Same excuses as always: busy but also lazy, and missing a lot of inspiration. But I love the SMT universe too much! So, here. Don't know if I've mentioned it, but the story will have two endings: one Law, and one Chaos, branching from the game's Chaos ending. Yay!
Previously on Sparks:
Squeezing her small fingers around the summoner's dry palm, the Inari waved it in a pseudo-handshake. "You bear all of our hopes."
"I know," said Raidou, bowing before the child. The Inari grinned, her eyes stretching to slits as she stepped back into her statue and faded. Turning her back on the fox, Kotone sighed.
Sparks
Chapter 9: Unraveling
Long after Kotone left the office, Narumi looked confused. He blew a whiff of cigarette smoke in the air and stared at the black cat on his table. They weren't friends enough yet that he would let Narumi pet his fur—the act was reserved for women, he noticed—but they were close.
"What happened, exactly?"
"I have no idea," replied Gouto. He jotted the words on his notebook for Narumi to read as he added, "She sounded disappointed when she learned her father faced the same Fiend years ago and defeated him with more ease than she did. Maybe it was that."
"Whoa, whoa," Narumi blinked and reread the tiny handwriting. "Her dad faced that thing before?"
"Yes. But he was married by the time he faced something that strong. About the age of that Dahn character, I'd say."
"Yeah, well…" Narumi sighed. "I'm willing to bet she hasn't taken her mind off the Marriage Ritual since we arrived. You saw her this morning—she ate one helping. One. Did she even finish it? Raidou always has at least three if she can help it."
Gouto nodded in agreement. "You're right. She must have wondered if the 13th could have spared Akane her fate."
"Poor kid. After that whole affair with the soulless god and the satellite—can you blame her for thinking she's invincible? That was no joke."
"All Great Summoners start that way," Gouto murmured, his handwriting stiff. "I don't like what happened to the Tsukigatas, but it's better she learn her lesson now than later."
Narumi nodded in agreement, and they sat in silence for a long while. After the Tower of Ishigami had sunk back into its slot deep in the earth, Kotone returned to them with a humorless expression. Finishing missions like this relaxed her, or so they'd thought, but after relating the events following their departure, she simply informed them that she would travel to Shinoda and report to the Herald of Yatagarasu. What really struck them as odd was that she refused Gouto's company and insisted that she travel alone.
Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th's two mentors hadn't faced a conundrum like this before—and people, they had realized separately a long time ago, were often predictable when it came to their thoughts and emotions. But Kotone was anything but transparent. Her very nature was a mask: to wear the title of a Great Summoner was to do away with petty hindrances like fear and anger. She had perfected this, far beyond any Raidou and even her great father—something that came easy, they saw, since she had always been a reserved child who did her best not to worry her elders. This reaction, then, was completely unexpected.
In fact, it wasn't only Gouto who thought she was an excellent descendant. It was the general consensus among the Kuzunoha Council that its centuries-long effort had finally culminated in the Fourteenth—she was it, the Great Summoner par excellence, the Real McCoy, in Narumi's words—the potential for the perfect warrior. For centuries, demons had claimed this title, this superiority over humans for their weak sentimentality.
Kotone, agreed the Clan, was the right mix of sympathy, an ample amount of indifference for individual human affairs to carry out her line's destiny of protecting the Capital, and most importantly, total and complete obedience. They hoped for great things from her—as a warrior and a future mother.
The First had high hopes for her, too, and Narumi silently agreed. This was only a learning experience, and sometimes one needed to go it alone. Resigning themselves to this conclusion, the two carried on with more lighthearted conversation.
"You have done well, Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th," said the Herald, eyes concealed as always. "However…"
Kotone's expression shifted from expectant to almost slightly alarmed. However? Such doubtful words had never escaped the woman's lips before. Not directed to her. Hadn't she done all she was told, and defeated the Fiends in her own right? Gouto did say father was much older when he had bested Yakubyou-gami. She refused to spend any more time mulling over how her battles might have gone differently had she his strength…and perhaps his unshakeable resolve.
"However, we question your decision to depart from Tsukigata Village without consultation."
Kotone's shoulders relaxed. A simple procedural mishap. She inclined her head and spoke, "Forgive me. I thought the matter resolved, since Gouto-douji and Mr. Narumi decided it was best to return to the Capital. And Geirin, my fellow Great Summoner, watches over the village. He recommended the same course of action."
The Herald reacted little to her answer. "The 17th is loyal," she said—offhandedly? Neither had Kotone ever heard this tone of voice from the woman, who only ever spoke with pride, "but he does not seek our counsel as often as he should. We pardon him only for he is dying."
For the first time in an era, Kotone's jaw fell slack. "Geirin is dying?"
The woman simply nodded. "It is no concern of yours, Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th."
"If I may speak, Herald," said Raidou, meeting the shadow under the woman's cloak with a tentative gaze, "if I can aid him, perhaps it is my concern. He is a Kuzunoha, as I am. Should we not work to save him? His apprentice, Nagi—she needs to learn more from him. For the clan's sake, I believe he must live."
Kotone found herself rambling, of all things. It was absolutely ridiculous, predicting the death of another Great Summoner, and by a mere illness? Perhaps if she and the other Great Summoners could take on the burden with him, then they could heal separately, and his condition would improve? But the Herald cut off her thoughts with a no of finality.
"His illness," she continued, "is beyond your time. Dwell no longer, 14th, and remember to consult with us. Much is expected of you."
She disappeared. Kotone felt the sudden urge to kick the summoning bell and demand answers. To avoid temptation, she turned her eyes away from it and focused on her next task: returning to the Capital. It was too soon, she felt, and she needed time to think…perhaps find someone detached from all this. Maybe she would visit Kaya and Rin, like Satake said. Suddenly she remembered Akane, and she wanted to scream. Without Gouto for whom to be strong, she felt less like a Great Summoner than a troubled child.
Raidou's heavy breathing denoted weakness, and she staggered toward the Dragon Cave near the shrine with some difficulty. Leaning against one of the pillars in her struggle to regain composure, she completely forgot about her demons.
She noticed the green light too late. Lilim appeared before her, floating silently as she watched her friend. Kotone opened her mouth to speak, perhaps frown—it was insolent that she should come without a summons, but she felt too drained to say it, and she would never have thought such a thing if she hadn't placed so much effort into keeping the girl's tube sealed.
