Brother Junso discovered by smell that Lady Kanae had lost control of her bodily functions. He knew he had to clean her up, but as he held the clasp on her skirt, the revulsion of what had been done to her as well as the mere idea of undressing her stopped him from opened the clasp. For some reason, the song Lilium began to play in his head. He opened his mouth to tell her he was sorry and ended up bursting out crying. He cried so hard his legs failed him. Dropping to his knees, Brother Junso poured out his grief.

It took a while, but Brother Junso stiffened himself to get her clothes off and clean her up. Feeling embarrassed for her, He could now see her muscles spasm during her fits of involuntarily twitching. He broke down and cried for her a few times as he worked. It made him sick that such a bright, intelligent girl had been reduced to a vegetable. He was even sicker knowing that his own sect -who were suppose to help people – had done this to her. The cruelty of what they did staggered his mind. The sweet and wonderful Lady Kanae he knew was gone. He wondered if there was any intelligence left behind that blank stare. Did she have enough mind left to remember who she was ... or him?

Kanae's own clothes were streaked with filth and he had no way to wash them. Except for service apparel, there was nothing in the church to wear, either. He did not want to leave Lady Kanae, fearing those other monks would come back and do something else to her. He had little choice if he wanted to get something over her. Junso left the basement to see what he could use. He got her a choir robe, which was the only thing he could find to put on her. It was too long, but it did cover her.

Kanae was limp in Junso's arms as he carried her up out of the basement. She wasn't heavy, but his bruises made the task difficult. Devil or not, what Father Okawara and his brothers had done to her was wrong. Limping out of the basement and to the stairway up to the second floor where the private rooms were, Brother Junso paused and looked at the back door, then listened. He heard voices down the hall, but no one was close by. Lady Kanae had mentioned that Lady Himari was a healer, and Lady Lucy had brought Lady Nana back from near death.

Brother Junso went out the back door, praying his arms would hold out until he got to the Yukaita community center.

.

At the waitresses' pick-up counter at the restaurant, Suki came up to nudge Mariko and ask, "Could you help me with this one? They want me to bring all four plates with no tray."

Mariko chuckled and said, "Sure."

What had started out as six men tasking waitresses to do special tricks for extra tips, was now turning into a regular occurrence. Mariko had served the construction workers who all wanted two beers each, all at the same time, and promised a four thousand yen tip if she could do it. Seeing the smirks and hearing their giggles, she promised to do it if they gave her five thousand. The half drunk men upped the ante to six thousand if she didn't use a tray to carry them. Mariko agreed.

The men were in shock when Mariko carried a pyramid of full beer mugs to their table. The long line of the bottom row looked to be supported only by her hands which gripped the outside edge mugs. She set them down then distributed them in front of the men, not spilling a drop. Mariko got her six thousand yen,as well as a round of applause.

Since then, it was becoming a habit for people to ask for special deliveries for extra tips. Suki, Mariko's friend from school, wanted extra tips also, so Mariko had agreed to help her out.

The owner liked the increased business of having the only place in town where the waitresses did tricks. Mariko was happy with her job also. She got great tips, and the maid style uniforms included frilly hats so people didn't stare at her horns.

The food was ready. Mariko had Suki hold her hands out, then loaded up her hands with two plates, and put the other two on her arms. She kept the plates balanced as Suki went over to the table where four monks sat. As Suki bent over, Mariko lifted the plates up and placed them in front of the monks. The monks gave satisfied smiles and thanked Suki.

Suki treated the monks well. Always keeping a watch on the customers to see if they needed anything, Mariko also noticed the monks tracked Suki's movements. They didn't grin, as most men did when they watched a girl. They bore hard faces that reminded Mariko of shrouded anger. If the men weren't monks, she'd think they wanted to do something to Suki.

.

'Just a couple more blocks,' Junso mentally prodded himself as he carried Kanae down a backstreet that was a shortcut they had taken many times to get to the center. His arms burned and his legs felt like rubber. Even if he found a place to rest, he knew he couldn't stop. If they were missed, Father Okawara's monks would be searching for him. If they found Lady Kanae, any hope for saving her was gone.

Taking another step, Junso felt felt his leg give out. Crying out in frustration as he went down, he managed to fall backwards and protect Lady Kanae. Her weight on him shot pains through his body, but thankfully, she wasn't injured further.

Junso wanted to lay there and suffer. He wanted to rest, just for a moment. Maybe some kind soul would see them and come help him. In the back of his mind, he saw Father Okawara and his monks walking down the street, coming for them. He couldn't rest until Lady Kanae was safe.

