Lamento Beyond the Void Expiatio Chapter 6
I recently started re-reading the Lamento novel and noticed some chapters haven't been translated yet, so I decided to post my own translations. Please be aware that my native language isn't English and because this chapter is pretty long (...it's about 80 pages, by far the longest chapter) I might have missed some details or made some mistakes. I really enjoyed reading the novel, so I hope this will be useful for others too!
This novel shows the story from Rai's perspective, written by Tomoko Kanemaki, so it's a bit different from the game. Please check out the previous chapters translated by FrillyFujoshi! And thank you Milky for proofreading chapter 6, 7, 8 and the epilogue.
[Prologue] [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Epilogue] [Glossary]
Caput 6
Rai didn’t get much sleep that night. Konoe's breathing had calmed down considerably and when Rai touched his forehead, he noticed the fever had also subsided. Was what Bardo told him true?
Rai noticed his own body was a bit sweaty and still smelled like blood, so he left the room and went outside. Usually, these inns had a bathing place behind the building, Konoe also used it yesterday. He felt a little relieved after noticing Bardo was not at the reception desk. Outside, the air felt nice. He could feel the breeze of early winter. After taking a deep breath, Rai walked to the back of the inn.
He passed by the place where him and Froud fought last night. There were no traces of blood anymore, the soil had absorbed it and it was longer visible. As long as it remained uncorrupted by the Void, the spilled blood would not cause any harm
Rai looked at the small hut behind the building and noticed a small spring. It seemed like this was the bathing spot. He stripped off his clothes and bathed in the water. It was pleasantly cold.
"Is it true that beings from the old world were not good at bathing themselves?" he asked himself.
He suddenly noticed the blood underneath his fingernails. It had always been that way after a fight, but today it made him feel especially uncomfortable.
He poured the water on his body and shook his head to splash the water away. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened last night. After wiping his body and putting his clothes back on, Rai decided to not return to the inn and started walking into the city.
The city had a calm atmosphere in the early morning and Rai did not see many other cats. This was possibly because it was still mating season, so many cats were still in heat and stayed indoors.
Rai quickly entered the back alley and headed for a tavern. He sipped his alcohol in his usual corner and stared off blankly into space. Drinking alcohol in the morning would be unbelievable for anyone who lived a normal life, but for those who enjoyed a drink in the morning, this tavern was a popular spot.
Whenever Rai was alone, he couldn't really remember how he normally spent most of his time. Or maybe it's because he didn't want to think about useless things like that. He lived a life of gathering information and catching prey in the forest. If his past self could see him right now, he would surely laugh at himself for wasting his time like this.
After spending some time there, Rai left the tavern and bought some dried Kuim fruits from a street vendor. Konoe had a fever last night, so he thought it would be better to properly feed him.
When Rai returned to the inn, he noticed Konoe's bed was empty. His fever had subsided, so he must have gone somewhere else. Rai started cleaning his sword. The blood-stained sword’s blade got damaged during last night’s fight.
Rai started getting an uneasy feeling about the situation, fearing Konoe would not return to him. He sheathed his sword and sighed. He reminded himself that Konoe was just his Sanga, there was no need for him to stay with Rai all the time. However, in this kind of situation, it seemed right to instinctively assume that something bad had happened. At the same time, he didn’t want to look for him. He had no idea where Konoe could even be in the first place. He sighed and tried to stop thinking about it.
Rai was mad at himself. It was almost like he was being swayed by Konoe. But it made sense after all, if he lost Konoe he would also lose a precious Sanga.
"That must be why…" Rai muttered to himself.
Konoe… would probably be back soon. His bad premonition was nothing more than an irrational fear. Rai closed his eyes. By the time he woke up, Konoe would probably be back.
"..."
He was woken up by a strange dream. While holding his hand over his right eye, Rai took a deep breath and exhaled. He could hear the sound of laughter ringing in his ears, unsure if it was his own or someone else’s. In his dream everything was red, and he was covered in blood. He could feel a strange, dark desire building up in his chest. He couldn't let go, he had to kill...
Rai put his hand on his forehead and looked down, his heart beating loudly. It was an unpleasant sound. The dark feeling he felt in his chest was slowly spreading through his whole body, consuming the body like some kind of disease. It started driving Rai insane, when did he become like this? He let out a big sigh and looked at the bed next to him. After all, Konoe had not returned.
"…shit"
It was unpleasant, everything was unpleasant. It was the exact opposite how he felt last night when he was grooming Konoe. Rai got up and opened the window, letting in the cool winter breeze. The sky was covered by a thick layer of clouds, the light only peeking through the cracks. It was depressingly dim. Rai wondered why he couldn't sleep and decided to leave the room. At that moment, the door of the room opened slightly, revealing a shadowy figure standing by the door. Rai's tail puffed up. He had no idea how long this figure had been standing here.
Rai reached for his sword, but the shadow took a step toward him. Seeing the figure emerge, Rai suddenly stopped moving. It was Konoe. He couldn't see his face because he was wearing a hood, but it was definitely Konoe who stood there silently. Rai did not have any intentions of asking him anything, after all, it had nothing to do with him.
"Tomorrow, we will go to Lake Kagami."
Rai said while he started walking toward the door. However, Konoe walked over to Rai's side and grabbed his hand while looking down.
"What?"
Konoe didn't answer.
Just when he thought something was wrong, he noticed a faint smile on Konoe's face which was previously hidden by the hood.
This guy... By the time he had realized it, it was already too late. Konoe jumped at him. No, was this cat really Konoe? With a loud sound, Rai was pushed down onto his bed. Konoe climbed on top of him and pressed him down with a strangely strong force. Konoe's hood came off and his expression seemed strange, almost artificial. His ears were black, and his expression was cold as the night. Was this some kind of curse, or was the cat in front of him not Konoe at all? He seemed very different than usual.
"Who are you?" Rai asked him cautiously.
He felt like he had sensed this atmosphere somewhere before. Part of him already knew who this cat in front of him was.
A smile appeared on Konoe’s lips.
"You already know, right?"
"Leaks, huh..?"
Leaks laughed at Rai’s response.
"Did you enjoy your peaceful time here during the Dark Winter Festival?”
"What do you mean?" Rai responded.
"Well, what do you think I mean?”
Rai tried to reflexively hit him, but his suppressed body was too weak to even raise an arm.
"The time is near, darkness is beginning to set in. So, for the last time, I want you to hear my wish".
"Do you want to help this person? Your precious Sanga?"
Rai swallowed his words involuntarily, hesitating what to reply. It was almost like Leaks, who was smiling at him, could read his mind.
"Is that body Konoe’s?” Rai asked.
Leaks nodded without changing his expression, still smiling.
"Oh yes, does it look like a different person to you?”
