Hi there! I'm alive just that I have little time to write, sorry for the delay! The virus on Honduras made a mess, well everywhere is a mess but since I have to work from home my situation is almost the same as before, lets pray that things will settle and that the virus can be stopped, for those that are sick to recover and for people to follow prevention advices. Amen.
Let's jump to fiction, life is a mess so let's escape for a bit.
The wind was blowing.
But for Mai it didn't felt pleasant. She opened her eyes to see her surroundings all black. To be precise she felt like she was floating in mid air, and the only source of light was below her where small and weak lights started to appear.
Her consciousness floated towards the light, blinking she recovered her sight. The school was beneath her and it's structure had become transparent just like before...this time however the white lights had decrease tremendously.
The immense amount of floating white spirits had been so quickly and so drastically reduced. Even the original number of black will-o'-the-wisps had decreased. There were 4 which had grown horrendously huge. Compared to this, there were very few little wisps left…
Mai studied the place as best as she could, she wanted to share the information later on and possibly solve the case faster.
Even those that were like will-o'-the-wisps that floated weightlessly, were attracted to the large will-o'-the-wisps, and were devoured, it was a nasty sight and it made her remember Sakauchi-kun.
Shifting her gaze, she spotted figures in the second floor of the East Block.
"Oh" she saw herself lying on the ground and the crowd surrounding her. Ayako and the Monk and Masako, and there was John, Lin-san and Yasuhara, and also, Naru…
Ayako was shaking her body while Bou-san was trying to stop her. The Biology Preparation Room was flooded with a liquid. And strange things lay scattered throughout that liquid. Shards of broken glass sparkled and glowed.
It looked like a horror movie. A horror movie where she was the victim...
Even from far away she could see all of them perfectly, it was strange, she could even see Lin's blobs scanning the broken jars.
Naru spoke to Lin and he picked her up, taking her to the Sickbay at the end of the first floor. She wondered if Naru didn't take her because she was heavy, he had slender arms and he had call her fat so he probably would never try,... She got irked a bit when she thought about it. 'mphm!"
She was put on a bed and saw how Naru suddenly leaned in dangerously close to her face, he grabbed her cheek, and whispered something.
She couldn't hear..
"..i"
'what?' she felt a small tapping on her cheek followed by the small electric current..
"Mai"
The sensation brought back gravity and she felt back on her body. Blinking rapidly she saw an up close Naru with his long eyelashes.
The pair of beautiful clear eyes quickly increased their distance from her. Naru tapped Mai's forehead.
"Are you awake yet?"
Looking over his shoulder were the Monk and Ayako, Masako and John, Yasuhara and Lin-san it was funny how they paired up to look at her better.
"How do you feel?"
Naru sat gently on the side of the bed. Waiting for her answer that never came.
"Mai?" he asked again, tapping her forehead once more. The same electric current bringing her back to reality.
"I'm still alive…" she said hoarsely. Suddenly everyone let out their held breaths.
"Of course you are still alive."
Naru looked gently at her, she was kinda scared that Gene had switched over but those eyes were definitely Naru's...
"You only fainted because you inhaled formalin vapor. How do you feel?"
"Feel like vomiting…"
Her chest felt tight. It was like the sensation of severe motion sickness. The world spun and her body was heavy.
"How in the world did you end up in that type of a place? I told you to go to the LL classroom."
"Story short, dog was chasing me, then a creepy man was on a window and at last a kid like vampire got eaten by the dog while I hid on that classroom, I definitely made noise but no one came" she covered her eyes with the back of her hand.
Suddenly Ayako put a damp towel on her forehead. She smiled in thanks and closed her eyes.
Naru leaned closer.
"Can you relate in detail?" His interest won over and Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes..
And so she told them everything "my spirit guide didn't wait for me to use the spell monk taught me because he wasn't sure it will work on the dog that was chasing us... " She gave all the details, not to scare anyone nor for evoking pity but because she felt like vomiting if she didn't.
From how the light from the flashlight gave out to the type of noises she made. Nothing was left out even the wailing of a baby after his jar felt to the floor...
She managed to drink a bit of water and turned to scan their expressions.
Everyone had grim faces and once Masako confirmed that they were no longer around monk got closer to Mai and messed her hair.
"You shocked me. You fainted in a large pool of formalin. For a moment I thought something gory had happened."
She smiled tiredly at his input while she remembered having seen it herself. Suddenly Naru stood up, a strange look cross his face for a second but she figured it was her imagination.
"Anyway you are not injured so there's no problem anymore. Matsuzaki-san, could you please stay with Mai for a while."
