Blossoms and Blood

by lyrebird

WIP. Post Kyoto arc, Tsuzuki is determined to bring Muraki to justice. He tracks him to Nagasaki, but their reunion forces Tsuzuki to confront the duality within his own character.

25. Obstructions to seduction

LATE NIGHT NEWS ALERT

A strong earthquake shook the island of Kyushu at 12:48 a.m. The epicentre is believed to be 15 kilometres north of the city of Nagasaki. Authorities report the quake magnitude as 6.0 on the Richter scale. Several sections of the Nagasaki expressway have sustained heavy damage, and will be closed to traffic while authorities assess the situation. No human casualties or tsunami activity reported. Residents are advised to be on the alert for aftershocks.

---

"Enough, Muraki! Control yourself!"

Muraki wasn't listening. Teasing nips soon became bites against Tsuzuki's neck.

"Muraki!" Tsuzuki grabbed Muraki by the throat and wrenched him off. Warm blood dripped down his neck from the open wound. "I'll feed you, but only on my terms!"

Muraki licked the blood from his lips. "Your flavour is even richer than before." His voice was husky, breathless. "I can taste the pulp of the ripest fruit, the nectar of the sweetest flowers. So this is the taste of eternal life!"

Tsuzuki let him go as if he'd been stung. Fruit, flowers...surely Muraki knew about the transformation of his powers too. But what was done was done. All he could do now was keep calm and control the repercussions.

Muraki looked around, suddenly aware they were no longer on the crumbling roadway. "Where have you taken us?"

Moonlight filtered through the overhead branches of a single dead tree. The air was acrid with sulfurous vapour. The ground beneath their feet was rocky and devoid of plant life. From behind a small hill came the sound of splashing water.

Tsuzuki wrapped his customary black trenchcoat around himself and began walking up the hill. The wound on his neck was already drying in the cool night air. "Come and I'll show you."

"I wasn't aware we were going somewhere else. My apartment is far more comfortable--"

"It's my turn to take you out." Tsuzuki didn't look over his shoulder.

The taste of Tsuzuki's blood wasn't the only thing that was different about him - and Muraki wasn't sure if he was pleased about it. His covetous eyes never left Tsuzuki's dark figure as he reluctantly followed. In his weakened state he had little choice.

"Where is my cat?"

"It's safe. Genbu will ensure it comes to no harm."

Behind the crest of the hill was a natural hot spring surrounded by warm rocks. Sulfurous vapour drifted up from one side, while warm water trickled out of crevices located on the other side. The rippling surface of the water was a toxic mixture of pale blue and yellow-brown.

"Jigoku," Muraki announced. "Hell on earth, according to the locals. A pleasant place for a relaxing soak, providing one doesn't mind being boiled alive. Are we in Kyushu's Unzen Spa region?"

"Yeah. Unzen is famous throughout the country for its abundant hot springs, but the springs safe for humans are occupied by onsen resorts." Tsuzuki took out a smooth black rock from the pocket of his trenchcoat and threw it in the water. "A gift from Genbu. This stone will remove the sulfur and neutralise the acidity of the water."

The water's surface cleared to form a mirror reflecting the moon against the inky blackness of the clear sky. The sulfurous odour dissipated. Only clouds of steam wafted from the water's surface.

"There, that should do it. Go in and revive yourself in this spring. Heated by the energy of the Earth's core, this water will nourish the Metal you thrive on."

"Aren't you joining me?"

"You're the one who's deficient in elemental energy." Tsuzuki took off his trenchcoat and laid it over a low rock. He eyed the smear of blood along Muraki's cheek. "Plus you could use a bath."

Muraki wiped it away using his sleeve. "Very well." Scowling to himself, he began removing his tie. "I will feed from you later." More a command than a request.

Tsuzuki kept his rejoinder to himself. He sat down on the rock calmly enough, but inside his heart was pounding.

He kept his gaze on the spring while Muraki undressed. The sheen of pale flesh illuminated by moonlight lingered at the periphery of his vision, threatening his resolve. It took considerable willpower not to admire Muraki's physique.

Stepping barefoot over the rocks, Muraki walked to the water's edge. He was completely nude, and directly in Tsuzuki's line of vision. He could have been the Biblical Adam before the Fall - the very first man, a creature at one with nature, untouched by the burden of self-consciousness or shame.

Embarrassed, Tsuzuki focused on the rocks at Muraki's feet.

"Why do you avert your gaze?" Muraki asked. "My body is yours to admire and appreciate."

"I was trying to give you some privacy! Would you rather I ogle you while you stripped off?"

"Naturally. I am yours." Puzzlement hardened into jealousy. "Do I not please you?"

Tsuzuki wasn't sure whether to explode with laughter or exasperation. "Don't be silly. You're the one who insisted you were so hot, remember?" He cast a quick glance at Muraki's flaccid cock. "Your energy reserves must be low. But I'm sure this spring will perk you right up." He looked away, a mischievous smile hovering about his lips. "That would please me most of all, Muraki."

"I see." Muraki's tone was aloof, but his eyes smouldered. "In that case, I shall obey." He carefully placed one foot in the water. After pausing for a few seconds, he placed the other foot in as well.

"Is the temperature all right?"

Muraki stepped down until he was chest-deep in the spring. "It will do." He cupped some water in his hands and splashed it over his face.

No reaction. No complaint. Muraki wasn't troubled by the spring water one bit.

Tsuzuki picked up a blackened twig, the remains of a plant withered by the acidic soil, and crushed it between his fingertips.

Muraki's obedience was temporary. Once he regained his energy, he would be his usual domineering self. Limit Muraki's energy reserves, and his ability to cause mayhem would be curbed as well.

Tsuzuki knew it was the easiest method to keep Muraki compliant. The only reason he'd taken so long to accept it was because of his own hubris. Despite all their arguing and fighting, he had secretly hoped he could earn Muraki's trust with kindness, and teach him to love by example. What foolishness.

Hatred is the only emotion he understands, the one genuine feeling he's carried with him all his life.

Hearing the words of Muraki's long-time friend forced him to face the ugly truth.

In his clenched hand, something was wriggling. Small shoots squirmed free between his fingers. When Tsuzuki opened his hand, he found the crushed twigs were now a mass of living seedlings. Alarmed, he dropped it at once.

More Wood energy. A shameful sign of the excess energy absorbed from his couplings with Muraki.

Or was it? For as long as he could remember, his family's garden had thrived all year round. Could that have been his doing? This gift of bringing plants to life...did he once possess such mastery over Wood?

Tsuzuki stared down at his hands. He couldn't remember.

He searched his pockets for a pair of protective gloves, and found the velvet ones Muraki had given him. He slid them on, buckled the clasps around his wrists, then used a Fire Attack fuda to make a small campfire. The little branch crackled and burned when he tossed it in the flames.

Muraki waded back to the bank. With his head and shoulders visible above the water, he placed his forearms on the rocks. The dancing glow of the flames lit the glistening droplets on his angular face.

"Do you feel stronger?" Tsuzuki asked.

"A little. I seldom visit onsens, but I imagine having an entire spring to oneself would be a rare indulgence."

"Then you should go more often. There's nothing like a hot spring to wash one's cares away and soothe aches and pains. Kyushu is famous for having the finest natural springs in Japan." A trace of envy crept into Tsuzuki's voice. "It's been a while since I've been to a hot spring."

"Then why do you hold back? Come join me, and we can relax together."

"I can't, and you know it. I've got more energy than my body can handle. Bathing in this Earth-rich spring will only make my condition worse." Tsuzuki used several rocks to form a containment ring around the fire. "But I suppose that's been your goal. By giving me your essence, you're changing my powers. The regeneration cycle of the elements is stirring within me." He looked up, visibly distraught. "Is Wood the fifth element you spoke of? How is it a threat to shikigami? Why have you given it to me?"

"Enma sealed it within you. I've merely helped you to unleash it. This power has always been yours to claim, Tsuzuki-san."

"Mine? But what am I supposed to do with it--"

"Do not worry about such trivialities." Muraki's voice was soft and seductive. "I promised to let you sleep until the full moon, ne? I'll feed from you until the growing pains subside--"

"And then what? You'll get carried away and return your 'essence' back to me. That's what always happens. We'll be back where we started. You're incapable of keeping your word."

"It takes two to tango, Tsuzuki-san. You chose to feed from me twice this evening."

Tsuzuki lowered his gaze. "I admit...I enjoy it. I secretly hoped that we could continue like this - meeting up now and then as long as we weren't hurting anyone. But after what's happened tonight..." Tsuzuki's voice became bleak. "I don't want you to exhaust yourself for my sake. I don't want to be transformed into some kind of freaky mutant. If you think I'm going to use my new powers to further your schemes, you're making a big mistake."

"Simply seeing your body stir is reward enough. Later when you submit to the communion of flesh and blood, your mind will awaken too." His eyes fell on Tsuzuki's gloved hands. "You won't be able to hide any longer."

Tsuzuki added more twigs, one by one, to avoid suffocating the flames. "And neither will you, Muraki Kazutaka."

Muraki lifted a brow. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Your kagetsu spell. Kagetsu is a Yin type of magic, more suited to defence and camouflage than all-out attack." Tsuzuki's eyes were on the fire he tended. "Typically it manifests itself as a shield protecting the bearer from physical harm. But there's another type of kagetsu spell - one that's invisible because it's internally directed within the mind of the bearer. It has the power to mask negative emotions that threaten an individual's psyche."

