The demon caught the swordsman off guard with a surprise attack. They had no chance to block or escape. Purple light engulfed them completely. The full force would hit them. Their guard was too slow to do anything. ‘…can’t move…’ However, in the last second two shadows appeared in front of them shielding the force. His eyes widened a little in surprise.
Mitsuru and Tsukiko knelt on the ground with their blades crossed. White light glowed from their blades’ core keeping the demonic energy at bay. Around them, the energy carved away the earth. Only an island of protection remained after it finished. Everything around them was stripped away.
The swordsman recovered their shock and stepped forward. “I thought I told you to leave. This is my fight. I don’t need your help.”
Turning back to face him, the two smiled in their spirit forms. Nothing he said would make them change their mind. “Sorry, I can’t leave. When the challenge is too great alone, you get others to help. Together three arrows will be stronger than the one.”
It seemed like a convincing rally call for teamwork. However, Tsukiko and Mitsuru’s words fell on deaf ears. The young man walked pass them, eyes still fixed on the massive demonic presence in front of them. His eyes continued to hold the same determination to fight alone. “I started this fight, I’m ending it.” He lowered his sword to his side blocking their approach. “Don’t move.”
Mitsuru attempted to stand. “But—“
“NO!” He interrupted them immediately motioning with the sword. Once they stopped trying to move, he leapt forward attacking the demon head-on.
Looking over at Tsuki, Mitsu did not know what to do. They thought a strong talk would be enough. It worked for them in past. “What should we do, Tsuki?”
“I don’t know, but we need to do something! He’s not going to able to survive alone.”
“I know, but if he keeps stopping us.”
Another opportunity presented itself. The swordsman fell behind them. Their sword came free from their grasp landing a few meters away. They landed up against the remains of a collapsed tree. Blood dripped down their forehead from an unseen wound.
Tsukiko was the first to move. It ended up deciding everything. The demon was still on the attack with no stopping, regardless of the swordsman’s condition. “Go!” shouted Mitsu, giving her the sign he would hold off the demon.
“I’ll be back!” she promised, before running over to the young man. Tsukiko saw his face fully for the first time with the hat removed. He had a very round young face making him seem younger than he actually was judging from his height. The fighting ruined his hair leaving it in a mess with black strains hung over his eyes.
Approaching cautiously, she tried to check out the wound on his head to see how badly he was hurt. However, they slapped away her hand. Tsukiko did not take his rebuke poorly, since it only continued his consistency. “I just wanted to see how bad the wound was. You’re head’s bleeding.”
He pressed up against the tree to get himself back on his feet. “Don’t touch me!” Slowly walking, he went for his sword.
“You’re hurt! I just want to help!”
With his sword back in his hand, his stature straightened out as though it gave him strength. He tilted his head over his shoulder to look back at her. “I don’t need your help. Your interference into this fight is already a stain on my honor. I would have you take no further action to trample upon it.”
She did not understand him. Honor did not make any sense in a losing fight. “I’m not trampling on your honor! You were in danger so I wanted to help! What’s wrong with helping?”
He started walking away from her. His eyes looked fixed on the demon, Mitsu struggled against. “It would seem even though you wield that sword you know nothing of the pride or honor of those who wield it. Remember this well, a proud samurai fights alone and all battles are one-on-one. Any aid is the worst offense.”
“How old fashion do you have to be to follow such things?!”
“It was my way of life. I don’t expect you to understand, just obey my wishes.”
Chapter 8 – Lost and Found
“Stand aside,” he ordered to Mitsu, flying by him to deflect the incoming attack.
Mitsu dropped to one knee, his breathing a little short. “Glad...ly…” He realized too late in giving up his position that it was to the swordsman. However, he needed the rest from all the attacks. During the entire engagement, he was only ever able to maintain a defense against the demon. The attacks did not let up for a moment. ‘How’d he manage to keep pace even a little?’
“Mitsu!” Tsukiko came running up to his side checking on him. Relief washed over her seeing that he had no injuries. She looked forward, hearing the explosive clash of the two. “How could you let him keep fighting?”
“I didn’t exactly have a chance to say no.” He stared ahead along with her. Watching the stranger jump around barely keeping ahead was impressive to behold, yet it was clear to even his untrained eye that it was a losing battle. “He’s determined to fight this battle alone.”
She flipped her head over to him, a little surprised by his words. “You’re not planning on letting him are you?!”
“Of course not,” he answered quickly. “I’m just not sure how we’re going to convince him to let us help. It may only make things worse.”
Another blast went off from the colliding powers. Tsuki stared a bit in awe herself. “I know what you’re saying, but we have to do something.”
The swordsman flew away from the demon, knocked back unable to hold his position. His guard broke, he looked like he would fall, however in the last moment he recovered enough to dig his sword into the ground. Halting his movement ended up being the first mistake. Giant maggots swarmed his position. Fighting them off was pointless, it was only a distraction. Two blasts from his flanks came in. He saw them, but could do nothing. The demon insects had him pinned down. “Curse you, demon!”
