Work Text:
The blackened wood crumbled with a heavy crunching sound as the Fire Brigade Drone inspected the area, mesmerizing by the silent, macabre sight in front of them. A once lively village that knew of all the joys brought forward by mundane life, now a blackened corpse, still smoldering more than a decade later. Burnt buildings weren't anything new, stuff like this happened even back in their town, yet after things were reduced to coal and melted metal, a rebirth of sorts would follow, a new breath of life after a terrible accident. Yet none such second chance happened here, in fact, it seemed like things were still stuck in the fuming hell phase. No intense heat could be felt from the distorted landscape, yet wisps of smoke still danced in the air, the ground charred and devoid of vegetation or creepy crawlies. Whatever happened here, it was like a curse was put on this place, doomed to slow burn perpetually, nothing alive ever able to reclaim it. Turning around to face the rest of their squad mates, the Drone spoke.
“Any news on Chief and the rest?”
“Negative, they've yet to return,” the FB Drone said as they looked in the direction Mr. Takahashi was last seen.
The FB leader wanted to explore Hasekai's deeper interior, while ordering half of his men to remain near the entrance of the town, just in case something happened, though even he doubted this possibility. Still, better safe than sorry.
“How much longer are we even going to stay here? This place is giving me the creeps,” one of the Drones said as they looked worriedly around.
“As long as the Chief needs, though he did say that we should be leaving before sunset,” the other Drone said as they looked into the horizon, seeing the sun dangerously close to the mountain tips.
“I hope nothing bad happened to them…”
“This place is in a pretty rough shape, inspecting any building feels like walking on egg shells, in any minute everything could just come down on you.”
The group kept exchanging conversations, trying to take their minds off the depressing, ash infused sight all around them, blissfully unaware that something was watching them from afar, camouflaged by the darkened wood and bricks. Glowing, amber yellow eyes peered between the broken planks, no emotion displayed in their reflection, yet an animalistic hunger still swirled in their sickly content.
Further down town, Mr. Takahashi and his men were carefully inspecting each house, trying to find….something. Their boss wasn't specific in what their target was, simply look around for anything suspicious, though even that didn't do a good job at narrowing down what they were after. In truth, he didn't know what their target was either. Deep down he was hoping that some secret cave entrance would magically appear in front of them and all their questions would be answered, but no such blessing here. All the rubble and heaps of ash made their search so much more difficult, especially since they didn't have any equipment to dig through all of it, as this visit was meant to be a short one. It all seemed pointless, there was no cave opening, nor anything indicating any recent activity. He was just a fool chasing phantasms in a vain attempt to answer his burning questions, whose heat he could now feel in the very ash around him. What was he even doing here? He should've been at home with his wife and son, happily talking the hours away until night time arrived, yet here he was, soot sticking to his visor as he walked on the remains of a ghost town. It was moments like these that made him realize how much his work was consuming him, especially with the growing shadows around him and the decrease of visible light. Yet, another voice kept him focused on his goal, how he needed to protect everyone and solve any problems that came their way, and right now, two very big problems loomed over their little world.
“....it's pointless,” Mr. Takahashi said as he dusted his uniform off. “There is nothing here and we should just return.”
As he was carefully stepping over the charred wood so as to not suddenly find himself knee deep in it, however, something caught his vision as he reached the porch. It was an almost invisible detail that even in the low luminosity it should've been hidden, yet it stuck out to him because of how badly it contrasted with the rest of the environment. A white piece of cloth. An impossible object in this place, yet there it was, moving gently from side to side. The pureness of its colors made it clear that it wasn't there for as long as the rest of the structures surrounding it were, this was a recent addition. Someone had been here before. The aged Drone cautiously approached the house this ethereal object was attached to, each step sending vibrations in his whole body. Was this the breakthrough he was waiting for? Or yet another false hope. A few more steps and he could almost feel his hand touch the knob on the door that was also strangely intact, all sound in the world gone as he inched closer. This silence only worked to amplify the chaos that followed after, though, as the very structure before him exploded outward, black debris pushing him on his back as he shielded his face. Soot filled the air as a black fog swallowed everything, pieces of wood still falling all around him. Quickly getting back on his feet, Mr. Takahashi tried making his way out of the darkness, flakes of ash dancing in the air like snow. Looking to his side one last time, he could see the silhouette of the remains of the house he so desperately tried to reach, the white cloth now nowhere to be seen. Yet, another sound made him stop, the lumbering of something big as it broke plank after plank and plowed through brittle brick. The dark haze was clearing, yet the source of the concerning noise kept itself hidden. His first instinct was to call out for his men, seeing how they now had an unwanted guest. The thought was swiftly silenced, however, as he kept thinking. Why didn't anyone let out a warning shout. Surely whatever this was must've been spotted by at least someone, nothing big can stay hidden in this terrain. But as the haze finally cleared itself, Mr. Takahashi got his answer. A Drone laid several feet away, half of its body melted away, while the other half slowly dissolved in some yellow puddle.
Even from that distance and with that amount of damage, he could still make out the Fire Brigade uniform.
The previous lumbering turned into a thunderous dash as the thing was now rushing towards him, black planks flying everywhere. Before it could show itself, though, Mr. Takahashi pulled the pins of several explosives he had in his bag before throwing them, a powerful explosion and an even bigger plume of ash following right after. The terrible screeches that ripped through the air indicated that the grenades most definitely hit their target as the awful sounds became more distant. There was no doubt left, it was a Scabdog.
“How in the bloody hell did one follow us here!?” Mr. Takahashi shouted as he ran for the town exit, right hand digging deep into his bag for more grenades.
A bright red light shone in the sky as a trail of smoke indicated its origin. It was a flare!
“Oh thank Konoha there must still be some of us left! I need to hurry!”
The sound of plowing debris returned as the Scabdog was hot on his trails. The Drone did not dare turn his head for even a possible peek of his pursuer as he saw a piece of wood fly by him, causing him to increase his pace. He blindly threw grenades behind him, but no shrieks accompanied the explosions, yet any kind of distractions counted, just to build more space between the two. His hand grasped on empty air in his bag as he ran out of firepower, leaving only whatever energy he had left in him to reach his men. Finally, he saw the town entrance, though no one was waiting for him. Just as he could see more rubble fly past him, he suddenly found himself lifted in the air as a strong buzzing sound now filled his hearing receptors.
“Sir!”
Looking up, he saw one of his men, holding the back of his jacket as they were riding on a Blitzwing. Below him, another Blitzwing was hovering in place.
“You can let go of me now!”
“Understood, Sir!” the Drone said as they let their boss land perfectly on the Blitzwing, the giant bug wobbling a bit from the sudden weight on its back.
The two moths aligned their position as Mr. Takahashi could see that there were two FB Drones on the other Blitzwing.
“Where are the others!?” he shouted.
