Work Text:
There is a deity on earth, they say. One that will listen to your willful wishes, and grant them. They say, this deity is really effective, as some immediately sees their wishes coming true right after they whispered it. They say, too, that the deity does not receive any monetary compensation but anything else that the common lives can offer.
They do not say, however, that the deity, too, takes something of equal value from you.
.
The smoke that fogged up the room did not smell of tobacco, but rather sandalwood with floral hints. It was nose stinging but not in a way that was unpleasant. Rather, it was addictive.
“And?” The light taps of the kiseru pipe’s neck on the ashtray snapped the kneeling figure out from his trance. “What can you offer me?”
The man gulped, eyes focusing on the figure sitting on the platform, leaning against the zaisu’s back with laziness and elegance. The fog obscured the gaze of the deity, lightening the heavy pressure on his being.
“M-my first born, my lord.” He bowed, missing the malicious glint that flitted through the deity’s eyes.
The deity breathed in another mouthful of smoke, and sighed, making the room even foggier. The deity hummed, as though contemplating the offer, like it wasn’t enough.
That alone along with the heavier smoke and silence made the man sweat even more, cold and clammy hands curled into tight fists in fright.
Who said that the deity is a benevolent one?
“When shall it be born?”
The man flinched, quickly looking up and stammering, “T-the physicians predicted on the next full moon, my lord!”
The deity hummed again, and tapped the kiseru’s neck on the ashtray again. This time, twice before it was placed mouth down towards the ashes.
“Very well,” The door to the left slid open, a child looking no older than ten walked in with a basket. The deity gestured, and the child handed the small bamboo basket no bigger than two adult palms to the trembling man. “Take this; Do not open it until the hour of tiger. Open the cover, and place it in front of your enemy’s door as you whisper who you want to take. It shall do its work, and dissipate by dawn.”
The man immediately thanked the deity multiple times, blabbering that he had brought a cartful of fresh meat and fruits, placed in front of the deity’s abode. He clutched the basket to his chest, all the while bowing. The instant the deity waved him away and he quickly ran off.
“Master.” The child spoke up. If the man were any more attentive, he would have noticed that the child did not have human eyes, but rather red in color. The child frowned. “Are you sure it is the right idea to give the man that?”
The deity scoffed, leaning further into the back of the zaisu. “It suits him, no?”
“But…”
“Like I said, once dawn comes, it would have done its job and dissipated.”
The child was still frowning. “… And the newborn?”
The deity smiled this time, sitting up with legs crossed and an arm on a knee as he leaned forward. “Are you excited to have another sibling?”
“… Please no.” The helpless exasperation made the deity chortle loudly.
“Don’t worry Dame-Tsuna, you will still be my favorite.”
Another loud sigh.
.
The man quietly walked through the woods surrounding the village, clutching onto his chest. He looked around warily, making sure that there was no one—not even an animal—that was following him. When he reached a hut at the edge of the village, he couldn’t stop the villainous smile from stretching on his lips.
He tiptoed around the hut, peering in the closed windows and making sure everyone was in. He snickered and went to the front door, pulling out the small basket the deity gave him. He quickly double checked the pocket watch he stole, the hour and minute hands showed exactly 3am.
Not wanting to waste any more time and desiring to torture his uncle’s family longer before they eventually are killed, he opened the basket while whispering, “Torture them, torture and kill those in this hut for me!” The moment he opened the lid, he felt the sense of oppression. Unlike the deity’s presence that demanded undivided attention, this oppression brought forth fear, slowly rising from the pit of his stomach to his throat.
He felt like vomiting, gagging as he scrambled backwards to get farther away from the basket. It helped; the oppression reduced, but before he could sigh in relief, a pitch-black wisp rushed out from the small basket, expanding and expanding.
The wisp was groaning lowly, waving around in the air as it started to take a more tangible form of a creature with tiger head and ox body. Despite the animal form, it oozes black oil-like substances. The tiger head was deformed, incomplete, front two paws with claws longer than normal, and its latter half was of an ox’s body. It huffed, prowling around the basket as it surveyed its surrounding.
The man paled when it came closer to him. Fortunately for him, it sniffed and huffed at him, before turning away to face the hut. The man wheezed out a painful breath after it phased through the door, belatedly realizing that he had pissed himself accidentally.
His grimace soon turned into maniac laughter when screams started echoing from the huts. The distorted huff-roars were as loud as the screams of terror.
Soon, he smelled blood.
