Author's Note: We are now onto the final stretch of this story. After much consideration I have finally condensed the plot and come to the conclusion of how this story will end. There will be one more chapter left. So do enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the final stage of Refraction…
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"I won't forgive you," she says. Why didn't you tell her that even if you do summon Taizanfukun, a sinner like yourself won't be able to substitute Miyabi?"
"Hatred could become a drive for one to live on too right?"
"…Kantarou…"
"It's ok; I'm used to these sorts of things…"
To be used to being hated what a horrible thing to become accustomed to…
-
"Mai-chan?" questioned Youko, grasping at the sleeve of Kantarou's kimono in confusion, "Doshite?" she murmured and then stated more forcefully, "Doshite, Mai-chan?!"
The eyes of the bystanders fell upon the young girl who had begun walking down the bloodstained stairs of the temple with a dark expression on her face, "Doshite?" she replied in all innocence, "Doshite, you ask? Because I told Ichinomiya Kantarou that I would always hate him, for letting Miyabi die."
"Mai!" yelled Haruka, steadying his master's weak form, "Get a hold of yourself!"
"And you!" cried the priestess in venomous voice, rage etching across her features, "It is because of you that Ichinomiya left my sister's side during the ceremony. I should kill you as well, but first…"
Kantarou's eye widened, hearing the change in her voice and the wave of intent radiating from her body as he quickly turned, pushing Youko back, "Get out of here, Youko-chan!"
"No!" cried the fox demon, hanging onto him and pleading, "I can't leave, not without Kan-chan!"
"Youko," his voice held no arguments, "Leave, now!"
Tears ran down her cheeks as she regarded her master as he stood before her with only the left side of his face visible due to the crimson trail stemming from his right eye. "No Kan-chan. No!" she pleaded, clinging to him, and for the first time in her life feeling frightened for a human.
He had never spoken so harshly to her in all the years that they had been together, nor had he ever looked at her in this way. He looked so old and serious and as he pushed her away, her eyes widened when he took her hands and held them so gently within his own.
"Youko-chan," he whispered, "Please, do me this favor. Take my grandmother and Miyu and save both them and yourself."
"Kan-chan…" she replied in a shaky voice, watching as he managed to give her a cheery smile, even though it must have pained him to do so.
The exorcist dropped her hands and took staggering steps toward the priestess, he looked so pale and the blood had not subsided since the initial attack, for a human to have endured so much and still be standing it was an amazing display of defiance. As the youkai looked back at her beloved master she heard one word that was carried along with the breeze, Arigato.
-
Haruka reached out, taking hold of his master under his right arm and holding firmly, "Kantarou, you cannot face her," he growled, torn between varying emotions, his senses in overdrive from all of the blood.
"Haruka, this is not your battle," replied the exorcist with a bow of his head, "You'll be completely useless against Mai's onmayou spells. Please leave me," he staggered forward, as a series of coughs resulted in a spew of blood falling from his parted lips and on to the ground.
Haruka made an attempt to grab his arm, but was faltered by the wave of Kantarou's hand intercepting his hand; he turned and spoke in a shaky voice, "And please take care of Youko-chan and the others…"
His voice trailed off at the sight of Mai raising her hand, and quickly pushed Haruka out of the way of a vine shooting upward where they had once been standing. The Onikui Tengu stumbled backwards but was quick to regain his footing as his gaze fell on his master who barely standing and panting heavily.
"This is more than simple onmayou, Haruka. Mai has been practicing the dark arts, for onmayou cannot be used against humans. Besides," his master turned to face him, the left side of his face still visible as his eye creased happily, "I can't protect you and fight for my life. So take care of my loved ones, will you?"
Haruka's eyes widened at the statement and then nodded his head in acknowledgement, "Hai, just don't die you baka."
"Aw, I didn't know you cared, Haruka," replied the exorcist nonchalantly, but their interaction came to an abrupt halt.
"Enough!" exclaimed the irate priestess as she cast a spell of binding that sent more vines toward the two.
Kantarou quickly took out a talisman from his sleeve and threw it upward creating a barrier with a bright light radiating from it, that deflected the attack, and in quick movements the two disappeared from the priestess's view.
"Kuso," growled Mai, her eyes scanning the area, "No matter, you're out here somewhere Kantarou!"
"Hai, I am," came a voice from behind her as she nearly dodged a chain of light shooting out from his outstretched hand.
