mission report for meissa (part 2 of 2)

[capn_planet]

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S is for Souls

They run into Miyake a few months later in another town. Or rather, they travel to a town to get rid of some demons, only to find the shinigami already there, fighting off the swarm of demons that have seemingly taken over the town. "Remember that yet? It's here now," Miyake hisses as he fights off three demons with his scythe. He manages to touch all three with the tip of it, their bodies disappearing, before three more take their places.

Ryo dodges a demon coming his direction, its red eyes glowing, and he spins to shoot it squarely in the back. The demon stumbles, giving Ryo enough time to touch a part of it as he says the exorcism ritual. A bright light shines before the demon becomes a puff of black smoke that dives into the ground. The distraction is enough for another demon to come forward and swipe at Ryo; he narrowly dodges by stepping back.

Yamapi holds demons at bay with a larger weapon, a water gun that they filled with holy water. Each demon hit with just a drop of holy water screams as it burns their skin, giving Yamapi plenty of time to exorcise each one, despite the large quantity.

At one point, he knocks into Miyake who raises an eyebrow at his weapon. "A water gun? Really?"

Yamapi shrugs. "You have to get creative sometimes. Besides, it works, doesn't it?"

Despite the fact that there are only three of them, the number of demons decreases steadily, enough that they can catch their breath. Except, out of the corner of his eyes, Yamapi catches sight of a demon in Ryo's blind spot, about to attack him, and his heart stutters as he wonders how he can best reach him.

In the second it takes him to plan, a bright light flashes, blinding them all before it fades. In its spot, Tegoshi stands, hovering in between Ryo and the demon, his hand on the demon's shoulder. His eyes are more serious than Yamapi has ever seen and he releases the body without care, lips tight.

Ryo turns to look at Tegoshi, but Tegoshi's hand shoots out over Ryo's left shoulder, pressing a hand against the attacking demon's chest. "Pay attention," Tegoshi says lightly, but there's that edge that Yamapi knows has never been there before.

Despite a questioning expression, Ryo does just that, shooting at demons coming for Tegoshi on their left while Tegoshi focuses on the opposite side. Yamapi tears his attention away from this, making sure he doesn't give any advantage to the demons either.

After a long battle filled entirely of exorcisms that Yamapi can't count anymore, he slumps against the nearest wall, gulping down the remainder of their water supply. Ryo sits on top of some stairs, tending to their wounds, currently stitching up a bad gash on Yamapi's upper left bicep.

Tegoshi and Miyake eye each other. It's not suspicion, Yamapi notes, but something closer to confusion on Miyake's face. It disappears when he realizes that Yamapi is looking at them.

Yamapi notes that for later thinking. For now, he says to Tegoshi, "Thanks for coming." His voice is hoarse, despite the amount of water he drank; he wishes he had more in their supply.

Tegoshi shrugs. "Noticed you guys were in trouble and couldn't resist helping my favorite hunters out," he says cheerfully.

"I didn't realize you could exorcise souls so easily," Ryo comments which only prompts Tegoshi to grin widely.

"Ryo-chan~ You can't underestimate a cute face like mine! I'm capable of plenty of things." Tegoshi moves to sit by Ryo's side, almost crawling into his lap, poking his cheek with a finger. Yamapi relishes at the look of dismay on Ryo's face.

"Of course he can exorcise souls," Miyake says, suddenly speaking up. In shorter than a second, Tegoshi's hand is on Miyake's shoulder and Miyake's lips purse together, his face strained. If Yamapi didn't know any better, he'd think Miyake was being forced not to talk.

Tegoshi laughs, poking Miyake on the cheek. "It's a skill of mine, right, Miyake-kun?"

Ryo narrows his eyes, glancing from Miyake to Tegoshi. "Do you know each other?"

"We happen to run in the same circles sometimes," Tegoshi says lightly. "You'd be surprised how small the world really is."

"Right," Yamapi says slowly. "Of course."

"Now, we should probably get going. This can't be the only batch of demons running amok, right, Miyake-kun?" Tegoshi grins at the two, holding out a "v" with his fingers.

