Demon Shadow (Akuma no Kage)

Content Warning: This chapter features depictions of graphic violence, alcohol use, and one mention of partial nudity. Reader discretion is advised.

To Vocal: They story itself is not written

Chapter 8 Gate Crasher

Manwhile in Roiyarubarē... The marketplace was crowded and busy as Devin made her way through. She couldn't remember if she had been there before when she was a child. Full of wonder and amazement, she didn’t even seem to mind that others would bump into her as they passed. Shop after shop she passed, taking in all of the sights and smells. From weapons and trinkets to clothes and food she looked on in awe and wonder. Devin: This place is amazing! I see why... Ooh! She had spotted a sign that read; Jari’s Liquor and Wine! Best in the world! Her eyes sparkled with delight as she read the sign and hurried her way through the crowd. Once at the shop, she stood at the counter looking over all of the bottles on the shelves. Her heart began to sink as she couldn’t seem to find what she was looking for. Then she saw it. A lavender colored bottle on the second shelf on the far left. Shop Owner: Can I help you, or are you just gonna stand there and look all day? He began drumming his fingers on the counter. Devin didn’t seem to notice the rudeness in his voice, or she was simply ignoring it. She just pointed to the lavender colored bottle. Devin: Five bottles of Everscale Special Blend, please! The shop owner eyed her suspiciously before laughing to the point that he almost fell over. Shop Owner: That’s a good one! Now, why don’t you tell me what you really want? Devin: But I just did.

