The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

dubiously.
    Risai broke in forcefully, "Hold on a minute. I'm sorry for interrupting, but what if you were sensing the aura of a very powerful youma? Would you have the same sort of reaction?"
    Juuko practically did a back flip. "Yes! That's it! And no ordinary youma at that. The kind of youma none of us could imagine sidling up to. Escorting our Taiho there--"
    Risai raised her voice and said--at the same time that Rokuta muttered to himself--"Gouran."
    "Who?"
    Risai ran up to Juuko and knelt down in front of him and leaned over and said, "Where? Where was it? That was Taiki's shirei. I don't doubt it for a second."
    "But that thing possesses the aura of a creature that could never become a shirei."
    "Taiki has a toutetsu as one of his shirei. It was a toutetsu. Wasn't it?"
    Juuko perked up his ears. Even his hair stood on end. "Toutetsu. You've got to be kidding me!"
    Risai grabbed hold of Renrin's sleeve with her only hand. "Ren Taiho, Taiki is most definitely there!"
    She was on the verge of collapsing. Gentle arms caught her and buoyed her up.
    "We understand. Rest assured we shall bring him back with us."
    "You cannot!" Juuko pranced up and down in a fury. "That's no shirei! That's a youma!"
    "I won't stand for such timidity, Juuko. If it really is a youma, then there must be a reason for such a powerful youma being in that other world. It is most likely in the company of Taiki. We must determine whether Taiki is there or not. If you find the notion so unpalatable, then I shall go there by myself."
    "I get it, I get it," Juuko grumbled, hanging his head.
    "Renrin--" Rokuta said, heading down the hallway. "Send me through. I'm going to go take a look. What about you, Sis?"
    Hanrin's eyes darted around the room. "Yes. Of course. Be right with you. But--"
    Renrin plucked the piece of sheer fabric from her quailing hand. "Can I use this as well?"
    "Um, yes."
    "If you don't mind, then. In the meantime, why don't you inform the others what is going on?"
    "I will!"

    Youko and Keiki hurried over to the Kokinsai as soon as word came from Hanrin, just as two figures emerged from the pool of light.
    "Enki, did you find him?"
    "I don't know," answered Rokuta. The fatigue of the last few days had evaporated from his features. He strode energetically back to the library, where they found the Royal En and Royal Han were waiting.
    "What about Taiki?" they both asked at the same time.
    "I don't know. I didn't see him."
    "You didn't see him? What do you mean?"
    "I'm quite sure that was Gouran. Taiki's shirei. Except I would definitely not call that a shirei. I understand what's got our shirei spooked. That is definitely a youma. And damned scary and powerful to boot."
    Renrin entered the library at this point, her face pale. "That is indeed what I would call a Big Bad. Get anywhere near the thing and it's as clear as day. I have a grasp of the location. It's a large town, but Gouran is there. I can't detect the aura of a kirin."
    "The risks notwithstanding, we took a closer look, and detected not even a vestige. I think the Royal Han is correct on this."
    "Am I?"
    Rokuta nodded. He still looked like his hair was standing on end. "There was no 'kirin' there. I believe that Taiki is there. But not in a form that could be called a ki. "
    "Then in what form?" Youko asked.
    Rokuta and Renrin exchanged glances. "Hard to say. Still, if Gouran is there, then Taiki must be there as well. Gouran couldn't have returned to youma form. He's still serving Taiki as his shirei. However, not even a glimmer of the kirin's aura exists. Even if Taiki wanted to return, he couldn't. I have no choice but to conclude he is loosing his ki. Otherwise, even in that other world, there'd be no cause for his aura to die out."
    "Does such a thing ever happen?"
    "I wouldn't know. We can only contemplate that it can. Our only recourse at this point is to conduct a house-to-house search. Find him and bring him home. We can't fuss about the methods. Gouran is as much a threat over there as he would be here."

Chapter 36
    T he season would soon turn from summer to fall. But inside Ransetsu Hall, a heavy, exhausted atmosphere suffused the room. After conducting numerous searches, Taiki's whereabouts remained uncertain. All that stood out amidst the background noise was Gouran's aura. It swamped the dwindling rays of the kirin, giving them no firm purchase on his location. The map Rokuta carried around was a hash of useless lines, places crossed out and filled