Touda had watched from the sidelines as Tsuzuki had launched his attack on the Count, and he was both impressed and horrified. His master's fighting power was incredible. The sheer force was a terrible thing that destroyed whatever it touched. Ryu was only still alive because Tsuzuki was no killer and because he was a demon. Touda had felt that darkness before, he had cradled it in his mind before, he had stopped it, buffered it, balanced it, but it had only been part of what he was facing now.

:Tsuzuki: he whispered through the bond, reaching for his friend. :Stop this. You cannot do this:

The violet eyes turned from where they had looked at the broken and bleeding demon, to gaze at Touda, who didn't flinch away. Tsuzuki couldn't continue like this much longer. Hisoka's blow had shattered his mind before, had made him fall. He regenerated quickly, but even that couldn't sustain him without end.

He was running on adrenaline. He was running on emotions.

:Touda:

The voice was cold and made of ice, so sharp it hurt to hear it, but Touda grit his teeth.

:I know you're hurting: the fire serpent went on. :I know Enma inflicted a lot of pain:

:Muraki reeked of him:

:But you're now playing by his plans:

:He will die:

:And then what? You'll take his place? You want to become the cold-hearted bastard he was:

Tsuzuki hesitated and there was a flicker in those eyes. Touda felt a sliver of hope as he sensed the indecision. The demon was losing its footing and the man Tsuzuki had always been, the caring soul, was returning. But only in little steps.

:No...:

:But you will! Remember what he said? You will be next in line! Don't do it, Asato! I beg you:

More indecision and Touda knew he had to strike soon. If Tsuzuki recovered from this moment, he would leave and no one and nothing could stop him. The serpent had no illusions that he could truly stop or buffer his master now. This was beyond anything he had ever thought possible. Hisoka had shown him that a surgical strike could break through, could momentarily restrain their friend, and because it had been done before, Touda had a chance to do it again.

:Tsuzuki... I'm so sorry: he murmured and then flung what power he had at the mind connected to his.

It was a lot.

It bore the mark of desperation.

And it hit the shinigami dead center. Already weak shields collapsed and broke, and Touda still drove forward, tuning out the screams, until Tsuzuki collapsed into his ready arms.

:Sorry: he murmured, tears even in his mind voice. :I cannot let you fall like this, Asato. I'm your guardian. He might not have planned it this way, but it's what I am. I'll always protect you:

Closing his eyes, exhaustion racing through him, the black shikigami held him close, trembling minutely. He wasn't done yet, he knew. He had to go into that shredded mind and find Tsuzuki, guide him through the hatred and pain and power surges, and bring him back to control what he was or this would never end. The hatred would drive Tsuzuki on. He would heal his wounds, mental as well as physical ones, and he would try to leave once more.

Tsuzuki could control his power. Touda knew it. He was simply afraid of what lurked deep down inside him.

I'll show you, he thought tiredly. Just trust me...

°

Ryu knew he had lost consciousness somewhere throughout that agony because when he came around, Tsuzuki lay on the ground, cradled in the arms of Touda. The fire serpent was pale, sweat glistening on his brow, and he was trembling with exertion. Dull, golden eyes met pain-filled red ones.

The demon stumbled to his feet and almost collapsed again. His shredded wings were on fire, his legs couldn't really support his weight and his clawed fingers dug into the wall to keep himself upright. There was blood everywhere.

"We can't go on like this," Touda whispered, exhausted. "I have to go in and find him."

And he had to fight against the power that was so destructive, so painful, only two beings were able to bear it.

Ryu nodded slowly, feeling his body thrum with the response from a new wave of demonic energy coming from Tsuzuki. The Palace was acting according to his thoughts, the walls thickening, reinforcing.

"Watson, leave," he ordered and the misshapen gnome nodded obediently. He had been watching the ceaseless fights and struggles from the side.

"Can you hold him should he gain consciousness?" Touda asked flatly.

Ryu gave him a weak smile. "I can try."

The golden eyes held a myriad of emotions, coupled with pain and tiredness. Still, they were drilling into the red ones they were facing, and finally Touda nodded.

