Chapter 37

The wall of fog had appeared instantaneously out of nowhere. Kanami could feel her heart beating with anticipation; this situation a reminder of her own experience within prison walls at Aureolin Castle. Instinctively, she realized the source of the fog was one and the same, but who had helped her then who now helped Alice and Amber? She couldn't think of anyone she knew.

Wordlessly their group watched, not understanding what was happening as the fog seemed to thicken and grow. One moment it had been clear and sunny; in actuality, it still was. Yet there was a wall of fog developing from an undeterminable location, separating them from their enemies. Their only explanation was that this power was one of theirs; a disconcerting thought that there were this many who had undocumented powers equivalent to that of a clan leader.

Contained within a ten-by-fifteen foot area, they could see the fog begin to concentrate to the point that it swirled and pulsed against its invisible containment. It seemed to have a mind of its own. With gazes transfixed on this phenomenon, time stood still, no one knowing what would occur at this point. First Wei and now one of them…

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass could be heard; a repeated tinkling of fine shards sprinkling onto the ground like rain. A long diagonal slash had sliced into the wall of fog, effectively cutting it in two. Even then, it did not dissipate quickly and the group of four was forced to endure the anxious anticipation.

The sensation of eternity passed before the fog was completely dispersed, revealing what had transpired on the other side of it. Their eyes widened in surprise as Amber and Alice were completely unharmed. Not only that, but their numbers had doubled. Two other women had joined them; two that no one recognized, where one stood at ease with an unsheathed katana by her side.

The woman with the weapon was the taller of the two. She had long straight black hair that sat below her waist and blunt cut bangs, watching them aloofly through her violet eyes. Surprisingly, she was dressed in a masculine fashion – clothed in a fitted black suit and dress pants over a white blouse and a slim plum-coloured tie. Whoever she was, she appeared to be partners with the lady beside her.

The second one was wearing a knee-length empire-waist dress that had small puff sleeves and a square neckline, in the exact shade of the dark-haired lady's tie. Her hair was wavy brown, shoulder-length with feathered bangs. Likewise, she regarded them with calm brown eyes. Neither of them spoke despite the fact that they had stepped in unnecessarily.

"Hey!" November shouted. "Who are you?"

"Get out of the way," threatened Hei, "or we'll deal with you as well."

"Now, now… That's not very nice when they're doing as they've been instructed."

Hearing another's voice coming from behind them, they spun around to see who else had come to join them. Kanami and Misaki had no idea who she was, blinking in astonishment as she was unlike any of the others they had met so far. Not only that, but she wasn't alone either. With her appearance, the total number of strangers added up to six.

Finally, Misaki's eyes widened as she recognized the lady's companion – a young girl with dark hair dressed in white; the very girl who had appeared out of thin air at Midnight Castle and ultimately informed her about Yin. Instinctively, her hand clenched around Hei's arm as she had no clue what was going on.

Hei didn't notice as his eyes were locked on the woman who had spoken. Despite the hostile glares from two clan leaders, she was relaxed. In fact, she grinned at them like nothing was amiss. After glancing at each of them, her gaze travelled to the women who were standing closely beside them.

"Demoness of Kaidei," Hei acknowledged when she started moving towards them. "What are you doing here?"

Remembering that title, Misaki stared at her. She was the one who had foreseen her marriage to Hei. She wasn't sure what she had expected, if she was ever to meet her, but it wasn't what she saw now. The actual clan leader standing before her did not match with the one in her imagination.

The demoness had short blonde hair cropped in a tapered bob, clear pale blue eyes, unnaturally purplish lips and pale skin. Her entire body was covered in a skin-tight suit, not unlike the jumpsuit Amber was wearing. It was eggplant in colour with stripes of silver-white trim down the length of both sleeves and down the outer seams of the legs.

"With your release of power here, you didn't seriously think I wouldn't notice… Did you? Where do you think you are?"

Hei and November frowned slightly before glancing around. That was when they clued in to the fact that they were at Kurozuka Cave; a cave which was located within Kaidei State – her state. If she was here to demand remuneration for her damaged property, there was nothing they could do about it.

"Youko, Mina, take those two back. They'll need to be cleansed."