Mitsuru and Tsukiko leapt in the last second to block the blasts, protecting the swordsman. They struggled in holding back the demonic energy barely contained. Only their swords held enough spiritual power to create a barrier. It was the only thing keeping them from being completely overwhelmed.
Once he finished with the insects, he regained his stance. “Still interfering? How long do you continue tear apart my honor?”
Their possessed swords glowed brighter for a moment allowing them to throw off the attack finally. Mitsuru straightened up, looking over at him. “Does that include dying?”
Slashing through mist tendrils, he did not answer Mitsuru immediately. When the attack finished, he pulled his sword back holding it out horizontal. “Dying a good death is honorable.” The blade suddenly seemed to distort the air around it, displacing it. Force from the blade created wind blowing behind him. He looked to be preparing for a different sort of attack, completely separate from how he fought the demon. “Fukushima Style – Secret Technique! Opening!”
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared. His movement was too fast for either of them to notice. All they saw was a blinding light in the direction of the demon followed by an immense force. The trees rocked and anything not rooted to the ground flew up at them blasted away. Mitsuru and Tsukiko could only hold on with their swords providing protection from the force.
“Can you see anything, Tsuki?”
“No! I don’t know what’s happening anymore!”
“Do you think this is it?”
“I hope so! If it’s not we’re in trouble!”
Suddenly, the roar of trees being up rooted deafened everything. It seemed everything just jumped up another level on the scale. The siblings felt their feet having trouble keeping in contact with the ground. They were certain at any moment they would be flung to the far reaches of Mashita.
Then everything calmed in an instant.
The blinding light remained in the eerie peace. Nothing seemed willing to make an action and risk jinxing what could only be a dream. It was not a dream. Someone wished it was though.
A thick wet noise rang out through the forest. Following it was something flung out of the light before it started to fade. Whatever it was slammed into a tree with enough force to crack it in two. Another painful wet sound broke.
The mist started penetrating through the forest with renewed aggression. It quickly became clear what happened. Mitsuru spun around to see the result. The moment he saw, he ran off after them without even thinking.
“Mitsu!” Tsuki reached out a hand for him, but he was gone. The demon’s mist rolled over her arm. It seemed to have a life of its own. Intangible, it felt like hands grabbed at her even though it was just a shapeless mass. ‘So cold! And sad, yet so much rage. Uncontrollable, all consuming rage. It’s like I can feel its emotions.’ The feeling quickly made her uncomfortable, trying to pull her arm free. However, the hold it had on her was stronger than she imagined.
She yanked on her arm a few times trying to free herself, but it only seemed to make worse. Tsukiko rubbed at her arm hoping to scratch it off. Nothing happened still. Then she remembered seeing the swordsman attacking the mist. Turning her sword around, she pulled it away from herself through the mist. It seemed to work, freeing herself, though what attached to her arm still clung to her. A slow drop came from it.
However, she had bigger problems. Mitsu was completely open and unguarded. She leapt in front of the incoming attack. Even though she expected it, the force still nearly knocked her off her feet. She dug her feet in to hold her position. ‘Come on! If Mitsu was able to hold it off, I should be able to as well!’ The blade of her sword grew brighter for a moment allowing her to breakthrough almost stumbling forward. She immediately charged forward taking the fighting away from them.
Tripping over a trunk, Mitsu fell to his knees still out of reach. He scrambled over the collapsed tree quickly covering the remaining distance. Mitsuru reached out praying he was still alive. “Umm…sir?” Caution did not seem to get any reaction from him. He grabbed on to him trying to pull him down from spread all over the crumpled tree.
The young man coughed up blood suddenly from Mitsuru’s moving. Some of it sprayed across his face, startling him even more than the stranger finally reacting. “I’m so sorry! I hope I didn’t make it worse!” He flailed about trying to get him into a suitable position, even though he kept sliding down for several attempts. A few more coughs of blood frightened Mitsuru further. “I’m making it worse, aren’t I?!”
Tsukiko quickly realized that she could not hold any sort of offense against the demon. When she went too close, the attacks came in too frequently for her to counter anything. All she could do was defend. While too far away, she could not make an attack. She was in a stalemate. ‘Darn it! Do you have any ideas?’
‘I’m doing everything I can to keep the miasma from harming you. It means I can’t give you my full power.’
‘Then what can we do? All we’re doing is losing here!’
Suddenly from above, large balls of ice rained down over the area. Most shattered loudly all around Tsukiko. But it managed to freeze everything around her and give her a chance to strike. ‘I don’t know who did that…’ She charged forward taking the advantage.
Another round of ice fell in front of her path, this time getting in her way. She looked up at where it came from only to see a black figure dashing through the air. A gleaming blade sang through the air leaving a long white flash of light across the demon’s protective miasma.
Tsukiko suddenly knew who it was. “Katashi.” Almost on cue, he landed in front of her with his back to the demon, as if uninterested. Ice exploded behind him rocking the demon back. He had his same emotionless face, which in the scene he setup actually managed to make him look cool. However, that did not last for more than a second for Tsuki. She leapt forward pointing at him vigorously. “What were you thinking?! You almost hit me with that ice!”
