Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"A humble offering for the Lord of the castle." The man pressed his forehead on the mat, his sweat soaking into the fibers and forming a dark spot. His servant, with shaking steps, led a covered figure forward, eyes glued to the floor as well, fearing the cold glaze of the demon. Laying down and resting on his elbows, his eyes reflect nothing but disinterest, sparing not a glance to the offering. As the candle light flickered, the voice of a drum's low thrum encircled the room.

"I grant you permission to pass through my land, however, do not overstay your welcome. Now leave."

"Our eternal gratitude for the grace you showed to your humble servants!" The merchants and their representative bowed again before fleeing from the monstrous presence, closing the shogi doors with shaking hands behind them. A servant came and refilled the cup before tentatively addressing her master.

"My lord, what is your wish regarding the offering?" Her lord sat up slowly, reaching for the cup and taking a sip. Closing his eyes, he slowly savored the alcohol and let it burn his throat. For the first time, he focused closing on the figure, now sitting with the head hung low, hidden under the rich fabric that glimmered in the faint light. Getting on his feet, he reached and touched the fabric, admiring the quality in the thread and pattern.

“Usually merchants would gift alcohol but not this kind of luxury.” His hand trailed over the red and white camellias, each petal veletey to the touch. The golden details of branches and blossoms shone like the metal their color imitated. Pulling the fabric completely off, he admired the smooth gradient from black to crimson; the colors of red, white, gold, and deep green contrasted against the base colors, painting an intricate pattern.

“Have this made into a haori and do whatever you see fit with the child,” he handed the fabric to the servant, who accepted with both of her hands and bowed in acceptance of her mission. The Lord of the Castle then strode out of the room, the sake cup once again in his hands as the moon outlined his form; the golden eyes never meet the orange-tinted blue eyes of the boy behind him.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

“Where is Vox?”

“The lord is currently resting in his chambers, my Lady.” The servant bowed her head in respect as she opened the door and led the woman and her entourage into the courtyard.

“Is that so? Usually he's still up and moving at this time.” She sighed, taking off her large hat. “I simply wanted to have a drink and chat about the old days.” They took off their shoes and stepped onto the polished wooden floors, still carrying the red lanterns.
“It's been a while since your last visit, if it pleases you I can go and request a meeting.” The woman simply waved her hand in dismissal.

“I'm sure he's already been notified of my presence. Whether we meet up tonight or not will be determined by me anyways.” She laughed and directed her cheerful eyes to the servant. “Now honey, tell me something interesting that has happened since the last time I came here… around half a year ago?”

“We were fortunate to be blessed by the gods to have plentiful rain, so we anticipate a great harvest. However, there seems to be a turmoil happening in the city nearby, so merchants that are going to the capital are coming through our lands instead. Usually they offer alcohol, fruits, or sometimes rare items, though around three days ago one offered a young man.” Her words piqued the interest of the visitor.

“What did Vox do with him?”

“He told us to do as we see fit. We made him a servant but his skills of cleaning and cooking are close to none. But he is very obedient even though he has not spoken a word.”

“Have someone direct my retainers to their chambers for the night. I want to meet the boy.” The servant bowed in acknowledgement and with a few minutes of scurrying, they headed towards the servant quarters.

In a dimly lit room a figure clad in plain clothing looked up from where he sat on the mats. Recognizing her higher status in her dress, he quickly bowed his head.

“Oh, raise your head, my child, don’t worry too much about formalities with me.” The lady stepped into the room and waved away the servant, who left behind a lantern as she went back to her duties. The young man tentatively lifted his head, though still keeping his eyes below her eye-level. Impatient, the woman reached out a gloved hand and gently lifted his chin, boring her red eyes into his. Completely pilant, he let her turn his head left and right, examining all kinds of details her eyes could detect.

“What’s your name, child?” she asked, yet was greeted with only silence. Choosing not to press further, she let go of her hand and introduced herself.

“My name is Nina Kosaka, and from today, you’re under my care.” She announced as the young man blinked in surprise. Though I haven’t even talked with Vox about this matter yet. Oh well, I’m sure he can understand. Many points about this man intrigued her, and she made that decision faster than her consciousness could catch on. Bidding goodbye and ruffling his head, she turned her heels and strode up the floors to reach her goal, an unannounced meeting with the demon.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

Brows tightened in concentration, the Lord of the castle scrutinized over the writing on his table under the candlelight before the sounds of footsteps caused him to pause his thoughts.

“Goodnight, Nina,” he greeted politely as the woman entered the room, hands holding a bottle of wine and cups.

“Hello there, Vox.” She sat down across from him and set down the items in her hands. “I came here simply to chat a bit.” Popping open the bottle, she poured the red wine into the porcelain cups, handing one to the demon. He stood up and left his table, sitting right across the woman and clinked the cup against hers in a silent acknowledgement.

“You don’t need to hide your features in my presence,” he pointed out after he downed his drink.

“I know that, I’m just waiting to taste the wine first.” She giggled in glee after a sip. “Now that’s a good one.” A pair of ears sprouted from her head, accompanied by nine tails that unfurled around her. “Oof,” she huffed, “keeping them in was quite tiring. How nice of you to not have to conceal anything.” The man laughed.

“I was hoping to be more demon-like with horns and all, but having none does make life with humans easier. Besides, all I need is my voice after all.” He purposefully lowered his tone into a seductive bass towards the end, which fazed not the fox across him. Pouring another cup, he asked, "What is it that the goddess of luck visited my chambers at night?”

“Oh, oh we’re going there?” She played along as she loosened up. “I just wanted company. I feel lonely.” Nina refilled her cup and spoked seriously. “There’s something interesting about the boy you took in.” Vox cocked his head towards the right in confusion.

“The boy with the ash blonde hair and a mix of orange-blue eyes that you got recently?” His eyes lit in recollection.

“Ah, the one that came with that fabric.”

“How did you remember what he was covered by and not him?” she sighed exasperatedly.

“The fabric was lovely. Very high quality that I just can’t keep my eyes off it. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember even seeing his face.”

