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Dolphin Rider Koishi - The End

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FinnKaenbyou:

?Tides of Doubt!?

Koishi went on the offense immediately, charging forward with wild swings. Her third eye hummed, catching Satori in its ghostly aura. The valkyrie matched her sister blow for blow, the Tides of Doubt nullifying her speed advantage.

For a few minutes, they almost seemed to be taking turns. Koishi would strike, and Satori would slide out of the way. Satori would go in with a thrust, and Koishi would parry it at the last moment. On the sidelines Sango and Jozu watched on, silent but enraptured.

Now Koishi could hear nothing but the racing of her blood. Every swing, every stab was filled with everything she had. She could feel her sister?s determination carrying through Mjollnir, matching hers almost to a tee. The rest of the world was a blur - she saw Satori and nothing else.

There!

One clean swing forced Satori to stumble. The valkyrie stepped backwards, one hand falling to the ground for support. Koishi pressed her advantage, bringing her sword down towards Satori?s head.

The valkyrie smirked. ?Bad move.? She rolled to the side, and Koishi?s blade swung through empty air. In the same motion, she grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and sent it flying into Koishi?s face.

?Hyaah!? Koishi cried out as the sand struck her eyes, leaving Satori a fuzzy silhouette in her vision. She turned towards the water, but Satori stepped around to block her passage.

?I?m sorry, Koishi.? Satori came in with another thrust. ?But I can?t lose here, either!?

Koishi barely smacked the sword away, stumbling backwards under the valkyrie?s assault. Satori refused to give her a moment of reprieve, hammering down one stab after another. Any of them would have ended the fight if they had landed; Koishi could only manage clumsy, weak parries to keep herself alive.

Her brain was melting down. Satori had caught her off guard, and she couldn?t think of any way to reverse the momentum of the duel. She was holding Satori off, but there was no way this luck could last forever. Her vision was fading further, and her eyes were in almost unbearable pain.

What do I do? The question echoed through her mind, but there was no answer to be found. At last she lost her footing, tumbling backwards and landing sprawled on her back in the sand. She could barely see the shape of her sister standing over her, pulling the blade back for one final strike.

?This is it, Koishi.? A bolt of lightning danced along Mjolnir?s edge. ?It?s time for you to grow up-!?

No. Not like this. She couldn?t lose here. Koishi?s whole body cried out in dread. She forced her eyes shut, wildly flailing her sword in a desperate arc. Even if the odds were one in a million-

?Eh??

The blade hit clean, knocking Satori back before she could land the killing blow. Koishi pulled herself up, eyes still closed as she primed her sword again.

?Koishi, what are you doing?? She could hear Satori step backwards in the sand, her voice as bewildered as it was furious. ?Open your eyes and fight me!?

Koishi didn?t answer. She felt something strange humming through her system - voices whispering in her ear, telling her every little move she had to make. The part of her brain responsible for strategy had shut down - she felt feral, acting on sheer instinct alone.

She acted on the guiding words of her subconscious, her blade dancing through the air in a graceful arc. There was no need for her eyes anymore - with her sight gone, the rest of her senses had sharpened. She could hear every shuffle of Satori?s feet, every gasp for breath, even the whistling of wind as her saber flew forward.

?What the-?

Satori gasped, suddenly shifting to the defensive. Koishi?s strikes became almost surgical in their accuracy, striking just where they needed to stop Satori from mounting a counterattack. In blindness, she had become more powerful than she?d ever been with her eyes open.

Every one of Koishi?s senses felt primed. She knew Satori would slip eventually. When that chance came, no matter how slim it was, she had to take it. Only a decisive blow could reach her sister?s heart and prove her convictions.

All the while, the valkyrie?s nerves were starting to falter. She was bewildered by what she was witnessing, her mind-reading powers unable to react to Koishi?s raw instinct. The tide of battle had turned decisively, and now it was Satori on the verge of defeat.

?Why?? Satori?s voice was on the verge of cracking. ?Why won?t you give up?!?

Faces flashed in front of Koishi?s eyes. Cirno. Tewi. Eiki. Yuyuko. The people she had saved in her time as a Siren. Their smiles were a catalyst, bolstering Koishi?s spirit even further.

?Because too many people are counting on me,? Koishi said. ?If winning is what I need to do to make my world come true-?

She heard Satori?s blade fall slightly. The valkyrie?s grip had weakened. Instantly, Koishi swung at the base of Satori?s saber.

?-I?ll never lose!?

A final, brutal clash of steel rang across the beach. Satori?s sword flew from her hand, landing in the sand several feet away from her.

For a moment, there was no sound other than the shifting of the tide.

?I...? Satori?s voice was utterly monotone. ?No. This isn?t happening.?

Koishi finally wiped the sand from her face. When her vision cleared she saw Satori on her knees, staring down at the ground with tears forming in her eyes. The valkyrie was engulfed in a faint violet light, re-appearing in her human form.

?...Of all the people to beat me, it had to be you.? Satori?s face glowered with hatred, and she slammed a fist into the sand. ?Dammit, dammit, dammit!?

It was almost pitiful to look at. Satori?s eyes streamed with tears, her whole body rocking with heaving sobs. In the distance, Jozu looked almost as distraught, taking the first steps towards comforting her companion.

Before she could come close, Koishi wrapped her arms around her sister.

?It?s okay, Satori. It?s over now.?

Her body flashed with light as she dismissed her Siren form, hugging Satori with all her might. She could feel her sister?s warmth against her skin, a feeling she?d almost forgotten after months of separation.

?Koishi...? Satori went limp in Koishi?s arms, burying her face in Koishi?s shoulder. ?I?m sorry, I?m sorry, I can?t-?

?I know.? She patted her sister on the back. ?You can?t give up either, can you??

She had felt it in her sister?s blows during the fight. Satori?s conviction was too strong to be snuffed out in an instant.  But Koishi had managed to get through to her, even if it was just to sow the first seeds of change.

?It?s...it?s not fair.? Satori sniffled, trying to pull herself together. ?You want to save the humans, and I want to save the youkai. But we can?t do both, can we...??

?Why not??

Satori tensed. ?B-Because-?

?Satori.? Koishi squeezed her sister tighter. ?I?ll take on your dream, too.?

?What...??

Koishi smiled. ?You?re right. It?s not fair for one side to benefit while the other suffers. So I?ll find a way to save both of them.?

She didn?t know how she?d do it, but she knew nothing would stop her from trying. That was the only way to truly save her sister, she realised.

Satori was silent for a while. When she did find her voice, some of her warmth had returned along with it. ?When was the last time we hugged like this??

?Too long ago,? Koishi said. ?Far, far too long ago.?

Satori managed a sad smile, finally returning the embrace. ?Koishi...I?m home.?

Koishi grinned. ?Better late than ne-?

The breath died in her throat. Her face was locked in horror as a figure burst out of the water, pointing a single finger at Satori?s back.

?LOOK OUT!? On raw impulse, Koishi shoved her sister to the side.

Her body exploded in pain as a bolt of energy stabbed through her chest.

-----

Sango could only watch as Koishi fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Satori was over her sister in a flash, propping her up in the sand and trying to tend to her wound.

?Oh, dear. It seems I missed.?

Leviathan stood knee-deep in the water, hand still outstretched from firing the bolt. Her face was twisted into a cruel smile.

?That voice...? Satori?s eyes popped open. ?Master? Why would you-?

?Don?t call me that,? the youkai hissed, with an animosity that hurt just to hear. ?I gave you everything you could have wanted, and all I asked for in return was your loyalty.? She spat at the Siren. ?I knew you humans couldn?t be trusted.?

Sango?s body heaved with disgust. She broke into a run, ready to charge Leviathan where she stood.

She wasn?t as fast as Jozu.

?You little piece of-? The shark had a head start, and her fury gave her an extra burst of speed. She closed her hand into a fist as she descended on Leviathan.

?And you!? Leviathan growled, swiping a hand in Jozu?s direction. Lightning leaped from her fingers, catching the shark in the chest and dropping her in an instant. ?You thought I wouldn?t notice you slipping out of the palace? You?re even more of an moron than I thought you were.?

Jozu didn?t respond. Her whole body twitched and flailed under the force of the lightning, but she clenched her teeth and refused to show her pain. Behind her, Sango had managed to catch up at last.

?You let her go right-kyah!? A second stream of lightning burst from Leviathan?s other hand, dropping Sango in a similar fashion. Her body jerked about against her will, but compared to the ordeal Jozu was going through it was nothing.

?Oh?? Leviathan?s voice was carefree, almost playful. ?And how do you plan to stop me, exactly? You?re just a pair of lackeys.?

Sango didn?t even have enough control of herself to speak. In the distance she could see Satori still trying to rouse her sister, hands covered in Koishi?s blood. The dolphin cursed beneath her breath, powerless to do anything but watch.

When a new voice spoke up, she swore she was hallucinating.

?Maybe they can?t. But we can!?

Something jumped from the pathway running alongside the beach. For an instant it hung in the air, and Sango could make out a pair of beautiful golden wings. Then it descended, plunging towards Leviathan with the speed of a bullet.

?Hm.? Leviathan frowned. ?The cavalry.?

The lightning from her fingers faded, and a hole opened up beneath her feet. She was gone before the impact, her aggressor slamming into the ground with a futile splash.

?Phwee!? Sango got a face full of sand and water, but it was still better than a face full of lightning. She hauled herself back to her feet as she looked up at her saviour. ?Mokou-san??

Mokou scowled. ?Damn. Should?ve figured she had an escape plan.? She looked down at the dolphin. ?You alright, Sango-san??

Sango stared up in awe for a moment before nodded. ?I-I?m fine, but Jozu-?

?No.? Jozu?s body was riddled with burns, but she still had enough strength to point further up the beach. ?I?ll be fine. Help...Koishi...?

The shark went limp, and for a moment Sango feared the worst, but she could still see tiny movements in Jozu?s chest. She pulled herself to her feet, the numbness fading along her muscles as she rose.

?Mokou-san, how did you-?

?No time,? Mokou muttered. ?Looks like we?ve got a bigger problem.?

By the time they had reached Koishi, the other Sirens were already circled around her. In their midst, Nitori barked orders at Satori, who was struggling to wrap a bandage around Koishi?s wound.

?C?mon, Koishi. Stay with me, please...?

Koishi couldn?t answer. She tried, but all that came out of her mouth was a painful wheeze. The wound on her chest began to froth, bubbles forming within the blood. Her face was turning a foreboding shade of blue.

?Dammit, it?s deeper than I thought.? Nitori swore in her mother tongue. ?And it?s punctured the lung, too.?

?Then what?re we waiting for?!? Satori yelled. ?We?ve got to get her to a hospital before she-?

Nitori?s response was a frosty glare. She looked down at Koishi, fresh blood already seeping from the bandage. ?The hospital?s half an hour away. There?s no way she?s going to last that long.?

