Chapter Hundred Thirty-Two

Righteously Angry

 

 

Nekohiko's fingers twitched on Nao's throat. He both wanted to smother all life out of her without giving her a single chance to stop him, and wanted to succumb to the eerie feeling that he... needed her.

He knew Morokata and Hibiki wouldn't be easy for him or Abihiko to deal with.

More than that -- he suspected he was no match to those two. And neither was Abihiko. Just the ease with which Morokata shifted his plans to advantage him no matter what displaced Nekohiko.

It was as though Morokata never dwelled in the realm of plans at all. Flexible, untethered, suave in changing direction if that was necessary for his success. How to fight with such a person?

He didn't know.

But perhaps this woman, one of Morokata's allies, knew?

Still, he couldn't help his rage.

"As if I'd ever believe you," he whispered in her face harshly. His other hand strained her wrist away, slowly turning in his fingers as though to snap it in half no harder than a tree bough. "How many people have you worked for? How many have you betrayed?"

Yet oddly, his question did not shift her attention at all.

"No one," her lips mouthed. Spattered in blood, her mouth was pale, draining off color from the lack of air that went to her lungs.

Nekohiko's hold flinched. He released her just a little to let her sip a greedy gulp of air. A bout of pained coughing overtook her, and he had to give her a shake to let her know he wasn't some kind fool, giving her a chance to recover.

Not at all.

This was not a trade deal between equals. This was him, her captor and murderer, giving her just a few brief moments more before he did what he planned.

Getting rid of this leech forever.

"I never betrayed anyone--" she rasped, black eyes pinning into Nekohiko's. "I was paid to do my job. So that's what I did."

Oh really?

And doing your job involved a lot of stabbing people in the back, surely.

"Whoever paid more was the one who hired me. I worked solely for them."

...

What a twisted way to view things!

Nekohiko lifted her up by the neck. So fast it happened that she didn't even have a chance to steady herself -- and now, her feet couldn't reach the ground. Her hands grasped at Nekohiko's arms helplessly because he left her hanging from his hold, fully wielding her weight on just one of his outstretched arms.

"Oh, so unless I pay you the most, you will betray me as easily."

"--no." She coughed, haggard with her shallow breaths and bloody spit running from the corner of her mouth. With one of her hands, she lifted the edge of her sleeve from the other arm. Exposing to Nekohiko the pale flesh on which some horrible scars were crisscrossing down to her wrist.

But not just any scars. Something that looked like bizarre spell arrays, but not ones etched on her skin from the outside. Instead, they looked as though they were coming from within her body.

"Dark Sisters... make blood deals. If we betray, we die," she chocked out, rigid. "We cannot backstab our clients. But we can... work around them. If a new deal is smart enough, it won't clash with the previous one."

Even frustrated, Nekohiko dithered, his mind racing with thoughts.

What this most sounded like was what Morokata and his family did. With the Spirits.

Able to trick the Spirits well enough to let the Hisome heirs maim and kill children. Or lie under the Law of Transparency. Or disguise themselves to such an extent, nobody could assume a thing about them without hurting themselves more while never laying a single hit on the Hisome.

It was abhorrent. One could not fight it. Any resistance ended in failure.

But what if... he used the same exact tricks against the Hisome? What if someone -- ever -- gave them the taste of their own medicine?

"You say you know how to bring him down," Nekohiko hissed, yanking Nao even higher. "Explain."

Her eyes shot behind Nekohiko, and one of her hands twitched there as though to point. "Behind you."

...

Nekohiko turned just in time to see Kataji swinging one of the knives he'd taken from the floor. At Nekohiko's head.

Aiming to kill?

Tch.

Nekohiko ducked out of the way easily, seeing as Kataji's training was nonexistent, and his attacks were too clumsy. The young man put too much weight into it, and Nekohiko stepping aside imbalanced him.

Just to make sure, Nekohiko kicked his feet from under him. And Kataji crashed to the floor, the clang of the knife so loud to Nekohiko's senses.

