EPISODE ELEVEN: WHEN GODS DESCEND.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Sitting comfortably in a high-backed and cushioned chair, Ame no Minaka stroked his long white beard while gazing at a holographic screen hovering a few inches above his large desk. He was currently in his spacious office in the Heavenly Palace, every wall of which was decorated with paintings by the best artists Izumo had ever produced, the ground on which he walk was covered with the most expensive carpet that money could buy. Lining long the wall were stone pedestals on which crystal vases or other artifacts imported from the Citadel itself stood in all of their glories and further affirmed to whoever chanced upon this place that its owner was a man with great taste. He chuckled. He could still remember the faces of his colleagues in the Assembly, who were invited to his office, when they laid their eyes upon his precious collection. The gleam of greed and envy in their eyes had never failed to make his day.

Ame no Minaka took a sip from his teacup, the content of which was brewed with the finest leaves and by the finest hands, and idly leaned his back against the comfortable chair. His gaze once more fell on the holographic screen that was showing the complete map of the Holy City. A smile of satisfaction crossed his lips.

Izumo, surrounded by forests and mountain ranges, was shaped like a great disc spanning at least a hundred miles in radius and housed four million Immortals in total, many of them immigrants from the Citadel itself. Their very safety was ensured by the great Dimensional Boundary, an invisible layer that enclosed the dimensional space in which the Holy City existed, that had ripped apart countless fools who had the illusion that their feeble powers could grant them entry into the World of the Gods. What they hoped to gain was immortality and boundless honor. What they received was instant death.

In addition to the Dimensional Boundary, Izumo also had an army of eight thousand powerful soldiers, armed to their toenails and absolutely capable of wiping out any enemy Heaven might have. That very army was then split into two divisions, called the Imperial First and Second Battalions, headed respectively by Heaven�fs two High Commanders, Kagutsuchi the God of Fire and Susanou no Mikoto the God of Storms. The First Battalion�fs headquarters were located on the West side of Izumo, the Second�fs on the East, both well beyond the circular wall that surrounded the city. Their duty was to protect the peace of Heaven... or so the recruitment flyers for the army always claimed.

Yeah right, Ame no Minaka thought and laughed. He knew as well as anyone who lived in Heaven that the Army was established because the Lord of Izumo wanted to have a weapon to squash anybody who thought that they could wrestle the Heaven Throne away from him by force. That was the sole reason why the man appointed his two sons to the posts of High Commander while the only thing Kagutsuchi was skilled at was dueling one-on-one and Susanou no Mikoto already had his duty as the Keeper of the Hall of Memories to deal with. One of the Battalions�f main functions was to serve as a reminder to the Celestial Assembly. What Izanagi meant to tell them was that he had a powerful force at his disposal, a monster ready to unleash anytime he wanted, and that unless they wished to be crushed, they should tend their duties well and never have any thought of rebellion.

Ame no Minaka had to give the Ruler of Heaven a mental bow. Without the Army at his beck and call, he would have faced at least a few uprisings during the last three thousand years. The man was more aware than anyone else how his iron-fist reign and his inflexible policies did not sit too well with the majority of the public. Had there been a system that allowed the Immortals to choose their own ruler, the Lord of Izumo would have been dethroned and executed long since.

In addition to being a jerk and a tyrant, Izanagi was also a formidable strategist. Despite having an army that was headed by his sons, who outwardly appeared to be very loyal to their father, the man never lowered his guard. The man realized that although his Battalions had helped keep the Celestial Assembly in line, he might have just created something that was equally dangerous. He became quite conscious of the fact that there was no guarantee that the eight thousand soldiers he commissioned would not stage a coup d'état and overthrow him. Apparently, it never occurred to the Lord of Izumo that he could trust Susanou no Mikoto and Kagutsuchi. If he had, two things would never have happened.

First, Izanagi would never have charged a special unit in the Holy Messenger Division to monitor the Gods of Storms and Fire. Some of his colleagues sometimes wondered why the man had never sent his sons to the Sanctum Core to be questioned if he was so concerned that the latter might harbor some sort of secret scheme against him. Ame no Minaka knew the answer to that question. Izanagi was fearful that if he requested the Celestial Assembly�fs help in investigation Susanou no Mikoto and Kagutsuchi, they would be able to figure out that the bond between the Army and the Ruler of Heaven was not as concrete as they had thought.

Second, Izanagi would never have built the Kusanagi System. Ame no Minaka then felt himself reeling to the Sanctum Core, where Susanou no Mikoto had made an entrance yesterday to deliver a full report on the artillery network consisting of twelve colossal steel obelisks that towered over Izumo as well as inspired terror and absolute obedience upon its citizens.

 

...

 

�gHonorable God of Storms, you may begin anytime you wish,�h Ame no Minaka had intoned shortly after the full chamber of the Assembly gave a warm welcome to the High Commander of the Second Imperial Battalion. Technically, he and Susanou no Mikoto were equals. In reality, the latter stood much higher in the hierarchy, for he commanded a force to be reckoned with, for he was one of the key players in this plan, and for he represented the Regent of the Underworld. That had been why the Arbiters had been treating the young man with the respect due the Lord of Izumo himself.

�gThank you, Lord Arbiter,�h replied Susanou no Mikoto with an incline of his head. Somewhere above him, a woman�fs faint sigh could be heard. Being the most handsome man in the Three Worlds, his very presence in the Sanctum Core was actually a threat to the sanity of its many female administrators... and some of its male ones. �gAs you are aware, I am here today to inform you of the latest developments in the plan you and the Regent of the Underworld had worked out,�h he swept his gaze across the cascading rows of seat. A great deal more sighs were produced. �gThe first thing I need to speak about is the Kusanagi System and its relevance to the operation that we will soon carry out.�h

The High Commander took from his coat pocket a PDA, a few keys on which he then pressed. A heartbeat later, a large holographic landscape that depicted the Holy City itself appeared in the small clearing on the floor of the Grand Hall of the Sky. The structures that caught their attention immediately, of course, were twelve needle-shaped pillars that formed a large circle around the Heavenly Palace, the very heart of Izumo.

�gThe Kusanagi Pillars,�h intoned the God of Storms, his voice carrying to the furthest heights of the Core, �gare in reality the prototype to the Shinken Swords in Shingetsu Grand Shrine. As such, they possess the power to produce sacred lightning that can reduce even an Immortal to ashes. In addition, they can also link with one another through the great metal ring that stands at their bases. Once they are connected, they can trap the entire City in a force field that temporarily suppresses magical power. My father added this feature upon his return from the Underworld.�h A few pairs of eyes widened. A few surprised gasps rose. Among the Assembly, there were those who never had a clue how fearsome those steel pillars were.

�gEquidistant from one another, the Pillars were respectively named after the twelve months of the lunar calendar. Mutsuki,�h the God of Storms gestured at the obelisk that was due north, �gKisaragi, Yayoi, Uzuki, Satsuki, Minazuki, Fumitsuki, Hazuki, Nagatsuki, Kamiarizuki, Shimotsuki, and Shiwasu.�h His hand moved to a different Pillar after every name he uttered. �gMany people are under the impression that each of the Pillars is manned separately. That, however, is false.�h He pressed on another key on his PDA, which in turned lit up the large building located at the heart of the circle formed by the Kusanagi System. It was where the Sanctum Core was located, Ame no Minaka realized at the first glance.

�gThe Heavenly Palace?�h someone said wonderingly.

�gCorrect.�h Susanou no Mikoto nodded. �gThe very building that all of us are sitting in. If you leave the Core, make three left turns, five right turns, and another two left, you will arrive at the headquarters of the Messenger Division, where the Kusanagi System�fs mainframe is kept and regularly maintained.�h

More gasps. More widened eyes. Ame no Minaka and the other two Arbiters simply narrowed theirs at the holographic model. They had not known that the mainframe was but a stone�fs throw away from where they worked. They had guessed that it was hidden somewhere more secret and less... conspicuous. It is right under our nose all along! he thought.

�gAs you would expect, not only is the Kusanagi mainframe guarded by a great host of Messengers, it is also kept safe electronically by an impenetrable Operating System. The OS is designed to reject all commands unless provided with the correct Activation Code, a sequence of numbers and characters known only to the Ruler of Heaven and his most trusted aid, Yuusaku.�h The High Commander paused to take a breath then continued, �gAfter years of conducting researches on Kusanagi in secret, I regret to announce that the System, coupled with the Imperial Army, cannot be defeated by conventional means.�h

�gHow about... unconventional means?�h asked Kami no Mikoto, the only woman in the Three Arbiters. Surprisingly enough, she had never been fazed by Susanou�fs handsome features. But then... rumor also had it that she had taken another woman for a lover and hid her so well that even the Holy Messengers had not been able to dig up where she was. Ame no Minaka suspected that the first thing that his subordinate Arbiter was going to do with the laws was to abolish the one that forbid same-gender union.

�gVery sharp, Lady Arbiter,�h commented the Gods of Storms. �gIf you would recall, for years now I have been requesting budgets from you, which were approved in a most timely manner, you have my thanks, without actually letting you know what they were used for. Now, I will. Ladies and gentlemen, I have used them to build a weapon that can help us bring down Kusanagi. And this,�h another press on another key on the PDA lit up a second building in Izumo, �gis where I hide it.�h

�gBut how?!�h exclaimed Takami no Mikoto, who was but a second a head of a hundred other members of the Assembly. �gThere is nothing in that building!�h

�gI beg to differ, Lord Arbiter.�h Susanou no Mikoto laughed. �gIn there lies a computer system that can rival the Kusanagi�fs mainframe in term of processing power.�h He also gave each of the Arbiters a meaningful glance. �gAs well as a limitless energy source.�h

Ame no Minaka�fs eyes widen in surprise. �gGenius!�h he exclaimed afterwards.

�gI am most unworthy of your praise.�h The God of Storms bowed deeply to him.

�gBut that is just Kusanagi!�h someone else said. �gWhat about the Army?�h

�gI am glad you asked that, sir,�h replied Susanou no Mikoto in a calm voice. �gFear not, for the Regent of the Underworld has provided us with an excellent solution.�h

When the handsome man finished explaining what that solution was, every mouth there was in the Sanctum Core was grinning.

 

...

 

Before, Ame no Minaka had been racking his bran in order to find a way to defeat the armed forces of Izumo, for as long as they existed, his way to the Heaven Throne was but barred. When the Kusanagi System was added into the mix, the equation became far more complicated, the solution equally elusive. He had been so frustrated by his inability to make his ambition reality that during some nights, he could not even sleep. But that was then, and this is now, he thought in amusement. Every obstacle had been removed. The Throne was but his. He laughed. For once, everything was going the way he wanted them to.

�gAme no Minaka-sama,�h called the voice of his second officer, Takami no Mikoto, from outside the door to his office.

�gWhat is it?�h he asked.

�gWe are ready to convene in the Core,�h answered the other Arbiter. �gAnd he is already there.�h

�gExcellent,�h he said as he rose to his feet. �gWe should not keep the boy waiting.�h Once they were done with him, they still had a great many things to discuss, one of which being the method with which they would share the power when the current Ruler of Heaven was out of the way.

 

***

 

�gJust how long do you intend to watch me, Kagutsuchi-san?�h Susanou no Mikoto muttered darkly without bothering to stand up and face the God of Fire. He remained in the high-backed armchair in front of the Terminal and tried to focus on his daily tasks. For some reason, though, the chair in which he lounged every time he worked in the Hall now offered as much comfort as a three-legged stool. It did nothing to lighten his mood. �gI said I would not tell you anything, and that is final.�h

�gThen I�fll stay here until you do, Susanou,�h his twin brother answered with an annoying smile.

�gDo whatever you wish, then,�h he said before putting the flame-haired man out of his mind and beginning to forward the memories files that the Celestial Assembly had requested.

For several minutes, only the sounds of the Kiokkai waves crashing against the high platform on which Kagutsuchi stood echoed inside the vast dimension of the Memories Hall. Oddly enough, they were not soothing as they used to be. The more the silence stretched, the more Susanou felt Kagutsuchi�fs eyes, crimson augers hotter than fire, boring into his back, and the more annoyed he became. Meanwhile, the latter kept making the tiniest cough every now and then as if to prove that he was still there and watching every move Susanou made. He almost gnashed his teeth in fury as a result. Never once in his life did he imagine that such a maddening sound could possibly exist. Another few minutes passed before he finally decided that he was not going to sit there and be made fun by his brother anymore.

�gIs there not something you should do?�h He stood up, pushed the chair back, spun on his heel, and faced the God of Fire with all his furies. His eyes could have been as hot as the great mane of flame that was the other man�fs hair. It did not matter which one of them was taller and had more muscles. For Immortals, the amount of celestial power possessed was the key. In that, he was just as gifted as his twin brother. �gFor instant, get on with your own life?�h he whispered in a dangerous voice.

�gOh, what�fs this?�h Kagutsuchi let out a great gust of laughter that was full of genuine amusement. Susanou started to wonder how many blows of fist it would take to make the other man close his mouth and leave. �gThe God of Storms lost his cool just because I looked at him! How unusual, how rare! And I haven�ft even started the taunts yet!�h

�gIf you think being my brother allows you to waltz into my office, irritate me, and still get away unscathed, you are mistaken,�h he declared, his voice growing colder and colder. By the end of the sentence, it had the full force of an arctic wind. �gLeave on your own now, or be carried away by medics later.�h Power began to rise in him like the strongest tides.

�gOh, threats!�h If anything, Kagutsuchi only seemed much more amused by Susanou�fs infuriated tone. �gI�fm scared!�h His laughter said he was feeling nothing as such. �gI think I�fm going to find her and hide behind her back now.�h His tone left no doubt as who whom he was referring to.

�gLeave!�h Susanou snapped. He was so angry that a fraction of his powers wormed trough his restraints and shrouded the cerulean sky of the Hall of Memories with the darkest clouds. The light was smothered in an instant. The ocean rose in murderous waves, its surface mirroring his mood. Thunder roared to punctuate the howling of the winds. White lightning jabbed madly downward from the dark blanket covering the vast heavens. Rain fell.

�gCome now, Susanou.�h The God of Fire laughed, seemingly oblivious to the drastic change in the surrounding. Before the fierce wind could reach him, they were driven away. Before the raindrops could touch him, they were evaporated. Susanou ended up being the only one who was getting soaked and chilled to the bone. The fact infuriated him even more. �gI was only kidding you, you know.�h

�gI do not find you funny, Kagutsuchi-san,�h Susanou said, his hand gesturing at the cloud-ridden skies and withdrawing his powers. In but a heartbeat, the winds died, the Kiokkai calmed, the thunder ceased, and the cloud dispersed. The only evidence that could suggest that a storm had just passed them by was the water left in his clothes and on his body, which he also dried completely with a wave of his hand. Not that the departed storm had taken his anger along, though. He was still mad enough to chew rocks.

�gWell, you never did.�h The other High Commander of the Army chuckled. �gBut on the other hand, my jokes had never gotten on your nerve, either.�h He shot Susanou a knowing look.

Shocked by the response, he stared at his twin brother in stark horror. The God of Fire was right. No matter how many times Susanou had been teased by the other man before, he had not cared much. If anything, he only thought those jokes bland, tasteless, childish, and sorely lacking in the way of wits and subtlety. Yet, it could not be denied that Kagutsuchi had very nearly driven him over the edge just a minute ago. Look what you have done to me, girl, he thought in bitterness. Every trouble that had happened to him today could be laid at her feet.

 

...

 

Lounging in his comfortable armchair, Susanou no Mikoto currently had hands wrist-deep inside the One Terminal, his eyes fixed upon the holographic screen in front of him, and his head dispatching commands to the crystal block. As far as he was concerned, he was not getting any work done at all. Despite his desperate effort to organize the memories files and forward them to the Sanctum Core for the Celestial Assembly to process, he had spent his whole morning making mistakes, trying to correct them, and ending up making new ones. Deciding in utmost irritation that he had had enough, he pulled out his hands, raised them overhead, and would have slammed them against the top surface of the Terminal had a voice not whispered at the back of his head, �gThat is exactly why we do not let people use the Terminal without supervision. When they get mad, they hit it.�h His hands fell back to his sides as he chuckled aloud.

That was what he had told Saotome Makoto several days ago, when the girl came in to look for the memories of Kurusugawa Himeko, the Priestess of the Sun. With his back reclining against the cushion of his high-backed armchair, he laced his fingers atop hid stomach and gazed absently into the distance while thoughts revolved in a hurricane in his head. He now knew why he had been feeling so... unsettled since he first arrived in his office, why his heart had been pounding madly inside his chest, and why he could not focus on the tasks at hand. Apparently he had not done something that he did every single morning since the day he met the Orochi Eighth Head.

After a flash of light, a Vision Sphere came into existence and floated in the air just an arm�fs length away from his face. In it was a moderately tall girl whose body was swathed in a cloak black as the night, whose brown hair framed a face most men would call pretty, whose mouth was moving as though conversing someone, and whose emerald eyes showed just how much she hated that someone. Saotome Makoto, Susanou whispered in a voice so soft and affectionate it almost startled him.

Strange as it might seem, that Orochi girl had become much more to Susanou than just someone happened to venture into his office, a place not many Immortals dared visit. At first, he had found it incomprehensible that her face kept popping up in his mind at the strangest time, that he was more than tempted to say her name, savor it as though the sweetest fruit, and that his heart would not let him be unless he made a Vision Spell just to look at her for a few seconds. Before long, he came to the realization that he had fallen for her, impossible as it might seem. Were his sisters or his twin brother to find out, they would laugh their heads off. Not that he intended to let them, of course.

Unlike the shameless Goddesses in Heaven, the young Follower had neither gone giddy at seeing his face nor acted as though she did not have an ounce of wits when he looked at her. Despite being intimidated by his powers and slightly impressed by his good looks, the girl had never stopped wanting to flay him into slices for having made fun of her at every turn. Had she had the chance, he was certain that she would have. At first, he had been taken aback when he first sensed the desire to slap him silly swelling in her head. His surprise then quickly turned into amusement as he began to tease her almost ruthlessly just so he could see her reaction. To his disappointment, though, she never hit him.

