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Humans are fickle creatures.Kyousuke lets his lips curl in amusement at that thought, barely biting back a grin at the hint of apprehension, or perhaps awe, the two objects of his interest display at the sight of it. They don't outright fear him – there is no reason for them to, he is their protector and they know it, but they are wary.He doesn't take it personally. It is a natural reaction when in the presence of a demigod, after all, and one he is more than used to.Absentmindedly he finds the two humans have silenced, waiting for his judgement, and he lazily glances to the side. A sharp gaze catches his own and he can easily read the annoyance in it.That causes him to grin for real this time, all sharp teeth and flashing eyes. His shieldbrother should know better by now.Politics really isn't Kyousuke's thing. Give him a weapon and he'll destroy armies on his own. Put him on a throne and expect him to listen and advise people, both humans and demigods, and he would lose his mind to boredom. Their Clan knows this, and so do their allies, but that doesn't seem to bother them much.Or perhaps it's because Shindou can be terrifying in his own right and if they have to choose between Kyousuke beating them half to death in a fight or finding themselves on impossible and horrible missions, well, it seems they'd rather choose the former.Shindou deals with the humans easily enough and once they've left and he turns to Kyousuke, the younger demigod relaxes slightly. If his shieldbrother drops the indifferent mask he wears in front of everyone who isn't part of the Raimei Clan, it means they are finally done for today.''You should pay more attention.''There's disapproval in Shindou's voice, but no blame.Kyousuke leans back on his throne and glances at the older demigod in disinterest. ''You are the one who put me on babysit duty. That's bound to go wrong and you know it.''His companion sighs and rubs his forehead wearily. ''I am aware of that and you have my apologies, but we're short on hands. You know this.''The younger demigod isn't impressed and arcs one, thin eyebrow. ''We have been 'short on hands' for two centuries. When will there be a solution?'' he drawls, resting his elbow on the golden armrest of his throne, supporting his chin with a pale hand. The columns of fire that provide most of the light in the hall flare with blood red flames for a few moments, casting wild shadows over the walls and floor. The pale deity waves a lazy hand and the fires shrink back. ''You said it yourself, Shindou. It has been two hundred years and I am starting to get really curious – what is taking so long?''Brown eyes flare a bright lilac color, rippling through the room. ''Watch your tongue! You are not the only warrior here and you know it,'' he hisses, a raging storm echoing through his voice in barely held-back anger, and Shindou rises to his feet. ''I am doing everything I can, as you perfectly well know! Would it really hurt you so much to pull yourself out of your own misery and realize we're all suffering?''Not even bothering to wait for an answer, the other demigod storms out of the room, the shadows moving out of his path like waves retreating from the seashore. The heavy double doors slam close once he passes them, the harsh bang it causes the only sound left in the empty room.
He'd only been in the camp for a little while. A few days, perhaps a week, at most. Kyousuke wasn't completely sure.

It wasn't as bad as he feared. He'd rather not sleep in the same hall with every kid his age, but at least his bed was warm and soft and he wouldn't have to sleep in the cold rain anymore. He wouldn't have to search for his own food anymore, instead getting three full meals every day, and he absolutely loved the huge collection of weapons. Even if he was 'too young' to use them.
Whoever said that about a son of Sãberu, a son of the god of blades, was an idiot, but unfortunately no one would bother to listen to a five-year-old.
The other demigod children ranged from mere babes to young adults, sons and daughters from gods and goddesses, some powerful, some only local deities. Unfortunately Kyousuke had never been a social child and the demigods he may have tolerated – the older ones – either treated him like a kid or were too arrogant to acknowledge his existence, while the demigods his own age were all crybabies.

Well… almost all of them, Kyousuke decided, as he stared at the two playing children. The camp caretakers had taken the younger kids outside to play in the forest and those particular two were being avoided by everyone else.

They didn't seem to mind, in fact, they seemed to enjoy themselves perfectly well on their own. Something about them caught Kyousuke's attention – he wasn't sure what, but it made him give them a closer look.

One of them was a girl, four or five, with short dark blue hair that fell messily around her head, dressed in an old, dirty dress. There were a few scrapes on her legs and arms, streaks of dirt covering her pale skin, but she didn't seem to mind. Her sky blue eyes sparkled cheerfully as she ran after her friend.

The boy was small for his age, probably about five years as well. His blond hair was streaked with dirt and like the girl, his clothes weren't the best state and he was covered in dirt. He was barefoot and Kyousuke wondered about that for a few moments before he noticed a pair of slippers standing off to the side.

And then the boy turned and Kyousuke managed to catch a glimpse of his face.
Large eyes, like molten gold, seemed to almost glow in the sunlight, the color shimmering and rippling in different shades.
A small gasp broke free from Kyousuke's lips.

He'd seen a lot of weird things – courtesy of being surrounded by half-gods all the time – but this was the first time he saw such a strange eye color on someone, and something made it stand out even more.
Maybe it was the undercurrent of raw, sharp power that seemed so out of place on the young boy.From that day on, Kyousuke couldn't help but be drawn the blond. Something about the smaller boy caught his attention every single time and the more time passed, the more the son of S ãberu started to notice about him.
The blond was weird in every sense of the word. He ran around barefoot more often than not, and even though his only friend seemed to be the blue-haired girl, he smiled and laughed like the sun itself. He was always moving, climbing in trees and onto walls, balancing on branches that shouldn't be able to hold his weight, and even when he was forced to stay on the ground by their caretakers, the blond was always jumping around, almost as if his feet couldn't touch the ground for too long.
At first it was annoying, but the longer Kyousuke watched, the more he started to appreciate it. The blond boy wasn't just hyperactive, it was almost as if he needed to be in the air, close to the sky. When he walked, he didn't just stay moving all the time, it was almost as if he was dancing, a turn here, a small leap there.
And underneath it all was elegance, a gracefulness that was awkward on his small body and made him stumble more often than not.

But if he managed to grow into it, it would be terrifying.

All thoughts of the blond boy had left his mind, however, as he stared at the three older kids – ten, eleven, he guessed – standing over him with malicious grins on their faces.

The 'leader' was holding the dagger Kyousuke had managed to materialize, having stolen it when the younger boy was pushed down. ''So ya thinks that, cause yer the son of some big god, yer betta than us? But that ain't right!''

Kyousuke just glared at them, but that only seemed to anger them even more. ''Whas with that look, huh? Huh?'' the leader snarled and then grinned. ''Get 'im, boys!''

Kyousuke braced himself for the beating that was sure to come, until-
''Leave him alone!''
The four boys all looked to the source of the shout and Kyousuke scoffed at the sight of the blond boy – he couldn't be older than five, no match for the bullies. Said bullies seemed to share his contempt as they laughed loudly. The blond boy didn't seem intimidated in the slightest and Kyousuke wasn't sure if he was brave or just stupid. Probably the latter.
''What'ya gonna do, brat?'' taunted the leader, grinning in amusement. ''Cry for ye mommy?''
The blond boy… smiled.
''No,'' said the blond, tilting his head slightly. ''I'm not going to do anything if you leave him alone,'' he added, nodding towards Kyousuke. The three bullies grinned, clearly thinking the blond boy was just bluffing, already starting to taunt him.
And so they missed the small, confident smile that looked very out of place on such a young child's face.
Kyousuke didn't and he could barely hold back his yelp of shock when the boy's eyes sparked with energy, shining an unearthly gold that was so much brighter than the usual shade.
The bullies didn't, however, miss the sudden darkening of the sky, or the howling of the wind as it picked up out of nowhere. ''Wha- whas happening?!'' the leader shouted, looking around in panic, catching sight of the blond boy's glowing eyes. ''Ya- what are ya doin'?!''

Short sparks and flashes of white danced around the boy's fingers and it took Kyousuke a moment to realize it was lightning.

The three bullies started backing away, terror in their gazes. The lightning spread to the boy's arms, dancing through the highly charged air, casting his face in an ethereal glow, and there was a strange roar in his voice.
''Run.''
They didn't need to be told twice, turning tail and fleeing away from the scene. The blond watched them go and once it was clear they were gone, the lighting sparked out, the glow of his eyes fading away until it was barely noticeable.
Kyousuke  shivered, even as the sky lightened again, and he knew he should be terrified, but the only thing he could feel was the strange pull that always seemed to extent from the blond. But this time, it was stronger than ever before.
Those golden eyes settled on him and the blond smiled, but this time it was kind and gentle. ''Are you okay?'' he asked, his voice no longer silently roaring but instead worried.

He held out a hand and Kyousuke, almost as if in a trance, reached out to take it, allowing the boy to help him to his feet even as he nodded slowly.
''That's a relief!'' the young blond beamed. ''I'm Tenma, son of Arashi! Nice to meet you!''
Arashi, the storm god. That explained so much.

Kyousuke hesitantly returned Tenma's smile.
''I'm- I'm the son of Sãberu,'' he said slowly. ''Tsurugi Kyousuke. Thanks- thanks for helping me.''In that moment he realized Tenma felt the pull too, his golden eyes glinting knowingly, a world of promise in them. ''I couldn't let them hurt you!'' he chirped and Kyousuke's blood roared in response, fire crackling underneath his skin as the world clicked into place.
And he knew, without a doubt, that his fate would forever be bound to this small boy. They may have both been children, nothing compared to their older half-brothers and sisters, but the silent storm in the blond's golden eyes was enough for something to spark.

It sparked the start of a legend.
''I heard you had another fight with Shindou.''Kyousuke opens a single eye to give the new arrival a deadpan look and then closes it again. It doesn't bother his shieldsister – it hasn't bothered anyone in their Clan for centuries – and he doesn't have enough energy to chase her away.''He tries his best,'' she says softly. ''You know that.''Sãberu's son hums and, seeing as he won't be left alone anymore, pushes himself into a sitting position. ''What about it?'' he asks, keeping his gaze on the sky. Dark clouds are gathering in the distance.A storm is coming. It's a fierce one this time, and everyone knows it – it's been a long time since there was a storm this bad. The humans have prepared for it and will be huddled close together in their houses when it hits, fear ruling their actions.But to the Raimei Clan, it holds a whole different meaning.Kyousuke tears his eyes away from the sky, ignoring the pang of pain and longing he has gotten so used to, and instead looks at his companion. The girl herself is staring at the sky as well, but when she notices him looking, she turns her focus to him.Aoi tilts her head, gazing at him with weary eyes. He is reminded of the first time he met her, many eons before, a young child with short, tangled locks and sparkling eyes that reflected the sky, dressed in a dirty dress and with the most beautiful smile. The image lasts for barely a second and then he's seeing her again she really is, long hair held together in a low ponytail, a sleeveless pink tunic with golden decorations, bracelets, a teardrop necklace. Her blue eyes, marked with golden ink in flowery spirals, darkened like an evening sky.From a poor child with all the freedom in the world, to a legendary healer covered in riches with a gaze so empty not even the stars could light it again.''You have been at each other's throats so often I wonder if you still hold any love for each other,'' she says finally, her voice cutting like the blades Kyousuke is known for. ''You are tearing yourselves, and us, apart.''The other demigod narrows his eyes dangerously.Aoi scowls, her hands – child hands brown with dirt and small scrapes of catching herself when she fell again, or those of a teenager hardened by hours of training with bow and arrows and covered in blood from the wounds of the soldiers she just healed, or maybe covered in black gloves and trembling uncontrollably as sobs wrack her frame – clenching the fabric of her tunic tightly. There is a shadow of her former fire and for a second Kyousuke can almost imagine her eyes glowing fiercely as she aims an arrow, but that was centuries before and she has long ago lost that quiet resolve that made her aim to be the best and more.She is speaking, he realizes distantly, hearing her voice and words even though they don't sink in. It's as if he's watching her from underwater, the sound distant.''What is your point?'' he interrupts her, and it would've been rude if the exhaustion he feels wasn't so obvious in his voice.Aoi halts, her anger dying down immediately and leaving her with the same look Kyousuke is sure he himself is wearing.''Shindou and I are at odds,'' he says simply. ''We have been at odds for over a century and a half. I don't see how anything short of a miracle could solve it.''
A miracle.

A long, blond ponytail whipping around in the wind, a smile and a distant laugh.
He shakes that image away, ignoring the familiar, old hurt that comes with it, and instead focuses on his companion again. She's chewing on her lower lip, uncertainty tainting her every move and he hates it, hates to see her like this and remember her as she used to be-
Armor stained red from the countless injured she already healed, her trusted bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver with arrows hanging from the belt at her waist, her hair matted with mud and blood, fire dancing in her blue gaze as she sank to her knees, her hands already glowing with healing mana-
-and he shakes his memories away.Talking with Aoi always has this effect on him. Not that it is surprising, considering it started as the three of them, the ones who've known each other the longest, always sticking together through the countless centuries.His shieldsister's expression falls and she sighs, drawing her knees closer to herself and wrapping her arms around her legs. ''I- I know,'' she says, softly, and Kyousuke instantly grimaces with guilt. ''I just… why doesn't it work anymore? Why don't we work anymore?''Her voice is trembling just the slightest bit and the other demigod doesn't hesitate to scoot closer to her and wrap a loose arm around her shoulders. The girl rests her head on his shoulder, staring up at the sky.A storm is brewing on the horizon.''I miss him,'' she whispers.Kyousuke leans his chin on her hair, nodding mutely, and for once the silent communication is enough.
I miss him too.
''Tenma.''
The severity of his tone was impossible to miss. The blond lifted his head from his arms, golden eyes sparked with curiosity. ''What is it?''
Kyousuke stared at him in silence and Tenma, in response, straightened, his long locks cascading over his shoulders. For a few moments, S ã beru's son was reminded of the small boy he met all those years ago, with too big eyes like molten gold, messy hair that always fell into his face and a smile like the sun, and then the image faded away.
His lips curled upwards slightly. Even after almost fifty years, Tenma hadn't changed – he'd grown, yes, and his hair now fell to his shoulders – he was growing it out, apparently – and his face may be that of a ten-year-old human, but his eyes were still too big and his smile too bright for the world they lived in.

But he didn't comment on any of that.

Instead he hid his smile and tilted his head, hiding his face in shadows. ''Are you sure this will work?''

The blond furrowed his brow, his eyes trailing down to the camp map spread out on the small table in front of him, the details for their escape plan from the meeting a while ago still in place. ''It will,'' he said, quiet but with no hesitance. ''But- but if you don't believe it, I understand,'' he added, and he seemed to shrink in on himself, his silent confidence leaving him. ''I mean, it's risky, and if it does fail, you'd never be able to search for your brother-''

But it wasn't about that, was it? It may have been at the start, but Kyousuke knew, from the moment he looked into Tenma's eyes that everything that chained him to his humanity had changed.
His brother was still the most important person to him, the one that kept him from losing his mind to his godly powers, but Yuuichi wasn't longer the only one.
And so the young demigod smiled, cutting off his friend's rambling by holding up a hand. Tenma fell silence, hesitating, and Kyousuke finally lifted his head so the blond could see his soft expression. ''Baka,'' he said quietly and the other demigod huffed, even though he was undeniably smiling. ''Of course I'm coming with you.''
But Tenma was still hesitating. ''Are you sure?'' he asked, quiet, vulnerable, and half of Kyousuke – the half of him that was all god, the half that had claimed the blond as his screamed out in protest, furious at whatever made that what was his so uncertain – cried out, but he pushed it away with practiced ease.''I am,'' he said, soft but with complete surety. ''I am yours, like Aoi is yours and you are hers. I will find my brother, one day, but until then, I'll be by your side.''He pushed himself away from the wall, out of the shadows and into the light, and in a fluid motion he kneeled in front of the blond demigod. ''You are mine and I will follow you until the end of the earth,'' he swore, his blood roaring as something clicked into place and he knew, knew like the sky was blue and the grass was green, that this was right, ''and my blade and shield are yours to command, forever.''
Power swirled around him, a sign of the severity of his oath. He could feel it, settling in his being, the threads that made him who he was rearranging themselves.
And underneath it all, the blinding, all-consuming loyalty.''I would die for you,'' he continued, almost at the end now. ''Because you are mine, in every sense of the word. You are my humanity.''
He looked up, meeting Tenma's wide eyes, and he knew his friend understood.

For a demigod had two halves, two parts constantly at odds with each other. Their godhood and their humanity. The first one was both their strength and their chaos, the part that led many full-blooded gods to their doom. It was dangerous.

The second one was their emotions and their sense of right and wrong. It was frail, like humans were, but it was also their only shield against themselves – and to keep it in place, they needed something or someone to be more important than themselves.

Yuuichi had been Kyousuke's for the longest time, and he still was.

But Tenma was too.
The blond demigod stared at him, stunned, for a few seconds longer and then he dropped to his knees and before Kyousuke could react, arms were wrapping around him tightly. The smaller demigod clung to him tightly and S ã beru's son could feel tears staining his tunic, but he didn't care. Instead he embraced his friend in return, silent.
No words needed to be said between them, or at least, that's what Kyousuke thought. Tenma clearly disagreed with him, for the blond pulled away from the hug and when their gazes locked, the other demigod couldn't look away.
His face might've been wet with tears, his golden eyes overflowing with emotions, but the undercurrent of power that made them glow was impossible to miss.''You are mine,'' whispered Tenma fiercely, a quiet roar in his voice. ''Now and forever more and anyone who attempts to harm you will rue the day I come for them.''It was no shout, nothing impressive, nothing worth noticing. But the sheer possessiveness was enough to take Kyousuke's breath away and the look in Tenma's gaze was reminiscent of a storm.
They may have been nothing to everyone else, young, unknown demigods – but Kyousuke knew, without a doubt, that the world would learn of their names.

They would learn of the son of Arashi, who would shape the world with his own hands, take the stars right out of the sky and rewrite his own destiny.

And Kyousuke would be there with him every step of the way.
Kyousuke finds Shindou in the library. The older demigod is sitting on the sill of one of the large windows, a book opened on his lap. He doesn't even bother to pretend to be reading it, instead staring out into the dark evening.Raindrops splash against the glass, creating a symphony of sounds, and every once in a while the greyness will be broken by a flash of lightning, giving everything a bright glow for a few seconds. The storm has finally hit them.Sãberu's son quietly makes his way over to his shieldbrother and sits down at the other end of the windowsill, Shindou's eyes following him silently. The usual brown is filled with lilac flecks, as usual when it rains – courtesy of being the demigod son of the rain goddess.They both sit in silence for a long while, the only sound coming from the melody the raindrops are creating. It's chilly, the air so charged from the storm it's almost palpable, but neither of them bother to warm themselves. They have lived through wars and dynasties, a mere chill won't harm them.Lightning flashes, the light casting both of their faces in an unearthly glow for a few seconds and coating the floor in cold white.''…I'm sorry.''Shindou doesn't move when Kyousuke's voice breaks the silence, the only sign he has heard the other being the quick glance he shoots him before his gaze turns back to the window.Sãberu's son gives a quiet sigh, leaning his head against the glass. Shindou is being stubborn, although he probably should've been expecting that.''I… was out of line. I know you have a hard time coping- we all do, and I was being unreasonable.'' That's the best the other is going to get from him. Kyousuke never was good with apologies, not even to his own brother.Fortunately for him, the rain demigod knows as much.''I know,'' says Shindou quietly, not looking away from the window. ''You have the social skills of a caterpillar.'' His lips twitch up slightly and Kyousuke counts that as a victory, even if he himself is bristling in faked offense. ''I suppose I should've expected it.''The younger demigod sobers a little at that, the tension flooding from his form. He's aware of his shieldbrother watching him, but Kyousuke is too exhausted to care much.''…I spoke with Aoi.''Shindou grimaces. ''How did it go?''''As well as you can expect,'' mutters the warrior quietly, running a hand through his hair. ''It could've gone worse, she was very… melancholy. I suspect the storm has something to do with that.''His shieldbrother tenses slightly at that, just as another flash of lightning cleaves the sky in two. Kyousuke i watches him carefully, part of him already preparing to withstand the other's fury. It doesn't come.Instead Shindou gives a soft sigh, relaxing, and finally his brown gaze finds Kyousuke's. There's a weariness in his eyes that the warrior deity knows all too well, coupled by a soft sadness that could only have been caused by the storm outside, and for the first time in what must be decades, neither demigod seems to have any defense, no harsh words or sharp glares.Just a quiet vulnerability that makes it seem all the more raw.''What are we going to do?'' asks Kyousuke quietly, because his shieldbrother has always been the brains behind the Raimei Clan, has always been the one who knows what to do when they're fighting against impossible odds.But there's no knowing light in the brown gaze, no satisfied smirk as another plan blossoms into succession. Instead the sadness that seems to linger behind his mask only increases, a hint of old, pure devastation that has cut its way through all of them, rooted deep into place even on the brightest of days.And Shindou smiles, small and fragile and empty and Kyousuke hates it.''I don't know,'' he says, softly, staring at the cursed storm outside, the storm that is causing all of their old wounds to start bleeding again, ''I… I really don't know.''Kyousuke's fingers itch to call forth a blade, a deadly sword or a tiny, poisoning dagger, it doesn't matter. Anything to protect those that are his.But he can't protect them. Not from this.After all, he couldn't protect the thing most important to them, to their Clan. He couldn't protect their heart.''NO!''
He could barely hear Yuuichi call his name, but he certainly felt the arms gently wrapping around his waist to support him as he stumbled forward.

Someone was screaming. Maybe it was him, he didn't know.
He was fighting against the arms holding him, weak and pathetic and almost completely ineffective, and part of him, numb and distant, told him to stop because it was useless, it wouldn't change anything, but-
But that part was being torn apart more and more by the second, ice coursing through his veins and freezing him. He wasn't aware he stopped his weak struggling until his legs gave out underneath him and he fell to the cold harsh ground, Yuuichi sinking with him.
''Kyousuke…'' the whisper barely managed to get through the haze of his mind, but when it did, he shakily turned to his older brother. Yuuichi's dirt-marred face swam into view, two clear tracks running down his cheeks, and only now did the younger demigod notice the trembling hands carefully weaved around him.
And suddenly he couldn't take it anymore.

He sagged against his brother's chest and Yuuichi immediately embraced him tightly, slowly rocking back and forth, whispering reassurances to him.

But it didn't matter, because Kyousuke knew, more than anything, that they were only lies. It wouldn't be alright, he knew it would never be, felt it resonating within his bones.

And for the first time in four hundred years, he cried.
It's a cold, late night, but down below the city is still bright with lights. It's not surprising – the capital never sleeps, after all – but the silence high on the cliff is a nice change of pace. Far in the distance, clouds are brewing, flashing with light almost constantly. Even from so far away the thunder is ear-shattering loud.A figure is sitting at the edge of the cliff, feet dangling over the edge. If the child, no older than five, falls, it will be a few hundred meters before he reaches the ground. No way to survive such a drop.But the young boy doesn't seem worried as he stares out at the storm, humming a soft, old song underneath his breath. A soft breeze picks up, ruffling his brown locks, and he winds his fingers through it.He pauses in his humming, a silent smile touching at his lips. ''Maybe I should grow it out again?'' he whispers to himself, and then laughs softly, the sound lost in the wind.Grey eyes glow golden in the dark night and in the distance, the storm roars in response.
To be continued...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It'd been only a little while since they finally escaped camp.

The three of them – Aoi, Kyousuke and Tenma – had been wanting to get out for years, but they'd only be allowed to leave until they reach the equivalent of a sixteen-year-old human. Seeing as they only looked ten years old, Kyousuke maybe passing for eleven, that was still decades away.

Aoi wanted to find out more about herself. She wanted to know who her godly parent was – she was one of the few in camp who didn't know – and what she could do. The fact she wouldn't leave the boys alone helped too.

