Divine Worlds

By: S.R. Shinohara

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Chapter IX

…Revealed

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Lightning cracked outside as Ryu tried to relax, to drift off into sleep even though Raikou seemed to be in a bad mood. Kosuke had graciously let him have uninhibited access to his study, so his mind had soaked up everything it needed to know about how the gods worked. Though it was far away, crackling around Raiden, it still sounded like it was above him, the actual sky above Tengoku crystal clear and painted by bright stars. Yamiyo’s cloak…or was it Soujiro’s?

Yeah, he’d get it soon enough. After another visit to the study maybe.

Slowly, Ryu let slumber claim him when he leaned back, the book he’d been reading lying open on his chest, fatigue pulling insistently at him as he fell back into the void of his mind. It was unusual – unnatural – and the moment something flickered in front of him his ice eye darted towards it curiously.

Such a tiny little flame flickered in the darkness, burning hot from the heat which hit him in the face yet the color of it had turned from glowing red to icy blue to a color nearly as black as the darkness around them in an instant, though it was slowly changing to a nightscape. “Such darkness in your heart…”

“What goddess would you be?” he frowned, the slightly familiar sound of her voice nagging at him. He’d thought it was unnatural. He was pulled into sleep. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

“I am darkness.” Her voice sounded amused as the dark flame grew, slowly taking the shape of a tall young woman, though Ryu felt something vaguely familiar about her despite the fact that it was only a shadowed shape. Their surroundings had also changed, turning to a baron forest with an unlit cabin right behind them. “I am everything bad in living things you could say,” she laughed lightly, though it was nothing close to a comforting laugh. Her laugh, instead, made the listener uneasy. “It is because you still hold such darkness in you that I can visit your dreams…”

“And why visit me?” he couldn’t help ask, arms crossing and eyebrow arching while he leaned against one of the many baron trees. It was a familiar pose, one he’d always done when camping out before a battle, though a smile or a smirk had been on his lips instead of a frown. He’d done it just to annoy his commanders, and it had worked considerably, but right now he didn’t feel like testing it out after so long on the Goddess of Darkness. Even if she was annoyed, he wouldn’t be able to tell, and with such a title as hers, he didn’t want to tempt annoying her yet until he knew more of her. Like if she could take a joke.

She said nothing, lifting her shadowy hand to the cabin window in a motion for him to look inside. Doing so, Ryu arched his eyebrow higher, ignoring her shadowy form which hovered behind him. There was a little girl, bed ridden, inside, hauntingly familiar with the lightest of lavender hair tied into a bun, sitting up and seemingly waiting for…something. He saw shadows of people walk to and fro, and a few times she looked like she wanted to speak, but then thought better of it and shut her partly agape mouth again. If the hair were darker…the eyes are the same as…

He froze when he saw her light blue eyes, wide and full of life, curious of her surroundings, meet his and slowly she offered a shy smile, holding her hand out. Despite the distance it seemed so close, but he could only blink at it, confused. What was she asking of him? When it was obvious he wasn’t returning her gesture, her shy smile disappeared completely, her hand dropping and those innocent eyes drooping as a black mist began circling her, slowly growing thicker as her expression became more angry and sad.

Ryu had to blink as he saw her change, his eye widening slightly as the child grew taller and the hairstyle changed, the hair a darker shade – a royal violet – that he recognized well. It’s that demi-goddess…but… He studied her face from within the even thicker black mist, a crazed look in her eyes as she held her head and shook as if she were honestly terrified, soundless screams coming from her lips. “What the hell…?”

But that’s all he saw as the black mist completely devoured her, exploding out and sending him falling back, catching a glimpse of cold and dead eyes before he succumbed to sleep, continuing to fall backwards…

…and right onto the floor of his room with a loud crash.

“Ah, Ryu-kun, are you alright?” Kosuke had gotten into the habit of addressing him like that, walking in to find out the reason for the horrendously loud crash.

Legs twitching in the air, body tangled in his sheets, Ryu closed his eyes from the uncomfortable position he was in, the side of his face pressed harshly into the floor. “Just a freaky dream, Lord Kosuke. It’s nothing.” One hell of a freaky dream concerning your nut job of a daughter, the demi-goddess.

Kosuke nodded in understanding, laughing lightly, “I suppose big sis Isako is saying hello to you then…a late welcome. Don’t mind it too much.” Rolling his raspberry eyes he muttered under his breath dryly, “She has father’s sense of humor…”

Ryu shook off his curiosity for later. He hadn’t gotten to the genealogy of the gods yet in the study, but mentally noted to see who his master’s father was. He hadn’t heard much about him; only that Saori seemed to like visiting him and his kingdom unlike all his other children who avoided the man like the plague. “Is there a reason you’re up this early?” He looked out the window, confirming it was still night out.