"Arrrgh!" Kataji whelped. He seemed to have injured himself more from this attack than Nekohiko -- and didn't help Nao at all.

Nekohiko hadn't even needed to let her out of his grasp, so fast and insignificant his confrontation with Kataji ended up being. He stilled, his hands rigidly on Nao's throat, and tried to see if the young man's injury was grave or not.

"You shouldn't run around with blades," he told him, cautious.

You can kill yourself on accident like that.

Kataji glared at him from the floor, tears spilling down his cheeks. Only now, in the broken-out silence did Nekohiko realize... it was a bit too quiet in the demolished room now.

"Kata--! Are you hurt?" Abihiko ran up, giving Kataji only a cursory glance before he reached to grab him. "Come on, we need to leave."

"Get off me! Do not you dare touch me!"

Abihiko did not seem in the mood for wrestling with him or for taking care of him. His questions were solely to make sure his brother was still alive and unharmed -- because the actual care Abihiko devoted was to Nekohiko.

Himself, he was in disarray.

His color ashen, even his lips paler than usual. The outer layers of his clothes -- singed and smoldering, his hair disheveled and without its usual ribbon to hold it up. As he tended to do when caught too much in his burning fury, he had forgotten to protect it from the flames, and it had turned to ash from the high temperatures searing around him.

But worse than all these -- the dark hue of the burst capillaries in his eyes!

The Binder's corruption was acting up from his overuse of magic. Abihiko's health was clearly worsening.

"Are you all right?" Abihiko stopped beside Nekohiko, shooting Nao a loathing look. He swung his head left and right, then commanded, "We have to move. Get rid of her, quick."

...

Now that he stood so close, Nekohiko could see... that the inner part of Abihiko's mouth was lined with dark...

The black blood, coming through? Nekohiko could bet Abihiko had coughed up some corrupted blood some time ago, but had taken care not to show it, even the traces of it.

Solely not to alarm Nekohiko.

"Are you insane? What did you do to exhaust yourself so much? You are bleeding!" Nekohiko wanted to clutch his lapel and wrestle him down. He threw a helpless gaze toward the room, still swimming in the rising heat.

But once he did, his eyes found the... bodies strewn across the room. Dozens of bodies.

Not just dummies -- to hell with dummies! but actual people. Immolated into char from which all this stench and smoke choking the room came from.

"You murdered them all," Nekohiko blurted, not even knowing what else he wanted to add to it.

Was he more concerned about Abihiko's health or the fact that Abihiko -- the previous Emperor of this country -- was now burning its citizens alive? The moment Towa Binders would come here and the Spiritway Priests would read this room for the traces of the Binding Imprint that had dealt all this damage...

Everyone would know Abihiko killed so many innocent people who were only doing their job.

Abihiko, the Emperor!

And when the people of the Empire already viewed him as some kind of a deranged maniac!

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Nekohiko cried out. He was so agitated, he even loosened his hold on Nao -- and woman twitched out of his grasp, wanting to flee.

"We don't have time for this--" Abihiko cut and kicked the Maple Apple from the floor, catching it in his hand deftly. He wielded it -- an elegant arch in the air -- and wanted to bring down on Nao's head.

But Nekohiko snapped toward his hand, blocking the strike.

"Do not touch her!"

"...huh? Neko -- this bitch is dangerous! And we need to leave! Now!"

Nekohiko had never been quite this frustrated.

They didn't have much time to talk -- to explain things to each other, even to deal with Kataji. Let alone with Okinaga and all the other Binders and guards who might be waiting to jump them at any moment.

And all while Nekohiko was so close to getting the information he needed from one of his nemeses?

Rudely, he pushed Abihiko away. He would handle Abihiko and Kataji later -- as well as anything else. Now was time for the Dark Sister. They couldn't take her with them. She was hobbled and would slow them down. She was vindictive and would want to carry out her deals with Morokata at every opportunity by attacking Nekohiko.

"What did you say about my true Master?" he growled loud enough for Abihiko to hear he was busy, lifting her to his face once again.

