Chương 73: The Two Lead Guards' Plan, More of Galan's Kills, & the Magic Casters' Reunion

Shuten Dooji lay on the stage, barely moving. Slowly, painfully, he began to push himself up, his massive frame shaking with the effort. Galan watched him for a moment, confirming the oni wasn't permanently broken, then looked back to the observation booth, resting his scythe on his shoulder.

"Well, announcer?" he called out in Godlang. The announcer shook her head, snapping herself out of the trance before reactivating her wand.

"Y-yes?"

"Are you going to end the match?"

"Oh, right." She cleared her throat.

"And the winner of this..."

"Special after-show fight," Galan reminded her, unimpressed.

"Special after-show fight is..."

"No!" Shuten Dooji roared, forcing himself to one knee.

"It's not over yet!" Galan sighed.

"Alright, come on." The audience gasped, expecting another beatdown. Instead, Galan walked over, hooked an arm under the oni's shoulder, and hauled him to his feet. Together, they limped to the center of the stage. Shuten Dooji was on the brink of collapse, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Galan glanced at the gems on the oni's back. They were pristine. Good to know I don't have to pay for any damages, he thought.

"Alright, announcer. You may continue."

"But..." Shuten Dooji wheezed.

"I can... still..."

"No, you can't," Galan said firmly.

"Look. Is this really how you want your loyal fans to see you? As an oni who can't admit loss with pride? One who would throw away his life just to prolong his humiliation?" Shuten Dooji looked up, searching for the reaction of his people. He saw weathered veterans from the snowy peaks of Shinano showing him the look of solemn respect, the teenagers from the southern plains with shocked, painted faces, and a scarred, one-armed martial artist who seemed satisfied with the match.

His eyes lingered on a wide-eyed, worried child clutching a hand-painted figurine of him, then to three of his own kin from Mount Ooe, whose faces burned with a fierce, quiet understanding. Seeing them all staring back without a hint of the disappointment he had feared, he realized that he had already achieved everything an oni could hope for. He had nothing left to prove. He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Fine..." He took a deep breath.

"You win. I admit defeat."

"Hey, it's alright, big guy," Galan said, a genuine warmth in his voice.

"You're still the best oni there ever was."

"Hah." Shuten Dooji side-eyed Galan.

"You certainly are a weird one."

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Galan looked back to the booth.

"Announcer!" But the announcer was silent again, stunned by the show of camaraderie.

"Hello?" Galan asked with a mocking, elongated voice.

"Sorry," the announcer said, her voice trembling.

"Now, the winner of this special after-show fight is..." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The hall held its breath.

"... Galan Andre Von Athalon!" The eruption was deafening. Cheers, whistles, and applause shook the very walls of the theater. It was the loudest sound of the entire afternoon.

"Well, oni," Galan said.

"Can you bow?"

"Yeah," Shuten Dooji grunted. Gritting his teeth against the pain of exhausted muscles, the oni forced himself to stand straight. They shared a final look of respect, then turned to the audience and bowed in perfect unison.

"Thank you so much for being here, everyone!" Galan shouted.

"May you enjoy the rest of spring!" He turned to his defeated opponent.

"Alright, time to leave the stage." The oni nodded, too tired to speak. Galan supported his weight as they walked slowly toward the exit. As they left the center of the stage, its divine vault returned Galan's resources, all while the audience members exited the hall with wide smiles and joyful discussions, eager to tell their friends about the amazing shows they had just watched. Once they were out of sight, Galan unsummoned his scythe, just in time for Ootake Maru to approach.

"What were the two of you doing back at the stage?" the blue oni asked.

"Oh, yeah—there was an extra fight," Galan said casually.

"Don't worry about it." Shuten Dooji looked up as his crew helped him into a chair.

"Mountain Goat... I thought you left."

"I did. But I came back when I heard the commotion."

"Just a bit of trouble during the show. Happens sometimes," Galan said. Ootake Maru paused, squinting at the bare-chested stranger.

"Who are you?"

"Ga—wa. O—Odagawa."

"And what is your given name, if I may ask?"

"Given name? That is my given name," he said with furrowed eyebrows. Ootake Maru shook his head.

"No, that is your surname." He clarified.

"Any name ending in Gawa or Kawa is a surname." Galan stared blankly. Did everyone here say my name while thinking it was a surname this whole time?

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Haven't come up with a given name yet," he explained. Though his nonchalance implied a sense of carefree indifference rather than ignorance.

"What?" Ootake Maru asked, perplexed. Is this foreign young man a human spy? While they spoke, Shuten Dooji was being pampered by his crew. A burly oni rubbed ointment into his aching muscles, while another fed him gulp after gulp from a massive gourd. A small crow ten-gu flitted behind him, applying balm to his neck.

"Leave him alone," Shuten Dooji grunted.

"He's a formidable warrior. He commands respect."

"Then I assume he's the one you were fighting," Ootake Maru deduced.

"Yup," Galan and Shuten Dooji said in unison. Ootake Maru turned to Galan.

"But why did you speak as if you were not involved?" Galan shrugged again, lifting his hands.

"It's 'cause, y'know... how it is..." Ootake Maru sighed, rubbing his temples. Shuten Dooji let out a hearty laugh.

"He's a unique kind of god, that one. Don't take what he says seriously." Ootake Maru turned to Galan and bowed.

"Ah, my apologies, Dear God."

"Wow, you know manners?" Galan raised an eyebrow.

"That's unlike the stories I've heard about you."

"It is because... most of them are... quite exaggerated," Ootake Maru admitted, looking defeated.

"Hah! Humans love to spin tales of the bad things we did just to scare themselves," Shuten Dooji said.

"We're not kidnapping and killing them daily like they want everyone to believe."

"So, the humans made stuff up about the magical creatures here, too, huh?" Galan asked."'Too'?" Ootake Maru asked.

"I suppose all lands have that problem. But yes. It is unfortunate."

"It's all in the past," Shuten Dooji said, drinking more wine.

"Things are better now. For Tsushima, at least."

"Implying you are still killing each other on the mainland," Galan noted.

"Yes," Ootake Maru said grimly.

"The cycle of vengeance has been turning for hundreds of years. It cannot be as easily broken as the one within this small archipelago." Galan grimaced. If that's true, then the yookai might also be involved in this…

"Ahh, c'mon!" Shuten Dooji groaned.

"I just had a big fight with the two of you, and now you want to sour the mood? Not a chance!" He gestured for his crew.

"Soon, we're going to party. And there's nothing that can bring us down!" Ootake Maru nodded.

"Understood." He turned to Galan.

"Are you coming with us?"

"Sure, why not?"

"You truly have no apprehension regarding spending time with us?" Ootake Maru asked, raising an eyebrow. Galan held his palms up.

"Why would I? I did far worse things than you did when I was younger." He looked down, then glared fiercely at the oni.

"If anything... I'm the real monster here." Ootake Maru stared at him, shocked.

"What?!"

"Mountain Goat, ugh..." Shuten Dooji sighed, eyes closed.

"I told you not to take him seriously. Now let's get going already!" And with that, the trio exited the backstage, heading toward their next destination.