Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not a thing.
Author's Note: Gosh, I love this fandom so much. I've only been a part of it for about, oh, three days, but still. This idea just struck me a few hours ago, so I had to get it out. Also, faint spoiler for manga, but if you haven't read it yet, then it won't be a big deal.

"What happens when a god dies?"

Yukine glanced over at his companion, who was sprawled comfortably across the soft, spring grass. The god's arms were neatly tucked and folded under the base of his neck, serving as a makeshift pillow. Yukine suppressed the urge to groan. His useless master seemed to be asleep, doing nothing as usual.

He probably didn't even hear me, the boy scowled, pursing his lips. Divine omniscience, my ass.

He began to contemplate the question on his own.

What would happen to me then? Would I just die again? I mean, it already happened once. Would it hurt? Would it hurt Yato? He spared a sour glance in the god's direction. Like I care, though.

Yukine sighed, tilting his head back and staring at the puffy clouds trekking across the crystalline sky. He was partially torn between wanting to do something productive and wanting to stay put. A gentle breeze tousled his blond hair, caressing his cheek with its warm breath. It felt nice... He realized he didn't want to leave.

"I don't mean reincarnation," the boy added as an afterthought, drifting back to his question. "I mean, what would happen to m—the shinki?"

He wasn't expecting an answer and consequently jumped when Yato responded.

"So you're already planning on replacing me, huh?" The stray god murmured sleepily. "I hope Kazuma hasn't corrupted you with all his moaning about that blonde b—"

Yukine glared at his master for the latter's lack of concern for his question. "At least she would be doing something important instead of just sleeping," he countered with a stern frown.

The younger boy fell silent as he considered his original thought again. He picked at the grass, tearing and shredding the stalk into tiny strips before deciding that the repetitive approach was the best option.

"What happens to shinki when their masters die?"

There was a beat of silence and Yuki almost groaned, fearing that his master had fallen back asleep. However, when he glanced back over his shoulder at the god, he was slightly unnerved to meet Yato's solemn, calculating gaze. The god was watching him with an eerie concentration, twisted onto his stomach with his chin propped up by a stilted palm. Yuki swallowed and averted his eyes from the god's chilling stare. He fumbled with the blades of grass again, frustrated with his inability to meet his master's eyes.

There was a low grunt from Yato's direction as the god leisurely climbed to his feet with a good-natured yawn. "It's about time we head back, dontcha think? 'Bout to get dark soon," he winked at the blond. The god turned to adjust his jacket, exposing his back to the younger boy's narrowed gaze.

The idiot purposefully ignored my question! Yukine seethed internally. I should have known better than to ask him.

"As for your question," Yato began in a low voice. Yukine froze, watching the still, somber profile of his master. The god was either looking at nothing in particular or something so distant it was imperceptible to Yukine. There was a flash of darkness in the god's eyes, not unlike ice cracking to reveal nothing underneath, as he glanced over his shoulder.

"It's best not to dwell on 'what ifs,' Yukine."

Despite his master's blatant avoidance of the question, Yukine was still curious. If anything, Yato's annoyingly cryptic response further spurred the boy's desire to find an answer.

He wasn't desperate enough to ask Kofuku, but Daikoku was an entirely viable option.

Yukine waited for days, making sure he would find the opportune time when he and the older shinki could speak in private. Although his master didn't necessarily not forbid him from asking other people about the fate of shinki, Yukine still felt guilty about going behind Yato's back.

However, the guilt must not have been too significant, otherwise he would have been quickly found out if the god began to complain incessantly about his stinging shinki.

Comforted with this knowledge, Yukine rehearsed his question and cornered the brunet at the shop.

"Daikoku, I have a question," he began innocently.

The older man eyed the blond, but he didn't vocalize his obvious suspicions.

"That idiot god keeps refusing to answer this," Yukine continued, trying to make his request sound irresistible. "I figured he didn't know, but I know you're far more intelligent than him."

Daikoku's eyebrows lifted in thinly veiled amusement. He knew what the boy was trying to do, but the blatant flattery was appreciated nonetheless.

"What do you need to know then?"

Yukine took a deep breath before meeting the older shinki's stare. "What happens to shinki when their masters die?"