"Good luck," Ryu murmured as the shikigami settled against the wall, his precious burden in his arms, and closed his eyes.

As Touda sank into the bond, Ryu checked the Palace, still reinforcing everything around here, sealing them in.

° ° °

Touda knew Tsuzuki's mind. He had been bound to it for so long now, he felt right at home. Tsuzuki's mind was both a gentle sea of warmth and a sharp chasm of power. He was human and demonic. He was a warrior who hid behind a tender, loving façade.

And his mind reflected all of that.

There were the nightmares and the happy memories. There was his past and the present. There were the connections to the other eleven, and there was the direct bond to Touda.

And Touda moved through that mind, looking for his friend. Somewhere in here, in this vastness, was Tsuzuki.

We need you, he thought. Come back. Don't give in to what Enma triggered.

There was a shift in the mind and suddenly Touda felt like he was under scrutiny. Something or someone was watching him. Closely. Very, very closely.

:Tsuzuki: he whispered, using the bond despite the fact that he was in the other mind.

"Leave this place," a cold, emotionless voice commanded.

:Not without you:

Something shaped itself out of the mind-plane. It was a shadow of Tsuzuki, barely even him, with hard, violet eyes.

:You are an intruder.:

:I am your shikigami: Touda countered. :We are bonded. I serve only you. Your will is mine.:

"You cannot stop me," his master spoke out loud, his voice coming through the bond as well.

"No, probably not." Should Tsuzuki strike out at him for real, Touda would die.

"He dared to touch what I protect. He hurt everything," the Tsuzuki figure whispered, voice filled with hate.

"And if you act upon those emotions now, you will lose to him."

There was no warning as the figure moved, but Touda managed to evade the strike that tore into the mind realm.

:Tsuzuki, please:

Again the cold expression was on him.

:You say you are mine:

:Yes:

:You serve me. I am your master. Your will is my will, yet you disobey me:

Touda squared his shoulders, showing no submission. :You are my master: he repeated. :I love you. I serve you. It is my duty to be your sword and shield, to protect your life... But right now, you are not who I submitted to.:

A slow smile curved the pale lips into a shadow of a real smile. "Do you challenge me, serpent?"

Touda felt cold all of a sudden. "If it is the only way to end this," he answered, voice almost numb.

"You chose your fate, serpent."

Not as strong as he had been right after he had been triggered but still powerful, Tsuzuki turned and attacked again.

° ° °

He had lost.

Enma-Daiou stood in his inner sanctuary, a puzzled but also faintly amused expression on his perfect features. All his servants had been sent away, as well as whatever representatives had come to see him. He was completely alone.

Never before had he ever considered that he might miss the taunting, malicious voice of Muraki, pointing out the errors and flaws in his plan now.

Muraki.

He was dead. For real this time. His body had been destroyed and his soul resided in stasis to await judgment. It would be his job to deal out Heaven or Hell to his plaything, but right now, Enma couldn't care less.

Right now, he was watching a struggle that might either give him a breathing space or spell his doom in the moments to come.

Tsuzuki had been triggered and it had been such a powerful blast, such incredible darkness, as the demonic force tore free and surpassed even what the Lord of Hades had predicted.

You are worthy, he thought. To be my successor. To take my place.

But he didn't plan to die to make that possible. He still had another job waiting. Another realm.

Enma's long, well-manicured fingers slid over the glass globe that glowed softly. A hazy mist filled the globe, twirling gently.

Touda was by now achieving the balance that had been there before. He was taming the beast and Enma was watching, smiling faintly. Even with the bond now active again, with Touda fighting the creature that wanted to kill Enma-Daiou, Tsuzuki would forever be changed. He would remember that power, he would remember the rush, and he would one day follow his heritage.

And if Enma hadn't had to push the development, the slow evolution would have delivered him his successor. Now he had created an enemy.

The darkness twisted and snapped, fighting against Touda, and Enma was impressed by the resilience of the hell serpent.

