Hisoka materialised inside Tatsumi's office, clutching an unconscious Gushoshin under each arm. His clothes were rumpled and frayed, while his chestnut hair was tangled and sticking up at odd angles.

Tatsumi dropped the pen he was holding. "Kurosaki-kun? What happened? Are you hurt?"

Hisoka's only reply was a hostile glare. He marched past Tatsumi's desk and through the adjoining doorway into Chief Konoe's office.

"Tsuzuki's gone missing, Chief. He's been possessed by Saagatanus again. I tried to seal him with a binding spell, but he broke free and escaped."

"Saagatanus?" Chief Konoe stood up, bushy eyebrows raised. "It can't be! Are you sure?"

"I saw the black wings sprouting from Tsuzuki's back. He was acting out of character too. The real Tsuzuki would never have..." Hisoka flushed, his cheeks bright red.

"I see." Chief Konoe exchanged looks with Tatsumi, who was standing in the doorway.

"Nothing happened! I didn't give him a chance to do anything." Hisoka dumped both bird spirits on the floor. "Muraki's mixed up in this. I think he cast a spell on the Gushoshin. I'm going to need back-up to find them."

Tatsumi cleared his throat. "Chief, I request leave from my secretarial duties to accompany Kurosaki-kun to the land of the living."

"No!" Hisoka's vehemence surprised them all, including Hisoka himself. "I mean...I'd rather have Watari-san with me. He told me he's done some background research for Tsuzuki-"

"Very well. Take both Tatsumi and Watari with you." Chief Konoe's gruff voice left no room for negotiation.

Inside the elevator, Hisoka went to the far corner, folded his arms across his chest and stared at the floor. Tatsumi pressed the button to Watari's lab and remained by the door.

"Do you have any objection to my assistance on this assignment?" he asked mildly.

Hisoka shook his head. "No, of course not. I...I didn't want to inconvenience you, that's all."

"It's no inconvenience, Kurosaki-kun. The welfare of all EnmaCho employees is my responsibility as secretary."

Some more than others. Only by biting his lower lip did Hisoka kept the retort to himself.

Tatsumi didn't trust him. Tatsumi didn't believe in him. Tatsumi had kept the truth from him like everyone else. How was he supposed to protect Tsuzuki when he was the last to know what was going on? By withholding what he knew of Muraki's involvement, Tatsumi had placed him in an untenable position - and it left him seething.

They found Watari sitting at his desk, staring into space. His glasses lay atop an open book. 003 was fluttering above his head, hooting to catch his attention.

"Watari-san?" Hisoka shook his shoulder. "Watari-san, wake up!"

Tatsumi waved a hand before Watari's blank gaze. "He seems to be in a trance. Don't tell me he's taken one of his crazy potions again." He turned the swivel chair around so Watari faced him. "Watari-san! Can you hear me?"

No response. Watari was staring past him into the distance. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.

Tatsumi touched his forehead. "Kurosaki-kun, bring a glass of water." When Hisoka was out of the room, he lightly slapped Watari's face. "Hey, Watari-san! Wake up!"

"Critical updates downloaded," Watari murmured in a monotone. "Reboot in progress."

Tatsumi frowned. Had Watari started acting like a computer after staring at one for too long?

Watari suddenly blinked and looked up. "Hey, Tatsumi! What a nice surprise!" His brown eyes crinkled in a cheerful smile. "What are you doing down here?"

"Err...I..." Tatsumi was at a loss for words. "Are you all right? Do you remember what happened?"

"I'm fine! I was just at my desk when..." The colour drained from his face. He swiveled his chair around, and stared at the book for several seconds. "I...I must've had a migraine attack."

Relieved at seeing her master return to normal, 003 landed on Watari's shoulder and peered closely at him.

Tatsumi watched his hunched shoulders. "I didn't know you suffered from migraine."

"It's been a while...but I'll be fine." He shut the book and put on his glasses. "Oh, Bon! You're here as well! How are you today?"

Hisoka handed him the glass of water. "Are you all right? You were in a daze when we came down here."

"Hahaha! No, no, it's nothing serious! It's just a migraine!" He took a gulp of water. "I feel much better. Now what can I do for you?"

