A slender serpentine dragon made of blue crystal, its wings made of sharp sapphire spears, a red gem glowing on its chest and a blue sword decorated with golden stars on its crotch had stepped out of the light, Sayo staring in awe at its elegance and majesty.
"Ghiramessiah Savark Calibur, block Dogiragon Buster!" Hajime ordered and the dragon fired a golden ray from its left hand which pierced the blue armored dragon, making it vanish in an explosion.
"A blocker with 17000 power brought out this early... Anyway, this is far from over! Evil Heat, attack and Revolution Change into Magurakazura, D2M!" The purple dragon once more flew towards the opponent, then turned around and hi-fived with a large quadrupedal dragon, its wings and legs made of leaves. The creature had three necks: the one on the left ending in a horned dragon's skull, the one on the right ending in a red dragon's head blooming out of a red flower, and the one in the middle ending in Demonkazura's head, which was surrounded by beautiful white petals. "Magurakazura, double break his shields!" Sayo ordered and the creature flew through two of the opposing shields, bringing them down.
"Shield trigger, I cast DNA Spark and tap all of your creatures!" A bright light shaped like a helix descended from the sky, binding both Magurakazura and Gogo Jigocchi. "Then, since I have two shields left, I add the top card of my deck to my shield zone. Now it's my turn, I summon a second Savark DG." Another cycloptic dragon made of pale purple crystals appeared, its owner revealing the top cards of his deck as Mixel, Strange Stone / Jamming Chaff, Tamashiugatsu Kouseino Seisai Zett and Prelude of Horror, all of which went into Hajime's hand. "Ghiramessiah Savark Calibur, attack and Dragon Triple Breaker! I add Three Sword's Judgment, One Eye's Judgment and Ghiramessiah Savark Calibur from my top deck face up on my shields."
Sayo took cover as the blue crystal dragon fired another beam from its left hand which shattered three of her shields. As she picked up the cards, she turned to her opponent and said:
"Shield trigger, I cast Scale of Bravery and Love, discard Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian and draw two cards. Also shield trigger, I expand Mad Dead Wood, Seductive of D!"
Their surroundings changed to those of a forest of toxic plants filled with gravestones, a giant Venus Flytrap in its center, holding a lipstick.
"Mad Dead Wood..." Hajime reflected upon his previous match against Sayo and how that card had turned the tables in her favor early in the game, he would not allow it to happen twice. "Savark DG, break another shield!" Heeding his order, the one-eyed dragon fired a beam and took down another opposing shield.
"Shield trigger, I cast Gogogo Go1 Knuckle which destroys the untapped Savark DG and I discard Magurakazura. Since I have a D2 Field in the battle zone, Magurakazura goes back into my hand!"
"I end my turn and with my other Savark DG's effect I destroy him and replace him with Kirazeus Savark from my hand!" The small dragon suddenly vanished in an explosion, out of the smoke emerging the slender serpentine dragon made of gold and dark purple crystal, its wings made of sharp golden spears, a red eye glowing on its chest and a sword of light in its sharp claws. "With Kirazeus Savark's effect, I send Mad Dead Wood face up on one of your shields!"
Much to Sayo's surprise, she witnessed the crystal dragon fire a beam from the red eye on its chest upon the Venus Flytrap, making it vanish alongside its forest of toxic plants, reverting their sights to the normal woods they were in.
"You managed to prevent me from using my main card. Jack and Lori merely defeated me as soon as they saw Mad Dead Wood brought out, but you instead found a way to get rid of it without even using your own D2 Field. I'm very impressed, Hajime!"
"What can I say? I try my best," the blond replied with a proud smile while rubbing his nose.
"However, I am far from done – I summon Evil Heat, Screaming Demon Dragon once again! I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard and return Dogiragon Buster into my hand. Evil Heat, attack and Revolution Change into Dogiragon Buster, whose Final Revolution brings out Linnevenus, M Demon Dragon! Mana Arms 4, Linnevenus revives Honenbe, Skeletal Guardian and all of my creatures gain speed attacker until the end of this turn." The blue armored dragon reappeared alongside a green demonic dragon with three pairs of arms made of plants and a Venus Flytrap enclosing around its head, and a floating purple skull with two pairs of bat wings. Sayo's top cards went into her graveyard, those being Doguraeater, D2M2, Codeking Number Nine and Demonkazura, Evil Revolutionary Grudge Weed, the first of which went back into her hand. "Dogiragon Buster, break his final shields!"
