To Queen Koushishi,
I must admit, Your Majesty, this Book of Prophecies is indeed most enlightening! There is much truth to your words, that particular prophecy you pointed out in our last private meeting has been on my mind ever since. Were it to come true, it would spell great disaster to our common goals.
Rest assured, I have already thought of a plan to bring an end to this imminent danger. After all, the best way to deal with a pestilent plant is to nip it in the bud. As such, I will depart to the mortal world early in the morning. I assure you this problem will have been dealt with by the time I return to the palace.
Signed,
Tenshiyoku, Forsaken Prince of the Dawn Kingdom
Tenshiyoku set down his quill and ran a hand through his golden curly locks that rested on his head like a solar crown. He admired the setting moon and day's rising clouds - in many ways that image was the perfect metaphor for Shishima's continued suffering. Targeting Nekohana was mostly to satiate Rufu's desire for vengeance so he would cooperate, but Tenshiyoku found great pleasure in knowing that he brought pain to Shishima. They were both princes who had been forsaken by their mothers, so why did Shishima get to have his vengeance and even be king while Tenshiyoku wallowed alone in that cave for centuries? As far as he was concerned, every single petty act he did to target Shishima or his loved ones was nothing but hard justice. As a matter of fact, the reason for his trip to Earth was the prophecy Koushishi had shown him earlier that night:
And lo, the Forsaken Prince of the Dawn Kingdom, whose downfall was as unfair as Lucifer's, will one day rise from his ashes like a most divine phoenix and burn his way through the gates of the very kingdom that outcast him. He will drive his righteous spear of vengeance right through his treacherous mother's heart, thus earning the throne, his birth right. But his reign will be short-lived, as the spawn of Shishima will end his life, thus ushering in a new era for both the Twilight and Dawn Kingdoms.
That old coot Fukurokuju supposedly knew everything, so the Book of Prophecies he wrote couldn't be wrong. Tenshiyoku would ultimately prevail and become king, his success was assured! But there was a shadow looming over him - Shishima's offspring. That explained why Nekohana was so weakened when Tenshiyoku went after her, she must have given birth beforehand. Returning to Earth would be a risky venture, for his last trip had confirmed that Shishima was incapable of sensing the presence of other spirits unless they performed magic.
Kamijishi's spies had already confirmed that Shishima's brat was not even under his father's care, but rather a mortal's. Obviously a trick to deflect unwanted attention and protect the cub. A futile effort in Tenshiyoku's eyes. As far as he was concerned, there was no need for any complex plan or elaborate blackmail; he would simply hunt down and kill the child, that way he would both avert the prophecy and bring even more pain unto Shishima.
Count Kage returned early on that evening. His dealings with the yakuza were going smoother than expected, that meant his income would double by the end of the year. But more importantly, he knew that his son and Hajime's family were safe. He'd made a habit of checking up on them daily on his way home. As an added bonus, Shikou had spared an afternoon to teach Hanshishi the art of dueling before returning to his duty of reaping souls. It was the first step for his son to grow stronger, and hopefully he would not have to struggle much. As long as Shishima remained the Earth's apex predator, he would ensure none of his loved ones would ever be endangered again.
As soon as he stepped inside his mansion, Count Kage was assaulted by a strong wave of emotions which fed him well. They mostly consisted of guilt, worry and self-hatred. Trying to make sense of them, he discovered that the source was none other than his cousin Hyouma! Did something happen? He soon found her in the kitchen, she was spinning a wooden spoon inside a boiling pot of stew. Shion had already reconfigured her style, since her way was to quickly be on top of everything. Her hair was now styled in an asymmetrical bob. For jewelry, her gold chain necklace was very thin, and her earrings were simple gold bars. Her dress suit was plain black, smart, like her shoes, and she smelled like a rich lady perfume. A CEO instead of a queen, but she was only put together on the outside.
"A shame that this is what royalty's been reduced to," Count Kage couldn't resist a playful jab.
His humor was not reciprocated. "I'm trying to help as much as I can. Borof is doing laundry upstairs," Shion explained.
Count Kage shrugged. "Do as you please." Then he took a seat at the table. "You haven't switched off your emotions," he said, Shion paused. "I've noticed that you tend to do this when you have long tasks ahead and prefer to have a clear mind. But now, what I've just felt..."
"Shishima, you needn't concern yourself with how I feel," Shion argued back and tried to focus on her stew once more. "You have much bigger issues on your hands."
