A loud scream was ringing from somewhere. It sounded like a woman… No, it was a girl. It was very high and scared, drawn out… It sounds so familiar…
Don't… don't let go…
He feels his own lips move to call out. But his body was in fire. Everything was hurting. Nothing could call out. He had no voice. His leaden arm reaches for something in the distance. It's a person… someone with long hair… and a cord-like tail…
Hi…yo…ri…
At that moment when his world seemed to come to an end, he saw her silhouette poised before the destructive slash. She spread her arms out and protectively embraced him. Her lips moved soundlessly and he saw something shimmering slide down her face. The gem of a tear falls and lands on a frayed necklace around her neck.
Hiyori... HIYORI!
...
"No, no, no…!" Kouto bit his lip to prevent the complete loss of composure, "Yaboku…!"
He bends over, worriedly looking down at the dying face of the god of disaster. The rending power of Ubau had nearly ripped his body in diagonal halves. A near fatal cut from his left shoulder already showed the split of muscle and bone. The cut extends down past his chest and abdominals, ending just right of his groin. The spine is still held together, but the cut has damaged virtually every vital point in the torso. The god's breath is a bare rasp and hiss, and his clothing is in shreds. His hands miraculously still hold to his twin swords.
Kouto excavates Yato out from the fallen trees, which have blackened. The nature around seems to be turning dark and dying as the chains have been cut in the area.
Water… purifying water maybe… But the shrines are much too far, and too great a risk.
Kouto's mind races as he hauls Yato to a nearby river. The flow is somewhat slackened due to some fallen trees. It runs relatively clear. He lays Yato down as gently as he can in urgency. The water blooms with red as the blood pours into it. The god twitches.
"Yato… Dammit…" Kouto grinds his teeth and looks up at the sky. Somewhere up there, that Fudou is cutting down Heaven… But he had told him that Yato was off limits!
Yato's half-opened eyes move and he sees the fuzzy figure of his father. He wants to speak, but his lips move with little noise, and it is agonizing to breathe or move. But he heard her... no, he still hears her. Hiyori is screaming, crying, somewhere in the distant sky. His hand holding the blade weakly wriggles, only to feel a warm hand clasp on his cold limb.
"Yaboku, don't move. I'm getting you out of here soon... it's going to be over..." Kouto's voice is low and controlled. Even if he was angry at that damn Magatsuhi, he was duking it out with Heaven as he promised. Yato will live, and then he will laugh with him atop the ashes of the unjust order once it is all over.
"No... Hiyor...i... Have to..." Yato coughs. This is a bigger wound than even Take ever gave him. Overhead, there are sounds of rumbling clouds, and ominous colors. One hand goes to weakly pull at his father's sleeve, "...need to s...save..."
"In what condition are you to do so, Yaboku? Stop it, and just forget about this. You'll be killed if you try," Kouto leans down over his son, speaking gently, "That cleaving blade will cut everything."
"...Yato?" Yukine's voice is small and groggy, like he just woke up, "G-AH! It's the sorcerer! G-get away!"
"Yato... you can't even move, can you?" Kouto strokes the god's clammy forehead, "Just rest. When you wake up, we'll be a family again. Don't you want that..."
"I said GET AWAY!" The hafuri draws a quick boundary against the man, making him jump back from Yato, "What do you want?!"
"Tsk. Impudent..." Kouto frowns with distaste at the blessed regalia, "Don't you see that your master is dying? I am trying to save him!"
"Y-Yeah right! The whole mess with Bishamon was your fault!" The boy tries to keep his voice confident, despite the state he could see Yato was in.
"What does that matter now? Do you want to see Yaboku bleed to death?!" Kouto grits his teeth and raises his monk staff, intending to strike the sword.
"S-stop... unh..." Yato rasps, "Don't … hurt … Sekki..."
"Y-Yato, don't talk..." Yukine keeps his eyes on Kouto, "We... we gotta still save Hiyori, right? I'm not gonna fall for any of your tricks!"