The sudden orders which weren't directed at them brought their attention back to their situation. They turned around to watch as the two she instructed went to carry out their tasks. Amber and Alice were taken into their custody before all four of them disappeared. Angry that she had waltzed in to take over, November glared at her.

"Oreille, what is the meaning of this?"

"Greetings Mistress of Shochi, future Mistress of Reido," she said, pointedly ignoring his outburst.

"… Hello," Kanami replied shyly.

"Hello," answered Misaki. "Are you…?"

"Yes, of course. This little one you've already met is Bai. The other two who stopped you are Youko and Mina. Now that I have your attention, I need you to come with me."

"What?"

"I'm sure you have many questions you want answered, especially you Hei," she replied lightly. "Now that all of you are safe, I request that you join me at Murasaki Castle where we can speak freely and comfortably."

"Oreille…"

"In time. I'll answer everything there. If you will…"

"Oh fine," Hei answered.

"Good and yourself?"

"… Fine," November agreed reluctantly.

Having secured her audience, Oreille grinned. On top of her head rested a pair of purple-lens sunglasses which she pulled down to shield her eyes before she turned and walked away from them, disappearing in the process, along with Bai. Since learning about her existence from the start, Misaki had imagined that she would be terrifyingly frightening and she had been correct. Hei hadn't even spoken yet, only saying her name and she already knew what he wanted to say…

"Shall we go?"

"I guess so," Misaki replied, smiling weakly at her husband.

"November?"

"Yeah… Wait!" he suddenly exclaimed, startling everyone.

"What is it?"

"What did she call you?"

"Call me?" Kanami questioned with confusion.

"… She said 'Mistress of Shochi' which would be Misaki and 'future Mistress of Reido'… Which could only be you!" he said gleefully. "That means you'll marry me!"

"… Of course, but how can I if you never ask?"

"Eh?"

Misaki giggled as she watched the pair, quietly leaning into Hei contentedly. She didn't need to be the Demoness of Kaidei to know that one. Everything was finally as it should be. Tears misted her eyes as she watched November gazing earnestly at Kanami, knowing her friend was about to hear the question she had been dying to hear.

"Kanami, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she shouted, throwing her arms around him. "I thought you would never ask!"

"I was waiting… For the right timing I guess…"

Seated in the Wisteria Room of Murasaki Castle, Misaki glanced around with awe. She wasn't sure if it was due to difference in personalities, but the castle was completely different from the one she was accustomed to. Where Midnight Castle was dark, Murasaki Castle was light. It was so bright and well-lit that the place seemed to glow.

Next to her was Hei who seemed at ease despite his initial reaction towards their hostess. They couldn't be enemies when Hei had originally gone to her for advice. Perhaps the hostilities stemmed from the effect of facing off against Wei; a lingering effect due to their surroundings rather than her unanticipated arrival itself.

Kanami and November sat on an adjacent couch where the four of them faced the Demoness of Kaidei. Whatever animosity November was feeling earlier, it was vanquished by Kanami's ready acceptance to his proposal of marriage. In fact, he couldn't stop grinning to himself, even as he would surreptitiously steal glances of his wife-to-be.

Out of everyone, Kanami seemed to be the most nervous – likely recalling her humble background. Yet now she sat amidst the presence of not one, not two, but three clan leaders. She herself was about to join that rank as well. As delighted as she was about spending the rest of her life with November and July, she was still nervous regarding all the new roles and responsibilities that came with that territory.

"Thanks. That will be all," Oreille said to Youko who had entered with a refreshment tray.

She bowed before placing it on the coffee table in front of her mistress. Then she excused herself, the door to the room closing quietly upon her exit. Glancing at each of them, Oreille took her time in pouring out the hot beverage. Wondering if she was doing this on purpose, Misaki noticed that the prolonged silence was starting to grate on Hei's nerves, along with Kanami's.

"You said you have something to tell us?" Misaki prompted, earning a smile from her hostess.

"Yes of course. After what you have just experienced, I'm sure there are many questions that remain unanswered."

With a wave of her hand, the filled tea cups and saucers floated towards them. Murmuring her thanks, Misaki took hold of hers, envious of the ease in which she had accomplished that. She was still struggling with her new-found powers. In her mind, she realized it was ridiculous to be jealous when Oreille would have been born with her powers, just like Hei and November were.

