Disclaimer: "Tenchi Muyo!," its characters, and any related images, written
or otherwise, are the properties of AIC/Pioneer. Their use is not, nor is it
intended to be cannon, and no monetary compensation was given for the
creation of this work. All other characters are the creation of Alexander
Curtindolph and Luis Angelo Rojas III, and are not to be used without proper
credit in any work. Thank you.
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A brief summary:
        A young boy named Liam DuBarre visited Tenchi Masaki, a high school
student from Okayama, Japan, and his female alien friends. Liam and his
guardians, who are called the Saga, wanted to recruit Tenchi to help them in
the battle against Beelzebub and his master, Calgio. Before Tenchi could
rebuke their offer, Beelzebub attacked and kidnapped Sasami. Tenchi, Liam
and the others rushed off to Tokyo to save her, but arrived too late.
Another member of the Saga had taken her to Liam's home world of Chima.
After a brief ordeal in Tokyo, Tenchi made it to Chima and found that Sasami
was safe. The king and queens of Jurai had also come to Liam's land to ask
him to choose a guardian for her. Manjimaru, a young wolf-boy, was chosen
and faced off against the space pirate, Ryoko. He won and was named
guardian. That night, the great genius Washu found out the truth about the
origins of  the royal trees of  Jurai and the power within. They came from
Chima. She also found out that Kagato, an evil man whom Tenchi had killed
several months ago, was actually Calgio. Furthermore, Kagato was related to
Liam! Liam swears to finish Kagato off once and for all, and decides to name
a replacement guardian for Manji. And now.
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Beelzebub: Lord of the Flies
Chapter Seven: "No Need for the Arcane!"
Or, "Magical Boy Handsome Tenchi!"
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        Liam looked across the banquet table to the Jurians that sat across
from him. In his hands were two gauntlets. The gloves themselves were made
of leather, but the metallic plates that were riveted to them were made of
Demonium. The plates looked greenish in tint, and when the light hit them in
a certain way, one could see runic engravings on them. Behind the area of
the gauntlets were the knuckles went was a thin, hollow chamber where two
small blades, about the length of one's forearm, were situated. If the
wearer of the gauntlets were to squeeze his fists, the claws would spring
forth from their chambers and lock in place by the knuckles, ready to be
used in armed combat. Manji, now Sasami's guardian, was a master of the
claws. He could kill a fly on Liam's head with them without damaging a
single strand of his auburn hair. Now, Liam had to give these Claws of
Fenrir to one of the out-worlders seated in front of him.
        "So, who's gonna be my new guardian?" asked Liam. He pointed the
claws to each of the aliens and it began to glow. He started with King
Azusa. The gloves stopped glowing. "No, it's not you."
        Then Liam got out of his seat and walked over to Funaho. The gloves
began to glow again with a soft, green light, then stopped. Liam shook his
head and moved over to Misaki. This was repeated until he got to Aeka. Liam
pointed the gauntlets at her and they glowed wildly. The light began to
strobe about the metal plates of the gloves, and then slowly faded away. "I
think we got a winner," said Liam.
        "Me?" asked Aeka.
        "Yup," replied West. "Congratulations. You are now a member of the
Saga, until Manji is able to come back to duty. I hope you can fight."
        "Of course I can," said the Juraian princess. "I simply didn't
expect to be chosen."
        "This is unacceptable," protested Azusa. "I will not have my
daughter subjected to danger to protect that boy." He arose from his chair
and walked over to where Liam stood. "I demand that you choose someone
else."
        "Can't," was all Liam said in reply.
        "You can't, or you won't?" asked Azusa.
        "The claws chose her, not me," said Liam, " so I can't do anything
about it. Frankly, I would rather have Ryoko as a guardian, but it's out of
my hands. All I can do now is teach her how to use the claws."
        "They are your claws," Azusa said to Manji. "Make them chose someone
else."
        "They chose me," said the wolf-child. "I can't make them do anything
except extend the claws."
        "Surely there is some sort of mistake," said Funaho, calmly. "Our
daughter is not a warrior. She has not been properly trained in the art of
combat. Perhaps a trade of sorts can be made."
        "Sure," said Liam. "The only trade that can be made now is for
Manji."
        "Then we can acquire a guardian for Sasami from our soldiers," said
Misaki.