She staggered backward, clearly confused as to how quickly he could still move yet regained her footing, realizing that the exorcist was acting as a diversion while the Onikui Tengu escaped.
"What's wrong, Mai-chan? You didn't think that I would let you get your hands on Haruka that easily did you? After all, there will be no reason for me to break my contract with Haruka if you are not using his capture as collateral against me in order to aide Raikou."
Instead of showing an ounce of shock toward his deductive reasoning the young girl smirked, "I thought you would figure it out. But to be honest, I don't really care if you live long enough to release the tengu from the contract that you possess. I just want to see you die!"
The exorcist quickly leapt backwards as black flames began to rise from the ground around the priestess. He panted heavily, finding his footing and clutching at his chest from the dark aura that was beginning to surround the area.
She really has sold her soul to the devil…
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Haruka hadn't hesitated to get away with Youko and the others when Kantarou's diversion had been administered. Kaoru had put up a fight, frantically begging Haruka not to leave her child behind. Miyu had been the only sensible one as she stood before her grandmother, taking her shoulders and stating in a calm voice, "Grandmother, we must honor Kantarou's wishes. He is trying to save us for she will probably attack us in order to weaken him. Besides," she whispered, "we should do Kantarou the honor of not having us there to watch him dyi—
"No!" cried Youko, "Kan-chan won't…" she shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks, "He won't!"
"Please go back to my child, my Kan-chan," pleaded Kaoru, taking hold of Haruka's arm, "After all, you are the Onikui Tengu, are you not? So please, as his friend won't you do me this favor? And I shall go with Miyu and Youko and honor his wishes."
"A human and a tengu cannot be friends. Not with our values and our life span. It's also a tragedy that we die in a different way. That's why I don't want to get deeply involved with humans."
"Aa…"
"What's with that attitude? I also have a question for you…"
"Oh? That's unusual for you."
"Why are you still dealing with me? Compared to the Onikui Tengu you've read in books and the tengu that I am there is a significant difference. I'm not like how I was in the past."
"I don't understand. Present…past…that stuff doesn't really matter; more over, Haruka, you're my friend."
"Haruka?" questioned Youko, watching the tengu's body tense before gently removing Kaoru's hand from his arm.
"Hai, I will go to Kantarou. Youko, you must escape with these two and make it back to the village."
"Hai, we'll bring back help," informed Youko, but it was already too late for the Onikui Tengu was gone and all that remained was a few black feathers in his absence.
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"Raikou-sama, is that really alright? She's admitted her betrayal…"
"It's fine, Ibaragi…after all…I knew she would betray us from the beginning, however, I needed her to break the seal at the temple and she really is giving us a nice showing against Ichinomiya."
"He appears to be at his limit, Raikou-sama…"
"I wouldn't underestimate him Watanabe. Besides, I won't let her kill him before I get what I want. Stupid girl, if she thinks I would just hand Ichinomiya to her and let her be the executioner."
"You make it sound as though you respect the exorcist…"
"Perhaps I do Ibaragi. There's something about watching a man's rival fight for his life that gives us all a sense of respect."
"I see…then fight for your life Ichinomiya Kantarou and let us see who the victor shall be…"
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Haruka arrived on the temple grounds just as an explosion of dark flames erupted from the ground, nearly causing him to be blown backwards. Through the flames he could make out two figures. The apparent victor was standing over the fallen and when the voice made it to his ears he found himself running…
"Now you shall die, Ichinomiya Kantarou!"
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"Mai, I don't know what Raikou promised you…" stated the exorcist in between labored breaths, drifting in and out of consciousness after the blow he had received, "but you can't trust him…once he has Haruka you won't matter to him anymore."
"Raikou-san promised me the one thing that you denied me, Kantarou" taunted the priestess, making a fist with her left hand and watching as the Onikui Tengu struggled against the chains binding him, "He's going to bring back Miyabi," she informed with a laugh.
"Mai, listen to me," strained Kantarou, "we are not miracle workers; we cannot bring back the dead without an equal or greater value, similar to the laws of alchemy. Even if it does work, what you would bring back may not be Miyabi and these dark summons always come with a cost to the user."
"Shut up! I've heard enough from you. Now do me the favor of breaking your contract with the Onikui Tengu so that I can obtain my goal. Or shall I kill him instead?"
"I'm sorry but I can't do that..." murmured the exorcist before closing his left eye.