Unaffected by her rant, he stared at her for a moment. “Leave this to me.” He turned back to the demon and walked away without even hearing her answer.
“Katashi! You…!” She leaned forward throwing her arms back. “Don’t just walk off after ordering me around! I’m not helpless!”
Ice shards flew up at them from the demon breaking through Katashi’s attack. There did not seem to be any sign of the demon weakening from his assault. In fact, it only seemed angrier. Katashi did not take it as a bad sign. He only leapt back into the deep of the demon’s territory.
“Don’t you ignore me!” Tsukiko shouted, charging after him with little regard for her own safety. She was not about to let him fight alone and tell her to stand aside.
The lack of thought on Tsuki’s part actually seemed to be improving things for her. Though it might have also just been her drive to get back to Katashi. They kept up with the demon, even if there was not much progress.
A well strike caught Katashi off-guard sending him flying backwards. “Katashi!” Tsuki turned around and went after him. Ignoring the demon proved to be the wrong move. She caught one of the tendrils in her back knocking her into the ground. A rough shape like a meteorite crashed into the earth surrounded her.
Katashi immediately disappeared and reappeared next to her. A couple of quick slashes fended off the attacks aimed for her. “I told you I’d handle this.” He offered a hand to her.
Annoyed with him, she stood up on her own. “In this situation, you’re supposed to ask if I’m alright.” She wiped away the blood that dripped down the side of her head. It was only a shallow cut. Tsuki already looked ready for another round.
“I don’t need your help,” he insisted.
“Yeah, I saw how well you were doing alone,” she threw back sarcastically.
“I’m doing this alone.”
“You’re doing this with me!”
“Alone.”
“Together!”
Mitsuru watched the two bicker. He could not help but sweat a little at their sight. They seemed to have completely forgotten any sense of danger. Yet, they also seemed to be doing alright together. Amidst their arguing, they kept back the demon’s attack. But things were not improving for them.
He heard a groan that sounded like death opened the gates of the underworld. “You shouldn’t stand!” Mitsuru immediately tried to grab the stranger in their attempt to stand. A bit of blood came up to paint his cloths. “You’re making it worse!”
“I must do this!” He coughed again starting to fall over, unable to stand.
Immediately coming to his aid, Mitsuru caught him. “I told you. You’re only making it worse by standing!”
Pushing off Mitsuru, he staggered forward. He grasped out for his sword, fumbling the first time. The fumble almost made him fall, but stubbornness succeeded in catching the hilt of the sword. Using it as support, he refused to fall. “I will not kneel to a demon!” Shaking and coughing, he pulled himself back up to stand.
Mitsu rushed over to his side to try to help him. “But you can barely stand, let alone move! You can’t fight like this!”
He grabbed Mitsuru’s kimono by the collar and pulled him close. The fierce unyielding determination filled his eyes making his resolve clear. “No one tells me what I can’t do! As long as I continue to draw breath I will fight!”
“Why?! You’re falling apart!”
“Strength is all I have! I will walk my path and prove my worth through my own actions and no other!”
Mitsuru could understand how he felt. The resolve the young man had struck a chord with him. He wanted to help, even knowing it would be resisted. “I understand.” Mitsu stepped out in front of him facing away and knelt down. “Let me help you.”
“What are you doing? I don’t need help!”
He grinned a little expecting such an answer. Tilting his head back, he looked at him. “Let me help or let me stop you. Those are your options.”
Silence.
“Tsuki!” shouted Mitsuru, through the forest. “I need your help!”
She turned her head not sure where his voice came from. “What?!” He picked a terrible time to want something. “I’m a little busy right now!” Katashi got the upper hand with her a little distracted. “What did I tell you? We’re doing this together!”
Laughing a bit to himself, she fought with Katashi still. “Can you immobilize the demon?”
“Why don’t you ask for something harder!” her tossed back.
“It only needs to be for a moment!”
“Fine.” She looked over at Katashi with an idea. “I need you to use your ice again, but on the whole demon all at once.”
“I told you already, I’ll do this myself.”
“Do it or you won’t get to sit next to me at the table, ever.”
“As you command.” He landed on a nearby tree branch just in sight of the demon. “I’ll need some time to prepare.”
“Understood! I’ll keep it busy!” Tsukiko dove into the heart of the miasma. She struggle to hold up a defense blocking everything she could. The fierceness of the attacks seemed to be even worse than before. ‘Give me everything you can spare! I don’t care about my safety!’
‘But the demonic miasma is powerful enough to burn away your flesh in minutes!’
‘I need everything! It’s the only way we’ll win! Mitsu needs me right now and I’m not about to fail him because you were scared over my survival!’
‘…very well…’
Her sword glowed brightly from within its core suddenly. The light flowed through her body. She felt lighter. However, she also quickly felt the oppressive nature of the miasma choking away at her. It felt like someone poured acid on her whole body one drop at a time. She bit through the pain and charged through for the demon.
The miasma rolled around her. She completely disappeared from sight, swallowed up. A moment later a bright light pierced through the miasma blowing it away. Two quick slashes from her sword landed on target. Part of the miasma around the demon split away revealing more bones underneath.
