Writer's Note: Sorry for being so late. Also, in order to make a few plot devices match up, I had to slightly edit the previous chapter. In any event, here's the next part of the story. Have fun.
CapoExecutor: If there's one thing that "Thousand Strategies" Ike fears more than anything else in the world, it is a "Restless Seeker" Fujita on full-bore workaholic mode.
Isekaijin: Many belated thanks, I guess. Too bad there's a scarcity of guava juice in the house at the moment. XD
The Light Hidden in the Shadow: Thank you. Anyways, yes, Nakamura IS a character from the series. She shows up in the first season's OVA.
ColinatorGX: You're expecting a rift in their relationship, eh? Hmph. Well, just keep reading. Anyways, yes, Kumiko is a minor side-character in the SnS OVA.
JohnPeacekeeper: Many thanks in return. You praise me too highly. And yes, Fujita is still the endlessly-moving workaholic. Yuji teaching Wilhelmina how to cook... well, I'm sure he's regretting it by now. Ogata and Eita will probably end up having a comedic side-role in the story, kind of like those two peasants from Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress". And erm, whoops... guess I didn't make that too clear in the last chapter. Anyways, I think this chapter will clear up that confusion in regards to Hecate's invitation to Yuji. And as for the blooper you spotted... thanks for the heads-up.
karasu-000: Thank you. ^^
fazed343: Erm... thanks. XD
Monte-chan: You're giving me too much credit. Really. D: Anyway, thank you for the compliments. Too bad I'm out of guava juice at the moment...
Revolver: Thanks.
-BlahHEAD-: Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? :3
"So now here we are. I guess it's about time for him to spill the beans on everything to her, right?"
The Writer of Questionable Stories groaned as he slammed his forehead against the keyboard.
"God, what a mess it's going to be... I'm probably going to have to spend all night running damage control. To think that this all started because I got careless..."
"Well, if there's anything to be viewed as beneficial from this experience, at the very least, you now know better than to drink or eat anything in front of your computer."
The Writer of Questionable Stories mumbled.
"Mmmrf."
"Hey, wait a minute... what are you doing?"
The Writer of Questionable Stories looked up from his reuben sandwich and glass of guava juice as he continued to type away at the keyboard.
"Mmrrch...?"
"God in Heaven... you're hopeless."
Hecate couldn't help but toss and turn in bed that night. Her mind was a flurry of clashing worry, anxiety, and gnawing fear. In the sweaty palm of her hand was the monocle of gold that the Flame Haze Kumiko had left with her. Tightly clenching her eyes shut, the teal-haired girl shook her head and buried her face deeper into the pillows and blankets.
It's all right... It'll be all right. Hirai-kun's not a Torch. He can't be. I'll find him at the Festival tomorrow... and I'll tell him everything. Everything I feel for him inside. It'll be all right...
Deep inside, however, Hecate couldn't help but remember the words of the strange girl, Kumiko, that had been spoken earlier that day.
Earlier that afternoon...
"...So, do you get it now? That's how the world works, you know. Anyway, you can use that monocle to see the world around you more clearly. But don't forget, we'll need to hear of your decision very soon."
There was a muffled grunt of agreement from the voice of Behemoth.
"Quite so. Forgive us, young lady, for being so straightforward, but we will be unable to tune this city unless we acquire the willing cooperation of one who has lived in this city and remembers it fully with the heart. You are a perfect candidate."
"But... what about Hirai-kun?"
There was an enigmatic smile on Kumiko's face.
"Find out the truth for yourself."
Squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stave off the wild, anxious thoughts that hammered in on her brain, Hecate tightened her grip on the monocle in her hand and tried to get some sleep.
It'll be all right... Won't it?
Even with all of her efforts to reassure herself, however, Hecate couldn't help but feel an icy pit of fear begin to accumulate in the bottom of her stomach.
SHAKUGAN NO YUJI?
Chapter 1812: Crushed Dreams
Shana's mind was spinning and shaking rapidly. With all of what Yuji had mentioned earlier that evening, confliction still raged inside her. Staring up at the ceiling from her bed, the female Mystes thought back to Yuji's earlier words.
I'll have to leave soon. I'll have to leave Misaki City and say goodbye to everyone I know. How ironic... I used to hate this place. But now...
She looked over to the window.
...Why is it that my heart hurts so much whenever I think of the idea that I'll have to leave?
Shaking her head, Shana forced herself to think of something a bit more cheerful. Inevitably, her gaze fell upon the figure of the young Flame Haze who was sleeping on the floor of her bedroom nearby.
But... if nothing else... At least Yuji will be at my side when I do leave Misaki City. And...
