Chapter 9

Aya swung the pipe down on Chiyo-Chan. However, she hit the ground, as it missed Chiyo-Chan, who was petrified in fear. Aya breathed heavily, as she started to cringe in horror. Her eyes turned blue again, as they began to produce tears. She dropped to her knees and started to cry. She held her face and was weeping.

"I… I can't do it…" she wept, as Chiyo grew worried, "I… I can't! I can't hurt you! I just can't!"

She bawled, as Chiyo held her tight. She gave her a hug and whispered, "It's okay… You didn't mean it. You were upset over nothing…"

She then gave her back the scarf and put it around her neck. Chiyo smiled and said, "Perhaps you were innocent. I can tell. You're a very sweet girl."

Aya held her hand and asked, "Chiyo… Would you stay with me?"

Chiyo said, "Of course. You've been a very nice person! Though, I'm sad, after what I heard about Miss Osaka, Miss Sakaki, and the others. You knew of it, too, did you? You told me they were just accidents. Right?"

Aya turned away and whispered, "No… They weren't accidental. It's him… He did it… I can't save them. You, however, know me too well."

"What are you talking about?"

"I… I don't think you'll like it, Chiyo-Chan. But… But…"

She bit her lip and shouted at her, "She's dead! You're friend, Yomi, is dead!"

Chiyo gasped in horror, as Aya stood up. She whispered, as Chiyo-Chan was whimpering, "But it's okay. She'll come back. I know it. Yomi we'll see you again. I promise… Of course, the others… I don't think they will."

Chiyo blubbered, as she attacked Aya, "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? MY FRIENDS ARE ALIVE! HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU?"

Aya calmed her down and said, "I'm sorry… But I wish there was something I could do."

She then felt a sharp pain in her head. She cried out in anguish and pain, as Chiyo tried to comfort her. Aya let out a bloodcurdling scream, and then fainted on the ground. Chiyo tried to wake her up.

"Aya? Miss Aya?" She pleaded, "WAKE UP! MISS AYA?"

Meanwhile, in a dark building in Shibuya, the man in the hat went inside the rundown building. Yomi followed him, opened the door, and stepped inside. As she stepped in, the room was completely dark and black. She started walking, as she heard faint cries.

"What's going on? Katase? Hello?" Yomi called, "Hey, Katase! Are you inside?"

A spotlight suddenly turned on, as it pointed at her. His voice was made, as Yomi was blinded.

"Welcome, young lady. We've been expecting you." He boomed.

"We?!" She gasped, completely startled and scared, "What's going on?"

Katase appeared in the shadows, as Yomi growled in anger, seeing his smirk on his face. She then growled and said, in suppressed anger, "Okay, Katase, is it? What the hell did you do to Aya?"

Katase said, "I only gave her the scarf. However, there's more to it. The scarf I gave her was a way to hold off her killing instincts. The guy that attacked her… was a creep."

Yomi said, "Yes. Ran Kotobuki told me so. She beat his ass, after he nearly killed Aya. But why you?"

Katase huffed, "You want to know?"

"Yes. Because of you, my friends and my homeroom teacher are injured! And you gave me nightmares, cutting me down from sweets!"

Katase laughed, as he started to twitch, "Oh, you poor pitiful little tramp. Do you think you can stop me, because of something I want?"

"Want?" She asked, "You mean… What do you want with my friends?"

He sneered, as Yomi was trembling, "You see… I only want their souls. Aya Hoshino was the perfect target to obtain souls of six young girls. And when the blood spills from them-."

"Okay! Now, you're creeping me out! What did you want with the others? TELL ME!"

"You said your friends, right? Well, that's only four… because your homeroom teacher is an old bat. And if I recall, you were with another teacher, only to know what is going on. Well, I got news for you… Everyone around you will suffer, as much as I do. And I'm using Hoshino as a catalyst."

He explained, "That scarf… the pale blue one… You'll notice that it once belonged to a teacher, who had a fashion sense. It was during my trip to Europe, after I left Japan, thanks to Kotobuki and her miscreant friends. During one of my study sessions, he was my tutor. He had a bright beige suit with a scarf. He has taught me different academic lessons, every single day. I figured that I wanted to learn more and become smarter than your soon-to-be Valedictorian, Aya. But it was later I learned that he died of a heart disease, after our last study session. But before he died, he told me of a fable…"

She growled, as she stared down at Katase, in furious anger, "What did he do? Was he a murderer, like you?"