"The color of these ears…”
The black ears trembled slightly, as if they were answering his question.
"Don't forget. The power of the devils resides within me. And the power of darkness is growing. Something like this is easy for me... Look at this".
Leaks peeled back his gauntlet and held his arm in front of Rai, revealing a black mark on his body. Again, Rai’s body was pushed down.
"Do you believe me? Now let me ask you again. Do you want to help this person?".
This question now had a much heavier meaning than before. One wrong move and he could end Konoe's life. Rai focused his gaze on Leaks.
"What do you want?" Rai asked.
"Are you ready accept it?" Leaks smiled.
"It depends on your request." Rai answered.
Rai could see a mysterious light in Leaks’s eyes.
"Alright. There's only one thing I want from you. It's easy. The real you inside of you... I want that."
Rai's right eye ached, there was only one thing that came to mind.
"Are you aware of it? The shadow within you, the most loyal to your instincts. Pure darkness is the source of my power."
"…do not be silly."
"In that case, let Konoe stay like this. Should I let him kill himself?”
With a smile on his face, Leaks unsheathed his sword and pressed it against his neck.
"Right now, Konoe's heart is asleep. If his body dies, he will never wake up again. He will die without even being aware of his own death, but maybe he will be happier that way. Now what will you do?”
If Rai refused, the blade would cut through Konoe's neck without hesitation. He glared at Leaks, whose expression suddenly became more serious.
Suddenly, he got closer to Rai and pressed their lips together. After just the slightest touch, he moved away and a disturbing smile appeared on his face. Before Rai could ask for an explanation, he started talking again.
"This might be the last time. Have you ever wondered what Konoe thinks of you?"
"...what are you talking about? Don't play around."
Rai bit the lip Leaks had just touched.
"It's just like I said, this is Konoe's subconscious wish."
"...a wish?"
"That's right. You are becoming a special person to Konoe."
Just for a moment, Rai's heart trembled, but it turned into anger almost immediately after.
"If you're going to mislead me, why don't you make up a better lie?"
"Eh. Are you saying it's a lie?"
"Bullshit!"
It felt like such a stupid lie, he couldn't believe such a thing was Konoe's wish.
"…oh my." With a sigh, Leaks stood up and he grabbed his knife again, once again pressing it against his neck.
"Now that's the end of this joke, let me hear your answer."
Rai stared at Leaks in silence for a while. To save Konoe, he would have to destroy himself, but... Rai slowly opened his mouth.
"Stop."
"Do you accept it?" Leaks asked him, still pressing the sword against his neck.
"Do whatever you want." Rai replied.
Leaks’s eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to look inside of Rai's head.
"When the darkness is fully awakened, your soul will be devoured and completely annihilated, it's the same as death. Are you prepared?"
"Shut up."
"...interesting."
After Leaks lowered the sword that had been pressed against his neck, he laughed so hard it made his body tremble. It was like he couldn't help it and thought it was funny from the bottom of his heart.
"It's really interesting. Are you sacrificing yourself for the sake of just one individual? Is he really that important? Do you want to be praised that badly?"
"Shut up!" Rai shouted, interrupting him.
"What is so important?"
However, it was true that disappearing for this reason would be meaningless. It was not like Konoe was the only important person in this world. If he lost Konoe, surely he could find another Sanga. There was no need to be this obsessed with Konoe and to sacrifice his own life for him.
Rai knew that, but why did he feel so confused and accepted Leak's proposal?
"...kukuku, that is fine."
Leaks laughed and touched Rai’s face with his hand. Reflexively, Rai's body shook. His fingertips touched his eyepatch and traced it in a circular motion. This was a humiliating loss to Leaks, without even putting up a fight. Rai clenched his teeth.
With a triumphant smile, Leaks looked at Rai, his fingers touched his eyelid and stroked his eyelashes. Rai felt an intense pain, like his eye was on fire. He tried to push the hand away from him, but he couldn't. Before long, he felt a strong sensation, as if his eyeball was being sucked up by some kind of force.
Rai stopped breathing for a moment, while his body trembled. Leaks was smiling at him. He could hear the sound of water evaporating and a dark fog appeared in front of him. The fog came from his right eye. A sharp pain ran through his head and spread throughout his whole body.
"Ah...ha..."
He had trouble breathing, it was painful.
"Amazing... Your darkness flowed into me."
Leaks said while smiling. His pupils had a strange vertical appearance.
Pain dominated his body. He could not see the expression of Leaks’s face, the fog blurring his vision, but he could hear him laugh. The black fog thickened. Deep inside of his eye, Rai could feel the black fog moving around.
A moment later, Leaks finally removed his hand. At the same time, the pain slowly started receding. Rai took a deep breath and opened his tightly closed eyes. Leaks slowly clenched his hand, trying to confirm something. The black fog that was enveloping the room cleared, as if it was being sucked into his hand.
"Kukukuku..."
The air was tense and the only thing that could be heard was Leaks’s eerie laugh. He glanced at Rai and walked over to the window.
"Wait!"
By the time Rai got out of bed, Leaks had already thrown himself out of the window.
A white face dyed in moonlight looked back at him. He recognized the color of that flame.
"Shit." Rai muttered.
Not only could he not help Konoe, but he himself was now also at Leak's mercy.
"Leaks was here~? You should have told me."
Rai raised his face when he heard a carefree voice. It was Froud, who was floating in the darkness outside of the window.
"What do you want."
Rai replied to him, both Leaks and Froud were equally obnoxious.
"Don’t you want to chase after me?"
Froud smiled. Normally Rai would definitely do that, but right now, his body felt too weak.
"Then I’ll do something that makes you want to chase after me~."
"Wait..."
"Follow me, shironeko-chan~."
Froud, who had already left, didn't turn around to look at Rai, but Rai knew he had to follow him. Leaks was not the only one targeting Konoe's body, those devils were also aiming for Konoe. However, the pain paralyzed his body. He knew he had to go, unsure why he made a deal with Leaks. He had to protect Konoe, but why? Because he was his Sanga? After grabbing his sword and coat, Rai jumped out of the window.
It was surprisingly easy to find where Konoe and Froud were. He saw corpses scattered in the streets, arms bent in impossible directions. Writhing bodies, he didn't think any other person have done this. He followed the trail or corpses. The road seemed to lead to the river where he kissed Konoe for the first time. While running through the woods, he noticed two figures in the distance, one was floating. The floating one was probably Froud and the other one was Konoe. He wondered if this was Leaks or the real Konoe. What would have happened if he had not followed Froud?
Konoe suddenly turned around and grabbed Rai's arm. Rai pulled Konoe's arm and stood between him and Froud.
"What did you do to him?"
"I didn't do anything, I just thought I should take him home~."
