Chapter Eighty-Eight — Just Married
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TT__TT, I did receive 1-star outright today upon waking up so I guess that makes me very o_o whether this is a reaction to this particular chapter or no.

So since that collided like this today, I have to warn some people about this chapter's contents, even though like............. there are no twists in this chapter. At all. All the information about what happens here has been given to you already.

Yes, Neko reacts to Abihiko's proximity in a very certain way. I am unsure how much I should have repeated this because that's just how it is. Can he control himself well with that?

You tell me -- last time he almost murdered Abihiko on the roofs when they were close =_=.

The only twist in this chapter is that Neko actually DOES NOT kill him or hurt him, but you should have kinda expected that as well because a) it's a damn Boys LOVE story with Neko as MC and Abihiko as ML, b) I stated from the beginning that it is a Happy Ending.

If you really wanted him to murder Abihiko and were disappointed that it doesn't happen here.............¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I am very confused.

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Just Married

 

 

It was as though all the years and miseries and words and actions had been erased, leaving behind it only the connection that seemed impossible to break.

Abihiko's eyes had never changed. They were the same as always. Dark, veiled with half-lidded long eyelashes, in the perpetual look of arrogance that, years ago, Nekohiko had found so amusing. But behind this cold and smug attitude always hid warmth. His eyes were brown, close up, a gentle and precious hue.

The smile in them seemed so much brighter than the one on his lips.

Nekohiko watched him, feeling as though he was plummeting somewhere... dark and resentful. Somewhere he didn't want to go.

The Dark Sisterhood's mechanics hidden deep inside his body. They were already reacting to his proximity to Abihiko.

They wanted him to strike and hurt and kill.

Yet he told himself it was only his body's fault. Only his body's desire to strike and attack -- not his own. His Spirit was clear.

All it yearned for was to hear those words again, like years ago.

I will wait for you always.

If it takes you a year or five or ninety.

I will wait for you to come to me. Whenever you are ready.

Promise.

Nekohiko's fingers twitched, wanting to launch an attack spell. Yet he held it off -- just for a little bit longer.

"You came to me," Abihiko said at last, smiling. "I've waited for so long..."

And that did it.

The sound of his voice shot through Nekohiko's defenses, lighting up the peculiar strands of hatred that boiled inside him.

This same voice had told him... such cruel, vile things before its owner murdered him.

Nothing in the world would make him forget that.

"I cannot keep you waiting any longer then, can I?" Nekohiko whipped out his arms in the most destructive combination of Nagare and Hira he could assemble on such short notice.

Almost instantaneously. By reflex.

But Abihiko's reflexes were also fast.

He might be stunned to see him, but he still shot off the bed and to the side the moment the fiery ball of sizzling energy zapped at him.

He dove aside and rolled off the floor, already prepared for the next attack Nekohiko had launched. A Towa ice spear that shifted into a whip and missed Abihiko's face only barely as it sliced through the air.

Then a damn Utsuro Splitting spell meant to obliterate the entire section of the room where Abihiko had dared to escape to.

How was Nekohiko so angry he cast blindingly and without a single pause?

Why?

Nekohiko's hands flung around as though divorced from his own understanding, so mad he felt.

He just wanted to pound the hell out of Abihiko now.

So he did.

The room drowned out in the blazes and smoke and destruction.

"Why are you running, dear husband?" Nekohiko called, stepping over the broken rubble that was the tables and lounging chairs in front of their bed. Half of the bedroom was already destroyed, and wooden splinters, shards of glass, and fluff from the ripped curtains littered the ground. A few embers and snowflakes swirled in the air from the after-effects of the Hira and Towa spells, and the strands of mist and torn Binding energy clouded the corners of the room.

Hard to see. Hard to find the bastard now that he'd dashed outside of Nekohiko's immediate attacking range.

Nekohiko's wooden feet soles crunched the glass on the floor as he marched on through the room, turning his head to see the traces of Abihiko's presence.

CRACK.

A rafter beam beneath the ceiling snapped from the Hira spell that had slowly burned it through -- and crashed to the floor with a resounding rumble.

