[Inari Standoff]: My Heart, Forever Yours

Osamu's eyes slowly peeled open, revealing an infinite vacuum of darkness all around him. No one was there with him. The quietude was almost deafening. That empty space was devoid of any sound whatsoever. No whisper of the wind, no cars honking in the distance, not the sound of Inari's voice. He couldn't even hear the blood rushing through his head.

This wasn't the first time he'd been here. He recognized the place all too well. It wasn't that long ago when he was dragged to the depths of the Underworld by the shikome and nearly died at their hands. He ended up in the same place back then, only Isabella was there, or what he thought to be Isabella.

"This place again?" Osamu murmured. "So I really did die..."

Of all the hearts she had devoured, of all the flesh she had eaten, Osamu's was the hardest to swallow. Osamu's blood stained Inari's lips and chin, dripping onto the bulging veins of her bare feet.

"Inari..." Maria muttered, scared by her silence.

"He was the only man to love me in centuries." Inari said. "He was kind, strong, brave...everything I almost gave up on being..."

Inari quietly weaved kuji-in signs with her bloodied hands. The exorcists surrounding Taeko and Shinju suddenly stopped and fell to their knees. Each one of them stuck their hands into their mouths and pulled at their tongues. Blood stained their teeth a reddish brown as they all ripped their tongues from their mouths and fell face-first onto the tarmac.

Shinju and Taeko looked around in speechless horror. They turned their gaze towards Inari, the only one capable of wreaking such carnage. When they saw her, they also spotted Osamu lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, his body ravaged by arrows. The wind blew around his hair and necklace, giving just a mere illusion that he was still living, still animated.

"...No...no, no no!" Taeko repeated, sprinting towards Osamu.

"Osamu!" Shinju screamed.

Cyanide stared wide-eyed at Osamu's motionless body from the airport window with a burning lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, kid. If only I had noticed them sooner..."

The closer Taeko and Shinju got to him, the more they realized he was already dead. Taeko fell to her knees, burying her face in his chest to muffle her screams and sobs. Shinju covered her dirty face with her hands to her torrential downpour of tears. She couldn't bear to look at his body, to see what the exorcists had done to him..

Inari fell to her knees, holding her head with both hands as she wept behind Shinju. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Osamu! Osamu answer me!" Taeko shrieked. "Look at me, you idiot!"

"I'm sorry." Maria lamented. "The shrine maidens got him. They flanked us and hit us with arrows. Osamu happened to be in their line of fire..."

"Where were you, Inari?! Why are you alive but he isn't?! I thought you two were working together!" Shinju scorned.

Taeko noticed the incision in Osamu's chest. She immediately pieced together what happened. "Inari...Osamu gave you his heart?"

Inari looked Taeko in her eyes, but she couldn't say a word. She nodded her head as tears streamed down her cheeks, confirming Taeko's fears.

"Of course..." Shinju cried. "That sounds just like him."

Maria rubbed the cold fingers of Osamu's hand with her thumb, still unable to believe she had felt his warmth slip from her fingers.

Shinju held Osamu's other hand as tightly as she could, her body shaking with grief. "Osamu...I'm so sorry, buddy..."

A loud boom in the distance took hold of their eyes and ears. A large, black plume of smoke loomed over the airport from up ahead as Kagutsuchi returned to the group, landing in front of Osamu's body.

"There's more of them! Hundreds! They're rushing the airport as we speak!" Kagutsuchi warned.

"They're invading in waves to tire you guys out. They went into this knowing they'd suffer a lot of casualties." Maria said.

Inari nodded. "I'm going to go there and finish this. If Kagu and I work together, we can take them."

"No, we'll all go! I'll fucking kill all of them!" Taeko roared.

Inari shook her head, denying Taeko's order. "We had a pact, Osamu and I. We always said to each other that we would die together here, and we'd be free of our troubles in the next world. He also said...that he would give me his heart if I ever needed it. Today, I learned that he really meant it. And today...I honestly hope this next wave is just strong enough to make me join him."

