Blue Eyed Souls, Act 3

"What do you mean she can't leave?!"

Renka's shoulders slump.

"While the immediate crisis has passed, Madoka-san's life force is still critically depleted. The sanctified atmosphere of this temple is the only thing stabilizing her. Even if she could walk outside, she would likely collapse again, and we may not be able to revivify her again. We need the Three Pure Ones talisman if she is to return to Kageoka proper.

I blow out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair. When is Fumiko coming with these damn component—

Bzzt!

About time!

Another sigh, heavier this time. Alyona, who's been listening, raises an eyebrow. "I assume that is not good news."

"Of course it's not," I snap, then rein it in. "With three dozen people knocked out all over the city, every superstitious family with a weird uncle or granny is probably trying the same as us. Fumiko's hit a dead end, and her bike's dry."

The pager buzzes again.

That's all I need. I type back quickly. Fill your tank. Meet us there, then turn to the group. "Change of plans. Madoka stays. The rest of us are going shopping."

Madoka's face falls for a second, but she quickly plasters on a smile.

As they file out of the room, she pulls me into a tight hug.

"You be careful, okay? All of you." She looks past me to Alyona, Dawn, and the others. "Take care of each other."

I give her a pat on the back before pulling away. "Yeah, yeah. We'll be back before you know it."

Outside, the evening air is cool. I swing my leg over the stolen bike, the weight below me now familiar.

Sukemori is already mounting the other one, ready to go.

"Dawn—"

Someone settles on the seat, her arms already firm around my waist.

"..."

"..."

I blink at Alyona. Weren't you calling me an awful driver and a barbarian not even two hours ago?

She avoids my eyes, her cheeks tinged with pink. "... stop wasting time..."

Hahh.... trying to understand her is a battle, and I've had enough of those for today.

The engine roars to life. Sukemori pulls up beside us, Renka and Dawn behind her. With a shared nod, we peel away from the temple, two bikes carrying five girls across the city.

Overhead, the moon is a pale, sickly smudge, and the shadows it casts aren't just empty space. They're thick pools of ink, and I see faint, shimmering shapes float past, transparent hands brushing against telephone wires.

The air is getting thin. Twilight is nigh, and the barriers between worlds wear away with every second. Soon, Kageoka itself will turn into a [Bleeding Zone].

"Are you certain this is the correct address?" Alyona's voice is a tense whisper against my back, her grip on my waist tightening. "This is a residential complex."

I kill the engine, the sudden silence ringing in my ears. "Not everyone's loaded enough to rent a proper shop." I grunt, scanning the drab apartment facade.

Fumiko's bike isn't here. Must be refilling her gas, still.

An elderly woman shuffles down the street, grocery bag in one hand.

"Scuse me, Obaa-san. I'm looking for an apothecary? Hakutaku Herbs? I was told it's in this building, but I don't know the floor or room."

The old woman blinks up at me, then a kind, wrinkled smile spreads across her face. "Oh! Of course, dear. You're looking for Old Man Hiraku. Second floor, room 304. You can't miss the smell."

I give her a stiff, jerky bow. "Thank you very much."

I get off the bike. Alyona stays behind, her blue eyes wide.

"What?"

"... Nothing. I was simply not aware you were capable of civility without your grandmother pulling on your ear."

"... just get moving."

I jerk my head towards the door.

We trudge up the concrete steps, the air growing thicker with the scent of old wood and... yeah, there it is. A weird mix of dry earth, strange flowers, and something metallic. It's coming from ahead.

As we reach the third-floor landing, footsteps echo from the opposite stairway.

Three figures step into the dim hallway light. That tall girl, Mei, and that blonde, Koujin. I met them at Shujinko's creepy place. They've got that fired-up look in their eyes, the kind that usually precedes a broken jaw.

But it's the third figure that makes my breath catch for a second.

"... Itsuki," I grunt, the name familiar.

He gives a single, slow nod. "Boss."

Still calling me that? Even though you left?

Our two groups eye each other in the silent hallway, a few feet away from the plain wooden door to Room 304. A sign hangs on the door, saying the place is still open.

Their presence here can't be a coincidence.

"Let me guess. You're here for the same reason we are."

Koujin doesn't bother with words, yanking up the sleeve of her jacket. There, stark against her skin, is the same black butterfly that's haunting the entire city.

I shove the door open and step inside, the bell above jangling.

The place is a closet, stuffed to the ceiling with weirdness. Jars of pickled things that might be roots or might be fingers line crooked shelves. Bunches of dried herbs dangle from the ceiling, brushing against my hair and smelling like a grave. At the far end, a counter blocks off the back room, a thick, faded curtain drawn across the doorway.

"... mysterious collapse epidemic continues to sweep through..."

Atop the counter, a small TV buzzes with a news report.

"Momofuku-san," Mei's voice is quiet, but it cuts through the static. Her eyes sweep over our group. "Where is Madoka-san? Is she alright?"

"She's stable. For now. That's why we're here."

I don't have the breath for the whole story. Instead, I plant my hands on the dusty counter and raise my voice.

"Come out, old fart! You got customers!"

"... keep your pants on, girl," a worn out voice rasps from behind the curtain. "Impatient youngsters... no respect these days..."

There's a muttering and the sound of shuffling feet.

A few seconds later, the curtain is pushed aside, and the owner emerges. He's so short he has to peer over the counter, his head a wizened walnut perched on a tiny, hunched body. His eyes, sharp as broken glass, scan our little crowd before they land on Mei and narrow slightly.

"Welcome to my shop," he croaks, though he doesn't sound welcoming at all.

"Good evening, Hiraku-dono," Mei greets, bowing slightly. "I require ingredients for a Five Symbols Talisman."

I lean forward, my arm on the counter. "And I need the components for a Three Pure Ones talisman. All of 'em."

The old man lets out a cackle that turns into a wet, phlegmy cough, and I step back to not get caught in it.

"You?" He looks me up and down. "You look like ya need a baseball bat to rob me with. Do you even know the ingredients for the Five Symbols and Three Pure Ones talismans?"

Before I can agree to his frankly wonderful initial pitch, two other voices cut in, cool and precise.

"Paper of the Celestial Peaks—"

Renka and Mei pause, glancing at each other.

"Hehe... That's right. They're the same recipe, passed down to different families and changing names. But go on, go on. Let's see if you've really done your reading."

"Cinnabar from the Guizhou Mines."

Now, they speak in turn, like they're reciting from some ancient scripture instead of a shopping list. Which to be fair, may very well be the case.

"Ash of a Millennium Ginseng Root."

"Fragment of a Thunder-Struck Peachwood."

The old man stares at them, a flicker of respect in his milky eyes. He gives a slow, impressed nod. "Hmph. Well."

I totally knew it too, though!

He turns, opening a small door in the side of the counter that I hadn't even noticed. He shuffles out into the cramped shop, his gnarled hands moving with a sudden, practiced speed, plucking a sheet of paper that seems to shimmer with a faint inner light from one shelf, and a small, heavy-looking box with the vibrant red cinnabar from another.

Then he disappears back behind the counter into the rear room. We're left standing in silence, listening to the buzz of the TV and his muffled rummaging. A minute later, he reappears. In his hands are a small ceramic jar that probably holds the ginseng ash, and a sliver of dark, deeply-grained wood that hums with a faint, static energy.

He sets all four items on the counter one by one.

My head whips towards Alyona. But as the princess reaches for her bottomless pockets, Mei turns to Renka, her voice low.

"... how much do you need?"

Renka's single eye flicks from Mei to me. "The paper... we only need enough for two talismans. But with Madoka's critical state... we will require the entire ginseng ash to stabilize her."

Mei's frown deepens. "It is as I feared... we need a similar dosage."

"Hahh!?" I look over to Koujin. "I can see her right there, you know? Madoka can't even leave the shrine!"

Do they expect me to leave her there? Her family's probably already searching for her! They're gonna chew her out and I won't be able to see her for a whole month without beating an army of guards first.

And that's IF she leaves the shrine. We don't have a millennium to wait for another ginseng root!

"It is not only for Sayaka," Mei counters. "We are preparing talismans for several afflicted individuals. And most of them... are not spiritually aware like us. They have no defense."

They are weak. Their lives are worth less. Take what is yours.

Shut up! I don't want to sacrifice anyone, but...!

"It's true, Boss," Itsuki adds as if I asked him. "There's a line of people at her grandmother's shop. Some of their family members are nearing comas."

Oh~! The mutt has found a new master, and now he bites the hand that once fed him! Will you leave him unscathed from this disrespect? Allow him to call you Boss as he spits in your face?!

"So you already have a whole shop on your end? And you're here taking from us anyway?"

"We ran out," he says. "So we were looking for more."

"Perhaps..." Mei looks at our group, clasping her hands. "Your party can look for another way. Materials from that place might serve as a substitute. The essence of certain ideas, certain spirits..."

Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump!

