Chapter Ninety-Seven

Dried, changed, and wrapped in a blanket, Karou sat once more at the dining table, her body now freezing cold in the wake of her 'hot flash.' A special cup of tea was given to her to soothe the soreness of her throat. The tea was not hot, but rather lukewarm, and tasted of honey. Next to her, Kenshin was explaining what they knew and what they did not know about her episodes, and how they seemed to be tied to something inside her of chest. Something flame-based that was there but not there at the same time. No imaging they had tried to obtain had picked up anything foreign inside of her, with the exception of her seals, but Kenshin could feel that the flame was there when it was acting out. The episodes had progressively worsened over time, as well. Now, they were causing her to be physically sick in a way that was dangerous; for her and the world around her.

"Megumi-san thought that she might be suffering from a form of heartburn. I made sure to adjust her diet to see if it would help. It seemed to be working, but…"

A noncommittal hum rubbed Hiko's throat, and when Kaoru glanced up, she found the water dragon staring at her intently. His eyes were focused upon her chest, and the creases between his brows slowly deepened the longer he stared.

"You've been suppressing it with your energy?"

"Only since a few weeks ago, when I first noticed it. Miss Kaoru coughed up soot that day. Today… it was closer to liquid metal or lava."

Another gruff rumble of air. "But it does respond to you?"

"I… suppose, but it did not today."

"He was inconsolable today." The whispered words were sad, but as soon as they left Kaoru's mouth she frowned, as if confused by her own statement. Rubbing her forehead, she took another sip of her tea.

One large hand scratched Hiko's chin as he continued to glower. "Does that mean it's just as strong or stronger than you?" It had taken more power than Hiko cared to admit to counteract the strength of the flames inside Kaoru. On top of that, the light coming from it had nearly blinded him. Sighing, the hand scratching Hiko's chin dropped into his lap. "At least it's not as bright now."

Sapphire eyes lifted at the same time Kenshin's violet irises shot back to their host. Under the folds of the blanket, Kaoru pressed a hand flat against her sternum.

"You can see it?" Something in Kenshin's tone was angry. "And you said nothing?!"

"Calm down, boy. I was trying to figure out what it was." Annoyed by his indignation, Hiko sat up a little straighter, but Kenshin was not willing to be intimidated when it came to Kaoru. "It was too pure to be something found in an onibi or revived soul, and too strong to be human. I wanted to be sure I knew what was on my mountain before bringing it to your attention."

"Do you?" Cutting in, Kaoru's soft voice was still rough and gravely. "Know what it is?"

For the first time, he appeared reluctant, and his voice gentled, though minimally.

"I believe I do. Based on what I have heard from both of you, and what I have seen with my own eyes… what you carry is the missing piece of his core."

The cup in Kaoru's hand clinked back onto the table as her arms dropped in surprise, and the knowledge filled her with sudden excitement.

"That… that's good news, right? That's what you need, isn't it?" But when she looked at Kenshin, he did not seem to be as taken with the theory.

"That's not possible." Sapphire eyes blinked as Kenshin vehemently denied what he was being told. "My core wasn't damaged until after…" He faltered and his words choked. "After…"

Dark eyes studied him, and Hiko's expression hardened to cover his compassion. His next question was going to be harrowing, but it was necessary.

"How exactly did you kill her?" From the other room, their faces peeking around the cracked doors, the komainu gasped in shock. This was not something they had known.

Lowering his chin until his hair covered his eyes in shame, Kenshin relaxed slowly back onto his shins. "I stabbed her through the heart."

Though he was the one who had asked, and he had already guessed that Kenshin had been the cause of the human girl's death, learning the mechanism by which she had been killed lifted Hiko's voice into not just disappointment, but indignation. There were many ways the boy could have stabbed her with his flames, but Hiko knew he had meant that he had used the Kagu-tsuchi.

"You used a god to kill a human?!" The thunderous bellow of his voice caused the wooden beams of the house to groan and creak in distress, but Kenshin sat without moving to accept Hiko's outrage. "I'm surprised there was even anything left of her soul to enter the Veil! Dammit, boy! I have half a mind to bend you over my knee like the child you are!"