"I don't need to read your mind to know what you're thinking," said the demoness, landing on her feet and sitting next to Kotone. When had she even fallen to her knees? "You know, some people have noisy thoughts…but you take the cake right now. I guess it's extremes with you. Either you're so calm I can't hear a whisper or it's like a gramophone on the loudest possible setting."
Kotone would threaten her with fusion for even trying to read her mind, but Lilim must have already known that. "And what do you have to say, Lilim?"
"Kotone, I…" Lilim sighed. "I don't need to warn you how Gouto would react if he found out. He's the enemy, blah blah…things I've heard before. What he said to Dominion about me. I've been through this, Kotone. Was it so hard to come to me and Leanan? She's worried about you, too."
It shamed Kotone greatly to hear that. Her demons should never have had to worry about her. They were to look to her as an equal to fight alongside with and never a little girl to care for. This was Lilim, after all; if betrayal was a possibility, it would come from her kind—her mother Lilith, she'd been taught, was the greatest of traitors—but Lilim had never taken the opportunity to do so. She'd stayed connected to a tube for years for Kotone before they could even work together; it always slipped Kotone's mind, but now it nagged at her, and she hated the thought of ingratitude.
"You're right, Lilim," it pained her ego to say, but she spoke the words without hesitation. "What do you think?"
Lilim's somber expression broke into a smile, and she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Leanan and I've agreed on this before—if you're not going to scratch that itch, you probably won't last the week. Much less the night."
"What?"
"Trust me, Kotone! Just go see him…see what happens. The way you think about him, the way you…" Lilim, always with something to say, had to pause to take in the information. She didn't even know when this had started in Kotone. "The way you burn for him…you know it's serious, right? I mean, how did it get this far?"
Kotone felt her cheeks warm and her hands go cold. She had indeed tried to put this out of her mind, or to keep it locked away forever, but it was apparent that she'd failed, again. She was only lucky it was Lilim who knew, and no one else; so she told her oldest friend of their first meetings on the rooftop, the train rides, the days before the Marriage Ritual, the night before that wretched tradition—but she kept to herself that look in his eyes when he'd had her on the battlefield. When he had almost won. It was the look that both nearly swallowed her whole and woke her up just in time to defeat him.
Lilim, on the other hand, burst into a fit of giggles. Kotone hardly thought it funny; she still considered herself above such things, but it felt much more real now that Lilim knew of it. "No wonder! I mean, I'm not saying this is good, since—you know. I mean, it's shocking at best! But who am I to talk? Just…go, Kotone. We'll talk after, okay?"
Kotone found herself alone for the second time that day, but she felt that useless anger dissipate. Maybe Lilim was right—after all, she'd actually willingly returned to her tube. Her desire to see him was so terrible that it ached. Only he knew how it felt to have the power to save, only to fail. And he loved Akane. They shared that, too, didn't they? But first she needed a way to their Village, and quick…
Blinded by the lightning and instinctively alarmed at the sound of cages slamming shut, Kotone blinked several times. Without summoning Aeros, she batted away the smoke and was met by Victor's Inugami. It swirled around her and howled happily in her face.
"SUMMONER!" it smiled, translucent body slithering around hers. "VICTOR! SUMMONER IS HERE."
"Hello, Inugami," greeted Kotone, narrowing her eyes past the smoke that remained. "Ippon-datara isn't here?"
"OUT ON ERRANDS!" It whispered, hovering close to her ear, "HAD TO GET AWAY FROM VICTOR. I COVER."
"I see." It was good to see that the Ippon-datara had found a friend in this stray demon. She was sure it was close to going mad—even for an Ippon-datara—if it hadn't already.
Footsteps approached. A man with tousled hair frozen in place and a face mired in soot slapped his goggles against his forehead as he turned to her.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Victor," she called out.
"Kuzunoha!" Victor laughed, waving Inugami away. The dog spirit panted cheerfully at her again before disappearing deeper into the laboratory. "I see you're feeling much better!"
Kotone ignored that. She was aware enough about her change in demeanor immediately following the Marriage Ritual, but she would not forget her manners again. "And you seem to be doing well, Dr. Victor. More experiments?"
"Not quite," he replied, curling a lip and glaring at the cages behind him. "Just another sword fusion. I was trying for a more powerful Kurikara…bah!" The very thought of failure incensed him. Until now, that surprised Kotone. He was an inventor, so she thought he might welcome such a thing…but whatever inspired him, she supposed. He brushed it away and turned to her. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure? Your Onigiri treating you well?"
Kotone caught herself holding back a chuckle. Gouto had tried that same joke about her newest blade on the way to Ishigami earlier and she'd simply smiled in acknowledgment, but the thought of following Lilim's advice had her…giddy, perhaps, despite everything. She nodded at Victor and reminded herself to focus. It shamed her that she should even think of it, but there was nothing to be done about her lingering thoughts on the Tsukigata but this.
"Yes, it's working perfectly, thank you. In fact, I was wondering if I could help you with something, Dr. Victor."
"Oh?" he looked confused, and rightly so. What could she possibly give him that he didn't already have? Besides Rasputin, of course.
"You mentioned attempting to use the Tesseract Box to travel to a Dragon's Cave. I have free time…"
In the darkness, Victor's eyes glinted. That was odd. "Truly, Kuzunoha!?" he asked, suddenly grinning widely. "You'll be the willing test subject of my new and improved Tesseract Box?"
"You have my full trust, Doctor." Desperation was the better word, thought Kotone, but the good doctor needn't know that. And she did trust him; only not as much as she professed. "And it would benefit us both in the end, wouldn't it?"
"That's right!" he laughed, wagging a finger at her as he scurried about the lab. Inugami appeared briefly to hand him some tools. "Should work…" he murmured, "…hopefully not…top of a river…can likely swim, at any rate…"
A river…? The memory of Dahn rowing across it remained vivid even now. "Is there a problem, Dr. Victor?"
Victor's head jerked up. It was just like him to realize she was still there. "Ah, nothing at all, Kuzunoha! Hmm, where is Gouto today? Sick from the quakes?"