"The biggest concern you have… Wei," Oreille stated.

"Yes, who is he and what was the power he used?"

"First of all, everything I tell you now must not leave this room. It is a secret that is my responsibility to keep."

When she looked at each of them individually, they could only nod their heads in response. Why wasn't it surprising that she would keep secrets? She was the Demoness of Vision as it were. There were probably many, many things she understood about their world that they didn't, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Wei is originally from the State of Seijo, a small western state where the ruling clan's power is that of sound. He wasn't part of the ruling clan, but the regular citizens' population. In time, he managed to discover the existence of the forbidden Dark Arts."

"Dark Arts?"

"Yes, it is the forbidden tenth power of our world," Oreille explained. "Through the rituals, he was able to gain the powers you witnessed – a power which draws its strength from his life force and blood – a power of darkness."

"So Amber and Alice also can?" Misaki inquired.

"No. They were being manipulated by Wei's power, but that can be reversed with cleansing. Once that healing process is complete, then they will be free to remain here."

"… So they'll be okay?"

"Yes, of course," she answered with a smile.

"What was Wei's purpose?"

"One side effect of attaining the Dark Arts is the obsession with power. Ultimately, he desired to overthrow you both and spark a revolution. But that would never happen because his use of that power goes against the natural flow of this world."

"Then why does it even exist?" Misaki questioned.

"Because it must. Just like there is a night and a day, there must be a darkness to the light."

"So the kidnapping of Kanami was part of his power?" asked November.

"The kidnapping was part of his plot, but how he managed to move her from Aureolin Castle to Kurozuka Cave, yes. He was able to carry it out through Amber. He can freely move anything or anyone through the darkness. As you already know, inside the cave itself is a place of silence where all powers are negated. If you had entered the cave, you would have found yourselves easy prey."

"You used us to counter him?" Hei accused.

"I did not use you. It was something I foresaw – that both your combined powers were required to eliminate this anomaly called Wei."

"You could have told us."

"Which would have altered the flow of fate," Oreille pointed out. "I only help push forward during critical moments."

"Like telling me about Yin?"

"With Bai as my messenger, yes," answered Oreille. "It was a necessary step for your relationship to develop. I already knew Hei would not say anything himself."

"Then it was you when Master Hei and November were fighting!" Kanami exclaimed.

"It was Youko's power which freed you from your confinement. At the time, it was critical that you return to Midnight Castle with Hei."

"But why?"

"To foster the love match between you and November, because your initial departure was paramount for that development."

"You foresaw that as well? I never asked!" November stated.

"You did not, but someone else did…"

"So that's why you told me I had to pick Kanami as Misaki's maid."

"Eh?"

"Correct. Though you would wish otherwise, your lives are tightly intertwined," Oreille replied. "The visions are my power, but it is also my duty to oversee the balance of this world. That was why I needed to rely on you to deal with Wei. But I stepped in for Alice and Amber because they are also victims of their circumstances."

"… What? You foresaw all that?" Misaki questioned, astonished.

"Not all at once, though the vision of your match to Hei was linked with Kanami from the start, which was linked to November. She was your initial lifeline when you found yourself here."

"Well yes…" admitted Misaki. "Everything was different from what I'm used to."

"It was for her sake as well as November's that I gave you the instructions I did," Oreille told Hei. "Like I said, the four of you are linked by unbreakable bonds."

Calmly sitting back, Oreille gauged their reactions though she already knew the discussion would go smoothly. The upset to their world had been taken care of already which meant her job would be much smoother from here on out; especially when she had already paired their two strongest clan leaders with their love match.

"But that doesn't explain Youko's power or Bai's or even Mina's," Misaki pointed out. "I thought only clan leaders have that type of power; each state has its own…"

"Bai has no power of her own. The wind you felt was the effect of my ritual to transport her there. As for Youko and Mina… You can believe what you read, but it's not always the full truth," Oreille answered with a chuckle. "Their powers are inherited from the line of servants which serve my family. Obviously it isn't always enough just to see what will happen. They act as my hands and feet when required."

"I see… It does make sense."