“Are you serious, Vox? I know you have quite a few people in your clan, but this is inexcusable. Surely you have left this room between then and now, right?” The demon remained silent. Shaking her head, Nina poured herself another cup. “What is so troubling that you can’t step a foot out?”

“The castle south was under attack. Ieyasu is expanding his control and warfare is closing in.” Vox tooked at his cup. “They reached out to us to ask for an alliance, yet I must refuse as there’s not many in my clan and I do not want to fight. Though I have a bad feeling that sooner or later I must face this and blood will flow.” He passed the papers to Nina, who glanced through them quickly, her gaze slowly darkening.

“I have confidence in your warriors, Vox, though the heavens seem to not be on your side. The chance of victory is slim.”

“I know, Nina, I know. I will be fully utilizing the knowledge I had about my lands and get my people to start preparing. They won’t quake so long as I don’t, that is something I can place my faith in: their trust and admiration for me.”

“I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully my extended stay will increase your fortunes.”

“Oh? How come I only know that now? I need to deal with a freeloader now?”

“I did bring plenty of wine, worry not. I’m here simply to keep an eye out on that child.” She emptied her cup. “I sensed something in him so I pushed back my travels to learn more about him.” That comment earned her a raised eyebrow.

“Don't question my instincts, Vox, though I don't think I could get a verbal confirmation as he refuses to speak, mute or not. That child had been through a lot.”

“Do what you want, Nina, I know I can't get in the way of your motherly instincts anyways.” They exchanged the last drops of the wine, and Nina stood up.

“Please do go pay a visit to him. Being cooped up in here isn't good for your health, and I'm sure he will be quite interesting to you.”

“Whatever you say, Nina. Have a good night.”

“You, too.” She closed the doors behind her, and he returned to his table as her footsteps faded away. Dipping a brush into the ink, he signed the end of the letter he was writing before he got interrupted. Wrapping the paper for delivery, he silently pondered if help would arrive in time.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

“Now, a stroke is missing here. Right there where the curve is.”

Daylight slowly shrank into night as the warm weather faded into the cooler breezes. Among the falling golden leaves, two figures sat in engawa under the afternoon sun with piles of paper surrounding them. The young man slowly wrote the characters as the woman recited them, stroke by stroke, dot by dot. Ink dripped down the thin fibers as the hand hesitated, unsure of its next move.

“Here,” Nina said as she gently used her hand to guide him, “Like… this.” Laying the crooked image next to its contemporaries, she placed another paper in front of him.

“Can you write your name if you had one?” she prodded gently. The male furrowed his brows in recollection. His previous owners never bothered to give him a name, preferring to call him by his standing as a slave or physically yanking him to get his attention. Yet years ago, buried under the dusts of time, was a memory of a warm hand and gentle light. With uncertainty, he wrote three wobbly characters onto the paper that captured the voice he heard.

Holding the paper in her hands, Nina read, “Mi...su...ta. Mysta?” The young man nodded and the woman beamed. “Nice to meet you, Mysta!” She reached over and rubbed his head. “I hope this life here at the castle is treating you well.” He nodded furiously. With three meals, doable workload, and understanding superiors, he really had nothing to complain about. Yet what he could not understand was the kindness he was receiving from the woman across who clearly was of someone from a social standing way above his. With a few tries, he managed to put his question into paper which she simply smiled.

“Everyone deserves to be treated kindly, Mysta. Even those who are servants, murderers, or someone who sinned against you. There is a line, but I hope that will never be crossed by anyone.”

Mysta pondered her words for the next few days. His experience told him that people get what they pay for, good or bad, and the concept of grace was not something he encountered before. He did nothing wrong, though by being a servant did not mean that he should get the respect he was getting, especially from the Lady that was teaching him writing and other aspects of living. Squatting by the koi pond’s edge, he dropped pieces of bread into the water as the fish gobbled them up. Perhaps they saw him as a pet of some sorts, like the koi he was feeding. Other servants did not get personal lessons or the close attention he had from the lady, not that he hated it. In fact, in the short time he spent with her, Mysta realized that he adored her as she made him feel like he had a mom again. Yet he still couldn’t understand the reason; he saw nothing in himself that could even make someone like him.

The koi swam slowly around his reflection, and he admired the warm color patterns on their scales. A bright orange one caught his attention, and he leaned forward to catch a better glimpse of it.

“Hey, careful!” A voice boomed behind him, and with a yelp, a loud splash resounded around the courtyard. Mysta shook his head, blinking to get the water out of his eyes to only see none other than his Lord sitting in the pond with him, drenched as well.

Immediately scrambling up, he pulled on the other’s arm to try to help him get up, only to realize that he should beg for forgiveness for causing the situation in the first place. Letting go and on his knees about to plant his head inside the water into a zarei, he hesitated once more if he should run and get a towel first to dry his Lord. Yet if he ran away, no doubt the Lord would think that he tried escaping from his mess he made. Now, he cursed his muteness once more, trying to figure out the best course of action that would not cost him his head.

In midst of his momentary panic, Vox simply watched Mysta in light amusement before standing up himself, which caused Mysta to immediately lower himself into the water on his fours. He expected harsh scolding along with aggression and prepared himself to give up his life for the mistake he made; his body trembling from fear.

Yet, nothing happened. Instead, he found himself lifted from the pond and into the arms of his Lord. Mysta froze from shock, his widened blue eyes met with the gold.

“Don’t you struggle, boy. I was trying to warn you but instead caused you to fall. If you catch a cold it will be my fault.” His words seeped into him like the warmth Mysta felt through the thin fabric directly from the toned chest of the man holding him. About to express his disagreement, he automatically paused his moving arms from the command and looked away. Pleased with his obedience, Vox carried him inside and a horrified servant who saw their drenchedness ran to get a change of clothes.

The clothes were delivered to them and Mysta, now on his own feet, took off Vox's wet haori and kneeled in front of him, hands reaching to undo his Lord’s pants. A warm hand snuck under his chin and lifted his head up; the Lord now had a smirk on his lips.

