A FIRE THAT BURNS UNNOTICED
Chapter 8 - You're a God, and I Am Not
ALERT: This chapter contains sexual content.
Away from Yuuichirou's sight, Rei could finally transform into Sailor Mars and tend to the emergency call that she received. She couldn't hide her absolute discontent in being yanked away from a moment she looked forward to, but knew her personal problems had to make way for her duty and the welfare of the people at large... Still, as she ran towards the signaled place where the distress signal was sent from, the Guardian of Fire couldn't help but curse her bad luck in a night that was supposed to be peaceful and heartwarming.
Of all times those gods-damned Oneiroi had to appear, why did they have to appear tonight? Why now, dammit!?
After ten minutes of tense leaping over the ceilings of Azabu-Juuban, she finally reached the battle scene - Shiba Park, right beside the largest Shinto temple in the region. The other Guardians as well as Tuxedo Mask were already standing their ground in distinct points of the park. Floating about were what appeared to be wraiths draped in white shrouds that did not show any body features. The largest and fastest one, however, showed a grotesque pale face whose lips were permanently twisted into a wicked smile.
"An Onibaba," recognized Sailor Mars. "I wonder if I can exorcise them with my powers..."
The Guardian of Fire could barely form her hypothesis before being attacked by the Onibaba from upfront.
"Sailor Mars! Are you alright?" Sailor Mercury asked aloud, but she was flanked by two of the wraiths. The eerie touch from their strikes made the Guardian of Waters feel a chill down her spine and her gag reflex giving in until she threw up some kind of black gall.
"Eeek! What's going on?" Sailor Moon complained upon seeing Mercury on all fours ralphing down some kind of dark goo. The other Inner Guardians were too distracted at that disgusting sight to pay attention to more phantoms hitting them in the same manner as their companion suffered. And all of them felt the same symptoms as Sailor Mercury in front of them.
"What in the goddamn-UGH!" even Tuxedo Mask was affected by the Oneiroi's chilling touch.
"Yes... Yes!" celebrated the Onibaba. "Your bodies are expelling the filth that sully your souls... Soon you shall be worthy companions for Lord Hypnos..."
"They're way too strong!" Sailor Jupiter loudly complained as she wiped her mouth.
"How are we gonna beat them?" Sailor Venus queried as she tried to get up, feeling her stomach churning further.
"We can help you with that."
With whatever strength they still felt, the heroines turned their heads and saw three familiar figures standing atop a poplar tree.
"I am part of the new age that beckons us. I am Sailor Uranus, ready for action!"
"I say the same, for I am part of this new age as well. I am Sailor Neptune, ready for action!"
"Mine is the hand that ends the threads of existence itself. I am Sailor Saturn, ready for action!"
The first to move was Sailor Uranus. She used the awning of the gazebo beneath her as a trampoline, and the upwards impulse was so strong that the Guardian of Wind appeared to glide over the entire park. This was exactly what the heroine needed to release a brand new attack. "Vancian Hurricane!"
"What's going on here!?" muttered the Onibaba as it fell to the floor.
"Your doom is what is going on. Vancian Tsunami!" exclaimed Sailor Neptune, who called for a giant wave that floored the enemies just as they were able to recover their balance.
"Vancian Seal!" called Sailor Saturn as she waved her Silence Glaive upwards. Underneath the fallen Oneiroi glowed purple circles that trapped the enemies in their places.
"Well, you know what to do now," Tuxedo Mask suggested to his lover. Sailor Moon nodded, drew the Eternal Tiare and used the Moonlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss to bring back the Oneiroi's real human forms. This time, nobody they knew was affected, but of course that didn't mean they didn't need aid, and it was up to Tuxedo Mask to round the victims up and call for an ambulance.
"Thanks a lot, girls... If it weren't for you, we'd be done for!" Usagi commended the valiant effort of the Outer Guardians as the heroines transformed back to their civilian selves.
"Ah, don't mention it," Michiru said. "We are sisters-in-arms, after all."
"Hey, but here's the thing," Haruka then added. "All those fancy-schmancy powers you saw? We trained hard to achieve those. I suggest you girls start training your powers as well, because things are getting tougher from here on."
