Refusal

Although his emotions were repressed, Xiomazu was stricken with bewilderment, resulting in an inability to properly accept what was said. 

Xiomazu refused to believe it.

Daimyo Donburi had no reason to toy with him. What he said was most likely the truth, specifically that Xiomazu was the heir of Akuma. But why was he finding out so suddenly inside a hotel full of fish and water?

“Say, seeing as we’re all here, why don’t we all have some quality late night dinner? My concerts take away from my personal time, y’know? Bet you two have been starving from your trip as well.” Donburi said this as he pointed a finger from each hand at Akuma and Xiomazu.

“We can talk business too, if that interests you,” he said more seriously.

“Sorry, but I’ve got to get back out diving. Haven’t found what I’m looking for yet,” Sheru removed herself from the group, and approached the door. “Had to return this child to lost and found first.”

“I’m seventeen,” Xiomazu added.

“I’m seventeen as of today. Doesn’t make you any less of a child to me with all your whining,” Sheru retaliated.

“You spent your birthday diving for junk?” Xiomazu asked.

“It’s the junk that’s funding my diving, but that’s besides the point. I’m looking for sea turtles,” she said in a hurry out the door.

“He’d better not say what everyone else does…” Sheru thought to herself.

“That’s admirable,” Xiomazu said to her surprise, causing her to stop and leave the door a sliver of the way open. “Everyone says they are extinct. The ocean is so big though, there’s gotta be one out there.”

“That’s the same thing I said to Donburi two years ago…” she thought.

“Yeah…” Sheru said softly, resuming her way out the door. "I didn't mean that bit about the whinning by the way, just pretty heated."

“Woah kiddo. My idea wasn’t a suggestion. You’re joining dinner cause I spent the big yen on the good stuff. Final say!” Donburi said with a twirl, even as Sheru sighed.

He clapped his hands lazily, and out from the floor in the main room popped up a table made out of gold.

“Staff has gotta bring the chairs though,” he said with a laugh. “Ain’t that fancy here.”

The group of 4 watched as the agents from outside the door came in, each carrying a chair with them.

One was the large broad man that had previously let them inside. His name was Hoku. One was a skinny woman with pink painted nails, whose name was Aina. One was a short man with big boots named Ro, and the final was a woman that had cat-like features, with pointy ears and a tail, (obviously fake). Her name was Kaeda. Each had nameplates attached to their suits.

The table was set with normal platter, and then the staff left to gather the meal.

Akuma and Donburi sat on one side, while Sheru and Xiomazu were seated across from their mentors.

“They cheaped out on the plates!” Donburi said, examining a plate in his hands. He then put it down slowly, turning his attention across to Xiomazu, startling him.

“Let’s let the cat out of the bag. You’re staring cause I’m blind, right? How’s Donburi gonna look at a plate if he can’t see it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you’d notice…” Xiomazu said, trying to sound polite, but Donburi laughed at this.

“HA! Didn’t realize I’d notice! Good one HAHA!”

Xiomazu turned to Sheru, hoping for some kind of escape from the awkward response.

“He’s got a sense of humor you’ll either grow to like, or hate. I’m still figuring out my opinion on it,” she said with little emotion.

“That’s my widdle girl!” Donburi laughed, to which Sheru scowled at.

This was a strange contrast, similar to Saeko and Tuff Buff’s relationship Xiomazu had grown fond of months ago.

“No, but seriously Xi-man. It’s all good. Guessing Akuma here hasn’t spoken much about me.”

“She tells me very little…” Xiomazu though, displaying a faint smile.

“I assumed you wanted as few people as possible knowing how your secrets worked,” Akuma then spoke up.

“Nah girl, you can tell him. If he’s your student, he’s a goodie,” Donburi nodded.

“Very well. Through the yokai in his symbol, Donburi has mastered full manipulation of his body, harmonizing with each of the senses available, and has achieved a perfect awakening. While Kansai excels in reactive speed, Kanto succeeds in just about every other human category.”

Xiomazu listened carefully, though even with Akuma’s description, he still wasn’t certain.

“You ain’t gotta sound so sophisticated! Make it sound a little cooler, like this. Basically, I’m a below-average superhero. I can breathe underwater, never have to sleep, and have unlimited stamina. I understand every inch of my body better than anyone else. You dig?” Donburi said.

Xiomazu nodded.

“Now lil Sheru can do this stuff too, just half as good for now. Probably can hold her breath for a couple hours, and go without sleep for weeks. She does some flips too, but I think those are excessive if you ask me.”

Sheru gave no response to Donburi’s claim.

“That still doesn’t explain your sight,” Xiomazu stated.

“AH! Yes yes yes. Well, I read the room, and react to it. What I lack in sight, I gained in touch, and I’m like a bat on land with vibrations. Does this mean I know every detail around meeee?” He trailed, waiting for an answer.

“Hell no,” Sheru finally answered.