“Didn’t know you were this eager, my boy.” Vox lowered himself to the same eye-level as Mysta who scrambled backwards until his back met the wall, caged in by the other man. "Now, now. Don’t be shy. I don’t mind quick advances and I know you will do such a good job pleasing me.” Seeing his Lord misinterpreting his intentions, the young man gave up and accepted his fate, wondering why he still bothered to try to explain himself when it never worked in the past.

Feeling the pale hands undoing the knot, he held his breath as they peeled the wet fabric off his skin. Mysta feared what was to come. He saw the ends of the other slaves in the cavaran of merchants he used to belong to, sobbing and unable to scream as their bodies were violated. Genuinely thankful for his status as the lowest and fed the least, none of the others bothered to try him and he spent nights as far away as possible, hidden from the horror. Unable to stop his body from trembling, he shut his eyes tight, cursing his fate.

“Instead of worrying about an immortal demon like me getting sick, you should be more concerned about your body, dear.” Vox draped the clean kimono around the smaller body, feeding the arms through the sleeves. Realization dawned onto Mysta as the obi was wrapped around his thin waist, and then the shock of the Lord’s real identity hit him. Seeing his surprise, the demon leaned forward with a low whisper. “Let’s keep this secret between you and me, mkay?” Standing up, he left the room with a flourish of the red haori swung across his shoulders, pants still dripping with water.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

“Mysta, didn’t I tell you to just tell the kitchen that you were hungry and they’ll find food for you instead of eating the molding food meant for fertilizers?” Nina glared at the kneeling man in front of her, head hung low in apology. She sighed. “This place is not like the merchants you traveled with. We will gladly feed the hungry, so don’t go salvaging for food. You’ll ruin your stomach.”

“I’ll be fine. Ate only mold on bark before.” Reading the words on the paper, she stopped herself from even conjuring the image in her mind.

“That is not healthy for you at all! I swear, if I catch you eating anything that is inedible I will personally supervise you the entire day.” Satisfied with the fervent shaking of the man’s head, Nina nodded with approval.

“Now go to the kitchen. It’s nearing dusk, so dinner preparation will be underway.” Watching the young man run off, Nina suppressed another sigh. Months had passed when she first met him, and he did gradually open up, actions getting bolder and bolder. He would climb up to the top of the walls and walk alongside the border, and if someone didn’t notify his hike to the top roof to Vox, he most likely would have made it up there and caused a search he would most definitely enjoy watching. She was happy of course, that his hesitancy was diminishing, however, Nina knew she should do her job as the man’s guardian to ensure nothing would burn down. As she continued her wander down the corridors, rushing footsteps echoed in her ears.

“Lady Kosaka!” A servant ran to her and bowed. “Pardon my intrusion of your time. Have you perhaps seen Mysta?”

“I sent him to the kitchen a few minutes ago. Why?”

“Apologies, my lady. I’m from the kitchen and a cook sent him to get a knife as one of the servants left it outdoors while gutting fish. We are in the height of meal-prepping and we forgot that he was told to watch over the cooking milk and with him gone, the milk boiled over and now everyone is at their limits as dinner time is fast approaching. One of the cooks desperately needed that knife and he still hasn't returned yet! I apologize for our incompetence, Lady Kosaka, please, I beg for your assistance!”

“He should be familiar with the layout of the castle now. Where is the knife?”

“Follow me, my lady. It is by the east courtyard near the kitchen.”

Nina frowned. “Where could he run off to when it’s literally a corridor away?” With hurried steps, they made a turn only to see the man in question. Holding a knife like a torch. Running, no, sprinting. Before Nina could even open her mouth, a voice got ahead of her.

“Mysta, what in the world are you doing, running around with a knife?!” The owner of the voice was on the second floor, leaning so far out of the railing as if wanting to leap off the floor and confront Mysta. Seeing his lord, the young man halted his steps immediately a few meters away from Nina and the servant, waving his arms desperately to explain himself.

“Mysta, baby, please don't move your arms when holding a knife. You will hurt yourself.” He stopped his movements. “Now hand the knife over, honey, you've done your job now.” The servant took the knife and rushed away. Vox, relieved in seeing the crisis averted, left the scolding to Nina as he retreated back to wait.

“Now Mysta, take out your paper. Don't worry about the ink processing time. Please, tell me why you took so long when the knife isn't even that far away.”

With more confidence gained from practicing, he swiftly wrote down, “Met a man who asked for directions to the Lord's room.”

“Inside the castle already?” Mysta nodded. “Where is he now?”

“Looks suspicious. Locked him inside a room.” He somehow got in without being noticed and decided to reveal his presence by asking for directions. What business does he have with Vox? Nina wondered quietly. However, Mysta’s activeness in this matter is also surprising as well.

“Lead the way, honey. Let’s go greet the visitor.”

Vox heard a knock, and he stood up and pulled open the shogi door to be greeted by a grinning man.

“Eyyyy Vox!”

“Nice seeing you, Shu!” He invited the man inside, beckoning him to sit. “Thanks for coming such a long way here!”

“No worries!” They sat face to face and Vox poured him a cup of tea he had on hand. “By the way, you got a very sharp servant! He literally tricked me and locked me up.” Seeing the look on Vox’s face, he quickly explained the situation.

“I was wandering in the castle and I asked for directions from this man. He did make a smart decision to not bring me to you as I was a stranger in the middle of a heavily guarded castle.”

“Why couldn’t you take the front door like a normal person and not look like an assassin who forgot the castle format? How the hell are you even here?”

“Hmm~ It’s fun to mix things up. Besides, did you think a mere lock could keep me confined in a room? I don’t even need sorcery to break out of that simple mechanism. Now that one needs help in that area if he ever wants to keep people locked in.” Vox refilled Shu’s cup and his tone of voice turned serious.

