Tales Of Ayakashi

CHAPTER 14

"It's not as if we're gearing up for war, so what's all the fuss about?" 

In a dimly-lit room in the famous inn "Randebuu," a young man spoke with contempt nursing a cup of sake. Beside him, the luxuriously dressed maiko carefully served him. 

"True enough, it has been quite active lately. There have been repeating occurrences of missing people that turn up dead atop Mount Kurama," Another spoke. 

"Rensen-san seemed to be quite interested in this case. Any particular reason?" the first speaker asked. 

Rensen Tamaki looked up from the sake he was nursing and looked around the room. 

Gathered in this room, seated opposite each other were six individuals including Rensen. They were of varying ages, some looked old and some looked young. The one who spoke to him first, Ginryuu was the youngest of the gathered people and the most hot-headed. 

Rensen frowned. "From what I hear, you've been trying to track down that demon fox. Any progress?" he asked mockingly. 

Ginryuu clenched his teeth. "That damn fox is a sly one. He has been hiding in that domain of his and refuses to come out like a scared turtle!" he spat. 

Rensen begged to differ. More likely he hadn't been able to find the domain that fox is in and was now kicking up a storm to vent his frustration. 

Ginryuu Hayate, despite appearances, was the famed Beast King- Sovereign ruler of the beast realm. He had forest green hair that was short at the top with a long silk-like tail trailing down the length of his back, amber eyes that looked as if gold liquidized, sharp features, and and even sharper tongue. 

He was dressed in a grey trousers and his abdomen was covered in white bandages. A long overcoat was the only thing that covered his chest, though barely. From the open lapels, his naked chest was firm, and muscular. On his belt, two katana swords hung, one- a long sword followed by a short sword. His knee length boots were polished and gleaming under the lamp-light as he had folded his right leg under him, while his gloved left hand was propped upon his left knee. 

Unlike his refined appearance, however, he was famous for his short temper and the disasters he had wrought upon realms was legendary.

 He would start a fight for the most ridiculous of reasons. When he won a fight, he would humiliate his opponent until he had no face left to even walk down the street. When he lost he would keep on challenging the same opponent over and over again until he won. 

So for someone to have an opponent like Genryuu was the accumulation of seven lifetimes worth of misfortunes. So many felt apprehensive where Genryuu was concerned. 

Of course, the only one who could handle him up to this point had always  been only one person. The Heaven Sovereign. 

It was said that Genryuu when he had first exited secluded mediation the first thing he did was seek out the Heaven Emperor and challenge him to a fight. Of course, He agreed. Then they fought. For three days and three nights they fought and finally it ended in Genryuu's sound defeat. 

But a certain muscle-brain was not satisfied so he challenged him again. Then he lost. 

Challenge again. Lost again. 

Challenge. Lost. 

This went on for a few years until his frustrations piled up to the point that he directed it against a completely unrelated person. That's right. The unlucky target for his frustration just so happened to be Ayakashi, who at that time had been unlucky enough to meet Genryuu, when he had just exited his secluded cultivation.