Blood pounds in my ears. After all the fighting, the ceremonies, the meeting with [Fushihara], she's telling us to take a hike on the [Idea World] and figure it out?!

Itsuki nods. "... the student council's expedition logs should have information on that front. I know from my time with them—"

"If you already knew so much, then you should be the one crawling for substitutes!"

I grip at his shirt, looking him in the eye.

"Do you even care about Madoka?! Or are you too busy playing hero for your new friends, you ungrateful bastard?!"

Well I refuse to play into this stupid numbers game!

I will help those people. I will look for the substitutes. But I will never stop cherishing her. I will never spit on her life because the other side has more people!

"..."

The silence that follows is absolute. I stand there, trying to breathe, trying to keep [Aramasa] down, but every second that he doesn't answer is another second I boil inside.

I hate this. I hate the way Itsuki is looking at me, like he's seen this all before.

I knew this flimsy, impossible promise would fracture, but not so soon.

Now, instead of measuring everyone, I put one life against all others. I'm no longer the cold tyrant, but Momofuku Chikata... a disgusting, selfish girl who wants to help each individual, but never considered who the first individual should be.

Koujin steps between Itsuki and I, forcing me to let him go. She rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck with a popping sound.

"We're not getting anywhere with this."

Her eyes lock with mine, burning with pure, uncomplicated excitement.

"So, Momofuu-ki... wanna fight for it? That's how you do things, right?"

Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump!

This is perfect. Yes, this is how it should be. No fancy rhetoric. No dressing things up.

Might makes right.

No. There is no right answer here. There's only an answer we can live with.

It's still selfish, but not as disgusting.

"That is most certainly not how we do—"

"Oi. Koujin," I cut off Alyona, the room narrowing to the martial artists' shoulder. "That mark on your arm even real? Or is it painted on for sympathy points?"

She barks a laugh. "No, it's real. Just like Rodionova over there, I had some previous protection. But even with a handicap, I can still kick your ass."

Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump! Thu-thump!

She mocks you. She thinks you weak! Break her! Gut her! Hang her by her entrails!

Mei steps forward, her hands raised in a placating gesture.

"Sayaka, now is not the time." She looks down on me. "Momofuku-san, please. I am sensing a great spiritual turbulence within you. Feeding it with [Violence] will only—"

"Momo is already bruised up, this isn't fair on her either..."

̶̷̵̡̨̛̘̘̲̩̟̟͎̙̥̩͚̜̪̳̗͈̻̟̙̎͛̎̀̆͐͆̕͜͝ͅC̷̩̳̫̺̼̺̓́͐̀̅̄͘͝Ṙ̷̨̲̖͍̜͉̥͉̳̟͕̺̯̞̓͜A̷̧̖͇͚̦̱̾́͜C̵̙͚͕͓͉͚̈́̊̈́́͌̾̽K̴̡̞͎̗̤̦͕̙̖̞̻͕͔̠͍̼̃͐̈́́̕ͅ!̴̧̧͖̳̩̫̣͚̟̠͚̯̇̉̋̀̽̇̔̀̈́̓̄̊̅͌̄͝͠ͅͅ!̶̴̴̴̡̡̡̪͉̩̫̤̖͚͕͕͍͍̼̪̖̣̳̩͚̗̰̰̟̲̲̩̗̱̺̦̙̦̖̲͕̽́̏̽̉͋̓̋̌̐̈́͌̽̋̉̀͂́̆͑̽͛̌̅̈̑̈́́͋͑̌̉̍̈́̓̾̂̉̓̔̋̅͐̈́̄̈̎͘͘͝͝͠͝͠

Ah... you two think I can't beat her?

"Koujin. Your rules."

"No permanent damage. That's all."

A chorus of protests erupts. The old man is yelling about his shop. Alyona is hissing my name. Renka and Mei are both talking at once. Itsuki is probably saying something even more stupid.

It's all just noise. I'll shut them up real soon.

I reach aside. "Sukemori."

[Tsuzumi Masamune] and [Kagutsuchi Masamune] are perfectly balanced in my grip.

"I agree," I say.

The world lurches. My will resonates with a place three steps ahead, and my body is there, foot driving deep into Koujin's gut before her grin can even fade. Air and spittle fly from her mouth as she's lifted off her feet and sent crashing backward through the flimsy wooden door of the apothecary, splinters exploding into the hallway.

She's scrambling up in the dim hallway, but I'm already on her. Tsuzumi screams for her head. She ducks.

Kagutsuchi sweeps for her legs. She leaps over it. I swing again, a furious, relentless barrage.

Damn it! I can't hit her!

Koujin flows backward, her feet barely seeming to touch the grimy floor. I press forward, step by furious step, driving her down the narrow hallway, but her body contorts around my blows, swaying aside to avoid a thrust, raising an arm to deflect a swing.

She's denying me. Denying me the solid, satisfying crack of wood on bone. My teeth are gritted so hard I taste the enamel. I feint with my left and go for a real overhead smash with my right.

She sees it, dipping under my reach.

Frustration boils over. As she ducks my next strike, I toss Kagutsuchi into the air. Her eyes flick up for a split second, and I step in, my fist driving straight into her face. It connects with a wet smack.

Finally! Before she can even stagger back, my hand is already up, snatching the falling bokken out of the air, my grip already reversed. I swing in a tight, vicious arc toward her temple.

She barely jerks her head back, the wood whistling past her cheek. I follow through, spinning, bringing Tsuzumi around in a wide, brutal slash. She has to leap back, her heels hitting the wall at the end of the hallway. There's nowhere left to run.

She straightens up, a trickle of blood from her lip.

"That all you got?"

"... what?"

Somehow, through this red haze, I can tell it's not a taunt. It's a genuine question.

"This is boring. I'll end it now."

Fast!

She's already past my guard. My bokken are useless, trapped at my sides. Her stance is low and wide, rooted like a rikishi, but the fist that pistons into my gut is pure, refined Karate. All her weight, all her momentum, focused into a single point.

"Hnnngh—!"

The impact jars my teeth. My feet leave the floor. I fly backward, the world a nauseating smear of peeling paint and dim lights, before crashing onto my back in the center of the hallway, right where we started.

Pathetic! You let someone like her humiliate you? RISE, AND TEAR HER APART!

Rage burns away the pain. I grip my bokken, ready to charge. But she's already on me, her movements a seamless, senseless blend. A knee comes up, and I barely block it with Kagutsuchi, the impact shuddering up my arm. Before I can counter, she's shifted, using the momentum of my block to shift into an Aikido-like turn, her elbow snapping toward my head. I duck, but she's already flowing past the motion, her leg hooking behind my knee in a move I've never seen before.

I stumble. It's all the opening she needs.

A textbook boxer's straight snaps my head back. My vision swims. She pivots on the ball of her foot, her body becoming a spinning top of pure force. Her leg extends in a perfect, devastating heel kick.

The world detonates in white light.

I'm weightless again, hurled sideways into the wall. Plaster cracks. I slump to the floor, the taste of copper bubbling up my mouth.

Through the blurry red haze, I see Koujin standing over me. She's not even breathing hard.

"You okay there?"

She cocks her head, waiting, expecting me to get up.

Useless. Worthless. You are NOTHING without me. Relinquish this pitiful human shell. UNLEASH ME.

... what... what the hell am I doing?!

I spent hours getting the shit kicked out of me by an exorcist specifically for this moment!

But you did not. You trained to handle me during a fight. You did nothing to prevent me from starting one, fool!

Right... the idea of [Violence]...

Sorry, Shalt-Zoi. I swear I won't let your time go to waste any longer.

I push myself up, forcing a breath, then another.

[Metal].

[Fire].

I charge again, but this time it's different. My movements are tighter, more focused. Tsuzumi swings with a precise, cutting arc, and when she flows around it, I'm ready, pivoting, bringing Kagutsuchi to block the knee aimed at my side.

Her jab slips past my guard, but I lean aside in time, her fist only grazing my cheek as I finish closing the distance for her, driving my elbow into her sternum.

"Her methods... they are borderline suicidal," I hear Mei's voice, from the doorway. "The conflicting Qi... if she loses focus for a second, she could suffer a catastrophic deviation. She might die right here!"

"She will be fine," Renka assures.

[Fire] feeds on [Wood]. [Metal] grinds on [Earth]. The two streams crash at the [Water] point in my core, and a wave of scorching energy erupts through my meridians. My skin flushes, sweat instantly evaporating off me in a visible wave of steam.

I see an opening and lunge, but this reforged body is still too rigid. Koujin easily deflects my thrust with a soft parry, her eyes narrowing. Instead of pressing the attack, she takes a graceful leap back, creating a wide gap between us.

"What's wrong?" I snarl, the words coming out as a puff of steam. "Scared?"

"Nah. I'll wait. A victory by heatstroke is no fun."

"You..! You...!"

I worked for this! This isn't some desperation play! I forced my body, mind, and soul to work in this hellish tandem, and you think you can give me a time-out?!