Muraki snorted dismissively. "Your illusion fuda caught the cobwebs of my old life, nothing more."

"I sometimes used kagetsu magic for the very same reason. After a harrowing case, I'd be haunted by guilt for days." Tsuzuki lowered his eyes to his gloved hands. "I'd relive the events, wondering what I could've done differently. Demons seemed a lot more hungry for human souls back then. I had to fight many battles with my shikigami. And the result was the same each time: suffering, bloodshed, destruction...and death." The flickering play of light and shadow partially shielded his face. "I had all this power, yet I felt so powerless. The futility of being a shinigami began to eat away at my soul."

"So you let the secretary block out your unwanted feelings?" Muraki's grim expression indicated he already knew the answer.

"My emotions were a liability, so he used his kagetsu magic to numb my heart. Thanks to him I could become an effective reaper of souls, and fulfil my oath to DaiOh-sama." He looked down at Muraki, his expression infinitely sad. "You've done the same thing with your kagetsu spell: masking what human emotion you've got left."

"I have no regrets about my decision. Your pity is wasted on me, Tsuzuki-san." A hint of derision edged Muraki's flinty voice. "A surgeon's humanity is his greatest liability. His hand cannot afford to tremble with uncertainty as he holds his scalpel. His body is not allowed to slump with fatigue while he stands at the operating table. Most importantly, his mind cannot afford the luxury of wallowing in self-doubt when he intervenes in the struggle between life and death." He began to rise out of the water.

"Stay there." Casually spoken, yet an implicit command.

"I can only draw so much sustenance from this spring. Soaking here is an inadequate substitute for feeding--"

"I don't want you to exhaust yourself anymore. You're to stay there until you're fully re-energised." Tsuzuki untied his shoes. "If you're truly mine, then I suppose I should take charge of your well-being." He sat at the spring's edge and dangled both legs in the water.

Muraki slowly slid back into the water. "Very well." He immersed himself into the water. The ripples scattered the reflected moonlight then reformed around the place he had been, effectively concealing his movements.

Several seconds passed. Tsuzuki tensed. Was he all right?

Something warm slid playfully along the instep of his foot. The next moment Muraki resurfaced on the other side of Tsuzuki, and rested his head on the rocky ledge close to Tsuzuki's dangling leg. A normal person would have been gasping for air. Muraki wasn't even short of breath.

"Your power has outgrown these gloves. They can only serve as articles of clothing now," he murmured. "Placing a new charm on the buckles would be useless."

Tsuzuki felt foolish. "It doesn't matter," he muttered. "For someone who depends on Metal, you're very confident in the water."

"I learned to swim as a child." A lazy shrug. "I preferred solo sports in school. I was never a team player."

Muraki's greedy impatience was in abeyance for the moment. With his nape and upper back gilded by moonlight, he flaunted his long graceful physique. His expression was serene, composed, and more than a little self-satisfied. Confident of his sex appeal and Tsuzuki's undivided attention, he appeared willing to wait.

Five rows of red scratch marks lined each of Muraki's shoulder blades - the only blemish over his alabaster smooth flesh.

"Why don't you use your Metal powers to speed up the healing process? You'd only expend a little energy to heal those cuts."

"And deprive you of the opportunity to gaze upon your handiwork?" Muraki's thin lips curved in a conspiratorial smile. "Never. I wear them in memory of you...and the nights of bliss we have shared together."

Tsuzuki didn't need any reminding. "Your career as a surgeon in Tokyo is over, isn't it? You'll never be able to practise in a hospital as a wanted man. So you came to Nagasaki to hide - until the police and then your friend from Kyoto came searching for you." Tsuzuki lowered his gaze to his gloved hands. "I was hoping you'd go back with him. The two of you seem so close. You could've hidden out at his place for a while, then made a new life for yourself somewhere else."

"Oriya is a man of honour and integrity. I couldn't wish for a finer friend. Nevertheless, I've taken advantage of his loyalty once too often. I made a vow I wouldn't embroil him in my affairs again."

"So you endanger him with your reckless driving in order to summon me back? How could you gamble with his life? What kind of monster are you?"

"Yours," Muraki said simply. "I told you from the beginning."

The answer brought Tsuzuki no joy. "You've renounced your friends, your career and reputation through your actions. You've paid a very heavy price to be 'mine' - a price you might come to regret later."

"Basking in your living presence is my reward." Muraki sounded amused, but his answer was serious. "I was comforted by your visitations. I was nourished by your flesh and blood. I shall want for nothing as long as I walk in the aura of your guiding light."

Surely the things they were doing together were profane, a sinful betrayal for which they would both pay dearly sooner or later. Yet Muraki made them sound like holy sacraments.

"What use is my Wood energy to you? What do you want with it? You don't strike me as the gardening type. You depend on Metal energy. It's not as if Wood nourishes Metal energy..."

An ominous thought struck Tsuzuki: If anything, it's Metal that cuts down Wood.

"True," Muraki agreed. "But I don't do this for myself. I do this for you."

Tsuzuki flexed his ankle in the water restlessly. "I already use Fire and Earth energy for my shinigami powers. That's more than enough. This Wood energy...it's like nothing I've worked with before. I only have to touch a twig, and it grows like crazy! If I keep it inside me, I begin sprouting feathers! What kind of power is this?!"

"Don't be afraid." Muraki's voice was soothing and melodic. "Moments of clumsiness are to be expected as you learn to handle your new talents. You've become so accustomed to the stasis of Meifu that you've forgotten how to deal with your transformation. But once you realise your full potential, nothing will hold you back from ascension." The false eye glowed softly.

"Ascend where?" Tsuzuki demanded. "I don't need wings to levitate. I can do that on my own."

"Merely a conjurer's trick approved by Enma, one he can rescind at his whim. Perhaps this is what he intended all along: to make you forget your sealed power by bequeathing you rationed portions of his own." The light winked out as Muraki closed his eyes. "But your hunger cannot be denied any longer. The once-loyal guard dog has tasted the blood of the flock. The dormant wolf is stirring within him."

The incongruity of the metaphor made Tsuzuki smile in spite of himself. "You make a poor sheep, and I'm a lousy wolf."

Muraki twitched one shoulder in a careless shrug. "In any case, there can be no going back. Your visitations undermine Enma's authority and threaten the foundations of Meifu. Surely you realise this."

Tsuzuki was silent for a long moment. The personal ramifications of his actions within the Shoukanka troubled him more than the repercussions he might face from EnmaDaiOh. In his lowly position, he posed no serious threat to the JuOhCho hierarchy. Apart from the occasional act of shikigami-induced destruction to EnmaCho property anyway.

"JuOhCho has its hands full keeping track of the regular human souls summoned for judgement. But that's one thing we don't have to worry about, because you're not one of them." Tsuzuki's voice was flat. "If you were merely a human, you wouldn't be able to bathe in these waters."

Muraki's eyes opened. "What do you mean? You removed the toxic compounds with your charmed stone."

"But I did nothing about the temperature." Tsuzuki lifted both feet out of the water. "See for yourself."

Both his feet were a mottled pink-red colour in the moonlight, the skin wrinkled and peeling. There was a line of demarcation at mid-calf level, above which was normal-looking skin.

Muraki stared, astonished. "Scald burns? But how?"

Tsuzuki's skin was returning to normal - a legacy of his rapid healing powers. "The temperature of this spring is about 60 degrees Celsius - hot enough to burn skin after several seconds of exposure." He swung his damp feet back on safe ground, crossed his legs, then glanced at his watch. "You've been in there for at least five minutes. You don't have a single burn mark on you. Tell me why."

Muraki looked down at himself with wonder. He lifted his arms to reveal pale unblemished skin. He began moving his hands over his entire body, hastily checking himself for any signs of injury. He was genuinely stunned - unable to believe the body he'd long-despised had achieved such an incredible feat.

Tsuzuki felt a pang of sympathy. Confronted with his own transformation, Muraki's customary arrogance had deserted him. Suddenly he looked as unsure of himself as any ordinary man.

"You had no idea, huh? Metal can protect and preserve those who are blessed by it - or cursed, as the case may be. You've used Metal energy yet again - but this time you weren't even aware of it. Do you know what this means, Muraki?"

Muraki's head snapped up - he'd been too preoccupied in examining himself.

"Three times I've tested you. Three times you've called on Metal energy to the own detriment of your corporeal form. Your pallor, your exhaustion each time you use your powers - isn't it obvious? This magic uses up the elemental metal within your body - the minerals you need to survive! You told me you wished you could relinquish your humanity, right? Well, you're getting your wish right now! And for what? You're no Man of Steel - you're just a...a heartless Tin Man!"

"Heartless?" It was a deep low drawl ending in a sibilant hiss. Muraki came forward, proffering his wrist. "If only it were true. Take my pulse, and feel for yourself."

Tsuzuki backed away, sensing imminent danger. "I've already seen it with my own eyes. I was dumb enough to transfer my unfulfilled dreams onto you. I wanted you to regain the one thing I could never have. But it's no use. Within your soul - where it matters most - you've turned your back on your humanity. And now your body is changing over as well!"

"What choice did I have? Was it not you who stabbed me with the scalpel? Was it not you who tried to incinerate me in the Fire Snake's black flames?"

