Sato was riding the wind with Ai flying next to him, flapping her fluffy white angel wings. "Hey. "It's a good thing we can both fly now." She smiled. "It should make finding the real Kaoru much faster."

"Yeah." Sato agreed. Is that Nexal Country down there?"

AI nodded, "Yep, let's land."

Sato carefully floated to the ground. Ai landed gracefully on her feet as her angel wings began to disappear. "So where are we now?" Sato wondered.

"You're in Mayland Town." A deep but fragile voice spoke. And old man walked out of the shadow of the trees. He his gray hair covered his right eye and stretched all the way down his back. He clutched onto his cane to walk over to Sato and Ai. "However this country has been overrun by a man with spiky black hair."

Sato and Ai exchanged looks knowing the old man was talking about was Kaoru. "So, Gramps. Can you tell us the quickest way to Gloria Kingdom?"

"Just beyond those ruins over there." The old man pointed his cane in towards the ruins. "However, I advise you take a different route. Going through those ruins isn't a very bright idea, especially for you Satoshi."

Ai chuckled, "Don't worry. Sato's never bright."

Sato sighed, "Ai, while I was gone how much did you hang out around Sakura. 'Cause your making fun of me just like she would." Sato gasped as he realized something strange. "Hey Gramps. "How do you know my name? I never told you that yet."

"Um, well you see. Off to the ruins we go!" The man said as he walked as fast as he could heading towards the ruins.

Sato stopped in front of him. "Dude, you're really slow."

The gray haired man laughed. "Well, you are much younger than I am after all.

Sato, Ai, and the old man are walked through the ruins. Large boulders and rocks were scattered everywhere. Blood was stained on the walls. "Whoa. So do you know how these ruins were made, Gramps?" Sato questioned.

The elderly man nodded. "I do. It was a millennium ago. You see the war thirteen years ago wasn't the first war between Bakemono and humans."

"It wasn't?" Sato sounded curious."

The old man shook his head. "No. And these here ruins are that sight of the final; battle between a Demon Bakemono and a human monk." He placed his hands over hieroglyphics on the wall. "You see here they are. I'm a Time Bakemono, you know. I can show you the fight."

Ai clapped her hands, "Oh, please show us mister!"

He laughed, "Very well then. Follow me. A circular portal of bright white light flashed in front of the old mans as he walked into it. Sato and Ai followed. Once they arrived on the other side, they were inside a cave and intangible.

An orange haired man stood his guard ready. His golden eyes stared into his opponent's pitch-black ones. Susumu!" The orange haired man dashed across the rocky area his brown robe being blown by the wind, while doing so.

Susumu grinned, exposing his sharp fangs. His long shaggy purple hair ran down his back. "Katsuo. When will you learn? You'll never beat me as long as you live. It's time I taught you true pain!" Black energy erupts form the ground as Susumu launches off his feet, shattering everything behind him in the process.

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Just as Katsuo makes it to launch an attack, throwing his fist forward, Susumu grabs his hand with his sharp claws. Susumu swings the monk back, launching him back to his starting place.

Susumu rushes in again, "Fear the power of Darkness!" He shoots out a blast of black energy. Katsuo defends with a blast of golden energy from his staff. The two attacks collide as they shoot each other up onto the roof of the cave. Rocks begin to come crashing down.

Katsuo and Susumu ignore the avalanche as they both began to pummel each other with their respective golden and black energies enveloped around them." Aggressively keeping up the attack as they cause more and more rocks to fall. They continued their assault, blood shooting up and splattering onto the cave walls every so often.

Katsuo eventually got the upper hand as he swung his claw upwards, delivering an uppercut to Katsuo's chin, slicing out some blood and knocking the monk down.

"Susumu! Why are you doing this?!" Katsuo yelled. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing." Susumu grinned evilly exposing his sharp fangs once morel. "I just like to kill people." He had a wild look in his pitch-black eyes. "It gives me pleasure!"

Before Katsuo could manage to get back on his feet, Susumu shot his claws straight through Susumu's chest. The orange haired monk spit out blood. "Susumu." A tear ran down Katsuo's face. "You…" He struggled speaking. "You used...to be so different. Why change now?"

Susumu laughed, "I told you. I haven't changed. I just realized something."

"What?! Katsuo questioned him. "What could you have possibly realized that would make you betray your friends?!"

"At first, I hated humans." He began. So when we first met, naturally I hated you. But as time went on, you became my friend. But as more time went on I began to realize something. I hate both humans and Bakemono! You can't trust anyone but yourself in this world!"

"That's not true." The monk argued.

"Of course it is!" Susumu dug his claw deeper into Katsuo's chest. Blood escaping from the wound. "And it will never change. So that's why I'll rid the world of everyone else! I won't have to worry about such trivial things as trust anymore."

"Susumu, you can't take on the world by yourself." Katsuo warned him.

"Watch me!" The Demon Bakemono yelled. He gasped when he realized Katsuo had just stabbed him with the staff he held. "Damn you, Katsuo."

Katsuo frowned, "Forgive me, Susumu. But it's clear to me now, that you have gone too far. I'd rather have you die like this next to me. Than have you die with the entire world as your enemy."

"Why the hell do you care?!" Susumu screamed pulling the now bloody staff out of his chest harshly.

"Because, you my best friend." Katsuo smiled bitterly. "And I care about you." The monk collapsed with those as his dying words.

The purple haired Demon uttered his final words as well. "No one cares about me. Bastard." He fell down onto the floor as he took his last dying breath.

Sato looked over to the old man. "So Katsuo and the other guy were friends? What happened between them?" He wondered.

"The first Bakemono and human war." He began. "You see even during the beginning of the war these two remained friends but had to remain on their respective sides. But one day Katsuo's father had ambushed Susumu's parents. Susumu is prone to range, as is natural for a Demon Bakemono. And as such he decided to kill Katsuo's parents for revenge. Because of this Katsuo and Susumu became bitter enemies. Susumu thought Katsuo knew what his father did to his parents, so this was never brought up."

"So is there anything else." Ai asked curious.

The elderly man nodded. "Several years later, as the war dragged on, Susumu and Katsuo both had joined the war. What we just witnessed was the final battle of said war." He stared at the ruins which now matched the ruins in the present time. "Not very many know how this fight ended for real. In fact, the actual result is thought to be only a myth. So Katsuo died a secret hero."

"I get it." Sato spoke. "If Katsuo hadn't stopped Susumu like he did, a whole other were would've broken out. Susumu against the world.

"Exactly." The old man confirmed. "Ad although, it would've helped bring the humans and Bakemono closer together. Katsuo choose to save Susumu from a horrible fate instead."

Sato looked down at the two lifeless bodies. "He really cared about his friend. But man, the other guy seems like such an ass."

The old man makes an hmm sound. "Is that so, Sato? Well I suppose you should know. It is your past life afterall.

Sato looked shocked, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh. You don't know yet?" He rubbed his gray beard. "Oh, that's right; King Goro did say you would be coming soon. I forgot."

"Hold on. Are you the King of Gloria?" Sato questioned."

"I am." The King answered. "So now allows me to answer the question I think you might have on your mind. "Yes, the Darkness locked inside of you is from your past life as Susumu."

Sato just stared in shock and disbelief, his purple eyes wide.