Chapter Text
Louis was amazed when he saw that in front of him was a pale gray colored yoroi. the yoroi seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil, which gave it a ghostly appearance.
"So you're the one who put me to the test...". Louis muttered as he, confused, advanced towards the yoroi.
"I had to see if you could be my temporary carrier...". The yoroi responded in a metallic voice as the Moon continued to shine with pale light.
"Temporary carrier?". Louis repeated more and more confused. Of all things he would have expected to find, but certainly not a yoroi.
"You're not who I'm waiting for...". The yoroi explained "But my help is also needed if we want to save the world from the fury of that goddess."
"So you want to use me to achieve your goal?". Louis hissed as he looked around nervously.
“We both gain.” The yoroi replied "You will protect the people you love, while I will continue my existence. It seems like a fair deal."
"...". Louis didn't answer, he just thought about the possible scenario that awaits him if he doesn't accept the yoroi's offer.
"I will wear you as long as you help me save my husband from Kikotei." Louis counters the yoroi's offer "I want Ryo to be free from Kikotei after this battle."
"You are in no position to make such requests." The yoroi retorted.
"It's not a request! It's an exchange of favors." Louis responded to that statement "You profit by keeping the worlds standing and I save the one I love."
"Did I save him even by defeating the Goddess? Do you want to save him twice?".
"Kikotei is more dangerous than the Goddess!".
The yoroi and Louis stood in silence, staring at each other, while the full Moon shone cold and still on that world.
"I'm sorry I can't accept your condition." The yoroi spoke in a cold tone "Agree to save him at least from the Goddess."
Louis clenched his fist and shook his head surrenderingly as he watched that chance to save Ryo from Kikotei go completely up in smoke.
"All right!". Louis gave up as he watched the moon lower towards him.
“Now, call my name and when you open your eyes you will find yourself in the yokai world.” The yoroi commanded in a solemn tone, "My name is Mangetsu."
"Mangetsu...". Louis repeated first in a low voice and then shouted "Mangetsu". The full moon destroyed itself and they became cherry petals.
“We enter the scene as a secondary character in the final act and give the protagonist one last push towards victory.” Mangetsu spoke as he dissolved.
Louis closed his eyes while around him he heard drums and a force that completely overwhelmed him and made him kneel.
"One last thing: I have no weapons, so I will further modify your Tachi to make it suitable for me. Consider it a gift...". Mangetsu spoke and his voice seemed like just a distant echo.
When Louis opened his eyes he found himself a short distance from where Ryo and Mukala were fighting. Louis immediately noticed how little remained of the two Kikotei and that both were wounded and bruised.
Ryo felt the Kikotei begin to tremble as if she were furious and she thought it was because of the damage she had received from the Goddess. She once again used her katana, as a shield to protect herself against the Goddess' attacks.
Louis moved forward and disappeared, coming up behind the Goddess and hitting her with her Tachi. Ryo caught a glimpse of what looked like a samurai's yurei as her gray veil shrouded it.
"I mustn't distract myself...". Ryo took a few steps away as he saw that the samurai ghost continued to relentlessly attack the Mother Goddess along with Mukala.
"I can recover some energy to launch the last attack." Ryo thought as he tried to concentrate and regain enough strength to launch one last attack.
Louis noticed that Ryo was regaining his strength and continued to slash at the Mother Goddess along with Mukala's strikes. The yoroi gave him great lightness more than when he was in his yuki-onna form and he could dodge the Goddess' attacks with ease.
The mother of the yokai was increasingly tired, but she continued to deliver powerful blows with her fangs or any weapon she could still summon.
The deity took Louis by the foot and slammed him disastrously to the ground and Louis used her tachi to wound her wrist and get rid of her. The Goddess let out a scream of pain and Mukala hit her again with what was left of her strength.
The Goddess let out a roar and launched slashes at them which Louis tried to block using her tachi and taking a few steps back.
The Goddess immediately jumped in front of him and Louis used the power of yuki-onna, to disappear and appear behind the deity's back and hit her on the shoulder to make him lose the weapon.
Mukala advanced forward and delivered another strike of his own with the black Kikotei, causing the Goddess to collapse to her knees.
Louis turned his attention towards Ryo who now seemed ready to launch one last attack against the deity.
"Everything's on the line now" Ryo made his weapons dance in front of him "let's hope this shot is enough to end the battle."
