o o o
Kaname was leaning against the window sill, looking out into the sun-flooded day in Kurashiki, which was resplendently richer and blissful than the rickety and rummaging streets of Kyoto.
Takuma groggily blinked at the unignorable and penetrable shadow in the otherwise brilliant room. "Can you not show up in that form?" He grumbled tetchily after being awakened rudely by the pureblood on the day he had time to rest. "I prefer talking to your actual face than your shadow form."
"I'm in Kyoto." Kaname shifted his head to regard the dreary-eyed blond wrapped in a blanket. He could see into the room as if he were physically a part of the paradigm. The illusion was a time-saver since he had to oversee some work with the noble court. "I wouldn't have to ruin your beauty sleep if you'd divulged where you put it."
Takuma groaned in the pillow. "I will not give it to you. It is a labor of love."
"I will give you anything you want in return." The crowned prince folded his arms and turned. He continued leaning on the window sill comfortably. Red-eyes blinked emphatically and knowingly in his general direction. "My library?"
"No."
"A new telescope?"
"No."
"A week's vacation."
Takuma sat up on his elbows, piqued. "Just one week though?"
"We need all eyes on Lord Toma. I can't afford to give you extra," Kaname answered. "Do we have a deal?"
Takuma lowered his chin on the pillow and frowned. "We don't spend as much time together anymore. I'm working twice as hard here and you're flying between the states. I miss the days we used to spend in the lecture hall."
"The point of studying in the lecture hall was to implement lessons when the occasion called for it, not to live in it forever. Do we have a deal?" Kaname cut short.
Takuma narrowed his eyes suspiciously on the illusion. "Why do you want it so badly?"
Kaname's red eyes flickered in certain animation that made Takuma's blood freeze. "I had a change of heart," Kaname murmured, looking down immutably to suppress relishing in the volcano of joy.
How ever much he tried, he could not fool Takuma. He launched upright on the futon raptly. "You're blushing."
Kaname averted back to the window. "Hurry and tell me where it is."
"I had no idea you could blush," Takuma mumbled in fascination, "Something shifted."
"I was given an impression your expectation was right," Kaname whispered.
"You tasted her blood?" Takuma asked incredulously.
"No."
"Then why should I give you her portrait I spent blood and tears on?" He demanded.
"I was sure," Kaname whispered dejectedly, "I could push her in the arms of another person easily. You've seen how lonely and hurt she was coming home. She accepted her fate."
"Hanabusa Aidou is a good person, he'll keep Yuki safe," Takuma answered, "You know he will do his best. Can you secure a future that doesn't compromise Juuri-sama's wish? If so, you shouldn't have to pretend to look the other way and live in regret. Once Yuki agrees to be with Hanabusa, you have to let her go forever regardless of your blood bond. She'll belong to another man and drink from him." Takuma wearily sighed. "I'm jealous you're possessive of someone else when I was around you most of your life. Shouldn't the donor of a blood bond have more power over the recipient?"
Kaname smirked coldly, "I won't do that to Yuki."
"You keep acting like a powerless introverted bookworm, no wonder she worries about protecting you," Takuma grumbled. "What's wrong with showing her your true powers?"
"She will be afraid." Kaname massaged between his eyebrows. "Most people don't get along with purebloods for a reason. She grew up resenting us. Her anger is merely an armor of her pain and fear. She accepted her turmoil and shed her fears and pain overall, but I don't want to pressure her."
"Kaname," Takuma sighed, "As long as you don't run in the arms of geishas and power-hungry women, I am fine."
"Give me Yuki's portrait," Kaname ordered.
"You have to earn it," Takuma stated. "If Yuki loves you, you can have it."
"Hmph. Then stop sleeping and get to work." Kaname's shadow disappeared like lightning out of the room.
o o o
Haruka and vassals stood in silent gloom in the hall. Their eyes downcast in concentration, brows furrowed.
"We shouldn't play by the rules anymore," A warlord grunted from Haruka's left. "Lord Toma takes what he wants. He tramples over our people. We haven't seen deaths surge over four years than in the last four months. We understand noble ideals but when the opponent reaps the benefit of his actions guiltlessly, it is hard for us to sit and watch our people be murdered. Kotaishi Kaname Shinno, command us to unleash hell on the mountains across the country. We will burn it to the ground, break whatever magic he uses to keep himself safe."
"You are not useful to me dead." Kaname shot back.
The warlord sank to his knees in front of the pureblood. "I cannot go another day watching men and women I'm meant to protect die over a pureblood's lust for power. I would rather die than wait for an opportunity to win."
Yuki was standing behind her father who shook his head despairingly. Haruka steadily neared the warlord and touched his shoulder firmly, a vow of support and compassion. Vassals and lords across the hall also sank to the floor in plea.
