4. Chapter 4: Catalyst

Chapter 4: Catalyst

Part A

I was sitting on my bed back in my apartment that evening. I sat there hugging my legs. I buried my face into my knees and sobbed. I was horrible. I was a horrible human being. I had tried to kill a good friend of mine, rather, the monster inside of me wanted to kill her. I couldn't stop it. His voice had to save me, the voice of the boy who was my only hero.

I was so afraid. If the demon could take control over me without warning, how was I going to stop it again? I couldn't keep that boy with me every second of the day! I had to get stronger! But how was I going to that? This was so difficult for me. I told myself I would overcome my obsessions and flaws, and yet I let my inner demon control me! I was such a hypocrite!

I hated myself. I didn't deserve to be happy. I almost became a killer that day. I almost stole an innocent life. I didn't deserve to be happy. I deserved to die. I should die. But I couldn't take my own life either. That would be selfish of me. That would hurt all of my friends and it would destroy Satoko. I was a danger to everyone though! I couldn't win no matter what I tried to do!

There was a knock at my door. I ignored it. I didn't want to see anybody. I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to be by myself. There was a few more knocks but I paid no attention. Why couldn't I be left alone?

"Shion? It's me, Keiichi." I heard his muffled voice from behind the door.

My body instantly hopped off of my bed and dashed to the door. I wanted to be alone, but my reflexes had me run to Kei-chan just like that. I really was a hypocrite. I was so selfish…I wanted this small pleasure even if it meant going against my established beliefs.

I cracked the door open a bit. I opened it just so Kei-chan could see my face.

"Hi…Kei-chan," I said, already guilty.

He spotted my puffy eyes and my ruffled hair. He could tell something was wrong with me. He didn't mention my appearance though. I think he was trying to be polite. "H-How are you?"

I averted my eyes from him. I couldn't bear to look him in the eye, not after what I almost did.

"C-Can I come in?"

I wiped my eyes with my arm. "If you want…"

I stepped aside and let him enter. I led him to my kitchen table. I sat at one side and he sat at the other. My gaze was upon my lap. I could feel him staring at me, it made me so nervous. I played with my nails as the seconds passed by. What was he going to say to me? Did he know about what happened? He had to have! Why else would he be here?

"I like the carpet you have here!" He feigned a laugh. "It really brightens up the place!"

"Why are you here, Kei-chan?" I asked very lowly. I wanted to get this over with. He didn't have to play games with me.

He grunted. I could tell he was trying to find the right words to say. "I…er…Rena told me about what happened at the junkyard…"

I sunk in my seat. I knew it. "She hates me…doesn't she?"

"No! She doesn't!"

"Then you hate me."

"I don't hate you!"

"You have every reason to. She told you that I tried to kill her. I know how close you are with Rena. You should despise me…you should want me dead…"

Kei-chan raised his voice. "Stop that! Why are you talking like that? Rena doesn't hate you! She's worried about you!"

I dug out some gunk from underneath my nails.

"I'm worried about you!"

I glanced up at him. "…You're lying…"

"Why do you think I'm lying? Shion…I'm really worried about you! Don't you understand that? What's gotten into you?"

I looked back at my nails. I continued to clean them. My voice was filled with so much sorrow. I couldn't take that feeling anymore. I wanted it all to go away.

"Shion…please, talk to me!"

"…It came back…"

"What came back?"

"The demon." I pointed to my heart. "It wanted me to kill Rena…I heard its voice…it made me do this. I couldn't stop it by myself."

I heard him grunt again. "This is the second time you mentioned demons to me. What's going on with you? Tell me the truth! What's the deal with this demon you keep talking about?"

I raised my head a little. My eyes concentrated on his neck. "Did Mion ever tell you about the day we were born, or about our past lives?"

"Uh…I don't think so. She never told me anything, but what does that have to do with this demon?"

I took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for me, but I had to say it now that I brought it up.

"When we were born, there was only supposed to be one child to inherit the Sonozaki name. There was a second child born and that child was to be killed. It was spared however, and that child was sent away. The child came back home, but she had to undergo many tribulations to be able to live the way she does now.

"She had to disguise herself to blend in to be a normal girl, because the family knew she escaped from the prison they locked her up in. She was caught one day and she had to pay a penalty for her crimes." I looked at my nails. The pain was coming back to me. "It hurt so much…but she was able to live a better life after showing her distinction. She was missing one thing that mattered most in her life though."

Kei-chan raised his brow. He was listening very closely to what I was saying.

"She loved this boy, but he went away, and she's not sure if he'll ever come back. Her sister had someone, and that made the other girl very jealous. It made her so angry, that her insecurities and past pains gave birth to a monster. This monster's been living inside of her ever since. She's been holding it in as best as she could, but it's getting harder and harder…"

I felt Kei-chan's eyes leave me. "You're…you're that girl…the one who was sent away. The one who had to show her distinction…right?"

