Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ The Universe of the Four Gods ❯ Undying devotion and Unnerving strength ( Chapter 10 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Tasuke reaches for his fan as Nakago grins at Zoku. The girl clutches the throat of her robes nervously, glaring accusingly at the blonde general.

“Well well well.” Nakago speaks in a soft, grumbling tone, resting his hands on his hips. His eyes are cunning and arrogant as he looks Zoku over. “What have we here?” He takes a step towards Zoku. The girl jerks backwards as if slapped, muscles taut. Tasuke steps in between the two, drawing his fan and pointing it at Nakago threateningly.

“It’s you,” he snaps at Nakago, arms tensing. “I got a score to settle with you…” Nakago merely grins, as Tasuke removes the diamond fan from his back. Features contorted into a mask of rage, Tasuke leaps into the air, sailing towards Nakago. The general doesn’t move an inch. “Rikkon shien!” Tasuke calls, summoning fire just as flame bounces off the tip of the fan. It quickly engulfs Nakago, leaving nothing but a huge flaming sphere.

Landing on the floor in a crouched position, Tasuke grins, eyes closing in pride. “Well, that takes care of that.” The flames explode suddenly, releasing a large layer of smoke that radiates out from the inferno, spiraling around the room. Muttering an oath, Tasuke clamps a hand over his nose and mouth to keep out the smoke. The smoke gags Zoku, and with a grunt she coughs a bit, putting a hand to her mouth.

Slowly the smoke clears. There stands Nakago, without even a scratch. Tasuke’s eyes grow wide in surprise. The surprise soon melts away into determined anger. Still, his attack had failed once. Would he even have a chance? One glance over at Zoku, who still has her hand over her mouth, assures his doubts. He had to at least try.

Growling beneath his breath, Tasuke rises to his feet once more, holding tightly to his fan. He leers at Nakago. “What are you doing here,” Tasuke snaps, voice cold. The general laughs in the man’s face, blonde hair sweeping over his shoulders.

“Stupid little boy,” he taunts. “You mean you honestly don’t know.” Tasuke glares daggers at the Seiryu warrior, hand clenching around the fan’s handle.

“Answer me, damnit!” Tasuke shouts through gritted teeth, barely controlling his anger. As if admitting defeat to Tasuke’s iron will, Nakago shrugs his shoulders. A careless expression wanders across his features.

“I’ve come, of course, for her,” Nakago replies after a silent moment, pointing an index finger towards Zoku. Zoku recoils from the gesture, glowering at the general. A vein pulses in Tasuke’s neck, as he bares his teeth towards Nakago.

“You won’t lay a finger on her!” he shouts in blatant anger. The thought of Nakago daring to hurt a girl enrages Tasuke. How could anyone even think of it? Didn’t he have any manners? Eyes flashing, Tasuke leaps into the air, preparing to use his fire attack on Nakago once again. A smirk crosses the man’s features.

“Fool,” he says in a monotone voice. “Do you really think that attack will work on me twice?” A symbol appears on Nakago’s forehead as he says this, shining with a fierce blue glow. Seeing this, Zoku leans forward slightly, preparing to shout a warning to Tasuke. But her throat seems to close in on itself. She utters a mere squeak. Too late. Rage swells within her.

A powerful wave of energy is released from the rune on Nakago’s forehead, hurtling towards Tasuke. Caught off guard, Tasuke watches with wide eyes as the energy hits him head on. The force of it throws him back against the wall, cracking the material but not breaking it. Still, the force of the impact forces the breath from Tasuke’s lungs, and he slides to the ground in a daze.

Zoku slips from the bed, dashing towards Tasuke. “Tasuke!” she cried, voice thick with worry and annoyance. She hadn’t been able to protect him! She hadn’t been able to keep her promise. Nakago outstretches a hand to stop her, blocking her way to her wounded friend. Eyes snapping angrily, Zoku glances towards the general without moving her head. “What do you want with me?” she growls in an angry tone. Nakago grins.

“Don’t look so mad, my lady,” he says in a kind voice. “After all, I am only here to re unite you with a friend from your past.” Startlement washes over Zoku, though her scornful look remains. ‘Why isn’t he attacking me?’ Suddenly the last few words sink in.

Friend from the past.

“You know about my past?” Zoku asks in an incredulous voice, tongue coated with accusation as she takes a step back. The fact that this stranger knows more about herself than she des frightens her. Habitually she grabs at the throat of her robes. A rough chuckle parts Nakago’s lips as he lets his arms fall. Zoku’s gaze instantly trains on the limp form of Tasuke. His eyes are tightly closed, and his once firm grip on the fan had melted; the fan lays exposed in his open palm.

“Yes, I do,” Nakago replies, studying Zoku. He could see the longing in the girl’s eyes as clearly as he could see that her eyes were a radiant blue green color. Realizing she’s under inspection, Zoku turns to fully face Nakago, returning his gaze with a rebellious one of her own. The grin broadens. “You have no need to fear me, Lady Zoku.” Though she didn’t quite trust him, Zoku decides to at least listen to the man. After all, he seemed to know something about her that she herself didn’t.

“And why not?” she snaps in a testy voice, glaring the man uncertainly. The general bows his head thoughtfully.