Hajime braced himself as the creature slashed away his last three shields with the sword in its mouth.
"Sabaki Z, I discard Three Sword's Judgment and Tenseino Seisai Zett to cast two Tamashiugatsu Kouseino Seisai Zett! With their effect, I send Linnevenus and Magurakazura face up on your last shield! Also, shield trigger, I cast One Eye's Judgment and freeze Gogo Jigocchi!"
"You still managed to survive my swarm. That's good, I end my turn here," Sayo announced.
"I cast DNA Spark which taps all of your creatures and grants me a new shield. Kirazeus Savark, break her final shield and with his Dragon Double Breaker effect I gain another shield!" The golden and dark purple crystal dragon flew towards the opponent and used its sword of light.
"Shield trigger, I expand Mad Dead Wood, Seductive of D."
"No other shield triggers?"
"I'm afraid there are no more..."
"In that case, it's time to finish it – Ghiramessiah Savark Calibur, todomeda!" Hajime ordered and the blue crystal dragon fired a beam from its left hand upon Sayo, blowing her away.
Thus their showdown had ended. The blond quickly packed both of their decks, then he ran to check on the priestess, who lay defeated on the grassy field.
"Sayo, are you alright?" he asked as he leaned down on his knees.
"I'm fine, I've endured much worse," she replied and took her deck back, placing it in her yukata's pocket. "I can't believe you actually did it."
"Honestly, I can't believe it either. That was a very intense duel, and yet, I can't deny that it was also fun!"
"I agree. Every moment spent with you always brings me joy, Hajime."
"Sayo, sometimes you leave me at a loss for words..."
"Really now?" The dark-haired girl forced herself up to grab the blond's hand, staring deeply into his blue eyes.
"Yes, really..." He could not help but smile as she leaned in and kissed him again, her body pressing against his.
Before he knew it, Hajime felt his kimono's belt get untied. Instinctively, he reached his hands and undid Sayo's yukata, letting it slide down and exposing her gracious nude body. She similarly opened his kimono and pushed it off of him, so she could admire his nakedness.
"Are you sure about this? We could also head back to our room. It would be much more comfortable."
"I can't wait until we get back, Hajime! I want you here and now!"
Before he would utter another word, she placed her hands on his chest and slowly moved them down to his crotch, gently caressing his erection. Once he felt her soft touch, he could no longer protest, so he gave in to the pleasure and likewise began massaging her breasts.
Back in Sagakin, Demon Subaru sat all alone on the desk in the mayor's office, facing the Shishima reflection which stared at him expectantly. After a few minutes of dead silence, the image from the mirror finally spoke, "You've dealt with the traitors, so why are you now sitting there doing nothing? We've got a story to finish!"
"I'm growing tired of wasting precious time on a past that's long gone!" the hooded one angrily replied. "If I must, I'll give you the abridged version of what happened next and be over with it."
"Whatever suits you best. Keep going."
"After the incident with that spy sent by my mother, I spent the following day locked in my room, studying more texts on illusion magic. By nightfall I had noticed that Nekohana did not return, so I went on a search for her. Her scent was fading, but I managed to follow it through the desert, all the way into the Southeastern woods. And that was where I discovered that she had entered that accursed portal which led to the human world. Obviously, I went after her and discovered her being cornered by a group of monks who were ready to exorcise her. It was a hard fight, but I managed to rescue her and bring her home. I landed her in the garden, and after she apologized to me... I couldn't help but feel sorry for her... and that was when we... when we..."
The Shishima reflection raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"When we kissed..." Demon Subaru admitted, a pained expression on his face.
"Oh my, I didn't expect that! So I was right, you did have feelings for her! What happened next?"
"I don't think I can resume what followed afterwards, too much had happened on that night."
"Then we'll keep going on your own pace."
"The more I think about it, I'm starting to realize how much Nekohana meant to me. She was unlike any other youkai I had ever met, for you see, she lacked the selfishness and maliciousness that defined our demonic natures so well. Perhaps what attracted me to her was the simple and honest lifestyle she had, and had things gone differently, I might have followed down her path. But the pleasures of a noble's life were too alluring to forsake, I was destined to wield power by birth right! In the end, I suppose that our different paths were the reason for our downfall…"
Shishima broke the kiss, despite his mouth aching to taste more of the beautiful female resting in his arms. He caressed her cheek as they were both lost in each other's eyes, a warm trance from which neither wanted to wake up.
