The early morning air was very fresh. It still appeared to be night time, for there was no one in sight, nor any sunlight.

The only ones who could be seen in the city were a Goddess dressed in a tracksuit, and her newfound regalia.

Hioko had left earlier thanks to Yaru's pleading since he had school the next day. The young Goddess didn't want him to pay for her mistake.
It might have been his fault for bringing the phantom, but it was mainly her fault for telling him about the Far Shore.
Which reminded her that she still had to grant his wish.

No matter what, there had to be a way.

Now, in the early morning, both females were looking around for new clothing. Even the blue eyed woman knew that Yuki needed something more comfy.

The regalia was standing next to an alleyway full of many trashcans where they could find things people didn't want anymore.
Yaru called it saving.
Yuki called it vandalism.

"Hey Yuki! Check this one out! I think it's cute, don't you?"

The blond haired girl looked up to her new master and merely stared at what was in front of her.

It was a worn out, small size sweater. A dark blue color with white stripes that now seemed to be gray. What bothered Yuki a bit was the logo it had.

'Capypa Land!' it read. And it had the image of what appeared to be some sort of... Bear? It was very weird.

The young girl had never heard of it, so her guess was that it was a new place that was recently created after her death.

"Um... It's.. Weird.."

A scowl formed itself in Yaru's face, so she took the sweater away and replied:

"Fine, I'll wear it! Teenagers these days..."

Yuki didn't say anything, but just wrapped the sweater Hioko had given her around herself a little bit tighter. The morning air was chilly, so she wanted to find something ASAP.

Deciding to help the Goddess on her quest, the young regalia walked towards another un-searched trashcan.

After a couple of hours, she had finally found something she liked. A light blue sweater with a pair of gray worn out sneakers. Also a pair of shorts that had a monkey logo in them (She wanted something warmer but couldn't find anything decent enough).
And to complete the outfit, she placed a cotton ball beanie over her head, that covered her ears perfectly.

Once she was dressed, Yaru complimented with things like 'You're so cute I could eat you!' and stuff of the matter. After that, they headed to find something to eat.

The young regalia felt relieved for she was starving!
But that's when Yaru showed up with a sardine placed in a trashcan top as a plate.

"What is this..?"

"What do you think? Breakfast of course!"

Staring back in disbelief, Yuki honestly didn't know what to think. She considered leaving it, but her stomach told her otherwise.
So with courage, the blond took a small bite of the hairy fish. She wanted to barf, but instead forced it down her throat.

"I didn't know I was so desperate..."

"Meow.."

The sound caused the little blond to look up. A little far away from her, was a white cat. It 'Meow''d again but with more force.
Staring between both her 'plate' and the feline, Yuki made up her mind and slowly approached it with the half sardine in hand.

"Hey there.. You want this right? You can gave it."

She spoke softly, but the cat seemed hesitant. With a reassuring smile, the regalia spoke again:
"Its OK. I don't like it that much either way."

The cat stared for a bit, until it finally grabbed the half eaten fish from her palm and retreated to start eating.

"Hey!"

The blond haired girl looked up at the voice that called her. Yaru didn't seem pleased.

"What do you think your doing? You should be thankful that I found food in this place! So you just give it like its nothing huh? We'll see about th-!"

"U-Um..."

"What now?"

The teenage girl pointed behind Yaru, and only then did the Goddess notice the cat in question taking HER fish as well.

"O-Oi!"

The fight between them began, and Yuki couldn't do anything but stare in amusement.
In the end, the feline took Yaru's food as well and simply ran off.
The Goddess' stomach rumbled again just like Yuki's.

"The cat was hungry... So I just gave him what he needed. What's wrong with that?"
Yuki questioned with a scowl.

The Goddess was about to talk back, but then remembered how the girl loved these types of animals. With a sigh, she simply said:

"Don't sacrifice your health for others who don't deserve it. OK?"

The scowl disappeared from the blond's face, and she just considered what she meant. She couldn't understand, but just nodded to let Yaru know that she had heard her.

"It's just food. He needs it more than I do. It's not like I NEED to eat..."

*Grumble*

"Or... Maybe just a bit.."

"Don't worry Yuki-chan! I have a plan to get us some real food!"