A smile came to her face as her thoughts turned to the upcoming Misago Festival.
...I'll be able to enjoy the festival with him. I wonder what he'll look like in a yukata...
Earlier that evening...
"Eh? You mean...?"
Shana blinked in astonishment as the import of Yuji's words sank in. The Flame Haze smiled in embarrassment as he nodded.
"Yeah... I... failed to mention it, due to the interruption from the Chanter of Elegies. But... yeah, I turned down Hecate's invitation."
"But... why?"
For a brief, almost undetectable moment, a flicker of apprehension and guilt crossed Yuji's face, but then it vanished as he smiled and gave reply.
"I... just wanted to spend some time with you, that's all. And the Misago Festival sounds interesting. So... mind hanging out with a 'pervert stalker'?"
Yuji blinked.
"Shana? Are you okay? You're looking a bit flushed. Are you sick?"
"I-I'm fine! Everything's fine!"
"But-"
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
Yuji had all the appearance of being asleep on the carpet of Shana's bedroom. In reality, however, his mind was working just as furiously as Shana's at the moment. His biggest worry was flashing through his mind.
Bal Masque's on the move. I don't have much time left.
Yuji's eyes fell upon Shana, who appeared to be asleep.
I'll have to tell her the truth about everything. I'll tell her at the Festival... And then, after that... Then what? What will she think of me? Will she forgive me? Can she forgive me?
The Flame Haze closed his eyes in worry.
...Or will she hate me?
Yuji felt a terrible pang of dread in his chest at the idea. Shutting his eyes, Yuji tried his best to push away the thought and get some sleep.
Needless to say, he would prove largely unsuccessful that night.
"Let me guess... You're going to be leaving soon, aren't you?"
Margery Daw, bottle of booze in hand, arched an eyebrow as she spoke to the Chanter of Elegies standing in the backyard of her house. Keisaku simply shrugged and gave a grunt as part of his reply.
"Well... Most likely."
Margery shook her head and sighed in playful mock dismay.
"Ehhhh... That's too bad. I'm going to miss my cute little roomer."
Keisaku snorted.
"Yeah. Right. The only thing you're going to miss is all the rent money I pay, and all the cheap booze that you buy with it."
The well-endowed English teacher winked saucily.
"Hmph. Maybe I should just come along when you do leave."
The Chanter of Elegies snorted again.
"...Don't be stupid."
With those words, Keisaku quickly got up from his seat on the backyard lawn chair and walked inside. Margery watched him go with an expression that seemed to be a mingled picture of affection and disappointment.
"Humm... It's too bad that he's got no real way of properly dealing with the fairer sex."
"What's wrong with you, partner? You've been acting... strangely, lately."
Keisaku snorted.
"You think so?"
"You could bet your last skin magazine that it's so. Normally, if someone made a suggestion like that, you'd get all worked up and yell, or even give the offending person a smack upside the head. But around that lady, you've been... really weird."
"Don't get the wrong idea, Marcosius. She's pretty, I'll give her that. But she's not cut out to be involved in our world for much longer."
The Chanter of Elegies suddenly grew quiet.
"And... it wouldn't be fair to get her into this situation any deeper than she already has."
Marcosius gave a deep, barking laugh that howled up to the ceiling.
"HAHAAHAHA! I KNEW IT! You've FALLEN for her! I knew it, I KNEW IT! I can't believe this! My little hormonal hero has actually gone and fallen in love with a beautiful lady! I swear, what'll happen next!? Used condoms falling from the sky!? HAHAHAHA-"
THWOMP!
"Shut up."
Marcosius groaned in pain as Keisaku withdrew his fist from the Grimoire's cover. The Claw and Fangs of Violation had a peeved note in his voice as he resumed the conversation.
"Another thing... You've been hanging around her too long. Before we ran into her, you never hit me THIS much over such trivial little things. She's being a bad influence on you!"
Keisaku only smirked in reply.
Kumiko shook her head as she walked down the street.
"Well... nothing we can do in regards to that girl, except just hope and wait. Kinda odd how something seemed familiar about her aura, though. I just wish that girl would find out the truth in regards to her beau faster."
Behemoth's aged voice was laced with a hint of wry and dry humor as he spoke.
"Even with the love of young lovers being unmatched in haste and impulsiveness within this world, you still view it as something that moves too slowly for you? At your age?"
Kumiko grumbled under her breath as she came to a stop at a pair of intersecting alleyways and began unslinging the wrapped metal pole that was hitched over her shoulders..
"Old as you are yourself, Behemoth, I'd thought that surely by now, you'd possess the wisdom of refraining from mentioning a woman's age. Especially mine..."