Sango caught the moment everyone present processed that statement. A light sparked out in Satori?s eyes, and Mokou?s hands balled into fists. Sakuya and Youmu clasped hands, both squeezing for dear life. Komachi?s face darkened, and Nazrin?s expression went entirely blank.

That moment dragged on for what felt like eternity, until Nitori picked up Koishi and cradled her in her arms.

?Eh?? Youmu furrowed her brow. ?What are you doing??

?What do you think?? Nitori said, incredulous. ?I?m going to save her.?

?But you just said-?

?I said the hospital was too far away.? Nitori waved a finger in the Sirens? direction. ?I didn?t say she was going to die.?

As quickly as it had vanished, the hope among the Sirens had returned. Now every eye was on Nitori, listening up for whatever miracle would save their leader?s life.

Sango?s eyes widened. ?Boss, are you talking about the-?

?Of course I am,? Nitori said, the words flying out of her mouth at machine-gun pace. ?This is exactly the sort of scenario we had it stocked up for.?

?It?? Sakuya folded her arms. ?What is it, exactly??

?I?ll explain later.? Nitori looked down at Koishi, the blood already running onto her hands. ?Right now we need every moment we can get. Sango, help me bring Koishi into the van. The rest of you, bring the shark youkai over there to the school - she?s not critical, but she?s still in pretty bad shape.?

Dismay flew across the faces of the Sirens. Sango knew what they wanted to ask - why the school? But the question would cost them vital seconds, and that was time they couldn?t afford to lose.

?Right.? Nazrin nodded her head, tail swishing furiously even as she tried to keep her expression neutral. ?You?d better save her, got it??

?Sure thing.? Nitori winked. ?OK, Sirens, move out!?

The girls moved in unison, dashing along the beach to tend to Jozu. Nitori and Sango darted in the opposite direction, carrying Koishi back onto land and laying her down on the back seat of the van. Sango buckled herself in, resting Koishi?s head on her lap.

It wasn?t until then she realised Satori had followed them.

?I?m coming too,? the Siren said, so bluntly it left no room for argument. ?There?s no way you?re taking my sister away from me now.?

Nitori scowled at the valkyrie for an instant. Sango rarely saw that sort of anger from her boss, and when it did emerge it was something truly frightening. Satori repaid in kind, matching the kappa?s intensity and redoubling it.

In the end it was Nitori who flinched. ?Fine. But you?d better not leave my sight, understand??

Satori nodded, then shifted into the seat beside Sango. By now Koishi?s eyes had glazed over, and her breaths were small and rapid. Sango could see the fear in the valkyrie?s eyes, the unease she was trying so hard to conceal.

?Alright, we?re good to go.? Nitori jammed the key into the ignition, and the van?s engine roared to life. ?Keep hold of Koishi-san - this is gonna be a bumpy ride.?

Sango nodded, her grip on Koishi?s head growing tighter. Her fingers pressed against the Siren?s neck, feeling Koishi?s pulse weaken with every beat. She clenched her jaw, refusing to let the fear overwhelm her.

?It?s a good thing no-one?s out at this hour,? Nitori yelled over the sound of the engine, ?because I?m about to break every rule in the book.?

Then they were off, bursting through the streets of Gensouto in quiet desperation.

-----

Falling.

Koishi?s world was a blur. An unintelligible mesh of greys and blacks. She reached out and grabbed nothing. In the distance something rumbled, loud at first, but slowly softening.

There was no pain any more. Only a vague regret about the things she?d left unfinished. She thought of Satori, how they had reunited only to be torn apart again. She thought of the Sirens, the friends she was leaving behind to finish the fight. She thought of her pets, who would gain one master and lose another.

The rumbling was quiet now, a hum in Koishi?s ear. Her eyes began to close, and she felt her mind shutting down. There was no use in wasting her final moments with bitterness. She had managed to save Satori, and she could hardly ask for more than that.

She fell. And fell. And fell.












And landed.

?Ah-??

The sudden landing jolted Koishi back to her senses. She had fallen neatly onto an ornate wooden chair, finding herself seated at a pristine dining table. There were no walls, no ceiling, no floor - in every direction, the world expanded forever in a pale shade of violet.

?Where am I...??

Koishi ran a hand along the table, letting the wood brush along her fingers. At the same time it was utterly alien and faintly nostalgic, like a fragment of a forgotten dream. Come to think of it, how had she known it was a dining table? There were no dishes, no cutlery, no meals. The thought had simply jumped into her mind - for reasons she couldn?t place, it just felt right.

Why?

?Good evening.?

Koishi gasped. In the time it had taken her to blink, another figure had appeared on the other side of the table. A long purple dress hung over her slender body, and she casually sipped from a cup of tea that had likewise emerged from the ether. She carried an aura of almost supernatural calmness that dulled Koishi?s sense of danger.

The woman?s dark blue eyes ran across Koishi?s body, noting every scuff and mark. She smiled, brushing back her long blonde hair as she placed her cup on the table.

?You really have grown, my dear. Just as I?d hoped you would.?

Her words were the key that unlocked a memory in the deepest depths of Koishi?s mind. The Siren gasped, the truth slowly dawning on her.

?I...I?ve been here before, haven?t I??

The thoughts were foggy, but she could just about put them together. She remembered that day in the lake, when she had been on the brink of death - and the place she?d found herself afterward.

?Very good,? the woman said, with the tone of a proud mother. ?I wasn?t certain you?d remember, but it seems I?ve managed to jog your memory.?

Koishi gripped at her head. ?It?s still sort of hazy, honestly. I?m not even sure where we are.?

?Oh, that?s a simple question to answer.? The woman smiled. ?We?re on the Boundary.?

?The Boundary??

?Well, a Boundary, to be more precise.? The woman swooped a hand down at the table, picking up a cookie that hadn?t been there a second earlier. She munched at it as she began her explanation. ?It?s basically a border between one plane of existence and another. Normally you fit very neatly on one side or the other, but occasionally souls can find themselves caught inbetween, like a butterfly trapped in a net.?

She pushed the plate of cookies towards Koishi. ?Want one??

Koishi looked down at the plate, its silver sheen catching in her eyes. Shrugging, she took the smallest snack she could see and nibbled at a corner. It tasted of nothing, yet the texture was strangely pleasing to Koishi?s palate.

?Then...this is a Boundary between life and death??

?You catch on quick, I see.? The woman smirked, wiping some stray crumbs from her cheek. ?You?re having what human scientists would call a near-death experience. With any luck, your friends will save you before you pass over completely. In the meantime, I?m afraid you?ll have to bear with my company.?

?Yeah, about that...? Koishi gulped, worried her question would come across as an offense. ?Who are you??

The woman paused for a moment, eyes widening. A few seconds later, she burst into laughter.

?Oh, you have no idea how long it?s been since someone asked me that!? Her giggles were almost childlike, a stark contrast from her normal coolness. It was a few minutes before she regained her composure, clearing her throat and straightening her back. ?Ah, my apologies. It?s just that normally, my reputation tends to precede me. I haven?t had the chance to introduce myself in a while, so forgive me if I make the most of it.?

She rose from her chair, hanging in empty space as she curtseyed towards Koishi. ?I am Yukari Yakumo. It?s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.?

Koishi almost choked on her food. ?Yakumo? The Yukari Yakumo??

?Is there another?? The youkai winked. ?But no, I am the woman you?re thinking of. Ruler of all the earth?s youkai...or at least, I was at one point.?

Yukari fell back into her seat, arms flapping around in an attempted flourish. She watched Koishi intently for a few seconds, gauging her reaction closely. The only response Koishi offered was a blank, bewildered expression.

?Hmm.? The youkai put a hand to her chin. ?You are an unusual one.?

?Eh? Why??

?Whenever people find out who I am, they usually jump to one of two responses.? She raised two fingers for emphasis. ?Either they praise me endlessly for being some almighty ruler, or they curse my name for unleashing the greatest evil the world has ever known.? She grabbed another cookie from the table, biting down hard on it this time. ?Yet you don?t seem to have fallen to either extreme. Why is that??

Koishi tilted her head. ?Well, I barely know you. All I have are second-hand stories I?ve heard from other youkai. It doesn?t seem right to judge you based on that alone.?

Yukari chuckled again, but this time her laugh was more refined. ?It?s rare to see someone so...open-minded. I knew I chose well when I selected you.?

?Thanks,? Koishi said, a light blush rising to her cheeks. ?Actually, is it okay if I ask you something about that??

?Oh??

?Well...? A million questions rose to Koishi?s mind, but they all stemmed from a single root. ?This might sound like a silly question, but why this? Why the Sirens, the Teardrops, everything? Wasn?t there a better way to hold the Ravager back??

When the subject changed to the Sirens, Yukari?s entire demeanour shifted. There was a new solemnity in her stance, her shoulders slumped, letting out a little sigh with every exhale. She stared down at the table as she began to speak.

?I suspect you know much of the story already. I gave my life to seal the Ravager away, but even then the spell wasn?t strong enough to destroy it. I had to make plans for the future, so that when the threat re-emerged there would be a force ready to stop it.

?The problem was...well, look around you.? Yukari motioned to the void. ?It took a good deal of my power just to make it to the boundary, but there?s no way for me to return to the world of the living. If I was to prepare any sort of defense, it would be through using other people as a proxy.?

?Then how did you choose?? Koishi asked. ?If you couldn?t get past the Boundary, how did you pick the Sirens??

?That?s another story.? Yukari let out another sigh. ?I can?t affect the living world, but I can see the occasional glimpse of its future. I saw fragments of who you girls were and what you would become, and did what I could based on the information I had. The only Siren I had a chance to meet in person was...well, you.?

?Ah.? Koishi pursed her lips, unsure how to parse that information. ?So you chose me based on that??

?Indeed.? Yukari nodded. ?I already had your sister picked out, but until you arrived I didn?t even know she had a sibling. When I saw your future, it was clearer than any I?d witnessed before - I could see exactly what life would put you through, what you would experience, how it would shape you.? She smiled. ?And most importantly, that you would return here to speak with me again.?

Koishi felt like she was drowning in air. Yukari casually spoke of precognition, seeing years or even centuries into the future as if it was nothing. She truly was as powerful as Koishi had been told. She was so caught up in awe that she almost missed Yukari?s next statement.

?Now, I can entrust you with the truth.?

Koishi froze. A sense of foreboding pressing on her shoulders. ?What truth??

Yukari paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. ?I intended for the Sirens to serve two purposes. They would stop the Black Claw from coming into power, but there was another role for them to accomplish, a choice they had to make. That was why the Sirens all had to be human - they needed to see the world with open eyes, without any of the pre-formed prejudices youkai would bring to the table. I chose girls from all walks of life, so the conclusions they drew wouldn?t be tainted by bias.?

