After having a whole lot of stuff blow up around us, and having to borrow power from here and there, we finally beat him! The Dark Lord, Shabranigdo! Am I good, or what? Aoshi’s gone off on his own and I’m hoping that Kenshin and Yahiko and I can have some peace and quiet… and that I can meet a rich, handsome prince!

Kaoru Kamiya peered up each direction of the crossroads, scowling. Her hair had returned to its normal black, she knew she looked her best, and she was ready for a new challenge. Behind her, Kenshin sat against a tree, his sakabatou leaning against his shoulder, his eyes closed behind his shaggy red bangs. Yahiko paced restlessly back and forth.

“Why won’t he come?” Kaoru wailed. “Could… could he be intimidated by my beauty?”

“More likely you’re scarin’ him off, buuuu-su! ” Yahiko scoffed. “’Sides, what would he come to a place like this for?”

“Well he is!” Kaoru exclaimed. “According to the information I got, the prince will be coming along this road!”

“So maybe there’s a rumor about this Prince Oyaji of Seyruun traveling around secretly. So what?” the boy jeered.

“Okina!” Kaoru squawked. “Prince Okina!”

“Even if this Okina guy does come by here, how ya gonna know if he’s a prince?” Yahiko persisted.

“It’ll be perfectly obvious! ” Kaoru declared. “A prince is dignified, refined… and really handsome too!” She pictured a beautiful, richly-dressed youth with red-gold hair and enormous amethyst eyes, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Kenshin except that he wasn’t scarred and didn’t look as if he’d crawled out of a rag-bag.

Yahiko gave a disgusted sigh.

“When you’re born to noble blood it naturally shows in how you talk and act! ” she went on. “I want to meet someone like that!”

“So whaddya think’s gonna happen when you do meet him, busu? Ya gonna kidnap him and hold him for ransom?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Kaoru bashed Yahiko over the head with her bokken. “Any prince I meet will be so terrified of my power – uh, no, that’s no good – he’ll be so dazzled by my beauty and charm that he’ll propose to me on the spot! And then I’ll spend the rest of my life in luxury, with jewels and pretty clothes and all the best stuff to eat!”

Yahiko doubled over with laughter. “You? Busu? The Dragon Spooker? You gotta be kidding!”

Another lump grew on top of the one already crowning the boy’s head. “I’m serious.”

He rubbed his head. “I guess you are. Well, if that’s the case, you sure don’t need us no more. C’mon, Kenshin.”

“Oro?” The rurouni looked up.

“Busu’s dead set on nabbin’ this Prince Oyaji or whatever… so you and me better go ahead on our own. We can’t wait around here forever.” He started to drag Kenshin away.

“Do what you want!” Kaoru yelled. “I’ll catch up with you – riding in a golden carriage!”

She sat in the middle of the road, completely alone. The only traffic was a mother duck and her brood.

“We shouldn’t just leave Kaoru-dono, that we should not,” Kenshin protested.

Yahiko opened his mouth to argue, but then they heard someone cry “Please! Somebody help me!”

They followed the sound. A human mountain of a bandit was menacing a terrified merchant at blade-point. He looked oddly familiar to Kenshin. Where have I seen him before… oh, that’s right, the bandit gang, the day I met Kaoru-dono…

“Now listen!” the bandit snarled. “Keep this up and I’ll take your life too!”

The merchant groveled. Bundles spilled out of his pack.

“Lemme have all your money!” the bandit ordered.

“Yare yare,” Kenshin sighed, and stepped out from behind the tree. “It looks as though you need another lesson de gozaru yo.”

The bandit turned around. “You?!” His eyes bugged out of his head. “That skinny little rat that wiped out the best gang I ever raised?!” His beard bristled with outrage.

“Hear me, fiend trapped in the heart of darkness!” a female voice declared, seemingly from nowhere.

Kenshin blinked. “Oro?” It didn’t sound like Kaoru…

“Sheathe that sword which has been sheathed in your evil soul!”

“Who’s there?” the bandit yelled.

“Obey me, or else feel the Hammer of Justice!”

The bandit was looking around in a panic. Even the merchant was trying to see where the voice came from instead of making his escape. “Where are you? Show yourself!”

“Up here!”

Kenshin looked up, and up, and up. At the very top of a tall pine, a tiny figure was nearly hidden by the sun’s glare. The girl? She launched herself into space. It looked like she intended to land on top of the bandit – the “hammer of justice,” similar in principle to his own Ryuu-Tsui-Sen. Highly effective – if the blow connects.