With a quick undoing of the canvas strips that swathed the massive metal pole in her hands, Kumiko lifted the huge rod up into the air and took a deep breath. The next moment, the female Tuner slammed the metal pole down into the cement with all the power of an industrial pile driver.
"HUWAH!"
CRUNCH!
The cement underneath the point of impact cracked and shattered, even as a spell-circle suddenly expanded outwards from the bottom of the metal pole in Kumiko's hands. Wiping her brow and nodding to herself in satisfaction, the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment lifted the pole out of the impression she'd made in the cement and re-wrapped it.
"That should take care of this area. How many more areas are we supposed to mark?"
"...As many as will be needed."
Kumiko grumbled again.
"You old geezers, always so vague about everything..."
The bell rang, signalling the end of yet another day at Misaki High. Students wasted no time in vacating their seats, grabbing up their bags, and running for the exits. Who could blame them? There was a festival to be enjoyed.
"Shana, slow down!"
Yuji was, somewhat surprisingly, having a hard time keeping up with the female Mystes. Shana's only response to Yuji's pleas for a slower pace was a sashaying of school skirts and a tongue playfully stuck out in his direction. Groaning, Yuji continued to race after Shana as the two left the campus grounds.
On the opposite side of the campus, Hecate idly swept at the floor of a classroom, having been unexpectedly saddled with last-minute cleanup duties. Her thoughts turned to a certain moment yesterday afternoon...
Yesterday...
"...I'm sorry, but I can't accompany you to the festival, Hecate-san."
Yuji's face looked distinctly regretful as he gave a quick, sharp bow from the waist to indicate his apology.
"I've got something else in mind for tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, I'd accompany you for sure..."
Hecate sighed and shook her head in a mixture of resigned disappointment and gentle reassurance.
"Don't be sorry, Hirai-kun. If you are busy, then there is nothing that can be done. I... I just wanted to tell you something there. Thank you for your time all the same..."
Even as Hecate turned to leave, however, Yuji suddenly spoke up.
"Ah, Hecate-san!"
Turning, Hecate looked back over to Yuji. Smiling, the young boy scratched the back of his head as he continued.
"I may not be able to accompany you to the festival tomorrow afternoon, but... there's always the chance that you could find me there. At the festival, that is. How about telling me at the festival when you find me?"
Hecate's previous look of disappointment receded as newfound hope shone in her teal-colored eyes.
"That... that's fine, Hirai-kun. Really. I'll see you at the festival, then?"
Yuji smiled and nodded.
"That'll be fine."
Hecate sighed as she swept at several motes of dust that were scattered across the floor tiles. Despite the undercurrent of hope that was running inside her, a part of her still felt highly apprehensive as she tightly clutched at the monocle which Kumiko had left to her.
It's all right... It'll be all right... Hirai-kun's not a Torch... and I'll tell him all of my feelings... I'll tell him tonight...
Shana sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment, having already changed into her red and cherry-blossom-print yukata. Her long black hair had been done up into a ponytail. From Wilhelmina's bedroom, the female Mystes could hear Yuji's screams of terror as he found himself being forcibly dressed into his yukata by Wilhelmina. Then there were a few muffled thumps... and then an abrupt silence.
A few moments later, Yuji weakly staggered and stumbled his way out of the bedroom, neatly dressed in a blue yukata decorated with a print of swimming red, white, and black koi carp. Wilhelmina walked out immediately afterwards, a perfectly serene expression on her face as always.
Shana got up and walked over to Yuji in order to inspect Wilhelmina's... handiwork. After a long moment of intense scrutiny, Shana looked up at Yuji. The Flame Haze blinked back in puzzlement.
"What... is something the matter?"
Shana suddenly started to blush furiously as her eyes met his. The female Mystes quickly turned away and muttered a few words.
"...Nothing. You don't look... too bad. Wilhelmina did a good job on you."
Yuji gave a sickly grin as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Erm, thanks... I guess."
"Well, what are we waiting around for, then? Let's go!"
Now smiling widely, Shana grabbed Yuji's hand and ran for the door, completely ignoring Yuji's spluttered pleas for a more temperate pace. As the female Mystes pulled on her wooden geta and opened the door, she turned back to Wilhelmina and waved once more.
"We're going! Will we see you there?"
Wilhelmina nodded once to Shana, almost bowing as she headed back towards her bedroom.
"Truly, you will find me at the festival tonight."
As the two left the apartment, Wilhelmina paused once and looked back over her shoulder at the door through which the two had departed. For a long moment, Shana's guardian said nothing. When she finally did speak, her voice was laced with a hint of regret.
"...That yukata... Truly, I wonder what her father used to look like while wearing it..."
