After leaving the factory, Natsumi decided it was best to regroup at their campsite. Hajime would have disagreed, but after witnessing Monica's breakdown, he knew a break would be better for them. The walk back was pretty quiet. If they had told Makoto the truth, no doubt he would have cried. Instead they carried on through the meadow, killing more hybrid shades along the way. When they arrived back at the campsite however, they were surprised to find a stranger near the fire. One glance at the ridiculous monotone bear mask on his head told them he was from Facade.
"Can we help you?" Hajime asked.
"Invitation!" The masked man said before bowing. "King Wedding!"
"Do you mean the king of Facade is getting married?" Cain asked, to which the masked man violently nodded.
"You could've sent a letter," Hajime said.
"Rule 25,656; All royal invitations must be given verbally by messenger!" The masked man said.
"Even when there's so many shades?" Makoto asked to which the masked man nodded.
"I wonder who Masaru is getting married too," Hajime thought out loud.
"Queen Kotoko!" The masked man said.
"Kotoko?!" Natsumi said to which the masked man nodded.
"Right, it only feels like you were in Facade a few days ago," Hajime said.
"Whatever," Natsumi huffed. "I don't care."
"Come on, that's not true," Hajime said.
"Now that I recall, there was that wolf shade in the desert," Cain said. "So if we attend this wedding we can hunt it afterwards, assuming it's still alive."
"Shade alive," the masked man said.
"Then it's possible it has a key," Hajime said.
"Then we're going?" Makoto asked, tail wagging with anticipation.
"Yep," Hajime nodded.
"Follow!" The masked men walked to the entrance of the cave and said.
"This is my first time attending a wedding," Makoto said. "I can't wait."
…
The masked men turned out to be surprisingly fast, which made sense for how he came to their camp without so much as a scratch. Fortunately the group was also fast and were able to keep up with him all the way to the desert. There it was as hot as ever, though it wasn't crawling with as many shades as before. When they walked through the shade of the cliffs there wasn't even a single sign of wolves. No paw prints or even faint howlings on the wind.
"The king must have organized his army to make the desert so empty," Cain said.
"Yes," the masked man said. "Clear wolves and shades for wedding."
"Makes sense," Hajime said.
"Although it seems it will be a lot harder to track down that wolf shade," Cain said.
"Yeah," Hajime sighed.
"We'll find it," Makoto said. "But let's enjoy the wedding first."
"Okay," Hajime sighed.
"So, Natsumi, you know the queen?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah I just saved her from some wolves that's it," Natsumi said. "It's not like we're friends."
"I don't know, I feel like if you save someone that person will want to be your friend," Makoto said. "At least that's how we became friends."
Natsumi blushed, but Hajime knew commenting on it would just get him punched.
…
Once they arrived in Facade, their eyes were met with lots of red. The whole city was colored red by banners and carpets made from wolf pelts. All the citizens wore something red like scarves and red dyed bear masks. It seemed everyone was walking and performing their business with great energy.
"Is it always like this?" Makoto asked.
"Special occasion," the masked man said. "Follow to castle."
While the group was still slowly absorbing the sights and sounds of the joyous kingdom, they followed the masked man onto a sand gondola. Hajime was so overwhelmed with red, he almost didn't notice Natsumi was clenching her fists. He thought maybe he should tell her it was okay, but before he could they arrived at the castle entrance. There, parallel lines of castle guards were standing firmly with their spears creating a path to the castle doors. At the end stood Masuru and Kotoko. Both were taller and older than when he last saw them, but still looked young. Masaru was still dressed in a fancy robe with gold sewed onto it and still wore that childish looking rabbit mask on the side of his head. Although now his hair had grown very long and spiky like a lion's mane. On the other hand, this was the first time Hajime saw Kotoko's face as she now wore a matching rabbit mask on the side of her head. Her face was horribly disfigured from burn marks, yet her pink eyes were very kind and had no shame. In truth he found himself more focused on her long pink hair, as it reminded him of Kana. He couldn't focus on it for too long before Masaru ran up and gave him a big strong hug.
"Hajime!" Masaru grinned. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Yeah, it's good to see you too," Hajime said.
"You've grown a lot," Cain said. "You hardly look like that spoiled child we met in the temple."
"Still sharp as ever," Masaru laughed before looking over to Makoto. "And who is this?"
"Oh, I'm Makoto," Makoto said. "I'm sorry about my appearance, I hope I-."
"Don't apologize," Masaru interrupted him. "It's not in our rules to judge based on appearances. That's partly why we wear our masks afterall."
"Oh, thank you," Makoto said.
"Now Natsumi, you haven't aged a day," Masaru said. "Kotoko has told me all about you."
"Great," Natsumi grinned, obviously on edge.