Like a ragdoll, she could not resist him. Her lips blued from the lack of air and her hands tried to fight him off -- without much success. Abihiko was nearby too, watching her every move. Somber, he waited, only sometimes checking to see if anyone new was coming or if Kataji was causing more problems.

The entire part of the wall that separated them from the rest of Sakami's room was collapsed into molten stone and metal. No way for easy approaching them from that side.

Abihiko had made sure of that. Nowhere Nao could escape to.

"Speak!" Nekohiko demanded, giving her a harsh shake.

The Dark Sister gritted her teeth against the strain he was subjecting her throat to. Her eyes flickered with hatred as she focused on him.

"I can't talk if you... block my... damn windpipe--"

"Beggars can't be choosers," he told her. "Speak like this or don't speak at all. Not like I direly need you, with how much of a lying scum you are."

She glared.

"We do not lie. We do our job."

Sure. Keep telling yourself that.

"You murdered my retainers. My guardians. Then used their corpses as your Puppets -- and now you want me to... what? Spare your life?"

Nao didn't seem to care what he was telling her. Or that he had needed -- for so many years -- to find her and yell all of this to her face.

She didn't even blink, dismissing him. "Lord Morokata."

...

Nekohiko balked, scowling. "What?"

"Lord Morokata is the true Master of your body," Nao said, her voice steady even though most of it was a pained croak.

And the ease with which she said it only stunned Nekohiko more.

"Dear Morokata?" Kataji's feeble voice sounded from the back, and Nekohiko cringed, imagining the truth coming out like this for Kataji to hear.

That he just found out that even Morokata had betrayed him.

"At last, you are realizing this," Abihiko told him with a sigh. "Now stand up. We have to get away from here so that Morokata cannot get a hold of you."

"Fuck off!"

Nao didn't bother with Kataji or Abihiko, solely looking at Nekohiko. "Make a deal with me," she started saying. "I will tell you all that you need to defeat him."

Nekohiko's fingers only dug deeper into her skin as he leaned in, his breath stifled through his teeth.

"The hell do I need this information for? You killed Yakabe right in front of my eyes, and now you dare to try escape what's coming for you with such meager nonsense--"

"Morokata is waiting for you. The moment you run from this Palace, his trap will close. He made sure neither of you two can escape this Palace no matter where you go," she said, just as deathly calm. "Now let me go--"

ARGH.

This woman!

"What trap?!"

Nao's eyes darkened. For a moment, Nekohiko could even see the satisfaction in her gaze as she studied his face up close. "That will cost you to know. Make a deal."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Nekohiko raged deep inside, not willing to show any of it to this horrible person.

"Neko -- take her, I don't care," Abihiko snapped. "But we seriously have to leave this place! Cannot you hear?!"

Indeed, from beyond the wall of molten rubble came the clamor of many people nearing, their screams and commands so busy and panicked.

"You want your pathetic little life, huh?" Nekohiko roared in Nao's face.

"Yes. Make a deal with me," she repeated, solemn. Her eyes flicked to Abihiko. "One where I can't act against you and him any longer."

...

Well, this actually did sound lovely.

But the gall of her suggesting this?

"What does the deal entail?" Nekohiko exhaled, out of himself with confusion and anger.

So many things were going on at the same time that his mind was in frenzy. The oncoming Binders, Kataji's and Abihiko's incessant fighting, the stench of so many dead and burned people in the room... his head went dizzy with sheer shock, and his emotions only flared up when he remembered that among all these things -- he was maddest at Abihiko.

For pulling his stunt on the Trial, for abandoning him all alone, for casting too much and endangering himself like this!

Too many things going wrong at once.

"Tell me what the trap is," he urged her. His fingers fell from over her throat, at last -- fully freeing her speech.

The woman dropped to her knees, hissing only a little when her weight came to her broken ankle. But she fought her pain and already began speaking, not wasting a single moment.

Nao was efficient; he could trust her on this, at least.

