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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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"Let go of me!" Toki snapped, struggling. "Hush..." Ankoku whispered softly, letting go of him only to hug him tightly, still pinning him against the wall with his body. Toki fell silent, by instinct more than anything else. Ankoku raised a hand, gently stroking Toki's hair affectionately. "I've missed you..." Ankoku whispered softly, holding him close. Unconsciously, Toki closed his eyes, and relaxed in his twin's arms. "...fate is cruel..." he whispered softly, near tears.

Ankoku smirked. "It's good to have you back, Toki... but this time, I'm not letting you go." He shoved Toki back against the wall, slamming his hand straight into the other's chest. Toki's scream of pain rang out even as Ankoku's aura flared up, and energy slid from him into Toki. The scream seemed neverending. Toki wasn't even aware it was himself screaming - he just knew that this was a new kind of pain, one he hadn't even known existed. "STOP!!!!" he yelled, sobbing, as the dark energy attacked his very soul.

Ankoku pulled him close, not caring that Toki's blood ran down his clothes. Suddenly, Toki's scream trailed off, and he went limp. Ankoku withdrew his hand. The wound healed. Softly, Ankoku began to hum, a soft, haunting tune, sitting down on the chair, rocking Toki's unconscious self back and forth gently.

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"We have to help Unmei!" Kage looked at Emily. "I know." "THEN WHY AREN'T YOU FINDING HIM?!" Kage sighed. "I am. Now please, I need to concentrate." He closed his eyes and entered the meditative state again. Aiko and Jounetsu appeared. "Nobody in Heaven can locate them." Aiko informed them. Jounetsu replied negative for Hell also. Alice kicked the wall, then proceeded to hop back and forth on one foot. Jounetsu snickered, but stopped at a look from Aiko. Emily resumed pacing back and forth.

Kage's eyes opened. "...I've found him." Emily ran over. "Where?!" she asked. "Eien Castle." She looked confused. "Where?" "Eien Castle. It's in a sub-dimension of the world I imprisoned him in, known as the Yami Realm." She blinked. "A what of the what that you what?!" He repeated it, standing up. "We had best go there." "Not yet." a voice said behind them. They turned, to see a beautiful young man, looking rather beaten up, but still lovely as ever. Kage smiled softly. "Hello, Himitsu." He smiled back. "Kage-sama... It is wonderful to see you again."

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It was dark. Water. Water was everywhere, like a huge, endless, completely still ocean.

In the darkness, deep in the water, a human form could be seen.

An young woman, curled tightly into a ball. She wasn't clothed, but that didn't matter.

Her long red hair wrapped around her, clinging to her.

It changed, suddenly. She uncurled as she floated up in the water, surfacing. She floated on the surface of the water.

Green eyes slowly opened.

Energy, like vines of blood red light, began to wrap around her.

The vines wrapped around her for a moment, then vanished back into the water, leaving her fully clothed once more. She stood up, standing on top of the water, before vanishing.

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Jyhad appeared in front of Kage, looking utterly pissed off. "Where is the bastard?! I'll kill him!!!!" Kage smiled softly, and rested a hand on top of her head. She fell silent. "He's in Eien Castle." "I'll kill him." The words were stated with bloodthirsty violence, and everyone listening could tell that she would really do it. This was one woman who had no qualms about killing. "No." Jyhad growled. "He killed me. He hurt my koi!" Himitsu sighed. "More than that - he took her with him. She's trapped in Eien Castle... with Her." Jyhad froze. "...Kaitou?" "She awoke about an hour ago, shortly after Unmei was taken by Ankoku."

"Who?" Emily asked, curious. Himitsu looked away. "Kaitou Yume was the Goddess of Dreams, and the Goddess of Pleasure, also identified with Famine. She... let's just say she's... ~interested~ in Kawari..." Alice whistled. "Geez, gods really don't pussy-foot around, do they?" "Enough talk!" Jyhad exclaimed, angrily. "We must go to Eien Castle. Kawari, Unmei, and Toki need our help!" Kage nodded. "Alright."

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Unmei was sitting on a chair, his left wrist chained to the wall by magically reinforced chains. "Let me go!" he snapped at Ankoku, who merely chuckled. "I mean it! Let me go, Ankoku! NOW!" Ankoku reached out and yanked him over, kissing him deeply. Unmei jerked away, but Ankoku held him tightly. For a long moment he struggled against Ankoku. Then, unable to help it, he surrendered to the kiss, closing his eyes and kissing back. Ankoku smirked, deepening it. Unable to help himself, Unmei moaned softly into the kiss.

/That's right... submit to me.../ Ankoku whispered softly into Unmei's mind. Unmei felt strange... his mind seemed to be going into a relaxed, dormant state... No! His eyes snapped open and he jerked away. Ankoku looked surprised. Then he chuckled. "Of course... Unmei is in love with that mortal girl... I see." Unmei growled. "You stay away from her!" "You would have killed her two days ago." Unmei snarled. "Leave her alone!" Ankoku sat down on a chair opposite Unmei, chuckling softly. "Who would have guessed? The great Unmei is in love with a MORTAL. What will you do when she dies?" "She won't! The gift I gave her won't l-" he cut off.

Ankoku's eyes widened in surprise. "You... gave a MORTAL... the tiara?" Unmei nodded. Ankoku laughed, sounding surprised still. "You must really like this kid." he remarked, before turning his head to look at a beautiful statue on the wall. It was a statue of a being, neither male nor female, with beauty unlike anything a mortal could recognise. Carved into it were eight symbols - the symbols of the eight gods - and a ninth, in the center of them.

