Feel good scenes instead of chapters is hardly lying, right? Right...
11 and 12 are chapters 14-15/6, in case you wanted know. Funny enough, I've read the chapters so much I can almost begin to tell what's in what chapter by their titles.
Uraboku is not owned by me. Please support the official release.
.
Chapter of the Longing Zinnia
.
Story 11
Where Have You Gone?
.
To say Giou Yuuki feels okay isn't entirely accurate. She was in a great mood now that Hotsuma doesn't push her away anymore (though he still retains his grumpiness and aggressiveness - not even he can change that fast). She is somewhat preoccupied with the enigmatic Shuusei...as well as Yoshino's disappearance, but the end of school comes sooner than she thinks.
"Hey. Giou?" says her classmate as Yuuki grabs her schoolbag. "Mind helping me out with some washing? There's a bunch of dirty baseball uniforms and I'm the one who has to clean them all up. And no one wants to help me."
It's difficult to find someone who would want to wash such dirty and gross-smelling uniforms. Akikawa does it because no else does. But maybe the nicest freshman can help out?
Yuuki thinks of what option to pick as Hotsuma walks over and glares at Akikawa. "What do you want?"
Akikawa scowls right back. "Asking your friend for help. What do you say?"
Yuuki nods. "I'll help if it's okay with Renjou. I'll be washing uniforms after school."
"How are you gonna get home? Want me to stay here too?"
At those words, Akikawa recoils in disgust. "No way! I have to see your grumpiness enough in class. You cannot stay."
Hotsuma growls under his breath. "Well, yanno, maybe I don't wanna stay after school with such a bossy princess over here!"
"I am not bossy! You freshman are so lazy - someone's got to make you work!"
"Uh, how about this?" Yuuki proposes. "Murasame Tsukumo can stay after school with me, or probably Murasame Tooko if he's busy again."
Hotsuma thinks over it briefly. "Yeah, okay, that's a good idea, but we need to ask them to stay after school."
Yuuki guides Akikawa to Tsukumo and Tooko. The siblings are talking to each other outside before they both hear Yuuki coming.
"Hey, you guys!" Yuuki waves. "Listen to this..."
Yuuki explains the whole situation. Since Tsukumo and Shuusei aren't required at the police station, they're free. With more discussion, it's Tooko who gets to stay with Yuuki.
"I can wash too, and I can finally get some girl-time with Yuuki!" she explains.
Tsukumo grabs and squeezes her hand. "Have fun. I'll be at home."
"I'm gonna go grab Shuusei and drag him home." Hotsuma speaks quietly only because he's ticked off he couldn't stay with Yuuki.
And so Akikawa, Tooko, and Yuuki handwash uniforms for the baseball players. They're under the shade and still have a nice view of baseball practice: a bunch of boys working out.
Tooko realizes that's the reason Akikawa is out here.
Soon the three are finished. Akikawa hangs all the clothes on a clothesline to dry. "Thanks for the help today. I've never finished this early before! We can still watch the boys practice..."
"I don't mind that at all," Tooko smiles. "What about you, Yuuki?"
"I don't mind staying. But I'll be in the building and out of this heat doing homework."
"Right. I'll come and get you when it's time to go." She watches as Yuuki heads back into the building. Yuuki is so cute! I love her so much!
"Wanna talk about something?" Akikawa says as she hugs her knees. "Girl chat."
Tooko brushes off her skirt before sitting. "Sure."
"Rumor has it you and Usui are going out? That true?"
Tooko's face turns red. "Not true! We're friends!"
"But you do look great together, Murasame."
"We're not dating. Usui has someone he really cares about. It's not me."
Akikawa makes a noncommittal noise and focuses her attention on the practice.
Me and Shuusei? It's obvious he cares about Hotsuma. I've never heard his heart happy with anyone else. Hmm, Tsukumo knows Shuusei hasn't been happy lately. I wonder...
Tooko has made attempts in trying to break Shuusei's mask. She rates his mask as "hard," which is before Takashiro and Luka (given the rating "expert"). Shuusei is way too good with words. He can shoot her down without difficulty.
His mask, like the rest, has no solution Tooko figured out. It has something to do with his partner. Just as Luka's mask breaks around Yuuki and how Takashiro's mask has no known key. However she's no good centering the conversation around Hotsuma. Shuusei is always suspicious that someone like her would talk about him.