"Oh, we'll certainly do!" Makoto excitedly commented.
"Say, where is Sailor Pluto?" Minako asked.
"Oh, I think I forgot to mention," Hotaru spoke with a spark of happiness on her voice. "She and Papa are engaged!"
This drew surprised gasps from the Inner Guardians. Usagi even vocalized her thoughts of disbelief at that revelation. "No. Freaking. Way."
"Yeah, we were quite off-put at first too," Haruka amusedly picked up the conversation, "but hey, the Professor is no longer possessed by evil and has recovered most of his memories and functions. And while being taken care of, he and Setsuna ended up hitting it off. So yeah, they are spending some time together in Greece, not just for good ol' hanky-panky, but because they said there are some important things they need to see over there."
"About our new enemies, that is," Michiru completed. "There may be something lying around Hypnos' own stomping grounds that may help us defeat him once and for all."
"It will do you no good at all," sounded the distorted and distinct voice of Hypnos.
"Ah, speak of the devil and he appears," Haruka mocked.
"This devil you speak of is of no match for me," gloated Hypnos.
"Seriously, dude, cut it out already," Rei scoffed, accustomed to the empty threats and bluster of the God of Slumber.
"Yeah! No matter what you throw at us, we always bring back your victims to normal," Usagi added.
The God gave out a short chuckle to that remark. "Not for long, children... I have found the perfect host already."
That tidbit sent a shiver down the Guardians' spines. None dared speak further against Hypnos.
"Ahh, I knew you would be impressed. Keep your eyes peeled, girls. When you least expect it, my host and I will appear to you. And by then, there will be nothing you can do to control my advances..." With one last mocking laugh, Hypnos' presence dissipated once more.
"Girls, don't let yourselves be intimidated by that creep now," Haruka suggested her companions.
"That's right," added Michiru. "All Hypnos has done so far was bragging about the extension of his own powers. This whole deal about finding a human host must be another bluff for sure."
"Even if it is true, we can still beat them," finished Hotaru. "But remember what Haruka told you... Better start training as soon as possible. And keep your ears perked up for when Papa and Setsuna come back. I'm sure they will find some important hints about dealing with Hypnos."
"Crud! Now I remembered... I was just about to finish my date in style! I'll tell you the details tomorrow, girls. See ya!" With this said, Rei ran back to her home as fast as she could.
"Huh, that's new," Haruka commented with amusement. "I wonder who is the lucky guy she's going out with?"
"Who else but Yuuichirou?" Usagi peppily revealed.
This time, it was the Outer Guardians who released gasps of incredulity. "No. Freaking. Way."
"We were also taken quite aback when she told us she was giving him a chance," Ami said.
"There's plenty of stuff to catch up about," Makoto intervened. "How about we do it on the way home?"
"I don't see why not," Michiru confirmed, followed by Haruka and Hotaru's positive nods.
(xx)
With danger properly dealt with, Rei ran as fast as she could back home, where she hoped she could resume the romantic scene she was about to unravel with Yuuichirou. The raven-haired girl always wanted to finish a date under such a nice circumstance, and now with inhibitions and uncertainties left behind, she had no qualms about where her heart resided and with whom she would share it.
Sadly for her, when she arrived, the shaggy-haired servant was nowhere to be found. She looked all over the Shrine's grounds for Yuuichirou, but he simply wasn't there anymore.
Come on, big guy... We were supposed to end this night on a high note with a sweet kiss under the Moon and the stars. Didn't you want it too? Don't tell me you got cold feet... If so, I promise I will apologize for dropping you like that, but come out already!
"I imagine you are looking for Yuuichirou, right?" came the voice of Rei's grandfather from the front porch of the Shrine proper. His voice, however, did not have that usual chipper inflection.
"Yeah..." When the Guardian turned around, she saw him with a serious face and a dour demeanor. Sensing further concern and even sadness in the old man's posture, Rei became worried. "Did... Something happen to him?"
The old man sighed and tried his best to keep his composure. "Yuuichirou has been arrested. He is the prime suspect of an assassination attempt against Touya."