By sheer instinct, Nekohiko swept a destructive wave of the Towa coldsnap in that direction. He sprang backward, crouching to the floor. His pupils shrinking, his breath hitched. His reflexes poised for defense.

Expecting a counterattack any moment now.

After all, Abihiko was vicious and cunning. No doubt he would pull some sneak-attack on Nekohiko. So typical of him.

Nekohiko had to be alert. At all times.

"This is our wedding night, husband," Nekohiko hummed, eyes roving through the room to find him. "Shouldn't we spend it together? So very close and open and honest with each other?"

...

"Mmmm. How about no?" Abihiko's voice drawled from the next room, beside the doorway.

There he hid, the slippery bastard!

Nekohiko roared, smashing a pulverizing beam of Utsuro magic at the wall behind which Abihiko was standing. The power of the blast crushed the emerald surface with a ground-crushing force, sending the shock through the Emperor's private chambers.

The load-bearing wall. The ceiling above it split with a spiderweb of cracks and a clear echo of them fighting rolled through the halls and out into the inner garden.

"I mean, sorry for rejecting your offer -- but you don't seem in the mood, dear husband," Abihiko added, even cheekier than before.

Nekohiko seethed.

Not only had Abihiko survived that powerful blast, he was also quite in a merry disposition about it all?

"Oh, I am very in the mood," Nekohiko grumbled, grinning maniacally. "Come here to me, husband. Do not hide. Weren't you smiling at me so sweetly just a moment ago?"

From beyond the half-destroyed wall, Abihiko peeked out.

In the rock dust and the swaths of smoke in the room, Nekohiko saw him only barely -- half of Abihiko's face looking out as though intrigued or playful. One eye pinning into Nekohiko, and only one side of his lips, stretching out wide in the same pleased smile as before.

Abihiko was happy.

Yes, even in the middle of all these obliteration spells being flung at him every other minute -- he still clearly found it enjoyable rather than scary.

Nekohiko almost choked with rage.

He was still smiling?!

How dare you--? he almost wanted to cry out. Do you not understand that I actually do want to hurt you or even murder you?

How mad can you be? Do you not take me seriously at all?

"No asking me how come I am here instead of your sweet bride Sakami?" Nekohiko slowly advanced over the rubble, and Abihiko hid away again. "Not begging me to stop throwing my murder spells at you, My Lord? Not even learning from our meeting yesterday when I had thrust my blade inside you -- over and over again -- until you fainted?"

"Well, just those three meetings gave me plenty of understanding what kind of person you are," Abihiko replied, still sounding carefree. "I feel like I've known you since forever, My Lord. Like we're soulmates or something."

...

Like hell we are!

Nekohiko pounced at the break in the wall where he saw flickers of Abihiko's green robes. This time, he chose no mighty explosions to throw at him, but instead whipped a slender blade of ice out of thin air and dove at Abihiko. The ice hissed, cutting the barest threads off Abihiko's sleeve when he sidestepped to keep out of the way. Fluid, Nekohiko twisted it outward and struck again.

And again. And again!

A frenzy of strikes in a mad twirling and dashing at Abihiko to overwhelm him and bring him down.

To wipe that stupid smirk off his face.

Why do you keep smiling at me?! Stop it! How dare you! Nekohiko kept screaming in his mind, but only savage growls escaped his lips through gritted teeth.

But his tiredness from before showed. After all those Mirror Image spells and fighting with Sakami and Arata and the gruesome wedding rituals -- he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

The only way for him to go on was to fuel his motions with sheer rage. The Dark Sisterhood's magic gave him exactly that, whether he wanted it or not.

Abihiko, on the opposite -- seemed well-rested and battle-ready.

This obnoxious bastard easily evaded all of Nekohiko's strikes -- shifting aside, jumping, putting countless obstacles between them. Wardrobe chests, tea tables, bookshelves, room separators -- Abihiko escaped toward them and kicked them off at Nekohiko so that Nekohiko had to waste his time and energy to cut through them with his ice blade.

