#mashita satoru imagine

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Hi, I really like your Spirit Hunter Headcanons! I saw you wrote one for NG with the guys reacting to reader getting hurt. Is it alright if I request a version of that but with the Death Mark characters?

I've got you~ And I'm very happy to see more Death Mark/NG requests <3

・┆✦ʚ Mashita Satoru ɞ✦ ┆・

🚬 One would think Satoru is the most apathetic of the bunch, but in reality, his sense of justice and moral compass are still up there.

🚬 At his core, he will always be a policeman, and any wrong-doing will anger him internally.

🚬 He has lost everything during the Honey Bee Cult case, when his mentor was killed, and he got so close to the truth that he was kicked out of the police force under sexual harassment allegations, and his credibility and job opportunities were denied.

🚬 In spite of all this, he found a friend in Yashiki, and he treasured you more than anything in life.

🚬 You were there for him through all the hardships he went through, and he is infinitely grateful for your endless support and love.

🚬 That is why I say, when he finds out you've been cursed, he is devastated, as though the sky fell on him.

🚬 He found you on the ground in the forest while he and Yashiki were searching around for Shimi-O.

🚬 He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw you - He left you at home, why were you here? He couldn't be hallucinating, could he? So what is going on?

🚬 What's worse, not only did the Death Mark flash brightly on the soft neck of your skin, as if to taunt and mock him, but your clothes had subtle tears - But what is worse, they were bleeding.

🚬 He's not one to panic quickly under pressure, but you can bet Mashita is livid.

🚬 If it weren't for Yashiki calming him down and suggesting to get you back home to Mary and have Christie look after you, while the two of them purify the ghost and make sure everyone is fine.

🚬 Satoru held you dearly in his arms all the way back to the Manor, his grip a little too tight - He was afraid, deathly afraid, but not for himself, but for you.

🚬 He'd never forgive himself if he allowed you to die, when your life was in his hands like that.

🚬 What kind of reliable policeman would he be? His mentor would be disappointed if he failed you and himself like that.

🚬 He placed you comfortably on the bed he slept on while Yashiki told Christie not to tell you anything about the Mark; There was no need to worry you for no reason, especially as the scar was in a place you couldn't notice easily.

🚬 Though he knew he had to worry, Mashita lingered for a few minutes more - He couldn't stop looking at you, he felt weak, he blamed himself for dragging you into all of this, especially as the only reason you got cursed was that he forgot his gun at home.

🚬 Not only was it incredibly irresponsible of him, but he also willingly got himself in this mess, in hopes of unveiling the truth behind his mentor's death.

🚬 After tucking you in bed, Satoru kissed your forehead and took one last look at you, before pushing himself off the bed and quickly leaving the room, before he'd feel tempted to just get next to you and hold onto you until Yashiki solves the issue by himself.

🚬 He was much quieter and snarkier with Yashiki, even he was well aware he was much more of a menace than usual, alas there was nothing he could do about it.

🚬 Your well-being was above anything else, for him.

🚬 His rage, complimented by the extreme memory loss caused by Shimi-O, made for quite a weird iteration of Mashita, but regardless, with a simple slap, he was capable of helping Yashiki to purify the ghost.

🚬 Though Kazuo himself wasn't rid of the curse, you and Mashita, along with Shou, were able to return home with no more issue.

🚬 You didn't know why exactly your boyfriend was so clingy and mellow, but you didn't mind it one bit. It was a lovely change of pace, for the otherwise teasy man.

🚬 It would take a few days before he confesses to you the truth of what happened that night - And more than that, he thanks you dearly for compromising your life to bring him the gun, as without it, he and Yashiki wouldn't have been able to defeat the ghost.

🚬 He'd get very annoyed if you got smug with him for being so tender - But he'll get over it fast, don't worry - You just need to bat your pretty lashes at him and kiss him like there's no tomorrow.

🚬 He won't necessarily get overprotective after this encounter, but he will take all proper precautions going further into his and Yashiki's little 'Ghost Hunting Business'.

🚬 He might be reticent to you joining them for field work, but he'd be more than happy if you were to help with intel. You're safe, and he's reassured. Perfect!

---

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Daimon Shuuji ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

🩺 By the time Daimon gets cursed, he's already 44 years of age and chronically single and ill, so he resigns himself to the idea he will remain forever married to his work and succumb to loneliness and sickness.

🩺 When he gets cursed, however, he finds a new will to live - It's the human's natural response to danger, right? Fight or flight - Or at least, that's how he rationalises it.

🩺Not only that though, but also, his morbid curiosity with his grandfather's work in the Engineering Lab during WW2 and whatever atrocities happened down in the bunker hidden in the sewers of the city.

🩺That - And he's always been impressed by the supernatural, and now, he gets to experience it first hand - If only it wasn't life threatening, it would be much more enjoyable.

🩺It was here that Yashiki introduced him to a scientist women called Hiroo Madoka, whose grandfather was also involved in similar work to his own family... Though she's rather annoying to deal with, and thankfully, in spite of his kind demeanour, Yashiki is also of the same idea about her.

🩺But there was one more - He met you - Someone closer in age to him, who's professionally accomplished and so very beautiful; Not only beautiful, but so very and sweet, while also being effortlessly confident and radiating an aura of reassurance like the Sun.

🩺He couldn't help but feel attracted to you like a month to the light, caring little about getting burnt in the process, like the fool Icarus, flying towards the Sun with his waxed wings.

🩺How could he not gravitate around you, when you made him feel revitalised, no more the zombie of a man he accepted to being for so long.

🩺You worried for his health, told him to take better care of himself, even threw an off-comment about cooking him a nice soup and cutting up a fruit salad so he'd get more energy.

🩺Daimon was flabbergast - Did he truly deserve any of this? He knows he's not the most amicable person alive, yet you don't seem to be offended or intimidated by his coldness.

🩺During the whole investigation, you are the reason he stays sane and has hope for the future - A future with you.

🩺You weren't overly assertive, yet through your kindness and positivity, you made your intentions clear; He loved just how well the two of you understood each other, without the need of words.

🩺He was absolutely mesmerised by everything you did.

🩺From the time when you braved through the hypothermia and drove him back home - Only to see that the heating and water were being closed for the week because of reparations - So you invited him to sleep over at your home because it's extra warm.

🩺And how you nonchalantly told him you have a single bedroom, so you'd have to sleep together - All that, while he was suffering a bad case of tachycardia and his face had a feverish colour from too much emotion felt all together - But you? You were so nonchalant about it, wearing your pretty lingerie pyjamas, leaning on the heater and drinking a little alcohol to warm up, and inviting him to do the same.

🩺In those few days he got so used to living with you, that he almost felt disappointed when the day of the encounter came by and you got rid of the curse and had to part ways.

🩺He was there to watch you take the Suzu Bells and step up, confronting the Kannon Soldier all by yourself - He didn't know whatever Shinto or Buddhist mantras you chanted there, but by the time you started yelling at the ghost in Chinese, and ended it by slamming the wand into the side of its head and it disappeared into a splash of brightness, he felt as though he just watched a movie, because everything felt unreal.

🩺For the next two years, the two of you have such a domestic bliss, Daimon feels it's unreal that someone thinks he's not as unsufferable as he thinks he is, and by the way you smile at him so sweetly, he believes you are just as happy as he is, living together.

🩺Though when Yashiki goes ghost-hunting again, both of you are willing to help; Daimon remains in the hospital to care for Hiroo and Banshee, while you go on-site to aid him and Mashita with investigation.

🩺He knew both men would take care of you, and he knew you were strong and witty enough to take care of himself and succeed in this new case;

🩺Alas, when you are brought to the hospital, in full hysterics, Shuuji panics for the first time in his life - What in the world could have shaken you to such degree, that you lost your cool?

🩺After Mashita explains the three of you were blocked in an elevator filling up with a bunch of huge spiders, even he cringes, especially knowing your clear aversion and disgust towards them.

🩺As much as he cares about the two special patients in his care, he's going to take the week off to take care of you.

🩺He'll hold you close and try to reassure you to the best of his ability; Though he's known as not having the best bed-side manners, he's so unexpectedly tender and sweet, that Yashiki thought it was another person altogether.

🩺He'd make you warm honey tea and suggest watching any of your comfort tv series or movies, and he'll kiss your face so gently.

🩺There's not much he can help much to help you relax, except get some sedatives if you're going into panic mode again, but regardless, there's nothing he wouldn't do for you.

🩺When you're finally better, he'll feel so relieved - He was so worried for you and your mental state, that he'll be fussy over you for a long time going on.

---

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Yashiki Kazuo/Kujo Masamune ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

🐇 It's needless to say, you and Yashiki went through a lot together.

🐇 From the day you got cursed, until you managed to purify the ghost with Yashiki's help, and got all better.

🐇 You decided to stay until the very end to aid your partner with the curse - But if not even the Kannon Soldier cursed him then... Could it have been Mary...?

🐇 Yashiki was protective of all the mark bearers he encountered, you most of all, so when he regained his memory, he made sure to keep everyone at a safe distance so he can deal with Mary himself.

🐇 You were the only one who knew the truth of the Doll, so of course, you worried over his well-being; But he still wouldn't step back and allow you to help him, it was far too dangerous for anyone else.

🐇 So, to reassure you, he promised to take you out on a date by the time he's some with the Doll; And he vowed to also tell you the truth and his memories.

🐇 Thankfully, that evening, you receive a text from Yashiki, with the details of your date the next day, namely the time and place.

🐇 You're so excited and happy that he's alive, that you can't contain your joy, and you call all the mark bearers to tell them that Yashiki is alright and he finally got rid of the curse - And decide to celebrate together, of course!

🐇 What was supposed to be a private date became a private party for the Death Mark survivors - And although he was bewieldered, Yashiki was beyond touched by your act.

🐇 Still, you still had to go on that date - And when you finally did, he told you all about his real identity, as Kujo Masamune, about his sister, about the Doll Mary, and what not.

🐇 And for the next two years, you had a beautiful relationship, with Mashita as the wing-man.

🐇 But when the two of them went to investigate the Masquerade Love Hotel, you got worried; Can't he stay out of trouble, for once? Those two are searching for an early death sentence.

🐇 So of course, from your worry stemmed overprotection, and you insisted in joining them in the investigation.

🐇 Unfortunately, because of your personal relationship with Yashiki, and your spiritual-proneness, you were the first prey of the Jirogumo spirit.

🐇 Not only were you forced to experience first-hand the memories of the poor, tortured girl who was forced to ingest a living spider crawling down her throat with those furry legs, but you felt all of her horrors.

🐇 Once you came to, your mind was in shambles, and you shrieked, running the hell out of that perverted torture den, aimless and confused;

🐇 Thus, you ended up wearing only your pretty lingerie, on a dusty bed, slamming your boyfriend on the bed to seduce him into sleeping with you.

🐇 At first, Yashiki was shocked out of his mind - What the hell happened to possess you like that? You were never this straight-forward, let alone to do something so vulgar and lustful in public; But then, he noticed the spider web sticking to your back.

🐇 As soon as he ripped it away, you fell limp in his arms like a marionette, deep into a coma that he knew wouldn't get away unless the ghost was exorcised.

🐇 He quickly dressed you back in your clothes and called for Mashita to help him get you to Daimon under constant care.

🐇 The whole time, he was out for revenge - Yes, he pitied the poor ghost girl, but he pitied you more; Not only that, but were it not for Mashita, he also would have died, plunging out of the window.

🐇 Who was going to take care of you, if he dies?

🐇 He was going to fight even God himself, if it meant saving you; So there was little a silly little malevolent ghost could do, that would deter him from his path of purifying it.

🐇 Even Mashita hadn't seen him so on-edge and boiling inside from rage for allowing you to get hurt and possessed like that.

🐇 The otherwise moral compass and spine of the group was almost shaking with anger, and it was terrifying.

🐇 He even cursed once! Yashiki - Cursed!

🐇 When the whole charade was finally over, he rushed to the hospital to see how you were doing.

🐇 Thankfully, you didn't remember a single thing of those traumatic encounters, and he wasn't going to tell them to you either.

🐇 He just told you you collapsed suddenly because of low blood sugar, and Daimon gave you some glucose IV and a good rest.

🐇 Though you didn't fully buy it, it was clear he wasn't going to tell you the truth, so you let that be.

🐇 Surprisingly though, he asks if you want to go on a date with him. At home, watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace.

🐇 He's as much of a gentleman as always, or even more so.

🐇 Although he's sometimes awkward when expressing himself, holding you tightly to his chest does wonders in non-verbally telling you how terrified he was for your well-being.

🐇 For his sake, you don't ask about the investigation, just settling to being happy it was over.

🐇 Instead, you decide to promise him that you're not going anywhere - You're a tough cookie, and will always be by his side.

[sleepyminty]

Imagine u, a spirit, coming back to the kujou mansion to see how your only living member of your cursed family was doing only to find out he’s being railed by a young chainsmoker asshole who take no shits from any spirits

[fandom-go-round]

The First Few Dates aka Middle Aged Lover's Club (MALC)

The first time they go out, it's not really a date. At least Yashiki doesn't think it's a date. Are four people allowed to go out on dates?

Mashita Satoru x Yashiki Kazuo x Daimon Shuuji x Hiroo Madoka (Poly Relationship, OT4)

This won't leave my head. You're welcome world for the ship no one asked for. Is this going to be a thing? No idea.

Warnings: Implied Canon Typical Violence, Low Self Esteem (Yashiki), Polyamory, Poly Negotiations, Pre-Relationship

The first time they go out, it’s not really a date. At least Yashiki doesn’t take it as a date. Hiroo had insisted the adults get together to let loose and Yashiki didn’t have the heart to say no. Mashita had loudly and insistently said he wasn’t going, a blatant lie since he was sitting right next to Yashiki. Hiroo and Daimon sat across from them, a bottle of sake in the middle of the table.

It doesn’t take long for Hiroo and Mashita to start bickering, Hiroo getting louder the more alcohol she drinks. Daimon sends Yashiki an amused look, shaking his head and ordering appetizers for the table. The two of them catch up while the younger two exchange barbs, easily starting an impromptu drinking contest. Daimon’s leg bumps into Yashiki’s under the table and he winks, Yashiki’s cheeks going pink. The other two don’t notice, getting close as they lean across the table.

The night ends with Hiroo leaning heavily on Daimon and Mashita smirking at her half-asleep state. Daimon gives Yashiki’s arm a squeeze before taking Hiroo home, the dual lab coats blending into the night. Yashiki drives Mashita back to the mansion, the ex-detective’s good mood not faltering. Mashita spends the night and Yashiki basks in the lightness in his chest; the normal crushing weight has left for the night.

The four of them don’t have time to get together for a couple of months, seeing each other sporadically. Yashiki takes a few cases with Mashita, not as partners but just to help. The knowing glint in Mashita’s eyes betrays what they both know, it’s only a matter of time. He always feels safe with Mashita, even when they’re running for their lives. The younger man is a steady presence at his side.

He goes to lunch with Daimon a couple of times, the two of them meeting at a diner close to the hospital. Yashiki always feels comfortable with the doctor; he doesn’t know what exactly it is but he enjoys relaxing with his friend. They talk about music and the other Mark Bearers, content to exist just the two of them.

Hiroo is harder to get a hold of but Yashiki does his best to make time for her. Usually that means she drags him over town to run errands, carrying her bags and then going for drinks after. She takes longer to relax than the others but Yashiki is proud the first time she actually laughs in front of him. She’s beautiful when she grins.

The next time they’re all able to get together Daimon picks the place, a trendy karaoke bar. Mashita looks like he’s going to cuss everyone out but Hiroo drags him to their room before he can make a scene. Yashiki doesn’t know half of the songs they pick but it’s fun to see everyone let loose. Daimon has a nice voice (when he’s able to sing without coughing) but Mashita is tone deaf. Hiroo vows to never let him live it down but Mashita doesn’t complain too much. It might be because she’s leaning so heavily on him as she laughs.

Something is changing between them. Yashiki can’t pinpoint when or how but things are changing. Mashita has been thawing, not only to himself but the others as well. Hiroo’s teasing is less mocking and has a sweeter edge. Daimon jokes more, something sly on his face instead of serious. Yashiki thinks that he’s changing too; more willing to relax and connect with the people around him.

Moe has been teasing him, saying that Mashita and Hiroo visit him at the mansion a lot more often. Once Moe knows, everyone else knows. Yashiki doesn’t think it’s a big deal, everyone comes to visit him, but there’s something that he’s missing. The one time he asks Mashita, the ex-detective looks at him, sighs and then rolls his eyes.

“Figure it out yourself, idiot.” The words lack their normal heat, Mashita sounding fond. Yashiki had meant to bring it up to Daimon before their next get together but it slips his mind with another spirit case.

Eventually Mashita drags them all to a local hole in the wall, something that Yashiki had walked past without noticing. It’s a mix between a jazz club and a bar, the lights dim and booths secluded. Mashita had swung by the mansion before hand and helped Yashiki pick out an outfit, something completely out of the norm. The detective hadn’t let anything slip, just smirking as he got Yashiki ready. As questions were ignored or brushed off, the older man giving up after a while. Yashiki feels silly as they walk in but once he sees Hiroo and Daimon he feels better; they’ve dressed up as well.

They’re booth is tucked into a corner, away from the noise and other customers. Yashiki enjoys how the low lighting caresses everyone’s face and resists the urge to touch. It’s not something he thinks about often, the way his eyes and hands want to wander. Most of the time he’s able to push the thoughts back but tonight it’s harder. Partly sake, partly because Mashita’s hand has been on his knee the entire night. There’s something unsaid pulsing among them and Yashiki isn’t as scared as he should be.

The tension bubbles over once they leave, exiting into an ally in the back. Yashiki is laughing at a joke Daimon told, bumping shoulders with Mashita. Hiroo turns around at his laugh, letting go of Daimon’s hand to cup his face and kiss him. She tastes like sake and mint, Yashiki freezing before kissing her back. His eyes slide closed, only opening after Hiroo pulls back. The look on her face is self-satisfied, the scientist licking her lips as Yashiki’s cheeks go red.

Mashita let’s out a scoff behind him, Daimon offering a kind smile at Yashiki’s mounting horror. The doctor doesn’t give him time to react, leaning down to kiss him as well. This kiss is softer, tasting like citrus and sandalwood. Yashiki gasps when Daimon’s tongue brushes his lips, the older man taking advantage of his open mouth. Yashiki is sure that he’s going to stumble until Mashita’s arms wrap around his waist. Daimon pulls away; Yashiki gets a brief view of Hiroo dragging him into a kiss before Mashita is on him.

This is the kiss that makes Yashiki ground, all teeth and tongue and smoke. Yashiki thinks he’s dreaming, that has to be the reason all of this is happening. There’s no way everything would fall into place this perfectly; life doesn’t usually give him what he wants.

“Stop thinking.” Mashita’s voice is a growl, pulling away just enough to scold Yashiki. He doesn’t respond, brain still trying to reboot. Hiroo lets out a uncharacteristic giggle, smirk wide on her face.

“He should be thinking about the right stuff now at least.” Her tone is teasing and Daimon shakes his head, a fond look on his face.

“Should we take this inside?” Daimon’s words help to sober them up a bit, the four making sure no one else has seen them. The ally is empty and Mashita takes charge, taking Yashiki by the wrist and pulling him towards the van. Yashiki let’s them lead him away, slender fingers brushing over his hips.

“Does this mean we’re dating?” Yashiki can’t help but blurt out, the other three stopping just at the mouth of the ally. There are a few heartbeats of silence and he’s sure he’s ruined everything. Hiroo breaks the silence with a lout groan, running a hand down her face. Daimon starts to laugh, loud and carefree in a way Yashiki only hears occasionally.

“Of course we’re dating. We’ve been dating for months.” Hiroo’s voice is her normal brisk tone, Mashita giving a chuckle.

“Now you feel my pain.” Mashita teases, Hiroo smacking him on the arm.

“This is all your fault! You told us you’d talk to him!” Yashiki watches as the two begin to bicker; Hiroo pinches Mashita’s wrist and the ex-detective smirks.

“I did talk to him. It’s not fault he’s dense and self-sacrificing.” Yashiki snorts, feeling a wave of confusion and affection.

“We didn’t really talk…” He trails off and Daimon raises an eyebrow, interpreting something different in his silence. Yashiki goes red again and Hiroo huffs, crossing her arms.

“You liar Mashita! You were supposed to keep your hands to yourself!”

“Shut it you noisy brat; you’re one to talk about keeping your hands to yourself.” Mashita looks pointed at her fingers on his arm and Hiroo pulls back like she’s been burned. Her face goes red and Mashita gives another smirk, crowding her towards the wall. Yashiki clears his throat, all of them turning to look at him.

“I’d like to talk about it, if you’re all still willing.” Some of the sexual tension bleeds away, soft looks appearing.

“We’d like that.” Daimon gives Yashiki’s shoulder a squeeze, the doctor moving onto the street. They all share a secret smile, Hiroo moving to walk next to Daimon. Mashita falls into place by Yashiki and the older man smiles, linking their pinkies for a moment before letting go.

He doesn’t know when they started dating but he’s not going to complain. Yashiki might not think he deserves it but he’s going to cling to this happiness with everything he has. That’s what it means to live, after all.

[imbibitor-starved]

I got a really awful idea for a Yashita drawing. VERY angsty. I'll see if im able to do it, but if not; I was talking to a friend and they told me about the movie "The mist" (2007). Spoilers for the ending of that, it's a horror movie based on one of Stephen's King books, TW: mention of child murder in this and suicide.

There's a mist that, i think?? makes you hallucinate awful things and drives you mad. So the protag had to run away in a car with four people, one of them being his nine year old son. They are in the car, yeah, but the mist still goes. The group can't handle it anymore, and decide to die. Not by the mist, but by the four bullets of a revolver. They're five people.

The protag is forced to kill three people and his kid with the gun, and goes to die in the mist… but just then, the mist goes away.

If only had he waited a little.

TL;DR: Yashiki and Mashita have a gun, with only one bullet. One of them dies by the hand of the other. The other tries to die by "the mist" (could be a spirit in this setting)… but then, just then, the mist goes away. The danger is gone and so is the other.

AWFUL !!!!!!!!!

I still dont know if Yashiki or Mashita holds the gun, because the expresion at the end is what really matters. I can see Yashiki losing his closest friend, the one he would actually miss if gone, not dead by a ghost but by his own doing. Another corpse on his hands, the smell of the fire lingering in the air, burning his nose. It was his fault. He could've waited. But he didn't. Now Mashita is never coming back to stop his sugary coffee. Is Yashiki allowed to take his beloved coat, to remember his touch and scent?

OR !! MASHITA DBEBFB my wife. Yashiki is like, his best friend (boyfriend also). He tries to pretend he isnt, but he is. He would do anything for him, even go as far to die for him. Yashiki is probably one of the few people who don't get mad at him for being so abrasive, and continues to be fun. Yashiki thanks him for being there. Would Mashita kill him, though? He has seen people die. He lost his mentor, after all. Is he willing or even able to kill his soulmate? To lose another person that close, so important and dear to him? There's no way… but he couldn't ask Yashiki to do it, either. If Mashita lives and the mist goes away… it's truly, an awful end. He told Yashiki to stop investigating the paranormal. That he'd die.

They didn't know he wouldn't die because of a spirit.

Ahh the nuisance. It's so interesting

[mlmdarkfiction]

May i trouble you for some headcanons for how mashita and yashiki would feel as they get feelings for a G/N reader who is a new mark bearer during the whole surviving a spirit ordeal. thank you!

me holding my possessed hand back so I don't make these poly hcs and to not add any angst

Mashita:

Aw shit here we go again-

Honestly he's pretty pissed about this whole situation, sorry.

He's even more annoyed if either your mark hasn't gone away have the Shimi-O case, or if you're in a situation similar to Yashiki.

He kinda just wants to clear his hands of all this ghost curse shit, and it's hard to do that while he's worried about you.

And it's not like he has total 100% confidence in Yoshiki's abilities. The man doesn't even have a license.

As unfortunate as it is to say, Mashita is 100% the "he's mean to you because he likes you" thing people say.

In his defense though he only thinks you're a little incompetent.

A lot of his rude comments about your abilities more come from him not wanting you to be in a life or death situation with these ghosts if he can help it.

And although he's put himself back into this on your behalf without having been asked, he's still going to complain.

Going as far as to say (mostly jokingly) that you'll owe him a couple of drinks after all this.

Yashiki:

Unlike Mashita who is (relatively) a well adjusted adult man, I don't think Yashiki's even quite aware of his feelings for a while.

I think it takes either you getting hurt while with him investigating a spirit, or him being with another mark bearer and missing you for him to realize just how fondly he regards you.

I think especially if you're someone like him or Christie, who's mark takes a few cases to remove, that he'd eventually come to rely on you a bit without even realizing it.

At some point he even secretly hopes that your mark won't disappear, just so you won't leave the mansion, so you'll still need his help, and by extension him.

But as soon as he realizes where his thoughts are going, Yashiki always feels guilty.

And all this being said, when the time comes he won't mention that he'll miss you presence in the mansion, he tells you, like all the others who's mark has disappeared, that you shouldn't stay after this final night.

Yashiki's not the type of person to ask you to stay.

Mary might.

After finding out the truth about everything, I think he would ask you for help the same way he did the others.

Not only are you a comforting presence to be around for him, but I think you help get him from getting too frustrated and hopeless when it comes to the extreme lack of progress he's able to make.

[spirithunters-imagine]

Death Mark dating headcanons

My first headcanons, yey! I started with Yashiki, Mashita, and Daimon first, but If you want me to write more characters then please let me know <3 Also spoilers warning!

Kazuo Yashiki/Masamune Kojou:

Well, prepare for soft, very loving but also awkward Yashiki.

When you start dating, he is so happy to have you around in the Kujou mansion. He would be very lonely without you.

He cares so much about you, that sometimes he is kinda overprotective. He also has a tendency to put your well-being first.

Because of that, he would keep a lot of his problems and worries to himself. Like his grief of losing his sister or recurring nightmares showing him the horrible imagines from times when he had the Mark.

But he isn’t very great at hiding all of his problems, especially when you both live together.

Healing from trauma and loss of family member is a lot, but Yashiki’s relationship with you is helping him a lot.

Your daily activities would include mostly household duties - the mansion is pretty big and with all spirit stuff often happening around, It wouldn’t be smart to hire a housekeeper.

But housework is not so bad, when you do it together with one who you love, right?

As I said before - Yashiki would be pretty awkward in relationships like he is in general, sometimes he says things without thinking first and he is kinda a mess, but it’s cute at the same time.

Imagine him trying to compliment you, but then he realized that what he said sounded wrong and he tries to explain himself while blushing. So cute.

Also please keep eye on him. If you won’t he will forget to sleep and eat only sandwiches and coffee for weeks.

One of his favorites things to do is doing your hair! It brings back good memories of his sister and It makes him happy in a kinda bittersweet way.

He’s kinda too awkward to be into PDA, but on another hand, your touch calms him a lot, so prepare for a lot of hand-holding (l-lewd!) and hugging to soothe his nerves!

He absolutely loves snuggling with you, generally, he loves doing a lot of things with you, but when both of you are just buried in blankets, entwined in an embrace he feels so good and he wants those moments to last forever.

The way he kisses you is usually pretty chaste, but if you get him into the mood and he knows that you don’t mind, then you will get a lot of very romantic and tender kisses.

He usually prefers to be the big spoon but doesn’t mind being the small one.

Satoru Mashita:

This relationship is not going to be an easy one.

Even if by some miracle you had gained his trust, he will not be open with everything. He used to keep his true feelings to himself.

But also let’s not forget - he is an asshole.

So If you want to date him prepare for getting smoke in your face, being called names and him getting involved in some dangerous business and worrying you sick.

But It’s not like he doesn’t care about you, If he didn't, he wouldn’t date you, he is not a type to be with someone only because of pity.

The way he shows his affection is very subtle. He has a very keen eye, so probably he would be first to notice changes in you (both in appearance and personality) even the smallest ones.

“Oh, you cut your hair?  It’s not bad” “Yeah I did. (Only a few inches but you still noticed it?)”

Also, the way he shows that he cares is very practical? Like most people would give them S/O flowers or other cute presents, but if Mashita noticed that you could get in danger, he wouldn’t hesitate to get you a gun or other kind of weapon.

He often checks on you If you need anything of If something is wrong and is kinda overprotective.

He is not very into PDA (he is not very into showing positive emotions in general), he prefers to touch you only when both of you are alone.  He will usually put his arm around your shoulder while you both sit together.  

His kisses are usually just quick peck into your mouth or your cheek, but when he is in mood, he loves to kiss you passionately while holding your jaw harshly. Loves to smoke kiss you, but won’t do it often If you don't want to.

He is neither a big or little spoon. He’s a knife.

Shuuji Daimon

Well, first of all, he is surprised why would you date him. He is just an old, weak, overworked man, not a particularly great candidate for boyfriend. He just kinda can believe that someone who has their whole love ahead them would like to be with him. But he is not going to complain about it.

Actually, he is very happy to be with you. You bring a lot of life and hope in his life.  

Being the doctor he deeply cares about your health, and always keeps an eye on your daily habits, so he knows if you eat enough, or take your meds or have enough sleep, etc.

But like he said “He doesn’t practice what he preaches” so prepare that he will confront you about your unhealthy behavior while he slept only 2 hours that day, drank only coffee and eaten like only a little bit. So you better call him out for him, if you want him to live longer.

He tends to overwork himself, but after you start dating he tries to spend more time with you (but that doesn’t mean that he starts to neglect his work).

He is also a kind of guy that shows his affection in a very subtle way, but at least he is not as mean as Mashita. He doesn’t often say compliments and “I love you”s, but when He does, you know that He truly means it.

He loves to show his feelings through music. If he has enough free time he would go with you to concerts (If you up for it, maybe even for Love & Hero’s ) or just go karaoke with you (well he can't sing for too long because of his sickness, but loves to hear you sing, even if you are not best at it).

In a matter of PDA - he is not against it but isn’t also a big fan of it. He will probably hold your hand, maybe give you small kisses, but nothing more in public.

But when you get home, prepare for much more touches. Absolutely loves to hug you from behind and (if you short enough, but he is actually one of the tallest guys in Death Mark cast, so there’s a big possibility that he is the taller one)  put his chin atop your head. Also, he can be either a little or a big spoon.

[spirithunterscenarios]

Imagine Moe being an avid lover of puns who always tries to sneak one in whenever she gets the chance. Now imagine Mashita being one of those people who hates puns and she takes joy in that.

Imagine Mashita and Yashiki taking Moe home one night and she just starts shelling out puns and slowly driving Mashita insane while Yashiki tries to hide a giggle or two.

Mashita threatens making them crash at least two or three times.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Purify Thy Soul - Mashita Satoru (Death Mark) ~ Finished

Summary:

Losing your memory, losing your identity, losing your mind... Do you even remember who you are? What is your name? Your career path? Do you have any family or friends? What are your hobbies? And most importantly - What were you doing, laying on the grass in a forest park, in the dead of night, with flowers and a book next to you? The not so friendly ex-detective asked himself each of those questions, but one look at your neck, and he finally got his answer. You were cursed.

Chapter 1 - Flowerbed Chapter 2 - Bumblebee Chapter 3 - Dittany Chapter 4 - Wedding Dress Chapter 5 - Sweet Melody Chapter 6 - Bodhisattva Chapter 7 - Amitābha Chapter 8 - Crimson Knight Chapter 9 - Crimson Spider Lily Chapter 10 - Onmyoji

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 10 - Onmyoji

With their resolve renewed, Kisara and Satoru returned for the last time to the Masquerade love hotel, waiting for an irritating long amount of time for the tardy Yashiki to arrive. Mashita was more than angry with his partner being so late - How dare he? Why would he be late, when the situation is so dire, and they had to act with haste to save not only Banshee and Hiro, but everyone else involved - Themselves included.

"You're late. What the hell took you so long?" Mashita snapped at the man whose approaching steps were approaching idly. "You know damn well time is of the essence right now." Yashiki cringed a little, feeling the full brunt of the detective's anger. "Daimon's prepared for the worst, too. He's made arrangements to transfer them." 

Kazuo remained mostly silent, his head hung in realisation. He knew their condition was bad, but since he hasn't physically been there to witness their savage outbursts and feral behaviour, he must not have truly understood how important it was to act as soon as possible. Time truly was of the essence. 

Seeing how worked up her boyfriend was, Kisara placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly, driving him backwards to take a little break and cool off while she explains the rest of the situation to their partner. "We ran into Shou while on our hospital visit." she began, speaking in a solemn voice. Apparently, the son of the Taira leader is acquainted with Shou and his gang, so they hang around the Hotel area rather often. No wonder the whole situation is a bit of a hot topic for them. That is exactly why, seeing people going in and out of the Hotel, plus the ghost rumours, made him quickly realise it was them going through with an investigation. 

Nagashima contacted the blasted fortune teller, who told him everything about the case. Neither of them wanted children to get involved with more death-threatening matters, so of course, they told him to stay out of it - Kisara did all the talking, of course, since Mashita would only provoke the boy into coming to help. However, she is still afraid he might still go out of his way to help, as hhis manly way of returning the favour after being saved from the Death Mark. Chivalrous indeed, but not now.

As if on cue, a lovely young lady approaches them, with the prettiest, most serene smile possible. Watanabe Moe was there to report on the rumours. "I heard something amazing from someone who was there at the time!" she chirped, very proud of herself and her hard work. "She was one of the high school girls who was up to no good during that time."

"That must mean one of the girls who wrote in those nasty notebooks, saying they were afraid Sayako would rat them out to the school principal, right?" Kisara attention was entirely piqued.

"Yes, exactly! Her name is Akiko. The editorial department helped me track her down." Moe smiled proudly, speaking of the girl who studied at the nearby highschool and chose this rather illicit yet well-paid part time job. "Let me show you what Akiko said about her classmate, Sayako." Moe pulled a voice recorder from her bag and hit the play button, and the girl spoke as follows...

Yeah, a friend introduced me to a part time job. It was whimsical... Ah, I mean, I just did it on a whim. We're supposed to meet at the hotel, Masquerade, and there's a system there where someone introduces us to customers. You get a lot of money from it, so everyone was dying to get hired. But one day there was... An incident of sorts. Someone at school found out about the job. Some goody two-shoes class rep, Sayako, said she was gonna tell her teacher, Nakamura.

Everyone freaked and apologised to her, saying they'd stop. She wouldn't listen. If our parents found out, it'd be the worst thing ever! We begged, but she didn't budge. In the end, she left class saying she was going to go to the police with Nakamura. We were totally freaked out, so I went to the Hotel that night - I mean, at that point, there was no harm in going, you know? Ha ha.  But then... She was there. 

Sayako was standing in front of Masquerade in the drizzling rain, in a red raincoat...

She said she was going to the police, so who knows why she was at the hotel, but it made us all jumpy and on edge every day after that. Except... Nothing ever happened. Soon after that, Masquerade shut down. I guess they uncovered something.

"Yes, just as I suspected..." Kisara hummed softly. "What about Sayako?"

"I don't know exactly, but apparently she stopped coming to school. According to Akiko, she just suddenly stopped showing up."

"That testimony sounds far too perfect. Who uses a raincoat anyway? Most people just use an umbrella nowadays." Mashita snorted, rolling his eyes. "She must have dramatised it a little."

"Maybe the raincoat was a signal for the person she was supposed to meet there." Yashiki concluded.

"... Professor Nakamura, maybe?" the red haired lady's eyes widened with dread. "If that's true, then... What if Nakamura is directly involved with Sayako's death? We've seen the kind of torture devices around that place - What if some kind of accident happened, which led to the ruination of the Love Hotel?" they remained quiet for a while.

"If that's all you have to tell us, hurry up and go home." Satoru urged the young journalist as soon as he saw the fear in his girlfriend's eyes. That's no place for any girl to step in, let alone one as innocent and naive as her.

"Um... So I really can't come with you? I worked really hard..." she tried her luck again.

"Please, don't push the subject, Moe. The last thing I want is for you to get involved in this... Depravity." Kisara explained in a motherly voice. "Not only the ghost is exceptionally violent, but... The whole place is just... Filth." Moe simply sighed, giving up. "I don't want you to be the third victim."

"Oh... Okay, I understand." her smile returned immediately. "But you better tell me all about it later, okay? Oh, and, be careful!" she expressed her worries, before disappearing through the streets. With not another word uttered, the trio stepped inside the cursed hotel. "It is not right for the dead to meddle in the life of the living." Mashita grumbled to himself, his grip on Kisara's tightening a little. 

