[It seems he remembers you, Kai. Fufufu.]

'I can see that.' He replied cynically as he looked at Ranga.

"Boy! You're finally here! What are you doing, letting this disaster strike your village for a minute before you appear!"

Shuten Douji scolded Kirimaru, who had a bitter expression, like a little child with her hands on her hips.

"Forgive me, Elder. There is an important guest in my mansion."

"Guest, what! Look at this splendid young man! He rushed to this place as soon as he saw the disaster with me and helped to kill those Malices without any question! You should be ashamed! Even my subordinate is here!"

"Y-Yes. I apologize, Elder."

Shuten Douji kept scolding Kirimaru without caring about the Malices that spread around. The Oni Chief's dignity was already gone without any trace in front of the Oni god.

'Will it be okay if we stay here and talk like this?'

[Don't worry, Kai. My acquaintance will take care of those Malices. You can just talk to them for now. Look, Ranga is approaching.]

"Yo! We've met again, human!"

"Yeah. My name is Kai, though. I would appreciate it if you call me by my name from now on."

"Oh, I will! Still, why didn't you say hello to me when we met at the central plaza earlier?"

"Did you forget where you were?" Kai replied with a flat tone. Ranga was on the stage, and he was among the crowd. There was no way he would jump on the stage only to greet Ranga.

"Well, hahaha." He let out a dry laugh and immediately changed the topic. "By the way, how long have you been here?"

"Since the start, I guess? I helped Shuten Douji to destroy those Malices." He pointed at the sky while noticing something strange. Kirimaru and Ranga looked at him with horror.

"H-Hey! Y-Y-You shouldn't call Elder by her direct name if she's not holding a concert! Or else!" Kirimaru warned Kai, but he was stopped by Shuten Douji herself.

"It's fine." She said, stopping the red Onis' movement. "This young man has the right to call my name directly or by any name he wants to." She continued.

Kai was a bit confused, but maybe it was a hierarchical thing.

[It's because you're the descendant of the strongest, and Shuten Douji noticed that. That's why she allowed you to call her freely.] Amber explained in his mind.

That again. It still didn't feel real to him.

He kept his mouth shut while the duo father and son gulped a little due to Shuten Douji's unexpected answer.

"More importantly, move around, boys! Don't let my subordinate do all the work. Do you want her to get mad and punch you?"

"Y-Yes, Elder! We will move shortly!" Kirimaru and Ranga answered in loud voices simultaneously.

"Let's go, Ranga! It's our turn!" The father said before leaping away toward the nearest Malice.

Ranga turned to Kai and raised his hand. "Let's talk later, Kai! I need to go for now!" He then followed his father and disappeared behind the collapsed buildings once more, searching for more Malices.

"And they are gone." Shuten Douji said, "And one more arrived."

Just after she finished her sentence with a grin, another Oni appeared in front of them. She was a girl with tanned skin and clothes that screamed 'Ninja!' with a black half mask and anything.

When she looked at Kai, her eyes widened, pounced at him and shouted. "The prophecy!"

He was surprised by her sudden behavior, but then she continued.

"Please stop Chigusa-sama's prophecy!"

At that time, he understood the seriousness of the situation and calmed himself down. He had heard about someone who could guess the future through a prophecy.

Even Shuten Douji showed a serious face. She clearly recognized the Oni girl who had just appeared.

"Girl." She called out to the ninja Oni, as Kai named her, in a low voice. "Calm down and explain everything."

"F-Forgive me, Elder Shuten." The Oni girl apologized and retreated slightly. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sayo, just Sayo without a family name. I am Chiyori Chigusa-sama's attendant, and I heard her new prophecy earlier. Please.. I beg you to please listen to me."

"So she said. What will you do, young man? It seems like this time's prophecy is related to you."

'What do you think, Amber?' Kai asked his partner as he looked at Sayo. From what he felt, she wasn't lying.

[As always, I will stand with you, Kai. Just do as you please!]

'Just like always, huh?' Hearing Amber's answer, he smiled. Then he looked at Shuten Douji, nodded his head, and turned back to Sayo.

"Tell me about it."

Sayo nodded and began to tell him about the prophecy she had heard from Chigusa. The content of the prophecy was vague at best.

There was the word Ruler, obsidian black, burning heart; then there was one word he was familiar with.

