Shizuki was walking down the grassy field with flowers in the morning, enjoying to hold the flowers with her fingers and feeling its scent--seeing the scenery at the same time. She felt her body is heavy by the exhaustion of yesterday's celebration that she was resting inside of the machiya house. "Kazuya likes to be here when it's morning..." she murmured, before she stopped when she saw the familiar water dragon with dark blue scales and sea creature horns emerged from behind the cliff--Shizuki knew it was Kazuya and saw the dragon flies and slithers around him.

Shizuki close her eyes when she felt the dragon passed her as she felt the wind hitting her face, the dragon's breath was hot even though it was cold outside; it gave off an intense heat even more dangerous than the fire element. The dragon turned its head around in searching for something as it walked slowly on the grassy field, before it stopped and raised its head up to Shizuki and she turn around to face him.

Shizuki rolled her eyes and clapped her hands, something that surprised Kazuya by her reaction.

"It's more of a dramatic entrance, Kazuya--was it like you said on that one morning? You clearly look beautiful, even the Dragon doesn't ever change," she said as she laughed softly while the dragon perked up its ears, huffed as if it was smiling. The serpentine dragon leaped and flies across the sky while his tail curled as the dragon flew around the garden in circle. The dragon landed on the ground and crawling to Shizuki, only until his large eyes--which was glowing like an azure gem--staring at Shizuki with curiosity.

His tongue licked her side which made her pale and sour, she shrieked and began flailing her arms on him. "Hey, keep your tongue away from me! This is why you always get scolded by Yomi! And you licked her from time to time?! Get away from me!" Shizuki giggled when he gave her a head butt, acting playful towards her as he slowly slithers around her. Her palms were touching his cold scales but its underside was warm, it's fascinating as she walk a little behind him.

Kazuya kept it close around her, curling his long body around Shizuki and its head resting near to her own--it shows how tame the creature is towards her.

"Kazuya... I've been thinking where our relationship should be headed, you're an immortal god and I'm a human... but, I'm not interested in immortality--it hurts you know... living forever while watching people grows old and perish? It's very... heartbreaking."

The dragon narrowed its eyes and remained silent when she confided this to him, not sure how he could comfort her nor can help her, however he leaned his head closer when she raised her hand up touching him gently. He transformed back into his human form and retaining his attributes, capturing her lips with his like their shared moments just now. "The truth is... I wanted know how it feels like to become human, Shizuki... even if it's cruel. All I wanted to have a normal life, and... I wanted to love you."

He felt he will end up losing her someday, he and Kaname talk about this before--thinking if they should remained immortal or becoming human. Of course, they're gods but even gods themselves who had a wish to live as humans and eventually had a life on their own in this world. "Kazuya..." she said with soft voice as she put her hand on his cheek, he lowered his head for a bit before his fingers came to caress her hand on his cheeks and gazed back to her with a smile. "Let's grow old together, both of us--let's die at the same time, until we became one."

"You're being romantic, that's... not bad though, especially when you said those things to me."

Shizuki blushes as her two thumbs caressing him, Kazuya smiled when he held her to pull her into his embrace and letting her to nuzzle his chest with her eyes closed. "Promise me you won't ever lie to me like what I've done, Kazuya... you did keep a part of yourself when we know each other..." she said and he kisses her forehead and lowering his gaze down to her, before caressing his fingers through her long hair. "I wouldn't lie to you anymore, and it wasn't as bad as what I've done to you, but there's no use for me on trying to justify my actions. Why did I lie to you was because I had a second thought, and the thought of leaving me alone--that was something I wouldn't ever like."

Shizuki listened to him as her face was on his chest, hearing his heartbeats on her ear with the warmth surrounding them in each others arms, not wanting to let go--she wanted to love him the way she is right now. "Am I still your bride?" Shizuki asks, her fingers playing with the ornaments on his shoulders, and the god laughed lightly at her question. "If you're marrying a water dragon and never rejecting him, then you must be insane. As I said before, you're mine--you may like it or not."