Is it my fault I can't get along with that grumpy, aggressive, stubborn boy? How can I be patient with someone so mean?
She's tried many times to break Hotsuma's mask, ranked "intermediate." He knows what to say to make her mad and offended. He chooses words that insensitive on purpose.
She remembers the first months she and Hotsuma lived at the mansion. Her brother and herself were already living years prior due to their parent's deaths, and so naturally she wanted to give Hotsuma a tour while Tsukumo had Shuusei.
Tooko heard the despair in his heart. She saw the blankness of his eyes. She did her best to be positive as the oldest and Hotsuma kept on shooting her down with purposely mean and rude comments. To this day, Tooko still feels angry.
What am I going to do, Tsukumo? I'm not that amazing. I can't begin to understand Shuusei's pain like you do.
She closes her eyes and listens to the gentle sounds of Yuuki's heart.
.
.
Tsukumo hears it first:
The loud, resonating sound of a door slammed shut.
He jumps and startles the bunny he has in his lap. Trying to keep his trembling discreet, he looks over the chair and to the door saying, "Welcome back, Hotsuma."
Hotsuma glares at him. "You wouldn't believe how freakin' hard it is to find Shuusei after school! It's stupid!"
"Shuusei is very busy after school..."
"And yet he can drop everything to go to the police station with you!" He grumbles. "Is he here?"
"I heard him a while ago."
"In his room?"
"Um...I think so. Check the garden if he's not there."
Hotsuma mumbles words Tsukumo can't make out and marches up the stairs. The boy looks down to his chubby bunny friend and says, "Don't mind him. I like Hotsuma. When I was younger, he buried my goldfish with me. Sometimes I see him putting flowers on the grave."
The bunny sniffs and proceeds to eat the food Tsukumo provides.
"Hotsuma is looking for his friend Shuusei. Shuusei and I don't talk much, but I like him, too. Shuusei is a natural born leader when he wants to be. Otherwise he'll calmly follow Hotsuma's lead."
The bunny sneezes.
"I know...most don't trust Hotsuma to be a leader. He's good in a different kind of way - "
"Talking to animals again, Tsu-kun?"
Again, both Tsukumo and the bunny nearly jump out the seat. "T-Tachibana..."
Tachibana hangs up the phone in his hands. "What's Mr. Bunny say?"
Tsukumo glances at the bunny. "Um, he says this house is very scary."
"What? My mansion is not scary! Look at this design! Checkerboards are not scary! And look at this floral arrangement! Calming."
"The people are scary," Tsukumo amends. "Not the house itself."
"Oh. That can't be helped. I'm not sure how valid of an opinion of animals that can only be heard through God's ears are, but - "
"I think all animals have valid opinions. By the way, on the phone, that was Miss Ibuki, right?"
"Got pics of the ceremony!" Tachibana smirks. "I'll put 'em in the photo album soon, for all of us~!"
"Thank you."
They're interrupted when a grumpy Hotsuma walks by. "He's not in his room! I swear 'm gonna strap a trackin' device in his darn skull, the slippery slug!"
"Slippery slug? Hotsu-kun, slugs are pretty slow, you know," Tachibana helpfully adds. "If you mean he has a fast getaway, you're going to need a faster animal."
Hotsuma stops. "It's - It's a euphemism!"
"...wouldn't it be more like an idiom?" Tsukumo adds innocently.
To Hotsuma, this was no time to be corrected on something stupid as grammar. "Cry me a river and bite me!"
"Ah, Hotsu-kun! You're just not very good with words, eh?"
Hotsuma shouts in frustration and leaves out the front door, slamming it once more. He probably shouldn't tick off the people who can easily lock him out the house. He's never been given the keys because he always loses them somewhere.
He takes the long way to the garden and finds someone resting on the cold blades of grass and watching the sunset: his Shuusei.
"Where have you been?! Are you that busy I can't even see ya?" Hotsuma rests right next to Shuusei.
Without looking over, he replies, "You talked to Yuuki, right?"
"Yeah, so what? What's that got to do with anythin'?"
"You seem much more calm. It's a nice change."
"You're joking. Cuz right now, I'm really pissed."