She pointed back to the lavender bottle with her left hand while reaching towards her waist with her right hand to a spot just behind her gourd. The shop owner wasn’t paying attention as he started laughing again. Devin: I don’t see what’s so funny, but... She then tossed three pouches onto the counter. Devin: I really, REALLY want that wine! She gave a playful smile as the owner became annoyed. Shop Owen: Listen lady, I don’t know what kind of games you’re... Devin tossed two more pouches on the counter and began tapping her fingers, smiling all the while. Defiantly, he retrieved the five bottles and placed them on the counter in front of her. Devin: Don’t you think you should throw in one more? You know, for giving me a hard time? He grumbled as he went and grabbed one more bottle, placing it on the counter next to the others. Devin: Ooh! And can I have a bag! With a look of contempt, he reached under the counter and grabbed a brown sack which he placed on the counter. Devin put five of the bottles into the sack and began to open the sixth. Devin: Thank you! She began to take a drink as she turned to walk away. Stopping mid step, she looked over her shoulder. Devin: Good thing you gave in. (Takes a drink) Cus’ I can be one rough customer! She then continued to walk away. As she wandered around Roiyarubarē, she finished drinking the first bottle of wine, emptied two into her gourd and was just opening the fourth. She staggered slightly as she walked. As she walked, she squinted and scratched her head before grabbing the demon closest to her. Devin: Is that the palace? Random Demon: Y... yes. Devin released her grip and jumped in the air while cheering as he scurried away. Devin: Woohoo! So, this is where she lives huh? She scratched her head while taking a drink. Devin: Hmm... I wonder if she’s home? Hey! Excuse me! She had noticed a guard standing nearby. Yet despite her waving and yelling, he ignored her. Devin: You’re so rude! (Sighs heavily) Fine... She raised her hand, made a fist and began to bang on the large ornate gate. Devin: Suki! Several of the guards were looking at her as he pounded on the gate. From inside the palace, one of Heizu’s Mist Clones could hear the commotion. He headed out onto a balcony that overlooked the courtyard and front gate. Devin: Suki! Open up! Heizu: You there! Stop that at once and leave. Or there will be consequences! Devin noticed him and waved. Devin: Hey! Maybe you can help! Can you tell me if Suki is home! Heizu: No such person lives here! Leave now, I’ll not ask ag... Devin: But this is the palace where the Empress lives, isn’t it? She took a drink while she waited for his answer. Heizu: Obviously. Devin: (Stops drinking) Ya know, I hate liars! Before Heizu could reply, she began to bang on the gate. Devin: Suki! C’mon! I know you’re home! Heizu signaled the guards to protect the gate. A couple dozen guards rushed out into the courtyard to bolster the ranks. Devin: Now that’s more like it! She beamed at the amassing guard. About a minute passed before her smile slowly faded away. Devin: Umm... Aren’t you gonna open the gate? She waited, taking a drink as she did. Moments passed before she crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. Growing more impatient by the minute, she looked back up towards Heizu with glaring eyes. Devin: Just what kind of welcome is this?! Are you gonna open up, or do I have to start getting rough?! Heizu lowered his head and shook it left to right, making it clear he had no intention of letting her in. Devin: Fine! Be that way! Just don’t go saying I didn’t use my manners! She took a long drink before kicking the gate. Clang! The guards flinched. Clang! Clang! Heizu began to laugh. Heizu: You might as well give up! Devin ignored him. With each kick, she grew more and more agitated. Devin: Grrr! Stupid gate! She took a drink, steadied herself and kicked the gate. It finally gave way. Some of the bars were bent and broken. One of the guards was standing too close and was hit by the left half of the gate, the broken bars piercing his body. He coughed up blood before quickly dying. Devin looked astonished. Devin: Uh... Whoops! (Chuckle) Okay, that was an accident! The guards all looked at each other, then at Devin. They had both anger and fear in their eyes. Devin: Come on! You all saw it! She took another drink as she stepped through the now open gate, closing her eyes as she did. As soon as she crossed the threshold, two of the guards rushed her. As they approached, she opened her eyes. One of them tried to stab her with a spear he was holding. She easily and gracefully dodged to the left of it. At the same time, the other guard had sung a sword towards her throat. She dodged that by leaning back ever so slightly. The wind from the swing blew her hair around gently. Throughout every motion she continued to drink, never taking the gourd from her mouth. She took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as she realized her gourd was now empty. Devin: Seriously? How am I out already? … Oh! She slapped her forehead and sat the sack she was carrying on the ground, knelt down and opened it. Devin: I forgot! I didn’t pour the last two in! Um... She looked around to see that the guards were all staring at her. They all had their weapons drawn but were hesitant. Devin: Could you guys give me a second? This won’t take long, I promise! She smiled as she pulled out one of the remaining bottles. She then opened it and began to pour it into her gourd. Devin: Ya know, I wanna thank you guys for not making me get too rough with ya! I mean, I don’t mind, but I don’t think Suki would like that too much and I don’t wanna make her mad. One of the guards was sneaking up behind her, attempting to take advantage of the distraction. He was carrying a heavy spiked mace. Devin: Especially after coming all this way. The guard slowly crept closer as she spoke. Devin watched as the last few drops dripped into her gourd! Devin: Nice! One more left... Hmm, I wonder if Suki has some... As she was reaching for the last bottle, the guard made his move. Swinging with all his might, the mace hit her across the back of her head. There was a loud “crack” as the wood handle shattered from the impact. The spiked ball crashed into the final bottle, smashing it. Devin: ...Really... The guard was in shock as Devin stood up. She was about to turn and face him when she noticed the shattered bottle. Devin: What... She dropped to her knees in clear distress. Devin: No... No no no no no no no! That was my last one! Rage filled her, and the pressure she was letting off intensified. She began to growl as she rose to her feet, grabbing her gourd as she did. Putting it in place on her right hip, she swiftly turned to face him. Devin: This is your fault! He looked from her to the shattered bottle, then to the splintered handle he was holding. Guard: I... gwah! His words were cut short as Devin rushed forward and punched him in his diaphragm, knocking the air out of him. He fell to his knees gasping for air. She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head back. He was looking into her resentful eyes. She gave him what appeared to be a warm, forgiving smile before kneeing him in the face. His nose shattered, blood spraying onto the ground as he fell face first. She then kicked him in the ribs repeatedly. Each kick caused him to cough up more blood. When it seemed like she was done, she raised her leg and delivered a stomp that shattered his skull with a sickening sound. She was now breathing heavily out of pure frustration. Noticing the carnage that covered her foot and ankle, she began to look for something to clean it with. Devin: I can't go inside like this! I’d ruin Suki’s carpets! She settled on the cape the dead guard was wearing. Heizu appeared at the top of the steps leading to the courtyard. While Devin cleaned her