.
.
"Well, why don't you just rename him?" Kazuma said.
Yato and Kazuma were sitting on Kofuku's porch, mulling over their options. "You suggested that with Tsuguha, right? If you release him and rename him, the second time his name should be restored."
"It doesn't work like that," Yato said, frowning. "The name's the only thing sealing Yukine's memories, right? The second I release him, those memories are gonna come flooding out and the process'll speed up. Worst case scenario, he still transforms into a phantom, and I'll have to kill him anyway. Best case scenario, Yukine becomes a faded ghost that's nothing but residual emotion, and he ends up haunting wherever the hell I release him. "
"Is that so bad, though? It happened to me, I just got my memories back, I haven't faded."
"Yeah, but the skank released you earlier in the process. Yukine's more unstable."
"Well...then can you not have another god name him, while he still has your name?" Kazuma said. "If another god's life force tethers him, maybe it'll reinforce the crack? Then that way you can release and rename him." Yato shook his head.
"Dad's chiki interferes with a god's connection. Any god's connection. Strays should theoretically be stronger since they can draw from the life force of other gods, but chiki strikes all names at the same place. Even if I got your skank or Kofuku or Tenjin to name him, the crack'll still manifest in the same place."
"Then why did you tell Veena to release Tsuguha?" Kazuma said. Yato shook his head.
"'Cuz that chick would've endangered you and all her other shinki. She wasn't contained. It would've been better if the skank released her and let her spirit decay."
"So there's nothing you can do," Kazuma said. Yato hunched over. Kazuma smiled wryly."I suppose this is what you'd call a 'supremely fucked up situation.'"
"Heh. Look at you, all cursin' like a sailor."
"What about your other shinki, though?" Kazuma said. "If what you said about Tsuguha is true, then Daikoku and the rest of the team are in danger." Yato waved his hand.
"It's under control," Yato said. "Yukine only started havin' those flashbacks when he was exerting himself, as long as I can redirect him we'll be fine. In the meantime, I need to go track down my asshole dad."
"So you can try to find a cure?"
Yato nodded. "That guy has to have a way to reverse Liberation," Yato said. "He already told me he intends to take Yukine. He wouldn't let chiki strike him unless there was a way to stop it."
"He's gone into hiding ever since you revealed him to heaven. Do you really think you can find him?" Kazuma said. Yato shrugged.
"I can try," Yato said. Kazuma folded his hands.
"A shame I don't have my abilities anymore," Kazuma said. "I'm certain that if I were still Chouki, I could help you find him."
"No offense, Kazuma, but my dad's not some kind of phantom. And masks are harder to spot, besides."
Kazuma shrugged. "I found you, didn't I?"
"Eh?"
"Back during the Ma clan." Kazuma carefully dusted his lap, standing. "I used my abilities to track you, and that was back before I was even a hafuri. I would imagine finding a human wouldn't be much more difficult than finding a god."
Yato frowned, thoughtfully. Kazuma nodded knowingly, then started to walk back into the house.
"Hey, Kazuma?"
Kazuma stopped. "Yes, Yato?"
"Be mindful of your feelings when you're around Bishamon," Yato said. "When you get stressed out, it affects her worse than when you were a shinki, since you're just a ghost and you don't have that connection."
"Is something wrong?" Kazuma asked, alarmed. Yato shook his head.
"No, but the skank was lookin' like crap the other day, and I figured you were probably ruminating over something stupid or whatever. And you know that chick tends to bottle shit up, she's not gonna tell ya if she's not feeling good."
"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Kazuma said. His form wavered. Yato could hear the worry creeping into his voice.
"Tch! 'Cuz telling you would make you freak out, like you're doin' now! Ugh, Kazuma, you're draining my life force, get a grip okay?"
"Sorry." Kazuma took a breath. His body grew more solid again. Yato shook his head.
"Just remember to leave the room if you start getting depressed or whatever," Yato said. "You ghosts are friggin' black holes, Kazuma! And by the way, when you get like that, stay away from Hiyori! You don't wanna accidentally suck out her soul."
xXx
.
"Ugh, Aine! What is going on with you?" Karuha said. She and Kazuha were watching TV while Aiha was darting in and out of the shower. They were staying in an apartment - Bishamon's old apartment, actually, which the shinki took turns fortifying with a few well-placed borderlines.
"Nothing!" Aiha said. She threw a towel over her head, glaring. "I just feel like taking a shower, alright?"
"Six showers in a day, Aine?"
"Yeah, seriously Aine. What is up with you?"
"You guys aren't his divine garment, okay!" Aiha said. Her eyes widened. She gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth, appalled.