Splinters, rocks, cut fabrics blew all across the rooms from their insane rampage.

Yet Abihiko never attacked Nekohiko back. Never even parried his strikes.

This was so infuriating.

"Aaargh!" Nekohiko heaved, feeling the distinct shade of Binder's exhaustion creep up from deep within.

His body's wood felt straining, refusing to comply with his demands. If, for a human, the Binder's exhaustion manifested in illness and feebleness, then the wood simply stiffened, becoming far less agreeable.

No magic anymore, Nekohiko decided. He dispelled the Towa ice blade that drained his Binding energy with each strike. Yet he did not decrease the rage of his melee attacks on Abihiko. Only now he used his fists and legs to rush at him.

"Stop dodging me, you scum!" Nekohiko gasped when another of his roundhouse kicks failed to land.

Abihiko fled aside, through another hole in the wall Nekohiko had made earlier -- and into the bathing room with the serene pool inside.

Nekohiko followed after, only more excited.

Water. Good.

He could drown Abihiko there and not use any magic at all!

After another furious swing of his fists, Nekohiko kicked at Abihiko's knee, trying to trip him.

But as always, Abihiko avoided him easily.

"Dear husband, you seem tired," Abihiko said, worried. "Please don't strain yourself too much. We can just spend our first night normally and--"

"Rrrrrrrrragh!" Nekohiko rammed into him, and both toppled off the edge of the pool and into the water.

The water exploded around them, then swerved in Nekohiko's sight as the two of them plunged under the surface. His hold on Abihiko was firm and rough and he only wanted to strengthen it around his torso and throat. But then--

"Nekohiko! Nekohiko! What the hell is going on in there?!"

...

Aomi?

Submerged under the water, his hearing in the human dummy had faded enough that he could focus on his other bodies and what went on around them.

And in at least one of his other bodies -- something quite chaotic was going on!

Aomi was whisper-screaming at him in abject horror.

"What the two of you are doing there?! The entire Palace is shaking like there's an earthquake! Everyone is either joking about rough first nights or is concerned about the Emperor's safety!"

...

Couldn't these two things be the same concern, though?

Nekohiko wanted to dismiss her because -- it was no one's business what he and Abihiko did during their first night together -- but Aomi kept whispering on, scared out of her wits.

"Morokata is coming there to check on your two! And he does not look happy at all!"

...

Morokata.

Shit!

Nekohiko abandoned his dummy body in the pool, only caring about Aomi's words. His switch to another body was like whiplash to his senses.

The absolute calm and serenity of it astounded him.

Had he truly been that unexplainably angry at Abihiko back in his human form? Hells. He knew the Dark Sisterhood's magic must have influenced the way his emotions worked in that body -- but not to such a degree!

Now, without the surge of a powerful desire for vengeance and blood, he could think so much clearer. He felt... almost free from his fury here even though, deep inside, he still knew he was bitter toward Abihiko. Being murdered by a best friend hurt no matter how one looked at it and no matter how much time had passed or what motivations the said best friend had carried for that act.

But being bitter and becoming a rage-monster from hell were two colossally different things!

"Where is Morokata?" Nekohiko asked the moment he emerged in Aomi's hands inside a... ladybug dummy.

Oh. He'd almost forgotten about this one. But apparently Aomi hadn't. Very resourceful of her.

Aomi's brows furrowed. "What are you doing to my brother? Please tell me you're not hurting him! You know he didn't kill you on purpose, right?!"

...

Nekohiko wanted to give her a hard, cold glare for a few long minutes, but he was out of time.

"Morokata. Where is he?" he demanded.

Aomi had fled the dinner party and was now hiding in some niche in the side corridors leading out of the main hall. But Nekohiko still heard the commotion in the corridor with all the servants and dummies running, and even the distant susurrus of many animated conversations in the dining hall.

What were they talking about there? he wondered.

About Sakami and Abihiko being the most entertaining newlyweds in the Imperial wedding history? Oddly, they weren't very anxious or concerned about the Emperor's safety.

