Prologue
"Yu-chan, breakfast's ready!"
A boy descended the stairs at the call of his name and pulled out a chair to sit down at his place. His mother, Chigusa, was fussing around in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Yu-chan. You're up late today, did you not sleep well?" The mother asked. Yuji bit into a bit of toast and thought as he ate. There was no way he could tell his mother that he had been out the previous night fighting a Guze no Tomogora with Shana, a Flame Haze. In fact, his mother was even unaware to the fact that he was dead, strictly speaking anyway.
"I couldn't get to sleep at first." He lied lamely; but his mother accepted the excuse readily enough and she asked no more as she cleaned the dishes in the kitchen. Yuji finished his breakfast and carried the dish and cutlery to his mother and helping her clean up.
"Ah yes, Shana-chan called earlier." His mother said as she suddenly remembered.
"Shana did?" Yuji asked as he dried a dish off with a rag. He looked out of the window a little too hard.
"Yes. She asked me to tell you to meet her by the river bank, in the usual place she said." Chigusa relayed the message.
"Did Shana say when?" Yuji asked, a little worried he would have kept her waiting.
"Around 10:00am, I think it was." Yuji glanced at the clock to see that it was nearly half past nine.
"Ah, I'll have to get going soon then." He said, finishing up the drying up and going upstairs to change. He wondered why Shana would call the house rather than dropping by but the thoughts were mostly idle as he rushed to get ready.
"I'm going out!" He called behind him.
"Have a safe trip!" His mother called after him from somewhere in the house as he left.
"Ah, Yuji!" Shana called to the boy as she saw him run along the top of the bank searching for her in their usual training ground.
"Shana! You could have just dropped by." Yuji said as he found the nearest set of steps and hurried down them to the flat area of grass before the ground rose to the form the bank.
"I thought you'd still be asleep… so I gave Chigusa the message for you." Shana replied, a little embarrassed as she dreamt up the half truth.
"Hm, okay then." Yuji gave in as he joined her on the bank. "So was there something you wanted? Ah, you don't have Alastor with you." He observed as he noticed the absence of the necklace that Shana almost always wore. The necklace was actually a connection to her contractor; The Flame of Heaven, Alastor.
"Alastor's staying with Wilhelmina. I didn't want him to… interrupt or anything." Shana trailed off, speaking so quietly the last part was inaudible.
"Didn't want him to what?" Yuji queried; having not heard. Shana turned away, her cheeks flushed red.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Let's go." She cried and started to walk back towards the steps up to the path running along the top of the bank. Yuji hurried to keep up with her.
"Where are we going then, Shana?" Yuji asked.
"Shopping." Shana stated. Yuji nearly fell over.
"Shopping? What for?" He asked, catching himself, nearly incredulous. Shana and casual shopping were not a mix he had imagined going together.
"I wanted to get some new clothes and… well… I wanted to know… what you… thought of them." Shana said; again trailing off as she became and more embarrassed. Yuji was suddenly hit with the reality of their whole new situation, his mind going back to the previous day when they had beaten Bal Masque again; and the proceeding events.
"O-okay." He replied, unsure and nervous himself. They wandered along the path next to each other, unsure of how to treat the other as their relationship flourished into something entirely new.
Twenty minutes later the couple were in one of the many clothes shop and Shana was weaving between the racks as she examined various clothes. Yuji stood near the door and watched her. He smiled; glad to see that she was allowing more of her normal girl side through. Her coldness as a Flame Haze often made her removed from others but as time went by the façade cracked and people realised she wasn't just cold and harsh; but that it was a mask.
Shana carried a few pieces of clothing into the changing rooms and shut the door. Yuji looked out the window, his mind wandering aimlessly as he thought about all that had happened recently, how his life had changed.
He could feel a Tomogora on the outskirts of town too. It wasn't causing any trouble but he knew they had to be cautious, Bal Masque hadn't given up yet and although not all Tomogora served under the Trinity at their head, many did.
"Yuji." He turned at the call of his name. Shana had changed and was standing in front of him. She looked a little nervous but was trying to look up into his face, asking his opinion.