She missed the bandit and fell flat on her face.

She recovered almost instantly. Her long braid flew as she jumped back in a series of lightning leaps – at least until she tripped over a stone and landed on her backside. But she recovered again, and pointed an admonishing finger at the bandit.

“Now then, Mr. Fiendish Bandit! Prepare yourself!”

The bandit laughed. “Prepare myself for what? And who might you be, clumsy little girl?”

“Misao Makimachi has no name to give to scum like you!” she retorted.

“So she gives him her name…” Yahiko muttered.

“On behalf of Justice, I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil – and that means you!”

DIEM WING!

A bubble of magical energy picked the bandit up, carried him over the middle of the river – and dissolved with a pop. There was a loud splash.

“Hey! ” he yelled. “You can’t get away with this, you ignorant little witch!”

She glared.

BURST RONDO!

The bandit really should have left well enough alone. A dip in the river hadn’t done him any harm – like most of his kind, he didn’t bathe often enough as it was. But now a rain of magical lightning bolts struck the water around him. He leaped out of the water, his clothes frizzling and falling away in black ash, and ran into the forest clad in nothing but a fundoshi printed with sandwich-boards that read “Eat At Joe’s.”

“Wasn’t that a little harsh de gozaru ka?” Kenshin blinked.

“A fitting end to one who stands against Justice!” the girl exclaimed.

“Um… excuse me…” stammered the merchant.

The girl beamed. “No need to thank me. I couldn’t stand by and let that fiend get away with it. Defeating him is thanks enough.”

“Uh… right…” The merchant started picking up his scattered parcels.

“Well then, if you’ll excuse me…” She darted away – but had only gone a few steps when her toe caught in a crack in the rock and she went down flat on her face.

Kenshin bent over her. “Daijoubu de gozaru ka?”

She picked herself up and gazed at him. “Um… by any chance… would you be…”

Almost imperceptibly, Kenshin tensed and his eyes narrowed.

“Do you work in a pet shop?”

Kenshin fell over backwards. “Orororo…”

“Oi! ” Yahiko demanded. “Whaddya wanna think a dumb thing like that for… weasel-girl?”

“You should never judge people by appearances,” Misao sniffed. “That would be bad!”

Kenshin rubbed the back of his head. “Maa, so you assumed sessha works in a pet shop…?”

Her eyes gleamed. “Then you really are a swordsman!”

“Yeah, Kenshin’s the best! ” Yahiko bragged. “Why, I seen him kill a…”

“Yahiko,” Kenshin warned.

“Huh? Oh, right. Sorry. ”Yahiko gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Could you help me out, please? ” the girl asked, making puppy-eyes at Kenshin. “I’ll pay you, of course.”

“If you need help, sessha would be happy to give it,” Kenshin smiled. “But please tell this unworthy person one thing…?”

“What? Sure.”

“Why were you in the top of that tree?”

She stared, incredulous. “You need to ask? That’s what warriors of justice do!”

Kenshin stood up. “Maa… I think we should go back and find Kaoru-dono…”

“Wait! ” the girl cried. “Please… wait for me…”

The merchant shrugged, shouldered his pack, and went on his way.

“He’s not coming,” Kaoru wept. “I guess I’d better go.” She picked a direction at random and trudged along until she came to a village with an inn. Maybe something to eat will cheer me up…

It wasn’t working. “Mou, I feel like such a loser!” she grumbled between bites. “What a rip-off.” But eventually the vast quantity of food worked its usual magic and she did indeed start to feel better. She was almost back to being mostly safe to be around when the door opened.

An oddly-assorted pair came in. The old man wore rough clothes and carried a staff; the joints where the tonfa sections separated would have been invisible to an eye less practiced than Kaoru’s. What made him noticeable, besides the weapon, was the jaunty pink bow tying up the end of his long white beard. What a ridiculous-looking old geezer…

His companion was a pretty, perky woman in the dark robes of a nun. A bandit and a nun, traveling together? And what kind of bandit is that old anyway? I don’t think either of them is what they seem. Something’s weird here…

The nun was eyeing her. “You’re a mahoutsukai, aren’t you, young lady? ” she asked. Her voice was oddly deep for a woman’s.

Kaoru nodded.

“That’s good,” the nun went on. “I need a mahoutsukai to do something for me.”