Froud smiled. Rai glared at him, knowing that blaming Froud would not solve anything. It was quiet for a moment, he could only hear the sound of the river in the distance. Rai thought that it was no use staying there any longer. He turned to Konoe and pulled his arm again.
"Huh?" Konoe raised his voice as if he didn't understand anything.
Rai didn't know what to say, so he continued walking. He didn't feel like looking back at Froud.
It was not that far from the inn, Rai continued walking while holding Konoe's arm. After returning to their room, Rai finally let go of his arm. He could hear Konoe breathing a sigh of relief behind him. After watching Konoe wrap himself in a blanket without removing any of his clothes and equipment, Rai sat down on his own bed. He didn't know what to say to Konoe, who seemed like he did not want to speak to him.
Should he talk about Leaks or any other topic, or should he be blamed for his own selfish actions? Should he take care of Konoe, who was most likely feeling exhausted how. He did not know what to do. Rai searched his bag, there should be some dried Kuim fruits that he bought during the daytime when Konoe disappeared. He took it out of his bag and approached Konoe's bed. Konoe was not sleeping. When Rai touched his blanket, Konoe's body started shaking. Rai hesitated, unsure what he should say. Konoe remained silent.
"...hey"
Rai said quietly, but Konoe did not respond to him.
Was he rejecting Rai? He put the Kuim fruit next to his bed. Rai was tempted to ask him what was going on, but it seemed impossible to get an answer. If Konoe didn't want to reply, it couldn't be helped, and they would stay in this room feeling awkward. Rai left the room and went outside for some fresh air. For a moment he wondered where he should go, as he was still concerned about leaving Konoe alone after what had happened.
The air outside was slowly getting colder as winter approached, it would probably start snowing soon. Reluctantly Rai climbed on top of the roof. Come to think of it, he had not seen Asato for a while and wondered if he was still in the next room. Perhaps he already left a long time ago.
Even with the illumination of the moonlight, it was difficult to see anything. He realized that they enjoyed the festival here only three days ago. No, it had not even been that long since he met Konoe in the first place. The sky slowly started changing colors. Rai stared at the sky, watching as the colors changed from dark purple to red. He started feeling a little cold.
Rai thought that Konoe ignoring him shouldn’t be a problem, because in the end, Konoe was just his Sanga. Rai could take care of his own problems, that is why he wanted to go to Lake Kagami.
Rai stood up and jumped off the roof. When he returned to his room, Konoe was still in bed, wrapped in a blanket. Rai assumed he was exhausted and that it could not be helped. It was not like Konoe still had a fever, so Rai decided to open the window.
"...um."
Rai turned around after hearing a hoarse, faint voice behind him.
"Please don't open the window. And... "
Konoe, still wrapped in the blanket, muttered something.
"Also, yesterday a lot of things happened... and the Kuim fruit... um, no..."
Rai approached Konoe's bed, while Konoe was still trying to find the right words. Konoe was still wearing his hood so Rai could only see his eyes peeking out of the blanket.
"Where were you, the day before yesterday?" Rai asked.
After a while, he replied.
"I went to the lake."
"Lake?"
"To Lake Kagami."
Rai looked at Konoe, who had a grim expression on his face. He sighed before asking him another question.
"Why did you go there?"
Konoe didn't answer. Involuntarily, Rai sighed again.
"It doesn't matter to me where you go and what you do, I have no intention of interfering. But I told you before to not do anything reckless."
Konoe completely turned his gaze away from Rai.
"It’s not a big deal, don't worry about it. "
"...are you kidding me?"
Rai grabbed the blanket, what else was he hiding?
"Brave words for someone who’s hiding under his blanket like this."
Rai pulled the blanket off Konoe.
"Don't...!"
Konoe's ears and tail were black. Rai stared at Konoe, who was now timidly staring at Rai.
"Are you not surprised?"
"I already knew." Rai exhaled softly and continued speaking.
"When Leak took over your body, he showed it to me himself. I wanted to think it was all just a part of my usual nightmares."
"Leaks…"
Konoe finally got up, his black ears drooping down.
"When my body was hijacked by Leaks, what did I do to you?"
Konoe asked, clenching his hands tightly while looking down. Rai hesitated for a moment as to whether he should tell the truth, but he quickly came to a conclusion. Rai decided that it was his problem now, there was no need to tell Konoe.
"...you weren't yourself at that time. It's no use worrying about it."
"...what did I do?"
"You haven't done anything. Forget about it."
"But..."
"You’re persistent"
Rai stared at Konoe.
"If you have time to look back at the past, it's better to worry about the future instead. Do you have time to worry about such nonsense? Think about the reason why Leaks attacked you directly. His power is stronger than before. This was his final warning."
Rai thought that they didn’t have time to think about this too much.
"Final warning..."
"He said the time is near, and the dark forces are getting stronger. If that's what he says, then we need to stop him. Perhaps Leak’s real target isn't you."
"…what does that mean?" Konoe asked.
"Maybe he's planning to destroy this world."
Konoe’s expression became serious after hearing this.
"When he talked to me, I couldn’t see him, but I could hear his voice in my head."
Even though it sounded absurd, both of them did not want to laugh it off as nonsense. Konoe continued talking.
"...when I talked to Leaks yesterday."
"Did you talk to Leaks?" Rai asked.
Konoe's movement suddenly stopped.
"Hey!"
Konoe suddenly raised his head after hearing Rai's voice.
"What's wrong?"
"No, I was trying to remember. Leaks mentioned the song of two moons. Everything will be devoured by darkness and this world will come to an end." Konoe replied, as if he was talking about some kind of strange spell.
"What is that?" Rai replied.
"Leaks told me. It was him who casted the curses again, not the devils."
"Ah, so that's what he told you…"
Konoe removed his gauntlet and looked at the marks on his arm. Rai wondered if the term "cursed darkness" Leaks used really referred to the curse placed on Konoe, or something much bigger. Darkness resided in Rai's own body as well. Consumed by cursed darkness... what did it mean? Would their spirits be destroyed? Would their bodies disappear? Either way, it meant that they would die.
"Does that mean the end is near? Has the time come when the two moons will overlap?" Rai asked.
"Even if that's the case, we don't know when it will happen. However, the prediction that the world will be destroyed might not be wrong."
Konoe gave him a sad smile.
"...then, you don't have to go out of your way to help me anymore. I told you to kill me if I'm ever in your way.”
Rai folded his arms. He wondered if there was a specific reason why Leaks targeted Konoe.
"I don't know, let me think about the whole situation."
"Even though Leaks was reckless, he didn't inflict any fatal wounds. Is this just a twisted magician's bad joke... Did you do anything?"
"Me..?" Konoe asked.
