Inferno

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 1

It's a silent night in a sleepy town. Surrounded by a deep and dangerous forest populated by demons, it's seldom someone comes to visit. Despite that, a young woman has traveled for days to return to her former home. She walks down one of the dimly lit streets lined by two- and three-story concrete buildings that leads up to the town square, seeing only the fountain in the middle of the square and two teenagers, one dressed in red and white and the other in all black. She scans the area and closes her eyes in disappointment. "Why am I even bothering to look here," she thinks to herself. "He wouldn't come back to such a miserable place." Just then, a loud voice shatters the silence.

"It really is you." The girl opens her eyes in surprise. She finds out the voice is coming from one of the teenagers near the fountain. "I'm surprised you aren't crying or trying to run away," the teen in red says to the other, who tries to ignore him. The first boy cracks his knuckles and remarks, "Six years must really change a person, not that I care."

The young women thinks to herself how similar the voice to a bully from years past. She then notices the first teenager has a prosthetic left arm, just like her childhood tormentor. "That's Hiro, one of the kids that made my life hell back then!" She then made assumptions about the other male, wondering if he's the one she was looking for.

At that moment, Hiro pivots and unleashes a fierce kick at the second boy, only for his leg to be caught by him. The second male grins and whispers, "You're right." He then kicks Hiro's ankle, breaking it. Hiro falls to the ground, but the other teenager shows him no mercy as he snaps the leg he caught earlier. He stands up and brushes himself off. "Six years does change a person. I've been shunned and beaten by full-blooded humans. I've been chased by full-blooded demons. I've seen my family destroyed." He stamps his foot on Hiro's face and shouts, "Do you know what it's like to see your mother slowly die from an incurable disease? How about seeing your only sister fall into a ravine, huh?!" He stomps on Hiro and kicks him against the fountain.

"Fall into a ravine," the girl thinks to herself. She also notices a very familiar cross embroidered on the boy's shirt. "That cross! He always wore shirts with crosses on them! It's Kai!"

Kai grabs Hiro by the shirt with one hand and throws him onto the fountain's edge, still holding on. Flames then gather around his other hand as he confronts a frightened Hiro. "Why so scared? As if you've never seen my flames before....oh, wait. YOU HAVEN'T! I made sure nobody ever saw this!" He then delivers a downward elbow strike into Hiro's stomach. "This is why everyone else was so scared of me and my sister! This is why you and your little white-haired buddy terrorized us!" You bastards didn't know us or what we were capable of, just that we were half-demons!" Kai elbows Hiro again, this time making him cough up blood.

"Please...stop," grunted Hiro.

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon." Kai then raises his flaming fist, ready to strike when the girl jumps out of the darkness.

"Kai, stop! He may be a prick, but he doesn't deserve this!" She then pushes him away from the downed Hiro.

"Who the hell are you," growls Kai, "and why do you care?"

"It's me, brother. Kasumi."

Kai reels back and looks at Kasumi like he had just seen a ghost, and for good reason. Six years ago, Kai witnessed her fall into a deep ravine after the rope bridge they were traveling on broke. "How? How did you survive?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is the fact that you're trying to kill someone who can't even fight ba---"

"Screw you, I can still fi----," interrupts Hiro before he's knocked unconscious by Kasumi.

Annoyed, Kasumi finishes, "TRYING to kill someone who can't fight back."

"But---"

"But nothing. Nobody deserves to die defenseless, even if they made your life miserable." Kasumi then grabs Kai by the arm and leads him away from the fountain. "Besides, we have other things to discuss."

"Like how you showed up at this hellhole looking for me?"

"Among other things. Like, when and why did you learn martial arts? I thought violence made you cower in fear like a little baby," teased Kasumi. Kai only response is a menacing glare. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't do that anymore."

"Maybe you shouldn't."

Kasumi smacks him in the back of the head and scolds, "Okay, what gave you the right to be a smartass to your older sister?"

"OLDER?!" shouts Kai. "Only by a few minutes and who the hell cares?!"

Kasumi then grabs Kai's right hand and twists it behind his back and scolds again, "Will you lower your voice? I don't to wake up everybody else and have a repeat of what happened earlier."

"I do."

Kasumi twists his hand more, making him wince in pain. "I DON'T want a repeat, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." She releases his hand. A few seconds pass when Kai asks, "So, where did YOU learn that?" Kasumi gave him the same glare he gave her earlier, prompting him to say, "You copycat."

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In case anybody is wondering, this is a novelization of the comic I'm planning on making one day. And if you think I'm ripping off any established manga or anime series, go fuck yourself even though you're probably right.

Edited September 9, 2008 by L-RiC

[Nate10]

Seems good so far. I always enjoy reading decent stories/comics ect.

Oh and since you want to someday make a comic out of this, do you have any artwork for it, like sketches?