Miyake nods, slowly, but still as restrained as before. Before either Yamapi or Ryo can say anything, they disappear in front of them.

"So," Ryo says after a brief silence. "That was strange."

"You're telling me," Yamapi replies, sighing. "I'd question it, but right now, our beds are sounding more comforting than figuring out what new secret Tegoshi has up his sleeves."

"Agreed."

U is for Underworld

"So should we be weirded out that the entrance to Yomi-no-Kuni is actually on land?" Yamapi asks, looking at Yomotsu Hirasaka, the gate to the underworld.

"Should we be weirded out that it was this easy to find?"

"If by easy, you mean having to walk through forest for a half-hour, then yes, easy."

Ryo rolls his eyes. "With the amount that you complain about us having to trek places, you'd think you were new to this shit."

"Don't pull that," Yamapi snaps. "Don't think I don't see you sweating bullets from over here."

"At least I don't complain."

"Complaining doesn't make me less of a man," Yamapi snaps.

Ryo waves a hand at him, looking at the area. "So what exactly are we looking for?" In front of them, the placard indicating this as Yomotsu Hirasaka sits, the path ahead indicated by two tall posts with a string tied to their tops; an old braided rope snakes across it.

"I thought you would know. After all, aren't you the 'superior hunter'?"

Ryo smirks. "At least you understand." He starts to walk further down the path, noting the worn walkway that leads to what appears to be shattered rock. Yamapi stops beside him, eyebrows furrowed. "Think this is it?" Ryo asks, hands waving at the rock.

"That's definitely it," a new voice interjects.

Ryo and Yamapi immediately go for their guns, spinning around to point it at a young female standing in their path. Unlike their haggard appearances from walking, she's pristine. Her white dress looks unharmed from being in the middle of the forest, her hair is neat and straight, and her smile is pleasant and gentle. "Hello again."

Ryo's eyes narrow and his grip tightens. "I don't remember meeting you before."

She sighs, walking over. "I'd be offended if I didn't know I had caused that. But never mind, I'm impressed you finally found this place." She touches the nearby items-placards and rocks and ropes alike. Nothing happens, but Yamapi keeps thinking something will.

He continues to point his gun at her, even as she walks around them in a near circle. "Our researcher is good at what he does."

"Hmm," she says lightly. "Well, he did find my shrine before, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

The sentence clicks in Ryo's mind and he gapes. "Amaterasu."

"That's me!" she says cheerfully, holding up a "v" sign. "But I like going by Masami."

"Do none of you Gods prefer your own names or something?"

Masami taps a finger against her chin as she thinks on this, but she shrugs a moment later. "They're easier to say. Gotta get with the times, after all. Now, will you put your guns away like civilized people?"

Ryo and Yamapi exchange glances before they tuck their guns away. "Why are you here?" Ryo asks.

"And why don't we remember meeting you?"

Masami smiles, crouching down to touch pieces of rock in one particular spot. Her eyebrows furrow as she seemingly tries something, but nothing happens. She sighs, getting back up, and brushes off dust from her hands. "Well, first of all, I'm here to help," she says, crossing her arms. "This has gone on for too long."

Ryo raises an eyebrow. "Gone on?"

She bites down on her lower lip before she steels herself. "I caused the rip in the underworld." Yamapi and Ryo's eyes widen, mouths open. Neither of them can say anything despite the fact that they have so many questions to ask. Instead, Masami continues with a sigh. "This was just to teach him a lesson," she says. "He's always acted so blasé, like the idea of responsibility was something that he could just ignore. Despite the fact that he's a storm God, despite the fact that an entire section of our world is under his command."

"Susanoo?" Yamapi asks.

Masami nods. "So I did this," she says, gesturing towards the broken boulder beside them. "I broke the barrier that held the underworld together, wanting to see him have to actually work to recover everything."

"Doesn't seem to have worked," Ryo points out, crossing his arms. "Quite a big gamble to take when humanity has no means of protecting itself."

"I thought he'd actually do something about it," Masami snaps. "Sorry, but I'm not going to feel guilty because a couple of lives may have changed."