Much to their incredible trepidation, the whole lobby was unlike the previous evenings - This time, it was fully covered in those forsaken spider webs. "Bring it. Time to make our appointment with our lady friend." Mashita mused dryly. 

Just then, the creaking groaning of the elevator moving echoed loudly, as it came back to the lobby level... Which means, there was someone already there, and judging from the noise, they must have went up to either the 4th or 5th level. Hopefully... It wasn't Shou, or any of their friends.

Beginning with their investigation on the 4th floor, they first looked at the familiar painting of a masked feminine figure - This time it was a young girl, running down a trail. 

Next, they entered the room on the left, with the familiar Venetian masks. Searching the nightstand, they found another of those guestbooks, but the entries... Were entirely different from the previous ones. They covered a number of horrifying topics such as devil worship and different kinds of torture. It was impossible to tell which were reality, and which were delusions... If any at all. Every word was surging with a twisted, single-minded appetite for destruction. 

"Haha, that's quite the hobby." Mashita smirks with disgust. "The handwriting differs by page. This was written by several guests." he pointed out.

"That means... The higher the level, the more depraved the practice?" Kisara gulped, remembering the pain she suffered the previous evening.

"They're like moths drawn to a flame. You wouldn't even know to look at them." Satoru answered, seeing the apprehension on Yashiki's face. He believed too much on the good nature of people, and was often left disappointed. "Hate to say it, but the kids working that part time job were probably part of it, too."

"But wouldn't Akiko speak with more dread about it, then? She sounded too light-hearted to have been subjected to the torture described in this guestbook." Kisara made a note about it.

"Safety, a good pay and complete confidentiality guaranteed." Mashita patted her head, seeing the disbelief on her face. "Just because you wouldn't subject yourself to masochism and other weird stuff for money, doesn't mean poor or curious innocent girls like her wouldn't." he could see the way her face grimaced with more unease. "After all, the one who sold his soul was probably most nervous about all this mess." he huffed sarcastically. "Still... These people have quite the imagination." 

He continued to idly leaf through the pages, only to stop at a certain phrase that said - "Jorogumo's Punishment".

"That's a Spider Yokai that can shapeshift into a beautiful woman. All Jorogumo are women, and they can only reproduce with human men. In fact, the spiders from yesterday... They were Joro spiders." Kisara explained. "But... The punishment... Could it be what we experienced in the elevator? Or what happened to Banshee?"

"Nope." Mashita clicked his tongue. "You might not be ready for it, but let me tell you what's written here." Kisara shuddered, not ready for what was to come.

Jorogumo's Punishment is a recreation of a certain urban legend. > You capture the largest spider you can find - A wild one would be best. > Sharpen the sacrifice's senses with drugs > Use a mouth speculum to keep their mouth open > Throw the spider in their mouth If they manage to swallow it, they're innocent. If they don't, or the spider escapes, they're guilty. It's a witch trial meant to judge truth from lie. ... If I get a sacrifice that needs punishing, I'd like to try it out immediately.

"Hey, calm down. Take a deep breath." Kisara didn't even realise how much she was freaking out, until her boyfriend placed his hands on both her shoulders and captured her attention. 

"... Sayako... Must have been subjected to this..." she gulped, petrified by only imagining such a situation, and trembling softly.

"We... We should get going already. We're wasting time." Yashiki shook his head quickly, trying to get rid of the mental image, and quickly checked the bathroom, only to return empty handed.

In spite of their fright, they went on to examine the room on the right also, only to find some blood in the bath water, and a cylindrical object in the sink drain, but they had no way to fish it out momentarily, so they decided to go up to the 5th floor where they were met with more spiderwebs, a switch, and the last picture of a masked woman, holding hands with a child.

Much to their surprise, the door to room 502 was locked, to the only place to go on this floor was the room on the right, 501, which was completely pitch black. Yashiki shone the light inside, and as soon as he did, both him and Kisara yelped in shock at the sight of the webbed out corpse chained on the wall by the wrists and ankles.

"A body finally turned up. Let's check it out." Mashita squeezed her hand twice to gain her attention. This was the peak of the investigation so far.

In the corner of the room there was a decorative coffin leaning upside down on the cold and humid brick wall, and sure enough, the only useful thing they found inside, amongst the useless junk, was a book - A Yokai Encyclopedia - And they found out the Jorogumo initially killed by drowning people, and it targets woodcutters and hunters who are always saved at the last minute by using a tree stump which the spider takes instead, and the protagonist escapes. Weird, but there's no point in nitpicking folklore.

Mashita put on the rubber gloves and dared to touch the mummified body; Traces of dried skin fell of on impact - The body was mostly a skeleton otherwise. A long time passed since it's been to this place - At least a year no doubt. "Small stature, but based on the thickness of the bones, it's likely an adult male." Satoru affirmed, but neither he, nor Kisara can tell the cause of death. "He must have been in pain when he died. His face is all twisted."

"Probably a guest. Freak." Kisara scrunched her nose in disgust, watching as the detective threw a cheap lighter from its belongings to his partner.

Inside the bathroom, however, they only found clumps of hair, paper waste and a bent hanger which they can use to fish out the cylindrical object from the sink. Weirdly enough, there was no mirror on the wall in this place.

Returning to the sink on the 4th floor, they found out the mysterious object was the key to Room 502, the Deluxe Suite. What a discovery - Kisara was curious how that would be different from the other rooms.  Yet another torture chamber - Similarly to the others, it contained a broken wooden horse and a crucifying X on the wall where the sacrifice would be punished.

Yashiki lifted up the wooden torture device, only for Mashita to flash his light on a metal took. "What's that?" Kisara crouched down to pick the metal thing... A mouth speculum. "Maniacs..." Satoru spat, seeing his girlfriend fall down on her knees, the depraved metal thing echoing loudly with a few clinks at it returned to the ground. "Damn it, not again." he immediately panicked, throwing himself down and gathering the poor girl in his arms. "Snap out of it! Kisara, snap out of it! Damn it - Damn it!"

A white light flashed before Kisara's green eyes, blacking out... And though her consciousness returned, albeit hazy, her vision didn't. She began whimpering, breathing ragged and weeping violently in his arms, her body stiff like she was deep in rigor mortis. She knew what it was, and she wanted to be struck down by lightning instead - To drop dead already, before anything could happen. With her mouth forced open like that, her tongue forced out and drooling, the leather blindfold over her eyes; Her cold, naked body forced to kneel on the hard ground, the multiple pairs of arms holding her in place...

She was experiencing the horrors of Sayako during her Punishment. "Let us commence the judgement!" a man spoke theatrically behind her. "The court has decided to give the accused a fair trial and will judge her crimes. The trial will now begin." it didn't matter how hard she was crying, or how she pleaded and begged for mercy in her mind. "I shall put his spider in the accused's month, and if it crawls out, she is guilty. If she can swallow it, she is innocent." 

Mashita feels her body jerking around frantically, her moves haphazard. He had no clue that him restraining her movements was similar to what she was experiencing in her vision. "He-... Lp.... Me...! Plea... Se... He... Lp...! Sa... Sa..." his eyes widened with infinite shock - It was the first time she was trying to directly call out to him, and wasn't speaking as the victim. She must be terrified out of her wits, and she calls out to him, her words gargled and garbled, out of sheer fear... Or drugs too. 

The men jeered as the one released a giant spider inside her mouth... And crawled right down her throat...

For a few seconds, Satoru had to take his arms away from her to cover his ears, as she shrieked in such a high pitch, and trashed around so violently, that not even his strength could hold her down. "KISARA, IT'S ME - KISARA! LOOK AT ME - KISARA!" it took both men to jump on her and drag her away from the door, as she tried to spring away. 

"DON'T TOUCH ME! SPIDER - GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" she sobbed and screamed and whined, jerking around so violently that she risked dislocating her joints and damaging her body more than it already is.

"Forgive me." gritting his teeth, he raised his hand to the woman he loves so much once again, and struck her face down hard enough for her to remain immobile; Her knees weakened and she fell lax in their grasp. "Please don't make me do this ever again. It hurts me more than it hurts you.

"Satoru..." Yashiki slowly let the woman go, and stepped away to investigate the decorative coffin, letting the detective pacify her. "Satoru... Satoru..." once again, she whined and mewled in his arms as he cradled her tightly to his chest. "No more... No more, I don't wanna..." she sniffled and sobbed so hard, his heart broke. "They did it... Sayako... The Punishment... They broke her... They tortured her..." she hiccupped again and again, her voice barely decipherable. "Their hands... They held her down, and... And... Urgh... Those furry legs... Going down my throat... And... And..." she suddenly pushed him away, vomiting her guts out painfully. "I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die..." 

"There now, pretty girl, you're all gross." Mashita took out a handkerchief and wiped away the barf from her lips, and all her snot and tears.

"B-Better...?" she whimpered tearfully. She looked so pitiful, poor darling.

"Much better." he kissed her forehead before helping her stand up. Although she was shaking still, she was at least conscious, alert and somewhat focused. It was good enough for the moment.

"Are you okay?" Kazuo muttered, his head hung as if he felt guilty for her experiencing that vision. With a weak smile, the girl nodded, which prompted him to show the book he was holding. "It seems to be a Demon Encyclopedia. It looks similar to the Yokai one." it had pictures of demons and crests, with their characteristics written next to them. It only reinforced the idea of demon worshipping and cults. "I also found some bath salts and insect-repelling cream in the bathroom."

"How... Exactly will that help us?" Mashita cocked an eyebrow, looking weirdly at the man, who simply shrugged

With their investigation finished in the 5th floor deluxe suite room, they exited into the corridor... Only to meet... Shou? Just as expected, however... He looked... Angry? Tormented? No matter how Masamune tried talking to him, it was fruitless - The young man remained unresponsive. When he tried to approach him, he was held back by the detective, who pointed out the oddity in the otherwise volcanic behaviour. His face was stiff into a grimace. 

"I-I was looking for you... This whole time..." he spoke with such difficulty. "I-I-I'm going to... K-Kill you...!" he rose the metal bat he was hiding, getting in a stance and moved in to attack. 

"Get back!" Mashita dragged back his flabbergast partner by his coat, only to notice his girlfriend crouching a little, getting in a grappling stance of her own. "Idiot - What the hell are you doing?!"

"Have you forgotten who I am?" she scoffed to her boyfriend, as he watched with wide eyes as she easily evaded the bat to the side, wrestled the bat from his grasp, and hit him over the head with the butt of it, making him fall to the ground. "Kisara Shogun." with a smirk, she winked playfully at him.

"Kisara Dumbass." he shook his head in disbelief. "Yashiki, help me drag him out. We need to get our third victim to the hospital."

With some difficulty, they were able to get the young man outside of the hotel. Kisara whistled, and at once, a few Yakuza gathered and bowed to her. Giving her clear instructions, the men placed him in the car. "Yashiki, go with them." both men looked weirdly at her. "Sayako asked us why we were at the hotel - And Satoru answered, implicating me being his wife. At this point, you are not seen as her 'Sir' anymore, but he is. Sayako wants to see her respected Nakamura, who got her into this mess to begin with. She must have forgotten that detail." she scoffed. "You've been in all investigation, and she's attacked us all - Because everyone other than 'Sir', is an extra. Only the two of us can go."

"How reassuring." Mashita spat, annoyed at the situation.

"... I feel odd leaving you right at the end." Yashiki frowned, skeptical at the outcome.

"Then go to the hospital with Shou, get Daimon to check your headache, and return. Maybe that will give us enough time to reach Sayako out and get to the last phase of the exorcism." the young woman debated, and with nothing left to refute, Yashiki hopped in the luxurious black Subaru.

"... Was your car a Yakuza gift?" Kisara's smile only widened at her boyfriend, but said nothing.

With some reticence a mustering courage, the couple entered the Masquerade Love Hotel for the last time, and were greeted by the distant silhouette of their ghostie, giggling hollow through the lobby. She told them she will be waiting on the top floor, in the room of masks, before disappearing into the elevator. The combination... "The paintings!" the two looked at each other in realisation.

1st floor was the Masked Bride 2nd floor was the Masked Girlfriend 3rd floor was the Elderly Masked Woman 4th floor was the Masked Young Girl 5th floor was the Masked Mother So the combination was... 42153... ?

True enough, the elevator took them to the 6th floor; As soon as the doors opened, they were met with the musty stench of yet another torture chamber. It smelled of strong iron and blood.

"S... I... R..." Sayako's voice drifts on the wind, along with her giggles. "I've been waiting for you..." "Listen, kid, I know you want to meet the man you respect, but I am not that person." Mashita spoke with unexpected calm.

"Liar... You always... Lie..." her voice became more spiteful.

"I'm not lying." Satoru refuted immediately, which earned a desperate scream splitting the night. It was the same shriek that Kisara made when she was being tortured.

"Stop your temper tantrum. You know this won't accomplish anything." Satoru's voice became more authoritarian. "You're dead, and Nakamura won't come see you."

"This time... This time...." the ghost sneered. "I'm... I'm going to test... You...!" with an echoing wail, the corporeal image of a grey spider bride hung upside down from a bunch of webs, right in front of them.

"I've done my part - What now, Kisara Guuji?" Satoru grabbed her backwards, putting a safe distance between them and the ghost.

Countless Joro spiders fly out of the darkness and start crawling all over their body, and the swarm keeps coming in an endless flow. Kisara's screech had enough vibration to keep them off of her, but Satoru was forced to place the gross mini-massager on his leg and watch as the pests began to get confused and get off. Thank goodness.

Red Riding Hood lets out a gusty sigh as glittering white threads fly through the air from her mouth, trying to use her spider silk. "Quick, the wooden thingy-" Kisara helped her boyfriend place the Spanish Donkey head over them as a protective shield. Strangely enough, the threads seemed drawn to it and only wrap around the wood.

"Sir..." the ghost got dangerously close. "Who's... In the wrong...?" she asked eerily. "I only did... What was right..."

"What's right is for the law to decide, not for us." Mashita would know all about wrong-doings, but the spider lady stared deeply at him, giggling lightly.

"Sir... Come with me... The only thing that matters... Is your life." the Jorogumo extended her arms towards the man.

"You have no right to touch or lust over my husband." Kisara slapped away her hands, getting protectively in front of him.

"Who are you to determine a person's worth anyway?" Satoru chimed in also, countering the self-righteous girl.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" she shrieked desperately, so loud that they see white - Then her maddening eyes glare down at them menacingly as she dangles even closer to them. "How do I look... To you...?!" was she actually trying to seduce him?

"I have a wife, Sayako. No woman, including you, exists in my eyes." though Kisara's heart swole with glee and love, the spider spirit giggled erratically.

"What do you like... About me...?" her interrogation was far too long for their liking.

"Your Honesty." Satoru guessed wildly, and her giggle must mean success.

The ghost of Sayako calmed down, and she smiled serenely. "Thank you, Sir... Let's..." her figure wavers, and then... She smashes through the window and off, into the night.

"Did she just... Jump? Just like that...?" Kisara blinked, staring weirdly at the broken glass; The bustling city could be heard out the window.

"Guess so." Satoru muttered, wiping his sweaty brow with his sleeve. "Hey, what is this...?" the red haired lady turned to see what he was looking at - A dangling red thread... Wrapped around his wrist. "What the hell...?!" 

"SATORU!" Kisara yells her lover's name as he is yanked towards the window. She latched onto him with all her strength as he tried to brace his legs in an attempt of resistance, but it was all in vain, and he was thrown out into the night sky.

---

He should be plummeting to the ground - Yet something's holding him up to awkwardly dangle in the air. He thought his jacket got lucky stuck in a glass shard or a loose nail, or whatever cartoonish thing that saved his fate - Instead, looking up, he saw both Kisara and Yashiki using all their strength to hold onto him and drag him up. His partner was gritting his teeth in effort, holding onto his arm, while Kisara's both hands were gripping painfully into his coat and flesh, her nails scratching deeply into him, as she was bent halfway off the window herself.

"You got fat, Satoru!" she screamed at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Masamune grumbled, exerting too much strength into dragging him to safety. "Give me your other arm, my grip is slipping --"

"HURRY UP!" the girl also yelled in frustration. "Grab onto us already!"

"Lucky me." he scoffed, grabbing the two and getting pulled back in the torture chamber of the top floor. After a lot of effort, the three stumble back onto the dusty floor, back to safety. The only sound heard was their echoing hard gasps for breath as they sat there in darkness.

"What the hell happened while I was gone? Is she... Gone?" Yashiki asked, curious and bewildered.

"Yeah, she's gone - Out the window, alright - And she thought it a cheeky little thing to drag me out with her." Mashita spat in disgust and anger. "Stupid spider girl."

"I'm glad you got here when you did. I don't think I could have done anything to save him." Kisara muttered breathlessly.

"Yeah. Your dumb ass would have toppled over with me like some kind of weird double suicide." he chuckled weakly, getting back on his feet and dragging the other two up. "Enough self-pity. We're done here. Let's get out of here before we become asthmatic."

The rain had already stopped, and the cool wind on their cheeks hinted of autumn. "Let's drop by and see Daimon." the brunet affirmed off-handedly. "Give me your keys."

"I can drive." Kisara blinked, confused at her boyfriend's sudden wish to drive.

"Have you gone mad or what? You're shaking like jelly. Don't even bother arguing." she looked down at her hands and hummed, realising her was right. Then, she looked at Yashiki and himself - They, also, were trembling.

"You two are the same. Let me handle this." just the same, she whistled for her Yakuza friends to drive them to the hospital, and then back home.

Before he got in the car driven by the leader himself, Yashiki took out a handkerchief and wrapped the spider laying in a small puddle nearby, and put it in his pocket. "I take it the spirit was purified?" the old man asked.

"Yes... With much effort and almost dying." Kisara muttered bitterly.

"Could you tell me what exactly happened?" Mr. Kazuya asked.

"The high-school girl said she was going to the police to bust her highschool colleagues for prostituting themselves at the Hotel. However... She didn't go straight to the police. She went to the Hotel... And there... She got, beaten, drugged, tortured. Jorogumo's Punishment, if you've heard of it, and much more. And... I think she went crazy or something. Threw herself off the window, maybe. Suicide...? The full story is a little hazy for me." Kisara told the story as best as she could.

"The teacher she respected, Nakamura - He manipulated her. Instead of going to the police, he convinced her to go to the hotel and show him proof." Mashita chimed in. 

"Really? I suspected that, but do you have proof?" the girl's sight snapped at him immediately.

"Yes. A teacher from a school near the hotel was arrested for breaking the law." he explained. "Akiko's testimony piqued my interest. She said they were scared they'd be reported, but nothing happened. Just like you suspect, it means Sayako never got to the police after she tattled to the teacher." he smiled emptily. "She sought salvation from a criminal. How ironic."

"Nakamura... So this is why he was truly incriminated." the Taira leader gruffed. "He was my son's teacher also. Everyone knew about the business of Masquerade. My son spread the rumours to his willing classmates. That Nakamura was one of our top clients - One of the depraved ones also. I didn't think he'd dare do a mistake, considering he had my son's eyes on him constantly."

"But... From out ghost encounter, it seemed to me that Sayako... Had a crush on Nakamura. Stemmed out of respect or something. And the red thread of fate... That's a soulmate metaphor." Kisara pipped in also.

"I saw a photo of him. Thin, tall, handsome, sharp - The type popular with the students." Mashita huffed back.

"So much like you, huh?" she smirked at her boyfriend. 

"Is that why you fell for me? 'Cause I'm dashingly handsome?" he shot right back, only to see a shameless grin along with a nod of her head. "Unbelievable." 

"Jokes aside - Did she kill herself? Or what happened to her?" the girl asked again.

"People found her wandering the streets idly, before she was admitted to a facility. Her mental state was broken beyond repair, and she threw herself off the 6th floor window of the hospital. The night of her death was cold and rainy like all these evenings we went to the Hotel." he continued the summary of his personal investigation.

"I understand." the girl sigh. "That kind of torture... It's impossible to get over. It was terrifying, degrading, humiliating, agonising." she shuddered again.

"What about Nakamura?" Yashiki asked, curiosity taking over him.

"He was arrested for drug and weapon dealing, and ended up telling about high school girls being involved in Masquerade." Mr. Kazuya confirmed Satoru's clues.

"And Sayako wore a red raincoat because having your partner wearing all red was a code that you were planning to use the VIP suite on the top floor - No doubt, she had no clue about that." the man continued. "Nakamura hanged himself in jail."

"To put it lightly." the Taira leader chuckled enigmatically. "Thank you for uncovering the truth of why our business failed. Making deals with weak men is in your detriment more than theirs, unfortunately."

Soon enough, they reached the hospital. Daimon mentioned that miraculously, all three victims calmed down at the same time, and regained consciousness, with no lasting symptoms. They were going to be fine very quickly, and out of there, able to go back to their daily life. 

With all that out of the way, the trio returned to their lives also - Yashiki kept looking around for clues on Mary, while Satoru continued his detective work and Kisara went back to her medical practice.

That is... When her much beloved boyfriend called her over in his study, to take a look at the investigating work he was doing - Tens and thousands of papers and writings scattered all around the desk, carpet and trash, some plain, others crumpled up, yet all of them had the same center piece.

Hyakki Yagyo, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

"So... Are we back in business... Onmyoji Kisara?"

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 9 - Crimson Spider Lily

With the next day coming by much faster than anticipated, the two lovers mentally prepared themselves to brave yet another likely ghostly encounter; Though it wasn't the ghost, but Kisara's own spiritual strength that terrified the detective, well aware that she was going to use her powers to find out what happened. Only walking in someone's shoes can help you understand what one's been dealing with -- Or some kind of inspirational bullshit quote you hear in self-growth books or whatever.

Regardless, Satoru was uncharacteristically tender with the girl, settling to go as far as to brush her hair and even give her a shoulder massage, though he couldn't find the strength to give her some lame-ass pep talk. She knew well enough what she was getting into, and truthfully, they were both wary of this ghost shit. She's been possessed enough times; Heavens forbid she ends up in a coma like Hiroo, because she attracts spirits like a trouble magnet.

Yet one question remained in the back of his his head - What was that mysterious and cryptic phone call she just made?

Still, come night at the same hour, the two found Yashiki conversing with Daimon and, surprisingly enough, Banshee. The doctor reported on Madoka's vital status, which wasn't improving - Though her parameters were fine, they weren't sure how to treat her. If they suspected poison, they couldn't just randomly throw around serums and antitoxins, unless they wanted to kill her. The truth was... There was no cure for Hiroo's condition, and Kisara knew it - As long as the ghost was alive, Hiroo will remain unconscious... Or die soon.

Once more, Kisara displayed a rather uncharacteristic meerkat-like curiosity, looking around as if for something specific, only to remain fixated for 5 seconds at most, on one corner of the street nearby - However, when Satoru averted his sight that-a-way, he found nothing. Interesting. Solemn, the crowd of five entered the fancy hotel; Only Banshee went out by himself, seemingly to forage for things; Though the other four agreed to stick together and keep safe. Of course, the old man goes to wander by himself, to search for the electricity device that's supposed to control the elevator. Right at that time, both Yashiki and Kisara sink to the floor, complaining about an excruciating migraine. Though Daimon kept going on and on about medical and rational reasons, it was all but obvious ghosts were involved; How annoying. Kisara didn't want to worry her boyfriend so soon, but there was little she could do in that regard.

With Banshee gone to hell knows where, the four agreed to return to the mysterious object under the bed, now that they weren't in a rush or pressured by the malevolent intentions of their ghost girl; Much to their surprise, however - The secret object was a condom. Well, much good that did them.

Sighing in disappointment, they leave the room, only to look at the elevator doors. Mashita and Yashiki looked at each other and nodded, like-minded, putting all their strength into peering open the unbudged doors. "Whoa, you two are pretty strong!" the girl remarked, being the first to look around the opened elevator.

Though she was staring pretty fixed at the floor numbers that went to five - And even a secret 6th floor that had no accessible button - Yashiki could only stare up at the ceiling with horror, gulping at what he was seeing. "Are those spider webs?"

Not only did the detective cringe at the mere mention of those disgusting insects, but seeing his girlfriend stare with those terrified eyes at the spider silk above them, only to jump out of the elevator in the blink of an eye, with the most heartbreaking yelp, was beyond his limit. "I-I will remain at a safe distance!" she chuckled with unease. "I think the elevator buttons are interesting though. I wonder how we can access the 6th floor, if there's no button. Maybe the stairs?"

"Or maybe a code?" Daimon suggested. "I've seen that before with VIP rooms."

"Then we only have to find out the code and see how we can get this thing moving." Mashita huffed. "Easy enough. Just like Frankenstein's Monster."

"I guess we'll see what old man Banshee finds." Yashiki sighed, only to get his sight fixated on a small keyhole titled 'Fire'. He used one of the Emergency Keys, but to no avail - Being so rusty, and forcing it, it might break. He'll need to find some oil.

Out of nowhere, Daimon spoke his mind - About the purifying of ghosts, how they escaped and what not - It was finally then that he came up with the conclusion that their fight was more of a ritual than anything. As if that wasn't obvious enough. Still, this only means, in his mind, that the elevator can move not necessarily with electricity, but by doing some sort of specific ritual. How annoying.

Deciding to move away, they exit the elevator and climb up on the 3rd floor, where they find Banshee, who speaks in riddles about the painting and order you should look at them. Yes, that is peculiar, and Kisara had a similar hunch - Why else would there be a Masquerade Wife painting on each floor, one of them being in her late years, while the other being a young bride. So... In order, huh?

While the red head was staring at the old Masquerare Wife lady, the boys were hunched over the broken circuit board. Daimon says that spiders are afraid of vibrations, something that electrical devices, including that one, often create; Yashiki opened the condom wrapper and used it as a rubber band to fix the circuit breaker; And Mashita could feel an eye twitch, realising the board was enwrapped in human hair.

Going down on the lobby, Yashiki repaired that circuit board by using the metal spoon, assisted by Daimon, while the couple decided to go back to the peculiar torture guest room and figure out what's going on. The previous night, they hadn't the time to check the glorious bathroom of that place - If that door truly did, in fact, lead to a bathroom to begin with. No matter how Mashita tried to force open the door, it just wouldn't open.

"Try opening it while pushing from another direction. Not the opening or closing one - Kinda on the side of the hinge." the red head said, stepping in to assist. "Pull on the frame and I'll help."

Mashita only rose a quizzical eyebrow, but did as instructed; At once, Kisara put her hand on the side of the knob and leaned her weight towards the hinge; And magically, it opened. "Don't tell me a ghost told you how to open it."

"Nah. The doors in my grandparents' house were always busted. After getting stuck for a while, I decided to stop using the window to escape, and figured out a way to open them instead." the dark haired man simply shook his head in disbelief. What a mischief.

"That tells me more of your troublemaking, not your wit." he scoffed, getting inside the bathroom. "Do your magic. I'll check this place out. I stole your rubber gloves."

"Now that - Is wit." the girl giggled softly. "But they are small. Better pray they fit." she teased him before allowing the man to do his investigation. Then, she lethargically stepped in front of the stained wall. "Well, here goes nothing."

Satoru found the wooden horse head of the broken torture device, laying on the bathtub; The glass of the shower was painted red with bloody handprints, and he spotted some leftover vaseline they could use to get the key working in the elevator; Though the exorbitant amount of blood splattered all over the sink was quite concerning. He might be able to endure a lot, but such kind of violence wasn't something even someone like he could digest. There was only so much he could imagine, before his mind would flash with the idea of his own girlfriend being forced in such a situation, and rage would cloud his judgement.

Truth is, in a way, she was forcing herself in that situation by willingly choosing to touch peculiar residue that might be linked to ghosts and what-not. He was so deathly concerned that she would be unable to cope with this vision, or maybe the next - That the evilness in this place was so high, she would be unable to regain her senses and she'd go mad. What a scary thought.

Throwing the rubber gloves away, he rushed back in the room, only to see the doctress huddled together on the ground, trembling and weeping softly. Her arms were protectively wrapped around her petite body, and her face was buried in her knees. "I'm here." he spoke out in a low voice, making sure she is aware of her surrounding - And of him. "How bad?"

"Brutal." she sniffed, slowly unwrapping herself from her protective shell and crawling in his arms. "Men and women both... So brutal... So cruel..." and not even he was ready for what was to come, just in a story-telling way. "Such small girls... She... They... Looked so young. Some accepted drugs from their patrons. They knew what they were getting into." for once, she didn't live through the whole experience in a linear way - Perhaps it was because of the drugs... Or maybe, because there were multiple girls that got tied up to that wall and treated with such sadistic aggressiveness. "Many... Many girls... Hanging there... Degraded... Struck with such cruelty that they were left bruised and bloody. I don't get it - I don't get it at all. There's one thing to get money by having sex - But to willingly agree to having flesh split open with hooked whips?! Why- What--... That pain... That humiliation... Who LIKES that?! Who WANTS that?!"

Mashita himself felt light-headed just thinking about that - He knew of many weak men who had to feel strong by abusing women, yes; Inferiority complex and all that - But this was much beyond that. Rich men and women paying good money just to abuse squealing and weeping young girls who are into that. Masochists - Those girls are masochists. He only ever heard of religious masochists who willingly flagellate themselves to atone for their sins or whatever; Japan is a mostly atheist country nowadays, so he's never encountered any such fanatic - Though he could never discard the idea that sex-psychos were beyond him to understand, and their psychology is something that will always baffle him.

He panics inside whenever he finds a small bruise on Kisara's body, fearing that worst - That he was the cause of that, that he was too rough with her - She told him multiple times how sensitive her body can be, finding bruises out of nowhere, so much so that she overlooks them without any care. The truth in all this remains that, not only does Satoru find it hard to accept that people willingly accept pain into their life, but that some are willing to inflict it on those they care about. What a foreign concept.

"I don't know, but there are a bunch of weirdos out there." he admitted, a little bitterly. "Are you hurt?" Kisara quickly lifted her blouse up, looking for any sign of damage - There was none. She then patted her lower body, and thankfully, still nothing. "A'ight, pretty girl, let's get you up and dusted. You don't want more filth on those overly expensive clothes of yours."

"Expensive, but high-fashion couture." regaining her senses, Kisara joked light-heartedly, being helped up by her boyfriend and patting her clothes to get rid of all that dust and filth.

"... Can't deny that." he offered a small smile, before guiding her out into the hall. There, they saw Yashiki and Daimon inside the elevator, seemingly marveling around for clues.

"You may come in. We got rid of the webs." the doctor reassured them.

Mashita nodded in thanks. "Catch." he threw the vaseline bottle at his partner. Though a little weird, Yashiki knew what to do - Lathering up the key and the keyhole, he was able to turn it to the 'ON' switch. 

The elevator rumbled lightly, and moved to the 1st floor automatically. Daimon groans as he wiped sweat off his face - What a scary experience. Finally, they'll hopefully be able to go above the 3rd floor and figure out what to do with the painting order and what not.

Their first destination was Floor 4, where the gloomy hallway stretched out ahead of them through the eerie darkness, though it didn't look any bit different from the lower floors. 

Except...

As soon as Yashiki turned the light on and flashed ahead, the vivid silhouette of the raincoat-dressed ghost was smirking at them enigmatically. The grip on the flashlight tightened so hard, his hand got sweaty. Daimon took a step back. Kisara and Satoru had their guard up, though the group was well aware that the most experiences exorcisers were the ones with the most spiritual power and battles under their belt.

"Sir... Other people are unnecessary..." the girl's voice rung through their ears. Was this why she got rid of Hiroo? Because she was an extra? Then that meant... Shuuji... And maybe Banshee also? "You're the only one I want to see, sir." that's certainly not the best thing to hear. "I don't like gross or scary things..."

Kisara subtly nudged Yashiki to take some action and stop being so flabbergast; Though she's pretty sure the only way to save Madoka from her coma is to purify the ghost, perhaps any bit of info might help with the case?  Before he could, however, Daimon, as he tried to retreat one step at a time, stumbled over something and fell. Instinctively, the trio turned around to help him up and regain his composure - Only to see what he stumbled on.

It was a Banshee-Cocoon.

They've got yet another victim that succumbed to the ghost's powers, and might be in a coma. But how do they get him out of there, when they've got the spirit on their back? No - Banshee's still awake and conscious - He's struggling and mumbling desperately.

All four around tried to pry away the unexpectedly sturdy and sharp webs covering him, only for Kisara to screech - A ton of spiders started crawling all over the old man, making all jump away in shock. "E-... Ele... Ele....!!" Daimon was so panicked, his words were unintelligible, but they knew what they were trying to say.

Yashiki and Mashita turned around briefly, realising they're just within arm's reach of the ghost. They had to escape at once. With superhuman-like power, the four somehow manage to rip Banshee off the floor, carrying him like a log, inside the elevator. Kisara desperately pushes the button, while Daimon and Yashiki try to speak to the old man; Any bit of fight within him was fine - Alas, the doctor confirmed his body went rigid and he's no longer responding.

Banshee earned himself a free bed next to Hiroo Madoka, in the hospital wing. More overworking hours for Shuuji.

As Daimon focuses on helping Banshee, Mashita notices something black squirming by Kisara's shoulder; Realising what it was, he quickly flicked them off of her - If she was to violently panic over spiders as she always does, he's afraid the elevator would just free-fall.  Dealing with ghosts, however, wasn't ever easy, the detective noted, and in the blink of an eye, the entire elevator was filled with those disgusting wiggling shadows. If Kisara was petrified over the smallest spider, as small as his pinky nail... One this big might get her a sheer heart attack. How could he kill them though? There were simply so many, the entire place seemed to be flooding. Thank goodness she didn't choose a dress or a skirt - Having to feel those rapidly moving furry legs on her skin would have broken her mentally.

They come in rapidly, one after the other, a whole swarm - They all panic - As expected, Kisara shrieks and clings desperately on Mashita - She's out of the fight, there's no reasoning with her anymore. "Where are they coming from?!" Daimon gasped, swatting them off his shoulders - He was freaking out just as bad, so he's out also. Yashiki looked around, but nothing. They seemed to be gushing out of the walls or something. 

Then it clicked - Spiders hate vibrations, don't they? Sound is vibration. Kisara is already screaming - But if the others will join her, perhaps they'd fuck off already. "Hate to say it, but the only solution I can think of is screaming our way out." Though the other two men looked weirdly at him, one by one, they also understood, and did as instructed. Not many other options left.

The spiders visibly stop moving for a moment, but only for so little, before they continue swarming. They need something louder, more powerful. Yashiki takes out the mini massager and presses it against the wall, turning it on, making a growling vibration run through the walls. The spiders suddenly start acting strangely, before they vanish instantly, as if they'd only been a mirage.

"Let's get the hell outta here." Yashiki pants, feeling his throat raw from screaming.

"I-... I already hit the button a bunch of times... Why isn't it working...?" still trembling like crazy, the red head was hiding inside her boyfriend's large coat.

As if on cue, something slammed against the elevator walls, and from the small window, the soft glow of the ghost's face peered in. With everyone desperate for survival, Mashita kept slamming that damn button for the lobby, until something happened and the elevator moved.

They stumbled out of the elevator without checking where they stopped. Thankfully, it was the 1st floor and they got off right at the lobby. They escaped, barely. Kisara would take those visions any day, over being trapped in an elevator with a bunch of spiders, she thought to herself, falling to her knees next to the others and trying to regain her senses.

"What ever could have happened here?" the gang snapped their heads up, hearing an unfamiliar voice call out to them. It was a bunch of intimidating men, all ranging from mid 20s to late 40s, dressed in expensive suits and sporting traditional tattoos and katanas.

"Took your sweet time, didn't you...?" the girl sighed in relief, getting up with the help of the oldest member of the gang.

"It is you who likes tasting danger, Young Miss." the old man chuckled enigmatically.

"As if you're any better, old man." she scoffed, shaking her head at him, only for one of the youngest to get all snarky and point his sword right at her throat. "You should have taught your men better, Mr. Kazuya."

"Forgive him, Young Miss. This here is my son. I suppose I must have spoiled him a little too much." the old man slapped away the sword from his son's grasp.

"Then, do allow me to teach him a little lesson in discipline, if you wouldn't mind." with an empty smile, the red head grabbed the young one's sleeve and tugged on him, before getting a good grip and kneeing him in the gut, following with a strike in the liver and a straight uppercut to his jaw. He was on the ground, with the old man laughing at his own son.