Kaname did not look at them. His eyes black and his mouth disappearing in a curling snarl. "You cannot turn on yourself before the war starts. You are not weak leaders who haven't tasted death before. You've conquered mammoths of crusaders and learned how to put your swords down and listen. So, listen carefully or you will die and fail your fiefs in your absence. No one is worthier than leading your troops than you. I need you to stay alive. I need you to live with me and recall this hard moment as a lesson of trust and patience. I cannot do this without you. Once you die, I will die too."
The warlords raised their heads and cried out.
"I promise to return your comfort and contentment again with the safety and health of your fiefs but I can't do it all at once. I'll embark to the Southeast and find more allies for our troops. Lord Ichijo and Haruka-sama will be in charge." Kaname declared. "Unless we are done with Lord Toma, I forbid you to die and command you to live with me—until the world sees no sun."
The pureblood warlords bowed simultaneously in obedience.
The hall was dismissed immediately and Yuki was drawn to her father's office. Senri Shiki looked up from the chair and smiled. "There you are."
"Why are you here, Shiki-san?" She asked.
He sought Haruka and chuckled. "We received an interesting assignment none of the hunters were allowed to undertake. It was placed specifically for the number two in the association. Now that Zero is living the rich life in Kyoto and forgotten about us, I came to consult with Haruka-sama about the appropriateness of the assignment. You've been busy checking the armaments between the states and comforting the chonin, I wasn't sure you'd be interested."
"You want me to do it?" Yuki murmured distantly as if the conversation came through a keyhole in the darkness.
"Actually," Haruka cleared his throat, "The assignment came months ago, you had just finished your debutante ceremony. I hoped you rested and relished in simple joys first than strain yourself."
He worried she'd get abducted and tortured again. Yuki read through the implied smile. Takuma sauntered inside the office and greeted the occupants with a gregarious smile. He turned to Yuki and offered a scroll stamped in the seal of a gold dragon. Emerald eyes drank her cheerfully, Takuma waited for her to open the message.
The order from the Kuran king designated Yuki to employ her hunter skills to accommodate and protect a palace official. The assignment was solely under the regulation of the Hunters Association.
"Does this mean," Hurriedly Yuki confirmed the bottom of the scroll scribing her whole name with the signature of the king and blood stamp of the crowned prince. "I now work for the Hunters Association?" Eagerly she searched the smiling visages of the men in the room.
Takuma pinched her cheek. "Congratulations."
Shiki stood up and pocketed his hands. "Welcome back."
"How did this happen?" Yuki shook the scroll in disbelief. "The association banned and promised I couldn't return."
"True, we were told to burn your records and forbid your contacting the association for life," Shiki nodded, "Lord Shoto didn't stop the king from dismissing you despite how hard Lord Kurosu tried to stop it. Every month petitions began piling at the offices of generals and head of the associations to reinstate you. I heard the king himself was fed up. At one point, there were more petitions for you than the blood pharmacies in Nagoya."
"I disappointed the association, why would they want to reinstate me?" Yuki whispered.
"Kaname had to prove how useful you are to the association. The first order he placed after his investiture was to get accounts of your work," Takuma stated, "And build evidence the Kurashiki branch needs female hunters. Let's just say the district did better having a hunter like you than after you left. He kept getting rejected but that made him push harder. Recently the king changed his mind, something about his 'shadow spy protected someone he didn't understand'—"
The falcon at Eternal Abyss.
Yuki peered into the scroll thoroughly.
"He submitted to Kaname who is terrible at showing how happy he felt, by the way," Takuma grumbled. "Yuki, that was the only time he smiled in seven months after the investiture."
"We got the issue of reinstatement six months ago," Shiki added calmly, "Shortly after Ran-san came to my office to hand-deliver the assignment." He gestured to the blond, "I had the dejected pleasure to learn the truth about your pureblood friend, who is in fact the crowned prince. Thanks for the warning." He huffed.
"Don't be upset," Haruka chuckled, " 'Ran-san' is Ouji-sama's sobriquet. He must keep his identity a secret."
"He chided me for being an awful boss to Yuki," Shiki cried, "I'm embarrassed to this day. I can't say I can face him confidently."
Takuma folded his arms, "Kaname projects stoicism, self-composure and detachment. Truth is he's warm, lovable, and soft-hearted. He doesn't hold negative impressions about others."
As expected from the President of Ouji's Fan Club. Gosh, the love between Ouji and Takuma—who would dare intervene.
Suddenly overwhelmed, Yuki sighed and approached her father. His smile diminished in sudden apprehensiveness. She held his wrist and squeezed. Her doe-red eyes blinked adoringly up at him. "I won't be careless and I will uphold your honor."
Haruka covered her hand tightly and nodded. "Once you return home, we can talk about the proposals and choose your groom."
