"I...did it," The statement whispered through my lips in surprise, my heart thrumming with excitement before I repeated myself much louder, "I did it!"

The triumphant declaration was short-lived, a loud roar erupting outside the warehouse before something heavy slammed against one of the walls close to me. My yell turned into a yelp while I covered Todomatsu's unconscious body with my own, expecting the wall to come crashing down on us.

My mind slipped from victory to survival, grabbing the pink fude brush and tucking it into my sash before sliding my hands underneath Todomatsu's arms, pulling him from the external wall. Taking my steps slowly, I focused my effort on bringing him close to the fire that was still burning.

Ichimatsu kept his attention on Osomatsu, the towering oni looming over him and Jyushimatsu as his skin blushed with red marks and black fur, his hands yellowing as the snow white fabric that had previously covered his body was shredded away. Two blood red horns protruded from just above his fringe, each just as long as Ichimatsu's ears while his teeth had sharpened into fangs, the two canines jutting down until they nearly touched his chin.

The kitsune didn't need to hear the cheer to know that something had changed.

All of them felt it: a strange sense of pulling that seemingly called them by name, a soft yearning for rest that they desired deep within themselves.

Like rubber gum stretched too far, something snapped.

Osomatsu roared out his anger, the wooden warehouse shuddering at his voice while the light snowfall around the oni was pushed back by the heat seeping from his body.

Ichimatsu barely had time to react, raising his arms up to his head in an attempt to block the incoming strike from Osomatsu. Taloned hand tore into the white kimono sleeves, scratching deep into the kitsune's skin as he was thrown away by the impact, his back hitting wooden planks and nearly driving the breath from his lungs. Blood pounded in his ears as he refocused on the oni now brawling with the inugami, a hiss streaming between his clenched teeth.

With little effort, Ichimatsu jumped from the warehouse siding into the fight, his claws easily knocking aside another punch that was aimed at Jyushimatsu's leg. In the same motion, he raked his taloned feet across Osomatsu's bare chest, blood streaming from the wounds matching the furious red curse marks nearly covering every inch of the oni's body. Using the momentum of the kicks, he planted his feet onto the incoming arm with fingers splayed into a loose fist and coiled his leg muscles before rebounding off the oni's arm.

Jyushimatsu used the new opening to drive two notched arrows from his longbow into the oni's right shoulder, his aim true and jamming the limb from moving.

Ichimatsu saw his opening as he landed on the ground a few feet away, rushing towards the staggered and wounded oni until a club revealed itself from the corner of his vision. Instinct took over, the kitsune jumping out of the oni club's reach as it sank deep into the snow before the ground absorbed the impact.

"I'm not done!" Osomatsu howled, his limp arm dangling useless by his side as he pulled back the club onto a comfortable position on his shoulder, "You should know that I fight best when outnumbered."

Neither the kitsune nor inugami spoke, each of them clearly seeing the frenzied expression pulling at his lips.

Without saying a word more, Osomatsu rushed towards Jyushimatsu while allowing the club to drag behind him. A violent twist of his hips caused the deadly weapon to swing in a wide arc, the move unexpected as Jyushimatsu could only try to block the club with an arm and his bow. The wooden weapon snapped easily under the weight of iron and magma, fire exploding from the contact that swiftly ate at the clothing the inugami wore. Jyushimatsu tumbled from the hit, using the snow to snuff out the fire before he ripped off the damaged fabric as he jumped back to his feet.

Ichimatsu had little time to react as the oni continued on his destructive path, swinging the club around again with clear intent to smash the kitsune's head in. Ducking low under the powerful swing, he tried to attack from behind but the club continued its swing before colliding with Ichimatsu's side.

Fire poured from the hit, consuming the fragile kimono furiously as the kitsune spiraled through the air.

Osomatsu let out a raucous laughter, dropping his guard completely as his voice rang up to the heavens, "Come on, then! Don't tell me the little fox and dog have been beaten into submission already."

Once more, the club rested on his shoulder as he stalked towards the two recovering yokai.

"Head-on won't work on him," Jyushimatsu stated calmly, drawing an agreeing snarl from Ichimatsu, "Neither will attrition."

"Then we end this quickly," The kitsune growled, a disapproving sneer resting on his lips, "Before our blood clears his nose and he smells the humans."

