Chapter Seventy
The agitated tapping of Megumi's foot echoed in the empty and still air of her top floor office. All five tails at her back shifted and twitched, and her sharp teeth chewed intently on the inside of her cheek as she stared down at the picture frame on her desk. She was hesitating. The sentimental attachment still lingering inside her heart was fighting with the scientist that she was. Romanticism was arguing with her need for based reality, and it was causing her to waste time. Annoyed with herself, she vocalized a noise of deep disgust and snatched up the protective feather charm that her husband had gifted to her long before their wedding.
To keep it from deteriorating after it had lost its power, Megumi had placed a small barrier around it. Disengaging that barrier before she could change her mind, she held the feathers up by the leather strap keeping them together, and dangled the charm over the open palm of her other hand. Again, she hesitated, this time only briefly, before a burst of fox fire shot to life between the clawed-bowl of her fingers.
The flames covered and consumed the two long tailfeathers, and the vixen's cinnamon tinted irises observed every detail and reaction with obsessive attention. Tightness in her chest caused her breathing to shorten, and a knot formed in her throat as the shape of the feathers remained clear despite the damaging fire. Just as the tension in her being threatened to overwhelm her, the leather strap came apart and the feathers dropped to her desk in a flurry of flickering flames.
Cursing, Megumi slapped at the crackling charm to put out the fire before it spread to the wood of her desktop. Leaning onto the surface with her hand covering the smoking feathers, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced her breathing to slow. An angry tear of despair and disappointment squeezed from out of her eyelashes and dripped onto the ashes between her thumb and forefinger. It sizzled under the heat, and she sniffled before removing her hand and opening her eyes.
Idiot. You're an idiot.
Staring down at the desk, she started laughing, a slightly hysterical laugh, and then slumped into the chair pushed back behind her. Sitting, perfect but now untethered, were the two iridescent tailfeathers. The leather strap and beads were singed black and half eaten by her fox fire, but the feathers appeared untouched. Fox fire wasn't nearly as hot as fire demon flames, but a simple rooster would not have been immune to them.
"You damn idiot."
The expletive came through clenched teeth as her anger got the better of her, and she dug into her lab coat pocket for her phone. As it rang, she jerked open one of her desk drawers for her laptop.
"Megumi-san." Sōzō's dry, cracked voice was openly surprised but happy to hear from her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Sharply tapping on the keyboard of her computer, she pulled up the security cameras in Kaoru's host lab to check who was still in there.
"I just felt like reminiscing." The bite combined with the false pleasantry in her voice was telling. Concerned, Sōzō asked if she was alright. "Just peachy. Tell me, what kind of rooster did Sano say he was again. I forget."
"Well…" Sōzō's unease was clear as he answered her cautiously. "I don't think he knew. He said he couldn't remember his parents."
"Yeah, but he joked about it a lot, right?" Now her voice sounded coy as she tried to ease him into the information. "What was that he said once? That night we got drunk before you left to fight in the war: August… or Fall… or…"
"Autumn?" Sōzō laughed as he remembered the time she was talking about. "I remember that. Whoever heard of an Autumn Rooster? That idiot, trying to make himself sound old or something. He acted more like a kid than any child I knew."
No one was left inside the small host lab, and Megumi slapped the screen of her laptop down before standing to leave.
"That's funny." Her tone dropped to dry and contradicted her words. "You know, I learned something interesting today." Stepping onto her private elevator, Megumi slammed the button to return to that little human's host lab.
"What's that?" More confused than ever, Sōzō responded slowly.
"Sano's feathers don't burn."
"You tried to burn them?!" Quick indignation calmed a mere second later, and the frown in the hiderigami's voice was clear. "They didn't?"
"Not even a singe."
"What does that mean?"
Marching down the hallway, the vixen's voice turned cool.
"I'll let you know when I figure it out. Ciao."
