Mirage of Blaze—A piece of Heaven
Rated: M
Summary: A murder plot and possibly the fall of Uesugi. Who will Kagetora turn to when everything is in chaos? My version of MOB after Rebels of the Rivers Edge.
Disclaimer: MOB doesn't belong to me. This fic is all for fun; no profits will be made.
A/N: Thanks goes to Saberai who did a wonderful and quick job in editing this chapter.
Part One: The Possessed and Detested
Outside Jouhoku High, rain blew violently against the windowpanes while students impatiently awaited their last lesson of the day. With each moment, the wall of chatter they emitted grew louder and more uncontrollable.
Slumping lazily over his desk, Ougi Takaya was oblivious to the ongoing noise around him. He stared at the door, waiting for Yuzuru and Chiaki to show. Lately, the two had become pretty "buddy-buddy"…talking in the halls, walking home together. He was still unsure if that annoyed him or not.
Minutes felt like hours as the hand on the clock continued to click forward and without provocation, his thoughts drifted to Nobutsuna Naoe.
After confronting the Ikko sect in Kyoto over a month ago, they went their separate ways. At the time Takaya had been fine with that, but—
"What the hell could Naoe be thinking, not contacting me and then going off to exorcise spirits alone?"
It made no sense to him; he should be the one running, not the other way around.
Naoe had coaxed him in to a trusting relationship, but on two occasions let a few heated seconds kill what little bond they had. And now the man had taken off again, tail tucked between his legs. In remorse or hatred he couldn't say:
"I want you to submit to me."
Either way, Takaya felt more animosity towards Naoe than ever.
Abruptly the classroom door banged open.
"Attention please!"
Everyone shuffled to his or her seat, noise dying down, as the voice continued to speak:
"I'm your substitute teacher Kawano Rosanjin."
Looking to the front of the classroom, Takaya found a surprisingly young man holding a shaky tower of books. He had movie star good looks, rather than that of a third year History teacher. With his fitted black suit—similar to Naoe's but more refined—shortly clipped hair, and unusual crimson colored eyes.
The guy was defiantly striking. However…
Takaya, for some unknown reason, felt "on edge" in the man presence.
"For the remainder of the month I'll be taking over this class. I look forward to working with each of you."
At that moment Kawano's eyes met his own and Takaya felt as if he were locked in a deadly stalemate with a basilisk, paralyzing and relentless. Tension racked his body, as that bloody stare seemed to search for a hint of recognition.
Annoyed, Takaya wanted to ask the man what the hell he was staring at, but thought better of it. Instead he looked away, heart thumping strongly within his chest.
When school finished (to Takaya's relief), he found Ayako waiting for him outside the gates. Taking her helmet off, she patted the back of her motorcycle, "Thought I'd give you a ride home."
"Jeez, Sis. It's bad enough that I totaled my bike, but now you want me to ride on the back of yours again?"
"Oh! Quit being stubborn and jump on."
"He can't help it Haruie, being an arrogant jerk is his specialty." Chiaki smirked, walking up to them.
"Bastard!" Takaya gritted his teeth. "Do me a favor: turn around and walk away."
"What're you, an infant? Calm down, I didn't come over to harass you." He brushed his hair back nonchalantly. "Actually, I wanted to talk about that new substitute, Kawano Rosanjin."
"If you weren't late to class maybe you wouldn't have to ask questions?" Takaya felt weird saying this, since he was usually the one late. And sure enough—
"You're one to talk." Chiaki smiled lopsidedly.
"Well, make it quick then."
"Fine, I'll cut straight to the point. Did he strike you as someone peculiar?"
"Well..." Pretending to be in deep thought, he frowned. "There was something…Remember those mathematical equations he gave us? They were way too complicated for our grade level." Takaya mocked.
Chiaki didn't look amused and continued to wait for a real answer.
"I don't know what you're expecting me to say…" He stopped short, flashing back to the classroom and the strange aura he'd felt earlier. It happened in a flash, quickly, but with the force of a tidal wave.
"Now that you mention it, there's definitely something strange about that guy."
"Should I check out his spiritual signature?" Ayako pitched.
"It's going to be tough even for you, Haruie. This guy's spiritual power is immense." Chiaki said seriously.
"Who do you think your talking to? My abilities are beyond adequate, just leave this Kawano to me! His dirty secrets will be mine."
As he listened Takaya couldn't stop the heavy sigh that escaped him.