Every word made Koishi feel more and more cautious, trepidation hanging in her voice as she spoke. ?What choice??

?What else?? Yukari smiled, but there was a sadness in her grin now. ?I chose you to decide the fate of the world.?

The youkai ran a hand along the top panel of the table, revealing a small dagger hidden underneath. Its blade glinted with all the colours of the rainbow, humming with a quiet but brilliant aura.

?This is Aptera,? she said. ?I?ve spent centuries crafting it, and it?s my greatest work. It draws from the power of the masquerade itself, a power stronger than anything I ever had in my time. It should be strong enough to vanquish any enemy you come across.?

Koishi stared at the knife in awe, picking it up and examining it. At every angle it took on a new colour, like a brilliant kaleidoscope. She could hardly believe that something so beautiful could also be so powerful.

?...Regrettably, that power will come at a cost.? Yukari slumped forward onto the table, the teacup shaking as her hands struck the wood. ?This is not a weapon you can fuel with your own might, or even the power of the Sirens as a collective. It must draw its power from the magical powers of an entire race.?

Koishi gasped. She dropped the knife, as if it had just caught alight.

?The Sirens as a whole have to decide whether its power should come from. Whichever race you choose will never be able to use magic again - no charms, no spells, nothing. They won?t even be able to use magical items like the Teardrops. The process will be instant and irreversible.?

Koishi blinked. ?But I thought the whole point of the masquerade was that humans didn?t even know magic existed. What would change if they lost a power they didn?t know they had??

?Oh, Koishi, it would change everything.? Yukari sighed, her eyes losing focus. ?Because the magic of humanity is the only thing stopping the youkai from going to war.?

The Siren felt her stomach give way.

?The youkai populace still bears a lot of hatred toward humanity. If the humans had no magic to defend themselves, there?s nothing that would stop the youkai from flattening them in full-blown war.? Yukari drew her shoulders in, trying to take up as little space as possible. ?Even a nuclear bomb could be nullified with a simple charm. It could take months or even years, but eventually humanity would be worn down to nothing.?

Koishi felt sick. What sort of choice was that? Either way, she would be crippling an entire race for the rest of time. She pulled her chair backwards, shaking her head as her eyes were locked on the knife.

?No...I can?t do that. I can?t make that sort of call.?

?I know.? Yukari nodded, eyes glistening with guilt. ?It?s an awful responsibility to place on someone, and I?d have done anything to avoid it. But it?s not your responsibility alone, Koishi - you have your friends to talk to. Maybe together you can make a decision that all of you can live with.?

She pushed Aptera forward, right to the edge of the table. ?Please, Koishi. I need the Sirens to finish what I couldn?t.?

Koishi wanted to run, but the empty space around gave her nowhere to go but down. She glared at the knife, as if looking at it hard enough would make it disappear.

This was her duty, she thought to herself. This was the choice she had been chosen to make. But she wanted no part of it.

?I?m sorry.? She shook her head. ?I can?t, Yukari-san. I just can?t.?

Hurt flashed across Yukari?s face for a moment, like Koishi had just slapped her across the face. ?I?m...sorry to hear that, Koishi.? She grabbed a cookie from the plate, letting it crumble between her fingers. ?I only hope you change your mind before it?s too late.?

Before Koishi could protest, a sudden shaking rocked the chair. Koishi fell forward, grabbing at the table for support. Her hand grabbed on instinct at the knife.

?Ah, looks like your time is up.? Yukari looked upwards with a smile. ?Say hello to Ran for me, will you? Tell her I send my regards.?

Koishi felt an invisible hand grab at her collar, tugging her upwards through the air. She flopped around, unable to stop her ascent, quickly flying into the empty sky. Yukari waved at her as she went, quickly becoming nothing but a speck in the Siren?s vision.

The rumbling from before returned - faint at first, but growing stronger. With each cycle it became louder and clearer, until finally Koishi recognised it as a heartbeat. Her heartbeat.

As her world faded to white, she realised she was still holding onto the knife.

-----

?Pu-haaaaaaaa!?

Koishi gasped, her lungs ravenously taking in all the air they could. All her nerves felt like they?d been turned on at once, the physical opposite of numbness. She flailed about, only to find herself squirming in something heavy and viscous.

?Hey, she?s waking up!?

A voice echoed from a receiver to Koishi?s right. As her eyes came into focus, she saw she was floating in a pale green liquid, still wearing the bloody uniform she?d passed out in. A small mask hung over her face, sending up a stream of bubbles every time she exhaled. She reached forward, her hand pressing against a sheet of solid glass.

A few seconds later, her vision was clear enough to see what was on the other side - the humble abode of Room 495.

?Morning, Koishi-san.? Nitori tipped her cap in Koishi?s direction. At her side, Sango was standing with her back to the wall, trying to look unremarkable and failing. ?How?s it feel being alive again??

Koishi?s eyes popped open. Standing on the other side of the glass were the other Sirens, all of them looking in at her. She could make out varying expressions of relief and excitement, though Nazrin was doing her best to look unfazed.

?Eh?? She spoke through the mask, assuming the communication was two-way. ?Where?s Satori??

?She?s in the nurse?s office with her shark friend,? Komachi answered. ?She was hangin? around here for a bit, but I think it mighta been too much for her to watch you hurtin? like that.?

Hurting? Koishi tilted her head. She didn?t feel any pain. In fact, looking down on herself, she couldn?t find so much as a scratch. She could have sworn she?d been shot, but there wasn?t even a trace of her injury.

?Surprised?? Mokou smirked. ?Yeah, we were, too. The boss hauled you in here double-time and shoved you into that tank. Seriously, that thing is a miracle-worker. You?ve gotta let me in on the recipe.?

?I?m afraid it?s not very viable, Mokou-san.? Nitori shrugged, shoulders slumping now the danger had finally passed. ?It took us decades to store enough energy to power the tank, and even then it?s only good for one use.?

As if on cue, the machine?s faint humming began to die down. The green liquid lost its light, darkening and growing lighter around Koishi. Slits opened in the floor beneath her, draining away the spent gel over the course of a minute. Koishi pulled the mask off the moment her head was above the surface, savouring a breath of real air.

?You should be fine now, Koishi-san.? Nitori swirled her chair around to face Sango and frowned. ?But first, I think the two of you owe us an apology.?

?Phwee-? Sango managed a little squeak before her face went bright red. She hung her head forward, almost genuflecting at her master?s feet. ?I?m sorry, I?m sorry, I?m sorry!?

?You should be,? Sakuya said with a frown. ?I never put you down as the type to converse with the enemy, Sango-san.?

?And not telling your own companions about it?? For once Youmu was in agreement with Sakuya, the two sisters moving together as one to confront the dolphin. ?Immature isn?t nearly strong enough a word for it.?

Sango grew teary-eyed as the Sirens started to surround her. She raised her hands in surrender, ready to accept whatever punishment they forced on her.

Mokou gave her a playful bonk on the head. ?We?re a team, remember?? There was no anger in her voice, only a minor disappointment. ?You?re really lucky that we were there when the whole thing went to hell, or Koishi-san wouldn?t have survived.?

?Wait, you knew?? Koishi opened the hatch to the tank as the last traces of gel drained away. ?But we didn?t tell anybody else-?

?Actually, you did.?

Nazrin raised a hand, a smug grin rising to her face. ?Come on, Koishi-san. You really think you two could just sneak out of the house and not expect anyone to notice??

?Wasn?t all us, though!? Shou?s form popped out from the mouse?s side, pulling a thumbs-up with both hands. ?We had some help when it came to getting the word out.?

Nazrin growled. ?Quit stealing my thunder, master.?

?Help?? Koishi tried to brush the gel out of her hair as she stepped out of the tank. ?What sort of help-?

?KOISHI-SAMA~!?

Before she could finish the sentence, Koishi was charged from both sides in a massive embrace. Rin and Utsuho both clung to her like glue, paying no mind to the fact she was soaked through.

?Koishi-sama, you?re such an idiot!? Rin yelled, on the verge of tears. ?What kind of master runs off like that and leaves her pets to worry about her??

Utsuho cooed furiously, her wings flapping around to dry Koishi off. ?We were really scared, Koishi-sama. Never ever ever do that again, okay? Pretty please??

Even with her outfit drenched, Koishi couldn?t help but feel warm as her pets hugged her. The Sirens were gathered around, all looking at her with bright smiles. They were right - the Sirens were a team, and she?d forgotten that.

?I?m sorry, everyone,? she said. ?I won?t go off by myself like that again.?

?Here?s hoping,? Komachi said. ?Just to be clear - you don?t have a second sister you never mentioned, right??

A long hard laugh echoed through the room. It was a laugh they all desperately needed to let out. The crisis was over, the battle was won, the day was saved.

Yet Koishi couldn?t help but think about what she?d experienced while she was unconscious. Had it been a hallucination? Surely it must have been. After all, Yukari had made all that fuss about the knife, and it was nowhere to be seen.

...Right?

She wanted to believe that, but she couldn?t shake the feeling something was wrong. She dug a hand into her pocket on a paranoid instinct.

Her fingers closed around cold steel. Cold, and raw, and wicked.

BT:

like, okay, I saw this coming but I didn't expect Spoiler: Yukari
good shit

FinnKaenbyou:

“I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Satori’s hands ran carefully along Jozu’s body, the sponge numbing the pain from her burns. The question was so rhetorical that Jozu almost wanted to laugh at it.

“No, not at all.” She infused every syllable with as much sarcasm as she could muster. “Actually, I’ve never felt better. Think I might go for a walk, actually.”

“Very funny.” Satori’s expression grew suddenly stern. “Seriously, though, let me know if I’m pushing too hard. It won’t help anyone if I make your injuries worse.”

Jozu rolled her eyes. “Yes, mom.”

Their discussions were interspersed with long silences, where Satori would do nothing but tend to Jozu’s wounds. The shark looked worse than she was - the burns were thorough, but a well-kept youkai would be back on their feet in a matter of hours. All Satori could do to help was make the recovery process a little less painful - but she was doing everything she could on that count.

There was something unnerving about her proximity, Jozu thought. Personal space wasn’t a concept that youkai usually cared for, but having Satori this close made her feel strangely embarrassed. Maybe it was an aftereffect from the burns? Yes, surely it had to be that.

“So how’s your sister doing?” she asked, eager to distract herself. “Is she gonna pull through?”

“Koishi’s fine.” Satori let out a little sigh of relief. “Apparently they cut it pretty close. Another minute or two and she would have been beyond saving.”

“Jeez. That must’ve been awful for you.”

The Siren looked down with a sad smile. “Don’t worry. It’s not the first time.”

