Nana wasn't exactly satisfied with her new master. After her previous master, Arahabaki left, she had nothing to do, but watching the sleeping, badly injured body of Bishamon. The goddess was in a sad state. She was almost fully covered with plasters and bandages. The little skin, which was visible were black from blight. The marks weren't from Nana. The old man, with one eye and gray beard told it to the new Hafuri, when he brought some food for her. They were probably from the Lady's other Hafuri.
From Kazuma.
Nana didn't know his name from the old man. Bishamon murmured this name over and over, although, she didn't regain consciousness. The goddess's sleep were far from peaceful. She didn't move, she was too ill for moving, but her whimpers were the proof of her inner struggles. Her mumbles weren't coherent at all, words were barely understandable, but that one name "Kazuma" was the only thing she repeated clearly again and again. At this point her voice was full with concern. It didn't seem like she blamed him for anything. She was simply calling him. Calling to the point of imploring.
It was a bit disappointing. Not a bit. A goddess prostrating herself before a mere Regalia? It was ridiculous. Too ridiculous. Outrageous! So Nana decided to leave her new pitiful master in the arms of her nightmares, and started to discover her new home. Carefully at first, but she didn't need to be cautious. The other Regalias had already accept her, and were just as curious, as Nana was. They were all worried of their master's health, and asked her if she had known about it. But Nana couldn't tell them more, than the old, gray-bearded man. They were sad for a bit, but picked themselves up, and tried to smile. Just to help for their master.
It was confusing and impressive at the same time. It was more impressive, when she learned about Bishamonten, and her family of Regalias. Nana never experienced this before. The closeness of them were mesmerizing. They were all dedicated their lives to their goddess, and they were proud of her! Even the small children. From their stories Nana started to know her new master better, and became to able to understand Bishamon's behavior. Not the side of the goddess, but the side of the woman. It was as clear as the summer sky. The secret, she wanted to hide from everybody, and her regalias were kind enough to never told her, they had already knew.
She was in love with her first exemplar.
Unfortunately, this love was one-sided. Nana learned form the other regalias, that Kazuma had never shown any sign of love for Bishamon, except the greatest loyalty. But as the days went by, and the new Blessed Vessel learned more and more, she slowly, from piece to piece put the whole story together. The story of a goddess' great love. Living together for tens of years with one man, and suddenly getting new regalias. But what kind of regalias? Two tiny girls. It seemed like Bishamon wanted to give a proper family for her Kazuma. She couldn't give him real children, so she gave him small regalias, to get the feeling. Her efforts weren't successful, and after a few years she started to expand their family. Since she failed to make a single person happy, she made regalia from every soul, they met. Even if they were torn, and useless. Just to prove him, that she was a great goddess. It seemed she failed again. Kazuma didn't fell in love with her.
On the contrary, he betrayed her! But her love survived his betrayal. She suffered so much after he was exiled. But she was suffering much more, when she almost killed him. After a serious ablution she wasn't even willing to have a bath, just run to his sickbed and sticked herself to the chair. She only took a quick shower because of her female regalias' joined effort. In Kazuma's bathroom, to not leave his side needlessly for a single minute. As the girls told Nana, her gaze was always toward Kazuma's face.
Her efforts failed again. When Kazuma awoke, he wanted to immediately leave her. Seriously. She somehow managed to talk him out of his idea, and made him her exemplar again. It was a hard deal. So they stayed together, but being acquaintance with the Goddess of Poverty and the God of Calamity was a simple receipt for the next guaranteed disaster, even if she was protected by a bunch of Gods of Luck. He killed one of her regalias. Nobody knew why. Nana knew. The regalia learned about her past, and went crazy because of it. It was a proper thing to kill her, her state was probably beyond repair. Kazuma was right. But Nana didn't share this knowledge with the others. She decided it alone. The other regalias were weak. Much more weaker than she was. They didn't live enough as regalias, to forget their Near-shore life so easily. Learning about their Near-shore life would be fatal for them. So she stayed silent, and listened to the story. The goddess forgave Kazuma again, even if she suffered again. But their relationship damaged a bit. They started to fell apart, and kept a certain distance.
This time she betrayed him.
She did it for concern. Nana knew. She probably wanted to leave him out of the thunder of disaster. But she failed again. Kazuma knew her, and easily found her. Nana dimly remembered his face, his behavior. He was a nice guy. The best partner for Bishamon. She knew it immediately, when the goddess in the heat of the battle refused him. Nana remembered Bishamon's tears when she rejected him. Her pain was unmistakable. Nana didn't paid much attention to that pain, they were in a middle of a battle. But she remembered the pain. The pain of a woman in love.