Kyousuke wanted to find his brother. Yuuichi had raised his little brother on the streets, but he didn't believe it was safe for the younger demigod, and so, when Kyousuke had been old enough to fend for himself, he'd been sent to camp. Yuuichi himself, with the appearance of a seventeen-year-old, wouldn't be allowed access and so he left, to protect Kyousuke the only way he could.

And Tenma was something else entirely.
He never outright said it, but both of his friends could see it. They'd both seen him staring longingly at the sky, both knew about his love for heights and running wild – Tenma never told them, but they knew he couldn't be caged like he was in the camp.
And both feared that, if he was finally free, he would take to the sky and never land again. But if it meant he'd be happy, then they were fine with that.

However, even though they'd been out of the camp for a while now, nothing like that had happened – at least not how they thought it would happen. Tenma had always been bright – beaming smiles, sparkling eyes, cheerful laughter – and that only seemed to increase the further they got. Even though they had to walk the entire way and the food they had was running out and less-than-tasty, the blond seemed unbothered by it all.

When they finally reached a nearby town, it was a simple matter of earning money – and honestly, Kyousuke's blades were of such quality they paid well enough – and soon enough, they had brand new supplies and were ready to move to the next city. For what, they weren't sure, but none of them cared.

It was the morning when they were leaving that they found the three demigods – and the crowd of humans cheering on the man that was threatening them about something.

One look at the demigods' dirty clothes and terrified expressions, and Tenma stepped in.

By the end of it, all the humans left, unharmed although they may have been a bit singed, and the three demigods showered Tenma with gratefulness.

Of course, that only increased when the blond asked if they had a home in the city and, when the answer turned out to be negative, offered them to join them.
''We're not really going anywhere,'' is what the son of the storm god told them, ''just everywhere and nowhere. Wherever we want to go.''
And so, their group of three was doubled, with the new extensions of Shinsuke, Kariya and Hikaru.
''Must we really be here?''There are some eye-rolls at the usual complaints from Kariya, but no one bothers to answer as they take their seats in the private area of the ring. The tealheaded demigod huffs, though he doesn't say anything else and instead falls down on one of the luxe couches, beckoning a servant and accepting the delicate glass of expensive wine the mortal offers him.While no one contradicts him, Kariya isn't the only deity tired of the old games. A yearly mortal festival, special if one didn't have to attend it every single time for over two hundred years. At least this part is more interesting for most of them – the classic fighting ring where anyone can sign up always appeals to their more volatile, godly instincts.This year's competitors are interesting, but no one stands out at first glance, and that doesn't change much through the first few introduction matches. Some interesting moves, but nothing too eye-catching, most mortals holding back in order to surprise their opponents later on.As the winner of the last match is announced, the two new competitors step forward. The first is a large man, somewhere in his early thirties, carrying a large mace. He seems ruthless, grinning in anticipation and waving at the crowd. The typical egoistic prick. They appear every year, thinking they are unbeatable and the world belongs to them.The demigods' attention is pulled away from the first man by a whistle coming from their midst, and curious glances easily find Midori. The female demigod is watching the ring, a small smirk giving her features a dangerous outlook, a predatory fire in her eyes that reminds anyone looking at her that she's not a mere maiden, but one of the fiercest warrior deities in the world. ''Well well, what a surprise,'' she says, amusement in her voice, and her shieldbrethren follow the direction of her nod to find the object of her interest.The human is a fragile thing.Thirteen, perhaps fourteen, at most. A touch on the small side for his age, or perhaps that is an illusion caused by his lithe build. Long, chestnut locks that frame his young face, eyes like a storming sky – grey and blue at once, not stunning or intimidating or anything relatively special.Kyousuke's lips curl up in amusement.A pup in a nest of snakes is bound to be interesting.The human is doomed to fail, it is a matter clear as day. The demigod isn't even sure why the boy bothered to show up – a dare, perhaps? Or did he need the money for his family? – but those curiosities are barely there, just a small distraction in the passing of time. What matters is that the boy will not make it out of this on the side of victory. Perhaps his opponents might be merciful, given his age, but as Kyousuke throws a look at the other participants, he doubts it.The boy watches his opponent carefully, seemingly not bothered by the much larger stature of the monstrous man.''This will be a slaughter,'' says Kurama next to him, watching the scene unfold before him in disinterest.Their shieldbrethren seem to be of the same mindset.''His courage is admirable,'' counters Nishiki, resting his chin on his hand. As always, he seems to find a positive side in the situation, although in this case it might not be such a good thing, if the child ends up killed. ''Or perhaps it's foolishness,'' he adds after a moment of thought.There are snorts of laughter, amusement dancing in their eyes. If the child would be in danger of being killed, they would stop it. There's a distant fondness for such a foolish and brave action and while it's nothing in the grand scheme of things, saving the boy's life – out of pity, out of mercy, who are they to care – is another source of distraction in their long lives.''Don't underestimate him.''There's something in Shinsuke's voice that catches his brethren's focus and several pairs of ancient eyes trail to him.''Shinsuke?''The young guardian's eyes flicker to Shindou's raised eyebrow and then back to the human teenager, thoughtful in a way he almost never shows.''There is… something about him,'' says the demigod eventually, as if not sure where his own thoughts are coming from. ''I'm not certain about what it is, but there is something. This might turn out to be quite interesting.''Any further conversation is broken off by the start of the match.Instead of doing anything – grabbing his sword, moving into a defensive position, creating distance – the boy stands and waits.His opponent seems aggravated by the clear dismissal and adjusts his weapon, a giant mace, before threateningly moving forward. Slowly, as if the child isn't worth enough to put effort into defeating him.''This will be over in a second,'' mutters Kurama under his breath as the man suddenly pushes himself forward, bringing his mace down in a bone-shattering attack.And then the boy moves.He twists out of the way, his body moving with untold elegance and agility, and ducks underneath the man's arm and out of his reach. The mace shatters the ground where the boy once stood.The man is shocked but doesn't let that stop him, immediately turning around and focusing on the teenager again. Said teenager is standing about ten feet behind him, patiently waiting.Again, the larger man moves to attack the teen, but fails in the face of the younger male's speed and agility. Over and over, the young brunet dances out of his reach, sidesteps his attacks and jumps gracefully out of reach whenever the man lunges at him. It goes on like that for a while, the older mortal getting angrier and more frustrated with each miss, while the teenager seems perfectly content to keep taunting him.Then the man finally snaps and with a scream of rage, he rushes forward, his mace raised high above the ground. He brings it down with tremendous force, the pavement cracking underneath it.The boy barely manages to move back, but within a split second, he has taken his chance. He jumps on the man's mace, launching himself in the air, and gracefully arcs over the other mortal's head. Now behind him, the teen twists in the air with an unnatural elegance, and his shin makes contact with the man's neck. The large man lets out a loud 'oomph' and his eyes turn backwards as he falls to the ground, unconscious before he even hits the pavement.The brunet lands gracefully in a half-crouch, his lips curled up slightly at his victory.''This fight goes to Matsukaze!''He took out his opponent in a single hit and didn't even use a weapon.So behind the façade of a small, weak 'pup', a ferocious wolf is hiding. How interesting. ''This isn't going to be so boring after all,'' says Kyousuke lowly, a small, amused smile dancing on his lips. ''Who would've thought.''It is many hours later, after fight upon fight has been started and ended, humans from all ages sweating under the spring sun as their blades flashed in the light, that the tournament has finally ended.''Are you sure we can't leave yet?'' whines Kariya, throwing a pleading look at Shindou.Kirino, who is sitting gracefully next to the tealhead, rolls his eyes and cuffs the younger demigod over the head. ''You know we cannot do that,'' he says, taking a sip from his glass – some kind of alcoholic beverage, sweet with a spicy undertone. None of them really like alcohol, but for events like these, it's almost a requirement.''Kiri's right,'' agrees Shindou, barely looking up from the pamphlet he's reading, humming as he scans the text. ''There's a fair now and we're required to be there, but we can walk around on our own so if you take a few moments to rest it's acceptable. After that, there's the main dinner and yes, we do need to make an entrance there, and after that there will be campfires, stories and songs. Again, we have to stay for at least an hour before it's acceptable to take our leave.''Seeing as the younger demigods don't seem very excited for it, Shindou gives a soft sigh and smiles sympathetically. ''I'm sorry guys,'' he says, dropping the mask for a few moments in order to reassure his shieldbrethren, ''but as the main representatives of the Raimei Clan, we need to be here. These people are under our protection and it's important we show them who we are.''Some more grimaces through the entire group, and even though no one complains it's clear they're not very happy. Shindou sighs, not knowing how to cheer them up.Kyousuke shoots his Clanmates a look and then glances at Shindou, noticing the dark smudges beneath the rain demigod's eyes. It's been a few years since the two of them worked through their issues enough to hold a civil conversation, and Sãberu's son has been noticing the elder's exhaustion more and more often.It's easy for him to make a decision.''You know, if Tenma could see you now, he'd probably be personally insulted you're not looking forward to a festival and ignore you for the rest of the day, until he eventually stops moping and convinces us all to dance until morning.''The second Tenma's name is mentioned, everyone freezes.It's rare for them, to mention their late leader, but coming from Kyousuke? That's only happened a handful of times before.And through the old, familiar hurt and devastation, none of them can deny that their thoughts stray towards the late nights around the campfires, talking and laughing and dancing until they fell asleep under the stars. Even though it's been centuries, no one has forgotten that.And Kyousuke smiles as he sees the light in his Clan's eyes, before turning around and walking towards the closest stalls. Before he completely disappears into the crowd, however, he throws them a sharp smile over his shoulder.''Just thought I'd remind you.''''No,'' said Kyousuke the second he laid eyes on Tenma. ''I know that look. Whatever you're thinking, don't you dare.''
The blond looked insulted.
''Tenma, no.''''I wasn't going to do anything!'' protested the other demigod. At the deadpan look Kyousuke threw him, he faltered. ''Well, okay, I was going to do something, but it wouldn't get me killed. Or fatally injured. Potentially thrown in jail, yeah, but I'm sure I could break out.''
Kyousuke threw Aoi a look and the girl sighed. ''Don't look at me, I gave up on changing his mind two days after meeting him,'' she muttered. Kariya, Shinsuke and Hikaru watched on in amusement, still too new to their group to dare and say anything – Tenma was still trying to get them out of their shells.

The brunet seemed to take his friend's words as a cue to continue with his plan and quickly brushed his fingers through his long locks – it now reached a little below his shoulders – and gathered them in his hands, twisting a leather cord around it so that it was caught in a high ponytail. With his hair out of the way, he stretched his arms above his head for a few moments. ''Alright, I'll be back in a while.''

And with that, he jumped into a tree, impossibly high for a human but easily done for a demigod, disappearing between the leaves. He easily hopped from branch to branch until he reached the main road, the one they'd just left for a more unnoticeable side path.

There, as he expected, was a convoy surrounded by guards. The blond ignored them and instead focused on three particular people – they seemed to be teenagers, twelve, at the most, but he could easily feel the aura of power surrounding them.

Demigods.

And if the looks in their eyes were any indication, they weren't very happy.

The first demigod, a boy, had wavy hair a shade between brown and grey, dressed in armor that matched the guards' outfits. The boy next to him was dressed the same way and a little paler than his companion, but that was easily drowned out by his striking hair color – a bright, overwhelming pink, kept in two pigtails. The last demigod was a girl with brown braids and lilac eyes, wearing a simple leather tunic with arm and shoulder guards, the only thing about her standing out a beautiful bracelet with purple gems.

Tenma narrowed his eyes and waited until the convoy was right beneath him and-

-dropped out of the tree, his hand closing around the girl's bracelet, easily slipping it off her wrist in her confusion. Then, before he even had the chance to take a breath, the blond jumped away, ignoring the furious shouts behind him.

He was aware of the three demigods leaping after him and threw a quick grin over his shoulder.
''Catch me if you can!''
He easily took to the trees again, leaping from branch to branch, hearing the rustling of leaves that followed him. A laugh broke itself from his lips as he flung himself through the air, feeling the wind rush past his face. For a few moments he closed his eyes, merely enjoying the adrenaline that came with freefalling, and then they snapped open, glowing an even brighter gold.

In the middle of the air, he took a step, golden light sparking beneath his bare foot and launching him forward. He sky-stepped further, shocked exclamations coming from behind him when his chasers realized the blond had godly blood in him.

A quick glance told him the three of them were sky-stepping as well, and if he looked closely he could even see a small smile gracing the leader's features, even though he tried hard to fight it.

They reached the end of the forest and Tenma broke out of the trees, letting the wind push him even faster until he eventually made it to a cliff.

There, he let the golden glow fade away and gracefully jumped onto the ground, taking a few moments to breathe in the fresh air and waited. It took only a few moments for his chasers to burst through the trees as well and catch sight of him, and he saw them falter in surprise when they noticed he wasn't running anymore.

Tenma grinned widely and easily threw the bracelet to the leader – the wavy-haired boy – who caught it in surprise. ''Thank you for the fun game!'' chirped the blond cheerfully and then directed his next words to the girl. ''I'm sorry for taking your bracelet, I hope you're not mad?''

She hesitated, accepting the jewelry when her friend offered it to her. She took a moment to inspect it and when she found no damage, she hesitantly smiled back at the blond. ''I-it's alright.''

The wavy-haired boy, who previously seemed ready for a fight, relaxed a little, although his chocolate brown eyes were still sharp. ''Who are you? You're a demigod, like us, right?''

Tenma nodded, balancing himself on his toes and reaching up to undo his ponytail. ''Yup! I'm a son of Arashi, my name's Tenma! What's yours?'' he asked, keeping his movements slow so they wouldn't startle as his blond locks broke free and fell messily around his head.
''Shindou,'' said the leader carefully, ''I'm the son of Ame. These are my friends Kirino and his half-sister Akane, children of the goddess of mist.''
The blond boy's cheerful grin shrank to a warm smile. ''It's very nice to meet you! I hope I didn't get you into trouble, I was just curious about you guys and I wasn't sure how to get your attention…''
''And so you decided to steal my sister's bracelet?'' asked Kirino, but he was smiling a little.
Tenma gasped in fake indignation. ''Steal? Who, me? I was just borrowing it!'' he cried dramatically, earning a laugh from Akane, and he beamed at her. ''Anyway, I was wondering, who were those guys with you? They didn't seem very nice.''

He saw the exact moment their expressions tightened, annoyance, anger and a mix of fear filling their gazes, and he knew he had been right.
''They work for a human lord. He has sheltered us and given us food, so we repay his kindness by working for him,'' said Shindou sharply and gave his companions a quick look. ''In fact, we should be getting back to him.''
They left quickly and Tenma didn't stop them, instead watching their retreating backs with a sad look. Maybe they didn't outright say it, but it was clear – humans either looked down upon demigods or revered them, and it was obvious in this case it was the former. But there was nothing he could do if they didn't accept it. It'd only make him seem like the enemy.

He found his friends easily enough and rejoined them.

It was a sign of their closeness that they only needed to take one look at his face and know something was going to happen.
Only a few days later, something did happen.
They made it to the lord's city with ease and getting in was not much of a task either, just before Shindou and the human guards arrived with the convoy. The lord – a man named Sato – wasn't very impressive. Overweight, dressed in too much gold and with a small, unimpressive mustache, he didn't seem like much.

And when the convoy arrived at the main plaza of the town and Sato was already waiting for it, Tenma and his friends were scattered around, watching the scene carefully. Unsurprisingly, the human immediately started yelling at the three demigods for 'being late' and publically insulting them, the crowd of humans slowly starting to get caught up in it, throwing insults as well and eventually becoming daring enough to start throwing rocks.

That was when Tenma gave the signal to interfere.

It was over in a matter of minutes, the humans fleeing immediately at the sight of Hikaru's bright fuchsia mana of destruction and the crackles of lightning surrounding the group. Once the short fight was over, Aoi immediately tended to the three injured demigods – she'd found out her power of healing quite quickly after they left the camp – and luckily there were no major injuries.
The second Tenma knew they weren't in any danger, he turned to Sato, who was being restrained by Kyousuke. His eyes sparked golden with his fury and the sky darkened, and when he spoke, there was a quiet roar to his voice that had the human lord recoiling in shock. ''If I ever see you hurt these demigods again – any demigod – I will personally come for you. Don't ever touch that what is mine, understood?'' he had hissed, and Sato could only give a shaky, terrified nod.
Kyousuke had let him go with just a warning and a flash of a deadly sharp dagger, and the man had fled as fast as his legs could carry him, tripping over his long robes in his haste to get away.
Tenma had allowed him to go, turning towards his three new charges – because after the display he'd seen, after he'd seen how they were treated, they were his dammit – and dropped in front of them, concern overwhelming him. ''Are you okay? I didn't go too far, did I? I wanted to step in sooner, but I wasn't sure if you'd let me…''
The three stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. ''You-'' Shindou's voice broke, exhaustion, pain and relief washing over him. ''You… Sato will hunt you down now.''

The blond shook his head, a soft smile touching his lips. ''I don't care. As long as you guys are okay.''

Kirino was the one to answer, breathing out shakily. ''Thank you,'' he whispered, clutching Akane's hand tightly. ''Thank you so much, we…''
''Don't thank me,'' said Tenma gently. ''I did what any sensible being should've done. You deserve so much more than what this town has given you. And… I know this might be a little overwhelming for you, but if you've got nowhere else to go… then, maybe, you'd consider joining me and my friends? I'd love to have you.''
In fact, he had already claimed them as his. He'd claimed them the moment they were attacked, the part of him that was a god roaring like a storm in protective fury and he knew that it would kill him if they left him now, although he wouldn't stop them should they choose to. He'd never stop any of his friends if it meant they were unhappy.
''I-I'd love that,'' whispered Akane hoarsely, and the blond's eyes widened. The girl looked towards her two companions. ''I'd really like that,'' she told them quietly.
Kirino and Shindou didn't seem to need any encouragement, for a smile broke out on the pink-haired boy's face and his friend relaxed in a way Tenma hadn't seen before yet. ''That'd be amazing,'' said Shindou, reaching out and curling gentle fingers around the blond's forearm, both their auras humming contently as they mingled together with an ease that surprised everyone. ''But…''
''What is it?'' Tenma asked immediately. ''If there's something you want to get, or if there's any problem, just let me know.''
Kirino seemed to catch on to Shindou's thoughts and shook his head. ''No, it's just, Sato has other demigods in his castle. They… could we free them? Please?''

The blond immediately stiffened and turned towards his oldest friends. ''Aoi, Kyousuke,'' he said quietly, yet they both knew that tone of voice – the commanding voice that left no room for argument. ''Please find them and release them. Hikaru, could you go with them? If you're attacked, I want you there, but don't kill.''

Kyousuke could protect himself easily, but his blades tended to make it messy, so Hikaru's mana made it far easier. The three of them nodded and, after receiving directions from Shindou, immediately left to carry out their duties, Kariya, Shinsuke and Akane deciding to tag along, the former so they'd be done sooner and the latter to reassure the captured demigods.

That left Tenma with Kirino and Shindou and the three of them set out to get extra supplies. A few hours before sunrise, they gathered at the plaza again where they met up with the last of their group.

Surprisingly, there were more demigods with them. ''We got everyone out,'' said Kyousuke quietly, immediately venturing towards Tenma's side, ''and they've all got supplies and are on their way to their families. These guys wanted to tag along with us, though…''

The blond threw them a quick glance, noting their worried expressions, and reassured them with a bright smile. ''The more the merrier! We'll just get you some supplies and then we can be on our way!'' he told them, balancing on the tips of his toes. ''I'm Tenma! It's really nice to meet all of you!''

Shindou, who seemed to know the new demigods, smiled at them. ''You can trust him,'' he told them and they relaxed. ''These guys are our friends, Aoyama, Ichino, Hamano and Hayami.''

Two hours before sundown, they left the city, fully stocked and not wanting to stay there a second longer than they should. They set up camp far away, the lights of the town not even visible anymore, and as Tenma watched his group – almost having doubled within the span of a day – he smiled.

It'd been almost a year since he left the demigod camp and he couldn't have been happier.
The market is a huge success.Humans are wandering around, children playing tag, adults looking at the many products the stalls have to offer. The Raimei Clan has spread out and Kyousuke can see his shieldbrethren in the crowd, close enough to keep an eye on each other – through centuries of fighting together, it makes them uneasy to let the others out of their sight.But at least they seem to be enjoying themselves.The demigod relaxes slightly at that, but it seems that was a mistake for the moment he does so, a shout catches his attention. Immediately his head snaps in the direction of the sound and it takes him barely a second to figure out the situation.Aoi is standing, gaping, her wrist bare of the friendship bracelet she shares with Midori and Akane. Her surprise fades into anger as she leaps after the thief – a boy with brown locks, long enough to reach his lower back – and Kyousuke's eyes widen when he recognizes the boy from the tournament.He shakes his surprise away and instead gives chase, noticing his Clanmates doing the same out of the corner of his eyes.The mortal races through the crowd, dodging around people with the same agility and grace he displayed during his matches earlier today, and ducks into a side street. The Raimei Clan is nothing if not persistent, though, and give chase.The boy – Matsukaze, his name was – navigates through the backstreets easily, it seems, but Kyousuke can't help but doubt that thought once he notices the wall up ahead. A dead end, not very high – eye-height, maybe – but still high enough to halt a mortal.Matsukaze, instead of stopping like expected, jumps.He lands on the wall so lightly it almost seems like he simply floats down, and he half-turns to throw his chasers a quick look, a fleeting grin thrown their way before he runs once more, balancing on the wall with an ease that seems almost inhuman.The intent behind it is clear.
Catch me if you can.
He seems to be aware of the demigods following him, the immortals moving with the same ease as the boy himself, but he also doesn't seem to care. Instead he jumps onto a roof, easily accessed from the wall, and continues fleeing from his chasers, this time over the rooftops.He moves easily, not afraid of slipping, balancing precariously on his bare feet. But Raimei hasn't been one of the reigning Clans because of their laziness and soon enough, Matsukaze is intercepted by Kariya and Hikaru, the duo coming in from the side. The brunet makes a sharp turn, dodging them.However, he's also going straight for the street now, the gaps between this roof and the one on the other side of the street much wider than those he has crossed before.The mortal only runs faster and as he reaches the edge of the roof, he leaps, arching through the air and shifting his center of balance midway so that he lands gracefully and lightly on the edge of the other roof. He takes a second to glance over his shoulder and wave at the demigods following him – wave! – and then he's off again.They chase him through almost half of the city, always almost catching him before he dances out of reach again, leaping over the rooftops and racing through the streets until eventually, they reach one of the smaller plazas, abandoned now that all the humans are at the market.It's there that Matsukaze is suddenly knocked off his feet, yelping as he crashes into the ground hard enough to create a cloud of dust that causes the brunet to cough.''I believe it's time for this game of tag to end.''Kyousuke rolls his eyes at his shieldsister. ''Do you have to be so dramatic?'' he mutters under his breath, a little annoyed that Midori managed to stop the mortal while he could not.The girl in question ignores him, focused on the human. ''Aoi's bracelet. Give it back,'' she orders, steel in her voice, and is therefore surprised when the brunet merely grins and throws it at her. She catches it with ease, blinking down at it for a few moments, and then passes it to Aoi. ''There you go.''Matsukaze combs his fingers through his long brown locks, grimacing at the many knots he finds, and then easily pushes himself into a somewhat sitting position even as Raimei's other members sky-step onto the plaza, until the entire Clan is gathered there.''Why'd you take Aoi's bracelet?'' asks Shindou, guarded in case the human tries to make an escape but relaxed enough to stay neutral in this situation and not give in to his annoyance.That seems to become a lot harder when the brunet's response is a cheerful grin. ''Just a bit of harmless fun,'' he says and Kyousuke realizes that this is the first time they've heard him speak.Right after that, that thought is discarded when the familiarity of it hits him.He'd know that voice anywhere, and as he stares into grey eyes, his breath leaves him.He knows that face. It might be younger and his hair might not be blond, his eyes not golden, but he knows it.And he knows it's impossible, but the proof is right in front of him.''You- Tenma?'' he whispers, the name causing a ripple of shock to go through his shieldbrethren, the silence suddenly seeming that much heavier because this is impossible.Tenma died two hundred years ago. They were all there and they all know there's no way he survived, and yet…And yet grey eyes flash golden as the mortal pushes himself to his feet – bare feet – and brushes his long brown locks out of his face, his teasing grin shrinking to a genuine smile, soft and warm and oh so familiar it's painful.''Hey guys.''
To be continued...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The army of demigods had to brace themselves against the raging winds that came down on the plain with the force of a hurricane, lightning flashing through the sky. It was as if the heavens themselves were screaming in fury, clouds so dark they seemed black obscuring the sun.

