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8. The Family Vault

"The light is fading, Yukihira. Maybe we should call it off, or at least get some torches…" Shiramine called out to the pair walking in front of him. Gouda and Yukihira continued forging their way through the long grass. "We must find Kuniko. There are two more vaults at the other end of the cemetery, she could be there… OW!" Gouda stumbled. Yukihira hurried over to his side. It looked like a nasty sprain. Kerberos smiled. Even fate was helping Lady Hel.


"Neesama… you promised no one will get killed," Jormungand whispered and tugged at the cuff of her sleeve when she entered the church. Hel frowned and batted his hand away. They were too near Class Q for a conversation now. She beckoned Jormungand to follow her into a quiet nave some distance from the others. "Man, this one is a beheading of an American citizen by Iraqi insurgents. The other one's a female negotiator getting blown up by rebels… they were in the news sometime back… Man, this is sick…" Kinta's voice faded away. Hel was pleased to hear the tremor as he analysed the snuff videos Fenrir had posted.

It was by sheer luck and willpower Fenrir had managed to take on the role of the elusive Dragonboy9 in time for their plan. She couldn't slip away just yet and Jormungand obviously lacked the heart. Kero-kun could be trusted but he had been assigned to keep an eye on Class A. It simply wouldn't do if they found their friend before Ryu did.

"You promised not to kill her…" Jormungand wheedled. He clutched her wrist urgently, eyes pleading for confirmation. Maybe Jormungand was more soft-hearted than she had thought.

"You've checked up on Class Q and the others. Do you believe they will let her get killed?" Hel knelt casually before the statute of the Virgin Mother, hands clasped in mock prayer and eyes focused on the serene features of the statute. "Their skills are remarkable, but if you mean someone to be dead, you do not need to pull the trigger yourself, neesama… especially if you've placed the trigger in their hands. What trap has nii-sama set?" Jormungand stopped at her side and adopted a prayerful posture.

"I have no idea, little one," Hel lied. "I'll warn them." Jormungand made a move to leave her.

"Do you still remember hell, Ryunosuke?" Hel need not turn her head to know he has hesitated. "Turn now and you'll be back there where you were six years ago. Your teachers, classmates, even Principal Nanami, they wouldn't help you once they know your true identity… do you wish to be living in hell again?" Jormungand bit his lip thoughtfully.

"Death would be preferable," Jormungand's whisper was hoarse as he returned to her side. "In the end, the children of Loki have only each other."

"Good. I promise you, Jormungand. You will never have to go through that again." Hel made the sign of the cross and got up.


"This is not good…" Kyu frowned as their faceless adversary continued to taunt them despite Kazuma's best efforts to trace him. He fought a wave of nausea from the gory videos earlier. Beside him, Ryu was silent and pale. The sun was setting outside. "Tonight's special matinee…" appeared on the screen. Taking a deep breath, Ryu clicked on the link.

A grainy video appeared. A gagged Kuniko was tied to a chair. She was wearing a lumpy-looking vest with a timer attached. A small inset at the corner of the video was set at fifteen minutes and counting backwards. "Kazuma, can we do something about the resolution, fast?" Kinta asked. They might be able to get some clues from the video. Kazuma squinted at the screen as he ran the programme. "I think it is the same place she was held all along…"

Junior wheeled over to them. "Need some help?" Kagome stifled a yawn and wandered off in a show of blatant disinterest. Meiling was leaning half-way over the font, dipping her hand in the holy water.

You have seven minutes, Ryu-sama…

"KYU! Get the priest and the nuns! We need to ask if there's any place we missed!" Ryu yelled. Meiling squeaked in alarm when he dashed past her and splashed into the font. Near a stained glass window of the Mother and Child, Kagome glanced at the commotion, hugged her doll and called out. "Be careful, Amakusa!" Ryu ran into Class A on the porch. Class A's search of the surrounding grounds had come to an unexpected end. Gouda was limping badly, having sprained his ankle tripping over a fallen gravestone. He was supported by his two classmates. "Did you guys find anything unusual in the grounds? Have any of the crypts been disturbed?" Ryu asked.

"We have two vaults on the eastern side of the cemetery we have not managed to check out. Nothing unusual about the others. Many were falling apart. The locks on the crypts we checked were rusted badly. One didn't even have a door left," Yukihira reported. "Ryu, what's up?" Ryu ignored her question and ran.

"Ryu! Wait up!" Kyu bounded after his friend. Ryu sprinted towards the eastern perimeter of the grounds. The first vault he encountered was empty. The door had literally fallen off the hinges. The second one was located barely ten yards from the perimeter fence. Over the fence were the lights of the hostel. The second one was locked. The keyhole glistened. He touched the keyhole. It was recently oiled. It was too easy. The key was in his pocket. He had absent-mindedly pocketed it after they identified it as being from the church.

"Ryu!" Kyu panted for breath as he stopped next to him. "This is the place, Kyu…" Ryu murmured and inserted the key into the lock. They probably had less than five minutes to disarm the bomb and save Kuniko. "How much time left, Kyu?" The lock gave a dry click. The door creaked stubbornly on its hinges. It seemed an eternity before it was ajar.

"Ryu, something is not right. I have Kinta on the phone," Kyu clutched at Ryu's elbow, only to be shaken off. "There's no time, Kyu!" Ryu entered the dark and musty vault. Left without a choice, Kyu followed and flicked on his penlight. The nagging unease grew once inside.

"Kinta, we are inside the vault nearest the hostel," Kyu whispered into his phone. "No rash moves, I'll get there soon. Kazuma may have caught something… Kyu?" Kinta cursed when he realized his phone battery was flat. He dashed off. Kyu and Ryu gingerly groped their way past rotting coffins and dusty bones. A narrow flight of steps led downwards steeply. At the end of it, a door was slightly ajar. A thin crack of light showed.

"Ryu, wait. The others are on their way." Ryu ignored Kyu and made his way down the steps. The stairs were so narrow they could only walk in single file. Kyu looked at the small pool of light at his feet and ran the beam of his penlight up and down the stairs as he groped his way along. On reaching the bottom, Ryu gingerly pushed open the door, until he saw a frightened face looking back at him. Toya Kuniko. The girl shook her head frantically and fought against her bonds. The timer showed slightly more than three minutes.

"Kyu, I'm going in," Ryu called out to Kyu. He pushed hard against the heavy wooden door. At that same instant, it suddenly dawned on Kyu what was so wrong with their surroundings.

"Ryu, NO!" There was a tremendous explosion and smoke.

"Oh, hell…" Kinta gasped in horror as he reached the vault. The door hung open. The acrid smell emanating from within was not good… Coincidently, the beam of his torch caught the name of the family the vault belonged to. Amakusa. Kinta frowned. This was more than coincidence.

Author's Notes:

Guess this is one to Hel. Will Ryu, Kyu and Kuniko emerge unscathed from this? Or is this the first character death?

Thanks for the review. And yes, Ryu is having a hellish time.