She took a deep breath, and when her voice came out, it was softer, almost like a confession.
— Yuzuki... — She began, the words weighing on her as if they were more than she could bear. Gotier looked at her with an expression of expectation, feeling the tension rise. He knew she had closed herself off since what had happened, but he never imagined it involved something so deep and dark.
Akari slowly turned, meeting Gotier's eyes, as if she needed his strength to continue. But, at the same time, she knew that by saying what was on her mind, something in her world would break forever.
— He has Mao. — The words fell heavily into the air, and Gotier's reaction was immediate. His body leaned forward, as if trying to understand what he was hearing. But, at the same time, shock took over his face.
— What? — The word came out in a whisper, but it was loaded with disbelief. Gotier seemed to be trying to process what he had just heard, as if the very foundations of his understanding were unraveling.
Akari closed her eyes, feeling the weight of fear consume her. She didn't want him to know, but she knew there was no way to hide it anymore. He needed to understand the truth. Yuzuki needed help, and no one could help him if they remained in ignorance.
— He... — Akari swallowed hard, her voice wavering but still firm. — He has Mao inside him. I saw it. The power Mao has over him... It's not something Yuzuki can control. He... he is fighting it, but he's getting weaker. Every day, he loses more of himself.
Gotier couldn't hide the look of horror on his face. The air seemed to grow thicker around him, and he pulled back slightly, as if trying to escape the revelation, but the words still echoed in his mind.
— How...? — The question seemed stuck in his throat. — How do you know this? When did it happen? How could he...?
Akari looked down, unable to meet his gaze. She didn't want him to see the guilt in her eyes, but she couldn't hide the weight of the truth that was consuming her.
— It was... after our fight with Zeke. He... he told me. He said he didn't know how it happened, but that Mao's power overtook him. He has this power now, Gotier. And I don't know what to do to help him.
Gotier remained silent, his mind racing, trying to connect the scattered pieces in his head. His expression was pure shock, horror taking over every thought. Mao... the most powerful of the Kugutsus, the one who destroyed, who corrupted. And now it was inside Yuzuki. That same boy he had promised to fight alongside.
But the truth was undeniable. Yuzuki was lost.
— This... — Gotier finally managed to speak, but his voice trembled. — This changes everything, Akari. You have no idea what this means. Mao cannot be controlled. He will consume Yuzuki. There's no turning back.
Akari raised her eyes, staring at him with an intensity that made him step back slightly, as if her words cut deeper than he had imagined.
— I know that. — Akari's voice was low, but cutting. — And as much as I want to believe there's a way out, I know he's losing the battle. But... we can't give up on him, Gotier. We can't.
Gotier felt a lump form in his throat. He wanted to offer some comfort, some hope, but he couldn't. He knew what Mao represented, and if Yuzuki was truly possessed by him... the tragedy was about to unfold.
— I... I don't know what to do. — His voice faltered for a moment, but he composed himself. — Maybe... maybe the only solution is to end this now. Kill Yuzuki... before Mao destroys him completely. He can't be saved, Akari. There's no time left.
Akari looked at him with a fierce gaze, as if she had been struck by lightning.
— Don't say that! — She stood up with such force that the flames in the fire seemed to tremble. Her voice, though trembling with rage, was full of unwavering determination. — If you try to do anything to Yuzuki, Gotier... I'll kill you.
Gotier stared at her for a long moment, fear painted on his face, but also deep pain. He knew he was dealing with something much larger than himself, something beyond his abilities. And yet, he didn't want to lose Yuzuki.
— I... I'm sorry, Akari. — He bowed his head, sincerity in his words. — I didn't mean to cause you pain. I'm just... desperate. What's happening is more than I can bear alone. I didn't want to force you to make a decision like this.
Akari didn't respond immediately. She just stood there, hatred and pain in her eyes. The tension in the air was palpable, as if a bomb was about to explode, waiting for a spark.
Gotier lowered his head, feeling the weight of his own words. Yuzuki's future had never been so uncertain, and the path ahead was filled with shadows.
Akari (clenching her fists): So how did Yuzuki get him?
[The silence weighs in the air. Gotier stares at Yuzuki, unconscious, the doubt turning into something close to fear.]
Gotier (lowering his voice): I don't know. And that scares me more than anything.
Gotier: "There are skills Yuzuki needs to learn to face what's coming. Genkai, Dankai, Shinkõ... and Barãã. All of them are essential for him to have control over himself and resist Mao's influence."
Akari tilted her head, confused. "These skills... can you teach him?"
Gotier nodded slowly. "Yes, but it will be a hard road. Dankai is a complex sealing technique with several types that will allow him to imprison other Kugutsus and create protection barriers. Shinkõ is the only way to sever the bond completely with the demon, but that requires a level of mastery few achieve. Barãã will give him strength and resilience, a healing ability that could save his life... or ours." He hesitated. "And Yûgõ... the fusion. This will be the hardest of all, but it may be his only hope to fully control Mao's power."
Akari sighed, feeling the weight of those words. "Will Yuzuki agree to this?"
As if fate were listening, slow footsteps broke the silence. Yuzuki approached the fire, his face cast in the shadow of the flames. His eyes were lowered, his shoulders slumped, as if carrying the weight of the world. "I heard everything," he said, his voice rough, almost a whisper.
He raised his eyes. And it was there, in that moment, that Akari felt a knot form in her throat. Yuzuki was staring at her. But not like before. Not like the impulsive friend or the bearer of a powerful Kugutsu. It was a look from someone stripped of pride, broken inside, silently pleading.