Edited September 7, 2008 by Nate14

[Kitsune Inferno]

I do, but I don't have a scanner.

[Nate10]

Ahh, that sucks. Take a picure of it and upload it on your computer?

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 2

Back at the fountain, a white-haired teenager wearing a blue/white hooded jacket and scabbard hanging off of his back arrives to see Hiro unconscious and goes to help him. He shakes him until he wakes up, shifting his head from left to right with a shocked expression. He's relieved to find that the only person around is the white-haired kid. "Damn, Ian. You scared me there for a second," Hiro says as he tries to get to his feet. He falls and writhes in pain, remembering his injuries from his fight with Kai.

"What happened?" demands an angry Ian.

"Remember those half-demons? They're back and they're pissed." Hiro rolls over onto his back. "They did this to me." Ian punches the ground. He gets up and starts to walk away before Hiro asks, "And where are you going?"

Ian stops and replies, "Where do you think, Hiro? I'm gonna finish what those two started!"

"Not before taking me to the clinic, dumbass. I'm not crawling the way there, you're helping me," mutters Hiro.

"After you just called me a dumbass? Y'know, a friend should be more courteous than THAT."

"I'm your only friend and you're not gonna get a better one than me. So help me up?" replies Hiro as he reaches his hand. Ian stomps the ground in annoyance and begrudgingly helps him stand. "That's better, Ian."

"You're a pain in the ass, plain and simple."

"Look who's talking. You ran off to play demon slayer for a couple of years.”

“I was training to do what you obviously couldn't. Now come on.” Ian helps walk Hiro to the town's clinic. When they arrive, Hiro gets checked in and treatments begin, but not before taunting Ian again.

“At least I had the balls to do it with my bare hands. You're probably gonna use your little wussy sword, aren't ya?”

“Yep, and I'm not gonna end up here,” Ian remarks with a chuckle. He bumps fists with Hiro and heads off into the night to search for Kai and Kasumi. At this time, they have already left town, but haven't gotten far, reaching only the forest on the outskirts.

“C'mon, aren't you gonna answer anymore of my questions?” demands Kasumi.

“Not now. It's been a long night, you know? With the whole finding out I still have a sister thing.”

“Alright, just let me know when you're ready, because a lot of things need to be explained. In six years, you went from being shy and easily frightened to willing to kill someone you haven't seen in years. I'm not comfortable with that and I won't be until I know what you've been doing.”

“Speaking of which, what have you been up to since we were split up?”

Kasumi puts her hand over her mouth and laughs. “Oh, now you want to talk?”

“Nah, I'm just curious. So spill.”

“Short story, that ravine had a river at the bottom and I was swept a couple of miles away. I landed at a training hall and spent the next few years studying martial arts, among other things, like a few survivalist techniques. If I had to be in a desert or the tundra tomorrow with almost nothing, you better believe I can handle that.”

“Heh, in that short dress as well?” Kai remarked as he fooled around with the huge obi wrapped around Kasumi's dress.

“Shut up and don't touch,” said Kasumi as she swatted Kai's hand away from her.

“So why'd you leave?”

Kasumi lets out a long sigh before replying, “Let's just say I did something I'm not very proud of.” She laughs and then continues, “Hopefully, there won't be any repercussions.” At the very instant she finishes that sentence, Ian drops down from an overhanging branch with one hand on the grip of his sword. He unsheathes it from the scabbard and points the blade toward the twins. “Damn you, cruel fate!” cries Kasumi as she angrily shakes her fist in the air.

Ian charges at them, but they both evade the strike. He then turns in Kai's direction and swings his sword, slicing his cheek open. Enraged, Kai throws a flurry of flaming punches in an effort to thwart his assailant, but Ian's incredible agility makes it almost impossible to hit him. Ian slashes at Kai again, t time cutting through Kai's jacket sleeve, nearly slitting the vein in his arm. Kai grabs his arm and dashes away from Ian, hoping to catch a breath, but Ian is relentless with his attack. “Damn, he's as ruthless as I am,” Kai thinks to himself. Fortunately for Kai, Ian slips on a patch of wet leaves, leaving him off-balance and open. Seeing his opportunity, Kai charges and delivers a powerful uppercut, launching him into the air.

Ian, however, recovers in mid-air and lands safely on his knees. “Heh, I can see why Hiro had a hard time with you, Kai,” Ian remarked as he wiped away the blood now dripping from his mouth. He stands up and returns to his stance. “Remember me?”

“Sure I do, Ian. You're the only one I know with snow-white hair.” They both charge at each other. Kai cartwheels and shoots a fiery blast at the ground to launch himself several feet above Ian. He attempts a spinning drop kick, but Ian holds up his weapon in a defensive position. Realizing he may lose his leg if his kick connects, Kai tries to just land on the flat part of the blade. His last-second decision brings them both down crashing to the ground.

