Stepping off the plane onto the Awayuki Airport tarmac was the best feeling Awayuki Himeno had had her entire trip. It turned out that Yayoi had planned this trip as a way to make Hayate jealous by making it look like Himeno was having a vacation fling with a very attractive man. Himeno put her foot down as soon as she caught Yayoi-chan cackling away about her plan in the hotel bar with a new man friend.
"Oh! Himeno! Meet my new friend, Roger! He's-"
"Oh, no. No, Yayoi! I came along with you so I could relax before the season started! So whatever you've been planning, drop it right now."
Besides averting the possible disaster, Hokkaido was beautiful as usual. She was very glad to be home though. She couldn't believe how much she had missed her hometown in only a few days. She kept finding herself wishing that Hayate was there with her, instead of the rather exuberant Yayoi. Seriously, she didn't think her friend had matured much past high school.
Reaching the bottom of the exit ramp, she looked up to see Tanaka-san standing beside the family limousine. The stubby little man stood to attention to greet her. "Welcome home, Ojou-san! I trust your flight went smoothly?"
She smiled tiredly. "As well as could be expected. Thank you so much for coming to pick us up, Tanaka-san. Though I do wonder…"
Tanaka's eyes flashed. "The head gardener was called away for a meeting. Otherwise, he would be here to pick you up." Typical, not that she should have expected anything else from her stoic knight.
"Huh. Well. That's nice to know." Her tight voice made Tanaka quaver. Noticing this, she smiled reassuring the chauffer. "It's not your fault, Tanaka-san. Hayate-san is just still as dense as ever. I'll get him for it later. Now, I would like to go home, please?"
Tanaka zipped back into a salute. "Yes Ojou-san! Let me take your luggage, Ojou-san!" Himeno allowed herself to be ushered into the car with Yayoi and a few minutes later, they were flying down the highway into Awayuki Town.
Pulling into the main drive of the Awayuki Estate, she breathed a sigh of relief. God, it was nice to be home. She had spent most of the drive home deciding how to punish her wayward boyfriend. Stepping out of the car, a shout reached her ears.
"Himeno-neechan! Himeno-neechan!" Turning, she was nearly bowled over by a very enthusiastic thirteen-year-old with blonde hair.
"Hey kiddo! How's everything? Did you behave while I was gone, Shin-chan?" Her miniature greeter looked up with a grin.
"Shouldn't you be asking Mannen-niichan that?"
"Oi, oi, oi! I haven't done anything to deserve this kind of abuse!" The aforementioned Mannen had walked up behind the Leafe Knight of Plants and stood frowning. At nineteen, he now towered over Himeno, almost as tall as Sasame.
The former Pretear grinned at his glare. "Oh, really? I don't believe you."
The Leafe Knight of Ice glared for another moment then he softened, smiling warmly. "It's great to have you back, Himeno-neechan. We've all missed you a lot. Isn't that right, Hajime?"
The seventeen-year-old Leafe Knight of Water nodded and smiled as well, extending his own greetings. "How was your flight? Wouldn't you have rather been out in the wind?"
Himeno was about to reply when she felt herself go rigid as a feeling she hadn't even thought about in nearly six years overloaded her long unused senses. The redhead fell to her knees, feeling as though the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Instantly bathed in waves of cold sweat, she gasped desperately trying to calm her sudden panic. She barely heard the frightened voices of Shin and Hajime begging her to respond and Mannen sending Tanaka and Yayoi up to the house to get some help. At last, she breathed out a question. "Can't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"D-demon larvae." There was a collective horrified intake of breath.
"Are you sure? Absolutely positive?" Hajime sounded like he was about to break into hysterics.
"As certain as I could be…"
"Why the hell can't we sense this thing?" Mannen ground his teeth, looking in every direction as though he would see the monster right there.
"I have no clue, but the feeling is coming from over there." With a trembling hand, the red-head pointed towards the interior of the Awayuki estate. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather settled on the group. It was very easy to get lost in the sprawling grounds around the mansion, but that also meant there were many places to hide.
Mannen growled out orders. "Shin, get to the others. Tell them what's going on and get them back here ASAP."
"Hey! I'm not leaving you guys here-" Mannen cut the younger boy's indignation short.
"Shin! Now is not the time to argue. We are going after this…thing and we are going to need backup. Go!" Shin glared at his older brother, strongly reminding Himeno of Mannen at that age. After a long moment, where Himeno shuddered as the feeling grew stronger, Shin reluctantly nodded.
"Be careful."
Mannen grinned wryly. "You too, kiddo. Now, get!"
They watched as Shin shifted into battle-gear and transport away. Hajime helped Himeno to her feet, and took a deep breath addressing the Pretear. "Himeno-neechan, I know we should probably wait for the others to get here but-"
Himeno interrupted him. "No, we need to deal with this now. Pret with me, Hajime? Mannen is fine by himself." She smiled wickedly at the disgruntled Knight of Ice.
Mannen snorted, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. Gah, I forgot how nuts you get when a fight's brewing. Go ahead. I'll play wingman, just this once."
