Rise of the Yokai - Part IV

Story by fallen4fiction on SoFurry

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#6 of Rise of the Yokai

Having found Asami's brother Katsuo, to be the partner of his best friend, Yasei soon finds this not to be the only revelation to be learned. However, instead of breaking there bond, how Yuma had feared for all those last years, their friendship... their brotherhood only grows stronger with this new sincerity.

Exchanging their experiences about their lives as handler so far, they soon learn they have something else in common too: a certain offer, of a certain 'mutual friend' of theirs.

Deciding to take up this offer, after all, they're both oblivious to the true nature of this invitation.

It was a call to battle... which they weren't the only ones to heed.


Winds of Battle

Returning the stern glare of Asami's brother, examining him with a skeptical look, the big guard-lion finally gave a snorty huff.

"Don't you know a cat will scratch your eyes out when you stare at her too intently?", The feline finally stated, in a snarky tone.

"OH...? Good, cause in that case, I don't have to worry at all...", Yasei responded, earning a surprisingly surprised look of the big lion-like creature, "... you are no cat after all!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah... really! More like a mix of feline and canine... like my puppy girl here...!", The young man responded unshaken.

As Katsuo gave him yet another skeptical glare, Yasei let himself sink on the floor unceremoniously, putting his arm around the lion-hound bitch, in a proprietary manner.

While Asami's brother seemed to continue his evaluation, the young handler himself, examined the guard-lion once more, this time in more detail... more or less comparing him and his sister.

They bot indeed were a lion and a hound... yet both too had features of the other species too. Both obviously had a mane, whereas Katsuo's definitely was more impressive... more imposing. There bodies meanwhile... Asami had the body of a hound, tip to toe... Katsuo the one of a lion, up to the furry tuft on his powerful tail. Yet still... the lion-hounds body clearly had more of the bulk of a lions powerful frame, while the guard-lions muscular frame, clearly leaned more towards the lean and sleek body of a hound.

Finishing his own 'evaluation' Yasei thus concluded for himself: they indeed did kinda look like siblings. Their fur had a lighter tone, whereas their manes had a darker tone, both their eye colors giving a stark contrast to their fur-pattern. Yet, Katsuo's eyes, had a stark emerald green, unlike Asami with her bright blue eyes.

Yet... were Asami's body bore the vibrant color of a morning's sunrise, her brother's displayed a dull beige color, like sand. Were his sister's mane was the lush color of an evening sunset, Katsuo's bore the vigorous color of fertile soil.

They both indeed gave an imposing, sublime sight... yet the almost saber-tooth like fangs of the guard-lion, were kinda more intimidating, as the lion-hounds almost unflashy horns.

"SO... done with your evaluation?", Yasei finally asked the feline, gently ruffling the fur of Asami's shoulder, with the hand of his arm around her.

"HA... you got practice in this?", Katsuo finally asked, seeming rather amused by the young man.

"Well... kinda...? Not big with the picking up part... but when I managed, I always seemed to get the girls, with the judgmental big brothers, so... yeah... kinda have a bit of experience with this!"

"HA... you're a funny guy... no wonder Yumi likes you...!", The guard-lion finally stated with a loud laugh... yet not without adding in a dreadful voice, "What does not mean I won't maul you if you let my sister get hurt!"

Both of them ignoring the outraged 'HEY' of Yuma - who complained loudly about his partner using this 'private nickname' in front of people - Yasei retorted unblinking: "So what? You think we can't take care of ourselves... maybe thinking even Asami as not being able to take care of herself?"

"Hey... hey-hey-hey! Don't pull her into this, little man... this is between the two of us!", Katsuo responded sternly, as Asami really did want to utter a scandalized comment.

All the while Yuma, finally switched to complaining about them ignoring him, desperately trying to get there attention... yet failing utterly at this try, giving up with a resentful sigh.

The big feline finally giving a low sigh, Katsuo stated: "Okay... you really might take, taking care of my sister serious... plus... why would I doubt the magic which gifted me with Yumi here?"

"Yumi?"

Katsuo just shrugged his shoulders at Yasei's question, ending his statement: "As long as you are good to her, I shall tolerate you... yet if I should ever find you mistreating her... -"

"- ... you shall maul me after all?", The young handler ended the sentence with a raised brow, earning another deep laugh of the feline.

"YEAH... you indeed do have that down...!", He confirmed in an amused tone, before looking over his shoulder to his master, "SO... Yumi... what we about to do now?"

"Stop calling me that, god damn it!", Yuma scolded his partner - who just gave an apathetic shrug - the older handler, thus turning his attention to his friend Yasei, "So... what do you want to do now... with this knowledge of me being a handler too?"

"Well... I don't think you mean to do harm to us... after all, you were honest with me, as I asked you the first time, so...", The young man just shrugged his shoulder, exchanging a quick glance with his partner, before stating, "SO we don't know why anything should change between us. You still are my best friend after all, aren't you...?"

"Yas...", The muscular tousle-head stated moved... until suddenly another thought crossed Yasei's mind.

"But how are you able to...", Yet Yasei stopped mid-sentence, as he realized the answer, before even finishing his question.

Finding it difficult to swallow for a second, the young man asked his furry partner anxiously, not averting his eyes from his friend: "Asami... to form a bond you told me one would first need a blood-oath... to mix one another's blood?"

"Uh-huh...", The canine responded innocently, looking at her master curiously, not even assuming yet, what her master was more or less certain about already.

"After that, a sacrifice is required... right? Like offering a finger... a hand... an arm... an eye... or whatever one fancies sacrificing?"

"Uh-huh...?"

"OR one could make an even stronger bond by sharing each other's bodies by... mating... having sex, bluntly said?"

"Uh-huh...?", Asami responded once more in her usual manner... before finally realizing herself too, uttering an insightful, "OW...!"

"So... you too...?", Yasei finally asked, after a little pause, earning an oh too hesitant response from Yuma.

"Well...-", His friend started shyly... just to be immediately cut off by his partner.

"YES... our big guy Yumi is as straight as a bow! Straight as a curve. Just as straight as a circle's corners. About as straight as the guy playing Barney ...-"

"I AM GAY, OKAY? We get it!", Yuma finally burst out angrily, jumping off his seat... interrupting his partner obviously outraged.

As he, like that, earned not only utter silence and a shocked look from his partner, but from Yasei and Asami too, Yu sat down again, quietly apologizing, before he explained: "It was... Kat... when I met him... he slowly, but surely opened my eyes..."

Unexpectedly sitting closer too his master, placing his head in his lap, Katsuo looked up at the young man, who absent-minded started to pet his partner's head, as he continued: "My dad... he was a strict man... like REALLY strict. 'Men are supposed to be strong... unyielding', he told me over and over again. 'You'll see what it means... when you are all grown up... find a beautiful wife... and start a family', dad always talked into me."

"So...?", Yasei couldn't deny himself asking, earning him a mournful sigh from his friend.

"Well... I... I never really could find any interest in girls.", His friend finally said, in a tone as if he had committed a capital offense, only by how he felt, "I had plenty of girlfriends... but... well, they were nothing more but simple friends... even though quite a few of em probably hoped for more."

Interrupting himself with a quiet sigh, Yu looked over to his friend... and his partner. The look on his face clearly showing he feared, to get a beat-down for his words, or even be ordered to leave their apartment immediately.

Earning nothing but a raised eyebrow from Yasei, Asami still looking at him calmly, he explained with a heavy sigh, pointing at his ripped body: "ALL THIS... just to keep dad happy... keep me happy... to distract me of... not being manly enough... -"

"- ... not manly enough?!", Yasei burst out in disbelieve, at this statement, startling Asami... which still gave an eager nod seconds later, a wave of earnest anger clearly on her face, "That bullshit you yourself talking... or your dad? How would you not be manly enough? You're strong... and I'm not only talking about your body! You're brave... earnest... hard working for what you want... and I can't think about anybody more loyal as you!"

The young man looked at his partner, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek, adding to his words with a playful smile: "Aside from Asami of course... but, comparing anybody to her in that regard, is unfair anyway, as she is the unbeatable number one in the loyalty department... isn't that right sweetie?"

Looking at his furry partner at this words, he immediately earned a quiet chuckle, followed by a long lick, right across his face.

Giving a quiet laugh at this display of affection, Yu looked down at his own partner, returning his look with a skeptical look of his own, as his master asked jokingly: "Hey, big guy... why can't you be more like your sis? More of a cuddly kitty cat, instead of a grumpy tom?"

"Well... I can kiss you in public too... if that's what you want?", Katsuo just responded, earning a faint 'no thanks' in response, "Well... suit yourself...!"

In an attempt to make Yu feel a bit more... relaxed, about his 'oh so loathsome' feelings, Yasei warily asked: "SO... what would be your type then? I hope you're not just hanging with me, cause you're head over heels in love with me? Because I have to say: I like my partner's nether regions nice and wet, with a soft and damp pussy between their legs..."

"Oh... yes... he really does...!", Asami emphasized her master's words, a low moan in her voice, as she playfully nibbled on his ear.

Swallowing hard at the words of his two hosts, Yuma explained hesitantly: "No... no... I would never... I mean, you are a great guy... good looking... but...", Yu interrupted himself bashfully, before continuing on once more meekly, "... well... I like... well... -"

"- ... he likes them short!", Katsuo ended his master's stuttering try to explain, earning a more than surprised reaction of Yasei.

"You mean like Haru? Yu has the hots for HARU?", The young man asked literally astonished.

"Haru? Haru... Haru - Haru - HARU... YEAH! Haru was his name! That short guy, working in your department! YES!", The feline first mumbled to himself musingly, before eagerly agreeing, as he remembered.

"YAS... KAT... stop it!", Yu asked pleadingly, yet Yasei outright ignored his plead instead averting his attention to his partner.

"Yu and Haru... what do you think?", He asked the canine all gossipy.

"HM... I don't know... I think they'd be cute together, but... I think Haru wouldn't quite cut it... he's more or less scared of Yu after all!"

"OH... yeah...", Yasei responded frustrated, explaining to Katsuo, "You know... once one of the higher-ups asked Haru to go and ask something in Yu's department... the poor guy straight up ran to me, pleading to take this errand, using me being friends with him anyways as a face-saver!"

"YAS...!", Yuma once again interrupted pleadingly... yet once again being right out ignored.

"Once he even threw his computer right out of the window, cause Haru had invited half the firm to his birthday... and did not only, not invite him, but didn't even tell him about it. Poor Yuma only learned about it the other day, as people talked about Haru's party... and out it went...!"

The young man emphasized his words, with a swinging motion, pretending to throw something out the window... earning an outraged cry from his friend.

"NO... that's not true... what are you talking about? I didn't...-"

"- .... yes you did...!", Katsuo once more interrupted his handler dryly, with a stern face, "I know... I was there... right inside this hardheaded head of yours...!"

"YEAH... fine... whatever!", Yu finally acknowledged, before letting himself sink back on the couch asking, "To finally get away from who is what and what not... what have you two done so far, with your new handler and Yokai life?"

Leaving the older man be - he was two days, two months and two years older as Yasei, to be precise - they agreed to this exchange of information, Yu had suggested.

They told them about how they met... how they became real partners - the short cut, not the full version - and finally about acquiring their artifact.

"SAY WHAT? You were that guy who hacked that rich fella and exposed all of his hidden 'dirt' to the public?", Yu stated in utter disbelief at this revelation, having Yasei respond in a mere dismissive shrug.

"NAH... that was the guy, who gave me the software to hack his security... I only stole his sword... which according to his daughter, apparently was one of his favorites to boot.", He explained like it was nothing, before continuing on, now explaining himself to a really confused Yuma.

He told him about their training - roughly about their goals, but nothing about their methods - and what so far had happened to them... everything related to forming their bond aside.

"Wow... interesting approach... not to mention we have not made quite as much progress.", Katsuo replied, ignoring his master once again.

Like that - ignoring the annoyed moan of his master too - the guard-lion shared their part of their years as partners.

The feline told their hosts how they had met, about their bonding and their catalyst, just like Yasei had done... except for the part where Katsuo went way too much into detail, considering there . . . well, mating.

"SORRY... but now I can never again see you in the same light again...!", Yasei informed Yu after that... unasked enlightenment, just getting a 'please, just shoot me' gesture in response.

After this interception, letting the feline continue once more, Yu's partner too told them about there kind of training... and they had quite a different approach. According to his partner, Yuma had decided for each of them to train in his own proficiency. Meaning Yu kept training his body and fighting skills, while Katsuo improved upon the usage of all of there abilities in their merged state.

"Hm... so you won't be any good, huh?", Asami assessed, as her brother had finished, addressing Katsuo's master... having been incited to do so by her master telepathically.

"What... why... I am older... I have a Yokai partner for way longer... why am I no good?", Yu immediately asked in a mix of shock... and a kind of panic?

"Well... we'd need tips about training our magic... combat skills we can develop on our own... but we call you if we need a sparring partner, yeah?"

"WHAT? So I'm just good for a better punching back?"

"Uh-huh... kinda."

Leaving Yu utterly devastated, especially with this innocent and sincere smile of hers, she used to emphasize her words, they used the rest of the evening to exchange ideas and new possible training methods.

In the end, discussing training methods and what they had found out considering their abilities already, all evening, they topped the evening off with a home-cooked meal, served by Yasei himself. Or to be more precise, Asami attended to her brother's need, both now back in their animal forms once more, while her master attended Yuma.

"HUH... he really looks like a really gigantic Maine Coon cat...", Yasei finally stated, between to bites, pointing at Katsuo with his chop-sticks, "even though he has kinda longer legs... don't he?"

"Well... it's more or less a miniature form of there Yokai forms I guess? ... but another thing I had totally forgotten about: you two have met this Yoru guy, too?"

