"And in recent news … a rash of potholes have popped up around the local roads. Do take care driving around old roads. The authorities are mobilizing as we speak to cordon off areas deemed at risk. An undetected burst pipe is believed to be making a system as we speak … Onto the weather, there appear to be a large amount of lightning flashes from around the north of town, most apparent from the Tenjin shrine. Residents in the surrounding areas are advised to follow the respective protocols issued in the weather warnings in their emergency pamphlets distributed at your local government office. Hopefully this doesn't put a damper in anyone's plans for the eclipse scheduled!"
"Let's hope this weather clears up by tonight when the once-in-a-while eclipse occurs. Be sure to purchase your eclipse glasses to fully enjoy the whole event…"
"Mm …" Kofuku flips through the channels lazily. Her demeanor changes suddenly when a pallor of gloom comes over. She flops on her side, hugging her seat cushion on the floor, "… Yatty didn't seem to be taking it all too well …"
Daikoku ladles the miso into bowls in silence. His hand is unshaking, but his gaze is troubled. "You're not taking it well either, milady."
"Well … Oh, of course not!" The binbougami jumps to her feet, smashing the pillow downwards on the matted floor, "Why did this have to happen?! Why … Why did Hiyorin …"
She begins to break into tears. Daikoku pauses his chore and walks over to place his arms around her. It usually worked to calm her down.
"She'll be fine. Once Yato catches that bastard-"
"… Your face says otherwise, dear …" Kofuku looks up to him, her face tear-streaked, "I … I just have a bad feeling…"
Her shinki wordlessly hugs her harder. He begins to shake, only a little. His eyes wander to the old clock. It's already midnight.
Hours earlier…
"KOFUKU! OPEN UP!"
"Coming, coming! Yeesh, so late and impatient!"
The pink-haired god bounced to the door at the sound of Yukine's frightened voice. She slid it open to see a Yukine, dirt all over him and on the verge of tears.
"I-It's Hiyori … She and Y-Yato, t-they fell, and… and …" He croaked in a hoarse voice.
"What's goin' on? Holy, Yukine…" Daikoku appeared behind Kofuku and was shocked at the boy's shoddy appearance. He looked past the hafuri and his eyes widen.
Yato staggered toward them. He's got even more dirt on him than Yukine. In his arms, he's cradling the limp form of Hiyori, also covered in sediment.
"… Get inside, quick!" Kofuku ushered Daikoku to help carry Yato and Hiyori in, "Yukine, what happened? You said they fell?"
"… It was that guy …" Yukine sniffed. His hands were clenched tightly by his sides, "He had a barrier set up … we couldn't do anything…"
"Who? Who did this?"
"… Fudou…" Yato's voice sounded dazed. He sat by, motionless, as Daikoku took care laying Hiyori's body down on the floor in the living room. "… Magatsuhi …"
"Magatsuhi…?" Daikoku shuddered slightly at the ominous name. He quickly fetched some warm, wet towels for the boys to clean themselves. Yukine accepted it with a shaking hand. Yato doesn't react when the towel lands on his head.
"Hiyorin? Hiyorin?!" Kofuku wiped away some of the dirt on the girl's face, "Hey, say something!"
"… Did she phase out of her body?" Daikoku turned to question Yukine, who could only stare back, "Yukine! Snap out of it! We need to know if…"
"He took her …" Yato murmured. His voice slowly turned bitter and his hands grasped the hem of his clothing tighter, "I … couldn't protect her … again!"
"She's still breathing …" Kofuku tilted Hiyori's head back a little, "But … I can't say anything beyond that. She needs help."
"Wait, so her soul was taken?!" Daikoku grasped Yukine's shoulders firmly, "Well?! Say something!"
"YES!" The boy's face was overrun with tears and snot as he choked out the words, "W-we were ambushed … by Nora … and Magatsuhi, he … he was with her! He was with N-Nora!"
Daikoku loosened his hold and Yukine dropped into a huddle of sobs. He looked to Yato, who seemed to be muttering under his breath.
"Both of you get cleaned up. If her soul remains intact, she'll be fine."
Kofuku bit her lip. Hiyori's body had well deteriorated when her soul was trapped in a cursed place. What if that was the case again?