Laying Lady Kanae to one side, Brother Junso got up on his hands and knees. Even on all fours, it was hard to keep from dropping back to the ground. He laid Lady Kanae's arms over her belly, and brought her hair around to lay on her chest. The red and purple robe was too long for her and that was good, her feet were protected. He then grabbed the back of the collar on choir robe and pulled. He made progress by crawling a bit, then pulling her to him. If it took every last ounce of his strength, and even his very life, he had to get Lady Kanae to someone who could help her.

.

"Cheapskate monks, they left me no tip at all!" Suki grumbled in the locker room as she changed her clothes. Waving her shirt at Mariko she asked, "And did you see them watching me? That was, as long as they thought I wasn't looking. I bet they're all perverts!"

"They didn't look like they were lusting after you," Mariko said thoughtfully. "But there was something not right about them. Maybe I should walk you home."

"I'm going to Tomo's place. Besides, I'll be fine," Suki said, and pulled a set of fake horns out of her locker and put them on her head. "With these on, people will think twice before messing with me," she said with a grin.

Irritated that Suki would pretend to be a sect member, Mariko said, "What if someone thought you were real and ... I don't know, threw something at you? You might be in big trouble."

Waving away her concern, Suki said, "Naw, even tough guys are nice to me when I got these on." Casting Mariko a wink, she said, "And Tomo thinks they are sexy."

"Sexy, huh?" Mariko asked with a crooked grin.

Curling her hands up into cat-paws, Suki did a little dance and sang, "Meeeeeow! I got Moe-power."

Mariko burst out laughing, then curled her own hands into cat paws. "Girls with Moe-power," she sang, then they meowed together.

Leaving the locker room giggling, they saw the owner and gave him cat-paw waves as they meowed good bye, which made his ears turn red.

"See, it works!" Suki laughed.

Leaving through the back door, Suki jumped out into the back alley and turned to ask Mariko, "Who's the girl with Moe-power?"

"That's you, meeeeow!" Mariko replied with a giggle as she stepped out.

"That's all we needed to know," a male voice said. As Suki and Mariko turned to the monk, he held his arms out in the fist-on-open-palm gesture aimed at Suki, and spoke his word. His energy shot out and hit Suki. Suki flew back to glance off a building. She landed limp in the alley.

Watching Suki fly with her mouth dropped open, Mariko saw two more monks appear from behind garbage cans by where Suki landed. One had a blocky weapon the other carried what looked like a medical bag.

"Stay still and stay quiet," the monk who attacked Suki told Mariko in a heavy tone. "And get those evil things off your head!"

"HEEEEELP!" Mariko screamed at the top of her lungs as she flew into action. She grabbed the monk who attacked Suki with her mind hands, and threw him into the other two. The pair stopped and tried to catch the flying monk, all three tumbled backwards. Mariko raced over and picked Suki up to get her back into the restaurant.

"HEEEELP!" Mariko belted out again as she reached behind her and opened the door.

The owner ran out with a buss boy. "What's going on out here? Hey you guys, STOP!" he yelled as the three monks fled down the alley.

The monks made the end, then they flipped upside down and hung in mid air. One pulled out a blocky device. It was ripped from his hand.

"What is going on here?" Lady Mitsu asked as she rounded the corner.

"They attacked Suki! Don't let them put their hands together!" Mariko yelled. Mariko then saw one was doing just that. She shot her mind hands out and pulled his arms apart.

Lady Mitsu planted the monks upside down, face first against the wall. "Someone call the police," she commanded. "Mariko, lay her flat, she's hurt."

Mariko did, and noticed there was a gash on the side of Suki's head. Mariko could see bone, but the deep gash was only oozing blood. Suki's eyes were half closed. Mariko listened, she wasn't breathing. A check showed no pulse. "Suki?" she asked in fear.

"Mariko! Breath for her if she needs it, work her heart if you have to. You know how, don't you?" Lady Mitsu asked loudly.

Mariko did know how. She breathed breaths into Suki and reached into her with a mind hand to gently squeeze, then let her heart relax. She kept it up until an ambulance arrived. All her effort was in vain, Suki had died from a broken neck.

.

Seeing the Yukaita community center just ahead gave Brother Junso the strength to gain his feet. He sat Lady Kanae up and tried to lift her. The strain was too much, so he wrapped his arms around her chest, locked his hands together and pulled. Every one of his muscles screamed in protest, knives of pain shot through him. With safety for Lady Kanae so close, he had to keep going.