Susanou chuckled and thought to himself that Saotome Makoto was indeed one of a kind. She understood that she could not compete with Himemiya Chikane, yet she never stopped, she was well aware that Kurusugawa Himeko�fs heart had already belonged to someone else. Still, she persevered and decided to put all her efforts in making her wish reality, hoping that the one she loved would become hers someday. For that purpose she abandoned humanity and joined forces with the Dark God. For that she became an Orochi while knowing that she had just turned every living man and woman against her. The sheer length that the girl would go for love simply amazed him. If he had someone who loved him as much, or even half as much, there was nothing else in the world he could possibly want.

 �gI thought she was more my type, Susanou,�h the voice of his twin brother said right next to his ear and made him give a violent start.

Everything happened so quickly that before Susanou knew it, he had already fallen from his chair in terror and ended up lying flat on the ground like a mortal tripped by a rock. There, he saw the God of Fire towering over him while grinning so broadly his lips could have split his face into two. Shame and fear washed over Susanou in endless waves as he realized that the other man had been watching him all along. When Kagutsuchi began to ask questions about Saotome Makoto, he knew that his carelessness and his obsession over the Orochi Head had landed him in a most grievous pinch.

 

...

 

�gYou have my apology, Kagutsuchi-san,�h he muttered, feeling that he had fallen so far from grace that he had to apologize to his twin brother, who loved to make fun of him.

�gNo, no, I don�ft mind at all.�h The God of Fire waved his hand dismissively. �gIn fact, I�fm really happy for you, brother!�h He threw back his head and laughed so heartily that the whole platform trembled under his mirth.

�gWhy would you be?�h Susanou narrowed his eyes at the other High Commander of Heaven, who did not appear to have noticed.

�gBecause you have finally found someone you love, silly.�h Kagutsuchi�fs laughter grew even louder. He then attempted to act brotherly and ruffle Susanou�fs hair. A sharp look from him had the man recoil and withdrew his hand hastily in a most satisfactory manner. He coughed to cover his embarrassment and added, �gThe way you kept staring down your nose at the Goddesses in Heaven, I was afraid you�fd be a bachelor for the rest of your life.�h

�gI would suggest that instead of worrying about my love life,�h said Susanou scathingly, �gyou should worry about yours. If I recall correctly, none of the Goddesses in Heaven spared you a look.�h It was the truth. Kagutsuchi�fs high station and incredible magical prowess mattered not when it came to conquering the heart of the ladies, which the man was terrible at. It did not help, either, that he was infamous for his tendency to pick fights and destroy other people�fs properties. If there was one person in Izumo who was less popular than the God of Fire, Susanou did not know him.

�gI don�ft care,�h declared the other man. If he was offended, he hid it well. �gGive me an opponent to fight and I�fm happy. Women are a bother. All they�fre good for is....�h He stopped abruptly and shot Susanou a mischievous look. �gHey, don�ft try to change the topic.�h

He only muttered darkly under his breath in response and started to wonder why his stupid oaf of a twin brother was so sharp today.

�gBut seriously, Susanou,�h said Kagutsuchi, who planted himself on Susanou�fs chair as though it was his. �gWhat are you going to do about her?�h

�gMeaning what?�h

�gYou do realize how difficult it will be to make your Makoto-chan like you, right?�h The flame-haired once again flashed his absolutely infuriating smile at him. �gShe adores girls. You�fre the furthest thing from one.�h

�gI know how to deal with that,�h he answered curtly. �gThank you very much for stating the obvious.�h

�gOh really?�h The God of Fire laughed. �gI hope you aren�ft going to ask the R&D Division to turn you into a girl. Words were getting around that those bastards were looking for some test subject to perform a gender-change operation on....�h Susanou guessed that his face must have undergone some sort of drastic change – he did feel it harden – for his twin brother decided to shut up after a glance and coughed loudly afterwards.

�gI am under the impression that you came only to tease me, Kagutsuchi-san,�h he said frostily as he took a menacing step closer to the occupied chair. Sometimes, he just could not deal with the man.

�gNo, I�fm here for a delivery.�h The God of Fire produced a sphere of light from his palm and handed it over. �gAn Agent from the Intelligence Service of Reiha gave it to me. Creepy guy. He actually managed to sneak up right behind my back without me noticing,�h he added, shivering as though cold.

�gYou have read this message, I presume,�h Susanou said grimly after he had let his mind delve into the sphere of light, feeling anger bubbling in his blood.

�gYup.�h

�gThen why did you not give it to me sooner?�h he growled. �gWas teasing me so important that you would put off the mission?�h

�gWell, we do have time. It�fs not like it�fs an emergency, is it?�h His twin brother shrugged, seemingly oblivious to the murderous stare that he was fixed with. Suddenly, he blinked and fell silent for about five minutes before he spoke up again. �gOh, sorry, brother. Message from headquarters,�h he explained as he rose from the chair and hurried toward the Dimensional Portal. �gGotta go back. I�fll talk to you later.�h He walked into the silvery surface and vanished, leaving behind Susanou, who did not know whether he should laugh or cry at his twin brother. It would appear that the man was born only to torment him. Sometimes, maybe once or twice a month, he caught himself wishing that the God of Fire had never been born into this world.

Sighing, he looked again at the glowing object in his hand, which had informed him in the voice of the Regent of the Underworld that his father had left for Onogoro about two hours ago. An hour from now, Operation Providence Breaker would commence, it also said. And once it does, he thought in bitterness, there is no going back. He thought of his beloved sister the Goddess of the Sun, who had spent the last three thousand years in agony and heartbreaks, who sought love but never received, and who had less than a few hours to live. He wanted to cry.

 

***

 

Oogami Kazuki was focusing his attention on the map of Shingetsu atop his kotatsu table when he heard a knock on the door to his study. Before he could speak up, his brother had already called from outside in a voice that was tight, strained, and on the verge of breaking, �gNii-san, do you have a minute?�h He found his eyes widened in shock.

�gCome in,�h he answered, wondering what could have happened to his little brother, who had never sounded in such a way since he acquired that accursed Sealed Sword from the Enshrinement Chamber of Shingetsu. When the door opened, he saw the Seventh Head, whose facial expression mirrored his voice, whose eyes were deeply troubled, and whose right hand was clutching an Elemental Blade that was not his. Where the Lightning Blade was straight, this sword was crooked. While Raien had only one gem that acted as a separator between the hilt and the blade, this one had seven that were arranged in the shape of the famous constellation the Big Dipper. It was Hokuto the Star Blade, the second most dangerous of the Swords. He gasped aloud and sprang to his feet. �gWhere... where did you get that from?!�h

Souma walked into the room, laid Hokuto quietly atop the map on the table, and sat down in a slump before he answered bleakly, �gNowhere. I was training in the back garden with Raien when it came down inches from my face.�h

Blood drained from Kazuki�fs face. Tremblingly, he fell down to his knees, took the Sealed Sword into his hands, and examined it carefully. As his powers probed the magical weapon that had inspired terror and awe upon those who held it, his jaw dropped. There was something missing, something that should have been there, and something the absence of which informed him that a terrible event had come to pass. The Star Blade fell from his hands and landed upon the table in a loud thud.

�gHow long... has it been since its appearance?�h His voice trembled violently.

�gAbout fifteen minutes ago,�h the boy answered bleakly, appearing to have caught on to Kazuki�fs mood. �gWhat�fs... wrong?�h

�gYou remember, don�ft you, that every Follower is bound to their Sealed Sword by a Soul Contract?�h he asked then continued after a nod from his adopted brother, �gThe Contract in Hokuto has been nullified. The bond it shares with its wielder has been destroyed. Only one thing could have happened in that case, Souma.�h He swallowed painfully. �gTsubasa-kun is dead.�h

�gThat... can�ft be true!�h the boy exclaimed, his whole body shaking in horror and disbelief. His eyes were trying to bulge out of his pockets. His fists were clenching so tightly that Kazuki half expected to see blood trickling out. �gThat can�ft be true!�h

�gI... hate to break this to you, Souma, but it is the truth,�h Kazuki said grudgingly. �gThe fact that Hokuto appeared in front of you is the proof. You have to know that when a wielder of an Elemental Blade dies, the weapon will reveal itself to the person whom its last master loves most.�h He took a deep breath. �gI�fm sorry, kiddo.�h

�gNo!�h the Seventh Head mouthed the word over and over again in denial while tears spilled out from the wells of his eyes and thundered down his cheeks. Shaking, he then took Hokuto into his arms and held it as though his own baby. �gTsubasa-nii-san,�h he called out in a heartbroken voice before he let out a string of full-throated wails that were full of despair, agony, guilt, and grief.

They stayed that way for another while with one of them crying his eyes out and the other unable to utter even a word of comfort. Kazuki knew that although he himself had loved the boy as his blood brother, he could never fill Tsubasa�fs position in Souma�fs heart. Much as the First Head of the Orochi had changed, he would forever remain an angel to the Seventh, for it was he who had cared for the boy and protected him during his darkest days. That, Souma would always remember no matter what.

Kazuki heaved a deep sigh and began to massage his temples. It was no time for him to mourn for the death while the safety of six billion of the living was at stake. Shameful and heartless as it was to admit, only half of him was saddened by this turn of events. The other half... was more than glad. Tsubasa was an Orochi to the core of his existence, someone who had forsaken his humanity and embraced the darkness, and a man who wouldn�ft hesitate in slaughtering every other man, woman, and child of the Human World. With him out of the way, the Dark God had lost one of his most powerful Followers. With the First Head dead, Onogoro�fs chance of survival had significantly increased. Furthermore, he could hardly say that the sudden demise of Tsubasa was unexpected. It�fs inevitable, he thought. After all, the Priestess of the Moon was there.

Eventually, Souma�fs grief subsided. Now, the boy only stared teary-eyed at the only thing that could remind him of his deceased brother, the Sealed Sword in his embrace.

�gYou�fre not asking me who has killed Tsubasa-kun,�h Kazuki observed.

�gIf you knew, you would tell me, I�fm sure,�h the boy mumbled in his tattered tearful voice as he slowly rose to his feet. The trust Kazuki sensed in those words became a knife of guilt that pierced his heart. He was fully aware of the identity of the First Head�fs murderer, yet he did not dare tell his little brother. Were he to, the whole truth would also come out. That he did not desire... at least at the moment.

�gWhere are you going?�h he asked.

�gBack to my room, nii-san,�h the boy answered, barely able to hold back a sob. �gI... want to be alone for a while.�h He used his sleeve to dry the tears on his face. Kazuki understood what his little brother meant. The boy was planning to consume his grief for his blood brother in private, away from the prying eyes of anyone else.

�gThat sounds like a good idea, Souma,�h he said and nodded while the Orochi Seventh Head slowly turned around and prepared to leave. He, however, shouted, �gWait!�h the moment his eyes fell upon something that upturned his stomach.

�gWhat... is it, nii-san?�h said the boy, whose face suddenly grew fearful, whose left hand immediately went for his right shirt sleeve and pulled it down.

�gShow me your right hand, now!�h Kazuki snapped as he towered over his brother, who seemed to want to shrink under his cutting gaze.

�gFine,�h Souma muttered darkly and rolled up his sleeve. The sight of what lay beneath the fabric of the denim shirt he was wearing struck Kazuki like a slap across his face. On the skin of his brother�fs forearm were countless of strange characters written in the darkest ink possible. He had seen them before in the ancient scriptures preserved in the great library of the Council of Priests, the headquarters of which were located in Tokyo.

�gWhere... else, Souma?�h he asked in a bleak voice.

�gAll over my body,�h the Seventh Head professed, his hand rising to his collar. �gYesterday, my neck is clean. Now....�h He undid the buttons and pulled it down to show the same kind of unreadable characters scribbled across the skin on his throat. �gI�fm afraid... that they will appear on my face tomorrow,�h he continued uneasily and buttoned up his collar again.

Kazuki groaned aloud in despair, �gGood heavens!�h

�gWhat�fs wrong, nii-san?�h Souma asked.

�gEverything!�h Kazuki said weakly. �gI told you to refrain from tapping too far into Raien�fs powers, Souma.�h Anger flared in him and quickly subsided. He sighed and sat down in front of his kotatsu table again. There he trembled. There he buried his face in his hands and felt cold sweat running down his back. Upon looking up again after a while, he found the Seventh Head of the Orochi sitting across the table, face anxious. �gWhy didn�ft you listen to me?�h Kazuki said.

�gI can�ft afford to,�h his brother answered bitterly. �gIf I hadn�ft, the Orochi and Kannazuki Aoi would have killed me. Now would you just tell me what those characters mean, nii-san?�h

�gI don�ft know,�h he said. �gNo one knows. Our experts have been trying to decipher them during the last hundred years without any success. But we know what could have brought them into existence as well as what would happen once they had appeared on someone�fs skin. This is bad, very bad, Souma.�h

�gHow?�h the boy croaked.

�gI�fll explain everything now. Three thousand years ago, in the aftermath of the first holy war between humanity and the Dark God, the Council of Priests found eight piece of metals that could be found nowhere on Earth. They were well nigh indestructible. They possessed incredible energy as well as the power to replenish it. They thought that if they managed to harness their powers, they would have a greater chance when the Dark God returned to plague mankind. That was why they set out to forge them into what were now the Sealed Swords.�h

�gHow did they do that?�h Souma blinked at him in surprise. �gYou said the metal pieces were indestructible.�h

�gI said well nigh indestructible. To the Eyes of Heaven, they were little more than clay,�h Kazuki answered. �gThe Council of Priests had used the Twin Keys to forge the Elemental Blades before they sealed the former in the Enshrinement Chamber.�h

�gI... see,�h the boy said and tightened his mouth afterwards. It was another surprise that he didn�ft quite welcome, no doubt.

�gThanks to Ame no Hitomi, they obtained eight Swords, the names of which were given according to the Element that each of them housed,�h Kazuki continued. �gOnce the Council had selected eight of their strongest Priests, given the Swords to them, and asked them to test the extents of their powers, they became amazed.�h His voice turned grim. With the Eyes and the Swords in our hand, we will never again be afraid of Yamata no Orochi, they thought. However, they were quickly disabused as their amazement turned into horror. They noticed that the two Priests responsible for Raien and Hokuto were undergoing some drastic changes.�h

Souma swallowed audibly. �gWhat changes?�h

�gTheir moods darkened with every passing day. Strange characters, like yours, appeared on their skin.�h Kazuki replied. �gThey became incapable of mercy and they couldn�ft resist the desire to blow things up with their Swords. In the end, the Priests were forced to kill them.�h

�gWhy?!�h

�gBecause they had no choice, Souma,�h Kazuki explained patiently. �gHokuto and Raien had infused their wielders with so much evil and darkness they became insane. They began to attack their friends, comrades, and even their families. As a result, the other six Priests immediately used their Elemental Blades to combat the berserk ones. Despite the former�fs desperate effort to save their colleagues, the latter resisted so fiercely that when the Lightning and the Star Blades were knocked out of their hands, they had sustained mortal injuries. They died shortly afterwards. Their deaths were the reason why the Council decided to lock up the Swords. Raien was Sealed next to the Eyes of Heaven so that the Eyes�f holy powers could suppress it. Hokuto was entrusted to the Onmyouji of the Sumeragi, the most powerful magisters in the world.�h His eyes riveted on Souma�fs in an attempt to drive his words home. �gBy the way, the two Priests only went berserk after the characters had shown up on their faces.�h

�gI got your point,�h his brother muttered curtly.

�gIt�fs not too late yet, Souma,�h he said almost pleadingly. �gOnce you stop wielding the Sword, the characters shall fade away eventually. You won�ft run the risk of going insane that way.�h

�gDo I dare, nii-san?�h The boy gave a dark laughter. �gWho�fs going to protect the Grand Shrine?�h

�gWe�fll be okay!�h Kazuki insisted. �gOnce Kurusugawa-san draws the Eye of Heaven, nothing can harm us. You know firsthand how powerful Kagetsuki is.�h

�gWhat if the Orochi attacks before she does?�h Souma challenged. �gDo you think that I can stand by and watch all of you being slaughtered like cattle?�h

Kazuki couldn�ft say anything in response. He knew better than anyone that although the Protectors and the Priests he currently had outnumbered the Followers fifty to one, they stood absolutely no chance against the latter.

Suddenly, the daylight that had been streaming into his room through his open windows waned as though they had been blocked by a black curtain. Surprised, he stood up and walked to one of the windows, where he found his eyebrows trying to climb off his scalp. There was no sun in the sky. What were there... were the silver moon and the Dark Sun of the Orochi.

�gNii-san, that�fs...�h stuttered the Seventh Head, who had followed him to the window, his eyes widened by surprise, his face dark with anger.

�gI know, come with me,�h Kazuki said grimly and hurried out of the room.

Moments later, when they arrived at the Torii Archway that stood at the stone flight of stairs, they witnessed the terrible changes that were occurring to the surroundings. Under the eerie light of the moon and the Dark Sun, the winds was howling around the treetops and trying to pull them down to the ground, the air was simmering with so much heat it burned the insides of Kazuki�fs nose, the earth was trembling slightly as though something huge was moving beneath the surface, the water in the ponds were turning into ice despite the high temperature, and space itself was flexing as though it was trying to trying to pull every of Kazuki�fs particles apart.

Damn it, the rest of the Swords are here, he thought in distress. This is bad.

�gSaiki, Yuuji, Furin!�h he intoned. As soon as the last name left his lips, the three messengers from headquarters seemed to materialize from thin air as they fell to their knees in front of him, their head so low their noses nearly touched the pavement. Their appearance was so sudden that it even startled Souma, who afterwards began to eye the three with respect. But of course, they were powerful exorcists before they became the messengers who served directly under the head of the Council. Their skills had been tested and proved through countless battles and many wars with the creatures of the night.

�gInform the Protectors I�fve placed around the Grand Shrine that we�fre moving the plan into the final phase,�h Kazuki commanded �gNow go!�h

�gAs you wish, Oogami-sama.�h The three men then vanished as quickly as they had arrived.

�gThey�fre here, nii-san,�h his brother said, his hand gesturing at the distance, where Kazuki saw five columns of light descended from the Dark Sun itself, each bearing a different color, red, brown, cerulean, green and black. When their bases reached the ground, they began to thin until they were no more. What was left were five Orochi Heads whose bodies simmered with the power of the dark. Four of them were women whose ages ranged from around eighteen to thirty, each and every one of them pretty enough to boil a man�fs blood. The final Follower Kazuki guessed to be a girl but couldn�ft be certain since her slender frame was completely cloaked by a cape black as the night and her face was obscured by a shadow that extended downward from her black hood. He shivered. The sense of power that radiated from her was so strong that he was under the impression that she could possibly match up to even a Priestess.