"She actually wants to tell you something," Masaru said, moving aside for Kotoko.
Kotoko walked up to Natsumi and delicately took hold of both her hands, all the while looking directly into her eyes.
"Thank you," Kotoko spoke much to Natsumi, Hajime, and Cain's surprise. "Because you saved me from those wolves, I was able to live and meet Masaru."
"Oh… uh… you're welcome," Natsumi blushed.
"You're surprised aren't you?" Kotoko giggled.
"Yeah," Natsumi said.
"Well I have Hajime and Masaru to thank," Kotoko said. "Without Hajime proposing people of Facade can veto any rules they wish and Masaru upholding that rule, I would never have been allowed to speak."
"Glad I could help," Hajime said.
"All of you must be hungry after walking all this way," Masaru said. "Come enjoy our celebratory feast."
"Sounds good to me," Hajime said.
…
Inside, the center of the castle was heavily decorated with red. A long table was set up with a great amount of food from fruit to rich meats. Surprisingly, when they sat down and began to eat, Natsumi actually used the silverware, cutting her food into pieces and chewing with her mouth closed. For the first time ever, she acted like a lady. Perhaps she was copying Makoto who had extremely good table manners. The only one who wasn't eating like a civilized human being was Cain, on account of that he was a fox. Although he was able to sit in a chair.
"So, how did you know Kotoko was the one?" Makoto asked
"Oh well…," Masaru rubbed the back of his head.
"I was delivering some fruit one day and he just happened to run into me," Kotoko said, "but he was really sorry about it and picked everything up. Then he even offered to make the delivery for me."
"I was just so tired of being the king that day, so I snuck out," Masaru said. "But when I met Kotoko she reminded me why we have kings in the first place."
"I thought that would be the only time he'd talk to me, but just a few days after he made my owner free me and offered me a place to stay at the castle." Kotoko said. "Here Masaru and the people of the castle taught me to speak."
"No, you were the one who taught yourself," Masaru said. "You should have seen it when she'd practice every single day until she lost her voice."
"I sounded so weird," Kotoko laughed.
"Your voice is and always was beautiful," Masaru said. "I just feel bad I can't learn sign language as fast as you learned how to speak."
"That's so romantic," Makoto said. "I'm so happy you two are getting married."
"Well…," Masaru's smile faltered. "We weren't really sure if it was a good idea at the moment."
"What do you mean?" Hajime asked.
"The crops didn't do too well this year and wolf attacks have become more common out in the desert," Masuro explained. "Honestly, I feel really selfish for holding a wedding during such troubling times."
"Don't say that," Kotoko put a hand on his. "I've never seen the people happier than they are now for this wedding. You're not just doing it for yourself and me, you're doing it for our people to raise their spirits."
"You're right," Masaru smiled and held her hand back.
"It's good for a man to have others to protect," Hajime said.
"I couldn't agree more," Masaru said.
…
After the feast, one of Masaru's servants led the group to the guest quarters. There they found a room with four beds. Makoto, stomach full of food, immediately curled up in one bed and fell asleep. Once he knew the kid was fast asleep, Hajime turned over to Natsumi.
"Hey, are you okay?" Hajime asked.
"What? Why wouldn't I be?!" Natsumi snapped.
"You seemed to be on edge ever since we got the invitation," Hajime said.
"Are you jealous a young girl was engaged before you?" Cain asked and received a death glare from Natsumi.
"Obviously not," Natsumi growled. "It's just… I don't get why they want me here after they know what I am."
"Masaru said it's against their rules to judge based on appearances," Hajime said.
"People can follow rules they don't believe," Natsumi said. "You don't know what they're thinking."
"I know Kotoko obviously thinks really highly of you," Hajime said. "And why wouldn't she after you saved her and Masaru?"
"I guess," Natsumi sighed and awkwardly laid down in her bed.
For a moment the three were quiet laying in their beds.
"Hey, so what was your wedding like?" Natsumi asked.
"It was a long time ago," Hajime said.
"Was she pretty?" Natsumi asked.
"I guess," Hajime said. "We should get some sleep."
"Okay," Natsumi sounded a bit disappointed.
…
The following morning everyone in Facade gathered outside the castle. There Masaru and Kotoko stood proudly in white and gold robes holding hands. Of course, this being Facade a place of many many traditions, the wedding ceremony was extremely stretched out due to all these specific rules. Hajime thought the priest would never be finished reading all the marriage related rules and confirming with Masaru and Kotoko that they would follow them. Eventually he must have finished because he announced the two could seal their marriage with a kiss. Once they did, the whole crowd of spectators jumped up and cheered. Some rang bells while others tossed red petals everywhere. The newlyweds walked down the aisle smiling and waving to their subjects. Kotoko looked over to Natsumi and smiled, prompting Natsumi to nod her head and give a faint wave.
