Instant blackness surrounded the two fighting as shadows engulfed them, a sludge-like substance creeping up their forms in seconds. It trailed up to Akihito’s arm and squeezed at the circulation to get Ookami out of his choke hold, yet put tremendous pressure against Ookami’s hold on the sword, as well.
Crafter had not a clue what was going on, but this image he showed the two were only mental projections, aimed at stopping the rage if not to hold them until warriors- perhaps a deputy or leader appeared.
“Seriously, this is a festival, not the battlefield.”
"Get off of me!" Aki yelled at Lavon, throwing Ookami away and trying to wave the sludge off of his arm. Even in the darkness they were both enveloped in, Aki's skin glowed and he glared at the boy's outline before looking around suddenly. "Yuuki! Yuuki , come back!"
Not quite knowing who this Yuuki fellow was, Ookami dropped his sword and swiped at the sludge on his hand. To say the mender was annoyed would be an understatement. Things weren't making sense, this stranger was talking about nonsense and overall everything was irritating.
"Her name is Yuuka, imbelice" Ookami taunted, now that other clan members were involved, "A difference in letter too difficult for you?"
With the two of them finally off each other, the Crafter had the void matter slide down to their feet, freezing them where they stood. Darkness vanished and left them to the mercy of lanterns and open flames once more as he waited for proper authority to arrive. Whoever that was.
"Knock it off before you get the whole festival cancelled."
With an annoyed sigh, he adjusted his glasses for a better look at the two.
"You've obviously scared the poor girl off so drop the macho acts and calm down."
"Macho acts..?" Aki muttered to himself in disbelief, looking back at Ookami. "You...You were speaking to Yuuki, you told her to leave. Don't play that I am an idiot!" Glancing around at the gathering faces, his rage was slowly turning to uncertainty. This was a lot of people. "Yuuki's soul was in...and he wouldn't.." It had been quite some time since he'd been given an opportunity to stand up about anything. Swallowing his nervousness, Akihito's face hardened and his voice became loud and clear.
"A woman here, Yuuka. She is, somehow, hosting a second soul in her body. An angel. I could tell because I could feel her presence- anyone here who is also not human surely knows the feeling that I'm talking about. There is no reason to panic about it, because an angel would never bring her any harm- on the contrary, Yuuka may even be blessed by her presence. But you see," He said, voice becoming tender. "I recognize this other woman. I knew her from many years ago, and she was the dearest friend I'd ever had. I have been searching for her so long that I've lost count of the years.
"Her name," He stated, giving Ookami a slight but firm glare, "is Yuuki. Obviously it's easy to say that I am in poor mental health and simply getting Yuuka's name wrong, but surely I am not. I would know the feeling of her presence anywhere and anyone here who cares deeply for another soul must understand that sort of bond. This, Ookami, could plainly hear Yuuki talking through Yuuka to me and then told her to leave. It was the first time I'd heard her voice in what felt like an eternity, and he would not allow us even a few minutes together." Aki's expression grew dark and his voice turned sad as he looked back at everyone else. "Try to understand how that made me feel before you write me off as a rampaging lunatic. My life has been devoted to finding this woman and I see her for only a moment before this man takes her away from me. So I will not deny that I wanted him dead."
"Look. I don't know what you are or what you think you are but that girl is Yuuka," Ookami dusted off his arms and legs while speaking, "I'm not sure where you're getting this Yuuki from nor where you're getting that I spoke to her considering I don't know who that is."
The mender tried stepping out of the black...thing holding on to his feet with no luck, "And I wouldn't tell Yuuka to leave so pray tell to the Goddess what exactly you were imagining here."
Sure the name Yuuki sounded awfully familiar but Ookami certainly didn't recall speaking to such a person.
Faces ranged from worried, to concern, to agitated, defensive, to skeptical—
“Regardless, you’re trespassing on clan property.”
Clan members half parted, half were pushed aside as clan leader moved forward, her expression dark and covered by bangs, though purple glints peered through. Her frame was smaller than most— her voice booming throughout the festival, authority clear as she spoke sternly.
“You’ve not been invited, and it’s clear Yuuka is not on your side, by her disappearance. Leave the premises now or I’ll have you escorted out.”
Aki looked at Yomi with hope but his face fell in disappointment with her words.
"Will none of you listen to me..?" He was just whispering now, eyes lowering to the ground with shame. There was something taunting. Something pulling inside of him from a place he knew all too well. Where is the familiar sword of rage you would unsheathe when no one would listen? Where are the bodies and where is the blood? The taunting feeling asked in his head, Why allow them to treat you like this? Why allow them to take Yuuki? Why. Why! WHY!Aki's expression remained shameful as he ignored that voice that he hated. The sludge that was holding him had fallen away to let him leave, and so he did. Taking a few steps back, the angelic demon bowed respectfully and silently before turning and quickly heading down the stairs he'd used in the beginning.
The whispers of the crowd and the spoiled mood of the festival lingered for a moment longer before Yomi started to shout about orders to get the place back up and running. Only a few eyes around the clan remained tied to Akihito, if only to assure that he would vacate the premises. One particular pair of unseen eyes would follow him as well, stalking his every move until he was more than halfway down the stairway.
She gave a tug to his back, pulling at cloth to get his attention, though nothing nearly enough to unbalance or cause any sort of misstep. Darkness was the only thing behind him, besides the sudden feeling of what had faded only moments ago.
Had the gazes of the guard-like warriors left him and the will of Yuuka allowed, she might have tried speaking up. Instead, unseen hands gripped at his sides as lips pressed against his forehead. The message alone would have had to suffice, if only momentarily.
Akihito turned as she pulled him, his mouth parting in surprise at the soft kiss. There were tears staining his face, for when he had taken his leave he'd no longer had the will to hide them. "Y..." His heavy eyes searched the darkness, "Yuuki..?" He whispered, reaching out into the empty air. Was he going mad?
His question was met with an unresponsive silence for a moment. Instead, the invisible figure retracted back a moment, if only to get a better view as to where to wipe away his tears. She used her sleeve, which became less transparent the more it dampened. She waited until as much was cleaned off as possible before speaking, her volume kept low.
"Um..." She had to think, allowing the other voice to talk. She didn't want to hand the reins of the mind over, but she would at least hear the angel out. "She said she's not sure. Sudden. Not sure how long ago, time is hazy."
Akihito took a step up and reached around for her tiny hands, bringing them both up to his face and kissing them. "I will go now and tell him." He said assuredly with a loving smile, "I will do all that I can to bring you home, and when you are safe in his arms I will leave. I promise." Knowing he probably wasn't going to get much more from the host, he swiftly hurried down the rest of the steps and into the night.
