In Japan, on top of the Nijo Castle.
A girl was sleeping on a soft mattress in one of the luxurious bedrooms, wriggling around uncomfortably. She looked rather scared and anxious.
Her hair was stained with sweat. Her pure white yukata was wet and disheveled. The face that was usually aloof and had a soft smile turned into a frown.
"N-No." A pained word escaped her lips as she threw her face to the side.
The red blanket that covered her body was kicked open in her sleep. This girl had experienced a nightmare. A really bad nightmare.
"Chigusa-sama!"
Unable to look at her the situation of her mistress any longer, a girl with tanned skin appeared in the room. She was an Oni girl named Sayo, Chiyori Chigusa's aide and shadow.
"Chigusa-sama. It's okay! Everything is okay!" She knelt beside her, holding her hand softly as she whispered words in a reassuring tone. A worry was clear on the tanned Oni's face as she bit her lower lips.
However…
"N-No! T-That… Y-You can't!"
The situation of the sleeping girl only got worse. She struggled to get loose from whatever that was. Sweat began to pour out like crazy, and Sayo knew that she couldn't leave Chigusa like that.
"Please forgive me!"
"Aaaaah!"
A loud slap echoed in the room, and the struggling ended. Chigusa, with a baffled look, opened her eyes while screaming loudly, raising her body. She had a rough breath as she went through epilepsy. She couldn't control her breathing. Her eyes diluted unnaturally.
"Chigusa-sama! Are you alright?"
Hearing the voice of her shadow, Chigusa finally calmed down a little. She felt a pain on her cheek and held it with her hand as she slowly turned to the left, looking at Sayo.
"Sa...yo?" Her voice was weak, still affected by the previous nightmare.
"Yes, Chigusa-sama! Forgive me for slapping yo–"
The tanned Oni wanted to bow to ask for her forgiveness, but her body was suddenly pulled into a hug.
"Waah! Sayo! I am scared! I-I… That was really scary!!"
It was the first time Chigusa looked this frail, more than ever. The Prophet was actually a really frail girl. That was the fact that only Sayo knew, as she was always by her side.
However, she had never seen Chigusa acting like this, crying while hugging her tightly. It was by no means hurt, as Chigusa had almost no physical power. Compared to an Oni, it was only like a baby hugging Sayo.
But, it pained her to see her mistress suffer like this. Sayo also knew something the others didn't. Chigusa would always see her dream as something real because of her prophecy ability.
The dream the Prophet experienced was a part of the future, but it was almost certainly forgotten when she woke up and only revealed in the next prophecy she got. That was why this was strange.
"Sob! Sayo… W-What should we do? We… We did something unforgivable!"
"Calm down, Chigusa-sama!"
Sayo stroked the Prophet's back as she hugged her back gently. The Prophet's body was shaking in fear. It seemed like this time's dream was really terrifying.
"There is nothing here. Nothing has happened." Sayo whispered in a soft voice. "So you can calm down. If you'd like to, then I can at least listen to your story. We can think this together, alright?"
"Ughh… Yes."
The divine appearance of Chiyori Chigusa, the Prophet, couldn't be seen anymore. Her body was wet from her sweat. Her clothes stuck to her skin, leaving some patch of wetness, especially around the area of her breasts and thighs.
She finally calmed down a little as she backed away. Her face was stained from tears, and she wiped it using her sleeve.
"Sayo…" She started while looking at the floor; her hands fidgeted nervously. Then she raised her head, looking at her shadow and only friend, the tanned Oni girl. "What should we do? We… Can we do something? My dream… I remembered it clearly this time."
"…!" Sayo's eyes widened. That shouldn't be possible, normally. But she kept silent as Chigusa hadn't done yet.
The Prophet's eyes had a glitter of gold. A new prophecy was about to be delivered. That meant the last prophecy had been fulfilled.
Sayo took a step back gently. She wouldn't want to be rude or close to Chigusa when she was like this so she could hear the prophecy better.
"Listen well."
But this prophecy was also different from before. Sayo didn't know why and how, but she still listened closely. At that moment, a static sound rang in the corner of the room. That was where the hidden camera that always looked at Chigusa was located.