"H-he was just a child." Admittedly intimidated by the water dragon's display of power, Kaoru spread her arms wide and leaned over Kenshin to act as a barrier. "I was the one who jumped in the way. I was trying to stop him from hurting someone else. He didn't even know I was there, so it was my own fault."

"Miss Kaoru…"

"That isn't a good enough excuse! Accidentally or intentionally, he used a higher being, something that was born inside the core of a star, to take the life of a mere human with no power. Higher beings were born to protect those with no power, not end them." The pressure in the air dissipated as Hiko huffed like an annoyed tiger. "Regardless, I see now how you damaged your core. Your father's blood may have aided the humans in cutting you open, but you had already weakened it by trying to use something that you had no real control over."

Lowering her arms at Kenshin's insistence, Kaoru settled distractedly into the spot between their cushions where she ended up pressed into Kenshin's side. With the heightened emotions spent, her mind had switched to piecing together what Hiko was trying to say. It was hard to keep up with what they meant at times when they spoke of things over her head, like higher beings born from stars, but the important part was that she was carrying something of Kenshin's. Something she had found immediately after she had died.

"The fireform." Her memory was still foggy when it came to the Veil, but she remembered finding the little ball of flames. Turning to smile at Kenshin, she squeezed her eyes shut when he frowned. "I found him, remember? I told you that I found a little flame when I woke up in the Veil. He was small and frightened, but I was able to convince him to come with me. We ran away from Death, and he hid right here, in my chest." Two fingers pressed into the area between her breasts. "I think… I think he's the reason Death wasn't able to get to me. Why I ended up staying in the Veil for three hundred years. The little fireform created a barrier to keep Death out."

"A barrier strong enough to repel Death?" Incredulous, Hiko's hard eyes darted between the two across from him. Nothing was strong enough to repel Death; certainly not a mere sliver of core energy from a fire demon child. "You really never passed to the other side of the Veil?"

Glancing at Hiko, Kaoru shook her head, completely unfazed by the unbelievable claim. "Nope. It really wasn't that bad. I know it was supposed to be like three hundred years, but it didn't feel that long at all. Time feels different inside the Veil. Besides, I had a little piece of Kenshin to keep me company." She giggled, and wrapped her fingers around Kenshin's arm. "I did get to push you on the swing! We played the entire time! Oh! And he even has red hair, just like you!" Fully into sharing what pieces she could remember, her face flushed pink with happiness and laughter. "But he's only about this big." Leveling one hand out next to her, she indicated the approximate height of a very young toddler. "And so cute! I'm so glad I know now that it was you!" Finally, she settled down as a thought occurred to her. "Wait… how did he come back with me?" For some reason, she remembered thinking that he got left behind.

One shaky hand touched the side of her face, and she focused outward to find rising anguish in Kenshin's eyes.

"How… are we supposed to get it out of you?" The somber question melted all the mirth from Kaoru's aura, and his distress echoed into her glowing sapphire eyes as she dismissed her own questions as unimportant. A low exhale left Hiko's nose.

"That is the question I have been trying to find an answer to. We would obviously all prefer not to harm Kamiya-san. I worry, though, that if these episodes are getting worse that we may need to remove it sooner rather than later."

The already cracked doors to the living space parted further, and Ayame leaned in to offer her speculation.

"If Ken-nii can control the flame inside of Kaoru, then he should be able to manipulate it enough to remove it safely, don't you think?"

"Hmm, perhaps, but ripping it through the girl's chest would be counterproductive."

"Well…" Sitting up a little straighter, Kaoru chewed her lip. "Megumi-san said that the seal keeping my soul bound to this body is up here, in my brain." Pointing to her head, Kaoru looked between Hiko and Ayame before stopping on Kenshin. "As long as it isn't damaged, I should be fine."

Kenshin did not appear taken by what she was suggesting.

"Just because it might not kill you does not mean I would be willing to do it. That spider demon thought of you as nothing more than a doll, but I don't think that way."

"Then do it surgically." Wanting to contribute, Suzume spoke up from behind her sister.

The answer was simple and obvious, but even as they perked up to find such a solution, realizing what that meant also posed a problem. There were only two people they knew and trusted to perform something so delicate: Megumi and Tomoe.