Kazuya's hand move to touch her chin while his other arm went to wrapping her back and pulling her into his chest, "Like it or not?" she mused, unaware that her body felt light to him. He chuckle lightly and stared into her eyes that are big like an innocent child, yet it spoke to him something about hope, trust and bravery. "Damn it, you're still a pompous God!" Shizuki exclaimed and Kazuya smirked, his voice was rather calm as he hold her hand and pinched her nose.

"Then do you have the guts to kill me?"

Shizuki nuzzled his chest with her hand on his kimono shirt and closing her eyes, still smelling his scent and relaxing by his warmth. Kazuya rested his chin on top of her hair while both of them hugged as he caresses her back to soothe her, gazing at the nature and the scenery from behind, like the tides of the sea meeting the shore of the beach. "Depends... by the way, is it forbidden for gods to have a child with a human?" she asked curiously, causing the Dragon to blinked before he averted his eyes to the blue sky. "Why would you ask something like that? It's almost unbelievable, human and god forming relationships..."

"Well... it may sound weird, Kazuya... because I can't imagine that. Not until I died..."

A small laugh escaped his lips when he looked down to her, gently tilting her head up with his thumb to made her look back at him--this is too mesmerizing for him, as if he almost forgot what the real beauty is before him. "I'll become human so we can have children and grow old, this is your wish so your happiness will come true. Isn't it so, Shizuki?" he mused as she nodded before caressing his face with her hand that touched the corners of his eyes, they closed that and felt intimate as a man kissed a woman.

The sky above of them began to look beautiful as its colours were turning more light for them, changing its colors into pink and purple like a paradise they would have. "Let's rest under the sakura trees after we eat, I feel full... for now. Because you look dazed, we would have a picnic soon!" Shizuki beamed at him and Kazuya couldn't help but snorts as he carried her in his arms, almost forgetting her current state that he might caught.

Next morning...

Shizuki slowly opens her eyes when it was dawn in the morning in the machiya house, she felt her whole body was sore from that memories of her dream. Her hair was down while laying on the futon and wearing her home kimono, she carefully turn her head forward--seeing Kazuya resting on top of her in his usual home kimono. His smooth, long black hair was sprawling over his back, his face and her face. "Kazuya, let go…" she whined as she tried to push him away as he was too heavy for her, and he was weighing on her like a brick.

Kazuya twitched his eyebrows when he opened his brown eyes, pressing his hands on her sides and whispered in her ear. "Did you sleep well, sleeping beauty?" she woke up slowly with annoyed scowl on her eyes, he noticed that something is bothering her. "Are you okay?"

Kazuya knew she wanted to know this matter since the first place, before he sighed. "I don't want to make you feel guilty, my love..." he began to explain slowly to her as he look aside, before he lifted himself up a little and began to sit up. "Hozuki is my offspring when I was with Yuzuki, but that time... it was so was chaotic."

"Chaotic? What happened to him?"

Shizuki listens with wide eyes when he mention the word of "chaotic", meaning that it was their biggest mistake. Kazuya nods once before he can continue, sighing deeply and he hoped she can understand about him. "We immortals are forbidden to have offspring with a human, the reason is this--they will ended up dead. Not just because they age faster than us."

His dark, stern look in his eyes scared her for a bit, before her heart throbbed with realization. She blinked her eyes several times when he finished explaining to her, keeping his head low and silence for a moment to gaze down at her. "I see..." she replied with a nod, before he lean down to her lips. "And, humans are not allowed to become an immortal--because that would cost their mortality," he whispered to her lips, before he pulling away as she spoke. "Why?"

Kazuya let out a sigh, before he answered her questions. "It will cost a greater toll--in fact the mortal must give a sacrifice in return to serve a higher order, an immortality. Do you understand?" she stared up at him, before she closed her eyes slowly. Shizuki held his cheeks and leaned forward to him, kissing him on the lips gently in return. Kazuya close his eyes and enjoyed the warm and gentle kiss from her, leaning her against the pillow before he pulled away. "Yes..." she replied, before she felt his lips pressed against her lips into a passionate kiss.