It gave her a good amount of time to consider the right person. Yuki did not dispute the thought. Later in her room, she reread the letter, memorized her name, the king's signature, and seal. With a deep smile, she delicately set the scroll on the desk and sought her hunting cloak, boots, belts, knives, and swords. She hadn't realized she began to breathe quickly from the sheer excitement of using her weapons. The mere idea of wearing her boots left her giddy. She packed essentials for the assignment. No doubt with cities under siege by Toma factions, personal escorts were crucial. She readied maps and blood kits as well. In the evening she patrolled Kurashiki with Ichiru and tucked him in bed after dinner. He began to get spoiled by the treatment and pressed her to sleep next to him. Yuki practiced her sword technique while the Ichijos circled the courtyard and forest. The night was saintly luminescent under the full moon. She brewed tea for Takuma who talked tactics with her father in the office. The silence outside was numbing, a strained stillness in the dark.
She carried the teas to the louder and livelier residence of the vassals. They bowed and smiled as she passed. Yuki browsed the halls and was respectfully helped through a pair of doors by an Ichijo samurai. He closed the door as soon as she moved farther in the lavish suite. The occupant was amidst a conversation with a human vassal. She began arranging the tea wordlessly.
"You can go now."
The vassal bowed and shuffled without turning his back on the crowned prince. He exited, but not before sneaking a peek at her.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Kaname covered the sheets of paper on the table and slid them out of the way with a generous shove. His eyes dripped decadently down her back. She turned and set a cup in front of him.
"You fly between states every few hours, I wasn't sure you'd still be here," Yuki said.
"I'll try not to go far so you won't miss me too much."
Self-absorbed pureblood, who missed you?
"I won't refuse to give you attention," Kaname regarded her with a joyful smile.
Yuki carefully poured tea in his cup. The pour was well-practiced, perfected over the months. She did not splash a drop out of the rim and set the pot aside.
He didn't register the aromatic steam as his eyes crinkled from a deepening smile. "Tell me, what can I do to make you happy?" Kaname asked.
Across the knee-high table, Yuki seated gracefully. "You transform out of your body to show face in Kyoto in the daytime. You're nowhere to be seen in Kurashiki. Come nighttime you're suddenly everyone's favorite pureblood here."
"Am I not spending enough time with you?"
"Don't twist my words."
Kaname considered her furrowing brows and pouting lips. "Since you don't like being apart, why don't I take you to Kyoto next time?"
Yuki threw her head to the side, extremely red in the cheeks. "Not the point."
"Isn't it?"
"You vanish so fast. Ccch, it's like Kyoto is your wife and Kurashiki your mistress." She grumbled under her breath.
Kaname's ears wiggled from indication. "Couldn't have said it better but it's the other way around. I can't keep away from my pregnant bride. I have to indulge her frequently or she'll drown in longing." He blew on the tea.
Yuki blinked irritably, "Stop boasting about your fake pregnant bride. How will you explain to the warlords you don't have a child?"
"If you can take advantage of the ruse to avoid prison, why can't I use it to win their spirit?" Kaname sampled the delicious tea. She had no clue about tea ceremonies but now she had improved significantly under Takuma's guidance.
"Would you like me to clear the rumor for you?"
"What kind of husband would I be to let my bride suffer on my behalf?"
"I'm only concerned so I don't go to prison and you aren't trapped by unnecessary difficulties." Yuki frowned at her palms. "You shouldn't have to be burdened by my misdemeanors. And,"
Kaname stopped the cup against his lips, the smokiness in his gaze thawing into longing black.
"You've done a lot, I'm forever in your debt." She mumbled.
Kaname placed the cup away and reached for her hands. Her fingers were soft, long, and sturdy, devoid of burn-marks, cuts, and bruises that enraged and pained him. He was relieved by how well she had been taking care of herself. Her nails were beautifully manicured as he laced their fingers tightly. "It was either I discard myself or I discard you. Long ago I chose you."
Yuki gaped at his overreaching fingers. The angular knuckles hooded in the light, as the brawn fingers wrapped around her wrists.
"Every word I give is true." Kaname gauged her parting lips and warm cheeks.
Thump thump.
Yuki extracted her hands quickly, snared his cup and kettle to brew another batch. She swallowed the erratic and numbing sensation spreading across her chest, pinning it to the bottom of her stomach. She stiffened promptly as a cool sensation curled along her spine.
Today, it's you trembling with the reality of your emotions in front of me.
She clenched her eyes and leaned against the table, strangely out of breath and weak in the knees. His shadow morphed her silhouette. Yuki turned her head the instant arms engulfed her narrow waist, yanking her comfortably against his chest. She gasped, eyes large, and found her hands locked to her sides in his embrace.
"Ouji…"
He set his chin on her shoulder. "I've been working hard trying to soothe the daimyos. Everyone keeps dying. How easy it is for Lord Toma to be reckless and inject suffering in the world. We created rumors of a weapon that kills hundreds of vampires in a single strike, but he uses it to kill humans. Everyone is restless he disappears into thin air."
