Fujisaki's words. Now Kazuma's words.
Was it really more obvious to everyone else than it was to herself that she loved him?
But she can't love him. He's a god. A god of calamity, for that matter.
Kazuma had made it quite clear that it was in her best interest to not go looking for Yato. But he never said what would happen if he went looking for her.
So there he was, the god standing before the half-Phantom.
Hiyori's pink eyes faltered from his gaze, and she found herself staring at the ground. If she looked him in the eyes, he'd see right into her thoughts and consciousness.
"Y-Yato…" her voice came out in a surprised whisper.
"Hiyori…" his mature voice rumbled.
Hiyori swallowed hard, trying to piece together something to say.
"I'm back." He chuckled weakly, knowing this was a risky conversation.
"That's good," she replied, but her tone was condescending.
There was a moment of silence. When Yato finally realized it was pointless in getting Hiyori to look him in the face, his cheeks tinted pink. He cleared his throat, trying to break the ice once more.
Hiyori was the one who spoke up before he had the chance.
"Were you successful…?" She murmured.
"Huh?" Yato did a double take.
"Your self-inflicted suicide mission. Did you ever get rid of your father?"
He could hear the passive aggressiveness in her voice, but cleared his throat again to speak. He straightened up, and scratched his cheek nervously.
"W-well...no, actually. He went into hiding, and I couldn't find the proper Regalia to work with m-"
"Sounds like you had things planned out," Hiyori replied sarcastically.
Yato had never seen Hiyori so furious with him. Not even when he took a job for Lord Tenjin, and then explained that the job was ultimately useless.
"If someone wants to die, let 'em die."
He had come a long way, even from that experience, but to excuse suicidal behavior was something especially cruel to Hiyori.
However, what Yato had recently done must be the most chaotic, irrational, selfish, terrifying thing he'd ever done. Besides facing Heaven and destroying Takamagahara.
This wasn't the first time Yato had left her behind, but this time, for some reason, Hiyori felt abandoned.
Just as Hiyori turned on her heel to leave, Yato grabbed her wrist out of instinct.
"Hiyori, matte!"
"Le' go of me!"
"No! Please, just listen-"
"I said let go!"
Hiyori struggled within his grasp, but it was no use. Being the god of war he was, he was too strong for her.
"Hiyori, what did I-?"
Hiyori handed him a small white shopping bag.
Yato stopped and blinked, hesitantly taking the bag from her. "W-what's this…?"
"Your shrine. Just take it back already."
Yato's fierce blue eyes widened as he noticed the object at the bottom of the bag, and he quickly lifted his head again to look at Hiyori, whose cheeks were colored with anger.
Or was she crying? He couldn't tell behind her dark bangs.
"I...don't know what to say…" he mumbled.
"You're a complete fool. You can't leave like that, you understand?!" Hiyori clenched her fists. "Don't you get that people will worry about you?"
Yato blinked in surprise, but after a moment, he sighed.
"Who would need to worry about a hopeless case? Only Yukine would have to know where I am."
"You're wrong!" Hiyori snapped. "If that were true, why did you come to me before you left?!"
"The whole point was to kill my father to free myself. I wasn't trying to make you worry."
"No. The whole point in doing that was so you could prove that I was your lifeline. Not him. Right?"
"Well, y-yeah, but I-"
"Why're you so selfish, Yato?"
"S-selfish?" Yato blinked, taking a step back. "What're you talking about?"
"What if you were wrong? What if I wasn't your lifeline, and you ended up killing yourself along with your father?"
Hiyori finally lifted her head for the first time, and Yato could finally see her teary, puffy eyes.
"What would I do if you were gone, Yato?!"
Yato gasped to himself, reaching out a shaky hand towards her direction. Hiyori stepped away from him, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.
"Hiyori, why-...why do you care so much…?"
"You're one to talk." She said back, sniffling. "You care so much about me, but the second I try to care for you, you push me away."
"I-I don't understand. Why do you care? Why do you care about any of this?"
It slipped from her mouth before she could even think.
But she had to say something. Anything to get it through his thick head.
"Because you're important to me! Because I love you, Yato!"
As soon as the words were out, Hiyori realized what she did. She gasped, too shocked to continue crying. Her heart skipped a beat, and her hand slapped over her mouth.
Her pupils shook as she watched Yato process that new, unusual information.
His face, once absorbed with confusion and surprise, went to one of utter shock.
"Hiy-...Hiyori…" he mumbled, their eyes locked onto each other's. "Are you...sure about that…?"
"Wha-...? I didn't mean it in th-that way!" Hiyori shivered, her face a deep red.
"Well then...what way did you mean it…?" Yato's voice wavered slightly.
"I-I don't know…" Hiyori answered softly. "It depends…"
"Depends on what…?"
"D-do you...love me…?" She dared to ask, fidgeting with her hair.
There was a long silence.
"I...don't know…" He responded. "B-but it wouldn't matter. Gods and humans aren't supposed to love each other."
There it was again. Except, Yato worded it differently.
"They aren't meant to love each other, or… aren't meant to be with each other...?" Hiyori asked, trying to find the truth.
"I suppose...theoretically, they can love each other, but should you love me specifically - that's another story." Yato turned away, tightening his fist until his nails dug into his skin.
"Y-Yato…"
"No one can love a monster, Hiyori. If they try, it always ends in despair."
Hiyori stood frozen in place, taken back by his words. She couldn't find anything else to say to that.
"You should head home now. Whatever you want to make of me is up to you."
Almost as if she sensed his next move, Hiyori leaped forward to try to catch up to him, but by the time she could reach out her hands to grab him, Yato disappeared in a godly flash of light.