"I guess… we have to go back to Tokyo for that?" Kaoru tilted her head, her words announcing what age in history she had come from as she still could not get used to using Neo before Tokyo and Kyoto. Sighing, Kenshin nodded.

"It seems so."

X

High-level clearance was required to enter Genzai's lab. As a government research facility, it did not outwardly appear to be very important, but it had been setup that way on purpose. Security was highly advanced and well-maintained, and Sōzō oversaw it all. He was not a fool. He knew they had dropped him into a glorified babysitter position, and that his career path had all but ended where he stood. Others pitied him for it, or laughed at him, but what others did not know was that he was content with the position. He had no desire to advance any further through the military ranks, nor did he have any designs on a political career. His position gave him just enough clearance to access classified information while being just insignificant enough that no one cared or thought about him.

Unfortunately, with the current state of the country, he was becoming just a bit impatient. His ability to fly under the radar had apparently transferred over to his importance to his friends. He had heard nothing about what was going on, and no one had tried to contact him since days before the fiasco at the Sky Palace. That was likely for the best, considering his position within the military, but being in the dark was not something he was used to or good at. Sōzō was the one who knew things. How else would they have survived during the war if not for him knowing things? After all, teaming up with a half-cocked, reckless rooster and a hell-bent, revenge-seeking fire demon would have led him straight into death if not for him being informed enough to make rational decisions for all three of them.

The last time he had not known enough… his adopted brother had died.

"Sir. I'm getting a strange reading on the sensors."

Blinking his one eye, Sōzō stepped forward to lean over his subordinate's shoulder. A thin, whippy finger pointed at the screen to indicate where Sōzō was meant to look.

"It's not tripping the sensor, but it is distorting the reading by the fence line."

Sōzō's eye narrowed, and he stood up straight. His voice was chill and nonchalant.

"Most likely a bird, but I'll check it out to be safe."

One of the eager privates behind him stepped forward.

"Would you like me to go, sir?"

"No." Holding up a hand, Sōzō refused his offer. "I need to stretch my legs. Stay here and man my post."

"Yes, sir."

The security office was set up near to the entrance of the facility. With back straight and head held high, Sōzō marched through the doors and into the yard, nodding at the salutes his presence produced. He had a set path that he took when checking the perimeter, and his feet naturally found that path upon exiting the facility. The fence line was more of a tall concrete barrier that not only blocked unwanted visitors but unwanted eyes. It was a solid, physical structure, but there was also an invisible barrier that had been set by Genzai to keep out those that could not be deterred by the physical. Stopping by the section where the sensor had picked up the strange reading, Sōzō skated his one, observant eye over the wall, the path, and the building. Shrubbery was not allowed to grow around the perimeter, but one persistent vine had crawled its way up over the fence to cling to the razor wire at the top. Pausing with his head tilted briefly up, one corner of his mouth curled imperceptibly, and he purposefully walked away to complete his check.

On the other side of the facility, he entered the building through a side door with only one guard posted at the steps. The door opened only from the inside. There was no handle or key-fob access, only a security camera that alerted a second, inside guard that someone either needed entrance or was trying to gain entrance. Seeing that it was him, the door opened immediately, but Sōzō paused with his hand holding the door open to ask after the outside guard's family. When he was satisfied with the answer, and the amount of time stalled, Sōzō let the door close. It was common for him to know his subordinates by name and their personal details, and it was never odd for him to make small talk.

A roundabout tour of the inside of the facility finally led him to an elevator. From the exterior, the lab appeared to be only one floor. Though sprawling, it was not very big. However, there were twenty underground floors, making the structure deceitfully massive. They were even protected from earthquakes and flooding, due to the safety measures Genzai had put into place. Waiting two seconds after entering the elevator, Sōzō swiped his badge and then pressed the button for the lowest level. Folding his arms behind his back, he stood comfortably at attention, his one eye staring straight ahead so as not to alert the camera keeping watch.

Due to the sensitive nature of Genzai's research, the bottom two levels only had cameras watching the doors to the elevator and the hallway. Once out of the hallway and into one of the empty rooms, Sōzō shut the door with a soft chuckle.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Megumi-san?"

