Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > The Imaginary World
Tsuzuki looked nervously from his lover to the fire goddess, wondering which was more likely to dismember him for making the wrong decision. To his relief, Hisoka shrugged.
"Go ahead, Tsuzuki," Hisoka said. Before Tsuzuki had a chance to question him further, he was whisked away by a surprisingly strong arm into the crowd, which scrambled to make way for them. Watari met up with Hisoka, as he watched Tsuzuki coach the confused goddess into something resembling a clumsy tango.
"I've been talking to the natives. If she's taken a shine to your man like it seems she has, we may be in for some trouble," Watari said. Hisoka blinked.
"Talking to the natives? Since when do you speak -- well, whatever it is that they're speaking?" Hisoka asked him suspiciously. Watari pulled out a strange little box that looked like the mating results of a microphone and a roll of duct tape and held it up proudly.
"I worked out the kinks in the translation mechanism! I had dropped it, but since Tatsumi rather liked the idea, I finished it for his birthday. I just can't say no to those calculating blue eyes," Watari said with a sigh. "It deciphers forty-five languages with remarkable speed and occasional accuracy! I present to you, Ichiro-san!" Hisoka looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Ichiro-san, eh? Well, what did the villagers say?" Hisoka asked, rolling his eyes at the giggling goddess presently stepping on Tsuzuki's feet.
"Basically, unless you want Tsuzuki to get molested by Pele and then thrown in a volcano, we'd better make a run for it," Watari said.
"What?" Hisoka cried, Watari clamping a hand over his mouth.
"We can't make a fuss, now. We'll just wait until Tsuzuki is finished dancing, and try to slip off quietly," Watari said in a low voice, waiting for Hisoka to nod before lowering his hand.
"Too bad she didn't get Muraki like she wanted," Hisoka spat, glaring daggers at the now cha-cha dancing goddess.
"I'd better go find the others and give them the heads up," Watari said, walking away.
Hisoka decided it was best to get Tsuzuki away from his potential seductress and murderer as soon as possible. He sighed irritably, loathing that it had come to this, as he ignored the gasps and silently imploring gestures of Pele's subjects and charged right up to the dancing couple.
"May I have this dance?" Hisoka mumbled, thrusting his hand out reluctantly. Pele looked him up and down with a smirk, as Tsuzuki's eyes sparkled with glee.
"I don't like sharing my toys, pretty child," Pele said with a snort. Tsuzuki backed away from her, palms upward.
"Whoa! Hey, your majesty, don't get the wrong idea here, but I'm Hisoka's -- well, not toy, exactly" Tsuzuki trailed off, laughing nervously. "You see, I'm -- we're --"
"Silence!" Pele cried. The volcano shuddered above them, and the villagers fell to their knees in terror. "I don't recall asking for anyone's approval. What I want, I take! Guards!"
The half of the men who were not in pursuit of Mat-gwas, stepped forward threateningly, one grabbing Hisoka by the arms and restraining him as he lunged at Pele. The goddess approached him, placing a finger beneath his chin.
"Foolish child," she cooed. "Be glad my guards stopped you." She turned to where the men were closing in a Tsuzuki as he tried to step in to rescue Hisoka. "Take him to Kilauea!"
Watari walked up to where Hisoka was being held back, as they watched Tsuzuki being hoisted in the air and carried off.
"That's the volcano, isn't it?" Hisoka asked.
"I'm presuming," Watari said. Pele glanced back as she followed the guards who bore Tsuzuki.
"Let him go. If he tries to interfere, cut off his head," the goddess said, her orange eyes flaring brightly. The guards threw Hisoka to the ground in a heap and blocked the sloping path towards the mountain with stony stares.
"Well, bon, not the course of action I might have suggested," Watari said, helping the boy to his feet. Hisoka glared at him, dusting off his pants.
"What the hell are we going to do?" Hisoka asked.