The look on Satori’s face struck a chord in the depths of Jozu’s heart. Even with her whole body wracked with pain, all the shark could think about was how much Satori had been through. She wanted to reach out and rip the sadness from that expression, to give the girl something to smile about for a change.

Holy shit, that was sappy. Jozu smacked herself in the forehead. What had happened to her? She’d been a ruthless killer before this whole Siren business, and now she was more worried about a human than she was about herself. The change had been so gradual that she’d made no attempt to resist it.

And the frightening thing was that even now, she didn’t mind what she had become.

Dammit, Satori. What have you done to me?

Jozu looked up at the Siren. Satori was the closest thing she had to a friend nowadays. No, friend was the wrong word - friends didn’t make your insides turn to jelly when you thought about them for too long. But even then, it was too late for anything to happen between them, not after what Jozu had done...

“Hello?” Satori clicked her fingers in front of Jozu’s face. “Don’t tell me you’ve passed out again.”

Jozu flinched. “Ah, uh, sorry. I was, uh...distracted.”

Satori sighed and shook her head. She reached down, tenderly putting Jozu’s hand in hers. “Is there something you want to say?”

Dammit. Stupid mindreaders, always knowing when you had something to hide. Jozu cleared her throat, but it only managed to make her chest feel heavier.

“Look, Satori...I’m sorry about everything.”

Satori tilted her head. “Eh? What are you sorry for?”

“What else?” Jozu squeezed at the Siren’s hand. “I nearly got your sister killed, and now the Black Claw is gonna be out for your blood. I tried to help you out, and all I managed to do was make shit worse.”

She couldn’t look. She knew she’d let Satori down in the worst way possible. She’d wanted to play dumb and act like the whole thing never happened, in the hope that maybe they could pretend everything was okay. But there was only so long she could run from what she’d done.

Satori squeezed back.

“What do you mean, Jozu?” Satori’s face brightened. “It’s thanks to you that I can speak with my sister without us coming to blows. It was dicey, maybe, but it all worked out in the end.” Her eyes glistened with a brand new joy. “And I can’t exaggerate just how grateful I am for that.”

Jozu felt numb, the pain in her body falling away. All the fear and dread she’d been bottling up disappeared in an instant. Satori wasn’t just alright with what had happened, she appreciated it. The sudden release of tension made Jozu feel like she was flying.

“Heh heh...that’s good to hear.” She was still blushing, and now she knew it wasn’t thanks to the burns. “I wanted to cheer you up, Satori. It really sucked seeing you wallowing around the fortress like that. Because I, well...”

Jozu had exactly one chance to let it out. If she waited for the moment to pass, it would never feel as right as it felt now. Even if she was wrong - even if Satori didn’t understand - she had to say it now before her heart exploded.

“I...I like you, Satori. I mean, really really like you.” The first words were the hardest, but Jozu sped up from there. “Not at first, I admit. I thought you were gonna be a hassle, but you ended up growing on me. Now when I think about you too much I start feeling really anxious and I worry that maybe I’m being stupid about this and how would it even work I mean you’re a human and I’m a youkai and we can’t-”

Her soliloquy was interrupted by Satori leaning forward and kissing her on the lips.

It was a short kiss, but it was enough to make the shark feel like she was on fire.  By the time Satori pulled back, Jozu swore she could feel steam hissing from her ears.

“Congratulations,” Satori said with a smile. “I was wondering when you’d finally find the courage to say it.”

“Then-then you knew?” Jozu stammered, any sense of composure scattered in the wind. “But I worked really hard not to think about it when I was around you. I didn’t wanna - I thought it’d be really awkward if you didn’t feel the same.”

“Well, you didn’t try hard enough.” Satori ran a playful hand through Jozu’s hair. “But you’ve got nothing to worry about, Jozu. You’re a very special person to me, too. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with how you felt before I told you.”

Jozu nuzzled at Satori’s hand, letting her hair rustle between the human’s fingers. It was so subservient she would have died on her feet if anyone else saw it - but with Satori, it just felt so right.

“...But how are we gonna make this work?” She pouted. “I mean, either way this war ends, we’re probably gonna go our separate ways.”

Satori’s eyes quickly hardened with resolve. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to make it work. Either I’ll hide you at home, or I’ll come live with you on the bottom of the ocean. Whatever it takes.”

She spoke with such power that Jozu had no choice but to believe her. The pair lost themselves in each others’ eyes, sharing a long but comfortable silence.

“...I should probably go.” Satori broke away first, standing to her full height over the bed. “They’re holding a debriefing for the Sirens, so I should probably attend. Don’t go walking off, understand?”

Jozu’s arm creaked as she saluted. “Roger that, boss. Take care.”

Satori nodded, her face erupting into another grin. Just seeing that smile brought a warmth to Jozu’s heart. Her eyes followed Satori up until she was a distant speck in the corridor.

It took a while for her body to remember how much it was hurting.

“Ah, jeez...” Jozu winced as she pulled the covers back over herself. “Would it kill these guys to give me a painkiller or two?”

-----

“So, that’s that.” Nitori fumbled with her papers, clearing her throat in an attempt to quell the growing murmurs. “Assuming there are no objections, we’ll move straight on-”

“Of course I have an objection!” Momiji stood up from her chair, slamming her hands into the desk. She swung an arm around with a flourish as she pointed it towards the dolphin sitting across from her. “Ma’am, Agent Tororetsu violated every rule the White Pearl has. She made deals with the enemy, kept vital information from her superiors, and led one of the Sirens into a goddamn deathtrap. And you’re going to pardon her?”

Sango bowed her head forward, sweat dripping from her brow as her fingers tapped at her lap. “I-I said I’m sorry, okay? It was stupid and I should have told you guys, but I didn’t mean for things to turn out like they did!”

“The humans say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Momiji growled. “Maybe you should have kept that in mind.”

Nitori sighed, leaning backwards into her chair. She’d hoped that if she glossed over the matter quickly no-one would question it. Why couldn’t anything be simple anymore?

“You’re right, Momiji. What Sango-san did was all sorts of illegal, and normally I’d have made a pretty public example of her.”  The kappa shrugged. “But the progress she managed to make with it was pretty damn invaluable, so we can write it off as a learning experience. And the girls are willing to forgive her - right, girls?”

She motioned to the far end of the table, where another half-dozen desks had been added to accommodate the Sirens. Satori was at the very end of the table, as far away from the ‘official’ members of the Pearl as was physically possible.

“Right.” Koishi nodded, speaking on her allies’ behalf. “Sango-san was never planning to hurt anyone, and it’s thanks to her that I got the chance to make up with my sister. She deserves a second chance.”

“Yes, but-” Momiji stayed standing, mouth bobbing open and shut as she tried to come up with a counterargument. Nitori pondered how best to defuse the wolf - it was difficult to reason with someone so in love with the rules.

Luckily, Ran intervened before Nitori had to step in.

“Easy, girl.” The fox reached up, putting a hand on Momiji’s shoulder and lowering her back into her seat. “Now isn’t the time to get caught up in petty disputes. We have much larger issues to deal with than a stray dolphin.”

Momiji continued to grumble and glare at Sango, but she eventually gave up on her attack. Her respect for Ran was stronger than her loyalty to the law, it seemed. Nitori eased her shoulders, relieved that the problem had managed to solve itself.

Now she could focus on the difficult part.

“Right, then. With that out of the way, let’s continue the debriefing.” Nitori looked right across the table towards the newest member of the group. “Satori-san, I hope you appreciate the risk we’re taking in allowing you to listen in on this. For all we know, you could just walk out right now and tell Leviathan exactly where we’re hiding.”

“And why exactly would I do that?” Satori took the accusation poorly, folding her arms and rolling her eyes. “I’m not sure if you missed the part where Leviathan tried to kill my sister and my partner in rapid succession.”

The air cooled to freezing point. Every eye at the table had fallen onto Satori - one or two looking on with concern, but most examining her with suspicion. Nitori growled, already knowing she’d started on the wrong foot.

“To be fair, we are dealing with a genius.” Sakuya twirled one of her braids around with a finger. “I wouldn’t put it past Leviathan to set up a plan like that.”

“But she shot Satori-san first, didn’t she?” Mokou scratched her head. “Koishi-san only got hit because she got in the way. Seems like a big risk to take.”

“I’m with Mokou-san on this one,” Komachi said, nodding thoughtfully. “Leviathan’s smart, but she’s not crazy. That plan sounds like too much of a gamble.”

A short silence followed, which was the closest they were likely to come to an agreement. Again, Nitori opened her mouth to try and move the discussion along; again, someone else beat her to the punch.

“Still, I’m rather skeptical,” Ran said, her tails standing on end behind her. “No matter how badly Leviathan may have angered you, it’s hard to believe you’ve changed sides so suddenly.”

Satori frowned. “That’s because I haven’t. I still believe in what my master told me; I’ve just found out that she doesn’t. We’re not allies, Yakumo-san. We simply share a common enemy.”

A collective gasp ran across the table. Nitori mentally smacked herself across the face - she’d expected Satori to be confrontational, but she never thought the Siren would be this blatant about it. The only person who seemed to have been expecting her outburst was Koishi, nodding along in understanding.

“Eeeh?” Sango blinked rapidly, rubbing at her eyes in disbelief. “But you said you’d give up if you lost to Koishi-san!”

“I said no such thing,” Satori retorted, raising a finger in dispute. “Koishi agreed she’d stop fighting for the Pearl if she lost. You assumed the agreement was mutual.”

“But that’s-” Youmu’s hands balled into fists, as if the claim had been a personal offense. “That’s just dishonourable! The odds were stacked from the very beginning!”

The valkyrie smirked. “It’s not my fault Koishi didn’t use her head, is it?”

That was the spark that started a wave of dispute, a dozen voices merging into one another. All of them were aimed at Satori, either stating their disbelief or simply telling her exactly where she could stick her double-crossing tactics.

Nitori grabbed at her temples. This had spiraled out of control with absurd speed, and she had no clue how to stop it. If it was as simple as kicking Satori out, she’d have already done that - but the fact was, the valkyrie was the only way they’d have a chance of finding Leviathan’s hideout. They needed her help - the only problem was getting everyone to play along nicely.

“Everyone, stop it!” Koishi’s voice rose above the rest, silencing the table in a surprising display of force. She reached over and took her sister’s hand in support. “Satori isn’t a bad person. Maybe we don’t agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together.”

“Wait, why are you sticking up for her?” Nazrin’s tail whipped against the floor. “I thought you were the one she just admitted to double-crossing.”

Koishi’s face hardened, seeming to age by almost a decade. “Does that even matter? So what if Satori disagrees with us? It’s like she said - we’ve got a common enemy, and we’re only going to beat the Black Claw if we team up.”

“Koishi-san, with all due respect,” Momiji said, in a tone that implied no respect at all, “I don’t think you’re in a position to make a judgement here. Your relation to Satori compromises your viewpoint.”

