Kasumi Mahô Minarai Teiruzu
(Kasumi Magic Apprentice Tales )

< >: Thoughts

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 , Darkstalkers and any other characters mentioned in 
this story belong to their respective creators, so don’t bother me about it 
because I have no money.

Chapter 2
The Preliminaries

Diary Entry May 7th,

I am so excited today, and not just because the Opening Ceremonies to the 
Apprenticeship Games will begin this morning. I’m excited because I have made 
three new friends in the Makai. Only one of them is fully human, but it 
doesn’t matter to me. For someone who’s been housebound for over ten years, 
having any kind of friends is like a treasure to me. 

First there is Serena Ravenwing, a young witch from Salem. Apparently, there 
was some truth behind the infamous Salem Witch Hunts, but the witches 
themselves were the victims due to paranoia and unjust persecution. Serena is 
a very bright individual and I look forward to trading potion recipes with 
her. The only thing that bothers me is her... well, enthusiasm over my 
relationship with the Grimbards. I must make a note to get their autographs 
or I will never hear the end of it.

My second friend is from a species of lizardmen called Reptyls. Her name is 
Clea Bodaryl. She says that she hails from the desert plains of Almaria, some 
250 kilometers east of Ala Maron. She’s quite the forward-thinking individual 
and is a gifted swordswoman. She’s very eager to learn new cooking styles and 
recipes from me. Unlike my sister Akane, Clea is at least competent with 
basic preparation and won’t blow up the kitchen. She’s willing to listen and 
I find that attitude to most refreshing.

My third friend is actually my first boyfriend. Well, he’s a boy and he’s a 
friend, though I can’t exactly consider him in any romantic context as 
boyfriends are normally thought of as such. However, I do prefer his company 
more than that Conrad Blanchet and... oh dear, I’m starting to ramble. Let’s 
just call him a good acquaintance. Yes, that will do. In any case, from what 
I have learned so far from Google, Jason Blackstorm is the half-human son of 
the Demon Lord Argus Blackstorm. Apparently, the Blackstorm Family is only 
second in rank in terms of nobility to Lord Belial’s clan. Jason’s mother is 
actually human and that would make her son a demi-demon. 

I’m not too certain why Jason is so hostile toward the Blanchet family, 
another clan of human magicians. Google will not tell me the exact details, 
stating that it is a very delicate matter concerning the two sides. However, 
despite Jason’s reputation as the ‘Blood-Eyes Terror,’ I have seen a more 
sensitive side to his personality that I find rather charming. At the very 
least, he is far more well-mannered than some other people I have met so far 
in the Makai.

Ah, it seems that I must sign off now, as I have to hurry to the Grand 
Wizards Coliseum.

With those words, Kasumi nodded to Google, her Index Spirit Guide.
The tiny sprite finished recording Kasumi’s diary entry as she closed her 
Alamanac and headed out the door. She needed to get to the coliseum by 8:00 
am in order to present her badge, or she would be disqualified. She looked 
down at her tunic as her Gold Griffin badge shone in the morning sun. 

In less than twenty minutes, she arrived at the huge stadium and noted that 
the crowds had divided themselves into four groups. Near the entrances to the 
coliseum, there were large billboard signs, each depicting one of the four 
divisions. Those who were not taking part in the games were sent toward the 
spectator lines. She spotted the matching symbol to her badge and headed 
toward it. She then noticed a familiar Halfling waving toward her as she 
approached the entrance.

“Kasumi! You made it! Over here!”

“Good morning Henry.” The brown-haired girl greeted. “Am I in time?”

“Indeed you are Lass. I take it that yesterday was pleasant for you?”

“Yes, it was. I enjoyed my time with my new friends. So where do I go from 
here?”

The shopkeeper pointed toward the front of the line. “Once you get past those 
doors, follow the instructions given to you by the guards. They will direct 
you to the proper area for you to present your admission badge. This is to 
screen out any outsiders who are trying to illegally enter the games. Your 
badge will identify ONLY you as a competitor. Anyone who tries to steal it or 
use it will be automatically ejected. After the Opening Ceremonies are done, 
you have the choice of taking the remainder of the day off to rest or take 
part in the Practice Games.”

“Practice Games?”

“Yes, they’re kind of like the preliminaries, and their outcomes will not 
affect your position in the actual games themselves. A lot of novices take 
part in order to get in some last minute training and to prepare for when the 
real competition begins. Plus, they are offering some prizes for the 
winners.”

“Hmmm, I think will take part in those Practice Games.”

“Good for you, Lass. Now off you go. I’ll be watching in the spectator 
stands.”

Kasumi nodded as she waited in line. The Halfling storekeeper went off in 
another direction towards the entrance for spectators. Twenty minutes later 
she was officially admitted into the games as the registration booths 
acknowledged her badge number and was directed to join the other Gold Griffin 
members in the main play area of the arena. It would be there that the Elder 
Council of Wizards and Lord Belial would make an appearance and start the 
Apprenticeship Games. 

She saw that a very large group was sitting near a large sign that depicted 
the Gold Griffins and headed toward it. She found her seat number which 
corresponded with her badge number and sat down. In front of the seats was a 
very large podium in which Lord Belial and the Elder Council would give their 
opening speeches.

As she waited for the opening ceremonies to begin, she looked about at the 
various species that were going to participate in the games, as well as the 
spectators who were filling in the stands. There were beings that she 
immediately recognized from Japanese and Western folklore, as well as exotic 
individuals that she would have to ask Google about later. At that moment, a 
newcomer came and sat in the empty seat on her right.

The figure was about her height, but had lightly furred skin and was like a 
humanoid cat. Her fur was light beige with some brown highlights. On her head 
was a mane of light gold and she had pointed ears that twitched about every 
now and then. Her face was gentle but a bit more pronounced, like a female 
lion’s. She wore clothes that were similar to hers, but had a tail swishing 
about her lower back through a hole in her skirt. She had slender, clawed 
hands and lively green eyes.

It was then that she noticed someone was looking at her and turned toward 
Kasumi.

The Grimbard’s disciple immediately put on her polite face and nodded to her 
fellow competitor.

“Hello.”

The cat person smiled as she nodded back. “Greetings. I am Meala.”

“Kasumi Tendo. Very nice to make your acquaintance and... huh?”

To her surprise, Meala leaned forward and lightly rubbed her cheek against 
Kasumi’s in manner not unlike a housecat greeting a human. As she pulled 
back, she noted her confusion and explained.

“This is the way my people greet polite company. I am a Magikat.” (1)

The daughter of Soun Tendo then composed herself as she remembered reading 
about various species in the Makai the night before; in order to familiarize 
herself and not cause any social blunders while interacting with them.  “Ah! 
Magikats are a tribe of cat people who are very capable with casting spells. 
Yes, I believe that you’re from the Hiderian Plains?”

“Yes, that’s right. We have a very good attachment toward nature. And you are 
a human from Earth, correct?”

“How did you know I’m from Earth?”

“Your scent and your magical aura.” Meala explained. “I can smell faint 
traces of spices that aren’t found in the Makai and your aura is still 
adapting to the higher mana levels here.”

“Oh my! You are quite good. I can see why you’re a contestant in these 
games.”

“And you must be skilled enough to compete as well.”

“Oh, I’m not that good. I’m just adequate enough, that’s all.”

Before the Magikat could offer her opinion, there was a sudden blaring of 
trumpets as the crowds began to cheer and applaud.

The Opening Ceremonies had begun.

A huge cloud of smoke exploded in the center of the main stage as the entire 
Elder Council of Wizards appeared in front of the podium. At their head was 
their Grand Spellmaster, Lucius. The aged magician waved to the crowds of 
spectators and the four divisions which sat before him. After the applause 
died down, he addressed the competitors. His voice boomed throughout the 
stadium, courtesy of a sound amplification spell. His image was projected via 
magical imaging like a gigantic hologram. He had everyone’s attention as he 
spoke.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Old Races and Humans! Honored Guests and Spectators! 
Masters and Apprentices! We hereby welcome you all to the Ten Thousand and 
Seventy-Fourth Annual Apprenticeship Games! It is here where the newest 
generation makes its mark in the world of magic.”

He then directed his speech toward the assembled competitors.
 
“And to you aspiring spellcasters, I say this.  Out of the thousands of 
applicants, only eight hundred individuals were selected to compete for the 
title of Greatest Apprentice! You should be proud of this achievement. You 
alone have proven that you have the potential. You have studied hard. You 
have trained diligently. Now it is time for you to put those budding skills 
to their greatest challenge! And for those who show the best performance, 
they will be given the highest honor of studying at the top magical academies 
and privy to the greatest secrets of magic! This is our solemn promise!”

There was another thunderous round of applause and cheers from the crowds 
which drowned out all other sounds for miles around. Then Lucius raised his 
hand to signal them to stop so he could continue.

“And now, to officially begin the games, I hereby introduce with great honor 
and privilege, the ruler of the Makai, our Master... LORD BELIAL!”

In the center of the main stage, a gigantic crystal let loose with a rainbow 
of colors as a huge image was formed.  From her seat, Kasumi gasped as she 
looked upon the face of the King of the Makai.

Even though it was merely a projected image, the appearance of Belial was 
something no one would ever forget. The projection showed a giant of a being, 
which Kasumi estimated at about ten feet tall. He was a massively built with 
a muscular frame and his skin was a light shade of crimson. He had small 
horns protruding from his forehead and his mouth sported twin fangs sticking 
down from his upper jaw. His eyes were a fiery scarlet and he had a long, 
black mane of hair. She noted that he had a kind of leathery cape, but then 
upon closer inspection, she realized that it was actually a pair of large bat 
wings folded over his back and shoulders. He wore an armored breastplate and 
wrist bands, as well as a kind of kilt.  His legs were protected by armored 
shin and thigh guards while his feet were shod in thick leather boots. 

What was most striking was the sheer amount of mana he was radiating in which 
even the barest of novices could detect. There was no doubt who was the 
Number One Demon Lord and Master of the Makai.
 
Belial raised a clawed hand, immediately silencing the cheers and applause of 
the coliseum. He then spoke in a booming voice that needed no magical 
amplification.

“For many millennia, these Games have allowed the best and brightest of each 
generation, from Earth and Other Realm, to compete and prove they have the 
greatest potential. For those who have earned the right to compete, we expect 
nothing but your finest efforts! Cast your best spells! Use your knowledge to 
its fullest! Think strategically! For those who display the greatest promise 
in magic shall be awarded the greatest of honors! I shall allow one day for 
the competitors to polish their skills and prepare for the trials ahead! For 
at dawn tomorrow, your greatest challenge awaits!”

There was a tremendous round of cheers and applause as the skies lit up with 
magical fireworks.

“Let the Apprenticeship Games Commence!”


After Belial’s speech, the competitors all stood up as the surrounding areas 
in the coliseum began to change. Instead of an open field, the place began to 
magically morph into different sections in which the participants could 
practice various basic spells. If the competitor did not wish to take part in 
any of the practice games, he or she could leave the coliseum to rest or 
stock up on supplies in the surrounding markets. 
Kasumi began walking through the throngs with her new friend Meala. It was 
then that they came to an area that was set up like a shooting range. Several 
people were at the firing line and shooting off various projectiles, such as 
lightning bolts, ice shards and of course, fireballs.