“Want me to get rid of the bandit geezer for you?” Kaoru asked with her mouth full.

The nun’s eyes turned to dots. “Ara? Bandit? What makes you think my friend is a bandit?”

“Well, he’s a little tall for a dwarf…” Kaoru replied.

“Please listen to us, miss.” The nun and the old man sat down at Kaoru’s table.

“Before we talk,” the old man began, “I should prove my identity.” He folded the tonfa and tossed it in front of Kaoru. There was a crest on one end of the staff.

Kaoru’s eyes grew huge. “That crest…”

“Exactly,” the nun smiled. “The ruler of Seyruun, Nenji Kashiwazaki… Prince Okina!”

Kaoru fell over backwards, her beautiful fantasy shattered in a million pieces. That… that old man… nooooo…

“Oh my,” the nun cried. “Are you all right, miss?”

“No,” Kaoru managed to choke. “No I’m not.”

“Well I’d expect you to be surprised; the prince has been traveling secretly…”

That’s not what surprised me…

“I’m called Sister Kamatari. And what might your name be?”

“Kaoru Kamiya.”

“Oh…”

She perked up. “Does that ‘oh’ mean I’m famous?”

“You’re the onna-mahoutsukai?” Okina asked.

“Kaoru the Bandit Killer?” Sister Kamatari went on“We’ve heard the rumors about you…”

She fell over again. “Which rumors?”

“Ara?” Kamatari blinked. “Don’t you call yourself that?”

“No, not really…”

“Well, you can call me Okina if you want,” the old man cackled. “Since I’m traveling in secret… and I never like to be formal with pretty girls!”

“We need you to kill a monster for us,” the nun began. “A band of monsters have been coming out of a certain cave and attacking the surrounding villages lately. Prince Okina heard of them and, as a champion of justice, could not bear to leave them alone. But we can’t handle them alone… and the villages around here are too small to have soldiers.”

Kaoru pushed the tonfa back to the old man. “You look like you could handle yourself pretty well for an old guy, Okina.” He might not be pretty, but I bet he’s tough as old roots.

The old man waved his hands. “This is just a disguise. No matter what I look like, I’m really a pacifist. Make love not war, that’s my motto!” he cackled.

Kaoru sweatdropped. “Um… okay… anyway, I really have to catch up with my friends…”

“Of course we’ll reward you for your trouble,” Okina went on.

“Reward?” Her eyes grew starry. “In that case I guess my friends can wait!”

And so Kaoru Kamiya found herself trudging through the hills, trailing Prince Okina and the strange nun Sister Kamatari. “I’m hot,” she whined. “What’s with the weather today?”

“Is something wrong, Miss?” Kamatari asked.

“It’s hot, and I can’t stop sweating,” she moaned.

“You’re wearing too many clothes!” Okina roared with laughter at his own wit.

“Well, excuse me for being dressed!” she snapped. “I’ve had it! I’m going to take a bath!”

Sister Kamatari blinked. “A bath?”

She found a waterfall with a nice pool at its base, unbound her hair, stepped out of her sandals, and removed her hakama and kimono. Clad only in koshimaki and breast-bindings, she dipped her toe into the water.

“Yow, it’s cold!” Well, that was easily remedied. She struck the water with her bokken.

FIREBALL!

Now the water was steaming, and she stretched out in it. “Ahhh… much better. This feels great!”

“Miss Kaoru!” Okina called. “Is something wrong?”

“What was that explosion?” asked Sister Kamatari.

Startled by the intrusion, Kaoru stood up – then realized she had given them a good view of all her assets.

MEGA BRAND!

Okina and Sister Kamatari instantly turned into crispy critters. Kaoru rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “Sorry… reflex.”

She finished her bath without further incident, healed her companions, and after more walking they found themselves in a wasteland of rock-spires, facing what looked like a gate set into the rock.

“Looks like an old ruin,” she commented. “Maybe somebody’s tomb.” A good place for monsters…

“I’ve heard that lots of monsters live there now,” Sister Kamatari said, “and their boss is hiding somewhere deep in the cave.”

Kaoru shrugged. “Well, I can bring the whole mountain down in one shot, right from here.”

“Don’t you dare!” Okina exclaimed. “No reckless spellcasting!”

“Huh?” Kaoru scratched her head. “Are you still mad about what happened before? Come on, I healed you, didn’t I? And anyway, you shouldn’t peep at girls.”