“We were ambushed, Sir!” the Drone holding onto the moth's front harness said.
“We managed to escape and reach the Blitzwings just in time, though we were the only ones left!”
“We let out a warning flare in hopes that you weren't harmed by the Inugami and could reach us,” The Drone further back said.
“It was a good call!”
Mr. Takahashi looked below, now at a safe distance from his attacker, trying to spot the vile creature. Yet, he couldn't see anything.
“Did you have any visual confirmation on the aggressor?”
“Negative, Sir! The creature never made its appearance known, yet it kept taking us out.”
Mr. Takahashi strained his vision to see if he could spot something, yet even from this high in the air and with most of the village destroyed, leaving very little room to hide, nothing could be seen.
“Let us return to base, then. We've suffered enough losses and we don't have the necessary firepower.”
“Understood, Sir!” the remaining Drones shouted in unison as the two Blitzwings darted back for Inoshima.
Down below, squirming its way through the ash and blackened wood like a snake, the Scabdog looked at the increasingly distant dots in the horizon, though it seemed that there was now more in its pupiless gaze. An intelligence was watching through it. Further away at the pit stop Mr. Takahashi and his men took before arriving in Hasekai, Corbeau looked at the burnt town, a neutral expression under his mask.
“Seems like we forgot to cover our tracks there,” he snickered.
“Good thing I took care of it, he he,” Lycaon said, obscured by the darkness between the trees.
“I will say, that old Drone had some good intuition. I don't know how he came to the conclusion to come here, and frankly, I don't care.”
“That only makes him more dangerous, then.”
“Indeed,” Corbeau smiled. “But unlike those annoying tin cans that humiliated me, I doubt he'd have much of a plot armor to protect him if he became too nosey.”
“Why don't we squash the bug before it begins to bother us further?”
“That is true,” Corbeau's grin increased.
“Let's put those country pumpkins even more on their toes than they were before.”
…
Plants of bizarre shapes swung side to side, the patterns on their leaves making you feel like you were being watched at all times. Haruka didn't know how she found herself in this strange place, though looking at the way the sky was a clear blue and pink and things were nice and bright, yet no sun could be spotted anywhere, more or less confirmed to her that she was dreaming once again. Even with that knowledge, though, things felt too real, the soil underneath her, all the plants that brushed her shoulders, even the sounds of singing bugs had this distinct cadence that was absent in usual dreamscapes, but very much audible in the real world. Finally emerging out of the thick foliage and onto a clearing, Haruka looked ahead to see a white door, sitting idly on an endless field of grass.
“No way…” she said as she approached the thing, the familiar six pointed star doorknob making itself apparent the closer she got to it.
Haruka stood still, not knowing what to do. Grab the knob and open the door, leading her to Konoha knows where once again? Or leave it there and either walk the endless field behind it in hopes of stumbling on something or keep braving the alien jungle behind her? It didn't take long for her to make her decision as she grabbed firmly on the metal star, the lock releasing a soft click as she twisted it. Yet upon opening the door, all she saw was the endless field. She repeatedly opened and closed the door, foolishly thinking that maybe something would happen, but the grassy hill and pastel sky kept greeting her.
“No going back, huh,” she said. “Not like I wanted to return to that void.”
Frustrated, she slammed the door one last time, the frame towering over her for a few seconds more before falling flat on the ground, its corners folding onto itself repeatedly like origami. A paper swan was all that was left from the door, which then proceeded to fly away. Haruka, shoulders slumped and with an expression of annoyance plastered on her face, begrudgingly returned to the alien forest. The plants had now changed their patterns, rather than impressions of eyes, they now looked like eyes that were hand drawn, all staring at her. Feeling very uncomfortable about the sudden change, Haruka swiftly passed by every plant and kept her distance from the ones she could, only looking forward. The occasional stray leaf slapped her over the face, though at times it almost felt intentional, the angles she kept getting hit being oddly coordinated. Finally, she saw another opening, her quick pace now turning into a mad dash as her desire for escape overtook her. Yet, what greeted her made her freeze in place. It was the white door and the endless field.
“Oh you're not being serious,” Haruka's voice trembled as she ran for the door, grabbing the knob and opening it, only to once again find nothing behind it but the fields.
Frustrated, she slammed the door and ran past it, preferring to brave the fields instead of the freakshow she made her way out of. She didn't know for how long she was running, as the endless field was, well, endless, with no object to use as guidance. A shape was forming in the horizon, though, sparking some hope in her, only for it to be quickly snuffed out as it revealed itself to be the forest. Haruka looked behind her in a panic before coming back ahead, suddenly finding herself right at the edge of the forest. The plant's “eyes” had changed once again, now looking far more realistic, some even being bloodshot. The leaves were also now smiling, some of the hand drawn teeth blackened and cracked. Haruka turned tails and went back to the field, only to slam into something. Rubbing her head, she looked up, seeing the white door, looming over her.
“Ok this isn't funny anymore!” she shouted, “If anyone's messing with me, come out now instead of hiding like a coward!!”
No response. Haruka facepalmed herself, remembering that this was her dream, meaning that only she had any influence on it.
“Well then…” darting her eyes at the messed up plants, she tried to imagine them as something more pleasant looking, yet the frightening visage didn't change, in fact, they looked like they were mocking her now.
“You really think you're funny, huh?”
Her blade unsheathed as she cut through all the plants with one single swing, the smiles now turned into frowns as they dissolved into wisps of ash, the remnants of the forest also disappearing, now leaving an empty field in all directions. Satisfied, Haruka was preparing to do the same thing to the door, but she stopped herself.
“Even if I cut you down…” she said softly, “Where am I even going from here?”
Thinking about what happened when she chose the fields, the sudden thought of stumbling over the forest once again, this time probably angry at her for what she did, Haruka chose to do the one thing she hadn't tried yet, as pointless as it seemed until she remembered that this was all a dreamscape. Grabbing the knob, she opened the door and took in a deep breath.
“Here goes nothing!”
Jumping though the frame, instead of landing on plain grass, she instead hit smooth, flat rock. Looking ahead, the endless fields were gone, now replaced with beautiful flowers hanging from trees like lanterns, no eye patterns in sight, a long stone road stretching before her. Glancing behind, she could still see the fields through the door before it suddenly slammed shut, beginning to break apart into petals, carried away by a gentle breeze.
“I knew you were smart enough to figure it out,” a voice called from behind, but before Haruka could turn around to meet its owner, she woke up.
Looking all around her, realizing that she was back in her room in the waking world, she let out an annoyed sigh.
“At least something interesting happened this time….still, who did that voice belong to?” she pondered.
~Ito Residence, some hours later~
Suika lazily crawled across the path leading to the Ito Shrine, having fed on the wood beetles that usually emerged at these hours. He didn't have any of the worries that other, higher intelligent creatures filled their lives with, so he was in no rush going back home. Though the sounds of explosions did catch his attention, eyes rotating towards the source of the commotion, the garden behind the Ito household.
