Noboru.
I watched the price rack up on the counter, increasing at a far faster rate than the gallons. There was a reason not a damn person in Japan drove long distances: these fucking gas prices. Tongue in cheek, I suppressed the urge to drive ahead and get to the airport so I could smack her into next week.
Fucking knew I shouldn't have let her go to that damn concert.
Something was suspicious. After all these years she finally wants to jump in a crowd of grown men and rock out? Yeah, right. She was up to something and I let her in it. I should have known better.
"If we get on the expressway we'll get there in a couple of hours," Hatanaka said, coming up next to me. "The traffic should be fine for most the ride on the expressway and it's like a straight shot to Aomori Prefecture."
I nodded, watching the price continue to rise as I thought about the toll for the expressway to Misawa. "How much did it cost to fill your tank?"
"Oh, don't worry about it!" he laughed, waving off the implication.
"Hatanaka, I'm serious. How much did it cost?"
He paused and his laughter died out. He gave me a small, apologetic smile. "We can talk about it after we get everyone home and safe, Hojo."
There was no point in arguing with him so I knew I had to bring it up again later.
"Let us know when you're ready to pull out," he said, turning back towards his car.
Kaede's small hand found its way to my forearm and she gripped it tightly, shaking it desperately for my attention. I turned to her, expecting to see her facing me, ready to sign, but her other hand pointed to the sky.
In the far distance, far past our home, stood a giant pillar of what I could only assume to be dark light with the way it had a faint glow around the edges. It was thin, just a bit bigger than the lines on a paper, and surrounded by a pool of dark, looming clouds in the sky. But to be able to see the line from this distance, when it was actually far away…
I looked around the gas station but nobody seemed to notice it. I would've heard about something like that being built.
"Hatanaka," I called to him, not bothering to look over my shoulder. "Do you know what the weather's supposed to be like?"
He came up next to me, stopping behind the pump.
"Here or Misawa?" he asked, looking out at the sky.
I stared the line down, watching the clouds slightly sway around its base. The eye of a storm almost, as if they were the pillar's support. "Here."
"Well, oh…" he paused, cupping his chin. "There are some black clouds in the distance, huh? The news didn't say anything about rain. Looks like a storm's coming."
The pump clicked hard, forcing my grip off the handle.
"Think I left some windows open." I shrugged, taking the nozzle out.
Hatanaka gave a hearty chuckle. "I'm sure it'll pass right by us and hit another town. It's so sunny here, don't worry."
I forced a laugh as I put the nozzle back in its holster. "Yeah, hope so."
Hatanaka returned to the car with his fiancé, and I eyed the pillar for a moment more before signing to Kaede.
"He can't see it."
She frowned. "I don't think anyone can…"
"What do you think it is?"
"I don't know," she paused, looking at the strange pillar of dark light. "Something… wrong. That shouldn't be there."
"Let's not worry about it right now…"
I patted her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before gesturing for her to get back in the car. It wasn't until I put the keys in the ignition and decided to look in the backseat that I found Minoru watching the clouds out the rear window.
He wrapped his arms around the head rest of his seat, looking on with interest.
I remembered the evening he was in the hospital. My eyes had been glued to his blankets but from the corner of my eye, before he finally woke up, I could have sworn I saw something glowing over him. At the time, I figured it was the salt water clouding my vision, blurring my sight.
I never told Kaede about it. I didn't think much of it until now.
"Minoru, what are you looking at?" I asked, watching him from the rear view mirror.
"Hm?" He glanced over his shoulder to me briefly and then turned back to the window. "Nothing."
"Doesn't seem like nothing."
He looked back at me in surprise with wide brown eyes. "Do you see it too, then? That big, dark pillar of light?"
I hid the confused frown I wanted to make. "Yeah, do you know what that is?"
Kaede was watching me now, eyes darting back and forth between my lips and the mirror to see her son.
He shook his head. "No."
"Are you lying?"
"No," he said, voice pitched with innocence.
He didn't know. I knew he didn't. At this point I just wanted to remind him how it was wrong to lie to me. I didn't need another Aiko.
"Well, you lied just a minute ago."
He turned back to see the pillar, looking at the dark clouds surrounding it as I turned the keys.
The car started with a rumble as he replied. "Well, Sis always tries to hide weird stuff from me so I thought she'd want to hide it from you too."
I gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath to control my anger. The cassette tape picked up where it left off, and the English accent blurred into the background of my train of thought while I stared at the back of my son's head.
When you get there… trust your gut.
Aiko.
It was dusk and we were in traffic—completely-to-a-stop-dead-no-movement-in-the-last-half-hour traffic. Sosuke actually turned the car off because there was no hope of moving. A small pile-up a couple of miles ahead accompanied with the overall traffic for Megallica's nearby concert was the news' diagnosis about twenty minutes ago before we decided to turn the car off and just wait for movement.
Natsume had yet to ask me about the information I promised her, had yet to even talk to me. She was instead primping herself, doing her make-up and working what she could with her hair.
Her Nokia ten-eleven cellphone she let me use to call an ambulance and the fire department to Yu's place was now buried in the seat somewhere behind her as she curled her lashes.
There was a small, dull thunk from the window, grabbing all our attention. It was Hayashi who reacted first, turning to look out the window just as she finished brushing her hair. She squealed in disgust, backing away from the car door.
Outside the window was a large Makai insect: a grotesque, purple and green mutant fly from Mushiyori. It seemed to be alone, but that was still bad—more would soon spread out, more dangerous youkai would come. We had at least another hour to go and that wasn't including traffic.
"T-t-that's an insect youkai!" Hayashi snapped in disgust, taking me by surprise. "Sosuke! The windows are all closed, right?"
"Yes, Miss Ami," he replied calmly.
"Calm down, Ami. God," Natsume groaned. "It's just a fuckin' bug. I'll step on it if it comes in."
"I hate bugs, youkai or not—sometimes you can't even tell them apart. That's how vile they are." Hayashi's nose scrunched in disgust and she turned to me as she spoke. "They are utterly disgusting."
"That's all that's crawling around Mushiyori," I said, hoping Hayashi would convince them to turn around.
I knew it wasn't going to happen, but damn it if I didn't try.
