Thrice Denied

“I need help,” Rosary thinks, watching the spinning portal bring forth the screams of the damned. “Help me fix this,” she begs, feeling the demons press down like mountains upon her. The Diviner stands in the center of the circle, lifting the pearl and chanting in an unknown language.

“Please, Grandfather, Oni-chan, God, somebody help me—”

“SHUT UP!” the Diviner yells, kicking Rosary in the jaw. Her teeth click, biting her tongue. The Diviner watches as Mist tries to form words, only to spit up blood instead.

“Oh dear, perhaps I’ve been too harsh on you,” she says, taking a knee and wiping the blood off Rosary’s chin. “After all, this is all thanks to you.”

“What?” Rosary asks.

“Of course,” the Diviner says, lips twisting into a mocking grin. “If you hadn’t been so desperate to see the good in these girls, you might’ve put your foot down instead of enabling them.” Rosary’s eyes go wide at the Diviner’s words, disbelief forming on her face as the Diviner continues. “Without you, neither would have their social or supernatural powers. Neither would be useful to me, and neither would be here now.” The Diviner releases Rosary’s face, taking delight in her shocked look as she licks her bloody fingers.

*KHPT!*

She spits it out instantly, disgusted by the lack of sin. “She actually believes it!” the Diviner realizes, stepping back in fear despite the demons immobilizing Rosary. “She actually still believes her ‘god’ will save her.” Despite being pinned by demons, the screams of the damned echoing from the portal, and all the accusations the Diviner has brought against her, Rosary’s blood testifies that her faith remains.

“I have to finish this quickly,” the Diviner murmurs, realizing how much time she has already wasted gloating in her victory. She returns to the circle, resuming her chants and incantations, stringing words and movement together to speed up the ritual in an attempt to finish before Rosary’s faith can manifest.

“Mistress, at the gate there’s—”

“Quiet!” the Diviner hisses, silencing a demon that holds Rosary down. “If there’s an issue at the gate, then take care of it!” Several demons rush to the gate, reducing the pressure on Rosary. She struggles and strains, but with her blood drained, she lacks the strength to free herself.

“This is my fault,” Rosary thinks, her heart sinking. “I should’ve listened to my guardian, to my Oni-chan, and to you.” Her thoughts turn to prayers as naturally as she breathes, continuing even as more demons leave her to rush to the gate.

“Please, allow me to fix it. To make things right.” Her prayers continue, even as her senses dull from blood loss and consciousness slips. “That I may do your will on earth as it is in Heaven.”

*SHING*

A metallic vibration rings out above Rosary’s head, finally breaking her concentration on her prayer. Above her, a samurai flies, sword cutting through the demons like butter. His body is clad in armor chipped and worn from battle and age. His face is covered with a mask, hiding every feature save for the bloodlust in his eyes. Despite the hidden features, there’s one that sparks hope and confusion in Rosary.

“Grandfather?” she asks, seeing the Genji crests on his shoulders, just like her guardian’s. The samurai makes no notice of her call, landing beside the Diviner with a raised sword.

“AHH!” the Diviner cries as the samurai brings sword to flesh, severing the Diviner’s right hand. Her whole body leans over as she clutches the bloody stump.

*THUMP*

The samurai brings a knee up to meet the Diviner’s chin, sending her collapsing backward. With the Diviner incapacitated, the samurai turns to Rosary, the bloodlust draining from his eyes as he rushes to her side.

“Momo!” the samurai calls, reaching a hand to pick her up. She’d been so focused on her prayer that she hadn’t realized the demons were no longer pressing upon her. Despite the pain in her joints, Rosary can only focus on the samurai.

“It can’t be,” she thinks, taking in their every feature. The armor and crest are indeed like her guardian, bearing the same Genji crests, but it can’t be him. Angels cannot enter desecrated ground; they cannot directly interfere in combat, and they cannot harm humans. “It can’t be him, but then who else?”

“Good job!” calls a voice from behind. Rosary looks and sees her guardian standing just outside the torii gate, fist raised in triumph. “Now close the portal before getting your sister out.”

“Shut up!” the samurai barks, ignoring the angel and reaching for Rosary. “I came here to save my sister. I don’t take orders from you!”

“Sister?” Rosary thinks, looking up at the samurai picking her up. She listens more closely to the voice and reaches a hand to pull off the mask. The samurai is too focused on carrying her out of the shrine to stop her. She peels away the mask, revealing her brother’s face. His brow is drenched with sweat, and his eyes are bloodshot, giving him an expression more befitting of a scared child than a proud warrior. He rushes to the torii, never looking back until he and Rosary are safely through the gate.

“Haa,” he sighs, collapsing as the adrenaline rush wears off. He sits on his knees, desperately catching his breath.

“What’s going on?” Rosary demands, eyes swapping from her brother to her guardian and back again.

“I told you I’d do something drastic if you entered, didn’t I?” her guardian says, his visual form glitching as he struggles to show himself to both twins.

“I thought you’d get the Metropolitan or something. How did you get Ichigo?”

