The night before...
Ever since he found those secret documents from his mother's desk, Touya had been feeling incredibly despondent about his entire role in the farce she tried to force him into. It was like he was on auto-pilot the whole week, not noticing how or even what he did. The feeling of anxiety and powelessness did not fade away even as he tried to relax his mind.
When Saturday arrived, Touya felt like going out to the ever-inviting nighttime in Roppongi once the day's duties were done. Going to the bright and enticing nightclubs - some of which were under the Minami-gumi's tab - take a few drinks, enjoy some female company... Anything that could help take himself out of that funk, even if for some fleeting minutes.
Once arriving with his usual entourage to a neon-bright bar and dance club, just by talking to a bar-hopping girl in Kogal garments as soon as he arrived, the young Yakuza managed to charm her off enough for her to keep following him. But after the initial thrill of the pick-up game, Touya no longer wanted the girl's company, but at the same time did not want to cut her off so suddenly. After all, she had no fault in his state of mind.
"Yo, Boss! You look in the dumps," came one his bodyguards to greet him. Aoki looked rather plain without the blue mask he usually wore when accompanying him.
"Ehh, just reflecting on some stuff," he dourly answered. It was more sincere than any of them could tell.
"Maybe some fresh air could help," Aoki suggested. "It is quite cramped in here."
"...I guess you're right."
The Kogal, who followed Touya to the club's exit, also noticed how down he looked, and how it somewhat rubbed off on her. "Tou-kun, are you alright?"
"Sorry 'bout that, uh..." He was so lost within his thoughts, he couldn't even bother to remember the girl's name.
"Yayoi," she said with some annoyance. "Yayoi Kitagawa, I told you like three times already. Seriously, is there something wrong, baby?"
"Yeah, there is," he actually blurted out. "But trust me, it has nothing to do with you. It's stress from my job, is all. Excuse me... Gotta take some fresh air on my own. Have a cocktail on me or something, ask for it on the counter. The barman will know who I am."
Now free and most likely single for the rest of the night, Touya met up with Akagi, his other personal bodyguard, who stood firm beside the doorway as if he were the place's bouncer.
"Something wrong, Boss?" the thug asked.
"Eh... not really," the young Yakuza had to lie as he always did.
There was nothing more Touya wanted at that very moment than to vent out his frustrations to someone close to him. Looking once more to Akagi, who looked just a little better than Aoki without his intimidating Oni mask, Touya reflected that the closest thing he had to friends in all this time were his bodyguards, who were designated solely for protection and enforcement during his more "difficult" tasks. This liaison was professional and nothing else, and that hurt Touya far more than he could let it be.
Just who the hell I am, and what I am supposed to do? I can't just tell this to Rei, or my brother Shinya... I don't even have any real friends, only convenient acquaintances that approach me for what I have, and not for who I truly am... Should I really bear this brunt all to myself?
A speeding and unsuspecting popular car came careening from the edge of the street, stopping just by the club's entrance. The car's windows then opened... and a volley of gunshots came from all four occupants.
"Boss, get down!" Akagi promptly warned as he threw himself over his boss, only to get hit by two shots on his back. The shove Akagi gave him was so strong, he ended up hitting his head on the curb with some degree of force.
"By order of the Kumada clan, you are to be eliminated!" spoke one of the hitmen as he got out of the car, reloading his automatic pistol.
"Kumada!?" was all Touya could repeat as he slipped into unconsciousness. To his mind came only the image of a certain man not much older than him... Who he knew was vying for the affections of a certain someone he was supposed to be engaged to. And whom he also knew had ties to the Yakuza himself.
"You... You won't do anything... to the Boss!" Akagi screamed as he got up and valiantly fought the would-be murderer. Another shot to the chest, and the loyal bodyguard released his last breath, dropping to the sidewalk to bleed to death.