        "Do they know how to handle Shadow Demons?" asked Vardis.
        "No, but they are the finest soldiers in all the galaxy," answered
Azusa.
        "If they have never fought against Shadow Demons, then all of the
skill in the universe cannot save them," Vardis shot back. "These creations
are soulless, heartless beasts. They only carry out orders from their
master. In addition, if this Kagato is as vicious as you say he is, then the
battle with Beelzebub and his horde shall be difficult, indeed. Even the
ship Ryo-Ohki could not defeat Wasp. What makes you think that any soldier
without Demonium or experience can do what it could not?"
        "So," said Flint, "you will need someone who can fight the demons to
protect your daughter. We are the only ones who can. We, in turn, will need
a replacement for whoever is protecting Sasami. Or perhaps you _want_ her to
be taken by your most feared enemy?"
        "I fear no one!" growled the emperor. "I am simply concerned for
both of my daughters' well-being. I am a father first, and a king second."
        "I'm sorry," said Liam. "I dragged them all into this. I accept full
responsibility for things coming to this. But, now that it has, we have no
other choice but to do this. I won't lie. Aeka might die, but I'm gonna try
to bring her back alive. I can't make any promises, though."
        'Liam, you fool,' thought Vardis, 'why must you feel so guilty for
things that you cannot even control. If she dies protecting you, then she
dies. You cannot put everything upon yourself.'
'I sure as hell can try to,' answered Liam, via telepathy. He looked to
Vardis and said, "You'll be in charge of training Aeka. You got two weeks."
        "Why two weeks?" asked Vardis.
        "That should gimme enough time to come up with a plan to destroy
Wasp and Kagato." Liam then left the dining hall and went to his room.
        "Liam," called Sage Gwynneth.
        "Yeah?" answered Liam.
        "Later, come down to the Great Arena. I shall go over the details of
what may be needed to stop Kagato. I will also need your help in teaching
our new allies how to use arcania."
        "What time?" asked Liam.
        "One of the clock." Gwynneth responded.
        "Okay," said the Chiman prince, and he went to his room.
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        Aeka sat in her room, wondering how she got in this mess. First, it
was proven that the royal trees came from this planet, Chima. Then, it
turned out that her father knew this all the time, and had not told anyone.
Why? Was he ashamed? Was he embarrassed? Was he afraid that none would
respect him or follow his rule should the origin of the trees be exposed to
the masses? That was most likely it.
        To make matters worse, she was to be the guardian of that, that
anti-prince, Liam. What type of boy is he, anyway? He doesn't speak, act, or
dress like a prince should. Nor does he have the same nobility of purpose as
any knight. In fact, if what she has heard of him is correct, he is nothing
more than a bi-polar schizophrenic boy with an identity crisis! For once,
she hoped that what Ryoko had said of the boy is incorrect.
        She could not fight for a boy who she knows nothing about. The only
thing they have in common is. Tenchi. She loves him, and he sees him as a
brother. Is what Ryoko said true? Is the only reason that Liam wants to
protect her beloved Tenchi-sama because he believes it would relieve him of
the guilt of killing his brother? What kind of a person, noble or otherwise,
would kill his brother to begin with? Would Liam commit that same atrocious
act on Tenchi? She could not defend a murderer!
        She can't even defend herself. Who was she kidding? She could barely
put up a decent battle against the demon. How could she fight _real_ demons?
Liam would simply have to fend for himself, and that would be all. She
decided to go find Liam and tell him this. She arose from her seat on the
bed and walked into the hallway. She glanced to the left and saw Liam
walking in her direction. "Hello, Sir Liam," she said. "May I speak with
you?"
        "Sure," answered the Chiman prince. "Walk with me. I was just about
to go to the Great Arena and exercise with the Knights of the Order. I came
from Sasami's room, and saw her and Manji playing video games with this TV
Washu installed in there. He was getting his butt whooped by a little girl!
And usually he's so good at those 'Virtua Samurai Blade Fighter' games."
        "They seem to be getting along so well," said Aeka. "I wonder if
Manji has a bit of an affinity for my sister."
        "You mean a crush?" asked Liam. Aeka nodded. "Naw, he doesn't have a
crush on her. I asked. But he does want her to like him. Poor little guy.