"Hotsuma, I know you're not that shallow," he sighs. "It's quite possible for people to feel two emotions equally."
"Humph. Speaking of that, I wanted to talk to you. Yuuki said some weird things, and...I wanna confirm it with you."
Oh no, is Shuusei's first thought. Please don't let it be something like I've fallen madly in love with Yuuki. "You sound so mature. Scary."
"No it's not. Okay, I wanted to know...is it true that I'm hurting you? I-I don't mean your scar, like, is it me myself that's hurting you?"
"Hotsuma, you're rambling. I can't understand what you're saying." He speaks calmly but his hands get clammy.
"Shuusei, I think I'm hurting you by thinking that I'm hurting you."
His partner looks at him blankly. "You can't possibly think that's anymore understandable."
"Everyone's a friggin' critic today, huh?! Listen, that day, this scar, I was sure you hated me because I gave you that wound and I wanted to end it all and leave you behind like a selfish jerk. 'Cause I thought like that, did that hurt you?"
So now he's eloquent. Shuusei needs to come up with a response. This entire conversation is problematic. He doesn't know where Hotsuma is going with it. It's likely Hotsuma doesn't know either. He sighs again.
"We're a pair, right? We've stuck with each other through thick and thin. We've seen each other on the verge of death and back. I couldn't hate you for this scar."
"But, Shuusei! I burned you. Because of me, you have to be reminded of how I almost died - it wasn't even your fault! But you have to suffer for me and it's not fair - how could you stay by my side all this time?"
Hotsuma needs him. Any sense of anxiety is absent for the moment. "I don't think you're some monster. I don't know if you'll hurt me again, but I'm not going to hate you for it."
"How? How do you not hate me?"
Shuusei almost says Because I love you way too much but that's way too cheesy, almost unbelievable. That's simply the way he is; he can get mad and cross wiith his partner, but to hold a bitter grudge against him? Shuusei would give up quickly, if it ever happened.
"I need you," he says instead. "You need me. We're both needed. Isn't that enough?"
He can tell Hotsuma isn't satisfied. The wild boy sits up. "Dunno. There's more I wanna say but I don't know if I want the answers now."
"Why not?"
"It's like confessing your feelings to someone. The rejection," he monotones. "I'm too afraid to ask you those questions."
"What? That you love me?" Shuusei says with a forced smile.
"Agh! Don't say weird things like that! Oh, wait a minute, Shuusei, have I been a girl in a past life?"
Shuusei looks at Hotsuma with bewilderment. "What?"
"Tooma talked about stupid things while you were skipping out on breakfast. Was I a girl or not?"
"Huh." Shuusei searches whatever memories he has of his past. "I can't account for all our lives, but I most remember you as a male."
Despite his uncertainty, Hotsuma seems happy. "I wasn't no girl! Whoo-hoo! Uh, no offense to you, Shuusei."
Shuusei scowls. "Quit bringing up past lives."
"Shuusei! Hotsuma!" The out of breath voice came from near the front of the house. It's a girlish voice, which means it's only one person.
The two get to their feet and meet a running Tooko at the door.
"What's wrong?" Shuusei says first.
"It's - it's stopped," Tooko pants. "My ears aren't as good as Tsukumo's, but I can tell something like this! It's stopped!"
"Be less vague," Hotsuma says harshly, to hide his own anxiety. "What're you saying?"
"I can't hear it anymore! The heart, the presence, the love, the emotions - everything that makes up her, I can't hear it anymore!" Tooko's eyes are red with tears. "Sh-She's gone. Yuuki's gone."
.
.
Chaos.
Tooko goes on to tell everyone else and now they're all in the meeting room with emotions high but leadership low. Confusion, fear, sadness, anger - the emotions come and go like some sort of hurricane.
It's Tachibana who immediately informs Takashiro, who then rushes to get home. It's Kureha Aya who pours tea and gives the Zweilt castella cakes to attempt to calm them down.
It's not working. Not in the slightest.
Two Zweilt pairs and Luka wait anxiously for Takashiro's presence.
Tsukumo'd buried his head in his sister's shoulder, shaking, while she tries both comforting him and answering questions.
"You are certain you can't sense her presence?" Luka says with cold eyes.
"I can't! We've both tried to contact her, but we can't even reach her..."