Ian tries to stand up, but Kai recovers quicker and kicks him in the face. While he's dazed, Ian receives the full force of a knife-hand strike to the back of his neck, knocking him out. “Kai, that's a pretty dirty tactic!” scolded Kasumi.

Kai throws his hands up and replies, “He had a friggin' sword! If I hadn't done that, I'd be dea---yarghh! ” Blood spatters over one of the nearby trees. Kai looks down at his shoulder, finding a sharp shard of ice sticking out. “Where'd this come from?” He turns around and finds Ian, still unconscious but his hand glowing with a faint bluish-silver light.

“I saw a couple of icicles fly out from Ian's hand after you turned around!” exclaimed Kasumi. "Are you alright?"

“Aside from getting impaled by some ice, I'm good. I think.” Kai crouches and picks up Ian's sword. He then throws it near Kasumi. “Take that and hide somewhere,” he ordered.

“What? Why?”

“Just do it.”

Kasumi picks up the sword and wishes Kai luck as she climbs into a tree. She disguises herself by moving around the nearby branches and watches as Kai removes the ice shard from his shoulder. He rolls Ian onto his back and melts the shard using his pyrokinetic powers. The water wakes up Ian and he's dragged to his feet by a vengeful Kai. “Do that again, this time when I'm watching,” Kai barks.

Ian only punches him and jumps back. He looks around and then leers at Kai. “Where's my sword, you bastard?”

“Why do you wanna know? You don't need it.”

Puzzled, Ian asks, “What are you talking about?”

“This,” replied Kai as he pointed at his wounded shoulder. “You shot out a huge ice shard while you were out cold.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Ian scoffed. At that moment, a branch falls from the tree Kasumi is hiding in, exposing her. “But I'm going to do a lot worse to you and your sister once I get my weapon back!” Ian leaps to the branch Kasumi's standing on, but she knocks him back to the ground with a lightning-fast axe kick.

“There's no way I'm giving this back to you!”

“Who says I want you to give it to me? I'm gonna take it from you and use it for all the trouble you two have caused me tonight!” As the three prepare for another clash, they're stopped by ominous sounds coming from deeper within the forest. A few seconds later, trees can be heard falling and crushing under the footsteps of a gigantic beast whose silhouette can now be seen by the feuding trio.

“You've got to be kidding me,” moaned Ian. The sounds of a tree being uprooted can be clearly heard by all three of the teenagers. “I shouldn't even care what happens to you, but I'd duck right about NOW.” Ian hits the ground, but Kai doesn't follow him. Instead, he lights up his fist as the tree is thrown in his direction. He punches right through it, splitting it into two and watches as the pieces burn into ashes.

“Whoa,” whispers both Kasumi and Ian, who are astonished at such a feat of strength and boldness. Their amazement soon turns into fear as the beast responsible for the attack rushes from the shadows, destroying everything in its path. Kasumi narrowly avoids it as it demolishes the tree she was taking refuge in. The beast has now cleared out enough space for it to circle the trio, trying its best to intimidate the three by roaring and feinting charges. The beast is bearlike in appearance and stands at an impressive thirty feet tall. Its demonic yellow eyes are a sharp contrast to its jet black fur. The claws on its paws are larger than most bladed weapons and are only rivaled by the size of its huge fangs. It is truly a force to be reckoned with.

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 3

"Enisru," whispers Ian. Ian then tries to grab his sword from Kasumi's grip, but to no avail. "Give me back my weapon!"

"Why, so you cut us down and run off?"

"No, because enisru are very territorial demons that usually eat smaller demons and humans!" Ian pointed at a double-X scar on the enisru's left front leg. "Besides, that thing took Hiro's arm!"

"He probably had it coming," Kai snarls.

Angered, Ian grabs Kai by his shirt and replies,"If Hiro hadn't been attacked as a kid, you two may have had happier childhoods. If I kill that enisru, then I'll forget what happened tonight." He then releases him and turns towards Kasumi, ordering for her to relinquish his weapon.

She refuses and says, “You'll get this back once you prove to us you aren't our enemy. Meanwhile, use your ice attacks.”

“Where is these goddamn ice you two keep babbling about?” screams Ian. The enisru notices that the trio were distracted and proceeded to rush them. It lifts its paw and swipes at the three, who have now realized it's too late to try to dodge the attack. They all brace for impact, but as Ian raises his arm to defend himself, a thick wall of ice follows his hand and protects the three from harm. A few chunks of ice fall to the ground, in front of a stunned Ian. While Kai jumps over the wall to confront the beast, Kasumi tries to shake Ian out of his stupor.

“That's exactly what we're talking about.”

“What did I just do?” wonders Ian as he looks at what remained of the wall. He glanced at his hand, which was glowing with the same bluish-silver color as before. “Did I really shoot out ice from my hand?”