"Yeah... and I'm pretty sure he was the one who took out all those directors and the CEO too... cause the evening before this massacre, was when I first met him, right after my Iaido training. Well... not quite the first time... but the first time I saw them, he just passed me a letter, more or less saying to 'watch my back, to keep it fun'. OH... and we saw him a few days ago too... where he handed us some samurai style face-mask and a letter with some address on it, he told us to visit, in case we want to 'start taking this handler thing serious'...!"

"WHAT... seriously? A few weeks after I had met Katsuo he gave me the exact same thing... more or less. A face-mask covering everything, from my collarbone, up to my nose... but without any theme of design... and a letter, apparently quite similar to the one he gave you."

"Hm... what do you say? Wanna train till tomorrow morning and train some more, after a few hours rest, for preparations and check this... place of his out on Sunday?", Yasei asked on a whim, as they now where à deux and thus would surely stand a chance, should that Yoru guy really have some trap in wait for them.

Giving the idea a quick thought Katsuo and his master agreed to the plan, even if the feline seemed rather skeptical. He mused about this really being 'that bright an idea', as it came from Yasei after all, earning a roll of his eye from his master, an evil glare from her sister and an annoyed growl from Yasei himself.

Having decided that, Yuma continued eating for a while, before finally uttering a certain assumption, with an ominous smile: "SO... when you talked about 'having fooled around with your dog for too long' the other day... you were actually talking about you and Asami doing the ole sha-la-la-la-bang-bang, ey?"

Both Asami and Yasei, swallowing up on her food, it took em both quite a while before they were able to react to that accusation. Yasei thereby pushed the females water bowl towards her, with his foot, while he hastily tackled his prepared beverage. This safety measure, one he did apply after Asami's stern scolding the other day, after all.

"HEY...!", They finally both scolded Yuma in unison, after a relieved sigh, for not having chocked on there food.

"What... just asking...", The 27 years old asked in an innocent manner... having his hosts switch their attention towards his partner.

"Wot...?", The feline asked, mouth still full, as he recognized the looks of his sister and her master.

"So... Katsuo... what would you say... let's say if I'd promise to full fill one wish of yours - so far it is in my capabilities - in exchange for you banging Yumi, here on the floor, right now?", Yasei asked in a devilish tone, Yuma obviously regretting his own words, with every word his friend uttered.

"HM... whatever I want, you say... it surely would be weird... but...", Katsuo mumbled more to himself, giving his master an evil grin as if to clarify he indeed did consider this offer.

"WOW... wow-wow-wow-wow... hold your horse's kitty! We... no! Like hell your raping me right in front of my best friend!"

"OH... we both know you like it rough... so... no rape if you like it...!", The feline stated with a grim smile, slowly licking the remains of his meal off of his snout.

"HEY... dude... you can't be serious...!", The bigger man asked panicked, kinda reminding Yasei of a nerd, being bullied by some upper-classmen.

"Why... I'd think it would be funny...", Yasei explained in an innocent tone, Asami slowly nodding in agreement.

"SERIOUSLY... you're both impossible... no... all three of you...!", Yuma stated, hastily grabbing a bit more of the fried shrimp Yasei had made, before storming off and fleeing to the bathroom, locking the door behind him, to at least be able to finish his meal in peace.

"Well... that was unexpected...", Katsuo and Yasei stated at nearly the exact same time... sharing a quick glance, before averting their eyes with an unwilling huff.

Finishing their meal in silence, they only talked once more, as Yasei asked curiously while cleaning their dishes: "So... did you have any other encounters with Yoru? Or even a fight or something alike?"

"No... he just was playing bad-boy, as you had experienced too. Talking some smack about using our gift for a proper goal, instead of letting it go to waste and some more 'I am a mystery you'll never understand' crap. But apparently, he had quickly lost interest in us, as we did never meet him again, after this little... whatever he wants to accomplish, by luring us god knows where!", The Feline explained seemingly annoyed, before asking quietly... and almost a little shy, "So... you still want to get Yumi down on your floor, for a little demonstration of how we two bonded?"

Swallowing up on his own spit at this question, the young man stated, as he had recovered his breath: "Well... it kinda was more of a joke... but... I guess I can't stop you if you're really all gung-ho on this now...?"

Giving his host an almost wicked smile, the feline stated: "Dam right... more like the world goes under, before you can sway me into not doing something...!"

Responding in a defeated sigh, Yasei stated, pointing at his kitchen in an inviting gesture: "WELL... as I obviously have awakened the lion... feel free to do whatever you want here, as long as you don't break anything!"

Yuma returning just seconds later, asking irritatedly, while doing his dishes: "What may he feel free to do? Hope you two aren't still hung up on this kitchen rape bullshit?"

"Oh... no-no... not me! You think I'm crazy or something?", Yasei exclaimed in faked outraged... thus neither of the handler noticing Katsuo talking to his sister.

Asami just giving a low sigh to her brother's request, she agreed unwilling, calling Yuma to come over to her.

"What is it pretty?", Yu responded curiously, stepping over to the canine.

"You know... I'm really sorry... it was a stupid idea... we shouldn't even have come up with it...", The canine apologized, unable to look the big man in his eyes.

"AW... don't worry... Yas and I always...", Yuma explained, crouching down in front of Asami... interrupting himself suspiciously, as Katsuo took his Yokai form, "Wait a second... what idea are you talking about?"

"Well... this!", Asami explained, before jumping at Yuma nailing him down to the floor, sitting herself down on is upper body.

"OH GOD DAMN IT! Really Yas?"

"Not my idea...", The young man just exclaimed unshaken, while Katsuo nonchalantly started to get to work on Yuma's pants, who just stated something along the line 'fuck my life', as he gave in to his 'destiny'.

Watching Katsuo fight his pants - he wasn't wearing jeans with only buttons for nothing after all- he looked up at Asami, finally thinking to have found a weakness in this little plans of theirs. Putting his arms around the canine with a devious smile, Yuma proclaimed: "HA! You're mine now!"

At these words immediately fighting herself free of the strong arms of the almost giant human, Asami fled her post ASAP, running back to her master, to hide behind his legs. Shyly peeking out of her cover, she told her master in a scared tone: "He wanted to steal me... you did hear it too, didn't you?"

"Oh... no worries sweetie... he was just chocking, to get you off of him... at least I hope he was, as I don't want to have to incinerate him!", Yasei explained, a small fireball enkindling on his hand, making it almost look like it stood on fire.

Apparently really regretting leaving all the magic to Katsuo, Yu gave a sheepish, apologetic grin confirming Yasei's words, which just gave a quiet laugh. Not only would he never hurt his friend, but he couldn't do much more but this, with there magic, without risking setting his apartment on fire.

Giving an annoyed sigh, he shoved Katsuo away from his pants, removing it himself now... even if still a bit unwilling. Only left with his underpants now, Yu finally stated: "Well... as you and our hosts seem to insist on this one: Knock yourself out... and show those pervs what it really is you're best at!"

"OH... finally into it yourself too, huh?", The feline stated in a knowing grin, moving his master's pants out of the way, announcing as he liked his lips, "Still... you don't have to ask me twice on that request...!"

In a noise, almost sounding like a purr, the guard-lion started enveloping the human's member with long, caressing licks. Yuma meanwhile all too thankful, his partner's rough tongue was not as rough as a normal feline's, due to the part of him, which was canine... as he wouldn't even want to imagine...! A real lions tongue was rough enough to scrape flesh from bones, so... Yuma was really glad, his partner turned out to be more of a hybrid, but a pure breed.

Tenderly working his master's cock in the meantime, while he himself worried about rough tongues, Katsuo gave another appreciative moan, savoring the musky taste of his human partner.

"So... your brother...", Yasei asked quietly, pulling Asami closer too him, as he lovingly ruffled the canine's fur.

"Nah... not quiet... he more or less is into anything, as long as he desires to do so.", The canine explained with a shrug of her shoulders, before leaning closer to her master with a husky moan, "You know... as it would be kinda rude to, you know, just watch... why not show em how we can do every they can do better?"

"Oh... splendid idea puppy-dog... could almost be mine...!", The young man confirmed, in a quiet moan of his own, before capturing the canine in a deep, loving kiss.

Giving a low growl, at the challenge of their hosts, he looked up to his master in a questioning look. Yu just giving a low sigh, as he explained: "OKAY... okay... guess we really can't let them have their way, can we? So... come here my horny tom...!"

Answering in a needy growl, the big feline, stepped over his master, so his ass and jewels were right in front of his face. Making himself comfortable on his master's belly, Katsuo gave Yuma's member another long lick, before slowly letting the humans massive member, slide into his maw.

As the felines wet maw, enveloped his member, Yu gave a quiet moan... before grabbing his partner's furry butt, pulling it closer to him, burying his tongue in the lion's tight ass. Earning a relishing gasp, from his partner, he buried his finger deeper in the feline's fur, as he caressed the tight anal-ring of his partner with his soft human tongue.

Uttering an eager growl, at his master's attention, Katsuo eagerly worked more and more of his master's hard member into his maw and down his throat, sensually caressing it with his rough tongue. The human below him shuddering in a mix of lust and what he'd call worry, the guard-lion started to caress Yuma's hard man-flesh with even more vigor.

Panting in lust as his partner caressed his member, with his tongue eagerly curled around it, massaging it sensually, Yu stopped his teasing of the puckered butt-hole of the feline, instead now starting to treat him more... actively.

One hand placed on Katsuo's back, he placed his other between his legs massaging the feline's plain sheath. Yu started working one of his fingers down his partners tight ass, as he sucked the male's balls in his mouth, playfully massaging them with his tongue.

Giving a little laugh as he earned an indistinct cough of his feline partner, as his finger entered his rear, not to mention Yu's attention to his 'sanctuary', the muscular man eagerly focused on spoiling his partner oh the more.

Letting the in comparison kinda tiny member of the lion, slip right into his mouth, he sucked it tenderly, as he teased its tip with his tongue.

As Katsuo's member slipped deeper and deeper into Yumas mouth, until it touched the back of his throat, the feline himself, gave a quick look to Asami and her master, seconds later starting to more or less double his efforts.

Asami and her master were kissing tenderly, Yasei caressing the erect teats of the feline's sister, as she eagerly moaned into his mouth, her tongue playfully wrestling her master's.

Not only slightly pissed, about how close the human was to his sister, but also not willing to have them have the victory in this undeclared competition, Katsuo pressed his rear up to his master's face, working the human's member with a hungry moan.

Gasping on the sudden eagerness of his partner, Yuma had to move his head back a little further, taking a short break to catch breath, before once more going back, to returning the felines favor. In slow, but deliberate moves, moving the felines member, in and out of his mouth, he passionately massaged the spiky dick with his tongue. At the same time shoving two more fingers up his furry partner's butt, he gave a satisfied chuckle as Katsuo gave a surprised gasp. The lion paused with Yu's member deep down his throat, like that, as he was waiting for his rear to adjust to the intruding fingers... all the while shuddering in lust.

Feeling the feline's balls twitch under his attention, he gave a little gasp of his own, as his partner finally started to eagerly suck him off again.

Once more pushing back against his master, Katsuo grabbed his paw around Yu's balls, massaging them tenderly, as he once more worked his shaft. Turning his head ever so slightly, in a spinning motion, the feline massaged his human's member with his tongue, eagerly keeping his rear pressed up against Yuma's face.

As the feline kept his crotch firmly pressed against his face, Yuma was able to do little more, but keeping at massaging the rough inner flesh of Katsuo's ass. Under the eager attention of his partner, the bulky young man doubled his efforts, caressing the member in his mouth with his tongue, waiting for the feline to cum, down his waiting throat.

Taking little longer but a few seconds to finish, Katsuo soon shot his feral sperm, deep down his master's throat. Not quite able to get his master to come too, the lion just gave up on it, slowly dismounting off of the fingers down his ass, as Yuma gulped down the seed his partner had shot down his throat, coughing quietly.

Licking his lips in obvious desire, the feline slowly turned around, stating sarcastically: "Sorry master... seems like I couldn't quite finish you off... but to look on the bright side: even more, you can pump your loyal servant full with...!"

"Well... guess I can't complain than... as long as you won't let me wait too long, on returning that favor...!", Yu stated, with a husky moan, Katsuo actually giving him a sincere smile as he slowly stepped atop his master.

"Oh... not too worry master... I tend to pay up may bills... like a really good kitty...!"

"Well... then go on my big tom-boy...", Yuma responded, with a lustful grin, Asami and Yasei - the male's fingers buried to the knuckles in the bitches cunt - not even close to being of interest for him anymore.

His two hosts, making out eagerly, as his best friend fingered his partner hard, weren't even really part of Yuma's perception anymore... as the muscular male, was way more interested in Katsuo right now. The feline finally revealing - what his master tended to call 'his real self' - as he oh to clearly horny climbed atop of his master, there was little more that could have caught Yumas attention.

Katsuo meanwhile, not even bothering to think about anything, besides pleasing his master, let himself slowly sink down on Yuma's hard cock, giving a needy moan, as the human's giant member speared his rear open.

"Now that's my good kitty...", The human finally stated in a husky moan, his partner just responding in a dry 'shut it', as he leaned in for an eager kiss.

Yuma returned the intimate kiss oh too eagerly, as he long was used to the sandpaper-like texture... well, of almost the whole body of the feline, resulting from his partner's magical element. Burying his fingers deep in the long mane of the feline, Yuma tenderly ruffled the long mane of the guard-lion, as he returned the feline's affections.

Quietly moaning in the kiss with his master, quietly purring under Yu's attention, Katsuo buried the human's penis up to his balls, up his ass.

"What's it called again... it's not gay unless the balls are touching?", The feline finally asked in a sultry voice, breaking their kiss, as he ground his butt against Yuma's crotch.