"Osamu said all of that?" Shinju asked.

"I loved him...and I hope he loved me back." Inari responded.

Inari hopped onto one of the parked planes, her tails swaying about around her head. "I'll go finish this. Please stay with him. Kagu, are you ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go!" Kagutsuchi said.

Inari took a good look at the group in front of her. She saw the tears glimmer in their eyes and leave stains on their faces. She witnessed firsthand the love Taeko, Shinju, and Cyanide had for Osamu. It was plain as day that they cared about Osamu, that they valued his life. 

Inari closed her eyes, thinking back to the first day of the standoff when she met Osamu. She recalled the sorrow she saw in his eyes and tears they shed together the night they revealed their stories to each other.

Just remembering it made her heart flutter in her chest. "Osamu. You were wrong. Just look at how much your life meant to us. You were anything but worthless. You sacrificed everything you had for me. Now I'm going to give it my all for you. I hope you're watching, buddy. I'm going to make you proud."

Inari and Kagutsuchi hopped onto the airport roof, using it as a shortcut to the other side of the field. The rooftop gave them a good view of the exorcists charing past the airport gates, flooding in to kill them. Even worse, both Inari and Kagutsuchi knew there were plenty more exorcists waiting in the wings of the Red Circle. The siege would never end. The exorcists would keep attacking in waves until Taeko and the others were exhausted.

"We'll never survive this..." Kagutsuchi said, her teeth chattering.

"Let me lead the counterattack. We need to put an end to this while there's still time."

"Still time? What do you mean, Inari?"

Inari smiled and stroked Kagutsuchi's cheek with her index finger. "I'm so happy I got to see you again, Kagu. Live a good life, and be sure to take care of your mother, okay?"

"Inari, what are you planning?!"

Inari leaped off of the edge and landed on the tarmac, facing down the new wave of exorcists all by herself. She quickly weaved together her blood magic hand signs and pointed her palms at the crowd, instantly taking control of nearly half of their forces. Confusion and panic spread through the ranks as half of the exorcists forces suddenly turned around and attack their comrades, turning the airport into a battlefield.

Bullets and arrows flew in every direction as the screams of the exorcists filled the air. The ground became littered with bodies, some of them controlled by Inari and others killed by her thralls. It was hell on earth. Blood soaked the tarmac, bullet casings chimed as they bounced off of the ground. Half the crowd scattered and took cover behind parked buses, shuttles, and de-icing trucks.

Among the hundreds of exorcists in the crowd was White Saint's fiancée, Anne, the very same shrine maiden Belle spoke to before entering the airport herself. She took cover with two men as bullets and arrows flew in every direction. She clutched her bow and arrow, terrified of peaking her head out of cover.

"What the hell happened?!" one of the men shouted. "This can't be blood magic! Since when she can do it on this scale?! Anne, did you ever hear anything about that?"

"Something must've happened!" Anne responded. "Her powers have gotten stronger! She probably devours White Saint's heart, and Belle's, and whoever else's!"

Suddenly, the advance whistle sounded from the rear. They were being ordered to press through their own comrades.

"You're kidding!" shouted the second man. "They want us to advance through all of this?!"

A shrine maiden suddenly fell at their feet, clutching her bleeding neck as she choked on the blood and bullets stuck in her throat. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head and she screamed in agony, unable to breathe. The sight was enough to make everyone sick to their stomachs and angrier than ever. Anne gnashed her teeth together and peeked her head past the truck, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I've spotted Inari!" Anne said.

"Do you have a shot?" one of the men asked.

Anne pulled a fresh arrow from her quiver and pulled back on her bowstring. "I'll try!"

Inari stood and watched the carnage she had unleashed. In an instant, hundreds of people had forgotten themselves and became her loyal puppets. That horrified her. It was the first time Inari had even been scared by her own powers. She laughed to herself as she balled her hands into fists.

"No wonder you're fighting so hard to get this from me." Inari muttered.

