Wham!
"Master, Miko! Welcome back!" Himari greeted them by the gate. She stood there as if she had anticipated their coming. "What a relieve to see you well." She bowed as tears fell on the floor.
"We're back, Himari," Miko said, smiling while cuddled up in Hachiman's arms.
"Mmm." She kept her bow.
Grinning from ear to ear, Hachiman walked forward, taping her on the shoulders as a sign to stop the bow. Then, scuffing slightly, he entered the first hall that led to the Holy Fountain of Healing.
"Himari, care to look after Miko for me?" He asked her, blushing, realizing that he was taking a lady into the fountain.
"Oh?" She stood straight, walking to take Miko out of his arms. "Of course, leave it to me, my lord." She accepted Miko out of his hands.
"How's Haki-Kun?" Miko asked Himari, looking deeply worried.
"He's sleeping and getting better." She smiled, walking into the hall as a guard appeared behind Hachiman to close the door.
Smiling, he stared deeply into the ground. Finally, Hachiman turned around and placed his hand on his forehead, exhaling with relief. "Thank goodness." He said, bursting into a slight chuckle. "This worked out just fine." He exclaimed, walking into the main hallway.
As usual, the same guard came from a hiding position to close the door behind his master.
"Tsutomu, I have already told you not to open or close the doors for me," Hachiman told the guard behind the thin door.
"But my lord." Tsutomu tried to explain himself.
"No buts and ifs. It's okay. No need to be formal or tense with me." Hachiman told him in hopes of relieving his guard.
"Yes, as you wish, my lord." He bowed, standing up straight. He went back into his guarding position, smiling.
***
"You are my hope, my beloved Destroyer." The opaque female figure told Hakai holding him tight.
"Huh!?" Hakai stood up in the futon. He was noticeably confused. Heavily breathing, sweat-drenched his sheets while standing up. A strange feeling ran through his body as he recalled the scene with such a mysterious person. He was indeed scared. However, he felt comfort within her arms. "Who... was that?" He held his head in confusion.
Looking around, he couldn't comprehend where he was.
"Where am I?" He questioned himself, as it usually was aching, and his heavy body felt lighter than usual.
"This feeling?" He said to himself, looking into his palms.
Click!
The door slid, and Hachiman stood there. One hand into his kimono exposed his upper packs and some of his chest. His hair was wet, and his eyes sparkled with happy tears.
"Welcome back, wimp." He said, greeting the confused Hakai.
"Hachiman?" He said while dropping his arms by his side. "What happened to me?" He asked him with a confused tone.
Hachiman scuffed while telling him. "Uhh, that's a long story..." He shook his head in disappointment.
***
"Woah, that is a long story." Hakai twirled around with his long hair. The story that unfolded during his judgment was more or less a total cover-up. The Gods of Heaven knew quite well, but the underlying problem was incomprehensible to the pair. After all, it wasn't rare for an evil spirit to cause mishaps and issues daily.
"So, this feeling is of a new and improved holy vessel?" Hakai looked at his palms, feeling content that he wasn't in pain. Also, unknowingly shifting the subject.
"I have to try it in a fight or duel? Anything! Let me punch you?" Hakai banged his hands against the Japanese Kotatsu table with a heated blanket with excitement, dying to try out his new body.
"Relax! It's only been a short time since the prayer session!" Hachiman shouted at him with anger. "Listen, you must allow this vessel to rest above all else!" He lectured him just like an older brother would.
"Huh? No fighting?" Hakai complained as boredom took over his face with an irritated expression.
"None whatsoever!" He shouted over him with an enlarged angry image. "Listen! Do not flow any external energy into this body until I say so!" He stared him dead in the eyes.
"Why?" Hakai genuinely looked confused.
"I have a feeling that the Gods might've tempered with its energy flow system." He said while sitting back down on the Japanese Kotatsu table with a heated blanket. There was food to complement the sake they shared laid all over the table. Hachiman took a sip as Hakai assessed his situation.
Side Note: {Sake: An alcoholic beverage of Japanese heritage produced by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran}
"Hmm, perhaps a time delay spell embedded into the body, one that has the capabilities of shutting down most of the energy flow system points throughout this body. Subsequently, limiting me from using my true potential with this sacred vessel." He explained as Hachiman nodded in agreeance.
Side Note: {Energy Flow System: A complex network of energy channels connecting these points of nerve-like ends. It's mapped the whole body that all beings created in this world harbor. It is basically what carries energy through the body, distributing it to the necessary functions. Though, this method is usually different in Gods than Humans. God's Energy Flow System is an advanced state of distribution of power. Harboring both physical and spiritual energy, they can also access external means of energy, Positive and Negative, which enlarges their scale of power by a considerable margin. The higher rank the God is, the more access he has to such fundamentals and power management. However, suppose the individual God cannot truly control such massive powers. In that case, they are useless, and some in the high ranks might pose tremendous capabilities of storing energy, but their use rivals those of some deities on Earth.}
"Doesn't it sound strange?" Hakai proposed as he stood out of the blanket.
"Hmm?" Hachiman sipped his drink while answering, nodding his head up.
"The fact that a phantom came to retrieve another with relative so-so healing abilities?" Hakai said, looking back at him.
"Hmm, fishy." He said, placing his drink down and crossing his arms. "Take a shower. We'll talk after in my office." Hachiman seemed to order him to take a shower and listen to him after.
"Huh? When do I take orders from you?" Hakai said, pointing his index finger at him with irritation. "But, I was going to take a shower after I checked up on Miko again." He said, trying to walk out of the room.
"Huh? You've checked on her plenty now!" He said, annoyed that his servant couldn't rest from the frequent visits. "Just let her rest!" Hachiman shouted at him.
"Stupid! I bet Miko likes seeing me now and then." He pulled down his cheek, showing the bottom of his eye to Hachiman while sticking out his tongue and running out of the room. Hakai slammed the sliding door shut. Soon after, an unsettling thought arose to Hachiman.
"Why should we trust the Gods not to alter Hakai's body? They might've stolen The Eight Paths Eyes abilities for all I know?" He said to himself while grunting, a little tipsy. "Ehh, but he'll find out later, won't he?" He looked up with a red face. "And if anything, will order a formal Earth Charter Complain." He raised his drink and gulped it down with no further intention of thinking about his horrible day.