"Oh... shut up and keep kissing...!", His master just ordered, eagerly pushing up against the lions rear, before grabbing the mane on his head, pulling him close into an intimate kiss once more.

Cooperating in a needy growl, the guard-lion once more let his tongue slip into Yu's mouth, tenderly caressing the tongue of his master, as he slowly started to ride him.

Uttering quiet moan, in their deep kiss, Yuma started thrusting against each move of his feline partner. His balls hit the feline's ass with a quiet slapping noise each time, Yuma giving low gasps, whenever Katsuo hilted him deep in his warm body. Like that placing one of his hands on the back of his head, to keep the Yokai close, his hand buried deep in his lush mane, Yu let his other hand slowly wander to his partner's butt.

His hand placed on the base of Katsuo's tail, Yuma started massaging the puckered ring of flesh, having the Yokai unwillingly tighten even more around his member, as he kneaded the felines rear around his cock, with two of his finger.

All too soon breaking loose of his master in a loud gasp, Katsuo set up more straight once more, starting to ride Yu in a fast pace now, their hips giving an audible, little smack, whenever the feline went down on the human's member.

Grabbing the guard-lion's waist like that, Yu started humping his partner, accompanied with quiet little moans, on every forceful descend on his member, making the slapping noises of their crotches even more audible. Gasping aloud, whenever the feline briefly hilted his member deep within his furry body, it didn't take Yuma long, in the end, until he finally came with a husky moan.

Katsuo however not letting down on humping his master, now even more lubricated, by the human seed slowly spilling out of his rear, Yuma let go of his partner's hips, grabbing Katsuo's erect feline member instead. Starting to massage the spiky tip of the feline dick with one hand, as he massaged the barely recognizable knot on the base of the guard-lion's penis.

Closing his eyes in relish, under his master's attention, Katsuo's movement upon his master's member soon became slower... more eradicate, as his ever so slightly twitching cock, foretold of the feline's impending orgasm.

Finally coming to a stop, his eyes closed in ecstasy, Yu buried deep up his ass, the Yokai panting heavily, as he slightly bucked against the teasing hand, until he came all over his master's shirt, with a barely stifled roar.

"Well... that was more entertaining as I expected...", Yasei finally stated a while later, having the both of them look at him obviously startled, "Oh... forgotten I was here? Guess you two are more of a pair than I guessed, upon your iffy demeanor so far."

Yu immediately averting his eyes abashed, Katsuo shot the young man an evil glare... especially as his eyes fell upon his sister. Asami laying splayed across Yasei's lap, belly up, her tongue lolled out, one of her legs meekly twitching in the air, as her master continued massaging the swollen pussy of the red-furred bitch.

Like that giving an annoyed huff, Katsuo too averted his eyes, instead giving his master a quick look, before starting to lick Yumas shirt clean of his semen, without any further comment.

After being done whit their 'cleaning', they soon after started the training, they had planned earlier. Yasei thereby might not have gotten a shower in semen, but in 'horny female droll', so... a change into his tracksuit it was.

Having planned to do so in the end anyway, Yasei wasn't really bothered by it, so they now could finally start their training.

"SO... I just hope you don't intend on making this a habit... you know what I mean... as a warm-up or with whatever you two pervs may come up with, for an excuse...!", Yu stated as they climbed the stairs, up to the roof. He didn't dare naming their little sex-play as what it was though... as not to give anybody else living in this building, any weird ideas about Yasei.

He was kinda sure, his friend could very well provide this on his own... but why unnecessarily provoke things.

"Nah... whatever gave you that idea... you think I am some kind of sex-maniac?", Yasei asked in pretended outrage.

"NO... just worried about my buddy here... and you giving him another weird idea...!", Yuma responded, with quiet laughter, giving a nod in the direction of the big Maine Coon cat - which almost looked like a mix of lion and lynx - accompanying them, better known as his partner, Katsuo.

"OH... no worries, I think you're able to do so just fine yourself...", The young man answered, in a knowing smile, patting his friend's strong shoulder.

"What...?", Yu asked confused, before seconds later seeing what he meant, as Katsuo gave him a big, devilish grin, having him just state in an unnerved sigh, "Oh fantastic...!"

Arriving on the rooftop, Yuma gave an impressed whistle.

"Wow... that's really some nice training-ground."

"Isn't it?", Yas stated in a satisfied huff, leading the other pair of handler and Yokai to follow them up to the roof.

Arrived on the big elevation, in the middle of the roof, Yasei finally stated, as he summoned his artifact in his hand, through a small portal: "SO... then let us see this catalyst of yours!"

"Well... not sure if you'll be able to bear with this...!", His muscular friend asked in a satisfied grin, as he just raised one hand, before a small vortex of sand formed around his arm.

"What the heck...", Asami and Yasei both stated confused, yet curious... and utterly surprised as the cloud of sand formed into Yuma's artifact!

Entangling Yu's muscular arm, like a snake, the cloud of sand condensed first... before materializing in the form of his catalyst.

Inspecting the bandages - ones like they were worn in boxing - around the male's hand, Yasei finally stated: "WOW... you weren't kidding with the kimono... you can even still, see the cherry blossoms, which probably were its ornamentation? But... why an old kimono? I mean: how did you get your hands on a, a few hundred years old kimono?"

"Well... it was in the family for quite a while now... about seven generations if I remember correctly. I inherited it after my mother's death and as Kat said we needed some like REALLY OLD item for a catalyst, this was a perfect choice!", Yuma explained, shrugging his shoulders, "So I got it out of stocking and carefully made it into a set of boxing-bandages to use as an artifact-weapon."

"Huh... well... this really kinda makes sense... cause from the moment you told me your catalyst was a kimono... I had not the slightest clue what to expect!"

"WELL... see... told you I am a clever guy...!"

Not disagreeing with that Yasei asked: "So... how you wanna start this training? Cause I for once would find it really interesting to learn how you just summoned your catalyst! Might give us a few new ideas as to how to use our own magical element. Especially since I guess this had taken quite some effort to accomplish, as we, after all, had quite a rough time, only to master forming elemental portals... kinda don't even want to imagine what kind of delicate control it would take too master THAT!"

"Well... I'll gladly show you, but first...", He waved Yasei closer with a provoking wave of his hand, "Come at me, bro!"

"Hm... that was kind of a bad move. After all, we had spent the last few days to think up ways how we could best Yoru, with only our current skills...", Yas stated dryly, pushing his blade out of its sheet.

In a sudden movement, Asami jumped at her master, the both of em merging in a brilliant flare of light, additionally enhanced by using their catalyst... well as a catalyst.

Uttering a surprised shout, at the sudden flash of light, Yuma's eyes turned wide, as he suddenly felt an intense heat mere inches away of his neck! Finally able to see properly again, the man saw Yasei, standing right in front of him, the glowing blade on his outstretched arm, mere inches away of his throat.

"WOW... that was unexpected... using the flash of light of your merge, like a flash-bang... too bad our element can't provide assistance like that...!"

"... but during our little training, you'll learn we have quite a few aces up our sleeves ourselves!", Katsuo thereby stated with a knowing grin, apparently all too eager for some sparring matches.

Yasei just gave an impassive shrug to Katsuo's words, instead explaining on his friend's assessment: "Well... our element is fire after all. No matter how much it may not be 'anger and destruction' but 'life and warmth'... I'd pretty much prefer to find some non-lethal ways of using it, as I'm not really eager to see the world burn...!"

"Oh really? WELL... good Asami's partner is no pyromaniac then... but still, you really have to quote some anime nonsense on me?", Yu complained, in an annoyed sigh, earning an outraged huff of his friend.

"So what... you liked The Last Airbender too... and don't pretend you didn't, all of a sudden!", Yasei retorted in a resentful tone, pointing at the slightly older man in an accusative manner.

"Okay... okay... relax... I was just kid... -"

"- ... so... you ladies finally finished chit-chatting than? I thought this was supposed to be combat training here, not a tea party!", Katsuo interrupted his master unblinking, once again back to what Yasei would call his 'real self'.

"All right... all right kitty... sheesh. Your pretty non-chill, for somebody who just got his brains fucked out."

"PAH... no fucking out happened there... and now come at us, or I really maul... YOU!", The feline shouted out in surprise, as Yasei suddenly jumped at him.

Attacking him in a ferocious, yet perfectly coordinated manner, he left the guard-lion little more choice, but defending himself. Collecting a vortex of sand, all around his body, while hastily avoiding the young man's attack, Katsuo released the sand he had collected after a while, in a forceful gust of sand, forcing Yasei to fall back on him.

Finally stepping towards his partner, with a reproving click of his tongue, Yuma put a hand on the Yokai's shoulder, both merging in an impervious sandstorm covering them, as there human and spirit body merged into one.

"Now... let's get this party started, shall we?", Yu finally stated in a provocative tone, his irides now bearing a dull brown and beige tone, looking like an approaching sandstorm might.

"Ow... gladly my friend...!", Yasei stated, his irides inflaming into the twin-suns he and Asami had been presented with when they had first merged.

"Oh... how pretty... but let's see what you two can really do...!", The muscular man, challenged them in a sarcastic tone.

Indeed getting to see quite an arsenal of 'Aces', as their sparing got on, Asami and Yasei got quite a few new ideas, only through this sparring match of theirs.

Having thought the strategy to fight in tandem, instead of unison, to be more or less counterproductive, Yasei learned all too soon, how it gave the two of them quite an impressive arrangement of offense and defense.

Not only did it allow Yuma to fight however he pleased, without having to worry about defending against magical attacks, but it made his own magical offense all the more unpredictable.

Avoiding a punch, only to suddenly be hit by a wave of sand, just to learn seconds later, they enhanced his punches with their magic too, as Yasei tried to guard against the next attack, in order to not be hit by another wave of sand.

As they had found out in the very first seconds of the sparring match, they had covered Yuma's arms and fists, in a torrent of sand, like a tiny sandstorm... which revealed only now to have just as much offensive purposes, as it had defensive. The tightly cluttered sand particle, even further strengthened due to the close proximity to his catalyst, were not only able to block physical weapons, but it also gave each punch of the devoted boxer an almost cutting quality.

Giving a low, annoyed growl Yasei changed his stance into a more mid-ranged one, as he did not want to have his tracksuit destroyed even further, by the sandblaster like torrents, surrounding Yuma's arms.

Enlarging his attacks in more lunging attacks, Yasei sacrificed quite a bit of his attack strength, yet gained quite some more speed and range out of his attacks like that.

He indeed seemed to catch his friend off guard at first, having the muscle-head struggle to adapt to his new style, for a few seconds... yet the two of them, oh too clearly proved Yasei and Asami, how they were able to adjust their battle strategies just as easily.

Each attack of the muscular man, now accompanied by a long reaching wave of sand, it was only as it was already too late, that the pair realized, how Yu and Katsuo hat lured them in a cleverly set trap, with there surprisingly easy to dodge attacks.

Finally finding an opening in Yuma's attacks, even though it was just for a split second, Yuma caught him in utter surprise, as he just let his hands sink, totally opening him to any attack Yasei may desire.

"What the...", Yasei stuttered surprised, still keeping a defensive position.

"Well... you know... I told you we decided to train magic and physical abilities separately... but I never said I wasn't able to control our magic too!", Yu explained after a painfully long pause, in which they were just staring each other down.

"WHAT?", The young man asked in confusion, as his friend pointed at his feet, with one of his fingers... before finally stating in disbelieve, "Oh shit..."

Executing a sweeping motion with his hands, the sand beneath Yasei's legs followed the motion, Yasei thus straight out and quite literally having 'the rug pulled down from under his feet'.

Seeing himself fall to the ground, like in a time-lapse, he was unable to do anything, to prevent landing on the loose sand... which all to soon came to life, pining Yasei too the ground, as it gripped his wrists and ankles in a vice-like grip.

Lifting his head again, he found Yu standing above him, a victorious smile on his face... before he let his fist go down on his head in a forceful motion!

Reflexively closing his eyes, Yasei finally found the fist of his friend mere inches away from his nose, as he opened his eyes once more.

"Wow... well played big guy...", The young man finally stated in a defeated sigh, his eyes reverting to their normal looks once more.

"Well... you know you could easily have Asami attack me, as I stood above you, doing nothing for a second?", Yuma finally asked as the sand binding his friend's arms and legs became loose again, before helping him stand up.

"Kinda...", Yasei made use of one of his partner's favorite words, as he explained, "I probably would have done so too... if it had been a real fight that is. Our match here was a one-on-one duel... so I surely would never dare to use a cheap tactic like that, if it's just for training!"

Appearing out of one of their flaming portals, right next to Yuma, Asami explained proudly: "YEAH... we never would... as it would dishonor the code of bushy doe!"

"Bushy... doe?", Yuma asked evidently confused, Yasei just responding in quiet laughter, as he waved Asami back to his side.

"Yeah... it's BU - SHI - DO... not a bushy doe...", The young man explained, as he lovingly caressed the female's neck, pulling her close to his legs, as he lay his hand around her shoulder.

"Oh bravo...", The sound of Katsuo's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as he formed a portal right out of the sand they had summoned, "A code of honor, is it? You're aware something like that would rather get you killed, before doing anything else?"

Yasei just gave a low sigh, as the sand dispersed all over the roof, collected in a little whirlwind around the feline, before dissipating into thin air.

"WELL... you don't have to follow any codes if you don't want too...", The young man told the guard-lion, who once again returned to his animal form, earning but an unimpressed huff.

"So... I'd say this was quite a success, wouldn't you?", He like that finally asked his partner, the red-furred bitch, giving an eager nod, "We got quite a few ideas and rudiments... but one thing I still want to know: How you did the thing with your artifact... any other strategy we may develop on our own."

