The Crooked Silhouette

Chapter 12: The Professed Hint

He hoisted one of his hand above his head, and with his eyes fixated right at Oushi, he mumbled his spell and eventually a clay lookalike vase forged. The main material to form the vase was patently The River of Adam since everyone there witnessed it flowed effortlessly onto his hand, independently constructed the base and up to the mouth. Only Tatsu who has fallen into deep sleep could not watch the moment, more composed than last time. It was basically for offensive but at the moment, they would like to ensure Oushi lacked the opportunity to flee.

            “Just don’t make it too tight or his arm might hurt,” Yagi jogged Mizugame’s memory for the nth time while glancing at Oushi’s blemished arm near the wrist.

            “Do you think I will tie him tightly?” Mizugame smirked at Yagi as his vase has completed. An awkward silence lingered in between them, and Mizugame’s smirk faded. “All right, you’re absolutely right. I’m going to tie him tightly. You should thank Yagi for being considerable, or my water will choke you to death.” He gritted at Oushi.

            The water from inside the vase at first trickled. Somehow it did not fall onto the ground. Instead, it floated and each fluid particles gummed to each other. A transparent rope made up of water from The River of Adam formed. It adjusted in colour and figure which made it seemed less hazardous than if it was not. Then, Mizugame carefully bound Oushi on every limbs available just to bar his manoeuvre.

            “Just send me to The Angels already. If that Human isn’t Tsuya, I believe the real Tsuya is there. From this point onwards, whatever you are going to do, I don’t – and I won’t care anymore. Anything to happen in the future, I’ll be waiting for your apologize.”

            Oushi’s aplomb wrecked as Yagi and Mizugame preferred to roll their eyes. He dwelled in hush even when Yagi and Mizugame took Kei from him. His dream to have the strong Kei as his resident crumbled. Yagi and Mizugame would send him to Tsuya, thus he was sceptical they would conciliate after that.

            The same thing would happen to Tatsu and Hikari, he presumed. Tsuya did ask them to abduct Humans, but he never disclosed comprehensively why he longed for. He did mention about something like ‘settling down their business’, but its universal was beyond expectancy. Moreover, studying Tatsu’s uncertainty each time The Zodiacs likened him to Tsuya reported them Tatsu and Tsuya were not associated to have an affair together.

            Then, what was Tsuya’s real intention in the first place?

            “Tatsu’s my friend!” repetitive exclamation by Kei slumped Oushi emotionally which incidentally symbolized his volition towards Tatsu’s requirement. Kei himself was not the type to easily plummet into negativity or destructive idea, hence it would be fastidious to waver him.

            A long sigh escaped from Oushi, eyes averted and face turning to the direction where those five were non-existent. Hikari watched him in dismal from the spot where Tatsu reposed unconsciously. Commiseration was not a correct term, but he was not furious either. It was just that he thought Oushi was really audacious to divulge to Yagi and Mizugame that Tatsu was the rumoured Tsuya. Oushi was overly confident with his conviction and he never changed it even though Yagi has terribly battered him.

            “I would like to have a chat with Oushi.”

            Mizugame’s ogling eyes a little regaled him, but he was not going to falter. He deemed Tatsu would do the same if he was still awake, hence he employed the same way to get nigh to Oushi without maltreating the latter. He could discern Yagi and Mizugame switched glances, plus Kei was proposed himself to escort the friend, but he politely rejected the offer and wanting them to have faith in him.

            “We’ll watch from here, and we’ll quickly come to you. Just shout for help – no one will know if you don’t,” Yagi sternly reminded Hikari.

            Tatsu’s slit skin of neck by a happy chance like a graze. The bleeding has stopped since the herbal leaves alleviated a lot, but Yagi could not afford another lost. Hikari was one of Tatsu’s precious friends which triggered his apprehension. Tatsu gambled himself by following Yagi to The Dimension and found Hikari and Mizugame in quite a corrupted way. They survived Shishi’s ambush, therefore Yagi would get mad at his own self for not being able to rescue Tatsu if The Human died from the cut.

            Yagi’s soft gaze sunk. Aside from having tough body, Yagi was also a very sensitive Capricorn. “I just don’t want anyone else to hurt. So please take care. Be extra careful.”

            “I will.”

            Mizugame, Yagi and Kei watched Hikari making his way towards Oushi around ten meters from Tatsu. Kei volunteered himself to remain by Tatsu’s side while Hikari was away, and The Zodiacs were in charge of patrolling and guarding. Even though Yagi has confirmed the absence of other Zodiacs or creatures in fifty meters radius from Tatsu, they could not neglect their shield. He still believed Tatsu as Tsuya’s vulnerability and he was not intending to give Tatsu to other Zodiacs. Ohitsuji and Otome were still receding and Shishi has not returned to them for the time being, hence Yagi would stick to Tatsu for the whole time, providing him safety and enough food.