“Shu, my letter should explain–” The door burst open and a figure, none other than Mysta, came tumbling in. Seeing Shu, his eyes shot wide. Swishing his head back and forth from the surprised Vox to the grinning-in-his-tea Shu, his quick analysis led him to bow immediately to the floor and with his head glued to the ground in front of Vox’s guest.

“No worries, man. You made a good choice, though asking first would probably help.”

“That would probably be hard, you see, this child here can’t speak. Head up, boy.” Mysta scrambled up to his knees, head still low in respect. “This here is my friend, Shu. He-”

“VOX are you okay?!” Nina threw open the door nearly off its tracks, heaving heavily. Three pairs of eyes crossed with one, and she cleared her throat.

“Oh. My apologies. It seems like we misunderstood the situation.” Shu laughed in response before standing up to greet her.

“I’m Shu Yamino, here on the request of Lord Akuma. Pleased to be your acquaintance.” Nina bowed back.

“My greatest pleasure. Nina Kosaka.” Vox gestured to them to sit. Sensing the once-again serious air, Mysta was about to excuse himself before a look from Nina told him to stay.

“Leave us, Mysta. You have your duties.” Vox looked at the woman who was about to protest against his words. “This conversation is none of a servant’s concern.” Seeing the finalized decision, Mysta simply bowed his head and left.

“There’s no point in trying to be fair, Vox. We all know your favoritism towards him, honey, no need to hide that now.” Vox suppressed his irked eyebrow at her words.

“Oh? That boy caught your eye? Dang, I always thought you’re after the voluptuous ones.” Shu grins at the newly-learned information. “I’ll definitely have to go and check him out later.”

“Please stop. We’re not here to discuss my relationships.” Vox glared at Nina’s Aww, he’s getting shy. “You must be aware of Tokugawa’s advances and my circumstances, Shu.” The said man nodded and Vox continued. “To put it simply, is there anything you can do that ensures my clan’s survival?”

“I could be present at the battle, though I doubt that is what you wanted. You want me to use my sorcery, don’t you?” Nina shot a glance at the man next to her but did not ask more questions. “What do you want to achieve objectively with my powers?” Vox pulled out a map.

“Cities and castles fell up to this point. At this rate of progression, they will reach us in one month. That is when snow will fall, and if they quickly overwhelm us while their men remain strong, we will fall. If they were to be kept at bay close to the end of winter where the soldiers grow weary, we may stand a chance. They will surely try to attack as soon as possible. In fact, in this plan, we need them to maintain that drive to keep them from returning back and reorganizing themselves at the start of spring. This part is where I want your help, Shu. Can you hold off their advances for the next three months?”

“A curse needs its roots, Vox. It doesn’t stem from nothing.” Shu spoke sternly, gazing right into the eye of the demon.

“Put it on me.” He returned the unwavering gaze.

“Vox-” Nina began to protest, but Vox shook his head.

“It’s my duty as the leader, Nina. This is something that must be done.”

“Let me remind you that I have no control over what the curse actually takes root in, Vox. Are you sure?”

“Nothing is worth more to me than my clan, Shu. I will not regret this.” Seeing his resolve, Shu simply sighed.

“I’ll see what I can do. However, are you certain you can beat Tokugawa’s army even when they’re not in their best shape? The number difference is too large to simply be balanced from fatigue.” It was evident from Vox’s silence that victory still remains bleak.

“If you need more manpower, I just remembered something.” Nina looked up from the map she had been staring at for the past conversation. Pointing to a point southeast of the mountain where the castle stood, she continued.

“A family of merchants lives here. I happen to be quite in touch with the leader of the family. If you can offer them something of worth, I’m sure they will be of assistance.”

“What can they offer?”

“The family leader has a well built net of connections. He could easily find more men to fight, not to mention his dealing with the weapon industry.”

“I’ll make a trip down there, then, to pay respect to him.”

“No, Vox. I’ll go.” Nina stood up. “With my word you’ll make a better impression. I also want to meet him as well. I’ll leave immediately and send a letter as soon as possible about the situation.”

“Thank you, Nina, as well as you, Shu.” Vox bowed fully to the ground. “Without your help I really would be helpless in this issue. There’s no way for me to repay your actions.”

“No need to be this formal, Vox. How long have we known each other? I’m always happy to help out a friend!" Shu assured the demon.

“Stop bowing, you're making me awkward.” Nina said as Vox rose to his feet. “Though I’m glad that you relied on us, Vox.” She smiled.

“I have no choice, Nina. Best of luck to you all, my friends.” They nodded and left the room, steps fading away with the leaves of autumn.

Chapter Text

“Why should I bow my head to another human?” The diplomat trembled as the sword, thrown seconds ago and now embedded into the floor in front of his eyes, reminded him of his place in the presence of the Lord. “Tell your master I’m ready for his war. It matters not if they’re thousands or millions; they will stand no chance against my clan.” Watching the man scrambled out of the room, Vox’s arrogance dissipated, leaving behind an emotionless face. Mysta, shoved in with a tray of sake by the other servants who feared the mood of their Lord, slowly approached him. Setting it down in front of him, he poured a cup and offered it to Vox.

Silence settled down into the now empty room except for the two of them. Still with a distant look, Vox spoke quietly.

“Should we fai–Argh!” Mysta jolted from the outburst. “These kinds of things should not even be considered.” Vox turned his gaze to the young man beside him. “I’ll make sure your future doesn’t mirror your past, boy.” Accepting his hair-tousling, Mysta quickly prepped his ink and wrote down:

“I,” he scribbled it off, “we will all be with you to our ends.” Reading his words, Vox smiled and looked away.

“Then I can’t make this our end now, right?” He drained his cup of sake. “Nina left this morning?”

“She said to take care.”

Vox sighed. “Why did she leave in such an ungodly hour? I do want to see her out.”

“I told her ‘have a nice trip and stay safe’.”

“Oh? Aren’t you a good boy?” Grinning, he tousled Mysta’s hair again. “Now, since your mom is gone, Shu will be your new supervisor.”

“I don’t need a supervisor.”

