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[img]https://i.imgur.com/bNgZx8J.jpeg[/img]
[/cell][cell][sub][sup][sub][h3][b][color=black] Arc 2[/color]
[color=gainsboro]Arc 2[/color][/b][/h3][/sub][/sup][/sub][sup]_______________________________________________________________________________[/sup]
[hider=Read][center][b][u][i]2 weeks ago...[/i][/u][/b][/center]

[center][hider=Two Weeks Ago - Gekido and Xaku talk behind closed doors.]
As soon as the two were out of sight in the back alley of the bar, Gekido lit himself another cigarette, blowing smoke into the air above them as he looked up.

[b]"We're both busy in our tasks, so I'll get straight to the points. It's a Code Red for us. Park Jinwoo of Kogen has declared war on us, Demon Lord Rikyo has betrayed us, and it seems the Chairman and that Ubuyashiki kid had enacted a temporary emergency truce to deal with these problems, particularly the latter. My orders are directly from Michikatsu-sama to arrange a "trade" with the Slayers on the ground. We sell out the Traitor, they give us the Spider Lilies and the means of production."[/b] He explained. He then paused to see if Xaku is interested in any details of the situation.

[colour=#B7410E]“... I see.”[/colour]

Is all Xaku says at first. Her thoughts are placid, assessing Gekido’s words. Rikyo’s betrayal is unfortunate, but not unexpected. Vermin is as vermin does. Surprise would have meant she expected something different from someone like him.

... She should have killed him the first time they met. But, it was too late for hindsight now. There were greater issues to worry about.

A war between progenitors. The toll would be... heavy.

... Always the same. Human or demon. And, as always, she will have to be the one to clean up the mess.

[colour=#B7410E]“So, that is why you require the Hashira.”[/colour]

"[b]Indeed. As the Hashira are the alphas of their soldiers, they're the only ones with any authority to make this deal, and they are the best we got at getting rid of Rikyo. Not to mention, with the death of Hikaru Tsukigumi at Rikyo's and his bitch's hand, some of them may be more inclined to take the offer in an attempt at revenge. ...Moreover, it may also solve another problem we have had tonight: Guen Tomioka. We may be able to rein her in by giving her exactly what she wants. The other more minor Slayers like Tenko aren't truly of consequence in that respect, in fact under normal circumstances I wouldn't have even bothered to intervene in her arrest. But the more slayers to stand witness and deal with Rikyo, the more of a chance we may have at getting rid of him. Not to mention, Trust is necessary in any trade negotiation. Our Prime objective is preparations for the war, the acquisition of those Spider Lilies, and getting rid of the Traitor. ...Three birds, one stone.[/b]" He explained, as he blew more puffs of smoke, his eyes glowing at the last bit.

[b]"So I'm going ask one more time, not a command, merely a request. Let Tenko off with a warning this time. Mamu-chan clearly isn't pressing charges for what she almost did, after all. But if you still refuse, I won't stop you, especially since that girl was willing to surrender to you either way."[/b] He then said.

For a moment, Xaku is tempted to explain how that isn’t how the law works. Whether Mamushi intended to press charges is irrelevant. Tenko’s actions could not be dismissed so simply, especially considering she did it while in possession of a firearm. She dismisses the thought.

It's irrelevant.

[colour=#B7410E]“... A compromise, then. Letting Thompson-san off without judgment is unacceptable. But... the current circumstances require a different approach. Thus, I am willing to allow a [i]deferral[/i] of her arrest until the situation is resolved.”[/colour] She accedes to his request, at least in part.

[colour=#B7410E]“However, with that said,”[/colour] Xaku’s eyes meet Gekido, the faint marks below them seeming to squirm on her skin. [colour=#B7410E]“Let it be known that if any of these Demon Slayers lay a hand on my subordinates again, Rikyo will be the least of their worries.”[/colour]

[b]"Heh... If it comes to that, by all means, rip their fucking arms off. We've both seen enough stupidity for one night. Besides, a Truce goes [i]both[/i] ways."[/b] He said with a smile.