Just before the crack of dawn, the screams stopped. The stench of blood was so strong that he was sure every waking person would have smelled it. He exhaled some shaky laughter that quickly become hysteric, sharp in pitch yet delirious at the same time.
Rationally, he should quickly leave for home to create his alibi. After all, among everyone in the village, he was the only one with the strongest grudge against his paternal uncle and aunt. They had always used their status as his elders to extort money and rations from him even though his wife was sick and expecting. They cared not of him nor his wife, and only wanted his money.
It was not like they were poor. No, they were one of the richest, being a landlord to several other small huts and lands. They were able to buy new toys or snacks that their kids wanted, hire several servants for housework, they practically did not need to work.
He had held back because they had provided him food and a roof when his parents died pre-maturely, but seeing his nephew flaunting his new golden pig toy while stealing the last bit of rice from his wife, he could not take it anymore. He wanted them to disappear.
Why should they live gloriously while he and his wife suffer? Why?
So he made a wish, a gamble. He knew that he would have to pay—karma exists, after all—and he was willing to make this wish as long as his wife and child can survive. Especially his child.
And his wish came through—they are dead, gone, and will no longer bother him or his family.
The man laughed and laughed on the ground, and sobbed hysterically. He had curled up, whispering prayers to the deities above and below, to only punish him if he was deemed punishable. He covered his eyes, lowered his whole body in a deep bow, kissing the land guarded by the land deity. A prayer for his wife and child’s safety.
He stayed that way as the oppressive presence returned, looming and pressing him down heavier into earth. Tears continuously dripped from his closed eyes, heart heavy but mind clearer than any other days.
The tiger-ox creature roared in front of him, paws and claws digging into the dirt and hoofs thumping on the ground. Blood stained its figure, making it look even more fearsome, but the man could not see. He continued bowing.
The tiger-ox stared down at him, growled, and lowered.
It consumed him painlessly.
Just as the creature raised its head to see the rising sun in the horizon, light filtering through the woods, an arrow shot through its head.
It roared—now more akin a rabbit’s squeak—and dissipated into nothing.
A pair of dark boots stepped towards the now empty basket soundlessly, the owner’s face scrunching up at the stench of blood. He picked up the basket, and left.
The villagers woke, ignorant to whatever had happened the night before.
.
The deity has a visitor—a rare one who has no request. The stench of youkai’s blood overpowered his sandalwood smoke and woke him up from his nap. He grumbled in annoyance, sat up from the veranda and snapped his fingers. Soon, a gust of wind blown through the entire estate and replaced by the strong scent of hyacinth that was blooming in the garden.
“Dino,” He called, and the familiar that was up in the trees talking to whatever that wass housed there popped his head out. “Go fetch our guest. Make sure to bring the good tea out.”
Dino nodded. “Do you want your pipe?”
Reborn yawned as he rearranged his kimono. “No. I’ve got it with me here.”
Dino soon disappeared. Reborn took his sweet time standing up and walking back into his room, still sleepy. He had spent the entire night training Tsuna and did not rest until dawn broke. If it was any other, he would have turned them away.
But for such a rare visitor, he had to welcome them. His days had been so dull that he quietly hoped that this visitor would bring some fun.
In no time, the preparation to receive a guest was completed. Reborn sat on his usual zaisu, smoking with his yellow-brown kiseru, and the tea prepared by Dino was by the side. He was only missing the guest themselves.
Dino, who left soon after setting the teapot down, came back with the guest in tow. Their footsteps were silent, like Dino, but the steps were audible to Reborn. Of boots that have trekked many terrains, over grass, glass, bone and blood.
Reborn hummed, lips tugged into a smile against his kiseru as Dino slid open the door, turned sideways, and let the guest passes. If it weren’t for the miniscule twitches on Dino’s pinky, the deity would’ve thought that the nymph had long got over his fear of demon hunters.
“Welcome to my humble abode, exorcist. What wind had blown you here?”
Said exorcist was a tall man with green-grey eyes, clad in tight black attire that covered him from neck to toe. The western gun was in his chest holster, and a long katana was tied to his waist. There was a dagger—no doubt laced in poison—strapped to his left thigh too.
All armed and guarded, as if he was there to fight Reborn.
If he was, the Qilins guarding the temple gates would have woken up.
“Please accept my apologies for the sudden visit, my lord.” The man bowed. “I am Ricardo, an exorcist as you may have realized. I am here to investigate the increased amount of youkai activities in this area, and decided to pay a visit to the guardian of this land prior to any conduct.”
