You Always Build It Better the Second Time Around

Chapter 28 - Count (Me Twice as a Blessing, Once as Your Curse)

Not only is my power being unsealed, but so is Yuichiro's, to much of both of our dismays. However, I know that it would be best if he did unseal his power either way, and I'm sure he knows that as well.

"So how does this work?" Yuichiro asks, placing his amulet set upon the table beside mine.

Surumi and Monroe look over the amulets upon the table along with the bracelets. They seem threatened by the mere presence of such things. "As I recall, you either break your own, or break the other person's."

"That's two options," I remind him. "We need one. Figure out which one it is. I've given you more than enough time to figure at least that much out."

Yuichiro sighs, gliding a hand through his hair in annoyance. "Plan B, Mika. Let's go to another source so we don't risk killing ourselves."

...

Naturally, I listen to Yuichiro, because I know we're going straight to Koba who will undoubtedly hold the answers we seek. But, unfortunately, he has disappeared from the Library, and the others have left no doubt before him, so they have no information on his current whereabouts.

Yuichiro's first suggestion is to stick together and look around the areas he'd most likely go to, but if Yu doesn't know the layout of this place, Koba certainly doesn't either. His next suggestion is to split up, but of course I am skeptical of doing that and leaving him by his lonesome. Even if it's just for now while we're doing something as meaningless as looking for Koba- which is the least of our worries in spite of Nikolai- I still hate the thought of leaving Yu alone.

I'm just mad that Yu's walking when he shouldn't be... The devil.

We continue down the hall until Yu stops walking, his ears perked at an open door that several other gods as well as demigods-in-training. It's a mourning ceremony. Monroe passes us in Mourning Robes for the ceremony, too. I stop him before another god I recognize (unprofessionally) as Quinton Hugo closes the door to the ceremony. No doubt Monroe is leading it, so he is obviously needed to start it.

I step in front of Monroe as Yuichiro continues to observe what is happening in the room the ceremony is being held. "What's going on?" I ask Monroe, who only side-eyes me with no immediate response. "Ceremonies don't happen this suddenly. Who's is it?"

"Demigoddess Azura Welt," he murmurs, voice barely audible, though I pick up the last name just fine, and piece together the first name. Lacus Welt is a god. His half-sister, Azura Welt, is not. "Along with several other demigods."

"Are you out of your fucking mind!" I can't help but yell at him. Still, Monroe seems unfazed. "You promised this would only be between us, and the others that were involved with Nikolai. You promised you wouldn't get anyone else involved! Why the fuck did you think it would be a good idea to send a team of demigods out to kill the son of a bitch who can take out four divine beings with their strongest familiars?"

"It would've given us time to prepare for war against former Lord Nio, who was once an ambassador for all Nio, the first of the heavenly kings in the tradition of Kongorikishi. Because of this, he was far more powerful than he should've been. He still is. This mission was necessary."

"Then how many more have to be sacrificed?" I ask him, my voice low so Yuichiro can't hear. Stupid attempt. Yuichiro is part animal with far better hearing than humans, and because he's a divine being of such, his hearing is far better than a god's, too. Monroe doesn't respond, so I change my tactic of getting a response out of him. "Does Lacus know about Azura? Does anyone else know about this ceremony? Particularly family or friends? Or are you just playing dominoes with your chess pieces- waiting for some to fall before you pick your pieces?"