Nana returned Bishamon's room, as always in the evenings. She got a room next to her new master's, and Bishamon still didn't regain any consciousness, somehow she liked to spent some time with her, while the other regalias changed the Lady's bandages. They were careful, not without any reason. The scars were more or less healed, but the blight marks remained. The women washed those marks gently with cleansing water. It gave some relief from the pain and lessened Lady's wailing. For a short amount of time.
Nana stayed, after they left. She wanted to give her some time to be alone. The other regalias accepted her as their new leader, while Kazuma was away. She was also a Blessed Vessel after all. Nana asked them to search for him. She didn't know what to do with a such big family of regalias, her predecessor surely knew. It was his family after all. Nana simply didn't know. Not ever her own future. She wanted to asked Bishamon. That's why she asked the others to keep a certain distance from their Lady. She waited for her to wake up.
Nana was lucky. After the others left, and the room finally became silent, her new master opened her eyes.
"Kazuma?"
It was her first question again.
"Just me, Nana."
"Oh!"
Her frustration was inevitable. Nana suddenly recognized, that she became attached to her Lady.
"Sorry, not to fulfill your wish."
"Don't mind. This life is quite bearable after all."
"Do you like it here?"
Nana nodded. Bishamon gave her a weak smile.
"How long…"
"Two weeks."
"Kazuma?"
"He is not here."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
The lady remained silent. She closed her eyelids, and teardrops poured down on her cheeks.
"Do you love him so much?" Asked Nana suddenly.
Bishamon didn't answer. Her new regalia climbed next to her, and stroked her head to soothe her emotional pain.
"Stay away, it will spread to you."
The lady meant the blight, but it was a weak plea instead of a harsh order. She needed Nana's solace.
"Do you love him so much?" Asked Nana again.
"He left me", she replied with a teary voice."It is my fault."
"He probably thinks that it is his fault", corrected Nana, judging by the amount of blight marks on the Lady's body.
Bishamon couldn't reply, just stared at her, with open mouth. Her thoughts were not exactly straight, she was ill, after all.
"I...I...", she was unable to continue.
"You are in love with him", stated Nana gently, but firmly, and the Lady didn't deny.
"He left me..."
"It seems so."
They stayed in silence for minutes. Bishamon's tears were flowing, and Nana didn't stop caressing her head.
"Do you want him back?"
"Yeah..."
"Then do not die! He can't come back to you,if you die!"
"I am not planning..."
"You are blighted. Seriously. Who is the culprit?"
Bishamon closed her eyes, and refused to answer.
"I know, you know."
"I want him back!", she cried.
"In this case you have to survived until he comes."
"I love him. He is my treasured lo...regalia."
"Does he even love you? He left you."
"I love him, and that's enough!"
"Coward."
Bishamon's eyes were opened wide. Her new regalia told her that she was a coward? She was the god of war! Well temporarily, in bed with blight, but she was not a coward. But watching into Nana's gentle eyes, she recognized, she was. She never was brave enough to ask Kazuma about his feelings! She accepted his fondness, his pampering, she enjoyed his attention toward her. It was enough for her broken heart. She never mind his feelings, just wanted to be in an illusion of having his love also as a woman, not just as his goddess.
"I want him", stated firmly, but in sad tone, which sting into Nana's heart.
"I could help you..."
The ray of hope in Bishamon's eyes would melt icebergs, not just Nana's weak resistance. She wanted to help Bishamon anyway.
"It is a bit dangerous, and not sure in the end you got the answer you are waiting for!" warned her Lady.
"I want it! I don't care about the dangers!"
She grabbed Nana's stroking hand. She didn't beg, her wish was just a weak request. Weak, but firm.
"It's okay. Close your eyes!"
Nana started to croon a song, and made her mind hazy. The melody was unknown to Bishamon, but she felt it was old. Ancient. Before she recognized, that an unknown ancient spell would have been dangerous, her new regalia's song started to vibrate her whole body, making her to be sick. She could have vomit easily, but fortunately had nothing in her stomach. She lost all her strength, couldn't even open her eyes. It was impossible for her to stop Nana. Her body vibrated stronger as the song became louder. The pain became unbearable. She lost consciousness again.