Rei's blood ran cold, and her legs and lips shook with anxiety in a manner that not even the enemies she faced earlier had done. "What..."
"Listen, this has been very sudden and the policemen that escorted Yuuichirou away have not given any details. All I know is that he is detained and giving out his testimony over at the Juuban Police Department."
All Rei could do upon hearing that was shake her head in disbelief, to the point of dizziness. Yuuichirou, such a feckless oaf of a man, a criminal? A murderer? And attempting to kill exactly whom she was dating before she gave him a chance? She knew Yuuichirou had an ugly penchant for jealousy, but to reach that life-threatening point? It all defied all threads of logic and sense, and for a girl that had seen a little bit of everything in her adventures as a super-heroine, that was simply unspeakable.
"I believe there is not much we can do at this rate," lamented Grandpa Hino once more.
"No..." Rei promptly said as she turned around to leave.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"...I'm going to see for myself what this is all about." With this said, the Guardian of Fire promptly stepped out once more, heading to the Police Department where Yuuichirou was detained.
The old priest could only look to the heavens above him. His prayers for good fortune came twisted into a cruel prank for his granddaughter and his most applied apprentice. The turn of events and this perception of his own works shook his own faith, and he felt in the kind of mental disarray that he hadn't felt since the death of his daughter Risa. And for the first time since those sorrowful days, his eyes gathered moisture out of sadness and pain.
"How could this happen to them?" he spoke to himself as he retired to his quarters in short and slow steps. "Is this some kind of divine tribulation that a wicked spirit is conjuring upon us all? A nightmare upon the awake? What have we done to deserve this..."
(xx)
In nervous but firm steps, Rei walked all the way to the Juuban Police Department to see what exactly was going on about that sudden turn of events. A significant part of her believed in Yuuichirou's innocence... But another insisted in visualizing the worst-case scenario. One thing she learned throughout her times as a Sailor Guardian was to only believe in what one sees and hears firsthand. So far, only an accusation incriminating Yuuichirou had been released and it was enough to send the heroine's mind into a frenzy from which she didn't break out of, even as she paid attention to her steps while going to her destination.
"Excuse me, I believe a man named Yuuichirou Kumada has been detained in this precinct. May I see him?" she dourly asked the department clerk as soon as she arrived at the station.
"Yes, but you will have to wait until his testimony ends," the clerk answered. "I believe it won't take long. Take a seat and call us if you need anything."
The raven-haired girl sat on an ample chair beside a window, upon which she rested her arms and pondered about the possibilities. Deep inside, she could not feel any evil force or even ill intent emanating from Yuuichirou himself, so why would they accuse him of attempting against Touya Minamimoto? And why Touya, of all people? Only then did she ask herself about him - Was he alright? Alive, at the very least?
"Huh? Miss Rei..." Her reverie was broken by Yuuichirou's own voice. He also appeared shaken like her. He was escorted by a female police officer, who took his account of that evening's tragic happening.
"Yuuichirou..." Rei knew she was not in a position to demand explanations from the young man and date for the night. "I... Grandpa told me what happened, so I came to check on you. What's going on?"
"Well, somebody tried to kill Touya, and for some damn reason, they accused me. Apparently whoever did that used the name of my family..." He stopped right there so as to not expose more than what he believed would be allowed.
"Indeed, the testimony that Mr. Kumada has given us gives no proof whatsoever that he ordered any hit on anybody," the officer added. "He neither participated on the attempt itself, nor could have given any order to anybody for the attempt."
"And what about Touya?" Rei promptly asked.
"A report reads he was found unconscious and taken to an undisclosed private clinic after the attack, but that he was not hit by gunfire. That's all we can disclose."
"So I'm off the hook then?" the young man asked.
"For now," the officer clarified. "We will conduct a search on recent phone calls and see if we find anything incriminating. I personally don't think you have done anything, but legal procedures must be taken ahead of personal biases. I hope you understand, and we apologize for any inconvenience the Police Force may have committed against you."
With that clearing, both Rei and Yuuichirou left the precinct and started to walk back home.
