The two myobu look at the nogitsune.
“Your strength is great, but you still can not win this fight.”
The two myobu get on their hind legs and change their forms. The right hand myobu changes into a human form, while the left myobu takes the form of a twin bladed katana. Upon taking the fox formed katana, the two blades envelop in a pure white fire.
“So, you still wish to fight in a more human fashion, huh? Very well then.”
Jen changes shape back into his human form, naked, but shrouded by the black fire. His arms stretch out, revealing fox paws instead of human hands. The nogitsune stretches his legs apart, with his left paw above and forward of his right paw.
The myobu just rushes forward, the katana held close to its right side with the blades tips pointing towards Jen. Jen stays in his position, watching as the myobu quickly closes the distance between them. The katana flashes as it is swung downwards then, with a twist of the wrist, is reversed into an upward slash. The black and white fire clash together and act as a barrier against the other.
Extending his paw, the black fire stretches towards the myobu’s face. The myobu disengages and holds the katana in a defensive pose, with the blades pointing downward towards the left. The two combatants stare each other down. Then Jen rushes forward with both paws extended forward.
The myobu moves the katana out of the way, and stretches out its left hand, sending a powerful stream of energy towards the oncoming nogitsune. Sidestepping, Jen manages to avoid the energy, but is thrown to the side as it sends a shockwave through the air. He lands hard on the ground, and the black fire dissipates. He glances over to Yuki, seeing she had taken shelter by the torii.
Good, she’s close to the exit.
He slowly gets up, then jumps back as the twin bladed katana comes in a downward slash at his neck. Growling, he pushes off and brings his claws to bear, taking a swipe at the myobu’s face. The katana swings about and intercepts it, burning the paws with its white fire. A sweeping kick to the myobu’s legs forces it back.
The black fire surrounds the nogitsune again, and he charges ahead once again. The white fire brightens even more, then launches itself towards Jen. The black fire swells, and the fires collide. A cloud of dust envelops the entire shrine area from the resulting explosion of power.
The myobu lowers its raised left hand, a white light surrounding the myobu.
“You are beaten. Leave at once.”
Jen staggers to his feet, his face a bloody mess with multiple cuts on every part of body. His paws turn to human hands, and he wipes the blood off with the back of his hand. Licking the blood off, he looks at the myobu.
“I said I wouldn’t stop until she could see the flowers.”
The myobu nods slowly.
“Your determination does you credit, but nothing else.”
It raises its left hand again.
“Since you shall not leave, you shall be exorcised.”
Jen sets his jaw.
I couldn’t stop it from occurring. I wasn’t strong enough…
A light begins to form in front of the myobu’s palm.
This is it, then, isn’t it. So be it.
Closing his eyes, he readies himself.
The light fires from the myobu’s hand, and rushes to envelop the nogitsune. The nogitsune is pushed forward and to the right. The light continues onward, but dissipates when the myobu closes his hand.
“Why did you interfere?”
Jen opens his eyes, feeling a body on top of him. Turning to look, he sees Yuki.
“Yuki?”
She gets up and holds onto the star ball around her neck.
“It’s all right, there’s no need for you to suffer pain because of me. I’ll see them some other time.”
Jen curiously looks at her.
“It was what you desired, and I was going to make sure you got it.”
She shakes her head.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s leave.”
She offers her hand to him, to which he stares at.
“He has accepted his own demise. Let him accept his fate now.”
The lone human turns to look at the myobu.
“I won’t allow it. He’s mine, and is answerable to me.”
The myobu lets go of the katana, and the sword retakes human form. That myobu speaks, for the first time.
“To take responsibility for him would mean that you would be punished for his trespasses. Your physical body would not survive it, and your soul would be ripped away, leaving you to wander lost for all eternity.”
Looking down at the naked, bloodied, and battered form, she bites her lower lip. She bows her head, and looks at herself, seeing her clothes had become stained with his spilled blood.
“His blood all ready covers me. I’ll accept it.”
Jen’s eyes widen in surprise, and fear.
No, don’t accept it you fool.
He struggles to get up, but she crouches down and places her hands on him.
“Don’t get up. You’re in no condition to right now.”
She reaches behind her neck and unties the string the star ball was on.
“Take it, please.”
He reaches out and grasps it, feeling the power within flowing out into him.
The two myobu move forward.
“How dare you give him the star ball! You have just sealed the fate of much of this country by doing that!”
She gets up and looks at them.
“I don’t believe so. His heart is strong and good. He is playful, but not evil.”
Her eyes harden, but begin to tear up.
“I believe in him.”
The myobu raise their hands.
“So be it.”
Light flows from their hands and goes to ensnare the human. She closes her eyes and bows her head, waiting for it. A flash of darkness engulfs her and stops the light from reaching her. She opens her eyes and sees utter darkness around her.
It implodes and cuts out, revealing Jen standing in front of her. He is back in fox form, and is radiating energy surpassing the two myobu.
“I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.”
Yuki lightly laughs, happy to see him.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
She turns to walk away, but sees that the two myobu have unsheathed their katanas.
“Neither of you shall leave. Your souls shall now be purified.”
They rush towards Yuki and Jen, but are met halfway by the nogitsune. Utter blackness blocks the sight of the three. It finally implodes, and a lone kitsune is left standing. It looks at the human, and nods to her.
Jen takes his human form again, though he is clad in all black and has no injuries. She tilts her head in confusion. He walks towards her, pulling out a pair of sunglasses.
“I’ll explain later on.”
Placing them on, he gets to her.
“Still wish to see those flowers?”
She shakes her head.
“That’s all right…”
He nods, and the two leave the shrine. He places an arm around her shoulder and leans his head close to her.
“Also… thank you.”
She blushes slightly.
“Don’t worry about it.”
He ruffles her hair a little bit, then smiles and runs ahead.
“Just try to keep up!”
She laughs and chases after him, leaving the torii and the shrine behind.
“Wait for me!”
They run, leaving behind the festival and its distractions.