“Hell no is right! So I just pretend sometimes. When there aren’t people in the room with me, I sometimes bump into shit too, cause I got nobody else to read off of. Stationary objects are my crutch,” Donburi said as he knocked against his dinner plate. “Most of the time it’s just good estimation guesstimation!”

Xiomazu smiled as he heard this, wondering what the downside might be. If his own emotions were stagemented, his blood DNA was altered, and his dreams were gone, what were the negatives for Donburi and Sheru?

As he was about to ask this, dinner had arrived.

The agents delivered a concealed tray onto each person’s plate.

“Y’all stay here,” Donburi said to the four staff members. “Nobody eat anything yet.”

Each did as told, standing up against the walls, while those seated waited.

“So I normally do this thing where I reward the staff I meet, cause let’s face it, people just aren’t treated right sometimes. That’s why I’ll eventually restore the regional trade route so everyone has got equal footing. Now if you’d all reveal your dishes…”

Those seated at the table lifted their concealed dishes, revealing Fugu Sashimi.

(Fugu is a type of pufferfish that contains a lethal amount of toxins, requiring licenses in order to be sold or prepared safely).

Each plate held slices of fugu encircling a bowl of rice in the middle, along with chopsticks and a napkin.

“Fine choice…” Akuma muttered.

“Ro, Aina, and Kaeda have already received some treats from me today, so I’d like to share half my dinner with you, Hoku.” Donburi said this as he waved the broad agent over.

“It would be a waste to supply me with rich foods, Donburi sir. I must insist that you enjoy such delicacies yourself,” Hoku said in a deep voice.

“Aw don’t be such a wuss! Get over here big man!” Donburi insisted.

The man stayed put, so Donburi walked the plate over in front of him, and wafted the fumes. Hoku stood at least 2 feet taller than Donburi.

“I know you have strict protocols or whatever, but this one is on the house. Pretend to enjoy it,” Donburi said as he handed the man his pair of chopsticks.

The big man slowly took the chopsticks, and ate a clump of rice.

“Very good!” Hoku said.

“Now eat a slice of the fugu,” Donburi said with a smile. “I didn’t overpay for the rice.”

“But sir, this is strictly for the customers!” Hoku insisted.

“If you’re scared of the toxins not being fully removed, I’ll go first,” Donburi said.

“Isn’t that a bad idea?” Xiomazu finally said.

“If it is still poisonous-”

“Nonsense Xi-man! If I pay for overpriced food, I know I’m getting the safest conditions. Down the hatch!” Donburi dropped a piece of fugu into his mouth, and started to chew, then swallowed.

“Scrumptious money,” he said, giving Hoku the plate, and returning to his seat to drink the entire contents from his glass..

Hoku waited a minute as everyone in the room watched him.

Reluctantly, he also ate a slice.

“Heh…ain’t too bad,” Hoku said, whipping his grinning mouth with his sleeve.

“Not at all,” Donburi grinned back.

Donburi then regurgitated green liquid from his mouth back into his glass, making a grotestc noise as he did so.

At the same time, Hoku suddenly fell down, gripping at his chest.

Both Sheru and Xiomazu stood up, while Akuma remained seated.

“Relax friends. Our meals were poisoned, and that big oaf was scheming with whoever tried to kill us.”

Donburi said this as Hoku twitched on the ground.

Sheru knocked her plate over in frustration, scattering its contents to the floor.

“Seems whoever tried this doesn’t know my body as well as I do,” Donburi smiled.

“What about the others here?” Sheru said, turning to face each of the remaining 3 staff. “Can we trust them?”

“Yeah. I book my hotels months in advance, and have assigned staff training there years prior to my bookings, like Aina, Ro, and Kaeda for this hotel. Can’t ever be too safe.”

Donburi walked and knelt over Hoku, who was still squirming, and placed his foot atop the man’s neck, applying pressure until eventual Hoku stopped breathing.

The assailant was dead.

“Was it the chef?” Akuma suggested.

“You grab him, while I find the owner,” Donburi said back. “One of the two is behind this.”

“I can obtain both individuals faster than you can, Donburi. You stay and protect the heirs, and I shall return with our suspects.”

Akuma stepped outside the door, immediately spotting water pooling in the hallway.

“There’s water,” she simply said, before vanishing in a brief dash.

“Right then. Friends, if you’d stand outside and guard us, that’d be much appreciated,” Donburi said with a bow.

The remaining 3 staff did as instructed, leaving Donburi, Sheru, and Xiomazu inside the golden room.

“Kids, I may as well let you in on the business we were going to discuss tonight, as it pertains to an attack on Tsunami. For the first time in centuries, Japan is going to fight itself again.”

Donburi sat back on a couch while Sheru and Xiomazu looked back at him.

“War?” they both questioned together.

“For many years, Shinobi has practiced hit and run attacks on both Kansai and Kanto, but then flees back to Tsunami’s safe haven of Chubū. Though they publicly claim to be neutral towards each other, it’s no secret that they are allied. Unfortunately, diss tracks are not going to resolve our differences anytime soon. If we strike down Tsunami, Shinobi will fall with him, and Japan may finally rest.”