Anne closed one eye and tried to focus her aim. Everything around her blurred out of focus as she focused on Inari alone. This one shot would be the most important of her life. This one shout would give meaning to White Saint's death, and to Belle's. It would make the brutal battle she was in at that very moment count for something. If she missed this shot, all of it would be for nothing.

Inari's scanned the battle before her, catching a glimpse of Anne's upper body poking out from behind the truck. Just as soon as she noticed, Anne fired her arrow. Inari leaned out of the way, but the arrow suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. Anne appeared in its place, her hunting knife in her hands.

"A teleportation arrow?!" Inari recoiled.

"Die, you murdering bitch!" Anne screamed.

Anne plunged her blade into Inari's right shoulder, quickly pulling it out and stabbing Inari in her stomach. They both fell to the ground, screaming and grunting at each other as they struggled over the blade.

"You killed my husband! And my friends!" Anne sobbed. "You took everything from me!"

The next plunge pierced Inari's right arm as she tried to defend herself. She couldn't weave the signs to possess Anne and force her to stop. She grabbed her face with her left hand, digging her thumb into Anne's left eye. Anne shrieked in pain as Inari's claw ripped her eyeball in twain, drowning her socket in tears and blood.

Inari kicked her off and rolled onto her back. She took Anne's head and smashed it face-first into the tarmac over and over again. Each time Anne's skull cracked against the pavement, a memory of Osamu flashed before her.

His smile, his bravery, his sadness, his selflessness. She saw Tenji and her children, Izanami and Tsukiakari, Taeko and Kagutsuchi. Everyone she loved and cared about flashed before her. She could only imagine Anne was seeing something similar, with all of the people that she loved that were no longer alive.

She could've murdered Anne right then and there, but she stopped. She let go of Anne's hair and fell over on her side, her blood leaking from her stab wounds. Kagutsuchi jumped down from the rooftop and rushed to her side.

"Inari! Are you okay?!"

"Kagu..." Inari groaned. "I've bought us some time. I need you take me back to Osamu."

"What? But why?"

"Hurry! I'm not sure how much time we really have!"

Kagutsuchi slung Inari's arm over her shoulder and leaped atop the rooftop with her. Inari's blood stained Kagutsuchi's pink, sleeveless hoodie and left a trail of scarlet drops behind them.

"You're gonna take some of his blood to heal?" Kagutsuchi asked.

"No." Inari said. "Like I said, I'm ending this standoff. I won't let you guys die here."

Kagutsuchi leaped off of the other end of the roof with Inari in tow, both of landing in front of Osamu's body. Taeko, Cyanide, and Shinju gathered around them.

"What's going on? What's all the commotion back there?" Cyanide asked.

"I've turned the exorcists against themselves. That'll buy me some time, but I need to hurry." Inari answered. "The advance whistle just rang. They're going to try and rush us at all costs."

"What are you planning on doing?" Taeko questioned.

Inari smiled. "They all want me dead, don't they?"

With her tails and the soft touch of her hand, Inari caressed Osamu's face and cold body. She cuddled beside him, her tails curling across his chest.

"Osamu Ashikaga...you are the bravest soul I ever had the blessing to wrap my arms around." Inari said. "You are no failure. Your life matters and you are loved. You are so, so loved, Osamu. Forgive yourself, for you cannot always save everyone. Loss is merely part of growing up and moving on. Isabella and Rousoku would never hate you. Even if they died, you still saved them, just as I'm about to die, but I can say that you saved me. We've given each other smiles, we've shared our tears, we've shared a bed, our bodies, and now...just as you gave me your heart...."

Taeko suddenly realized what Inari's plan was. Her lips trembled in horror upon the realization. "Inari, stop!"

Inari plunged her hands into her chest and ripped out her own heart, holding it up in the air with her tails as it continued to beat. Shinju, Cyanide, Taeko and Maria watched in speechless awe, their mouths agape.

"Forgive me, everyone. I'm sure he'll have questions when he wakes up." Inari wheezed. "Be careful how you tell him. In time, I know he'll understand why I did this. He's just that kind of guy."

