Disclaimer: I don't own Rin-ne/Kyokai No Rinne. It belongs to Viz Media and Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: Spoilers up to chapter 51 of the manga

Realization

Part 7

If it meant breaking her… If it meant that I would never see her again… If it meant that I would have to hurt her myself…

I would do it.


Waiters rushed back and forth, attempting to cater to the needs of their upset and indignant customers. Many of these customers were rich benefactors and regular contributors to the restaurant's business and good name. If the staff of The Red Wheel didn't work quickly they would lose a lot of good money and their reputation. Instantly they assured their guests that refunds and free meals would be in order, in an attempt to keep their good graces. The waiters didn't pay any mind to the suspicious trio standing by the lobby, just in the sight of the opening in the wall, suspiciously the only ones kept pristine from the spill of tarnished food.

Sitting dejectedly in one of the plush leather sofas, Sabato played with the hem of his sleeve and his plastic skull mask. He had insisted on following Ageha and Tsubasa, curious to see what would become of the meeting between Sakura and Rinne. Of course, after waiting for several minutes, he had gotten bored.

Leaning casually against the decorated wall, the exorcist lifted up one eye to spy upon Ageha, who was pacing impatiently back and forth, her hair flowing past her in a unruly black fire. The red of her dress only lit up that passionate frustration in her, and Tsubasa couldn't help but notice how admirable he found it. He found that such powerful and expressive emotions looked very good on Ageha. No, that wouldn't be how to best describe it... he would say that being expressive suited the female shinigami, it made her look more... alive, beautiful, more Ageha. The exorcist smiled quietly to himself before realizing that he was staring rather intently at this girl, and turned his head away in less than a blink of an eye.

He wondered why he was thinking such things about Ageha of all people, when he had often seen her as a nuisance in the past (though he would always respect and acknowledge her skill with a scythe). This was no time to be admiring how attractive she was in that dress, looking angry. Right now they were waiting for their friend to emerge from the elevator... to tell them the news.

His heart clenched—he wasn't going to pursue Sakura Mamiya anymore, her friendship had become too valuable to him to do that. But he still couldn't get rid of the prickles of jealously which relished at dancing in his chest, taunting him. Part of him would always love and adore Sakura Mamiya; it was just that he realized it was more of a sisterly feeling. Even so, Tsubasa felt resentful of Rinne, who had caused so much trouble in her life. As her best friend, Tsubasa would not forgive Rinne until he was certain that his ex-rival had learned his lesson.

To the side, Ageha hissed again. "Where is she? Did Rinne do something to her? God, I wish this would hurry up so that we can finally get the answer!"

Despite himself, Tsubasa gave an involuntary smirk, "Don't worry. Sakura-chan can take care of herself. She'll be fine. Rinne wouldn't dare hurt her."

At least, the old Rinne wouldn't have dared. Tsubasa had no idea what this new Rinne was capable of, but with any luck, he would soon find out.

"That's not good enough! I want to know now! It's been over an hour, those guys over there," she pointed to the dining hall where the fiasco of food still had not been cleaned up, "are running around trying to bribe people while Sakura promised she would be back in thirty minutes! Does it look like thirty minutes to you? My senses screamed that something happened!"

He put a hand on her shoulder, moving from his spot against the wall before he even knew it. "Ageha-san," he quirked another grin at her, "she told us to trust her, right? She has faith. Maybe we should have some faith in her too."

Ageha didn't look convinced, "But..."

"Look, I'll admit that I'm really worried too. Actually, I'm feeling kind of envious that Rinne gets to have this chance with Sakura-chan that I never will," he confided in her, figuring that maybe Ageha was feeling the same way. "But this is their time and we can't disturb them."

Her features softened, and her eyes seemed to have a slight shimmer to them. "...Alright. I'll wait..."

Tsubasa gripped her shoulder tightly, "We can always bust into his office twenty minutes from now, if Sakura-chan, still, doesn't show up."

She brightened considerably, never looking away from him. "Deal."

"Ahem!" Sabato interjected, pointing to the elevator, "Did you notice that the numbers on that panel are stuck at floor seven, instead of at the top floor, for the past fifteen minutes?"

