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darkdevasofdestruction · 3 months ago

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Chapter 9 - Shibito Magire

Though she's been staying over for days on end at the Amanome residence, not once has she seen Seiji's wonder - And though she wondered why, she was only briefly told that Mrs. Mitsuki went to visit her family. How sweet of her, going so frequently to see her parents, Kisara thought to herself. And in that morning, she finally had the privilege of seeing the beautiful woman that gave birth to the equally beautiful son she was dating.

Mrs. Mitsuki was wearing a lovely green kimono, embellished with rich jewellery - But the best accessories she was wearing were that incredibly contagious kind smile of hers, and the colourful flowers braided into her ebony-black hair. As soon as Mrs. Mitsuki saw Kisara and was introduced as Seiji's girlfriend, the mother embraced the embarrassed young lady and pulled her aside to have a lovely walk through the garden. Not only did Mrs. Mitsuki insist on not using such dreary honorifics, but she even suggested being called 'Auntie' at least, although she will soon end up being the mother figured she needed so much.

Although timid, Kisara ended up quickly easing up, and the two women talked for hours on end about life and hobbies, and so many things that they thought they could chat for months and still never get bored. Everything was going great, even at lunch where Seiji and Taizou were both staring in surprise at how well the two hit it off - Well, at least the boy was glad she was getting along so well with his parents, even if she'll end up being stolen away by his own mother. It was definitely worth it.

After dessert, Mitsuki decided to show the younger one her prized dressing room, filled with elegant and rich kimonos, each embroidered with the finest silks and golden thread. However, as the mother was jus about to take out a lovely light pink kimono for the girl to try on - Kisara let out a tormented shriek and fell to the ground, hyperventilating, yet her stare was focused on one thing alone - The Shiromuku Mitsuki wore at her wedding.

"Kisara, what happened? Are you having a panic attack?" Mitsuki fell to her knees next to the girl, cradling her violently shaking form into her embrace. As Seiji and Taizou both barged into the room, they noticed the red head pointing her trembling finger towards the white wedding kimono. "Is something wrong with my Shiromuku?" the mother asked, trying to understand what could have caused such an extreme reaction.

"Mitsuki, what happened to her?" the father asked, only to see his wife shaking her head, as she herself had no clue.

"Mrs. Mitsuki..." Kisara stuttered out. "I-Is your maiden name..." she gulped, petrified. "Mayumura...?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Mitsuki affirmed her question.

"Mushikabi Shrine... Lord Mushigami and Lord Kabigami..." Kisara muttered to herself, almost incoherently.

"You know of the Insect God and Mold God from the old M town?" Mitsuki was suprised to hear such words. "Then, since you know my name, and the Shrine, I suppose you are aware of my ancestry?"

"... How are you related to the Mayumura sisters...?" Mitsuki had a melancholic smile on her face, using her thumbs to wipe Kisara's unfortunate tears, before helping her stand up.

"I think it's about time we tell Seiji why we sent him to his grandparents for a month, five years ago." the father spoke, leading them to the living room, where they sat down at the table. While Taizou had the servants make some calming tea, Mitsuki went to retrieved a sketch book.

"So... You're telling me there was an actual reason behind the whole thing, and it wasn't a business trip?" Seiji asked, remembering the pretext he was given.

"Five years ago, your mother experienced continuous night terrors so bad that she was unable to sleep. They were affecting not only her health, but her sanity also. I was afraid she wouldn't make it." the father spoke, shocking his son with such outlandish information.

"Five years ago... The Departed... That's when the spirit manifested, and we purified it." Kisara spoke up, putting the puzzle pieces together.

"And when you did, I was saved also." Mitsuki smiled gratefully. "I have you to thank for that. I was going insane from the horrors I kept experiencing day in and day out, for so long."

"Can anyone be so gracious as to explain what's this all about? I don't understand - Mum, were you in danger?" the boy asked, clearly confused.

"Your mother was cursed by proxy for being the descendant of the younger sister of the two women who were sacrificed for the two worshipped Gods of M Town." Taizou sighed, yet the son was speechless and silent with fear.