Kosuke held up the invitation Ruko & Kohaku had dropped off only 3 days ago with a smile that made Ryu twitch nervously. When Kosuke smiled like he was now it meant nothing good. “Tonight is the Induction of Haruki, a good friend of mine and Saori’s, so we’re all going to attend the feast. It’ll be your first too, so I thought you might want to spend the day with Kayoko and Saori so they can…prep you for it. I have some minor things to do by myself, so I won’t be back until late afternoon.”

“Kayoko has told me everything I need to know,” he yawned, curling up on his side as he laid back down to sleep, “It’ll be fine.”

Ryu heard Kosuke sigh and mumble something amusedly with a chuckle before the door of his room slid open, presumably to let the master of Illusian out. He didn’t bother turning around, too content to rest as he sighed laxly, sinking into his pillows and dreams…

“OI!”

The shrill, utterly unpleasant voice which shrieked straight into his ear made Ryu jump, falling off the bed with an even more painful crash and twice as painful position.

Saori smirked the whole time, even as he let loose some of the most profane things she’d ever heard. “Temper, temper, Ryu-chan.”

His forehead broke out with more veins, if that were possible. “What did you call me…?”

“Ryu-chan.” Her smirk became even more patronizing and snapped another of his short-fused nerves.

“I happen to be 586 yrs old you demi-goddess,” he shot back coldly, a malicious smile playing on his lips as she choked, eyes widening, “As I recall, you are younger. It should be ME imparting the term ‘chan’ to YOUR name.”

“HOW CAN YOU BE OLDER!?” she boomed, his low ponytail blowing from the breeze she created, smiling even as it threatened to make him slam back into the wall, “I thought Ruko granted you immortality! And it was barely 5 months ago!”

“Ruko-san granted me timelessness for my hall in the palace,” he snorted derisively, setting his sheets back on his bed and remaking it easily, giving up on ever sleeping more, “Though that wish was wasted now. I was granted immortality long ago for helping a Necromancer find something she lost.”

It was Saori’s turn to growl colorful profanities that would make any other person cross their eyes.

Ryu, however, had no such reaction. “I wasn’t aware that was physically possible.”

“SHUT UP!”

Smiling in satisfaction, an image of that small girl holding her hand out for him flashed in his eyes the moment they closed, making the black haired youth snap them open again quickly. No doubt about it…that dream was no dream. It was trying to warn me about something, or tell me something important about this nut. Walking slowly down the halls, he eyed her form as she stalked ahead at a quicker pace, his gaze hard and critical. What about you do I need to be warned OF, demi-goddess? What secret are you hiding?

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“Ne, ne, can I help? Pleeeeease?”

The servants in Great Hall’s banquet hall only shooed him away, the messy haired youth who had the form of a child barely into his teens pouting as he ran to his father who was talking with the great Lord Hiiro about something that seemed to be irritating the god who was running his hands through his dark red hair. “Papa, why don’t they let me help?”

His papa’s tangerine eyes turned from Hiiro to regard his son amusedly. “This is your induction feast; you are the guest of honor! It would be wrong for you to help.”

“But there’s nothing to do~!” he pouted, “And Lady Saori doesn’t come until the moon has risen! She always has many ideas of what to do when I’m bored!”

Whatever Dayu wanted to say was halted by Hiiro’s sharp look at him, the God of the Sun murmuring, “Why not go visit Lord Souhi? He usually can use a hand, Haruki.”

Haruki pursed his lips, orchid eyes thoughtful before he nodded, running off with a quick shout and a happy smile at having something to do.

Hiiro chuckled as the boy disappeared, silver eyes light with mirth. “He and Saori get into trouble always…”

“She branded him a god of thievery,” Dayu grumbled, “My son…a thief because of her trickery!”

Of course YOU would only see the good in him, Hiiro wanted to say out loud, Haruki is worse then Saori and her pranks when he’s bored. She does Tengoku a FAVOR by keeping him occupied so he doesn’t steal anything, though even she can only keep his attention so long before he gets restless. “Well, rest assured, Lord Dayu, she shall not be around much tonight.” My preparations are set…so, tonight we will have a long overdue talk, Saori…

“Good.” Dayu seemed pleased by this information, asking Hiiro curiously, “What is it you see in her, Prince Hiiro? There are far more beautiful goddesses who are unattached on Tengoku like Lady Aiko or Lady Namie.”