Shizuki kissed him back, which he responded with warm gesture. He keep his arms beside her while his long hair's fringes slightly covered her face. "You're so terrible to me," she replied blankly, making him chuckled and lean down to kiss her on the cheek. "My point is that, you're mine and I'm yours--like the other way around," he explained before he pulled away and gaze down at her with smoldering look, knowing that only her own courage can wake him up. "You're mine too, you know," Shizuki responded, making him lean forward to kiss her again in the lips.

But, she really need a bath so bad--their kiss broke apart as Shizuki whined at him. "S-Stop... we need to take a bath...!"

Kazuya got annoyed when her hand pushing his face, making him growled and reluctantly sitting up. "Fine fine! Just don't put your hand on my face like that!" he snapped, Shizuki released him as she sat up and rubbing her eyes.

"Breakfast is ready!"

Haruka and Yomi were in charge of breakfast while Shizuki always in charge for dinner, they were preparing breakfast for Kazuya's Party and Kaname almost overslept when he heard Yomi yelling at him. "Seriously, I was having a great dream of fighting against Kazuya and here it is..." he muttered, rubbing his eyes before Kazuya scoffed at his partner. "We'll see about that when we fight in reality, only next time for your case."

Few hours later...

While they were on break, Yomi was cleaning the shrine as part of her duty and Kaname was training himself in the forest to increase his ability and strength before they pursue their adventure and defeating Hozuki. Shizuki was knitting a scarf happily after being taught by the old lady in the shrine, while Kazuya was observing the cherry blossom tree in the garden. “I wonder if Kazuya don’t mind if I make this for him,”she said after the yesterday’s incident. But she had overcome it and began to knitting the scarf, she was at the gazebo in the garden of machiya house. The cherry blossom tree was near the koi fish pond, after that she finished the knitting and made her first hand-made white scarf.

Then she saw Kazuya was walking towards the cherry blossom tree, taking a deep breath while he was staring at it, holding onto the tree with his one hand. He was handsome, which made her cheeks reddened, but she shook it off and thinking if she could approach him. “Kazuya!”

“Hm?”

His brown eyes darted towards her when he heard her voice, glancing beside him to look at her clearly. Kazuya tilted his head when he saw her carrying a white scarf, “Oh… Shizuki,” he greeted her casually with his usual stern expression, although sometimes he will be romantic when they're alone without the eyes of their friends. Shizuki tip-toed in front of him and wrapped the scarf around his neck and fixing it properly, it makes him surprised to have a white scarf around his neck. He grabbed onto the scarf with his hand, feeling a warmth around his neck, “Is this for me? What for?”

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“Just in case if you want to stay warm."

His cheeks warmed up when he heard warm, as he looked away from her in trying to hide his embarrassment, it was unusual for a cold Dragon like him. “I don’t need to warm up with this," he mumbled, shifting his scarf to cover his cheeks, Shizuki never seen him embarrassed before. “But it’s warm when you’re here.”

Her face went pale yet, shocked in strangest way, wide eyes, darkened face and an awkward smile. But she shook it off and smiled at him normally, “It’s because you’re a water Dragon right?”

Kazuya nodded as he returned back to his cold persona, then placed his hands on his waistline and look down at her. Shizuki was shorter than him, no wonder he has to look down at her so he could see her, “You're still my bride, Shizuki,” he said to her, as he patted her head. “No one can compare you because you are special…” he smiled slightly.

Her cheeks flushed in red, then she smacked his hand away from her head gently. "S-Stop that, you're embarrassing me!" she snapped, trying to regain her composure but it didn't work. "Anyways... I had a dream.”

“What dream?”

