I own nothing but my OC.

"Speech."
'Thoughts'
SOUND EFFECTS
{locations and settings}
=/=/=/= scene/time change and transition
Flashbacks will be labeled
Japanese and other references will be explained at the end

Previously:

"Wait, where's his tansu?" She asked Fujimura, correctly assuming that he had been the one to suggest separating Kusuriuri from his belongings until he could be cleared of suspicion.

"Who cares about that! What was that you just said about a sword?" Katsurou interrupted furiously. "He's suspicious after all!"

"You really think that's what you should be worried about right now!" Kotone asked incredulously. She knew he had to have seen Sumiko too, because he looked extremely pale, even if it didn't affect his attitude.

"Suspicious… that is indeed true… We cannot leave things as they are." Kusuriuri said calmly as he held out his hands out, and two paper talismans unfolded and pasted themselves to the doors.

Bancho Sarayashiki: Part 4

"If we do not set up a barrier… things will get dangerous." Kusuriuri said as he reached into his sleeves.

"Hey, you! No sudden movem—" Katsurou started.

FWOOOSH!

He froze, stunned, as a swarm of talismans shot past him, covering the entire wall, as they plastered themselves to it.

What the hell…!?

The rest of the Okamoto family and the servants all gasped, startled, when they realized it wasn't over yet. Everyone ducked for cover as Kusuriuri continued running through the room, throwing his talismans in every direction without once bothering to issue a warning to anyone in his way.

"Seal!" Kusuriuri commanded firmly as he held his hand out in front of him. Kotone felt a buzz of energy as a strong barrier snapped into place.

"You know… a little warning would've been nice, Kusuriuri-san..." Kotone deadpanned a little sarcastically from where she had thrown herself flat against the tatami mat in order to avoid the typhoon of talismans. 'Come to think of it… I think I remember Kayo-san warning me about something like this…' she thought, sweat dropping. She probably should've seen this coming…

Kusuriuri held back a smirk. It was amusing to see her lecturing him like that after she had just dodged a few flying pieces of paper so dramatically.

"Wha… What was that!?" Hana cried as she trembled in fear, as if seeing that thing hadn't been bad enough—Now she had to worry about death by a thousand paper cuts!?

"It's all right now. That thing can't come in." Kusuriuri stated as he lowered his hands.

The talismans on the wall facing the well glowed red.

BAAMM!

"Kyaaah!" Hana shrieked as they all flinched in shock.

Kotone jumped slightly in surprise when the servant girl suddenly latched onto her as though the shamisen player was her new security blanket. "S-S-Something just slammed into the wall!!" Hana cried as she tightened her grip on Kotone and hid her face in her kimono as the banging continued.

BAAMM! BAAMM!

It was ramming against the barrier with so much force that the room itself began to shake.

"Oi, what are you doing!?" Fujimura demanded nervously when Harada suddenly jumped to his feet and made a run for the doors on the opposite side of the room, desperate to run deeper inside the house to put as much distance between himself and that thing as possible. He didn't trust that Kusuriuri's barrier would hold against such violent force.

"Harada-san!" Kotone shouted anxiously, trying to stop him as he passed her by. It was useless. With Hana clinging to her, Kotone could barely even move. "Sorry!" She yelled, pushing Hana away, so she could jump up and run after him. Her eyes widened in horror as Harada started to slide the door open. "Noooo!!" She screamed, lunging forward to pull him back inside. She was startled when someone wrapped their arms around her and held her back.

"Don't leave the barrier!" Kusuriuri shouted as he restrained her. This girl was far too reckless!

It was already too late for Harada. His life was forfeit the moment he opened the door. He froze when he saw what awaited him just outside the room. Sumiko's bloated lips were twisted in a chilling smile as she eyed her prey she raised her hand to point at the petrified man.

"Found you."

Harada's mouth opened in a silent scream as water started pouring out of him. Out of his eyes, out of his ears, out of his mouth… He was being drowned from the inside out.

"Stooop! Stop it, Sumiko!!" Kotone screamed as she strained to reach for him.

"Take her." Kusuriuri told Noboru, pushing her into the other man's arms so he could fix the barrier.