The stiffness in her shoulders relaxed from the magnetic calmness of his voice. They were plagued by a pureblood's revenge. Kaname couldn't stop working on returning balance and peace to the people. It was his first time resolving conflicts of the sort. The weight of the people's safety and the expectation was gruesome and enervating.
"Your seizures trigger when I'm not around. I haven't been able to tend to your impulses." Kaname whispered along the ring of her right ear.
Yuki watched the bubbling water in the pot. "Do you know why I have seizures?"
His arms tightened by a fragment. "I have an idea, but I'm not ready to share it."
Yuki lifted a brow. "Tell me so I can control it before it gets worse. It's inconvenient depending on you."
"I like the inconvenience." Kaname deeply sighed.
There were no records of seizures from blood bonds. Yuki deduced she reacted for other reasons. She did not quite know what. As if she could taste the answer but did not know its original form. Like now, how comfortable and entrusting she stood in his arms and why had all the power in her bones deserted her? Where was the will to fight him off? If so, why didn't she want to? Her heart strummed happily as joy raced her blood and melted into the marrow of her bones. Yuki shook her head lightly to remain level-headed.
Whispers beyond the door beckoned. "Hurry, I saw her enter here."
"…meant to be secret. We'll know in due time."
"Kaname-sama must be lonely and summoned her late at night to avoid attracting attention. We'll pretend to invite him for a drink and get a glimpse of his bride."
Kaname glared at the doors meanwhile Yuki took advantage of his distraction and thrust his arms off. She nudged him out of the way and darted around the table. Footsteps crowded the threshold and the door was wrung open by three vassals. Yuki pulled a curtain around herself and wedged underneath the sill of the window. The lords poked their heads, gingerly.
"Kaname-sama, we thought you might be here." One of the vassals brightly entered the room and bowed. He scanned the room urgently, checked the tea table and met the calculative eyes of the pureblood.
Arms crossed his chest, Kaname lazily traced his chin under narrow black eyes. "Why wouldn't I be? It is my room."
The second vassal laughed. "Join us for a drink! We were thinking it's not healthy to stay locked indoors. You must be exhausted. Uh, I thought I heard a voice in here." He looked around. "Your company is welcome to join us."
"I tend to practice poetry aloud," Kaname relayed, "To inspire my mood from taking my irritation out of on nosy people." The vassals exchanged glances. Having them right where he wanted, Kaname neared the trio. "So I use different voices to create the perfect imagery as they weep from torture."
The vassals bowed automatically. "You have an interesting way of staying entertained." The first vassal mumbled.
"Rather than drinking out, why don't you join me? You can play the honorable parts on whom I rain my ire."
"M-my lord, we lack the skills to entertain you. We will definitely fail you." The last of the vassals wrung his head.
"Hmm."
"But we are concerned about your wellbeing. It's not wise for men to stay locked by themselves for long periods of time." The vassal, considerably older and wiser, conveyed anxiously.
"Oh?" Kaname thumbed his chin and pretended to ruminate profoundly. "Why do you say so?"
"Perhaps it would be fruitful to summon your bride to accompany you for the night—if you haven't already." He scoured the cot over Kaname's shoulder hungrily. "You know, to relieve your 'irritability.' " He whispered.
Kaname surveyed the three. "I do miss her when I can't see her. I'm afraid of lecherous eyes drinking in her beauty and staying in her presence. It worries me if she is surrounded by men that vie to impugn her reputation."
The vassals promptly riled to their feet. "Kaname-sama, you are very protective." The third vassal energetically cried, "She is your mate, who would dare regard her in obscene fashion and provoke you?"
"They ask for their demise!" The second vassal shouted. "Fear not, we won't let stray dogs near your bride. In order for us to protect her, we need to see what she looks like."
"You've kept her a secret for too long." The first vassal stated, "What family does she come from? What is she like?"
Kaname glanced at the curtain and back at the men. "Pretty."
"How pretty, my lord?" The vassals craned their necks eagerly.
"She was born pretty but she's prettier because she is in my heart. She continues to be prettiest. Ah, she's a remarkable fighter and she can subdue armies. Anything she wears suits her but she's glorious in red."
The vassals heckled, "Kaname-sama, you do go on."
"So, when do we see her?" The oldest vassal inquired.
Kaname scowled, "I will decide if you get to see her."
The vassals lowered their heads obediently. The second vassal frowned. "Yes, my lord."
He turned and glided to his desk. "Now go."
The vassals dithered at the abrupt order but silently bowed and rose. "Yes, my lord." The three filed out of the room.
After the door slid in the lock, the curtain in the corner unclenched. He elegantly and peacefully waited, arms casually pressed on his back, for the shadow to protrude. The footsteps outside were distinguishably distant and out of reach, Yuki maneuvered in front of the crowned prince. Her brows were ruffled and her lips reared back in a firm line.
