He held back from fighting the Okami with his full strength; not because he did not want to win, but because killing the Dragon's right hand would start a war. And he had sworn above all else to prevent that. No matter how much else he compromised in his quest, he could not do that. But the Okami had no such concerns, he flung himself at Naoki with abandon, teeth snapping and tearing at Naoki's robe. He slashed wide, made superficial cuts, and moved slowly, giving the Okami a chance to dodge, to run. When the Okami spotted Hikaru and Rin fleeing, he tried to pursue them. Naoki launched into the air, flying over the Okami and landing in his path. He brandished his sword, keeping the Okami from advancing. The Okami's red eyes were like bright embers burning in his white fur. His fangs bared, saliva dripped from his jaw onto the ground.
"Let me pass," he growled.
Naoki did not respond, but stared down at the Okami as he tightened his grip on the blade.
"You have no right to interfere," the Okami snarled.
"Do you fear the human?" he taunted. He hated to be reduced to such childish tactics, but he was short on patience and time. If Rin did not kill Hikaru, he would lose his chance to save Tsukiko.
The wolf inched forward. "I will not let Akio have Rin."
"And the human will not take her to him."
"But Akio wants the Hanyou," the wolf corrected.
He had tried to hide Hikaru's identity, but now that word was out, there was no use pretending anymore. He nodded his head.
"Then I cannot leave her with him."
He rushed towards Naoki, and when he prepared to swing and cut him down, the Okami faked right and slipped past him. Naoki gave chase and this time he did not hold back. He sheathed his sword and sprinted after the wolf, catching up in a few strides. He stretched out his energy like a myriad of tentacles wrapping around the wolf's body, tugging him back and slowing him down. He encased the wolf in his energy, freezing him in place. As the Okami lost the use of his limbs, he fell face forward into the dirt, his feet bound up beneath him. Naoki strode over to stand above the Okami, frozen in place, his mouth trapped in a snarl. Naoki hated himself for what he had done to his own kind, the sacrifices he would continue to make to save Tsukiko. He wove his energy around the Okami like a net, binding him in place as he drew from the wolf's energy. It would not hold him for long, just until the next morning. But that would be long enough to let Rin do what she must and fulfill the witch's desires.
"I do not want to do this, believe me, but I have no choice."
Shin's expression could not change, but hatred radiated from his gaze. When the spell was cast, Naoki turned to leave, but when he turned around, the witch was waiting for him. He had been so focused on trapping the Okami he had not sensed her approach.
She smiled at him. "You've done well."
He gave a sidelong glance over his shoulder towards the Okami. He could see the witch and hear everything they were saying.
"Have I?"
"You did everything I asked, betrayed your master and your own kind. You deserve a reward."
His gut clenched. This was it, what he had sacrificed everything for.
"Tell me where she is!" He never raised his voice, but the sound of it was harsh against his own ears. He heard his own desperation, carefully hidden for so long now, break free with his eagerness.
"She is beyond your reach, in a place you cannot tread. She is asleep atop Mount Iwaki."
Rage built inside him like a slow-building fire. It was a lie, it had to be.
"Are you telling me that she sleeps on top of a holy place? One where none but the Kami may tread?"
The witch cackled. "Oh, one other can reach it, though she does not know it yet."
"Who is she?"
She shook her head. "That was not part of the deal."
He unsheathed his blade and rushed for her, but when his blade should have met flesh, instead it ripped through smoke. And the witch was gone. Disappeared like mist. Only the sound of her mocking laughter remained. She had tricked him. He should have known he could not trust her from the start. But he had been blinded by his quest. He turned back to the Okami, intent on silencing him. He had not wanted to kill him, but the witch left him without a choice. But instead he found a jaw full of teeth snapping and tearing. He had no time to defend himself before he was slammed into the ground.
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