Hy, Jarrett and Byakko joined them about the time the other guards appeared, escorting a surprisingly calm Mat-gwas. The men blocking the path seemed to be explaining to his confused captors what had transpired, when Byakko sniffed at the rabbit god, a low growl emitting from his throat.
"What's wrong, Byakko?" Hy asked with concern, as the men looked at him with curiosity.
Mat-gwas smiled calmly at the tiger god, using the guards' preoccupation to slip a hand into his ratty robe. Before any of them could comprehend what he was doing, the rabbit god turned with swift and deadly grace, slicing open the stomach of his captor with a concealed knife, and darting away into the thick jungle at the foot of the mountain.
Byakko darted forward to follow, then stopped, gazing at the path where his master had been taken with a torn expression.
"Go, Byakko. Find him. I can take care of Pele," Jarrett said.
"Climb on, Hy," Byakko said, taking on the form of a magnificent white tiger. Hy hesitantly climbed onto the beast's back and the pair disappeared after Mat-gwas.
Watari and Hisoka looked at Jarrett questioningly, as he gestured for them to follow him, using the guard's concern for their fallen comrade to slip away unnoticed.
"We can scale up the side of the path further up ahead, I think," Jarrett called over his shoulder as he pushed through the undergrowth on the other side of the incline.
"What did you mean when you said you could handle Pele?" Hisoka asked breathlessly as they tore through the brush.
"Hohoq isn't my only guardian spirit," Jarrett said impatiently, as they reached the jagged rock of the slope's side. "We need to climb."
Jarrett hoisted Hisoka onto a ledge, helping Watari onto it behind him before pulling himself alongside them. The three men scaled the rocks in silence, finally reaching the snaking mountain path beyond where the guards were watching. Far ahead, they could make out the torches of the men who were carrying Tsuzuki, and began to follow as they caught their breath from the climb.
The volcano seemed to quake in anticipation, shaking the ground beneath them as they hurried along the elevated slope. The exhausting ascent soon brought them within view of an immense fortress, nestled just below the gaping crater at the crest of the mountain.
"Pele really needs to talk to her realtor," Watari remarked as they approached the castle of black, steaming magma.
The night air grew unbearably humid at the base of the fortress, where there was no sign of life. Hisoka hit the towering doors in frustration, drawing his hand back with a pained cry as it burned him.
"Pele!" Jarrett bellowed, looking up at the parapet above them. "I am giving you one chance to release Tsuzuki before I call on your sister!"
The volcano shuddered violently, causing the men to lose their balance on the ground below. Bright flames engulphed the ramparts of the citadel, as Pele emerged from them, gazing down with fury.
"Don't tell me that you are in league with that petty bitch?" the goddess asked. "What makes you think that I'm afraid of her?"
"Very well, then. Shall I summon Namaka from the sea?" Jarrett asked calmly. Pele seemed to pale slightly as the sound of a violent wave crashing against the shore roared from far below them. There were cries of alarm from the village, as the ocean began to churn, and a glowing figure stepped from the salty depths, growing larger as she rose towards them.
"Stupid, evil, petty, jealous sea witch," Pele muttered loudly, stomping along the castle wall like a spoiled child. "I hate you!"
A tall, graceful woman descended beside them, with long, flowing hair the green of the sea's foam, and blue eyes that shone with anger.
"Hello, little sister," Namaka said. "My master greatly pleases me with another opportunity to rip you to pieces." Pele scowled.
"So I seduced that useless husband of yours," Pele spat, embers flickering from her tongue. "Have you ever thought of placing any of the blame on him? Oh, no! You just persecute me to the ends of the earth!"
"That's right," Namaka said. "Shall we end this? Or shall I enjoy drowning your flames once more?"
Pele howled with frustration, and vanished from the castle wall. Moments later, the doors to the fortress creaked open, and a hand pushed the dazed shinigami outside, slamming the door behind him.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka cried, rushing to his side and throwing his arms around him tightly. Jarrett turned to the sea goddess, bowing deeply and taking her hand.
