7th Moon

The next morning the espers returned to check on the tree and found that it had almost doubled in size. Everyone else stayed far away from it, they were afraid of this monster tree. The espers touched the tree and used their ESP to examine it and figure out if there was any way to stop it. Finally they reached a conclusion and knew what to do, a proper funeral for the mutants that the tree had grown from. Keisei pulled out four slips of blank paper from her kimono along with her ink and ink brush. She painted the kanji of the four kami from their shrine, one on each slip of paper, then handed them to their corresponding esper. Hidariude took the ofuda of Kyutsume, Kichiku took the ofuda of Nyudo, Douji took the ofuda of Shinryuu and Keisei herself held on to the ofuda of Bakeneko. They each stood on a different side of the tree, Hidariude on the west, Kichiku on the north, Douji on the south, and Keisei on the east. They each placed their ofuda on the tree and held them in place with their right hands.

The espers then proceeded to pray in unison. “You three warriors who lost your lives here last night, we mourn your death with honor. We pray for your souls to find rest, and be released from the demon tree Jinmenji. In the name of the sacred kami, we release you.” With this the each removed their hands at the exact same time and the ofuda burst into flames. Because of the ritual they performed together, the flames of the ofuda continued to burn through the tree and did not stop until the tree was completely burned away. The espers could hear the cries of the three souls they freed which left in peace, as well as the demon spirit of the tree itself. These cries were not audible to anyone else as they only resonated in the spiritual plane which only the espers could detect. Even though no one else knew what was going on, it was clear once it was over that the tree had been effectively destroyed as it was completely reduced to ashes right down to the roots.

Zokushou showed up on the scene after it was over. “Good job. Now I need you to go to Kagoshima.” She handed Hidariude a map. “This will help you to find your way there, though much of the path has been overgrown with the trees. Unfortunately it’s all we’ve got. Burumba says every time they try to send out anyone on reconnaissance they either die or come back close to death. I’m hoping your abilities can get you farther.”

“Thanks for the map.” Hidariude replied. “We can use our ESP to find our way around. Kichiku and I are familiar enough with Kodama we can trace his energy.”

Zokushou was impressed. “You think you can sense him from here?” She had no idea what their range of abilities was.

“Well, probably not all the way from here.” Hidariude admitted. “But since Kagoshima is on the southern coast of the island, if we just keep due south, we should start getting a reading before we actually hit the coast and we’ll zero in on him there.”

Zokushou sighed. “I wish I could say we had a better plan that that, but we estimate that if you don’t start out for him today, Jinmenji will overtake Nagasaki before we can make another strike against him. You are our last hope.”

The espers made their last preparations for their journey. They would have to go on foot because the roads were overgrown and under the watchful eye of mutants that would most certainly hinder their progress even more if they heard the engine from the truck or the motorcycle. Kichiku was getting Douji ready to come along when Zokushou interrupted.

“Douji will stay here where it’s relatively safe.” Zokushou told Kichiku. “I don’t want him distracting you.”

Kichiku was about to protest when Sora stepped in to take Douji. “That’s right little buddy, you’ll help me finish the mecha.” Sora gave Kichiku a look that reminded him that they needed to keep Douji’s powers a secret and they couldn’t justify taking him on this mission without exposing that secret.

Kichiku reluctantly gave in and hugged Douji goodbye. “Don’t worry Douji, we’ll be back for you, I promise.”

Douji tried to hold back tears, but this was the first time that Kichiku had left him since they left the Shrine of the Golden Dragon. “You’d better be. I’ll pray for you.”

The espers nodded back at their friends and left Nagasaki for the forest of Jinmenji. Very soon after they entered the forest they quickly noticed that all of the trees looked the same. They tried to feel out the energy of the trees and could sense that the trees were connected. In fact, it was all one tree. There were a few nodes where trees had grown like the one back in Nagasaki, but most of it was just the one tree that had expanded across the island. The good part of this was that because it all connected back to the original tree, they could simply trace the flow back to Kagoshima, and hopefully, Kodama.

As they followed the flow of energy through the trees, they also kept a lookout for any anomalies that would signify the presence of mutant attackers. The strangest thing they noticed though, was that when a mutant did appear, it did not have a significant difference in energy. Usually each individual had a distinctly unique energy, but these mutants did not even feel like they were different from the tree, they were more like waves of identical energy rippling over the tree network than separate entities. Still, when the energy ran against the normal flow or even when the energy spiked a little, they would give themselves away and the espers would change direction to avoid them.