"Erh... What exactly is going on...?" Yashiki was the first one to voice his bewilderment.

The gang members bowed at the girl. "The Young Miss summoned us to keep a look out for anyone that might bother you." the old man spoke up. "My name is Takahashi Kazuya, the leader of the Taira clan."

"Y-Yakuza...?" Yashiki's eyes widened in shock, and his complexion went white as a sheet.

"The Taira clan - I see. You have a deal with the Dean of the hospital I work at also." Daimon, although intimidated, was more familiar with these things.

"The Taira clan owns this area, so I thought we might benefit from their help." Kisara shifted her gaze from her friends, to the gang. "What the hell happened in this place?!" this time, she seemed more disgusted than anything. "This place is filth, by all means." she huffed at them.

"It brought in a lot of money. There was not much to complain about. Even the owner was conveniently easy to make deals with - A nice 75% monthly. That was good business indeed." the leader sighed, yet remained passive.

"Did you have any idea what happened in this place?" of course it was Mashita who dared speak to the gang. "This place is far more than what people would call a 'Love Hotel' or even a 'Brothel'."

"What Satoru is trying to say is - Was there any... Illegal activity going on? Or were all girls well aware of the things they'll be subjected to?" the old man looked back and forth between the two - He easily realised they were dating. Very fitting for each other.

"One does not work with a contract in this business - However, I can easily sooth your worries and vow, on the Taira name, that they could choose the kind of client they could get picked by." Kazuya cleared his throat. "Naturally, the more... Depraved, the more she was being paid for her services. A lot of them were tempted to try out new things, either for the check, or out of sheer curiosity."

"Do you trust him, Kisara?" Mashita saw the girl nod her head.

"Rest assured, young man, I would not lie to the Young Miss. I have honour, unlike a lot of these young spunks." the old man glared at the brunet. "The Hasashi Patriarch has been one of our biggest sponsor and supporter, since the War. If it is within our power, we would protect the Young Miss with all that we have."

"Coincidentally, I have also seen Mr. Kazuya more often than I saw my dad." Kisara chuckled, nodding her head. "I have one last thing to ask, before we have to leave - Did any girl die in this place? Specifically, a high-school girl."

The leader hummed, pondering for a while, before shaking his head. "I have not been made aware of any deaths or murders."

The lobby remained silent for a few seconds. "Alright then. Thank you for the aid, it was highly important." Kisara bowed at them. "Will you help us take our unfortunate friend to the hospital?" The leader made a hand move, and some of the youngsters carried Banshee into one of their vans, before welcoming Daimon into the passenger seat and driving them to the hospital. Yashiki, also, was driven home, in a separate car. "Will you tell me why are you investigate a place beneath you, such as this, Miss Kisara?" the old man's voice changed into one clearly more father-like.

"The owner of this place - He vanished, as you know. Satoru received a request to investigate a string of disappearances that feature heavily this place. You are well aware of my spiritual affinity - The ghost here is a school girl, and we have found evidence about some of your girls being high-school students who were afraid of being ratted out to teachers." the red head explained the situation. "I first thought... The ghost was a vengeful prostitute, out for blood for the way she was treated. Then... My theory shifted towards the idea that she was the schoolgirl who ratted her friends out, and she got killed in this place." she shook her head, frowning a little. "But... Nothing fits. The visions I got of this place... Were beyond depraved, but they all were consensual... The girls were enjoying all that filth. So... What is going on with this ghost?" she went in little detail about their encounter with the ghost, the two victims and the spider problem.

The old man bowed again. "I can vouch that no one was killed in this place, but I do not know about the internal affairs of this place, except that there has been no black market, pimping or slave selling in this place." that was all they needed to know.

With a thank you to the old man, the couple went in their car and drove back home. Thankfully, Satoru was behind the stirring wheel; He didn't want to exert her too much, she's been through enough.  He had to admit, his bewilderment from the spiders was temporarily glossed over by her strong relation with the Yakuza - Though he should have known - Back when they had the mark and she mentioned she comes from a wealthy family, when he implied she was related to the Yakuza; A good influence, huh? How interesting. 

They had to figure out what is going on, and soon. This day barely had any important information for the case - They have to hurry up. Who knows how long they have, before Hiroo and Banshee kick the bucket? Who knows how long before either of them get picked off also? 

He wasn't going to say anything - He just wanted to live through this mess, and for Kisara not to lose her mind. He wanted to get rid of all this ghost mess, and mentally sue Yasuoka for forcing him into this bullshit. He promised Kisara a ghost-free life, with no more of this supernatural thing to plague her - Hasn't she been through enough already? Hasn't he been through enough? If he was that brave and heroic, he wouldn't have deserted Yashiki back when he still had the curse mark, and struggling to grasp at straws and fight a bunch of ghosts - Hell, he could have been there at least for the pretty girl he had a crush on - But he didn't.

So why would he want any of this now, after he's tasted two very lovely years of domestic bliss with the girl he loves by his side?

The night was mostly silent for the two lovers - There was hardly any comfort to be brought through words, when both were death to the outside world. Instead, they mentally prepared for the incoming fight awaiting them the next day. It must have been the growing dread in Kisara's guts, or the tragic state of the two victims, Madoka and Banshee, who were under constant supervision by Daimon and the nurses.

Even their sleep was restless, dreaming of the ever-crawling spiders, and not even coffee could bring them any ounce of the usual warmth and temporary bliss.  From a silent night, to an even quieter afternoon, Kisara and Satoru drove by the hospital to check on them. True to their words, the Taira clan was diligently guarding and helping as instructed the overworked doctor. Poor Daimon - And his health was just beginning to improve a little. 

Apparently, just as Banshee woke up from his comatose state, he and Hiroo went berserk, and had to be restrained to avoid any self-harm, or damages done to the objects or the medical stuff. Not only that, but they refuse to eat, and keeping them on I.V.s is a little more than dangerous for their own safety, and it can't work forever anyway. It was no doubt the high-noon of their investigation. At such a critical point, they had to hurry and finish their purifying that night, otherwise... The consequences may as well be dire and unforgivable.

The red lights outside the rain-soaked windows look hazy like wilting crimson spider lilies. It was now or never. The final encounter between life and death.

They absolutely cannot fail.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 8 - Crimson Knight

"So... Did you find anything?" Kisara could hear Satoru's bored voice next to her. For the past two hours, she has been attempting to meditate under the tree in Bodh Gaya where Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, supposedly achieved his awakening. "Sort of." she nodded her head, seemingly absent-minded. "I found that reciting Mantras repeatedly actually does help in calming my anxieties, for the most part." she explained. "And... Truth be told, it has been nothing but a delight, listening to the monks' chanting." she smiled, turning her gaze to her beloved. "I have come to respect Buddhism for what it is. I might not be an avid practitioner of any religion, but I can appreciate the Sutras." "That's about as much as you'll get, if you ask me." Kisara agreed with his comment. "At least the traveling we've done helped a little." he hummed, absent-mindedly playing with her hair. "If only I could also get some damn peace." "Ah, don't tell me - Yasuoka sent MORE cases your way?" by the grimace on his face, it must be a positive answer. "I turned off the phone. I couldn't stand all that annoying ringing anymore. How am I supposed to relax if I keep getting piled under mountains of cases?" he grumbled lowly. "Well! If it's just some detective cases, then I suppose I can lend a hand to my beautifully stressed out boyfriend!" she smirked up at him, only for Mashita to plant his palm over her face, stopping her from reacting altogether. "Shut up, you little menace." he chuckled, grateful that his girlfriend was so brave and loving that she'd step on her fears of ghosts, just to aid him in his reckless detective work. "I will take you on that offer though."

Their traveling vacation was a much needed break that kept their minds away from all the mess they've had to go through during the Death Mark situation, where their lives were directly on the line, and they almost died so many times. Nightmares still plague them, yet they find comfort within each other's embrace. Kisara saw the worst out of the ghost-situation, and experienced even worse;

Since then, she kept trying out various methods of keeping afloat through all the mess she's been through; Yet nothing compares to being disconnected from reality through the bliss of traveling. What's more, she even got around to visiting her parents in Italy, and told her all they've been gone through - What a way to introduce your boyfriend to your family.

Still, her mother apologised profusely for allowing her little baby to be put to such risks - Alas, her grandpa was right - In spite of his fanaticism, there was no person with more connection than him, in the family. With his wealth and status, Kisara could do anything she wanted, without facing and repercussions; And she was a docile child to begin with, she was never a bother to anyone.

Thus, when she said she saw pretty horses in the countryside, her grandpa bought her the horse with the colour coat she wished, and taught her how to ride to perfection. When she read a manga about a priestess who could exorcise demons by using her spiritual powers on her arrows, he taught her archery. When she became fascinated by the Sengoku era warlords, her grandpa had the royal blacksmith force fitting armor and weapons in the colour scheme and banners of the warlord she loved most, Oda Nobunaga, and thus she became Kisara Shogun.

With a promise from man to man, from Satoru to Kisara's father, sealed with a manly handshake, the man promised to keep her safe, as he's done so far; And her father thanked him dearly for not giving up on her, despite her tumultuous family mess, and the many death-dealings with the ghosts. Though the father promised to make sure Mashita's name is cleared of all charges and suspicions throughout the law enforcement network, Satoru, albeit grateful, wasn't quite sure if he'd trade this hilariously messy and adventurous faux career that paid him so little, over the constant stress and hatred he went through daily in that snake pit.

Regardless, their vacation was soon over, and after two years honey moon, Kisara and Satoru returned home; Though he kept his apartment as more or less a work office, he was more than happy to live in the comfort of her penthouse - And more, her loving embrace. He had to admit, but one night spent away from her was almost... Unnatural. Even his home felt empty, cold and lonely without her around, as if the cinders of her fire-kissed hair were the sole source of warmth for his frozen heart.

After a lot of pestering from Yasuoka and her clients coming their way, Mashita showed his girlfriend the case file, and agreed to barge in Yashiki's house and get him into this mess. Surely, after two years of doing nothing but research on the Mary doll, he'd be extra bored, right? Nothing like a new life-threatening ghost to spice things up!

The ex-detective knocked on the door, and much to their surprise, it was none other than sweet Moe who opened. "Moe!" Kisara exclaimed the girl's name, as they both grinned and hugged each other. After Yashiki was able to escape the curse, all the Death Mark bearers gathered together for a little Survive-Party, and it was then that the two girlies met up, and hit it off immediately.

Though the red head was much older, Moe looked up to her and was eager to hear all of her stories that she missed. Since she was working at a Supernatural Magazine as a writer and what not, Kisara was more than happy to tell her details and help her write up articles - And thus, she became the protagonist known as the 'Crimson Knight', as Mashita wittingly came up with that nickname, half as a praise, and half as a tease. The Japanese word for 'Knight' was 'KiShi', and she has both characters in her name, so what better way to call herself, considering the selfless way she threw herself in harms way so many times?

"We're coming in." Satoru called out, being the first to step in and letting the two girls catch up with each other, or whatever they wanted to do. As soon as he entered the main hall, he also noticed the other kid from the Hanahiko case - Tsukasa, was it? The stiff smart-ass. "Hey, what's all this? When did you start a daycare?" he joked, seeing the two kids.

"Miss Kisara, why are you guys here?" the girl asked, a cheerful grin on her face. "Did you come to see us?" 

"I wish that were the case!" Kisara joked, though Mashita, instead, gave an annoyed shake of his head and tsk'ed at the two children. "I'm the one asking why you're here." he sneered a little. "Damn, we're going in circles now."

"Lighten up, 'Toru! It's good to see them again." Kisara patted his shoulder lightly.

"Miss Kisara is right - Don't lie, Mr. Mashita! I know you're happy to see us. You're always hiding your feelings!" Kisara couldn't help but laugh at Moe's straightforward remarks - And how true they were. "Oh, but what a huge coincidence!  We've got everyone from the Hanahiko case back together again! This is totally destiny!"

"Everyone, huh? Hm... In that case, one person - No, one being is missing." Mashita had a snarky smirk on his face.

"So, why are you here?" Yashiki finally speaks.

"I have something to ask you first." Satoru's smile was frozen cold, yet dripping with the most lethal poison. "Yashiki... You told that fortune teller about my office, didn't you?"

"Towako Yasuoka?" Yashiki asked. "Yeah, it might have come up while I was talking to her about Mary." he nodded his head cluelessly. 

Thus, Mashita glared harshly at his partner. "Why'd you have to go and do that? Now I'm drowning under investigation requests." Yashiki was totally clueless. 

"Are you a private investigator, Mr. Mashita?" Moe asks, her eyes shining brightly. "Wow! I guess you'd be pretty good at that. Oh! If you get an interesting job, bring me along with you."

"And this is exactly why it's annoying." the man huffs. 

"I only told her about your office - What's wrong with that?" Kazuo finally asks. "Getting job requests is good, isn't it?"

"It depends on WHAT the request is about." Satoru grumbles. "The one I just got... Is the worst." he ends with a sigh. "It's your fault that this happened. So, Yashiki - I'm going to have you help me."

"Help you?!" Yashiki stammered in bewilderment. "W-Wait a minute, what are we talking about here?"

"Can't you guess based on the context? I believe he's telling you he wants your help with a detective job." Tsukasa bluntly explained.

"Wow. I can't really picture him working as a private detective, though." Moe giggled cutely. "Now, if he were to investigate a supernatural phenomenon, that would be per--" she abruptly stopped herself, as if she realised the truth behind the investigation. "Wait, don't tell me... This worst request ever that you got..."

"You've got it. We suspect a spirit might be involved." Kisara nodded solemnly.

Mashita began to explain the rumours he was told by Lady Yasuoka about the case of the Little Red Riding Hood, about how people disappeared once they entered the Love Hotel, Masquerade, in K City - Supposedly, only on rainy days, there's this girl wearing a red hood, and she stands by the road like she's trying to get customers; Everyone who accepts her offer ends up disappearing.

Yet here comes the peculiarity of this case - The missing ones do get eventually found, however, their heads are so messed up they cannot even remember their own names.  What's worse, some end up dying in the hospital, while others jump in front of trains out of madness.

One man, apparently, saw this girl in a red raincoat and decided to chat her up; Though as soon as he approached her, she started whispering to him. Apparently, the man got so creeped out that he bolted out of there immediately. It was only the next day that he realised that, although it wasn't raining that badly, she was the only person completely soaked from head to toe, which was quite an oddity for him... Only for him to strongly suspect that... The raincoat was, in fact... Soaked with blood.

"I'm sorry, but I must say, that sounds like a simple ghost story." Tsukasa was the first to speak, seemingly not touched or impressed in the slightest. What a strong and level-headed kid! Good for him. "The rainy shopping district and the red raincoat... Rather suspicious."

"It's enough to get me concerned." Mashita ignored the child. "I'll leave the rest to you, Yashiki."

"What?!" Yashiki gasped. "No, you're coming with me. It's your case, not mine." the man was absolutely flabbergast at the nerve of his friend.

"I'm bogged down with my other cases, I don't have time to spare." Mashita shrugged his shoulders. "It's your fault the old lady passed it to me, so you need to take responsibility."

"Come on, you can help him out a little - I'll help too! The editorial department might have some info on a case like this - And your investigation needs an assistant, right?" Moe chimed in immediately.

"Did you learn nothing from last time, Miss Moe?" Tsukasa sighed at her innocent death-wish.

"Don't work yourself up. It's more likely that it's just a lie." Mashita shrugged once again, dismissing the claims. "A bunch of it sounds like it was made up. That's why it's such a pain to have an absurd request like this brought to me."

"Well, better safe than sorry, right?" Kisara stretched a little. "I'll go investigate too, see if I pick up on any spiritual residue or what not."

"Cool! Then, we better get rea--" Moe was immediately shut down by the older man.

"Sorry, Moe, you can't come with us. I won't put any of you in harm's way. Kisara and I can handle this." Yashiki spoke up.

"Don't worry, Moe, I'll keep you updated in great detail. Besides, we still need someone like you to investigate rumours, right? Your skills are valuable outside of the crime scene." Kisara placed her hand on Moe's shoulder, reassuring the girl.

"I don't really like seeing you do all the work and getting in danger all that time... But if that's how I can help best, then that's what I'll do. Only this time, thought!" her cheerful and energetic demeanour was brought back once again.

Mashita ripped out a paper from his notebook and handed Yashiki the address of the Love Hotel; Apparently, it's all but abandoned by now, and their meeting was at 8PM the following night. The old lady said she'd call in help, so it's probably a scheduling thing - Not even Satoru knew for sure why the specific date, but oh well, trivial details. 

Just as the detective put his arm around his girlfriend to leave the mansion and return home, he rushes back inside; It was far too late to late two children wander around by themselves, so he offered to drive them both back home. What a thoughtful man - A true and righteous policeman through and through, even in spite of all the sarcasm and snarkiness.

"Satoru." Kisara called out to her boyfriend, the next morning, hopped on the kitchen counter and drinking her coffee. As soon as the man entered the room, his hair all disheveled as always, he couldn't help but smile a little, taking the coffee mug from her hand, and slumping on the comfortable chair. 

"Morning to you too, beautiful." he muttered, looking at the gorgeous lady; Her long red hair was a mess, and the short pink lingerie pyjamas. He will never tire of looking at her - What a sight for sore eyes.

"What is Masquerade?" Satoru couldn't help but raise a quizzical eyebrow at her, not understanding the question at all.

"The... Love Hotel...? The address of our little ghostie...?" he dragged out his words with confusion.

"Yeah - What is it?" Kisara realised he wasn't understanding the question. "What the hell is a Love Hotel?"

Satoru's eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly, flabbergast at her question - Before placing down the coffee mug to start laughing. "You canNOT be asking that." he hasn't had that much fun in a while.

"You're not answering my question, you little jerk. Don't laugh at my ignorance." she pouted, only for the man to get up and step in front of her, his palms placed on either side of her, his face dangerously close to her own.

"A Love Hotel is a depraved place where dead beats who can't get out of their parents' basements take their equally dead beat one night stand for a little bit of naughty action." the look on her face was worth millions.

"There are buildings created for THAT purpose?!" Mashita smirked at her shock, nodding slightly. "How pathetic!" she huffed. "Have they no shame? Everyone knows what they're doing, from the time you enter the building, to the second you exit on the street. Isn't that degrading?"

Mashita shrugged, a cheshire grin on his face. "Shameless, huh?" he purred, embracing the girl. "Granted, I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of what we are doing - After all, we have been rather close for the past two years now."

"Now, now, don't make me feel embarrassed. Normal people don't look at a couple and instantly think with their minds in the gutter." Kisara blushed softly, though she couldn't help but be amused by the man.

"Well, you might have to pick my mind from the gutter. I can't help but think shameless thoughts whenever I look at you." his hot breath on her neck made her wrap her arms around his neck lazily, pulling him closer.

"Guess we're having a late morning again, aren't we, Mr. Officer~?" she giggled, getting picked up with ease; As always, the muscles on his arms flexed so beautifully, and his face was as Godly beautiful as always. If the Heavens wanted a Beauty Deity, it would be him.

"How could I resist?" he hummed, kissing her. "Though that precious coffee of yours is going to get cold. Are you going to cry about it?"

"I love you more than coffee." they both chuckled at the silly gag about her other-worldly love for coffee.

Come late evening, Kisara was doing her make up in the vanity mirror; Mashita put on his coat and got behind her, placing a kiss on her temple. "Let's go, Princess. Don't wanna be late." She smiled, and applying her favourite red lipstick, she put on her black trench coat and went to the car.

As always, Satoru opened her door, and she sat in the driver's seat; Her beautiful hand over the stirring wheel, with those long nails, painted a pretty pearl pink with gold glitter, and the gold jewellery adorning her slender fingers and her wrist - What a luxurious woman, elegant without even trying. It was truly an honour being by her side.

At 8PM sharp, the trio waiting near the Love Hotel heard the familiar resounding click of Kisara's heeled boots against the pavement; Turning their gaze towards them, the Doctor and the Detective were hand-in-hand, looking high-class glam. They looked to be made for each other. Mashita's messy black hair contrasted Kisara's well-groomed scarlet locks so well; Their light coloured eyes almost looked as if they were soulbound and sharing a telepathic connection that only they could understand; And those fox-like expressions on their faces, knowing smirks as though they knew all of your darkest secrets, kept for blackmail.  All that, under the same umbrella. How unnerving.

"Got a lot of free time to stand around, I see. Playtime's over." the man had an empty smile on his face. 

"Mashita? What are you doing here?" Yashiki was flabbergast at seeing the detective who was, allegedly, far too busy to join them.

"This case is a request from a client - I came here to make sure you showed up." he cheekily replied.

"Jerk. What, planning on observing us, are you?" why was that damn annoying Hiroo here also? "What if we didn't show up?"

"One of you IS a no-show, in fact." he pointed out, allowing Yashiki to explain that the idol girl, Ai, couldn't make it because her manager caught her in her attempt to sneak out. 

While Daimon was finishing his phone call, the five people went inside a dirty smoking area, where Mashita and Hasashi both indulge in a stress-drag. As Hiroo was sipping from her drink, evidently complaining about the rain, the detective explained that the Masquerade hotel closed down about a year prior, and though the definite reason was unclear, they were thinking it might be because the owner went missing... Just like in the rumours. 

Though the scientist lady spoke out her idea that the whole case was just a typical case of the owner just up and vanishing, Mashita ignored her altogether, going on about the prime gossips some publications came up with, regarding the story; Though it only lasted for so little, before everyone forgot about it. Considering the red district is crime syndicate turf, they likely applied some pressure to keep things under wrap. 

The detective waved his cigarette towards the Hotel vis-a-vis from their little shelter, explaining that the gossip was contemporary with the rumours of the Red Riding Hood stories - Masquerade seems to be the center of everything.

While everyone was focused on something else, Kisara turned to the table to grab one more sip of her drink, only to let out a small of terror, her eyes fixated on the corner of the room, just between the vending machines and Hiroo. At once, everyone averted her attention to the red head, but it was only Yashiki who understood her horror.

"What was that for?" Mashita looked at his girlfriend with concern, realising that petrified expression she made only when it concerned spiritual activity. Subtle signs of hyperventilation were beginning to pick up.

"H-Hey, Hiroo... Behind you..." Kazuo gulped, staring straight at the grinning ghost wrapped in that red raincoat.

"Huh? What? Did you get scared by a moth or what?" the scientist was as non-chalant as ever. "Nothing's here." she says, looking behind her, puzzled.

"S-Sorry..." Yashiki dragged the neck of his shirt a little. "I think... My eyes were playing tricks on me."

"On both of us?!" Kisara snapped at him. "Say it loud and clear - We both saw the ghosts."

"Wh-What...?" Hiroo gaped at the other woman.

"That's more than concerning." Satoru muttered, squeezing her shoulder. "Can you handle this?"

"Of course I can." her voice turned solemn quickly, her eyes averting towards the Hotel. "However... I'm getting the feeling that our little ghostie is... Just about as tragic and vengeful as Shu Xian."

Mashita cringed, remembering the Kannon Soldier and the way she affected Kisara, close to bringing her to madness. "Guess this just became my main case." he muttered to himself.

"You've got enough work on your plate as it is, Satoru. I can handle this with Yashiki." but the stubborn man only shook his head.

"I promised your dad I'll keep you safe. If you say this is a ghost case, I can't, in good faith, let you do this by yourself. Who knows what would happen if you'd get possessed again?" the girl sighed, hanging her head.

"I think... It's going to be a crazy case." Kisara said, leaning back on the bench.

In that moment, Daimon hung up his phone and explained he has an emergency at the hospital and he has to leave. "So the only one left is the science freak. That's... Concerning." Mashita shook his head in disappointment. He, like Kisara, cannot stand Madoka and her insufferable personality. 

"What?! What did you just say?!" she was so offended. "That how you treat people helping you out?!"

Paying no mind to Hiroo's violent outburst, Mashita calmly looks at his watch. "It's time. Enough gossip, let's go." with an arm around his partner's waist, the duo went first inside the dusty hotel.

"Wh-What...?! What a jerk!" they could still hear Madoka's hissy fit, making them both chuckle satisfied.

The air was chilly inside Masquerade, but the atmosphere was even creepier than they imagined. Their footsteps echo loudly against the exquisitely detailed marble floor. Truth be told, although she was petrified out of her mind and trying to convince herself the underground shelter was a far tougher experience - The scientist did raise a good point; It might be just a year since it closed down, but it's not even half as damaged and vandalised as your usual abandoned building... Despite the entrance doors being unlocked. How peculiar.

Agreeing to investigate just about the whole place, every nook and cranny, for any piece of info that might help understand what's going on. Still, a Love Hotel owned by a crime gang... Kisara was sure that even her boyfriend suspected the place might have been run as more of a brothel, than a simple hotel. And if that is true, well... Some pimping and abuse might be in the middle. 

Somewhere on the board, they noticed pictures of every guest room available - How luxurious. On the desk, they found an emergency key ring on the receptionist's desk - Might as well use it on the emergency exit door. As Hiroo went ahead to try the key on the door, Kisara was drawn to the shelf, where she saw a picture titled 'Masquerade Wife', depicting a masked woman wearing a wedding gown. For a second there, she cringed, remembering Hanayome. She might want to get married and wear a pretty dress, but if she sees one more tragic bride, she might as well quit her dreams.

As if reading her mind, Mashita guided her towards the stairs, and the first thing they see on the second floor is, in fact, a painting of yet another Masquerade Wife, yet this time, she is gazing at a man. "Enough of this bride thing. I'm getting the creeps." she shuddered lightly.

They split in two groups to cover more ground in lesser time - Mashita and Hasashi went inside the room on the left; Here, they see a rather creepy Venetian mask with the typical elongated nose, hanging on the wall. Whether or not they were hung there to match the Hotel's vibe, it was rather creepy; Though it would make even more sense, if it were to protect the client's identity. The power cord and the phone line have both been strategically cut, so they cannot be used. Under the door, there is a piece of paper, but Satoru alone cannot lift the bed, and he doubts Kisara's strength will help much, so he'll have to ask Yashiki for help later. 

Weirdly enough, the bed had only a mattress and no sheets; Perhaps they were taken off to sell or use elsewhere? Granted, a mattress has to be more expensive than some sheets. Still, Satoru shifted it around to look underneath, and found a clue - A notebook called 'Mask Guestbook 202'.  That's a great start!  Opening it, they saw writing that encouraged the guests to write about their 'sweeeet sweeeeeet time' spent together. Every single page was filled top to bottom with lewd, suggestive comments. 

Though they read the guestbook entries together, neither of the two could digest the vulgar description of all sexual acts. Kisara, more than anything, was so disgusted she had to step away from the book. Mashita, though only skimming through the pages, managed to get to the last entry, which was a gold mine in terms of information.

'This is bad! Sa... might've ratted us out! There're rumours that she tattled to the teach and said she's going to the fuzz! This is so so so bad! What should...'

Horrifically enough, the two came to the conclusion that schoolgirl prostitution must have been going on about the rooms of this place; And though the girl in the entry seemed a willing participant, it sounded as though she was panicked over being told on to some teacher by one of her friends. How horrific and very illegal. Kisara's fears were more or less proven true, and Mashita could only pray she wouldn't touch anything that would traumatise her even more than she already is. He doubts any amount of Heart Sutra chants would heal her.

Lastly, they searched the bathroom; The mirror was stained with dust, but still in perfect shape, and same with the slimy shower. This bathroom was absolutely useless in terms of information.

On the room on the right, where Yashiki and Hiroo went to investigate, the layout was the same; The very same creepy Venetian mask hanging on the red wallpaper, the mattress had no sheets - But there was no phone here, and iron bars were covering the window.

Next to the bed, there was a wooden chest - But it was locked. Through the small creak close to the top, Kazuo noticed a spring stopper; Simply put, if he had something thin, he'd be able to break the clasp and open it. 

Meeting back in the hall, the two teams briefly explain what they've encountered, and try the elevator - Only, pressing the button repeatedly does nothing. So, the next best thing was to go to the 3rd floor by climbing the stairs.  On one wall, they notice an object with an iron cover, some kind of an electrical device.

The team going in the left room found a spoon stained black by the bed-side table, and a wallet, similarly stained black, in the bathroom by the toilet - Inside of it, there was a credit card, and nothing more. The stains on the card that make the name of the owner unable to be read... Look an awful lot like old blood stains.

The room on the right, however, made Kisara almost feel weak to her knees and collapse; It looked like a prison cell or a dungeon, not a bedroom. In a corner, there was a torture device - A Spanish donkey. The girl shivered, quickly shuffling her feet away from that ominous thing, only to find herself in the middle of the room. Not good. Not good at all.  On the wall, inside a glass case, were hanging whips and ropes - They looked weirdly cheap and frail.

The worst part about it, Mashita realised, was the red head's trembling as she stared with terror at the unnatural space along the wall, between the two lamps. It had a faint stain that gave proof of something likely once hanging there. "Kisara." Mashita almost scowled in anger addressed to him, seeing his own girlfriend flinching at his voice. "Don't touch it." he brought her out of the room. "You don't have to touch anything. We can solve this without you getting involved like that." she merely nodded, trying to control her shivers.

Here, the elevator doesn't move either, unfortunately. However, as the two were ready to go to the room on the left and see what Yashiki and Hiroo were up to, they noticed them coming up from the 2nd floor. Apparently, Kazuo was able to open the wooden chest with the help of the credit card he found - And inside, there was the Guestbook from room 201 and a battery operated Mini Massager.

Just like the previous guestbook, the last entry had concludent evidence. 'Something's up. The fuzz hasn't come. Did ...ko really tattle? Mr. N... is acting normally, too. Sa... hasn't been to school recently.'

So the question stood... Why hasn't this reported? Her friend wanted to rat them out... But Mr. N, possibly the teacher, was acting normal... Wait, was the teacher a regular to this place? That would be awful - Was he an accomplice to this mess? Goodness...

At that very same time, a loud sound coming from the room on the left startled them half to death. Just when they thought everything was settled... They heard a voice. "S...I....R...." Yashiki was the first to turn around and flash his light, but there was nothing except the door to the emergency staircase.

As the four were looking around at each other, more confused than anything, the metal door screeched, and before them appeared the school girl wearing the red raincoat. "Th-There she is...!" Hiroo stuttered, petrified out of her mind, only to immediately change her stance. "Wait... She's human! That ghost story w-was an utter lie!"

"Hiroo, shh! Be quiet, I can hear something." Yashiki immediately shushed the noisy woman.

True enough, a slithering whisper of a voice sneaks up on them. "I knew it... I'm so glad I trusted you, Sir." the girl in the raincoat spoke to them... Kisara could hear it, thanks to her spirituality, and the two men could hear her too, being confused for the trusted teacher she saw them us... The only one perpetually puzzled was Hiroo, who was neither of those. "I knew... I knew it... I knew you'd come... But, sir... Who is... That woman....?" the girl asked, pointing towards... Madoka? Interesting; Regardless, there didn't seem to be hatred in her voice, only sorrow, regret, and something akin to a quiet plea. "I'm going to make sure...." make sure of... What, exactly...? "Sir, do you come to places like this... Very often...?" Mashita was shocked at what was happening before him; He stole a quick glance to his girlfriend and towards his work partner; They both seemed to be making an active effort of calming down. 

Sir, she called him... A person she respects... Suddenly, Mashita recalls the conversation he had earlier that day, when Kisara oh so innocently asked about this kind of place, and it clicked - What if she saw him as the teacher she trusted enough to report this mess? Then, he should reply accordingly. "I come here with my wife." Satoru spoke confidently, bringing the red head into a tight embrace.

"Yes... Of course..." she muttered softly. "Hey, sir... Could you tell me, please? Another teacher told me that... I'm heartless and don't treasure my friends... But if something's wrong, then it's wrong." was it about reporting this illegal dealing? "What am I supposed to do? Which is more important - Friends, or what's right?" that question seemed a little to close for comfort for the detective.

"Of course what's right is more important." Satoru found himself blurting - Friends come and go, but you won't forgive yourself for living with the knowledge of illegal dealings that you could have prevented.

The girl remained quiet, save for a gentle nod of her head. "Tell me one more thing, please." she said.  "When people are selling and buying bad things... Then who's in the wrong?" 

"Both are in the wrong." Mashita answered, sure of his answer. The ghost seemed pleased, and her ominous aura dissipated.

"I'm so happy... You're really him..." the ghostie sighed in relief. "All the immoral people died." under her hood, and through the darkness, peered the schoolgirl's twisted smile. In one turn, the girl in the red raincoat disappeared into the stairway.

Although for the longest time Satoru could feel Kisara's soft shivering as he held onto her, just like that, he couldn't feel her any longer. "SAYAKO-CHAN!" she found herself yelling out a name she's never heard in her life, and her spiritual instincts took over her body and brain, driving her into overload as she ran after the ghost.

"What the hell was that about?!" Madoka was frowning deeply, glaring at the metal door that was just slammed shut. "Why are you two just standing there, with your mouths wide open? Are you that dumb that you can't act?" she huffed, rushing after the doctress.

"I swear - If she got possessed again, I'm going to lose it." Satoru sneered under his breath and hurrying towards the stairs, followed by his partner in work - They went up the stairs, only to realise... They were still on the 3rd floor? How... Peculiar. 

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Yashiki gulped, flashing the light on the number 3 of the floor.

"I'm so done with this ghostly bullshit." the detective grumbled, rushing towards the 2nd floor, but the outcome was the same.

"If we're stuck on the 3rd floor... Reckon Kisara and Hiroo are also here?" Yashiki's words made sense, in a ghostly way. 

The two tried one more time to change floors, but instead of escaping the 3rd floor, they found Hiroo on the ground, thankfully just unconscious. Yashiki decided to look after her while Mashita looked for his girlfriend around the only two available rooms.

The brunet barged into the room on the left - How peculiar, it was covered in webs everywhere. Yashiki didn't mention anything of this. Could it have happened after the ghost encounter? If so... Could the ghost have anything to do with... Spiders? If that was the case, he feared Kisara losing her mind. If there was one thing she was afraid of, it was spiders. It was almost comical - A girl her age and size, unafraid even faced with monstrous ghosts, fighting against them so brazenly - Only to shriek like a little girl and jump in his arms, at the sight of the littlest spider of cockroach. Hilarious, yes - But definitely not now.

The bathroom door was gently opened, and much to his surprise, Kisara stepped towards him, seemingly unharmed by anything. "Kisara...?" though she looked fine, her eyes were glazed over and seemed unfocused. "Hey, can you hear me? Or do I have to slap you awake again?" concerned, Satoru makes his way in front of her, only to stop dead in his tracks as he sees her slowly stripping her clothes off, in the most sensual way imaginable - All while holding sultry eye contact.

What the hell was going on...? Mashita was confused beyond belief - Yes, Kisara was cheeky with him, and had no shame in flirting, but she'd never put off something as crudely shameless like this. Her pride was bigger than the milky way, there's no way she'd stay uncovered around so much spider web, let alone show off her sexy black lingerie in a place like this. That girl was the most pillow princess he's ever known; Not only she'd not even stand close to a dirty and dusty mattress, but she'd be disgusted by a place where so many lecherous bastards committed lewd things.

And yet, there she was, with that vixen smirk of her, grabbing him by the shirt and pushing him back on the mattress before climbing on his lap; Her hands were placed gingerly over his chest, carefully unbuttoning his shirt as she bit her bottom lip; She was attractive as always - The most endearing woman he's ever met - But not only she wouldn't be caught dead on top of him - She wouldn't be so unbothered with so much web stuck to her back. 

"I was waiting for you... For so long..." she giggled sweetly. "I've been thinking about you the whole day... I missed your hands on my skin..." she leans down, whispering in his ear as she gets comfortable sitting on his waist. "Don't you want me, Satoru...? Don't you crave me, as much as I long for you...?" don't ask such difficult questions, damn it, Mashita thought to himself, trying to find a way to snap her out of it. "Come on, Master, don't hold back." she quickly grabbed his hands, placing them over her bosom. "Look at me - Tell me I am the only one you love - And take me. I am all yours, Master."

"Damn it, woman, where's your shame..." Satoru sneered, realising the ghost from earlier was tormenting him with more questions. How annoying.

"B-But...!" Kisara whimpered, making those puppy eyes that he could never resist. "But I want you, Master...! I need you! I need you more tha--" before she could finish her pouting, her fingers crumpled up his shirt tightly, getting stuck in a violent fit of coughs. "C-Can't... Breathe... D-Damn it..." her head was hung, and though her long her was draping most of her uncovered body, Satoru could see tears of resistance prickling at the corner of her eyes. "Webs... Please... My back..." she pleaded desperately. She was snapping in and out of her own consciousness.