How formal.
Reborn pondered as he pulled the kiseru away, breathing smoke out slowly. He was clear about what activities the exorcist was talking about—he was the culprit of almost 75% of them, after all. Merely, he did not understand why the hunter came decades late. Unless, well, they had figured out that it was his actions.
“It has been decades since I last met an exorcist; why now?” He asked.
Ricardo looked up from his bowed stature, eyes glinting in some dead set determination to most probably strip Reborn of his act.
“Because we have caught wind that these activities have been orchestrated by someone with malicious intent.” He answered. He was clearly insinuating that he knew the truth and was trying to sound him out. That he and Reborn both knew why he was there.
Reborn smirked, “Interesting. Someone who comes to accuse me of malicious acts whilst holding no intent to fight.” He tapped the kiseru against the ashtray and put it down fully. Sitting properly with his hands folded in front of him, sleeves of his kimono covering majority of his palm, he nodded at Dino.
“Let’s talk over some tea, shall we? My familiar here has brought out his best tea and it would be a shame to dismiss his effort entirely.”
Ricardo’s eyelid twitched. Nonetheless, he sat on the lower zaisu and nodded at the nymph who passed him a cup of newly brewed tea. It would be unwise to offend the deity regardless if he was the culprit. And it was true that he wasn’t there to fight. At least, not yet. He had been instructed to negotiate with the deity first, and only attempt exorcism if there was no other choice.
“Thank you for your hospitality, my lord.”
Reborn took a sip, hummed, and huffed a sigh. “Good tea as expected,” Dino beamed at the compliment, only to wilted at the following sentence. “However, I’d still prefer something with more caffeine.”
Dino grumbled, “This is already the strongest; Any more you’d be like the baby bunny next door who can’t sit still.” He immediately shut up when Reborn pelted a marble he pulled out of nowhere at him, hitting his forehead directly.
Ricardo decided not to pay attention and took a sip himself. Truly, it was delicious but he could agree that more caffeine would be better. Especially since he was running low on sleep himself. “My lord, what do you have in mind regarding the issue I’ve mentioned?” He said, quickly pulling the topic back.
Reborn leaned back and studied the exorcist. “What proofs do you have?”
Ricardo clenched his fists tightly. He did not have any. Although all the clues pointed to the deity, there was no solid evidences. Among the exorcists, there were even some that was doubtful about it since deities and youkais are natural enemies. It was absurd for a deity to tolerate youkais, especially those that are tainted by sins.
However, to the majority of them, for the deity to not care about youkais running rampant recklessly within their territory meant either he has abandoned his duty, or that he was the one who led the youkais.
And because of this, the exorcist guild deployed Ricardo, a veteran exorcist who was considered one of the strongest, to investigate. To negotiate, if it was true. To exorcise, if the deity was tainted. Even though all of them knew it would be a death wish, trying to fight a deity, they still had to try when it comes down to it. So, it was Ricardo, then, to hold the first baton. If even he falls, then.
Well, every exorcist would have to gather to try and take up the fallen baton.
His thoughts were probably too obvious on his face and it had elicited laughter from the deity.
It was a laughter of interest, like the deity was humored by his thoughts. Ricardo did not know what was funny.
“Tell me, dear exorcist. Do you exorcise every youkai you come across?”
“… No.”
“Then what sort of youkai fits your criteria?”
“Malicious ones.”
“And what sort of malicious?”
“The ones that aims to harm.” Ricardo paused after finishing that. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly understood what Reborn meant.
“What, then, do you think that this deity is doing?”
Ricardo pursed his lips. “I do not know. I am merely a mortal; I cannot understand the wills of the heavens.”
That itself was as though a trigger and an insult to Reborn. Anger momentarily overtook him as he barked out another laughter but this time, it was sarcastic. “Hah! Will of the heavens. What bull. The heaven gives no fuck about the mortal realm.” Reborn sneered.
“If you think that I should be exorcised, you can die trying. I will give you an honorable death. But should you think otherwise, then I don’t care what you do in my area so long as you don’t block me from my work. Mark my words that you will die a dog’s death if you do.” His eyes glinted yellow as he threatened. He stood up, looked at Dino and gave an instruction “Entertain our guest and show him the way out once you’re satisfied.” He turned around and left the room.
Ricardo sat there in troubled silence. He was acutely aware that he had misspoken when he mentioned the heaven. Now he had accidentally offended the deity.