"Don't you dare look down on me!"

I charge with a burst of speed that tears at my own muscles, my bokken whistling through the air in a frenzied assault.

"... if that's what you want..."

"Ugh!"

My thrust cuts her sleeve, and in return, a hook to my liver makes me see stars.

CRREAK!

Kagutsuchi grazes her thigh, but her leg powers past it, landing a sharp kick that surely shatters one of my ribs.

Tsuzumi drops from my hand as her palm lands on my shoulder, deadening my entire arm.

A driving knee to my sternum steals the breath from my burning lungs.

I stumble, my guard in tatters.

She closes the final distance, her movements a seamless transition from striker to grappler, mounting me, legs scissoring around my neck and trapping my arm in a vicious flying choke.

The world tilts as we hit the floor, then dims at the edges. All I can see is her muscular thigh as a vise around my artery.

She's going to put me to sleep right here on this filthy floor.

That's... exactly what I need!

I'll let her choke me—

You IMBECILE—!

...

...

...

"Hahh..."

When I come to, the pressure is already gone.

I used her own attack to complete the third step! Emptying my mind, banishing [Aramasa] and letting my body move on its own. My left arm is wedged between the chokehold and my neck, a desperate, instinctual barrier keeping me in this fight.

Koujin's face, inches from mine, flickers. The cocky grin is gone, replaced by a split-second of surprise.

My right hand is fisted in her jacket, and with a guttural roar, I use the leverage of her own hold to heave her up and slam her down onto the grimy floorboards.

CRACK.

The impact jars through both of us. The choke loosens further.

I suck in a ragged, burning gasp of air, my body huffing, trembling with the effort. We struggle on the floor, a tangled mess of limbs, her legs still hooked around me but her position broken.

"Hah... hahh..."

Then, I start the internal alchemy again.

"Hahh... hah..."

Below me, Koujin inhales and exhales in sync with me, our breaths misting together.

It can't be... she's copying my technique?! The one I made up today?!

"How?" Renka's voice gasps. "She lacks the [Oni]'s life force!"

"She must have adapted the principle," Mei explains. "Using her own life force as [Yin] and [Yang] instead of the twin forces of Human and Demonic. A brilliant, reckless improvisation."

"... will you two... shut the hell up—!" I snarl in the peanut gallery's direction, sweat pouring down my brow.

What can I do?

I can't hold this position forever. Soon we'll both move into the second step, but this is her first time, while my body has already heated up once!

Teleport? No, I can't move my head properly. Can't find a good angle.

As Koujin's breathing steadies, the energy around her shifts, a cool, flowing pressure building in her frame.

She's going to try to transfer it into me, [Water] to rust my [Metal] from the inside...

That's it!

I change my inner flow. Instead of fighting [Aramasa], I go through the same steps I went to fix my deviation back in the forest, meeting her at the [Wood] acupoint and creating new life!

Koujin squeezes her thighs. A surge of invasive [Water] Qi floods into me, and my [Wood] drinks it greedily, growing more vibrant.

The shock on her face fills me with even more strength. Her eyes widen as she feels her power adding to my own.

I plant my feet on the floor, my back arching as I lift our tangled bodies.

BANG!

Then, I slam her down, splintering the floorboards beneath her.

Finally, she gasps, legs unlocking from around my neck.

I stagger to my feet, thrumming with stolen power and hard-earned victory.

For the first time, I'm the one standing, and she's the one laying down.

Muscles screaming in protest, I bend down and retrieve my fallen bokken. Across from me, Koujin pushes herself to her feet.

We don't rush. We circle each other in the wrecked hallway, two wounded predators.

Our breathing syncs again, the heat of my body settling into a steady burn, her posture shifting as she recovers from her stolen life force.

Then, the world falls away.

The peeling paint, the splintered door, the worried faces of our friends, it all dissolves into a blinding white void. There is only me, her, and the subliminal, infinite space between one heartbeat and the next.

We have entered the third step together.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look down on you. Thank you for showing me this. Cultivation combat... it's incredibly fun!.

In this place, stripped down to our absolute cores, Koujin's soul speaks to me.

This should be the real her, the unvarnished truth.

She's just... a fighter. A pure, honest-to-god fighter who lives for the thrill of a challenge.

I'm... sorry, too. My own rage got the better of me.

I even said something unforgivable to Itsuki. That guy, of all people... he doesn't deserve someone screaming at him about not caring for the dying.

I want to help my friend. No, I... I want to help everyone suffering from this mark... If I win, let's split the ashes equally.

... even if it's not enough for everyone... even if one dies... even if everyone dies, and this brittle promise breaks anyway... I refuse to pick the many over her, or her over the many.

She laughs. Well, that was also my plan...

Ah. You could have said that earlier, and I would have...

No. Maybe not.

For someone like me, this is the best way she could make her point.

But even if we reached an understanding...

... we're still finishing this, right?

Of course!

What a girl.

A grin tugs at my split lip.

Hey... let's be friends. Join my gang.

She blinks, then a slow, genuine smile spreads across her face, far warmer than her usual cocky grin.

I dunno... I usually look for honest duels to hone my skills. Delinquents... don't. They tend to gang up on people.

... You'd be surprised. But fine. How about we raise the stakes again?

I point my bokken at her.

Forget the components. If I win... join the Fujiwara Senki. I promise you plenty of good fights. Against other punks, against monsters... and against me.

Her eyes light up, a competitive fire igniting deep within them.

And if you win... I'll owe you any one favor. Anything you want.

... deal.

The world crashes back in a riot of sound and color and smell. The groaning floorboards, the gasps from our friends, the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.

We move as one. This is the final round.

I come in low, Tsuzumi sweeping for her ankles. She leaps over me, and I'm already switching my grip on Kagutsuchi, meeting her spinning kick with one of my own.

She lands on a crouch, my swing sending strands of her ponytail into the air as she explodes forward with a flurry of styles, jab feinting into another spinning kick which flows seamlessly into a lunge for my leg.

The world tilts once more. Before I can even gasp, Koujin is on me. It's not the triangle choke this time. It's something worse, a brutal neck crank from side control, her forearm digging into my jaw, twisting my head at a vicious angle.

"Hahh... hahh... hah..."

My breathing is immediately reduced to ragged, insufficient huffs.

"Hahh... hahh... hah..."

And then, her panting syncs with mine again.

"... this time," her voice is a hoarse whisper by my ear, "I won't make the same mistake. I'll finish you off."

A new heat blooms where her body presses against mine.

[Fire]. It'll melt my [Metal] Qi, burn up the [Wood] I cultivated earlier, or worst of all, feed directly into Aramasa's own [Fire] and send me spiraling back into a mindless rage.

I'm... trapped... vision's... tunneling... a sequence... I need a new elemental sequence to turn the tables...!

Let me out... let me BURN her. It is the only way you can come out on top!!

No...! I'd rather lose—!

"Don't you dare lose, you idiot! Not after staking my life on such a stupid fight!"

A voice cuts through the static, sharp, clear, and utterly exasperated.

Alyona's...!

"Do your best, Boss...!"

Sukemori's, steady and believing.

"Finish it, Momofuu-ki,"

Renka's, laced with strange excitement.

"Boss. Win."

Dawn's, simple and flat.

My body moves. I don't break the hold with technique or finesse, but pura, unadulterated rage and embarrassment. I buck, I twist, I slam my forehead back into her face. There's a wet crunch, but she just won't let go—

"You can do it, Sayaka!"

Itsuki?! You... you...!

"STOP SIDING WITH HER, DAMMIT!"

I wrench an arm free, my fist coiled with every ounce of frustration, confusion, and sheer, stubborn pride they've poured into me.

It connects. My knuckles smash into Koujin's jaw with a sound like a rock hitting a melon.

Her head snaps back. The [Fire] Qi snuffs out instantly. Her body goes completely limp, her intricate hold dissolving into dead weight.

She slumps off me and lands in a heap on the floor, her eyes rolled back in her head.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

I push myself up onto my elbows, chest heaving, my entire body one massive, throbbing bruise.

I... won?

I stare at Koujin's unconscious form, then at my own throbbing knuckles.

I won!

The world swims back into a painful, gritty focus. On one side, Itsuki and Mei are hauling a groggy Koujin to her feet. Behind me, Alyona and Dawn have a steadying hand under each of my arms, keeping me upright. Sukemori silently picks up my bokken, her expression unreadable.

Itsuki opens his mouth, his face a mess of conflict. "Momo, listen—"

No longer Boss, huh. I guess I don't deserve it anymore.

Mei cuts in. "Momofuku-san, I am the one paying for the components, and I did not agree to settling it in a —"

"Shut up," I rasp, the words scraping my raw throat. I look at the small ceramic jar of Millennium Ginseng Ash sitting on the counter. The prize. The thing we almost killed each other over.

"We'll split the ashes equally. It's... it's what Madoka would want, too."

She'd probably be scolding us for being idiots right about now.

