Greetings faithful readers, I am back with yet another chapter. After so many months I finally have another chapter for this fiction. Well, read and review is all I have to say.

Warnings: sadism, angst, revenge plots, and

Disclaimer: Jigoku Shoujo is the sole property of Miyuki Eto.

Jigoku Shoujo Season 1: Aftermath

Chapter 21: Karma's A Bitch

Yuko Muroi

A girl of 16 years of age with long coffee brown hair and doe eyes glared determinedly outside her window. It had been four years since she moved in with her new foster family. Although she had tried to move on from the past, her rage would always be redirected to that monster. Tonight was the night. She would enact her revenge on that man. He was the one responsible for having ruined her family and their livelihood and stealing her home. She would destroy him without the use of the Hell Correspondence. And she would strike him where it hurts the most:

The farm and his reputation.

Introduction to revenge: The letter

Ryusuke Sekine stumbled drunkenly inside his home. He had just gotten back from a night out with his friends at the bar. He sang out a badly written song as he fell backwards into his plush stressless armchair. He grinned smugly thinking back to how he could afford to live in such a fine house. He remembered the trial and humiliation his family suffered. He ultimately raced into triumph.

It was decades ago the Sekine's began a heated rivalry with the Muroi family for land rights. Ryusuke resented that Muroi's crops flourished while his family was subjected to abject poverty. He could remember the suffering of his family. The townsfolk thought of the Sekine's as pathetic social climbers and master manipulators and back stabbers. And as it would appear, the apple fell not so far from the tree. Ryusuke Sekine sought to up his chances in life by undermining the Muroi's and taking what he believed belonged to him. Unfortunately, many of his relatives had already moved on or just left to go seek better fortune elsewhere. Rozen Muroi stayed behind to live out his days tending to the farm. There were offers from realtors to sell the land but he refused not wishing for the land to be destroyed or turned into a city landmark. That was when Ryu came in. He fought tooth and nail with Muroi only to be turned down over and over again. Sekine sought to undermine him by means of back-stabbing, slander, and sabotage. Alas, karma played its part and as a result Ryusuke was rendered to that of an outcast of sorts. Since then, Ryusuke swore he would obtain revenge. That was when chance came in the form of Muroi's relatives; Yuko and Nobaru.

At first, he considered taking back his plans of revenge upon meeting the newcomers. Until memories of his families fall from grace intensified his rage. As they say, you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. He assisted the city-slickers with the farm; growing vegetables, cultivating the harvest, and making a profit. Once, it appeared he had gained their full trust it was time to enact his plan. As he lay inside his luxury home, he couldn't bring himself to regret what he had done. He had gotten the farm, the land, and the luxurious lifestyle he had always craved and all it took was getting a few pests out of the way. And it did not stop there.

Ryusuke relaxed deeper into the sofa. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a white object resting on the coffee table. Getting up, he picked it up realizing it was a letter. He opened it and stood open mouthed. His eyes widened as he read it.

Ryusuke,

The time to pay for your crimes against those you have hurt has come. Are you shocked to find this letter? Well, imagine all those people you have ever hurt must have felt when you so callously stabbed them in the back. But fret not! this is not the first letter you shall receive. In fact, there are more where they come from. Karma is a bitch. And she is ready to pay back.

Karma

P.S. I suggest not looking out your window tomorrow morning, you will not like it.

Ryuske read and re-read the letter several more times. He then burst out laughing.

"Is this some punk's idea of a joke? Like some letter is going to scare me. As if they could touch me". With that he threw the letter in the trash and went prepare to go to bed. In the darkness, a cloaked figure stepped out from the moonlight and narrowed her eyes.

"Now on to step two".

