The silver sun was beginning set into the purple evening sky when Sato and co. had just made out of the cave. Arashi put his hands in his green cargo shorts pockets. "It''s going to get dark soon. We better find a place to rest."


    Sato became irked and pointed at Arashi, "Hey! Who died and made you leader?!"


    Arashi calmly turned halfway towards Sato, notching his head back, "You have a better idea, human?" Sato couldn''t answer and Arashi smirked in response, "I thought so."


    "Why don''t you just shut up, you stupid bat pyro!" Sato shouted. He couldn''t stand this guy any longer. Sato hated how he just waltzed into the group and acted like he was in charge of everyone.


    Arashi turned all the way around and shouted back, "Just because I''m a Fire-Bat Bakemono doesn''t make me a pyro!"


    "Oh yeah? Well, then what does it make you?" Sato smirked, "A jackass?"


    "No that''s you! Now shut up before I burn you to a crisp!" Arashi threatened him.


    "I knew it! You are a pyro!"


    While Sato and Arashi kept yelling in the background, Sakura was carrying a knocked out Ai. "Geez, are those two ever gonna get along?" she sighed.


    Sato looked around, "Hey guys. I see a village up ahead. Let''s go check it out, okay?"


    Once they all made it over to the village, Sato was greeted by a familiar face. "Hello, Sato. Long-time no see."


    Sato raised his eyebrows, "Bunka? You live in this village?"


    Bunka snorted, "Please I don''t just live in it. I am the Elder, remember."


    Sato laughed, "Well, it''s good to see you again. Hey, would you mind if my friends and I stay here overnight?"


    Bunka ignoring Sato''s request ran over to Sakura, checking out her features. "Whoa, Sato! You never told me you had such a lovely well-developed girl traveling with you."


    "Yeah, and you never told me you were such a perv," Sato mumbled.


    Bunka grabbed Sakura''s chest which led her to shriek and knock Bunka hard face-first into the ground. "I''m not a perv, I''m just looking for love."


    Arashi''s face scrunched up, "Oh yeah? What kind of sick love are you looking for?"


    "Someone just please get me out of here," Bunka whined.


    Sato bent down to Bunka''s level and gained a mischievous grin, "First give us a place to stay, then maybe we''ll think about it."


    "Okay, deal! You can stay at my place, just behind all those trees over there. Now hurry up and get me out of here!"


    Sato walked away waving the back of his hand, "I said we''d think about it. Later, Bunka." Once they made it to Bunka''s house, Sato plopped down on his butt, "Phew! I''m beat. Wake me up when you guys find Niji."


    Sakura sat down next to Sato, "If we find Niji and you''re sleeping, we''ll probably let him kill you."


    Sato jolted up, "What?!"


    Sakura chuckled, "Relax, I''m just messing with you. Now get some sleep."


    Arashi stood over by the corner with his arms folded. "Why do you guys want to find Niji anyway?" He stared at Sakura and Ai who was still fast asleep. "I know why Sato does. But what is your reason for doing so?"


    Sakura put her finger to her lips trying to think, "Hm. Good question. I guess it''s just because we both want to help Sato. He''s our friend. Wouldn''t you want to help your friend out if they needed it?"


    "No," Arashi''s answer shocked Sakura. "Why would I? When I don''t have any?


    Sakura felt a little tense, "Well, we''re you''re friends..."


    Arashi turned to face the window and stared at the blue and orange moons in the starry night sky. "We''re not friends. You just met me. Listen, I get that you''re trying to make me feel better. But I don''t need your pity, your sympathy or your friendship. And as far as I''m concerned the enemy of my enemy is not my friend but my ally. Nothing less, nothing more."


    For the rest of the night, Sakura and Arashi were silent until they both fell asleep. When the sun rose the next morning, Arashi was the last to wake. He walked out into the kitchen where everyone else was eating breakfast. Bunka must''ve managed to get out of the hole because he was there as well.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Sakura tossed a fork to Arashi who caught it with ease in his right hand. "Morning sleepy head. Come have breakfast with us," she said as she was cutting up her waffle.


    Arashi walked up to the table and sat down, "Not hungry.."


    Ai swallowed a piece of her waffle, "Come on Arashi! It''s really good! Are you sure you don''t want any?"


    Arashi''s hands were now folded on the table, "I''m sure."


    A man who looked similar to Bunka although several years younger ran in through the door causing everyone''s heads to turn towards him. "Dad! The Demon Bakemono is attacking again!" the man panicked.


    Worry and anger seemed to strike Bunka''s face at the same time, "It''s back again, huh? Kiyoshi, come on let''s go. Once you four finish eating, you should get going."


    Sato objected with a mouth full of food, "No way! We wanna help you."


    Sakura agreed while bonking Sato on the head, "Yeah. It''s the least we could do after you gave us a place to sleep and a nice morning meal."


    Arashi spoke up, "We can''t help him out. Our main objective is to find Niji. We don''t have time to be lounging around helping out pathetic villagers who can''t fight for themselves."