"I had no choice! You were trying to hack my head off!"

"You wanted to die. I was willing to grant you your wish. But then we know what happened: your true nature awoke, and with it your rampant bloodlust." Seething anger shook Muraki's low voice. "I did what was necessary to survive! Your actions made me what I am today! Would you rather I be a mortal plaything for you to maim and annihilate at your whim?" He began to wade out of the spring.

Tsuzuki scrambled to his feet. "Stay there! I never said you could come out!"

Muraki halted. "What for? So I can rediscover my humanity and be poached alive? That's what you're hoping to see, ne?"

"That's not the reason! I'm thinking of your energy levels! Someone has to, dammit!"

Muraki's laugh was ugly. "Perhaps you'd find my flesh more palatable if it were cooked. How would you like me? Rare, medium, well done?" He turned around and waded back into the middle of the spring. The water reached up to his shoulders. "If this is the only way you will accept the communion of my flesh, then I will obey."

"Muraki, you wouldn't! I never said that!"

"I shall give you what you desire, for I am yours." Muraki pressed his hands before his lips, his gaze firmly fixed on Tsuzuki's ashen face.

"No!! Listen to me, Muraki! That's not what I desire, you--"

Muraki squeezed his eyes shut.

"Muraki! Don't be ridiculous!" Tsuzuki stumbled back to the water's edge. "Scalding yourself won't make a difference! You're not tricking me into this crazy communion of yours!"

Muraki wasn't serious. This was a fake challenge designed to manipulate him again. Emotional blackmail, nothing more. He wasn't going to fall for it again. Muraki sought immortality above all. Why would he let go of his powers and risk serious injury to prove a point? Cutting a hand with broken glass was one thing, but...

In his entire state, he was bereft of the Light. It was necessary for him to cast his eye away so he may see.

Fear gripped Tsuzuki. His heart thudded into overdrive.

Muraki wouldn't dare...

Ripples formed over the water's surface, fragmenting the reflected moonlight. Muraki's long fingers were trembling violently.

Dammit, he would!

Tsuzuki leapt forward. He suspended himself over the spring for a fraction of a second, then dive-bombed straight into the spring. Water splashed everywhere, drenching Muraki in the process. But he remained where he was, still as a statue apart from his trembling hands.

Tsuzuki seized him by the waist and tried to levitate the two of them up. Muraki did not resist. Neither did he cooperate - he was little better than a dead weight.

"Hold on! Hold on to me, dammit!"

Damp flesh slid through Tsuzuki's gloved hands, making it impossible to get a good grip.

"Muraki!" Tsuzuki's voice was hoarse, near-hysterical. "Muraki, please!" He shook him by the shoulders. "Help me! Help me get you up!!"

Without a word, Muraki clamped his arms around Tsuzuki in a fierce hug, and buried his face in the crook of Tsuzuki's shoulder. His nails dug through the cloth of Tsuzuki's shirt to embed themselves in his back.

Tsuzuki hissed, but it wasn't important. He focused his energy on levitating them up. Slowly they rose out of the water, dripping wet, and landed near the campfire.

Muraki's embrace became tighter. A fine tremor shook his entire body. "I am...yours." Muffled against Tsuzuki's shoulder, the words were little more than a feeble plea. "No one else...only yours."

"Muraki..." Tsuzuki patted Muraki's back, an awkward attempt at reassurance. "Shhh. It's all right now. You're safe now."

Muraki pulled away a little to look at him, his eyes glazed and overbright. "I felt nothing - no heat, no pain. This is not healing or regeneration. This...I don't understand..."

"Your body is acquiring some magical Metallic properties. Just as metal can withstand high heat, so your body does the same. This is a side-effect of increasing your spiritual energy." Tsuzuki regarded him sadly. "You're getting your wish, Muraki. Your weak human body is no more. You're becoming stronger. The question is how long it can last."

Muraki blinked. "How can I be strong when I depend on you to nourish me? Without you I'm nothing!"

A pained expression crossed Tsuzuki's face. "That's not true. Don't say such things."

Muraki desperately nuzzled Tsuzuki's neck. His warm breath tickled Tsuzuki's throat. "What does it matter what I am?" he growled. "Human, demon...these labels are meaningless. I am yours. You must look after me."

Muraki's grip around him was suffocating. "Muraki...take it easy..."

"Fail in your duty of care, and you shall face the consequences." He nipped Tsuzuki's ear lobe hard.

"Dammit!" Tsuzuki pushed him away. "Then let me help you!" He picked up his trenchcoat and draped it over Muraki's shoulders. "Here, sit down next to the fire. You're shivering. You need to get warm. I'll make a bigger fire for you."

Grudgingly Muraki seated himself on a low rock, the coat clutched around him.

Tsuzuki removed his wet gloves and placed them on a rock to dry. He scrounged around for twigs and branches and quickly tossed them in the fire as he found them. He didn't want to hold them too long and release more Wood energy, for he dreaded the idea of worsening the state of entropy in the world. The flames leapt up, eager to consume the extra fuel.

"There, that should do it. Is that warm enough?"

Muraki's head was lowered, his shoulders hunched. With his silver hair dripping wet, he looked a forlorn figure. "It's good enough," he replied quietly.

Tsuzuki knelt down in front of him. "Now let's take a look at you. How badly have you hurt yourself this time?"

Muraki noticed Tsuzuki's sodden clothes for the first time. "You're wet."

"I wonder who's to blame for that," Tsuzuki retorted. "Never mind. Show me where you've scalded yourself."

Muraki's visible eye roved over Tsuzuki's wet shirt. It clung to the contours of his torso, leaving little to the imagination. "Take off your clothes, then we can warm each other up."

"Muraki! What about your scald burns?"

In one smooth movement the trenchcoat slid to the ground. "I was unharmed. My attempt to revoke my Metal energy failed."

His skin was pale and smooth. The only visible mark was the jagged scar across his abdomen. Between his legs, his cock stood erect - pointing straight at Tsuzuki.

Tsuzuki stared. He remembered the feel of it gliding past his lips, the taste of it against his tongue. All he had to do was reach forward, and he'd be able to savour the taste once more...

"I...I see." It took Tsuzuki several flustered seconds to regain his train of thought. "So you were playing another trick on me. Why am I not surprised?" He began to stand up.

"It was no trick." Muraki grabbed Tsuzuki's hand. "If I knew how to revoke my power, I would have done it. I would have gladly burned myself in that spring - anything to make my body more pleasing in your sight."

"I-it's all right. I..." Tsuzuki watched in amazement as Muraki began to press urgent kisses against the back of his hand.

"I disobeyed you...my command of my abilities is poor..."

The words filled Tsuzuki with unease. "There's no need to apologise."

"Please have mercy on me...for not being a normal human..."

A pained look crossed Tsuzuki's face. "Stop it! I don't want you grovelling before me like a servant!"

Muraki's obsequious manner vanished. Anger lit his predatory eyes. "Then what do you want? Do you even know that much, I wonder?"

"I'm not a sadist! I never meant to hurt you or humiliate you!" He began pacing around Muraki, his arms held protectively around himself. "I just wanted to look for some sign that you were willing to give up your supernatural powers...and go back to being a normal human again."

"A normal human?" Muraki jeered. "You do realise, Tsuzuki-san, that if I were a normal human, I wouldn't be in a position to debate this tedious issue over and over again with you. I would've long been riddled with bullets thanks to the secret police, crushed by the jaws of your Earth shikigami - not to mention being boiled alive in the hot springs of Jigoku."

"I know, I know!" Water dripped from his sodden clothes, but he didn't care. "You've proven long ago you were no normal human."

"I thought you were testing my ability to survive, not my propensity to die." Muraki sounded most aggrieved. "If I'd known--"

"Don't you understand?" Tsuzuki whirled to face him, inadvertently spraying Muraki with droplets. "These powers...they come at a price! Great powers always do. They affect you physically, mentally - in unpredictable ways beyond your control. Usually for the worse." He picked up the coat and slung it over Muraki's shoulders again. "Wielding magical energy is like an addiction. It feels exhilarating at first, but over time you start to want more. Your desire for more starts to take over your whole existence. That's exactly what's happening to you."

"The benefits more than make up for it. I regret nothing." Muraki let the coat slide off again.

"Are you sure? You saw for yourself how these powers can work in ways beyond your control." Tsuzuki picked up the coat again and flung it over Muraki's exposed lap. "It becomes a parasite inside you, actively cannibalising your body to keep itself alive. This magic will ultimately shorten your life, not extend it."

Muraki lifted the collar to his face and inhaled the scent. "Not as long as you feed me, Tsuzuki-san. With your essence, I will flourish and grow."

"You presume a great deal." Pacing restlessly, Tsuzuki began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Not at all." Muraki turned to watch him. "I only meant to give praise to your bountiful generosity. I await the day that you will reveal your true glory and deliver your followers from the darkness."

Tsuzuki stopped in front of him, shirt completely unbuttoned, hands placed on his hips. "You're no follower, Muraki. You don't follow me - you pursue me. You remain under a covenant to another - the one who sent you here."

Muraki's smile was enigmatic. "His faces are many, yet he is but one."

"Who placed the shadow spell over your heart?" Tsuzuki began pacing around again. "The one with whom you made your covenant? Someone else? I don't suppose you'd care to enlighten me."