"We'll be fine," Natsume reassured Hayashi, who inhaled sharply and turned away from the window with her arms across her chest.
"I know. I'm just upset insects made their way through again. They're always the first."
Natsume sighed and returned to curling her lashes. "Since we're stuck in traffic and have plenty of time, let's catch up real quick."
Yeah, why the fuck not? You already blew my cover in Misawa.
"How's second year?" she asked, staring intently in her compact mirror.
"Same as first year, I guess." I shrugged. We really just started so I didn't have much to say. Other than the shit hole we were all put in, not much happened. "What about you guys?"
"College is amazing," she sighed dreamily, curling her other eye's lashes. "I swear you'll love it. So much more freedom than high school."
"What are you guys majoring in?" I turned to Hayashi first, who was staring out the other window watching with little interest the person in the car next to us.
When she felt my gaze on her, she perked up and smiled, disgust washed away clean. "Vocal performance and biology."
"Research or medical?"
"Medical," she replied. "I want to be a surgeon."
I grimaced, remembering the store incident. It wasn't that man's broken, bloody nose that made her uncomfortable.
I then turned to Fukui, who had stared at the floor with her head rested against the window for the last half hour.
"Business management and economics." Probably following in her father's footsteps.
I nodded and then turned to Natsume, who just finished with her lashes. She looked up to me with a small grin.
"I'm aiming to follow in my father's footsteps. I know I don't need a degree to be a broker, but I want all the opportunities that come with having a degree…" she paused and dug through her large purse that resembled a small duffle bag, pulling out a smaller make-up bag. "I'm double majoring in civil law and business management with a minor in psychology."
I nodded, only slightly surprised.
"My father just landed a deal with this huge developer in New York City, which is why I'm handling this instead of him. We're headed there when this is finished." She smiled, excited and proud of herself as she pulled out a brown pencil and dropped the curler inside. "We'll attend the broker's open and hit the streets the morning after. The United States Economy needs me, after all."
"He's selling a building?" I ignored her personal plans since I wasn't going.
"It's a brand new apartment complex and he's selling all the units." She nodded as she began outlining her brows.
I wasn't going to bother changing the subject. I didn't know much about the broking world and the topic kept me relatively sane in the idle car. "How much total?"
"Well, each unit on average is going for…" she paused, thinking. "About six point two."
"What?"
"Million," she replied. "In dollars."
I stared at her, shocked. I didn't know the equivalence rate between dollars to yen but that number…
"Hitomi, what's the exchange rate?" Natsume asked without looking at her.
Without missing a beat, still staring at the ground, the ebony haired girl replied. "About six hundred and forty million yen."
I had to collect my jaw from the floor. From just one apartment?!
"And his commission?" Natsume snickered, rubbing her finger under her eyebrows arch to wipe any stray line. "If there are fifteen units."
I was wondering why Natsume didn't bother doing the math but if Fukui was talented enough to spit out numbers like that, then why bother? Either she just already knew the numbers or she spent the last four months becoming a math whiz.
She was like a robot, monotonous and quick. "Excluding taxes, in yen, it's roughly two hundred and eighty-seven million yen." *
I knew her family was fucking loaded but god…damn… He must have moved up in the industry even more, recently.
Natsume squealed in delight, kicking her feet and removing the pencil from her face to point it at me. "That is why I want to go into real estate. My father is high-end and cut-throat and I'm going to become a fucking shark. Just. Like. Him."
I was almost willing to beg to be adopted. Then again, I could only hope to die now. I couldn't get in contact with my father yet. I'd have to wait until they arrived at Misawa and call to give them some half-assed lie, and at that point I could only hope the tunnel did open because if I didn't die by a youkai's hands it was going to be by his.
"I want to live in that cut-throat world," she sighed. "I want to get my broking license in the states too. Be in New York City—practically the best place for high-end real estate. To do that and take after my father here—" She pulled the pencil up to her brows again, continued filling them in, and repressed a smirk. "Anyway, that broker's open is where I'll start my connections, set my human related business in stone."
"Well, wait. If you're taking after your father's human business, is Isao taking after his Reikai business?" I asked.
She finished her brows and dropped the pencil in the make-up bag, setting it by her side. Her face was finished; all she needed to do now was her hair. But it could wait, it had to, because she straightened, sitting upright as she crossed one black-tights leg over the other.
"No, I want both. And I have two opportunities packed together in less than twenty-four hours to show my father I am capable of taking after him in both estates," she asserted as the engine started, pushing out a slow pop ballad from the radio. "He's given me permission to handle this case for him and I will prove I'm capable."
"Well, what about Isao? Does he just not care?"
Her features tensed and she gave a look of indifference before pursing her lips tight. When she finally opened her mouth to reply, her voice was heavy. "He doesn't, but I do. I want this."
The car dragged forward, and we began driving as my throat tightened.
She glanced out the window and muttered to herself, almost growling in determination. "I want this estate so bad." And she glanced back to me and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "With that said, the interrogation starts now."
I felt an eyebrow rise in curiosity. "So Mushiyori is your jurisdiction too?"
"No," she said with a sly grin. "But I'll have my request honored."
"You… didn't ask yet?" This fucking piece of shit pulled me out of Misawa on the off-chance she would be given coverage of this stupid issue.
She shook her head and sat upright, pinching her index and thumb together and dragging them to her sides to imitate some sort of zen relaxation. "I'm in no rush. I'm confident."
She was nervous.
"Start talking," she said simply, arms crossing over her chest.
"Tell me what you know already so I don't waste your time." Like you did mine.
"For unknown reasons, Reikai's former detective, Sensui, has made reappearance and decided to open a tunnel in the depths of Irima's Cave in Mushiyori," she stated. "What I want to know is why."
She practically had everything figured out, but I was able to answer her question.
I paused, gathering my thoughts, remembering what I heard at the table and what Kurama told me only a few hours before. "They said he had a video tape."
One filled-in eyebrow cocked up curiously. "Video tape?"
"'Black' something. Uh…" I paused, trying to remember the name as her brows furrowed together suspiciously. "Chapter Black."
She stiffened, and two new pairs of eyes landed on me. Hayashi and Fukui, who'd been more interested in the interior carpet floor, were now staring at me in disbelief in tune with Natsume.
