While Sazume and Ichimaru faced the elder of the fire demons, Kumari kept his eyes over his siblings, his right hand over the katana’s hilt. Was he the only one who worried about an attack from behind? Sajin, the big guy covered in tattoos, was standing still with his arms folded, apparently unwilling to launch another of his explosions. However, his sister Megumi seemed like she would jump on them at anytime with her red-hilted spear.
“Mikami...” Sazume snarled.
He hadn’t change a bit since that day. Except for the black armor and the short sword at his waist, it was the same arrogant smile, the usual despicable attitude of the time he had been to their house.
“Don’t look at me like that! You’ll make me think you didn’t miss me at all… my beautiful bride.”
“Bride?!” Kumari whispered, surprised. He looked back quickly and found Sazume’s eyes, who blushed.
“In your DREAMS, douche bag!!!” Ichimaru yelled, his sword already in hands.
“You still walk your brother around without a leash?”
“Enough of it, you too!” Sazume intervened. “What have you done with the Tamaya’s fireworks?”
“Oh, that? It was just a prank, that’s all.”
“You’ve hurt innocent fox-demons!”
“Relax, dear, none got killed…”
“‘Dear’?!”
“A prank, you said?” Kumari turned around to face Mikami, standing ahead of the dog demons. “Strange, we call that ‘robbery’ around here.”
“And who the hell are you, short hair?”
“Kumari, son of Kumari, lord of these lands.”
“Oh, the bear demon! Funny, I was expecting someone taller.”
“Return the fireworks”, Kumari insisted.
“Hmmm, I don’t know... It’s tempting, but I don’t get to decide by myself. What do you think, Sajin?”
The three turned around quickly to face the other fire demon. His right hand burst into flames and he threw another of his explosions, forcing Kumari and the dog demons to jump away from each other.
“I’m sorry, but my brother’s offer is more interesting. Given that…” Mikami drew his wakizashi. “Sazume’s mine!” A quick move and a flaming whip extended from the short blade. The girl moved away from its reach, but the fire demon started a pursuit.
“Sister!” Ichimaru tried to reach out for her but, before he could make his move, Megumi was already onto him, attacking with her spear.
“Dibs on the cute boy!”
The young noble was forced to retreat, suddenly cornered by the rain of strikes.
Kumari saw himself standing alone in the middle of the valley while his friends were chased throughout the rocky terrain. Worried, he saw Sazume jumping amongst the rocks, unarmed against Mikami’s strikes, while Ichimaru seemed to face an even harder time against Megumi’s surprising speed. Before he could decide who to help, Sajin was just in front of him, his imposing figure blocking the sun.
“So I guess it’s you and me, bear.”
The huge, steel-covered fist flew toward Kumari, who only had time to cross his arms in front of his face. With a thunder noise, the noble was tossed away and fell on the rocks.
“You’re strong, I’ll give you that”, the bear demon said, for his surprise. He stood up slowly, rubbing his left arm. “But it takes more than that to bring a Kumari down.”
“Maybe I wasn’t clear”, Sajin replied, walking to him again. “When I hit you, you stay down!”
The fire demon tightened his fist and hammered his opponent’s head with all his strength. But, this time, Kumari dodged the strike and hit back, delivering a potent punch to his jaw.
But the enemy didn’t move an inch back.
“Strong…” Sajin gazed at him. “Too bad I can’t say the same about you.”
Kumari stared back, shocked, as the tattooed warrior’s left fist burst into flames.
A punch, and suddenly an explosion swept across the valley.