The instant Mashita got a good grip on her body, he could feel her feeling lax in his arms. "D-Don't you need me anymore...? I... I can't... I can't live without you... I have everything in life... I made it all myself... But I cannot... I cannot win... The gamble of love... So... You can't... You can't leave me... Please... Tell me you still need me..." those cries were tugging on all of Mashita's heartstrings in all the most painful ways possible. He terribly hoped Kisara won't be remembering any of this, because he couldn't imagine the shame she'd feel, saying all these things.

"You are my partner, Kisara. I will always need and depend on you." Mashita's voice was softed than before. "Now get it together - I need you now. I can't do this case without you."

Instead of an answer, Kisara let out a shrill laugh that echoed through the room - Did he make the wrong choice? Did he say something wrong?  Sneering, Mashita ripped apart the webs sticking to her back, and the girl collapsed as if fainted, in his arms. He quickly checked for her vitals - She was perfectly fine, thankfully.

"Kisara." he shook her desperately. "Kisara, wake up already." for a good two to three minutes, Mashita tried every thing he could think of, from shaking her, to slapping her face, and kissing her. Finally, the red head slowly opened her eyes, as if waking up from a sweet sleep. "Finally. Gave me quite the scare." the man exhaled deeply.

"Satoru...?" the girl mewled softly. "What...? What is going on...?" she asked so innocently, not realising what she was wearing. "Why is it so cold...?"

"Have you thought, perhaps, it was cold because you're half-naked?" that comment startled her so badly that she almost jolted off the bed - Were it not for him holding her tightly, she'd have been on the dusty, cold ground.

"What... What happened...? Why...?" she gulped, trying to calm herself down in some way or another.

"You got possessed by the ghost. Made you seduce me and all that." despite his own grimace, he tried hard to keep the atmosphere light, as to not to get her to panic more. "If I knew you were so bold, I'd have let you do the work sometimes too."

"... How awful..." still shaky, Kisara gets some help to dress from the detective. "I... I don't know what happened. I heard a name - Sayako - And then... I don't know." she looked distraught. "Can we go home for now, please? I'm exhausted."

"I had no intention to spend one more minute in this hell hole after what happened." after fixing her clothes and her, Mashita opened the door for her; Daimon was there, helping Yashiki hold an unconscious Hiroo on his back.

"What's going on...?" Kisara frowned in shock, looking at the scientist girl.

"No clue. We found her like this." Mashita muttered. "Glad you're strong enough to snap out of it." Kisara only shook her head, getting the imagine of Madoka and what happened in that room out of her head. 

"I'm glad you're here, Daimon. Let's get out of here." the doctors nodded at each other.

With some help, Yashiki got Hiroo in the ambulance and Daimon took her to the hospital, where he'd take care of her the whole night. Yashiki went to his mansion, angry by the outcome and allowing Hiroo to get in that state, only to notice Christie and Suzu visiting him.

Mashita and Hasashi returned home, where they took a quick shower and drank a hot tea for comfort. The girl nestled comfortably in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'm getting involved from tomorrow on." she found herself speaking. "But it's the last time."

"Why...?" Satoru looked at her incredulous.

"Because of the same thing that happened with Shu Xian." Kisara explained. "An innocent girl who didn't deserve any of the torture she went through." she went on. "I... I don't know what happened, but... If she was involved in this prostitution madness... And the gang found out she wanted to rat them out for having schoolgirls..." she needn't say any more of that, for he understood all that was left unspoken.

"You're going to end up killing yourself if you continue this way." he sighed, holding her tighter.

"If not the visions... Those bloody spiders sure will." she shuddered softly at the mere thought of those disgusting things.

"We'll bring her peace, okay? And after that, we're done with ghosts." she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. No more tragic ghosts."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 7 - Amitābha

The next day, Kisara called up her grandmother, announcing their arrival. Judging from her voice, she was somewhat unsettled - She lived with her grandparents long enough to know when something was off. Could her grandpa truly be cursed, after all? Shaking her head and putting off such suspicions, she dressed her best and drank her coffee in silence. She couldn't bring herself to speak much, not even to Satoru, the fear of her visions being confirmed true creeping through her brain. She dearly hoped that it was some other Hasashi... A long, lost uncle, some unknown relative - Anything that wouldn't implicate her most beloved family members being these evil monsters who dared pervert humanity.

The soft sound of music from the radio was the sole thing keeping the atmosphere from being tense and thick enough to be cut with a knife. Though he wasn't connected with this family, and let alone this ghost or anyone in his direct family line being related to the War or anyone in positions of great power during those days - He still felt unease, at the thought of visiting Kisara's grandparents and unveiling any awful secret. He was a detective, he's seen a lot and been through even more, yet Heaven's forbid, if the truth comes out that the man she revered to much did such terrible things, there is little doubt that her sanity would creak under pressure. He wasn't sure he was ready to see this case all the way through the end.

After two or three hours of silent driving, the car found its way towards a rural path, and they arrived at a large mansion with vast gardens all around. She did hint at her privilege, yet he couldn't believe his eyes, watching young people pick fruit from the trees, others tending the flowers, or trimming the branches. Dogs of different ages were playing around and barking happily, while some cats were lazying up on the fence or the roof tiles, basking in the warm Sun. The birds were singing beautiful lullabies... And everything looked perfect. No wonder Kisara loved this place, it was an outright paradise.  Opposite of the house was a never-ending land, tended to perfection for the Shrine - This house was built specifically for the Guuji Priestess to be able to attend her inherited shrine. The Minamoto Shrine. It truly was as grandiose as he expected, and even more. At this point, Satoru was almost shocked that Kisara didn't just remain living in this place, and continue the priestess line throughout the generations coming... Although, it was a rather retreated area, despite the bustling village - Perhaps she needed some modern air and technology, some proper human interaction and perspective. Either way, he was glad they met.

As soon as Kisara stepped in the gardens, all the workers gathered around to greet her and exclaim how much they missed her, and how she's become even more beautiful and graceful than before - Though, by her words, she barely returned after less than a month whole. They made her look like a princess, with all that attention.  On the house porch, her grandmother was waiting, embroidering a beautiful kimono. Once she spotted the girl, the woman got up and smiled gently, accepting a loving embrace from her granddaughter and welcoming the two inside. She greeted Satoru so warmly, as though he, too, was her child. What a loving woman - He could see Kisara's kind nature through her.

They were invited inside a traditional living room, large and simple, though with various expensive decorations of all types - No wonder she had such tastes, it ran in the family. At the chabudai table, a man dressed smartly in traditional clothes, drinking tea and reading some kind of book. Weirdly, however, Satoru noticed a scarf around his neck, and considering it was late spring, and inside the house... Could he be cursed, just like Kisara, and he was hiding the mark?

"How fare you, my dearest spider lily? It is quite peculiar of you to come over on a week day - Not that we complain, of course. Your presence here brightens the place even more than Amaterasu herself ever could." her grandfather smiled at her, with the same warmth you'd expect from a fatherly figure, kind and patient. "Forgive the intrusion, so unexpectedly and on such a short notice, grandpa. Usually, I come during weekends to relax and spend my time with you - However, as you would expect, I come here on... Business? Perhaps that is not the best word to use, however, I need to ask you important aspects from the past. Your past." how formal and stiff the two were speaking, almost as though they were threading carefully a feudal conversation between nobles of high society. "And by that, you mean specifically, the War period, correct?" the girl nodded sternly. "I always did expect you to find out the truth, one way or the other." he sighed, though not bothered at all. "... Are you hiding the curse mark right now?" her voice went soft, tugging on the material of her turtleneck. Her grandma gasped lightly, shaking her head.  "Oh, my sweetling, so it is true. To think that sins of the past would come to curse us for generations to come. Such vengeance, such malevolence... Even I couldn't dispel and exorcise the curse, no matter how hard I tried. To think that you and your mother, also..." the old woman clutched at her chest, pained by the reveal. "That is because there is no way of purifying a ghost from a distance. You must confront it and exorcise it directly." Kisara spoke with an edge. "That is what I've been doing for the past two weeks or so. Finally, I know, this time, I have found the right ghost that cursed me - And rightfully so. Surely, you would know, wouldn't you, grandpa?" she eyed the old man sharply, as he simply avoided eye contact and nonchalantly looked to the side. "Whatever could you mean by that." he seemed completely unapologetic. "Do you deny your involvement in underground business as the Surgeon General during the War?" the man said nothing. "The Engineering Lab working together with... Unit 731...?" though the man sketched no emotion, the woman was visibly uncomfortable. "What about Emperor Hirohito and Tojo? The massacre of Nanjing? The slaves you took and abused? Experimented on? Do you even remember how many you killed for your nefarious fascination of creating the Kannon Soldier?" "Enough." the grandfather snapped at her, all the warmth disappearing from his eyes. "You are speaking as though I did anything bad, when, in fact, I did not." he continued. "How many times is it now that you admitted how important human experiments were, for the great development of medicine as we know it? You are a doctor yourself, my little spider lily, you would know the full extent of revolutionary discoveries that aided in the creation of cures of all kinds throughout the years. Was it not the Germans, Japanese and Russians who contributed the most in the medical field, after all?" Kisara remained mute, and wide-eyed. She was speechless. "What is wrong with using the lesser, and creating worth out of the worthless? If you are crying over the life of some slave girl, then remember, her death helped in saving countless other lives."

"It is that slave girl that rose up from her grave and is this close to killing us, yet here you are, remorseless and uncaring. You may not care about your life much, but I'm still young and wish to live. I want to know everything you did during the Kannon Soldier project." the red haired girl demanded with authority.

"Where did you find out all this?" the old man asked.

"I found the underground bunker laboratory where you performed the experiments. Consequently, I touched the residue blood from one of the girls you tortured, and she made me relive the whole experimentation process which you did on her... From the taunting, to the evisceration and amputating, and eventually, using the chisel to decapitate her and put her body on a Buddha statue. I hope you can sleep well tonight, knowing that you tortured to death your own granddaughter." the old man scoffed with disgust.

"It is not my fault that you inherited your grandmother's spiritually sensitive genes. I tried my hardest to bring you on the scientology path alone, however she insisted your spiritual strength was just as important to nurture. You could see ghosts before I taught you how to read, of course someone had to show you how to keep them at bay." it pissed the girl off so much, seeing how completely unapologetic he was about committing such awful acts against humanity.

"I can thank you for educating me as well as you did, but I cannot forgive the atrocities you have committed, nor the fact that you were such a monster that you implicated generations of our bloodline to this curse." Kisara took a deep breath and tried her best to remain composed. Mashita would praise her for remaining so strong after getting the confirmation that your father figure was an outright monster.

"You refuse to forgive something that I don't deem as a sin - That is fine, young people will never understand how difficult it was to be a person of power during the war, and I cannot blame you for that - However, I can blame you for being subjective and refusing to acknowledge your own sins." Mashita looked at him with confusion - And it was then that he realised, he had the exact same shade of green that Kisara's own eyes were. "After all, my darling, I taught you how to perform surgeries on living people, and you were having a blast." the sound of porcelain falling and shattering filled the room - Satoru flinched, turning to look at the red haired woman, who looked completely bewildered.

"Wh-What did you say...?" she stammered in a whispery tone, her hands trembling in mid-air.

"Don't tell me your forgot your teachings, my little spider lily. After all, for your frail age, you were brilliant, perhaps even more so than myself." at once, the grandmother rose to her feet and brought a photo album, which she placed on the table. Though Kisara was unable to touch it, Mashita did.

"Y-You said -- You said those were -- Those were cadavers -- A-And that we --- We were doing... Autopsies --..." Satoru admired every pictured on every page. Most of them was of the little girl, her hair as black as ebony - It was weird, seeing Kisara with her hair undyed. She had pictures as young as a babe, and as old as recently, during her graduation. As a priestess, during rituals, wearing princess kimonos, or a samurai outfit. She had pictures wearing old, military outfits, with all of her grandfather's medals pinned, and showing off her sword. There were pictures of her riding horses, or playing with dogs and cats, and there were pictures of her practicing shooting with guns, rifles and so on. In all pictures, she had the most charming, gleeful smile that a young lady could have.

And then, came the medical pictures. She looked as young as 6 years old, sitting on a stool by her grandpa, wearing operating uniforms and cutting into the body of different humans. From the pictures, they did look like cadavers, and Kisara seemed to be under the impression that it was the absolute truth. "Try to recall those times, dearest. Do dead bodies bleed as much as your specimens did?" Kisara's hands fell limp on the table.

"No... No... That's not true... I can't -- I can't remember. It's not true. It can't be true. I didn't - I didn't kill anyone. I didn't - I'm not... I'm not like you. I'm not ---..." she turned her head meekly towards the photo album, and slapped her hands over her mouth, a sob of anguish stifled. Her eyes were gleaming with tears of realisation. "I forgot. I forgot all this. No... No, this can't be... I forgot. I forgot everything. I should have kept the ignorance going. Ignorance is bliss, they were right. They were right. This isn't right." "You call me a monster, my dear spider lily... But are you not just the same as I am, judging from the way you were laughing and smiling so happily, digging your blade into their warm flesh?" Kisara suddenly shot up to her feet, stepping away.

"SHUT UP!" she cried out. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" "From the moment your mother let you into our house for us to raise, I knew you would be the perfect candidate for my heir. You are just like me - Brilliant, receptive, open-minded, skilled, talented." the man said. "Your uncle was weak, he fainted from blood, and your mother refused to be associated with religion in any way. You, however, were perfect. A believer in our Shinto religion - The only true religion - Yet you didn't stray away from your fascination with the way the living exist, and how they function. You were my most divine creation - Both a priestess and a medic, the Heaven and Earth combined, the culmination of Izanami and Izanagi becoming one, a being greater than even Amaterasu herself." Mashita stole a glance to the old man, and he looked like a cult fanatic, something that both terrified and surprised him. How appearances deceived any logic. In anti-thesis, his granddaughter was outright frantic, looking down at him with complete disbelief. In one swift move, she threw herself at the fireplace and pulled down one of the deer antlers placed as decoration - It opened a secret compartment which revealed an old-looking, which she pointed at the old man. 

"You've gone crazy - No, you've always been crazy! Did my mother know you were screwed in the head? Why did she allow me to be raised by a monster like you?!" the old man simply smiled at her.

"To think you would be using the rifle that was once mine own, and later on claimed for yourself, to threaten me. Have you forgotten my teachings? Never point your weapon unless you truly mean to kill them." the girl tried to protest, but was shushed down. "Look to the side - What is carved there?" with trembling hands, Kisara tilted the rifle to the side, gasping as she muttered her name - 'Kisara Shogun'. "You stole my pocket knife once, and carved the rifle yourself. You often said you'd have been Nobunaga Oda's right hand, didn't you?" The rifle fell to the ground, and the girl had to lean on the wall to keep herself standing - She felt faint. "That ghost should have just killed me." he heard her grumbling with disgust. "You still have the mementos you took from the victims, don't you? Including that large box of wedding bands and engagement rings?"

"Sweety, you don't want to go there. When you were little, you were always scared of even looking towards the attic. We had to move your bedroom to the ground floor so you wouldn't feel the energies from up there." Kisara shivered uncomfortably. "I have to find more info on my ghost. I don't want to die... Not because of him." she declared, and mustering up all the strength her body could gather, Kisara pushed herself off the wall and went into the hall to lower down the attic ladder. A strong sense of dread washed over her senses, and she was sure some kind of monster would descend in a fog of darkness, with mist tendrils reaching out to grab her and drag her to hell. None of that happened. "Here goes nothing." she said, taking step after step and turning on the light in the large attic. What an awful place - It almost stank of death and tortured souls. As she looked around, investigating crate after crate, and each box, her grandfather sketched no emotion - Her grandmother, however, got up and left the room, only to return and bow before the detective, who was looking rather crestfallen from all the horrifying information that he was forced to take in. He thought he had experienced enough things not to get unsettled, but apparently, he was wrong. The thought that a single man could do so much damage to such a large number of people, was astonishing... And to think that they somehow succeeded in creating the perfect supernatural weapon, only for it to fail in war, yet come back to life to curse them, and their descendants. Kisara told him of all the ghosts she's encountered and their various stories of how they became that way, and he himself also encountered two other such spirits - Yet nothing, not even the cult, the depravity of humanity, or the perversion of religious fanaticism and lustful spiritualism could match the sheer malevolence and disregard for human lives that Kisara's own grandfather had.

To think that this monster was the one she revered for so long, it was insane, and based on her reaction, and the loss of memories, it was no wonder she was unable to accept such a radical change in her life. Everything she stood for, she depraved it as a child, under the influence of a man thinking himself some kind of God, an Angel of Death and Creation, one which held the power to give and take life as he pleased. Disgusting. "Mr. Mashita, I know what you have heard and seen here is impossible to accept and comprehend... However, I must ask you, please, take care of my sweet child. She is a lost lamb now, wandering without any guidance... You are the only one she trusts now, though I suspect she would try to run away even from you. She must be feeling tainted after that discovery. The loss of memory caused by the spirit had taken its toll on her, I can feel it, and with this discovery..." the old woman sighed pitifully, handing him a suzu wand.  "Kisara already found one of these things in the underground shelter." Mashita spoke, looking weirdly at the wand. "Yes, however, this one has my spiritual powers attached to it. It was mine own, during my days as the Shrine's Guuji. Fifty years ago. If she means to purify and exorcise that spirit, she will need a properly cleansed wand." the old woman explained, making the man sigh. "Did you know about your husband's less than savory endeavours?" the grandmother sighed, a clear sign of admittance. "She will never forgive you for the betrayal." the old woman nodded, clearly knowing her granddaughter's predisposition of not forgiving people easily. "Her mother must have known about all this. Why did she allow her daughter to stay around someone incorrigible like himself?"

"Poor Kisara thought that her mother abandoned her, and left to work and travel abroad with her father - She seldom returned to see her, after all, and that was usually during summers. She never did see her on her birthdays or any holidays, after all. In spite of all this, her mother knew, with his influence, my husband would be able to bring young Kisara on the top of any field she'd wish to conquer - And, as you noticed, she did. She is a brilliant child, without a doubt, but it was her grandfather's guidance, influence and connections that allowed her to be the free spirit that she is. I hate to admit it, as she is my sweet child, but she truly is the perfect human specimen. Did you notice the kanji of her name? Empress or Goddess, Cherry Blossom and Excellence or Brilliance. Kisara... The perfect name for a perfect child. Is that not why you fell in love with her, Detective? What other woman is as otherworldly perfect such as her? The perfect molding of the Heavens and Earth, with ethereal beauty and endless wisdom, unparalleled skill and talent and benevolence above even more than Amaterasu's? Our sweet Kisara is --" Mashita got up, unable to listen to the fanatic words of a delusional old woman. "I've heard enough. I don't mean to disrespect elders, but you're just as screwed in the head as he is. I'll be taking my leave." Satoru spared one last look of disgust at the two elderly, before sprinting up the attic once the sound of a raw shriek of anguish was heard. Kisara must have touched something she needn't. Once he noticed her form, she was laid down on the ground, sprawled over the dusty old rug. He fell on his knees next to her, grabbing her and cradling her frail body in his arms. "Kisara, wake up. Wake up already! What you're seeing isn't real - It isn't you!" no matter how much he tried to shake her or call out her name, it was in vain. She did mention being unable to wake up from these last endeavours, but actually experiencing it troubled the man - With the way she was whimpering and sobbing, how was he supposed to wake her up? "Damn it, woman, stop giving me frights." he grumbled, quickly wiping away the rapidly falling tears, only to sigh in distress, having no clue what to do.

With one last screech of sheer agony, Kisara's eyes shot open, and she threw the man off her, stumbling backwards and hiding in a corner, trembling like a leaf and speaking in... Chinese? Satoru noticed a ring on the ground - It was made of silver, and it wasn't rusted - It must be pure silver. On the inner side, it had a few symbols engraved - It must be Chinese, he realised, though no schools in Japan teach any kind of Chinese, so he was unable to read whatever the word was - However, he suspected it might be a name of sorts. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." what the hell was she repeating over and over again, like a broken record? He couldn't understand a single word that came out of her mouth. "Kisara, calm down. It's me, Satoru. Do you remember me?" hearing his voice, Kisara let out a small cry of fright, and she covered her face desperately with her hands and long hair, continuing to repeat those words. "Kisara, look at me." slowly, he inched forward towards her, his voice growing softer. "Can you hear my voice?" her trembling got softer, and her head seemed to make a nodding gesture. "Do you know who I am?" she shook her head. "I am Mashita Satoru, your friendly policeman. Remember me?" though she hesitated, she nodded her head. "Do you know who you are?" "Shū Xián." she weakly muttered. "No. You are Kisara. Remember? Kisara." she shook her head. "Your name is Hasashi Kisara." she whimpered painedly. "You are Japanese. You have 25 years old." she was unresponsive. "And, coincidently, we are dating." her trembling subsided entirely.

"Yín Bái. Yín Bái. Yín Bái. Shū Xián hé Yín Bái." Mashita tsk'ed impatiently - No matter what he said, he wasn't reaching out to her. "Damn it, woman, snap out of it." through all the incoherent mumbling, Satoru grabbed her wrists and dragged them away from her face - He didn't even think if she was going to get bruises later on - Instead, he swiped away her hair and cupped her face, pulling her into a deep kiss. She let out a small gasp, as though she had returned to reality, before laxing in his arms, and kissing back. "If I knew that was going to work, I'd have done that sooner." "Did I let myself get possessed again?" he let out a hum of affirmation. "Damn it. I can't confront the ghost like this. Even in my own house, I'm going crazy." she scowled, fixing her hair. "At least I know about the ghost. I just hope I don't become her again. It seems to me like the ghost wants to live vicariously through me, in some way. Get back the life that was taken away from her." "Well, too bad, we won't allow her to." he said, placing the silver ring in her palm. "After all, I wouldn't get you such an ugly ring." he joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. "She was just 13 years old, Satoru. Her boyfriend barely turned 15. He was sent away for war, and promised to marry her when he returns." she gulped, holding the ring to her chest. "Obviously, he never did. And even if he or her father returned, they would have been massacred, just like the rest of her family." the look on Mashita's face was grim. "Call Yashiki and tell him to come to the shelter. And make sure he doesn't bring anyone, especially Hiroo. I don't have the mental strength to deal with her." using the wall as support, Kisara got up and walked towards the attic exit. 

Without another word, Mashita did as instructed, following the girl to her car - The ride was perfectly silent, without even as much as turning on the radio, or choosing from her own playlist. Much to his surprise, however, they ended up at his home, where she parked. "Why'd you bring me home?" "Go." she whispered. "You've done enough." she continued softly. "I dragged you through hell and back. No need to stay around a disgusting monster like me. You deserve better than some psychopath." she slumped over the steering wheel, looking away.

Still, the man didn't move from his seat - Instead, he slapped the back of her head lightly. "I'm not one to hit women, but you must still be in your spirit world or something." he glared at her. "I don't appreciate getting so blatantly insulted, Kisara. Go on, drive already. And hold onto this thing - Supposedly, it's supposed to help you out or something." he threw the jingling suzu bells into her lap. "You're insane." she muttered. "This is dangerous - Far worse than Shimi-O or any other kind of ghost! Any little thing can get wrong and it can mutilate us to death. I'm not about to allow you to get in danger. You said you'd take me out on a date when I get out of this mess - So do that - But from the safety of your own home. You're not cursed anymore, and I'd like it to remain that way." "Are you done talking shit? You're beginning to get on my nerves worse than Arimura, and that's no easy feat." the look of shock and offense on her face was almost comical. "If you're tired and you want me to drive, just say so, but now is not the time to play the spoiled little Princess." "... Satoru, I'm not kidding. This ghost is getting to me - Bad - I don't know what I can do once it takes ahold of my sanity. I don't -- I don't want to implicate you in this mess. You've battled your own spirit, twice now - You've done enough. I mean it." with a sigh, the man pulled her into another kiss, yet this time, it was tender and loving. He pressed his forehead to her own, caressing her cheek. "If you get possessed, who will snap you back to reality? I'd hate it if you let Yashiki wake you up like that." he teased her. "I'm confident in our ability of exorcising this menace." "I hope you brought your best perfume... It's going to stink." with a sigh and a shake of her head, Kisara agreed to take Mashita with her, and she drove to the manhole, where Yashiki was waiting. He rose an eyebrow of surprise, only for Mashita to grin cheekily at him. "What? I wanted to make sure you get me that drink." the detective shrugged in amusement, though it was obvious he was rather nervous. "I thought it was you who was supposed to get me a drink." Yashiki shot back. "After volunteering oh so selflessly to save your life, I'd say, I earned at least a beer." though Kisara giggled softly, Yashiki simply smiled and shook his head. "Fine, fine, I'll get you a beer. Let's go." he said, going ahead and descending down to the underground shelter. Kisara held tightly onto the suzu wand, feeling comfort in the soft jingle which reminded her of the good, peaceful days of being a Miko.

Just like before, as soon as Kisara stepped onto the cement, she paced a little towards the darkest depths of the humid corridors, and started chanting the old propaganda song, in that eerily creepy whispery voice. "Mita ka gin'yoku kono yûshi/ Nippon danshi ga sei komete/ Tsukutte sodateta waga aiki/ Sora no mamori wa hikiuketa..." "Huh? What the hell - Kisara, don't do that, it's creepy as hell." Satoru cursed under his breath. "Kuru nara kite miro, akatonbo/ Bun-bun arawashi bun to tobu zo! / Dare ga tsuketa ka arawashi no/ Na ni mo hajinai kono chikara..." she didn't respond at all, nor did she seem to acknowledge their presence - Instead, her spine was straight and she started marching farther into the shelter, towards a path that only she knew. "Shit, she's possessed again. We have to stop her." Yashiki grumbled, attempting to rush ahead, only to get grabbed by the coat and stopped by the detective. "Instead of stopping her, why don't you follow and see where she's going? If the ghost is possessing her, then by all means, we may get some clues. Or, at least, that's what she said." though reluctant, Yashiki nodded his head in agreement, and they rushed after the girl, following close behind, yet not enough as to startle her out of the stupor she was in.  Once she passed a poster, she did a military turn and saluted the poster, before speaking out in a loud, authoritarian voice, as though she was the General herself. "One hundred million honorable deaths! The land of the Gods is indestructible!" "I never realised how bad our country was during the war until this ghost appeared." Yashiki muttered, rushing ahead to unlock the iron doors towards which the girl was heading. 

Inside the room, there stood standing a single, very tall Buddha statue, which had its head cut off. "Ashura! The Great Ashura! Our plan has succeeded - The Empire of the Rising Sun will conquer the world! For the Empire! For the Emperor!" Kisara laughed maniacally as she opened the large chest in the middle of the room, revealing the ominous look of tens of Buddha heads, along with a single skull which belonged to a woman. "Ahahaha, so there you were! Playing hide and seek with me, you little trickster? Let's bring you to your owner, shall we~?" the two men watched in horror as Kisara dug her hand in the chest and held a mummified skull by its head, grinning emptily at it. The cut on the neck where it was decapitated was rough, Yashiki pointed out to Mashita - Done by a chisel, as he very well knew. From the ground, she picked a ceremonial sword, which she happily placed to her hip, and with one hand holding up the skull as though it was a pretty ornament, and the other placed over the hilt of the sword, she exited the room.

The men followed Kisara outside, as she went on down the corridors. "Luxury is the enemy!" says the girl who admits to being high-maintenance and loving to pamper herself into oblivion. It was almost comical. Once again, Yashiki went on ahead to open a set of iron doors, as Kisara so knowledgeable guided them through the labyrinthine paths and crossroads. She managed to startle them with a loud chant of victory, followed by many others in the distance. "BANZAAAAAAI!" she shrieked gleefully, as though she herself won the war, only to abruptly turn around to them and take out the sword, pointing it at them. They froze up with shock and fear - Have they allowed the possession to linger for too long? "You layabouts! What are you doing there?! You have time to be loafing around, do you? Recite this base's slogans at once!" she commanded them - With our without the sword, her voice and imposing aura made her look far scarier than a petite, sweet woman like her normally would. "Cheer for the final battle of our Empire!"

"Uh... Yashiki?" Mashita gritted his teeth, unable to stir his glance away from the shiny tip of the sword. "Uhhh... One hundred million honorable deaths!" the startled man stuttered the slogan. "Once more! Declare our resolve to strike back with air raids!" Kisara yelled at them. "We won't lose even if our country's reduced to ashes! Show your determination!"  "Oh, man, I hate it when you're possessed." Satoru grumbled. "The land of the Gods is indestructible...!" he tsk'ed, annoyed by the ridiculousness of the situation, though still weary of the possessed victim. "Our army has fought bravely from the southern tropics to the northern arctic, but the tide still hasn't turned in our favour. Tell me, soldier, what do you think? Can we win this crusade?" Kisara asked, inchid closer to the detective, glaring him attentively straight in the eyes, the blade glued to his neck. "If the kamikaze winds blow." Mashita gulped, looking down at the blade retracting from his artery, and being placed back in its sheath.  Kisara humphed, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "You're pretty promising for a new recruit. Keep a good eye on this squad! Farewell." she gave them a military salute and went on ahead down the dark corridors, illuminated by not even the flashlight they brought, as the two men needed a second to recuperate themselves after that mess.

Kisara took a right and went towards the doors... This pair had bloody handprints all over it. Yashiki rushed to unlock it, only to see... It wouldn't open. Not because it was jammed, but to him, it felt as though there was some kind of force pushing against it to keep it close. Once Yashiki voiced his concerns to his partner, they watched the woman flush herself against the iron doors, caressing the coldness of it, placing her hands over the prints. "The dead... Are rejecting us... And reject us they will... Until we know it all... This woman... You... You will tell me all your secrets, won't you? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me." Kisara fell to her knees, cradling the skull in her hands and tilting it to each side. She then gave it a wide, creepy smile, and she bolted off towards some unknown path.  "Don't you think we should snap her out of it already? She almost killed us already, who knows what will happen now?" Yashiki grumbled, trying to keep up the pace with the remarkably swift woman. "Yeah, you're right. Let's catch her first, then we'll see what we can do about the possession." thanks to the bloody footprints, they were able to locate her inside another operating room. Once they entered, they heard a manic laugh, as Kisara attached the skull to the headless skeleton on the table. "Hate, hate, hate... Hate the entire world and tear it to pieces. Pour all my strength into this place where I hear the voice. Hate... Kill..." she kept repeating it like some kind of mantra. "Hey, Kisara, that's enough. Come on, snap out of it." Mashita tried to slap his hands onto her shoulders and shake her awake, only for both himself and Yashiki to get their wrists grabbed and dragged with unhuman force towards the skeleton, and made to touch it. 

A horrific scene appeared before their eyes - The woman on the operating table was being used as an experiment. She was bound and gagged with thick rope, and her face and body were soaked in sweat and tear from the damnable torture she was made to endure. Her legs and arms were amputated with perfect precision, yet instead of her right arm, countless Buddha arms were stapled and sewn together in the still bleeding flesh of her wound. Was this what Kisara saw before? What she was forced to experience? The torment the ghost put her through? No wonder she had nightmares, there was no person that could go through this and remain sane. 

The gagged raw shrieks that pierced their eardrums suddenly brought about a change in perspective, and now, they were seeing a men in lab coast, holding surgical tools, were surrounding the operating table, and though most of them looked like ghosts, flesh and bone visible with no skin - There was one who looked as gorgeous and young as them - A woman with the most vivid shade of red hair, and piercing green eyes. It was Kisara. Mashita heard an ominous whisper coming from somewhere.

'She's awake.'  "Don't worry. She'll be dead soon anyway." it was Kisara's hushed, eerie voice, grinning widely over him... Over him? Satoru's eyes widened in realisation as he attempted to move, but he couldn't. He tried calling out her name, trying to wake her up, or perhaps, get himself out of this vision, but it was for naught, only gargles and grumbles escaped his roped mouth. "You're such a noisy bitch. That's why Chinese women are lesser than even pigs - All you know how to do is squeal and breed like sows." she spat in disgust. "Japanese women are quiet and docile. They are real women. A real woman always counts her words before speaking, so she won't speak more than the man... And they never speak unless spoken to." Satoru felt his mind spinning like crazy - What the hell was this? How could he be feeling a vision of the past - He has no spiritual powers himself! Was the ghost so revenge-driven that she made sure her grudge would spread all over them like the plague?

"But it's fine - I suppose, now that you're awake, I can give you a choice." she hummed in mock amusement, ripping the rope from his mouth. "Which of these tools do you want us to use to cut your neck?" her giggle was so sweet yet so god damn creepy, Satoru though, feeling his heart pumping like crazy, looking at the scalpel, saber and chisel.

"Kisara - Hey, Kisara, wake the hell up! It's me - It's Mashita! Kisara, fucking wake up!" she didn't even blink, instead, she was staring down at him, her grin twitching slightly from how painfully wide it was. "Fuck... What did Yashiki say... Ah, to hell with this, of course it's the most painful thing. Use the fucking chisel, damn it." "Ahahahahaha! Good answer, piggy! You're actually pretty smart!" Kisara's crystalline laughter only made him shiver in fear. Perhaps he should have heeded her warning and remained in the safety of his home. This wasn't a case he could take on by himself - This was worse than hell itself. "Unfortunately... You'll soon be saying goodbye to that clever head of yours." she mused mockingly. "It's valuable material, y'know. We'll cut it off nicely." his eyes widened, watching Kisara bring the chisel to his throat.

"FUCK - STOP, KISARA -- WAKE THE FUCK UP, KISARA! HASASHI KISARA, WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT!" he couldn't move and kiss her awake, nor could he slap her or shake her, or anything. His voice wasn't reaching out to her, and he was going to die a most horrific death, all because of his stubbornness.

"Shut up, you fucking sow. Gah, that's why I hate handling women. You're so fucking annoying. Be patient already, we've finally found a clue." he was sure he was going to die of a heart attack soon. "I never dreamt breaking from our usual method would go so well... Hey, you stupid sow, do you understand? Do you know the correct combination of head and body for the heavenly Buddha?"

How the fuck was he supposed to know, anyway? This is all some fucked up mess that their ancestors created, and they were left to deal with the mess and try to clean it up. They did nothing wrong! The ancestors should pay for their mistakes, not them! Still - He remembers Kisara's cries from the previous night, and the woman head being discarded... The Buddha statue was headless too... Perhaps... "A female head and a male's body." he guessed, fear reaching new heights.

"Yes, that's exactly it! And that's why we need your head!" Kisara's psychopathic laugh resounded throughout the operating room. "Gladly offer it up for the sake of our beloved country." Mashita screamed in agony from the pain he was experiencing, white pain blinding him to the core. "The problem is the soul freshness. Regardless of refrigeration, it's all up to the quality of the cut... Though there are only so many available methods. This is all the equipment we have left. Then, to the freezer..." Kisara's grumbling fades away, as tears blur what's left of the detective's vision. From his right ear, he could hear her voice, though somehow, it seemed both far away, and also, creeping right inside his brain.

"Hate... Hate... Hate... Kill... Kill...The power to do that... I'll give it all to you, in the place where you hear me now... Hate them...Destroy them... Understand?" "YES!" Satoru's desperate cry earned a satisfied chuckle of triumph.

"Good. Destroy... Them..." Kisara's voice disappeared somewhere far, far away into the distance, and when he next blinked, he was back to reality.

He was standing besides the table, only to fall to the ground and yell in shock and horror. He was panting and trying to catch his breath. What happened wasn't real, and the pain he experienced had disappeared. "Gah... My head hurts like hell..." he heard Kisara's voice again, low, in a groan. She seemed to be back to reality. She turned slightly to look at Yashiki, who seemed disturbed, though nowhere as close as Mashita. Still dazed, Kisara turned to search for her policeman, only to see him on the ground. As soon as their eyes met, she let out a shriek and tumbled backwards onto the operating table. "... Oh, Satoru..." she bit her lip painfully. "Go back home. I-- I told you not to come here! I told you it wasn't a place for you to be at! Just -- Just get the hell back home and don't turn back, damn it! I-- I... I..." she looked up at the ceiling. "I can't forgive myself for what I did to you, and I will never forgive myself if I ever bring you harm again." "Is this what you go through?" Satoru sighed, getting up and dusting himself. "It's a shit experience. I'd rather not do that again. So, let's get this done for and stop dealing with ghosts again. It's shit." he declared, reaching out to grab her wrist and drag her out of the room, as Yashiki grabbed a small key from the corpse's hand and unlocked a small cabinet, which held a gun and another data record.