"So you felt them," said Kotone. She'd wondered, though of course he looked hardly affected. "No, he stayed behind with the boss today. I thought I should take this risk alone. Don't you agree?"
"Well, yes, yes, if you think so," replied Victor, busy again. A few more minutes were spent tinkering with the new box and collecting more parts around the lab before he finally finished. "Aha! There." He loaded her arms with the box. "You know the drill, Kuzunoha."
Kotone met his hopeful gaze. Anyone else would have found him unnerving, Narumi especially, but his familiar manner amid all that had changed comforted her. "I do."
"Are you ready, Kuzu—? Oh, what am I saying? You're always ready!" He opened the box for her and activated the contraption. "Soon!" he waved. Inugami snuck up behind him to say goodbye, and the purple light swallowed her up.
There was a floating sensation, briefly, then Kotone fell flat on her posterior. Grunting, she reached for her tailbone and realized her surroundings—bushes. Rising immediately before she could catch any insect on her cape, she followed the sunlight ahead and found herself standing outside the Tsukigata mansion.
So Victor's Tesseract Box was faulty. She had landed incredibly far from the Dragon Cave for which she was meant—the Kuzunoha Training Hall here—not to mention this was the last place she'd liked to have ended up. The river might have been better. After all, though Akijiro had been grateful when they parted, he still considered her an outsider and would no doubt turn against her at the first sign of danger.
"Yew!"
The almond-eyed servant woman. Kotone had been of a mind to either knock her out or play innocent and wonder aloud how she had gotten to the village when the woman said, more softly, "Yew've come an awful long way… Have yew come to visit Mr. Geirin?"
"Ah—yes, thank you," said Kotone, for the excuse. "I realize I lost my way in the woods."
"That's all right," said the woman. Why wasn't she more suspicious? Kotone certainly was. "Geirin's at the prison. Do yew remember where the Chief imprisoned yer friends at the Tento Woods? He's been tryin' to figure out the young master's plans since his capture, but…"
"I see." Just as well that he was with Dahn—though she would have liked to see him, alone. "I have matters regarding our clan that I'd like to discuss with him. I'll be going, then. Thank you."
"…Wait!" The servant reached for her shoulder. Kotone whirled, staring at her, and the woman quickly withdrew her hand. "Yew…yew were friends with the young mistress, weren't yew?"
The summoner looked over the woman. How had she known? "Yes, I am." She hated that they spoke of Akane as though she were no longer in the human world. Clearly this woman knew nothing. She was in the catacombs below, if she could only traverse them! Kotone felt the side of her head start to throb, and she caught her breath before she continued. She hadn't even noticed her nails digging into her palms. "Why do you ask?"
Without warning, the servant thrust an envelope into her hands. "It's for the young master," she said, urgently. "From Mistress Akane. The Fukoshi're keepin' everyone out, but maybe…"
Kotone stared at the crumpled brown envelope in her hand. She had no love for this servant woman, but she was loyal to Akane. She respected that. "All right," she agreed, tucked it beneath her cape, and turned for the Cabin. That she could remember, at the very least.
As always, the cabin looked innocuous against the backdrop of the eerie enchantment of the Tento Woods. Inside, against the stair landing, she met Geirin, in whose right hand was a lamp whose flame wavered. He looked deep in thought—upset, if Nagi had been right about him and his hair, and noticed her belatedly. It worried her. Had she been a hostile demon, he'd likely already have been overpowered, given his illness.
"Raidou," he acknowledged, posture straightening. "What are you doing here?"
The so soon hung in the air, but Kotone brushed it away. Knowing his fate suddenly endeared him to her. "There was something I was asked to give Dahn, but the task slipped my mind. It was one of Akane's last wishes that I do."
Geirin flipped his hair behind his shoulder and sighed. "The boy refuses to speak. It seems your tour of the Tento-Kagura was the last he cared to."
"I wish I could help," said Kotone; an empty offer. "But I know only as much as Nagi."
Geirin recognized the wistful look in her eye. He had been pleased to see it in Nagi's when he first mentioned Raidou the day after their new friends from the Capital departed. "Unfortunately, Nagi is retrieving tools in a village far from here. You just missed her."
"That's all right," Kotone managed a smile. "I will surely see her again."
Geirin's next words were interrupted by the deep breath he suddenly took, as though he were gasping for air. It appeared to take him by surprise as well, but if he noticed the worry on her face, he gave no indication. "I appreciate your humoring Nagi, Raidou, but you are aware I am capable of handling things here…"
"Oh, I don't doubt that at all," she answered.
"Then Raidou—" Once more, Geirin was cut off by his own breathy coughing. It sounded awful.
"Geirin." Her brows furrowed, voice deeper—or perhaps just older, as though they truly were peers. "Are you all right?"
He nodded. "A minor cough."
"Geirin," she repeated, as though it would coax the truth from him. "Is Nagi…prepared to succeed you? Should you…"
The old summoner took almost a step back in alarm before indignation settled into his stiff stance. "A rude inquiry, Raidou."
"Yes, of course," she said immediately. "My apologies, Geirin. The thought came to me in a dream." Kotone watched him carefully. "Not a wish of a dream, but something ominous that I could not control myself. And you know clairvoyance is—"
"Rare, even among lines of Great Summoners," he said curtly. She wondered if he had seen through her lie.
With another apology, Kotone headed down the basement. A prison for outsiders, often, but today it was for traitors. Black-masked Fukoshi had been stripped of their pride and forced to remove their masks, trapped in the heat of the earth and their narrow cells. They all looked so young; some must have been only her age. Sticky webs were splayed all over their doors.
It was a ward to keep the young men from whistling for their pets, said some of the grey-masked Fukoshi now friendly to her. Kotone could never trust them for poisoning her and forcing on her that wretched feeling—helplessness—but perhaps she was a hypocrite, too. It was her own inability to condemn Dahn completely that had brought her down here.
The Fukoshi followed her every step through the hall, which seemed to move for the lamps hung between each cell and swayed to an unknown breeze. It remained ominous; or it could have been her nerves. Kotone would never admit to it; a steel god that could break Sakuradayama in half should he step to his full height had fallen to her blade and this one foolish thing…
"Summoner." Kotone raised her head. Had she bowed it? "What are you doing here?"