Yaru was back at being her cheerful self. While dialing her phone, the Goddess waited patiently. Then suddenly, someone replied:

"Hello?"

With a pleading look in her face, Yaru began her speech.

"Hioko would you be a gentlemen and lend us some money?"

Yuki face-palmed at her master's bluntness. An odd way to start the day.

/

"What did I do to deserve this?"

Iki Hioko would not stop questioning himself even after entering the small restaurant, Yaru & Yuki trailing behind with the older dancing around in happiness.

The Goddess had called him earlier for help in their situation. After hearing her side of the story, he couldn't help but feel bad for Yuki. The blond had just started her life as a regalia, so she deserved at least a proper welcome. And good food was part of the deal.

So thanks to that (and also taking it as in advantage to bribe Yaru into listening to his wish) the black haired boy had brought them both to a very comfortable restaurant.
It was good and also with a very calm atmosphere.

They took a table near the window. Both females had gone to the bathroom while Hioko waited patiently for a waitress.

Being in his own thoughts, the boy never noticed the Goddess sneak up on him.

"Thank you for bringing us here Hioko-kun! I knew you'd be compassionate!"

With a glare, the teenage boy spoke with a firm tone:

"I hope that considering this 'favor' you will pay attention to my wish."

"Oh yeah, of course."

Shrugging her shoulders, she kept stretching and then placed both her arms above her head trying to relax.

The black haired boy was about to reply that she shouldn't be acting that way in a public place, until his hands were suddenly covered with a warm texture.

Looking down at his hands, Hioko noticed it was his sweater folded neatly. That's when he noticed the blond regalia that came back from the bathroom. She bowed once, got up, and made her way to the seat next to Yaru.

Hioko followed her with his gaze as she took the seat next to the window and simply stared outside. He didn't know if he should be grateful or concerned.

"Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Yaru's voice brought the teen back to reality and he just shook his head in a way to say no. The Goddess kept an intense stare, but then let it go once a waitress had gotten close.

"Welcome young sir! I hope you feel comfortable in your visit!" Replied the brown haired woman while placing a glass of icy water in the table.

"Ah yes, than-

"Excuse me miss, but we still need some water here!"
Yaru said with no care in the world while nudging Yuki's right side just to prove her point.

The waitress in question looked they're way in confusion, but then yelped in surprise and started apologizing repeatedly.

When she left to get the extra water, Hioko said:

"I thought normal people couldn't see you."

"Its not like that. We're not invisible. We're just hard to notice."

Noticing that the teen wasn't getting the point, Yaru sat straight in her seat and stared at the black haired boy.

"For example, how many waiters are there in the restaurant?"

That questionnaire caught him off guard. He was about to look behind him and count them, until the Goddess told him 'No peeking!'

So, sitting straight again, the boy said the first number that came in mind.

"Um...2?"

The blue eyed woman shook her head with a smirk and pointed behind him.

When he turned around, Hioko saw the DOUBLE of waiters he had said before.

"4 of them?"

"Yup. Think about it that way. You didn't even remember all of the faces of these waiters.
And when you walk on the street, do you remember the faces of ALL the people you're passing by? Just like that, we from the Far Shore blend in the crowd. People just forget about us in the end."

That explanation seemed reasonable enough, but the teenage boy couldn't help but feel that it appeared to be a lonely way of 'living'.

Even so, his train of thought was interrupted when the waitress from before came back with 2 icy glasses of water. She apologized once again, and then asked if they were ready to order.

"Oh BTW. You both can order as much as you like. Its on me."
Hioko said with a smile.

"Thank you Hioko! We'll try to not take advantage of your generosity! Right Yuki-chan?"

That tone gave him chills for some reason, but he hoped for the best.

It couldn't be THAT bad.

/

"Me and my big mouth..."

Hioko had ordered a simple dish of sushi with rice balls (considering he already had breakfast) just because he didn't want to be impolite.

On the other hand, right in front of him, were 2 young girls who weren't very visible thanks to the mountain of dishes that they were eating.

Sushi, salads, pizza, hamburgers, and many more. Yaru was the one with more devotion in her eating, leaving the chopsticks behind and just grabbing some pieces with her bare hands.

Yuki wasn't that far behind. Though unlike her master, the blond DID try her best to use the chopsticks for manners. But it was at such an incredible speed that Hioko wasn't able to keep up.

