Shadows of the Reborn

Chapter Seventeen

The Power of Resistance

Their small group gathered around a roaring fire as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the clearing. The day’s events were the topic of discussion, but Shinpachi was on the outskirts, his mind consumed by his friend’s loss. He could almost feel Seitarou’s grief, a heavy tug at his heart.

Turning to look at his daughter, who was sitting and laughing with the others as though completely forgetting how close she had gotten to death, he looked back into the shadows. Seitarou’s younger son, Tsuneo, was quiet, lost in his thoughts, probably thinking of Wataru.

Hayato walked over to Shinpachi and silently waited to be acknowledged.

Shinpachi glanced at the male, giving a small nod.

“Will you eat?” Hayato asked.

Shinpachi turned to look at the hog they had caught. “Yes. After they finish.”

“What do you think will happen to the twins?”

Shinpachi sighed and shook his head. “With any luck, they will be sent to the dungeons. Seitarou will have it no other way.”

“Did you call your spirit back?” Hayato asked.

“Not yet. I will not take chances with my spirits life.” Shinpachi said quietly. “You?” He asked, looking at the shadow guard with skills that outmatched his.

“I don’t think anyone has,” Hayato admitted. “It’s too dangerous and admittedly too soon.”

Shinpachi caught a slight movement in the shadows, and he chuckled. “Your shadow hounds stayed.”

Hayato smirked, “Mine, yes. My spirit’s no.”

Shinpachi lifted a brow in surprise, “Your spirit has his own hound?”

“They are all his. He commands the shadows. I just borrow his talents and merge them with my own. I think Arisu’s soot sprites are even his.”

Shinpachi furrowed his brow. Each youkai held their own inner spirit. There were a select few with interesting circumstances that changed that small rule. Masakuni and Masamichi were one. From what he had understood from listening to the royal guards, they held their own individual spirits but were tied to one another.

Because they were twins, they could always hear one another’s thoughts and spirits. This was similar to his and Seitarou’s extended bond. Seitarou and he had formed a bond of brotherhood when they were younger. This had meant sharing one another’s spirits’ names and tying themselves to fate. It didn’t come without risk, and now Shinpachi could feel every emotion Seitarou felt.

If what Hayato said was true, then one of his family’s spirits was the spirit of the shadow realm. Or, as he liked to call it, the void. Turning his head to look at Kazuki, it seemed like stronger spirits were placed in a select few to defeat future enemies. Not sure what role Kazuki would play in the future, but if it were true that he held the spirit of the God Raijin, then his power would be substantially more than even the oldest elder in their clan.

He knew that Okimoto’s family line had come from the blood of a God, one of the fallen from several millennia ago. They all held the blood of the old Gods, some of the fallen ones, others who had procreated with a mortal and thus resulted in children. Okimoto’s family was perhaps the oldest he knew about. Even he couldn’t pinpoint when his family line came into being, but he knew it wasn’t that old.

But perhaps he was wrong, and he held the blood of an ancient God himself. He would never know because his family had lost all records over the years. Shaking his head, he watched Hayato return to the fire, not because he was chilled but because Shinpachi had stopped talking.

His thoughts went back to his family. Miwa, his eldest daughter, was his mother’s heir. If she had any children in the future, his wife’s spirit would eventually go to them. For him, it would be any of Taichirou’s children or grandchildren if he lived long enough to see them.

It wasn’t that his younger children, Tadayo or Maiko, would not have powerful spirits, but they would inherit other spirits from his family line. Most likely from his own father, or maybe his brother, who had died in the great Youkai war. It was difficult to say.

If Kazuki had inherited the spirit of the God Raijin, he didn’t even want to know what Gods lived in Okimoto or his heir, Manami. Raijin was a powerful thunder and lightning God, and his brother Fujin had been a forceful wind God.

Furrowing his brow, Shinpachi tried to think of what Gods had been terrifying to him as a child. Amaterasu was one and one of his night watch guards namesake. Then there was Hachiman, the God of war and protector of the people of the lands. Then there was Ryujin, the dragon God of the sea. Rumors had it that Ryujin resided in the mountains on their little island. No one had ever had the courage to discover whether it was true. Then there was Sujin, the God of water. Shinpachi had never been a fantastic swimmer, so he greatly respected the power water held.