Kouto feels his temple throb. His son cared so damn much about this boy. How infuriating that his true family had been forgotten. Did he even care? Regardless, he needs Yato alive. With a frustrated sigh, he lowers the staff and takes out the other brush. With a quick swish, ayakashi wolves suddenly jump to his side. They seem fuller somehow, under the light of the eclipse.
"Spirit essence, obey... heal my son."
The sorcerer flicks the brush with some quick strokes and the wolves disintegrate into what looks like an opaque, powdery mist. It flies at Yato's body and envelops it. Yukine braces and tries to draw a barrier, but it passes with little resistance, like air.
"Y-Yato?!"
The mist clears after a few seconds. The Yatogami's body seems roughly repaired, as seen under the shredded jumpsuit. Where the flesh had parted is sickly, raw-looking flesh that pulsates. It is the color of a fresh scar, with about the same appearance, in a long welt across his chest. Yato, still at first, takes a huge gulp of air and lapses into a bout of coughing and groaning.
"Ugh..."
"Y-Yato..." Yukine can't hide the relief or shake in his voice.
"It is only so we can get moving. I'm not going to let you go back and kill yourself," Kouto says as he stows the brush away, "Come, Yaboku."
Yato sits up with a grunt, ignoring the stabbing needles of pain radiating with every move he makes. What can he do right now? Fudou was … on a totally different league from him, as much as he hated to admit it. He feels gingerly at his freshly healed wound, quietly amazed that he actually survived. Then he feels something within the shreds of his clothes. Hiyori's omamori.
It had protected him after all. He recalls that silhouette he saw in that moment. She was still somewhere. She isn't gone.
"...Yaboku?" Kouto narrows his eyes a bit as his son sits motionless, "Some, let's go."
"... No," Yato stands, unwieldy, "I can't."
"What are you..."
"I'm not going to abandon her..."
"Yato, don't be foolish!" Kouto slashes a hand through the air, "Look around! Heaven has lost! What do you think you can accomplish against that weapon? There is nothing left to save, nothing to abandon. It's just a weapon now."
"I can still hear her voice..." Yato clutches the charm, "I'm not sure what I'll do yet... but I'm gonna get her back. She's still in there somewhere."
"Yaboku..." Kouto grinds his teeth, "Don't you see I just want to be safe!"
"No dad, what you wanted was revenge! Me and Nora are second to that!" Yato barks back, despite his dry throat and how it hurt to shout, "You knew about this didn't you?!"
"I never wanted you to die! Think about how the Heavens have wronged us time and again! To them, we're but sand to be blown away in gales of time! But I survived! I persisted and surpassed their every trial! And now, it's their turn to fall..." Kouto's expression changes slightly as he relishes the thought of the heavens burning now in a panicked frenzy.
"...You're crazy..."
"Yaboku, is that any way to talk to your father who just bought you back from death?"
"Hiyori was the one who protected me and Yukine. And I'm not going to leave her."
"..." Kouto grasps Mizuchi and the rings at the top of the staff jangle, "I'm not letting you go get yourself killed."
"I don't plan on it until Hiyori is safe..." Yato crouches slightly, blades at the ready, "Ready, Yukine?"
"Y-yeah!"
"Father..." Nora mutters, "Perhaps this isn't the best time..."
"Not now, Nora," Kouto says, "When a child is naughty, they have to be disciplined. I suppose I didn't teach you enough, Yaboku."
"You don't even know me anymore, dad."
"... The flesh I gave you as a substitute is still ayakashi, you know."
Kouto, with a face of disapproval, draws the brush and makes a quick stroke before Yato can slice off his fingers. The delivery god lets out a brief grunt as he feels the newly formed flesh pulsate and warp, feeling like he was being stabbed all over again. He doubles over, breathing heavily through his nostrils, but unwilling to drop to his knees. Blood dribbles from his lips.
"Y-Yato!" Yukine cries out, "Tsk!"
The hafuri whips out another boundary with quick thinking. However, this time it is matched with a boundary from Nora. He sends another one, with the same result. Yukine draws a breath and sends two boundaries at the man, but Nora deflects it with a single one cutting through. The boy grits his teeth in frustration.