As Hisoka explained the day's events, Tatsumi went around Watari to take a peek at the book. It was an old leather-bound Bible with a cross engraved in gold on the cover.

"Saagatanus possess Tsuzuki again? Oh no, Bon, that's impossible! Saaga's not in a position to bother Tsuzuki. If anything-"

"But I saw the black wings on his back! I swear, it was exactly like last time! I'm sure Muraki's collaborating with Saagatanus in some way to take over Tsuzuki's body! We've got to go back and find him before it's too late!"

"Okay, okay! You can count on me!" He patted Hisoka on the back. "Don't worry, Bon. Tsuzuki is tougher than he looks. We'll find him soon enough."

003 landed on Hisoka's shoulder and hooted her support.

"What were you reading?" Tatsumi flicked through the pages of the Bible. "Something relevant to this case?"

"Nah, nothing much. I was just brushing up on my knowledge of Christianity." Watari chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. "I was never much good at religious studies. It always sent me to sleep."

In the Hall of Candles, Hakushaku was far from happy. After much debate with Watson, he had decided to keep the violet candle in one of the underground dungeons. Watson insisted that a room lined by sandstone would be easier to fireproof than coating the walls of an elegant salon room with fireproof plaster.

Much to Hakushaku's annoyance, some of his prized collection of bondage sex toys had to be moved elsewhere to make room.

"I suppose it makes no difference," he sighed as Watson trudged past, puny frame dwarfed by the stack of whips, handcuffs, chains, vibrators and other assorted items he carried in his arms. "It's not as if I get to use them much nowadays."

From behind prison bars, the violet flame burned bright and strong. The candle wax remained perilously low. The puddle of melted wax was growing in size around it.

"Nothing in the material world lasts forever. Forming attachments to mortals only ends in heartbreak and sorrow." He turned away, his mask shaking from side to side. "Silly child. He's been reincarnated enough times to learn, yet he insists on making the same mistakes again and again." He tsked to himself as he made his way upstairs. "Well, I hope he enjoys it while it lasts. Once the gold raven snares the jade rabbit, I'm afraid the reckoning will begin."

Tsuzuki lay on his side in Muraki's bed, one black wing stretched against the mattress, the other curled over his head as if he wanted to hide his face in embarrassment. He was nude apart from the downy feathers that lined his nape, shoulders and back. He trembled, lips parted as he panted for breath. He clutched the sheets for support.

"What will you do...if I lose my power? What if...my essence runs out?"

Muraki was seated between Tsuzuki's thighs, his head bent over Tsuzuki's crotch. One of Tsuzuki's knees was hooked over his shoulder, while the other was left to splay open across Muraki's lap. When Tsuzuki tried to bring the knee up, Muraki pushed it down, spreading his thighs apart for easier access.

"Fool." Muraki lapped reverently at the crown of the erection with his tongue. "You and your essence are eternal."

"But...something might happen." Tsuzuki's breath caught in his throat as Muraki swallowed him down again. "My essence might be resealed...my power taken from me." He tried to steel himself against the exquisite delight. "Would you still do this...if I wasn't rich in Wood energy?"

"Of course not." Muraki's teeth nibbled at the smooth flesh of his inner thigh. "What would be the use?" From his position between Tsuzuki's parted thighs, Muraki eyed him with sardonic amusement, deliberately ignoring the slick erection prodding his cheek and jaw.

The message was crystal clear: he was the helpless prey, Muraki the triumphant predator.

"Then again," Muraki continued with a sly smile, "as long as you nourish me, I won't need to seek out another. It all depends on you, doesn't it?" He rubbed his cheek against Tsuzuki's inner thigh, then lowered his head once more, saving Tsuzuki the effort of making a reply.

Muraki didn't want an answer; he was only after essence. A few minutes later, Tsuzuki's desire-wracked body was more than ready to grant Muraki his wish.

The black panther lay on the floor, glowing green eyes watching them intently. When Muraki was done, it began lashing its tail loudly against the floor.

Muraki glared across at it. "What do you want?"

"Your lecherous conduct is unseemly. You feed from him too much. You must show proper respect to the Light!"

"Be silent. As the one who awakened Tsuzuki-san, I know best how to accelerate his development."