"Can't I be concerned for my wife?" Count Kage asked with a smirk.
"Our marriage is political, you only love Nekohana."
A delicious mix of spices filled the air. Most daiyoukai were utterly dependent, but cooking was one of the many mundane skills she'd mastered, just in case.
"And you're still part of the family, whether you like it or not. Even if we were divorced, Hyouma, we'd still be still cousins."
The stew was left to simmer at low heat, Shion had bigger fish to fry. She sat at the table, face to face with Count Kage. After all, she had been born and raised to marry Shishima and inherit the throne. When all failed due to Koushishi's scheming, she threw her lot in with her cousin and managed to achieve her goal in the end. Her victory was short-lived, and now the husband she sought for her entire life was her only hope of survival. He sensed and fed off of emotions, she could shut her emotions off. He was straightforward with his brutality, she preferred to adapt according to her environment. In many ways they were different, and yet when push came to shove, he chose to trust her. Yes, Shishima trusted Hyouma to be his ally, then his wife and queen, but most importantly, he trusted her to carry his father's legacy in the Twilight Kingdom, and perhaps that was what hurt her the most.
"I can sense your frustration growing," Count Kage broke the silence between them. "Tell me, what's bothering you?"
"You want to know what's bothering me, Shishima?" Shion spoke, her eyes welling with tears. "I've failed you and everyone else, that's what's bothering me!"
SLASH!
The table collapsed between them. Count Kage's eyes were wide as Shion leapt to her feet, her chair tipping backwards. "Everyone was counting on me, I'd finally achieved my life's dream only to stand idly by as it all crumbled away!" She was pacing in a tight circle, not daring to meet his eyes. "I've been raised my whole life to be queen and yet I still was inexperienced. I relied on Fukurokuju so much to make the right decisions that I couldn't properly assert my authority!"
Count Kage managed to bring himself back and counter, "You did the right thing. Had I been in your place, I would've also borrowed Fukurokuju's wisdom to both fix the kingdom's issues and appease the populace."
"You just don't get it!" She sank into a squat among the strips of mahogany. Her face in her hands, her
nails sharp and metallic. "I was there when everyone went mad and Koushishi escaped. Yet I hid in the throne room and kept calling for the military to fix the mess when they were probably also under that spell. Don't you see? It's my fault that I lost the throne, and Fukurokuju, the Oni King and even Akamaru, they all looked up to me and died just so I could be here right now with you. Had I actually done something, perhaps none of this would've happened. Frankly, I don't even know why you'd even bother keeping me around!" She grabbed her shoulders, buried her face behind her arms and sobbed, still squatting in the mess that resembled the ruins of her legacy.
Count Kage watched her in silence, trying to formulate an answer. Although he didn't show it, he was indeed moved by Shion's plight, no matter how much he was feeding off her emotions. She was showing him a new side. For most of his life he'd viewed his cousin as a single-minded opportunist who was nevertheless pragmatic. During their fight to dethrone Koushishi she definitely proved her trustworthiness. Coupled with her regal training, she was the perfect candidate to leave as his sole successor to the throne. What Count Kage expected from Shion was a desperate desire to regain what she'd lost, and yet she was showing genuine remorse over those she unwillingly let down. Perhaps to some extent she'd also learned the compassion which Fukurokuju tried to pass on to all Twilight Kingdom monarchs. Either way, Count Kage would help her. He owed her just as much for not committing to ruling alongside her. Had he been there, perhaps Koushishi would've never escaped...
"Hyouma, listen to me," he firmly spoke, getting up finally to crouch at her level. She wiped her eyes and finally dared to look at him. "What happened back there was beyond your control. You did the right thing coming here, for if you were to die, then the Twilight Kingdom we wanted would've died with you. Those who sacrificed their lives to ensure your safety did so for the same goal. If you wish to honor their memory, you have to help me."
"With what? Raising Hanashishi? Freeing Nekohana from that curse? Or perhaps with that barrier to block out the spirit world?"
"No, I want you to help me get you back on the Twilight Kingdom's throne," Count Kage said, leaving her speechless. "I owe it both to you and my father's memory. I swore to him that I'd leave behind a better Twilight Kingdom, and that can only happen with you at its helm."