"I'm sorry we never told you about the existence of spirits, darling - Truth is, we knew how terrified you were of the occult. We thought telling you of its existence would only scare you more." Mitsuki explained. "My ancestor, Mayumura Miyuki, was the younger sister of Michiyo and Mikiko, the two brides that were sacrificed to appease the Gods and stop the famine and draught of M Town. She was just a child back then... But she was deeply traumatised when she found out what happened to her beloved sisters."

"M Town...? Sacrifices...? That sounds ancient. It makes no sense." the boy muttered under his breath.

"That's because it happened like a century ago - And Konoehara Academy was built over the place that was once M Town. The shrine is also located in the Fox Forest." the father explained.

"Konoehara Academy? Isn't that where you and mum met?" the parents nodded.

"Kisara, what exactly happened five years ago?" Mitsuki asked, seeing the girl hang her head down.

"Many things." she muttered softly. "Five years ago, I and my brother, along with many other unfortunate people were cursed by spirits that we had to exorcise - And we all survived. However, a few months later, a new curse washed over Konoehara Academy, and students were disappearing for no reason." she explained briefly. "Mr. Konoe, the Headmaster, requested spiritual aid - Which is where I and another man, come in the picture."

"Is that man your brother?" Kisara shook her head.

"No. My brother came in much later, as he was busy with work. However, through the investigation, all of us, the previous Death Mark bearers, came to aid this man who worked under the alias of Yashiki Kazuo. His real name is Kujo Masamune, and he comes from a family with strong spiritual powers." the girl spoke.

"And the sisters' spirits were cursing the Academy?" Mitsuki asked, stupefied.

"Sort of. They needed a groom candidate, since the first boy, a student, failed their test. Thus, once Yashiki arrived and became a temporary teacher, he began being tested through numerous ghost attacks. We failed to save any of the targeted students - And what's worse, even though we offered true salvation to the ghosts - The Departed devoured them before they could pass on. Those poor ghosts had torment in life, and in death." the red head finished the whole tea pot all by herself.

"The groom had to be from an impeccable priest family with incredible spiritual powers. From what you're saying, Mr. Yashiki proved himself the perfect candidate." the girl nodded at the father's supposition.

"Quite so. And because of it, everyone surrounding him was a target. Ai Kashiwagi, a beautiful and young idol. Nagashima Shou, an edgy yet handsome delinquent. A doctor named Daimon Shuuij... And everyone who was there to help him exorcise the Departed." she explained further.

"That counts you in the equation also, doesn't it? If the groom had to meet a certain criteria, so did the brides, right?" Seiji asked, mortified by the whole ordeal, and the climax hadn't even reached yet.

"They had to be beautiful maidens, exceptional in every way, especially in intelligence, personality and lineage." Mitsuki was the one to clarify.

"The Departed had inhabited the body of two school girls that were aiding the investigation. Seeing me helping Yashiki and being overly-familial with him only stirred their jealousy. Not only that, but they must have known I suspected them and was trying to make him also do the same." Kisara went on. "When Yashiki along with my brother and I finally found the main Shrine, the Mushikabi Shrine, the Departed started chasing us in the Fox Forest. Realising that it was after my brother and I, we decided to be the bait and go through the forest, allowing Yashiki to run out of the forest via the straight path. However, the spirit was tenacious and scorned - It almost got us many times in the chase." she smiled wryly. "Thinking we were out of ideas, I took out my gun and shot the ghost in the face, before bolting in the opposite direction, saying I was Yashiki's bride and the Departed was too ugly to take my place." she laughed dryly.

"... You have a death wish." Seiji hissed under his breath. "It's the exact same thing you did during the whole Kubitarou mess!" his parents looked questioning at him. "... I'll explain after this is over."

"My brother almost killed me after we met up again." her smile was so exhausted. "At least we're alive, and Yashiki exorcised the ghost. Not only that, but the Departed was so in love with him, that it released the possession of the two schoolgirls so they could live a happy life from then on - Though the memories of the sisters remain."

"What I don't understand is - Why did they become a ghost? What happened during the wedding?" Taizou asked.

"Their wedding was not with their grooms, but with the Gods." Kisara's voice was much softer now. "Whey they reached the shrine, the priests decapitated the grooms, so their heads would watch as the girls become adequate brides for the Insect and Mold Gods."

"The girls had their Shiromuku ripped apart and were held down by the priests. Next... They had holes dug into their body, where they planted mold into Mikiko, and living insects into Michiyo." the mother continued the story. "Is that why you screamed when you saw the Shiromuku, Kisara?"