Auras of power clashed everywhere, weapons flashing as stone broke and blood coated the ground red, screams of terror, pain and anger creating a cacophony that was only increased by the thunder and the wind.

And the highlight of the battle were two figures, one surrounded by an aura of purple darkness, the other shining bright like a golden star.
''I will destroy you,'' hissed one of them, poisonous green eyes alight with flames of hatred. His black twin swords were coated in red and his armor, which was an even darker shade of obsidian, shone in the limited light of the sky.
Ixaal, the god of hysteria, seemingly taken over by his own domain of power.

His opponent's golden eyes flashed, blond hair whipping around the demigod's face as he tightened his grip on his double-bladed staff. Tenma didn't say anything in response to Ixaal's words, instead lunging forward in attack, lightning splitting the sky in two as he moved.
Blow after blow was exchanged, their strikes sending pieces of rock and clouds of dust up in the air, the sheer destruction enough to send terror in the hearts of the observers. Tenma called upon his lightning, Ixaal summoned his aura of pain and fear, and as they clashed a shockwave flattened their surroundings, throwing any who may not have found cover backwards.
But Ixaal was weakening, his Generals growing weaker, and he knew it.
Tenma knew it, too, and with every strike he blocked, with every attack he delivered, his eyes started to glow brighter until he was like a star, the pure, raw power gathered in his body almost too much to be contained, waves of mana and energy pulsing from him.
He shaped it, willed it to follow his command, and it started changing, growing more focused and potent, all directed at Ixaal. And the god flinched back, baring his teeth and growling like a cornered animal. ''What are you doing?!''

But Tenma didn't speak, instead continuing with his spell until eventually he started chanting, the ancient words echoing strangely as they spilled from his lips, and as Ixaal recognized the chant that would inevitably cage him, he screamed in rage. ''NO! YOU DO NOT GET TO DO THIS, NOT AFTER EVERYTHING!''

He attacked with the fervor of a dying man and the demigod barely managed to dodge his strikes, all the while continuing to chant until he eventually reached the end of the spell. Chains of golden energy formed, wrapping themselves around Ixaal and pulling him out of the sky, causing him to drop one of his obsidian swords. The god screamed, his voice an inhuman screech as he fought with tooth and nail against the ancient spellwork, to no avail.

Tenma could feel it when the god gathered his last bit of strength, poisonous green eyes glowing with power, and the blond demigod prepared for the attack that was sure to come, bracing himself when Ixaal launched himself forward-

But then the god changed course so that he flew past the blond and Tenma whipped around to find the new target.

And as it registered in his mind, a scream involuntarily left his lips. ''NO!''

Because Ixaal was moving right towards Raimei.
And the only thing Tenma could see were his friends, his family, Aoi's terrified gaze even though she didn't stop applying her healing mana to Kariya, Hamano and Hayami giving twin exclamations of surprise, Shindou, Kirino, Sangoku – all of them, barely having enough time to register the change in events.
He saw Kyousuke materializing another blade, even though he was clearly fighting his exhaustion. He saw Midori gritting her teeth as she shielded Aoi and Akane with her own body, saw Hikaru and Shinsuke's shaking forms as they covered for the injured Nishiki and Kurama, and as he saw it, Tenma knew.

Knew they wouldn't withstand a direct hit of Ixaal's power, weakened as they were.

He didn't even have to make a decision, his body moving on his own even as his mind was still registering what was happening. He sky-stepped, faster than he ever had until he was nothing but a lightning bolt of gold, and all the while he could only hold on to one thing.
Let me be in time.
Because this victory here would mean nothing if his family paid the price.

He could see Ixaal's face splitting into a hysteric grin as his leftover sword glowed violet with raw power, taking everything out of his domain and then some, bringing down his weapon for a withering strike.

And as it landed, gold clashed against the violet, causing an explosion so bright everyone had to cover their eyes from it.
As it died down, Raimei, stunned because how were they still alive, could only stare at the scene in front of them.
Ixaal, his eyes wide and bloodshot, still grinning even as the golden chains finally overpowered him.

And between the god and the Clan stood Tenma, Ixaal's obsidian sword buried deep in his gut, red already starting to stain his blue tunic.

A stunned laugh broke free from Ixaal's lips even as his form was engulfed in bright light, the spell finally completing. He started dissolving, still laughing as his form broke into tiny pieces of light that scattered through the air and disappeared. Within moments, he was gone, his sword – part of his soul – having disappeared with him.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, and then Tenma crashed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him within seconds, staining his clothes and hair. His double-bladed staff clattered on the rocky earth, its ever-present golden glow dimming for the first time in memory.

And all Raimei could do was stare, in silent, stunned denial, but still they knew-
Even if their eyes could've lied to them, the lack of Tenma's godly aura – warm, welcoming and kind, and always, always gathering around them as if in an embrace – didn't.Matsukaze self-consciously fidgets in place under the stunned stares of his Clan, hesitant smile still there. He nervously winds a lock of brown hair around his fingers as he waits for someone, anyone, to say something.Kurama somehow manages to find his voice and through his shock, he grabs at the emotion he usually reacts in – anger.''This is impossible,'' he hisses, his voice sending a ripple of awareness through his Clan and causing the brunet to flinch back. ''Tenma was murdered two centuries ago – you're not him! You're just- just an imposter!''There's enough venom in his voice that it shakes his shieldbrethren out of their stupor. ''Kurama!'' snaps Sangoku, uncharacteristic anger coating his voice.The son of the snake goddess merely glares at him. ''Well?! You can't say you believe this pathetic little mortal to be Tenma, do you?!'' Sangoku shrinks back, not able to deny that accusation, and Kurama turns his anger back to the human in question. ''Who are you?!''The brunet's smile has left his face the moment the venom in Kurama's voice registered in his mind and he barely manages to meet the furious dark gaze. He's silent, not sure what to say in response, and instead carefully glances at the rest of the Clan. Most of them share Kurama's wariness and the uncertainty in their gazes makes him flinch.Until he meets a familiar gaze of orange, Kyousuke's eyes filled with disbelieving, fragile hope.In response, the mortal's eyes flare golden, and as Kurama opens his mouth to scream something else at him, how dare you, he freezes, because-This aura of power, even though it's being held back, can't possibly be faked. Warm and kind, welcoming, open, so, so open, and as familiar to the demigods as their own.''Tenma?'' whispers Kyousuke, the only one who seems to be able to find his voice, and he slowly, so very slowly, reaches out to the brunet, his eyes shining suspiciously. ''Is- is that you?''Golden eyes shimmer as they fill with tears and the mortal, Tenma, gives a weak nod. And then he's jumping forward, Kyousuke automatically opening his arms in invitation, the brunet wrapping his arms around the other's neck tightly. The demigod immediately returns the embrace, holding his shieldbrother's trembling form close.Neither of them care as they sink to the ground, clutching each other for dear life. They're both crying, although they don't seem to notice, too caught up in the realization that this is real, this is happening.Their Clan can only stand and watch and for the longest time, none know what to say, what to feel or think, because this is impossible, but at the same time it's real.''How…?''Tenma gives a start at Shindou's broken question, and then carefully pulls away far enough from Kyousuke so that he can see his other shieldbrethren, a shaky smile touching his lips. ''I-'' his voice breaks before he's even really begun and Kyousuke immediately responds by gently grabbing the brunet's wrist, fingers soft and careful as they curl around his arm. Tenma sighs quietly and leans into the touch and when he looks up at Shindou again, his smile is much brighter. ''I'm not sure how,'' he whispers, only audible because no one else dares to speak. ''It's… well, it's obviously reincarnation, but…''Before he can start to ramble, Shindou is dropping to his knees, a weak laugh spilling from his lips as he shakily reaches out a hand towards the human. Tenma responds by doing the same, their fingertips hesitantly grazing for a moment before the demigod's hand grabs the brunet's wrist and yanks him into an embrace.Kyousuke grins weakly, easily letting go of Tenma in order to watch Shindou tightly embrace the now-mortal, burying his face in long brown hair. Tenma responds in kind, clinging to him tightly, and breathes in shakily.''I'm sorry,'' he whispers, even softer this time, and Shindou pulls him even closer, allowing Tenma to bury his face in his neck. ''I'm so sorry- I never meant to hurt you guys like this, but I- I couldn't… I couldn't let you die!''''I know, I know,'' Shindou shushes softly, rocking the brunet gently, ''it's okay, we're alright…''It breaks their hearts, to see their beloved leader break down like this, and the Clan carefully draws closer. Kirino, who's closest, gently places a hand on Tenma's back and starts rubbing circles, and when the brunet doesn't do more than lean into the touch, the rest of the Clan seems to take it as a sign to join them.They huddle close together, offering each other silent support, and if no one manages to keep a dry eye, nobody mentions it.Eventually, though, Tenma pulls away from Shindou's embrace, wiping at his eyes. He gives his friends a warm, bright smile. ''Uhm… hey,'' he whispers, a little embarrassed now. ''I… I missed you guys. A lot.''''We missed you too,'' mutters Kyousuke, before seemingly realizing what he just said. Due to his pale skin, his sudden blush is obvious, and he ducks his head. ''I- I mean, we just… it was, different, without you.''Tenma only smiles softly, reaching out to curl his fingers around his friend's wrist. Sãberu's son hesitantly smiles back, involuntarily relaxing.The Clan sits in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's presence after two hundred years of being apart. They draw close together, shoulders touching, back against back, heads resting on shoulders – the boundaries of physical touch have long since been left behind by them. Their breathing is a melody of peace, a quiet reassurance that they're all there, that they're okay – that they're alive.Their godly auras mix easily, filling the empty space surrounding them with warmth, flowing over each other until it's not clear where one starts and the other ends. It floods together and that, more than anything is what makes it clear that after two centuries, they're finally complete.The sky is turning a bright shade of red, hints of purple and gold lining the lazy cotton clouds, the sun just starting to touch the horizon, when their peace is broken.''Akira!''It's a distant shout, a woman voice. The Clan would usually ignore it – a mere mortal searching for someone doesn't matter to them – but they're surprised when their leader startles at the name. He pushes himself upright, away from Shindou and Kyousuke, and tilts his head. The shout comes again and he grimaces.''Tenma?'' asks Nishiki, a hint of confusion in his voice. ''What's wrong?''The brunet glances at him and immediately picks up on his Clan's worry. Noticing it, he gives them a small, reassuring smile, a soothing hum bleeding through his aura that causes all of them to involuntarily relax. ''Nothing of concern,'' he tells them quietly, ''it's just… my mother.''That earns him wide-eyed stares from everyone. It's common knowledge to them that Tenma's mother, whoever she was, died before he could even remember her, and his father – the storm god Arashi – has never been very impressive in his parenting skills.The brunet smiles gently, picking up on their worry with an ease that hasn't changed through two hundred years of being apart. ''Reincarnation,'' he reminds them. ''I'm mortal now, with two normal mortal parents. Matsukaze Akira, at your service.''''Akira,'' repeats Shinsuke, a frown pulling at his brow. Then he shakes his head. ''No, sorry, I just can't feel it. You're Tenma to me and you always will be Tenma!''The brunet laughs softly at that, gently breaking away from his friends, pushing himself to his feet. ''I should probably go,'' he tells them, dusting off his clothes. ''Mom will keep looking for me and she'll be mad if I'm not on time for dinner. Not that she won't be mad at the lack of shoes… again,'' he mutters the last word softly, clearly not meant for their ears.''Your mother, she doesn't know you're… you know?'' asks Kariya, gesturing randomly with his hands between the rest of the Clan and the human in question.Tenma shakes his head, a sad smile touching his lips that has all of them grimace – they'd seen that smile enough times at the end of the war against Ixaal and they never wanted to see it again. ''I'm sorry,'' he tells them quietly, ''it's… well, I don't know how my current parents would take it, knowing I'm Tenma of Raimei. I just… it's complicated.''It's clear he's not sure how to explain the situation, and as his warm aura turns uneasy, his friends immediately pick up on it – and the sincerity behind it. The demigod-turned-mortal doesn't even have to outright say it for them to understand.''It's okay,'' says Sangoku comfortingly, his own aura flooding with a soothing warmth. ''We get it.''Tenma relaxes at that, a tension leaving his shoulders that makes it all the more obvious, which is surprisingly uncharacteristic.The Tenma from two hundred years ago would never have allowed his Clan to see him worry, not like this.But the brunet doesn't seem to have noticed and grimaces slightly when the woman – his mother – calls his name again. ''I…'' he hesitates, throwing an almost longing look at the demigods, ''I have to go.''He doesn't move, though, and it's clear he doesn't want to leave – a sentiment echoed by all of them.Tenma inhales deeply, albeit a little shakily, and attempts a smile. ''I… I'll find you later, I swear.'' He clenches his fists to hide the trembling of his hands as he slowly inches backwards, away from the group and towards one of the alleyways that lead towards the main market. ''I-I'm sorry, I…'' he cuts himself off and throws them a last, weak smile, before disappearing into the alley.They let him go in silence, no matter how much they don't want to.''Hey, Tenma?''
The demigod in question looked up at the sound of his name, brushing a long strand of blond behind his ear. He hummed in response, gesturing for the other boy to continue.

Hikaru frowned, an uncharacteristic thoughtfulness marking his expression. His sword, which he had been sharpening only a moment before, shone dangerously in the bright morning sun. ''What do you think happens when a demigod dies?''

That question certainly got the blond to pause and he took a moment to place the roll he was reading aside and sit down next to his friend. ''Why are you asking?'' he said gently, bumping Hikaru's shoulder with his own.

The demigod of destruction shrugged, sagging against the blond and that, more than anything, worried him. ''Hikaru?'' he asked quietly. ''Are you okay?''

A soft sigh seemed to be his only answer at first, but then there was a soft mumble, inaudible if Tenma hadn't been sitting so close to him. ''I just… worry, y'know? About everyone…''

The blond smiled gently. ''Nothing will happen to the Clan. I won't let anything happen,'' he swore, golden eyes lighting up with power and voice rumbling like a distant storm. He seemed calm and kind as always, but the claim that marked his words was unmistakable.

But it didn't reassure Hikaru as it usually would, and he shook his head. ''No!''

Tenma's smile melted away, replaced by a frown, and he allowed the purple-haired demigod to scoot away from him. ''Hikaru…?''
''That- that isn't what I meant!'' protested the younger teen. ''I mean… what if something happened to you?'' The blond blinked, stunned, but Hikaru wasn't done yet. ''You always endanger yourself and I know you're strong, but- but you're only making more enemies and allies and people are starting to recognize you and I just- what if someday, there's someone you can't beat? What if…''
He quieted down when he was suddenly pulled into a gentle embrace, returning it and clutching the blond's tunic tightly. Long locks tickled his face but he didn't care, instead burying his face in Tenma's shoulder.
''I just worry about you,'' whispered Hikaru quietly and the other demigod tightened his hold for a moment.''Nothing will happen, my Shine,'' he responded, equally silent, the purple-haired demigod involuntarily relaxing at the familiar nickname. ''Even if there is someone I can't beat someday, I'm not alone. I have you and Kyousuke, Shindou, Taiyou… so many people who would protect me.'' His smile could be heard through his voice, the fondness impossible to miss. ''I'll be okay. Trust me.''
And Hikaru did. He trusted this demigod with his life.

But he didn't trust the blond with his own, because he knew, more than anything-

If Tenma had to choose between his own life or their Clan's, it wasn't even really a decision. And that, more than anything, terrified him.
It's two days after the festival that Tenma fulfills his promise.They probably should've expected it – to everyone else, he's Matsukaze Akira, boring human who has no connection whatsoever to the upper ring of the Raimei Clan, so it can't be very easy for him to get in contact with them.But of course, he manages. There's a reason people used to call him the King of the Demigods.That… doesn't mean they expected him to be brought before them by the captain of the guard.They're in the middle of discussing the new farming grounds when a smaller side door open and the guard's commander comes in, pulling someone else in by their arm. It's not unusual for him to do so, albeit a little rare, so at first it doesn't gather much more than a few simple looks.Until the clear alarm and surprise floods through their auras when they recognize the second person.That immediately gets the entire Clan to pay more attention and Kyousuke isn't sure whether he should be shocked or not when he recognizes Tenma. He settles on shooting his friend a deadpan look.
You just had to, didn't you?
His only answer is a wide, cheeky grin.''Sirs and madams,'' says the guard captain formally, bowing politely and pulling Tenma with him, ''I found this streetrat-'' the brunet actually has the gall to look insulted at that- ''trying to break into the stalls to your personal horses.''Kyousuke doesn't bother to hide his withering glare.Of course. Of course Tenma would go for the horses of all things – damn Arashi for having his personal animal be a horse. Damn his son for inheriting it. Damn all horses for somehow loving the brunet no matter where they're from or how they've been trained.The demigod-turned-mortal merely shrugs in a what can you do kind of way and one look at his shieldbrethren tells Kyousuke he's not the only annoyed one anymore. Although Hamano looks pretty amused. Well, he never had the most common sense in the group, so he can't really be blamed.The guard commander seems to start to notice their lack of vocal reactions and Shindou hurries to correct that mistake. ''Thank you, Commander, but I believe you must have other tasks to deal with instead of a wayward child, correct?'' the man nods, a little taken aback, and the rain demigod fixes a confident, smug, I'm-wiser-and-better-than-you-so-shut-up-and-listen smile on his face. ''We'll deal with this boy, a bit of amusement might be nice anyway. We have been discussing farm rates for the better part of two hours now.''The guard captain seems to accept that – Raimei's upper class is known for finding amusement in anything and everything – and shoves Tenma in their direction, not too roughly but also not as gently as he probably could've. The man salutes the demigods, ignoring the brunet stumbling forward, and quickly retreats through the door he came in from.The moment he's gone, Tenma straightens, his meek demeanor falling away in exchange for a wide, satisfied grin. ''Hey guys!'' he chirps cheerily, pretending he doesn't see the exasperated looks shot his way. ''I told you I'd find you again!''''Not like this,'' stresses Sangoku, massaging his temples. ''I swear, Tenma, why?''The brunet just hums thoughtfully. ''Well, it was sure to get your attention if I was caught trying to break into your personal stalls and if I wasn't caught, one of you would've shown up eventually.'' He pauses for a moment. ''Also, I wanted to see the horses.''Kyousuke snorts, still somehow managing to make it sound graceful. It's a sign as to how used the Clan is to it that everyone automatically ignores him.''Well, what's done is done, I suppose,'' mutters Shindou quietly, gesturing to an empty chair at the large, round table the upper ring of Raimei is sitting at. ''Lunch should be here soon and we have much to discuss.''The demigod-turned-mortal nods. Now that most of the sentiment has been dealt with two days prior, it's time to get down to business – his Clan may not yet know what that business is, but they know him well enough to realize that there is something bothering him. He hides a smile at that thought. Even after two hundred years, they are prepared to stand by him no matter what without even a conscious thought.Tenma joins them, taking a seat between Hayami and Aoi. It is mere moments later that food appears on the table – which has been cleared of the papers that covered it when he came in – and he detects a slight hint of mana. ''A teleportation spell?'' he asks even as he scans the various food options to choose from. ''Smart.''''Saves everyone the annoyance of interrupting us during meetings,'' explains Kirino as he hands Akane an apple without even thinking about it, his half-sister's love for fruits known to all of them. The midday mal quickly progresses from there, the Clan falling back into familiar habits as if their leader had never left. They fall into most small talk, until eventually the plates are cleared and Aoi waves a hand, her mana easily sending the empty plates back to the kitchen.''I suppose it's time we get down to business,'' she says, the pink glow surrounding her hands fading away.Tenma nods, weaving his fingers together and taking a moment to rearrange his thoughts, leaning back in his seat. ''Where to start,'' he hums quietly, although there's no good way to begin this story. Then he sighs – as always, it's easier to just get it over with. ''The spell I used to bind Ixaal was incomplete.''That certainly gets him a reaction.''You're joking!''''That is impossible.''''What?'' Midori's sharp voice is heard out above the sudden exclamations from her shieldbrethren, the steel and cold fury in it impossible to miss. ''How? You bound him forever – that was ancient spellwork, we could all feel it!''The brunet waits for the rush of voices to die down and when it does, he finally answers Midori's questions. ''I did,'' he confirms, and his friends' gazes sharpen although they thankfully don't interrupt him. ''I finished the vocal spell, that is correct, but because it is such ancient spellwork, it contains multiple layers of mana. I managed to apply almost all of them, but my focus was… interrupted before I could finish.''Cold silence.The harsh reminder of what happened at the end of the war against Ixaal shakes them all and Tenma grimaces. His eyes flash golden and his godly aura – before barely noticeable, only there because they knew it was – washes over them, soothing and warm as if to remind them I am here, I am alright, and they involuntarily relax.After a few tense moments the atmosphere lightens enough for them to continue their conversation in a calmer manner. ''So what now?'' asks Nishiki, crossing his arms as he frowns. ''What does this mean?''''He's…'' Hayami hesitates when all eyes turn to him, swallowing nervously, ''he's going to come back, isn't he?'' everyone freezes at his words and he shrinks away self-consciously, but he continues his line of thought despite it. ''If you didn't finish the spellwork, there must be a flaw in it, and Ixaal's had two centuries to work it out, right?''His leader's frown is enough of an answer for all of them.''War,'' Shindou fills in and it's not a question as much as it's a statement.The brunet nods anyway. ''Correct as always, my Rain,'' the casual endearment sends a shock of familiarity, hurt and hopethrough all of them, although their leader doesn't seem to notice. ''Most likely, at least.'' Tenma sighs and leans his elbows on the table, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear. ''My human parents are merchants,'' he says, taking them by surprise with the sudden change in topics. ''They travel through the entire country, so I've been to a lot of different places. I've been starting to see signs of Ixaal's return, nothing big, but enough to be worrisome. Added to that that I can feel the mana I used for the spell stir, it's clear he'll return.''''The big question is if he's still taken over by his own domain,'' Ichino mutters, pressing his knuckles to his chin thoughtfully. ''If he is, war is inevitable.''Aoyama next to him finishes it for him. ''And if he finds out you're back, he'll hunt you down again.'' He looks at their leader as he says that.The tension rises again as their grip on their emotions falters, their auras flaring wildly and only making it worse. Tenma flinches as the various mana signals crash over him, feeling his own control start to slip. His eyes flicker between golden and grey. ''Guys, human here, remember?'' he says, grimacing when the discomfort he feels sounds through his voice.Immediately his Clan reigns in their emotions again and the air becomes a little lighter when their heavy auras dim, Tenma's eyes shining with gold again, the soothing hum of his mana getting them to relax further.''You're more sensitive to mana now?''''Unfortunately,'' the brunet responds to Amagi's question, taking note of the sharp glances thrown his way. ''Anyway, back to the point. We don't know enough about Ixaal to face him a second time, like his motives and weaknesses-''''-his weird obsession with you,'' finishes Kyousuke, all eyes flickering to him. He glances at his leader, expression sharp and unreadable. ''You must've noticed.''They all quiet down as they think over his words, until Shindou snaps his fingers, realization lighting his gaze. ''Raimei was the strongest Clan by the time Ixaal escaped, with allies in every other big Clan,'' he explains, sharing a look with Kyousuke, ''and he would've had to face us sometime, but he eventually sought us out, sought you out-'' he directs his words at Tenma, ''so the question is, why? And what will we do about it?''The brunet shoots him a half-amused, half-unimpressed look. ''Oh please, my Rain, it's not like you haven't thought of a plan already.''Shindou smirks.No one is surprised.''Yes I do,'' he says, earning a few eye rolls because it's completely unnecessary. He ignores it with practiced ease. ''If Ixaal is coming back, so will his Generals and if he is out for war, which is likely, we must be prepared. But we can't show that.'' No one disagrees with him, all joking matter having left long ago as they settle into the familiar severity of a situation like this. ''We need to hide our knowledge of the situation, but we also need to gather our allies – which will be hard, considering the situation.''At Tenma's confused look, the only one who doesn't understand what he means, the strategist elaborates. ''We're still on good terms with almost all of our allies and they would help us without a doubt if we asked for it, but…''He hesitates, sharing a look with his shieldbrethren, and it does not go unnoticed by their leader.At the brunet's pointed look, Shindou grimaces, clearly not wanting to say any more. Kirino saves him from it. ''Our alliances have shifted since you… died,'' he tells Tenma, his clenched fists the only sign of his distress at his own words. ''They are our friends, but they were loyal to you, and while they would help us, we do not have our old unity anymore. We weren't the only ones who had a hard time after the war. And… and if Ixaal returns, it might be too painful for some to come to our aid, should we ask.''''And,'' continues Sangoku, biting his thumb in thought, ''if we told them you were alive, I fear the reactions would be even worse. They would call us delusional and even though they'd see the truth when Ixaal returns, it would be too late.''No one quite knows what to say to thatThe uneasy looks are shared by all of them, and Tenma mentally grimaces.It's going to be hard to get his friends, protective as they are, on board with this plan, but there's no other choice.He takes a deep breath and starts speaking.''Tenma, could we braid your hair too?''
The blond paused in his gentle humming, the bright glow of his eyes dying down as he let go of his mana. ''Braid my hair?'' he repeated, glancing at the three girls in his company. Midori's red hair was held back in a complicated but beautiful mix of braids, Aoi's short locks somehow braided back to encircle her head like a crown. Akane herself had exchanged her usual hairstyle for a different, complex one as well. ''Sure.''