"Meg…" Ending the call before Sōzō could protest, Megumi jerked open the door to the lab and breezed inside like the owner of the building only could. The sketchbook remained open and just the way Kaoru had left it on her small desk in the rec room. Staring down at the rough sketch of the bird she had drawn, per Kenshin's specifications, Megumi rubbed her thumb gently and absently across the marriage seal still glowing strong on her inner wrist. Then she scowled.
"If you hid this from me, you're going to wish you could die."
Clicking a picture with her phone, her eyes unconsciously narrowed as she remembered the harmless smile Kenshin had tried to throw her off with.
Just how much does he know? Where did he really see this bird? Her lip curled on a sneer. Should I force him to tell me? I still know how…
Muttering under her breath, she absently turned the page back on the sketchbook to see if the girl had drawn anything else related to the phoenix-like bird. Four pages back, and Megumi paused. Her current outrage and focus on her husband dimmed, and her beautiful mind shifted rather violently towards something else that was pressing. Flames covered the page from top to bottom. The hot red-orange flames of a fire demon. Golden eyes stared up from out of the drawing, but did not appear focused upon the observer. Instead, to Megumi's strange annoyance, the eyes remained fixed upon something over her head.
Creases formed along her forehead as she vaguely remembered that the very first thing the girl had drawn was a fire demon. A fire demon she dreamed about. Kenshin was the last remaining fire demon in the world, and the girl's artificial body was only five years old. Which meant, she had to have met this particular fire demon while she was still alive. From what Megumi had gleaned from Kaoru's memories, the only fire demon she had knowingly met was Kenshin's father.
"But Ken-sama's father had red eyes. So, who, exactly, is this?"
The tension in her face relaxed as realization dawned, and Megumi reached again for her phone. There was only one reason that she could think of as to why the girl would be persistently dreaming about this particular demon, and why they had not seen it in the images produced by her strongest memories. If Megumi was right, this fire demon had something to do with how she had died. Which was the only moment Kaoru claimed she still could not remember. Figuring out the details of her death would, at last, give them a better idea of why she was so important to Sōjirō, and possibly provide them with an edge over his plans.
"Kiyosato-san, I need you to set back up that equipment you just finished fixing. Yes, in Kaoru's lab. Keep this between us for now. I'll explain the situation to Tomoe." Continuing to study the impressive image in the sketchbook, Megumi inhaled and carefully flipped the pages back to the drawing of the bird. "We just need to make sure that girl doesn't know, or she'll fight it again. Why? Because if I'm right, she's been having dreams about her death since the day she was brought in. She either isn't aware of it, or she's been hiding it from us on purpose."
X
"It's always impressive, Himura-san." Iori stood bent at the waist with his face pressed close to the furnace. Inside, the flame that Kenshin maintained for their business flickered happily. "Each time I think you've perfected it, and each time you seem to improve upon that which can't be improved." He stood, and Kenshin smiled to hide how uncomfortable he still was with the praise. "How long will the flame last this time, do you think?"
"Two months, I believe, but I'll come back a little early to be safe."
"Two months?! That's twice as long as Grandfather's flame."
"If you feel there has been any loss in quality or temperature, please let me know. I will come back in and make adjustments. External temperature can still affect it, especially in the winter months."
"We'll keep that in mind, but we've had no complaints thus far. If anything, our product has improved in quality. Dad's been talking about giving you a raise. I think he's afraid our competition might try to pilfer you." Iori laughed, and Kenshin chuckled along with the infectious expression of joviality.
"I doubt he'll have to worry about that very much." Thinking about his most recent experience the day before with how others reacted to his identity as a fire demon, Kenshin denied the thought of someone else wanting to steal him as an employee. As far as he was concerned, Arai Knives and Tae's restaurant were anomalies. Getting a job had never been easy for him.
"Don't underestimate your strengths, Himura-san. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but we've already received a few inquiries from other companies."