“Maybe it does,” Koishi said. “But we need her right now, and nothing’s going to change that.”

The bickering voices stayed silent, unable to offer a response - not because Koishi’s argument was foolproof, but because it was anything but. There was no logic to it, and without that there was no way to offer a meaningful retort.

“...As unpleasant as it is, Koishi-san has a point.” Nitori made the most of the silence, stepping in before anyone could restart the debate. “We need Satori-san’s assistance if we’re going to find where Leviathan’s hiding. It’s not going to be pleasant for any of us, but we’ll have to grin and bear it.”

She turned to Satori. “Until further notice, you are under my direct command. You don’t move, think, eat or breathe until I say so. Understood?”

The valkyrie frowned, but as she turned towards her sister her expression softened. Finally she managed a shrug. “Alright. I’ll play nice.”

“Good.” Nitori wiped a layer of sweat from her brow. “Now, I’ve already asked Jozu about the specifics of the Black Claw stronghold. I’ll be discussing it in more detail with her shortly; Momiji, Ran, Sango-san, you’re to come along with me for that. The rest of you, hang tight for an hour or two while we figure out where to go from here.”

Nitori put down her papers and shuffled her collar. “Now, unless anyone has something they want to add-”

“Actually,” Koishi said, raising her hand, “While I’m at it, there’s something else I need to say.”

Oh no. Nitori did her best to hide her concern. “What is it, Koishi-san?”

Koishi bit her lip, seemingly unsure where to start. “This is going to sound pretty crazy, but while I was unconscious, I...” She paused, visibly struggling for the words.

“What is it?” Ran said sharply. “We don’t have all day, girl-”

“I met Yakumo-san.” Koishi blurted the sentence out all at once. “Yukari Yakumo-san.”

Ran’s look of dismay was quickly replaced with utter shock. “Wha-What sort of joke do you think that is? My master’s been dead for centuries.”

“Exactly,” Koishi said. “I only met her because I nearly died myself. This isn’t the first time, either - I met her once before when I was a little girl.”

Satori’s eyes widened at that one. Nitori saw her mutter “the lake” beneath her breath. No-one else seemed sure how to approach the claim, looking on with varying expressions of shock.

“...Boss, there wasn’t anything in that healing gel, was there?” Sango said. “You didn’t put her on an acid trip or something.”

“What sort of scientist do you think I am?” Nitori pouted, insulted by the accusation. “Still, what Koishi-san is claiming is...not unheard of, but it’s immensely rare.” She turned back to Koishi. “Did Yakumo-san happen give you anything to prove you were there? When a soul visits the Boundary, anything they’re given should be brought back with them.”

“Yeah, she-” Koishi reached for her pocket, then stopped abruptly. “...Wait, never mind. I made a mistake.”

Nitori furrowed her brow. It was a clumsy lie, and everyone at the table could tell. It wasn’t hard to tell where she was hiding the evidence, either.

“...Alright,” she said, with a shrug of her shoulders.

“What?” Momiji jerked her neck around. “Ma’am, she’s clearly hiding something-”

“I know,” Nitori said, her voice slow and steady. “But I also know Koishi-san isn’t the type to lie. If she’s keeping something from us, it’s because Yukari told her to. That means it may as well be an order for the rest of us.”

Koishi managed a small nod of confirmation. “Sorry.” She bowed forward before slipping back into her seat. “You’ll just have to trust me on this one.”

“Sure thing,” Komachi said. “Not like this is the strangest thing that’s happened to us, is it?”

The Sirens murmured their agreements, and even Momiji sighed as she gave up on arguing. Only Ran stood her ground, eyes wide open as she stared straight towards Koishi. The fox clutched her chest with one hand, like she’d been struck in the heart.

“Human, tell me.” Ran cleared her throat as she regained her composure. “My master. Did she seem happy?”

Koishi nodded, looking towards the fox with a sad smile. “Yakumo-san...yes, she looked peaceful. She asked for you by name, actually. You must have meant a lot to her, Ran-san.”

Ran’s tails fluttered about behind her back. For a moment, Nitori could see tears forming in her eyes, but the fox promptly covered her face with a sleeve.

“I see.” Ran’s mouth was still visible, locked in the widest smile the kappa had ever seen from her. “That’s good news. I’ve always wondered where she went after...after things went wrong.”

The fox rose to her feet, still rubbing at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I need a few minutes. I’ll catch up with the rest of you.” She shuffled out of the classroom, closing the door behind her as she walked down the corridor.

“OK, then.” The kappa cracked her neck, trying to regain her focus. “Anyone else got a near-death experience they’d like to report?” She was ready for someone else to raise a hand in dispute, but thankfully the crowd was silent this time around.

Thank god.

“Excellent. Then you’re dismissed for now.” Nitori cracked her neck as she rose to her feet. “Sango, Momiji, I’ll meet you in the nurse’s office. Just let me grab a stiff drink first. I get the feeling today’s gonna be a long day...”

-----

“Unyuuu~”

Utsuho let out a little squeal of joy as Satori ruffled her hair, her fluffy wings flapping about behind her. Rin was slightly more conservative in her display of emotion, but she still let out a long, deep purr.

“It’s good to see you again.” Satori took care to divide her attention equally between her two pets. “I hope I didn’t worry you too much.”

“Of course we were worried, Satori-sama.” Rin’s ears bounced around on the top of her head as she spoke. “You just disappeared without a word. I mean for ages I thought you’d never come back!” She looked away. “...Not that I didn’t believe in you or anything.”

Utsuho nodded along. “It was scary at first,” she said, with a pout that quickly turned into a smile. “But Koishi-sama was a really nice master, so everything turned out okay.”

Koishi looked away, sitting next to her sister on the stairway. “Honestly, you two, it’s not that big a deal.”

Satori frowned, turning towards Koishi while she tended to the pets with both hands. “Koishi, you shouldn’t be so humble about it. If the world was full of people like you, we wouldn’t be having this war to begin with.”

Koishi shook her head. “Maybe, but that’s a silly thing to ask for. The world’s never going to be perfect; there are always going to be people who get misled or lose track of who they are. We should be trying to help those people, but it’s a fight we can’t really win outright.”

Satori leaned back, mouth hanging open. Her expression warmed into a proud grin. “You really have grown up, haven’t you?”

“I had to, didn’t I?” Koishi wrapped her arms around her sister. “Someone had to stand in for you while you were gone.”

The valkyrie leaned into the hug. She’d forgotten how good company like this had felt - a sister and pets who loved her with all their hearts. Her feelings for Jozu were different - romantic, she wanted to say - while this camaraderie was much more familial. She wondered how she had ever managed to cope without them.

Then she put those thoughts aside as a more serious matter came to her.

“Utsuho, Rin, could you run along for a bit?” she asked. “Koishi and I need to talk about something serious.”

“Nyaah?” Rin stuck up her nose. “No fair. You’ve only been petting me for five minutes now.”

“And my hand’s about to fall off. I think that’s long enough.”

“Muuuuu.” The cat grumbled as she shuffled away, pouting at her master as she rose to her feet. “C’mon, Okuu. Let’s go scribble on some of the chalkboards.”

“Unyu?” Utsuho tilted her head. “But Orin, isn’t that something bad people do?”

“Maybe.” Rin smirked as she started running down the corridor. “But that’s why it’s so fun.”

As she darted into the distance, Utsuho scrambled to her feet and gave chase. “W-Wait for me, Rin! I can’t run that fast!”

Satori giggled beneath her breath as she watched her two pets dive into a classroom. This was her first time seeing them in youkai form, but somehow she’d always known exactly what sort of people they were.

“Rin’s a bad influence,” Koishi said. “I’ve been trying to work her out of it, but Utsuho keeps coming to her defense.”

The valkyrie shrugged. “It’s harmless enough. Let them be.” She turned towards her sister, expression hardening. “More importantly, why did you lie about the knife?”

Koishi almost smacked her head against the stair behind her. “How did you-”

“I’m a mind reader, remember?” Satori wore a wry smile. “You can’t hide anything from me, Koishi.”

Koishi sighed, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a glittering dagger, its blade running the spectrum as it hummed with raw energy. “It’s called Aptera,” she said. “Yakumo-san said it was our duty as Sirens to decide how to use it, so I didn’t want anyone else to know. If we’re meant to make this choice, we shouldn’t let people like Kawashiro-sensei colour our judgement.”

Satori blinked, and a stream of thoughts poured from Koishi’s mind. She parsed them one at a time, needing a few seconds to process the raw data in full. When she was done, she placed a hand on her chin and lost herself in thought.

“...I see. That’s quite a dilemma she’s laid on us.” Satori leaned backwards on the stairway, staring intently at the ceiling. “Forcing one race or the other to lose their powers forever.”

Koishi nodded. “I don’t know how we’re meant to choose. Whatever we pick, it feels like we’d be changing the world for the worse.”

“True. It’s not a decision we can make lightly.”

They sat in silence together for a while, crunching the problem in their heads. Satori could see little in the way of progress coming from her sister - her mind was a jumbled mess, unable to stop on one side or the other. It would take a long, thought-out debate for her to come to a decision.

Then again, that was why there were seven Sirens.

“You might want to gather everyone here,” Satori said. “This is our chance to talk it over while all the youkai are distracted.”

“Right.” Koishi pulled herself upright, looking down the corridors for any sign of the other Sirens. “Wait here for me, alright?”

“Sure. And Koishi?”

“What?”

Satori’s face darkened. “Don’t expect an easy answer.”

-----

“So let me make sure I understand this.” Mokou paced the length of the corridor, hands fumbling around in her pockets. “If we want to use this super-weapon Yukari gave you, we have to decide which race will never be able to use magic again?”

Koishi nodded. She looked down at the dagger on her lap, running a finger along its edge. It was hard to believe a weapon so small could demand such a hefty price for its use. A small part of her still wanted to throw the thing out the window and be rid of it, but that wasn’t her decision to make.

“Awful rude of her, I say.” Komachi rubbed at the back of her neck, her brows knitted and her expression clouded. “I sure as hell didn’t sign up for a choice like that.”

“I don’t think any of us did,” Youmu said, sighing with every breath. “There’s no way to go half and half, is there? Rather than draining all the power from one group, we take some energy from both of them?”

Koishi shook her head. “Yakumo-san said it had to be one or the other. I’m guessing the two energy sources aren’t compatible or something like that.”

“Hm.” The swordsman frowned. “Well, there goes that idea.”

“Right, let’s judge our options.” Mokou raised her hands upwards, as if trying to balance them. “Nazrin-san, what would happen to the youkai if they couldn’t use magic any more?”

Nazrin grimaced. “That’s a tough question to answer. Magic is the only upper hand the youkai have left, and they’ve built their society entirely around it. Taking that away would be ripping away the foundations of their entire civilisation.”

