Chapter Text
- A thousand years later. Supernatural creatures have longer lifespans than humans.
At this moment, Sano has chosen to return to Takagamahara, assuming his duty as the deity Susanoo no Mikoto.
He no longer has Seimei, the human who was once his master and taught him so much with his singular clumsiness. He even managed to melt Mikoto's cold heart, something his own brother, Ebisu, never could.
Despite everything, he could still hear Seimei's angelic laughter. No... that wasn't the human's name. The real name Mikoto never dared to utter was Haruaki.
Haruaki. He can't count how many times he repeated that name so as not to forget it, to remember it with a constant obsession.
Why did he have to have such a short life? Or rather, why did Haruaki never want Sano to turn him into a youkai? Why did he choose to live out the brief existence allotted to humans?
"Because I'm human!" Haruaki would say with a light laugh, then change the subject. He loved his life as a human and wouldn't change it for anything in the world; that was a decision Mikoto respected, even though his heart was shattered.
After so much time, every time the image of his teacher faded, Mikoto, terrified, would murmur and sink into a deep sleep, wishing he could see him in his dreams.
Even so, he couldn't. Ebisu's insistent voice, patting him on the back to wake him up, filled him with great annoyance, though he also felt genuine happiness.
It reminded him of when he was a child.
Ebisu adored him; Mikoto knew that perfectly well. They only had each other.
Of course, Ebisu hadn't been happy to wake his little brother just to tell him about the meeting, but those were the rules.
"Wives?"
Fujin leaned forward, eating as he asked that question.
The other gods were seated in a circle. Suzaku, on the left, wore that arrogant smile on his face. He had regained his divinity, but despite that, his gaze was melancholic; truly, Mikoto didn't want to get involved in this matter.
It was just a vacation, the Supreme Being had said; that applied to him, to Ebisu, and especially to Mikoto, who was about to lose her divinity. It also served as a warning to the twins: they had to take their obligations seriously.
"Can you explain in more detail what you mean by 'wives'?" Ebisu, finger to his chin, analyzed the situation. "Do you mean sacrifices?"
"Hello! We're in a modern world; we've already moved beyond the era of cannibalism," Suzaku interrupted, earning a retaliatory glare that, of course, he didn't care about.
Of course, there were plenty; the sacrifices weren't really to blame for being discarded like that. At least Mikoto was grateful that he didn't treat people as if they were a matter of chance. "Are you saying we can choose the applicants?" Seiryuu's eyes lit up, even though he had no intention of getting married. He'd opt for an idol anyway, so he could interact with them.
"However..." The supreme being wore an enigmatic smile. "Only those humans with extremely powerful ki will be selected, humans favored by nature just like us. There are some who are tainted by those horrible demons."
Mikoto sighed, letting Ebisu handle everything. Ebisu would be delighted.
Two years had passed since that situation. He knew nothing about the new wife, maiden, husband! What did it matter what gender the human was?
He saw the human dressed in long white, judging by the veil. Mikoto couldn't identify who it was? But... he felt he already knew that mortal.
When the veil was lifted, Mikoto's gaze froze. He held his breath and looked at Ebisu, who was greeting them with a smile, albeit an irritated one.
"Haru!" It's the reincarnation of Abe Haruaki. This human opened his eyes nervously. The god could bet that he remembered nothing. How old would Haruaki be in this life? They're the same height.
The hidden voice in the room told Ebisu, "The ages have been reversed!" Yuuta, someone who is divine but only semi-divine, wasn't allowed in the same circle. "Well done, Isaburou!" He observed the gentle gaze of the god of fortune.
Ebisu also dressed impeccably to find a wife, or rather, a husband. He prefers to call it a sacrifice, since being bound to a human is too problematic, especially when the bond is one-sided.
That's why he did everything possible and made a deal with the Soul King to reincarnate a human. And to his surprise, that wretched Abe was reincarnated. Literally the entire troublesome Abe clan: Haruaki, his twin Amaaki, and the best onmyouji, Abe no Seimei.
The Abes are pure, though some are greedy, so offering sacrifices was part of their culture. They readily gave Haruaki to Ebisu, considering Haruaki sickly and weak.
It seems Amaaki didn't find out. Isn't he an overprotective brother in this life?
Well, if Ebisu gets into trouble for managing to distance the younger brother from the overprotective older brother, then he'll have to accept it.
He did it all for Mii-kun, his sweet Mii-kun. If Haruaki is the most important person to Mii-kun, then so be it.
That's why Ebisu is the older brother; he had a good way of brightening his little brother's life and making things easier for him.
Furthermore, he felt he had done things right. Yuuta didn't scold him; he even congratulated him.
Even so, he wished that humans, gods, and demigods could all be in the same place.
*Coughs* Youkai too. That's what Abe Haruaki taught not only to his students but also to stubborn ones like Ebisu Isaburou.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
"I'm sorry!" Haruaki cried out as he tripped over his long robes, falling. "I'm really sorry!" His eyes were watering. Mikoto wrinkled his nose. Again, he had that possessive feeling. He needed to sleep again.
Did he touch the younger boy's shoulder? But Mikoto knew Haruaki would grow taller than him.
"We're canceling the wedding." He grabbed Haruaki's wrist, and they left. Haruaki cried out as he felt the wind and Mikoto lifting him up. That was too sweet.
How foolish.
He could easily claim Haruaki.
Let him be his sacrifice.
But
Susanoo no Mikoto respects Haruaki's wish and asks him what he chooses.
It's the love Haruaki taught him. That's valuing the other person's desires.
How on earth can Susanoo live twice without Haruaki?
He won't be able to. He won't be able to hold on any longer.
But...