"Deal. With me." She raised one of her arms, opened as though in an invitation to clasp their hands together. "I will only tell you his plans if you make a deal. You won't bring harm to me anymore, and I won't -- to you. I will give you everything you need to defeat Morokata."

...damn!

"Make the deal."

"Neko! No--"

"Shut up." Nekohiko rushed into it, not wanting to be stopped by Abihiko and his stupid arguments at this crucial point in time.

Yes, he was willing to let Nao live.

For now. For as long as she was useful. If she even was. He would see soon enough.

His fingers clutched around hers, and immediately a charge snapped around his forearm, rising all the way up to his shoulder and his core.

The sensation was oddly familiar. Not much different from the Marital Bond he and Abihiko had made.

And though he didn't see any other effects taking place in his body, Nao's arm above the wrist darkened with some insidious magic taking hold. Like disease or poison, flashing to reveal itself from inside her. Then paling again, leaving behind another thin row of scars on her skin.

Was this... the deal she was talking about? Nekohiko had never seen anything like this. This was not Binding, albeit similar to it.

One of the Dark Sisterhood tricks.

With dismay, he winced.

"Leashing net around the Palace. Kasuga. And Iokirihime. They all wait outside. You are not getting out of here that way," Nao told him quickly.

Her eyes skittered over to Abihiko for a fraction of a heartbeat. And something akin to a smile crossed her eyes, even though her lips never moved.

...

Nekohiko's heart fell. He swayed, realizing the extent of "wrong" that faced him now. All the Great Lords wanting to fight him outside?

Truly, he had underestimated his situation moments ago, ha-ha-ha.

This was a real frenzy he was in. The rock bottom.

"That is enough hand-holding."

Abihiko clasped Nekohiko's elbow and yanked to himself. That broke Nekohiko's and Nao's handhold. Good that he did. The intensity with which Nao was clinging to him disgusted Nekohiko.

From behind them, the voices and the swelling surges of Binding tided, signaling just how many Binders and guards were trying to ram through the rubble to get closer.

They had to leave.

And this awful, vile woman and her stupid deals.

But leaving her was not solely his decision, either.

Abihiko was here, too.

The rush of his sword toward her was quick and merciless. Nekohiko only reacted in time because Abihiko was hugging him.

And without even knowing why, he swooshed before her -- to shield her with his body. To protect this scum woman from Abihiko's attack.

"You made deals with her -- I didn't!" Abihiko roared, trying to land another one even though Nekohiko didn't budge.

...

He didn't know why.

The deal with her was already acting up, making him want to protect her from harm? But not only that. Something about her gaze when she had looked at Abihiko. It bothered Nekohiko more than he could explain.

He pretended he didn't hear Abihiko's words, then pointed toward Kataji. "Get him out of here first. And give me the sword. I will just be a moment."

He overtook Maple Apple. Abihiko's hesitation only lasted a bit before he gave it up, leaving it safely in Nekohiko's fingers. "As long as you know what you're doing," he said.

"I do."

This is the first choice in weeks that I am making for myself.

And my choice is to gain any opportunity to defeat Morokata. Any that I can get my hands on.

Nekohiko waited, holding the sword downward in a solemn gesture of resignation.

He wanted Abihiko to know that if he killed Nao, he wanted to do so alone -- one on one with her. And if he didn't choose to kill her...

Then so be it, too.

Nothing Abihiko had to do with any of this.

"Go," Nekohiko turned back to the Dark Sister who hadn't moved an inch even though she could have. Nobody had been looking at her.

Yet she had chosen to stay where she was, peering up at Nekohiko from the floor with the most unreadable of stares.

With a jerk, Abihiko pulled Kataji up from the floor and shoved him forward against any of Kataji's resistances or insults thrown at him. Just a few of their steps away, and it was enough for Nekohiko to bend down to Nao and ask, in a hushed whisper:

"Is it true, what he just said? Has he ever made deals with you?"

...

From several bizarre conversations he'd had with Abihiko, and Suminoe, and even Morokata -- he had gleaned a thing about the Dark Sisterhood.