"Tch, should have stayed out of the way," the hitman dryly commented. Once he certified himself that Touya was out cold but not gravely hurt per the orders he had received earlier on, he got into the car once again and ordered the driver to hit the road as fast as he could. Very conveniently the police force only arrived when the perpetrators had gotten away. Only then did any witnesses and passers-by dare to come out of their hiding places, too shocked to speak right away.
"We're going to need some ambulances here," the lead officer observed as he assessed the damage done by that drive-by. "We have one dead and three wounded." No mention of pursuing the killers - They were under the Minami-gumi's orders as well, and had to play their part for the plan concocted by their leader Nikishi Minamimoto.
"Uuhh... Ugh..." Touya still moaned out as he tried to keep himself awake.
"Sir, are you alright?" one of the officers asked as she kneeled to tend to the fallen youngster.
"Khh...Khh... Kumada... Yuuichirou... It was..." That's all he could speak before finally passing out.
(xx)
As soon as he closed his eyes, Touya promptly fell into what could only be described as a pit of darkness where he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper. And no matter how much he tried to move, it was like he sank into the darkest body of water he had ever seen. His limbs were no longer mobile, and he even felt slightly suffocated by that strange and all-encompassing darkness within his own mind.
"Am... Am I dead?" he concernedly asked himself.
"Not really," a deep and ominous voice resounded. "But let's say this is a new life you are to awaken to."
A large humanoid figure clad in a gleaming purple armor then materialized in front of Touya. The only thing visible behind the open-face horned helmet was a wicked smile that somehow shined as mightily as the golden trims that separated the parts of his armor. That intimidating sight left Touya speechless.
"Let me introduce myself, child..." the figure spoke once again. "You are in the presence of he who created the darkness to which all living things must slip into. The small death that revivifies the body and the soul alike. The space in which memories long forgotten appear once more, and where there is no difference between what is alive and what is dead. My name is Hypnos, and I am the God of Slumber. Much time have I roamed seeking one like you to become my vessel of flesh and blood... One whose soul is so filled with the darkness of self-doubt, the kind of doubt one has when they have no knowledge of their own purpose. I can give you the purpose and the identity you yearn for."
"What is this identity bullshit you're talking about?" Touya lashed out. "This has to be some kind of nightmare... I know well who I am!"
"Oh, do you now?" the Dark God scoffed. "Were you not mulling while awake about who you truly were, and the appearances you had to put up with?"
Whoever this Hypnos entity was, he knew exactly what hurt him so much. It was at that moment that he realized this was no mere dream he slipped into. With a wave of the God's hand, Touya felt a rush of memories hitting him with enough strength as to make him back off for a bit. The few times he ever dared raise his voice to his parents, the many instances he was rude to his older brother Shinya, the abuses he dished out to those he deemed inferior to him... All came down in a flurry of images that made the young man cower in utmost dread.
"That's right! You feel like you are a fake, hiding behind an eminence front because you have not the courage to stand up for yourself and follow your own path. You took for granted your so-called fate, and now you feel tied to it. It eats you inside every single time you think about it. Especially because it openly infringes the laws of men. Even with the privilege of wealth and power, you still feel filthy from the inside, and you have nothing and no one to confess to."
Touya said nothing still. Hypnos spoke perfectly well what anguished him so much, perhaps better than he could ever describe.
"Indeed, this is a nightmare. A figment of your own mind, shrouded in the shadows of your own sullied being, which form the repose that I and my Oneiroi seek for to take over the realm of reality. The grounds that once housed the almighty Gods and its creations, banished to the emptiness of ignorance through the ages..."
"And... where do I enter in this entire story?"
"As I said, I need a host. One with enough darkness within them. And this person will be you. Now, you will become my willing servant."
"What makes you think... I will obey you?"