After turning to Ayako he looked at the remaining members.
"Get back to work."
Everyone groaned softly but they nodded in understanding.
Just before Naru got away from her, Mai grabbed his jacket.
He turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, because of me... He got angry with you"
It was nearly unnoticeable but she saw him flinch...
"I will deal with him later, get some rest"
"Kay" she let go of his jacket, and he stood there a second more before leaving with the rest.
"Sleep some more, I will stay with you" Ayako patted her head.
"Thank you"
"You're very welcome" the Miko smiled as she changed the towel on her forehead. And Mail closed her eyes to welcome her dream world...
Or so she thought.
"..."
She didn't know where she was, but the fog covered everything... She could identify tall trees but that was all, it was very dark.
She walked, it worked before and it was likely that it would work this time as well.
It took some time but the fog started to grow thin, she stopped when she saw a torii infront of her.
Blinking she passed it over wondering why a shrine was there.
Beyond the Torii was a prayer path made of stone. On the right there was a small red Torii. Beyond a pair of ceramic foxes was a small memorial hall.
'that's right, Yasuhara had said so before, this place was an old cemetery some time ago'
She narrowed her eyes trying to see further ahead...
The shrine was dimly lit. Standing in front of the Main Hall was… 'Gene?'
He looked like he could disappear any second now but Gene's expression was hard. There was no trace of the gentle smiling face 'is he angry? Shouldn't I be the one to be angry?'
She closed in calling out his name
"Gene?"
"Get out of there"
"What?"
"You know what am talking about, wake up and get out of that place"
Mai blinked
"I don't understand… what do you mean?"' she wanted to ask about the shrine but stopped herself since he pointed up.
"That place is very dangerous. You must remember the exorcism techniques you've learnt."
"That's..."
All at once the Torii and the row of trees, and the school, too, became transparent. Right on the school's first floor was a pulsating thing.
It looked just like the image of an unborn child. A mysterious feeling surrounded the life-like will-o'-the-wisp.
"It's about to be born…"
She groaned softly.
"That's right. Up to this day they have been dormant. Very soon it will hatch. If it is allowed to hatch, nobody will be able to stop it."
She scanned the places were the 4 main will-o'-the-wisp were, LL classroom, printing room, sick bay and lastly the 2-4 classroom...
With a sudden "Sa", the vision cleared, and the ongoing scenario in the Printing Room emerged before her eyes. They had finally arrived – John and Yasuhara – at that very dangerous place.
"I'm going back."
Mai said that; Gene nodded.
"Be careful…"
The fog swiftly thickened.
"That place is…"
Gene's figure was swallowed by the fog. Only his voice echoed could be heard.
"… as dangerous as this one… so…"
...
Mai's eyes snapped open, with the same velocity she sat down.
"Wow, take it easy Mai"
"Ayako."
"?'
Mai swallowed 'The will-o'-the-wisp. About to hatch. If it was allowed to hatch nobody will be able to stop it'.
"Hurry to the Printing Room." The brunette pointed to the door
"Hey…"
Ayako looked very astonished.
Mail tried to stand up but nearly fell down. Even so she tried to explain
"John and Yasuhara-kun have gone to the Printing Room. That place is very dangerous. So please hurry there to stop the two of them."
Ayako nodded to her in comprehension.
"Understood. I'm going then."
"I will be right behind you"
After her nod, Ayako's expression was uneasy.
"Will you be fine on your own? You know how to use exorcism spells?"
"Yes, I will only delay you if you take me with you"
"What do you know? The Ku-ji? The Acalanatha Chant?"
"The one with the Acalanatha Seal."
"Then remember this."
Ayako formed a Sword Seal with one hand.
"Like this: remember? Rin (臨), Pyō (兵), Tō (闘), Sha (者), Kai (皆), Jin (陣), Retsu (列), Zai (在), Zen (前)."
Ayako's hand moved in a cross. It was like marking a grid in mid air. Then she made a final cut in the very center of the grid.
"This is the Ku-ji. Have you remembered it yet?"
"Ok, the first cut is horizontal right? I've got it." Mai nodded
"Do this after the Acalanatha Chant."
"Yes."
She forced a smile onto her petrified face. Ayako looked back, concerned, then ran out of the Sickbay.
...
Mai collapsed on the floor, she couldn't stand due to the dizziness and her growing headache. She was glad that her nose wasn't bleeding but the wish to empty her stomach was strong.
She crawled, Gene had warned her to get out of there and she planned to follow his advice.
