He tossed the mask aside and then looked up at Rin. When their eyes met, Rin froze in place. She knew that face, but it could not be possible.
"Even though you failed to do as I asked, Makato, I will share with you a secret from your past," Hisato said, drawing everyone's attention toward him.
Makato, the masked man, was staring at Hisato as if he was a man starved. Everything seemed to have gone very still around them.
Hisato turned toward Rin and smiled, before looking at Makato once more.
"In your past life, you had a wife."
Rin growled a warning. This had to be a trick, this man's face, it was all an illusion perpetrated by this monster before her. She lunged for Hisato, intent on stopping him before he could weave more of his hateful spells.
But as she leaped through the air toward him, dark vines rose up from the ground, wrapping around her body trapping her in place. Rin snarled and looked to the man. It was difficult to look at him, his resemblance so uncanny. He held his hands up, it was his vines which left her suspended in air.
Hisato laughed. "How wonderful. So you recognize him, do you?" Hisato said to Rin. Then to Makato he said, "Makato, Rin is your wife in your past life. I wonder what the dragon will think of this."
"Do you think I am going to fall for that?"
"Don't believe me? Just look into his eyes, look at his abilities."
"That is because he has a piece of Kazue's soul. Suzume has inhuman abilities because of it."
"Ah, but is that really the only reason?" Hisato asked, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"Enough." Suzume stepped forward, hands burning with flames. "We end this here."
Rin wriggled against the bindings that held her. Her eyes darted around looking for anything she could use to save Suzume from herself. But there was no magic solution that leaped out at her.
"I see you've made your choice. I hope you're happy with your decision," Hisato said to Suzume. Then to Makato, "My gift to you." He nodded toward Rin. "I hope you find the answers your searching for and you remember my offer."
Suzume threw a ball of fire in Hisato's direction but as she did he leaped backward, out of reach. With a wave of his hand he opened a portal and stepped through, leaving not a trace behind.
16
Something had a hold of Suzume's heart and it was squeezing. The feeling was so foreign for a moment she thought her own power had turned against her and was trying to destroy her from the inside. For a few moments she felt as if she was floating outside her body, completely detached from reality. This couldn't be real. It had to be a nightmare. Had she really almost killed herself to stop Hisato?
Suzume clenched her hand into a fist, pressing it against her chest as if she could contain the fire within her just by sheer force of will. Before today she had only an inkling of the power that dwelled inside her, but what had just overcome her was uncontrolled raw power. The feeling was intoxicating. She was fortunate Hisato had run away, because she might have gone through with it. And what if she had? Would this all be over or would she be dead?
"Are you hurt?"
Suzume blinked. She had been so lost in her own thoughts she had forgotten where she was. The power continued to tingle against her skin but that immense wave of sensation was fading now. Everything seemed dull in its wake, as if colors had lost some of their vibrancy. The world was gray and muted now. All that was left to her was a craving for more of that power. Noaki stood in front of her, absorbing her entire field of vision, his expression devoid of emotion.
"I'm fine." She stumbled over the words, for some reason her tongue felt too big for her mouth. She was a stranger in her own body.
She blinked again and turned her head to take in her surroundings. Tsuki had Makato's arm twisted behind his back and Rin had been freed of Makato's vines. She was kneeling beside Kaito who was still unconscious on the ground. And now she realized she had forgotten all about him.
Suzume's chest constricted as she turned to look at Kaito where he laid on the ground. This couldn't be Kaito. It was not possible for him to be injured, he was supposed to be impervious. It's a joke. He's going to leap up the moment I show any concern for him and tease me for worrying for him. But his head lolled unnaturally to the side, and he looked more like a broken doll than a powerful dragon.
"This isn't funny," Suzume shouted at Kaito.
Rin looked at Suzume with a frown. "Do you really think this is a joke?"
Suzume tried to scoff but it was more of a slurred huff. She took one shambling step forward, preparing to prove that Kaito was playing a prank. Her head spun suddenly and the ground circled beneath her feet. Suzume stopped, throwing her arms out to catch her balance. It did no good as her legs buckled beneath her. Noaki caught her before she could complete her fall, and held her upright by propping her against his shoulder. Normally she would have protested this sort of treatment but an overwhelming fatigue halted any argument in its tracks.
Through heavy-lidded eyes she watched as the group gathered together. Fractured conversation floated over her and around her as she struggled to focus on what they were saying.
"This is bad..."
"...do we go?"
"...Protecting her..."
Suzume's eyes fluttered open. She had not even realized she had fallen asleep. Someone's arms were wrapped around her and the wind was blowing through her hair. Kaito had probably given up on his joke and was carrying her away from Daiki's army.
"I don't need you to carry me..." she mumbled, trailing off before sinking into unconsciousness once more.
Suzume woke a few seconds later to an almost uncomfortable heat on her face. Sunlight pressed against her eyelids, trying to claw its way into her eyes. She flung her arm over her face to shield herself from the sun. I'll just lie here for a few more minutes.