The symbols of the gods were easily identifiable, although most didn't recognise them as symbols of the gods when they saw them. Jyhad's was a dragon. Himitsu's was a cat. Kawari's was a winged unicorn. Toki's was an hourglass with wings. The symbols of the four others were equally simple. A feather, a star, a snake, and a wolf. The ninth symbol was a winged rose.

Unmei watched Ankoku warily. "What are you up to, traitor?" he asked, coldly. Ankoku chuckled, and stood up. "You'll see." he stated, with a smirk. Unmei's last thought before darkness clouded his mind was 'Emily... please... be safe...'

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Kawari knelt on the tatami floor of her prison, playing her harp gently. A young woman, with long deep blue hair, and deep blue eyes, dressed in a rather skimpy outfit, appeared behind her. Sensing her, Kawari stood up. Instantly, she felt arms slip around her waist, as Kaitou pulled her back against her. "Hello, Kawari..." a voice that instantly reminded people of pure sin whispered, softly. "Hello, Kaitou." Kawari replied, resuming her harp playing. Kaitou growled- "That infernal music!" -and snatched the harp away, throwing it aside. Kawari remained silent.

"Hmph. I ~finally~ get you away from pretty little Jyhad, and you won't even speak to me... that's rude." She spun Kawari around to face her. "...don't you think so?" Kawari smiled serenely. "I think you need to let go of me." she stated, calmly. SMACK! Kawari hit the floor hard, and pressed a hand to her cheek, where Kaitou had hit her. She remained silent. Kaitou looked very angry. "That's all you can say? 'I think you need to let go'?" Kawari didn't reply.

Kaitou growled, and grabbed Kawari by the collar of her dress, pulling her to her feet and shaking her angrily. Kawari looked slightly afraid, but otherwise didn't react. "You - you dare insult me this way?!" Kaitou snarled. "Let me go." Kawari told her, her voice betraying none of the fear in her eyes. "Let you go?" Kaitou laughed. "No way in hell." And with that, she shoved Kawari against the wall and kissed her deeply, ignoring her struggles.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Kaitou by the back of her neck, yanking her away from Kawari, and throwing her against the opposite wall, so hard that she went right through it, causing most of the wall to fall down, and the door to fall on top of her. Jyhad stood there in all her godly glory, her aura flaring up, her eyes glowing, her sword in her hand. A true sight to fear, a sight that had made many a brave person wet themselves, and run away crying. Kaitou growled and sat up. "You just can't keep your pretty nose out of things, can you, Jyhad?!" Wrong remark.

Jyhad hurled herself forwards, and slammed the sword down. With a girlish shriek, Kaitou rolled aside. The sword shattered the solid metal door in two. Kaitou eeped. Jyhad snarled and attacked her viciously. She dodged the first three blows, watching in horror as the walls themselves crumbled, as the sword slammed into them instead of her. Jyhad grabbed her by the throat and held her about a foot off the ground, pressing her sword to the other girl's throat. "Nobody. Touches. My. Koi." she hissed, coldly. Kaitou smirked, despite the situation. "Well, you could always join in..." BIG mistake.

From outside the room, a piercing scream was heard. Then Jyhad calmly walked out of the room, wiping blood off her sword, Kawari close behind, with her harp. She was slightly wide eyed. "I've never seen anybody do THAT with a sword before." she remarked. Jyhad smirked. "Oh, you'd be surprised what you can do with this baby." she replied, looking lovingly at her sword.

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Jyhad and Kawari joined Kage and the others a moment or two later. Emily was, understandably, quite impatient. Now that they were mostly together, the group entered the main halls of Eien Castle. And froze, right there.

Bound to what appeared to be a large pillar of some kind of unknown jewel, Unmei stood, unconscious, the magical ropes around him tight enough to cut off his air. He was bleeding badly. "UNMEI!" Emily ran forward, but Jyhad grabbed her wrist. "Careful, kid. It may be a trap." "But he's hurt!" she yelled, wrenching her hand free with surprising strength, before running over to Unmei and trying to free him.

Suddenly, a net of dark energy shot from the shadows, wrapping around her and preventing her movement. She yelled out, and struggled, but the net wouldn't give. Almost by instinct, Alice drew the box out, but Himitsu stopped her. "If you use it, you'll pass out again - maybe even die, if it's strong enough." She growled. "I don't care! I'm going to help my friend!" Himitsu sighed. "Then wait, just a moment." She looked confused. Then Ankoku appeared, and she understood.

Ankoku laughed softly. "Hello again, girly." "Let me out of here! And let Unmei go!" she yelled at him, struggling still. Ankoku laughed again. "No." He looked at Kage and the others. "And how nice. You've brought my other prey with you. Isn't that nice..."- He looked to one side, as Toki appeared -"Toki-kun?" Jyhad and Kawari froze. "T-toki-kun?!" Kawari exclaimed, as the other god looked at her with a cruel smirk. "Hello again, Kawari, Jyhad, Kage... other people..." Ankoku laughed cruelly, and moved fast, slamming his hand straight into Unmei's chest. The unconscious Unmei screamed in pain. Emily struggled harder with the net trapping her, and suddenly, the tiara began to glow. The net exploded into dust. Ankoku looked at her, shocked.

"Now." Himitsu said, calmly. Alice opened the box, and the blinding light filled the room. Unable to break the connection between himself and Unmei in time, Ankoku screamed in pain as the light magic hit him. He wrenched away from Unmei, and started to teleport, but Jyhad moved fast, and grabbed hold of him, forcing him to face it. Toki moved fast behind the pillar, snarling at the light magic.

Suddenly, something slammed hard into Alice, slamming her into the wall hard enough to knock her out. The lid on the box closed. Ankoku shoved Jyhad aside, chuckling darkly. "So... you thought that little trinket could stop me... how cute." His smirk widened. "Say goodbye to Unmei-" He turned to face Unmei... but Unmei was gone.