Giving a quiet laugh, Yuma gave a quick nod, implying his hosts to follow him down the roof. Sitting down on the little staircase, he summoned the catalyst on his other arm too. Yasei once again watched the process in awe, before his friend started explaining what had given them the idea to this technique and how Yas and Asami could utilize it too.

Having proven he was indeed not only muscles without any brains, by discovering the technique more or less on his own, Yu tarnished this achievement of his, by proving himself absolutely incapable of explaining or even teaching it, mere seconds later.

In a defeated sigh, Katsuo took on the role of tutor like that, proving surprisingly good a teach, considering his usual behavior.

"God damn it... just as I had a roll...", Yuma mumbled sulkily, as his partner explained the technique he had originally developed all on his own.

In the end really quietly ranting on like that, for all of the time it took Katsuo to explain and tutor their hosts, Yasei gave him a soothing pat on the back as they were done.

"Don't worry big guy... we know the world is evil and everybody is against you...", The young man stated jokingly, as he climbed down the two steps, of the little stair.

"Yeah... I know... wait what? That's neither what I meant nor what I said...!", Yu responded sulkily, before adding rather confused, "HEY... you two done with training already...? I thought... -"

"- ... NAH... just going to do some research, so... you two may feel free to continue your own practical training as much as you want up here.", Yasei interrupted his friend with a dismissive wave of his hands, Asami adding eagerly: "Just keep on training than we can test each other's progress in a few hours from now?"

"Ehr... sure...-"

"- ... you heard the two of em: TRAINING!", Yu once again was interrupted, this time from his partner, Katsuo all too sternly ordering him back up to there 'arena' back too training, "Had we had a real fight against them, we would have been dead within the first stroke of his sword! SO... back to the basics and MAKE IT SNAPPY!"

Yuma thus getting pushed into drills and exercise, probably able to make the most hardcore drill-sergeant cry after mere minutes, Yasei got back down into his apartment, doing what he did best: planning and research!

Asami herself too did what she did best, as her master started his self-made scholarship about all facets and traits of fire: she rummaged the fridge, devouring everything she could find, before being discovered.

"You know I only leave things in the fridge you either would not like, as long as it is not cooked or I don't have any troubles in you devouring it, in one of those hunger-pangs?", Yasei finally asked as he had taken about one full page of notes.

"U-UU... ai wouln ouch id if ai didn ow affer al...!", Asami confirmed eagerly, her mouth still plentifully full with all her scavenged snacks... before suddenly giving what sounded like an excited moan.

Like that the female dug her head deeper inside the fridge, to scavenge the leftover fried chicken from yesterday, her master had hidden in the furthest depths of the fridge... the female should work for her treats after all!

Yasei spend the next few hours, on researching all possible effects fire, or simply put heat, could have on... almost anything. Thus researching anything from plasma, up to advanced effects, like the Leidenfrost effect, he felt almost like he tried to search the whole internet up and down once.

Almost another hour later, declaring this research as completed, he started over with different effects of heat on the body, from simple ones like burning, up to how heat affects the fatigue of humans and other species.

Near to half an hour later, Yasei suddenly spun around on his office chair, asking Asami - which sat down next to him a while ago - in shock: "CRAP... what about Yu and Kat?"

The female clearly startled by the sudden outburst, taking a while to catch her breath again, finally stated: "For starters: NEVER... do that again..." - "Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you, sweetie..." - "... and I didn't mean to scold you... sorry, Yasei...", The female immediately answered in a sorry tone... before coming to grips with herself once more, as she shook her head vigorously, continuing with her answer, "... and considering our two guests... I think they are fine... PLUS: better not check on them yet, before we have made satisfying progress. Not only because they surely have made up some sound counter-strategies, but... you know how you are...!"

Referring to her master's almost obnoxious perfectionism, he agreed with a quiet sigh, returning back to his self-imposed scholarship.

"WOW... you only have to increase a humans body temperature to about 320 Kelvin, to boil and agglutinate the protein in a humans blood, thus engineering an anemic infarct, killing them from the inside, without even as much as injuring them!", The young man finally stated astonished, after quite a bit more research.

"Ouch... sounds scary... you think we can exchange our elemental for somebody else's?", The bitch responded worriedly, earning an outraged huff from her master.

"Giving away an ability like that? We could just as much hack some nuclear missiles and gift the launch codes to a toddler...! As far as I am concerned, I'm mighty glad you were endowed with this power and not the partner of some crazy dipshit like Yoru!"

"Well... I would not call him an idiot... he more or less read us like a book back at the shrine after all... plus mastering a power like illusion magic would surely take quite some wits and cunning, don't you think?"

"Yeah... yeah... I know, I know... but you know what I mean?"

"Uh-huh...!", The red-furred bitch responded eagerly, just to cock her head musingly as she asked reflectively, "Or... no... maybe not... NAH...! NOW I GOT IT!"

She gave her master a wide grin upon her enlightenment, just earning a quiet laugh in response, Yasei stating once more: "Silly goose...!"

"HEY...!"

"What is it granny, any problems?"

Going silent immediately, Asami just stated sheepishly: "NO... NO... everything fine."

Giving a quiet giggle once more, Yasei asked jokingly, before returning to his 'research': "Why you even keeping complaining, about being a silly goose?"

"Gooses aren't delicious...", The bitch just responded sulkily, before once again getting comfortable on her spot, on the couch, once again continuing to watch over her master.

Finishing his research up in yet another hour, Yasei gave an exhausted sigh, before finally proclaiming: "OKAY... I guess I now know enough to at least have some new ideas when fighting Yu and your brother... so... what do you say? Wanna try to think up some more strategies, or check up on our guests? Wouldn't be in our interest if Katsuo would rush my best friend to death, just trying to learn something new, to best us once more, just to spite me... don't you think?"

Her master's tone seriously thoughtful, Asami took a few seconds to evaluate their chances, before stating: "Well... better check on em... and should we fail again, you can just blame it on me... after all, I did nothing, while you almost wrote a whole dissertation about fire and heat!"

"Well... I don't think the 'blaming you part' will be necessary... but should we fail, I'll just add it to tonight's spanking!"

A significant shudder of lust running through the female's body at this thought, she stated a few seconds later: "Well... that's kinda no help... as I would really like this... consequences for failure..."

"Just be a good girl like always and we all will have our fun in one or the other way...", Yasei thwarted Asami's ambitions, giving a slight roll of his eyes, considering how horny the female had become those last days.

With a quiet laugh and a quick slap on Asami's rear, earning a surprised yelp from the canine, the young man led the canine up to the roof once more. The bitch thereby did follow obediently, yet still... not without throwing her master a lustful glare, brushing her tail over his body, as she walked past him, exposing her damp pussy, in all its glory.

"Asami...!", The young man scolded her playfully, giving her rear yet another sound slap, having the canine flee up the stairs hastily, in yet another surprised yelp.

A mere minute later, arriving on the rooftop, Yasei hunting his furry partner up the stairs playfully... they both froze right in place, as they arrived on the rooftop.

"Master... I don't know this feline...!", Asami stated dryly, as her eyes fell upon her brother.

"I don't know any of those two either... what are they even doing on our rooftop?", Her master responded in quite the same tone, giving their two guests an unnerved glare.

Yu and Katsuo did train quite a lot, going by the fact, that their whole 'arena' was covered in a thick layer of sand, almost resembling a small dessert or a big sandbox... yet what they were doing right now, surely was no training...!

"The two of you do know, that anytime, anybody living in this apartment complex could come up to this roof, finding you humping thin air, in a freaking field of sand?!", Yasei finally asked Yuma, who seemed to have been busy humping his feline partner, like a buck in rut.

"Ehr... it's... it's not what it looks like?", The muscular male tried to talk himself out of the whole scene... his member buried deep down his partner's ass telling a totally different story, all the while.

Giving a beaten sigh, Yasei changed a quick glance with his own partner, before explaining: "You know what, never mind...!"

With a sweeping gesture of his hand, all the sand on the ground suddenly started to glow deep red, except for a little patch below their guest's feet. The sand slowly started to glow ever brighter, giving off intense heat, as it slowly melted down in red hot, liquid glass.

Covering the whole area in a thin, red-hot layer of rough glass like that, the glowing sand finally, slowly took a more crimson color.

"Don't forget cleaning up all this... and... you may want to wait a while, before trying to leave, as I heated all the sand you had scattered here, to about 2200 degree, so... better not touch that all too soon!", Yasei instructed his guests, before turning around and leaving.

Having to admit, this little trick of his, having left him quite exhausted, considering the quantity of sand he had manipulated, the young man still was quite certain, that it was totally worth it.

Holding the door open for his partner, he couldn't resist, but to let his hand wander under her tail, firmly stroking over her puffy pussy as he stated: "Seems like somebody gets her treat a little bit earlier as expected...!"

The canine's tail shooting high into the air, on this aspect, the needy bitch ran up and away, as her master once more slapped her rear playfully, further emphasizing his point.

Little later the young man arrived to an excited Asami in front of his door, prancing on the spot once more, tail wagging eagerly as he opened the door.

"You sure you're no horse...?", He finally stated in a quiet laugh, as he opened the door, his furry partner disappearing in the apartment and running off to the bedroom right away.

"OH... I wish she would be as eager in other tasks...", Yasei stated in a low sigh, slowly starting to suspect his Yokai bitch being in heat, or something...!

"HEY... puppy-girl... you in heat or something...?", The young man like that asked on a whim, as he entered their bedroom... finding the lion-dog bitch laying splayed out on his bed.

Laying on her back, front legs pulled close to her body, hind legs spread wide, as to expose her swollen canine flesh to her mate, she asked in a husky voice: "Why not come and try...?"

Somewhere in between shock and surprise, about how eagerly Asami presented herself, in her Yokai form, Yasei finally just gave a low sigh, stating in defeat: "... well... not like I can deny my puppy-dog anything, can I?"

Asami giving a low moan, as her master slowly stepped closer to her, losing his cloth one after the other, as he slowly stepped closer to the bed. Climbing atop the female, lying down on her silky belly, Yasei scratched her chest with one hand, as he gave her a short tender kiss, as he asked quietly: "So... guess your not interested in any foreplay, I presume."

Just giving a feral grin, the lion-hound instead responded in a low moan, pulling her master close in an eager, loving kiss, as her wet vulva ground against her master's semi-erect member, which pushed against her hot folds eagerly already.

"Well... that's what I like to hear...!", The young man responded in an eager moan, breaking their kiss for a second, just to lean in close once more but a heartbeat later.

Not allowing the female to once again steep her tongue into his mouth, he was this time clearly dominating the female. Grinding his cock, over her swollen folds, the young man allowed her but to meagerly lick back against his kiss, as he tenderly nibbled on the soft jabs of the female, earning an interesting mixture of desire and reluctance.

Giving an eager growl, as his cock and jewels ground against her wet canine pussy, Yasei allowed the female a bit more room, to lap against his kiss and taste his mouth. He yet still, kept clear control over any movement of the female, as he tenderly caressed her face with one hand, the other still buried deep in her fur, lazily scratching the lion-hounds strong chest.

"Please...", The canine finally pleaded, content with the domination of her partner, yet burning up inside, as her master just rubbed her swollen pussy lips teasingly, with his hard man flesh.

"OH... puppy that needy?", Yasei asked teasingly, removing himself but a few inches, from her maw... finding a strange kind of satisfaction, in the bitches heavy panting, as she pleaded for his attention.

"Yes... yes... please... fill your puppy-dog with your seed...!", Asami confirmed, pleading as she still panted heavily, wanting nothing more but her master buried deep within her.

"WELL... guess I can't argue with that...", Her master stated in a patronizing tone... slowly pulling his cock back, over the hot folds of his bitch, before finally penetrating her in one hard trust.

Earning a hearty moan, from the lion-hound below him, he started humping the female in long eager thrusts, finally allowing the female to fully slip her tongue into his mouth, caressing him lovingly, as he gently nibbled on her tongue and canine lips.

Only as he was buried deep into her silken depth, he noticed the abundant heat of the canine's body... she was already hot - literally hot - when she was horny... but THIS was on a wholly different level.

For a few seconds musing about her really being in heat... he shortly after dismissed the thought. Should she really be in heat, it was only the more reason for him to give her what she needed... plus: surely a being, that was more or less a ghost, wouldn't be able to get impregnated by a mere human.

How crazy would that be after all?

Like that giving a low growl, before suddenly wrapping his arm around her neck, pulling her close and biting her ear, before finally starting to hump his puppy-dog nice and hard.

Giving a surprised gasp, as her master bit her ear, even if only gently nibbling on it, Asami gave yet another gasp, turning into a lustful moan, as he started to really fuck her. Shudders of lust running through the females whole body, as it was rocked in every powerful thrust, her pussy flesh grabbed down eagerly on Yasei's member.

Yasei gave a loud moan in delight, as the hot flesh of his female grabbed around his dick like that, bringing him utter delight, like he never felt before. Asami's canine flesh at the same time got pulled along even further, in every thrust he pulled out of her, before slamming right back in her greedy depths.

The swollen lips of the bitch, acted almost like a cushion, whenever he buried himself deep inside of her, eliciting a muffled moan of his female, whenever his balls got pushed flush against her hot vulva.

Falling back into a bit more timid speed, as to not disappoint Asami, by cumming before she even got a bit of satisfaction, he once again pulled the bitch close into a loving kiss, as he kept fucking her hot pussy. Still denying her any control still, he tenderly nibbled on the female's canine lips, as he oh too clearly felt a shudder of lust run through his body, every time he hilted himself in the lion-hound's damp depths.

Eagerly responding to her master's attention once more, Asami submissively embraced her given boundaries, allowing herself to utterly be left to Yasei's tender mercies.