Aomi had probably exaggerated when she said the whole Palace was shaking. Nekohiko saw barely a hint of that here.

"Morokata apologized to everyone with his usual elegant chuckling," Aomi was telling him as she slinked past the servants, following the corridor's length to where it connected to the wider hallways. "Then he hurried out. And he looked downright pissed, you know. With his eyes in crescents so arched, he seemed downright murderous," the girl whispered. "But like... in an extremely unsettling way."

Nekohiko shuddered.

Sakami would be in grave danger if it were really her who had displeased him so much... Good thing she was far away from here.

Aomi wanted to turn a corner but halted suddenly and darted behind the column, pressing Nekohiko to her chest in her tight little fist. Her heart drummed so hard, he could hear it even through all the layers of her robes.

"Aomi?"

Instead of the reply, Aomi extended her hand with the ladybug out from behind the column and opened it up for him to see.

In the distance, Morokata stood surrounded by several Imperial Bodyguards and a few councilors who were all speaking to him in agitated whispers.

But worse than all these people was...

...Hibiki. Standing among them and gesturing wildly in the direction of the Palace wing where Abihiko's chambers lay.

Hibiki! Here, at the wedding?

Not only would someone like him not want to attend such a disgustingly-human celebration -- Nekohiko doubted Morokata would want to be humiliated by some of Hibiki's outrageous behaviors at the most important Hisome event in years.

So... why would he be here, now?

Worse still -- why did Morokata look... ashen as he listened to whatever Hibiki was telling him?

At once, Morokata lunged for Hibiki and grabbed him by his collars as though demanding an answer.

And Hibiki only nodded in response.

"Your Majesty Morokata--" one of the councilors began.

But Morokata shoved the Imperial Bodyguards and all the councilors aside. Together, he and Hibiki marched down the hallway toward the Imperial quarters and nothing about their walk looked like good news.

Nekohiko's heart thrashed in his chest with worry.

They knew.

He had no idea how -- but both Hibiki and Morokata knew it wasn't Sakami in the same room with Abihiko now!

"I've got to go," he blurted to Aomi and snapped back to his body there.

Even though, at the very last moment, he regretted not going for the seashell in Abihiko's hand instead.

 

 


***

 

 

As he resurfaced in his human dummy body, all the pent-up hatred and loathing came back crashing onto him. Like an avalanche. He'd wanted to warn Abihiko about what danger was coming after them, but had no chance to do that.

His rage overpowered him almost immediately.

Ehhh?

Apparently, Abihiko had thought it would be such a grand idea to snog him for some reason!

It didn't register with Nekohiko that Abihiko was only trying to have him return to his senses. After he'd abandoned this body inside the pool a few minutes ago, it must have looked exactly like drowning from the side. A drowning dummy, but a person, nonetheless.

Nekohiko had been dragged out of the water and onto the cool stone edge of the pool where Abihiko was very gently trying to have him expel all the water out of his lungs and substitute it with breathable air instead.

And just like inside that tree the two of them once had hidden to escape their kidnappers years ago, Abihiko did it with a mouth-to-mouth breath-sharing.

...

Sure.

Their cold, wet lips brushed against each other. Abihiko's long hair clung to Nekohiko's moist skin like seaweed.

Abihiko's hot breath slipped past Nekohiko's lips and rushed down his throat to fill him from the inside. In and out. Abihiko pushing himself away long enough to check if Nekohiko's chest was rising on its own yet.

Everything in Nekohiko reacted to it with a buzzing intensity...

And shivers.

Ugh.

Nekohiko's eyelids fluttered and he glared hard at Abihiko, gearing up for a strike.

The body saw an opportunity, and it attacked.

His hands flew to Abihiko's throat. He clutched it hard even when Abihiko flinched away at the last moment. The wooden fingers dug into the flesh, bruising and crushing it under its grip.

"Neko--" Abihiko croaked, fighting only slightly. His eyes reddened from the pain and tension Nekohiko put on his windpipe. His voice hardly rose above gargle. "You're back. I thought I've lost you just now..."

