A/N: Aaaand I'm back again for another exciting new chapter of "Sparked". This fanfic is very soon drawing to an end, but I promise that I'll write more Toji No Miko fanfics in the near future. Here's Chapter 20!
Chapter 20:
Blue energy flashed as Shitsuren and Konoka's okatana clashed against each other. With her new strength and rage directed at her aunt, Hiyori's attacks were now flawless and uniform. Although she was smaller and less experienced than Konoka, the immense power of Shitsuren combined with Hiyori's full aradama form gave her a clear advantage. Hiyori was determined to avenge Kanami.
However, even her power could not beat through Konoka's. All those years of perfecting her aradama abilities had made the older Hiiragi woman stronger and have more control over them. Konoka's hair crackled with blue lightning as she roared over the booming thunder outside.
"You cannot defeat me!" she yelled. "I was and always have been the most powerful Hiiragi of them all! The most powerful Toji and aradama! And I will continue to be for eternity!"
Konoka swung her okatana, nearly taking off Hiyori's head. Hiyori staggered back, almost tripping over her dress, before dealing a powerful wave of lightning towards her assailant. Although Hiyori was still capable of blocking Konoka's attacks, her stamina was starting to decrease considerably. In desperation, she tried to use Ichikishimahime's future sight, hoping she could find a weak spot in Konoka's fighting style. However, she could see no possible outcomes that would give her an upper hand. Sweat dripped from Hiyori's forehead, as she continued to fight while also trying to come up with a solution. If she didn't end this soon...
"Stop dodging!" Konoka roared. "What's wrong, Hiyorihime?! Too weak and pitiful to fight me?"
Their fight continued up to the top of the pagoda, where Konoka tried to push Hiyori towards one of the balconies, in the hopes of making her fall to her death. However, the Heijou Toji had already guessed her aunt's plan and in a flash of lightning, darted onto the roof with Konoka hot on her heels. Lightning streaked through the darkened sky, as rain poured onto the two aradama women, soaking them to the skin. But even the storm did not break their determination to kill each other.
"Is being so powerful all that matters to you?" Hiyori snarled.
"Oh, this is also on a personal level too, dearie," Konoka replied.
Hiyori's eyes narrowed, as she asked, "Just what the hell did I ever do to you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Konoka snorted. "You're alive."
A rush of rage flushed over Hiyori's facial expression.
"You had everything! Family and friends!" Konoka cried, her voice cracking.
"Seriously? This is what it's all about?" Hiyori laughed. "You're jealous of me? Well, guess what Aunt Konoka? My life is not all it's cracked up to be."
"Oh, stop playing as the martyr, Hiyori," her aunt spat. "Everyone loved you and you didn't even deserve it! Even once you became an aradama like me, Yukari and everyone else treated you well."
Then with a dark tone, she said, "Whereas, in my case, everyone hated me, all because I was born half-aradama. I've spent years alone locked away from the world, while my bitch of a sister got to enjoy life to its fullest. And worst of all, she had you."
With those words, Konoka sent a blast of energy towards Hiyori, knocking her down against the roof with Shitsuren falling down to the ground below. Within just a few seconds, Hiyori found her limbs pinned down to the roof with bonds of energy. No amount of struggling and not even her aradama powers could help her. Konoka spun her okatana with a playful look, bringing its tip millimeters from Hiyori's throat.
"Like I said: you cannot defeat me," she laughed. "I admit that my plan of destroying you turned out better than I hoped."
"Your plan?"
"Honestly, girl, how else do you think Tagitsuhime was able to escape from the netherworld?"
It finally dawned on Hiyori. Her hair flickered wildly, as her anger surged.
"You summoned her..."
"Mm hm. I knew that I'd need her as a puppet to give you my pain. I was just initially going to have you live the lonely life I've always had, and have Tagitsuhime make you destroy everything yourself. What I didn't expect was her also raping you and taking you as a lover," Konoka laughed. "Not that it spoiled the fun for me by seeing you in pain."
"Fuck you," Hiyori growled.
Konoka couldn't help but let another exclamation of joy escape her lips. Finally, everything was hers now. There was only one last thing to do.
"Say hello to Kaga-nee-chan for me," Konoka crooned, as she raised her okatana.
Hiyori squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for death. Why did it have to come to this? A tear fell down Hiyori's cheek, as remorse filled her heart. She was now going to die with regrets just like her mother. Her daughter's demise would follow, and very soon afterwards, the whole world. Everything was all her fault.
'Kanami, Mother, please don't let me die alone,' Hiyori begged internally.
However, at that very moment, she heard the furious beating of wings and the caws of a crow, followed by a scream from Konoka. Confusion filled Hiyori's mind, as she wondered what was going on. However, once she opened her eyes, she almost threw up at the gruesome sight before her. What was left of Konoka's right eye was now all bloody, staining her pale face and dripping onto her already crimson red military uniform. But once Hiyori spotted the blue-eyed crow flapping about in the air, along with the blood on its talons, it only took her a second to realize that her feathered minion just saved her.
With Konoka distracted by her new wound, Hiyori felt her bonds release her slightly. Not wasting another second, she used her aradama powers to break out of them. Now half-blinded, with no way of harnessing the power of her dragon's eye, Konoka felt her okatana being snatched out of her grasp, as something hoisted her into the air by her neck.
Konoka choked out, "N-No! It can't be!"