"My gratitude, Namaka," Jarrett said, placing his lips to her fingers.
"Go ahead, Tsuzuki," Hisoka said. Before Tsuzuki had a chance to question him further, he was whisked away by a surprisingly strong arm into the crowd, which scrambled to make way for them. Watari met up with Hisoka, as he watched Tsuzuki coach the confused goddess into something resembling a clumsy tango.
"I've been talking to the natives. If she's taken a shine to your man like it seems she has, we may be in for some trouble," Watari said. Hisoka blinked.
"Talking to the natives? Since when do you speak -- well, whatever it is that they're speaking?" Hisoka asked him suspiciously. Watari pulled out a strange little box that looked like the mating results of a microphone and a roll of duct tape and held it up proudly.
"I worked out the kinks in the translation mechanism! I had dropped it, but since Tatsumi rather liked the idea, I finished it for his birthday. I just can't say no to those calculating blue eyes," Watari said with a sigh. "It deciphers forty-five languages with remarkable speed and occasional accuracy! I present to you, Ichiro-san!" Hisoka looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Ichiro-san, eh? Well, what did the villagers say?" Hisoka asked, rolling his eyes at the giggling goddess presently stepping on Tsuzuki's feet.
"Basically, unless you want Tsuzuki to get molested by Pele and then thrown in a volcano, we'd better make a run for it," Watari said.
"What?" Hisoka cried, Watari clamping a hand over his mouth.
"We can't make a fuss, now. We'll just wait until Tsuzuki is finished dancing, and try to slip off quietly," Watari said in a low voice, waiting for Hisoka to nod before lowering his hand.
"Too bad she didn't get Muraki like she wanted," Hisoka spat, glaring daggers at the now cha-cha dancing goddess.
"I'd better go find the others and give them the heads up," Watari said, walking away.
Hisoka decided it was best to get Tsuzuki away from his potential seductress and murderer as soon as possible. He sighed irritably, loathing that it had come to this, as he ignored the gasps and silently imploring gestures of Pele's subjects and charged right up to the dancing couple.
"May I have this dance?" Hisoka mumbled, thrusting his hand out reluctantly. Pele looked him up and down with a smirk, as Tsuzuki's eyes sparkled with glee.
"I don't like sharing my toys, pretty child," Pele said with a snort. Tsuzuki backed away from her, palms upward.
"Whoa! Hey, your majesty, don't get the wrong idea here, but I'm Hisoka's -- well, not toy, exactly" Tsuzuki trailed off, laughing nervously. "You see, I'm -- we're --"
"Silence!" Pele cried. The volcano shuddered above them, and the villagers fell to their knees in terror. "I don't recall asking for anyone's approval. What I want, I take! Guards!"
The half of the men who were not in pursuit of Mat-gwas, stepped forward threateningly, one grabbing Hisoka by the arms and restraining him as he lunged at Pele. The goddess approached him, placing a finger beneath his chin.
"Foolish child," she cooed. "Be glad my guards stopped you." She turned to where the men were closing in a Tsuzuki as he tried to step in to rescue Hisoka. "Take him to Kilauea!"
Watari walked up to where Hisoka was being held back, as they watched Tsuzuki being hoisted in the air and carried off.
"That's the volcano, isn't it?" Hisoka asked.
"I'm presuming," Watari said. Pele glanced back as she followed the guards who bore Tsuzuki.
"Let him go. If he tries to interfere, cut off his head," the goddess said, her orange eyes flaring brightly. The guards threw Hisoka to the ground in a heap and blocked the sloping path towards the mountain with stony stares.
"Well, bon, not the course of action I might have suggested," Watari said, helping the boy to his feet. Hisoka glared at him, dusting off his pants.
"What the hell are we going to do?" Hisoka asked.
Hy, Jarrett and Byakko joined them about the time the other guards appeared, escorting a surprisingly calm Mat-gwas. The men blocking the path seemed to be explaining to his confused captors what had transpired, when Byakko sniffed at the rabbit god, a low growl emitting from his throat.