The swords danced in front of him and he once again launched a Chōdandō Senkōzan at the Goddess with all his remaining strength.
The Goddess suffered the attack and in a desperate attempt to resist that intense power, she made a spear appear that impaled Ryo on her back.
Ryo ignored the pain coming from his back and continued to attack him, using everything he had and Kikotei's power.
The Goddess began to give way, and Mukala launched a further attack that completely broke the Goddess's defenses, and she began to dissolve into ash.
"Sun and Moon. You cannot see the birth of a pure spring. 20 years and three months will have to pass before the doors open to the life you have so longed for." The Goddess spoke those words before disintegrating into small fragments and disappearing.
The spear disappeared and Ryo let out a groan of pain, while he staggered before collapsing on the ground completely without any strength.
Sensing at that very moment, that the Goddess had disappeared, I used her magic to summon a white barrier that spread Yokai throughout the world and then began to rain like white rain on the entire world.
The Yokai still alive regained their senses and immediately stopped fighting or fell asleep on the ground.
“Mukala and Ryo, they did it!”. Jun exclaimed as his feet finally hit the ground again.
“Yes, fortunately ...”. Touma commented when he saw the yokai begin to disappear. “You did well for your first battle.”
“I still need to learn how to better control and manage Oni's power.” Jun replied in a serious voice as he took off his yoroi.
The yoroi disappeared into golden and silver fragments and Louis immediately rushed towards Ryo to kiss him on the lips and stop Kikotei from starting to burn the samurai internally. The cold air passed through Ryo's body and he remained motionless in his arms, while Mukala still couldn't move from the position he was in.
When Ryo returned to wearing civilian clothes, Louis broke away from his lips and immediately felt the sticky hand and the stench of blood, which permeated the air. Louis looked at the completely red hand and immediately tore off a piece of his shirt and began to pack the wound, while Mukala shuffled over to the couple.
"How are you?". Mukala asked as Louis continued to dab the wound and noticed Ryo's pale face.
“He needs treatment immediately!” Louis replied as he continued to pack the wound. “It's not enough to just pack the wound with a piece of clothing.” He looked around and hoped that someone would come to help them.
“Amamiya, what are you doing here?”. Jack asked perplexed as he appeared from a black tunnel, also exhausted by the length of the battle
“Now is not the time to ask this question!” Louis replied in an alarmed voice “Ryo is losing so much blood! He needs treatment immediately!".
Jack immediately rushed towards Ryo to check on his condition and Murasame also appeared and together with his team went to check on Mukala's condition.
“We need to take him to the hot springs right away…”. Jack lifted Ryo with the help of Louis who continued to press on the wound. “It will heal his wounds.”
“The problem is not just the wounds ...”. Mukala tried to explain, while being lifted with equal attention by Murasame and two members of his team, "Ryo gave all his energy in that last attack to disintegrate the goddess."
“Once he is cured of his wounds, we will give him a potion that can help him regain the energy he lost in the battle.” Jack entered the portal and they arrived
“I hope it's also something that can fix the shirt and remove every single smell of blood.” Louis thought as he began to slowly strip Ryo of his clothes to immerse him in the hot water “The kids know that's one of his favorite shirts…”.
Louis carefully lowered Ryo into the boiling water, and he made a faint noise and let go like a piece of wood while Jack helped Mukala into the water. Afterwards it was Louis' turn to enter the water to stay next to Ryo and make sure that his wounds would heal with the healing water of that thermal spring.
“Recover yourself, my love ...”. Louis whispered as he carefully wet his forehead where there was a wound and a bruise. Ryo let out a groan of pain as his head went back slightly and rested on Louis' shoulder.
Mukala observed the scene in silence, wondering what the relationship between that stranger and Ryo was.
“That gray yoroi, where did you find it?”. Mukala found himself asking why he had never read of such a yoroi.
“Mangetsu… found me.” Louis replied vaguely, not even understanding what had really happened. “And she used me as a means because from the way he spoke he is waiting for his royal bearer.”
“Its real bearer ...”. Mukala reflected while Ryo let out a long sigh and settled better on Louis' shoulder "I wonder how many other mysteries the world of yoroi has for us...".
"I do not know!". Louis shook his head and ran a hand through Ryo's long hair "I just hope it's really over...". He observed that the wounds had completely healed and healed, only small scars remained in different areas of the body.
