A Demon and a Ghost walk into a bar...

[Kuzuru]

The bar was a shabby looking addition to the resturaunt, it almost seemed to have been created as an afterthought. Attached to the back wall was the curved counter of the bar itself. Shelves upon shelves sat behind the solid wood counter, waiting to hold bottles of spirits or liquors. Central to the wall behind the counter sat a body-length mirror, covered in a thin layer of dust. Peeking out from behind a small alcove in the wall was an imperial jukebox, pristine aside from a shell of dust bunnies clinging to its lacquered surface. A series of pool tables lined the back wall, their perfect felt too fell victim to the encroaching legion of dust. Slowly Renji followed Mina, taking in every aspect of his new workplace.

This place is going to need some work, but I think it'll do nicely

Rou's voice took up an uncomfortable amount of space in Reji's head. He was calmer than Kuzuru and seemed to have a kinder heart, but his mere presence carried implications that the swordsman did not care to pursue. How many innocent souls had he swallowed in his conquest for perfection? The sword-demon had kept him intoxicated with power and precision; it wasn't until his exodus to the Omniverse that he truly questioned his own motives. Just how many souls were now imprisoned in his own blade, and subsequently his own mind? Probably too many to count, an eternity of bloodshed had no doubt produced a near impossible body-count. Could such a debt ever be repayed?

Doubtful.

Mina pulled the swordsman from his self-reflective stupor with her cheery voice. “I know it isn't much, but you can do with it what you'd like! We, uhm, don't have any alcohol right now either so you'll have to make one. I heard you were a prime so that shouldn't be too big of an issue right?”

“Oh that's no problem at all,” Rou spoke through Renji's mouth. His eyes went wide as his mental passenger exerted control over his speech. Even the demon had never overtly taken autonomy from his host, but rather nudged him in the desired direction. This sudden lack of self-control, however minor, sent chills through his body. Slowly he moved his extremities, starting with his fingers and toes before moving to his arms and legs. Everything was still within his control, and yet for that one startling moment Rou had become the pilot of his body.

"Are you alright Renji?" the pig-girl half-giggled, "you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah," he responded, turning his attention to Mina, "yeah, just a headache I'm fine. I'll get this bar up and running by afternoon."

"I'll leave you to it!"

Mina scurried back into the main portion of the resturaunt, leaving Renji to his own devices. Slowly he stepped behind the bar and ran his finger across the dusty counter. Absentmindedly his other hand rested on the hilt of his wicked weapon. He turned to face himself in the mirror, the face of a killer stared back from behind a sheen of detritus.

Rou can you hear me?

Yeah, what's up buddy?

About earlier, you controlling my words-

Oh that? I was just messing around is all. No harm no foul.

Listen, if you ever do that again, I will not hesitate to deliver every last drop of omnilium to that demon. Do you hear me?

Loud and clea-

"BOO!"

A mounstrous face erupted from behind the glass, startling the poor warrior. Instinctually he reached for his blade and began to draw it. The ghastly face transformed into a giggling ghost girl, one that he was far too familiar with. Renji scowled and sheathed his sword, it was the first time that the ghost girl had managed to truly frighten him, and she seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

"You wretched girl," the swordsman snarled, "you're lucky I didn't cleave you in half."

She simply stuck her oversized blue tongue out at Renji and snickered, "whatever," before floating back beneath the floorboards of the building.