"It is a holy name imbued with greatness. I am unworthy to utter it aloud."

From behind, Tsuzuki leaned close to Muraki's ear. "Then whisper it. I'll make it worth your while. I'll feed you over and over until you're replete beyond measure. You need never go hungry again."

Apart from a lifted brow, Muraki remained facing straight ahead. "The volume of my voice is irrelevant. Uttering the name is an act of blasphemy. You either jest out of ignorance...or you test me yet again."

Tsuzuki walked around to face him. "Admit it, Muraki. Your claim to be mine is a farce. Someone else already has prior claim on your loyalty."

"So are you a jealous god, Tsuzuki-san? Are you demanding an exclusive relationship?"

Taken aback, Tsuzuki froze. "No." He'd honestly never thought that far. "I don't believe in imposing unrealistic conditions." He took off his shirt and wrung it dry. "It's useless to ask you to go against your intrinsic nature."

Seated on the rock, Muraki absorbed this in watchful silence.

Tsuzuki laid the shirt on a rock near the fire, then wiped his hands on his trousers. After ensuring the velvet gloves were dry, he slid them back on. "As master of twelve shikigami, I know that a shikigami cannot serve two masters well. So I won't take on one who is under contract to another. I won't accept one who has been tainted by a spell cast by someone else." He cast a pointed look Muraki's way. "The ones who enter into a contract with me serve no other except me."

"So they are expected to have eyes for you alone, while you may spread your attentions among many." Muraki ruffled his damp hair with one hand, snickering to himself. "You sound like you're running a harem. Truly you are a hypocrite."

"It's not like that. I expect undivided loyalty, not slavish devotion. The shikigami who serve me do so of their own free will. They long to return to this world and display their power. They want to be worshipped and invoked by people the way they were in the old days. But in the modern world, people have forgotten them in their rush to embrace science and technology." Tsuzuki sat down on a rock beside Muraki, hands interlaced together. "That's the real reason why I'm their master. I'm the only one who prays to them, the only one who grants them the devotion and honour they crave. It's not about my power or essence or some mysterious light. They want to be revered and remembered, that's all."

"Humans are fools." Muraki stared into the fire. "Science is not a cure-all for human pain and suffering. Humanity's greatest delusion is its belief that human intelligence holds the key to fixing all the ills in the world."

Tsuzuki looked up, surprised. "I suppose you know that from experience."

"Indeed." Muraki's voice held no irony, only dull weariness.

Tsuzuki found his eyes drawn to Muraki's profile: the aquiline nose, the thin lips and pointed chin. Without his metal-rimmed glasses, his features appeared more naked and emotionally revealing. The flickering glow of the flames revealed the lines fanning out from the corner of one eye - signs of age that made Tsuzuki sad. His own face, forever young, would remain a clean slate. But Muraki's face was etched by half a lifetime of bitter human experience.

Had the woman with the body of a girl coaxed a smile from that frowning mouth? Had the brothel owner made those narrowed eyes crinkled with laughter?

Tsuzuki felt a sickening ache lodge within his stomach at the thought.

"Is it an onerous task to worship so many shikigami?" Muraki asked quietly.

"No, not at all." No one had ever asked him such a question before. "It's not a hardship for me." He bit his lip, thinking of how to explain it. "When I summon them, I enter into a kind of meditative trance. I become one with them. I share in their exhilaration and power. I feel I'm a part of something far greater than myself. For a brief moment, I can even let go of my misgivings about working as a God of Death."

Muraki was silent. Hidden in the folds of the coat, his hands balled into fists.

"It's an ecstatic experience, a joy beyond words. Worshipping them is a wonderful privilege. They lift my spirits and gladden my heart." He smiled to himself. "When they dance for me, my soul dances, too."

Abruptly Muraki rose to his feet. "I can make you feel the same way."

"Huh? Muraki, sit down--"

Muraki cast the coat from him. It fell to the ground, fanning out to cover an area the size of a double bed. He knelt on the coat and sat on his heels facing Tsuzuki, his back to the fire. His cock remained erect, flush against his abdomen. "Like this, Tsuzuki-san?"

"Cover yourself up! Where's your sense of modesty?"

"Are you ashamed to gaze upon your shikigami when you summon them?"

"No, but--"

"Then do not be ashamed to gaze upon me. Like them, I am yours." Muraki spead his arms out, an eloquent gesture of offering.

In his position of subservience, Muraki was exposed and naked...and beautiful beyond words. Yet his expression was cool, shuttered - the exact opposite. His chest was proud, his chin lifted to meet Tsuzuki's gaze. His demeanour was at once courtship and challenge, humility and pride - a visual contradiction that encapsulated Muraki's duplicitous character.

"No." With an effort of superhuman will, Tsuzuki collected himself. "You're not mine. You've got other loyalties, other ties: the friends who still love you, the one who devised your covenant..." A sweet ache was stirring within the pit of his abdomen. "You can't compare yourself to a shikigami."

"True. In some ways I am superior. I can make your body dance."

Tsuzuki flushed. Trapped within the confines of his trousers, his cock was coming to life. "Muraki...my body's danced enough times. I don't want to do that anymore. Think of yourself - you're wasting your energy!"

"Feed me and I will be whole once more. You are manna from heaven, the sweetest fruit--"

"No more feeding, dammit! I want you to..."

"You are the source of light that brings life into the world--"

"Listen! You..." Tsuzuki's features were scrunched up, as if the words were too painful to speak aloud. "You've got to take a vow of celibacy!"

Muraki's lips froze midway through his litany of praise. "What?"

"Celibacy is the only answer - for both of us! From now on, we both need to use our willpower and stop having sex!" Tsuzuki slapped his hand against his thigh for emphasis. "Abstinence is the only way to stop things getting out of control!"

Muraki was stunned. "Why?" His erection slumped precariously to one side.

"Well...it's been practised by holy men throughout the ages, right? They gave up sex to achieve a greater spiritual awareness. Their goal was enlightenment - a way to achieve union with the divine. If it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for you!"

Muraki's brow almost reached his hairline. His visible eye was wide with bemusement.

Tsuzuki leaned forward, warming to this topic. "You're after the same thing too...kind of. If you could cultivate an inner fortitude like the holy men, perhaps you can be at peace with the world instead of battling against it."

"Celibacy," Muraki repeated. He took a slow breath in, then out - making a visible effort to collect himself. "Tsuzuki-san, I assure you I have been a celibate man for many years. Throughout my days at university, and later when I embarked on my surgical training, I devoted myself fully to my vocation. I gave up my leisure time, I eschewed personal relationships. I willingly made many sacrifices in order to be the best surgeon I could possibly be." His lips twisted. "All for nothing. I put my faith in surgery, and it proved to be a false god." He closed his eyes and placed his hands together in prayer. "This time I have chosen one that is true. He is my refuge and fortress. I will look up to him for guidance. In him I will trust."

"I'm nothing like that!" Tsuzuki got down on his hands and knees - he didn't want Muraki looking up at him, literally or metaphorically. "Muraki! Open your eyes when I'm talking to you."

Muraki obeyed. When he saw Tsuzuki before him, a beatific smile lit his face. "You shall cover me with your feathers. Under your wings I will take refuge."

"No!" Tsuzuki hastily sat back on his heels. "No more wings! That's why we're both taking a vow of celibacy!" Tsuzuki clenched his fist in determination. "We can be like a self-help group for sex addicts! If we work together, I know we can do it!"

"A self-help group?" Muraki eyed him as though he were a lunatic before swiftly lowering his gaze. "Then how am I to worship you?" He composed himself into a humble penitent awaiting the judgement of the priest. "I am yours. I intend to follow your will and obey your word. But how am I to feed?"

"It's not the end of the world!" Tsuzuki cajoled. "You can still feed! I have a great idea. I'll collect my, uh, essence in a bottle, and then you can take a sip when you're feeling low. That's much more convenient, right? You can save it, maybe keep it in the fridge--"

"Like milk?" Muraki suggested, deadpan.

"What this means is that you won't have to go hungry waiting for me. And best of all, you won't risk wasting your energy either." Tsuzuki grinned, elated at his own genius. "It's so obvious! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

"Tsuzuki-san..." Muraki's gaze remained lowered, concealed by silver hair. "Your concern for my welfare is...deeply touching. Your magnanimity leaves me...speechless." The muscles of his jaw clenched spasmodically. "Your proposed solution is...truly remarkable for its..." Suddenly he buried his face in his hands. He began emitting a strange animalistic sound: a high-pitched whine followed by a rumbling growl.

"Muraki?" Alarmed, Tsuzuki moved to his side. "Is something wrong?"

Slowly Muraki lifted his head. "No. What makes you think that?" He eyed Tsuzuki with active loathing. "You are testing me yet again, ne? You devise these trials to drive me to breaking point!"

"No! This isn't a test! I'm serious about helping you. I honestly believe this compromise is the best solution." He retreated when he noticed Muraki's cock was at full attention.

"Forgive me." But Muraki didn't sound apologetic. "My body longs to worship yours. I cannot help the way it reacts to your nearness." Muraki shifted his hips so Tsuzuki could assess this reaction for himself. "It remembers how your body arched and writhed in pleasure against mine each night, and so--"

"Enough!" Tsuzuki tried to block out the images summoned by Muraki's words, and failed horribly. "You don't have to explain! I can see for myself!"