Immediately the man's jovial smile dried up and his gaze narrowed considerably.

"I'm sure if Yato didn't answer you, he has a reason." The brunet turned away and quickly busied himself with adjusting a display.

Yukine sighed heavily through his flared nostrils. He had a feeling he wasn't going to get an answer from Daikoku either.

There was only one other person he could turn to now.

His previous two methods of asking, leading up to the question with polite or speculative ramblings, were considerable failures. Yukine decided a change in tactics was in order. Perhaps pointblank bluntness would catch his quarry off-guard and finally result in an answer.

He posed the question during one of his sparring matches with Kazuma. Although the question obviously startled the other blessed regalia, the older shinki didn't let it phase him for long, countering the boy's question with a powerful attack.

Irritated at being ignored again, the blond poured his frustration into his next few attacks, managing to knock the more experienced shinki back several steps with the sheer power of his anger.

However, in the end, Kazuma ended up incapacitating the younger regalia, leaving the blond panting on all fours, struggling to catch his breath. Yukine blinked at the man's shiny shoes as he stopped to stand in front of the boy.

"I assume you asked Yato first with no success."

The blond climbed to his feet with an annoyed scowl. Kazuma confirmed his suspicions with the boy's twisted expression.

"I also assume Daikoku didn't answer either."

"No," Yukine responded sullenly. He got the feeling that Kazuma was preparing to reject his question as well.

Instead, Yukine was surprised when the older shinki resumed speaking.

"The reason Daikoku didn't tell you was because it wasn't his place. His bond with the Lady Kofuku is different from your bond with Yato, so even then, his answer wouldn't be relevant to what would happen to you."

Yukine's forehead scrunched up in confusion as he digested the brunet's words. "What do you mean? We're both shinki, aren't we? Bound in service to a deity? Even though he's a sucky one, Yato's still a god, right?" I swear, if that idiot's been lying to me this whole ti—

"Yes…and no," Kazuma started slowly, carefully mulling over each word. "Although Yato is a revered god…in the loosest sense imaginable, his following is comparably weak compared to that of my lady and even Lady Kofuku. Their fame—or infamy—will allow them to be born again, so their shinki must also remain. I'm sure you remember how a similar thing happening to Ebisu."

Yukine shuddered, thinking back to the god's divine punishment and his consequent revival. He wondered why he hadn't thought about that sooner.

"So, what would happen to Yato then?"

Kazuma hesitated before shaking his head uncertainly. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm not sure if he would be reincarnated or if he would simply disappear. Yato probably didn't answer you because he doesn't know himself." Kazuma paused, struggling to find the right choice of words. "We have never been able to track down any shinki of gods who permanently…disappeared. If there is no one to remember a god, he disappears. If there is no one to bind you to the near side, well…"

"So if Yato died, I would too?" Yukine supplied flatly. He thought back to their latest battles, how they barely managed to scrape by each time. It was only a matter of time before a more formidable foe crossed their path.

Kazuma gave the boy a sad side look.

"I'm sorry."

"What happens when a god dies?"

Yukine was painfully reminded of his question only a few weeks later. As he closed his eyes, feeling his own power surge with Yato's raw force, he tried to force the damaging thoughts from his mind. He needed to be completely focused on the fight ahead of them—not just for Yato's sake, but for his own as well.

The day had started out innocently enough with Yato receiving an inconspicuous job request for helping to move furniture for an elderly factory worker. When the two of them arrived at the warehouse—as the job required physical labor and Yato certainly wasn't going to do that alone—they were immediately assaulted by a burst of dark energy.

After a moment of confused sputtering, Yato ordered Yukine's quick transformation into Sekki and assessed the now-turned battlefield. As they had feared, a gruesome figure limped out of the shadows, a distorted grin stretched tautly across its face. The creature, once a minor deity like Yato, sought fame and recognition with abandoned caution. In his desperation to achieve status, the god fused with a phantom to maximize his power and quickly lost control over his mind. The result was a highly unstable, highly bitter monster who sought vengeance on the people who had forsaken it.

Yato knew about the creature from Tenjin's warnings and his surge in safety-related prayers, but he never realized it would be such a grotesque monstrosity. Perhaps the worst part, however, was that it still possessed a scrap of its divine sentience.