“Secret Ninja Art! Frozen Tomb!” Soft light blue energy swirled around Katashi’s hands. The ground crackled with the dropping temperatures. Grass changed to a white frost. The leaves on the tree looked to be encased in blue glass. Ice formed in thicker patches everywhere. Tendrils leapt up grabbing at anything of the demon. The first branches broke to dust, but more followed with increasing numbers. Ice eventually overwhelmed the demon reaching up to the core.
“Mitsu!”
“Right! Now or never!”
“This isn’t a proper stance,” they answered, sounded embarrassed. “I can’t get the form like this.”
“Just think of my legs as your legs! We’re out of time!”
“But…” He sighed in reluctance. “My ancestors must be crying in their shame watching me.” The young swordsman sat upon Mitsuru’s shoulders. It ended up pushing him to a greater height, but it was very awkward.
“If we win, does it matter?!” he answered cheerfully.
He had no answer for Mitsu. The demon was already starting to break free from the ice. He was losing time. Narrowing his eyes on his target, he pulled his sword down in front of him. He slowed his breathing. “Now!”
Mitsuru charged with all of his strength at the demon. The frozen parts of the demon made it easier to keep a straight line. However, the parts that broke free targeted him, the newest threat. ‘Give me everything, now!’ Light expanded over his feet suddenly increasing his speed. He managed the dodge the tendril and insects. Yet the demon was still far away. He had to make it.
The demon threw everything it had at him. Dodging only kept him ahead of so much. Too much was getting in front of him. ‘Not going to make it…’ Tsuki jumped in front of him cutting away the obstacles. He smiled at her as he passed by her. His feet grew lighter as the demon was in reach.
Lifting his sword above his head, the swordsman prepared the finishing blow. “Fukushima Style – Secret Technique! Heaven’s Wind! First Strike!” Wind blasted back behind the blade shattering any of the remaining ice. Ice dust danced in the air like a thin silk veil behind his blade. At the moment of the strike, another gale exploded outward in all directions followed by a sudden force sucking everything in to the center like a vacuum.
Blinding light filled everywhere with the demon fading from sight, swallowed up completely.
Several seconds passed by the light faded away revealing only Mitsuru and the swordsman. Both laid flat on their backs breathing heavily.
They had finally won.
‘I wouldn’t call that the most graceful win,’ Hisako commented.
‘I’ll take it.’
It was a few minutes before they could move and recover, but it happened very quickly afterwards. It only seemed inevitable given the patterns. Neither of them actually saw it coming. Though neither of them saw any problem with their behavior either. Yet, they were now being punished like children. Mitsuru and Tsukiko, alike, made Katashi and their unnamed stranger sit seiza style side-by-side amongst the ruined forest.
However, before even Tsukiko could get a word out, Mitsuru leapt forward slapping the stranger in a surprise move. The sound of it echoed through the forest leaving everyone in shock. “Don’t ever say it is okay for you to die!” he shouted. His eyelids started to shake. He looked on the verge of tears. “Think about how your family would feel! You only have one life!”
“Mitsu…” Tsukiko knew immediately what was going through his mind. She reached out to hug him, but hesitated. It would only be worse for him. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Katashi trying to escape. “Get back in your spot now! I’m haven’t started with you yet!”
After Mitsuru recovered his emotions, the two of them laid into both of them with a healthy lecture on teamwork. They both understand a little better why they were being punished, but neither seemed to look to have actually learned anything from it. Neither seemed willing to repent their ways. But it was over, at least until the next them they repeated their offenses.
Mitsuru offered a hand to help the swordsman back up to his feet. He stumbled a little, but managed to stand. It was then that Mitsuru remembered something important. A couple things, actually. “We haven’t introduced ourselves! I’m so sorry with everything that happened we didn’t get a chance.” A white light bathed him quickly in his transformation back to his original appearance. “I’m Mitsuru Sakakibara!”
The young man immediately leapt off his feet in surprise and fell over promptly. “You’re—!”
Following Mitsuru’s lead, Tsukiko bowed to him with her transformation returning her self too. “I’m Tsukiko Sakakibara, no relations.”
“You too!” He crawled back a little uncertain about what happened suddenly. “You’re different!” Then his eyes widened as if he remembered something. “You’re the two from the alley!”
The two siblings sweated a little not expected to shock him so much. Mitsuru leaned down to offer him a hand up. “Sorry, we didn’t mean—“ He backed away further from Mitsuru. “We’re safe.” Mitsu walked over to him trying again only to chase him back.
Tsukiko stepped in stopping Mitsu. “You’re scaring him more, Mitsu. It’s just a transformation we undergo, a side effect of our powers. It’s completely harmless.” She smiled down at him offer a hand up. He seemed a little more willing to accept her.
“Hey! Why’s he scared of me and not you?!” pouted Mitsu.
“It’s how you approach it.” She looked back at the swordsman. “And you? What’s your name?”