"You do know you're GIRLS right?"

It sounded harsher than he had intended it to be, but it was the truth. The delivery Goddess looked up from her plate full of spaghetti and, after slurping some bit of it, she replied.

"Of course we know! As a matter of fact, you shouldn't be saying these type of things. That's NO way to speak to a lady!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the teenage boy rubbed his temples with a slurry smile in his face. Thinking about 'Yaru' and the word 'lady' in the same sentence was kind of odd.

It was true. Yaru was somewhat of a tomboy. You could easily tell just by the way she dressed. Sweaters, shorts, boots. Not very feminine actually. And her attitude was the icing on the cake.

Yet still, that same attitude made her extremely adorable and somewhat pretty. And Hioko had NEVER referred to a girl as 'pretty' so that was saying a lot.

Its not that he didn't like girls. Many of them were attractive. But he'd never been the one to date so there was no point in saying such things.

But Yaru was very different. She was pretty in a weird way. And he kind of liked it.

"Could you at least chew slower? You're gonna get diarrhea if you're stomach can't digest it."

The pink eyed boy took a sip of his green tea when the Goddess came to him with a comeback.

"Doesn't matter. Gods don't need to poop."

SPIT!

*10 MINUTES LATER~*

Hioko stood at the doorway of the restaurant they had attended to. Yuki was already outside waiting for Yaru just like he was.

The teenage boy had insisted for her to go pay at the counter considering SHE was the one who got carried away the most.
So, giving her the money, he pushed the blue eyed woman towards the reception lady.
But still, he decided to stick around in case Yaru planned on running away with the money.

"Ohhh these are free right? Can I grab one?"
Yaru said while pointing at a jar full of free lollipops for customers. The reception lady nodded politely and that was enough for the Goddess to start filling her pockets.

With another exasperated sigh, the boy turned from the door and went outside. She would be there a while. Might as well keep the blond regalia company.

Speaking of her, once he was out, Hioko saw the young girl leaning against a tree with her bangs covering her left eye. She blew some air trying to move it, but it would fall into place again.
When she noticed she was no longer alone, the regalia composed herself and gave a court small bow at the young boy while mumbling:

"T-Thank you for the food..."

Noticing her nervousness & discomfort, Hioko merely smiled at her and said:

"No problem. That's what friends are for right?"

After that, he extended his hand towards her in an attempt to get a handshake. Then he spoke again:

"I don't think we were properly introduced. My name is Iki Hioko. But just call me Hioko if you will. The other way would be TOO formal he he.."

After a while of hesitation, the blond girl shook it and then stayed silent for a bit.

"Hioko-kun? Can I ask you something?"

"You already are."

"Hehe I guess... How do you know her?"

At first, the black haired boy didn't understand who 'her' was, but then after looking in the direction the other was pointing at, he understood.

"Oh. You mean Yaru. Well you see, I kind of lose my physical body from time to time now. And she promised me she'd help with it. So I'm sticking around for a bit."

"I'm sorry for your luck."

While rubbing the back of his neck, the boy laughed awkwardly at the girl's bluntness.

"Its not that bad I guess.."
Then he turned Yuki's way.

"How about you? How did you-.?.."

Suddenly, the half-phantom stopped himself by biting his lower lip. The girl with orange eyes looked up at Hioko expecting his question, but it never came.

All he could think about was the day Yaru had chosen her to be her regalia. He still couldn't understand what a regalia WAS. At first, he thought it was just a weapon. But now it seemed that they could actually be people.

With feelings, but dead.
Did they even now they were dead?

"Sorry.. But... How did you...? Um..."

Understanding the meaning of his question, the blond thought for a moment before replying:

"I dunno... I mean I know I died.. But I just don't remember how.. All I can remember is turning into a blade. This is practically all I can remember."

"That must be a hard feeling..."

Not being able to remember who you are, or in this case, were.
And Yuki already seemed like a very nice person. So maybe when she was alive she was like that as well.

"I'm sorry."

It was the first thing that came into mind, and Hioko mentally kicked himself for being so insensitive. Fortunately, Yuki didn't seem offended by it for she just replied 'Its ok'.