'Boogeyman?' He held his grin as that was one word he was familiar with. Coincidentally, Boogeyman was also a Mythical creature.

If there was something he wanted to use as his codename when he registered in the Slayer organization, it would be that.

'Surely, the prophecy didn't mean me when it said Boogeyman, no? But it's plural.'

Right. The Boogeyman in the prophecy was plural. Meaning there were a lot of Boogeymen instead of one.historical

[That Ruler.. That one is directed to you, Kai. You're the Ruler.] Amber's words rang in his head. She sounded proud when she told him that he was the Ruler. [Subordinate will fall. I guess we know who it is.] Her tone turned haughty.

Kai felt a gaze from his side and turned to Shuten Douji. The Oni god was grinning like crazy.

"Oho, the subordinate will fall, huh?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Kai asked, even though he knew the Oni god's hidden meaning behind her gaze. She had called Amber's acquaintance her subordinate for a while now.

"Nothing~ This loli baba idol didn't know what you're asking about~" She pretended to be oblivious as she turned to Sayo.

"So, girl. We are already in the first sentence. Next is subordinate will fall and obsidian black and burning heart, no?"

"That's right." Sayo nodded, confirming Shuten Douji's question.

"Then it's easy." The Oni god nodded, crossing her arms. She took a really deep breath to the point it inflated her chest.

[Kai, cover your ears!] Amber suddenly shouted in his mind, which prompted him to do what she had suggested.

Sayo also plugged her ears when she saw Shuten Douji's motion.

Next, a thundering shout came from the Oni god's small mouth.

"IBARAKI DOUJI! COME HERE!"

She called out another familiar name. Ibaraki Douji, a loyal subordinate of Shuten Douji. What happened next was something really ridiculous.

A black blur passed through the area and stopped in front of Shuten Douji. It all happened in an instant.

Even with his eyes that could see people moving as slow as a snail, the speed of the black blur was a bit too much. He could only see a woman moving at a fast speed. When she stopped, a raging wind followed suit in her track and blew away dust and small rubbles.

"Did you call for me, Shuten-sama?"

A girl with black hair two heads taller than Shuten Douji and a head shorter than Kai asked with a lazy tone. Her golden eyes looked lifeless, and she looked dispirited.

She wore some kind of leotard bodysuit and loose black kimono that failed to hide her body. Some part of her kimono was torn, making it a useless article to cover her bountiful breasts. She had a tattoo on her upper right arm and a set of red horns.

"Umu!" Shuten Douji nodded energetically in contrast to her lifeless subordinate. She then pointed at Kai and exclaimed. "Look at this young man! Have you noticed something?"

"Hmm?" Ibaraki Douji turned to Kai lazily, but then her eyes shot open. "Hmm?!" She repeated her hum, but this time with a higher tone. "There is.. Phoenix fire? Then.. Could it be!"

"Correct! This young man is his descendant! And seeing that he can use that technique to fuse with Phoenix chick, there is no mistaking it! Hey, Phoenix girl, can you undo your fusion for now?"

[What should we do, Kai?]

'Hmm.. Why not? The prophecy seemed interesting. It seems Shuten Douji knows about this person called the strongest, and I also want to know more about my origin. So let's cooperate for now.'

[Alright.] Amber replied and then undone their fusion. A fire danced from Kai's body and morphed into a humanoid shape on his side. Amber reappeared from within the fire in a second and waved her hand.

"Hello, Ibaraki."

"Amber! I see!" Ibaraki's face brightened. Her previous dispirited face was gone as she turned to Shuten Douji once again. "Boss, may I?"

"I allow it," Shuten replied, knowing what her subordinate was about to ask. "Peace has come, so grab your happiness."

"Yes!" Ibaraki exclaimed happily and walked toward Kai. She held the tattoo on her upper right arm before suddenly knelt in front of him. "May I serve you as my master?" She looked up at him and asked with hope in her eyes.

All of it was so sudden. A low chuckle escaped Shuten Douji's lips as she looked at the spectacle. Amber looked with a warm gaze while Sayo was confused as hell.

Then, a man who was in the center of that stood in front of Ibaraki Douji, clearly surprised. The only thing in his mind was what the fuck happened, and he let out a strange voice loudly.

"HAH?!"