Jyushimatsu barely nodded, tossing aside the splintered bow and pulling his high collar down to reveal the canine muzzle and fangs he had hidden behind it. Blue fire erupted from his wrists, eating up the fabric that remained on his arms while fur quickly swallowed his shoulders and legs. The winter boots and gloves tore to reveal his bestial paws, each digit tipped with a deadly claw while the red curse marks carved themselves over his cheeks, back, and eyes.

Ichimatsu mustered all of his remaining strength, the embodiment of his nine tails lashing out behind him before settling in a wide display that framed him perfectly in the middle. He tore off the kimono now damaged by fire, revealing his furred legs and feet while exposing the fur that surrounded his neck and shoulders. His red clawed fingers tensed for a moment before one hand lifted up to his lips, the red color spreading over his eyes, lips, and cheeks as the curse marks blazed to life.

Osomatsu's sneer widened as he merely watched the transformations, a red mist ebbing from his shoulders before it thickened into a ghostly flame.

Jyushimatsu took initiative, charging forward while Ichimatsu sprinted towards Osomatsu's left, drawing the oni's eye as he shrugged the club off his shoulder. The weapon raised quickly to catch Jyushimatsu's outstretched hand, the oni quickly leaning forward and biting down. The inugami pulled back his arm, the oni's teeth clacking on empty space before he suddenly spun around, landing a harsh kick deep into Jyushimatsu's gut.

A muffed 'crunch' made Osomatsu's snarl grow as Jyushimatsu's eyes widened in pain before the inugami was launched, the oni deftly landing on the ground before he locked eyes with the pouncing kitsune.

Fangs bared, Ichimatsu bit down hard on the oni's exposed forearm, ripping flesh and drawing blood as Osomatsu tried to pull his arm away. The red liquid burned Ichimatsu's skin, his icy eyes locked onto Osomatsu's furious glare. The kitsune grabbed onto the wounded arm with his entire being, his claws digging in and refusing to budge as the oni dropped the club before slamming Ichimatsu into the ground over and over.

A victorious look spread on Ichimatsu's face, time seeming to slow as a thick corded rope fell between him and Osomatsu, the oni's blue eyes following the rope's movement with growing surprise before it shrank and tightened around his neck.

Jyushimatsu gripped the rope ends tightly, his pawed foot planted on the back of Osomatsu's neck and using his body weight to strangle the oni.

Ichimatsu didn't let go, willingly thrashed around as Osomatsu struggled to take a breath, clamping down harder as he felt the strength leave the muscles within the limb. The whining gasps from the oni sounded pathetic, his legs giving out as the fury his body held slowly abandoned him.

"You..." Osomatsu locked eyes with Ichimatsu once more, the winter blue hues cold enough to kill. The kitsune returned a challenging glare before the oni's eyes unfocused, hazing over as the yokai finally fell to the ground.

Jyushimatsu slowly released his grip on the rope, lowering a hand to rest next to Osomatsu's mouth and nose, "...still breathing."

Ichimatsu struggled to pry his teeth and claws loose, blood and spit dripping from his fangs before he spat whatever rested in his mouth, "Tough bastard..."

Both yokai exchanged an unspoken agreement, each of them taking an arm and dragging the unconscious body towards the warehouse.

The wounds that Ichimatsu had left on Todomatsu were difficult to sew up, my fingers trembling from both cold and the sight of blood. I cleaned out the wounds as much as I could before starting, but the pierced veins refused to clot and close. The youngest brother still had life in him, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, and I was determined to make sure he stayed that way.

I had heard the yells and roars from the fight outside, praying to whomever would listen that they would keep everyone safe.

With the last stitch in place, I gently cut the thread and sat back with relief before finding my thoughts and positioning Todomatsu closer to the fire. As I lowered a blanket over him, the warehouse sliding door was thrown open.

Swallowing a cry for help, I turned to see Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu dragging in a beaten and bloody Osomatsu.

"What did you do?!" The demand left my lips without warning, my feet carrying me over to the trio.

Osomatsu bore several wounds, most of them bites and slashes that I could only guess came from claws. Two broken arrows jutted out from his right shoulder, the arrowheads buried deep within the joint and drawing fresh blood with every step the yokai took. The arm that Ichimatsu held was torn open, the flesh hanging uselessly and exposing muscle and fat underneath. The torn fabric that had been pressed over the open wound was full of blood and falling off.

