Chapter Eleven

"I don't understand," Rikuou said. "If she's human, then how does she have this power? How is she more powerful than the both of you?!" He gestured between Kokuyo and Hisui.

"Tengu are demons bound to Earth," Hisui whispered. "I am—was bound to Heaven. Kokuyo was bound to Hell. This plane is not our natural plane. And…we…"

"Remember how I told you that we "tainted" each other when we made love?" Kokuyo asked Rikuou. Rikuou blanched but nodded. "Well, it's true. I infected Hisui with my natural darkness, and Hisui infected me with his natural light. These features are unnatural to our bodies, and so it has had a negative affect on our abilities." He smirked. "It was very worth it, though."

"Yes, but it will not help us now," Hisui said. "Kei-kun and Kazahaya-kun are human…but they do have the blood of a Karasu-Tenju in their veins. Kei-kun, she…there must have been an event in her life. An event that would have caused her to sink into the natural darkness that a Tengu possess. She is indeed human…but not wholly anymore. The blood inside of her body has been taken over by her Tengu blood, and she has embraced her demonic powers."

"Her kidnapping," Rikuou breathed. He struggled to stand. "Kazahaya—h-he said Kei was kidnapped a few years ago. When she came back she was…different."

"That will do it," Kokuyo said grimly. "And now she is our final foe…and we have lost."

"What do you mean?" Tsukiko asked.

"Our promise to God," Hisui grunted. "That we would take care of the child…and all who the child holds dear. Because of the promise…there is nothing we can do against that girl."

Rikuou gaped at the two of them in shock. He wanted to ask more, but he looked towards Kazahaya and saw that Kei was moving towards him. Without thinking, he raced towards them.

"Kazahaya," Kei breathed, smiling serenely. "My sweetest, dearest Kazahaya. I just knew that you would come back to me."

Kazahaya was crying. His vision was blurry and his cheeks were wet. But he wasn't making a sound. He stood frozen, his mind and body numb as he stared at his twin sister. He hadn't seen her in over a year, and his chest ached by just how much he had missed her.

But…But he wasn't happy. He was trembling, and a coldness was spreading inside of him. He had missed Kei. He loved Kei. But…But she had done so many terrible things.

"Do you remember, Kazahaya?" Kei asked. She lifted her hand pointed towards him with her pinkie. "The promise we made? How we would always be together?" Her smile slipped and she lowered her hand. "You broke your promise to me, Kazahaya. You broke my heart. That was so cruel of you."

"I'm sorry," Kazahaya whispered. His throat was tight. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Kei. But…But you must understand—"

"I must understand how they were going to kill me?" Kei finished for him.

Kazahaya sucked in a sharp breath. "I thought as much," Kei mused. "They could no longer control me, and I would have killed them had they killed you. Those pathetic fools, believing us to be children sent from the moon by Kaguya-hime. But remember how I told you we were more frightening than that?"

Kazahaya nodded. "D…Did you know, Kei? Did you know that we are descended from a d…d-demon?"

"Of course I did!" Kei announced cheerfully. More crows flew over and land upon her arms. "Remember those bad, bad people who stole me away from you? The longer I was away from you, the more I missed you! The angrier I became! Then one day…one day I heard singing in my blood!"

"S…Singing?!" Kazahaya wheezed.

"It was beautiful," Kei breathed. She nudged the crow on her right hand, and it took off flying. "The melody…like an old song lost to time! When I listened carefully, I could distinguish words! It told me that if I wanted to go back to you, I needed to open a door inside of myself! It was so easy! So I opened the door, and then…" she giggled girlishly. "You should have seen it, Kazahaya. Those bad people who kept me from you…they paid. I made them pay."

Kazahaya's arm was seized and he was pulled away from Kei. "Stay away from her! She's not human anymore!"

"What?!" Kazahaya cried out, but Kei screamed, "THIEF!"

Rikuou was sent flying away from Kazahaya and he slammed into the ground. "RIKUOU!" Tsukiko screamed, running to her brother's side.

"RIKUOU!" Kazahaya screamed at the same time. He tried to run to his side, but something caught his sleeve. "Don't."

Kazahaya froze in his tracks. "Don't go again," Kei said softly, her tone pleading. "Don't leave me again, Kazahaya."

Kazahaya exhaled painfully and turned to face her. "Kei," he said. He was filled with anger and sorrow. "You hurt Rikuou! Why?!"

"Don't worry about him," Kei said. She closed the distance between them and embraced him, resting her forehead against his chest. "You don't need him, Kazahaya. You only need me. You will only ever need me. No one else. We have been together since conception. We will never be apart again."

Her words disturbed Kazahaya and filled him with dread. He started trembling all over. "Kei—"

"Kei-kun!" Hisui called out. "Please let Kazahaya-kun go!"

Kei's head snapped up. She was smiling again, but the expression was frighteningly to Kazahaya. "You won't keep us apart!" she shouted. "No one will keep me from Kazahaya again! And there is nothing you can do about it!" She raised one hand and pointed a finger towards the black sky. The crows rose from her and and around them, and they hovered into the air.

"Kei, what are you doing?!" Kei asked.

"Kill them all!" Kei commanded. "But especially kill that boy! Himura Rikuou!"

"KEI!" Kazahaya screamed.

Tsukiko and Hisui helped Rikuou sit up, but Kokuyo pushed them back down and drew his wings over them. "LOOK OUT!" and they were suddenly besieged by hundreds of crows.

"Kei, NO!" Kazahaya screamed. He tried to go to his friends, but Kei hugged him around the middle and held him still. "Don't go, Kazahaya."

"Kokuyo!" Hisui shouted.

