Konpaku - Phantoms Die Twice

Patricide

Youmu opened her eyes after seeing the future of what would happen if she obeyed her father.

Numerous droplets of sweat begins to pour down her face, as she then faces Youki with a stern look.

"Remember... Our code is absolute, Youmu. Always obey my orders--"

Youmu then responded by kicking him in the groin. Youki widened his eyes at the sudden assault, and the pain is felt afterwards which is unbearable.

"W... What... You little runt... Why?"

"You can just shove that code up your end, Father. I refuse to follow your order."

Youki slowly stood up, due to the pain and he grabbed Youmu by the collar.

"You... Disrespectful, ungrateful brat... You know I shall show no mercy for this."

"You sure are a fool, father... If you still think I didn't know who stabbed me back at the estate. Then I shall show no mercy to you as well. To be honest..."

Youmu closed her distance to Youki, and poked his beard.

"With a beard as long as this, you look more like a bum than a swordmaster."

In the background, few sounds from a trumpet can be heard being played by one of the Primsriver sisters, Merlin who happened to fly by.

Angrily, Youki unsheathed his sword and raised it up.

"Die!"

Youmu however, had read his movements, and she made a tiger hand sign, before she vanishes in a whirlwind.

"Wind Sign - Teleportation Jutsu."

She then reappeared behind Youki, holding a small glass bottle filled with oil, and had a cloth on top of it, corking the bottle.

"Lucky Mokou gave me this..."

She lit the cloth, and threw the bottle at the ground below Youki. Moments later, a small sea of flames consumed the old swordsman as he screamed like a girl when he burned down into cinders.

"Father, your teachings shall be a memento to me."

父殺し
Patricide

However his screams can still be heard which made Youmu making an annoyed look.

"Ahh, will you shut up already!?"

Youmu then walked off, towards the unconscious Miko and woke her up. Moments later, Reisen came by and gave the Miko a cup of tea, brewed by Yorihime.

"So, who knocked me out?"

"It was my Adoptive Father. I've seen what would happen if I obeyed him... Udonge, forgive me. In that vision, I see myself killing you."

"You did what?"

"I killed you, in that route that I would take. I feel a huge surge of hatred afterwards. Self hatred, for killing someone I--"

Reisen then silenced the white haired swordswoman by pressing her lips onto hers, which went on for an entire minute.

"You both do know that I'm still here, right?"

The Divine Miko asked, grinning.

"Wha-- Forgive our doings, Young Mistress!"

Immediately, Youmu separated herself from the kiss and knelt down.

"It's alright. What's important as of now, is to find one more item needed for us to sever Toyohime's divine immortality."

"How are we going to do that? I mean, I do have the Roukanken already."

"It can slay the undying, but it can't slay those with Divine connections. You shall need the tears of a Divine Spirit. The problem is that she is probably at the Netherworld."

"The Netherworld? The world where the spirits of people reside after death?"

"You are half-dead, Youmu. You can go there, actually. Go to the Genbu Ravine, the Shinigami has moved her ferry upstream ever since the Lunarians took over."

"I got it. Any threats that I should be worried about?"

"I heard that the Kappa Mob is now being led by a Kappa named Kawashiro Mitori. She has turned the mob to be hostile towards anyone, ever since her sister Nitori was spirited away."

"Spirited away?"

"I don't know much of the details, but ever since she started to worship the Goddess of Misfortune, she had been acting strange, avoiding contact with anyone, and eventually after six months, she disappeared without any trace. From what I've heard, the Goddess there has no worshippers for decades, and Nitori is the only recently known one."

What Youmu comprehended from this tale, is that this Goddess is a lonely one who has no worshippers. And when one finally appeared, albeit being a long-living Kappa, the Goddess has taken an interest in her and in the end, taking both her mind and body for herself, forever.

Youmu said her farewells after she understood what her new quest is, and she set off towards the hermit statue, and taking herself back to Kasen's home.

"Urggghhh...."

"What is it, Hermit?"

"I could no longer contain it. The hatred, the rage... Everything. It's close... I can feel her taking over."

"But I need your powers, one last time. Have you got any statues carved near or at the Genbu Ravine?"

"You want to go THERE?"

"What's there?"

"The being that killed my lover... She resides there! You must not go if you value your life!"

"But I had to do it, so I can head to the Netherworld. The rivers at the ravine connect to the Sanzu River, and I can get there afterwards."

"Don't blame me that I didn't warn you, Swordswoman. Be careful, and good luck..."

This time, Kasen then transported her to a statue underneath a rocky formation near the Ravine. Sounds of flowing waters can be heard.

This is it. Youmu must venture ahead towards the ferry.

- To Be Continued