"He used it to gain followers," I said, thinking back to the context of the conversation. "Because there are multiple people working with him. I think he used the tape to recruit them."
Natsume shuffled through her bag, pulling out a brush and a pair of sparkling, dangling diamond earrings.
"Get out of the way," she snapped, getting up from her seat. "Sit where I am. Lean against the doors, both of you."
Natsume and I switched seats as Hayashi asked Fukui if she'd mind. Fukui and I sat where they had once been, and I watched as Natsume feverishly brushed her hair. Anxious with a complimenting scowl on her face, she eyed the window next to her as she calculated what to do.
"He wants to open a portal because he stole that tape and saw what was on it?" she growled through pursed lips, the hooks of her earrings hanging between them.
I shrugged. "No... well, kind of? They said he saw something that made him snap, which was why he took the tape. A torture chamber."
She eyed me as she ripped the white hair tie off her wrist and began tying her hair up into a slick ponytail.
"Get against the doors, both of you," she snapped, eyes searching the floor as she shoved the earrings in.
Confused, still scarred from the last time I was pressed against a door by her, I obliged slowly. I figured she'd have to lunge at me to throw me out again so I'd have enough time to move.
"Roll up the partition, please," Natsume ordered, and the space that showed the front road and the back of Sosuke's head began disappearing as a black window rolled up. She stood up and moved away from her seat. "Initiate the call."
She leaned towards the partition and placed her hand on the tinted window. A soft blue glow emitted from her hand, reminiscent of the same energy I'd seen from myself at the dinner table just a while ago. Her reiki clung to the partition and spread across it, and Hayashi decided to let me in on a secret.
"Reikai is advanced in its technology," she said simply, primping her fringe with her nails. I now knew what Natsume meant by renovated. "The best in all three realms. Only one other place in all three realms could be considered our rival, and it's a King's territory in Makai."
Eventually, static hit the partition, covering the entire screen. …I really entered a sci-fi movie. First Botan's little mirror and now the partition. Kitajima would flip if she ever saw this. Hayashi was entertained by my shocked, incredulous expression and continued to reassure me.
"The partition is like a two-way TV, Aiko," she giggled. "Akane merely pushed some reiki on it to make sure anyone who shouldn't see this can't."
I could see Fukui's lip twitch in my peripheral vision, and I watched her try to suppress an eye roll.
Satisfied with her faint reflection in the static screen, Hayashi dropped her hands in her lap. "If we were to wreck, break down, or run out of gas, and couldn't end the transmission, then we could still use it safely knowing the average person couldn't hear or see anything."
Voices sounded from the partition, and small, shadowed figures appeared on the screen one by one in their own little boxes. From my discolored angle, I couldn't make out faces or distinguishing features, but each voice was noticeably unique.
"Jurisdiction four." Older, gruff male voice.
"Eighteen." Younger, slightly nasal male.
"Twenty." Younger, calmer male.
"Jurisdiction two." Similar to that of twenty's, hard to tell apart until I noticed his lisp.
"Jurisdiction fi—Little Akane!" A female's voice, slightly pitched. "What are you…?"
Natsume and Hayashi sat straight as pins with their hands folded in theirs lap, reminiscent of a cliché boss in their office on the highest floor of their company's skyscraper.
"You all are the heads of your jurisdictions," Natsume said, voice firm and controlled. "I've called every head close enough to be immediately affected by what you all know as the tunnel of darkness that is opening."
"It's my jurisdiction and I've—" Jurisdiction four.
"I understand that, Mr. Matsumoto." She cut him off instantly. "I've called to make a request."
The man remained silent, and despite being unable to see the faces on the screen, I knew everyone was uncomfortable.
Natsume was noticeably nervous from my angle, where I could see her knuckles were turning white from pressure. But that anxiety disappeared instantly as she took one short breath, and she held her head high.
"As you all know, I have learned from my father even before I could speak. I have worked under his watchful eye and completed tasks successfully."
Matsumoto suppressed a groan. "Miss Akane, I understand where you're taking this but—"
"I'm requesting to be given coverage of this case."
The female voice sighed. "Akane…"
"From reliable outside sources, I've found information that changes the ballgame for us."
"We haven't even received notifications on who's handling the situation," the woman said, annoyed. "Special Defense Forces are on standby, so I'm wondering who was great enough to send out before them."
Natsume's eyes flickered to me, then back to the screen. "Reikai's current detective, Urameshi, Yusuke, has been given coverage of the case."
"I'll request the higher-ups to pull his files." Eighteen. "I don't think a child should be the one handling this. Prince's loyal servant or not, the SDF is far more capable of handling this."
"Go on, then, Akane. What other useful information do you have?" Twenty.
Natsume looked to Hayashi briefly, who smiled and nodded encouragingly.
The brunette looked back to the screen. "As you know, our target is Sensui, Reikai's previous detective."
A few more sighs could be heard; they knew where this was going.
"Chapter Black disappeared when he did," she continued. "Officials argued to drop the case and not draw attention to the tape, some even refused to acknowledge a correlation between the two disappearances."
"While your information is appreciated…" Two. "Knowing Chapter Black is involved isn't helping your case, Miss Akane."
I could help, maybe… Should I? Would I rather Natsume show up, or other officials? Kurama would be there, I reminded myself. Would I rather have Natsume there, who never saw him fight at the tournament, or an official who did?
I didn't know what information I could give to persuade them. I dropped the first bit of info I figured may help, refraining from signing.
"Miss Akane, where is your father?" Eighteen.
I gestured for Hayashi's attention by nodding awkwardly, and once obtained, I dragged my index finger through the air. With slow strokes, I spelled out "prince."
"He's in New York City handling human business affairs," she replied. "He's given me reign over his estate while gone."
"What about Isao?" the woman asked.
Hayashi's brows furrowed as she looked at me, hoping I'd do it once more. I realized I wrote it backwards for her, as she was facing me. I dragged my finger through the air again, stroking out "prince" backwards and mouthing the word.
"He was uninterested in the case," she said. "I have taken over for the time of my father's brief absence."
She understood that time and quirked her head to the side, wondering if that would work. Wouldn't hurt to try.
