To Be Free! (Noragami Fan-Fic)

The Story Behind Bishamon

     I woke up to the sound of water dripping and Kazuma sounding like he was trying to break something. Slowly, I got up from my position against the wall only to be encased in a world of pain as I remembered that the ruby dagger was just stabbed into my back and by the looks of it, they injured me a bit more while I was unconscious to ensure that I wouldn't be able to fight without feeling pain before pulling it out. The feeling of the dagger burning into my back still haunted me as I carefully stood up and caught Kazuma's attention. I walked over to Hiyori and tried to shake her awake. She groaned before waking up and looking around.
     "Where is this?" She asked.
     "I'm not sure. It seems we were knocked out and brought here," Kazuma replied. "We're stuck, too. It's been scourged from the outside and with Crystal-san's current condition, I don't think we would be able to escape."
     "This is classic kidnaping, then!" Hiyori concluded with shocking enthusiasm.
     "Uh, yes," Kazuma answered with a confused tone.
     "I don't think that's the right attitude that is meant to be used in this situation," I told her gently.
     "I've tried a number of things, to no avail. I guess it's not possible without the help of Crystal-san's regalia or her at the very most," Kazuma sighed.
     "The kidnappers made one fatal oversight. They were dumb enough... to kidnap me!" She declared and ran towards the door at high speed while Kazuma and I were still confused about her sudden declaration. "Jungle... Savate!" She yelled as she kicked the door but was repelled by the scourge. I sighed in relief when nothing bad happened besides her getting her foot hurt. She limped over to the back of the cave and sat down with a gloomy and sad aura.
     "My advancement exam is tomorrow, too..." she muttered sadly. I flinched as I didn't realise that so much time has passed since we received the notice for the exam. Before I know it, I collapsed from fatigue and stress.
     "You should be more concerned about what's happening now," Kazuma told us and I stopped panicking. "We've been forcibly sealed off from the outside by a Scourge and Crystal-san has been badly injured. If you two remain as you are for too long... you'll die."
     "We're... going to die?" Hiyori repeated quietly with a tone of slight shock. "But that shouldn't be possible for Crystal, right? She's the Guardian of Guardians."
     "That may be so but have you ever wondered who takes care of her?" Kazuma asked as he sat down in the distance between Hiyori and I. "No matter how much you think, there is no one. She has to endure pain all by herself whenever the ruby dagger that was used against her manages to even get a scratch on her. That dagger can only be pulled out by the one who attacks with it and even after it is pulled out, a burning feeling is left behind. In addition to that, she has been blighted countless times and she has been reincarnated several times in the past. There's no doubt that right now, she's blighted. Isn't that right, Crystal-san?"
     I looked at him hesitantly. "That's right. And the blight keeps getting stronger as time goes on. I won't deny the fact that if we don't escape from here, I will most likely... die."
     We sat in silence for a few minutes before Kazuma brought up a thought. "There has been something else that has been worrying me," he said. "Before when I tried to shackle Kugaha with his "Kuga" name it didn't work."
     "You shackled him... with a name?" Hiyori asked.
     "Yes. For us, a name is a bestowment and a scourge from the Guardian we call master. It's both a gift and a curse in simpler terms. Since antiquity, names have dwelled within those they refer to. Invocations are based on that fact. Yet, Kugaha was completely unaffected when I invoked his name," Kazuma replied. He seemed to be in thought for a few seconds before his head shot up like he realised something. "Could it be? Is he...?!" Then he paused. "No. All that's certain is that he's betrayed Veena. Using their names to employ Phantoms and scourged weapons... What do Kugaha and Aiha take their guardian-given names for?! Names are very precious to us, so why?!"
     "Um, why are you the only one with 'ma'?" Hiyori asked Kazuma softly like she thought that she was asking a sensitive question. "Kugaha, Aiha, Suzuha... They all end in 'ha'. But why not you?"
     Kazuma looked down sadly before answering. "The Guardians often add a common character to their Regalia's names, either as a brand of sorts or as a way to foster a family-like bond. Crystal-san doesn't use this because she believes that we are all different people but are bonded without having the same character in their name. Veena currently unifies her Regalia under the 'ha' clan name."
     "Currently?"
     "Yes. The previous clan shared the 'ma' name. I am its sole survivor. The 'ma' in 'Kazuma' is a relic."
     "S-Sole survivor?!"
     "We were wiped out. Yato slaughtered the entire clan. Yato was ferocious. Not even a speck was left. We lost our family. Only Veena and I survived. She wept and fell ill for a long time. It was at that time that Crystal-san appeared before us and held out her hand and guided us towards the light. She helped us to search and obtain a new Regalia...and then another, and then another. She helped us to create the current 'ha' clan. Out of guilt for letting the Ma clan perish, after Crystal-san left us to help other Guardians, Veena makes any spirit she sees into a Regalia. Among all the lower guardians in existence, only very few are capable of shouldering so many Regalia. Only with great capability can a guardian endure the pain of bearing Regalia. That is what makes Bishamon the mightiest guardian of war. However, she is far too kind at heart. I like that about her, but I often worry that her kindness might someday be her undoing. We can't allow a repeat of that tragedy. But she's now plagued by poor health and her Regalia's betrayal. It's almost like before! If nothing is done, Veena will soon- Wait... Could Kugaha's goal be...succession?!"
     "You can't be serious..." I muttered.
     "But she's so strong! How can he possibly kill her?!" Hiyori protested. "Unless he used that ruby dagger-"
     "No, that's not possible. That ruby dagger was designed to only be able to injure Crystal-san," Kazuma implied. "But, if you don't return, Yato will think that Veena abducted you two and take action to rescue you along with all of Crystal-san's Regalia. Kugaha plans to have Yato kill her."
     "Why would Yato do such a thing like killing a whole clan?" Hiyori says as Kazuma stands up and grips the bars of the wooden door tightly.
     "Because of me. I'm the one who asked Yato...to kill my clan," Kazuma replied with regret. "As a war guardian, Veena has always kept many Regalia. As a fledgeling Regalia, I was just a simple nail. She's always been kindhearted. I was determined to live up to her expectations. But, one day...Veena was blighted. I heard of him. Of a vulgar guardian who delighted in atrocities, obeyed a Nora, and slaughtered all and that he as the older brother of our beloved Princess Crystal, who took care of us and loved us all equally. The head Regalia ordered an ablution to be held. But we never found who was responsible. The ablution rituals changed nothing, and Veena's condition only worsened. We were at a very dark time as Crystal-san had been blighted as well and had already been reincarnated. The Regalia were soon beset by the spectre of distrust. And then... Powerless to do anything, I sought outside help...hoping the guardian of calamity would grant the most taboo of wishes."

A FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO *Crystal's POV*
     "Now this is some betrayal," Nora mused as one of Bishamon's Regalia bowed before us in desperation. As I recall, his name is Kazuma. "Did you hear him? He wants us to kill his fellows."
     "Do you have money?" I asked gently. "Big Brother Yato will do whatever you ask as long as you have some."
     "I-I have nothing, Princess Crystal..." he replied while still facing the ground.
     "You have your name," Nora implied with slight excitement. "Want to be a Nora? You can serve Crystal-chan, every guardians' saviour."
     "My name belongs to my master alone," he replied as he clenches his fist. "I've come to you ready to die. We've disgraced our master. The Ma name will be forsaken, likely to never be called again. But I don't care! If it'll save my master, I'll gladly give my name back to her!"
     'He's quite brave despite still being a fledgeling Regalia,' Kuro told me in my mind.
     'I think so too,' I replied. 'Reminds me of our own fledgeling Regalia,' I added and we both look over at Akai who noticed our stares and turns his head to avoid eye contact. 'But what's wrong with him? Why won't he face me whenever I look at him?'
     Kuro's chuckle warbled in my head as he looked at me with amused eyes. 'Still dense as ever even after being reincarnated,' he laughed and rubbed my head and caused my hair to look messy again which was a lot easier now that I was the size of a child. I ignored him for now and followed behind Yato and Nora as Kazuma led the way to Bishamon's home. Akai and Kuro followed after a few minutes and both of them seemed to act differently compared to before.

     Once we arrived, I pulled Akai and Kuro into a house and watched as Yato cut up the Phantom that was once Regalia. I gripped my heart, where Bishamon was feeling the most pain, and endured until the end and stayed with Kazuma and Bishamon until the gained a few new Regalia.

PRESENT TIME *Crystal's POV*
     "Veena survived the ordeal. But... her hate for Yato endured, too," Kazuma informed Hiyori as I felt the burning in my intensifying and wrapped my arms around myself like it would stop the pain.
     "'Yato is our enemy, but he's also our saviour.' That's what you meant by that," Hiyori said as she pieced everything together. "There must be some way to stop them! If they keep fighting like this...there'll be no undoing what happens!"
     "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do anything in your current state, Hiyori," I declared as I stood up while leaning against the wall. "In case you didn't notice, your Cord is already fading. If you stay any longer, you'll die. But I have just about enough power left to send you back to your physical body."
     "Wait! Then what's going to happen to you?!" She shot back. "If you do something in your current condition, what will happen to you? Have you ever thought about that?!"
     "I will only be reincarnated and came back to life in a few hours. It's not such a big deal compared to if you end up losing your life. This is my job as a Guardian!"
     "Then what would you do if you didn't have to abide by your duties as a Guardian? Would you still put your life on the line for others?!"
     "If I was free..." muttered as I thought about my answer carefully. "If I was free, I would still save your life because you're an important person in my life!" I stood up straight and held out my hand. "Iki Hiyori!" I called out and her name appeared in front of her in glowing letters. I felt something warm flow from my nose and reached up my other hand to touch it and saw a red liquid I hadn't seen in a long time. I turned back to Hiyori. "Return to—"
     Before I could finish my sentence, a loud voice called out to me as I suddenly collapsed onto my knees from a sudden wave of blight that spread even faster than before. A colourful crowd stood outside the wooden door but the figures were too blurry to make out but there was one colour that stood out the most just like its voice had done; a brilliant and bright red colour. Just there, outside the door, stood Akai.