Clocks (Akura Ou x OC)

Chapter 36: The Truth

"No," Akura Ou said, "That's not going to happen."

"Come on," Nanami said.

"It's a good precaution," Mizuki said.

"I don't care" Akura Ou said.

"If Yatori were my familiar too, then I would be able to rely on both of you," I said.

"Yatori follows me around anyway. If you called for me, he would be right there too "

"I would like to add that yokai are much stronger wild than as familiars. As long as Akura Ou is your familiar and Yatori follows, you would have two separate strengths ," Tomoe said.

Dinner had been quiet, until this debate popped up. Mizuki and Nanami against Akura Ou and Tomoe on whether Yatori should be my familiar as well.

"You said it yourself that the sacred familiar bond is a guarantee that a yokai won't lose control and go off on his own," Nanami said.

"Yes, but he is so devoted to her and Akura Ou anyway, that he is highly unlikely to lose control if he's been devoted for five hundred years," Tomoe said.

"There's no point in having Yatori become her familiar, I'm strong enough to take care of her no matter what God magic is used on me," Akura Ou said.

"Your confidence is your most redeeming quality, but that's not true," Tomoe said.

Akura Ou glared at him 

"You just don't like the idea of your girlfriend kissing someone else," Nanami said.

"Of course I don't!" Akura Ou said.

I wandered out into the porch and sat down. Yatori joined me.

"Pretty silly to fight when we aren't even included in it," Yatori said.

"You could always throw yourself in the middle,* I said.

"No. Then I'd have three familiars trying to kill me."

I laughed. Yatori held up a bowl.

"I snuck away with some strawberries," he said.

I smiled and took one.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I would love being your familiar if it made you happy, but I think it's better if I am free so I can use the full extent of my power if anything were to happen."

That was the most mature and calm sentence Yatori had said, even though he had a strawberry in his teeth.

"I think you're right," I said, "Akura Ou's power has probably been diminished more than he realizes. You should keep your power fully available."

"I was thinking though, that even though his power is less, he would still have the skills and strength he developed. I was planning on running back to the mountain and finding his club."

"Really? That's a good idea."

"Should we share our opinion?" Yatori asked.

"I suppose we can try," I said.

 "Watch out!"

I didn't understand what Yatori meant until he pushed me down and a knife cut across his shoulder and wedged in the wood above my head.

"What are you yelling about?" Akura Ou asked, coming outside. I was mentally hitting my head against a wall. The way Yatori had me pinned down looked bad. Yatori scrambled up off me but I could tell Akura Ou was angry.