The eldest of Soun Tendo’s daughters nodded. If there was one thing she 
really needed to work on, it was casting fireballs. She gestured to her 
Magikat companion towards the shooting range.

--------
Meanwhile...

In the Makai country of Marotta, near the Great Hellfire Pits, was a huge 
castle of steel and stone.  The entire structure was a gigantic fortress, 
with fiendish weapons of mass devastation protruding from every angle of its 
walls, a ring of molten lava surrounding it like a moat, and a private army 
of orcs, ogres and lesser demons guarding every entranceway and the immediate 
grounds. In a background of hellish flames and smoke; it was imposing even at 
a distance. However, as fearsome-looking as the castle was, it paled in 
comparison to its owner.

The Number Two Demon Lord Argus Blackstorm, Jason’s father.

In the past, he had been known as the Great Devastator, and he would lay 
waste to any who would dare challenge his position. His enemies were few and 
far between, mostly because those who did go up against him never lived very 
long. Argus had a way of destroying his foes so thoroughly, that even the 
memory of their very existence would be fleeting, at best. His power over 
Hellfire and the Dark Arts had nearly no equal, save for Lord Belial. It was 
even rumored that he had planned to usurp Belial’s position of Supreme Ruler 
of the Makai.

However, all of that changed twenty years ago, when Argus fell in love with a 
human woman named Shidori Maseraki.
 
There couldn’t have been a more mismatched pairing as Shidori was a shrine 
maiden from Earth, while Argus was a fearsome demon lord. What caused an even 
bigger uproar was when Shidori came to the Makai, without a Blood Oath. By 
the laws of the Other Realm, Maseraki would have been executed.  However, 
Belial recognized the deep attachment that Argus had formed with the human 
female and decreed her worthy of his vassal. Argus would be allowed to wed 
her, on the condition that she would never return to the Human World.

It was through this act of generosity that Belial gained the unquestioned 
loyalty of Argus Blackstorm. Jason’s father swore he would NEVER challenge 
Morrigan’s father for the position of Supreme Ruler.  Furthermore, should 
anything happen to Belial, Argus would REFUSE the position should it be 
offered to him. As far as he was concerned, he had already obtained his 
greatest treasure, Shidori Maseraki. And following that time, his 
faithfulness to Belial would be tested on many occasions. Today was no 
exception.

“YOU LOWLY SCUM! I SAID NO AND I MEAN NO!”

The imps cowered as the master of the castle bellowed his answer.  As he sat 
in the main dining hall, Argus considered incinerating Jedah Dohma’s 
emissaries. For the past few years, there had been some power struggles among 
the upper class of nobles, and the demon lord Jedah was among the foremost of 
those who questioned Belial’s rule.  He had been trying to amass those who 
agreed with him and convince those who were loyal to Belial to switch sides. 
Having Blackstorm in his corner would certainly tip the scales in Jedah’s 
favor. However, Jason’s father wasn’t interested.

In appearance, Argus Blackstorm seemed human, though he was well over seven 
feet tall and was more muscular than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. Like 
Jason, his eyes were a fiery crimson red and he had a temper to match. His 
skin was tougher than any dragon’s and could withstand blazing heat that 
would have instantly reduced a human being to cinders. He had pointed ears 
and ebony-black hair that was short and tousled. He wore a black body suit, 
with an armored breastplate and shin guards. He had bracers on his forearms 
that were made of dense metal. On his feet were black boots of leather.

“You tell Jedah that I will NEVER turn against my Lord Belial.” Argus growled 
as he was just a heartbeat away from roasting the imps alive. “And I grow 
tired of this useless discussion that we keep having. Perhaps I should give a 
much clearer message to Jedah, by sending your charred carcasses to him!”

He then raised a hand up, and created a ball of Hellfire. The imps cowered 
even further as they prepared to die. Then a certain someone entered the 
room.

“Now, now Husband. There will be NONE of that! You know how hard it is to 
clean imp blood and burns out of the carpet.”

At the mere sound of his wife’s soft and melodic tone, Argus relented and 
powered down his flames. However, he still kept a fierce visage toward the 
imps as he pointed in the direction of the main gate.

“Go! Tell Jedah that my answer has NOT, nor will it EVER change! And count 
your blessings that my wife does not feel like cleaning up your remains!  You 
and your master are not welcome in my home! Should you EVER return, I promise 
that there will not be anything left of you, NOT EVEN A SINGLE MEMORY!”

The cowardly imps nodded frantically and they rushed toward the front gate. 
Once they were gone from his sight, Argus stood up and faced his human 
spouse. He simply walked over and embraced her, while letting off a tired 
sigh.

“Forgive me Shidori. It’s been very tiring these last few days.”

The woman in his arms nodded as she snuggled up against her husband’s hard-
muscled form. In her former life on Earth, she had been a Miko at a Shinto 
Shrine. She was a bit tall for the average Japanese woman, as her height was 
about 5' 10”. Her figure was lithe and graceful, yet had enough curves to 
make a supermodel jealous. She was definitely not deficient in the bosom 
department, as her husband often described her breasts as full as ripe 
cantaloupes, (much to her embarrassment).  Her skin was flawlessly smooth, 
like fine porcelain, and she had large, green eyes. Her hair was like fine 
silk and was as black as midnight. It reached down toward her waist and was 
tied at the end with an enchanted ribbon. The woman looked to be a youthful 
beauty in her early twenties, when she was actually in her late thirties. She 
wore the traditional garb of a Miko, which included a white haori, red 
hakama, and open toed sandals with white socks. However, her own magical aura 
made her appear even more elegant. She also possessed enough holy power 
within her to equal her mate’s Hellfire magic.

As she looked up, Shidori could see the weariness in her husband’s crimson 
eyes, and knew why he had been so foul-tempered lately. It was only a few 
days ago that he had gotten into a big argument with their only child, Jason.

After he had made the announcement of a potential engagement of his heir with 
the demoness daughter of a local noble, Jason blew up at his father, 
literally by destroying a good portion of the castle’s roof. It had only just 
been repaired. Since then, both father and child had been keeping their 
distance in order to cool off. Though he tried to be a good parent, Argus and 
Jason both shared the same demonic stubbornness that Shidori had grown to 
love.
 
“Have you heard from our son?” Argus asked, breaking the silence after a long 
while.

Pulling away from him, Shidori nodded. “Yes, I‘ve just received word from one 
of my friends in the Elder Council of Wizards. He’s entered the 
Apprenticeship Games in Ala Maron.”

“The Apprenticeship Games? Why would he enter that?” Argus asked. “It’s not 
like he doesn’t know how to use his Hellfire. I trained him myself!”

“Yes, but just remember that he is quite lacking in other aspects.” Shidori 
pointed out.

“What other aspects?”

“Well, for one thing he does need to learn how to maintain control of that 
temper of his. You do recall that little incident when he was six?”

“That was an accident!”

“Or that time when he was nine?”

“That was self-defense!”

“Or how about when he was eleven?”

“That was... er...  that was... uh...” Argus found himself at a loss for 
words as he remembered back to when Jason’s power went out of control during 
that time. Finally, he said with a bit of a grin. “THAT was a real mess, 
wasn’t it?”

Shidori nodded and then became a little serious. “Also keep in mind the 
reason why we put that Level Ten seal on him when he was a baby. Sooner or 
later, the other side of his powers is going to awaken. I’ve getting visions 
about it lately.”

The Number Two Demon Lord became very concerned. His wife’s psychic 
sensitivity made her among the top-ranked seers on Earth and the Makai. 
Whenever she got a feeling about something, he listened.

Then Shidori’s expression softened a bit. “In a way, I think having Jason 
compete in the games is a good thing.”

“How so?”

 “Jason needs to interact with others near his age and I think this is a good 
chance for him to make some actual friends. In fact, I’ve decided to go to 
Ala Maron to see him compete.”

“You?”

“Yes, the Elder Council of Wizards wishes to have a representative of each 
noble house present to observe the games. Since I know that you cannot leave 
the castle due your current business with Jedah and the rival factions, I 
think that it would be best if I go to represent the Blackstorms.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. I heard that the Blanchets would be 
there, and you KNOW how I feel about that family for what they did to you.”

“Now, now, my love. No need to worry about me. It’s not like I’m a fragile 
Ming vase that needs to be handled delicately. I can take of myself.”

“I would still prefer that you do not go out without proper protection. I can 
spare a squad of orcs to...”

“I will not go to the games with a gang of bloodthirsty orcs attacking 
anything that comes within fifty feet of me. You know how much they want to 
spill blood at the slightest provocation!”

“Well, at least take a couple of guards with you. Maybe those Ogre Soul-
Twins?”

Shidori sighed and nodded as she turned to a nearby servant, who happened to 
be a centaur. “Arloc?”

The half-horse, half-man turned to her. “Yes Milady?”

“Would you please summon Grunk and Gradel? I need them to accompany me to the 
Apprenticeship Games.”

“Yes Milady.” The centaur replied as he trotted off.

Shidori then turned back to her husband.

“Is the red Mana Flyer available?”

The demon lord nodded. “Yes, I believe Zorg had finished the maintenance on 
it yesterday. It should get you and the twins to Ala Maron in no time. I will 
send word to the Dancing Elf Inn to have your private suite prepared for your 
arrival.”

At that moment, the couple heard the sounds of two pairs of heavy footsteps 
coming toward them. They looked toward the entrance to the dining hall to see 
two huge ogres, each about twelve feet tall and massively built. They were 
both dressed in light fabric clothes with thick, leather-armored tunics.  
Their faces were like Neanderthals with warts. One had a matted blond hair 
while the other had dark hair. Other than that slight difference, they were 
virtually identical twins.
The blond-haired one spoke first. “Grunk is here.”

His brother also nodded as they stood before their lord. “Gradel is here.”

“What are your orders?” Both said simultaneously.

Argus nodded as he gestured toward his wife. “The Lady Shidori will be 
leaving for Ala Maron. I expect her to return to this castle safely. And you 
know what the consequences will be if she were to come to any harm.”

Both ogres nodded vigorously in understanding. Despite being five feet taller 
and outweighing their lord by more than quintuple, the twins greatly FEARED 
Argus’ wrath.  Furthermore, over the years, many of those employed under the 
demon lord had grown quite fond of Shidori. In addition to her holy powers, 
she also possessed great healing abilities and many would come from miles 
around to have their injuries and ailments treated by her. Her powers of 
prophecy were also treasured and many nobles went to great lengths, even 
negotiating with Argus, to get a reading from her. She could give the Oracle 
Trio at Castle Talbain a run for their money. In fact, she had been Chance’s 
instructor on how to read the probability fields of the mana streams.

After giving final instructions to the ogre twins, Argus embraced his wife 
one last time before she prepared for her trip to the magical capital of the 
Makai.

--------

An hour later, in one of the launching hangers of the castle, a dwarf 
mechanic was making the final adjustments on a crystalline control system 
when Shidori and her escorts arrived.

“Good day to you, Zorg.” 

Zorg was the chief engineer of Argus’ fleet of Mana Flyers and other 
vehicles. His compatriots kept each and every one of the transports in top 
condition. The dwarf was a stout fellow that wore an old-style aviator’s 
helmet and goggles on his head, and was always dressed in dirty coveralls and 
boots. 

“Well now! Good to see you, Lady Shidori. Master Argus had told me that you 
would be taking a trip to Ala Maron. Your Mana Flyer is all ready to go.”