"What is happening to the sky?" asked Nekohana, both of them looking up at the dazzling spectacle of lights cascading through the night.
"Those must be the human souls which were sent into Purgatory to be purified," Shishima explained. "If they are roaming free in such great numbers, that means only one thing…"
"Our borders have ceased to exist?"
"And the war is ending!" A smile of genuine happiness was on his sharp leonine face. "At last, we lived to see the glorious moment of our kingdom's first triumph!"
"What does that mean for you…" the flower youkai hesitated for a moment, "…and us?"
"Once we incorporate that realm into ours, my father will have proper time to deal with the corruption in the senate. I will help him purge all those scheming politicians who have ruined our society for their own personal gain. The Twilight Kingdom will enter a new era of prosperity!"
"That was the prince speaking, I want to hear Shishima's thoughts on this."
"Nekohana, you won't have to worry about scum like Rufu anymore. I will go to whatever length to make sure that the likes of him will never again have power or influence."
"It's not just Rufu… You are a daiyoukai prince, I am low-class and somewhat of a half-breed, what will we do if we are discovered?"
"I never cared about the ancient rules imposed by our purist ancestors. Even if my family will not accept you as a future queen, know that you are the only one I desire."
"But what about your harem? I heard that you nobles would rather pick a sex slave over a commoner."
"All the demons in my harem are there solely for sexual gratification. But you mean so much more to me, I would never even compare you to those sluts."
Those words warmed Nekohana's heart, so much so that she threw herself once more into his embrace. She emanated a great amount of happiness, and although he could not feed off of positive emotions, he still felt at peace. Alas, time was running and duty called, so he let go of her and spread his wings wide.
"Shishima, where are you headed?"
"I must return to the battlefield and help our army."
"Why? Did you not say that you were taking a break from the war? Please, stay here and let the soldiers do their duty."
"It is my duty too. I want to be by my father's side and help him in this historic moment."
"Then please take care of yourself."
"I will, and I promise to return by dawn."
With that said, the prince took off into the sky. Although his tone was reassuring, Nekohana could not shake the ominous feeling of dread, as if danger was lurking on the horizon. After experiencing what was probably the happiest moment in her life, she began to feel alone once more.
Never before was Shishima that quick to fly into battle. Excitement had overtaken him, he was more than eager to be part of the final battle, to make history. A bright future lay ahead, tempting with its promises of glory, and it all relied on the happenings of that night. As he seared through the air past countless roaming souls, the sight of youkai fighting angels appeared before him. It was such a delight to see his enemies on the brink of defeat, but he could not indulge in the pleasure of slaughtering mere soldiers, so he pushed forward, following the scent of his father. Beyond that chaos of lights and screams, he could make out in the distance the torn bars of gold that once belonged to the gates of Purgatory, now open wide to welcome all of demonkind. In front of them stood Akushishi, tall and defiant, disposing of whatever minions were pathetically trying to halt his progress.
"Retreat!" shouted a familiar voice from behind.
"What?!" Shishima turned around to see his comrades instantly flying away after eradicating the remaining angels. "What are you fools doing? We are right on the brink of victory!"
Neither of them listened to his protests, opting for a safe refuge in the mountains beneath. Now only king and prince remained up there as an eerie silence surrounded them. Time seemed to have remained still, the two feeling a presence so great and powerful approaching them, that their previous worries no longer mattered. The ground ahead, the clouds around and what remained of the gates shook vividly, as if the entire realm was in awe of whatever was coming. A humanoid figure emerged out of Purgatory, its form shrouded in a robe gray as desert sand, a pair of hands standing for its face while countless others seemed to reach out of its clothes.
"Shishima, stand back and keep your guard up!" Akushishi immediately demanded.
"But father…"
"Do as I say, this being is way more dangerous than it seems!"
Heeding his words, the young one flew at a safe distance to witness the strange encounter. Never before did he see the king in such a panicked state; it only added to the overall feeling of dread.
"We meet at last, Metatron."
"Ah, the first king of the Twilight Kingdom to break past all of my protective wards and reach Purgatory," the robed figure spoke, its voice a deep grave echo booming in the entire sky. "How does it feel to achieve such an accomplishment? Are you proud? Relieved, maybe?"