The panther raised its head high. The drumming tail grew louder. "I am here to bear witness to the Light, not to watch you indulge in a feeding orgy."

Tsuzuki propped himself up on his elbows. He'd completely forgotten about Muraki's feline familiar. Somehow being observed in the throes of passion felt more shameful when the observer was a large panther instead of a domestic cat.

"I've seen you before, haven't I?" he said to the panther. His black wings swept over his shoulders like a feathered cape, providing a semblance of modesty.

"You remember me?"

"I think so." Tsuzuki studied it for a long moment. "Your eyes look familiar."

The panther rose to its feet and came towards him. "Then look closer. Look into my eyes and remember."

With an impatient sigh, Muraki lounged against the headboard, knees bent in front of him. "Go on. She has been longing to tell you, and your ears are finally attuned to hear her."

"She?" Tsuzuki turned back to the panther. "I didn't know you were a..."

But the panther was gone. Instead his entire vision was filled with aqua green, the beautiful blue-green colour of a warm tropical sea. It then faded into a dark grey, and suddenly he was surrounded by dark storm clouds and buffeted by a howling gale.

Tsuzuki turned around. Before him floated a bearded grey dragon with flowing white mane and a long serpentine body that seemed to disappear in the surrounding clouds. Her brilliant eyes, fringed by long lashes, glowed aqua green.

"I know you! Muraki summoned you into battle the first time I fought him in Nagasaki! You're...Ohryuu!"

The dragon blinked - and Tsuzuki found himself back in Muraki's bedroom once more.

"The very same," Muraki agreed. "It took you long enough."

"How was I supposed to recognise her? The last time I saw Ohryuu, she was a huge dragon!"

"Forgive me." Crestfallen, the panther hung its head. "I don't have the energy to reveal my true form."

"No, no! It's not your fault. You're still terrifying and impressive, even if you are sealed. I can see it in your eyes." Tsuzuki patted the creature's head as if it were an oversized pet dog.

Muraki raised an eyebrow.

The panther froze at his touch. "I...I am honoured you remember me."

"I hope Suzaku Nee-san wasn't too rough with you! She likes shrieking and breathing fire in battle, but she's really quite nice when you get to know her."

"Would you like to unseal Ohryuu, the Wind dragon?" Muraki asked.

"Me?" Tsuzuki withdrew his hand. "I don't know if I can. You said a powerful spellcaster sealed her-"

"Indeed, and it will take a powerful spellcaster to break it. Now that Wood energy is awakened within you, you have the power to leech the energy from any source - positive or negative - and harness it for yourself." Muraki shifted closer to Tsuzuki and ran his fingers over the downy feathers lining Tsuzuki's upper back. "Why don't you see if you have the power to unseal her and set her free?"

Tsuzuki swatted Muraki with his wing. "Who sealed her?"

"What does it matter? A spell is a spell is a spell." Muraki held the wingtip in front of him and extended the delicate limb. The black feathers fanned out before him. "Beautiful," he murmured. "Simply beautiful."

"Were you sealed in feline form after the battle in Nagasaki?" Tsuzuki asked the panther.

"No. I was sealed centuries ago. I remained in the form of a kitten until I was discovered by the one who bore witness to the Light. By drinking blood blessed by the Light, I was able to break free of the seal for several minutes at a time and assume my true form."

"I found her sheltering between trash cans in an alleyway one night," Muraki explained. He wrapped Tsuzuki's wing around his shoulders to create a makeshift wrap for himself. "Such is the fate of demons who refuse to accept Duke Ashitarote's authority."

"Then why can't she break free of the seal now? You still feed her, don't you?"

Muraki sighed. "My blood only offered temporary respite from the seal, and that was back when I was granted the indulgence of regenerative potential. Today my blood is not as potent as it once was. Now the best I can do is sustain her sealed form."

"But today I have been strengthened by the Light!" The piercing yowl was now a triumphant roar. "The Light has nourished us with his flesh and blood! Praise be to the Light!"

"Shh! Not so loud!"

"Indeed he has," Muraki replied. "But the big question is whether Tsuzuki-san will break your seal and set you free."

Tsuzuki's hand hovered above the animal's head. "Was it Enma-DaiOh who sealed her?"