I grinned a little. "I am."

"I'm so sorry…" He said quietly. "I never knew…"

"How could you have known? I never wanted to tell you…but now I feel that I should. I wish I could say it's all in the past, but that's not true. All of the pain I've experienced, all of the jealousy I've felt, and the biggest loss of my life created this demon." I placed my hands over my heart. "It's calling me; it's making me do these horrible deeds. It almost made me kill Rena…"

Kei-chan shifted in his seat. His voice sounded so calm and so caring. "Demon or not, there has to be some way you can overcome it! You're a strong woman! You can beat it! You've never given up before!"

"You don't know that well, Kei-chan. I just can't win…." A tear rolled down my cheek. "No matter how hard I fight it…it comes back stronger than before…"

"Don't give up, Shion! You have to fight!" Kei-chan got out of his seat and walked over to me. He knelt down next to me. He held my hand. "You can't just give up like this!"

My hand twitched under his. "I just can't forget about my pain…my feelings…and my past. I'm too weak…I'm so pathetic…"

"No you're not!" He squeezed my hand. "I've had enough of you talking like that! Where's the Shion I know? She's stronger than this! How many times do I have to tell you this?"

My mouth didn't open. I couldn't speak.

"Shion…let me help you! I'll do whatever it takes to rid you of that demon!"

I saw him out of the corner of my eye. He was standing his ground. There was no way that he was going to let this go. He was going to fight until he couldn't fight anymore. He was going to do that for me.

"You know, Kei-chan," I said, as soft as I could. I placed his hand over my heart. He was so warm and tender. My cold body was enveloped in this delightful warmth. It was nice. "I heard another voice that called out to me too. That voice saved Rena…and it saved me…"

He blushed but he remained serious despite where his hand was. "Who's voice was it?"

I honestly smiled at him. I held back the tears that wanted to flow from my eyes.

"Yours."

"Mine?"

I nodded. "When I told you that Teppei returned, when you said I didn't have a demon, you told me demons couldn't love…remember?"

His fingers brushed against my blouse. "Demon's can't love…"

"You're right…but it me almost made kill Rena. I'm infected by it…I'm becoming a demon myself…"

"You're not! That was the demon who tried to do that evil act!" He returned my smile. "Shion didn't do that! She's not capable of murder!"

I still smiled at him. He was such a silly boy. He had no idea who he was talking to.

"Shion is a good person! I know you…I know who you are! I don't care what you say or how many times you deny it! Disagree with me all you want, but my thoughts toward you will stay the same! You'll always be Shion to me! I'll never see you any different!" He grinned at me. "Let me help you!"

I looked away from him, but he turned my face back to see him. His hand was still over my heart. He took it back for a moment and touched my head. He gently rubbed it for me. He knew I enjoyed the feeling.

"When you first did that to me…I absolutely hated it." I giggled. "Your hands were so incredibly rough and uncomfortable to me. I hated the way you rubbed my head…I only let Satoshi-kun do that to me. But now…I kind of like it. Your hands are a lot warmer than before…"

"Why is that?" He chuckled "Am I wearing you down? Do you like me? Hehehe!"

I didn't laugh with him though I was smiling at him. I was afraid of this. I was afraid that this would happen to me. My heart was too fragile to be feeling this.

Kei-chan remained there with me for another hour. Before he left, he told me to call him if I ever needed someone to talk to or to vent to. He wanted to be certain that I would be alright. I told him that he'd be the first person I would call in case I ever needed anything. He left my apartment with his bright smile and with one more pat on my head.

I slammed the door shut after I saw him walk down the staircase leading down to the street. I pressed my body against the door and whimpered. I slid down and fell on my knees. I clawed at the door with my nails and desperately tried not to cry. I was so sick of crying, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. What was wrong with me? Why was I so damaged? Why did I have to ruin every good thing that came my way?

Kei-chan did his best to convince me otherwise, but I knew this demon was slowly infecting me. It was beginning to hurt everyone close to me. Its first target was Rena. She was spared, but it wouldn't be long before it would try to find a new target. I had to keep all of those dark thoughts, urges, and my past out of my mind. If I could force it all into the back of my brain, I would forget about it. I could be free.

While I tried to put every one of my darkest secrets and pains away for good, I began to think about Rika-chan. She was the Furude head now and she was a priestess. I knew I didn't believe in the religion of Oyashiro-sama, but maybe Takuma was right: maybe there was some truth to the old stories.

Hinamizawa was once Onigafuchi, the land of demons. Humans and demons coexisted and their blood mixed together. The Sonozaki family surely must have been one of the first families in Onigafuchi, when the demons first came. I wouldn't doubt if the demon that dwelled inside of me was one of those monsters from the past. Its blood mixed with a Sonozaki and that blood carried on to this generation. Sis didn't seem to have one, but I sure did.