He made the parking lot and his legs folded. There was no warning this time, it was like his legs just turned off as one would turn off a light. Once again he fell cushioning Lady Kanae's fall. He returned to crawling and dragging her behind him. Making his body move brought tears of pain. The building was right there, he could make it!

Suddenly, there were two pairs of feet in front of him. He looked up to see a pair of White Robes gapping down at him. "Please help her," he said with a sob.

.

Mariko sobbed with a hand over her mouth as the medics zipped up Suki's body bag. A policeman came over and sat by her. She told him what happened, and about the monks in the restaurant earlier. The policeman was gentle with her, then told her he'd give her a ride to the community center.

"Why the community center?" Mariko asked in a sob.

"That is where we're taking your family as we find them. You sister Kanae ... is not doing well. She was attacked also."

.

Lucy stared down on the monk who'd brought Kanae here. He wore only a groin-wrap and ugly purple bruises over his body. Lady Himari said she and Lady Sakura found him and Kanae in the parking lot. He'd been on his hands and knees, trying to drag her in. He'd pulled his robe off and threw it in a corner right after they had gotten him and Kanae inside.

"Who did this to my daughter?" Lucy asked in a ice cold voice.

Not looking up, Junso said, "Father Okawara brought some monks... they attacked us. They did ... that to Lady Kanae. Lady Lucy, I am appalled..."

"Be lucky you are not dead." Lucy stated.

"Lady Lucy! We can't take matters into our own hands," Lady Sakura said firmly.

Lucy glared at her with her eyes reddened in rage. "Aren't you suppose to prevent things like this from happening?" Lucy asked harshly. "On top of arrogant, you're also useless! Stay out of my way."

Lady Sakura stiffened herself and shot a mind hand out at Lucy's forehead. Expecting this, Lucy blocked Lady Sakura's hand, and slapped her hard across the face with her own. Lady Sakura flew back to land on the floor. The other white Robes gapped at Lucy.

"Don't even think about it," Lucy warned as she eyed them. She then stormed out.

.

In the back seat of the police car, Mariko had been wallowing in grief over Suki's death. She then felt the car turn sharply and the sirens came on.

The officer on the passenger side looked back over his shoulder and said, "Sorry to intrude, Lady Mariko. We may need your help. Monks have been spotted molesting a girl. The girls' mother and father are unconscious, as are the police who responded. They have some kind of power. Can you help us?"

"Of course, if I can," Mariko said automatically.

A short, but hair-raising ride later, the car screeched to a stop inside a park. Mariko got out with the police, and noticed two monks by the playground. Around them, unconscious people lay. One knelt over an unconscious girl, the other turned to her and planted a fist on his open palm.

"Look out!" Mariko cried, and shot into the air. The monk's energy hit the police car. Shattering glass sounded below Mariko. Judging the distance, Mariko moved closer and to the side as the monk shot another energy blast into the air at her. She shot her own mind hands out. Grabbing the monk who was attacking her, she meant to pull his arms apart, and ripped one off. Grabbing the other monk, she yanked him toward her and pinned him face up on the ground with his arms spread out. The screaming armless monk, she pushed to the ground. Landing near them, she held them in place.

"I got them," Mariko called out as she turned toward the officers.

The police car had a huge dent in the side, all the windows were broken. The back door she had just gotten out of was caved in. One policeman came running. The other sat with a broken leg, and talked into his radio.

Mariko recognized the unhurt monk as the policeman turned him over and cuffed him. "Brother Samuru?" she asked.

Samuru stayed silent.

"We need an ambulance and backup!" the policeman on the radio said.

Mariko then noticed the young girl lying on her back had a bloody spot where one of her horns had been. Her horn and a saw lay next to her.

"Samuru, why?" Mariko cried.

The policeman over him shook his head and said, "No, Lady Mariko, don't talk to him, please. These guys are out of their minds."

"Hey, Lady Mariko!" the policeman sitting on the ground called, and raised up his radio. "There's something important we'd like you to do, as fast as possible."

Mariko nodded. Before she left to go see what he wanted, she said, "Samuru, I won't tell Hisoka about this for his sake. As for you ... pray you never seen us again."

.

Police chief Kuroda thought the world was going mad. Monks killed a high school girl. On top of that news, another report came in of monks attacking a young sect girl and her parents downtown. Next was a report of monks giving a sect girl a lobotomy. This one made him pick up the phone to the Mayor, for everyone knew who this girl's mother was. He didn't know why monks would go on a rampage, but he did know that this had just turned into a war.