Vampire Princess Miyu Fan Fiction ❯ When Friends are True-A Vampire Miyu Saga ❯ The Face of Betrayal ( Chapter 18 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Eighteen



Chapter Eighteen
The Face of Betrayal

There was nothing else to be said on the ship of the Western Shinma. All they could do know was wait and hope that the Chinese Shinma would keep their word and save their fallen comrade.
Pazusu drew in a deep breath, bringing calm and silence into his mind as he had been taught by his own masters to do so long ago. He had to concentrate. True, he was sickly worried about Larva, but he trusted the Chinese Shinma. Trusted? How could he not trust them? They had sworn his safety on their honor, on the honor of the royal heirs to their respected thrones. Just moments ago Pazusu had been conversing with the crowned Princes and Princesses of the Chinese Shinma Realm. That was a lot of honor to uphold on their parts.
But for now…there was a greater threat that he had to deal with. Cait Sith was gone from the ship completely, but an overpowering presence of the Quarl still hung thick in the air.
There was still one more Quarl on the ship.
"Everyone, stay where you are." Pazusu commanded the rest of the Western Shinma. "I must see to something." And fast, he thought to himself as he turned back to the ruined entrance to the lower living quarters. The evil energy seemed to be growing by the heartbeat.
"Master Pazusu…" Carlua was able to choke out from between her sobs.
"Wait here, Carlua." He said gently.
"But Lord Pazusu," Spartoi began, still sopping wet and shivered slightly from the chill in the midnight air. "What about Larva? The Chinese Shinma, they…" Everyone began to talk at once at that point.
The elder Shinma held up his hand for silence, which was bestowed almost immediately. "Please, everyone, trust me, the Chinese Shinma promised on their honor that no harm will come to this. And, if it comes down to it," He swallowed, trying to hide his own unease. "Be prepared to leave at my word. Until I return, remain on deck."
Before a single word of protest or question could be uttered, Pazusu swept around and disappeared into the blackness of the lower cabins.
The sickening presence of the Quarl grew thicker with every descending step, but Pazusu did his best to place those feelings aside. He kept his heart as frozen stone, his mind, silent and clear as he concentrated. So focused was he that he did not even notice the shambles the front parlor was in, nor the gaping hole that had been broken through the ceiling.
The Quarl…
No, just not any Quarl. It was a presence that Pazusu knew all too well. It was the type of presence that clung to a very powerful, very respected and, most importantly, a very dangerous individual.
Caial…
Who else could it be?
I can feel Caial's presence coming from this ship…
As he made his way down the dark stairwell to the underbelly of the ship, the air reeked of the sickly-sweet feeling. Pazusu had to struggle to keep his mind focused as it clawed at his every sense, threatening to override him.
Are you here? I know that you're close…
Following the river of evil energy to its source, Pazusu soon found himself in one of the darkness and most concealed areas of the ship. It was a place Pazusu rarely visited. It was also the perfect place for someone to keep something well hidden. A repulsive wave of foul energy rolled over him and he knew.
You are here!
Pazusu's eyes snapped open. From behind a moldy, tattered curtain Pazusu saw the faint glimmer of some life force that felt as if it had been coated in a sheen of foul oil. On impulse Pazusu thrust his hand out and threw a small ball of energy towards the curtain and blew it away without any effort. What he saw behind it horrified him to no end.
It was a statue, but by the shape of the cold stone face and the way it held itself, the position that it had been frozen in, Pazusu well knew otherwise. This was none other than the figure of the great witch Caial who had been imprisoned in that stone body at the end of the Shinma Wars.
Then, in a very soft, hissing voice, Pazusu heard it speak.
Damn you…Pazusu…
"The statue." Pazusu ground his teeth in anger at that statue, anger at himself. "It was you, after all…The Quarl are using us again to fight their retched battles!"
At the sound of his voice, the statue began to radiate its energy, the tainted life force reaching out like thin broken fingers, searching, groping. Again Caial spoke, but this time her voice was harsher and stronger.
What have you done to my body, Pazusu…
His name came out as a painful moan that rattled his very soul. He fought his hardest to keep that horrible voice from his head while at the same time began to focus his rage and hate back at the statue. I cannot forgive you, Caial! His mind raged back.
Pazusu! Caial shrieked. You bastard!
Fine lines and cracks appeared on the stony surface as Pazusu expended his own energy field, fueled entirely by his anger alone.