Her tail tip twitching weakly, as shudders of lust ran through her body, she wrapped her paws around Yasei, pulling him close to her, as she eagerly pressed herself against his every thrust - as far as she was able to - pleading in a needy moan: "Please... please cum... fill your bitch...!"

In a quiet laugh, burying his face deep in the females mane, indulging himself in the sweet, yet smoky scent he had grown so accustomed too, he gladly complied with his female's wish. Humping her in hard trusts once more, he could all to soon feel the almost dull claws of the canine burrowing into his back, as her pulsing folds eagerly milked his dick.

The slapping noise of his balls against the canines puffy pussy-lips and the lustful moans of the pair, remained the only noises in the room for few more sweet seconds, until both came in a lustful moan. Yasei buried himself deep inside his female like that, shooting his cum deep inside her fertile depths, as Asami pleaded in a husky moan: "Please... please give me your cubs...!"

Being more but shocked, he lifted himself off of the canine... yet he still seemed not quite 'shocked enough', as he still kept himself hilted deep inside Asami, as he looked down at her with a probing look.

Still panting heavily... still buried deep inside of his partner, Yasei finally asked suspiciously, as he had emptied everything he had, inside the Yokai's needy depths: "CUBS? So you are in heat... and humans... and Yokai, could indeed have kids together?!"

Averting her eyes ashamed, the lion-hound bitch explained sheepishly: "Well... yes and no... I mean... I am in heat... but... it... you may be able to impregnate me... probably... but it is just as unlikely, as getting a human pregnant right away... I guess... and... and only handler and their partner could possibly have young together... but..."

"WOW... wow... wow... hold your horses! You knew... and still made me fuck you?"

"I... didn't know... it's just... a guess...?"

"Yeah? Sure it's not some more 'magically implanted knowledge'?"

"NO... I mean... maybe... please don't hate me...!", The female tried to explain, finally bursting out in a desperate shout, pleading her master not to abandon her.

Yasei, just looking the female over, finally gave a quiet sigh, before stating: "OH... whatever! Your an animal... considering my world... so... even if your theories should be right... I guess it wouldn't be too hard, to look after a little you! If it would be as smart and kind as you at that..."

"WHAT... you... you would really keep it?", Asami asked in utter disbelief, eyes wide, and jaw agape.

"Well... I guess... it would be worse if you would suddenly give birth to a human... cause with a little cub, we could always sell it off as an 'accident' in the park, or something like that...?"

"You... you would deny it beeing your young?", The female asked, now almost outraged... yet pretty quick silencing herself with a quiet yelp, as her master gave a quick flick against her snout.

"Of course I would, in front of all human, who don't have any clue you're more than a 'stupid animal', as they see you! ... but if you'd like... should this 'hunch' of yours really be genuine, you could, of course, tell like Yu... and your brother... even though the later would probably maul me, for impregnating his sister... should it really work, like you just told me..."

After this Asami not really brave enough to ask to pursue the subject any further the female fell in utter silence. Yasei himself meanwhile found himself too worried, the female's guess may indeed be some of 'her implanted knowledge', as to pursue the topic any further.

After all, would they be one of the memories, instilled by the spell which summoned her... it would make it an indeed legitimate information.

Like that returning to their research and planning how to implement all their ideas, the two of them didn't talk one more word for the rest of their evening, except those related to their training and study.

Working on their 'research' for a few hours like that, it was almost around midnight, as Katsuo suddenly knocked at their door, asking for some... trash bags?!

He didn't tell a word about what they'd need those for... but Yasei could swear, he could hear the feline swearing about something like 'how dare they burn our sand'... or something alike. He like that was apparently ranting on about them having to clean up this whole mess the old fashioned way.

Giving a quiet laugh, as this proved his theory correct, about the two of them no longer being able to control their sand, if he melted it into glass, Yasei returned to Asami in at least slightly higher spirits.

"Well... seems like we have at least their element under control... at least in theory, that is...", The young man explained like that, lovingly petting his furry partner, as if to additionally prove their little... confusion, was not meant to last forever.

Like that going back to sifting through his notes, making himself comfortable on their couch, he invited Asami to join him. Having his furry companion once again close to him, her head on his lap, Yasei obviously enjoyed having his partner close to him once again... just as much as he simply found it more comfortable to study like that.

During their little 'theoretical training section', Yasei once more was reminded, Asami was not only the silly, sometimes almost derpy bitch... but she indeed did have quite some insight on that handler thing they had going on too.

The female like that helping in thinking up practical usage for almost half of his ideas, the young man finally gave a defeated sigh, as they were done with all of the paperwork Yasei had formulated.

"PHEW... sweetie... I have to admit... I'M REALLY SORRY...!", He finally stated, lazily petting the female, with a quiet laugh, "You may be a silly goose... but you're the only silly goose so far, I know about, which outsmarted me more than once, on my own ideas!"

Here eyes now not only closed in relish about her master's attention, but also in honest pride, the canine stated: "Sure do... I have to work for the right to be silly after all, yeah?"

Responding in a snorting laugh, the young man exclaimed: "Well... if you want to handle it this way, I won't complain... whereas I'm not really complaining anyway. After all, I love my puppy-girl just the way she is, don't I...?"

Playfully scratching the female's chin, in a demeanor of baby talk, like quite a few other humans used with there dogs, he had to promptly move away of the canine, as she did not wait for a second, to start licking him all over his face, in revenge on that very tone.

Their playful fight going on like that for a few minutes, it was at about 3 a.m. they suddenly heard a knock on their door. Checking the peep-hole of his apartment... Yasei gave a surprised glare to his partner.

Asami responding with an equally irritated look of her own, as her master opened the door... revealing Yu and Katsuo, with about four full trash bags with them.

"FINALLY... DONE...!", His friend explained exhausted, throwing his bag into their apartment, followed by Katsuo, with his own load, "AND NO... we weren't screwing around again... so if you'd excuse us...!"

Like that, Katsuo - having returned to his animal form once again - following on his heels, Yu walked past a still slightly confused Yasei and threw himself on their couch.

Following the two a few seconds later, Yas was just about to ask what they were up to now... just to find both, Yuma and his partner, fast asleep already.

"Holy crap... I knew he was a good sleeper... but that...?", The young man mumbled to himself, as not to wake the two of them... earning a sleepy, but nevertheless grumpy response from Katsuo.

"Silence... no silence... maul you..."

Upon this revelation he exchanged a quick look with Asami, before quietly sneaking out of their living room, killing all lights and going to bed themselves.

"So... up for round two...?", The red-furred bitch immediately asked, as soon as they were in their bed and ready to sleep... earning but a highly offended 'NO' from her master.

Like that indeed leaving the sex for later, they were woken the other day by the faint smell of... well, breakfast... BURNED BREAKFAST!

"OH FUCK...!", Yasei uttered alarmed, as soon as he had gotten his senses far enough together, as to remember Yu having stayed overnight... and following that just taking mere seconds to remember: YUMA. COULDN'T. COOK!

Storming into his kitchen like that, he hit their bedroom's door, the wall across their bedroom's door and ran just for good measure, right against the edge of his kitchen table, in trying to get into his kitchen as fast as he could... sleep-drunk as he still was.

"OUW... don't... burn... my kitchen... please...!", He finally asked pleadingly, as he arrived in the kitchen, feeling as if he broke his head, shoulder and stomach, on his way in... wait... was it even possible to break one's stomach?

Immediately both, Yu and Katsuo, hastily excusing themselves and each other, Yasei gave a quiet laugh. NOW he could finally see some real resemblance between Asami and her brother... as he tried to excuse himself and Yuma - the main culprit - as desperately as the female herself would have done too.

Stating that though, he earned but another threat to be mauled from the feline, leaving him to do whatever, about the black and burned... thing, Yuma had fabricated.

Ascertaining it was 10 a.m. with a quick glance to the clock in his kitchen, Yasei gave a quiet sigh.

"Mighty kind of you... to prepare breakfast and all... but... just get lost, before you burn down my kitchen... please...!", He ordered his friend sternly, even shooting down a comment from Katsuo with a stern glare.

Like that preparing a small breakfast with steamed rice, some miso soup and a bit of fish and vegetables, Yasei called Asami and their two guests to eat, once again leaving Yuma more or less speechless.

"It's no magic... just learning some recipes and being able to cook WITHOUT burning down everything is pretty much all there is to it... as long as you don't want to make some really extravagant stuff...", Yasei explained unimpressed, as he finished his soup... giving Katsuo an unreserved slap on his snout, as he tried to get himself some seconds . . . AGAIN!

"This is no dinner! Ever heard about a light breakfast?", He scolded the feline dryly, just earning a sulky 'but I'm still hungry' in response.

Ordering Asami to take care of her brother... they oh too soon started to both attack him for seconds, thus... well, to make it short: after their meal, everything Yasei had prepared was gone!

Slightly annoyed on this fought and lost battle of his, against the... lion-guard-hound siblings, the young man finally returned his attention to Yu, asking slightly annoyed: "SO... why you up already anyways?"

"Well... you had planned to train all day, for today... didn't you?", Yuma answered unimpressed, looking at his friend unblinking.

"UGH... fine...!", Yasei agreed in a beaten sigh, still all but 'ready to go' again.

Quite a few minutes later, in which Yu tried to get Yas to cooperate, he finally agreed to start training 'early' as he had called it.

"Up and going at 11 a.m. ... what do they take me for, a workaholic?", The young man ranted sulkily, as he guided his little team up to the roof once more... still more or less sleepwalking.

Getting himself talked in some morning training, to finally really get him going, Yasei in addition to still being tired, now had to teach Yuma in Tai Chi... as the older man had never even considered a lesson on it.

Taking what felt like a year, to teach the muscle head mere three figures, Yasei had to say... he now really was annoyed enough and up for long enough, to be good to go, thus stating in a low sigh: "SO... wanna go for another mock battle I presume? Trying some of those new moves you thought up?"

Katsuo all too eagerly agreeing and Yu just going along with the 'suggestion' - as if the feline left his master any talk in this training of theirs anyways - they once more prepared for another duel.

Summoning their artifact once more, Yuma summoning both his bandages this time, whereas Yas still had trouble with their new technique, still calling his weapon forth the old fashioned way.

"So... you two wanna go for keeps from the get go...?", The young man asked in a provocative tone, his friend just shrugging his shoulders, telling him he was just following what Kat suggested.

"Very well...", Yasei stated like this, merging with Asami once more, before drawing his sword in one swift movement.

"OH... no flash this time...?", His opponent asked mockingly himself... finding himself unable not to follow the movement of the sword's sheath, the young man threw away in a quick motion.

Using the short distraction to once more close the distance between them and put his blade too Yumas throat, he asked with a raised brow: "So... if I may dare to ask: What exactly were you training? As for how I saw it, you two are still pretty susceptible to feint attacks."

The sheath having dissipated, back into the 'dimension' their weapon was stored, Yu turned his attention back to his friend, asking obviously grumpy: "It is just too early... would...-"

"- ... you had proper food and are way more adept at 'being up early' as I am... so no excuses!", Yasei immediately interrupted his guest, the muscle head giving in with a grumpy sigh.

"Fine...", He like that responded sulkily, before demanding to start another match.

Accepting the request, Yasei stepped back from his friend once more, the battle starting over once more.

Yasei and Asami this time playing utterly defensive, to test and adjust everything they had thought up so far... they yielded an unexpected result: Most of their moves worked far enough on the third or fourth try... not only giving them valuable results... but also slowly pissing of Yuma... or probably more Katsuo, than his master.

The two indeed had made quite some improvements to there technique... their moves were sharper... faster... yet they still were more or less the same moves.

"Come on... don't let yourself get all worked up, we're not even really trying over here yet after all!", Yasei like that dared to provoke his friend... earning quite the response he expected.

Obviously annoyed, the older man started attacking more aggressively. Sure... he could neglect his defense, as he had outsourced that to Katsuo... but as Asami and Yas had understood their magic far enough now to use one of their further advanced techniques, the muscle-bound man's strategy proved rather contra-productive.

Using the improved strength and speed of their merge, Yasei more or less easily dodged any assault from Yu, was it magical or physical, Asami all the while working their own magic on Yuma.

"Well... you exhausted already?", The young man like that finally asked in a mocking tone, his opponent obviously sweating way more as he should.

"NO! Just getting warmed up!", Was yet the only response he earned, the older man just keeping going at him, with unbridled fury.

"Hey... you really sure training is your problem? Cause as far as I see your techniques are quite good enough... yet..."

Taking a dare, in betting on Yu already being sapped enough, Yasei jumped back a bit, before suddenly jumping right on his opponent's shoulders and back too the ground behind him. Getting a bit too excited, he tried on a surprise attack out of this position... just to find himself barely able - and only due too Asami's intervention - to avoid a counter attack, from Katsuo's 'perfect defense' as he had called it the other day.

"OH... getting a bit cocky yourself, huh?"

"Well... nobody is perfect, yes?", Yasei responded, realizing how Yu now indeed was panting heavily, as Asami once more focused herself on the spell they had cast upon their enemy, "... but... don't you think this is about enough for you two? Wouldn't want to have you dying after all...?"

"WHAT... dying? What have you been doing?", The older man asked, slightly panicked, as he finally realized his rather disproportional exhaustion.

"Oh... nothing much... intensified the rays of the sun affecting you, increased your body temperature ever so slightly...", Yasei explained casually, avoiding the more and more sluggish movements of his friend with ease now, "... you two better should really give up... don't want to get your temperature up too much after all. Should your temperature reach over 320 Kelvin, you'll be only damaging yourself after all!"

Panting really heavy now, Yuma gave an annoyed growl stating: "FINE... your win! Even though all three of your victories weren't really victories..."