Awkward silence filled the air, and that's when the boy realized that Yaru was taking longer than necessary. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a white fluffy cat made it's way between the Regalia's legs making her giggle in amusement.

"Hey! You're the sardine thief aren't you?"

She knelt down at the cat's level and began scratching behind its ears, earning many purrs from the small animal.

Hioko chuckled at the scene unfolding before him, as he made his way towards them and knelt down next to the blond.

"I'm guessing you like cats then?"

"I guess. Not sure if there's a memory about that though."

"Hahaha cats are pretty cute. Like you."

Even though he meant it as a compliment, Yuki couldn't help but blush about it. And that's when she realized that Hioko was actually good looking.

"AHH!"

The yell caused both subjects to look towards the source. There, in the restaurant doorway, was the Delivery Goddess in all her glory. Pockets stuffed with sweet goods and a lollipop in her mouth. With a hand grasping the back of her neck in pain.

"Yuki! You just had a dirty thought didn't you?!"

The girl in question turned a new shade of red while trying to avoid eye contact.

"Listen young lady. Masters & Regalias share mind & body! So I can tell whenever you have some messed up thoughts!"

"What do you mean they share 'mind & body'?"
Hioko's interest perked again.

"Gods can read they're regalias like books. They're feelings, thoughts, everything. And it hurts to see that my little Yuki isn't as innocent as I thought."

Yaru finished her explanation with a knowing smirk. The blond's face changed from embarrassed to angry in a mere second.

"Shut up!"

*RING!*

With a swift movement, the Goddess took her phone ignoring the young girl's protests.

"Hello! The Yaru God here! Fast, affordable & reliable! Thank you for calling and what can I do for you?"

Grumbling under her breath, the regalia returned to her original spot next to Hioko, a blush still visible in her cheeks.
A minute later, the Goddess placed her phone back in her pocket and grabbed the blond's wrist.

"Good news Yuki! We have a job!"

That's when Hioko remembered the reason why he brought them here.

"W-Wait! What about MY job?!"

But it was too late. Yaru had already taken Yuki's hand and was ready to teleport. And because of that, the teenage boy held tightly around Yaru's waist to prevent her from going anywhere. But that only caused him to tag along, leaving his physical body behind.

/

The peace & quiet of a nearby shrine was interrupted by our 3 heroes crashing on top of one another.
Yuki made it safely, while Yaru fell on her back with Hioko on top of her. A blush crept itself on they're faces, but the goddess tried to push him away to prevent any further embarrassment.

"Seriously? Why do you keep tagging along with me?!"

Recovering from the blush himself, the young Iki stood up with an intense glare boring into the woman's also glaring blue eyes.

"If it bothers you so much then grant my wish already and I'll leave you alone!"

"When the East Wind blows, the cherry blossoms bloom..."

Remembering the situation at hand, Yaru looked around trying to recognize the place they had teleported to.

A strong wind passed by forcing the 3 of them to look away. And after that, the cherry blossom trees began to bloom in a beautiful pattern. Even so, they could all sense that someone with great power was behind it.

"A trap?!"
Yaru spoke in disbelief.

The wind came back, but this time it closed the windows, doors and all possible nearby exits. They were trapped.
Yaru stood protectively in from of both Hioko & Yuki.
Hioko was a human, while Yuki didn't know how to fight properly yet.

"Stay behind me! Both of you!"

"The moonlight in the darkness, can be a friend or an ally..."

"There it is again."
Hioko thought.

He had heard it the first time, before the cherry blossoms bloomed. A voice repeating a sort of poem.

"Both poems are from Shizukika-san. An old philosopher that died centuries ago... Nobody should remember him... Unless.."

After a while of thinking that was only a matter of seconds, the boy's pink orbs widened in awe as he spoke:

"A-Are you... Tenjin-sama..?"

The strong gusts of wind stopped, and were replaced with a deep female chuckle. The doors to the shrine opened once again, and from it appeared an older looking woman.

With white hair that went all the way past her waist, almost to the ground, but held by many hair clips. The top hat had a dark blue color with a symbol that read 'Learn'.

A long traditional royal kimono was placed upon her with a couple of floral designs. A pair of sandals were there as well and she used a small smoking pipe that seemed to be made of gold.