"..."

I am strangling you and this is what you want to tell me?

Nekohiko didn't notice when his legs also gripped around Abihiko's torso above him. He pressed him close to himself, wanting to choke him with everything he had -- like a vicious octopus, no longer a human. The sodden clothes weighed them both down heavily and Nekohiko was plenty tired. But he knew he could squeeze the life out of this murderer regardless.

"I can kill you right now, yet all you care is that I'm here?" he hummed sweetly into Abihiko's face.

And, maddeningly, Abihiko dared to beam at him.

"That's just what marriage is, you know," he rasped back.

The sudden loud banging on the doors far away down the Imperial rooms gave Nekohiko a start.

"Your Imperial Majesties! Please answer!" came the muffled yell from beyond the doors.

Already here? So fast?

Nekohiko twitched in alarm, and Abihiko used the chance to break apart Nekohiko's hold on his throat. Belatedly, Nekohiko tried to grab him again, but Abihiko subdued him with his weight, pulling both Nekohiko's wrists far apart.

"Neko, no!" he commanded as he would to a misbehaving pet. He even scowled at him the same way. Not really angry, just upset.

"Your Majesty! We need to come in and protect you!" Morokata's voice, even from far away, still sounded loud and clear through the rooms. "There is an assassin sent to dispatch you inside!"

Abihiko jolted, too, throwing a shocked glance to where the cries were coming from.

Shit, his lips mouthed.

And Nekohiko wanted to echo him with that.

He was too weak and tired to fight even one Abihiko. He wouldn't be able to manage several other trained Binders -- including the King of the Mists himself!

Gods, he sure hoped the ritual seclusion spell arrays he had fixed two nights ago would work exactly as they should! 

"We're coming in!" another scream shot through the rooms then. "Save the Emperor!"

So staggered Nekohiko felt, he didn't get to attack Abihiko again. Abihiko rushed off him and out of the bathing room, and all Nekohiko could do was stare after him in confusion.

He tried to rise to his feet and hide somewhere in case his spell arrays hadn't been done properly to protect him and Abihiko inside no matter what. But he couldn't muster even a step. He couldn't even lift himself off the wet, slippery floor.

All of his strength had abandoned him when Abihiko wasn't near. The Dark Sisterhood's curse only fueled his dummy body with enough resentment to start attacking him regardless of Nekohiko's endurance.

But now that Abihiko had run away... Nekohiko felt like dying, actually. He was spent. Completely wasted.

He trembled so hard, trying to lift himself off the floor, that he had to give up or risk breaking his arms and legs.

His head hit the floor heavily and he curled into himself, just to protect himself somehow.

He was stark naked and wet. This idiotic room was disturbingly cold, too. And those agitated voices coming in from the ante-chambers...

He switched his mind over to the seashell just to check what was happening there.

And found Abihiko in turmoil.

Abihiko stood before the double doors that led into his rooms and seemed to hesitate opening them to peer outside. His heart was beating hard and fast, and Nekohiko could feel that Abihiko also shivered from the cold and wetness, even though, unlike Nekohiko, he still had all of his clothes on.

"Your Imperial Majesty!!!"

The cries behind the door started getting desperate, yet Abihiko still didn't move. As though curious he watched how the doors shuddered from the outside, but barely gave in. The force applied from the other side had to be immense -- enough to push the doors open and let anyone inside.

But nothing happened.

"Hmm." Abihiko's heart evened down as if placated. His fingers squeezed the seashell he still carried in his hand. An affectionate, warm touch. "Aren't you a very talented Binder, husband?"

Why, yes, I am. Thank you for noticing, asshole.

Abihiko finally unfroze and reached for the door handles.

The frames slid aside smoothly, untouched by any of the magic attacks and physical force the people outside the doors had applied to them moments prior.

Half a dozen Imperial Bodyguards. Hibiki, looking grimly past Abihiko as though only caring to see something inside the rooms rather than this uninteresting human before him. And Morokata. His face pale, his eyes blazing with a brilliance of pure spite as he gave Abihiko an enraged smile.

