Note: This was originally supposed to be a short multichapter, but it grew a little too much and got a bit long. So I'll be posting this one for a while. Get ready for some drama lol

Chapter 1

(In which Yato is missing, uneasy allies come to the rescue, and the god Yukine finds is not the one he remembers.)

Yukine trudged back home, exhausted and defeated. He found Hiyori sitting with Kofuku and Daikoku around the kitchen table when he slipped inside. She looked as horrible as he felt, with dark circles smudged beneath her eyes and deep worry lines carved into her face.

"Still didn't find him?" Daikoku asked with a sigh.

Yukine scowled. "I wasn't looking. If he wants to run off and kill himself, that's his business. I was just running errands."

"Uh-huuuh," Kofuku said with a hint of mischief and a flash of a grin. "You and Hiyorin have been looking for Yato-chan nonstop since he disappeared!"

"He said he was trying to kill the sorcerer," Hiyori said in a thin voice, and Yukine was reminded of when she had called him in a panic a couple nights earlier, rambling about how Yato gave her his broken shrine and said he was going off to sever his lifeline. "Of course we're worried."

"And without me," Yukine muttered.

That was almost the worst of it, that Yato had run off without Yukine, without even saying a word to him. Yukine understood him better than he had the first time he'd disappeared, so he knew that Yato leaving him behind was not out of a lack of trust or questions about his usefulness. He was sure it was out of a misplaced desire to protect him, especially after seeing how Yato had taken hits from his father rather than letting Yukine do his job. Yato clearly didn't want his friends anywhere near his dad, so of course he was going to run off like an idiot and try doing it alone.

Yukine knew that, but he still hated it. They were a team, they were family, and they were supposed to stick together. It was his job to protect Yato as much as it was the other way around.

Honestly, what did Yato think he was really going to accomplish without his hafuri, besides get himself killed? Or what if he did somehow manage to kill his father? What would he do without his lifeline? Even if Hiyori could be his lifeline instead, the risk of simply disappearing was much too high. And if his dad decided he'd had enough of Yato misbehaving and killed him…?

Yato couldn't die. And Yukine didn't want him to reincarnate either, any more than Hiyori did. Neither option was acceptable, and Yukine didn't want Yato's lifeline severed.

No one was going to kill Yato before Yukine got his hands on the god and did it himself.

"If you're really that worried, why don't you ask Bisha?" Kofuku suggested, poking through the cabinets in search of a snack. "She's awake now."

"She's been unconscious for a long time, though," Hiyori said doubtfully. "She hasn't been awake that long. What would she know?"

"You said Yato went off to kill the sorcerer, didn't you?" Daikoku asked. "Bishamon has been hunting the sorcerer too. She's up again, and Kazuma is the best for intel. If anyone knows something, it's him. If they have news about the sorcerer, it might lead you to Yato."

Anger and betrayal wrapped around Yukine's heart like thorns. "No way. They'd kill Yato first. They aren't our allies."

Kofuku looked back with a frown. "Bisha? She's not after Yato-chan anymore."

Yukine's lips twisted bitterly as he glared at the floor. He couldn't risk trusting Kazuma even if he wanted to, not after his mentor had forced him to reveal Yato's secrets with spells. And Bishamon was determined to kill Yato's dad, which was tantamount to killing Yato. Those two knew about Yato's lifeline and were still more than willing to sever it. Yukine absolutely would not put his god's life in their hands.

"It's better than nothing," Hiyori said quietly. "We aren't having any luck on our own."

"But–"

"They don't really want him dead, Yukine. We might have different ultimate goals, but…maybe we can at least help each other until that point."

Yukine did not like this idea. The betrayal was still too raw, and he couldn't bring himself to trust them again. As long as they wanted to kill Yato's dad, they were the enemy.

"I don't think it's a good idea," he said.

"Yato went against the heavens to help Bishamon even though he knew what she was doing. And Kazuma helped us out a little during the fight, right? And…finding Yato is more important than holding on to grudges right now. We're running out of time."