"I have no reason to be proud of the war our realms had been stuck in since the dawn of time," Akushishi confessed. "Too many lives have been lost to consider this a great victory, but if it means that the bloodshed will finally end, I will view it as a victory nonetheless."
"You speak with honor and compassion, something unbefitting to a demon king. Yet under your leadership even the lowest mongrels that Hell had spawned are now part of an army which brought the downfall of my realm. Those slimes do not deserve a leader like you."
"Do not speak ill of my kin! We have sought something more than the meaningless torments of Hell, which is why we now desire your realm."
"So, after being free from the realm beneath, you seek conquest of those above? Do not lie to yourself, the Twilight Kingdom has not surpassed its fallen state, its youkai are just demons with another name!"
"I will not tolerate you disrespecting my subjects!"
"Do you think I am tolerating your subjects killing my entire army of angels, shattering my barriers and freeing all the mortal souls from Purgatory? No, if I must, I will go down with the realm I have sworn to watch over for eternity!"
"So be it, Metatron…"
The cloaked figure spread its arms wide, letting the multitude of hands beneath its clothes come out and unleash purifying flames upon Akushishi, who tried his best to resist the excruciating pain. When he saw that the king's endurance was greater than he imagined, Metatron ceased fire, leaped and punched him in the face, breaking his concentration and leaving him floating in the air. They both were quick to face each other once more, and this time the fires of Purgatory were met with the Twilight Kingdom's darkness in a battle of the elements. Ultimately the shadows prevailed, pushing the robed one back into his decaying realm. His adversary dashed in the air after him, but Metatron reached one of his hands with light speed and grabbed the youkai's left wing, pulling hard and tearing it out of his back. The pain took Akushishi by surprise, causing him to crash headfirst on Purgatory's grounds.
In those solemn moments, the king's mind went to Fukurokuju's early lessons about the spiritual world; how every place and being had a purpose for a much grander scheme. Was he breaking a delicate balance merely to satisfy his kingdom's whims of conquest? Had his ancestors made a grave mistake when they waged this war not long after the dawn of time? As he felt a shadow cast down upon him, the only truth he knew was that he was caught in battle and he had to survive for the sake of his family and realm. With fists clenched, barred fangs and angered growls, he fought back the pain and shoved his body forward. His horns pierced the cloaked figure's chest, and he ran forward until he pinned his opponent against a brick wall, pushing deeper into him. Metatron laughed at that futile attempt and unleashed countless hands from his clothes, which grabbed Akushishi's horns and also tore them out of his skull. Then he used them as weapons, stabbing the youkai until he began to back off into the opened gates. In a moment of inspiration, the king collapsed on his back and put on a scared face, his expression pleading for mercy. Assured of his victory, the robed one tossed the horns away and focused all of his hands in generating a great ball of flames. Seizing the opportunity, the feline leaped into the air and shoved his claws into the wounds he had previously caused, breaking his adversary's concentration, interrupting his spell and weakening his body.
"Metatron, this fight need not go on any longer, I can spare you. I am sure that you can find solace and a new purpose in the upper realms."
"You are making a peace offering now?!"
"Yes, I am aware that it is too late for Purgatory, but you need not forsake your eternal life in a symbolic last stand. We both know that there is much more to our existence."
"Are you doing this as an insult or as an act of misplaced compassion?"
"I will repeat myself once more: This war has brought on too much bloodshed. I do not want it to continue."
"Where did all your lessons of honor and discipline bring you, Akushishi? At my entrance, abandoned by your loyal army, with only your son here to witness the culmination of our conflict. After living both the life of a noble and that of a warlord, savoring the pleasures of wealth and bearing the burden of battle, you must admit that deep inside… you are alone. You have always been alone, since the day of your birth. You may lie to yourself that you had parents, siblings, teachers, comrades and subjects by your side, but ultimately you are alone. Because your fate had been decided as soon as you left your mother's womb, none viewed you as an individual, you only mattered because of your blood and titles, hence you became synonymous with the kingdom you rule. And now at your darkest hour, said kingdom has abandoned you. How hard does the cold of loneliness sting?"