�gI�fm going ahead, nii-san,�h announced his little brother, in whose hand fine wires of lightning emerged and wove themselves into Raien the Sealed Sword.

He heaved a desperate sigh. �gBe careful then, Souma. Don�ft lose.�h His tone left no doubt as to whom the Seventh Head should not lose to.

�gI�fll try not to.�h The boy barked a mirthless laughter before he leapt off the top of the stair and glided in the hot air toward the Orochi Heads. Protect Himeko, his voice lingered behind.

Slowly descending on the stone steps, Kazuki brought his hands together and chanted a few lines of incantations. His usual yukata then changed into the High Priest outfit that he always wore during every ceremony. It was the clothes that had been handed to every leader of the Oogami Clan. It was what had been soaked in the holy aura of the Gods. It was the sacred armor prepared just for this day, when the entire Onogoro was once again at stake.

As soon as he crossed the final step of the stair, he raised his hand overhead and projected a white orb of light from his palm into the dark heavens. It was his signal to the Protectors and the Shingetsu Priests that the battle that would decide the fate of the world had jus begun.

 

***

 

Eyeing each of the Followers who now stood in front of him, Oogami Souma demanded coldly, �gWhat does a rag-tag army of the Dark God want with Shingetsu?�h His gaze stopped at the person on the far right. The Eighth Head, a girl swathed in a black cape with a deep hood and a swirling shadow that hid all but her emerald eyes, paid absolutely no attention to him. She seemed to be lost in thoughts. He was almost tempted to launch a surprise attack on her just so he could remove the most powerful of the surviving Followers. He rejected the idea, however, when he figured out that the moment he went for the girl in the black cape would be the one in which the other five tore him into pieces.

�gYour ego still has not deflated one bit,�h commented Nekoko the Sixth Head.

It was then that he noticed a peculiarity. The eyes of the oldest of the Orochi, a darkly tanned woman whom he recognized to be the same person who had attacked Himeko on her birthday, were red and swollen as though she had spent the night before in tears. More peculiarities. The Fourth Head, who had dressed scandalously the first time he saw her, now wore a simple T-shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans. Her hair was messy, her eyes were also swollen, and she kept glancing longingly at the Fifth Head. Even more peculiarities. The wielder of Asayuki was no longer the icy woman that he remembered. Now, she just seemed sad, exhausted, and determined not to look at the other girl.

What�fs with them? he thought. Have they gone mad?

�gI think his ego is fine, ladies,�h remarked his brother in a pleasant voice as he approached them. The man had donned his High Priest outfit and was now brimming with power.

�gJust two of you against the five of us?�h the Eighth Head spoke for the first time since her arrival. Her voice, carefully disguised, was cold and heavy with contempt. �gNow I see where your little brother got his attitude from.�h

�gWe�fre brothers, after all,�h the older man said, smiling.

�gI had thought that we would have some challenge by coming here,�h the Sixth Head smirked, �gbut it seems that we can just walk in and seize the Priestess.�h

�gWhat gives you the notion that you can even step one step into Shingetsu, fallen one?�h As if his cool reply was a summons, a great dome of light was erected at the very heart of the Grand Shrine and expanded until it enveloped the entire structure. Souma shivered. Although he was at least ten feet away from the barrier�fs edge, he could still feel its power pulsing like the heartbeat of the world, ever trying to push him further away. �gThere are two hundred Priests and one hundred fifty Protectors of the Swords sustaining this barrier,�h the High Priest continued. �gTry to break it if you can.�h

Nekoko laughed and said, �gDo you truly believe that a Head, a human, and measly barrier can stop us?�h

�gI do.�h Kazuki-nii-san nodded. �gIn fact, I daresay that all of you will draw your last breath before you can touch the Priestess of the Sun.�h

�gSuch confidence from only a lowly servant of Izumo. You amaze me, High Priest,�h said a cool voice from high above them that sent fury ripping across Souma�fs body. He knew that it was Kannazuki Aoi before he looked up to the heavens and saw the blue-haired girl sitting cross-legged on a Moon Crest with her chin propped atop her right hand. Her lips were curved upward in a contemptuous smile. Her sapphire eyes were boring at his brother�fs face. She made his blood boil. There was no doubt that she was the strongest of all the people who were currently present. With her here, the future of this Shrine didn�ft look so good. He knew the first person that he had to remove was her.

�gI am also amazed that you have the courage to show your face to me again, traitor,�h said the older man in a heated voice.

�gTraitor?�h The renegade Priestess of the Moon gave a silvery laughter. �gTo be called that by you of all people....�h

Souma decided to stop listening and attack, for he knew that there could be no better chance then when Kannazuki Aoi was distracted. In less than a heartbeat, he dug his heels into the soft ground, lowered his body, and leapt upward with the tip of Raien aimed straight for her throat. He changed his mind when he was half-way to where she was, however, for a voice in the back of his head reminded him that they needed her blood to summon Ame no Murakumo. As a result, he swerved the Lightning Blade to his left so that his target was now her right arm. If he managed to deprive her of a way to wield Kagetsuki�fs full power, she would no longer be a threat.

�gNo, Souma!�h he heard his brother cry out in a horrified and urgent voice. �gDon�ft!�h

Why not? he thought and concentrated his mind on incapacitating the most dangerous foe of the Human World. His blood froze the instant he saw that Kannazuki Aoi had already turned her head to face him. Before his blade could touch her flesh, her right sleeve rose upward in a white blur and brought Raien to an abrupt halt. His jaw fell. The Priestess�fs erected palm, a fraction of an inch away from the Sword�fs tip and wreathed in a protective layer of silver light, was what had stopped the weapon from touching her. He had not known that she could do that. The second shock came when he discovered that not just Raien, but his entire body, had fallen under her control. He couldn�ft twitch even a muscle. Horror rose in him.

�gI would teach you another lesson for your impunity, Oogami Souma,�h said the blue-haired girl, �gbut the Second Head would not be pleased were I to do that.�h Her smile grew broader and much more malicious. �gHe is all yours, Girochi Miyako.�h At the moment Aoi�fs final word was uttered, her hand delivered a force great enough to level mountains along Raien�fs blade and hurled his body toward the ground, where the darkly tanned woman was waiting with her eyes blazing with anger, her mouth snarling some unintelligible words, and her hands clutching Rekkyou the Fire Blade.

�gDie, Oogami Souma!�h shrieked the Orochi, who leapt into the air while baring her Sword.

With a simple turn of his wrist, he managed to bring Raien in front of him just in time to deflect Rekkyou. After a loud clashing sound accompanied by a shower of flying sparks, Souma and Miyako, he believed that was her name, stood on the ground and glared at each other with open animosity on her part and a little bit on respect on his. According to the aftershock that he had felt after he crossed sword with her, he knew that she possessed a physical might that nearly matched his. He hadn�ft expected that from any Follower aside from his now deceased Tsubasa-nii-san and the Eighth Head.

Before he could think any further, the Second Head lunged at him and brought her blade down his head. To his surprise, her strength kept on rising after every sword stroke she dealt and after every single time he pushed her back with Raien. Meanwhile, she never stopped snarling and screaming at him as though she was insane. She made him feel queasy. A few minutes after their fight was renewed, he began to think that perhaps the chance of him winning was not so great.

 

***

 

�gWhat is your next order, Priestess?�h asked Saotome Makoto, who was staring pointedly at the girl who called herself Kannazuki Aoi, who had landed on her feet upon the ground after pitching the Seventh and the Second Heads against each other. �gOr should I address you as Commander?�h Upon learning that Tsubasa the First Head had died of a sword wound near Shingetsu, the Dark God had decided to promote the Priestess of the Moon to the post of Commander of the Orochi. Of course, no one cared about that – Girochi Miyako was too grief-stricken to even attend the audience while Korona and Oota Reiko were too engrossed in pursuing their own thoughts that perhaps they didn�ft even know what Yamata no Orochi was saying – except the cat-fanatic Nekoko, began to mutter angrily under her breath as soon as she realized that her mortal enemy was now her superior.

�gYou and the Sixth Head will proceed to obliterate the barrier,�h Aoi said, her eyes following the ragged path that Oogami Souma and the surviving Girochi were carving in the sky. As far as Makoto was concerned, the former had been forced into total defense while being shocked by the latter�fs unrelenting attacks. Probably never in his wildest dream did he ever imagine that a Follower other than his precious elder brother could give him so much trouble in a melee combat. Not that Makoto was surprised. If the thirst for revenge could turn the weakest and meekest person into a monster, it certainly could grant the Second Head, who had lost all meanings to live in life, the power to surpass that of the Seventh. �gWe cannot have it standing, can we?�h the blue-haired girl continued after a while. She then glanced and smiled at Oogami Kazuki, who tightened his mouth in response. �gAnd since the High Priest will surely get in your way, I will ask the Fourth and the Fifth to keep him company.�h

�gVery considerate of you,�h muttered the man. Makoto suspected that the mangaka, who was glaring at her new Commander with a sour face and tight lips, had wanted to say the same thing. The pop idol, on the other hand, contented herself with simply gazing at her lover with teary eyes.

�gHow about you?�h Makoto gave the Priestess a look. �gWhat are you going to do?�h

�gI shall be waiting on the Moon,�h replied the blue-haired girl, who turned and walked away from Shingetsu Grand Shrine, the hem of her hibakama and the long, wide sleeves of her chihaya trailing after her in the winds. �gI will leave everything in your hand, Eighth Head.�h A spark of silver light appeared a few feet in front of her and elongated into a thin shaft which then spun vertically about its center to form a silvery surface of a Dimensional Portal.

�gYou�fre making us do all the work!�h Makoto pointed out almost heatedly.

�gThere is no need for me to lift a hand.�h Kannazuki Aoi stopped an inch in front of the Portal and glanced at her over the shoulder. The girl�fs face was very cold. �gFurthermore, my task lies elsewhere, as you have already known.�h With that, she proceeded to enter the silvery surface. As soon as she disappeared, it thinned back into a vertical shaft of white light and melted into nothingness.

Thinking to herself that the renegade Priestess must have developed a taste for standing on top of the world, Makoto looked at the cat-fanatic Nekoko and then tossed her head at the great dome of light encompassing Shingetsu before she lifted her body high into the air. Acknowledging the command with a grudging nod – Makoto doubted the Sixth Head liked to take orders from anybody aside from her liege lord and maybe not even him – the wielder of the Wind Blade followed her all the way to the very top of the barrier. Oogami Kazuki tried to stop them but to no avail, for the Fourth and Fifth Heads had already drawn their Swords and barred his path.

Her body suspended in the air a few hundred feet above the Grand Shrine, she began to deploy her powers. First, a little sphere of pure shadow small as a fingertip appeared at the tip of her right foot and grew larger until it reached the size of a man�fs hand. Space itself began to ripple like the surface of a pond disturbed by a rock. At a snap of her finger, six identical Tasogare emerged tips first from the sphere and revolved like the spokes of a spinning wheel even when they were still drifting further and further away from the center. The quicker they turned, the more the black sphere expanded, and the more violently the dimensional fabrics flexed. When the sphere had grown enough to be able to engulf her body, the Swords ceased their movements, and space grew calm once more.

Makoto glanced sideways and found the Sixth Head of the Orochi, who were on the side of the great dome of protective light, weaving massive tornadoes in the sky with Arashigumo the Wind Blade. Like gigantic drills the funnel-shaped columns of howling winds and dust-ridden clouds descended upon the barrier in an attempt to rip it apart. Smiling, she snapped her fingers again and turned the great sphere of shadow into a pillar that slammed upon the protective layer in a thunderous roar.

No one could have realized that what she just did had entirely no effect on the barrier of Shingetsu. What she was doing, in fact, was suppressing the Sixth Head power in secret and thus reducing her spell�fs effectiveness by a little more than ninety-nine percents. She doubted Nekoko would ever imagine that her seemingly powerful tornadoes were simply sucking in the dust from the protective barrier. This way, Makoto�fs beloved Himeko would have a little more time in drawing out the remaining Eye of Heaven. This way, she could use it later to pierce Kannazuki Aoi�fs heart and summoned the Sword God Ame no Murakumo.

 

***

 

Standing in the control room of the Rosenkyuu with her eyes on the great holographic screen at least forty feet from diagonal to diagonal and her hands clasped behind her back, Izanami the Regent of the Underworld smiled in satisfaction. The numerical figures and various kinds of graph on the other screens in the room suggested that everything was going well according to plan.

�gPower distribution, normal,�h announced Tsukazaki Haruhi, whose fingers were rapping madly on her holographic keyboard. �gAll preparations, complete. All systems, all green. Piercing Five, stand by and ready.�h

�gSusanou no Mikoto, in position,�h reported the young Chancellor�fs twin, Tsukazaki Fuyura, who sat to her right. �gFinal phase of Operation Providence Breaker, initiated. We may begin at any time, my Lady.�h The raven-haired girl, who often wore a pair of crystal earrings in the shape of snowflakes as opposed to her sister�fs emerald leaflets, turned and gave Izanami a sweet smile. Her obsidian eyes seemed to glow with fondness and excitement.

�gThank you, chi....�h She bit back the last word and swallowed it. Bad habit, she thought ruefully afterwards. Although she had been addressing her trusted Chancellor as �gchild�h since the beginning of her employment in the Rosenkyuu, the girl was at least a thousand years her junior, she had realized just now that it would be very cruel and disrespectful to continue doing so to someone who had confessed her love for her. Besides, it was not exactly appropriate anyway. Despite their age difference, Izanami still looked young enough to be Fuyura�fs elder sister when they walked side by side.

She glanced at the younger Tsukazaki, who in turn colored slightly when their eyes met, and felt mildly surprised by how her perception of the raven-haired girl had changed in such a short period of time. Before, she saw the Chancellor as a girl, if an exceptionally pretty one, barely older than her own daughter the Goddess of the Moon, a youngling she needed to protect, and last but not least, a very effective employee. Now, she began to view Fuyura as a grown woman who deserved more respect than what she had treated her with before. Now, she started to notice what kind of clothes or perfume her Chancellor wore to work everyday. Now, she paid more attention to how the raven-haired girl talked, smiled, and even yelled at the people who failed to do what she asked.

She guessed Fuyura�fs sincerity and persistence had moved her a little even though she had thought in the beginning that she did not share her daughter�fs peculiar preference in women. She could not help but eventually grow fond of someone who cared for her, who devoted their time and effort to make her happy, and who made her feel that she was loved.

Maybe I should invite her to dinner tonight, she thought. It had been forever since she last dined with someone. She was fed up with the loneliness. She was tired of three thousand years of being a workaholic and having no life whatsoever. Maybe it was time for a change.

�gIzanami-sama?�h Haruhi cleared her throat and reminded Izanami that she had been staring openly at the other Chancellor in a roomful of people. �gWe await your order.�h She then glanced at her twin sister as her lips curved in a secretive smile. Fuyura blushed a sunset and took up a serious study of her keyboard while fiddling with her forefingers. She knows, Izanami thought. There was no other explanation for Haruhi�fs behavior.

�gCommence Operation Providence Breaker,�h she commanded. �gRelease the Piercing Five.�h

�gYes, my Lady,�h responded every mouth in the control room. It was odd that even amidst the voices of three hundred Immortals, she could still pick out Fuyura�fs. It was soft, it was sweet, and it had a caress that she knew was meant for her even without the surreptitious glance that the raven-haired girl gave afterwards.

 �gGarnet Drive, Amethyst Drive, Emerald Drive, Selenite Drive, Sapphire Drive, in position,�h announced Tsukazaki Haruhi.

�gSealing Field Dispenser Ring, engaged,�h said an Immortal whose name she could not remember.

�gDimension Breaker, construction complete,�h reported Fuyura.

�gPower output, maximum,�h Izanami raised her hand overhead and brought it down in a decisive gesture. �gFire!�h

The thunderous roar that immediately followed shook the entire Underworld.

 

***

 

While treading along the hallway leading toward his office, Yuusaku the Chief Messenger massaged his temples while wondering why he couldn�ft remember a thing he did since he first stepped into the Heavenly Palace. It was as though there was a gap in his memories. A blank spot on a piece of paper that had words written everywhere else. It was unnatural, he decided. Mortals might suffer from memory loss, but not Immortals, for their bodies were immune against natural sicknesses. Now if only he could figure out why this was happening to him of all people....

His final step brought him in front of a pair of steel doors each engraved with a half of a pentacle inscribed in a circle. It was the entrance to the headquarters of the Holy Messenger Division, Home of all spies. Putting the thoughts of his sudden amnesia out of his head, he placed his palm upon the blinking sensor plate on the right side of the doors and let it read his Power ID. A second later, the tall steel slabs slid sideways into the walls and revealed a vast chamber that could hold at least a thousand people at the same time. As he walked inside, his eyes fell upon state-of-the-art computers arranged in circles within circles the center of which was marked by a column of crystal that spanned ten feet in radius. It was the user interface of the pride of the Division. It was called the Divine Terminal, the means through which the Messengers could communicate with Izumo�fs oversight mechanism, the Kusanagi Mainframe, also the most powerful computer in the Three Worlds.

�gGood morning, Chief,�h greeted his subordinates, men in long-sleeved snowy capes who stood up from their seats and bowed deeply to him as they noticed his arrival.

�gSit, sit,�h he said and waved to them absently. The men then went back to what they were doing before he entered. Some continued making phone calls, a few returned to hammering their keyboards and gluing their eyes at their monitors, several walked around the room to converse in a low voice with their colleagues, and a couple of them were snoring on their desks. He knew the two men. They had been part of a team of Messengers that he sent to Shingetsu yesterday to keep the Underworld spies from uncovering Yukihito�fs secret. When they came back to headquarters last night, they had been so exhausted that they fell asleep right then and there.

Yuusaku then walked to the heart of the room and began to inspect the content of the Divine Terminal. Its base was a miniature real-time holographic model of the Izumo, its length the entire Izumo�fs airspace. Once he was done and had decided that there were no abnormalities that he could see, he turned and walked toward his private office at the far side of the great chamber. Before he could make a second step, all the alarms suddenly went off and startled him so violently he almost tripped on the hem of his own cape and fell. Spinning on his heel, he focused his attention back upon the Divine Terminal, in which he spotted something that left him flabbergasted.