The three girls grinned and immediately got to work, the blond smiling at their enthusiasm. For a few minutes, nothing really interesting happened, except a few curious and amused looks from their friends, until Kyousuke wandered into the camp.

He'd been on a stroll and now he paused, grinning slightly at his friend's position. ''Hm, got roped into it, didn't you?''

The blond rolled his eyes. ''Shush, my Blade,'' he scolded gently, ''unless you want to join us?''

The other looked absolutely mortified at the thought and Tenma laughed softly, careful not to move too much. Soon enough, the peace returned to their camp, the silence broken only by Kariya, Hikaru, Amagi and Kurumada's lazy sparring a little ways away and Tenma's soft humming, the quiet conversation between Aoyama and Ichino merely fading into background noise.

The blond watched his friends, something warm buzzing underneath his skin – to see them all this happy and relaxed was everything he'd ever want.

His eyes landed on Shindou, the rain demigod seemingly deeply absorbed in the book he was reading. Arashi's son merely gazed at him for a few moments, barely holding back a chuckle at the other's clear interest, before he raised his voice and asked, ''what're you reading, my Rain?''

Shindou automatically looked up at the endearment he'd become used to. ''Godly history,'' he replied, glancing down at the text he was reading. ''I never really thought about it, but we're cousins.''

Tenma paused.
''Now that you mention it… Ame's my father's sister, right?''
Shindou nodded at that. ''Arashi's the oldest, as the storm god, and his siblings all have domains that are smaller but no less powerful than his. My mother as the rain goddess, Moya the goddess of mist, and a few others… so Akane and Kirino are our cousins as well.''
''Huh, I never thought of that,'' muttered Kirino. ''Aren't Musashi, Sãberu and Hageshi brothers as well?'' he asked, glancing at Nishiki, Kyousuke and Midori, the children of the perspective gods. ''Samurai, Blades and Warriors, right?''
Their conversation was catching everyone's attention now. ''Anyone else?'' asked Aoi curiously. ''Isn't Kariya my cousin?''

The tealhead in question, who had just joined them – seemed like the spar had ended – nodded. ''Fertility and Hunt, yup. And the goddess of earth belongs to that family too, so Shinsuke and Sangoku are probably some kind of second cousins to us.''
''And then you get Yumi and Kichi,'' added Shindou. ''Books and wit, so Hayami is the cousin of Aoyama and Ichino, and Kurumada, god of inventions, is part of that family too. And everyone else is just lonely.''
There were a few snorts at that, while the lonely ones in question – Hikaru, Amagi, Kuruma and Hamano – either chuckled, glared, or rolled their eyes.
''Weird,'' muttered Tenma, mostly to himself although the others caught it too. ''To think we're pretty much family.'' And then he looked up at his friends, grinning brightly. ''But not bad!''
Smiles from everyone were his response.
It's a week later that Tenma leaves the city.At the break of down, he leaves with his mortal parents, longing in his heart and sadness in his eyes as he gazes at the place his Clan is gathered.Who knows how long it will be before he sees them again?He knows they hate it as much as he does – it'd taken hours before he managed to convince them that yes, this is the only way, and even now he knows they're opposed to it. Not that he isn't, the idea of being apart from them after only just having gotten them back almost too much to bear, and he knows it's much worse for them.He lived thirteen years without them. They had to miss him for two centuries.''Akira! Are you coming, son?''Tenma looks up at his mortal father's shout and shoots him a grin. ''Yeah, sorry!'' he jogs to catch up with their carriage, easily jumping on the back. ''I was just admiring the sunrise.''His father ruffles his hair, messing up his ponytail. ''You like it here, don't you?''The brunet merely smiles, giving the city one last look.''Yeah, I do,'' he says, his eyes flashing gold as they are inevitably drawn to the small figures on the city wall, feeling their auras flare up in response even from so far away. I'll see you soon, my Clan.Then he turns to the road in front of him.He has a mission to fulfil.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tenma sighs softly as he throws his head back to look at the sky. A storm is brewing above him and like always, he can feel it reverberating through his bones, a deep humming that leaves his usually-calm mana sparking with life and energy.His mortal parents are in a nearby city, trying to check into a hostel, leaving him alone at their campsite. Not that it is much of one, their carriage still mostly packed with the exception of some food and eating utensils. It won't take long to pack everything and go on their way were the storm to break out, taking shelter in the city, and the waterproof canvas that covers the vehicle will keep their other goods dry.He knows it the second the first drop from the sky, and the brunet is quick to hide their few things in the carriage. By the time he's done, the rain is pouring down already – it's a heavy one, this time – and he can see the first flash of thunder light up the sky. It takes a few seconds, but then the sound reaches him too.And Tenma breathes in deeply and closes his eyes, and then he moves.He lets the storm guide his movements, the thunderclaps the beat and the raindrops that clatter on the ground the melody.His hair – held up in a high ponytail – whips around him as he spins, and he can feel the wet earth beneath his bare feet.It's something instinctual, an urge, a drive that always hits him during storms. His father's domain always has this effect on him, causes his mana to act up – he always has so much pure, raw energy during a storm that he needs an outlet, if it's a spar or a parkour of sky-stepping, as he knows some of his half-siblings to do.But Tenma? Tenma dances.He's been doing it for as long as he can remember, even since before he left the camp where he grew up – although the camp directors certainly didn't like it, so he'd often hide out in the forest, his internal weather-forecast a huge help on that part. After he escaped with Kyousuke and Aoi, he could finally let himself go.He'd dance, sometimes for hours, to the rhythm of the rain and the beating of thunder, lightning flashes his spotlights. It'd feel as if he was in a trance, nothing on his mind except the tranquillity of the storm and the freedom that came with being in his element.Aoi and Kyousuke loved it.And when later, they were joined by Hikaru, Kariya and Shinsuke, they'd been initially surprised to find two of their three companions sitting outside, underneath a tree to shelter them from the rain.They'd understood when they saw Tenma, though, and had quietly joined their friends.The same thing had happened with Shindou and the others, at first confused but then understanding. People might've called them crazy, but they'd sit outside for hours during the worst of storms just to see their leader dance, because that-That was a whole new form of freedom.Arashi's son might not have wings, but he could definitely fly even on the ground.And as Tenma lets himself go, lets himself enjoy the moment before he has to be Akira again, he thinks of his Clan. He hasn't seen them in almost four months now, ever since he and his parents left the city, but like this he could almost imagine their individual auras wrapping around him, the strings of their mana caressing and soothing him.When he opens his eyes again, the illusion is broken.He is completely alone.''I will defeat you,'' hissed the white-haired demigod, his eyes spitting fire at the blond. ''I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I will defeat you.''
Tenma stared at him, his inner conflict clear on his face – he didn't want to fight, but he knew he had to if it meant protecting his friends. His gaze strayed to the mint-haired figure of his friend and his heart lurched.

Whatever happened to Fei, whoever he was before he met Tenma and his friends… it had been real. It may have been on Saryuu's orders, to get close to the blond and find out his weaknesses, but their friendship had been real. The regrets in Fei's green gaze told him that much, at least.
But there was no time for hesitating now. He knew, as he stared into Saryuu's eyes – his half-brother's eyes – that there were only two ways this could end. Either he won, or the white-haired demigod did.
And Tenma hated it.

Battle after battle followed, a goose chase through the entire country to counter all of Saryuu's strikes. It must've been weeks when Fei finally came to their camp, an apology on his lips and fear in his eyes. The demigods he once called friends had stared at him with distrust and hurt, but they didn't send him away, instead quietly awaiting judgement.

Tenma stared at Fei for a long time and then gave a simple nod, a sign for his friends to let the mint-haired demigod in. Then he turned and disappeared into his tent, without even speaking a word to his former friend. Fei had quietly set up his own tent at the outskirts of the camp, avoiding everyone and not even joining them for their campfire.
He'd been awake still when the night was dark and the other demigods had succumbed to slumber – and that's when Tenma had quietly joined him. They'd talked for a long time, and then they'd fallen asleep together, underneath the stars. And the next morning, Fei immediately noticed the tension disappear when Tenma had cheerfully greeted him, their other friends giving him careful smiles.
Defeating Saryuu hadn't taken long, less than a week.

And when the white-haired demigod was on his knees in front of his half-brother, awaiting judgement, Tenma had stopped. He could see it in Saryuu's violet gaze, the age-old hurt, the weariness, and his heart cried for the other deity. He had fallen to his knees as well, so that he was at eye-height, and then he had embraced his half-brother.

Saryuu was, understandably, shocked and at first tense, but then he relaxed, slowly, so very slowly, and-

He'd hugged the blond back.
From that day on, Saryuu and his Clan, Ragūn, had been allied with Raimei – because Tenma finally accepted reality, that yes, they were a Clan and yes, they needed a name – and they'd thought together, celebrated together, shared quiet nights by the fire and early mornings where they were still half asleep. Their Clans had travelled together often enough for those things to become the norm.
They'd spend storms together, sparring or chasing each other with steps flashing with purple and violet, and they'd even danced, although Saryuu – or Saru, as he was better known – never really got into the habit.

And when Raimei was threatened by Ixaal, Ragūn had been right there to fight beside them.
Saryuu Evan, or Saru, as his friends call him, is restless.He doesn't even have to look up at the sky to know why, the heavy thrill of the coming storm echoing through his bones like it always does. It stirs his mana, energy sparking through him, begging him to move – run, spar, fight, it doesn't matter. As long as he can move.He knows his Clan has picked up on it, they know him well enough, even though he pretends nothing is wrong. He can see it in the looks they shoot him and he knows that his closest advisors – Fei, Meia and Gillis – won't ignore his twitchiness for much longer. But he'll take all the time he can get.Saru sighs, running a hand through his white locks. The sun is stubbornly staying out of reach of the dark clouds, although it won't be much longer before it is hidden. It casts a bright, golden light onto the streets that seems oddly out of place when the sky is cast in shadows like this. Not that the humans seem to care, if the way they keep sauntering past the market stalls is any indication.Until they notice Saryuu and his Clan, of course. Ragūn is well known in these parts, considering this is in the middle of their territory, and while the mortals have often seen their demigod protectors during festivals and formal situations, it's a little rarer for them to actually vent into the cities that are under their protection.Sometimes they get bored, though.''I tire of these stares,'' he says, his voice so soft only one with a demigod's hearing could notice it. To the mortals it looks like he didn't even say anything, the movement too slight for their weak eyes to catch. ''Let's move to a less populated area.''They take to the smaller streets, still filled with people but getting emptier the further they get, until they've reached the market far behind them. The demigods find themselves at a small square with a fountain at the center. It is almost completely deserted, a few mortals roaming around that either don't recognize them or are too awed to be in such close quarters to the living legends to bother them, and the tension that always comes with public appearances dissipates as if it was never there.It takes a few minutes for Saru to notice the boy and that is his first warning.Mortals can never hide from his superior senses, especially not in such a wide, empty space like this – yet the human does.The Clan seems to notice their leader's silence. ''Saru, what is the matter?'' asks Fei quietly, his voice easily drowned out by the water of the fountain if anyone tried to eavesdrop.The white-haired demigod merely shakes his head, his eyes not leaving the figure – because said figure is boldly staring back at him, not even trying to hide it. The demigod shivers, suddenly realizing how cold and dark it has become. It seems like the clouds have finally blocked out the sun, casting everything in deep shadows. ''That human over there, he's…''Saryuu trails off, because the boy suddenly smiles, his lips moving but not making a sound. It's not needed, though, for the demigod can easily read the words his mouth forms.
Whoever said I was human, dear brother?
Grey eyes flash golden and Saru goes rigid, barely aware of his Clan doing the same, because-This aura, which feels so much like the aura of Ragūn's very own leader, is painstakingly familiar to them, but that's- that's impossible.And then there's suddenly a bright flash of light as the storm breaks loose, blinding them all for a split second as rain is suddenly pelting down on them, and when they can see again, the boy is gone.But Saryuu knows what he saw, knows that long hair – even though it may be a different shade – knows those bright eyes and that face, knows that aura and, more than anything, knows the mana that caused the storm to react – and it sends a knife of hurtpainfear through him.''Gillis,'' he says, the demigod in question startling at the sound of his name. ''Contact Raimon at the first opportunity. I believe they have some explaining to do.''''Sayuu!''
The demigod groaned and threw his Clan a long-suffering look. ''Can't you tell him I drowned or something?''

Gillis snorted, his amusement shared by all of their friends, without even bothering to look up from the book he was lazily flipping through. ''No. He's your brother, so he's your problem.''

Saru sighed but didn't protest any longer, instead twisting his neck to throw a look at the sand path that lead from Ragūn's main villa – just completed – to the beach, where they had gathered. Unsurprisingly, the familiar figure of his blond half-brother was making his way to them, smiling cheerfully as he fell down in the sand next to his sibling. ''Do you know how long it took me to find you? I'd almost think you were avoiding me.''
''That's because I am,'' muttered the white-haired demigod, causing his sibling to pout. Yes, pout, because that's what Tenma did no matter how much he protested it. ''What do you want?''
His younger brother sighed dramatically. ''So cold, I would almost think you didn't love me,'' he wiped a fake tear away and Saru glared at him. The blond kept up the heartbroken expression for a few more moments before breaking down laughing. ''I merely jest, brother!''
''Sentiment,'' Saryuu muttered, faking disgust although if Tenma's knowing smile was anything to go by, his brother saw right through it, and rolled his eyes. ''So? Why were you looking for me? I knew you were in our territory and I'm not surprised by a visit, but you sounded… urgent, in your letter.''
Tenma's amusement faded away within a moment, the new severity that took its place setting off alarm bells in Saru's head. ''There is a… situation.'' At the narrowing of his brother's violet eyes, the younger demigod sighed. ''Have you ever heard of Ixaal, the god of hysteria, who went against our father and the other high gods and was to the mortal realm because of it?''

Saryuu's eyes widened. Of course he'd heard the stories.
''Ixaal?'' he repeated, his voice a mere whisper as he fought off his sudden panic. ''Tenma, what is going on?''
The blond fidgeted, an uneasiness taking hold off him that set his brother on edge. ''Ixaal, he- he challenged my Clan.''

And Saryuu's blood ran cold.
Lightning flashed outside, the sky darkening rapidly as the bright, cheerful morning from only moments before is completely drowned out by the unnatural storm.''You are telling me my brother, the brother that died two hundred years ago, was reincarnated as a human? Why have you not informed me of these developments?!''Shindou is calm in the face of Saryuu's anger, although some of Raimei's younger members seem to be nervous, glancing at the storm called forth by the white-haired demigod's loss of control warily. ''It was Tenma's plan,'' says Ame's son calmly, his hands folded in front of him, elbows resting on the round table that stands in Raimei's personal meeting room. ''Would you have believed us if we told you?''Violet eyes spark furiously. ''I would've come, had you told me, to see for myself if it was true,'' he hisses. ''Yet I find out because I see him with my own eyes, in the middle of Ragūn territory, might I add, and that has me wondering – why, pray tell, is my mortal brother wandering around undefended?''Lightning flashes with such force the windows shake.''Ixaal is returning.''Saryuu stumbles back as if slapped, his fury leaving so fast it leaves him light-headed, because- there's no way he heard that correctly, right?Yet Shindou's gaze is filled with such severity there's no doubting his words.''We know because Tenma himself told us,'' continues the rain demigod. ''His mortal parents are merchants and he travels a lot. He has been seeing the signs everywhere and the mana he used to bind Ixaal is stirring.''Electricity crackles around Saru's hands as he slams them down on the table between them. ''Then why are you letting him walk around on his own?!'' he screams, barely holding back enough of his fury to leave the room intact. ''Don't you care about what happens to him?!''That finally gets him a reaction, Shindou standing up so fast it has the storm demigod flinching violet, brown eyes flashing lilac. ''Do not dare accuse us of not caring about him,'' he hisses, the rain outside increasing as it reacts to his anger. ''You have no idea how much it kills us, knowing he is out there, risking his life, while all we can do is sit here and hide in the shadows! But we have no choice because if we don't do this, we are all doomed.''And his anger seems to dissipate, leaving a sorrowful weariness behind. Shindou sighs softly, walking towards one of the windows. Saryuu watches him silently, most of his own anger having left as well. ''Then what is the point of this?'' he asks carefully. ''What is he doing, so far from Raimei territory?''Shindou sighs, turning to face him. ''Searching for signs. Ixaal is too unknown to us. We beat him once, but we don't know if we can do it again and he's had two hundred years to plot, while we are unprepared. Tenma is the only one who can travel freely right now – Ixaal's people are keeping their eyes on us and any suspicious move means our element of surprise is gone.'' He runs a hand through his hair and for the first time, Saryuu notices the dark bags underneath his eyes. ''He's also contacting any of our allies who happen to be close by, although it's hard, considering his mortal parents don't know who he is.''And knowing Tenma, he doesn't want the humans who cared for him in his second life to be hurt, and in this case, ignorance is the best protection.Saryuu sighs. His brother is so predictable.''Very well,'' he says finally, making a decision. The storm outside has calmed together with his anger. ''Tell me what I can do to help.'' At the surprised looks, he grins sharply, showing his teeth. ''What, you didn't think I'd let the bastard who killed my little brother run around and wreak havoc again, did you? I still want to punch him in the face, since I didn't get a chance last time.''And finally, Raimei's demigods smile.''Tenma, right?''
The blond was pulled out of his thoughts by the sudden voice, looking away from the land below. He easily recognized the young man who had joined him, his alikeness to Kyousuke giving his identity away even if they hadn't been introduced a few hours prior. ''Lord Yuuichi,'' he greeted politely, dropping his head in a respectful nod. ''Hello.''

Yuuichi smiled at him warmly. ''No need for the formalities,'' he told the younger demigod. ''I merely wish to talk.''

Tenma relaxed, returning the smile, but his curiosity had been piqued. ''About what?'' the fond look in Yuuichi's eyes answered his question immediately – it was the same look he had when he watched his younger brother earlier in the day. ''Kyousuke?''

The older Tsurugi brother nodded, smiling slightly at his brother's name, and the blond demigod wondered why Yuuichi had come to seek him out. During their meal, it hadn't seemed like he was planning to leave Kyousuke's side anytime soon.

Raimei had finally arrived at Raiton's fortress this day, their final destination. They'd met Endou, Raiton's leader, a few decades before, and he'd been kind and helpful to them – for the first time, they all understood how Raiton had managed to grow to be the strongest Clan there was. They had travelled together for a long time, perhaps even a few years in mortal time, and Endou had clearly grown fond of them.

He had offered to train them and they had thought on it, but hesitated.

They didn't want to give up their newfound freedom so soon, not now they had just officially become their own Clan.

Raiton's leader had easily noticed and told them to think it over, told them they would always be welcome at their famous fortress. Raimei had been talking it over, planning to visit their older friends, at least, but it was only when news of Yuuichi's presence there had reached them that they had actually put their plans into action.

Kyousuke had been looking for his brother for two hundred and fifty years, after all.

And here they were, welcomed guests at Raiton's fortress, finally settling down for what seemed to be more than five mortal years for the very first time.
''He has imprinted on you, has he not?''
The quiet inquiry took Tenma by surprise, and he automatically nodded.

Yuuichi's smile had turned sad. ''I knew it from the moment I saw how he looked at you. It was the same look he preserved for no one but me, back when I left him, but now I see it whenever he speaks to anyone from your Clan.'' He sighed softly, leaning on the balustrade of Raiton's fort. ''I am glad for that, glad that he isn't so depended on only me anymore, but it does leave me wondering. Is he in good hands?''

The look he gave Tenma was sharp, warning, protective, all at once.
Golden eyes sparked in sudden fury, the clouds on the horizon stirring uneasily in response to the son of their master. ''Are you questioning me?'' he hissed, the part of his rational, human mind that told him to be respectful and calm down drowned out by the roaring of his godly instincts, ''are you saying I cannot protect that what is mine?''
Yuuichi stared back, not reacting in the least to the suddenly oppressive aura that stemmed from the blond.
Tenma clenched his fists, electricity sparking around them. ''Kyousuke is mine as I am his,'' he growled. ''He is mine like all of those who are part of my Clan are mine, whether you or anyone else objects! Don't ever doubt that.'' And right then and there, his eyes sparking with mana, he swore the oath that he would live by. ''I would die for him. I would die for any of them.''
Yuuichi smiled and the blond stared at him, taken aback by his sudden kindness. ''I am glad, to know he has found someone like you,'' said the older demigod, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. ''I did not mean to insult you, but I had to know my brother is in good hands. I am glad to find it true.''

And Tenma stared up at him, his anger having left him immediately, and quietly repeated his earlier words. ''I would die for him.''