"How much do you count as a couple?" Yamapi asks, his voice tight. "A few hundred? Thousands? Tens of? Because I'm pretty sure it's way more than you think."

Masami glares at him, and Yamapi suddenly remembers that this isn't a normal person, they're talking to. Amaterasu is not just the Sun Goddess, but presumed to be the Goddess of the Universe, and even though they've never gotten any hint of her powers before now, Yamapi's sure they're endless. "You may think this harsh, but mortals only live for so long. I have to make sure future generations won't have to live with my brother's recklessness."

"That may be true. But we have to live with now, and letting those creatures loose hasn't made life easier for anyone now," Ryo snaps.

Masami sighs, playing with the edges of her hair. "Regardless, I need your help. I need you to close the gate to Yomi."

"This won't include human sacrifices, right?" Yamapi asks as Ryo snaps, "Why should we?"

They look at each other and Yamapi shrugs under Ryo's glare. "It's an important question," Yamapi says.

Masami laughs, shaking her head. "Don't worry. No human sacrifices required, and all you have to do is get my brother here so he can shut it. Nobody else can."

"Is that what you were trying to do before?" Ryo asks, gesturing towards the rocks she'd been touching earlier.

"Yeah," she says. "Unfortunately, I don't have much control in resealing the underworld."

"You had plenty of power to rip it apart though." Despite the glare Masami angles in his direction, Ryo never looks away, meeting it with a glare of his own. Neither of them look away first, only breaking eye contact when Yamapi coughs loudly.

"Why do you think we have any control over your brother doing something?" Yamapi asks curiously. "I mean, what connection does a God have to us?"

Masami furrows her eyebrows before her eyes widen and she starts to laugh, covering her mouth with a hand. "You're telling me you haven't realized yet? It's been months since we last met, and you still haven't figured it out?"

Ryo and Yamapi look at each other, confused, until Ryo snaps a "Tell us already."

"You've met him already," Masami says cheerfully. "In fact, you seem like pretty good friends to me."

The bottom of Yamapi's stomach drops.

S is for Soroban Bozu

Yamapi clutches at the abacus, chanting an exorcism as Ryo shoots a ghost. It flies back then comes at him again, mouth wide open and eyes bulging.

When Yamapi finishes his chant, the ghost engulfs in fire before it soars into the abacus. The abacus feels like it burns in Yamapi's hands for a second before it cools.

Yamapi and Ryo stare, slightly slack-jawed, before Yamapi shrugs. "Well, they all can't be epic battles."

"But a ghost with an abacus? Who was the creative genius who thought that was scary?"

Yamapi laughs as they walk back to the truck. "Well, maybe back then it was like, OH MY GOD, MATH. WHYYYYYYYY?"

Ryo rolls his eyes, hitting Yamapi over the head lightly. "You're one to talk, Yamashita."

"Yeah, but at least I wouldn't be scared of an abacus."

"Now a calculator on the other hand..." A familiar voice interjects.

"Hey Tegoshi!" Yamapi greets with a wave.

"Here to claim the credit again?"

Tegoshi grins. "You can keep the credit, I just want the abacus."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryo says as Yamapi passes Tegoshi the abacus. "Show up at the last minute and claim the glory."

"I told you," Tegoshi says cheekily, "I never get my hands dirty." He waves before disappearing.

A is for Amaterasu

"You shouldn't be in here." The firm voice echoes through Ryo's bones.

Ryo swallows, trying to search for the source of the voice in the dark, but can't figure out what direction it's coming from. "We just want to talk," Ryo says, trying his best to keep the quaver from his voice. He barely manages.

Beside him, Yamapi tenses, his hand hovering at his gun, despite the fact that, from previous experience, guns have proven to have no effect on Gods.

"Only the priestess steps foot inside my shrine. She is the only person I will speak to."

"Karina gave us permission to enter," Yamapi speaks up. Unlike Ryo though, he does little to hide the fear in his voice, so there's a slight quiver in his voice. "We need to know something that only you can provide us."

Finally, a light appears in front of them, blinding them until it lessens into the form of a female body. "Why should a God give information to mere hunters?" Masami asks. Her form still glows a little, enough to illuminate the dark shrine.