"I thought you always played wingman." Hajime's grin mirrored Himeno's, and Mannen blushed. He averted his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Shut up."
"Not so bold now, huh? Okay, ready, Himeno?"
"Yeah, let's go." Hajime took Himeno's hand in his and they were bathed in a flash of light, as the transformation merged the two forms into one. Mannen couldn't quite push down a strange slight surge of jealousy. He didn't say anything of course, but he would deal with it later. Now was not the time. However, when the light faded, he felt his mouth drop open.
"Whoa, what the hell?"
Himeno saw his stare and looked down at herself and felt her own eyes widen. "What's with the new outfit, Hajime?" The old flowing baby-doll dress ensemble had changed into a much more utilitarian and mature flowing pants and jacket combo.
"Don't look at me…" Himeno sighed at the bemused voice in her head.
"Y'know what, we don't have time for this. Time to go!" Mannen had already shifted and without wasting any more time, they bounded away into the wild forest that comprised the interior of the grounds. Following Himeno's demon larvae radar, as Hajime called it, they dashed past the rose garden and the pond complex. Deeper and deeper they went, pursuing the faint traces of evil that grew stronger as they went. Himeno's urge to gag also grew stronger as they got closer. At last, the trail ended in a large clearing ringed with giant horse-chestnut trees, their leaves shriveling from the demonic aura swirling about the place. Himeno fought down the rising gorge in her throat.
"It's here."
"About time. I was beginning to wonder." A new voice caused them all to jump and spin on the spot, for it had come from behind them. There was nothing there, except…
"Himeno, there! Behind that bush!"
"Water Whip!" A writhing black mass shrieked and dissolved into ashes, and more were closing in. Water splashed, ice flashed, and within a couple of moments the enemy force had been dealt with, ashes drifting to the ground like black snow. Breathing heavily, the Pretear and her two knights were startled as mocking laughter and applause echoed around the clearing. Looking every which way and finally up, they stared as a man dressed in dark clothing drifted down in front of them.
Reds and blacks dominated the color scheme of his clothes, and several long daggers hung from his belt. A ragged cloak flowed from his shoulders, the color of old blood. He was pale, ghostly so when contrasted with his dark hair, with teeth like a wolf. He leered at Himeno in such a way that made the hair on the back of Mannen's neck stand straight up. The pretear could barely breathe, the aura coming from this man squeezing her diaphragm.
"Well, I was expecting a show and I got one! Excellent, most excellent."
"Who the fuck are you?" Himeno could feel the anger emanating from Mannen as she fought off the effects of the demonic vibes. The stranger's manic grin grew even wider.
"I am your new opponent."
Before Himeno could even blink, he was on them. Slicing a furrow in the ground with the daggers that had appeared in his hands, the attacker went after Mannen first, swiping and slashing at the Knight of Ice. It took all Mannen had to dodge the flashing blades. Again and again, the stranger took the offense and pushed Mannen back.
Himeno growled, still fighting the effects of the miasma, and launched into the fray. With Hajime's encouragements in her ears, she lashed at their opponent until his attention was divided. The dark man gave a mighty roar and hacked at Himeno's weapons, forcing her back as well. Mannen dashed in to give Himeno and Hajime a hand and didn't see the glowing fist until it was too late.
"Mannen!" The pretear watched in horror as her Knight was thrown nearly twenty feet in the opposite direction, right into a very solid tree. She could hear Hajime's strangled yelling in her ears but she couldn't drag her eyes away from Mannen's crumpled form. Distantly, she heard another voice, cold and vicious.
"Alone at last, yes? No, wait. I have one more to deal with."
Snapping out of her shock as Hajime screamed in warning, Himeno spun and raised a shield of water to halt the other man's charge. This new assault was so ferocious; Himeno could barely hold him off. Reduced to simply defense, she felt herself being pushed farther and farther away from the slowly stirring Mannen. She didn't dare
"Himeno! He favors his left side! Take the shot next chance you get!"
Himeno grunted in response, unable to spare a breath for speaking. Dodging another strike, she saw the opening and took it. For a moment, it looked like it had worked as the water whip pushed the assailant back. Then she saw his grin.
Suddenly the world spun, twisting and turning as she was hurled away. Finding herself on the ground after several seconds of darkness, she groaned. Her head was pounding, and she was pretty sure she was bleeding from several different wounds. "Hajime, you okay? Hajime?"
"Ow. What happened?"
She sat up gingerly, looking around quickly but her opponent was nowhere in sight. Mannen however had made it to his knees, supporting himself with the tree he had been thrown into. Blood ran in rivulets down one side of his face, and his eyes were slightly glazed. Then his eyes slid over and met with Himeno's own terrified gaze. Grunting in pain, he struggled to rise to his feet.
"Mannen, no! Don't move, you'll only make your injuries worse! Let me-" Fighting her own pain, Himeno rose to her feet but made it no further than a few feet. A shadow materialized between them, bearing a wolf's toothy smile. She saw the strike before it landed but could do nothing to stop it. A white hot spike lanced through her abdomen and the world exploded in agony. As her screams mingled with Hajime's, Himeno could distantly hear six other voices crying out. Crying her name in terror.
