Seren セレン Volume 1

Chapter 4 The Fallen King! Round Two!

Miroku breathed in the scent of grass and wood. Birds sang and a squirrel decided to sit on his chest for a couple of minutes to laugh at his face, but thankfully left. He still lay under the tree, unable to feel anything in his limbs. Hm... I must have broken a back bone... he thought. He felt bitter for having misinterpreted Kai and Nariko's code, not noticing Hachi and Ushiko there in the first place, and bitter about the squirrel. Himura closed his eyes and breathed in as much as he possibly could and coughed it out. Ow. The sun filtered through the leaves on the tree and the wind blowed gently against his face... A single thought ran through his mind: The Reaper King hath fallen.

Kai turned into his hybrid form and summoned his twin blades, throwing off the two nekos in the process. Then he and Kyro clashed in midair as their comrades fell from the sky.

Nateo looked up, at Nariko, then the ground, and back at her again. "So, what's goin' on?" he casually conversed in spite of the fact that they were falling hundreds of miles from the sky.

"Oh, you know. Just falling to my death." Nariko replied just as nonchalant.

"That's cool." he looked at the handkerchief now tied to her wrist. "Can I have that?" he pointed at it.

"Sure." she replied. "But first, tell me what you have stuffed in that oversized hoodie."

"Ah... So you noticed."

"You were messing with it the whole time." she pointed out. "How couldn't I?" She spotted something red and brown as it began to slip out again.

"Huh." he said, pushing it back into his shirt. "Didn't think anyone noticed."

She gasped, realizing what it was. "You didn't!"

"I did."

"You're gonna die."

"Not of Whirlwind comes along."

"...You're gonna risk your life on the incredibly slight chance of Whirlwind showing up?"

"Yup." He seemed pretty convinced.

"Yeah." she concluded. "You're gonna die. Anyway," she held out her arm. "Good luck."

"Thank you!" he said, taking it. Now holding her bridal-style. "You trust me?"

"You don't need to know that." Nariko replied simply. "And how are you keeping that in your shirt, anyway?"

"Because I'm awesome." he replied simply. Nariko face palmed. "Here goes... HEY SIS!" he shouted.

"HEY SIS!" Yoko's fox ear flicked.

"Brother?" she muttered, looking away at the distance.

"What?" Ushiko questioned. She shook her head. "Whatever! Just pay attention!" She swung her scythe at the brunette. Yoko deflected the attack with a shot of her gun. Death exclaimed in surprise at the force the blow exerted. Seeing her chance, Nagisa came forth as fast as she could and rammed the handle of her nodachi into her upper abdomen. Winded, the blonde began to fall and the handkerchief was snatched from her grasp.