The espers made some good progress sneaking between the trees. Between genetic engineering and training under Ryu, they had incredible endurance and without Douji’s short legs slowing them down, they were able to get almost halfway across the island before nightfall. They weren’t overly tired at this point, but they knew they would need to be at full energy to fight Kodama so they couldn’t take any chances. They doubted that the mutants could see in the dark so in the very last twilight they dug in at the roots of the tree and huddled together, eating rice cakes and dried vegetables and then sleeping. They took turns watching, each one for a third of the night while the other two slept.

The next morning they ate quickly and got moving just as the first rays of dawn cracked between the leaves. A group of mutants found their temporary nest after they had left. They could see crumbs of rice and felt the ground. “Still warm.” One mutant grunted. “They couldn’t have gotten too far.” The mutants were back up the tree in a flash and kept up the pursuit of their quarry.

The espers could sense the mutants catching up to them. They knew the mutants were keeping up somehow and at the rate they were moving, they would get them soon. The fact that the mutants shared energy with the trees was an advantage for the attackers as was the fact that they would have the home field advantage. To try and make things easier the espers would need to find a location where they could fight at their best. The espers realized the mutants’ connection with the tree would give them an advantage in the upper branches, so they dropped to the ground. The mutants pounced on the espers thinking they were catching them off guard.

Hidariude drew his sword and released his long cyber blade and in one movement sliced through two mutants at the same time. Green blood spurted from the wounds. Despite their wounds, the mutants tried to fight, but as the wounds grew closed, the scars were wooden. The mutants were stiff and slower because of this, so Hidariude kept slicing them as they tried to come at him. They quickly realized they couldn’t fight up close so they started growing vines to use against Hidariude. However, this aggravated their wounds even more and they quickly turned completely to wood.

Kichiku was attacked by one massive mutant who already had twigs sticking out before he went for a full attack. Kichiku punched him squarely in the center of his abdomen with such force that he slammed into the tree. The mutant didn’t even stand up, he just touched his hands to the tree and roots grew up around Kichiku’s feet. Kichiku punched the ground cracking the earth around the roots only to find that the roots were still firm beneath the ground. Kichiku grabbed a hold of the roots and yanked them so hard that the mutant attached to them was lifted into the air and as the mutant was pulled close to Kichiku he leaned back and kicked the mutant with his bound feet. The mutant could not move again, the wounds beneath his skin were turning to wood and his muscles were stiffened. Within minutes his skin broke and gave way to bark.

Keisei drew her war fans from her kimono and began to fend off the mutants. The mutants had very poor fighting abilities and relied entirely on their heightened strength, agility and rage. Keisei used this against them by luring them into fighting each other or running into the tree. Some well-placed swipes from Keisei’s fans did cut the mutants drawing green blood. One used vines to take Keisei’s fans and another captured her by dropping vines from above and yanking her up by a pulley. Keisei did not want to use her paper bombs because she knew that if she did, the heat energy would pass through the tree network and alert others to their presence. But she was desperate right now because her comrades were occupied with their own opponents at this same time. She had no choice, she pulled an emergency paper bomb from her sleeve and ignited it, burning the vines holding her captive. As she dropped to the ground she threw more paper bombs at her enemies and detonated those as well. The mutants proved to be more flammable than the ones they found in Nagasaki. Keisei looked closer and realized that twigs were growing on these mutants and had caught fire like raw kindling. Keisei continued to focus her pyrokinesis and pushed the fire straight through the mutants’ bodies. She hesitated just long enough to retrieve her fans before they too burned up.

After the battle, the espers regrouped. “These mutants are cannon fodder.” Kichiku commented. “The fruit of Jinmenji gives them more power, but the price is that the tree ultimately reclaims them. The process seems to be accelerated as people use the power, which means that every time a mutant enters battle they are on a suicide mission.”

Hidariude was infuriated. “Kodama is no better than Toromi, he’s just passing the buck on to his subordinates and sacrificing them to protect himself!”

Keisei put her hand on Hidariude. “We have to hurry, my paper bombs sent a heat wave through the trees, and Kodama will know where we are.”

“Let him come!” Hidariude screamed out the challenge into the forest. “It’s time that he paid for what he’s done!”

Hidariude was driven by anger and adrenaline and began a mad run through the forest. More mutants came at him and he just sliced them down, nothing could slow him down. Keisei and Kichiku did everything they could to keep up with him. By the time they saw the mutants Hidariude cut down, the mutants were in no shape to fight and Kichiku and Keisei found themselves following in Hidariude’s wake of destruction. They were very concerned that Hidariude was going to become the very monster he was trying to stop. There was no time to slow him down now, but he was going to need a lot of help when this mission was over.