"Because this isn't a suggestion. This is a statement." Having said this, all Hypnos did was point his long-nailed index finger toward Touya's forehead. That which began as a chilling touch to his head promptly took over the young Yakuza's soul through its entirety, as did the feeling of utter dread for his own life.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
A FIRE THAT BURNS UNNOTICED
Chapter 9 - Here's Where The Story Ends
For all intents and purposes, Touya Minamimoto was no longer in any danger, and was thus given his leave from the Hayabusa Clinic in the city limit between Tokyo and Yokohama. Alongside him came Rei Hino, happy as she could be as she clung to Touya's shoulder like she were his lover. At least that's what the staff assumed when they saw the couple walk on by, especially with the information they were given about Touya and who could visit him.
What none of the clinic's staff knew - Or anybody else for that matter - was that Touya's sudden recovery was the work of the God of Slumber, who was now in full control of Touya's body for his own sinister purposes. And Rei would be of chief importance for his master plan.
Just what do you intend to do now, Hypnos... Touya still thought from within his own mind as they took a taxi to Rei's home.
Wait and see, Hypnos smugly answered with a thought of his own.
(xx)
"As your first task, you will lift any spiritual barriers that protect the Hikawa Shrine and your home," ordered Hypnos. "Otherwise, I won't be able to enter the blessed grounds of your home."
"Will do," the Guardian confirmed. As she climbed the stone staircase that led to the Hikawa Shrine and her home, Rei put on a normal façade and met with her grandfather as soon as she stepped on the Shrine's front porch.
"Rei, I sure am glad you came home already," Grandpa Hino spoke with a tint of concern in his voice.
"Oh, hello there, grandpa!" Rei greeted her grandfather with no signs of anything unusual. "Listen, I'm in a bit of a hurry. What is it?"
"I have decided that Yuuichirou is better off leaving the Shrine," the old priest revealed. "I don't think he should stay here anymore... Not with the knowledge we have of him."
Something deep inside the raven-haired heroine shook her upon that mention, but her possession was still too strong for any further reactions. "...Fine by me."
The old priest found this dry answer rather odd. "That's all you have to say, really?"
Rei simply nodded, and quickly went to her room for a quick wardrobe change. She put on her miko robes and went to the fireplace room in wide steps.
"Huh, where are you going?" her grandfather concernedly asked.
"I need to do something about... the spirits around the Shrine. Excuse me."
All the old priest could do was follow Rei into the place where they conducted their daily rituals and prayers. Nothing seemed unusual in Rei's chants until suddenly, the flames from the kiln grew higher, and for a moment they appeared to creep out of the fireplace and take over the walls. They dissipated on their own, and the fire acquired a bluish tone. This was the signal the warding seal had been broken.
"What in all hells is going on!?" Grandpa Hino bellowed out when he saw the blue flame in the fireplace. He felt his legs giving in, and had to prop himself on a nearby wall so as not to splatter himself while falling. "I... I..."
"Don't worry, sir." An upstart, well-groomed young man with short jet-black hair and eyes that shined in an undescribable color came to help the old man. "It's only natural for a man so deeply linked to spirits to feel upset when there is a change in how they flow. But this is a good thing, and soon you will see why."
"And who... Who... Might you be?" the old priest asked.
"Oh, where are my manners?" the young man spoke with a rub to the back of his head. "My name is Touya Minamimoto. Your granddaughter has certainly spoken of me to you."
At that moment, the old priest saw Touya's silvery eyes emit some kind of spark. Feeling the tingle of possession within his body, Grandpa Hino recovered his balance and opened a satisfied grin. "Ah... Of course, of course! You are Rei's date that she spoke of! Pleased to meet you, good sir!"
"Oh, Touya! I didn't notice you already came in," Rei gladly stated as she got out of the fireplace room. "I sure am glad you're already making good acquaintances with my grandpa."
"If I knew you sooner, I would have given you my blessings instead of that good-for-nothing whose name I'd rather not pronounce ever again," the old priest added.