Then, there was Susanoo, the God of storms. Shinpachi frowned as he thought of the encounter earlier that day. Whatever fear he had held towards the God of storms, it had been erased when he had witnessed the terror in the God’s eyes when the father of all Gods had retrieved him.

There were so many Gods and thousands of youkai. He wondered if some of the youkai didn’t hold an inner spirit. Perhaps that was the reason behind the mindless fury some held. The Youkai war had been a great example of his reasoning. Many of the youkai they had fought against were mindless beasts, holding no fear or reason as to how they attacked. They had just been brutes and powerhouses when it came to fighting. But there had just been so many of them that their clan had been overwhelmed.

Shinpachi had lost his entire clan in that war. He had been grateful the Lord Mitchitaro had taken him into his clan to be a captain. Mitchitaro had witnessed his skills and had not hesitated to hire or accept him into his home. Upon Mitchitaro’s death, his son Genjiro took rule and implemented many changes, most of which Shinpachi did not agree with. Despite that, Shinpachi would have been lost had Mitchitaro not taken him in.

Shaking his head, he had not even remembered half of what had happened during the war, and only thanks to Okimoto’s family documents had his memories resurfaced. How he could have forgotten about all the death and destruction during the Youkai war was beyond him. Not to mention losing his parents and his brother.

The problem they faced now was discovering who had been responsible for erasing their memories—not just the youkai’s but their inner spirits’ memories. It was like a veil had been dropped on them and only lifted because they had triggered these memories by simple writings. Shinpachi had gathered every scroll and journal he could gain access to and had given them to the historian. The old man had not been thrilled but understood the importance of keeping them safe.

Turning and walking to the fire, he crouched down, reaching for a piece of the hog. They all looked at him expectantly, and Shinpachi sighed. “I have no answers to give.”

Kihachi frowned, “I know. But still, I don’t understand much of what has happened in the last two days.”

Isami nodded. “Why did we wake our spirits?”

Shinpachi grunted, “To ensure they weren’t in the soul well. We informed you of this.”

Isami nodded again, “Okay, that much I understand. But they weren’t, so why are we keeping them awake? Aren’t they only there to keep us safe if we are in battle?”

Kazuki furrowed his brows. “From what mine has told me, we need to train them as much as we need to train ourselves. If they remain dormant, then their abilities become stagnant. If we use them and train, our power grows along with theirs.”

“Fair enough.” Isami sighed, placing his chin in his hand.

“How do we train our abilities if the twins are not imprisoned?” Tadayo asked.

Tsuneo snorted, “I highly doubt my father will accept anything less from Genjiro for my brother’s death.”

Miwa nodded in agreement.

Sadanaga leaned back, “Thankfully, not all of our spirits were asleep.”

Hayato wrinkled his nose, “True, but we must remain careful. We can’t release our powers around the twins or anyone. We hold different talents than the rest of the clan.”

Arisu nodded, “Could you imagine power-hungry individuals trying to figure out ways to steal our powers?”

Kazuki looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Uh, we don’t have to imagine. The twins were stealing our powers.”

“Besides them, is what I meant,” Arisu said, rolling her eyes.

Hanzo grunted, “As with everyday little sister, we must be careful when training our abilities. Luckily, we don’t have to train on the mortal plane.”

Arisu giggled, “Coming from one who hates the shadow realm.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes, “I don’t hate it. I just don’t enjoy spending a lot of time there. It’s dangerous.”

Sadanaga looked at his younger brother, “It can be if you are not careful. Trust your spirit to guide you. Without trust, there is no hope.”

Shinpachi glanced at Kazuki, “Susanoo called our spirits his siblings.”

Kazuki nodded, “From what I understand, our spirits are Gods given to us by Kamimusubi for a few reasons. One to help us grow and guide us to being greater than what I guess nature intended. The other is for them to grow and learn about life on the mortal plane.” He shrugged.