�gYuusaku-sama!�h one of his subordinates cried out in shock. �gThere are huge vibrations in the dimensional fabrics! Massive gate-in signal confirmed!�h

The upper half of the Divine Terminal was now filled with storm clouds from which lightning flared and thunder roared every few seconds. Even without the Messenger�fs announcement, he could still see that the dimensional structure was being ripped to shred and the Boundary that separated Izumo from the other two Worlds being destroyed. Who the hell has the power to do this? he thought in horror. The only thing that answered his question was a faint tremor in the ground and in the air, which was followed by a flash of white light that filled the entire chamber with its brilliance. Being the person closest to the crystal cylinder, Yuusaku thought that he would go blind.

�gThe Boundary has been breached!�h cried another Messenger once the light had died down, who seemed to be on the verge of panic. �gA Dimensional Portal has been opened! Something�fs coming through!�h

When Yuusaku regained his sight, he spotted five large beams of light, each bearing a different color, come out of the lowest layer of storm clouds. In a blink of the eye, those beams struck the deserted outskirt of the Holy City and shockwaves after shockwaves ripping across the surface of Izumo. The resulting upheavals were so violent that quite a few Messengers ended up on their fronts or backs on the ground. Yuusaku himself would have shared the same fate had he not lifted himself up into the air in time to escape the tremors.

As soon as he looked at the Divine Terminal again to see what had happened, he saw that the cerulean sky had reopened. White clouds once again surfed the endless cerulean that had been presiding over Izumo since the beginning of the ages. What had changed, however, was the existence of five gigantic craters, ugly scars that the light beams earlier had left upon the City�fs outskirt. Higher floated five structures, all of which seemed to be carved out of gemstones, that resembled pyramids glued together at their base. And most shocking of all, an upside-down city was lying at the very top of the Divine Terminal. There was only one city in the Three Worlds that had a building built in the shape of a rose in its center. The Rosenkyuu! he thought. It�fs Reiha, Heart of the Underworld!

�gHeaven has been invaded!�h he cried at the top of his lungs. �gActivate the Kusanagi System and alert the Imperial Battalions, now!�h

Yuusaku did not know what was happening, or why, but as his liege lord�fs trusted aide and the man in charge of Heaven�fs defense, he was going to use the power of the Kusanagi System to raze the Heart of the Underworld to the ground!

 

***

 

�gThey are charging up the Twelve Kusanagi Pillars,�h announced Susanou no Mikoto, who was standing in front of the One Terminal with his twin brother, Kagutsuchi the God of Fire. After a look at one of the numerous holographic screens floating around them, he added, �gTheir target is the Piercing Five. In less than one minute, they will shoot.�h

�gThen it�fs time you do something to make sure that it won�ft,�h said the flame-haired man, who then proceeded to give Susanou a mischievous smile. �gI would hate to see things as pretty as the gemstone Drives be destroyed by those ugly oversized needles.�h

�gAs you wish,�h he replied and sat down in front of the crystal block, into which he let his hands sink until they were wrist-deep inside. His eyes were now fixed at the Kannazuki Tower, which he had raised from the depth of the Memories Sea earlier to prepare for Operation Providence Breaker. The massive obelisk was nothing but a prison, yet it contained within itself something that was vital for what he was about to do. During the last three thousand years, he had used the budget from the Celestial Assembly to build in secret a computer that rivaled the Kusanagi Mainframe in term of processing power and then hid it beneath the Memories Sea.

�gComputer, connect me to the Kusanagi Mainframe,�h he commanded.

�gConnection is established,�h replied a dull voice from the crystal block, which glowed blue every time a word was uttered. �gYour order?�h

�gDemand the Mainframe to relinquish all of its control upon the Kusanagi System immediately.�h

The voice fell silent for a few seconds before it spoke up again, �gA password is required. Please enter it now.�h

�g5400139-ACO-7-WZ-2-IZANAGI,�h he said with a smile. Behind him, the God of Fire let out a guttural laughter that reverberated endlessly in the Memories Hall. Earlier in the morning, the Celestial Assembly had summoned Yuusaku the Chief Messenger to the Sanctum Core. There, they used the mind-reading power that the structure had gifted them with to pull out the password to the Kusanagi System. There was no other way to obtain it, for the Lord of Izumo had cast such a spell on his most trusted aid that the password that only the two of them knew would not even appear in the latter�fs memories in the Kiokkai. Once it was over, the Arbiters had erased Yuusaku�fs memories just as they did the Messengers who followed Susanou and Kagutsuchi every day. That had been why the Division never realized that he and his twin brother had been hatching a rebellion during the last three millennia.

�gPassword accepted,�h acknowledged the One Terminal. �gWe have now acquired all functions of the Kusanagi Mainframe. Your order?�h

This time, they both laughed. With a computer that was as strong as the Mainframe and the Mirror of Life as its power source, seizing control over the Kusanagi System was a piece of cake.

 

***

 

�gWhat did you just say?�h Yuusaku the Chief Messenger shouted at the man in the innermost circle who had just made an announcement in a panicking voice. Either that his employee, whose name eluded him at the moment, had lost his mind or there was something wrong with Yuusaku�fs ears, for there was no way in hell it could be the truth. It was improbably that the System, which the Lord of Izumo designed himself and which Yuusaku had worked with during the last three thousand years without any incident, could malfunction. The trust that he placed upon Kusanagi was absolute.

�gUh... well... Yuusaku-sama...�h the other man stuttered, his face bloodless, his hands trembling, and his eyes shining with fear. �gThe twelve Pillars are... shutting down,�h he swallowed audibly before he could continue, �gand the Mainframe refuses to start them back up.�h

This time, Yuusaku was certain that the Messenger he had just talked to was insane. �gImpossible!�h he roared at the other man, who was so surprised that he fell off his seat.

�gActually, Toshiaki�fs right, Chief,�h said another Messenger, whom Yuusaku knew. His name was Shuuya, a very efficient Immortal who actually came to work early and only left after everybody else had. He was to be promoted to the post of a supervisor this month. �gDon�ft you see? It has been five minutes already and the Kusanagi Pillars haven�ft fired yet.�h Everybody else in the chamber was nodding their head in agreement.

Yuusaku�fs mouth hung open in shock. He realized that what his subordinate just told him was the truth. In the Divine Pillars, the twelve steel obelisks were as silent when they should be humming their deadly melody and unleashing the sacred lightning upon the strange structures that had invaded the airspace of the Holy City. Something is wrong! he thought. But what?!

Tch, I�fll deal with it later, he decided angrily. Defending Izumo comes first.

�gWhere�fs the Army?�h he rounded on Shuuya, who took his loud and angry words as calmly as sunshine while the other men around him shied back. �gWhy aren�ft they mobilized yet?�h

�gSir, the military camps are in disarray right now,�h the Messenger replied calmly. �gThey can�ft move out without their High Commanders, who are nowhere to be seen.�h

�gWhat?�h Yuusaku exploded. �gWhere the hell are they?�h

�gI regret to say that I don�ft know, sir,�h the other man said with a shake of his head. �gThe two Messengers whom we ordered to follow them today did not respond when I tried to contact them.�h

�gDamn it!�h Yuusaku cursed. The good-for-nothing sons of his liege lord had to be hiding somewhere in Izumo right now, for their duty forbade them to leave the Holy City without written permissions from the Ruler of Heaven, none of which had been issued during the last three weeks. The only problem was why they hadn�ft come back to their respective headquarters and taken control of their Battalions so they could face the impending threat.

All of a sudden, a wave of nausea seized him and turned his limbs to water. Head spinning, body shaking, he fell onto all four while sensing his celestial power being drained from him at a neck-breaking speed. Soon, even his physical strength was gone as his arms and legs gave in at the same time and landed him flat on his stomach. There he could only tremble and watch his subordinates falling down one by one without being able to say a single word. In less than a minute, there was no one left standing in the headquarters of the Messenger Division. As his eyes fell on the Divine Pillar, he saw that a rain of sparkling stars was falling upon the roofs of the Holy City. It suddenly dawned on him what those sparks could be. The petals of the Crystal Roses! he thought in horror. They�fve imposed a Sealing Field on us!

�gGood day, ladies,�h a man�fs voice, which sounded very familiar, announced and shattered the silence that had hung inside the vast chamber since Yuusaku first felt the crippling effect of the Sealing Field. Straining his eyes, he tried to catch a glimpse of the entrance. Once he did, his breath caught. The man who just spoke was none other than Susanou no Mikoto the God of Storms, who was accompanied by his twin brother, Kagutsuchi the God of Fire, neither showing any sign that they were under the influence of the Crystal Roses.

�gYou... you!�h Yuusaku muttered weakly, fury rippling along his nerves.

�gYes, I,�h replied the dark-haired man in a pleasant voice. The flame-haired one only gave a quiet chuckle as they approached the Divine Terminal. The way the two High Immortals walked over the Messengers who were lying helplessly on the floor, the latter could have been wooden logs.

�gTraitors!�h Yuusaku spat angrily.

�gTraitors?�h The God of Storms smiled before he snapped his fingers and summoned a chair to his side. On it he sat, swung one leg over another comfortably, and propped his chin atop his right hand, appearing to be enjoying himself immensely. �gOn what ground do you level that charge against us?�h Amusement racked his voice. 

�gYou sabotaged the Kusanagi System!�h Yuusaku gathered his strength and shouted.

�gSabotage?�h The God of Storms laughed. �gPlease, I simply told it to not fire.�h His dark eyes, which had been peering down upon Yuusaku since the beginning, glittered maliciously. �gThis, however, is what you call sabotage.�h He took out his PDA and pressed on one key before he spoke in a loud and carrying voice, �gComputer.�h

�gAwaiting order,�h a monotonous voice replied. Yuusaku couldn�ft help but gasp aloud. He had heard that voice a few times when he visited the Hall of Memories. It belonged to the One Terminal, the mechanism that possessed all the functions to control the Memories Sea. So that�fs what he used to hack into the Divine Terminal! he thought bitterly. I should have known!

�gActivate self-destruction function for the Kusanagi Pillars,�h the dark-haired son of the Lord of Izumo said with his eyes riveted on Yuusaku�fs face. Standing next to the man, Kagutsuchi began to laugh in his usual gruff, loud, and guttural voice. During his long life, Yuusaku had never seen someone who was more hateful and cruel than the sons of the man he had sworn to serve. �gCountdown time, ten seconds. And do not bother to ask for confirmation.�h

�gNo!�h Yuusaku screamed. �gNo!�h Had he been able to move a muscle on his body, he would have leapt at Susanou no Mikoto and strangled him to death.

�gTen... nine... eight...�h counted the voice that came out from the God of Storms�f PDA. Slowly, dully, but inexorably it continued while Yuusaku felt himself sinking a little closer toward the Underworld with every word that it spoke. The only thing that he could do was screaming out and begging the dark-haired man to stop. He never did. �gOne.�h Yuusaku�fs heart stopped beating.

The miniatures of twelve Kusanagi Pillars inside the crystal cylinder that was the Divine Terminal glowed white like molten metal for only an instant before they crumbled downward and swept a dust storm across the Holy City. Yuusaku thought that he was watching a part of him die.

�gWhen the Lord comes back, he�fs going to kill you!�h he said in a strangled voice afterwards. There was no longer any strength left in him to scream at the man who had utterly destroyed the System, something that had been under his care for the last three thousand years.

�gWhen he comes back, he�fs going to regret ever leaving Izumo,�h said Kagutsuchi, smiling. His twin brother nodded. Yuusaku, on the other hand, was speechless. They were speaking the truth, he knew. If the Ruler of Heaven returned, the only thing he would accomplish was getting caught in the vicious Sealing Field.

�gWhat kind of sons are you, betraying your own father like that?�h he snarled.

�gMy loyalty to him died long ago,�h answered the dark-haired man in a voice cold as the heart of winter, �gwhen he destroyed the happiness of my sisters and my little brother. I will never forgive him for that.�h He snapped his fingers. An invisible force then lifted Yuusaku into the air and pulled his limbs apart as though it was going to have him drawn and quartered. A deathly chill slithered down his spine. �gBut mind you, vengeance is not the reason why I went through all the trouble to seize control of Izumo.�h

�gYou lying bastard!�h he shouted. �gI know you just want the Heaven Throne for yourself!�h

�gThat throne interests me not,�h said the God of Storms in disgust.

�gWhy else would you destroy the Pillars and disable the army?!�h Yuusaku fired back. �gYou just wanted to wipe out all opposition.�h

�gContrary to what may choose to believe, insect of a Messenger,�h the dark-haired High Immortal gave him a look sharper than a butcher�fs knife. It shut him up, �gI destroyed Kusanagi because it was just a tool father used to suppress us. And for your information, the Sealing Field�fs true target has never been the army. It was the Mirror of Life.�h His mouth twisted in distaste at the name.

�gYou�fre trying to cut off Inochi no Kagami�fs power supply!�h Yuusaku gasped.

�gWhy, you are smarter than you look, Yuusaku,�h commented the God of Storms in a mocking tone. Next to him, Kagutsuchi chuckled as though he had heard a fine joke.

�gBut why?!�h

�gThere is no need for you to know.�h Susanou no Mikoto rose to his feet. �gWhat you should know, however, is what is going to happen to you. Say, Chief Messenger, do you not see how familiar this situation is?�h His dark eyes glittered again. In there Yuusaku could see dancing sparks of anger and hatred.

�gWhat the hell do you mean?!�h

�gA month ago you and your pathetic subordinates ganged up on my sister the Goddess of the Moon, sealed her, and hurt her.�h The dark-haired man reached out his hand, grabbed Yuusaku�fs hair, and jerked his head upward. He could only cry out in pain. �gYui-nee-san punished you... but we did not think that she did enough. Am I right, Kagutsuchi-san?�h His last few words came out as fierce snarls.

�gAbsolutely, Susanou,�h replied the God of Fire in a voice no friendlier. The right arm of the other High Immortal was blazing like the fire that was his hair. His eyes were burning coals. �gYou need not worry too much, though, Chief Messenger,�h the title was invested with scorn and a staggering amount of hatred, �gyou�fre not going to die from this. After all, death is too much of a mercy for someone like you.�h His smile was but a hateful show of teeth.

Before long, Yuusaku began to wish that they had killed him instead.

 

***

 

Caught in a ground battle with the Shingetsu High Priest, Oota Reiko could only groan in frustration. It had been half an hour since the battle first started, yet she never succeeded in killing the man. In the beginning, she had thought that since she was a powerful spell caster who was aided by a fearsome Sealed Sword, it would only take her less than five minutes to overwhelm Oogami Kazuki and destroy him. She was wrong. The man deflected every spell she hurled at him, blocked her every sword stroke, and several times came dangerously close to knocking Asayuki out of her hand. Had Reiko not known better, she would have thought her opponent was an Orochi himself. It does not make sense! she thought in exasperation.

�gIce World�fs Guardian, Asayuki,�h she intoned as she pulled back to evade a storm of fire droplets spilling out from the High Priest�fs palm. At her command, the thin but razor-sharp blade of Asayuki separated itself into three shafts that ultimately formed a vertically spinning triangle. Within its boundary was a blazing plate of white light. �gFrozen frame!�h she shouted.

A thick rod of light emerged from the spinning plate and headed straight toward Oogami Kazuki. Should he be hit, he would become a block of ice until she chose to thaw him. If she chose to thaw him.

�gDo not be naïve, Orochi!�h said her opponent, in whose hand appeared a sword of coruscating golden light, which he lashed upward to meet her attack. After a loud explosion, the beam of white light changed its direction abruptly and soared into the dark heavens which were ruled by the silver moon and the Dark Sun. The sight left Reiko speechless. Never once in her life did she imagine that a mortal man could deflect her strongest spell without breaking a drop of sweat.

�gYou underestimated me, Orochi,�h remarked the High Priest, his eyes on her, his blazing sword pointing in her direction.

�gWhere did you get this power?�h she asked wonderingly. The answer came to her an instant later, when she noticed for the first time that the man had undergone some dramatic changes in his appearance during the last half hour. His hair now had three times the amount of gray hair as he did before, wrinkles were creasing his once smooth forehead, and his face had grown so haggard that Reiko was under the impression that the man had aged at least a dozen years. Then the answer crashed down on her. �gLife force combustion!�h she breathed. �gI thought that art was lost!�h

�gApparently not,�h said Oogami Kazuki.

Life force combustion was an ancient method that allowed its practitioners to receive an instant inhuman boost in magical powers in exchange for their own life force. According to the old records that she had a chance to read, there were humans who grew from a young man to a crippling old one in less than a few hours because of the method. She never thought that she would see it in action someday.

�gYou are insane,�h she said coldly. �gYou will die before you can defeat me.�h

�gI think not.�h The man shook his head. �gIt is you who is going to die.�h

�gThe Priestess was right about you and your suicidal confidence,�h she scoffed. �gWell then. Let us see who will emerge victorious in the end.�h She assumed her attacking stance and raised her Sword. Soon, the High Priest would grow so old he would no longer have the strength to stand... if he did not kill himself first.

�gI suggest that you should rid yourself of your worries before you fight, Follower,�h he said, his mouth�fs corners quirking upward in a mocking smile. �gWithout full concentration, you will die under my sword.�h He glanced sideways at a battle that raged more than a few hundred feet away from them. Reiko�fs fists immediately clenched in anger.

All a normal human could see was the Fourth Head swinging her Chiseizaha around herself as though she was trying to cut thin air. Reiko�fs enhanced vision showed that three shadows were moving at incredible speed around the girl and taking advantage of any opening they noticed. They were very efficient at that, she realized. The clothes Korona wore were now tattered with cuts and dyed crimson by her own blood. Should this be allowed to go on, the young woman would die before she could strike down any one of her foes. Reiko doubted that the pop idol could, in any case. The Earth Blade, being a low-speed weapon, required time and concentration to release its fearsome might. Priests who moved faster than the eyes could see were not enemies Korona could defeat. Knowing that, Reiko had been driven nearly insane with fear since the battle started. It was the reason why she could not concentrate on her own fight with the High Priest.

 �gYou know what is going to happen,�h Oogami Kazuki said. �gMy subordinates are going to tear her apart.�h

�gThree grown men against one girl! Have you no shame?!�h Reiko could not help but shout after hearing those words.

