/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Knocking on the door…? Keine wouldn't knock; it's he—our home, duh. Suzu? No, she has a spare key. So whom?

I carefully put Aki and Kuramochi on their shared cradle, sparing a moment to finish the fire theater of horses—Aki focused on the smaller, horned horse, while Kuramochi cheered for the boisterous Don Quixote and his ill, limp horse. The winner was the cat-horse~—, following to the door, sweet smile replaced by neutrality.

Such neutrality soured immediately as I opened the door, went outside, and closed it behind me, the couple there stepping back, necks bending to look me in the eye. The man was a head shorter, the woman two and some change… I know her. I don't like her.

The flame inside my heart was already burning with perceived danger from Seija alone. Then, I recognized the symbols in their ridiculous uniforms and felt the magic chained to the man's wrist… The rage of Sparta, of the almighty phoenix born on such hallow ground, grew implacable inside my chest. "What do you want?"

"We're looking for Keine-sensei—is this her address still?" The man said in serene manner, despite Seija suddenly looking tense as hell, holding tight onto the handle of the wooden basket covered by a neat tarp she's carrying.

"Yes, it is. She's out to do groceries. What do you want?" My patience was running short, my heart was tingling with a battle song.

"I see. We'll wait for her—"

"She's my bride. Say what you want, then leave our home." I utter the lie, stepping closer to them.

Many break upon having me tower over them. The man remains poised—the dog I hadn't noticed earlier went from lowly growling to whimpering—, sprung out of stupidity or bravery; I couldn't care less. At least he makes an educated guess and fishes a letter from somewhere, exchanging a glance with the Amanojaku. "I'm deeply sorry if we're disturbing your peace, but this is really important—"

I ignored everything, focusing on the folded letter. A simple truth is swiftly noticed: There's evil in this letter. It makes my body shiver, eyes widen. Twisted consciousness, infecting the air with ailments worse than those machines of black sludge humans crafted before the rise of the Hakurei Barrier. Just imagining this filth in the presence of Aki, Kuramochi… The family I miraculously managed to build, the regrets I destroyed before the exodus of the universe…

I see what's happening here.

… I slowly look at them. The man shuts up, feeling it in the air. Seija also feels it.

Nothing will take away my family from me.

The letter is engulfed in flames of heavenly blue, making even rays of sunlight cast shadows. Not even ashes remain; the curse and grudge purged from the Samsara.

The man looks dumbstruck; Seija rushes to take his hand, pull him away from my righteous fury—

—she's engulfed in flames too.

Seija looks at her arms lit in blue, desperately swinging them to dispel the flames of rebirth—using her power to switch their state, too—but it's all for naught: killing a phoenix will only make it return stronger and angrier. She falls to the ground, rolling in anguish, screams echoing loudly. It prompts the man to recover a semblance of consciousness, trying to get away, but I pick him up by the neck, lifting him to the sun as if a sacrifice. The dog bravely tried biting my ankle; it also burst into punishing flames. "Why are you trying to poison Keine?! What does Yukari want from my family?! ANSWER ME!"

"S-S… ei…"

"She's not dying until I want her to die! Talk already!" Maybe it was a bad idea to ask him to talk while suffocating him, palms exuding burning heat and searing his skin, the Olympian flames rapidly creeping towards the bracelet as a means to destroy it. I loosen my grip, and his gasps for air bring me back a thousand years, when I stripped a man’s life away from him in similar manner.

That time I regretted everything: lust for power, fear of death, seeking approval…

Here, face contorted in pure anger and desire to protect my babies from the schemes of monsters, I don’t regret anything.

"Not Yukari! We're not here on Yukari!" In the background, Seija's cries get louder and louder, agonizing—the heat should be melting and popping her eyes like balloons anytime soon. "We don't mean… Harm!"

"LIAR! I felt the evil in that letter! You want to poison us?!" What if she somehow has discovered the existence of Kuramochi and Aki and is targeting them?! My loosened grip tightens, flames raging. "Does Yukari want Keine's power?!"

“N-No—” Instead, he whispers, a narrowly open eye looking at the flames about to consume the bracelet. “NO! N-Not the brac—"

"MOKOU!"

And, suddenly, it faded.

Seija wasn't on fire anymore, not a burn on her skin, same for the hound and the man, the latter panting hard and holding his trembling wrist, eyes on the bracelet—Seija rushed to him, catching his arm and looking closely at the cursed thing. They shared a breath of relief, as if parents that almost lost their child.

I looked at Keine. She was mad.