Ichimatsu had lifted his gaze towards me, his mouth open to answer before I slapped him across the face, hard.

"Wounds that you suffer as a yokai are transferred over!" I yelled at him, the fox ears drooping low as he closed his eyes to absorb my tirade, "If Osomastu doesn't survive, his life is on your hands!"

I tried to hold back the fearful tears as I instructed them to lay Osomatsu next to Todomatsu, readying another needle and biting back a hiccup while they retreated behind me.

The oldest brother had a better chance of recovering as a yokai, the empty brush at my side while I worked. Needle bit into skin, pulling the flap of skin back over his open wound and neatly tying it back to itself. The wound was clearly made by fangs, the tearing motion ripping the skin and leaving a rough edge to work with.

Bile threatened to rise in my throat as the smell of blood became intoxicating, blocking out my other senses while I finished what I could. Osomatsu's body had begun healing itself as I moved to the shoulder injury, cautiously pulling out the arrows and rinsing off the area with cold water. Skin zippered up on itself as I worked, the yokai's natural healing not progressing faster than I was working.

Osomatsu took in a deep breath, both yokai behind me flinching as I grabbed the empty brush. I wouldn't survive anything he could do should he wake up at this moment. Muttering the same spell as before, I caressed the brush against Osomatsu's right cheek, down the left side of his throat, trailing towards his navel before swirling up around his heart.

A bright flash of red light blinded me, causing me to lean back too far. The sensation of falling was stopped by a broad chest, a pair of arms that held me close. As the red light faded, I looked back to see Osomatsu as he truly was.

Human. Mortal.

A red fude brush lay on his chest.

I reached out to take it, but my strength failed me as my body grew limp, fatigue swarming my mind while my tongue faltered to say anything.

"Beloved?" Ichimatsu leaned over me, quickly laying me down on the floor. I could only muster a smile to let him know that I was okay.

"Seems like the process drains the caster."

Both Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu flinched faster than I could react, our eyes drawn up to the dark rafters of the warehouse.

A wide brimmed straw hat haloed the person's head, a pointed frown peering out from under its cover. A pair of geta sandals balanced perfectly on the beam he had chosen, white and black robes draping down around him while a dark cloak enveloped his form, dark feathers sprouting from near the shoulders. His hands were partially gloved, one of them holding a staff whose tip was wrapped with paper.

"Choromatsu," Jyushimatsu stepped between the newcomer and us, clearly showing his willingness to be a shield.

"Relax," The daitengu raised his hands in surrender, the staff resting on his lap, "I mean no harm to anyone here."

"You're clearly not here to help, either," Ichimatsu growled, calling out Choromatsu's absence from the fight.

"I'm only here to be sealed. Nothing more," Choromatsu's blue eyes lowered to my own hues, "Yet it seems like I'll have to wait for that. Two brushes used and you're as hopeless as you were in my cave."

I could only stick out my tongue in jest, understanding what Choromatsu was saying. It was impossible for me to seal more than two brothers at once, possibly in the same day with how tired I was feeling.

"If two is the limit, then what about you?" The daitengu directed the question to the others, "Are you willing to stay cursed until the end?"

"Anything to keep (y/n) safe," Ichimatsu turned his focus back towards me, his tails shifting around us and creating a warm blanket as they lay on me. Jyushimatsu nodded silently.

"Then the question is Karamatsu."

A heavy feeling sank into the warehouse, my eyes closing for a moment while I thought of something that could work, "The ao andon kills the storyteller when all one hundred candles are out."

Ichimatsu's ears fell a little, his expression clearly showing he didn't like the implication, "How many more?"

"...three."

"Three stories, then," Choromatsu echoed, "Speak nothing until you've fully rested. I will stay here until then."

"What about your sealing?"

"I ask that you share your stories until after we've left," He motioned towards Todomatsu and Osomatsu sleeping on the ground, "You won't need us sitting around as extra targets when you fight him."

"Where will you go?"

"A village close by. It's large enough to settle down for the season."

"Then..." The warmth of Ichimatsu's tails ebbed into my frame, both the fatigue from the castings and the previous two weeks reminding me that I needed sleep, "Stay until I wake up..."

"I promise no funny business," Choromatsu's gentle laugh was the last thing I heard as my mind slipped into comfortable darkness.