5. Chapter 5: Adversaries
Chapter 5: Adversaries
Part A
"Sonuva bitch!" Mion kicked the wall of the clinic. "Why the hell isn't Irie doing a thing to help Shion?"
We all went out for some fresh air after we saw Shion. We left her in the care of Irie and Akane. I wanted to believe that they could make it all better, since he was a very talented doctor and she a talented nurse, but theirs powers could only do so much. They were human after all. They couldn't kill a demon.
Mion stood with her back to all of us, while Rena and Keiichi were next to her. I was sitting on the ground with Satoko. She continued to sob. I stroked her head as she released all of her pain into my shoulder. Hanyuu was standing beside me, squirming every so often. She was afraid…like always.
"Mii-chan! Don't say that!" Rena touched Mion's arm. "Dr. Irie and Nise-san are doing everything in their power to help Shii-chan! They're taking good care of her!"
"Why isn't he doing more?" Mion threw Rena's hand off of her. "All they did was give her an injection and that was it!"
"…Mii-chan…if it really is Hinamizawa Syndrome…then that shot will help her out! That lowers the influence of the disease, doesn't it?"
"…Yeah, but…!" Our club leader kicked the wall again. "There's gotta be something we can do! I can't stand waiting around like this! We should all be doing something!"
"…I don't think we can do anything…" Rena tried to lay her hand on Mion's arm again. "We just have to hope that Shii-"
"Don't touch me!" Mion slapped her hand aside and stomped towards the dirt road. She clasped her hands around her arms and held back her tears. "…Why…? Why is this happening to Shion…? She didn't do anything! She doesn't deserve this!"
"Mion…" Keiichi approached her.
She didn't react to him at all.
"We're all worried about Shion. Trust me…I'm just as afraid as you are! But…Shion's a strong woman! She can withstand anything! She's a Sonozaki!"
"Kei-chan…please…just be quiet…"
"She's not gonna go down without a fight! You should know that!"
"I _do _know that…" She turned her head a tad. "It's just…how can a stupid shot save her? Irie should be doing more for her! How can he just…?"
"Mion!" Keiichi gripped her shoulders from behind. "Irie is an expert on the Syndrome! He told us that he would take care of her personally! He's not gonna let her fall comatose and he's not gonna let her die! He's gonna save her!"
She didn't speak.
"What happened to having faith, huh? What happened to being strong?" He gently rubbed her. "…What happened to the backbone of our Club?"
"…Kei-chan…!"
"Look here!" He turned her around and grasped her shoulders again. He looked her right in the eye. He smiled while flashing his teeth. "How are we supposed to stay together if our leader's losing her strength? We'd fall apart if we didn't have your determination and faith to back us up! Mion…please…come back to us!"
Mion lifted her puffy red eyes to look at Keiichi. "…Keiichi…I'm…I'm just so scared!"
"It's alright to be scared! We're all scared too! But…we have to believe that Shion's gonna pull through! Irie has everything under control!"
"…But…"
"But nothing!" Keiichi wrapped his arms around hers and pulled her into his chest. "You need to calm down and think! Remember who your sister is! Remember that we've come this far! We've all wanted this happy ending ever since we defeated Takano! We're not gonna be denied that! We're not losing anybody!"
"Kei…Keiichi…" Her hands held his waist. She rested her head against him.
"It's gonna be fine! Trust me!" He chuckled. "When have we ever failed each other before?"
"…Okay…" She held his shirt in her fists. "…I trust you…"
Satoko ceased her sobbing. She had been listening to Keiichi as well. I looked down at her. I smiled at her and squeezed her tighter. She didn't smile back, but she held me just the same as I held her.
There was a white cloth dangling next to her head. She followed the cloth to a hand, and then to Takuma's face. He smiled too. His was soothing and quite contagious to me. My own simper widened when I saw him. He was offering his handkerchief to Satoko.
She hesitated, but soon accepted it. She wiped her eyes and her mouth. Satoko wanted to give it back, but Takuma declined it.
"I got plenty more where that came from! You keep it! My gift to you!"
Satoko looked down and held her handkerchief tightly. "…Thank you…Hanzaemon-san…"
"Call me Takuma!" He said as he petted her head.
She pushed into his touch and dabbed at her eyes again.
We separated from there. Rena and Keiichi took Mion home to comfort her, seeing as there was nothing else they could do for Shion. Takuma took me and Satoko. We walked along the dirt road back to our house. Chie must have cancelled class so there was no point in going back there. It seemed appropriate that we were going back home, to have a silent vigil until Irie gave news about any possible improvement with Shion.
Takuma was distracted. He didn't even go into hiding as we walked back up the hill to the house. Nise Akane was on his mind, along with Shion and the Syndrome. He still didn't believe anything about the virus, but so far, it was true! It was our biggest obstacle in the past, and now demons were our enemy too! I still wondered if the virus and demons went hand in hand, but I had no proof or thoughts to serve as a base. All I had were theories…just theories, and I wasn't anywhere near close to answering them. I'd have to ride it out until the truth finally reared its head.