“ICHI!” Junko shouted as Megumi threw the first talisman.
“NI!” Megumi threw two more at the targets that had been prepared.
“SAN!” Three more explosions followed as the talismans made contact with their targets point blank.
“Alright, that should be enough!”
“Hai, Okaasan!” Megumi said as she stacked the remaining talismans.
“Your aim is absolutely incredible!"
Megumi looked to the side, smiling warmly. The flame beads shun around the base of her ponytail, their inner flame dancing with excitement.
“This should be it for today, I don't want to force you to do too much before we move to the more advanced stuff.”
“No, Okaasan.”
“Hm?”
“I feel I'm prepared for your more powerful techniques.”
“I understand your excitement, my dear, but this sort of stuff takes time to prepare for. Even I usually need a long break before I can perform my shows.”
“But why is that?”
“Because,” Junkin said as she untied the flame beads from Megumi's hair, “this artifact's power is one that can overwhelm its user, like a wildfire overtaking an entire forest, a rebellious flame that drains its user to sustain its brightness and heat. I was warned of this by my own Okaasan, yet it took personal experience to truly learn this.”
Megumi looked at the beads as they continued to glow, slowly fading to a softer intensity with each passing second.
“I think I can handle it, Okaasan!” she said with her fists in the air and a determined look.
“Those words sure sound familiar, ha hah.” Junko laid her hand on her daughter's head. “I must say, what's gotten into you that you're now acting so brave and confident?”
Megumi looked down, her previous fiery disposition now gone.
“It's because I've made a promise to Haruka-chan.”
Junko was listening very closely.
“I've been scared of so many things that we've had to face and was even a hindrance to her a few times,” images of the Yokuryuu flashed in her head, “but now I no longer wish to just act as company while Haruka-chan fights by herself, especially with the knowledge that she is being hunted down by scary outsiders! I don't want to sit and watch her risk her life for all of us when I know I could also be by her side!”
“Megumi…” Junko looked at her daughter's hands, which still bore burnt markings.
“I made a promise that I'll grow stronger and make sure she's safe while fighting the evil of these lands, no matter how many times she says she doesn't need my help! Because that's what family is!”
Junko smiled as she grabbed Megumi’s hands.
“Hm, I never thought I'd see such a side from you, Megumi. How much Otousan wished to have his own apprentice among his daughters to train, only to end with the one not even code related that'd become the town's hero, all while only the most easily scared showed interest in his knowledge, but was too caught up in her own fears to properly put them to use. And now, look at you.”
Megumi blinked, remembering all the times she and her father spent trying to learn how to use a staff and all the tricks one could use to disable and beat their opponent with it. She remembered how she wanted to use all that knowledge to assist Haruka, yet her own cowardice stopped her from doing so. Now, though, ever since the incident with the Disassembly Drones, a desire in her heart had begun to grow, one of wanting to face the scary things instead of running away from them, and those flame beads only intensified this feeling.
“But it's also important to know when to grow, not just how.”
“Wait, what do you mean, Okaasan?”
“Your intentions are noble and deep rooted in feelings that should be praised for their sincerity, but you're only at the beginning of an arduous road, and trying to speed up the process will only result in failure, not progress. You'll need to take your time if you want to master such power.”
Junko wrapped the beads around her wrist, snapping her fingers and triggering a small ball of fire to appear in the air, gently falling in her palm. Megumi looked in awe at such an act, though next thing she knew, Junko was wrapping the beads around her right wrist.
“Try and do what I did.”
Megumi brought her middle finger and thumb close, though for some reason she could feel her hand shaking. Not thinking twice, she snapped her fingers, but nothing happened. She tried again, nothing. Once more and few sparks flew, but no flame. Getting frustrated, she snapped her fingers one more time, a small explosion occurring that startled her, causing the beads to fall off her wrist.
“See what I mean?” Junko said as she picked up the necklace.
“Forcing things will bring no progress, only time and practice can show results, a flaming soul must know how to preserve its heat instead of burning away fast and meaningless.”
Megumi looked at her fingers’ blackened tips.
“You are right Okaasan…” she said as the two hugged each other.
“Haruka has fought many scary foes up until now, I'm sure she can continue doing so until you've finished your training.”
From the edge of the garden, Suika looked at the two Drones sharing this moment as he let out a slow croak before eating another passing insect.
~Takahashi residence~
Aigami was sitting still in the living room, eyes closed and arms crossed. No sound could be heard from anywhere, everything being motionless, like the very room was holding its breath in anticipation of something. Tightening his grip on the watch, Aigami quickly opened his eyes.
“NOW!”
All at once, every single glass figure, vase and pots and even the coffee table flew in the air, suspended for a few seconds before all fell at once. Aigami's reality turned gray as he dashed forward, grabbing the glass sculptures first, placing them back in their original spots, followed by the precious flower pots, the stained glass vase and then the table. Aigami placed the piece of furniture just in time as he hit ten seconds in his mind's countdown, the world returning to its usual palette as time flowing normally again.
“DUDE!?” he shouted in excitement as he looked at the watch with a wide grin and trembling eyes.
“The fact that you can just do that is honestly frightening, but also amazing!” Pixel said as she made herself visible, floating towards Aigami as she too locked her vision on the watch. “Does this mean that you can actually control it?”
“I don't know quite yet.” Aigami was now holding it by its chain as it dangled in front of them. “It only seems to trigger when I feel panicked or I know something bad is happening so I have to intervene quickly.”
“Do you think you can induce this feeling even when you know nothing is going wrong?”
“Maybe it won't think I'm genuine so it won't trigger? Though why am I talking about it like it's alive?”
Pixel looked at the runes that writhed like serpents, nonsense phrases sometimes manifesting from the letters morphing into new runes.
“Don't know either.”
“In any case.” Aigami grabbed the watch as he turned his gaze to Pixel. “Let's try another test.”
“So what do you want me to break?”
“Nothing. I'm gonna test something else.”
Aigami looked at the small glass soldier on the fireplace. Gripping the watch with both hands, he narrowed his eyes as he focused as hard as he could at the statue. Pixel kept shifting her gaze between Aigami and the statue, almost expecting him to suddenly appear in front of it, but nothing was happening, while Aigami felt like he was going to rip a wire in his head from how hard he was straining until he finally let out a loud sigh, falling on the floor with his legs crossed.
“Whatever it is that triggers this thing, it sure isn't focusing until your visor shatters,” he said as he was rubbing his head.
“So that only leaves the sensations of panic or determination?”
“Yeah, I guess. I still hope there's more ways to make it work.”
“We'll, then let's test it one more time!”
“Wait huh?”
Aigami looked in shock as Pixel took the statue and let it fall to the ground, hitting the hard wood as it shattered. It took a few seconds for the both of them to realize what just happened.