Before Kasumi could answer him, Kai shouted, “I could really use some help!” Ian and Kasumi look over at Kai, who is trying his best to hold the enisru's powerful jaws apart with his hands. “My arms are gonna be this bastard's snack if I give in even a little bit!” Kasumi throws a fireball into the beast's mouth, slightly opening its jaws, giving Kai a chance to escape before the enisru shut its mouth in pain. Kai strikes the demon's snout with his palm, forcing it onto its side.

Kai attempts to finish off the demon, but is stopped by Ian. “Let me do it,” he begged. Kai glared at him and at the downed enisru and then walked away.

“Do what you want.”

“Thanks,” replied Ian. The beast stands up and shakes its head violently. The enisru stamps its paw on the ground and lets out a deafening, albeit pained, roar. The demon jumps up and tries to pounce on Ian with its front paws, but Ian had already made his way behind the demon before it hit the ground. Ian throws his right arm behind him, shooting out several ice shards at the enisru's rump in doing so. He then lifts his hand above him and throws his arm to the ground, unleashing another barrage of ice. The enisru moans in pain and falls down, too weak to get back up. Ian walks to its side and glances at the scar on its leg. He nods his head and continues walking until he's face to face with the demon. He stares at the enisru's face and delivers the killing blow by cutting its jugular with a final ice shard.

“Catch,” Kasumi quietly says as she throws the sword at Ian. He grabs the sword and puts it back into the scabbard. He walks towards town before Kasumi asks, “So, we're done? You're not going to follow us later and wait until we're asleep?”

Ian stopped and replied, “Don't insult me. Besides, there are other things on my mind than you two.” He continued walking into town.

After Ian had left, Kai asked, “Do you think he's part---,”

“Definitely,” interrupts Kasumi. She then yawns and stretches. “Well, tonight was pretty exciting, don't you think?”

“Way too much crap happening at once,” Kai moans. “I need some sleep.” He walks around the forest, looking for a place suitable enough to rest before hearing faint cries. Curious, Kai runs in the direction of the sound. He finds the cave where the cries are coming from and walks in. He finds an newborn enisru in a bed of leaves. “Kasumi!”

Kasumi rushes to the cave Kai went into and takes a look at the infant demon. “Could that monster we just fought been this thing's mother?”

“If so, that'd make this little one an....an orphan, “ says Kai with a sullen expression. He sighs and ponders what to do. Does he leave it alone knowing it wouldn't survive long without its mother or does he take its life to save it from that fate?

[Noru]

This is interesting, Keep up the good work and can't wait to read the next Chapter.

[EvoLuTioN]

This is interesting, Keep up the good work and can't wait to read the next Chapter.

x2 Can't add much to that.

[Nate10]

Yeah, I'm enjoying them so far. I'd liek longer chapters though, coz I like reading.

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 4

As the day breaks over the long night, Kai finally awakens from his slumber. He walks outside the cave and looks at the sunrise, shielding his eyes. The sunrise is a rare sight for him nowadays, as he usually wakes up much later. Kasumi gets up and wraps something in a blanket she brought with her, putting it into her bag. She joins Kai outside and they start to walk back to town.

Elsewhere, Ian didn't get any sleep. He had spent the night sitting on his bed wondering who he really is. Why does he have these powers? He wasn't aware he had them before last night. After looking at his hand for a few minutes, he stood up and walked outside his room. He walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Ian turns his head and gazes at the woman cooking breakfast behind him. “Mom?”

His mother ignores him and continues cooking. Ian growls and slams his fist on the table. “You're gonna start talking to me sooner or later,” he yells. “For God's sake, you've been silent ever since I returned from training.”

After a long silence, his mother finally speaks. “Do you know why I've been ignoring you for the past few weeks?” She turns around and sits in the chair across from Ian. “It's because you're a coward. You didn't become a demon slayer to help people or to earn a living. You did it because you were afraid that the Ryujin twins were still alive and would come back for revenge, am I right?”

Ian only crosses his arms and sighs. A few tense moments later, “I thought a couple of half-demons would easily survive on their own... and be unforgiving. I was right.”

Meanwhile, Kai and Kasumi are hiding outside the house, eavesdropping on the conversation. “Well, we don't make it a habit of befriending someone who made our lives miserable, pal,” whispers Kai.

“Calm down, we were all kids back then,” replies Kasumi.

“Exactly. We were kids. We didn't deserve that, did we?”

“No, but..”

“BUT NOTHING!” Kai snaps. He slides down the wall to sit down and rests his chin on his fist. After looking at Kasumi stare at her bag for awhile, he asks, “So what'd you pack in that bag that's so interesting?”

Surprised, Kasumi shifts her eyes from side to side and responds hastily, “Nothing!” An awkward silence follows until it is broken by the sounds of a familiar cry. “Crap...”

Back inside the kitchen, Ian and his mother have paused their discussion in the wake of the crying. Ian asks, “Do you hear crying?”