Just shrugging his shoulders dismissively, Yasei explained unshaken: "YEAH... I know... but that's kinda the plan. Our magic is more or less able to kill in an instant, so we'd prefer to first learn how to utilize it without hurting anybody..."

". . . nerd...!", Yuma responded sulkily, earning Yasei an immediate response from Asami.

`SEE... he says so too!´

`Oh shut up! We'll better get to getting Yu's body temperature back in check...!´

`Yes sir...!´, The canine ended the dispute in an annoyed tone, focusing back at their task at hand.

Like that more or less driving Yuma and especially Katsuo crazy, they indeed did train till sundown, so till about 6 p.m., whereas they had to take quite a few longer brakes in between their fights, so their sparring partner could recover from their more indirect fighting strategies.

"I swear Yas... one day... when we're done with this 'training for not killing' thing of yours we'll have another proper fight... and I'll beat you again!"

"OH... sore because you two did not win a single fight today?"

"WHAT... no... maybe... but it was not fair! I don't do good with complicated stuff, after all...!"

Just staring at Yuma for quite a while, Yasei finally gave a heavy sigh: "That Katsuo's influence? All your excuses... as this definitely is too, as you wouldn't have been put in charge of that beat-em-up fighting system, if you weren't able to handle some more complicated stuff, now would you?"

"Ehr... yeah... bad kitty... why are you making me talk bullshit?"

"HOW am I making you talk bullshit! I'm just inspiring you to say what you think!", Katsuo retorted, even breaking their merge, just to be able to scold his master, in front of their host.

Like that exchanging a quick glance with Asami, stepping out of one of their own burning portals, as their guests started fighting among themselves, Yasei gave a deep sigh, before finally asking his companion: "WELL... guess this will take some time... so... what about dinner?"

The female eagerly responding, with a happily wagging tail, followed her master back down to their apartment... leaving those quarreling guests of theirs alone on the roof.

"You know... I can see some resemblance... but are you REALLY SURE Katsuo is your brother? I mean... you're all sweet and nice... and he is just some blockhead!", The young man finally asked as they had made half of the way to there apartment.

"Well... technically speaking we are not siblings... not like you humans know it. All spiritual entities are created by humans faith and there believe in it... and if enough people believe in something, a new spiritual entity is born out of there thoughts and beliefs... kinda..."

"SO...?"

"Well... me and my brother - a pair of Komainu, one a feline, one a canine - originated from one single string of thoughts... more or less thus making us siblings. Whereas the shrine where you found us, was where we were most revered, so... that is that...", Asami ended her explanation, leaving her master slightly speechless.

"SO... would I have - for example - absolutely believed in some ghostly creature haunting me, going as far as to even convince friends and family, or whatever, to believe in it... this creature could have been born in your spiritual world and come to haunt me when the reckoning finally, really breaks the barrier between our realms?", The young man summed up the canines words, as he opened their apartment's door, still sounding a bit confused... just as much as doubtful.

"Well... some people believed two stone statues would be able to protect their families and city... and voila... here I am... want any more proof?"

Looking at the canine quite a while, as he absent-minded closed the door to their apartment and put his keys in their bowl, he finally gave a quiet sigh.

"WELL... guess I can't argue with that..."

"... but what gave you the idea for exactly THIS example? Was there a creature like that... you feared would haunt you... -"

"NO!", Yasei interrupted the female aggressively... hastily kneeling down to the canine, petting her apologetically, as he explained in a deep sigh, "I'm sorry... I didn't want to yell at you... it's just... NO... never mind... it was merely the first example that came to mind... so... don't worry...!"

Like that, he gave the canine a quick peck on the head, before disappearing into the kitchen, to prepare that dinner he had promised the canine.

"Silly goose, he calls me...", Asami mumbled to herself, as she watched her master leave, before ending with a quiet giggle, looking down at her belly, "... yet your daddy is quiet an oddball himself, at times...!"

Yasei working on dinner in the kitchen, as Asami watched him with a slowly wagging tail, Yu and Katsuo joined them but a few minutes after Yas was really done with cooking.

"WELL... seems like food is more important than your pride, huh?", The young man finally asked as he set the table, earning but a low growl from the feline.

"I don't think Katsuo would ever miss a meal!", His canine partner added in a quiet laugh, giving her brother a smug smile.

"PAH... as if you'd be any different!", The tom just responded in an annoyed huff... earning little more but a dismissive shrug from Asami.

"Well... I won't deny that..."

"Yeah... yeah... and you both will stay on the floor...", Yasei added, immediately putting Asami's bowl and the one they had found for Katsuo, back on the ground, as the canine had tried to sneakily set them up on the table.

The female gave a sulky huff, at the reaction of their master, yet still did not outright complain about their ban.

This time around not even trying to stop one of the siblings, they finished there meal without any further comments about there training... or fights about seconds or no seconds.

Like that Yu finally asked out of nowhere, quite a while later: "Yas... could you show me this letter Yoru gave to you... along with your mask?"

"Well... sure, but why? You lost yours?", Yasei responded curiously while cleaning their dishes and cook utensils.

"WHAT... no... why would I? Do you think I am that oblivious?"

"No... just thought, maybe you saw it as not important enough... and as it has been two years for you...", The young man just responded calmly, with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders... now all too sure Yu had indeed lost it.

Like that ordering his guest to finish stowing away the dishes and stuff, the young man got the mask and letter, he had gotten from Yoru in the meantime.

A bit later finished with their dining, Yuma scanned the letter quickly, stating as he read what was written on the back: "HA... I knew it: 'As you are what I call 'reaper', in my little establishment, I have to ask you to make your first appearance, at exactly 2 a.m', I KNEW there were some weird bonus instructions!"

Changing quick glances with his hosts and his partner, he finally asked, slightly hesitant: "SO... it's about 7 p.m. now... so... wanna go to bed early, to head out at like... midnight, to get my mask, as he seems to deem them a requirement... -"

"He wrote right there to wear the masks and use fake names...", Yasei interjected dryly, pointing at the next line, of the 'instructions' written on the back of the little map.

"Yeah... so... what about it? Wanna head out at midnight, getting this mask of mine and check out what kind of 'establishment' this weirdo had thought up, or not?"

Sharing a quick glance with Asami, Yasei shrugged his shoulders explaining: "Well... only been up for about eight hours... but as you had woken me up early anyways...-"

"- ... 10 a.m. is not what you'd call early...", Asami stated dryly, her master just continuing as if she never had said anything: "... so: SURE... why not! If he insists we 'have to be there' at exactly 2 a.m., we might as well humor him..."

Six hours later, not to mention another denied nookie for Asami later, Yasei woke to the alarm he had set, lazily petting his furry partner, as to wake her... just to stop mid-motion, as he rubbed her belly!

"What in all... you gained some weight?", The young man asked utterly dumbfounded, as he utterly confused stroked over the female's belly and there evidently swollen teats.

"Well... you remember what I told you yesterday?" - "Uh-huh... guess so?" - "Well... as easy as a Yokai, demon, spirit, or whatever you may call it, comes into existence... well seems like it takes just as little time for one to be born the human way... or more like the animal way, I guess..."

Yasei almost tempted to leave the room and jump right out of his window, he found himself... actually happy? He still wasn't quite sure if he would call what he felt for his partner love, yet now...

"SO... we're gonna have a young... a cub? Just like that?"

"Well... you wanted it too..."

"The sex, yeah... but a kid... or rather a cub... I think... it could be fun, I guess... but... you're an animal... at least on the outside... it's... it's just weird...", Yasei stuttered, definitely not the tiniest bit sure what he should make of this.

Asami on the other hand... seeming quiet saddened at her master's reaction, just nudged her head against his hand, as for him to pet her, stating in a sorry tone: "I... I'm sorry... I didn't want to... it was just... I don't know... it was like an undeniable urge... I..."

Finally just giving a quiet laugh, Yasei finally sat up explaining: "Don't ask me not to hate you again...! Yeah... it is kinda weird, but... well, I guess there is no greater gift you could offer me, could you? Not to mention the things you endured for me...-"

"You mean all those little kinks of yours?"

"Among others...", The young man confirmed with a quiet laugh, "I think... well... maybe... give me a little more time to process... and I think I'd be more than happy, to welcome a little you in my family."

"SO... now your not?"

"NO...! I am excited... kinda... but not like... well, in the O M G - going straight through the roof in excitement - kind...", Yasei tried to explain himself anxiously, fearing to have hurt Asami, in what probably should be more of an exciting, happy time for her.

Giving a quiet giggle, she gently licked her master's cheek, explaining softly: "Don't worry about it Yasei... this is just who you are... so why should I be troubled? After all: I KNOW you would tell me honestly, if it would bother you, so..."

"Of course I would...!", The young man hastily agreed, taking Asami's head between his hands, giving her a quick kiss, before suggesting with a quiet laugh, "... but let's focus on whatever that Yoru has in store for us for now... shall we?"

Responding in a quiet little giggle, she set herself up in the bed, as she stated: "Well... guess I can't force you into going all nuts because of this... so, we might as well give you some other food for thought's, shall we?"

Hugging her close, in an appreciative gesture, Yasei once again fought himself free of the confines he called his bed, to get dressed and wake their guest's.

Picking some clothes he had planned on discarding anyways, after all, he had promised Asami to were more red colors, he shoved the mask and map in his pocket, beckoning the canine over to him, explaining in a teasing tone: "Come on my pregger pup... time for your walkies...!"

Earning a quiet huff of the canine, she still followed him obediently... Yasei almost thinking her movement turning all sluggish already! Sure... her belly probably had over those two nights, grown as much as it would for a normal canine through the course of a few weeks... but her moving all sluggish already, was definitely a delusion on his side.

To their surprise, finding the two males all cuddled together, the two of them still did not hesitate for a second, to pull their blanket away from them in a spirited motion.

"RISE AND SHINE LADIES... I'm up already, so you two sure as hell won't be spared from the very same treatment!", Yasei announced like that, before turning right on his heels, explaining to his own surprise, that he'd desperately needed a cup of coffee now.

Only really rarely - if he really had too - resorting to coffee to get himself going, he still prepared enough for him and Yuma and some more for him to take along on their little journey.

All too aware of the non-existent tidiness of his friend, Yasei used them only wanting to pick up that mask, as an excuse as not to enter his friend's cave, he dared calling his apartment. Instead, he very much preferred staying outside with Asami, hugging the female close to him, as for her not to freeze... even as she told him more than once, she was totally fine, with the little winter cold.

One emptied cup of coffee later, it took Yuma but twenty more minutes to finally find this mask, Yoru imposed upon him. As his friend finally came back, Yasei just handed him his empty porcelain mug, ordering: "HERE... clean it and bring it back upon your next visit... We had to wait long enough as to have earned that favor. OH... and don't lose it, yet again!"

"HEY... how should I know..."

"Yes...?"

"I'll be careful not to lose yet another piece of your property...!", Yuma responded meekly, before quickly changing the subjekt, to get going too wherever Yoru had ordered them.

"WOW... that's it?", Katsuo stated dryly, as they arrived in front of an old, rundown building, looking like it would collapse in on itself any second.

Checking his map... checking the street-signs... and in the end even the map function of his smartphone, Yasei finally declared: "That's exactly it... apparently? So... better try the insides... I guess?"

His partner just giving a roll of his eyes, Yuma agreed skeptically, Asami just giving a confident nod, blindly thrusting into her master's judgment.

Entering the old facility... they found the insides just as old and run down...! Yet... looking closer, there were a lot of subtle additions. Pillars and walls were reinforced and repaired... but the maintenance seemed to be deliberately rough around the edges... as not to reveal the building as actually not abandoned and run down...?

As Yasei called Yu's attention at his finding, his friend agreed in a slow nod, only asserting he had noticed so too, as the two pairs kept at investigating the building like that.

The further they searched, the more their observation was confirmed... even though it still left one question.

Why going through the trouble of restoring a building, without even trying to rebuild it back to its old glory?

Finally reaching the center of the building, after searching almost half of the main floor, they finally seemed to have found what they were looking for.

Putting on his mask like that, with a still rather skeptical look, Yasei stated as he looked down the perfectly crafted marble stairs, leading down to a rather bleak looking basement: "Well... guess that should be what we were sent to find, huh?"

"Seems like it...", Yu responded with a skeptical look down the stairs, Katsuo suggesting: "Your host has advised you to keep your identity a secret... so I'd suppose you may as well really do your best to disguise yourself, the best you can..."

"Come again?", Yas asked slightly confused, yet the feline did give but an annoyed roll of his eye, returning his question with another instead... asking if he had ever seen somebody with 'suns for eyes'.

"OH... right, of course!", The young man finally declared in realization, reaching his hand out for Asami, "Come, sweetie... let's do this...!"

Giving a quick nod, the female walked up to her master, nestling her head up to his hand, before they merged in a dim flash of crimson light.

Along with that line: sure... they could merge some other ways, since quite a while, considering their training's progress... yet the two of them still preferred this kinda more intimate application.

Yu and his partner following in suit, his irides had taken the 'sandstorm like' look Yasei had seen in there first duel too, just as much as he himself let loose of his control of this form, having his irides turn into the two small fireballs Katsuo had talked about.

"NOW somebody shall try and recognize us...!", Yuma stated like that, in a confident tone... having quite a bit of his thunder taken by his slightly younger friend.

"Well... I'm not worried too much... but you... extra big... extra muscular... with extra messy hair...?"

"HEY... it's not THAT messy...", The muscle-head responded in a sulky huff, before hastily changing the topic... pointing down the staircase with a quick nod, "WELL... let's better go, case this 'but you have to arrive at 2 a.m.' should really be as important as he made it out to be."