"It's that stupid Wakamiya boy, huh?" Hotsuma guesses wildly. "He - He broke her heart and she was teleported - "
"I know the sound of that human within a hundred meter diameter. There's no way I'm going to let him near Yuuki after he tried to kiss her!"
"Again," Shuusei says quietly, "if she loves someone and he loves her, let her be."
"I don't trust that stupid boy! He's way too old for Yuuki! He might do creepy things to her!" Hotsuma argues.
Luka growls to himself. He feels completely pathetic. A sudden disappearance could only mean Ashley, right? No Duras could enter Izumimari nor did Tooko hear Yuuki leave. He's able to get so close because of the contract with Yuuki.
"Why don't we get the betrayer?" the Opast says. "Force him to open the barrier."
"He's still sleeping," says Tooko. "Plus, we don't know what Takashiro wants."
"Excuse me...you all...maybe we should just eat and drink before we panic too much?" Aya says, able to command the attention in the room. For a moment, they calm enough to drink and eat (aside for Luka who seems ready to hurt someone) until Doctor Isuzu pops his head into the room.
"Somebody's awaaaake."
.
.
"Great, simply great," goes the Bloody Betrayer. "I wake up and you all already screwed yourselves over. Congratulations."
"Just be glad we even told you anything," Hotsuma threatens, fire in his eyes.
"It's not so hard figuring out Yuuki's not here. I can smell your anxiety, you pigs."
"Hush it, we're not here for a fight," Tooko says.
Kaoru looks at her. "This doesn't look like it."
Currently he's retrained to his hospital bed with leather belts. Tooko holds her Eon sword at his neck, Shuusei aims his Kurai Kurou sword at his head, and Luka is highlighted by a dangerous aura ready to zap him. That's not even mentioning Hotsuma's close to burning him, too.
"True," she admits. "If Takashiro allows it, you need to create a portal to Ashley's."
"First of all, are you even sure she's there? Next, I haven't recovered that much magic to teleport all of us into her barrier. Lastly, what's to stop us having a repeat of my trip?"
"I can answer the third one - see, we're better than you," Hotsuma glares.
Kaoru returns the glare without flinching; it's the only thing he can do in this situation. Greenish-brown eyes meet the intensity of amber eyes.
"What took so long?" Shuusei says. "This is the worst time to wake up."
"It's probably your fault. You were so worried, I woke up. Or I simply knew she was gone and stopped resting. At the end of the day, she's still missing."
"You'll help us, Kaoru?" Tsukumo says, still holding his bunny friend.
"Work with a band of misfits like this? No way."
Hotsuma slams his palms on the bed, narrowly missing Kaoru. "Why not?! You're a Zweilt, just like us! You're blessed just like us! You're the stupid wielder of the Blood of God, and yet you're so drunk off your ego to help us!"
"You all are too incompetent."
"Says the moron who got stuck for six days!"
"Says the moron who couldn't take the heat and tried to end himself."
Hotsuma is probably going to set Kaoru on fire were it not for Shuusei's fast thinking in getting Hotsuma to leave the room and wait for Takashiro.
Shuusei then gives Kaoru a deadly glare. "How do you know that?"
Kaoru lets out a brief laugh. "You won't know."
"You're walking on thin ice," Shuusei says, voice low and lethal.
"You won't kill me. I'm still useful."
"Just barely," agrees the remaining girl. "Your ability is very useful, but if you're not actively working with us, you're better off dead. Stop provoking our family."
The rogue scoffs. "Is it my fault he's got such an amazing power but sucks at using it? The Gods must be laughing in his face - "
"Silence." Shuusei's hiss stops Kaoru.
"Voice of God? Interesting. Ears of God? Boring. Feet of God? Useless. Light of God? What a pain."
"One more sentence," Luka says in a frigid tone. "I will electrocute you back into slumber for a long time."
Kaoru rolls his eyes and leans back. The infirmary door opens with Hotsuma out first then Takashiro and Isuzu.
"I didn't keep you waiting long, did I? Nice to see you're awake Kaoru."
He remains silent.
"Here's the game plan. We're on lockdown, no one's leaving this barrier for any reason. Hotsuma, Shuusei, go investigate all current sleeping incidents within three days. Both of you are too volatile near Kaoru. Tooko and Tsukumo will keep watch over him. Luka..." He meets the Duras's eyes and exhales. "I know you want Yuuki safe, but I need you to stay here. We need to confirm Yuuki's location before anything."