Haruka's gasp of pain rang out through the area and Mai regarded the fallen exorcist, "Does it bother you that he's in pain?" She tightened the chain making the pain unbearable yet still the tengu did nothing more than gasp, "No?" She regarded him before leaning over his body, "Have you died already?"
Haruka fell to the ground after a futile attempt of freeing himself and continued to struggle, both his staff and his motionless master were still too far away to reach, yet his ears could detect the nearly inaudible breaths coming from the exorcist's parted lips, giving him some hope that there was still time.
Kuso, why had Kantarou had to be right about tengu's being weak against Onmayou spells…
"Mai, do you really think that Raikou is going to bring back Miyabi? Are you blinded by your revenge that you can't see that you've made a bargain with evil?"
Mai froze for a moment, as if contemplating his questions before stating in a carefree voice with an accompanying shrug of her shoulders, "I hate Ichinomiya Kantarou for letting Miyabi die, but since she died…" her hair fell across her face, shielding it from view, "the people of my village love me now," she laughed darkly, "Isn't that wonderful?"
Hakura's eyes widened, this girl was a walking contradiction, as if torn mentally from resurrecting her sister or living the life she had now, "Mai, you've completely been overtaken by evil…"
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And the darkness has surrounded the fallen exorcist's body…
"Kantarou-san? Kantarou-san?"
"Who's there?"
"Kantarou-san, you must wake up. Please wake up…"
"Gomen, but I'm afraid I just have nothing else to give…"
"Please Kantarou-san, please don't give up. Haruka-san is in trouble…"
"Haruka?"
"Hai. Haruka-san came back for you. Please let me help you…"
…And through the darkness, a light appears and a hand grasps his to reveal…
"It's you…"
"Hai, please let me aid you."
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"Shut up!" she cried, making the bindings constrict more painfully around the tengu, "You don't know anything! Do you see how strong I am? I'm by far stronger than Kantarou! "
"No Mai, you're not stronger than me," stated a deadly voice next to her ear as her eyes widened and she gasped in shock.
The priestess staggered forward and turned to face the exorcist who had once been just barely breathing standing confidently behind her, with an expression unlike one she had ever seen before.
"How? I was about to kill you!"
The exorcist regarded the distraught priestess and a smirk appeared on his face, "Because Mai, I don't fight for myself. I fight for those around me and that is where true strength comes from."
"You fight for the tengu?" she fixed her gaze on the bound tengu at her side, but gasped at Kantarou's words,
"I fight for Miyabi-chan."
"Mi-Miyabi?"
Haruka watched the exchange between the two and slowly watched as Kantarou tilted his head toward his left side to reveal a beautiful young girl with flowing brown hair and wearing a ceremonial robe who gently took hold of his arm with a smile.
"Please save my Nee-chan, Kantarou-san. I'm afraid that she died a long time ago."
"No!" cried Mai, shaking her head in disbelief, "No! Miyabi can't be here! She wouldn't betray me by siding with you!"
Miyabi turned to face her sister and sighed, "Nee-chan, it is you who betrayed me. I asked you not to blame Kantarou-san for not summoning Taizanfukun-sama. And now you've hurt Kantarou-san so badly that I'm afraid when I leave him he will…"
Kantarou shook his head with a solemn look on his face before turning his attention back to Mai, his crimson orb narrowing "Let Haruka go, Mai. This is not a battle you can win."
"I'm going to make you suffer for turning Miyabi against me!" she laughed, a maddening smile on her face, "Yes, then you will know what true pain is!"
"Mai," his voice was deadly serious and his face shown no remorse for what he was about to say, "Do you know why I didn't call Taizanfukan-sama the night of Miyabi's death?"
"Because you—
He cut her off with the same voice, "Because did you really think that Taizanfukan-sama would take you, a sinner as a sacrifice for a soul as beautiful as Miyabi's?" He found it in him to smirk at her face, "Sorry sweetheart, but Taizanfukan-sama wouldn't take you, no more than he would take me."
Considering Mai's reaction he refocused his attention, "Miyabi-chan…" the exorcist regarded the beautiful priestess at his side and merely watched as she nodded her head in acceptance, "Understood. Please stand back, I don't want to risk your soul being caught in this world."
Once she was out of the way, he pulled a talisman from his sleeve and held it in between his index and middle finger, taking off his spirit beads and winding them around his hand, "It ends here, Mai. If you refuse to let Haruka go," his face turned dark, "Then I will be forced to make you by any means necessary."
