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The moon was so close that Touko felt like she could reach out and touch it. She was back inside her terrible dream of the black moon. She could see that moon now. The last time she’d seen the sky, it had been cloudy, but now it was crystal clear. Round and ominous, the black moon drifted through the void of space.
Touko knew where she was. She recognized all of this. There was no muddy film over her vision.
The Millennium Comet should be here. She looked around, but she didn’t find the Millennium Comet or anyone else. She was alone. Akira, Kun, Kanata and Mizore were gone as if they’d been erased. She held the sickle of the Fire Hunter who’d saved her in one hand.
She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here. What had happened? The lingering bitter scent of the chemical that Tree People used to ward away Fire Fiends stung her nostrils.
Touko faced away from the black moon. A dark horizon line stretched out before her. That horizon line was the ground. Everyone she was missing should be there. She had no idea why only she had come to this place. She hadn’t meant to wander so far away.
I lost track of where I was, Touko thought. I need to pay more attention. She remembered Kunugi picking her up. She’d reached the cliff below the Guardian Gods’ shrine. She had stood on Kunugi’s hand and he had lifted her above the battlefield where hundreds or thousands of Spiders lay dead.
There was light, Touko remembered. She had seen a bright flash just before she’d reached the top of the cliff. The light had been clear and golden. Kunugi’s hand had blocked some of it from reaching her, but not all of it.
It was odd to have no solid ground beneath her feet. She floated aimlessly, losing track of relative directions like up or down. Why am I here? she thought. The ground is all the way over there. And that way is the sea. Hakaisana should be swimming there…
Touko tried to identify everything on the ground from here, but it was all hazy and indistinct. She pointed out things she recognized and described them out loud. This place was so silent and empty. She felt like if she didn’t speak, then everything—herself, her voice—would be sucked into the void.
“The world was destroyed once,” the Millennium Comet said. Her voice was rich and deep. “But it wasn’t destroyed completely. There are a lot of animals and people and plants that are still alive. The Guardian Gods are still alive. Why is there so much destruction? Why do terrible things keep happening over and over again?”
Touko turned and looked at the Millennium Comet. The Millennium Comet no longer looked like a young girl. Her face was as wizened and wrinkled as a dried fruit. Her silver hair fluttered wildly behind her.
Touko sighed in relief. The Millennium Comet was here. She wasn’t alone anymore.
“What is it like to have a vessel?” Touko asked. She didn’t feel self-conscious about this question, though she might have under other circumstances. It made sense to her to ask this question now. This place existed only in dreams, after all. It wasn’t real. Touko had wandered here in her sleep several times now. She wasn’t sure if this dream was hers or the Millennium Comet’s.
The Millennium Comet simply stared at her, her eyes like two empty holes. Her long lashes curved up, leaving thin shadows on her pale face.
“I am not in a vessel now,” the Millennium Comet said. “The girl is so angry, and so sad. I managed to slip free briefly when the knots that bind us loosened, but I will soon be drawn back inside her again.”
Touko blinked. She didn’t understand why the Millennium Comet would want to talk to her, of all people. She had such power and so much responsibility. She had to decide whether or not she would rule the Guardian Gods. The fire she carried inside her could destroy the world.
“What will happen to Miss Kira?” Touko asked. “Will she be all right?”
The Millennium Comet always looked so cold and frail.
Touko gripped the handle of her borrowed sickle in her right hand. She wondered briefly if she could hunt the Millennium Comet right now. Would she become the King of the Fire Hunters if she killed the Millennium Comet?
The Millennium Comet’s hair writhed behind her like countless snakes.
Touko stood there staring at her and didn’t move.
“The girl must go home,” the Millennium Comet said. “The trouble is that she no longer knows where that is.”
Touko remembered Hibana. Hibana, who had reappeared after Touko and the others thought she was dead.
“I think that some of the Guardian Gods believed that they could manipulate me more easily this way,” the Millennium Comet said. “They are desperate to pass Princess Tayura’s responsibilities onto someone else. But the girl they chose still has a life to live. It seems that the Guardian Gods have lost much of the wisdom they once possessed. Much was lost when the old world fell. I never thought they would ever be as careless as this, though. They strive to sustain their own existence, nothing more. That is why they look down on humans.”
Touko nodded sadly. This was all such a mess. Hibana had come to help Kira. She’d saved Kira’s life, but she’d died herself, and Kira was still possessed by the Millennium Comet. Even if Kira managed to win free of the Millennium Comet’s possession, she had no family to return to.