Retrieving his hand quickly from Tsukiko, once on his feet, still cautious, he took a step away from them. “I’m Akira Fukushima, 43rd heir to the Fukushima style.”
Mitsu tilted his head a little confused. “You have 42 siblings?”
“No, I’m the 43rd generation of my line.”
“43rd!” Mitsuru started counted on his fingers trying to figure out how old his family had to be for so many generations. It quickly ended up frying his brain.
While distracted by the logistics, Tsukiko stepped up to question Akira. “What are you doing here?”
“A week ago, I started detecting an unusual presence in this direction. I came to investigate the disturbance.”
“You knew about the demons?” She looked over at her shoulder where Tsuneo perched wanting an answer from him. He only gave a shrug, looking about as clued in on the subject as her.
Akira shook his head. “No, I’m trained in the practical sword arts. This is all new to me. It wasn’t until I was in the prefecture that I realized what I was sensing was otherworld in nature.”
Tsuki panned her head around the ruins of the forest. Not all of it was the cause of the demon. “For being new, you handled yourself well as though you’ve done it before.”
“It’s merely my training. I discovered after slaying the second demon that my techniques had gained additional properties.”
“Additional properties? You mean that vacuum attack you made.”
“Yes. It’s only a hypothesis, but I believe it came from a need due to the presence of demons.”
She seemed a little skeptical, glancing back at the spirit. “What do you think?”
“It’s true that in our time many possessed spiritual powers or other abilities beyond the realm of normal humans. From my observing your time, all that seems to have been lost. But maybe it wasn’t lost, but became recessive without any need for it, as demons were no longer present in your time until recently.”
“Interesting theory, but—“ Tsukiko could not finish her thought as Akira suddenly collapsed to the ground. “Akira!” She rushed over to his side to check on him. She remembered how injured he was from the fighting. When she tried to move him, she felt the wet warm sensation of blood. His wound was still bleeding out. “Mitsu! Enough daydreaming!”
“What happened?!” He immediately came to her aid to help Akira to his feet so they could carry him back to the mansion.
“Katashi!” he summoned, “Head back home and inform Grandfather we’re coming with someone injured! We’re going to need a doctor!” She just finished her orders before he disappeared. Tsukiko checked around the forest trying to figure out the direction of the mansion. “Come on, Mitsu! We need to hurry!”
A slow progress, they managed to get about halfway back to the mansion with only minor problems. Fatigue weighed heavily on Tsukiko and Mitsuru equally, though Mitsuru showed it more often. In the latest, he completely lost his balance tripping over something pulling them all down.
He immediately pushed up from the soft ground. “I’m so sorry, Tsuki! I must have tripped on a tree root or something!” It was his attempt to try to pre-empt the berating. When he tried to push himself back to his feet, he slipped and fell on his face into the soft ground. He tried again, not paying attention. “I’m sorry, Tsuki! I must be more tired than I thought from the fight.”
“Mitsu,” called Tsuki. She had salvaged Akira as much as possible, but she needed Mitsu’s attention, which seemed difficult in all of his apologizing. “Mitsu.” He continued to miss her words. “Stop moving!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Stop apologizing!” He suddenly looked like a frightened dog that knew nothing about what he did wrong. Tsuki sighed and gathered herself. “Look at the ground before you make things any worse for yourself.”
“Ground? What are you talking about, Tsuki?” Mitsuru began to turn his head down, but yelped immediately. “There’s a girl on the ground, Tsuki!”
“Yes…there is.”
“What’s a girl doing there?! There shouldn’t be anyone out here in the forest at night!”
“I agree, but you have more important problems.” She pointed closer to him at the situation he was in.
Mitsu looked closer a little confused by her. However, once he saw, he understood immediately. His heart started to pound almost outside of his chest. There was not enough red in the world to paint his face the shade of embarrassment he felt. He laid haphazardly over her legs and waist with his hands under her blouse. Her blouse was pushed up enough to show her stomach. She had a general roughed up appearance that could easily start misunderstandings that Mitsuru would never be able to talk himself out of. “This isn’t what it looks like, Tsuki!” Mitsuru pulled his hands up trying to back away from everything.
She could only sweat watching him and the situation getting worse. “Mitsu you flipped her blouse…”
“Ack!” Frantically, he pulled it down and end up touching her warm skin again, which made him back away. A series of blunders later, he was off her and the teenage girl was restored her dignity. “This is all just a misunderstanding! I didn’t mean to do anything of this, honest!”
“I know. I was here.” Tsukiko leaned over needing to get close to the girl to get a look at her face in the night. “The more important question is who is she.”
“And what’s she doing in the forest,” he added. He looked closer at her. The moonlight danced through the trees of the forest to only give thin beams of light on the girl. It was just enough to reveal numerous bruises and tears in her cloths. There was even a little blood, but nothing too serious. “She looks like she’s been tossed off a cliff. You don’t think she was…”
“…in the forest during our fight with the demon. Considering the strength of the attacks tossed around, we might have accidentally injured her.”
“I had no idea.” Mitsuru’s voice sank quickly. The weight of his actions fell on his shoulders unexpectedly in a way he never imagined. He knelt down and picked her up into his arms. “I’m taking her back to the mansion, Tsuki!”