Daikoku sighed, his hands on his hips. He looked, wearily, to the clock, which read 1 AM, "… We're going to the hospital."
… The clock currently reads 4 PM.
"… Daikoku, do you feel something's wrong too?"
Daikoku wordlessly strokes her hair while holding her.
"… No."
…
"…Be sure to purchase your eclipse glasses to fully enjoy the whole event…"
Yato closes the television. His hands tight grip cracks the remote. In disgust, he hurls the remote against the wall, where it cracks open and falls to the floor, broken.
He sits heavily on a stool left for visitors, resting his head on his interlaced hands. The only sound in the room is the beeping of the heart monitor and the nearly inaudible sound of Hiyori's breathing.
She still had color when at Kofuku's. Now she lay pale and clammy in the hospital bed. Her pulse was described as weak by the doctor, who also remarked this was likely not one of her normal narcoleptic tendencies. Her breathing slackened on the way here, and Yato felt his guts being shredded.
Damn it, Fudou. What the hell are you planning!?
The last time Hiyori was captured; he'd known she was at Bishamon's castle. An established god was predictable in location at least. But Fudou is a total wild card. He seemingly materialized out of nowhere, and left no trace on his departure. He somehow got close enough to Yato to convince him to let his guard down. He emanated no enmity.
"Surely even your rusted battle senses could've picked up something…"
Yato angrily brushes Nora's words from his thoughts, yet they return easily. How did he not suspect Fudou? They both had a lot in common, but it wasn't like he was Ebisu, or Kofuku, or-
Yato stands abruptly. If Nora was hoping he'd start doubting all his bonds, she'll be sorry.
"Hiyori…"
He walks slowly to where she lay and gently pushes away strands of her hair from her forehead.
"I'll get you back safe … I swear it …" His expression suddenly becomes anguished, "Just give me a sign…!"
He falls to his knees by her side, clasping her left hand. It felt so fragile in his two hands, so limp and lifeless. He trembles uncontrollably
"Where … Where are you…?!"
…
"Hee hee…"
"Unh…"
Hiyori opens her eyes to dim redness. Yomi?
"Rise and shine."
The girl's eyes adjust to the lighting. Her wrists and ankles feel secured in something tough and unmoving. As her vision returns, she sees it's some dark mass. Upon closer inspection, it's some sort of root, like from a tree. The same roots wrap around her waist and secure her to a stone wall behind. Perched on a rock before her, looking at inquisitively, is Ume, Fudou's shinki.
"… Unh…" Hiyori strains a bit against her restraints, "Ume … you…"
"Well come now. Your thick tongue certainly can do better than that," The little girl picks up a stick of dango from the bag of sweets they'd bought in town earlier, "Best speak your mind now, before you lose that ability too."
"What…" Hiyori notices the choking atmosphere, like when she was placed in that cursed cell with Kazuma. It's hard to breath, "What are you and Fudou … why did you ambush us…"
"That child …" Ume chuckles lightly behind her long sleeve, "He is too curious. Once he finds a puzzle, he must know the answer."
"Huh…?" Hiyori could only feel a rising dread, despite not knowing a word what she was talking about.
"A half-haunt like yourself has the properties that can sever the Shores, see? You can break the Rensa Amaterasu erected. What will happen, you think, when the Shores lose their hold of each other?" Ume giggles through a mouthful of dango, "Oh, now I've got in the mood! Such an interesting thought!"
"Like I'd help you …"
"Oh, that's no issue. This isn't anything consensual."
"What-"
"We draw close to the eclipse."
There is a clip-clop of wooden sandals as Fudou emerges from the darkness. The strange red dimness emits from some patches of the stony wall, revealing its rough nature. They were likely in some sort of an underground cavern.
"It's time for the ritual."
With the brusque statement, the roots binding Hiyori snap off from the wall, but now bind her wrists and ankles together. Fudou picks her up and carries her into the darkness. She feels her heart pounding as her breath quickens, though quietly. The only other sound is Fudou's wooden footwear.
Yukine … Yato … Her mind suddenly wanders into desperate thoughts, Help me!