"Forgive me, Yato-sama," Aiha said, turning pale. "I hope I didn't sting you."
"W-what do you mean, sting him?" Yugiha looked up at Aiha with wide, innocent eyes.
"It's just..." Aiha shuddered.
"What?" The twins and Yugiha looked at her expectantly.
"It's just...I can't be the only one who notices how much he sweats, right?"
"Aine, seriously?" Kazuha said, frowning.
"No, really!" Aiha said. "His hands are sweaty and he sweats a lot down there," her voice dropped to a scandalized whisper. "His feet get sweaty in my rollerskates too, and every time he wears me I have to take a shower."
"Well at least Yato-sama actually uses you," Karuha said, crossing her arms.
"Huh?" Aiha said. Karuha and Kazuha glanced at each other.
"You haven't noticed?" Kazuha said. "The Yatogami stopped using us and Saiki."
"It's because Yukine-san takes too much energy drawing our lines."
"Wow, really?" Aiha said. "I guess he's been using Kinune and Akine so much, I didn't notice."
"He doesn't even use Kinune that much, since she's a whip and he's a god who does cutting."
"You guys," Yugiha said, nervously. "We shouldn't be complaining. We might start blighting him." The twins shook their head.
"The Yatogami said airing out our frustration was better than bottling it up, remember?"
"And he said we could complain to him anytime."
"His shinki always left him because he couldn't provide for them, you know. The Yatogami is used to it."
"Used to what?" Kinuha said. She and Akiha were carrying bags of groceries from the supermarket.
"Complaining," Yugiha said. The twins glared and elbowed him in the ribs. Kinuha raised an eyebrow.
"We were just saying how it sucks that Yukine-san is a weapon instead of a garment, and how the Yatogami doesn't use us anymore," Karuha said. Kinuha sighed heavily.
"Everyone, I already told you. The Yatogami's energy reserves are limited. The Sekki will draw your lines only when it's absolutely necessary."
"Not like you care, Kinune. The Yatogami uses you all the time," Kazuha grumbled.
"Hardly," Kinuha said. She set down the groceries, frowning. "My weapon form is a whip, remember? The Yatogami prefers to cut."
"O-Okinu-san! Everyone! Let's remember that we're all a team," Akiha said, holding up his hands. As a knife, he was the only one of Bishamon's battle shinki that the Yatogami used consistently. Everyone in the room looked at him and frowned.
"Oh my god." Aiha's voice filtered in the background. "Even my hair smells like sweat! Oh my god!"
"It's too bad we can't ask Kazuma-san," Yugiha said, shyly. The other shinki turned.
"Kazuma-san?"
"What do you mean, Kazuma-san?"
"I-I mean, the Yatogami named him, right?" Yugiha pressed his index fingers together, blushing. "Kazuma-san worked with us for centuries. A-and he's still a divine garment. Yukine-san said Kazuma-san was a shoe."
Kinuha snapped her fingers. "That's right, Yugiha," Kinuha said. "Kazuma-san should still have his abilities. And since he's a shoe, he wouldn't take up as much energy."
"But I'm a pair of rollerskates, how's the Yatogami gonna use me and a single shoe?" Aiha said.
"Well, gods don't have to materialize their weapons, right?" Kinuha knitted her brow. "In fact, Ane-sama kept Saiki's great sword form dematerialized until she needed to manifest him. The Yatogami could just do the same with Kazuma-san's shoe."
"But Okinu-san, the Yatogami told us that Kazuma-san won't work with him," Akiha said.
"That's true, he only named him so he can protect Ane-sama." Kinuha frowned. "Well, patrol is only a few hours of the day, and by then, Ane-sama is with her Shikki, right? I'm sure if we ask Ane-sama to borrow him, she'd let Kazuma-san rejoin the team."
"Yeah!" Karuha pumped her fist. "And Yukine-san won't have to worry about drawing our borderlines and the Yatogami won't have to waste any more energy using him!"
"And he can still use Sekki to cut people's ties, Kazuma-san can just draw our borderlines to fight phantoms!" Kazuha said.
"Not to mention Yukine-san is Kazuma-san's student, I'm sure he'd love for him to join him!" Karuha added.
"Let's ask him," Kinuha said. The twins and Yugiha cheered. In the background, Aiha shouted.
"Wait, you guys! Don't go to Ane-sama yet, I need to take another shower!"
xXx
.
Bishamon and Kazuma were walking back from the train station when Bishamon's old combat shinki approached.
"Ane-sama." Kinuha walked forward, the twins and Yugiha flanking beside her. "May we have a word with you?"