We entered the house and remained silent. I went upstairs to be alone, while Satoko and Takuma remained downstairs. They could use the time to bond. He won some of Satoko's respect, I inferred, when he gave her his hanky, but they still needed a chance to speak to one another privately.
I sat in the middle of my room, playing with my fingers. I wished that I had my wine, but it was downstairs in the refrigerator. I wanted a cold drink so badly, but I couldn't have it. I didn't need Takuma or Satoko finding out that I drank. I just had to cope. I wanted to numb my mind a little, just to have some sort of relaxation after all this.
_"Rika…"_
Hanyuu materialized before me. She sat on her legs. She was very close to me.
"What?"
_"…What are we going to do?"_
"About Shion's demon?" I sighed. "Hell if I know…"
_"I wish that we could use the Onigari-no-Ryuo…but we'd kill her too…"_
"…Can't you do something to save her, Hanyuu?"
_"…My power's too weak now. I can't do anything. Even with the power I have left, I still can't do much. I'm sorry, Rika…but I can't kill demons…"_
I spat at that. "Some God you are!"
_"Rika…please don't be so cruel!"_ Hanyuu wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robes.
"What did I tell you about crying?"
_"I can't help it! I told you how useless I am to you! How else am I supposed to feel?"_
"…Hanyuu…just stop it." I hugged my knees. I changed the subject back to Shion. "…Can't we do anything though…?"
She dabbed at her eyes a few more times. _"The sword is our only option…there's nothing else…"_
"Damn. Then what the hell are we going to do?"
_"It's up to Shion! We can't fight her battles for her! This is something she needs to do herself! She has to overcome it on her own!"_
I laughed under my breath. She was serious? What was going on in that head of hers? Shion…overcoming her demon? The one person who never, even in the Endless June, grew up nor defeated the demon within!
Shion was still a lovesick child! She was far too foolish to be able to do anything on her own! She couldn't survive this demon! She never had…and she never would!
"Shion's a weakling!" I said as harshly as I could. "In every world, she's defeated by that damn demon! She doesn't have the willpower or the strength to overcome it! She's the weakest out of all of us!"
_"…Please don't say that…!"_ Hanyuu looked away.
"You know it's true, Hanyuu! She's pathetic!"
_"…What about the stuff Keiichi said? Didn't you say at one point that we needed faith? We should have faith in Shion! She's our friend!"_
"We do need faith to win this battle against demons…but I'm not wasting my faith on her! It's always a losing battle when it comes to that girl! She's never-not once-did anything to better herself! She's a lost cause as far as I'm concerned! If she can't help herself, then she's doomed! She's useless! I want to help her, believe me, I do! But I can't just sit around and buy all of that 'let's have faith in each other' bullshit! You need to be realistic, Hanyuu!
"Everyone is flawed! Rena and Satoko grew up as people, but that was only after they committed so many crimes! Rena murdered all of us and Satoko jeered and insulted Mion! Satoko was the reason that demon in Mion awoke in the firstplace! They both got better, but how many times did it take, Hanyuu? How many times?"
I was shouting.
"Ha! Mion had to be killed with that sword in order to be free, because she's too damn stubborn to do anything about herself! And Keiichi…he grew up to be a man! He never had a demon to overcome, but he had his fair share of mortal sins; he's our real backbone! He did something about himself and repented! He was the only one out of all of them that was exempt from a demon! Shion…that fool…! She can't do anything! She's too weak!
"Irie and Akane can't do anything about a demon! We can't do anything about a demon! And you expect me to put my faith and trust in that girl? No! I'm not going to waste my life on her! She's…she's already dead…"
_"Rika…how could you say that?" _Hanyuu peered down at her lap. She started to cry again. _"How can you…how can you…? How can you be so cold?"_
"…Years of practice…"
She covered her eyes. She hiccupped and gasped almost every five seconds.
"…Please stop that crying already…!" I gritted my teeth.
Hanyuu didn't hear me. Her body shook and her whimpering only increased.
"I said shut up!"
She started to wail.
"Shut the fuck up already!"
I grabbed her by the collar of her robe and yanked her to her feet. I slapped her across her face. Hanyuu fell to the floor with a deafening thud.
My hand stung. I forgot how tangible she was to me. Our connection between each other had grown stronger after all these years, enough for me to touch her physically. I didn't mean to strike her so hard…but…she was angering me! I hated all that crying and all that garbage about "faith!" I heard enough of it the first loop, and I was getting sick to my stomach hearing about it in this one!
Sure, I said that we needed to stay strong, but my patience was wearing thin! We were already done for now that Shion was attacked by her demon! It wouldn't be long until she fell to it…again! She'd kill all of us! She'd be the end of everything we've accomplished in this loop's year! She was my bane! She was my ruin! She was my curse!
