It has been six years since Yoko made that vow. Saya is now a young woman and is looking forward to her life with her beloved fox.
"Yoko left last week while you were ill Lady Saya." A fox tells the teen as she sweeps in front of the shrine.
"W-what?" Saya grips her necklace as her heart sinks.
While doing her rounds Inari finds a slouched over Saya on the stone steps. Unsure how to console the girl she thought of leaving her be. Yet the thought of her innocent childhood and smile every time she saw Yoko causes her to go over.
"Mind if I sit?" Inari taps the girls shoulder.
"Sure." Saya wipes away some of her tears as she skooches over.
'What should I say?' Inari ponders seeing the heart broken girl.
-Flashback:
'You're leaving?!' Inari exclaims. 'But what about Saya?'
'She's a human girl. I thought she'd be over this ridiculous crush by now.' Yoko packs a satchel.
'Your promise had no truth in it? Not even a little?' Inari stares lecturingly at him.
Yoko pauses for a moment then finishes backing. Throwing the satchel over his back he heads out. But stops at the shrine doors.
'Tell her I'm sorry.' Yoko disappears with a jump.-
'That boy…' Inari sighs heavily.
"He lied." Saya cuts off Inari's thought proses. "He never…" She hides her face behind her knees.
'Stupid fox.' Saya grips the necklace as her heart breaks with every passing moment.
Inari pets her head. "Honestly I think he was scared." She gently strokes Saya's hair.
"Scared? What could scare him?" Saya pouts, still refusing to look up.
"You." Inari stops petting her.
"What? Me?" Saya seems confused.
"Haven't you noticed? He loves you very much. You are the ONLY one that can make that boy react to anything." Inari smiles softly at her as she thinks back. "Just as you only acted spoiled around him. Am I wrong?" She wipes away the last of her tears.
"Maybe." Saya lays her head on her knees.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts." Inari brushes off the dirt as she heads off once more.
'Yoko, why did you leave? Should I just give up?' Saya drags her feet as she starts for home.
-Flash back:
'Tell you what. I'll make you my bride in six years. Sound like a deal?' Yoko hugs her gently as he leans his chin on her head.
'You only acted spoiled around him. Am I wrong?' Inari smiles gently at her.-
Stopping on the last step, Saya grips a fist making up her mind.
Later on a commotion can be heard from the main house. Inari goes to see what happened, staying in spirit form as to not shock anyone.
"Find her! Did she really do it!? Oh Lady Saya!" The servants panic as they run around.
'What in the world?' Inari seems puzzled until she sees the note that had fallen out of one of their hands.
-Note:
I'm going after my fiancé! Don't stop me!
Saya-
'I guess she made up her mind.' Inari laughs as everyone else runs franticly.
Months pass by with Yoko running ramped with his new partner in crime Kuronue, a bat demon. The two of them deiced to head in town for a change to exchange their loot for cash.
"Man that was a hall." Kuronue laughs as he looks at his large satchel of gold and silver coins.
"It was." Yoko nods.
Looking around he stops as he sees a small stand of items for young woman. Drawn to a sakura decorated mirror he walks over.
"So where should we eat?" Kuronue looks over to see Yoko is gone.
'She would have loved this.' Yoko picks up the small trinket with sad eyes.
"Yoko? What's up?" Kuronue walks over to him.
"Nothing." Yoko places the hand mirror back down. "How about we stay at an inn tonight? We can drink and eat all we like." He starts walking.
"Really? You're going to gloss over what just happened?" Kuronue lifts an eyebrow.
"I don't know what you mean." Yoko speeds up a bit.
"Oh come on you can tell me. Did you leave a girl behind? Did she leave you?" Kuronue bugs.
"It's not… like that." Yoko and Saya meet eyes.
"Yoko." Saya smiles. "I finally found you." She runs over to him.
"What are you doing here?" Yoko steps back from her hug. "Don't tell me you ran away." He stares suspiciously.
"I had every right to leave." Saya puffs her cheeks in anger.
"Oh and what's that?" Yoko scuffs.
"Tracking down my fiancé." Saya points to him seriously.
"F-!?" Kuronue jumps back a bit as he stares at his friend.
"I never agreed to that!" Yoko shouts at her.
"You did! You promised to make me your wife!" Saya glares right back.
