Kazuki stood watching while the usual daily activities of the Kokuryūkai passed by: The gammas training then the betas and alphas.
The air was filled with the sounds of the training guards and banter, Hikari and Takeda got to him without his own knowledge —a rare occurrence.
" Sir?" Takashi prompted. " What is it Takashi?" Kazuki said with a quick intake of breath.
" The president wants to find out if he's to declare a state of emergency, he's tired of evading the civilians questions" Takashi asked.
" The time to do that might come soon enough" Kazuki murmured. " How's Kurogane?"
" Still unconscious down in the medic, whatever he had been hit with must have packed a wallop" Hikari said.
" And he did this to save you?" Takashi said his voice hinting disbelief. " Yeah despite being in his current situation because of us" Hikari sighed.
" We didn't order that airstrike Hikari" Takashi corrected. " But he didn't know that" Kazuki cut in.
" I asked for you to get him here because there's a holy war coming, that boy bears the Abyssal Covenant system and Shin'nen the primordial god of the abyss has a demon lord subordinate who wishes to overthrow him by gaining control over humans, in irony to Shin'nen avatar however he decided to choose an avatar who might have a personal grudge against us" Kazuki said.
" Hanzo" Hikari breathed. " I'm sorry who?" Takashi asked with a raised eyebrow. " A soldier who died along with Renji on that day.
" Shura might be using Hanzo to get to Renji, that way his plan will be absolute."
" Plan?" Hikari and Takashi blurted in unison. " Shura plans to consume all seven seals maintaining the veil between hell and earth" Kazuki said calmly while he watched Hikari's face go white while trying to come to terms with the implications.
The seven seals were seven ancient stones each signifying a current brought together millennia ago to enforce a seal over hell and earth after demon threatened all of life's existence.
The seals where given to seven individuals who were granted powers and founded guilds whose soul purpose were to keep them safe. Over time there had been frequent breaches in the veil and it had fallen to the guilds to keep humanity safe.
Each seal lies with the current guild leader and with Kokuryūkai as a member of the team of guilds with a seal, one thing was certain…
" The Kokuryūkai is a target" Hikari stammered. " With each seal Shura consumes the veil tears wider that was why Renji had managed to unleash his abyss system. Shin'nen may be the regarded as a chaotic primordial being himself but might be out only source of hope now." Kazuki muttered his voice heavy…
Hikari went down into the medical bay two hours later half expecting Renji to still be unconscious but instead…
Renji had his back to her practicing a series of push ups, his white round neck shirt clung to his damp torso like a second skin.
Hikari just stood by, watching in awe while he completed each drop and rise of his body.
" Feel free to come in Master Hikari" Renji called without stopping. " You… you just got out of bed and… if I hadn't seen you get hit myself I'd have never believed you were ever injured." Hikari stuttered, her voice unusually warm and lacking the authority she so effortlessly maintained.
" The exercise and my job takes my mind off other things I'd rather not have to think about" Renji panted.
" Your job as a cleaner?" Hikari inquired. " Why come back here when we abandoned you?"
Renji paused his exercise and got to his feet. " I was enraged, I still am when I think of how helpless I stood by and watched Hanzo die" his voice was hollow, lacking warmth.
" That soldier you saw, that isn't Hanzo" Hikari started. " Of course it isn't, he's under some demonic control on a level that's not in Kokuryūkai's records."
Well that was quick, he's a smart one. Hikari thought while she watched him. " I've always been smart Master unfortunately that got me nowhere against a demon" Renji muttered then watched the questions boiling within her mind: How did he know what I was thinking? Is this some new ability or is it just a coincidence? Is he going to join the Kokuryūkai again?
Renji narrowed his eyes." Why do you want me to join the Kokuryūkai now?" " well you were once a member of the Kokuryūkai gamma but at you current powers you could be young master here" Hikari offered.
Liar. Renji thought, he could read her like a book infact he's been able to read anyone's thoughts lately, might be a part of his abyssal abilities.
" I would like to see Master Kazuki first" Renji requested, his face unreadable. " Of course Renji" Hikari said with a shrug…
***
Renji walked through the door to the Masters sanctum sanctorum with a small feeling of unease. In his previous life he'd have been ecstatic but now that felt like a couple wrongly spent life in another body.
"Master Kazuki" Renji greeted a grey haired figure in front of him with a bow. " Renji Kurogane, you've got your father's look" Master Kazuki said with a small smile.
He knew my father? Renji thought.
" I won't be given the luxury of lying to you even if I wanted to so here's the truth, your friend is controlled by a dark god trying to rival Shin'nen rule over the abyss by establishing a kingdom on earth and to do that…"
" He would have to consume each seal holding up the veil which means he'll be here soon" Renji finished for him, his eyes widened at the revelation.
" Thoughts in this case speaks louder than words" Kazuki said with a smile. " The Kokuryūkai is going to fight, I will fight to the death to protect it but you're out only hope"
" I'm not completely sure master, I'm corrupted" Renji said exposing his demon eye.
" Sometimes it takes a demon to kill a demon, the eye is what you make of it Renji. You either control it or it controls you, sometimes the only way to light is through darkness"