…
"Hiyori … my Hiyori …"
Sayuri strokes her daughter's face gently. Her finger stops at the cannula on Hiyori's face and her entire hand trembles. Takamasa is outside, speaking grimly with the doctor. Masaomi stands by the back of the room, looking rather unwell. His hands are clasped behind his head as he closes his eyes, facing the ceiling. Yato and Yukine linger in the hallway.
"… we need to find Hiyori … where could Fudou have taken her? Think!" Yukine grips his head in desperate thought, "What does he want?!"
Yato, a dark expression on his face, looks towards the doctor and Takamasa.
"This happened before … yes … her breathing is weak …"
"Somethings wrong … I mean … why did this have to happen …"
The Yatogami's hand clenches tightly by his side.
"C'mon Yukine…" His voice trails when he glances out the window nearby.
From the heavens, a single cloud descends to the area where Tenjin's shrine stands. It wasn't a cloud noticeable to humans, but it seemed large enough for a platoon of heaven's army to be transported. What did they want? Those recent lightning strikes … He'd thought that maybe Tenjin was throwing a fit, but could that actually have been Takemikazuchi?
"Yato?"
"… We have to see Tenjin, Yukine."
The two are about to make their exit.
"Yato!"
They freeze at the sound of Masaomi calling after them. He trots up to them, speaking in a hushed whisper.
"What … What happened to Hiyori?"
"… Don't worry about it…" Yato doesn't meet his gaze, "She'll be fine."
"No, you can't just tell me that …"
Yato glances at the young man's face and instantly regrets it. Masaomi's face is one of a tormented grimace, almost on the verge of tears.
"… I can see them too, remember? There's a lot of them now … Did … Did Hiyori get hurt…?"
Yato looks away abruptly. "You just gotta trust me on this. She'll be fine."
"Grandmother said … she saw a dark figure … She had a bad feeling…!"
The god does not, cannot face him again. Without another word, Yato and Yukine make a quick exit. Masaomi watches them leave, a sinking feeling in his gut. He looks out the window and the dreary weather does nothing for his situation.
"… I should have … stopped you, Hiyori…"
…
Gathered at the doors of Tenjin's shrine are several veiled warrior gods of Heaven. Takemikazuchi is without his veil. Kiun stands by his side, looking about the shrine grounds. Scattered about the grounds near the shrine, particularly by the large hole that has become a chasm, are metal rods with binding charms. They spark with electricity.
"You work fast," Tenjin says gruffly, emerging from his chambers. Take cannot see that the inside is rather ruined, "What has become of this world, I wonder? Yomi's fluxes are causing massive sinkholes like this to appear all over."
"The humans knew of the eclipses effect on Yomi. They have largely forgotten it. Anyway, soon we shall be rid of the rodent beneath your boards…" Take readies his sword.
"Oki!"
Kiun instantly turns into his serpentine form of lightning. He zaps over to one of the rods and touches it lightly. He flashes as he travels at the speed of light between all the rods, forming a net of lightning. The seals begin to glow and threads, thin but stronger than any tsuchigumo's web and imbued with the electric current, fly suddenly into the chasm.
"Yo, Tenjin!"
Amid the ritual, Yato and Yukine drop in to the middle of the yard. They are greeted with several gasps of indignation, many cold shoulders, and angry glares. These two did defy Heaven after all.
"We're in the middle of an extermination, right now, Yatogami. Please don't interrupt," Tsuyu nods to them politely.
"Wait … you don't mean Tesso, do you?"
Take makes a derogatory noise with his tongue, "That thing should have been snuffed out a long time ago. Honestly. And they send me for the job."
"But if you're interested in knowing … anything, anything at all, you'll know where to find me."
"You said this was fate. Does that mean I'll come back here?" "Yes."
His conversation with the rat-man came back to him suddenly. Did Tesso mean now? Was he supposed to ask him about Fudou? About Hiyori? Had he predicted all this?
"Wait! Take-"
Before he can get his plea out, the ground rumbles enough to shake his stance. From the chasm where the electrified threads reached, scores of brown rats stream out. Immediately, the nearby gods who were on standby start hacking and slashing at the pests before they can escape into the greenery. Little rat parts go flying and dissipate into nothingness.