Shion couldn't believe it, the tears frozen on her face - after letting him down, he still wanted to help her regain that which she lost. The old Shishima would've not wasted a second glance at her, let alone ignore her failure. Perhaps having Nekohana in his life did change him for the better. When was the last time she felt such a close connection with someone? Her mind immediately wandered to her former allies, Rasenkara and Senhari... Back when she was on the throne, she'd often thought about them in her few moments of solitude. A part of her wanted to send for them and invite them at the upper levels for dinner, in the hopes of patching things up. Alas, she never worked up the nerve, for their departure was less than amicable. If Shishima could make more of his life beyond the throne, perhaps she ought to try as well. Shion looked up at Count Kage and said:
"Thank you, I'll help you however I can. But, if it's not too much to ask, would you also help me with finding someone in the Twilight Kingdom?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Not an issue, who exactly?"
Shion got up to turn off the stove. Her stew was ready. "We'll discuss this after dinner."
Hajime hung up his phone and rested against the warm radiator. The pizza order would arrive in half an hour, then he would enjoy a nice movie night with the kids. He couldn't help but notice how the weather had grown colder than usual in that autumn, perhaps it was a bad omen? Things were always uncertain when it came to youkai affairs. He had known Shishima for a decade, and by that point he had gotten accustomed to the unexpected.
Speaking of unexpected, Hajime went over to his drawer and took out the letter that Shishima had penned for Hanashishi. He was still in disbelief over how personal and emotional the message was. Deep down he was happy that Shishima had turned over a new leaf, and not just for mankind's sake. In a twisted sense it did feel like witnessing a friend grow into a better person. Still, Hajime felt immense regret, for Dominic deserved to know the truth. Immediately he recalled Sayo, how she strung him along, supposedly for his benefit, and the immense pain he felt once her lies were exposed. Dominic was a good kid at heart, he didn't deserve to experience the same pain Hajime felt.
As if on cue, the little rascal ran into his office with a sudden zoom. Hajime blinked at the sudden speed, Dominic was growing faster with each passing day.
"Dad, are you gonna join us? Tsugumi's asking."
"I will, sport. Once the pizza arrives."
"Pizza?!" Dominic shouted and received an affirmative nod. "Oh yeah, we're having pizza tonight!" He jumped up and down tirelessly.
Just as he was about to bolt out of the office to share the good news with his sister, Hajime raised his voice, "Dominic, please wait a minute!" The boy paused and turned around. His father folded the letter and hid it in his pocket, then he walked over and squatted down to his level. "You know that no matter what I'll always love you, right?" Confused, Dominic nodded. "You're the most amazing son I could ever ask for and if there is a God out there, I thank him for bringing you into my life," Hajime said, his voice beginning to break.
"Dad, why are you saying that?"
Clenching his fists, Hajime blurted out the words that would change his son's life forever, "Dominic, I'm not your father."
The boy grew pale. "W-what? B-but y-you... you said I'm a Shirayama!"
"In name only. You were adopted, which means Audra was not your true mother just like I'm not your true father."
Tears streamed down Dominic's red cheeks as he felt his surroundings begin to spin. All of a sudden he was alone in the world. Before darker thoughts could overcome him, he felt Hajime's strong arms wrap him into the tightest hug he ever received, as if to assure him that he was not alone.
"Don't cry, it's okay," Hajime whispered as he held back his own tears. "Your real parents are out there. I promise you that one day they will come to take you back." Dominic didn't say anything, he just hugged back and cried in his chest, still unable to process what he had just learned. "No matter what happens, you'll always be my son and you'll always have a family with the Shirayamas. You'll never be alone, I swear."
They remained in that embrace for a few minutes, until Dominic was comfortable enough to let go. He looked up and asked, "Who are my parents?"
"You'll find out next year on your birthday. I promise you that at least one of them will come to the party," Hajime said and he received an impatient pout in response. "I know this is all confusing, I know you have many questions, but please, be patient. You will get your answers soon."
Dominic's pout was soon replaced with an accepting smile. He stretched out his pinkie and asked, "Promise?"
Hajime grabbed it with his own pinkie and nodded, thus sealing their deal. Dominic hugged him again and said, "You're the best dad ever!" Then he took off, leaving behind a wild gush of wind. Hajime blinked, that kid was getting too fast for his own good.
Shishima brought Hyouma into his office and closed the door. Behind those walls and thick curtains they could wander in their true forms and discuss their plans in secrecy.
"It took me a while, but I've finally found the barrier spell we require to block out the spirit world," Shishima said, pointing to Fukurokuju's books.
Hyouma took a seat in front of his desk. "When do you intend to cast it?"