Hayashi placed her hand on Natsume's knee and quietly asked. "May I?"
Natsume nodded and the blonde turned to the screen. "It's completely understandable that you all hold reserves on letting a younger, learning generation take control of this situation."
Two sighed. "More than reserves."
"But I'm almost positive you would not enjoy having to convince the Prince of Reikai, who will be present at the sight, to destroy the tape and those who saw it."
The screen hushed, and Matsumoto whispered. "'Those'? You mean…"
"Yes. Those." Natsume picked up then as all the voices erupted, frantically spouting questions. They hushed when she spoke again. "Sensui has been showing people the tape to recruit people to his cause. If you would like to be the one to argue your case in the defense against destroying that tape, I understand."
Matsumoto hesitated, but spoke finally. "And how would it look for a young, potential predecessor to argue this case?"
"Because I am a young and hotheaded potential predecessor." Natsume gave a toothy smile. "The notion will not be dismissed, but the reasoning behind it will be."
The screen was quiet again, as if they were all looking at each other to decide what to do.
"I'm willing to agree," the woman spoke first, hesitant.
With that, each jurisdiction began agreeing, albeit noticeably begrudgingly, until all but Matsumoto was left. Everyone waited for the head, and he eventually sighed.
"I'll agree under one condition."
Natsume nodded.
"I will be on standby. Contact me if you're unable to convince him. I want a thorough report as soon as you leave his presence."
Natsume's lips broke into a smug grin. "Gladly."
Kazuma.
At least with Aiko I thought I had a chance, what with her heart still possibly beating and all. She didn't have a gaping hole in her chest where her heart was… she had a chance…
Urameshi, though…
I stood up, pulling my head away from the second chest I searched for a heartbeat in today. I stared down at him, bloodied and bruised with that huge, stupid gaping hole in his chest bleeding out.
I'd been angry before—super angry. So angry I thought I could burst and just explode and take out an entire town with me. But right now, as my eyes carried from Urameshi to Sensui, who was talking calmly as if he just swatted a fly away that'd been buzzing around his ear…
He sat on the TV I'd spent hours avoiding when down here earlier, not wanting to look at footage from the tape he stole.
"Ah, the movie's over already," he said with a sigh, letting his arms lie leisurely on his knees. "I was so preoccupied I didn't get to listen to the ending. Too bad, it's a beautiful requiem—would have been fitting for his death. It's fine though, the real finale starts now."
I didn't care that the tunnel behind him had finally broken open—I would take all those youkai out no questions asked because I was going to get to him even if it took me a hundred years.
"Shall we see where this tunnel goes?" he taunted calmly, only making us even madder.
"I don't care where in Makai we end up!" I snapped.
Yeah, now… Now, I'd surpassed the feeling of tangible anger—you know, that anger that you felt in your head that pounded and pounded and got your blood pumping to where you had to hit something. The anger that has you blinded by feelings and fury.
I was far past that. And I reached… I realized I reached what could have been comparable to Sensui's anger.
That sociopathic wave that surfaces in the back of your head, comparable to hate. You aren't going to flail around to get stuff done or raise your voice to get your point across. You got a plan, you got a mission, and it's going to get done.
One way or another.
But it wasn't like Sensui—no, I wasn't going to take my anger out on everyone just because he did something. I had a plan, I had a mission, and it was going to get done.
I was going to make him pay.
Hiei and Youko Kurama ran past me, heading to the wave of youkai that passed through the open tunnel. They were ready to clear the way to Sensui. They were like me—they reached that point.
I took one last glance down at Urameshi, and I found myself smirking at the idiot. I had a feeling I'd be seeing him in a few minutes, but I didn't care.
If anything, I'd go down in a blaze of glory and meet him in Reikai with my head held high.
Hiei released that dragon he had from the Dark Tournament, obliterating every youkai in its path and chasing after Sensui as he jumped into the tunnel. I followed after Kurama, jumping head first into the darkness.
I expected it to be quick like it was before, but I guess with how big the tunnel was the journey to the other side was going to be longer.
It was like falling down that famous rabbit hole: dark, long, winding, and gravity defying. The three of us soared through the tunnel, and I looked around the darkness, finding only Hiei and Kurama with me.
"Where the hell are we?" I asked.
"The alternate dimension space between Ningenkai's and Makai's dimensions." It was strange to hear Kurama answer me with a different voice.
I looked ahead, finding a glowing orange light patterned like a chain link fence in front of us… with Sensui behind us.
"Sensui!" Kurama growled at the sight.
"How the hell'd you get through it?!" I snapped.
He gave a weird, psychotic smile… it pissed me off even more. Why did he think of going to all this trouble? He should have just done us all a favor and locked himself in a psych ward way back when.
"I told you, my seikou-ki is a holy power," he answered. "The barrier only stops youki. Such a shame since it's ironic. His death awakened your real powers but now you can't pass the barrier to get to me." **
Kurama reached forward and touched the light with the tips of his fingers, and the fence went haywire. It exploded at his touch, zapping his hand and sending electric currents in the air around him. He pulled his hand away, and though I saw it was blackened he didn't seem to mind.
"It's true," he mumbled to himself, no doubt thinking of another way to get around the barrier now with the way his eyes shifted around it.
I groaned, looking around the area, finding the barrier to span off into the horizon.
"The only thing that can cut through the barrier is your sword," Sensui said, eyes settling on me. "I'll let you mull it over, if you want to think about it. I'll wait here one day."
I could get through. I was human. I could just walk through and chase after Sensui myself. Just at that thought like they figured it themselves, Kurama and Hiei glanced over their shoulders to me, waiting for my decision. I knew I couldn't leave them behind; they wanted this as bad as I did.
I could go through alone and leave the barrier intact or open it to fight with Kurama and Hiei and risk youkai coming through.
No matter what choice I picked it was a double-edge sword, just like mine…
My sword materialized in my hand as I beckoned for my reiki.
"Fuck that. I don't need to think about it," I growled, taking the hilt in both hands before lunging at the barrier and dragging the blade through it.
Like an actual chain-link, it broke apart and the cut pieces flailed in different directions, curling in as it swiveled back.