“Must be the neighbors, they had a baby a few days ago.” After a few seconds, the crying stops and the two continue with their conversation.

“Last night, they returned and attacked Hiro! What was I supposed to do? Do nothing and let them get away with almost killing a friend?”

“Yes, because Hiro more than likely started it.”

“Come on, he wouldn't do tha... actually he might've.”

“And he has dozens of times before. Look, it's a tragedy what happened to him ten years ago, but that doesn't give him the right to terrorize two innocent children. And being friends with him doesn't give you the right to do the same!”

Back outside, Kasumi is holding the infant enisru in front of an annoyed Kai, who says, “I thought we were going to leave that thing alone, sis.”

“No, we agreed we weren't gonna kill it.”

“That sorta implies the same!”

“Maybe to you, but not to me. Besides, if it wasn't for us, Eni wouldn't be an orphan.”

“'Eni'? It's not enough you plan on taking care of that thing, you named it too! A very unimaginative name, I might add. You only used the first half of 'Enisru'.” Eni, who must have understood what Kai had been saying, scratches him across the face and falls asleep. Kai blinks out of shock while Kasumi lets out a chuckle. An enraged Kai tries to punish the infant enisru, but Kasumi puts Eni back into the bag for its protection. During the struggle, the two don't notice that Ian's mother has gone outside to investigate the commotion and is now looking at them.

“Ahem,” she whispers, finally catching their attention. “How long have you two been standing here?”

“Long enough to learn nothing new, Ms. Aicnu,” Kai replies.

“May we come in?” asks Kasumi.

Almost immediately, Kai grabs her aside and questions, “Why would we want to do that?”

“To see if we're right about Ian.” She then pulls her arm away and turns toward Ms. Aicnu. “Please?” Ms. Aicnu thinks about it for a few seconds and invites them in, much to Ian's surprise.

“Mom, what are they doing here?!”

“To tell our side of the story,” replies Kai. “Hiro did start the fight. I only finished it. The only thing Kasumi did was knock him unconscious so I wouldn't kill him.”

“Kill him?!” yells Ian.

“That's right,” Kai scoffs as he leans against the wall. “Hiro ought to be thanking her, but he'd rather die than do that, wouldn't he?”

“You're a bastard, you know that?”

“So are you. Do you have any idea who your father is? Or even what he is? Normal humans don't shoot icicles from their hands.”

“Ian, what is he talking about?” asked Ms. Aicnu.

“Nothing, Mom!” Ian blurts as he frantically waves his hands. Unfortunately, he accidentally makes an ice shard that goes flying through a nearby window.

“That, pretty much,” remarks Kasumi.

“I should be a detective or something. That was awesome!” Kai gleefully shouts.

Ian rests his head on the table in frustration. He is visibly upset at the situation he believes Kai has put him in. A few minutes pass before he talks again, but only to curse the twins. After a tiny profanity-peppered rant, he buries his head into his arms.

“I was wondering when this would happen,” Ms. Aicnu murmurs.

“Are you saying you knew about this all along?” inquires Ian, lifting his head up. “Am I a half-demon?”

“Kai, Kasumi. Will you two go into a different room?” asks Ms. Aicnu.

“I'm sorry, but we're going to find out anyway,” Kasumi retorts. “If you're worried about us spreading your secrets, don't worry. I swear we won't.”

“We'd like some privacy, though. Please just wait in the next room.” Kai and Kasumi comply and sit down on the couch in the living room. Ms. Aicnu tells Ian to look at her while she shows him what he is. Ian is amazed at the sight of his mother sprouting catlike features such as ears, claws, and a tail. “Your grandfather was a snow leopard demon who saved a human woman from a mob of angry villagers. He didn't know anything about what she had done to earn the ire of so many people and he didn't care. All he saw was a defenseless woman in harm's way and fought off the crazed crowd. My mother was so grateful, she fell in love with him and they eventually had one daughter: Me.”

“So you're a half-demon?”

“Yes, Ian. The persecution I faced as a child forced me to hide my parentage. That's why I was so disappointed in you when you were younger. The way you harassed Kai and Kasumi for being half-demons reminded me so much of my troubled childhood.

“What about my father?”

“I hope the bastard's dead. He abandoned us after finding out my past. He said he'd never take care of an abomination with a half-breed winch,” she replied as she clenched her fist. “I don't know how he figured it out, but I'm lucky he didn't tell everybody in town. He only left and never looked back.”

Ian leans back into his chair, overwhelmed by his family's history. “Whoa, that's uh...that's a lot to take in so quickly. Why didn't you tell me this earlier?”

“I didn't want you to relive my life. But I guess I should have told you as soon as you started bullying the Ryujin twins.”

“Yeah, you should've!” shouts Kai from the other room, who is promptly slashed again by Eni. “Why did you bring that thing in here?!”

“That can't be good,” mutters Ian. “Um, I guess I owe you and them an apology?”