"Are you crazy? I won't allow you to accompany us anymore! Go back to the car, right now!" Satoru found himself laughing in her face. "You were actually scary while possessed. Now, you're just like a kid throwing a temper tantrum. You look ridiculous." she could only stare at him with her jaw to the floor. He pressed a finger to her chin, closing her mouth. "You'll catch flies. It's disgusting." "I just tortured you to death. I won't stand for that. Who knows what's next?!" she shook her arm, trying to get out of his grasp, only to be pulled in his strong embrace. "I'll get lost trying to find my way to the ladder. We ran after you aimlessly all this time, how can I find my way out of here, anyway? I guess I'm stuck following you." he grinned shamelessly, watching Yashiki put the records in his bag.  "But... I'm the directionally challenged one." Kisara muttered, as though she was pouting. "Lucky me, using you as a guide in a maze." he shrugged aimlessly. He was going to let her throw at him all her apologies when they return home, safe and sound, but now it wasn't the time for self-pitying... Or any kind of pity. Almost dying wasn't a fun way of experiencing a spirit's woes, or her own shitty powers that destroyed her psyche and mental sanity... If she even had any at this point. "Let's go, little troublemaker."

As Kisara clinged onto the detective's arm for support, Yashiki told them the contents of the records that he found - Something to do with deafening and such... Those who survived made themselves deaf, perhaps? Though it wouldn't entirely make sense. It mentioned maddeningly repeating sutra chanting, and that the only way to get out alive being destroying the human head. Insane retrospective.

And thus, Yashiki guided them back to the bloodied doors where previously they were disallowed from entering, though now, it opened without problem. Kisara shivered, digging her fingers into the man's sleeve, gazing with terror at the colossal forms of the decapitated Buddha statues. They were creeping her out, and not only that, but she could feel the spirit's presence. "She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here." she said over and over again. She felt her sanity slipping at a fast rate. Yashiki shared a quick look with his partner before going to open the iron box, only to reveal a multitude of talismans. It looked as though something had been sealed there, though nothing remained there anymore. "Yashiki, put down that cushion and let's get out of here. That thing - It has nothing to do here. Western, red, wealthy - It's not from here." she said, dragging the brunet with her out of the room. "She's coming. She's coming. She's coming. She's coming." always, in groups of four, she repeated the ominous words the number of death. 

It was then that both Kisara and Yashiki gasped, clutching their burning scarlet Mark... It immediately is dyed a deep crimson... Death is only a few minutes away, the voice inside their head says, as their skin is being scorched. "She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here." Kisara shrieked, and at once, like a nasty spider, a large figure fell in front of them from the ceiling. Startled, the two men grabbed the medic and dragged her out of there, into the corridor illuminated a menacing red. Yashiki quickly locked the door while Mashita was desperately trying to wake Kisara up. "Forgive me, Kisara." gritting his teeth, Mashita slapped her awake, the very same as Yashiki did for him during the Shimi-O encounter. She gasped, cradling her burning cheek. "We're even now."

"OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." the terrifying spirit kept humming, the echo resounding eerily throughout the whole bunker. "Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om." they felt their whole body going numb, though not from the spirit's influence, but from its appearance. 

"She hates men." Kisara snapped, pulling Yashiki behind her, next to the detective. "Put your coats over your heads, cover yourselves like monks -- Yes, like that -- Keep your hands together, as if you're praying... Good, yes -- And now, the beads - Yes, the rosary beads, over like this... Yes... The men she doesn't hate, the Buddhist monks -- She is pious, she is religious, she still believes. She won't kill you. Yes, she won't kill you." frantically, Kisara twitched around their position almost obsessively perfect, fearing their demise, if even a single bead was out of line.  "Kisara, what the hell are you doing. You can't fight the ghost alone!" Mashita whisper-yelled at her. "I can. I have to. Yes, I can." she mumbled, holding tightly onto the suzu bell wand. "I'm a girl... I'm just like her... She will understand... I'm just like her... Yes, I'm just like her... When we cry, when we scream, we are one and the same." the words sent shivers down Mashita's smile, as he could only watch the woman's body trembling softly like a leaf in the wind. 

The records stated insanity due to the constant chanting, and Kisara could feel her sense of self coming and going at uneven intervals. With her decrepit strength, she rose her arm and rhythmically jingled the bells. Not only her, but even the two men could feel a sense of relief and calmness wash over them, at the mere cling of those bells. Was it because most families in Japan were raised with some lingering Shinto beliefs, and the sense of familiarity was capable of combating the deathly darkness they were succumbing into?

The spirit let out an ear-piercing screech, making them try to cover their ears, though Kisara yelled at them not to move and just endure it further. The ghost moved closer to them. She was very well aware that no matter how she'd attempt to attack, this spiritual war machine would be undamaged. The only way to defeat it was by getting closer. Kisara rang the bells once more, as the spirit got closer. The Kannon soldier was so close now, the palms covering her eyes revealing the distorted, mutilated face of hers, the corners of her mouth eroded all the way to those of her first pair of eyes, leaving those white orbs on her forehead untouched, yet glaring. At this point, they weren't sure whether it was the materialised ghost, the woman, or both whose screech pierced their eardrums. 

Kisara stood before many tall men before, most of them pitifully towering over her, yet she never felt intimidated by any. The Kannon Soldier, however, made her knees weaken, and staring into the crying eyes of the woman's head, which was being held up by the hair with tight fists, the Suzu bells fell to the ground, forgotten, the same as her own mind.

She began hyperventilating from the powerful malevolent pressure from the ghost, as it let out another screech. Kisara would have fallen to the ground, were it not for the arms grabbing onto her. One arm was held around her throat, squeezing and digging red nails into her flesh, while another pair was roughly holding onto her arms, and the other, her waist. She couldn't hear the men calling out her name - She was lost in the torment she was feeling, as the ghost inched her faced flush against her own. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" it shrieked, clawing at Kisara's brain. "MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" it continued. "TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Kisara felt that distorted mouth with far too many teeth so close to her own, that she was afraid that she might get devoured. "BHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

At once, Kisara blacked out, her head falling backwards, only held up by the strong grip of the ghost. Mashita called out her name, but he heard a gargled murmur. She was still alive, thank heavens. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." it seemed to have made the ghost screech again, yet her head was drawn backwards. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." Kisara said again, making the ghost more aggressive, the arms in which she was holding broken blades flying around aimlessly. "Wǒ jiào Shū Xián, zhōngguó rén, fójiào tú,13 suì, zhù zài Nánjīng, hé Yín Bái dìnghūnle." the red nails were dug so painfully into her flesh that Kisara used all her remaining strength to shriek as loud and pitched as she could, remembering the way she did once she was inside the young girl's body.

The ghost cried out pitifully, jumping backwards as though electrocuted, making Kisara's body fall to the ground like a ripped apart rag doll. As she fell, her hand touched the wooden wand of the suzu bells, making them jungle. She let out a gasp - She had woken up. "Shū Xián." she called out to the ghost. "Nǐ shì Shū Xián." this time, Mashita was able to understand her words, as they were the same. She was trying to communicate with the ghost, remind her of who she was - Or at least, that's what he thought. "Nǐ shì Shū Xián. Jì zhù?" the ghost seemed to remember who she was, as it started throwing around her arms, and trashing around. "Good. You remember. That's good." Kisara spoke in a low, grumbled voice, dragging herself up on unsteady feet. "BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE SAME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! We are not the same, Shū Xián! No matter how much you wanted me to live through what you went through, we will never be the same!" Kisara's authoritarian voice reproached the ghost.

"My name is Hasashi Kisara, I'm Japanese, I have no faith, I'm a Veterinarian Doctor in the H City hospital, I'm 25 years old and I'm dating detective Mashita Satoru." she chanted those words like a mantra, each time, jingling the suzu bells and approaching the retreating ghost, whose face was being covered, as though it was in anguish, and her identity rewritten altogether. "It is time for you to find rest, once and for all, Shū Xián. You've been roaming the earth for far longer than you should have. Don't you miss Yín Bái? Don't you want to see your fiance again? Your father? Mother? Grandmother? They all miss you on the other side... So, won't you go see them?

The ghost fell to her knees, screaming up to the ceiling, in a voice so gargled and raw that they felt nothing but pity for her. "Hifumi yoi muna ya koto mo chiro ra ne. Shikiru yu witsu wanu so ota wa kume ka. U o e ni sari ete no masu ase wehoreke." Kisara rang the bells, chanting the Shinto exorcism prayer, and watched as the blades fell from the ghost's grasp, her pained grin now turning tender, and tears of relief were falling down her face, as though she had seen the light of Nirvana. The evil chanting and murmuring was being blocked away and replaced by the crystalline jingle of the suzu bells - Bells that were used in Buddhism also. 

"Xièxiè... Xièxiè... Jiějiě... Xièxiè..." the screeching voice of the ghost had turned into the sobbing yet tender one of a little girl, thanking Kisara, calling her big sister. What an honour. "Yínbái... Yínbái... Wǒ de àirén... Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ..." Kisara felt a shiver go down her spine, seeing the pitiful ghost being at peace for once, calling out for her fiance and telling him she's finally coming to him. Chinese stories are always so tragic, yet so beautiful. There was so much beauty in sadness. "Rest well, Shū Xián." Kisara rose the Suzu bells, watching the ghost close her eyes and accepting the light taking her, as, with the last bit of power she had left in her body, she slammed the wand into her right ear. The wand broke, and all the bells fell and rolled on the ground, clinging and jingling softly, echoes travelling all around the shelter. Shū Xián smiled, her monstrous makeshift body falling to the ground, only to dissipate into a beam of light.

A graveyard silence washed over them, as none was able to move even by an inch, or even blink or breathe. Kisara fell on her knees, panting and trying to regain her ragged breathing. She felt weak... So very weak... Suddenly, a ringtone blared through the bunker, startling the two men. It was Kisara's phone, they realised, as she lethargically took it out of the pocket and hit the speaker button, though her hand fell pitifully in her lap. She was too drained to even speak. 

"Kisara, my sweet child, you have succeeded! Your grandfather's mark has disappeared! I knew you would grow up to be an even stronger priestess than I ever was... Ah, I and your grandfather are so proud of you!" she kept praising her over and over again, but Kisara said nothing. "Sweetling, I cannot hear you. Ah... I see, you are too drained of spiritual power. That ghost must have truly drained you of all your strength. Is Mr. Mashita there with you? Tell him to take care of you! Or you may return to us, and I will perform a cleansing ritual for you, at our sacred waterfall by the forest." "I... Hate... You... Both..." Mashita had to strain his hearing to be able to hear her words, though just as he expected, she wasn't happy with the way her grandparents acted. Now, despite her weakness, she might also have regained her memories of long lost, and remembered all the atrocities that she dismissed as a child... If any. "What was that, darling? I could not hear you." instead, the loud beeping sound of a call being ended, and the cellphone falling out of the woman's grasp disturbed the silence. Kisara's body succumbed to the darkness, and she fell to the wet, dirty ground.

"At least it's finally over." Satoru sneered, fixing his coat back and gathering the woman in his arms. He checked each and every one of her injuries - Though shallow, they still bled rather heavily. Still, he was sure that it wouldn't bother her as much as her outfit being torn to ribbons of textile. "Let's get out of here, Yashiki. I've had enough of this mess. It's too much for even me to handle." he admitted, quickly pocketing her phone and picking her up in his arms. "Better wake up by the time we've reached the ladder, otherwise we'll both be in an impasse." he muttered into her ear, following Yashiki at the ladder leading out of the shelter.

Thankfully, with some help, the two were able to bring the half-conscious Kisara up on the street, where they met the old man. He had come over to bring the chisel from the Kujo Mansion, claiming it was glowing with a dark light, and calling out to him, telling him to bring it to Yashiki. Well, it wasn't needed anymore, as the exorcising worked wonders. A new set of rapid footsteps, along with some sickly coughs were loudly heard, as Daimon and Hiroo appeared out of nowhere - Daimon looked even worse than normal, most likely for having over-exerted his physique too much, though Hiroo seemed perfectly fine. Everyone, save for Yashiki, had their Marks disappearing.

The man suggested they split up, as they needn't stay around a Cursed man, and it was Mashita who told Daimon to bring Kisara to the hospital he works at and look after her injuries. The doctor cringed, seeing the blood and wounds, but nodded nonetheless, they went by the woman's car and let Daimon drive to the hospital, whilst Satoru was to sit by the waiting room and stay there until she was all better. Apparently, it was mostly the exhaustion taking its toll on her, and the wounds wouldn't even scar, as they were far too shallow - All for the best, she was very sensitive over her appearance and self-care routines.

Kept on hydrating and nutriating IVs, Kisara was peacefully sleeping in the hospital bed, with Mashita holding her hand and laying back on the chair. It took a few hours for her to wake up, but once she did, it was already the dead of night. Her shifting was enough to wake the man from his half-asleep state. He offered a sleepy smile as he squeezed her hand. "Mornin', Sleeping Beauty." "Is it gone? The Mark?" the girl asked, evident fright pooling in her eyes. The man nodded curtly, watching the relief cascading over her. "I can't believe it's finally over. I feel like I can sleep for a week straight." "When am I supposed to take you out on dates, then?" Kisara chuckled weakly. "You don't like home-dates? A nice movie, cooking something or ordering take-out." the man rolled his eyes, only to nod in agreement. "Fine, fine, you've got me." he said, amused.  "When can we go home?" she asked, looking with irritation at the half-empty IV bag. "Once you're done hydrating. Doctor's orders. Wouldn't want to go against Daimon's authority, yes?" Kisara merely shrugged. "Once, I put my puppy on IVs, but I didn't have where to hang the bag. I used the chandelier from the living room, so I held her the whole day as we watched movies together. I can do the same just as well, but on myself." she joked lightly. "You're so spoiled." he chuckled. "Just lay back down and relax for a minute. The ghostbusters' adventures are over for good. Rejoice." "Yashiki's too?" Satoru's expression went grim. "Ah... I see. Should have known." she muttered. "I... Can't go help him any more. I just... I can't do it. I need a break... A very, very long break." she sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. "It's fine. Yashiki told us not to help him out anyway. Said he'll figure something out eventually. Hope he does, I'm supposed to get that beer out of him." the man half-joked, though it was clear he was worried for the one he learnt to call 'friend' of sorts... Not that he would admit to it, obviously. That would be ridiculous. "So... What do you want to do now?" Kisara asked, watching the lethargic drip of the IV - It felt never ending. "Right now? I'm waiting for the Princess to finish her treatment so we can go sleep already." Kisara rolled her eyes. "Fine, just kidding." he said. "I'm thinking of properly becoming a private detective. Not much I can do with my skills, especially after all the allegations I have against me." he was clearly irked by what had happened, though he had to keep it in the past, where it will remain forever buried, just like the truth.

Finally, the IV bag was empty, and Daimon came by, giving them leave, but not without thanking the girl for saving him from the Mark. No doubt, they will remain good friends.  Mashita offered to drive, but surprisingly, they didn't go to either of their homes - Instead, they reached a familiar cemetery. Kisara scoffed, watching the man open the trunk of the car and reveal a bouquet of flowers. What a man he was.  She guided him to her old friend's resting place, where he placed the flowers. They were red, just like her hair. "Hey, pretty girl. Did you miss me?" she smiled tenderly, trailing the grave stone softly with her fingers. "If only you'd know what we went through, you'd think us mad! Ahh, but you'd also find our stories absolutely hilarious. You'd want to see a ghost yourself, wouldn't you?" "Smart and brave, huh? No wonder you are friends." Satoru chuckled lightly. "I heard you wanted to go see Europe. I was thinking of taking your friend all the way there. Would you like that?" "Oh, really? What a pleasant surprise." Kisara smiled, feeling his arm wrap around her body. He hummed in agreement. They really needed a change of pace, and to have a break from this country and its dark past.  "Tell me about your friend." 

Kisara told him all the good times she had spent with her friend - How they met, how they became friends, and all the gossips they would share. Their trips around the country, to the mountains and to the beach, the adventures, the cheating for tests, and the troubles she'd go through, while her friend would help get her out of it. Though highschool sucked, her friend made it bearable and fun. Once University started, they hadn't as much free time to spend together, though never once did they lose contact. Were it for a movie or a hangout with old classmates or at her own home, it didn't matter, as long as they were together and had fun.

She then told him of the funeral and how hard it was to stay there. To see the open coffin, see her there, in that white wedding dress... How morbid... How life-like she was, like a doll, holding flowers. She couldn't even look at her face, for her legs were about to give out, so she pulled her other friend outside to get a breath of fresh air, though that image still flashes over their eyes even after years passed. Her pink sheep plushie, the stethoscope, the1st grade picture... Her parents and younger sister roaming around like robots to fulfill the funeral duties, having no time to grief their beloved... And her grandmother, at the head of the coffin, caressing her hair and begging the girl to rest well, for she's worked plenty, and she must be exhausted.

Heartbreaking... It was heartbreaking... The same as those two whole kilometers spent in the trunk of the flower car, throwing flowers of every kind and colour, so she will have a colourful road to the grave... And then, being lowered into the ground... It wasn't easy then, and it wasn't easy now either, but there was someone who understood very well her woes and struggles - Someone who went through the same thing, and was still troubled by the past.  At least now, they had each other, be it good times, or bad. They understood each other, and they will be there for each other, no matter the problem that should arise.

The ghostbusters' adventures were finally over...

Or so they thought.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 6 - Bodhisattva

Arawashi no Uta /Bunker Army Song

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were some kind of high-functioning sociopath in the least." Mashita gave a teasing chuckle, his arm around Kisara's shoulder as they exit the cinema. "People who aren't deranged in the head don't laugh at grotesque, ritualistic murder scenes." he pointed out.

"Call me what you wish, I enjoyed myself!" she smiled like a precious princess. "You really didn't have to pay though, I feel bad." "That just means you'll have to make it up to me next time." he cheekily commented.

"Ah, I see, so we're going to end up owing each other a date and run around in a vicious circle. I like this courting game." suddenly, her phone starts ringing. "Oh, come on, don't bother me now..." she grumbled, irritated, flipping up the phone lid, only to see it was Yashiki. "Oh. The saving vest is calling - Let's hope I learn how to swim soon." 

He picked the phone from her hand. "Let me have a bit of fun." he cleared his throat and made a tragic impression of a girl's voice. "I've been waiting for you call the whole day, Yashiki, what took you so long!" Kisara could barely stifle her giggles, as they sat down on a bench. 

"Uh...? Wrong number...?" the poor man was so confused, hearing childish chuckles from the other side of the line. "Wait, hold up - Mashita?! What are you doing with Kisara's phone?" "On first name basis with my girlfriend? Now, now, that won't do, Yashiki." an uncomfortable silence took over.

"Uh... Sorry? I think? Wait - Since when are you --" the poor man stumbled over his words like a fish on land.

"You've teased the man enough." Kisara laughed, reaching to catch her phone back. "Sorry for that, Yashiki. Satoru's in a playful mood. We watched a murder detective movie." she explained, feeling a coat placed over her bare shoulders. "Did you find any new leads?" "It's alright. Uh... Yes, sort of. Quite a lead, actually, and it ties with what you said about your grandfather. I think this ghost is the one who cursed you. A new curse bearer came by, and he mentioned his grandfather having been a war physician involved with the Engineering Lab... Hiroo's grandfather was the same. We're going to investigate the lab today, from the other entrance." Yashiki explained - Suddenly, Kisara fell into a mute somberness.

"My grandpa wasn't working for the Engineering Lab... But when we went down the sewers... Yashiki, I never really felt anything quite like it. I felt a sense of familiarity, like... Like... Like when I go home, only that home is actually hell. There was such a malevolent energy down there... Not like Zukawa, not like Shimi-O... Something in between... But I also felt a strong sense of suffering and agony like never before. I think something incredibly disturbing happened down there." the girl leaned her head back to look at the cloudless sky, filled with stars.

"So it attracts you like a magnet, but it also makes you want to run away with fear?" Yashiki concluded.

"Yes. If my theories are correct, I think down there happened some great cases of human experimenting. I hope I'm wrong - God, I hope I am... But whenever secret things like this one are involved, that's usually what it is. The twisted imaginations of people who want to play God." she shuddered lightly.

"The man who came over is called Daimon, and he's a doctor too. He said there's mention of a strange scar in his grandfather's records as a military physician. The patients with the symptoms were kept in a secret army laboratory, and of course, after the war, all documents were burnt, with the exception of the clinical records he found. It might have something to do with, uh... Gods and Faith too. And something called... Kannon soldier." her back straightened in shock, as though a lightning struck her down.

"Kannon? Like - The Bodhisattva? Guanyin? The Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy?" she asked immediately.

"Uh... I'm really not sure, I'm not very familiar with Buddhism, but don't you think this ties perfectly well with the whole Divine Wrath thing, and the stolen statues?" Yashiki pointed out.

"That's the thing, it ties TOO well. I don't believe in Gods and Religions, I don't think this Mark was given by the wrath of Buddha or whatever spiritual theories were shoved down our throats. Ghosts? Yes. Gods? No." she snapped sternly. "But don't take my beliefs too, heart, it would only influence your chain of thoughts. Listen - It's too late to go pay a visit to my grandparents at this hour, but I'm coming over to investigate with you, and tomorrow I'll see what they have to say. I'm sure I can give you some fine insight." she explained, already hopping up to her feet.

"Alright. I'll text you the location. We'll see you there." he hung up.

"Well... Thank you for the date - It was the best I've ever had, really. I'll... Hopefully see you soon, yes? I have to make it up to you." she gave a dry smile.

"Yes, yes, something like that." he offers an aloof smile. "Call me if you need anything. You got to see me afflicted by the ghost, might as well return the favour." the comment made Kisara's tension dissipate, and she chuckled.

"Thank you for your support, Satoru. I'll hold you onto that." with a nod, Kisara got in the car and drove back home - She needed to get a coat for herself, and a few sacred items, both Shinto and Buddhist. Why? She didn't know, but her intuition told her that, although she was a non-believer, it was better to be prepared, in case of anything. She already knew chants and mantras and sutras and prayer - What was a rosary or some ofuda talismans?

It didn't take long before she arrived at the South Alley, and she found Yashiki waiting with another brunet man - He looked sickly, poor man. They had already opened the manhole lid. With only a brief introduction between the two doctors, the trio went down the rusted ladder. Kisara was the second to step onto the concrete, but as soon as she did, she froze up and gasped. Yashiki turned his head in her direction, and searched her glazed over expression.

She was perfectly chanting the Imperial propaganda song from the army, as though she was one of the soldiers from the time. Her voice was soft, and so eerie with the echo resounding and bouncing off the concrete walls.

Daimon cringed hearing it, his whole body stiff and shivering. "Can you please stop? It's giving me the creeps." but she sketched no emotion on her deadpan face, nor did she look like she heard him. Daimon stepped in front of her, looking into her eyes and snapping his fingers - No pupilar reaction, no defensive reflex. "Hey, Yashiki, is she possessed?" Yashiki frowned, looking at her with concern, though he had to admit, her chanting the military march lyrics so ominously, like a broken record, made the faint propaganda song playing in the shelter even more terrifying. "Kisara, wake up." nothing. "Kisara, hey!" "Might I recommend a more... Direct approach?" Daimon rose his eyebrow at his partner. "Right." Yashiki placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "KISARA, WAKE UP!" The woman squeaked in surprise and drove back. "Don't scare me like that!" she clutched her heart. "I'm sensitive, you know?!" "Sorry. I think you were, uh... Possessed? In a trance? I'm not sure. You were chanting the military song and... You weren't moving or responding at all." the horror gleaming in her eyes turned to realisation. "I wasn't possessed, though at this rate, I might end up that way. If I do that again, wake up me. This place might just become the death of me. It's... Calling to me, as though I know where I'm supposed to go. I... Please keep an eye out on me, in case I try to stay off from the group. If I wander around randomly and wake up, I'm going to get lost and never find my way back. I'm directionally challenged to the core." Daimon let out a soft exhale of amusement. "I see, so you're spiritually sensitive. Very well. We'll take be on the look out." with a grateful thanks, she got in between the two and followed Yashiki's lead. 

Down the South path, they found the large iron doors, though they were locked as expected. Only one way to go, then. They ignored the dried up blood, or the clean rectangular spots on the walls, no doubt left by rather recently torn military posters, and reached a cross in their path. They went right first, down a corridor lit dimly by a few red bulbs, only to find themselves at another cross, and in the middle, a large blood splatter, as though a man imploded, only mush and porridge left behind of him. To the left, a dead end, though a draft was coming from said wall. Could it have been a fake wall? Or maybe it was cemented over? To the right, another perfect dead end. Ahead, once again, a dead end, but with another set of iron doors. On the wall, blood was splayed, revealing another spot where a poster once stood - the blackened stains were crumbling down. The doors were unlocked, and they were able to get inside. The air in this room was musty and stale. It looked like a medical facility.

Kisara fell to the ground, clutching her head, as though an impossible migraine was cursing her. She was staring with sheer torment at the operating table. The state of the room suggested the inhumane experiments that took place there - Hatred clogged the air like a poison mist. It was the most dangerous place they've been so far.

"A lot of people were dismembered and eviscerated on this table. The atmosphere is so heavy, it makes me want to cut my throat out of fear." Kisara heaved pitifully. In a corner, Daimon was examining the ancient skeleton on the ground. He came to the conclusion that it got decapitated with either a blunt object or some kind of non-surgical tool, as the cervical vertebra was messily severed. "Do you think this corpse was also an experiment?" the doctor asked. Kisara shook her head. "No. It's more like... Like a worker who got killed by one of the victims. There's a lot of hatred, dread and vengeance... A lot of vengeance..." she explained softly. Yashiki found a document about cryptograms - it looked like wabun code, similar to morse.

Kannon: Weapon's Code Name ...- ..-- Heavenly Buddha: Project's Code Name .-.-- .--. Soul: Human heads used as materials -. -..-

In another cabinet, a gun and a worn out notebook was found. Despite the faded ink, they were able to decipher some of the writing. '70th... next experiment Ashura statue conne... male body and female head... Then... ernatural phenomenon, spirit... frequent... hard... continue experiments... '

Kisara shuddered, gritting her teeth. Yashiki turned to her, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Kisara... I know it's a lot to ask, but... Could you try and touch the table and see if you can see anything? It helped a lot last time to understand Hanayome's case without much evidence at hand." She looked horrified, her gaze turning from the man and to the table, and back again. Her hands found their way in her beautiful crimson locks of hair... Crimson, like the blood spilled by all the victims in this place. "I-I... Can try..." she never heard her voice so broken and terrified before, it almost made her feel humiliated by her own fear. She was a samurai, a warrior - That's what her grandpa raised... She can't get brought down by some visions. "Give me your coat. I don't want to dirty my clothes." as Yashiki handed her the coat, she placed it like a blanket over the table. She hopped on the edge of the table and unconsciously took out the beaded buddhist rosary from her pocket. "I don't believe in God. I don't believe in Providence. I don't believe in Divine Wrath. This is just the work of ghosts and monsters disguised as people." she reminded herself briefly, her fist clenched tight around the beads. She laid on the operating table as though she was one of the subjects. "Uh... If I do catch something... Don't let me fall off the table, please. I have delicate skin, I bruise easily." she gave a shaky chuckle as she closed her eyes, her hands touching the cold metal of the table and feeling around for the caked blood left unwashed.

Daimon stared intrigued at the woman - A doctor and a spiritualist, how fascinating. Usually one would exclude the other, though not in her case. Still, from what Yashiki mentioned on the way there, Miss Hasashi had the double-edged sword gift of seeing the last moments of one's life, by touching remains or objects with strong spiritual meaning. He was curious to see how it would affect her - Still, he was there to aid if she had some kind of panic attack.

Kisara's eyes fluttered open softly - Her mind felt foggy, and she was in a complete daze, as though she was drugged at a bar. The strong light from the lightbulb dangling above her head made her squint uncomfortably. She got up --... Or tried to. Her body was trying to move, was it was being restrained. Tilting her head left and right, she noticed the leather belts. Anxiety started bubbling up in her heart, and panic was rapidly surging through her veins. "Bāng wǒ! Qǐng bāng wǒ! Yǒurén! Rènhé rén! Qǐng bāng wǒ!" the vibrato of her beautiful soft voice wailed pitifully through the ominously white room. She kept calling for help, over and over again - And then it dawned on her. Was she speaking in Chinese? Who was she? My name is Hasashi Kisara, I'm Japanese, I have no faith, I'm a Veterinarian Doctor in the H City hospital, I'm 25 years old and I'm dating detective Mashita Satoru. Yes, that sounded right. That sounded like her... So... Why was she speaking Chinese? Was the victim Chinese? She never mixed her own identity with the victim's, so why now? The door suddenly slammed open, and two pairs of rushed foot steps surrounded the table she was in. They were speaking a foreign language rapidly. No, wait - It was her language, damn it! It was Japanese - SHE was Japanese! She wasn't the victim, she was Hasashi Kisara! "Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om. Om Mani Padme Hum. Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuniye Svaha Om." she found herself horrified, chanting Buddhist mantras over and over again. She couldn't understand the young men dressed in scary, black military uniforms and one of them with a pristine clean white coat, nor could she read their stone cold faces. She kept chanting and chanting, painfully looking up at the white light above her head. No - She could understand them, damn it! Why can't her brain get out of this haziness? Why is she so confused?  She picked up on the two men speaking about Buddha and Bodhisattva, experimenting, some kind of scar... Hundreds of failed human experiments... The Great Ashura, the perfection human connection between a man and a woman... But one of the voices was so familiar... Why was it familiar? It wouldn't make sense to be familiar.

Suddenly, she feels a hand over her own, and something is roughly dragged down her finger. Something sparkles in the bright light - It looked like an engagement ring of sorts. No, she wasn't old enough to be engaged - A promise ring, maybe? She felt very territorial, looking at the ring being carelessly tossed into a transparent box... Overbrimming with such rings. Cold sweat fell down her forehead.

"Don't ruin her head, we need it. Do what you want with the rest." the one without the coat told the other. "This better work, Hasashi. Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Tojo will have both our heads if we can't create the Kannon Soldier. It's our Empire's last hope to win the war." ... Hasashi, he said? Hasashi? Isn't that HER surname? It can't be... No... No it can't be it... "Hakkō Ichiu. For the Glory of the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Emperor and Unit 731." Kisara's blood froze completely - Unit 731... A taboo blemish on their country's history... No, not a blemish, it was an outright plague, like most of the things Japan did during the war. The atrocities they committed were unforgiveable. From the sexual enslavement of Korean girls, all forgotten thanks to Prime Minister Tojo, to his involvement in the hellish sin that even Satan himself trembles at, the massacre and rape of the Chinese in Nanjing. Nanjing. Nanjing. She was from Nanjing. She, and all the people who had the misfortune of being kept alive during that inhumane torture from her homeland... They were brought back to Japan to become experiments for the maniacs who lost their license to madness, only to serve as the most revered surgeons playing around carelessly with their bodies and organs. She was barely 13 years old... Or did she turn 14 already? She had a crush on a boy and he gave her a promise ring, before going to war, and dying while at it. Her father was dead on duty... And with only her, her mother and grandma... They both were killed, while she... She was subjected to all kinds of torture from these wicked sinners. The great Buddha has a wealth of patience, but even he would never forget these heretics who use His sacred name in vain, creating chimeras and abominations in the name of their fake religion.

Kisara looked up, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes met an empty green void - The surgeon's green eyes were devoid of any life or feeling. He was merciless, unlike the Kannon Bodhisattva they were trying to re-create by dismembering people and putting odd parts together, as though they are dolls - The audacity of them! But those green eyes were so familiar... Yes... Those were her own eyes. Green eyes staring into green eyes... Though she suspected he could only see the victim's black ones. "Grandpa, why?! Why?! You have always been so kind, so good, so understanding - Everyone adores you! How... How could you?! This doesn't make sense! Please - Please get me out of here! It's me - It's your cute Kisa! Your little spider lily! Please, papa, save me! Please spare me! Papa, please, it's me, can't you see me?!" she kept crying and pleading, seeing the glint of the scalped shiny sadistically in the white light of the bulb. "No -- No, please, no, you can't -- You can't do this! Haven't you done enough?! Haven't you tortured me enough?! Come on, get me out of here, please, I'm terrified! Papa!" like a crying child, she pleaded and wailed, and then her cold, naked body felt agonising heat, and blood washed over her skin like a blanket.

She could feel his hands rummaging through her cavity as though he was searching something in a bag - She then felt a gentle touch on her cheek - His bloody hand caught one of her tears. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you stay awake the whole time. You will reach Nirvana only when I allow you to. The Buddha you were praying to won't save you - Only I can spare you of this pain."

She couldn't believe her ears - This psychopath - Was this deranged man her grandfather?! Moreover, she wanted to get back to the real world, to Yashiki and Daimon, and continue the investigation, to get rid of the curse mark, and return home to peace and quiet and no more talk of the war and the secret sins done in this shelter. But how can she go back? Every time she had visions, they were brief, sometimes flashes, but the soul didn't want her to see too much. This time, it was different - She was trapped in this tormenting hell for as long as the victim wanted her to be. No matter how she struggle, how she pleaded, how she cried, nothing worked. Searing agony surging through her whole body and out of ideas, she turned to praying. There was a single Shinto chant of protection that she could remember. "Spirits of the Sky and the Land, take the badnesses, disasters and sins and purify all. Miroku Oomikami -You bless us and proteject us. Meishu Sama - You bless us and protect us. For expansion of our soul - And the fullfilment of your will." she kept repeating the words again and again, but nothing happened. Why did nothing happen? Of course nothing would happen, religion is just a way to trick your mind into believing there is reason for selfless altruism. Something clicked then. The victim was Buddhist.

She kept repeating mantras. Kisara begged for this idea to work, otherwise, she might just have to endure this torment until she truly dies in this memory. She started reciting fragments of the Heart Sutra, the Sutra that stood as the core of all other Sutras. "OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA." her words flowed continuously, despite choking on tears and pathetically stumbling over broken words and painful gasps and moans. She couldn't even remember what these words meant, but it didn't matter anymore. How many times was she supposed to speak the mantra? 108 times, was it? She couldn't keep count, it was hard enough saying words, let alone rationalise and actually discern what she was doing. She couldn't feel her limbs anymore - They were detached from her body, and cascades of her crimson blood that looked so much like her hair kept going down like a stream over the table.

"KISARA, WAKE UP ALREADY!" a foreign voice called out a name - Whose name was it? And why was she feeling hands over her body, gripping on her flesh.

"LET GO OF ME!" her pitched shriek rung deafeningly through the operating room. Yashiki and Daimon jumped backwards, petrified. Kisara was able to get into a sitting position, her arms clutching her knees to her chest, her face hidden in the gap. Her body was shaking with loud sobs. At least she was finally out of her trance. Yashiki was truly terrified - No matter what he did, she wouldn't awaken, though she kept screaming and yelling, alternating between Japanese and a different language that Daimon mentioned was definitely Chinese - She would chant mantras, or plead to her grandfather - Why him? Was he one of the surgeons implicated in this awful ordeal?

"Miss Kisara, I know you're having a terrible case of a panic attack, but I want you to try to pull yourself together. You're safe, back in the real world. Can you hear my voice?" Yashiki felt plastered with surprise, hearing the cold and pragmatic doctor speak to carefully. He, like Mashita, didn't seem the tender type - Maybe he was very wrong. Kisara nodded her head hesitantly. "Do you know who I am?" she waited a few seconds, before nodding again. "That's good. Do you know who you are?" shockingly, she shook her head. Daimon frowned - Usually, people were aware of who they were, but not other things around their environment. Could this memory have cause a delirious state of confusion? "You are a doctor, just like me. Remember that?" she nodded. "Your name is Hasashi Kisara. Do you agree?" the trembling stopped abruptly, but her hands were pulling painfully at her hair.

