Attack!

The Truth Behind Amiboshi - and the Genbu no Shinzahou!

Episode 22

Nuriko yawned. He leaned back against the pillar and stretched his arms wide. "Ne, Tamahome sure is taking a while," he remarked as he returned to his former reclined position. "What do you think he's doing?"

Lina shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm worried. Amiboshi didn't seem right. Oh, but he can probably take care of himself pretty well, ne? He'll probably even manage to make a bit of profit in the deal, knowing him."

"Mmm..."

"Nuriko-chan..."

"Mm?"

Lina turned to him. "About that time we were in the cave, and you were talking about your sister... is that true? I mean, well, um, yeah..."

He nodded, "It's true. I tried to live her life. But I think that being with the Suzaku no Shichi Seishi has changed something..."

"Oh?"

He tapped her nose. "But that's a secret. Anyways, it's been really good being with the Shichi Seishi. It's been a long time since I've really felt like part of a group, part of a whole. Depended on by others, dependent on others... Makes me feel like a big brother again."

A vein popped on Lina's forehead. "Himitsu, ne? Sore wa himitsu desu!" She crossed her arms angrily and blew out some air, disturbing a passing bee.

"Ne? What's wrong, Lina?" blinked Nuriko.

"This whole thing is some stupid secret. When I bought the book, in my world I mean, the clerk who sold it to me said it would be very interesting. When I asked him why he just said, 'Sore wa himitsu desu' and left it at that. Now I understand what he was saying... oooooh, if I could get my hands on that clerk, I'd -"

A few, clear notes drifted towards them on the breeze. The music from a flute.

"Amiboshi?!" gasped Lina and Nuriko.

He stood there in front of them, playing the flute. Beside him was an ugly, wolf-like man who was smiling and showing his fangs.

"Amiboshi! Where's Tamahome-kun?" demanded Lina. "Why isn't he with you?"

"Suzaku no Miko..." He glared at her, gripping his flute tightly.

"Yeah? What?"

He threw the flute at her. "You! You're the one! You killed my aniki!" A small, spinning ball attached to a rope began to float in the air in front of him. It lashed out at Lina as the boy screamed, "I'll kill you for that!"

Lina threw herself down as the strange weapon whizzed by her hair. "Aniki... what are you talking about?"

"Lina-chan! Abunai!"

Lina and Nuriko leapt to their feet, getting out of the way of the deadly spinning ball. "Who are you?" demanded Nuriko.

"Amiboshi was my brother, and you killed him! Therefore, I'll kill you!" The boy who was not Amiboshi leapt in the air above her, bearing down with his spinning ball and rope.

Lina gasped and froze for a split second. She remembered Tamahome talking to her about Amiboshi, about how he had let go of the flute, about how he had a younger brother he was determined to protect... "You're twins? Su...Suboshi!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you with my ryuuseisui! I'll avenge my aniki!"

"LINA!" Nuriko reached out to help her, but his arm was snatched back.

"Suzaku no Shichi Seishi," said the other man in a deep, gravelly voice.

Nuriko struggled against the strong grip. "Let go!" He yanked himself free and turned to face the... whoever it was. "What do you want?"

He smiled as he answered, "Blood."

Lina didn't have time to worry about Nuriko and the strange wolf-man. She had plenty on her hands just dealing with psycho yo-yo boy. After dodging successful attacks by the ryuuseisui, she had had enough. This person wasn't Amiboshi and she didn't feel any sympathy for him. It was time to get personal. It was time to get mad.

She slid Hotohori's deity sword out of her sheath and faced down Suboshi, who had a wide grin on his face. "You're not bad, Suzaku no Miko," he snickered. "No wonder Soi lost to you guys. But I'll beat you! My aniki will be avenged!"

Soi? That meant they were... Seiryuu no Shichi Seishi! Lina slashed out with her sword as the spinning ball zeroed in on her. To her surprise, instead of slicing through the string, the string wrapped itself around her blade. Suboshi pulled back and yanked the sword of out Lina's grip.

"Lina-chan!" Nuriko gasped as he glanced her way. He and the wolf-man were in the process of a staring contest, waiting for the first move, comparing each other's strengths.