Yukine opened his mouth to protest further, but hesitated. Hiyori looked so small and shrunken kneeling there on the floor, eyes haunted and frightened. He hated Yato a little more for making her look like that.

He didn't like this, but… She was right. Finding and stopping Yato as quickly as possible was their highest priority, and they might need some help to accomplish that. He didn't trust Bishamon and Kazuma, but he could at least swallow his pride and see if they knew anything.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But for the record, I still don't like it."

Hiyori had already spent an entire night painstakingly reassembling Yato's shrine and undoing the damage Takemikazuchi had done, so at least they had a way to Takamagahara. Yukine was almost sorry for it because he still wasn't on board with this idea, but that was a silly thought. Hiyori would go straight to Bishamon's shrine if there wasn't a better option, and it was safer if Yato's shrine was in one piece. Not that it was a guarantee he'd reincarnate if he died, but there was no harm in keeping a safety net, however threadbare.

Yukine didn't really want to think like that or acknowledge the worst possibilities, but with Yato throwing himself headfirst at death…someone had to.

He dragged his feet all the way up to Takamagahara and into Bishamon's manor, trailing after Hiyori and sulking in a clear show of displeasure. Kuraha was more than willing to lead them to Bishamon's room after alerting the goddess of her visitors, and soon they found themselves facing Bishamon wrapped head to toe in bandages and curled up in a large armchair while Kazuma stood by her side and watched the newcomers warily. Yukine glared at his feet to avoid glaring at them.

"He went after the sorcerer by himself?" Bishamon asked with a frown after Hiyori had spilled the story out in an anxious jumble of words.

"He said he was going to kill him," Hiyori said in a thin, reedy voice, wrapping her arms around herself until her fingernails dug into her sides. "He can't… If you've seen him or have any news about the sorcerer that could help us find him…"

Bishamon and Kazuma shared a look that had Yukine's own eyes narrowing.

"I'm afraid I haven't been up and about much," Bishamon said. "I haven't left Takamagahara since…"

"I saw Yato a couple days ago over on the east side of town, but I didn't stop to talk or see what he was up to," Kazuma added. "I'm keeping a lookout for the sorcerer as well, but he's been staying under the radar. I don't think we can help you."

Yukine's lip curled derisively. "Can't or won't?" he asked, acid dripping off every word. "Forget it, Hiyori. I told you they wouldn't help. They'd rather see Yato kill his dad off and get rid of the problem for them."

Bishamon winced and exchanged an uncertain look with Kazuma.

Hiyori shook her head in mute denial and her lips trembled. "But–"

"They don't care that it's going to kill him."

"He might be an annoying fool, but we don't want him dead," Bishamon said with a sigh.

Yukine half-turned away, ready to get the hell out of there, but took the time to direct one more glare at her. "You already tried to kill him. And you're going to keep trying. As far as I'm concerned, you're as much the enemy as the sorcerer."

"Yukine!" Hiyori hissed, her eyes widening. "We need–"

"We don't want him dead, but killing the sorcerer takes precedence," Kazuma said coolly. "The sorcerer is a grave threat to all of us, and has already nearly killed Veena. And you can say what you like, but Yato tried to kill her too."

Yukine blinked at his one-time friend for a long moment before the meaning of the last sentence finally hit him. He deflated, shoulders slumping as guilt shivered down his spine.

"That…wasn't really Yato," he mumbled. "It was me. She got too close to killing his dad and I panicked. I'm…sorry. I didn't mean… But I couldn't let him die."

He didn't want to kill anyone and he had promised Yato that he wouldn't let him kill anyone else, but one moment of panic had threatened to undo it all. And the scary thing was that if it came down to killing someone or watching Yato die, Yukine might very well turn into a killer. He was afraid to find out if he would. For all of Yato's obnoxiousness and faults and problems, he had somehow become the single most important thing in Yukine's life, around which everything else revolved. When it came down to it, Yato was Yukine's god and master and protector and friend and family and maybe even something like a father, even if Yukine would never admit it out loud. Yato had saved Yukine and given him a home, a place to belong, and so he was the one who had won Yukine's undying loyalty.