“NOOOOOO!!!”
“NO NO I'M SORRY I'M SORRY (glitching noises)”
Pixel and Aigami kept trying to reassemble the statue like it was a Lego set, but every time they did, it just broke down into more and more pieces.
“I thought the watch worked when you were panicking!? Why did it not work now!?”
“You did so fast I didn't even have time to realize that it already broke!? What am I supposed to do!?”
A noise came from the front door as it opened, Reiko's voice now audible as she was humming. She had left earlier in the morning for groceries, with Aigami telling her to not expect to find him home by the time she returned since he wanted to visit his father.
“Hey so that intangibility thing, does it work on others too?” Aigami looked to his side only to see Pixel gone.
Reiko's footsteps were getting closer and closer, even seeing the bag she was carrying appear right around the corner. It was then when he gripped hard on the watch, to which it responded by turning the world gray once again. Seizing the opportunity, he ran out of the house, remembering to count to 10 as he made a mad dash for the nearest house to hide behind. The world returned to normal as Reiko looked around the living room, only to spot the shattered figurine. His mother's yell made Aigami flinch as he let out a guilt filled sigh.
“Wow so it works now!” Pixel said cheerfully from his side, startling him again.
“You jerk, you left me there without even trying to bail me out!!!!”
“Well sorry I panicked too and did the first thing that came to mind!”
“Something you could've also done to me!!”
Both Drones crossed their arms as they faced away from each other.
“Also yes, the perception block works with others if we're in physical contact.”
~Center Inoshima~
“Here you go, son!” the Drone selling berry juice said as he handed a cup to Yako.
“Thank you, kind sir!” he said as he handed a gold coin to the frazzled Drone, who was looking at the thing with bewilderment.
“Damn, sonny, where did you get an artifact like this?”
“My journeys have led me to a variety of places throughout the years and I've made sure to collect various trinkets as mementos.”
“Hmm, this doesn't look like any coin from Takamagahara that I've seen, it looks like something from the outside.”
“Indeed, I acquired it along with many others from a kind person and his family for saving them from an Inugami in a very far off village in the Badlands.”
“Incredible! I'm wondering now what brought you here of all places if you've been traveling the world for so long? Home sickness? Someone waiting for you here?”
Yako opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped, his expression becoming that of sadness. There was a reason why he came here, but there was also someone that may have been waiting for him to return. An image of long hair and azure flames flashed before him, an eyeless smile in front of a sunset.
“Did she hate me now?” he thought to himself, thinking of how long it's been since they last saw each other.
“She's probably moved on by now…and yet,” his grip on the cup tightened, “I know that to not be true.”
“Are you ok, son?”
“OH! Uh, sorry, my apologies. Yes, yes! I have been homesick for my lovely town, this place is just one of my many pitstops until I arrive home!”
“I see. Well, then I wish you good luck on your journey and that you reach home safely!”
“Thank you so much! Have a good day!”
Leaving in a haste, Yako headed for one of the benches.
“I sure wonder how he can see anything with those bandages?” the seller wondered as he was preparing to greet another customer.
Despite his purchase, Yako didn't feel the need to drink anything anymore, instead he focused on the big statue not too far away. The one that sat in the middle, surrounded by all the benches and tables. While he could only see its back, it was more than enough.
…
Somewhere else, Aigami and Pixel were wandering the street, looking for something to do.
“It still feels weird to see you walk… float around in broad daylight like that.” Aigami said as he kept throwing glances at Pixel.
“That's just one of the great things of being a Fae!”
“Say, I never asked you before: is that whole myth where if you get lost in the forest, you eventually become a Fae?”
“I've never heard of someone just becoming a Fae like that. Though I do know that Fae can be born from corpses or from a blooming flower, that's how I came into this world!”
“Uh, what do you mean by, “corpses”?”
“Exactly how I said it, dead bodies can come back as Fae if they're not taken and properly buried. It's not a guarantee, but it has happened before.”
Trying to forget about that morbid detail, Aigami diverted his attention to a clothing shop.
“Hey wanna go in there for a bit?”
“Is that a place where you buy clothes?”
“Yep. What, you guys don't have something like this?”
“We just create them ourselves from anything we choose. But WAIT! Are you going to buy me clothes or something?”
“Sure wasn't going to for me cuz these places absolutely bore me, so yeah I wanna do it for you!”
“I already said that I can just make my own no problem, you don't need to spend anything!”
“I wanna do it since, that's just what friends do, right? Buy each other stuff?”
Pixel's head hologram glitched for a bit before her eye became a wide circle.
“I-I-I-!!”
“You alright?”
Pixel grasped her shoulders as digital sweat beads appeared and disappeared rapidly on her face.
“...Pixel?”
Some people on the street were looking at Aigami quizzically, seeing how he was talking to and staring at empty air.
…
“Haruka-chan, I'm so glad you helped me with groceries!” Megumi cheerfully exclaimed as Haruka was carrying a bag full of fish while she only had a handful of veggies.
“Is Okaasan doing like a sushi feast or something? What's with all the fish?” Haruka grumbled as she tried balancing the heavy load.
“You know how Kaina and Otousan are.”
“True…”
“By the way, Haruka-chan, are you busy for the rest of the day?”
“Nope, no one's needed my help, so I've been taking these last few days off. Better for me.”
“Would you mind if you took dinner with us tonight? We haven't had a gathering together ever since the incident and I feel that we all need some time together.”
“Sounds fine by me, I needed Okaasan's cooking in my life again.”
“Haruka-chan.” Megumi looked with a more serious face at Haruka.
“What?”
“Have you not been practicing with any of the cook books I've been giving you?”
“No, of course not.”
“Haruka-chan, you can't just live with store bought food all the time!”
“Well sorry, but my duty doesn't always give me the free time to practice becoming a master chef!”
“I'm not asking you to become a professional, but learning how to cook can change many things in your life!”
“Is that why your finger tips are blackened?”
Megumi swiftly covered her fingers with her sleeves.
“Ye-Yes! But that's part of the process of learning something! You just have to keep trying and you'll get the results you'll…” her voice trailed off as she looked down.
“...Megumi?”
“Forcing things will bring no progress, only time and practice can show results, a flaming soul must know how to preserve its heat instead of burning away fast and meaningless.”
Her mother's words echoed in her head, causing her to smile.
“Hello? You ok there?” Haruka said as she came closer to Megumi.
“Uh!? Oh, gomen, Haruka-chan, I was just thinking about something.”
Haruka raised an eyebrow. Her gaze then shifted at the flame beads at the base of her ponytail.
“Won't lie, I kinda miss your side tails a bit.”
~Fire Brigade HQ~
“Sir, did you request my assistance?” Yuto said as he gently pushed the door to his boss' room.
“I have indeed, Yuto, please take a seat,” Mr. Takahashi said as he pointed at the only chair in the room without stacks of papers or boxes on it.