“Because I was not trying to harm you,” he replies. Zoku’s gaze travels towards Tasuke. Nakago follows her gaze, himself staring fixedly at Tasuke. “I simply did that for your protection. He would’ve hurt you, had I not intervened, my lady.” Barely controlling a grunt of rage, Zoku forces the death hold she had on her robes to loosen. After a silent moment, she cups her hands at her waist to keep from ringing the hem of her robes in anger, back rigid.

“What do you mean?” Despite herself, Zoku’s voice sounds distant and frail, almost wavering. To show she doesn’t feel as much fear as her voice seems to impose, Zoku straightens her shoulders and glares at Nakago.

“They are not your true friends, Lady Zoku. They care not for you. All they care about is summoning Suzaku, the guardian god of Konan. Once their goal is achieved, they will forget about you completely. They’ll probably have dumped you off somewhere long before that point.” His cold words strike Zoku to the bone. The thought of being abandoned sends a chill up her calves.

‘They don’t…care about me?’ Zoku thinks incredulously, gaze wavering as she peers at Tasuke’s face. His cheeks are pressed against the hard floor, and the impact had caused his hair to become disarray. A few bangs hang in front of his eyes. Then Zoku notices something. The boy’s eyes aren’t fully closed. He returns her gaze, if through a veil of lashes.

Zoku refrains from running to his side at that moment, arms stiffening at her side. Taking in a deep breath, she takes her gaze off of the seemingly unconscious boy and focuses on Nakago. “I don’t believe it,” she announces in a firm tone. She uncups her hands and lets them fall to her sides. One slender hand clenches into a fist.

Nakago sighs. “Very well. I only wish for your safety, my Lady. Maybe, if you spoke to your sister,” Zoku’s lashes flutter in surprise, “you would change your mind.”

“My sister…” Zoku fights to keep her features under control. “Bull shit…” But the general’s features are smooth as stone at the accusation. Arching a brow, Zoku studies the man, fiddling with the hem of her robes. Licking her lips tentatively, Zoku glowers at the general in disdain, struggling for words. “Where is she…where is my sister?” The general turns to watch Zoku as she asks this question. After a moment he smiles.

“She is in Kouto,” he replies, exaggerating the name as though it were some magnificent kingdom. Zoku frowns.

“Kouto?” The name sounds familiar. Then it clicks. Tasuke’s words. At any given moment any one of us could be killed by Kouto assassins. “You! You are the ones who are trying to hurt Tasuke and his friends!” Zoku nearly shrieks in disbelief. The anger within her grows. Nakago closes his eyes in silent submission.

“Indeed, we are. But for a worthy cause. If they were to summon Suzaku, do you know what they would do, my lady? They would destroy Kouto. And since Kouto is the only resistance to their spreading power, it is likely they will gain control of the entire continent. They have probably already told you that they wish to summon Suzaku to ‘bring peace to Konan’?” The blank look on Zoku’s features tells him they have not. He smirks. “A dirty lie.”

Tasuke springs suddenly to his feet, slashing at Nakago with the sharp side of his fan. Nakago dodges easily to the side, watching the man with a glower. Landing nimbly on his feet, Tasuke darts over to stand between Zoku and the seiryu general once more.

“You lying scumbag!” Tasuke hisses, raising his fan in an offensive position. A trail of blood leaks down the side of his face, where a piece of the wall had made a gash in his temple. Zoku’s eyes widen at Tasuke’s cold words. He was, however, too late. The seeds of doubt had already been planted in Zoku’s mind by the persuasive words of Nakago.

“You see, lady Zoku? They wish for you to not see your sister! To not learn the truth.” Nakago’s voice is soft, encouraging. Zoku takes a step backwards, eyes narrowing as she glances towards Tasuke. Without looking back, Tasuke grits his teeth, knuckles turning white as he grips the fan.

“Enough!” he shouts, leaping towards Nakago. The general smirks, unsheathing a sword and raising it towards Tasuke. The man brings his fan in front of him, repelling the attack. Still, the momentum of the blade carries Tasuke slightly to the side as he lands on his feet. He stumbles slightly. Seeing an opening, Nakago leaps forward, preparing to cut Tasuke down. But he misjudges the boy’s reactions.

Swinging to the side to avoid the downward cut of Nakago’s blade, Tasuke thrusts his fan at the general’s face. Nakago moves his head to the side, but not quickly enough. The blade grazes his chin and clips him at the temple. Gritting his teeth, Nakago leaps backwards, glaring at Tasuke. A welt forms on the right side of his face. Crouching down, Tasuke grins cunningly at the general.

“Now who’s the fool?” he says in a haughty tone, leaping forward. With a chuckle, the general steps to the side as Tasuke swipes with his fan. Raising his arm, Nakago brings his elbow down hard into Tasuke’s neck. With a grunt, the youth stumbles forward before falling heavily to the floor.

“Stop! Stop it, you bastard!” Zoku cries, dashing forward. Worry leaps like thunder from her limbs, physically lashing out towards Nakago. Eyes widening in shock, the general stumbles backwards a few steps. It felt as though a thousand tiny daggers had sliced through his skin. But when Nakago glances down at a stinging point on his arm, he doesn’t find a mark. Realization clouds his vision. After a moment, the sharp pricks melt away into a dull throb, before disappearing all together.