Muraki's lips twisted. "Enma does not need to perform such menial tasks when he has his own official department, named in his honour, to do the work for him, does he?"

So it had to be a former Shinigami - perhaps someone who served in the Shoukanka long before he arrived in Meifu. Someone like him with strong emotional ties to the material world, who was willing to fight demons and reap souls so he or she could occasionally walk among the living again.

"There are obscure records in the JuOhCho database about a failed demonic revolt against Duke Ashitarote. It was supposedly led by a demon that used the power of Wind. I don't suppose you had anything to do with that, did you?" he asked the panther.

The creature's eyes glowed. "That was the last time I swirled through the clouds as a free agent. I didn't want to forfeit my Wind energy or be imprisoned in a virtual world." It sauntered to the far end of the bed, as if contemplating whether it could leap on the mattress to join them. At Muraki's forbidding glare, it settled for lounging on the carpeted floor.

"In Chinese folklore, she is known as Yinglong, the winged rain-dragon," Muraki said. "The kanji for her name means 'the dragon who answers.' When crops are threatened by drought, farmers would call on her for help. Using Wind to gather the clouds, she answers their prayers with plentiful rainfall."

"I always answer the prayers of those who call on me." The panther puffed out its chest, very proud with itself.

"So you're similar to Souryuu. Souryuu is a Water shikigami, while you use Wind to bring water as rain."

"Naturally. We dragons have close ties to water, regardless of our energy type - which was why the terms Duke Ashitarote negotiated with Enma were abhorrent to me." The panther snorted in disgust. "Why would I willingly sacrifice the cleansing purity of Wind for the foul stench of Fire?"

"Unseal Ohryuu," Muraki murmured. He pulled the wing up around his neck to create a feathery black scarf for himself. "Unseal Ohryuu so she can return to her rightful place in the heavens as bringer of rain."

Outside, a brilliant sunset cast the clear sky in burnished orange-pink. It would be a warm, humid evening. A cooling summer shower would bring welcome relief from the heat.

Tsuzuki slowly unfurled his wing from Muraki's shoulders. "If I unseal Ohryuu, who would she answer to - me or you?"

"Why wouldn't she answer to us both?" Muraki grasped the trailing wingtip and drew it back. "Now that you've abandoned Enma, our goal is one and the same."

Tsuzuki resented Muraki's proprietorial manner. The delicate flexor muscles of his wing trembled, resisting Muraki's grasp. "Is it? I'm not so sure."

Muraki's grip tightened. "Aren't you?"

"No, I'm not." Tsuzuki refused to be cowed. No matter what violence Muraki used, the black wings would regenerate like the rest of him. His innate Wood energy wouldn't be suppressed any longer.

Muraki seemed to realize this too. His stern expression eased into a lazy, seductive grin. "In that case, I must do my best to persuade you otherwise." He slid his hand up along the wing and shoulder, until his fingers idly stroked the downy nape of Tsuzuki's neck.

A tempting diversion, but hardly an answer. Tsuzuki lowered his head, as if to encourage his caress. "You don't answer to me, do you? You only answer to the full moon, Gyokuto."

Muraki's fingers froze.

"I've been remembering things ever since I started seeing you. I'm not sure if it's my own memories coming back or you're planting them in my mind...but they do strike a chord within me."

Muraki's fingers fell away. "What do you remember?"

"As a child, I was shunned for being different. I had no one to play with apart from my sister. So my mother would console me by making me look up at the night sky. She'd tell me there were spirits in the heavens waiting for me to call them, and one day they would be my friends. So I'd lift my arms up to the moon and call your name, because you were the only one I knew."

For once, Muraki was silent. His true eye gazed at Tsuzuki with a piercing intensity as if he was searching for something important.

"You took your time answering me, didn't you?" Tsuzuki reached up to brush away the silver bangs. The glowing retracted false eye didn't frighten him. "But it's all right. You don't have to hide yourself anymore. I'll wait for the full moon with you." He leaned forward to kiss Muraki on the forehead.

Muraki held him back. "Don't call me that."

"But you don't deny it, do you?"

Muraki closed his eyes. "The white rabbit sleeps, and yet he does not sleep. He has died, and yet he is not dead."

"Enough riddles, Muraki." Tsuzuki unfurled his black wings. "As you can see, I'm no white rabbit."

