~Notes~
There’s gonna be so many battles coming soon after this that it’s not even funny.

Episode 34 Departure

“Before I tell you that,” Azuma mutters, “I have a proposition to make.”

“Hm?” Ryuu looks questioningly at Azuma. “What kind of proposition?”

“Your friend Kunai has been given a great power that he holds even now in his hands,” Azuma answers softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I believe that destiny has brought him to this very hall.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ryuu retorts suspiciously.

“Defeating Lord Kimura and the three Soul Eaters are your goals, are they not?” Azuma questions. “However, you do not possess a weapon powerful enough to do so. I would like to shape and mold that weapon. I ask that you leave Kunai in my care for five days, and I will teach him to tap into the extreme powers hidden within his claw.”

“You want to…?” Ryuu mumbles, stunned.

“You want to train Kunai, Uncle Azuma?” Arai completes for Ryuu.

“Kunai has already agreed to my proposal,” Azuma replies. “He seeks power, and I promise you that he will receive it.”

“Kunai is a grown man,” Ryuu replies offhandedly, “he can do what he wants. However, we plan to leave for the Rift World very soon and it wouldn’t be convenient for us to wait the five days for him…”

“You may go on whilst I train him,” Azuma answers. “The training will last for only five days. When I am done with him, he will return to you.”

“I suppose we can do that,” Ryuu replies slowly.

“Ryuu!” Ivy cries, turning to Ryuu angrily, “You can’t be serious! We can’t just leave Kunai behind like that!”

“We’ve got no choice,” Ryuu retorts coldly, “by now Lilith is probably already rampaging around the Rift World as we speak. We have to make sure that it doesn’t escape into the Maple World.”

“You need not worry,” Azuma replies. “He will be safe in my hands.”

“What do you intend to teach him, anyway?” Ryuu asks.

“My intentions are…” Azuma replies, “to enlighten him of the powers that chance has brought falling right into his own lap.”

“What powers are you talking about?” Ryuu inquires, bewildered. “I was not aware of Kunai possessing any such powers. The way you speak of them, it seems like he’s grown extremely powerful.”

“He has indeed,” Azuma retorts. “Well, if you’ve no further inquiries then please tell me whether you would like me to train Kunai or not.”

“I’ve already told you,” Ryuu replies, “that Kunai is a grown man. If he wishes to train with you, I can’t stop him. The only trouble is him catching up with us later on…”

“Very well,” Azuma answers. “Then his training will commence ere daybreak tomorrow. Very well then; I beg you to excuse me from this gathering. I must prepare myself.”

“Wait!” Ivy cries, as Azuma turns to walk away, “You haven’t told us one thing yet.”

Azuma pauses, waiting for Ivy to finish the question. “What was causing Kunai’s headaches in the first place?”

Without much celebration, Azuma replies, without turning to face Ivy, “It is a side effect, of when a soul experiences great internal turmoil.”

“A side…effect?” Ayame wonders.

However, Azuma does not reply, and with a gesture of his hand, signals for both Arai and Yttrius to follow. Arai briefly waves goodbye, before the three disappear within the halls of Gladsheim.

“It looks like we’re entering the Rift World short one member,” Ryuu mutters gravely in the ensuing silence. “Ironic, considering we left the Rift World short one member.”

“Will Kunai be all right all by himself?” Ivy asks worriedly.

“Kunai does not belong here in the Underworld,” Ryuu replies, “but he’ll be fine. Arai, if not Azuma, will make sure of it.”

An empty steam engine train sits upon a trail of rusty tracks, its luminous interiors empty of any living or dead presence. The train lets loose one of its eerie whistles, as it prepares to leave for the outside world once again.

On one side stand Ryuu, Ayame, Ivy, Lily, and Sasha, their bags packed and ready to go. On the other side stand a large collection of people, including Kunai, Azuma, Arai, Yttrius, Odin, Frigg, Dances with Balrog, Grendel the Really Old, Athena Pierce, and the Dark Lord.

“Bye everyone!” Arai shouts over the din of the whistling train, waving ardently. “Have a safe trip on the spirit train everybody! Have fun! Don’t worry! It’ll be fun! It’s nice! Have fun! Have a safe trip! It’ll be—”

Yttrius clamps his hand over Arai’s mouth, stifling his incessant talking. “Anyway, you guys don’t worry about us back here, we’ll be fine. Hurry up and get to the Rift World. We know you guys will succeed.”

“It’s been great seeing you two again,” Ryuu grins, clasping hands with Yttrius. He nods in Arai’s direction as well, who fails to notice due to his insane thrashing about. All the while, Yttrius somehow continues to maintain the stance of his hand over Arai’s mouth.

However, Arai suddenly breaks free from Yttrius’ stranglehold, and abruptly raises his finger excitedly. “Ah! I almost forgot!” Reaching into his pocket, Arai whips out a large, obtusely shaped cookie, stacked with a ridiculous amount of toppings.

Ryuu’s eye begins twitching slightly at the sight of it. “And what the hell is that?”

“I just baked it yesterday! It’s my strawberry jam macadamia nut banana corn hotdog unagi donut sprinkle blueberry lemon piecrust cookie!” Arai cries cheerfully, exaggerating greatly with a flourish as he introduces the cookie.