When he turned around, he was met by a smugly grinning five-tailed fox. With her hands on her hips and her chin lifted haughtily, she appeared just as in charge there as at her own lab.

"Your security is sorely lacking, Sagara-san. You might want to have a word with your superior."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Sōzō laughed. "I'll be sure to do that." A frown pinched his mirth at her daring. "All joking aside, it's dangerous to be out during the current lockdown. If you had been caught by one of the patrols, I would not have been able to protect you from the consequences."

A dismissive hand waved in the air.

"They couldn't catch a cold let alone a fox." The smile died from her mouth as she appeared briefly serious. "Although I did come face-to-face with a golden-eyed wolf on the way over. He couldn't have seen me, but he did seem strangely annoyed after looking my direction. I couldn't decide if he was always that displeased looking or if he was merely having a bad day. I thought about testing him, to confirm whether or not he could see through my façade, but I had no time to waste on idle experimentation."

Sōzō pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers and sighed.

"That wolf was no doubt Saitō Hajime, and he can see through any deception."

One of Megumi's dark brows lifted, and she seemed more intrigued than concerned.

"Really? How interesting. I don't think I've ever met an okami before. I wonder if he would be willing to let me study his power."

"Count yourself lucky he wasn't in the mood to turn you in." Shifting his weight to fold his hands behind his back, his posture very much drilled into him from being in the military, Sōzō changed the subject. Now that he was able to get the answers he had fretted over for weeks, his dry, cracked voice exposed his impatience. "How is everyone? I've been worried about Kenshin after finding that security video he requested."

"Security video?" A brief explanation was provided once Sōzō realized that Kenshin had not shared the video with anyone else.

"I see. You are a bit behind on current events, Sagara-san. That is very unlike you." Teasing words did little to temper his concern.

"I do not like it, either. I was afraid he might abandon Kaoru-san completely out of guilt, but I've heard nothing since then except for the one phone call from you asking about something Sano said hundreds of years ago."

"Well, the situation turned delicate very quickly. You understand we could not contact you for your own safety as well."

"I do, but the knowledge offered very little comfort." He frowned darkly, and she gave him a droll look before flicking his forehead.

"Then rejoice, for I am here now." They shared a chuckle as her actions knocked the seriousness from his heavy brow, and Megumi looped her hand through his arm. "Take me to Genzai-sensei, and I'll explain everything along the way."

Though sterile, the vixen's explanation did ease Sōzō's concern for Kenshin's mental well-being. He could not imagine what it must feel like to know you once murdered someone you later came to love. It had saddened him to even think about the burden of such knowledge. Especially when the young fire demon he had taken command of during the war had already suffered more than most others would have been able to bear. Concern as a friend put aside, Sōzō turned his focus towards safety from the current crisis that the Emperor posed.

"There's a rumor that Kenshin and Kaoru-san are hiding in Neo-Kyoto. Is that true?"

"You certainly know more than I do about their current location. If I had to guess, though, I'd say Ken-sama took her back to that mountain hermit." Sly as the fox she was, Megumi too crossed her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "I heard a rumor that hermit is actually a dragon. Do you think there's any truth to that rumor?"

"Hiko Seijūrō prefers his privacy, Megumi-san. It's impolite to pry." Smiling jovially, Genzai greeted them from the room they had just entered. "I see you made it through my barrier safely enough."

"Of course." The tenko laughed at her confident response, and took her young hand into the soft grasp of his elderly fingers.

"Ah, to be young again."

"Don't act like you're too old to be doing the same."

Caught up and nearly satisfied with the information he had obtained, Sōzō crossed his arms.

"What are you doing here, Megumi-san?"

"I thought it would be obvious. I need Genzai-sensei's assistance." Her head tilted, and she shrugged her shoulders. "And it has become very boring at my lab of late. I may or may not have gotten lonely."

Genzai patted her hand. "It is good for you to admit such things. We are glad to have you here. Isn't that right, Sagara-san?"

Sōzō sighed. "I will start thinking of an excuse for your presence, but you will have to obtain clearance for her."

"Certainly."