Zorg then gestured with a wave of his right hand towards a large craft that 
was parked near the launch way. It was approximately one hundred feet in 
length, thirty feet wide and was tapered at both ends. It had short, stubby 
wings and its hull glistened like the surface of a polished ruby.  On its 
side was the emblem of the Blackstorm Family.

Unlike normal aircraft on Earth, which depended on the lifting principle of 
aerodynamics, the Mana Flyer was actually able to ride the mystic streams of 
the Other Realm. As a result, it could travel at high speeds without having 
to worry about air friction, or G-Forces. It made even the defunct Concorde 
seem plodding as it could reach speeds of up to Mach 6. However, Mana Flyers 
were extremely expensive to build and used the rarest of mystic items to 
power them.  Furthermore, only a person with an exceptionally strong magical 
aura could guide it. Shidori Maseraki-Blackstorm was one such being.

After stowing their luggage on board the craft, the ogre twins took their 
seats in the passenger compartment as Argus’ wife stood before the main 
guidance system, which happened to be a panel of crystals and gems. She began 
to invoke the spell to start the engines, which caused the entire vessel to 
lift off its support moorings. Then the craft made a graceful 180-degree turn 
as it hovered above the tarmac. Then in an eye blink, the ship shot forward 
like a bullet and disappeared into the sky in a streak of red light.

Shidori was on her way to see her son.

--------
From a balcony in his castle, Argus nodded as he watched his wife’s Mana 
Flyer vanish over the horizon.  He didn’t have any worries about his spouse 
handling the craft. Among her many talents, Shidori was also an accomplished 
Mana Pilot and had even won several inter-dimensional championships. That 
only proved how skilled and powerful she was in manipulating her aura. There 
were very few Mana Flyers available in the Makai, and even fewer pilots who 
could fly them as effectively as she could. At the speed she was currently 
traveling, he estimated that she would reach Ala Maron, (more than half a 
continent away), in less than fifteen minutes.

As the last of the sonic boom died away from his wife’s departure, Blackstorm 
went back inside to ponder his most current dilemma. The Demon Lord Jedah had 
become more and more insistent in trying to convince him to join the factions 
who opposed Lord Belial’s rule. The imps who had just departed were the 
latest in a long line of futile attempts to sway him over to Jedah’s side.

Argus snorted in disgust. As if he would ever turn against his liege! It was 
because of Belial that the Great Devastator was able to wed his human love. 
Jedah had also been quite vocal when Shidori had been brought to the Makai 
without a Blood Oath, so asking Argus to join him now was utterly ridiculous! 
He was among those who called for Shidori’s immediate execution, and now he 
expected Jason’s father to ally with him? How absolutely preposterous!  Argus 
began to feel his temper rise as he thought about how close he had come to 
losing his beloved, if Belial had not intervened.

However, Jedah was not someone he could easily dismiss. Belial’s rival 
commanded a formidable army of lesser demons that came close to Blackstorm’s 
in terms of strength and numbers. He also had several members of the upper 
echelon of Demon Lords siding with him as well. In total, Dohma represented a 
very substantial threat to Belial’s rule.
 On the other hand, in addition to Argus, Belial had a solid alliance with 
the Talbain werewolves, and all those who lived at Castle Talbain. Each of 
the castle’s residents represented their own race and their numbers comprised 
at least two-thirds of the Darkstalker population.  Furthermore, the majority 
of Elder Council of Wizards sided with him as they saw Morrigan’s father as 
the best person towards maintaining the stability of the Other Realm. With 
the alliance of Jon’s clan with Hellsing and the MIB, Argus’ lord had good 
support in the Human World, as well as aid from several hundred alien 
species.

Despite these figures, Argus couldn’t help but be concerned. Jedah was 
unpredictable and Blackstorm would have to carefully watch his lord’s back.

--------
A little later…

Shidori’s Mana Flyer slowed down as it neared the outer boundaries of Ala 
Maron. Inside the craft, the former miko made a few mystic gestures as she 
steered toward the nearest landing bay. The control panel projected a magical 
image of the city like a holographic viewscreen and the two ogre twins gasped 
in delight.

“Ooh! We here!” Grunk said.

“We go fast!” Gradel added.

Shidori nodded as she opened up a telepathic link to the landing bay’s 
control tower.

<Ala Maron Air Control? This is Shidori Maseraki-Blackstorm. Request 
permission to land.>

A moment later, she received a psychic response and was then guided toward a 
large area one mile from city’s main gate. As soon as the Mana Flyer touched 
down, the craft suddenly felt a shockwave of mana energy ripple across its 
hull. Its pilot was caught slightly off-guard by the spike of mystical energy 
and immediately exited the craft, followed by her two bodyguards. As she 
looked toward the city, she noticed a thin plume of smoke coming from near 
the center of the magical capital. 
<Strange. For me to have felt the aftershock of that mana explosion at this 
distance, means that whatever caused it had some serious mystic potential. I 
wonder what that was?>

--------
At the Grand Wizard’s Coliseum, just about all the spectators and competitors 
were looking toward a huge crater that had been inadvertently caused by one 
person at the shooting range.

Kasumi could only shyly blush as she said the following.

“Oh dear! I did it again.”

Beside her, three people stared in varying degrees of shock and awe. One girl 
in particular was in a state of sheer disbelief.

“AGAIN?! AGAIN?!” Alexis exclaimed as she pointed toward the hole Kasumi had 
made. “What do you mean again?! You mean to say THAT is normal for you?!”

Kasumi was at a bit of a loss of how to explain. In her excitement, she had 
forgotten that the first three levels of her seal were susceptible to her 
emotions and once again, she had overestimated the amount of mana needed for 
a spell.

--------
Rewind back to a few minutes...

Meala let off a whistle as she and Kasumi watched a certain stuck-up novice 
sorceress nail bulls-eye after bulls-eye. Alexis Val Karas may be a spoiled 
heiress magician, but she had the skill to back up her arrogance as she hit 
the center of each target from over 100 yards away. 
Kasumi’s rival smiled as she peeked from the corner of her left eye. As soon 
as she saw Soun’s daughter approach the firing line, she decided to give the 
peasant girl a small demonstration of her competition. Perhaps she would 
realize how futile it would be to challenge her, and would know her place.

After shooting a small fireball through the center of her fiftieth target, 
she twirled her wand with a flourish like a gunslinger. She then turned to 
face those who had been watching her, which not only included Kasumi and 
Meala, but also a considerable number of male novices. In addition to her 
magical skills, Alexis was considered attractive with her classical noble 
looks. Several of the boys had lovesick expressions in their eyes and they 
applauded her performance.

“Thank you, thank you! You’re too kind!”

At that moment, a firm voice was heard.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

This immediately caught her attention as she whirled toward the casual 
comment.

“Not bad? What do you mean not bad? I suppose you could do better? Just who 
do you think you...?”

As soon as she caught sight of the owner of that voice, her heart skipped a 
beat as her gaze locked with the crimson depths of Jason ‘Blood Eyes’ 
Blackstorm. She felt a lump form in her throat as she met the most darkly-
handsome boy she had ever laid eyes on. 

Due to her high social status, the Val Karas girl was well-acquainted with 
the elite of her generation, which included the various male heirs to several 
wealthy families and nobles. Quite frankly, she found them to be nothing but 
boring and useless fops. Most of them were overly concerned with their looks 
and their social standing, which didn't suit Alexis' taste at all. She 
especially didn't like meeting with Conrad Blanchet at a party last New 
Year’s. He was about as flat and boring as day-old soda.

Despite her breeding to be prim and proper, Alexis had a secret desire to 
experience the wild and untamed. Her normal life of being part of the elite 
was at times dull, stifling and predictable. Her biggest desire was to meet 
the one man who could excite her like no other. Give her a man who ate his 
steak raw. And judging by the male who stood before her, Alexis estimated 
that he not only ate his meat uncooked, but probably while it was still 
breathing. The wild aura he was emitting was so intoxicating. Then she saw 
the emblem on his jacket and pointed to it.

“That crest! You wouldn’t happen to be...?”

Jason gave her a nod and bowed slightly. “Jason Blackstorm.”

Alexis’ eyes became the size of saucers, (the flying kind). THIS was Jason 
Blackstorm?! Like just about anyone else in the Makai, she had heard about 
the half-breed child of a demon lord and human, but she had never seen a 
picture of Argus Blackstorm’s heir. As she gazed into his crimson eyes, she 
could see why he was nicknamed Blood Eyes, but that only made his rugged-good 
looks even more handsome, in a primal way.  This was just the way she liked 
it.

Jason nonchalantly turned toward another set of targets and casually snapped 
the fingers on his right hand. A small spark of Hellfire leapt from his 
fingertips and sped toward the nearest target. With almost lazy ease, he 
mentally controlled the projectile like a guided missile. The spark blasted 
through the target, then swung about to blast through nine more with 
unbelievable accuracy and precision. Then he turned back to Val Karas.

She immediately began apologizing.
 
“Forgive my arrogance. Certainly my fire spells are nothing compared to a 
Hellfire master such as yourself!”

Jason simply shrugged. “Ah, it’s nothing. And if my first assessment of your 
skills were insulting, then I apologize.” He turned toward Kasum, which made 
Alexis a bit perturbed. “I’d like to see what kind of firepower you’ve got.”

The gentle girl of the Tendo clan tensed up a bit. She always had a problem 
with the fireball spell, even with her Level Seven Seal. She was about to 
politely turn him down, but the warm expression he gave her was reassuring 
and gave her the feeling that he wouldn’t take offense if she failed. 

After a long moment of consideration, she decided that she was here to fine-
tune her basic skills and this was her only opportunity before the games 
began. She needed to get in as much practice as she could. As she stepped up 
to the firing line, she quietly released two of her limiters. Then she got a 
bit nervous as she considered the distance and released the third one. That 
proved to a mistake as her uneasiness and her willingness to do her best, 
made her repeat her most common rookie mistake; over-estimating the amount of 
mana needed for a spell.

The fireball started out small as it left the tip of her wand, but suddenly 
enlarged to five times its diameter halfway to her first target. Then it 
happened.

KA-BOOM!

Fortunately, the practice areas were surrounded by high-level protective 
fields, which prevented any debris or chaotic magic from reaching the 
spectators. However, the backlash of mana still radiated outward from the 
coliseum and toward Ala Maron’s boundaries. 

Kasumi swallowed hard at the crater she had just made, then found herself the 
center of attention as all eyes turned toward her. The most surprised looks 
belonged to Alexis and Jason, as the son of Argus Blackstorm let off a low 
whistle.

“Damn!”

Then Kasumi began to hear the crowds murmuring about her, with some fearful 
comments and accusations of her cheating and not being an actual novice. 
Their words began to increase in volume and harshness. Since she had never 
been in a situation in which she would be accused of anything, she didn’t 
know how to handle such an environment. She got a look of confusion and a 
little fear from her new friend Meala. Then, as Alexis began to glare at her, 
the Tendo girl did the only thing she could.
She ran.

While the spectators and competitors were still in a state of shock, she 
immediately invoked a teleportation spell and disappeared from view.
Jason Blackstorm stood with a mystified expression on his face. He had 
initially thought Kasumi Tendo had a strong, yet gentle nature, but it seemed 
that even she had her awkward moments. It was obvious that she didn’t know 
how to handle difficult situations where her own emotions and self-worth were 
involved. She certainly needed a boost in self-confidence.

