I had no idea what was happening right now—why Kaida was raining flames from the sky, or how any of this was Rei Akarawa's doing. Everything felt wrong, heavy and scorched, as if the heavens had cracked open and decided to punish the land beneath it. Fireballs screamed through the clouds, tearing through the sky before slamming into the earth with bone-rattling force. I knew she would try something to get her justice; I expected that. But putting innocent lives in danger? That wasn't something Rei would do.
When Selene dropped me off at the Hoshino lands, the shock hit me even harder. The heat struck first—thick, suffocating, clinging to my skin like wet ash. Smoke curled through the air, blurring the horizon and turning the sky a violent orange. It was worse than the other territories. Every building was burning—from the market all the way down to the Hoshino residence. Roofs collapsed in showers of sparks, wood cracking and screaming as flames devoured everything they touched.
"Cousin Rin, where were you?" Akari cried as she and the other maidens struggled to quench the flames consuming the buildings. Her sleeves were soaked, her hair clung to her face, and her hands trembled as she forced another wave of water forward. "I thought something terrible had happened to you!"
"This has been going on for the past two days," she continued, barely pausing to breathe as she directed the maidens to increase the water pressure. Streams of summoned water collided with fire, erupting into clouds of steam that hissed and screamed back at them. "No one is handling it. I can't find the clan master, and Sister Shion is nowhere to be seen."
"I've been unconscious for two days…" I muttered under my breath, the realization settling like a stone in my chest. I thought few minutes I was supposed to wake up. I glanced at Akari, confused but relieved to see her alive amid the chaos. "How did you make it back from the Golden Queen's place?"
"I don't know," Akari replied, shaking her head. Soot streaked her cheeks, and exhaustion dulled her eyes. "One moment I was trying to stop the fire in the forest, and the next, I woke up at the entrance gate."
So Selene did care—just not enough to get involved in Kaida's affairs. The thought lingered bitterly as another fireball crashed nearby, the ground shuddering beneath our feet.
"What can I do, Akari? Anything," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady even as panic clawed at my ribs.
"I don't know," she admitted, her voice cracking. Then she stopped moving. The firelight reflected in her eyes, making them look dangerously close to tears. "Our magic is wearing off. The fire is evaporating the water faster than we can summon it, and we're running out. For some reason, our lands are the only ones being targeted. The people meant to lead us aren't even here. I can't stop all of this."
She finally lowered her hands, staring helplessly at the burning surroundings. Flames danced in every direction, shadows stretching and twisting along the ground. I could see the panic in her eyes—and truthfully, I felt it too. I had thought Selene would intervene, that she would step in and stop this madness. But she had simply dropped me here and left, saying if saving people was my goal, then she wanted no part in it.
I reached for Akari's hand, squeezing it gently, grounding both of us in the moment. Her fingers were cold despite the heat around us. "Akari, you can do this. You're strong enough. We'll find a way—okay?"
She nodded slowly, gathering what little hope she had left, then turned back to her guards. Her posture straightened, her voice gaining strength as she began issuing commands. She instructed them to form water dummies to cool the structures while others escorted civilians to safety. Orders cut cleanly through the chaos, and for a moment, the panic loosened its grip.
After some time, the damage lessened. Charred ruins replaced roaring infernos. The fires calmed under Akari's leadership—but the raining fireballs didn't stop. They continued to fall endlessly, distant impacts echoing like war drums. Whatever was causing this was still active, still watching.
"We've handled this for now," Akari said, wiping sweat from her brow. Ash clung to her lashes, and her shoulders sagged with exhaustion. "But the fire rain isn't stopping. We need to end it at the source."
"I was thinking the same thing," I replied, my gaze lifting toward the burning sky. "And the only way to stop this is to go to the Akarawa clan."
"The Akarawa clan?" Akari frowned, disbelief crossing her face. "How would they help us? And how is fire supposed to quench fire?"
"Because this is Rei Akarawa's doing," I said, dropping the truth like a blade between us.
Akari fell silent, letting the words sink in. The crackle of distant flames filled the space between us. "How could this be Rei's doing? How could she possibly—she doesn't even have…" Her voice trailed off before her eyes widened in realization. "Do you think she has Sister Shion? She's been missing for two days. I can't believe Rei would do all this just for justice. This isn't justice—this is endangering lives!"
"That's exactly why we're going to her land," I said, trying to keep my voice calm despite the chaos around us. "We'll find Rei—and make her see reason."
The moment we reached the gates of the Akarawa lands, fireballs were raining from the sky here as well. The ground was scorched black, stone glowing faintly beneath our feet. The difference was that no one reacted. Guards stood at their posts, unmoving, as flames crashed down around them. It was as if the fire was something they had long grown used to.
The security was lighter than the last time we tried to enter—no aggressive guards, no sealed walls—so slipping inside was disturbingly easy. That ease unsettled me more than resistance would have.
Akari and I wore Selene's hooded robes, the same ones she had given me on multiple occasions. It turned out they were indestructible. The falling flames couldn't burn through the fabric, making them our shield as we kept our heads low and moved past the guards.
"Hold it right there."
Just when we thought we had made it through, I grabbed Akari's hand, both of us freezing as we slowly turned around, hearts pounding loud enough to drown out the fire.
"You dropped this," one of the female guards said calmly, bending down to pick up a jar of honeydew and handing it to Akari.
"Oh—my honeydew!" Akari gasped, clutching it to her chest. "Thank you so much. That cost me a fortune."
The guard nodded and returned to her post without another glance, as if nothing about this situation was strange.
I stared at Akari. A jar of honeydew. Right now.
"I needed something liquid," she whispered defensively, lowering her voice. "In case anything happens. We're in enemy territory, and I have to stay alert. Besides, if I carried water, it would've evaporated instantly."
"…Fine," I sighed, shaking my head. "Let's just find Rei."
"Okay," Akari said, looking around as we reached the central courtyard of the Akarawa estate. Towering buildings surrounded us, their designs sharp and imposing. "Which building does Rei live in?"
"You don't know where your girlfriend lives?" I asked.
"Ex-girlfriend," she corrected quickly. "We're not dating anymore. And I've only been here once—at night. How am I supposed to remember? Besides, you've been here too."
"Yes, once," I admitted. "And I have terrible memory. Plus, in this whole relationship, Rei always came to you. You've never once visited her place."
"Well, that's because the Akarawas are extremely strict," Akari muttered. "If they caught me here, they wouldn't hesitate to roast me alive."
"But Rei wouldn't mind drowning for you," I said quietly.
We fell silent, standing among towering buildings, each one identical and unwelcoming.
Just as we were about to choose a direction, a voice behind us stopped us cold.