For killing Rall…I won't let you revive!
The dying words of his friend echoed in his mind, faintly.
Be careful of the Quarl…
"I will never forgive you!" Pazusu yelled as his energy grew, pushing back the Quarl's onto herself. The pressure made the cracks deeper and more prominent. He could tell that they were hurting her.
Good.
You fool, Pazusu! Caial's voice had risen to an insane scream. You are cursed! Just like Rall, you will die! The last word climaxed into a wail that rattled his bones and chilled him to the very core, but Pazusu ignored it all as he unleashed the full power of his rage upon the statue.
The floorboards that surrounded the statue shattered into countless splinters before the statue of the Quarl queen exploded. Rocks and shrapnel flew in all directions, pelting at walls and ceiling. Most importantly, a great number of the shattered stones were shooting at Pazusu like bullets. He never even had the chance to move.
Fire seared through his entire body as one particularly large stone hit him, tearing at his flesh and burying its way deeply inside of him. Pazusu's face contorted with pain and his mind reeled. Was that…a rock? The pain made it hard to think. He reached up to clutch at the wound, and his hand met the hot blood that had soaked into his cloak before he collapsed to his knees. Swallowing back the blood that was slowly seeping into his mouth, he looked at the spot where the statue of Caial had once stood, but there was nothing left. The only thing that suggested that anything had stood there at all was the broken pieces of stone rubble that littered the ground.
* * *
"Master Pazusu!" Carlua cried when the older Shinma appeared back on the higher decks, but looking as if he had seen better days. In fact, Pazusu had to climb his way out from the lower decks, practically on his hands and knees from the pain, clutching at the bloodied mess that covered the front of his chest. His face was pale and slick with sweat, and his breathing seemed shallow. The other Western Shinma were at his side immediately, trying to help him stand and out of the ruined doorway to the lower cabins and all talking at once.
"Everyone…we've go to go…" Every spoken word felt like a flaming sword impaling Pazusu's body. "Get off this ship now…"
"Why?" Carlua asked, suddenly feeling very cold on the inside. "What in the world happened?" Several of the Western Shinma peered down into the lower cabins as if seeking the answer to her question, but no one dared to take a step closer.
"I'll explain later!" The answer may have been harsh, but it was important that they moved fast. Although they could not yet sense it, Pazusu knew that there was an evil energy seeping out of the broken statue like oil out of a cracked tanker with enough evil power to swallow the ship within the hour. "Now hurry up! Get to the shoreline!" By now he was trying to stand, which greatly emphasized the urgancy of the situation. Spartoi and Carlua were both at their Master's side, helping him to his feet, and once he had been steadied the remaining Western Shinma were already vanishing through the Gates. Carlua wove a fairly powerful Gate so that she, Spartoi and the injured Pazusu could get through safely.
The shores of the Japanese Shinma Realm were murky, dark and rocky. Spartoi did not release his hold from the injured man, but he still turned to stare back at their ship, which suddenly seemed to grow dark, cold and evilly alien. For the longest time, no one said a word. It was Amy that spoke first. "What do we do now, Master Pazusu?"
"We stay here for the night." Pazusu answered, swallowing back the pain. "There is an evil presence on out ship that will trap us if we return."
"What of Cait Sith?" Night Gia inquired.
Anger boiled in Pazusu's blood, but he fought to keep it down. "He is no longer any of our concern. We must rest, now. It has been a long night. We will think of our next move in the morning."
It was not easy finding a comfortable looking spot to spend the night under; the best area they could find was a small grove of cedar trees that grew out from the stony ground. A ghost-gray mist covered the ground, cold and soaking them to the bone, even through their heavy cloaks. No matter how close the seven Western Shinma huddled together, it did nothing to ward off the sounds of the creatures moving in the forest behind and all around. The sounds of creatures watching, hunting, killing, dying. Every now and again blue spirit-flames would swoop close to the group, bathing the surrounding area in pale light. It was a miserable night, and the dead-silence was broken only once by the sound of Water Lipper's voice.
"What's going to happen to us?"
Not even Night Gia's comforting half-hug could stop the water sprite from burying her face in her arms as she cried softly. Carlua whimpered and buried herself deeper in between Spartoi and Pazusu as another spirit-flame drifted by.