“Mr Exorcist, please excuse my master’s behavior.” Dino bowed lightly as Ricardo turned to him. “My master’s hates the heaven and will blow a fuse easily whenever it is mentioned, so please don’t take it to heart.”
Ricardo raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t seem to be angry or on guard.”
Dino coughed a laugh, quickly covering up his mouth because it was rude. He cleared his throat and said, “That’s because you cannot win against any of us here.” His eyes glinted with a quiet glee.
It was not condescending but rather a statement of fact. One that even Ricardo realized soon after stepping into the temple. He felt uncomfortable, but tried not to show.
“Why does your master hate the heaven?” He asked instead of acknowledging that.
A very complicated look overtook Dino’s face, lips pulled thin. “Its… Not my place to say, sir. Just… A brief summary would be that the heaven had forsaken my master.”
Ricardo fell quiet. After a minute, he sat up and nodded to Dino. “Thank you for your kind hospitality. I shall impose you no longer today.”
Dino followed suit and stood.
“Oh,” Ricardo paused and pulled out a bag of beans from his sachets. “This are the beans I’ve purchased from foreign land. Roast them until dark brown, grind, and steep it with boiled water. Consider it a greeting gift.”
.
The next time Ricardo came by was a month later. Sitting on the roof of the main gates was the deity himself, lounging on the tiles under the warm sun. A lizard was lying beside him too, eyes closed and tongue flickering out occasionally. It looked pleased and relaxed. Much like the deity.
“You’re late.” Reborn commented without even opening his eyes as Ricardo stepped on the first step of the gate’s stairs.
Ricardo raised his head and looked at the deity in confusion. He had not expected that the deity would be waiting for him.
The deity jumped down, so elegantly like he was floating and stood in front of him with a scowl and crossed arms. “Where’s my beans?”
Ricardo had the gall to look confused
“The beans, the ones that you roast for a drink.”
“Oh, you mean coffee beans.”
The deity’s eyes brightened. “So its coffee!”
Ricardo nodded. “Did you like it?”
A boy, looking younger than Dino, with fluffy brown hair popped out from behind the doors that creaked open. “Master has been demanding for it every day and we just ran out this morning. He said that it was his source of life.”
Reborn pelted a branch at Tsuna, hitting him on his forehead. “Loose mouthed.”
“It’s the truth!” Tsuna whined in pain. He turned to the exorcist, widened his watery eyes and pled, “Please, Mr Exorcist, please give us more. Master was so amiable these few days with the coffee that if we don’t serve him this, he will throw us into the jungle for torture.”
“It’s training.”
“Torture!”
Ricardo could not stop the small ‘pft’ from escaping his lips. He pulled out a bag of the beans and instantly, Reborn’s eyes glinted. The deity immediately snatched it and passed it to Tsuna. “Go, make it.”
Tsuna rolled his eyes but did as tell, slipping back into the temple. He left the door ajar as an invite to the exorcist. Reborn not saying or doing anything was a grant of access and stay for him.
Ricardo raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re welcome?”
Reborn snorted. “That’s the offering that you should be giving me; Why do I need to thank you?”
Well, that was expected. The exorcist wasn’t expecting the deity to thank him anyways. It was a peace offering that he intended to give if he misunderstood Reborn. So it worked out just fine.
Reborn harrumphed and walked into his temple, looking back once to give Ricardo a commanding look to follow.
Shaking his head in exasperation, the exorcist stepped over the gates.
After their first meeting, he had been lingering around, not too close nor too far to observe the deity. On one hand it was to gather evidences, and on the other, it was to see if the deity truly was doing malicious. And it had been different from what they had initially thought.
The deity granted wishes rarely and spent more days lazing about in his temple. Sometime he would go into the deeper parts of the forest to play with the wild animals there, sometimes up the mountain for a walk, sometimes he would go down the villages to buy useless trinkets he would end up using as toy to mess with his familiars.
Once, Ricardo spent the whole day watching Reborn staring at a few lizards laying eggs.
He realized that the deity’s days were… dull. Mundane. Not unlike a noble with nothing better to do.
The only two times he saw the deity grant wishes was at night, where a farmer came running for the deity to cure his sick son—who was given a herbal bath by Dino—and when a desperate carpenter wished for an elephant to carry his logs. It was only the second time that the deity used a youkai, and he employed an elephant youkai, large and wispy but docile, to help the carpenter. The price the carpenter had to pay was a lifetime supply of food for the elephant youkai and a bowl of blood.