But Okina was adamant that Kaoru not cast the Dragon Slave, so instead she led the way through the cavern’s narrow, twisting passages. The glow from her bokken lit their way. In a place this narrow, I can’t use my most effective techniques!

Their path was abruptly blocked by a horde of uncouth-looking creatures who had the heads and trotters of pigs, even though they stood on their hind legs and wore trousers like men. “Orcs,” Kaoru sniffed. “I can take them out in one shot!” Orcs were dangerous in large groups, but not terribly strong individually – and definitely less than bright.

“Wait!” said Okina. “Let me talk to them first.”

Kaoru blinked. “Okina speaks Orcish?” It wasn’t an easy language for humans to learn; their mouths were the wrong shape. And orcs weren’t smart enough to learn a human tongue.

“Not a word!” Sister Kamatari said brightly.

“Open the path quietly and let us through!” Okina ordered. “We don’t want to kill you, but if you don’t heed my warning, you’ll be blasted by the brutal mahoutsukai behind me!”

“Hey, don’t call me brutal!” Kaoru squawked.

The orcs looked at each other – and fled.

“Hee hee hee,” Okina cackled. “Show them the evil of their ways, and they come right around. Talking’s better than fighting, right?”

Sounds like a plain old threat to me…

“Forward, my friends! Forward!”

Ahead they could see a door, elaborately worked with heraldic symbols that glowed faintly by their own magical light. But as one might expect, the gate had a guardian.

It wasn’t bestial enough to be a troll… but it wasn’t exactly a man either. It was half again as tall as Okina, and nearly the width of the door, manlike in shape, with arms so long its knuckles dragged on the ground. Loose trousers covered its massive legs; its upper garment might have been a hanten, but looked like a very skimpy vest. The character “Savage” was tattooed on its enormous body. Sparse hair was pulled tight into a topknot that stuck out like the leaves of a palm tree, and its face wore a permanent idiotic grin.

“Stand aside! ” Okina ordered.

The creature grinned. “Gufu?”

“Blasted thing won’t listen!” Okina grumbled.

“I think it’s my turn. ”Kaoru stepped forward and pointed her bokken at the giant.

BALUS ROD!

Lightning leaped from the tip of her bokken and struck the creature. It glowed with purple-white light, jerked and twitched – but didn’t fall.

“Gufu?”

Kaoru blinked. “Huh. I thought sure that would work. Oh well…”

FIREBALL!

When the flames died, some of the elaborate metalwork on the door sagged a little – but the idiotic-looking creature was unharmed.

LY BREIM!

Okina and Sister Kamatari shivered and their breath misted in the air; the guardian was encased in an enormous block of ice. Then the block cracked and splintered. The unnatural cold vanished, and the idiot still stood there grinning at them.

“Gufu.”

“Doesn’t anything faze that thing?” Kaoru grumbled.

“Makes you feel a little inadequate, doesn’t it? ” murmured Sister Kamatari in an oddly satisfied tone.

Kaoru gave the nun a suspicious glance.

“Gufu! ”The creature crouched down, flexing its steel-clawed fingers. “Gufu!”

Kaoru held her bokken in a basic defensive stance, and wished that Kenshin were there.

“Gufu!” The creature sprang directly at her and knocked her onto her backside! A foul stench assaulted her nose; she choked and gagged

“Kaoru! Miss Kaoru!” Okina and Sister Kamatari rushed to her side and helped her up.

“Phew!” she sputtered. “What the…”

The creature was heading toward the cave exit, propelling itself swiftly on all fours. “Gufu!” it repeated.

“Phew,” she repeated. “What an attack!” She turned around and looked at the door. “I guess this is where the boss lives. Let’s go and say hello!”

With a lot of effort, they forced the doors open, just wide enough to admit the three of them. They found themselves in a long chamber. An elaborate throne stood at the far end, and a tall figure lounged in the seat.

“So ya finally got here. Ya kept me waitin’ a long time, Prince Okina.” The figure stood up. He was very tall, with upswept hair that crowned his head like the business end of a broom. The hems of his vest and hakama were decorated with flame designs. Sword-hilts stuck out over his shoulders, and the bandages around his waist gleamed with a suspiciously metallic luster. “It don’t matter, though,” the man drawled. “This is where your trip ends!”

Okina took a step back. “Why… why would you do that to me?”

“Because I asked him to,” Sister Kamatari laughed softly.

“Kamatari…?” Okina asked. He sounded completely bewildered.