A century and a half later, Yuuichi would remember his words as he held Kyousuke close, and he could feel the tears spilling over from his eyes.
I would die for him.''I knew you would,'' whispered the demigod, so quiet not even his grieving brother could hear him.
He just wished it hadn't come to that.
Yuuichi, again, thinks of that moment as he gazes at the mortal in front of him. He knows his mouth is agape, knows his shock and disbelief and hope must be clear on his face, but he doesn't care.Tenma smiles back at him, his eyes a little shiny, and the demigod breathes out a shaky laugh, Hakuryuu and Shuu behind him seemingly still speechless.''Does Kyousuke know?''The brunet – and isn't that weird, to see the familiar blond hair in a chestnut brown shade – nods, his own light laughter spilling from his lips, and that's all Yuuichi needs to jump up and embrace him, because it's familiar and real.Kyousuke might be his sibling by blood, but Tenma had become as much as a little brother through the hundred and fifty he'd known him as Kyousuke himself.It had killed Yuuichi when the then-demigod died, giving up his own life to protect his Clan, and it kills him every time he sees the empty gaze in Kyousuke's eyes, the spark of life that was once so bright dimmed so very much.Shuu and Hakuryuu finally seem to break out of their trances when Yuuichi releases the now-mortal, the darker-haired demigod shaking his head in gentle happiness and exasperation as he steps forward to embrace Tenma, while Hakuryuu watches on with a smirk.The human quickly returns the hug, but then breaks free and gazes at all of them with a severity that reminds them of the war so long ago.''As much as I love it to see you all again,'' he starts grimly, ''I'm afraid Raimei needs your help.''Taiyou, leader of the Arakumo Clan, is discussing their current treaty with Seidouzan when lightning flashes outside.It normally wouldn't faze him, but the hint of mana that comes along with it catches his attention, and his suspicion only grows when the feeling increases with the next thunderclap.And then he notices the figure, illuminated by another flash of light, and he immediately lights his hands with flames, his Clan around him reacting defensively as well. The intruder doesn't seem bothered, instead slowly moving forward. The lack of hostility from him – her? – doesn't cause Arakumo to relax, but they don't immediately attack either.The boy – because while the long hair might be reason to believe otherwise, the features and body are clearly those of a male – moves into the light, and the Clan's shock is almost palpable when they realize what he is.''A human?'' asks Taiyou, his flames flickering in response to his disbelief.Grey eyes flicker in amusement as the owner pushes a long lock of unruly hair behind his ear, tilting his head just a bit. ''Only in appearance, my dear Sun,'' he says, his voice gentle and soft.Everyone hears it.The sun warrior reels back as if he has been slapped, his control slipping for a moment as the flames of the torches and around his hands blaze into the air in response. Immediately, the aura of power diminishes again, and while his shock has not disappeared, he at least seems to have found his voice once more, the flames around his hands fading. ''You are-''A small smile curls on the human's lips, knowing and secretive at the same time, as he slowly starts walking forward. The Arakumo demigods move aside to create a path for him all the way to the platform the meeting table is standing on, every pair of eyes on him as he walks with an ethereal grace that should not be seen on a teenager, especially not a mortal one.He steps onto the platform and, still with the small, amused smile, walks right towards Taiyou. The demigod stares at him with a mix of emotions – disbelief, shock, and some sort of desperate hope that only those who have known him from the start have ever seen before, from his days before Arakumo.The brunet stops a few feet in front of him and tilts his head, his lips still curled upwards a little although it can't quite be called a smile, their gazes locked in a staring match.For the longest while, no one speaks.And then grey eyes flash golden and the demigod's breath hitches.''It's been a while, Taiyou.'' Gentle, voice barely heard in the silence of the hall.The sun deity stares at him for a few more seconds and then his expression softens, his eyes suspiciously glassy, even as a shaky smile pulls at his lips. ''It has,'' he agrees quietly, his voice strong despite everything, ''Tenma.''And finally, finally the brunet's lips split in a wide grin, gasps and shocked exclamations echoing around them, although neither pay attention to it. Instead, Tenma offers his hand and Taiyou grabs it, not a second of hesitation, allowing the demigod-turned-mortal to pull him to his feet.''I missed you,'' he says quietly, almost inaudibly even for the heightened senses of a demigod, and for a moment he thinks the brunet has missed it. Then the hand still holding his gives it a little squeeze before letting go, and no more words are needed.The Storm has come home.''We just received a message from Taiyou.''At Hikaru's sudden appearance in the main hall and his following words, his Clan gives him their undivided attention. ''Taiyou?'' repeats Shindou, a slight frown on his face. ''What did he say?''The demigod of destruction pauses for a second, his eyes finding the sky and the storm clouds in the distance. ''There is good news and there is bad news,'' he says after a moment, not needing to see them to notice their increasing tension. ''The bad news is that war is coming.'' His voice is quiet but clearly heard and finally does he look away from the window, taking note of the tight expressions and the dark shadows in his friends' eyes.And then he smiles.''The good news is that a certain leader of ours has finally stopped playing hide and seek.''Taiyou knows he should be doing paperwork, but watching his shieldbrother is much more interesting. A content smile is on the demigod's face as the brunet uses his fingers to brush his long locks, although it doesn't seem to have much effect. His annoyance at that, while almost perfectly hidden, is clearly visible to someone who has known him as long as the warrior has. It's in the slight, almost unnoticeable narrowing of his eyes, the barely-there pout – and how the supposed king of the demigods can pout is still a mystery to him, even after all these years – and the soft frustrated huff of breath.The warrior chuckles and grey eyes flick to him, the look in them questioning. ''You have not changed one bit,'' says the sun demigod in response to the silent inquiry, a hint of teasing to his voice. ''You keep your hair the same, still. And you are still shorter.''Tenma's gaze narrows, a storm roaring through his orbs, and while it would look threatening to anyone else, Taiyou's chuckles just grow louder until he's full-out laughing.After he calms down, which takes a while, he wipes the tears from his eyes and grins as he notices the now more obvious pout on his shieldbrother's face, the brunet crossing his arms and turning his head away with a soft hmpf.''You are surprisingly quiet,'' comments the sun warrior, his teasing expression melting away for a more sober one. ''Is something the matter?''Grey eyes find his, slightly exasperated, but soft underneath. ''I am…'' he trails off before he has even really begun, sighing softly.Taiyou's eyes narrow at that and he scoots his chair backwards, standing up and making his way to the mortal. Once there, he gently takes his friend's brown locks in his hands and brushes his fingers through it, with more success than Tenma when he tried it.The human laughs softly at that, allowing his Sun to do as he pleases. They fall into companionable silence for a while, the demigod humming softly as he twists the long locks together into a neat braid.''It has been centuries, yet your fingers still possess the ease they did all that time ago,'' comments the brunet after a while. ''How come?''Taiyou grins cheekily, knowing Tenma is aware of it even if he can't see it. ''I have braided your hair so many times, I doubt I'll forget how to even after a thousand years,'' he responds, his voice light and cheerful as he finishes tying the simple silver ribbon to hold the brown locks together. ''Besides, I'm not entirely out of practice. Every few decades I manage to get Kyousuke drunk enough to let me play with his hair, so there's that too.''There's a second rewarded and then he's rewarded with a sputtering laugh. Tenma doubles over, slapping a hand in front of his mouth to stop his near-hysterical laughing, and Taiyou joins in. ''You- oh my god, Taiyou- you didn't really-'' the brunet manages to stutter out between his gasping laughs.It takes a while before the two of them have calmed down, the human wiping tears from his eyes as he half-turns to catch his shieldbrother's gaze. ''You got Kyousuke drunk? And he let you play with his hair?''The sun warrior shrugs cheekily, ''more or less, yeah.''Tenma stares at him for a few seconds longer and then grins. ''Tell me everything.''Taiyou doesn't bother hiding his warm smile at that, moving to sit next to the brunet, already halfway in a story and gesturing animatedly with his arms, drinking in the sound of the other's laugh.How he has missed his friend.

To be continued...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

''Are you excited?'' Taiyou smiles at his shieldbrother, knowing the question is unnecessary – Tenma has been jumpy all morning, barely able to sit still.It's been four days since he came to Arakumo's villa, spending most of his time with his old friends and sometimes going out on his own for a ride – they have enough horses to spare – or wandering through the city that surrounds the impressive building. Raimei has informed them that they have received Taiyou's message and that they would come immediately.Unfortunately for them, they can't sky-step over in a few hours like they wish they could, because Ixaal's people are everywhere and a move like that would be too risky. Instead, they had to turn it into an official visit to discuss their territory's current trading rates, which took an additional three days.But now, on the morning of the fifth day, they are finally set to arrive.Taiyou, while otherwise going out to greet his allied Clan himself, opted to stay with Tenma, since the brunet cannot show his face in public for fear of catching attention of Ixaal's spies. It is a bit unusual for the sun deity to stay at his mansion instead of waiting for his guests, but not all that rare, so he can get away with it without it becoming suspicious.Tenma sighs, weaving his fingers in front of him as he balances on one bare foot, the other flexing out in front of him – he has never been one to stay grounded for long. ''It's been two years since I last saw them, Taiyou,'' he says quietly, although it's easily picked up by the demigod's sensitive hearing. ''I… I know it's not long in demigod years, but…'' he finally glances up at his friend, his grey eyes uncertain and scared.His shieldbrother widens his eyes in alarm, immediately reaching out to draw his friend into an embrace.''I'm- Taiyou, I…'' the brunet clings to him tightly, his hair – kept in a ponytail today – tickling the sun warrior's face. ''I'm human.''And those two words say more than speeches ever could.Taiyou's breath catches in his throat. He had noticed – it's a little hard not to – but now that Tenma says it like this, so desperate, so afraid, he suddenly understands what it really means. ''You're mortal,'' he realizes, holding the brunet just a little tighter. ''Is that it?''The human nods, pulling back from the embrace and his friend lets him, albeit unwillingly. Grey eyes glance up at him in uncertainty, and the brunet wraps his arms around himself in a defensive hug. ''I… I know how happy they are, that I'm back. I know how happy you all are, you, Yuuichi, Shuu, Hakuryuu, Arakumo, Ragūn… but I'm mortal,'' he whispers, his gaze falling towards the pavement, and Taiyou hates it, hates the fear his shieldbrother portrays. ''I will… I will die, again, of old age or sickness, and I just- I can't do that to you. Not again.''And Taiyou immediately moves forward when he hears the shudder in his friend's voice, pulling him into another embrace, which Tenma gratefully returns. ''We'll figure it out,'' whispers the demigod, tightening his grip a little. ''I promise, we will.''But even though his voice sounds confident, they both know his words are untrue.After all, no one can cheat death, and they know it.The moment Tenma feels his Clan approach, all the tension flows out of him, a soft sigh of relief escaping his lips. He's standing by the window, watching the courtyard his Clan will arrive in shortly. His eyes flash golden, his godly aura reaching out to envelop the Raimei demigods in warmth, their own auras responding easily to the familiar greeting.''They're here,'' he whispers, more to himself than to Taiyou. The sun deity smiles softly at that almost-inaudible voice and moves over to the window, pausing next to the mortal. They watch in silence as the entourage of horses and demigods are welcomed to Arakumo territory by Taiyou's Clan, and Tenma's eyes glow a little brighter.Immediately, there's a slight, barely noticeable stiffening of Raimei's members as they feel their leader's aura so close for the first time in two years. As they are led into the privacy of the mansion walls, Tenma finally moves away from the window and turns towards the door, already making his way towards it before Taiyou even notices.Arakumo's leader chuckles softly as he follows his friends through the many halls and down to the entrance hall. Tenma pauses at the top of the grand staircase, his eyes locked on the group of demigods having just entered the hall, and then he's racing towards them, his bare feet not making any sound on the carpeted stairs.Then he's launching himself at the person closest, who happens to be Shindou, and the demigod laughs as he catches the brunet in a hug. Seconds later the entirety of Raimei is caught up in a group hug, all pretences of formality having disappeared.''I missed you guys,'' whispers the human, letting his mask of strength fade away for a few moments in the safety of his Clan. Soft reassurances are whispered in answer and he lets himself enjoy it for a few more moments before pulling back, taking a deep breath to compose himself. ''As much as I love seeing you again, we have a lot to discuss.''Taiyou finally makes his way down the staircase as well, smiling warmly at his allies. ''Agreed,'' he says, the attention turning to him. ''Welcome, Raimei. You know where the guest rooms are so once you're settled in, we can get down to business.'' ''As you know, I've been travelling the country for the last two years with my parents.'' They're sitting in Arakumo's meeting room, both Clans listening attentively to the only human in their midst. ''Ixaal will escape soon, if he hasn't already, and I'm talking about a few days at most.''''So soon?'' asks Shinsuke nervously, summing up everyone's thoughts.Tenma nods grimly. ''His people are everywhere now and my mana that has chained him has almost completely dissipated.''There are a few moments of heavy silence, before Shindou speaks up, directing his words mostly to Tenma. ''We've done everything we could to prepare. We've informed our allies of an upcoming danger and they've all agreed to at least be on standby, if not outright help us. Yuuichi, Hakuryuu and Shuu visited us a few months ago and they're dealing with supplies – weapons, food, anything that might be needed in war. Saru and Ragūn have been helping as well, contacting allies and investigating Ixaal's movement. We've done all we could at this point.''He nods towards Hayami, who shoves a document over the table to Tenma, who takes it and quickly skims it. ''This is the most recent data we got from Ragūn, describing the latest actions from Ixaal's people.''''It's clear they're preparing for war as well,'' adds Ichino, a scroll containing the same information in front of him. ''In fact, their preparations seem to be done any time now.''Tenma hums quietly in thought, taking a better look at the information. Taiyou, on the opposite edge of the table, turns towards Shindou. ''You have been preparing for war, but is that all?'' he asks, knowing that if anyone can answer his questions, it'd be Raimei's strategist. ''And what,'' this time he turns towards Tenma, ''have you found out?''The brunet looks up from the scroll and, once realizing the question was directed at him, places it down. Then he reaches for another scroll, this one still closed, and rolls it out on the table in front of him. ''A lot, actually,'' he says as his allies lean closer to get a better look at the paper. ''Ixaal, the god of hysteria, goes back a long time.''The scroll depicts a sketch of a familiar god, yet unlike the one they met, the drawn Ixaal seems relaxed. He doesn't smile, but there's a clarity in his gaze that is in complete contrast with the sheer madness that had overtaken him two hundred years ago.''Almost a thousand years ago, he was one of the most important gods that existed,'' starts Tenma, reaching for another scroll and unrolling it as well, this one containing what seems to be a story. ''Hysteria was important back then. It kept the balance that was needed in a world of humans and gods, because it is not bad, especially not in small doses – it is a warning, a layer of protection, that the world will always need, and Ixaal – or rather, as he was known back then, Ozrock – carried out his duties perfectly.''However,'' and the mortal's voice grows dark as he taps on one of the pictures on the scroll, ''things… changed. Ozrock was important and beloved enough to be considered for the High Council of Gods, but he wasn't chosen. Instead, that place was taken by my father, Arashi. Ozrock grew bitter. He hated Arashi for taking what he believed was his, and he resented the High Council even more for not choosing him.''And this is the part of the story they are all familiar with.''He attacked them,'' mutters Shindou, frowning thoughtfully as he scans the scroll describing Ixaal's betrayal. ''But what is…?''Tenma shakes his head, quieting his Rain with a gentle smile. ''That's not all,'' he says quietly, and they are all pulled to focus again. ''Ozrock didn't, in fact, betray the High Council – he was framed.''Wide-eyed stares all around – no one knew that particular part of the story.Taiyou, visibly stunned, asks the question that is on all of their minds. ''By whom?''The human sighs. ''A third party, who wanted their own candidate to become part of the High Council. They tried to kill Arashi, to create a place on the Council, and planned to frame Ozrock for it. The first part failed, the second one didn't.'' He leans his elbows on the table, folding his hands underneath his chin. ''Ozrock tried to defend himself and it worked, partly. Instead of being executed, he was banished, and several gods – who later became his Generals – went with him.''That's not the full story, and they all know it. Ozrock – or Ixaal, as he is now known – becomes an enemy of the High Council after his banishment, until eventually, he crosses the path of Raimei and is defeated.There's an uncomfortable silence lingering in the room, no one quite knowing what to say. There are questions, of course there are, but no one dares to voice them.Kariya, noticing that no one is planning to speak, bites the bullet. ''So? He just kind of started terrorizing the humans until he eventually challenged us and was locked away?'' there are some glares thrown his way for the way he said it, but no one can deny their curiosity.Tenma shakes his head. ''Ozrock lost his mind to his own domain and he did 'terrorize the humans', yes, but he didn't just challenge us for no reasons.'' He taps the last picture on the scroll, one of Ixaal being thrown out of realm of the gods. ''I'm not certain about this, but…'' he hesitates for a moment, before forcing himself to continue, ''back then, we thought he attacked us because he wanted power. After I found this, I wondered if maybe he targeted us out of revenge, with me being Arashi's son and all, but that doesn't seem to be the case. He's after something else, and I don't know what.''With those last words, he falls silent, pulling at a loose strand of chestnut brown hair as he watches his friends contemplate his words. After a few moments, though, the mortal sighs, catching the attention of the demigods again. ''I didn't find anything about weaknesses, but we should at least keep looking. For now, though, it's time to discuss the rest of our plan.''There are some nods at that, no one disagreeing – there's nothing they can do about Ixaal now.''Caerira,'' says Kyousuke quietly, watching as Tenma's eyes spark for a moment at the name of his beloved weapon. ''We, or rather you, need it, if you want to fight in this war.''Taiyou frowns. ''Wait a second,'' he interrupts, looking between his two friends, ''what does Caerira have to do with this?''Tenma smiles weakly. ''It's my soul weapon, as you know,'' he answers, his fingers clenching as if he's imagining what it would feel like to hold his staff again. ''Because of that, our resident blade master,'' he grins as Kyousuke rolls his eyes at the nickname, ''believes that, if I were to use it, I would return to the same power levels I achieved as a demigod. Which I agree with, considering it is a medium for my power – power I cannot control with my bare hands in a mere mortal form.''Kirino nods. ''That's how our soul weapons work,'' he says, gesturing to Akane and Shindou. ''Since our parents share domains, it's acceptable to assume Caerira would follow the same principle.''''And,'' adds Shindou, ''not to forget, Caerira is the link we have to all our allies.'' He throws a sharp look at Tenma. ''The spell is still in place. You can summon everyone to our aid, and since you're the only one who can control Caerira's power, they will answer.''The prospect of that is very welcoming. Three Clans united against an entire army of gods and demigods are doomed to fail.And then Taiyou suddenly seems to realize the problem. ''But Caerira-''''-is at the memorial temple at the battlefield where Ixaal killed me,'' finishes Tenma, ignoring the winces his words attract from his friends. ''Exactly. The real problem is that that is the place where I bound Ixaal, so that's the spot he'll awaken after he breaks free, and therefore the headquarters of his side.''The sun demigod whistles. ''Well, it certainly will be fun to get it back.''The grim looks reflect his own thoughts.But it is not as if they have a choice with this.''Help him. Please, help him.''
Tenma woke up with a girl's voice echoing in his ears and a deep weariness settled into his bones.
He shook it off as he sat up and stretched, sunlight filtering through the fabric of his tent. There was no time for weird dreams to hold him back – they were at war. And so he stood and moved to wash his face and hands in the water basket standing in a corner of his pavilion and quickly dressed in his tunic of blue leather, fastening his shoulder and arm guards.
With a grimace, he pulled on his boots and strapped down his shin guards. He'd prefer to be barefoot, but he wasn't stupid enough to do so in the middle of a warzone.

As he exited his tent, the familiar weight of Caerira's folded form at the belt around his waist, he took a deep breath. He'd only slept for a few hours, three at most, but it was enough to give him the strength he needed – perks of being half god.
''Please.''
Tenma shook his head, pushing the memory of the girl's voice out of his mind.

