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Chapter 34: It's a Rule

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Hotaru's unexpected self-rescue introduced both good and bad news.

Good because she was pretty much the main reason why I had been concerned about the Daemons-related issues and what plot the big baddy may employ to get back out of the hellhole he was stuck in.

Bad because I had to also accept this was going to send her 'father' in a frenzy to try to find her or, even worse, accelerate his plans in some random, desperate, and very bullshitty way.

So yes, I was happy Hotaru was now away from trouble, but I was worried on how this was going to change the 'game'. Likewise, there was also her physical condition that needed to be handled properly.

To put it bluntly, it wasn't as bad as in the manga version where Hotaru was supposedly been turned into an android by her father after the incident that killed her mother and gravely wounded her. That being said, her biology had been altered in a way that made the purge of Mistress 9 not a feasible option.

To put it bluntly, it was very close to a 'Matou Sakura' situation, but instead of crest worms within her body acting as internal magical circuits, it was outright sections of her body that had been mutated and lived only as long as Mistress 9 existed in her body - complete organ failure was a possibility if we were to remove the dark spirit before we had patched up Hotaru's body.

To my relief, Ikari Yui came clutch as she had the equipment to look into the sample of blood sample I got from Hotaru before dropping her off to a very confused and quizzical Minako. Mina was pissed a fair bit when I told her I had nothing to do on the matter and yet Hotaru was quite eager to say I had 'saved her'.

Took a while for the misunderstandings to be resolved, but it sure put a toll on my mind as I had yet to get to bed at the time and I had... a lot to think.

This circumstance was meant to be a win - and it was one. But I was feeling like this complicated this. It didn't feel 'earned' as a victory and it felt less of that and more like a new development that held more worries than not.

The very next day I had Yui working on the matter and she mentioned how this biological makeup was, at first glance, extremely problematic for its necessary biological intakes.

I had to bring some strange vials back to Minako's flat, tell her when Hotaru had to take her 'medicine' and what would happen if she didn't.

Hotaru was there to hear, and she was a bit spooked about it but, despite that, she understood why it was necessary to take this sort of stuff: it wouldn't improve her wellbeing, but she would preserve the status quo long enough for me to get to work and find the solution to her other problem...

After all, I had no clue that the method I had used to deal with Daemons could be used for Mistress 9 herself. She was an entirely different being, and someone that could be slippery enough to dodge my attacks. Maybe not for too long, but long enough to possess another living being. Like Lilim.

Lilim was also not a safe bet in that regard either. We could 'influence' the weak-minded daemons out of their hosts, but there was no guarantee this would work on Mistress 9's far more chaotic and far more intense willpower.

While science was being tackled by someone else for the time being, I was off to chase after a metaphysical solution to my eventually physical issue.

Which saw me look into it into the safest bets I had-

"I don't believe we have someone in our village that can perform that sort of powerful exorcism," Shiranui confirmed and-

"While Gosha Village hosts some powerful exorcists, none is on par with the Onmyoji. And they will not support you due to their council's self-contained politics," Seishu remarked with a flat tone.

Well shit. This was like slamming my face onto a wall but... not everything was lost.

"However, there is someplace you may find a solution. But it is a risky option," Seishu had added in her opinion on the topic, surprised I found 'such a peculiar problem'. "After all, it involves sending you into the Dark World."

That was not good news. It wasn't the worst, but if I had a chance to avoid that, I would take it. The issue was that Seishu was making it clear it was my best opportunity.

"The Demonic Tribe in question, the Death Wraiths, are known to be sickening and deformed but... they are among the friendliests despite their appearance. The Death Wraith King has been, as it pains me to admit, a rather neutral individual that Gosha had talked with a few times in the past. He was quite the inquisitive fellow, but he is hardly a problem-causer."

"Can they solve this? I mean, the name suggests-"

"They have mastery over possessions. And considering the weakened state of this presence, I believe that they should have the means to assist you."

That was a very tempting offer, but I took a day to think about it. I mean, I am usually one that goes for a wild adventure if it means saving a life, but this wasn't exactly a simple case as before.

