Lords Above The Weak

Yang stared at Theothelm with caution. He could be hallucinating and making this situation all up. He could have fallen unconscious in the cave and this was all him just dreaming all of this.

"You are not dreaming, I am real and this is happening to you..." Theothelm hissed towards them angrily, "I am a shadow diety as I have said and I seek you."

"You didn't answer my other question yet. How do you know my name?" Yang inquired.

"As a diety, I have awareness over the mortals who live here. I can see what you think, Kwan."

Yang felt his mind being intruded on and as he tried to block that the pain in his mind continued, "Alright. I understand!"

"That's perfect to know. Now I seek your assistance-"

"You truly believe I will help you because you are diety and you can read minds?!" Protested Yang walking back.

"I presumed as so but it seems that your reaction is not fitting of a warrior. I believed you were a fighter, Kwan. I see that I was mistaken and all I see is the shell of a ninja with a coward hiding within it."

Yang gritted his teeth; was Theothelm correct? As a leader, he is represented by his fighters and they all fell like flies against Akari. He even fell.

"The Akari you fought was not Rei. It was his father..." It hissed more as it transformed into a smaller creature whispering next to him.

"Haruto but how? I did not see him at all near the battle," He asked obliviously.

"An old friend of mine has assisted him. However, we can get vengeance and become greater than either of them."

Yang thought to himself and nodded placing his hood on again.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Haruto spoke to the rest of the samurai who stayed over and lectured them the battle plan.

"200 samurai, so about 10 factions, would make their way to the southern region of the Kingdom and then you all disperse through over to the east and west. It should be about 100 to go on both sides but we'll get a scout to see which threat is greater. Of course, it is greatly important that you take care at these points because even if demons aren't as populated there as the north, they are still vicious and can cause too many casualties in points where you don't pay attention," Haruto exclaimed and read out the names of the factions.

One by one, the 10 factions all left while the others stayed there, sitting for their battle plans to be told to them. They all sat waiting for their instructions as Haruto steadied his stance before them.

'"Get me a banquet for my room and then tell me what he said while I go to relax..." His father stated to one of the maids before leaving Haruto in a destroyed room with the samurai.'

It happened so quickly and it was difficult for him to speak on the Akari's plans now with him being so disrespected by them. He had to rethink them all in a way that would be perfect. It has to be perfect.

"We shall speak on it tomorrow. You need to rest and eat or you would not be acceptable to fight in the North and you'll be sent to the South. This is the elite multi-faction. That's the sad truth so go train quickly and get ready." He spoke to them as they sat down watching him.

"NOW!" He shouted with anger and brutality sending them to run off to act. Saori ran off with them to find Rei and to help him somehow. She had to know what occurred with him.

Haruto stood alone as the Akari walked past him. A younger boy shoved past him while muttering loud enough for Haruto to hear, "Great work, you damned failure." He then spat on his shoe taking off.

"Rai! Don't say that to your uncle!" Scolded his mother angrily trying to catch up to him but he ran past them, "So sorry Haruto... It's very difficult to get him to listen to rules. He gets it from our father I guess."

She chuckled a little as she placed her comb from her pocket and placed it in her hair. She had short hair and a faint smile. Some of her hair has gone white because of stress but it merely reflected her lustrous brown hair.

"It's all fine, sister. But he is certainly like Hikaru."

"I see you and him aren't on similar terms yet." She sighed looking at the rubble he caused.

"Yes, Akiko. Maybe we will someday but currently, I can't see him eye to eye as much."

"I hope you don't still blame him for what he said about Mizuki, you know he didn't mean it-" Akiko protested.

"Leave me alone," Rei responded leaving them.

"When will he move on from what happened, it's been 10 years..." Haruto's other sister added looking at him with shame. She waved her long hair back tied into a strand together such as a clean broom at the end. She had a brunette hair colour which reflected her yellow eyes. She was much taller than her sister and held a cold look.

"Nariko. That's enough," Her older brother answered, "You do not understand Haruto's situation at all."

"Do you really think that, Jomei?" The taller brother asked looming over Jomei.

"I do Akiro," Jomei responded flatly looking at his towering brother.

Akiro looked callously towards Jomei. He held a frightening aura as one of the servers collapsed after walking past him. His eyes were gloomy and he scorned onto his brother who looked a little discouraged.