Shana, even while being hampered in her movement by her wooden geta and full-length cotton yukata, was moving at a pace that was taxing even to Yuji's normally inhuman stamina. The female Mystes rapidly scampered from one stall to the next, peering over at grilled okonomiyaki one moment, to staring at piles of baked takoyaki the next. Panting for breath, Yuji stretched out a hand in desperate supplication.
"Shana... please... slow down..."
Sighing, the female Mystes reluctantly complied with Yuji's plea and turned back to rejoin him. Yuji straightened up and looked around. Now that he had time to catch his breath and regain his composure, he found himself staring wide-eyed at the paper lanterns and various stalls that were lining the area.
"...Amazing... I've never been to a place like this in my entire life."
Shana smiled.
"Isn't it fun? C'mon, what do you want to do first?"
Yuji looked about and suddenly pointed at a nearby gaming stall, which appeared to be hosting some sort of goldfish-scooping event. Shana raised her eyebrows at Yuji's choice.
"There? Well... all right, but you'll most likely lose. Those gaming stalls are known for fleecing people of all their money..."
A few moments later, Yuji and Shana walked away from the gaming stall, leaving a half-crazed, gibbering stallkeeper and a tank completely devoid of goldfish.
"That boy... he... he can't be human! Can't b-be!!"
Yuji, finding the mass of liberated goldfish too cumbersome to carry around with him, gave most of his winnings away to passing kids who were delighted to relieve the Flame Haze of his newfound prizes. The last prize he'd won, a red and white fantailed goldfish, swam in a plastic bag that dangled from a string in Shana's fingers.
Shana gave the unfortunate stallkeeper one last look and sighed.
"Well... I should've guessed that you'd do well at that sort of thing. Let's go get something to eat..."
The next hour found Yuji and Shana sampling various foods in and around the festival grounds, including grilled okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and tonkotsu ramen. Yuji abruptly halted, however, when he caught sight of one particular stall. Shana, curious as to what had caught the Flame Haze's attention in such a manner, walked over from her perusal of a display of festival masks and tugged at his sleeve.
"Oi, pervert stalker... something the matter?"
Yuji was intently staring at a stall that was selling a plethora of candied apples. In fact, not only was he staring... he was drooling. Shana fought back the urge to giggle as she watched him continue to salivate. After another moment, the female Mystes tugged on his sleeve.
"...Want one?"
Startled out of his saliva-powered reverie, Yuji looked over at Shana and slowly nodded as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Mmm."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the festival grounds, two figures were busily engaged in a rather one-sided argument.
"B-but Oga-chan..."
"No buts, stupid Tanaka! Honestly, why in the world did you insist upon holding onto our wallet?! Now you've gone and lost it, which means that we have no more money for anything else at the festival!"
"B-but... I was so sure that I'd keep it safe this time..."
"Well, I doubted it from the very beginning! And see!? I was right! Again!"
Even as the Doubting Couple continued to argue (With Ogata doing most of the arguing), a small figure dressed in a white yukata decorated with a teal hydrangea print approached the two.
"Excuse me..."
"Eh...?"
Looking up from their argument, the two former Denizens found themselves staring at Hecate, who was clutching a leather wallet in her hands.
"...Did you happen to lose this?"
"Ahhh! You found it! Thank you! Thank you so much! What's your name?"
"...Hecate."
"Ah... wait, Hecate, you look familiar! Don't you go to Misaki High too?"
"Oga-chan, she's been in our classroom this whole time, and you just realized that fact now?"
Exuberant and ecstatically relieved at the recovery of the misplaced money, Ogata rushed up and grabbed Hecate in an enthusiastically thankful glomp. Tanaka followed up a moment later by snatching up her hand and shaking it vigorously while thanking her profusely.
"Ah... you're welcome... but..."
Suddenly Ogata came up with what she thought was a brilliant idea.
"Say! We've got to show Hecate-tan our gratitude! Let's buy you some dinner and souvenirs!"
A look of silent alarm appeared on Hecate's face. She'd only approached the two in order to return their wallet, and she still hadn't found Hirai-kun yet. The young girl began taking a step back in an attempt to avoid the disaster that she could sense approaching in the distance.
"That's... not quite necessary..."
"Nonsense! Let's go grab some takoyaki!"
"Oga-chan, I'd like some tonkotsu ramen..."
"Go and get it yourself!"
"B-but, you're the one holding the wallet..."
Stuck fast in Ogata's iron grip, poor Hecate could only blink helplessly as the Doubting Couple dragged her off to show their appreciation for her honesty.
