Not Your Dog

Silence VII

When the man no longer seemed in a state of desperate grief, Okami glanced around the room in search of parchment and ink. His previous panic had faded and he was in a state of inexplicable calm.

As he slid off the bed, the man grabbed his arm and said, "You can't leave again! I won't let you leave again."

Okami nodded his head, agreeing to the unreasonable demand. He trusted his instincts and his instincts told him the man was important. Okami's gaze narrowed onto a large writing desk filled with clutter. After gently prying off the grip on his arm, he made his way to the desk and found what he required in order to communicate.

You know me, he wrote the words with careful calligraphy. When he held the paper up the man realized what he intended and walked over. After quickly reading the words the man nodded. "You know me too." He said. An arrogant confidence seemed to have been recovered.

"In fact, you're the only one that truly knows me." There was a hint of mystery in those words.

How? Okami wasn't sure if he was asking how they knew each other or how he could forget. Either way, the man seemed to understand and addressed both points.

"We've known each other for lifetimes." He said slowly. This revelation caused Okami's eyes to widen. His hand was shaking as he wrote his next words. Do you also have a system?

The man shook his head. Then his golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "That thing is a parasite." His words were an angry hiss. "I can't explain it to you, you need to remember..." his golden eyes gazed deeply at Okami.

"Do you think you can trust me?" He asked. Okami studied him carefully before nodding. "Then all I can tell you is that no matter what happens or what you remember, I truly and deeply love you."

Okami cringed back. Love? It was to strong of an emotion for him to currently reciprocate. His induced amnesia also made him slightly less willing to accept and trust this man's good will.

The man nodded his head, seemingly understanding the mixed emotions Okami was feeling. "In this life I am called Asukai." He said softly. "I was looking forward to you calling out my name." He sighed as his arms wrapped around Okami's waist. He gently removed the writing equipment from Okami's hand before lowering him onto the bed.

"It's all right now. I won't hurt those villagers you stayed with. You just sleep here for now."

Okami felt fatigued, the tiredness giving weights to his drooping eyes. This was spirit condensation, Okami thought easily as he slipped into a deep sleep.

Upon seeing the tightly closed eyes, Asukai inched closer. He allowed his hands to roam over the soft and supple skin as he enjoyed feeling the wolf's vulnerability. Gently he traced his thumb over the pink lips before turning his attention to the celestial collar around Okami's neck. For all the time Okami had spent in the world, none had been able to see the collar.

Okami had even almost forgotten its existence, especially after the system left on an extended hiatus.

Gently extending a finger, Asukai touched a river that was embedded into the black leather. The collar had no visible belt loop and no logical way of being taken off. It was simply a strip of black leather with rivers embedded in for a better aesthetic look.

As he touched the rivet, Asukai's golden eyes flashed with a green light and the system that Okami had thought disappeared showed its presence.

[Warning, anomaly detected... Recalculating.

System failure in progress...

Forcing soul ejection in ten, nine, eight.]

The dangerous aura around Asukai increased. "I won't allow that."

The green glow increased in intensity and it seemed as though a virtual battle was taking place. Sweat gathered on Okami's forehead and he let out a pained moan. Asukai's face was crumpled with worry. He couldn't allow a single mistake to occur.

[Seven, six, five.] The count down continued. [Four, three, two, one]

The countdown ended however Okami's soul was not ejected from the world, instead a green interface materialized over his sleeping form. The man, Asukai, leaned over and started typing into the interface, adjusting the systems properties. Once he was satisfied with the work he had done, he sighed serenely.

Leaning over the sleeping form, he pressed a lingering kiss onto the forehead. "Remember soon." He whispered as he slipped into sleep while embracing the pale figure.

When Okami awoke, he couldn't remember much about what had happened. He remembered waking up in the forest, his "quest" and the villagers he met. But he could not recognize where he was. As he shifted, he noticed a strong embrace wrapping around his waist. The feeling was stifling and his tail was cramping. Wide eyed he looked at the man embracing him. Familiar?

His mind cautiously prodded the mental link he shared with the system.

[Welcome to the last regret system, how may I help you?] Okami was stunned by the fact he actually received a response from the system that had been gone for a little under a year.

"Where am I?" He slowly tested out the system, half expecting it to disappear once more. However he was destined to be surprised. [Currently host is in the bandit King's chambers...]

Then this man must be...
Okami felt as though he was struck by lightning. He had been sleeping wrapped around the bandit King. If the King who had had him poisoned was the villain, then the bandit King could be considered the final boss. What on earth had actually happened?

A.N.

So my adorable readers, what are your thoughts so far?

I'd also like to know if any of you have name recommendations for a prince. Hear me out, I started writing Temperamental with a goal but no identity 🙃 so the gong is a Crown Prince who currently has a curious but quiet and serious personality... and I got no idea for names. And Google sensei wasn't inspiring 😭

Welp I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See y'all next time 😉