“But could they cope without it?” Youmu said, pushing the question. “Would the youkai survive even if their magic was gone?”

The mouse coiled her tail around her leg. “I really have no idea. Best case scenario, the races come together and make do with what’s left; worst case scenario, they all blame each other for letting this happen and their squabbling leads to bloodshed. There’s no way we can really tell how the youkai would react before it actually happens.”

“Basically,” Satori interjected, “consider what would happen if the human race suddenly lost the power of electricity. All the little gadgets we’ve built our civilisation on - phones, appliances, computers, the internet - just turn off and stay off. Of course we could survive. After all, we lived fine without all those conveniences centuries ago. But that feeling of loss would make us sensitive, even vengeful against whoever we thought was responsible. We might be fine, or we might raze our own cities to the ground.” She shrugged. “That’s what we would be putting the youkai race through if we took their magic away.”

Instinctively, half the Sirens reached into their pockets for their cell phones. “OK, so that’s really not a good idea,” Komachi said. “Now, if we drain the power from the humans instead-”

“Then the youkai will go to war.” Sakuya leaned on the back wall, absent-mindedly shuffling a deck of cards. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m not fond of the option that leads to our whole species getting wiped out.”

“They won’t kill the humans.” Nazrin said. “It’s not like we’re a bloodthirsty army of-”

“But Naz, what about the whole incident at the zoo?” Shou emerged at Nazrin’s side, folding her arms and shaking her head. “Those youkai would have killed plenty of humans if we hadn’t stepped in.”

Nazrin sighed. “Okay, most of them won’t kill the humans. Is that better?”

“Sorry, Naz.” The ghost pouted at her pet. “I know you’re seeing this from a different angle, but we aren’t going to get anywhere by sugar-coating our options.”

“I know, I know.” The mouse pulled her ears back. To her peers she seemed to be talking to herself, but they knew better than to interrupt. “It’s just such a big change, and magic is all the youkai have left going for them. Is it that weird to want to defend it?”

“Not at all.” Satori stepped forward, placing a hand on Nazrin’s shoulder. “The youkai have been on the receiving end of a lot these last few millennia. It’s only natural to look for some sort of payback.”

“OK, then, another question.” Mokou raised her hand to get the crowd’s attention. “If the youkai aren’t going to kill the humans, what are they going to do?”

“Well, first off, they’re gonna take their land back,” Komachi said. “We built over a lot of their monuments and ruins and whatever, and I’m guessing they’re slightly mad about that.”

“Can you blame them?” Satori said, stepping in when she saw a moment to push the initiative. “Imagine if a foreign country walked in and knocked down half of Tokyo. There’d be an uproar, and rightfully so.”

“As for us...” Komachi looked at her shoes, her lips a tangled mess. “Well, we’ll get some credit for being decent masters, so they’ll probably take us in as pets. They’ll look after us and treat us well - as long as we behave, that is.”

“And if we don’t behave?” Sakuya asked, the question so pointed she could have cut her tongue on it.

Komachi let out a long, hard sigh. “Well, what would you do to a rabid dog?”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“That’s...” Mokou almost fell over as she sat on the floor, grabbing at her head. “Man, I didn’t realise how shitty the youkai had it until you put it like that. They’ve got to do what we say, or we put them down...shit, that’s brutal.”

“Isn’t it?” Satori said, standing over Mokou and making the most of the height difference. “The youkai have been suffering in silence for too long. It’s only fair that they get to claim some sort of recompense.”

“And where does that get us?”

Koishi’s voice caught Satori by surprise, forcing her to jerk her head around. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Let’s say this all happens like we’re assuming it will,” Koishi continued. “That means that generations of humans - generations that had nothing to do with the incident that started this whole mess - are going to be in the same position the youkai are in now. They’ll be powerless and unable to stand up for themselves.” She met her sister’s eyes, refusing to budge an inch. “Nothing will change, Satori. It’ll be the same problem as before, just in reverse.”

The valkyrie furrowed her brow. “And what’s your point? The alternative is taking away the youkai’s only chance of doing something about it. Better to offer them some reprieve than to kill off their one chance for rebellion.”

“Yeah, and it’s not like being a pet’s all that bad.” Nazrin bounced up and down on the spot. “I mean, you get all your meals for free, you don’t have to work a day in your life, and you’ve got a master who loves you. What’s not to like?”

“Exactly.” Satori nodded. “For the most part, the youkai hold themselves to a higher moral code - we’d be better under their command than they’d ever be under ours.”

“Higher moral code?” Sakuya scrunched up her nose. “Did you miss the part where Leviathan nearly murdered you?”

“No, but she was an exception. Most of the youkai aren’t as wretched as-”

“Stop it, Satori.” Koishi stamped a foot against the floor to get her sister’s attention. “There are wicked humans, maybe, but there are wicked youkai too. In the end, there’s no point in favouring one or the other.”

Satori’s eyes were wild now, almost desperate. “But Koishi, we can’t just watch this happen-”

“And what about the casualties?” Youmu said, her voice stern but carefully pitched. “Even if the humans are outgunned, they won’t give up without a fight. If the races go to war, thousands are going to die. Maybe millions.”

“I know!” Satori yelled, her voice echoing through the corridors. It took her a few seconds to recover her composure. “I know that. I know this change would do more damage than it could ever fix. But I’ve got to do something, Koishi. I can’t just sit back and let the youkai suffer.”

Koishi took a deep breath as she rose to her feet. “No-one’s disagreeing with you, Satori. We all want to help the youkai. We just feel like there’s got to be a better way than this.”

Slowly, the valkyrie let her shoulders drop as she heaved out a sigh. “OK, then, fine. Let’s try and play it your way. First of all, did Yukari tell you how the knife actually worked?”

“She said it channels the power of the masquerade,” Koishi said. “It’s probably become a lot stronger since there are a lot more humans now than there were in her time.”

“But what matters is we’re going to need a lot of power to make it work.” Sakuya folded her arms and tapped at her shoulders. “Is there any sort of other source we can use as an equivalent? One that doesn’t involve neutering an entire race.”

“Given the magnitude we’re talking about?” Satori shook her head. “It seems unlikely we’ll find one at such short notice.”

In her peripheral vision Koishi realised that everyone - herself included - was looking directly at the knife. The weapon had an almost hypnotic aura to it, the sheer power locked within making it difficult to look away from. What sort of atrocities could the Black Claw commit if they got their hands on it?

“There’s one thing I don’t get here.” Komachi closed her eyes as she lost herself in thought. “What’s the point? Why would she give us such a kickass weapon if it came with such massive drawbacks?”

“Maybe it’s a precaution,” Youmu said. “Just in case we’re desperate.”

“No, that doesn’t sound right.” Koishi heard Yukari’s words echoing in her ears. “Yakumo-san said it was a choice we’d have to make. It’s not a precaution - she thinks we’re going to have no choice but to use it.”

“But why?” Mokou asked. “Leviathan’s on her own now. She’s not that strong, is she?”

Unheeded, everyone turned their attention to Satori. The valkyrie’s lips shrank into a small line.

“I’m afraid I never met Leviathan myself until today, so even I don’t know the extent of her power. But if she’s got sole control over a group as violent as the Black Claw, we have to assume she’s extremely dangerous.”

An eerie silence hung over the Sirens. They looked down at Aptera, watching the light dance across its edge. Koishi felt amazement and disgust flow through her body in equal measure.

“...We can’t use this.” Koishi picked the knife up and placed it back in her pocket. “It isn’t worth the price, whatever we choose.”

“And if we have no choice?” Sakuya tapped a foot against the floor. “What if that knife is the only thing that’ll keep us all from getting killed?”

“I know where I’d stand on that,” Satori said. “The rest of you are another matter though.”

“If it comes down to that, we’ll figure something out.” Koishi sighed, the knife feeling heavier now than it had five minutes ago. “Until then, we’re not even going to consider-”

In the distance, a door clicked open. Koishi stopped mid-sentence, looking in the direction of the sound. A set of footsteps started to travel along the corridor, accompanied by another flurry of profanity.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Nitori flailed her arms about, almost manic as she came into view. “It’s not like I’ve had enough to deal with today. Oh no, now she goes and ups the ante and-” She stopped dead, frozen mid-rant as she saw the Sirens gathered in the stairway. “Eh? What’re you girls talking about?”

Koishi tensed. “Uh, we were...that is, we-”

“We were discussing battle strategies,” Youmu said, bowing towards the kappa. “Since there are seven of us now, we need to work coherently as a team.”

Nitori raised an eyebrow, but her suspicion quickly gave way to exasperation. “Well, at least this makes my job a lot easier. I need you guys back in the briefing room, right now.”

Nazrin’s tail whipped at the ground. “That doesn’t sound like good news.”

“Believe me, it isn’t.” Nitori stormed past the Sirens, cutting a straight path towards the classroom. “We just got ourselves one hell of a deadline.”

-----

Next Week's BGM: Second Strike

FinnKaenbyou:

?OK, I?m sorry.? Komachi rubbed at her eyes before looking at the screen again. ?What the hell am I even looking at here??

Everyone present at the table was focused on the TV Nitori had placed on her desk. It showed a grainy video of what appeared to be the seabed, with weeds flapping about in every direction and fish darting for cover. No-one cared about the weeds, though; everyone?s attention was on the massive structure in the distance, a crystalline palace that almost shone in the dim light that reached those frigid depths.

?That?s her stronghold,? Satori said, blinking rapidly. ?But Leviathan said it wouldn?t show up on human cameras.?

?It didn?t, until a few hours ago.? Nitori stood behind the TV, the remote trembling in her hand as she paced about. ?Whatever enchantments she?d been using to keep it hidden were dispersed, so now the thing?s in plain sight.?

Momiji peered at the screen intently, tail swishing about as she examined every little detail. Ran was calmer, elbows on the desk as she rested her chin on her hands. In contrast, Sango?s jaw dropped on the other side of the table, like she was watching a magic trick.

?Well, that?s a questionable strategy.? Shou?s head poked out from behind Nazrin, tilting sideways as she examined the video.

?Damn right,? the mouse said, chiming in with her master. ?Why would the Claw choose now to lower their defenses??

?There?s a very simple reason for that,? Nitori said, her hand squeezing at the remote. ?See, they couldn?t do very much to hide this.?

She pressed a button, and the TV switched to another camera. This one was closer to the fortress, offering a view of the land beneath it. A circle had been drawn along the ground, arcane symbols scrawled along its length as it hummed with a pale red light.

The Sirens sucked in a collective breath.

?What the hell is that thing?? Mokou gasped.

?...My god.? Ran?s eyes almost popped out. ?It?s a Grand Conflagration Ritual.?

Sango jerked her neck back. ?Conflu-what now??

?Conflagration,? Momiji said. ?In layman?s terms, a really really big fire.?