“That’s not important right now,” her guardian says, pushing the issue aside. “We can deal with the consequences later. For now, you two need to get back in there and close the portal before—”

*FWOOMPH*

A massive gust of wind blows Rosary and her brother back, only angelic intervention keeping them on their feet.

“We’re too late!” their guardian says, looking back at the shrine.

The twins look through the torii gate, eyes going wide from the sight. Beneath the portal, the Diviner raises her left hand. With the last of her strength, she completes the ritual, and the portal fully opens. From the swirling violet clouds, a massive red hand sprouts. Its claws glisten with its six digits, four long bony fingers and a thumb on both sides, making the hand neither left nor right.

“We need to close it now!” their guardian says, disappearing from their sight as he puts all his effort into strengthening the twins.

“We need to run!” Ichigo says, rising to his feet and grabbing his sister’s hand. He tries to pull her, but she remains firmly planted, eyes fixed on the portal.

“How do we close it?” Rosary demands, rising to her feet.

“I’m not sure,” their guardian admits. “It’s impossible to force the portal closed now, but if we can make passage painful enough, whatever’s on the other side might choose to stay there.”

“You can’t be serious,” Ichigo demands, gripping his sister’s hand tighter. “I said I’d help save Momo. I didn’t sign up for all this demonic warfare bull—”

“You signed up when you were baptized,” their guardian snaps. “You thought you could join the Kingdom of Heaven and just be a choir boy? Now stop complaining and help your sister.”

“No!” Ichigo yells, yanking his sister’s hand again. “I’m her brother. It’s my job to protect her, and I say we’re—MOMO!”

Rosary moves before he can pull her, racing back into the shrine and straight for her weapon. The beads and crucifix lie near her path, and she slides to a stop, grabbing them on bended knee and pausing for just a moment.

“Thank you, Lord,” she prays, making the sign of the cross with her crucifix. “For this opportunity to make things right.”

“Momo… Have to get to Momo…” Kasumi thinks as she clutches the gravel before her. Her body feels like lead, her muscles scream out for blood, but her veins are empty. Each breath is a struggle, but she pulls herself together regardless in a vain attempt to find her. “She’s gonna be mad,” Kasumi thinks, recalling the glare in her eye and murder in her voice. “She’s gonna be mad… But if I can just talk to her… I can make her understand that I’m not bad… I didn’t do anything wrong… It’s everyone else who—”

“AH!” A terrified shriek rings out. The voice is familiar, but the following sound awakens her instincts.

“MOMO!” a boy’s voice cries out. Kasumi’s head jolts up, just in time to see something hit the ground in front of her.

*THUMP*

A kama-sized crucifix, a meter in front of her, sticks into the ground, the chain instantly pulled taut as the crucifix strains. Kasumi looks up enough to see the chain’s origin. There, she sees a huge, demonic hand clenched into a fist retracting back through the portal. As monstrous as the hand is, her eyes lock on what it grasps.

“Momo!” Kasumi says, seeing her friend clutched in its hand like a helpless doll. Momo’s hands desperately cling to the chain, remaining steady as the hand tries pulling her deeper into the portal. “Don’t worry!” Kasumi calls, voice weak as she crawls toward the crucifix. “I’ll save you!” Her mind goes blank to all but the crucifix, blocking out the samurai interrogating the Diviner.

“Tell me how to get her back!” he demands, pressing a foot on the old woman’s chest.

“She’s already gone, boy!” the Diviner says, spitting up blood as she speaks. “Mortals can’t pass through the portal without spiritual aid, and yours can’t enter these desecrated grounds.”

“There’s always a way,” he says, lifting her hood with his blade. “And you’re going to tell me!”

“I’m not long for this world; what could you possibly threaten—AHHGG!” The woman’s taunts turn to screams as the samurai plunges his blade into her shoulder. Then, slowly and methodically, he works the edge down her arm, speaking all the while.

“Your death may be decided, but how much you suffer before then is for me to decide! Now speak!” He retracts his blade, waiting a moment before moving to her other shoulder.

“The chain!” she cries, pointing a shaking finger at the crucifix just as he’s about to strike. “She’s still anchored to this world. One with a pure love for her may be able to reel her back.” The samurai drops his sword, launching into a sprint. He turns just in time to see Kasumi reaching out for the chain. Taking it in both hands, she uses her whole body to yank. As she pulls, the chain begins to rust in her hand, turning the shining steel brown one link at a time.

“I can save her,” Kasumi thinks, pulling despite the rust grit under her fingers. “I, and I alone, can save her. I’m the only one she needs. We’d be fine if everyone else just died and—”

*COC—KCROW!*

Kasumi’s body falls back as the chain snaps. She looks down as the links crumple to dust in her hands.

“NO!” she thinks, looking up at the portal. She sees Momo’s arms snap back as the chain goes slack. She drops the chain, reaching a hand out and releasing a scream nobody can hear.

“NO!” Momo shouts, reaching a hand out in return, just as Momo disappears into the rust-colored smoke beyond the portal.