A slow, soft smile not expected on the God of Fire’s face made Dayu blink, Hiiro’s gaze softening as he retreated somewhere in his mind with a glazed look in his eyes. “What I see in her I can’t say, Lord Dayu, because even I have no clue.” I see her passion and I see our chemistry, but perhaps, most of all, I see myself in her…I see myself in her eyes every time she stares at me with that gaze of hers.

With a sigh, Dayu patted his half-brother’s shoulder and muttered sagely, “Just don’t forget, Prince Hiiro, that even the God of Fire can be burned…”

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“Souhi-ani!”

The moment she’d called, Souhi dropped his medicinal bag and ran forward, nearly tripping over her as he rounded the corner of the halls. She smacked face first into his leg, falling back onto her butt with a yelp, holding her nose. “Itai!”

Laughing, he lifted her off the ground, his endearing little sister looking at him with teary eyes from behind her loose lavender bangs. “Miss me that much?”

“Un! Kenta’s picking on me again!”

Souhi arched a curious eyebrow at the wolf demon who rounded the corner, chuckling slightly as Saori clung to Souhi’s neck and glared at him piously, still teary eyed. “Kenta? Comment?”

“I was teasing her and went too far perhaps,” he smiled apologetically, ocean eyes shining with unspoken laughter, “I’m sorry, Young Lady Saori.” Seeing she was still glaring, though not as hard, he scratched behind his wolf ears thoughtfully before they twitched, a light bulb appearing on his head. “You can play with my ears if you want.”

“YAY!” Without warning, she latched onto his neck like a leech, legs flailing as she pulled herself up with a little help and sat on his shoulders, playing with his fuzzy grey ears. “Doggy ears!”

“They’re wolf ears, Young Lady Saori.”

“Aren’t dogs tamed wolves?”

“Er…well…yes…”

“Then isn’t there no difference?”

“In a matter of speaking, but…”

“So Kenta is a doggy demon!” There was something infinitely degrading about that, Kenta’s ears drooping in defeat against Saori’s logic.

Souhi smiled despite himself, fixing his tie, but realizing why he was smiling made him sad again, clutching the material tightly as he breathed in, exhaling his anger. I can do this…I can see her in passing. I saw her at her induction ceremony, so I can see her in passing, if at all, at Haruki’s and be fine.

But that image of his tiny, precious sister appeared in his head again to mock him, Souhi cursing Isako for making him remember those times as he yanked hard at his tie hard in frustration.

He completely forgot he’d been trying to tie it around his neck until it closed off his air passage and his face turned blue.

“KENTA!”

The rasped shout made his assistant’s wolf ears twitch, choking as he stumbled over and quickly undid Souhi’s tie that was turning him a shade of purple that could rival Saori’s hair, despite the fact that Souhi was flailing around wildly like a fish out of water. “Lord Souhi! What were you doing?”

“I can’t do it, Kenta, I can’t!” Throwing the tie away, muttering something about it being a stupid mortal thing anyway, Souhi paced his room, talking to Kenta who could only watch his outburst with dotted-eyes. “I can’t go! I can’t see Saori. I hate what I feel when I see her! All I keep remembering are how sweet she was before she betrayed me!”

Kenta bit his lip and he sighed slightly. “Lord Souhi, may I suggest something?”

“ANYTHING!” Souhi looked just a wee bit crazy…alright, so maybe that was an understatement. He looked insane, eyes wide and fingers scratching his scalp in frustration.

“Perhaps you should talk to her…find out the whole story.” Kenta stiffened under the wild look Souhi shot him, waving his arms hastily as he laughed nervously with a sweat-drop, “You never heard her half…maybe if you did, this would end. You’re losing your mind, Lord Souhi. It’s becoming a serious issue of concern.”

“I know I’m losing it…” he growled, falling to his knees and holding his head, eyes shut tightly in pain, “And I hate her because SHE’S the one whose making me lose it!”

“You loved her very much, Lord Souhi,” the grey haired wolf demon murmured with a sad look, “It’s to be expected after seeing her attempt murdering your mother…but as God of the Scales, balance is in your nature. Making a decision based on BOTH SIDES of a story is essential for you. You are the only god who can honestly say he can see things from both sides of a story.” Narrowing his eyes slightly, he placed a comforting hand on Souhi’s shoulder as he asked, “Why are you afraid to ask her, Lord Souhi? Why do you not want to find out the missing half which is eating at you?”