�gYou are in no position to require fair play from us, Orochi,�h the High Priest pointed out in a cold manner. �gWe are not so foolish that we would honor the code of honor and duel you one on one so that you can kill us all and destroy this peaceful land.�h

Words died in her throat.

�gI�fll make you an offer, Orochi,�h the man continued. �gYou know that you can�ft win against me while worrying yourself to death about that young lady over there. Surrender and we�fll spare you both.�h

�gI do not need your offer.�h She laughed at him contemptuously. �gI care not about her. I will not even blink if she drops dead right here and now.�h Sometimes, she wished that saying a lie could make it truth.

�gOh really?�h Oogami Kazuki smirked before he raised his voice so that it carried to where the Fourth Head was battling the swift shadows. �gSaiki, Yuuji, Furin. Kill her.�h Reiko�fs heart sank into her stomach.

In a heartbeat after those words had been uttered, the three shadows materialized into three men, whose hair were as white as snow and whose faces were so scrawny that they were the closet thing to a naked skull, standing around the pop idol. Faster than the eye could follow, they then lunged directly at her. One of them caught her left wrist and her left ankle. Another did the same thing to her right. The last one had the girl�fs neck locked in his arms. From the Fourth Head�fs bloodless face and her bulging eyes, Reiko knew that the man was trying to wring his target�fs neck off. Her head went blank.

�gKorona, no!�h Reiko screamed at the same time she rushed toward them. Before she could move more than a few feet, the Shingetsu High Priest had appeared in front of her and swung his sword at her in a horizontal arc. A few strands of hair, sliced off from the fringe brushing her forehead, fell prey to the cold winds of October. Reiko swallowed in horror after she leapt backward and put at least a dozen feet between them. Had the man wanted, he could have cut off the top of her forehead and killed her in one blow.

�gFrom the very beginning, your eyes had been seeking the girl and making sure she was safe even if it distracted you from your own battle,�h he said with his sword pointing directly at her throat. �gA blind man can tell how deeply you care for her. There is no need to pretend otherwise.�h His eyes gleamed with amusement and sympathy. It had been the first time that a mortal looked at her that way, she thought.

�gChoose, Orochi Head,�h the High Priest continued, his eyes digging at Reiko and urging her to respond. �gSurrender or watch your beloved die.�h

�gChoose? You never gave me a choice,�h she answered bitterly as she turned her head and looked at Korona, whose eyes were trying to jump out of their sockets, whose mouth was opened wide like that of a fish caught out of water, whose body was thrashing violently even though her arms and legs were caught in the men�fs arms. The sight ripped Reiko�fs soul into pieces. �gI surrender,�h she said in resignation and let go of the Sealed Sword in her hand. Freed, Asayuki plunged into the soft ground until all that was visible above the surface was it hand guard and hilt.

�gVery well.�h The sword of golden light in the High Priest�fs hand then extended and buried its tip in her heart. She could only let out a wordless scream before its power seared into her skin, invaded every corner of her body, locked away her powers, and ultimately pulled her down onto her knees. She knew that she had been sealed. Now, she was just a normal woman who was unable to wield her own Sealed Sword. Everything was over. �gStop,�h the man raised his voice at his three subordinates, who immediately ceased their attempt to murder Korona. He then walked to them, used his sword to seal the Fourth Head�fs powers the way he did hers, before he commanded them to release her.

Once she was freed, the Fourth Head collapsed onto her knees on the ground, put her hands around her throat, and began to choke painfully while gasping for breath. After a while, Reiko rose to her feet, crossed the distance, and knelt back down by the girl�fs side. There, she trembled. There, she sensed her heart ache.

�gAre you alright, Reiko?�h asked Korona, who gazed up at her with a pair of emerald eyes filled with concern. �gDid he hurt you anywhere?�h Those words, simple but heartfelt, moved her so greatly tears started trickling down her face. Despite being wounded badly by the Priests, the first thing other woman had asked after was Reiko�fs wellbeing instead of her own. Natsune had been the only person in this lonely world who cared for her with such devotion.

�gSilly Korona, stupid Korona,�h she whispered in her tearful voice before she pulled the Fourth Head into her arms and claimed her lips. The latter stiffened in shock for a few heartbeats before she put her arms around Reiko�fs back and returned the kiss with all her heart and soul. She could feel warmth and love pouring into her. She could hear the sound of the eternal wall of ice she built around her heart crumbling into pieces. As their mouth eventually broke apart, her hand rose to touch the girl�fs throat and caressed it in the hope that it could ease her pain. �gMy precious Korona,�h she cried softly. Since she chased the girl out of her room the day before, her heart had been hurting so badly she only wished she could rip it out and crush it.

�gReiko...�h the girl called before she buried her face in Reiko�fs chest and wept openly.

She was aware that she had broken the vow she made to her first love. She realized that she had betrayed the promise she had given Natsune. She knew she was not worthy of forgiveness. If there was indeed a fiery hell, she would definitely go there after she died and suffer for time eternal. Yet, right now she did not care. Now, she had in her arms the girl she loved, who loved her more than she loved herself. There was nothing else she could wish for. There was nothing else she possibly wanted. She did not need immortality. She no longer wished to carry out her vengeance upon the world. All she desired right now... was a happy life that she could spend by the side of the one she loved.

 

***

 

Oogami Souma grimaced as he narrowly evaded a column of flame that shot from above his head. Up there, Girochi Miyako was still snarling and continuing to throw vicious spells after vicious spells at him. Judging by the way the woman had been doing that for the last thirty minutes without stopping, she seemed to have an endless supply of magical energy. He found himself wishing that he also had one. If he did, he would not have to conserve his power and run from her fierce assaults even though he knew he was stronger than her. He only wondered how much longer it was going to take before she was exhausted.

�gStop running away, murderer!�h the Second Head shrieked at him as the tip of the Fire Blade in her hand made a spiral dash for his head. �gFight and meet your end!�h

�gMurderer?�h he answered in sheer disbelief. �gYou are in no position to say that to me. And who did I kill anyway?!�h He bent his wrist and swung Raien around to block Rekkyou. The resultant impact was so great that it rocked his arm and sent his body diving toward the earth. Only when he was a few feet from cracking his head upon the ground did he regain his balance and stop his neck-breaking descent. Before he could heave a sigh of relief, he saw the darkly tanned woman rushing at him again from above, her sword wreathed in fire.

�gMy brother!�h The flame obscuring her blade extended toward him.

Hastily, Souma brought the Lightning Blade overhead then brought it down upon the ground beneath his feet. At the moment of contact, the ground exploded and provided him with a force strong enough to hurl him upward as fast as the Orochi woman had sent him rushing down. As he stationed himself in the air afterwards, he saw her standing between two smoking craters of equal size of different depth. The shallower of them was made by Raien, the deeper, Rekkyou.

�gI don�ft even know your brother!�h he exclaimed.

�gHis name is Tokiya, the Orochi Third Head,�h she snarled. �gHe was this Sword�fs master! Lord of the Seven Seas, come forth, Suikyou!�h She raised her vacant hand, from the fingertips of which water gushed out in rays. They then gathered into her palm and solidified into a Sword the blade of which was as shiny as any mirror. The Water Blade! he thought. She�fs referring to the man in the black suit! A second later, all thoughts abandoned him as he felt shock ripple along his nerves. He did not know that a Follower could wield two Swords at the same time. Before he could overcome his shock, the other Orochi soared toward him, both Elemental Blades in her hands seeking to cut him into pieces.

�gThat�fs right, I killed him,�h he said as he leapt sideways to prevent the Fire and Water Blades from dismembering him. �gBut aren�ft you a bit... late?�h he mocked. For crying out loud, he killed the Orochi last month. What kind of sister would seek revenge now? he thought.

�gHow dare you!�h the woman bellowed in midair and flung her arms to either side. Rekkyou and Suikyou shone ominously at the same time.

Curved blades of fire and water emerged from nowhere and came at him in successive waves. Seeing how they had blocked all his escape routes, he decided to take them head on instead of dodging them. As his powers streamed into the Lightning Blade, a spherical barrier woven from purple lightning sprang up around him. At first, when he saw that the fire and water blades easily bounced off the protective layer, he told himself that he had made the right choice. A second later, when the Orochi Second Head descended upon him and ground the tips of her Blades upon his barrier, he knew that he had made a terrible mistake. By deciding not to evade, he had turned himself into an unmoving target for the darkly tanned woman.

�gDie, Oogami Souma!�h she roared while trying to pierce the lightning layer with her Swords. She seemed to be succeeding as the barrier woven with his power began to shake. �gDie!�h His defense was shattered as soon as the word left the woman�fs mouth. The explosion that followed immediately slammed his back painfully upon the ground. It was nothing short of a miracle that he still managed to hold on to his Raien afterwards.

�gYour life ends here, Seventh Head,�h announced Girochi Miyako, who towered over him with Swords in hands. �gNow pay for what you have done to my brother!�h She brought down the Elemental Blades.

Souma knew that even if he used Raien to parry Rekkyou and Suikyou, he could only delay their combined force for a few seconds before all three Swords came down on him and turned him into minced meat. If one is not enough... how about two? a thought occurred to him at the instant when the edges of the Fire and Water Blades were an inch away from his head.

�gLord of the Hallow Stars, come forth!�h he bellowed. �gHokuto!�h

White light, pure as snow and brighter than noonday, flashed. When it faded away, Souma was lying on his back with Lightning Blade in his right hand and the Star Blade in his left. The Orochi Second Head, who seemed to have been hurled away by the force released at the emergence of Hokuto, was lying on her front a dozen feet away and screaming with her hands over her eyes. On either of her sides were Suikyou and Rekkyou, the blades of which were reflecting the shadows of the silver moon and the Dark Sun.

As he scrambled back onto his feet, Souma began to marvel at the power that was coursing in his veins. However, his amazement soon turned into horror when the Lightning and the Star Blades began to resonate with one another in an eerie melody and send waves of fierce and sinister thoughts washing over him. His throat ran dry, his body grew hot, and his vision was dyed with a color too close to that of blood for his comfort. On his face, something was crawling and searing into him. Somewhere at the back of his head, a voice was raving in what seemed to be a chant of death and destruction. It was then that he remembered what the High Priest had told him about how the previous wielders of Hokuto and Raien had died.

Around him, winds were rising and the earth was trembling under the combined might of the Sealed Swords. He could feel the malice welling up in his soul. He could hear the voices of Raien and Hokuto beckoning to release their power upon the world. He could see his hands raising the Blades overhead. He could sense power surging inside them. He knew that in but an instant, they were going to destroy everything that he held dear. Am I... going to go mad and attack everyone I know? he thought in horror and bitterness.

�gNo, you are not,�h a woman�fs voice answered in his head. Light flared in front of him and materialized into the beautiful girl in the white cape who had attempted to murder him two days ago. �gRather than letting the darkness consume you the way it did the foolish Priests years ago,�h she continued in her cold voice, her platinum eyes boring into his, �gI am going to use you to smoke the Priestess of the Sun out. My patience grows thin, and time is short. I cannot wait any longer.�h

She placed her palm on his chest. It made her voice seem warm. �gYou are going to die soon, just as all Followers are supposed to,�h she said. �gYet for the service you are going to provide me with, you shall live a little longer.�h Her hand sank into his body... and he began to scream.

 

***

 

It had been hours since she first engaged in battle with the Shinken Seals but as far as Kurusugawa Himeko could see, she was not winning. Although she had poured all of her Priestess power into the task of pulling the Eyes of Heaven toward her, the sword refused to budge. Inside the golden sphere of light that was trapped in the middle of the eternal ice pillar it stayed, unmoving no matter how hard she beckoned it to, while its guardians, released their sacred lightning to protect it. Once, they came dangerously close to shearing her head off. Right now, she still shuddered when she recalled the deadly experience.

When a lightning bolt struck the ground near where she stood, it created an explosion that hurled her off her feet. She fell down on her side upon the rocky floor and felt as though the bones in her right arm had been crushed. She wanted to cry in frustration and hopelessness. She did not want to admit it, but she honestly did not believe that she alone could summon the Eyes of Heaven and make her wish come true.

�gAre you alright, child?�h spoke a woman�fs warm and worried voice from above her. Looking up, she saw a young woman whose hand was extended toward her, whose hair was of the same color as hers but much shinier, whose body was clad in a snowy hagoromo that seemed to be coated with a transparent layer, and whose face was so breathtakingly beautiful that she would make the blue-haired princess look plain. At the sight of the newcomer, an oddly familiar feeling rose in Himeko�fs heart. For some reason, she had an inkling that she had known the woman for longer than she could remember. She wondered why.

�gI�fm... okay,�h she answered, took the woman�fs hand, and got back on her feet. It was only after that did she realize that someone had actually slipped inside the Enshrinement Chamber without her noticing. She blinked. And if she remembered correctly, the High Priest Oogami Kazuki did put guards along the stair and charge them with the duty to warn her beforehand should the Orochi manage to break through the final defense line. A chill ran down her spine. Those guards... are not dead, are they? she thought.

As if she could sense Himeko�fs rising apprehension, the woman in the hagoromo smiled kindly at her and said, �gYou don�ft have to worry, little one. I mean you no harm.�h

�gWho... are you?�h Himeko asked, still very afraid. The sense of power that was radiating from the stranger told her that the woman was ten times stronger than her.

�gMy name is Yui,�h the stranger answered. �gMuch as I would love you to tell you more about myself and about how we were connected, I can�ft. Time is of the essence here, and it�fs not on our side. So, I�fll get right to the point.�h She put a hand on Himeko�fs shoulder. It was gentle. It was very warm. Suddenly, her suspicions and her fear vanished like water vapors into the air. She did not understand how she knew... but she was absolutely certain that Yui would never hurt her. Her body began to relax. �gI�fm here to lend you a hand, my child,�h the older woman continued, her beautiful golden eyes flickering toward the Shinken Swords before they came back to Himeko�fs face.

�gYou... want to help me summon the Eye of Heaven?�h she asked quietly while hope welled in her soul.

�gYes.�h Yui�fs smile grew much fonder. �gIt�fs not that you can�ft do it by yourself, I know. You simply don�ft have enough time. It might have taken you hours, maybe even days, to overcome the power of the Shinken Swords.�h Himeko nodded, knowing that it was the truth. �gThere is a simpler way to do it, little one,�h the older woman continued as her hand moved to Himeko�fs head and patted it gently. She reminded her of the kind mother she had before a plague took both of her parents away.

�gThen tell me, please!�h she laid her hands on Yui�fs arms and pleaded. �gI beg of you, Yui-san.�h

�gYou don�ft have to.�h She chuckled. �gWhat you do need to do, however, is answer some questions for me. Is that okay with you, child?�h

�gI�fll answer them no matter how many you have,�h Himeko said with determination.

�gVery good.�h The older woman nodded in approval. Suddenly, the smile that had been gracing her lips since the very beginning faded away. �gWell then. Tell me, who are you fighting for?�h

�gHimemiya Chikane, the only person I ever love,�h she answered without hesitation.

�gNot for the world?�h Yui shot her a sharp look. �gNot for the people around you?�h

�gNo.�h She shook her head. She was aware that the selfish reply that she just gave would anger the people who had been hoping that she would succeed in drawing the Eye of Heaven and deliver them out of the hands of Yamata no Orochi. She knew that the High Priest would scream at her should he know that she had never tried to fight for the purpose he thought she did. She understood that Yui asked her questions to test her, and that if she gave the wrong answer, she might not get the help she was promised. Still, she did not wish to lie. Chikane-chan was her whole world. Himeko was determined to save the blue-haired girl even if she had to sacrifice everyone else in the process. Not that she wanted it to happen... but if worse came to worse....

To her surprise, all tension went from the older woman�fs face as she let out a gust of laughter filled with satisfaction and happiness. At the same time, an incredibly warm sensation suffused Himeko�fs body and made her feel as though she was standing under the open sky and bathing in the light of the summer sun. A second later, she realized where it came from. It was the little finger on her right hand, which was glowing like heated metal even in the light coming from the golden sphere in the middle of the eternal ice pillar. It was open wonder how her hand had not been reduced to dust.

�gKurusugawa Himeko, what is it that you desire?�h Yui asked in a quiet voice. Her eyes, like her mouth, were smiling.

�gI want to grant Chikane-chan�fs wish,�h she answered honestly and gasped aloud at the end of the sentence when a thin, red ribbon emerged from her little finger and filled most of the Enshrinement Chamber with its impossible length. �gWhat... is this...?�h she asked in amazement.

�gIt�fs called Enishi, the Red Thread of Fate,�h said the woman in the snowy hagoromo. �gIt�fs a weapon you have carried within your soul during the last three thousand years. It was the gift I had given you before you went to sleep in the Kannazuki Tower.�h

Himeko�fs eyes widened. �gYou gave it to me?�h she repeated in shock. �gBut you said I had kept it for three thousand years! Who are you?!�h

�gIn time, you�fll know.�h Yui pulled Himeko into her arms and hugged her tightly. �gIn time, you�fll remember everything that had come to pass.�h The golden-haired woman gave her a soft kiss on her forehead before she pulled away. �gNow that Enishi is in your hand, you may command it to do whatever you wish. Use the Thread wisely, my beloved child.�h The instant the final word left her mouth was also the one in which she shattered into a shower of golden sparks and vanished. �gUntil we meet again,�h her voice lingered in Himeko�fs head.

Time continued to pass with her standing in a daze and looking at the serpentine thread slithering soundlessly in the confined space of the Chamber until several minutes later when she snapped back to reality. Her resolve firmed.

�gEnishi!�h she raised her voice and spoke. Strength surged along the Red Thread of Fate. �gDestroy the Shinken Seals!�h

At her command, the thin, silky ribbon streaked at the five columns of light surrounding the Eye of Heaven in a crimson blur. When it touched them, it neither bounced away nor became burned by the sacred lightning that sprang from the Swords. It cut through them like knife through butter. Shock seized Himeko while she watched the Shinken break and the eternal ice pillar shatter into a rainstorm of fragments the tiny surfaces of which reflected the golden light that came from the now freed Eye of Heaven. As the Red Thread of Fate melted into the air, the legendary Gods-forged weapon floated toward her and stopped a few inches in front of her body. Its scabbard was red and engraved with the Sun Crest near the hand guard.

Heart racing fast enough to beat a horse, she wrapped her hand around the hilt of the Key of the Sacred Light. Celestial power roared and rose in her like the tsunami waves at the contact.