Touko strained her eyes toward the horizon. “I remember Kun’s father—the Spider. Did he die? What happened after that? Are Akira and Kun and Kanata okay? And Koushi? I have to go back. Kanata will be looking for me.”
“Aren’t you afraid to return?” the Millennium Comet asked. Her face was drawn and pinched. Touko thought she appeared terribly lonely.
“I am afraid,” Touko said. “Aren’t you afraid, too? But that doesn’t matter. I have to at least try to help. Even if I can’t change anything, I still want to be with my friends.” Touko’s words echoed in the emptiness of the void.
The Millennium Comet nodded in understanding. “I see. I do not think about danger in the same way that you do. I was tasked to watch over humanity from far above. I never thought I would return to my friends and family. The Guardian Gods were not prepared for my return, either, though they seem to be doing their best to exploit it.”
“Huh?” Touko asked.
“I am trapped by fear,” the Millennium Comet said. She seemed surprised at the words coming out of her own mouth. Her hair swirled and glimmered all around her. “I could entrust the fire inside me to the girl who is my vessel. I can feel what she is feeling; her emotions are the only ones that can reach me while we remain bound. She is concerned for me as much as for herself. She doesn’t want me—us—to receive commands that cannot be rewritten or undone. She worries about the best way to use the fire contained within us.”
The Millennium Comet gazed out at the horizon, right where Touko was looking. “I also have people that I wish to be with, even if I cannot help them. Maybe with Kira’s help, we will all find ways to be with the ones we care for.” She faced Touko again, and she was smiling faintly. Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. “It might be possible to erase the command that made me return.”
At that moment, a glaring, naked beam of light struck the edge of the black moon. A thin golden arc appeared along the rim of the moon.
The moonlight condensed into a sickle blade of fire. Touko closed her eyes; the light was too bright to look at. The scent of blood made her nose twitch. Someone was injured. She felt a hand clinging tightly to her arm. That was Kun. Kun held her left arm. She carried the sickle with her right hand, just like she’d done in the dream.
Where is Kanata? Touko thought.
The dog wasn’t nearby. She searched for him, but before she could find him, she heard Akira shouting.
Akira was badly hurt, but her voice was as strong as ever. Her loose red hair blew in the wind.
“I… " Touko looked up at Akira. “I saw the Millennium Comet. I had the sickle, but I couldn’t hunt it. I’m really sorry.”
“Touko.” Kun shook Touko’s arm. The movement made her head sway. She was exhausted. She took in the details around her slowly: the gate, the pillars, the tower that was the shrine of the Guardian Gods.
The shrine was in ruins. The wall before her had once been whole, but now a jagged black tear had cut it in half. Fragments of the wall and the roof were scattered all around. Beyond the debris of the wall, there was a gaping hole in the shrine’s roof.
“Touko, we need to go this way,” Kun said. He tugged on her hand again, more strongly this time. His expression was tense from urgency.
The gate leading into the Guardian Gods’ shrine was wide open. Pillars that used to line the gate had crumbled from repeated explosions. Akira was still shouting, but she’d gone to the other side of the ruined wall. Touko couldn’t see her anymore.
The smell of blood was stronger the closer Touko got to the wall. She and Kun ran through the open gate together, holding hands. It wasn’t clear who was pulling who.
Touko and Kun stepped into the sandy courtyard that surrounded the shrine. A corpse lay at the gate’s threshold, and there were two more in the courtyard. Fragments of the wall and the roof were scattered among the bodies.
There were a few living people here, too, crouched on the ground.
Akira was fighting a Guardian God who wore deep brown ceremonial robes. She charged at her opponent, shouting with raw emotion in her voice. Her strikes weren’t as crisp and precise as they usually were, likely because she was injured. The Guardian God dodged all of her blows with ease. His lacquered cap had fallen off and was dangling behind his head. His thinning white hair was stained with blood.
Touko recognized the Guardian God. She had seen him once before. He’d shown up on the old road to capture Kira. After that, he’d disappeared into the ground, taking Kira with him.
Hibari stood atop the crumbling wall, though she wasn’t fighting. She hunched over her white ceremonial robes, frowning. Blood stained one sleeve. As Touko watched, the bloodstain shrank slowly. Hibari was using her powers to heal her wounds. She didn’t look at Touko or the others.
