The barn door slams shut as soon as the group steps outside. Koji sighs, his head hanging forward on his neck and shoulders slumped. Melody starts walking back towards the farmhouse, but only makes it three steps before Marcus speaks, making her stop dead.

"Are you two insane? You could have ruined everything!" He hisses, glaring at Koji. Melody grits her teeth, wheeling around on him with an equally annoyed look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we talking about it now!?" She snaps, stomping back up to him. "And here I thought you were going to do whatever you wanted, no matter what we thought!" Marcus recoils from her, but quickly composes himself, his lips set in a hard line.

"Well, I was hoping to handle it myself, but you cut in and messed it up! I was trying to keep you out of it if you hadn't noticed!" Melody turns away, crossing her arms with a huff.

"If you didn't want me involved, you shouldn't have done it. We're a team now, remember?" She glares at him over her shoulder, and he looks away. "And don't give me that I caused this so I should be the one to fix it crap. We've been through that enough that you should know better by now."

"And you should know how stubborn I am," Marcus grumbles. Koji steps in, forcing his arms between them and gently pushing them apart.

"Fighting each other isn't going to help anyone," he says, stepping between them once there's enough room. Marcus and Melody keep glaring at each other around him. "What we need to do now is make a plan. I know those two well enough that I can tell you what they're going to pick for their challenge. All we need to do is-"

"While we're on the subject, why did you get involved?" Marcus grunts, shifting his attention to Koji. "She's stubborn as a mule and has to be a part of everything. That I get." Melody scoffs, but Marcus ignores her. "Why would you of all people get involved with a fight? I thought you were a pacifist." Koji shivers, his eyes sinking to the dirt. His stomach churns at the thought of having to fight someone. But he swallows his fear, lifting his head proudly.

"We've only known each other for a few days, but I know you're not actually like that. I know an act when I see one." He jerks a thumb back to the barn for emphasis. "Which means you were doing that on purpose. Probably to get their focus on you and away from the other Pantheons, so they won't go on a rampage when Oliver comes back with Apollo." Marcus's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Yes, it was that obvious," Melody adds, leaning around Koji.

"I just wish you guys had told me that you're Loki before...a lot of this," Koji says, shaking his head. "I get why you didn't, but still. A bit more heads up would have been nice." He offers a weak smile to Marcus. "Own up to your mistakes, right?"

"Our mistakes," Melody says, looking down sheepishly. "There's a bit more to the story that you should probably know."

"Later," Koji says, waving his hand. "The point is, I'm not just going to stand by and let you solve all of our problems, even if you caused them. This is my Pantheon - my family. Now that I know what's going on, I've got to do something to help." Melody smiles at him, and Marcus chuckles, slapping his back affectionately.

"I definitely like this version of you better than your Susanoo act," she says warmly.

"Same here," Marcus adds. "What now then? Do you guys have a training field or something?"

"In general, the Kami are pretty peaceful. It's just Fujin and Raijin who like to fight because they're technically part Oni. That's also a long story." He adds, seeing the confusion on both of their faces. "We should make a battle plan first. There's no way they're going to pick anything other than a fight - it's what they're best at. I can tell you all about their powers and fighting style."

"That would be a big help," Melody says, looking back at the barn. "Marcus and I can handle that if we have to." She adds, probably seeing the colour drain from Koji's face. He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm down.

"Which means we only need to worry about whoever they get as their third," Marcus says, crossing his arms. "Any idea who they might go to?" Koji hums in thought, stroking his chin. A dozen names come to him, but he can't see any of them agreeing to help kill Marcus.

"My only worry would be Akimoto," he says, leading them back to the main farmhouse. "But I doubt Akari would let him go long enough to take part."

"Tsukuyomi," Marcus clarifies to Melody. "I know how we can handle him. As long as we don't face him at night, then he shouldn't be a problem. Is there anyone else?"

"Not that I can think of. But I know all of the Kami - whoever they pick, we can make a plan for." Koji assures.

"Then that's what you two are doing for the rest of the day," Melody says, clapping her hands. "I'll join you in a bit. I've got something else I need to take care of."

"What else could there be?" Marcus says curiously. Melody eyes him, biting her lip again. She stares at him for a time, and Koji tries to follow her eyes to see what she's looking at. As far as he can tell, she's just looking at Marcus's face.

"Koji, the Shinto has a god of medicine, right?" She says softly, tearing her eyes away from Marcus to look at him. "Are they here?" Koji blinks at her, looking to Marcus for an explanation. Seeing his look of confusion mirrored back at him, Koji nods.

"Y-yeah, remember the pudgy guy you met outside Akari's room? Kaito - he's Sukuna-Biko-Na. God of healing, magic, brewing sake, and knowledge."