The youkai's eyes grew wide upon hearing those words, the grip of his claws weakened as for the first time since their battle began, doubt started sneaking into his mind. That initial shock soon turned into denial and anger. He pulled one of his bloodied fists out of Metatron's body and aimed it for his face, but a hand grabbed it and squeezed so tight that he let out a roar. Multiple pairs of hands rushed out of the robes like a swarm of hungry rats, seizing Akushishi's body, lifting him above and twisting his spine.
"Cloak yourself in as many empty platitudes as you wish, in the end your emotions still got the better of you. Had you reached enlightenment, you might have not fallen for my words, but in the end, you are just as weak as-"
Metatron did not have a chance to complete his sentence, for in the meantime the youkai king used his claws to open his own wounds. Demonic blood fell like rain upon the cloaked figure and burned him like acid. Now with his own demise certain, as a last act of utter defiance, the former ruler of Purgatory tossed Akushishi out the gates of his realm as his robed body began to dissolve into nothingness.
Never before did Shishima see someone match his father in strength. Although the Twilight Kingdom's victory had been secured, it had come at a great cost. While hordes of soldiers started showing up and flew past him into the new realm, he dashed down through the clouds. How could the army desert its leader in his greatest time of need? Who was the one who ordered the retreat? Why did everyone listen to him? That was high treason, worthy of capital punishment! Shaking away those negative thoughts, the prince focused on finding his father, searching the mountains. He followed the trail of blood until he came upon a most disgraceful sight. There he was, lying in a field of flowers by the river, his weakened body continuously bleeding, one remaining wing shielding him from the cold air's sharpness. What a pathetic state to be in for one who once stood proud against countless armies of angels…
"Father!" shouted Shishima while landing next to him. "Come, we must go back to the palace so you can heal yourself."
"Shi…shima…" Akushishi opened his eyes and took a long look at his offspring. "I am afraid it is too late…"
"Do not speak such nonsense! With the right treatment, I know you will be back on your feet."
"Your efforts are in vain, I am not long for this world."
The prince tried lifting his father, but the king's body proved too heavy for him, so he gently let him rest on the field. Worry started filling the young one's mind as he began to consider the prospect of a future without Akushishi.
"You once told me I will inherit everything around us. I beg you, tell me that is true!"
"Is it power you wish to inherit, my son? What would you do with said power?"
"I would purge the Twilight Kingdom of its corruption, bring forth a new era of prosperity, and then lead our conquest into the upper realms!"
"That is what a king would do. So far you have only fought for yourself and our kingdom. Do you have someone else to fight for?"
The two remained silent as they stared at each other, the river's soothing sounds filling their ears. Although the prince knew that Nekohana was one of the reasons why he kept struggling through life, she was but a gardener, nobody would have accepted their relationship. Besides, he was a proud noble of pure blood, foolish things like love and compassion were nothing but a weakness to the public eye. From here he stood, there was only one answer.
"No. I, Shishima, fight only for myself."
"Then I have failed…" Akushishi sighed with regret. "You know, during that battle, I had started to believe Metatron's words. But you came for me, and now I know that at least I am not alone. Thank you, my son…"
The Twilight Kingdom's ruler closed his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face, and allowed his body to dissolve, taking his existence into the nothingness of the Abyss. Shishima watched this with his clawed hands shaking, untamed anger slowly filling his mind. Corruption was to blame for this. They had all been so focused on ending the war that they had ignored the corruption which seeped into the army and senate. Koushishi was the one who oversaw both from the comfort of the capital palace, she had allowed said corruption to exist. Akushishi's fate had been decided many centuries ago, in the exact moment he left his mate to govern all by herself.
Right then and there, Shishima snapped. He let out all of his sorrow and frustration in a powerful roar which echoed through the mountains. As he returned to the capital palace, he killed everything in sight with only his bare claws. It did not matter if it were a lowly imp, an innocent plant or a soldier passing by, everyone was suspect, everyone was an enemy, and there was no mercy for enemies. The path of destruction that lay behind him was great, the casualties bordering those of an actual war. Nobody stood a chance, not even the palace guards or other authorities who tried preventing him from reaching the upmost level. Rumors of the king's death and prince's insanity had spread around the commoners, who were quick to run out of his way as soon as they saw him. Upon reaching the throne room's doors, he was greeted by none other than Nekohana. There she was, bruises all over her body, flowers falling out of her mane, and her once beautiful face now swollen.
"What happened to you?" he asked, trying to keep his calm.
