"Borderline!" Kazuma shouted for what must have been the fiftieth time before the door finally burst open. "So this is the power of a Blessed Regalia," Minato wondered as Kazuma held him up, supporting him using his shoulder. "Come on. Our masters need us," Kazuma said as they walked out of the prison. The cries of the Shinki who had turned into half-phantoms came from the cell beyond. "We have to help them," Minato muttered as he nearly tumbled to the ground. "We can come back for them later. They're not beyond help. Right now, our masters need us!" Kazuma said as they began the walk back to the surface.
….
"We now cleanse this spirit belonging to the goddess, Aiko and preserve the name it was graced," Daikoku said, his fingers pointing to Ayato. Ayato snarled and tried to snap at him. "With defilement expelled and avarice removed, a sincere, principled, just soul," Kuraha chanted, his fingers extended as well. "With flesh pared, may he be cleansed," Tsugaha said, her fingers quivering slightly. "Imprison!" they shouted, drawing their borderlines onto the floor. A large triangle appeared in a flash of light, trapping Ayato within it. He howled and shrieked, slamming into the wall.
"Let go of me!" he screamed, his roars shaking the mansion. I crawled to Akito, wanting to touch him but afraid of my blight infecting him, I restrained myself. I coughed up more blood, spattering it on my yukata. I have to get Kofuku a new one later… I thought to myself as I tried to move towards Ayato. I cried out in pain, the sting of the blight spreading hitting me like a thousand needles.
"Ayato! What sins have you committed? Confess them all at once!" Kuraha shouted. Ayato merely roared, his name getting more covered by the minute. "It's no use! He's too past the gone!" Tsugaha shouted, sweat dripping from her as she stood her ground. I could tell this was her first time doing an ablution and it was no pretty task. The more Ayato roared, the more pain I felt. I grunted, clutching my chest as the pain tore through me.
"This is ridiculous! We should just get rid of him!" Daikoku yelled. "We can't! Not until his master gives us her permission!" Bishamon shouted as she fended off the Phantoms. Kofuku came towards Akito and slowly dragged him away from the battle, letting him rest on the couch as she took out some bandages. "Ayato! Confess now!" Kuraha shouted, holding his arm. "Why should I confess?! I'm not in the wrong here!" he yelled, the light shining brighter as it closed in on him.
"Yato!" Daikoku yelled as he turned his head slightly. "Like the crazy chick said, we can't!" Yato shouted. He slammed Sekki into a Phantom, making it disappear in a shower of light. "Ayato… AYATO!" I screamed, dragging myself closer. The floor was stained with both mine and Akito's blood. "Aiko-sama! Please don't get any closer!" Tsugaha shouted. "He's my Shinki and my burden to bear! It's my job to save him!" I shouted as I reached the pillars of light. I placed my hand on it, the skin getting slightly charred.
"Ayato… you may not remember the day I found you. Do you remember? You were lost at the market. You tried to buy food but no one noticed you to sell it. I bought an apple and gave it to you. Remember? It was from the old woman with the cart," I whispered, the light blinding me by the minute. "Shut up!" Ayato roared, his claw reaching to me. It melted against his prison and he howled in pain. "When I named you, you turned into a dagger. I was so astonished then, being a goddess of love and getting a weapon Shinki was a rare find… I remembered when I tried to use you and nearly cut off Minato's hand… he didn't dare come near for months…" I laughed at it slightly before coughing out more blood.
Ayato had stopped trashing slightly, his eyes looking at me. "You were always the person who lightened up the mood of the household. You organized parties for everyone's birthdays, you even tried to surprise me but you couldn't remember the date so you did it two months in advance…" I wheezed, the pain stabbing me even more. "I know I never used you after what happened with Haruto… but I was so scared of being betrayed again that I didn't dare to get close to you guys. For that, I am a truly worthless master," I said as I slammed my fists into the wall.