�gI release you, Eye of Heaven,�h she said, her voice booming like thunder in the Enshrinement Chamber of Shingetsu. The Sun Crest began to turn, the blade unsheathe. �gWake up, Akatsuya!�h Golden aura distorted everything in sight.

 

***

 

Saotome Makoto was taking her time feigning the attack on the barrier protecting Shingetsu Grand Shrine when the smell of fresh blood invaded her Orochi-enhanced nose and made her turn her head to look. In spite of her self, she could only stare in shock and horror. Down on the ground Oogami Souma stood, his hands holding Hokuto and Raien, his face colder than a block of ice. From the blades of the Two Swords blood were dripping. Next to the boy�fs feet lay the limp body of the woman who was the Orochi Second Head. On her chest there were two wounds, from which blood were gushing out in nozzles. In her hands were Rekkyou and Suikyou, yet they could no longer be wielded by their master. All vital signs had ceased in Girochi Miyako�fs body. The woman was dead.

Makoto�fs hand clenched around the hilt of Tasogare. It was not from anger, for it mattered not who had ended the life of the elder Girochi. It was from surprise. Before, the Seventh Head was but a boy whose ego was as large as the Grand Shrine and a measly Follower whose strength paled when compared to hers, and a traitor she could destroy anytime she wished. He was no longer so. Now, with the Lightning and Star Blades in his possession, Oogami Souma was as powerful as she was, if not more.

No longer did the boy look the way he used to. His appearance did not change. His attitude did. The arrogance with which he carried was long gone. In its place were now impeccable dignity and an air of icy ruthlessness. He could have been an entirely different boy. Were the fan girls he had in Ototachibana Academy to lay eyes on him this very moment, they would scream in fright and run off. Makoto, however, only tightened her mouth. She was willing to wager the Sword in her hand that someone had decided to take over Oogami Souma�fs body.

�gGet out of my way, Sixth Head, Eighth Head,�h said Oogami Souma, whose voice slipped easily into Makoto�fs ears despite the great distance separating them. In his hands, Raien and Hokuto were blazing like the midday sun. Realizing what he was about to do, she immediately put as much distance as possible between her and the barrier of Shingetsu Grand Shrine. Although the cat-fanatic Nekoko did not seem to understand anything the way her face was painted with confusion, she, too, rushed away from the protective dome of light.

The Seventh Head, or whoever possessed him, threw up his hands and sent the Star and Lightning Blades soaring into the dark heavens. What came down an instant later were not Swords but a pair of humongous dragons whose wings and serpentine bodies were made from solid purple and white light. Each had four limbs, each tipped with claws large enough to wrap around a thick tree. Either had a pair of jaws arms with teeth that reminded Makoto of the dinosaurs she had seen in the museums. Both had a mane and a pair of leathery wings that spanned at least twenty roofs when unfolded.

Growling, they slithered in the airspace above Shingetsu, their fierce eyes locked on the last stronghold of humanity, their massive bodies casting a great shadow across the land. The air trembled at every movement they made. The earth shook under their enormous powers. Makoto�fs lips thinned into a straight line. She was well aware of how strong these two Elemental Dragons were. She knew what the boy meant to accomplish by summoning them into this world.

�gCome forth, Lord of the Thunder Sky, Lord of the Hallow Stars!�h Oogami Souma called, his voice crisp and loud as any gunshot. The Swords�f true forms opened their toothy mouths wide and roared a roar so loud Makoto had to use her hand to cover her ears. Had she not, they would have bled.

The Lightning Dragon flapped its leathery wings and sent a rain formed entirely out of lightning bolts crashing upon the barrier. Meanwhile, seven glowing spheres appeared in front of the Star Dragons and aligned themselves into the shape of the Hokuto Shichisei. A heartbeat later, they became seven pillars of white light that slammed at the great layer of energy. The dragons�f power output was so large that the resulting shockwaves, which were formed at the moment of collision, destroyed the Nekoko the Sixth Head�fs balance and hurled her off her feet. As a result, the woman fell upon the ground and was knocked unconscious. Makoto grimaced. Had she not braced herself, she would have suffered from the same fate.

�gNo!�h the High Priest�fs voice screamed in the background just as the great barrier shrank smaller and smaller under the heavy assaults of the Elemental Dragons. Finally, when it could shrink no more, it shattered in the dying cries of three hundred fifty people who had risked their lives to sustain it. Shuddering, Makoto thought of what Oogami Souma would command the dragons to do next. Although she was determined to protect Himeko, she was not entirely sure she could stand up against Hokuto no Ryuu and Raien no Ryuu at the same time. Powerful as Tasogare might be, its true form still wouldn�ft be able to defeat two of its brethren. Should she try, all she was going to gain would be instant defeat.

�gWhat have you done, Souma?!�h shouted Oogami Kazuki, who planted himself furiously in front of his adopted brother and attempted to give the latter a full-arm slap. The Seventh Head caught the older man by the wrist before he could hit him. From the way the High Priest�fs face was contorted by pain at the contact, Makoto believed that the boy had never intended to go easy on his brother.

�gI killed three hundred and fifty fools,�h he answered. �gSoon to be three hundred and fifty-three.�h His dark eyes regarded the other man, whose appearance had been aged at least a dozen years by his using Life force combustion, and the two Orochi Heads who stood nearby coldly. Oota Reiko, behind whose back Korona was trembling in fear, stared back challengingly even though her powers were already lost. He raised his hand. Up in the sky, the dragons let out another thunderous roar.

Three men, each seeming old enough to be a grandfather, appeared out of thin air and caught Oogami Souma in their grip. It was the same technique they had used against the pop idol to force the mangaka to drop her Sealed Sword.

�gNo!�h Oogami Kazuki shouted, his voice racked with horror. �gRun!�h He was too late. A dark aura had already swept out from his brother�fs body and blasted the old men away even before he could start on his second word. On the ground the fools lay, their breathing weakening as they neared death.

�gYour turn, High Priest,�h murmured the Seventh Head, whose vacant hand held high. The same dark aura then spilled out from his palm and solidified into a large blade. �gGoodbye.�h The older man could only stare as the blade ran through his chest. He fell down onto the ground and lay there limply, unable to stop his little brother from raising his hand a second time to deliver the finishing stroke.

A wave of golden light suddenly emerged from nowhere and erased the world.

Up in the heavens, Raien and Hokuto began to roar in pain and sounded as though something was burning them inside out. I guess they like the holy light as much as a normal Orochi does, she thought. Chuckling, she pulled down the deep hood of her cape to shield her eyes from the blinding light. The chuckle grew louder as she noticed an alien presence invading her Sealed Sword. Unlike in the battle with Kannazuki Aoi a day before, she loosened all her defense and welcomed the invading force. After all, she knew what it was as well as who had created it. After all, she knew what it meant to accomplish.

When the light disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, the Dark Sun and the silver moon were no longer all that ruled in the vast heavens. Now, the golden sun stood next to them as it bestowed its brilliance upon the earth. Down on the ground, Oogami Souma was standing alone, his eyes widened by surprise. All the people he had hurt and nearly killed were no longer around him. They were now lying a hundred feet away, their dying bodies towered over by a girl whose golden hair fall to her waist in a glorious stream, whose slender figure was graced by a white chihaya and a blue hibakama of the Moon Priestess, whose hand was holding an Eye of Heaven, and whose face was painted with anger as well as concern.

That girl was Kurusugawa Himeko, the Priestess of the Sun.

�gPlease hang in there, sensei,�h Makoto�fs one and only love said as she raised her one-bladed sword overhead. Akatsuya, the counterpart of Kagetsuki, then glowed brilliantly in her hand before it disintegrated into a thousand sparks of golden light. Those, however, gathered as soon as they broke apart. What they formed afterward was no longer the Eye of Aurora, but a sword the paper-thin blade of which seemed to be made entirely from fog and winds. It was Arashigumo, the Sealed Sword in the possession of Nekoko the Sixth Head.

Makoto smiled. She had guessed correctly the power of the Eyes of Heaven, it turned out. Kagetsuki and Akatsuya both were gifted with the ability to shapeshift into any weapon that they had analyzed beforehand. That had been how Kannazuki Aoi managed to wield the dimensional power only Tasogare had to ward off the attacks thrown at her by the Second and the Sixth Head. That had also been how she morphed her sword into Suikyou the Water Blade to monitor the now deceased Girochi Tokiya, killed him with Raien, and then placed all the blame on the innocent Seventh Head.

Down on the ground, the Priestess of the Sun drew Arashigumo in a wide arc around her body, which in turn released a wave of emerald light upon Oogami Kazuki and his subordinates. Almost instantly, the wound on the High Priest�fs body closed, his bloodless face regained its color, and his heart beat strongly once more. The other three men, whose name Makoto didn�ft know, had the agonizing expression on their own faces replaced by that of a person soundly asleep. It was as though none of them had been hurt. Even Makoto was surprised. Although she knew that Nekoko was capable of reviving men on the verge of death, she doubted the cat-fanatic could have pulled off such an impossibly quick recovery.

�gYou will leave him alone now,�h the golden-haired girl told Oogami Souma flatly. For the first time since Makoto got to know her, Himeko was seriously angry.

�gTry and make me, Priestess,�h replied the Seventh Head in a calm and collected voice. He raised his hands again, obviously trying to signal his dragons to attack. Faster than the eye could see, the Wind Blade in Himeko�fs hand changed into Asayuki the Ice Blade, which then proceeded to unleash a wave of mist upon Oogami Souma. As a result, the part of his body from his chest down, including his forearms, were trapped in solid ice. His face hardened.

�gThis... cannot be!�h exclaimed Oota Reiko. Behind her was Korona, whose eyes were large as teacups on her bloodless face. �gEven I....�h The mangaka�fs voice faltered in shock. Cannot release Asayuki�fs powers so fast, Makoto finished mentally for her.

�gWaker of the world,�h intoned the golden-haired girl, who held Asayuki vertically in front of her chest with both hands. There, the Ice Blade shattered and quickly reconstructed into its original form, the Eye of Aurora. There, Akatsuya began to shine with all the glory of the midsummer sun.

At first, only one large spinning Sun Crest appeared in the heavens. A fraction of a second later, there were two. In the next, there were four. In less than a minute, they had multiplied so quickly that they now formed a vast horizontal plane that blanketed the skies. From each of the spinning symbols light began to drip. Together, they wove the heaviest rain Makoto had ever seen. Only that in this rain, the drops did not fall in a straight line. Instead, they followed such a curved path that all they were hitting were the Elemental Dragons.

Having no where to hide, the true forms of Hokuto and Raien could only roar and writhe in agony as their ethereal bodies were punctured by the sparkling raindrops. Their leathery wings became tattered pieces of cloth. Their serpentine lengths, thrashing in the air and caused powerful winds that could not ward off the raindrops, became humongous beehives. In no time at all, they drew their last breath. Their wings flapped one last time and their mouths let out one last roar before they exploded and were reverted into the Sealed Swords, which fell from the sky and plunged their blades halfway into the soft ground.

Oogami Souma wasn�ft faring any better than the creatures he had summoned. Although the ice that had enveloped his lower body was gone, the boy was being subjected a treatment that was much more uncomfortable. Beneath his feet was another spinning Sun Crest, from which a pillar of light had sprung up and engulfed him. In it, he was bellowing in great anger and pain, his hands were clawing at the inner wall of the pillar in a futile attempt to tear it up, and the dark presence within him was slowly being expelled. The exorcism continued for another minute before Himeko lowered her sword and undid her spell. The Sun Crest disappeared, the light dissipated, and the Seventh Head fell onto his front on the ground, where he was knocked unconscious. Whoever had possessed him was now gone.

The battle is far from over despite the fact that all other Followers had been captured, Makoto knew. There was still someone out there, waiting to wreak havoc upon the world.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she noticed that the Priestess of the Sun was waving at her from the ground. Smiling, the girl said, �gMako-chan, would you come down here for a bit?�h

Panic seized her.

 

***

 

Standing in the Audience Chamber of the Orochi lair, Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne stared at her right hand, around which smoke was billowing. The connection she had bridged into the traitorous Seventh Head�fs soul had been destroyed. Although her goal to smoke the Priestess out had been achieved, she never expected that the girl could chase her out that easily. Not that it matters much, she thought. The healing process had just concluded. There was no longer any need for a puppet.

�gRise, Yamata no Orochi,�h she spoke softly to the ever glowing Crystal Orb. �gIt is time for us to pull down the curtain. Awaken. Our death awaits.�h

 The Crystal Orb cracked, a large shadow reached out, and the Temple of the Dragons fell to pieces.

 

***

 

Sitting on one of the stone steps next to the girl she loved, Saotome Makoto was feeling very unsettled at the moment. With her hood down and the shadow once obscuring her face now dispelled, she had nowhere to hide. She did not expect that her identity would be exposed so soon. Neither did she have any answer ready for the questions she feared that Himeko would ask.

Only that the golden-haired, who had been silent ever since they sat down next to each other, did not seem to want to say anything anytime soon. She simply gazed ahead at the devastated ground that was the result of the battle against the Followers, seemingly deep in thoughts. Her right hand was wrapped around the Eye of Aurora, now sheathed, while her left one stroked its hilt almost absently. The silence hanging between them was so uncomfortable and unnerving that Makoto caught herself wishing fervently that the girl would just shout at her and get it over with.

Nearby, a few steps above them, sat the Fourth and the Fifth Head, the former half lying and resting her head on the lap of the latter, eyes closed, her entire body relaxed. Oota Reiko, whose hand was gently combing through her lover�fs hair, looked just as peaceful. Neither appeared to mind the fact that they both had their powers sealed and were now held prisoners in their enemies�f hands.

The cat-fanatic Nekoko, who sat in a slump at the top of the stone flight of stairs, certainly minded. When the woman woke up, she had found herself in the same condition as her surviving comrades. She had looked as though she had lost everything ever since. Not that Makoto believed that the Sixth Head had given up, though. She suspected that the self-styled doctor was still scheming in that head of hers and trying to devise a way to get herself out of the mess. It was in her blood. It was inevitable.

�gWhen... did you know, Himeko?�h Makoto sighed and decided to speak up. She had to repeat her question before her former roommate realized she was speaking to her.

�gWhen I analyzed your Sword,�h the golden-haired girl replied, smiling.

�gAren�ft you mad at me for deceiving you?�h Makoto mumbled.

�gYes. About this much, I think.�h Himeko held up a hand and put her thumb and her forefinger an inch apart to show how much. Her smile grew broader. �gNo, seriously, I�fm not angry at all. I know that you never wanted to hurt me. I would have been dead long since.�h

Silence returned then, with each of them chasing their own thoughts.

�gYou�fre not going to ask me anything?�h Makoto asked again after a while. �gLike... why I joined the Orochi, for instant.�h

�gMaybe later,�h answered the Priestess of the Sun, whose gaze was lowered to the ground and whose voice suddenly fell quiet. �gOnce everything�fs over, I hope.�h She rose to her feet and climbed down the stairs with her sword in hand.

�gYes, everything is going to be over, but not in the way you think, Priestess,�h the voice of the Dark God resounded in the air thunderously and startled everybody except Himeko, who was standing quietly the bottom of the stair and gazing upward at the heavens dominated by the silver moon, the golden sun, and the Dark Sun, from which shadow was spilling out like water from an open tap. Not even a full minute had passed before the shadow swallowed up the Dark Sun and solidified into a monstrosity the size of which dwarfed that of both the Lightning and Star Dragons combined. It was also a dragon with massive serpentine body, a mane, a pair of gigantic wings, and two sets of limbs. Yet, instead of solid light, this creature was made of flesh. Instead of having only one head the way the other Elemental Dragons did, this one had eight. Makoto could see the light go dim at Yamata no Orochi�fs appearance. She could feel the wind quiet down and the air grew heavy under the endless waves of power radiating from the Dark God�fs legendary form. She could hear the rumbling growls coming out of the toothy mouths of the Lord of all Followers. She could sense fear tearing herself apart. Susanou no Mikoto was the strongest Immortal she had ever known... yet it was clear that the man�fs strength was one step below that of the Dark God�fs. The knowledge frightened her even more.

�gEverybody, leave this place at once,�h the golden-haired girl said while unsheathing her sword.

�gYou seem to be certain that you can defeat me,�h said one of the dragon�fs eight heads in his booming voice. �gI shall see where your confidence comes from.�h He opened all of his mouths at once and revealed within each of his jaw a blazing sphere of light. Winds howled, the ground shook, and space trembled under the force that the Dark God was about to unleash. Yet, even when she was facing a seemingly omnipotent God, the Priestess of the Sun was unfazed. She simply held her ground and held her sword upright, her face a mask of determination.

He�fs wrong, Makoto thought. The girl doesn�ft think that. She�fs just doing what she can. Silently, she leapt down the last few stone steps and planted herself firmly next to her former roommate. To her surprise, Oogami Souma, who had regained consciousness a while ago, followed suit. Himeko only gave each of them an exasperated look before she focused her attention on Yamata no Orochi. She knew that no word she said could convince them to leave, it would seem.

�gYou will not harm her, Orochi Lord,�h Kannazuki Aoi�fs cold voice spoke suddenly from nowhere. In a flash of silver light, she appeared atop a revolving Moon Crest near the massive creature. �gShe is mine.�h Sapphire eyes gazed at the Kurusugawa Himeko and her alone. To the renegade Priestess of the Moon, everyone else might as well never exist.

�gVery well,�h said the Dark God. The eight energy spheres in his mouths winked out of existence. Makoto blinked in shock. Unless she had misunderstood completely, Yamata no Orochi just acceded to Kannazuki Aoi�fs command without a word of protest. Looking at them, anyone would have thought that the blue-haired girl was the master, and the eight-headed dragon her pet.

�gYou know where to find me, Akari,�h the Priestess of the Moon declared softly before she turned sideways and vanished.

�gGo, Himeko,�h urged Oogami Souma, whose hands were holding Hokuto and Raien. �gWe,�h he paused and shot Makoto a suspicious look, �gwill try to buy you some time.�h

�gYou should hurry,�h Makoto said, pretending that the Seventh Head wasn�ft there. �gI don�ft know how long I can keep him occupied. The world is in your hand,�h she added as though an afterthought.