A sharp sound followed suit, and the lens of the camera was destroyed by whatever force destroyed it. Sayo didn't move, however, as she already knew the source. It was from Chigusa. The golden glitter around her eyes extended like a sharp needle, piercing the hidden camera's lens.
Once again, this was also the first. While she was surprised by the sudden turn of fact, as maybe Chigusa didn't want to be heard by other people than her, the Prophet continued.
"Two fates shall follow the fools."
"Lining adjacent to each other, the Ruler shall take what's his."
"Fools who have made a mistake in the past, be prepared."
"As the strongest had awakened. He had guided the current."
"And when they dance, destruction will follow."
Sayo kept listening as she remembered each syllable. This had taken a long time.
Chigusa's body couldn't handle the prophecy. That was the reason why she always fainted each time she finished delivering the prophecy.
Even now, because the prophecy was longer than before and had no sign of stopping, blood started dripping out from her nose.
"The seven shall move. Death is inevitable."
Gritting her teeth, Sayo could only listen. She couldn't stop the prophecy because if she did that, then the backlash Chigusa experienced would be greater. So while looking at her mistress suffering from the burden of the prophecy, she could only stay like that.
"Those who oppose will be burned. They will drown."
"Old ones will join. And the King shall laugh."
It kept going. Maybe the nightmare Chigusa experienced and the prophecy were related? Sayo could only guess as she didn't know what kind of nightmare her mistress had yet.
"The clock hand will stop. Despair will follow."
"At the end of the road is nothingness. The dance shall continue."
"Children of the night shall arrive. The death parade shall commence."
"Only he would triumph. As he will become the light."
"Run. Because he will return."
"Flee. As resistance is useless."
Only then did Chigusa stop. The glitter around her eyes disappeared as her body fell. Sayo immediately jumped and caught her, grimacing.
The last two sentences were something directed to them instead of being a part of the prophecy.
'What should I do?'
Sayo's loyalty was to her mistress, Chigusa, and not to the Japanese government or Slayer Organization. This country was the only one whose government and older families, such as Ashiya Family and Keikain Family, had a voice in the Slayer Organization.
They were proud to be the descendants of the two greatest Onmyouji that protected Japan.
Of course, they were also a part of the Taoist Association. But the lines between the Taoist Association and Slayer Organization in this country were really blurred due to many Onmyouji also joining the Slayer Organization.
The Keikain Family was tamer than the Ashiya Family. Both were rivals since ancient times.
That was why politics were also brought into the Supernatural World, which was actually really messed up. As a result, Chigusa was often used as a tool of politics, selling her prophecy to gain relations with other organizations.
Many people still respected and loved Chigusa, but the old people from 2 generations ago didn't care about anything other than their status and privilege.
"Run… Where?"
The Slayer Organization had many eyes all over Japan. The Oni Village wasn't safe either. Sayo wasn't welcomed there, and the Slayer Organization would find the Prophet there in no time.
Only one choice was left.
"We need to flee overseas."
Holding her mistress' body, she carried her in her arms. Because Chigusa's clothes were wet due to the sweat, Sayo took the blanket to cover her body so she wouldn't feel cold.
The night was brewing. Midnight had arrived, the perfect time to run away.
But it was still hard.
The security was tightened due to her escape to the Oni Festival without telling the Elders about anything. Even for Sayo, who specialized in running and espionage, it would be hard to escape overseas.
For the destination, she already had a place in mind.
"Two fates shall follow the fools."
"Lining adjacent to each other, the Ruler shall take what's his."
Sayo repeated the first two syllables of the prophecy. The Ruler. If it was him, then he might be willing to help them.
Walking to the nearby window, Sayo opened it with her legs. Many footsteps came from below, approaching the room swiftly. Maybe they came to check why the camera got destroyed.
"We have no time anymore." Muttering in a low voice, Sayo jumped out of the window under the veil of the night. She only hoped they wouldn't be caught until they arrived at their destination. "Please hold on, Chigusa-sama. I will find someone to help you."
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