About how convenient and indispensable it was.

And how almost nobody in the Empire failed to use their services. Sooner or later. Especially those sitting on the Emerald Throne.

Nao's eyes burned into his soul, so derisive they were.

"He did. Five years ago. Yes."

Oh well.

Not like Nekohiko was surprised. Not much time to ask her the details, but--

"What for?"

Nao only shook her head, enigmatic. "We do not disclose the specifics of our deals with others."

"You fucking killed my only father figure in the world," he breathed into her face, his hand with the blade turning ever so slightly to make her see. "You killed Suminoe. If you want to trade your life for any information right now, you better pay up or else--"

"You cannot attack me, really. After the deal, nobody can. Including him." Nao nodded at Abihiko. "Something will stop you from doing it. That is how the deal works. On my side, too.

"So no need to threaten me. Morokata will destroy you the moment he finds you," she went on, as business-like as ever. "The Master Bond within you is specially made. It won't let you out of his control unless the Bond is destroyed. And he will take you under his control tonight. The Leashing net is laced with his blood, too. The moment any spatter of it gets onto you -- you are done."

"..."

"You can only destroy the Master Bond inside you if you trick him into breaking it, by himself. No other way. Yes. Morokata is the only one who can destroy it and free you." Her eyes flashed, meeting his. A hateful smile flickered inside them once again. A victorious one. "Good luck."

Good luck what--?

This was making no sense! He didn't even know what to do with this information!

It sounded like the worst possible outcome no matter what he did. Tricking Morokata into destroying the Master Bond?

How???

"Neko!" Abihiko's voice blared at him from the back, fierce. "COME ON!"

Nekohiko shook his head, wanting more time -- more questions, more answers from this woman -- but the wall of the outer side of the bedroom gave in with a deafening road as a potent Utsuro spell Split it asunder.

He ducked on reflex and glanced maddeningly at the collapsing walls and part of the ceiling.

Shit.

Everything in the room was coming down. There was simply not time for him to dawdle or to drag Nao after him. Because from the opposite side of the room, the blocked rubble was also moving, cast aside by the Hira and Towa spells of the oncoming Binders.

Shit shit shit!

Nekohiko dashed to the gash in the outer wall, not bothering to throw a single glance back at Nao.

Whether or not she survived the mayhem happening inside this room, he didn't care. He needed to get out of it, himself.

The wall of the building was coming undone. But not from any sieging attack or unexpected maneuver.

No, it was Abihiko. Rather than fight his way out of the room and back into the Palace, he had chosen to blow up the outer wall and escape to the inner gardens. And outside.

And Nekohiko agreed with him fully.

He hopped over the quaking masonry and jagged columns shattered on the floor. He dashed toward where Abihiko struggled with Kataji, trying to pull the resisting young man out of the room -- and to freedom.

The dizzyingly-fresh autumn air of the outside felt heavenly on Nekohiko's skin after the scorched stink of the room they'd been trapped in. He lunged toward Abihiko. He grabbed his waist, wanting nothing but to bury his nose in Abihiko's shoulder and hold him like this.

His heart was pounding, and he could swear so did Abihiko's heart.

So did Abihiko's breathing -- heaving as rapidly as Nekohiko's, too.

But no time. No time even for such a brief moment of calm amidst the madness that was all around.

Abihiko's hands sliced the air, casting another layer of obstacles to hold off their persecutors. The ceiling of the room behind them cracked -- a haggard Split ran across the enormous chambers of Sakami's place. Threatening to collapse and bury anyone who was underneath it.

Nekohiko barely held him off. In time for the approaching Binders and guards to yelp, noticing the threat -- and start amassing their own spell formations to keep the ceiling and roof from crashing onto them.

Abihiko wouldn't stop at murder. Nekohiko's could not let him. Those were innocents, out there.

"I'm here," Nekohiko slipped to him. "We can run."

We don't need to kill anyone to run, Abihiko.

Please.