As soon as she moved, all lights in the sick bay vanished.
"What are you doing… Are you playing with me?" she sat down and turned to look at the beds.
The lights from the street lamps outside permeated the windows. It made it easier to see the mattress, specially the one that glowed in the dark.
It was the third bed away from her, there was a human figure cocooned in the blankets.
"So you have appeared, monster."
Mai smiled, whatever Gene or the formalin had done to her brain had finally clicked, she was in survival mode.
She could tell the air was changing. The air, the atmosphere; something like that was changing, distorting, breaking..
There was a vague black thing below the white mattress and it emanated evilness... Two hollow like eyes opened to watch her.
But she could care less about it
"Naumaku, sanmanda, bazaradan, kan."
The black body beneath the mattress swelled. "*Puuuf", a deep and abstruse sound resonated from beneath the ground.
Its body grew larger than the bed. Once more, a moan resounded from below.
It was the sound of that thing starting to rise. A putrid smell filled the entire room. It was black; as though it was nothing but shadow, it did not even have an outline. She could only tell that it was extremely immense.
After repeating the chant 3 times she managed to stand up, adrenaline giving her strength.
Mai began to form the Sword Seal.
"臨 Rin"
She cut a horizontal line through the air.
"兵 Pyoo"
Then made a vertical cut.
"闘 Too"
With immense speed the bed where that thing was, had been thrown at her, she had to throw herself to the right to avoid it.
She landed heavily on the ground, the cold air covered her completely but she turned to see her left, the gigantic shadow fell onto the ground. Its body sank below, dissolved into the darkness and disappeared.
"Shoot... It escaped"
She tried her best to recover her breathing but it was hard, she was hyperventilating.
"Ugh" she managed to stand using the fallen bed as support but the room shook so strong her efforts were futile.
At the same time, came a shocking "Dong" that strong enough to shake her body. Mai's body was suddenly suspended in midair. Even before she could exclaim "Uh", she was slammed to the floor.
She rolled to her back and held her chest with pain. Incoherent words left her lips as she rolled from one side to the other.
Tears threatened to fall but the chill running up and down her back made her open her eyes.
She scanned the room and instantly noted that the floor had dropped beneath floor level. She searched for the door and gave up the idea of getting out, not even jumping will get her there.
"Uhhh just why?"
From the corner of her eyes she saw the miasma coming out of the floor. She sat down again and this time she chanted with speed
"naumakusanmandabazaradankan."
The miasma reacted and began to rise. She closed her eyes as it began to try to engulf her.
"naumakusanmandabazaradankan." once more this time with a louder voice.
*Caching*
She released the seal just when she was engulfed completely and gathered the Sword Seal starting the horizontal and vertical strokes.
"Rin (臨), Pyō (兵), Tō (闘), Sha (者), Kai (皆), Jin (陣), Retsu (列), Zai (在), Zen (前).
"Be gone!"
The room shook and with it Naru's voice could be heard
"Mai!"
She turned around and widened her eyes in surprise. 'since when...'
"Get over here, the roof is going to collapse!"
"Eh?" Mail couldn't even check for herself, The miasma had vanished but it wasn't over, she was thrown horizontally to the wall on her left.
She tried to stand but the energy on her arms gave up. She nearly kiss the ground if Naru's hold hadn't stopped it.
"Where's Ayako?"
"I sent her to the Printing Room, it's about to hatch."
As Mai answered the question, standing behind him, the pitter patter of footsteps and the voices of the monk and the others could be heard.
"Hatch?"
*Pang* the sound of something fracturing came from above on impulse Mai reacted first as Naru had turned to look at the ceiling and was momentarily stunned.
She pushed him down to the floor but he recovered and instantly turned over to cover her.
An intense low pitched crashing sound, echoed loudly on the room.
...
..
...
"N-naru?" Mai blinked to the darkness that surrounded them.
She could feel his weight on top of her, the warm of his body gave him away, his legs were interlaced and his face was buried on her neck.
To say she was blushing will be underrated.
'co-come on Mai, get yourself together! Accident, this is an accident, don't get ahead of yourself you're 16! At least wait 2 years! 2 years! No dirty thoughts!
She felt him move, and a moan escaped her when the weight shift.
"..." She also felt him froze on the spot. A shaky voice inquired "Mai?"
"..." She froze too she didn't mean to make that sound, her ribs still hurt... "Na-Naru?'
'fake it, fake it as best as you can' her instincts kicked in.
If she was busted or not, she couldn't tell because at the same time the noise grew stronger.