"Akari..." he murmured, his voice choked. "I'm sorry."
That's all. Simple. Cruel. Real. Akari felt like time had stopped for a second. Those eyes — empty, sad, suffocated — carried the guilt of something he had never had the courage to say, but she could feel it. It was as if every unspoken tear was slipping inside him.
She didn't answer. She didn't need to. The silence between them said everything. And for a moment, Akari wished she could touch his pain... and pull it out with her own hands.
Yuzuki looked away and slowly walked toward the river, leaving behind the warmth of the fire and the presence of the others.
The banks were quiet, lit only by the moonlight. He knelt down, his knees sinking into the damp earth. The water flowed calmly... indifferently.
He looked at the reflection. And his chest tightened.
The image staring back at him wasn't his own. It was a distorted shadow, with deep eyes and a face he barely recognized. "Is... this me?" he thought.
Loneliness wrapped around him like a cold cloak. For everything he had done. For everything he hadn't had the courage to say. For everything he knew... and still hid.
Yuzuki closed his eyes. There, before that reflection that wasn't his, he felt — for the first time in a long time — fear of himself.
Meanwhile, in his consciousness, Mao watched everything, laughing in scorn. "You can train your body all you want, boy," his voice hissed in Yuzuki's mind, "but your soul is already mine."
Revelations Around the Fire
The night carried an almost tangible weight, as if the very air had been poisoned by darkness. The sky, vast and moonless, gleamed only with cold stars, their distant light like watchful eyes observing the travelers' every breath. The fire before them was anything but comforting: its ghostly blue flames flickered with a sickly hiss, as if devouring the soul of the wood itself, casting twisted shapes across the gnarled treetops. The rhythmic crackle seemed to whisper profane secrets, while the nearby river growled as it slid over stones, its murky waters reflecting the spectral light in erratic movements. The result was a cutting silence, heavy with a shadowy unease, as if something ancient and ravenous lurked just beyond the fire's reach.
Gotier sat beside Yuzuki, watching the flames with a contemplative expression. He seemed distant, but his eyes betrayed the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. The priest cast a discreet glance at Yuzuki, studying him. Something about the young man deeply disturbed him, but he remained calm—a mask he had learned to wear after years of suffering.
"Yuzuki..." Gotier broke the silence, his voice low and weighted with intent. "That demon, Mao... how does someone carry something like that?"
Yuzuki hesitated, his eyes fixed on the fire. He felt the weight of the question—and the judgment embedded within it. Akari, sitting a little farther away, glanced sideways at Yuzuki, ready to intervene if needed.
"It's... complicated," Yuzuki finally replied. "It's not something I chose. Mao... he just... is with me."
"Just is with you?" Gotier raised an eyebrow. "Do you understand what that means? The kind of power you carry?"
Yuzuki's silence was answer enough. Gotier leaned forward, his eyes glowing in the spectral firelight.
"It's not just power. It's destruction. Corruption. Mao isn't just any Kugutsu. He's a legend among those who study the occult. How does someone like you... someone from Kugutsu... manage to handle that?"
Yuzuki looked up sharply, surprised. Gotier noticed the slip in his own words—but it was too late. The young man narrowed his eyes, and Akari leaned forward, the tension in the air rising.
"How do you know we're from Kugutsu?" Akari asked, her voice firm.
Gotier sighed, trying to compose himself. He turned his gaze back to the fire before answering.
"I've studied... a lot. Enough to recognize the patterns. The marks." He paused, observing the cautious expressions of the two young ones. "But I never expected to find someone from Kugutsu... especially carrying something like Mao."
Gotier: "The Church taught me how to manipulate Kugutsus... but I never imagined they'd use that against me. For years I studied the Kanjis and the island of Kugutsu. You know, I learned the three types of sealing—Slavic, Sacred, and Skiave. The Church mostly uses the Sacred one, since we sacrifice priests with strong auras to obtain a Kugutsu. They're weak Kugutsus, but easy to control and refine over time."
Gotier: "I know, I know... you believed the Church truly sought love among humans. But the God we follow—" Gotier pauses, measuring his words "—Never mind."
Yuzuki and Akari glanced at Gotier, suspicious of why he refused to continue. They knew it was something important.
Yuzuki (firmly): "The Skiave sealing ritual can only be used by members of the three main clans. We divide our souls in two to create a new being."
"Exactly," said Gotier. "Even after all my studies and efforts to protect my family... in the end, they're dead, and I'm still here. I'm no different from Gabriel. Everything he did was for the Church. And everything I did..."
Akari could feel that the priest had said too much—he was suffering. Meanwhile, Yuzuki looked at them, regret written on his face.
Yuzuki clenched his fists, his emotions threatening to break free. Akari placed a hand on his shoulder—a silent gesture urging him to calm down.
"We didn't choose this, Father," Akari said, her voice a little softer. "But we're doing what we can to control it."
Gotier observed the two for a long moment, his mind weighing the possibilities. Finally, he nodded.
"Then I need to teach you. Everything I know. Dankai, Shinkõ, Barãã... maybe even Yûgõ. If you don't learn to control this, Mao will destroy you. And honestly, I'm not willing to die because of your ignorance."
The comment, though harsh, brought a strange relief to the tension. Yuzuki nodded slowly, sensing the sincerity in the priest's words.
"Thank you... Gotier," Yuzuki murmured, his voice laden with gratitude and determination.
The wind blew, making the blue flames flicker—as if the very spirit of the night approved of the new alliance forged around that eerie fire.