There was no point in dishonesty, and she recognized his voice and build. He was Kin, Dahn's right hand. He did look older than Dahn—at least three years—and he was locked in his own cell, far from the others. Kotone could no longer see the end of the hall; the basement curled into itself, like its own simple puzzle. She had gone far enough so that she was near Dahn, she knew; it only made sense that the leaders should be put away so as not to communicate with one another.
"I have something for Dahn from Akane."
Kin nodded. "I thought you might come an' deliver the sentence."
"I am not a pet of Akijiro's to be sent on tasks."
Kin had smaller eyes, narrower than that of usual Japanese, though it might as well have been his scrutiny of her. "Farthest cell around this hall, though yew mighta guessed."
Without a goodbye, Kotone pressed on until she reached the end of the way. Dahn's was the smallest prison. Even from afar she saw that he had taken to a corner, fiddling with something in his hands, while the grey masks stood guard some ways from his cell in preparation for an escape attempt. They complied with her request for privacy; she had captured him, they knew, and trusted she would ensure that her efforts would not go to waste.
Dahn watched them head back down the left hall before getting to his feet. He looked the same; the big, hazel eyes, the straight nose, and she was heartened to see a smirk. And, of course, the curls he shared with his sister.
"Nice of you to visit, Kotone," he greeted with a slight drawl. "What's wrong? Miss me already?"
Battle was easy, but it was a task to deflect his anger. She was tempted to simply reach out past the webs, but there was her own pride to think of. The guards were listening, and Dahn, of course, watched her every move with bitterness. So she answered, "As much as one would miss another who attempted to kill them, I suppose."
Dahn snorted. "Right. No holdin' back, right? So what do you want?"
I missed your company. "Perish the thought," Kotone murmured to herself. Lilim was wrong—here, finally before the man who had occupied her thoughts since they parted, her mind grew only hazier.
Still wearing his father's jinbaori, Dahn gazed upon her now with wonder. She'd never seemed so tongue-tied, save for the night before the Marriage Ritual when he touched her face. The image of her innocence continued to burn in his mind. He glanced away, first, gathering himself and ignoring the dryness of his throat, and grinned again. "Cat got yer tongue?"
"I came here only upon the wish of a friend," she lied, and slipped the letter into his cell where the webs didn't touch. "She handed it to one of your help, but your father is rather strict with visitors. You understand."
"Yeah…" he trailed off, ripping the envelope open and tossing it aside.
Dahn stared at the letter so silently that Kotone wondered if he even read it. He held his breath, and the only part of him that moved were his fingers, which shook.
Until her return to the Capital, Kotone had not been one for curiosity. Curiosity was a terrible thing; it killed me, Gouto quipped often. In the right hands it could take man to worlds unknown, like Dr. Tsukumo, but if one was unprepared it could shatter lives with impunity.
Kuzunoha clan training had taught her the difference between curiosity and duty—to venture toward the unknown with a goal in mind was the fulfillment of the latter, of course, and the process she had followed herself to ransom the Capital from Sukuna-Hikona. But curiosity was generally to be a busybody, to have a want to know for no purpose simply than to sate it. And a great summoner was never to go forward with one's self in mind. It was why Geirin had kept the tradition of the Tsukigata girls all these years, it suddenly came to her. And why this act of hers, spurred on by Lilim, was a mistake.
Dahn hadn't finished reading yet. With a lightness of foot she'd learned from Aeros, she turned back—but this Fukoshi had always been quicker than the rest. More perceptive, and not simply in this manner.
"Wait," he called out to her, lowering the piece of paper he now treasured. Dahn hadn't thought he would ever see her again—not like this. Not until later. "Why don'tcha stay and chat awhile? You did come an awful long way…"
Kotone stood still, and it was clear to her how she'd betrayed Gouto by asking him to stay behind with Narumi and disrespected Kuzunoha clan tenets by making this visit for her own 'closure,' as Lilim called it. She had never thought herself capable of emotions like this, so searing that it made her writhe at nonsensical visions of the future—a happy, impossible one—and perhaps the Kuzunoha clan had thought the same, for she knew each lesson by heart and none of them pertained to this. She had never felt so…so forsaken.
"Kotone?"
She couldn't help it. He met her with a smile when she whirled, and her stomach made a backward flip that would have put her greatest masters to shame.
"S'gonna sound stupid given…this," he began, waving around a hand to gesture at the cell, "but thanks for the company. Those old geezers were startin' to get on my nerves."
"You have no respect for elders whatsoever," she replied. Before he could retort, she added, "I respect that. But what now?"
"Execution, probably."
"I see," she murmured. Dahn kept his hand on the bar, watching her search for words lost in his throat, too. Then she looked at him, which seemed much harder than ever. "Why didn't you kill me?"
"Why didn't you kill me? Pretty hard not to considerin' the situation my dad got us in."
"I asked you first."
Dahn grinned, his crushing grip on the bars unnoticed. "Ain't no one like you, Kotone. Couldn't kill someone like that." He was glad she looked shocked, and wondered if that detective she was always with ever managed to make her look that way. "What's your excuse?"
Kotone didn't think she made excuses, but they had been a mantra to Gouto and Narumi ever since her meeting with this wretched Fukoshi. She shrugged. "I suppose there is no one like you, either."
Dahn snorted, something only Akane would have recognized as embarrassment at the young woman's flattery. "Copycat."
"No one as stubborn as you, at least," Kotone finished.
"That's a compliment. Thanks."
Another silence passed them. It irritated her that they could only speak on normal terms when he was imprisoned. But it was fitting, she thought, because Dahn was a blazing tempest, a disaster to her greater than any Fiend. This was the only way, and the future of her imagination would remain as such; a silly girl's dream, the kind she had once scoffed at when her classmates expressed them.
"…that I would've really missed…"
Kotone blinked. "What did you say?"
"Fighting with you," he answered, before his gaze retreated to his hands. "Anyway. Don't matter. We're alive. Who woulda thought, huh? Only one thing I'm gonna miss from this here cell."
"And what is that?" Or who, she wanted to ask. And if he'd said Akane, she would have informed him that even outside there was no reprieve from her loss.
