Betaed copy. THE END IS NEAR!


A week had passed since Masako's possession and Naru was beginning to get irritated. Madoka had sent him information about the house and the land but so far he couldn't find anything. If that wasn't enough, it seemed as though his assistant had fallen hard for Yuki. Throw in a dash of Taniyama Mai plaguing his normal logical thoughts with her smiles and you have a very irate Naru.

"Ne, Naru, would you like some tea?" Speak of the devil, there she was.

"Hai" he continued looking at the files, not even glancing up.

"It would kill him to say thank you, wouldn't it?" He smirked as he heard Mai's whispered complaint as she set the tea down. Really, he was actually enjoying her company. NO! He did not just think that!

Naru felt her eyes on him and continued working until her gaze shifted. It had been strange. His first impression, while close, was also off. She was a puzzle. She was like Gene.

Gene. His twin. The older twin and he was dead.

But he wasn't going to focus on that right now.

A small thump drew his eyes to where Mai had been, only to find her asleep at her desk.

Mai's dream…

"Hello, Mai." The Naru doppelganger smiled at the spunky brunette.

"Hello. Are you willing to tell me who you are now?" She asked, circling him warily.

"My name is Eugene, though I prefer Gene. I'm Naru's twin." He said, a sad smile on his face at the thought of his brother.

"And I'm going to assume you're dead." He nodded. "No wonder he wears all black. So, why are you still here, shouldn't you have moved on?" Her voice was soft. It felt good to him, to know she was worried about him.

"I can't. I don't know why. By the way, I'm older than Naru. Or, at least, I was."

"You are. Just because you won't grow older physically, doesn't mean you won't grow older period. Maybe you and Naru are connected?" She suggested, with a small smile.

"Maybe. Anyway, you need to see this." And he faded out of sight as a different scene faded in.

It was an old barn, common during the feudal era. Inside it was a man. His body was scarred and his once black hair was graying and jaggedly cut. His eyes were manic, yellow like those of a wolf. On the floor in front of him were symbols, which turned out to be a summoning circle, written in his own blood. As Mai watched, he began. The sound was terrible and Mai covered her ears to keep out the terrible screeching.It was like thousands of nails going across a black board and as the sound grew, the circle glowed an eerie light purple. The man laughed wickedly, taking pleasure in the sight. From a corner of the building he dragged a young woman, the woman Mai had seen in her first dream.

Her hair was stringy and matted, her clothes ragged and dirty. Her black eyes were wide open in fear as she was dragged to the center of the circle and bound.

"Hehehe, you, you will help me get my revenge on your father, brat!" The man laughed. Mai realized that the girl's outfit was once a very fine silk kimono. "He took my child, my future from me so I shall do the same to him!" He was going to kill her, the girl obviously realized and tried to move.

But the curse had started.

Mai realized what had happened. The man had summoned something that he had no control over. He had summoned a demon. The girl had been his sacrifice but it hadn't been enough so it devoured him as well. Rather than returning to Hell when its job had been completed, it stayed on the property, bound there by a young, inexperienced miko who had not survived her battle against it.

"So you understand now. This is unlike anything you, or my brother, have ever faced before. It will take everyone working together to send it back." Gene said, looking at Mai with worry, as she seemed somewhat ill.

"Back to Avernus." She whispered. Gene nodded. Avernus, Hell.

"You should wake up now." He said.

"Does Naru know where you are?" She asked, softly. She knew the answer.

"No"End Dream…

Mai jerked awake, falling backwards and out of the chair she had been sitting in. Naru, at the sound of tumbling onto the floor, gave her a glance, before quickly turning back to keep himself from laughing at how adorable she looked. Mai huffed.

"Some dodo during the feudal age summoned a demon to attack his lord. He was devoured as well. A few years later an inexperienced miko came by and bound it to the land, dying in her effort to get rid of it. The demon is what's controlling these spirits. We have to work together to cast it out." She said, brushing herself off. Everyone was quiet. They had all come in while she had been asleep and now a demon was the source of the problem.

The case was almost over.

Every one was running around the next day. The family was sitting anxiously in Naru's office while the others prepared for the exorcism. John, Ayako, Takigawa, and Lin were positioned at the four corners of the house. Mai and Naru were positioned at the front, while Masako and Yuki were in the back.

"Ready?" Mai asked over the walkie-talkies.

"Yeah"

"Ready"

"Here"

"God Willing, I'm ready"

"Mm"

Mai shook her head at Yuki's wordless answer. She obviously was waiting on Mai.

"Alright here goes nothing" she put the walkie-talkie down.

It began.

Everyone was shouting their chants, prayers, or spells as the exorcism continued. From within the house came screams and shouts as the spirits were sent out to smite the exorcists, only to be sent to the other side.

It continued on like that for an hour and then it came.