Kaname continued smiling in secret amusement. "See, Yuki, I can resolve situations without raising my voice or using swords as you do."
Yuki blinked at the towering pureblood piercingly. "This ruse is getting out of hand. No one would bother you if the truth came out."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Hiding in a corner isn't fun!"
Her confrontative frame of mind was accustomed to marching and meeting people head-on. Kaname tilted his head, another luminescent smile flourished. "Who was it that raved about bearing my child?" He leaned down, nuzzling her nose. "You crafted a story to maintain a close connection to me. So now you reap the rewards, hm hm hm."
Yuki flinched unkemptly and retreated a step. "I-I was avoiding ja—"
Kaname did not straighten his posture, his eyes dazzled red as they narrowed on her newly flushed cheeks. Her breathing had become irregular and she suddenly could not meet him in the eye. Flustered, she pieced her train of thoughts by studying the floor. "You'd go to prison but I'd have taken you out in the end. This way we don't encounter each other under horrible circumstances."
She lifted her head finally to passionately declare, "You're overwhelmed by Lord Toma. I refuse to overtax you."
Kaname pulled to his marvelous height. His contour a gradient of black against her bright silhouette. His arms snatched around her waist and nestled her effortlessly against him in an instant. "You took an arrow to the chest, drank poison and freed me from Nadeshiko. This is a minuscule form of repayment. Don't tell me you've changed your mind about protecting me?"
"I can never stop protecting you!" She feistily blurted.
Uh.
A quick slap over her mouth divulged her eager loyalty. Yuki averted from the pureblood to chastise herself.
I'm not supposed to let Ouji come to harm but 'never stop protecting' sounds like a soulful pledge.
Kaname smirked slyly, "With you like this I can't help but give you the world. Blood is too small a recompense."
"What I meant was," Yuki delicately turned, sheepishness fluttered pleadingly in her words, "You're much superior in status. I'm obligated to throw my life and protect you. There's nothing more to it, I swear." She determinedly shook her head. "You don't need to strain yourself."
From beneath his lashes, Kaname spectated her darkening cheeks and expectant eyes, hoping he'd buy the lie. "Is that so?" His paramount arms tightened. She gulped and he waited for her breathing to falter, which often tended to result from his closeness. The indignant trumpet in her chest, a determined rhythm, increased. "You won't regret it if I ignored you?"
Thump thump.
She snapped her eyes shut.
Make it stop. Why won't it stop?
Her heart was screaming, a faint and interminable shiver ticked through her blood. Too soon, she was gasping sharply in his arms, an irreplaceable tremor in her bones against the incomparable sturdiness of Kaname's body.
Kaname stroked her head smoothly, "Your Ouji can't go a day without seeing you so I'm incapable of ignoring you."
Her eyes fluttered from the movement, a sweet condensation of softness and warmth peppered her blood. Hazed and starry-eyed, Yuki met the mystery of his velvet gaze. Her heart was still racing as she edged out of his reluctant arms. "We spent close to a year without seeing each other but you talk your mouth off. Poetry isn't your strong suit."
"Mm, everything I say sounds like poetry to you," Kaname speculated, "I can't tell whether you're complimenting me or criticizing me."
"You claim every word you give me is the truth but sweet-nothings are far from it." Yuki accused.
"Everything I say to you is true," Kaname whispered endearingly.
"I won't be manipulated."
He examined her frown. "What can I do to make you smile?"
She calmed herself and composedly eyed him from the corner of her eye. "Accept my gratitude."
Kaname blinked at the surprising remark.
Yuki folded her hands and bowed. "Thank you for helping me get my job back. I accepted being cast aside by the association I grew to love. I now have a reason to live full out again. I loved working for the Hunters Association, I still do. It's the only thing I enjoy and am truly good at. But then I heard you spent months petitioning for my reinstatement. I can't pretend your efforts didn't mean anything. Ouji, if you keep going overboard, I also have to go overboard," She rambled, "And, you'll bargain five hundred years to keep me free. How am I supposed to pay you a thousand years? I can't live that long without slumbering. I have to scale the world eight hundred times and have sixty different love affairs with men of all ages. At this rate, I'll spend my whole life repaying you. Can't a huntress relish in basic girlish fantasies?"
Kaname turned over the shoulder to hide a chortle. He schooled his face after a moment before returning.
She was glaring indignantly at the floor. Her bow was polished and immovable.
"No."
Yuki inhaled and lifted her eyes at the pureblood only.
"Haruka-sama ingrained in you not to overlook kindness, not bad." He nodded approvingly, "No wonder you're reconsidering Hanabusa Aidou, however, it's not nearly enough to win your heart. If he heard your desire to philander with various men, it'll break his heart. The way I see it, no matter where you go, you want to continue having a connection to me."
She stared in wide bafflement.