But he answered instead, "Watching the stars with pretty summoners." They stared at one another, Kotone stunned and Dahn with all the disappointed expectation of his own father, who had once hoped that he would settle down and learn the responsibility of fatherhood, which would naturally grow him into the role of Chief. It was funny how he wanted to agree now, of all times.
"Come on," he muttered. "Is it that hard for you to—?"
"What?" she asked, approaching.
"Would you miss me?" he asked, smile gone. "If I died?"
She gave him a look that only Dahn could understand as anger and worry and fear rolled into an expression that moved his heart, even if it was subtle on her face. But he knew it wasn't all in his mind, or maybe he just wanted to know her well enough to see it. He gave a sudden laugh. "Kotone…"
He reached out a bare hand through the webs and the metal. Kotone felt eyes on her back, but there was nobody there. She accepted it, expecting the cold fear of death on his palm. She was met only by his warmth, a confidence that shone similarly in his speech.
"I wish I could share it with you. The premonition of Abaddon."
He'd drawn her into some sort of haze—a charm spell on his own—she thought, though she knew it was untrue. Still, Raidou woke and remembered her place. "The Pojitrawn," she insisted. "Dahn, lead me to it."
"Will you destroy it once you see it?"
"Yes."
"Then I can't do that."
Raidou tore her hand from his but stepped forward. "Your luck locusts caused the earthquakes in the Capital, Dahn. Do you understand? Many have lost their lives. Ill luck sprouted an ancient tower at Ishigami-Cho…" It surprised her that Dahn listened intently as she continued. "Had I not solved the problem, many more would have died."
The rebel Fukoshi looked almost remorseful, but his frown and furrowed brow were steadfast. "Just a little more time, Kotone. Then I'll make it up to you. I'll save Akane and get anyone else who gets in your way…the 8th Fukoshi clan'll be in your debt."
Raidou shook her head. "I doubt assassins would take orders from a summoner."
"They'll take orders from me."
"Don't tempt me with power that isn't yours to give."
"It is mine to give," he hissed. "And I'd give it to you. And who knows? When everythin's calmed down…we can sit on that rooftop again. Take a breather."
Kotone couldn't help but lean her head against the bars. "If you try anything more," she whispered, almost a plea, "I will stop you."
The back-and-forth felt so familiar that it was no longer frustrating. It was a necessary exchange between them, like a greeting that lasted forever.
He would say, "You can try."
And, removing herself from their proximity, she would complete with, "You won't succeed."
All in time for Geirin to return and ask if she'd collected any information from the stubborn former Fukoshi heir.
"Right here, Geirin." Dahn smirked at the old summoner. "And no. You've all got the same tactic. No subtlety."
"Dahn," said Geirin, lifting an eyebrow. "You have the subtlety of a Tentomaru; loud, screeching. Flailing. You will not succeed."
"Heard that before," he chuckled, eyeing a silent Raidou.
"As you can see," Geirin sighed in Kotone's direction, "He is incorrigible. Is there anything else you wished to ask him?"
"No," she answered, glancing back at him.
"See you, Raidou," Dahn called out.
"Goodbye, Tsukigata."
The two summoners made their way back to the surface, walking slowly as in their first introductory processions as Greats. When they reached the end of the prison and climbed the steps, Geirin turned to Raidou.
"Interesting," he spoke. "He did not send you a torrent of thinly-veiled insults?"
"…Certainly. Before your arrival. Da—Tsukigata's technique is to frustrate you with them to turn you from the subject. He shifts attention from himself to your anger."
"You are correct," nodded Geirin. "I will recommend this to Akijiro."
"Geirin, I would prefer that he remain heedless of my visit, if you have any amount of control over the loyal Fukoshi. I don't appreciate him putting my friends in danger."
"Of course."
Nodding, Kotone reached out for Geirin and put her hand on his shoulder. He returned it with a look of surprise. It was not often done, but the gesture was known only among Great Summoners to mean utter respect and recognition of the other's power. It was practice for an older Great to initiate it, often because younger summoners were too arrogant, or they iniated too soon, too eagerly because of blind admiration.
But Raidou, Geirin had seen, was nothing like this. She was hiding something, but it was common to all Great Summoners. Despite her meddling, he had come to respect her.
"You'll take care, won't you, Geirin?"
"I trust you will as well, Raidou. Give my regards to Gouto and Narumi."
"And ours to Nagi."
After another batch of goodbyes, the two parted. Kotone felt no less comforted about what she felt for Dahn, though she was undeniably pleased to see him. Still, he seemed certain of his escape. She was concerned with what would happen both if he did or did not, but Raidou had a sense that Dahn Tsukigata was a man of his word.
On the other hand, the Herald herself said that Geirin was dying. She knew him even less than Dahn, but he was a good man and, naturally, a powerful summoner. Though he allowed the Tsukigata clan to continue 'business' with its 'Lord Tento'… He'd only been acting under orders. It sounded weak-minded now, and for the most part she resented it, but she understood Geirin's decision-making process. And perhaps she could not bring herself to disrespect the memory of one who, for the great Crow, was already dead.
Kotone would never admit it, but she wandered Tsukudo-cho aimlessly two mornings later, before dawn. They had finished several cases the afternoon previous, so she hadn't bothered to wake Gouto or Narumi when she opted to take a walk. To ensure that nobody followed her, she left her tubes at the Agency and asked Dominion and Aeros to look after them, giving them permission to enforce their will upon the tubes.
She had tried everything to distract herself so as not to return to Tsukigata Village the day before: she had spent time with Dr. Tsukumo, updated Dr. Victor on the varying success of his new Tesseract Box, and even visited Kaya and Rin at the Daidouji mansion—which had been bothered by mischievous Frosts, for some reason, but it was easy enough to dispel them from the area even on her own strength.
Satake had been right: it was wonderful to see the two again, but Kotone found that she could not bring herself to laugh and reminisce with anyone for too long. Not while Dahn was in prison and Akane suffered in the tunnels.
She found herself at the Tamonten Shrine at half past five. It amazed Raidou that however close it was to the main road, the shrine was quiet past the gate. Of course, at this hour there was hardly anyone up, but even on other days it had seemed almost as if it were under a spell…
"Kotone."