Both exorcist and shinigami were startled out of their trance, now directing their full attention to the former damashigami president, watching him like two hawks intent on their prey.

"What? When did you see that?"

"Well," Sabato said sheepishly, pointing to the lit-up numbers, "the elevator lights were moving to the top floor and then going back down to the bottom when it just... stopped, at floor seven, for several minutes now. Do you think it could be that human girl?"

They whipped around, staring intently at the panel of glass covered numbers and the single light which lit up at the number seven. For several seconds they stared at it, as if trying to will the light to move to ground floor with their minds. But to their growing worry, the light remained stationary, a sole star in a lonely black sky—and a screaming red light that told them there was trouble.

Tsubasa felt his mood darken, as he muttered to both Sabato and Ageha, "Find the stairs... we're going to have a chat with Rinne to see what's taking Sakura-chan so long..."

No one even dared to mutter that it might just be elevator trouble.


Rinne felt as if he were walking in a dream or as if he were a spectator into someone else's life, someone who was also named Rinne Rokudo, and yet that person wasn't him.

But the feelings playing in his stomach told him this was real. This was all real, just as real as seeing Sakura Mamiya's dazzling smile directed to him every morning... just as real as his own hands. Sabato had taken Rinne's debts and gotten rid of Rinne as the co-signer. Rinne no longer had any legal obligation to become heir of the damashigami company. He was free, freer than he had ever felt in his life.

It had been a week since that day, and he had told no one, not even Sakura Mamiya. He knew it was foolish, but Rinne felt that if he moved to tell someone, the whole scenario might disappear in front of him. He was scared that he might wake up from this to find that it was a dream after all.

So Rinne bid his time. He thought about how he could save up his money to rent a room in an apartment, begin to save up to go to a collage. God, collage. He hadn't thought about his post secondary education in ages, believing it to be an impossible feat for someone of his social standing. Besides, he hadn't had time to study with all of his shinigami duties... but now, now he could try to apply for a scholarship, focus on getting a good career so that someday he could be a potential suitor for Sakura Mamiya as well, he would be able to support her financially as he never could before and

He felt his cheeks heat up, as he felt the weight of the rose pendant under his shirt, against his skin. Sakura Mamiya's Valentine's Day gift remained very precious to him in a way that he couldn't hope to describe.

It meant 'hope' to him.

In fact, he had been hoping to tell Sakura about the situation with his father today, having finally gathered the courage. He had invited Sakura to come to the weather hutch after school to talk. He felt nervous just thinking about it, and tried to hide it under his emotionless mask.

Calm down, he told himself, you have all the time in the world to tell her everything now.

But then Masato had to come.


The doors burst open with the force of a cannon blast, leaving the hinges to cower meekly in their hoarse squeaks and the glass quivering around the room. Before the current damashigami president could move, his pristine and frozen office was intruded by two furious guests, and one rather nonchalant one.

Ageha and Tsubasa's eyes grazed lightly across the lack of furniture—several filing cabinets, the desk and chair, the wastebasket and cat's basket—before zooming in on their target. The stoic red-haired damashigami president stared blankly at them. If he had been surprised by their sudden entrance, he made no sign of it, only hiding behind his emotionless mask. Nothing moved in the shadowed room, the threads of darkness and light from the window behind Rinne's desk crisscrossing as a chessboard—or maybe a jail cell.

Tensely, the three former friends stared at each other; a storm of angry indignation verses the stony face. Sabato, by the side, looked on as a spectator with interest. He also kept an eye out for his former secretary, hoping to catch her soon.

Tsubasa stared in hidden shock at what had become of his former rival. The black suit, the blank gaze and empty manner just didn't fit him! Sure, Rokudo had always been a dull stick in the mud, but he'd never been this… this zombie-like! How could his friend have subjected himself to such… such atrocity? This wasn't the Rinne he knew!

Well? Tsubasa thought furiously as the ticking silence and the truth were becoming too suffocating to bear, say something, Rinne Rokudo! Say something about Sakura!