“Don’t forget, I’m third in line to the throne,” the nun purred, “even though I’ve had to live in the shadow of my big brother all these years.”

Kaoru blinked. “She’s your sister?”

“I’m a man!” Kamatari declared.

Okina rubbed the back of his head. “He’s really my younger brother.”

“Let me get this straight. Your brother’s a cross-dresser?”

“Does that mean I can’t find someone to love? ” Kamatari demanded. “Does it mean I don’t deserve to be queen?”

Kaoru sweatdropped and her eyes turned as small as marbles. “You’re a guy.”

“I know,” Kamatari sighed. “But you can’t be gay half-heartedly… so I want to rule Seyruun with my beloved Chou by my side!” He embraced the tall man. “He’s been so helpful in setting this trap for you…”

Okina stared. “You mean those monsters were…”

“Of course, brother dear! All our doing!”

“Kamatari, if you wanted the throne that badly, why didn’t you tell me?” Okina asked.

“Would you have given it to me?”

”Well, no, but…”

Kaoru sighed. “So it’s just a stupid family quarrel after all.” And to think I dreamed about marrying into this bunch of lunatics…

“Enough of this crap,” growled Chou. “Get ‘em, guys!”

A horde of zombies surrounded Kaoru and Okina.

“Sayonara, brother dear,” cooed Kamatari.

“Why you…” Okina sputtered.

“So long as evil exists in this world, the wrath of Justice shall strike it down! ”A disembodied feminine voice echoed from the vaulted ceiling.

Kaoru looked around for the source of the voice.

“Against any fiend in this world, even though he be of my own family, my justice shall not waver!” the mysterious voice declared.

“Oh no,” Kamatari muttered. “Who let her in?”

“On behalf of Justice, I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil – and that means you, Uncle Kamatari!”

Kaoru finally spotted the girl, and wondered how she could ever have missed anyone in such outlandish clothing. Who in the world would wear an abbreviated version of ninja gear that left her arms and legs totally bare? And what kind of person would top the whole thing off with a pink sash tied in an enormous bow?

Okina, beaming from ear to ear, held his arms out to the newcomer. “Misao!”

And then Kaoru saw what the girl was standing on. “Kenshin?”

“Oro… please don’t look at sessha de gozaru yo…” moaned the embarrassed rurouni as he bent under the not-inconsiderable weight of Misao.

“Jiiya!” the girl yelled. “Jiiya! I found you!”

“Jiiya?” Kaoru blinked. She looked from Okina to Misao, and back to Okina. “She doesn’t look anything like you!”

“Well, she’s my very own granddaughter anyway!” Okina gloated.

Kaoru facefaulted.

“Okay, everybody!” Misao called. “Prepare yourselves!”She leaped from Kenshin’s shoulders and soared toward the zombies – only to collide with the cavern roof and crash face-first into the floor.

Yahiko poked at her. “Oi. Oi oi.”

She jumped up and sprang backward in a series of agile leaps – until her foot caught on a loose stone and she toppled backward into Okina’s arms. “Thanks, Jiiya!” She pointed at the nun and her – his – broom-haired companion. “Okay, Uncle Kamatari! If you repent your evil ways even a little bit, then Jiiya can forgive you!”

“There’s no way I can do that now!” Kamatari retorted. “Get them!”

The zombies rushed at Misao, but she was ready for them.

FIREBALL!

Her blast incinerated the mass of undead creatures, but then a wave of trolls appeared.

DIGGER BOLT!

Magical lightnings blasted them into nothingness.

“What’s with her? ” muttered Kaoru, who hadn’t been able to get an attack in edgewise. “Does she have a hero complex or something?”

Kenshin tugged on his ponytail. “She said she was looking for her grandfather and needed my help de gozaru yo.”

Yahiko snorted. “Doesn’t look like she needs much help!”

Kamatari and Chou gazed in dismay at the ruin of their scheme. They raised their arms and chanted in unison. “Come forth, our ally, Bras Demon! Raijuuta!”

There was a flash of light, and a mazoku appeared – eight feet tall, green-skinned and bulging with muscles. Rudimentary wings, entirely inadequate to lift his massive bulk, wrapped around his shoulders.

“Huh. They actually summoned something.” Kaoru hadn’t been sure that Chou and Kamatari had that much skill.

“Is it tough?” asked Yahiko.

“Sort of,” Kaoru replied.

“I wonder…” was Kenshin’s comment. He hadn’t made a move toward his sakabatou.