(xx)
Rei and Yuuichirou were still rather shaken, so they remained silent for a few moments after leaving the Juuban Police Department.
"Well, I'm glad that is all taken care of," the heroine eventually broke the silence.
"Yeah... Me too," Yuuichirou answered.
"Tomorrow morning I'll see where Touya has been taken," Rei added. "I wanna see if he's doing okay, and hear what he has to say about this whole thing."
"Yeah, sure, I don't see why not," the young servant agreed.
After some more silent walking, the nervousness of the occasion receded a bit, so Rei felt more comfortable with addressing Yuuichirou.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Are you part of a criminal organization?"
"Huh?" that question threw him off guard, but he quickly recomposed himself. "...No, of course not."
That hesitation sounded strange to Rei, who wasn't entirely convinced of Yuuichirou's innocence.
"Do you... Guarantee me you would never do anything against Touya?"
"Eh, those are two things," jested Yuuichirou.
Rei couldn't help but giggle at that remark. "Heh, just answer me already!"
"Of course, Miss Rei. You know me well, I'd never be able to hurt a fly even if I tried."
Now that answer felt more secure to Rei, and it was enough to comfort her.
"Yuuichirou!" called a deep male voice. "About damn time I found you."
When they turned around, they saw a tall man in a business suit with a stern look on his face, and a face almost covered by hair. But even from behind his bushy hairdo and his fully closed beard, one could feel an imposing glare that almost felt like it could burn.
"D-D-Dad!?" Yuuichirou recognized the man. "What are you doing here?"
"Huh? He's your dad?" Rei rhetorically asked Yuuichirou, who nodded nervously.
After a brief sigh, Yuuichirou's father answered. "I came here to take you home for your safety. The Minami-gumi are not going to take this attempt against their son and heir. Not with the knowledge, or at least the perception, that it was you who ordered that hit on him."
"Minami... Gumi?" The way that was worded made Rei's nervousness come back stronger than ever. "I'm sorry, but what exactly does that mean?"
"Well, young lady, it appears you are out of the loop of the grand scheme of things," the older man explained. "First things first, I must introduce myself. My name is Kotetsu Kumada, and I am head of my own Yakuza organization."
"Y-Yakuza!?" Rei blurted out, her sense of doom hitting her core once more. "Does that mean... You, and Yuuichirou..."
"Yeah, in a way he is a Yakuza," Kotetsu confirmed. "Funny how for all his grandstanding about not wanting to be in the business, he still makes use of the perks of being rich. Don't think I don't remember you took your own copy of the keys to the family's winter lodge in the Japanese Alps to take your friends there without our permission."
This all just floored Rei in a way nothing else in that evening managed to do. "Yuuichirou, you just told me you weren't involved in this! Why the fuck did you lie to me!?"
That question paralyzed Yuuichirou completely. He never told anything about his true origins to Rei in fear of what would her reaction be... And she reacted adversely, exactly as he feared she would.
"Anyways," continued Kotetsu, "when I heard of this attack, I quickly learned of Yuuichirou's whereabouts to see what was this about. See, my group and Minami-gumi had our quarrels in the past, but we managed to form a cease-fire agreement. But this attack on the young Touya could throw us into a legit civil war. No son of mine will be a casualty in this "
"Touya, too..."
"Especially Touya. He is the son and heir of Minami-gumi, arguably the most powerful faction in the Metropolitan Area."
Rei was literally shaking and on the verge of tears. The two men she gave a chance to be her lover were involved in the exact same criminal schemes of her father. It was too much for her to bear, so she took a few steps back in a motion and effort to leave that place.
"Miss... Miss Rei..." Yuuichirou tried to approach the raven-haired Guardian.
"I... I... Ugh, leave me alone!" Not wanting to hear anything else from anyone, Rei darted out to return home on her own.
"Miss Rei! Wait!" Yuuichirou pleaded. "MISS REEEEEEEI!"
"You can go after your fling tomorrow," Kotetsu sternly spoke as he put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Tonight, you are better off spending the night in a hotel room I will rent. I will guarantee your safety, but you will need to lie low for the next few days."