When the Amazons assassinated his family, he was so shy. He was almost
afraid of all humans. Now, he's so outgoing and jus' lookin' for everyone to
like him."
        "Isn't Thalia his sister?" asked Aeka. "I think that he would want
to cling to the few remnants of his family."
        "Their mom was the leader of the Amazons," answered Liam. "They
assassinated his dad and all of his clan. He hates the Amazons, and I've
become his big brother, in a way. I even named him 'Manjimaru,' because he
lived longer than his peers."
        Aeka was beginning to see how Liam thinks. "Speaking of brothers,
why did you and your brother fight each other?"
        "We didn't even know we were related," Liam began. "He was just like
me. We were lookin' for our pasts 'cause we thought that we could find out
who we were. Nick found out that I was trying to find Xander Tyrann like he
was, and decided that only he should fight the old necromancer. When I
wouldn't stop fighting Xander, Nick tried to stop me the only way he knew
how - killing me.
        "Then, in the 'final battle,' Xander possessed Nick. Nick told me
that the only way to stop Xander was to destroy the host, an' Nick was the
host, so.
        "I felt so guilty, 'cause I never got a chance to know him as
anything more than a guy in green armor that wanted to kill me." Liam
stopped in front of a pair of wooden doors. "I don't wanna make the same
mistake with Tenchi, so, I came here to train. Maybe you should get in some
training too. You got some armor, or something?"
        "Yes," said Aeka, "but."
        "Then c'mon," said Liam. "You'll need it in the arena."
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        It was twelve-thirty in the afternoon when Gwynneth led Tenchi, his
companions, and the Saga into the Great Arena. From outside the arena, in
the hall, it was hard to tell if the enormous wooden doors led to a theatre
or a study. Once the sage opened the doors, however, Tenchi could see that
the Great Arena was an indoor coliseum. Over seven hundred chairs surrounded
the arena below. Above the main arena was a small balcony where stood three
velvet thrones. The balcony was draped with a flowing green curtain. The
floor of the arena itself was wooden, and filled with soldiers dueling with
each other. Yosho was pleased to see these young warriors honing their
respective skills. In the middle of it all was Aeka, in her Juraian battle
armor, looking on as Liam and Malcolm prepared to duel.
        "I hope that you have improved, cousin," teased Malcolm.
        "I hope that you're ready to get your butt whooped, cousin," spat
Liam, playfully.
        Liam's armor donned itself upon him as Malcolm put on his own suit
of armor. Liam's metallic-red boots and greaves made a muted clanking sound
as he stepped forward. Aeka looked on as he continued to advance. For the
first time, she noticed the insignia on the chest plate of Great Armor of
Draconus was the same as the coat of arms on the gatekeeper's robe, save
that the shield was held entirely by upright dragons. Liam's helmet, shaped
to look as though the head of a dragon had engulfed him, shone brightly
under the crystalline lights above them. His sword in his left hand, Liam
shifted his weight to his right foot, held his sword before him, and stood
in a fighting position.
        Malcolm's armor looked similar to his cousin's, but it was not in
the same crimson color as the original. Malcolm's weapon was not the same as
Liam's, either. His sword was only three feet in length, and was four
centimeters wide. The hilt of the sword was in a golden rapier style, which
curved down into a basket style hand guard. The wooden handle of the sword
was bound with leather. Whereas Liam's sword was as long as he was tall, in
a more traditional long sword style. The hilt of the long sword was shaped
like a slightly abstract pair of dragon wings with an orb made of emerald in
the middle. The handle was made of the same metal as the blade, and was
carved with runic letters.
        "I'm ready whenever you are, Mal," said Liam.
        Malcolm went into a fighting stance and positioned his sword in
front of him. "The Noble Blade shall cleave you in two, Liam," boasted
Malcolm.
        "Not if I can counter it with my Dragon Fang," said Liam.
Tenchi and the others sat in the front row of seats, wanting to get a good
view of the fight. The other knights noticed the out-worlders in their midst
and looked at them apprehensively. They then gazed to where Liam, Malcolm
and Aeka were standing and moved from where they stood to give the two
opponents room to maneuver. Yosho watched in silent reverence at what
transpired before them.
