Chapter 60

The Hound rushed forward, before bringing one leg up, blocking the fox’s lunge with all his strength. Inari hissed, glaring up at the dog-faced man before he swung his fist forward. Inari backed off, landing on all fours, before pouncing again.

“Gakuto, protect the two girls! Get Kaede out of here!”

“Are you kidding me!? How many times do I have to tell you I’m not some damsel!?” Yurika objected immediately, glaring at the Hound.

Gakuto put his hands on her shoulders, shaking his head. “I know how capable you are, Yurika, but think about this.” He pointed his head towards Inari, or more specifically, the blade embedded in her.

“You don’t have a weapon anymore!” Yurika made to object, but she couldn’t rightfully argue with him.

Kaede, however…

“No, we aren’t running away from this!” Gakuto went to argue but he stopped, seeing the fire in Kaede’s eyes. Yurika was also staring him down while the Hound blocked Inari’s frenzied rush again. The Hare was in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, still bound in the Hound’s shroud.

“Gakuto! I could use some help here!” The Hound bellowed, his fist caught by Inari’s claws before the fox snarled and lunged forward in an attempt to bite him. He quickly unbound his cloak and extended it, barely stopping Inari’s bite.

Gakuto swore under his breath, still being stared down by the two girls, before shaking it off. “Find yourselves something to defend with! We’ll hold her off as long as we can!”

Kaede and Yurika gave a quick high-five before quickly splitting off to search for anything to fight the fox. Gakuto rushed forward, and quickly thrust at the fox, chasing her back from the Hound. His shroud now fully in his control, he and Gakuto stood side-by-side, eyes focused on Inari.

“Those girls are really something.” The Hound said, clenching his fists tightly. “Kaede, in particular, reminds me of Kagura. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, no matter the danger.”

“I mean, I guess we have them to thank for getting us this far, wouldn’t you say?”

Inari ran forward on her arms and legs before pouncing again, wildly slashing with her claws at the two fighters. Gakuto thrust forward with Setsuna, but she caught it with one claw, raising her other to slash across his open torso. He felt something constrict around his leg and then he cried out as he fell into nothingness, before popping up on the other side of Inari.

The angered fox-girl snarled, looking around for her prey as Gakuto composed himself.

“What was that!?” He cried out, raising his blade in time as Inari reacted to his voice.

“My apologies, Gakuto!” The Hound’s voice echoed in Gakuto’s ear. “I figured we could both make use of my abilities against such an enemy. I should’ve given you ample warning.”

“You think!?” Gakuto yelled, as he slashed defensively three times to prevent being cut to sashimi by Inari’s claws.

Yurika came up empty as she searched the slab for some sort of blade to join the battle with Inari. Her greatest hope had been the former priestess’ own blade, disarmed by Kaede’s kinusan, but it seemed the blade had disappeared when they “fell” the fox.

Behind her, the clash between the fox, the Hound and Gakuto echoed around the starscape as she turned her gaze to the threshold, thinking her luck might be better in the shrine itself.

“Yurika-chan!” Kaede called out, rushing back from the shinkan, Gakuto’s sheathless jian wrapped carefully in a cloth in her hands. The oiran held it out to the island girl, smiling proudly. “Here! You can use this!”

Yurika looked from Kaede to the blade and then back. “Are you sure you don’t want to use it? You found it after all…” The island girl’s voice trailed off as she glanced over at the intense fight.

“I don’t know how to use a sword.” Kaede said, plainly. She thrust it closer to Yurika. “Besides…” She smiled at her friend warmly. “...I think Gakuto would be happy to see you using this to fight alongside him.”

“Now isn’t the time…” Yurika started but Kaede gently pressed the blade into the island girl’s hands.

“There may be no other time than now, Yurika-chan.” Kaede said, quietly, her gaze not meeting Yurika’s. The oiran’s hands were shaking in fear. “Make yourself unforgettable to him. Before the moon falls and you miss your chance.”

