave and to your mother when you were a baby, that we would look after you and make sure you would be safe."
"You seem to have forgotten my mother. Where the hell were you when the soldiers killed her?"
"If she had told us they were coming after you, we would have been here," Naaza said.
"Oh, so it's her own fault," Shoji snapped. "My mother brought her death upon herself."
"That's not what I meant."
"Well, that's what it sounded like." Shoji glared at them. "I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of my-" He stopped and his eyes scanned the trees. The Troopers and the Ma Sho also noticed the change in the air and looked around as well.
Naaza saw something jump from the trees. "Shoji! Behind you!"
Shoji quickly spun around. His sword flashed in the sunlight and a headless soldier fell to the ground. He looked past the fading wisps of smoke only to see dozens of glowing eyes within the shadows. The Troopers and the Ma Sho quickly summoned their yoroi and faced the soldiers.
"Shoji, get behind us," Ryo said.
"I don't need your help!" Shoji hissed.
"You don't know these things like we do," said Touma.
Shoji put the sheath across his back and gripped the hilt of his katana with both hands. "You're right," he said. "I don't."
They stared at him. The eight warriors knew what the soldiers were like - strong, fast, and powerful. Yet sometimes can be easily defeated. All that Shoji knew of the soldiers was that they were after him and they killed his mother. Fighting in a rage was very dangerous. Not just for one's body, but for the spirit as well.
"Keep an eye on him," Ryo said quietly to the others.
The soldiers charged forward. Anubis, Naaza, and Rajura jumped into the air and landed in front of Shoji.
"I said I don't need you to protect me!" Shoji yelled at them.
"Our promise made was made to your parents," said Naaza. "Get used to it real quick, Shoji."
Mother was right, Shoji thought. All of you are impossible.
Both sides clashed with each other. It was a little difficult for the Troopers and Ma Sho to fight and keep watch over Shoji, who was battling the soldiers. For someone who was self-taught, Shoji had impressive skill and quick reflexes. However, the soldiers still had an advantage and one of them struck Shoji in the back of his head. Shoji's vision blurred and the world faded away as he fell to the ground.
"Shoji!" Anubis shouted. The Ma Sho ran to the unconscious boy and destroyed the soldiers.
"Is he..." Rajura didn't finish.
Anubis checked Shoji's pulse. "He's alive." Anubis picked Shoji up. "Well, Rajura, you were right. It's not the latter."
"Is he going to be okay?" Shin asked, making the Ma Sho look at the Troopers.
"Hopefully, yes," said Naaza. "Seiji, could you heal him a little, but don't wake him up."
"Sure." Seiji walked over, placing his hand on the back of Shoji's head. Korin started to glow faintly. Shoji's eyes tightened momentarily, then relaxed, and didn't open.
Naaza walked over to Nasuti's grave. He pulled out one sword and stabbed it into the ground a few inches from the stones. Naaza dragged the katana around Nasuti's grave, cutting the ground until he completed his task.
"What are you doing?" Shu asked.
"No doubt she wasn't buried too deep," Naaza said. "The least we can do for Nasuti now is bury her next to Shuten."
"Right," said Ryo. He looked at the Ma Sho. "Do you know where his house is?"
"Not far from here." Naaza pointed down the path leading through the trees.
"Naaza, you come with me," Ryo said. "We'll start packing up what's in his house. The rest of you get Shoji and Nasuti into the Youjakai. Then come get the stuff from his home."
"You got it," said Shu.
Naaza and Ryo started walking down the path. Rajura took the multiple scythes off his back. The blades extended, sinking into the ground around Nasuti's grave, lifting it up. The gate to the Youjakai opened and they walked through.
While the others took Nasuti to Shuten's crypt, Anubis carried Shoji to a spare room, laying the unconscious boy on the floor and covered him with a blanket. Anubis stood up and walked to the door. He looked at Shoji. "Why did you have to look like Shuten?" Anubis quietly asked. He left the room and locked the door.