        In an instant, Malcolm rushed to Liam, thrusting his blade at Liam's
waist. The Great Knight dodged to his left, then swung his sword to his
cousin's feet. Malcolm jumped away from the slash and countered with a
downward chop once he was at the apex of his leap. Liam parried the cut and
let Malcolm land before swirling his sword in a complete circle around
himself. The force of the slash produced a whirlwind around him. The funnel
of wind picked up speed and left from Liam's position to where Malcolm
stood. Malcolm was swept off his feet and flung into the air. The blade of
his rapier began to glow a fiery red. The young prince heaved his sword over
his head and then dropped it. The energy around the sword leapt off the
blade and sped towards Liam. It turned from energy into fire and struck Liam
in the chest. He stumbled for a second, then regained his balance and
returned to his starting position.
        Malcolm landed twenty meters away from him and shifted into a
fighting position. He charged at Liam once again, slashing at Liam's right
side. Liam parried the attack and countered, jutting his long sword towards
Malcolm's left. Malcolm's sword met his, however, and soon the clashes
began. The sound of metal violently meeting metal bounced off the walls of
the coliseum. Liam and Malcolm's slashes, cuts, and thrusts were met with an
equally powerful technique. Neither combatant conceded an inch as the cuts
became faster and faster. Their hands were blurry as their speed increased.
Only Yosho, Tenchi, Minagi, Ryoko and Azusa were able to truly see the
movement of these knights. "Five golden Jurai says that Malcolm disarms
Liam," whispered Minagi to her sister, Ryoko.
        "I'll see your five," Ryoko replied, "and raise you fifteen."
        "You're on!" Minagi said.
        Liam broke his rhythm and leaped over Malcolm's head, deflecting an
oncoming slash while in the air. He landed behind his opponent and stabbed
his blade at Malcolm's side. Malcolm moved out of the way of the thrust, but
did not escape when Liam quickly turned his torso and jabbed the very tip of
his sword at the hilt of the rapier. Liam then turned the sword onto its
blunt side and hit his cousin in the head. He swiftly placed his foot onto
the blade of Malcolm's fallen rapier and pointed the tip of his own sword at
his cousin's throat. Malcolm saw this and opened his mouth, straining to
produce words of congratulations.
        "I believe. the word you're lookin' for. is 'touch‚,' cousin," Liam
said, out of breath. The knights that stood at the walls of the arena gave
an ovation to Liam for his great skill. Even the dumbfounded Malcolm had to
commend him for his victory.
        "Touch‚, indeed," he finally said. "You have improved. I'm
impressed."
        "Impressed?" questioned Liam, in mock distain. "You should be, like,
bedazzled, or som'thin'."
        "We all agree that your skill has grown in many ways since you've
come here," said Gwynneth from the stands, " but we are here to do more than
battle. If you and your allies are to stand a chance against the ten Shadow
Demons mentioned in Alexander's journal, they must be taught arcania."
        "What is arcania?" asked Sasami, as Liam removed his armor.
        "Magic," answered Flint.
        "Wait," said Liam, 'ten? The only demons that I know about are the
big four that Xander made."
        "About that," said Gwynneth.
        "You have kept this secret from us as well, eh?" asked Aricelli. "My
husband is possessed by these one of these monsters, and now you are trying
to tell me that there are nine more?"
        "Yes," answered Sage Marius, who had appeared from the back of the
arena. "We found a journal of Xander's, telling of the ten Great Demons that
he had made. They were scattered all across this world and many others. If
Kagato gets his hands on any more of them, we shall have a very difficult
time defeating him."
        "H-how can we defeat them?" asked Aeka.
        "Magic is the key," said Gwynneth. "It is imperative that you learn
magic, and find the other nine demons before they are awakened. So, if you
are to learn magic, the first thing you must know about is the different
types of energies."
        "There are only two types of energy, static and kinetic, right?"
said Tenchi.
        "No," said Washu. "Those are just the two stasis of energy. There
are five different types of energies; natural, man-made, spiritual,
ethereal, and magic, apparently."
        "That is correct, Washu," said Gwynneth.
        "Of course it is," boasted Washu.
        "Man-made energies include electricity, fire, and nuclear power,"
said Marius. "How they produce those energies, however may not be
manufactured. Solar, wind, and hydro powered plants are examples of natural
energies being harnessed to make manufactured energy."