What did the deity do with the blood, Ricardo didn’t know.
But the payment was not life threatening. It differed from the initial case Ricardo came across.
He realized easily enough that the payment had to be equivalent to what the wisher wished for.
A wish for a life meant a life must be paid.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Reborn asked as he sipped on his freshly brewed coffee, sighing in delight at the taste. Tsuna placed a cup in front of Ricardo as well as he sat down on the ground. There were a few snacks in between them, sweet and savory ones.
“You.” Ricardo said and for some reason, it made Tsuna choke on his own saliva.
The deity raised an eyebrow as he ignored how Tsuna was dying from the lack of breath at the side. “Oh?” He smirked, smug. “I see, even the elusive exorcist is also a person with taste. Good choice.”
Belatedly, Ricardo realized how wrong his reply sounded. Regardless, he decided not to correct the deity with now inflated ego. Merely, he sipped on the coffee and hummed, approving the taste.
Tsuna beamed at that, not unlike how Dino beamed at the compliment of his tea. “I don’t know how you and master can enjoy that liquid bitterness, but I’m glad that you like it.”
Reborn snorted. “Of course you wouldn’t understand the beauty of this seeing how you still don’t have hair.”
“Fuck—HEY!”
“And so?” Ricardo snapped out of his amusement when the deity turned to him and asked, “What have you observed?”
Ricardo pursed his lips. He did not know how to answer him.
Reborn could tell that the exorcist was conflicted, so he did not rush him. He did not expect him to reply him either. Instead, he asked again, “Why don’t you follow me tonight?”
.
The bright full moon shone through the window, lightening the room as the woman wheezed in pain. She was squinting at them, breathing hard as contractions wrecked her fragile body. Reborn watched on silently, arms behind his back, not even so much as batting an eye at how she screamed.
For Ricardo, it was his first time seeing someone going into labor. He was panicking and it was clear on his face. Such expression was a new sight for Reborn. The confused and helpless look he gave Reborn was exhilarating as well.
“W-who are you?” The poor woman wheezed out, arms protective around her stomach. She winced at another wave of contraction and tried to sit up.
Ricardo quickly went and helped her up, holding her boney frame with unsure hands.
Reborn tilted his head, but said nothing of the exorcist’s action. “I’m here to pick up your first born.” He said in lieu of an introduction.
Both humans looked at him in disbelief, betrayal swirled in the man’s eyes.
“Reborn!” He called out, angered. “What do you mean?!”
The name seemed to have given the woman an epiphany. She gasped, “A-are you the deity on the Namimori Mountain?”
Reborn ignored Ricardo and nodded at the woman. “Your husband promised the child to me, as a payment to his wish.”
The woman scoffed and hissed out with trembling voice. “He is no husband of mine.”
Despite the anger in her voice, it was laced with mournful despair. She loved her husband, she truly does. But she could not agree to his method of killing his last living relatives even though they were assholes. She had suggested them to leave, but he was reluctant due to the land his parents left him, now in the hands of his uncle. He was also not confident in leaving, as newcomers are often frowned upon and isolated from the community.
The woman never understood his reluctance seeing how much the both of them suffered, so she gave him an ultimatum; either they leave, or she abort because she would never want to subject her child to such torment.
And her husband chose the third option—to kill them.
He told her that he’d go pray for luck first before deciding, he never told her that he went to the Namimori Mountain to make a wish instead.
He went, and he never came back.
She was none the wiser until she found the letter two days after he left, and that the news of her uncle-in-law died gruesomely.
Feeling betrayed that she was left alone, she channeled all her last energy into hating him.
And now, with the deity in front of her, she was furious. She had thought that the price he had to pay was his own life, but the deity said that he actually offered him her child.
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched onto her tummy. She wanted this child so badly, and it had hurt her so much when she proposed to abort. When everyone else were gone, she almost went ahead with the abortion since she was frail and could not take care of the child. Yet, she couldn’t bear to do it.
Her flesh and blood, how could she?
Sobs tore through her throat as waves of anguish and pain coursed through her.
“Why? Why did you agree to his wishes, my god? What did I do wrong?” She choked out, barely coherent.
Reborn was solemnly looking at her, quiet as she sobbed. Ricardo was affected, but could not move from his spot. He was stuck between wanting to speak for her, but also knowing that there was nothing he can do.
