Tomohito smiled bitterly, and Akari nodded.
She’d heard a little about it all from Munakata. Neo had been like a guardian to her after the incident, and when she moved to the capital, he had told his apprentice, Munakata, to look out for her. And he’d warned Munakata not to try to push her into their vocation if she didn’t seem interested.
It seemed the root of this arrangement had been that promise made between Neo and Tomohito.
It had been Tomohito’s attempt to protect Akari, out of concern for her well-being.
“If the Narrators heard about you, a young girl who could manifest a demon like me with her narration, they’d try to make use of you. A demon’s Kotogatari ought to be destroyed. But when I met you again outside your burning dorm building, I was reaching the end of my manifestation. I thought it was the right time. My last chance to prove useful to you.”
“You were worried the Narrators would try to take me?”
“I’m a demon. I understand the darker side of human nature…more than you know.”
For all his gentle demeanor, this young man was truly a demon at heart.
Yesterday she’d heard a lot about demons from Munakata. The oldest of them had the longest list of misdeeds. The more notoriety they had in human circles, the more folklores they appeared in, and the stronger they would be as Kotogami.
The old demons, the ones who ranked among the fox spirits, the Tengu, and the dragons…they made for very dangerous Kotogami when enshrined in books. So dangerous, in fact, that the books themselves were condemned. Those Kotogami were enshrined for protective reasons, to be kept safely sleeping in their books for eternity. For even the most skilled of Narrators could accidentally break the sealing spell by a mistake in their narration.
In other words, they were deadly and volatile Kotogami indeed.
For someone to emerge with the power to control such a Kotogami demon…well, the Narrators’ Association would be desperate to get their hands on such a person and make them into a Narrator.
“So I am bewildered, to say the least. To be allowed to continue to exist in this way…”
Tomohito was looking at Akari with eyes full of expectation and anxiety.
“But you told Munakata you didn’t want me to disappear, didn’t you? And given the choice, of course, I would desire to stay with you too. But my existence…the risks…”
“Ah yes, about that. Well, I’ve decided to officially become a Narrator, so no worries.”
Tomohito’s mouth fell open, his cheeks colored with emotion.
That expression really doesn’t do his good looks many favors, Akari thought absently.
“Huh?”
“We’re going to keep your demon identity secret, but yep, you’ll be my official Kotogami familiar. And once I pass the Narrator qualifications, the Bookhouse will be my new office. Life’s going to get pretty busy from now on…”
“Wait! Mistress, hold on just a moment, please! Are you sure this is what you want?!”
“Well, I can’t keep working at Sumimata Corp., can I?”
Not after what happened. Even with new management coming in, she didn’t want any part of that company any more.
So there was really nothing stopping her from becoming a Narrator. Usually, potential Narrators had to undergo heavy training from a young age. Akari would have her work cut out for her if she wanted to catch up. But she liked to study, and she was feeling motivated. As she began walking off again, Tomohito put his hand on her shoulder.
“Becoming a Narrator will mean that your entire life will revolve around stories, you know. And you’ll lose the chance to ever become an ordinary person again. That’s what it means to command a demon! I don’t want to be a burden to you like that!”
“So you want to quit as my Kotogami?”
“Never!”
Akari snorted with laughter at that. Then, as Tomohito’s face crumpled, she smiled at him.
“You’re right—I still have complicated feelings about stories and narrating in general. But I don’t want to lose hold of you. You were there for me when I was a child, back when my love for stories was true. So I’ll just have to push on through.”
Yes, it was Tomohito who had inspired her to give stories a chance again. Her old friend, the coolest, strongest demon there ever was. She wanted to show up for him, just as he’d been showing up for her for the past twelve years.
Maybe it was her turn to make him feel like he was someone special to her. And what was wrong with that?
Blushing a little, Akari patted him encouragingly on the arm.
“So listen, Tomohito. All I ask is that you continue to watch over me. And keep your demonly impulses in check, okay?”
This was what Akari had chosen. She knew what it meant to be with a demon. So even if one day Tomohito went wild and abandoned her…at least she was going into this prepared.
For now, though, she wanted to enjoy living with the full breadth of her memories available to her. As she smiled up at him, Tomohito took hold of her hand and pressed it lovingly against his cheek.
Akari held her breath, spellbound.
His gaze was so warm and sweet, like dripping honey. But at the same time, filled with a strange heat…
“If this is what you’ve chosen, then I will be your Kotogami, your demon, for always. I will be with you until you turn to dust, and at that moment I shall crumble too. For without your words, I cannot be, Akari.”
“Yikes, intense much?”
“There is no force on earth more tenacious than a demon, you know. You’d better make sure you’re ready for this.”
His sharp fangs were poking out from between his beautifully shaped lips. Akari felt a thrill run through her veins at the sight of them. There would be no going back. But her choice was hers to own.
Knowing that a clumsy response right now could be risky, she pulled her hand away from Tomohito’s cheek.
“You know, your way of speaking has changed since back then. You used to sound more…conceited.”
That was something she’d had on her mind ever since she’d found out about Tomohito’s true identity. He chuckled and blushed.
“Well, a Kotogami and their Narrator have a hierarchy to their relationship, do they not? When I was deciding how best to serve you, I thought that acting as a servant and treating you as my mistress would do the trick. So I simply adjusted my speaking style to be more…reverential.”
“I don’t really get it, but you do you, I guess.”
Akari gave a wry grin in response to his convoluted answer. Her memories of their time together were still fuzzy around the edges, but she’d remembered him being much more impressive and awe-inspiring, at least to her child’s mind. But she supposed this sort of power balance made more sense for a Kotogami and his Narrator.
But for some reason, Tomohito was pouting.
“You know, you used to talk down to me way back when too. You probably don’t remember, but you used to lecture me on human decorum. Telling me that losing my cool and rampaging like a demon was odious.”
Akari’s eyes widened as she noticed that even the tips of Tomohito’s ears were flushed. She couldn’t really remember how she used to talk to “Mr. Demon” as a child, but it seemed as though he remembered it like it was yesterday.
She closed her eyes for a moment. She’d lost her village and everything in it that day, or so she’d thought. But a major part of it remained and was here standing before her now.
She smiled to herself, feeling a warm swell of happiness inside. Then Tomohito rolled his shoulders.
“Well, your narration that day certainly had a big influence on me, but still, I’ve never forgotten my impressive demon roots. If you’d like, I can go back to speaking like a conceited demon, the way I used to?”
He narrowed his light-brown eyes at her and Akari felt her heart skip a beat. That was odd. They were just talking normally, so why was her pulse racing like this as she gazed into his eyes?
Did she want things to change? Not really. She’d gotten used to their dynamic, and going forward, it looked as though she would continue to be his “mistress” of sorts. So she simply shrugged.
“It’s fine. I’m used to your current way of speaking.”
“Then I shall continue. Now, let us return home, Mistress Akari.”
“Okay. I hope Mayoi’s not still mad at me…”
She was trying to change the subject, but she got the feeling he knew and was chuckling at her. She ignored it, though. She was too busy thinking about how nice the word home sounded.