"Wel well Yaru! You found yourself an educated human. Greetings little one."

Surprised that he was actually right, both he & Yuki spoke at the same time:

"Lady Tenjin the Goddess of Learning!"

Both teenagers made their way towards the older woman and bowed to her feat, earning more chuckles from her and a scowl from Yaru.

"Now now please settle down! There's no reason for you to bow Iki Hioko-san. Not you either little one."

The boy in question stared up in disbelief and awe.

"Y-You know my name?"

"Of course. I know everything that happens in the Near Shore. Many people come to me everyday after all."

Yaru felt a stab in the heart when he saw Hioko so amazed by the 'old fosile' as she called her.
She wished he could admire her that way too.

Turning towards the little blond next to the pink eyed boy, the Goddess of Learning asked:

"I'm guessing you're Yaru's new companion. What's her name Yaru?"

Gritting her teeth silently for the smirk that was obvious in the older's lips, she answers gloomily:

"Yuki."

Ignoring the venom in her voice, Tenjin looked towards her left, calling her own regalias.

All of them, or most of them at least were males. They introduced themselves with names like 'Kayu', 'Cheiyu', 'Neyu', etc.

After the many introductions, Tenjin once again turned towards Yuki and spoke.

"I suppose you're not aware of the many things you must do as a regalia am I correct?"

With a nod of confirmation coming from the orange eyed girl, Tenjin spoke again:

"Alright then. Kogyu. Step forth please."

Everyone stared at the crowd of male regalias again, and from it came a young man with black hair, dark eyes, and 4 dots plastered on his forehead. He spoke with a firm yet caring tone:

"For starters Yuki-san, it is disrespectful for a regalia to bow to another God if her own master is present."

It took a moment for the thought to kick in, and thus once she did, Yuki stood up quickly dusting her clothing and staring at her feet.

"Why did you call anyway Tenjin?"

Yaru came closer and stayed next to Yuki, while Hioko stood up himself and dusted his pants.
Lady Tenjin spoke in an almost hurt tone with a bit of mockery:

"Such insolence Yaru-chan! Can't I just call an old friend for some good memories? I Also thought that you'd be more than willing to take it since I believe your not that busy at the moment, yes?"

All the while, the older Goddess held a 100 yen bill and waved it in the track suited one's face.

But after a while of taunting, Tenjin actually grabbed a 5 yen coin and tossed it at Yaru, who caught it with no problem at all.

"My newest regalia will show you the job's location, since i am pretty busy myself. Please wait for a moment if you will."

"My Lady."

The other regalia who was known as Kogyu had spoken and held a bit of worry in his voice:

"I believe Seyu is still TOO much of a newcomer. Do you desire for me to escort the Yaru God instead?"

"Thank you for your concern Kogyu but I think he's more than capable. Plus, Seyu is pretty familiar with Ms. Yaru here."

That perked Yaru's curiosity. Who would that be anyway?

Tenjin let go of the smoke pipe that was in her mouth, and said the word 'Kenyu'.
Suddenly, the pipe was enlightened in a blinding light.
Then, instead of a pipe, stood a young man with black hair and dark green eyes.

Very familiar eyes actually...

"TOMOKI?!"

Indeed, Yaru's old regalia stood there in all his glory. Tenjin pat the man's back, while his eye twitched for a bit due to annoyance, but then composed himself.

"My name is Seyu."

But Yaru wouldn't budge.

"TOMOKI HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME FOR SOMEONE LIKE THIS!?"

"My name is Seyu."

"SEYU MY ASS! YOU ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE BEING TOUCHED! BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN ADAPT WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE HUH?!"

That was it.

"SHUT IT! I DECIDE WHATEVER I LIKE!"

During the whole deal, Yuki & Hioko stared at the sidelines with confused expressions. Until the young Iki decided to speak to the other male regalia:

"U-Um are you...An ex-boyfriend?"

The ones discussing turned towards Hioko with angry looks and replied with a firm: NO!

This time Yuki guessed:

"An ex-husband then. There must be something between you both."

Again, the answer was: NO!

Bickering continued between them both as everyone else kept silent with amused expressions. After a while though, Tenjin made her way towards her regalia and pat his back for comfort.