“Very well. What problems have appeared? Is it about the reports of the deceased members?”
“No that's not it, Izumi's already taken care of those. What I've called you here for is an entirely different matter.”
“That is?”
“I'll require you to fill in my place for a few days.”
Yuto's eyes widened.
“Wh-What? Sir, are you sure?”
“That is indeed my order.”
“But why? Are you going somewhere?”
“I have some troubling matters at hand and I do not wish to endanger the lives of my men any further. Our mission yesterday ended in absolute disaster and I'm all to blame for it.”
“Sir, that's not true! There was no way you would've known an Inugami chose its territory there!”
“That is true, however, I've made my decision. Do not worry, I'm not resigning, not in a time as delicate as this. I still need someone to run in my place, though.”
“I…understand, Sir.”
“I don't think I heard that well.”
“I understand, Sir! I'll make sure everything is running smoothly while we wait for your return!”
“That's the spirit,” Mr. Takahashi smiled.
Throwing his eyes to the right, he saw the map that he had used to identify the underground vein beneath Hasekai, grabbing it before stuffing it in his pocket. He still believed that something was there and that white cloth was his first real clue. But now if he wanted answers, he would need to be much more discreet. How he'd find that house again was going to be the real challenge after what happened, but he was determined. Maybe it was unrelated to the hooligans that were threatening their town, but he still needed closure.
Above the Fire Brigade building, two sinister figures watched over the street below, grinning.
“So this is the building, huh,” Lycaon said.
“Indeed it is,” said Corbeau, “this is where they store all the weapons used against the Scabdogs.”
“So if this place goes down,” Lycaon cracked his knuckles, “they won't have much left if another one of my kind arrives here outside of their little princess.”
“Correct!”
“Then let's get this show going!”
“And if that brat's father gets taken out here, he won't have a choice but to give my watch back!” Corbeau thought as he began to smile.
“I will also allow Misato to take care of things. Truth be told, she has planning skills that are even better than mine!”
“She is indeed quite the special member.”
“I imagine you'll be quite happy to have her by your side for the following days, hm?”
“What are you trying to say, Sir?”
Mr. Takahashi was going to respond, but the room then suddenly went dark.
“What in the?” Yuto said as he looked at the window.
Mr. Takahashi raised an eyebrow, not understanding what had just happened outside his window, seeing how down the hall there was still light from the outside.
“Is Takeru trying to hang that advertisement again, even though I've told him countless times that it would end up obscuring my window?” he said as he tried to make sense of the situation.
Both Drone's Saplings dropped all the way to the first floor when the darkness behind the window opened its giant eye, filling the room with an amber yellow glow. The Scabdog then slammed its giant claws through the wall, aiming towards Mr. Takahashi, but the aged Drone still had some reflexes left in him as he ducked to the side, bringing Yuto with him as he shielded his face with his arm. The Scabdog kept clawing at the interior, widening the hole until part of its head could worm its way in, yellow acid beginning to drip and melt through all the knocked down boxes. The two Drones quickly got on their feet as they ran out of the room, Yuto slamming on the emergency button down the hall, filling the entire building with deafening alarms.
“That blasted thing followed me all the way here!?” Mr. Takahashi shouted as he and Yuto ran for the others downstairs.
Everyone below was in a state of shock, not knowing what was going on as the alarms continued. There were no signs of smoke and the fuel canisters were sealed properly. Rumbling from the building, however, along with the sounds of falling concrete outside made them all realize that the source was upstairs.
“Wait, but the Chief is up in his room, what must've happened!?” one of the Drones shouted.
“Yuto's also up there with him!” Misato said.
“Inugami!!” Mr. Takahashi's powerful voice called over the alarms, alerting everyone.
“Sir! Yuto! Thank Konoha you're alright!”
“There's been a breach upstairs! We have a new Inugami crisis!!” Yuto shouted.
“Everyone! Grab all the fire weapons you can and head outside! We don't have much-” Mr. Takahashi's words were cut short as a flicker of something caught his eye as it impaled one of the fuel canisters, followed by two more.
He only had a few seconds to look to his left as he saw Corbeau giving him a peace sign before the canisters ignited all at one. A deafening explosion followed, knocking many in Inoshima off their feet while those that were still standing were left trembling. A huge plume of smoke then made itself visible. Haruka and Megumi looked in the direction of the powerful noise as they saw the plume.
“Is that,” Megumi said.
“The Fire Brigade HQ!” Haruka screamed as she threw the bag with fish to the side, rushing towards the increasingly black smoke.
“Haruka-chan, wait!” Megumi also took off, placing the veggies on the ground as she tried keeping pace with Haruka.
“What, what just happened!?” Pixel said as she looked at the smoke.
“That's, that's where pops is!!!” Aigami cried out.
“Wait, are you sure?”
“Yes! That's where the Fire Brigade building is, where my old man works! We have to get there quickly!”
“Say no more!” Pixel said as she grabbed Aigami as the two flew towards the now visible flames.
In the Center, everyone was looking in horror at the black smoke, not knowing what to do. A cup that had once held juice in it rolled between the crowd's feet as a pink light flashed from behind one of the nearby buildings.
The Fire Brigade building was, ironically enough, now engulfed in flames as FB members scammed their way onto the streets. Misato was carrying a Drone that had half their visor cracked and with singed hair. Yuto was also carrying two injured members, while Mr. Takahashi simply sat in front of the inferno, left hand on his right shoulder, watching the place they all once called home be engulfed by the force they used against the mutant dog. Several more, smaller explosions could be heard inside as all the fuel canisters that were spared by the initial explosion were now detonating from the intense heat. But, it wasn't just the burning building that was occupying Mr. Takahashi's mind. His eyes kept darting around, looking for the Scabdog that had attacked him back in Hasekai and now here. Though it didn't take long to find its position.
“SIR!!!” Misato's voice tore through the air as he looked in her direction, unaware of the beast behind him, its entire body falling down to crush him.
A pink light flashed for a second under the beast as it slammed onto the pavement. All the FB Drones watched in horror, thinking that their boss was squashed, but no such fate would befall today as Yako's form emerged from the dust cloud that had accumulated around the beast, carrying Mr. Takahashi with him. Behind everyone, Pixel and Aigami arrived, the latter barging his way through everyone as he reached the front of the crowd, seeing Yako carrying his father.
“POP!!”
His son's voice cut like a knife as Mr. Takahashi looked in his direction.
“Son!?”
“Pop, what happened!?” Aigami quickly got his answer as the Scabdog let out a shriek, rearing itself up before slamming back down on the ground, its six glowing eyes looking at all the Drones present.
“It's not safe here, run!” Yako shouted as he urged everyone, Mr. Takahashi included.
“Yes please listen to Yako, pops!” Aigami shouted.
The Scabdog was eyeing Yako intensely, its thick fur shaking like it was almost excited to face him.