Misao was undeterred. “You who control the powers of the mazoku, fools whose hearts are stained with evil…” she began.

“You allied yourself with a mazoku just to assassinate me?” Okina sputtered. “Even though I believe in peace I can’t forgive this!” He charged at the demon.

“Hold it! ” yelled Kaoru. “You can’t handle a mazoku!”

Okina went at the monster feet-first. “Pacifist Crush!”

Raijuuta went oof! and skidded into Chou and Kamatari, knocking them down.

“No way!” Kaoru gasped.

“Kindness to All Creatures Kick! ”Okina followed up with a snap-kick to the monster’s jaw, but the demon recovered and threw the old man halfway across the chamber.

“Jiyaa!” Misao cried.

Okina picked himself up. “Let’s do it, Misao!”

“Right, Jiiya!”

DIEM WING!

The spell picked Okina up and propelled him toward the demon. “Good Will Toward Men Smash!”

Under the force of Okina’s fists, the mazoku vanished.

Chou recoiled. “You… you… Come forth… anybody!”

Nothing answered his invocation.

“Uncle,” Misao begged Kamatari. “Please give up your evil ways!”

“I can’t,” the cross-dresser replied. “I’ve come much too far for that. There aren’t ny choices left now. ”He cupped his hands in a gesture of invocation.

FIREBALL!

Misao instantly retaliated.

FIREBALL!

“Idiot!” Kaoru yelled. “Don’t you know what’ll happen when those things collide?” She grabbed Yahiko’s wrist and took off at top speed, Kenshin close behind, not even caring what happened to the royal family of Seyruun. They barely made it out of the cave when the fireballs met and the resulting explosion annihilated the chamber and everything in it.

“I only wanted to be queen of Seyruun!” Kamatari wailed, an instant before he and Chou were vaporized.

Okina and Misao joined Kaoru and her friends on their safe perch, just as the entire mountain collapsed.

Okina held his granddaughter tightly and shook his head with genuine regret. “Kamatari… little brother, you shouldn’t have given in to those foolish thoughts…”

“Hey, let go, Jiiya!” Misao protested. “You’re squashing me!”

“Oh, sorry, Misao!” He held her at arm’s length. “Misao-chan, I’m happy to see you, but… what in the world are you doing here? I left you back in Seyruun!”

“You’re so mean, Jiiya!” she wailed. “You always get to travel in secret and get into all these great adventures, and you never bring me along!”

“So you came to find me?”

“Um, excuse me, Okina,” Kaoru hesitated. “Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but…”

“What?”

“I was just wondering. You’d mentioned a reward…”

“Oh?” He looked embarrassed. “I’m afraid Kamatari was carrying all the money.”

“Well, what about Misao-chan here?”

“I spent all my money trying to find Jiiya!”

“Don’t worry!” Okina declared. “You can have as much as you want when we get to Seyruun!”

“Seyruun?” Kaoru squeaked. “Seyruun’s nowhere near here! And that’s not where we’re headed!”

“Well, nobody’s forcing you to go,” Okina replied. “And we’ll gladly go with you.”

“Pleased to meet you!” Misao bowed.

Kaoru sweatdropped. “Believe me, the pleasure’s all yours.”

And so, our traveling party gets bigger. One’s a dirty old man, and the other’s a loony wannabe ninja or something. Scratch that – they’re really the peace-loving Prince Okina and his granddaughter, Princess Misao, a short-fused mahoutsukai-in-training.

Why me?

NOTES, EXPLANATIONS ETC.

I had the devil’s own time casting this one; I’d originally wanted to use Kamatari later but didn’t have anyone else who would work as Phil’s idiot brother… um, sister… um… and adding Chou was just pure perversity on my part. (I may have seen a dj scan somewhere with those two together, but it’s not in either my precious Shinjis or my dj-scan collection.)

A lot of RK’s weirder-looking villains are ending up as assorted mazoku. Some of this was planned casting, and more is well, I need a monster, who’s handy? Iwanbou ended up with the magic-immunity of a D&D flesh golem – well, that sort of fits.

The farther I go, the trickier all this juggling gets! I think Misao will get a lot more like Misao and less like Amelia as the series progresses – once Aoshi rejoins the group. As it is, well… I was drafting a later chapter when it suddenly occurred to me to use the line from Sailor Moon. It seemed to fit. Yes I know, I’m evil…

Goheh will probably show up again with another weird fundoshi.