Both sides of the conflict had risked everything. Neither got what they wanted. It seemed their efforts completely canceled each other out. Though Taeko's gamble paid off in the end, everyone knew it was only a temporary solution, a bandaid over a gaping, infected wound.

Hatred between Osamu's side and that of the exorcists didn't wane. It got stronger. To the exorcists and the pantheon, the man responsible for prolonging the standoff wasn't going to see a day in a jail cell, nor face a firing squad. At least, not for a few years.

But to Osamu's side, the pantheon was punishing him for his role in a situation he found himself in by pure chance. To them, the driving force behind the hunt for Inari was an immoral and unbalanced one.

The pantheon was focused only on attaining Inari's power, and they were asking the world to trust they wouldn't use it for their own gain. Tsukiakari and Izanami, both of them well-versed in the political landscape of Heaven, didn't trust the pantheon's intentions with a power capable of eroding free will.

Things only got messier with Osamu carrying that power within him. His friends and family would stop at nothing to protect him, but the pantheon would stop at nothing to kill him. The battle may have been over, but the standoff over Inari's power raged on despite her death.

Free from the exorcist prison, Taeko and Shinju were picked up by Rei and driven back to Yoko's house. Everyone gathered around the kitchen island in silence, three sticks of incense burning in the center for Inari, Cyanide, and Black Maria.

"We didn't even make it out by the skin of our teeth with this one." Tsukiakari said. "We barely made it at all."

"So...where does this leave us?" Aika asked.

"Well, I didn't quite prepare a state of the union address, but basically..." Taeko began. "We're fucked. Our only saving grace is that the other side is slightly more fucked than we are. Here's what we know. For now, Osamu and I are safe. We just promised them some pretty powerful future exorcist, so it's in Heaven's best interest that Osamu live long enough to raise them. Obviously...Cyanide didn't make it. Neither did Inari. Or Maria. On top of that, Shinju and I have officially been booted from the Exorcist Program. There is one silver lining, however."

Taeko turned her gaze towards the Shoku Twins, Omagatoki sitting on Osamu's lap while Akatsuki sat on Izanami's. "With the standoff over, we've finally got Omagatoki and Akatsuki back."

Osamu patted Omagatoki head and softly kissed her cheek. "Welcome home, you guys."

Oamgatoki rubbed her tears eyes with her knuckle and buried her face in Osamu's chest, hugging him tightly. "We missed you so much, Big Brother Osamu..."

Osamu nodded. "I missed you guys too. I'm glad you came home safe."

"They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?" Izanami asked.

Akatsuki shook her head, her usual stone-faced expression stained with tear marks. "No, but we weren't allowed to leave or contact everyone. Sis and I heard whispers of what was happening on the outside. We thought Osamu was dead."

"Now, as I understand it, you two have something important to tell us." Taeko said.

Akatsuki nodded. "Apparently, there was an exorcist raid on an apartment complex in downtown Kyoto a few weeks prior to the blood moon we initiated. It wasn't a major operation and the personnel deployed weren't very special either. We heard the exorcists who held us talk about it. There were reports of two vampires living in the apartment complex, but when they got there, the unit was empty. They found vials of sheep's blood on the scene and a few strands of long, black hair."

"Sheep's blood and black hair, huh?" Taeko sighed. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

"Who are we talking about here?" Tsukiakari asked.

"Gekko, think back to the time you went on the warpath against the pantheon." Osamu said. "Remember those vampires you helped?"

Tsukiakari's eyes slowly lit up as she remembered the raven-haired vampire who aided her in her quest for revenge. "Carmilla! I remember her!"

"If I'm not mistaken, Dracula and his wife were also brought to the temple where you two were hiding out, right?" Taeko asked.

Tsukiakari nodded. "That's right. Carmilla brought them both to Ichiki's temple after I lost my battle against Bishamon. Dracula's wife died in childbirth, but the baby made it out okay. After that, Dracula went off with his wife's body. I didn't see them again after that. Hell, I was barely conscious when I met the guy. Carmilla took care of the baby after they left. Said her name was...Hima."

"Right." Taeko said. "Hima Chinagaregawa."

"Holy shit." Tsukiakari gasped. "I had no idea those two were still alive. Carmilla was Dracula's right hand girl, and Hima his daughter. But...why is that so important right now? What does that have to do with...anything?"

"It matters because they're the reason why Manami betrayed us." Taeko began. "From what the Shoku Twins just told us, we can assume that Manami knew the exorcists were pursuing Dracula's heiress, but judging by the response level and the personnel they used, the exorcists probably just thought they were some random, pushover vampires.

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“The blood vials they found on the scene are important, too. It could've been used for medical purposes, or maybe just for feeding. Either way, a few vials of blood wouldn't be enough for two vampires to live off of. If I had to guess, they weren't in very good shape."

"...Hence why Manami took such a drastic measure and told Inari what to do with the Shoku Twins." Shinju added.

"The blood moon would've helped them recover." Taeko said. "If there weren't any further sightings, there's a good chance they were able to get away. The real Lucrezia found out about them, but she never reported it to the exorcists."

"Why the hell not?" Yoko questioned. "Wouldn't that have been her job?"

"Yeah, but Lucrezia was a lot like me." Taeko snickered. "She saw the bigger picture when she heard about Inari's powers and the unrelenting hunt for them. If the pantheon was going to pursue a power that would destroy free will as we know it, then she was willing to burn it to the ground. We shared the same philosophy, that any state that would ignore the soldier's condition is illegitimate. Back then, I had the option of building a nation that reflected my ideals. Lucrezia didn't. All she could do was give us the hammer to smash it all to pieces. That hammer is Hima."