I hated her! I hated her because she was so pathetic! She was despicable! A weakling! A poor excuse for a human being! She never could do anything to save herself! What use did I have for her? She was nothing! What could I do with a piece of refuse like her? She…she…she…!
Hanyuu struggled to stand back up. She stood with her back facing me. She hiccupped again.
"Do I have to hit you again?" I shouted.
A tear drop fell onto the floor.
"Do I seriously have to hit you again? You stupid little…!" I stomped over and seized her arm.
I yanked her around.
I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything.
The afternoon sky turned as dark as the night. The air became so acrid that I was gagging. The horrible glow that came from her almost blinded me. That aura…it was so…evil…full of hatred, violence, and a cry for blood! She never directed that malicious intent towards me…! Not ever!
I backed away. I tripped over my own feet and fell back on my behind. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. What had I done…? What madness came over me to do such a thing…? I spoke so harshly towards…! And I struck the very face of…! I offended God!
The fire in Hanyuu's eyes raged! Those burning red pupils watched my every move! I was afraid to even twitch my eye! I thought…I thought she'd kill me! I thought she'd really kill me!
_**"Furude Rika…"**_
Her very voice cut me down to the bone! It was so full of anger! It was so full of bloodlust!
_**"Am I so insignificant that you treat me as you would an insect? Am I so foolish that I cannot have the thing you call 'faith?' Am I so…monstrous…that you speak to me as you would your enemy?"**_
"Hanyuu…!" I backed away. "Please…!"
_**"Who are you that is so exalted, Furude Rika?"**_She hovered closer to me. _**"Who are you to call my children common filth? Who are you to speak of my children with such an ill tongue?"**_
"Hanyuu, please!" I was sweating profusely.
_**"Are you afraid of me, Furude Rika?" **_Hanyuu hovered directly above me. Those cold, unforgiving eye pierced my very heart! _**"…You are right to be!"**_
I scrambled to my feet and hid my face from her. I used my back as a shield. If she wanted to kill me, she would have to strike me down in that way! I didn't want to see it coming!
_**"What gives you the right, Furude Rika?"**_ The terrible aura wrapped around my throat! It was choking me! _**"My children are mine and mine alone! You have no right to speak as you do! Who are you? Are you of my ilk? Are you a…monster as well? Do you have what I have?"**_
Her horns glowed.
"…I never said you were a monster…! I didn't say that!"
_**"You forget the very being that you are showing such disrespect towards!"**_
Thunder boomed outside. The ground was shaking. I heard the very earth crack!
_**"I have tolerated your abuse for long enough! I will no longer turn a blind eye, nor a deaf ear, to what you do! I…have become so…irritated…by you! You are the one who is useless! You dare call my child a worthless human being? You dare to curse a child of mine?"**_
Lightning flashed across the sky. The sky ripped open. Black smoke descended from the skies. It came down to the earth and it seeped into my very room! I was coughing, desperately attempting to find some source of fresh air! She…she was killing me!
_**"You dare to strike me as well? Your family may have come from my very womb, but that does not put you on the same plane as I!"**_
The room set ablaze with unholy fire! The black flames danced in front of me! They seared my skin and bones!
_**"You forget your place, Child! Who can bend the earth, the land and the sea? Who can create the birds of the air and the creatures of the water? Cannot I? Who can cause the sun to rise and the sun to fall? Who can deliver love, joy, brotherhood, and peace? Cannot I?**_
_** "Who sacrificed everything so that all could be forgiven? Who forgave every sin that ever came into humanity? Did not I? Who is the one that did all these things? Was it you? Were you responsible for your own existence? Did you grant yourself aid when you prayed for it? Did you pull yourself out of that century of sorrow? Tell me! I wish to know!"**_
"Hanyuu!" I screamed. I was crying now.
_**"Speak up! Have I said wrongly? Arm yourself with fortitude and answer me! Tell me who you are! Answer me! ANSER ME!"**_
I covered my ears and shrunk down to my knees. I hid in the corner of my room with my back exposed.
"Please stop! Please stop! Please stop!"
_**"Furude Rika…you have done nothing but complain and curse! You have done nothing to aid anyone or anything! You only talk and complain when your friends are already out on the battlefield fighting for their lives! Where are you in that battle? Why are you here sniveling about? You have done nothing, and yet you call my children useless!**_
"_**I am guilty of one crime only, and that is my lack of power to aid you! I weep everyday because of that! Your feeble brain cannot understand how I feel! My power is not what it once was! However…I do possess more than enough to make you suffer!"**_
"Hanyuu! I'm sorry!" I cried out. "Please, stop this!"
_**"Do not test me!"**_
"HANYUU!" I dared to look back at her.