Ryo's eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes slightly to find himself faced with the profile of Louis' face. At first he believed that it was just a mirage created by battle fatigue, but when he heard him speak he was convinced that it was really him.
“Louis…”. Ryo spoke weakly. “Mukala… are the others… okay?” He didn't know why Louis was in the Yokai world, but now his priority was to know if everyone was okay and if the threat had been eliminated.
“I'm fine, Ryo!”. Mukala answered in place of Louis "And if the others are not here it means that they are well and did not suffer any injuries in the clashes." He was sure of it or Jack and Murasame would have taken the others to the spa too.
“Jack!”. Louis called, while Ryo let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes again “Ryo has come to his senses! Quick with that potion to help him regain his strength...".
Hearing Louis' words shouted in her ear, Ryo thought that the reason her husband was there was to provide medical care since he fulfilled that role in the human world.
Jack arrived immediately with the vial and Louis immediately made Ryo drink every last drop of it and they waited to see if one potion was enough. Ryo coughed slightly and opened her eyes as she felt her strength slowly returning despite how weak she still felt.
“We need another potion, I think...” Louis ordered Jack who immediately placed another potion in Louis who immediately gave it to Ryo to drink.
Ryo felt her energy return completely this time and she moved into a sitting position on her own and gave a warm smile in Louis' direction.
"You feel better?". Louis asked as he began to check Ryo over with the seriousness of a doctor. Mukala guessed that Louis was a doctor by the way he gave orders and was carrying out his control over Ryo.
“Yes, definitely better ...”. Ryo replied as she felt the pain had completely vanished and her strength had returned. “Did you come here to cure me?”
Louis was about to answer, when Mukala answered for her, “She first fought against the Mother Goddess of the Yokai while she was wearing a gray yoroi and then she cared for you.”
“Like a gray yoroi?!”. Jack and Ryo screamed together as they looked at Louis.
“Mangetsu… but only temporarily.” Louis specified while he continued to have his eyes on her "She said that I am not the bearer he was waiting for".
“Why did she contact you?”. Ryo asked as she began to check on Louis' health. “Are you okay?”
“He chose me because I am a hanyo ... that is, the absence of belonging to the human world and the yokai world”. Louis looked up to look at Jack. “Maybe Arago did those experiments on some of us because of that yoroi.”
“Because he knew that youja cannot reproduce unlike yokai, who can generate life even with humans.” Jack supposed in a serious voice, "But we don't know if Arago actually knew about Mangetsu or wanted to create an artificial replacement for the Masho."
“Wait, you are the result of the union between a human and a yokai?”. Mukala asked as he pointed at Louis with his index finger.
“Yes, I am the son of a human and a yuki-onna.” Louis confirmed as he noticed that he still had Ryo's eyes on him.
“Is Arago what Kaosu used as the basis to create the nine yoroi?” Mukala asked with some curiosity in wanting to find out all the events that had involved the samurai troopers.
"Exact ...". Ryo stood up now completely recovered and Louis followed him to do a further check.
“I left you a clean Kimono in the next room ...”. Jack said turning to Ryo "Your clothes were all stained with blood and torn in various places."
“It was one of my favorite shirts and the children know this ...”. Ryo murmured knowing that the children had seen her that morning, that she had been wearing it when the earthquake hit.
“Don't worry, we'll make it look like new again so your children won't notice anything.” Jack reassured Ryo that he went to the locker room to change.
“I'm still staying here... I have some more questions to ask.” Mukala exclaimed as he continued to remain immersed in the hot water.
“Ask all the questions you want…”. Jack spoke in a serious voice, while new questions about the yoroi continued to form in his brain too.
“Yes, can you know why you decided to wear that yoroi?”. Ryo asked once the locker room door was closed.
“To save you ...”. Louis replied in a serious voice "Even if I couldn't convince Mangetsu to lend me her power to do it on Kikotei too...". He clenched his fist knowing he had just missed his target.
“It's not even certain that it would have been enough against Kikotei ...”. Ryo commented in a bitter tone, while he looked at the kimono that Jack had offered him to dress and go out while waiting for his clothes to be as good as new.
"I do not know ...". Louis shook his head as he watched Ryo begin to change. “I wanted to at least try and see how he went.”
Ryo turned to Louis and looked him straight in the eyes as a deafening silence fell in the room.
“What if afterward Mangetsu tortured you like Kikotei does to me?” Ryo asked as he approached Louis. “How could I have saved you?”