As the sun began to set, they felt the flow of energy in the trees begin to swell. They didn’t think they had reached Kagoshima, but then they realized it wasn’t the tree itself, it was Kodama. He stood before them now, tall, wild hair, muscles bulging, in his Seventh Moon military uniform. Hidariude paused to catch his breath and Kichiku and Keisei flanked him to protect him in case Kodama tried a sneak attack. Kodama looked extremely calm as he greeted his enemies. “You’ve made quick work of my underlings, you do not disappoint. I must admit I am impressed, when I heard rumors of your powers, I thought it was an exaggeration, but it seems that you are actually even stronger than I was told. I’m sure you’re wondering how this forest provides so much power, and I might as well tell you, it’s the least you deserve for getting this far. Jinmenji is yet another fine product of New World Enterprises, combining all of the super fruits of the pre-war days. Pomegranate, acai, goji, durian, gingko biloba, cranberry, orange, apple and guarana, all providing immense energy, strength, and other health benefits. All of these impressive dietary traits were combined into a banyan fig, and it’s seed was planted in Kagoshima. I planted it after I was vaccinated. You see, the banyan can be a very nasty tree and with all of the other traits added into its gene code, it became a very powerful plant, and it’s nastiest side effect is that the fruit contains tiny virulent seeds and spores that start growing inside anyone that eats the fruit. Over time the tree grows out from the host’s body and kills the poor human. Only I have immunity to this, which means only I can truly gain the full benefit of the fruit. But there is a good reason for all of this death, you see, each time a tree kills a person, the energy flows back into the tree making the fruit that much more potent.” At this point he stopped to pluck a round purple fruit from the tree and eat it. As he licked the juice from his lips he laughed. “Delicious.”

It suddenly dawned on Hidariude that Kodama was indirectly feeding off of the people of Kyushu Island. This caused him to be enraged so he drew his blades once again and attacked Kodama head on. “You monster!”

Kodama calmly caught each of Hidariude’s blades in each of his hands and then kicked Hidariude in the chest. “Perhaps I should also mention that it was in my plan all along that you would wear yourself out fighting my underlings. Your senses are dulled, your muscles are sore, and I am fresh and ready to fight!” He threw Hidariude to the side. “Next.”

Kichiku and Keisei tried to coordinate their attack. Kichiku came in from the front and struck Kodama with both hands. Kodama blocked and they grappled and wrestled. Keisei used this moment to jump behind Kodama and attack him before he noticed. She punched, kicked and clawed him. Kodama just laughed. “Is that the best you can do? The girl is tickling me!” Kodama head-butted Kichiku, knocking him down, and then spun around flinging Keisei into the tree in a movement to fast for her to react to. “Pathetic.”

Keisei put up her two fingers. “Kayakujutsu ignite!” The paper bombs exploded into a great conflagration. For a moment she smiled at her success. But that moment was short lived when she heard someone behind her.

“That was close.” Kodama said. “If I hadn’t torn off those paper bombs you stuck to me and run over here I could have been a goner.”

“How did you…?” Keisei stuttered unable to fathom how Kodama had not only outrun the explosion, but somehow gotten behind her without her seeing.

“Behold the power of the miracle fruit of Jinmenji!” Kodama squealed with sadistic glee, then kicked Keisei across the forest.

By now Hidariude caught a second wind and engaged in battle with Kodama again. Now his mind was clearer and he was more focused on the battle at hand. He performed his signature combination attack; tiger claw, punch with hand blades extended, a slash with his long blade, and then a follow-up with his sword. To his surprise, Kodama blocked the attack effortlessly. He attempted a few more permutations of the combo to see if he could catch Kodama off guard, but to no avail. Finally, in desperation, Hidariude unleashed an electric attack. Kodama actually seemed to absorb the electric attack and redirected it at another tree trunk.

“Tingly!” Kodama said with another maniacal laugh.

Kichiku tried to assist Hidariude by punching the ground causing a tremor. Kodama dodged the attack by leaping into the air right when the tremor hit and landed on Kichiku. They resumed grappling and Hidariude joined them trying to fight him on both sides. Kodama proceeded to block both warriors with little effort.

Keisei returned to the fray, trying to hit him with her war fans. They had such little effect Kodama completely ignored her. Suddenly she became filled with rage, remembering how she had been ignored by her masters on Seventh Moon when she was younger. She would not be ignored now, she dropped her fans and hit Kodama with her bare hands and feet. Still Kodama was able to block her attacks as well as Kichiku’s and Hidariude’s without any effort at all.