Muraki eyed them with hungry longing. "Neither am I." His hands crept up to ruffle the downy feathers lining Tsuzuki's back. "I'm no one's rabbit." He suddenly drew his nails down the length of Tsuzuki's back. Tufts of bloody black feathers fell onto the mattress.

Tsuzuki twitched and arched. He retaliated by digging his nails into Muraki's shoulders. "You said you were mine," he murmured against Muraki's ear. "I'll call you what I like."

Muraki seized one wing. Tsuzuki flapped to free it, but it was no use. With a brutal twist, Muraki dislocated the wing at the socket joint adjacent to his shoulder blade. The pain made Tsuzuki cry out.

"And you are mine," Muraki reminded him. There was a maniacal glitter of jealousy in his true eye. "No one else may feed from you. No one else may touch you. I have pledged more to you than anyone. Your flesh, your essence - from now on, every inch of you belongs to me!"

"I only let your cat feed from me because I wanted to be rid of my wings! You had just deserted me for Hisoka, remember? Why should I be exclusive to you when you're not exclusive to me?"

Muraki's anger settled into a brooding contemplation. "Now you know how I feel. I was jealous of your shinigami comrades. I was jealous of your twelve shikigami. I was jealous of anyone who happened to divert your attention from me." He let the wing go. "I don't want to be just another worshipper."

"What are you talking about? I don't have any worshippers apart from you-"

"Glory be to the Light!" the panther roared. "Let us give thanks to the Light that guides us!"

"-and Ohryuu, I guess."

"When you finally awaken, you will have countless worshippers." Muraki's tone was flat.

Would he? Tsuzuki couldn't imagine it. His shikigami had been forgotten over the centuries - he was the only one who called on them now. Why would he, God of Wood, fare any better?

"I don't want countless worshippers." Tsuzuki drew his broken wing around him. He could feel the tug of muscle and sinew knitting the joint back into place. "As a child, all I ever wanted was someone to play with - someone who would accept me for who I am." He reclined on the mattress, injured wing partially cloaking his nude body. "Someone I could call Gyokuto-sama."

"I'll never be your bunny, but I'm more than ready to play."

"Never ever?" The memory of the time a zombie-like Muraki willingly acquiesced to his advances came to mind. "Not even when you're under the influence of your mysterious kagetsu spell?"

"Never ever." Muraki's icy gaze promised retribution if Tsuzuki dared to repeat the experience.

Tsuzuki's arm moved beneath his wing in a slow, steady rhythm. "What do you know of Kinu, the gold raven who symbolises the sun?"

"The sun holds no interest for me." Muraki lay beside him. From this angle, he could just see Tsuzuki stroking himself beneath the cloaking feathers. "I only wait for the rise of the full moon."

"Kinu is rumoured to serve Enma-DaiOh."

Muraki's gaze narrowed. "So what does Kinu do? Sing in a gilded cage for Enma's amusement?

"Gushoshin Elder told me he works with the JuOhCho supercomputer. No one has ever met him in person, but he's said to be brilliant, all-knowing and wise."

"Really?" Muraki drawled. "Well, I suppose it's easy to claim to be all-knowing when you have Enma's database of human knowledge at your fingertips." He reached under Tsuzuki's wing. His sure, firm grip stroked and squeezed until Tsuzuki was erect once more.

"Mmm...maybe you're right. Still, I wish I could meet Kinu for myself." Tsuzuki reached across to reciprocate, only to find Muraki was already hard.

Muraki pushed Tsuzuki on his back and rolled on top. He slid their cocks together in a steady rocking motion. "What for?" he asked. "Do you want to play with him too?"

"No..." Tsuzuki's reply was more groan than answer. He couldn't escape, not with Muraki gripping his wrists like manacles. Pinned against the mattress, his injured wing still hurt...but it was rapidly overwhelmed by the erotic sensations of Muraki's cock rubbing against his. "I...I just wanted to ask him..."

"Ask him what?" Muraki's voice was a husky growl against Tsuzuki's throat.

"...what use Enma-DaiOh has for human knowledge...when he already owns the collective energy of billions of human souls." Tsuzuki wound his legs around Muraki's hips to bind them closer.