Agreeing in a short nod, Yasei followed his friend down the unexpectedly clean, high-value stairs. Whereas reaching the basement - which looked like it was completely cast of concrete - the young man realized one thing: The whole building above ground may indeed look like an old dirty wreck... yet it wasn't really dirty. Everything on the upper floors was kept as to look like it still was about to crumble down any minute... yet there was not the tiniest speck of dust or dirt to be found anywhere.

"Weird fella indeed...", He just mumbled to himself like that, walking deeper down the hallway, lit by a dozen of old, flickering strip lights.

"Just hope he is not housing some kind of human auctions or some other weird shit like that down here...", Yuma finally mumbled, more to himself, as they once more were about to reach the center of the basement, his friend just giving a quick nod... as they found yet the next, even more, unexpected revelation.

Not only was the center of the basement lit brightly, with a dozen spotlights... it also housed a ten-row stadium, much like the Coliseum in Rome, but made all out of marble.

"OH you gotta be kid...-", Yasei uttered, yet was promptly interrupted, as a moderators voice, over some hidden speakers received and introduced them celebratory.

"- AND HERE ARE OUR LAST GUESTS OF HONOR FOR THIS DAY! Two more reapers, like our beloved master Yoru-sama!", The man exclaimed, as two spotlights swung over to them, catching each of them in a bright cone of light.

The two of em exchanging a quick glance, Yu gave a dismissive shrug, before walking down the staircase, running between the rows of marble seats. Following his friend down the stairs, towards the big cage in the arena's center, he found himself quite surprised as he inspected their spectators musingly.

Filling the rows of seats in the Coliseum, were a few dozens of street thugs, a dozen of people, appearing like they had been taken straight out of a mafia movie and even more rich wannabes... even a few politicians, at least going by their clothes.

All of the more well-heeled wore masks, like you may find em in an Italian carnival... no wonder that Yoru guy had gotten them those face-masks... revealing one's identity here was indeed quite a foolery.

Arriving on the base of the Coliseum, they finally met a face to the voice which had welcomed them in such a rousing fashion.

The man welcoming them with an exaggerated bow, was almost as tall as Yasei, wearing an expensive looking suit and a mask, reminding him of a Phantom of the Opera movie, he by chance had seen on one of those cultural telestations.

"WELCOME... welcome to our humble arena. We are so happy you accepted Yoru-sama's invitation. AS having all those street thugs bashing each other's heads in, in hope for quick money isn't quite cutting the high standard of entertainment, master Yoru is wanting to provide here after all.", The man welcomed them formally, earning some quiet chuckles, from all those moneybags and mafia dons, "SO... dear gentleman... in this context, may I ask you about the name, you have chosen for this elusive stage of ours?"

Giving a despising huff, at the man calling, what very clearly was a ring for cage death matches, for some rich sickos entertainment, an 'elusive stage', Yasei just responded brusquely: "If you want to call me anything, call me Akainu!"

"OW... the red hound... what splendid choice!", The moderator responded joyfully, turning his attention to Yuma next, "... and you dear gentleman... by which name may I refer to yourself?"

"Ehr... well... if he is Akainu... ehr...", Yu responded in a touch of stage fright, as he rummaged his brain for a name to use, before finally stating, "KINSHI... call me Kinshi!"

"Some golden lion you are...", Yasei mumbled to himself in a quiet laugh, as the moderator exaggeratedly introduced his friend too.

The crowd quietly started whispering, as their host guided them to another pair of people, exclaiming: "Like you, my dear guests, sure may all know... our witching hour special certainly is deserving of its name, especially today's. Our two male contestants... carrying the names of proud beasts, meat our lovely lady reapers."

As the man pointed at their counter-party... Yasei shot one of the females a surprised glare. The blond female, the moderator introduced as Fortuna, was undeniably Katherine! She too had merged with her partner, as her irides glowed in a mysterious silver, whereas the second female 'reaper' - introduced by the name Tatsumaki - was an utterly new appearance.

The young woman, maybe about the same age as Yasei himself, was smaller than Katherine - which was about one head smaller as the young man himself - and had almost white, platinum colored hair. Her irides bore a vivid green, looking like smoke caught in a whirlwind, whereas she overall seemed almost... fragile.

She had a slender body and what was not covered beneath her face-mask - which almost resembled Yoru's - looked as tender and perfect as a porcelain doll, yet... she had this kind of an aura about her... an ominous feeling, he would closest describe with the words 'certain death'.

`Better be careful about her... ´, Asami shared her master's thoughts, wary of the almost too innocent appearance of the young woman herself too.

Their introduction finally over, Katherine - wearing a gallant mask, like a royal might have worn to a masquerade ball, way back - stepped forth, in the confident, almost assertive manner the young man already knew so well, declaring as she pointed her finger at Yasei, now called Akainu: "I'll fight him, as he is the only reason I decided to take your MASTER up on his offer after all!"

Slightly blindsided, by the sudden demanding tone of the blonde woman, it took their host a few seconds, until he finally cleared his throat, as he declared ceremoniously: "VERY WELL... Fortuna... the woman bearing the name of the goddess of luck has spoken! So... Kinshi... Tatsumaki, I'm afraid you two have to wait your turn for now... as first off: The stage is all yours! Akainu... Fortuna... you may begin whenever you're ready!"

Tatsumaki just responding in a cold 'fine by me', Yuma hastily followed the instructions of their host, who in the meantime followed Akainu and Fortuna, as they slowly walked into the massive steel cage, locking the door right behind them, as they had entered.

Continuing on with his job, declaring for the speculators to place their bet's now, explaining the odds they had allotted for the new fighters, Yasei gave a quiet laugh, as he came to a standstill in the middle of the ring, face to face with Katherine.

"So... finally gotten bored of hanging with your father, huh... FORTUNA?", Yasei asked provokingly, as he examined the female handler closely.

She wore a close-fitting tracksuit, really high quality, fitting perfectly and probably designed to obstruct movement as much as wearing, well... nothing! To round out her outfit she wore a... Yasei was not really sure if one would call it a skirt... which had just the right length, as for her to not step on it, no matter how she moved, with a long cut on the right side, as to allow the fabric to move freely.

"To be honest? YES... pretty much so, which is the reason for me taking up that Yoru-guy's offer after all, the second I saw you taking him up on it!", Katherine explained in a regal tone, pretty much unimpressed by her opponent's provocation.

"So you stalking me now?"

"Pretty much... not much else I could do to entertain me after all...", The blonde responded with a shrug of her shoulder, before summoning her catalyst, with a snappy motion of her hand.

Looking at the fan, which had looked like it had materialized out of thin air, Yasei gave a low sigh. He had almost feared it in the first place when he saw the woman being already merged with her partner a mere minute ago. When he first met her, a few days ago, he had thought she would more rely on her partner to do her fighting, considering how she behaved overall... but what he saw now, made him guess the young woman could fight on her own just fine.

"A battle-fan? Interesting choice...", The young man commented like that, as he summoned his sword, slowly pulling it free of its sheet, "... whereas I guess you two don't want to wait any longer for our little dance to start, yes?"

"Oh by all means...!", She responded in an innocent smile.

Yasei like that just gave a quiet sigh... suddenly pulling his sword in front of his face, like to block an attack, releasing a powerful flash of light from the blade, before guided by Asami - using their enhanced perception - closing in on their opponent.

Aiming a forceful stroke right to her neck, the blade turned as for its dull back to hit her, instead of the deadly blade, Yasei for one second saw them victorious already... just too remember the woman's foresight ability in the very last second.

Katherine indeed blocking his blow, with her eyes closed, he gave an annoyed click of his tongue, as he jumped back, getting some distance, to revise their strategy.

`We're using 'that' next... let's see how it works out on her, as it worked just fine on Yu after all...!´, He instructed his partner, as he gripped his sword a bit further behind the hilt, before attacking her in the same fast attack pattern he had used on his friend too.

Finding himself confirmed in his assumption the woman managed to dodge his onslaught more or less with ease, what had him sure she had some knowledge in martial arts, besides of her ability to foresee what he was going to do. More than once cornering the woman like that, Katherine still managed to avoid any blow, that would end their fight.

The fight went on like that for almost a minute until Yasei once more got some distance between him and the young blonde, giving an annoyed growl.

"Oh... sorry, big boy... are you maybe mad your little fire magic does not work on us?", Katherine asked teasingly, hiding her face behind her fan, in a playfully shocked manner, "I'm really sorry to disappoint... but foresight isn't Masaru's only ability. SURE... he can't manipulate any magic like your little doggy... but his magical energy allows me to strengthen my body far beyond what would be humanly possible, so... sorry, but even if it is quite interesting and well thought through... I'm afraid that little magic trick of yours won't work on me!"

Yasei gave yet another annoyed click of his tongue, before once more attacking the other handler. Running straight at her, they summoned a wall of fire, entirely surrounding their opponent, taking her sight completely. Swiftly running right past her, Yasei canceled the summoning of his blade, running right at the massive steel cage, jumping at it and repelling himself from the bars, to attack Katherine from behind, jumping right over the encirclement of flames they had created.

Yet once more, the female handler managed to dodge their attack, even if just barely in time. Having expected that, Yasei went right for a straight on confrontation, aiming for disarming their opponent, provoking her into attacking him with his knowingly sloppy attacks.

A bit caught off guard by this approach, especially as Yasei had given the timing for their counter to Asami, as to confuse their foresight ability, the young blonde obviously was struggling to keep up with them... yet as Asami finally did grab her arm, disarming her in a swift movement... the young man suddenly found himself utterly unable to move his other arm.

Looking at his arm, he met Katherine's eyes, the female handler giving him a smug smile.

In an utter vise-like grip, she held his arm grabbed, with but one hand! Even though he was almost twice as strong when merged with Asami... he couldn't move his arm for even an inch!

"Nice try... but now... bye-bye...!", She stated dryly, before flipping him in the air without any effort at all.

Seeing the world turn before his eyes, the floor and ceiling, more or less becoming his new walls, he almost saw it like in slow motion, as he spun around in the air, before the female handler literally shot him against the other side of the cage, with a brutal kick to the stomach.

Crashing in the solid steel bars with an audible 'CLANG', the young man cursed, as he dropped to the floor: God damn it..."

Spitting blood, as he fought to get back on his legs, the crowds cheering intensified even further, upon this show of shear strength, having the bets on their fight change once more. At first, they had changed because of the literal 'firepower' the young man had shown... yet the audience now seemed to view this as rather little a feat, compared to this demonstration of raw strength.

Finally stopping coughing, Yasei wished the blood off of his mouth, stating to Asami: `Well... guess that means no more baby gloves...!´

`You sure...? I mean... she is not a friend per se... but she isn't an enemy either... don't want to blow her up, is all I'm saying.´

`OH... I blow her up... and blow her up good!´, Was all the concern he had, his canine partner realizing his plans but seconds later.

In another try to confuse her foresight, he himself planing on literally blowing her to bits, but giving the final go to Asami, the young man shouted out in anger, pointing his palm at the young blonde.

"WOW... hey... you can't be serious right here...", Katherine uttered in disbelieve, as a basketball-sized fireball formed in front of his palm, growing even further and further in size, until it was almost three feet tall.

"Try to foresee this... missy!"

Pulling his hand backward, thrusting it back forwards and towards his enemy seconds later, the ball of fire shot towards 'Fortuna', the blonde just commenting dryly: "OH shit... that's gonna hurt...!"

Asami exploding the ball of fire, in a forceful explosion, blowing away pieces of the very floor, Yasei stormed towards the explosion, jumping right through the fiery inferno. The fire himself didn't even scratch him... yet quite a few pieces of the blown away concrete did hit him rather hard.

Shrugging off the stings of pain, he found himself at the center of the explosion, as Katherine was forcefully thrown against the iron bars behind her.

Coughing audibly as the impact pushed all air out of her lungs she just gave a quiet laugh, as she didn't take any further damage, due to her partners magic.

"Bravo... that all...?", She asked more too herself sarcastically, just for her eyes to go wide, as she saw a few seconds too late, what future Yasei had in store for her, thus adding in an unbelieving curse, "OH... crap...!"

Slamming her right back against the bars with a shoulder tackle, having her cough for air once more, he landed a few brutal punches, right to her face, knocking her down to the ground with his fourth punch. Panting heavily, he looked down at the blond handler, only relaxing, as she really kept still for over a few seconds.

`Just hope Masaru's magic can prevent any lasting damage of a concussion too...´, Asami uttered musingly, as the crowd broke out in cheer, over the victory.

The fact a handful of their spectators did boo him out, or cursed about lost bets leaving Yasei rather unimpressed, he stated in an unconcerned tone, looking at his already slowly healing scratches from the debris for comparison: `NAH... if his magic is as strong as she stated, it'd be probably more than twice as potent as yours, so... she should be fine after sleeping it off properly...!´

Just earning a skeptical 'if you say so' from his partner, the young man made his way back to the cages exit, being welcomed by their host, which stagily praised the handler... reaper how they were called here, for his astounding victory.

"Not that outstanding... just glad she didn't realize in time to avoid me...", Yasei mumbled to himself like that, as he returned to Yumas side.

"And here we go again with the tricks...", His friend said to him, as he was close enough to here, Yas just responding with a raised eyebrow.

"Katsuo's words?"

"Katsuo's words!"

"So Katsuo is your little pets name? Well... guess my Masako will gladly cut your little buddy INTO PIECES in that case!", Tatsumaki - obviously having heard their words - stated with a sinister grin, underlining her words with a sinister hiss in her voice.

Akainu ignoring the female handler from the get go, as he instead followed how Fortuna was carried out of the ring, Kinshi answered in a low growl: "Oh...? Sorry to say, but you will get no chance for that! Me and my buddy prefer working in a team, instead of having each other fight the other's battles, so... good luck trying."