"I'm going to take my time killing you and then I'm going to take one of your arms to Urameshi's grave."
I'd clean up the mess in Ningenkai after I slaughtered this psychotic asshole.
Aiko.
Hayashi fiddled with her pearl earrings, ones I noticed she's wore since I met her, mindlessly as I thought of a lie to tell my father.
They would arrive at the airport soon. I knew I couldn't call until the tunnel closed, but the anxiety was gnawing away in my stomach because if I didn't call and they couldn't find me… they might actually get the police involved. That was the last thing I needed. But as much as I didn't want it, I had to risk it. I couldn't have them come home yet, not until it closed.
I hated waiting, hated doing this again. I didn't want to lie like this again—if Ningenkai survived, I probably wouldn't.
Guilt and stomach acid splashed around inside me as the car took some subtle turns on the bypasses and ramps. I stared down at the Nokia ten-eleven in my hands, wishing I could call now. I wished things went a better way, that we were going up to Misawa instead of down to Mushiyori.
A little tune came from the phone as the small screen lit up a faint green, and I jumped in surprise. The electronic jingle was quirky and cute, and Natsume held her hand out.
"Give me that."
I tossed her the phone, restraining myself from throwing it at her face. She caught it with both hands and then pressed the call button. Putting it to her face, she smiled excitedly.
"Akane speaking." Her excited smile drifted away slowly and a somber expression took its place. "We've moved up to level A-two?" Her voice was calm, but Hayashi let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I understand. The SDF's already been deployed? …Understood."
"A-two. Destruction of an entire country," Hayashi muttered to herself. "That means…"
Breath caught in my throat as I waited for Natsume's call to finish. Hayashi and Fukui were both sitting up in their seats now, as was I, eager to jump the brunette for details.
Natsume nodded slowly. "I will still be arriving to see if Lord Koenma is present and seize the tape… I understand. I will keep you updated."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, anxiety growing. Finally, she hung up. She crossed one leg over the other and her arms over her chest. Her eyes drifted around us; one by one we landed under her gaze.
With a calm tone, she spoke slowly. "Reikai's ruled Ningenkai's destruction level at A-two. The tunnel has opened."
We were expecting those words, but they hit us harder than we expected. Fukui leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms while Hayashi let out a heavy sigh and hung her head. I, despite shaking in my seat and being three seconds away from pissing myself, tried to be reassuring.
"But… they—Yu can still beat him, right? He can take care of plenty of youkai—"
"He's dead. The SDF was sent to handle it." Words and tone so blasé they were colder than ice, scraping every nerve of my central nervous system as they trailed down my spine.
I stared at her, lips going numb as they hung open.
"That's…" I inhaled sharply, almost choking. "That's not fucking funny."
She stared me down, unapologetic without a trace of humor lingering in her features. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
I lost all feeling in my face and neck, and the ice that had traveled down my central nervous system spanned into my peripheral, prickling every nerve numb. The only thing I could feel was the growing pounding in my head, the stinging in my eyes and bridge of my nose.
My head shook subtly, in tune with the heavy pounding that only grew with each beat, and my brain fizzed to what could only be comparable to static.
"Sensui killed him." Her hollow words pushed out my first dry sob.
I moved, finding my legs to pull me across the limo to Natsume's seat. I stumbled on the leather between the blonde and brunette and was able to find my arms and shove Natsume against the car door.
Luckily, among the static, my brain was able to send out a simple demand.
"Call again!" I screamed, feeling the heat of reiki glow around my hands as I gripped her white blouse's collar. "Call again—he can't be dead!"
"When'd you level up?" She raised an eyebrow as she eyed my hands, more confused than scared. Within the same second, she rolled her eyes. "Fuck, I can't believe I just said that. 'Level up.' What the fuck is this, PokeMon?"
"Call again!" My throat burned.
She remained calm as I tightened my grip and shoved her against the window harder, knocking her head against the glass. Hayashi was just inches behind me, ready to rip me from her if I became violent.
"Call again, goddammit!"
Natsume stared up at me, face stoic. I didn't expect her to react like me—a blubbering mess of tears, snot, and screams. But this was Yu. Yusuke. Who couldn't… who couldn't care about him?
"Look, they pulled his files," she said, seemingly indifferent about being screamed at.
With my free hand, I snatched the phone from her and slammed it on the window next to her head, screaming. "Call them back! He's not dead! Yusuke doesn't die!"
Through the repeated slams against the window and my screams, I could barely make out her words. I didn't care about them. I wanted to hear: "I'll call them back."
Instead, I finally heard: "He's a youkai, too."
I paused, hand inches from the window. "…What?"
Barely disgruntled from the loud noise around her, she rolled her eyes when she noticed I finally stopped. "He's a youkai, too. They pulled his files and dug deep in his family history. Found he descended from a King in Makai."
I was so emotionally invested in one youkai already that it didn't even matter to me. "Is he fucking alive or not?!"
"He died but since there's a chance he could come back from the atavism, the SDF will take him out. They were sent out about an hour ago, they're probably already in the cave—now with new orders. They'll fix the barrier and make sure there's no way for him to come back."
The static disappeared as a sharp pain surged in the back of my head; my vision tainted a surreal tint of red.
I gripped the phone tightly, feeling the hard cover under my squeeze as I swung at her head. Before the phone connected to her skull, I was jerked away from the brunette. I flailed my limbs and screamed obscenities as I struggled to get out from Hayashi's grip. We toppled over into the open floor of the limo, and I yelled and swung blindly to get her off me.
Autopilot. Underneath my heated skin and bundle of haywire nerves were blood and a heart, nothing more. Blood roared in my ears as I swung at the blonde, head switched off. I wasn't in the fight to win, but to hurt.
Which was why the surreal red tint began to fade in disappointment and despair when my body realized it was losing. She blocked every jab or grab effortlessly, swatting my sparking hands away with ease and forcing me to the floor without breaking a sweat.
She pinned me to the carpet, straddling my stomach as she watched me shake with the adrenaline infused blood. I stared at the ceiling, through her, hyperventilating and body shaking rhythmically with each new heartbeat.
"It's going to be okay, Aiko," she said quietly, removing a hand from my pinned wrist to wipe away a new batch of tears rolling down my wet face.