With that in mind, he decided to go after her. While bowing politely to 
Alexis, he invoked his own version of the teleportation spell and locked onto 
Kasumi’s mana trail. In a flash of Hellfire, he disappeared, leaving Alexis 
and Meala to ponder what had just happened. 

The spoiled heiress could only continue to gaze at the still-smoking crater 
with one thought going through her mind.

<That peasant had THAT MUCH POWER?! That can’t be right!>

--------
Up in the spectator stands, a certain secondary lycanthrope girl was thinking 
much along the same lines.

“That couldn’t have been Kasumi.” Nabiki Tendo said in total shock.
Beside her, Matthew Talbain, once Ranma Saotome in his early life, shrugged 
and nodded. “No, that was definitely your sister.”

Both werewolves continued to gaze upon the smoking crater as they thought 
back to a couple hours earlier...

--------
Rewind to early morning...

At a high-class hotel in Ala Maron, Matthew Talbain waited in the lobby for 
his girlfriend to arrive. Since his father Jon, the succubi Morrigan and 
Lilith, and the catwoman Felicia were elsewhere, taking care of some business 
with Lord Belial, the younger werewolf and Nabiki had decided to go to the 
opening ceremonies of the Apprenticeship Games and perhaps catch a glimpse of 
Nabiki’s sister, whom they knew would be competing.
He perked up as he saw Nabiki in her hybrid form, walking up toward front 
desk. She gave her boyfriend a nod and a peck on the cheek as they prepared 
to head out. She was currently dressed in a short halter-top/short sleeved 
blouse and shorts with a tail hole. Her feet were barefoot with leather 
anklets. Despite her nonhuman appearance, she still drew a lot of 
appreciative looks from several male bystanders. Her werewolf body was quite 
voluptuous and was only enhanced by her musculature and feral aura.

However, she wasn’t interested in other males, since she already had a 
boyfriend. And today she was going to see her older sister in action as a 
sorceress. Well, technically Kasumi was a beginner and she had qualified to 
compete in the Apprenticeship Games. However, if she were to make a good 
showing in this competition, she had very good chance of getting a 
scholarship to college. Granted, it would be a magical college, but it would 
still give the eldest Tendo daughter a chance to get out of the house and 
begin living her life.

Unlike her father and her younger sister, Nabiki was concerned for Kasumi’s 
future. Ever since their mother had died, the eldest daughter had to give up 
her dreams of becoming a nurse to care for the family. The middle daughter 
had been doing all that she could to keep her family from ending up on the 
street. Now she wasn’t proud of that business and was glad that she was 
getting out of it. However, she knew that Mrs. Tendo’s life insurance wasn’t 
going to last forever, especially the way Soun Tendo had depleted it in his 
grief-stricken binge after his wife had died. It was even more irresponsible 
when he had spent most of Kasumi’s college tuition fund on get-rich-quick 
scam, cigarettes and alcohol.  Whatever little respect she had for her father 
was gone after that incident.

Since that time, Nabiki had been secretly building a college fund for herself 
and her older sister. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn’t the cold-hearted 
Ice Queen as much of the students of Furinken High thought. She did have a 
heart and she did care for the welfare of her sibling. Kasumi had sacrificed 
so much and Nabiki wanted to make certain that she was rewarded for her 
labors. Apparently, Fate had intervened and given her this chance, just as 
Kaumi’s sister had been given a chance with Matthew.

As she and her beau walked through the streets and navigated through the 
massive crowds of humans and nonhumans, she took notice of a section of the 
city that she thought was rather odd. There were numerous stores that were 
actually selling… manga and anime from Earth. In fact there were long lines 
of Darkstalkers trying to get into stores that sold Hamtaro DVDs. Figurines 
of Sailor Moon and Gundam models were selling like crazy.  Demons were 
arguing over autographed copies of manga books. There was even a cosplay 
stage with fans acting out their favorite characters. For a minute, she 
thought they had walked into the middle of an anime convention.

“Matt? What is all this?”

The son of Jon Talbain shrugged as he casually replied. “It’s just what it 
looks like. Anime and manga are really big in the Makai.”

“Really?” Nabiki asked with total surprise. “But why? Anime and manga are 
make-believe.  You guys can do REAL magic here. You’ve got technology that’s 
WAY beyond anything that’s on Earth. Why would yokai be so excited about...” 
She glanced back at the store where the line of Darkstalkers continued to get 
longer. “... about Hamtaro?”

Matthew shrugged again. “It’s really simple actually.  The reason why this 
kind of stuff is so exciting to the Makai is because it’s something that they 
don’t have in this realm.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it, Nabs. There’s a lot of Darkstalkers out there who will live 
for hundreds, even thousands of years. Some are even immortal.  And when 
you’ve got a lot of spare time on your hands, it doesn’t take very long 
before you eventually see and do everything that’s possible in this realm. 
The ultimate burden to eternity is boredom.  So when the Makai first 
discovered about the Human Realm, the inhabitants became ecstatic.”

“Really?”

“That’s right. Before the first demons and monsters ever appeared on Earth, 
the residents of the Makai just simply existed. Sure they had kingdoms rise 
and fall, wars were fought and whatnot, but even that became routine. There 
was just nothing to get excited about and for those who were had life spans 
that lasted for millennia, living was just something to do before you died. 
And for those who were everlasting, existence was even more tedious. When 
that first portal to the Human Realm opened up, it provided the Darkstalkers 
with things that they themselves had never imagined. Because humans lived 
relatively short lives compared to them, their creativity and imagination 
skyrocketed and that was something that interested the Makai.”

“Huh. I would have never thought of that.” The female lycanthrope commented.

“Think about all the legends and myths of monsters throughout history. Those 
are actually records of humans meeting with the Other Realm. It’s because the 
residents from the Makai wanted to experience and interact with those 
fascinating beings called Homo sapiens. Eventually, it developed into all of 
this.” He gestured to all the shops and stands of Earth merchandise.

Nabiki could only shake her head while smiling.

It was an uneventful trip to the Wizard’s Coliseum and they took their seats 
in one of the upper tiers of the stands. As the contestants filed in and took 
their seats, Nabiki looked around for her sister.

“There are so many contestants, I can’t see her.”

“Use the Seeker Stone.” Matthew suggested.

“The what?”

The male half of their pair pointed down toward a large crystal that was 
mounted in front of her seat. “Touch your hand to the crystal and think of 
whom you want to find. The stone will seek out that person and show you if 
her or she in this coliseum.”

Nabiki did as she was instructed and gasped in delight as the crystal 
projected an image of her sister, sitting near the main podium, next to a 
catlike being.

“Kasumi!” She said with excitement, almost half-expecting her to respond.
Matthew smiled while shaking his head. “She can’t hear you. The Seeker Stone 
will only allow you to see a person from a distance, sort like a pair of 
binoculars. It’s used mostly like a camera so you can get a closer look at 
the competitors.”

“Cool.” The middle daughter commented. She smiled as she gazed upon her 
sibling for the first time in well over a month. The quest to make her a full 
werewolf had her missing her family. However, it also made her a bit nervous. 
At present, her father and sisters were unaware of her transformation and 
wasn’t certain if they would accept her nonhuman status. Soun Tendo was 
almost sure to burst out into tears if he were to find out. Akane’s volatile 
behavior might either have her attacking her sister out of fear and/or 
disgust, or out of jealousy, considering how more powerful and skilled Nabiki 
was as a martial artist. If there was one thing she could count on, it was 
the fact that Akane and Soun tended to over-react towards things that did not 
fit within their narrow views of how the world should work. 

That only left Kasumi.

All through her life, Nabiki had only known her older sister as the caring 
and trusting soul that seemed to accept everything that comes her way.  Even 
the appearance of the Jusenkyo-cursed Saotomes had not fazed her. 
Furthermore, she was now studying magic and more than likely already have a 
Blood Oath, since she was in the Other Realm. Therefore, it was Nabiki’s hope 
that her sibling would be the one person in her family that would accept her 
as she was now.  And she knew that it would only be a matter of time before 
she would have to reveal her lycanthrope side to Kasumi. She had even planned 
for that possibility during the Apprenticeship Games.

However, after the opening ceremony and the appearance of Lord Belial, Nabiki 
became very concerned for her sibling when she had inadvertently caused a 
huge crater to be formed during the practice rounds of the games. Then she 
saw something that she had not seen in Kasumi in many years. The sight of her 
distraught expression on the gentle girl’s face. 
Just after Kasumi disappeared from sight, Nabiki felt a comforting hand on 
her shoulder. She looked over to see Matthew with concern in his eyes as he 
nodded in understanding. After a long pause, the two stood up and made their 
way out of the stadium to go look for the oldest Tendo daughter.

---------
In her hotel room, Kasumi paced back and forth, as she tried very hard not to 
break down in tears. This was the first time ever that she had been accused 
of wrong doing, even though she kept on thinking that she had done no such 
thing.

<I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong! I didn’t cheat!>

After much pacing and consideration, she decided that she needed to talk to 
someone about the recent developments and there were only three people who 
could truly understand. She took out her almanac and summoned Google. The 
tiny sprite appeared and nodded to her user.

“What would you like to know?”

“Google, could you please establish a link to the Grimbards? I need to speak 
to them.”

The Spirit Guide nodded as she invoked the spell to communicate with the 
Witch Sisters.

--------
Meanwhile on Earth...

Girella Grimbard let off a tired sigh as she stood before the stove in the 
kitchen of the Tendo home. On the counter behind her, were various test tubes 
and glass containers, each filled with an exotic ingredient needed for her 
potion-making and spellcasting. There was also an ancient tome, which she was 
using to research for an antidote, for the current hex that was plaguing two 
members of the Tendo clan and their guest. However, it had been an uphill 
battle ever since she and her sisters had come to Kasumi’s place of 
residence.

 At that moment, her elder sibling came into the room.

“Girella, how are things going?” Parelle Grimbard asked.

The second witch sister shook her head and let off another tired sigh. “Very 
slowly I’m afraid. I FINALLY managed to get a decent amount of base potion 
made.” She gestured to the pot of liquid that was simmering on the stove.

“Finally?” The oldest of the three Grimbards asked in surprise. “That’s not 
like you, Girella. I’ve seen you whip up a batch of base potion in almost no 
time at all. The only one who could do it faster was Kasumi.”
“Yes, well she DIDN’T have a certain wannabe sorceress constantly interfering 
whenever her back was turned.”

Parelle nodded in understanding. “Akane ruined all of your previous batches?”

Her sister nodded. “I can’t understand why she THINKS she can perform magic, 
when it’s obvious that she shouldn’t come within a thousand leagues of a 
cauldron.”

At that moment, there was an angry, muffled sound as both women looked up to 
gaze upon the youngest of Soun’s daughters, who was gagged and magically 
pinned to the ceiling. She had been fuming and struggling against the spell 
that Girella had cast to restrain her, after she had discovered that Akane 
had added flour, yeast and Tabasco to the last mixture. It had been her 
latest attempt to impress the Grimbards and convince them to teach her magic 
as they had with Kasumi. Girella’s reaction was quite different from the one 
she had been expecting. 
Girella pointed a finger towards Akane as she let off another series of 
muffled curses.

