Yakuhai (1)

Red eyes, erupting with shadows, filling the room with void. Screams. Silence. The television monitor exploding in slow motion. Glass shards flying through the room like bullets, piercing Saki's skin. Blood blurs her vision. Her eyes now red like her sister's, she watches the shadows flying after the shattered glass, claiming this room for their own. A thump. A moan. Then, darkness.

Saki awakened. Her limbs ached as she got up.
Did I really sleep on the floor? I can't remember ...
She stood up.
Maybe I fell from the sofa in my sleep ...
Her face felt sticky. She rubbed it with her shirt.
But then, why would I be sleeping? I was watching the first match of the finals! I can't fall asleep. I'll miss my sister and Yuuki playing!
The television was not turned on. Come to think of it, the room was awfully dark and quiet.
Where is everyone? They should be with me. And ...
Saki looked at her shirt. It was red with blood. Blood! Blood scattered everywhere in the room, the sofa turned over, smoke from the television, the cupboard in shambles –
Saki stood up. Rubbed her temples. Looked down on her shirt. It was nice and clean, just like the room. She went to the door, leaving the room empty.

Saki wandered through the hallways, towards the playing room. Her footsteps echoed along the walls of the tournament hall, like voices filling her head. The walls themselves felt large and imposing, threatening, only illuminated by emergency lighting. Saki was afraid. Her head felt blurry, her memory fuzzy. She went on.

The doors to the playing room were wide open. Mist was coming from the room, slithering on the ground. The door was on it's hinges, as if forced open from inside. Slowly, carefully, and with sweat dripping from her chin Saki approached the room. In it, light. Spotlights on the table. The players slumped in their chairs, lifeless. A shadow caught Saki's eye. It was behind Yuuki, darker than it should be. Saki went towards the stairs leading up to the Mahjong table. The air grew colder as she went up.
"Yuuki!?" Saki stood in horror at the sight of her friend. With the dark shadow flowing around her like a coat, she seemed no more than a lump of flesh, wrinkles deep in her skin, her mouth dried up.
"What happened to you?!" Saki rushed to aid her friend, to help her up, to shake her awake – then she thought better of it. She caressed Yuuki's face, gently brushing aside her hair. Even as she tried to talk to her, Saki felt Yuuki's life slipping from her fingers.
"Sa ... ki ...", Yuuki groaned. Her eyes opened just a bit, enough to reveal they were as dull as her body.
"Yuuki! Are you alright? What happened to you?" Saki's questions spilled out in concern.
Yuuki lifted her head towards Saki, groaning from exhaustion of just this simple effort. With the last of her strength, she whispered: "East ... Wind ..." Then, she fell unconscious.
Saki wanted to cry. She had no idea what was happening, why it was happening, just that her friends were being hurt. Averting her gaze from Yuuki, she turned to see the rest of the table. The other two players seemed fine, albeit blacked out. One seat was empty. Her sister's seat.
Saki shuddered. Her eyes were drawn to to the void were her sister was supposed to be. A horrible conclusion came to her. Petrified by the thought, she turned her head to face Yuuki again. A red glow answered her unspoken question. Then, two things happened at once.

The shadow that had been looming over Yuuki no fully embraced her. With demonic eyes wide open and teeth bared, Yuuki jumped at Saki. At the same time, Saki instinctively reached for the Mahjong tiles on the table. She threw them at Yuuki. They burned into Yuuki's skin, charring the flesh, adding a sizzling sound under the screams of the girl. She fell on her knees and tried to get rid of the tiles. Saki watched in horror as her friend scratched off pieces of skin in the process. Where Yuuki's face was ripped open, more red light shone through.
"What ... what are you? What did you do to Yuuki? What did you do to my sister?", Saki asked, tears falling from her eyes.
Yuuki stood up with an evil grin on her face. "So you are the sister of that strong girl?", answered Yuuki in a deep voice, husky even. "I wonder ... since the same blood runs in your veins, do you posses the same power ... ?"
"What are you talking about? Please ... please go back to normal, Yuuki! Please ... I just want everyone to come back ..."
"Don't cry now, you're ruining the mood." Yuuki's voice was more calm now. Her face was only red from blood now, not shining. "You know what? I'm in a good mood right now. I was having a splendid time until now. I shall answer your question ... if you play a game with me!"
"A game? What game? This ... this is not the time for games, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes it is! This is a tournament hall, is it not? Now is the perfect time for a game! I will even give you a little bonus at the start!"
"R-really? What kind of bonus?"
"I'll tell you who I am! If you win, I'll tell you what happened to your sister! Sounds good, doesn't it?"
"And if I lose?"
"Well ... " Yuuki's shadow extended. A dark hand grasped the two girls who were sitting unconscious at the table. Their eyes flew open, they wanted to scream, their faces solidified in an expression of horror. Then, they fell. Heads hitting the table. Then, they sat. Eyes shining red like Yuuki's.
"If you lose", Yuuki continued, "I shall take these girls for myself!"
"Just ... who are you?", Saki asked.
"I am Ton, the demon of the east wind! Have you never wondered why Yuuki is always so strong in the east wind rounds? That's right ... it's me. My power."