Uh?
Kaname folded his arms, "Yuki, I'm incapable of denying you if you ask me for the sun and the moon."
And he is back to poetry again.
"But I'm extremely happy we can spend a thousand years going overboard for each other. If I break the world in half for you, does that mean you'll spend eternity with me?"
"I am not joking." Yuki cried agitatedly.
"Neither am I."
Her cheeks were red unbeknownst to herself, she huffed. "Fine, you can have my first thousand years, but that's it."
Kaname immutably dismissed the offer, "Eternity."
"I can't give you eternity," Yuki rasped, "According to your promise with my father, I'm supposed to marry a nobleman and birth his children."
"What if I altered the promise with your father?" Kaname inquired, "Will you forget Aidou and devote to me?"
Yuki glared, "Don't push your luck. I won't stroke your ego, Ouji."
"Ego aside," Kaname calmly interjected, "Will you consider it?"
She froze, the perfect form of reverberating surprise stalled her facial features. Her red eyes wide along with gaping lips, hands neatly folded. A knocking of thunder vibrated across the room. Kaname tilted his head to the side heedfully. His eyes falling close from the ricocheting commotion. It took her a while to realize the noise was her heart and excitement pleated her blood at his amorous maroon eyes.
"Yo-you know it's rude to ignore a person's gratitude," Yuki frowned at the floor.
"If I accept it, will you consider it?" Kaname asked.
"Of course, not. I'm not delusional like you who says anything to manipulate others." She gulped.
Kaname smirked, "What could I get from manipulating you? You're not a pureblood or princess."
"The-then just accept my gratitude already," Yuki gaped at her hands out of embarrassment.
He knew how difficult it was for Yuki to quit being a hunter after returning to Kurashiki. She grew emptier and lonelier, a sad fate. Kaname smirked, "Alright, I accept your gratitude. I've given you back the Hunters Association. That's another five hundred years."
"Wait-"
"Now you're at a thousand and five hundred years with me."
"What?" Yuki incredulously exclaimed.
"Ah, let's not forget," Kaname continued, "I saved you from Lord Toma's abduction, which actually puts you at two thousand years."
"Huh?"
Kaname giddily smiled, slipping his fingers through her dark hair. "Don't worry, Yuki, we can go into slumber together."
"Together?" She paled.
"After a few months, you'll have experienced sixty different lifestyles with your Ouji. The idea of sixty affairs with different men will be too boring a pursuit."
Yuki held back a despairing sob.
Kaname pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, "I will indulge your every whim."
"No, Ouji-"
"Shh. It's getting late, you need to return to your room and rest." Kaname tucked her safely in his arms, fusing into immaterial particles.
o o o
Several days passed, Yuki continued practicing her sword technique when a pale blue banner-man rode into the courtyard. Haruka was in the company of Lord Ichijo and received the messenger eagerly. Yuki sheathed her sword and approached. The Aidou messenger bowed his head and offered her a letter.
"Looks like the conditions in the west are alleviating," Haruka looked up from the note, "Some humans were rescued at the end of the ravine but the loss is still too great."
Yuki inspected the glyph but did not open the letter.
"He attacked the biggest weakness of the country, humans." Lord Ichijo austerely growled, "Ou-sama has been enraged by the decreasing blood in pharmacies. We know too well vampires are entitled to their hunger. I hate to say it but this can only go one way."
Haruka nodded, "We need to find other alternatives to source blood."
"Animals?" Yuki suggested.
Lord Ichijo sighed warily, "In the past, we tried the method but it was not popular."
"We might have to let our fellow vampires donate." Haruka gravely relented, "No one will agree to that."
Yuki suffered spasms and seizures, she was too unstable a candidate.
"I will do it." Haruka declared.
Lord Ichijo gaped at the lord in amazement. "You mustn't. Your strength will lapse. We will need you in the upcoming battle."
"I am the lord of the region, I can donate for my people," Haruka replied.
Attacks would become rampant soon. Haruka could protect Kurashiki but it did not mean the attacks would not come to Kurashiki in search of blood. Times were changing. Lord Toma and his outstanding army were more powerful than ever, pillaging every living creature that came into their path.
o o o
Shigeu dipped the letter in the flame and watched it burn to ash in the tray. He did not breathe a word once he stood from his chair. His determined black-red eyes were hooded, unapproachable, and stern. On his left stood the eternal shadow of Asato Ichijo, his favored and revered Taisho.
"It is time." The Taisho sought the pureblood king.
He did not wear armor or bind himself to a protection spell. Shigeu walked past his general soundlessly.
"Won't you tell the queen first?" The Taisho asked upon his passing by.
Shigeu touched the door handle. "You don't tell your queen news that'll stir terror in her heart or she'll wish to die in my stead."
Tight-lipped, Asato frowned at the king. "You are right, Ou-sama. She loves you more than life itself."