The green eyed man understood what his master meant, thus he took a deep breath and spoke again:

"I apologize Yaru-san. Let's forget about this please. There are things we must discuss regarding they job."

Yaru stared at Seyu for a minute, but then shrugged her shoulders with a sigh, indicating for him to lead.
So that's what Seyu did.
Once Yuki, Hioko & himself said their goodbye's, the black haired regalia took them towards they're destination.

During the walk, Yuki kept asking questions about Yaru to the older regalia. Things such as 'Has she always been unemployed?' or 'How did she treat you before, Seyu-san?'.

Seyu answered in the most polite way he could without hurting anyone's feelings.

It didn't take long before they arrived at a local train station.

"Here we are."

Taking in the surroundings, Hioko didn't understand what kind of job could they possibly have here. So, pretending like if it were HIS task, he asked:

"What seems to be the problem here?"

Glancing once at the teenage boy, Seyu turned his way towards Yaru instead.

"Phantoms have been attacking lately. Tenjin-sama believes it could be because of all the negative energy that keeps pestering around these type of areas. Even though its common, we must stop it."

The Goddess kept a straight face during her ex-regalia's speech. But once he was done, she did a left turn and started walking away.

This was unexpected.

"W-Wait a minute! Where do you think you're going?!"

With her hands in her pockets, the blue eyed woman spoke:

"Somewhere else of course. This job ain't worth my time."

"How can you say such a thing!? Its disrespectful! After everything that Tenjin-sama has done for you!"

"Why do you even have to kill phantoms?"

Hioko broke into the conversation again, and this time Seyu wasn't ignoring him. But somewhat glaring at him.

"You're Iki Hioko-kun, am I right? I don't think its a good idea for you to mangle with things of the Far Shore."

Pointing at his spiritual tail for emphasis, Hioko replied:

"I doubt I can simply forget about what I've seen until now. I apologize for interrupting, but if phantoms are negative spirits that only people from the Far Shore can see, why is it important for them to be destroyed?"

"Because thanks to them, new names are being added to the list of suicidal people."

The boy's pink orbs widened a bit after hearing this. It was very common in Japan for people to end they're lives out of nowhere, but he never imagined it would have anything to do with all of this.

Seyu continued:

"You are correct that phantoms cannot be seen by human beings, but they can influence deeply on somebody's behavior. They feed off of people's negative thoughts and stimulate them, until someone is so depressed that they can't take it anymore."

That made sense if you thought it through. The raven had to admit it.
Seyu must have noticed Hioko's defeated expression, for he continued to pursue Yaru.
After many insults coming from Tenjin's regalia, the Goddess replied with something that broke the teenager's heart.

"If people want to die, let them die. They are useless now. They can't even become regalias."

Even Yuki flinched on the spot because of the cold tone that her master was using. Not wanting to listen to this any longer, the young Iki made his way past Seyu and straight towards Yaru; grabbing her sleeve.

"So you're not gonna help them?"

With the same cold eyes, she spoke:

"Help who?"

With an angry expression, the young boy used his height to his advantage to look down at the Goddess.

"Aren't you a God? You're supposed to help people!"

"They're just a waste of time."

Now this was a new. Yaru changed from her bubbly personality, to a cold and careless one. The mere thought of people dying in front of him when he could have done something, was a big thing that Hioko can't ignore.

"You're hopeless."

And just like that, Hioko ran off in frustration. Jumping from building to building thanks to his supernatural abilities.

Yuki tried to get his attention, but failed miserably. Looking back at Yaru, the blond spoke in a concerned tone:

"Shouldn't we go after him?"

The Goddess only stared at the last place the young boy passed. Knowing his behavior by now, she knew that he wouldn't stay put.

"Guess I'll go."

/
"Stupid God! Yaru you idiot!"

Hioko kept jumping away from the previous train station heading towards central area.

Now that he was angry, he would do ANYTHING in his power to prove the track suited Goddess wrong.

"If she won't help, than I will!"

Helping people was in his blood. So if there was anything Hioko could do to prevent any harm, he would do it.

With that in mind, now we can clearly see where he's headed.
Samiko Train Station.
As he landed, Hioko noticed that what Seyu had said was true.
Many phantoms of different sizes were gathered around.