“Says the one who nearly burned down the kitchen twice and is now completely banned from even stepping in, set the pigs free when feeding them and causing a mayhem, and decided that firecrackers can be set near the crop fields and leading the kids into nearly burning down our harvest for the year.” His points caused Mysta to swallow back his protests. “The army is already camped at the foot of the mountain. Go find Shu. We need to discuss the details.” Mysta nodded and got on his feet. Bowing and closing the door behind him, he heard a faint, “Put on another layer, it’s getting cold” as he left.

It didn’t take much hand gestures for Shu to understand and follow him. Indicating the young man to stay, Vox addressed the sorcerer.

“The earliest they can invade is tomorrow. What do you have in mind to keep them at bay?”

“The long-term plan was to tinker with their resources and slowly reduce their strength. However, as war is declared today and not later, I need a more direct approach to cripple them. Perhaps somehow ruining their weapons or changing the terrain to prevent their approach. Weapons can guarantee results but it's more complicated to achieve while the terrain needs to be changed precisely to fulfill the intentions.”

“How do you plan to mess with their weapons?”

“Snap the strings of the yumi and the arrows will be useless. Swords and pikes can be rusted beyond immediate repairs. Gunpowder can be soaked with water to prevent firing in the tanegashima. With enough weapons sabotaged, the general won’t rush in tomorrow. If we can keep the weapons from being replaced or repaired from outside resources, then this will be even more effective. However, figuring out their routes and plans will need a lot of intelligence gathering.” Shu sighed. “That will need a lot of man-power which we don’t have, Vox.”

“Leave the information to Mysta.” Hearing this, Mysta nearly fainted. Is his lord asking him to somehow infiltrate the bakufuku? Him alone? Mute and knows no one outside of the castle? And immediately? Apparently, he got quite bold in the past months that his lord’s face looked very punch-able right now. Taking deep breaths secretly, he wrote down as calmly as he could the question of how he can achieve it.

“Mysta, once people realize you’re mute they will assume that information may go in but won’t come out. And Shu did point out your sharp senses. You’re the best man for the job as we are short on manpower. We can help you get into the army as a servant but the rest will need to be up to you.”

It’s too much of a task for someone like me. You even told me I need a supervisor and now you want me to be a spy? He wanted to protest more. To tell his Lord that someone else can do it better and that in the end, he would end up failing to meet his expectations. Yet, his eyes caught the taunt lip line. The weariness of the eyes. The paler complexion. The forcefully-straightened back and the clenched fists. He saw the immense weight on the bare shoulders of the lord who simply wanted his clan to remain free and happy. All his complaints and fears paled in comparison to the burden his Lord carried. Now fully convinced, Mysta pressed his head down to the floor in a bow after he offered his writing.

“It is my greatest honor to serve my Lord.” He poured his intentions of doing his very best, even by just a gram, to lessen the burden upon his Lord underneath the surface of the ink.

Smiling gently, Vox cooed, “That’s my boy.” Turning to Shu, he asked, “Can the weapons be dealt with immediately?”

Shu nodded. “The procedure can be done by today. They definitely won’t be able to attack tomorrow.”

“Assist Shu, Mysta. Tomorrow we’ll get you into the camp. I’m sure the chaos will make them more willing to accept help.” Vox instructed.

“Before we go,” Shu held up a black beaded cord to Vox, “wear this. This will officially make you the target of the curses.” Ignoring the questioning gaze of Mysta, he placed it on his wrist. Giving a shikigami to Vox as a means of quick communication, Shu whisked away Mysta down the mountain to start the preparations.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

Gusts of wind made Mysta wrapped his coat tighter around himself while Shu examined the size of the army camp meters below. Filled with activities, the soldiers scurried around in training or preparing for the battle ahead. Shu gave off a calm atmosphere, even with his eyes scrutinizing the view below them. Somehow with him, Mysta felt like he could breathe easily before the dangerous task they were about to do.

“See that tree over there?” Shu pointed at a tree with branches that poked out further than the rest. “Place this over there at the trunk but out of sight. If you see any kind of discarded weapon parts, do bring them back to me. I’ll go and set up two other points and we’ll meet right back here.” Mysta, now with a string of paper shikigami, made his way east of the camp. He had no clue what this really does, but he tucked it inside his clothes and followed the trail of flags that marked the borders of the camp. However, it seemed that a person wandering near the camp was suspicious to the patrolling soldiers.

“You over there!” Mysta jerked from the yell. “Who are you?” Panic coursed through his veins and he quickly lowered his head. Using his hands, he tried to show that he couldn’t talk.

“Mute?” He cracked his knuckles. “Let’s see if that’s really what’s going on.” Fortunately, the other intervened. Peering at Mysta’s hunched figure, he spoked.

“Are you the one that’s supposed to meet the general?” No, I’m not. Do you really think that a general wants to see a mute? Should he take the risk of lying and get the chance to go undercover despite having no idea who he would play nor the reason for his presence? Still, his fear took hold of him and he shook his head.

“Asking him questions would get us nowhere. Let’s just beat him up as a warning.” The violent one clicked his tongue in annoyance. Rolling his eyes, the calmer one stepped closer to the figure that started to tremble.

“Beating him won’t stop his possible malicious intentions and he will come back more cautiously. We need to figure out his real intentions somehow.” If you beat me I will never come back. Wait, I have to. And I need to conceal my abilities to write. Which means now I have no means of proper communication. Realizing that his routes to freedom began to disappear, Mysta panicked even more. Tuning out the small bickers between the soldiers, he started to think of ways to slip away or to prove his innocence. He had nothing that could show his connections to the village nearby as a residence nor any letters of introduction. Carefully patting through his clothing, he found the shikigami. If these could be used for communication, by ripping this could I signal him? Carefully pulling the arms of the man-shaped paper, Mysta released a half onto the ground while gripping the other. However, he didn’t know Shu’s location so he needed to delay his arrest, fortunately, or unfortunately, the soldiers now had finalized a decision.