Abihiko let go of Kataji. Once Nekohiko was next to him, Abihiko couldn't help but extend his hand toward him, instead.

Kataji recoiled from both of them, looking feral and pained and shaken with horror at everything that was going on.

His teeth gleamed in his gaping mouth as he breathed shallowly.

"Kata," Abihiko tried one more time. "I don't want to use my powers on you, but you are forcing me! You know Morokata doesn't give a damn about you and will threaten you to get to us--"

Out of nowhere, Kataji lifted another tiny throwing knife Nao had been carrying. And held it up to his own throat as though wishing to stab himself.

"Yeah?" he huffed, smiling. "So?"

Abihiko's body went taut under Nekohiko's touch. He felt how much Abihiko wanted to rush at Kataji and sweep the stupid knife out of his grip.

"Kataji," Abihiko warned, low.

"I would rather kill myself than go anywhere with either of you," Kataji screamed, trembling. "Or let Morokata kill me! He better--"

"You do not know what you're even saying," Abihiko began, jolting toward him.

But Kataji wasn't lying. One tremulous motion, and a thin sliver of blood trickled down his pale neck from the shallow cut his knife gave him.

The young man's eyes had never burned so much like Abihiko's. Passionately and without restraint.

"You think I'm fucking kidding, don't you?"

"Enough, leave him." Nekohiko tugged Abihiko's arm.

Who cares about him by now?

Either because of the persecutors being too close or because Abihiko abandoned all hopes of getting Kataji on their side, Abihiko let Nekohiko draw himself away.

"Kata. When times comes, and Morokata or Sakai or whoever the hell else holds you against me, threatening your life to make me surrender," he said as his parting words. "I will let them. I will not save you. If that's the choice you make, so will I."

It must have gutted Abihiko to say something like this.

With how small his family was, and how much of it he had lost through the years...

This had to crush him, to realize he had already lost another loved one. And so stupidly.

"Save me? I don't expect you to!" Kataji roared back.

Nekohiko's fingers slithered against Abihiko's hot, dry ones -- squeezing so hard, he knew for sure it would hurt. But Abihiko did not give a sign he hated it.

In fact, he reciprocated it, smothering Nekohiko's hand in his own just as harshly.

And then they ran.

 

 

---

***

 

Like one, they hopped off the broken rubble of Sakami's room. Abihiko launched a few stepping platforms of condensed air before them, and they flew up -- bouncing their boots off these steps. Over the fuming ruins of what had once been part of the private wing of the Palace. And to the curved, gilded rooftops. Landing softly to dash across the luminous tiles while avoiding all the horrific cracks that ran through the roof.

The Palace was a mess.

Half of the south wing where the dungeons were -- also fumed and smoked on the fires and dust rising to the dark skies. Jagged contours of uprooted buildings and the earthquake-shattered ground drew a picture of such a devastating attack of the Hira forces, Nekohiko's insides froze at the sight.

Hiras had been fully ready to destroy the Palace to get Abihiko out!

Damn...

Even Nekohiko hadn't done this while besieging the Usurper five years ago!

The night above had the hue of inferno from the clashing Emerald glow wafting off the Palace and the fiery lava that was brimming in some cracks across the scope of the park and garden. Embers swirled in the air, reminding Nekohiko once again about the night five years ago. And beyond that --

Ah.

He was once again running, held by Abihiko's hand. Not knowing where to go and what to do other than to follow him.

Sweat chilled him through. A shiver clutched him.

Without meaning to, he tripped on another slippery single.

"Neko!"

Abihiko held him firmly enough to not let him fall. He steadied him and caught by the waist, pressing to himself against the gusts of hot winds that blustered at them from the turbulent magic coming in from the sides.

Vaguely, Nekohiko was aware of the fight going on in the background. He sensed the surges of enormous Binding powers. Not just any Hira, but Hira Okinaga's -- from somewhere in the garden. Not just any Towa's, but Towa Iokirihime's...