She lay somewhere between waking and sleeping before jerking awake. The derelict building she found herself in stank of mold and was decorated liberally with spider webs. A few feet away to her right was a broken Komainu, a stone shrine guardian, who was missing a paw. His partner on the left was missing his head, and the base of both pedestals was overgrown with weeds. It would seem this was an abandoned shrine, but being near any shrine building made her uneasy. Suzume had a reputation with shrines. But it was unlikely she'd awake anything here. This place was in a serious state of decay. The beams of the roof were overgrown with moss, and the support columns were riddled with termite holes.
Head throbbing, Suzume leaned on the creaking support beam and climbed to her feet. She shuffled outside to where Akira and Noaki were standing over a fire speaking in low tones. A few feet behind them Makato was tied to a tree, his head slumped forward.
"Where are we?" Suzume asked, rubbing her aching head.
Akira's head jerked in Suzume's direction. "Oh, you're awake?" There was an odd note to her voice as she scanned Suzume up and down.
Suzume frowned at her but ignored it. "Where's Kaito and Rin?" she asked, resisting the urge to look around for them. Kaito won't let me live it down that I collapsed after using my power, again.
Akira and Noaki shared a look before Akira said to Suzume, "We were going to wait to talk to you about that."
Suzume forced a laugh but it sounded more hysterical than anything. "What did he have to give you to play along with this joke?"
"This is serious," Akira said, her ruby lips were pulled into a thin line and Suzume felt her stomach flop.
"Really?" Suzume asked and gave into her impulse to look for Kaito. This had to be a joke. And as much as she didn't want to be the butt of it, she couldn't stop the rising panic from overriding her better judgment.
Akira placed a hand on Suzume's shoulder. "Kaito was seriously injured by the priests. Their holy energy has invaded his body and the wounds will not heal..."
That same fire was building inside her again, bubbling up, coming to the surface unbidden. She thought of what Hisato said. Were these Kazue's feelings trying to consume h
er? But she pushed that thought away. I can do something; the power is inside me. I felt it. What if I could heal him?
"I think it's time we leave the dragon behind," Akira said.
Suzume jerked her shoulder away from Akira's hand. "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere," Suzume snarled.
"Look at yourself, you can't even control your power right now because you're worried about him."
"This has nothing to do with the dragon."
Akira shook her head. "We hoped if we could bring you closer together it would awaken Kazue's memories but it seems you're only destined to go down the same path of destruction as Kazue and Kaito."
"I'm not Kazue. I can heal his wounds." Suzume slammed her hand against her chest as if to prove her point.
Akira shook her head. "I don't think that's a very good idea."
"Where is he?" she asked, ignoring Akira's words.
Noaki pointed at a pathway that led behind the building where Suzume had been sleeping, toward the main shrine building. Suzume marched toward it. As she approached the dilapidated shrine building where Kaito was, some of her initial confidence began to wane.
Rin was kneeling beside Kaito on the decaying floorboards that were threaded with weeds poking up from underneath. Shafts of sunlight fell through the holes in the roof onto Kaito's unconscious face. His haori was torn open, and broken shafts of arrows remained embedded in his flesh. Blood soaked the fabric of his clothing and a trickle of blood was oozing from a wound on his shoulder.
Her heart stuttered in her chest and she spoke without thinking. "Why haven't you removed the arrows?" Suzume demanded to the group at large.
Rin looked up, noticing Suzume's approach for the first time. "I can't touch them without getting burned." She upturned her palms to reveal angry red markings on her skin.
Akira had followed Suzume, and surveyed him from a distance.
"The holy energy the priest used will purify any yokai who touches it. While the arrows remain in him, his wounds cannot heal."
"How do we stop it then?" Suzume snapped.
"You remove the arrows and hope it's enough," Akira turned her hands up in a gesture that said 'what can I do.'
Suzume inched closer to Kaito, hovering over him. Several arrow shafts marked his torso, including one dangerously close to his heart. The energy rolling off of him was chaotic, and when she got close the pressure of his spiritual energy weighed down upon her and brought sparks along her skin. One stray spark flew off her and landed on Kaito, singeing his clothing.
She took a step backward. If she wasn't careful, she was going to accidentally burn him. How can I do this without burning him?
Suzume looked to Akira, who was staring at her with a mild expression, but she had the feeling she was not going to get any help there. With great trepidation, she knelt down beside Kaito. Being this close to him, she felt the clash of their powers. She had to get it under control before she did more harm. Suzume closed her eyes, remembering Akira's training on visualizing the multitude of damns that controlled her energy. She'd never been very good at it, however, and even after several minutes of focusing she had not managed to shut off all the energy channels.
Figuring it was good enough, she reached for the least threatening arrow shaft. The one on his shoulder. Suzume wrapped her hand around it and pulled. When she did Kaito's eyes flew open, bright and blue as the sky, and they focused on her, pleading without words for her to end his misery. His back arched as he jerked his head away, his entire body moving into convulsions.
Suzume fell backward, accidentally pulling the arrow out with her. But she remained clutching the arrow and panting for breath as the energy in the arrow pulsed against her skin, and she felt that same tingling sensation she had felt when she was fighting Hisato. Kazue's power called to her, luring her with the promise of greater power. She could almost taste it.