The summoner made the motion of glancing over her shoulder, though she barely turned her head. As expected, Louis appeared at her side—appeared, because she hadn't heard or felt his footsteps as he moved from behind her to next to her, though it came as no surprise.
"Hello, Louis," she greeted.
He glanced at her, then at the steps of the shrine before them. "How fitting that you and I should meet here." Kotone gave no reply; neither did her gaze shift from him. Louis grinned. "Tamonten is a warrior shrine, you understand. And you are the greatest warrior this century will know."
Kotone failed to notice how his smile widened at her stiffened posture. It was only slight—for she was still Raidou—but she had known it, and so had he. "Are you a seer, Louis? You know more than you should. Always." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered Thoth, who spoke as though he were a god. To perceive the gods themselves, he had said, and mentioned Louis and the Herald, who spoke for the Yatagarasu, in one breath. "Are you a god?"
Louis laughed, and Kotone had to almost resist the feeling that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders—because it hadn't. She fought to stay solemn even as he continued to smile. "Nothing so extravagant, Kotone. I only wish to aid those with true potential."
The summoner fell silent at that. "…Like Dahn."
His fingers tilted her chin to face him. Kotone's mind rang in alarm—how had he reached her so quickly without her notice? "Fret not," he murmured, "Dahn Tsukigata is quite resilient."
Kotone pulled away, making sure that a comfortable space remained between them. She wouldn't take her eyes off him again, or even blink, because she tired of his surprises—though the way her hands shook informed him otherwise. She knew it must have been a spell of some sort, but it was no simple Charm. In any case, she fought to clear her mind. "Please stop that," she told him. "You have my attention without the spell."
If she had known any better, she would know that it was Louis' turn to show surprise. But he was even more skilled than she at concealing his thoughts and only shook his head. "I can assure you there is no spell."
She stared at him, watching him for lies—she was tempted to call out Lilim to discover the truth, but she did not wish to learn who was the better charmer. Lilim was beautiful, though said to pale in comparison to her mother, but in the same light, Louis was very handsome; otherworldly…like Dominion.
Dominion, Kotone realized. Louis reminded her of Dominion. He always saw things in a different light and had a certain sway over the other demons—or creatures, in this young man's case—though he never quite showed the others his true power unless in battle. Only, Louis' strength had nearly made her ill, once. Peering into his eyes, she saw that they were blue. Dominion's had turned red when he and Lilim had consummated their love. Could Louis be an angel, then? One who had not fallen from grace as had her friend?
"Tell me," said Louis.
His voice summoned her from the depths of her conjecturing—at that, she remembered Nagi, and ultimately, her recent visit with Dahn, who had called him his benefactor.
"No, Louis," she spoke, though her head seemed to ache from fighting the urge not to say the words. Her voice rose as it never had as she spoke—to strangers it might have seemed that she only strained to make her voice louder, but those who knew her would have found it startling; as though she were demanded an answer. "You were Dahn's benefactor. Did you tell him that he could become King Abaddon of Christian lore? Tell me, Louis: are you an angel?"
There it was again: that spike of power so sudden that Kotone nearly fell. Louis caught her, her head colliding with his chest, and the last thing she remembered was thinking that his body exuded an almost searing amount of heat before she fell.
Light. Like a sudden camera flash. Flash, flash, flash… Like a thousand camera flashes.
Kotone felt the hard ground under her cap, back, and knees. Again? she thought indignantly, almost frustratedly. She shot up at once, no longer waiting for the feeling in her limbs to fill out, and took in the blazing storm and the endless spheres taunting her overhead.
The flashes subsided, leaving the sound of noisy crickets in their wake—or at least, they should have. For the first time, she could hear the storm that raged outside her protective sphere, though the air remained as still and static as in her first visit to this place.
"Enough," she said aloud, pressing a thumb against her right temple as the yee sound seemed to try to eat through her skull. On one hand, she realized, her throat was less dry this time. She hardly felt parched as in her last two visits. On the other, the sound was destroying her. "Please."
This time, however, it did not subside, and the pain nearly kept Kotone on the ground. But she refused to be subdued by something so simple as a headache when she had dealt, though weakly, with Dahn's Burning Resolve spell. So she rose, keeping a hand to her sword hilt in case this was meant to truly weaken her defenses. Her visits to this place had always been peaceful, but today trepidation accompanied her where none had before. Only the pain above her ear and the odd warmth enclosed over her left hand, though there was nothing there, kept her from attempting to run.
Perhaps it was… Kotone frowned when she realized she could not remember what had transpired before her arrival here. But before she could think on it, the world around her seemed to thrum to life, like the steady beating of an absent drum. She knew then that she would appear—the Raidou in the watermelon mask who had brought her here so many times before.
No, her mind corrected. Not the watermelon mask. The Shinado mask revered by the people of Tsukigata village.
Suddenly, Kotone remembered everything. Her conversation with Louis at the Tamonten shrine was preceded by the events at the Tower of Ishigami, themselves caused by the Pojitrawn Dahn had created with the luck locusts, thanks to the Marriage Ritual Akane had been forced to undergo for her people.
The Marriage Ritual.
The day of misfortune.
"You who play the role of Raidou and witness this spectacle…"
"Forgive my interruption," said Kotone, raising a hand to silence her. "But I have witnessed this so-called spectacle. You meant, of course, the Marriage Ritual, the same ritual Dahn Tsukigata attempted to prevent by setting his luck locusts on the Capital, setting forth events which claimed the Capital's fortune and caused despair among the people. My world…" she felt her throat shake at the thought of Akane turning into that mottled creature behind the pink screen, but she was Kotone, and she kept her composure. "My world has been overcome by misfortune. What more do you want of me?"
The Raidou wearing the Shinado mask regarded her, it seemed—it wasn't as though Kotone could tell. "If this causes you despair now, then it is extremely painful for me to make you aware of the cruel truth. That was not the so-called day of misfortune. Soon, you and the other people will become witnesses. If you have witnessed this spectacle, then the day of misfortune is now inescapable... But I do not want you to despair. The future past that day of misfortune…"
Her masked self swallowed, looked almost unable to think of the words. And then she sighed. "I want you to take a look at the 'sorrowful' face I wear. This sorrow—it is the feelings of those who despair for the future after the day of misfortune. The only one who can save the people from this sorrow is the one who assumes the name of Raidou. The one witnessing this spectacle: only you. Therefore, I want to entrust you with hope... The words I am about to impart? These are my actions to overcome misfortune by borrowing the forms of those you are familiar with."
