Sureiyazu

Episode 41: The Duel of Demonslayers

"Where is Kasai?" Akuma yelled over the roaring fire. They were running away from it, now. But it followed close behind, always creeping closer . . .

Aya's grave face appeared next to her. "I don't know. She ran away from us without any explanation. It was when we first heard the crashing." 

That was odd . . .

"Quickly!" Taichi shouted behind her. "The fire is gaining on us!" 

At the end of the hall, Akuma opened the window. Without stopping to think, she jumped. 

The ground came up to meet her. But she landed on her feet. 

The rest of the group landed around her. Now to find the source of the fire -

"C'mon!" Yuri called, racing away as the castle, made mostly of wood and paper, continued to burn. "It's coming down!" 

They followed her lead. Akuma swallowed the lump in her throat that came when she thought of all the memories that were dying with the old castle . . .

And as they rounded the corner to the front of the castle, that was the first time they saw the group. Standing there as if oblivious, they watched the Sureiyazu come towards them. 

One woman, standing at the front and wearing a long black dress, smiled an oily smile. "Ah, Sureiyazu. And . . . assorted friends."

"Who are you?" Aya demanded. 

"That doesn't matter," Akuma said over her. "Why are you just standing there? Our Sureiyazu castle is burning down and -"

The woman laughed. "You're so naive. Who do you think started the fire? Fireballs don't just fall out of the sky."

Suddenly Kasai came flying through the air, katana brandished. "WHY YOU -" 

The woman waved her hand, and she was sent backwards across the ground. 

"I'm sorry this had to be so dramatic," the woman sighed. "Allow us to introduce ourselves."

Akuma stepped forward, but Aya held her back. "Wait to see what they want," she hissed.

"I am Mayu," she said.

"Takara," a young girl with magenta robes said, bowing.

"Hayato," said a man with long black hair. Mizuki growled.

"Shouta," said a the tallest of the team. 

"Yuuto," said the last. And that was when she noticed it. Yuuto's eyes. They were . . . It had never crossed her mind that . . .

His left eye was white, like milk, with the power to see into Jufuku.

His right was piercing blue, and allowed him to see into Yurei. 

One Spirit Eye and one Death Eye.

"And we are the Sobi-sha," Mayu finished. "We thought you might have heard of us . . . we do have quite a reputation among demonlsayers . . ."

Kasai picked herself up from the ground. "Why are you doing this?!" 

Mayu chuckled. "I thought the answer to that was clear. We are the superior demonslayers. Why should the Sureiyazu hold all the fame and glory when we've slain thousands more demons, and we have nothing?" 

"So you're attacking us?" Akuma asked angrily.

"The world is a strange place," Mayu sighed. "This is the only way anyone will know of our superiority: a head to head duel, and a victory."