“You don't owe me anything, but you're right about them.”

Ian rises from his chair and enters the living room to apologize to Kai and Kasumi, but is taken back when he sees them fighting over Eni. “Is that a friggin' enisru?”

“The one we all helped make it an orphan. The one from last night was this one's mother,” replies Kasumi.

“Whatever, do what you want with it. Look, I know it was unfair to make your lives miserable for nothing. There's no excuse for what I did. I'm sincerely sorry for all the pain I've caused the both of you back when we were kids.” Ian holds his hand out in front of them and continues, “I hope you can forgive me and we can start over on a clean slate.”

The twins look at Ian for a moment before Kasumi finally shakes his hand and says, “Why not?” Ian sighs in relief and then turns toward Kai, who has turned his head away but is still glaring at him from the corner of his eye. After a few seconds, he shakes his hand and gets up from the couch to stretch.

Ian nods his head and turns toward the door. As he opens it, he's stopped by Kai, who asks, “So, where're you going all of the sudden?”

“Gotta do something important,” Ian replies as he shuts the door behind him. After he's gone, Kai follows suit and tries to leave before he's stopped by Kasumi.

“So, where're you going all...”

“Stop copying me!” Kai screams as he slams the door on the way out.

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That long enough for you, Nate?

And in case anybody wants to know the reasons behind some of the names I used, here's why.

Enisru: This is "ursine" spelled backwards, which is a word relating to bears.

Aicnu: This is "uncia" spelled backwards, which is the genus snow leopards belong in.

Kai: This is a Japanese name that can mean "sea".

Kasumi: This is a Japanese name that means "mist"

Ryujin: This is a Japanese dragon that symbolizes the power of the ocean. I find it kinda funny the twins' given names and surname are allusions to water when they have pyrokinetic powers.

Ian: Because I fucking felt like naming him this.

Edited October 10, 2008 by L-RiC

[Nate10]

That long enough for you, Nate?

And in case anybody wants to know the reasons behind some of the names I used, here's why.

Enisru: This is "ursine" spelled backwards, which is a word relating to bears.

Aicnu: This is "uncia" spelled backwards, which is the genus snow leopards belong in.

Kai: This is a Japanese name that can mean "sea".

Kasumi: This is a Japanese name that means "mist"

Ryujin: This is a Japanese dragon that symbolizes the power of the ocean. I find it kinda funny the twins' given names and surname are allusions to water when they have pyrokinetic powers.

Ian: Because I fucking felt like naming him this.

Bold: Haha. Yes, thankyou.

Mmmm, I liked this one a lot. Thinking of getting a scanner anytime soon?

[GTA Don]

Is Ian your name? Pweez release the next chapter! This is getting exciting.

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 5

At the clinic, Hiro tries to rest. Unfortunately for him, he is frequently being pestered by the staff who are wondering why he's still checked in for a few simple fractures. Other patients are waiting to be treated for more serious injuries and ailments. "Shouldn't you be home by now?" the nurse attending Hiro asks.

"I'm gone as soon as you guys get me some crutches," he replies. Pointing at the casts on both of his legs, he continues, "I can't exactly walk out of here on my own."

"We're trying to find a pair available, Sir. In the meantime, what else would you like?"

Hiro tugs on the blanket covering him and comments, "Well, it's a little cold in here isn't it?"

"Do you want another sheet?"

"No, I want you to climb in with me, doll face," he chuckles. The nurse only glared at him before laughing sarcastically.

"That's so funny, kid. Sure, I'll do that. As long as you agree to let me make you a quadriplegic."

"I'm not sure what that is, but I'm guessing it's not good?"

"You got it.”

At that moment, Ian walked into the room and noticed Hiro's behavior with the nurse. “Hey, nurse. I'd smother him with one of those pillows if I was you. He knows what that is.”

“Well, Look who it is. I'm glad we didn't gamble on who'd win in a fight between you and Kai. I would've lost that bet.!” Hiro exuberantly exclaims. “Glad to see you aren't here as a patient.”

“When are you gonna check out of here?”

“This place wants me gone now, but I think I'll stay for a few more hours. Just to piss them off.” Hiro reaches for his prosthetic arm which he had put on the other side of the bed the night before. He finds it cumbersome to sleep with it attached.

Staring at the fake arm, Ian sighs and says, “Remember how you got that thing?”

“You know I do,” Hiro replied as he reattached the prosthetic arm. “When we were six, you dared me to go out into the woods.”

“And we were attacked by an enisru.”

“Is that what that thing is called?”

“Yeah, and we were lucky we weren't killed. Most people who meet one become its meal. It's incredible we survived.”

“You're lucky. You were only knocked out. My arm ended up as a demon's midnight snack.”

“Well, you'll be glad to know that thing is dead now,” Ian remarks. He grabs a nearby chair and sits down. “You don't know what it's like to look her in the eyes and then give her some well-deserved payback.”