“We’ll need to put you in custody at least until the matter is settled. Your timing is too suspicious considering a war has just been declared.” Indicating him to follow them, Mysta had no choice but to comply, praying that the entrance was on the opposite side of their current location. Passing by the shooting ground for practice, Mysta, as quickly as he could, picked up a bullet shell before returning to his position behind the soldiers. Just as they reached the edge of the barricade around the camp, they heard rushing footsteps.

“Kei-kun!” Who the * was Kei? Subtly glaring at Shu who just arrived, he watched him bow profusely at the soldiers.

“I apologize for any actions my brother might have done! He’s mute and is simply trying to look for a job. Please, let him go this time!”

“Who are you?” The mean soldier demanded.

“My apologies, I should introduce myself first. I’m Matsushita Shuugo and my brother is Keiyuu.” Why does my name sound * random while yours resemble your original one? His angry glare was simply greeted by a wink from the sorcerer. “We’re from a village on the other mountain. I promise that we have no ill intentions!” Shu cried dramatically. Glancing between the brothers, the calm soldier spoke up.

“Why did he approach the camp?”

“We’re running low on money and hearing that an army was here preparing for battle, we thought that there’s at least some kind of job that even my brother can do. That’s why we’re poking around here.” Impressed by Shu’s attempts to slip him into the camp even when they were risking arrest, Mysta bowed his head to the soldiers to show sincerity.

The soldier pinched his nose bridge. “I don’t have the authority to respond to this request. Come back tomorrow and if someone welcomes you at the entrance then come in, if not then stay away. We won’t be this merciful next time.”

“Thank you for your grace!” Bowing one more time, the two brothers immediately made themselves scarce. After sneaking back to the tree to attach the shikigami that Mysta failed to do, they returned to the original spot.

“Oof–” Breathing out a sigh of relief, Shu spoke. “That was a bit too close. Thank god they didn’t ask how we even know a war is about to happen. Make sure you know your new name, Mysta, in case tomorrow does go our way.” Unable to hold it in, Mysta made his ink as quick as possible and complained.

“Why the * did call me that. It didn’t even sound a bit similar!”

“Umm… Well, there were pine trees around us… so yeah, beneath the pines. Matsushita.”

“You know that I’m not talking about that.”

“Well… one of the soldiers looks like the grown up version of the kid in my old village that threw himself into the river when skipping stones and his name just slipped out of my mouth. Actually, I’m still in a bit of a shock at how similar they look.”

“Basically you didn’t have me in mind during any part of the naming process.”

“Uh.. yeah.” Are you * kidding me?! “Now, now, Keiichi-” I * swear that is not the name you called me ten minutes ago. Are you sure you still remember that kid’s name correctly? “We still have to finish what we came here for. Did you find anything?” Digging into his clothes, Mysta tossed the bullet shell at Shu who placed it among other miscellaneous weapon parts on the floor.

Scattering seven more shikigami to the air, Shu pulled out a paper spell between his fingers and closed his eyes. As if pulled by invisible strings, the shikigamis floated into a circle equidistant from each other and started to rotate around him. Starting with a low mumble, the sorcerer’s incantations grew stronger with each second.

“Eyyy…Eyyyyy…EYYYYY!” With the last outburst, the flat shikigami stood vertically in the air before turning to dust along with the spell paper in Shu’s hand, scattering onto the weapon parts. Waving off the fire that formed behind him, the sorcerer turned to the shocked man next to him.

“That should do it. I’ll report this to Vox. Keep an eye on the camp, Mysta, havoc will break out very soon.”

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

“I see, Shu. Thanks for the hard work.” Finishing his conversation with Shu by the shikigami, lying on his table instead of floating during their talk, Vox turned his attention to the letter that was just delivered. Surprised by the red stamp mark that belonged to Nina, he quickly opened it. Its contents were short: Vox, I’m safe and well. I’ve just met with the leader and will return in two days. He’s interested in my proposal, though as much as he loves chaos and excitement, he’s not blind to your odds. You need to sell him your abilities. That is all I think he would ever require of you, and if he buys it, then you would gain a tremendous ally. Best of luck, Nina.

How the * did Nina get there in less than a day? He assumed it was some kind of power she kept even after her debacle with heaven. Taking a deep breath, Vox collapsed backwards onto his back, covering his eyes with the arm adorning the red beaded cord. Exhaustion settled into his bones as the sun sank to the horizon. The war had not even lasted a complete day and he felt like burrowing down to the ground and starting his hibernation. It should start snowing soon. He wondered if Mysta had a heavier coat to stay warm as the weather turned colder. Thinking back, there should be extra scarves in the storage; he would have them delivered tomorrow along with a thicker coak, nothing too conspicuous to undermine his role as a poor man.

Honestly, as much as he trusted in Mysta’s abilities, he couldn’t help but worry. Giving him a heavy role wasn’t intended to stress him out (in hindsight, he didn’t know what he was thinking, setting such a huge expectation onto a young man who had none in himself) but to see him overcome his insecurities and gain confidence. Seeing how easily he complied when facing an assault, even as a joke, and the scars and remaining bruises underneath his clothes pained him. Mysta’s background whipped down any kind of fire within him, shackling him into a mindless dog. In fact, his muteness restricted his expression of self where eventually others overshadowed his own desires.

Yet, Vox could see his changes over the few months he spent at the castle with Nina and himself. He saw his smiles when he ate, played, and interacted with others. The real Mysta that had been constricted slowly bubbled up into a young man with immense potential. Potential that he saw and valued. Vox wished the opportunity didn’t come this fast and heavy in the form of a war, yet there was nothing he could do but use all his power to make sure that the least damage occurs. That was his burden as the clan leader, a weight that he knew he would carry as long as he lived.

Widening his eyes in realization, Vox sat up suddenly. His castle lies on top of a mountain during winter. He had the advantage where the army needed to come up to fight. Brain churring a daring plan, he knew what he could do to gain the ally he needed and potentially turn the battle in his favor.

Having no clue how the shikigami worked, he shook the paper man. To his surprise, the paper slipped out of his fingers before Shu’s voice could be heard.