Just what are you saying, sir? Touya's own conscience still cried out from inside his possessed body. This is a farce! This isn't me speaking, it's Hypnos! Please...
No matter how much you squirm and cry, no one can hear you except for me.
SHUT UP!
"Speaking of which, let's see if that piece of work has already had the good initiative to pack up and leave already, shall we?" Touya suggested as he stepped outside towards the guest room. Rei and her grandfather followed suit.
(xx)
Upon receiving the news that he had to leave the Shrine on short notice, Yuuichirou felt his mind too heavy to keep himself awake as he retired one last time to the guest room that housed him for almost four years, packing up his few personal belongings in his sports bag. Only in his dreamless sleep did he find some semblance of comfort in that adverse situation.
And not even that lasted so long. He was abruptly awakened with the sudden opening of the room's front door. Between his shuttering eyelids he could see a familiar male figure.
"Well, well, well," Touya spoke with the kind of inflection one does when convinced they are in the high ground. "If it isn't the humanoid shitstain, son of the humanoid turd."
"Touya...!? What are you doing here?"
"You are looking at my one true sweetheart," Rei proudly answered from behind her "new" lover. "Someone who, unlike you, would never hurt me with damned lies."
"Huh...W-w-what?"
"Have you finished picking up your stuff already?" Rei sternly asked. "I'm pretty sure grandpa told you to get out of here. Yakuzas are not welcome here and you know damn well why."
The long-haired servant shook all over and finally got up to address her. "Miss Rei... For the love of everything, this is a misunderstanding! I..."
To that plea, the raven-haired girl simply turned her face away.
"And besides... that guy is a Yakuza too! Far more involved in that business than I ever was! Dammit... You heard as much from my father yesterday, didn't you?"
"What?" the raven-haired girl blurted out in outrage. "Are you trying to slander Touya now?"
"Rei made her choice and you are better off complying," Grandpa Hino gave the final word.
Yuuichirou simply opened his mouth, but no protest came out of it. No matter how much he would complain, that decision was final. He finally picked up his sports bag and left the guest room dejected as can be.
"Before you go..." Touya said before delivering a fierce punch to Yuuichirou's gut. The latter arched forward gasping for breath. "I told you that I'd beat the fuck out of you if you ever hurt Rei!"
Son of a bitch! You're exploiting my memories! He didn't do shit against Rei!
That was too much for the now-former servant to handle. Humiliated to no end and taken by pure fury, Yuuichirou screamed incoherently as he lunged forward and threw a punch to Touya's face. So strong it was that it actually made him fall backwards.
"What the actual hell is going on!?" Rei screamed when she saw Yuuichirou trying to mount over Touya to fill him with further punches. "Leave Touya alone, you animal!"
"He started it!" Yuuichirou yelled. "HE FUCKING STARTED IT AND YOU SAW IT!"
"That does it!" Grandpa Hino exclaimed as he separated the two young men. "Get out of here, NOW! And don't ever come back, you fiend!"
"You heard the man, you maggot," Touya smugly spoke, proudly grinning as his lower lip swole. "Get out, and don't cross paths with any of us ever again."
All Yuuichirou could do was look back and forth in absolute horror. He was no longer welcome there and he knew it. Worst of all, he simply could not conjure up any good explanation as to why all that happened just as he could finally move on up with Rei. Was that a trick that Touya himself mounted so he could have Rei all for himself? Holding back tears, Yuuichirou gave one last look over the Shrine's grounds and finally left in slow and pained steps.
"Huh... Whiny asshole. About damn time we got rid of that pest," Rei huffed as she shook her head in disapproval. She then turned to Touya. "Are you hurt?"
"Not much, my dear," Touya answered while wiping his lower lip with a finger. "Nothing that time itself won't heal. So yeah, we need to tell my mother about our engagement."
Dammit, NO! the real Touya exclaimed from within his own mind. That's her plan all along!
