The Day of Thunder

"Desperation. Fear. Jigoku knows that we can destroy them or on the very least seal their influence from ever meaningfully interacting with us," he said, nodding in agreement.

"Have you ever heard about me?"

"Can't say that I have- and I would like to learn. If only to hear someone else's stories."

Even if the story here was probably a grim one.

"I am unsure if that is good or bad," he laughs

"As you know, the Crab are not very known for their specialisation or drive to hunt the denizens of Jigoku. Of course, as any honorable Samurai they do their task and many of my family fought and died to rescue Hisomu but beyond that, there wasn't many follow through.

I am a bit of an oddity. Ever since this new threat has appeared I have devoted every waking moment to making sure they are exterminated. I have studied them and I have learned about them, if only to be sure I can make sure I am able to stop them in their tracks.

I am not particularly strong or bulky like my cousins, " he motions to his lithe body frame." So I have learned different ways to destroy them." he retrieves a small vial from his pouch." This little bottle is enough to send one of their monsters writhing and screaming back to their realm. A Draught that focus on making their own corruption turn on them.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because you understand this village is not what it seems. Because if I die I do not want my secrets to go with me. I want us to fight. I want us to win. Even if you arent strong or muscular like my cousins. "

Sora... quirked a smile.

"I was strong enough to help Anjing climb a wall twenty-five years gone."

He also didn't remember any Crab actually dying on the trip to save Hisomu... but let it pass for now.

"But I take the broader point. Have you spoken with Hisomu Reo about any of this? The Spider have a keen interest in this sort of thing, and Reo's a good man with bad things."

"Hisomu Reo might not understand as much of poisons as me, but he is a gifted scholar. Of course I shared whit with him," he said. "My death should not mean the end of my knowledge. Humanity should have all tools to win."

"Have you visited the graveyard?"

"I have. The charming place showed me a vision of my youngest daughter bleeding from a head wound. Quite... overt of it, really."

Naraku's expression seems to change. "I take this is something that never happened, correct?"

"Not so far as I know, but I am certain that the enemy knows that one of my fears is something happening to my children in my absence. It might have found a genuine vision to torment me with, it might be a complete fabrication. While I am here, I will not know."

Sip.

"A cruel trick, but a small one, and a tipping of its hand."

"That does make sense. To prod on our fears and regrets to torment and break us. To bring us under their fold," he sips. "I saw three things when I was at the graveyard," he sips his drink. "First, it was accusing voices and gossip, calling me a monster. A pathetic display, I do not care about what people think about me now, I certainly won't care when it is a presence in the fog. Second it was the voice of my father," he chuckles "My father would have never used as many words as that parlor trick."

His expression darkened, a mix of anger and sadness on his eyes.

"The third was the worst. It mimicked the voice of my twin sister perfectly. My twin sister was everything I was not, to be honest, she was the one that deserved to be here and to be a Thunder," he sighs. "It was hard to cast out but at the same time... it feel too easy."

"No advantage it will not seize, no weakness it will not exploit. You know, I do believe we terrify it."

"I think that is one of the things that it feels. I mean, you were one of the heroes that went into the heart of Jigoku and sealed their portal. Yet I also think it is not the only motivator," he ponders. "It seems to have a twisted sense of... affection for us."

Sora's hand slashed the air horizontally in a cutting motion.

"Because without us, it is nothing. We called Jigoku the Realm of Evil, but it's really the Realm of Envy. The Harbinger even admitted, five years ago, that our imagination outstrips anything Jigoku could offer. Think on that, Hiruma-san- an entire Spirit Realm, and yet the drive and ambition of ordinary humans puts its talents for invention to shame."

"You spoke to the Harbinger?" Naraku was surprised, if only briefly. "Of course you did. I guess it was during its first appearance."

"You know... I tried to hunt the Harbinger. Never managed to found it. Wanted to kill her for the past five years. Part of me is relieved I did not found it," he chuckles. "Despite what I may look, I do not enjoy going into a fight without a plan."

"Well, safer to say it spoke to us, and then vanished. I do remember thinking it was downright polite of the thing to announce its targets and intentions, though."

"A declaration of war, perhaps it believes itself to be honorable, " he scoffed at the thought of it. "Though it does make some sense. Perhaps it wished to announce itself in such a way so it'd be easier to convert people into it's cause."

"It might also be a requirement of the ordained cycle. Spirit Realms have their own rules, even the evil or chaotic ones."

"Which rules would apply though? The rules of Jigoku? The rules of Yume Do? Would the rules of Ningen Do apply to it? I really dislike knowing so little."

"More importantly, would the rules be anything we, humans, could understand?"

"Did you understand what you saw when you rescued Hisomu no Kami? Perhaps that is what the Harbinger meant," he frowns. "Footsoldiers to expand onto other realms."

"There was horror, and plenty of illusions, but not much to come to grips with intellectually. It wasn't a place a man would remain sane for long, even with the protection we had."