"Then you must realise that your 'solution' is nothing of the sort!" Muraki clenched his jaw, trying his best to rein in his temper. "My desire to honour and worship you is as strong as my need to feed from you. If I do not worship you, your body will no longer dance. Is that what you truly want? You will surely suffer, and I shall suffer too."

There was an insidious sort of logic in Muraki's reasoning. "I don't want you to suffer...but I don't need to be worshipped, really. I mean, I come - er, dance - when you feed from me already..." Tsuzuki's words trailed off. Muraki was closing in on him. The muscles of his shoulders and arms glowed in the firelight.

"But it's not quite the same as having me fuck you, ne?" Muraki's words were little more than a seductive drawl. "Holding you tight while I fill your trembling body over and over until you're about to explode..."

The warmth and scent of Muraki's body surrounded Tsuzuki like a wonderful incense, making him dizzy with the promise of another forbidden sexual encounter. His muscles were becoming lethargic and heavy. His erection strained against the fly of his trousers, prepared for action.

Tsuzuki splayed his gloved hands against Muraki's chest. "Keep back, Muraki." It was little more than a harsh whisper. "I'm doing this for you."

Muraki shivered and closed his eyes. "I appreciate what you're doing with your hands much, much more."

Tsuzuki looked down. His palms were spread over Muraki's nipples. Through the velvet material, Tsuzuki felt both of them become pebble-hard nubs. Belatedly he realised he should be removing his hands...but somehow his gaze became fascinated by the contrast of violet velvet against pale flesh.

"You..." Tsuzuki cleared his throat. "You're sensitive here."

"So I am." Muraki's lips hovered a couple of inches from Tsuzuki. His head was tilted slightly so their noses wouldn't collide.

"Muraki, don't."

"I'm not touching you, am I?" Muraki let his breath lightly brush Tsuzuki's brow and cheek. "You have such exquisite bone structure: high forehead and cheekbones, deep-set eyes, perfect uptilted nose." He sighed, and his breath fell along Tsuzuki's lips. "No cosmetic surgeon could improve on your beauty."

Tsuzuki's lips tingled and ached, and they hadn't even touched Muraki's mouth yet. He knew he had to move away, but he feared the slightest movement would betray the terrible desire kindling within him. Already his hands, splayed against Muraki's chest, were completely immobile - caught between the urge to push him away and the desire to caress every inch of his nude body.

Muraki knew, of course. Muraki could read him like a book.

Yet he kept his hands to himself. He simply regarded Tsuzuki for a long moment, drinking in his features with the same transfixed expression he'd shown at their very first meeting.

No one else ever looked at him like this. This strange mix of wonder and longing in Muraki's eyes that could mesmerise him with such ease. If Tsuzuki didn't know better, he might have mistaken it for tenderness...even adoration.

"Fool." Muraki's tone was gentle. "You've been so busy giving devotion to others that you've forgotten how to accept it yourself, ne? But all is not lost. That's why I'm here: to remind you of what you've forgotten, and help cast light on what was dark." He lowered his head until their lips were mere inches apart.

Tsuzuki shut his eyes. This was wrong. He was a lowly shinigami, a reaper of souls - little more than an assassin for hire. He didn't deserve to be adored by anyone.

"Do not turn me away in my hour of need. If I'm to be forbidden to lay a hand on you, then please do not withhold your touch from me." Muraki's voice was a silken whisper. "Even celibate men are permitted kisses, ne?"

Violet velvet slowly skimmed up Muraki's chest, over his broad shoulders to encircle his neck.

Muraki's triumphant chuckle was easily stifled by the insistent pressure of Tsuzuki's questing lips.

---

Helicopters hovered overhead. Their spotlights skittered over the cracked section of the Nagasaki expressway. The whup-whup of the propellers created swirling clouds of grit and dust.

On the ground, the cat squinted its eyes shut against the mini-duststorm. It scrambled out from behind its shelter. "Humans are coming!" it yowled. It leapt over cracks and dodged fragments of concrete and bitumen towards Genbu, who was trudging several hundred metres ahead.

"Humans," Genbu rasped. He continued his slow steady pace, crushing bitumen as he went. "The humans can wait. My work is not finished." There were many more bitumen pieces to be flattened underfoot. Mounds of rubble lined each side of the road, neatly swept in rows with flicks of his long tail.

"Do you want to be seen?" the cat cried. "Remember how humans react when they lay eyes on our true forms!" It stopped, gasping for breath. The feline vessel it occupied possessed nimble reflexes and great flexibility, but poor physical endurance.

"My obligations are to the Earth and my master," Genbu intoned. "Let the humans view me at work. Let them be reminded of the time when we spirits roamed the earth and struck fear and awe in their hearts."

Wind gusts stirred the peaks of the rubble mounds flanking the black snake-tortoise. Debris began to tumble down. Airborne dust filled the air.

Golden reptilian eyes flashed. "You dare disrupt my efforts!" His serpentine neck telescoped out from his carapace and coiled around in mid-air. "Another mechanical insect fouling the Earth. Human folly knows no bounds."

The cat huddled in a ball, eyes tightly shut. Directly beneath the helicopter, it was helpless against the flying dust.

Genbu watched the spotlight flit over his tail, then slow to inspect the spiked plates of his shiny carapace. Helpfully he angled his neck so the spotlight fell on his horned-studded head. When he was sure they could see him, he slowly rose up towards the copter, swaying side to side like a dancing cobra, jaws wide.

The horrified crew sent the helicopter veering away at a precipitous angle. Quickly righting itself, it swerved back the way it had come.

Genbu didn't bother to give chase. He chose to let out a rumbling roar to hurry them along.

Covered in grit and dust, the cat lifted its head. "Their fear will pass. They will return soon enough, and more will come after them bearing offensive weapons, not offerings in your name." It licked its paws, and began cleaning itself. "The world has changed much since the days you wandered the earth."

The snake-tortoise eyed the cat with slitted eyes. "And not for the better. My return is indeed long overdue." He turned back and resumed flattening the rubble at his feet. "When I have finished, we shall see how your master is faring with mine."

---

Muraki made a good point. A vow of celibacy didn't exclude kissing. While they sat on Tsuzuki's outspread coat, both men were busy taking advantage of this convenient loophole.

For once, Muraki's hands weren't yanking off his clothes or roaming all over his body. In deference to Tsuzuki, he kept his hands firmly on his thighs. The time for talking was over. Muraki was focusing his persuasive powers in using his skilled lips to change Tsuzuki's mind.

And from Tsuzuki's eager response, he was doing a very good job.

With his gloved hand stroking the nape of Muraki's neck, Tsuzuki eagerly accepted the light pressure of Muraki's mouth. Delicate flicks of his tongue interspersed with tantalising caresses left Tsuzuki yearning for more. He began gliding his tongue along the length of Muraki's, demonstrating how he wanted it done. He guided the tilt of Muraki's jaw as he explored Muraki's mouth more intimately, accidentally bumping their noses in his enthusiasm.

Muraki's control was waning. His chest rose and fell, and his breath gusted against Tsuzuki's cheek.

Finally he broke the kiss. "You told me...not to touch you. I intend...to prove myself worthy..." His eyes were closed, his breathing erratic. "But you make it so hard..."

Tsuzuki pulled him back. "Kiss me properly." He nipped Muraki's chin. "Kiss me the way you normally do."

"Then discard this ridiculous celibacy idea. I, for one, need more than kisses."

Between them, Muraki's neglected cock pointed up, silently pleading for attention.

Tsuzuki swallowed. The scent tempted him, beckoning him closer. The urge to take it in his mouth was a powerful one - an urge he had to deny. "I...I'm sorry, Muraki. We have to abstain from sex--"

"But the ache grows unbearable." Muraki nuzzled Tsuzuki's forehead. "I must have your healing touch."

Reluctantly Tsuzuki clasped the shaft of Muraki's cock. Through the velvet he could feel it, warm and alive, twitching at his touch. He stroked it tentatively, and felt it swell against his palm.

Muraki sighed. "Mmm...yes." He kissed Tsuzuki properly as reward. "Now pump me the way I taught you. Let's see how well you memorised my earlier lesson."

Tsuzuki's heavy-lidded gaze was on Muraki's mouth. "I'm sorry." Using his thumb, he pressed firmly over the sensitive crown.

Muraki buckled over in agony. His forehead hit Tsuzuki's shoulder. His hands shot out and unerringly wrapped themselves around Tsuzuki's throat. "You..." Between clenched teeth, he struggled to find words. "Tsuzuki-san! You want...to make me impotent?"

"Too much sex...bad for you," Tsuzuki rasped, yet his grip remained firm. Muraki's erection was deflating in his hand.

Muraki bared his teeth in a pain-wracked snarl. His nails dug into Tsuzuki's throat.

Even with the stranglehold over his windpipe, Tsuzuki refused to back down. "You must...retain your energy..."

"You expect me to obey...when you crush me like some worm?"

Tsuzuki made a stifled wheezing sound. "You're a lot...bigger..."

"Tsuzuki-san! This is no time for flippant flattery!"

Taking pity on him, Tsuzuki eased his grip.

Muraki let out a sigh of relief. Slowly he did the same with Tsuzuki's throat. As he withdrew his hands, he lacerated the flesh with his nails to leave shallow cuts.

Tsuzuki didn't wince. "You did that on purpose."