“Oh do be quiet! You should consider yourself lucky I only pinned you to the 
ceiling! My sisters and I do NOT recall ever asking for your so-called help! 
You wasted a good amount of my ingredients and spoiled several batches with 
those hare-brained attempts that you call improvements! We have no use for 
someone who doesn’t know the difference between a teaspoon and a teapot! Stay 
out of matters that do NOT concern you!”

At that moment, both sisters felt a psychic wave being directed toward them 
and recognized it to be a long-distance message from the Makai. Parelle then 
called for the Talbain Head Chef. In less than a minute he came to the 
kitchen.

“What can I do for you today?” Bennett asked.

Girella pointed to the pot. “Would you please keep an eye on that for a few 
minutes? We have to take a call.”

The chef nodded, and then noticed Akane on the ceiling. “What about her?”

“Leave her. That way she won’t ruin any more of my potions or anything else 
in this kitchen.”

Chef Bennett nodded in agreement. He had been planning to cook lasagna for 
those who had completed their house chores and he didn’t need Akane’s so-
called culinary skills sending everyone to the hospital.

As the elderly women departed, Akane fumed and struggled at her invisible 
bonds. However, Girella had already seen to it that the ill-tempered girl 
would not be able to escape by mere anger-fueled brute strength. The spell 
she had cast not only resisted the pull of gravity, but also worked against 
any kind of force by applying an equal amount of energy in the opposite 
direction. The more Tendo’s daughter struggled, the tighter her bonds became. 

After about ten minutes of fruitless resistance, Akane finally stopped and 
silently swore to get even with those hags. They were about as insufferable 
as Shampoo’s great-grandmother. How dare they tell her that she was unfit to 
learn real magic! If her sister Kasumi was allowed to learn, then why 
couldn’t the best martial artist in Nerima and heir to the Tendo Anything 
Goes? 

When the Grimbards first arrived to begin working on the counter-spell to 
undo the bad luck curse, (which Akane had a direct hand in creating in the 
first place), the youngest Tendo correctly guessed that they were the ones 
who had taught her older sister in the ways of sorcery. In her arrogance, 
Akane had begun insisting that they teach her as well. She had simply assumed 
that if Kasumi could do it, then so could she.

However, the Grimbard Sisters immediately turned her down, by plainly stating 
that she didn’t have any talent for magic. How dare they say that! She was 
talented! After all, she beat those boys every day and Kuno could never get 
the best of her! That showed that she had talent! And she was the heir to her 
father’s school of martial arts! That proved she could do magic as well as 
her sister, right?

In her arrogance, Akane had neglected to consider the true meaning behind the 
Grimbards’ assessment of her potential in spellcasting. Performing feats of 
violence was a far cry from being able to manipulate the mana streams. 
Furthermore, after hearing about her screw-ups with the Anti-Hair Formula, 
the counter-spell to that horrid smell, and reports from Chef Bennett, the 
Witch Sisters feared that their efforts would also suffer if Akane were to be 
allowed near their precious ingredients and magical items.

Their fears had been proven correct with Akane’s first attempt to show that 
she was worthy of magical instruction.

--------
Flashback...

“What did you do to my base potion?!” Girella exclaimed as her cauldron 
bubbled with a purple froth and black smoke. She had just left the kitchen to 
get some Draken Root and thought that the potion could simmer for a minute. 
When she returned, she found Akane pouring in vegetable oil and Thousand 
Island salad dressing.

Akane smiled proudly as she replied, “I thought I could show you that I could 
make a good apprentice. See? I improved on your potion and...”

The youngest of the Tendo clan never got to finish as a black, slimy tentacle 
came out and grabbed her around the waist. She let off a scream as the 
monstrous appendage lifted her up, swung her about, and slammed her couple of 
times against the walls of the kitchen, before hurling her through the roof 
and into LEO.

As Akane became a distant dot in the sky, the middle witch sister let off a 
sigh. The tentacle then reached for her. However, it would take more than an 
otherworldly limb to get the best of her. Tyselli and Parelle’s sister easily 
dodged the tentacle and brought out her wand. With a quick incantation and a 
wave, she made the cauldron and the inadvertently-summoned beast disappear in 
a cloud of smoke. She had actually just shunted the monster into an alternate 
plane of reality for storage until she could properly dispose of it. She made 
a note to visit the Hellfire Pits near Lord Blackstorm’s castle. A pity 
really, since that was her favorite cauldron.

Looking at the damage Akane had caused to the kitchen, Girella reached into 
her robes and produced a cell phone. She then speed-dialed a certain number.

“Hello, Crazy Sid’s Instant House Repairs?”

--------
End of Flashback...

“In retrospect Sister, I believe it was a mistake to request a mind-wiping 
imp.” Girella commented as she and Parelle shuffled toward Nabiki’s to meet 
up with Tyselli. “Kasumi’s sister ruined FIVE of my batches, and every time I 
called Crazy Sid’s to repair the damage she caused, they would wipe her 
memory clean of the incident.”

The eldest of the Salem Sisters nodded in understanding. “Therefore, she 
would NOT remember the consequences of interfering with your spellcasting, or 
the mistakes of the previous attempt to ‘improve’ on your flawless potions.”

“This left her WIDE open to make NEW mistakes, which she would forget AGAIN 
afterwards.” Girella finished. “I can’t believe ANYONE would be so inept at 
basic mixing and following a recipe. Are you certain our intended apprentice 
is really related to this idiot? Maybe Kasumi was adopted?”

“No chance Sibling. I checked her spiritual essence and it is linked to 
Kasumi’s as a sister would be. However, we were correct in our assessment of 
the magical ability of Soun Tendo’s daughters. The eldest certainly received 
just about all this family’s potential in magical prowess. The middle girl 
must have inherited a little in order to overcome the madness of Secondary 
Lycanthropy, and...” Parelle’s voice trailed off.

“Don’t you even START with the girl who is pinned to the kitchen ceiling 
right now. Apparently there are only three sensible members in this family.”

“Make that two.”

“What?”

“While you were dealing with Akane Tendo’s ‘kitchen chaos,’ Tyselli and I had 
to contend with problems of our own, concerning Happosai’s disciples. Despite 
their Master’s warnings, they had to learn the HARD way not to try and steal 
from a witch’s hand bag.”

--------
Flashback...

“Are you SURE we should be doing this?” Soun asked nervously as he and his 
comrade tiptoed toward the room the Grimbards were sharing with the Talbain 
maids.  

“What do you mean Tendo? Of course we should!” Genma replied, greed flashing 
brightly in his eyes. “Did you SEE what those old ladies had in their bags? 
If we got even a tenth of that treasure, we’d be set for life!”

Soun paused for a moment and thought back to the time in which he glimpsed at 
the contents of the witches’ luggage when they had unpacked. In order to 
break the bad luck curse he and his friend were under, the Salem Sisters had 
gathered a sizeable amount of the luckiest objects in existence. This 
included a few coins of leprechaun gold from Shamus O’Shea, some silver 
horseshoes from a unicorn, a gemstone fang from a Fortune Dragon and several 
other items that would have made anyone rich beyond his/her wildest dreams. 

“And also remember that the Dread Master FEARS going near their stuff.” Genma 
pointed out. “Heck, he even TOLD me to stay away, even though he got a good 
look at that treasure too! There’s GOT to be something in that bag that we 
can use to get that troll out of our lives forever!”

Despite the fact that he had been trained to steal and break into other 
people’s properties in order to feed his Master’s appetites, (as well as 
train him in the Anything Goes fighting style), Soun was still a bit leery of 
robbing his guests, especially after the last fiasco.  He was still feeling 
the bruises from when the Dreaded Master punished them for taking one of the 
maid’s pins. However, Genma did raise a valid point. Anything that Happosai 
feared was something that could be used against him. Taking a deep breath, he 
nodded and followed his friend toward the Grimbards’ living quarters.

However, both idiots did not consider what the reason might be, that Happosai 
would not try to steal from the Grimbards. Anything that would make the 
Greatest Evil in all of Japan steer clear of, was something that mere mortals 
should not trifle with. In fact, the Grandmaster in question was watching in 
secret, along with a certain disguised Dragon Man.

“Despite my warning, my idiot pupils are going to try and steal from the 
Grimbard Sisters.” Happosai let off a sigh.

“A very rash action indeed.” Oscar concurred, and then looked down at the 
diminutive pervert. “I’m a little surprised you’re not trying to stop them.”

The old lecher shrugged his shoulders. “If there’s one thing you can truly 
say about my disciples, it’s that they can only learn things the HARD way, 
and only after SEVERAL repeated attempts. I supposed they gained that from 
me.”

“Such bad habits.”

“I suppose, but I for one, only had to suffer the consequences of stealing 
from a witch ONCE.” Happosai shuddered as he remembered being turned into a 
toad, when he angered Girella Grimbard after trying to steal one of her 
potions. “I fear that Soun and Genma is going to need a couple DOZEN 
punishments before they finally get the hint.” He then took on a wicked grin. 
“Let’s watch the fun!”

Both observers remained undetected as Soun and Genma stealthily entered the 
room. A moment later, there was the sound of a zipper being undone, which was 
followed by some rustling noises.
 
“Let’s see.” Happosai commented. “Something should be happening, right about 
now.”

Suddenly, there a tremendous, inhuman roar as his disciples let off screams 
of terror. Then the entire shook violently as Soun and Genma encountered one 
of the NASTIEST anti-theft systems ever devised by magic. Soon the would-be 
burglars tried to desperately escape as they pounded on the door.

“IT’S A MONSTER!”

“LET ME OUT!”

The door flung open as Soun emerged in a tattered, smoking mess. However, 
before he could reach the stairs, a black, slimy tentacle shot out from the 
room and wrapped itself around his neck. While he gagged, the limb dragged 
him back into the room and the carnage continued. Then Genma tried to bolt 
out of the premises. However, he too was unsuccessful as another tentacle 
caught one of his ankles and pulled him back toward the room. He left deep 
finger ruts in the floor as he tried to claw himself free. As soon as he was 
back in the room, the noise level increased with the sounds of tearing, 
pounding and some other noises that were better left unmentioned.

“WATCH OUT FOR THOSE TEETH!”

“THE HORROR! THE HORROR!”

After a full five minutes of incoherent screams and other awful sounds, there 
was a huge BELCH as Kasumi’s father and his friend were forcibly ejected from 
the room, covered in green goo. They plowed right through the wall and landed 
in the koi pond. Both men floated on their backs in a daze.

Happosai cackled with delight. “HA! HA! HA! Now THAT’S entertainment! You 
won’t find THAT on Pay-TV!”

Oscar suppressed a chuckle himself as he dialed for Crazy Sid’s Instant House 
Repairs.

---------
End of flashback...

“And as you might well guess,” Parelle continued. “Those idiots’ memories 
were erased every time the imps were called in to repair the damage to this 
home. That allowed them to repeatedly try and fail to steal from my bags. The 
only one who enjoys watching their antics is Happosai.”

“Well at least someone is amused by their idiocy.” Girella commented.
“Crazy Sid was not happy the last time I called. Counting your experiences 
with Akane Tendo and that of Happosai’s disciples, this home had to be fixed 
ten times in the last 24 hours since we came here.”

“I can understand Sid being upset over having to continually use his crew’s 
repair magic on the same place.”