"Yes, he was! He was caught hurting young girls with blunt object, bludgeoning them to death. He killed five girls, and almost went for six, until he was caught. The judge sentenced him to twenty years in prison. If the girls would've been mutilated, or if he didn't admit that he was insane, this wouldn't be happening now, because he'd be dead, already. After he told me of his dark past, he said that after his sentence and incarceration, he was a changed man, and studied to become a teacher. However, he knew of my troubles, because he can feel it, inside me."

"So… The scarf was-."

"It was a present from him, to me… and now, from me, to Aya… You see, this is no ordinary scarf."

"Go on."

"It makes the person who wears it become a soul stealer. She was to wear it, making her the proverbial grim reaper. But so far, I haven't heard from her, lately. Ever since she left Shibuya, I have been waiting for her, wanting to take the souls of young girls."

"Why the scarf?"

"Simple. You see, my old tutor was also a powerful magician, and he used black magic to perform spells and curses to people with dark pasts. Aya, however, had a dark past, too. And that's being with trashy girls like Kotobuki, and even dumping me, out of anger."

Yomi barked, "That is the lamest excuse I ever heard. Aya's dark past wasn't about those things."

He asked, "They weren't?"

She responded, as Katase was nervous, "You don't remember? Aya's dark past, before she met Ran Kotobuki, was that she was going on subsidized dates, all for money. She has been going on dates, when all she ever wanted was some fun. How would you feel if someone you know was hiding a deep dark secret? Are you going to let her keep it burden, forever?"

Katase growled, as he clutched his fists up tightly, and then shouted, "YOU LIE!"

He ran to her and socked her in the face. Yomi fell to one knee and growled, "You know, it's your own fault that Aya is like that."

Katase yelled, "I could care less!"

Yomi shouted, as she kicked him in the leg, "You had to hurt my friends, because of Aya and her demonic tones, all because your tutor was a warlock, giving her a cursed garment. You made her into a puppet! You had to become the master of Aya's ego, after she dumped you, did you, you son of a bitch?"

Katase grabbed her neck and shouted, "THAT'S RIGHT! You dare address me as the puppet master, when it was something I did? Well, you're too late! Aya's not here. She's at your home, at your school, about to finish the job. You friends are helpless, now."

Yomi gagged, as she was being strangled, "No… They had misfortunes, unlike me. I had a nightmare, and it's all her fault."

"NO! YOU DON'T DARE SAY THAT! You, little one, will die in my hands! NOT AYA! ME! The only misfortune you ever had… was not protecting the ones you cared for. Now, I'm going to make sure that you, Koyomi Mizuhara, will have the biggest misfortune of all – DEATH!"

She kicked him off her and shouted, "OVER MY DEAD BODY! YOU AND AYA ARE FREAKS!"

Katase snickered, as Yomi whispered, "Aya has a mind of her own… and a life to live… You made her into your plaything! You're an egotistical jerk! What makes you think that Aya Hoshino is too good for you? You're going to hurt her, too, are you?"

Katase smiled and said, "I am. Yes. Once she does my bidding, she'll be happy to give the souls to me. And then, since she broke my heart, along with Kotobuki, who took me away from Hounan High, then those two are next! Hoshino will die, after your friends die, too! And it starts… with you."

Yomi whispered, as she was upset, "Make me."

He ran to her, as he held his fist up. He roared, "DIE!"

Yomi grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm to his back. She then tripped him down and landed on the floor. She then snarled, as she said to him, "Okay, Katase. You know how the curse is made. You tell me how to reverse it!"

He roared, as he was being restrained, "NEVER! There is no cure! Aya is cursed to serve me! She's my grim reaper! She is my death! If she doesn't do as I say, she'll suffer a fate more badly than death!"

Yomi yelled, as she was angry, "BASTARD! YOU'LL NEVER MAKE HER BECOME DEATH!"

She gasped, as she realized that Chiyo was with Aya. She forgot that she's the only friend left that hasn't got a misfortune from Aya. She let go of him, and then she trembled in fear.