[b]"At the moment, these are my responsibility. I'm sure Michikatsu-Sama has something in mind for you to do while I'm taking care of this. My best guess, preparing our men for a Korean invasion. To be honest, looking him, I have my doubts that Park Jinwoo's a threat to Michikatsu-Sama, the least threatening of the three, in fact. But he [i]is[/i] still a Progenitor, and all three of them have been around since Muzan's day. They have their own demons, and who knows how strong they will be. Our top priority should be preparing for them to come knocking at our door. My prep is through this, taking care of the Spider Lilies and getting rid of the liability, and you probably already have gears turning on what needs to be done on your end."[/b] He said, crushing the burned part of his cigarette to extinguish it before opening the door back into the Bar for the both of them to go through.

Now that the situation was settled, for him, it was time to put the pieces together.[/hider][/center]

[center][b][u][i]Present Day[/i][/u][/b][/center]

This was...A crazy couple of weeks, probably the craziest in Gekido's life, and that says a lot.

First came the whole negotiation with the slayers and subsequent orders to rebuild the Temple. Right around the time Takaya came back to assist, a group of strong and able yakuza - human yakuza - entered as well. Hailing from several subsidiary families under Gekido's main family, they came bearing a message to Takaya Ubuyashiki and Daikaku Koshin:

[center][i]"To Daikaku Koshin, By way of apology for the transgressions of my peers, I have sent several of my men to aid you in the rebuilding and renovation of this temple. In spite of what it housed, it remains the perfect getaway from my duties under the Chairman.

To Ubuyashiki-San, consider this offering a sign of good faith upon what we have discussed, with hopes that you shall make good with the terms we have discussed.

You may use and discipline these men however you see fit until the temple's renovations are complete.

~ Signed, Demon Lord of the 6th Heaven, Gekido."[/i][/center]

Then along came the meeting where he essentially took a bullet to make sure Rikyo had no idea what was transgressing, and to properly begin the plan of weeding out said traitor to their cause.

Urami informed him of what transpired at the meeting itself, and to be frank, he'd be lying if he said he liked the idea. There were alot that could go wrong in a system like Michikatsu suggests, and having to endure the potential loss of freedom by subjecting themselves to the whim of the other kings, to say nothing of their elite demons...it was hard to put any faith in anyone right now but Michikatsu, and making him the sole ruler of the entirety of Japan would be preferable. Not to mention that it completely burns away what progress he made with the negotiations, making the Slayers prepare for a war that would not come. However, he does understand Michikatsu's reasoning in all this; Demonkind must stand united, lest they fall to each other and to the slayers. He simply wishes they'd be united under [i]one[/i] king he knows will keep them individual, rather than with three who could be more...iron-gripped.

In any case, fighting against a freed Ryunosuke Kamado was not part of the plan at the time of its making, but it was a nice bonus, in spite of technically losing that fight. His power as a Blood Moon was gone for that week until his battle with Rikyo, but he did not stand idly by for that week, especially given his loss against his nemesis.

Disgusting thought it may be to him, he can't help but feel grateful to Ryunosuke. His loss proved that he was not yet ready, that he was not yet as strong as he wanted to be, and so it gave him the motivation to do the one thing a "Model Demon" like Rikyo would likely refuse to do, the one thing he felt was the catalyst of his victory.

[center][i]Train.[/i][/center]

For even after he became a Blood Moon, Gekido did not rest on that power alone. He trained, and trained, unsatisfied with an abyssal ambition, a never ending hunger for more power. After losing to Ryunosuke that day, he spent all week training his body, his mind, and his Blood Art.

Not for Rikyo, the Traitor meant nothing to him, but for Ryunosuke, for when they next meet.

No, Rikyo was merely an Obstacle in his way, for if he can't beat Rikyo while they're evenly debuffed, how could he ever win against the Strongest of the Hashira that was his true White Whale?

Sure enough, The day came.