"Give up, Yaboku."
"Ngh-" Yato takes some shallow, pained breaths as he uses one blade to support himself like a cane to straighten, fighting the pain, "No... Not... on your life!"
He makes an upward swipe at the man, who is forced to falter. Kouto growls as he stumbles back, Mizuchi at the ready. Nora bristles slightly at the attempt on their father's life. Yato takes the chance to leap back a few paces. His posture suggests offense. Then he suddenly turns tail and begins running away into the forest.
"Wh- YABOKU, GET BACK HERE!"
Yato sticks out his tongue, grinning despite his pained body, "I guess I really am your son! I'm as annoying and tenacious after all!"
Kouto points the brush again, but he feels the energy lessen as the range between them grows too far. They did not have masks on them anymore, and the eclipse is making the ayakashi empowered, harder to control.
"Father... Yato will get himself killed, won't he..."
"... I don't know, Nora."
Yato is a stubborn brat. Even when he disciplined him all those times past, he never quite could break him and make him wholly his to control. The boy was … a lot like him; unwilling to be subservient to Heaven and even him, his own father and creator. Kouto stands there silently as rain begins to fall around them. He does not seem to even move to avoid the wetness.
"Father?"
"...Let's go, Nora," Kouto starts walking slowly, "Let us prepare if we need a funeral."
…
Yato ran, breath heaving, legs pumping. It didn't matter that every step felt like a fresh stab again, or that he tumbled and stumbled like five times over the dirt and rocks. Rain begins to fall by the time he collapses onto the floor, unable to move any further. The healing Kouto had performed was indeed haphazard. He could feel the nerves and flesh tingling, not fully healed at all. And who knows about any internal bleeding. He can only lie there in pain, panting. Above, the drab sky is a darkish purple and grey, raining despite the lack of clouds. The lunar eclipse still clearly hangs in the sky. Clashing and fierce sounds of striking metal ring out from above.
"...Yato..." Yukine murmurs quietly, "What do we do..."
The hafuri reforms into the shape of a young boy. Yukine sits down tentatively next to Yato. He draws his knees up to his chest, ignoring the cold and wet, as his bottom lip trembles just slightly. His hawthorn eyes show endless worry.
"How are we... gonna save Hiyori..." A brittle edge creeps into his voice as his conviction from earlier vanishes into thin air, "We... can we beat that guy?"
"... We have to. We'll find a way..." Yato drapes an arm over his face, gritting his teeth a bit.
"... Yato, are you crying?" Yukine looks over at the god, his own eyes watery.
"No... it's just the rain..."
Yukine runs his hands through his hair, wracking his brain. Think, think!
"He... turned Hiyori into … his shinki..." Yato's voice quavers slightly when he says it.
Yukine blanches considerably, "W-what..."
"I saw it... her cord was attached to that sword... and when he cut me... I could feel her too. She... protected me at the last moment... with all her strength..." Now Yato's voice hitches.
"B-But... how?! How is that... Is it because Hiyori is of dual natures...?" Yukine murmurs fearfully, "Then... that god utilized her ayakashi half to control and make her human half his weapon..."
"Probably... Dammit!" Yato slams the side of his fist on the wet dirt, "I should've... I should've protected her! Why did I..."
Why did I ever trust him? … Was I just sentimental because he seemed decent? Was I that happy that another god of misfortune … wasn't just another Rabo? Did I see my old self in him...
"...How would we undo that, Yato?" Yukine asks quietly, fearing a nonanswer.
"... I don't know."
The two sit in quiet, hearing the distant sounds of a battle they could not join, and feeling just the rain pelt their bodies. There is a sudden flash of lightning that falls to the ground nearby, crashing into the forest. A crack of thunder follows.
"Ngh..." Yato sits up, "Let's go check it out... Sekki."