"Ah, so you are well, Brother-in-law!" he breathed, his eyes unblinking on Abihiko. "We were so worried about your well-being!"

He tried to step into the rooms and extend his hand to grab Abihiko but --

-- he couldn't.

Like an invisible forcefield, the stretch of air around the threshold repelled him. The amount of force he'd applied to push through to the other side of the door rebounded back at him, shoving him into Hibiki's arms.

Hibiki swayed, but held onto him. Though he still looked utterly disinterested and only fixated on what he was searching for behind Abihiko in the chambers.

"Ahh!" Morokata gasped, and all the Imperial Bodyguards flinched toward him. As though they were his own bodyguards and not the Emperor's.

"Your Majesty!" Bodyguards wanted to help Morokata back up, but he swatted them all away.

His stare pinned into Abihiko with renewed intensity.

"Brother-in-law," Morokata began, both cold and utterly polite. "Is that an actual ritual seclusion barrier around here?"

Abihiko didn't bother to reply. He only shrugged, carefree.

That further pissed Morokata off. "Your life is in terrible danger, Brother-in-law! If some moron out of those Spiritway priests had toyed with the ritual array and made it into a repelling forcefield -- then we can still save you from whatever harm awaits for you inside! The barrier only protects the two newlyweds from being bothered from the outside. The newlyweds still can leave and enter the barrier as they wish -- so please, step out--"

"Why would I?" Abihiko blinked several times. "Isn't the barrier all about keeping me here with my new spouse, unbothered and in our marital bliss -- for about one whole month? Wasn't that what you have wanted for me so much all this time? For me to find my peace and get comfortable and well-acquainted with my spouse?"

Morokata's eyes flashed. "That is not your spouse in there and you know that! It is a bounty hunter sent to eliminate you! Let us do our job and save you from him--!"

"Your Imperial Majesty! Please come out! It's dangerous for you there!"

"Huh?! What?! Speak louder! I'm sorry, this barrier seems to suppress sounds and even some imagery!" Abihiko gestured, wildly. "I'm unsure if I hear you all correctly -- but you know what? All this agitation starts to bother me and ruin my inner peace -- so... I think I'd rather go back and recover it. In my marital seclusion. All right? All right. Bye."

"Brother-in-law!" Morokata growled through teeth.

Abihiko had already slid the doors back into place, leaving only the thinnest gap to see the outside for a little bit longer. He gave Morokata a fast smile through the gap.

"You seem to be mistaking me for somebody else. I am not your Brother-in-law, am I?"

And Abihiko slammed the doors shut.

His hands lingered over the handles as though he was overcome with anxiety. Then slowly, he let go, only listening to the enraged noises from the other side with all the guards screaming at him to attend to reason and please come out...

Abihiko's hands assembled a sound-proof barrier spell. He cast it across the doors and even over the larger expanse of the walls and windows that came out into the inner gardens from within his quarters.

He didn't need to protect the premises in any other way, though, because this was already obvious: nobody would disturb him or Nekohiko here for the entirety of the ritual seclusion barrier's duration. Which was a whole month.

A month of the two of them here together.

Without anyone to bother them.

Abihiko stood in the middle of his ante-chambers, breathing in and out as though trying to gather his thoughts.

Nekohiko didn't care to stay with him, though. He had this bastard trapped here. Who gave a damn what he was thinking about? Not like the two of them would be able to avoid each other in these rooms for too long, mmm?

Plus, he was far more worried about one other thing.

His cat body. And what it had to do now that Morokata was in the know about everything that was happening.

Nekohiko flung his mind into the cat form in the Spring Sunlight Shrine. He sprang up to run through the Shrine's halls to the dressing room where Sakami and the Hisome girls were held captive.

He didn't have a lot of time to warn them. But he had to do his best to try.

"Kotone, let me in!" he cried upon reaching the doors of the dressing room.

Inside, Kotone and Haehime were taking care of the Hisome girls, Arata, and Sakami who were still being restrained, sitting huddled beside the wall.