After all, all of them knew that the woman was dying.
Frail, malnourished, dehydration, and blood lost. Even without those, her chance of survival was slim due to her inherent weakness.
Ricardo clenched his fists tightly.
Reborn did not answer her for a long time. The woman did not need his answer either.
Because they all knew.
Hours passed and soon, the baby was born. A baby girl, crying so sweetly in her mother’s weak arm. The woman sobbed as she kissed her, wiping the blood and bodily fluid off of her, whispering nothing but sweet words.
“Luce, my sweet child.” The woman named her. “I wish,” She coughed, gasping weakly as all of her energy was spent on the labor. “I wish for your life to be well, safe, and happy.”
It took a while as the woman continued to burn the last memories that she would have into her mind. She cried, wishing and wishing all good things for her daughter, and it was only when she was at her last breath that she handed her over to Reborn.
Reborn held her gently in his arms, quiet. He had never interrupted the woman, nor had he rushed her. Instead, he patiently watched as a form of respect and promise that he would remember her for as long as he exists.
“P-please, my god, please take care of her.” She whispered weakly but hands still clutching onto her daughter’s tiny leg and Reborn’s hand.
“Is this what you wish for?”
“Y-yes. Yes it is.” Reborn lowered his gaze.
“Your wish shall be granted, at the price of your future.”
.
“Why do it in such a roundabout manner? Can’t you just help the mortal outright and change their fate? Ricardo asked quietly under the moonlight, partially because of the sleeping babe but mostly because of the inner struggle of his morals.
Reborn was absentmindedly patting the bum of the babe as a mean to lull them further into deeper sleep. He looked at Ricardo who’s conflicted gaze burned the steps of the gates. He contemplated for a moment, wondering if he should lie so that the human would have a misconception of him and leave. Just like any other humans that he had found interesting. (Humans life are short, too short that it was more worth it. So he shunned them away earlier before there was any attachment.)
But he couldn’t. He found himself not being able to hide from such a transparent man. Human or not, this exorcist in front of him had piqued his interest in such a short time they had interacted. Ricardo had unknowingly stirred up something numb in him.
He should let go, he knew. He should let this human go.
But he couldn’t.
“I am but a forgotten deity by the heavens; I cannot grant humans prayers as I should, nor can I change their fate.”
Ricardo’s head jerked up in shock as Reborn continued, “As someone who’s proficient in youkai manipulation, this is the only way I can help the commoners. You as an exorcist should know. The youkais had only harmed those with bad records. Mainly, anyway. For those who are destined to die under their hands, well, it will be out of my control.”
Reborn shrugged. He turned away, look up at the sky, at the moon. For a moment, he allowed himself to reminisce the centuries as a deity in the sky. Only for a moment. Not once did he regret leaving the heavens to mortal realm. In fact, he was happier.
Others would usually think otherwise, however.
So when Ricardo responded without the expected pity or anger, Reborn was shocked. “… Then, for your cause, I shall help you. I shall aid you in controlling the youkais.”
Reborn looked at him with wide eyes, before bursting out into laughter, surprising the baby awake.
The baby cried louder, but Reborn could not stop laughing even as he tried to calm her down.
“Dear exorcist,” He wheezed out, a large smirk on his lips. “I do not need any help in controlling the youkais.”
Ricardo flushed red, knowing very well that Reborn has full control over each and every youkais in this area. Even so, he was stubborn, wanting to find a reason, regardless of how small that reason may be, to stick around. Because he would not have one and would have to leave otherwise.
“I know, but even so, I want to help you. I will help you granting those wishes so that you don’t have to use any youkais more than necessary. This way, we can reduce the numbers of unnecessary casualties caused by youkais. Even if this will go against destiny, I still want to do it for you.”
Just as Reborn finished coaxing the baby back to sleep, he couldn’t help the snicker vibrating through his ribs. He could tell it was just excuses, but he felt his heart warmed at the clumsy attempt.
Illuminated under the moonlight, Reborn looked ethereal laughing like that. So much so that Ricardo was dazzled. It was then that it finally hit Ricardo that Reborn was truly a deity. A deity on earth, reachable.
Reborn smirked knowingly, pulled the man by his tight uniform in, and kissed him before he could react.
“Well,” He whispered against the stunned human’s lips. “Why not?”
Perhaps, some companionship after so long wouldn’t be so bad. Short lifespan be damned in this case. He would cross the bridge when he has too, even if it meant owing Mammon a favor.