"Did anything else happen?"
"Um…"
Konoe looked down while he was thinking. After a little while he thought of something.
"Ah…the ring. "
"Ring?"
"It's Leak's ring, I picked it up when I went to Lake Kagami, and then..."
Rai frowned and looked at Konoe.
"Is that how he took control of your body?"
Konoe’s tail was hanging between his legs and he looked a bit embarrassed.
"No matter how you look at it, that was probably a trap. It's pointless to go back to the lake now.”
However, Rai thought that he should have gone anyway, to settle the fight with that monster.
"But I want to go" Konoe answered.
"Why?"
Konoe looked at Rai and answered.
"...because I was worried about you."
Rai felt slightly shaken by Konoe's eyes staring directly at him.
"I wanted to know what you were seeking for, but I thought that you wouldn't tell me even if I asked. That is why I went to Lake Kagami by myself."
Rai looked at Konoe.
"Why do you want to know something like that?"
"I don't know but..." Konoe looked around the room.
"Did you want to help me?" Rai replied.
Konoe gasped after hearing Rai's words.
"Such a thing..."
"I don't care, don't interfere."
Konoe looked down and clenched his hands. Rai let out an exaggerated sigh.
"It's unreasonable."
Konoe glanced at him without replying.
"You are an idiot, a helpless stupid cat. If it wasn't for your Sanga abilities, I would have probably left you in the forest. But even then, you would probably come back to me. That's why... " Rai looked out of the window.
"Even if I told you not to come, you would probably follow me anyway. Am I wrong?" Rai asked.
He picked up his equipment and headed for the door. Before heading out, he turned around.
"I'm going to Lake Kagami now, don't follow me."
Rai slammed the door shut. He listened and heard sounds from the other side of the door. After confirming Konoe was indeed following him, he headed to the lake.
"Your body…" Rai asked without looking back at Konoe.
"Body?"
"Are there any side effects from the curse?"
"Not for now at least." Konoe replied while jumping over the tree roots.
Looking at him moving without any problems, Rai felt relieved. Then, when Rai started to rush ahead to see if it would be okay to move faster, Konoe started talking to him.
"The Kuim fruit... you put it next to my bed yesterday right?"
"I just left it there because it was in the way."
"It was delicious" Konoe happily told him.
"Huh" Rai replied before rushing ahead.
The forest had a kind of damp smell, and slowly they started getting closer to the lake. Lake Kagami. The surface of the water reflected the surrounding scenery clearly like a mirror, which is what the lake got its name from. Konoe approached the shore of the lake and gently dipped his fingers into the water. Not sure what Konoe was doing, Rai walked over to his side to observe him. The surface of the lake seemed hard, as if it were frozen. His eyes and ears told him that it was definitely water, but it seemed like something else.
"Is it frozen?"
"…I don’t know what to say. It’s water, but it’s hard."
"Can we walk on it?" Konoe looked up and Rai nodded.
"Let's go."
Rai stepped on it without hesitation. He could hear the sound of tree branches moving in the distance. It was a strange lake. The sound of water could be heard underneath them, but their feet didn’t sink into the water. They soon reached the opposite shore. Where was the cave?
After a while Konoe also arrived.
"Is it really here...?"
Did Konoe feel the same way? Rai began to explore the area. Suddenly he heard a sound coming from the rock wall. He noticed a white light had emitted from the rim of the lake, beneath Konoe's feet. The light faded slowly, leaving behind a lasting impression. Suddenly there was a big hole in the rock wall.
"What did you just do?"
"...I just looked at this..."
Konoe stared at the edge of the lake below his feet. As he approached Konoe, Rai saw letters swaying with the waves. It seemed to be some kind of magic trick.
"How was I able to read it?" Konoe asked, confused.
"Because you are a Sanga, spells can only be used by those who have the power to sing."
Konoe looked at him strangely. Konoe really didn't seem to know anything about Sanga. The hole in the wall gave off an eerie feeling.
"Sacrifices were regularly brought to this cave, as an offering for the monster." Rai explained.
"The monster appeared at midnight on the sixth day of the week and ate the sacrificed cats, deep inside of the cave. Many regretful souls wander here. Souls seized with hatred who have no concept of time." Rai continued talking.
He was a worried that Konoe would be too sensitive to talk about topics like this.
"Stay there" Rai told him while entering the cave.
"...no. Besides, it's not that bad." Konoe replied.
"Have it your way" Rai muttered before he started walking into the cave.
Konoe followed him. The inside of the cave was filled with humid air, it felt very unpleasant. The darkness of the depths of the caves seemed to be endless. For a moment, Rai’s body felt very hot, as if it was being set on fire. He clutched his chest. Breathing was painful. He couldn’t stand it and crouched down for a moment. Konoe approached him.
"… hey?"
"...I just got a little dizzy. Nothing..."
Rai had trouble breathing and his chest hurt. He couldn’t breathe.
"It’s not ‘nothing’, if you're not feeling well..."
Konoe took a deep breath. His gaze stopped at Rai’s chest and his eyes widened in astonishment. He brushed away Rai's arm, which was holding his own chest, and looked at his skin.
"Hey, what happened…?”
Following Konoe's frozen gaze, Rai took a deep breath. Dark marks were visible on his chest. It was Leaks's curse, the same that appeared on Konoe’s body.
"...why"
Konoe let go of Rai's collar and stepped back.
"Why... wasn't it just me..."
"...calm down." While enduring the pain, Rai called out to Konoe.
"Leaks, is it his fault... why, why!" Konoe shouted.
"Calm down!" Rai yelled.
Konoe was trembling.
"Don't be upset. We still don't know if this is the same curse as yours."
Rai was out of breath. His vision became blurry. He tried to stand up, but his legs were weak. After regaining his composure, Konoe rushed over to Rai and put his arm under him to support him.
"...let me go."
He couldn't imagine walking together with someone like this. However, Konoe firmly held onto his body.
"I'll let you go when we get back to the inn." Konoe replied.
"Just let me go. It's not a big deal."
"Stop being stubborn, it is a big deal if you’re feeling this unwell."
Konoe's words made sense, but Rai was not convinced.
"I don't want you to tell me that."
Rai sighed while his vision flickered, he wondered if he had a fever. Other than the pain in his chest, not being able to move his body felt unpleasant.
"I don't want you to tell me that either. Anyway, we’re going back now." Konoe replied.
"No. Are you going to waste our time?"
"Shut up… What are you saying at a time like this? Look, you already said I won’t listen to you so this time I also won’t. We can return to the cave some other time, let’s go now.”
Rai knew Konoe wouldn’t listen to him, and with the current condition of his body, listening to him seemed to be the correct answer.
"Stupid cat…"
"Whatever!"