"Because it's important to humankind," Yamapi says. "Something's wrong with Yomi-no-Kuni and we need help finding Susanoo."

Her expressions darken as she extends a hand in their direction. Yamapi blinks, not sure what's happening at first, until he tries to shift. His whole body is frozen. "Wha-" he starts, but he stops, realizing that while he can't move from his spot, he can move his head. He looks over at Ryo who seems to realize the same thing.

"What do you know about Yomi-no-Kuni?" Masami asks, her voice harsh as she storms towards them.

Ryo and Yamapi both shake their heads. "That's why we're here," Yamapi says, this time trying to keep the pleading from his voice. He's sure that that would be a form of weakness he shouldn't point out.

Masami's eyes narrow as she looks from Ryo to Yamapi then back to Ryo. She reaches out to press a finger against his forehead; heat spreads from the spot to the rest of his body. When she releases her finger, stepping back, a smile is on her lips. "So you're my brother's handy-men," Masami says. "Of course this is the closest Tegoshi will get to doing his own work."

Ryo's eyes narrow. "Brother? Tegoshi?"

"Did I spill his secret already?" She sighs, brushing her hair off her shoulder. "It's so tough remembering what each person knows."

Yamapi's eyes go wide as the puzzles connect in his head-why Miyake had been suspicious of Tegoshi's appearance, why Tegoshi appeared at random times after monster battles, why they weren't able to kill Tegoshi that first meeting. He was a God. Not a demi-God Trickster like they'd always thought, but the God Susanoo, the person they'd been searching for. "Well, fuck," he curses.

Masami looks over at him, smiling faintly. "Sorry, but I can't let you go with that information. If you confront Tegoshi now, he'll never close the underworld, and we can't have that, right?"

"What are you going to do to us?" Ryo asks, his lips tight with fury. "You kill us and-"

Masami waves the sentence away. "I wouldn't dirty my hands with the death of two hunters to keep a secret." She smiles brightly, before placing a hand on Yamapi's cheek. He sucks in his breath, staring at her bright brown eyes, before she closes them, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. Yamapi's vision starts to flicker black and white, before he feels energy drain from his body. He drops to his knees, vaguely hearing Ryo calling out his name before he passes out.

"You'll pay," he hisses, wishing he could move.

Masami approaches him, smiling. "Don't worry, Ryo-tan. Pi-tan's still alive, just sleeping." Ryo faintly wonders how she even knows their names-but realizes that there's no questioning a God's knowledge. She places a hand on his cheek, warmth spreading through his body again, a familiar feeling except it makes him feel weak, light-headed. She leans in, kissing him on the lips. "Now take care of yourself, Ryo-tan," she murmurs when she pulls back. "Because I expect I'll be meeting you again. Although you won't be remembering this."

Ryo's vision goes black.

N is for Nukekubi

"That's a head."

"I can see that."

"Where's its body?" Yamapi asks, gulping at the human head snarling in their direction. Its lack of a body should be more distracting, but the blood coating the person's jaw is much more attention-getting.

"Good question," Ryo mutters.

"Why do we keep running into random monsters while we're working on other cases?"

"Possibly a good conversation to think on tomorrow, but for now..." The head jets out towards them, its shrieking piercing through their ears. Yamapi dodges to the left, knocking a lamp down from their side table, but he spins around in time to see the head jump in his direction, mouth fully open and teeth sharp to a point.

The gunshot resounds and Yamapi breathes a little freer when the head is knocked out of his line of sight. He looks over and Ryo's gun is out, pointed in his direction.

"Let's get out of here!" Ryo yells, dashing for the door. Yamapi nods, chasing behind him-except he can feel breath right against his neck. He narrowly manages to dodge the bite towards his throat before angling a shot of his own at the head. It hits the ceiling, yelling in pain. Yamapi runs out the door right behind Ryo.

"What do we do?" he asks when they're safely in the truck, driving as fast as they can from their motel room.

"We've got to find its body," Ryo mutters, eyes glancing from the road to the clock on the dashboard. "We have about an hour and a half before sunrise, and the best way to defeat a nukekubi is to make sure the head never returns to its body."