I lock eyes with Itsuki.

"And... sorry. For saying you didn't care. I wasn't thinking straight."

His lips twitch slightly. "It's... I'm glad you got some sense knocked into you."

"Ungh..."

A groan draws our attention. Koujin stirs, blinking slowly. She looks around, dazed. "Did... did I lose?"

A chorus of "Yes" echoes in the wrecked hallway.

Her eyes land on me, wide with a reverent kind of confusion. "What was that? In that last second... what technique did you use? That power... it was like a geyser!"

I shrug, wincing at the pain the motion sends through my shoulder. "Nothing. I just got really pissed off and hit you."

Koujin's jaw drops. She looks utterly betrayed. "I lost... because you got pissed? At the cheering? B-Because of some [Tsunryuken]?!"

"... don't ever use that term again," I tell her, ignoring the heat rushing to my cheeks.

We shuffle back into the wrecked apothecary. The old shopkeeper, Hikaru, is now sitting on a rickety wooden chair, slowly clapping his gnarled hands.

"Splendid show!" he croaks, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Now, for the bill. The Celestial Paper, 80,000 yen. The Guizhou Cinnabar, 120,000. The Thunder-Struck Peachwood, 200,000. And the Millennium Ginseng Ash... 500,000 yen. Each."

Alyona starts reaching for her wallet, and I shoot my hand out, stopping her.

"Wait."

The battle isn't over yet.

I step forward, and so does Mei.

"Bulk discount," I state flatly. "Thirty percent off."

The old man scoffs. "Absurd."

Mei smoothly takes over. "Grand-mama sends her regards. She mentioned you still owe her for the incident with the corrupted Mandrake root. We'll consider forty percent off as repayment."

His eyes narrow. "That hag...! That was ten years ago! Twenty-five percent, no more, no less!"

"Thirty-five," I counter. "We gave you a live martial arts demonstration too."

Mei nods. "A priceless display in this modern age. I dare say we should bring it back to forty."

He sputters, his face turning a satisfying shade of purple. "You call wrecking the hallway a display?! Extorters! I should be calling the police instead of entertaining you!"

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty."

"Thirty."

"Twenty-five."

We volley numbers back and forth until I play my last card.

"Thirty," I snap, gesturing to the splintered doorframe and cracked walls. "And I'll also get someone in here to fix all the damage we caused. No charge. Final offer."

Hikaru glares at me, then at Mei, then back at the destruction. Yeah, you think I don't know what kind of landlord this run-down building probably has? You won't be able to walk normally here for a few months, and most customers dragging their feet here will want to turn back as soon as they see the destruction.

Finally, the old man lets out a long, wheezing sigh.

"... deal," he grumbles, looking utterly defeated as Mei and Alyona count their bills. "You drive a hard bargain, brats. Now take your ingredients and get the hell out of my shop."

The precious components are carefully divided and stashed into separate plastic bags. Sukemori takes them, hiding them in her outfit's bottomless pockets. We all filter out into the splintered wreck of the hallway.

"Which is closer?" I ask Mei. "Enkou-ji or your granny's place?"

"Enkou-ji. We can prepare my share of the talismans there and distribute them to those in need afterward."

"Fine by me—"

As we walk through the hallway, a cold hand tugs on my haori.

"Boss," Dawn whispers, her voice a thin thread. Her eyes are wide, dazed, barely even looking at me.

She tugs again, and I lean closer, my ear close to her lips. "... what is it?"

"An ambush is coming."

"... what?"

She hesitates, her brow furrowing. "I... can't explain it beyond a pattern forming throughout the entire day... a gut feeling, in your words."

A gut feeling? From Dawn?

"Everyone, hold up," I snap, my voice low but cutting through the murmurs. "Dawn is sensing something. There might be an enemy waiting for us outside. In this... night-time [Bleeding zone]."

Alyona's eyes narrow. "We need to scout, then. Let's go to the rooftop."

No one argues. We collectively turn around, climbing the staircases instead of descending.

Another hand tugs on my haori.

"Hold still," Alyona commands, her voice layered with an echo of power. "This will only be a stopgap."

I let her pull me and a still-wobbly Koujin aside. Her form shimmers, the frills of her magical-girl [Idolon] replacing her uniform.

She places a hand on each of our shoulders, and a warm, soothing energy flows into my bruised muscles and aching bones, turning the sharpest pains into a dull throb.

"..."

Dawn watches us, blinking slowly. Then, her own form shimmers, dark, armored plates encasing her. She places a hand on Alyona's back, and a subtle pulse of energy washes from her through us. Alyona's power surges, the warmth intensifying, knitting together the deeper aches. A moment later, the sensation fades.

I flex my arm, running a tongue over my lip. The split skin is sealed, the movement is smooth instead of painful.

"Thanks," I grunt at them.

"Appreciate it," Koujin adds, rolling her newly functional shoulder with a grin.

We reach the top floor. The door to the rooftop is sealed with a heavy, rusted padlock. Mei steps forward, probably ready to kick it down, but I put a hand on her arm.

"Dawn."

She crouches by the lock, armored fingers not losing a bit of dexterity. There's a series of barely audible clicks, and the padlock clatters to the floor. She pushes the squeaky metal door open onto the windy, open rooftop.

The night air hits us, cold and thick with the static charge of the city-wide [Bleeding Zone]. One by one, the rest of them flicker and shift. Sukemori picks up her head with her newly manifested arms. Renka hunches slightly from her new height, white plates solidifying over her frame. Itsuki flares his twelve wings, and Mei steps away from him, her form swallowed in flames.

I stride to the edge of the roof, the wind whipping at my hair. Behind me, she is already there, kanabou held tight, blue eyes scanning the darkness.

Dawn falls into place on my right. A moment later, Alyona takes up position on my left, her brow furrowed.

"What, precisely, are we supposed to be looking for?" she asks, tight with impatience.

Dawn pointedly avoids her gaze.

I let out a short breath. "It was more of a gut feeling."

Alyona makes a sound of pure exasperation. "A gut feeling? We are basing our entire tactical position on—"

"Trusting a subordinate's instincts is the mark of a good leader," Koujin declares, appearing on Alyona's other side and nodding sagely.

I'm about to praise her for already being a good addition when I notice it.

Her [Idolon] isn't out. "Oi. Get ready."

She blinks.

"Ah. My [Idolon]'s the type that consumes my life force just by being summoned," she explains, her eyes still scanning the streets below. "I'm waiting for the battle to start."

"... alright."

I turn back to the view. The residential area is quieting down. Shopkeepers are closing their stalls, people are hurrying home, trying to beat the encroaching dark. Below, nothing is out of place... for a [Bleeding Zone], anyway. There's only that constant, supernatural weight in the air, growing heavier with each second as we near the twilight hour.

Maybe Dawn was wrong—

Acrid. Metallic.

My nose twitches. A twitch in my link with [Simply Red]. She's sniffing the air, and I find myself doing it too, our sensations synching.

"You guys smell that?" I ask. "Something burning?"

Koujin shrugs. "Probably Mei's—"

"It is the smell of [Death]."

The voice is new, high-pitched, dry, and coming from right behind us.

We spin. At the center of the rooftop, a massive cat stands on two legs, black fur wreathed in pale blue flames. Its eyes are molten pits. Its fire gives off no heat, only that terrible smell of char and decay.

"I am [Hakagoshi]," the [Kasha] purrs, the embers on its paw crackling. "Forty-fourth of [Nurarihyon]'s Hundred. Here to collect the dead in this fine evening."

"[Simply—"

A devastating impact slams into my gut.

The last thing I see is Alyona's face, her blue eyes wide with absolute, horrified shock, her arm still outstretched from hitting me. Then, there's nothing but the rushing wind and the ground six stories down.

"—Red]!"

A crimson blur plummets past me. [Simply Red] swerves, her massive arms snatching me out of the air. Wind whips around her as she uses her own momentum to swing us in a wide, gut-wrenching arc, sending us soaring back onto the rooftop. She lands with a heavy thud and unceremoniously flings me onto the concrete.

I skid to a halt, my freshly healed body already screaming in protest. I look up in time to see [Simply Red] teleport-tackle the [Kasha] in a burst of white and red, her kanabou connecting with a satisfying crunch that sends the demon cat stumbling back.

In that split second of distraction, Sukemori and Itsuki move. Her knives and his sword flash, severing the faint, shimmering threads I can now see attached to Alyona and Koujin's limbs. The two girls stagger, control returning to their bodies.

Four bodies charge at the [Yokai], but it blurs out of sight, reappearing between Alyona and Koujin and throwing up its charred paws.

The two jerk in place before growing rigid, fists and weapons aimed at us again.

"Now, now. No more sudden moves. As you can see... we have human shields."

We?

My eyes dart from the [Kasha] to the streets below.