Revenge Part 1:

The sun shone through the blinds upon the aging old man's eyes. He stretched himself smiling. Once up, he remembered the contents of the letter and laughed. He shook his head. He walked over to his window and rolled up the blinds only to be met with a horrifying sight. He ran down the stairs refusing to believe the view from the top window was real. He blasted the door opened and nearly screamed. The crops…the garden…was destroyed. There was no sign of green or even a bit of foliage left. There was only a clump of black steaming gunk on where plant life should be. He stepped forward and picked up a stick and touched the black substance. The black gunk dissolved. The smell was quite horrible as well. As he examined it, he was met with a horrifying realization. It was the same herbicide he had used years previous.

Finally, he did scream quite loudly. "Who did this?!" he growled clenching his fist. He turned around to see a branch sticking upwards into the ground with a white square attached to it. With a furious snarl, he ripped it open caring little where the pieces fell and read the paper inside.

Ryusuke,

Did you enjoy your nice morning surprise? I am certain this came as shock to you as you never mentioned to your former neighbors that you were going to screw them over for your own sadistic gain. Just as you shall stand by and watch your hard work destroyed, so shall you be destroyed with it. Oh and you might want to be careful. This stuff is awfully toxic. ;)

Stay tuned. For this is just the beginning.

Signed, Karma

Ryusuke shook with anger as he stared at the parchment hoping that if he stared at it long enough, it would burst into flames. No such luck. He stuffed it into his pocket. He slammed the door behind him and shook with rage.

"How the hell could they know? No one but I ever talked with them. Could this be that bitch's doing? No way. Yuuko was living in some boarding house somewhere. The only way she could get back was if she was driven here. Gathering his wits Ryusuke sat down on his chair. He would have to start from scratch if he wanted to earn a profit for his garden.

Revenge Part 2: The News Letter

It had taken Ryusuke a little over a week to remove the toxic herbicide from the crop and surrounding soil. He was at first tempted to set the whole thing on fire but did not want to risk burning the area down. The last thing he needed right now was a bunch of angry townsfolk ragging at him. He stood on his porch grinning with satisfaction at the new patch of soil before him. This time he made sure to put a whole fence around his garden; an electric fence to be exact.

"Let's see those punks get past that" he laughed to himself. He stopped laughing and went inside to gather his wallet and go get groceries. He walked down the dirt laden path never expecting what awaited him in town. He failed to notice his mystery assailant was watching him from the shadow of the brush with a sadistic grin on her face.

()

Ryusuke walked out of the place with his groceries in hand. He did not fail to notice the cold, scathing looks of the locals. For a moment, he swore he heard the word "monster" come from their breath. As he walked out, he noticed a crowd standing in front of the community bulletin board. Curious he walked over to the crowd.

"What is going on here?" Immediately he regretted it as all the people now turned to him with looks of hate and disgust. They parted ways as if he was an insect. As he got closer, his eyes widened. There were several photos and news clippings. His eyes widened upon seeing a news article.

Local Man Ruins Rival Family Crop: The story of Ryuske Sekine.

In short, it talked about the Sekine's family fall from grace following their defeat from Rozen Muroi. It went on to talk about the old man's deceit of the innocent family who had no part to play in the turn war. There were more on how the man sabotaged the family's livelihood ultimately driving Nobaru to death by alcohol poisoning and ultimately driving the daughter form the propery. There were even photos that the man could not recall being taken of him. There were receits and bills and avadavat notices.

He was brought out of this musings as the people around him began to whisper nastily about him.

"I always knew he was a crook" one villager sneered.

"What can you expect of the Sekines? The apple never falls so far from the tree"

The older man gulped before shouting. "This is a mistake. I would never do such a thing. Sure, there was a disagreement but I never sought for it to get that far" he cried out desperately. Too bad it fell on deaf ears. One of the villagers turned on him with disgust.

"Hey Sekine, I am making a minimum of several hundred yen on my lawn. You gonna sabotage me too?" he sneered. The man shook his head. Suddenly the town departed to make way for the mayor to pass on through. He was a tall man with strong features and wore a grey tweed suit. He looked upon the shivering Ryusuke with a stern, disappointed expression. At this point, Sekine knew he was busted.