"It doesn't matter anymore," she wheezed out a response. "Shishima, we both made a mistake thinking that this place is worth living in."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Twilight Kingdom is lost, the youkai are too selfish to make a society, you cannot rule over them!"
"My father kept them all on a tight leash using only brute strength! Do you think I cannot do the exact same?"
"No, they are not worth it." She approached him and spread her arms for an embrace, her voice becoming softer and clearer. "Please, let us run away, we can hide in the mortal world, we can live the rest of our lives in peace."
"Live in peace…?" he repeated, incredulous to what he was hearing.
"Yes, we could both become humans, and then nobody would ever find us."
"Me become a human? A… human?!"
The event happened so quickly, neither of them could believe it. With a single movement of his claw, he tore through Nekohana's left shoulder, ripping her arm off and digging deep into her flesh, stopping close to her heart. She stared at him in awe and fell on her back, landing on the cold brick floor in a pool of blood and flower petals.
"Traitor, to think that I put my trust in you. I was a fool."
With those cold parting words said, Shishima walked past her to face his future, his destiny. As he opened the doors, he heard the faint sound of a flute play a few notes, and then he felt a strange sting in his back. He turned back to regard her one last time, but all that was left in that bloody mess were her instrument and a couple of flowers.
The throne room was filled with politicians celebrating their army's great victory, indulging themselves with foods and drinks as a small orchestra delighted their ears. Koushishi sat on her throne, her smile stretching from ear to ear as she read the paper containing Akushishi's will. Upon noticing her son, she neatly wrapped the document, waved her hand and everyone went silent.
"Ah, my dear Shishima, I am so glad that you survived the war!" she greeted him in her usual two-faced manner. "Welcome home, son!"
"You are the one responsible for the king's death!" the young one shouted while making his way to the throne.
Koushishi gasped, reaching a hand to cover her mouth as to further emphasize her outrage. "How dare you suggest such a terrible thing? Your father's death is a great loss to our kingdom, we are all in mourning."
"Yes, I can see very clearly how much you are mourning him right now," Shishima spat back in disgust at the festive atmosphere surrounding him.
"This party is to celebrate our great achievement. If he were alive right now, he would have wanted us to rejoice."
"Do not even try to bullshit me, mother! You know very well I lack the patience for your word games."
"Indeed, I do. Which is why you need to further cultivate your patience if you wish to become king one day."
"One day? What are you talking about? The king is dead; therefore, I am his rightful successor!"
"Is that so? Have you read your father's will?" A sly smile appeared on her face as she unfolded the paper once more. "If not, let me do it for you: I, Akushishi, hereby declare that upon my death, the first in line to inherit my kingdom, titles, wealth and power is none other than my beloved Koushishi. Should anything happen to her, everything mentioned above will go to my son Shishima. Should anything happen to him as well, I entrust my royal advisor Fukurokuju to properly share all of my assets and pick a new king and queen from among the daiyoukai."
After everything he had endured on that fateful night, the revelation that his father had left him with nothing had finally crushed his spirit. Now he was stuck in a Twilight Kingdom ruled solely by his mother, which meant he would once more become a slave to her whims, like he had been countless years ago.
"Fret not, my son. Although your father left you with nothing, I will give you something. You will be one of my greatest generals, and you will help us go past Purgatory and conquer the remaining upper realms. How does that sound?"
"I would rather suffer the disgrace of becoming a human than spend my eternity serving you, mother!"
"I am afraid that is the wrong answer." Koushishi smiled as the guards shot a volley of arrows at her son, taking him by surprise, making him collapse on the floor. "I would not struggle if I were you. Those arrows are poisoned, but they have fired the right amount to subdue you. Guards, take him back to the dungeons! The prince needs to get familiarized once more with some discipline."
"I swear I will have my revenge…" Shishima growled at them. "I will become a God… and take back what is mine…"
The poison was slowly beginning to paralyze him, he had to act quickly. Before the guards could reach him, he rolled on the ground, allowing the arrows to stab him even deeper, letting the foul liquid further flow into his veins. As he ended up against a wall, he smiled at the red moon which was beginning to hide behind morning's clouds.
And then Shishima knew only light…
Demon Subaru took off his hood and placed both hands on his head, his entire body shaking as if he had seen a ghost.
"Are you alright?" asked the Shishima reflection.
"It was me, I was the one who killed her!"
"Oh? But you've killed many with those claws of yours!"