"How long is that going to take?" he demands. "If we're too slow, she's gone."
"We start today. Right now. Go." He looks to Hotsuma and Shuusei who hurriedly leave. "Time is of the essence. Yuuki needs to be back in our hands as soon as possible."
.
.
Luka lets his mask go as soon as he is in the privacy of his room. Sodom, who was dozing in his bed, jumps to wakefulness to eye his master.
Luka drops to the floor and runs a hand through his hair. "Yuuki. She's gone. Here I am waiting on others to find her while I do nothing."
Sodom licks his master's hand. Luka moves it away. "What am I to do? If this keeps up, she'll be locked away again. She'll be safe, I can keep her close, but she won't ever be happy, so I won't let her remain locked away." Sodom whimpers and starts to nuzzle his master, to tell him it's okay. "I feel so powerless. Like when she heals too much and passes out. I don't know when she'll awake. I don't know if she'll still be the same."
If Yuuki truly is within the grasp of that Duras, Luka will personally end Ashley himself. Every cut on Yuuki or any scars will only intensify his anger.
He wants to blame the Zweilt like the betrayer had done, but this isn't caused by them. It's caused by love-driven humans.
Love is a curse and a blessing. It's wonderful seeing and being with someone you love, but it's the worst kind of pain. It's incomparable to any physical wound and trauma.
He hears knocking on the door behind him. "Luka? I know you're there."
It's Tooko. She is so persistent in getting herself involved with his affairs. He remains silent.
"You don't have to talk. I can't imagine how it feels to know someone you treasure so much is in trouble. And to think, you've waited so long for her to come back to you...now she could be lost again. Tsukumo and I are siblings. I have the fortune of being with my partner since birth. That's way more than most Zweilt. If Tsukumo was gone, I couldn't handle it. I know the same is true for you, isn't it?"
She can't be more accurate. Sodom wags his tail lazily as he rests in Luka's lap.
"We're hurting, too. You're not alone. You may think that not everyone welcomes you here, but Tsukumo and I do. We can hear the sounds of your heart. I know how much you love Yuuki. I want Yuuki to love you back in this life as well. Okay? She'll be safe. She has to."
What a nosy girl. She's as bad as her brother, putting other's emotions ahead of her own. Well, she is not nearly as sensitive as her brother is. The stronger the emotion, the Tooko can detect it. Even Luka's heart can't lie.
"If you're mad that she disappeared on my watch, I'm so sorry," she continues after a long silence. "We've never, never been this close to Yuuki. Plus, it's so difficult keeping her safe when the entire world wants her dead. It was easy when her life was normal and far away from danger. Please forgive us for our mistakes! The last thing we want is to give her more pain. But if we fail because we're human, you'll be there to calm her heart, won't you?"
There's no need for her to make it a question. He'll console Yuuki a thousand of times, he will be by her side to comfort her as she cries her beautiful tears that gradually turns into a smile.
Luka hears her sigh and soft footsteps that start to fade. Tooko is a nosy girl...yet he admires her warmth.
So he says loud enough for her to hear, "I will."
The footsteps stop for the longest time...before resuming, faster and lighter.
.
.
"C'mon, anything? C'mon!"
"No, nothing! It's nothing but girls!"
"Then how do you explain Yuuki, huh?"
"I don't know! I can see anything of this world, not know everything. I'm psychic not omniscient."
"You don't need throw in big words. I'm really worried, Shuusei!"
"I am too."
When he first heard of Yuuki's disappearance, Shuusei thought his prayers of more time with Hotsuma was answered in the completely wrong way. He doesn't want to hurt Yuuki - dear Gods - that was never his intention. Without Yuuki, Hotsuma is back depending on him, but their relationship is changed. Hotsuma hadn't had a good conversation with Shuusei, however he knows something fundamental inside of Hotsuma has awakened.
Shuusei had grabbed a piece of fabric from Kaoru's clothes from within the realm and uses it as a guide to finding the sleeping girls as their soul and Ashley's realm are tightly entwined. It's the usual girls he's seen at the police station, but now there are new faces. Their names are unknown. He searches each girl, each person having no connection to Giou Yuuki.