"Didn't! Did! Didn't! Did!" They shout back and forth.
"Alright you two." Kuronue flies in between them. "Why don't we discuss this somewhere else, like back at our camp, since town may not work now." He motions to the gocking villagers'.
The two flush as they see all of them staring and whispering. Back in the mountains Saya explains her story as Yoko makes a fire ignoring her.
"And that's all of it." Saya sits in front of the newly made fire.
"I see." Kuronue proses what he heard then turns to Yoko.
"What?" Yoko tends to the fire.
"You cruel man, how could you make such a promise to a child?" Kuronue takes Saya's side on this. "How could you not think it would blow up in your face?" He continues to lecture.
"Shut up! She was a kid about to cry! I only did it so she wouldn't wale." Yoko snaps.
"That's the only reason huh?" Saya grips a fist. "I… I should go." She runs off tears clearly falling.
"Not going to go after her?" Kuronue glances at the clearly upset fox.
"No." Yoko pokes the fire.
"Hey… did you really mean it? You have no feelings for her?" Kuronue probes.
Yoko pokes the fire silently. Kuronue sighs then goes to fish in a nearby creak.
A few minutes later Yoko goes looking for Saya. Prepared for a yelling match.
But instead he finds her being attacked by bandits. Using his control over plants he quickly drives them off.
"Are you an idiot!? Why didn't you use your powers?!" Yoko shuts at a barely standing Saya.
"I… I was scared." Saya shakes with fear. "I w-was so… scared." She cries.
Yoko pulls her into a hug. "It's okay. You're safe now. You're safe." He gently strokes her hair as he holds her close.
Saya cries in his arms unable to hold back as she clings to him. Kuronue simply smiles as he hides behind a tree.
After that event Yoko decides it's unsafe for Saya to be on her own. Kuronue simply smirks as he calls him a softy. Yoko chooses to ignore that as they go from village to village. Somewhere along the way they stared taking cursed items and selling them to interested demons or Saya would purify them to sell elsewhere.
"Thank you so much for coming." An old man bows the party of three.
"No problem just let us know how we can help." Saya bows back.
(Play for next pages: watch?v=87nXl_AxDzc )
"This is ridiculous." Yoko sighs as they sit in the shops backroom.
"What's the matter?" Saya glances at him confused.
"We're thieves! Not helpers!" Yoko rants.
"It is odd to be doing this." Kuronue ponders.
"You're still getting items. You're just also helping out too. Nothing wrong with that is there?" Saya smiles at them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The old man comes in with a tightly wrapped sword.
"This is the item?" Saya stares at the dark aura oozing out from the wrappings.
"Yes." The man nods. "It was supposedly owned by an assassin. But now there's a curse over it. Everyone that has touched has killed their most beloved person and then gone on to kill more." The man explains. "No one knows how to get rid of it or its curse." He stares at it with much sadness.
"So you want her to purify it?" Kuronue glances at Saya.
"Yes." The old man nods. "It's said you admit a powerful light. Please dispel this darkness." He bows to her.
"Maybe if I don't touch it I can try." Saya ponders.
"Thank you." The old man bows multiple times.
"We'll be outside. Stay safe Squirt." Yoko heads out with the others.
Unwrapping the sword Saya feels the full brunt of its darkness and call to kill. She begins to try purifying it. But with this battle the table shakes and before she knows it the sword lands in her lap tainting her with darkness.
'Kill! Kill the fox!' The sword beckons.
'No.' Saya shouts in her head but her body moves.
Yoko sees her but notices the sword almost too late. Saya begins trying to strike him down again and again. Getting in a few nicks as the battle leads to the back ally.
"Squirt, you have to fight it." Yoko huffs holding his injured leg.
'He can't get away! Kill him!' the sword demands.
'I… I…' Saya holds the sword over him with tears dripping down as she remembers him and their time together. 'I WON'T!' She stabs herself through the stomach.
Yoko stares stunned at this. The sword disappears in a puff of black smoke as she begins to fall.
"Squirt! Saya hang on!" Yoko catches her.
"Y… Yoko… I… I wish…" Saya huffs as her eyes grow heavy.
'I wish we can meet again.' Saya fades away into dust of light.
"SAYA!" Yoko hollers in pain as she vanishes.