?I took the liberty of examining the symbols more intently.? Nitori pulled up a sheet of paper, covering in scrawlings and calculations. ?More specifically, the ritual is going to set off an explosion large enough to wipe Gensouto off the map. And this school?s been designated as the epicenter.?

Mokou?s hand flew to her chest. ?You mean-?

?Exactly.? Nitori smacked the document against the desk. ?In less than two hours, this city and everyone in it is going to be blown to kingdom come.?

It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. Koishi could almost hear her brain folding in on itself. They?d dealt with dangerous scenarios before, but this blew everything they?d ever faced clear out of the water.

?I?m guessing evacuation is out of the question,? Momiji said, remarkably calm even in the face of the news. ?Both in terms of the scale and the timeframe.?

?Of course,? Nitori answered. ?Even if we did have the time, what sort of reason could we come up with to validate a city-wide exodus? There?s no way the humans would believe us.?

?And how exactly would the government respond?? Youmu looked down, her eyes frozen-over as she sank into thought. ?The youkai would never own up to it, so they?d assume it was some sort of terrorist attack...or worse, an act of war.?

?And then the humans will finish each other off.? Sakuya let out a low chuckle. ?I have to admit, it?s a pretty clever play.?

Nitori nodded reluctantly. ?We?ve got her cornered, so she?s pulling out all the stops. Our secret weapon was the healing gel. Hers is a goddamn bomb.?

The kappa had discarded her usual joviality. Her posture was rigid, her face revealing nothing of her inner thoughts. With all her fluster already flushed out, she handled the situation with unprecedented cool.

?I shouldn?t need to say this, but there is no way we can allow that spell to go off. We need to go in hard, and we need to do it right now.?

She reached for a piece of chalk, drawing another arcane symbol on the chalkboard. This time the board itself flipped about, revealing a projector on the other side. Firing into the center of the table, it brought up a 3D hologram of the palace from the picture - blocky and hastily-crafted, but still identifiable. The magic circle ran along all sides of the fortress, even its holographic counterpart giving off an unpleasant glow.

?Jozu was nice enough to fill me in on the specifics of what we?ll be up against.? Nitori clicked her fingers, and several blue dots began to circle around the palace. ?For the most part we?ve reduced Leviathan?s personal guard to just the ordinary fishmen. They?re as slow and stupid as ever, but they?ve got us seriously outnumbered. I?d wager we?d have to go through hundreds of these things before we saw any sign of Levi herself.?

?What about the circle?? Satori asked. ?How do we dispel it??

?That?ll be my job, I assume.? Ran rose to her feet. ?You want me to defuse the circle from the inside.?

?Right.? Nitori pointed at a distant corner of the circle, finger hovering over a specific symbol. ?This is where the ritual?s power is focused. You?re the only one strong enough to counter a spell of this magnitude.?

The fox sighed, spinning her arm about in its socket. ?Understood. You are aware I?ll be completely defenseless while I?m working on this, right??

?Of course. Momiji and I will be covering you.? Nitori turned back towards the Sirens. ?The rest of you will be charging the palace itself. Levi?s going to focus most of her forces on stopping us from defusing the bomb, so you should be able to break through without much trouble.? She pointed to the central tower of the palace, right in the middle of the magic circle. ?Levi herself will be somewhere around here. She can?t leave the circle while it?s being cast, so she won?t be able to run away this time.?

?So you and Momiji-san will be taking on all those guards by yourself?? Koishi said, eyes heavy with anxiety. ?Are you sure you?ll be okay??

?Now, what?s that supposed to mean?? For a moment Nitori?s brevity returned, and she answered Koishi with a wink. ?Don?t worry, Koishi-san. I?ve got a few tricks of my own, too.? She cleared her throat. ?Alright, girls. Any questions??

The Sirens, as a collective, shook their heads. The kappa smiled.

?That?s what I like to hear. This is the moment we?ve been working for all this time - the best chance we?ll ever have at putting the Black Claw to rest for good. Everything we?ve done for the last few months has all built up to this, so we?d better make damn sure we make the most of it.?

She stamped her foot, and the chalkboard flipped around again. ?Now let?s move out, girls. We?ve got a city to save.?

-----

?Hup, two, three, four...?

Sango bent all the way backwards, almost forming a U with her body as she squirmed about. She could hear her joints popping and her muscles stretching in time with each other.

?Sango-san, what are you doing?? Koishi stared in wonder from behind, upside-down from the dolphin?s perspective. Sango smiled until she realised that would look like a frown from Koishi?s point of view; then she switched to the saddest pout she could manage.

?What does it look like, Koishi-san? I?m doing my warm-up stretches.?

?Uh...I think you?re getting too into it.?

?Nonsense! If this is our last push, I need to do every stretch I can think of-? Before she could finish, Sango was interrupted by Koishi poking her in the side with a finger. ?Phwee-!? The dolphin tumbled over, falling into a heap on the sand.

?It?s good to see you?re enthusiastic, but there?s no point if you get yourself hurt.? Koishi reached down, pulling Sango back to her feet. ?Just stick to your normal stretches, okay??

?Muuuu.? Sango pouted again, this time with her head the right way up. ?Fine. But if I get killed because I sprained something, it?s totally your fault.?

Koishi chuckled at that. Seeing her smile always brought a little warmth to Sango?s heart. ?We?re just about finished with the preparations,? Koishi said, motioning to the Sirens gathered further down the coast. ?Kawashiro-sensei is priming her...I?m not sure what they are, but she told Mokou-san not to touch them.?

?Probably a good idea, knowing the boss,? Sango said. ?I?ll be over there in a minute.?

Koishi nodded before turning around and joining the crowd in the distance. The Sirens had all transformed by now, and were taking all the necessary precautions before heading into battle. Mokou practiced her combos, moving from jabs to straights to haymakers in fluid motions; Sakuya practiced her shuffling, the cards moving too fast for Sango to follow; Komachi brushed off the Titanic, letting her massive firearm gleam in the rising sun; Youmu sparred with herself, her ghostly copy matching her move for move, and Nazrin was enraptured by her visor, reading off battle tactics or whatever it was Shou told her. All of them looked utterly focused and ready for the battle ahead.

Wait a minute. Sango did a headcount. Along with Koishi rejoining them, she could only see six of the Sirens. Where was the seventh?

?...nothing worth worrying about, Satori.?

Sango?s ears perked up. As a dolphin, her hearing was much more sensitive than a human?s, and she caught a trace of a discussion on the other side of the beach. Curiosity got the better of her, and she moved closer to listen in as she hid behind a rock.

?You really didn?t have to come, Jozu,? Satori said, one hand behind the shark?s back, ready to catch her if she fell over. ?There?s no way you could have recovered this quickly.?

?Is that so? Well, my body begs to differ.? Jozu flexed her arms about, hastily dressed in a school uniform that didn't come close to fitting her. She threw out a few quick punches and kicks to demonstrate. ?See? Good as new.?

To an uneducated viewer those strikes would have looked flawless, but even from this distance Sango could tell that the shark had lost some of her speed. Judging from her expression, it seemed Satori was aware of that as well.

?Don?t act tough,? Satori said, starting stern but quickly falling into worry. ?I know what you?re trying to do here, but-?

?Then you know I can?t back down now, right?? Jozu reached up and stroked at Satori?s cheek. ?C?mon, Satori. You?re the mind reader here.?

The valkyrie smiled softly, pressing her hand against Jozu?s. ?I know. I just feel like I should at least be trying to stop you, even if I know you aren?t going to listen.?

Watching from afar, Sango felt her face heating up. She started to suspect she was spying on something she wasn?t meant to see. The two girls hugged each other close, immensely comfortable in each other?s presence.

?Relationships are hard, aren?t they?? Jozu said.

?Yeah. They don?t make a lot of sense sometimes.? Satori looked up at Jozu, eyes beaming. ?But I?d gladly go through hell for what I have with you.?

They pulled their heads closer, giving up on any attempt at stopping at friendliness. Their lips were inches apart, drawing closer and closer, until finally-

Phweeeeeee?!

Sango could hear the steam pouring out of her ears as she finally looked away. Her brain was rapidly turning into mush, that one moment locked into her memory forever.

?But she?s a...? She muttered to herself, trying to gain some sort of grasp on what she?d just witnessed. ?And she?s a...and they...but how? Why? When??

The whole thing had taken her totally by surprise. She?d known Satori and Jozu were close, but not that they were that close. Their relationship had seemed just like the one Sango had with Koishi - really good friends. Really, really good friends, actually, friends who would do anything to keep each other safe-

Aah, no, that?s too far! Sango buried her face in her hands, her skin burning from the shame. She?d never stopped to think about it like that - there had been moments where they?d been close, but they always petered out into nothing. She felt comfortable around Koishi, but was it that comfortable? She wasn?t sure.

?Do I like her?? Sango asked herself. ?Or do I like her, like her? Is this even a question I should be asking? I mean, she?s a human, I?m a youkai, it?d never work out-?

?Hey, Sango-san! We?re all set!?

Koishi called out for her across the beach, waving Sango over with a hand. Sango scrambled back to her feet, dashing across the sand as she tried to fight down the blush.

?...Uh, Sango-san?? Koishi frowned again as the dolphin pulled closer. ?Are you okay. You look like you?re coming down with a fever.?

?Fever? What? No, that?s silly. I?m fine.? Sango spat out words like a machine gun spat bullets. ?The water?s cooler. Nothing to worry about. Move along.?

Koishi paused for just long enough to make Sango uneasy before letting out a small sigh. ?Alright. But don?t push yourself, okay?? She turned around, pacing back towards her comrades and giving the dolphin some space.

Sango let out a breath she hadn?t known she was holding in. Her brain was firing on fumes, summoning up neurons she?d never had the need to use before. She?d never thought of Koishi as more than a friend. The other possibility had never been on the table before - and now it was, she wasn?t sure which side of the fence she fell on.

I don?t have long to figure it out, she thought to herself. When all this is over, I?ll probably never see her again.

The dolphin took a deep breath, feeling the heat flush from her face. She had to think this over before it was too late, or she?d regret it for the rest of her life. Not right now, though - they?d be heading off into the water any minute now. Maybe she?d have time on the way to the fortress - after all, there was a lot of ground to cover.

?Are you all ready over here?? Satori marched back towards the group with Jozu in tow. There was no sign of their earlier affection - like before, they just seemed to be close friends. Perhaps that was how they wanted to be seen in public.

?As ready as we?ll ever be.? Nitori rummaged about in a small purse, its contents hidden from the rest of the crowd. Finally satisfied with it, she clipped it shut and slipped it into a pocket. ?Everyone got their rings ready??

There was a murmur of agreement. They?d had just enough Rings of Breath to cover the whole group; the last two had gone to Momiji and Nazrin. Ran didn?t need one - for a mage of her caliber, a water-breathing charm was child?s play.