"Any from our school? Any boys by chance?" Hotsuma begs with in Shuusei's ear. He can't see what Shuusei sees, so he'd taken off his school clothes and wears regular clothes.
"Give me their names and I'll check." Hotsuma gives him six names. "All six are sleeping."
"Oh geez, Yoshino, too?"
"Yes. What's wrong?"
"I just talked to her this morning, today. She was freaking out over a crush, and I didn't see her any more."
"I see."
"Hey, do me a solid: check to see the six boys that disappeared. I just wanna know her crush."
Shuusei reluctantly gets to work. He checks the missing persons list. Of all the 67 sleeping girls, he see only sixty-six boys, some dead in an unexplainable fashion and some just simply missing.
"Hotsuma, there's 67 sleeping girls and 66 disappearances. Do you understand what this means?"
"You can't do math? A boy's off the radar?"
"If Yuuki's disappearance is characteristic of vanished boys and there are only 66 missing boys and 68 missing girls, then..."
Hotsuma catches his meaning. "You're saying one girl captured another girl."
"That, or the last missing boy isn't added to the roster. But that wouldn't make sense. It's been over two hours since Tooko last saw Yuuki. That's plenty of time for someone to also notice the disappearance of the last boy."
His partner rubs his neck, a look of worry on his face. "The bloody idiot said Ashley wanted boys, so why did she accept a girl?"
"She wouldn't. Not unless they were the Light of God. Think about it: if Yuuki was kidnapped by some humans, I could still see her and Tsukumo could still hear her. Right now, it's the exact same of all the missing boys."
"So it is Ashley!" Hotsuma swears as he punches the table, leaving a crack. "We need to tell Takashiro now."
.
.
The double doors creak open. Reiga knows he could afford to oil the hinges for a silent opening, but how else would he know when one of his summons tried to kill him?
"Fowler, I've received a report from Ashley. Her stunt worked; the Light of God has been captured."
His breath hitches. So soon. It's so easy now to attack the Light of God now that Takashiro has released her and how she lacks memories plus an understanding of her powers.
"What is your response?"
He continues to stare at the mauveine sky, face hidden from Luze.
"I wonder if it's a double trap," he murmurs. "There is no way Takashiro would allow his light to remained captured. Is this an attempt to lure me out? Is the reason he's letting her outside the barrier was to bait me?"
"Do you suggest we do nothing? Allow Ashley to bring back the Light of God back to us?"
"If Ashley remains with her, she'll die. She stands no chance against Takashiro." Reiga stands. His cape billows in the breeze generated. "I've no choice. At midnight, I'll seek out the Light of God. First, I need to make preparations. Luze, retrieve Jekyll and Hyde to delay the Zweilt should they arrive."
"Yes, Fowler." Luze bows and takes his leave.
The time has come so soon. I don't have all my powers returned to me, but I cannot let this opportunity go, for the sake of my reputation. He clenched his gloved hand into a shaking fist. Let's see who will walk away with the light.
.
.
Takashiro breathes deeply through his nose. "If you're certain, we need to act immediately. Kaoru, you'll make a barrier to enter, right?"
The rogue Zweilt is no longer within hospital clothes, instead wearing an outfit with dark colors and with his hood over his head not quite obscuring his face. "Are they all coming along? I don't have energy for that."
"No." And before the protests: "It is unwise to send all our forces out to meet a threat with such an advantage. Tsukumo and Tooko, you're a brilliant team and your ears can track Yuuki, but your strength isn't in dealing heavy damage like the rest."
"We're staying here?" Tooko gasps.
"I'm sorry. But you'll be backup should we need it. Without question, Luka must go. And Kaoru has to go in order to get you all in and out again. Kaoru can enter the barrier much faster than me."
"We'll go in first," Shuusei says, "then you'll arrive if Reiga does?"
"Correct. Do what ever you need to get ready because you're to leave immediately."
"We're all ready ready," Hotsuma says with a cocky grin. "I'm gonna kill that stupid Opast."
Luka crosses his arms over his chest. "Not unless I beat you to it."
Tsukumo grabs the new necklace Yuuki gave him and holds it out. "For Yuuki's sake, please wear your necklaces."
Shuusei and Luka show the boy their necklaces. Kaoru frowns. "Where's my necklace?"