Jomei had a still look until he turned away. His eyes were cyan and mirrored his light brown hair and his short beard which he was stroking as he thought to himself.

"We will all one day regret how we treated him," Jomei remarked as Akiro walked off.

"We'll see. If such a thing happens then I guess you may regret it but I? I will fight till the end and will not grovel in such a style. I, unlike our brother Haruto, will keep my honour as an Akari till I fall. I hope you do as such as I, Jomei. Goodbye," uttered Akiro leaving them away.

"Goodbye, may the diety protect you," Jomei responded with hidden irritation.

________________________________________________________________________________________

"We're going over to the Demon's Hideout," Akio and Mazoku said in unison to Aldrif, Daichi and Elliot, who sighed to themselves.

"So we're going to ignore what happens to us then? It's going to be much more difficult for us to fit in there unlike you both. What if we got attacked by a demon?" Daichi questioned them, her eyes flaring.

"That won't happen, you'll be protected by us," Protested Mazoku, taken aback.

"Oh, you surely won't be outnumbered by the demons there," She mocked him with spite in her tone.

"I'm sorry but she's right," Elliot remarked, feeling very hesitant.

"I suggest you both grow up and understand you'll have to make some sacrifices if you want to continue living," Aldrif argued looking at Elliot and Daichi, "Enough with this behaviour brother, we need to go into the hideout."

"Really Aldrif? Do you find this idea actually eligible?"

"I do Elliot. Unlike you, I do not cower in fear from my own shadow..."

"Enough infighting!" Akio shouted to them with pain in his voice, "This is not meant to scare you all in any way. This is all to protect you from the war and the samurai coming over to get us."

"I'm sorry Akio but there's a chance we could be in more danger in there. It's called the Demon's Hideout and not the Demon and Human's Hideout." Daichi muttered, taking a breath to calm down.

"I understand all that you're saying yet I believe whole-heartedly that you will be safe from any rogue demons in there. This is dictated by a ruler and I have some history with him."

"Bad history or good history?" Elliot queried.

"I cannot particularly tell you what I mean but it isn't as bad as you believe it is. We withhold respect for each other greatly."

"Well, I don't know whether that's comforting or sinisterly scary..."

"Daichi... I understand how you're going to be afraid of what's in there and..." Mazoku said to her reassuringly, "And I'm a little afraid as well too but it's fear that holds us back from growing to be better. Such as the Emissary has said, 'It takes faith for us to grow.'"

"I- I guess we don't have another choice. We'll have to go to the Demon's Hideout then." Daichi answered smiling a little at him.

"Great to know," He smiled back at her transforming into his demonic form, "Well then?" He asked looking towards Akio.

"What about you Elliot?" Akio asked him.

"I guess so..." He replied with caution.

"Don't worry. I'll stay with you to keep you safe..." Aldrif said with a radiant smile on her face.

"Then we can go now. Haru?" Akio signalled to Haru who appeared behind them.

"Very well." He answered walking in front of them to a small hedge and he moved it to reveal a boulder which Akio and Mazoku moved for him and he then walked through the tunnel signalling for them to follow him.

They went down it cautiously climbing down until they reached to the ground and dropped to see stairs below their feet.

"Careful. This is going to be quite dangerous..." He warned them, venturing further down.

They went down until they reached a crossroad of paths with 5 paths. Haru whispered a poem to himself and then pointed over to the second tunnel taking them to it and they faced another 5 tunnels and he took them to the fourth tunnel. "Ka-ma, Kor-ra-pi-ti"

"By syllables. That is how you know what tunnels you're going through, right?" Elliot presumed.

"That's true..." Haru answered walking through and making his way to a gargantuan door of steel.

They looked at it in awe but Elliot asked Akio, "Is this Korrapiti guy important and is he who you were talking about?"

"You'll see..." Akio responded as Haru knocked and then a flap was opened in the middle enough to fit his arm. He placed it through as a female voice asked, "Name?"

"Haru Akari."

They heard some papers being flapped and Haru took his arm out waiting and then the voice responded, "Welcome back, Haru."

As the door's opened, Haru turned to the group and spoke out saying, "Welcome to the Demon's Hideout!"