An opening. I swung my free fist. Centimeters away from clocking her in the temple, she moved in a swift motion. Jerking her head back, she grabbed hold of my arm. Using my momentum, she lifted herself slightly to let me roll on my stomach before plopping on my back and pinning me again.
I forgot how to lift my head from the thick carpet floor. I forgot how to breathe. I could only cry.
The car's getting smaller. The car's getting smaller.
Hayashi cooed to me softly, saying "it'll be fine" as I sobbed and tried to regain control of myself. Finally, I could speak through the sobs.
"Don't touch him," was all I could say, filled with a new-found animosity.
I hated Reikai. I hated Reikai. Why did they continue going after people who helped them? They were like a government, weren't they? They ruled over us—humans. They ruled over us to protect us, right? But why didn't they try to see who our protectors were?
Through my sobs, I could still hear Hayashi's faint cooing. She shushed me gently, running her hands through my ponytail, smoothing it gently as she sat on me.
"Don't touch him," I sobbed again into the carpet, adrenaline dispersing. "Leave him alone. Yusuke doesn't die. He's—he doesn't. He worked hard to come back."
"Shhh." Hayashi stroked my matted hair again. "I'm sure we can work something out with them."
"He's worked so hard for you guys," I cried, heart pounding harder, heavier. "He did so much for Reikai and you're going to kill him anyway…"
She shushed me again and slowly got off me to sit next to me. She began rubbing my back.
"We'll figure something out," she said.
"Christ. Don't get her hopes up, Ami," Natsume chided.
"I'm sure we can work something out." Hayashi ignored her, still rubbing my back as the brunette's words only hit me harder.
"He's stronger than Sensui." Natsume's voice was laced with irritation at Hayashi. "And Sensui is ranked as an S-class. Your friend's a threat to Ningenkai. Chances of his body being left alone are slim. They're going to obliterate him, soul and all."
I rolled over and chucked the phone at Natsume, but Hayashi stopped me from getting up and pouncing on the brunette, wrapping her arms around my torso. I was slightly satisfied as I watched the phone fly at Natsume's face.
Natsume ducked, letting the phone fly into the window and shatter the glass on impact. Surprised, she turned around and watched through the broken window as the phone bounced off in the distance behind us, disappearing on the fleeting road's horizon.
"God damn…" Natsume said under her breath, ponytail swaying in the wind as she looked out the hole. "It broke the window…"
Hayashi barred me to the floor again, shushing me gently as I screamed. "Why would he turn against us? He fought for us! That's why he went against Sensui—he died for us!"
Natsume groaned and looked over her shoulder to snap at me. "Who knows what the atavism will do when it kicks in—we're not taking chances."
She inhaled sharply and turned to pick up a stray shard of glass that landed on the seat. With the quick quirk of an eyebrow, she threw it behind her without care, sending it out the hole in the window.
"You don't just change personalities!" I screamed.
She stared down at me, expression calming as if she was talking to an ignorant child. "Power changes you."
"He's not like that! Yusuke's not like that!"
Hayashi shushed me again. "It'll be fine, Aiko."
She embraced me like a mother would her child, pulling me against her and laying my head on her chest, unafraid of my dirty hair potentially ruining her pretty, pristine white blouse. She smoothed my hair again as I gave in and accepted defeat.
They were going to take Yusuke from me. They were going to take Kurama from me. They were going to take them from me… They would take everyone from me.
And I couldn't do a thing about it…
Breathing hitched, adrenaline gone, my bitter bawling surfaced from pure despair. Disgustingly embarrassing. I felt a glimmer of guilt for crying snot and saliva on Hayashi's pretty white blouse with how caring she was, but it was fleeting as I remembered she wasn't calling off the kill. My throat tightened at the reminder, pushing out more painful cries as she held me close.
She rubbed my arms as she cradled me, and I soon exhausted myself into a quiet, numb oblivion. Stress and trauma took hold of my body quickly, gripping every nerve and vein strongly. The fog returned. My breathing steadied slowly as I shut down, staring at where the dark carpet met the large car doors.
"Just leave her there." Natsume's voice suddenly came through the fog, the first time any of them spoke since my tantrum.
I was moved and set against the edge of the seat, propped upright. I didn't bother moving as I watched the girls step out of the limo. The car door slammed behind them, thinning the fog in my head.
I glanced up to the rear view window with a deep breath, trying to wake up. I watched the tinted night sky through the window, taking note of the stars and how visible they were wherever we stopped.
Another car door slammed behind me, waking me up. Though a heavy hollowness settled in my heart, encouraging my body to stay idle and wallow in the emptiness, my curiosity was still alive.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling the raw tissue as I croaked out. "Sosuke?"
The partition lowered and his voice came behind me from the driver's seat. "Yes, Miss Aiko?"
"...Do you know what actually goes on in this family?"
He hesitated before replying. "Sometimes."
"Then why do you still work for them?"
"It puts a roof over my head, money in the bank."
"...Oh."
He drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel for a moment. "We've arrived to the cave, Miss Aiko. Would you like to step out and get some fresh air?"
What was the point? I couldn't do anything but watch them execute Yusuke. "Not really."
"I think if you stepped outside, you'd feel a lot better."
When I didn't reply, I heard him shuffling, then a car door opening and closing. It was then the car door next to me opened, and I saw the driver who'd witnessed my struggles in his car twice. I forced myself to look up to the young driver. With thin lips, he gave me a small smile before sitting in the seat across from me. White gloved hands clasped together as he sat upright.
His smile was familiar but I couldn't place where from. I knew, though, his sharp cheek bones reminded me of Kazuma.
I wondered if he was okay. Was Kurama okay?
"The tunnel's being handled by the SDF right?" I asked, eyes comfortable staring at the empty seat next to him. "They're going to do something about it?"
"Yes."
I should probably call my parents before they get to the cops. "You don't happen to have a phone, do you?"
"No, but Miss Ami has a phone in her purse," he replied, and I looked up to him nodding to the purse to my left. "I'm sure she won't mind if you use her phone."