“How did you know it was the same one or even its gender?”

“She had the same double-X scar on her left front leg. And to answer your second question, male enisru have armor plating while female enisru don't.”

“Right, just like the one from before.” After a few minutes, the nurse comes back into the room with a pair of crutches and an over-excited look on her face. As she was pointing towards the door, Hiro says, “I guess I have to leave now or they'll throw me out.”

“Good, because there's a few things I need to talk to you about and this place is way too public for me to do that.” Within half an hour (Hiro was intentionally moving as slow as he could before a doctor literally kicked him out), the two had finally left the clinic. Neither of them know that Kai is now tailing them.

“Maybe I can find out why I had to pay the price for Hiro's attack,” wondered Kai as he followed them. As Ian and Hiro walk down an empty alley, Kai hid behind a corner, so as not to be seen. When they finally came to a stop in the middle of the alley, Kai looked around the corner to eavesdrop.

“Y'know, I never fully understood why we bullied the Ryujin twins,” says Ian. “Can you tell me why?”

“Because they're half-demons.”

“Yeah, that's what you always said.”

“Something wrong with that?”

“It's just that we never had a problem with Kai or Kasumi around the time they told us they were half-demons. We only started to screw with them after you recovered from the enisru attack.”

Hiro puts his fist to his forehead and lets out a deep sigh. He finally replies, “Okay, the enisru attack had a lot to with why I started to bully those two. Blame me, I was angry and scared of them.”

“Scared of them? As I recall, Kasumi was peace-loving and Kai was insanely shy. Those two would've never started a fight.”

“From what I've experienced and been taught, you can't tell with anything with demonic blood. As a demon slayer, you know where I'm coming from.”

“As a demon slayer, I also know that being a demon and being a pacifist aren't mutually exclusive from each other. I'm only trained to kill demons who are a threat. I'm not gonna go around and slay anything demonic just because you were almost killed by one.”

“Why'd you even become a demon slayer?”

“Because I always thought one of the twins would come back and try to kill one of us. I wanted to protect myself.”

“With some big sword because you're too weak to do anything else.” Hiro's comment angered Ian enough for him to slam Hiro against the building and grasp him by the collar.

“Yeah, I was too weak. I was too weak to say exactly what was on my mind. How I didn't feel right terrorizing two innocent kids. How you always guilt-tripped me into doing it. 'If you hadn't dared me to go into the forest, I wouldn't have a fake arm, boo-hoo-hoo.' Not to mention you treating me like your little slave!”

“Please, if it wasn't for me....”

“I'd be happier with myself!” Ian interrupts. “You're no friend to me and you never were. And what I'm gonna show you next will make sure we never speak again.” Ian lets go of Hiro and forms a thin wall of ice between them. As a shocked Hiro stares through the translucent barrier, Ian only whispers, “I'm part-demon, too. See ya, Hiro.” He walks away in the direction he entered the alley from.

“It took a lot to reveal that,” Kai declares.

“Kai, when did you...”

“I've been following you since you two left the clinic. Wanted to find out why my life had to be hell. I swear, I would've done worse to the guy.”

“I'm just glad it's over. By killing that enisru, I liberated myself. I'm not indebted to that asswipe anymore.”

"Well, good luck with the rest of your life. Me and Kasumi are leaving town today after we get done with a few things. See you when I'll see you.” Kai nods and they both walk away in opposite directions. Ian arrives at his house and finds that his mother had gone to work and Kasumi had left with Eni. He goes to his room and relaxes for a few hours. However, a disturbing thought enters Ian's head.

“Oh, crap. If Hiro blabs to everybody I'm part-demon, I'll be facing the same stigma the twins had to deal with back then. I already have no friends and if my secret gets out, I'll never be able to show my face again.” Ian yanks on his hair and screams, “Dammit! I'm screwed! Not to mention I have no idea how to develop my powers. Argh, and I don't even know what to do with my life!”

Ian grabs a pen and a piece of paper and quickly scribbles down a note. “Mom, if I'm not home by the time you read this, you're probably not gonna hear from me for awhile. Don't worry, I promise I won't get myself killed. But then again, nothing's guaranteed. Love you, bye.” He throws the letter onto the counter, grabs his sword, and dashes out of the door in search of the twins.

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Is Ian your name? Pweez release the next chapter! This is getting exciting.

No, it's not. I just chose that name because I needed to name him right before I had to post this story. You'd probably think I'd have my shit straight by thinking up of a main character's name well in advance and maybe make it a reference to their personality/power/etc. Not with Ian. Well, at least his last name (Aicnu) sounds like "ice". I guess that counts.

Edited October 10, 2008 by L-RiC

[Nate10]

mmmm can't wait for Chapter 6.

So, have you already written a full blown story of this?

[JustADummy]

Nice stories! I can't wait for the next chapter!