?Alright, then.? The kappa pointed forward, out into the ocean depths. ?Time?s a wastin?. Let?s show Leviathan what happens when you mess with Gensouto.?

She stepped forward into the water, quickly vanishing below the waves. The Sirens followed, walking out until they were waist deep before diving under the water.

As the sun rose over Gensouto, the White Pearl left only ripples in their wake.

-----

?There?s gonna be water in my ears for weeks after this.?

Nazrin flopped about, her movements clumsy and uncoordinated. No-one had told her there was any water involved in all this Siren stuff. She swam with all the fluidity and grace of a boulder, watching as her teammates pulled further and further away.

?Uh, Naz?? Shou?s face popped up on her visor. ?You might want to straighten your legs a bit.?

?Easy for you to say,? the mouse muttered. ?This is my first time stepping in anything deeper than a puddle. I?ve only just got my head around the whole ?breathing water? thing, alright??

She flailed around some more, trying and failing to match the movements of her fellow Sirens. It didn?t help that her outfit happened to be about ninety percent machinery - even with Shou?s insistence everything was waterproof, she still felt like a toaster that?d been dropped in the bathtub.

?C?mon, master, help me out here,? Nazrin said. ?I know you?ve got a function for this, and I?d like to arrive at the fortress sometime before I die.?

?But Naz, that means you get to sit back and I have to do all the work.?

Nazrin grinned. ?Isn?t that your job, master??

Shou folded her arms, pulling the most pitiful look she could. When Nazrin refused to budge, she finally raised her arms in surrender.

?Alright. Executing DrownedRat.exe.?

There was a whirring as a pair of engines whirred up in Nazrin?s shoes. The water swirled around her feet as the jets pushed her forward, increasing her speed tenfold.

?Many thanks.?

?Yeah, you?d better be grateful.? Shou looked away, doing a poor job of pretending to be offended. ?Seriously, I do everything around here.?

Nazrin smiled. Her master was surprisingly cute when she was frustrated. The mouse hung back from the main pack, matching their pace but keeping far enough away that no-one would be able to hear her.

?So this is it, then,? she said. ?When we beat Leviathan, you?ll disappear.?

Shou tensed. Nazrin didn?t even know ghosts could tense. The picture on her visor flickered again.

?Yeah.? Shou rubbed at the back of her neck. ?I?m sorry, Naz. I?d stay with you forever if I could, but-?

?It?s fine.? Nazrin took a long, deep breath, finally acclimating to her surroundings. ?I know it hasn?t been that long, but even this time we?ve spent together is a miracle. I can?t afford to be greedy.?

She went loose in the water, allowing the jets to carry her while she focused on her words. ?To be honest, master...I always wanted to talk to you. For years I?d just sit and listen to what you had to say, but no matter how much I wanted to I couldn?t reply.?

Shou?s hand reached out of the visor, and for a moment Nazrin swore she felt something poking at her forehead. ?Naz, I-?

?I wanted to say thank you,? Nazrin continued, before Shou could slow her momentum. ?You took care of me for so long without ever asking for anything back. No matter how much trouble I got you into, you always stood up for me. So...thanks, master.?

The image flickered again, more wildly this time. When Shou reappeared, she was wiping at her eyes and sniffling. ?You?re gonna be just fine, aren?t you??

?Oh, I?m gonna feel like shit when you?re gone.? Nazrin smiled in spite of the gravity of her statement. ?I?ll probably cry about it for a few days. There?ll be a lot of choking and sobbing and all that stuff you?re not supposed to do in front of other people.? Another deep breath, this one to still the trembling feeling in her chest. ?But when that?s done? Yeah, I?m pretty sure I?ll make it through.?

Shou nodded. ?Thanks, Naz. I think I needed to hear that.? Her hand reached out, tiny fingers rubbing at the mouse?s nose. ?I?m glad to see I?ve got nothing to worry about.?

Nazrin nuzzled at the hand, nostalgic memories of her days in the cage coming back to her. For an instant, everything was back to normal - she was a loyal pet with a loving master, and everything would be just fine.

She would have let that moment play out forever if the rest of the Sirens didn?t slow to a halt in front of her.

?Last stop.? Shou pulled back into her screen and offered another salute. ?Good luck, Naz.?

As Nazrin caught up with her allies, she saw a structure forming on the horizon. It was larger and more threatening than it had seemed on the projection - every crystalline edge was sharpened to a perfect sheen, as if the entire palace was made of swords. Surrounding it, the magic circle pulsed with a malicious aura.

?Yeah,? Nazrin whispered beneath her breath, gulping. ?I think I?m going to need it.?

-----

Nitori pressed her back against the rock, poking her head over the top to take a glance at the fortress. The circle?s light was almost blinding now as the spell neared its climax. Dozens of guard squads circled around the palace, each consisting of at least twenty youkai. They swam in a never-changing path, eyes locked forward, waiting for a motion or sound to set them off.

Nitori gave the circle another look-over. The key symbol was on the leftmost edge, but there was no sort of cover they could use. They?d have to sneak past a blind spot in the enemy guard - a moment too fleeting for Nitori to pick out. Luckily, she?d brought along someone who could.

?Their patrol looks pretty solid.? She looked to her left. ?Momiji, see any openings??

?Give me a second.? Momiji?s eyes let off a faint glow, moving from point to point with unerring speed. The wolf?s vision was sharp even among her people, picking up on the most minute of details. She examined her surroundings with the coolness and precision of a machine.

After almost a minute of examination, her ears perked up. ?Think I?ve got a route we can take. It?s pretty tight, but it should be possible.?

?Good. We have to get Ran in position before any fighting starts.? Nitori turned back to the Sirens, most of whom were eying the structure in awe and concern. ?Girls, hang back here for now. When you get my signal, make a break for the entrance and take down Levi before she knows what hit her.?

?And what is your signal?? Satori asked.

?Trust me.? The kappa winked. ?You?ll know it when you see it.?

She pulled away from the main group, Momiji and Ran following behind her. They came to a stop at the edge of the rock formation, ready to jump out of cover when the moment arrived.

?Kawashiro-sensei...? Koishi gulped. ?You?re planning to come out of this alive, right??

?Eh?? Nitori raised an eyebrow, then broke into laughter. ?Of course I am, Koishi-san. Like I?d let someone else mess up all the work I?ve put into the White Pearl.?

?Yeah, but those odds...? Mokou furrowed her brow. ?The three of you against all of those guards? Are you really sure you can pull that off??

Nitori put on a cocky smile. ?You have no idea who you?re dealing with, do you?? She turned back to Momiji. ?When?s our opening??

?Five seconds from now.?

?Alright.? Nitori gave the Sirens a final thumbs-up. ?You girls had better win, got it??

She didn?t hang around to see their response. At Momiji?s signal, she popped out from her hiding spot and made a break for the target. The wolf led the way, marking the pace and direction for her allies to follow; Nitori and Ran matched her to a tee, swimming in parallel with one of the passing squadrons.

?Good to see you?re confident,? Ran said once they?d moved out of earshot. ?I thought they?d have trusted in you a little more, though.?

?Well, I?ve kinda been holding back until now.? The kappa shrugged. ?I like to consider myself the ace up my own sleeve.?

?Then why are you playing the distraction?? Momiji said. ?If you?re that strong, why are you leaving the humans to deal with Leviathan??

Nitori sighed. She?d been tempted, true. Her personal business with Leviathan had made it hard to turn down the opportunity. In the end, though, she?d decided against it.

?It?s their fight, isn?t it?? Even as she said it, Nitori felt more confident in her decision. ?They?re the Sirens, after all. It?s what they were chosen to do.?

The three youkai touched down on the edge of the circle, a seven pointed star drawn on the ground at their feet. The fish still swam past, unaware, but in a few seconds the patrols would cycle around and catch on. Those seconds were the opening Nitori was counting on.

?Alright, let?s get to business. Ran, if you would??

The fox nodded, stepping into the center of the star. She pressed her hands together, a golden glow seeping out from between her fingers as she caught her breath. In one swift motion she brought both her hands down to the ground, her golden light beginning to spread out across the star.

The circle roared in defiance, as if out of a survival instinct. Its screech was too shrill to have come from the mouth of any living thing, and Nitori winced at the sound of it. The fishmen were instantly roused from their slumber, all of them turning in the direction of the three youkai.

Simultaneously, the entire mass of soldiers charged forward at once.

?Well, here they come.? Momiji stretched her arms out, standing in front of Ran as her sword and shield took form in her hands. ?You?d better have a damn good plan ready.?

?Oh, I do.? Nitori casually stepped forward, pulling out her purse and rummaging through it. ?But I need them to get a little closer first.?

?What??

As the horde grew ever closer, Nitori finally pulled a small silver box from the purse. She shook it, and a few white pellets tilted out onto her palm.

?Breath mint?? she said, offering them to Momiji. The wolf was speechless, staring at Nitori in utter bewilderment.

?This is not the time for refreshment!? Ran yelled, pinned to her spot in the middle of the star. ?Kawashiro, for the love of Yukari, DO SOMETHING!?

The kappa sighed as the fishmen descended upon her. ?Fine. You two are no fun, you know that??

She threw the pellets forward at the crowd.

Seconds later, there was a blinding flash.

?Gyaah!? Momiji shielded her eyes, the explosion almost knocking her off her feet. Her ears flapped down in an attempt to protect themselves from the roar, her shirt flapping around in the water. Even Ran seemed overwhelmed by the sheer firepower Nitori was carrying, gripping the ground to keep her spell from faltering.

In contrast, Nitori?s eyes were locked upon our own work. As the flash began to fade, an entire wave of fishmen had been dispersed, splitting into smaller fish and scattering to the four winds. Another wave moved forward to replace them, charging in the same manner as the first.

As she threw forward another wave of pills, Nitori began to bask in her confidence. Each wave was just as eager to throw themselves into the fray, none of them having the common sense to flank her. The ones that did make it through were easy picking for Momiji, the wolf slicing them in half with one clean swipe.

It would come down to what ran out first - Nitori?s supplies, or the fishmen?s reserves. Neither looked set to give out any time soon; either way, she was buying Ran the time she needed, and giving the Sirens the chance to finish the job. From here, she could see them making a break for the palace itself; she could only hope they?d be able to finish the job without her.

But now wasn?t the time to think about that. Now was the time to watch things blow up. Nitori had spent this whole operation holding back, and now she got to let out everything at once. She grinned maniacally as she drew out another set of explosives.

?C?mon, you lousy sacks of scales. I?ve got plenty more where that came from!?

-----

Next Week's BGM: Doom Castle

TresserT:

NITORI brand exlosives. I'm half expecting a certain fish princess to appear, but I won't get my hopes up. Great story, keep it up!

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