That awful aura still shrouded her. She was but a mere few inches away from me! All she had to do was reach out her hand and strangle me to death!
"I'm sorry! Please! Don't torture me! Don't kill me! I'm begging you! I'm begging you!" I grabbed her ankles. "I didn't mean to be so cruel! I didn't mean to offend you and my friends! I'm…just so frustrated!"
_**"You have already begged my forgiveness the last time you offended me! You even speak the very same words!"**_
"But I mean it! I mean it with all of my heart!" I grabbed her waist and hung off of her. "Don't hurt me! Don't kill me! I want to live! I want to break free from this loop and be with my friends! I want to live and be happy again!"
Hanyuu's bloody eyes still watched me.
"Please…forgive me…! Forgive me for all that I've done! I know it's probably impossible for you to do…but I'm begging you! My sin is heavy! I sinned against my friends for cursing them and I sinned against you! Please…please….please…! I'm sorry…!"
Hanyuu's hand touched my head. Her nails dug into my skull.
_**"Your sin is heavy. Your sins against my children and I are horrid."**_
No…! Don't…! Don't kill me…!
_**"You forget who I am! I gave my own life for your kind! I allowed my very daughter to spill my blood so all could be forgiven! Yet…you disrespect me! You disrespect my children! And you have the gall to grovel before me?"**_
Please…!
_**"Every sin is evil! Every sin is destructive! Every sin hardens the heart! Every sin-!"**_
Her hand moved to my neck.
No!
_"-can be forgiven!"_
Her arms wrapped around my neck. Her hands massaged my back. Her hair tickled my face. Her horn rubbed against my temple.
The black fire and smoke vanished. The earth ceased its quaking. The sky returned to its original beauty. The air was crisp once more.
Hanyuu was hugging me! She had never hugged me like this before! There was…love. There was genuine love! There was no more anger within her! What had happened?
_"You truly hurt me…Rika!"_Her voice choked up. It…it returned to its original tone!_ "All those wicked things you said…the way you contradict yourself…the hardness of your heart…it hurts me! It hurts me more than any pain I could ever feel!_
_ "But…the way you talked about your best friends…your closest allies…it disgusts me! It shatters my heart! How you could say such terrible things is beyond me! You never were like this, Rika! What in the world happened to you?"_
I was afraid to speak.
_"Rika…I love everyone and everything that has ever existed! I love saints! I love sinners! And I love you!"_
More tears filled my eyes.
_"Others wouldn't forgive the things you've said, or the things you failed to do…but I will! Even if the world turned its back on you, I wouldn't! You're my child, Rika! You're my daughter! I love you with all of my heart and spirit! I would never want any harm to come to you! You know that better than anyone! I'm not trying to hurt you or condemn you, Rika…!"_
She pulled her head back. She smiled at me, despite the tears in her eyes. She kissed my forehead. Hanyuu then held my face in her hands.
_"I'm trying to help you!"_
My arms suddenly entrapped Hanyuu. I wailed into her chest and tightly held her clothes. She moved her hands to my back again. She rubbed around my shoulder blades and then stroked my head. I couldn't stop crying! I couldn't believe the person I had become! I couldn't believe…that I could have lost Hanyuu as my friend…my mother!
But she didn't leave me! She didn't punish me or judge me! She forgave me and said that she loved me! She didn't hate me at all! Hanyuu…she…she…!
_"Shhh, now!" _Hanyuu stroked my head. _"It's alright! No more tears, okay?"_
"Hanyuu…!" I bit my lower lip. "I'm so sorry!"
_"I forgive you, Rika!"_ Hanyuu kissed the top of my head. _"And I love you…never forget that!"_
"I love you too…! Hanyuu! I'm so sorry for everything!"
_"Shhhhhh…don't speak! Just relax!"_
She swayed me as she held me. She hummed a song to me as I tried to calm myself down. She stroked my back, my head, and sang to me so sweetly. There was love in everything that she did for me. I didn't deserve Hanyuu…I didn't deserve anything…!
_"Hush…my little Ouka…"_ Hanyuu was talking to herself. _"Mother's here! She'll make it all go away! She promises you that!"_
"H-Hanyuu…?"
_"Ouka…oh…how I love you so…"_
Did…she see me as Ouka…for this one instant?
_"I'm never going to let you cry again…! Mother hates it when she sees you so sad!"_
She held me closer.
_"Mother will always take care of you…my treasure…Mother will always be here!"_
Part B
I stayed in Hanyuu's arms for as long as I could. Nobody came up to my room to disturb me at all. Takuma and Satoko were still downstairs. They didn't hear a thing. They didn't even notice the change in weather or the earthquake. Hanyuu had frozen time for that one moment to scold me. I felt worse than I did a mere few minutes ago. I made Hanyuu waste some of her dwindling power to teach me a lesson. She was growing weaker.