It knew exactly who Yato was and it knew the fame it would earn by killing a god of calamity.

The creature made its intentions clear, lashing out at Yato with a darkened blade. The stray god barely had time to leap out of the way before the weapon sliced the air beside him. There was a crackle of energy as Yukine recognized a faint, dying intelligence emitting from the blade. The creature's weapon was still alive—though not for long.

It…it has a shinki…? Yukine echoed, clearly rattled by the sight. Can it still control it, even though it's possessed by a phantom?

Yato gritted his teeth, sparing only a quick moment of thought to answer his regalia's questions. Whatever that thing is—it's still part god, so it can still have part of a shinki.

Part of…?

It isn't going to last much longer, the stray god responded flatly. His crystalline eyes scanned the creature's disfigured face before tracing a path along the corroded blade.

The god-phantom hybrid uttered a shrill screech before slashing at Yato again. The raven-haired god was about to block the blade with Sekki before diverting the blade out of way with a loud grunt. Undeterred from its course, the hybrid's corroded blade bit into Yato's shoulder, tearing a sizable gash into his tracksuit. The stray god hissed and quickly retreated, his left arm hanging loosely by his side.

Yato! Yukine sucked in a deep breath through his nose, suppressing the urge to scream out loud at the jarring impact. Why didn't you block it? You moved me out of the way!

"The blade…" Yato panted out loud. "It's corroded… It would've blighted you…"

Within the confines of his voluntary imprisonment of his sword form, the blond mashed his lips in frustration. But now you're hurt, you idiot!

"Tch," the god muttered under his breath, fully aware that his regalia could hear him. "Ungrateful little brat." He spared a hesitant glance to his limp arm and burning shoulder, faintly distressed to notice the gradual stitching of blight stemming from the wound.

Are you going to be okay to fight? Or should we retreat?

Have some faith in me, Yukine. The god sounded far more confident than either boy felt.

Oh…kay. The boy seemed unconvinced. However, he steeled his nerves in preparation for the oncoming struggle, despite the nagging thought of his permanent fate echoing in the back of his mind. The blond quickly forced the dark idea away before it could manifest into a tangible thought, detectable by Yato. He couldn't afford to be distracted—not when their lives were on the line.

The next few moments of the battle were relatively uneventful. The hybrid was deteriorating quickly now, barely able to hold the corroded shinki steady in its morphing talons. Still, despite the creature's obvious disadvantages, Yato refused to strike head on, making their attack pattern ineffective and far too opportunistic.

What are you doing? Yukine seethed, after Yato dove out of the way of the corrupted blade's path. Use me! The god rolled a couple of feet before climbing slowly back into a crouched stance. The blight across his shoulder and now his side was making the god considerably sluggish, Although Yukine couldn't feel the pain physically, he knew the sting. Contrary to the god's physical shabbiness, his blade was impeccably bright and unblemished.

What good is your blessed regalia if you don't use it!

Just wait! Yato countered back, pain lacing his harsh tone. Its shinki is corroding to nothingness. In a few minutes, it'll be useless. Then we'll have our chance to strike

Yukine was temporarily speechless by the god's response. He hadn't expected Yato to have a plan, much less one that would be physically feasible. However, the blond knew he should have expected it, especially since his master was a formidable god of war.

That…isn't a bad idea, the boy finally consented with a determined nod.

Before the god had time to make a sarcastic quip, their opponent staggered back with an inhuman keen.

"I…don'…wan'…dieeeee!" the creature sobbed. Yato froze at hearing the garbled sentence, lowering his shinki with a stunned expression. Something in Yukine's chest throbbed suddenly for the poor monster and his eyes watered despite his furious wiping at his cheeks.

"I…wan'…be…loved!" the monster continued, the shadows around its marred face retreating to reveal the humanoid god beneath. "I don' wan' disappear!"

Upon hearing the last plea, something in the stray god's expression hardened. His crystalline eyes glinted coldly as his grip around Sekki's hilt tightened. Yukine knew the action well—Yato was about to do something he knew they would regret. The raven-haired god reared his arm back, the blade glinting in the low light of the warehouse.