Kumiko sat on a sidewalk bench that overlooked the city of Misaki. All around the concrete cityscape, the Tuner could spot the various spell circles that she and Behemoth had created in the process of preparing the city for its eventual correction.
"Well, that's that. Now all that's left is for the girl to find out the truth and make up her mind. Wish she'd hurry up about it."
"Wishing won't make the stars fall, little one."
Kumiko giggled.
"You old geezers, always taking everything so slowly. Still..."
The face of the Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment took on a momentary expression of concerned worry as she continued to look out over the city.
"Is something the matter, child?"
"It... may just be my imagination, but I think I'm sensing something else. Something... other than the citywide distortion that we came here to fix. Something..."
"Mmm. I think I can feel it as well, now that you mention it. But certainly, it is something that I cannot quite seem to lay a finger on, so to speak."
Kumiko got up from her seat and rubbed at her forehead in mild frustration.
"...This whole city is so messed up."
"...Well now, this is turning out better than I expected. And see? The humans don't suspect a thing. The plan's perfect!"
"Well, that's great... but why did you have to involve ME in this!?"
"Thousand Strategies" Ike scowled as he struggled to maintain his precarious balance on a tall barstool in a corner of the cluttered laboratory. Fujita, the Restless Seeker, pulled at several levers and pushed a series of buttons as she continued to pour all of her dynamic energy into the work that was before her.
"Because, I just... Well, things always seem to work out better when you're here. Besides, somebody with a high level of responsibility needs to be making sure that nothing goes wrong, you know? Oh, and I swear, we've got to get some additional capacitors for the second dynamo I've got working down here. You can get a few for me next time you're walking around Earth, right? They're so hard to get, capacitors, I mean. I swear, it's so hard getting capacitors in the Crimson Realm that-"
Ike's scowl deepened.
"Just start the silly thing already."
Fujita pouted.
"Don't rush me. Everything here is running on a precise schedule. Any disruption or jumping of the gun is only going to mess the whole thing up. I swear, the last time somebody down here tried to start things off ahead of me got themselves into so much trouble that I couldn't help but..."
Ike facepalmed as he stifled the urge to groan. It was definitely, definitely going to be a long, long night.
An entire planar existence away, another young man similarly held back the urge to utter an exasperated groan as he followed after his well-endowed landlady.
"Okay... let me ask one more time... Why are we doing this again?"
Margery Daw, dressed in a purple and indigo yukata that barely held back her ample... assets, looked over her shoulder in playful mischief as she winked at the Chanter of Elegies.
"Oh, come on. Working and being cooped up inside the house all the time's no good. Playtime, my little roomer, playtime is just as important as worktime. Besides, if you stayed indoors all the time, your skin's going to go sickly pale. You might end up looking like some Nosferatu or some other monstrous resident of isolated crypts and castles."
Keisaku couldn't help but snort in disgust.
"Whatever."
Marcosius guffawed.
"Ha! Don't hold yourself in such denial, my young buck! Besides, it's not bad to step outside the house every so often. After all..."
The voice of the Claw and Fangs of Violation turned somewhat sly.
"...what young, healthy man wouldn't like to be in your shoes?"
Margery Daw looked over her shoulder again and winked once more at the taciturn Flame Haze.
"Dear, would you be so kind as to fetch something for me to drink? Preferably something alcoholic, smooth, and strong."
Rolling his eyes, Keisaku sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he started off to fulfill his landlady's bidding.
Several hours had passed, and the russet tones of late afternoon had darkened into the dark navy blues of early evening. Yuji and Shana, taking a break from the festivities, were sitting together on a sidewalk bench. The Flame Haze smiled as he sat back and looked out over the rows of stalls and people walking to and fro amongst the hanging paper lanterns.
"It's been a lot of fun so far, Shana. Thanks."
Shana blushed and looked away, pouting to hide her embarrassment.
"Hmph. Idiotic perverted stalker..."
Yuji just chuckled. After a long moment of silence, however, Shana, still blushing, quietly resumed speaking.
"...I had a lot of fun today too. You know... Before you came to Misaki and... walked into my life, I hated living in this city. I detested almost everything, except for the melon bread. And yet..."
Shana looked up at Yuji with an intense, yet unreadable expression in her eyes.
"...Now that I've met you, I... somehow the idea of leaving Misaki City bothers me. I know that I have to leave someday in order to make sure that nothing happens to this place, but... now, I don't dislike this city as much as I used to."
A look of distant sadness came over Shana's face as she continued.
"...For as long as I could, I felt very lonely. I couldn't remember the parents who'd left me when I was just a little girl. Wilhelmina doesn't remember them either, for some reason. So for a long time... I was so frustrated. I knew that somewhere, I once had a mother and father... but I couldn't remember anything about them. The social workers told me that they'd abandoned me. Somehow, though... I couldn't believe that."