            Hearing the faint footsteps getting more distinct as he waited, Oushi lifted up his head and The Human named Hikari existed in his sight. He averted so that Hikari would unable to see the strained eyes he bore since the fight. He knelt before Oushi, urging The Taurus to chirp in discomfort.

            “Tsk. What do you want?” It was explicitly noticeable that Oushi did not want to serve Hikari well.

            Hikari stared at Oushi’s whole expression. This was his first time to look at Oushi this close while he was not going on rampage. Despite having smaller body than Yagi, the ambience they radiated was fundamentally similar and Hikari did not detect any evil intention from his feeble gaze. “I want to ask something. Why did you say Tatsu was Tsuya?”

            “It’s obvious. He is,” Oushi has not turned to Hikari yet, but he loosened his furrow and the tone relaxed, “The face, the voice, the look in their eyes, the vibe. I could say he is Tsuya. I’m not being judgmental, but I just want to protect everyone. That’s why I wanted to separate him from everyone here.”

            “You sound like a scoundrel, but you’re surprisingly benign,” Hikari commented while settling down beside the tied-up Oushi, “Do you happen to meet Tsuya by yourself? I mean, without the presence of other Zodiacs at your or his side.”

            Oushi took a glimpse of Hikari at his eye tips before he replied, “Frankly, I didn’t, and I never hope for it. He is precariously perilous to find fault with. Getting into a duel against him is a blunder that you won’t probably get the chance to even regret later on.”

            “Then,” Hikari’s soft voice however manageably pierced into Oushi’s eardrums thus soothing his ringing ears, “What’s the difference between Tsuya and Tatsu? Just tell me anything that you discovered.”

            At last, Oushi looked Hikari into the eyes. The glittering pupils implored him to not be savage, and oddly The Taurus obeyed.

            “The ability,” Oushi audibly murmured, “Tsuya has psychic power, while Tatsu was… powerless.”

            There was a one minute pause before Hikari triggered him to tell more. Oushi shook his head, rebuffing to resume the list. It was the only diversity he successfully detected strikingly when Tatsu has proven impotent even though Oushi slashed his skin. He had a bit of guilt but he could not voice it out because no matter how he evaded from thinking of Tatsu negatively, he still had the impulse to label Tatsu as Tsuya.

            “He is rotten since day one,” Oushi lowered his head to avoid Hikari witnessing his concern, “He may be kind today, but he will eventually shed his bright personality and give off his actually dark trait.”

            Nothing could mask Hikari’s astonishment as Oushi said so. He was literally ogling at him, but Oushi could not find out what the reason was. The silence broke when Hikari suddenly grasped Oushi’s hand, gently squeezing it.

            “What-“

            “You are wrong, Oushi,” Hikari purposely cut him off, “You’re incorrect since day one. Sooner or later, you will say it out loud – the Tatsu that you thought as Tsuya, is the real Tatsu. He is the best friend four of us could ever ask for. He cared for us even though we were friendless, and he was the one uniting the five of us together. He said, no one deserves to be lonely.”

            Hikari rose from his kneeling and inhaled deeply, soothing his mind and pounding heart. Frankly he was afraid of Oushi, or any Zodiacs around them. It was legitimate though since The Humans never acknowledged the presence of The Dimension alongside its inhabitants. The Zodiacs, for instance, seemed quite bizarre despite having almost the same physical features as The Humans. Plus, what frightened him more was the ability which caused them to alter their respective body parts according to the animals they resembled as.

            “Since kindergarten, I was always bullied since I have pretty face,” Hikari began and ignored Oushi questioning him what kindergarten was, “I was considered the weakest among my classmates, and I’d already lost hope in living until Tatsu saved me from being beaten during our primary school, precisely in second grade,” he curved a small smile as he heard Oushi concluded kindergarten as a place to learn for kids, “Since then, we befriended and Tatsu never let me got bullied again. He would do anything as long as I could be saved. Ten years have passed and we’re still best friends, together with Kei, Takeru, and another transfer student Koichi.”

            A short yet compact history divulgence by Hikari amazed Oushi at some point. So this Tatsu Human was really an influencer. Hikari really loved their friendship that he would not let anyone hurt Tatsu, and believably the other three friends of theirs would do the same, judging from Kei’s reaction soon after he saw Tatsu’s wounds. Oushi was blessed by good fortune that there was Hikari to handle Kei’s frenzy, or Kei might land a punch or two on his face.