"Yeah, you look good." He said; and meant it. Shana's mouth widened into a smile and her nervousness was overridden by happiness. She turned around back into the changing room to return to her normal clothes and then came out to buy the new ones. They left the shop and Shana led Yuji down the street to another one.
They both stopped as they felt the Tomogora move into the town and head towards them.
"Yuji, hold this." Shana ordered as she pressed the bag of clothing into his hands and cast a Fuzetsu to make the area ready for battle. Her hair changed into the colour of flames and her eyes became red. Out of thin air Shan dragged a black cloak which she wrapped around her and from inside unsheathed a long katana.
As she was finished the Tomogora flew out of the sky to land on the top of a telegraph pole. He crossed his arms and pushed his spectacles further up his nose. He had the look of a university lecturer with a hint of cold reality to his expression.
"Good day to you." He greeted them amicably enough.
"What do you want?" Shana asked without preamble.
"Straight to the point? Then we can dispense with the pleasantries. I know who you are; but I doubt it is the reverse; but not does it matter since you won't be able to pass the name on. I have no intention of devouring anyone here, I seek to kill you and then take what's in the Mystes behind you."
"I won't let you get away with it!" Shana yelled and leapt towards the Tomogora with a burst of flame. She swung her sword and a ball of flame leapt from the flames to the Tomogora. The earth rumbled and rose up in a pillar to block the fire which burst and spread over the rock but did no more. "What?!" Shana cried, leaping back out of immediate range.
"My power: Terra. I can manipulate the ground." The Tomogora's voice drifted from behind the pillar and suddenly whips of rock rose out of the ground and Shana was trapped in an instant. She attacked a whip in an attempt to break through but her fire washed off it and her sword simply dug into the rock before becoming stuck. She yanked it free and wings of fire sprouted from her back as she flew towards a gap in the rock whips which were closing in on her; but as she turned her back on them they shot out and wrapped around her legs and dragged her back.
From all around they closed in and wrapped around her body. She cried out in pain as they began tighten, the hard rock digging into her. She saw Yuji running towards her and screamed at him.
"No! Yuji, run!" It was no use; the Tomogora was already upon him. The rock whips rose again and the Mystes boy was trapped.
"I can't believe Bal Masque failed to defeat you; but then again my powers are resistant to your flames." The enemy said as he reached towards Yuji. Shana struggled but the coils around her just tightened. She felt her skin rip in places as wounds were opened. She couldn't breathe and her world began to go black; but all she could think of was Yuji and his peril.
"Shana!" Yuji shouted as he saw Shana's head loll backwards as she fell into unconsciousness. The Tomogora looked back and shook his head.
"Honestly, Flame Haze are weak if you can combat their powers. Now I'm afraid I don't have the time to chat as the Manipulator of Objects will head over here shortly and my powers aren't at such an advantage against her, so without further preamble I'll be taking the Reiji Maigo." The Tomogora reached forwards and his hand stretched into Yuji's chest.
"The Keeper will kill you!" Yuji cried weakly, a last attempt to save himself. The whips around him seemed to have drained his ability to use his power of existence.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about me; I know how to bypass most Keepers." The Tomogora said with a smug smile. The smile vanished when the whips surrounding Shana shattered and small shards of rock fell to the ground. His hand emerged from Yuji's chest as he whipped around to see what the disturbance was.
Shana lay limp in the hands of another girl. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, a northern European. She wore some kind of white uniform with an emblem of a rose with shining blue arrows dotting the background, a sword hung from her side in an expensively decorated scabbard and a bow was strapped across her back. She cut the figure of an elegant warrior, looking fit and not lacking in any respect while not being in excess either. Her beauty radiated from her face as did warmth and softness; but with them was mingled harsh experience.