"Awesome. This town is totally small enough to find a random headless body," Yamapi retorts.

Ryo glares at him. "I came up with one half of the plan. Figure out the second half."

"Why didn't we just try to tie the head up or something?"

"Because the head has the ability to move around, do you really think ropes will keep it in place? The body is the immobile, so it's the one we should go after."

"How do you even know all this?"

"I once caught a case with a nukekubi. It was much easier because I happened to be there when the head separated from its body." It's weird for Yamapi to think of Ryo working cases without him, but it made sense. Ryo had been a hunter longer than they'd been partners.

Yamapi cringes at the idea of a headless body, but shakes the idea from his head. "Well, obviously we must've been close to the creature when we were questioning people today. Otherwise, it wouldn't have attacked, right?"

"With the way our lives have been lately, yes, that seems to be the case. They attack us before we even know they're here."

"So we should go back to the university campus," Yamapi says, nodding confidently. The truck turns into a parking lot, and Yamapi registers that they've already arrived in the university. He sits, pouting, until Ryo punches him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh, come on. You reached the same conclusion anyway."

"You didn't even wait!" Yamapi protests, but he slips out of the truck anyway.

Ryo grins, coming around the other side and throwing an arm around Yamapi's shoulders. "I wasn't sure when you'd reach the same conclusion."

Yamapi shrugs his arm off, frowning, before he hears the snarl right beside his ear. Again, he manages to dodge to the left, knocking straight into Ryo. But the head does manage to get a piece of skin, teeth skimming right by his arm and past cloth. Yamapi cringes, hand going straight for his gun, but Ryo beats him to it. He leans over Yamapi, shooting at the nukekubi, and pulling Yamapi back, into the direction of the woods beside the school grounds.

"Shit," Ryo growls, running with one hand still gripping Yamapi's wrist. "I didn't expect it to catch up with us so soon."

"It does still have mystical powers," Yamapi points out, trying to run and gauge his wound at the same time. The nick of skin is small, enough to bleed, but nothing too serious. He goes back to focusing on where they're running to inside dark woods. Yamapi sees it instantly, eyes squinting at the faint light in the distance.

Ryo seems to see it too because his grip tightens, and the two run in that direction, hoping it's exactly what they need.

The light seems to be never-ending as they run after it, their throats dry and their legs tight. "Does it seem to get farther each time?" Ryo asks, panting as he leans against a tree.

Yamapi nods, lips pursed as he gets his breathing under control. "Do you think we're chasing something that's a trick?" Except as soon as he says the words, the light brightens, like it's trying to get their attention.

Ryo exchanges glances with Yamapi before they start running again. This time though, the light doesn't seem to move any farther. They catch up to it sooner than expected, the light hovering over a body. A body without a head. As soon as they step into the area, the light vanishes, plunging them into near darkness, the only source of light approaching dawn.

"So, that was… convenient," Yamapi mutters, looking around. He doesn't see anybody around them.

"Whatever gets us what we want." Ryo moves towards the body. When he notices that Yamapi is still frozen, he snaps, "Hurry up! Dawn is coming and we need to hide the body before the head comes back." He goes for the legs which Yamapi supposes means he gets the body, the heavier part. Yamapi pushes the thoughts away and instead focuses on the fact that he has to lift over 150 pounds of dead weight.

The head catches up with them before they can move very far. It takes a bite at Yamapi's throat again. Ryo drops the body, causing Yamapi to stumble forward and easily miss the head as it flies over him. Ryo pulls out his gun, shooting at the head, and growls at Yamapi to do something.

Yamapi tries to catch his bearings, still half on top of the body. He looks over, seeing Ryo trying to keep the head from coming anywhere near him. Yamapi licks his lips, staring at the body, before his eyes narrow and his throat closes. He pulls out a stake from the inside of his jacket and plunges it directly into the body.

It's different, Yamapi thinks, his stomach churning as blood spills onto the ground beneath the body. A distance away, the head is screaming, shrieking as it starts to disintegrate, but Yamapi can't hear it, eyes frozen on the body as it disappears slowly as well. The hints of sun peeks through the trees, illuminating the last bits of body before the stake falls from empty air.