Konoe muttered. When Rai thought about giving up, his whole body felt like it was losing its strength. But no, it wasn't like he was completely powerless. Rai started slowly walking, as if he was being dragged out of the cave by Konoe. The light outside was dazzling.
"The magic trick". Rai mentioned.
"Put a spell on it to seal the entrance, just in case. Let's read the secret message again."
Konoe walked to the edge of the lake while supporting Rai’s body and recited the letters that swayed on the surface of the water. The cave entrance was once again sealed. The two of them took their time to cross the lake and returned to the forest path. Rai’s whole body was hot. The pain in his chest seemed to be pressing on his lungs, making it hard to breathe. He stared at Konoe who was still by his side. It never occurred to him that he could walk with almost all of his weight resting on Konoe. Rai moved forward while enduring the pain. By the time they arrived at the inn, the sky had turned dark.
He did not want to be seen by his fellow bounty hunters as he walked through the streets of Ransen with someone supporting him, but his legs were too weak.
When Rai and Konoe entered the inn, Bardo turned his gaze to Rai and stood up.
"Don’t talk to me.” Rai glared at Bardo. He didn't want Bardo's help.
"Did you get hurt? I'll help you."
Konoe shook his head when he heard Bardo's question.
"Sorry."
Rai was relieved that Konoe understood what he wanted and headed straight for the stairs. There were many things he wanted to think about, but his hot body made everything bothersome. It was still mating season too.
He entered the room and, with Konoe's help, reached his bed. Konoe began to remove Rai's coat and equipment, Rai didn't feel like resisting. The pain and fever seemed to be getting worse and worse.
"Look”.
Konoe brought water from a barrel to his mouth in a small bowl. Rai licks it a little.
"Is it painful?"
"...it will heal after getting some rest."
Rai answered and closed his eyes. Realistically, he didn’t know if he would get better with just a little rest. However, he intended to start moving as soon as his body felt better.
Konoe, who had been sitting next to Rai, suddenly stood up.
"I'll leave this here. Be careful not to spill it."
Konoe placed the wooden bowl on the shelf and started walking towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Rai asked.
"Just going out for a little bit"
"Wait..." Rai grabbed Konoe's arm.
"Are you going to do something crazy by yourself again?
"Don't be foolish." Konoe replied.
"You’re unreliable. "
Konoe sighed.
"Just believe me. "
Rai felt overwhelmed, probably because his body was weak.
"I know you'll get in trouble when I'm not here. So, believe me."
When Konoe isn't here... After saying those words, Rai lowered his head. What did it mean to believe in someone? He didn’t know. Did he feel uncomfortable when Konoe wasn't there? He didn’t remember saying anything like that. He only mentioned that he was a precious Sanga.
"...I don't know what will happen.. but have it your way."
"You're quite worried, aren't you?"
"Because you do dangerous things."
When Rai answered indignantly, Konoe covered him with a blanket.
"Anyway, I want to find out something. I'm leaving now."
Rai saw Konoe putting on his hood before he left the room. It was so hot, his body felt like it was on fire. Occasionally, a sharp pain ran through his chest. Had Konoe also experienced all this suffering?
The marks that appeared on his body were very similar to Konoe's. Just as Rai intuitively felt that Konoe and he were suffering from the same curse. Konoe must have travelled to the lake to learn more about the curse. That cat won't listen even once. No matter how dangerous it was.
The fever made Rai unusually thirsty. The bowl of water that Konoe had left behind was already empty. Just when he was about to get up to get water from the barrel, there was a knock on the door. Bardo was standing in front of his door. At a time like this, his face was not exactly the one Rai wanted to see the most. It was the same when he was grooming himself the other day.
"How are you feeling?"
Rai turned his back to Bardo.
"What are you here for?"
"I came to see how things are going."
"Get out."
"You’re so cold" Bardo replied while entering the room.
"What is this? Did you put anything in here, it's empty." Bardo looked at the water bowl.
He then tried touching Rai’s forehead. Rai immediately groaned. Retracting his hand, Bardo shrugged his shoulders.
"You have a fever. Don't you want water?"
"...get out."
"I can't believe you're acting like this. You caught a cold once when you were just a kid too, wasn't that enough? "
Rai didn't care about his old stories.
"Get out"
"Damn, who does this stubbornness resemble?" Bardo muttered in shock.
"I don't want you to say that... ugh..."
Out of breath and coughing, his chest tightened. Painful.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't overdo it." Bardo reached out to touch Rai's ear.
"...annoying, don't touch..."
"Let me check your temperature, I'll bring you some medicine."
He reflexively turned his face away. By doing so, Bardo's fingertip hit his eyepatch.
"...you." Bardo looked at Rai in surprise.
"What happened to your eye?"
After hearing those words, Rai touched his eyepatch with his hand. As soon as he touched it, his hands felt numb. His right eye also felt hot, he didn't notice it at first because of his chest pain.
"That eye injury, it's not a recent one right? Isn't it better to take the eyepatch off?"
"Shut up. Get out."
Bardo was staring at Rai with a serious expression, but before long he slowly turned around.
"If something happens, please tell me." Bardo said as he left the room.
In the silent room, Rai could feel the darkness deep inside of him pulsating. With every heartbeat, he could feel a dark shadow blurring his vision. The darkness, the darkness of his heart. The existence of his other self was screaming behind his right eye. Ever since Leaks used Konoe’s body to touch his right eye, he felt like he was slowly going mad. Rai wondered that when this day comes, would he be able to stop himself. No, he had to be strong. Even if fate was already decided, this would be his body until he did what he had to do. He couldn’t get hurt, when this is all over, then he would…
The sound of the door opening snapped Rai back to reality. He felt like he was drifting back and forth between this side of the world and the world of his dreams. When he opened his eyes, Konoe had already returned. Konoe noticed Rai's gaze and turned around.
"Did I wake you up? Sorry."
"No. I wasn't asleep."
The pain was a bit less bad than when he arrived at the inn.
"How is your body doing?"
Konoe asked, but there was something Rai wanted to ask Konoe more than that.
"Where have you been? The sorcerer?"
He couldn't think of a cat that knew about curses other than that sorcerer.
Konoe nodded.
"What did he tell you?"
"…that it must be the same curse as mine. " Konoe stuttered.
"...he thought it might be because we’re Sanga and Touga."
"...really."
Perhaps the sorcerer also told him what the bond between Sanga and Touga really meant.
"And also, the story of the song of the two moons also seems to be real."
"When will it happen?"
"I don't know, he said it would happen soon."
"How do we prevent it?" Rai asked.
"I don't know either."
"...it doesn’t seem like we have many options left."
Rai let out a small sigh and looked up at the ceiling.