Inari placed her own heart where Osamu was missing his. The heart of a fox goddess now danced inside of his chest. Inari laid beside him once more, licking his wounds as best as she could until his chest incision steamed and sealed itself, securing the new heart inside.

Maria saw with her own eyes that Inari was not the selfish being she thought she was. Inari was just as compassionate, perhaps even exponentially more so than any human she knew. Inari gave Osamu a final kiss on his lips and cheek and held onto his cold, lifeless hands until they felt warm again.

"She's using blood magic to transfer her own blood to Osamu..." Shinju remarked.

Shinju, shut her eyes, unable to keep watching as Inari so gladly and lovingly gave her heart and blood to Osamu.

Inari smiled, the light in her eyes dimming. "Taeko...thank you for thinking of me after all this time. Shinju, Cyanide, Maria...I'm so happy I got to meet you all. Kagu, I'm sorry about everything that happened back then. Remember what I told you on the roof. Be a good girl and live a good life, okay?"

"Inari..." Kagutsuchi sobbed, covering her eyes with her arm.

Taeko fell to her knees, hiccuping as she wept. Cyanide bowed his head and closed his eyes. He understood Inari's plan perfectly. He just wished with all of his heart that there could've been a different way to end the standoff.

Inari rubbed her nose against Osamu's, running her fingers through his mane of raven hair. "If my life's purpose was this very moment right here...I would happily do it all again. Every tragedy and heartache over again...just to end my life by your side. My heart forever belongs to you...Osamu Ashikaga."

After giving it her all besides the man she loved, after days of fighting, bleeding, and crying at his side, Inari Okami sighed away her final breath and closed her eyes for all eternity. Inari Okami was no more.

The ultimate result of the Inari Standoff was a completely ruined airport, and an airfield littered with mangled, bloodied, and shredded bodies. The exorcists were advancing, and Osamu, though revived by Inari, had yet to wake up. Inari, having given Osamu her heart and blood to keep him alive, lied dead and cold next to him.

In just a few minutes Shinju, Cyanide, Taeko and Black Maria found themselves surrounded by the few exorcists that remained, all of them pointing their guns and bows directly at them. Just one wrong move would be the death of them. Taeko looked around, noticing that none of them were firing on sight. Inari's gamble paid off. The exorcists saw Inari's lifeless body. The target and catalyst of the standoff was dead, so they were giving Taeko and the others a chance to surrender.

"Inari knew they didn't want to continue this fight any more than we did..." Taeko said.

"Damn it...we're completely surrounded." Cyanide grunted.

"It's over! Stand down and put your hands in the air! All of you!" shouted an exorcist from his megaphone.

Shinju's ocean-blue eyes scanned her entire surroundings as she held her bleeding arm. She could feel the dirt, sweat, and blood drip down her face as she gnashed her teeth together, still trying to think of a way to fight back. Shrine maidens and monks alike all surrounded them, and they were growing increasingly impatient.

"I will not repeat myself! Put your hands up and surrender now!"

"Shinju, we have to stand down! If we fight them in our state we'll only lose!" Taeko urged.

"She's right, Shinju! I know how angry you are, and believe me, I'm pissed too, but we just can't fight these guys!" Cyanide warned. "If we do...we risk putting Osamu in danger again after Inari just gave her life to protect his."

"God damn it..." Shinju cried.

Taeko bowed her head. "...As exorcists, we took an oath to Heaven. Today, we violated that oath."

"What do you mean?" Maria asked.

"Maria, you're young, but you should be prepared as well." Shinju said. "We all aided Osamu and Inari during this fight. Look at how many people died here. They won't let this slide. They'll hang us for this."

Maria pursed her lips. "I know..."

"Shinju, I don't think they'll wait much longer!" Cyanide warned.

"Fine!" Shinju shouted. "We surrender!"

The four of them bitterly raised their hands into the air, allowing the remaining exorcists to violently tackle each of them to the ground and detain them. As hard as everyone fought, the Inari Standoff ended in defeat, just as Inari herself foretold.