“Oh, that’s not the reason why he’s so upset.”

“Oh? Then why is he so mad?”

“He told me that all the repairs at the Tendo Home equals to a lot of 
overtime that he has to pay to his crew. Right now he’s...”

BA-BOOM!

Parelle never got to finish her sentence. Just as she and her sister reached 
the door to the room they were staying at, a massive explosion was heard 
within it. They immediately ran inside and saw a huge, charred hole in the 
roof, with two tiny dots disappearing into LEO. Nearby, Happosai was 
chortling with glee.

“BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA! I swear I’ll never get tired of seeing that! That was 
almost WORTH the time I was sealed away! Hee-hee!”

As the Grandmaster of the Anything Goes went off to get a snack for the next 
round of ‘How Badly Genma and Soun Could Screw Up,’ Parelle shook her head 
and reached for her cellphone.

At that moment, the youngest of the three Witch Sisters held up a hand as she 
dialed on her own phone.

“No need Parelle. I’ve got this one.”
 
--------
In a small pocket dimension, in between that of the Makai and the Human 
Realm, a very large office building stood. In the main lobby, an imp 
secretary was busy filing her talons at her desk when an old-style phone 
began ringing. Putting the file down, she answered it. 

“Crazy Sid’s Instant House Repairs, Japanese Branch. We fix your damaged 
dojo, your tarnished temple, and your shoddy shrine, all without the humans 
knowing we were there. Who am I speaking to?”

Five seconds after picking up the phone, the secretary’s eyes widened in 
total shock.

“What? The Tendo Residence needs repair, again?! But we just sent a repair 
crew only half an hour ago! And this is the fifth time today that we had to 
fix that place’s kitchen! What? It’s not the kitchen? It’s one of the 
bedrooms? But we just fixed the bedrooms several times already! How could one 
house need so many repairs in one day? I see. Very well, I will contact Crazy 
Sid with your repair request. Thank you. Goodbye.”

After hanging up, the female imp pressed a button on the intercom.
“Sid? We’ve got a repair request at the...”

The speaker crackled to life as the business’ owner responded.

“Yeah, I know. It’s the Tendo Training Hall again. What is WITH those 
people?! Don’t they know how to take care of their own home?!”

“Apparently not. According to what the Grimbard Sisters tell me, the 
homeowner, his daughter and his friend are under some kind of bad luck curse. 
Furthermore, they don’t seem to have the common sense to leave their potions 
and property alone.”

“Oh Lord Belial help me! The crews are already upset that they have to keep 
coming back to the same place and fixing the same house! We’ve already got a 
backlog of other jobs that we haven’t even gotten to yet!”

“The Grimbards say that Castle Talbain is willing to pay DOUBLE the rate.”

Sid let off a tired sigh before giving his answer. “And that’s the ONLY 
reason why I’m sending a crew there. The Talbains have been one of our best 
customers. Okay, which crew fixed the Tendo Home last?”

The secretary looked up her computer logs and nodded. “That would be Crew 
Number Four Seventy-Five. According to the records, they’ve been the ones 
who’ve been fixing the Tendo Home for last ten jobs.”

“Good. Then they should be familiar with the structure of the place and have 
no problems repairing it. Get ‘em on the horn and tell ‘em to head to the 
Tendo place.”

--------
After putting down her cell phone, Tyselli joined her sisters as they 
gathered around a large, white crystal that was mounted on an ornate 
pedestal. After a short incantation, the magical communication device lit up 
and the trio of Salem Witches smiled as they beheld the image of their 
favorite, albeit only pupil.

Then they noticed that Kasumi was on the verge of tears.

“”Kasumi, my dear! What is wrong?” Parelle asked.

--------
Outside of the Dancing Elf Inn, a certain demi-demon appeared in a flash of 
light and smoke. Jason looked about and homed in on Kasumi’s magical essence, 
which was on the second floor of the building. Not wanting to suddenly barge 
into a distraught girl’s room, (his miko mother taught him better), he 
instead searched for a place to transport into. His scarlet eyes began 
scanning the area near the Tendo girl’s suite.

Jason’s so-called ‘blood-eyes’ had some extraordinary capabilities, due to 
his demon father’s heritage. As a result, he was able to see perfectly in 
pitch-black darkness and could even read the magical auras of a person, 
without having to cast a scrying spell. He could also see heat impressions. 
When he saw the empty hallway just in front of Kasumi’s room, he invoked his 
teleportation spell and disappeared.
 
---------
Inside Kasumi’s room...

“Well, what do you know? Our apprentice had done the exact same thing Tyselli 
did when we competed in the games.” Parelle mused after Kasumi had finished 
explaining what had happened at the Practice Events.

“I did?” The gentle girl asked.

“Indeed.” The youngest of the sisters acknowledged. “I must admit that we 
caused quite a stir and several of the judges had accused us of not being 
novices. However, my sisters and I were allowed to compete as we were able to 
show that we were not experts at the time. You shouldn’t have any problems 
doing the same. You did nothing wrong and you should not be ashamed of 
anything.”

“I’m not really certain if I should go back. There are so many competitors 
out there who are far more skilled than I.” Kasumi said with uncertainty.

“Don’t let their experience intimidate you.” Girella advised. “You should 
only concern yourself with your performance in the games.”

“She’s right.” The oldest of the three agreed. “We are confident that you 
will do us and yourself proud. We wouldn’t have taken you on as our 
apprentice if we didn’t think you had the talent.”

“No arguments there. She’s got talent.”

Kasumi was immediately startled at the new voice as she whirled about and saw 
Jason Blackstorm standing at her door. She winced as she saw that she had 
left her door ajar and he had heard her conversation with the Grimbards. She 
paled as she realized that she had just violated her oath with the Witch 
Sisters.

Before she could close her almanac and cut off the connection, Jason made a 
waving gesture with his right hand and a spark of Hellfire immediately tuned 
in on the mystic frequency Kasumi was using to communicate with the Grimbard 
Sisters. Then the flame projected an image of the witches as he spoke to 
them.

“Hey, Aunt Parelle! Aunt Girella! Aunt Tyselli! Good to see you again!”

The Salem Witches cackled with delight as they addressed Argus’ son.

“Jason Blackstorm, you rascal! How have you been, boy?” Parelle greeted.

“You’ve grown quite a bit since we last saw you.” Girella noted.

“So how are your parents?” Tyselli asked.

As they conversed with the half-demon teen, Kasumi could only stare in 
stunned silence. The Grimbards were Jason’s aunts?

--------
A little later...

“So remember all that we’ve said and you’ll do fine.” Parelle said as she and 
her sisters were about to sign off.

“I’ll try my best.” Kasumi said with a small smile. After a long and 
heartfelt conversation with her mentors, she had gained some of her 
confidence back. 

“That’s all we ask of you.” Tyselli said then addressed Jason. “Take good 
care of our apprentice, Jason.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her, though she might be my opponent at the finals.” 
Blackstorm assured.

“Say hello to your mother and father for us.” Girella added as the three 
witches gave Kasumi a look of encouragement and then cut off the mystic 
connection.

A few minutes later, the two apprentice-level magicians walked down the 
stairs and headed toward the lobby of the inn. Jason had graciously offered 
to escort Kasumi back to the coliseum and help with her fireball-casting 
techniques. As they walked, they began to converse.

“So the Grimbards are your aunts?” Soun’s daughter asked.

“Technically-speaking, we’re not related.” Jason corrected. “It’s just that 
I’ve always called them as Auntie Parelle, Auntie Girella and Auntie Tyselli, 
ever since I was really young. They used to babysit me. My mother and father 
consider them as part of the family. You’ve heard of Cinderella and the Fairy 
Godmother? Well, I’ve got three Witch Godmothers.”

“Oh my!” Kasumi remarked with surprise. Her magic instructors had not told 
her about their connections in the Makai. It was quite a shock to learn that 
they were closely associated with the Number Two Demon Lord’s clan. “My 
teachers had never said that they had ties to any of the Makai Nobility.”

Shidori’s son gave his friend a nonchalant wave. “I don’t consider myself as 
nobility.”

“What do you mean? You are the son of Argus Blackstorm.”

 During the night before, Kasumi had researched on the ruling families of the 
Makai nobility and was quite surprised to find out that Jason’s family was 
extremely high in ranking among the Demon Lords, just under Belial himself. 
The fact that Jason wasn’t trying to impress anyone with his heritage was 
both puzzling and yet so charming.

The red-eyed teen shrugged his shoulders. “So my father is the Number Two 
Demon Lord. So what? It’s not like that makes me or anyone else in my family 
special.”

At that moment, as they came to the lobby, there was a huge commotion as a 
large crowd gathered at the front entrance. This caught Jason and Kasumi’s 
attention and they moved toward the throngs of people.
Jason reached out and tapped the shoulder of one of the onlookers, who 
happened to be a Minotaur. 

“Excuse me? What’s going on?”

“There’s a very important person coming to this inn! I hear that she’s from 
the House of Argus...” The man with the bull’s head turned about. 
“...Blackstorm.”

As soon as he beheld Kasumi’s friend, the heavily-muscled Minotaur let off a 
gasp and backed away.

“Y-Y-You are... BLOOD-EYES!”

At the mere mention of his nickname, the crowds turned toward his direction, 
and then immediately backed away from Argus’ son. Some ran for their lives, 
while the majority got on their knees with their heads bowed down in fearful 
respect.

Jason could only sigh tiredly as he bowed his head and pinched the bridge of 
his nose.

“I hate it when they do that.”

“You and me both, Son.”

The fiery teen’s attention was instantly focused on the front entrance as he 
saw a beautiful woman dressed in Miko clothes with two, hulking ogre 
bodyguards at her side.

“Mom?”

At the mere mention of the word, Kasumi gazed upon Shidori Maseraki-
Blackstorm for the first time.

This was Jason’s mother?!

----------
Back on Earth...

“Okay y’all! Let’s get this over with!”

With those words, the head of the Imp Repair Crew blew on his magic whistle, 
causing the entire neighborhood to be enveloped in a time-stasis bubble. 
Everything within the space was stopped in a state of suspended animation, 
with the exception of the imps, the Grimbard Sisters, Happosai and the 
Talbain house staff. Those who were members of the Old Races or had Blood 
Oaths were not affected by the spell.

After blowing on his whistle, Borgo the Head Imp Foreman began directing his 
crew toward fixing the large hole in the Tendo house’s roof. He first had his 
architect and artisan Boke create the blueprints of the structure with his 
magic sketchpad. With this artifact, he was able to draw up the schematics of 
any building before it had been damaged. Next came the heavy lifter of the 
group, Gromp, who carried a crowbar made from the densest Dwarven  steel. 
Though he was barely over three feet tall, he was strong enough to lift a 
fully-loaded garbage truck. Once all the rubble was cleared, the carpenter 
imp Troc and the electrician Blundo went to work. Pulling out lumber from an 
interdimensional space, along with wiring and insulation, they quickly 
rebuilt the damaged roof from scratch and reinforced it.

Since some of the plumbing had been damaged during the last time Soun and 
Genma tried to steal from Girella’s handbag, Borgo told the plumber of his 
group to repair all the leaks and replace any rusted pipes. Burti nodded as 
he brandished his monkey wrench and dug deep underneath the house’s 
foundation. 