The drums beat once more, and as though she saw the sounds she felt and heard from her very core, the world before her rippled. In her masked self's place was a masked Geirin. Kotone thought to reach out to him, recalling that he was ill, and deathly so—but it wasn't Geirin. He stood regally, just as the Great Summoner did, but he did not cough nor attempt to conceal such—he was only a spectre of some sort created by this world. So she allowed him to speak.
" …You who play the role of Raidou and witness this spectacle. I would prefer if you listened to this theory. The prevailing theory is to equate discontent with misfortune, yet to submit wholly to the flow of luck."
As soon as he mentioned the last word, a breath of shock escaped Kotone's throat. She glanced around warily—she was still in this blazing world, but for a moment she had seen…the people of the Capital standing on what she had felt to be the Ushigome-gaeri bridge. Clouds filled the sky—dangerous, she had thought in that one moment—but there was nothing more ominous than the red patch among the heavens that had caught all their attention. Kotone had no words for it. Now, all she could remember was the wonder.
"Yes," the masked Geirin nodded, as though he knew what she had felt. "That comes about as a result of one realizing that to resist is a meaningless act. My hope is that you come to see the widom of the theory involving the acceptance of misfortune."
"No," Kotone murmured, drawing her sword at once—but, once more, realized she remained with Geirin's impersonator away from the Capital. Just now, she had seen some manner of beast—it had the face of a man and wore a crown, yet its face had parted in the middle to reveal a spinning wheel covered all in spikes heading for a man through whose eyes Kotone had seen. All Kotone could remember was the man's thoughts: Death has come for me.
"You see now," said Geirin. "When the day of misfortune comes... The theory of your future will be tested. You should accept it. Do you understand?"
Kotone faced him again, sheathing her sword. "No," she answered, understanding now that he had given her the visions. "I don't understand. Such a death can be diverted. If you know my name is Raidou, then you know that is my purpose in the Capital."
"What…!?" The masked man took a step back. "Misfortune is the way of this world. There is no other valid theory... Th-This is outside the bounds of my conjecture...!" This could never be Geirin, speak though he might in the same manner. Geirin Kuzunoha the 17th would never show such surprise, and though he had accepted his fate, that wretched illness of his, Kotone trusted the Great Summoner and knew Geirin would never, in Narumi's words, 'go down without a fight.'
Kotone expected, then, his disappearance, and the world flowing before her as though she were in tears. What she hadn't foreseen despite her masked self's words was Shouhei Narumi's appearance—rather, a masked creature posing as Narumi.
"You who play the role of Raidou and witness this spectacle... Yeah, you there. There's something I want you to hear. What I'm about to say, is..." Just like her boss, he scratched the back of his head as he fumbled for the words. "Look, this might sound weird... Take Dahn. You've been watching him, right? Pretend you're him and listen to me. Being born into a clan of assassins and being called a killer...having to sit there and watch Akane be sacrified to Lord Tento... If you could tell yourself it was all just bad luck, there wouldn't be any trouble, right? But to accept it—that kind of action is the death of the self. You should know."
He paused, and Kotone wondered if it was her turn to speak. She shook her head: I don't know, boss, even if it wasn't him, but that wasn't the lie. The lie was that she did know. She hadn't lied when she told her masked self that her world had been overcome by misfortune at the thought of Akane's 'death' at the hands of the Tento Lords. Duty had forced her hand. Raidou had forced her hand.
She should have it no other way, Kotone knew. Raidou was no mere title. Raidou was her entire life—a life she would live fully, or at least lose doing her duty to the people of the Capital. A life she would lose with glory and honor. So why had it felt like granting Akane her wish had destroyed her, given her shame she hadn't thought possible?
The masked Narumi gave her no time to dwell on it as he spoke once more. "Misfortune is something that has to be resisted. It looks like the day of misfortune will come, but..." As he spoke of the day of misfortune, Kotone saw it—that same creature with a crown screeching at Dahn. In that moment she had seen it less closely, so she saw that it had wings.
A locust.
She tried to see it in her mind's eye again, since the past two visions Geirin's impostor had given her had slipped from her thoughts, but all she could remember of it now was the bitter disappointment of failure.
"It won't be the last day," Narumi continued. "We have a future. The day of misfortune? It's not the end of the world. What's the value of a future where you deny yourself and just accept the bad things that happen to you? Resisting misfortune. You get the idea, right?
Kotone licked her lips and nodded this time.
"Right? That's normal, huh? You've got potential, kid," said the masked Narumi. "You can act all mature and say that doing nothing in the face of bad luck is a valid action... But you won't be fooling anyone. Not really. It's just an excuse for those without guts to resist."
"I agree," she spoke, but he was no longer there. The drums echoed across the spiraled ground beneath her, and her masked self was before her again, speaking as though she had never gone.
"Misfortune is the closest and worst natural disaster in this world. You who play the role of Raidou have heard the words of your associates. Some accept misfortune; others resist. The two paths are utterly opposite one another, but both are actions to take hold of the future. Kotone, on the coming day of misfortune... I want you to be the hope that those who despair in the future will badly need. In themselves, your actions to take hold of your future will be a form of hope for the people. Kotone, do not forget this…you must listen so that you will not repeat his error..."
"Whose error?" Kotone asked.
Her masked self gave no reply. "Either action involving taking hold of the future is equally noble. Neither is innately good nor evil. H-However... To avoid your actions dictating the future of others—remember that you are responsible for your actions. Acting without responsibility is destruction. Act responsibly, Kotone."
The storm blazed on. A flash of white, and then black again.
Louis focused on the body of Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. He had suspected, and he had been correct, but still it surprised him. He had heard of the 14th's accomplishments over the past year from trusted generals, but she went over and above his current expectations. At her age and alleged skill level, he had thought she would only be a fine match for Dahn Tsukigata, the boy so easily persuaded into calling forth Abaddon.