They were living in a nightmare. They were only seven Western Shinma stranded on enemy territory with no way to get home and no way to let anyone know that they were here. Betrayed by one of their own, they were not only up against an enemy country, but also against the strongest members of another. Larva had been fatally wounded and Miyu was alive, and her powers were growing at that. Even worse, the Quarls had returned, including their queen. Pazusu knew that even though he had destroyed the stone body, she could still be resurrected. The way to do that was probably what Cait Sith was seeking at that very moment.
We should have never have come here.
Sleep did not come easy, but eventually the Western Shinma did find it, one by one. At last Pazusu was the last one awake, but he too forced himself to sleep; it would help heal his wound and return his strength to him.
And as he slept, he dreamed…
* * *
In spite of the heat of the battle, the air was cold, and the sweat on his skin made the wind seem freezing, but whether he was cold or hot was of the least importance on his mind. Right now there was only one thing he could afford to think about was Caial and stopped her from doing what ever she wanted to come here and do in the first place. And, if he assumed correctly, he knew exactly who she was looking for. He did not have that much time.
From the horizon Pazusu could see black smoke curling in oily columns that could only be from one source; the only village that he knew of, or what was left of it. Until then, the village had remained untouched by the war that raged around it. The Japanese Shinma had done a remarkable job at keeping their unexpected and greatly unwanted visitors in a confined area, away from their homes and restrained to the first and very border of the second Layers. But the smoke that rose outside of that boundary could only mean that one person had gotten past it, and she had a very coo, reason of doing what she had done.
Caial, the queen of the Quarl, was trying to draw the personal attention of the leader of the Japanese Shinma.
The air was hot and hazy, burning Pazusu's eyes and throat as he ran through the forest, trying desperately to get to the remains of the Japanese town. Revenge fogged his mind as smoke did the air. Revenge against Caial for his friend, Count Rall. The man who died in his arms, first asking him to watch over his infant daughter, and then to beware of the Quarl. And now he knew why.
He emerged from the edge of the forest; or, at least, the new edge of the forest, since most of the ancient pines had been burnt away and destroyed in the assult. The once small, quaint fishing village was no more, only a broken mound of black, smoldering rubble. And at its edge stood the great witch, the air about her still cracking with power that was too much for any Shinma under a certain level to touch. She was looking away from the destruction that was hers, as if waiting for someone. Pazusu kept his place in the shadows of the great trees. She knew that he had been with Rall in his final moments, and no doubt had figured out that the Count had warned his friend about what ever it was he learned about the Quarls himself. There were two children back in his own Realm waiting for him, and it would be of no good if he got himself killed now.
He was not the only one keeping a close eye on the Quarl. Standing opposite of him were more Shinma who had followed Caial's trail but wisely keeping their distance. Five stood to the side, the same five that had saved him earlier from a group of Quarl. Their cloaks and scarves had been removed, revealing that the armor that they wore that was nothing like Pazusu had seen before. It actually did not look like real armor. They were body suits that fit tightly to their entire body, making them streamline with bits of leathery-looking armor on their shoulders, chest, and other parts of the body. There were also some objects attached to them that looked like glass and tubing of medal that Pazusu could not begin to describe. Each suit was a deep gray and trimmed with a different color to each of the five Shinma; red, purple, blue, white and black, each color baring a dragon-scale-like pattern. That meant that they could only be Chinese Shinma. One of them was clutching his left eye. Blood ran down from between his long, spidery fingers.
The Shinma standing next to him would have frightened him as well as any one else had he not been preoccupied. It was a huge black wolf, her head held low and ear drooping, looking as if she might have been crying. Two other wolves stood at her side, each one whiter than snow but looking equally forlorned.
As they stood and waited, more and more Shinma appeared on the beach, all from the three different realms but none of them making a move towards the queen of the Quarls. Everyone in the war knew better. And at the same time Caial ignored all of them, still standing, still waiting. Finally she raised her head and said in a voice that dominated over all other sound in the world, "Kyuko! Sentinel of the Japanese Shinma! Show yourself and face me!"
