A/N: Happy Chinese New Year! How many of you are celebrating? Well, this is the fifth installation of this arc, and the fiftieth chapter, whoo! Nothing special, unfortunately, but hey, I'm uploading early. That's something, right? As always, enjoy.


Double Game (Matoba Arc Part: 5/6)

Too often I wonder what would happen if Natsume Takashi and Lord Onwa become one and the same. For the ones who care, it should not matter. But that is in the world of ordinary humans. To the exorcists, it is all that matters. And so I dread the day when I become both Natsume Takashi and Lord Onwa in full.


He screams until finally, the white-hot fire that had flooded his veins slowly dies away. But it does not leave him whole. Natsume's body continues to pulse with pain. His skin feels tender and raw, while his limbs are drained, weak.

"Lord On—Young Master Yuuki," Fujii-san shouts. He reaches out a hand, but does not dare touch the seals.

"Don't touch them," Natsume says, taking pain-filled, shallow gasps. "I think these… these are also designed to hurt… to hurt humans…"

"That bastard," Ono-san hisses. "He was prepared for this all along."

"We don't have time for that," Nakamura-san snaps. "They would have heard the scream and probably the other clans are heading here. If they come and see that Matoba-san has caught a god…"

"No," Natsume says. "You must leave."

The three men turn toward him, their masks, despite covering their faces, revealing their thoughts.

"We cannot…"

"You have to," Natsume says. He gasps again, as a slight movement of his causes the seals to send up another blaze of pain. "Here, take Hinoe with you."

"And leave Matoba in possession of a god?" Fujii-san says.

"The Onizuka clan cannot afford to be caught helping a god," Natsume says. "Take Hinoe and go, before they come and find you here." He smiles then. "It will be okay. Please."

They continue to hesitate, until Natsume wants to scream again, this time in frustration. Fujii-san looks to Nakamura Yuuya and Ono Kenichi, and slowly nods.

"We will go to the young master," Fujii-san whispers, barely heard over the rushing pounding of footsteps, shouts, and excited chatter. "And do not worry about your servant. We will keep her safe."

Ono-san removes the seals of the doors, while Nakamura-san scatters the ashes from the burnt spell circle. When all hints of another exorcist clan are erased, the three of them leave. No doubt they will mix in with the crowd of excited exorcists and servants and escape easily that way.

Natsume can sense them, the exorcists. Weakened and in agony, he craves their power in a way that he has never had before. It is just as well that he is restrained as he is. He has fought that side of him for so long. To give in now will cost Natsume everything.

And so he takes the remaining power that he has, the power that he uses to maintain his appearance as Onizuka Yuuki, and shifts it.

To become Natsume Takashi.

The right side slams open, and a mob of people rush in, shouting mixed orders and making excited noises.

"We've… this is…"

"A boy? A human boy?"

"What, the seals have caught a human you say?"

"A human!"

"But from which clan? Where does this boy come from?"

Natsume does not look up, too weak at this point to do much more than stand, held up only because of the sealed ropes.

"Oh, what's this we have here?" He does not need to see to know that Matoba-san is in the room. "So…"

A hand reaches out, roughly gripping his chin. But then the touch turns surprisingly gentle, as Matoba-san lifts Natsume's head so that he can finally look Matoba-san in the face.

"Natsume!"

"Ah, Natori," Matoba-san says, turning around halfway around to smile slightly at Natori's face, pale with both surprise and horror. "This is partially your doing I take it?"

"Matoba, this is not the… Cut the seals! Can't you tell he's hurting?"

"And why should I, when I finally have him in a place where he can't get away?" Matoba-san replies smoothly. He turns back to Natsume, his hand still gripping Natsume's chin. "There are a lot of questions I would like to ask him." Matoba-san looks over him, his eyes resting on Natsume's coat pockets. "So, you work for Lord Onwa now?"

"No," Natsume says through gritted teeth. Everything still hurts. "Hinoe is a friend."

Matoba-san's single, visible eye narrows, but not with suspicion. With interest.

"We've had this conversation before. Spirits cannot be friends, Natsume Takashi-kun."

There is another flash of pain, and Natsume cannot help it. He whimpers.

"Matoba!" Natori cries, the shocked murmurs of other people echoing behind him. In the whirl of faces, Natsume catches a glimpse of gray. But he cannot tell who it is. At this point, he is beyond caring.

"Release him," Matoba-san says.

A moment later Natsume finds himself collapsed against Natori-san, who had rushed forward to grab him when he fell.

"Natsume! Are you all right? Can you stand?"

"Everything… hurts…"

"Is this the Matoba clan's idea of justice?" Natori-san says, his expression furious. "Using torture spells on a child?"

"A child who has lost himself to spirits," Matoba-san says. "Did you know that Natsume was working for the god?"

"Natsume befriends all spirits. You know this."

"Befriends… don't you mean, is used by them?" Matoba-san says. "If you're going to set yourself up as his mentor, you should try to wean him from that. Look at where it's gotten him."

"Those were your spells, Matoba!"

"Meant to capture another spirit. I never expected a human to come in the god's stead." Matoba-san smiles. "Of course, perhaps I should have guessed."

"Come, Natsume, let's try and get you up. You need to see a doctor."

"The spell will fade," Matoba-san says. "It was not meant to be permanent."

Natsume feels himself being picked up, his head cradled against Natori's shoulder.

"We are leaving Matoba."

"Not with the spirit he stole from me."

"She's not with me," Natsume says. He hesitates. A lie may cause much harm here. "I told Nyanko-sensei…"

"Ah, you brought the kitty here with you? Through the wards on this house?" Matoba-san turns to one of his men. "Search the grounds. The cat will still be here."

"We are leaving, Matoba."

Matoba-san turns to them, his expression no longer amused.

"No, I don't think so. I had called the meeting hoping to interrogate the spirit so that we exorcists can learn how to deal with the threat of the new god." Matoba-san's eye flashes bright with predatory anticipation. "I think we'll interrogate both you and Natsume Takashi instead."