Muraki licked the blood from his nails. "That's what you get when you toy with sharp metal objects." He closed his eyes, brow furrowed in concentration.

The fly of Tsuzuki's trousers ripped open. The button flew off, and the entire fabric tore itself apart. Tsuzuki suddenly found himself sitting in a pile of rags, and dressed in nothing more than his underpants.

"Shit! How did you--"

"I didn't touch you. I acted within the terms of your command." Muraki smiled sweetly. "It was getting a little tight there, ne? I thought it was time to give you the room you needed." He eyed the bulge in Tsuzuki's underpants with blatant appreciation.

Tsuzuki picked up what was left of the metal zipper. "More evidence of your Metal mastery."

Muraki idly brushed a lock of hair behind his ear. "Merely an opening gambit."

Tsuzuki tossed the zipper down. It dislodged the ragpile, and sent a small object rolling towards Muraki. Tsuzuki seized it. Muraki placed his hand over his before he could pick it up.

"What was that?" Muraki asked pleasantly.

Tsuzuki looked up. Muraki's features were a blur - his face was so close they were virtually facing each other nose-to-nose. "Nothing important."

"My dear Tsuzuki-san, how is it that you can be so rich in spiritual energy yet such a hopeless liar?"

Tsuzuki lowered his gaze. "I didn't want to scare you." He tried to pull his hand free. Muraki's grip over his gloved hand was like steel manacles. "It's lubricant from your bedroom."

Muraki's features lit up with pleasure. "Really? What admirable foresight."

"It wouldn't have been fair to leave it behind. I know it's been a while for you, so I'll do my best to prepare you well."

"Prepare me?" Muraki's expression darkened ominously.

Tsuzuki held the jar palm-up in his hand. "Of course." He did his best to project a determined optimism. "It's my turn to make you dance, Muraki."

Muraki sat up straight, his nostrils flaring in annoyance. "I'm not doing it."

Tsuzuki studied the jar in his hands. "I've wanted to do it to you from the very beginning. You know that first night we shared together? While you lay unconscious beneath me, I saw how beautiful you were. I dreamed of taking you then and there."

"I'm not doing it."

Tsuzuki turned the jar over and over in his hands, as if he could unlock the secrets to the universe by contemplating it. "But I didn't want to take advantage of you. I wanted you to accept me willingly, of your own accord. I wanted you to experience how wonderful it can be when you open up to others instead of barricading yourself--"

"I'm not doing it." Louder, and edged with growing impatience.

"I see." Tsuzuki's hands became still. His downbent gaze remained on the small jar. "Why is it that you're the only one who gets to 'worship' me with your body? Why can't I honour you in the same way? My desires are no different. Inside, I burn with the longing to make you dance--"

"Never! I told you! I'm not doing it - not even for you! I was defiled - treated like a plaything!" Muraki's voice throbbed with raw emotion. "I vowed never to let it happen again!"

Tsuzuki was silent for a long moment. "Defiled..." he finally murmured, head still bowed. He managed a wry smile. "Then what about 'dancing'? What about 'worship'?"

Caught off-guard, Muraki blinked. "What?"

"That's your real opinion of sex, isn't it?" There was a suspicious brightness in Tsuzuki's eyes. "To you, sex is about using others, because that's all you know. All this time we were together, you were defiling me, using me - repeating the same kind of relationship you had with your half-brother."

"You speak out of ignorance! Don't you dare compare me to him!"

"Why not? How are you any better? You did exactly the same thing to Hisoka!" He jabbed Muraki in the chest with one finger. "It's the reason you frequent prostitutes yet refuse to lay a finger on that girl you've adored all your life! You didn't want to defile her - the only person you've really cared for, right?"

Muraki blinked. His seething anger evaporated, leaving behind a look of brooding contemplation.

"But it's fine to do it with me heaps of times because I'm nothing to you!" Tsuzuki threw his head back, laughing. "All your talk about 'worshipping me' and 'making me dance' - what a load of bullshit! Just like that talk about being mine and needing to feed--"

"Is the truth," Muraki interjected quietly. "I am yours."

Tsuzuki's near-hysterical laughter died in his throat, leaving behind a look of terrible sadness. "You're not mine, Muraki, not like my shikigami." He wiped his eyes with the back of one hand. "You come because you're dependent on me, but they answer my prayers of their own free will. To be their master, I had to challenge each of them individually for the right to be their master and submit to a test. Only by passing their test would they agree to accept my authority."

Tsuzuki still remembered the twelve tests his shikigami had given him, from the most trivial to the most dangerous: tests of skill as well as character. They served a dual purpose. For the shikigami, the test was a method of determining whether the challenger was worthy of their favour. As for the challenger, the test was a yardstick by which they could assess their ability to fulfil the position of a competent master.

A little elderly man in monk's robes had explained it, back when Tsuzuki was a lost greenhorn wandering through the mountainous forests of Gensoukai hunting for his first shikigami. Having stumbled on the monk's meditation spot, a small forest clearing, by accident, he had no idea he was in the company of one of the four great divine commanders.

The test will put the doubts to rest. Pass, and know yourself to be suitable. Fail, and learn that it wasn't meant to be. There is no shame in either outcome, for when you undertake the challenge you gain valuable knowledge about yourself.

Facing him in the present, Muraki was thoughtful. "Is it so important to you that I accept your authority without question?"

A flicker of an idea crept into Tsuzuki's mind. If only there was some way he could prove himself worthy to Muraki...

"No, not really. What I'd really like is trust...but I know trust can't just be handed over. Trust has to be earned." Tsuzuki's fingers tightened around the jar of lubricant. "Muraki...I'd like to challenge you right here, right now. If I win, I'm allowed to claim you for my own. If I lose...then I'll never bring this up again."

"A challenge? What kind of challenge?"

"A test of some kind, involving some skill or quality you find admirable in others. If I can prove I've got it, then you'll agree to my terms." Tsuzuki opened the jar and placed it between them. "I've got the perfect one for us - a challenge of sexual endurance."

Muraki lifted one brow, obviously intrigued. "Please elaborate."

"We arouse each other using only hands and lips. The one who manages to hold back from orgasm the longest is the victor. No penetration permitted. No blowjobs either."

"I see." Muraki ran his fingers through his hair, grimacing to himself. "You want us to grope each other like school boys, ne?"

"Well...you don't trust me enough to let me fuck you. I refuse to drain you of your essence by sucking you off. So this is the only way we can challenge each other on an equal footing."

"Ridiculous." Muraki rubbed his forehead, as if he was on the verge of a splitting headache. "This entire idea is completely absurd."

Tsuzuki could feel hope slipping out of his grasp. "Let me prove myself to you, just this once. All I want is a fighting chance to win your respect." He blinked away the prickling heat from his eyes and lifted his head high, determined not to be shamed. "I'm not afraid to take you on. Are you afraid of me?"

Muraki's gaze was shuttered, revealing nothing. He studied Tsuzuki's face for a long moment, dispassionately noting the glimmer of tears, the wavering optimism. When Tsuzuki looked away, he reached out his hand to lift up Tsuzuki's jaw.

Surprised, Tsuzuki flinched from his touch.

"I may touch you as I please if I agree to this challenge?"

Wild hope flared in Tsuzuki's eyes. "You may."

"Well then..." Muraki took hold of his jaw. "Weep no more. Lovely as they are, there is no essence to be found in your beautiful tears." He leaned forward to lap at the wetness along Tsuzuki's eyelashes.

The gesture was part-comfort and part-affection - a small sign of accession to Tsuzuki's wish.

For Tsuzuki, it felt like the most miraculous of blessings. Maybe Muraki felt pity for him. Maybe Muraki was only indulging him in the hope of feeding from him. It didn't matter. This was his chance, and he was going to grab it tight with both hands.

And with it, Muraki. This living embodiment of mercurial Metal energy would belong to him by sunrise.

He pulled Muraki into his arms. He kissed Muraki as he meant to proceed, assertively staking his claim over that taunting mouth. His gloved hands stroked down the length of Muraki's body, caressing with gentleness the flesh he'd ruthlessly curbed minutes earlier.

Muraki twitched and bucked, and retaliated by pushing Tsuzuki to the covered ground. He claimed Tsuzuki's mouth in a frenzied kiss. Without looking, he dipped the fingers of one hand in the jar. With the other hand, he freed Tsuzuki from his underpants.

Tsuzuki kicked off the offending item of clothing, eagerly anticipating the feel of Muraki's flesh against his. "Remember the rules," he murmured. "No penetration. No blowjobs." He nipped at the ruby stud adorning Muraki's ear, and allowed it to clatter against his teeth. "The first one to breaks them loses the challenge."

Looming over him, Muraki grinned. "Are you so sure?" He wrapped oiled fingers around Tsuzuki's erection. "What if I arouse you to such a pitch of excitement...that you beg me to fuck you?" He squeezed the cock once, then slammed his oiled grip up and down along its length. "How can I be breaking the rules if I obey your command?"

Tsuzuki gasped for breath. He arched under the onslaught of sensation, unable to keep up with Muraki's fierce tempo. In a feeble attempt to shield himself, he lifted one knee. Muraki easily pushed it down, splaying Tsuzuki's legs wide apart for easier access. He tightened his fingers as Tsuzuki swelled in his hands, never once easing his merciless rhythm.