Shana looked over at the rows and rows of festival stalls, and at the people who were attending and participating in the festivities.
"...I think that's why I hated this city so much. Because I felt like I didn't belong anywhere, as if my place in this world had just gone and vanished."
The female Mystes looked back over to Yuji.
"But ever since I ran into you, it... feels like I've found my place in this world again. And that place... is next to you, Yuji."
The young girl sitting on the sidewalk bench continued to keep her gaze intense and piercing as she looked up at the young man sitting next to her. Shana was blushing up a storm, but she didn't hesitate to speak the words that had been burning a hole in her heart for a long time.
"...Yuji... I love you."
Yuji said nothing for a long moment. In fact, he didn't move, either, almost to the point that Shana was wondering if her words had somehow caused him to turn to stone. When he finally did speak, it was with a voice that sounded as if it belonged at some sort of terrible funereal ceremony for the dead.
"...I... can't return your feelings, Shana. I'm sorry."
Shana's eyes widened. Her heart felt as if it had been simultaneously punched, pierced, and twisted into with a frozen corkscrew knife. Struggling to find her words, Shana's voice came out in a confused, dazed stutter.
"...Why?"
"Shana, I-"
"Is it because I'm not pretty enough?"
"Listen, Shana, please, it isn't-"
"Is it because of Hecate?"
"No, it's not because of-"
Shana's voice grew more desperate and more wild with every passing line.
"It's because of my chest then, isn't it!? I'm too flat chested for you, right!? RIGHT!?"
"Shana, listen to me-"
"I'm just not good enough for the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter then, right!? IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M A STUPID TORCH, A MYSTES, RIGHT-"
"SHANA!"
Shana froze in mid-sentence, her will to speak gone and arrested by the sudden, unexpected magnitude of terrible, agonized pain and regret that laced Yuji's voice as he yelled out her name. After a long moment, Yuji swallowed heavily and spoke.
"...Shana... the reason why I can't return your feelings... it's not because of any of those reasons... It's got nothing to do with you! It's because of me!"
Shana stared up at the Flame Haze, shocked at the abrupt expression of terrible guilt and anguish that now appeared on his face as he continued.
"I... I killed your parents, Shana! I... I was the reason why you don't remember them... I WAS THE REASON WHY THEY DISAPPEARED...!!"
Shana now felt as if she were caught in the fevered grip of some terrible dream... or rather, a maddened, hellish nightmare. The female Mystes slowly got up from her seat on the bench, moving as if she were sleepwalking. She turned and began to walk away. Yuji, feeling a sudden rush of panic, got up from his seat as well and reached out to grab her arm.
"Shana...!"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Yuji stopped in mid-reach, arrested by the tone of Shana's voice. It was ice-cold, now completely devoid of any warmth that it had once held towards the Flame Haze who had entered the young girl's life.
"Shana..."
Now visibly trembling, Shana slowly turned around. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at the Flame Haze who had entered her life, captured her heart... and who had killed her parents.
"Don't come near me..."
Yuji took a step forwards.
"Shana, I..."
The female Mystes shrieked out her pain and terror, causing several nearby passersby to turn their heads in the direction of the two.
"DON'T COME NEAR ME, I SAID!"
Breathing heavily as she continued to quiver and tremble, Shana stared up at Yuji, a mixture of terror and confliction written all over her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"S-stay away from me... YOU MONSTER!"
"Shana, wait...!"
With those final words, Shana spun and ran off, leaving Yuji standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after the fleeing Mystes in a mixture of pained resignation and anguished sorrow. Yuji let his upraised hand drop limply to his side as he continued to helplessly watch Shana flee into the midst of the bustling festival crowds and then disappear.
And then all hell broke loose.
Fujita giggled as she grabbed hold of the final lever.
"And... right on the mark! Let's start the show!"
The Restless Seeker pulled on the final trigger. As the whirring machinery crackled and spun to life, Fujita grabbed hold of Ike's wrist and dragged him across the laboratory.
"Come on, Ike-kun! The best part's just about to begin!"
Spell circles suddenly began bursting outwards from the various festive wickerwork figures that had been erected by the city's workers earlier that week in preparation for the Misago Festival. As they began encircling the area, they began arranging themselves into an intricate, yet completely well-ordered network of arcane seals that soon covered the entire length and width of the festival grounds.
Margery Daw and Keisaku looked up from their scrutiny of one of the souvenir racks as the carefully-erected spell circles began spiraling over the festival grounds. The Misaki High English teacher grumbled as she dropped the good-luck charm that she'd been in the middle of inspecting.