“So it is true then? My brain won’t allow me to comprehend it.” Hayato chuckled.

Shinpachi rubbed his chin, “If they are Gods, then why were they given to us? Humans fear us but don’t fear the Gods in the temples or shrines. Are they just unaware that we have the blood of the Gods and house them?”

Kazuki shrugged, “Maybe.”

“I don’t think we were the only ones granted Gods as inner spirits. I think it was to balance the world out.” Miwa said. “The humans have started delving into dark magic and conjuring.”

Shinpachi lifted a brow at his daughter, “And you know this how exactly?”

Miwa rolled her eyes, “I’m not stupid, Father. I’ve seen what they can do. There are humans near our old hunting grounds and they have started moving through the island more.”

Sadanaga nodded his head in agreement. “I, too, have seen them wandering in areas they never did before. So far it isn’t of great concern, but if they continue to gain the courage to explore the island more, eventually, they will stumble across our village.”

Shinpachi frowned, “This is something we must bring to the elder’s attention.”

Tadayo snorted, “You’re an elder, father.”

Taichirou gently shoved his brother, “Have more respect.” He chastised.

Shinpachi smirked, “Certain elders have the ability to put up a barrier to keep us hidden from prying eyes. It might be enough to keep the humans from discovering where we are.”

‘Psst.’

Kazuki jumped and released a soft yelp. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Is the coast clear? It’s boring in my pools.’ Came the hushed question.

‘Isn’t it the same as mine?’

‘I have someone to talk to in your pools. My tree is just moody.’ Taizo explained.

Kazuki chuckled and looked up at the questioning looks he was getting. “Sorry. Is it safe for them to come out?”

Hayato snorted, “Probably. Is yours as bored as mine says he is?”

Kazuki grinned and nodded.

Shinpachi pushed to his feet, “I’m sure it’s fine for them to come out. We have to be extra careful, however.”

“If anything appears suspicious, our spirits must be ready to return to their pools.” Hayato nodded. “Our priority is to keep them safe, which in turn keeps us safe.”

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful for the group as they explored the island and stuffed their packs with supplies for the clan. Tsueno scourged for herbs for their clan’s herbalist, while Hanzo found seeds for planting. Now, they were on the rafts, heading back to their village.

Shinpachi stared to the north. His curiosity peaked, and he released a sharp whistle, which caught the attention of the other two rafts behind him. He pointed to the horizon once he had Sadanaga’s and Hayato’s attention. The rafts pulled up closer to one another, and Shinpachi squinted his eyes, trying to make out the greyed-out object of his attention.

“Is that another Island?” He muttered.

Hayato turned his head and squinted to peer at the opposite shortline. “Do we want to go see? I mean, we are not expected for another week or two.”

Shinpachi glanced at the occupants of his raft. “Thoughts?”

Taizo grinned. ‘That’s the mainland.’

Kazuki furrowed his brow. “My spirit says that’s the mainland.”

Shinpachi lifted a brow. “Really? I wasn’t aware it was so close.”

Kazuki shrugged. “I’d be interested in checking it out. Definitely has my spirit excited.”

Kihachi chuckled. “Mine too.”

Shinpachi nodded, “It’s settled then.” Turning to the southern shore, Shinpachi motioned his hands and craned his neck to hear the answering call. Satisfied that his message would be passed on to the families, they turned their rafts and headed to the northern bank.

They could only get a few feet before the sun vanished, and a slight chill made Kazuki glance up at the sky. He frowned at the sudden storm clouds. A loud roar filled the air seconds later, and Shinpachi crouched on the raft, looking up.

Hayato turned and focused on the sky, his back rigid with anticipation.

“What is that?” Tsuneo hissed, also crouching on the raft.

Taizo immediately recognized the aura and hissed in Kazuki’s head, ‘Ryujin.’

Kazuki paled and gasped out, “Ryujin?!”

Shinpachi whipped his head around to stare at Kazuki. “The dragon God?” He exclaimed.

Kazuki gulped and nodded.

Hayato turned his head and nodded, “He is headed right for us.”