The air rippled with power that made the pillars of smoke bend and waver in the still air and the fires flicker violently. A Gate opened before Caial and three figures stepped out from it. Two of them were men, one looking about as old as he was and the other younger, and both dressed in light Japanese battle armor. Both had black hair that hung before their eyes and brushed past their shoulders. It looked as if they were related; brothers, or maybe even father and son. The third member of the party, however, and the only women, held about her a presence that made Pazusu feel as if her eyes were passed over him he would bend as if a giant hand were pressing down on him. She was not a tall woman, perhaps smaller than Pazusu himself, but she carried herself as if she was much taller. Her long brown hair was tied at the nape of her neck in a long ponytail and was adorned in red and white priestess robes. She clutched a longbow in her hand, a quiver of arrows along her back. Compared to some of the beings that Pazusu had seen here, she looked far less threatening than half of them. But it was something in the way that she held herself, the way that she looked upon Caial, even her mere presence that set her far apart from any other Shinma that Pazusu had ever encountered. It was almost as if…she was not a Shinma at all. Almost a deity standing among a crowd of mortals. Just looking upon her chilled Pazusu to the core. This could only be Kyuko.
Caial seemed to be the only one unaffected by Kyuko's presence. "So. Kyuko, Sentinel of the Japanese Shinma. Just the person I wanted to see."
Kyuko cocked her head to the side. "Is that so? I don't believe we have ever met before, so what is your business here with me? And, more importantly, what are you and your creatures doing in my country? I am aware of the war happening across seas, but for what reason do you have to come here?" The woman's voice was strong, unwavering.
Caial smirked. That cruel smile made Pazusu shudder inwardly. "Why, my dear vampire, you are the reason." Her voice was the hiss of a poisonous snake. Then she did the unexpected; with the movement, grace and deadly speed of the same poisonous snake, she attacked the sentinel head-on.
The older man standing behind Kyuko moved as swiftly as the witch did, his hand moving to the hilt of the curved katana sword. The blade came free from the scabbard with the sharp ring of medal, ready to protect the vampire sentinel, but Caial proved to be to fast for him. Kyuko saw it coming before anyone else had a chance to react. "Ryoji! Out of the way!" She commanded to the younger man standing behind her. The boy had a blank look on his face, but nonetheless through himself out of harm's way as Caial collided with the armed Japanese Shinma.
A wet crack echoed through the air as Caial and the Japanese connected, which was soon followed by a spray of blood that stained the air red. The man's face fell in surprise, blood pouring from his mouth as his sword fell limply from his hand. Caial laughed evilly as she withdrew her hand from his chest, which had before protruded from out of his back. Kyuko's face became masked with horror as her Shimobe collapsed to his knees, then fell to his side. He had been killed in the instant. But Caial was not through yet. Before Kyuko had time to recover from her shock, Caial turned sharply on her heel, reached out with the same bloody and hand placed it firmly on Kyuko's ribcage, just below her left breast. There was another crunch, and the bone and flesh under the Quarl's hand shattered like glass.
Cries and shouts of agony rose from the throats of the surrounding watchers. The young man who had appeared with Kyuko and her Shimobe wailed the loudest of all, pushing himself to his feet and rushing to the side of the fallen man. "Father!" He called out, turning the dead man onto his back. "Father! No, Father!" Tears poured down his face as he turned it up towards Kyuko. "Mother! Please…"
Kyuko straightened, clutching the broken flesh with her opposite hand. Blood began to trickle down the corner of her mouth and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Her eyes. It was then that Pazusu first noticed her eyes. They were shinning bright gold, but it was unlike any color that he had ever seen…they were beautiful, yet held within them a look of such dangerous anger that if she had turned that gaze upon him, he knew he would have been helpless and frozen to the spot. He had to force himself to look away from those eyes so he could watch that battle that lay before him.
Caial laughed again, the eerie sound filling his ears, as she brought the bloodied hand up to her hand and licked the blood away. "Is that all you got? You are weak, Kyuko, as your kind always was…but you still stand, eh? Well then, this should be easy…if you stand still, than I may let you die easily…" The black clouds in the sky, once still, began to churn, mixing with different dark colors; blue and purple as bolts of white-hot lightning cracked across it.
All around them, the Japanese Shinma crouched into battle-ready positions, calling out, "Mistress Kyuko! Lady Kyuko! Let us help you!"
"No!" Kyuko called out, raising her hand away from her wound. Blood poured down her side, staining her robes black as it pooled about her feet. "Stand down. This fight does not concern any of you." She turned her eyes back to Caial. "Caial, Queen of the Quarls…your motives are still unknown to me, but because of the crimes you have committed on my people and the death of my husband, I cannot allow you to live. We finish this now."