 The Priestess of the Sun stared at them unblinkingly for a few seconds before she nodded and gave each of them a hug. �gFarewell, Mako-chan, Sou-chan,�h she whispered as a golden glow emanating from the Eye of Aurora enveloped her slender body, �gI�fm sorry.�h The girl vanished in a flash of light.

A chill ran across Makoto�fs body. She shivered and thought, Why did she say that?

�gTraitorous children, do you still wish to stand in my way?�h Yamata no Orochi asked. �gShould you come back to me now, I shall forget and forgive. Immortality can still be yours.�h

�gIn your dreams,�h Oogami Souma replied coldly.

�gHimeko�fs gone, Orochi Lord,�h Makoto smirked at the eight-headed dragon, �gso why don�ft you drop your pretense and tell us the truth?�h The Seventh Head widened his eyes at her in surprise. They went wider, still, when he looked up and found the Dark God watching her in silence.

�gSo you found out,�h observed one of the dragon�fs head. �gWhen did you start suspecting me?�h

�gDuring my second trip to the Memories Hall,�h she answered, smiling. Next to her, the younger Oogami was alternating his gaze between her and the Dragon God, eyes shining with unasked questions. She ignored him. �gWhen I found out that you had conveniently left out some details when you sent me there on my first trip.�h

�gI told you all you need to know to do my biddings, and no more,�h declared a different Yamata no Orochi�fs head. The other ones spanned out so that they watched Makoto from all sides.

�gSusanou no Mikoto thought otherwise,�h she pointed out. �gThe man felt that I was entitled to the knowledge that there were certain restrictions on the entries of the Memories Sea. Thanks to him, I learned that it was impossible for me to view memories belonging to other people.�h She narrowed her eyes at each of the monstrous heads. They seemed to be smiling. �gThe only group that can is the Celestial Assembly, who is free to view any mortal�fs life record as they wish. However, should they wish to examine the memories of an Immortal, they would need permission from the Lord of Izumo himself.�h

�gSo?�h yet another head asked in the same amused voice. �gI am not sure I understand what you are implying.�h Oogami Souma appeared to have wanted to ask the same question. She could see that the boy was very confused right now.

�gSo I couldn�ft help but suspect that something was amiss when you ordered me to retrieve a memories sphere which wasn�ft yours,�h she answered in an accusing tone. �gYou should have found it useless unless you were a member of the Assembly, which Susanou later confirmed that you were not.�h

�gI could have wanted it to give to someone else,�h the Dark God pointed out.

�gThat theory did cross my mind,�h Makoto said dryly, �gbut I immediately thought that it was unlikely. If there was another Immortal who had allied with you, the legend and numerous ancient texts would mention it.�h Her voice firmed. �gThat was why I made a search in the One Terminal... for your name. How shocked I was when nothing came up.�h Oogami Souma drew a sharp breath. He seemed to have caught on something. �gYou don�ft exist in the records of the Memories Hall, Yamata no Orochi, so it was only logical to conclude that they filed you under a different name.�h She raised her voice and demanded, �gAm I not right, Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne? Answer me, you whom Susanou no Mikoto named the Seraphim Blade!�h

 �gYou are indeed correct,�h answered a woman�fs voice from all of the dragon�fs heads.

Taken aback, Makoto stood stiffly like a lamp post and watched as the Immortal who termed himself the Dark God of Blood and Destruction began to change. The size of the eight-headed dragon�fs body was reduced so greatly in such a short amount of time that when Makoto�fs eyelids closed down and opened up again, Yamata no Orochi was no longer there. The person who was now standing airborne was a young woman in her mid-twenties, whose slender frame was graced by a white cape with long and wide sleeves, whose platinum hair parted into behind her body and wreathed around it like two living streams of water, and whose face was so beautiful no man could have resisted it. Attached to her back were four pairs of angelic wings, each bearing a different color. The shadow�fs black, the water�fs transparency, the ice�fs blue, the fire�fs crimson, the lightning�fs purple, the earth�fs brown, the wind�fs fogginess, and the star�fs white.

Now this is interesting, Makoto thought. I didn�ft expect Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne to be a woman.

�gIt�fs her!�h Oogami Souma exclaimed.

�gYou know her.�h She gave the boy a quizzical look.

His mouth tightened in anger. �gShe almost killed me once. And just before, she took over my body to force me to attack.�h Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed together in realization. �gBut she used to look a few years younger, though.�h

She turned her attention back to the Seraphim Blade, who was studying her with open interest.

�gYou are a very smart girl, Saotome Makoto,�h the mysterious woman said. �gYou figured out my identity, something I did not expect.�h

�gWho are you, really?�h she demanded.

�gI am Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne, the Seraphim Blade,�h the winged woman declared proudly. �gI am the living weapon whom Izanagi the Lord of Izumo named the Sinner. I am the person who was exiled from Heaven just because I fell in love.�h

�gFell in love?�h Makoto blinked. �gWith whom?�h

�gA man named Akira,�h Rinne�fs lips curved upward in a twisted smile, �gknown to you as Ame no Murakumo, the Sword God.�h The name was invested with so much genuine affection that Makoto could not help but believe the older woman�fs claim. She couldn�ft stop her mouth from hanging open in shock, though. She never imagined that Yamata no Orochi was actually the lover of the Immortal who was supposed to destroy her.

�gIzanagi could not come to terms with the fact that his son was in love with a mere weapon,�h the Seraphim Blade continued, her voice taut with contempt, �gso he did whatever he could to separate us. Unwilling to forsake our feelings, we fought back. A fierce battle broke out between us and the Lord of Izumo then, which laid waste to a large part of the Holy City. To our astonishment, the more we pressed on, the more Izanagi fell back. We had thought then that we could win.�h A dark shadow stole across her pretty face. �gWe were wrong.�h

�gHow did Izanagi defeat you?�h Makoto demanded, puzzled.

�gBy summoning the most powerful magical entity in the Three Worlds,�h Rinne answered, �gthe Mirror of Life.�h Makoto gasped. It was what she had seen inside the Tower of Kannazuki. �gThanks to that despicable object, the bastard succeeded in sealing Akira beneath the surface of the moon. With the Sword God out of the way, he then proceeded to attack me. Thankfully, I managed to escape to the Human World.�h

So during all this time, when we thought that she was scheming to rule the world, Makoto thought indignantly, she was in fact trying to rescue her lover! She�fs been manipulating us all along!

�gIn Onogoro, I worked hard to find a way to free Akira. For that purpose, I knew I needed more strength so that I could defeat Izanagi,�h Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne continued. �gFortunately for me, I discovered that the humans possessed a fearsome source of power that none had taken advantage of. I realized that if I could tap into the darkness of their hearts, I could make my wish come true.�h Her gray eyes glittered in triumph. �gI started to corrupt them, bend them to my will, and feed on their darkness. As I grew stronger, my appearance began to change. In time, the eight-winged Seraphim Blade became a hideous eight-headed dragon named Yamata no Orochi, what they called the Dark God.

�gYet, I made one mistake. I was too immersed in my affair that I never noticed that Heaven had launched an operation against me. Unwilling to let me do whatever I wanted with the Human World, the Immortals created Project Kannazuki. Before I could grow to my full strength, the Priestesses of the Sun and Moon summoned Akira and commanded him to attack me.�h

�gHe... never recognized you?�h Makoto asked.

�gNo.�h The Seraphim Blade shook her head. �gHis mind had fallen under the control of the Eyes of Heaven. Hurting me was his only wish. Unable to force myself to fight him, I was defeated.�h

�gHow did you survive afterwards? I thought the Immortals meant him to kill you.�h

�gThat is incorrect. The true goals of Project Kannazuki have never included destroying me,�h the platinum-haired Immortal explained with a face darkened with fury. �gIzanagi would never grant me the pleasure of death when he knew that he could torture me for all eternity. Do you know, Saotome Makoto, that the steel of the Eyes of Heaven would destroy your memories if it did not kill you?�h

�gWhat do you mean?�h Makoto demanded, shocked.

�gAfter Akira left his prison three thousand years ago, he picked up the Eye belonging to the sacrificed Priestess and used it to pierce my flesh. As ordered by the Lord of Izumo, the surviving Priestess then went on to seal my physical self inside a Crystal Orb in the Temple of the Dragon. My soul, separated from my body, began to wander the world as a result. To my horror, I realized after a while that my memories were slowly deteriorating. I finally understood what Izanagi meant to accomplish, then.�h Power surged in her as her complexion grew even darker, if it was possible. �gThe bastard was trying to torture me by destroying the memories I shared with the man I loved.�h Her face suddenly grew mournful. �gI have spent the last three thousand years crying in the Temple of the Dragons and trying to cling to the memories I had left. Sometimes my condition became so bad that I could not even remember how he looked like. Have you any idea how tormented I was?�h

Makoto felt her whole body tremble with anger. Although she did not like Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne, she couldn�ft help but be enraged by the actions of the people who called themselves Gods. Once she had managed to suppress her emotion, she asked, �gAnd that�fs why you commanded me to go to the Memories Hall and take your memories back?�h

�gIndeed.�h The other woman nodded.

�gAlso, you forbid the Followers from harming the Priestesses because you wanted them to summon the Sword God for you,�h Makoto continued.

�gYou are indeed very smart.�h The Seraphim Blade chuckled softly.

�gWhat are you going to do once they have?�h

The platinum-haired woman gave her a dark smile and vanished.

 

***

 

Materializing out of thin air, Sei no Tsurugi no Rinne found herself standing right in front of Oogami Souma, the traitorous Seventh Head. The boy never had even a chance to cry out or swing his Sword at her before a blade made of light extending from her right hand ran through his heart. With his flame of life immediately snuffed out, he fell on his back upon the ground and continued to lie there while blood spurted out in nozzles from the hole in his chest.

She laughed.

�gHow dare you!�h shouted Saotome Makoto, who swung Tasogare the Twilight Blade at her from behind.

A flap of her eight wings lifted her off the ground and helped her evade the deadly slash.

�gNo!�h cried Oogami Kazuki, who had been listening to the conversation from the top of the stairs with Oota Reiko and Korona, as he ran to his brother�fs side. There, he fell onto his knees and began to weep over Oogami Souma�fs corpse. �gSouma! No!�h

Furious, the Eighth Head lunged toward Rinne, the girl�fs Sealed Sword aiming straight for her throat. Not bother to deal with the former track-and-field athlete, Rinne invoked her dimensional power, wrapped herself in the fabric of space, and reappeared behind the Fourth and the Fifth Heads. Both of her hands rose this time, the light around each formed a long and slightly curved blade. Having her inhuman senses intact, Oota Reiko, face painted with horror, spun on her heel and pushed Korona out of the way. Thanks to that, the pop idol escaped her demise by a hair�fs breadth while the mangaka suffered the same fate as Oogami Souma. As Rinne retracted the blade of light, the Fifth Head sank onto her knees on the ground, her hand clutching at the bleeding wound on her chest.

�gRun... Korona.... Run!�h she managed to speak quietly before she fell backward and drew her last breath.

�gLeave them alone!�h snarled Saotome Makoto as she brought down Tasogare on Rinne�fs head.

Smiling, she raised her right hand and caught the Twilight Blade between her fore and middle fingers. The brown-haired girl�fs eyes grew large as any teacup when she discovered that she could neither press her Sword down nor pull it back up.

Refusing to do what the mangaka had told her to before she died, the pop idol knelt down by the now lifeless body of her beloved, took it into her arms, and let out a full-throated wail full of grief. It only took Rinne another second to run the light blade on her left hand through the pop idol�fs heart. The girl only let out a painful gasp before she died.

Having witnessed what had happened to her brethren, Nekoko the Orochi Sixth Head, who had been playing on both sides of the field from the very beginning, ran away while screaming at the top of her lungs. Smirking, Rinne hurled Saotome Makoto as well as her Sealed Sword away before she swung her left hand at the retreating figure of the cat-fanatic. A shaft of solid fire skewered Izanagi�fs agent from behind, knocked her down, and killed her immediately.

�gYour turn, Eighth Head,�h she told the former track-and-field athlete, her lips curving upward in a satisfied smile.

�gWhat in goodness�fs name are you doing?!�h the girl shouted. Her eyes were fixed on Rinne, her legs assuming a defensive stance, her hands holding Tasogare in such a way that its blade shielded her heart.

�gCollecting what is rightfully mine,�h Rinne answered, chuckling.

When the fool Priests discovered the strange metal pieces into which they forged the Sealed Swords, they had had no idea that those were Rinne�fs fragments, broken off in the fight with Akira, the man she loved. Neither did they know that Raien and Hokuto happened to be made from pieces of her own heart, which was full of sorrow and darkness ever since the Sword God was sealed. That had been why the two Blades were capable of releasing the Voice of Sorrow and suppress the magical powers or humans and weapons alike.

When Rinne found out what the Priests had done, she had come up with an ingenious idea. If the bastards of Heaven can use sacrifices, why can�ft I? she had thought. Human souls, filled with anger, lust, envy, and a hundred other dark emotions, would give her the power necessary to free the Sword God and destroy the mind-controlling spell Izanagi had placed on Akira and reduced him to a breathing corpse.

Through the Elemental Blades, she reached into the Cycle of Death and Rebirth and looked for suitable souls. After a process that lasted almost three thousand years, she reeled out the Followers, whose souls she marked as hers. When those Orochi Heads came into contact with the Swords, the latter would immediately forge a Soul Contract with the former, thus forming a bond that could only be broken when the former was dead. And when that happened, the Follower�fs souls would follow the bonds and come to Rinne instead of returning to the Cycle of Death and Rebirth.

�gIf you would just put down your weapon, Makoto, I promise that I will grant you a quick and painless death,�h she told the brown-haired girl. �gIf you continue t resist me....�h She let the unvoiced threat hang in the air.

�gIf you want my life, come and get it!�h the Eighth Head answered coldly before she sent the Elemental Blade soaring into the heavens and summoned the Twilight Dragon, Tasogare no Ryuu.

Laughing softly to herself, Rinne decided that it was actually a good thing that Saotome Makoto refused her offer. This way, she could toy with the girl for a little more. This way, she would have something to kill time with while waiting for the Priestess of the Sun to deliver Akira out of his prison.

 

***

 

Standing on the rough and rocky surface of the moon, Kannazuki Aoi gazed at what remained of the Lunar Shrine, where she and her childhood friend had spent seventeen years in happiness three millennia in the shadow of the past. Looking at it now gave her a strange sense of regret, agony, anger, and nostalgia. How she had wished that right now, she was just dreaming and that when she woke up, she would find the gentle face of Kannazuki Akari, the girl she loved, who would tell her that it was just a nightmare she was having. How she was infuriated every time she closed her eyes and opened her opened them again just to realize that it was not.

A flash of golden light on her right-hand-side pulled her back to reality and announced the arrival of the Sun Priestess. Slowly, Aoi turned around and faced the person who had betrayed her three thousand years ago. Kannazuki Akari, in a white chihaya and a blue hibakama, was holding an Eye of Heaven in her hand and looking at Aoi with a pair of amethyst eyes filled with longing and sadness. As far as Aoi was concerned, the golden-haired girl did not seem someone who had come here to kill her and complete the summoning ritual. The knowledge narrowed her eyes, hardened her face, and soured her stomach. Right now, the Priestess of the Sun looked almost the same as she did in the past before she single-handedly shattered Aoi�fs hopes and dreams.

 

...

 

�gWe have come to say farewell, Tsukiyomi-sama,�h said Kannazuki Aoi, who was on her knees outside the Goddess of the Moon�fs private chamber with her forehead touching the wooden floor, between her hands. Next to her was her childhood friend and sweetheart, Kannazuki Akari, who was in the same posture. �gWords cannot describe our gratitude to you, who has been taking care of us since the moment we were born. There is nothing we desire more than to stay by your side and repay the love you have given us...�h she could hear her voice tremble. She could sense her heart ache, �gbut we are sorry. Please forgive us, Mother.�h It was the first time that she had addressed her mentor in such a way.

The only thing that answered her was sobbing sounds coming from within the chamber. Aoi had had to use all her strength to swallow a whimper that was crawling up her throat. Next to her, the young Priestess of the Sun was shaking as though she, too, was trying to hold back her tears. Aoi knew that if they remained here any longer, they would cry and end up hurting their beloved mother even more.

�gLet us go, Akari,�h she told her sweetheart in an uneven voice. �gTime is growing short.�h

They rose to their feet, offered the door to the chamber of the Goddess of the Moon a deep bow from each, and walked away. Hand in hand, side by side, they treaded along the empty hallways leading toward the entrance of the Shrine. Just a little more, Aoi thought. Project Kannazuki stated clearly that they were to perform the ritual to free Ame no Murakumo the Sword God under the Torii Archway outside. They actually were not. What they would do was open a Dimensional Portal to some uninhabited place in the Onogoro, where they were going to spend the rest of their natural lives without caring what the Dark God was going to do with the world.

�gAo-chan,�h her lover called before she stopped. �gCan we... come inside for a moment?�h She gestured at the door to her left with her vacant hand. Beyond it was her room.

�gDid you forget something?�h Aoi asked.

�gYes.�h The golden-haired girl nodded.

�gFine, then.�h

As soon as they opened the door and stepped inside the room, the Sun Priestess wrapped her arms around Aoi�fs back and hugged her tightly. Quickly overcoming her surprise, she chuckled softly before she embraced her sweetheart and placed a kiss on her forehead. The beautiful girl she was holding trembled as though cold.

�gIs this what you forgot, you needy girl?�h Aoi joked as she let her hands run up and down her lover�fs back. Akari only burrowed deeper into the embrace and said nothing. They stayed like that for another while until Aoi kissed her sweetheart�fs cheek and whispered gently in her ear, �gWe should get going.�h

No answer came.

She laughed. �gCome now, Akari. When we arrive at the Human World, you can cuddle me as much as you want, I promise.�h

�gThat... would be too late,�h the golden-haired girl murmured as she rose on her toes and claimed Aoi�fs lips.

The kiss was so deep and passionate that for a moment there, she felt her body melting. By the time she finally noticed that her lover�fs hand had been placed upon the exact spot where the Moon Crest lay on her back and that the girl�fs power was rapidly flowing into her, it was already too late. With her own powers sealed an instant later, her limbs lost all their strength. Had Akari not been holding her since the beginning, she would have fallen to the ground.

�gWhat... are you... doing, Akari?�h she said weakly.

