“I dive again. I’m going under. (Going under.) Drowning with you. (Drowning with you.) I’m falling forever. (Falling forever.) I’ve got to break through. I’m going under!”

-Evanescence “Going Under”

    Aneko reappeared in another dimension. This was the realm of minds. The princess chose this place to find the akumu yokai. If this oni worked with one’s dream world, it had to be here. Now to start looking.

    Aneko used her bloodstone to track the yokai down. The farther she went inside, the darker it grew. The gem’s hikari grew stronger. Soon, the hikari was blinding. Aneko shielded her eyes and looked ahead. There it was. The akumu yokai. It was floating while sitting and chanting. It looked like it was only twelve years of age. But Aneko didn’t care! This was the creature that tried to kill her boyfriend. And now… It was payback time!!!

Aneko stomped up towards the yokai. Her anger at full force. She had just about reached him when…. She was violently thrown back. Aneko sat straight up. This really boiled her blood. So she got back up and tried again.

    The princess was thrown back three times. She sat there baffled. Nani was throwing her back? Aneko opened her eyes and saw her answer.

    A blue barrier ring was secured tightly around the yokai. The ring looked pretty thick to be broken easily. But she had to give it a try.

    Aneko gathered up her strength and started firing energy bombs at the barrier. When she reached her twenty-fifth bomb, the barrier broke apart. The princess straightened her hair into place and marched forward.

    When she was halfway there, Aneko crashed into nani appeared to be a cold hard glass wall. She hung her head in distress. Then the princess took a deep breath and held her bloodstone to the wall. It shattered into thousands of pieces fewer than ten seconds. Aneko felt some peace now. But she kept on moving with a stronger heat.

    At long last, Aneko made it to akumu yokai. She had waited a long time to crush him. Now she would have her big change.

    The yokai was in the same position it was in when the princess started tearing through. Aneko didn’t think it noticed a thing. It was a sitting duck. But ichi problem still remained. How was she going to kill this rock still yokai?

    “Use your key!!!!!” a voice yelled in her head. Aneko’s head jerked up. “Washu?” she asked. “Use the key damnit!!!” the voice yelled. The princess gave a hard nod of agreement. Then she grabbed the yokai by its face, pulled out the dream key from around her neck, and in a samurai manner, beheaded it with ichi swipe. The akumu yokai’s body fell back and broke into dust.

    Aneko threw down the head in triumph and held out her key. The mission ended with great success! But was this whole misadventure a warning? And if so, by whom?

    *End of Akumu Mission*