"Well, it's getting late. Supper should be ready by now and either Youko or Mina will show you to your rooms after. If you have any other questions, we can continue this discussion at a later time, but remember that none of it can leave this castle."

"What are you thinking about?"

Lying next to her husband in Amethyst, their borrowed room for the evening, Misaki shifted so she could gaze down at him. When he smiled, she could only sigh in response. She should have known that she couldn't hide anything from him. Though Oreille had answered their questions, she wasn't sure she fully comprehended anything.

"What did you think about the information Oreille told us?"

"Hm? I'm glad I no longer have to worry about your safety. Tomorrow, we can continue on our way and return home. Everyone is ecstatic that you are safe," he answered.

"That's it?"

"What else am I supposed to think?"

"… I don't know, but there's so much that I still can't understand. How did Wei even discover the Dark Arts? Why couldn't Oreille stop him before his powers were fully developed?" Misaki questioned.

"I don't know," he answered with a shrug. "Perhaps she didn't know until after the fact."

"Yet she seems to know everything."

"I'll admit she knows a lot, but I highly doubt it's everything," Hei replied with a grin. "It just seems that way because she had all the answers."

"She knew about Kanami and November from the start before they even met!"

"Because I asked about you," Hei pointed out.

"… Do you always just accept what she says as truth?"

"Always. She's always right. That fact can be a pain in the ass, but… That's the price she pays for knowing. I'm glad I don't have her responsibilities."

"I'm being serious!" complained Misaki.

"And so am I. Wei is gone, so there's no one left to hurt you. That's all I need to know."

She looked like she would say more, which he didn't want to hear, so he distracted her how he knew best. Cupping his hand behind her head, he tugged her down towards him and pressed his lips against hers. Though she struggled for a bit, she eventually gave in to the sweetness of his kiss. When she pressed herself against him more closely, he grinned and released her to wrap her in a tight embrace. What a worrywart wife he had.

"Hei?" she questioned softly.

"Everything is just perfect the way it is now. You're here with me and there are no more dangers to your life – or even mine. Your beloved Kanami will marry November, as you hoped she would. I don't see why you have to try and understand what is beyond comprehension – just leave that to Oreille."

"Mm… I guess that's true."

Anxiously pacing back and forth, November couldn't sleep. After dinner, Oreille had ordered them to bed, having Mina and Youko show them to their rooms. Sometimes, he just couldn't stand that woman. Knowing her, she probably already knew that. To make things worse, he was shown to a room that was on opposite ends of the hall to Kanami's. As he was about to protest, Mina had levelled him with a calm, dispassionate gaze. Damn that Oreille!

She already agreed to marry him, so why couldn't they just stay in the same room? He would never do anything to hurt her, always conscientious of their situation. He limited their intimate interactions because Kanami was an innocent, with absolutely no idea how crazy she was capable of driving him. Already, he vowed that he would wait until they were married and he was that close…

Growling under his breath, he realized they hadn't decided on a date. She had only said yes and their conversation was abrupt due to the summons from Oreille. They hadn't had a moment alone since then. Though he didn't say anything to July, he was certain the boy would be excited. It was what he had hoped for all along. April was equally elated with the news that Kanami was safe, which she promised to pass along to the others.

Impatient for an answer, he decided he simply could not wait any longer. Storming to the room door, he yanked it open to let himself out. He wanted to sort this out right now. Even waiting until morning was much too long. Despite his high level of agitation, rationality kicked in when he was standing in front of her door and he knocked on it rather than barging inside.

"Yes?" she called out.

"It's me. We need to talk."

A moment later, he could hear her treading softly towards the door, opening it. Confusion appeared on her face as she stared up at him, clearly not understanding his desperation. As he gazed upon her, he realized she was ready for bed – freshly cleaned face and dressed in a set of pajamas borrowed from Oreille.

"What is it?" she asked when he didn't speak.

"Can I come inside?"

"Oh! Yes, of course."

She stepped away from the door, granting him entry. Lightly closing the door behind himself, he turned to her, still not speaking. Though she agreed to his proposal, he couldn't help wondering if he was the only one eager about it. Her composure was calm and peaceful while he was feeling utterly antsy about their steps forward from here.