"Why do you need a god of healing?" Marcus says, grabbing her wrist. "Did something hit you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" She snaps, pulling free from his grip. "We need to prepare for the fight, that's all. You two try to figure out who their third is going to be. I'll ask Hinata where I can find you when I'm done." Without waiting for a reply, she turns and marches into the house. Koji shivers, glancing at Marcus.

"She thinks we're going to lose, doesn't she?" He says anxiously. Why else would she need a god of healing before a big fight? Marcus sighs, shaking his head.

"No idea. But I never know what she's thinking. Let's just go figure out what we can."

Melody walks through the twisting halls, her head high and eyes focused forward. She walks quickly, listening for any sign that Marcus might be following her. If she can find Kaito, maybe he can help heal Marcus's eyes. But she can't let Marcus know what she's doing - giving him false hope would just be cruel.

"Is this what you call crow's feet?" A man says, poking the side of her head. Melody sighs at the familiar voice, not even bothering to look at him.

"I was wondering when you would show up again. What do you want?" She grunts. The monkey-faced man giggles, leaning his head back in his hands as he walks beside her.

"Oh, you sound stressed! You know, I hear Japan is known for its hot springs - you should try to relax! Just sit back and release some of that tension. Otherwise, you'll look like an old lady by this time next year."

"I don't have time for your games, just get to the point," She snaps. It occurs to her that she doesn't actually know where she's going. She was desperate to get away before she started chewing Marcus out again. She can see why he did what he did, nut she hates that he did it without talking to her about it first. Maybe if he had, they could have come up with a better plan together. Just like with his rebellion.

"See, it's happening already!" The man cheers, jabbing his finger into the side of her head again. "Do I see a gray? I think I do! Want me to get you a cane, grandma?"

"If you're just here to annoy me, you might as well leave," she says, pausing at a crossroads to look up and down the hall. She picks a random direction before heading off again.

"Fine, I guess I could be of some help. Healing god, right? The fat one?" The man grabs Melody's shoulders, spinning her around to point her in the opposite direction. "Straight here, two lefts, right, and a left. Fifth door after the garden." Melody raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"And how do you know the layout of this place? I thought you were from the Jade Palace." She says warily. The man shrugs and grins innocently.

"I've got my ways. You got any better ideas?"

"Doing literally anything but what you tell me to do?"

"And how did that work out before? With the Heavenly King?" The man grins at her smugly, gesturing down the hall. Melody groans, hanging her head in defeat. For better or worse, he did try to warn them about Li Jing's attack. Maybe if she had listened, it wouldn't have been so terrifying.

"Just tell me why you're here. Last time you showed up right before Li Jing - is Erlang Shen here now?" She says plainly. The man laughs, waving his hands frantically.

"No no, I wouldn't dare go near him! He can see through all my tricks!" Melody pauses, fitting the pieces together.

"So, you're some sort of illusion demon?" She guesses. The man cocks his head to the side, blinking at her. "He can see through illusions and magical deception. If he knows your tricks, then you must use something like that."

"Oh, you've done your research this time! Good!" He cheers happily. "You're close, but calling me a demon isn't technically right. At least, I'm not like most Chinese demons." He flashes his teeth, with far too many canines for Melody's comfort. "Anyway, enough about me. I'm here to tell you that the Jade Emperor caught on to your trick. So, Erlang will probably be here soon."

"How soon?" Melody says quickly. She has enough to worry about, between the fight tomorrow, trying to convince Akari to keep her title, and dealing with Tsukuyomi. If Erlang shows up in the middle of it all, she's not sure if they'll be able to handle it.

"Dunno. Could be a few hours, could be a few days. But he's coming." The man throws his arms up in despair, despite smirking the whole time. "Second, I heard about your problems, and I think I have a solution for one." He spins, skipping ahead of her. He waves his fingers, and a small metal pot appears in his hand. He holds it out to her, bowing politely. "Consider it a peace offering."

"Somehow I doubt it's that simple," Meloy says, stopping to look it over. "What is it?"

"This pot belongs to one of the Taoist gods. Couldn't tell you who, I never stopped to check. But it can be used to distill immortality out of that which you put into it. I don't see why it can't do the same for divinity!" He lifts the lid to show it off. "Oh, it's normally a lot bigger. You may want to use it outside."

"How does it work? What ingredients do we need? Is it a potion?" Melody says, making sure to ask every question she can. If the pot does what he says, it could solve their problem with Tsukuyomi's godhood. But there's got to be a catch.

"Put the person inside, let it boil for a while, and poof! Supposedly, you should get some pills of immortality - or, I guess, divinity - when it's done!" He explains, raising his head proudly. "Pretty clever, if I do say so myself!" Melody raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"And what happens to the person?" She says accusingly. The man stops laughing, cocking his head to the side.

"What do you mean? It's simple - put in person, get out immortality." He lifts the lid again to show the inside, thrusting his finger into it. "Poof."