The red head nodded. "I have the ability to have visions of the deceased, in which I am living through their deathly experiences. I can feel their pain and torment, for as long as they hold me captive. That, and the fact that it's a direct family heirloom holding the deceased's resentment, it terrified me."

"W-Wait so - You're saying... Y-You experienced their horrific torture?!" Seiji gasped, petrified by his girlfriend's words.

"They were held prisoners as the mold and insects were rotting and eating away at their muscles and fiber from within - As the were force-fed mold and insects for days on end, until they finally had the mercy of dying." the girl nodded her head.

"That is what I also experienced until you purified the spirit." Mitsuki took out the sketchbook, revealing the grotesque drawings of the two brides during their wedding, during late infection stages - And more, of each of the Departed's transformations. "Drawing what I was dreaming was the only way I could remain sane. Because of it, I asked my grandparents what they know of it, and they gave me the details."

"To think anyone could experience spiritual wrath like that..." Seiji truly wished he didn't know - He hated the idea of his two treasured women going through such torture because some psychopaths thought torturing girls would stop the famine.

"Speaking of spiritual wrath - What was that about... 'Kubitarou', you said?" the mafia boss asked, looking at his son with an inquiring look.

"About that..." the boy looks away, clearing his throat. "Kijima's been cursed by a ghost too, and they kidnapped Ami. I've been helping him exorcise ghosts in hopes of figuring out how to save her." his parents were quiet - Though he boy thought they were mad at him for meddling into such dangerous territory, they were more concerned than anything. "Kubitarou was the huge and morbidly obese ghost of a little girl with mental impairments. She was tied to a tree by her father and the village let her die there."

"And she also chased us with a machete and decapitated multiple dogs." Kisara coughed awkwardly.

"... And almost shattered Kisara's balcony window, banging on it, to kill her." Seiji continued the train of facts.

The girl bit her lip, playing with her fingers idly. "She, uh... She killed Maruhashi, just after he hung up the phone call with us." she fidgeted with her phone. "I called his cousin after it happened, to inform her. She, uh... Saki was the only person at Konoehara that was afflicted with the curse, but survived. She adored that guy." she kept silent for a few seconds. "Saki was very proud of him after I told her we couldn't have survived without him."

"To think ghosts could be so malicious." Taizou muttered under his breath.

"They express in death, what they have been exposed to in life." Mitsuki sighed. "The cycle of death can only stop if we take the time to appease the ghosts... As there is no end to human cruelty."

"And most of them get away with it." Kisara whispered, angry at the truth. "Innocent victims are tortured to death, and in turn, they make more innocent victims - Yet it all starts with evil people." she continued, only for the family to get startled by her phone ringing from a received message - Ban informed her it was time to meet up and solve the case. "Forgive me for cutting this short - I have to go. We are close to appeasing another ghost."

"Kisara - Why are you going out of your way to help Akira? You just met them, you have no obligation to put yourself in danger the way you do." Taizou expressed his concerns.

"... I don't know." she answered dead pan. "Maybe because I, also, wouldn't be alive right now, if it weren't for other people's help. Or, perhaps, because the ghosts were killed in such brutal ways, that I feel sympathy enough to at least try to end their never-ending torment." she looked away for a few seconds. "This case involves girls younger than twelve years of age, kidnapped on their way home, and dismembered with a hacksaw. I heard their cries, I lived their agony - I saw a ten year old beg for death, and an eight year old plead for her limbs back." even the mafia boss was shaken by such a thought. "Maybe Yakumo Miroku is dead or escaped his sentence - But those girls deserve better than being toys for capricious monsters."

"Miroku, the horror author who was writing children books?" Mitsuki asked, to which Kisara shrugged. "His description of blood and flesh were rather... Well - They were very intricately described to an almost peculiar extent. A lot of people see blood in their life, but I don't know if they can describe body-horror to such a degree."

"With what I've seen, I am not surprised in the least." the red head sighed, getting up.

"I am coming with you!" Seiji shot up to his feet in an instant, only to stumble; His leg hasn't fully healed yet. "I can't let you deal with that ghost all alone. You were chased around, hanged and almost beheaded by Kubitarou - Who knows what this ghost will do to you!"