He had better things to do.
It's the first Tenma sees the temple.Beautiful is the first word that comes up, the large structure strangely simple but with an ethereal grace that overwhelms the senses. It's made of a light, almost white, stone, nothing more than a platform high above the ground with columns holding up a roof decorated with a hint of gold. Stairs in the white rock allow access to the platform.The brunet stares at it for a second and then looks at his Clan.''Why so big?''He gestures to the enormous temple, because really, it's a bit overkill.''And why so many stairs?''Again. Overkill.''Ha, I told you he would think it's too much!'' Kariya pipes up, earning a slap from Kirino. ''Ouch! Hey, what was that for?!''The mist demigod glares at him for a moment and then turns back to Akane, their joined hands glowing gently as they keep the mist shield around them intact.Tenma smiles at their antics, shaking his head in amusement. ''It's not too much-'' at Kariya's disbelieving look, he sighs. ''Okay, it is, but,'' he quickly adds when the hunter demigod seems ready to start cheering, ''I can understand why you would design it like this. You guys have always been overdramatic.''There are a few amused snorts at that, but soon enough the severity of the situation catches up to them. ''Alright,'' says Shindou softly, ''everyone remember the plan?'' at the nods he receives, he gestures to the group of gods – Ozrock's generals – a few hundred feet away from the temple. ''As expected, the temple's protective mana is keeping them out. Caerira is still where we left it.''And isn't that obvious, with the platform high above positively humming with energy.The longer Tenma stares at it, the louder the cries of his beloved staff become, begging him to come, and his own mana stirs slightly in response. He immediately yanks it back under his control as to not make it harder on Kirino and Akane by forcing them to hide his mana signal.''You alright?'' whispers Kyousuke, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.The brunet glances at him and smiles reassuringly. ''Yeah, I'm fine,'' he says softly, leaning into the touch for a bit. ''Everyone ready?'' when there are no objections, he glances at their mist demigods. ''Alright, do it.''Kirino and Akane let go of each other's hands and Raimei splits into two groups, the pink-haired boy joining the more attack-based one – Nishiki, Shindou, Hikaru, Kyousuke – while his sister joins the much smaller group with Tenma and the defensive demigods, both teams now being shielded by only one mist sibling.They quickly go their separate ways, Kirino's group going straight for the enemy camp as the distraction, while the smaller one goes in the direction of the temple. They move fast and easy, crossing as much distance without being noticed as possible.The sky left of them is suddenly lit up with an explosion that causes the earth to shake and the group immediately breaks out into a run, their only protection now Akane's shield – not that it matters, no one can hear them through the sounds of battle that have taken over the plain.Their only objective now is to reach the safety of the temple's shields.Tenma throws a look to the battle. He can see Kyousuke, at least a dozen blades dancing around him, Shindou and Hamano working together in their water-combined domains to flood part of Ixaal's army. Explosions of fuchsia light up the sky, revealing Hikaru's location as well.The mortal is pulled back to the present – literally – by Aoyama grabbing his arm and forcing him to move forward. ''Don't hesitate,'' says the strategist quietly, barely audible above the roar of battle.They have almost, almost reached the temple when it goes wrong.The battle – which has spread towards them – gets in their way, demigods and gods alike fighting tooth and nail, and Akane is forced to let go of the spell that keeps them hidden from sight in order to raise up a shield to protect them from the many attacks.''Move!'' she screams, sweat gathering at her forehead at the attacks now directed at their group.Tenma locks eyes with Aoi and his oldest friend gives him a reassuring nod, even as her bow materializes in her hands, an arrow of magic forming on the bowstring.Then the brunet tears his eyes away from her, knowing she can protect herself, and his eyes glow the slightest bit of gold as he taps into his powers. He launches himself into the sky, the air beneath his feet glowing brightly as he sky-steps towards the temple.He doesn't bother trying to fight off the countless enemies – he is useless without Caerira and he knows it – instead trusting his Clan to protect him. And they do. He can see Midori, intercepting a dozen of demigods and keeping them from reaching him, her sword flashing dangerously. An arrow – courtesy of Aoi – buries itself deep in a god's chest before he can try and attack her leader.And Tenma pushes the overwhelming concern for his Clan's wellbeing out of his mind as he races towards the temple.He can feel it the second he crosses the boundary of protective shields, warm mana washing over him and light shimmering before his eyes.The brunet lands lightly on the ground, his own mana fading away as he stares at the staircase in front of him. Up close, the platform seems even higher in the air.He shakes himself, knowing there's no time to linger when his friends are fighting for their lives, and his eyes glow again as he leaps into the sky, skipping a dozen steps before landing, for a split second, to give himself another boost.He reaches the top of the structure in record time. His eyes are immediately drawn to the staff, innocently floating a feet above its pedestal. The golden glow seems to brighten as Caerira recognizes its master, the blue gems on both ends sparkling like stars.Tenma releases a breath he didn't know he was holding and crosses the short distance between him and his soul weapon, carefully reaching out. His hand stills for a second as Caerira's mana reacts to his own, warm and cheerful and light as it dances around him in greeting, and the mortal allows himself to smile a bit.Then his fingers close around the golden staff and raw power floods through him.A gasp breaks free from his lips as his mana skyrockets, visibly swirling around him in bright gold, pure energy coursing through his veins, and Caerira sings.Without seeing it, he knows storm clouds are gathering on the horizon, unnaturally fast, and lightning flashes in the distance, welcoming its master home.But then a shockwave, coming from the middle of the plain, knocks gods and demigods alike to their feet, dark purple mana swirling through the air. A horrible breaking sound echoes through the suddenly silent sky, cracks appearing in the rocky earth-As if something is trying to break free.Tenma barely has enough time to send a warning to his Clan through his aura, and then the ground is shattering, pieces of earth and rock flying everywhere. High up on the platform as he is, he's mostly protected from the shockwave that comes from the now-crater, and he breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Akane and Kirino have protected those of Raimei who were too close to the source of the blast.And then his eyes land on the figure standing in the middle of the dark mana storm, and his heart sinks.Poisonous green eyes, glowing with power, take in the battlefield. A pitch black armor, two swords of an even darker shade in the sheaths on his back.
Ixaal.
Golden eyes narrow when the god locks their gazes together. Tenma tightens his grip on Caerira, pulling it from its pedestal, and golden mana floods from his fingertips. He reaches for the spell, the connection between Raimei and its allies, and as he speaks his voice roars with the power of the storm, ''I call upon your vow of loyalty now, my companions, in our hour of need!''A shockwave of light floods the battlefield, storm winds raging loudly, and when it dies down, it seems like the earth itself hold its breath for a few moments.And then flames engulf part of the battlefield, rising up and twisting, and when they fade away, Arakumo is there. Clad in full armor, weapons ready, vindictive smiles – and Taiyou, his spear aflame with the domain of his mother, turns towards the temple and inclines his head. His eyes lock with Tenma's even over such a long distance and when he speaks, his voice is heard by all.''Arakumo answers your call.''Raimei barely has a second to be relieved by their ally's appearance when another voice echoes out over the plain, accompanied by a burst of violet light. ''Ragūn anwers your call, my brother,'' grins Saryuu, a flash of lightning accompanying his words.For a moment, there is silence, and Tenma mentally prays for the other's to answer as well, trying to fight off the desperation that threatens to overwhelm him. They can't possibly do this alone – they need their allies.He almost believes those he once called friends will not come, when-''As does Raiton.''He spins towards the source of the voice, his ponytail whipping around his head, and just manages to catch the last bit of the bright blue light of the teleportation spell. Then he's staring at the wide grin of none other than Endou Mamoru, Raiton's elite class surrounding him – Gouenji, Kidou, Fubuki, and Yuuichi, Shuu and Hakuryuu are also with them – and it feels like a weight has lifted from his chest.As if Raiton's arrival is a sign, the light of multiple teleportation spells washes over the field, Clan after Clan appearing – Seidouzan, Teikoky, Kidokawa Seishuu, Gassan Kunimitsu – all of those who stood by them in the first war, all of them, have answered.But Tenma, as glad as he is to see them, keeps his eyes on the real adversary here.Ixaal.The god of hysteria hasn't moved at all, although the swirl of dark mana – overwhelming mana that has finally been released after two hundred years – has died down.Ozrock's gaze has not left Tenma and the demigod-turned-mortal answers his glare without hesitation.''I killed you.''The words, spoken in a normal volume, echo over the field.Everything seems to hold its breath, waiting for Tenma's answer.And the brunet smiles, releasing his tight hold on the mana that has released with Caerira's return to his hand.Thunder roars, louder than he has ever heard it before, flashing through the sky. He glows with power, his veins glowing bright with the pure, uncontrolled mana coursing through him, and he closes his eyes and lets it consume here.From the top of the temple, a bright golden light spreads, growing brighter and brighter until the figure in the middle of it all shines like a star and people have to shield their eyes against it.And amidst it all, his voice echoes like a thunderclap.''Clearly, it wasn't enough.''For the first time, Ozrock shows emotion, in the form of gritted teeth. He reaches for both his swords, swinging them with unparalleled expertise, and then he's launching himself forward in a blur of deep purple.Tenma responds in kind, nothing but a streak of gold. Caerira comes to life as he pours his mana into the staff, sharp blades taking shape at both ends, and when the human and the god clash in a tsunami of mana, both soul weapons – Ozrock's swords and Tenma's double-bladed staff – sing with power.And then it's all about dodging and defending, strike after strike, Ozrock sharp like the deadly blades in his hands, Tenma spinning his staff with an ethereal grace that makes it seem like he's dancing instead of fighting a battle of life and death.The brunet is vaguely aware of the battle continuing around them and this time, the odds are in their favor, their army as strong as it was two centuries before.He can't pay much attention to it, though, because he has to use everything to keep up with Ozrock. Block a slash here, dodge a stab there, catch a dark blade with Caerira's golden staff.But the god is weak.They both seem to notice it – Ixaal, gritting his teeth as his mana whirls around him, is tiring, and while Tenma is out of breath, he is not yet exhausted.Ozrock's time being sealed has weakened him and they both know it.The mortal is forced to dodge another slash, the shockwave of it sending pieces of rock and earth flying around, and Ixaal takes the time to create some distance. ''Retreat!'' he calls, his voice echoing over the field, and then the god is leaving, disappearing in a blur of dark purple. His Generals immediately follow him, most of the upper Clans fleeing as well, while the less insightful fighters quickly find out that it would've been best to do as their leader ordered.Within minutes, the plain is cleared of Ozrock's supporters.Tenma allows the mana that courses through Caerira to return, the weapon returning to a normal staff, and as he wipes at the sweat on his forehead, he becomes aware of the silence behind him.He turns around, his eyes immediately finding his own Clan – they all seem to be alright, thank god, Aoi already starting to heal the injured – and then his focus shifts towards the other eyes on him.His allies, wide-eyed and stunned. Now that the battle is over, they seem to allow themselves to realize that yes, Tenma is here, he is alive, and the only thing he can do is smile weakly.His gaze finds Kyousuke's, then Shindou's, and his two friends don't need another sign. The three of them regroup quickly, and Tenma allows their mana to surround him and make sure he's alright, although he keeps his expression professional. ''Set up camp by the temple,'' he orders, locking eyes with his Rain for a moment, who nods in approval. ''I want those injured to be treated immediately.''With their orders, it finally seems like the Clan leaders – Kurosaki, Yukimura, Minamisawa and all the others – are shaken from their trances. ''You heard him!'' orders Miyabino, Teikoku's leader, and soon enough the beginnings of a camp are set up within the shields of the temple.Tenma quickly makes his way over to Raimei, flanked by Shindou and Tsurugi. Sangoku has taken charge and they're already setting up their own tents with an ease that comes from experience. ''Here.'' The brunet startles when a pitcher of water is offered to him and he looks up to find Kurama. The mortal gratefully takes it, not having realized how thirsty he was, and reaches out with his mana to convey his gratefulness. The snake demigod rolls his eyes, but there's a tiny hint of a smile on his lips.Soon, Tenma – having gotten rid of his shoulder, arm and shinguards and pulled on a long, sleeveless jacket – is walking, barefoot, through the camp. Much more comfortable. His destination is the commander's tent, always set up first, and when he enters, he's unsurprised to find all the allied Clan leaders already waiting for him.Before anyone can say speak, Saryuu is in front of the brunet, pulling him into an embrace. The human melts into it, hugging his brother back with all the force he can muster.It has, after all, been two centuries since they last saw each other, because that one time a year ago doesn't count.Saru pulls back, taking in his sibling's new appearance, and then scowls. ''You, my brother, have the worst martyr complex I have ever seen.''Tenma gives a startled laugh at that, wiping a stubborn lock of hair out of his eyes and crossing his arms. ''Oh please, what did you think I would do?''''Not die?'' grumbles the demigod.The brunet rolls his eyes and finally focuses on the other Clan leaders, giving Taiyou a quick nod, who returns it. Then he gives the other demigods a quick once-over – Kurosaki's arm is bandaged and Kishibe's hair is matted with blood from a cut above his ear, but otherwise they seem alright – and gives them the brightest smile he can, trying to convey all his gratefulness and relief at seeing them again.''Hello, everyone. It has been a while.''

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

''How are you alive?''

Kurosaki's tense voice breaks the silence, his red eyes hard as he stares at the brunet. Tenma, for his part, doesn't seem the slightest bit intimidated and instead meets his gaze head-on, his own eyes shining a bright gold.

And then Saryuu is leaning an elbow on Tenma's shoulder, smirking. ''Well, you know,'' he says, ''when a man and a woman love each other very much-''
His younger brother elbows him harshly in the ribs before he can continue, causing him to wheeze, and turns a gentle smile towards Kurosaki and the other Clan leaders. ''Reincarnation, I'd say,'' he tells them. ''I haven't quite found an explanation for it.''
There's a tension, hidden but noticed by them all.
''Whatever the reason is, it's great to see you again!'' Endou pipes up from where he's leaning by the wall, grinning brightly as he reaches out to ruffle Tenma's brown locks. ''Gotta say, the hair suits you,'' he adds, slinging an arm around the brunet's shoulders in a quick and gentle half-hug.
The mortal leans into the touch a bit before pulling away, his smile melting as he turns serious. ''We have a lot to discuss and not much time,'' he tells them, gesturing towards the smaller meeting table in the middle of the tent.
Without much fuss, everyone takes their seats at the round table, and once they've all been seated Minamisawa gives the brunet an impatient look. ''Now that all the tearful reunions are out of the way, I'd like to know a few things. Why was Raimei here, at the temple, and why was Ixaal there?'' almost everyone tenses at the name. ''And maybe more importantly, why are you human?''
Tenma closes his eyes for a few moments, rearranging his thoughts, before launching into an explanation, giving a short description of his knowledge of Ixaal's inevitable return, his reunion with Raimei and the following two years and his findings about Ozrock – where both Saryuu and Taiyou put in a few words of what their own Clans have been doing – before eventually settling on the newest developments.
''I am mortal, yes, but as you may have noticed during the battle today, my powers have not weakened,'' he tells everyone, shooting Minamisawa a silent look when Gassan Kunimitsu's leader looks like he's ready to interrupt. ''I needed Caerira to unlock my powers, which is why we're here – we knew that the moment Ixaal returned, it'd be impossible to get to the temple.'' He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and weaving his fingers together. ''I need to know. Are you willing to stand by Raimei?''
At the surprised looks, he smiles ruefully. ''No one can deny the danger Ixaal represents,'' he tells them quietly. ''Thinks aren't as black and white as they were two hundred years ago, and we have all seen what he can do – in fact, I have experienced it first-hand, so I would completely understand if you choose the safety of your Clans over our alliance. I would never force you to do something you feel uncertain about, so if anyone wishes to back out now, I want to know, so we can grand them a safe leave.''
There's a heavy silence that follows his words, conflicted expressions all around the table.
And then Saryuu scoffs, drawing all eyes towards him.
His violet gaze is hard, quietly challenging the human to contradict him. ''I saw you die, the only family I had left. I'm not losing you again.''
The brunet can't complete hide the sudden flare of warmth and sorrow washing through his mana, a small smile forming on his lips. He doesn't say anything, but the look in his eyes says more than words ever could as he nods.
''You should know I wouldn't let you face this alone, my Storm,'' whispers Taiyou quietly, sharing a look of resolve with Saru – no way are they going to let the brunet do this on his own. ''Arakumo has been allied with Raimei for centuries and that won't change now.''
''Raiton,'' Endou speaks up, his smile having disappeared, ''has taken Raimei under our wing hundreds of years ago. We will not stand by uselessly.'' His aura, warm and welcoming and overwhelmingly powerful, swirls around them for a few moments, a reassure brushing past Tenma's own mana.
And that causes the brunet to relax, just a little, because the honesty in Endou's aura can't be faked, and there is no doubt that while Raimei is currently seen as the powerhouse in Clans, it is only because Raiton has made their unity clear as day – one does not come without the other.
Raiton might not take to the spotlight as often as they used to in their earlier years, but their power is undeniable.
And again it seems to work as a catalyst, because the doubt that lingered in the other Clan leaders is fading away. ''Kidokawa Seishuu will stand beside you,'' says Kishibe, and soon enough they all follow – Seidouzan, Teikoku, Genei, and all the others.
Tenma takes a look around the table, at his allies. There is no hesitation left, only a fierce fire that burns in all of them, and he smiles.
''Thank you.''

''Ozrock, please!''

The god in question didn't bother to look in the girl's direction, although his shoulders tensed at her trembling voice.

''Please,'' whispered another girl, clutching her sister's hands tightly. ''Brother, please, don't go.''

Ozrock glanced at the two of them, his gaze softening. He sighed and made his way over to him, kneeling down before gently pulling them to the floor as well. ''I have no choice,'' he told them silently. ''Either I take the fall, or you do.''

''Then let us!'' cried the darker-haired girl.
The god's eyes lit up with an angry flame, and she wilted like a dying flower. ''Lalaya, I have sworn to protect the both of you, and I will stand by that oath. It would've been one thing if this attack was directed only at Arashi and I, but they pulled you two into it as well. The High Council is dangerous, and I know Arashi will protect you, but it's not enough. I need to be sure and this is the only way.''

Lalaya nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and her sister watched them both with worried eyes. Ozrock sighed, gently cupping the lighter-haired girl's cheek. ''It's okay to cry, Katora,'' he told her softly, and finally did she allow tears to fill her eyes as well.

The god pulled them both into a tight hug.

''Take care of yourselves, alright?'' he told them, and they both nodded, clutching him tightly. ''I will miss you.''
''Do you see now?''
Tenma's eyes snap open as the voice registers in his mind, together with the vision – dream? – he just had.
He finds himself in his tent, the darkness telling him it's still night or early morning. He pushes himself into a sitting position, eyes flaring with gold, both to enhance his vision and to examine his surroundings with mana. There's absolutely nothing out of place and he would've relaxed if he hadn't known better.
Which is exactly why, when the soft brush of mana lights up the inside of his tent, he can immediately launch himself from his bed while grabbing Caerira, landing in a crouch and letting his own mana pour into the staff freely, two sharp blades forming at its end.
''We are not here to harm you, son of the storm,'' a sweet female voice, echoing with an ethereal power, reaches his ears and suddenly he sees them.
Two girls, younger than he is, in appearance at least – because their auras of power, confined but impossible to completely hide in such close quarters, are clearly those of goddesses – are suddenly standing in the middle of his tent, both glowing softly with mana, one a gentle violet and the other a shimmering lilac.
His eyes widen as he recognizes them, because how could he not, and he lowers his weapon while his head inclines respectfully. ''Lady Lalaya, Lady Katora,'' he greets them, his mind flashing back to his dream – the goddesses had been there too, only looking much younger than they do now.
Katora smiles gently at him. ''Please, we merely wish to speak with you,'' she says softly and Tenma can't hide the confusion her words cause him.
He lets his mana fade away, Caerira returning to its staff form, and pushes himself out of his crouch and into a standing position. ''What could the goddesses of life and death possibly want with me?''
This time, Lalaya answers him. ''We require your assistance,'' she tells him, her hands clutching her purple dress. ''We attempted to contact you during the last war, but we unfortunately failed.''
And as Tenma watches their faces, the shadows in their eyes and the concern they can't hide no matter how hard they try, he lets himself forget the fact that these are two of the most powerful goddesses in existence and instead turns to light a candle on his desk. ''Please, take a seat,'' he tells them, already starting to prepare some tea.
The two are clearly startled by his reaction, but they do as he asks and soon enough, the three are all nursing a steaming cup, and with some gentle encouragement the goddesses launch into their tale.
''Ozrock, he is our brother,'' starts Katora, chewing on her lower lip nervously. ''We have kept our eye on you, so we know you are aware that our brother wasn't to blame for the attack on the High Council, however...''
Lalaya gently places a hand over her sister's and then looks at Tenma, her head held high and any sign of weakness gone. ''A thousand years ago, the High Council of the gods was attempting to recruit a new member. There were three candidates. Your father Arashi, our brother, and Sanjes, god of harmony, and Ozrock's closest companion – the two of them balanced each other out, as harmony and hysteria. All three of them were suited for the role and all of them were good friends, as well – inseparable.
''It didn't matter to them if they weren't chosen. It was a great honor, of course, but they would be happy for whoever became part of the Council. Unfortunately, not everyone wished to follow the rules.'' Her gaze darkens. ''Our grandfather, Ireid, was one of the elder members of the Council. He believed that Sanjes would be the perfect candidate, and so he set up an ambush to take out both Ozrock and Arashi.
''Sanjes, he- he wasn't supposed to be there that day, but Katora and I convinced him to play with us. Because of that, we were all there when the attack took place and Sanjes, he...'' her voice breaks and she closes her eyes tightly for a moment before continuing, ''he protected his friends, at the cost of his own life, dying in their arms...''
Katora lets out a soft sob at that point and Lalaya wraps an arm around her, but she still continues her story. ''Everything was in chaos, but the election for the High Council couldn't be postponed. Ireid wasn't caught, but he was... displeased with the results, so he spread the rumor that Ozrock was responsible for the attack. It worked. My brother became distrusted, and Arashi was chosen for the role.''
Her lighter-haired sister seems to have composed herself a little, taking Lalaya's hand and gently squeezing it, before looking at Tenma. ''The night after your father was chosen, Ireid confronted us – and Ozrock, as well. He told Ozrock he was holding us down, that he had to get out of the way for us to unlock our full potential.'' She shivers. ''Ireid wanted to use our powers over the living and the dead to conquer the human realm, but...''
''Ozrock protected us,'' finishes Lalaya. ''Or attempted to, at least, because Ireid was powerful. It almost seemed like he would lose, but Arashi arrived just in time and together, they defeated him. Ireid fled, and in his desperation, launched an attack on the High Council. There were great casualties, but Arashi managed to stop him before he could wipe everyone out, whilst our brother was left in our care, suffering from great injury.
''Ireid fell in the battle, but his followers were with many, and they framed Ozrock for the attack. The problem was that many of his followers were part of the Council themselves, so no one could go against them and our brother was banished. He left, because if he tried to fight the decision it would've led to an all-out war between the gods, and he left us in Arashi's protection.''
''He went mad,'' whispers Tenma softly, the realization hitting him. ''So much death and chaos caused him to lost control over his own domain...''
The goddesses both nod and Katora picks up where her sister left off. ''In his madness, he blamed Arashi, and attempted to conquer the human world – which is why he hates you so much. You are the perfect image of your father at this age.''
Tenma frowns – he has only seen his father a handful of times, and the blond hair and golden eyes make them look alike, but he never realized just how much he apparently takes after Arashi.
''Your father has become an important member of the High Council,'' adds Lalaya, ''and taken care of Ireid's men in the past centuries, but Ozrock... our brother is still suffering,'' she whispers. ''Many cry for his imprisonment.''
The mortal can't help but feel his heart ache for the two girls – goddesses of life and death they may be, they still look so young – and he reaches out, covering their entwined hands with his own. At the shocked looks he receives, he gives them a bright smile.
''I will save your brother, I promise.''
And with that simple sentence, the painstaking relief  that comes over the two girls convinces him of their honesty.
A sudden realization washes over him and his eyes widen in disbelief. ''Tenma?'' asks Katora, taken aback by his sudden shock. ''What is the matter?''
The brunet stares at them. ''You two-'' he pauses, trying to rearrange his thoughts. ''Did you two... are you the reason I was reborn?''
The two sisters blink at the sudden change in topic, and then share a slightly mischievous smile. ''We knew you were the only one who could bring our brother back,'' says the lighter-haired goddess, and then her eyes dim slightly in sadness. ''Besides... your death had such an impact on the world...''
Lalaya takes over when the other girl trails off, smiling warmly. ''We couldn't let such a kind person die,'' she says softly.
Tenma stares at them for a little while longer, and then he inclines his head. He doesn't speak, but there's no need – his gratefulness is impossible to miss – and then he focuses on the matter at hand.
How to pull an insane god back from his out-of-control powers?

This war will be even more brutal than the first one, and everyone knows it.
Their armies have been gathered, the challenge has been given, and there's only one battle to fight. ''The longer we drag this out, the more casualties will fall,'' is what both Kishibe and Shindou – the two strategists of their army – had agreed upon.
Which is why, exactly four days after Ozrock's resurrection, no one is surprised when his army is upon them just as dawn breaks.
The alarm rings long before the army has reached them and no one hesitates with preparing for battle. Tenma, his eyes already flaring with power, changes into his bright blue leathers – and a hint of a smile touches his lips as he notices the countless protective spells woven into it, courtesy of his Clan, no doubt – and straps on his shoulder, arm and shinguards. He hates the boots he's forced to wear, but he doesn't really have a choice.
Within minutes he's out of his tent and making his way through the camp towards the commander's pavilion, soon joining the other Clan leaders. Their army gathers in front of the temple, just outside of the protective fields, and soon enough they are tensely awaiting the other army.
Tenma is pulled from his worries when he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looks up to meet Taiyou's warm gaze. The sun demigod smiles at him and holds up a leather cord, and the brunet laughs softly, allowing his Sun to twists his long locks into a high ponytail to keep them out of the way.
And then there is no time for talking, because Ixaal's army is upon them.

