Underneath the Red Trees

CHAPTER 67: ALWAYS THE FOOL

When Touma was inside his flat again, there was a kind of relief inside his heart. He was okay. He felt his knees buckle beneath him.

Hayate caught him before he hit the floor. He helped him to the sofa.

"Are you all right?"

Touma shuddered. "I don't know."

Yua came out, sniffing around. She had gotten bigger. She was around two months old now. She nudged Touma's leg, whereafter she jumped on the sofa and rolled herself in a ball beside him.

Touma smiled at her. He had missed her cute, fluffy body.

Hayate laced his fingers with Touma's. "Talk to me."

Touma glanced at him. He took in every part of that face. The one he knew, and yet it was so different from before. He had loved this one as he had loved the one before.

Touma pressed a kiss to Hayate's knuckles. "My memories came back after I met Akira Soma." Hayate's face did not change as Touma spoke, patiently waiting for him to continue. "Daisaku reincarnated."

Hayate's eyes widened. So did Kaguya's and Satoru's.

"I thought only Wielders reincarnated," Kaguya said.

Touma shook his head. "I know my brother. He is alive."

"What happened after you saw him?"

Touma shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think I passed out. When I woke up I was in the countryside."

Hayate's brows furrowed. "He abducted you?"

Touma leaned back, knocking his head back to stare at the ceiling. He stroked Yua's body. It was a form of comfort. "Basically, yes."

"How did you escape?"

"Three days ago, Akira left for Tokyo," Touma said, "Naozumi helped me escape. He wants forgiveness."

The flat became quiet.

"Touma," Satoru started. "You said you saw Zaizen Kuroda—my grandfather—die."

Touma nodded, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared forward, keeping his eyes pinned to the wall opposite him. "I did. After Hideyoshi Akano died, Zaizen Kuroda came looking for him. They were old friends. My father killed him. Afterward, he hid the body. I saw him do it. I was eight." He raised his head, meeting Satoru's eyes. "If I had known he was your grandfather, I would have told you."

"I thought Katsu Akano was a Lancer." Kaguya said, "What was that thing?"

Touma shook his head. "He was only a Lancer by my grandfather's design." Touma was unable to look at anyone as he spoke. "You see, my father is one of the four Kings."

Hayate's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

"I was the only one that knew. Neither of my brothers ever found out, I think." Touma rubbed the back of his neck. "When my father was young, he obviously displayed the beast like both you and I did, but instead of announcing it like your father did, he asked Zaizen Kuroda to lie. At that time there was bad blood between Akano and most of the other clans. So, in order to protect his clan, Hideyoshi wanted to keep my father's true power hidden." Touma glanced at Hayate. "In that aspect he was smarter than Noboru Naguchi. My father, in turn, kept me fairly hidden after I went to Akagi." He sighed. "Obake gives him the power of shapeshifting, among other things that I'm unsure about, but I don't know how he is still alive."

"Are you sure that isn't one of the powers Obake gives him?"

"It isn't. I'm certain."

"Why didn't you ever say anything before?" It was Kaguya who asked.