"Why here?" Asuma asked Mai as she frantically pulled Hakai out of the car.
"A God should be able to help a God." She explained.
Asuma got to her side, helping her pull Hakai, placing him on their shoulder, and dragging him by the wishing wall. Mai, overloaded with emotions, couldn't contain her scream.
"Please answer my wish. O' lord of War! Fix Hakai-Sama!"
"Please!" Asuma followed his daughter's cries, begging for help. His mind couldn't process everything, but his daughter's raw emotions and fear made him believe all that was occurring. He was indeed an intelligent man who had already figured out the supernatural existence of Hakai.
Beam!
A light shone, blinding the family.
Wham!
A kimono-outfitted lady appeared before them. She was petite and beautiful. Humbly standing with tears in her eyes, she held in her cries.
"Hakai...?" She uttered, staring only at him.
"What happened to him?" She ran to grab Hakai out of their hands.
"Mortals?" Miko thought to herself, taking Hakai out of their willful arms.
"I don't know, but please ask Hachiman-Sama to cure him!" Mai cried, looking at Miko with innocent eyes.
"Hachiman-Sama? He's not here currently. But we should be enough!"
"However, how can you see Haki-Kun? How do you know, my Lord? And why does a human see into the spiritual realm?" Miko proposed a series of questions but could not get any answers from the congested family.
"..."
"Whatever, we do not have time. Follow me inside!" Miko gestured for them to stand beside her. "Hold on to me." She ordered.
Wham!
"What is this place?" The family stood outside a vast traditional Japanese building with a sign.
"Diagnostic Department." Mai read to herself.
Before she even realized it, Miko had rushed inside the building.
"Should we follow her?" Asuma asked Mai, who rushed inside as well.
"Uhh..." Asuma sighed, following his daughter and wife.
***
"Positive Energy Obstruction," Miko confirmed with the department team at the front desk.
"Yes, ma'am. Since Lord Hachiman is absent, we advise contacting a Heavenly healer." A male worker told Miko while the team transported him into a private room.
"..."
Miko was speechless. She knew of Hakai's distrust of the heavens, and going against his wishes was vital to her. But her lover's safety was above Hakai's wishes.
She let out a big huff of air, turning around to face the human family.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Miko, a former human, and a firm believer and server to the God of War's faith, God Hachiman. Please introduce yourselves to me first." She bowed slightly with confidence.
"My name's Asuma Mai. I'm a Human, and this girl's dad." Asuma stood, bowing and speaking immediately.
"My name is Kaiyo, and I'm her mother." Then, she followed her husband's actions with her bow.
"My name's Aki Mai, Hakai's friend, and I can see into the spiritual realm, which allowed me to meet and save Hakai. So I guess, in a way, we're friends." She blatantly offered everything at the table from the get-go to earn Miko's trust. "Please, tell me, how is Hakai? Is he better?"
"He will be fine. I will contact a healer in the meantime; please rest well. All of you are confused, and I know. I will explain everything shortly."
Miko left the front room without a second word.
***
Inside a room made of white light, she reached her arms upwards and began a song—a prayer to reach the Heavens.
"O' Lords who reside above the Gods. Allow me to wish for Heavenly Healer!" She prayed, and soon her wish was answered with beaming lights.
A male figure descended slowly to the boundless ground. The man was short with black hair and sad brown eyes. A thick robe around his kimono displayed elegance.
"How am I be of any assistance to you?" He asked Miko, staring at his feet.
"The God of Destruction, Hakai God, has fallen ill with obstruction to his Positive Energy. Grant me your power to heal him." She bowed to the man, who had yet to introduce himself.
However, he ignored all customs to introductions and skipped helping Miko with her current issues.
"Despite this task needing my soul to extinguish from this world completely. I accept your wish." His mouth slightly stretched upwards.
"I thank you with humble words and gratitude." Miko kept her bow, crying with joy and sorrow.
"No need to thank me. It is an honor to die for a God." The healer approached her. "Guide me to his highness."