On the lampposts and shop awnings, half a dozen smaller [Yokai] gain physical form. The two-tailed [Nekomata] perch, paws weaving intricate patterns in the air. They're holding hostages. A salaryman, a woman with groceries, a couple of teenagers, all of them are being jerked around in a grotesque, impromptu dance. Crowds are starting to gather, laughing and pointing, thinking it's some weird trend.

"To think I had to throw myself at a nest of [Awakened] to get this opening..." the [Kasha] sighs. "Am I losing my touch? Was the intel wrong? I was told you had no scouts."

"..."

... shit. There's too many, and they're too spread out. Even if [Simply Red] could pull off some crazy consecutive teleporting... it's too much of a gamble. I won't risk any one of them dying, even if I get the other five safe and sound.

... but with her authority over time, and a bit of help from Sukemori, maybe Dawn...!

"..."

She notices my look and shakes her head slightly. Then, a subtle tap on her sword's pommel.

... she's also on the same boat. Too risky.

[Hakagoshi] looks around at our stony faces and huffs. "Fine, don't answer. But you know the drill. Give up the Marked among you, or the humans die."

I have to buy time. Time for Dawn to charge up.

"Are you stupid? Outta all the people you could go after, you pick the ones Marked? Did [Fushihara] not give you the memo on what it does or something?"

"Do not mistake me for a fool, girl. We all felt [Fushihara]-sama's summoning. We all sensed impending [Death] over this city. But it is my duty to fetch those fated to die for his temple."

It shifts its paws. Alyona and Koujin step forward under her invisible strings, their faces scrunched in frustration.

"And that includes those who think themselves clever enough to cheat [Death]."

"So... number Forty-four only gets you courier duties?" I ask, and the smirk on my face is genuine.

"Must be rough," Itsuki says, catching onto my plan.

"No wonder you started venting right after your arrival," Mei agrees. "Were you not a [Yokai], I'd pity you."

A grotesque vein throbs on the demon's face. It flicks a wrist.

"Nyahahaha!"

The tabby [Nekomata] cackles shrilly, the strings in its paws ignited with pale blue fire. The man below keeps dancing, blissful, unaware, smiling as the flames sizzle against his skin and clothes.

Dammit... I pushed too far...!

"I am trying to be generous here," the [Kasha] hisses over the crowd's laughter. "I could be killing them one by one until you give up. Instead, I am giving you a lesson on the [Necessity of Death]. Now, for the quiz. The Marked? Or the riffraff? Which must live?"

My hands clench into fists. "Both."

[Hakagoshi]'s paw twitches to give the order, but it freezes mid-air. Its entire body locks up, trapped in a pocket of distorted time.

In that frozen moment, Renka steps forward.

"I tire of this endless prattling over Necessity," she murmurs, yet her voice carries past the rooftop and onto the streets, where the [Nekomata] also find themselves rooted. "If you [Yokai] truly wish to teach us, then it's time for a practical demonstration."

The shape of a single eye shines through her white helmet.

"Fall under our jurisdiction. [Jump Into This Era]."

Blinding white swallows the world.

The gritty rooftop, the night sky, the city lights, all vanish.

I step on the serene, stone-paved path leading up to Enkou-ji Temple.

The [Kasha] and all its [Nekomata] are here with us, stumbling in confusion under Renka's twilight bathed [Dream].

"... [Hakagoshi]-sama, what was that you were saying about wrong intel?" An orange-furred [Nekomata] daringly asks.

"Watch your tone," a striped one says. "[Hakagoshi]-sama clearly isn't at fault here."

"N-No one is saying that! Cease putting words in my mouth, bootlicker!"

"Are you two trying to make us look weak in front of the mortals...?"

"Looking weak is your natural state, they don't need to try—"

"Quiet, fools!" the [Yokai] snaps at its subordinates, taking a calculated step back.

The threat of hostages, the puppeteered humans, are gone... including Alyona and Koujin.

"Renka, where are—"

BANG!

"Argh!"

I get my answer in the form of a sniper bullet tearing a [Nekomata]'s arm from its socket.

Bullets rain down from some unseen vantage point in the Shrine Network, stitching a line of destruction through the pack of confused [Yokai].

The [Awakened] charge. Mei is a blur of motion, Itsuki takes to the air. Sukemori's many arms are a whirlwind of blades.

[Simply Red] lunges forward with a roar, and I turn to Renka, who stands serene amidst the chaos.

"The [Kasha] holds authority over the Marked," she explains calmly, her single eye tracking the battle. "That is how it can reach them with such blinding speed, and overcome their innate resistance with puppetry. It was not safe to leave them exposed, so I hid them within pockets of this [Dream]."

"Good thinking!" I tell her, charging after my [Idolon].

That orange-furred [Nekomata] leaps in my path.

"Foolish human! You think you can stand before my presence without your spiritual protect—NYAAA!"

A fist bursts from the stone below us, landing right in its groin and giving me plenty of time to sidestep its clumsy slash.

"Sorry!" Ever the honorable combatant, Koujin pulls down her arm.

I make sure to give the ugly cat another kick in the nuts to make up for her apology, then go back to my weapons.

"Sukemori!"

Gracefully twisting around a [Nekomata]'s fiery swipes, she tosses my bokken through the air without even a glance. My hands snap out, catching them mid-stride. We pincer the cat-demon, and it leaps to the air immediately, only to be skewered by Itsuki.

"Fall back!" I tell Sukemori. "Support Renka!"

She gives a sharp nod, disengaging to stand by the dream-weaver's side.

Now, the [Kasha]. We have to take it out first so everyone can give it their all.

"On the rooftops," Alyona's voice comes from nowhere and everywhere all at once, but it proves true.

There, scrambling from temple to temple, is [Hakagoshi], and Mei is in hot pursuit.

"[Simply Red]!"

In a flash of intent, we're there with her, flanking the fleeing demon.

Mei closes in from the front.

The Oni swings from behind.

I slash my bokken from the side, deliberately catching myself in its invisible thread to give them the opening they need.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAAAA!"

And yet, our opponent is still one of [Nurarihyon]'s Hundred. It twists and bends with supreme agility and flexibility, parrying and dodging the thousands of strikes, using the oni's wind to feed the flames scattering from its paws—

A sigil shines in the air.

I back off. [Simply Red] leaps in front of me, putting up a guard. But Mei doesn't care, her fist landing on the demon's gut as the sigil ignites.

BOOM!

"Ghhk...!"

Hundreds of melting pokers jam all over me. Following the heat, the force of the explosion courses from my other self, hurling us both from the rooftop.

"Ahh... hahh..."

I land on something small and soft, a pair of firm, cold hands taking in this overwhelming, soul-searing heat.

Blurry figures surround me and my savior.

"B-Behind..."

Dawn draws her sword. The [Yokai] freeze.

Her ensuing movements only register in my eyes as a series of key frames as we stutter through time.

When her blade clinks back onto its sheath, the [Nekomata] are left behind in shreds, not even knowing what happened.

And yet, more are still coming. How...? Weren't there only six of them...?

"ORA!"

Wind howls across the courtyard, sending a dozen more demon cats flying.

"ORA! ORA! ORA!"

[Simply Red], recovered and pissed, swings her kanabou in wide, furious arcs, but for every enemy she knocks away, two more leap at her.

They're duplicating. Weaker, fainter copies made from their [Yokai] arts, meant to stall us until this [Dream] expires.

"Renka! Cage them in!"

Reality shudders. Earth groans, and the serene mountain backdrop lurches toward us. Stony walls pen the swarming [Nekomata] from all sides.

Not enough! They can still walk on the walls!

I step away from my knight, pushing her toward my other self. "Dawn! Give [Simply Red] everything you have!"

Blank eyes fix on the oni, and her muscles bulge with impossible strength. She spins, slowly at first, then becoming a blur as a bubble of distorted time forms around her.

"ORA!"

"Ara?"

Renka notices us.

I see her spectral hands guiding [Simply Red]'s wind, weaving the elemental power we're generating into the [Dream]'s fabric.

The winds twists, tightens, erupting into a full-blown hurricane contained within the stone walls, leaving us within its eye. [Yokai] are ripped from their feet and sucked into the maelstrom, their weaker copies torn to shreds while the real ones swirl helplessly toward the top.

"Hahh..." I let out a breath, my knees hitting the stone path as I look up at the easy, spinning targets.

Alyona's rifle barks, picking them off one by one. Sukemori's knives fly in impossible arcs, finding their marks. Fiery slashes from Itsuki's sword cut through the whirlwind. It's a slaughter.

They try to retaliate, raining blue fireballs upon us. But Renka is ready. Pieces of the temples rise from their foundations, blocking the flames. Mei uses them, hopping between the floating architecture in search of close range combat.

Itsuki meets her mid-air, grabbing her arm. For one second, they fly together before he hurls her like a rocket at the heart of our enemies.

The [Kasha] snarls, avoiding the oncoming storm by hopping on air, no, an invisible web of strings.

It flips above Itsuki's swing—

BANG!

But a bullet pierces its shoulder.