"Damn!" Kokuyo grunted. The crows were slamming into his wings and clawing and pecking at them. "There's too many of them! They must be reinforced by Kei's power! I can't risk my power here!"

"What promise were you talking about before?!" Rikuou snapped. "Who was the child, and the people who hold him dear?!"

"Kohaku!" Hisui screamed. "We promised God that we would watch over Kohaku until he wakes up! And those who Kohaku holds dear!"

"You mean Kazahaya's cousin?! But he's—"

"Yes, we know! But Kazahaya-kun is his blood! Kei-kun is his blood! They are Kudos! As such, Kohaku holds them dear!"

Rikuou gaped at him. "So…because Kazahaya's cousin is dead, you are bound to protect those who share his blood. Kazahaya, and…"

"They cannot stand against Kei-kun," Tsukiko whispered. "They cannot do anything to hurt her."

"More so, because Kazahaya-kun loves her. We cannot fight her because of his love."

Kazahaya struggled, but he could not break Kei's hold on him. He couldn't see Rikuou or any of them under the attacking army of crows. "Kei, please!" he begged. "Please stop this!"

Kei squeezed him tight. Kazahaya exhaled reflexively, and his chest burned. "Why, Kazahaya? Why do you care what happens to them? I'm the only thing that should matter to you."

"W…Why did you command them to attack Rikuou directly? You n-named him."

"Because," Kei said, her tone turning low and dangerou. "He is a thief, Kazahaya. He is trying to steal you away from me."

"W…What?"

"I saw a terrible vision of the future, Kazahaya. That snake's future. In that bad future, he took you away from me. And you let him take you away from me."

Kazahaya's body froze. Kei…she saw a future of me? A future with me with Rikuou? But—

"But that future is never going to happen because he is going to die here," Kei said bluntly. "He will die, and you will be with me."

"KEI!" Kazahaya screamed. He heaved against her arms, and he was able to push her off him. He raced over to his friends, swatting wildly at the crows. "STOP IT! STOP ATTACKING! DON'T YOU DARE HURT THEM! RIKUOU!"

"Come," Kei called. Very abruptly the crows flew away. Kazahaya saw that Kokuyo's wings were scratched and leaking dark blood. After a moment he moved his wings away, revealing Rikuou, Tsukiko, and Hisui underneath them. "You okay, kid?" Kokuyo asked Kazahaya. His tone was raspy.

Kazahaya didn't answer him. He collapsed to his knees and reached for Rikuou, his fingers stroking his cheek. "A-Are you okay?"

Rikuou nodded, but his expression was somber. "We're in trouble, though."

"I know," Kazahaya mumured. "But I'll protect you all. I swear it!"

"Kazahaya-kun—" Tsukiko said.

"Why are you doing this, Kazahaya?"

Kazahaya quickly turned to face Kei. He stood up and blocked his friends from her view with his body. "Kei," he said. "Please stop this."

"Why are you putting them before me?" Kei asked him. She sounded genuinely hurt, and her eerie expression was now sad. She gestured to herself. "I am Kei." She gestured to him. "You are Kazahaya. We cannot exist without each other. We cannot love anyone without each other. I have always believed that. I thought you believed that, Kazahaya."

"I do love you, Kei!" Kazahaya cried out. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "You are my only family! For the longest time you were the only person who loved me! I will NEVER stop loving you!

"But…" he gritted his teeth. "But Kei…we're not the only people who exist in the world! I am capable of loving more than one person! You are capable of loving more than one person!"

"It is impossible," Kei spat, her eyes narrowing. "No one matters but us! There is no one like us! And we should have no one but each other! If you don't understand that Kazahaya, then…" she raised her hand again.

"Kei, NO!" Kazahaya hurried over to her and flung himself at her feet. "Please don't hurt them! Please don't kill them! Please…just let them leave, and I'll never leave you again! I swear it!"

"Kazahaya!" Rikuou shouted in protest, jumping to his feet.

"Silence, thief!" Kei shouted. She started to point at Rikuou, but Kazahaya lunged forward and hugged her arm to his chest tight. "NO! DON'T HURT HIM!"

Kei stared at him wide-eyed, her breathing loud and unsteady. Silence lingered in the air for a long time before she spoke again. "You…Kazahaya. Y-You…You love that boy that much? That you would stand against me?"

Kazahaya didn't respond, but he didn't let her arm go. There was no need to say anything, either a denial or a confirmation. He knew the truth deep in his heart.

"Kazahaya?" Kei whispered. Tears had filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "Y-You love him…more than you love me, don't you? You don't want to be with me at all. You choose to stay with me…to protect him? Don't you? That boy means more to you than your twin sister?"

The sorrow in her tone was thick. For the first time since they had arrived at the mansion, she sounded like the eighteen-year-old girl she was. Kazahaya couldn't look at her, and his lips were pressed tight to prevent himself from speaking. But…But everyone knew. Especially him.

….Yes. It's true. I love him.

Kei choked on a sob, and she glared murderously towards Rikuou. "You," she spat. "You thief! You STOLE HIM FROM ME!" her shriek shook the air, causing it to vibrate violently.

"You don't understand."

Kazahaya opened his eyes, and tears leaked out. He looked over his shoulder, and he saw Tsukiko moving to stand in front of Rikuou. Her expression was set in stone.

"What do you mean?!" Kei demanded. "Kazahaya belongs to me! He is my twin! There is no tie GREATER than that of twins!"

"That's not true," Tsukiko said. "And you know that deep down, Kei-kun. It is true that you do have a close bond with Kazahaya-kun, but the bond between twins will never compare…to the bond between soulmates."