"Are you sure she can be trusted?" Hiyori asked Yato. They kept their distance from the house, because Yato was vulnerable without his hafuri vessel, and Hiyori was not a true fighter, though she would never admit it.

"Bisha knows what she's doing" Yato said coolly. "And we can't risk being attacked by whatever did this." Hiyori knew he was right, but still dreamed she could practice some Touno-style moves on some bad guys.

The lion and the goddess emerged from the house, and flew over their heads. Yato and Hiyori looked at each other.

"Was it not the right house?" Yato asked Hiyori. She looked up at the flying duo, seeing their friend tagging along on the lion's back. He was lying still.

"Yukine!" She pointed. They jumped up to meet them.

"Bishamon-san! Is he ok?" Hiyori asked the goddess as she jumped through the air alongside Kuraha and Yato.

"He's weak, but not injured" she replied. "We need to get him back to the shrine to be safe. I saw traces of a storm in that house."

"Ayakashi." Hiyori said. Yato did not say a word, only looking down at his shinki. He could only worry. What does he remember? Can he be saved? It was hard to process. Yato tried to push the thoughts out of his mind, and focus on solutions.

Kofuku and Daikoku were waiting at the porch in front of the shrine. They rushed to carry Yukine to the mat on the floor, which they prepared with many blankets and pillows.

Yukine continued to lay still.

"Yukki?" Kofuku asked, and the rest of the gods and spirits leaned in, holding their breath.

He slowly opened his eyes, and a collective sigh of relief was had. He looked around at the faces staring at him, feeling a little claustrophobic.

"Wh... What happened? I was at Ana's house, and... oh, no..." He looked down, realizing his intense memories made him pass out.

"Hiyori figured out where you were." Yato kneeled down to meet Yukine eye-to-eye, staring with the utmost focus. "Did you try and run away to your family?" Yukine recoiled in defense.

"N-No! I swear!" Yukine exclaimed. "I was kidnapped."

"By who?"

"I don't know... some invisible force. It made me get on her bus."

Yato turned to the other gods, listening intently on the strange story. "Have you ever heard anything like this?"

Kofuku shook her head. "It's not typical of the stories I've heard." Yato turned to Bishamon, who sadly shook her head in agreement.

Yato sighed, hoping it wouldn't have to come to this. He stood up slowly, garnering the attention of everyone in the room.

"I'm going to see the Nora."

Yato felt a dull pain to his very soul. He stifled the urge to verbalize it or react in any way. He glanced down at Yukine, who looked shocked. Yukine turned his head down in embarrassment.

"I talked with her a few days ago." The pain intensified. "She says that she remembers how she died."

"A Nora?! You can't be serious." Bishamon scoffed. "She was trying to manipulate you. That's what all Noras do."

"She's not just any Nora." Yato replied. "We have a... history."

Bishamon recoiled in disgust. "It's not like that..." Yato tried to explain. "She doesn't know about Yukine. And I don't think she was lying."

"If there's a chance it can save him, what choice do we have?" Hiyori added. Yato, suprised, looked back at Hiyori. She tried to show a smile, to let him know he was supported.

"The chance is very small," Daikoku inserted. "But it's better than none."

Bishamon sighed in frustration, thinking this was a waste of effort. But, she owed it to help Yato. "I'll stay here if the storm returns," drawing her whip. He nodded in approval.

Hiyori knelt down to Yukine's level. "He may not be a human patient, but I'll look after Yukine-kun." Kofuku raved in the background, saying things like "Hiyorin is such a good doctor", and Hiyori knew she'd never hear the end of it.

Yato walked out the shrine. "YATO!" Hiyori yelled.

He spun on his heels cautiously, expecting another 'Jungle Savate'. "Uh... Yes?"

"Be careful."

Yato stood there, a little stunned. All he could do is nod, albeit awkwardly, as he lept from the front door steps into the distance.

"Don't tell me you're starting to like that creep." Yukine scowled. Hiyori's face turned white in horror.

"W-WHAT!? NO!" It's been three years and she still couldn't risk letting Yato on. If he knew, then there'd be nothing stopping his strange behavior...! She worried. She'd had many nightmares relating to this situation.

"That jerk? No! Anyway, uh, enough about that topic..." Hiyori laughed nervously, arising suspicion in Yukine. "I need to check your vitals." Hiyori pulled out a stethoscope from her purse, getting some strange looks from Yukine and Daikoku. "It comes in handy," she shrugged.

Yukine took off his jacket and shirt as Hiyori put on the stethoscope and held it against his chest. "So... What was Yato looking at you for? When he said he'd visit Nora?"

Yukine looked Hiyori straight-on. "Don't tell him this, ever!" He looked to the side, annoyed. "I hate it when he talks about her. She's been his shinki for who knows how long."

"Yes, but Yato released her," Hiyori added.

"But he didn't cut his ties with her. I think he still sees her behind my back." Hiyori could hear from the stethoscope his huffing in anger. "And I was right!"

Hiyori didn't know Yato hid this from him. She couldn't excuse Yato from that one.

"One day when we were arguing... Yato said something how 'Hiiro never stung him'... So I wanted to show him, show him that I was stronger than her."

"That's why you've been so easy-going lately." Hiyori checked his eyes for any issues using a small light, also in her purse.

"Yeah. And I used to think being a hafuri vessel made me stronger. But when I fought Kugaha, I lost because I wasn't a Nora."

Hiyori could tell this bothered him, by the way he probably stung Yato at even the hint that Yato said something good about Nora. His envy was affecting his relationship with his master.

But not only that, she thought, he is too afraid of hurting Yato, so he didn't tell him about his flashbacks. She was used to mediating between Yato and Yukine's personality differences, but something had to change.

"You and Yato tell each other what bothers you." Hiyori calmly explained, while moving to his back with the stethoscope. "That way you both can always be one in mind. Your bond gives you strength."

"But that's not how the other gods do it." Yukine sighed. "Their shinki don't talk about their problems."

"Then the other gods are wrong!" Hiyori exclaimed. Yukine looked back at her, surprised at her zeal. Hiyori continued to diagnose Yukine, but looked determined.

Unknown to either of them, Bishamon, who had been standing outside keeping guard, overhead this. She had a good relationship with her shinki now, but not entirely so in the past. Still, she felt guilty.

"Promise me that you won't be afraid of speaking your mind to Yato!"

"Hiyori..." Yukine could see she felt strongly about this. "Okay," He nodded. He hadn't thought that this tradition, of how a shinki 'should' act, might be wrong. He had always thought it has been like this for millennia, so he should just shut up and listen. But he held Hiyori's opinion in high respect, and it made sense to him.

Hiyori smiled and her countenance became happy again. "Besides, he deserves it sometimes." Yukine laughed and nodded in agreement.