"Sorry," Shuusei murmurs. "You're not important enough to Yuuki."
"Wait a minute, I don't have my necklace," Hotsuma says with guilt.
"Why not?" Tooko narrows her eyes.
"Um, Yoshino was having love problems and I was worried she might be next, so I gave her my necklace so, you know, she could be safe."
"But she's sleeping - " Shuusei cuts himself off. "Hotsuma, she's sleeping. All the girls made some sort of deal...What if that necklace was connected to the deal?"
"What? Then you're saying she likes me! Yoshino is just a classmate."
"Maybe to you she is, but what does she see in you?"
"U-Uh..."
"It's your fault Yuuki's trapped?" Luka feels like completely annihilating Hotsuma.
"Woah, hold on here!" Hotsuma is now on the receiving end of murderous looks. "How was I gonna know about the necklace teleporting Yuuki and not me? And - and what if I were trapped? You weren't going to leave me there! So, hah, we're screwed either way!"
"Don't be upset with him," adds his partner coming in for help. "Even if he didn't give her the necklace, Yoshino might trick Hotsuma into giving something else of his, resulting in this predicament once more."
At least as if Yuuki can convince Takashiro-sama not to forsake Hotsuma. But with the work she's done to make him happy, she definitely won't stand down.
Luka stretches his lips into a thin line. "Let's leave now. I'm tired of waiting."
Kaoru shakes his head, tsking. "You guys really do suck."
"Just do the spell, you friggin' idiot!"
He slaps his hands together and repeats the spell...
A silver aura snakes up the four's bodies and they fall.
Takashiro, the Murasame siblings, the doctor, and Tachibana remain.
"That's it then?" Tooko murmurs. "We're to wait here."
"Tachibana, stay here and watch these two. Tell me immediately if they are needed for backup."
Tachibana tilts his latest wacky hat. "Understood."
"Takashiro-sama, you're leaving?"
"I need to prepare for the war myself. I will be heading to Kamakura. I need the magic of the stone." He's already walking away as he speaks. "Remember, keep a calm head. Don't do anything rash." Their leader leaves.
Doctor Isuzu rubs his hands together. "I'm going to prepare my infirmary for any...particularly bad injuries. Just to be safe."
Tsukumo wraps his arms around himself. "I'm worried."
"Me too. But we need to have a little faith! I'm sure everything will turn out okay in the end."
"Shall I call Aya-chan for some more refreshments?" Tachibana says, mostly serious. "I don't want my Mansion's residents to feel terrible after all."
"No more sweets. Tsukumo has had enough today."
"Eh? Tooko, what about your diet?"
"This is my cheat day! I'm really stressed out!"
"Can't the same go for me...?"
"You know I love you. I'm just a little bit concerned about your health. You need healthy food in you, not junk food."
Tachibana slips out the room. "Refreshments it is."
.
.
The second time crashing through Ashley's barrier is a soft drop. Luka summons Sodom in his dragon and the monster can only manage to reach the ground before Sodom reappears in his basic form..
Safe on the ground, Luka huffs and puts Sodom on his shoulder. "This barrier doesn't allow for full-sized summons without leeching as much energy as possible. Getting rid of Ashley should do the trick."
"Shame," Hotsuma mumbles. "A dragon is pretty helpful."
"Kaoru, where is Ashley's main base?" Shuusei looks around, pondering using his Eyes of God.
Before he can respond, Luka answers, "Probably the most conspicuous place here." He points to an elaborate castle in the heart of the realm.
Shuusei grabs his necklace and focuses on it. The jewelry itself may be cold to the touch, but there lies an inner warmth within. He can sense a faint warmth in the very direction. "Hotsuma, if I concentrate on your necklace, I know where Yoshino may be."
"Great!" Hotsuma retrieves his sword from his ring. "What now?"
"We're already inside the Wonderland, so we need to make it to the castle. We need to split into pairs and enter from different parts so we don't get overwhelmed in one entrance. Hotsuma and I are obviously together."
Kaoru and Luka trade a look. "I'm not working with him."
Shuusei groans. "Then go solo. Go solo together. Stay within twenty meters and we'll call that a pair."
Kaoru and Luka roll their eyes, but don't complain.