"Now!? Here!? Honestly, these Crimson Realm idiots... Have they no regard for a woman's leisure time...?"
The Chanter of Elegies raised an eyebrow.
"Marcosius, do you...?"
"Mmm. Strange, all right. There's Denizen spellwork here, but... no Denizen. Awfully well-made, I'll give them that."
Sighing, Margery Daw turned to leave. Keisaku looked over at the English teacher and raised his eyebrow even higher.
"And where are you going?"
Margery Daw snorted in mild disgust.
"Honestly, men these days... so dense. You're going to need somebody to assist in monitoring the situation, right? I might as well head over to the Crystal Altar and give you a hand, now that my fun's been ruined."
Despite his best efforts, Keisaku couldn't hold back from smiling as he reached into the Grimoire and pulled out an arcane bookmark.
"Business as usual, eh?"
"As always. Sheesh... You owe me a good, stiff drink after this."
As Margery Daw began heading out of the festival grounds with bookmark in hand, Marcosius dryly muttered a few words to his partner.
"She's sharp, as always. Good backup, she is. Pity we can't take her with us when we have to leave this place for good."
Keisaku's inscrutable smile only grew wider.
"Quite so."
Kumiko raised eyebrows of her own as she watched the arcane lightshow begin to erupt all over the festival grounds from her vantage point.
"So... that's what was going on."
"Mmm. Fairly well-made, too. A professional piece of work. Could it be...?"
For Yuji, the arcane display went unheeded as he continued to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, blankly staring at the shifting spot in the crowds where Shana had fled to and disappeared. Out of curiosity, a little girl tentatively approached the silent, unmoving Flame Haze and tugged at the sleeve of his yukata.
"...Are you all right? You look like you're hurting somewhere. Are you in pain?"
Before Yuji could react or reply, the girl's mother ran up and pulled away her daughter, muttering a few quiet apologies in Yuji's direction for her daughter's rudeness before leaving with her girl in tow.
After a few more moments of silent inaction, Alastor's voice finally broke in, stern and solid in its force of command.
"Now's not the time for this, Yuji! Brace yourself and look around you! We have a job to do!"
Clenching his eyes shut in silent, pained agony, the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter turned and ran in the direction opposite to the one which Shana had taken in her headlong flight.
Kumiko continued to stare out at the circling spell seals which were enveloping the festival grounds. Suddenly, she turned at the sound of approaching footfalls. The Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment smiled as she recognized the aura of the Flame Haze that now began ascending the steps in front of her.
"Ah... so it's you. I thought your presence seemed a bit familiar when we set foot in this city. I must say, I-"
The Tuner abruptly stopped in mid-sentence as she suddenly noticed the expression on Yuji's face. It was the look of a person who was fighting back the urge to cry with every ounce of strength in his soul. After a long moment of silent contemplation, Kumiko shrugged and approached her fellow Flame Haze.
"Well... I don't know what's been going on lately, seeing as how I'm cooped up with this old geezer here, but we do have a job to do."
Alastor's voice spoke up, intervening for Yuji so that he wouldn't have to speak.
"Well met, Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment. And greetings to you as well, Behemoth. It has been a long time."
"Indeed. These are some... interesting times. In any event, we've got a problem on our hands. We've come to this city in order to carry out some correctional tuning, but we've had trouble locating our candidate."
Alastor's voice held a note of puzzled question as he gave reply.
"You mean... you've had trouble finding a candidate in this city?"
"Not exactly. We did find a suitable girl, but it's just that... Wait a minute. This boy here... Are you... Yuji Hirai?"
Yuji said nothing, which forced the Flame of Heaven to speak for him.
"For the moment, he is. Is something the matter?"
Kumiko shrugged.
"In a manner of speaking. Our candidate mentioned something about a boy named Yuji Hirai, and her worry that he would be a Torch. Of course, now that we've met, I think I can finally recognize that familiar trace of power which was hanging about her existence."
"So what would you have us do?"
The Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment pointed out at the arcane lightshow which was continuing over the grounds of the Misago Festival.
"As you can see, things have suddenly taken a complicated turn, most likely due to the existential distortion which has already occurred throughout the city. We're going to need the girl here as soon as possible. Any further complications due to the distortion must be halted."
"Understood. What is the candidate's name?"
Behemoth spoke up.
"Hecate, I believe it was."
Yuji's eyes widened with shocked realization as he suddenly remembered the promise he'd made with Hecate yesterday, and which had been subsequently gone forgotten. Taking a deep breath, the Crimson-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter braced himself and suddenly pulled out his Yogasa.
"All right... I'll do it."