Sakami's and Arata's appearances were back as Nekohiko had expected them to be, so that was already good. But now he had to worry about the consequences of this attack and what it entailed. For everyone involved.

Kotone and Haehime sat in the center of the room, not looking anxious in the slightest. The two priestesses appeared even more tranquil than before, chatting to each other about the Spirits of the land and how soothed they were in the Palace during Nekohiko's coronation a few hours ago.

For a moment, Nekohiko halted.

His heart lurched with a sweet ache.

...Spirits were happy?

Spirits had accepted him and wanted him to be their Emperor?

Nekohiko almost wanted to drop down to the floor and roll on it in happiness, so giddy this news made him.

Spirits! Welcomed! Their true Emperor!

Ahhhh!

But he had more pending issues to take care of, first. His relief and giddiness would have to wait.

"Morokata knows and he will retaliate," he told the two unengaged priestesses as they blinked at him in mild bafflement, their smiles so nice and wide on their faces.

"Yes, yes. He will," Kotone said, still not looking like she cared about that.

"It's time for you two to run," Nekohiko reminded her. "Because he will know for sure who had helped me fix the ritual seclusion array and who had changed the wedding vows and papers to manage this scheme! You two are in his direct line of revenge!"

"...te-he-he." Haehime hid her mouth in her palm, only more amused by Nekohiko's outburst. "We'll take care of ourselves, don't worry, Cat Emperor. As long as the Spirits of the Land are happy, we have nothing to trouble ourselves with."

Her airy tone did nothing to convince him, though, and Kotone had to explain for his sake.

"We will flee to the Spiritside. Spirits will not let us be harmed there even from someone like King of the Mists." Secretive, she gave Nekohiko a cute little wink. "He is not as Spirit-attuned as we are, so he will not be able to find us there no matter how he tries. He may command humans, but he has no power over the vast stretches of the Spiritside."

...

Oh.

Oooh. That made sense.

Of course, nobody in the Empire would be as Spirit-attuned as these two. Apart from, maybe Nekohiko himself and...

"What about Suminoe?" Nekohiko asked, still dismayed. "If Morokata orders him to go find you two and drag you back out--"

He didn't even know where this idea came from.

Morokata, ordering Suminoe? Yeah right. But at the same time, regardless of how Suminoe had tried to get together with Nekohiko and his plans yesterday -- Nekohiko could not bear to trust him.

Something in him reeled at any idea of allying with Suminoe.

At least, with this Suminoe.

It made him shudder to imagine.

Kotone's face suddenly grew serious, too. "His Holiness would not be able to find us there either," she said, quieter. "His Spirit-attunement has... gone down in the past few years, I think. So it's not a problem either."

Huh?

Nekohiko tilted his head, intrigued. Suminoe, the most Spiritual person in the Empire besides Nekohiko -- suddenly losing his Spiritual powers?

That said... where was Ashflake? Nekohiko suddenly realized.

He had not seen the Head Priest's Spiritual Fox ally ever since he had met Suminoe after that five-year gap.

Ashflake had always been so protective and loyal to Suminoe. How come it was nowhere near him now?

Regardless, Nekohiko only needed one last thing to take care of.

He turned to Sakami and the Hisome girls in the doors. "Lady Sakami, I am again very sorry for what has transpired here today. But the Empire's Spirits were longing for my return and I did not want to claim my throne through violence and force... It was truly the best method we could have done on such short notice. I hope you can understand and forgive me."

Sakami was only looking at the floor before her, never raising her eyes.

Not even her eyelashes trembled as she stared, grim and lost, at the same spot without moving.

She did not answer Nekohiko's apology.

"Kotone, please take Sakami with you and Haehime into the Spiritside," Nekohiko added before slipping out the doors. "She would be the first person after you two whom Morokata would want to punish for what happened. We need to protect her."

"Mn!" Kotone nodded, fierce determination sparking in her eyes. "Got this, my sweet Neko!"

...