"You're entering without permission. I'm sorry but I'll have to call security on you," the former shinigami said coolly, his red eyes looking through them as if they were mere air in his stifling office. With the air of a well-practiced business man, he walked towards the phone to dial a number.

He was pretending that he didn't know who they were. He was ignoring them, as if all of their adventures together had meant nothing, as if they had never happened. The lack of recognition stung more than any bullet, more than any stab wound, felt more horrible than any disease.

Something in Tsubasa snapped at the meanings behind this action.

"Where is she?" The exorcist snarled, his nails now digging holes into the cuffs of his fine suit. "Sakura-chan was just here, wasn't she?"

The phone dropped from Rokudo's hand against the table. Rokudo's figure tensed and the damashigami president turned around and pinned them with a sharp gaze, accusing in every way.

"She was supposed to be with you by now. It's been at least twenty minutes since she left. Did you check the restroom?"

"Of course we did," Ageha spat out at him. "She's not there!"

"Did she go home early?" came the next question quickly, making Tsubasa feel as if he were being fired with an onslaught of rapid baseballs, trying pointlessly to catch each one.

"She would've told us, or called on Tsubasa-kun's cell phone!"

The fact that Ageha was using his first name didn't bother Tsubasa at all… no, it did not…

Rokudo pushed away from his desk and stomped over to Ageha—almost furiously—eyes burning in an inferno of anger and panic. He grasped Ageha's shoulders, as if to shake her so as to channel his frustration into her being.

"Then where is she?" Rokudo demanded, his voice—for the first time that Tsubasa had ever heard Rokudo speak around them—low and dangerous.

Ageha was rendered speechless for half of a second before she yanked her arms away from him and snarled, "That's what we're asking you! What did you do to Sakura-chan?"

"I didn't do anything that wasn't necessary, Ageha!"

Tsubasa frowned, fists tightening, "Necessary? You—"

"Excuse me," Sabato cut in rather diplomatically, "I'd hate to cut the dramatics… but I think I know where your little human has wandered off to… or rather, was snatched too…"

They all whirled around to his direction, responding like a group of angry hyenas, "Where?"

Sabato's lips curved downwards as he pointed to an envelope taped to the window behind them. The envelope was addressed to the damashigami president, Rinne Rokudo. Curvy and sloppy kanji writing, purposely misspelled, told them who the sender was.

"Masato," the name hissed out from Rinne's lips like a deadly curse, and before Tsubasa knew it, Rinne was had pulled out his scythe and grabbed the letter.


"Waiting for your girl, Rinne-kun?" The slippery and cunning voice drawled into the air, his words like snakes slithering around his ears.

With a frown, Rinne turned around, spotting the devil sitting on top of his weather hutch as if it were something to lounge lazily upon. As always, Masato sported a smug grin; his fangs were gleaming pearly white and his eyes like daggers. The devil's wings arched elegantly around him like a blanket of velvety black. It was one of the other physical clues which told any sighted person that he was of demon ancestry. If Rinne could choose one thing to dislike about the rather dim-witted devil, it would be his fashion sense. Masato thrilled in dressing in expensive garments to show off his wealth… and spurn Rinne's lack of it.

"Masato," Rinne pulled on his haori of the underworld at the same time, so that less attention would be directed towards their conversation. "What are you up to this time?"

"Hmph," the devil crossed his arms in a condescending way, "how rude! Don't you know you're supposed to answer a question when someone asks you?"

"It's none of your business," Rinne told him. The last thing he wanted was to get Sakura Mamiya caught up in another one of Masato's plots. Up until now, Sakura Mamiya was never the intended victim, simply wrapped up in whatever schemes Masato had come up with. Rinne wanted it to stay that way.

Unfortunately, the devil was not going to stray from the subject. In fact, Masato's lips slid perfectly into a predatory grin. Around them, the birds seemed to stop chirping at the sight of it.

"Oh! It seems as though I've hit a sore spot! Do you feel for that girl, Rinne-kun?" Masato asked coyly, delighting as Rinne's expressions became slowly angrier. "I wouldn't if I were you. You'll end up with a broken heart and a tragic love story."