"I'm not." she choked out. "I can't be." she said. "I refuse to be associated with that monster who calls himself a God." she took a few deep breaths. She was regaining herself. Her legs relaxed on the table, and her hands fell to her face, wiping away her tears. "I think half of our ghost is a Chinese young girl, barely pubescent, and one of the unfortunate victims left alive and dragged here to be experimented on after the... The Massacre of Nanjing." she explained as Yashiki helped her get off the table and kept supporting her up. "The body of a man, the head of a woman... The Great Ashura... I saw my grandfather there. Surgeon General Hasashi of Unit 731. Imperialistic fuckass. He kept mementos for all his hundreds of victims. I'll raid his house tomorrow and see what I can find. He was working under that monster Tojo." she explained, her body exhausted. "I feel like they were trying to mock Buddhism by creating this monster... The girl was a Buddhist. She kept chanting all kinds of mantras and sutras... I think that will be a way to exorcise her." she spoke, tugging on the man's sleeve to get out of the room. "I'm not touching anything today anymore. I don't think I can take it." "We just got a bunch relevant information thanks to you." Daimon praised in a soft voice - With his illness, he really couldn't speak too sternly, could he?

"We tried waking you up, but..." Yashiki trailed on.

"Oh, you couldn't have succeeded. The girl is so full of hatred, she wanted me to experience absolutely everything she went through, from the time she woke up on the table, to the point her heart stopped." she bitterly snarled. She couldn't blame the spirit, but she wasn't happy with her experience either.

"Forgive me." the man whispered softly, unable to find any strength to speak.

"It's not your fault, Yashiki. If it helps us get rid of this Mark, everything is fair game." but she doubts even Satoru's presence would ease her mind after that mess.

Once they were out of the damned room, Kisara cringed, hearing the faint sound of the military marching song. Yashiki guided her to one of the iron doors. Goosebumps rise - A presence was approaching. There's an incessant beeping, like from a telegraph. They froze in place, unable to move from the electrifying fright. The beeping becomes gradually louder, as though it was trying to convey some kind of message. It was like a sequence... A familiar sequence, like that from the code book they found. "Soul." Yashiki found himself saying. An eerie whisper answered back. 'Point to your soul.' it said. Kisara pointed to his head. The beeping suddenly stops. Daimon cringed from the sheer pressure that the entity put on them and their souls. "Seriously?!" he weakly sighed in relief. "Amazing... A real supernatural event." he let out a sardonic chuckle, though he somehow seemed pleased. When they were sure the road was safe, they got inside the room, revealing another medical facility. Kisara freaked out slightly, saying she won't touch anything. She just awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, her hands in the air as though she was preparing for surgery.

The two men searched restlessly around the room. Daimon crouched next to another old corpse, ribbons of dry, leathery skin still scarcely hanging to the bones like bandages to a mummy. It had a similar cut to the neck like the other one. Somewhere in the cupboard, they found a Research Record and a military short sword. There were a few faded words that stood out in the Record. 'The experiment miraculously succee.... This... divin... protection... The... ura statue...onated from H Shrine... created by... line... statue makers...using...chisel...donated by...same family...severe head... tool...together...becomes the key...Finally our dearest wish...' it seemed as though they could have used sculpting chisels to sever heads.  In a cabinet, they found Suzu bells, which Kisara immediately snatched from Yashiki's grasp, and a Record book - 'Disposal Vat Mgmt. Record' 'Dispose... two hundred... super-dimension... suddenly, iron door... half-spiritualised... hypothesize... focused mystical forces...need.... sacred object to erase... Safety valve release code: Diamond'

Suddenly, Yashiki starts freaking out, and as in a trance, started oddly mumbling for a few good minutes. It took both Daimon and Kisara calling out his name to snap him out of whatever possession he was under. He says he's fine, but... He guided them flawlessly through the labyrinthine tunnels of the shelter, to a dead end - He flashed his light on the wall, revealing the outline of a hidden door flickering faintly. "Kisara, you're the expert. These bells... Are they used in any kind of religious ritual?" Kisara rang the bells she snatched previously. "I used Suzu bells in most of the Shinto rites I performed." she explained playfully. "Can you please touch the door - Erh - Wall with the bells?" his request was odd, but judging from the way he stuttered, and Daimon's inability of seeing the door, she figured it might be a way to reveal it properly. Ringing the bells rhythmically with every step she took, she touched the suzu wand to the door, placing her palm to it. "Kai!" she exclaimed, and the door appeared in a flash of white. "Cool." she mumbled to herself. "I'm not hallucinating, am I?" Daimon's face twisted in disbelief. "I suppose it's because of your lack of spiritual power that you couldn't see the faint flickering outline." the girl guessed. "Still, I've got a bad feeling about this place... Like everything else, really." Yashiki pushed open the doors, revealing a large and dark vault-like area. "Whoa... Amazing." Daimon found himself flabbergast. He noticed a rusty army sword, which he picked. Yashiki flashed his light around the room, gasping. "Are these... Heads of Buddha statues?" "Well, now we know where they were taken." Kisara blinked in disbelief. It looked rather macabre. "They're kind of just scattered around." Daimon spoke.

Suddenly, a sound echoes off something heavy moving, and suddenly, the room is lit with a pale light. "I have... A rather bad feeling." if even someone like Daimon could say that, things were really bad. They quickly turned around to dash out of the room, but the doors wouldn't open. A cold sensation freezes them from the bottom up, as water starts rapidly pouring into the room like a giant waterfall.  "What the hell?!" the girl stared is horror. It was paralyzingly ice cold, to the point their legs went numb. "We have to get out of here! We'll die of hypothermia!" the brunet shouted. "WE'LL DROWN BEFORE HYPOTHERMIA GETS US!" Kisara screamed, desperately tugging onto the door with Yashiki - Suddenly, his arm reaches somewhere else, and he struggles to touch the Diamond Arhat head. With a loud sound, water starts sweeping in one direction, and down the drain. "I-It's pulling us in!" one of the man yelled, as the trio got pulled into the whirlpool.

When Kisara opened her eyes, she felt no strength in her body, though her mind was alert. She felt too frozen to snap her head left and right, but she did see the old homeless man and his wide grin saying her friends were safe, but in a similar state. They were in that damn water for a whole hour, at that rate, Daimon's hypothermia theory might just come true. The first to get up was, not unexpectedly, Yashiki, who helped the other two get up, and they exit the shelter. Kisara takes her fellow doctor in car with her, finding a towel around the back of the car to wipe the water out of their clothes, while Yashiki was stuck with Banshee Itou.

Thankfully, they got to the mansion already, by the point they stopped violently shivering - Kisara was very proud of herself for driving so well, even frozen. Banshee gave Yashiki the key to the shelter. "Can we sleep on everything that happened for the night? I'm not capable of doing anything anymore. I'm freezing and exhausted." the two men vigorously agreed. Before she left home, Banshee Itou told them he had been living in the shelter for ten years, only for Zukawa to find her way there, around 6 months prior. He seemed freaked out mentioning the walking Buddha statue he encountered a month earlier, and how he got the Mark. He called it The Kannon Soldier. Apparently he found that name in some document - How did they succeed, was beyond them - But the man burnt the documents to get some warmth and roast a potato.  Still, he says he remembers what was written. The Heavenly Buddha Project was the reason the shelter was created, and thus, the 13th Army Engineering Lab collaborated with Unit 731 to get this done and get the upper hand in war. They did  tests on Buddha statues brought from some shrine - H Shrine, no doubt.

They tried to imbue the statues with spiritual power, and they even brought a Monk - Of course, nobody truly believed anything would come out of it, and it was an excuse to keep the general busy. That is, until the statue started moving and it went berserk through the lab, going crazy on a ton of people. The bloodstains and corpses are probably its victims. Those who survived the massacre got red bite-like marks. The thing moved and wrecked the place, until it stopped and never moved again. Nobody had a clue what triggered it to move in the first place.

They all were white as sheets, but unlike Hiroo, the rest believed Banshee's story. The old man then came with an interesting theory - The trio's grandpas got the Mark, and when the statue stopped moving, the Mark disappeared, but when it started up again, they got them, cause they're their descendant. Still, wouldn't that mean the parents would have gotten the Marks too? Weird.

"My grandpa is still alive. I'm going to test that theory on him tomorrow." Kisara said. "Good night, guys. And rest well. We deserve it." with a tired sigh, Kisara plopped down in the driver's seat. She didn't even realise she didn't turn on the music, nor that she was driving in the opposite direction of her home. Instead, she found herself in front of another apartment complex. She closed the door and leaned back on the car, staring up with red, tired eyes at the flat above. "Well, I'll be damned." with a sigh, she found herself in the familiar elevator and pressed her finger on the ringing button, not releasing it - She could hear the obnoxious ringing from the other side. Even the dead would wake up with such a hellish doorbell. "Who the he--... You've got the worst time." Kisara let out a shaky yet amused breath. The man in front of her was wearing an unbuttoned shirt and a loose pair of pants. His pretty black hair a perfect mess. "Can I have a cigarette? And some whiskey. And a hug. Yeah, definitely a hug too." he squinted his gorgeous light coloured eyes down at her, and he groaned, getting out of the door frame and nodding at her to come over. "How bad?" he asked, taking out the whiskey bottled and tossing her the cigarette pack. "I hate smoking and I only drink sweet drinks. That bad." he grumbled lowly, plopping down next to her on the couch. "I'll find you something to change in." he got up. "I'm assuming you're staying the night - Or morning, rather." she nodded quietly. He called her over and handed her an old black Tshirt and a pair of shorts in which she changed quickly, and returned to the couch. She shivered lightly, though she appreciated the comforting ambient warmth. Her fingers were tinted blue and were trembling as she lit up a cigarette, and taking a long drag, she relaxed slightly, letting a small puff cloud towards the ceiling.

She never really inhaled in the smoke, she just needed the anti-stress puffing - And mouth wash later. She took a quick gulp of whiskey to warm up her throat. She was feeling better now. Satoru did the same, though he didn't speak. "We got trapped in a vault and almost drowned in freezing mountain water. Yashiki found the drain button. We got pulled with it, and almost died of hypothermia, a whole hour soaked in that damn water." she was feeling groggy from exhaustion. "The underground shelter was built for human experimentation. We found one of the surgery rooms and I was stupidly selfless enough to get on the table and experience... Victim awakening!" she dramatically threw her hands up in the air. "And you know what happened? I got surgically tortured, dismembered and eviscerated by my own grandpa, the Surgeon General of - Wait for it - Unit 731! Can you believe that? That freaking Unit 731. I should have known. They wanted to make a living Ashura from the Buddha statue bodies, and the head of women victims. As if that was going to give our country victory in war. And one of these statues actually got up and slaughtered most of the personnel. Those who survived, got the Mark we have now. Daimon and Hiroo are both like me, grandchildren of people who worked there and survived the massacre. When the statue stopped moving, the Marks disappeared. The old homeless man said a month ago he found the Buddha statue moving around the shelter. No wonder we have Marks now." Mashita turned his head to stare at her, wide awake and cringing with disbelief. "If anyone else said that, I'd have called a psychiatrist." he grumbled. "Nothing you said makes sense."

"Can I hug you? I'm cold and sad, and I don't know which is worse." she asked all of a sudden. She found herself being brought into an embrace. "I want to confront my grandpa tomorrow. Can you please come with me? I don't think I can do it alone." "Yeah, sure. I can do that." he patted her messy hair. She looked outright disheveled and exhausted to the point of falling off the rails.

"Satoru." she called out. "I felt the whole torture of a teenage girl, taken as a sex slave from Nanjing, after that whole mess our soldiers did. Her boyfriend and father were killed in war. Her mother and grandma were killed back then. She was taken by our people and brought in this cursed city. They used her body, they drugged her, they abused her... And when she was finally broken, they tied her to a table and started cutting down in her." tears were falling down her face rapidly. "I can feel my own grandfather's hands digging through my body, ripping out organs and taunting me with them. I can see my own blood cascading down the table, pooling to the ground. I can hear him mocking me... From the moment my eyes opened on the table, to the point that all my limbs were cut off and organs were removed, and he finally allowed me to die." his grip on her body tightened. "I can feel my sanity breaking. I don't know how long I can keep this up. I already lost it down there a few times. I let the spirit put me in trances. I'm too weak." "Hey, now, don't say that. It just means this is the last ghost you'll have to deal with. You've done enough already. Dealing with others' mistakes and sins isn't your job." he stated firmly, caressing her hair.

"Satoru?" her voice sounded so small and vulnerable. "Can I cry?" "Go ahead and cry as much as you need. We'll solve everything tomorrow. Relax for now."

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 5 - Sweet Melody

Five days passed since Hanayome was appeased, and no sign of a new ghost. Although she had a few nightmares, her sleep was plenty and she was able to rest properly. In the bright surgery room, the sweet melody of a rock ballad was resounding, and a beautiful hum played along. Her hands deep inside a dog's body, Kisara was singing the lyrics to a 'Don't cry' by Guns'n'Roses. Blood was everywhere, but it didn't bother her. By the end of the operation, the dog will be all better.

Suddenly, the door slides open, and someone enters. With a surprised look, Kisara looks up at him. It was Satoru. "Your friendly policeman is here." he chuckled playfully, watching the adorable lavender deux piece medical outfit patterned with small flowers of all kinds and colours, and the matching bonnet - Then, the cutesy stickers all around the white walls... And then, at the blood and gore of the surgery. "Are you the new Mengele?" "Only on humans. Animals are too good to be tortured and experimented on." she grinned behind the mask. "I'm almost done. I have to close it up and get the nurses to put her in a cage to rest, with IV set up." she explained, taking the minuscule hook-like needle with the thin thread attached, and making sutures so delicate that made the detective approach and observe. With slender and dexterous fingers like hers, no wonder her stitching looked as beautiful as her.  "You're the only young person around this crowd of geriatrics, yet you seem to keep up with them. Nicely done." he praised her, though it seemed double edged. "If you're accusing me of nepotism - Go ahead, it's half true." she chuckled. "My grandpa was the Surgeon General during the war, it's no surprise he'd help me land a spot here, it's the best Veterinarian hospital in the area. I've been practicing since before I started University, so I know my stuff pretty well. Obviously, I work and study hard enough to pull my weight, so I'm not relying on connections alone - But I'm not complaining either." she said, throwing the single use protection clothing into the bin and calling the nurse to care for the puppy.  "I like the honesty." he said, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Are you sure you're the same woman from a few days ago?" "What, is the blouse too childish for you?" she laughed, nodding for him to follow her. "A bit of colour in this bleak place is very much welcomed." she explained, getting to the small eating are, where she got a bento and two pairs of chopsticks. "Got it this morning from the convenience store across the street. It should be fine." "What a treat, thanks." he says, not expecting to ear any time soon.  "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asks all of a sudden.  "Can't I come see you?" he teased her, earning a playful roll of her eyes. "Just any time." she retorted. "So, what was it? You wouldn't just come to lose time around." "Fine, you caught me. Here." he dug his hand in the pocket of his coat, and slammed something on the table, and slid it her way. "Oh, you're taking me to the movies this weekend, fascinating!" the girl grinned. "I heard this one is pretty good - Seven - A police based movie where they investigate a string of ritualistic killings, yes? Right up your alley, Mr. Officer." Mashita smirked. "Couldn't resist the irony."  "Well, if the next ghost won't intervene, then I'm game." she handed him the tickets back. "It's been five days and Yashiki only called me to say he's found no lead. It's a bit unnerving." "You know Yashiki well enough by now. He'll find something. For a guy like him, he's pretty reliable." Mashita vouched for his friend.  "So? What colour should I wear? We've got to match." the man's face turned to a scowl, making her laugh. "Okay, okay, I'm just kidding, relax. I don't need to match, I look good either way." "Alright, I'm leaving, there's only so much patience I have. Thanks for the food. See ya." she offered a casual wiggle of her fingers farewell, before turning to her lunch. A movie, huh? Should be fun.

Finally, evening came by, and Yashiki calls - This time, with actual information instead of a disappointing answer. Two Mark bearers came by the Mansion just a little earlier, an Idol and an elderly woman who's into the supernatural... A medium or something. Ai Kashiwagi and Madame Yasuoka. Both of them got the Mark while filming in H city - The K Miyamachi North Road. The Manhole street.  Getting ready, Kisara made her way to the exact spot, in the quiet residential area, where she met up with Ai and Yashiki. It's far removed from the major crossroads, so at this time of the night, it looks pretty deserted. After the proper introductions took place, they started to investigate the area.

Madame Yasuoka is said to be a famous Fortune Teller, and she allegedly felt an ominous presence throughout the whole filming period. First they picked out on one of the manholes having an older design - It seemed to be older than the others, and it's covered in rust. Ai suggests trying to get it open, so the two adults used all their power to get move the lid. A putrid smell wafts out, making them gag. A black void stretched deep underground, and a rusted metal ladder was the only way down. "Why don't we try looking down?" the girls gasped. "What, are you serious?! But I'm in my stage outfit!" Ai gasped. "It's gross as all hell." Kisara scowled at him.  "Do you want to wait up here?" Kisara knelt down and looked into the abyss. There was something weird calling her down there. With a groan, she agreed to join. "D-Don't you dare look up while you're climbing down!" the idol whined at the man.

This didn't connect to the sewers, and it went far too deep down to be normal. It felt like a secret place that no one was supposed to know about. When they finally reached the ground, the two turned on the flashlights - A concrete passageway stretched before them. It hasn't been ventilated in a long time, based on the pungent stench. "Where are we anyway?" Ai asked - How were they supposed to know? Still, Kisara felt uneasy... A feeling of dread creeping, as though she wasn't supposed to be there. It was forbidden. 

Moving North, they reached a dead end, luminated dimly by a red light. On the ground, there was an iron box. Yashiki slips his hands underneath the lid and pulls with all his might. It pops open with an unexpectedly loud noise. He takes a hammer, a hatchet and a notebook from inside. They try to read the notebook, but the writing was too fine to be read down there. A stink seems to suddenly invade their senses, like a mixture of tallow, spices and blood. It was disgusting. It was coming from the notebook. "Please put that away, I feel like I might puke." as Ai complained, Yashiki bagged the notebook.

Going South, Ai suddenly shrieks pitifully and stops in her tracks. "Wh-What is that?!" she shakily points and the man lights the spot. Something dark and long was clinging to the walls. "Looks like hair to me." Kisara said, stepping in front of it. Yashiki seemed to think the same.  Going further south, they reached another dead end, and an old-fashioned though well-built iron door. The paint was chipping in places, so it must be pretty old.  "Whoa, that door looks ancient! I had no idea there was a place like this underground. Oh - Could this be some kind of lab?" as the idol chirped, fascinated, Kisara felt her body unconsciously move towards it. Her hand on the handle, she tries to open it. Suddenly, she found herself on the ground, a shriek erupting from her throat. A small, homeless old man frightened her with a shout, yelling strangely - He came in from the doors.  "Hey, where you folks from? What're you doin' on my turf?" he asked, a dubious, crooked grin on his face. While the other two tried to appear inconspicuous, Kisara remained silent, staring at the doors. She needed to find what was on the other side, at some point. "This underground shelter isn't a place for irresponsible layabouts like you! Understand? So leave my turf alone and get outta here!" he warned, disappearing behind the iron doors, no doubt locking them up.  "Man, that surprised me..." Ai let out a sigh of relief. "I wasn't expecting a person to come out." Still, it was weird that he warned them not to bother with the place. If he locked it up, he shouldn't worry about them - Right? Yashiki went to help Kisara stand up and gathered them out of the place. They stank enough as it was, and there wasn't much to investigate around anymore. 

All Kisara could think about, all the way to the mansion, was the noose tightening around her neck whilst looking at the iron doors and the underground shelter itself. A dark secret... But why does it feel so personal? It was no doubt to her that it was made during the war era, or something like that - Why should she be concerning herself with old war relics? She wasn't even born then, so she's not linked to anything - Right? She barely cared for the fresh air soothing her burning senses, or about Madame Yasuoka finding them at the Manhole street. She looked like the perfect mix between good looking mystical and kitsch. They spoke about about the Mark and the voice inside Yashiki's head, but it was barely anything coherent or conclusive.

The red haired woman drove everyone back to the mansion. Thankfully, only the sound of soft jazz was heard for the duration of the drive, though when they did arrive, Yasuoka told them a little bit of her connection with the Kujo family. What attracted her attention, however, was Ai mentioning a black rabbit on the premises, holding something in its mouth, heading for the building. They run inside the mansion - Everything was the same, except that Mary was missing. 

In a corner, Mary's broken body laid on the ground, tragically shattered. Next to it was the rabbit, with its head twisted unnaturally and sitting in a pool of its own blood. Yashiki tried talking to the doll, but it didn't answer. Kisara frowned, picking up the key the rabbit had been holding, and staring blankly at the grotesque beauty that the two bodies painted. Whatever spirit was possessing the bunny, it knew Mary was malevolent and tried to protect them, at the cost of its own life. "Yashiki, this belongs to you. Have fun." she threw the Master key to the man. "And don't despair. Mary wasn't as good as you think she was." she threw the off comment, hopping on the princess couch Mary previously sat on, and relaxing. "When you're ready to go investigate, call me." 

Once Yashiki and the other two finished investigating the single room that he couldn't unlock before, he explained he found a desk filled with different kinds of carving instruments and paints, to which Yasuoka mentioned the Kujo ancestors carving up Buddha statues. Dubious statement, and even weirder practice. They also found a photo frame with pictures of marionettes, wax figurines, Japanese dolls, and sure enough, Mary was also present in there - And she had the Mark on her right arm, though it was black, unlike the ones the curse bearers have. Still, the Mary she remembers didn't have such a Mark - Could she have been able to somehow hide it?

All four together gathered around the notebook and its vulgar stench. This notebook that seemed to have been drowned in a pool of strong, cheap perfume. Stains and discoloration made most of the pages unreadable, save for the last page, which was dated half a month prior. 'As I await the fated day, I recall my days as a teacher. The children called me Miss Zoo. Zoo... The keeper of animals... Probably because I kept so many laboratory animals in the science lab. I got to be surrounded by my beloved animals... My cute little snakes... It was so much more fulfilling than my current, boring research, but because of that foolish principal and the fire, the school was shut down. My paradise was stolen from me. I need to take back my paradise. The great Ashura has bestowed upon me the wisdom I need to do that. Tomorrow - I will die. By the great Ashura's abundant mercy, I will be reborn as Miss Zoo, so I may rebuild my paradise again. It is all as the great Ashura has said. O, great Ashura. Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura Ashura.' the rest of the page is written with the word 'Ashura'. Did she lose her mind writing this?

"Oh, great, now I don't feel comfortable playing the Ashura anymore. What a psychopath." Kisara groaned. The names were covered in kiss marks, and combining that with the stinking perfume, only made the lust overwhelming. She was enamoured with the Ashura. "It is thoroughly disgusting." Yasuoka agreed. "I'd love to burn it to ash immediately."  "At least I won't feel bad getting rid of this ghost." the woman noted. "So, this Miss Zoo, could she be...? The woman from the rumours?" interesting point.  "If she worked in a lab, it would explain the white robe." Yashiki nodded. "I always imagined a bath robe or some kind of haori. I suppose a lab coat makes much more sense with this context." Kisara muttered.  "But I wonder which school she was talking about." Ai thought. "H Elementary is the only abandoned school in the area that hasn't been torn down yet." Yashiki said. Satoru told Kisara off-handedly that this was where he and Yashiki met, during the Hanahiko case. Interesting. "To think a woman would want to become a spirit of her own accord. Is that really possible?" "She seemed fairly confident she would be reborn." Yasuoke stated. "And the notebook being in the shelter might serve as supportive evidence. Perhaps she meant it as a farewell to her life as a human. How sentimental." "So... Miss Zoo is the one who gave us the Marks?" Ai asked all of a sudden. "That's where we found the diary, so the spirit must know the place. It would make sense that it comes and goes there, then. For whatever reason." Yashiki admitted indirectly. "Let's go and get this over with. All this religious fanaticism is giving me the creeps. She's desecrated even the malevolence of the Ashura, what more is she going to pervert?" with that, Ai and Yashiki followed her to the car, and together, they went to the H Elementary.

For the duration of the drive, Ai hummed and wove her hands on the back seat. She seemed completely oblivious to what they were going to do and see. The two adults shared a worried look. Maybe she should have remained at the mansion. If they do return before they encounter Miss Zoo, they'll leave her with Madame Yasuoka. Ai kept talking their ear off - Well, Yashiki was mostly the one to superficially answer here and there, Kisara pretended to focus on the road ahead.  Once they finally arrived, Yashiki told them the brief explaining of what he encountered during the Hanahiko case, and that the first floor is pretty much fully investigated, so there's no need to waste their time there. From the entrance they made all the way West and climb up the stairs to the 2nd floor. They found snakes there, all of them poisonous. Ai began freaking out - Thankfully, Yashiki slapped his hand over her mouth quickly. The snakes react to Yashiki's bag. "The notebook!" Kisara whisper-yelled at him. The snakes disappeared into the darkness. 

They entered the first room on the right - It looked like a science lab, filled with an awful smell. The putrid stench permeated the whole classroom like a rotting crate of onions. The fire damage was quite visible - Perhaps the fire had started here. From a low sliding cupboard, Yashiki recovered some... Office trash? Weird man. Through it, he found some kind of extract fragment of a text.  But Kisara was staring intently at the large glass bottles filled to the brim with formalin.

They were preserving various body parts. Human body parts. What was it that Mashita said about her being Mengele? He jinxed the case. She didn't hear Ai gasping, frightened. Hands, ears, eyeballs - They were all here. They looked weirdly fresh too. She found a tag that wrote 'GREAT ASHURA' and had an arrow reaching below - The classroom right below, perhaps? Was that where her body was? Possibly. Among the shelves, she picked up three bottles of chemicals - One clear, with the formula for Ethanol written - Highly flammable, a brown opaque one, with the label burnt, though it smelled like Chlorine, and another, wrapped in foil, that gave off a faint floral aroma - ID5 it had written on it. That should be indole.

Yashiki picked up the bundle of clothes and the lab coat from the corner. The anatomical model had a weird tear on the skinned part of its mouth. Yashiki sticks his hand inside, only for a swarm of snakes to slither out, startling them. Thankfully, they nestled back inside. There was nothing more to be searched in the storage room, to they returned to the lab. The sound of an old broadcast startled them. "dOooo YyoUU hAaaVvEE anNyy brRRaiIinsSS?" the voice was like a feral growl, barely comprehensible. "dOOoo tHhheE tttTeEEEessStT immediately...! tTAAbbBlllEe! OooOn tHHhe TTaabbBlLee!" it was getting more difficult to keep up with the exaggerated vibrato of the dark growl over the intercom. 

Yashiki picked up the bundle of clothes and the lab coat from the corner. The anatomical model had a weird tear on the skinned part of its mouth. Yashiki sticks his hand inside, only for a swarm of snakes to slither out, startling them. Thankfully, they nestled back inside. There was nothing more to be searched in the storage room, to they returned to the lab. The sound of an old broadcast startled them. "dOooo YyoUU hAaaVvEE anNyy brRRaiIinsSS?" the voice was like a feral growl, barely comprehensible. "dOOoo tHhheE tttTeEEEessStT immediately...! tTAAbbBlllEe! OooOn tHHhe TTaabbBlLee!" it was getting more difficult to keep up with the exaggerated vibrato of the dark growl over the intercom.  "Oh great, here we go again! Now even ghosts are giving me exams!" Kisara groaned, going to the table and picking up the pencil on it. "And... It's a science test. Lovely." the voice over the intercom told her to begin the test.

Question 1: Compound A is widely used as fuel and disinfectant. It's chemical formula is CH3CH(x)OH. What is the (x)? Answer: 2

That was an easy question. Not only was it Ethanol with one of the easiest formulas out there, but one of the jars had it written on it anyway. 

Question 2: Compound N is an exemplary acid and contains a salt that reacts to various metals. Which statement about the compound is true? Answer: It must be kept in a dark container.

HCl or Hydrochloric Acid is sensitive to the light which makes it react, unless it's properly kept. Chemistry 101.

Question 3: Which compound stinks when in great concentration, but in low concentration smells slightly like flowers? Answer: Indole

It literally either smells of feces or flowers, no in-between. How funny.

The sound of the intercom blaring again, and everyone still being alive made them sight with relief - They were safe and passed the test. "Is it over yet?" Ai whined pitifully. She wasn't the book-smart type. "Well... No. But it's fine, I'll take the tests." Kisara scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably. "The next test is in the classroom next door. I hope you're mentally prepared, because I am not." "That thing really reeks." Yashiki pointed out. "Ah, you're right. I was too focused to realise." she muttered. "Well, I'm holding these as memories. Getting forced in an exam session by a ghost... That's one thing to tell your friends." he was right though, it stank far worse than the notebook. Ai points towards something, shivering - It was the man who went to investigate it... Hand and feet sticking out of a covered crate... A corpse. He said it was the guard who stood outside of the school when he was investigating the Hanahiko case, only, said ghost had him killed back then. He collapses to his knees. Kisara hooked her arms under his pits and dragged him up. "Get a grip, friend. This is not the time to falter over some corpse!" she struggled with his heavy weight.

The first thing they saw in the next classroom was the scrawling of large symbols on the whole black board - In red. Was it blood? She could make up symbols for Love and... Stain? Ai... Zen... And something else that was too obscured to be read. Was this a Japanese test? Great. Can they return to more tangible things, like science and maths? She crouched by the ground - More flecks of red... It smelled like iron. Probably best not to say out loud that it's blood, Ai was already freaked out enough as she was. "When we're done, I want another graduation party." she chuckled softly, rushing to the exam paper to get this over with.

Question 1:  (Believing in) {the Buddha} (is important) {the Buddha} (is most, extremely) {vital}  {You must} (believe in) {the incredibly strong} (great) {Ai...}  {The incredibly strong} (great) {Ai...} (is like) {an angel} (You must) (erase the stench of) (corrupted) (humanity) {and become ONE with nature}  This is called {( ***zen Unity )} 

Answer: Ai

Ai... Zen... Aizen is the Buddhist Deva of Love.  Kisara was getting incredibly sick of all this Buddhist propaganda - It made her feel as though whoever was pushing this Buddhist Divine Wrath onto them was trying to make them divert their attention from the real reason behind the Death Marks. Not to mention, these questions were incredibly weird. She's never felt as uneasy as reading the fanatic, malicious intent behind these wrods.

Question 2: (Humanity) (is) {the embodiment of pain}  They {KILL} (other) (animals) (My) {fellow} (snakes) (also) {spend every day} in {absolute misery}  (My dear snakes) {hate} (this world) (like) {they hate} {the sun} and {heat}  This disaster is called the {( cri*** age of decline )}

Answer: -mson. Crimson age of decline. 

These metaphors were getting creepier the more it went on.

Question 3: (I carry) (the great) {Ai...}'s {TALISMAN} (every day) (and seek rebirth)  {The TALISMAN} (is important!) (IT is) (a greater) {treasure} (than the braIN or heART) {or life itself} (This is SHOWN not in WORDS) (but DEEDS)  {If I WALK} with the {TALISMAN} I will become {( ******** )}

Answer: Ashura

Psychopath.

"So, this paper says the next exam paper is in two classrooms from here, but the one next to us is off-limits. I wonder why." Kisara read the writing at the bottom. "Maybe she's got a secret in there?" Ai theorised. "But now I want to see it even more." "She probably didn't think it through before--" but Yashiki was cut off by the sound of something hitting the wall. It came from exactly next door.  "Let's break the rules!" Kisara laughed, stuffing the second exam paper in her bag.

The next classroom door was locked tight with wire, but using the acid from the opaque bottle, they melted it and got it. But what they saw inside... No amount of grotesque, gore or... Anything they've seen could have compared to the completely twisted display before them. The horrible stench of blood, rot and decay was making them faint. "Ai. Please stay out of here. I don't want you to see this. You can't unsee what's here." Kisara pushed the idol out of the room. "This... Is something that no one would want to see." Yashimi muttered, breathlessly. He flashed his light inside the room. "What... The hell... Is this room...?!" he cried out, seeing the viscera thrown all over the ground like a rug. Blood was almost pooling throughout the floor, and a numerous amount of animal head trophies were either placed on the desks, or mounted on the bloody walls.   "As a Veterinarian, I feel like this... Is my worst nightmare." Kisara was unable to look away from the horrors facing her. Even a slaughterhouse had less discarded chunks of meat and pints of blood. If this was some kind of sacrificial rite, it must have worked. 

Thankfully, a sound coming from the window ledge snapped them out of their trance. With a lot of mustered up courage, they made their way past the desks and dismembered animals, squishing a few wet organs on their way, and another shock greeted them. A living woman, naked, was lying in a pool of blood, engulfed by countless snakes. She was heavily wounded. She almost looked like an animal waiting for its vivisection... Well, if Miss Zoo did this, no doubt she'd have wanted to do just that. With a shared look, they grab her by the wrists and ankles and get her out of the snake nest, hopeful not to get bites themselves. "Are you with us?" Kisara asked, snapping her fingers in front of her eyes - She had a blank, vague stare. She put the flashlight in her eyes - She had a pupilar reflex at least.        "We can't let her here. Let's get her back to the mansion - She should be able to walk if we help her." Yashiki took off his coat, wrapping the woman as in a blanket. The unfortunate timing of the intercom and Miss Zoo snarling at them hysterically that the room is off-limits froze the blood in their veins. "Damn it, she's noticed!" Yashiki cursed. "Let's get the hell out of here." Kisara said, helping him drag the woman out. The eerie sound of monkeys and elephants wailing haunting you all the way outside the school. They thankfully managed to get back to the car, thanks to Yashiki's knowledge of the layout, and they drove away in a flash. The woman also had the Mark on her body. All of a sudden, the dazed yet snarky voice of the foreign woman surprises them. "I have a name, you know?"  "As if we were supposed to read in the stars." Kisara snarked back.  "You were awake?" Yashiki tried not to stare back in shock. "I'm Hiroo Madoka. I don't care what happens - I just need to take a shower immediately." Kisara nodded in agreement. She could understand the sentiment, though the woman sounded already pretty disagreeable. 

Guided by the medic, the four of them were able to give Hiroo proper medical care for her wounds - And thankfully, the scary snakes seemed to not have been poisonous, otherwise she'd have been long dead. Though still a bit pale, she got some colour in her cheeks. Ai handed her the bundle of clothes found in the storage room, and she changed herself into them. Based on the perfect fit of the clothes, and the name tag too, these were her clothes.  With her composure regained, Madoka Hiroo was even more apathetic.  She recalls chasing after a woman called Manabi Zukawa, and possibly having fainted. She had no recollection of going to that school by herself. She was Miss Zoo.  Hiroo asked them who they were, but could hardly believe a word they were saying - Still, she took it all pretty well, all things considered.  Hiroo and Zukawa know each other from the lab, and they chatted here and there, being some of the few women there - Only for the nefarious Zukawa to steal something precious to her.  She told them about being able to trace Zukawa to H City based on her credit card purchases, and eventually, H Elementary and the nearby warehouse. She made animal purchases from pet shops - Animals of all kinds, based on the horrific room.  Still, Hiroo says the Mark appeared 9 whole days prior to her coming in H city, so... Perhaps Miss Zoo isn't the ghost who cursed her. She agreed to help track the bitch down, though she refuses to tell what it was she stole exactly.

Madoka Hiroo was freaked out of her mind whenever the idea of ghosts came into discussion, and she was pathetic for not admitting how afraid she was. Yet another person that Kisara already despises. The red haired woman made everyone sit tight at the mansion - Her and Yashiki were going to solve this mess by themselves. She wasn't sure she could handle any more of their unique personalities.

Finally returned to the Elementary, they went to take the third test - What else were they supposed to do? They had to find out what lay at the end of the exam session. This one was a math test. Cool.

Question 1: An ostrich can run from the 1st floor of the school to the 2nd floor in 3 seconds. If the school had 5 floors, how long would it take for it to get from the 1st to the 5th? Answer: 12 seconds.

Easy. Even Ai could have solved this.

Question 2: Ostriches are extremely (fast). They can run {60km} (per hour). How many seconds would it take them to reach a human (bait) {30 meters} away? Answer: Aprox. 2 seconds

This wasn't as easy as the previous one. Conversions are annoying.

Question 3: An ostrich's kick is very (strong). Without an airbag, a human (bait) would die.  Caution: When observing an ostrich (stong) bring an airbag! Their specialty is kicking after taking a long running start. If an ostrich's (speed) is halved, how (strong) would their kick be? Answer: 1/4 

She was so done with ostriches and Zukawa's fetish with them!