Because, Souhi sighed shakily in his thoughts, unable to openly say them, I’m afraid, Kenta…afraid of what I’ll hear and learn…

When it was obvious he wouldn’t say, Kenta slowly helped him up and began fixing the tie patiently. “Please think about it as you go to the feast tonight, Lord Souhi. Young Lord Haruki is really looking forward to your presence there.”

“Hai, hai…” Taking deep breathes to calm himself, he stared in the mirror, pushing down the sick feeling he was starting to get that something bad was going to happen if he went. “I will…I just can’t guarantee anything...” I can’t guarantee I’ll get up the nerve to ask her and find out what I should.

“Yes…and Lord Souhi?” The sandy haired boy arched a questioning eyebrow as Kenta held up the tie he was wearing. “Are you sure you want to wear a tie that has a picture of THIS stitched onto it?”

Souhi squinted at the tiny picture before his eyes bugged out, falling over twitching and blushing.

Kenta was still holding onto the tie.

“KENTA!”

“Gah!” He abruptly let go, Souhi hitting his head on the floor while he undid the thrice damned thing with a growl, tossing it away. “Sorry, Lord Souhi!”

“Return this crude…THING to Hiiro,” Souhi said, covering his blushing face that looked like he was going to be ill, “I’ll be going without a tie…stupid things…”

Kenta eyed the thing and, realizing what the design was, choked and blushed a horrible red that clashed with his hair and eye coloring, sickly blue lines running down his face that began twitching. “Hai…that would be best, milord…”

~*~ : * : ~*~

As the sun began setting, the gods began assembling, Kosuke and Saori walking in undetected with their attendants (apparently, ‘assistant’ had become ‘attendant’ sometime last week) in tow. Ryu stood out like white on black, his handsome face and mysterious air a new thing for those of Tengoku. Saori could see all the stares directed at him, snickering despite herself even as Kosuke nudged her none too gently to stop laughing.

Even when she did, however, he continued to nudge her, looking up and blinking in silent confusion.

Saori was about to follow his pointed gaze when she felt strong arms wrap about her shoulders, preventing her from seeing whatever was making her father uneasy. Looking up instead, she said flatly, “What are you doing now, Hiiro?”

“I’m just happy to see you.” With a kiss to her cheek that made her lip curl into an embarrassed snarl, face coloring the palest of pinks, he murmured close to her ear, “I need to talk with you about something important. Can we go talk privately in the gardens?”

Kayoko looked ready to jump protectively in front of her but Saori shook her head. “Fine. I’ll catch up with Haruki later.”

It seemed no one noticed Kosuke’s smile. Ryu did, but that was because he was the only one who wasn’t interested in what the demi-goddess did with the red head. “Lord Kosuke, is there a reason you’re smiling like that?”

He didn’t answer until Hiiro & Saori disappeared, female attention finally diverting back to Ryu. Snooping into the love lives of the other gods was always top priority among them. “Oh, nothing, I’m just hoping she finally accepts him…”

“My…” The sudden voice made Kosuke freeze. He’d forgotten she was there. Silently, Ryu glanced back to see who it was that made his master tense.

Bad move on his part.

Aiko stared down at the boy with wide eyes, his nose between her cleavage and eyes crossing slightly. “OH!”

Kosuke yanked him back before the youth forgot to move. Aiko tended to have that affect on people. “Hello, Aiko.”

“Kosuke.” Smiling, she bent down, staring into Ryu’s seemingly paralyzed face. “I’d heard you’d gotten an attendant but I didn’t believe it. And so CUTE too!”

Veins popped on Ryu’s forehead. CUTE?! What am I, a stuffed animal?

You’ll see. That’s what Hiiro had said, wasn’t it? Twitching irritably, Ryu nonchalantly sidestepped Aiko’s touch and bowed respectfully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Aiko.”

If she was put off by it, no one noticed. “And where is…your daughter?” This was, of course, directed to Kosuke, her smile wane.

His became somewhat strained too. He’d actually thought…shaking it off, Kosuke said lightly, “Busy with Hiiro in the gardens. She’ll probably come back in later when Haruki arrives.” Looking beside Aiko, he smiled more truthfully, “You’re looking well, Souhi. I wish you’d come see me sometime.”

Souhi’s azure eyes lowered as he mumbled, “I’ll try, father, but I’m kept very busy here.”

Kosuke’s gaze was soft and understanding as he laughed, “I see…Hiiro must take his anger out on the other warriors a lot.”