WHAM!

Mei's fist meets its jaw.

SHNK!

Three knives pierce its side.

"ENOUGH!"

It swings a burning arm, missing its mark on...

No. It's... aiming for its ally?!

The [Nekomata] stiffens as its own leader puppeteers it.

"... I understand. F-For [Fushihara]-sama!"

The smaller [Yokai] bloats, growing from within before being flung down.

"GET DOWN!"

Out of the corner of my eye, [Simply Red] dashes for me.

The [Nekomata] glows. She will not make it.

I have to take this head on—

"...!"

Light. Heat.

Not fire on skin, but on my very soul, cooking me from the inside out. I must be screaming, but I can't hear it over the explosion's roar.

A second later, the rest of my body screams with me, bones cracking from the kinetic force. I'm flying again, but this time there's no one to catch me except the stone floor.

Once, twice, I bounce.

Vision returns, obscured by my hair. Blurry figures leat and fly at the center of the battlefield, the sounds of their struggle drowned by the ringing in my ear.

"Hff..."

Blood dribbles down my nose and lips, choking my breathing.

I try to get up. I fail, but eyes regain my focus in the struggle.

My allies are strewn around the broken dreamscape, easily recovering thanks to their [Idolon] forms. Mei and Itsuki are the exceptions. They're still fighting, surrounded, outnumbered, losing, but occupying the [Nekomata] and [Kasha]--

Molten eyes meet mine.

It's here. Right in front of me.

How—

"That little mystic was only half right," [Hakagoshi] tells me, its voice dripping with vile satisfaction. "My connection is not to the Marked. It is to those... close to death."

"Hrrk...!"

The world tilts forcibly, my ribs creaking in protest. Blood drips onto the floor. The acrid smell and floating ashes make everything blur with my tears.

I can't move away. I can't even scream.

I can only watch as my limbs move without my command.

I get up, and step forward.

I turn, facing my friends, my gang. All of them freeze in place as a sizzling claw presses against my throat.

"Nyahahahaha! Good going, [Hakagoshi]-sama!"

Itsuki and Mei freeze, lowering their hands as the remaining [Nekomata] close in.

[Hakagoshi] only spares laughter for my suffering, and my body turns toward Renka.

"A practical demonstration, was it? I would say you were almost successful. One underling's sacrifice was necessary for this outcome."

[Simply Red]!

"Oh, no, no, no."

I swivel again, this time facing my other self.

"I am onto your little trick now, beast," it hisses from behind me. "Your teleportation is restrained by line of sight. As long as I keep your wielder close, you cannot appear without barreling into her as well."

[Simply Red] snarls, her knuckles white on her kanabou, but she's trapped. We both are.

Dammit! It can't end like this! Not because of me!

"Now, as I was saying... even then, it doesn't matter. [Fushihara]-sama's death rites will restore any of our losses. The natural order still proclaims our victory, and your defeat."

A soft, dry chuckle follows the end of its monologue.

"I cannot believe you are falling for the same trick twice," Renka says.

"Stalling is to my favor now, human! The moment this domain expires, we will be free to prey upon the humans once more. Now. For all the Marked: reveal yourselves or this girl dies."

"Gladly."

BANG!

A wet thump rings out behind me.

I stumble forward against the slackening chords. Rage and pain fuel my turn as I clench a fist to follow-up on Alyona's opening.

Koujin is faster.

In a geyser of gravel, she rises with an uppercut that leaves the [Yokai] staring at the sky.

A wall of solid stone erupts between us, blocking our line of sight to the [Yokai] and leaving its threads fluttering in the air.

"Boss! Can you hear me?"

"Idiot! Quit standing so far from your [Idolon]!"

Several sets of hands grip my bleeding body. Sukemori spares a glowing palm to Alyona's shoulder, and the princess immediately channels that enhanced power into me.

"Ghk...!" I gasp as my fractured ribs reset, blood bursting from my lips.

Behind us, the sounds of battle have resumed.

Before us, the wall explodes.

"SENTIMENTAL FOOLS!" [Hakagoshi] shrieks, stepping over the debris. "You've only exposed yourselves!"

It swings at its closest opponent.

Koujin is faster.

No... she's in a different dimension entirely. This thing only got the jump on her before she Incarnated. Now? She flickers through time, seamlessly flowing past the strings and brutally countering. Jab, hook, grab, knee, every strike blows past the [Kasha]'s fiery guard until it's skidding back, breathing raggedly.

"How...? How is this human... matching me...?"

Its legs buckle, fur searing into the shape of... a butterfly?!

"You were wrong about your comrade's sacrifice."

Renka floats down beside us.

"In my [Dream], [Death] is impartial. Any [Yokai] that perishes in my presence... will not reform in the [Idea World]."

The Kasha looks down at the [Dream Death Mark]. For the first time, mortal fear shines in its demonic eyes.

"Hah... haha..."

For a moment, I can't help but laugh.

Then, I realize the coward is trying to flee.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAAAAAAAA!!!"

My will manifested, the Oni catches up with impossible speed, a similar laughter echoing from her chest as she lays every one of our frustrations upon the demon.

The [Kasha] explodes into blue embers... no, it's splitting up again!

"Don't let up! [Simply Red]!"

She flies from one fleeing copy to the next, her kanabou destroying each illusion with a single thunderous blow.

Koujin darts in an opposite direction, freezing them in time and picking them off.

Bang! Bang!

Alyona fires at the stragglers, her other hand still pressed against my stomach, knitting my internal damage.

But it's still not enough. My hurricane died when I almost did, and the remaining [Nekomata] are following their leader, flooding the [Dream] with their own illusory arts once again.

For every copy we destroy, five more take its place.

"Da—"

"Dawn!" Alyona barks before me. "Enhance [Simply Red] again!"

The red vortex starts anew...

Wait, that's not a hurricane!

It's a whirlpool! The screeching [Yokai] and their copies are dragged towards her whirlwind, clustering together for our final attack.

... But that's also leaving her open. Don't be so reckless because Alyona is healing me, you dumb Oni!

Tens of paws light with a fire that refuses to be snuffed out, striking for the elementalist at the center of it all.

Somehow, even as she spins in sped-up time, I can see her next move.

"Ehe~!"

She winks and sticks out her tongue.

Then, she drops. Spinning turns into drilling, and she vanishes into a pocket of the [Dream] Renka must have opened earlier.

Unhesitating, the [Awakened] move as one. Bullets, knives, pieces of the [Dream], everything flies at the [Yokai] cluster in one last struggle.

"YOU WRETCHES!" the real [Kasha] shrieks from within the howling wind. It swings a paw, and one of its own [Nekomata] is yanked by invisible strings.

Again?!

"Get do—Itsuki, no!"

His sword flashes, severing the strings before the bomb can be primed... fully.

He doesn't flinch, doesn't dodge. His [Idolon] is swallowed by a smaller explosion.

That... idiot! What kind of dumbass sees a freshly armed bomb and tries to cut all the wires?!

Mei and Koujin dart forward to cover him. But [Hakagoshi] is using its own allies as shields, yanking two [Nekomata] into their path. Knives and bullets sink into their furry bodies with sickening thuds, and they let out piteous, weeping wails as the martial artists wail on them.

"[Hakagoshi]-sama...! Why...?!"

The [Kasha] ignores it, looking up at our shocked expressions. Even I find myself rooted in place.

I thought the first one was willing. That it sacrificed itself for its commander. But this... I knew [Yokai] treat human lives as livestock... and yet...

"Don't look at me with those pitiful eyes!" the [Hakagoshi] roars, forcing its subordinates to face us. "Unlike you humans, I can accept the [Necessity of Death] when it's thrust upon me! I shall deliver you all to [Fushihara]-sama, as is my duty! Even if my own have to die for it! And your softness, your weakness, your unwillingness... they spell your defeat!"

"You'll die with your ilk, honorless cur!" Mei roars, charging forward with Koujin.

It swings both paws. Four flaming [Nekomata] are torn from the cluster, screaming in terror as they rocket in every direction of the dream.

Their time is slowed, their bodies are torn apart by all manner of projectiles, but it's too late. They've already crossed the threshold between creature and bomb that Itsuki had tried to cut off earlier.

All we can do is watch as they slowly bloat, glowing ever brighter as the remnants of the [Dream] try to form shells around them.

"Ora!"

[Simply Red] erupts before me, massive red arms spread wide, ready to protect me this time, shielding Alyona who is still pressed against my side.

I try to step away so she can raise up her guard, but her arm is a vise around me.

Our eyes meet.

What are you doing? Off to kill yourself after I healed you again?

That's probably what she'd say if she had the time.

"... Wha—"

The world ends before she can confirm it.

The light is not white. It is an atomic blue that burns through my eyelids and brands my soul. Total annihilation screams infinitely around me, sublimating my bones...

... everything I am...

... everything I was...

... it all seems very distant...

... my spirit is fraying, tearing at the edges like burning paper...