Then, out of nowhere, a bleeding guard staggered out of the castle. Everyone froze, their eyes focused on the guard.
"What's wrong?!" Masaru asked.
"Wo… wolves," the soldier managed to say before collapsing to the ground.
Fear and confusion filled the newlyweds and their guests. Hajime looked for any place the wolf could be until;
"There!" A little girl shouted and pointed at the castle.
There on the roof stood the wolf shade now bigger than before with ram horns on its head. Then, within the blink of an eye, the wolf shade leapt down from the castle behind Masaru. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late. The wolf shade lunged at the couple, sinking its fangs into Kotoko before kicking Masaru to the side with her body.
"Kotoko!" Natsumi shouted.
The wolf shade made a distorted howl, summoning several wolves to charge out of the castle and attack the guest. Hajime took out his spear and managed to kill one wolf before it could kill an old woman. The others leapt into action as well trying to defend as many people as they could, yet the sheer amount of attacking wolves was too much even for them. By the time the remaining guards assembled and started fighting back, ten of the guests were dead. Masaru was completely paralyzed looking at his beloved Kotoko bleed out. Noticing Masaru's vulnerability, the wolf shade tried to attack him only for Hajime to intercept and block the attack. The wolf shade bared its fangs and seemed ready to take him on until some wolves cried out in pain. Suddenly the wolf shade froze before making another distorted howl. Upon hearing it, all the wolves retreated into the city, followed lastly by the wolf shade.
"Get back here!" Hajime shouted and tried to chase after them.
"Kotoko!" Masaru shouted. "Stay with me!"
Hajime stopped and looked back at Masaru holding Kotoko in his arms. Her white robe stained red from her bleeding neck.
"Ma… saru," Kotoko struggled to speak.
"You have to stay with me!" Masaru said.
"Thank… you…," Kotoko said, raising her blood stained hand to his cheek.
"Say that when you're healed," Masaru said, holding her hand.
"Thank you… for making… someone like me… your… bride...," Kotoko said as tears ran down her burnt face and blood gurgled out from her mouth. "I… lo...ve… you."
Then, her whole body went limp.
"Kotoko?" Masaru asked, tears also running down his cheeks. "Kotoko?!"
Her pink eyes were now glazed over by death. Regardless, he tried to shake her awake.
"Kotoko! You can't leave me! You promised we'd be together forever!" Masaru shouted. "Kotoko!"
"She's… dead," Cain said.
"No, no, NO!" Masaru shouted, holding Kotoko's lifeless body tightly in his arms. "Kotoko, you can't be dead! Your life had just begun! All of your suffering was going to end! We were going to rule Facade together and make everyone happy!"
Masaru continued to scream and cry. Hajime and the others only looked on in sorrow. Then Masaru delicately laid Kotoko down before standing. He looked out over the city towards the desert.
"Those wolves…," Masaru growled, clenching his fist. "They are going to die tonight. I'll kill every last one of them!"
"Sir, the rules," The advisor stepped forward.
"Screw the rules!" Masaru snapped. "Did the rules protect Kotoko from that monster's fangs?!"
"No…," the advisor said, "but-"
"Then they are useless to me!" Masaru said.
"He's right," Natsumi said.
"Your highness, you cannot abandon your people in the midst of a crisis," the advisor said.
"I'm doing this for them and Kotoko," Masaru said. "Now any soldier who wants to wipe these monsters clean from the face of the earth, follow me!"
All the surviving soldiers gathered around Masaru, raising their spears up in support of him.
"We might as well join," Cain said.
"Yeah," Hajime said.
"Thank you all for your support," Masaru said.
"Hey, we're doing this for Kotoko, not for you," Natsumi growled.
"Natsumi, you can't talk to a king like that," Makoto said.
"I understand," Masaru said. "Today these wolves will die once and for all."
...
Once they were all equipped, Masaru and his fleet marched through the city. The citizens looked out their windows and cheered them on knowing they were going to kill the wolves. Out in the desert, they found a large trail of wolf tracks. It didn't matter how far the trail was or how hot the desert felt, every single one of them was determined to find and kill the wolves in the name of Kotoko. Even Makoto seemed fully prepared to kill the canines, as he gritted his teeth.
Within thirty minutes, they found the tracks leading into a tunnel in the cliffs. They walked through the tunnel and found a small oasis on the other side, but no wolves. The sand around the oasis seemed to be stained with dry blood. Once they walked into the oasis, they heard a familiar howl from above. Watching from among the rocks stood the wolf shade and the rest of its pack. There must have been thirty of them in total.
"I won't let you leave here alive!" Masaru shouted.