        "Spiritual energy, or Chaos, is energy that comes from you," said
Rose. "Telepathy, telekinesis, psychokinesis are rare forms of Chaos. It is
more commonly found in releases of emotion. An orgasm, for example releases
pent up spiritual energy, as does a nervous breakdown. People with copious
amounts of Chaos can use Chaos skills, which are abilities enhanced by the
powers of Chaos."
        "So," said Tenchi, "that slashing thing that Liam did three days ago
is a Chaos skill?"
        "Yes," said Rose. "In fact, everyone in the Saga can use at least
one Chaos skill. Aeka was chosen to be Liam's guardian because her Chaos was
similar to that of the claws' previous owner, Manji. I also believe that the
Light Hawk Wings that you possess are powered by Chaos."
        "Ethereal energy is the power of Pater and those who are close to
Pater," said Gwynneth. "That is the only power that cannot be harnessed or
controlled by man."
        "Um, just out of curiosity," asked Mihoshi, "who is Pater?"
        "Jehovah, Allah, The Almighty, Yesu, Brahman,
The-Big-Angry-Dude-in-the-Sky-with-Angels, God," said Liam. "Call Him what
you want."
        "So that leaves us with magic," said Ryoko. "What is that, then?"
        "Magic is the harmonic resonance between you and nature," explained
Pierce.
        "I don't get it," said Mihoshi. It was clear to West that the other
Juraians didn't understand it either so he tried to simplify the subject for
them.
        "Okay, see, uh, everything in nature has its own electromagnetic
force," started West. "If you include the stars and space into the category
of nature, then everything within the universe has its own electromagnetic
force. Even us. If you were to make your electromagnetic force flow at the
same frequency as an element in nature, then you can ionize the air around
you. This allows you to change the molecular structure of the air into a
form of energy similar to that of the element that you force is responding
to with your mind. That is Magic!"
        "There are ten elements in nature," said Liam, "so there are ten
magical elements, too."
        "Earth, fire, water, wood, metal," said Yosho, reciting what he knew
of Feng Shui from his years as a priest.
        "Not quite," said Rose. "Terra, Venti, Igneous, Aqua, Fulmen, Astra,
Luna, Lumina, Calgio-Noctem, and Chaos."
        "Translation: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning, Star, Moon,
Light, Darkness, and Spirit," said Liam.
        "Some of the elements may need a little explaining," said West. "So:
Earth magic includes metal and wood. Astra magic is the control of space,
time, and gravity. If you wanna stop someone from moving, or slow them down,
or weigh them down, or smash meteors into people, Astra is the magic you
want to use. Luna is the magic you wanna use if you wanna do some of the
stuff that Ryoko can do. Teleportation, telekinesis, hypnotism; all that's
in Luna."
        "Light magic," continued Marius, "and Dark magic are opposing
forces."
        "One is good and the other is evil," said Ryoko.
        "Not really," said Liam. "Light magic can be used by bad guys and
dark magic can be used by good guys. What my grandpa meant was that Light
magic is mainly defensive, and dark magic as mostly offensive. Use Lumina if
you want to make barriers or heal people. Use Noctem if you want to poison
people or make them blind, or petrify them, or whatever. And then there's
Chaos."
        "I thought you said that Chaos is a separate energy," Aeka
mentioned.
        "It is," replied Vardis, "but it is so closely related to magic that
it must also be considered a magic force."
        "The general rule for Chaos is that it is whatever you are," said
Flint. "If you are easily angered, or have had a troubled past, or are a
violent person, then the Chaos is violent. If you are a very defensive
person, or you are not prone to violence, then your Chaos will reflect that
with defensive and healing powers."
        "Chaos is the penultimate mirror into a person's psyche," said
Yosho.
        "Does that mean that Liam is. a bad man?" queried Sasami.
        "I know Liam," said Manji. "He gets frustrated quickly, but he is
not a bad person."
        "Liam's Chaos skills are similar to your Light Hawk Wings," said
Aricelli. "They can be used both to attack or to defend."
        "So what is my Chaos skill?" asked Aeka.
        "The Rage," answered Thalia. "You lose control of yourself and you
attack anything that is a threat to you or your allies. Only when someone
that you love confronts you can you stop. That is Manji's skill. It may also
be yours."