It was frustrating for the espers that Kodama was reacting so fast. He didn’t have the same senses and reflexes that the espers had, but he had enough raw energy to be moving fast enough to stay ahead of them. What they were witnessing just seemed impossible.

Kodama yawned. “I’m bored.” He went from passive blocking to hitting each esper hard enough to propel them away from him into the trees around him.

Keisei had placed another paper bomb on Kodama, but this time she coordinated with Hidariude and Kichiku. Each got into position and quickly threw their best attack at Kodama. Hidariude crossed his blades and unleashed an electric bolt. Kichiku punched the ground unleashing a tremor that caused the ground to rise as it approached its target. Keisei pulled another paper bomb out and threw it at Kodama. “Kayakujutsu ignite!” The paper bomb exploded into a flaming streak as it flew towards Kodama. All of these attacks occurred at the exact same time, in perfect sync.

When the dust settled, Kodama still stood. He had managed to somehow deflect or block all three of the attacks and remained unharmed. “Was that really the best you could do? Well, I guess not, you are tired from fighting my underlings. And the other soldiers on the way here. You’re spent, and that was your final attack this is over.” Kodama was right, they could not move. They were exhausted from their journey and the fighting, and they had put the last of their energy into that attack. They couldn’t believe this was how it was going to end. Kodama collected them and dragged them up to the canopy and dropped them each, one by one, into giant pitcher plants. “Since you didn’t eat the fruit of Jinmenji, I’ll have to let the tree absorb your energy this way. Then I will be that much stronger and I can go retrieve that kid.”

Kichiku realized he was breaking his promise to Douji to come back for him. “I’m sorry Douji.”

At this very moment, in the Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, Douji could hear Kichiku’s voice. He could sense that his friends were in trouble. “No! Hidariude! Keisei! Kichiku-san! I won’t let you be hurt!”

Sora panicked because he and Zokushou were just bringing Douji home for the night and there was no way for him to hide Douji’s sudden golden glow from Zokushou. He knew Douji was sensitive, but he didn’t realize that he could pick up what was happening from this far away. But there was no stopping what was happening.

Douji transformed into the golden dragon Shinryuu and flew out of Nagasaki. He started towards the forest, and his body began to grow longer. He wove between the tree trunks, wrapping his body around every single tree in the forest. After coiling around the entire forest covering the island of Kyushu, he raised his enormous head right above where Kodama was with the espers in pitcher plants. He reached a huge three clawed hand in among the trees and plucked up his friends. Now that they were safe, he opened his gaping maw over Kodama took a deep breath and unleashed a furious blast of energy. “DIVINE WIND!”

Kodama did not stand a chance, he was in the direct line of the blast. The energy spread across the island, the explosion consumed the entire forest. Nothing survived the blast, Jinmenji and Kodama were no more. Having spent all of his energy, Shinryuu dissipated leaving Douji, Kichiku, Keisei and Hidariude to fall on the ground.

Seichei, Baz, and Aka arrived on the scene to see the four espers unconscious. Aka picked up Douji. “They’re as good as dead, thanks to Kodama. He was right, it is a good strategy to let someone else do all the hard work and then just finish up.” With Douji tucked under Aka’s arm, the three left for their return trip to the space port.

The espers remained unconscious until the arrival of Zokushou and Sora. Sora shook them awake. “What happened? Are you guys okay?”

Kichiku was the first to respond. “Where’s Douji?”

“That’s part of the problem…” Sora replied sheepishly.

Zokushou gave them a moment to regain their senses, and then she railed right into them. “Why didn’t you tell me about the child? What was that thing?”

The espers were still a bit confused. “What is she talking about?”

Sora sighed. “Douji transformed and…” He gestured at the wasteland around them that used to be the forest of Jinmenji. “He did all of this.”

Suddenly the espers were shocked awake by the realization that Douji had done something that had exceeded even what they knew him to be capable of.

Zokushou could see that they were more awake now. ’Again I ask you; how did this child get this power?”

“He’s like us. He was created by Seventh Moon. Only his powers are more extensive than ours. He was genetically engineered to be perfect and he has been chosen as the Yoshiromi of the Golden Dragon Shinryuu. What you saw was his true divine nature. We are his guardians and we stay with him to help him control his power and prevent incidents like that, but when we are in trouble it seems to set him off. Seventh Moon has been after him ever since they located him in the Kanagawa Raid three years ago. He was the only survivor, and it’s up to us to protect him.”

“Well you failed!” Zokushou admonished them. “Maybe if I had known we could have taken the necessary precautions, but now it seems they have him.”

“Seventh Moon captured him?” Kichiku screamed in horror.

Sora and Zokushou nodded.

“We have to find a way to get him back.”