"I'd ask you to step away from that boy but I doubt you'd comply." A strong male voice said. A boy dressed in the same uniform to the girl but with a different coat of arms symbolising a lion facing a dragon was the owner of the voice and he had appeared out of nowhere less than two metres from the Tomogora and Yuji. He too was blonde and had blue eyes and he too radiated warmth but the softness was weaker and instead there was the heavy weight of experience and harsh reality, a soldier's aura. A sword was strapped across his back in a decorative red leather scabbard; a blue silk sash tied at both ends had been dropped over his head to fall diagonally across his chest, securing the sword.
"Who are you? You're not Flame Haze or Mystes or Guze no Tomogora!" The Tomogora was panicking now and he turned constantly between the two as if they might disappear if he took his eyes off one for long enough.
"No, we're not. We're just travellers helping out where we go; and you're causing trouble as your kind always does." The boy spoke as he reached over his shoulder and slowly unsheathed his longsword. He held it in one hand. The weapon was a longsword with a blade that had a breadth almost bringing it under the broadsword class.
"You make a move toward me and I eat these people and this Mystes." The Tomogora squeaked, his calm composure had vanished as fear set in.
The next thing Yuji saw was the Tomogora falling into two, blue flames escaping from the hole and the mysterious boy sheathing his sword quite calmly right in front of him. The boy touched the rock chains that bound Yuji and they fell to the ground in pieces.
"Thanks." Yuji muttered then glanced over to see Shana lying on the ground looking hopelessly beat up and wounded. The blonde girl was leaning over her with hands held above Shana's heart. Green light was shining from her hands and seemed to be absorbed by Shana's body and slowly the signs of injury faded.
"Who are you? You don't seem like Flame Haze; and you're not Tomogora." Yuji asked, eyeing the two cautiously.
"Don't worry, I meant what I said. We're human; but have the abilities of a Flame Haze." The boy explained and led the Mystes over to the two girls.
"She'll be fine but will need a little rest. Her regeneration as a Flame Haze will take over and finish off the process." The blonde girl said and stood up.
"What is going on here ~ de arimasu?" A voice from down the street made them all turn to see a woman in a maid's uniform walking towards them. Shana's necklace hung from her neck.
"Ah, Carmel-san. It has been quite some years." The boy said with a kind smile. Wilhelmina stopped for a moment and studied the two and recognition spread across her face.
"I did not think we would see you again ~ de arimasu." She replied. Her maid-like hat seemed to speak for itself, while in fact it was the Lord of Guze who Wilhelmina had made a contract with speaking through it.
"Thought dead."
"We've been rather busy back at home." The girl spoke up as Wilhelmina closed the distance between them.
"You know them, Carmel-san?" Yuji asked and Wilhelmina nodded her head.
"Before her training truly began they appeared for a short while. The Flame of Heaven spoke with them and then they left."
"Purpose unknown."
A cough came from the necklace as Alastor, The Flame of Heaven, got their attention.
"Since you are here then I presume the time you spoke of is coming. We must talk; but in a more suitable place than the middle of a Fuzetsu." As usual, he was logical and down to business.
"I agree; and it would also be best if we spoke while she was awake for she needs to hear this as much if not more than anyone else. For now Ellie and I will look for residence in the city and plan our stay. We can assemble somewhere later; do you have any ideas regarding a suitable place?" The boy not only had a soldierly aura about him; but he had the easy authority of an officer.
"I'm quite sure you'll be able to find our location. We will be ready to receive you within two hours." The Flame of Heaven spoke and the boy nodded.
"In two hours then." Wilhelmina walked past Yuji to pick Shana up. She moaned quietly in her sleep. The Mystes noticed the boy was watching him with an innocent curiosity. After a few moments the boy nodded his head as if something had been confirmed and he held out his hand for Yuji to shake.
"I'm Imanda Himura, this is Mithran Elena. A pleasure to meet you." He said with genuine warmth. Sakai, taken slightly aback at this sudden friendliness shook the boy's hand unsurely. As his hand touched the other boy's he felt an immense strength flow into him.
"I'm Sakai Yuji." He introduced himself and the boy nodded his head.
"We'll be seeing a fair bit of each other in the new future, Yuji, so I hope we can get along." With that he let go of Yuji's hand and called to the girl, Elena; and the two disappeared from sight as suddenly as they had appeared.