Tenma wipes the blood out of his eyes, grimacing at the cut on his forehead that causes his bangs to stick to his face. There is a short pause in enemies and he takes the chance to scan the battlefield. Many have fallen, but not as many as it could've been, considering they have been fighting for hours.
He sees many of his allies and friends – Yuuichi, dozens of blades dancing around him, Taiyou surrounded by flames as hot as the sun itself, Endou striking down enemies left and right, Shuu and Hakuryuu combining their powers as they face of against one of the enemy Generals – and then his attention is caught by the real enemy. Ozrock, deep purple mana that screams in its sheer wrongness, cutting down demigods everywhere, and there's no hesitation when Tenma calls upon his own mana and launches himself at the god.
Ozrock sees him coming just in time to deflect Caerira and Tenma twists out of the way of the black swords, and then the two of them are entangled in a deadly dance. Their auras clash, their weapons flashing, and the storm that has been brewing on the horizon this whole time breaks loose.
Lightning splits the sky in two as they exchange blow after blow, as they have so many times before, pieces of rock crashing through the sky and the craters left by their strikes turning the battlefield into a world of destruction.
Ixaal, his pitch black swords coated in flames of dark mana, every single one of his hits meant to kill, sky-stepping with such speed he is nothing more than a blur. Tenma, surrounded by gold, dancing through the air and swirling his double-bladed staff as if it's an extension of himself, easily keeping up with the god.
For every injury the mortal sustains, Ozrock takes as much damage. They are evenly matched, as they have always been, but never before has their fight contained such sheer conviction.
Gold locks with green, and both know, without a doubt, that this will be the end.
There will be no coming back, no second chances – this time, right here and now, it's all or nothing.
Tenma grits his teeth as he doesn't completely manage to dodge Ixaal's next attack, one of the black swords missing his neck by a hair and instead digging into his shoulder, and he jumps backwards to create some distance between them. He feels blood trickle down his arm and he takes note of his other injuries – a deep cut on his forehead and one just above his knee are the most worrisome, although certainly not the only ones. His ribs are definitely bruised, he may have sprained his ankle during a bad landing, and many more, smaller injuries are scattered over his body, but his mana can keep those contained until the fight is over.
Ozrock himself isn't looking much better, his hair matted with blood, favoring his right leg after Caerira almost cut the other one off, and dozens of smaller cuts covering him as well.
They're both going on their reserves now.
Their armies are weakening as well, although it doesn't seem like it. Tenma takes barely a second – he can't afford a longer distraction – to check on his friends. Raimei is fighting as one unit, like they always have, and they seem to be doing alright.
It allows the brunet to shake his worries away and focus on his own fight.
With a cry, he launches himself forwards, Ozrock barely managing to dodge the attack. Tenma is already dancing out of the way of the black swords, calling upon his lightning, and the sky flashes brightly as he sends a bolt of pure electricity at the god.
Ixaal is slammed into the ground and it gives the mortal the few precious seconds he needs to remember Lalaya's words from a few nights before.
We would like to give you our blessing. It will give you a power surge, for only a few moments, but it will hopefully be enough to defeat our brother. But you can only use this when the time is right.
Tenma has absolutely no idea when the time is right, but there's one thing he's sure of – if this goes on any longer, countless lives will be lost. Before he can act on that realization, however, Ozrock is there again, and he has to dodge another rain of strikes.
He reacts fully on instinct, going on the defensive - there's simply no chance to counter, Ixaal's fervent attacks slowly starting to drive him back. The god seems to realize it too, for a crazed grins splits his face in two and his eyes shine like beacons in the dark. In reaction, his mana, so dark and twisted it's nauseating, swirls around them both, so potent it becomes tangible.
It crashes over Tenma like a tidal wave and he calls forth on his own mana to shield him from it, but the reaction is too slow and the golden energy is like a flimsy paper sheet against a sea of daggers.
It takes Ixaal only a moment to break through it and when he does, it forces the brunet to his knees.
He stares up at the god, his breathing heavy under the pressure, and Ozrock's cold eyes stare back at him, an amused tilt to his lips. ''You struggle,'' he says, his voice smooth and pleased, ''you can't withstand my mana and yet you believe you can defeat me?''
His eyes flare sharply and the energy surrounding them both skyrockets to inhuman heights. Tenma gasps for air, but the pressure makes it almost impossible to breathe, and with a sickening realization he can feel his grasp on his own mana slipping quicker than he can react.
Within a second, the last spark dies out and his golden eyes return to their mortal grey shade.
''Pathetic,'' hisses the god and the brunet only has a split second to react when Ozrock brings down one of his swords. The mortal rolls out of the way and it strikes the ground where he laid a mere moment ago. Ixaal narrows his eyes, adjusting his grip on his swords, and slowly advances. Tenma scrambles onto his feet, tightening his hold on Caerira in its staff form, the blades having retracted at the lack of mana.
He inhales shakily and then brings the staff in front of him, falling into a defensive stance with easy that comes from centuries of training. Part of him wonders if his Clan has noticed his situation already, but with the lack of godly reflexes, there's no possibility for him to check on them.33
Ozrock pauses for a moment, surprise coloring his expression, and then his eyes narrow again. ''Do you never give up?'' annoyance creeps through his voice. ''If you stand down now, I might even let you and your little Clanmates live.''
''And let you destroy the human world?'' Tenma counters, inching backwards slowly. ''Not a chance. And besides- whether you kill me or not doesn't matter. My friends won't simply stand down, even if I were to fall again.''
The god doesn't seem bothered. ''No matter,'' he spats, and then he's launching himself forward at godly speeds. Tenma barely manages to dodge, his senses weakened to mortal heights now that his mana has forsaken him.
He holds out barely a minute in his mortal form, and he gathers more injuries in that time than he did during the entire battle. He staggers to his knees and, through his heavy panting, stares up at the god that killed him once already.
Ixaal stares back, quiet, and then he's moving so fast the mortal's weak eyes can't follow him anymore.
And in the next second, all Tenma knows is pain.
A strangled gasp pries itself from his throat and when Ozrock pulls his sword - buried deep into the brunet's back - out, the mortal crashes to the ground, a pool of blood forming within moments.
Through his darkening vision, he can see Ixaal walking around his fallen form, barely sparing him a glance. He only just manages to discern the words spoken by the god.
''Now, time to take care of your pathetic little army.''
It has Tenma's entire being screaming in protest, but the soft ''no'' he manages to mutter is little more than an inaudible breath, his fingers twitching as he tries, desperately, to reach for Caerira.

When the time is right.

Lalaya's voice echoes through his mind and the brunet stills. Right now, there's no chance to wait for the right time anymore - either he acts now, or it'll be too late for him to do anything.
So he closes his eyes, for barely a second, and calls forth the boost of power that comes with the goddesses' blessings.
Something inside him lurches, mana not his own coursing through his veins, powerful and burning and divine, and he screams.
Purple electricity crackles around his skin, through his skin, tearing him apart and he tastes blood in his mouth. His eyes fly open and he catches sight of the sky lighting up, gold, purple and every shade in between as the storm reacts to the raw energy he exhibits- it's too much, too much!
''Don't fight it!''
Katora's voice and then the ghost of a caress on his cheek, soft and gentle, relieving the overwhelming agony, and he lets himself relax, lets the godly energy shape its own course, feels it mix with his own mana, as he slowly rises to his feet again.
The storm roars.
He catches a glimpse of Ixaal, whipping around at the sudden wave of pure power from behind him, and the god's green eyes are wide and shocked. ''What are you doing?!''  he screams over the thundering of the sky.
And Tenma's fingers close around Caerira, the staff singing in his hand and shining like an actual star.
With a wordless scream, he calls upon his lightning and it comes to his aid immediately, brighter and stronger than it has ever been. He doesn't control it, like he usually would, instead lets it flow through him, gives it free reign towards the world outside.
It crackles underneath his fingertips, and then the world explodes in light.
He's not sure how much time passes – it could've been eons or seconds. Pure mana, like he has never felt before, swirls around him, blinds him, humming and screaming and singing all at once.
It passes, eventually, and Tenma blinks up at the dark clouds.
He's lying on the ground, silence surrounding him, and he pushes himself into a sitting position, his long locks falling over his shoulders – his ponytail must've come undone in the explosion, the hair tie not magically protected like his clothes. His entire body hurts, blood slowly seeping from his many wounds, but his mind is clear and the fatal blow Ixaal dealt him has stopped bleeding, courtesy of the goddesses' blessing. He finds Caerira lying next to him, still in its double-bladed form, and his fingers automatically curl around the golden staff which sparks with energy.
And then he catches sight of the battlefield.
Destruction is putting it mildly.
He's in the middle of the largest crater he's ever seen, dust settling down around it. He can't see anyone else, but he can feel the auras of his friends, stirring but further than he remembers – they must've been thrown back by the blast.
The brunet pushes himself to his feet, grimacing when his muscles scream in protest, and for the first time he notices the other person.
Ozrock is just starting to move as well, but it's clear he's defeated. Blood is pouring from countless cuts and if he were human, or even a demigod, he would've been dead already. His swords are lying a few feet away, out of his reach, and his eyes are closed – not quite unconscious, but too out of it to be a threat.
''Tenma!''
The voice, filled with unbridled relief, catches his attention and the brunet turns around, catching sight of Kyousuke. Immediately he calls upon his leftover mana, sky-stepping towards his shieldbrother, and then he's catching him in a hug. Kyousuke immediately returns the embrace and within seconds, the rest of Raimei is there as well, drowning in what must be the best group hug of the century.
And Tenma can only laugh, blinking tears out of his eyes, as their mana swirls around the group, uncontrollably. No one cares, though their elation at being together and alive too strong to contain.
Aoi doesn't hesitate for a second and immediately starts applying her healing mana and the brunet can feel his many injuries start to disappear, although he wouldn't be surprised to find a few new scars later on. Once the girl finishes, she immediately wraps her arms around him, which is apparently a sign for the Clan to instigate another group hug.
Too soon they have to pull away to focus on the situation at hand, but the way Raimei surrounds their leader warms his heart, even as he focuses on surveying the situation. Ozrock's Generals have been captured and Arakumo is keeping them contained, the other Clans constraining the less important soldiers of the opposing army.
A weak twinge of all too familiar mana pulls Tenma's attention back to their main enemy and, even though he can feel their alarm and protest through their auras, steps away from his Clan to stand in front of the god, who is just sitting up. The brunet spins Caerira and rests one of the blades at his enemy's throat.
Ozrock stills and glares at the brunet with such venom it's a miracle the mortal doesn't falter. In response, golden eyes shine even brighter and the storm on the horizon roars dangerously.
For a few moments, silence reigns everywhere.
But then, Tenma's grip on Caerira slackens and with a sigh, he twists the staff so that it's held vertically next to him instead of at the god's throat. His eyes fade to a gentle grey again, even as a ripple of unease goes through the demigods behind him.
Ozrock stares at him in stunned disbelief and then he growls, low in his throat. ''Is this some kind of insult?'' he hisses, his fury like poison. ''Am I not even worthy of death?!''
A gentle breeze is the only thing that breaks the silence after his words, the clouds in the distance slowly dissipating to allow the sun to break through.
''Of course it's not,'' says Tenma and while his voice is soft, it's as clear as a thunderclap and Ozrock gives a start, eyes narrowing at the lack of anger. ''You're giving me two options here. Either I kill you and free the land, or I don't and you will take over again.'' A quick, fleeting smile. ''But you should know that I've never been one to follow the rules.''
''What?!'' the god rears back as if slapped, the air around him rippling with purple for a few moments. His Generals react to their leader's unease, but Arakumo has a good grip on them and even when auras of power flare around them, they don't manage to break free again.
Tenma's eyes shoot towards the scene, guarded and cautious as years of war and fighting have taught him, and he meets Taiyou's gaze. The sun warrior gives a slight nod, his lips twitching up into a smile, and the brunet relaxes in the knowledge his shieldbrother can handle the captured gods, eyes fleeting back to Ozrock.
''Isn't this enough?'' the human asks quietly, ignoring the second flare of Ozrock's power in the air. ''Hasn't there been enough bloodshed and pain? You're the god of hysteria, not evil or death. I don't know what sins have been committed against you, Ixaal, but isn't it enough now? Isn't it time to let go of the past and look towards the future now?''
The god stares at him with almost palpable disbelief, and then grits his teeth in fury. ''Bullshit! You just want me to accept everything quietly and allow your father and his company to punish me?!'' he spats out the words as if they're burning him, hatred dripping from his voice.
But he halts in surprise when Tenma shakes his head.
''No,'' whispers the demigod. ''I would never ask that of you.''
And the brunet holds out a hand.
Ozrock stares at it, uncomprehending, and then looks past the offered appendage and at the mortal's smiling face, but Tenma isn't done yet. ''I would speak in your defense. I may not have your hatred for the High Council, but I certainly don't like them either.'' And his gaze softens, flecks of gold dancing in the grey. ''Help me build a future where no one, god, human or demigod, will ever be denied their rights again.''
For a few moments longer, everyone is silent, disbelieving, yet also waiting for Ozrock's decision.
And the god himself can feel something spark, something that takes his breath away for it's strangely familiar, as if it's a memory long forgotten that has returned to him.

Hope.

Slowly, so very slowly, he reaches out to take the hand offered to him. Raimei tenses, but Tenma doesn't seem to care, instead smiling encouragingly as Ozrock places his hand in his, gently pulling the god to his feet. Then he turns, holding out a hand to Kyousuke, and his shieldbrother silently hands him the twin black swords. The brunet turns back to Ozrock, offering him his weapons.
The god accepts them slowly, carefully, almost afraid of it being a joke, but he relaxes slightly when all Tenma does is smile wider. His hands close around the hilts, taking them from the mortal, and the blades seem to shimmer with mana – not violent and rough like before, but instead calmer – before their pitch black color fades to a glinting silver.
Out of nowhere, a gentle mix of lilac and violet mana dances through the sky, a soft, strange hum following it, as if the sky itself is alight with energy. Instantly everyone reaches for their weapons again, all except Ozrock and his people and Tenma himself.
He has only felt this particular mana once before, but it already brings a smile to his face. ''They're here,'' he whispers quietly and the god next to him tenses, disbelieving eyes meeting his own. Tenma gives him a slight nod and the last bit of tension flows out of Ozrock's form.
The soft light is centered in one spot, glowing brighter and brighter before changing, taking the distinct shape of two people, before fading away.
''Finally,'' whispers Katora, her hands folded together like a prayer and a beautiful smile on her lips. Tears gather in her eyes as she stares at her brother. ''Ozrock...''
The girl next to her seems just as happy and relieved, walking forward with all the grace of a goddess of her status. ''My beloved brother,'' she says quietly, stopping a few feet in front of the god in question. She tilts her head, a bright grin splitting her face in two, and her voice trembles as she whispers a heartfelt ''welcome back.''
And then Ozrock is lunging forward, wrapping his arms around Lalaya, clutching her tightly. Katora doesn't need any other encouragement and joins the hug, embracing both of her siblings with all the force she can muster.
''Lalaya- Katora- how?'' whispers the god, not breaking their embrace. His lighter-haired sister pulls away slightly, just enough to be able to look over her brother's shoulder. Pink eyes meet grey ones, and the smile she sends Tenma is blinding – and, consequently, all the answer Ozrock needs. His eyes widen and he gapes at the brunet. ''You- why would you help me?''
Tenma feels his shieldbrethren come to stand beside him and he relaxes, giving a shrug. ''You needed help,'' he says, as if that's the only logical answer he could give, and smiles, his Clan's auras filled with amusement at his simple words.
The god stares at him in disbelief.
A soft breeze blows over the battlefield and Tenma freezes.
''Wha-'' he can feel the alarm suddenly taking over Saryuu's aura, because of course he realized it too, but before anyone can react to their sudden shock, there's a flash of lighting, overwhelmingly bright and loud, and then the battlefield is drowning in mana.
Mana that is very, very familiar to many of them.
When Tenma manages to blink the black spots out of his eyes, he can't do much more than gape at the figure standing a few feet away from him.
''F-father?''