Muraki exhaled. "A good question." He lifted Tsuzuki's hips higher, until his erection slid between the cleft of Tsuzuki's ass. "A very...good...question."

Tsuzuki closed his eyes. He wasn't going to get an answer...and, to be honest, he didn't particularly care. There were other pressing urges that needed to be satisfied first.

Having done this so many times, he didn't require much preparation.

Tsuzuki's lips parted in a low moan as Muraki filled him to the hilt.

Even now, he didn't completely trust Muraki and his motives. He wasn't ready to unseal Ohryuu or restore life to a sick girl at the drop of a hat simply because Muraki asked it of him. But if Muraki ever found the self-discipline to withhold sexual favours as a bargaining chip...then Tsuzuki knew his resistance would crumble like a house of cards.

His hands, now free, clutched Muraki's broad shoulders for support against the driving thrusts inside him - pleasuring him, punishing him, until he forgot everything except the man who held him in ecstatic thrall.

For this, he deserted his friends at the Shoukanka. For this, he risked the wrath of Enma-DaiOh and the entire JuOhCho administration. For this, he wore the black wings of a fallen angel. For the mind-blowing pleasure of Muraki's ruthless possession, he would do absolutely anything.

His capitulation was complete.

Hisoka took Tatsumi and Watari to the park where he last saw Tsuzuki.

"So he dematerialised here while you were chanting the binding spell?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yes. Before he disappeared, he said he refused to deliver the summons...and that the dog was free of the leash. That must be a reference to Saagatanus."

Tatsumi knelt down to pick up a stray black feather. "Perhaps." He scanned the ground for clues. "What else did he say before he left?"

Hisoka frowned. The events happened so fast it was all jumbled in his mind. "Well, initially he claimed he wasn't possessed. He showed me the feathers growing from his back, and he was acting all sad and apologetic about not being human. He started talking gibberish about energy growing inside him. He was in complete denial about his condition - then suddenly he started calling me his 'lamb' and making a pass at me!"

Watari stroked his chin. The long shadows cast by the hulking tree stump several metres away had caught his attention.

Tatsumi noticed it too. "That tree looks out of place. Was it there when you arrived?"

"I don't think so." Hisoka walked towards it. "Actually, I was lying under a big tree when I awoke from the trance. But it wasn't dead - it was covered in leaves."

003 flew from Watari's shoulder to land on a thick overhanging branch. She scratched her talons against the gnarled wood and hooted.

"Looks pretty dead now." Watari kicked at an exposed root with his boot. He looked past the stump to the streetlights in the distance. "Hey, isn't that a hospital?"

"You're right." Hisoka became excited. "That reminds me! We heard Norata's daughter was ill, so Tsuzuki and Gushoshin Elder went looking for her in the local hospitals! She might be a patient here!"

"Good thinking, Kurosaki-kun," Tatsumi said. "Let's take a look."

Watari hung back. "Why don't you and Bon go on ahead? I'll search this area for more clues."

When they were gone, Watari let out a sigh of relief. He preferred to work alone. It gave him the freedom to take certain liberties a regular shinigami wouldn't get away with.

"Is this your doing, Tsuzuki? And the moon isn't quite full yet either." He placed a hand on the massive tree trunk and whistled in admiration. "I wish I was here to witness it. I've always been sceptical about the legends surrounding you and your kind." He looked up at the tangled branches looming over him. "I've got to hand it to you Gods. You don't do anything by halves - which should make finding you a cinch. Unfortunately, there isn't room in this universe for two Guardians of Wood."

He pulled out a pencil and writing pad, and started drawing. When he was finished, he ripped off the sheet and flung it into the air. By the time it floated down, the paper had transformed into the subject he'd drawn - a perfect copy of himself.

"Have fun." Watari winked at his copy. "Take good care of him, 003!" He slowly dematerialised as he sauntered away towards the street.

Notes:

I'm sorry for not updating for so long. I was become frustrated with my own writing...and then I heard tales about stories being auto-reported which scared me a lot. Thanks once again to those of you who've taken the time to write feedback - I really appreciate it so much. This chapter is deliberately shorter than usual because I feel shorter chapters might be a better way to increase the story's pace. I hope it'll also give me an incentive to make more regular updates - fingers crossed!