"It's true that Leaks is up to something, but we can’t do anything right now. We have no choice but to wait for the other party to contact us."
Konoe lowered his head.
“If he gets in our way, we could try to kill him immediately, but let’s let him live for now. Leaks should contact us again. Wait for that time."
Rai replied. Leaks remained an overwhelming force. He wasn't sure if they could handle it. Is it because of the fever that he felt this anxiety he wouldn’t normally feel?
Konoe grabbed some water and tried to give it to Rai.
"…are you thirsty?”
Rai silently looked at Konoe, stood up and grabbed the bowl. He took a sip of water and then drank it all. The sound of Rai scooping the water with his tongue echoed in the quiet room.
He noticed Konoe was staring at him and stopped drinking.
"What?"
"Eh... no."
Konoe's eyes fluttered. Rai let out a small sigh and sat on the bed, wrapping his thick tail loosely around his body. He wrapped himself in a blanket and Konoe closed the window. Silence fell. Rai could only hear the sound of them breathing.
"...are you still awake?"
Konoe whispered.
"Um... a song"
When he heard the word 'song', Rai rolled over in bed and stared at Konoe.
"...what?"
"Should I sing?"
He didn't really understand why Konoe said that. But if he could listen to Konoe's song, the white light could probably ease some of his pain.
"Sorry"
Rai didn’t know what Konoe apologized for, but Konoe already tried to crawl back in bed. Rai stopped him. He wasn’t sure how to tell him that he wanted to listen to his song, so they were just staring at each other in the darkness.
"...sleep."
Rai turned around in bed. As he wondered if there was a bond between them, the mark on his chest hurt. His right eye also hurt more than before. Rai tried to abandon these thoughts. He knew that if he slept he would have nightmares. But right now, it was important to give his body some rest. He slowly drifted to sleep.
"..."
Rai slept better because of the fever, even though he did have a nightmare, he didn’t remember the details. The sluggishness remained, but the fever seemed to have gone down. Rai got up, Konoe still seemed to be asleep.
As he opened the window, cool air flowed into the room, illuminated by light of the Moon of Light.
His right eye still felt slightly hot, but since he could move again he figured it would be okay. Sitting on his bed, Rai looked at his chest. The black mark was still there. Rai thought that the burning sensation yesterday could also still be a result of the mating season. Thinking about it, his own scent had also changed.
Konoe finally woke up. Rai told him to get ready quickly.
"How are you?"
"Do I look like I’m doing badly?"
Rai answered while putting on his coat. Konoe got out of bed after some stretching.
"Where are you going?" Konoe asked while drinking water from the barrel.
What do you mean, you know right? Rai answered with a slight astonishment.
"The cave near Lake Kagami of course."
Yesterday, because of the curse, they could only go halfway. There must be something in there.
"About Leaks and the curse, shouldn’t we tell the devils? "
Konoe asked while getting ready. Rai couldn’t trust the devils.
"You don't have to tell them."
It wasn’t just Froud, generally he just had no idea what those devils were thinking.
"And don’t let Bardo and Asato know. "
"Are we going to move on our own from now on?”
In response to his question, Rai crossed his arms and looked at Konoe.
"Are you dissatisfied?"
"That's not it…"
"We'll know when Leaks moves. No need to let others know."
Konoe seemed to care about Asato and Bardo and considered them friends. However, moving with fewer people was definitely less dangerous. Rai told Konoe, who was silently thinking about something.
"Let’s leave soon."
Rai left the room with Konoe who had also finished getting dressed. When he went down the stairs and entered the waiting room, all four devils were present. Bardo was also there.
Rai walked to the front door, ignoring the others.
"Hey, these two cats over there. Hold on."
"What?"
When he turned around, Verg was glaring at him. The other devils were also looking at him.
"I have something to ask you. Come over here."
"I have urgent business right now, maybe later." Rai replied.
"Okay... come here quickly."
He shouldn’t have listened to them, Rai turned around and tried to go outside.
"I told you to come here!"
A roar could be heard in the distance, and the air was tense. Konoe looked at them anxiously. They were probably already aware something had happened to both of them yesterday. As Rai was trying to figure out what to do, he heard someone else’s voice.
"Hey, please wait a minute."
Everyone looked at the reception. The person who this voice belonged to was Bardo. He crossed his arms and looked at them.
"I won't argue with you, but if you fight each other in a place like this, it will scare the customers and they’ll run away. If you want to do that, do it in the dining room."
After saying that, he pointed towards the dining room.
"Ah? How could a tabby cat give me orders..."
"Don't waste your time arguing. It’s better to listen to him."
Razel scolded, Verg, who expressed his frustration.
"...heh"
"Let's stop, even if we quarrel, it won’t change anything."
"Wow. Damn, the Devil of Grief is always right."
"...discussing what’s right and wrong, I hate that sort of thing about you."
"Oh, so that means there is something you like about me too, right?"
Froud, who was unusually quiet, tapped Kaltz on the shoulder as if he was trying to interrupt Verg and Kaltz’s argument. The demons reluctantly headed to the dining room. Froud looked at Konoe and Rai. They didn't know what happened between Konoe and Froud that night Leaks took over Konoe’s body.
"Yo!"
Rai and Konoe looked at each other.
"That person…!"
"I guess the others haven't heard anything from him yet about the curse. If we make a fuss, we'll be the suspicious ones." He whispered.
"Do you want to talk to them...?"
"Let’s go, it’s already too late to back out now."
Rai gently pushed Konoe's back as they headed for the dining room. Bardo was also there, only Asato was missing. Rai looked around the dining room and heard a strange noise coming from the window. He saw Asato outside, upside down. Konoe rushed over and opened the window, letting Asato enter the room. They were all set now.
"Hey kid"
Verg suddenly grabbed Konoe's arm. He didn't even have time to stop him.
"Let's talk..!"
Verg then hugged Konoe from behind and ripped off the coat he used to hide his ears and tail.
"As expected"
Konoe's black ears and tail were exposed.
"I was thinking about it the other day, but I don’t remember you having that ear and tail color."
Bardo and Asato raised their eyebrows anxiously.
"…why, Konoe…"
While being watched by them, Konoe escaped from Verg's arms and turns his face away.
"You got a mark on your arm too, right? Is Leaks using our powers without our permission"
"A mark?"
Bardo tilted his head after hearing Verg’s words.
"Would you like me to explain?"
Froud looked at Konoe. Then, his gaze slowly shifted to Rai.
"Hey?"
Rai made eye contact with Froud for a moment, and immediately turned his face to Konoe. Konoe stared back at him. He shook his tail and nodded. Konoe lifted his head, trying to choose the right words to explain what happened. He started with the story about how Leaks took over his body. Rai thought he was going to mention Rai’s curse too, but Konoe paused and looked at Rai. After that, Rai took over Konoe’s story.