"You evil bastard!" She yelled, "You planned this from the start! YOU STAY AWAY FROM CHIYO-CHAN!"

She ran off, screaming in fear, "CHIYO-CHAN!"

She left the dark city, as Katase smirked, while he was on the ground.

He giggled evilly and said, "Fool. What she didn't know is that when Aya attacks, the life source of her victims go into the scarf."

XXXXX

Back at Shibuya, Yomi was running to find Minamo. But she saw an ambulance driving by. Kotobuki felt upset, as Yomi asked, "What happened?"

Kotobuki huffed, "Kuro-Teach. She got run over by a speeding car."

Yomi gasped in horror, as she realized that she forgot about Miss Kurosawa. She cried, "No… Damn that Katase! Damn that Aya!"

Ran calmed her down, grabbing her shoulders, "CALM DOWN! Girl, you need to chillax! Your teacher will be okay. She was still breathing, but her body was mangled. I don't know why, but I tried to call for her… and it was-."

She grabbed her coat and yelled at her, "HOW COULD YOU LET MISS KUROSAWA GET HURT?"

Kotobuki yelled in anger, "GET OFF ME! I SAID I TRIED! I'M SORRY!"

She let go of her, as she started to cry. She dropped to her knees, as she was completely frightened. She sobbed, "It's just us two, left… Chiyo-Chan… Please be okay… Everyone, including Miss Kurosawa… Everyone… It's all his fault! Aya's become the angel of death!"

Kotobuki asked, "Wait a minute! You said Katase, right?"

Yomi nodded, as she explained the story to her, while Minamo was being helped up. Kotobuki growled, as she was very angry, "Damn him! Katase came back, indeed! Man, I wish I could help you, but-."

Yomi sobbed, "Miss Kurosawa was my ride! And without her, I'm stranded! And Chiyo-Chan is all alone, helpless and weak! Ran, you have to take me home! If I go by train, chances are that I'll be next!"

Ran Kotobuki asked her, "One thing, how old is Chiyo?"

Yomi replied to the Gal, "About 12. She's a senior, just like Aya."

Ran huffed, "Crap! And she's that young? She must be very smart, like Aya."

"You wouldn't believe me, on how she came to pass. But that's not important, right now! Ran, Chiyo needs me. If I don't rescue her, Aya will kill her, and it's all my fault! I knew I shouldn't have snooped around at her. I just didn't remember that Chiyo is now vulnerable!"

She sobbed, as she dropped to her knees, "I JUST DON'T KNOW! CHIYO-CHAN!"

She wept, as Ran sighed, completely annoyed, "Like hell I will help this black magic crap. This is something you're going to do, on your own."

She asked her, "Stop crying. Are you going to stay here, while Aya becomes a controlled puppet for a jerk who wanted to be on top?"

"No…"

"Then, buck up! You can drive home, yourself, right?"

"I don't have a license…"

"Okay, Plan B. I'll tell you what. Just think to yourself that you're not going to die. Aya won't get you, if you're too preoccupied. Just take the train home, and be safe. If you want to live for the moment, don't think about how someone will haunt you, no matter where you go. But, Yomi, this I promise you… If you let yourself be open out of your foolish cowardice, you're a sitting duck. I want you to have courage. That's the way I told everyone, including Aya, when they had problems. Just because I'm the World's Greatest Gal, it doesn't mean it's for show. No. I only came to help people. And you, my friend, need help. This girl, Chiyo-Chan, needs you. So, focus on being brave, and prevent yourself from being open to Katase's curse."

Yomi sobbed, as Ran huffed to herself, "Damn. That was so cheesy."

Yomi smiled, and then wiped her tears. She then said, "You're right. I have to go. Chiyo-Chan needs me, before it's too late. Thank you."

She ran off, as Kotobuki waved to her, "Don't do anything stupid, when you piss off Aya!"

As Yomi left, Ran thought to herself, as she was confused, "Wait… A 12-year old senior?!"

At Chiyo's house, Aya was in bed, with her scarf on, while with a damp cloth on her head. Chiyo was tending to her, as Aya was still out.

"Miss Aya…" she whispered.

XXXXX

At the train station, Yomi whispered, as she was being brave, "Chiyo-Chan… I'm coming for you. Aya, don't hurt her, or you'll be sorry!"

To be continued…