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

''F-father?''Arashi is every bit the god he's supposed to be. Dressed in white robes and shining silver armor, his blond locks fall to his waist. He could pass for a human in his late thirties if it wasn't for the aura of pure mana that makes his skin quite literally shine like a star, his eyes – like molten gold – rolling silently like a storm on the horizon, a golden staff with a single blade at its end in his hand.When he speaks, his words echo with the roar of the storm, even though his voice is calm and almost soft. ''My son.''Tenma can count the times he has seen this particular god on one hand. Four times during the hundred years' summer solstices he attended, a holy celebration where the demigods are allowed into the godly realm. He'd seen his father as part of the High Council, from afar for only a few minutes.The fifth time was almost thirty decades after Raimei was formed.Arashi, even though he may be a lousy father, gives every child of his a special gift, most often a weapon of some sort. Tenma can still remember it clearly – it'd been in the middle of the night, during a particularly heavy storm, when Arashi appeared before him in all his godly glory. They barely spoke to each other, just a 'I wish you the best of luck in life, son' and the then-demigod was left with his beloved staff.Now, staring at his father for the sixth time in his life, Tenma's grip on Caerira tightens. The weapon is pulsing with energy that can only be a reaction to its creator's presence.Arashi turns away, a clear dismissal, and instead looks down upon the god of hysteria, who is watching him with a guarded look. ''Ozrock. You are to come with me to stand before the judgement of the High Council. If you do not come willingly, I will not hesitate to force you.''''No!'' Lalaya and Katora immediately push their brother behind them. Storm clouds gather on the horizon in response and the two goddesses shiver in the face of Arashi's power, but they don't move away.''Do not test my patience,'' says the god, his voice indifferent.Tenma cannot help the twinge of satisfaction he feels at seeing the hint of surprise coloring Arashi's face when the brunet himself steps in front of the goddesses.His Clan will most likely murder him for this, if he survives the encounter, of course.Arashi's narrowed gaze tells him he most likely won't. He meets the god's stare head-on, knowing his own eyes are sparking with gold as well. ''What does he stand accused of?''''It is none of your business,'' says his father simply. ''Now step out of the way.''He clearly expects that to be the end of it.He also clearly underestimates his son's legendary stubbornness.''No.''Golden eyes widen just the tiniest bit, the only sign of surprise. ''No?''Tenma tightens his grip on Caerira but keeps it at his side, unthreatening. ''No,'' he repeats. ''Lord Hysteria has not committed any direct crimes. I offered him my protection and unless you can give me a good reason to stand down, I will go through on my promise.'' He gestures to the demigods behind him, hiding a slight wince at the furious glares on his friends' faces – they are so going to kill him for this. ''I may not be a god, but are you sure you wish to challenge all of us? Because I am certain Lord Hysteria's men will stand by us, should this lead to conflict.''Lightning flashes. ''You dare speak to me in that way?'' Arashi's voice roars like a storm, painfully loud and incredibly terrifying, and every primal instinct Tenma has tells him to run away as the full force of the god's unimaginable mana crashes down on him – Arashi is known as one of the strongest gods for a reason.He doesn't.Instead he lets his own mana run free, still sparking like electricity from the battle before, and lightning flashes through the sky in response.''You dare resist my orders?'' Arashi's aura increases even more, if that's possible, and Tenma almost fears he will be crushed by it - Ozrock's distorted power has absolutely nothing on this. He fights back futilely against it, his mana screaming under the strain, and he can't breathe under the pulverizing force.''Yes I dare!'' he's not sure if his voice can even be heard over the thundering storm above him, but he doesn't back down. Can't back down, not now. ''I dare!''And something snaps inside him.His fury, the fury of the tempest – usually so well contained – rushes through him like fire and it somehow gives him the strength to push Arashi's stifling aura away.Then suddenly he can breathe again.Tenma's only partly aware of his own skin, glowing like a star in imitation of his father, the storm that was previously under Arashi's control answering to his call before the thought has even really formed, lightning flashing and screaming with his rage. ''I dare!''Their auras clash against each other, gold against gold, father against son, as the tempest that lives in both of them destroys the sky above them.And Tenma, painstakingly aware of the demigods behind him who cannot possibly survive such mana, calls upon Caerira, the staff flaring to life in his hands. He calls upon the storm, his own as much as his father's, just as he sees Arashi prepare for a strike with his own single-bladed staff.The two weapons, both born from the tempest itself, clash and even as he throws in everything he has to handle the shattering strike, Tenma reaches for the mana swirling around them – his own, his father's, both too alike to make sense of – until it's surrounding them like a hurricane.
'' ENOUGH!''
He doesn't know how to stop this madness, this storm, but he knows that if he doesn't, his friends and allies, his Clan, his family will pay the price, and as he screams that single word, the raw power answers to his call.With a flash of light, the gold dissipates all at once, overwhelming and crushing and gone, and Tenma draws back just as Arashi does, out of breath even though he mentally readies himself for another attack.But it doesn't come.Arashi watches him, heaving for breath, the indifference having left his gaze, replaced by something else Tenma can't quite place.And then the god straightens, lowering his single-bladed staff – a clear end to the fight. The brunet watches him warily but still follows, even though he doesn't revert Caerira to its sealed form.''With all my children,'' Arashi's voice suddenly breaks the silence, startling them all, ''I could see a rough outline of their futures, their destinies. But with you, it was all blank.''''What?'' Tenma can't hide the surprise in his voice.His father is watching him closely, and then his lips curl upwards into a slight, almost unnoticeable smile. ''It stunned me,'' he continues slowly, ''to see a child of mine so out of reach. I did not know what to expect from you – you were a mystery like I had never seen before. Perhaps because of your mother. She always managed to evade me, as well.'' A laugh spills from his lips, like a soft breeze. ''To think you, the child I dismissed as nothing, would grow powerful enough to match me...''And suddenly the mortal recognizes the look in those eyes – his eyes.He has seen it before, on Endou, on Gouenji, on his Clan.''I do not say this often, in fact, most of my children will never hear these words,'' continues Arashi, ''but I am proud of you, my son.'' Finally he looks away from Tenma, his eyes finding another face in the crowd of demigods. ''And of you as well, Saryuu.''He looks back towards Tenma, catching the stunned look on the brunet's face. ''I- um, thank you?'' he says, although it sounds more like a question.The storm god's smile is tinted with fondness – actual fondness – and he reaches out, gripping his son's shoulder. His hold is strong yet gentle, and as gold meets gold, his smile fades. ''Tell me, Tenma,'' and it hits the demigod-turned-mortal that this is the first time in both lives his father has ever said his name, ''what is it you desire?'' at the brunet's confused look, he elaborates, his expression carefully guarded. ''Fame? Money? Power?''The human pauses at that question.He has never really thought about that.Part of him tells him he couldn't possibly answer right now, within moments of being asked, yet...Yet he automatically looks behind him, catching the gazes of his Clans, his allies and friends – they all seem curious about the answer – and he knows.He smiles.''Freedom,'' he says simply, turning back to his father, the god's golden gaze piercing as if it can see right through him.Arashi's eyebrows raise slightly. ''Freedom?'' he repeats, slowly, as if tasting the word. ''And if you had this freedom, what would you do with it?''And the brunet shrugs. ''I'd stay with my friends. If nothing would ever chain me down again, I'd stay with them and I'd make sure they're happy,'' he answers simply, a bright smile lighting up his face as his aura swirls with all the love and care he holds for his Clan. ''That's what I'd do.''His father smiles again and Tenma suddenly feels like he passed a test he wasn't aware of.''Tell me, Lord Hysteria,'' he calls out, and the god of hysteria stiffens, the use of the respectful title not going unnoticed, ''what do you see for my son's future?''Ozrock casts a guarded look at the storm god, but then his green eyes settle on the brunet, curiosity coloring his expression even through his wariness. ''I see... harmony,'' he says, his voice slow and careful. ''Light. Potential. Love. Sanity.''Finally, Arashi smiles, nodding at the other god's words. ''It is very rare for a child as powerful as yourself to stay sane, as Lord Hysteria already noticed.'' He glances at Ozrock. ''But that is not all, is it?''The god's eyebrows draw together in a grim frown, and he nods.''I see death, too.''Tenma closes his eyes at that, feeling the sudden anxiety in his friends' auras.''You do not seem surprised, my son,'' states Arashi.Golden eyes open again and the brunet smiles bitterly. ''I am mortal. It would be a miracle if I lived for another seventy years.'' He braces himself, glancing over his shoulder and immediately wincing at the devastated looks from his shieldbrethren. ''But I don't care,'' he whispers, head turning back to face Arashi. ''I'd still stay with them, until the very end.''His father squeezes his shoulder slightly.''It does not have to be that way, my child.''Tenma's head snaps up, eyes growing wide.Arashi grins, slight and reserved but clearly there. ''You are my son, and no matter in what form you reincarnate, that will not change.'' He withdraws his hand, casting a look at the two goddesses in their midst. ''Lady Lalaya and Lady Katora could bring you back to life, yes, but without my blessing you would not return to your immortal form.'' Golden eyes turn back to the human's stunned face. ''Yet you are still my child, that you have kept your powers proves as much. Immortality, while usually out of reach for a mortal, is possible for you because you were never meant to be a mere human.''Tenma can barely find his voice again, and when he does, it is barely audible. ''What are you...?''''With my blessing,'' states the god carefully, ''your demigod status will return, if that is what you wish. You have proven yourself worthy of such to me.''It is an offer, and everyone knows it.Tenma's eyes are wide with shock, barely believing his father's words, but the auras of his shieldbrethren swirling with disbelief and painstaking hope are enough to tell him that yes, this is real.And for the first time in his second life, he allows himself to hope as well.He'd accepted his mortality, and yet... and yet part of him hadn't. The part that would do anything for those he calls his, would destroy anything that hurts them – only this time, it couldn't.''I...'' he trails off, still barely believing this real, and swallows for a moment. Arashi watches him knowingly, the ghost of a smile on his lips. ''I do wish that,'' he whispers, almost inaudible.For a long time, father and son merely hold each other's gazes.Then the storm god nods. ''If that is so, then I will tell you this, my son. Treasure all you have, treasure the love those who are loyal to you hold, and never forget your own words today.'' His voice echoes with power, although his tone is sober. ''Use the tempest in your veins to protect, not to destroy, as you have always done, because only then you will stay true to yourself.''Gentle hands rise to fall on the brunet's shoulders and warm, molten gold pierces down at him. ''I give you my blessing, my son. May it serve you well.'' He leans down, pressing his lips to Tenma's forehead.For a moment, nothing happens, and then white light flares so brightly it blinds everyone, gasps and exclamations of surprise ringing out. The echo of a storm roars around them, mana swirling chaotically, its ties to the world breaking, resettling.Then the light dies down and the scene is revealed to all.Arashi has distanced himself from his son, gazing down at the boy with the same warmth of pride in his gaze as before.Tenma is standing with his eyes closed, his mana slowly settling around him again. At first glance, nothing has changed.Then his eyelids snap open and his golden eyes glow with power, brighter than it ever was in his human form, and the aura that washes over them all is a mix of human and god.The aura of a demigod.It takes Raimei's breath away and their own mana responds to their shieldbrother's call, colors flaring all around as the Clan reconnects with each other, pure, undiluted power flooding the area. The sky shimmers like a rainbow with colors ranging from Kyousuke's dark indigo to Kariya's bright red and Shindou's lilac.When it dies down, the air is filled with leftover static, only strengthened by the retreating storm on the horizon, and Raimei is glowing, quite literally, with mana.Then the world breathes again and suddenly, Tenma's mana wavers as he stumbles. The brunet starts falling forward and his Clan reacts before they even completely register the situation, sky-stepping forward to get to their shieldbrother. It's unnecessary, though, for Arashi is faster than all of them and he catches his son. He supports the new demigod, one hand gently gripping his arm and the other around his shoulders.Shindou lands next to the two, the rest of the Clan gathering behind him, and his concern is almost palpable as he reaches out for his leader.''He is alright, nephew,'' says Arashi and the demigod stills in surprise for a second as the term registers. ''It is merely the shock of transitioning from mortality to godhood.''Even so, Raimei isn't about to take any chances.Shindou wraps an arm around Tenma's waist, taking most of the brunet's weight and allowing the storm god to step back. A soft chuckle comes from his cousin and that, more than anything, has the rain demigod relax. ''I am alright, my Rain,'' he says, leaning into his friend's touch a little to grin up at him. Then he glances over his shoulder at his Clan, golden eyes shining brightly, but before he can say anything there's a flash of purple.Saryuu lands next to his half-brother, barely sparing his father a glance. His expression is pulled into a frown as he takes in Tenma's form, searching for anything worth of concern. When he doesn't find anything, he sighs and reaches out to pull the younger's hair. ''I should lock you up and throw away the key. You're going to give me grey hairs at this rate.''''Your hair is white.''''Not the point, little brother,'' returns Saru and then, finally, looks at his father. He crosses his arms and glowers at him. ''You. I don't like you. Although I suppose I should thank you for saving Tenma's life.''There's a collective wince at the sheer rudeness of that.To say everyone is surprised when, instead of smashing the demigod where he stands, Arashi merely laughs in amusement, is an understatement. ''Just like your mother,'' he says, shaking his head. ''I will accept your gratitude, my son.''Saryuu rolls his eyes and grumbles something underneath his breath that sounds suspiciously much like ''you better'' and then goes back to fussing about his brother.His father watches them both for a few more moments and then withdraws, moving until he's standing in front of Ozrock. The hysteria god's sisters are crouched next to him and stare up at Arashi, still slightly wary as they unconsciously move to shield their brother slightly from the other god's gaze.Arashi, for his part, merely gives them a respectful nod and then looks straight at Ozrock with unforgiving eyes.The other god stares back, boldly meeting his golden gaze in a silent challenge.Then the storm god narrows his eyes. ''A deity of your calibre should not kneel on the ground in front of an equal,'' he says and it causes Ozrock - and everyone else - to freeze in surprise.When Arashi doesn't do anything other than stare at him expectantly, the god of hysteria slowly frees himself from his sisters and rises to his feet until he stands face to face with the other deity. For a long moment, neither one moves and there's a tension in the air that has many grabbing for their weapons.That is, until the storm god gives a slow nod, much like he did for the goddesses of life and death. Then, to everyone's surprise, he presses three fingers to his lips and then balls them to a fist, which he presses against his heart in an ancient welcoming gesture. ''I greet thee, Lord Hysteria.''Ozrock is wide-eyed in the face of the respect that has been shown to him and then, as if he isn't quite sure this is real, raises three fingers to his own lips before pressing a fist against his heart as well. ''I greet thee in turn, Lord Tempest,'' he speaks slowly and finally, he's rewarded with a slight, barely-there smile.''Lord Hysteria,'' says Arashi, ''will you return with me to Mount Eden, to finally help us shed light on the truth of a thousand years ago?''The other god gives a slow nod. ''I will,'' he says, and then glances around until his eyes find a golden gaze, one that doesn't belong to the deity in front of him, ''but I will not be treated as a prisoner.''Arashi doesn't seem offended or taken aback by that statement and instead smiles as if he was expecting that all along. ''You have my word,'' he says, his eyes glowing slightly as he seals his promise, ''that you will not be harmed, nor be treated as anything other than a god wronged. Is that acceptable to you as well,'' and now he looks over his shoulder, locking gazes with a surprised Tenma, ''my son?''The new demigod lifts his chin and straightens from where both Saru and Shindou are still supporting him, surrounded by both their Clans. ''It is, but as Lord Hysteria's ally, I demand knowledge of the situation.''There's not going to be any negotiating on this and everyone seems to know that.The brunet's father, however, accepts it graciously. ''I will extend an invitation to you to come to Mount Eden,'' and here, there's a bristle of shock going through the crowd, ''when the time is right.''For a demigod to see Mount Eden, home of the gods.An honor of such unspeakable depths has not been seen in many centuries.Tenma, for his part, is staring at his father, his mouth opened in shock. At the amused tilt of the god's lips, however, he forces his voice to work again. ''T-that would suffice,'' he states and the words only waver a little bit.Arashi nods, then, and waits for a moment longer for anyone with objections or other issues to speak up. When nothing comes, he turns back to Ozrock and holds out his staff. ''Let us go, then, Lord Hysteria, Lady Eternal, Lady Infinite,'' he offers, and in response, the three other deities reach out to grab the golden staff as well. The tempest god calls upon his mana and a golden glow surrounds them, ready to teleport them back to Mount Eden, which spreads to Ozrock's army.Just before they completely disappear, Tenma calls once more, ''one last thing! Thanks, dad!''Arashi seems to stumble, just slightly, and then they're gone.Now only the demigods are left and the silence is broken by Saryuu's incredulous voice. ''You called him dad.'' At his younger brother's nod, the white-haired teen heaves a sigh, one hand rising up to massage his forehead. ''Why?''Tenma beams.''Because his reaction was hilarious!'' Then he turns towards his Clan. ''Now, I know you guys will most likely want to murder me... but can it at least wait until after we've all celebrated our survival?''That night, a storm echoes in the distance and lights up the sky. In the capital, however, no one pays attention to it - the entire city is caught up in festivities, for their beloved Raimei Clan has saved their world from peril. The story has spread from the moment the Clan and their allies - legendary demigod Clans like Teikoku, Kidokawa Seishuu, Arakumo, Ragūn and even Raiton - entered the city.Raimei fought in a war, albeit a short one, against an old monster, the dark god Ixaal. They called upon their allies and a miracle happened, for the demigod king who was lost long ago, Lord Tenma, returned as well. Under the king's leadership, they defeated Ixaal and freed the god Ozrock, in the process finally bringing justice to Mount Eden.That's what the story has turned into, anyway, by the time dinner rolls around - a great event that all the cooks, restaurants and chefs in the city prepared from the moment they got word of the situation. Large fires have been lit to cook the meat of a great number of bears, pheasants, deer and several other animals. Tables, pillows and blankets have been placed on the city square and the steps of Raimei's palace and everyone has gathered there to celebrate.When the story reaches the many demigods from all the Clans gathered, an invitation extended by Tenma of course, it's certainly cause for amusement. ''Well, it's close enough,'' comments Kirino in the end, stretching out on the blanket he's sitting on and leaning against Kazemaru's shoulder. ''At least no one got changed into a tree this time.'' And he launches into a story involving Kariya, an angry tree spirit and Kurama's ascendance to snake lord and 'taking revenge' on the tealheaded demigod in the end. It definitely has all of them doubling over with laughter again.After everyone has more or less gotten their share of food, musicians start playing well-known and cheerful folk songs. As more and more people get up to dance, the demigods all watch fondly at the mortals' actions. These festivals will never end.That is, until there's a sudden laugh from Fubuki, who is sitting in between Yukimura, Someoka and Nishiki. ''It seems your leader couldn't stay still,'' he says to the Raimei demigod sitting next to him.Nishiki immediately turns around with wide eyes, catching sight of long brown locks close to one of the fires. Its owner has joined in with the mortals now, dancing with them in a circle for a while. His laughter is easily caught by the demigods' sharper ears and Raimei relaxes at the sound from where they had inadvertently tensed.When a next song starts, Tenma breaks free from the mortals and instead moves to join in with some other humans, until he's pulling in people left and right to join the ever-growing mass of dancers.It's all fine and well, until two young children catch his attention. The brunet kneels down next to them and they say something to him, too soft for the other demigods' to catch at this distance. Tenma nods, however, and seems to say something. Then he straightens and pats them on their heads, and there's a flash of gold as he sky-steps.He gracefully lands among the other demigods and before anyone can react, he has gripped Aoi's wrist and is pulling her to her feet with a laugh. ''Come on!'' he says, pulling her towards the dancing space and giving her a twirl for good measure. He hands her off to the two children and then he's back with his Clan, pulling a surprised Sangoku and Kurama with him, the former laughing in amusement and the other only protesting for the sake of it.It doesn't take the brunet long to convince even the most stubborn of his Clan members - Shindou, Midori, Hayami and even Kyousuke, with the help of Yuuichi - to join in on the fun and even then he doesn't stop. Instead he teams up with Taiyou to get Arakumo involved as well, which Endou takes as his cue to pester Raiton until they join in as well.Under heavy protesting, Tenma forces Saru to come with him, with a little help of Fei and Meia to push their leader in the brunet's direction. The older storm demigod eventually resigns to his fate and dances with his brother for a while, before pulling Meia in for a couple's song, which of course has Gillis joining in as well - after laughing at the sight of his best friend twirling his girlfriend around on the beat of a cheesy song about harvesting.No demigod is safe from the party spree that has apparently infested them.And like that, the celebration goes on until deep in the night, when the stars are out and the cold of the air has to be chased away by the bonfires.Later that night, or more like early the next morning, the sky is still dark but turning light in the west, when Raimei leaves their friends and allies behind in the city. Paths of colorful, bright mana light up the darkness as the group sky-steps through the air. There's a sort of hunt going on, although it seems suspiciously much like tag if anyone else was nearby to see it. Fortunately for their dignity, though, no one is.Not that they would care.Their playful chase reminds them of their time travelling many centuries ago, and not even the most distant members can hold back their smiles.It has been so long, after all, since they were all gathered together without a threat hanging above their heads.They have left the city far behind when all of a sudden, Tenma takes a sharp turn to the right, surprising his Clanmates. They follow him easily, not about to let him out of their sight after everything.When they catch up to him, it is to the sight of the brunet standing on top of a cliff side looking out over the plains and forest far below.And before him, dark clouds are gathering.Any questions they may still have had are answered when a flash of thunder lights up the sky.Gold sparks and a wave of mana flows over them, sparking with life in response to the storm brewing high above them. It takes only a handful of seconds and then the first drops are falling down on them.Raimei doesn't bother to take shelter, enjoying the feeling of the rain instead as they take seats on some rock formations. Shindou, especially, seems to be energized by it, but that surprises no one.Tenma is still standing, waiting. There's another sudden flash of lightning and that seems to be the last sign he needed, for suddenly he moves.He spins in rhythm to the rain, letting the storm itself guide his movements. The thunder is the beat, the lightning the spotlight, and his mana weaves around him as he twirls and jumps and dances with his domain. There's a melody made from both wind and rain, and his hair - loose, this time - whips around him.His Clan watches, mesmerized at a sight they thought they'd never see again.The brunet's eyes are closed as he moves to a song only he can hear, not caring about the water soaking his clothes. There's only the sensation of the wet ground beneath his feet, the wind raging around him this high up, the sheer exhilaration that always comes with this.He twirls and spins and jumps and falls only to catch himself at the last second. He throws his arms out, back, and gold sparks around him - or maybe it's just the light of the sunrise caught in the raindrops, turning the sky pink and purple and blue and yellow all at once.By the time the brunet spins to a stop, when the storm has retreated and the rain has almost stopped, they must've been there for at least an hour, if not longer.For a long second, he stands with his eyes closed to simply breathe in the scent of the air and earth.Then his eyes snap open and they spark even brighter than before. A smile splits his face in two and suddenly, the mortal-turned-demigod is sprinting towards his Clan and catching them all in a hug. They stay that way for a long while, simply watching the sunrise, and for the first time in eons, there's nothing left for them to stay.After all, this is only the beginning.It is early midday that same day when the Clans are gathered in the great hall of Raimei's fortress. There's some light discussion of the fighting and the new developments, but mostly they just take their time to catch up after two hundred years of mostly avoiding one another.They have all taken their time to rest after the battle and the celebrations - demigods, fortunately, can go much longer on much less sleep than their mortal counterparts - and earlier, they joined together for breakfast. None of the other Clans seem to be ready to go to back to their own territories, but no one really minds either.They are interrupted not much later when a page enters the hall. He falls into a bow, clearly nervous to be in the presence of so many figures from legends. ''S-sirs and madams!'' he stutters. ''T-there are people here, to- to see you! They are saying they- they have business with L-Lord Tenma!''There's a slight shift, barely noticeable, but Tenma knows without a doubt that suddenly, everyone is on guard.He ignores that and smiles at the young mortal. ''Thank you,'' he says and the boy fidgets in place. ''Please, allow them entrance.''The page nods and gives another bow. ''A-at once, m'lord!'' he calls, slipping back into the hall through the side door he came from. A second later, the hall's main doors are opened.Two people, mortals from their auras, enter the great hall. They're clearly nervous and unsure of their moves, but despite that neither of them seems ready to back down. They are dressed in mostly browns and reds, clearly not from the nobility but also not quite in the style of the normal city civilians. Travelers, then.The moment they catch sight of Tenma, standing just a little ways away of that, the woman gives a shaky sob and raises her hands to cover her mouth. Her eyes fill with tears as she does so. The man next to her, however, doesn't bother to hesitate and instead easily crosses the little distance separating him from the brunet.The demigods gathered watch warily, but since there seems to be no alarm coming from Tenma, they allow the mortal to come closer. One threatening move, however, and he'll be dead before he can even react.Therefore, they are quite surprised, to say the least, when the man grips Tenma's shoulders and pulls him into a hug.Scratch that, they are surprised the brunet lets him.The woman joins them a moment later, wrapping her arms around the shorter demigod and smoothing his hair down. She wipes her tears away quickly and instead gives Tenma a hesitant smile when he moves back, creating enough distance for them to look at each other.''I do suppose I owe you an explanation, don't I?'' he is the first to break the silence.The man crosses his arms sternly. ''You sure do, boy,'' he says and the other demigods would react to the disrespect if Tenma didn't laugh fondly at it. ''I was ready to drag you back from these lunatics,'' and here the brunet snorts in amusement, ''but after seeing those golden eyes of yours, I think the story might be a little more complicated.''The woman hits him on the arm, but even she is smiling. ''Hayato!'' she protests. ''That's rude!'' Then, she turns back to Tenma and her smile turns hesitant. ''Are you alright, Akira?''Oh.Raimei suddenly realizes who these mortals are.Tenma seems to notice the sudden flood of realization in their auras for he turns around to the gathered Clans. ''I suppose an introduction is in order,'' he says, and gestures to the two humans. ''These are Matsukaze Hayato and Matsukaze Aiko... my mortal parents in this life.''It is a long time before the story is finished.Aiko and Hayato join the demigods for lunch as Tenma tells the tale of both his lives. How he lived in the demigod camp, six hundred years ago, and how he gathered his Clan. How they grew stronger and fought many enemies. Ixaal and his army, and the tragedy that separated them all. Then, two hundred years later, hi knowledge of memories from his past life and the events that lead him to meeting his Clan again.Everything that came after.It takes a long time indeed, before they all fall silent.More time, then, is spend to talk about the future. About Tenma's duty as Clan leader and, on the other hand, his loyalty to the people who have cared for him for so long.''I will not abandon my friends, and therefore I will not come with you in your travels,'' he states firmly, when asked, but his expression softens to a smile as he gazes upon his mortal parents, ''but I can sky-step faster than any horse could ever run.'' There's a soft chuckle as he gazes upon Raimei. ''Besides, I get claustrophobic when I stay in one place.''That certainly seems to be a good solution for everyone.With a promise to gather for lunch the next day, Aiko and Hayato say their goodbyes and hug their son - because he is, even if he is older than both of them together. Just before they leave, however, Hayato pauses and gazes upon the storm demigod. ''What should we call you now?'' he asks.Tenma blinks, slightly taken aback by the question. It is easy to see how much it means to his parents, though, so he takes his time to think of the answer.He would say they could call him Akira still, but...A smile graces his lips. ''Well, I have to say, 'Matsukaze Tenma' does have a nice ring to it, and I never had a last name in my first life.''The hugs that gains him seem to be enough confirmation that his choice was the right one.
Three hundred years later.
Mount Eden is a sight to behold.With its elegant spires, shining streets, and graceful and rich architecture, it has certainly earned its status as home of the gods. Deities, old and young, are enjoying their timeless abode even this early in the morning before the sun has even risen. It has been a long time since it has known the horrors of war, and that peace was hard won.In the garden of Eden Palace, a large, round table is standing underneath the blossom trees. Countless waterfalls come down from the famous statue of Tanjō, the great king of the gods, and end in a small river that splits up in several side branches that run through the entire garden. Everything is connected by delicate bridges, and the sound of the water creates a gentle harmony in the background.The table is set for breakfast and several gods are already gathered, sipping from their tea or catching up with each other. Such is the sight of the seasonal High Council meeting.''They are late,'' complains a god, dressed in armor of sapphires. ''Again.''A soft chuckle, like raindrops on the pavement, is the response. ''Why are you surprised, Hageshi?'' asks the goddess, her lilac hair flowing down her back. ''They come a long way, after all.''Hageshi scoffs but doesn't deny Ame's words, and the rain goddess hides her victorious smile with a long sleeve. After all, no matter how much the warrior god tries to hide it, she is well aware that he is looking forward to news on his favorite daughter - that redhead has certainly managed to worm her way into her father's steel heart.''What Lady Ame means,'' drawls a new voice, its owner falling down in one of the delicate chairs with a carelessness that has the rain goddess wincing at the abuse of the furniture, ''is that no one cares about your complains.''''What was that?!'' Hageshi reaches for his sword.Venomous green eyes move away from the apple the other god was about to take a bite out of, and Ozrock tilts his head. ''You heard me. Or has your hearing gotten bad from all of that racket that you call fighting arts?''''You brat!''Suddenly, there's a pacifying hand on Hageshi's shoulder. ''Now now, Lord Warrior, there is no need for that. Ozrock is merely up to his old tricks.'' The god of hysteria grins and shrugs, showing not even a hint of remorse as he takes a bite from his apple, and Arashi heaves a sigh. ''Why is it that every meeting, this is the scene I arrive to?''Ozrock tilts his head back and rests his feet on the table. ''Because Lord Hageshi is an idiot?'' he undermines his words by picking up a second apple and throwing it at the warrior god, who happened to be eyeing it hungrily. Said warrior god catches it easily and rolls his eyes at the other's comment.Arashi shakes his head, smiling at his companions' familiar banter, as he takes his seat next to Katora, who pours him a cup of tea. He pats her head in thanks even as he watches the girl's sister. Lalaya's eyes are twitching as she watches Ozrock, and specifically his feet, which are resting on the table. No doubt she'll start her rant about it soon.That's when the Council's last members make their entrance. Their auras are the first sign and a second later they appear, landing gracefully in the garden from their sky-steps.''Good morning,'' greets Arashi as they take their seats, greeting the other immortals. ''Hello, Tenma, Saryuu. I take it you are well?''Both his sons sit down on either side of him, Saryuu giving him a ''yeah, fine, good to see you too and you know my name's Saru,'' before continuing his conversation with Yukimura and Taiyou next to him, while Tenma directs a bright smile at the storm god. ''Hey dad,'' he says. ''We're good, Saru's just miffed because Fei told him to do his paperwork before the meeting started.''Arashi can't quite hide his amused snort. Somehow, he still manages to make it sound grateful. ''That is wonderful news,'' he says and Saryuu narrows his eyes at him. ''I am glad you have such good friends to support you, son,'' he adds and Tenma snickers slightly. His eldest merely turns his head away and Arashi shares an amused glance with his younger son, before directing to the group of new arrivals in general, ''How was your journey?''''It was fine, thank you,'' responds Endou, nodding his thanks when the god next to him pours him some tea.Ame smiles. ''That's good to hear,'' she says, reaching out to give another one of the new arrivals a quick embrace. ''Hello, Takuto. How are you today?''The demigod smiles warmly at her. ''I am well, mother,'' he tells her. ''You look as radiant as ever.''There's a sudden cough from Saru that doesn't completely cover his, ''momma's boy!'' In response, Shindou merely raises a hand and, out of the storm demigod's sight, a trickle of water raises from one of the streams. Saryuu only notices it when it drops down on him and soaks him completely. It earns Shindou a reprimanding whack from his mother, but if his smile is anything to go by, he doesn't regret it.Arashi sighs and shakes his head at both his son and his nephew's actions. ''Now that we are all here,'' he says, calling the meeting to attention, ''let's start.''It certainly took a long time to get to this point and even now, there are still protesters among the many gods who do not have a place on the High Council. Why should demigods get spots they deserve, after all? But truly, those opinions don't bother them.They have fought for their peace and their equality.They have cried and suffered for it, they have died for it, and of course life is not yet perfect. But they work on making a world in which everyone can live, whether they're a deity, a demigod or a human.And the High Council, including demigods for two centuries now, is merely an example of that.Tenma can't help but smile as he watches his friends and family, because there was a time where this could never have happened. Where this joking banter, this mutual goal of protecting their world together, would not be possible. A time, where gods and humans would fight until the skies burned and the seas turned red with blood.Perhaps that is why we are of such importance, and he plays with that thought for a moment. After all, they are not gods, nor are they human.They're something in between. They are glorious and golden like the gods themselves, but beyond that, they are the laughter, love and life that defines humanity.No one could ever have seen this coming. Demigods, once, were an abomination, either the dirt of society or the heroes of legends. No one ever would have thought they could be the bridge between two races. More than anyone else, they have known the pain of being outcasts, of war and death and loneliness.But in the end, it is all worth it, because it was never meant to last.And Tenma smiles as he watches the sunrise in the distance, the sky flooding with the red of dawn.Whatever they may have expected, one thing's for sure – life just loves to prove you wrong.
The end.