It was actually a little frightening to think about, and Yukine resolutely tamped it back down into some small, dark corner of his mind. He couldn't afford to get caught up in such things now, nor could he risk them affecting Yato when the god was already in danger.

"It's okay," Hiyori said quietly, brushing a hand across his arm. Her eyes softened, even though she still looked haggard and pulled taut.

Yukine loved her too, and he hoped they would never find out exactly how far he and Yato would actually be willing to go for her.

"I'm alright," Bishamon said, leaning back in her chair. "Things happen in war."

"You were protecting your master, and you prioritized his life and safety above Veena's." Kazuma's voice was calm, almost gentle, but there was an edge of steel in his eyes. "That's understandable. So you see why I might do the same?"

Yukine did understand that, even if he didn't like it. If he would make hard choices to save his god, then of course Kazuma would do the same. But…

"It's not the same," he spat, clenching his hands into fists. "I told him not to help you, you know. I told him to stay out of it and not go against the heavens for you. And he usually listens to me. But even though he knew what you were doing and what danger he was putting himself in, he stood up to the heavens for you." He scowled at Bishamon. "He told everyone about the sorcerer to save you, you know. Amaterasu called him later, and I still don't know what he told her but I'm afraid he said way too much. It's only a matter of time now. He cut off all his own escape routes for someone who might as well be trying to kill him.

"He could have done what you're doing now and waited for his dad to take you out and get rid of the problem for him, but he fought for you even though you were a threat and he had to expose his secrets to the heavens. We nearly died for you, and now he's never going to be safe again." Yukine swiped at his eyes angrily, hating how tears were gathering at the corners, and dropped his voice to almost a whisper. "He promised I'd always have a place with him. He's not allowed to run off and kill himself now."

The silence in the room festered like so many unspoken words, but then Hiyori reached out to him, her eyes glassy with tears.

"Yukine–"

He shook himself out of his daze and spun on his heel as he stalked towards the door. "Come on, Hiyori. We don't need them. I'll find him myself."

"Wait," Bishamon said. Yukine didn't stop walking. He was so done. "We…might be able to help."

Yukine's feet slowed to a stop of their own accord, and he hesitated in the doorway. He didn't trust her or Kazuma, but could he afford to turn his back on any source of potential help? His fierce internal debate twisted his stomach into knots for several long seconds before he finally turned back around and eyed Bishamon and Kazuma suspiciously.

Bishamon chewed on her lip for a moment and then sighed. "It's true that we don't know anything useful right now, but we can keep an eye out for him on patrols. And we'll still be gathering any information on the sorcerer that we can."

Kazuma's gaze snapped to her. "Veena, you're still injured and–"

"And what? Yato is already running off after a homicidal maniac by himself, and I'm sure he got himself roughed up pretty well too. Gods are tough."

Kazuma's lips tightened in displeasure, but he only nodded. "Of course." He shot a look at Yukine, eyes misty with something like uncertainty. "It's…not that we want to see Yato hurt. We do owe him a great deal. It's just…"

"We can help you find him," Bishamon said, "but we make no promises about what might happen to the sorcerer."

Yukine wished she'd stop looking at him like that, with eyes so soft and full of pity. But he had managed to hit a nerve and tweak at her conscience. As long as she was going to help, that was all that mattered. He wasn't naïve enough to think she and Kazuma would drop their vendetta against Yato's dad just like that, but that was something to worry about later. It seemed like Yato was the biggest threat to himself right now, anyway.

"We understand," Hiyori said. "Thank you."

Yukine nodded and grumbled something that could be mistaken for halfhearted thanks and hightailed it out of there, Hiyori following on his heels.

"It will be okay," Hiyori said. "We'll find him."

Yukine wondered why she was looking at him like he was about to fall apart when she was the one who had been freaking out for days.

"Of course," he said, like it was obvious and nothing to worry about and he wasn't quietly falling apart.

After that whole debacle, Yukine would have liked to see some encouraging results. Instead, what he got were a bunch of apologies and excuses.