“What manner of plagued beast is this?” Yako said as he prepared his staff.
Almost on cue, the Scabdog reared on its hindmost legs, revealing its underside to be dotted with hundreds of pores, each a dark hole in its flesh from which yellow acid oozed. Several of these holes began to contract before firing streams of the yellow acid towards Yako and the Drones behind him. On instinct, Yako slammed his staff into the ground, a wall of stone emerging between him and the beast, taking the full front of the acid. It wasn't over, however, as the Scabdog came rushing forward, its huge claws slicing through the weakened rock as debris flew everywhere. It was much closer to Yako now than before, one of its paws raised high up as it was ready for another slash, Yako equally prepared to engage the attack. A trail of light cut through the air as the Scabdog found its paw suddenly detached from its body, singed flesh where it was once connected. Haruka's heels clacked hard against the stone tiles as she landed, her blade glowing with the same brightness the building next to her was. The Scabdog let out an awful screech as it backed away.
“Haruka!” Yako said, catching her attention.
“Yako! Holy shit I was wondering where you wandered off!”
“Haruka-chan!!!” Megumi's voice called as she ran past the FB Drone to Haruka's side, Aigami and Pixel not far behind, stopping beside Yako.
“Looks like the whole gang has arrived, he he!” Corbeau said as he landed in front of everyone.
“What a surprise!” Lycaon said as he jumped from a rooftop, landing next to Corbeau.
“We apologize that we had to make such a crude entrance!”
“No we don't, but it's still an insane coincidence that you all gathered so fast here!”
“CORBEAU!!!” Haruka shouted as she prepared to attack, eyes filled with rage.
“Oh please keep your melodramatics for yourself, even if we just set an entire building on fire!”
“Truth be told, none of you were our original targets, surprisingly not even you, princess, but instead that rusty tin can shaking in his decrepit boots over there!” Lycaon said as he pointed at Mr. Takahashi. “You have quite the guts to try and sniff out our original hiding spot like that, I thought you would've been too preoccupied with making sure your joints didn't break!”
Corbeau looked at Lycaon with annoyance.
“Again too much info!” he said with gritted teeth.
“Nah, what good was going to serve him anyway if he found it, especially now. Still, any excuse to trash this place up!”
“But, how did you know that I was there!?” Mr. Takahashi shouted.
“Oh, little toaster,” Lycaon grinned, “you should've learned by now that I have eyes and ears that go way past my body.”
That remark did make Haruka take a closer look at Lycaon, noticing that…he was missing his eyes, and all the fur on his head and back, along with his spiked tail being naked. The realization hit her as the Scabdog behind the duo reared itself up, but instead of attacking, it seemingly began to shrink as it landed on Lycaon, its claws retreating back into its fur before jutting back out from behind. Its head wrapped itself around Lycaon's as its eyes rearranged in the same position Lycaon's were, before that familiar sharp grin popped out underneath them.
“That Ingumai…it was you!” Mr. Takahashi said with a trembling voice.
“Correct!” Lycaon shouted as his claws morphed into long blades.
“And now that you've seen what we're capable of…” Corbeau said as he eyed Aigami, “going as far as even hunting down your precious father…”
“I humbly request that YOU RETURN MY WATCH!” six daggers came flying towards Aigami and his father, but they were intercepted by Haruka, Corbeau grunting as he reeled them back.
“Let the fun begin!” Lycaon said as he rushed towards Haruka, but was stopped by Yako as he placed his palm on his abdomen, a powerful shockwave knocking the dog beast away.
“I'll take care of this one, Haruka!” Yako said as his hand glowed pink. “You make sure Corbeau doesn't hurt anyone!”
“You got it!” she said as she blocked Corbeau from doing a sneak attack, her blade and his daggers interlocking.
“You know I still haven't forgotten the humiliation you made me suffer when we first met!”
“Oh cool the crybaby wants his run back, then I'll gladly comply!”
The two Drones were exchanging blow after blow, sparks flying as their weapons clashed. Corbeau wanted to repeat his usual under the nose attacks, but Haruka didn't give him any opening, seeing how she now knew how he operated, though it seemed much easier now knowing that he didn't possess some mystical watch. On the other end, Lycaon kept swinging his massive bone blades in a vain attempt to hit Yako, but like a leaf in a breeze, he dodged all his attacks. Switching things up, he morphed his leg into a huge serrated sickles, trying to cut Yako's legs off, but the hermit was elevated by a stone pillar that took the beast's attack, jumping off and landing behind the dog beast, a glowing hologram in his left palm as he prepared to strike. Lycaon, however, shot dozens of spikes out of his back, forcing Yako to block them with a barrier, only to see Lycaon's spiked tail coming down over him. He didn't flinch, however, as he was surrounded by a dome of stone before it was crushed by the hairy mace. Letting out a pleased laugh, Lycaon turned around to see the crushed fool, only to find nothing under the rubble. The ground underneath him shook as the stone tiles parted, allowing Yako to emerge with a huge stone block connected to his staff via a pink aura, slamming it straight into Lycaon's face as he went flying into a building. Corbeau screamed in anger as he shot several daggers in different directions, yet all crossed by each other and headed straight for Haruka.
“You see all those things?” Haruka said as her tracking system went online, right eye turning into a target symbol as she could see all seven daggers approaching her.
“I sure am!” Aoi said as the daggers suddenly stopped in place, glowing cyan.
“You can have them back now!”
All the daggers then went flying back towards Corbeau, who made every attempt to not be stabbed by his own weapons.
“Tsk, I forgot she could do that!” he snickered, remembering how disadvantaged he really was against Haruka and her powers.
“Haruka,” Aoi said, “we should try to end this fight quickly, the Fire Brigade building is still burning and the flames will spread if they're not kept under control!”
“You're right, we have to make these weirdos pack up fast!”
“Well if she's a pretty poor match up for me then…” Corbeau grinned.
“Oy! Lycaon!”
The dog beast emerged out of the building in an explosive manner, claws already turned into giant blades.
“Wanna change the opponents for a bit!”
Lycaon looked at Yako and his glowing palm which he got an unsettling feeling from, yet he couldn't put his finger on why.
“You got it!”
In a flash, the two mercenaries swapped positions, Corbeau not wasting a second as he tried pinning Yako with his daggers, while Lycaon was excited for his rematch with Haruka.
“Hello again, princess! Hyah!!” giant bone blade came swinging down as his left arm turned into barbed tendrils, trying to grab Haruka, who effortlessly sliced them off, only to last minute block another bone blade, this one erupting from Lycaon's knee.
“Dammit, I can't sit back here while Yako and Haruka are fighting!” Aigami said, instinctively reaching for his arrows, only to grab on empty air.
“No, Aigami-kun,” Megumi said, “we don't have our weapons to try and aid Haruka-chan and Yako-san! All we can do is try and keep everyone else here safe!”