foot, he began giving orders to the guards. Heizu: I want half of you here at the main entrance. The rest of you, see to it that she doesn’t make it past these steps. Keep her out of the palace, I don’t care if it kills you! With that he turned to enter the palace. Devin: Um, what about me? He stopped, looking over his shoulder as he spoke. Heizu: What about you? Devin: Well, you didn’t give me anything to do, and I feel left out! Heizu: You can make things easier and just die. Devin looked at him in shock. Devin: Hey! Is that anyway to treat your princess?! When Suki hears about this... Heizu wasn’t listening as he went into the palace. Several guards that were inside hurried to shut the doors. Devin stared in stunned silence. After a moment, she took a drink from her gourd. She took a few steps forward and as she did, the guards readied their weapons. She looked from them to the palace doors, then back to them. Devin: Say, could one of you be a sweetie and open the doors for me? I’m your princess and it’s your royal duty! Also... (Takes a drink) I’m kinda drunk, and I don’t think I can do it myself without breaking something! The guards had finally had enough. Mustering their courage, they began to charge her. Devin: No, you guys! The doors are that way! She staggered as she took a step forward just as one of the guards reached her. He swung his sword, but she swayed to the left, avoiding the blade while grabbing his wrist. With little effort she broke it, bringing him to his knees. Devin: Oh sure, now you bow! Now how about you open... She suddenly noticed that she was still holding his wrist, which she ripped off without realizing. Devin: I guess that makes it a little hard to open doors, doesn’t it? (Drops hand) While she was distracted, six more guards rushed toward her. Noticing this she grabbed the guard beside her by his bleeding stump. Devin: Mind giving me another hand? She then swung him with ease toward the approaching guards, knocking four of them away. The other two stopped in their tracks and looked at each other, then back to her. Devin took a few steps forward as they backed away. Two of the guards that she knocked down tried to attack from her left. She rolled to their left kicking up off the ground as she rolled, jumping over and behind them. Upon landing she quickly lunged toward the guard to her right while turning her right hand into a claw. Before he could even react, she had grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the ground. As she did, she kicked the other guard in the chin, snapping his neck as his head flew back. Seeing this, the remaining guard began to flee into the palace. She started to walk towards the palace steps. She was almost at the bottom when the doors began to close again. In the blink of an eye, she was at the doors just as one of the last guards was halfway through as they were almost closed. Devin: Oh no you don’t! She grabbed him by the leg. Devin: Gotcha! Hmm? … Pfft! The guard had gotten stuck between the doors as they closed around his waist. Devin: Oh man, you should see yourself! Stuck Guard: Help! Get me loose! Devin: Don’t worry, I got ya! She began to pull on his leg. She pulled and pulled. Each time he screamed in agony as the doors closed more. Devin: Hey! Is someone pulling in there? Random Guard: Yes... Devin: Well could ya stop? Cus’ otherwise... Just then the door slammed shut. Muffled screams could be heard from inside. Devin saw that she was still holding the lower half of the guard's body. Devin: Great! Now look at what you did! She was about to bang on the door when she heard footsteps coming behind her. Looking back, she saw that there were still a few guards out in the courtyard. One who was holding a spear ran up the stairs to attack but slipped on the blood covered stone. He slid on the ground and crashed into the doors. Devin laughed as he rose to his feet and pointed his spear at her. Devin: You guys are so much fun! I... Another one of the guards tried to attack her from behind, but she swayed right and narrowly avoided him as he ran chest first in the spear of the other guard. He was fortunate that his armor protected him. Before he could move, Devin raised her right leg and kicked him in the back. The force of it caused the doors to shake. She kicked him again, this time much harder. The doors shook even more, and his armor began to crack. She then turned around and began walking down the stairs. The one guard was trying to pull the spear from his armor when he suddenly heard rapid footsteps behind him. Looking over his shoulder he saw Devin running towards him from the courtyard. She jumped from the bottom of the steps, delivering a powerful flying kick to his back. The spear penetrated his armor and body, splashing blood on Devin’s face. At the same time, the doors splintered and as they busted open. Her momentum carried her through to the other side, hitting the stone floor hard. The guards in the main hall shielded themselves from the flying debris. Devin rose to her feet. Devin: Damn it! That got right in my eye! She began wiping the blood from her eyes. Devin: Give me a second! You have no idea... Heizu: What are you doing? Attack her now while her guard is down! No one moved. Devin: I think I got it all! Can someone... Looking around, she finally noticed the damage she caused. Devin: Uh oh. Suki! I think you’re gonna need a new door! Heizu had finally lost his patience. Heizu: Enough! Do you have any idea where you are! Devin: The palace where Suki lives? Heizu: There is no Suki here! Devin: So Kyo-Suki isn’t the empress anymore? Heizu: Wha... Of course she is! And you will address her by her proper name! Just who do you think you are? Devin: The princess! And as princess, I command you to search the storerooms for a barrel of Dragon Wine! Heizu: Wherever you think you’re the princess of, but it certainly isn’t here! And I've about had it with your disrespect! He took a step forward as he disappeared into a cloud of mist. He appeared behind Devin with his sword drawn. She ducks as he swings for her throat, and attempts to kick him in the ribs, but he disappeared into another cloud. He began to appear and disappear all around her. Devin: Now that’s not fair! He smiled smugly as several figures made of mist formed around Devin. One rushed towards her. She punched it with her left hand, and it burst into a cloud only to reform behind her and firmly grasping her arm. Devin: Hey! Another mist clone grabbed her other arm. Two more grabbed her ankles. Devin: Okay, you guys can let go now! The remaining clones began to swarm her as more started to form. In no time, she was buried up to her neck by clones. Devin: Seriously, I’m warning you! It was fun but... Her words were cut short, as yet another clone punched her in the face. Heizu laughed as more of his clones joined in, fully covering Devin. He was about to exclaim his victory when he noticed a pale grayish green glow emanating from the center of the mass. Then he saw two glowing orbs that appeared to be eyes. While he wondered if he had made some mistake, the clones started to ripple. A muffled growl could be heard as they were being pushed away. Some of them were beginning to evaporate. Then a dome of grayish green energy erupted from Devin, destroying all of the clones, as well as killing many of the nearby guards. A cloud of mist surrounded Devin as she fell to her knees holding her head. Devin: Ow! That always gives me a headache! She looked up, faintly seeing Heizu through the settling mist. She leapt towards him faster than he could see and grabbed him by the throat, gripping tightly. Devin: Do you have any idea how much I hate doing that! Heizu couldn’t even speak. He tried to turn to mist but couldn’t. As he felt his life start to fade away... Kyo-Suki: Are you finished...

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