Fujima struggles past all of the decay as Keiaru and Renzo admire a sight to die for... (get it?) -anyway- One hand reaches up to him, it was, what was a mother, her eyes swelled with the little tears she could muster. Full of fear and hope "don't stay here forever. join us, to the better land."
A bright orange beam descended to the equally bright spectacle. In it, a woman appears out of it stunned by the beauty of the city. "Mother's here!" a child dragged his father, both teary eyed. "Arata!" the father called, now carrying the son to get to her faster. It was strange a ghost with a look on its face as if it had seen a ghost. Arata ran toward them as if the distance between them were too far to wait. "Inaba! Shinnosuke!" Arata embraced her family.
"Its been forever" her voice was breaking, drowned by her ethereal tears "Oh how I've missed you two" The way she spoke seemed to be of a fairly high class.
"Fujima isn't this wonderful?" Keiaru thoughtlessly asked wiping a tear quickly.
Fujima was crouched down still holding a hand Keiaru couldn't see. He had a solemn look on his face as he stayed silent. she couldn't see his face as all there was, was a blank white silhouette.
Keiaru placed her hand on his shoulder "Fujima...-" her eyes shifted out of their view of the spirit realm to the horrid, real world she forgot she was in. More than a gasp escaped her, some tear drops trickled out at the grave site she stood over. eager to leave the physical plane to the soul city, they didn't even bury any bodies. There were few lights, less that glow brightly, none that even seem warm. It was the exact opposite of the city she'd rather see. "If you want you can go back..."
Fujima was close to accepting that offer, but he was here for a reason. "And leave the fate of this river and the villages to you two? no thanks!" even the thinnest mask was good armor in this place. "You two stick together and find whatever you can find about the bandit king" he handed them a stone in the shape of a star "When you are in trouble toss this in the sky."
"Alright, be safe father." Keiaru clenched the star tightly
"I will." he waved before walking off to the large tower in the center.
-
Keiaru was searching the spirit realm for any danger Fujima couldn't see, occasionally checking on him in the living realm. He seemed more composed as the corpses decreased the further they got.
"What does it look like on the other side?" Fujima asks
"Like none other, it was as if the sun itself turned into this city and its people."
"Huh. That sounds really wonderful" he began faintly imagining what she had described but the fiery sun and a city didn't mix well in his mind "There's fire everywhere."
"Look there." Keiaru pointed to a building "Imagine it was made of sunlight" she began sketching in the notebook she scarcely used, keen on sharing this unseen world with Fujima.
"Ooh! can you show me more?"
"That one" there stood a family playing happily next to a diner the mother chuckled inside of.
"What about that one!" They ventured throughout the city sketching every building they pointed at till they began forgetting that they were supposed to ask around. but it was to be the last place in their journey, so they would enjoy it.
"Excuse me miss." Hanzo called to the elderly spirit "May i ask a question?"
he went to tap her shoulder but the fog sent lightning down. It touched his hand but didn't hurt him, "He lies, the fog whispers the truth" it echoed in his head for a bit before a smaller, red bolt of electricity shoots up to the sky. "Strange..." something crossed to his mind as he held a purifying stone in his hand.
-
They sat on a roof looking over the city. Fujima found a spot without any corpses in sight so he could imagine the city Keiaru described. "If what I'm seeing is correct then there is no fire right?"
"Obviously." she rolled her eyes before staring toward Fujima
"Say... am I glowing too?" he turned toward her waiting for her answer
"Cyan..." she said, as if it were an after thought shoved out by another, She continued to stare in that one direction.
"So? point me to it." he noticed her staring of to the distance that happened to be in the direction behind him.
"Oh yea...hold on-" she reactivated her eye and hastily began sketching a poor example compared to the rest.
"Where is this building?" he held the book up in the direction she drew in, comparing what was and wasn't there.
"OH- that is... uh-"
"Its fine. you can have your little fun. its still nice to imagine."
"He is being kinder than usual." she thought with a confused expression unknowingly forming on her face.
"What is it" he returned his own eyebrow raise.
"You are being nicer than usual." she stated playfully skeptical
"You aren't hitting me as much." he returned
"Well it just didn't feel right."
"Well. . . …" She stared expecting some wisdom "-I've got nothing to say."
.
..
…
They started laughing loudly, together this time. "Alright we should- go ask around right?" Fujima suggested.
"Yea..." She looked disappointed as she slid of the roof to the floor.
"After we are done here we should celebrate!"
That seemed to brighten her mood "Sure!" they began interrogating but the few living people could barely form words. "O u r... savior...." one strained "Th e... h..ope giver..." another said "Promised us...a better home..."
Their stories make this bandit king sound like a savior of sorts and the spirits only spoke to each other like Keiaru didn't exist. Whenever she approached one they ignored her, but they seem to see Fujima, clearly. They avoided him like he was some rabid wolf.
"Hey Fujima. put your net down for a moment i need to see something."
The kids were able to play around the net without fear, but when Fujima went to pick it up they ran.
"Why is that?"
=
Renzo held a charred purifying stone and headed toward Keiaru and Fujima but changed his course to and open area in this city unsheathing his blade that seemed to scare away some of he nearby spirits.
=
"The ones who have arrived have defeated Genseki. what shall we do?" a black haired woman asked calmly to the bandit king, Horeou who stood before an empty cage staring deeply at nothing. "winner takes the others, bring that boy to me, alive..."
"As you wish my lord." The lady walked to the room before the throne were the remaining 12 generals including Raimotaro and Kumotaro sat patiently
She stood at the center of the room "Bring the net-boy alive the rest can die. The king demands it!"