He craned his neck to glimpse them, but the Palace complex was just too huge. He couldn't see where they fought, but he felt all the trails of their fight nonetheless.

"Dammit, we can't go there -- Okinaga is battling Towas over at the front," Abihiko muttered, roving with his gaze over the scope of the Palace roofs. To the south of the Palace, splashes of icy blue and brimstone red flared by turns, and the echoes of clashing weapons and Binding powers roared through the air.

Nekohiko stilled.

Nao said -- not only Iokirihime would be waiting for them outside, but also--

"Where is Kasuga?" He froze in Abihiko's arms, leaden.

--

"Here."

The girl's voice had a murderous quality to it.

The most violent burst of lightning split the night, honed onto him and Abihiko. Kasuga's Binding, so turbulent on the hatred and the feeling of betrayal.

Abihiko shoved him aside in time to cross his arms before himself and cast a shield of Hira flames.

Fire and lightning exploded in searing colors against each other. But only that -- no harm came to either. The shield held, through enormous force on Abihiko's part as he grounded his feet in the roof's tiles. Refusing to budge even an inch.

"Aarrrnnng! Found them!' Kasuga's high pitch shot through the air as she rose in the skies, her dark clothes flapping in the snappy winds.

Nekohiko slowly got to his feet, watching her in some sort of a blur -- unable to believe Kasuga's deadly hits.

She aimed to murder, not even to injure.

The second lightning strike landed, chaining and recoiling in many different strands -- wishing to obliterate the entire roof.

Abihiko's shield had to expand into a dome to keep both him and Nekohiko away from Kasuga's fury. But no matter.

The roof gave in.

From all the sides, the Palace was collapsing. The chaos and blending of so many overwhelming powers was simply too much.

Nekohiko forewent everything else, focusing solely on Abihiko.

Even in the middle of the lightning storm on the roof, he could see clearly how wan and gaunt Abihiko's face looked. His Hira powers were trying to defend him and Nekohiko from the Nagare Queen herself. And if Abihiko had done the same against Kazuragi once -- years ago -- and managed to save both of them from the Lord of the Skies' wrath, now he was exhausted.

And ill.

His Binding would fail him if this kept going.

Nekohiko didn't bother to keep his disguise anymore. Not like Kasuga didn't know already where he was. And Okinaga and Iokirihime? To hell with them.

He had to save Abihiko.

His powers crested over the roofs, strong and steady -- repelling Kasuga's onslaught, catching Abihiko before he could fall down into the collapsed rooms below.

Like a cocoon of protective Binding barriers, Nekohiko swaddled himself and Abihiko within a mixed Towa-Hisome icy mist. Perfect defense against the Nagare spells.

The mist kept them out of sight while the ice broke down any of the Nagare strikes searching for them.

Nekohiko's arms curled around Abihiko -- and Abihiko regrouped immediately.

He clutched him back, and together, they landed softly into one of the devastated hallways of the Palace, amidst crushed masonry and torn dummy body parts and a few humans.

"Neko, you exposed yourself," Abihiko growled, pissed off. He broke down in a cough, holding his hand to his mouth as though to hide the fact that he was coughing up black blood of Corruption from over-casting. "I swear to Spirits, I will kick you once we are somewhere safe."

Yeah-yeah. Okinaga and Iokirihime are coming for me, I know, Nekohiko wanted to roll his eyes.

But all he said was --

"And I know exactly where that safe spot is."

...

Not because he cared for Abihiko's promise to kick him, no. Actually, did Abihiko think Nekohiko wasn't pissed off at him enough to do the same to him?

Pfff.

The two of them weren't fighting each other solely because they had to fight so many others first.

But once that was out of the way...

Nekohiko still remembered his many grievances with Abihiko's behaviors. The abandonment at the Tribunal, Abihiko's lies, Abihiko's arrest and refusal to go with Nekohiko out in the squares when Nekohiko came to save him.

Now Abihiko's casting so much, he looked as though he was going to collapse any time now?

Abihiko had no idea what was coming for him.

Just around a few corners.