"Thank you for your consideration - But I think the only way you can help me right now is to stay home and recuperate. Ghost or not, a tree still did fall on you and screwed up your leg. You can't force it now, running around with ghosts on your back." thus, the girl bowed to the family as a goodbye and went towards Black Rabbit.

"She's one brave and kind lady. Willingly getting into a fight to death with a ghost can't be easy." the father praised the red head, flipping through his wife's sketchbook. "If one ghost was this disgusting and grotesque, I don't want to imagine the variety of atrocities she had to appease."

While Seiji and his family began conversing about the supernatural encounters they experienced, especially regarding Kakuya's string of spirits, Kisara arrived at the meeting spot and was ready to end this case once and for all. The poor girls needed closure and peace more than anything.

With new-found information that accused and confirmed Miroku kidnapped young girls younger than middle school, once every ten years, along with their initials on each of the tapes they found... It was no doubt, Miroku's relatives were high ups in the government or something influential, if they could cover up his crimes with such ease and have all fire extinguished from his back. Such is the corrupt way of the world, where adults torture little girls, and they get away with it.

In spite of having each taken a strong drink, once met with the somber look of the residence they all sobered up immediately, anticipating the worst. First, they rushed to the wooden frames where Kijima hung the masks in adequate order, thus having the last secret passageway opened for them - At the end of the corridor, there was a ladder. They could finally access the blasted attic and confront the ghost of the Screaming Author. The room was vast, yet everyone present was intrigued by what was hiding behind the sliding paper door. The dubious paper lanterns on each side of the attic, however, were warm, as if someone just recently lit them up.

Though Kisara warned the brunet boy not to slide open the door - He did as he wished - And although there was no deadly ghost yet to pounce on them, they were shown a shit ton amount of blood on the ground; Most likely, that was the spot of the tortured. Once touched, the blood visions came up as a bunch of different, jumbled up images, and Akira couldn't make anything out of it, except for a massive headache.

The attic hadn't yet revealed all its secrets, they realised, so they returned to the bedroom once more to further their investigation. Here, they found a bunch of scattered papers with different names and references, along with an old typewrites. On one of the papers, there was a riddle; Thanks to Ban using carbon paper on the typewriter, they found out the answer was 'TSUBASA' no Ongaeshi, as 'Wings' is 'Tsubasa', the same as the girl's name. Miroku was writing a book called 'Tsubasa no Ongaeshi', made to mirror the original folk tale of the Crane Wife, 'Tsuru no Ongaeshi'.

With the riddle solved, the typewriter started typing on its on, revealing such a terrifying message...

"I've failed with many of them in the past. However, I managed to save the fourth birdie. Though it is 'their role', all birdies have lost all four limbs. It's truly saddening. The fourth birdie wails that it does not want to be seen and it wants to die... Truly a pity. I shall at least give her wings and transform her from a little birdie, into a beautiful crane. If she became a crane, I'm sure it would show me utmost gratitude, even if it died..."

They didn't even have time to express their disgust or horror at the paper's contents, for Ban noticed that one of the beds, which was previously perfectly flat, had magically formed a rather big bumps, as if someone was laying under the blanket. The party scrunched their noses at the horrendous stench coming from that direction, before Akira ripped the sheet away, revealing the ridiculous abomination that became Miroku's body, stapled together with multiple limbs, with his head infested by maggots.

"Please don't tell me this is Miroku's body and the girls' arms." Kisara hit her palm to her forehead in an attempt to take away the shock. "Looks like the kids' arms are embalmed... I think you're right..." Ban muttered, equally horrified. "Why would anyone do this? Did the Spirit do this?! What the hell - " this may have hit Akira a bit more than it hit the others, at least in the rationalisation area. "I... Think Miroku might have done it... There's the surgical stapler, used to shut open wounds. Insane until the end..." the girl sighed; From anger, the boy immediately covered the dead murderer, before stomping out of the room. "Hang on - ... If that's Miroku, then who is the Screaming Author?" Kijima looked at the others, confused beyond belief. "...I think it's the middle school girl. The one he tried to make into a crane or something. The fourth birdie, as he called her. As she was older, she must have been filled with exponentially more regret than all the others... And she might have also suffered more than the others. You can bet she holds an enormous grudge on this shithead... And we also haven't found the 4th girl doll... Tsubasa..." Kisara answered, ruffled her hair, thinking at the tragedy of it all.

