Brother stood beside me as the rustling grew louder. The little boy in my arms clung to my shirt. My free hand was on my sword, ready to strike if a threat came close. Kohana was nearby in the bushes of the forest, hiding in case of anything.
"Keep searching!" A man's voice echoed in the woods as he and his group came into view. The boy trembled. Holding him close in one arm, I raised one knee to settle him on while I petted his back to help him calm down. "We'll capture it! Just keep thinking of the bounty!"
Turning to the side just enough to hide the boy from these men's line of sight, mostly. I drew my blade from the scabbard. I wasn't taking any chances with these men. The men were rushing our way, then stopped just before us. In the corner of my eye. I could see Kohana hiding in the trees.
"Don't worry, madam, we're here to save you and your friend." The man leading stopped the group when they came about a meter and a half away from us. I stepped closer to Xie Lian, holding my sword in my hand and looking at the men. "We won't let the ghost groom hurt you again."
I gave my brother a side glance. I could tell what he was thinking while these men were here. They were the men who harassed the girl who helped with Xie Lian's makeup and hair. I looked at the men, and the leader of the group was looking at the boy in my arms. I pointed my sword at him quickly, making a clear warning of what I could do to him if I had to. The man stopped getting close and backed off. The others were heading for the temple out of curiosity.
"You should stay away." Xie Lian said it with a bitter voice. A smirk crossed my face under my mask. The men before my brother and me were in complete shock. I couldn't help but laugh at how stupid they were acting. Out of nowhere, a snap of dark energy blasted behind the men. Startling them out of their minds, the Kitsune shadow landed beside me. Turning my head and brushing a strand of white hair out of my face, Yoko Kohana stood strong and ready for a fight, as always.
"You're a man?!" the leader roared as Kohana gave a thin smirk before she turned to the boy in my arms, and the youth began to shudder. On instinct, wrapping around him to form a protective shell, I rubbed his back while leaning my head against his. The men started talking again, and I redirected my attention to the three manna sources. Two of them I recognize are the deputy gods from before, but one I can't recognize must be the groom. They were inside the temple. Now comes the next fight soon.