Shishima sat opposite to her in his rotating chair and replied, "I'm still debating. We need to infiltrate the Twilight Kingdom and gather intel on my mother's plot. Perhaps we should also try to rally the people in all regions for another revolt. Then there's also your two friends whom we need to find. And of course, Nekohana..."
"In other words, we won't be raising this barrier anytime soon. Still, aren't you concerned that your mother's spies may cross over here?"
"Of course I am. But there's still a lot of work to do in the spirit world, we can't afford to cut all ties." Shishima rubbed his mane pensively. "Perhaps one of us should go on night patrols?"
Hyouma nodded. "And when we head out in Sagakin to deal with mortal affairs we can also keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
"Good, now that that's covered, do tell me more about the new deck you've been working on."
"I looked up the RexStars as you advised. Thankfully I found one that I fancied as my main finisher. My Rolemodeltiger deck is now Water Darkness Nature, so I tried to build a RexStars deck with the same civilizations. But then Borof chimed in and helped me with deck building, he even gave me copies of his incarnation."
Shishima was surprised by the revelation. "Did he now?"
Hyouma continued, "Yes, and he also insisted I add Fire as a fourth civilization so I could have access to what he dubbed his 'best draghearts'. I'm still unsure over the final result since I never got to properly test my new deck."
"That can be arranged." Shishima picked up a bejeweled case that rested on his desk. "Since my main deck is built to counter both RexStars and Dispectors it wouldn't be a fair match up. However, I will use one of Fukurokuju's decks against you, with the addition of Zeron for my own flair. But think of it as facing our advisor one last time."
Hyouma remained silent as Shishima motioned for them both to walk over to the dueling tables he held in one of the office's corners. Soon their cards were all set and their shields were materialized. The surroundings changed to those of a vast dark cosmos, red ritual circles glowed beneath them and a floating white egg hung above them, the shadow of a dragon surrounding it.
"I summon Durinri, Darma." A telephone with a pair of eyes and a grinning smile appeared by Shishima's side. "I end my turn and Durinri mills the top card of my deck." Zanbari, Darma landed in his graveyard.
"I cast Faerie Re:Life." Hyouma put the top card of her deck into her mana zone.
"I summon Grigyan, Darma." A golden chandelier with three burning candles which had grinning faces carved onto them appeared, causing Dupoiz, Darma, Vogaiga, Darma and De Szark to land in their owner's graveyard. "Gate of Moonless Night! I take Zanbari and Dupoiz from my graveyard, fuse them with Durinri and Grigyan and summon on the four of them... De Szark!" A syringe with cracks that formed a smiling face and a poison bottle with a grinning face carved onto it appeared and joined the other two objects, the four of them forming a magic circle out of which a majestic dark purple phoenix with a small black sun burning in its chest arose. "De Szark makes your creatures come into play tapped since I have four cards under him," Shishima explained. "And since I put a card from my graveyard into the battle zone, I link the Ceremony of Resurrection and self mill two cards." Perfect Darkness and Bangetsu Ga Ryuzark / Bangokusatsu landed in his graveyard.
"I summon Deddam, Disaster," A blue robot with purple tires for legs and green jets on his back appeared by Hyouma's side as she checked the top three cards of his deck. "I'll take this one into my hand, put Katta Kirfuda & Katsuking ~Story of Passion~ into my mana zone and Shuff, Eureka into my graveyard."
"De Szark makes Deddam come in tapped." The phoenix flapped its wings and fired a purple wave of light which pushed the robot to its knees. "And now it's my turn, I summon Rabiripit, Remembrance Doll and discard a card at random from your hand." A purple rabbit plushie wearing a regal robe and crown and holding two golden forks joined Shishima's side, forcing Hyouma to discard Cyber I Choice. "De Szark, destroy Deddam!" The phoenix gave a battle cry and dashed towards the robot, hacking it into pieces wits its talons.
"I summon Momoking Rex, Orai Hero!" A burgundy-skinned dragon dressed in green samurai gear and wielding two large katanas appeared by Hyouma's side. "With his effect, I discard Faerie Re:Life, draw two cards and then evolve him into Aarukait (Pegas Star)!" The dragon got engulfed in a blue aura and grew in size. When the aura dispersed, it had transformed into a blue killer whale wearing a golden crown with emerald horns.
"So that's your RexStars finisher," Shishima remarked. "Regardless, De Szark makes it come in tapped."