Ban found an old key, along with a syringe filled with Midazolam, a very strong sedative used in preanesthetic medication, as Kisara informed; And although the older man hoped it may have been used to operate on those poor girls, one tiny act of mercy in an otherwise endless ocean of excruciating agony... However, remembering the tapes, and the red head's own torture, there was little chance that were the truth.

With the time to confront the ghost incoming, Akira decided to take Rose, the ghost expert, to help him - All the while Ban practically dragged the far too empathetic girl outside of the residence to stay guard together, as he didn't want her to get involved again in such a tragic encounter.

Though his intention was sweet, the girl was far too spiritually afflicted to stay passive; In her head, she could hear the Screaming Author shrieking her wrathful vengeance into her head. "I pleaded... And pleaded... And pleaded... And pleaded... And pleaded........ And nothing!" The high pitched crane noises were grating her brain so badly that she had to crouch to the ground and hold her head from the terrible migraine she was having. Looking up, she could even see Tsubasa's contorted silhouette, yet in her mind, she could see her true appearance engraved in her retina; And no matter how much she tried to blink it away, the poor, mutilated girl with nails hammered into her body and wired hanging her up from the ceiling simply wouldn't disappear. She was well aware that Ban was trying to shake her away, to make her snap out of her trance, but the ghost's excruciating shrieks wouldn't stop tormenting her; Instinctively, the doctress pushed him away and sprinted up in the attic to see the spirit's deformed body with her own eyes, while Akira and Rose were awkwardly hanging upside down.

Despite the crane screech, a plea for help, Kisara felt pity showering her heart, and in that moment, she remembered the lullaby that her mummy sang to her whenever she'd crawl in her bed, crying that she had nightmares - The Japanese equivalent of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. With the captive Spirit Hunters trying to get their plan in motion, Kisara decided to act as a decoy and distract Tsubasa. "Kira kira hikaru, osorano hoshiyo. Mabataki shite wa, minna o miteru. Kira kira hikaru, osorano hoshiyo." she kept repeating those lyrics, and surprisingly, the effect was primarily what she expected - The girl stopped attacking for a little while, and seemed to cry for her mummy, which gave Akira enough time to catch the incense lighter from Rose.

However, what Kisara wasn't expecting was for the girl's spirit to go into a frenzy and throw wires at her as well, dangling her up in the air, tugging her limbs far apart and in awkward positions, as those wires were digging dangerously into her skin, possibly drawing blood at some point, but of that, she couldn't be too sure, for she couldn't see anything; She was immobilised and all she could do was try to breathe away the uncomfortable, suffocating feeling from having those wires so tightly wrapped around her neck, almost as if they were trying to pull on it and lengthen it, just like a crane's.

"Thanks for the diversion, Kisara, now let's hope it works, for all our sakes." Akira grumbled, and swaying in his restraints, he managed to reach the spirit who, surprisingly, went ablaze very fast, and fell on the tatami in a pile of ashes in a matter of seconds.

How very unpredictable and unnatural spirits can be, they thought to themselves. Thankfully, the fire didn't reach their wires, and instead, they vanished, so with a pretty painful thud, the party fell to the ground, groaning both from getting hurt, but also, in relief of having escaped yet another threat.

"Pfew, well...We're still alive." Rose sighed deeply, rubbing her skin to alleviate some of the pain from the wire cuts. "Y-Yeah... Somehow..." and now, they all looked at the pile of blood and ashes that stood in place of the spirit. "Maybe you can try and find something out about Ami if you touch the blood." the girl suggested, nudging the brunet boy forward.

As Akira did as instructed without a second thought, he had a vision once again, and after he got out of his trance, he told the ladies about the place Ami was trapped into - Kakuriyo - And it seemed to ring a bell for Rose, who explained that it was some Shinto term for their view of the World, the Realm of the Dead, or the Afterlife. Consequently, the World of the Living is called Utsushiyo.

Despite the fact that they both seemed not to believe it was the true Afterlife, it wouldn't surprise Kisara all that much, after witnessing the weird powers of Mary the Doll; If Kakuya was be able to mess around with the Realms, considering she may or may not have been the one to actually bring about in our world all these Spirits they encountered so far, then she was truly a dangerous foe.