The boy becomes the twin blades in his hand once more. Using them as supports, Yato stands and slowly wobbles towards the clearing next to where they were resting. There is a small squabble of worried voices. Yato sees what looks to be a large, smoking crater that busted up a rock in the clearing. He recognizes the white hair of Kiun among the other attendants of Takemikazuchi. He seems mostly unharmed, save some blood and dirt on his robes. Around him, Miun, Kaun and Sekiun seem to be picking themselves up from a nasty fall. They squabble over the crater, lifting out a bloodied Saiun and Takemikazuchi.
"Lord Takemikazuchi...!"
Yato could guess what the hell happened. He can see that large gash that seems to have nearly cut Take in halves. Saiun must have taken the brunt of the blow though, because the next thing the shinki knew, the square-faced man's guts slopped out of his torso as his waist seemingly snapped in half. His lower body plops to the wet ground. Miun barely suppresses a scream and Kaun looks like he wants to hurl.
"M...my lord..."
"Saiun... do not speak..." Kiun is the only one forcing his tone under control. He has to, as the guidepost.
Yato awkwardly shuffles over. The shinki look to him in surprise.
"Y-Yatogami..."
Yato looks over the grievous injuries, "Kofuku's house is near here... You guys need the help..."
"Near that binbougami?! Our master would surely die faster with her around!" Kaun snaps.
Sekiun quiets the younger blade with a stern look, "What do you think, guidepost Kiun..."
Kiun did not even need to think twice, "Our master's life comes first. He can be moved... but Saiun..."
The square-faced man's body is covered in smaller cuts. His bisected body was already bleeding out onto the ground. His eyes no longer seemed focused.
"D-dammit... You... you can't die...!" Kaun chokes back a sob.
"M...lor...d... forgiv... me..."
The shinki breathes his last. Yato can only look down as the last of that life faded. It was just like then. All those shinki he killed at Kazuma's behest for Bishamon's sake. Those eyes glaze over and the body will never move, never be warm again.
Is that... Is that what's going to happen at the end of all this...? Is this what you want, Fudou? No... I won't let you... I won't let Hiyori...
Kiun bites his lower lip and hoists Take's listless body over one shoulder, looking to Yato with slight desperation, "Lead the way. Please."
…
Amaterasu looks on impassively at the conflict outside. Heaven will prevail, because Heaven's will is the strongest. It is absolute and it is the law above all.
So why has that annoying gnat not fallen yet?
Her legendary regalia sit quietly nearby. They reflect only her thoughts. The hooded, faceless messengers come with more and more infuriating news.
"Ookuninushi has just arrived into the area."
"Efforts to contact Ebisu remain inconclusive."
"Takemikazuchi has been rendered unable to fight further, alongside Kagutsuchi and..."
"Where is Tenjin," Amaterasu asks in a chilling toneless voice.
"He has not answered the call to battle."
Tenjin always seemed to see himself above conflict. All the while he is just as capricious as a human is. It is quite ridiculous. And Bishamon... perhaps Heaven was too lenient on her. After all, it is because of the losses her own mess created that Heaven was now understaffed.
There is another rumble. Several divine servants go sprawling as fractures appear along the infrastructures of the palace.
"The rensa are breaking...!"
Amaterasu barely flinches, though annoyance is now on her mind. Heaven will prevail, because Heaven's will is the st-
"OH HIGH GODDESS OF HEAVEN!"
That loud and sarcastic address. There is another rumble that follows, but one that sounds as if the whole world were creaking. From her view, she sees the lone god of disaster raise his blade, blazing with an otherworldly hue.
"Is your might so little?! Your forces without morale?!"
With a single stroke, he sends a wave so large that it blurs her vision. It was the same as then, with the insolent Emishi hafurumono.
A shrill cry is heard by the gods. The slash seemed to have done nothing, passing completely into the sky. So who cried?
In Heaven's throne room, Amaterasu is shrieking loudly and her shinki are scrambling to her. On the floor are scraps of her hair, sliced clean off, along with flecks of her blood from a cut on her face. He had cut her. From the other side of the world. None of the gods could know, as the sun right now was blocked out by the earth's impending shadow.
He had renounced the source of all life. But was that perhaps because he was never alive... or because he drew breath from another source?