“Shu. How well can you manipulate the weather?”

Chapter Text

Mysta woke up while the sky remained dark. Daylight shrank gradually until his mornings started without light. Realizing he could see his breath in the cold air, he pulled his clothing tighter around himself and padded out of the house. This could very well mean the last time he gets to stay inside the castle for the next few months as today, if he did get hired, would lead him to live down the mountain inside the camp. Before, changing areas meant nothing to him as nothing would change; he still ate scraps, curled in a ball to sleep, and got beaten doing his work. Now, accustomed to the comfortable lifestyle recently, he wondered if he had gotten soft. He still risked his life before and now, however, parts felt different. Instead of being afraid of the punishment that his masters would give, he feared the loss of this clan where he learned to call home and the people he met that became his family.

Would his incompetence led to the downfall of this family that he started to care about? Mysta agreed initially to try to help out his lord, yet having time to think about the sheer weight of the mission handed to him, his doubts reemerge stronger than ever. I never even dared to understand anything else other than the commands given. Why did I thought that I could do this and not * up? Why did his lord place so much confidence in him, when he never learned anything useful that could aid him right now? Why use me, who was just a slave?

Sitting down on the hard ground, Mysta watched the beams of light peeking out from the horizon, huffing warm air at his hands. What he didn’t expect was a scarf that wrapped around his neck.

“I would prefer to wrap you up in blankets but considering that you’re supposed to be broke, I restrained myself.” Recognizing the deep honeyed voice, the young man quickly stood up and bowed to his lord. “I told you before to quit doing that, didn’t I?” Vox turned his gaze to the sunrise. Mysta fiddled with his fingers, thinking why did the lord of the castle seek him out this early in the morning.

“Mysta, I just want to let you know that I meant my words back then when I asked you to do this job. It might sound ridiculous to you but I know what you can do, my boy. I can’t guarantee they would treat you the same as we did, but remember,” he swiveled to face the young man, “you are not alone in this and this mission won’t be carried out by just you, okay?” Seeing Mysta’s unconvinced nod, the Lord pulled him down to sit with him.

“I know you’re worried, Mysta. About your abilities. You had people around you telling you that you’re useless when you tried your best but failed, and they still continue to make you work for them. They complained about your weak body and mindset when they’re the cause of it. They make you a slave to them and strip away anything you had valuable.”

Every word felt heavy. Eyes downcasted, the young man’s body shivered again at the memories blurred with pain, fear, and tears. Feeling a warm hand at his cheek, his head was gently turned to face with the pale gold eyes.

“Let me tell you something important. You are now part of the Akuma clan now. You are a human, a slave no more. And being human means that you now also have the power to do what you can and want. These past few months have shown me that you, Mysta, is a bright, smart, and hardworking boy who had a beautiful heart underneath all the scars. Think of this mission as a first step to understand yourself. Nina, Shu, myself, and everyone will be with you and help you, and even if this mission didn’t go well, we will still be here, and we won’t blame you.” Mysta didn’t realize that tears were flowing out until Vox wiped it away. Wrapping his arm around and pulling the young man closer, Vox continued.

“We care, Mysta. And from what I’ve observed, you will do splendidly. I believe in you, Mysta, so believe in yourself.”

That was it. The validation he never received. He never really comprehended how much he craved for something until he gained it, and now, knowing that there were people who cared enough to walk with him, his fears slowly dissipated. Completely overwhelmed, he fell easily into a warm embrace with a hand gently caressing his head. Crumbling in the warmth, Mysta allowed all his emotions to overflow into good hands.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

“Do what they said properly. I’ll come find you again very soon. Stay safe, okay, Kei-kun?” Thank god he didn’t use my full name; he would have given us out. Nodding solemnly, Mysta watched Shu leave the camp before turning to his superior during his infiltration.

“Now, brat, go and help them dry out the gunpowder.” Immediately disliking the man, he followed the instructions and made his way to the soldiers that were opening wet boxes. Shu’s curses were very effective. All round the camps, people were gathering up rusted weapons with complaints. Broken bowstring were taken out while they tried to salvage as much gunpowder by fanning them out on mats to dry. However, instead of keeping their weapons unusable as the original plan, Mysta received orders to assist them to restore their armory. He didn’t know what the lord was planning, but his current job was to figure out the exact day when the army would advance up the mountain to attack. This meant that he needed to learn the army’s plan to solve this issue.

Keeping his ears open, Mysta smushed the clumped up powder as flat as he could, hoping to catch some news. Purposely staying on the outermost mats, he strained his hearing to those that walked by and the nearby groups of soldiers talking amongst themselves during their breaks.

“How did my blade rust overnight? I made sure to take such good care of it as well! Oh god, my dad will kill me if he finds out that I let the family heirloom fall into that state…” Holding a red sheath, a soldier whined to his friends.

“Did you hear? So many other people’s weapons got rusted or wrecked as well! Some people already begged their leaders to tell the general to call in an exorcist, saying that it’s a curse we brought onto ourselves!” Another leaned in excitedly.

“I would say it’s nonsense but this is too big of a coincidence.”

“The rumors had it that the leader of the clan we’re about to attack isn’t human. And now with this kind of disaster following immediately when we just waged war, I dare say the rumors are true! I don’t want to fight against something that scary. This must be a warning sent by the enemy, telling us to stop while we can! I want to go home!” One wailed before others slapped him on the head.

“Shush! You don’t want the squadron leader hearing you! Wanna get us doing the dirty work for the next few days?! They’re already sent for forgers and blade sharpeners nearby and replacements are going to be delivered soon. We got ourselves a war and we will finish it!”

The nearest village is around a two to three hour trip by foot if they do have the people needed. The closest large town is around a two day trip by horse away… There’s no way reinforcements from Tokugawa would come by this week. By guesswork, Mysta estimated that it was impossible to recover from this damage in a week though he should figure out a concrete estimate for when the army could fight again.