He hands the cookie to Ryuu, who nearly drops it in his hand due to the immense weight of the toppings over it. Ryuu accepts it grudgingly, placing it in his pocket. “Th-thanks…”

“Bye Kunai!” Ivy cries, hugging Kunai vigorously. Kunai blushes slightly, as Ivy sobs onto his shoulder. “Hurry up and get better, okay? We’ll be waiting for you on the other side once you’re done!”

“Don’t worry Ivy,” Kunai replies, his voice low. “I’ll succeed.”

As he relinquishes his grip on Yttrius’ hand, Ryuu turns to Kunai, his expression grave. “I expect you to work as hard as you can, Kunai. When you come back to us I want to see you fight like you’ve never fought before.”

Kunai grins, giving Ryuu the thumbs up. “Don’t worry, Ryuu. I’ll definitely do my best. When I come back, you won’t recognize me.”

The spirit train gives one final, blasting whistle, as it slowly prepares to leave the station. Ayame, Lily, and Sasha all hop onto the train, bringing their luggage along.

As the train begins to slowly thrust forward, Ayame pokes her head out of the compartment. “Come on, Ivy, Ryuu! Hurry up, the train’s leaving!”

“Good luck, Kunai!” Ryuu cries, before disappearing through the compartment door after Ivy.

Kunai waves once, leaving his hand hanging in the air for several minutes until the train disappears completely from sight, engulfed by the dank fog hovering about the air. “Goodbye…everyone.”

“To the plain of Idavoll then,” Azuma’s voice growls next to Kunai.

Kunai stands, awed, in the middle of a large, desolate plain, empty of all but himself and Azuma. Stalagmites creep up out of the shadows of the ground, forming large mountain ranges of them, scattered about the plain.

No grass grows on the ground; only scattered dunes of rusty dirt and hard bedrock cover the bare ground. Overhead, dense, grayish fog hangs low in the sky, throwing a mysterious veil over the entire valley.

At the head of the plain is a large dais, sculpted entirely out of rock as well. It stands high above the rest of the plain, with wide, stone steps leading up to it from three sides.

Upon the platform stand pillars, carved out of marble, shaped in the likeness of several long forgotten gods, their blank eyes staring out into the lost, desolate world stretched out in front of them.

Azuma stalks up to the very top of the platform, leaning on an oaken staff. He looks down at Kunai, who stands directly in the center of the vast emptiness below. “Are you ready to begin your training?” Azuma questions.

“Yeah,” Kunai shouts back, his voice echoing slightly in the vastness of the valley. “What are you going to be teaching me, exactly?”

“Patience,” Azuma whispers. “That is for me to know and you to find out.”

“What…?” Kunai cries. “How am I supposed to know what to do if I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“Silence!” Azuma cries. “You stand upon a battlefield. The ground on which you conduct battle is no place for speeches. Only ruthless fighting happens here. Kill, or be killed. Talk, pause, leave a single opening, and the tip of a metal blade will pierce your side.”

“Then…!” Kunai cries, his eyes immediately beginning to rove about the empty plain. “You’re gonna have me fight you?!” He steps back, anticipating an unanticipated attack from Azuma.

Azuma laughs, his voice booming across the valley. “Do not be stupid. I will not fight. I simply wish to take an accurate measure of your current strength.”

“Then what are you gonna do?” Kunai asks, his muscles tense, ready to leap into the air.

“Draw out your claw,” Azuma directs, “and keep it drawn out. Release as much strength and power as you can from it; I wish to see how powerful you are. My assistant will fight you.”

“Your assistant?” Kunai wonders, turning his head from side to side.

“Tada!” Arai cries, popping out of absolutely nowhere and wearing a ridiculously frilly dress.

“Arai?!” Kunai cries, his eyes nearly popping out of their eye sockets. “Why is he cross-dressing?!” Kunai protests, turning to Azuma while pointing his finger accusingly at Arai.

“Well, I got to thinking…” Arai replies thoughtfully, “you and Ryuu got to dress up as girls the last time we went to the Sleepywood Hotel, but I didn’t get to! So I thought I’d just take this chance to try it out!”

Kunai groans, shaking his head. “Arai…”

However, with a flourish, Arai whips off the dress, revealing his usual attire underneath. He summons his Dark Ritual out of thin air, and digs his feet deep into the ground, readying himself for combat.

Kunai does the same, bracing himself for the attack. “So…you’re gonna fight seriously, huh, Arai?”

At these words, Yttrius appears as well, teleporting to a position next to Azuma. “I’m here, Lord Azuma,” he mutters in a low voice.

“Good,” Azuma replies. “Prepare yourself to heal him. This will be a furious battle.”

“Are you ready, Kunai?” Arai cries, charging a bolt of electricity in his right hand. “Here I come!”

Next Time: Episode 35 The Rift Opens Again

Ivy: Ryuu, I’m worried about leaving Kunai behind in the Underworld!

Ryuu: Me too, but we have to continue with our journey in the Rift World now.

Otis: Next time…we meet a familiar gorilla!

Episode 35 The Rift Opens Again coming soon!