.
.
"Good work, everyone," Bishamon said, after she had disengaged their shinki. They had just formally finished their patrol, and the once-orange sky was slowly deepening into darkness. Kuraha waved and the others clambered him as they bounded for the temple, but instead of leaving with them, Bishamon turned to Kazuma.
"Do you want to go hunting phantoms?" Bishamon said. Kazuma beamed at her.
"I do," Kazuma said. Bishamon laughed, dropping her hands lightly on his chest.
"Okay," Bishamon said. "Chouki."
The name flashed. The beam of energy shot up, but instead of landing squarely into her ear, his life force enveloped her, her body turning pink before he manifested as her black jacket and gloves and leggings, enveloping her. His earring form glimmered brightly in her ear.
"This is so much better than having to call the Yatogami!" Bishamon said, smiling. In her mindscape, Kazuma smiled.
"It is." His eyes closed into adorable half-moons as he smiled, blushing a little.
She leapt onto the roof of the tallest building, looking outward. Now the sky was an inky blue, the chilly wind whipping her scarf and hair as she stood upon the roof. Storm clouds were gathering. She could feel the sense of danger rising in the air.
"Veena, there's a vent two kilometers from here." His heads up display flashed, then focused on a narrow alleyway. He zoomed in on the street, showing her. "It is coming out from the sewer grate and could be dangerous. Should we call for the others?"
"I think you and I can take care of it, don't you?" Bishamon said. Through the divine garment, she had the sensation of him hugging her.
She bounded down the streets, leaping gracefully from building to building. Around her eye, Kazuma's chouki form sparkled. "You know, Yato asked me once if I could use this sight," Kazuma said.
"Oh?" Bishamon said. She stepped off a brick wall and leaped forward.
"I told him no can do, that power was only available to chouki. I never thought this was something I could do."
"Well you are used to being Rekki now, Kazuma, I imagine it's no different than you finally mastering the borderline or learning how to cast spells correctly."
"It's still easier when it's you." In her mind's eye, Kazuma blushed. "Even turning into Rekki's form, I can use both abilities easier when it's you."
Bishamon beamed at him. "That's because you are mine; you always have been." She felt that sensation of him hugging her again.
She landed gracefully upon another rooftop, squinting her eyes out in the dark. Chouki's heads up display activated, swirling around her eye. The image zoomed in on the small crack just next to the sewer grate. "There's pressure from the Underworld," Kazuma said. The sight zoomed in closer. "If we do not act quickly, it will burst."
"What's our plan of attack?"
"I draw a borderline within the area, containing them. Then we close the vent and deal with the remaining phantoms."
"Sounds good to me. Revert, Kazu."
The telltale ding of a shinki disengaging, and Bishamon felt his life force drawing away from her. He materialized next to her, the wind whipping his hair and tie. He pushed up his glasses. "A moment, Veena," he said, and he hopped down to the alley again. "A LINE."
A flash of brilliant light, and the alleyway was sealed.
"Chouki." Another ding, and he flashed back into her divine garment again. His chouki form twinkled in her ear.
The vent burst, the crack widened. Pink steam exploded upward like a geyser. "Targeting the phantoms," Kazuma said. The heads up display flashed, and with pinpoint accuracy he located all of them. "There are thirty-four small ones just below us."
"They haven't even come to ground yet, can we still target them?"
"Use me as a bow," Kazuma said, and Bishamon held out her sheath and katana, sparks crackling like lightning as the weapon started to change its shape. Around her eye, the heads up display zoomed in on each phantom until every one of them was locked and targeted.
The arrows sang. She let loose the katana which split into multiple arrows, shooting through the ground and into the depths of the vent, exploding every one of them.
"Rekki," she said, and she caught the katana. She scanned the area with her HUD. "Kazuma, I think you got all of them."
"Just a moment Veena, there's a colossal-sized phantom at three o'clock, just on the edge of the city park."
"Can we shoot it from here?"
"Of course."
Bishamon considered. "No, I want to use you as my katana," Bishamon said.
"Are you sure? I am quite good as a long-ranged weapon. Yato and I had extensively trained."
"But I would rather handle your sword, Kazuma, wouldn't you?"
Kazuma blushed. "Veena, what you said has quite a bit of innuendo."
She leapt toward the park. "Perhaps that was my poor attempt at flirting with you."
Kazuma laughed, surprised. The earring sparkled.
"You weren't kidding when you said it was colossal," Bishamon said, craning her neck upwards. The phantom towered over her like a giant octopus that reached far up into the heavens, its depth and breadth covering the whole park. "How on earth did this escape here?"
"I suspect it is a confluence of many different phantoms," Kazuma said. "The crack may have been small, but even a few hundred tiny ones could make a giant phantom."
"Let's give it a go, then," Bishamon said, and she took a stance with her sword.
A burst of power, and Bishamon sprang forward. She slashed the phantom with one strong strike. The phantom roared. Its tentacles crashed toward her but she dodged, nearly missing it. She threw herself forward and slashed again, pops of sizzling flesh spewing around her with each cut and strike.
"Veena, watch out!" Kazuma said, and Bishamon whirled around to see a tentacle hurtling toward her. She jumped but wasn't quick enough, the trunk whacking into her, throwing her body across the park. She almost slammed into the ground, but her scarf wrapped around her, cushioning her.
"Are you okay?!
"I'm fine." She touched her shoulder. "I don't even think I got hurt."
The phantom screamed and careened toward her.
"Veena!"
A slash. Bishamon struck, faster and surer this time, the monster roaring and lurching backwards. She parkoured off the phantom's side and kept striking, her sword singing. The phantom tried to smash her but she evaded the blows, whirling quickly. The phantom roared again and Bishamon jumped backwards, falling into the air.
"Sing, Rekki!" she said, and the arrows exploded. They shot around the phantom like explosives.
The phantom staggered. It pitched forward, landing hard onto the ground.
Bishamon hopped onto the nearest light pole and watched with satisfaction as the phantom dissipated. When she was sure it had been exorcised, she hopped back onto the ground.
"Return, Kazu," she said, and she threw her arms around him. Kazuma laughed, staggering back a little from her momentum.
She pulled away slightly and looked up at him like she could kiss him. "Now you see why this is just like sex?" she said. Kazuma laughed and ducked his head.
"Well obviously Rekki is a much better vessel than Chouki."
"It has always been like this, Kazuma, even when you were just Chouki."
"Really?" he said, and their faces were close enough to touch. "Is it the same when you use the other shinki?"
"No of course not. It's only like this when I'm with you."
Kazuma beamed at her. She smiled and their eyes met. Kazuma took a breath. He felt the urge to kiss her, but he pushed it back, forcing himself not to cross that line with her.
"What are you doing?" Bishamon said, laughing, and she pushed up on her toes to kiss him, smiling against his mouth and wrapping her arms around him.
Kazuma blushed. "Sorry," Kazuma said. He smiled shyly. "It's a habit."
"I see." She fluffed his hair, smiling up at him, fondly.
"Let's go home, Kazuma. After all this fighting I'm quite aroused. I believe killing phantoms is a much better form of foreplay. I would like to go home and have sex with you."
Kazuma laughed, blushing. She clasped his hand in hers and leaned sideways against him. He chuckled softly as she pulled him close, smiling and kissing him on his shoulder.