"Sorry, we haven't heard anything yet."

"We went on patrol, but we didn't see him."

"We've been looking, but it's like he's disappeared."

It was so frustrating.

"We still haven't found any leads either," Hiyori told him gently when his frustration boiled over. "And we've been searching for longer than they have. I'm sure they're doing their best."

It made logical sense, but Yukine's heart hardened a little every time he ran into Bishamon and she gave him that apologetic look and her newest excuse. For all he knew, she wasn't looking at all or wasn't passing on any information she did find. Just because she said she would help didn't mean she actually would. Maybe she was just stringing him along to keep him quiet.

Hiyori said he was being paranoid, but he didn't care. It had been nearly a week and a half, and it felt like each second was chipping away at his sanity a little more. He tried not to dwell on it, but Yato honestly deserved to deal with some rough secondhand emotions for being such an idiot.

"Nothing," Bishamon said when Yukine and Hiyori ran into her roaming about the city on Kuraha's back. "We've been patrolling the city and even looking around some of the outlying areas in case he left the city proper, but we haven't found anything. I…suppose it's possible that he's hiding out somewhere and lying low for a while."

Yukine was not impressed by this latest lame theory and shot her a look that said so. "Why would he be doing that?"

She shrugged. "You would have a better idea than me."

"That's stu–"

Hiyori nudged his foot with the toe of her shoe to quiet him and smiled at Bishamon wanly. "That doesn't really sound like Yato," she said in a more conciliatory tone.

"No, but I would have thought we'd have at least caught wind of him by now," the goddess said, her lips pinching into a frown as her gaze drifted off along the skyline. "I suppose it could just be that he's seen us around and is being careful because he doesn't want to be found. Or he might suspect you're looking for him, in which case he'll be covering his tracks."

"That sounds more like him," Yukine conceded in a grumble. "Idiot."

"We'll keep looking, but right now we need to go take care of that storm before it gets any worse."

Yukine twisted around to follow Bishamon's gaze and spotted the smoky haze of a storm curling above the buildings several streets away. "You're just going to give up and play around with that?" he demanded, turning on her with blazing eyes. "You–"

"It's my job." Her eyes held a hint of sympathy, but her voice was firm and edged with steel. "I'll keep looking after, but this needs to be taken care of before it festers and becomes a bigger problem. I can't leave the humans to languish in it."

Yukine deflated. "Sorry," he muttered. "I know it's important."

"It's alright. Kazuma starts losing his focus when he's worried about me too." Bishamon tilted her head and her gaze slid to the side as if she could see the earring settled in her earlobe. "You absolutely do. Anyway, good luck. I'll poke around some more once we have the vent under control."

Yukine watched her disappear as Kuraha bounded off down the street and tried very hard not to resent her for taking the time to clean up the storm. He knew it was important and people could get hurt if it wasn't taken care of, but it was a distraction from finding Yato that they couldn't afford and he resented it something terrible.

Because the other option he could come up with for why they had found no sign at all of his master was that Yato had already died or disappeared, and that possibility terrified him. He wondered if he would know. If Yato died or vanished from existence, would he feel it and know? The bond between a shinki and a god was strong and gods obviously felt a great deal when their shinki died, so shouldn't Yukine know? Except he knew that the bond only ran one way when it came to feelings. But surely…

He was too afraid to ask Bishamon in case he got an answer he didn't want to hear. Until he heard otherwise, he would believe that his bond with Yato was strong enough that he'd feel something that momentous. So surely Yato must still be alive out there somewhere.

"Maybe we should take a break too," Hiyori suggested hesitantly, no doubt wary that he might turn his temper on her too. "We've been at it for days, and we only have a couple more hours of daylight."

"But–"

"We're running ourselves ragged, and it won't do much good while he doesn't want to be found. I think we could both use a break."

Yukine translated this as 'you're really high-strung right now and snapping at everyone and you need to take a night off before you totally melt down'. Normally he might resent that, but this was Hiyori and he knew she was just looking out for him. He still trusted her.