"You are the most dangerous of them all. You are his worthy partner, opponent and shikigami," he murmured,

Turning away from the globe, Enma strode across the silent room and toward the secret chamber that existed in no-time, the place where he had kept Muraki, where he had listened to his pet's sinful voice, had tasted his body and soul. Now there was no trace of the bed, the chains or the passion left. It was an empty bubble, but from here, he could see more. He could see everything. He could feel Mother as she processed data, he could feel the vast infinity of space, and he could feel the end of the fight inside Tsuzuki's mind.

Sitting back, Enma-Daiou closed his eyes.

It was over.

And it was only the beginning.

° ° °

It felt like they had fought for hours, neither winning nor losing in the beginning, but now Tsuzuki was tiring out. He wasn't limitless; he wasn't invincible. He was only a human being with a power that came from his father's side.

Touda panted painfully as he pushed himself to his limits. He winced as he heard Tsuzuki's scream of pain. There had been no other choice but to lash out with everything he had to stun the already injured mind so closely interwoven with his. Wild, amethyst eyes looked at him without seeing anything. Tsuzuki was in a fighting fury, throwing all he still had, and which was formidable considering the injuries and signs of exhaustion, at his attacker.

"Tsuzuki, stop!" he tried again and was rewarded with a physical blow to the chest.

While it smarted, it hurt his friend more than him. Touda desperately caught the hands and twisted Tsuzuki around so he was resting with his back against Touda's chest. His arms were crossed in front of his own chest, immobilizing him somewhat. Tsuzuki threw his head back and it crashed into Touda's face. With an angry snarl, he tightened his hold and heard Tsuzuki hiss in pain. It pained him just the same, but he had to quiet him down.

"Tsuzuki, it's me, Touda," he whispered into his master's ear. "You are safe. Calm down. It's okay. You are safe." He repeated it over and over again.

Please let this finally be over now, Touda thought desperately.

He knew he couldn't go on much longer. Neither could Tsuzuki. What they had thrown at each other would have killed lesser men.

Like a challenge fight, part of him thought darkly. Touda had never been challenged by Tsuzuki. He had voluntarily submitted to the shinigami when Tsuzuki had freed him. Of course, it had been one of the many demands of the Council, among them the visor that had cut him off from his powers. But he would have done it anyway.

Touda would never forget the moment the cell doors inside of Tenkuu had opened, when the chains had broken, and he had looked into the warm, gentle face of the man who had entered his prison. There had been no fear, no apprehension, just the smile and the offer.

To be his.

To be Tsuzuki's.

Not in these words, but he had felt it. He had felt the aura thrum in synchrony with his own, had felt the brief surge of a darkness that was like his own power, and he had been unable to tear his eyes away from that face.

No, they had never fought. He had only heard the tales of past challenges, and he had been astounded to find Sohryu among the bested Divine Commanders under Tsuzuki's command. The dragon was the most powerful of them, and he had lost.

Today, in this very moment, Touda knew he would have lost as well. Whatever he would have tried to do, Tsuzuki would have survived, would have won his loyalty, his obedience.

Suddenly the body in his arms grew limp. "Touda?" Tsuzuki whispered, sounding weak and broken.

Touda smiled and allowed himself to relax more, cradling Tsuzuki in his hold. "Yes, it's me. You're safe."

"Safe?"

"Yes."

Touda held Tsuzuki tightly, feeling the lean body tremble uncontrollably. He rested his chin on the dark head and continued to softly reassure him that he was safe now, that everything was going to be okay.

"What are you doing here?" Tsuzuki whispered.

His eyes were closed and Touda felt Tsuzuki's hand curl around his own wrist.

He smiled. "Saving your sorry butt."

A dry chuckle escaped him. Blurry eyes fell on his face.

"Thank you," he breathed, slumping against him.

Touda protectively laid his hand and arm over the dark head, feeling the tremors increase. After some time, Tsuzuki quieted down, going limp, his ragged breathing still a bit uneven. They simply sat together for a while. Touda was secure in the knowledge that Ryu could protect them, even though the demon was in probably the same bad shape, but he still controlled the Palace. All that counted for him right now was that Tsuzuki was alive, that he was here. Touda had no intention of ever letting go again.

tbc...