He stopped, for a moment forgetting about the unstable portal, or about how this portal journey was going to blow serious chunks no matter how he looked at it, and gave them both a smile, and then pulled both of them up into a hug. "Yes, she is dead and gone. V'elen got a decent amount of it/her energy, and when it/his own energy gets back, well, V'elen figures he just jumped about seven cycles worth of growth in about five minutes worth of work.<br/><br/>And Ama..."<br/><br/>He paused, and kissed her, not bothering to talk, just linking both her and Inari to him.<em>You two are the few things that have ever happened to me that I will honestly say were completely and without qualifications good. I will admit that the intuition and math for this is, at best, shaky, but I will go through whatever hells, wars, enemies, and trials to get back to you two. I lived never expecting anything out of life but maybe a footnote in a history book, a place in a story as the somewhat token evil lancer, and a cold grave. I got both of you, which...</em><br/><br/>He didn't have words, but he did have emotions, and memories of it just being him and one or both of them, and how he was utterly and completely content. Even the other companions and his familiars couldn't get that much of a reaction from him.<em>I had given up on everything, and Fate gave me a chance for both of you. That I did get both is something I am honored, and I will return, ask both of you for a greeting and blessing, before offering to have that ceremony we never got. It will DEFINITELY be the first thing I do, after making sure all of us are safe. I wish I knew more, that I could be as smart as I pretended to be, cause I am sure I would be able to tell you how long I would be gone, or would be able to get out of the binding to it. I wish I was, but I am not, and this place is going to be exceptionally lethal in about two minutes. I don't know how big the blast if I don't bleed the power off will be, but I will certainly be in the 'dead as Verdelet' range.</em><br/><br/>He gave Amaterasu a tender loving kiss, his forehead resting against hers. "Not losing me, Ama. Just having to live without me for a bit. And I swear, on my soul and true name, that I will come home. And if I don't ask you about that which I promised, it isn't me."<br/><br/>He didn't explain the last of that comment further, as the constructs indicated they were short on time. He kissed them both, and stepped back, armor forming up around him, and he gave them both a wink and a smile, though the mind link revealed he was in mental anguish at the thought of being without them for however long he was going to be, only the knowledge, half intuited, half guessed, that he WOULD come home, kept him moving forward. "I love you, both of you, more than anything else I have ever. I may have others here with you, but you two are the only ones I would give everything for."<br/><br/>One of the constructs looked up at him from the portal. "Sir, all constructs are briefed and pulling back, death squad will be accompanying you. Male kitsunes now reporting to Ladies Ama and Inari, shadow stalkers as well. Allies have been 'advised' to assist them as much as possible, and have been warned, and asked to spread said warning, that if you come back and find out something happened to your family, you will be... displeased with them and make that fact clear to them, their families, and their followers, personally."<br/><br/>He nodded absently, before saluting his kitsunes, and nodding. "Time to go you two. I love you, and will come back."