No!

Yukine pulled back with all of his might, throwing the stray god off balance. He couldn't let Yato kill the monster. Not when it was only trying to save its reputation and itself. It was only doing the same thing Yato was trying to accomplish—be remembered.

At the sight of the conflict between the stray god and his regalia, something shifted in the hybrid's pitiful grimace. The same divine sentience re-emerged with a malicious glimmer as the creature revealed its cunning.

"Don't you know what I am, God of Calamity?" the creature smirked viciously. "A trickster god."

Yato snarled at the thing's taunt, but before he could react, the monster moved first, darting towards the stray god and his regalia.

YATO! Yukine screamed. There was a sensation of flight before he fell to the ground, clattering and falling silent a few feet from his kneeling master. Yato clutched at his dripping gut, releasing a forced whimper when the hybrid jerked his corroded blade from the younger god's pale body. As the weapon left the stray god's body, Yato shuddered and toppled forward, barely able to support himself on his weakened elbows. He reached weakly in Sekki's direction with trembling, crimson stained hands.

"Se…kki…" he whispered hoarsely. As his fingers brushed against the cold steel of the blade, the hybrid kicked the weapon away with a gleeful, demented giggle.

Yukine squeezed his eyes shut as he spun uncontrollably, skittering across the concrete floor of the warehouse. This is my fault. I stopped Yato from killing that monster. The blond trembled in his tiny confinement, feeling wave after wave of violent emotion wash over him. Rage. Guilt. Determination.

If…if he could just call for me, then we could stop that thing.

Yukine's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Not one for gloating, the possessed hybrid swung his shinki in the air, carving the air above in a neat slice. The monster was going to kill Yato.

I just have to get…free!

Even with its corrosion and tarnish, the blade winked cruelly in the dim light, tossing pale, sickly lights on Yato's firm glare. However, when the hybrid let the blade fall from its lofty perch, the god squeezed his eyes closed in defeat.

"Yato! No!"

The blond was suddenly moving, faster than he ever had before. There was a bright burst of light, a loud screech, and then silence.

After not feeling the painful death strike across his neck, Yato slowly pried his blue eyes open, letting out a gasp of surprise at the sight. Yukine stood in between Yato and his once imminent death, panting with a determined glare etched across his face. Separating a howling hybrid from them was a brilliant, glowing boundary, shimmering with the shinki's blessed power.

"You…reverted on your own…" the stray god gasped, squinting at his regalia in disbelief before looking at the temporarily contained hybrid "How…?"

Keeping his narrowed stare firmly on the hybrid, Yukine swallowed as he realized what he had just done. "I don't know…" he admitted sheepishly, feeling faintly guilty for acting so blatantly on his own will. Wait…why should I be guilty? I just saved the idiot's life! "But I think since it's part phantom, my boundary stopped it."

"Smart, kid… I always knew you were the best regalia," the stray god murmured weakly to himself.

Yukine caught the soft words with a chilly shudder, breaking his stony gaze with the scowling hybrid, waiting impatiently on the other side of the boundary. There was something painfully final about the god's words. He studied the weakened boy with a deeply set frown.

"What do you mean were?" Yukine demanded loudly, hating the fear trickling into his voice. He tried to convinced himself that he could care less about his master—alright, maybe that was a bit of a lie.

A triumphant gurgle on the other side of the boundary temporarily drew Yukine's attention. He jerked his gaze towards the hybrid, noting with a faint twist in his gut that the monster was successfully chipping away at the silvery wall with clawed talons.

When he returned his gaze to Yato, the latter had already pulled himself into a weak elevated position with his shaking elbows propping his upper body. The position, so casual and natural a few weeks ago, now looked devastating on the stray god.

Yato tried to force a smile, but it came out looking like a crimson-stained grimace. The god lifted up a trembling finger and traced a familiar symbol in the air.

No…

"I rele—"

"No!" Yukine's desperate cry startled the god and he paused mid-sentence. "What the hell are you doing?"

"There's not much time," Yato grunted, coughing and spraying his white scarf with a red liquid. "I'm trying to release your ungrateful ass."