"...Yes sir."
The young man accompanied his father to his parked car, and after a tense five-minute trip, they arrived at the hotel where they would spend the night. Not just any hotel, but the brand-new Grand Hyatt hotel in Roppongi, where the daily rate was no less than 60 thousand yen.
In the solitude of his luxurious hotel room, all Yuuichirou wanted to do was to scream he did not do a thing, and that Rei got it all wrong. And call Kotetsu a filthy liar for implying he would not just use his Yakuza background for anything at all, let alone call for a hit. But his submissive stance did not permit anything he wanted to do, so instead he retired to the room and let his weary head rest for the night. A night that was supposed to end with a kiss under the stars with the one woman that snatched his heart...
His head was too heavy with shame to keep himself awake, so he cozied up on the bed and soon fell asleep.
(xx)
Once he guaranteed his son was safe in his room, Kotetsu Kumada spoke to three bodyguards and gave them strict orders about standing guard in front of the suite. He then excused himself to the Grand Hyatt's garden cloister, then drew forth his cell phone to make an important call.
"Miss Minamimoto, mission accomplished on my part," Kotetsu first spoke.
"Excellent!" celebrated Nikishi Minamimoto on the other side of the call.
"Now, may I ask... How is Touya doing?"
"Don't worry about him. As we had specified the hitmen, he was not shot. And as luck would have it, he fell and hit his head during the ensuing gunfight. All witnesses that could speak against us, however? Dead as Dillinger."
"Hmmm... Alright then. Do you guarantee your associates will not do anything against mine?"
"I will specify that your son acted alone out of jealousy, and that any actions outside the strict orders will be severely punished."
"I hope so. Remember, I only agreed to do this because I also have a bone to pick with Senator Hino."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You people and your moral impediments won't go far, you know that? Either way, I guarantee you no more blood will be shed. Just keep your kid out of trouble and you'll be good, alright? Over and out."
As he turned off the cellphone and lowered its antenna, Kotetsu couldn't help but wonder that strange turn of events involving his son Yuuichirou. Of all women in the world, why did you fall for the daughter of that butcher? A woman whose fate was written from the very start... I'm sorry, kid, but you cannot be with her...
(xx)
Yuuichirou saw himself surrounded by complete darkness, save for a multi-colored floor that spread itself beyond the shadows, forming some kind of glaring horizon. A familiar song permeated the environment, and the young man could recognize its tune and its lyrics right away.
When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
As if through a dash of magic, a female figure draped in white satins appeared ahead of him, lying down on her back with her purplish-black hair hanging down as she floated upwards.
Yuuichirou could promptly recognize and call for her. "Miss Rei!"
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fuckin' special
How he wanted to go after his beloved... But instead, he remained paralyzed by an unknown force. Unable to move an inch, all he could do was curse his own weakness.
Some other male figure then appeared. A man wearing some kind of featureless mask, completely unknown to him, materialized and walked in firm steps toward Rei. He took off the linen sheets that covered her body, revealing her nakedness...
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here!
The man then lowered his trousers and penetrated Rei, who then opened her amethyst eyes that shone with surprise... and even delight.
As soon as she felt the first thrust between her nether regions, Rei fixated her glare on the man who pleased her so much at that moment. She smiled, she moaned, and she pushed his head towards her to kiss him.
I don't care if it hurts
I wanna have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
Yuuichirou simply couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He wanted so much to break from his self-imposed impediment, but all his efforts were for naught.
I want you to notice
When I'm not around
You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special
How he wanted to be that man! The one to take Rei's purity! Yes, in the realm of his mind, Yuuichirou could admit that the core of his desire was to engage in those carnal pleasures with Rei... As whatever and whoever that other man was doing right there in front of him. The feeling of arousal within his own nether regions did not leave room for doubt. The more he saw the couple going at it, the more pleasure he felt in his loins.
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here!
And just like that, after Rei shook with pleasure one last time, the man disappeared, and she stood up to walk towards Yuuichirou. She had a look of unmistakable satisfaction and even smugness as she smiled at him and thus spoke: "You're helpless and pathetic, did you know that?"