Getting snapped out of her thoughts, Kisara sees Akira opening some��chest, taking out a small, oddly-shaped Doll, and a thick envelope. The weirdest thing of it all, was the fact that the doll perfectly resembled Kakuya's face... So this only leads the girl to believe that Miroku may or may not have been directly associated with Kakuya. Could he have tried to ritualistically send those poor girls in mutilated, doll-like shapes, to Kakuya, so she would have a playmate? It would make sense why the kidnappings happened once every ten years, or so, and how Akira described her as being a child... But how in the world did those two get connected, anyway?

As he shoved the doll in his pocket, Akira opened the enveloped, revealing scratch paper with detailed descriptions of things and some photos of the girls he killed - The pictures depicted the girl who got kidnapped after ballet practice... So this was the Screaming Author's true identity. What she actually didn't want anyone to see... She didn't want anyone to see her as she became, the mutilated crane corpse, and compare her to her former, beautiful self. How painful...

After gathering their thoughts, Ban joined in to scold the girl for being so reckless - Yet when he realised the case was over, he initiated a small prayer for the victims to get closure before leaving, as the cops may start making rounds very soon, and there was no way they wanted to get caught.

As per Kijima's suggestion, they split up in groups of two and met up back at the Black Rabbit pub to get a much deserved drink - Or more - And though the only speaking was mostly the man scolding and nagging Mashita like he is her mother - The pub became deathly silent once Aunt Natsumi revealed herself, and they had to very awkwardly introduce themselves and explain why they were there and what happened to end up the way they did. Life, mostly.

To everyone's surprise, the poor woman believe every words they were saying - It goes to show how hopeless and desperate she is to save her little girl, and she even went as far as to entrust her fate on them. That was quite the responsibility they had to shoulder - There was no way they could back down any second now.

Still, a rather interesting intervention from the lady piqued their interest, once she pointed out that Miroku himself wrote a book called 'Realm of the Dead', so perhaps that book is describing his interpretation of Kakuriyo, and whatever connection he had with Kakuya - Hopefully, at least.

With Ban calling her a taxi, Kisara arrived back at the Amanome residence safe and sound - Albeit, with some wire burns across her body from the superficial lacerations she suffered. However, before Seiji could properly nurse her injuries and pamper her up for all her hard work - Taizou handed her a letter, addressed to 'Hasashi & Mashita'. With a look of dread on her face, the girl took the envelope and went to Seiji's room, knowing she'd need some mustered up courage to open the blasted thing.

"It is from your stalker, isn't it?" she nodded simply, as she sat slumped on the couch on the balcony and looked straight down at the envelope and the black, messy cursive of her name. "Let me open it. It could be dangerous."

Shaking her head negative, Kisara lit up a cigarette, and keeping it between her lips, she poured some alcohol. It would be her third glass for the day already. She truly needs to find better coping mechanisms. After the cig all but burnt completely, she opened the envelope, revealing two pictures.

One was the stolen picture from her home taken on the day the Mashita family adopted her into the family; She was barely twelve, and her brother was twenty. The picture was a testament of his quick acceptance of her as his little sister, and how in spite of his snarky and rude demeanour, he was a protective sweetheart with her... All because, in the picture, he picked her up bridal style and came up with her new name for her. That was the time when Mashita Kisara was born.

The other picture, however, was a little weird - It depicted her when she was six and just began school... But who was the boy next to her? She flipped it around to see if anything was written there. 'Love at first meeting' it said, and finally, she had an epiphany. The picture all but fell from her grasp as she hurried to call her brother as she downed another quick glass burning down her throat.

"The world better be burning, or you will." if she wasn't so freaked out, she would be laughing at his greeting.

"I figured out why Anzo has been targeting me for so long." Satoru and Seiji both were stunned.

"Speak." he snapped immediately.

"I completely forgot about it - But back when I was six and just got enrolled in school, I met this boy my age who was bullied in the playground. I was with dad, and I dragged him there to defend the boy. He was very grateful, and thanked me countless times, saying no one ever defended him before." she gulped a little. "I remember now... It was Anzo. Back then, he kissed my cheek as a thank you and told dad he'll grow up strong and wealthy, and asked for his blessing to marry me. Dad laughed, but nodded nonetheless. It was a silly thing, we were children..."