Well, how convenient! Hypnos thought back. Perhaps I could find hosts for the others of my ilk during the engagement announcement. Let us play the slow game, shall we? It's not like anybody can do anything against it.
(xx)
Where do I go from here? thought Yuuichirou as he stood smack-dab in the middle of downtown Azabu-Juban, now that he no longer had a place to live in.
Sure, he had his old home in Nagano as well as wherever the Kumada clan had their business in Tokyo proper... As long as he toed the strict like of Koutetsu, that is. And after what felt an entire lifetime of humiliations, beratings, beatings and orders, the last place he wanted to go was near the man that hurt him the most.
A pang of guilt hit Yuuichirou as he sat down a plain concrete seat. Perhaps I should have come clean to Miss Rei and Master Hino... Ah, what good is to think of this now? It's too late.
He went to the nearest Lawson shop he could find, and bought a six-pack of Asahi Dry. Right away, he cracked open one of the cans and chugged away. If his life was to be ruined, he thought, he would begin by sloshing his mind in a drunken stupor. It would at least numb the pain and the rage that still burned within his core.
The next step of his pilgrimage would be whatever train station he could find to ride the first wagon off to nowhere in particular. It just so happened to be the Tamachi station... The same one he went to when he "threatened" to leave the Shrine the first time after his jealousy-driven altercation with Haruka Tenoh.
Another can of beer down the gullet, and more memories flushed down his inebriated mind. This time, he knew, he would go away from Rei's sights forever and she would make no effort to bring him back. The young man pondered he might as well go to wherever the train went and just not think too hard about where he would end up.
"Hey!" A guard abruptly called after noticing Yuuichirou drinking. "Loiterers are not welcome here!"
"Can't a guy at this day and age enjoy him some brews now?" Yuuichirou whined.
"Then do it somewhere else, ya bum!" the guard curtly said as he threatened to draw forth his baton.
"You know who you're talking to?" the young man seethed as he got up and towered over the otherwise diminutive employee. "I am the son of motherfucking Koutetsu Kumada, Yakuza boss! You mess with me, you mess with one mean motherfucker! Now leave me alone, you ugly-ass dwarf!"
"Eek! No way!" As it turned out, the guard knew exactly who was Koutetsu Kumada and backed off in fear. "Okay, fine! Just... Just don't cause a loud ruckus, alright?"
Yuuichirou held back his laughter as best as he could, and only when the guard went out of his sight did he release perhaps the biggest and brashest belly-laugh he ever had, if only because he was already sloshed off his head. He celebrated that "small victory" by cracking open another can of Asahi Dry, and just as he finished, the next train to the western countryside arrived at the platform.
"Say hello to the bad guy!" he loudly announced to the commuters in the train.
(xx)
The next day...
Since classes still didn't resume from winter break, the Guardians took that Monday morning to start training their skills and conditioning their bodies as suggested by Haruka and Michiru. The order of the day would be some roadwork, followed by target practicing with their magical powers.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Usagi asked as she tried to stretch herself beyond what is humanely possible.
"Isn't it obvious?" said Makoto as she helped her friend and leader stretch her limbs the proper way. "We are waiting for Rei."
"All of us must be together for this to start," Minako enthusiastically added. "No Guardian left behind, remember!"
Speaking of her, the Guardian of Fire had just appeared from the horizon, already sprinting to where her friends were gathered. "Sorry for my tardiness, girls! I was setting up an important appointment for Wednesday night."
"Oh, really?" Usagi teasingly added. "And what appointment would that be?"
"My engagement to Touya Minamimoto, of course."
That drew surprised gasps from the rest of the girls.
"Engagement!? As in, you and him... Becoming pretty much bride and groom?" the leader of the Guardians befuddedly questioned.
"But... Didn't you say you had broken off with him out of your own free will?" asked Minako.
"And didn't you say you were going to give a chance to Yuuichirou almost afterwards?" added Ami.