She's running out again around
She's running out
She run, run, run, RUUUUUUUUUUN
RUUUUUUUUUUN
"I know," Yuuichirou answered with a smile on his face, which Rei corresponded in equal measure.
She then stuck her hand into Yuuichirou's chest and yanked off his heart. "This is mine now. Even if I am somebody else's lover, you will give your heart to me."
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special
"My heart is yours, Miss Rei. Forever and ever. No matter what you do... Please, let me have you! PLEASE!"
Having said this, Rei simply tossed the heart to her side, which slammed into some kind of wall and left a bloody track as it slid into a trash can.
"You are who you are, and nothing will change that. And who you are does not interest me at all. Leave me alone..."
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here...
(xx)
When Yuuichirou woke up from that strange dream, he expected to have wet his bed with nocturnal pollution. Thankfully, all he had was a typical case of morning wood. But then he remembered why he was there sleeping under an unfamiliar ceiling. It was still in the middle of the night, but the long-haired youngster could no longer go back to sleep. He also felt too tense to practice his usual post-awakening exercises and rituals, and even skipped breakfast.
This is a nightmare... A nightmare where I can't wake up at all! I have to set things straight with Miss Rei...
All he wanted in that morning was to see his beloved once more, and explain to her the situation in his own words. Somehow prove his innocence as well, though that idea would be rather far-fetched at that moment. What he knew was that remaining locked in that room would do him no good. It may have had every comfort in the world, but it was still like a prison to him. Especially within his father's pressing reach.
Thanks to the meditation and perception training he took under Grandpa Hino's tutelage, he was able to notice he was still being followed by his father's Yakuza thugs, if for no other reason than to guarantee his safety. But he still felt his privacy being invaded.
Eventually, he arrived at the feet of the Hikawa Shrine. After a deep breath, the young servant climbed the stony staircase as fast and wide as he could.
"Rei is not here," Grandpa Hino answered as he came out from the main household, still as forlorn and serious as he was since the night before. "She spent most of the morning looking on the phonebooks for the private hospital where Touya was taken in, and went to see him as soon as she discovered his whereabouts."
"I see. I will wait for her to come home then."
"No can do," he firmly answered. After some silent pondering, he began to explain: "Rei has told me about your ties with the Yakuza. Not only that, you hid the truth from us all this time, and you lied to her when she asked about it."
"Master, please, you have to believe me, I..." the young man pleaded.
Grandpa Hino glared at Yuuichirou and took a deep breath. "Listen, Yuuichirou, and listen well. Not only do I believe, I know in my soul that this thing with the Yakuza is not you, it is your family... But still, Rei has a strong trauma with Yakuza... and so do I. My daughter, Rei's mother, she fell victim of the advances of one such evil-doer. And she paid the biggest price of it."
Yuuichirou could feel the pain in the old man's voice and in his posture as well as he explained the story of Risa Hino's affair with Yakuza warlord turned politician Takashi Kakihara from which Rei was conceived, and how she saw her mother lose her life to a bomb attack aimed at her father due to his organized crime dealings. He knew the story from heart, but could not simply interrupt the musing of his master. Not when that explanation carried the gravitas of his own unwanted links with the Yakuza.
"I know well you would never hurt any of us, or anybody else for that matter," Grandpa Hino finished. "But still, seeing your indirect link with those godless heathens... I deeply regret having to tell you this, but it is better off if you do not return to the Shrine."
Of all the things he ever heard his master speak, those were the gravest and heaviest. Every insult and joke at his expense were nothing compared to what essentially meant the end of his tenure at the Hikawa Shrine... And the end of his hopes to be with Rei for good.
"But... But..." Yuuchirou nervously stuttered and fumbled his words. "W-w-where will I go? Where would I stay?"
"You are rich and well-off," the Shinto priest casually answered. "They won't deny you shelter and sustenance, will they?"
"I'm not rich!" the young man desperately affirmed as if arguing his case. "My family is rich! My family is the rich one... With blood and gunpowder... Not me..." Yuuichirou then fell to his knees and pleaded to his old mentor. "Please, PLEASE, do not do this to me, Master Hino! I..."