Years ago, when Keodis-Senpai left the Blood Moons, there was a Bloodrite battle just like this for his vacant seat. Gekido, who would have been promoted back then, fought a newcomer at the time, Rikyo. At the time, Gekido couldn't win against Rikyo's unique blood art, and so he became the Demon Lord of the 7th Heaven, in spite of being essentially a rookie.

But this time was different. Gekido has learned from that previous battle with this asshole, and he's learned from his most recent battle with Ryunosuke. He grew stronger, his fire burned more brightly than ever before, and in the end, he stood victorious against Rikyo.

Rikyo was ousted from the Blood Moons as a result of their treacherous actions, the plan worked just as they wanted it to, and Gekido was now Demon Lord of the 7th heaven, now on par with his Senpai and friend.

Of course, Gekido wasn't a fool. Now that Rikyo was out of the Blood Moons, he was disconnected from the Chairman's sights. He lost a significant amount of power, but now he could do what he wants away from his prying eye, likely stemming to gain more power from behind closed doors and usurp Michikatsu with it.

As such, immediately after he was promoted, he put himself to work. He kept an eye on Rikyo whenever he could, and so already knows what it is he was after... Just as that kid predicted.

[hr]

[center][i]...So how did it come to this?[/i][/center]

When a Yakuza fails, he dishonor his superior officer, he dishonors his clan, and so dismembers a piece of themselves and offers it to their boss in retribution, usually a finger. For a Demon Yakuza, however, what is a mere piece of their body worth when they can just regenerate it back? How do [i]they[/i] offer retribution, and regain lost honor for their fuck-ups?

The downside of a demon's boon: They can take more than the average human, so naturally, proper punishment [i]demands[/i] more than average human. Penance that goes back to the barbaric days of darkness.

Kneeling in failure as his Chairman torture and lectures him, writhing in pain, suffocating, the feeling of sunlight on his back, like leaning back on an open fireplace as the pain forced to groan in agony. He did not yell, or cry, or spoke with either apology nor profanity as he deals with what's happening - not that he would have been allowed to as Michikatsu chokes the life from him. Either way, he had no right to. After all, this... this is nothing more than consequence and punishment befitting, indeed, failure.

There were two reason Gekido was enduring this horrific ritual...

The first was an issue that had indeed been an elephant in his room for some time now. He was partnered with Urami, the Demon Lord of the 4th Heaven, the greatest gift he could have ever had, and one he valued deeply. Urami had a reputation to her, her position made her powerful enough that she could kill even Hashira in spite of her status, and she has never once suffered a defeat, never lost a fight. As if that wasn't enough, she is an incredible officer of his men, the Captain of his Family and had proven herself time and again that she's earned that position.

Yet, as a consort, she was meant to be his bride, and to conceive a child, an heir to his throne, so to speak. Gekido cares greatly for her, but she could not ever truly be a replacement for the wife he lost in his human life. Maybe it's old-fashioned, and he is simply torturing himself - quite literally in this case - over something that perhaps his wife would want him to let go and move on from for the sake of his happiness. But even so, he can't help but think that sleeping with someone else in his bed is but a betrayal of the one he loved as a human.

That said, there was another reason as well, one more important than ever. For it's [i]because[/i] he cares about Urami and how beneficial she has been to him, that enforces his decision of celibacy. When a consort is pregnant, after all, all the excess power goes into the conception of the baby in her womb, weakening her greatly even after birth. Slayers see Consorts as targets, a one-way ticket to promotion, for if one kills a Consort, one is recognized as a Hashira, as Himari and others have proven. To purposely make his partner vulnerable to the enemy, especially when they've proven themselves beyond sanity these past few weeks, never felt like anything but a foolish waste to him.

There was more to it than that, of course, but that wasn't entirely important right now.

More importantly, however, the bigger reason for why he's in this position... Was an actual failure he must take full responsibility for.

After the battle that promoted him, Gekido was quick to his next task, aiming to fulfill his end of an unfinished deal by keeping a close eye on Rikyo.

