Echoes from the past

The Under realm

"The place where everthing rot away..
There beside a blade her memories stay..
In the depth of fire....
You will find what you desire...."

Kiyoshi told Suijin everything.

"I don't get this riddle." Kiyoshi said to suijin.

"Its simple." Suijin replied as it was no big deal.

"It is?? Then tell me where to look for it??" Kiyoshi's eyes shined with hope.

"Its not easy to go there Kiyo. I can't put you in such jeopardy." Suijin said averting his gaze from Kiyoshi.

"Nothing will happen to me this time sensei. The sun goddess cursed me with demon soul but its a boon in its own way. I can use my awakened powers. It won't be that difficult." Kiyoshi was right. The demon soul from his previous life possessed his human body,in short he had all those demonic powers inside him,which were hidden until now. She gave him a human life but his soul remained demonic.

"You are right but you are still human. I can't.."

"Sensei please stop worrying about me anymore. I will be fine... I promise." Kiyoshi said with an assuring smile. Suijin had no other option than telling him the truth.

"There's only one place where everthing rots away and its the under realm."

"The under realm!!" For a moment Kiyoshi's breath hitched in his throat.

"But I don't know anything about that blade.

"There beside a blade her memories stay.."

Suijin pondered over it again and again but couldn't come up with anything.

"Well we will see about that later. For now you just tell me how to enter under realm?" Kiyoshi's first preference was to retrieve Yumiko's memories.

"As you know under realm is not a place for the living. I don't know how you will survive in there. The moment you step in,your body will start to decay." Suijin said worryingly. "But there's still hope."

"What is it??" Kiyoshi asked impatiently.

"You have to summon your demon powers. You were a very powerful demon in your past life. Gods and some powerful demons can step in under realm. That's the only way. Your demonic powers are triggered when you are facing a life threat or when you are under some pressure."

"I can do it. Yumiko's life depends on it. I have to do it."

"Good. I assume you are ready."

"Yeah I am. Now tell me how to reach the under realm?"

"I have never been there when i was a God. Though a river named sanzu flows in the under realm. It carries the souls of the dead to the under realm. And it ends in a pit of fire. Evil souls remain there for eternity to suffer agony and pain and the pure souls ascent to heaven."

Kiyoshi listened to everything keenly.

"We have to find the eastern portal to the under realm. " suijin said getting up.

"Eastern portal??" It was obvious that kiyoshi knew nothing about under realm and its portal.

"There are four portals,each in every direction. We are in japan and the eastern portal is situated here. Have you ever heard about sanzu river??"

"Sanzu river....but its not real. I heard about it in only folklores."

"Its the river which carries the souls of the dead. Its not visible to the living but ones a person dies,his soul has to cross this river."