"I was the one who killed Nekohana, and I did it in a fit of anger when she did nothing to wrong me whatsoever!"
"You are mistaken, you did call her a traitor for asking that you two run away and live the rest of your lives as humans. These are your own words!"
"She was just a fool daydreaming a peaceful life, that did not warrant me sinking my claws into her and ending her life!"
"What about father's throne? What about that arrogant mother who had been working against you since your very birth?"
"Who gives a damn about those anymore?!" Demon Subaru shrieked at the mirror, tears of blood falling down his cheeks. "Now I know why I chose to forget it all, I couldn't bear living with the guilt that I had killed my beloved..."
"What happened after everything turned white?" the reflection asked on a similar tone, completely untouched by the other's display of emotions.
"I had reincarnated inside a man who was committing his first murder. Ever since then, I had been caught in an endless cycle of reincarnation for over a thousand years. I had jumped from one wicked man to the next, laying dormant inside their hearts until their very first strong negative emotion awoke me. Then I would act as an alter ego, whispering temptations of heinous acts in their minds so they could feed me more. I was like a parasite, seeking the perfect host who would be weak-willed enough to allow me to take control. That was until I was brought back to this Earth inside this cloned body which is mine alone."
"You are free of the reincarnation cycle, yet you still seem shackled by something. Is it your own guilt over what you did to Nekohana?"
"Yes, that was why I didn't want to remember my past! Now I feel no motivation whatsoever to invoke All Over The World and achieve godhood. What's the point when I had failed the very one whom I swore to protect?"
"Oh, but there is a point. Do you remember the reason why you started remembering your past to begin with?"
"Yes, that woman's annoying flower scent."
"Does it remind you of something?"
Demon Subaru froze as he realized what the reflection meant. All of a sudden, the emotional pain he felt had vanished, being replaced only by a sadistic chuckle.
"I'm glad that you're finally back, Shishima!" the youkai image said before disappearing from the mirror.
Waving his hand, he made the mirror show him the whereabouts of Sayo. He was surprised to see her and Hajime locked in sexual intercourse, grinding their naked bodies on the grass, their sighs of pleasure echoing in the dead of the night. Things just could not get better...
After what seemed like an eternity, both of them climaxed and collapsed on their clothes, hands clasped together. Lost in their carnal euphoria, nothing else mattered but the present.
"That was amazing..." Hajime whispered.
"I love you," Sayo whispered back and kissed him again as he caressed her black hair.
"I love you too. This has to be the happiest night in my entire life."
"I disagree," a familiar hissed voice spoke from behind the trees.
The blond gasped upon recognizing who it was. The priestess immediately jumped on her feet, her yukata in one hand and her travel bag in the other. Before she could search for the exorcism items, Demon Subaru walked in front of them, arms crossed and a suspiciously excited smirk on his face.
"Shishima!" Hajime got back on his feet and picked up his kimono. "Are you here to torment us again till I agree to duel you?"
"Oh no, my friend. I do not wish to face off against you tonight." The hooded fiend raised his hands as a sign of peace. "I merely came here to show you a harsh truth to which you had been blind all this time."
"What nonsense are you trying to spout now, you bastard?"
"This Sayo whom you love oh so much is hiding something from you. A truth so dark that it would change the way you see her once and for all."
"As if I would fall for your lies and tricks once more! I trust Sayo with all of my heart and I know that she would never hide anything from me or do anything to harm me! You on the other hand..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, still blinded by your puppy love, I see." Demon Subaru widened his eyes, which glowed with bright red. "In that case, I will have to give you a demonstration so you can see the truth with your own two eyes!"
As Sayo was about to grab the sacred salt bag, she felt a strange force assault her, as if the blood coursing through her veins had all of a sudden burst into wild flames. She dropped her clothes and luggage as her naked body got surrounded by a red aura and began twisting and cracking. Before Hajime's petrified sight, her face turned sharp and gained leonine features, her eyes turned black with glowing red pupils, and she rose as tall as a building, purple fur growing on her skin and a flower mane falling out of her head and covering her body.
"Hajime, meet Nekohana, my former servant... and lover," Demon Subaru gleefully stated, enjoying every moment of the blond's terror and sorrow.
"No, this can't be, it must be some kind of illusion of yours..." the youth uttered in disbelief.
"But it's not, she is as real as you and me! She is no human priestess, she is a youkai, just like me! And most importantly, she has been playing you for a fool!"