Kun’s fingers dug into Touko’s arm. “I’m not supposed to use the insects,” Kun said. “If I do, I might be killed. I mustn’t let them take the special insects from me.”
Kun’s jar of insects was fastened to him by bandages tied all around his torso. The jar of insects sat nestled against his chest. He pressed down on the lid of the jar with his free hand.
While Kun agonized over what to do, Touko took in the rest of what there was to see.
The Millennium Comet stood next to one of the corpses. She wasn’t moving.
“Yururuho?” Touko asked. That was the Millennium Comet’s name. Touko wouldn’t know it was her if not for the loneliness in her eyes. She looked just like Kira. The sash she wore over a dark dress was the color of autumn leaves. She wore white socks, but no shoes. Her wavy hair caressed her shoulders. She appeared unreal and ethereal, even trapped in this mortal vessel.
Touko was dumbstruck. She’d spoken to the Millennium Comet in her normal form just a moment ago. She held the Fire Hunter’s sickle in her right hand, as before. All she had to do was reach out and slice Kira’s neck, and she would become the King of the Fire Hunters.
There were bandages tied into Kira’s hair. They reminded Touko of the knotted white hair ties that brides wore.
The sound of Touko’s breathing, and Kun’s, seemed louder than normal in the stillness.
“Is that the Fire Hunter who is hunting me?” the Millennium Comet asked. She was looking at Akira.
Who was hurt? Touko smelled blood, but she didn’t see anyone bleeding. A wave of dizziness hit her as her eyes searched the area for anyone injured. The industrial area of the city lay far below her. Beyond that was the sea that had carried her here for the last leg of her journey to the capital.
The boat that Touko and the others had ridden in had also smelled like blood. Shouzou had been wounded very badly. He’d nearly died. A Spider had slashed out his eye. Touko remembered Shouzou’s blood pooling in the boat’s hull.
Kanata barked a warning. He was running toward her. His presence made her feel steadier on her feet.
Touko took a deep breath. Kanata stood at the edge of the disturbed soil in the courtyard, body tense and watching her intently.
The industrial area was sinking into darkness. The height of the cliff sent a chill down Touko’s spine. The beautiful bits of colored debris scattered around were fragments of the broken shrine.
Koushi was leaning against the ruined wall not too far from Kanata. He was the one who was hurt. Kanata went to his side to protect him. Koushi wasn’t moving.
Touko’s throat tightened. A piece of wood was lodged in Koushi’s leg. He was pinned down by the splintered wood of the ruined wall.
“Koushi!” Touko called out. She rushed over and knelt beside him.
Koushi’s teeth were clenched. He ignored Touko; all of his attention was on the Millennium Comet, who had her back to him. Hinako lay next to him, curled up on her side. Another man lay sprawled out in front of Koushi and Hinako. The man wasn’t moving.
Touko recognized the man. He was Akira’s friend, and another Fire Hunter. His name was Roroku. His hunting dog, Mizore, lay beside him with her head on the ground. Temari cuddled into Mizore’s side. The little white dog whined.
Half-buried in the wreckage of the broken wall lay another girl in red clothes. Like Roroku, the girl was utterly still.
Touko gripped the Fire Hunter’s sickle tighter and willed herself not to cry.
Kun had followed her here and had settled next to Koushi. “I found the bugs,” Kun told Koushi. He grasped the bottle of insects that was tied to his torso.
Koushi’s face was bloodless. How long had he been injured? The piece of wood in his leg was as long as Touko’s forearm and very sharp. His leg was bleeding profusely.
“Koushi, what do we do?” Touko asked. “We can’t just leave your leg like that.”
Hinako curled into herself tighter. Her hair covered her eyes, making it impossible to read her expression. She might be hurt, too. Touko checked Hinako over in a cursory way. Hinako was burning up with a fever.
Kanata kept his eyes on the battle. Akira slipped after taking a step and fell down hard. The ground had rippled under her, causing her to lose her balance.
The Guardian God knocked a dagger out of Akira’s hand. The dagger fell and was swallowed up by a wave of supple earth.
With Akira’s weapon dealt with, the Guardian God focused his eyes on the Millennium Comet. He moved away from Akira, smooth as oil, and attacked the Millennium Comet head-on.
Kanata ran to intercept the Guardian God. Mizore ran beside him. The dogs leaped together and bit the Guardian God’s arms.