        "You must also know of the different alliances of the magic," said
Gwynneth. "Fire, Lightning, Astra and Darkness are offensive. Water, Wind,
Earth and Light are defensive. Luna and Chaos are neutral. Offensive magic
attacks more often than it defends, whereas defensive magic heals and
protects more than it does harm. Neutral magic can do neither or both."
        "Now that you know about magic," said Rose, " I think that we should
teach you how to use it. Everyone come with me." Rose led the group to the
arena floor and lined them up in front of her. Liam and the Saga stayed
behind then in case they need any assistance.
        "Close your eyes," instructed Rose. Tenchi and the others did as
they were told. "Now slow your breathing. Empty your thoughts. You are one
with the universe. You cannot exist without a universe to contain you, nor
can the universe exist without living beings within it. We are a part of The
universe, and it is within us. Pater is within us. One is all; all is one.
To access the power you seek, you need only look within yourself. The power
is within us, and the knowledge of this power has been given us through the
grace of God.
        "Now, clear your mind. Think of a fire. The fire is warm, but it
does not burn. It fuels your soul, and you fuel it. It is a part of you. You
are one with the fire. Let the fire's warmth run through your every bone,
every muscle, and every sinew. Open your eyes." As they did so they slowly
noticed that a red aura surrounded them. They felt tingling sensations
throughout their bodies, as if they could feel each molecule within the air.
       "Focus the energy within you now," commanded Rose. Tenchi did what
came naturally to him at the time. He unconsciously grabbed Tenchi-Ken from
his back pocket and ignited the blade. It glowed a fiery red instead of its
usual blue light. Tenchi focused the power he felt surging through him into
his weapon as the others simply held their hands in front of them.
        "Now, release it!" Tenchi swung the blade of the Master Key and let
loose a blade of red fire that flew straight towards Rose. Several other
balls of flame came from Yosho and the girls in her direction. She erected a
wall of ice with a motion of her hand, and the fireballs safely defused
themselves upon impact. Tenchi felt woozy from the sudden loss of energy and
sunk to his knees. A state of post-orgasmic euphoria washed over him as he
strived to regain his composure. He noticed that several of the others had
experienced similar after effects of the magic. Sasami, in particular, was
convulsing in fits of laughter.
        "Wow," said Mihoshi
        "I need a cigarette," joked Ryoko.
        "It tickles!" giggled Sasami.
        "That was incredible," breathed Aeka.
        "Was that magic?" asked Minagi.
        "Yes," answered Gwynneth. "That is magic."
        "Tenchi, what compelled you to used your sword?" asked Rose.
        "I don't know," responded Tenchi. "It just came naturally. Grandpa
taught some of that stuff to me in our kendo lessons. So. it was second
nature to me to use Tenchi-Ken."
        "Odd," said Rose, "because your fire spell was the strongest."
        "Miss Rose, will we always experience this reaction when we use
magic?" asked Aeka.
        "No," said Rose, "only for the first few times. After that, you will
lose that tingle you feel around you, but you will still have the power."
        "You always had the power," corrected Liam, "It's just now you can
access them."
        "I suggest that you practice these skills that you have learned,"
suggested Gwynneth. "They will be needed to fight the ten Great Demons and
Kagato."
        "Who are the ten Great Demons, anyway?" asked Ryoko.
        "You all ready met one, Beelzebub," answered Marius. "He is the
demon of Venti. Gilgamesh is the demon of Aqua; Tiamut, the demon of
Igneous; Cyclops, who's of Terra; Quetzal, of Fulmen; Juggernaut of Astra;
Artimis, the demon of Luna; Horus, who controls Noctem; Ariel, Horus's
sister, who controls Lumina; and Deimos, the most powerful demon, who
controls Chaos."
        "If any of them wake up," said Liam, "'specially Deimos, we're
fragged."
        "Between me and Tenchi - with a _little_ help from you, of course -
we can take anyone down!" bragged Ryoko.
        "Your confidence will be your downfall one day," said Vardis, before
Aeka could make her obvious complaint of how she should fight with Tenchi.
She then turned to her.
        "And, before you say anything about fighting with Tenchi," the
fox-woman continued, "remember that you are a part of the Saga. You fight
for Liam, now."
        "Yes. About that," began the Juraian princess, "I'm not sure that I
can accept the responsibility. I haven't been trained in the art of combat
as you have, and."