He questioned, crossing his arms to look at her, “It’s about.. how my parents met and… my mother’s affair,” she explained. “My father was a General of the Sun Palace and my mother was a favoured candidate of the ruler's harem. But soon they loved each other and started their affair... I think it make sense why they were exiled, when I was born... my memories were half-forgotten when it comes to my parents."

Kazuya listens to her story which made him reminded of how his parents met, despite never seen his father. “That means you’re an illegitimate child,” he stated in his calm voice, “I thought you had a past life as Yuzuki in the first glance, but I was wrong after all, you don’t have a similar purpose as her,” he nodded at her. “But, I can tell that you came for something you wanted to achieve.”

Shizuki nodded with a smile, before she hummed. “Someday, I want to live an ordinary life...” she said as she look down at her feet, then her gaze went back at him. “In case… when this over, I could live peacefully without suffering from the past anymore, that’s my wish and four of us could have live happily.”

He avert his eyes to reconsider her words and retract what she says--he wanted to live as an ordinary man and lived like a human being, especially with his beloved Shizuki. He wished that someone could understand how he felt, Kazuya gently reached out his hand to run her bangs beside her, it makes her eyes widen at looked up at him with embarrassed expression, feeling his hand holding her cheek--it feels warm when she felt it. "Even though I missed the times when I fought together with several gods like Takashi, Azusa, Tamotsu and Kaname... I realized that the prime of my life as a powerful deity did not satisfy me--there's something that was missing inside me in the past."

The Dragon explained as he look up at the cherry blossom tree, before he look back at her. "What is your purpose, Shizuki?" he asked, Shizuki immediately answered his question. "I want to learn about my family and this Iridescent Pearl, regarding my 'awakening' when I faced your son for the first time... and when that goal reached--I will use the power for good," she explained, her hand reached to touch his shoulder while his hand didn't leave her cheek. "How about yours, Kazuya?" she asked him back, his thumb caressing her cheek tenderly.

Kazuya smiled wistfully, slowly pushing some parts of her bangs behind her ear. "I wanted to defeat Hozuki, even if the memories of Yuzuki didn't vanish... I didn't forget her kindness that made me cared about humankind. And, I wanted to live in a peaceful life as a human... but I will try to find a way even if it took a toll on me," he explained, before he lean down towards her and kiss her on the lips--making her close her eyes and kissing him back in return. They began kissing for a while, before he pulled away and heard someone whistling across them.

"Took you long enough?"

Kaname teased, making Kazuya growled. "Just wait until you and Yomi are a thing!"

'Oh right... we need to get rid of the sword inside Shinoe and release another god named Azusa...' Shizuki thought, realizing that they were not done with that--until Tamotsu summoned them back once he obtained the solution.

Few days later...

Shizuki got tasked to unleashed the seal from Azusa Shiranui—the god of creation. Shizuki slashed the seal two times in X-slice, the mist emerged from the statue as she stepped back, exhausted from finishing her task. Kazuya quickly caught her, before carrying her in his arms. “Are you okay? You don’t have to force yourself?” she nodded while leaning back on his shoulder, still exhausted. "I'm fine... I know how to control my power..."

The god of creation walked out from the cave, The man with a long toffee-colored hair with long bangs and tied in down ponytail, with sky blue eyes. He was wearing a white and purple two-layered sokutai, it was Azusa Shiranui—the immortal who was sealed by Yuzuki in the East Mountain.

“Kazuya~! Kaname~!”

He greeted them, he was about to hug Kaname until he fell on the ground because he stepped away from him. “It’s been a while, Azusa-sama,” Yomi smiled at him, he laughed as he got up on his knees and fixed his robe. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

The immortal god named Azusa noticed Shizuki in Kazuya’s arms, her facial looks resembled Yuzuki so much—making him mad about it—but he reminded that he need to be kind to her because she’s different from her. “Ah, you must be Shizuki Kasuga right? Kazuya mentioned everything about you to me!”

“I never told you that, identity-reader.”