This could potentially end poorly for a simple reason: there is hardly any 'safe end' portal that led to the Dark World harnessed by the Taimanin.

In simpler terms, going through a portal didn't mean landing anywhere near my destination and... I didn't want to go to the Dark World for too long.

There were so many ugly places at the moment that would be far more hostile than even what the worst in NOMAD.

At the very least, Edwin Black is not a savage in his plotting and doing, not when compared to some of the more savage monsters where NOMAD came from.

Which is why I had to step back, think about it and, hopefully so, find a better path to take.

I went through my usual day after those meetings, kept track of Hotaru's situation with Minako and I felt outrageously tired so suddenly despite having slept as long as I usually did.

Maybe it was the stress talking, but I decided to go for a walk rather than train. Just a day- I was going to skip training for a day as I decided to check around Tokyo. A mere walk ensued and, while this sounds like the premise of a 'whoops, I stumbled on trouble', I really didn't find any of that.

I just had a nice walk, then got back home, and I felt somewhat more refreshed. It was a simple and yet important aspect of my life I tended to ignore: my need to be alone, not just from people but also issues.

I needed a moment for 'me', and I got it in the form of that simple and yet pleasant walk.

As I got back, I helped Usagi with her homework for her upcoming test, ended up doing my own homework and just got to bed to... lie down.

I even saw Luna stop a moment to give me a concerned look, but I just shrugged at her and felt too at ease to appear too nervous about what was going on. She just dropped it, and I got myself a nice nap.

All of this culminated then in a fairly lengthy patrol as crime had finally started to pick up and I had to get my game back to pre-Metalia's level.

A few robbers, some muggers, and even a couple of stalkers and kidnappers.

By the time I was done, before going back home, I made my way to Minako's flat and found the window open.

It was high enough for a burglar to not enter it and I could tell Minako had her ways to keep trouble away by putting a few barely-visible traps by the emergency staircase leading up to it.

As I slipped inside, I checked around, confirming that Minako was still out on patrol with Artemis, which left me on my own while looking for the reason I was there. And I found her shortly after entering the home.

Hotaru was asleep, soundly so. She had taken her makeshift bed with a strong liking, sitting and lying on it several times a day, and now she was sleeping on it.

The sleepwear given to her by Minako was comfy and didn't reveal anything awkward to the eye, but I saw the girl shuddering briefly.

I thought she was feeling cold as she had been partly uncovered by her blanket, but as I moved to fix that for her, I tensed up as I felt her hand, just as tiny as mine, reach out and squeeze at my palm.

"Don't... go."

A soft request delivered unconsciously. Or maybe... that was Saturn speaking. I was still jarred by the strange connection I had with Hotaru. I felt comfortable around her, and very protective. Way more than how I would feel around a friend, even a close one. It felt like I had a duty to help her and to be her shield, and to be...

Her big brother.

For a time I thought that it was Queen Serenity's influence doing this, but Hotaru admitted that I felt familiar, but not the same as that 'fuzzy' feeling that had led her to me.

Maybe this was a confirmation of what I had long thought being a possibility now that the Queen was now gone - I was her heir when it came to harness the power of the Moon as a warrior rather than a mere representation.

My sister was the reincarnation of someone unique to the original Queen, young and with a far greater potential than what the Moon was truly known to harness.

And as I closed my eye, my other hand shifting to squeeze back at Hotaru's soft palm, I sighed.

"I will be back. As always. I am working on helping you and Hotaru so... hold on tight for me, okay?"

I felt her hold tightening a bit more, but I could tell she was just reminding me of my 'duty'. As soon as she released me, I caressed her cheek and she shifted closer to my palm, smiling even.

"I will solve this. I promise you."

I was soon out of the building with a more conscious understanding that while I was put in the spot due to this unexpected connection, I had made a promise to save these two and...

I gave up on dodging going to the Dark World.


AN

A little bit of a build up as Shingo prepares to make a very big move. Going to the Dark World as a 'trip with a friend' will be quite a troublesome circumstance. Especially since his 'friend' is actually his 'surrogate aunt' through Seishu. Worry not, however, these next two chapters will introduce just two characters, both from Taimanin.