A small one was actually resting on top of a teenager's shoulder. She mumbled something like:

"If my parents want me to leave to collage so badly, might as well do it already."

And the phantom would say:

"tHey DonT deserVe you... COme witH ME, it will be FUN.."

Before something would come out of hand, the raven haired boy jumped from his position on tip if a light pole, and prepared his signature move.

"JUNGLE KICK!"

The phantom was knocked out of the way, thus making the teenage girl get out of her trance immediately.
Landing gracefully on his feet, Iki Hioko shot a glare towards the phantom.

"Pick on someone your own size!"

Even though that was easy enough, his actions brought other spirit's attentions. More of the bigger phantoms came closer to his comfort while saying:

"WhO is that?"
"He sEeS us?"
"One of uS!"
"Half of us..."
"Join THE fun!"

"H-HEY! Cut it ou-MMMHH!"

Hioko had been pushes by the spirits right into the train tracks.
Before he could do anything, they had tied him and suddenly covered his mouth, preventing him from screaming.

His heart was going 88 m/h, sweat dripping down his forehead at such an incredible speed, that put the train approaching him to shame. The struggle was real for Hioko.

"Now would be a good time for a miracle.. "
He joked to himself.

The first person that came to mind would obviously be the one who got him in this mess in the first place.
But her earlier attitude kept flashing back into his mind, and that depressed him.

"If Yaru doesn't even care about people she hasn't met, why would she bother with me?"

That philosophy alone was enough to convince him.
Other options wouldn't come here on time. And others were simply out of the question.

"Am I.. Really gonna-"

"REND!"

The 'chains' holding him back suddenly vanished in a bright white light. It was all a blur, but he heard the voice call his name once again:

"HIOKO! JUMP!"

So he did. Automatically he did. Jumped on top of the train that was passing by. Finally looking up, the image of the Delivery Goddess appeared in front of him in a flash.

She had jumped on top as well. Holding her blade (Yuki) in one hand while the other was on Hioko's shoulder.

"We'll discuss later. For now, get off the train."

That's what she said to him. And he didn't even think twice about it. He jumped out of the tracks, falling into a forest area.

Even though he didn't know why he was doing this, Hioko didn't hesitate and merely followed the Goddess.

Back with her, she was only concentrated in the task at hand.
Defeating the phantom.
What phantom you may ask?
The one forming itself in the next station.

It was big and orange. With the form of a hand. And it appeared to be attracting a young woman towards the tracks. Planning to do the same thing that was intended with Hioko.
With a 'tsk', Yaru spoke aloud for Yuki to hear:

"It's time for your first job Yuki."

The regalia in question merely shrugged her shoulders, trying her best to put up a brave face even though no one could see it.

"Sure. What am I supposed to do?"

"Come to me when I call your regalia name. Revert to a human when I call your human name. And slice whatever I tell you to. For now, that's all."

The Goddess stood up, still trying to hold onto the base while the train approached it's destination. Both females were still too far away from the woman who was being possessed, and taking a count the speed they were going, this didn't seem to be their lucky day.

"Oh no! We're not gonna make it!"

"Yes we will!"

The Goddess' grip around the handle became stronger, and thus Yaru ran straight towards the monster. Jumping on top of it, she began her special mantra to get rid of the hideous thing.

"You who would desecrate this land of the rising sun, with my advent I, the Yaru God, lay wait with The Sekki, and expel thy vast defilement!"

After passing her fingers through the blade and positioning herself in a good angle, Yaru strikes the phantom with all her might.

"REND!"

The orange colored hand was sliced in a half alright, but also a couple of things as well.
Light poles, windows, and fences around were being shattered thanks to Yuki's impressive sharpness.

Even if it seemed amazing, the Goddess couldn't allow more destruction into the Near Shore. So while jumping once again out of the way of the moving train, Yaru spoke:

"Yuki! Revert! You cut TOO well!"

Landing gracefully on her feet, Yuki turned back and thus both females became tired.
Seyu had left a while ago, but not after saying 'thank you' to Yaru before she went to save Hioko.

And speaking of the living teen, he made himself present by walking near them both and standing next to the blue eyed woman.

"So you said people who want to kill themselves are a waste of time, yet you saved this one? What people say is true, you can't understand a woman."