I didn't want to think about what would happen if Hanyuu lost all of her power. Would she vanish into thin air? Would she leave me behind to bear this cross alone? Would she…die? I didn't want to think about it! I couldn't stand the thought of losing her…my…my mother!
Hanyuu wanted to rest for a while, so she disappeared from my sight. I assumed she was probably going to spend her time at the Furude Shrine. That was the only place where I could see her relaxing. There were old spirits that lingered among those stone steps and that altar. My ancestors had become one with the shrine, and the Saiguden. Hanyuu wanted to be with them, even if she couldn't hear them speaking to her. It gave her comfort to know that she was in the same place as Ouka, her daughter. But…I wished that there was some way Hanyuu and Ouka could speak to each other again.
I left my room and came back down to the kitchen. Satoko and Takuma were still there, just as I had left them. They didn't know a thing about Hanyuu's rage. As I thought, Hanyuu froze time just to speak with me. I needed to understand her anger with me…but…I wish that I didn't weaken her.
Takuma sat the table with his hand holding up his chin. His finger tapped against the table. The cordless phone was in the middle. Was he expecting a call from someone? Akasaka perhaps? He stared at the phone, constantly running his eyes up and down at a tortoise's pace.
Satoko clutched Takuma's handkerchief. She occasionally wiped her eyes and traced her finger along the wood of the table. Had they been silent this whole time since I was upstairs? I was hoping that Takuma would talk to her, try to ease her pain, but I suppose he was too timid to do so. He and Satoko didn't exactly start on the right foot. The bond between was slowly building, I felt it. I only prayed that the two of them would grow closer and this turmoil would end. I prayed that Shion's suffering would end first and foremost, however.
"Rika-chan." Takuma spotted me enter the kitchen. "…You okay?"
"I'll be fine." I sat down in the chair next to Satoko. "How are you, Satoko? Feeling any better?"
Satoko shook her head.
"…I'm very sorry…" I touched her hand. She held it tight.
"Hanzae-Takuma…?" Satoko lifted her eyes to see him. "…Thank you…for the hanky…"
"It's not a problem!" Takuma waved his hand with a very small smile. "You hang on to that thing, okay?"
"…Okay…"
"Takuma." I turned to him. "Why do you have the phone there?"
"I figured we should have it here in case we get any news about…yeah. Also…Senpai may want to call us."
"Have you talked with him lately?"
"Uh…I spoke with him briefly over the phone. That was before we left the house this morning. You were fixing Keiichi's clothes when I stepped into another room so I could call him! He's doing fine; he hasn't made much progress yet."
I frowned.
"But that could change!" He tried to sound cheerful. "Senpai always comes through for you, doesn't he? That guy can do anything!"
"Yes…yes, you're right."
"Hey…" Takuma stood up from his seat. "Can I get you guys anything? Maybe some juice or something?"
"Actually…Takuma?" I held Satoko's hand with both of mine. "Can I have some time alone with Satoko?"
"Yeah, sure! Here, I'll just be right outside! You need me, you holler, okay?" Takuma smiled for just a second before he stepped outside with the phone.
When the door shut, I turned my body to fully face Satoko.
"Hey…Satoko."
She didn't look at me.
"Hey now!" I nudged her with my elbow. "It's gonna get better! I know it will!"
She wiped her eyes with the handkerchief again.
"Satoko…I know this is difficult for you…" I brushed my thumb against her hand. "But…try to have some faith in your Nee-Nee…okay?"
"Rika…" she said close to a whisper.
"Shion's going to come back to you! She'll get better soon and you'll be with her again!"
"…Rika…" Satoko sniffled. "Are you just trying to make me feel better?"
"I'm telling you how I really feel!"
"…Rika…you don't have to lie to me. I know it looks bad for Nee-Nee…you don't have to sugar-coat anything…"
"Satoko! I mean every word that I'm saying!" I touched her face. "Shion's going to pull through! She'll wake up and we'll all be together again!"
"…Nee-Nee's very fragile." Satoko held the hanky up to her mouth. "She's very…very fragile. She used to tell me…about the times when she was with my Nii-Nii…and how she almost fell apart…"
Her love for Satoshi…the very root of the demon inside of her.
"She loved him very much, but when he vanished without a trace…she almost lost herself! However…I was there to keep her stable! I was the last piece of Nii-Nii that she had! And she was the last piece of Nii-Nii that I had! And now she's sick…! She's fragile…and sick and…!" More tears filled her eyes. "We love each other so much…I love her with everything I have…!
"I-I-If I don't have Nee-Nee…! Then-Then-!"
I held her close to me.
"You're not going to lose Shion! There's no way that she would leave you!"
"R-Rika…!" Satoko pressed against me. "Nee-Nee is all I left of my brother! I won't have anything if I don't have her with me!"