Sighing, he quietly moved to another spot while he waited for more powder to dry. He needed to speed up the process as much as possible this week, meaning that the number of blacksmiths and forgers needed to increase. To get more information, he had to slip out to the nearby villages to be certain of the possible candidates. Seeing his superior coming to check on progress, Mysta quickly pretended that his hands were kept busy.

“What’s the progress?” He barked at the other soldiers and one immediately stood up straight.

“We’ve managed to rescue half a box, sir!” More like a fifth. The man tsked and turned to another.

“You! Why didn’t you hand over your weapon this morning? The rest had already gathered to send out!”

“My apologies, sir, but my weapon is fine!” So Shu’s curse didn’t affect everyone…maybe it’s to conserve power. Now left with nothing to ask, the superior ordered everyone back to work, leaving Mysta back with his own thoughts. It should be safe to assume that the weapons were going to the nearest blacksmith. If he could somehow slip into the transportation team, he should obtain the number of smiths and their estimated work time. Pondering his plan, Mysta wandered quietly to where the carts were and something caught his eyes.

⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕⥈ ⁕⁕ ⥈ ⁕⥈ ⁕ ⁕⁕⁕ ⁕ ⥈⁕⁕ ⥈⁕ ⥈⥈⥈ ⥈⁕ ⁕⥈ ⥈⥈ ⥈⥈⥈ ⁕⥈⁕ ⁕⁕ ⁕⁕⁕

Wrapping his scarf closer to him as the temperature dropped with the sun, the young man exited out of the smiths house. By tinkering with the wheels, he managed to make it fail halfway through the trip and was just so conveniently nearby when the messenger came back asking for repairs. Helping out occasionally with the horses to make him himself look busy so no one kicked him back to camp, he obtained the information he needed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as he hoped. The man was proficient in getting rid of rust due to his practice in farming equipment, however, he and his apprentice could only fix around six swords maximum each day, assuming they had all their materials needed. The leader, of course, wasn’t too pleased with the answer and spent more time talking with the blacksmith for a better plan, leaving Mysta to have a bit more time to poke around the village.

Surprised to find a tiny tavern, he walked in and sat at a small table. No one except the owner looked up, and he quickly looked away after seeing Mysta’s wordless order by pointing at a man’s drink nearby. Having no clue what that drink was, he hoped it tasted edible. All alcohol he contacted passed the strict eyes of Nina and Vox, leaving him with a tongue that tasted delicacies that his past self would never dream of. A small smile creeped up onto his lips as he remembered the nights where drinks were shared between them and he was happy to quietly listen to their conversation, tipsy from the alcohol and the atmosphere. However, as much as he liked drinking, he couldn’t possibly return to the group smelling like a drunkard. Thankful for Shu’s quick hands at stuffing a small pound of coins, Mysta tried to listen to the five men at another table.

“Now, now, if you keep crying the iron’s gonna rust.” The man childed at another that clung to his arm.

“But I want a kiss…” Whining, the other man buried his face into the arm.

“We’re in public, babe. I’ll give you lots when we’re alone.” Now fully aware of their relationship, Mysta felt a flush on his cheeks and turned his attention towards the newly served drink. Taking a sip to brace himself, he was surprised by a loud sob coming from the same table.

“Why are you soooo cute?” The tall man cried loudly in the arms of another who was gently patting his head. The man who was building a small tower out of cups glared at the crying man who surprised him with his loud exclamation and nearly caused his handiwork to break down.

“Chill, kyoudai. You’ve been saying that after three cups of sake. Actually, you say that everyday sober, too.” Oh my god who are these people. Seeing that there was no one else in the tavern and with the men already drunk, Mysta doubted any useful information could be gleaned from them. Finishing his drink and paying, he left the whines of Fuu-fuu chan and the cries of Otoutou behind, rejoining with the rest of the soldiers.

Hidden as far as he could back at camp, Mysta huddled near a small fire as he prepared to write his report. The weather hadn’t gotten too cold for water to be frozen, though as days passed, getting ink would be a hassle. Laying out the blank paper in front of him, he pondered what he could even write about.

There was his estimation and about the blacksmith’s progress, which remained unchanged even after the long discussion. Writing those down, he added half a box of gunpowder they salvaged today and gave another estimation of the day when all would be usable. He still felt like he should report more things, but there was barely anything he could say. Thinking hard, he replayed the conversations he heard in his mind.

The soldiers only talked about how much they hate being in the army or their family…The drunkards were just loud and clingy…Wait, didn’t one of them mention rust? It was the man that was begged to give a kiss and was concerned about iron rusting when his lover cried on his arm. Even though he couldn’t tell how long the man was crying, he cried enough for it to be concerning and from the position, the iron must be at least located on the upper arm. Mysta couldn’t understand why iron was located that high. Jewelry should usually be shown or taken very good care of, like never wearing them out to shady bars for protection, and iron-made jewelry worn on the upper arm seemed to be… rare? Of course he knew very well that this could just be an assumption, but he had a feeling that things weren’t as simple as it seemed.

However, he didn’t have the ability to walk up to the man and ask, so he needed a plan to first, leave the camp, and second, get enough clues to hopefully lead him to the truth; truth that would aid him in his mission. Yet he needed more information to even start planning, which would inevitably delay the task. Mysta had hoped that when reinforcements came, the army would immediately be able to go to battle as many weapons, preferably all, had already been fixed. Though it would be hard to transport this much material for such a distance in the upcoming snow, meaning that the army camp here might be better off trying to fix the issue themselves.

Setting his brush down, he struggled to make a decision. Was it okay for him to report such uncertain information from only that short sentence? There was no way for him to confirm this in a short period of time, but not doing anything with it made him uneasy. What could he even say that would make this information valuable? His fears and uncertainty twisted in his guts, but ultimately scribbled down the phrase, “please investigate a man called Fuu-Fuu chan in regards to his arm” and stuffing the slip of paper into the shikigami’s folded arms. Vox’s words of self-confidence echoed in his mind as he watched the paper man fly up to the sky. Taking a deep breath, Mysta laid in await for the next day.