Souhi cracked a small grin too. “All the time.”

Switching his gaze from Kosuke to Souhi to Aiko, Ryu blinked and turned to ask Kayoko. “Should we leave?”

She was already pulling him the other way as she nodded. “Definitely; before Lady Aiko sinks her claws into you.”

Ryu decided he DEFINITELY didn’t want to know what she meant by that.

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Tetsuo rolled his emerald eyes as he stood watch in the gardens, blocking anyone from entering and disturbing whatever the hell Hiiro and the goddess of his nightly dreams (LOUD nightly dreams, he mentally scowled) were doing. Quite frankly, he just didn’t want to know.

Meanwhile, Saori was still arching an incredulous eyebrow, the scene before her still too disbelieving. “Hiiro…when did you set this up…?” It was a feast for two set along the fountain’s edge, a blanket spread on the stone walk with two large sitting pillows and candles all around lighting up the garden’s most scenic spot that looked over everything from it’s elevated perch.

“I’ve never had a chance to extend my seriousness to you…” he whispered by her ear smoothly, a blush and snarl crawling to her face again. By the gods, she hated blushing. And she did it so easily with the man behind her, holding her. “So lets enjoy ourselves, ne? We haven’t had a picnic like this in a long time.”

“OI! HEY! That was the last pork bun!”

“Nyah! You snooze you lose, Saori.”

“Arg!”

“Yeah…” The intimacy getting too heavy, she joked, “You still owe me a pork bun.”

If Hiiro was disappointed or relieved by the stress reliever, he never showed it. In fact, he went along with it, pulling a freshly steamed bun out of nowhere and popping it into her mouth whole. Smiling widely, he laughed as they settled down on the huge pillows, Saori’s face completely blown out by the pork bun she was trying to chew whole in her mouth before she turned dark purple from lack of air. “Now we’re even!”

Saori sent him a glare that promised hell once she could speak again, swallowing hard and inhaling deeply for air once she finally got it down. “Don’t ever do that again! You could’ve killed me!”

Dot-eyed, the mother of all sweat-drops ran down her head as she only saw Hiiro putting down 3 of them at once in 5 seconds flat. By the gods…HOW IS HIS MOUTH THAT BIG!?

Smiling once he finished them off, his eyes shined as he saw her lip twitching into a smile of laughter. With a smooth movement, Hiiro tugged her closer by the arm, leaning his temple against the top of her head as he sighed, “Always keep that smile…please always keep that smile…you don’t smile enough, Saori.”

“I’m not smiling, I’m laughing, and I laugh enough,” she retorted. The fell of his arms around her was nice for what, never moving to inappropriate places like they normally would. This was the Hiiro she liked best, his touch gentle and subtle.

“Tell me you’ll be my wife, Saori…I promise I’ll never let anything make you change…”

Though he hadn’t outright said it, she knew what he meant and her face darkened, falling as she lowered her head onto his chest. “I…” I thought you would understand me best, Hiiro…

“No one can understand you, Saori,” Shiko voiced, coming forward as she felt the shift inside her host, “Not even Hiiro. No one can understand US. They will never completely accept you…and this man, the dearest to you, has just proved that…” With a slow smile, she felt her chance and jumped on it, offering her hand to the girl inside the darkness who was staring at her with horrified light blue eyes, finalizing it with one last strike. “He’ll never accept that I’m a part of you, Saori…he’d never completely LOVE you entirely…how could he with me inside you? He might even seek companionship elsewhere such as that woman’s bed…and hasn’t he done so once already…?”

That shattered it, the wall around her shattering as Saori’s resolve wavered just enough so she reached out in pain, clutching her head. Shiko took her extended hand, Hiiro’s startled yell as dark mist shrouded her body from his view a faint echo in her mind. Shiko could feel the body grow taller, slimmer, and fill out more, her hair completely falling loose and waving down her back like silk, darkening in color as her eyes were. As her insides settled, control having shifted, a malicious smile crossed Shiko’s face as she stretched her longer limbs, her height much closer to Hiiro’s now, though she was still shorter then him, falling to his shoulders instead of his elbows like Saori did.

Staring at her with shocked eyes, Hiiro’s disgusted tone below the surprise as he spoke her name, oblivious to Tetsuo who rushed in when he felt the heavily dark aura appear, nailed the final nail of the coffin into place, sealing her free time among the Gods as ‘Saori’ shutdown. “Shiko…”

~*~ : * : ~*~

Tetsuo wasn’t the only one. They’d ALL felt it, every kingdom feeling the suffocating darkness which surrounded Shiko as she was released, smirking and inwardly snarling in disgust at each one of the gods.