Rinne froze, and then pulled out his scythe, pointing it menacingly at Masato's face, "Whatever you're planning to do with Sakura Mamiya, stop it now."

The devil was not deterred; instead, he seemed ecstatic by Rinne's response. To Rinne's annoyance, he flew up above him, purposely fluttering in Rinne's line of sight and before Rinne could fly up and hit him with his scythe, Masato called out.

"What if your precious little Mamiya-san was in danger because of her pretty little eyes? Would you do anything to save her…? Rinne-kun?"

The sort-of shinigami tensed, temporarily confused. What was Masato talking about it? Why would being able to see ghosts put Sakura Mamiya in danger? Was Masato plotting something to do with her ability to speak with the dead?

Angrily, Rinne flew up to meet Masato, the red, white and yellow of his robe fluttering behind him in the wind. The blade of his weapon glinted threateningly at the devil and Rinne said slowly, in a very low and dangerous tone.

"Masato… If you hurt her… I will hunt you down, and you'll have more to worry about than just Hell."

That Cheshire grin of his only widened, "I'm shaking in my shoes from fear… really, I am. But really, Rinne-kun, I'm insulted. What makes you think that I'd ever want to hurt your adorable little lady friend? I'm just giving you fair warning that… maybe your little Mamiya-san isn't as safe with you as you think."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why… didn't your granny tell you? Hm, I guess it just wasn't brought up because it's so rare to have people who have been spirited away to the shinigami world still… living."

Rinne was beginning to feel cold—but with what? He didn't know.

"You see, Rinne-kun… don't you think it's odd that so many spirits and deaths are situated in this particular neighborhood? Why aren't there as many spirits elsewhere? Why are so many at unrest? Why are so many spirits so much closer to becoming evil? You haven't run into many evil spirits yet… but it will happen soon as she becomes more powerful…"

The cold became increasingly so in temperature, Rinne frowned. "Who?"

"Why, Mamiya-san, of course. Her affinity with spirits is growing stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if she ceases to be human in a few more years and becomes shinigami—if she lives."

"Why wouldn't she live?"

Masato raised an eyebrow, "Put the puzzle pieces together, Rinne-kun. Her powers with spirits are increasing, the number of spirits in the area is increasing, and the tendency to become evil is increasing in these spirits…"

Increasing…? Ever since Rinne had met Sakura he found that spirits tended to run into his path rather than the other way around. A lot of student deaths in other schools happened frequently, as well as incidences in her school revolving around dark ghosts. It was almost as if she was a… She was a…

In realization, Rinne's eyes widened as he involuntarily floated back weakly to the ground.

"…Spirits are attracted to her. She's like a magnet for evil spirits… and that attraction only increases as time goes on. This is why those spirited away don't survive for long into adulthood… they're killed by evil spirits or worse. If Sakura Mamiya continues to have her sight… this will happen to her."

And he would be able to do nothing to save her, for he doubted he could take on a hoard of evil spirits. Shinigamis were guides into the spirit realm, not soldiers. The level of dangerous spirits Sakura would be hunted by was too advanced for regular shinigami to handle on their own. They were the creatures of nightmares and Japanese folklore, appearances so twisted that they were no longer human. They were like youkai.

Dark chuckles surrounded him.

"See? I knew you'd figure it out. But the question is… what are you willing to pay to save her?"


Rinne-kun, read the letter when Tsubasa had ripped it out of Rokudo's grip to read it himself. He had gotten very good at dodging the blows of his scythe while dictating the letter out loud for Ageha and Sabato to hear its contents as well. Nothing Rokudo could do would stop Tsubasa from reading it.

It looks like you've disregarded our deal by letting your girl get her sight back. How disappointing. I had hoped to watch you writhe in agony under your paperwork some more. But alas, your friends have given her back the ability to see so now our contract is void.

Did you really think you could protect her from the truth forever? Now she's mine. Your little playtime as damashigami president is all for naught.

Let's see if you can get her back before I throw her in hell. Maybe she'll enjoy being with me than she ever did with you.

You have two hours to find us. How cliché and predictable, Tsubasa couldn't help but think.