The water around them churned as it normally would in a storm, and Arisu clutched the sides of the raft with a curse. “What is he doing?”

Taizo sighed, ‘He obviously wishes to speak with us, although the storm is uncalled for.’

‘I thought he was evil. At least that’s what the stories always told us.’ Kazuki shuddered in memory.

Taizo peered at his host’s memories and chuckled. ‘He isn’t evil. He is a bit overprotective but not evil.’

The large shadow flew above the storm clouds, casting them in darkness, and then a loud splash on their left caused the water to shift and lift their rafts slightly. Hanzo cursed loudly and gripped the raft.

Shinpachi shivered as his eyes landed on the glowing red ones of the dragon as it swam towards their small crafts.

Ryujin stopped a few feet from them, his head several feet higher than the water level.

‘Stand up.’ Taizo instructed Kazuki.

Kazuki nervously got to his feet, shaking as he stepped towards the towering being.

“New host already, brother?” Ryujin asked.

Taizo appeared beside Kazuki and smirked, ‘It has been a few thousand years since then.’

Ryujin lifted his brow and lowered his head to peer at the ghostly figure. “Has it now?” The dragon lifted his gaze to stare over the water and shook his head. “Time flows so differently.”

Taizo chuckled, ‘Why have you come?’

Ryujin looked back at his brother and lowered his muzzle again, “Do you remember the warning I gave you?” A brilliant pink cloud swirled around the dragon, and Shinpachi stepped back quickly when a tall male appeared on the boat beside him.

Taizo sighed, ‘As much as I can remember of it.’

Ryujin grunted as he glanced down at his humanoid form. His pale skin was covered in red and black markings, and black scales were scattered on his body. “So they erased your memory?”

Taizo frowned then, ‘Who?’

Ryujin narrowed his eyes in disbelief, “The twins. Their power grows with each passing year. Have they gained that much power to reset memories?”

‘They have been siphoning power from the souls asleep in the soul well.’ Taizo snarled softly.

Ryujin sniffed, “Interesting. I would expect they are planning to do this again. The barrier around the nature Goddess weakens. Your last host had been able to put one up to contain the rot that floods that area. If it is released, everything on the island dies.”

‘Hisato went up there?’ Taizo frowned, ‘I only remember him falling ill after something the twins gave him.’

Ryujin seated himself on the raft and crossed his legs. “Poison. Over which you have gained immunity. You are unique, brother. Your ability to encounter and adapt to a scenario has always been astounding. You just need to find it again.”

Taizo crossed his arms over his chest, ‘Did I lose it somewhere?’

Ryujin chuckled, “Indeed. Be warned. The twins will continue to manipulate those who are weaker and focus on strengthening their power. In doing so, they could possibly release an evil that could devour the world.”

Taizo shook his head, ‘Always so cryptic.’

Ryujin grinned. “Your encounter with our older brother was rather interesting.” He turned to glance at Hayato who remained still on his raft. “Come closer, all of you.”

The raft occupants took a few minutes to gather the courage to move their rafts to Shinpachi’s. Nodding, satisfied, Ryujin stood up and waved his hands before him, speaking words under his breath. The water around them rose into a protective dome and swirled around the rafts.

Ryujin closed his eyes and began speaking words that sounded more like gibberish, but Taizo recognized it as the spoken words of the Gods. Chills ran down his arms as his brother released an aura around the group. Taizo gasped as he felt that veil lift from his eyes, and the memories that had remained foggy suddenly became clear. His energy spiked, and power flooded his system in waves.

Shinpachi gasped at the overwhelming feeling and stumbled to his knees. The others also had similar feelings. Ryujin dropped his hands and turned his head to Taizo. “Mother sends her wishes. She also warns you to be extremely careful. The power I placed on you will only assist you in the future. The twins will continue to take what is not theirs, but we cannot interfere with the mortal realm.”

‘Is that not what you are doing now?’ Taizo snorted.