"Similar marks appeared on my body."
The demons all looked at Rai. They seemed a bit surprised that he was also cursed.
"Heh...this."
"Your ears and tails don't seem to have changed, so it’s only that mark?"
The demons stared at Rai again.
"I'm sure you all know about the folklore curse, but I always thought it was some kind of superstitious fairy tale." Bardo murmured to himself.
For some reason, Asato looked frustrated and turned away from them.
"And if I understood it correctly ...does that mean the world will end?"
"Does that mean that Leaks’s power is getting stronger?"
Konoe asked the devils.
"...did any of you know?"
"Originally, Leaks was not able to use our powers, yet we could sense that he had used it on you."
"In the end Leaks is still a different being that us, even if he could temporarily take away our own powers, being able to use it would be almost impossible. If he can do that now, it means Leaks is finally serious. "
Froud nodded to affirm the words of Kaltz and Razel. Rai stayed quiet even though he knew Froud was already aware that Leaks cursed him. However, right now it was not the time to blame Froud for anything.
"I have a vague idea where Leaks could be."
Kaltz said.
"Before, no matter how much we searched, we couldn't sense his presence. Now it's different. We can sense him, but we don’t know his precise location yet. We’ll know when his powers get stronger."
Kaltz continued. All devils could feel his presence in some way.
"It means the end is near."
Razel crossed his arms.
"If that's the case, it doesn't matter what else you do. Find out where Leaks is and build up your strength to defeat him."
Verg wrapped his arm around himself and grinned.
"What would happen if they couldn’t find him before ‘The Last Hour’.”
Konoe asked. Froud, who was leaning against the wall, laughed at Konoe's question.
"He’ll find you for the very last time. "
"How do you know that?"
"Intuition. The devil's intuition."
Froud calmly answered Konoe, who asked him a question in a hurry. Konoe stared at Froud.
"Now that we’ve discussed this, let's combine our strengths." Other demons followed suit.
"We have to prepare ourselves. See you soon."
Before he left, Froud smiled and waved at them. Konoe stared at the sky after he disappeared, as if he could hear the sound of him grinding his teeth.
Rai picked up Konoe's coat, which was stripped off by Verg and covered Konoe’s head with it.
"..."
Deprived of his sight, Konoe panicked.
"Let's go out. Get dressed quickly."
"Ah... "
Looking back at Konoe's expression, Rai could no longer sense any anger. Bardo called out to Konoe who was putting on his coat.
Rai sighed, and when he left the dining room, he leaned against the wall and waited for Konoe. He turned his gaze back to the dining room and saw Konoe talking to Asato. It felt like he had been waiting there for an eternity while the two of them talked about something. Finally, Konoe started walking towards him.
"What were you two talking about?"
"...aren't you being a bit mean now? Were you worried about me?"
"Nonsense."
Rai ignored Konoe and headed for the front door. Like yesterday, Rai and Konoe planned to go to Lake Kagami. The air was very cold and both of them did not say a word to each other.
They walked through the forest again and across the lake. Konoe still seemed uneasy about walking across it. They stopped in front of the rock wall and Konoe read the spell on the surface of the lake. Just like last time, the letters and the rock wall started glowing.
Rai didn't know what triggered the hot sensation in his body last time they came here. He glared into the darkness of the cave and then decided to enter.
"Let's go."
When he turned around, Konoe quietly nodded. It was the same as yesterday, the humidity was unpleasant. They proceeded cautiously. Rai remembered it vividly, when he lost his right eye, but he couldn’t remember this cave. It must have happened somewhere else.
He knew from the sound of his footsteps that Konoe suddenly started walking fast even though Rai wasn’t that far ahead of him. Feeling suspicious, just before turning around, he stopped walking. Konoe bumped into Rai and also stopped.
"...whoa!"
"What are you doing?"
Konoe looked at him.
"...no, um, I'm walking fast because I thought I'd be in trouble if I got lost."
Rai did walk a bit fast, but Konoe's behavior was a little strange. Maybe he was too wary of his surroundings. Rai sighed.
"It's not that far, the cave isn’t that big."
Deep inside a dark cave they found white bones. Beside it was a single sword that pierced the ground. Rai could feel the heat in his right eye. His body shivered, bringing back some old memories.
"...what's wrong?"
Konoe asked him, noticing that Rai was acting strangely. Rai answered while staring at his sword.
"...this, it's my sword."
"…huh?"
"...that's my sword."
Konoe looked anxiously at him. Rai felt as if the darkness was slowly engulfing him. His right eye was hot and painful, and his vision blurred again. It was that monster. It was here and he had to kill it. If the monster was defeated, he should finally be able to feel warmth again.
That monster was standing right next to him. Rai suddenly attacked Konoe.
"...ah,..ngh...!"
Rai’s eyes were dark while he pushed Konoe down. He smiled and the silver reflection of his blade could be seen in the depths of his blue eyes. He pushed Konoe to the ground and bit into the flesh of his neck.
"Ah…!"
It tasted like iron. Konoe kicked him in the stomach, but Rai grabbed him with his other arm. However, one of Konoe's free arms hit Rai. Konoe pushed Rai’s head away from him, removing the teeth that were digging into his flesh. He struggled to escape from him as his elbow was hammered into Konoe’s chin. But when he tried to get up, Rai suddenly grabbed Konoe's tail.
"...ah!"
Konoe twisted his upper body and struggled to shake off Rai. However, as soon as Rai let go of Konoe's tail, he attacked Konoe again and smashed his body to the ground. Konoe coughed.
"Let me go!"
The sword hit Konoe's struggling arm. Konoe stopped moving.
Rai noticed his prey stopped moving and he bit his neck again. Sweet. Warm. Rai smiled softly. Suddenly, he heard a song.
It was a song he had never heard before. What is this song? What was he doing?
At the same time as the sound of the song faded, he returned to his senses. In front of him he saw a cat called Konoe, who was about to lose consciousness.
"...hey!"
Konoe opened his eyes. Then he raised his hand. Rai tried to dodge it first and then slowly stood up. Konoe groaned softly.
"...are you back to normal...?"
Without answering Konoe's question, Rai furrowed his brow and lowered his gaze to his feet, looking at his own abandoned sword. What happened? Rai asked himself. Staring at this sword, he remembered that monster. Then he felt pain in his right eye.
He had no recollection of what happened after that. He didn’t know what he was doing before that moment when he heard the song. Konoe had a bite wound on his neck. He must have been bitten by Rai. Did he lose his mind yet, to even attack those who are not his enemies?
His right eye was thumping with his aching heartbeat.
"...are you okay now?" Konoe anxiously asked.
He couldn’t look straight at Konoe's face. There was only one thing he could say.