"And she wouldn't have anything left of Satoshi if she lost you! Satoko, listen to me!" I shook her. "Shion's not gonna give up! She knows how delicate you are too! She knows the kind of pain you're going through now! She has to! The bond between you both is so strong that she can feel you, even when she's sleeping now!
"Shion knows you're suffering! She's fighting with all of her might to wake up! She's fighting to be with you!"
"…Rika…!"
I smiled warmly. "Shion's…Shion is…very strong. She wouldn't go down without fighting! She'd go to the ends of the earth for you, just like you would do to her!"
"But Rika…I-I'm so helpless!" She wiped her nose in the hanky. "I want to help her, but there's nothing I can do! I can't do anything for her! It's just like Mion-san said!"
"Give her your love! Give her all of your love and strength! That's what you can do! She needs every bit of love and faith to keep her going!" I brought my mouth to her ear. "She needs you…Satoko!"
Satoko buried her head into my chest and continued to weep.
"C'mon! What would Houjou Satoko do in a situation like this? She wouldn't be crying! She would be fighting too!"
"…Keiichi-san…he'd fight…! He would fight! He would want me to fight too! And Rena-san! And Mion-san! She's scared now…but…she'd fight too!"
"There! Now channel those all those emotions in your heart! Offer it up to Shion! Give her everything!"
Satoko sniffled and cleaned her eyes again. She was smiling up at me. "Rika…you've changed…"
I raised my brow. "I-I have?"
"It's strange…! It's like…there's a new you somewhere inside of you! I…I really like this new Rika…! She's…she seems a lot stronger…and more…hopeful…than before!"
"…I don't understand…"
"Rika…I know! You've changed, just like Keiichi-san! You both have grown up so much!"
A small part of me didn't believe in what I was saying, but Hanyuu was right. I shouldn't have been so swift to judge. Shion was one of my best friends. If I didn't put my trust in her…then what hope did she have? I thought she was weak…but what she really needed was love and care. That's what I would give her! I promised myself, and her, that I would do just that!
I didn't grow up. Even with all of my wisdom from these one-hundred years, I still had much to learn! That's why Fate had placed Hanyuu by my side. She was put there to raise me, to help me grow, and to guide me. I was so cruel to her. I hurt her many times and I never once showed any remorse. I took her for granted. But no longer!
Maybe…maybe I did change…if just a little. Satoko was wrong about me…but…had I really grown like Keiichi did? I couldn't comprehend that at all. It-It was a mistake! I was still the same Rika as before…wasn't I? I didn't change! What was I thinking?
The front door opened. Takuma stepped inside. He was followed by another figure.
"Sorry to cut in like this, Rika-chan, but we have a visitor!"
He moved aside, revealing a detective in that trademark yellow jacket.
"I figured I should check up on you, Rika!" Akasaka waved to me. He was holding a large manila folder in his arms.
"Akasaka!" I helped Satoko out of the chair and led her over to him.
"…H-Hello…Akasaka-san…"
"Hey there, Satoko-chan." Akasaka petted her head. "You stay strong, you hear me?"
He knew about Shion?
"I-I will…" Satoko cracked a grin.
"What're you doing here, Akasaka?" I asked.
He loosened the collar of his shirt a little. "I wanted to see how you were doing! It looks like Takuma is doing a great job!"
"I have my moments!" Takuma smirked.
"Oh, hey, Takuma!" Akasaka pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "How about you and Satoko-chan get some ice cream for everybody? There's a car down the hill!" He adjusted his hold on the folder. "I think you could use a guide! Haha! You're still a little green with your directions!"
Takuma glanced at the folder, then back at his senpai. "Sure! We'll bring back some goodies soon! There's a good shop in Okinomiya, right, Satoko-chan?"
"Um…" She was confused. "S-Sure…I think so…"
"Come on, then! Let's get something great for all of us!"
Takuma took Satoko by the hand.
"You'll be okay here, Senpai?"
"Yep!" He smirked now. "I have Rika to keep me safe! Hahaha!"
"Alright then! See you in a bit!"
Takuma led Satoko out the door. Satoko gave one last look to me before the door closed.
I didn't have a good feeling about any of this. My eyes were stuck on the folder that Akasaka cradled in his arms. He got rid of Takuma and Satoko so quickly. The detectives didn't even give Satoko a chance to protest! Something was wrong!
"Akasaka?" I sat at the table, already guessing what this was about. "You really want to talk to me alone…didn't you?"
He grunted. "I'm really sorry about pushing those two away, especially Satoko, with what's been going on with her. However, I really needed to have a chance to talk with you without any interruptions. It also gives you and me a chance to regroup."
"Is this about the investigation?"
He only nodded.
I folded my hands on the table and sat quietly. I was bracing myself. I swallowed hard; my throat stung.
Akasaka sat across from me and placed the folder down in front of him.