"Good luck," Nekohiko told them all, then dashed down the corridor and out into one of the many hidden garden courtyards in the Shrine. The night here was brimming with lights and emotion -- the distant noises and music of the celebrating capital scattering in the reverent hush of the Shrine grounds. Still, across the skies, the fireworks and Bound light show performances already broke out, casting the city down below into beautiful hues and shimmer.

He found himself a small cluster of Shrine lanterns to some Moss and Flower Spirits and settled down amidst them. This body would come useful to him later, but for now -- the best he could do was to leave it here, safely tucked away. If Kotone and Haehime were leaving for the Spiritside, he would have no more allies in this place.

The thought was scary and lonely, somehow.

Yet then, he did remember that he had no right to call himself lonely anymore. Not in this life, at least.

He was married.

He was Bound to another person -- for life. Whether they were friends or foes, their bond would never truly disappear, would it?

 

 


***

 

 

He opened his eyes inside his human dummy and looked up blearily into the lights of his and Abihiko's marital bedroom. He had destroyed most of it with his previous magic bouts, but the bed still stood.

Mostly. It was on this bed that Abihiko had carried him over from the bathing room.

What for? Nekohiko wondered.

To tuck him in and let him rest, the answer came when he cast his glance down his body.

It was no longer wet and naked. Abihiko had covered him with his own outer robes and brought him here to dry his wooden surface and hair from the excess moisture. More than that -- he had put Nekohiko under the blankets and swaddled him in them like he had done to his ugly wooden sculpture a few days ago.

Nekohiko felt vaguely displeased at the similarity of treatment.

And also -- at the fact that this poor bastard was right here, next to him, trying his best to lift the water out of Nekohiko's long, drenched hair with his magic.

Abihiko sat at the edge of the bed, too busy to notice that Nekohiko was awake and glaring at him with all his might.

Ah.

Wonderful, wasn't it?

As before, the resentment deep inside Nekohiko surged up against his will. His hand slipped under the mattress, slick and fast. And there, he grabbed the handle of the bronze knife he had stashed a day ago. For exactly this type of situation. He and Abihiko.

On their marital bed.

Only he would have a weapon in his hand. The weapon that had murdered him. Now wielded against his murderer.

To remind Abihiko how sudden and treacherous it felt, to be stabbed in such a vulnerable position. To use the moment to show Abihiko how much he still hated him.

And how impossible even the idea of him ever forgiving Abihiko was.

"Sweet dreams, husband," Nekohiko whispered, smiling.

Abihiko could only turn to him, unsuspecting. "Mmm?"

Nekohiko lashed out, grabbing Abihiko by the shoulders and wrestling him down onto the bed. Abihiko didn't even have a chance to resist.

He only gasped a soundless breath when his back crashed against the mattress.

Quick, Nekohiko's legs and arms caught Abihiko inside their lock and forced him down -- down where he belonged. With Nekohiko right on top of him.

And the knife, aiming straight at Abihiko's throat.

Abihiko's eyes focused on Nekohiko's for a fraction of a heartbeat, and Nekohiko shivered in anticipation. In anticipation of murder.

His final, coveted revenge.

"Please don't be mad, husband," Nekohiko hissed, gleeful.

His hand snapped to the side, meaning to slit Abihiko's throat as he had done to Nekohiko years ago--

-- yet the knife never reached its target.

Even though Abihiko didn't even try to dodge, this time.

...?

Huh?!

Nekohiko's hand with the knife simply stopped a mere hair's breadth away from Abihiko's windpipe.

It just stopped and couldn't budge even an inch further.

And Nekohiko had no idea why.

 

@RedHead ^^ -- I wanted to put the fanart pics of the plasticin Neko here, but I got confused which one was considered sitting down and lying in the 2.0 version because I didn't see any lying down pose there! TT__TT And so I didn't know if I understood you correctly or no!

And since you were so worried about it, I decided to wait and ask personally, maybe for the next chappie, then ^^.

Yes, I wanted to ask in the comments, but you called me a comment-cheater the last time ^^, so... clear.png

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