Stunned by the god's answer, Yukine blinked once, then twice at his dying master.

"Why?"

Yato rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh, not feeling particularly up to par to argue with an irritated teenager on this deathbed. "You know already—you aren't a complete idiot. Just a persistent one."

Too stressed to bristle at the god's insult, Yukine swallowed thickly. Although he knew the god for a majority of his afterlife, the boy still never got used to the deity's unnerving omniscience, especially when he acted like a total fool for most of the time.

His conversations about the shinki's fate after its master's death played over in his head.

Yato refused to answer.

Daikoku said it wasn't his place to answer.

Kazuma didn't know what would happen, though the grave hint was obvious.

Taking the blond's dour silence as understanding, Yato prepared himself for a second attempt. "After I release you, for the gods' sake, please don't indenture yourself to that blond b—"

"No."

"Eh?"

"I said, no. You aren't releasing me." Taken aback by his shinki's bold response, Yato merely blinked, too shocked to come up with a snarky remark. Altruism isn't really his color, Yukine mused dryly, trying to ignore the fact that he quite possibly just gave up his chance for survival.

"You're a freaking idiot who constantly gets himself into trouble and someone always has to save you." Yukine paused to consider his harsh words. In any other situation, his brash and open defiance would have stung his master. Perhaps it was stinging Yato now and the god was too far gone to feel it. Perhaps the stray god felt it, but didn't care.

"This is one of those times," he added matter-of-factly, in case the stray god hadn't quite gotten the message.

"There is no way in hell I'm going to let you die after all the crap you put me through," Yukine continued, turning back to face the leering hybrid. He only had a few moments to act before Yato released him or succumbed to his injuries. Either option led to negative consequences the shinki wasn't fond of dwelling upon.

Already his boundary was weakening. While Yato grew weaker from his injuries, it was clear that the hybrid was growing stronger, the god component slowly overpowering the phantom possessing it.

Yukine wasn't sure if his boundary was strong enough to hold off a god, and he didn't want to wait and see.

Pursing his lips together, the boy quickly rummaged through his resume of skills, painstakingly learned through months of training with Kazuma. He studied the hybrid for a moment before slowly lifting up his right hand with his middle fingers extended.

Yukine slashed his fingers through the air as a boundary erupted from the floor of the warehouse, effectively strengthening the already weakened barrier. Ignoring the fading gasps of his master, Yukine darted through the boundary, making two more cuts in the air and forming a tightly sealed triangular prison.

"Fool! Bound'ry…can't…hold…me!"

Panting at the effort, Yukine rest his hands on his hips, steeling himself for his next move. Before he had time to utter the words, an opened claw burst from the white light, nearly impaling the blond. Yukine leapt backwards, skidding on his worn tennis shoes for purchase.

There was a deep rumble and one side of the barrier shattered. The monster tumbled from the prison, hissing and spitting in glee. It slashed at Yukine's head, grazing the boy's shoulder as he dove away. Yukine rolled in a tightly curled ball before jumping to his feet. He wasn't as agile as Yato, but his time with Kazuma and Daikoku had taught him quite a few new battle techniques.

The monster lurched towards Yukine in a poor imitation of crawling, much slower that it had been before. Taking a deep breath, Yukine crouched down and prepared to spring.

If he missed, the creature would slice him in half.

If he didn't attempt it, Yato would die within minutes, taking his unreleased regalia with him.

The blond clenched his hands into a tight fists before jumping at the creature's curled, exposed spine. Squeezing his eyes shut to concentrate, he swiped the puncturing bones with his three middle fingers on his right hand.

Rend… he echoed in his mind, willing his power as Sekki to emerge without Yato's physical guidance. He hoped that since he never officially "reverted" back to human form, he would still possess some fraction of his blade's strength. Enough, he hoped, to be able to slice the phantom from the god.

The hybrid screamed at the painful contact and Yukine willed harder, digging his left hand into the blighted flesh to keep steady on the thrashing creature. The disease crawled slowly up his wrist and forearm and the boy nearly ripped his hand away, almost fatally losing his balance.