"Mai!"
That was Ayako's lament.
"We are fine." Naru answered, his voice back on the way it was.
"Naru?! What happened?!" That was Lin-san's voice.
"The ceiling collapsed. The floor also caved in. That's all."
Naru answered as though nothing had happened. He pushed the debris out of the way and stood up. Then turned to Mai
"Is everything all right?"
Mai smiled tiredly and took the hand that was offered to her "the world is spinning and I haven't used "that" so we'll call it even"
Naru raised and eyebrow but simply carried her when she stumbled over.
"Hey, Naru I'm heavy, I'm fine by my own!" Mai exclaimed but held onto him for dear life, if he dropped her it wouldn't be funny.
"What are you talking about?" He slightly made her jump in his arms. A small show of his strength
"What?! You called me fat!" A blush settled on her face, probably from anger.
"That doesn't mean I can't pick you up" he smirked at her and held her up so Lin could pull her up from the door
"Ugh" she would kick him if he wasn't her boss
"Are you hurt?" Yasuhara asked
"I'm not sure. I think not."
Yasuhara let out a breath with a "hu".
When she turned back blankly, Naru grasped Lin-san's hand and emerged from the room.
"You're all right?" he asked him
"Ah. It's not a big deal." he answered as though it was an insignificant event.
The monk said, "What do you call a 'no big deal'? The ceiling fell in!"
"The ceilings of this type of buildings are only made up of soft wooden boards. It's no big deal. Mai, are you injured?"
"..." Mail simply stared at the ceiling.
"Mai?"
"It has hatched." she continued when everyone had turned to look at her "They have always been dormant. Now they have already gathered enough energy to hatch. If we don't stop them now, no one will be able to"
She stared deeply in to Naru's eyes, he returned the same stare...
Muahahaha step one make them conscious of each other achieved... Step two... Buahahaha. Btw I noticed that in the manga Naru is 19 and Mai 16 but the novel previously said Naru 17 Mail 16 so I will leave it that way, it works that both of them are minors. This is based on Japan so for marriage and the like (s**) The male partner must be 18 years of age or older and the female partner must be 16 years of age or older. A person who is under 20 years of age cannot get married in Japan without a parent's approval. And we know that Mai's an orphan so...
Pepe grin but there's a reason why she wishes to wait till 18, as we know she doesn't have any one to support her so she wishes to be economically stable before committing herself to form a family Pepe grin.
Review time!
Jun-shang88: that's the feeling I was intending to make! Thank you! I actually didn't have lab class so I did get a chance to experience the dreadful sensation xD I don't know if I was lucky or not xD hope you liked this update!
Kallen21: here it is! :Laaaa!:
Celline the sleeping beauty: I would do the same as well, run like there's no tomorrow but end up exhausted a minute into the run xD thankfully I'm well! My family is well too *hugs* thank you very much for asking! Hope you are well too! Yup just a bit my chapters get shorter or longer depending on where is the cliffhanger that I would like to leave is xD I promise to go all the way the way to this story! I can't wait to let you guys know what Mai is but I'm taking it slow because I don't want to rush this. That error 404 is doomed! I will rewrite the continuation as many times as it's needed xD and correct Naru will only cry on that kind of situations. Thank you greatly in short I loved the coin part too! In all forms manga, anime and novel *giggles* it's funny and lovely at the same time!
Corpus: you're more than welcome! Love that you're loving it! Thank you for reviewing will continue to do my best!
CaitHawked4Ever: thank you! Yup and scary things are the best seasoning for future spices xD thank you greatly*dancing in joy* NaruXMai forever!
Karibel.Q Flores: lo siento! Hasta yo me quedo emocionada y en suspenso para seguir pero El tiempo no ajusta xD muchas gracias pot El apoyo de agradece infinitamente!
Mortisvenom: thank you so much! I'm blessed to have them! Thank you too for worrying *huge hugs* hope you liked this update! See you soon!
: no prob! She only curses when she's scared, someone will definitely point it out don't worry and I'm so happy to hear your thoughts! Glad that you are loving it so far! *Hugs*
Hikari Ino totally recommend it! I used mangapark to read it although it has advertising it is complete!
LoverofAnime27: thank you so much! I'm eager to write it! Don't worry keep guessing as much as you want and Mai's not a cultivator unless Gene is since he is molding part of her to be a perfect medium such as him. The closest so far is the shaman that's all I can say xD Naru's cute in his own way xD happy that you got a great read! Thank you *super hugs* will continue to update, improve the best I can and keep posting! *Bows*