Tsuzuki bit his lip against a moan. It felt incredible. Why was he resisting these wonderful sensations? Did it matter why Muraki was doing this? To his body, trembling in Muraki's skilled hands, it made no difference. Pleasure was pleasure, pure and simple.

"I know exactly how to make you feel good," Muraki murmured. "I've memorised what you like, the way you respond when you're pleased, the wordless sounds you make in your throat when you want more..." His silver hair swung free, revealing both true and false eyes. His mismatched gaze glittered with the conceit of one who knew success was in his grasp. "Let yourself go. You know you want to. Let me make you dance."

Tsuzuki grasped the back of Muraki's head. "Shut up and kiss me."

Muraki gladly obliged. Tsuzuki took advantage of the proximity to pull Muraki against him, flesh against flesh. That hot heavy weight pressing down upon him, that pleasurable discomfort against his groin...it was exactly what he'd been waiting for. He wound his legs around Muraki's and began to undulate against him, rubbing their genitals together. His gloved hands moulded the long sweep of Muraki's spine, from the nape of his neck to the breadth of his shoulder blades, down the narrow waist with its thick bands of branching scars.

Muraki shivered. His growl was muffled against Tsuzuki's mouth.

Tsuzuki gently massaged the scars, trying to smooth them away with his velvet touch.

Muraki withdrew a little. "Not there...hypersensitive..."

"Don't be afraid." Using his legs as leverage, he rolled Muraki so they lay side by side. "I want you to know the pleasure of surrender." He sheathed Muraki's twitching cock within his velvet grip and stroked it in a long, fluid rhythm. "When you overcome your fear...you'll understand."

Muraki took hold of Tsuzuki's cock again. His gaze was hooded, unreadable. "I'm not afraid." With his other hand, he grasped Tsuzuki by the hip to hold him in place. "I'm just not interested." He resumed stroking Tsuzuki hard and fast. His vigorous motion stretched and squeezed the throbbing flesh over and over - an inversion of the thorough way he possessed Tsuzuki's body each night.

Tsuzuki panted through it, eyes shut. Muraki was too good. Fighting him was futile. Instead, he let the sensations wash over him, and focused his concentration on memorising Muraki's technique. Using his gloved hand, he started to replicate the same strokes and pacing over Muraki's throbbing erection. The buckles of the glove jingled in time with his movements.

"Not bad...for a novice." Muraki's voice was husky against his ear. "But you're closer. I can feel it. So much for vows of celibacy, ne?" He pressed his mouth along Tsuzuki's throat, his tongue circling the thudding pulse.

Tsuzuki arched his throat in blatant invitation. His gloved fingers became entangled in silver hair as he urged Muraki lower.

Muraki chuckled. "Now are you tempting me or offering guidance? If you want me to go down on you, just say the word..." He bit the juncture between Tsuzuki's neck and shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise. "...and we can put this infantile challenge behind us."

"Never." Resting his damp forehead against Muraki's shoulder, Tsuzuki's sidelong glance sparkled with taunting mischief. "What's wrong, Muraki? Having trouble holding out?" His hand slid down Muraki's erection to cup the testicles beneath, tightening and swelling under the strain. "You must be strong. You can't afford to waste a drop."

Muraki exhaled sharply - whether from amusement or discomfort it was impossible to say. "I don't intend to." He redoubled his own ministrations, milking Tsuzuki's cock in a frenzy of motion. "I'll offer it up to you...and watch your body writhe and rock in ecstatic gratitude." He inhaled. "The challenge is as good as over. Your essence is on its way. Such a heady aroma..." Muraki's words were becoming slurred in his excitement. "Mouth-watering...deliciously sweet..."

Tsuzuki shuddered. That voice of Muraki's was a potent weapon of seduction. When he used that deep husky register, the effect was as alluring as an intimate caress. He could feel his hips twist and thrust harder into Muraki's grip, his cock lengthen up towards Muraki's eager gaze. His hand trembled as he struggled to maintain his earlier rhythmic stroke along Muraki's erection. His entire body was turning traitor against him - it seemed intent only on transforming Muraki's words into reality.

Impatiently Muraki pushed away Tsuzuki's stroking hand. He lowered himself down Tsuzuki's body, his eyes hypnotised by the swollen prize he held. "Come for me!" His hot breath gusted over the head of Tsuzuki's cock, making it twitch further. "I must feed!"

Tsuzuki propped himself up on his elbows, chest heaving and dewed in perspiration. "You know...the rules of the challenge..."

"Silence!" Muraki snapped. "You persecute me with these trials for your own amusement! You upbraid me at every turn yet delight each time I stumble!" His eyes were that of a feral beast. "No wonder your acolytes have forsaken you! Your cruelty would test the faith of the most devoted servant!" His firm grip rapidly milked the oozing precome from Tsuzuki's cock.

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I never asked you...to come to me..."

"You didn't have to! I see it right now in your unnatural eyes - those same eyes that charmed me from the moment I saw you in my grandfather's photo! I sense it in the way you goad and taunt me, while secretly waiting for me to lose control and ravish you! And I feel it here - the part of you that cannot lie." He grasped Tsuzuki's cock by the root and rubbed his cheek against the shaft. He let the crown drift along his jaw, leaving a gleaming trail. "Tell me what you want."

Tsuzuki couldn't look away. All he had to do was thrust his hips, and his erection would be sliding past Muraki's lips, filling his mouth. An effective silencing technique, but an admission of surrender as well.

"Our challenge...still stands." Tsuzuki locked his thighs and knees in rigid extension, pressing his pelvis against the unyielding ground. This was one temptation he had to resist. "Break the rules...and I win."

"Why must I uphold them?" Muraki retorted. "If you lack the means to enforce the consequences, your rules are meaningless." He turned his head, teeth bared over the twitching flesh.

Tsuzuki closed his eyes. He steeled himself for the worst.

"What are you doing playing the meek lamb? You think I can't see through that pathetic guise?" Muraki was enraged beyond all reason. "You insult me yet again! I don't want your restraint! I don't want your kindness! I would rather bear the brunt of your fury than be the object of your sanctimonious pity!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do? What do you expect--"

Muraki covered his teeth with his lips, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed Tsuzuki in one gulp. The tightening wet suction he applied around Tsuzuki's cock was answer enough.

Sheer ecstasy. Bone-melting pleasure so fiercely sweet it made Tsuzuki groan aloud. Within this vortex of sensation he was utterly lost. His hips bucked into Muraki's ravenous mouth. When Muraki tried to ease off, Tsuzuki seized him by the hair to prevent his escape.

"More...more..." He urged Muraki down again. "Don't stop."

Muraki made a muffled choking sound. He pushed one of Tsuzuki's knees up to his chest, then he swallowed Tsuzuki down once more.

Tsuzuki swore softly. He couldn't thrust in this position. All he could do was twist helplessly while Muraki drank from him like a crazed succubus.

There was no stopping Muraki from his feeding frenzy. He rolled the shaft within the confines of his mouth, pushing it along the inside of one cheek, then the other. He trapped the head of the cock against his palate, and milked the precome using rapid undulations of his tongue.

Tsuzuki groaned, chest heaving. So this was the dance Muraki spoke of - a deranged possession of his body and soul. But it wasn't what he wanted. Fucking Muraki's mouth wasn't enough anymore.

Muraki squeezed one of Tsuzuki's buttocks. Assured of his prize, he slid oiled fingers slid between the cheeks of Tsuzuki's ass.

Tsuzuki shook his head. "No, not that..."

Muraki slid them in without interrupting his focused oral assault. Tsuzuki shuddered wildly as his prostate was bombarded with a series of scintillating jolts. He lurched forward and kicked out. One of his hands clutched the coat, the other Muraki's head.

"Muraki...please..." His cock throbbed, his groin ached, his ass clenched around Muraki's fingers on each outward stroke. Every muscle was tensed up, waiting for that final stimulus to push him over the edge. Tsuzuki wasn't sure what he was pleading for - only that Muraki held the cure to this pleasure so intense it felt like torture.

Climax was brief and swift. A sharp pinnacle of ecstatic brilliance - followed by a sudden freefall back to earth. Tsuzuki found himself emptying everything in one sudden burst right down Muraki's gulping throat.

Slowly Muraki lifted his head. "Good...but not enough." He was wild-eyed, his hair dishevelled. "I must have more." He moved into a kneeling position and lifted both of Tsuzuki's knees onto his shoulders.

"No." Weakened by post-coital exhaustion, Tsuzuki couldn't put up the energy to push Muraki away. "Save it. You need it more than I do..."

"I'll worship you. I'll give you thanks. I'll praise you for your glory." Muraki's slick erection slid against his ass. "And then you will feed me anew."

Muraki leaned forward, pressing Tsuzuki's knees up his chest. His cock met no resistance. One powerful thrust, and he was sheathed to the hilt.

Tsuzuki whimpered softly. Muraki's heavy weight opened him up, filled him with that glorious mixture of pleasure-pain. Nothing else could make him feel so alive and invigorated. His spent cock twitched, reawakened by the friction against his prostate. He clutched the trenchcoat beneath him for support as Muraki began fucking him in earnest.

Above him, Muraki was exhaling heavily with each thrust. His breath was warm and ticklish against Tsuzuki's ear. Cast in partial shadow by the flickering flames behind him and the moonlit sky overhead, it was impossible to see his features well. Against the backdrop of the clear night sky, Muraki seemed mysterious and otherworldly - a phantom lover made flesh.