Yaru still stared at the sunset that was now glowing into the background of the deadly station. Neither of them knew it was so late already.

Thinking that she would keep ignoring him, Hioko started to walk away, until her voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"It's not like that..."

Still a bit angry, the young Iki replied to her with a remark:

"Then what is it?"

"People should appreciate the fact that they're alive, even if it does get tuff once in a while. Not just throw it away like if it were nothing... Others would love to be them."

The pink eyed boy didn't think much about it at first, but then began trying to decipher what she meant.
Yaru's words came back to him:

"They can't even become regalias."

And even though all regalias seem to be relatively young, this statement would discard the fact that they died while trying to take away they're lives.

"If suicide isn't how they died..."

Hioko tried to put the last piece in place, but was failing miserably. It wasn't until he turned to look at Yuki that everything clicked.

"Regalias... Are people who still wanted to live.."

Hioko's moment of clarity changed to one of anger. But not at Yaru. At himself. For thinking that she was selfish in any way.

"She wouldn't allow it if it was caused by a 'phantom'."

"Hioko-kun?"

Yuki's concerned voice brought him back to reality, only then realizing he had angry tears lingering in his pink orbs.

Whipping them away, he turned towards her with a smile.

"I'm OK Yuki-chan. Thanks for worrying."

The blond's cheeks had a new shade of red in them, and that's when Yaru had another pain attack in her neck.

"YUKI YOU LITTLE PERV-ETTE!"

Yaru noticed Hioko's puffy red eyes, so she assumed the worse by glaring at the blond with a disapproving scowl.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM HUH?"

Yuki once again had a red face. But not from embarrassment.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Its true! She was only concerned about me!"

"Concerned?! Yeah right! Concerned your ass! Huh? Get it?!"

"Shut up you lousy imitation of a God!"

"N-Now now Yuki-chan. Take a deep breath and-"

"Stay out of this Hioko-kun! Don't encourage her!"

"Cut it out you idiot!"

"YOUR the idiot!"

The 'cat fight' kept on for a while. Hioko couldn't help but laugh at the odd duo. They were very different from one another. But maybe that was a good thing.

After all, it was good to see Yuki's angry side. It was adorable. The fact that she was coming out of her shy shell was comforting to the young Iki.

He really wouldn't mind sticking around for a little while.

/

Once the sun set completely, Hioko had left to go home and said his farewells to the girls.

They were now in one of the old shrines Yaru had found a while ago to sleep. The Goddess had taken the top of the stairs, while Yuki stayed at the bottom.

The blond couldn't stop shaking due to the cold weather. And being outdoors wasn't making it easier. But suddenly, a warm fabric had landed on her back, and she heard Yaru say something:

"Here."

Picking it up, Yuki held an amused expression.
It was a sweater.
A Capypa Land sweater.
The one from this morning to be precise.

"Gee thanks."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but still she took the offered piece of clothing, wrapping it around herself. The blond tried to get comfortable, and somehow found a decent position.

She was almost into La-La Land, until Yaru spoke again. With a tone that held a bit of pride.

"For a newbie... You did a pretty good job today."

Yuki couldn't believe what she heard. Turning around, she came almost face to face with the Delivery Goddess. Even though her face seemed with the same nonchalant look, her blue eyes reflected nothing but the truth.

Giving a small smile, the blond's shyness returned once again while saying a small 'thank you'.

Yaru didn't say anything else, but instead rolled over having her back facing the teenage girl. Noticing that she wouldn't talk again, Yuki pulled the sweater around herself tighter and finally reached her limit, falling asleep with the small smile still there.

Neither Regalia or God noticed the mysterious figure in white watching them from a far.

/

Bruh, this took longer than expected XD I'm sorry for the late updatebut I had a 2 week vacation spurt so that kind of gave me some time to relax.

Usually I write these chapters during my break in school, but since no school... I kind of forgot :p
Thanks for being patient though, and I hope we can finish this soon to continue with other project besides Aragoto (Yes, Seraph Of The End is happening XD)

Also thank you all so much for your kind reviews because that motivates me to keep going! :3

I'm not able to reply to all of you cause this story is in many different fan fiction websites so... That could take a while!

Hope you all enjoy. Leave a comment, and I'll see you guys later! Bye!

~Alice :)