"A demon? This – this can't be true!" Saki felt shivers running down her spine. She denied what she heard, of course, but she knew that it was true. Those menacing, red eyes ... the way Yuuki had been acting ... for now Saki had no choice. She had to play. Slowly she made her way around the table towards her seat. The tiles were already standing orderly, even though they had just been flying around the room. Saki had not heard the automatic table shuffle them. Saki gulped.

Mahjong: Saki vs. The Demon of the East Wind!

"One word before we start ... ", Yuuki said as she sorted her tiles. "This game will not follow the regular set of rules. We will play until one player goes below zero points ... however many rounds that will take!" Yuuki laughed. "Not that this really matters ... I will finish you in the first four east hands!"
The tiles were shaking in Saki's hands as she sorted them. Playing against Yuuki like this ... I have to use my whole strength! But looking into those eyes ... I don't know if I can keep this up. Saki took a deep breath.

First east hand. Dora indicator: Man 2. East Seat: Yuuki. South Seat: Kuro. West Seat: Saki. North Seat: Suzu. Dealer: Yuuki. Saki's hand: Man 1,2,4,7,9; Pin 1,1,2; Sou 5; West, Chun, Chun, Chun.

This is a good hand, but if this Yuuki is as good as the Yuuki I know, I won't have enough time to complete it. I have to call aggressively. Saki's hands were slippery from sweat as she sorted her tiles. She gave hasty glances across the table, averted her eyes when they met Yuuki's.
"What are you waiting for? It's your turn! Draw your tile!"
Saki winced. Didn't she just get her tiles? How were the other girls so fast? She looked at her opponents' discards.
Yuuki discarded a Chun? I can't believe I missed a chance for a Kan ... I have to get it together. I can't lose this game!
Saki drew her tile. Man 3. If the draws keep coming, I can get a Yakuhai Chanta Dora 1. That's at least 4000 points ... but it will take three more turns. I have to call if I get the chance.
She took the East tile, moved it to the discard pile. Her grip tightened. Cramped. She felt her mistake, felt it in the tiles. Her mind went black as Yuuki's presence overwhelmed her. Saki broke in a sweat. She opened her mouth, screamed, screamed ... No word came out. Her voice, suppressed. The tiles, empty. She could not feel them, could not see within them. They rejected her, rejected her for Yuuki. Her mind was going blank.
Saki discarded her tile.
"Pon!" Yuuki's voice was full of victory. A smirk on her face, she took the tile.
What was this feeling just now ... ? Was this Yuuki's doing? It threw me completely off ... My body is still shaking ...
"Not feeling so well, are we? Don't worry, I will put you out of your misery soon enough!"
Yuuki slammed her discarded tile on the table.
"Pon!" Suzu claimed the tile the instant it hit the table.
So fast! Are they working together? Is Yuuki controlling her play ... ? That would be quite bad for me ... Not to mention, I don't even get to draw now! This is bad ...
Suzu discarded as fast as she called.
"Now you will see that this really isn't your game anymore." Yuuki's grin widened as she reached to draw her tile. Without looking, she put it next to her called West tiles.
"Kan.", she said, looking Saki into the eyes. Her eyes fixed on her opponent she took her replacement tile.
"Rinshan Kaihou!"