The dark priestess braced herself and sent a wave of dark energy into the chains binding Haruka. As if pleased with herself at hearing him gasp in pain, she turned her attention back toward the exorcist and throwing a dark talisman upward summoned various demons.
"Honor the prayers within, multiple Kamis that descended prior to proper beings. Bind these onis evil and put down the evil, extinguish the hundred demons of the core and do it now!"
The talisman multiplied into a hundred and attached themselves to the demons; the blast as they were exorcised pushed both competitors backward with a fury of wind. But one was quicker than the other as the dust cleared…
"Embrace and praise all Buddhas divide the origins of the stars…Eastern Gouzanze Yasha Myou-ou, Western Daiitoku Yasha Myou-ou, Southern Kundou Yasha Myou-ou, Northern Kongou Yasha Myou-ou. Submit, purify, and destroy! Tear apart the binding spell and come before us the kami of Takaokami!"
A water dragon appeared between the two combaters with a rush of wind, causing both to shield their eyes from the dirt being swept in the air. The dragon launched itself full force toward the dark priestess filling the land with a rapid flood of water as the bindings holding the Onikui Tengu disappeared.
Haruka flew from the water, staff in hand and landed some distance from his master as Miyabi rushed to greet him.
"Haruka-san, I'm so glad that you're alright!"
Haruka couldn't help but give her what would be the closest thing to a smile that he could muster, before turning his attention back to the silver haired exorcist.
The exorcist's attention was locked on the dark priestess as she emerged from the water and sealed her fate…
"No!" she screamed in a rage, "Help me defeat him! I must!"
Tears ran down Miyabi's cheeks as the darkness fully took over her sister's soul and surrounded her body. Haruka watched Kantarou raise his arms toward the darkening sky, his palms upward…
The bells on Kantarou's wrist were ringing dangerously fast, as Haruka noticed Miyabi's hands clasp in front of her and her eyes closing in prayer.
"Please remember Kantarou-san's bravery, Haruka-san…"
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"This is not going according to my plan!" exclaimed Raikou, jumping up from his post, "We must intervene or I will never get the Onikui Tengu!"
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"Hear my prayers and please allow me to become the vessel for your bidding. Come blade of light that cuts through darkness!"
Lightning began to appear in amongst the dark clouds, as the exorcist stood his ground against the relentless wind. The ringing bells were the only thing audible in amongst the deafening noise, but the Onikui Tengu was able to make out his master's last command,
"Haruka! Give me your staff!"
With all the strength the tengu could muster, he sent the staff flying toward the exorcist, who deftly caught it in his left hand before raising it upward…
"Sword of lightning, paint the surroundings in white silver. Extremely blessed lightning!"
With a burst of energy he jumped nimbly out of the way of an attack by the possessed priestess and upon his descent cried,
"A commandment of the electric Kami, do it immediately!"
The lightning was blinding as the silver haired exorcist used the staff as a blade cutting through the darkness surrounding the priestess and the screams that were uttered from her mouth were drowned out by the crackling of the lightning. The bystanders could not see what was occurring from within the light…
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"Kuso!" cried Raikou, for he knew there was nothing he could do now…
His plans had been faltered…
-
Yet the exorcist found himself floating in a white light and a girl bowing her head in appreciation as she stood before him.
"Gomen nasai that I was so easily taken over my own grief that I became a pawn of darkness."
"Mai-chan…"
She lifted her head and gave a sad smile, "Arigato for setting me free, Kantarou-san. And gomen nasai for—
He held up his hand to silence her and smiled, "It's alright. I forgive you."
The light faded and the Onikui Tengu looked to find that the body of the dark priestess had vanished from the land. He turned his gaze toward the crying priestess to his side not sure what to say in order to ease her pain, but found that it wasn't necessary.
"Haruka-san…please keep Kantarou-san in your heart at least…"
The tengu found himself standing in shock at her words for they were once spoken by another…
"Haruka, please keep Miyabi-chan in your heart at least…"
"That was the first time I had seen someone die with a smile on their face. I couldn't forget it even if I tried."
And a sickening feeling coursed through his body, for he could hear no sound and as his gaze searched the land and fell upon the motionless and bloodied body of his master…
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Cliff hanger…Please be kind and review. Last chapter next time…