Will you get her in time, little ex-shinigami? Or will you let her burn in debt hell? Your choice. Your curss—Masato had misspelled 'curse' on purpose again—my boss and I are looking forward to it.

Masato.

The paper crumpled in Tsubasa's hand, now like a weak little dried up worm, when he finished the letter. Everyone in the room was tense.

Then without warning, Tsubasa grabbed Rinne by the collar and spat in his face, "What contract? What deal? What's this letter really about? Is this why Sakura Mamiya is currently in the clutches of that devil?"

Rinne did not speak; he was currently trying to get out of Tsubasa's steel grip. But the exorcist refused to move. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

"Did you put Sakura Mamiya in danger?" Tsubasa yelled in Rinne's face, growing more chaotic as Rinne still said nothing. "Answer me!"

Still… nothing. Rinne glared at him and continued trying to get out his grip.

This time, it was Ageha who exploded.

"Don't you care about her? I thought we were your friends! I thought she was the girl you loved! I thought you were a good person! Are you going to go back to work now and pretend this didn't happen? Are you going to abandon her to rot in hell?"

"Of course not! I will never abandon her!"

The ferocity of this reply made everyone freeze. Tsubasa's fingers let the cuff of Rinne's suit slip as a result and the three of them watched Rinne kneel weakly in front of them—defeated.

"I've always put Sakura Mamiya in danger, don't you see?" Rinne shouted at them, on his knees. "Everything I did… she was always thrown into it. It was better that I stopped talking to her, stopped being around her at all—then she could live a peaceful, normal life… without me to ruin it."

He glared at them, challenging any of them to say something to counter that point when Tsubasa threw his fist down against one of Rinne's multiple filing cabinets.

"Bull—"Tsubasa swore loudly at him, "Was that your excuse? Was that what you were trying to protect her from? Yourself? Did you even ask her if that was what she wanted? Did you even talk to her? That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard and I would beat the living daylights out of you if it wouldn't waste the valuable time we need to rescue Sakura-chan!"

For a minute, Rinne look mildly wounded, but he recovered his stormy expression. "Don't you get it? Humans who have been spirited away and gain the ability to see ghosts eventually become targeted by forsaken! Forsaken ghosts are the evil spirits who have descended so far into corruption that they couldn't be saved—they become monsters, beyond the jurisdiction of any average shinigami. Only high-class shinigami have any chance against Forsaken, and even they don't make it out alive all of the time.

"The longer Sakura Mamiya had the ability to see ghosts, the more her chances of being eaten by a Forsaken increased. Forsaken are attracted to those humans who gain the sight unnaturally. Sakura Mamiya wasn't born with the ability to see like you were Jumonji; she only had it because she ate food from the otherworld when she was spirited away as a little girl. They're attracted to her. If I hadn't taken away her ability to see she would've died sooner or later once she reached a certain age!" Rinne finished with a flourish, the pent-up explanations and emotions leaving him drained and emotionally upset. He put his head in his hands. "…And I wouldn't be able to protect her."

No one had anything to say.


"So it's true then…," he sat back, defeated against a plush sofa, unable to feel any comfort from the softness of the furniture.

Scrolls and several ancient Shinigami scripts lay scattered on the smooth oak table of his grandmother's living room. He had come urgently to her home in order to access the library in her basement which contained all the procedures of putting spirits to rest, the best items to use against corrupted spirits, shinigami laws and most of all… information about Forsaken. Hearing of his plight, Tamako had gotten to work in trying to find all information possible on humans given the sight, as well as those that would hunt them.

What she found was an old record from several centuries ago which detailed everything about Forsaken. Their appearances were monstrous, ranging from ogre-like creatures to fanged humanoid things. Back in the feudal era and ancient times they often ran rampant but thanks to certain procedures by an order of shinigami, they were successful in putting most Forsaken in hibernation. However, when humans wander into the otherworld and eat the food there, they gain the power to see and also, the scent that awakens and attracts Forsaken.

Most of the time, these humans are killed before they reach adulthood unless their sight is taken away by an official from the shinigami realm.

Rinne didn't know what to do.