"I didn't mention you, since I wasn't sure if you wanted me to reveal you as a fire demon." Seiku entered the room, and though he smiled, his expression was a bit more serious than his son's. "Of course, I would rather keep you to ourselves, from a business perspective, but hiding a skill is against our nature. Especially one as beneficial as yours. We're proud and confident enough in our own skills. Even if you used your power for our competition, it's not going to affect us all that much."
"That's right." Iori nodded in agreement with his father. "Grandfather's technique was perfect, and he was a good teacher. No other craftsman even compares."
Though uncertain about the advice and assistance they were offering him, based purely off of his own dread and experience, Kenshin resolved to think carefully about the opportunities that could open up for him as a result. After all, sooner or later he would have to worry about supporting two people and not just one. Inhaling slowly, Kenshin averted his gaze to stare at the flame he had created.
"I wouldn't be able to maintain too many flames at once, anyway. It would eventually spread me too thin, and there would be issues with the flame's stability. I'll think about what you said, though."
"Uh, right." The thought didn't seem to have occurred to the two Arai demons, and Seiku's posture became less open and more guarded. As an aside, he leaned over to his son, and Kenshin half-caught him planning to look over their finances again to determine how much of an extra profit they were making now that he was working for them. Iori nodded eagerly in agreement, and then they both smiled at him.
"Don't be too hasty, Himura-san. We're certainly open to negotiating your pay."
Kenshin blinked.
"I wasn't trying to scare you. You already pay me more than enough."
"Nonsense. Your talent is one-of-a-kind now, and it has improved our sales and quality. We were already talking about renegotiating our prices with the vendors. Never sell your talent short, remember? My father was very adamant about that."
Did I just accidentally get a raise?
Slightly confused, Kenshin shook his head and changed the subject to Arai Shakku.
"Did Arai-sama ever talk about a sword known as the Kagu-tsuchi?" The idea had struck him that morning after waking from his newest and strangest dream. Shakku had been a master swordsmith. It was possible he knew something about the Kagu-tsuchi, either through study or stories. Kenshin knew only the stories his father had told to him, and none of them hinted at the sword having full sentience.
Both of the other demons had gone eerily quiet, and Kenshin's eyes lifted to find them looking at each other. Finally, Seiku waved his hand.
"Why don't you come up to the office for some tea?"
The small, shared office was already warm, and Iori went straight to a small kettle to heat some water. Seiku smiled and pointed to a chair for Kenshin to sit in. At the same time, he rounded one of the desks and squatted in front of a small safe under a cabinet.
"Take off your hat and make yourself comfortable, Himura-san. I have something I want to show you."
Kenshin froze in the face of the suggestion. He didn't want to appear rude, however, and so slowly removed the stocking cap covering his horns as he sank down into the wooden chair. The action went unnoticed at first, and he relaxed as the two Arai men continued what they were doing. From out of the safe, Seiku removed a worn, leather-bound journal.
"My father kept this journal. It mostly contains the techniques he studied and came up with to forge the weapons he was famous for." The steel demon stood and turned with the journal in hand. When his dark eyes of steel grey focused on him once more, his explanation stalled and he blinked in quiet surprise. Visual stimulation really was the most jarring, Kenshin realized, and he had to force himself not to cover the horns sprouting proudly and unapologetically from his head. Seiku's free hand reached out to slap his son on the arm, and Iori flinched but turned obligingly. The younger Arai's shock was slightly more blatant as his brown eyebrows lifted straight up into his hairline. Hoping to keep them from reacting, since he didn't want others to make a big deal out of something that was still incomplete, Kenshin's hands lifted. Before he could say anything, they both bowed slightly in respect. Though Kenshin knew it was mostly instinctive for them to respond with veneration towards a dragon, as they were considered highly sacred, it still made his skin crawl to be bowed to in such a way.
"That's not necessary…"
The father's gaze glanced up at him, and he frowned but seemed to understand. Standing, he gently pushed his son back towards the small electric kettle.