"Let's go!" And Nekohiko took his hand to lead him.

Hidden within the Hisome mist filling the hallway and the reflective and mirroring Towa ice magic, Nekohiko knew they had just a few enough moments to make a run before either Morokata or Iokirihime came here to dispel their Houses' respective magics and catch them.

Let alone Okinaga or Kasuga.

But the safe spot wasn't far from here, and it was precisely enough for Nekohiko to make it.

He sprang over the shattered columns and arches blocking the way and shoved with repelling spells any of the lesser Binders and guards that dashed at him and Abihiko from the side hallways. Nothing could stand in their way now. Not when they were so close to safety.

Abihiko must have realized where they were going, too, but his opinion about it was doubtful.

"The marital seclusion array is still working?!" He jerked Nekohiko back, guarded. "It's been over a month--"

"Yeah, but they said it might as well last three months or more?" Nekohiko threw right back. "Nobody can traverse the barrier still. I checked when I came here. Your and my rooms in the Imperial chambers are safe!"

But to make his point more obvious, Nekohiko searched with his eyes for one of the nearest Binders he could catch.

Some small, shaken servant who shrieked so loudly when he felt Nekohiko's Leashing spell clasp around both his wrists.

"Noo!! No, please let me go!"

"Come over here," Nekohiko spat, pulling the poor man to himself.

They hurried down the last corner separating them from the Imperial chambers. In the foggy Hisome spell, the place was easy to miss, so Nekohiko dispelled it solely to not lose the doors of the rooms amidst the panic.

And indeed, compared to all the previous hallways they had been running through -- this one was so empty and even quiet, it was deafening in comparison.

Except for the endless blubbering and sobbing the Leashed servant did.

"Please, please, please I swear I am not a threat! Please let me go, kind Master!"

"Relax, it's nothing," Nekohiko told him.

He and Abihiko stopped right before the entry into the Imperial rooms. Right in front of the broken-in doors of a month ago. With a quick push, Nekohiko tried to force the servant into the rooms.

Then, when it didn't work -- shoved him in harder.

Only to have the poor man bounce away from the entrance as though encountering a very thick invisible wall that repelled him.

"Ahhhh! Please don't hurt meee!" the servant wailed, quaking in Nekohiko's hand.

"Thank you for your service, this is enough," Nekohiko said as kindly as he could to not horrify the man even further.

Then he unleashed him and let him go.

Yes, this easily.

The man had served his purpose anyway. Checking to see if the ritual seclusion array still worked. Which it did.

As though unable to stand for even a second more, the servant sagged to the floor, watching Nekohiko and Abihiko in some kind of a trance.

"The Emp-perors..." he mouthed, shocked.

"You just realized?" Nekohiko scowled. But with how horrified the servant was to see the one and only true Emperor frown at him, Nekohiko wanted to ease the situation just a bit.

This was his servant, after all.

His royal subject.

One of the first to see him in full power in his own Palace.

"It's Nekohiko, by the way," he slipped to him. "Tell everyone. They seem to really want to know where we are."

Not that it will do anything for them.

Because as he and Abihiko stepped into the quiet stillness of the rooms they had fled more than a month ago -- Nekohiko knew for sure.

Nobody would bother them here while they recuperated.

While they gathered their thoughts about the hell that was waiting for them outside. While they made their plans.

And talked, of course.

But before that, really quick--

The ritual array's runes lit up underneath their boots once they stepped in. And before Abihiko could cast a spell to lift the broken doors and put them back in to shield them from the eyes of the stunned servant outside --

Nekohiko's fist flew squarely into Abihiko's face.

Ringing all through Nekohiko's arm with the force of the punch and the pleasure he felt at dealing it.

Just because.

Abihiko had earned it.

"For lying to me on the Trial!" Nekohiko told him, then slapped Abihiko's casting hands down and cast the spell to restore the door, himself.

"And if you keep wasting your powers on nuisance spells, I will give you ANOTHER where that came from!" he added.

...

He meant it.