            “So your felt your personality transformed after Tatsu appeared in your life?” Oushi naively asked.

            Two-phase of life was still a mystery, but he could assume it as a Human having a massive metamorphosis in his/her life which contributed to his/her achievement or goal, or it could be a turning point in his/her life which interchanged his/her logic and morality. The definition was unduly sweeping since Tsuya did not describe particularly last time, but Oushi could say it was like how he presumed.

            Hikari’s twinkling beam agreed to Oushi’s inquisitiveness. “All the four of us call him our saviour. As if he was given another pair of eyes which enables him to see through us. He seems like he does.”

            The tone Hikari applied was a little perturbing to Oushi. He sounded extremely circumspect but hoax lingered in between his words and breaths. Something off with this Human, and Oushi could not hinder himself from wondering.

            “Do you realize how fishy you are by now?”

            A glance he sent off to Oushi before the tip of his lips curled, “I give you hints.”

            Oushi’s bewilderment elevated almost at full throttle. “Hints?”

            In the middle of the confusion, fog slowly thickened in the air. By the time they noticed the fog defined an abnormal occurrence, someone came out of the thickest part, believably a warp portal. Apparently a Zodiac with braided long hair and butler suit stepped out of the warp portal, and he looked around him in poker face. Judging from the style, every Zodiac already knew who he was.

            “What are you doing here, Kani?” Yagi and Mizugame rushed to cover Kei and Tatsu, and took after Hikari from afar. “Are you Tsuya’s spy too?”

            “He is!” Oushi yelled from his spot. “He is one of three Zodiacs entitled as Tsuya’s spies! Kei and I saw him wandering in the woods!”

            Mizugame has gestured his hand at his eye level. The River of Adam was still in his view which also meant he could gather some fluid to forge a vase. Yagi has not had his horns formed on the head, but his stance has already fixated on Kani. Hikari gasped as his fear duplicated soon after he saw Kani coming out of the fog. Kei stayed affirm behind Yagi to back Tatsu up.

            The tense nearly killed them. No words interchanged as Kani heaved his hand, directed it towards Oushi, and his altered hand lengthened to strangle the latter. Hikari attempted on putting his own life on the line by covering Oushi with his body, however he had no idea that The Cancer has already aimed for Oushi in the mind. The clawed hand possessed by Kani avoided Hikari and immediately grasped Oushi by the neck.

            “Let him go!” Hikari tugged the claw to separate it from Oushi.

            A Human confronting a Zodiac was always a terrible plot to begin with. With a little nudge, Hikari was forced to release the claw. Oushi gasped as the strangulation basically was to murder him, and Kani clearly paid no attention towards Hikari.

            “You want the Humans, right, Kani? Just take every Humans here! We have three of them!” In spite of his grapple, Oushi was about to sacrifice Hikari, Kei, and Tatsu.

            “Oushi!” Yagi frantically yelled as he could hear Oushi offering those three Humans to Kani. Frankly he enraged. “How could you!”

            “It’s true, isn’t it? Tsuya wanted them, not us The Zodiacs!”

            “Oushi!” Hikari, the closest Human to him rushed to grab Kani’s claw away from Oushi, “You cannot go yet!”

            Impoverishing strength and bounded breath brought Oushi to drowsiness. He could not struggle and his wobbly limbs justified his degrading competency. Claws by The Cancer were lethal and it could kill depending on the capacity inserted into the victim’s veins and arteries. Oushi could feel the fatality seeping into his blood and numbing a few of his organ. The last thing he could perceive was Hikari imploring Kani to let him go.

            Hikari, you don’t have to.

            “Please, sir! Let him go!” Hikari clasped on Kani’s shins. The Zodiacs were really huge compared to Humans, but Hikari could not stoop to his terror. “He’s not dangerous! He’s already lost to Yagi! He won’t harm any of us! Please let him go, sir!”

            No matter how assertive Hikari was to rescue Oushi from Kani’s poisonous claw, Kani was discriminatively winning the fight. He pushed Hikari away from him, and disappeared in thick fog just like how he appeared out of the blue. Panicked and devastated Hikari brought him to tears as he has lost his hope.

            Yagi and Mizugame were unutterably astonished by the incident that they did not realize Kei behind them was taken away by Ite The Sagittarius appearing from a thick fog similar to Kani. Both Ite and Kani vanished in thin air as The Zodiacs turned around, responding to Kei’s pleading shriek.