Then the big fish is caught. A foaming, raving-eyed Tesso is fished up like, well, a fish in the net woven of Kiun's lightning. His mad eyes swivel all around. The electrified net was keeping him from thrashing. He can only hang midair, curled in the net haplessly, surrounded by hostiles.
"Wh-What is the meaning of this …"
"Raigou Tesso. You have been found guilty under the Name of Heaven of trespassing a god's sacred territory, as well as endangerment of nearby beings by purposely opening a Vent here in such a populous area."
"… And destroying my shrine," Tenjin adds.
"Yes, and for compromising the foundation of Tenjin's shrine…" Take did not take kindly to being interrupted.
"… Yatogami…" Tesso spies the delivery god and his hafuri, " … Tell them. Tell them I mean no harm…"
He sounded weak, like the old man he is. The thunderous voice has reduced to that of what one would expect from an elderly mouse. Yato's eyes look to him, pleading. His own throat is seemingly frozen. He could feel it. All those eyes. All these gods ordained by Heaven are watching him. They want to see if he'll try and rescue the convict. Then they'll have the excuse to cut him down. Serves him right, they think, for having slighted Heaven.
"… We will be taking you into custody. You will be tried accordingly in Heaven, you filthy creature," Take casts a wary look on Yato before calling to his platoon, "We have the prisoner! Let us return!"
"WAIT!"
Yato is surprised he shouted like that. It wasn't his own voice. It was Yukine. The boy's hands are clenched at his sides, his expression desperate.
"He hasn't done anything wrong! You all know don't you?! The eclipse is what's causing Vents to open! He's got nothing to do with it! He's just some old guy living like a hermit underground-"
"Hmf," Yato recognizes the condescending voice of Kagutsuchi under his veil, "Have you yet to be disciplined enough? Don't let that title of hafuri get to your head …"
"Tesso!" Yukine calls out to the trapped rat, "You know don't you? You knew! Who that guy was … Fudou! Why he's here … and, and…"
"That amemasu again?" Tenjin sighs irritably.
"…And what it is he's planning with Hiyori?!"
The hafuri's question may as well have been ripped out of Yato's throat. It hangs, waiting to be answered. Tesso looks to the boy with a rather complex expression.
"Enough. We have wasted enough time here," Take signals with his hand. The troop begins to ascend. The giant net flies up with them, with several shinki supporting the seals. Tesso disappears with his captors into the cloud that whisks them back to the Heavens.
Tenjin looks at the two outsiders left in his courtyard, "… Yukine. What was that about? What has happened to Hiyori?"
"… She … got taken … by Fudou."
Tenjin almost instantly palled, stumbling back a step. Tsuyu supportively held his back and he regained his posture. A rather frightened, or embittered, expression stayed on his face.
"… I see," He turns up to the sky, then looks to the chasm waiting to be filled, "But he would have been no help anyway. He was after all … a lost soul."
"But … if he knew … if he knew how to save Hiyori …!"
Tenjin looks past the hafuri trembling in helplessness to his silent master. Yato's bangs hide his bemused expression from the god of knowledge.
"… I'm sorry."
Tenjin, having said the meager condolence, turns and is followed by Tsuyu back into his quarters. The rumbling of thunder disappears, though sparse clouds remain in the sky. Yato and Yukine are left standing alone until Mayu approaches them at a timid pace.
"… I'm sorry. About Hiyori."
"Yato, we need to go after Tesso!" Yukine looks determinedly to his god, "What if he knows something?!"
"Mayu," Yato speaks to Mayu suddenly, "You have any idea what Tenjin meant? By 'lost soul?'"
"… He's been a in a foul mood lately … but none to his fault!" Mayu adds quickly, "I overheard something about that dark god of depravity. He apparently knew Tenjin before he came to be revered. And Tesso … this was something like a rumor, but Tesso is a hanyou … like Hiyori."
Yato and Yukine stiffen a little. It seemed to connect a little. They had both seen Hiyori's feral form before. It's not too much of a stretch to think that maybe she could turn even more monstrous, like Tesso.
