Yu Yu Hakusho:Kōrudokēsu

Chapter 12 The Legend of Lord Karr

King Enki's palace was very much a contrast to Koenma's in Spirit World. The hallways were dark and narrow, adorned by several horrendous statues of creature the likes of which neither Hideshi nor Botan had ever seen before.
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Despite them being welcomed in an lead about by a trust worthy looking demon named Yaito, Hideshi felt uneasy as he walke down the halls following their escort. What does King Enki need all these guards for? Hideshi thought to himself as he walked past several large, and well-equipped armored guards. They were posted on every corner it seemed, patrolling the corridors up an down carefully. Botan felt a bit of concern too as the massive demons passed by her line of vision. She stayed very close to Hideshi as they continued down the hallway, following Yaito to a spiral staircase at the end of the hall.
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"His excellency's office is just upstairs," the light blue demon said politely as he turned and smiled back at them "no need to worry about disrupting him, the front security office already alerted him that you were coming!"
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"What, you're not coming with us?" Hideshi asked as the light-blue skinned demon with blood-red eyes passed him by up the other end of the hall.
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"No I am not, King Enki requested to see you two alone to discuss this urgent matter of yours in private for... Security reasons. Good day!" the demon smiled and waved slightly before making his way back down the hall again.
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As soon as he was out of sight, Hideshi began walking up the spiral staircase, Botan closely following. "It almost seems like he knows why we're here..." Hideshi mumbled to Botan as they advanced higher up the stone steps.
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"That might explain all the guards..." Botan shivered as she continued to follow him all the way up to two large, metal doors with knockers projecting the faces of two demons adorning them.
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Hideshi gave a small knock with one of the bronze rings and the door immediately opened to the figure of a tall, fat demon with red skin, horns protruding through his head, and a light-blonde head of hair with matching goatee.
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"You the Spirit Detective?" the large demon asked staring down at Hideshi with a small smile which seemed out of place due to his hulking frame and wife-beater shirt.
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"Uhh... Yea." Hideshi answered, uncertain of what to think of this new greeter. "Is King Enki inside?" he said, trying to tilt his head and look past the large stomach of the demon inside of the King's office.
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"Well... Sorta, he's kinda inside, kinda in the doorway!" the demon bellowed before laughing humorously.
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"Botan? You sure we're at he right address, because this guy looks nothing like if expect him to..." Hideshi asked his reaper partner as he uncomfortably watched Enki laugh in spite of his own joke.
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"Hideshi!" Botan said as she slapped him across his back. "Don't be rude!"
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"No, no. It's quite alright!" the demon king said smiling warmly as he opened the doors to the inside of his office wide open. "Please come in, I hear you have a message for me from King Yama!"
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Both Botan and Hideshi slowly stepped inside and allowed for Enki to close the door behind them before the Spirit Detective began speaking. "Yes, we've come with a warning your majesty. There is a demon hiding out here in Demon World who recently found his way into the Human Realm."
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Botan nodded, then continued the explanation. "Sir, this demon is so powerful, a new scale of power had to be created in order for is to properly classify him! His name is Ginobly Atakashi, and we humbly request you do everything in your power to hunt him down and bring him to justice!"
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Enki's smile slowly faded upon hearing the news. "This Ginobly fellow... Did he mention anything about a 'Lord Karr'?"
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"Yes! He did! So you already know about this?!?" Hidehi asked as Enki mentioned Ginobly and Yojiki's master's name.
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Enki sighed and lit up his pipe before continuing. "Unfortunately... I know Karr all too well... Legends tell of an ancient creature who was born shortly after the Demon, Human and Spirit Worlds were divided. He emerged from a place called 'The Void' and had such a tremendous power that he threatened to destroy all of creation with his awesome power... It took the entire ancient demon council years to create a seal to hold him down in the deepest pit of Demon Realm, where he sits dormant, to this day. The legend says that this creature had the power to bestow unimaginable power among those demons who held intense hatred in their hearts. I suspect that this Ginobly demon of yours is one of his followers if he has so much raw power..." Enki took a puff of smoke from his pipe before continuing the story. Several thousands of years ago, back when my friend Raizen and I were in the prime of our youth, a small fraction of Karr's power leaked out from the seal made by our ancestors, and it shook all of Demon World like an earthquake normally would do. Only Raizen's power could match this small portion Karr expressed, and so he descended to the deepest pit of Demon Realm and repaired the seal, barely making it out with his own life. I had never seen someone so exhausted when he came back to us..."
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"Raizen...? Isn't that Urameshi's ancestral father?" Hideshi asked Bitan as the demon's name started ringing a few bells in his head. She simply nodded in response to his question.
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"Well then... If he's as strong as I heard and he was barely able to seal this freak away, something tells me this whole thing isn't gonna be sunshine and rainbows..."
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"Don't worry about it too much detective, I'm sending a legion of my finest magic-wielding troopers to Karr's lair as we speak to deal with him. His followers are another story though... It seems as though Karr has amassed quite a cult following of spiteful demons looking for power over the centuries. We are preparing for a full-scale civil war for control over Demon Realm. Not all my troops are as powerful as Karr's, but we still outnumber them a hundred to one. However... If what you told me about this Ginobly guy is true... It seems that Karr has his five Premiere Sons..."
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"Premiere Sons?" Botan questioned.
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"The stories say that Karr always selected five demons with massive hatred in their hearts to receive more power than all the others... Ginobly may be one of those five."
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And Yojiki is another... Hideshi thought to himself, tightening his fist thinking about the calm exterior of the demon who possessed that absurd power level. And with my luck, the other three will even tougher, or on the same level as that freak... And I'll be the one who'll have to fight them...
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