"With Pegas Star's effect, I reveal the top card of my deck and if it's a non-evolution creature, I put it in the battle zone." Hyouma revealed the card. "I put Katta Kirifuda & Katsuking ~Story of Passion~ in the battle zone!" A red-skinned golden-armored dragon with clamps attached to its arms joined her finisher in the battle zone. "With his effect, I check the top five cards of my deck... and add Balad Vi Na Shura to my hand. Then, since I added a Fire or Nature card, I send De Szark back to your hand!" The dragon unleashed a torrent of water from its clamps which engulfed the phoenix and made it vanish.
"You got rid of my lockdown, for now. It's still far from over - I summon Vogenmu, Darmugenma." A small dark blue statue depicting Genmu Emperor, Fukurokuju's other finisher, descended in the battle zone. "I end my turn and Vogenmu mills 13 cards from my deck, thus linking the Ceremony of Graveyard, which gives -3000 to Katsuking. Then I take five Magic Tools from my graveyard, fuse them with Vogenmu and revive Bangetsu Ga Ryuzark upon them!" Five more objects arose and formed a circle alongside the Genmu Emperor statue, out of which a dark purple phoenix with wings sharp as blades emerged. "Now at the start of your next turn you can only untap three mana. And since I've played a card that costs 8 or more, Rabiripit discards your whole hand!"
Hyouma bit her lip - no cards in her hand and only three available mana meant that she had traded the previous creature lockdown for something much worse. She drew a dud which she placed in her mana zone. Left with no other option, she said:
"I attack with Pegas Star and with his effect I reuse Katsuking's come into play effect again!" She once more checked the top five cards of her deck. "I add Na Turalgo Danger / Natural Trap to my hand and send Bangetsu Ga Ryuzark back to your hand." A second torrent of water swept the sharp phoenix until it vanished. "Go, Pegas Star, triple break his shields!" The killer whale dashed headfirst through three shields. "And I end here."
"I summon Gripage, Darma." A purple book with four blue eyes painted on its cover appeared by Shishima's side, forcing his opponent to discard the only card in her hand. "Then I summon Dupoiz, Darma and destroy it alongside Gripage."
"I destroy Katsuking," Hyouma responded and watched as the poison bottle descended upon the battle zone, pouring its foul liquid upon her creature and Shishima's before it cracked into pieces.
"Since three creatures were destroyed, I link the Ceremony of Destruction and recover Perfect Darkness from my graveyard. Now I end my turn and since you've got no cards in your hand, I link the Ceremony of Hands and gacharange summon Dusaico, Darma GR." A floating dice with a grinning face appeared by Shishima's side. "Zeron Birth!"
The red ritual circles below shined bright as the floating egg cracked open and a shadowy creature emerged. The being grew in size, easily towering over everyone present. The darkness around it dissipated, revealing a pale blue and purple dragon, its body made of nebulae and other cosmic matter, its horned head with sharp fangs and many glowing red eyes.
"When Zeron is birthed, all of your creatures have their power reduced to 0 until the end of the turn!" Shishima announced and watched Zeron's darkness engulf the killer whale.
"Star Evolution, while Pegas Star is destroyed, Momoking Rex remains!" Hyouma intervened.
"Futile! The power reduction also applies to the evolution bait, so Momoking Rex dies as well!"
Hyouma once more bit her lip - now she was left without any creatures. She drew her card and said, "I cast Natural Trap and send Rabiripit to the mana zone." A pair of spiked vines grabbed the rabbit plushie, dragging it into the depths.
"Too little too late, I'm afraid. I summon Zanbari, Darma and discard Vogenmu, Darmugenma. Then I summon Durinri, Darma and Fantasy Gate of Moonless Night - I summon Gar Raganzark on four Magic Tools from my graveyard! Lastly, I summon two Duglass, Darma. Now, Zeron, break all of her shields!" The abyssal creature reached one of its arms forward and used its claws made of cosmic matter to shatter all of Hyouma's shields.
She immediately took the five cards in her hand and inspected them. Her response soon followed:
"Guard Strike - I reveal Faerie Re:Life and stop Dusaico, Darma GR from attacking this turn. Shield trigger, I summon Katta Kirifuda & Katsuking ~Story of Passion~!" She checked the top five cards of her deck. "I add Dogiragon Buster, Blue Leader to my hand and return Gar Raganzark to your hand. Lastly, shield trigger, I summon Borof, Final Dragon Edge!"
As if on cue, the wolf plushie was transported into the battle zone, a pair of wet briefs in his gloved hands.
"Milord, I'm a bit busy here!" he complained, only to see that he was facing against Shishima. "What?! Then who dares-" He turned around to see Hyouma. "Milady, you're finally testing the deck we worked on!"