"What the hell... That's a fifteen year obsession. That guy's been after you for longer than he's known to count up to ten." Mashita hissed under his breath. "What got you to remember this? It's such an insignificant memory, there's no way anyone would just randomly remember it without something stirring up the past."

"Spot on as always." she sighed, lighting up a cigarette. "I've been staying at Seiji's after Anzo broke into my house and vandalised it. Ban took pictures of the evidence - He wants to drag me to the police and get a restriction order based on the evidence. I told him it was useless, but he seems motivated." based on the crestfallen look on the boy's face, she realised she forgot to mention that tid-bit. Oops. She's got a lot of explaining to do. "Anyway - Thing is, last night, Anzo stalked me as I was walking down the road to his home, and he knows where he stays. Just now, he sent a letter there, addressed to 'Hasashi & Mashita'. You and I."

"While I doubt the police from Kissouji is any sensible, compared to the incompetents in H city - I'd say it's worth a try. Just let that old man do the talking and you just put your best scared face and nod to everything he says. Picture evidence might help." the phone call got silence for a few seconds. "What's in the letter?"

"It was the picture he stole of the two of us, along with the old picture dad took of me and Anzo that day. On it, he wrote 'Love at first meeting', and it made me remember that sequence." the man could only sigh deeply.

"What a damn freak." he growled under his breath. "Listen - Make sure you stay safe and guarded if you want to go out. That psycho is capable of anything." Satoru's voice softened a little. "I won't let you down again."

"Satoru..." the girl bit her lip, nodding idly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise."

"That's my girl. I know you'll be careful. Take care. I and Yashiki are almost done with our case, and we're coming to see you." Mashita's words made his sister smile so cutely and bright, like a happy kitten receiving ear scratches.

"Looking forward to seeing you soon. Say hi to Yashiki from me. Love you." she hung up.

As she placed her phone on the table, she timidly rose her sight to look at the boy slumped on the couch, looking at her with confusion and worry. It's only been a few days since the Screaming Author case, and she's already hidden so many things that may actively compromise her safety - So many things that were in her own detriment. How can he protect her, when she's running away from him? How can he help her, when she's pushing him away?

"I, uh... I guess I owe you an explanation... Or more... Huh?" she chuckled awkwardly, as the boy nodded slowly.

"You think?" he rose a quizzical eyebrow, watching as the forced smile faltered. "How long are you going to hide away your fears and trauma from me? Is it that you don't trust me yet with your deepest secrets and vulnerabilities, or that you don't think I'm capable of handling my own girlfriend's sadness and supporting her when she needs me the most?"

"No, just..." she looked away, puffing from the cigarette. "I'm so used to not telling anyone anything, that I forgot normal people actually tell people they trust about themselves - Which I've failed to do." she let out the smoke up into the air, watching the gentle swirls disappear into the gentle breeze. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive - I'm not angry at you. I just want to understand you, Kisara." the boy reached out to hold her hands in his own. "You are my girlfriend, and I want to be there for you, the same way you've been for me - So if you trust me with your life, then please, trust me with your soul also. I want to protect you."

His hazel eyes peered deep into those timid jade-like eyes, sparkling deeply with the gleaming crystal tears falling down her face one by one, until they formed a summer drizzle. Someone so strong, yet so sensitive - To have someone to forward in his affections and desire to protect her, when all she's known is anguish and hopelessness - Seiji couldn't help but feel his own heart clenching in pain and sorrow seeing her tough cookie facade crumbling down so easily, with just a few genuine words.

"I trusted Ban with it... Of course I trust you also." her voice was so meek and mousy. "Well... To start from the very beginning, I suppose I should tell you about my childhood..." albeit with some reticence and pain, she was able to speak out about her blissful fairytale-like childhood, followed by her mother's diagnosis and their double suicide. She told him how she became who she is now, being adopted by Satoru's family, yet despite being in a lovely new family, she never felt as if she belonged. Whether that was her fault not accepting foster parents and still suffering her parents' death - Or because Satoru's parents were never the warmest people, as per his own words - She still doesn't know the truth, but she respects them deeply. Without them, she wouldn't be who she is now.