"Hah! That was so easy," Suboshi smirked. "Soi is such a weakling to have be beaten by you. But I'm not. I'll kill you for killing my aniki!" His ryuuseisui spiraled towards Lina.

"Flare Arrow!" Magic was instinct for Lina, and the spell was past her lips before she consciously registered the fact.

A burst of fire flew forth from her hands. Shocked, Suboshi barely managed to get out of the way. Nuriko (having much experience with Lina's anger) ducked. The other Seiryuu no Shichi Seishi wasn't as lucky. The spell blazed over his left shoulder, leaving him howling in pain.

"Ashitare!" gasped Suboshi, glaring at Lina.

Lina was in her element. She pointed a finger at Suboshi and said, "Next time I'm hitting both of you. Flare..."

"Let's go, Ashitare!" Suboshi ran off, with the wolf-man not far behind him. He managed one backward glance before he scattered, and the baleful look in his eyes was not a pretty sight.

The town square was empty.

"Lina-chan... are you alright?"

She blinked several times. "My magic... it worked... it actually worked for once!"

"Lina..."

"Crimson light that burns so bright, into my hand now gather your light." Lina reached for the power within her, calling it forth...

No light spell hovered in the air. Lina slumped down. "Why doesn't my light spell works? It's a lot easier than casting the flare arrow."

Nuriko patted her gently. And gently in normal terms, not in Nuriko-terms. "I think... remember how Taiitsukun sprinkled the ashes of the Shijintenchiso on you? That was when she gave all of us power upgrades... maybe that was yours."

The ability to cast the flare arrow. It wasn't much, but it was a start and it was better than nothing. Lina bent down and picked up Hotohori's sword. "I... Tamahome-kun! If that boy... Suboshi... attacked us, then what happened to Tamahome-kun?"

Must you ask?

Very well, if you insist. Tamahome was standing in the middle of a cheap and not-very-highly reputable tavern surrounded by drunks and tavern goons who, on Suboshi's signal, had started to attack.

Of course, this is Tamahome we're talking about. Lina need not have worried.

Therefore, five minutes later, Tamahome wiped his hands off and surveyed the pile of bruising brutes in the corner. "Che," he sighed. "I'm leaving."

Tamahome stretched as he stepped outside and headed back towards the town square. "I'm back," he called out as he arrived, "But I didn't find anything. Amiboshi led me to this tavern and then left, and that's when some thugs decided to brawl, which is why it took me so long to get here."

"Tamahome!" smiled Lina. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? And where'd Amiboshi go? Did he find out the information we were looking for?"

"Ne, Tamahome," Nuriko said nervously. "That wasn't Amiboshi. It was... his twin. Suboshi. And he doesn't like us very much because he blames us for killing Amiboshi."

"Su...Suboshi?"

They nodded. "I'm sorry, Tamahome... I knew you really felt a connection with Amiboshi." Nuriko glanced down and saw the boy's flute, lying discarded on the ground. He picked it up and offered it to Tamahome. "I think you should hold on to this..."

He nodded silently, eyes closed. "Hai..."

"Oi, minna-san!" Tasuki stomped up with Chichiri in tow. "Did you find anything about this stupid piece of rock, because we certainly didn't?"

Lina shook her head. "Nope, but we ran into two more Seiryuu no Shichi Seishi."

"NANI?"

"Eh?" asked Mitsukake and Chiriko in unison as they returned.

Lina shrugged. "Oh, just that Amiboshi's little twin brother Suboshi and some wolf-guy who I think is named Ashitare attacked me and Nuriko here. Suboshi blames us for Amiboshi's death, by the way, but at least one of my magic spells works again."

They stared at her, aghast. "Then nobody found any information about the Genbu no Shinzahou, no da?"

"We did," Chiriko piped up.

Everyone turned and stared at him.

Chiriko gulped. "We found a government official and talked to him about it. He says that over 200 years ago, Kutoukoku attacked Hokkankoku. A girl arrived from another world and summoned Genbu, who granted her wishes. After that, she returned to her own world. During the ceremony, she wore a special necklace and that necklace became the Shinzahou. The official wasn't sure, but he thinks that it's located in the holy shrine on Mount Black where the summoning ceremony was held."