Ryo tugs Yamapi up, and Yamapi can't bare to look him in the eye. "I know," Ryo says softly. "I didn't want to do that either."

"It was the best option," Yamapi mutters, picking up the fallen stake. There's no sign of blood on it, but Yamapi can still see it in his mind's sight. He tucks it away, not wanting to think about it.

"Let's get going. We still have things to do," Ryo says.

Yamapi nods.

O is for Obake

"Tegoshi is Susanoo," Ryo repeats, staring at Masami incredulously. "But he's-he's a Trickster." But even as he says the words, his mind makes the connections, and he wonders how they could've been fooled for so long.

"You told us this before," Yamapi says, his voice accusatory, his eyes narrowed.

"I did," Masami confirms. "But it was too early for you to know then."

"Why would timing matter?!" Ryo snaps.

"We needed most of the monsters and creatures back before we could close the underworld. When you first found out, only half of them were. And if you'd confronted Tegoshi at that point, he would've stopped trying to solve everything."

"He was trying to solve things?" Yamapi asks, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"He was sending them towards you," a new voice interjects. Ryo and Yamapi look over to find Massu walking towards them, smiling brightly as he waves.

"He was what?" Ryo snaps. "That's why we had an increase of monster attacks?"

Masami and Massu smile at each other, before Masami turns to them. "You really are slow," she says with a sigh. "But yes, this was Tegoshi's way of fixing the underground. At least if you were fighting off the creatures, returning them, he wouldn't have to do it."

Yamapi and Ryo stare at each other, before groaning loudly. "We could've died," Yamapi moans.

"I cannot believe we were tricked into doing his work for him," Ryo snaps. "And now you're making us do more of his work?"

"More like asking you to get him to finish his job," Massu explains. "After all, since neither of us can seal the underworld, those creatures you worked so hard in capturing can escape again."

Yamapi stares at Massu. "You're joking me. They haven't already escaped, have they?"

"Not yet," Massu says with a shake of his head. "Luckily when a demon is exorcised, they're sent to the lowest level of hell, so it takes time for them to resurface. But it is going to happen."

"Nice plan," Ryo snaps at Masami. "You thought this through completely."

"I don't listen to the criticisms of hunters," Masami retorts. "I don't appreciate your tone with me."

"And I don't appreciate being a fiddle in your sibling relations!"

Yamapi and Massu stand in between Masami and Ryo, blocking their view of each other. "While I agree with your anger," Yamapi says sternly to Ryo, "do you really think now is the time?"

Ryo glares at Yamapi. "Don't. This past damn year has been absolute hell and it's because these Gods decided that they wanted to teach each other lessons."

"I get that, that's valid. But right now we have bigger things to worry about." Ryo bites down on his lip, hoping it'll abate his anger. It does, but not by much. He inhales sharply, the sudden intake of air helps a bit more. He looks over, noticing that Massu has calmed Masami down as well. She smiles at him, tight, which he returns, just as rough.

"So what do we have to do?" Ryo asks.

"Get him here so he can close the barrier."

"And how do we do something like that?" Yamapi asks.

"Just by standing there." The new voice is a familiar one and Ryo inhales before he looks over. Tegoshi stands, leaning against one of the posts. "Fancy meeting you all here."

O is for Open/Close

"Doesn't this look like a nice gathering?" Tegoshi asks, pushing off the post to walk over to them.

The air around him starts to crinkle, charged with electricity, but while Ryo and Yamapi shrink back slightly, Massu and Masami step forward, their own power emanating off their skin.

For a minute, Ryo and Yamapi just eye the trio, watching as they stare at each other. Tegoshi laughs a moment later and the electricity fades from the air as he shakes his head. He clutches his stomach, laughing harder. "Oh, sis."

Masami purses her lips, crossing her arms. "What's so funny, Tegoshi?"

"You are, of course!" Tegoshi grins, wiping tears from his eyes. "Trying to teach me responsibility? Who decided you knew what was right for me? Just because you were the first one born by, what, minutes?"

