School seemed to go as normal as any other day the two upperclassmen even apologized ,later when they returned home Yuki gets a call from Hinata.
"Hey Yuki"
"What's up"
" I was just letting you know that I and Harutora are going to the fireworks festival and I was wondering if you and Kazumi are going."
"I don't know if Kazumi wants anything to do with explosive or anything like that right now"
"Yeah I heard some of the other students talking about the fire, it must have been terrible."
" He still goes to visit his mother and sister almost every chance he can get and tells them about his day, it's so sad."
"Well why don't you wear a kimono for him at the festival I'm sure it would cheer him up"
"If you think it would help sure."
.
Harutora calls Kazumi.
"Hey Kazumi I need you to come with me to the moon shrine during the fireworks festival today its important."
"Tell me again how you talked me into giving you my number."
" Well someone has to have your back."
"Remind me again who saved who."
"Well at least I didn't get knocked out"
"Hey you try taking two baseballs to the chest and get back up."
Harutora and Kazumi both laugh.
"Okay I'll be there."
Yuki is in her room working on an outfit for the festival,On his way out kazumi knocks on Yuki's door.
"Hey, Yuki I have to meet Harutora at the festival are you coming."
"Go ahead and go I'll see you there."
"Ok."
Kazumi heads off for the festival.
"[This outfit needs to be perfect]."
At the festival, Harutora meets up with Kazumi.
"Hey Kazumi, now that you are here let's go."
"So what's this about?"
"It's about my dad he died but he left a letter saying for me to come here."
Harutora reminisces about his past.
"Anyway when my father died I was left with this."
Harutora shows Kazumi his sword.
"Apparently I need to get the sacred garb that goes with it that's here at the moon shrine so let's go."
On the other side of the fireworks festival a girl starts to feel a strange presence,Harutora approaches the shrine.
"My name is Harutora Mikagura and I'm here for the sacred garb of the moon shrine."
Suddenly a teenager no older than 17 wearing street clothes approaches them.
"If you're really a Mikagura then prove it all men of the household of Mikagura are said to have great strength and excellent swordsmanship."
"So you're the guardian of the sacred garb."
"Guess you were expecting an old man well sorry to disappoint you but pops passed away three years ago so you'll be fighting me."
"Your not really gonna fight this guy over some sacred garb."
"You wouldn't understand."
Takada and Harutora fight.
"Your pretty good."
"Not so bad yourself."
"My name is Takada ….Takada Ukade."
Takada shoulders his sword.
"you've proven yourself worthy you may have the sacred garb."
At that moment Kazumi noticed someone was watching them after seeing Harutora was fine with Takada he followed the mysterious figure, as he gets closer he realizes the person was a girl at this time Yuki who had just arrived noticed the girl that Kazumi was following, eventually the girl stopped and turned toward Kazumi once he got a good look at her and her outfit and realized she was a student at his school but before he could say anything she received a text message and after reading it she left, Yuki keeping at a distance watched as Kazumi left then she went home sad and depressed.
Kazumi then returns to Harutora who was with Takada and Hinata.
"Have you guys seen Yuki she said she'd be coming but I haven't seen her yet."
"You haven't that's strange."Said Hinata.
"Maybe I should go look for her."
"It's a pretty big festival maybe you just haven't gone to the right place." Said Takada.
"Yeah she should turn up soon." Said Harutora.
Later that night [Boom, pop, crack]
"Wow the fireworks are amazing." Said Hinata.
"Yeah they Sure are." Said Harutora.
Kazumi stops at a tent that was about to close, he waves bye to his friends and heads home,Once inside he passed Yuki's door and heads to his room but before entering he looks at her door and decides to knock on it with no answer Yuki just sits silently and listens.
"I didn't see you at the festival ….well anyway I guess you didn't want to go I wish you would have come though the fireworks were great but uh it's late so I guess I'll go."
The next morning Yuki went with Hinata to a coffee shop.
"He was with another girl?"
"When I saw him with her I got nervous."
"Yuki you need more confidence here's what you should do invite him for lunch tomorrow at school."
"Okay, if you think it will help."
Meanwhile, Harutora and Kazumi are back at the shrine.
"So you forgot."
"No I got distracted by the fireworks festival."
"So in other words you forgot."
"Well here it is the sacred garb."
Takada brings an enormous case over to Harutora.
"Wow the sacred garb must be something amazing if it's in a case like that." Said Kazumi.
Takada opens it and to everyone's surprise it's a scarf.
"So the sacred garb to my badass sword is a scarf."
"It seems so." Says Takada.
As soon as Harutora puts it on he immediately hears a voice.
"May the moon eclipse all enemies under its shadow."
"Harutora wake up Harutora." Said Kazumi.
Harutora opens his eyes.
"I heard a voice."
"A voice maybe you shouldn't wear it."
"Impossible once worn it can't be removed until you can accomplish something called spirit release it was once said using said ability a lone man took down an entire army in one night it is known as the night of eternal darkness it's said that the sword and it's garb hold mystical powers"
"Night of eternal darkness."
Harutora drops to one knee.
"Takada train me! My skills are amateur at best until now I've gotten by on instincts and luck but I can't…. I can't! Protect Hinata if I don't get stronger."
"Ok ok…..I'll teach you everything I know,Man this is starting to be more than I bargained for, We can begin now we need to build your stamina otherwise you'll be crushed by it's power."
Harutora begins his training immediately and Kazumi returns home.
The next day at school.
"Remember Yuki all you have to do is invite him to have lunch and he's all yours."
"Got it."
While at her locker sometime before lunch a girl approaches Yuki.
"Hi, my name is Masami Matsumoto your name is Yuki right I'm looking for Kazumi Kishimoto I was told you know him."
"Yes we're in the same class what do want with him."