"I did a lot of digging lately," he started, "and I came across a few interesting discoveries. I'm surprised with the amount of information I gathered on such short notice! One piece led to another, and then that new piece led to another one and so on! Rika…I'm getting closer to solving this puzzle! It's gotta be my policeman's intuition or something, but this information I have… it seems so familiar! I'm so close I can almost make out everything!"
"…What did you find, Akasaka?"
"First: I want to talk about Takano Miyo."
Good. I needed to see this with my own eyes. I needed to see if she was truly gone!
"After the incident last month, she was admitted to the Irie Institution, where she was treated for her Hinamizawa Syndrome. She was later moved to Tokyo when her condition improved. I asked Irie about her as well when I paid a visit to him yesterday!
"He said that she had successfully been lowered from Level 5 to Level 2. He requested that she be moved to Tokyo, to get her away from Hinamizawa. He wanted to give her the chance to focus on her recovery, as well as to give her a chance at a better life, but…"
His tone wasn't very uplifting. I knew what he was hiding, but I wanted him to come out with it.
"…What happened to her?" I asked patiently.
"Takano was under the care of some of Irie's colleagues there, people he absolutely trusted. However…" He sighed. "That didn't do Takano any good!"
He opened the folder. I saw a photo sitting on top of a stack of papers.
"Rika…you're too young to see this-"
"I want to see it, Akasaka." I said sternly.
"I'm warning you…it's really graphic."
"I want to see it!"
He reluctantly slid the photo over to me. I picked it up and ran my eyes over it. I knew about Takano already, from what Hanyuu reported to me when she followed Akasaka in that other world…but nothing prepared me for this sight!
Takano was lying in her hospital bed, with the sheets covering only her legs. Her hospital robe was torn open at the chest. Her skin was pale as a ghost and her nails were red with blood. Torn skin lay just underneath them. Her hair was strewn about her face, covering most of her features, but I could make out her eyes and mouth.
Her tongue draped over the corner of her mouth, with bloody drool dripped down onto the bed. Her eyes were bloodshot. They were fear ridden. Her whole face seemed like she had seen a Gorgon, and was frozen in time like a stone statue.
Her slender neck was slashed open. Pieces of her skin were peeling off of her neck and blood dripped down it to her bare chest. The gash went down to her trachea. I could see the bone as clear as day! How could she have scratched at her throat and continue clawing at it until she hit the bone? It was disturbing…nothing like I imagined before!
Her chest had a gash as well. Even more blood gushed out. Her entire bed was completely red. Even the floor was wet. It looked like she had been stabbed by something. It wasn't by a blade though. The size of gash was large. It was about the size of a hand! The photo showed that the wound went straight down to her ribs. A piece from her ribs had broken off too! What in the world…?
"…What…" I tried to stay calm. "What happened to her…?"
"The autopsy reports said she committed suicide by clawing out her own throat! The wound on…in…her chest was made postmortem! The blood that came from her neck didn't seem enough for this next part. Most of the blood from her chest was used to make this!"
Akasaka passed me another photo. I took a peek.
The walls were adorned in bloody characters. The single phrase used was very large across one wall, but it was small on the other spots on the other walls. The blood sometimes dripped over some of phrases, making them illegible, but they all said the same thing. On every wall, on every corner, and on every space, read… "Keima be Praised."
"'Keima be…Praised…?'" I said to myself. "Akasaka…does that mean…?"
"This couldn't have been suicide!" Akasaka banged his fist on the table. "Takano couldn't have killed herself like that! She was forced into doing it! The real culprit made her kill herself, and then made that wound in her chest in order to write all that stuff on the walls!"
"So…her true killer is a Keima Clansman?"
He kept his mouth shut.
I studied Takano corpse, and then the walls again. Something didn't add up to me.
"Akasaka," I said as I looked the pictures over. "Clawing out the throat is a symptom of Level 5 Hinamizawa Syndrome, correct? You said Takano was reduced to Level 2 and she was progressively recovering! How could she make that jump from Level 2 to 5 like that?"
"…That's what bothers me! It's not possible! It bothers me even more…seeing that Shion has a similar case as Takano's!"
That…that was right! Shion was normal when she saw me that day, but she soon fell ill! She desperately tried to scratch at her throat but I stopped her! She jumped from the lowest to the highest level in nothing flat! Was Shion…going to suffer Takano's fate? But…that wasn't possible, because Shion didn't have Hinamizawa Syndrome! It was made to look like that!
Another spark ignited in my brain. Ayatsuri! He was the only person who could influence a demon into doing anything! He could control any person that harbored a demon! Then that meant…that Takano had a demon too? But…had she really died from Hinamizawa Syndrome? Or did she die because the demon inside of her was influenced to have her commit suicide?
Ayatsuri killed Takano! He killed her and he was going to kill Shion in the same manner! He was trying to get to me through them! Then…that meant that he and Takano weren't allies after all! So the Clan truly acted alone in all of this?