"Fine," he muttered, even though he was sure he would be bouncing off the walls and desperate to go back to searching the streets within the hour.

He dragged his feet as he followed Hiyori slowly back down the street. They had only made it two streets over when Nora stepped out from between two buildings in front of them. They started in surprise as she materialized. She hadn't shown her face since the showdown with the heavens, and her reappearance could only be a bad omen.

"Are you looking for Yato?" she asked in a voice completely devoid of tone or emotion.

They nearly tripped over their feet in their haste to stop, and Yukine clenched his hands into fists as he glared at the newcomer. "What do you want, Nora?"

"He's with us," she said as if he hadn't spoken.

"Why would he be with you?" Hiyori asked.

"It doesn't concern you." Nora spared her a flat look before turning her dead, expressionless eyes on Yukine. "They're ready for you, little boy. I'll take you to him now. But only you. The ayakashi girl can go."

"I'm not an ayakashi!" Hiyori protested, even though she had dropped her body a long time ago and her cord was waving indignantly in the air behind her like a purple tail. "And you really think I'd let you take Yukine off on his own? No way! If you want him, I'm coming too."

"Father only wants to see Yukine."

"Absolutely not." She stepped closer to Yukine and glared at Nora. "No way is he meeting that monster by himself."

"Yato will be there too," Nora said offhandedly. "So it depends on how badly you want to find him."

Yukine certainly didn't want to face Yato's dad by himself, but if it was the only way to get to Yato… A sudden thought hit him like lightning, and he hurried to cut Hiyori off as she made to protest further.

"I'll come. Why don't you go home, Hiyori? I'll be back later."

"But–"

Yukine cut his gaze to the storm still visible a few streets behind them. Hiyori glanced back without thinking, making him wince, and then looked back with understanding in her eyes.

Yukine shot a surreptitious look at Nora to see if she had picked up on the unspoken communication after Hiyori's decidedly unsubtle approach, but she only continued watching them with unreadable eyes and gave no sign of understanding.

"If you're sure…" Hiyori said with a show of reluctance.

"We have to find him," Yukine said. "I'll be okay on my own."

Hiyori hesitating, biting her lip, and then scowled at Nora. "If anything happens to him, I will hunt you down."

"I'm terrified," Nora said tonelessly.

Hiyori's scowl deepened before she turned worried eyes on Yukine. "Be careful," she said quietly.

"I will."

She left with one last look thrown back over her shoulder, and disappeared into a cluster of passing pedestrians and down a side street. Yukine hoped she hurried. Thankfully Bishamon was still nearby to be their backup, and Hiyori could move much faster without her body pinning her down. He was sure Hiyori could find him again as long as she was quick.

…Unless they were going to whatever mysterious hideout they hadn't been able to find this whole time.

"Where are we going?" he demanded.

Nora brushed past him and started down the street without another look. "This way."

"Are we going to whatever secret hideout thing you guys have?"

"…You are a strange child. No. Father wants to meet in a neutral place. It's best you not know our safe houses for security reasons. Not until you're working for us."

He snorted loudly and followed her at a slow pace, hoping to buy some time. "Like I'd ever work for you. Where is Yato?"

"With us."

"Why?"

Nora's lips tightened ever so slightly as she turned the corner. "He's working with us again."

"I don't believe you. He'd never go back to you."

She only shrugged. "He's working with us."

Yukine's eyes narrowed and he stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk, heedless of the oblivious humans drifting along around him. "Is this just a trap? If you think you can use me as bait to get him–"

"He's working with us," Nora repeated. She kept walking.

After a moment, Yukine began following her again. "Why don't you seem happy, then? You really wanted him to go back, so why aren't you happy if he finally did?"

Nora's moods could be strange and often rather watered down, but it wasn't like she didn't have emotions. She had been trying to get Yato back for ages, and Yukine would expect a lot of gloating from her if she'd finally done it. She would definitely take the opportunity to rub it in his face if she won a victory in their rather contentious fight over the god.