"Right. Hotsuma, we're going through the back. Kaoru and Luka, since you're way stronger than us combined" - ("Hey!" Hotsuma shouts) - "you take the front entrance. Let's get to moving before the familiars start attacking."
With a mutual nod, the four separate to commence their rescue. Kaoru and Luka make it to the front first as it's closer. Luka bursts open the doors and enters the castle made of abstract patterns on the walls and floors.
"What now?" says Kaoru. "Can't sense her."
Same. "We should just tear the castle apart until we do."
"I like that idea. Not too fond of this place."
From the stairs and doors are high school boys turned into mannequins ready to fight them.
Luka calls his sword while Sodom stays put. "Those are humans. We should be careful not to hurt them."
"What? Really? They're dolls, I'd say that's more of a reason hurt 'em." Kaoru pulls out a foldable staff from his backpack and puts it together.
.
.
Finding the back entrance took time. Shuusei quietly opens the door and the two of them step forward. It's dark, save for the moonlight shining from the windows. It's silent.
"Are we undetected?" Hotsuma says in a low tone.
"Ashley should be aware of everything in her barrier. Either this is a trap or Luka and the betrayer are distracting her better than I hoped."
"Great job putting two trigger happy idiots together." Hotsuma relaxes.
"Hm. I can sense your necklace. It's very close by."
"What're we waiting for? Let's go!" Hotsuma dashes off but does not go far because Shuusei trips him. He lands face first.
"Careful. Move slowly. We don't have the advantage here," Shuusei chides.
Hotsuma gets to his feet holding his throbbing head. "Okay! Ya didn't have to trip me for it!"
"Stop yelling. Are we looking for Yoshino or not?"
That gets Hotsuma moving again. "Lead on."
Shuusei guides Hotsuma to his necklace. The labyrinth suddenly has a clear path now that they knows when they're getting too far away. Soon the necklace's presence feel so close. They walk through a deserted ballroom, its windows leaking out silver light from a false moon, when Shuusei stops.
"Hotsuma - "
"We got company," he agrees, looking around.
The presence forms way above their heads in a pretentious throne. "You look very handsome, but you're still Zweilt. I'll have fun killing your pretty faces."
Ashley stares arrogantly at the two, her sharp canine teeth showing. "You're very attractive, huh? You're the kind who breaks girl's hearts."
"You're the ugly witch who took Yuuki," Hotsuma threatens. "Where is she?"
"You shouldn't be so worried. Your light is in the heart of this castle." She smirks at their relieved looks. "That's where she'll be when Reiga-sama comes to take her."
Both boys share a look of dread. Takashiro is going to be involved.
"And to keep her for ruining my plans, Yuuki will be sleeping until I say so. No matter what you do, she'll never wake up."
"No way!" Hotsuma roars and starts to attack Ashley with his flames. "Stop lying!"
Ashley laughs. "I can't play with you boys yet! I've got to deal with the other intruders. But if you wait here like a good boy, I'll kill you quickly. Sound fair?"
"Die, creature of darkness!"
Ashley is set in flames so bright Shuusei squints. He can tell whatever Hotsuma burns isn't the Duras, but something else. He peers closer...is that metal?
"Hotsuma, look out!" Shuusei's body is already moving. Hotsuma is paralyzed by both the foreign look of terror on Shuusei's face and at the spikes and blades falling from his fire straight toward him.
Shuusei manages to grab a clump of Hotsuma's jacket and pull him back way out of harm, taking his place. He starts a spell to summon a shield - is there enough time? Is it okay if he fails? He doesn't mind dying if it's to save Hotsuma. If Hotsuma could realize that Shuusei can never regret saving him and getting hurt, Shuusei could have a peaceful death.
The room is a blur of golden fire plus the silver of the moon and weapons. There's a trace of blue from Shuusei's sword, a very faint color.
"Wait!"
He hears a thunderous shout from behind.
"You'll die! Shuusei!"
to be continued...
.
AN
Ever since I started this arc, I've had a huge lack of appetite! It's hard to eat things...Shuusei's contagious...
(Oh, as to why Tachibana uses honorifics w italics, it that they're placeholder nicknames that can change as soon as I figure out what it is.)
Random tidbit I couldn't really fit into the story: no one wears school uniforms except for Yuuki, who was taken after school.
Your princess is in another castle...