Kazuya remarked coldly, he glanced at Shizuki, before he glared at him. “She’s my bride, don’t you dare touch her…”he noticed his dark aura around him even his menacing glare, it makes Shizuki tried to escape from his grip, in comical way. The god of creation flinched as he smiled nervously, shaking his hands in front of him. “K-Kazuya… it’s not what you think..!”

Kaname snickered, smirking at him. “That’s for pissing him off…”

The Dragon avert his eyes as his eyes turned silver color, a trail of ice could be seen oozing around Azusa’s feet. It makes the temperature grew colder, “Okay! I take everything back!”he begged with clasping his hands in front of him, “Please… I’ll treat you with your favorite food; roasted amberjack!”

The ice still surrounds him as if it forms a crystal, “Really? If you say so..”he retreats the ice trail from him and return back to his side, while keeping Shizuki sleeping in his arms, in protectively. “Then you have to tell us now.”

“I will..."

Azusa agreed, the ice trails no longer around him anymore, he followed them to the machiya house. Kazuya laid her head on his lap, looking at him, “So, what happened from that Yuzuki thing?”he need to know what happened, what intentions that Yuzuki has from the immortals, it makes him curious.

The land god pouted a little, he didn’t like the time of being casted away by the priestess. “Well you see, Yuzuki came to my shrine,”he explained, resting his hands on her hips. “She told me that she needs her help in the East Mountain, I was suspicious at why would she ask me that, but I did…”

Kaname listens to him, with Yomi preparing a tea for them, the god of creation glared at both of them, “After that, she tricked me into being wrapped by her stupid tags, if she hasn’t used that thing—I would’ve stopped her immediately!” he snapped with a whine, “Like- what did I do wrong, since when I make her mad and that was the last time I saw her.”

“Like for real?”

Azusa crossed his arms, huffing. “Look here, this is from my perspective towards her, don’t blame me,”he said straightforwardly, pointing out what has happened. “Seriously, it pissed me off, but I’m glad that girl saved me. So, what do you need from me?"

After that...

"Right… what do you want to discuss about with us?"

Shinoe asked while her hair was in her usual main hairstyle instead from earlier, they're inside his temple having a meeting with them that seems to be urgent. "It's about you, Shinoe-we're suspecting something from you," the energy emitted from her form made Kazuya suspected something dangerous from her, and that needs to be removed at all costs. "Do you know Cursed Sword of Destruction? I'm afraid that the sword was into your vessel."

Shizuki asked when she was sitting in front of the table before them between the Dragon and the maiden, the village chieftain's eyes went wide when she asked her about the sword that made her shiver. "You… You know that?" Kaname nodded when he was facing her an sitting beside Yomi, concerned about her well-being. "We want to tell you, but we want to make sure if you know about that or not… so that's why we have to ask you if you need a help."

"Ah, I see… actually, I've been suspecting that the Sword is inside me… after I performed the ritual."

Tamotsu was worried about her well-being due to her recent condition she has, now that they are here they seems wanted to help her. "Actually there's no need to worry about that, because we know the solution on how to remove that-isn't that right Kaname?" Kaname nods at his best friend's words about the solution to remove the Sword, even when it's emergency for the host. "However we need an isolated area where those yokai won't be attracted to your energy; three gods, one shrine priestess and a remover in case something happened; our dearest warrior princess here. But she won't be participate with me, due to her powers still on development."

Shizuki watched him looking at her with a proud grin and patted her shoulder, it makes her sighed that she can read his mind for that. "You're the warrior princess?" she heard Shinoe asked with surprised eyes, that made her nod with a smile in response to her question. "That's right, I've been travelling a lot and practiced on how to control this kind of power-the Iridescent Pearl. You told us you have it, right?"

Shinoe nodded while folding her arms on the table, but then she frowned when she spoke to her. "I told you before, but I kept that to Tamotsu due to… the Sword's greed and want to take that," she admitted while looking up at them, hoping that they can take the Sword off from her.