Turning to leave, Sōzō paused when Megumi grabbed his arm.

"One last thing before you go." From out of a pocket, the five-tailed fox withdrew her phone, and a picture was held up for him to study. "I wanted to check if you've ever seen this creature before."

The picture was hand drawn, but despite its rough pattern, it had captured the essence of the creature it portrayed. Vibrant and expansive color accentuated the wide-spread wings of the bird, while its stomach and breast were stained with fiery reds and oranges. Its long tail-features, however, were dark, nearly black, with hints of shimmering green.

A deep crease formed over Sōzō's one, offset eye. "I… believe I've seen those tailfeathers before." When he glanced up, Megumi's features were nearly triumphant.

"They do appear familiar, don't they." Around her neck, a thick leather strap had been loosely tied, much like a decorative scarf. Both ends had been tucked into her cleavage and under the collar of her blouse, but her clawed hand pulled one end out as she spoke. "Say, like a rooster tail." Twirling the dark feather at the end of the leather strap between two fingers, Megumi's cinnamon irises lowered away from him to smile at the old protective charm. "That creature you see is called an Autumn Rooster."

Sōzō's features softened sadly as he connected the dots to that of the ridiculous claim Sano had made while drunk. He knew how hard it had been on her since the death of her husband. Even now, she continued to cling to him. Eventually, she would need to let go, for her own well-being.

"Megumi-san…"

Genzai, however, interjected with surprising knowledge of the Autumn Rooster while looking at the picture around Sōzō's shoulder.

"When did you meet the Phoenix, Megumi-san?"

Sōzō's eyebrows leapt into his hairline, but he was even more surprised to noticed that he was the only one shocked by the announcement. Sly, but also just a bit droll, Megumi shrugged.

"Apparently, I married him." Pulling up the sleeve of her coat, she revealed the still dark and present marriage seal Sano had put on her centuries before.

"Really?" Genzai seemed intrigued, but not truly shocked by the claim. "I'd be very inclined to meet him."

"Wait." Grabbing her by the arm, Sōzō demanded her attention, his one good eye wide as he stared at her. "Why have you never shown this to me before? Marriage seals are supposed to disappear after one spouse dies. Sano died! I saw it myself!"

"Did he?" Taking back her phone, Megumi waved it as reference. "I believe something else happened. I don't know what just yet, but I believe it has something to do with that sword Ken-sama is carrying around. He's the one who asked that girl to draw this picture, after all. Not me." The small detail gave Sōzō pause, and Megumi continued. "Once all this mess is over, I will be sure to ask Ken-sama directly to explain what he's hiding. In the meantime, to make sure I get that chance, I'm here to ask for Genzai-sensei's assistance with a little project of mine."

"I assumed you might." Waving a clawed hand, the hologram at the center of the room hummed into life at Genzai's command. Switching topics without missing a beat, Megumi grinned.

"You are always one step ahead of me, Sensei." Pulling the sleeve back down over her arm, Megumi walked over to the hologram, her attention narrowing to include only what needed to be done next. "The seals on Kaoru-san are very intricate, but I have a theory I'd like to run by you on how we might intercept them."

"You're thinking you might be able to disrupt the necromancer's control over her if he tries to enforce it?"

"That would be the best-case scenario." Crossing her arms, Megumi frowned. "It has been… brought to my attention that we may have more than one revived soul to contend with from this particular shadow demon. To be safe, I'm going to assume there are multiple. I'd like to be able to disrupt their seals, as well."

"A broader disruption will lack delicate control."

"Yes, it has flaws, but it would be beneficial as a last resort." They were already becoming engrossed in their discussion. Something Sōzō was familiar with now when it came to scientists. Interrupting before they got too deep into their thoughts, Sōzō followed them to the hologram.

"And how did you discover this information?"

"I have a woman on the inside." The flash of the vixen's smile revealed her sharp canines, and one of her eyes briefly glinted blue like fox fire. "She's done us all proud. I certainly could not just let her hard work go to waste. Which reminds me… what kind of safety measure do we have in place for large-scale explosions? You know, the world ending kind."

X

Bonus Love Song #1

Sōzō: Fall in the Fall – Jelly Roll & Struggle Jennings