"By the Kami, have you not learned a single thing under my tutelage?" Grandpa Hino roared with the pent-up rage his heart and soul had gathered, holding himself just enough so as to not kick the servant. "Have some self-respect and stop groveling, you maggot!"
Those crude words... To Yuuichirou, they sounded exactly the way his father scolded him whenever he made a mistake. He felt like he had learned nothing. Like he was worth nothing. Exactly like he felt throughout most of his life.
"I'm deeply sorry, Yuuichirou... There is so much going on in this old man's mind that I don't know how else to act... But please, do as I say. If you do get together with Rei, you will inevitably put her in danger, and this... This I cannot accept. If you love her like I know you do, and you respect this old man's wishes after all the time we have spent together in this holy place, then please... Take your leave. You have until dusk to pack your things and take them with you. Whether you return to your family or venture yourself into the world like you were doing before arriving here is of no concern of mine."
With this said, the old priest turned around and entered the main household once more. That decision was final, and there was nothing Yuuichirou could do to convince Grandpa Hino otherwise. In heavy and lumbering steps, he went to the guest room that housed him for the latest years, sat on one corner, hugged his own head, and wept as softly as he could.
(xx)
As Grandpa Hino had explained to Yuuichirou, Rei spent the entire morning searching for what clinic could have taken Touya in. Her mind was in almost complete disarray, and she barely slept a wink that night. Only a full disclosure from both Touya and Yuuichirou could bring back her peace of mind.
When she finally found the one, she promptly took a few savings and took two buses to reach the private hospital in the outskirts of Yokohama.
"Only two people are authorized to see Mr. Minamimoto," the receptionist warned. "His mother Nikishi and a woman by name Rei Hino."
"I am Rei Hino," the heroine confirmed with a pang of inquietude in her tone. She even handed the clerk her ID card.
"Very well then, you may see him. He is in the final room of this corridor on your left."
Rei found Touya lying on his bed with his head wrapped in gauze from a fall he had taken, which was why he was taken in one of the clinic's rooms. As soon as he turned around, he opened a relieved smile.
"I'm very glad you came to me for help, Rei... You were exactly who I wanted to see."
His eyes glowed, and as soon as she saw them, Rei felt a chill down her spine. A paralyzing chill that went to her limbs and even to her head.
"Touya... What's going on?" she asked fearfully while trying to keep her balance.
"I could not have asked for a better host," Touya spoke in a distorted voice that Rei promptly recognized. "A man with some kind of liaison with you."
"No... You...!"
"I am Hypnos, God of Slumber."
As it turned out, Hypnos' threat in their confrontation was not empty. But of all people in the world, he had chosen Touya Minamimoto as his host... Why? And worst of all, Rei was completely powerless. She could not move any limb, and even if she did, how exactly could she fend off against him?
"With your help, my brethren and I shall take over what is ours by right," Hypnos still spoke while holding Rei's chin. "Will you be my maiden and help me usher the new Age of Gods?"
Rei, please... Don't!
Rei's naturally purple eyes gave out a grim gleam. And she gave her willing answer almost like a pleased moan. "Yes..."
Touya smiled... Or better yet, it was Hypnos who smiled for him. The real Touya still retained his mind, but could do nothing to prevent Rei's possession. No... This can't be happening. This has to be a wicked nightmare! Please, Rei... Don't do it! We can't!
"Wonderful," said the wicked God as Rei, now completely possessed by his power, gave him a willing embrace and a passionate kiss on his lips.
Things are getting juicier!
Also, I don't think I need to show which song I took those lyrics from. It's not like the band is going to sue the hell out of me for inserting those in here. Credits belong to Radiohead, so on and so forth.
Thanks a lot to James Birdsong and especially to litalkino1987 for your comments. You keep me going strong!
Anybody else who wants to drop by and say how I am writing? Just pass by and drop a comment.
Next chapter: How will Hypnos use Rei for his own ends? How does it tie in with the Yakuza subplot? And what awaits poor ol' Yuuichirou?
Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.