“Mangetsu seems to be different from Kikotei…”. Louis replied in a firm and confident tone "Like Kikotei he has a sense of superiority and arrogance towards humans, but he does not seem to share the same methods as Kikotei."
“How can you be so sure?”
“Before wearing Mangetsu I had to go through two tests”. Louis explained to Ryo as his fingers went along the new scar Ryo had on his right shoulder. “And the second one I didn't get through on the first try and Mangetsu kicked me out. This is why I believe that he is completely different from Kikotei."
Ryo took a deep breath and a bitter smile appeared on her face at the explanation given to Louis and she thought about his situation with Kikotei.
The samurai shook his head not wanting to talk about yoroi and battle for some time and took Louis' face and gave him a kiss. Now he just wanted to have a normal time with his family and his friends.
When they entered the largest room of Io's palace, everyone was surprised when Louis entered alongside Ryo and Mukala.
“Why call him when there is Korin's power and also the potions created by Naaza?”. Touma whispered softly to Shin, not understanding Louis' presence near Ryo.
“Louis, tell those present, what happened against the battle of ....”. Jack placed a hand on his forehead and looked at Io who gave a short nod.
The mother Goddess, after having erased her name, had erased her very existence from the minds of the yokai before dying, in doing so she had removed the divine origins of the yokai and reduced their existence only thanks to human beings and their stories .
“Resentful until the end ...”. Anubis commented as he continued to have the souls of the yokai brought to him by his wolves.
“The important thing is that he is no longer a threat.” Jun spoke in a serious voice, while he felt a strange feeling at having completed his first real battle.
“Please, Louis tell your part of the story and why you are here…”. I begged the doctor, knowing full well that it was better not to speak any more about the creature that had given birth to him.
Louis began to talk about what had come from his arrival in the dimension that had part of him hanyo generated and his meeting with Mangetsu. On the faces of everyone present he depicted amazement at the existence of another particular yoroi who seemed as powerful as the Kikotei.
“So there is a third yoroi…”. Shin shook his head in disbelief “And it is waiting for its bearer…”. In his tone of voice there was the fear of another war that would involve the yoroi again.
“It doesn't mean it will be like this…”. Shu whispered softly and shook Shin's hand "After all, Mangetsu fought alongside the two Kikotei."
“Surely the yoroi has gone back to sleep in her world and will not wake until the bearer is ready.” Louis concluded as he showed off his Tachi which had been modified by Mangetsu.
“We need to understand if Arago knew of his existence and if his experiments on the hanyo have a connection with that yoroi.” Jack observed in a serious voice “And…”.
“After all, the problem is always the yoroi”. Jarno exclaimed as he appeared inside the room through a fault line. “The problems would be solved, if they no longer exist in this world.”
Jack gasped not imagining that Jarno could escape to Murasame and Eva using his power to create the fault lines.
“It wouldn't go exactly as you say!”. Ryo stood up and decided to face the fault finder directly.
“How are you convinced of this, samurai?”. Jarno boldly approached Ryo "Cancelling an event is a possibility that we need to seriously start thinking about and I have all the means and research to show that it is true."
Ryo punched Jarno in the face with all the strength he had in front of everyone's stunned eyes. He could no longer put up with the nonsense said by that yokai and his plan to literally erase all the events linked to the creation of the yoroi, ignoring what the consequences of such madness could be.
"Congratulations!". Naaza exclaimed in amazement and amazement “You managed to piss him off to the maximum level of him.”
“If he's stupid, it's certainly not my fault.” Jarno replied as he rose to his feet.
“Am I stupid? Do you realize how crazy your project is?”. Ryo thundered furiously like never before “Just look, that all the worlds would have been destroyed without our intervention? Of what would have happened in that factory with that crazy Mido? Do you realize that it would have been carnage?”.
“Carrying that fire yoroi literally burned your brain.” Jarno retorted to Ryo's statement "Without Arago, that crazy Mido would never have known about the existence of yokai and nothing would have happened. Do you realize that, unlike you, I am able to save everyone?".
“And you think that by creating a void by killing Arago and Kaosu in the past you won't unleash anything in the future? Do you really think that something more terrifying than Arago won't appear?”. Ryo pressed in a serious voice.
“Do you think I'm so stupid that I haven't studied or calculated the risks in all these years of research? ”. Jarno asked as he was about to show the research data he had accumulated over the years.