"Well Sekine Ryusuke, I want you in my office tomorrow morning" is all he said before turning back the way he came. The crowd dissipated while uttering "serves him right".

Revenge Part 3:

Ryusuke slumped into his chair. The mayor angered at the deceit and disgust of the treatment of the previous tenants of the home he lived in, ordered Sekine to pay for the settlement cost for the Murois and all the other people he deceived and conned. The result left him nearly penniless and destitute. His drinking buddies abandoned him saying they only hung out with him for the fact he had money. The stores he usually went to go shopping to had banned him forcing the man to drive hours to the nearest town for shopping. To add to his humiliation, he was dubbed as a pervert when someone stuffed a bunch of playboy magazines in his mailbox. This added to the ire of the townsfolk. But alas his troubles were just about to begin.

Final Revenge:
WHAT!?

Ryusuke stared in rage at the eviction notice. It said he had until next week to leave the premise. He slumped to the floor on his knees and cried dramatically. How in the world could his life had come to this?" The last letter he received from Karma had been just as nasty and hostile as the others.

Ryu,

How's it feel? When everything you have worked for goes up in flames; to be hated for reasons you yourself are not responsible for? To suddenly be evicted from the very home you stole? At least now you are feeling the pain of the people you betrayed. The very people who looked up to you. Was it worth it, Sekine Ryusuke? To have finally gotten what you wanted only to ruin your life? I am not done with you however. Actually, I would love for us to meet face to face. Not tonight though. I shall see you three days from now.

Karma

Ryusuke forgot his misfortunes. His face turned demented. It made sense now. He knew now who his mystery assailant was. "Well, Karma you just made your first slip up. I'll indulge you and then you will be wishing you never called me up again".

The three days were some of the longest and unbearable. The man endured harassment, vandalism, death threats, and near assaults. His thirst for revenge kept him going. It was only one day before he was forced out of his home completely. It was now day three and he would wait until night fall to get even. Until then, he would keep himself busy by setting potential traps. Night came. He sat on the armchair expectantly. He knew his mystery assailant would make an entrance through one of the windows. There was a slim chance Karma would get into the house unnoticed. Just a few years back, he inserted his house with a high ranking electronic security system that would alert him of any dangers to his home; fire, carbon monoxide, burglar, etc. unfortunately, Karma would prove to be a far worthier adversary than he imagined.

Yuko stepped out from the shadow of the trees and crept up to the side of the house. She inhaled deeply. This had taken a lot of careful planning on her part. He knew Ryusuke was not someone to be underestimated. However, the events of the last several weeks seemed to have broken him somewhat. Yuko stared at a copy of the blueprints of Ryu's security system and grimaced. Ryu really went all out. Then she grinned. If he thought that was going to stop her…he better think again. In the night, something shiny glinted.

PCHOO! (The sound of the power cut off)

Ryusuke gasped in shock. The entire house had gone black. The only light was the one that came from the windows. With hesitant steps, he picked up the baseball bat next to his seat and gripped it tightly. He searched every room with the bat at ready. Suddenly a clanging sound alerted him. He smirked. It came from the upper rooms. He crept up the stairs careful to quiet his breathing lest he give his position away. Stepping slowly he listened for another sound. He turned a corner and spotted a figure standing in the hallway.

"I got you now!" He exclaimed happily and proceeded to beat the figure with the bat. Upon hearing no cries of pain, he shined a flashlight on the figure. Ryu felt foolish when he saw it was a mannequin. He stared at it for some time before another sound reached his ears. It was coming from downstairs. He gripped the bat again and went downstairs. As he stepped down the stairs, he screamed as he tumbled down the flight of stairs. He had failed to notice the invisible wire stretched out across that one section. He cried out in pain. He tried to move his upper body but was prevented by the crippling pain. He had dislocated his shoulder.

