They are going around in circles, but Kento dares not point that out. Not with the anger rolling off Satoru and Suguru in waves. The emotion is so palatable, he can nearly taste it on his tongue. Kento swallows, trying to dislodge these feelings stirring within him. As much as he likes Kagome, nothing has gone right since he met her. At least the forest is beautiful, with the trees full of green leaves and the flowers in full bloom. The grass is strangely soft and not itchy, though he would prefer some shoes, even if the grass feels like tatami.

"Alright, I'm just gonna blast this place." Satoru huffs as he spikes his hand through his hair. His upper lip curls back, showing his teeth, and the action is so primal it takes Kento by surprise. This is not the time to be thinking about Satoru or how his cock felt in his mouth.

He squeezes his eyes shut and breathes out through his mouth. His hand is clammy, and it feels as though his body has been lit on fire. With just a jacket on and nothing else, he should be cold. Maybe it is the heat of his thoughts keeping him warm. Someone once said that if you simply believe it hard enough, then it will come true. Frankly, he still thinks that person was off their rockers, but maybe there was some merit to their words.

Splash!

Kento's eyes pop open. Water? He looks up at the sky, but it is not raining, and then he looks over at Suguru and Satoru, who are staring at him with a mix of concern. Next to Suguru is a curse, a long lanky one with a face like that of a fish. It gargles and water spills from its thin lips. Water that hit him. Kento swallows back the bile. That curse doused him in water, and for what reason? While it didn't hurt, why would Suguru have his curse to attack him?

"Why did you hit me with water?" he asks, after a moment, seeing as how Suguru and Satoru keep staring at him as though they are expecting him to spout wings or a second head.

"You were on fire," Suguru says slowly. "It was a blue fire." He dismisses the curse. "Doesn't look like it was meant to hurt you since you didn't notice."

"Didn't feel completely cursed either," Satoru chimes in. "Not sure what to make of it. Or maybe I'm just going crazy."

Kento shivers. His body is no longer warm. His hair sticks to his forehead and the breeze isn't helping to warm him. He's cold, pretty much naked, and running short on patience. They need to get out of this forest and find whoever took Kagome.

"Kagome has some powerful enemies."

"Nah, her reaction back then was too calm." Satoru leads them further into the forest. On the left, a face emerges from a tree and opens its mouth. Kento walks into Suguru's back and groans.

What is Suguru made of? Steel?

"Humans, what are you doing here?" the tree questions. It extends its branches around them in a makeshift cocoon.

At least he is warmer now and the makeshift cocoon does not appear to be like that of a cage. Is the tree taking pity on him?

"And where is here?" Suguru asks, placing his free hand on Satoru's shoulder. Kento eyes the movement. So, those two are back to being friends again, just like that?

"I see, so that is why you are here."

"The fuck are—"

"How do we leave this forest?" Suguru's tone is sweet. Far too sweet like that of a fox.

How could he have forgotten how sly Suguru is? How charismatic he is?

"When they decide, you may leave," the tree replies. "Do not destroy my forest." The last part is directed at Satoru. The branches move and shrink into the tree. Kento narrows his eyes. There is nothing normal about this place. First, a talking curse that could understand them, and now a talking tree?

"That will not do. We have someone to rescue." Kento resists the urge to ball his fist. "If this is a curse that is to be broken, then let us help you."

"A curse?" The tree chuckles. "I suppose you would see this as a curse. Very well, travel to the west and you will find the one you seek." It closes its eyes and its face vanishes, leaving behind that of a normal tree.

Travel to the west?

"Let's go west," Satoru announces.

"No, we have to go another direction. That's clearly a trap. We go east."

"East? That's even more obvious. He told us to go west because he knew we would question it, which means going east is the trap and he really doesn't want us to go west. So, we're going west."

Kento blinks. "... I don't think—"

"Course you don't think Nanami, that's why I'm here." Satoru snorts. "And even if it is a trap, so fucking what? This whole place is a damn trap."

"Are you throwing a fit because Kagome does not want you?" He juts his chin up and doesn't flinch when those blue eyes turn so cold, it's as though Satoru has locked Kento in a glacier.

"I'm not arguing with you."