Just then Murasame appeared and appeased Jarno by pinning him and making him fall face first onto the tatami.
“I finally managed to capture him”. Murasame exclaimed completely satisfied. “All he did was escape into one flaw after another that was created on the battlefield.”
“And I didn't find any that served my purpose, not even the one generated by the energy of the Kikotei.” Jarno glared at Louis. “Why didn't you even launch an attack with that yoroi?”
“Because my job was only to distract the Goddess.” Louis replied in a cold voice, as he saw Jarno lifted bodily by Murasame and taken away from that place.
“He should be locked up permanently in prison…”. Jack proposed to Io in a low voice, while Jarno began to moan and kick.
“Or in a mental hospital.” Rajura replied in a low voice, triggering Naaza's laughter, while Jun found himself in complete agreement with his leader since he didn't think that locking him up in prison was enough to stop his madness.
“Let's resume the meeting later you must leave this world ...”. I spoke in a serious voice “I have to concentrate on restoring this world after the damage inflicted by the mother.”.
Everyone bowed slightly towards Io and disappeared before his eyes.
When the meeting ended everyone went home, Ryo immediately called his father to reassure the children that they were fine and that he was ready to meet his uncle Tadashi.
"Dad!". The screams of three children reached Ryo's ears and he couldn't help but smile.
"Calm down! Don't fight over who wants to get the phone first." Yukiyasu tried in vain to calm the children. "Your dad doesn't run away."
"Daddy Tiger!". Hotaru shouted having won the battle against her sister and brother "How are you?".
"Everything is fine, Hotaru...". Ryo replied as he heard Tsukito moaning in the background, "As promised, I'm back safe and sound."
"Are you really okay?" Hotaru asked as Tsukito crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
"Yes!". Ryo confirmed as he heard Hotaru moan and the phone pass into Miharu's hands.
"Daddy Tiger!". Miharu began in her voice "Are the uncles okay too?".
"Yes, they're fine too...". Ryo confirmed as he turned his attention towards Louis as he approached them.
"When will you and Papa Lou join us here?" Miharu asked eager to see with her own eyes that her dad was actually fine.
"I think at the weekend...". Ryo turned his gaze towards Louis who gave a short nod.
"Dad!". Tsukito screamed at the top of her lungs when she finally managed to snatch the phone out of her sister's hands.
"Yes, Tsukito?". Ryo asked in a cheerful tone.
"You have to come here!". Tsukito ordered in his childish voice "I want to make sure with my own eyes that you are okay!".
“We will come to Yamanashi Prefecture, I promise.” Ryo promised his son, noticing the agitated tone.
"So I'll also show you the first photographs I took here with my grandfather...". Tsukito proposed in a quieter tone.
"I can't wait to see them." Ryo exclaimed in a cheerful tone.
Yukiyasu took the phone from Tsukito's hands and he began to moan again.
"We'll arrange to meet your uncle later, okay?" Yukiyasu asked his son knowing that the grandchildren were eager to see their dad again.
"All right ....". Ryo said goodbye to the children again and hung up the phone.
Kagura listened to the report Rajura had just given him.
"So there is another yoroi...". Kagura commented as she realized there were other things they didn't know about the yoroi world.
"Exactly!". Rajura confirmed in a serious voice.
“We will have to do a thorough investigation and find out more about Mangetsu and her bearer.” Kagura murmured in a serious voice as she stood up.
"And perhaps I will have to return to my old village again to see if there is anything I have forgotten." Kagura thought to herself as she returned to her rooms.
Meanwhile, outside Jun was preparing to ferry the purified souls towards their reincarnation. When he came out he saw Hana smiling in his direction and he smiled back before going to do his duty as Oni's new owner.
Seiji and Touma had gone out in the evening to eat a plate of udon in a small place near their house.
“We needed an exit after the battle.” Touma exclaimed as he smelled the good smell of cooking food in the air.
"How did Jun behave in his first battle?". Seiji asked with some curiosity.
"He has yet to take full control of Oni, but for it being his first battle he performed well." Touma replied as he saw the club in the distance.
"It's really strange...". Seiji murmured in a serious voice "It seems like yesterday when we first met him in Shinjuku."
"First a child trying to save his parents and then a warrior." Touma turned his attention to Seiji "Time passes faster than a racing car, right?".
"Yes!". Seiji gave a kiss on Touma's lips "And I would like to spend it with you."
"In daily life and in battles?". Touma asked jokingly.