Clearly, the Kuzunoha clan's training had deserved more credit. But even with the Count's high praise regarding her natural inclination toward discipline, he had seen that her suspicions had been easily deflected by his beauty. A smile here and a chuckle there had thrown her off his scent and, admittedly, disappointed him. But today all that sorrow from Akane Tsukigata's marriage to those lowly Old Ones had shown him that Kotone Kuzunoha was a warrior trained not by praise and success, but by failure and disappointment. Today she had overcome his smile—and asked if he were an angel.
Louis was pleased. And fortunate, he thought wryly—he would have had some trouble deflecting her question. Just as she had asked it, however, Shinado had chosen to speak with her. Rude, he'd thought, and he had barely just managed to keep her body here instead of allowing it to whisk her away. There was some resistance, but he had cloaked himself well. Shinado would suspect nothing. This connection they now shared would be useful in the future…in the case that the 14th would require aid. It would be disappointing if she did, but he had already decided. Kotone Kuzunoha was the warrior he was waiting for.
The Yatagarasu would have seen it, too. It managed its little Great Summoner factory well. This would be interesting.
Kotone awoke, hand grasping his as she seemed to gasp. She gave a little cough, throat dry from the experience, but Louis gave her little time to remember what she had asked before she was almost taken away from him.
"Are you all right, Kotone?" he asked in the voice that had persuaded even Lilith to do his bidding. She knew better now, of course, but she owed him much, and that was enough for him.
Her vision clouded, and she gave him the same enamored look as had all the others, though subdued compared to the rest—until she blinked, catching herself, and used his hand to pull herself up. "Did I disappear?" she asked, searching the Tamonten Shrine as though it were her first time there. "I always seem to."
Louis released her and stood from his crouching position. "It's good to see you awake, Kotone." He knew it infuriated her, and the man took amusement from it. "Now, I must be going."
"Wait," she called, getting to her feet. Voice calm as always and betraying none of her frustration, she said, "I know you won't respond, Louis, but your actions confuse me. You speak in abstractions that make little sense, then give me hope and tell me Dahn is resilient. What is it you want of me?"
Louis kept his gaze ahead, almost proud that she had realized the inconsistency. He admitted to himself that he had given her more than she deserved, but from the beginning he had seen her potential. Even Astaroth liked her, and he was difficult to please.
"I should like to see you again," was his answer, as he turned his head to meet her gaze a last time, and he enjoyed immensely the power it gave him when her pale cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink.
Speechless at his reply, Kotone watched Louis disappear past the Shrine's gate. When she regained the presence of mind to follow him, he had already disappeared—whether within the crowd or simply into thin air, she had no idea. Despite that, it was the existence of a crowd, flowing in and out of the main and side streets as usual, which gave her pause. There should have been no crowds this early in the day.
"Morning, Raidou!" To her left, the owner of Tawara-Ya gave her a friendly wave. "Looking for some breakfast?"
"Good morning, Mr. Iwata," she smiled politely. "I was only out for a walk. May I ask what time it is?"
"It's nine-thirty," he answered, then glanced at the sky with distaste. "Not that you can tell with all those clouds in the sky. Such odd weather for the season—then again, with our luck, the earthquakes haven't exactly helped…Huh." Mr. Iwata's eyes squinted at the sky as he craned his neck, resting his wrinkled hand on Kotone's shoulder to keep his balance. "What in heavens is that…?"
Kotone followed his gaze and felt her heart drop into her stomach. Fear was nothing new to a Great Summoner, but this was more than that. Fear often came from the unexpected. The unknown. True, she knew nothing of it save for the visions that masked self had forced upon her, but this fear had a new taste—that of the inevitable. How long had her masked self kept her in that world?
By the time Mr. Iwata shook out of his own reverie, Raidou had already disappeared, leaving no trace in the steadily bustling crowd beneath the ominous sky. Giving a helpless shrug, Tawara-Ya's owner grumbled about his misfortune of late and went back inside to carry on about his daily business.
Kotone jogged unceremoniously from the Tamonten Shrine's entrance to the Ginroukaku building, muttering half-hearted apologies through the bustle gasping indignantly at her counterflow.
"Oof! Hey, watch—! Kotone?"
As she turned a corner, she steadied the lavender figure before her and caught the bonnet that had been knocked from the woman's hair. "I'm sorry, Miss Asakura," she said, then entered the detective agency. Her mentors weren't lounging about at the office, so she bolted to the roof. There, she found the two standing just as idly against the railing, with Gouto standing close to Narumi's elbow.
"Boss," she spoke, hardly tired from her run and yet out of breath, "Gouto—"
"Hey, Raidou," Narumi greeted without turning his head. He stared absently into the city and sighed. "Tae was right on the money. Those skies are gloomier than me without my morning coffee. It's enough to ruin a guy's whole day. I can't work under these conditions…"
"Hmm," said Gouto, quickly scribbling into his notebook for the man. "The weather is certainly odd, given how it's been hot recently."
"Exactly," he grumbled. "Only Raidou can get fired up about her job on a day like this."
"Boss—"
"It's awful quiet, too. That time the Fukoshi brought those Luck Locusts into the Capital and all the commotion it caused all seems so long ago, now."
"Right," said Gouto. "But…call it a dead man's intuition, but I still have a bad feeling. Kotone, what do you think?"
The cat glanced toward his descendant, who had given up on saying her piece. Her cape was turned to them, her head unnaturally tilted toward the sky. Kotone wasn't one to look to the clouds—she was ever grounded, mind always on the humans and the Capital she was tasked to protect. When he followed her gaze, though, he found himself gaping, too.
"What the deuce is that!?"
"Huh?" Finally, the last of their Agency noticed it: not the clouds that filled the sky in its entirety, but the great red hole for which they parted. "…What…is that…?"
This, Kotone recognized—déjà vu from her time in the blazing world just hours earlier. Suddenly that one vision seemed clear in her memory, though all she remembered of the others was utter despair.
"The day of misfortune."
Please tell me what you think! Would love to hear feedback on this chapter, if there are still any readers out there. I love seeing characters like Kotone go a little crazy. Heheh.
[Also, I'll be posting this story on AO3 for those who prefer that site, so don't report me or anything for copying. It'll be me! Same account name. :)]