"Finish the tea, son."
"Sure." Iori jumped back towards the kettle eagerly, and Kenshin sighed in relief. The larger, padded desk chair across from Kenshin was pulled out, and Seiku settled the journal on the desk between them as he sat down.
"Like I said, this was my father's journal. It's a bit of a boring read. He never wrote down anything personal, and he was always very direct." Carefully parting the pages, Seiku flipped to a portion near the end of the journal. "He only went into great detail about one subject, and that was the Kagu-tsuchi." The journal was pushed in a half circle until it was facing Kenshin, and then slid gently across the desktop. Leaning forward, Kenshin frowned at the small, scraggly handwriting on the pages. "More specifically, about something called the 'perfect vessel'."
The first entry outlined basic information about the Kagu-tsuchi, or information that Kenshin thought to be basic. Even though Arai Shakku had been a fire demon, it was still not that normal for him to have so much information on the Kagu-tsuchi. It had been explained to Kenshin from a young age that the Kagu-tsuchi needed to be kept safe and secret from the world. It was not a weapon to be used, but one to be protected. As such, it was implied that only the direct lineage charged with protecting the Kagu-tsuchi should know about it and its history.
Serious violet irises focused intensely on Seiku, and Iori, with drinks in hand, hesitated in place.
"Who else knows and has read this journal?"
Seiku visibly swallowed.
"Just us. My father was adamant that this information be kept only in our family. My wife doesn't even know about it."
Nodding in acceptance, Kenshin dropped his eyes back to the cramped writing. Seiku inhaled deeply, but Iori surrendered to his curiosity while offering tea.
"You don't have to answer, but… you have it, don't you?" Kenshin didn't look up or reply. "Grandfather made it sound like the destruction caused by the death of a vessel would be unlike anything the world has ever seen. Since you're the last remaining fire demon…"
"Iori." The sharp way his father cut him off reminded the younger man of his manners.
"Forgive me."
Even if he had wanted to tell them, keeping the sword as secret as possible was nearly second nature. Instead of responding or reacting, Kenshin continued to read what he could decipher.
"This part here." Pointing at the text, Kenshin turned the journal partially sideways and slid it so it was halfway between them. "It says the Kagu-tsuchi took the form of a sword. Was it not always one?"
"Ah, no. According to what my father was told, the Kagu-tsuchi was thought to be a god. It only took the form of a weapon while cooperating with one of its very first vessels. According to legend, near the beginning of this planet's life, there were other gods threatening the balance and stability. The vessel and the Kagu-tsuchi worked together to tame or destroy those other gods. There's no mention of why the Kagu-tsuchi remained in that form afterwards, but father thought it might have been more convenient."
A god?!
The frown on Kenshin's face deepened.
That would confirm that the Kagu-tsuchi is more than just sentient. Did Dad not know, or did he just not have enough time to tell me?
More importantly… what do I do now? I was always taught to revere the Kagu-tsuchi as something sacred, but it was still only just a weapon in my mind. I've worried about what will happen if I can't produce a new vessel to contain it, but a part of me thought I might just be able to find some way of ridding the planet of it and myself. It was only a sword after all. Just a weapon. But a god? What if I did more harm than good? What if it has a necessary purpose that I don't know of? What if it needs to stay?
"T-this… perfect vessel. What did your father learn?"
Seiku leaned in and flipped the journal to a new page.
"Here. Father mentions that someone by the name of Takibi brought him a passage about the perfect vessel, and how it would form itself in the absence of power and life."
"Takibi." The name was low as Kenshin repeated it.
"Did you know him?"
"He was my father."
"Oh." There was a quiet pause, and then Seiku smiled. "It appears our fathers really were friends."
"Arai-sama did visit us more often than anyone else." Kenshin's eyes closed on his own return smile. "I suppose I now know why." Sitting back, Kenshin picked up his cup of tea. "My father told me that the Kagu-tsuchi was supposed to form its own vessel eventually. Is that what this passage means?"