She saw the look in his eyes. It only confirmed what she felt before looking at him. “But Mitsuru—“
“You can’t stop me!”
Sighing again, she paused to rephrase. “I’m not going to stop you. I was just going to say you’re not at fault. You couldn’t have known.”
Mitsuru stood up shifting the weight around a little to manage the girl. “I should have. It’s because I wasn’t strong enough to control this power.”
“Mitsu…” It was pointless she knew. She could not say anything to convince him otherwise. All she could do was keep walking with him back to the mansion. Signs pointed to a long night, a very long night.
-X- -X- -X-
A couple hours passed once they arrived at the mansion. It was a long wait on a doctor, but they finally came to tend to Akira’s injuries and even examine the mystery girl. Mitsuru stayed at the girl’s side the entire time despite protests from the doctor. Tsukiko remained outside of Akira’s room during the whole exam.
Once the doctor finished, she greeted their Grandfather. She was a middle-aged woman that seemed to know him well by the way they talked. “You don’t need to be so formal, Daichi. I’m just glad I made it in time.”
The twins poked their heads out from around the corner of the hall, which led back to their guests’ rooms. “Is he going to be alright, Doctor?” Tsukiko inquired.
She bowed politely to Tsukiko never completely having a proper introduction due to the emergency. “I’ve treated all of their wounds. Though the one of his back was very deep, he seems to have a very strong will to live. He’ll make a full recovery in time.”
“Thank you, Doctor!”
“Yes, thank you!” added Mitsuru, looking visibly relieved. His eyes glanced back at Akira’s door with something clearly on his mind. ‘A strong will to live…I’m glad…’ While he stared at the hall, he noticed a head pop out. It disappeared almost immediately, realizing Mitsu saw them. ‘It’s the girl we found. She’s probably really confused right now. We did just sort of take her back while she was unconscious.’
He walked away from the others not drawing their attention. The door to the girl’s room was closed acting as if it was never opened. Out of politeness, he knocked. “Umm…can I come in?” Silence. Mitsuru stood for a minute in awkwardness. He was not sure if she was mad or frightened. “You don’t have to be scared. We found you out in the forest unconscious.” He paused, but still nothing from her. “I’m sorry we brought you here without your permission, but you looked hurt. So we wanted to make sure you safe.” More silence. “Umm…hello?” Nothing still. “I’m Mitsuru Sakakibara.”
The continued silence made Mitsuru even more uneasy. He wondered if she fell asleep or even unconscious because of some trauma she suffered in the forest. Nothing was known about her. They did not even find a student ID on her.
Duty or maybe it was concern. He had a reason, just was not sure what the reason was. Something compelled him to push forward despite everything. “I’m going to open the door,” he announced as a final warning just to prevent any sort of indecent accident from happening. After his warning, he waited enough time to ensure a chance for reaction or response.
It was a risk, he knew it, but he had to do it anyway. He opened the door, still very cautious announcing his presence again. The room was dark. The light was on when he left. Mitsuru looked around the room trying to find the girl. His sight was not adjusted yet making it nearly impossible to see anything. “I’m turning on the light…” Nothing seemed to be in the room but darkness.
Reaching for the light switch on the wall, he fumbled a bit misjudging the height. It only took a second for him to correct. The moment his hand hit the panel a hand stretched out catching his hand asking him to stop. Almost as though coming out of a veil, the girl appeared to him. “…um…” She was very close to him. It caught him off guard. “Y-you don’t want the light on?” He could not think of anything else to say.
She said nothing to him. He could only guess from her actions. Pulling away his hand seemed to calm the air. So it must have been the right answer. She suddenly disappeared back into the shadows. “Wait! I just…wanted…talk…” He tried to chase after her, but she did not seem to be there anymore. Mitsuru turned around trying to find her.
All he had to help him was the crack of light from the hall where the door slid partly open still from his entry. The minutes that passed eventually let his sight improve until more shapes came to him. He could finally see a form that seemed like the girl. She sat folded up sitting in the corner as far away from him as possible. ‘She’s scared. She probably thinks I’m some kidnapper. This is a strange house.’ A perplexed expression came across his face trying to think up something to reassure the girl.
He tried walking over to her with a hand out and a smile, though she probably could not actually see his smile for it to work on her. Unfortunately, it only seemed to draw her back further as though she became the wall. Mitsuru sat down in the middle of the room as a compromise. “I didn’t kidnap you, honest!” he blurted out. He rubbed his finger on the side of his face realizing something. “Though I guess that probably doesn’t sound very convincing. Probably makes it actually sound like I did kidnap you.” Pushing his foot over the tatami mat, he tried thinking of something to say. “But I really didn’t. This is just my family’s house, sort of. We’re sort of borrowing it. Oh…I guess that isn’t helping my cause either. Uh…this isn’t a kidnapping please believe me!”