"I see, no da..." nodded Chichiri. "So where's Mount Black, na no da?"

"It's to the north of here, not too far, but the cave is high up."

"Well then, we should head out early tomorrow morning," said Lina. "No use starting when it's already starting to get dark. Let's go find an inn and relax for the night."

"Hai!"

Tamahome sat at the table alone, brooding. Staring at the cup of sake he had purchased wasn't helping him too much, but at least he could relax.

"Tamahome..." Nuriko stepped into the inn's dining room, surprised to see the fellow Suzaku no Shichi Seishi already there. "What's wrong? You look depressed."

"I am depressed, that's why," responded the blue-haired Shichi Seishi. "Whenever I hear about how the miko returns to her own world after all of this is over is just plain depressing!"

Nuriko examined the cup of sake. "You know why? That drink's not going to do anything for you!" He turned to the waiter and whispered something in his ear. "Now, a Nuriko special with dumplings... that'll make you feel better."

"Nuriko... special?"

He winked. "Of course it will!"

And so it was that Tamahome eyed the glass with the strange colored liquid that smelt strongly of alcohol. And so it was that Tamahome took a very small sip.

And so it was that Tamahome gagged and coughed and very nearly spit it into Nuriko's face. He managed to save himself just in time, however, and the look on his face was priceless.

Nuriko laughed his head off.

Tamahome was not pleased. He gave Nuriko a very dirty look and then... and then... he looked back down at the table, deep in his own thoughts.

Nuriko raised an eyebrow. "Ne, you really are depressed, aren't you?" He shook his head. "Well, if a Nuriko special didn't perk you up... Hmph! All over Lina-chan, isn't it. Whenever anybody mentions her going home you go into a blue funk for days on end. Come on, Tama-kun. You knew she would return to her own world after all this is over. She doesn't fit in here. She's rude and brash and short-tempered and destructive, and if she wasn't Suzaku no Miko, she would have been arrested years ago."

"That's not true!" Tamahome protested heatedly.

"Yes it is. She fits in here like a phoenix among pigeons. Tamahome, we all know you care deeply for her. But you're not the only one. We all do. We would all give our lives to protect her. We're all going to miss her a lot when she leaves, but she will leave someday. You're not the only one who loves her."

"Nuriko... Have you ever lost anyone really close to you?"

There was a long pause. Finally, the purple-haired Shichi Seishi replied softly, "Yes... I have."

Tamahome was taken aback. "Oh... I..."

"It's okay, don't worry. It happened many years ago. My little sister, Kourin, died in an accident. Everyone wanted me to forget her, but I couldn't, so I took on her name and her life. But when I did that, I think that Ryuuen disappeared. And then I was so caught up in being Kourin that I almost forgot what it was to be Ryuuen. But then, I met you and Lina, and the other Shichi Seishi. And Ryuuen... returned. I feel like a big brother around you guys. It's really been good for me. Before, I didn't know who I was or what I was trying to be, but now... Now I do know. And it's thanks to you and to Lina-chan."

Tamahome looked up at his fellow Shichi Seishi, unable to say anything.

Nuriko picked up the knife from the table before Tamahome could find a suitable reply. In one fluid motion, he sliced off his braid.

"Nuriko!"

"Kourin... she's gone... forever. And someday, Lina will leave too. But we, as Shichi Seishi, will always have each other. I have a family again. I think that now... it's finally time to put Kourin to rest."

"Are... are you sure about it?"

He smiled at Tamahome and winked. "Of course it is!" He patted Tamahome gently, albeit in Nuriko-terms, because Tamahome's head bounced up and down like a cork in the middle of a squall. "Don't worry about me. We should be worrying about finding the Genbu no Shinzahou!"

"Hai!"

Lina leaned against the walls in the hallway, stunned at Nuriko's revelations. Tears gently traced their paths down her cheeks. They all cared for her so deeply. How could she leave them like this?

What would her third wish be?

Continue: Side Story 1: Lina vs. Tasuki, a short Slayers FUSHIGI Omake

Continue: Episode 23: Ascend! Suprises Abound on Mount Black!