It was from this deal that he found out about what he was planning, thanks to Takaya Ubuyashiki's foresight, he knew what Rikyo was after some time now: The Blade of the Legendary Swordsmith, Muramasa. Finding the original blades were all but impossible now, but Rikyo seemed to have a much better idea. For Muramasa had descendants, the last of which he was planning to take claim of and force to produce one of those blades for him, a blade so dangerous, especially with that cult of his, that he may well be able to use it against Michikatsu successfully.

Everything was going well. The sword wasn't yet made, the last descendant not yet found, until he and Urami managed to find them first.

But then, it fell apart when Rikyo did something Gekido did not ever expect of him.

He killed that descendant. The last keeper of Muramasa's talent and knowledge, and the way to make such a blade with them, was now gone. Rikyo deliberately destroyed what was supposedly his only means of taking power, and he can imagine at the time that the only reason he would do such a thing was as one final "Fuck You!" to his former boss and replacement.

Gekido predicted Rikyo would do a lot of things, any means of ensuring he gets that knowledge for himself, but he [i]never[/i] anticipated he would just erase it, knowing how vital it was to his own plans.

He underestimated Rikyo's conniving and unpredictable nature, and so he failed. As Demon Lord, he was accountable and responsible for his failures. Even if, as he says, some among his family were being rebellious asshats - and he [i][b]will[/b][/i] deal with them later - Any faults his family makes, he is also held liable for, such is the cost of leadership.

Thus, when he was ordered to stand for punishment by the chairman, he did not resist, and he did not talk back. He came to him as ordered, and endured his punishment regardless of painful it was.

As he endured everything that was happening, his mind became more inquisitive as ever, perhaps out of an instinct to escape the unbearable agony; his mind drifted out to think of something anything to take his mind off the pain.

It was then he realized... [i]Why[/i] did Rikyo do that? Muramasa's blade was his only chance, especially now that he wasn't a part of the blood moons, to usurp the chairman's throne for himself. The original weapons were all lost, there were no other way to recreate them anew without that knowledge. To kill his only means of getting one is to give up on getting one at all. To give up on that, knowing how strong his enemy was, is to give up on his ambition for his throne, and that's [i]not[/i] the Rikyo he knows.

That's when he had an epiphany. There was only one conclusion that can be drawn, one simple answer...

As the Punishment finally stopped, Gekido was on his hands and knees, gasping for air, breathing heavily as the burns still were still felt. He was practically bowing at Michikatsu's feet.

[b]"My... My Apologies... Chairman. It won't happen again..."[/b] Was all he could say for himself as he was healed. Making any excuse at this point was futile; what's done was done. Besides, Michikatsu had full access to his mind. He knew exactly what Gekido was thinking; there was no need for words, or any explanation of how he intends to redeem himself of his failure. At that point, Michikatsu alone already knew what Gekido was planning, and it was best for it to stay that way.

[center][i]"You are at a rough start, Blood Moon 2, you are no longer Blood Moon 3, get your act right."[/i][/center]

[b]"Yes, I Understand. Thank you, Chairman. If you'll excuse me..."[/b] He said as he stood up, giving the Chairman a short bow in respect before leaving back to his Family HQ.

On the way out, he spotted Reiha, now Blood Moon 4. It would be upsetting that of all the consorts [i]she'd[/i] be worthy over his own, but he already knew the real reason she's planted there, and so he kept his mouth shut. He spotted Guen being among them, a rather surprising person to be there and alongside Reiha of all demons, no less... But before he could think about that, he then saw Keodis, giving him a nod as he and the ladies seemed to have a mission for the Library, giving him a hand on his shoulder before walking out.

[i]"Meet me when you're done, Senpai."[/i] He said telepathically to Keodis. Hopefully the Chairman would allow it to be private so a certain someone doesn't hear.

First thing's first...

He puts back on his coat, igniting his hands and feet with white flames. As soon as he was outside, he jumped up and blasted himself into the night sky, using his Blood Art on his limbs like rocket thrusters.

"[i]Time to make some changes to my Pecking order.[/i]"[/hider]
[@Digmata][@Arminwraith][@Aku the Samurai][@Dane]
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