The sorcerer had been stalking by the kingdom walls with arms full of animal skins for several hours now.
Even knowing the disgusting habits of sorcerers in general, it left a bad taste in Kazuma's mouth. How long could someone hold fresh animal skins before it became unbearable? The brunet was glad he was lurking far behind him, too far to smell it.
Finding a good spot, the sorcerer stopped, looked about himself, and placed one of the skins by the wall. He then scurried rapidly away, like a child playing a prank.
Kazuma made haste to follow him, to keep him in his sights. While he had refused to go with his friends on the rescue mission on principle, that didn't mean he didn't want them to be safe. Quite the opposite, really.
From what he knew of Fujisaki, the King's former wizard and champion, he couldn't afford to let him find his family.
Twenty years ago, the King's reign had been blessed with a long period of peacetime. There were no plagues, no revolts, no famines. The wizard Fujisaki had essentially had nothing to do, likely the reason he'd turned to evil in the first place.
Strange happenings began to occur within the city. Citizens went missing, first a few at a time, and then whole families at once. The King launched an investigation to quell the panic rising in the kingdom, and received an unsettling report.
It turned out that Fujisaki had been abducting sacrifices to name and control his own Ayakashi.
This had been the final straw. It was forbidden to interact with Ayakashi within the city, and unspeakable to try to name them. Fujisaki had been promptly exiled to the forest, the heart of his magic cut out and destroyed by the wizard's guild.
Soon after he disappeared, though, so had the Kingdom's newborn prince.
It seemed Fujisaki still held a grudge against the kingdom, judging by the dead animals, but Kazuma wasn't too worried. Takamagahara's borderline had never before been breached by an exile, and an old, crippled wizard wouldn't be the first.
"Well, well, well."
Fujisaki had stopped, dropping his animal skins on the ground before running his hands through flowing red hair with a dramatic sigh. Kazuma tilted his head in the bushes, straining to catch the words he was mumbling.
"Looks like the King just won't leave me alone, will he?"
Fujisaki's turn was so quick he barely had the time to flinch. Suddenly, there was a dagger stuck in a tree to Kazuma's left. The brunet stared at it from his spot in the bushes, blood chilling in his veins, not daring to move.
"Tsk, tsk. We'll have to do this the hard way, then." The sorcerer whistled, two fingers in his mouth. "Come, shinki ."
Kazuma cursed under his breath, expecting an onslaught of Ayakashi around him. He prepared himself mentally for it, keeping his knife in his hand. He could handle mental torture, he would do it for Veena. He would brace himself-
The brunet felt a warm breath tickle the back of his neck.
The sorcerer pulled his hood over his head so his eyes were shadowed, a low chuckle hissing from his mouth.
Kazuma whirled around to see an abomination. It was an Ayakashi spirit, but in the form of a wolf, blue-black with viciously sharp teeth. It was panting away, as if alive, a deep growl rumbling in its belly.
"Tell the King he'll never get back what I've stolen, no matter how many spies he sends after me." Fujisaki sauntered off, one palm in the air. The spirit-wolf pawed the ground once before its maw ripped forward, jagged teeth sinking into his throat.
"Yukine? Are you hurt anywhere important?" Hiyori asked, again.
This was the second time she'd repeated her question. Yukine still hadn't acknowledged it in the slightest.
"Yukine, are you hurt-?"
" What , Hiyori?" He mumbled distractedly. With a huff of exasperation, the girl flicked him on the forehead.
"Ow!" He yelped, sticking out his arm. "Yeah, yeah, here."
The forearm in question sported a neat crescent-shaped bite mark. His worn sleeve had provided some protection, so the blood seeping out of it was minimal, beading sluggishly out of the middle cuts.
"Wow." Hiyori marvelled as she rolled up his sleeve to tie a strip of cloth over the wound. "She's a piece of work. How did she even get this close to you with Bishamon-san around?"