The ghost's snarly voice roared through the intercom, telling them a special test is awaiting them in the animal classroom. Though Kisara shuddered, Yashiki dragged her back at the slaughter room - All the better, as they didn't get the chance to investigate. "I'm not touching anything. I don't want to know what kind of psychopathic memories I would receive if I touch anything in this god forsaken room." the girl said. "I-I'll take the test while you investigate!" "Alright, alright..." the man sighed deeply, looking around and rummaging through the disgusting room. On the desk, he found a text fragment... And stuck inside the esophagus of an animal... A transistor megaphone was hidden there. "What in the fresh hell..." the poor man cursed. Kisara handed him a handkerchief. "I'm getting sick in this room." and she went to the exam paper, trying not to tear up from the look of the massacred animals. "This... This is German. Amazing." the girl stared with fascination. She took German and English as her foreign languages, and she was always happy about that. The questions looked to be... International history? World War two? She should ace it.

Question 1: In the Pacific War, the Japanese mainland underwent air raids and a shelter was built in H City. Choose the correct period of when the war took place. Answer: Showa. She needn't even see the other options, she knew everything about the war, inside out. Everything her grandparents told her, she knows to perfection.

Question 2: In the war with America, the Imperial Japanese Army conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which started the war against the United States. Which phrases out of the ones below were used in the telegram which described the attack? Answer: Niitaka-yama nobore.

Climb the mountain Niitaka... Yes... That was it. That was how they coded the day of the attack. Tora tora tora was when they were to attack, on sight... 

Question 3: In 1945 when the war ended, which country was allied with Japan? Answer: Germany Though Italy was part of the Axis, it ended up switching sides and declaring war on Germany, and the United Kingdom had always been a great power of the Allies. This was the most agreeable and fun test - She could take it ten times over... But not in this place.

"How'd it go?" Yashiki said, hearing that the last test is in the empty classroom. "Let's just say there's no World War 2 trivia that I don't know." she grinned. "How are you holding up?" "Barely." Yashiki sighed. "Let's get this over with." he put his arm over her shoulder, as a way of supporting each other. It was no small feat, finding the mental and physical strength to drag your feet towards another rabid ghost. "Well, you know the drill. I do the test, you investigate." Kisara sighed, going to the exam paper. Hopefully, this really was the last one. "Wait, hold up! I found something." Yashiki called out. "It's a... A Music Sheet, titled 'Star'. And there's another fragment. Let's put them together and see what they mean." he sprawled everything over a desk. "By the specific frequency of sound waves." the end of fragment I and the start of fragment G connected together into a sentence. "Uh... Figure it out!" she jogged back to the test paper.

Let's (great) {Ashura} the following questions. {Animals} can be (controlled with) {frequenCIES}. The experiment (EXPERIMENT) was a {success}. 

Question 1: What SOUND are {snakes} scared of? Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Nothing.

Considering how she idolises snakes, they are probably unafraid of anything, in her eyes.

Question 2: What SOUND are {PIGS} scared of? Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Giant fish song

Hopefully, this is right. It's either this or the Night sky song. At this point, she doubts even someone with more musical culture would understand the nonsensical undertones of this weirdo.

Question 3: Which one is not {sealed}. Please (great) {Ashura} from the following. Answer: Harmonica

It's the only instrument they haven't found around so far.

"Pass? Really?" Yashiki let out an exhale. "Great job. Really. I don't think I could have done this." the man praised. "Well... What now?" Kisara asked, a bit dazed. "I think we can use all the stinking exam papers to lure the snakes out of the anatomical model and see what's hiding inside." he explained. "That's a great idea. Let's do it." the two nodded in determination and rushed back. Yashiki did as he said, and as he put his hand inside the model's mouth, he found a Science Match and a key to the music room. Kisara was a bit upset that Yashiki through all of the exam papers out of the window, but at least there were no more snakes... Or lingering stench. "The time is almost up. I can feel the Mark burning." Yashiki muttered.  "Do you think Zukawa was the one cursing you, then?" she asked softly. "I hope it is. I'm really exhausted from all this." he dragged his palm over his face. "I..." Kisara sighed. "I don't think it's Zukawa for me. I feel perfectly fine." she said, taking out a Tag. "There was this Tag in the storage room. Let's go check out the room below." she said.

The storage room on the first floor looked perfectly normal, though when Yashiki weirdly started tapping on the left wall, he realised the center portion of the wall sounded hollow. He took the hammer and dredged it down the wall, destroying it. "Use ethanol with a match." Kisara suggested, watching the man jump back, freaked out - More snakes. They disappeared to somewhere, once the blue flames scare them off, and now, with the wall empty, he picked up an amulet. An Aizen Ashura Talisman. "Off to the music room, then." Yashiki guided her to the last room, where they unlocked the door with the key they found. Inside, a single piano was placed in a corner, with a sheet of music - Carp Streamer. "So... Was that a waste of time?" Kisara asked confused. Unsure of what to do, the two exited the room. The intercom shrieks again. 

'dOOo YyoUu hHHavVeee .... bBrrAAiiNnsSs?' how creepy. 'IiI'lLL UUussEE TTthooOosSSEEs wwwondDEeerRfuL BbBrraiIIiNssS noOowWW...' she continued. 'aAaSSs iiIInNnnrEeeDDIiiEeEnttTsss... aNNNdd diIissEEeecCtTT YyYoOUuuu...'

"What?! Did she just say she'll dissect us for ingredients?!" Yashiki gasped, sharing a crestfallen look of anguish with the girl who could barely nod her head. "She wanted to see if we were worthy enough to become ingredients." "Screw me and my smart ass." Kisara cursed herself. Suddenly, she squeals and grabs Yashiki in fear. "S-Something's rushing up from the West - And it's hella fast!" "And the Mark is burning like crazy - This is the last confrontation with this damned ghost." Yashiki gritted his teeth, pulling the woman back in the music room with him. "What are we going to throw at her?!" she asked, opening the bag. "No time for that - Hide in the locker!" Yashiki opened two lockers and they hid inside.

The door to the music room was slammed open... Or perhaps it was ripped from its hinges. Zukawa's monstrous body, more a mix of different parts of animals rather than human, heaved and panted, pacing to and fro around the lockers. Her pig face... Or was it an alligator? Was fixedly glaring at her through the small, horizontal line gaps of the locker. Kisara's body was trembling like a leaf, and she was biting so hard on her quivering bottom lip that she could feel the strong metal taste all over her tongue. Suddenly, she stepped out of sight. It was more terrifying not seeing her, Kisara realised, and she tried to tilt her head to the side, just enough to find her again in the room.

The locker door was ripped open, and Zukawa's horrifying body stood there, almost close enough to close the pathway. The red haired woman sprung from the locker, and next to the piano. She was hysterically panting and wheezing. "YASHIKI! YASHIKI!" she cried out his name. "WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" she held tightly onto the piano, holding the Aizen Ashura Talisman in her grasp.  While Miss Zoo wasn't paying attention, Yashiki, too, dashed out of the locker. Zukawa was stepping closer with her terrifying ostrich legs. She could jump at them at any moment, and based on the test she took, those legs could kick them dead. Yashiki held up the office trash. Nothing happened, except for Zukawa moaning out in gargles her hedonistic love for the Great Ashura... And her wanting the talisman back. Her mouth was dripping with blood. She dashes and performs a jump kick. Thankfully, the office trash bag that Yashiki was holding as a shield was enough to cushion the blow. That was close. She gets closer, and her arm snakes hiss, threatening them. "Quick - Ethanol and the matches!" the two create a mass of flame which divert the aim of the snakes as they try to attack. She was now closer to them, and the pig face with shark mouth snapped its jaws open, drooling and revealing sharp predator teeth. Yashiki tries to hit the monster with the hatchet, but snakes coil around his arms. Quickly, Kisara searcher for the fish music sheet and hurried behind the piano. Though her hands were shaking as though she was suffering from Parkinson's disease, it was a children music sheet, so it was easy to play, even if her mind was blazing with fright. Miss Zoo stiffens, as if paralysed. She was weakened.

Finally, Kisara holds up the Talisman again, while Yashiki lights up a match and burns it. Miss Zoo shrieks seeing the talisman go up in flames - She clingst onto the woman, scrambling to get it back. Pressed together and with Yashiki desperately trying to pry her off, all of Miss Zoo's bodily fluids drench her outfit. "GROSS!" Kisara shrieks, tearing up in disgust... Though those shark teeth so close to her face do nothing to alleviate her fear. 

The Ashura Aizen Talisman disintegrates to ashes in Miss Zoo's hand and scatters into the air. Her eyes pin the girl in place with their intense fury. "HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU!!! GREAT ASHURA!!!!!!!" the snakes on Zukawa's arms raise their heads and swiftly strike at their prey. Kisara shrieks and shields her face, not seeing the snakes coiling around and biting into Zukawa's torso. "WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!" the snakes were feasting on the places where she touched Hasashi's skin... Was it because of her human smell?  "Kisara, open your eyes - Look! The snakes are devouring her!" Yashiki gasped, unable to pry his eyes away from the sight before him. Her sight was glazed from the tears, but she could see the snakes biting and ripping away at the only part of her that is steal human. She squeals with joy. "FEEEEEEEELSSSS SOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!" after consuming their host, the snake arms detach and fall to the ground. Wriggling their half-torn bodies, they vanish into the darkness. "What the fuck." Kisara breaths out. "Absolutely NOTHING out of everything regarding this ghost made ANY sense." her head leaned down on the ground. She pulled at the neck of her sweater. "Still here, right?" Yashiki looked down at his wrist, then at her neck - And he nodded, a disappointed, yet resigned look on his face. He extended his hand to help her up - Only to see a folded paper on the ground where the ghost vanished. It was an old map - It had 'Army' writing on it. This was what Zukawa stole from Hiroo.

Finally, they leaned onto each other and got the hell out of there. The drive back to the mansion was perfectly silent - But it was good. They were too exhausted and paralysed with fear to be able to speak another word.  It wasn't easy, speaking to the three women back at the Mansion, but they managed, somehow. They gave Hiroo back the map, with the expected ungrateful attitude, and she gave Zukawa's diary. Ai and Yasuoka will be leaving the next day, though Yashiki needed Yasuoka to search around about the Death Mark. She knew better than all about supernatural stuff. Ai also invited them to her concert, but they cheekily said they'll only come should they get VIP seats. 

The most annoying of them all had to remain the night, though Kisara was fine - She wasn't sleeping there. The Mansion was too creepy to stay around, and after what happened, she truly needed the comfort of her own home. Hiroo said the map was of an underground shelter and that possibly, whatever turned Zukawa into a monster might be down there too. Kisara looked up at Yashiki once Hiroo climbed the stairs to her new dormitory. "Hey, when you find something about Hiroo and the shelter, contact me. I have strong ties to things related to World War 2, and I might be able to help. My grandpa was the Surgeon General in the imperial army - I'm sure he knows things from this city." she explained, fixing her hair. "Alright. I'll see what I can get out of her. She's not the easiest to get along with." the man sighed pitifully. "Sorry for leaving you alone with her. She's a real pain. Still - Call me if you need anything, okay? We're quite literally in this together, until the end." she gave an unease half-smile. "Thanks. Really - Thanks. Have a safe drive back home... I know you don't want to return. Rest well." Kisara nodded at him. "And take a shower - We both need it big time." she gave a soft chuckle before returning to her car and going home.

The Sun was already up and going by the time she got home. She took a very long bath and oiled herself in the sweetest fragrances - Finally, something that smelled good. She lit up a ton of strong scented candles and incense, put the day's clothes to wash with a ton of perfume and clothes balm and all that, and got some light snacks to eat. She was exhausted once she was finally in her nightgown and she allowed herself to fall onto the bed. She looked at her phone and flipped up the lid, searching for a contact. 'Friendly Policeman' it said. She found herself smiling tiredly at the screen, and she hit the green dial button, putting it on speaker.  

"You're insane if you think I'll actually answer you at this hour. You're pushing your luck already." Satoru's hoarse groan made her chuckle softly. "Can you talk me to sleep?" she asked, placing the phone on the other pillow next to her. "Did you hear no word of what I said?!" he exclaimed. "It was... A bad day." she admitted, her voice delicate. "I need a touch of normalcy if I want to be able to sleep... And hopefully stay asleep for at least 8 hours straight." "...Did you go ghost-hunting?" she hummed in acknowledgement. "You didn't tell me." "Things went pretty fast pace, to be honest. After everything that happened, I have some problems wrapping my head around all the nonsensical and completely deranged things that I've lived through. It was a hundred times worse than Shimi-O." she let out a shaky breath. "Alright, alright, I get it, let's not talk about that if you want to sleep." the man sighed softly. The subtle noise of the sheets shifting was heard. "I'm awake now. What do you want to talk about? You say you want to sleep, but talking won't help with that." "I... Just wanted to hear your voice, really. I think you have a beautiful voice. It's very reassuring and calming." she heard him scoffing on the other end, though he made no haste to correct or tease her. "Doubt I'm the most interesting man out there. Free talking isn't my thing, I'm no orator." he grumbled. "Ah, okay, I know. I have some books around. It's uh... Agatha Christie. I can read it to you." "Oh, she's good. Please, do." Kisara grinned, cuddling the pillow and closing her eyes. The man began monotonously reading the lines, though the intonation didn't matter - His voice truly was enough to wipe all the horrific scenes from her head. Suddenly, she found herself unable to respond to him, when he called out her name. She faintly heard him chuckle, a gentle tone to his voice. "Good night, you little trouble seeker." he said, and continued reading the book out loud. Though she was unable to reply, she had a peaceful sleep.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 4 - Wedding Dress

It was a restful night - Or day, rather said. The heavy drapes kept the Sun at bay, and the woman was able to sleep until late into the afternoon. An untimely encounter with a ghost was nowhere near the evening activity that she preferred, let alone one which had no correlation to her curse. Alas, she will continue playing the Good Samaritan until the day she's broken free of the Mark. Even so, with this chaotic schedule, she fears being unable to continue working for a period of time, and she might need to take medical leave.. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

With a nice book in her lap and a well deserved coffee, Kisara enjoyed her leisure day, for as long as she could, before Yashiki would be calling her to inform about the new lead, and consequently, the new spirit they have to exorcise. There wasn't much room for resting, for the phone rang, and Yashiki told her about his little trip up to H Shrine with Christie and Mary.

He informed her of the tragic state of disrepair of the shrine, the severed shimenawa, the empty altar and the headless Buddha statues. It was an odd combination, all things considered. Buddhism was highly ostracised during World War 2, with Shinto being the prime religion for everyone including the generals and Emperor. After the war was lost, all religions, especially Shinto, began to fade into nothingness, and people preferred atheism - With the odd exception of traditionalism beginning to gain some favour again, not for religion sake, but for the cultural appreciation of their own country and its old beliefs and history.

Regardless, not only was it weird to find decapitated Buddha statues at a Shinto shrine, but their mere existence there was odd, which only makes one wonder which religion was the first to conquer the spot first, and which instilled their retribution on the other?

It is true, during the Meiji period, there were supposed to be enough shrines that were devoted to both religions... Though it wasn't necessarily a norm. Could religious fanatics have taken over and destroyed everything after the war, as a way to show their devotion to the 'true faith'? She remembers the famous Anti-Buddhist movement that her grandpa told her about. Though he hadn't actively done anything to aid this unnerving cause, he, too, was of the belief that Shintoism was superior, and Buddhism should go back to its countries. Chinese were Buddhist, and Chinese were inferior to them... Or so was the belief. 

Yashiki told her that Mary was convinced the Kujo family head secretly moved all the Buddha statues at the Shrine, after a whole show was displayed in the city center... More, Mary claims that these statues were dug up and 'stolen' 50 years ago, around the time of war. There was something peculiar that Kisara sensed, but she wasn't entirely sure what it was that didn't make sense to her. She was supposed to be a World War 2 history whizz, considering how fascinated she was by her grandparents' stories... So why can't she pick up the odd detail out? Was it her memory loss? It may as well could be... So, perhaps, she should go pay a filial visit to her grandparents and have a nice, educational chat? 

Yashiki informed her that Christie was of the belief that, because the Buddha statues were broken, thrown away, dug up and stolen, they incurred the divine wrath of Buddha, who's known for his wealth of patience, and thus, that anger was channeled into bringing up spirits and curses such as the Mark into this world. But the question remained - Why now, after 50 years since the incident? 

By the end of the call, Yashiki told her that Mary sensed a spiritual presence that was similar to Christie's, and he stopped the car on the road, somewhere between the hiking trail entrance and the mansion, near a telephone booth. He found a little girl, along with some young man with a rather sleazy and untrustworthy appearance - Though he made it seem as though a little girl was significantly more level headed and rational than said flustered guy. She asked for his help in contacting this 'Hanayome' , a ghost who allegedly helps you find things. The two were also marked. The little girl said she got her Mark when she made the phone call to the spirit. No doubt, this Hanayome was the one who cursed them. These two were now temporary residents of the Kujo Mansion. 

And thus, she was told the rumours of Hanayome, the ghost bride that helps you find things you're looking for. Some said a friend of their heard the phone ringing, and when he picked up, he heard this continuous smacking sound, like chewing and gulping, until he finally heard a voice. 'Did you see it?' a woman's whisper asked. As the rumours said, the person replied 'I haven't seen it.' The ghost then asks 'What do you want to see?' The person's cat went missing, and he wanted to find it. When he looked where the woman said, the cat was really there. 

With this rumour going, Christie did say she heard the phone ringing while going to the T Mountain. That phone box apparently is also said to be haunted. Still, she didn't pick up the phone, only stepped inside the booth. There are three phones in total - One at the A Highway parking lot, where they already were, the one at the T Mountain rest area, where Christie got her Mark, and at the park by T apartment complex.  The rumours about Hanayome go back 5 years ago... Coincidently, everything seems to be either 5 years, or 50 years prior... And until recently, no one ever got the Mark from calling Hanayome. So something must have changed. 

And thus, Kisara was called to come over by the T Mountain Rest Area to investigate with them. In a hurry to get to the vacant area, she dressed more casually and hopped in the car, hoping her GPS won't be failing her. Once she arrived, Yashiki, along with the little called she later found out was called Suzu, were already there. The sound of a dog barking and howling was heard in the distance. It felt... Sad. As though it was calling for someone. Though Kisara hadn't voiced her opinions, the little one did, and she felt inclined to agree. And she guessed correctly that the dog may or may not be a spirit. She could sense a strong spiritual power inside of her - Girls usually had more of an affinity with this kind of stuff.

"Suzu, if you ever feel like saying something about spirits, don't be ashamed to say it, okay? Your insight is very much welcomed, especially as a fellow girl with spiritual affinity. I, too, can sense what you said about the dog." the red haired girl smiled kindly at the child. "R-Really? Okay!" her wide, black eyes held gratitude. 

Since the rumours said the phone won't ring until a person stands inside, Yashiki volunteered to be the bait, whilst the woman takes care of Suzu outside. Poor man looked rather uncomfortable inside the cramped booth. The clouded glass of the phone box made it hard to see inside or outside... It wasn't a pleasant sight.  Inside the booth, there was a poster - 

Help our investigation! On the night of February 8th 199X, an assault took place in the forest nearby. If anyone has any info on this case, please notify the H Police Department. 

It was dated 5 years prior, as all things are. Something terrible happened.  As soon as Yashiki finished reading the poster, the phone rang. At first, there is no sound, only the dial tone - And then, the chewing begins. The ghost finally asks the great question - Did you see it? And Yashiki answers that no, he didn't see it. When asked what he wants to see, he mentioned the lost Buddha statues. 'Doesn't your arm already have the Mark of the Buddha on it?' she says. 'Tell me, you want a new Buddha?' she continued, heaving and panting loudly. 'Why're you doing that? Tell me! Well? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me... Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? ................... Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me?' she kept repeating over and over, until a a high pitched, deafeningly loud shriek demands one more time, and the line goes dead. Yashiki felt sick and nauseous, most likely from that bloodcurdling scream of insanity.  Still, the true question was - Why hasn't she answered the question properly? What was different?   His Mark burns dully, as if to remind him of its existence.

As a pale Yashiki recalls his encounter, the two girls are unable to come up with a proper explanation as to why Hanayome acted so differently. Still, Kisara didn't like the idea of the 'Mark of Buddha' as the ghost so said. It didn't make sense to her.  While the two returned to the mansion and inform Mary of the happenings, Kisara went straight to the park. 'Don't follow the rumours... Disobey...' rang in her head. She wanted to call Satoru and tell him to investigate this ghost and the assault that happened, but in a way, she doubted he'd come up with anything relevant in such a short amount of time. She got inside the phone booth, watching the ominous low-hanging mist swirling all around the park. She felt terrified. Perhaps waiting for the other two would have been a better idea. No - She was a warrior, she couldn't let some silly ghost get the best of her nerves. With a deep breath, she scanned the inside of the booth, and found a poster. 

Young woman kidnapped! A young local woman was kidnapped close to this location. If you were a witness to the crime, please notify the police - MPD  February 8th... 5 years ago.

Kisara gulped, feeling a foreboding feeling of deep dread. Without thinking, she touched the poster - And she shrieked in agony. Before her eyes flashed an image - It was herself, wearing a beautiful wedding dress and holding a flower bouquet... Of crimson spider lilies - The flowers of death. She was looking in the mirror, but her face was hidden. She unveiled herself, only to realise that the face she was staring at was distorted, and her neck fell to the side, crooked at an inhuman angle and length, as though she was the crane wife. This was death by hanging, she knew the looks of it too well. But that disturbing image wasn't what scared her, but the rapid images and sequences of a horror film that dashes around her mind. She was being pinned down to the ground in a forest, surrounded by grinning men, laughing lecherously as they kept touching her body - Bright flashes of light and the rapid snapping of pictures rose electrifying anxiety through her body. "Stop! Stop! Please stop! No pictures! Please! I beg of you, let me go! Don't touch me! It hurts, please!" she kept sobbing and wailing, but the men didn't let go of her, nor did they stop until they were satisfied her soul had been shattered to pieces, never to recover again.

Kisara snapped back to reality and fell to the ground, her whole body trembling, and tears streaming down her face. Knowing stories was one thing, but experiencing them, even in the vivid form of memory hopping and dreaming, was a whole other thing. She couldn't erase the images in her head, and every time she blinked, she could see the disgusting grins of those men... And feel their hands all over her body. She wanted to skin herself alive and burn it. Was this what happened to Hanayome, and other women? Was this what she was feeling? Was this why she killed herself? A bride... She must have been engaged or married... Or, perhaps, she was robbed of her wedding after all this. The pictures snapped... Did she get blackmailed? Was this too much for her to bare - The shame, the humiliation - And she ended it all?

The sound of ringing made her jump in her skin, and with trembling eyes, she mustered the courage to answer. The sound of chewing makes her shudder - It was gross, it made her cringe. An icy cold voice speaks. 'Did you see it?' "Yes... Yes, I saw it. I saw it all." whether the voice in her head alerted her or not, she'd have said the same thing. She wasn't a liar, especially to a victim like her. She pitied and empathised with her, to the point her heart was aching. An ear-piercing shriek followed. 'You saw, didn't you?!' she said. 'You saw that thing of me!' was she referring to the pictures snapped of her during the assault? 

The voice cut off, and the beeping sound of the dead line rung idly through the booth. Did she do something wrong?  At once, something outside the dusty booth collides with the glass of the booth, but she couldn't see what it was. A bloody hand print painted the glass.  'Tell me... How did you see it...? With your own eyes? Or eyeglasses? Or a telescope?' the ghost asked. Weird choices. "Neither. I lived everything myself through your mind." Kisara choked back a sob. The voice was creeping her out, on a weirdly different level than Shimi-O and that horrifying drill of his. From outside came a sound akin to... Searching around? As though she was trying to find a way in.   'You saw it... You said you saw it...' the chewing sound made its way inside Kisara's head, so deep that she thought Hanayome was chewing on her own grey matter. 'What colour? A beautiful colour... Red? Pink? Green?' Kisara pondered, trying to recall the image. What what she referring to? The only colour she saw in the mirror was her own scarlet hair, and green eyes... Then, the beautiful colour she was referring to... Could that be... Pink? "Is the beautiful colour... Pink, maybe?" she asked, unsure. There was no sound of anything colliding with the booth anymore. 'You saw it... What kind of person... Are you? What's important to you? Your dreams? Romance? Love? Which do you choose?' Kisara thought it over. Her dreams? She can achieve them all, if she put in the hard work. She was smart enough, ambitious, and had the resources for it, so that one is crossed. Now - What's the difference between Romance and Love? What was the ghost thinking? A bride... Love could be of any kind - To your neighbour, to a friend, to an animal, to your family. Romance was an intimate kind of love addressed to your lover only... A fiance... A husband... Yes, that must be it. She had all the love that she needed, but she never experienced this intimacy that Hanayome lost. This must be the answer. "Romance. I want to experience what romance is like."

With another sob-like heave, the phone line dies, and the bloody hand print disappeared. Kisara felt her legs weaken, the phone still in her hand. By a long shot, she found herself dialing Mashita's number. She hoped that, by the time Yashiki and Suzu arrive, she would be able to get over this encounter. "Who's calling at this god forsaken hour?" he snarked over the phone. "Sorry for waking you up. I thought detectives have a messed up sleeping schedule." she was suddenly feeling much better, just hearing his voice. "Kisara? What the hell are you doing?" he asked, sobering up.

"I'm calling from a phone booth in the park." she takes a deep breath. "We're investigating a new ghost... And, uh... I..." she raked her fingers through her hair. "Yashiki and the other one went to the mansion while I came here alone. I don't like wasting time." "I thought you were smarter than this." he sighed. "Did you encounter the ghost, then? You sound pretty shaken up." "Y-Yeah." she breathed out. "But it's not just that. I-I... I saw what happened to the ghost. It's... It's really sad, I--... I can't help but feel for her. It's such an awful thing that happened to her." she took another deep breath.

"Tell me what happened." his voice was still stern, but it held a gentle undertone to it.

"Five years ago, a woman got kidnapped and... Assaulted... By multiple men. I-I... I saw them. I-... I was there. I was HER." a soft sob escaped her lips. "They kept... Doing things to her... And beating her... And they snapped pictures for blackmail... And they let her go." she said. "I... This ghost... She's a ghost bride. I think she had a husband or fiance... And I heard the hallow sound of a dog howl, looking for someone... I can't help but think the dog might have been hers, and its looking for her." she fell silent for a few seconds. "Satoru." he could barely hear her voice. "I saw her. In the mirror. But it wasn't her - It was me. It was me, wearing the wedding dress, and holding a bouquet of spider lilies... And it was me with the crooked neck from hanging. She killed herself, in this forest, from all the humiliation. They ruined her. They destroyed her. She's so broken that she can't forgive anything. She's... She's... Just a woman... Unlucky enough to have been born a weak prey for all the monsters lurking around. She's not the monster - It's them. They are the monsters, not her!" she hissed in anger. "Suzu said for the past 5 years, she helped people find whatever they were missing, and she never gave anyone a Mark. There is something weird happening these days. The Marks are recent things. That dumbass Christie keeps saying it's the Divine Wrath from Buddha after having his statues broken during the War - But if that was true, why manifest now, after 50 whole years? It makes no sense!" Satoru was quiet for longer than he realised. "Calm down." he cooed in the phone. "Is she gone now?" "Yes. I... I had a talk with her. It was pretty incoherent, I didn't understand half of what she was trying to say, but... I think she doesn't want people to see her as she was after the assault. She's happy to help if you say you didn't see anything... I can't blame her. Suddenly, I want to snap Miss Arimura's neck and make her see what true suffering is. Not some stupid scandal, but something like this." Satoru recalled all the statistics and the cases he had or heard of, or seen in the news. Missing women, killed women, assaulted women. It wasn't a problem just in their country, but all over the world. Terrifying things that men who think they are above all, who need a power trip, do to those weaker than them, usually women. The statistics were through the roof. He remembers Kisara, laying peacefully on the flower bed in the forest. She could have been one of them, if they hadn't found her. Suddenly, Christie's whining, and that deadbeat Kimura pissed him off even more. People out there actually suffer because of the torment others inflict on them, while others cry and whine and seek attention, all due to their own poor choices and idiocy.

"Don't get out of the booth until Yashiki arrives. I want to know you safe." he told her, hearing her breathing calm down.

"As pathetic as it sounds, I don't think I have the courage nor strength to get off the ground at this moment." she admitted, self-disgust obvious in her voice. "It's to be expected. You may be a tough cookie, but you're still a woman. Having to experience tragedy so intimately isn't good for the psyche." she remained quiet.  "Satoru, I found something." she said, extending her hand to pull at a folded up piece of paper stuck behind the phone. Unfolding it, she read out loud its contents. "To Seiko, it says. I'll dispel all of your heartache, so forget that terrible incident and take your quiet rest up in heaven." she found herself sobbing again. "Seiko? Is that the ghost's real name?" Satoru asked. "And what you said before about killing herself makes sense now, with this paper." "... Her and her husband must have really loved each other." she muttered. "I can feel the heart ache behind this. It's really powerful." she sighed softly. "But if she's dead already, how can he get rid of her heartache?" Mashita asked, pondering. "Murder." came the eerie answer. "There is no other way. They tortured his wife into going crazy enough to kill herself. Even if the culprits get caught, they'll get a few years in jail and that's it. There is no proper sentence for monsters like them. The only thing that could ever sooth a tormented soul is revenge. I think her husband went to search and kill the monsters who did this to her. Who took her away from him." "That's one tragedy over the other." Mashita grumbled to himself. "But revenge won't bring her back. You have to learn how to live with what happened and move on." "That's not how it works, Satoru. Logically, yes, it is. Rationally. But other than that, don't forget we're humans, and we suffer more than we should. We're all screwed up one way or the other. And just like Hanayome... Seiko... Found no way out of getting her life back... So her husband tried to desperately find a way to instill his vengeance not only for her, but for him too. It was his life that they destroyed too." she explained, leaning her head back on the glass and looking up, aimlessly.  "You sound like a victim yourself." she said nothing. "Did something happen, Kisara?" "Even if it did, I wouldn't tell you, would I?" she let out a dry chuckle. "But I hope they suffered plenty for what they did. Them, and everyone else who did something so hellish. No matter how competent the police force is - Which, unfortunately, isn't much - Horrific crimes are still going to happen, and there's nothing we can do about the twisted nature of mankind. There is no legal way of getting revenge. Vigilante there is, then." she muttered to herself. "Do you believe in heaven, Satoru? Or hell, or the after life, or any kind of religion?" "No, I don't." he earned a soft chuckle. "Neither do I. All the more reason to make your stay here, for as long as it, nice and comfortable." she admitted. The door to the booth suddenly opens, making the girl squeak in shock. "Ah - Yashiki! Took you long enough!" "Miss Kisara? What are you doing?" he frowned in confusion, offering a hand to help her stand. "I was talking to Satoru. Ah - Good night, Satoru. I'll call you tomorrow to tell you of the case... At a better hour." she hung up. "I already talked to Hanayome. I'll tell you guys everything there is back at the mansion. Everyone needs to hear this." "Miss Kisara, have you been crying?" Suzu asked innocently. "Erh -- Yeah, I think I did." the woman nodded, taking out her handkerchief and wiping her face. "Our ghostie had a very tragic demise, and I had the... Privilege of living through her story." "What do you mean?" the little girl's eyes widened in shock. "I... Have very strong spiritual powers, and sometimes, if I touch items with strong connections to the deceased, I can... Live the memories that said spirit wants me to see. Usually the dying moments and the like." the woman sighed, fixing her hair. "So Miss Hanayome was very sad before she died?" Kisara nodded her head. "I'm really sorry to hear that..."

Once they returned to the mansion, Kisara gathered the rest and told them about her encounter with the ghost and what she'd seen and pieced together in the story of Hanayome. The five of them started searching through the crime reports, until Suzu found one dated February 8th, five years ago, with a victim named Seiko Hasegawa. She committed suicide in the H forest, the day before her wedding. She was in her wedding dress when she was found. Though Kisara advised the young girl not to continue reading, she was brave - She felt she needed to know... Just like Kisara always did when she was her age.

With the amount of spiritual power that Suzu has, she only hoped she wouldn't end up getting roped into ghost mess again in the future.  Christie then recalls the horrible incident - She remembers it during her days of being a news anchor. Seiko was kidnapped by a gang while she was walking her dog. They brought her to the forest and assaulted her. People found her battered and staggering along the road.

The dog was run over and killed near the forest when it chased after them.  Eita then says the assault was photographed and the pictures were sent to her fiance. They blackmailed them and threatened to make them public if he didn't pay up. He offered a ton of money to get rid of the pictures and the negatives. Seiko had a mental breakdown after all this and she hung herself.

The story Kisara pulled together from those memories was unfortunately accurate and extremely painful. A serious, honest woman being retorted to a humiliated laughingstock... She couldn't bare it. After a moment of silence, Suzu asks why the phone booths were relevant. Christie knew the answer. Seiko was abducted near the park and assaulted by the rest area... And found wandering near the A highway. 

Seiko's fiance was a famous musician and the whole thing was widely publicised. The assault happened at a short time after a romantic trip to Greece. No wonder Hanayome referred to 'Romance' as her important thing.  The fiance apparently started acting strange after the incident and went missing. They said Seiko's suicide was to follow him... But Eita pointed out the culprits went missing too. So, in the end, they were all dead. 

Yashiki asked Christie if she remembers the exact spot of Seiko's suicide, and whilst she can't pin-point it perfectly, she remembered going west from the arch way. Thus, himself, Suzu and Kisara got in the car and returned to the forest. Suzu shudders, terrified at the idea of going inside the cursed forest. "Do you want to hold my hand?" Kisara smiled sweetly at her. Suzu nodded her head timidly and gingerly held onto the woman's hand as they walked through the arch way. 

They look west, but realise there is no real trail there - Somehow, it must have overgrown. Suddenly, it got very cold. Out of nowhere, the barking of a dog alarms them of its presence... Though it looks dubious, with long, disheveled hair, and a face that almost looked human. The dog stares at them, growling softly. "Hey, darling, don't be afraid. We want to save your master." Kisara's gentle voice reached the dog, who let out a whimper and it dashes back into the thicket. The moment it's gone, the chill disappears from the air. "Let's follow him." Kisara said, moving along, holding her own flashlight in her hand. Rummaging around the bushes, they found what remained of the closed hiking trail.

Very close to the beginning of the closed trail, they found a dead end with a tree that held numerous bark slashes. Yashiki looks around in a bush, finding an instant camera. Without realising, he hit the switch, and a red light appeared - The flash could be used.  "Does it still work? Suzu asks." "Yeah, looks that way." Yashiki mutters. He quickly stuffs it back in the back, not mentioning the dried blood from the bottom of it.  "Hey, Yashiki, come over here." Kisara grumbled, flashing the light on the things nailed on the bark. Numerous pictures of different people, all of them bloody, were nailed on the bark. All their eyes were nailed, more specifically. Attached to one of the tails, there was a tape.  "All of the pictures... They're all men." Suzu noted. "Think these are the culprits?" Kisara asked, disgusted. 

Yashiki seemed unease on his feet, dizzy, and he stumbled backwards. All of a sudden, he frowned, flashing his light upwards. Something was stuck in the branches. "Hey, Suzu, can you help me with that?" Yashiki asked, crouching down and helping the little girl climb on him. He boosted her up. Suzu reaches as far up as she can, but Yashiki loses balance. Before he could topple them both to the ground, Kisara throws her arms around him, stabilising his body and helping Suzu climb down carefully.  The little girl hands Yashiki the item she found - A dog collar, with the name GENTA written on it. Kisara thought the letters looked similar to Greek ones, which made sense, considering the couple brought the dog from their trip in Greece. "Genta. His name is Genta." Kisara muttered, tracing her thumb over the inscription. 

As they continue down the trail forward, they hear a low, canine growl from somewhere. Kisara could feel no hostility from the dog, but Yashiki was sweating in fear. "Wh-What should we do?" the moment Suzu speaks, the growling gets quieter. "I've got an idea." Kisara muttered. "Genta? Hey, sweety, it's alright now. I'm a woman. My name is Kisara. I'm a friend of your master, Seiko." Kisara walked a few paces foward, crouching to the ground and holding out the collar. "This is yours, isn't it?" the dog appears like a gust of wind.  Before she can blink, it steals away the collar.  "Mr. Yashiki, stand back and don't move!" Suzu's vibrating voice warned the man. He was the main target, should the dog want to attack. Thankfully, the dog keeps staring at the red haired woman crouching in front of him. The dog starts to chew on the collar, staring right into her soul. "You're a good boy, Genta. I'm very proud of you. Seiko loves you dearly." her voice was praising and tender. The dog lets out a whine, and walks off the track. Kisara stood up after picking back the collar. "I always thought dogs were the best animals known to mankind. This only proves it more." she sighed. "Are you guys okay?" "Y-Yeah... I think so." Suzu whimpers softly, trying to appear brave. "We're... We're good. Let's go." Yashiki hold Suzu's hand and follows behind Hasashi.