"You know Tenjin hates to be involved with such icky matters. Tesso is so far from whatever human he used to be. He turned towards his ayakashi nature, and his soul is lost. He can't pass on," Mayu looks to Yato hopefully, "That's why Tenjin hopes … that Hiyori will be able to, um, return to normal. Before all that."
Me too. Yato looks down at his feet grimly, in silence. What could he do now? Chase up to Heaven and end up before Amaterasu again? He looks to Yukine out of the corner of his eye. No, he couldn't put Yukine through something so frightening again. Never again…
"C'mon, Yukine. Let's go back."
"Wh-?! Yato!" The hafuri tries to block his way, "You're giving up?! What about Hiyori?! She's probably counting on us!"
"I'm not doing it again…"
"You can't just let your fear talk! I can take it!" Yukine thumps his own chest, "We can take whatever punishment Heaven gives us!"
"… This isn't funny, Yukine," Yato doesn't look the boy in the eye as he pushes past him, "I'm not putting you through that again."
"Ngh…! But we … you …" Yukine falters. He looks on with Mayu as Yato slowly walks away and disappears off the sei-chu. The sky is turning a bloody orange.
…
"… I'm home."
"YATTY!"
Kofuku tackles Yato with a huge hug, but doesn't knock him over. She looks up, a little confused, when he doesn't seem to react.
"… Sorry, but … I kinda wanna be alone …" He says in a voice just above a whisper.
"You've been hanging around the hospital the whole day," Daikoku says to Yato as he heads to his room, "Don't you want some soup?"
"… No thanks."
Yato lugs his leaden feet up to the room he shared with Yukine. The little table clock reads 18:00. He flops onto the futon.
He stares at the ceiling. The wooden designs made him dizzy when he stared so long. He hears a clatter. He flips over quickly and looks to the end of the room. A rat, dark brown with beady eyes, sniffs innocently at the miniature shrine that usually sat in the corner. It scrabbles its paws on the roof part, trying to take it off.
"HEY!" Yato lunges at the vermin. It deftly evades and tosses him a look before running out of the room through the door. Yato angrily slams the door shut. This place must be getting old!
He looks back to his shrine. The structure looked as it always had, but somewhat sad as of recent. A thin film of dust had collected on it through neglect. The sight of it seemed would have made him jealous back then, back when he dreamed of owning a shrine large as Tenjin's. Now, he felt content. But something else lingered in his stomach. What was it? Sadness? Regret? He could remember when Hiyori and Yukine presented it to him for the first time. His eyes blurred with tears of joy, maybe it was. Now he felt like crying too, but for a different reason.
"…" He sits and clasps the shrine, pulling it towards his chest. Absentmindedly, he loosens the slot at the back and something tumbles softly onto his lap. He looks down.
That package Hiyori had wanted to gift Yukine sits innocently on his lap. Its cellophane wrapping still seems brand new.
It dawns he's yet to know what was inside. Well, what was the point of giving it to Yukine now anyway? Hiyori is, after all ….
With that flimsy veneer for his jealous curiosity, he sets down the shrine and picks up the package. It's only about the size of his palm, and makes no sound when he shakes it. He scratches at the taped mouth with his fingernail before tearing it open.
Inside lie two charms. Unlike the generic types sold during festivals, these seem hand stitched. One has Yukine's name, and the other, Yato's. A folded piece of paper held the package's shape. Yato opens it.
Here's a little thank you for you boys for all your recent hard work!
I know it's a little corny, but I made these Omamori for you two.
Be safe! You can beat those Ayakashi!
"…"
The Yatogami's hand shakes slightly. Her voice … seemed so clear on paper, as though she was here, saying it to him.
His breath feels trapped in his chest somewhere. These … were these to be her last words?
"Hiyori …" He wheezes slightly, and feels his eyes water. Squeezing them shut seemed to help, but his body is shaking in its entirety now. His hands shake, and in trying to still them, they only clench hard, and crumple the note.
…
"… You are a very brave boy, Yukine."
Mayu hands the hafuri a small red bean bun. He takes it, despite the lack of incentive to eat. Hiyori, Hiyori, Hiyori … The thoughts block out any hunger that might exist. He bite into the white bun. It tastes bland.