"With Borof's effect, I self mill a card and recover Balad Vi Na Shura. Then I equip him with Gaial, Leader Dragon Sword and force battle him with a Duglass!" Hyouma announced.
"Hold on just a second here!" Borof neatly folded the briefs and hid them in his pocket, then he reached up and received a flaming orange sword with small green horns sticking out of its blade. He dashed ahead and shattered one of the glasses to pieces.
"It's my turn, I summon Momoking Rex, Orai Hero, discard Deddam, draw two and evolve him into Aarukait (Pegas Star)!" The crowned killer whale reappeared by Hyouma's side. "The top card of my deck is Shuff, Eureka, whom I put in the battle zone and choose the number 9. Katsuking, attack and Revolution Change into Dogiragon Buster, Blue Leader! Final Revolution - I bring back Katsuking once more!" She checked the top five cards of her deck yet again. "I attack Baraghiara (Verokiboaro Star) to my hand and return the other Duglass to your hand. Go, Dogiragon Buster, break his final shields!" The blue-armored dragon dashed ahead and hacked the two remaining shields with the sword in his mouth.
Shishima checked the cards he received and frowned upon receiving Bangokusatsu, a spell that could destroy all creatures in the battle zone and save him... if only it didn't cost 9 and weren't locked down by Shuff's effect.
"Pegas Star, attack! I use Shuff's effect again and choose the number 0. Todomeda!"
Shishima received a strong headbutt from the killer whale which threw him off his feet, thus sealing Hyouma's victory. Their surroundings returned to normal and he crash landed into a bookshelf. A moment of silence fell between them, then he tried to get back on his feet while responding:
"Keh, not bad, not bad at all, color me impressed!"
"You actually won against Shishima-sama?!" Borof gasped, his jaw dropped.
"I guess I did," Hyouma responded with a satisfied smile. "Say, Borof, don't you have some laundry to finish?"
"Oh right, I'll be back later!" the wolf plushie excused himself and ran out of the office.
"Now that you, me and Hajime have strong RexStars decks, we will stand a chance against the Dispector alliance," Shishima brought up as he opened a portal to the Twilight Kingdom.
"There's still hope," Hyouma mused, then she shyly added. "Are you going to visit Nekohana again?"
He nodded and vanished inside the portal which immediately closed. Hyouma actually felt sorry for Shishima. He had made another daily habit: visiting Jubokko to watch over his comatose lover, most likely out of a sense of duty. Guilt seemed to be eating at him from the inside as much as it did to her. At the very least Shishima had someone special in his life. Did Senhari and Rasenkara also count as important for Hyouma...?
Someone knocked at the Shirayama mansion's entrance. Since all the servants had gone home, Hajime rushed in his plush slippers and bathrobe to open it. The pizza must've finally arrived, just in time for the kids' movie. As soon as he opened the door, he was face to face with a strange blue-eyed man with curly blond hair. He looked a little younger than Hajime and wore nothing but a white robe that fell to his ankles.
"May I help you?" Hajime asked, his guard up in case he was facing a hobo.
"Greetings, Mister Shirayama! I know you must be a very busy man, so I will be quick: hand over Hanashishi if you wish to see the next sunrise," the stranger said and then a pair of snow-white wings came out of his back, spread wide and blocking the exit.
A Dawn Kingdom angel?! Shishima had warned him about them. Not wasting a second, Hajime took out his gun and fired a laser through the being's forehead. It left no mark.
"Foolish mortal, your weapons have no effect on me, Tenshiyoku, the Dawn Kingdom's rightful heir!"
Tenshiyoku... that was the name of the bastard who fatally wounded Nekohana and robbed Dominic of his mother. He had now returned to harm the child. Hajime grit his teeth in righteous anger and took out his deck, challenging the angel to a duel. He would sooner die than let the children be harmed by that divine monster.
My beloved Shishima,
If you are reading this letter, something terrible has happened to me and most likely I am no longer alive. Please don't let my tragedy define you in the same way your father's tragedy caused your downfall. The Shishima I love would find a way to overcome that pain and move on. It's okay to love again. I know I've been your only love, but don't forget polyamory is still natural to our race.
No matter what happens, I beg of you, beloved, keep our child safe and be there for him or her. Give our little cub the childhood we never had. And trust that my love for you will last till the end of time and beyond.
May we meet again beyond the Abyss (yes, I still have hope),
Nekohana