The lover of his dreams - no, even better. His imagination could never have come up with a lover so possessive and demanding and infuriatingly proud...

As Tsuzuki gazed up, he saw a shadowy form appear behind Muraki. It obscured the moonlight, yet was translucent enough for him to see the brightest of the stars twinkling overhead. It wafted over each of Muraki's shoulders, stretching longer than the width of his outstretched arms.

"Muraki...something's happening..."

"I know." Muraki slid one hand between their sweat-damp bodies, surging together in unison. "You're hard again. How I envy your incredible stamina."

"That's not...what I meant."

Dark branching veins threaded their way through the shadows, giving them substance and shape. They coalesced into two distinct silhouettes looming over each shoulder, a little higher than Muraki's head.

Tsuzuki stared. He reached up to touch it. He came away with a handful of something soft and fluffy. When he brought them closer, he saw them - downy feathers of the purest white.

"No! Nooo!"

Tsuzuki went berserk. He lacerated Muraki's shoulders with his nails. He bucked and squirmed, and dug his heels in Muraki's ribs.

Muraki hissed and recoiled. "Tsuzuki-san! What is it?"

"Get them off! We have to get them off!" Tsuzuki lunged forward, bloodied nails ready to strike.

"Enough!" Muraki grasped Tsuzuki's wrists. "What is it? What's the matter?" Hope lit his features. "Do you hunger for communion? My body and blood are yours--"

"Your back! Show me your back!"

Muraki turned around. There were no white feathers, no shadowy wings - only the frenzied criss-cross of bleeding lacerations Tsuzuki had inflicted with his own nails.

"But I saw them," Tsuzuki whispered. "I could've sworn they were there."

Muraki eyed him over his shoulder, his gaze alive with curiosity. "What did you see?"

Tsuzuki looked down at his empty bloodied hands. "I...I must've been imagining things."

"Just as your ears now hear, your eyes are opening too. Maybe what you saw was a premonition."

Tsuzuki froze. Power to see into the future? Such an ability didn't exist, not even for shinigami. "I'm sorry for scratching you," he said stiffly. "Use your Metal energy to heal yourself."

Muraki stretched the muscles of his back, a languid movement that started at his shoulders and rippled down the length of his spine. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Blood oozed from the cuts. Overflowing from the torn skin, dark rivulets dripped slowly down Muraki's unnaturally pale skin.

Tsuzuki stared. Muraki's nude back was a masterpiece of stunning erotic beauty. The wounds did not detract from his appeal - on the contrary, they were the brushstrokes that highlighted the graceful contours of the living canvas beneath.

Tsuzuki leaned in for a closer look. The cuts looked horrific, gory, incredibly painful...and yet...

One bloody rivulet slid along the length of Muraki's spine, past the small of his back. With aching slowness, it crept towards the cleft between his buttocks.

Tsuzuki could feel his body burning up. His heart was pounding against his ribs. The sweet scent of blood tickled his nostrils. Saliva filled his mouth. The terrible ache throbbing in his groin demanded relief...

Now.

He didn't make a conscious decision to touch Muraki. One moment he was staring at Muraki's beautiful flesh - the next, he was pressing open-mouthed kisses against the lacerations adorning one shoulder, swirling his tongue over the wounds to taste Muraki's blood. He clutched Muraki from behind to prevent his escape.

But Muraki was laughing in his rich melodic voice. He lifted one of his hands to grasp Tsuzuki's head, holding him in place. "That's it, beloved," he crooned. "Take your fill. You've deprived yourself for too long, ne?"

Blood smeared Tsuzuki's cheeks while he lapped at the cuts again and again. Sweeter than chocolate, more intoxicating than wine. He took care not to injure the torn skin with his teeth. Muraki's flesh was a precious gourmet delicacy - special care would be needed to make it last.

Muraki leaned back against Tsuzuki. His eyes were shut, his features one of blissful concentration. He tilted his head to one side, encouraging him to feed. "At last you partake in my body and blood, as I have partaken in yours. We two are now one, Tsuzuki-san."

Tsuzuki lifted his head. "Really?" His blood-stained lips curled in a sneer worthy of Muraki himself. "Then prove it. Let me inside you. Let me possess you." He nudged his hips forward, allowing his cock to glide against Muraki's lower back.

"No." Sharp nails dug into his scalp. "I let you feast from me. I lavish you with offerings and attention. I have proven myself already."

"I want to be inside you," Tsuzuki murmured against Muraki's neck, "and watch you dance in my arms. I know you'll make an excellent dance partner, Muraki."

Muraki stiffened against him. "No. I swore I'd never allow it again."

"But you enjoyed having my fingers inside you before. That didn't hurt, did it?" He nuzzled Muraki's cheek. "You liked it - I know you did."

Muraki turned away. "A lapse of judgement. It won't happen again."

Tsuzuki stroked his chest, soothing tense muscles. "I want us to be equals…in every way. If you'd just let me try--"

"No!" Muraki pulled free from Tsuzuki's hands. "My answer is final! I refuse to submit to another man! I refuse to be humiliated like that again - humiliated...and..."

"Defiled," Tsuzuki finished. Muraki's words were a bucket of cold water over the embers of his arousal. "It seems we're back where we started."

Muraki said nothing. He lowered his head, refusing to meet Tsuzuki's gaze.

Tsuzuki stood up and picked up his shirt. It was no use discussing this further. Muraki couldn't trust him - it was as simple as that.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. I just want to be alone for a while." Tsuzuki put on his trousers without turning around. "Heal yourself. I don't need your flesh and blood anymore."

"I still need to feed."

Tsuzuki hardened his heart against the plaintive note in Muraki's voice. He needed time to think, free from Muraki's sexual demands.

"It can wait." Tsuzuki began trudging away from the campfire up the rocky hill. The barren ground beneath his feet held as much hope of life as his crumbling dreams.

---

In the Hall of Candles, Hakushaku and his taciturn guest watched the candle with the violet flame. Stirred by a sudden draught, it flickered before them.

"Ahh, the vigour of youth," Hakushaku chuckled. "What I would give to be young again, free to indulge my passions without regard for the consequences."

The guest said nothing. He'd spoken very little the entire visit. A single cup of tea was the only refreshment to have passed his lips. His shadowed gaze had been firmly fixed on the candle the entire time.

"I say let the child have his fun." Hakushaku leaned close to the protective glass chimney around it. "No offspring will result from this dalliance. Everyone is entitled to the occasional peccadillo now and then, ne?" He let out an embarrassed laugh. "Goodness knows I've had my share of them."

"Indeed." The guest rose to his feet, his ornate armour clinking with his movements.

"Leaving so soon? Why not wait? There may be one more flare-up. Perhaps it will incinerate what's left of this mortal life."

"I have seen enough," the stranger rasped. "I must speak with Kinu."

"The gold bird! Another of your gifted pets!" Hakushaku exclaimed with delight. "If anyone would know about this, it would be him. But how remiss of him not to warn you in advance." Hakushaku clicked his tongue in mock-disapproval. "I hope for your sake he isn't saving his lovely songs for another."

The stranger paid him no attention. He moved to the door with his slow deliberate grace, his long shadow stretching before him on the polished wooden floorboards.

"Still, I wouldn't worry if I were you," Hakushaku continued. "The more fiery the passion, the more ashes left behind." He sighed deeply, resting one gloved hand against his invisible jaw. "Its days are surely numbered. I merely thought to inform you as a matter of course."

The stranger stopped. His dark shadow transformed into a thick swirling mass lacking discernable shape or form. "Your invisible eyes are as sharp as mine. For all its sputterings and sparks, this candle burns without diminishing in size."

Hakushaku's mask lifted up from the glove. "Does it? Oh." He sounded more amused than surprised. "Well, let's wait and see how long it lasts."

"I am not prepared to wait." The swirling mass extended to the door and swirled around his feet. Smoky tendrils snaked along the floor towards the light, flouting the physical laws governing light and shadow. "There is too much at stake!"

"Then do as you will. As the supreme lord of Meifu, that is your prerogative." Hakushaku waved a languid hand at the advancing tendrils, making them scurry back to their master. "I must say, your preoccupation with human souls is beginning to border on the vulgar. Do you not already hold all humanity in your grasp? An infinite number of souls stretching through time! So what does it matter if one slips between your fingers? The number left will still appear infinite to the sycophants in your court who hang on your every word." Hakushaku placed one gloved hand over his invisible chest. "Rest assured, your secret is safe with me. I promise not to breathe a word to anyone outside these walls."

The guest marched out, shadows swirling in turmoil. The door slammed behind him. But it wasn't soundproof enough to block out Hakushaku's laughter ringing in his ears, long after he had left the grounds.

---

Thanks to Gengkotsuya for her help. Thanks also to the readers who have taken the time to write feedback - I appreciate it very much!

Please note that this story draws on some elements of YnM canon that appeared only in the Hanayume installments. Translations are available from theria dot net. I don't think you need to know these elements to make sense of the story, because this tale is absurd and fantastic to begin with. But it will give you an idea of how derivative the storyline really is.

ETA: Miss Kittin has done a beautiful artwork of Tsuzuki with bloody black feathers sprouting out of his back. Be sure to take a look at it on my site or her dA account: lyn-miss-kittin dot deviantart dot com

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