With a deep breath I leaned over and reached to her leather purse and pulled out an identical Nokia. It was a struggle to pull myself back upright, but I succeeded with a small groan. My fingers hovered over the numbers, remembering Hatanaka's cell number.
Was the last digit two or four?
"Who are you going to call?" Sosuke asked.
"My dad," I replied slowly. "If the tunnel's closing they can come back home… Maybe he'll be mad enough that he'll put me in a coma so I don't have to feel anything anymore."
I figured to go with two, and dialed his number as he stared at me with furrowed brows, sad eyes.
"Does your dad hit you, Miss Aiko?" he asked.
"He gets mad at me easily," I replied, pulling the phone to my ear and letting my eyes fall to the carpet floor. "I don't blame him."
Hatanaka's voice sounded after the second ring. "Hello? Kazuya speaking."
"Hello, Hatanaka," I mumbled. "It's Aiko."
"We've been looking for you!" he sighed in relief. "Where are you?"
"About that… could I speak to my dad?"
"Of course, here he is." The phone was passed off to my father, who didn't speak.
"Dad?" I watched Sosuke as he watched me talk to my father. He had no expression on his face, like he was tense to hear what my dad was capable of.
"Yeah." My dad was curt.
Even though I wanted to be smacked unconscious, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth—not over the phone.
"I'm sorry I didn't call earlier." Wow, Aiko. Sound more sincere, why don't you? That lifeless tone really puts the cherry on top of that apology. "I ran into Natsume's father at the airport and he offered us a ride home."
"Okay."
…Okay?
Fear began trickling in me, forcing emotion into my voice. That one word was enough stimuli for about two years, the emptiness that once had a strong grip around my chest was gone.
"He was on a business call and I couldn't call unt—"
"Uh-huh."
"Dad?" I was greeted by silence. He'd hung up.
Sosuke hesitated in front of me as I stared down at the floor, hand dropping to my side. He was unsure of what to say or do.
Finally he spoke, voice cautious. "Miss Aiko, are you okay?"
I shrugged and took a deep breath before tossing the phone back into Hayashi's little black purse. "Guess I'll see Yusuke in Reikai and we'll be sentenced together."
That was actually a comforting thought.
His familiar smile returned as he leaned over and closed the door he came in from. "Are you sure you don't want to get some fresh air?"
"I'll be breathing plenty of Reikai air in a few hours so yeah. I'm sure."
He took his driver's cap off and ruffled his black hair in thought before putting it back on. He looked out the car window and smiled again.
"Miss Aiko, I truly think you'd like what you see if you stepped outside."
"Is everyone alive?" I asked, glancing up to him in hope. Surely he wouldn't encourage me if they weren't.
Leaning over, he got up and opened the door next to me. Stepping over me and into the open air, he leaned back in the car and extended his gloved hand. I slipped my hand in his, and he helped me stumble out of the limousine.
I never thought he'd be right. The fresh air unclogged my mind in the first inhale; the chill of the breeze swishing by was like a shot of caffeine. I searched around the forest scenery to find a large group of people a couple of yards away near the entrance of the cave.
In the bright moonlight, I could recognize everyone. My heart swelled with relief seeing Kazuma and Kurama alive and well, and I sighed in confused hope upon seeing the long-haired young male in their group.
It had to be Yusuke—it had to be.
He turned slightly, and I saw the familiar curve in his cheeks and the signature, perky slant of his eyes. He was alive. My heart about burst with relief—I knew it. Yusuke doesn't die.
Trouble lingered behind the group, though, as a large group of armored individuals stepped out of the cave. I knew instantly they had to be the SDF because as Natsume and her henchwomen approached the Prince, they stood their ground at the entrance of the cave as the girls' silent support.
I never thought I'd see Natsume bow to another, though I figured Reikai royalty would be the only fitting exception. With her right hand placed over the void where her heart should be and her left arm bent behind her, lying on the small of her back, she bowed deeply at the waist. Fukui and Hayashi followed suit.
Sosuke walked with me as I inched closer to the group, curious what she was going to say, fury already building in my stomach. She hadn't even opened her mouth yet.
"Get the fuck out of here," Yusuke snapped at her, validating my anger. "You're not welcome."
"My name is Natsume, Akane, my Lord." Natsume ignored him, speaking directly to the Prince as she stayed bowed. "I'm here on behalf of Mr. Matsumoto, head of jurisdiction four, including the city of Mushiyori."
The Prince stared down at her with little interest, his pacifier twitching gently between his lips. "You can stand straight now."
The three did so, but not without leaving their hands over their chests.
"I am here for multiple requests, sir," Natsume continued. "One has already been brought to your attention regarding your detective, Urameshi, Yusuke."
He remained calm, though in his tone one could detect a slight hint of irritation. "It's been discussed."
I breathed a sigh of relief—the Prince cared for Yusuke! We had a chance.
Yusuke sucked his teeth, and Kazuma, who was holding the unconscious shrimp-dick midget by his collar, clenched his teeth to refrain from telling her off. Even Botan was pursing her lips to keep her tongue.
"And the decision?" she asked.
"Still being discussed."
She inhaled sharply, repressing anger. "My next request is to have the video tape destroyed immediately."
The Prince then raised an eyebrow. "…If you give me some plausible reasons, I will consider it."
She replied without missing a beat. "It's vile, defamation, and is a tool of torture used to brainwash and breed hatred, as you have witnessed throughout this case."
"You do understand they are files of Ningenkai's history, right? They can't be eradicated so easily."
"Not only is the tape never watched, this tool of history helped breed this situation, my Lord. It could create more issues if not taken care of and could result in this again. If you will not destroy it for historical reasons, may I consider a more heavily, extremely guarded vault, like the Great King's, to ensure its seclusion?"
The pacifier continued twitching gently, and he side glanced to the boys and then me before looking back at Natsume. "Your points will be taken into consideration."
I couldn't see her face, but I knew she had to repress an ugly scowl at his words.
"Your next request?" he asked.
"Is my last," she said. And with her next words, I watched her hand fall from her chest only to point an index finger at another member of the group, one of my boys. "I'm requesting an ancestral background check on your employee, Minamino, Shuichi."
Another sharp pain surged in the back of my neck, pounding in my head as blood roared in my ears. Kurama, however, didn't seem to care.