"And to think I'm the one that helped her..." Tsukiakari murmured.

"Thank god you did." Taeko said. "Carmilla and Hima owe us a favor because of you."

"Hold on, are you thinking of allying with an enemy of Heaven?" Izanami asked.

"Yes." Taeko projected. "Not right now, of course. I think we should all just lie low and live normal lives for now. But keep in mind that once your children are made into exorcists, the pantheon will set its sights on Osamu again. And as you can see, I've gambled all I can. When the time comes, Osamu, Shinju, and myself will be brought before a firing squad again, and we'll have no countermeasure."

"...Other than allying with Hima." Amatsuki said. "And since Lucrezia never reported Hima, the pantheon wouldn't even know that we've allied with Dracula's heiress."

"Hell of a surprise attack, isn't it?" Taeko quipped. "Lucrezia laid down the groundwork for this to happen, a Samson option if the pantheon and I were to come at this ideological impasse. Manami protected that option and deliberately set us back. I've been thinking that she did it to force our hand. For what reason, I don't know. A personal vendetta against the pantheon? Who knows. She's still in exorcist custody as far as I know, so we won't be hearing from her for a while."

Taeko released a long, exhausted sigh, her shoulders slumping as she exhaled. "Well, that about sums up where we are. We should all just take the time to heal and lie low."

"There are still some loose ends we have to tie up though." Tsukakari said.

"That's right, I've got Inari's body on the cooling board." Amatsuki said. "The exorcists didn't have any interest in it, since their real goal was her blood and heart."

Taeko nodded. "We should give her a proper burial. The poor girl was forced on the run and fought for her life for hundreds of years. She deserves her rest. And let's not forget, you've got babies on the way, Osamu. You ready to become a parent?"

"No one's ever ready for that." Osamu lamented. "I'm sorry. It's just...not as happy of an occasion as it used to be. Between having to surrender them to the exorcists...and Cyanide and Inari not being here to see them once they're born."

"Yeah. I know." Taeko said.

Amatsuki stood from her bar stool. "Well, you heard the lady. We're laying low from now on. Actually, I think it would be a good idea if Shinju and Taeko stayed here tonight. I'm sure emotions are running high since you guys got released. You two shouldn't be by yourselves."

"Oh, that's a good point. Well, if Yoko doesn't mind." Shinju said, aiming a glance at Yoko.

Yoko snapped out of her daze and smiled. "Of course I don't mind. You're family. Make yourselves at home."

Shinju bowed her head. "We appreciate that, Yoko."

"It's almost four o'clock, so we should get dinner started." Amatsuki said.

"Oh, I'll help!" Izanami said.

Amatsuki wagged her finger at the eager Izanami. "Oh no you don't, missy. You and Yoko are gonna move your butts over to the couch and relax. Shinju, Taeko, since you're staying over, you can help."

"Rei and I will handle dishes and cleaning the house!" Aika beamed.

"Huh?!" Yoko recoiled. "Aika, no! You don't have to do all of that."

Rei chuckled softly. "Well you're in no shape to do it. You're about to pop, remember? Let us help you out, Yoko."

"That's so kind of you. Thank you." Yoko said.

"Sis and I will stay for dinner as well." Akatsuki said. "We were locked up in the shrine for half a year."

"Agreed! We'll finally get to spend the night with Big Brother Osamu again!" Omagatoki sang, her smile fading as she looked at Osamu's face. "...Osa?"

Omagatoki looked into Osamu's eyes and saw and endless sea of sadness. His gaze used to brighten and radiate a positive energy. He always had a confidence on his face, an innocent happiness that gave his smile extra sheen and luster. All of it was gone. He set Omagatoki down on the bar stool and dragged his feet out of the kitchen.

"Sorry, everyone. I'd like to be alone." Osamu murmured.

Silence fell upon the kitchen as Osamu went upstairs and closed the bedroom door.

Taeko closed her eyes. "One tragedy after another. The world is being far too harsh on us."

(Rousoku's ashes are still inside of me. Now I have Inari's blood and heart. I wonder if this is what it felt like for Gekko when Chiharu died. She still has Chiharu's bone and teeth fragments embedded in her after all these years. Just hearing my own heartbeat gives me chills. I can't take a breath without seeing Inari's face. She's everywhere. She's me.)

After dinner was served and everyone had their fill, it was time to shut down the house and try to rest. Osamu stepped outside to the backyard, finding Shinju and Taeko staring up at the full moon together, a myriad of stars blinking in the sky.

"Hey. We're all gonna get ready for bed now." Osamu said.

Taeko took out a flip-top box of cigarettes from her pocket. There were only three left inside. "Rei found this at the bookstore. Cyanide's last pack of cigarettes."

Taeko placed one of the cigarettes between her lips, handed one over to Shinju, and then offered the last one to Osamu.

"I don't smoke." Osamu said.

"Neither do we." Shinju responded.

(Well...good point.)

Osamu took the cigarette while Taeko lit a match, covering the tiny flame with her hand to protect it from the cool, night breeze. First she lit Shinju's cigarette, then Osamu's, and saved herself for last. The flames in their cigarettes brightened as they took their first puffs. Osamu held a barrage of coughs in his chest, as did Shinju.

Taeko laughed to herself. "Well, this is pretty awful."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as they took their second puffs, continuing on despite the foul taste and odor. Silent tears streamed down Osamu's face, while more drowned Taeko's emerald eyes.

"It's all just...awful." Taeko wept, savoring the bitter taste of the cigarettes her dear friend loved so much.