"Of course, stupid!". Seiji took Touma by the collar and kissed him on the lips.
"My mother has decided to organize a lunch where she wants to invite yours and Sayoko too." Shu hung up the phone after a long call with her mother. "Of course, the restaurant's closing day so she can't focus on business."
"The reason?". Shin asked, looking up from the cardiology book he was reading.
"The hope that now there will be a long period of peace...". Shu replied as he sat down next to his partner.
I doubt that will be the case..." Shin grimaced as he spoke.
"Are you still thinking about that yoroi?" Shu asked, hugging his partner to his chest.
"I admit yes...". Shin looked his companion straight in the face. "We are so ignorant of the world of yoroi."
"Yes, but this time it wasn't a threat but a help." Shu tried to cheer up Shin "I'm sure it will be like this..".
"I hope so...". Shin murmured softly as Shu hugged him and held him "That will be the same when Mangetsu finds his bearer."
Shu held Shin more forcefully in his arms and then kissed him, while the latter continued to think about the world of yoroi.
one week later
Ryo entered the villa that belonged to the Sanada clan alone and was accompanied by Tadashi's wife, or her aunt. She noticed that there were some people around him who were watching him and talking in low voices.
"And he...". a twenty-five year old whispered to a nearby man.
Ryo decided to ignore it and go straight to the room where her uncle was resting so she could say goodbye to him one last time.
When Ryo entered the room she found her uncle lying on his futon with a patch over his eyes. The samurai immediately noticed how since their last meeting he had lost a lot of weight and his cheeks appeared hollow.
Ryo knelt next to his uncle and heard his calm and serene breathing as Kaida approached and began to purr.
"Ryo, is that you?" Tadashi asked, removing the wet cloth from his eyes and smiling.
"Uncle... How are you?". Ryo asked as she felt a strange sensation calling him that.
"It's a shame that you met me in this state...". Tadashi let out a grimace of pain "A few years ago... It would have been better."
"...". Ryo didn't know how to respond and she just bent her head forward slightly.
"Don't feel guilty...". Tadashi replied in a tired voice "This clan's pride and harsh rules are all to blame. I hope the clan learns from me and changes."
"I will not ask you to take my place as head of the Sanada clan. You already have a much more important task and I don't want to burden you with another...". Tadashi continued speaking "And it doesn't belong to this world...".
Ryo gave a slight nod and listened to his uncle's words in total silence.
"I'm happy to have been able to meet you, Ryo, and to have reconnected with my brother." Tadashi looked at the ceiling "Even though I have so many regrets...". He reached out his shaking hand towards Ryo who immediately grabbed it and shook it.
"Try not to make my mistakes and remain the samurai and the person you are.". Tadashi spoke in a tired voice "This is my request...".
"I'm already fulfilling it...". Ryo's voice was breaking and he was holding back tears as he squeezed his uncle's thin hand.
"Thank you...". Tadashi closed his eyes and smiled, while Kaida left his position to sit on her master's chest.
Tadashi closed his eyes and fell asleep and Ryo didn't let go of his uncle's hand until he woke up and only then did he leave the Sanada clan villa.
When Ryo returned home it was close to midnight and Louis was waiting for him with his usual cup of coffee.
"How did it go?". Louis asked as he watched Ryo sit in the chair and sigh.
"My uncle is getting sicker and sicker...". Ryo simply said and turned a tired look towards the coffee cup "he doesn't have much longer to live...". A sob escaped him as he realized that he had no desire to drink.
"Sorry, but I don't feel like drinking coffee...". Ryo murmured in a tired voice and pushed away the cup, "I'd rather go to sleep." He couldn't carry out their ritual, he felt so tired.
"You go wash up and go to bed." Louis took the two cups of coffee and stood up "I'll settle here and join you."
"All right...". Ryo stood up and touched his hand to Louis' shoulder.
When he entered the bedroom, Louis found Ryo already sleeping and his breathing was as calm as a cat's. He went to lie down next to Ryo and hugged him with his head resting on his chest.
Louis began stroking Ryo's hair as he watched her profile in the darkness. His thoughts returned to Mangetsu and how he wanted to find that bearer of his to ask to save Ryo from Kikotei or try to convince the yoroi to cooperate.
"I'm not giving up...now what was a possibility." Louis thought as he closed his eyes and fell asleep with the thought, that tomorrow would be another day of a normal life and the hope that it will last.