"Girls, it's very complicated... But let's just say things didn't go quite his way, but very much my way. I will explain it when we are done running."
Makoto just sighed. "Meh, can't be helped. At least you gave him a chance, I guess."
"Well, no more waiting. Let's start. On your marks... Get set... GO!" With this chipper call, the Guardians started their jogging session... At least all the ones not named Usagi.
"My God, I can't wait to be engaged myself to Mamo-chan... But isn't it a bit too early for it? I mean, we didn't even finish high school yet and Rei is set to be married to this Touya guy? And what about Yuuichirou? Poor guy must not be taking this well and... Huh-WHAT!?" Only then did the leader of the Sailor Guardians notice that everybody else had already started jogging. "Hey! Where's everyone?"
"Catch up, slowpoke!" Rei yelled from afar.
"Hey, wait for me!" Usagi shouted back as she started her own run.
(xx)
As she returned home, Ami couldn't help but wonder how rather unconvincing was Rei's explanation as to not only her date with Yuuichirou was "ruined" but why she returned to Touya Minamimoto almost inmediately. Something in that whole story doesn't add up, but I can't put my finger on it.
As usual, her mother was not home and would not arrive until after she would go to bed. But before she had a chance to put off her sweaty clothes and take a shower, the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hey there, Miss Ami," spoke a voice she yearned to hear once more for a long time.
"R-R-Ryo!? Is that really you?"
Ryo Urawa confirmed. "You know I'd love to chat and put you up to date about me, but I am calling for a more pressing matter."
"Huh, really? How so?"
"Remember how my clairvoyance powers never went away even after I had the Rainbow Crystal removed from my body?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, they keep coming to me in dreams... And the latest one was the most worrying. I dreamt of Hypnos, and how he took over the body of a young man named Touya Minamimoto."
"My goodness, that is the name of Rei's fiancé!"
"He's already engaged with Miss Hino? Then he is advancing far faster than expected..."
"I think I understand why you are calling me now. What else do you know about Hypnos?"
"As I said, he took over Touya, and it appears he got close to Rei for her spiritual powers, which are of extreme importance to him."
"It all makes sense now. She talked about how she broke off with him and would agree to give a chance to Yuuichirou, but then made up a strange excuse that I can't quite wrap my head around about why she returned to Touya after all."
"Well, there you have it. She isn't being herself, it's Hypnos' mind-controlling powers that did it."
"My goodness..."
"I'm afraid most people will be affected by Hypnos' powers to unveil their worst nightmares. Which is also why I am calling you. Ever heard of the Yoga Nidra resting technique?"
"Yoga Nidra? I think I've heard of it before... It's one where we can feel well-rested without falling asleep, right?"
"Exactly! The idea here is that you and the rest of the Guardians must use this, at least while we don't find out a proper way to deal with the God of Slumber. Do tell of it to your mother and as many people as you can, otherwise they can be susceptible to Hypnos' evil. His endgame is to prepare the surface for the return of the remaining dormant Gods."
"I see... Very well then, I will. But what of Rei? How can we save her? And how exactly can we banish Hypnos?"
"Unfortunately I only know as much... But this I can tell you: Be on the wait for a call from Miss Meioh and Professor Tomoe. As you likely know already, they are spending their holidays in Greece so that they can also search the proper way to deal with Hypnos once and for all."
"One more question... When do you figure we will see each other again?"
"When the right time comes and all of this is dealt with, I promise I will appear. There is so much I want to tell you, but I'd rather do it personally."
"Heh... So do I."
"That's nice to hear, really... Now if you excuse me, I am just about to leave for a trip. Trust me, this also has to do with the mission at hand. Please be safe out there, Miss Ami. You and the other Guardians as well."
"Thank you very much, Ryo... For this call, for your help, for everything. I look forward to see you again."