"Is something wrong?" Bishamon said. Kinuha nodded.
"Well, yes and no," Kinuha said. She glanced at the others before turning to her. "We were wondering if we could borrow Kazuma-san during our daily patrol?"
"What?" Bishamon glanced at Kazuma, whose expression she could read perfectly: Crap. Kinuha continued.
"We know the Yatogami named him so he could protect you, Ane-sama, but-"
The twins cut in excitedly. "But the Yatogami doesn't use us because it takes too much energy for Sekki to draw our lines, since Sekki is a weapon and not a divine garment-"
"And we were hoping Kazuma-san, I mean Ryuune-san, I mean Ryuunosuke-san, uh-"
"We were hoping Ryuunosuke-san could join us and draw our lines for us, since manifesting a single shoe wouldn't take as much energy as manifesting Sekki's blades," Kinuha explained. The twins nodded behind her emphatically.
Bishamon and Kazuma glanced at each other. "But shinki all take the same amount of energy, regardless if they're a weapon or a divine garment," Bishamon said. "The Yatogami should be able to allow Sekki to navigate just as easily as I could my Kazuma. I don't see why that would be a problem." Kazuma held up his hand.
"You forget, Veena, that Yato is a minor god, without much in the way of believers. He is probably more sensitive to energy fluctuations than you are." He gave her a look: Don't say anything, I'll ask Yato about this later. "If Yato is saying it takes more energy to manifest a weapon, then we should take him at his word." He looked at her again; Bishamon blinked, then nodded.
"Ah, of course, Kazuma. I was taking the strength of my name for granted."
"An easy mistake for someone who was once a Lucky God."
"So Kazuma-san, do you think you can lead us?" Karuha said.
Kazuma glanced behind her shoulder. His eyes widened.
The shinki turned. Yukine was standing behind them.
"Oh, Yukine-san," Karuha said. "We were just talking about you."
Yukine was holding a schoolbag. His grip on the strap tightened.
"It's almost the witching hour," Yukine said. "Yato asked me to look for you so we could start patrol."
"Oh, Yukine-san! We were just talking about that. We thought we'd ask Kazuma-san to join us this time, that way he can draw our lines."
Yukine's gaze shifted from the shinki to Kazuma. The shinki glanced at each other, nervously. They remembered how Yato specifically told them not to tell Yukine about Sekki's energy expenditure, since Yato didn't want Yukine to worry about him.
"I-it's not that using Sekki takes too much energy!" Yugiha said, stupidly. "I-it's because we worked with Kazuma-san for so long, a-and we thought..." Yugiha trailed off, awkwardly. "W-we thought maybe Kazuma-san could c-coordinate us."
"Well that makes sense," Yukine said. "Kazuma-san was your leader for centuries, after all." Yukine sounded fine. He shifted the strap to his backpack nonchalantly. "Kazuma-san, you should join us. It's better for the team, after all."
"Yukine, um. May we talk in private?" Kazuma said. Yukine shook his head.
"Don't worry, Kazuma-san," Yukine said. "I only want what's best for Yato."
Kazuma glanced at Bishamon, worried. The other shinki grinned and high-fived each other.
"Well the thing of it is," Kazuma said, still looking at Bishamon. What the hell do I do? "The thing of it is, Yukine, about my name, um-"
"The thing of it is, I already released him," Yato said.
The other shinki glanced up. Yato was standing on top of a light pole, which he leaped off, landing on the ground, gracefully.
"Yato," Yukine said. The shinki murmured quietly.
"Look, I just did it as a favor to stabilize him, since he was decaying as a ghost. And he's stabilized! And since he was just a crappy shoe, I went ahead and released him." Yato crossed his arms. "Oi! Stop lookin' at me like that! A god's will is always right!"
"But Yato-sama. We were hoping that Kazuma-san could take over and lead us," Kinuha said. "Not because of Sekki's energy expenditure, or anything!" she added, quickly. "But because we've worked together as a team for so long."
"Yato-sama. Maybe you can rename him?"
Behind them, a shadow had fallen over Yukine's eyes. He wasn't looking at them. His hand tightened over the strap of his backpack. No one else noticed. They looked at Yato hopefully.
"Yeah, Yato, you should rename him," Yukine said. There was a shadow over his eyes. "He'd do a better job than me unifying the team."
"O-oh! Yukine-san!" The twins looked back at him. "We didn't mean to insult you, Yukine-san!"
Yukine looked up. The shadow lifted. "Don't worry about it," Yukine said. Silently he rubbed the mark on his shoulder.