"Kazuya's Party, we owe you a gratitude if it works."

Shizuki didn't know why but an adrenaline increased when they arrived at there, the wide field with tiled rectacular floors like a combat field with several seals. "Three of us gonna be the one? Kazuya, why didn't you join?" Kazuya stared at Azusa who's asking him, not saying anything before Kaname sighed with a smile. "Do need to know that he done that in the past, and because he's… nevermind-he was not in the best mood to do that-and he has a point of not showing that."

Yomi was watching her laying down on the altar in the middle of the battlefield, she was holding her ceremonial staff on her hand. "Are you going to be okay Shinoe-kun, because we're worried about you," Shinoe shake her head while closing her eyes, wasn't afraid with the process because she just wanted this to be removed. "I'll be fine, no need to be worried about me-I won't going to die."

Tamotsu nodded at the two gods before he went to stand on the floor with circle beneath him, before the light surrounds him and slowly manifesting into his true immortal form. His hair extended longer past his waist with blue and red marks on his face like a demon fox, nine tails appeared behind him as his robe changed with white and blue priest robe instead with purple-red strings and gold emblems. "Kazuya, you're not going to use your true form?"

Kazuya folded his arms with a smirk while looking forward at the altar's view, he fully aware that it might exposed his true power so he wouldn't do it. "Why should I? When I'm powerful enough?" he taunted when Azusa revealed his true immortal form, along Kaname who's prepared as well. "Yomi, Kaname, Azusa, Tamotsu, get ready for this."

"We will."

Shizuki watched Yomi close her eyes firmly with holding her staff while she was chanting the mantra, the color emitted from her aura was powerful that she trained herself for the ritual. Then, Shizuki transformed into her 'awakening form'--sending surprise the gods but they need to focus first. The three immortals supported her with restraining her limbs to keep her on the altar, she was completely put into asleep and unable to feel what's happening. "Alright then, now she's asleep-one of the gods must remove the sword with caution. Tamotsu, are you willing?"

Kazuya asked when he was folding his arms and standing beside Shizuki from the distance, watching him for a moment whether he likes to or not; if isn't he would pick another one to go. "I'll do it," Tamotsu wanted to save her with at all cost, he just wanted to save her because he cared about her. "Fine then, don't say I didn't warn you-because you will remove that thing from her without waking her up."

The fox god approached her and look down at the opening void above her chest, seeing the shining wave of mist from there and he narrowed his eyes. That's when he use his hand to grab the sword through the void, feeling the sword on his hand and he began to pull it out slowly so she won't wake up. Azusa was determined that he can do it at his state like this, keeping the restrain on her limbs in case there's a slight of movement from her.

Kaname watched him take out the sword and finally able to remove it from her, he sighed in relief that he was closing the void and putting the pearl inside her. Tamotsu was going to close the void on her chest and healing the wounds on her chest, due to the void almost spilled the blood from her. "Do it now, Yomi!" the maiden princess nodded when she slammed the tip of the staff on the ground, the ritual has finished that the gods went back to their normal state as a human. "Finally… now what should we do with the sword?"

Azusa yawned when he asked that and turning his head to see both of them there, seeing the sword was shining in malevolent red and menacing as well. "Let's do this, I'd rather want this dead," Shizuki crushed the sword with the blade's tip of her katana into the sword's seal, Shinoe's eyes opened that she woke up from the curse of the sword and look around-sitting up on the altar in shock. "H-Huh?"

"Shinoe!"

Tamotsu approached her and helped her getting off from the altar and helped her stand up, she look around her surroundings as if the sword no longer disturbing her life even her destiny. "H-Huh? Did the Sword…?" he shushed her when he pulled her into his embrace, causing her eyes widened by his initiatives. "It's okay, it's no longer on you--you should be fine."

Shizuki sighed in relief, before she reverted back to normal. "Well, that settles well..." she said.