And she was not gloating. She did not seem particularly happy. If anything, she seemed even more flat than usual, face carefully blank and eyes dull.

She stared at the ground and picked up the pace. "He should have known better than to keep rebelling," she said quietly, almost to herself. "But Father went too far this time."

Yukine's footsteps faltered and his stomach turned over. If Nora thought something had gone too far, then how bad was it?

"What did you do to him?" he demanded. When she didn't answer, he grabbed her arm and said more forcefully, "Nora, what did you guys do to Yato?"

She shook him off effortlessly and kept walking. "You'll see."

And Yukine knew better than to trust Nora and let her get in his head, but she was so deathly solemn and had a look in her eyes that made him just know that something was wrong. But no matter how he raged or pleaded, she refused to say anything more.

He was all twisted up in knots by the time she led him out to a construction site on the far end of town. The scaffolds of new buildings in progress rose into the air like metal skeletons, and piles of material and empty construction vehicles littered the lot.

Yato's dad was leaning against one of the beams fitted into the scaffolding, but he looked over with a smile the second Yukine and Nora appeared.

"Oh good, you found him. Good girl, Mizuchi." He flashed Yukine a grin that felt like it was trying to scour the skin off his bones. "I'm glad you could make it."

"What did you do to Yato?" Yukine demanded without preamble, stopping well short of the psycho. He honestly knew very little about the guy, but he knew enough to be wary.

"Do? All I did was bring him home again. He's family, you know. Family sticks together and all that." The sorcerer's eyes shone with delight as he twisted around. "Look, Yaboku! You have a visitor! Isn't that exciting?"

Yukine started in surprise and stepped to the side to get a better look. Yato was standing on his father's left, a step behind him so that he was in the shadow of the scaffolding arching over his head. The god said nothing, his lifeless gaze flicking between his father and Yukine.

A chill ran down Yukine's spine, just a faint sense of wrongness. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly had his hair standing on end. Maybe it was the way Yato's eyes were dull and dead instead of electric and shining with life. Or the way he looked at Yukine without any sign of recognition or emotion. Or even just the way he held himself stiffly and said nothing at all.

None of that was like Yato, but Yukine started towards him anyway, his relief at finally finding his god eclipsing the danger of the situation.

"Yato!" He stumbled to a stop as Nora's hand shot out like lighting to grab the back of his jacket. He turned back with a scowl. "Let me go!"

She stared back, eyes flat but holding a hint of warning, and shook her head ever so slightly even though she released his jacket and let her arm fall back to her side.

"Oh, let him come say hi to Yaboku if he wants," Yato's dad said with a laugh.

"Of course, Father," Nora said in a monotone. She stepped past Yukine without another look and walked across the intervening space to stand on the sorcerer's other side.

But that was enough to break the spell, even if Yukine didn't know why she had done it. He clenched his fists at his sides and narrowed his eyes at the three lurking in front of the skeletal structure.

"What's going on, Yato?"

Yato had fixed his gaze straight ahead again, eyes filmy and distant, and didn't acknowledge the question.

"His name is Yaboku," the sorcerer said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"He likes to be called Yato."

"Not anymore. Isn't that right, Yaboku?"

Yato's gaze slid sideways to rest on his dad, and he watched silently for a few moments as if expecting something before returning to looking straight ahead.

Yukine shivered. There was something so wrong about that, and he suddenly felt exposed and alone standing in an open lot with stacked bags of concrete hemming him in under the shadow of skeletal high-rises and the watchful eyes of Nora and Yato's dad. And having Yato there in the corner, seemingly dead to the world and mostly unresponsive, was not helping. He hoped Hiyori hurried up.

"Come on, Yato," he said, hating how small and uncertain his voice suddenly sounded. "Let's go."

Yato didn't even look at him. How could his eyes possibly be that empty and dark when they were always so vibrant and shining?

"I told you, he only answers to Yaboku," Yato's dad said. "Yaboku, why don't you call your hafuri?"

Yato glanced over and then looked at Yukine again. He lifted his hands and opened his mouth, but then hesitated.