There was no reply. She looked up, peeved, to see that his line of sight was once again fixed on the blue-eyed boy in the ratty black tunic kneeling by his sister's prison-cupboard.
"Hey." She patted his shoulder. "What's up?"
"Well..." The blond began hesitantly. The brunette perked up, ready for any explanation. After all, while both Bishamon-san and Yukine had been burning holes in Yato's back this entire time, he was the one who looked...lost.
He was twisting the end of his jacket nervously between his fingers. "Listen, I think we should leave Yato's sister behind. Nora, or Hiiro, or whatever."
"Eh?" She glanced up at him. "Why?"
"She knows , Hiyori." He dropped his jacket to cross his arms over his chest. "She knows that we aren't bounty hunters."
"Huh. But, I mean, Yato-"
"He obviously believes they exist." He rolled his eyes. "That's not the issue. She , though…" He paused. "You noticed how she was never afraid that Bishamon-san would hurt her? She didn't look afraid at all until you called Yato's name."
"That's not-"
"And she kept telling him to go back to his room. Not hide , or run , or anything, go back to your room. I mean, what's that going to do against a bounty hunter?" He turned pink, glaring down at his feet. "She knows we're his friends, trust me."
"That's not necessarily-" Hiyori stood up to help him support the door. "I mean, she could've meant for him to hide-"
"I bet there are no bounty hunters. I bet the two of them have been lying to him this whole time, to keep him here." He gave her a piercing look. "She's on Fujisaki's side, Hiyori, we can't take her along."
She narrowed her eyes, considering it. "Maybe Fujisaki doesn't give her a choice. I don't think Yato would be trying so hard to convince her if she was too far gone."
The boy snorted. "Please. He trusts everyone in like five seconds."
"Hey, for what it's worth-"
"We can't take her home, Hiyori. We can't let her stay there."
"What's actually bothering you?" Hiyori glanced at him. "Do you think she'll betray us later, once we're out of here?"
"Yeah, duh."
"But don't you see, there's nothing she can do once she's inside the kingdom. Even if she wants to betray us, Fujisaki can't cross the borderline. So as long as we keep an eye on her-"
"Why? Why should we keep an eye on her?" The boy snapped, his furious gaze now on her. "Why are we rescuing someone who would rather trap her brother in with an evil sorcerer than save him? Why is he trying so hard to rescue her? Is he blind?"
"Yukine-"
"It's stupid, right? She isn't trapped here. We didn't see her last time, and Kazuma-san didn't mention her in his story. She looks better-fed than him and everything! She's so obviously on Fujisaki's side, why are we trying to help her?" He splayed out his hands in frustration. "She doesn't even want to come!"
He was getting dangerously loud. Hiyori glanced at the rest of the people in the room. While Bishamon did shoot them a warning look, Yato was still absorbed in a whispered conversation that seemed to be becoming more complicated by the minute.
"She's his sister." She muttered in reply. "Even if she's not-"
"Sisters don't mean shit."
Hiyori stared at him. He was chewing on his lip, his cheeks crimson. She opened her mouth to offer him something, maybe sympathy, but he spoke over whatever she had to say.
"He's nothing like me. He lets people treat him like shit and keeps going after them like a kicked puppy. I mean, no wonder Kazuma never felt like rescuing him. He's…" He made a choked sound in his throat. "He's so stupid ."
The brunette reached out to touch his shoulder. "Yukine, it's not-"
He batted her hand off. "I'm done with this. Hold the door for me, Hiyori."
"Huh?" She stared wide-eyed at him as he stepped away from the door. She stumbled, its weight falling on her back. "Yukine, what are you doing?"
He ignored her, striding towards Yato with a determined air, his head held high. She felt a twinge of foreboding in her chest. He stopped right behind him, the other boy barely noticing his arrival until he declared it in a loud, obnoxious voice.
"How long has it been, Bishamon-san?!"
Yato flinched violently, cut off mid-whisper. He shot him an irked look. "What-?"