“Let’s just go straight to Hokuriku, and defeat him there,” Xiomazu proposed. “That’s Shinobi’s home base, isn’t it?”

Sheru shook her head as Donburi readied his reply.

“Hah, kid. Have you ever seen what it looks like there?”

“I have through one of Akuma’s memories,” Xiomazu said. “The streets were deserted.”

“I won’t pretend to understand how you saw her memory, but that’s correct. The entire region is a ghost town. People supposedly live there, but there are more scarecrows set up than anything else. We’d never find Shinobi, and his region is such a mess it wouldn’t matter if we took it by force. The only way to draw him out is to go after Tsunami. Without him, Shinobi is nothing.”

Donburi leaned further back into the couch as Sheru and Xiomazu pondered the information.

“Akuma and I submitted requests to our local militias and hope to receive word in the morning for a go-ahead. If we don’t, we’ll just go by ourselves. Now you know.”

A ringing came from Donburi’s pocket. He pulled his phone out and answered.

“Hmm?”

“Shit. Thanks.”

He then sprung out of his seat, and approached the door.

“We gotta leave the building,” Donburi said, flinging the door open. “Escort the heirs outside with me,” he said to the agents awaiting orders. Each saluted him.

“Why?” Xiomazu asked?

“Shinobi was just spotted on a rooftop nearby. That guy never steps outside Chūbu, which means bad news,” Donburi said hastily. “Looks like he might’ve made the first move.”

Instead of asking any more questions, the group ran silently, while Donburi made another call on his phone along the way.

“This is it. This is my chance. I’ll end Shinobi today!” Xiomazu thought.

Throughout the series of hallways were puddles of water, splashing each time someone stepped foot in one.

They had just entered another hallway, when suddenly a large imposing figure jumped out at the end of the hallway, stopping them in their tracks.

Incredibly hairy, the naked man was jarring in both size and hair opacity, with incredible strength as well carrying two enormous guns under each arm. He had a backpack carrying more guns.

“SHIELD WALL!” Donburi yelled, signaling the three agents to step out and interlock their arms together.

As both guns from the hairy man began to puff out an endless barrage of bullets, the agents deflected these bullets.

The devices around their waists produced invisible barriers, bouncing the bullets down to the ground upon impact against the barriers while the agents stood unflinching.

Two muscular veiny arms sprouted out of the hairy man’s sides, and reached back into the bag to retrieve two more identical guns, firing them as well.

Occasionally bullets were beginning to fly up into the ceiling, and the sides of the hallway, causing more water to drip.

“We cannot hold much longer, retreat Donburi!” shouted Ro, the short agent.

The noise created by the guns was so loud Xiomazu could barely hear Ro.

“Damnit Ro! I’m not leaving, we’ll figure this out!” Donburi yelled frantically.

“How many guns do they have now?” he then asked.

“Four heavy caliber projectile devices, sir!” Aina, the skinny lady, yelled.

“Four?! How in the hell are they holding four?! Aina you’re joking!” Donburi rubbed his head.

“There aren’t two enemies?”

“Sir, I believe our enemy looks like a mutated gorilla, and has four arms, meow!” Kaeda, the feline appearing agent, shouted.

“Meowing at a time like this? Drop the act, you’re not a cat! We need to figure out a plan!” Donburi yelled back.

He turned to Sheru.

“What do you think? Can I dodge all his bullets?” Donburi asked with sincerity.

“No!” Sheru tried to speak calmly. “Leave that reckless behavior for Akuma.”

“How about it, Xiomazu? Think I can move as fast as she can?” Donburi smiled, and did a strut.

“STOP FOOLING AROUND!” Xiomazu shouted back.

“We have a chance to kill Shinobi here today, so please! Get us all out of here safely!”

Donburi then stopped dancing, and approached the agents.

“Always so strict, just like your mentor. Pff…” Donburi said with disappointment at Xiomazu.

“Glad you’ve been listening to her like I told you to.”

The man at the hallway stopped shooting, and tossed his guns to the side. Then, out from his bag he retrieved what resembled a rocket launcher.

“OOOOOOOAAAAAAA!!!” he shouted, firing off a missle from the weapon with a puff of smoke.

In a quick instant, each of the agents quickly shouted something all at once to Donburi as this happened.

“500m!” Aina shouted.

“4ft!” Ro shouted.

“37 rotation!” Keada shouted.

Just as they collectively shouted, the agents also unlinked their arms, and stepped aside as Donburi sprinted past them.

In one fluid motion, he wrapped his arms around the missile as it closed in, rotated his body, and flung it back at the man that had launched it at the end of the hallway.

The impact's explosion completely destroyed any remnants of the man in a blaze of smoke and debris, and shook the entire building, including Donburi. He fell backwards into the increasingly deeping water, where a few fish flopped around next to him.

“Ever seen a blind man do that?!” Donburi laughed.