"..."

"..."

Still... still, I'm alive.

It's... strange, though.

The heat so far has only affected my soul. All the damage to my body has been from the resulting impact.

So why is it so warm?

Oh...

It's her. Alyona, still by my side, breathing softly.

At least, it should be her. These are her colors... I can't see very well right now.

I must be pressed tightly against her to even notice this much. And these fading red blurs must be my [Idolon], curled around both of us, her broader frame lying on its side, our final shield even as her form flickers.

Somewhere out there, I can still hear the struggle. The grunting and screaming, the clashing of swords and the meaty impact of fist on flesh.

But I can't move yet.

Slowly, my vision returns.

Renka's [Dream] is gone. We're back on the rooftop.

"Uhhh..."

[Simply Red] lets out a low, pained groan and rolls onto her back, her massive form flickering like a dying candle. The movement gives me enough space to crawl out from her arms.

My own body screams in protest, every nerve ending raw.

Across the rooftop, the final act is playing out. The bodies of my allies are scattered all around. The [Nekomata] are nothing more than pitch black ashes.

And yet, they still fight.

Itsuki, Mei, and Koujin swarm the Kasha in a desperate, close-quarters dance. But the Yokai is a whirlwind of blue flame and razor claws, outmaneuvering them all. The debilitating curses from Dawn and Sukemori have faded, and without them, it's a slaughter. Its molten gaze flicks past the fighters, landing on me.

"...!"

Nothing happens.

Ah... it was projecting on me earlier. Its teleportation needs an unobstructed line of sight, same as mine. And right now, there's a living, bleeding wall between us. It can't get a clean shot.

But they're dying for it.

Every swing of Itsuki's sword is accompanied by a fresh splatter of blood from the deep gashes covering his body. Koujin is a phantom wreathed in white smoke, far slower than before, her [Idolon]' self-destruction only sped up by her burning soul. Mei's [Idolon] also flickers violently, dark patches dissolving to reveal raw, burnt skin beneath.

I have to help.

I try to push myself to my knees, but my arms buckle.

There's nothing left. [Simply Red] took the brunt of the explosion, but the backlash has scorched my soul to a crisp. Not even [Aramasa] is here, buzzing in the back of my skull.

It's all... empty. A hollow, burnt-out shell.

"... hey," I rasp, shaking Alyona's shoulder. "Hey... wake up... please...! I need one more boost. I need... I need you...!"

She doesn't stir. Her face is pale, waxy. And her breaths... they're getting shallower. Fainter.

My eyes fly across the rooftop. Sukemori is down in a heap, her many arms still. Renka is slumped against a ventilation shaft, unconscious. Dawn is a still, dark shape near the rooftop door.

The other three are still fighting for their lives.

There's no one but me.

I crawl closer to Alyona. First aid. What do I even remember about first aid? Something from a TV show? Something I didn't pay attention to in the nurse's office?

Chest compressions? Are her ribs fine? Would I just push them into her lungs? How hard do I push? How fast?!

... I don't know what to do.

I only know how to fight or to tell other people to fight for me. These useless, bloodied palms can only hover above her chest.

But I promised, right? I have to help them. Alyona, Madoka, the Marked.

If I only know how to fight, then I'll fight for her life.

"Hahh... hahh..."

I'll give her my energy. The same thing Koujin did to me with her [Water]-aligned Qi, now on purpose.

But Alyona... she's never cultivated a day in her life. My violent, demon-reforged energy... what would it do to her? Can it even reach her unused pathways? How can I safely give her the breath of my life...

... breath of life.

A second [Wind].

"[Simply Red]! Get up!"

Form flickering violently, she obeys, staggering up, then gently, ever so gently laying Alyona on the roof.

I grab her cold, limp hands. The sounds of battle die. Wind picks up around us, a gentle vortex centered on our joined hands.

Softer... gentler... I don't need that shearing wind that can only destroy... I need to keep her breathing! My [Idolon] has absorbed a piece of her power, after our first battle. A sliver of her other self is tangled up in mine... if I can't push my Qi inside her, then let this, at least...!

Her nostrils flare at the sudden entrance. Her chest rises, falls, rises again in a deeper, shuddering breath. Then, she exhales in a forceful huff.

I keep pushing. Reinforcing her breathing with my element.

"... huh?"

... it's... glowing. Tiny, shimmering motes of gold, like scattered pollen or divine dust, swirl within the air current.

It washes over me, a vibrant warmth that seeps into my scorched soul. The numbness recedes, replaced by a throbbing, alive pain.

And Alyona... she's also healing! The deep gash on her arm knits itself together before my eyes.

Her eyelids flutter. Blue eyes, hazy with confusion, focus on my face, then dart around at the swirling, golden wind, at [Simply Red] kneeling beside us.

"The battle's still going," I tell her. "I... we... everyone needs you."

"..."

Her hands clench on mine. She nods, once, and pushes herself up.

"Gather the fallen," she commands, regaining her steel as she takes in the battlefield. "I will attempt to revive Renka."

Right. I push myself into standing, this new, strange, golden wind still coursing around me.

[Simply Red] follows me as I kneel near Sukemori. I grab her hands, gently, and focus again.

"Hahh... hahh..."

A red hand stops me from dropping to all fours. My own breath catches in my throat, turning shallow and ragged. The golden dust is flowing into Sukemori... but it's no longer with me.

It's not unlimited. Of course it's not. These are the dregs of our life force. Sharing too much means I'm left invalid again. Alyona must have taken the absolute limit of what I could give without collapsing.

Sukemori is still limp in my grip.

I... would gladly give this maid every last gasp of mine.

But... everything about this new power is conjecture on my part. All I know is that it was born from [Simply Red]'s elemental control. If we collapse, if I lose concentration, wouldn't it fade like that hurricane?

Wouldn't Alyona lose her breathing again?

I scoop Sukemori into my arms.

[Simply Red] steps away, doing the same with Dawn.

We meet Alyona beside Renka. She has her hands on the mystic's forehead, a soft glow emanating from her palms, but Renka remains utterly still, her breathing barely a whisper.

"It's not working..."

"She's too spent after that [Dream]." It also happened back at our first battle.

Alyona stirs at my words, looking down at our comrades before turning her healing light on Sukemori and Dawn. Under her touch, their ragged breathing evens out, settling into a steady, deep rhythm. But their eyes remain closed. They don't stir.

"That is all we can do for now," Alyona says, her gaze already turning back to the fight. "The living need us."

I nod, my own weakness making the motion feel heavy.

We lay our unconscious friends in a sheltered corner of the rooftop.

Then, our sights return to the jagged skyline.

Itsuki, Mei, and Koujin are still locked in their deadly dance with the Kasha, a whirlwind of flame and steel leaping from one rooftop to another. They've managed to drive it away from us, but they can't land a finishing blow.

"[Simply Red]."

My Oni scoops me up again. Alyona's form shimmers, her [Idolon]'s armored boots granting her the agility to keep pace. We leap, the world a dizzying blur of falling and catching, until we land on a rooftop closer to the fray.

"We need to trap it again," Alyona says, rifle materializing in her hands. "An enclosed space."

"I have something. Aim for the windows when it gets to the next building."

My other self lets me down on a ledge, vanishing in a burst of wind.

I cup my hands around my mouth, my voice raw but carrying across.

"PIN IT DOWN! ONE SECOND IS ENOUGH!"

Itsuki and Koujin react instantly, lunging forward for [Hakagoshi] limbs from opposite sides, forcing it into our path.

It whips around at my blatant declaration, eyes locking onto Alyona as she takes aim. With a contemptuous flick, it yanks Mei with its threads, using her as a shield, and falling for the feint!

"Ora!"

Directly beneath it, two massive, crimson hands burst through the rooftop. [Simply Red], having darted inside the building, grabs the demon by its ankles and violently drags it down with her.

BANG!

Then, Alyona pulls the trigger.

Through the window of the building across the street, I see the [Kasha]'s flaming outline stagger, but not much else.

Syncing with [Simply Red] only gives me flashes of sensation. The faint, acrid smell of oil paint and piny turpentine.

An artist's studio. Mei, Koujin, and Itsuki are already on the move, scaling down the building's wall with supernatural agility and darting through windows.

Alyona lowers her smoking Dragunov, her expression grim. "I cannot get another clean shot from here."

She turns to me and offers her hand.

I clasp it on instinct. "Ain't a piggyback better? It'd keep your hands free to—"

My words dissolve into a yelp as I lose my footing. She's swept me off my feet, one arm under my knees, the other supporting my back.

The wind whips past us as she leaps off, and a breathless laugh escapes me. "Is this some sort of payback for what I did at the [Flooding Zone]?"

"Hold on," is all she says, a faint blush on her cheeks.

I have to cling to her neck and shoulders as she shifts, holding me with a single arm. With her free hand, she pulls a pistol and fires twice, shattering the rest of the window pane.

