Iridescent Light

He stood hunched around dozens of yokai bodies. There were pauses in his breath as he sweated, and blood surrounded his knuckles. He was at his limit, but he would never admit it. After all, only more yokai were starting to surround him.

“Rentarou, we need to retreat!” His sister shouted at him from behind.

“No! We can’t! I need to kill all of these yokai!” Rentarou dashed headfirst into the mob of yokai in front of him. He expanded his fists to punch. Expanded his legs to kick them. He even expanded his chest and back to ram them from both sides. However, his onslaught stopped as he heard Hinako scream.

Rentarou immediately looked behind him and saw Hinako being held by a yokai. His instinct was to step toward her, but he immediately collapsed.

“Rentarou, are you okay?” Despite her current situation, Hinako was only worried about her brother.

“Shut up, girl!” The yokai screamed as it tightened its grip on her. “Gang, get him while he’s down!” The yokai who remained surrounding Rentarou began to beat on him while he was still on the ground.

However, he didn’t mind the pain. Rentarou didn’t care about himself at that moment. He only stared at Hinako, confirming that she was still alive and okay. As long as she survives, then I’ve done my job.

Rentarou started to close his eyes as he continued to get pummeled, but then he heard an annoying masculine voice. “Are you planning to die, Rentarou? Even if you are, I won’t let that happen.”

Rentarou struggled to open his eyes to confirm his ears were working right. And when he opened them, he was first met with a red iridescent light. As it faded, he saw the yokai holding Hinako was on the ground, incapacitated. In fact, all the yokai around them were. The only ones standing were Hinako and a male next to her.

He had black, unruly hair with two horns protruding from it. He had sharp teeth like a monster, but the face and body of a human. Is that Shin? Rentarou thought to himself. He doesn’t look like that… No… scratch that. When did he get that strong? However, Rentarou couldn’t ask his questions. He could only watch as Shin whispered something to Hinako and then leapt into the air, leaving a streak of that same red iridescent mana behind him.

When he left, Hinako dashed over to her brother. “You’re okay, right?” She asked as she used her sealing magic.

“I’m…” Rentarou struggled to wiggle around, “Alive.”

“Good. Also, don’t move so much, I’m going to carry you.” After she silently recited her spell, Hinako struggled as she helped Rentarou onto his feet and let him lean on her. “Jeez, you’re heavy.”

“You’re the one who volunteered to move me, sis. And where are you even taking me to?”

“Shin said to meet up at a certain spot where he was going to be.” Hinako smiled as she dragged Rentarou around Shibuya. However, he avoided looking at her cheery face. Rentarou only stared at the ground as he thought to himself.

That was Shin? How did he do that? Did he trade his soul away to the devil or something? Even when he stopped thinking about it for a second, he was reminded as he saw a mix of Onmyoji and yokai bodies littering the streets of Shibuya.

“Are they dead?” He accidentally asked out loud. He didn’t expect an answer, but Hinako gave him one anyway.

“No, Shin said he was using his mana to knock everyone out to end the war.”

“What about Nurarihyon, I don’t think—”

“Shin said he accepted those conditions. But he’s probably going to be tired when he gets done, that’s why he asked for me to heal him afterward.”

He knocked all of them out? That’s insane… No, it’s impossible. No human can do that… No, he’s clearly not human; he’s a Kishin. However, Rentarou paused when he had that thought. After all, he did save Hinako, so he can’t be all that bad.

“Do you think he can do it, Hinako?” Rentarou finally looked at his sister’s smile.

“Yup. He did save us just now, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, you’re right, he did save you. And you can stop now, I can walk.”

Hinako giggled, “Nope. I get to be the strong one today, so let me help.”

“Fine… you win,” Rentarou said as he smiled alongside Hinako. However, the Ozeki siblings’ smiles faded when they finally got to the place.