"Go on," his father coaxed. "Sekki, remember?"

The thought that Yato could have somehow forgotten something that fundamental was more profoundly disturbing than any of the rest of it. Why would he need a reminder?

Yato stared at Yukine for a few more seconds before his mouth snapped shut with an audible click and he dropped his arms back to his sides.

The sorcerer sighed and puffed out his cheeks. "Bother. We'll have to work on that."

"What did you do to him?" Yukine asked, horrified. The whole display was starting to frighten him.

"I had to do some reprogramming," the psycho said with another sigh, even more dramatic this time. "Looks like I'll still have to override some things."

"He's not a machine!"

Yato's dad laughed, his eyes sparkling as a sly grin tugged up one corner of his mouth. "No, I suppose not."

Yukine darted a pleading look at Nora, but she was nearly as quiet and disengaged as Yato and he had already tried prying answers from her without success.

"Let him go," he snapped.

"After going through all this effort? I think not. But you're welcome to come along with us. You'll be useful once I fix my kid."

Yukine stepped back, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't want to be caught up in any of this…but how else could he get Yato back? Not that Yato seemed to be of much use at all right now, which was going to make things even more difficult.

Luckily, he was saved from making the decision when heavy footfalls landed behind him.

"What in the world is going on here?"

Yukine nearly choked on his relief as he turned to see Bishamon behind him, perched on Kuraha with Hiyori at her side.

"Yato?" Hiyori stepped forward, and Yukine grabbed her arm.

"Something's wrong with him," he said.

Hiyori hesitated, searching Yato's face. Neither Yato nor Nora seemed particularly surprised by the intrusion. The sorcerer looked surprised for about half a second before huffing out another breath.

"I was rather hoping not to see you until I'd ironed out all the kinks," he said. "But how nice to see you up and about again."

Bishamon shook her head, eyes narrowed to slits. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Didn't you hear?" he asked, his grin sliding back into place as he draped an arm over Yato's shoulders. Yato didn't so much as twitch. "My kid finally came back home to help me out again!"

"He would never do that by choice!" Hiyori said. She was practically vibrating with worry and fear and impotent rage at Yukine's side. "What did you do to him?"

"Darling Hiyori, you don't know him very well at all," Yato's father said with a chuckle.

She shot a glare at him before attempting to coax Yato back out of his shell. "Yato, what's wrong? Come here."

There was no response, and the sorcerer only smiled. "He only answers to Yaboku."

"But…" Hiyori bit her lip and looked between him and Yato. "Yaboku?" she asked hesitantly.

Yato's gaze snapped to her face, and a sick feeling wriggled in Yukine's stomach. That was the most response they had gotten out of him so far, and it was to the name he didn't want. Something wasn't right there.

"See?" asked Yato's dad. "But he'll only take orders from me, of course."

Hiyori opened her mouth, closed it again.

"Well, it's about time we found you." Bishamon slid off Kuraha's back and dropped her hand to the pistols holstered at her hip. "You won't get away this time."

Yukine's panic flooded back just like that, and Hiyori stiffened beside him. He opened his mouth to protest that they couldn't sever Yato's lifeline, but the sorcerer beat him to it.

"Yes," he said, "I suppose it's about time I finally took care of this. You've become a nuisance, and I was planning to take you out soon anyway. Unfortunately there are still a few glitches in the system, but it should be fun to see how it goes and my kid is pretty fearsome even without his hafuri."

Bishamon frowned. "…What?"

He only smiled and stepped away from Yato. "Yaboku, kill Bishamon for me."

For a moment, Yukine held on to his hope because he knew Yato wouldn't attack Bishamon like that after everything he'd done to save her. Yato wouldn't just help his father for no good reason, and especially wouldn't kill for him when he was trying to become a god of fortune.

But only for a moment, because that was how long it took for Yato to lunge at Bishamon without any hesitation at all.

Note: Oops? If you don't see where I'm going with this, you'll know next chapter. It's an expansion of an idea from a different fic I wrote a while back, if that helps lol