Sureiyazu

Episode 22: The Order

Akuma examined her finished armor with satisfaction. 

She lifted her arm to test how far she would be able to move, and the gleaming bronze plates lifted easily with her, gliding through the air like a well-oiled machine. She walked in a circle, testing the balance. She stomped her feet, did jumping jacks, sat down, stood up, and was about to reach for her kyoketsu shoge to try training in it when Kasai walked in.

"Hey, that doesn't look to bad," Kasai admitted. "Can you move around?"

"So far, I haven't come across any problems," Akuma said, "but I think the real test will be wearing it on a mission."

"True, true . . ." Kasai walked closer, and carefully touched the metal on Akuma's shoulder. "Wow. You sure this is your first time forging? 'Cause, seriously, this is good." She added the last part with a hint of jealousy.

"Yeah, it is," Akuma lied. Honestly, she didn't remember ever learning to forge, didn't remember forging even once in her life. But when she said that she didn't, it felt like a lie. And still, when she was forging, she felt like she knew how to forge, though she shouldn't have - she couldn't have.

"You must have magical powers or something," Kasai added sulkily. "You know what happened to my first armor? It fell apart when I tried to put it on . . ." She was talking more to herself, now, walking slowly away, stroking her katana for comfort.

Suddenly Akuma had an idea. "I know how to test this! You want to spar with me, Kasai?"

Kasai spun around, a grin on her face. "Do I?"

"Is that I yes or a no?"

"A no."

"But -"

"Kidding," Kasai sang. "It's a yes. C'mon, let's get there before Yuri decides it's time to train."

Akuma narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong with Yuri training with us?"

"You've never seen her train?" Kasai asked. "Well, let's just say . . . there's custard involved. And all her stuffed animals like to watch."

"Um . . . okay?" Akuma decided not to press for details as they headed off towards the arena.

~~~

"Sureiyazu!" Aya called from the front room. Three girls came dashing down the stairs. 

"Ooh - ooh - is there a demon to slay?" Yuri asked perkily.

"I think so," Aya replied, nodding. "This young woman was telling me about what has been happening in her village, which is a few days from here." She gestured to a teenager standing next to her, who was looking awkwardly around the room.

"So what's happening?" Akuma asked.

Aya continued, "There have been strings of mysterious disappearances in her area. One of them was her brother, who she cares very deeply about."

"Seems like something a demon would do," Kasai agreed. "But why do we have to do it? It's so far away -"

"That would be because, as she explained, the other demonslayers who tried to find the source of the disappearances disappeared mysteriously as well. That would include this girl's brother." Aya frowned a little.

"Hm . . ." Akuma frowned too. Somehow, mysterious disappearances didn't seem like a demonslayer's job to investigate. It didn't seem like something a demon would do - they usually preferred to do things more chaotic, more as a show of power. Still, according to Master Shi, there were demons in Jufuku, the world of the demons, that were much more powerful than any they had seen in Sekai so far, and they were probably more cunning as well.