Bishamon shifted, her fingers still drumming a rhythm on her wrist. "Seven minutes. Your time is up, Yato-san. I'm sorry."
The black-haired boy widened his eyes. " Wait , I'm just explaining how you're related to Kazuma. She needs to know why you're helping me. She's not going to magically understand that you're on my side-"
"Oh, is that so?" Yukine interrupted nastily. "Does the fact that we're not killing you right now help, or is that not enough?"
"How is that supposed to be enough? I'm convincing her to abandon our father!"
"Your father has abused you for years! It shouldn't be so hard!"
"It's not so simple-"
"He's locked you in a tower for half a decade, you dense fuck! He's an evil sorcerer who uses you as a source of magic! How can you not see-"
"Of course I see!" Yato pushed himself up onto wobbly feet, his blue eyes afire. "How stupid do you think I am? Every time he drains my strength, my heart feels a little bit weaker. I mean, hell, he didn't blink when he tried to kill my only friend. I know he's evil, I've known it all along, but..." He looked away. "But even so, he's our father. We're a family. We're tied together."
"I can't believe you call this a family." Yukine spat. "Even you can't be dense enough to think that. This is bullshit, that's what it is. Real family, real family cares about everyone equally. There's no strength-draining, friend-killing bullshit, there's just love . I-I- Hiyori's a real sister, not-"
The edge of Yato's lip quirked up. "Aw, no, Hiyori, you're not going to think of me as a brother if I come along, are you?"
Yukine blinked. His eyes slowly widened until she could see the whites all around. "Was that… did you just...? Are you joking right now?"
Bishamon bristled, exasperated. "We don't have time for this." She pressed the bridge of her nose. "Make a decision , Yato-san, and let's go!"
The blue-eyed boy grimaced, plopping down beside his sister's cupboard again. He winced, holding his temple. "Hiiro, I can't make them wait any longer. Please, you have to trust me, they're friends, they'll keep us safe-"
The cupboard thumped as if the girl had kicked its side from within. A panicked, chastising voice muffled by wood filled the air.
"Safe? Safe? What about Father, then?!" The girl cried. "Don't you dare betray him, I won't cover for you this time! We're a family, Yato, you can't just leave us! You can't be so selfish!"
Hiyori had always been watching Yukine from the corner of her eye, and so she wasn't surprised when he surged forth, shoved Yato out of the way and aimed a sharp kick at the side of the cupboard.
"What is wrong with you, you half-baked piece of shit?!" He shouted, kicking the cupboard again. "Don't you care about your brother even a little bit? You want him to stay with a sorcerer who drains his strength? Are you even human?"
The blue-eyed boy pushed himself up. "Oi, Yukine, cut that out-"
The blond whirled to him, then, amber eyes bright. "Leave her behind, Yato!"
There was a pause as Yato cleared his throat.
"Honestly, at this point, I think I should." He replied soberly. "I...I just don't want her to be blamed-"
At that, Bishamon stomped towards him, her tread heavy and eyes in slits. She looked ready to slap him. "Yato-san, we're not playing a game here. We're doing you a favour. Stop dithering and get up."
"Okay." Yato raked a hand through his hair and flinched. "Okay, let's go."
As if awoken by those words, the girl in the cupboard began a piercing screech. "I'll tell Father! Yaboku, I'll tell Father! I'll tell him, and he'll punish you! He'll punish you like Sakura-!"
Yukine took Yato's hand, pulling him along. "We're taking you somewhere he can never find you again."
The taller boy gave him a doubtful look. "You mean, past the borderline. Are you sure that works?"
The blond grinned. "It's the best borderline in the world. You're lucky he's been exiled."
Yato's sapphire eyes flitted from Yukine to Hiyori and back. A crooked smile curled his lips. "I guess I'm going to have to trust you."
"Don't go! I'll cover for you! I won't tell Father- Yaboku!"
"That's that, then." Bishamon announced, loping over to hold the door for Hiyori. "Give him a talisman and let's get out of this dump."