Ryujin smiled, “Only with mother’s approval. Your memories will be lost again; there is no question about that. However, you now have the heightened ability to stumble across a situation and have that spark that lost memory. Your host’s brother there,” Ryujin nudged his nose at Isami, “Now has the ability to view the past. He isn’t quite of an age to use it successfully, but one day, it will pop up, blinding him temporarily as he looks into the past.”

Isami gulped nervously.

Ryujin pointedly looked at Kihachi, “You are his guardian. Your skills will be honed to work in tune with his.”

Ryujin spoke with each individual before he finally turned back to Taizo. “Your new host is brilliant. His ability to remember everything he has ever read is astounding. I suspect it is partially due to you, but regardless, you use those skills to your advantage. They will be needed and something that will be highly sought after. Protect one another because what is coming will be a storm the mortal realm has never experienced. The spirit that escaped the spirit realm has been released upon the earth.”

Hayato gasped. “No.” He breathed.

Ryujin nodded as he turned to face Hayato, “Part of it remains locked within the shadow realm, so you and your host must be on high alert. It is skilled at hiding.” He wasn’t speaking to Hayato but to his inner spirit. “One day, you will face it, and it will not be as controlled as you may like.”

Turning to the rest of the group, he jumped into the air and transformed into his usual form. “Keep watch over the skies for signs of the Dragon King. Stay as far away from him as possible.”

Taizo furrowed his brow, ‘Dragon King?’

“He is from China and is trying to take over the lands here.” Ryujin snorted. “Many Gods and Demons are descending from China. Just be careful and aware of your surroundings. They are far more malicious than any youkai here.”

Taizo nodded and turned his eyes to Hayato, who had a look of concern on his face. “This rot you speak of, how much contamination are we talking about?”

Ryujin shook his head, “Enough to consume the world if left unattended.”

“How do we fix this weakened barrier?” Hanzo asked.

“You don’t. Do not allow anyone to go up there. If this barrier breaks, even I can be consumed by the hatred and malice contained within. It has already consumed my sister.” Ryujin sighed.

Taizo winced, ‘Can she be saved?’

“By some small miracle, there is hope.” Ryujin turned his attention to the small island their home was and growled low. “Best if you abandon this adventure you planned for the mainland. The twins have escaped.” Without another word, he launched into the air and headed for the mountains.

Shinpachi snarled in anger, “Come.” He turned the raft towards their home, and Taizo vanished immediately.

‘Go to your pools. I will not have you risk your life.’ Kazuki said.

‘Already on it. Let me place a protective shield around your tree first, and then I will go.’ Taizo said.

“With the twins free, get your spirits to safety,” Shinpachi said as he poled towards the island. “Knowing them, they are already working to correct their mishap, and we may soon lose our memories.”

Kazuki sighed. ‘Will I at least remember you?’

‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Taizo said, ‘I’ll be in my pools, but I will keep watch until we know it’s safe.’

It didn’t take them too long to get closer to their island, but Shinpachi noticed a difference in the air as they approached. It was as though something was blocking the entrance to the docks, and he held up his hand. “It looks like there is something beyond that point.”

Hayato nodded, “I see it too.”

Sadanaga also nodded, “We can’t wait here forever. We must either cross into it or abandon our families and find shelter elsewhere.”

Shinpachi snorted, “Are your spirits safe?”

At everyone’s nod in answer, he poled the raft closer to the bubble-like blockage. He turned the raft so that it drifted beside the barrier. He turned his head, “Once we cross, we might not even remember one another. I am uncertain what will happen.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Kazuki stood beside Shinpachi, “Whatever happens, fate will have us remember if that is intended. If not, then it is what it is.”

With a deep breath, Shinpachi moved the raft into the invisible barrier and held his breath with his eyes tightly closed. To his surprise, though, his memories remained intact. Glancing over his shoulder, he shrugged at the confused looks on his companion’s faces.

A loud whistle filled the air, and Shinpachi lifted his hand, waving to the many clan members running to the docks.

Kazuki smiled when he caught sight of his father, but his smile faded immediately at the look of immense relief on his face. “Why does he look so worried?”

Shinpachi shook his head, “For now, we play along.”

Kazuki nodded his head in agreement.