        "I wasn't trained to fight," said Liam. "All of the sword skills
that I have, I learned them by watching other swordsmen fight."
        "Dude, Cloud from 'Final Fantasy VII' and 'Samurai Jack' don't count
as swordsmen," commented West.
        "Hush, you Digimon reject!" the Great Knight responded. "Anyway, I
think that with Vardis as your trainer, you can fight just as well as any of
us.
        "To be honest, I want Tenchi to be safe as much as you do. By
keeping him alive, I can kinda get over not keepin' Nick alive. But I can't
protect him if I get killed early in the game. So, you gotta help us fight.
That way, there'll still be a Tenchi for you and Ryoko to fight over, 'kay?"
        "If you are worried that you will be harmed, don't be," said Pierce.
"We are family. Family protects each other. That is why Liam wishes to watch
over Tenchi, because he is family to him. Let us be family to you. We will
do our best to keep you safe."
        Emperor Azusa was visibly relieved. His wives gave a collective sigh
as he contorted his face back into the stern fa‡ade of a king who is forever
wary. "You had better take care of my daughters," said he, "or my entire
fleet shall be upon you."
        Liam saw the brief moment of calm and smirked. "Y'know, ya can't
pretend to be eternally constipated and pissed forever, ZuZu," he quipped.
        "Don't call me ZuZu!" roared Azusa.
        "But it's such a cute name," whined his wife, Misaki.
        "I concur," grinned his other wife, Funaho. The entire group, save
Yosho, laughed. Yosho may have laughed, but it was so secretively that no
one noticed. Azusa wondered how he would ever live this down if word of his
new nickname ever spread to Jurai.
        "Let's practice what we have learned until lunch," said Marius.
"Sage Gwynneth and I have serious things to discus." The two magi left the
Great Arena to the gaggle of magic users. "And, Azusa, come with us."
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
INTERLUDE I

        In the foggy darkness that is the Realm of Spirits, two souls that
have long left the plane of the living met in clandestine solitude. A young
man, who looked very much like Liam in his royal attire, addressed a man in
a black and violet mage's robe with long black hair.
        "Xander, the allies have gathered. The prophesy is taking place as
the oracle Gregory had predicted one hundred millennia ago," the first ghost
said. "It is time to reveal ourselves and our alliance to them."
        "Are you certain that the time is now, nephew William?" asked
Xander. "Tokimi has yet to make her presence known in any of the universes.
Furthermore, I do not wish to see my demons destroyed."
        "I know," said William, "But it is better than having them
controlled by a madman."
        "You speak the truth, boy," Xander responded. "We cannot enlist
their aid in fighting Tokimi while she is in the Spirit Realm, if they are
too busy fighting my creations. They must be eliminated from the picture,
quickly. She must be stopped before her power mad rule spreads to the Realms
of the Living."
        "I am glad that we can finally see eye to eye on something, uncle,"
said William. "I only wish that we didn't differ on other things."
        "Such as my belief that humanity must be destroyed so that evil may
finally be eliminated?"
        "Yes."
        "I cannot change my views, not while my plans still have a chance to
come into fruition. However, I am fulfilling my itinerary, in a way. Kagato
is the most evil man in this universe. If I am to abolish darkness in this
realm, I must start with him."
        "Perhaps you and I aren't so different after all, Uncle Xander."
        "I would like to believe so, Will. Come, Kagato will leave from this
realm with Beelzebub soon. Now is the best time to strike, and give our
progeny a chance to destroy the other nine Demons." With that, the two
DuBarres flew off to find and withhold the Destroyer of Ruins.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
NEXT TIME: It's time to duel! To test their strength, Liam, Tenchi, and
their respective friends fight each other in a series of battles. As they do
so, Azusa meets with the Illuminati in their annual communion. Tsunami
attends as well and reveals things verbally that Tenchi learns through
experience in a battle with Liam. What does the deity tell them that so
important? What does Tenchi find out about himself? What does he find out
about Liam? Will it aid them in the upcoming battle? Find out in "Beelzebub:
Lord of the Flies - Chapter Eight: No Need for Chaos."

A/N: Wow. I have nothing to say. Write me at enigma@iamdstudents.com.
                        -Enigma