"I wouldn't try to get up so quickly if I were you. And even if you did call for a doctor, no one would come. Really is a bitch isn't it?" a feminine and eerily familiar voice spoke to him. Ryusuke shot his head up and was finally able to sit up. "So you finally decided to show yourself. Well, don't be shy, come out and say hi" he retorted bitterly. The assailant giggled.

"I must say it took a long time but I finally got you where I want you, Ryusuke Sekine or should I say oji-san" she announced in a high pitch voice. Ryu's eyes widened. No it couldn't be. Alas, the unmistakable form of Yuko Muroi stepped out from behind the bookcase and in the light of the stars. She turned on a light that showed her clearly. Ryu blinked in shock. This was definitely Yuko, the same little girl who used to look up to him as a grandfather of sorts.

Ryu laughed ignrong the pain in his shoulder. "No longer the same doe-eyed little girl who used to look up and respect me" he acknowledged. Yuko glared at him making the man shiver. "I have you to thank for that" she spat. Ryusuke only laughed. "You know you're in a pretty bad place to be. All I have to do is put my shoulder back in place and I will just get up and beat your pretty little head in".

Yuko put her hand on her hip. "Are you certain that is wise for you to do? Considering your already heinous track record?" Ryusuke smirked at the girl. "Are you certain you should be talking to me about criminal records? You trespass on to my property, harass me up to kingdom come, and then you have the nerve to thrust my past into the public eye. That is an invasion of privacy missy". Yuko's glare didn't falter. It was all worth it just to see you squirm and avenge my father's memory. I don't care what I have to do as long it gets rid of you for good!"

Ryu stared at the girl. Yuko…wouldn't really try to kill him, would she? She had a point as well. There was little he could do with a dislocated shoulder and there was no hospital out there who would willingly help him. Suddenly she began to clap.

"You know years ago, I would have never been able to pull this off. Being the innocent naïve little girl I was back then. I will not say as to who I got help from but I will say he was willing to pull in a few strings to take you down. At first, he wasn't interested in the concept of revenge. Until you screwed his sempai over that is" she added cryptically. Ryusuke smirked again.

"How exactly do you plan to pull it off? It's not so easy killing a man in cold blood!"

"But I'm not going to kill you Ryusuke Sekine" Yuko began. "Instead I have decided to let all your karma do it for you. As I said before, Karma is a bitch. And you are her next victim" she said. She began to walk toward the door and closed it behind her.

"What are you…" he was stopped when his nose caught the whiff of a pungent smell. A slight hissing noise reached his ear. Fear gripped his heart and he ran into the kitchen. He flashed a light upon a leak in his gas stove and a lighter next to it. His eyes widened.

From far away, Yuko walked from the scene casually. A loud explosion resonated from the now burning building. She turned around to witness the scene with light satisfaction. She then pulled out her cellphone.

"Hello, I am gonna need a ride home" she said.

Epilogue:

The cause of the explosion was never discovered. The culprit behind it was never arrested. Whatever the reason, there was no one to mourn the loss of Ryusuke Sekine. Those who did bother to come to his funeral, came to either spit on his grave or utter words of false respect. In time, the incident was long forgotten. Those who did know of it, went about their lives knowing that vengeance had finally been served.

Yuko Muroi sat on a park bench on a warm spring day. She had finally done it. All those years of anger and injustice were finally over. Many would chastise her for even thinking to take justice into her hands. However she knew that once she started this revenge quest, there was no turning back. God forgives sin, but not humanity. After all, she said it time again and again.

Karma is a bitch. And that man soon learned the hard way.

"Wouldn't you think so, eh Shibata-san?"

Damn, this was by far the longest chapter I have ever written. I had wanted to try where Yuko decides to go into the revenge business and strike out at the man who ruined her father. I am not so good with doing newspaper articles and that I was also a bit lazy. Well, do you think Yuko was justified in her actions or was it a tad self-righteous on her part? That is entirely up to the readers opinion.

Next:

Chapter 22: Marital Woes-Goro Ishizu