"I couldn't stand it with Yato myself," Mayu sits down next to him, letting her feet hang over the edge of the shrine platform, "But it seems he really cares for you. You know that, right?"
"…" Yukine looks down to his empty hands, having quickly eaten. Reflexively, he clenches them, "… I won't deny … I'm scared. I'm scared of being in that … that box again. But …"
Mayu looks at him sympathetically, then looks out to the setting night sky, "… Oomagatoki …"
"… Huh?" Yukine looks up to the female shinki, "Oomaga…toki? What's that?"
"It's some sort of a time when the light of Heaven flees from the night. Now that Takemikazuchi has finished his business, it's a clear twilight so you can see it…" Mayu meets Yukine's gaze, "It is said to be a time when Heaven's eyes on earth wane the greatest. The meeting hour of the evil spirits."
"And that's why we're going now."
Yukine's eyes widen. That voice. He turns slowly to see Yato standing on the sei-chu.
"…Yato."
"Yato? What are you…?" Mayu's expression shows concern, "No … that'd be madness…!"
"You said it, Mayu. Oomagatoki's powers are even stronger tonight, since the eclipse is gonna be on in an hour or two …" Yato's voice is unwavering, "We got that long to get the truth out of Tesso."
"…YEAH!" Yukine almost burst out in response.
Mayu's face is stricken with worry, "But … Yukine! The court! Amaterasu … you could be-!"
Yukine looks down for a second then gives her a look of defiance, "If we're always gonna hang back and be afraid of Heaven … We won't change anything! Everything I care about will be taken away … unless I do something about it!"
He runs over to Yato.
"… Mayu," Yato gives the shinki a look of assurance, "It'll be alright."
"…" Mayu clasps her hands to her bosom. He'd said that before to her, back when they were always out in the streets, cold and looking for work… Why could he just say that with no evidence? And why did she find herself trusting him?!
"YATO!"
The girl calls after the god and his hafuri before they depart. Luckily, the yard is largely vacated of other shinki. Tenjin seems to be away with Tsuyu.
"I won't forgive you … if you put Yukine through anything like that ever again!"
Yato feels the grip of the words on him. Mayu looks at the two of them expectantly. The Yatogami turns and gives her his same old smile.
"We'll be fine!"
…
A wavy haze of pink mist wafts in and out of the caverns, sprinkling the darkness with the sense of something ethereal. It smells heavily of a flower, something with some sort of an indistinct scent. There tinges at the lasting note, a hint of sour plum.
Hiyori could feel herself drowning in the scent. The sickly wetness wasn't helping. She lay, immobile, in some sort of a casket, half filled with a sickly sweet-smelling fluid. A scattering of petals from a flower speckled the water surface and her as well. Her mind seemingly wanders and gets lost in long intervals, lost in a strange song.
"Her eyes are empty, Fudou," Ume whispers lightly in the Magatsukami's ear, "Now's the time."
No … stop … The girl's mind felt weak. What was happening?
"… The bonds that which hold this union may fray, but ye will only hold fast. Bind, show your true colors!"
Fudou seemingly flicks the Yomi No Koto No Ha with fluid grace. Before him, a complicated script of dark energy pulsates. It resonates with the hanyou's body. She can feel herself slipping, slipping ….
Was she really, though? Wasn't she actually … rising? Getting … lighter …
"Release yeself of thine limited forms. Forsaketh the laws which held ye prisoner … Arise, to my command. I hereby brand thee a new name, one which shall designate ye as my faithful servant."
The hanyou's body is encircled by several rings of sutra. She seems to be awake, but no longer conscious.
"I nameth thee … Ubau."
The hanyou's eyes flash open, feral slits instead of pupils. The body seems to become more feline, more Ayakashi. She, it, arcs as though in silent pain midair within the rings. There is a deep rumbling from around.
"Now, come, Ubau!"
A flash.
Suddenly, the casket is empty.
In Fudou's hand, previously empty, is a short katana blade, a wakizashi. Tied around the hilt is something that which resembles a cord of purple and pink hues.
"It is done. Now, I will separate the shores…"
"Indeed, Fudou."