The awkward silence from her increased the tension in the room. Mitsuru struggled for anything to say. “I-uh…I’m Mitsuru Sakakibara. Oh I already said that didn’t I? Er…what can I do to convince you… I’m running out of ideas.” He looked over at her. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Maybe you should just say you kidnapped her,” responded Hisako, suddenly from his sword. “Might make things easier.”
Her voice made Mitsu jump and fall over. Once he recovered, he grabbed his sword. “Please not now! You’re only going to make things even worse!”
“I’m just saying maybe she’s into that sort of thing.”
“W-Wh-W-What do you think you’re saying?!” Mitsuru face went bright red, which actually managed to light up the room a little from his embarrassed glow. “You shouldn’t be saying things like that!”
“What? There’s people like that.”
“It’s inappropriate! I mean she just woke up in a strange room not knowing how she got there with someone she doesn’t know.”
“Who is a ventriloquist that talks to inanimate objects.”
“Right, who talks to swords.” Mitsuru paused for a moment. “Hey! What are you making me say?!”
“I didn’t make you say it.”
“Yes you did!”
Sudden, laughter broke out from the corner interrupting the two. Mitsuru turned completely confused by what happened. It was the girl. She finally heard her voice, soft innocent almost sweet sound. It was very different from other girls he knew, especially one he could think of. “What just happened?” He looked back at Hisako and then the girl, who continued to laugh until she lost control. Mitsu stared at Hisako confused.
The spirit merely looked up at him with a bit of a knowing smirk. “I wonder,” she replied before disappearing.
Mitsuru used the chance to move a little closer. The girl seemed to start to recover, noticing his approach. He extended a hand out to her again. “Mitsuru.” There seemed a little hesitation in her, but he felt there was a breakthrough. One more push was all he needed. “You can call me, Mitsu, my friends do.” Tempting his opportunity, he stretched out to connect with her. His hand moved closer and she did not move. He was in reach. “Mitsu.”
Still hesitant, she slowly moved her hand, though several times stopping or looking like she would turn back. She managed to put her hand on his. “Izumi.” She smiled shyly, darting her eyes away frequently.
“Hey Izumi.” Mitsuru smiled relieved to have reached finally her. He slowly stood up helping her to her feet. “Welcome to my home.” Everything seemed to move smoothly for him. He cracked her shell. “I know this is sudden, but I’d like you to see the others. I don’t want you to be scare seeing someone you don’t know alone.” She pulled on her hand. He knew she wanted to back away. “I’ll be with you the whole time. It’s safe. Whatever happened in the forest you don’t need to worry. Nothing bad will happen.” His words seemed to reassure her, though her hand tightened around his hand looking for support. ‘I hope. Chie’s pretty normal, but Katashi is just odd…Please nothing bad happen!’ With Izumi in hand, he guided her into the hall. He checked for her to be sure it was clear. The worse thing to happen would be someone frightened before even getting out of her room. ‘Looks safe…’
Mitsuru walked her out into the hall. She remained behind him the entire time, as well as standing very close. It almost felt like she walked on his heels. He kept feeling like he would trip. In the distance, he heard talking. ‘Good, sounds like everyone’s gathered in the main room.’ Keeping up his smile, he nodded to Izumi encouraging her to follow. He felt the shaking of her body through her hand. ‘What happened to her to make her so frightened?’
The reasons for her fear would have to wait for Mitsuru. He felt he managed to achieve a lot with just getting her out of the room. It might be too early to think about what happen in the forest or if it was something deeper.
In route to the main room, they passed an intersection in the halls. Two maids bowed politely to Mitsuru. Izumi immediately turned to put him between her and the maids. He started to realize what he took on.
He found everyone gathered around the table. It looked like dinner was ready, or ready a while ago. Mitsuru did not know how longer they spent in the city looking for Akira or fought the demon in the forest. They were probably very late.
“Sorry for not making dinner! But well…you know why.” He looked back at Izumi, feeling the need to be sure she still stuck with him. “I wanted to introduce everyone to our other new guest.”
Tsukiko slid out a little from the table to look at him. “So that’s where you disappeared off to. I should have guessed.” She stood up to introduce herself. When she walked over to Mitsuru, Izumi rotated around him, still using him a barrier. “…uh…Mitsu…”
“I’m sorry, Tsuki.”
“I’m Tsukiko Sakakibara.” She tried offering a hand out for a greeting, but Izumi actually yanked on Mitsu to pull him away. It confused Tsuki the way she acted. “I won’t hurt you.”
He apologized again for Izumi. She tugged on him letting him know she wanted something. Turning, Mitsu leaned back and she whispered into his ear. Shaking his head, he corrected her. “No, she’s not my sister.” Realizing what happened next, he immediately turned around to calm down Tsuki. “Everyone thinks that when we introduce ourselves! It’s okay.” The visual signs of annoyance frightened Izumi. “Please, Tsuki you’re scaring her.”
With some reluctance, she returned to the table. It allowed enough room for Mitsuru to coax Izumi over. She insisted on sitting next to him, as he sort of expected.
“This is Izumi,” he introduced. He then pointed out for her everyone at the table. “That’s Katashi Higashiyama, Chie Okazaki and our Grandfather Daichi Hyobanshi.”