    Sato couldn''t believe what Arashi was saying. He couldn''t stand how ungrateful Arashi was being. After they were given a place to sleep and eat and he wasn''t even going to try and help the village out. Sato raised his fist, "How can you say that?! If it wasn''t for Bunka, we would''ve been sleeping on the cold hard ground unsheltered."


    Arashi sighed, "Fine if you want to help them so badly, go ahead. But I''m staying."


    "Okay, we will! Come on, guys." Sato and the others walked out the door.


    Arashi''s face fell into his hands, "Never again."


    Once outside everyone was immediately greeted by the horrific sight of the pure black skyscraper-sized Demon Bakemono smashing its giant fists on the puny village houses in comparison. It roared so loud it knocked all of the trees covering Bunka''s house down.


    Sato''s legs were shaking, "So uh, who''s'' first?"


    Sakura was irked by this, "Idiot! Stop whining and fight!"


    "Easy for you to say," Sato mumbled as he went to hide behind a bush where he was sure no one could see him.


    The Demon Bakemono smashed his fist down. Sakura jumped out of the way, avoiding the demon''s fist and the shadows that swallowed the ground it had made contact with. "Damn. Hey Ai! Put up a shield around the village."


    Ai was standing next to Bunka and Kiyoshi. "Around the whole village? I guess I can try." Ai put out her arms in front of her as her hands glowed. Her white hair blew upwards from the magic energy she was radiating, revealing her elf-like ears. Her huge angel wings sprouted out from her back and a golden halo appeared above her head simultaneously as the pure white shield appeared around the village.


    Sakura closely dodged another one of the demon''s blows. She spun in mid-air kicking the demon clear out of the shield protecting the village. "Now it''s just you and me punk. Sato, you better hurry your ass up and come up with something."


    "Okay here goes everything." Sato stretched out his arm as if he was holding an archery bow. He pictured a wooden longbow and an iron arrow. "Illustrate!" Sato shouted as his imagined weapon formed in his hands. He ran out from behind the bush to where Ai, Bunka, and Kiyoshi were. "Bunka, Kiyoshi. Do either of you know where the Demon Bakemono''s heart is located?"


    Kiyoshi stared at the destruction of the burning village and collapsing houses caused by the Demon Bakemono''s rampage. "Yeah, it''s inside its head but no one''s ever been able to get high enough to reach it."


    Sato looked up at the head of the demon, "I see. So then I made the right choice with this weapon after all."


    Sato started to pull back the string of the bow when Kiyoshi interrupted, "Wait! You''re holding the bow backwards!"


    Sato embarrassed noticed that Kiyoshi was correct. "Oh, um. I knew that. Okay, this time for real."


    Sato changed the direction of the bow only to be interrupted by Kiyoshi again, "Hold on!"


    Sato was starting to get annoyed, "Now what?"


    "Your stance is all wrong." Kiyoshi began to instruct Sato. "Your body should be at or nearly perpendicular to the target and the line of shooting, with the feet placed shoulder-width apart. Understand?"


    "Um, yeah," Sato lied as he tried to apply what Kiyoshi had just stated.


    "Good enough," Kiyoshi pointed towards the middle of the Demon''s forehead. Right there is your intended target. I notice you only have four bows. So then, you''ll have to aim very carefully.


    "Sato became nervous, "Right." He shot the first arrow which landed in a bush to the left.


    Kiyoshi was looking a bit nervous as well now. "It''s okay. It was your first time. Just remember to aim."


    "Gotcha," Sato shot another arrow skyrocketing over the Demon Bakemono''s head.


    Kiyoshi was looking a little steamed, "Aim! Aim! Aim!"


    "I''m trying!" Sato shot his third arrow which managed the height of the Demon Bakemono''s head but it only made it a couple of feet in front of Sato.


    "No! More power!" Kiyoshi was getting impatient, "You know what just give it to me." Kiyoshi took the bow and carefully aimed at the Demon Bakemono''s head. He shot the fourth and final arrow. It soared through the sky coming in from behind the demon''s head. As soon as the demon turned around, the arrow shot through spilling out its black guts. Sakura flipped off of it and saw Sato waving and pointing towards Kiyoshi.


    A couple of hours later, after everyone had rested up the group was saying their goodbyes. Kiyoshi handed Sato a book. "That''s an archer''s handbook. If you are going to continue archery. I highly recommend reading it. For both your sake and anyone within twenty-five miles of you as well. Also thanks for your help."


    Sato took the book out of Kiyoshi''s hands. "No need to thank me. You''re the one who shot the arrow and saved the village. You''re the real hero here Kiyoshi."


    "I''m pretty sure he was talking about me. After all, if it weren''t for me this whole place would''ve been swallowed by the demon''s shadows!" Ai made gestures with her hands to signify a village being swallowed whole.


    Sato ruffled Ai''s hair, "Sure you too kiddo." The bright silver sun was beginning to set when the group arrived at Fairport City.


    "Oh yeah! We''re here! Now we just have to take a ship to Silverwald Country and we''re one step closer to finding Niji." Sato ran for the dock so fast he didn''t notice he had bumped into a man with lime green skin and hair and eyes to match. He wore a silver suit of armor and had a sword sheathed on his back.


    The man lent Sato his hand to help him up. "Did you say you''re looking for Niji?"