Rin held out her hand to help Suzume up.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
Suzume took her offered hand but when they touched something sparked between them and Rin pulled her hand back as if burned.
"What was that?" Suzume asked her.
"You've absorbed some of the spiritual energy in the shaft," Akira said. Her brows were knitted together as she looked at Suzume who continued to cling to the arrow shaft. Suzume tossed it aside, not wanting to seem greedy for power, but her eyes kept drifting toward it.
The next arrow was removed with similar results, but Suzume was prepared for the backlash this time. But with each success removal, Kaito's power grew stronger and lashed out harder. He roared in pain and ice crept through the building. Fingers of frost crept over everything. Suzume's own fire sparked in response and when she reached for the second to last arrow flames erupted from her hand. It singed the staff and nearly burned Kaito before she jerked her hand back at the last minute.
Suzume got up to stretch. Kaito was writhing in agony and the constant press of his spiritual power clashing against hers was wearing her thin.
Akira came up next to her. "You don't have to do this," she said.
Suzume glared at her. "Then why don't you do something to help?" Her nerves were frayed.
"I can't. Only someone with Kazue's soul can stop it."
Suzume looked back to Kaito. Two arrows remained, and if she could just tame the fire within her for a little bit longer he would be safe. But the fire kept growing with each arrow she absorbed, giving her more of the spiritual energy within. She should stop, try and find another way. But fighting Hisato had made a craving in her and she was looking for her next fix.
"Then I'm going to finish this."
Suzume went back to Kaito, kneeling at his side. Sweat beaded his forehead and his chest was smeared with blood. The wounds from the other arrows she had removed had not healed yet and continued to bleed. The second to last arrow was embedded in his stomach, she knew it would hurt him but she had to remove it. Suzume wrapped both hands around it, and as soon as she touched it a flood of spiritual energy from the arrow hit her like a punch to the gut. Shortly after that fire exploded out of her and in the same instant Kaito's own energy burst forth to shield him from her flames. The ensuing collision sent Suzume flying backward. She landed hard on the ground a few feet away, hitting her shoulder.
Suzume laid on the ground, covered in sweat and Kaito's blood. Despite it she wanted to continue, though her body was tired, her skin thrummed with the power she absorbed, and she only wanted more.
"You have to stop," Akira said, placing herself in front of Suzume.
"You have to try," Rin said imploring Suzume with her eyes from where she sat kneeling at Kaito's side.
"She's going to kill him at this rate. She cannot even control her spiritual power." Akira pointed at Suzume who was sparking with flames.
"I can do it," Suzume lied, even as the fire increased in power, spreading across her body, turning her into an inferno. When Akira looked at her, her eyes were wide.
"Your aura it's changed..." she said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"We don't have time for this. Kaito is running out of time if we don't get those remaining arrows out."
"Just let me try."
"No, Akira is right. You're only going to hurt yourself and him."
"Just watch me." Suzume approached Kaito's body, but as she got closer the fire took on a mind of its own, spreading out tendrils that reached for Kaito and slammed into his body.
He cried out and thrashed, going into convulsions. Suzume stumbled backward and away from Kaito but even as she did, the fire continued to burn him from the inside.
"What did you do?" Rin shouted.
Suzume was staring at Kaito's thrashing body. Trapped inside her own mind she could only watch as her fire continued to burn him, like a wild inferno.
"We need the priest. Only he can save him now."
"How can we trust him?" Tsuki asked, taking control of the body he shared with his sister. "He's the one who made hi
m this way."
"We don't have any other choice."
17
"I do not have that sort of power," was Makato's reply when they woke him from the sleeping spell Akira had put him under. It had been an impulsive suggestion on Rin's part. A small part of her was holding onto the hope that what Hisato had said was true, and this was the reincarnation of her husband Hikaru. But she also feared letting her own desire lead her into a trap. What were the odds that Hikaru's body had also been reincarnated with a piece of Kazue's soul? Hisato wanted to drive a wedge in their group by sowing doubt among them. Well this particular trick was aimed directly at Rin.
"This is a waste of time," Suzume said, gesturing back in the direction where Kaito's unconscious body remained.
Rin ignored Suzume and knelt down in front of Makato. "If what Hisato says is true and you are the reincarnation of..." she trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say his name out loud. Not to the face of a man who shared such a striking resemblance to her husband. He looked the same as the last day she had seen him, as if no time had passed at all.
Makato met her gaze with a strange sort of intensity. There was no real recognition there, but a hunger to find the truth as if he could find all the answers to life's mysteries there in her eyes. "And what if I am not him? What happens to me?"
"He doesn't want to do it. We should try something else," Suzume said and took a few steps toward Kaito. Noaki stepped in her way, preventing her from trying again. The fire had not died down, and she continued to flicker faintly. Suzume's power was growing more volatile every day and Rin worried what would happen if they left it unchecked for much longer.
"This is your test. Save the dragon. Prove to me that you are him."
"Why should I help you? How do I know this isn't a trick?" Makato asked, his eyes narrowed at her.
She could only imagine what lies Hisato had told him to lure him into his web. But despite her better judgment she wanted to believe he could save Kaito. If it was his arrows that had done this, then this was his chance at redeeming himself.
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