As soon as the rafts bumped against the docks, Okimoto ran over with a huge sigh of relief. “Thank the Gods you were found.” He glared at his sons, Kihachi and Isami. “If we hadn’t sent Shinpachi out to search for you, who knows what might have happened?”

Okimoto gripped Shinpachi’s arm in thanks. “Thank you for finding my wayward son’s.”

“It is for naught, Lord Okimoto.” Shinpachi nodded. “They left a not-so-discrete trail for me to follow.”

“All of you to the house, now!” Okimoto snarled at his son’s. “You had your mother sick with worry, and now we have to send word to your brothers who went searching the other side of the island for you.”

Hayato stepped on the dock and watched his children get off, all playing along with the strange scenario. “Shinpachi, we will meet with you as soon as I drop these three off at home.”

Okimoto lifted a brow at the youkai. “Did my sons also coax your children to go along?”

Hayato nodded. “Thankfully, my eldest has more sense than these two do and assisted me in locating them.”

Miwa pushed her brothers. “I don’t know what got into all of them, but they decided they wanted to set up camp on the opposite bank.”

Kihachi and Isami shared a look with a smirk before their father turned on them with fire in his eyes. “Home! Now!”

Okimoto turned to his youngest son. “I thought you had more sense than to follow your brother’s. Clearly, I was mistaken. Get your ass home.”

Kazuki nodded and followed Kihachi and Isami down the path. Once they were out of earshot, they all looked at one another with wide eyes. “This punishment we have coming is not worth this shit,” Kihachi grumbled.

Isami hissed, “Shush. Let’s just get this over with so we can meet up with Shinpachi later and find out what the hell is going on.”

Kazuki rolled his eyes, “We know exactly what is going on. The twins could only erase the memories of those still on this island, or they have an alternate motive for keeping ours intact.”

“I think I prefer the first choice. Who knows what they have up their sleeves if they believe our memories are also gone.” Isami muttered.

“If they believe that ours were gone the minute we passed through the barrier, that means we have the upper hand. We know their tactics and can expose their treacherous manipulations by showing exactly who they are to the clan.” Kihachi scrunched his nose in distaste.

“We play along for now until we meet up with Shinpachi. Hopefully, Manami and the twins still have their memories.” Isami said quietly as they approached the large, modest-looking hut.

As soon as they walked into the main sitting area, their mother took one look and ran for them, embracing them in a tight hug. “Oh, you had me so worried.” She sobbed. “Don’t ever run off like that without at least telling one of us where you are going.”

The three boys all muttered a soft apology and hung their heads. Before they could escape to their rooms, their father stormed into the house. Their mother quickly intervened. “Now, Okimoto, do not be too harsh on them. They are home safe and sound.”

Okimoto grit his teeth together, trying to contain his anger. “Go!” He growled out, pointing to their rooms. “Out of my sight now.”

Kihachi, Isami, and Kazuki didn’t need to be told twice, and they quickly retreated. There was silence for several minutes, and when they heard their father storm through the house to his private garden outback, they moved to Kazuki’s room.

Kihachi and Isami entered quickly and breathed a sigh of relief. “Did they all lose their memories?” Isami whispered.

Kihachi nodded, “Appears that way. Why do we still have ours?”

Kazuki frowned. “I can only assume the twins have an alternate plan for us. Perhaps they believe that we did lose our memories?”

Kihachi frowned, “Then we continue to play along until told otherwise from Shinpachi or Hayato.”

The three brothers sat in Kazuki’s room for hours until the sun dipped behind the mountains. Once night hit, Kihachi, Isami, and Kazuki slipped through Kazuki’s window and approached the barracks.

Kazuki caught sight of his older brother Manami by the village gates, and he stopped walking. “Hold up. I see Manami.”

Isami and Kihachi glanced over their shoulders and nodded. They stopped walking to go with Kazuki, but he shook his head, “No, go on without me. Let me go find out if Manami lost his memories, too.”

Isami hesitated, “Is that safe? I mean, who knows where the twins are.”