"UH... sounds like a challenge... and I always love myself a challenge...!", The platinum blonde said in a sinister tone, before turning her attention to a sudden buzzing sound above the cage.

"Seems like cleanup is done...", She commented, as the massive steel plate on the cages sealing, was lowered down to the ground.

"OH... so that's why the bar reach up all the way to the ceiling...", Yasei stated almost fascinated, as the multiple inches thick steel plate, was lowered down, by four massive hydraulic cylinder, one on each corner of the plate.

"Well-well-well... my dear spectators, cleanup is finished and a new and clean arena is prepared!", Their host like that finally stated enthusiastically, "So let's have our second witching hour battle begin, shall we?"

"Witching hour?", Akainu mumbled confused, just now remembering this connection.

As however Kinshi and Tatsumaki were introduced and asked to enter the fighting ring, the young man started to have a really bad feeling.

Yuma got a surprisingly big amount of cheer from the crowd... whereas even the richest moneybags went mental, as Tatsumaki entered the ring!

"OH... that can't be good..."

"So... what will it be pretty boy? Now's your last chance!", The young woman asked with a wicked smile, as she watched the gate to the cage slowly being closed... stating as it fell shut, "OH WELL... never mind that! TIME TO DANCE...!"

Without any further ado raising her hand to the ceiling in a snappy motion, Kinshi more felt than saw it, barely sidestepping the invisible attack of his opponent.

Starting right in front of her feet, reaching to the furthest edges of the arena, one could clearly see a deep cut in the floor... left from the invisible attack of the handler.

"So... wind magic?", Yu guessed like that, giving a sinister grin of his own, as he stated, "Well... never mind if I get serious than... wanted to save this for Y... EHR... I mean Akainu... but you'll do just fine for a test-subject, I suppose."

Reaching his hands out to each side of the cage in a quick movement, within seconds the space within the steel bars was filled with fine sand particles - almost looking like a brownish mist - as he at the same time summoned his catalyst.

"Oh my... how scary... you want me to get sand in my eyes?", Tatsumaki stated unimpressed, summoning a small tornado in the cage to disperse the fog of sand... yet to no avail, "WHAT THE..."

The fog Kinshi had summoned indeed did disperse... yet it wasn't even gone for a second, before having completely formed once again.

"Sorry sweetheart... but this is my battlefield now!", Yu stated with a confident smile, before asking mockingly, "SO... what was that you told earlier about your Masocho?"

"Her name is MASAKO... and if you insist... I'll gladly show you why these battles are held at exactly this time of day!"

Summoning her artifact, a scythe the length of a spear, with its blade - apparently an old scimitar - mounted on a hinge, allowing for the blade in a scythe-like, just as much as a spear-like configuration. Slamming the tip on the weapons end on the ground, revealing it to be some kind of switch, the blade switched in its scythe form, from earlier being folded flush to the rod it was mounted on.

"SO... hope you don't regret this big boy...!", Tatsumaki like this announced, raising her free hand up to the ceiling, forming a small vortex of wind in front of her.

Stepping out of the vortex was a big, weasel-like creature. It surely was not as big as the two Komainu... yet the Kamaitachi had a longer, more slender body.

It's body completely covered in white fur, her eyes bore a deep purple and slit, cat-like eyes, it's tail ending in a scythe-like blade, the same ebony material as it's long, deadly sharp claws. The creature thereby had for toes on each foot, each adorned with one of those long, blade-like claws... only his front paws, had one additional, longer, curved claw, growing from an extra joint, between its third and fourth toe.

"Well... I am no pro... but are you sure you may not need to have those claws looked at? Cause I don't think they should . . . holy crap how are you doing this?", Yuma interrupted himself mid-sentence, as he realized his opponent still being in a merged stage, even after summoning her Yokai.

"Well... I may not have mastered fancy magic like you and your cute little buddy... but I sure have mastered those merge thing, we had to make forbidden love for, to acquire it."

"Forbidden love...?"

"WHAT... I have been raised very conservatively... SO SHUT UP and fight us, muscle head!"

Yet... as she started to charge at him, her movements all sluggish, as if she was moving through water - courtesy of the 'fog' of theirs - Yuma realized one thing: Their spectators were able to see Masako too!

"What the hell...!", The young man cursed like that, only now remembering the words of their host... mentioning this being a 'witching hour' battle!

Not wanting to risk anything like that, playing it defensively for now, grabbing the two of them and hurling them away from him, as soon as they got too close to him, he first tried to find out what that all was about.

Did it strengthen their magic?

Had it any other effect, besides letting ordinary humans see their partners Yokai form?

Quite a few questions like that came to his mind until he finally realized - feeling like an idiot for taking so long to understand - should there really be any effect on their powers... it would strengthen his own magic too!

"OKAY LADIES... you want to dance, fine by me!", Yuma finally stated like this, a wave, almost like a shiver, going through the sand-particle he had summoned.

Unaffected by the mist they had summoned, attacking the two females without any hesitation now, it took mere seconds until it was all too obvious: Katsuo and Kinshi's skills - both in magic and in combat - were clearly superior to the one of Tatsumaki and her Kamaitachi companion.

As the muscular male blocked their attacks for about the eighths time, without even breaking a sweat, the female handler gave an angry growl.

"ARGH... do it!", Tatsumaki finally ordered like that, slamming the back of her weapon to the floor once more, having the blade move into its spear position.

"Wow... two feet more reach, sure hope you can handle . . . AND your partner is gone...!"

Looking at his surroundings, it took him a few seconds, until he found fluctuations in the dust like cloud he had summoned, calming his nerves a bit.

"Invisibility, huh? Should have guessed as much... after all, the wind isn't visible either, huh?"

Still keeping his utter calm, yet not losing his focus, as he was dead-certain her partner could and would use the same invisible wind blade attack her master had used too.

Having to quicken his pace, upon the young woman's quicker, more lunging attacks and the indeed shortly after following sporadic wind blade attacks, from her invisible partner.

Getting scratched by about three of those invisible attacks, Yuma finally gave a quiet laugh: "OH... this will work just fine, against Ya... EHR... I mean Akainu!"

Using the dispersed sand like a bat would use her echolocation, the two of them took but a mere minute to get used to the invisibility of their enemy, more or less able to see the Kamaitachi through their mist of sand, just as much as if they were looking directly at it, if not better.

Taking a deep breath, as to calm his nerves, he like that finally returned back to a more offensive strategy.

Dodging the young woman's attacks with ease, it took him mere seconds to grab her weapon in a way, he could hurl her around with it, throwing Tatsumaki against the next closest row of steel bars and her catalyst in the other direction.

Barely able to dodge a few angry wind blades of Masako, earning another handful of scratches, he finally managed to grab the female in a headlock. The giant weasel turning visible mere seconds later, trying to scratch and claw at the man, but merely hitting condensed clouds of sand, blocking the attacks, as if they were walls of steel.

"Sorry, sweetie... but Kat told me this would only hurt you but a few days, so...", Yuma apologized to the female, earning a confused glare... before he snapped her neck in one brutal motion!

Seeing her partner's eyes go wide before they turned dull and lifeless few seconds later, Tatsumaki froze in shock, as her opponent let the dead body of the giant weasel fall down to the floor as if it were dead meat.

"SO... still wanting to keep at this 'challenge' of yours?"

Lifting a hand, to try summoning a little whirlwind in her hand, as to assert the functionality of her magic... it still did work, a small cyclone forming on top of her hand.

"You really sure about that? Wanting to get beaten up, just because of some silly pride? Sure you don't want to rather wait for your partner to recover and try your luck in another fight?"

Looking form the small cyclone in her hand, to the big man, once more looking back at her hand, she forcefully clenched her hand into a fist, her magic immediately dispersing at this gesture.

"FINE! You win, I give up!", The woman finally stated in an angry growl, walking over to her partner and throwing her body across her shoulders, almost like a scarf.

Her weapon disappearing in a weak gust of air as she touched it, Tatsumaki roughly bumped into Yuma, as she was about to leave the cage, slipping a small calling card in his hand.

"Don't you dare not come, when I call for a rematch!", She ordered Yu with an angry glare, adding as she stepped out of the cage, "... and don't you dare contact me for anything other than a fight either!"

Passing by their utterly speechless host, it was only when Tatsumaki left the Coliseum without any further comment, when the man finally hastily proclaimed Kinshi the winner.

Yuma earning nothing but applause for his fight, Yasei gave an annoyed huff, as his friend stepped back to his side... whereas said friend seemed rather confused.

"What is it?", The young man asked like that, earning a confused look from his companion.

"How did she... I mean... this... Weasel, has to weight at least as much as Asami?"

"To utter Asami's outrage about this words: HEY...! ... and to talk how? Well, when Asami lay on your chest the other day, it looked to me like you were buried under a small boulder... whereas when she lies on top of my body, she feels but a little heavier as a feather. PLUS... pretty sure she was rather ripped under this body armor!"

"OH... yeah... now that you mention it... I once wanted to throw Kat off of my spot on the couch... and even though he turned all lion on me, it was not much more of a hassle, as throwing him off the couch in his other form..."

"OWIE... my head... you gonna pay for this...!", The two were suddenly interrupted by Katherine, which suddenly stepped up to them, holding a bag of ice against her head.

The moderator meanwhile concluding all bets and announcing the next upcoming events, the young woman - standing behind Yasei - lay her chin on his shoulder, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, as she asked: "So... what did I miss?"

Looking at the blond in shock for a few seconds... not only cause of the sudden intrusion in his sphere of privacy, but just as much because Asami went all 'I'MMA GONNA KILL DAT BITCH' in his mind, all of a sudden.

Giving a quiet sigh, he pointed at the cage, explaining: "Kinshi wiped the floor with Tatsumaki... snapped her partner's neck like it was a dry stick... Tatsumaki's partner can go all invisible... Kinshi can summon a fog of sand, enabling him to locate even invisible enemies... Tatsumaki's catalyst is a scythe - spear hybrid, with an old scimitar for a blade..."

The young man looked at his friend in thought, finally shrugging his shoulders, as he stated: "Should be about all... besides the fact our Kinshi here apparently has a new suitor now... but not a suitor in the good kind of way... more like in a maniacal 'SHUT UP I KILL YOU' way..."

"Hm... so nothing too interesting... huh?"

Yasei just shrugged his shoulder, in a kind of approval... as suddenly he and Yu were approached by their host, who explained ceremoniously: "... and here we got our winners price: ten percent of all bets placed on them...!"

"What... ten percent...?", The young man asked confused, as he opened the golden envelope - they really had high-quality golden envelopes, like at the Oscars... - checking the letter within with a bored look on his face.

Katherine looking over his shoulder curiously, literally jumped back in surprise, as Yasei seconds later gasped out in shock: "HOLY CRAP...! That's almost enough to cover my entire rent for a whole year...!"

"Well, gentleman... you fought an honorable duel, only to our guest's enjoyment, so the winners of course will be compensated accordingly.", The moderator explained, before handing each one of them a small calling card, "Those contain all upcoming fights and events, appointed for the next two month, so... we hope to see you again."

Yuma still looking at his own check, in utter disbelief, Yasei just gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, explaining he'd come if he felt like it, Katherine - as last of the remaining trio - explaining excitedly: "As long as Ya... pardon me... as long as Akainu will come, I'll be there as well!"

"Very well...!", Their host confirmed, with a quick bow, before returning to his guests, as to finish winding up the affairs considering all placed bets.

Switching quick glances with his friend and his apparent new attachment Katherine, they all concurred to leave this little arena of Yoru's behind now.

Speculating about how Yoru got the money for all of this, they all had decided to at least never again visit this place without there masks on from the get-go... wouldn't want to be recognized by one of those moneybags, or worse... one of those gangsters or wiseguys after all.

As if called upon, suddenly audibly echoing through the basement, they heard the voice of one of said scumbag-gangster.

"HEY DIPSHIT! I and my palls lost quite a fortune because of you spineless motherfucker!", The leader of the little gang - which had apparently followed them - proclaimed, a gun pointed at Yasei, "SO... ASSHOLE! How you wanna compensate us, HUH? Cause if you want us to not follow you and kill everybody who has ever been dear to you, you better do so handsomely! CAPISCE... COCKSUCKER?!"

"Hey... can we just like... not do this? You have seen what we're capable of..."

"BULLSHIT! As if we'd believe in shit like that! That obviously is all fake and show, to get this rich punks to bet more money on you FUCKING FREAKS!"

"Please... just go... just leave us alone and nobody has to get hurt... okay?"

"DA FUCK IT IS!", The leader of the punk said, firing several shots at Yasei.

"Oh, good grieve...", The young man stated, preparing to parry the bullets... as he suddenly heard a desperate 'NO' resounding in his mind.

Before he could do or say anything, Asami already had broken their merge, throwing herself in the line of fire.

Hearing a few disgusting impact noises, of bullets piercing flesh mere seconds later, Asami fell to the ground, with a dull thump, followed by a quiet clicking noise. Seeing the female fall down like in a time-skip, Yasei looked at the broken horn, rolling towards him in utter disbelieve.

One bullet had broken one of the lion-hound's horns, wheres the rest had hit her head and neck, killing the giant canine, before she even hit the ground.

"You... you really shouldn't have done this...", Yasei uttered in a calmness, only to clearly spelling out a coming disaster.

"What the fuck man... you really think..."

"SHUT IT...!"

.

.

.

Everything beyond this point was but bedroom a blank haze... Yasei's memories only continuing on the point where he stood in the door to his, looking at the lifeless body of his partner, in utter despair.

"What have I done...?"

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SO... that's it for part IV ;3

[full spell, grammar and verbalization checks included]

hope ya all liked part IV of Rise of the Yokai and look forward to the next installment X3