Somewhere not much farther away, they found a few silhouettes hanging. Suzu yelped in fright. Yashiki flashed his light upon them - Mannequins. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen." Kisara muttered, examining the mannequins. Perfectly still and harmless. What a deranged idea for a prank. Moving along, they encounter the dog again - This time, no hostility. Suzu guarantees so, reassuring the man. The dog starts digging into the ground, before vanishing. Yashiki goes to touch the ground where the dog was trying to dig, and called the two girls over to help him out. "You're going to dig?" Suzu's eyes were wide with surprise.  "Yeah. I don't think we'll need any tools." he explained. "I feel like I'm grave robbing." Yashiki just jinxed it. After a little more digging, a corpse is exactly what they found - The skeleton being the only thing remaining of what once was a human.  "I-Is that... A corpse?" Suzu was breathless. Yashiki nodded. In its grasp, there was a plastic bag. Once the man dug it out, it revealed a few cassette tapes and a note. 

'I... killed them all... Ones... assault... you... Now you... rest in peace... I... what needed to be done... Now I... die here... This forest... you passed awa... New song... want... listen... heaven...'

"That sounds like a suicide note, doesn't it?" Suzu asked, sorrow in her voice. "You can't really get away living a normal life after killing a bunch of people and... Everything that happened to his fiancee." Kisara sighed, feeling pity for the couple. "But why were the tapes buried too?" Suzu asked again.  "I don't kno--" Yashiki trails of, becoming silent for a little while. "The last? Wait a second, what do you mean - The last what?" he asks, bewildered. He must have heard that voice again. "Huh? I-Is something the matter? I didn't say anything." Suzu's eyes darted around aimlessly.  "It's... Nothing. Sorry, just talking to myself." the man apologises. "Let's take these tapes with us."

The trio walk back to the entrance, only for Kisara to find herself walking alone, ahead. She stared back, watchin Yashiki call out to Suzu, shaking her awake. Their time was nearing. With this, Kisara realised that Hanayome definitely didn't curse her, otherwise, she'd be out of it, just like Suzu. At once, the man grabbed the child and the woman and ran towards the car. "Where to?" Kisara asked. "If the time is approaching, you need to be confronting and purifying the ghost, not running away." Yashiki looked into the rearview mirror. Suzu was staring vacantly out the window, her head titled to the side. The only thing out there is darkness - There's nothing to look at.  Yashiki says nothing, until the point that he heard the medic gasp and stop the car. He looks out, frowning. Did they get lost? But... It was a straight road. They were back at the forest, times and times again, no matter what road Yashiki told her to take, or what street to go down by, it was all the same. "Yashiki, we've got to confront the ghost. It's her doing." her voice was stern. Yashiki grumbled, hit back hitting the seat. "Let's go to T Mountain." he instructed, and Kisara hit the pedal. They got back to the phone booth. "Yashiki, let me do this." Kisara parked the car. "Hanayome didn't curse me, so I'm lucid. Besides, chances are, Hanayome would rather get pacified by a woman, not by a man. Take care of Suzu while I'm gone." she spoke urgently. "Fine. But be very careful!" he shouted after her, watching her rush inside the booth to pick up the ringing phone.

She takes a deep breath, picking up the phone. The line immediately goes dead. The phone rings again. Kisara felt a strong and ominous presence appearing all of a sudden, out of thin air. In front of her, glued to the glass wall, the horrific figure of the ghost Bride was staring at her. 'You saw... Didn't you?! I know you saw it!' she whined angrily.  Kisara opened the bag she snatched from Yashiki's lap and rummaged for the camera. Apologising, she takes a photo. The flash makes the ghost scream in agony and she steps back, allowing the woman to exit the phone booth. The blood-curdling shriek made her feel dizzy.

Once out, from the corner of her eye, Kisara noticed the spirit standing there, looking at her - Her face was veiled, hiding the terrifyingly inhuman face and the long, crooked neck that snapped in the necklace of rope she made for herself. The low-hanging mist swirling around them was making her dirty grey dress look as though it was coming out and made of the fog.

Not sure what to do, she remembers that Seiko's fiance was a musician. Perhaps playing a song on Eita's cassette player might do the trick. First, she chose the 'Charming... Song' tape that she found in the plastic bag that the musician's skeleton gripped on. 'Listened... Often... Dear...' the bride wailed desperately, drifting closer. The blood painting her disheveled, ripped to shreds dress and veil shining in the faint light of the lamp. Kisara played another song, the one titled '... Echo Ballad' which earned a reaction, with the ghost coming closer. 'I... Love...' she wept painfully.  Seeing the ghost so close to her, Kisara puts in the last tape, 'My...' and waits for a reaction. 'I... don't... know... this... one...' she cried out pitifully. 

The spirit took off her veil, revealing the same horrifying face that Kisara saw in the mirror - Dark hair, dead and straight, hanging low in a tight ponytail, and a bunch of eyes being chewed on. So up close, Kisara almost felt like fainting - Hanayome was creepy as hell, with that deformed matchstick head of hers, one eye huge, the other small, staring aimlessly with a cheshire grin, and blood leaking from the corners of her mouth. But the neck snapped so perfectly at a terrifying degree must have been the creepiest to look at. The ghost was so close to her, Kisara was sure she could feel her breath... If it even did breathe anymore. 'Hey... let... me... listen... to... the... newest...' She said she didn't know the last one, didn't she? Once more, she tapped the Play button to the 'My...' song and watched the spirit closely.  'Yes... That song... was finished...' a barking alerted the woman of Genta's presence, and he comes bounding over happily. 'Gen... Is this where you've been...' Hanayome's voice now sounded human, soft and gentle. 'Come on, let's go... He's... Waiting...' the bride said. 'Thank you...' Kisara's heart dropped, hearing the spirit thank her, a single tear escaping down her cheek. In a flash of light, Seiko's and Genta's souls passed on and found heaven.

"May you rest in peace... All three of you... You deserve it, after everything you've been through." Kisara took out the buddhist Juzu beads. She stared down at them, her thumb restlessly caressing them, and bringing them between her palms, she said a small prayer. She wasn't Buddhist, nor did she care for this religion - But at the end of the day, Seiko made her feel as though she believed in it, at least a little bit. She used the beads more for stress relief, playing around with them... Though a rosary wasn't a toy. Hopefully, the three will be reunited in the afterlife... She believed in that.

"She's gone now... Hanayome..." she was brought back by Suzu's voice. Yashiki trailed behind her. Kisara's and Yashiki's Marks didn't disappear, as expected, but Suzu's did. Good. "Guess Hanayome really was Seiko Hasegawa..." the little girl seemed close to crying. "What a sad, terrible fate... Turning into a ghost after she died... I feel so sorry for her." "I said a prayer for her and the other two. She... Thanked me, for helping her move on. Consequently, she thanked everyone involed." Kisara patted the little girl's head. "Here - You take this. If you want to remember Seiko... She was a Buddhist." she offered her the rosary beads.  "Do you think she's happy now?" Kisara looked up at the sky - It was clear, and full of stars. She smiled. "Yeah. I think she is finally happy now, with her fiance and her dog." all of a sudden, the phone started ringing. With an eyebrow rose, she stepped towards it and answered. "Hello?" "Finally." the voice on the other side groaned. "Satoru?" Kisara peeked her head out of the booth, mouthing to Yashiki 'It's Mashita!' the look on his face was priceless. "How'd you know to call here?" "After all the info you gave me, it wasn't that difficult to do a quick research on the supernatural forums and find out about the three cursed phone boxes." he offered a smartass chuckle. "It was only a matter of time before you answered, I figured." Kisara grinned, cooing at him. "Aww, were you worried about little me? How sweet out you, detective! I'm honoured to know that I live rent-free in your head." she mused, only to hear an annoyed tsk-sound. "Guess there's nothing to be concerned about. What a drag. Say hi to Yashiki from me. Bye." the line went dead. The woman laughed, stepping outside.  "Mashita sends his regards. Let's go." with new found energy, Kisara fell into the driver's seat, and smiled - No more road loop!

Back at the mansion, Christie's and Eita's Marks disappeared too.  While the trio was busy with exorcising Hanayome, Christie had her hands searching through documents around the house. She showed them a file with 'H Shrine Findings' as the title, and it was written by Saya Kujo.  Most of it was about the way H Shrine was built, added with the Anti-Buddhist movement, but not even Saya knew who stole the statues 50 years ago. Some pages were about the Shintai, the item that hosts the kami. The shrine was supposed to have two such items - A mirror and a small Buddha statue named nenjibutsu. The nenjibutsu was supposed to be in a brocade pouch, but it was missing by the time Yashiki went to investigate.  The last pages contained rumours from a few months prior. In H City, the K Miyamachi North Street. It is a backstreet with far too many manholes, due to poor planning. They call it the Manhole Road. On a moonless night, a young woman was walking down the street from work. An old sign wrote - Be wary of strangers - Suddenly fearful, she started hurrying up... But she couldn't take a step forward. The noise of something heavy being dragged, and an indiscernable silhouette from the darkness... A woman with disheveled hair, wearing a white, burnt robe... Cradling a headless Buddha statue as though it was her child. The shadows and hair hid most of the face, but she could see her blood red lips twisted into a satisfied smile.  Terrified by the sight, the woman turned on her heel and ran away. She looked back at some point, but the woman was gone. Christie is sure that, if they can find the headless statues and hold a memorial at H Shrine, the divine wrath will be quenched and the Marks will disappear.  Suzu then thanked them, and said she wants to see her dad, as her parents were divorced, Her mother wanted to become a nun, so she started taking her to temples and sacred areas. Her dad wasn't fine with that, so he started seeing another woman. Kisara offered the three who lost their Marks if they wanted a ride home, but they all declined. She was perfectly fine with it. 

Finally, it was time to get a well deserved rest, and Kisara crashed for the night... Though, morning must have been a better word, for the Sun was already beginning to peek and shine from the darkness. Hopefully, there won't be many more ghosts to appease, she wasn't sure how many tormenting tragedies she could take before something inside her snapped.

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[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 3 - Dittany

The trio returned back to the forest, but once again, both the man and Shimi-O were long gone. Yashiki went to check the bench where Kimura's corpse was, only to find a single Jaw of Honey, and a soft drink cap, but no sign of said bottle. Next, he went to the bin, and searched inside, finding the lost bottle, and inside there was a paper with some scribbling. 'Family are... fun... catch ball... The juice is... now... sticky... The bees... gather... many times... interrupt the game...' supposedly, this is a rough copy from the Bee Family.

They returned to the cabin where they found Christie, as they needed to investigate it properly, without any kind of interruption. From one of the shelved filled with dusty bottles, they were able to retrieve three bottles with Nite Nite medicine. Kisara went to the other side of the cabin, attracted by a small, wooden jewellery box. It was exquisitely crafted and completely out of place. Opening it, she found perfectly preserved notebook pages. '...Is a holy journey. Performed in a quiet place... In the area past the meeting place... There is a clue about how to get to paradise... The eastern thicket... Often...' that's about everything there was in the cabin, as the notebook left behind had all pages ripped open. 

"Well, so much for a gold mine." the woman sighed. They left the cabin, and went North, down a new road. Yashiki sprayed the sleeping drug onto another bee hive, and they proceeded forward. Creaks and groans echoed and broke on the trees, as though they came from everywhere and nowhere. The rustling of the leaves made it seem that a hoard of people was approaching them from every direction. They reached a dead end. A sweet fragrance wafts on the wind from somewhere in the darkness. Kisara gasped, her hand reaching out to Mashita's and dragging his flashlight up, to the point she was staring.

Dangling from the trees were human corpses, their skin as white as wax. Countless holes were drilled into them, and bees are buzzing in and out of the human-hives. "It's just like that woman..." Yashiki breathed. "Human hives. Fascinating." Kisara muttered, unable to peer her eyes off the grotesque piece of art.  "He's not just some lunatic. This is a cult ritual." Mashita spat in disgust.  "I know a lot of people and how screwed up they are, in very illicit ways, but Heavens forbid I ever meet some cult fanatic. These guys are actually pretty damn terrifying." the woman scratched the back of her neck, feeling uneasy. "I can feel their souls weeping. They didn't want to die, especially not like this. They are in torment. Only ending Shimi-O's ghostly life will allow them to pass on."  "Before feeling bad for dead people, I'd be feeling bad for us." Satoru pointed out, making her hum in agreement.

The bee hive by Yashiki's feet started rattling, attracting everyone's attention. A pitch black cloud suddenly rises up, overwhelming their vision. A swarm of bees plagued him, invading his eyes, his nose, his ears, and every inch of his skin. "Bees?!" Mashita gasped, pulling Kisara behind him. "Yashiki! Get away from there!" he shouted. Even more bees were coming from the hives. "We've got to seal the bees!" the woman interjected, though shivering with unease, as she leapt on the eastern box and somehow managing to close the lid, the disgusting sound of bees being crushed making her cringe. She was able to stop their attack.  Mashita then went to close the southern box, and thankfully, he was able to seal up the awakened bees, while Yashiki dove in to close the western box. A lukewarm liquid spurts everywhere, like a grape bursting all over his hand, but at least he succeeded before the bees got out. "Can we not do that again?" Hasashi sighed as the bees finally quiet down.  "I'm beat." Mashita panted, taking a napkin to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "We almost died." "Yeah... You're telling me..." Yashiki, too, muttered. They crouched there for a while, catching their breath. The detective was the first to get his strength back, and he helped the girl up, before going to Yashiki to do the same.

The doctor looked up at the human-hive, examining the circular pattern of the drill-holes, and the stinking, thick liquid leaking out of them. A stench of sickly sweet honey mixed with the rotting decay of human flesh and viscera mixing together. The bees seemed to be attracted to that disgusting liquid. "Hey, Yashiki, didn't you get an empty bottle? Might as well gather some of this thing." she said, after using a handkerchief to take the key that one of the corpses was clinging onto, then stepped back.  Mashita opened the bee hives, and from the one on the left, he found a large bottle of Sweet Dreams bee drugs. On the back of it, it had a label, saying it was extremely dangerous to mix it with Nite Nite.

Finally, they left the area, and turned left, where the thicket grew. It was rather dense, and you couldn't see past it. Yashiki pressed on through the thick undergrowth, noticing a small clearing inside. Kisara shuddered and looked around, feeling a pair of eyes glaring at her with hostile intentions. "Miss Kisara, there's a ghost here. It doesn't seem to be doing anything, but it's not letting us pass." Yashiki asked, waving his hand for her to get close. "Ah, so it was you I felt. Very well." Kisara took a talisman from the back pocket of her pants and went on her knees, doing a triangle form with her palms, the paper stretched perfectly between. "Hifumi yoi muna ya koto mo chiro ra ne. Shikiru yu witsu wanu so ota wa kume ka. U o e ni sari ete no masu ase wehoreke." the ghost was gone, as the talisman went up in flames and turned to ashes, flying in the dust. "Huh. Good to know everything else is under control." she said, getting up nonchalantly and walking ahead. They found another door, which was locked, and the door was painted with a red liquid that was most definitely blood. Kisara unlocked the door with the key found at the human-hive. She saw both Yashiki and Mashita looking down at their Marks - Was it bothering them, she wondered? And, if it did, why did she feel nothing?

An overly sweet smell permeated the cottage. No doubt, it was the bag leaning on the wall, and the sickly perfume of honey. The two men went to the back, only for it to start squirming intermittently. Mashita slowly lifts his arm to point at the bag. "There's something... Inside." he muttered lowly. "It's... Moving." cold sweat broke on his forehead. Yashiki hesitantly reaches out for the mouth of the bag. Holding his breath, he slowly opens it. A sickeningly sweet smell makes them all cough. It was a corpse, currently becoming a bee hive. It looked completely unrecognisable, but they knew who it was, intuitively. It was that man they encountered, the one who said he'll buy Yashiki a drink, only to end up killed by Shimi-O. "So... He's dead then." "We did see him earlier with Shimi-O. I don't think there was any doubt about that." the woman shrugged, helping them pack the man back in the bag. The busy bees burrowing inside its body-hive like a comb must have been the reason for the sack moving. Once it's complete, it will become another objet d'art for the repulsive, twisted bee family cult.  Yashiki must have noticed something stuck next to the corpse, mismatched items almost like burial accessories for the dearly departed - Only, he had none. A tennis ball, a large bottle of Nite Nite, and three other Nite Nites.  

'Daze the swarm... Then you'll be safe...' the voice spoke inside her head, and without realising, Kisara muttered it in the real world too. "You can hear the voice too?" Yashiki gasped out of shock. The woman nodded. "Who do you think it is?" "No clue, but as long as it gives us hints, it's very much welcomed." she said, going by the shelves. "Some would call the looney bin on you." Mashita let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, but that would be just boring, wouldn't it!" the girl smirked, leaning back on the shelf. "Would you do a favour to a short girl and fetch that box?" "By all means." the brunet rested his forearm over her head, reaching up to the top shelf with ease. He opened it, revealing something that looked like a dried tree root. "No need to mess my hair though." she grumbled, pushing his arm away and fixing her hair. "What's written on that note?" "Everyone's gone now. I'm all alone now. I want to see everyone. But my head is so foggy, I can't remember how. I think the last thing I need to do is to combine those two, but..." he stopped. "No ending for it." "Huh... That's interesting... I wonder..." she huffed, interested. Yashiki snatched the notebook from the crate, reading the Bee Family Note. "Family won't die if they are dreaming. If the betrayer comes... Wake them up and hit them. Do it until they come down. Be careful, everyone. When they wake up... Family is only human." Yashiki read. "One more page added to the bag."

Done with the investigation of the cabin, Kisara shivered, feeling another ghost, but pulled through. Yashiki put to sleep three more hives, before going further ahead. "Oh, great. First it was a man-hive, now a woman-hive. How gracious. Christie would look great here, all sticky with honey and filled with bees. Too bad I don't have a camera to show her what she would have become." the woman smiled venomously, making the brunet shake his head. "Think that will stop her death-wish?" the woman shrugged, uncaring. "Well... Should we open the box?" Yashiki asked. "No." she stepped back. "No, not yet. I get awful vibes from it. Like... Like... Like it's a trigger of sorts. We should return to it when we're sure we can take that monster on. I feel like something bad is going to happen here." she turned around, walking ahead. "Maybe you should have really brought your priestess outfit and gohei." Mashita teased her. "It would have made no difference on a monster like this." she muttered softly.

The trio returned from where they came, slowly making steps back towards the entrance, only for Kisara to snap her head West. She heard a whisper, like a calling. It was similar to spirits begging to be put out of their misery. She hated this kind of desperation... It actually touched her own soul. Still, with no word spoken, she went ahead back where they found the first box, and realised the bush ahead could be traversed. Once she tried, she found another spirit there, waiting for her - And with the same Shinto Prayer, she exorcised it. May it rest in peace.  She crouched down and gently uprooted the withered plant. The flower fell in her hand, but the root remained firm and usable.

She turned her head to the box, and saw the two men towering over it. They found a mosquito repelling incense and a suicide note. "Like the teachings... apply honey... manage to swallow it... Wait for me, everyone... I'll be there soon..." Yashiki read.  "Did they poison themselves with honey?" Kisara asked, getting to her feet. "If they did, it would make sense why Shimi-O didn't outright die with them. Considering he is ten times out size and weight, either the poison didn't work at all, or it affected his brain... Which would make sense with the memory loss or confusion he wrote about in some of the notes." she said as they walked away. "It wouldn't surprise me. Cults have weird rituals. Poison may have proved to be a painless way to go for them. Who knows." Mashita frowned, not happy with the case. "I think we've investigated as much as we can. Should we go back to the box?" "I... Think so. Are you guys ready?" she breathed out. "I don't think we ever will." Yashiki shook his head briefly, leading the way.

Inside the box, unlike before, there were two Good Morning drug bottles. Peculiar. At once, Yashiki hissed, slapping a hand over his wrist in pain. Satoru seemed bothered as well... But not her. Why? Why not? 

"Guys... I'm counting on you." Yashiki said, only to see Mashita was unresponsive. "Uh... Satoru? Hey, you here?" Kisara snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, but nothing. "Forgive me." Yashiki said, only to deliver a well-aimed slap over his face. Kisara's eyes went wide with shock, and she whistled, seeing his cheek redden.   "That did the trick." the man growled. "Nice hit."   "What happened?" the woman asked. "It's what usually happens when the end-game approaches." the other one spoke. "He's coming, we've got to go. We'll do everything we can, but you have to do as I say." "Right. You can count on me." Mashita sneered, heaving. "Miss Kisara, how are you feeling?" Yashiki asked, turning his attention to the woman. "Perfectly fine. No confusion or amnesia. Let's go." she nodded firmly. 

Yashiki guided the two through the darkness and the thicket. Drifting on the wind, from somewhere is the meltingly sweet fragrance of honey. A human-hive falls in their way, startling them, as a swarm of bees exit the human caverns. They turn back, only to see the humongous silhouette of Shimi-O, a large drill in his hand, and bees all over him. Kisara felt like puking, just watching the disgusting ghost. It was gross, so, so gross. With a flick of his arm, he sent a flash of bees their way, and a few stung them as they tried to shield their faces. "Eww, he has so much body hair, and it's all gross with honey. Gah." the woman gagged. 

Yashiki pours some of the stinky liquid from one of the human-hives over the tennis ball, and throws it as the ghost incites the bees - The insects are attracted to it, clouding over the ball. The ball looked like a dense, black, buzzing cloud... Like the plague of locusts described in the bible. Seeing the trick worked, he did the same, but with the baseball he had from Shou. It succeeded once again, though the ghost got too close for comfort to them. There were no more bees hiding the ghost's face, and its bulbous, red eyes, sticking out and looking in different directions, added to those very few strands of black hair, and the rotting teeth... Hasashi was so disgusted, her skin crawled. "Satoru, can you shoot it?" the woman asked, watching him take the revolver from his pocket, aiming. "I can't focus." he grumbled. Kisara got behind him and put her hands over his own aiming together. As soon as Yashiki sprays the Good Morning drug in its face, Kisara and Satoru shoot at him also. It looked wounded. A cut opens on his giant body and a bittersweet liquid erupts and pours out. The ghost steps back and bends over, moaning and wailing, as liquid sprays from the holes in its body.  "Again!" Yashiki shouted, spraying the last bottle of Good morning, and giving the two the cue to shoot. Shimi-O writhes in pain, his body jiggling. He hollers in pain as the bullet hits, but it doesn't seem to be enough. At least it was weakened. "What now?!" "Let's see what the plant root does." Kisara said, watching Yashiki dig his hands in the bag and taking out the jar of honey while Kisara stepped from Mashita and revealed the plant root she was holding. Yashiki snatched the root, pouring honey over it, and throwing it at the ghost's mouth. He initially tries to repel it, but it seems to realise something, and gulps it down. He happily stuffs its large cheeks with it. "Now I can finally see my family." the ghost groaned, collapsing on the ground as the poison invaded his whole body. His face is frozen into a peaceful smile, like a child eating his favourite meal. The bees continue to hover around it, and then his body disappears into a flash of light. "...Is it over? I can't sense him anymore." Kisara was the first to dare speak. "Took long enough." Mashita scoffed. He seems back to normal. Kisara grabbed his hand, showing off his wrist. The Mark was gone.  "It vanished! That means the ghost is gone for good!" she smiled up at him. "About time, huh?" he gave her an aloof smile. "Yashiki, what about you?" the girl turned to him, only to see the Mark still on. "...So Shimi-O wasn't the one who cursed you, huh?" his arm was still branded.  "I had my doubts." he muttered, a bit disappointed. "The Mark bearers who confront the ghost who gave them the mark usually experience heavy memory loss... Like how Mashita lost himself completely just now." "I won't thank you for hitting me a second time." Mashita snarked. "Oh." Kisara muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Then, I suppose, I still have the Mark too, don't I?"  Mashita extended his hand to drag down the soft material of black cashmere, revealing her supple neck, branded red with the Death Mark. "Hate to say it, but it's still there." he scowled, looking away. "Great. More ghost-hunting for me." she sighed, looking away. "Let's go home. With all the adrenaline dying down, it's getting chilly." she said, bringing the coat closer to her body. The atmosphere felt still and calm, like any other normal forest, though the foreboding feeling of dread only crept deeper inside Yashiki's and Kisara's hearts. How long were they going to be bothered with this supernatural mess? "Yashiki, seems like something's on the ground." Mashita spoke, seeing the disgustingly sticky notebook laying on the ground, and having no intention of getting anywhere close to it. The man sighed, forcing himself to grab it. He flipped through the pages - It was a diary. 

But it was a read for when they return to the Mansion. They needed to get the hell out of there. Without a warning, the light dies. "Hey, what are you doing?" Mashita asks, furrowing his brows as he stepped on a smaller foot, no doubt the girl's. "This isn't the time for jokes." "It's not me...!" the man gasped, almost offended by such accusation. He kept trying and trying, but it simply wouldn't work. Kisara snatched the torch and opened it, taking out the batteries, rubbing them against each other in her palms, and putting them back on. The lights opened. "Once we get back, we better replace the batteries." the detective interjected. 

Once inside the car, Kisara puts on not relaxing blues, for her Metallica playlist - It always made her feel better when she was pissed off. She drove over the limit, not caring much about Mashita's warning, as there was absolutely no car anywhere on the road. She prided herself with being an excellently smooth driver, even her dad said so. Back at the Mansion, they're greeted by Shou, whose Mark is gone, and Christie, who apparently wasn't cursed by Shimi-O either. Kisara wanted to groan - Not another investigation with this obnoxious attention-seeker! Christie was hysterical, clutching her head and almost weeping from confusion over her Mark still being there. 

"We're in water over our heads when it comes to spirits. Let's check in with Mary." Mashita quickly quieted the woman down. Mary, too, explained that those who still had their Mark couldn't have been cursed by Shimi-O. Shou then commented on Yashiki's sticky hands and stink, only for the detective to remind him of the notebook. He took out said book and realised it was about the Bee Family cult, their ideologies and what they did. The incoherent writing spelled out pretty well their fanatical thinking and their hatred for society. It was a psychologically fascinating read, but only for a good read and nothing else regarding ghosts. The author seemed extremely pious with multiple pages written about H Shrine. They truly believed the world would face ruin if the shrine came to peril. All the suicides, the incidents... They are all because of the divine wrath from H Shrine. 

"Well, guess I can't really write it off, then. It's no more ridiculous than the idea of ghosts. We're dealing with the supernatural, so everything is fair game." Mashita said. Mary pointed out dawn was close and they should rest. Shou was the first to go sleep, then Christie.  "I'm going home. Satoru, need a ride?" the woman asked. "You should stay over, you must be exhausted." Yashiki insisted. "I'm fine. I don't want to sleep in a place that isn't my home - Especially not without sleeping wear and all the other toiletries that I require. I'm high maintenance." she smiled, though it was evident it was fake and she was lying.  "Sure, sounds good." the man nodded. "I'll miss you." Yashiki declared to his detective friend. "Cut the sap, it's gross." Satoru scoffed. "Anyway, I'm satisfied. That big string of missing persons that the force couldn't solve... I was able to figure it out. And I've basically closed the Honey Bee Family case I've chased for years. 'The truth you seek can be found here', huh? That Mary is something else, isn't she? I can finally visit someone's grave." his expression is still the same, though he seems more at peace. He accomplished what he set out to do.  "I'm glad to hear that." Yashiki replied. "This thing is dangerous. I'm reckless, but that doesn't mean I don't care whether I live or die. Sticking my neck out for you past this point is too risky. Sorry." a tremor runs through his clenched fist. "If you manage to escape your death, I'll buy you a drink sometime." "Last time someone told him that, they died a most horrible death. I'd be careful what I said." Kisara chuckled lightly. "Good night, Yashiki. If you find anything about the next spirit, please contact me and I'll come aid you. We're in the same boat." she gave him a nicely written note, and nodded to the detective to follow along. 

Kisara stretched her limbs before getting back in the driver's seat, drinking some water from a bottle she had in the portier, and offering some to the man. She started the car and went on back towards the city, this time, within the speed limit. They said nothing for about half the distance. Kisara was the first to speak. "Do you want me to drive you to the grave? I have a flower bouquet at home that you could use." "You got flowers, and you want them to be put on a grave?" she shrugged. "Someone doesn't like her admirer." "It was from work. I did a surgery on a dog, and the owner was very grateful. Anyway, I prefer potted flowers. They last longer. And... Your friend needs them more than I do." she explained. Mashita was silent, and then let out a small dry chuckle. "Happen to have a beer too?" he turned to get a better look at her. She looked disgusted. "Sorry, I don't drink beer, I think it's disgusting." she grumbled. "Vodka? Gin? Whiskey? Aperol? Sake?" "You drink strong alcohol, but not beer?" she nodded.  "Yes, but I drink them with sweet juice, not raw. I like sweet drinks." she explained. "That makes more sense." he said. "Fine. I'll take the sake." after a few seconds, he continued. "Thanks." "Don't mention it." she muttered.

"I won't be there to help you with investigations anymore." the girl nodded, already knowing that. "Sorry you have to get through that again." "What happens, happens. Nothing to be sorry for. You've gone through two ghost hunts before. You've done the investigations to help shed light on a string of missing people. You willingly got the Mark a second time, just to find out the truth about your friend's death. No matter how disagreeable you want to appear, I think you're a very noble and loyal person. There's no need for you to do any more than that." Mashita remained quiet. They reached her home and took the elevator up to her penthouse, where she took out a sake bottle with two disks, and grabbed the flowers from the vase. She then froze slightly, and moved away to another room, and once she returned, a single red flower was in her hand. It was a red spider lily, and it looked freshly cut. It was a gorgeous flower, despite its association with death. It was perfect. "I've always thought that our country and our religion is weirdly tied with death. It has a certain beauty to it. And sadness. There is beauty in sadness." she sighed, looking with melancholy at the flower, before putting it in the bouquet and nodding to the man to return to the car.

The graveyard was rather close, and they searched around for his mentor's spot, where Mashita sat down and placed the flowers. "Hey, man. Long time, no see, huh? And we've got company. Hope you don't mind." he chuckled softly, as Kisara stood next to him. "I'll wait in the car. You need your privacy. Take your time, I'm in no hurry." her somber voice fell on deaf ears, as Mashita grabbed her hand and tugged on it, signaling for her to sit next to him.  "My friend wants to meet you." he offered a bittersweet smile. "Ah, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Hasashi Kisara, it's lovely meeting Satoru's best friend and mentor." she smiled, crossing her legs. "You should be proud of him. You've mentored a good man who thinks of you a lot. His sense of justice is even greater than his stubbornness... Yeah, I know, I didn't know that was possible either!" she grinned, speaking to herself. "Yeah, I guess he's pretty cool. Got me and Yashiki out of some tough situations too. He's pretty damn smart too, solving all these cases, all by himself. You really taught him well." the man hung his head, ruffling his hair at what he was hearing. "Ah, well, you see - I think he's kinda timid too. Deviates whatever he deems inconvenient to speak of by coming up with snarky comments. They're fun though. It will be a pity that we won't really see each other again." silence took over them once again. "I'll... Still try to help. But I won't face the ghosts." he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair. "I told Yashiki I'll get him a drink if he gets out of this mess alive. Might as well take you out on a date." Kisara chuckled lightly. "Let's hope I live long enough to see that day. I've got too many things going on to just disappear." she said, only for her smile to vanish. "Besides... I always thought that parents should never have to bury their children... Let alone... Grandparents." she sighed. "I've seen the anguish they go through. Even if it is to spare them the emotional suffering, I will not die. I'd do anything, just to spare my family of all this mess. Whatever ghost comes next, it better say its prayers and get a good look at our world, because I won't let it linger on for too long." "With an attitude like that, I might as well be making dinner reservations." the girl shook her head, giving him an amused smile. "Old fashioned, expensive dinner? Spare me that. Let's go by the beach one evening. Or have a picnic in the park. Or let's go watch a movie." she suggested. "I can't stand going to restaurants. It's... Weird."

"Don't tell me you suddenly turned antisocial." he teased her. "It's not sudden. I've always thought restaurant dates were awkward. That's why I hardly ever accepted anything like that." she admitted. "Ha. Can't contradict you much." he nodded. He took the sake bottle and poured in the two disks, handing one to her. "Driving under the influence is against the law. How many years is it?" Kisara chuckled, downing the few drops of sake. "More than you'd like to know." Mashita drank the first disk, then poured another, which he poured over the grave. "That's good quality sake. It would be a pity to just leave it here to waste." "Then drink it all." she said. "Even if you get drunk out of her wits, so what? I'm taking you home anyway. And if I get lost on my way to your home, I'll just take you to mine. I have a guest room." "You're inciting me to do bad things, Kisara. A gorgeous young lady like you shouldn't stay around drunk men." he chuckled dryly, getting another sip of the alcohol. "I've seen worse things in life." she shrugged. "Besides, what's the worst that you can do? Kiss me? Yes, very tragic, I might as well cry." she offered a sardonic smile. "Careful what you wish. It might come true." the man warned, taking yet another disk. "I guess I'll just pray harder, then." she shot back, leaning her head back to look at the stars. They were twinkling beautifully. She felt calm.

Satoru began properly speaking to his friend now, whilst Kisara remained silent, her eyes closed and her head leaned back, feeling the soft breeze caress her face. She felt embraced by the gentle weather, and the calm atmosphere of the graveyard. There were no more tormented spirits here, none who wished death to all human kind, or any kind of revenge. They were all at peace, and happily passed on, and she could feel their rest. All the trauma and pressure and stress she felt investigating the Shimi-O case, and fighting the ghost were slowly dissipating into nothingness.

"You fell asleep?" she hummed a negative answer. "You certainly seemed that way." "Compared to the madness we faced tonight, this graveyard is like heaven." she said, straightening her back. Mashita rose an eyebrow, watching her reach out to touch the grave stone, as she closed her eyes. "Your friend, as well as everyone else, passed on, and they are content. There is no... Regrets, or... Ill-will. No lingering feelings or hatred. He is happy, on the other side, and resting." she explained. "So... Satoru... Whatever feelings of guilt you have... And any self-hatred or bitterness... Your friend has forgiven everything... Though I doubt he ever did blame you to begin with. You solved the mystery surrounding his death, there is nothing for him to be sad about." "Did you just say that out of nowhere?" he asked, standing up and helping the girl up with him. "I told you I can feel these things. It's half-feeling and half-figuring out what it means. Malevolent ghosts drive me up the wall. The fact that I'm calm here only means things are calm for those resting here too. Nothing more, nothing less." she shrugged, walking towards the car. He took a few more moments by the grave, and then he, too, came back to the car. "Thanks." the girl nodded, starting the ignition and moving along. "I'm going back to work in two days. If you want to see me, I'm there by the day and back home after 5PM. Chances are, if you come a bit later, you can find some warm food too." the man had a small smile on his face - Thankfully, the sake hadn't gotten him too hazy. "I'm sure I'll remember that." 

Soon, the car stopped by his apartment, and Mashita exited the car. "See you around, mystery girl." Kisara gave him a military salute. "Sweet dreams and rest well, Satoru. You've earned it." with that, the tires squeaked on the ground, and she returned to her home. With a nice hot shower and something light to eat, Kisara crashed in her comfortable bed, and fell asleep instantly. For once, no nightmare, and definitely no bee buzzing disturbed her rest, for the entirety of her sleep. Hopefully, the next day will be better, and just as productive - And soon, she will purify the right ghost, and get rid of all this mess.

(( Note: The prayer is a Norito Shinto prayer, called Hi-To-Mi, and it's loosely translated as follows: 

All living things, the universe, were born by the great grace of the universe. We are very grateful that everything in our daily lives is made alive by the mercy of the God of the Sun and the God of the Moon. The god of the sun and the god of the moon always reject the fear of old age, illness, and death, and protect us from the possession of evil Grains such as fields and rice are abundantly fruitful, and sea fish are abundant and nourish our lives. Everyone works in joy, lives every day, and does not starve. Wake up in the morning, go to work, sweat and work, and at night the couple's business and their descendants prosper.  Always be enthusiastic, pray for the appearance of the god of the sun and the god of the moon, and have faith. ))

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