Why does the story sound like "Heroes" to me?

[Kitsune Inferno]

Chapter 6

Atop an isolated hill on the outskirts of town sits a lonely house, long abandoned by the previous inhabitants. In the yard is a large willow tree with a grave under it. The tombstone is almost bare except for the deceased's name: Misaki Ryujin. The twins stand in front of the grave and mourn their mother. Kai hangs his head low with his hands cupped at his waist while Kasumi crouches down to lay a bouquet on her final resting place. She stands up and joins Kai in a short prayer. After they're done, the twins sit down and reminisce about the past.

Kasumi grins and tosses a fireball up in the air, catching it as it falls back. "Remember when Mom used to get on us about playing catch in the house?" she asks.

"I remember the time we almost burned down the house doing that," Kai replies with a chuckle.

"Man, the 'lecture' we got was a little harsh, don't you think?"

"'Lecture?'"

"Mom said there'd be more 'lectures' if I told people the truth. Luckily, I didn't."

"That didn't stop me...." Kai stops, aghast at what he had just admitted.

"Kai?" Kasumi starts to shake him, but she's only shrugged off. "Kai, did you tell people we were whooped for almost setting the house on fire playing catch? That we can literally play with fire?" Kai slams his fist against his forehead and falls onto his back. He looks at the town behind them before finally responding.

"Ten years ago, I told Hiro we were half-demons. Shortly before he was attacked by that enisru." He rolls onto his front side and pushes himself up. Kai hurls a fireball in the direction of the town and screams, "It's all my fault! If I hadn't run my mouth..."

"...We would've had happier childhoods," finishes Kasumi. She turns away and tends to Eni, who had been sleeping until now. Kai looks at her and then sits back down, guilt-ridden and ashamed of what he had done long ago. Something he was glad to have forgotten until now. A full hour passes in silence, the twins not even taking a quick glance at each other. Finally, Kai musters up enough courage to ask, "You're angry at me, aren't you?"

"Why would I be?"

Kai looks back in shock and replies, "I...I told you how Hiro found out what we were. How could you not be mad?"

"Because you weren't the one making our lives miserable," assures Kasumi. "You may have been the reason why Hiro knew what we were, but it was his choice to use that against us. Being mauled by an enisru doesn't excuse destroying two lives." She puts her hand on Kai's shoulder to comfort him. "Don't ever blame yourself for our troubled childhood." Kai nods his head in agreement and looks forward at the tombstone.

Meanwhile, Ian is searching all over town, hoping the twins haven't left yet. Concerning demonic powers, Ian realizes he's inexperienced and needs to find a suitable teacher. However, he doesn't know of any demon that would associate themselves with a demon slayer and doubts his mother is able to help him. Thinking they might have gone to mourn their mother, he runs to the cemetery and searches extensively, but only finds the grounds keeper.

"Whaddya searchin' fer?" asks the grounds keeper.

"Have two teenagers visited today?"

"Nah, you're the first to show up."

"Where is Ms. Ryujin buried? I need to find her kids."

"Y'mean Misaki Ryujin? Last I heard, she was buried in her backyard and her youngsters disappeared right after."

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know." Ian makes his way to the Ryujin's former residence and catches Kai and Kasumi leaving the grave.

"Ian, what are you doing here?" Kasumi asks.

"I need to ask you two a favor." Ian bows and asks hastily, "I need you two to help me with my new powers." The twins stare at him, wondering why he went to them for this.

"Why don't you get your mom to teach you?"

"There's no way she'd train me. Aside from this morning, I've never seen her use her own powers. She prefers to live like a normal human and doesn't have any need to use them. Please, I'm begging you!" Eni wakes up and starts to cry. As Kasumi tries to calm the infant demon down, Ian gets an idea. “Hey, do you need help with him?”

“Him?”

“Take a look at the discolorations around the skull, torso, and legs. That indicates where armor is going to grow, and only males have that.”

“I guess demon biology is a required course in demon slaying,” scoffs Kai.

“Can you excuse us for a second, Ian?” Kasumi grabs Kai aside and whispers, “We don't know anything about how to take care of an enisru. Ian might be able to help us.”

“But we can't help him! We only have a basic grasp of our own powers. How can we teach him when we're still learning about ourselves?”

“I dunno, improvise?”

“You could say that with a little more confidence.”

“Okay, we'll wing it. Now, come on.” Kasumi and Kai walk over to a hopeful Ian and accept his deal. The three take one last look at the town before leaving, not knowing what the future or the past holds in store for them.

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After numerous delays, I finally got Chapter 6 written! I would've liked it to be longer, but it gets the plot moving in an efficient way IMO.

Why does the story sound like "Heroes" to me?

You're crazy. Or maybe it's because one of my characters is named "Hiro". But in all seriousness, I've never watched Heroes or even looked up the plot on Wikipedia.

Edited October 10, 2008 by L-RiC