"Tegoshi," Massu says firmly, but Tegoshi shakes his head.

"And you! You always go along with her plans without even considering anyone else. Thanks for that."

"Um," Yamapi interjects, waving a hand in the air to catch their attention.

Tegoshi smiles and bounces over. He puts an arm around them. "And of course, the main stars! You guys did so much work, so I thank you the most."

Yamapi feels Ryo tensing beside him, but he reaches out and tugs down Ryo's fist. "You're welcome," Yamapi says tightly. "Are you going to close the underworld now?"

"Hmm," Tegoshi half-sings. "I'm not entirely sure. After all, I'm not responsible enough to have maintained the Yomi-no-Kuni all these years."

To her credit, Masami frowns guiltily before she crosses her arms. "Tegoshi," she says.

Tegoshi rolls his eyes. "A 'sorry' would suffice, you know."

"Would it really?" Masami asks.

"Well, maybe not entirely, but it'd be a start."

"Sorry then." Tegoshi freezes and spins slowly. Masami stares at him, face solemn but sincere. "I am sorry that I underestimated you. I shouldn't have broken the barrier like I did."

Tegoshi swallows before he starts to laugh, pushing Masami away lightly. "Oh sis, why so serious!"

Massu rolls his eyes. "Way to play it off."

"Whatever," Tegoshi says lightly before he walks to the pieces of boulder, waving a hand over them. They hover off the ground before coming together to reform the boulder. It glows yellow, forming a barrier around it before it expands outward and vanishes.

Ryo and Yamapi gape. "That's it? That's all it takes?"

"Well, nobody usually breaks open the underworld," Tegoshi comments, glancing over at Masami. She only smirks, crossing her arms.

"Because it's that difficult?" Ryo says, eyebrow raised.

"Because they know who lords over it," Tegoshi says, voice dipping icily.

"Stop trying to scare them," Massu scolds. "It's not like they don't know who you really are anymore."

"Which, thanks, by the way." Ryo frowns. "We appreciate you lying to us all this time."

Tegoshi smirks. "I just never confirmed who I am, did I?"

"Semantics," Yamapi says.

"Really? A Shige word? Now?" Ryo asks, rolling his eyes.

"Well, Shige says I should use the words properly in order to learn them!"

"And with that," Massu interjects. "We'll be on our way." Masami nods beside him.

Before they leave, Ryo calls, "Make sure to leave us out of your family drama next time?"

Masami grins at him, finally smiling again. "No promises." They disappear in a whirl of wind.

Tegoshi shakes his head and throws his arms around Ryo and Yamapi's shoulders. "So it's just the three of us again! What should we do now?"

Ryo and Yamapi look at each other, before pushing Tegoshi's arms off of them. "You weren't any better. We didn't forget that it was your fault this year has been complete hell. Pun unintended."

"Who better to trust my domain with?" Tegoshi asks, smirking at them.

"Flattery doesn't get you anywhere, okay?" Ryo tells him.

"I don't know, it helps a little." Yamapi shrugs when Ryo glares. "It's nice to be acknowledged sometimes."

"Always!" Tegoshi chirps, throwing his arm around Yamapi again. This time, Yamapi doesn't shrug it off.

"As long as you don't use us again, I'm okay with you," Yamapi says.

Tegoshi pauses before he shrugs. "No promises. After all, it's the hazard of being a God! I like having humans do a lot of my dirty work."

Ryo groans, rolling his eyes. "You're the worst."

"I'm okay with that." Tegoshi laughs. "But for now, maybe you can introduce me to Koyama and Shige. After all, a researcher as good as Kato Shigeaki would be of good use to me." He smirks up at them.

The two pause before they shrug. "Well, better him than us," Ryo says.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that," Yamapi comments before they start to walk towards the truck. "Oh wait, do we have to walk all the way there? Can't you do that disappearing thing on us, too?"

Tegoshi grins. "And have you miss the utter satisfaction of hiking through woods for thirty minutes? Never."

Ryo and Yamapi glare at him before he reaches over, touching their shoulders with his fingers. Tegoshi winks and they disappear.

Note: Look back through the letters and see what you could've known all along.