"That's not how Grandfather interpreted it." Scooting his chair closer from the side of the desk, Iori leaned an elbow on the polished and worn top.
"It's just a theory." Seiku cut in, and Iori nodded quickly.
"Right, but Grandfather wrote a lot about how the perfect vessel couldn't be created between two fire demons, because two great powers creating an offspring actually end up conflicting with the immense power of the Kagu-tsuchi. A pure fire demon child is too strong on its own. They're perfect as a vessel to contain the Kagu-tsuchi, but not as a vessel for the Kagu-tsuchi to inhabit as its own entity."
"I see."
That made a lot of sense to Kenshin. The stronger he became, the less power the Kagu-tsuchi released. His own power was starting to fully suppress it, like he was meant to as a vessel.
"However, a child between a fire demon and any other demon would not have the correct constitution for the Kagu-tsuchi, as it is a god of pure fire. Instead, Grandfather theorized that one parent would have to be a blank slate for the vessel to be a perfect container. The only solution would be for one parent to be human."
Human.
An expression of excruciatingly pained realization creased Kenshin's features, and the fragile tea cup in his hand cracked.
There are no more humans.
Both Seiku and Iori jerked to stare at him, but the sound shocked Kenshin enough to quickly hide the look behind his bangs.
"E-excuse me for a moment." The cup was quickly settled onto the desk, and he assured them he just needed the restroom. Locked inside, he leaned into the sink with both hands and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Revulsion suddenly contorted his face, and he looked straight down into the drain.
Father trusted you with the Kagu-tsuchi, and you did nothing but fuck up since then. And now you can't even fix it.
The war may not have actually been his fault, but he had participated in it all the same. He had killed hundreds if not thousands of humans all the same. Every other fire demon had died in that war, robbing him of the chance to produce a new vessel for the Kagu-tsuchi. No human had survived that war, thereby completely ending any chance for the creation of a perfect vessel.
I don't know what to do, Father. If only you had introduced me to Kaoru all those years ago. I know the war might have happened whether I started it or not, but perhaps it would have ended differently. Perhaps…
His expression lightened in contemplation.
Did Father agree with Arai-sama? Did he really mean to introduce me to Kaoru when we were children? Did he hope we would become close? Is that why he gave her my true name?
Shaking his head, he dismissed the pointless thought.
What does it matter now? I can't change what happened. I can't change anything that happened. I just… I have to find another way.
The Arai men looked worried when he came back into the office, but he offered a harmless and fake smile.
"Tell me more about this theory Arai-sama had."
Iori glanced at his father, and Seiku patted him on the shoulder before taking over.
"There were obvious flaws in the theory, Himura-san. It was built on the fact that when a human would procreate with a demon, the child would only have one source of power to draw from. Namely the demon parent. Therefore, there would be no confliction, like between two demons of different natures. The problem with the theory is that the physical body of a half-human half-demon child is not as strong or long-lasting as a pure demon. The chance that a child would be born with a body strong enough and perfectly balanced to house the Kagu-tsuchi would be very, very low."
Seiku suddenly huffed out a laugh, though it was a bit strained.
"To be honest, I'm not certain a human would be able to tolerate bearing a fire demon child. It would have to be the other way around, with a human father and a fire demon mother. My mother was an Earth Elemental, and she constantly complained about the morning sickness and heartburn that she had while carrying me. She said her mouth always tasted like ash, and it felt like she was breathing fire at times."
The information produced a frown on Kenshin's face that was mistaken for dismay, and Iori jumped in in an attempt to cheer him up.
"You know, even though the humans were wiped out in the war, there are several demons still around with human blood in their veins. It might still be possible to produce a perfect vessel with a half-blooded human."
Seiku wasn't quite as sold on the idea, though.
"Perhaps… if there are any half-humans left, either. It would still cause a confliction with the other half of their demon blood, though."