"...go back."
If he stayed with Rai while he was like this, he was afraid he would hurt him again sooner or later.
"…huh?" Konoe asked.
"Return to the town”.
"What?"
"...return to the town and find another Touga right away."
Replacing a Sanga would be hard, but finding a replacement Touga should not be too difficult.
"What are you saying?"
Rai ignored Konoe's question and started walking towards the lake.
"Wait a minute! I don't understand what you mean, what are you saying all of a sudden!"
Konoe approached him and grabbed his arm. But Rai couldn't look back.
"What is wrong? Explain it to me...!"
"It’s impossible." Rai muttered.
"What do you mean…!"
"You know why!" Rai shouted while he turned around.
"My time is up. If I stay by your side like this then..."
Rai closed his eyes. Konoe didn’t know. He would lose his sanity and kill Konoe.
"...you are a precious Sanga, you shouldn’t have to risk being killed by me."
That moment, a fist hit Rai’s cheek. He could have avoided it, but he didn’t. He looked at Konoe.
"You're truly an idiot, aren't you? You’re an idiot cat!"
Konoe yelled. Rai could gradually sense the taste of iron in his mouth. It was blood, but it didn’t taste as sweet as it usually did, unpleasant and metallic.
"Don't be silly, what you’re saying is selfish!" Konoe shouted.
Rai stared blankly at Konoe, who was trembling and shouting at him.
"A precious Sanga?! You're the one who said you would help me, are you going to throw me away like that!? Besides, what would happen to me afterwards!? What should I do... !"
Konoe clenched his fist while desperately looking for the right words.
"You've never asked me for my opinions, what I think or anything like that!"
Rai couldn't see the expression on Konoe’s face, but he could see that his shoulders were trembling.
"I haven’t been your Sanga for a very long time, but until now I’ve stayed by your side all this time. There’s no way I can be paired with another Touga now…"
Konoe suddenly said calmly.
"...even if I wouldn’t be able to recognize who are anymore?" Rai asked quietly.
Konoe looked at him, as Rai continued talking.
"If I lose my mind, I will not hesitate to attack you. There is no reason to be on my side knowing that you will be killed." Rai said.
He didn’t want to kill him, his Sanga.
"I’m telling you not to decide these things on your own...! There's no reason to do that. You said I was your precious Sanga, then you are my precious Touga… "
"If I paired up with anyone other than you, I would not be able to sing. I have no intention of singing if it’s not for you."
Rai thought that Konoe's words were painful, but he wasn’t sure why.
"…why?" Rai asked.
Konoe shook his head.
"If you don't understand it, just like how you only think of me as a precious Sanga, that's fine."
Rai couldn’t move after hearing Konoe’s words and quietly stared at him. He didn’t know what to do and why his chest hurt so much.
"...and then, when you lose your mind and don't understand anything anymore… then…"
Konoe looked straight at Rai, who didn’t say anything, and then continued his words.
"When that happens, I will kill you. "
Rai stared blankly at Konoe. Konoe wouldn’t listen to anything he said, that’s something he learned a long time ago. He wondered if Konoe would be able to deal with him and his darkness, but if he said he would do it, Rai knew that he would really do it.
"You're really stupid. I've never met a cat as stupid as you before."
"...both of us are."
For some reason, Konoe sniffled.
"I'm sure you and I are both stupid cats that can't be touched by anyone else, just right for a pair." Rai replied.
Konoe laughed shyly at Rai's words, their gazes overlapping.
Rai took Konoe's hand and pressed his palm against his chest. Would this heartbeat reach Konoe?
"Here" Rai told him.
"If darkness consumes me and I lose my mind, pierce through here."
Konoe's fingers touched his chest.
"Understood."
Seeing Konoe’s nod, he felt a warm feeling in his chest. Rai gently shook his tail.
"...I believe in you. You are my Sanga."
Konoe who was a bit surprised by his reaction, laughed.
"…of course."
Rai nodded and smiled at him.
By the time they crossed Lake Kagami, passed through the forest, and returned to the inn, the sky was already dyed red. On their way to the inn, they ate some dried nuts and then they returned to their room. When the Moon of Light sank into the horizon and the Moon of Darkness rose from the east, they crawled into their beds.
Rai had trouble sleeping that night. Wanting some fresh air, he got up from his bed and stared at the bed next to him. Konoe was apparently already asleep. Rai got dressed and left the room. He went to the back of the inn again, not with a particular purpose in mind, he was just there to calm his nerves. The city was completely quiet, and the wind was so cold, it felt like it was going to cut his skin. However, Rai thought it was comfortable.
He walked up to a tree in the alley and leaned against its trunk. He closed his eyes and listened to his own heartbeat. Was it a real heartbeat, or was it the darkness pulsating inside of him? He felt like he had two hearts underneath this cursed, bruised skin. This body was already eroded by darkness, but he didn’t feel confused or bad about it anymore. Konoe told him that he would take care of it. Rai felt a sense of freedom.
Perhaps he had put a heavy burden on Konoe, but Rai felt so relieved when Konoe told him that he would kill him if anything happened. It calmed him down. Rai wondered if something about him would change soon, or perhaps, some things changed already, something inside of him. He took another deep breath.
"There's nothing left you can do."
Suddenly, he heard a voice. Rai placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. The bushes overhead swayed violently, revealing an upside-down face. White skin could be seen floating in the darkness. It was Froud.
"Hey, did I startle you? I'm sorry~."
"I've warned you many times, but what do you think? I think you finally started experiencing it. The raw feeling that makes you lose your mind. Did you feel it?"
Froud said while smiling at Rai.
"… you!"
Rai glared at Froud.
"Fufu, I'm looking forward to it. I know everything, everything! Do you know why?"
Froud happily spread his arms out.
"Because I'm watching you all the time."
Froud laughed.
"The more you stir it up, the more delicious it becomes. The same kind of soul as me.”
Froud talked as if he was quoting the lines of a theater play. Rai could feel a strong green wind touching his face. When the wind died down, Froud's figure melted into the darkness and disappeared.
Rai drew out his sword to clear the night air, as if he tried to cut away his own anger. He could now clearly understand Froud's words, which he had previously only rejected. There was no time left.
He knew that Froud was aware of his ‘other self’, but why did he want to see that side of him so badly? A chill ran down his spine. He couldn’t get that smile and the sound of his whispers out of his head. His right eye hurt and his vision became blurry.
"…ugh. Damn it. "
Rai touched his eyepatch. He wanted to gouge it all out, all the pain, all this hatred. The black heart in his chest pumped hot, tainted blood through his body. Rai gritted his teeth. The curse he felt in his chest and the pain that ached in his right eye were the same, both incredibly dark.