And then Akira was there. She gripped the Millennium Comet’s arm and thrust her behind herself.
Suddenly, the air grew heavy. Touko sensed rain in the air. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Kanata bit down with all his strength, but a few lucky spins by the Guardian God allowed him to shake off the dog. He kicked Kanata away. Kanata twitched an ear and stared up at the sky.
Mizore and Temari looked up the same way Kanata had. It was like they’d heard a dog whistle that was pitched too high for human hearing to make out. Kanata braced all four paws on the ground, threw back his head and howled at the heavens. His long, low howl resonated into the sky. Temari and Mizore howled with him, all their faces raised to the distant sky.
More dogs were howling in the industrial area far below, joining their voices to the growing chorus.
Touko had no idea what was happening. She looked up at the sky, hoping to see something that would explain the dogs’ strange behavior.
A large beast stood in the air, its back to the dark clouds. It blended in almost perfectly with the night sky. The dogs didn’t seem worried. It was like they’d been waiting for this beast to appear.
Is that a Fire Fiend? Touko thought.
The beast was as dark as darkness. It had no wings, but it stood in the sky and didn’t fall. Its limbs were thick and supple and it had a black mane. Its burning eyes tracked movement on the ground. They burned like a Fire Fiend’s did, but there was also a cruel intelligence in that gaze.
“A Fallen Beast!” Koushi called out.
Fallen Beasts contained lightning fuel. Touko knew that, but she’d never thought that she would see one herself. Fallen Beasts were rare compared to Fire Fiends. She thought of them as something out of a fairy tale or a nightmare. But a Fallen Beast was here, and it was snarling down at her and the others.
Even the Guardian God that Akira was fighting was distracted by the beast looming above them. Akira took advantage of this and kicked him squarely under the chin. The Guardian God stumbled, but didn’t fall. He reached for the handle of Akira’s weapon and missed.
“Kira,” Koushi said to the retreating back of the Millennium Comet. He was speaking to the girl being possessed, not the Millennium Comet herself. “Please take care of Hinako.” He didn’t pause to see if his plea had been acknowledged. He called out to Touko next. “You have to go into the shrine,” Koushi said. “Grab Kun, and bring Akira with you.”
“Huh?” Touko asked.
The Millennium Comet tilted her head.
The dogs had not stopped howling for a single moment.
The Guardian God suffered another blow to the head and went down, wheezing and gasping. He didn’t rise. His arms stretched out in front of him.
Koushi held a full bottle of lightning fuel in his hand. The thick, golden liquid shimmered inside the clear jar.
Akira noticed the lightning fuel. “Koushi, no!” she shouted. “Don’t do anything reckless!” She shoved the Millennium Comet toward the shrine, then lifted Hinako onto her shoulders. She grabbed Kun by the scruff of the neck and pulled him along.
The dogs were still howling. Had they summoned the Fallen Beast, or was this a warning?
The city had been partially destroyed by lightning fuel. Perhaps the Fallen Beast had sensed that, and that was why it had come. Its tail swayed from side to side.
Kun pulled Touko’s hand into his. Akira shouted at them both, commanding them to run. Akira’s voice echoed in Touko’s skull.
The Fallen Beast shifted its posture slightly. Its foreleg, tipped with golden claws, pointed in their direction.
Light surged forward, blinding Touko’s senses.
Koushi gripped his bottle of lightning fuel, and then raised it over his head.
Drawn by the blood of its fallen kindred, the Fallen Beast leaped out of the sky. Touko could barely see because of the previous bright flash of light.
If the Fallen Beast struck at Koushi and his lightning fuel now, then Koushi would die along with the Guardian God near him. That couldn’t happen. She had do something to prevent that from happening.
The Fallen Beast moved with single-minded determination. Touko had only seen a Fire Fiend that wasn’t controlled by a Spider once—the one that had attacked her outside her village. Aside from that, she’d seen nothing but Fire Fiends that were being controlled by Spiders.
She raised the Fire Hunter’s sickle to the Fallen Beast’s neck.
Touko had seen this several times: the golden crescent blade of the weapon arcing up and flashing bright before slicing clean through Fire Fiend hide. Her arms felt weak, but she held the weapon steady. She felt like she was walking in a dream—like she was back with the black moon and the Millennium Comet.
The light radiating around the Fallen Beast flickered out as the sickle bit into its neck. The Fallen Beast thudded to the ground and lay still.
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