The wolf shade seemed to agree as it howled, sending its pack down to fight them in its place. All the soldiers and Masaru charged towards the incoming pack. Some managed to stab a few wolves, but not kill them. Hajime and his group also charged in and attacked the wolves. Cain bit one in the neck, Makoto summoned white arrows to hit some, Natsumi clawed two wolves' throats out with one swipe, and Hajime stabbed a wolf in between the eyes. Despite the whining and cries of the hurt wolves, the rest continued to attack. They ran through the soldiers and tried to dogpile Masaru, tearing his robe to shreds in the process. Masaru remained strong and stabbed as many wolves as he could. Ever faithful, his soldiers came to his aid and stabbed wolves as well.
"This is for my daughter and my wife!" One soldier shouted as he stabbed his spear clean through a wolf's head.
Ten wolves were now dead and bleeding out on the sand, but the remaining wolves would not relent. Despite the guards surrounding him most of the wolves kept trying to attack Masaru. At one point Hajime had to hurl his spear at a wolf lunging towards Masaru's back. The wolf fell yet still tried to crawl towards Masaru with its fangs bared.
More time passed as they slowly killed each of the twenty remaining wolves. By this time the blood stained sand around the oasis was littered with dead wolf bodies and a few dead soldiers. Everyone was sweating and even the wolves were panting. However neither would back down. They all kept fighting under the watch of the wolf shade. All until Hajime stabbed the last wolf to death with his spear.
Now that it had no more wolves to hide behind, the wolf shade decided to descend from the rocks and face Masaru, landing in the water of the oasis. With a grin, Masaru wiped the sweat from his brow and pointed his spear at the beast. Hajime, Makoto, and Cain were about to aid the king, until Natsumi put up a hand.
"This is his fight," Natsumi said.
"He's going to get himself killed!" Cain said.
Everyone else was silent as they watched Masaru inch closer towards the beast. The wolf shade lowered its horned head and growled.
"This ends now monster," Masaru growled back.
Then both man and beast roared and charged at each other, Masaru with his spear and the wolf shade with its horns.
"Die!" Masaru shouted, plunging his spear through the wolf shades left eye and pushing it through until it came out of the wolf shade's stomach.
Blood spilled out and floated in the water as the wolf shade howled in agony. Its distorted cry of pain echoing on the wind. Masaru kept his hands firmly on the spear as he tried to use it to push the shade down into the water. It refused to fall in its fatally wounded state and continued to growl at Masaru.
"Your existence is a plague on our world!" Masaru yelled, pushing harder. "Just die already!"
Finally, the wolf shade's legs gave out and it collapsed into the water. The blood spilling out of its body spread through the small pool of water turning it red just like the sand around it. Yet even with the monster's imminent death, Masaru was not relieved of his emotional burden. He yelled in agony as loud as he could all while tears streamed down his face.
…
Everyone waited in silence among the dead bodies and bloodied oasis, waiting for the king to regain himself. Finally, after all the yelling and tear and long after the accursed wolf shade faded away, Masaru calmed down.
"You okay?" Hajime asked.
"Yes," Masaru breathed. "I've finally put an end to all these wretched wolves. Now my people no longer have to live in fear of them."
"What do you plan to do next?" Cain asked.
"I don't know. I still can't believe that out of the two of us, she died instead of me," Masaru said. "She was so much stronger because unlike me she was born with nothing, burned and abandoned by her parents, trapped in indentured servitude, and unable to speak. Yet she never complained, she just kept going. Fighting for each day with a smile."
Hajime nodded.
"I wish it could have been me that died," Masaru said. "Then she'd still be alive and my people would have a stronger ruler to lead them."
"Quit bitching over stuff you can't change!" Natsumi snapped. "Do you really think Kotoko would want you to waste the rest of your life mourning her?!"
"I guess not…," Masaru said.
"Right. She'd want you to man up and be the king she believed in!" Natsumi said. "And if you don't I will kill you so she doesn't have to watch you waste away to nothing!"
"You're right," Masaru cracked a smile. "My people still need me and as their king I cannot abandon them."
"Good," Natsumi huffed.
"Thank you, Natsumi," Masaru said. "I think it's time my soldiers and I return to Facade with the good news."
"I'm sure they'll be very happy to hear it," Hajime said.
"Hopefully we'll meet again," Masaru said. "Maybe before five years have passed."
Hajime nodded before Masaru and his soldiers left the oasis, taking their dead and injured with them. Now only Hajime and his group stood in the wolf graveyard. Then something in the water seemed to catch Cain's eye. He walked into the red water and lifted out a key similar to the one the lion shade had.
"The second key!" Makoto said.
"Now we're just one key away from rescuing Kana," Hajime said. "I just wish I had killed this bastard sooner."
"Like I said to the kid, you shouldn't bitch over what you can't change," Natsumi said.
"You're right," Hajime said.