Kento clamps his mouth shut and glances down at his feet. He needs shoes. He needs pants or some boxers. This isn't like him. He does not go out of his way to pick a fight with Satoru. Scratch that, he goes out of his way to avoid talking to Satoru, so why is he trying to get Satoru riled up? They should be working together and not fighting amongst themselves.

And yet... Kento's cheeks burn. He can't stop thinking about it. He gets why Satoru is the way he is now. With a cock that large and strength beyond Kento's imagination, it is clear why Satoru acts the way he does. He suspects Suguru acts the same as Satoru for the same reasons.

Suguru looks over his shoulder and raises a brow.

"I am fine," Kento says.

"Why do you think Kagome—" Suguru pauses. "No, why do you want Satoru?"

"I do not want him."

"Kento," Suguru says, turning his head. "I grow tired of your denial. I always pegged you—"

Satoru chortles.

"As someone with some level of intelligence," Suguru continues. "So why do you want Satoru? Is it to take something Kagome has?"

"You admit Kagome and Satoru are together, then?" Can they change the subject? His face is aflame with embarrassment, and the more Satoru looks down on him, the more he wants to sink to his knees and beg for him to grace him with a look or a touch. Anything.

"When we rescue Kagome, I plan to propose an arrangement to her. The question is, will you be a part of this arrangement?"

Arrangement? When did they have time to come up with some kind of arrangement?

"You can't be serious. Him?"

"It could work. She wouldn't have to feel like she needs to choose."

"What about what I want? You think I want to share her with you two? Not a fan of reverse harems."

Suguru sighs. "It would be more like a poly relationship than a harem. You have a thing for Kagome, and she likes all of us. You and I already have history, and Kento has a thing for you and Kagome. I see no downsides, other than listening to you complain every day."

Kento opens his mouth. What on earth is Suguru proposing? Reverse harems? Poly?

"No downsides?" Satoru laughs. "So what? You're gonna give up on your dream of a world with only sorcerers? Did ya forget, Kagome isn't a sorcerer, and I don't want to hear about how special she is. She ain't gonna be as blase about her family getting killed like you were about killing yours."

Kento closes his mouth. It's always been like this. These two come in and they take charge. Their personalities are so large. They may as well be a national threat to society.

"Kagome does not like me in that way," he says softly. "We have gone on missions together, nothing more."

"Satoru."

"I don't believe this," Satoru mutters. "Look, maybe... if Kagome is okay with it, then maybe we could do separate dates and then a group date. But I am not sharing my time with Kagome this weekend with the two of you."

"I'm proud of you."

"Fuck off, Suguru."

"I tried to get you off, but my lips just don't do it for you anymore." Suguru lets out a loud sigh. "So much for us all coming together."

Satoru laughs, and the sound seeps itself into Kento's skin. He wants to be the reason Satoru laughs. Kento keeps his thoughts to himself as they continue to make their way to the west. The trees all look the same, but eventually, the trees thin out and they come to a field.

Kagome!

Satoru holds out an arm. "Wait."

"Aren't we here to rescue her?" Kento lowers his voice. Do they sense something he doesn't?

Kagome looks in their direction, but she doesn't move from her spot. "Don't tell me, you're afraid," she says, voice carried by the wind. She brushes her hair back. Her green dress is the same shade as that of the trees. She reminds him of a wood nymph. Kento sucks his teeth and tries to pull himself together.

Seeing Kagome again gives him such a sense of relief, his mind conjures a fantasy of them together in Malaysia. Just the two of them, enjoying the beaches and each other.

"That isn't her," Satoru says. "The color of her eyes is off. A shade too dark."

Kento rubs his forehead. It's on the tip of his tongue to say that it could be because of the light or lack of. He wants to complain. Wants to curse Satoru for ruining the moment, but he bites back the sigh and clears his mind of any fantasies and tries to focus on what Satoru is getting at.

"Doesn't smell like her perfume either," Suguru adds. "And she's wearing different clothes from earlier."

"So, the person let her bathe and gave her fresh clothes?" Kento frowns. He wants to rush over and get Kagome out of there, but there's no way he can move Satoru, let alone Satoru and Suguru. Why is he still stuck with them?