Aigami then reached into his pocket, feeling a jolt course through him. Pulling the watch out, he could feel it. The time was indeed right, his headspace was where it needed to be.
“Megumi?”
“Hai?”
“Don't you still have those exploding papers you used back when you and Haruka fought Lycaon?”
“I don't think I…wait.”
Megumi dug in her dress, hoping that she would feel something, but she knew that she left all her talismans back home, despite deeply wishing that she may have forgotten a few. She let out a defeated sigh as she came empty handed.
“What kind of papers?” Pixel's voice came from Aigami’s side. “How did they look? Were they just plain old papers or something else was written on them?”
“I, uh, I don't remember, but wait, Pixel, can you remake them?”
“We Fae can reproduce anything with our powers, but we need a proper description first.”
“Wait!” Megumi shouted, startling the Drone and Fae.
The Miko pulled a singular talisman she had neatly folded.
“I forgot I had this here, but no no, this is not nearly enough!”
Aigami got a good look of the talisman now unwrapped, seeing the big red Kanji and the flowing lines leading to another set of Kanji.
“Are you seeing this?” he whispered as he looked around for Pixel.
“Indeed I am!” the Fae said while hovering above Megumi, taking in all the details of the talisman. “Alright, wait for a bit!”
Pixel flew behind the crowd, grabbing onto the branches of a tree and stripping a bunch of leaves. Letting out a few words in her native tongue, the leaves began to shake, morphing into many paper talismans, all perfect replicas of the original in Megumi's hands.
“Alright, here!” she said as she sneakily handed them all to Aigami.
“I'm so sorry, Aigami-kun…”
“Nah you have nothing to worry about! Here!” he said as he handed Megumi the talismans, much to her bewilderment upon seeing them and then comparing them to the original.
“Aigami-kun, how did you?”
“I'll explain it later, ok! But first, I need you to trust me on this one.” he said as he brought the golden watch close to Megumi's eye level.
Back at the fight, Haruka was once again struggling to keep pace with Lycaon's increasingly morphing body. Her cuts burned flesh, but it was useless against something that understood how to use its entire body as a weapon and how creative they got with it. What she dreaded the most was him using whatever technique he performed to turn into that swirling mass of darkness again, but for now he seemed content with just lots of blades and mouths with jagged teeth.
“You know I'm growing a bit bored with this, let's make it more interesting!” Lycaon said as his left arm disconnected itself from his body, rapidly mutating into a Scabdog with a blade for a head who then rushed Haruka.
“Hey, that's not fair!”
“I know! That's why it's fun!”
Further back, Corbeau was having an easier time with Yako, seeing how his daggers didn't stop all of a sudden and then become homesick, but it still felt like he wasn't gaining any advantage against him. It was clear that without his watch, most of his finishers and advanced techniques just couldn't be pulled off. So there was only one real thing he could do.
“I think we've had enough of this terrible act, now wait here for a bit while I set the next step!” he said as multiple threads flew in the air, all surrounding Yako, attempting to immobilize him.
Exhaling, Yako spun in the air, each thread grazing him as he passed them, only catching on his robes which effortlessly slipped out of them. Though upon landing, he found Corbeau missing. Realizing the actual purpose of the attack, Yako looked in the same direction Corbeau was, though he didn't seem to spot Aigami.
“GAH! Where did that little tin can go!” the masked mercenary said in frustration.
Haruka decapitated the blade headed Scabdog along with hacking all its limbs off, but the effort needed to deal with this unwanted foe left her open for one of Lycaon's attacks, allowing him to cut through her dress and almost slicing her left arm off. Backing away and throwing off the now useless sleeve dangling from her wrist, she was ready for whatever Lycaon had in store. The dog beast's shifting arms indicated that it was preparing to bring out two more Scabdogs, but an explosion caused it to reel back before two more knocked him off his feet. Not understanding what happened, Haruka looked around, only to spot Aigami and Megumi appearing out of nowhere, holding hands.
“Haruka-chan!!!” Megumi shouted.
“Megumi!? Aigami!?”
“Don't worry, Haruka, we've got your back!”
The world turned gray as everything came to a screeching halt, a ticking Solver rune displayed in front of everyone except Megumi and Aigami, who both exchanged glances before nodding. Swiftly, Lycaon was covered in multiple talismans, all beginning to glow in unison with the flame beads tied to Megumi's ponytail. She quietly thanked her mother for letting her keep them at least for the rest of the day. As soon as the world came back to normal, the talismans detonated one after the other, knocking Lycaon which way and that before finally collapsing in a smoking heap, supported by only one arm.
“Great Konoha, that was incredible!” Megumi exclaimed as she looked at the weakened Scabdog.
“That's what this super cool thing is capable of!” Aigami said as he raised the watch up.
“A thing that belongs to ME!” Corbeau shouted as he came rushing for the duo.
“Oh no you don't! Aoi!”
“Right ahead!”
Haruka created a Solver rune as she and Aoi focused on Corbeau, who was instantly veiled by a cyan aura.
“Hey, bozo! I'm right over here if you want to pick a fight!”
Haruka then slammed Corbeau into the ground, pinning him firmly down.
“You guys ok?”
“Hai!”
“Yeah nothing bad! Just keep that little creep down there a bit more, ok?”
Haruka gave a thumbs up as she lifted Corbeau a bit before sticking him back to the ground.
“It seems that we've won!” Yako said as he approached the group.
“Yako!” all three Drones said in unison, though only Aigami hugged him upon seeing him safe.
Mr. Takahashi and the rest of the surviving FB Drones looked at their saviors in awe, their boss in particular upon seeing his son be so brave. Looking to his side, he saw Yuto, still propping up a Drone that was carrying one of their flamethrowers, possibly their last one from this base. Besides him were also Misato and several other familiar faces, glad to still see them alive. But while everyone was glad that no one suffered any severe injuries, Lycaon's body was once again shaking, the beast letting out an annoyed growl.
“Don't think you won't still, you pathetic toasters!”
What remained of his back fur detached itself, morphing back into the Scabdog that attacked the building.
“Styx! Show them no mercy!”
Despite keeping Corbeau under her control, Haruka still prepared her blade, while Aigami and Megumi were also ready for another fight. But what no one was expecting was Mr. Takahashi in a fluid motion removing the flamethrower from the injured Drone and instead of mounting it on his back, came rushing towards Nyx, using the switchblade in his pocket to stab the fuel canister before throwing the whole thing at the Scabdog, causing it to burst into a ball of flames. Seizing this opportunity, Yako's staff began to glow as he lifted a giant chunk of stone and used it as a mace, slamming the Scabdog into the burning building, which then promptly collapsed, burying the creature in a pile of fire and concrete. Aigami looked at his father with wide eyes, who also couldn't believe what he had just done. But while everyone was caught in the moment, Lycaon slammed into Haruka, causing her to lose focus on Corbeau, who was promptly grabbed by Lycaon as he made a run for it.