Yurika took the jian and glanced over it before looking at Kaede for assurance. The oiran was smiling, but she was still avoiding the island girl’s eyes.

Yurika grabbed the handle of the blade before she lunged forward, wrapping her other arm around Kaede tightly. The oiran cried out in surprise, but relaxed into Yurika’s embrace, closing her eyes gently.

“Kaede-chan. We can do this. I think you’ve proven more than enough what Kagura-chan said about you was correct.”

Kaede reluctantly put her arms around Yurika, nodding slightly, before whispering. “I’m just scared… I-I thought…”

“Don’t say it!” Yurika hissed in Kaede’s ear, rubbing the girl’s shoulders gently. “Words have power, Kaede-chan. Saying them…” She pulled back, her eyes appearing to look into the past. “...just wills it into existence. Especially the worst-case scenario! So don’t say it aloud. We got this!”

Kaede nodded, smiling meekly at Yurika before the two girls released each other. The island girl pointed directly at Kaede, giving her a stern command.

“Now you find something for you to use, got it!? Something that Yumekawa Kaede would bring to a fight!” The island girl smiled brilliantly before turning away, casting the cloth off the blade and walking slowly towards the boys’ struggle with the fox.

“Yurika-chan…” Kaede said, as her friend rushed towards the trio across the slab before slapping her cheeks firmly and whipping her head around, searching for her kinusan. She spotted it, near the Hare and rushed over to pick it up.

The Hare grabbed it right as Kaede approached and the oiran crouched down, smiling gently at him.

“Excuse me… Hare-san?”

The Hare’s empty gaze turned from the fan to Kaede and he gasped as if seeing a ghost.

“Kagura-hime!?”

Kaede tilted her head, confused before shaking her head and pointing at herself. “Kaede.” She then pointed at the kinusan in his hand. “I was wondering if I could have that, Hare-san.”

The Hare looked from Kaede to the fan and back before casually opening and closing the fan. Kaede’s demeanor sank as she saw the cloth completely torn down the middle. It was ruined and with it, her hopes of being some help in the battle.

The Hare looked at the downtrodden Kaede before looking at the damaged fan. “I-It was like this when I found it!” He snapped it closed and thrust it out to her, his head down. “Forgive me, Kagura-hime!”

Kaede sighed, taking the fan from the disturbed man, having no energy to correct him. He suddenly started to rustle around in his clothes before presenting a unique silver flower to Kaede.

“Have you ever seen this before, Kagura-hime?” The Hare didn’t meet her gaze as Kaede stared at the vaguely familiar flower, trying to remember where she had seen it before. She was focused on the layers of petals when the Hare thrust it closer to her.

“It’s called a Silver Trilluai. It grows in the plains east of the palace.” The Hare gave Kaede an earnest smile before gently placing it in the oiran’s hand. “My little sister adored them, Kagura-hime!”

Kaede took the flower reluctantly and gave a kind smile to the Hare. “It’s a lovely flower. It’s so unique too…” She gazed at the petals again, racking her brain desperately for where she saw that pattern before.

“I know, right? Perhaps that’s also why Inari loves them too.”

Kaede stopped, staring at the Hare in shock. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Hare-san?”

The Hare blinked for a moment before falling into deep thought and muttering to himself. Kaede smiled awkwardly, trying to decide if she should say more when the Hare jumped up suddenly.

Kaede fell back, crying out as the Hare stood over her. He looked down and bowed his head gently, in apologies before reaching down and helping her to her feet.

“I’m sorry about that, Kagura-hi–”

“Forget about that! What about this flower and Inari!?”

The Hare looked perplexed as he rubbed the back of his head, meeting Kaede’s desperate gaze.

“I don’t know all the details, but I know it is her favorite flower. Just like my little sister’s!”

Kaede’s eyes widened as she looked down at Silver Trilluai before turning around and staring at the four individuals fighting.

“Hare-san…” She whispered, before tucking the flower into her hakamashita. “Thank you!”

The Hare looked even more confused as the oiran rushed forth into the battle.