Everyone who was not suspended in time marveled at the speed and efficiency 
of the imps. In almost no time at all, the Tendo home was restored to 
pristine condition as Borgo was about to initiate the final phase of the 
operation. At that moment, the three Witch Sisters approached him.

“Foreman Borgo, a moment please?” Parelle asked.

The Head Imp waved to his crew to stand by, just as they were finishing off 
the repairs and loading up their gear onto their Transport Beast. Though an 
illusion spell made the animal appear to be a large van, it was in fact, a 
ten-legged lizard that resembled a giant iguana. 
“So what can I do fer ya?” Borgo asked.

“Are you certain you must wipe their memories this time?” The eldest witch 
asked as she gestured to Soun, Genma and Akane, who were currently frozen 
with expressions of disbelief on their faces.

The imp shook his head. “Sorry Ma’am, but them’s the rules. They ain’t Old 
Race folk and they don’t got no Blood Oath. Gotta wipe their heads clean of 
what happened.”

“But that’s the problem! If they keep forgetting about their mistakes, 
they’ll keep making them!”

“Can’t you do a partial memory wipe?” Girella asked. “Can you wipe their 
memories of everything except for the consequences of their mistakes?”

Borgo shook his head again. “Can’t do that neither. Jacer’s only got one 
setting on that hammer of his, and he don’t do things halfway. Speaking of 
which,” He gestured to another imp, who had a huge, mallet slung over his 
shoulder. “Yer up, Jacer!”
 
Jacer smiled evilly as he approached the Tendos and Genma. He made a grand 
display of swinging his hammer about and then let them have it.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

All three were face down on the ground with large lumps on their heads. Borgo 
nodded in satisfaction as Jacer went back to the Transport Beast.
“There. That should do it. They ain’t gonna remember anything from up to 
three hours ago. Now if you really don’t want us back, then I suggest y’all 
do somethin’ to keep ‘em from wrecking the place. Well, me and the crew gotta 
get going. See ya!”

With that, Borgo joined his crew on the Transport Beast and head out. Just as 
they were rounding the block, he blew on his whistle again, thereby releasing 
the area from stasis. Everything started to move once more, just as Soun, 
Genma and Akane were regaining consciousness and wondered why they were on 
the ground outside of the house and suffering from some very painful 
headaches.

The three sisters from Salem began discussing among themselves at Borgo’s 
parting words.

“Borgo does raise a good point.” Tyselli remarked. “The reason why we keep 
calling for a repair crew is because Girella’s security system keeps on 
damaging the house when it activates.”

“So how do we keep those idiots away from our property and that brat away 
from my potions and magical items?” Girella asked.

Parelle considered the situation, and then came up with an innovative 
solution. “Well, since those three are already under a bad luck curse, why 
don’t we make it work FOR us?”

“What do you mean?” The youngest witch asked.

The oldest turned to the middle sister. “Girella, can you modify that 
security system in your bag?”

Girella shrugged her shoulders and nodded. “I suppose I could. What do you 
have in mind?”

“I’m thinking about a bit of an object lesson for Soun Tendo and Genma 
Saotome. There’s more than one way to punish someone, other than physical 
pain. And I also have something special planned for Miss Wannabe-Sorceress. 
Here’s what we’re going to do...”

----------
Back in the Makai...

“Well Son, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Kasumi was a bit surprised to see Jason all flustered. Then again, she didn’t 
expect Jason’s mother to be a beautiful Japanese woman who possessed 
incredible amounts of Holy Power. Her magical senses were almost smothered by 
Shidori’s aura alone. She had a presence that immediately grabbed everyone’s 
attention.

Argus’ wife motioned for her bodyguards to hold back as she stepped forward 
and extended a slender hand.

“It’s been a long time since I met another person from Japan, here in the 
Makai. I am Shidori Maseraki-Blackstorm.”
 
At that point her son finally found his voice and introduced his friend. “Uh, 
Mom this is Kasumi Tendo.”

As the two women shook hands, Shidori subtlety probed Kasumi’s aura and was 
very impressed by her potential. She could also sense the novice’s Level 
Seven Limiter, which somewhat alarmed her that the brown-haired girl would 
need such a high-powered restraint. She immediately recognized the Grimbards’ 
handiwork. Then she looked closely into the girl’s face and gasped at her 
appearance.
 
“Kimika, is that you?”

Kasumi stepped back a bit while shaking her head. “No, my name is Kasumi. My 
mother’s name was Kimika though.”

“Oh my! This is incredible!” Shidori remarked. “Your eyes! Your face! Your 
very aura is similar to my old friend! You’re the very PICTURE of her!”

“You knew my mother?”

“Indeed I did. She was my best friend in high school.  In fact, I always 
carry a photo of my younger days with her.” She reached in her robes and took 
out an aged photograph which depicted a younger version of herself, in the 
standard high school uniform, along with Kasumi’s mother. Soun’s daughter 
gasped in surprised as she confirmed the identity of the young girl beside 
Jason’s mother.

“That’s my mother!”

Jason’s mother nodded as she turned to her escorts. “I will speak with this 
girl in private. Go wait outside.”

Both ogres shook their heads as the dark-haired one spoke.

“No! Master Argus say to protect Lady Shidori. Go with her everywhere!” Grunk 
stated.

“Master Argus will skin alive if bad thing happen to Lady Shidori.” Gradel 
added.

At that moment, the attentions of both ogres were diverted as Jason spoke in 
a firm tone, with his crimson eyes glaring at them.
“Mom wants some private time with Kasumi. You WILL wait outside. I’ll watch 
over them.”

Both bodyguards nodded in unison as they bowed and headed out the door. If 
there was one person besides Argus Blackstorm that they deeply feared, it was 
his son.

As soon as they left, Jason nodded to the females and walked away to keep 
watch at a distance.

Shidori then motioned for Kasumi to follow her to her private suite.
“Skinned alive?” Soun’s daughter asked fearfully.

Argus’ wife nonchalantly waved off her concerns. “Don’t worry about what the 
twins said about my husband. Argus Blackstorm may be the legendary Great 
Devastator, but he’s mellowed out quite a bit since I married him twenty 
years ago. And I did break him out of that habit of skinning people alive. 
Nowadays, he’d just put them on the rack; perhaps maim them a LITTLE bit. 
It’s nothing to be overly-concerned about.”

Kasumi was still in a bit of a shock at how casually Shidori talked about her 
spouse’s supposed brutality.  The Great Devastator was one of the few people 
in the Makai or Earth that one should, at all costs, avoid getting angry at 
you. Others included Belial, the Elder Council of Wizards and of course; the 
Grimbard Sisters.

Just as they neared the door to Shidori’s private suite, Kasumi began to 
wonder how her instructors were handling things at her home.

----------
At the Tendo home...

“Well, that about does it.” Girella said as she put the final touches on the 
changes to her bag’s security system. Her sisters had also cast a few 
protective spells around the kitchen and the guest rooms, to ensure that 
their belongings, and that of the Talbain House Staff, would not be disturbed 
by Tendo house’s idiotic residents.
 
“Do you really believe they’ll get the message this time around?” Tyselli 
asked.

“Do you really want to call Crazy Sid’s again?” Parelle pointed out, and then 
shrugged her shoulders. “Well, even if they don’t learn their lesson, this 
alternative will put a lot less wear-and-tear on this house. And they WILL 
remember the consequences of their foolhardy actions. In any case, we’ve got 
to get more spell ingredients, since Akane Tendo ruined most of what Girella 
brought with her. We’re going to have to visit Henry’s Potion and Magic 
Shop.”

The middle witch sister grumbled a bit as she remembered Akane’s attempts to 
‘help’ out and prove she was worthy of magical training. In addition to 
adding questionable items to her potions, the youngest Tendo thought that by 
adding whole amounts of the true spell ingredients would get the job done 
faster. She had nearly burned off her face during the last attempt.

“Do Oscar and the others know about the changes we made?”

Tyselli nodded. “I just informed them and Happosai. They know enough not to 
disturb our spellcasting. Come on, let’s go.”

As the trio of Salem magic-users left their room and headed down the stairs, 
the Dubious Duo watched from above using their Cling-to-the-Ceiling-and-Hope-
They-Don’t-Look-Up technique. Once the Grimbards were out of the house, they 
dropped down to the floor in front of the room.
“Whew! I thought they’d never leave! C’mon Tendo!” Genma headed straight for 
the Grimbard’s room, and then noticed that his partner was hesitating. 
“Tendo? Aren’t you coming? What’s wrong?”

Soun Tendo paused as he absently scratched the minor bump on his head. For 
the life of him, he couldn’t remember where he got the injury, among other 
things. Why was this scenario so familiar, yet unfamiliar?
 
“Tendo?”

“Saotome,” Akane’s father said slowly. “Do you get the feeling that we’ve 
done this before?”

Genma shrugged he shoulders. “Sure. We did this sort of thing plenty of times 
while training under the Master. Remember all that sake and women’s underwear 
we had to swipe?”

“No, I don’t mean that. What I meant was, didn’t we already go into that room 
today?”

Genma paused for a moment, scratched the bump on his scalp, and then shook 
his head. “Nope. Can’t say I remember. In any case, we need to get what’s in 
that bag, so c’mon!”

After a long pause, Soun nodded and followed his partner-in-crime into the 
room.

In the guestroom occupied by the Talbain Maids, the servants and Happosai 
were sitting in front of a very large crystal that was used like a 
surveillance monitor. The wrinkled old lecher was grinning as he ate from a 
large bowl of popcorn.

“Ooh! This should be good!”

“I am very curious with what kind of punishment the Grimbards had prepared.” 
Oscar commented as he took a handful from the bowl.

At that moment, Genma and Soun broke into the bag and found out what changes 
Girella had made to the security system.

----------
In the Makai...

Leaning against the post at the bottom of the inn’s main staircase, Jason 
Blackstorm casually kept watch as his mother and Kasumi quietly discussed 
things within the Blackstorm Private Suite. Most of the crowds gave him a 
wide berth, considering his reputation. The Soul-Ogre Twins waited outside of 
the lobby doors, but Argus’ son kept them within telepathic contact if any 
trouble came their way. And when he saw a certain someone enter through the 
main doors, the red-hot temper he had inherited from the Great Destroyer 
began to boil.

<What is this idiot doing here?>

Conrad Blanchet became even more excited as the magical orb in his hands 
glowed even more brightly. Soon he would find his bride-to-be and comfort her 
in her time of need. After Kasumi left the stadium after being accused of 
cheating, the heir to the Blanchet family saw this as his chance to get 
closer to his intended spouse. Surely he would win her heart by wooing her 
during this state of distress. The tracking device he had in his possession 
had locked onto her magical aura and he had been following her trail to the 
inn she was staying at. Soon he would find the future Mrs. Conrad Blanchet.

His expression of delight quickly soured as he looked toward the stairs and 
saw... him. His butler cowered behind his master.

“And what do YOU want, Blanchet?” Jason growled.

Conrad desperately resisted the urge to soil his pants as he stammered out 
his response. “Ah... B-B-Blackstorm... fancy meeting y-you here. I-I-I was 
just...l-l-looking for someone!”

Blood Eyes looked down at the crystal orb in his hands and recognized it as a 
mystic tracker. He nodded as he guessed as to whom Blanchet was seeking. “If 
you’re looking for Kasumi Tendo, you found her. She’s on the second floor, 
last suite on the left side.”