"What's wrong, Byakko?" Hy asked with concern, as the men looked at him with curiosity.
Mat-gwas smiled calmly at the tiger god, using the guards' preoccupation to slip a hand into his ratty robe. Before any of them could comprehend what he was doing, the rabbit god turned with swift and deadly grace, slicing open the stomach of his captor with a concealed knife, and darting away into the thick jungle at the foot of the mountain.
Byakko darted forward to follow, then stopped, gazing at the path where his master had been taken with a torn expression.
"Go, Byakko. Find him. I can take care of Pele," Jarrett said.
"Climb on, Hy," Byakko said, taking on the form of a magnificent white tiger. Hy hesitantly climbed onto the beast's back and the pair disappeared after Mat-gwas.
Watari and Hisoka looked at Jarrett questioningly, as he gestured for them to follow him, using the guard's concern for their fallen comrade to slip away unnoticed.
"We can scale up the side of the path further up ahead, I think," Jarrett called over his shoulder as he pushed through the undergrowth on the other side of the incline.
"What did you mean when you said you could handle Pele?" Hisoka asked breathlessly as they tore through the brush.
"Hohoq isn't my only guardian spirit," Jarrett said impatiently, as they reached the jagged rock of the slope's side. "We need to climb."
Jarrett hoisted Hisoka onto a ledge, helping Watari onto it behind him before pulling himself alongside them. The three men scaled the rocks in silence, finally reaching the snaking mountain path beyond where the guards were watching. Far ahead, they could make out the torches of the men who were carrying Tsuzuki, and began to follow as they caught their breath from the climb.
The volcano seemed to quake in anticipation, shaking the ground beneath them as they hurried along the elevated slope. The exhausting ascent soon brought them within view of an immense fortress, nestled just below the gaping crater at the crest of the mountain.
"Pele really needs to talk to her realtor," Watari remarked as they approached the castle of black, steaming magma.
The night air grew unbearably humid at the base of the fortress, where there was no sign of life. Hisoka hit the towering doors in frustration, drawing his hand back with a pained cry as it burned him.
"Pele!" Jarrett bellowed, looking up at the parapet above them. "I am giving you one chance to release Tsuzuki before I call on your sister!"
The volcano shuddered violently, causing the men to lose their balance on the ground below. Bright flames engulphed the ramparts of the citadel, as Pele emerged from them, gazing down with fury.
"Don't tell me that you are in league with that petty bitch?" the goddess asked. "What makes you think that I'm afraid of her?"
"Very well, then. Shall I summon Namaka from the sea?" Jarrett asked calmly. Pele seemed to pale slightly as the sound of a violent wave crashing against the shore roared from far below them. There were cries of alarm from the village, as the ocean began to churn, and a glowing figure stepped from the salty depths, growing larger as she rose towards them.
"Stupid, evil, petty, jealous sea witch," Pele muttered loudly, stomping along the castle wall like a spoiled child. "I hate you!"
A tall, graceful woman descended beside them, with long, flowing hair the green of the sea's foam, and blue eyes that shone with anger.
"Hello, little sister," Namaka said. "My master greatly pleases me with another opportunity to rip you to pieces." Pele scowled.
"So I seduced that useless husband of yours," Pele spat, embers flickering from her tongue. "Have you ever thought of placing any of the blame on him? Oh, no! You just persecute me to the ends of the earth!"
"That's right," Namaka said. "Shall we end this? Or shall I enjoy drowning your flames once more?"
Pele howled with frustration, and vanished from the castle wall. Moments later, the doors to the fortress creaked open, and a hand pushed the dazed shinigami outside, slamming the door behind him.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka cried, rushing to his side and throwing his arms around him tightly. Jarrett turned to the sea goddess, bowing deeply and taking her hand.
"My gratitude, Namaka," Jarrett said, placing his lips to her fingers.
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