"You are a fool, vampire!" Caial jeered back. "You are already dead, and you know it. But because you have proposed, I will be more than happy to finish this!" The great witch held up the bloodstained hand and clutched it into a fist. Her dark, evil power crackled in the air as she surrounded herself in it, pulling it up from her very soul. The rocky ground about her feet began to shatter, chips of rocks being flung up into the wind. Behind them, the ocean crashed and churned violently. The entire world began to writhe as Caial moved in for the final blow.
Kyuko did not move. She stood her ground, her eyes firmly locked in on her enemy. Her grip tightened on her long bow, and she slowly reached behind her back for the last of her arrows in the quiver. She pulled it slowly because of the pain caused by the gaping wound, but knocked it and drew the string back tightly to her ear, aiming carefully. When the queen was within firing range, Kyuko released the arrow with a snap.
The arrow hit home perfectly; right above Caial's right breast, embedding itself deeply into her shoulder. The Quarl stopped moving almost instantly, mouth hanging open in disbelief as her eyes were drawn towards to protruding shaft. "N…no…it is…impossible." She put a hand on the arrow and tried to pull it out.
"It is useless." Kyuko said calmly, her voice weaker than it was before. "I have concealed the last of my energy within that arrow…an entrapment spell. To keep you from doing anything like this again…"
"I have one final question for you, vampire…" Caial breathed. Already Pazusu could see stone begin to cover her body, slowly crawling across her skin from where the arrow stuck out of her flesh. "How…did you know we would reach your shores?"
"A warning." Kyuko answered. This time she wavered on her feet. Caial looked outraged.
"But the only one who knew is dead…unless…" Her voice was straining. The stone spell was slowly making its way up her throat. Her eyes grew wide and blazed with a terrifying new fire. "Pazusu! Damn you…" She trailed off as the stone covered her face.
Kyuko said nothing, but her eyes still blazed a terrifying gold. "Betrayed…how…pathetic…"
* * *
When Yoto awoke the next morning, he knew that they were not alone. He also woke up stiff and disoriented, as if he had not slept in days. Then he remembered; he had not slept in days, at least not since the Western Shinma arrived. Now he was feeling more awful than he did when he was awake, which was probably not more than a few hours ago. Usually he was the early bird of all of his friends, but right now he wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep. But there was something afoot, and it probably was not anything good.
Yoto straightened himself from the slump that he had been asleep in, moving slowly to not tighten the knot in his back any more than it already was and looked around him. It was well past dawn, but the air was cold and the light was pale. The rest of the Chinese Shinma were still asleep, as he excepted them to be. Ryuko was sitting up while he snored, leaning against the same trunk that Yoto had been propped up against. Kitsune was leaning up against his cousin, drooling slightly onto his shoulder. That should be an interesting sight when the Second-Heir awoke. The rest of the team was asleep above them; Kia was nestled into the crook of a wide branch and Tacha was laying on her stomach across another, her younger sister not too far away. Yoshi was not in the tree, however, which was where he usually was when he slept. Instead he was on the ground in a crumpled heap, where he usually was when he woke up. Off to the side slept the members of the Shi Clan; Yui, Nagi and Senju. Yui and curled up in Nagi's arms, looking the most comfortable out of all of them. It was a comforting sight to see everyone who was there the night before still there now, but there was something different. There were now more people with them.
The big Chinese Shinma stood and stretched, feeling all of his joints popping from their stiff positions. Each one sounded like a bone breaking to anyone else who was standing around. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one thick finger, he was able to pinpoint where the new presences were coming from. There; threw that grove of trees. He breathed in the cold morning air. Mori was there, but the other scent he did not quiet recognize. It was not knew, but it was rare. They even smelt rare. Since there was obviously nothing else better to do, Yoto made his way over to the grove to see what exactly was going on.
He was right. Mori stood in the middle of an open clearing, conversing with Shinma that Yoto had only seen a few times before. Shadow Eyes. Warriors trained to move in complete stealth, to move with shadows, to move as shadows. The eyes and ears of the Japanese Shinma Realm. They were the original Japanese Ninjas.