Kagome stands and walks towards them. The wind dies down and a surge of heat erupts from behind Kento. He glances over his shoulder and curses at the blue flames. Are those the same flames that caught him in its grasp? Is it the curse? Is it Kagome's doing? No, that can't be it.

"You are afraid." Kagome pouts.

"Nah, don't take it personally, but you ain't her." Satoru straightens his back and positions himself in front of Suguru and Kento.

He's protecting them by putting himself in front and using his infinity like a shield.

"Who are you? The doll?" Suguru summons a curse behind Kento. It should fill Kento with some warmth and a small portion of his heart is warmed over because of Satoru and Suguru's actions, but the other part hates how they are so quick to dismiss him as weak.

Compared to them, he is. What can he do here? He doesn't have his sword, and even if he did have it, how can he fight while being tethered to them?

"Man, you guys are such a pain," Kagome says with a sigh. "The first thing you do is accuse me of being someone else. How am I supposed to prove I'm me?"

Maybe it is her. Maybe Satoru and Suguru are being paranoid.

"Nothing, because you ain't her. So cut the games and give her back." Satoru lifts a finger. The cursed energy swells and a red light is cast over the area.

"Not bad." The voice distorts and the flames grow larger. It's strange how there is no smoke. Kento glances behind him and looks past the curse and at how the trees are not burning.

"There's no smoke," Kento says. "The trees are on fire, but they aren't burning. That talking tree said not to destroy the trees."

Satoru blows out a breath and the technique he was about to release disperses. "Suguru."

"Really, Mr. Throat Goat?" the voice questions. It's much too deep to be Kagome's. Kento steps out to the side for a better look.

Disgusting.

The skin melts and falls to the ground with a plop. What used to look like Kagome becomes nothing more than a puddle with the doll in the middle. It raises a hand and pats its face. Behind it are two curses. Grade ones, most likely. They are as large as a building and as red as a tomato. A bit of an overkill for the situation, or perhaps Suguru is simply tired of the games.

If only he could do something.

"Should have known. I couldn't get anything past the Sex Eyes. Too perceptive for this world." The doll shakes its head and then claps its hands together. "No matter. I'm done playing with you three. Stay away from Kagome."

What?

Kento blinks. The field is gone. "Where are we?" It's a room, clearly. The walls give it away. Maybe a hotel room. There's a bed in the middle of the room with the headboard against the wall. To the left, next to a door that most likely leads to a balcony or patio, is a tv and a small coffee table.

"Oh shit," Satoru says.

"What?" Suguru asks, right as the bathroom door opens.

"NOOOOO!" Ijichi wails as he grabs ahold of Ieiri, shielding her from them. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

"Since when did these two get together?" Suguru scratches the back of his head. "Never mind that Ijichi, you got some pants Kento can wear?"

"You lost your pants again?" Ieiri crackles. "What the heck are you guys even doing? Aren't you supposed to be looking for Kagome? We haven't heard from you in days."

"Shouldn't you be helping to look for her?" Satoru asks.

Wait? Days? How long were they in that forest?

"I'm on standby in case anyone gets hurt." Ieiri huffs and nudges Ijichi away. "Uhh, speaking of which, what's with the tattoo? Or is that just a marker?"

Tattoo?

Kento glances at Satoru and then at Suguru. They don't have any visible tattoos on them...so that means he has the tattoo? Kento looks down and squints at the heart on his chest. There's something written underneath, but he can't read it from this angle. He grits his teeth and forces himself not to step back while Ieiri forgets the concept of personal space.

At least his sword is on the floor next to his feet, but could Ieiri back up?

"Property of the Sex Eyes and the Throat Goat." Ieiri pulls back. "What the hell have you three been doing?"

A/N: Happy Sunday! Next Chapter, Kagome returns and Shippo appears.

"What would happen if Naoya got an energy massage here?" - Well...he would like it and would probably suffer an 'accident' while on a mission.

"Where did Shippo take them?" - To Bokuseno's forest in the demon realm so he didn't have to expend as much energy keeping the illusion up.

I thought about extending their trip in the forest but ultimately figured it would be more fun to have Shippo troll them in person.

Hope you have an amazing week. Stay warm and make sure to take your vitamins! Take care!