(xx)
When Yuuichirou woke up, he saw himself belly-down on a patch of dirt, surrounded by almost complete darkness save for the last sunbeams of dusk, and what was like a sea of trees beyond his blurred sight. His head hurt, and his mouth felt bitter and dried up. "Crud... How did I get here?"
He also noticed something was amiss. Not just something, but pretty much everything. "Fuckin' A. I lost my bag! Can this day get any worse?"
With difficulty and still feeling the effects of his beer-fueled bender, the young man got up and walked aimlessly around to look for anything resembling a path out of that eerie place. The smells of nature mixed themselves with an awful odor of something rotting away, which churned whatever else was still inside his stomach.
You are about to enter the Aokigahara Forest
A shiver went down Yuuichirou's spine when he read the sign. He knew well of that place's infamy. Did I actually intend to come here all along? he pondered. He kept reading the sign.
Consider this: Your life is the most precious possession you have. Think of your parents, your family and loved ones. They would suffer to no end if you put an end to your own life. You don't have to suffer alone.
His parents? They pushed him into that situation. His friends? Whatever friends he had were most likely only interested in his money and status than in himself. The few people that finally accepted him? Kicked him out of his house and functions. The woman he loved? Wants nothing to do with him, and may have never wanted anyway. "I'm starting to wonder why I came here..."
As he walked through the darkened path, he could see the somber figures of hung corpses in different states of decay. Anonymous to the world, all the people that went in there with suicidal intentions now laid in uneasy rest, alone and unmourned. It dawned on Yuuichirou he would be just another one among hundreds of poor unfortunate souls.
"Dammit, dad was right! I'm a damn good-for-nothing coward seeking the easy way out! If I just hang myself in here, I'll be just another rotting carcass among many others. I'll just prove the old bastard right! I... I have to prove my innocence. Yeah, that would kick major ass, prove I didn't do anything to that piece of shit Touya and clean my slate once and for all..."
"I'm afraid that would be hard to do in the position you are," spoke an eerie deep voice.
Yuuichirou promptly recognized a figure that materialized ahead of him. "Touya! What in all fucks are you doing here?"
"This here who speaks to you is not Touya," he nonchalantly explained. "I am Hypnos, God of Slumber. I exist wherever there are dreams to be had, for I have power over this realm. And you, Yuuichirou Kumada... You are the last span in my plan. I tell you this because you will not live much longer after this encounter anyways."
All of that sounded hard to believe for obvious reasons. "I'm... You... What!?"
Hypnos then resumed his explanation. "For you see, Rei Hino is of utmost importance for my masterplan. Her psychic powers will break the barrier between the surface and the dimension where my fellow Gods dwell in their eternal rest. But for that to happen, I need to break her own final frontier. That is... The confines of love. Because we know, Touya Minamimoto and I, that deep inside... You are the one Rei Hino truly loves. And love is the power that blocks the advances of my ilk. As long as you live, she will still harbor feelings for you. I won't have any of that."
The more Hypnos spoke, the more Yuuichirou felt confused. "Wuh-w-what are you talking about now?"
"Let us cut to the chase, shall we?" The God of Slumber then raised his left hand, and somehow lifted Yuuichirou a couple of feet up in the air. "Now join the dead in these harrowing grounds."
The long-haired young man was completely suffocated by an unknown power gripping his neck. He could not breathe at all, and little by little he felt his own conscience and strength slipping away. His limbs grew colder and eventually dropped altogether to his sides. Finally, his vision clouded until nothing else could be seen.
Once he felt his deed was done, Hypnos tossed Yuuichirou's body aside. "Rest now, Yuuichirou Kumada. Be fortunate that you will not live to see the rise of the Age of Gods! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Phew! I finally managed to find the time and the guts to keep up with this fic. I'm not giving up so easily!
My eternal gratitude to those of you patient enough to follow this through, especialmente mi querida amiga litakino1987 ;D
Next chapter: Rei and Touya announce their engagement to their Yakuza families, but not everything will go as planned.
Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.