"Hmm." She covered her mouth while stretching up. "Right this way."
***
"Thank you. You may leave, Miko." The healer stared at Hakai.
"I again thank you with all the humble words in any dictionary." Miko stood outside with the rest of the Mai family. All were bowing to an honorable healer who accepted his soul disappearing from existence.
Shut!
Miko stood straight to close the sliding door. Then, the healer started his healing prayer.
"O' lord of healing, with powers beyond any understanding. The God who transcends death with flesh, I offer thee my soul energy in exchange for healing the God of Destruction—Hakai God." He put together his hands, praying with his eyes shut. He knew nothing of his frightening future.
His body started to shine golden. Then, small chunks cracked and flew through the ceiling into the boundless sky of Hachiman's Takamagahara. Finally, all that was left was a golden light gradually entering Hakai's body. The pain that haunted him lifted off, and his soaring temperature slowly came down. The healer's sacrifice was not in vain.
Slam!
After a few, the door to Hakai's room was forced open, and with knowledge about the spiritual realm from Miko, the Mai family entered to see Hakai.
"I suggest a resting period of four days; after that, we'll determine whether he's stable." A female nurse informed the four and shut the door with departing words. "I pray for the best. Goodbye."
"I see..." Asuma was left in shock, as we're the other two. Miko's explanation had brought them to the despair of realizing everything above them. Their soon future and departure of flesh was a haunting thought.
"I am sorry for the info dump, but now that you know this. You'll not remain ordinary individuals. Watch your backs. A mark of death is placed on you." Miko informed them of the oblivious.
"If you wish to lead a normal life, then Mai, Asuma, and Kaiyo do all you wish for memory reset?" Then, she proposed a way out of the anguish.
"..."
"No," Aki answered with determination. "To break this curse of seeing into the spiritual realm, Haki-Kun and I will travel and learn everything we can together." Her eyes spelled perseverance, leading Miko to realize a competition. She looked over to Asuma.
"No."
Miko didn't ask for an explanation.
"Uhh..." Kaiyo started to hyperventilate.
"Calm down; the choice is yours." Miko looked at her with soft eyes.
"Mom."
"Kaiyo."
"It's okay." Both Asuma and Aki reassured her with a smile.
"I-I don't want to erase my memory!" Kaiyo confirmed her choice with a bit of regret left.
"I understand..."
"Will you care for tea and a rest away from here?" Miko asked the family.
"I don't want to leave Hakai here alone." Mai asserted, standing next to him with worry.
"Don't worry yourself; the experts here will handle everything." Miko smiled, reassuring Mai.
She had no choice but to accept a cup of tea away from Hakai.
"O-Okay."
***
While dining on physical items, the group couldn't speak due to fear, so each with their ideas and disbelief kept to themselves, slightly doubting the current reality of things. That was until Miko finally broke the silence, calling for Himari gently.
"Himari." She closed her eyes, placing her bowl of rice down.
Slide!
The door opened as more girls, each carrying a tray full of food, entered the room.
"No more, please, and thank you." Asuma rejected the idea of ingesting more food with the embarrassment of not wanting to intrude further.
"Dine until you're full, and please do consider resting to benefit your health. This experience will take a toll on your spirits." Miko gently informed them, gesturing for the halted girls to place the food in front of the guests.
"I am full!" Asuma chuckled softly while the girls never stopped thinking their separate thoughts.
"Is this a dream?" Kaiyo thought to herself, scared of it being true.
"How's he now? Can I see him?" Mai gently chewed on her rice for a while. The thought of Hakai's condition never left her mind. But then, Miko's delicate features and bright beauty caught her eyes while lifting her head to grab a piece of salmon. "She's beautiful. I wonder what Hakai is to her. Should I talk?"
However, as she prepared to talk, Miko spoke. "Mai-San, you mentioned you were traveling with Hakai in his quest for power?" Miko opened the conversation first.
***
"Have you no shame, O' mighty War God? To kneel like that before me?" Heaven's God taunted Hachiman with mocking words.