"I am so sorry! I am so so sorry! I don't deserve to be your master! I failed to learn how to love and trust all of you because of one person. Because of my ignorance, you suffered for so many centuries and now so many are dead…" I sobbed, the tears mixed with blood. "That's why I can't lose you! You are my family and I love you all, no matter what you have done! That's what love is about, right? To forgive and not hold any grudges. Ayato, I forgive you. That's why, come back to me! Come back, Ayato!" I screamed as I slid to the floor, the pain consuming me.
"Aiko-sama!" Kuraha shouted as he tried to move towards me. "Don't move! If you do, he would escape!" Daikoku yelled as sniffing came from the prison. I slowly gazed up to see Ayato crying, tears falling to the ground. "I… I… I am so sorry!" he sobbed, bowing his head low. As he cried, his claw slowly turned into a normal human hand. "Please, Aiko-sama! Forgive me!" he cried out. I smiled as my consciousness slowly faded and I lay my head on the ground, my vision swimming and my hearing going away.
"I planned the revolt! I caused everyone to become worried and sting Aiko-sama! I turned most of them into Phantoms so I can kill Aiko-sama! I threw Minato into the dungeons below and beat him up! I…I… I wanted you to die so badly! Because I wanted you to love me again!" he sobbed as the prison enclosed around him. He slowly diminished in size, becoming his self again. He howled as the other Shinki beat him with their borderlines, sinking into his bones. "Ayato… thank goodness…" I whispered as I faded away into nothingness.
…..
"Veena!" Kazuma shouted as he and Minato entered the entranceway. He looked around to see the place trashed, the chandelier on the floor and furniture thrown about. The floor and walls were stained with blood and Ayato lay pitifully on the ground next to his mistress, begging for her mercy. Aiko-sama is too merciful… Kazuma thought to himself as Bishamon flung herself onto him.
"Kazuma!"she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank goodness you're alright," she whispered as she held onto him. "Veena… you came?" he muttered. "After you failed to give me your report, I had Kuraha check your office for any signs of why you left. Then he found this letter," she said as she held it up. Kazuma flushed a little as she smiled. "Yet again, if you hadn't been careless today, we might have never found you," she said. "Thank you for coming for me, Veena," he said as Yato cleared his throat.
"I hate to break the romance between you two, but where are the other Shinki?" he asked as Minato came to him. "There are some who have turned partially into Phantoms and require an ablution. The others may have been held somewhere else in the mansion," he said as he glanced at Ayato, who was now passed out on the floor. Bishamon called for Kuraha and had him and Tsugaha bring Aiko back to her estate. Kofuku followed as well, bringing Akito with him.
"Right. We had some downstairs," Kazuma said. "We need all the help we can get to carry out all these ablutions," Minato said as a voice came from the door. "The Tenjin sisters may be of service to you," Mayu said as they filed into the entranceway. "Tenjin-sama sent you here?" Kazuma blurted as Mayu eyed the place. "When you didn't come back, he assumed that you may need help in ablutions," she said. "Great. I'll go get them then," Kazuma said as he and Minato went back to the dungeons.
The whole day was spent cleansing all the Shinki who had turned into Phantoms. Luckily there were quite a number of Shinki available so they were able to be cleansed at a quick pace. The gods on the other hand spent their time squabbling over the fight from just now until Bishamon got a report on how Aiko and Akito were doing before heading back. Yato had decided to go as well, leaving Yukine to help with the ablution.
"When will this end…" Yukine groaned as he carried out yet another ablution. The girl inside sobbed and screamed as she confessed her sins. "Was I this bad when I underwent the ablution ceremony?" he asked Kazuma. "You were way worse but it was very dramatic, the way Yatogami screamed for you and all," Kazuma said as the girl slowly turned back to normal. "Well, didn't Aiko-sama did the same too?" he asked. "There aren't that many gods that would go that far just to save one Shinki. Yato and Aiko are the exceptional ones," Kazuma said as he steadied Yukine's hand. "Come on. We have the whole night to do this is you don't get them to confess quickly," Kazuma said and Yukine quickly turned back his attention to the cleasing.