Kenshin merely smiled sadly and decided to openly declare his position on the subject.
"It doesn't matter. There is only one woman I am interested in being with… and she cannot bear children."
"Oh, well..." They appeared stricken by his resignation and the sad knowledge of hinted infertility, but at the same time happy to hear of his relationship status.
"Would it be alright if I read through this?" His hand touched the leather-bound journal. "I won't ask to take it with me, but perhaps you could make copies of the portions pertaining to the Kagu-tsuchi?"
"Of course. I'll have Iori take care of it, and let you know when the pages are ready."
"I appreciate it." Kenshin stood and bowed to them both. With his horns readily visible, the action clearly made them uncomfortable. "I also have a small favor to ask. Would it be alright if I brought her with me next time to introduce her?" Violet eyes closed again, but over a much more happy and amused countenance. "She has a very curious and honest personality."
The change in ambiance was infectious, and Iori waved his hand while Seiku nodded agreeably.
"Bring her over anytime."
"We'd love to meet her."
A few more pleasantries were traded before Kenshin refixed the beanie over his horns and exited the small warehouse. As he walked along the sidewalk, he thought over what he had learned. The sinking pit in his stomach of failure and miserable acceptance returned to haunt his steps. If Shakku's theory was correct, and the Kagu-tsuchi's perfect vessel was supposed to be borne from a human, then he had to accept that such an option was no longer possible. Thankfully, he did have another option. The Kagu-tsuchi was awake and speaking directly to him. Which meant, he could just ask the source for the truth.
Hopefully the Kagu-tsuchi would actually answer him.
Halfway to the restaurant, Kenshin's phone rang. Digging it from his back pocket, Kenshin glanced at the number on the screen. Something fatalistic twinged through his chest when he noted his caller to be Sōzō, but he answered without hesitating. The fact that Sōzō sounded less amiable than usual nearly confirmed that his afternoon was about to darken further.
"Himura-san…" The pause was long, and his dry-cracked voice was serious. "I found that footage you asked for."
The sinking pit turned into a sinkhole, and Kenshin stopped walking to close his eyes on a steadying breath. Somehow, he already knew what was on that footage, and he did not feel the way he had expected to feel about it.
"And?"
He felt calm. Much too calm.
"And there has to be a mistake. It's old, and parts are corrupted. I don't believe what I saw, and you shouldn't either."
Cold resignation washed over his heart, and Kenshin accepted the truth with less of a fight than he had thought he would.
"It's alright, Sagara-san. Just send it to me. I need to see it."
Sōzō protested, but Kenshin was firm. Eventually, his phone dinged with the video message. As Sōzō warned, the footage was jumpy and missing parts, but there was no mistaking the identity of the young teenage girl, still dressed in her high school uniform, jogging up the sidewalk. She slipped into the alleyway in question only seconds before a flash of light overexposed the lens and completely fried the security camera.
The phone dropped back to his side, and he ignored its insistent ringing as Sōzō attempted to call him back. Instead, his eyes climbed high to stare up at the clear and bitterly cold sky.
It didn't matter that there were no other fire demons left in the world. It didn't even matter that there were no humans, because three hundred years ago Kenshin had killed the only human, the only woman, that mattered to him.
X
A/N: Chapter seventy… how are we at chapter seventy?! This is absolutely crazy! Except now… I kind of want to get to chapter one hundred, lol. Not that I actually expect that there are that many chapters left, but it'd be kind of cool at this point. XD We shall see. So much information in these last few chapters. I suppose everyone knows what this means for the next chapter. I was originally going to have this be less worked up to and more 'surprise MF', lol, but I like this way, too. The other way didn't really give Kenshin's intelligence too much credit, so I think it's more believable this way. Anyway, lots of development will occur as a result of the bomb about to drop. I hope you are still enjoying this long read! (Even though I seriously need to go back and edit. Ugh.) Thanks for sticking it out with me.