“We couldn’t find any identification on you, Miss,” Daichi remarked. He lowered his teacup to the table. “Is there someone we can contact to let you know you’re safe.”
Izumi leaned up against Mitsuru putting part of her behind him. She did not even manage a head nod or shake.
It should have been an easy question. Mitsuru worried if might be a runaway. ‘Did her parents beat her?’ He rested his hand on her hands to try to calm her. “She can stay as a guest, right?”
“I have no problem it providing her shelter, but I do want to notify her parents or guardian.”
Pressing the matter did not change anything with Izumi. “It doesn’t have to be tonight, does it? She went through a traumatic experience. She needs some time to recover.”
“Very well. I won’t press the subject. If she doesn’t want to say, I won’t force her. We welcome anyone, no matter the circumstances.”
“Thanks, Gramps!” Chie cheered, eating up a bowl of rice despite already eating earlier. After she finished, she set her bowl down. “Speaking of welcoming guests! We don’t have a full table yet!” Snapping her finger, Akira suddenly popped from the air into Tsukiko’s lap.
Akira immediately leapt off her and went for his sword as his waist. “Where am I? What’s going on?”
“Calm down, relax!” Lazily, she motioned with her hand to direct him to a seat at the table. “We’re having dinner! Eat! The food’s amazing!”
“What do you think you’re doing?!” yelled Tsukiko. “You’re acting like this is your home!”
“Well it’s not exactly yours either, you’re just borrowing it after you blew up your real home.” It was an easy trigger for Tsukiko and Chie seemed to know it. Though Chie acted like she was drunk off food again, being very boisterous.
“Please Miss Chie.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just sit little boy, they made the food for you too.” She pointed back at the line of maids politely standing by the wall.
Reluctantly, Akira eased his stance. He darted his eyes around looking at everyone gathered. Some suspicion seemed to settle in him, but the nagging from Chie brought him to the table, at least.
Mitsuru leaned in a little, after he helped Izumi get some food. “How’d you do that?” he asked Chie, motioning to Akira.
She grinned mischievously. “Just something I learned from the maids.”
“Huh?”
After everyone started eating and peace seemed to return to the table, Chie decided to break it again. She just finished stuffing herself with rice again. A few pieces stuck to the corners of her lips. “You’re a girl and you’re a demon.” She stated pointing her finger at Akira and Izumi.
Akira immediately stopped eating unable to respond and Izumi just hid behind Mitsuru. Tsukiko dropped her hands to the table in protest to defend them. “They’re our guests! Don’t insult them!”
Nodding, Mitsuru was slow to follow up due to Izumi. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’d be more interesting if it was true.” Chie laid back to the mats becoming far too comfortable after blurting out something so random.
“Don’t say things like that on a whim! You’re being rude!”
Standing up, Akira bowed politely to them and started marching off to the front door. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I should be going.”
“Stop!” Tsukiko jumped up rushing out in front of him. “You can’t leave! You’re not recovered from your injuries.”
He pushed her aside with no interest in her concern for his health. “I’m fine. I can walk. I don’t need to rest.”
“I agree with Tsukiko,” their Grandfather declared. He did not leave the table, but managed to exude a heavy commanding presence on the room. “The doctor informed me you need at least a week of rest. I can’t in good conscious allow you to leave.”
“Right!” Tsukiko stepped in front of him again blocking the door.
“You’re also a visitor to our town. You need shelter while you stay.”
“I must not stop! You cannot keep me.”
“I insist.” His words were polite, yet the room lost all of the warmth suddenly. Everyone could tell it was no longer a request or even polite despite the words. There was a deep tone hidden in his voice that could not be ignored. It unnerved everyone.
Akira tried to pretend he was not afraid holding his left hand on his sword’s hilt. “I can stay for a night.”
“And that was how we gained two more guests. Two very mysterious people. But our troubles had hardly even begun as we’d soon discover.”
To be continued…
Character Profile – Tsuneo Shigenoi
Name: Tsuneo Shigenoi
Age: 19 (Though he is dead so he is a ghost and technically over 1000 years)
Gender: Male
Height: 5’11” (179 cm)
Weight: 154 lbs
Hair Color: White/Gray
Hair Style: Shoulder length hair tied back loosely with short bangs and two strains of clamped hair.
Eye Color: Orange
Arch Type: Ghost/Spirit that possesses the female main character
Appearance: He has a very ornate appearance, heavily over dress with design, colors and layers of clothes. He has a very strong and serious look, but often looks a little silly and dumb with the way he is trying to enjoy his afterlife.
Powers: Spiritual Powers that are mainly channeled through the sword for sharpening it.
Personality: When he was alive, he had a very serious attitude, but in death freed from all of the weight that was on him he is able to enjoy life. He acts a little forgetful or absentminded, but in general is cheerful and tries to enjoy everything that can experience. He is willing to help Tsukiko with her problems even if she does not approve of what he is doing.
Likes: Hisako, Carrots, Rice balls, Anything that is fun
Dislikes: Demons, Narrow-minded People, Natto, Sweets
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