Kazuki snorted, “I’ll be fine. I can see Manami from here.”

Kihachi rolled his eyes. “Be careful.”

Kazuki waved his hand and started walking towards his eldest brother. After a few minutes, he stopped when Hisashi came out of the fog behind Manami and quickly ducked behind a hut. “Curses.” It wasn’t that he hated his brother, Hisashi, it was just his attitude Kazuki preferred to avoid. Even Hisashi’s face and stature had changed since he had taken station at the main house. He was far more pale than the rest, making his red markings stand out in stark contrast. His hair was thinner and unkempt. Hisashi was more skinny than he had been before his new job and he shook his head. Even Hisashi’s eyes had changed.

Kazuki didn’t want to deal with Hisashi’s judgmental views on life or arrogant attitude, so he slipped behind a large water barrel. Because their sense of smell was so good, the water would help mask his scent. There was a small grain hut and a supply hut across from where he hid. Beside him sat a hen house for their poultry, and right next to that was the alchemist’s hut. There were at least four feet between him and the grainery, and the shadows cast him in darkness.

He heard his two brother’s walk past his hiding place, and he sighed in defeat. Shrugging his shoulders, Kazuki got to his feet and stepped out from behind the barrels, only to squeak when he was forcefully tossed through the air to the ground. Rolling onto his back, Kazuki’s eyes widened at the two shadows towering over him.

A strong hand clenched his throat and squeezed tightly while the other shadow leaned over him. “Do not be afraid, Lord Kazuki. This will not hurt a bit.”

Sudden panic filled him, and he kicked out with his feet, trying to free himself from the tight death grip. He couldn’t call out as his windpipe was being crushed, and he couldn’t escape. It was as though here were locked in a trance, with four black eyes peering deep into his soul.

His skin crawled as he felt tight pressure on his brain, as his body was being probed and torn apart piece by piece. Somehow, he had managed to kick his foot against the barrel he had been hiding behind, and it toppled over with a loud thud. Fighting with everything he could, Kazuki freed one of his arms and pushed the individual hovering over his face.

As soon as he was freed, he could instantly see their faces. It was as though they had cast a spell over him to keep them in shadow. “What are you doing?!” He shouted.

The twins glanced at one another, waiting to see if anyone had heard him, but grinned when no sounds came to investigate. Kazuki crab crawled backward until his back hit the grain hut behind him.

“Easy, Lord Kazuki. Let us finish our task, and we can all be on our way.” The twins smiled an innocent smile he saw through immediately.

They were on him once again before Kazuki could protest or get to his feet, locking him into a deep trance and probing his mind again. They hissed after several minutes of silence. “Where is your spirit, Lord Kazuki?”

Kazuki blinked at them stupidly. He couldn’t speak or cry out for help.

His body jolted when they pushed harder into his mind, searching more intensely than before. He could feel them slice through his mind and his soul. It was agonizingly painful, and there was nothing Kazuki could do. As that pain seared through him, he clenched his eyes shut and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat.

Something sparked deep within him, and his eyes flew open in panic. Had they found his spirit? Before he could do anything, his body ignited in blue electrical arcs, freeing him and sending the twins flying back from the surge.

Standing and staring at the twins, he shakily took air into his starved lungs. The twins were unconscious, and their clothing was scorched from the energy he had released. How would he explain this? Everyone had lost their memories except those who had not been on the island. Would anyone believe that the twins had attacked him? What would his punishment be?

His whole body shook, and he wasn’t sure if it was from being terrified or from the energy released by sheer instinct. Kazuki’s head throbbed, and he felt an overwhelming wave of dizziness come over him. Stumbling to his knees, he wrapped his arms around his body, trying to contain the shaking.

Kazuki’s voice still didn’t work properly; his only sound was rasping and wheezing.

“I found him.” A voice said on his left.

A warm hand touched his back, and soon he was surrounded. The faces he couldn’t quite make out, but they were gentle and soothing.

“Easy.” A voice whispered. Strong arms picked him up, and he was carried off somewhere. His eyes closed in sheer relief and exhaustion. He felt his body go limp and then everything went black.