She recalled her desperate plead to her brother to take her with him to his apartment since he is the only family she has; She told him how she learnt to cook and take care of the house since her brother was so bad at it - A typical boy life with shitty food and clothes scattered everywhere, and wearing the same mismatched socks for a week.

And then, all hell broke loose when Anzo found her and started tormenting her - How she was terrified of him from the second she saw him, and told her brother all about it; How he started stalking her, breaking into their apartment, beating her and trying to strangle her to death once she started screaming for her brother. Although her voice remained steady, her sadness was dripping with every word. Unable to cope with just looking at her devastated form, Seiji hopped on her couch and held her tightly to his chest, soothingly caressing her hair.

She told him all about the humiliation and gaslight she was put through when she had to get a restriction order against Kenzo - Men and Women alike said she was faking, that she seduced him, that the bruises were proof of her clumsiness not abuse... And she only got the restriction order because Satoru was a policeman. Once he was kicked out for going too close to the truth of the Honey Bee Cult and his mentor's death, the order was annulled also, and she was constantly at risk.

Just sixteen years old, and she was cursed by two ghosts, before going out of her way to help out Yashiki up until his last confrontation with Mary the Doll; Four months afterward, helping him again at Konoehara Academy, where they exorcised the Departed, and saved Seiji's mum from her visions and nightmares also... And later, the Jorogumo ghost at the Love Hotel...

All those horrifying stories of the ghosts, all the visions she had to experience, and yet there she was, five years later, purposefully going in the path of danger for no other reason than to be helpful. Seiji couldn't even hope to begin to understand how she's able to process such pain, not only that she experienced directly, but indirectly also. And worse... The three years she had to live alone when she had to live in a studio apartment when she began University... So lonely, so terrifying, all by herself, too afraid to go out and have fun with others, and only ever going out to go to school or to buy groceries.

All alone, to dream every night the torture of the women she purified.

The place she was staying at in Kissouji... To think that apartment was actually her old childhood home - The boy's heart shattered, thinking that he held her to sleep in the house where here deceased parents used to live in... The only place where she was ever truly happy... How earth shattering.

"And so... Today... I know I was a little snappy when I left. Forgive me for that." she smiled, full of sorrow. "Thing is... Back when I was their age... I was the same as them. Just like any of them. Ten years ago, I was the same age range as them. I did dancing and ballet, just like them... We had a happy life, and dreams of the future, and so many aspirations and people to make proud..." the boy shook his head, telling her she had nothing to apologise for. "It could have been me." her soft voice was so heart breaking. "But... I'm alive - And they aren't." she sobbed weakly. "Their parents live in eternal torment, blaming themselves for allowing their little princesses to be kidnapped... They don't have the closure of knowing the certainty of their death, albeit gruesome."

"And you are alive, yet live with the torment of the knowledge of your parents death." Seiji silenced her with his comment. "I know you pity the dead and want to give them peace and closure - But Kisara, the greatest disservice you can do yourself is to compromise your well-being, for the sake of already dead people."

"I know, but..." she sighed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I can't help it. I don't go out of my way to chase ghosts... They chase me. I hate it. I don't want more of it." she whined lightly. "I hope once Akira and Ami are safe, I won't have to go out of my way to encounter spirits anymore. I just want to live a normal life without all this chaos... And with no more creepy stalkers trying to kill me."

"Kisara." the boy gently cupped her face, making her look up at him; Long lashes and wet hazel eyes, holding so much affection and love, such determination to protect her and see her happy; All of it, genuine. "No matter what, I will protect you." he promised. "I want to see you smile - Happiness looks best on you - And believe me when I say, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are happy."

"You do make me happy, Seiji. I'm the happiest I've been in so long."

With such a sweet and heartfelt confession uttered from the beautiful lady, the Yakuza Prince kissed her tenderly, getting lost in the incredible feeling of her soft, plump lips that tasted faintly of alcohol, cigarettes and some chocolate. She felt so small in his arms, yet it felt as though their bodies fit together perfectly in each other's embrace. To think he'd have the luck to meet such a wonderful woman, and to fall in love; To have her affections, and feel his heart flutter and flip with joy; And more, to deserve her trust and respect, and even experience sleeping cuddled together for nights on end. How intimate, how natural, how absolutely blissful.

"I love you, Kisara."

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