In the light of the hall, he faded into white mist. Asato dissolved after him into white vapor. Over dense mountains and beyond rocky ridges, they landed together on the dry soil. Black energy dusted in waves. Shigeu's steps were agile, long and sturdy on the cracked ground. A ring of Toma samurai looked on from behind notched bows. Asato counted the army without stirring and remained at place.
A lavish tent of rugged animals and a purple throne appeared. Women lay curled on the floor between his legs. Lord Toma swirled the gauntlet of blood and gulped the contents. He licked his mouth and flashed a mischievous smile at the approaching pureblood king.
"Ou-sama," Lord Toma purred, "You made it at long last."
"I have been looking for you," Shigeu admired the several hundred samurai on horseback, armed and enqueue, "You create an interesting illusion," He gestured to the encompassing tent the size of a mansion with pillars, "I'm surprised you resort to these methods. Lord Toma, you boast over a hundred thousand vampire army but you use illusions to conceal them. If you had nothing to be afraid of, you wouldn't hide them with magic."
Lord Toma smirked coldly, "Stupid people like you show your hand and goad over the fear on your opponent's face. I like to strike in the dark. From the back. The effect is well worth the while."
"You outsmarted us but it doesn't mean we won't learn from our mistakes."
"Your coward son thinks he can outshine and outdo me." Lord Toma snorted. "I just want to remind your mistake of driving out the Tomas from Kyoto and Yamato Court. You took his advice and punished my relatives, the very sacred purebloods who were like your brothers."
"And let the Tomas ridicule our laws?" Shigeu remarked.
"Do not forget, it was with the help of my ancestors those laws came to place. Don't be a hypocrite, Ou-sama. You also break your laws to take what you want, the greed in purebloods isn't something to be ashamed of. I don't have any reason to hide what I want."
"Yes," Shigeu nodded and scanned the lounging pureblood critically, "What do you want exactly?"
Lord Toma smirked and put away the gauntlet. He kicked the women from his ankles and neared the Kuran king. "That should be easy to discern."
"The throne?"
His eyes darkened angrily, "And the Light of Heaven."
Shigeu took a long deep breath and smiled at the noon cloudless sky. A few birds fluttered over their heads. "You know the tradition of the Light of Heaven."
"The cogent creation of purebloods is not the purebloods but the Light of Heaven ordained to the leader, the master, the righteous and strongest of legacies. Whoever wields that sword, he can bridge the portal between worlds. The place our progenitor fell through and found himself here, you don't think it was heaven?"
"Don't tell me you're doing this to satiate your interest in worlds and portals?" Shigeu scoffed. "The Light of Heaven is anything but a bridge."
"You can't dissuade the sword came with the progenitor. The weapon is not from this world."
Shigeu shook his head and laughed, "I'm surprised, really. All this fighting over a stupid sword?"
"Looks like you don't even know its true power." Lord Toma muttered. "How could you? You hardly use it."
"Because I don't buy into folklores. You believe in anything that will give you power. The Light of Heaven has been in the Kuran bloodline but it hasn't given us any sort of power."
"If it's useless to you, why don't you hand it over?" Lord Toma demanded.
Shigeu glanced at his general. He heaved a relenting sigh under his breath. Opening his right palm, white light bristled. The brilliance entrenched a gaping hole in the ground. Gasps revolved from the gaping samurais. As the light spilled wide and long, a white sword materialized between his fingers. Shigeu clenched the hilt firmly and the light waned into a flicker. The blade was smooth, pristine and glinted in the sun from razor sharpness. Samurais gaped in astounded awe at the unnatural luminosity of the weapon. Shigeu twisted his wrist to offer the gold dragon hilt to the waiting lord.
Lord Toma inspected it through distrustful eyes. He gripped the hilt and snatched it out of Shigeu's hand. The weight took time to get used to. Lord Toma rotated his wrist and held the sword to the sky exuberantly.
"There you have it." Shigeu said, "The ablest sword in the world, stronger than the hunter weapons. Do you feel powerful now?"
Lord Toma marveled at the searing blade, which was not metal, but hot light. "I was right, the sword isn't from our world."
"Now that it's yours, let's talk about how you can stop attacking villages and stop taking humans prisoner."
"This is all I need to test my powers on the villages." Lord Toma accorded, "With this, I can make everyone swear fealty to me."
"Sure." Shigeu vocalized detachedly, "People always follow a person with a white sword."
Lord Toma glared at the pureblood king. "You mock me, but admit it, you haven't understood its true power. No wonder your reign was engulfed by deaths and wars."
"Keep the sword," Shigeu insisted, "Pass it down to your children if you want. Stop ravaging my land and people. You soil the pureblood reputation and the Toma ancestors who sacrificed blood for the people you terrorize."