We soar through the empty frame and land inside with a soft thud, right next to a light switch.

I flick it on.

The [Kasha] nears death. Its fur is slashed and matted, blue flames guttering. It's not even trying to counter anymore, desperately scrambling across paint-splattered tarps and knocked-over easels, using bursts of fire and fleeting copies to delay the four combatants harrying it.

Its molten eyes land on us. In a flash of blue embers, it teleports, appearing right in front of us, claws extended.

Alyona is ready, shoving the barrel of her weapon against the [Yokai]'s chest.

It's no longer a pistol, but instead a sleek shotgun.

BANG!

The blast throws it backward, directly impaling it into Itsuki's waiting sword. Before it can even scream, [Simply Red] flips over him, kanabou coming down in a devastating overhead smash onto the demon's head. She lands in a crouch beside me, weapon over her shoulder, making a peace sign with her free hand.

Mei and Koujin close the circle, stopping on the Yokai's right and left, their bodies settling into final, ready stances.

It's over.

"Halt..." [Hakagoshi] gasps, its form flickering weakly on the stained floor. "Heed... my words."

It struggles to lift its head. "That fake mark... has vanished. My death here... meaningless. [Fushihara]-sama will restore me. I will return... and next time, I will come with the knowledge of all your abilities... your styles... your weaknesses."

It looks from face to face, eyes wide with desperation.

"Let us strike a deal... let me go, and I will keep quiet. I shall pretend this was an overwhelming defeat on my side, with no chance to glimpse at your powers."

Mei steps forward. "If your rebirth is as inevitable as you claim, why do you beg to avoid [Death]?"

The Kasha lets out a wet, gurgling laugh. "Dying... is still agony, little girl. And the return... [Fushihara]-sama is not the only one who influences that domain. A journey through [Izanami]'s realm... it is a torment I would gladly avoid."

Letting it go is out of the question.

But... if we can get it more desperate... if we can get it to prove its sincerity...

"Forget keeping quiet," I snap, cutting through its pathetic whining. "How about you spill everything? [Nurarihyon]. His Hundred Demons. His Heavenly Kings. Their biggest strengths. Their fatal weaknesses."

Kasha's face twists into a grotesque, delighted smile. "Oh? Ambitious! You wish to start with [Fushihara]-sama, I presume? After all, our functions are so... intertwined."

... what? It can't be that easy—

"Deal," Alyona answers for me icily.

"Wait—"

"Of course, of course!" the [Yokai] purrs. "Now, listen closely. [Fushihara], Fourth of [Nurarihyon]'s Hundred Demons.—"

The air grows thick, charged with a gathering presence. With every word the [Kasha] speaks, the pressure builds.

"—A [Jikininki], possessed by the power of a [Shinigami]. The [Undead] who begets [Death]—"

Click.

I hear the studio's door swing open.

It's...

"M-Madoka?"

Not just Madoka. [Kukurihime]. Her fox mask is in place, her shrine maiden robes pristine, and her presence is an anchor of serene authority.

How? Wasn't she supposed to be at the temple?!

A low, ominous hum vibrates through the floorboards, the paint cans rattling on the shelves.

"—he resides in a temple of bleached bone, deep within the [Sea of Tranquility], where the souls of the—"

"Don't!" she commands, her voice powering past the Kasha's tale. "Do not take its deal! If it is allowed to spin a narrative about one of the Hundred, it can use the tale itself as a chant to summon their influence!"

"[Simply Red]!" I bark.

"[Kukurihime]! You meddling—!"

The [Kasha]'s snarl dies against the kanabou's thick handle.

Madoka steps fully into the room, her gaze fixed on the trapped [Yokai]. "They do not fear death of the spirit, but of the body. When we [Awakened] consume their remains to strengthen our [Idolons], that power has to come from somewhere... thus, their essence is weakened in return. If this one is resurrected, not only will it face punishment for its failure, but it will be reborn weaker. Its demotion within the Hundred's hierarchy would be all but assured."

"I see..." Alyona sighs, not meeting her eyes. "So, let us kill it and get it over with."

"Don't be rash again, Alyona-chan," Madoka chides, wagging a glowing finger. "If I draw the wards first, we can speak without danger."

"No way!" I tell her. "We can figure it out without putting you in danger. Seriously, how did you even get here?"

Mei raises a hand. "I may be able to draw something similar—"

"Hrkkk!"

Our eyes snap to [Hakagoshi]. It thrashes violently against the sword still impaling its chest, looking wildly between Madoka and us.

It knows it's over. There will be no deal. No clever escape. Only interrogation, and a weakened, shameful return.

With a terrible, grinding sound of tearing spirit-flesh, it destroys its own heart.

A look of final, agonized resignation crosses its features before its body dissolves into a pile of cold, blue-tinged ashes.

It chose a clean death over betraying its masters.

No... it sacrificed its subordinates without a second thought. It feared retaliation, not dishonor.

One by one, the fight leaves us. Mei and Koujin's [Idolons] flicker and vanish, leaving them sitting on the floor. Alyona is already moving to them, her hands glowing as she begins the slow work of patching up Itsuki's brutal gashes.

I ignore my screaming muscles and the churning in my gut, striding over to Madoka. [Kukurihime] is gone, her robes replaced by her school uniform. She's pale, swaying on her feet.

"What the hell are you doing here?! Actually, how are you even here?!"

"I felt it... my mark... it resonated with that thing's appearance all the way from the temple. I tried calling. Texting. Nothing went through. I was so worried..." She gestures vaguely toward the street. "So I called Fumiko. Told her she had to bring me."

[Simply Red], ever perceptive, gently scoops Madoka into her arms before her legs can give out.

"You," I seethe, pointing a trembling finger at my best friend, "are going back to the temple right now. And Fumiko is so getting punched."

She tries to puff out her cheeks, tries to put on a tough act.

"I'm fine, Momo! I got to rest while everyone else was..."

The words dissolve into a fit of wet, rattling coughs.

"[Simply Red], the table!" I snap. My Oni lays her down carefully on a large, cluttered worktable. I'm at her side in an instant, fussing with her collar, checking her pulse.

"Alyona! Help!"

She's here in a flash, her hands pressing against Madoka's chest, a soft light emanating from her palms.

"Sorry..." Madoka whispers, her eyes struggling to focus on me. "Came all this way... for nothing. You had it... handled..."

"That's not true," I say, the admission rough in my throat. "We would've fallen for that last trick. You saved us. Again."

The healing isn't working. Madoka's color isn't improving. Her breathing remains shallow.

I slide my arms under her back and knees, lifting her into my arms. She's so much lighter than usual, just like back in the sewers.

I walk to the broken window and scan the street below. There. Fumiko, leaning against her bike, her face torn with worry.

I leap out the window.

The ground rushes up, but a controlled gust of wind from [Simply Red] cushions our fall, guiding us gently onto the pavement. People on the street stare, mouths agape, but their shock is background noise.

I stride over to the bike, still holding Madoka. "Scoot over."

"But—"

"NOW!"

She scrambles forward. I climb on behind her, squeezing Madoka between our bodies, holding her tight against me.

"You...!" I snarl at the driver over Madoka's head.

"I couldn't tell her no!" Fumiko fires back, her voice cracking. "You would have done the same if she asked you, and you know that!"

"You're supposed to be smarter than me!"

"I'm... fine..." Madoka whispers. Her head lolls against my shoulder.

Panic, cold and absolute, obliterates everything else. "Madoka?"

I lift her off the bike, cradling her in my arms on the sidewalk. Her eyes are closed. Her chest is still.

The battle is over. The [Yokai] are dead. My friends are safe.

So I pour everything I have left into her. All of the golden dust, the breath of my own life, the second wind I awakened. I push it into her, not caring if it empties me out, if it turns me to dust.

If it stops working when I collapse, and my gamble fails, that's fine. At least I tried...

"Hahh... hah..."

The world turns grey at the edges, my own breath becoming a shallow gasp.

Her eyelids flutter. She blinks, her confused, beautiful lilac eyes looking up at me.

"Hahh... I'll tell you two off... later..."

The darkness swallows me whole.

...

...

...

I awake... somewhere else.

The world is hazy.

I'm propped against the rough bark of a tree.

A gentle stream flows a few feet away, but the sound of the water is wrong, a thick, gurgling slurp. The air is thick and cloying, and it smells... it smells of blood, old and fresh alike, a metallic tang that coats the back of my throat and makes me choke.

From the woods, my other self steps out, as she tends to do in my dreams.

... her clothes... they're different than usual. Her eyes... they're no longer blue, but instead the color of fire, with slit pupils that suck the light around them.

She doesn't wield her kanabou, and she doesn't wear her uniform, but instead tattered, bloodstained rags.

"Ah... it's you..."

Her fangs flash in a bloodthirsty grin.

Greetings, vessel. I sincerely hope you enjoyed every moment of playing the heroine. It wouldn't do for you to live with regrets after I sculpt this lifeless body to my liking.