Ryu, for one, was confused, especially as Kosuke’s face became so pained he thought the god would start crying. Staring at the woman, her dark violet her drifting around her gracefully, the familiarity he’d felt during his dreams smacked into him again and nearly made him fall backwards. “You’re…that demi-goddess?”

If Shiko was surprised she never showed it, walking over towards him purposefully with a smile that made his blood run cold. It was so…chilling. So dead, even if she was smiling. She came to his exact height, staring into his eyes impassively. “We finally meet in this realm, youth…” Lazily, she brought up a hand and placed it over his heart, eyes narrowing in delight. “That darkness in you is even more satisfying then in dreams…”

Ryu’s eye widened. What a change. Dare he say it, whatever had happened made her gain a large amount of sex appeal. Gah, I’ve hung around this place too long. The important question is what the hell just changed in her? “What happened to you…?”

Surprisingly, it was Souhi who answered, his eyes filling with such anger it could be felt by all who were around him. “This is who I warned you of, Ryu-san…my sister’s TRUE self.”

Shiko’s eyes went sharply to his, narrowing as her hand dropped from over Ryu’s heart to walk over towards Souhi, ignoring the murmurs which were picking up. She could hear every one of them, though she ignored them. Inside her, the other girl couldn’t ignore it, those wonderful waves of darkness increasing as she inwardly smiled. Feed her despair and pain, fools. It is you who brought this ‘curse’ as you call me upon yourselves. “Her true self? Oh, boy, you are the naïve of the gods here, aren’t you?” Snarling as she saw Aiko stand before them, protecting her son, Shiko felt the desire to throw her around like a rag doll again twitch through her fingers but held it, biding her time. No good yet…I’m not going to give these bastards an easy time by giving them reasons to try and eliminate me. She must attack first. “No wonder you are clueless…of course you are blinded; your mother has not let you open your eyes to the full picture, boy. And you say you are the God of Balance…you judge without knowing my side.”

Souhi tensed, clutching his hand into a fist so tightly he drew blood.

“That’s enough!” Angry, Aiko brought up her hand and let it crack her across the face, Shiko’s head turning dully with the force of it. “No one wants you here! Leave us in peace you demon!”

“Demon…?” Slowly, chuckles turned to laughter as Shiko mulled the word over, abruptly stopping with a look so dark it made Ryu shudder. “If I am a demon then you are the devil herself, LADY Aiko.” Spitting the name with such contempt, she turned on her heels, gazing into the eyes of yet another gaze. “Father…”

“Remove her from my halls at once, Lord Kosuke,” Joutei demanded, eyes narrowed. Beside him, Sakori looked down, resisting the urge to sigh. “She is not welcome here.”

Shiko didn’t budge for a moment, waiting for the lurch inside her to settle. However, she wasn’t about to leave silently, leaving a thought hanging in the air as she walked out with her father. “Keep speaking such words, Lord Joutei. I am one of you and you can’t deny it. It will be your unknowing tongues that will lead to your doom if you do not open your blinded eyes.”

“OUT!”

Shiko let Kosuke pull her close to him, gently leading her out despite contemptuous stares. Haruki was among the last she saw, lip twitching as she whispered, “Welcome to the fold of Gods, Haruki…”

Dayu pulled his son close to him before he could speak, glaring venomously at her. “Don’t, Haruki…she’s not worth speaking with.”

And you shall be among those whose impudent tongue causes their doom, Shiko inwardly sneered before shutting her eyes, disappearing the moment they stepped out of the hall. “Sayonara, father.”

Kosuke could only let her go, looking down as he merely waved for Ryu and Kayoko to follow silently. “Let’s go home…” All I can do is wait for you, Saori…wait for you to come back to our home… “Ryu-kun…I’ll answer any of your questions at Illusian…”

The violet haired god looked so old and tired then; it made a chill shoot down his spine as Ryu wordlessly nodded. He had no words he could say, walking through the gardens as they headed back, questions filling his mind.

As he looked around, his eyebrow arched, yet another going through his head that he’d have to figure out himself. What the hell are he and Tetsuo doing? Lying out here in a romantic atmosphere on a blanket together…I guess it’s not JUST females for Lord Hiiro.

Kayoko spotted what he saw and her face blanked, looking away.

She didn’t want to know. Her head was going to hurt if she did. It hurt enough already. I better get the Faerie wine Kohaku left out…it’s going to be a LONG night…

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