Yukine gritted his teeth, desperate to feel the successful rush of a clean separation of evil…and more evil. After another moment of tense silence from a prone Yato and violent screaming from the hybrid, the monster shuddered and collapsed. It writhed for a moment longer before falling still. The phantom was gone, leaving only the withered husk of an ambitious god.

Leaping off the creature's back, Yukine rushed to Yato, fearing the worst.

I'm still here though…so that can't mean he's dead, right?

He fell to his knees, careful to shake the god's uninjured shoulder with his non-blighted hand.

"Yato! Yato! Wake up, you piece of crap god! Ya-to!"

"S'not v'ry nice…" the stray god slurred weakly, his pale face pinched with pain.

Yukine almost sobbed with relief at sound of the god's voice, though he would vehemently deny it later.

"We have to get you help," Yukine continued, worry bleeding into his voice. His master was barely conscious, so he didn't feel the need to keep up his gruff attitude. As gently as he could, Yukine pulled the weakened god into a sitting position and slung him over his back.

The blond groaned at the weight of the older teenager.

"Why do you weigh so much?" he grumbled, ignoring the sting of blight and the sticky wetness of blood as it dribbled onto his back. Yukine was painfully reminded of a time months ago when Hiyori had to carry a severely blighted Yato to Kofuku and Daikoku after his selfish mistakes.

This was his fault too, but he was going to make sure everything turned out okay.

For both of their sakes.

"Hiiiii-yori! I'm hungry!"

The brunette girl's eye twitched faintly as an exasperated smile grew on her lips. "I think he's fine," she informed the pink haired goddess.

Kofuku smiled widely, her violent eyes crinkling in delight. "Well, why don't we get something for Yatty-chan!"

"Huh?"

She grabbed the human's dangling arm and skipped towards the kitchen, dragging the faintly protesting brunette in tow. Understanding his master's subtle hint, Daikoku followed them out of the room, nodding to the last visitor before ducking out of the door.

"I wonder if they'll remember dessert…" the pale god mused, struggling to pull himself into a sitting position. He winced at the motion, gently touching the wrapped bandages around his gut.

"You know, you don't have to sit there and glare the whole time, Yuki."

The blond sighed loudly and slipped off the table he had been perched on. "You're right," he admitted. "I have school work I have to do." He turned to leave.

"Wa-it!" Yato called, addressing the blond's exposed back.

With his expression safely concealed, Yukine smiled faintly. He turned back to face the bedridden god, forcing an indifferent scowl across his features.

"What do you want?"

Conversely, the dark haired god was barely able to conceal his wide, open-mouthed smile. "You do care!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't want to abandon me!" The stray god's smile stretched further as his crystalline eyes sparkled. "You do care about me!"

There was a beat of silence as Yukine considered his next response. He could either admit that he genuinely didn't want his master to die…

"I don't know what you mean," he answered with a simple shrug.

Or he could be a little shit.

Sensing something was up, the stray god narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You refused to let me release you. You risked your life to save mine!" Yato countered triumphantly.

"Is that what you thought I was doing?" The blond lifted one of his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Wha?"

"You were just stabbed by a corroded shinki. I didn't trust you to release me properly. You'd probably call me by my wrong name or something."

"Yuu-kine!"

"The way I saw it," the boy began with an offhanded flick of his wrist, "the only way to survive was to save your sorry ass."

"See! I told yo—"

"The only way for me to become immortal is for you to become immortal," he continued. "And since you clearly can't do that on your own—"

"That isn't faaair!"

"I have to help you become a revered god or whatever crappy title you keep moping about," Yukine finished with a curt nod.

Yato gingerly crossed his arms and fixed his blessed regalia with a doubtful stare. "I think you're lying. I think you didn't want me dead," he countered with a smug smile. "You really do care about me, Yuki."

Fearing his stern mask would crack, Yukine simply gave the god an unfriendly gesture and turned away, stalking towards the door.

"When you can actually release me like a semi-competent god, I'll make sure to ask Bishamon for employment first."

"Yuuuukine!"

The blond ducked his head, hiding his growing smile.

His gruffness, Yato's whines. It was all an act. They both knew they were bound together until the end.

Whether it would be for eternity or less, it was up to them.

Thank you for reading! Hopefully there beautiful dorks weren't too OOC. Let me know what you think!