"We can't tell any of the higher-up shinigami about Sakura Mamiya… they'll demand a high price for the removal of her powers. Plus, with the length of time that she's had the sight, it'll be harder to take it away…," Tamako mused. "Besides, these cases were so rare that most shinigami forget about what can awake Forsaken. They assume any humans that can see were born with that ability. If we bring it up, they may demand your debts and you might be put into another situation like that time with Kain. Even then, there's no guarantee that they'll help us. These potions needed to take away sight… they're very difficult to make, very rare and old. Even I didn't know about this until now."

He scrunched up his arms against his haori, facing the ceiling as if it held all of the answers to his problems. It didn't. And he knew that he was wasting time.

"…I know, Granny."

For once, because of the given situation, she did not call him on that endearment. She merely sat next to her grand son and put an arm around him without saying a word. Rinne was grateful for that, because at the moment, he felt like the weakest man in the world. No, not even a man, just a useless little boy who couldn't even protect someone he cared about so deeply from a horrible death. If Sakura died from the Forsaken, it would be before her time. It would be an unjust death.

He couldn't think of a world without Sakura Mamiya's smile, without her to tag along his exorcisms and offer comfort to troubles spirits. He couldn't imagine his life without her little gifts that he knew were just ways of showing she cared, her laugh, the way she walked, how pretty her eyes were. He couldn't imagine himself without her.

He needed her to live.

"I'll take Masato's deal. He can give me the potion if I give in to his terms," Rinne said slowly, robotically.

In the end, Masato had won.

"What?" Tamako shouted, "No! You can't do this to yourself, Rinne-chan! Are you really willing to condemn yourself to a life you detest? Can you live without talking to her? Without living with her? Can you live a life where you have to take advantage of unjust death? That is the payment, Rinne."

It seemed like several eternities passed by as he lay against his grandmother's arms, but in reality, it was just one little second, one agonizing second that would change his life forever.

"…If it meant breaking her…," Rinne said slowly, "If it meant that I would never see her again… If it meant that I would have to hurt her myself just to keep her safe from those who try to harm her…I would do it."


"So what?" Tsubasa spoke out. "What if Sakura-chan didn't want you to make sacrifices for her? What if she wanted something else?"

Rinne's eyes flashed, "How would you know that? You have no idea the danger that—"

"Well you should've explained it to her! You should've given her a choice! I know you were trying to protect her, but you should've discussed it with us first. We all care about you and Sakura-chan, we wanted to be part of this decision too, consequences be damned," Ageha cut in, speaking the very words that Tsubasa couldn't have articulated better himself. "We're your friends."

They all glowered at each other.

"I'd ask you what you gave up… I'd ask you what Masato wanted… but we're wasting time. Besides, that's the sort of thing you should tell to Sakura-chan first when you see her," Ageha muttered at him, hiding her face.

Tsubasa nodded, "So, Rokudo… where do you think Masato took her?"


"Promise me that you won't speak to her directly after this, Granny. Promise me that you'll leave her alone."

Tamako stood motionlessly in the doorway, watching her grandson get up to leave, sadly. She was a lone figure in a kimono, the only figure he could trust now.

"…Are you sure about this, Rinne? Won't you be lonely?"

His expression did not change. "If it's to protect her, I'll do it."

"But don't you think she deserves a choice?" Tamako pressed on. "What if she doesn't want this?"

Rinne bit his lip in frustration, remembering all of the instances when Sakura Mamiya disregarded her own life just to help him. He recalled all of the times when she ignored the dangers, just because she was with him. This girl couldn't judge her own safety. She wouldn't be able to judge what was good for her.

"It doesn't matter… I'll do what's best for her."

And he left.

By herself, Tamako looked on sadly in the distance. "It's miscommunication that will lead you down the wrong path, Rinne-chan. It will lead to regret."

Her advice remained unheeded, because really, he would do anything to keep that girl safe.

-Part 7 end-

Note: Sorry I'm late guys, graduation and university orientations took my time. Did anyone read the latest chapter of Rinne? I absolutely love the new character Kain and can't wait to see how the relationship between Rinne and Sakura progresses are a result of his actions!

Thank you for reading :D