Lord Toma swiveled the sword at Shigeu. "Watch how you speak to me. I am not just a son of a Toma but the lord of Tomas now. This nation survived wars with the use of our samurais. If we wanted, we can attack the entire nation and exterminate your clan forever."
Shigeu stared emptily at the Light of Heaven, his maroon eyes hashed in regretful disdain. "I'm grieved by your actions. Your forefathers and fathers were my greatest and best supporters. I should've taken better care of you and not let you drift into foolishness. We could've avoided this ordeal and the loss of thousands of people. You wouldn't feel the need to acquire the power to compel my clan to our knees. I am deeply sorry to have hurt you. The power you sought, you now have it. Congratulations, but if you use it to harm another person in an hour or the next minute, I will personally wring your neck."
"Empty threats don't work on me." Lord Toma hissed.
"If you know me, you know I don't run on empty threats," Shigeu growled. The wind rustled and the sky darkened emphatically. Horses whined and kicked nervously from stations. "Move your samurais off the mountain and leave this state altogether. You have by midnight, Lord Toma."
"Why don't you face me right here, right now?" Lord Toma shrieked, flashing the sword at the stoic king.
Shigeu's eyes were pools of black. "Despite how weak-minded you are, I am giving you a final chance to straighten up your act. You are, after all, the son of my revered friends. I'm restraining myself for them, not you. If you don't pull it together, little Toma, I will laugh at your grave." He turned into a fizzle of white mist.
As Asato merged into form after his king's shadow, he softly knelt at his heel. "Ou-sama, how could you desert the very weapon that maintains your echelon? Your crown and clan?" He rasped in disbelief. "The Light of Heaven is sacred and entrusted to your blood. Lord Toma is unwise, he will destroy the world with it. Power goes to one who understands the breadth of life and death. Lord Toma is greedy, empty. The Light of Heaven will fade to nothingness in his possession. You mustn't desert it. The crowned prince needs it to reign over the worlds."
Shigeu closed his eyes. "Calm yourself, Taisho." He whispered.
Asato lifted to his height, his eyes wavered sadly on the king. "The Light of Heaven must stay with the Kuran blood."
"The Light of Heaven cannot leave the Kuran blood," Shigeu replied.
Asato mumbled the words to himself.
"Lord Toma is a boy acting out, throwing a tantrum to get validation. I gave him what he wanted to sedate him."
"Is the Light of Heaven still here?" Asato searched the king anxiously.
Shigeu smiled at the general. "You've watched my father use it multiple times but he did not tell you its secret?"
Asato's eyes widened, "The sword can destroy worlds or it can save everything. I've witnessed it relieve wars and bring peace through cemeteries. It's been primarily used to bring pureblood victory and keep your clan intact."
"Yes," Shigeu whispered tiredly, "The Light of Heaven shows its true power through the wielder. Whatever the person wants, he can acquire it. We know Lord Toma wants to be worshipped as the sole king of vampires and humans. He's not a decent person to rule over an ant. I didn't want Kaname to become crowned prince but I needed a Kuran to ascend at the right time. I can't see anyone else trustworthy than him."
"Ouji-sama doesn't have a vicious mind, he is compassionate and respected. He comforts daimyos affected by Lord Toma's wrath and mends broken relationships to optimize the economy."
"But he gave Nobunaga Oda rule over humans," Shigeu grunted in disappointment.
"To bring trust and faith among humans." Asato supplemented, "Ouji-sama is a better choice. He didn't experience war because you kept the nation peaceful since his birth. He learned self-defense in secret and has shown aspects of genuineness that is rare and revered. Ouji-sama deserves the Light of Heaven."
"The Light of Heaven belongs to Kaname." Shigeu assured. "Lord Toma thinks he knows the sword. It's time he realizes the truth. He can try to use it all he wants. Too bad it won't work."
"How so?"
Shigeu smiled, " 'Ordained to the leader, the master, the righteous and strongest of legacies.' Lord Toma is not a Kuran. The light is Kuran blood morphed from thousands of years from progenitor to king and his sons. The sword was created from the souls of Kuran for the sons of Kuran. He is a leader when he protects his people and he is crowned. He becomes a master through soul evolution and wisdom. He grows righteous in puberty, a quality he cultivates through companionship and loss. He is the strongest of legacies because he is the youngest pureblood."
Asato stared enthralled by the insight.
"I saw the quality in Kaname at four years old. He was already wise. About now, he is passing through righteousness. He's stubborn about protecting his people."
"Yuki Hanako." Asato whispered.
"She seems to be one of them."
"He is bound to go to Southeast soon." Asato disclosed, "And intends to take her along."
Shigeu did not utter a word for a long time.
"Lord Toma tried to abduct her again."
Shigeu shook his head dejectedly at the incorrigible churlishness of purebloods, "Kaname will not let her out of sight, I'm sure."
"Correct."
o o o
© Nur Misurr • Read & Review • Thank You
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