�gI�fm sorry, Ao-chan,�h was her sweetheart�fs tearful answer. �gI�fm sorry.�h Suddenly, Aoi�fs body was lifted upward. When she strained her eyes and looked, she realized in horror that countless ribbons, which came out of nowhere and were seemingly made entirely from golden light, were binding her arms and legs as well as holding her airborne.

She knew what the Priestess of the Sun was planning to do.

�gAkari, no!�h she gathered all the strength that she could and screamed. �gPlease! You cannot do this to me!�h

The little angel, face drenched with tears, did not listen. She raised her hand and summoned the Eye of Aurora, which she moved on to unsheathe.

�gI beg of you!�h Aoi pleaded desperately as her own tears trickled down her cheeks. �gStop it! Stop it, please!�h

�gI know this is too selfish of me,�h the golden-haired girl managed between her sobs, �gbut I don�ft have a choice, Ao-chan.�h She raised her sword. �gPlease forgive me.�h Golden light flared from Akatsuya, and Aoi started to scream.

 

...

 

After giving her head a slight shake to pull herself out of the heartbreaking reverie, Kannazuki Aoi told the shorter girl in a cold and steely voice, �gPrepare yourself. Your destiny awaits.�h

�gChikane-chan,�h Akari said, her amethyst eyes shining with moisture. �gChikane-chan,�h she called again before she dropped the Eye of Aurora onto the ground and stepped toward Aoi, her arms opening as though wanting to pull Aoi into a hug.

�gHow many more times must I say it to convince you that Himemiya Chikane is dead,�h she whispered dangerously, drew the Eye of Luna out of its scabbard, and pointed it at the Priestess of the Sun. The golden-haired girl, having Kagetsuki�fs prickly tip an inch from piercing her throat, stood very still on the devastated ground. Not that the sword had managed to banish the look of determination from those beautiful amethyst eyes or brought the hatred that Aoi wanted to see into them, she noticed. Her mouth tightened.

�gYou can�ft.�h Akari shook her head. �gNo matter what you said or how many times you said it, you can�ft convince me, Chikane-chan.�h The name, as ever, was invested with affections and not a single grain of hate. Aoi�fs hand clenched around the hilt of Kagetsuki.

�gIf I cannot do it with words, I certainly can with steel,�h she said, her voice growing colder and colder. �gPick up your sword.�h She raised her voice and shouted after a few seconds had passed without the Priestess of the Sun doing as commanded, �gI said pick up your sword!�h

She shook her head. �gI... did not come here to fight, Chikane-chan,�h she declared in a soft voice in which sadness flowed like a river in floods.

�gStop saying that name!�h Aoi growled at the same time she lashed her sword from left to right. When Kagetsuki�fs tip returned to where it was afterwards, the lapels of the other girl�fs snowy chihaya had already been cut, revealing a part of her cleavage beneath. From the way she simply gazed into Aoi�fs eyes the very same way she had looked at her since the beginning, she was little fazed by Aoi�fs action, if at all.

�gWhy should I?�h the little angel asked softly. �gIt�fs your name. It�fs the name of a girl I cherish with all my heart.�h

�gLiar,�h Aoi said. �gIf you truly cherished me, why did you betray me three thousand years ago?�h

�gI don�ft remember what I did in my past life, Chikane-chan,�h the other girl replied, her voice touched with exasperation.

�gThat is not a very good answer.�h Aoi smirked. �gIf you think that you can ask for forgiveness with such an excuse, you are mistaken. I repeat one last time, Akari. Draw your sword or I will kill you.�h

�gI�fm not going to.�h The golden-haired girl sighed. �gYou�fre Himemiya Chikane. You�fre the person who has been protecting me since the moment we met. You�fre not going to kill me.�h

�gI would not be too sure if I were you,�h was what Aoi whispered before she swerved Kagetsuki to the right and buried its tip in Akari�fs left arm. Even though pain twisted her face, the Priestess of the Sun only drew a sharp breath and bit on her underlip to prevent any cry from escaping. Blood trickled out from a corner of her mouth.

�gWhy there, Chikane-chan?�h The other girl lifted her right hand, wrapped it around the blade of the Eye of Luna, pulled it out of her flesh, then positioned it so that it aimed at her left chest. When she withdrew her hand, it was bleeding. She paid it as much mind as the deep wound on her left arm. �gIf you truly hated me, you could just pierce my heart.�h The confidence note in her unyielding voice announced that she doubted such a thing was going to happen. Words died in Aoi�fs throat. She had not imagined that this was how their reunion was going to be. She had thought that after what she had done to the Priestess of the Sun, the latter would do all she could to destroy her and use her blood to summon the Sword God.

She could not have been more wrong.

�gBecause killing you is too much of a mercy,�h Aoi declared in her coldest voice. �gBecause that is what I would only after I have made you suffer as much as I did three thousand years ago.�h She lowered her sword. �gYou will regret not doing what I asked, Akari.�h

Aoi took a few steps backward. When she raised the Eye of Luna once more, its target was no longer the golden-haired girl. What she was directing it at now... was the earth riding above the horizon. Power rose in her and filled her with its sweet and overwhelming sensation. Silver light poured out of Kagetsuki so fast that in no time at all, it formed a humongous orb of light hovering at the tip of the sword. The little angel widened her eyes.

�gNow I shall see if your attitude is going to change after I have destroyed Shingetsu Grand Shrine,�h Aoi said and tapped Kagetsuki�fs blade on the orb. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, it rushed toward the Earth.

�gNo!�h shouted the Priestess of the Sun. In but a heartbeat, she summoned the Eye of Aurora into her hand, unsheathed it, and traversed the impossible distance, and appeared in the path of the spell Aoi just cast. She slammed the edge of Akatsuya at the side of the silver orb. After a deafening explosion and a storm of golden light, it changed direction, shot into the depth of space, and vanished. Afterwards, the golden-haired girl fell on her back on the ground, where she began to cough up blood. The Eye of Heaven, which had left her hand at the moment of explosion, now stood with its blade halfway into the ground a few feet away.

Aoi was stunned. She had only meant to provoke Akari by destroying the Grand Shrine. She never expected the golden-haired girl to jump into harm�fs way like that.

�gAkatsuya...�h the little angel called weakly, her bloodied hand extending toward her weapon. At her call, the Eye of Aurora lifted itself from the ground, flew toward her, and gently put its hilt into her grip. Then it shapeshift into Arashigumo the Wind Blade and spread its emerald light upon her body. Once the healing process had concluded, Akari grounded Akatsuya onto the ground again to help herself stand up. Aoi was aware that although all of the other girl�fs wounds had been healed, the painful sensations still lingered, and the huge amount of power she had spent deflecting the silver orb could not be replaced.

�gWhat you have just done is useless,�h Aoi pointed out. Her sword rose one more time to direct the flows of her power. A second orb of silver light just as large as the first appeared. �gAll that it managed to accomplish was weakening you. You cannot make it this time.�h Her voice hardened. �gPray for all the people who are going to die for your mistake, Akari.�h Horror crept across the golden-haired girl�fs beautiful face.

�gStop it!�h she yelled. As soon as the last word left her mouth, red light as bright as that of noonday blazed from the little finger of her left hand and filled the world.

Shocked, Aoi hastily cover her eyes with her left sleeve and was driven backward step after step by waves of power pulsating off from where the Priestess of the Sun was standing. When the light had faded away and she had lowered her arm, she saw a thin red ribbon, within which the golden-haired girl stood, spiraling upward into the starlit night.

What the?! Aoi thought. She had not been aware that the Priestess of the Sun was armed with such a weapon.

�gEnishi!�h the little angel commanded. �gRestrain her!�h

The red ribbon uncoiled and whipped at Aoi so quickly that she never had time to defend herself. Enishi, or whatever its name was, wound itself around her, knocked the Eye of Luna away, and tied her into a sack. The strangest thing was that the moment it touched her was also the moment it sent a flow of lava-hot emotion sweeping across her body. However, she did not panic even after she had been taken by surprise. Instead, she invoked every ounce of her celestial power in an attempt to rip the red ribbon into pieces. To her horror, the silver light that continuously flared up from her body inflicted as much damage to Enishi as a fly would upon a rock. This time, panic swallowed her whole, destroyed her balance, and pulled her down onto her knees.

�gI�fm... sorry, Chikane-chan,�h murmured Kannazuki Akari, who was kneeling beside her. It was then did she realize that one end of the ribbon was tied to the girl�fs little finger. It was then did she notice that the latter was sending a golden glow along the flimsy length of the former. It took her less than a second to know where that glow was headed. She gasped aloud in shock when the power of the Priestess of the Sun arrived at the Moon Crest on her back and proceeded to seep into her flesh. An instant later, she was sealed. In another flash of red light, the red ribbon vanished. With no strength left in her body and bitterness overwhelming her soul, she could do nothing to stop herself from plowing uncontrollably forward.

Surprisingly, she found herself caught in the gentle arms of the Priestess of the Sun instead of falling flat on her stomach afterward. Face pressed against the golden-haired girl�fs firm bosom, beneath which her heart was going wild, she felt her body being invaded with the little angel�fs warmth. She thought she was melting like wax on a lit candle. She could not say even a word.

�gI didn�ft come here to fight, Chikane-chan,�h the golden-haired girl whispered in a shaky voice as her hand combed through Aoi�fs tresses. �gI came... because I wanted to see you and tell you something I�fve kept inside my heart all this time.�h Her beautiful face began to color. �gA year ago, I met you in the Garden of the Roses and became your friend. Yet I never told you what I was thinking in my head the moment I first laid my eyes on your face.�h Her forefinger began to trace Aoi�fs lips. It was gentle, it was loving, and it was very warm. �gA voice at the back of my head was urging me to kiss you and never stop. To tell you the truth, I still want to.�h Her expression grew saddened, her hand fell, and her mouth issued a quiet sigh. �gBut I guess it�fs too late for that now. What�fs the point of getting a kiss from you when you hate me so much?�h

Staring speechlessly at the little angel, Aoi could feel her heart pounding madly in her chest. Unless she was entirely mistaken, Kannazuki Akari had must made a love confession to her. Blood rushed to her face and heated it up rapidly.

�gYou probably have never noticed... but I�fm not capable of hating you, Chikane-chan,�h the other girl continued in her heartbroken voice. �gNo matter what you did to me, despite the fact that you almost killed my childhood friend, I still won�ft hate you...�h tears welled up in those beautiful amethyst eyes, �gbecause I love you more than anything in the world.�h Her hands rose to Aoi�fs cheeks, where she caressed them and held them gently while she, seemingly without thinking, drew her face closer and closer. Yet, the moment their lips were about to meet, the other Priestess realized what she was doing and pulled her head away.

Aoi�fs heart quivered painfully in her chest. She could see that the little angel was using up every ounce of her strength to stop herself from kissing her... even though it was killing her inside to do that. Tears dropped from the Priestess of the Sun�fs eyes and fell upon Aoi�fs cheeks. They were as hot as any fire. Then the full force of the confession hit her square in the face. Her mind began to unravel. She had always thought that the person the shorter girl was in love with was Oogami Souma. She had never suspected that the girl�fs romantic interest... was her.

�gI did not draw the Eye of Aurora because I wanted to summon the Sword God,�h said the golden-haired girl. �gI... only want to make your wish come true, Chikane-chan.�h

�gMy... wish?�h Aoi heard herself repeat dully.

�gI was the reason you abandoned humanity and joined the Dark God,�h Akari answered in a ragged voice. �gI was the one who betrayed your feelings. I... only thought that you�fd be happier if I wasn�ft around.... I thought if I could give up my own life to summon the Sword God, the Immortals of Heaven would leave you be. I... only wish to give you a warm world without Orochi... and without me... the one you hate.�h She paused to swallow down a sob. �gBut in any case, I�fm happy that I came here,�h she continued while dabbing at her face with her wide sleeves. It did nothing to stop the tears. �gAt least I could see you, hold you, and touch you one last time before I....�h She stopped again and hugged Aoi as tightly as she could. After a few minutes, the golden-haired girl untied her arms from around Aoi�fs body, laid her gently upon the ground, rose to her feet, and picked up both Eyes of Heaven.

�gI didn�ft think that I would need Kagetsuki and Akatsuya at the same time,�h she smiled sadly, �gbut two are better than one, I guess.�h Her amethyst eyes locked with Aoi�fs sapphire. In them there was nothing aside from unspeakable sadness. �gFarewell, Chikane-chan.�h She turned around and walked away. Looking at her retreating figure, Aoi felt herself reeling back to the Priestess of the Sun�fs room three thousand year ago, where her hope, her dream, and her happiness were shattered in a heartbeat.

....

 

�gNo!!�h Kannazuki Aoi screamed upon realizing that the golden ribbons that had attached to her arms and legs earlier seized control over her entire body. Although she never meant them to, she could still feel her own powers rising in her like the strongest tides. When her fingers started to move, all that her right hand was holding was air. When her fingers finished curving inwardly afterwards, her hand was holding a fully sheathed sword. It was the Eye of Luna, Kagetsuki. There was nothing she could do except watching her left hand wrap around the scabbard and took it off. After it had dropped the blue scabbard onto the ground, it joined her right hand in holding the sword�fs hilt in such a way that the Eye�fs tip was aimed toward the heart of the Priestess of the Sun. �gPlease don�ft make me do this, Akari! I beg of you!�h

The Priestess of the Sun said nothing. She simply closed her eyes and lowered her own sword.

Kagetsuki, driven by Aoi�fs own hand, ran the golden-haired girl through.

A full-throated wail left Aoi�fs throat and echoed endlessly inside the room just as the little angel fell backward and landed on her back upon the floor with the blade of the Eye of Luna still buried in her body. Shortly after that, the bindings she had cast on Aoi�fs body vanished and dropped her on her front on the tatami mat. The seal that the Priestess of the Sun had placed on the Moon Crest was also undone. Celestial powers returned to her body and replenished her physical strength.

�gAkari!�h She crawled to her sweetheart�fs side and cradled her limb body in her arms. �gWhy did you have to do this, Akari?!�h She wept.

 �gI never had a choice from the beginning, Ao-chan,�h the little angel mumbled weakly. �gAnd please, don�ft pull out the sword, I beg you,�h she added upon seeing Aoi�fs hand dashing toward the hilt of the blood-stained sword.

�gBut... but... I can�ft heal you without removing it...�h Aoi cried.

�gI�fll... die immediately if you try that anyway, so leave it alone... please....�h Akari coughed, a stream of blood trickled out from the corner of her mouth. �gLet me live for a little while longer.... Let me look at my beloved Ao-chan and feel her touch a little more... before death takes me away, please....�h

�gYou could have had all the time in the world to look at me in Onogoro, Akari.�h Aoi wept even harder. �gYou could have touched me, held me, and kissed me as many times as you wanted!�h

�gI know,�h the dying Priestess of the Sun replied, her amethyst eyes welled up with her own tears. �gBelieve me. I did want to go there with you. I did want to keep my promise.�h

�gThen why did you not?!�h Aoi shouted.

�gBecause we are still... humans, Ao-chan,�h the golden-haired girl cried. �gNo matter where we escape to... we will have to die someday and return to the Cycle of Death and Rebirth. And what is going to happen when we do?�h

�gI do not care!�h Aoi buried her face into her sweetheart�fs golden hair and shouted as her tears matted those fine threads of pure gold together. �gI do not care!�h

�gYou know... don�ft you?�h The Priestess of the Sun put her hand on Aoi�fs cheek and stroked it gently. �gYou are the key to Project Kannazuki. Heaven would punish you if you didn�ft kill me and fulfill your mission... if you left the world to die because you wanted me to live.... Should worse come to worst, they would absolve your duty as the Priestess of the Moon and destroy your soul.�h

�gSo what?�h she sobbed. �gI do not mind!�h

�gBut I do.�h Akari smiled sadly, her face growing paler with every minute that passed. �gI don�ft want that to happen to you... because I want to meet you in every of my next incarnations... and I want to fall in love with you again every time we are reborn into this world.�h She paused to cough out a handful of blood that had traveled up her throat and filled her mouth. Pain twisted her beautiful face beyond recognition.

�gI know I�fm selfish,�h continued the little angel, who wrapped her arms around Aoi�fs back and buried her face in Aoi�fs bosom. �gI know I will make you go through this hell over and over again.... But if I ran away with you instead, I would lose you forever. I just... can�ft bear that thought... Ao-chan.�h Her blood-soaked body trembled. �gPlease forgive me....�h

�gBut we would have been able to spend the rest of out lives by each other�fs side in the Human World, Akari!�h

�gYou haven�ft been honest with me, my love.�h The Priestess of the Sun gave a hopeless chuckle. �gYou knew that we would never be able to spend a day in peace. Heaven would have looked for us. Yamata no Orochi would have hunted us. There was no place on Earth where we could hide....�h Her hands clenched around the clothes on Aoi�fs back. �gCompared to that, spending seventeen years by your side every time the Dark God is reborn is much better an option. At least... this way... I would be able to see you as long as the Cycle repeats. I... have no regret.�h

�gGreedy Akari...�h Aoi sobbed. �gStupid Akari....�h

�gI�fm sorry,�h the golden-haired girl said, her voice growing weaker and weaker. �gI have betrayed your feelings... and your trust.... But please... forgive me....�h Her arms fell to her sides, her breathing ceased, and her heart stopped. Aoi�fs beloved was no longer alive.

�gYou only think about yourself, Akari.�h Aoi�fs grasp on her sweetheart�fs body tightened as her whole self trembled wildly. �gWhat meaning is there for me to live on without you? What meaning is there for me to go on with a life where I cannot see your smile and hear your laughter? You understand nothing at all....�h

�gI hate you!�h Aoi threw her head back and screamed while sensing her entire existence ravel and feeling an excruciating pain tearing her whole self apart. Waterfalls of tears thundered down her cheeks while a molten flame burned beneath her skin. �gWhy did you have to be so cruel?! Why did you have to leave me behind?! I hate you!!�h

 

....

 

Suddenly it occurred to Aoi what the little angel was planning to do when she said she would give up her own life to summon the Sword God, when she picked up both Eyes of Heaven even though she thought she needed only one.

�gStop!�h she screamed as she bounded to her feet and hurried after the little angel. �gThere is a trap in there! Come back, Himeko!�h

She was too late, for the golden-haired girl had already invoked her powers through the swords. Golden light erased the world.