"And the person comes out unharmed?" She hisses darkly. There's the catch.

"Well, they won't be immortal anymore. And I guess the whole boiling them alive thing would kill a mortal." He says with a shrug. "So maybe they'll be a little burned."

"He'd be dead!" She snaps, stomping her foot. "I'm not taking this. If you really want to prove you're on my side, then start by telling me who you are. Then maybe you can help keep Erlang Shen off our back." The man sucks on his teeth, tossing the pot over his shoulder lazily.

"Afraid I can't do that. It's not in my best interest to do either of those." He says with a shrug. "Oh well. If Erlang Shen doesn't kill you, maybe you'll be more willing to cooperate."

"Not with you," Melody snaps darkly. "I don't know what you're after, but I'm not going to do what you want. You might as well leave and never come back." The man recoils, pressing a hand against his chest in mock horror. He backs away a couple of steps, letting his mouth fall open. When he's done, he giggles, leaning against the wall.

"Well, I guess that's that then. Our partnership was going to be over soon anyway - once Erlang finds you, as a matter of fact. If you lose then I'll have no use for you, and if you win then I'll have what I want." He bounces off the wall, picking up the tiny pot and tucking it into his shirt. When he looks back, Melody freezes, paralyzed by the cold intensity of his red eyes. "Don't let me down, little godling. You're the most interesting thing to happen in nearly 500 years."

In an instant, the man disappears, and Melody can't stop her hands from trembling. Something about his eyes - red as blood, cold and cruel, seemed to cut right through her. She remembers how he once shrugged off her strongest magic like it was nothing, and for a horrible second wonders if she made a mistake. The thought of having someone like that as her enemy is terrifying.

"You're one of Koji's friends, aren't you?" A man says. Melody almost screams at the sudden noise, her heart hammering against her ribs. Kaito hurries around the corner, looking her up and down curiously. He waves his hand to shoo a fly buzzing around her head. "Your heart rate is through the roof, and you look pale. Are you alright?" He offers her a hand, and Melody gratefully takes it, her knees threatening to give out under her.

"I-I'm fine. Just a little...stressed." She says cautiously. She's even afraid to talk about the monkey man, in case he's still here somewhere listening. Instead, she takes a deep breath, turning her attention to Kaito directly. "I actually came to find you. Koji told me you're a god of healing."

"Indeed, I am, and I can see why you're here," he says, touching the back of his hand to her forehead. "No fever, that's a good sign-"

"It's not for me," She admits, slowly regaining her composure. "It's for my friend, Marcus. The one with the scars."

"Ah, yes I remember him. Is he not feeling well?" Kaito says, stroking his rounded chin thoughtfully. "I suppose he did look a little off as well."

"It's actually his eyes. Because of what happened to him, he can't see very well," She explains, her stomach tensing at the thought of his horrible wounds. And how he got them. "See, his Pantheon couldn't heal them completely. I was hoping that maybe you could?" She holds her breath as Kaito hums, his eyes sliding upward. He rubs his chin again, twisting his face in thought.

"They did look quite severe. And depending on the cause, it may be impossible to heal them completely. But if I knew what caused them, I might be able to make a remedy."

"Snake poison!" Melody says immediately, her voice cracking. "H-he had snake poison dripped on his face."

"Snake poison, hm?" Kaito says thoughtfully. "Well, lucky for you, we do know a thing or two about snakes here, what with Orochimaru on the rampage for the last month. I assume it wasn't a normal snake?" Melody shrinks back, her heart sinking. Would Kaito react as well as Koji did if she told him Marcus is Loki?

"...N-no, it's part of a legend," she says. She doesn't want to say it's a normal snake in case it affects the treatment. But she's also hesitant to share much more of the story. Kaito hums to himself again, then nods slowly.

"I can't guarantee anything. If his own Pantheon couldn't heal him then I'm not sure how much I can do. But I'll at least try." He says with a nod. "I'll need some time to prepare it, though. If he's in any pain-"

"Tomorrow morning! Before sunrise!" She says quickly. They need it before the fight, at the very least. Kaito nods, crossing his arms.

"I'll bring it to you in the morning, then." He looks her up and down one more time, then gently places a hand on her shoulder. "Now, enough about your friend. It's clear that you're not doing too well, either." Melody pauses, blinking at him in confusion.

"I-I feel fine, though." She says defensively.

"I'm sure you do. But if you keep pushing yourself, it won't last." Kaito explains, turning her around to face the way she came. "What you need most is rest. You haven't been sleeping lately, have you?" Melody suddenly can't meet his eye, and he nods knowingly. "I'll take you to the guest rooms, I assume that's where your other friends are. Take some time to eat, bathe, and most importantly, sleep. Take it from me - you can't take care of others if you fail to take care of yourself."