"Don't look." Noboru said sympathetically as he placed a hand over her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch Harada's painful death. She had never been particularly close to Harada, but it was traumatizing enough to see someone you'd known since childhood die so violently. He held her in his arms until the doors were shut and the barrier was set firmly in place again.

"I can't believe it…" Kotone said numbly as she sank to the floor, stricken with grief. "Th-That can't be Sumiko-san… It just can't! How could she kill Harada-san!? He was her brother!!"

"That was a mononoke, a monster created when an ayakashi merges with strong human feelings. That thing is no longer Sumiko-san." Kusuriuri told her. "You will become that thing's food once you leave the barrier. This barrier cannot be maintained forever. If this goes on, sooner or later, we will all share Harada-san's fate. We will have to kill the mononoke."

He suspected this mononoke had probably been active ever since Sumiko's death, but at least it was much weaker than the bakeneko he had faced under similar circumstances… It seemed this one needed time to build its strength… He would not allow that to happen.

"Is there no way for her to be saved…?" Kotone asked.

"… There is not. I'm sorry, but a mononoke is something that must not be allowed to exist in this world." Kusuriuri said.

She clenched her fists.

"I see… I don't know what happened to Sumiko-san, but… she must have suffered greatly for her to hold such a strong grudge. Even so, to attack her own brother like that…" Kotone said sadly. "… I can't bear to see her doing such painful things. You're right, Kusuriuri-san. We can't let this continue. The Sumiko-san I knew would never be happy with an existence like this. If she's left like this, she'll never be able to find peace." She said determinedly as she raised her head to look the mysterious medicine seller in the eye. There was a little heartache in her eyes, but they never once wavered with hesitation. Her blue eyes were steady, filled with a quiet strength that showed her deep resolve to see this through to the end, no matter how difficult it might be.

"Kotone…" Noboru said, amazed. He smiled kindly at her. She really was a fine woman… no one else could ever hope to compare.

"And just how is it that you plan to kill this mononoke?" Katsurou asked cynically. "Would our swords even work against a monster like that?"

"I doubt it… The moment we get close to it, we'll end up like Harada…" Fujimura said nervously. "Ooh! This is why I can't stand ghosts! There's nothing I can do against an enemy I can't cut!"

"Please calm down, Fujimura-san. Kusuriuri-san's sword isn't just any ordinary katana, it's a taima." Kotone said, trying to placate the old man so he wouldn't give himself a heart attack from all the stress.

"Do you really have a demon-slaying sword?" Satomi asked, impressed.

"Yes. However, to satisfy the condition to unsheathe the taima sword… We need to know the katachi, makoto, and kotowari of the mononoke." Kusuriuri explained as he eyed them all with a somewhat guarded expression on his face.

"B-But isn't it still in your tansu…? What good is it to us if it's not even here!?" Ueda asked anxiously.

"Oh?" Kotone said, suddenly perking up when she realized the room's atmosphere was starting to feel less oppressive.

"Its presence has vanished." Kusuriuri informed them as the red talismans faded back to their original inactive state. "If we are going to leave the barrier, now would be the best time to do it. In addition to the sword, I will also need salt. That thing will come again. We need to make some preparations before then."

"I'll go with you. I used to spend time chatting with some of the servants in the kitchen, so I know where everything is kept." Kotone said as she stood up and walked over to Kusuriuri, volunteering herself. Sumiko had been like an older sister to her, so she wanted to do whatever she could to help.

"You can't! Isn't it dangerous to leave the barrier!? What if something happens to you!?" Noboru protested anxiously as he grabbed her by the wrist.

Kotone winced slightly at the painfully tight grip he had on her. She was a little startled by how uncharacteristically forceful he was being. The Noboru she had known in the past wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Calm yourself, Noboru." Satomi said sternly, frowning in disapproval. "Can't you see that you are hurting her?"

"Ah! Please forgive me… I didn't mean to be so rough..." He apologized earnestly and immediately let go of her wrist. He looked extremely guilty about what he had just done.

"I know you didn't." Kotone said, smiling reassuringly at him as she rubbed her sore wrist. She might have a light bruise there for a while, but it wasn't like he had done it on purpose, right? "Don't worry, Noboru-sama. We won't be gone long."