「The Cousin」

Chapter 5

Hoshi seemed frozen in place, as Ryuko stormed away. She reached her hand out to try and reach for her, but she never would be able to. Hoshi's head grew heavy, and she stumbled around. Her horse, Kasai, came out of her scarf and held her up as she fell.

Hoshi held on tightly to the horse's neck and breathed out her nose. She held onto the fiery mane of the horse, and pulled herself up onto it.

She leaned against the red Spirit, unable to support herself. She muttered incoherent words as she attempted to sit up straight.

The horse brought the girl into the control room, and Hoshi tried to control her breathing. Then her eyes widened and all of the Spirits in her scarf emerged. She pulled out her katana, and stared at an empty space.

"Everyone, behind them. Now." Hoshi commanded.

Cautiously, they all backed up, but still stood beside Hoshi, who backed up as well. The Spirits had their backs to them, and backed up, as if they were trying to protect them, or trying to get them closer together. They were all now in skin to skin contact with each other.

Then Hoshi waved her hands in front of her. Deformed and demonic glowing creatures stared at the human beings. Inumuta's face dawned in realization.

"Souls." He said.

Hoshi inhaled deeply, before her eyes shot open. Her Spirits formed into lights, and returned to her scarf. The veins beneath Hoshi's skin glowed different colors as they realized the Spirits were moving through her body.

The scar across her eye began to glow violet. Her snakebite piercings glowed blue. Her half shaved hair began to glow red. The bite mark and scratches on her arm glowed green. The scratch marks on her legs glowed white.

Inumuta realized what all of those scars on her body are. They are the marks of her Spirits. They are her official protectors, because she has a piece of them on her body.

Hoshi got in a fighting stance, and swung her blade. She struck quick as Kaze and with as much force as Chikyuu.

Hoshi soon decapitated all of the monstrous beasts, and stared down at their dead bodies, as they slowly turned into dust. Her Spirits left her body and returned to her scarf, and she fell to her knees.

"Are you okay?" Inumuta asked, helping her stand.

"I'm fine. It's just that when we combine like that, it drains me of energy." Hoshi panted, as she kept her arm around his shoulder, struggling to stand.

Inumuta heard his computer ring and he dragged Hoshi over to his computer. He set her down in his chair and pulled up what he found.

"I was able to hack into the cameras you left behind. I found something." Inumuta said gravely.

There she was, hanging by chains. Satsuki Kiryuin. Exposed and humiliated.

"How cruel." Nonon whispered, shielding her eyes.

"What? What is it?" Sanageyama exclaimed. "My aura does not work on screens!"

"Do not look, fools!" Gamagoori shouted, slamming his hand on the screen, covering the young woman's body.

"Oh. Poor, Satsuki. If only I could have saved her." Hoshi said before she began to mutter incoherent things.

"Do you hear that?" Inumuta asked.

Suddenly, the Elite Four were rejuvenated with energy. Satsuki had her toe nails fixed to be made of the same material as bakuzan.

"She is sharpening the nails of rebellion." Sanageyama smirked. "We have to go after her."

"I believe you should stay in Osaka, Hoshi. You are too weak to fight." Aikuro sighed, as he stared at the girl.

"No. I have to save my cousin. It's my fault she's there. I should have saved her, instead of being so apathetic. I should have realized..." Hoshi trailed off, and her eyes rolled back before she slumped into the chair.

"Hoshi?" Inumuta whispered, shaking her shoulders. "Hoshi?"

***

They had all decided that they could not leave her alone in the incapable hands of Dr Mankanshoku. Hoshi had to come along on the S.S Naked Sun and be under the watch of more capable people. She currently rested in a locked room, unknowing to the world around her.

"You got pretty dramatic back there." Nonon giggled. "Your emotion would be perfect for one of my plays."

"I'm not in the mood for you to joke about the state that Hoshi is currently in. Her Spirits will not leave the scarf and we can't take it off her for whatever reason." Inumuta said.

He had held her for the longest time. He rocked her back and forth, and shook her vigorously to try and wake her up, but to no avail. He brought her into his room, and locked the door, so then the perverted Mankanshoku men could not see her. They were undeserving to look upon her magnificence, according to Inumuta.

"Ah, young love. How beautiful." Mrs Mankanshoku sighed in content.

"Don't worry, Inumuta-kun! Hoshi-chan will get better in no time!" Mako exclaims as she thinks about her friend. "Hoshi is the strongest person I know!"

"You think I don't know that?" Inumuta growls. "I've spent a lot of time with Hoshi. Hell, I believe in her more than I do in Satsuki-sama!" That causes the teal haired boy to slap a hand over his mouth.

Everyone blinks at his outburst and Nonon bursts into a fit of giggles. Her laughter was the only thing that filled the silence.

"Oh dear me, you have got it bad!" Nonon screeched with laughter.

"I can't believe you would say such a thing." Sanageyama muttered.

"Disgrace." Is all Gamagoori said, shaking his head.

"Hold on a minute!" Mako shouted. "That was not very nice Gamagoori! Inumuta really cares for Hoshi-chan and it's okay for him to believe in her more! Let him believe in who he wishes! He loves Hoshi and it is completely and utterly rude to judge someone on their feelings!"

"Thank you?" Inumuta tilts his head in confusion, before he returns to working on his computer. "I believe we were going to save Satsuki-sama?"

~~~~Bleh filler chapter~~~~