"I met him the other day at the fireworks festival but I had to go before I could introduce myself."
"[No what is she doing here she's going to ruin everything]."
Kazumi walks up behind Yuki.
"Hey, Yuki Hinata said you wanted to talk to me."
"[Oh no why did he have to show up now]."
"Oh hey Kazumi nice to see you again my name is Masami Matsumoto."
" Matsumoto."
"hmm."
"Oh its nothing it's just your name is very similar to my name Kishimoto."
"Oh yeah I guess it is well anyway I guess I should get going I hope I'll be seeing you around."
"I should get going too see you later."
Yuki mutters quietly
"Kazumi wait don't go."
Later that day while at his locker Masami approaches Kazumi.
"Hey Kazumi can you help me with some homework."
"Um sure."
Masami grabs Kazumi's arm as they leave and unfortunately Yuki and Hinata see them.
"Wow you have some tough competition."
Masami and Kazumi stop at a coffee shop, Kazumi orders some coffee.
"So what do you need help with."
"Nothing I just needed a reason for you to come with me."
"So what do you want?"
"I know your secret and you know what I have one of my own."
Masami picks up Kazumi's steaming cup of coffee then she put it back down as Kazumi reach for it instead of feeling the heat the from the coffee it felt ice cold and he realized it was frozen solid.
"I don't entirely understand how you did that but I've seen stranger things happen lately."
"So are you going to show me yours."
"Okay but not here."
"Okay."
Masami leads Kazumi to an apartment then Masami enters, Kazumi however stands in the doorway until he is pulled in by Masami who grabs his hand.
"Ok well what do you want to see?"
" What Can you do?
" I figured you would know already seeing as how you said you knew my secret"
"not exactly, it's just a weird feeling that your like me"
"Well my power is fire I guess."
"You guess."
"I can't exactly turn my power on an off at will yet."
"Hold on I have an idea."
Masami leaves and returns with three candles.
"Try to light these candles."
Masami is sitting a bit too close to Kazumi and makes him nervous as he attempts and fails to light the candles.
"I don't know if can do it."
"Well I don't know much about your power but mine is dependent on how I feel,How did you feel when you first used your powers?"
Kazumi concentrates on his feelings from the first time he used his powers and tries to light one of candles but instead he light all the candles.
"I did it."
A car beeps.
"Oh no Kazumi you have to go it's my brother he's home early quick out my bedroom window."
"Wait why."
"let's just say he's a little over protective and he's a cop."
"A cop."
Upon hearing this Kazumi who was being lowered down by Masami falls.
"Get going."
Kazumi starts to run toward his house, Masami turns to see her older brother Saito who looks irritated.
"Hey Masami that wouldn't happen to have been a boy would it?"
"Noooooo."
"You should know by now I can tell when you're lying."
Saito being the lovable brother that he is showing his interest in her love life in a comical way, but then he reverts back to having a more serious expression while he scolds her.
"how many times do I have to tell you your not allowed to date until I'm dead plus three days to make sure I'm dead."
Masami shoves her brother out of her room while he's in the middle of his comical monologue.
Kazumi Arrives at Yuki's house as night falls.
"That could have been worse"
"What could have been worse?"
"Oh nothing."
"Well anyway I made teishoku."
Kazumi and Yuki eat.
"Wow this is really good Yuki you're going to make one heck of a wife one day."
Yuki blushes.
"Thank you."
"[Yes this is going good I might have to put up with Masami at school but at least here I have him all to myself.]"
Yuki offers to clean the dishes as Kazumi goes to his room and lays in bed then he gets a text message, Kazumi's expression changes then he gets up and heads for the front door.
"Kazumi where you going."
"Harutora is in trouble."
"I'm coming with you."
"I think it would be better if I handled this."
"He's my friend too."
"Ok."
Kazumi and Yuki race towards Hinata and Harutora's place and find Takada already there and Harutora covered in strange glowing markings.
"Hurry he's getting worse."
Harutora's screams can be heard in the background.
"Please help him!" Says Hinata.
"What happened?"
"We were training when all of a sudden he face planted I offered to walk him home but he said he was fine and then all of a sudden his energy surged and he started running home I think his body couldn't handle the strain that the training and constant use of the relic put on him I knew he wasn't ready but he was so determined."
"What's a relic?" Says Kazumi.
"A relic is an object that is believed to hold a spirit whether they are good or bad has yet to be determined." Says Takada.
"Why would he do all this." Says Hinata.
"I believe I know why." Says Takada.
[Flashback]
Takada and harutora talk while fighting.
"Tell me something why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
"I made a promise a promise to a now-dead man that I would always protect her, that may not seem like a good enough reason for you but to me to see such a proud man intrust a total stranger with his pride and joy it means he truly believed I could protect her, he knew if he resisted he and his daughter would be killed he knew and yet he still faced his death alone and if couldn't keep my promise all of his sacrifices would be in vain and not just that Hinata cried to see the sadness in her eyes knowing she had no one else that's something I don't ever want to see again."
[Flashback ends]
"And that's when he collapsed."
"For me.....he did it all for me."
Hinata walks toward Harutora who at this point was lying in the road covered in black tattoo like markings on both his arms and holds him ,Harutora's eyes open and his markings begin to recede.
Tears stream down Hinata's face and she slaps him.
"You idiot what's the point of protecting my life if you can't be in it, Your all I have now so did you ever think of what would happen to me if you died? , All the sadness and loneliness and all the tears I would shed because you died protecting me."
Hinata buries her head in Harutora's chest.
"Just promise me you won't die ok?"
Harutora puts his hand on Hinata's head.
"Hinata I ca..."
Hinata looks up at harutora, squeezes him tighter and continues to cry.
"Please just promise me."
"I promise."