"November?" she questioned, concern evident in her voice. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just needed to ask you something."

"Okay?"

"When do you want to get married?" he inquired.

"Eh? You couldn't wait until tomorrow to ask?"

"No, I couldn't," he answered, spontaneously pulling her into his embrace. "It feels like I've been waiting forever."

"Well… Then when do you want to?"

"Tomorrow – the moment we return home."

"What! That soon?" she exclaimed.

"I would do so immediately if we could, but we don't have everything we need."

"Well…"

Pressing her arms against his chest, Kanami peeked up at him, a blush on her cheeks. Even so, she couldn't help giggling at the look of anticipation on his face. Teasing him, she slowly slid her arms around his neck, taking her time to answer. She never realized he was that eager to marry her – if only he asked earlier, she would have said yes that much sooner.

"I want Mistress Misaki to be there when it happens, so tomorrow is much too soon. But I will settle for the day after that," she announced with a grin.

To indicate his approval, he pulled her closer still and pressed his lips against hers. There was a sense of urgency to his kiss that Kanami didn't understand, but she relished in the sensation of holding him so close. His answer hinted at the things to come and sealed his promise at the same time. Pulling away from it in a dazed wonder, she could only gaze at his beloved face through a haze of euphoria.

"Ask her tomorrow at breakfast," November stated.

"Okay, but…"

"What is it?"

"That means Master Hei will come too," she pointed out.

"So it does…"

Since he didn't say anything else, a small wrinkle of worry creased her brows, clearly worried due to their stormy relationship. Knowing her, the vocal request for Misaki's presence veiled the unspoken request for his presence as a witness. At the same time, she didn't want to cause any more unnecessary tension between them.

"It's fine," November answered, hugging her tightly. "Even if a million Heis had to appear, the main point is that you're going to marry me – and fast."

"You really don't mind?"

"No, though sooner is better than later since it means we won't have to house him for that long."

"That's terrible!" she complained, even as her face lit up with a smile.

"Yet so true…"

Pleased that he would accept such a request for her sake, she rested her cheek against his shoulder and breathed in deeply the scent of him. She should have already known the answer after he had cooperated with Master Hei in facing the now-deceased Wei. At the same time, she didn't want to take that for granted.

"I'd love to stay longer, but there's much to prepare for our return," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Not to mention, Oreille would have my head when she purposely put us in separate rooms…"

"… She is somewhat frightening with her limitless insight," Kanami answered. "Not that I'm complaining since she brought me to you."

"… Don't say that."

"But it's true," she stated.

"I know, which makes it that much harder to let you go. You're the sweetest, most charming and loving woman I know. And you chose me out of all men to be your husband."

"I'd be stupid not to since you do have a multitude of charming aspects yourself. But do go. I shall see you in the morning."

She pushed him away with a carefree smile, clearly enjoying this moment despite the torture she was putting him through. He supposed that was what it meant to truly love a woman. If she declared she needed to thrust a knife through his heart and she did it with a smile, he would let her. He would go through hell and back if it pleased her.

"If it weren't for Oreille, you wouldn't get rid of me this easily."

"Yes, I know and I wouldn't want to," she said simply. "Now, good night. I want to be well rested before I ask Mistress Misaki."

"… One day you will be the death of me. I can't believe you just said that with a straight face."

"Just stating the truth."

Groaning out loud which only caused her to laugh, he headed for the door. When he paused in front of it to steal one last glance for the evening, she blew him a kiss before motioning for him to leave. Shaking his head in disbelief, he would only let this go because she had readily accepted his need for a speedy marriage – only two more days and then she would eternally be his.

AN

Geez louise, that took me forever to update this story... And I apologize for that. Taking vacation definitely throws a kink into routine and things have been crazy busy at work.

Anyways, we finally reached the "GRAND REVEAL" chapter! :D

So were there any surprises? I know some people thought Amber would be the Demoness of Kaidei, but I think Madame O fits that role so much better... And a few more other characters appeared, even if they didn't have super huge roles. (At least not on the surface!) Hopefully I answered everything as the story comes full circle.

There's only two more chapters after this, so hopefully, it won't take me nearly as long to get the story updated. We're almost at the end!