"Reasons why?" the prince asked.
I shoved past Sosuke, on a mission to destroy.
"If your detective was able to slip under our radar and hold youkai blood in him without any signs, then it's possible for him as well."
The pacifier stopped twitching and he stared down at the potential predecessor. Even he had to be wondering how she could have sunk her fangs in so deep—thinking about how she couldn't refuse the chance to suck her victim dry. She was a leech—no, all these Reikai employees were so much worse, so disgusting and degrading a blood-sucking breed—
My screech echoed down the mountain, words flying out without thought. "All you people are vampires!"
Hayashi glanced over her shoulder to me, eyebrow cocked in surprise at the diction.
"Aiko?" Yusuke sputtered my name as he and the boys turned to see me. He held his newly marked hands up in resignation. "Why am I not surprised?!"
Fukui turned around first with an entertained smile on her face. Hayashi turned around next, reaching for the clawed hand I sent Natsume's way—ready to grab her by her hair.
Hayashi's fingers wrapped around my wrist as she stepped around me, dragging my arm and pinning it to my back, sparking an uncomfortable pain in my joint. Her other arm wrapped around my neck in a choke-hold as she dragged me away from Natsume.
"Don't touch her!" Yusuke snapped, stepping forward to Hayashi.
One of the armored men stepped away from his post in front of the cave in assertion, and Yusuke bristled, pausing in his stride. He glanced over to the man, ready to head in his direction and fight. Kurama, though, quickly gripped his shoulder in hopes to tame him. Once Yusuke stopped moving, the man did as well.
"It's best to not agitate things further," Kurama said before side-eyeing Hayashi. "She won't hurt Aiko."
My voice didn't lower, and though I was pulled away from Natsume's reach, I still used my free hand to give the armored man the bird. "Stop trying to take away the ones who protect us! They both fought for us and you're trying to kill them, you fucking mindless sheep!"
Natsume turned away from me and to the Prince, speaking hastily. "I sincerely apologize for her outburst."
He replied with an uncaring shrug.
"It wasn't directed at me." When she bristled, trying to keep composure, he continued. "I can assure you Minamino is an exceptional human, but to reassure you and give you peace of mind, I'll send you his history within the next few days."
She cocked her head to the side, suppressing the urge to give him attitude. Through gritted teeth, she spoke. "So, to recap, my lord: the situation regarding Urameshi, Yusuke, is still being discussed. You will only consider destroying the tape and those who saw it. And Minamino, Shuichi's files will come in a few days."
He nodded. "Seems to be so, Akane."
With another sharp inhale, she let out a controlled exhale through gritted teeth. "Thank you for your time, Lord Koenma."
"I'll let you know for our first meeting, you did well. Don't take my answers too hard, either; I would have given any official the same responses."
She paused, going rigidly stiff as she hesitated giving a reply. "Thank you."
"You'll receive an update on each of your requests in a few days, Akane. I'll have them delivered directly to you."
She was reluctant to move, and I could see the cogs turning in her head as she pondered on anything else she may need to say.
"I will relay everything to Mr. Matsumoto immediately, and I'll have him contact you with any further questions then, sir." She then bowed and turned on her heels to leave.
Hayashi let go of me once Natsume stepped next to me, and Fukui and Hayashi followed suit with the bow of respect to the Prince as I stood upright.
Natsume gripped my arm and yanked me close. Her warm breath enveloped my ear as she snarled condescendingly.
"Since you love this youkai trash so much, you can head home with them," she hissed to me before letting go and walking towards the limo. "When you decide to wise up, see me—before I decide you need to wise up."
"Akane," the Prince called after her, and she turned around to make eye contact, becoming rigidly straight again.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"I do hope you won't take Hojo's outbursts around me to heart," he said simply. "I'm aware she's been close with my detective since he was first employed. She's only acting out of emotions and I've taken no offence."
"Yes, sir." Natsume nodded before casting an annoyed glance my way. "I won't hold it against her."
He flicked a limp wrist at her with a simple tone. "You've done well. You may go."
I bit my tongue as I heard the car doors slam shut, still shaking from anger. As the limousine left, the SDF spoke their final words to the Prince.
"Don't think you can get away with any of this, Lord Koenma." The man I presumed the leader threatened the adult brunet. "Reikai will not forgive these actions."
"I know. I accept full responsibility," the Prince replied, tone far harsher now as he turned to the army.
Yusuke sucked his teeth and stepped in front of Koenma. The group tensed, hoping he'd attack first so they could take him out.
"Listen up. I don't usually pick fights with people I know I can beat, but if they bring me beef I have no problem handling it." He placed his hands on his hips, and the gesture was definitely more threatening with his new blood. "Koenma did the right thing and you assholes don't have the right to hassle him about it. So come on, try messing with any of us again. I dare you."
The leader, an older man with a mustache, ground his teeth in anger and glared at the boy with long hair and new markings. With a low growl, he lept in the air first, and his army followed suit, disappearing into the sky surrounded by ki. And though they left on that note, the reiki they emitted from just bounding into the sky together showed they were willing to throw down with Yusuke any day.
The silence that came with their departure was thick, and everyone stood near the cave's opening with a change in demeanor.
A weight lifted off everyone's shoulder and everyone but me seemed to relish in the air of relief. I looked between the three boys—the two shades of red and the stupid, long-haired raven—and let a new wave of emotions pour out. Some I never thought I'd feel again after this, at least not so soon.
Relief, appreciation, and everything between… I found myself crying again as I ran to the idiot boy I thought I lost just a while ago. Arms wrapped around his dirty and battered torso, I could hear his childish laughter as he slid an arm around my back, holding me tight in expectancy of tunnel vision.
"Look, Aiko's crying! What a moron!"
A/N:
* ¥287 M is roughly $2.8 M or £1.7 M. Usually I don't play with inflation rates because dealing with that and converting it to yen's inflation rates is a hassle but I tried to make the prices suitable for the nineties.
** Seikou-ki is "golden ki" or "holy ki." Assumed to be the highest ranking ki a human could master after severe training. Essentially relatable to the S-class version of classification for humans, from my understanding.
Also, I'm a sucker for those rock hard Nokia cellphone jokes.