"This ends now," Hiyori snarled, with her arm raised, not releasing the tentacle of blue noro around Konoka's neck.
However, Konoka was determined to die undefeated. Her pride was more important than her life.
"You may think you've won, but I'll never stop! Never!" Konoka vowed. "I'll wander and curse the face of this world to destruction, even in death!"
Then, in a broken voice, she cried, "I hate you!"
Hiyori's eyes widened as those words left Konoka's mouth. Despite the murderous look in her aunt's eyes, Hiyori could see another emotion behind them...loneliness. For some reason, the hatred in Hiyori's heart was replaced by something else in that moment. The Heijou Toji couldn't figure out what it was, until the mental image of Yukari flashed in front of her mind. Particularly during that fateful day...the day of the National Swordsmanship Tournament, when she attempted to assassinate the Origami sister. Origami Yukari, a woman who Hiyori initially never considered human, until she learned the grey truth. The Heijou Toji now stared at her aunt with a look that almost appeared to be pity.
She now understood what Yukari meant.
"I'm sorry for you, Hiiragi Konoka," Hiyori said, scathingly.
"What?!" came the reply.
"I said I'm sorry for you," Hiyori repeated.
She took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm sorry that your family abandoned you. I'm sorry about how you felt lonely. I'm sorry that everyone treated you terribly. And I'm sorry how you think doing all this will guarantee you happiness and the love you always wanted."
Konoka was taken aback by what Hiyori said—they were honestly the last words she expected the Heijou Toji to say. The older Hiiragi woman didn't quite know how to reply. No retorts or threats that she could think of came to mind. Her surprise was added to, once she felt herself being set down gently back on the roof.
"What are you doing?" Konoka asked, suspiciously.
"If I'm going to be a monster for eternity, I don't want to be one for tonight," Hiyori replied. "Go."
She turned around, not wanting to face her aunt anymore.
"I'm giving you the chance no one else gave you," she said. "I suggest you use it."
Not waiting for the possibility of Hiyori changing her mind, Konoka fled in terror, whisking herself away in a flash of lightning. What with the loss of her future sight, Konoka knew that she'd hardly stand a chance against Hiyori's power.
Once she was out of sight, Hiyori couldn't help but let a sigh of relief escape her throat. Was it right for her to let Konoka go? Doubt started to flood her mind, but the realization of how she and Konoka were not that different made Hiyori stop questioning her judgement. It was the call of a familiar voice that brought Hiyori back from her thoughts. That voice... It couldn't be... Hiyori looked down from the roof to see the one person she last expected to see.
"Hiyori-chan!"
Kanami waved to her friend from below with a broad smile on her face. Hiyori didn't wait any longer. Not caring about anything, she jumped down the pagoda roof from balcony to balcony, not wanting to waste time by taking the stairs. Whether she was hallucinating or not, Hiyori didn't know, but the one thing she did know was that she wasn't going to let this one moment of being with Kanami slip away. However, on the last jump, Hiyori misjudged the leap in her excitement and ended up falling on top of Kanami.
"H-Hiyo—woah!"
Despite the pain of being landed on, Kanami was overjoyed to have Hiyori with her once more. What with the time, distance, and circumstances that had kept her and Hiyori apart, Kanami's heart couldn't help but swell up with love and joy. They had been separated for too long. After untangling herself from Kanami's limbs, Hiyori let out a sob of happiness.
"It's you. It's really you..." she breathed.
"I promised I'd find you, Hiyori-chan," Kanami said.
Hiyori spluttered, "How are you still alive? Konoka had you killed and..."
Her voice was silenced once Kanami pressed a finger to her lips. The Minoseki Toji wrapped her arms around Hiyori. The familiar embrace of Kanami's arms around her... Words couldn't describe the joy Hiyori felt in that moment. The same happiness resonated in Kanami's heart as she continued hugging the Heijou Toji. Finally, they were together again.
"Hiyori-chan..."
"Kanami..."
Without hesitation, the two Tojis' eyes closed as their lips were drawn together...until, Hiyori threw her head back, letting out an ear-splitting scream.
"Gaaaaaah!"
"Hiyori-chan!"
Weakly, Hiyori looked down to see a blade sticking right out of her chest with blood staining her white dress. Red liquid dripped down as it continued to seep from Hiyori's wound. Konoka let out a cackle of delight, as she swiftly pulled Shitsuren from Hiyori's body, letting the flow of blood gush out more freely. Hiyori sadly gazed into Kanami's eyes, before falling to the ground in a crumpled, bloody mess. At first, Kanami wondered who was screaming, until she realized it was her own voice that was making that certain dreadful sound of horror.
"No, please...no! Hiyori-chan!" Kanami cried. "Hiyori-chan!"
She grabbed Hiyori into her arms, tears falling from her eyes. Hiyori was barely clinging to life, as she weakly put a bloody hand to Kanami's cheek.
"Sorry I never said it earlier..." Hiyori wheezed, gasping for breath. "I love you...Kanami."
Kanami's chest heaved up and down as she stared helplessly at the girl she loved dying before her eyes. In her anguish, the Minoseki Toji's self-control started to break, now laced with rage. With a growl, Kanami glared at Konoka with hatred...her eyes now glowing the color of a vivid orange...
A/N: So, it seems Yukari's "prophecy" in Chapter 16 has come true! And it appears we now know what Tagitsuhime suggested to Kanami in the last chapter. Hope you also enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think! Reviews are always welcome!