From where he was standing, he could see perhaps two scores of them, dressed head to foot in black with only their eyes showing and long curved katana swords at their sides with black scabbards and hilts. But Yoto knew better; he could only see the twenty standing in the light, but he knew that there were probably dozens more in the trees and shadows around him that even his keep nose and ears could not detect. Mori stood before them, her fur nearly as dark as their garb glittering in the morning sun. She spoke to them quietly. REMEMBER, THEY ARE NOT TO BE HARMED IN ANY WAY, ON THE SENTINEL'S ORDER. SHE AND HER FRIENDS BELIEVE THAT THEY MAY HOLD INFORMATION TO WHAT WE ARE TRULY UP AGAINST AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE NO LONGER THE THREAT, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE BREWING. GO.
"As you wish, Elder." The Shadow Eye that stood closest to her said, placing a hand to his heart and giving a slight bow. Then they were gone, vanished like smoke. Yoto could not help but to blink in surprise. He had seen the Shadow Eyes move before, but they always caught him off guard. He was not exactly sure this "who" Mori had sent them to find, but he had a slight suspicion. Either way, it was none of his business. But before he could return to his slumbering friends, Mori spoke.
GOOD MORROW, CHINESE SHINMA.
Yoto turned back, surprised that Mori had noticed him at all, much less said good morning. Any lesser Shinma would have felt more than privileged. "Good morning, Elder." He greeted back. "Forgive me for overhearing your conversation, I only came to see who it was you were speaking too. I have not seen a Shadow Eye since the Shinma Wars."
THERE IS NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE, CHINESE SHINMA, FOR EAVESDROPPING. I WAS INFORMED EARLIER THIS MORNING THAT THE WESTERN SHINMA WERE ASLEEP ON OUR SHORES, AS IF THEY HAD BEEN DRIVEN OFF THEIR SHIP. THE SHADOW EYE WHO INFORMED ME TOLD ME THAT THEIR SHIP WAS ALSO REEKING OF EVIL ENERGY AS POTENT AS A ROTTING CARCASS IN THE SUN. SOMETHING BAD IS AFOOT, AND I FEAR IT IS LINKED TO THAT DAGGER THAT THE QUARL STOLE FROM MY KEEPING. THEY MAY KNOW MORE THAN WE DO OF THIS SITUATION, SO THEY SHALL BE BROUGHT HERE FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING.
"A wise decision, Elder." Yoto agreed. "But I fear that there will be some trouble if they see Miyu tending to their own comrade. Breaking his tie to her seemed to be their main reason to come here, and if they sense that she is trying to take him back, there may be some trouble."
Mori snorted. INGRATES. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO RIDICULE HER ABOUT. AFTER WHAT HE DID TO HER, SHE HAD NO REASON TO SAVE HIM. ANYONE ELSE WOULD HAVE LET HIM BLEED TO DEATH.
"Perhaps, yes." Yoto said with a nod. "But he has not been turned from her completely. Last night, while we were on the ship, he saved her from the blow of a dagger that could have killed her instantly. There is still something there, Elder. He has not forgotten her completely."
PERHAPS YOU ARE RIGHT. I MAY HAVE TO TAKE YOUR WORD FOR THAT. She was silent for a moment before speaking again. YOU ARE DIFFERENT, CHINESE SHINMA, THAN YOUR FRIENDS. THEY ARE FULL OF ENERGY, HIGH AND HOT-TEMPERED WHILE YOU YOURSELF ARE PASSIVE. YOU TALK SELDOM WHILE THEY TALK WITHOUT END. A SHINMA OF YOUR STANDARD USUALLY CANNOT STAND TO BE AROUND THOSE OF THAT ENERGY. WHY IS IT THAT YOU STAY WITH THEM?
"It is because they are my friends." Yoto answered, taking a seat on a small grassy hill. "Because they do not hold any standards to me that I can not nor want to meet."
THERE IS PAIN IN YOUR VOICE. DOES THIS SUBJECT GRIEVE YOU?
"No, it doesn't. When you have people by your side who know what you are like, what your soul is like, why should it matter where you come from or how you are expected to be?"
THIS IS A FAMILIAR ARGUMENT. IS THIS WHY YOU FEEL THERE IS STILL HOPE BETWEEN THE BOND OF MIYU AND THAT WESTERN SHINMA?
"As strongly as I feel for those who accept me as I am, Elder." Yoto answered. He smiled slightly. It was a small, awkward smile, as if it were something that he was not used to doing, but a smile nonetheless.
From somewhere beyond the trees, there was a sudden yelp as Ryuko came awake. "Kitsune! My God, you're greasy!"
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To be continued…
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