“No! No! We are not retreating!” Corbeau angrily protested.
“Oh no we are! I've used too much energy and we don't have any trump cards left.”
“Yes we do!”
“If you want me to use that, then refer to my previous point. Plus, I need to grow my hair out now that it got barbecued.”
“Gah!”
Seeing the two Hands of Anarchy leave once again with their tails between their legs, everyone let out a deserved sigh of relief, Megumi making sure that Haruka didn't get injured, Aigami and Mr. Takahashi hugged each other while the Fire Brigade Drones and several other citizens went to bring water to put out the remaining flames that had thankfully not extended to other neighboring buildings. Yako smiled as he saw everyone tending each other's wounds after such hard fought victory. Looking at the still burning remains of the FB HQ, he did feel a tinge of sadness knowing how the place looked and that Aigami never got to do a tour of it for him, but he was still happy to see everyone was ok. Haruka and Megumi, Aigami and Mr. Takahashi and…the strange Drone hovering above them. He could tell that it hadn't figured it out yet that he could see it, so he was able to take in all of its unnatural traits. There was no mistaking it, this was a Fae, of the Aelf variety no less, the most common of them all that wasn't the Sprite. Yet, what did it do here of all places? And why did it seem that Aigami, could also see it?
~Inoshima Tower, several hours later~
“Well it sure is a more unique place than our previous one!” Yuto said as he looked at the mighty tower that stood at the border between Inoshima and the decaying cityscape behind it that nature had been taking back bit by bit.
“We didn't have many options for rental places and building a new one was out of the question for now, at least until spring arrived,” Misato said as she carried a thick notebook and a pencil that she kept chewing the gum off. “Besides, no one has rented it out for a while and it's more than enough room for our crew.”
“More than enough? Pfff, I think it's not enough for me!”
“Nothing is big enough for you, isn't it?”
“But you know what's big enough?”
“Oh Konoha not again…”
“Well of course it's-!”
“Are you two done flirting already?” Mr. Takahashi said from behind.
“S-SIR!” both Drones said in unison as they saluted their boss.
“So I imagine that we'll be using the Inoshima Tower as our new base of operations?
“Correct, Sir!”
“Has any gear been salvaged or are we just empty handed?”
“Unfortunately no, Sir.” Misato kept flipping page after page. “Virtually all of our high end gear was lost along with most documents.”
“I see.”
“On the bright side, new supplies are going to arrive next week, though now I'll have to check “new gear” as well, that'll be much more costly.”
“No prices are too high when it comes to protecting your home, we'll need to recover quickly for at any moment our enemies could return, and we must be prepared!”
“Understood, Sir!”
“Oh, and Misato?”
“Yes?”
“Could you please leave me and Yuto alone for a bit?”
“Definitely, Sir, I've had a few more things to sort and make sure that it's all in order, so will you?”
“Aproved.”
“Thank you, Sir!”
With that, Misato left, leaving Yuto and Mr. Takahashi alone.
“So what did you want to discuss, Sir?”
“Remember the talk we had prior to the attack?”
“Yes, Sir, are you still going through with it?”
“Yes. In fact, I've been more emboldened than ever now that I know my intuition was correct.”
“So, this means that you'll be returning to Hasekai?”
“Not yet, there are still a few things I must look into before I attempt to rediscover the location of the hideout. So for now, this is goodbye, as short lived as it'll be.”
“I promise I will not disappoint you, Sir!”
“Very well. I'm counting on you two, no matter what happens, I know you'll be great leaders in my absence.”
But while Mr. Takahashi's words were sincere, there was also a twinge of a lie in them. After he was done with his investigations, he was going to leave for good. It took him a lot of thinking and self reflection, but after today's incident and the one yesterday, how easily and happily danger and evil could come knocking at your door for daring to stand up against it and whatever Corbeau had against his son, he decided that the one thing that was the most important to protect was the one that was closest to him. His town needed him and his men, but after having supervised Yuto for a good while now and having seen his dynamic with Misato, he knew that things were going to be in good hands. Deep down, he would've wished for Aigami to take his place, but knowing how much of a wedge his job placed between him and his son, the latter would rather not even think about it. Things were going to be alright, however, and soon, it'd all finally fall into place.
~Ito Residence~
“Aaaaah *gulp*”
“Haruka-chan, you don't need to eat so much!” Megumi said as she saw Haruka consume her 20th sushi roll.
“Sorry, but today's fight left my battery empty, so I need a recharge.”
“It's fine,” Junko said, “you can eat as much as you want, Haruka, there's plenty…left.”
Junko looked at the ridiculous amount of rolls she prepared, most of it being for her husband and Kaina, but both of them barely touched any of it, so now Haruka was the one burning through them.
“Though, Okaasan?” Megumi asked.
“Hm?”
“I hope you don't mind that we invited two more guests to our dinner.”
“Oh no I'm perfectly fine with it! We did need more mouths to finish all of this...”
Knocking sounds came from the door as Yako and Aigami revealed themselves.
“Oy, Aigami-kun! Yako-san!” Megumi said as she greeted the two.
“Wow, that's a lot of food, perfect!” Aigami said as he sat next to Haruka, ready to begin.
“You have quite the lovely house! And it's right next to an absolutely astounding shrine, I don't think I've seen such a spotless place of worship in all my travels.”
Megumi was beginning to blush upon hearing Yako's words.
“It's all thanks to my daughter that keeps everything very well ordered and in pristine condition!”
“You've raised an impeccable child if they're so dedicated to their duty.”
“Hm, thank you very much!”
Megumi was choking on her food from listening to Junko and Yako's conversation. But while everyone was having a great time, a more lonely specter was watching it all unfold from behind her friend's eyes. Aoi still remembered Megumi's words all that time ago during the fall festival, how she'd be accepted with open arms if she were to ever reveal herself, but she hadn't done so yet, not feeling prepared for such an act. Even though she's seen how loving of a family the Itos were, things didn't feel right just yet. Maybe it was just her inner turmoil that made her hesitant or something else entirely, but she did decide that as soon as the next year began, she'd finally do it. But while she was watching Haruka and now Aigami devouring their way through the mountain of rolls, something felt…off. It wasn't Yako, ever since his arrival and all the time he's spent in their home, she's been convinced that he was a good person that actually meant what he said, much to Haruka's original suspicions. No, it almost felt like there was another person there. She couldn't see it, but she could feel that someone or something was besides Haruka and Aigami. A strange spot of static in reality that flickered in and out of existence. Haruka turned her head to look at Aigami for a brief moment, but it was all Aoi needed to see it. To see her, and her tendril of darkness that coerced Aigami's face. This wasn't the spot of static she had felt prior, that one was still fluctuating somewhere above them, this was something else. And it seemed to be originating.
From his left pocket.