"Sayo, tell me it's not true! Tell me this is all an illusion made by Shishima, help me snap out of it, please!" Hajime begged, but Nekohana struggled to clear her head after the sudden transformation, thus his pleas fell on deaf ears.
When she finally came to her senses, the lioness youkai stared down at the two males in front of her. Realizing that her disguise had been broken by the hooded one, anger filled her to no end.
"Shishima, you've ruined everything!" she yelled and reached down a claw to cut him down.
Demon Subaru carelessly jumped back, avoiding her attack. He pulled off his jacket and a pair of wings grew out of his back, enabling him to take off into the sky. Using her powers, Nekohana made the branches of the pine trees stretch after him, but he had already gotten away. Sighing in defeat, she focused and transformed back into Sayo.
"What was that...?" Hajime asked as he carefully approached from behind.
The girl did not respond, she merely dressed back in her yukata and picked up her travel bag.
"Don't you fucking ignore me!" the blond raised his voice, forcing her turn around and face him, a look of shame on her face. "Sayo, please, tell me that what Shishima said was a lie. Say it was all an illusion, just a trick to mess around with my mind, like he always does!"
"Hajime, forgive me..." she lowered her head, trying to fight back the forming tears. "It wasn't an illusion. What Shishima said was the truth."
"No..." he shook his head and grabbed her by the shoulders. "This has to be some kind of trap, I won't accept it! You can't be a youkai, you're Sayo, the girl who saved me and did her best to support me, the one who swore she'd be by my side when we bring Shishima down!"
"Yes, but I am also Nekohana, flower youkai of the Twilight Kingdom and former servant of Shishima's. What he said was true, he was indeed my first love."
"Then how...? Why? Why did you lie to me all this time that you loved me?!"
Sayo managed to suppress a sob, but tears began streaming down her soft pale cheeks. "There was a time when Shishima was not like this. He used to believe in a noble way of life and he used to care for those close to him. I had watched him spiral down into madness, the only solution I could find was for us to begin anew as humans, which was why I had used a spell and bound us both to human bodies in a cycle of reincarnation. I've spent each of my past lives searching for him, and only now did I finally find him, still trapped in his madness. When I saw you face off against him back on campus, I knew you had the potential to defeat him. Then, once all was said and done, I could try to bring back the old Shishima I once loved. But for that I needed you to be strong, for you were faint of heart and easily affected by the losses of your loved ones. So I became your protector, your close friend and even your girlfriend, anything to ensure that your spirit would be strong enough to brave the challenges which Shishima will bring forth."
Hajime let go of her, unable to process everything that had transpired before him.
"So you mean to tell me that all this time I had been a means to an end for you?"
"Please try to understand, we have similar goals, but to achieve them I had to-"
"You had to fucking lie to me and feed me false hopes of a future with the two of us happy together!" he raised his voice even more, anger boiling inside. "What did you think would happen once we managed to defeat Shishima, huh? You thought you could just throw him in a cage and sweet talk that monster into changing his ways? Hah, as if that would ever happen after all he's done! And what about me? Were you really planning on moving back to Tokyo and keeping in touch? Or did you just hope you would escape with your sweet psycho killer demon boyfriend once all was said and done? Tell me, Sayo, what the fuck were you thinking?!"
"I didn't know, Hajime! I'm not like Shishima who cooks up long term plans, I prefer to set up goals and work my way to them as I go along. I just thought that as long as we managed to defeat him and put an end to his schemes, I could find a way to fix him..."
"What about me then?"
"This body I currently possess is mine only. The girl known as Sayo had died a long time ago. As such, upon reaching early adulthood, the aging process had stopped. Even if I were to start a new life with you, sooner or later you would have noticed that I cannot grow old. It is the main reason why I chose to leave the Shinto temple and wander around the country while performing exorcisms for a living."
"So you seduced me, knowing full well that we could never truly be together." Hajime gave her a hateful glare, only resentment in his eyes. "At least Shishima is honest with his merciless killings. You disgust me to no end..."
"Hajime, please, I'm sorry-"
"I don't want to hear another word from you! Get the fuck out of my face, I never want to see you again! I swear, if I ever encounter another demon or youkai or whatever, I will personally exorcise it out of existence!"
Sayo turned around and ran off into the depths of the forest, struggling to block out Hajime's heartbroken curses.