Make any sort of small comment to Haruie nowadays, then just wait for her to blow the entire thing out of proportion. The woman would get riled up to the point where getting a word in edgewise was impossible.
Obnoxious laughter broke threw the barrier of his thought process, so Takaya took a moment to roll his eyes.
Her attitude right now reminded him of their reunion "party." Haruie had been off her rocker that night. Drinking ten times her body weight and speaking passionately over every little thing.
"To bad Naoe's not here to make her stop now…"
He trailed off.
It would be pointless to concern himself with a dog that was always fleeing from him…"That Naoe, who needed him? Nothing but a coward."
While all this was said in the confines of his mind, Takaya's mouth moved automatically:
"Hey, where the hell is Naoe? He's been out of the picture for almost a month now."
"And whose fault is that? " Chiaki raised an eyebrow.
Haruie immediately sent the bispeckled man a look of warning, but it was too late.
"My fault!? Just what in the hell are you—forget it—I don't want to hear it. I'm getting outta here."
Turning on his heel, Takaya quickly stormed off with out looking back, neither of his companions making a move to follow.
Pissed off, he went home and ate a quick meal with Miya, took a shower, then pretended to lock himself in his room to study. In reality, however, Takaya began researching Kawano Rosanjin. It helped take his mind off…other things.
He began his search online.
Yeah, it wasn't a look into a soul or anything, but Google could offer up some pretty interesting finds. Six hundred to be exact.
So, with a weary sense of determination he began compiling information.
An hour later he called Ayako:
"Sis, I found a few things on Kawano."
"With the way you walked off earlier I didn't think you cared."
"…"
Takaya heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line.
"What sort of things?"
"Well, first off he's not even from around here. The guy, up and left his family in Kyoto weeks ago, just after his friend Wakame Michiru was murdered by some High School-er."
"You don't think…"
"He's possessed? Well, I'm not sure, but that's where you come in, right?"
"No problem there. Of course, I'll need to get relatively close to him, which means I'll have to make a visit to your school."
"Yeah, ok. Do whatever needs to be done." He spoke dismissive. "And tell Chiaki to learn about this Wakame Michiru."
"I'm on it!"
"Good. Well, I'm going to go and—"
"Wait!" Ayako hesitated. "I spoke with Naoe and he's going to be in town tomorrow."
"…"
"Kagetora?"
"I'll contact you later."
Takaya hung up the phone.
It was another crappy day. All month it rained, and even now the clouds hovered, looking ominously gray. Hands shoved in his pockets, Takaya quickened his step in an effort to reach his apartment before a possible downpour.
Droplets of rain began to fall, until what started as a light mist turned in to a violent storm.
He made a break for the convenience store across the street with the neon sign that flashed, "Open". It was then, by fate perhaps, a car came speeding towards him out of nowhere. Caught in the blinding headlights he couldn't will his body to move let alone think, Takaya could only look on in horror as the car came closer.
At the last second he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable. Luckily, the inevitable never came.
"Kagetora!?"
Takaya blinked. It took a moment for him to process that Naoe was getting out of the car, which had stopped inches away from his body.
"Get in!" He the man yelled over the whipping wind.
And he did—In retrospect, later, Takaya would surely fined this as a mistake.
"You're soaked. Where have you been?" Naoe clenched the wheel, speaking almost to softly.
"Walking home obviously."
"No. Yuzuru called me and was worried, saying you never came back from lunch."
"Yeah, well, if someone didn't camp out in front of my school all day"—That's what Takaya wanted to say, however his pride wouldn't allow him to admit that he'd been trying to avoid Naoe. Instead:
"What do you care? Haven't you been having fun playing exorcist by yourself?"
"…"
"Why not go back to your hole and leave me alone. No one needs you, just—"
"Enough!" Naoe slammed on his breaks.
A ripple of fear shook Takaya, however that wasn't enough to stop him from plunging recklessly on. Naoe and his relationship, every aspect of it, had been eating away at his sanity the entire month.
"No, it's not enough! You keep leaving and I'm just supposed to put up with it?" His voice cracked, forcing him to turn away.
"Kagetora…"
"Didn't I say if you left again, that you'd be nothing but a loser? I…I hate you!"
A line of cars began pilling up behind them, honking. Naoe didn't move for a moment, but eventually proceeded to drive, leaving Takaya's words untouched.
A/N: Please, I'd love some helpful criticism! Comments are definitely welcome.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it is a tad rushed.