The pampered noble brightened up at this revelation. Perhaps this was his 
lucky day. “She is? Well then, I shall go to my beloved straight away and...”

He was immediately cut off in mid-sentence as Jason’s fiery aura flared to 
life. All bystanders immediately vacated the area. 

“W-What is the meaning of this? By what right do you claim to bar my passage 
to my fiancée?” Blanchet demanded, though he didn’t have a clue as to how 
dangerous the situation had become. Oscar the butler immediately tried to tug 
his employer back but with no success.

Jason let off a snort of disdain at this pompous idiot. “Fiancée? That’s a 
laugh. Of course, it’s won’t be as funny as when I reduce you to a bloody 
SMEAR on the floor. You’re not going up there.”

“What?! And why not?!”

“That room belongs to my mother, and I DON’T recall you ever being invited. I 
told her that I would keep watch and make sure no one disturbs her and 
Kasumi.” At that instant, he made a sizeable ball of Hellfire appear in his 
right hand.

At the mere sight of the sphere of dark fire magic, Conrad’s butler gulped 
nervously and tugged at his master’s sleeve. “Perhaps we can visit Miss Tendo 
another time?” 

Conrad was on the verge of dropping a very big load in his pants. “W-Wait! 
You can’t fight another contestant! You’ll be disqualified!”

Jason paused for a brief moment, then powered down his magic. He resumed his 
causal stance and nodded.

“You’re right. I can’t fight you out here.”

Conrad let off a sigh of relief, and then took on a condescending attitude. 
“Hah! Even the dreaded Blood Eyes knows when to bow down to his superior. Now 
step aside and I shall go to my beloved and...”

Jason let his aura flare again, cutting him off once more. He smiled evilly 
as he pointed behind Conrad. “I said that I couldn’t fight you here. That 
doesn’t mean that THEY can’t.”

Two pairs of heavy footsteps came thundering behind the arrogant noble. 
Conrad turned about and swallowed hard as he looked up at two hulking ogres 
glaring down at him.
 
Grunk and Gradel had immediately responded to their young master’s telepathic 
message and growled. Both were a mere heartbeat away from pounding the 
egotistical noble into paste.

“Meet Grunk and Gradel. They happen to be my mother’s escorts as she 
represents the Blackstorm family at the Apprenticeship Games, besides me of 
course. They AREN’T competing in the Games, so the No-Fighting rule DOESN’T 
apply to them. They’re free to pound you as much as they want.” Jason then 
addressed the Soul-Twins. “Grunk... Gradel... this pompous jerk wants to go 
into my mother’s suite WITHOUT her permission. Do you think Mom’s going to 
like that?”

Grunk growled and nodded. “Young Master is right! She will not like!”
Gradel agreed with his brother. “Protect Lady Shidori! Must not bother Lady 
Shidori!”

“W-W-Wait! No! S-Stop!” Blanchet screamed like a little girl. He would have 
tried to use his magic to defend himself or escape, but he was too frightened 
to cast a spell.

“Hey guys!” Jason said with a wicked grin on his face. “Aren’t the Ogre-Ball 
Championships next month? You really should get some... field goal practice.”

“Ooh! Young Master has good point!” The dark-haired ogre said as he caught a 
telepathic message from Jason.

Gradel smiled as he also received the psychic image. “Good thing we got ball 
to practice with!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Jason could only smile in amusement as Conrad was grabbed by the ogres and 
dragged outside. Since they were under orders, by his mother, not to cause 
any lasting injuries unless it was absolutely necessary, they gave the 
arrogant noble a warning he would remember for a very long time.

“EYAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!”

Jason could only snicker as he witnessed the ogres pull up Conrad’s underwear 
from behind and wrap it twice around him before hooking it over his head.

<Damn! That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a DOUBLE Atomic Wedgie!>

Grunk held Conrad down as his brother backed up to get a running start, and 
then booted the noble into the air.

BOOM!

<The kick is up...>

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

The heir to the Blanchet Fortune soared up and passed between two adjacent 
spires before landing some distance away. Conrad’s butler went chasing after 
his master, disappearing among the crowds.

<... and it’s good for three points!>

The two bodyguards nodded in satisfaction and gave each other a high-five.

“NEW RECORD!” Both shouted out in triumph before they resumed their posts 
outside of the inn. Jason resumed his position at the bottom of the stairs.

<I hope this time he got the message that he’s not wanted. Are there any 
people out there as STUPID as the Blanchets?>

----------
Actually on Earth...

The answer to Jason’s question was at the Tendo Dojo, where Soun and Genma 
were paying the price for their stupidity. Despite repeated punishments from 
the Grimbard Sisters, the two were still intent on getting at the treasures 
inside Girella’s bag. This time however, she had adjusted the security 
measures to punish them where it would really hurt; Soun’s dignity and 
Genma’s stomach, or in this case, his bowels.

As soon as they opened the bag, it belched out a huge, noxious cloud of green 
smoke. This immediately made them drop the bag and caused them to begin 
coughing violently. Then the spell hit them full force as their stomachs 
gurgled loudly, and they felt an irresistible urge. They cupped their 
backsides and ran out of the room, fighting each other to be the first to the 
nearest restroom.

“I GOTTA GO! I GOTTA GO! OH KAMI-SAMA, DO I HAVE TO GO!”

“I’M FIRST SAOTOME! IT’S MY HOUSE!”

“BUT I’M YOUR GUEST, SO I GET TO GO FIRST!”

They continued to push and shove at each other. In addition to activating 
their need to relieve themselves, the spell also increased the intensity of 
their bad luck curse. When they made it to the upstairs bathroom, Soun 
grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled. Instead of opening, the door 
jammed on its sliding track, opening only a quarter of an inch. Both men 
tried their hardest to force it open but it wouldn’t budge. Then they decided 
to break down the door, but as soon as that thought entered their heads, 
their lower intestines rumbled even louder and they felt a stabbing pain 
shooting up their rears, making it impossible to think of anything, except to 
relieve that pressure.

“DOWNSTAIRS!” Soun shouted as he raced down the steps with Genma hot on his 
heels. However, their bad luck continued to increase as the fat martial 
artist slipped, causing both to tumble down the stairs, past the second 
bathroom and out the patio door. An errant wind blew the door shut and locked 
them outside.

Seeing that they were in the backyard, Genma figured that the koi pond was 
just as good as the toilet and headed toward it. He was immediately tackled 
by his friend. Both rolled on the ground as Kasumi’s father shouted out.

“NO! YOU’LL KILL THE KOI!”

By this time, their bowels were screaming as they were just barely holding it 
in. Both men ran out of the backyard, desperate to find a gas station, a 
convenience store, any kind of public facility they could use. They saw the 
nearest establishment, the Nekohantan and raced toward it, pushing past the 
busy crowds of customers waiting in line at the front door. Just as they 
reached the entrance, Cologne hopped out on her staff.

“What’s going on? What is the meaning of this?”

“Madam, please!” Soun said desperately as he stepped from the side to side. 
“We have a very urgent need to use your restroom!”

“My restrooms are for my customers and...” She stopped for a moment as she 
detected the imbalance in their auras. She shook her head as she got off her 
staff. “No! You cannot use my restrooms!”

“WHAT?! WHY NOT?!” Genma screamed in total anguish and urgency.
“Number one; you are NOT paying customers!” The Amazon shot back. “And number 
two; I recognize an explosive diarrhea spell when I see one! You angered my 
cousins didn’t you? Do your business elsewhere!”

With one swing of her staff, the Elder sent the Dubious Duo into LEO.
 
----------
Back at the Tendo home, Happosai almost choked on his popcorn while laughing 
nonstop at the images being shown on the crystal.

“Hee, hee! Oh boy! This IS good!”

“So do you think your disciples are going to make it?” Oscar asked.

“Knowing them...” The old master said as he watched his pupils land in the 
middle of downtown Tokyo. Then something disgusting happened, causing the 
crowd to shout out in revulsion and anger. Then the two were seen being 
beaten with street signs and other blunt objects, after soiling themselves in 
public.

Happosai shrugged as he finished off the popcorn. “Nope, I didn’t think so.”

----------
Back in the other world...

Jason nodded as his mother and Kasumi came out of the Blackstorm Private 
Suite and made their way down the stairs. He was glad to see the brown-haired 
girl with a smile, which made her look very pretty, just like his mother.

<Whoa! Where did that thought come from?>

Shidori greeted her son with an embrace and motioned for him and the Ogre 
Soul-Twins to follow her and Kasumi back to the coliseum. After a long and 
meaningful talk, she was certain that Kasumi was feeling better and would be 
able to compete in the games. As they calmly walked toward it, the crowds 
parted to give them a clear path. Among those present was a certain pair of 
werewolves.

“She seems to be all right now.” Nabiki remarked as she watched her sister 
walk back to the Apprenticeship Games.
 
“Yes, I guess we didn’t need to see her after all.” Matthew remarked, and 
then winced as he recognized a certain someone. At that moment, that certain 
someone spotted him.

“Hey, Matthew!” Jason called out, catching the attention of the two 
werewolves and that of Kasumi and his mother’s.

Both lycanthropes stiffened as the three approached them. The son of Jon 
Talbain mentally swore as he realized that both Jason and his mother knew 
him. Nabiki felt like running off like a scared rabbit as her sister came 
toward her. It was too soon for Kasumi to see her sibling in her new form. 
However, it was too late to do anything as they stopped before them. Nabiki 
could only hope that Kasumi wouldn’t recognize her in her hybrid form.
 
Shidori smiled at them as she greeted them. “Matthew Talbain! It’s been quite 
some time since I last saw you! How is your father?”

“Ah, he’s doing fine Lady Shidori.” Matt replied as he shook hands with her 
and gave his childhood rival Jason Blackstorm a nod.

“And who might this fine she-wolf be? Is she your girlfriend?”

“Ah... well, she’s... uhm...” Jon’s son was understandably flustered as he 
tried to introduce Nabiki to them. However, it was quite impossible, since he 
couldn’t tell them her name without revealing her identity to Kasumi. He was 
at a total loss as to how to proceed when the matter was taken out of his 
hands.

At that moment, Kasumi let off a gasp as she recognized her younger sibling, 
despite her lupine appearance. Though Nabiki had wolf ears and a thin coating 
of fur, her face still retained most of her human features. The apprentice 
sorceress also sensed the familiar family aura that all Tendos had. Since 
Soun and Akane were on Earth, there was only one other member this werewolf 
could be.

“Nabiki?! Nabiki, is that really you?!”

Nabiki paled as she heard Kasumi speak her name. She was about ready to bolt 
when she felt a reassuring hand on her right shoulder. She turned her head 
and met Matthew’s eyes as he gave her a small smile.

“She had to know sooner or later. She’s your sister. It’ll be all right.”

Nabiki summoned up her courage and smiled back as she faced her sibling. She 
mentally triggered her transformation to her human form.
 
“Hey Sis, fancy meeting you here in the Makai. I guess we both have some 
explaining to do.”

To be continued...

Author’s notes
Sorry about leaving you hanging at this point, but this chapter was getting 
too long and I needed to take a breather. In the next chapter, Nabiki and 
Kasumi begin to tell each other of their adventures as Kasumi gets ready for 
her first competition. See you there!
 (1)I got this idea from Tenchi Muyo GXP when Erma greeted Seina for the 
first time.