There was a questioning note within Alastor's voice as he spoke.
"Are you sure you can handle it?"
Forcing a smile to his face, Yuji pulled out the deadly length of Blutsauger from the depths of his nightcoat and slammed it point-first into the ground.
"We don't have a choice. I am a Flame Haze... and the balance of the two worlds is at stake."
"Great! It seems that the first stage has been completed successfully. Now... time for stage two!"
The Restless Seeker pushed another series of buttons, causing another set of arcane machinery to crackle to life.
The various wickerwork statues lining the sides of the festival lanes abruptly began to glow and move, transforming into sinister eldritch creatures that were, unlike the initial spellcircles, completely visible to the normal human eye. Festival attendees immediately began screaming in terror as the Restless Seeker's creations now began wreaking havoc amidst the festival stalls.
"SEAL!"
Before any further damage could be inflicted, the crimson shades of an arcane Seal burst forth from the pages of Keisaku's Grimoire, bringing a halt to the flow of time within the vicinity of the festival grounds. Immediately, the Chanter of Elegies followed up by unleashing several volleys of magical energy, blasting the closest of the eldritch creatures to shimmering cinders. Marcosius snorted with laughter as Keisaku turned and lobbed another blast of purple-colored flame.
"Ha! Well, this is definitely turning out to be a very peculiar festival. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, my reckless tankard?"
"Probably. It's her work, isn't it?"
The Claw and Fangs of Violation chuckled dryly as another eldritch creature was reduced to cinders by Keisaku's attack.
"Just what I was thinking. No doubt about it, Bal Masque's definitely lit the candles on the cake and started the party now. Kinda rude of them not to send us an invite, though."
Shana ran, tears streaming down her face as she did so. There was nothing else she could do. Coherent thought was an impossibility.
Yuji... Yuji is...
The female Mystes clenched her eyes shut in terrible pain and continued to run in her mindless, headlong flight away from the nightmare that had suddenly found her and which had buried its razor-sharp claws into her heart.
Yuji...!
Suddenly, a nearby explosion of eldritch power burst forth, knocking her down and sending her tumbling to the sidewalk. Looking up in a daze, Shana found herself staring up at several glowing, birdlike creatures, swooping in low over the crowds.
In her anguished pain and mindless headlong flight, Shana had completely missed the Unrestricted Method that had been forming around the festival grounds. Unfortunately, she had left the Nietono no Shana back at the apartment. Gritting her teeth, Shana struggled to her feet and forced herself back into a limping run. Somehow... she had to get away...
...Away from all the madness that had now swallowed up her entire world.
"God, and to think that things were going so well just a moment ago!"
"D-don't talk now, Oga-chan! Just keep running!"
"Geez, that stupid Flame Haze! If he hadn't sealed away our powers, we could do something about this mess!"
"Hey, what about Hecate-tan!? Where'd she go!?"
Tanaka shrugged in mid-run, which was no mean feat in and of itself.
"I... I dunno. I think we got separated from her in all the confusion..."
"Damn it! Tanaka, you should have kept a better eye on her! Geez, why in the name of the Crimson Realm do I get stuck with all the useless boyfriends...!?"
At that very moment, Hecate was busy running for her life, having been separated from Tanaka and Ogata in the confusion of the milling, panicked crowds. Several of those glowing, flying monsters had spotted her, and were now following her in almost gleeful pursuit of their intended prey. Suddenly, one of the girl's wooden geta caught on a crack in the pavement, sending her tumbling to the cement. Wincing, Hecate looked up to see one of the terrifying monsters swooping in towards her for the kill.
Hecate closed her eyes and waited for the descending monstrosity to kill her.
SHHNK!
Nothing. Slowly, almost fearfully, Hecate opened her eyes... and then widened them as she found herself staring up at a figure standing over her. In one of his hands was a gigantic two-handed sword, fearsome and clearly lethal even with all of its ornate decoration. His eyes and hair glowed a heated crimson, searing like molten metal in a blast furnace, and brilliant wings of flame licked the air from his back.
Blinking in shock, Hecate slowly got to her feet, staring up at the strange figure, both utterly alien and yet completely familiar in its form.
"...Hirai-kun...?"
Yuji slowly turned around and looked over to Hecate, a small, sad smile gracing his features as he shouldered the huge blade and quietly spoke.
"Hecate-san... I'm sorry for being so late."
"Well... fat's in the fire now."
The Writer of Questionable Stories mumbled incoherently around another mouthful of rye bread, corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.
"Mhmm."
"Ah geez... For crying out loud, could you quit eating in front of the computer!? You're only going to make things worse!"
"Smrpch. Mrmphsnarf."
To Be Continued...?