"I heard rumors about the head of Keima Clan, that Ayatsuri guy," Akasaka spoke. "I heard about the supposed powers he has! He's the silver-tongued mastermind behind that cult! He can sway anybody to listening to him just by the sound of his voice, and he can even influence people into doing his bidding!"
"Do you believe that, Akasaka?"
"I'm trying not to believe that he has some special power! May-Maybe it's all just smoke and mirrors! It has to be! Anybody can use rhetoric to manipulate someone! That's all Ayatsuri's doing! He's just using words to confuse people into thinking what he wants them to think!"
"…So…did he kill Takano?"
He folded his arms. "The 'Keima be Praised' is very straightforward, yeah! Though…I can't help but think that that would be too easy! There's something else!"
"There's always something else!" I slammed my fists on the table. "Can't we get a single answer that gives us any truth?"
"…Rika." Akasaka remained calm. "I want to blame them too, but I have to keep my options open! Somebody could have easily assassinated Takano and put the blame on the Clan! I wouldn't know why but…we need to keep these different ideas in our heads!"
I abhorred this detective work! Ayatsuri was our man! End of story!
"Who would want to assassinate Takano though?" I was yelling. "Who would want to blame the Clan for the murder?"
"Let me ask you this, Rika: why would the Clan kill Takano in the first place?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came forth.
"See what I mean? The writing could be a red herring!" Akasaka ran his hand through his hair. "Why would the Clan want to kill Takano? That doesn't make any bit of sense! What could they gain with her gone?"
"…Takano wanted to kill me! The Clan wants to kill me because of that grudge! Maybe they killed her so that they could have their chance! They-They were afraid she'd steal it away from them!"
"Takano was locked up tight in a heavily guarded hospital! She was in no condition to break out, and she would need help! She was all alone! The Yamainu lost their loyalty to her and she had nobody else to turn to! She couldn't do anything! She wasn't a threat to anybody!"
"But…!" I was struggling to think of something to say. My mind was jumping everywhere! "TOKYO! If not the Clan, then they killed her! Didn't she fail in her plan to destroy Hinamizawa? Wouldn't they want to do away with her for vengeance?"
"That's another thing I was looking in to!"
Akasaka pulled a few sheets of paper from the folder.
"These are wanted notices for a group of men and women. Their biographies are in there too." He handed me the sheets. "They're all war criminals and terrorists! My investigation led to their alleged involvement with TOKYO! I contacted Tomitake Jirou and I even spoke to Irie about all this just to be sure! What you're holding there is the list of the leaders of the TOKYO Organization and their divisions!"
My hands trembled. "…So…? What does this mean? It means that I'm right about them wanting to kill Takano! They wanted her dead because she failed! They killed her, made it look like a suicide, and then they tried to frame the Clan!"
"Rika…about TOKYO." He breathed hard. "Their last known activity was reported exactly one month ago, and that was when Takano tried to destroy Hinamizawa! After Takano was taken away, multiple death notices were relased! They all came right after the other! All those people there, those terrorists and war criminals…they all died within that time frame! They all died the same way Takano did! They committed suicide by clawing their throats open!
"All of the leaders of TOKYO…they're all dead! And that means-!"
Oh God…! He was kidding…!
"TOKYO's been disbanded! It's inactive! It was inactive even before Takano's death!"
The papers I was holding fell to the floor.
TOKYO…was finished? It didn't exist anymore? No…no! That wasn't right! That wasn't right at all! It wasn't true! It couldn't have been true!
"Then…what does this all mean…?" I managed to get out.
"TOKYO couldn't have killed her! The organization was already disbanded by the time Takano died! The Clan couldn't have killed her either because they had no motive! Takano wasn't a threat to anybody! She was worthless! Ayatsuri and his Clan aren't responsible! TOKYO isn't responsible! We're dealing with a phantom here!"
"…Where does this leave…Shion…?"
Akasaka clenched his fists. "I don't know how she became so sick! It's just like Takano's situation! There were no traces in her blood that mentioned any type of drug! The only thing we have is that hand-sized wound on her chest!
"Shion's being tested by Irie right now! He's checking her blood, everything! I was just over there to see him so I could ask for his help! When I saw Shion…when I heard about what happened from Irie…that's when I started to put it all together!"
What else could there be…?
"Rika…! The person or persons who killed Takano, as well as the TOKYO leaders, is after Shion…possibly you…maybe even all of us! I don't know why though, but that's what I'm trying to find out! Maybe the Clan isn't behind this at all! Maybe that death threat towards you and Kimiyoshi is another wild goose chase to throw off our suspicion from the true killers!
"I don't know many of the details yet, but I can deduce this! Our phantoms are very close by! Our true killers…our true enemies…"
Akasaka gripped my hands. His eyes stared directly into me.
"…Are right here in Hinamizawa!"