Rika-chan, as a priestess, had to have some power over these spiritual forces. Maybe if I could get a blessing from her, just for the hell of it, then maybe this demon could be expelled from my body. If there was one chance that could make me free, it was Rika-chan. My own determination was dwindling, and while Kei-chan's words stopped me from killing Rena, I feared they might not be enough to further combat this devil. Rika had to help me!

I struggled to get to sleep that night. I jumped all around in my bed, but I just couldn't get comfortable. I was so hot under the blankets. Even when I lay on top of them, I was still hot. Maybe a glass of water would cool me down.

I rose from bed and made for the kitchen sink. I noticed Kasai didn't come home yet. He must have been doing a job for Onibaba while she was away, or maybe he was checking on Mion to see how she was handling things.

I took a glass and filled it to the very brim. I chugged the water down in a few gulps.

I heard breathing behind me.

I stood like a statue. What was behind me? An intruder? I didn't hear the door open! I didn't have my stun gun on me. I could spin around and sock the bastard right in the jaw though!

I twirled around and threw a hard punch.

My fist was caught by a claw. Those claws dug into my skin. I grimaced and dared to look up at my intruder.

_"That's no way to greet an old friend." _That same dark voice was speaking to me again.

My eyes shot open as I saw the hooded monster. He towered over me, driving his claws deeper into my hand. I wrestled free; my blood splattered onto the floor. I covered my wound and scurried to the corner. I squatted down and covered my head with my arms.

"Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!" I shrieked.

_"You wanted to take that which doesn't belong to you! I know…I saw the lust in your heart!" _It laughed to itself. _"Are you so insecure that you would try to steal your own sister's love?"_

"Shut up! Shut up!"

_"You're weak…pitiful…pathetic…you're incapable of achieving happiness! You're tying to abandon Satoshi-kun! And for what, an imitation?"_

"Keiichi's not an imitation! I'm not abandoning anybody!" I spat back at him. I rose to my feet and clenched my fists.

_"You're betraying your promise to Satoshi-kun though! You've betrayed plenty of your promises, haven't you?"_ Its voice became colder. It froze my blood. The demon's aura saturated the air. I wasn't choking this time. I was getting use to that rank smell and that feeling of emptiness. _"And now you wish to expel me from you? That's impossible, I'm afraid!"_

"What do you want from me?" I screamed. "You want to torture me? Well, you've had your fun!" I violently shook my head around. "If you want to destroy me, just do it already! Kill me! Kill me and be done with it!"

_"Why are you so angry with me?"_ It sounded confused. _"I was expecting you to thank me after our great accomplishment!"_

"What accomplishment?" What was he saying?

_"Silly girl…don't you remember? You were so distraught over it! I couldn't stand to see my Shion suffer any longer! I simply gave you a little nudge! Don't you feel better now that it's all over?"_

I was confused as well. "What the hell are you blathering about? Why should I thank you for anything? You've done nothing but torment me!" I screamed louder and louder. "You torture me on a regular basis! You isolate me from the people I love! You…you tried to make me kill Rena!"

_"She offended you didn't she?"_ I could see a hideous black tongue licking its canines. The green drool was running down the corner of its mouth. _"Her talk about demons and such…I know how much that talk bothers you!"_

"She said she was only joking with me! You made me think she was threatening me!"

_"She _**was**_ threatening you!"_ The demon stroked my face with that same curled misshapen claw that hurt me before. _"Oyashiro-sama cursed you! You'll be demoned away! Didn't she say that? Didn't she strike fear into you? Didn't you wish for her to be quiet?"_

"You're lying…stop! You're lying! YOU'RE LYING!" I covered my ears and hid in the corner again. "Rena wasn't threatening me! She wouldn't attack me! Stop lying to me!"

"_Why would I lie to myself? We're one in the same now!"_

"Shut up!"

"_I am you and you are me! Accept it! I'm you! I'm your shadow!"_ It howled and pounced on top of me.

I shrieked until my voice gave out.

Part B

When I finally had the fortitude to open my eyes, I had noticed it was morning. I was still cowering in the corner with my arms over my head. I didn't sleep one bit. I tried to control my shaky breath, but the fear inside of me was growing with each second that past. I was expecting for it to return, to get its last moments of pleasure before claiming my life, but it didn't come back.

I stood up and stumbled into the bathroom. I inspected the wound on my hand. It was real. So I wasn't dreaming...that actually happened. It could now harm me in the real world as well. I disinfected the cuts the demon gave me and bandaged my hand up and I cleaned up the dried blood on the kitchen floor. My hand stung for a while; it was telling me that I wouldn't be so fortunate the next time. I wasn't going to let that creature hurt me again. That was for certain.

I needed all the help in the world now. I was too afraid to fight this alone, but I had to. I couldn't face Rena again; I didn't want to endanger her, or anybody else for that matter. Kei-chan promised to help, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. I would have to fight this battle alone. I just needed the right tools on my side. That thought about Rika was my best shot. It wouldn't hurt to have a blessing just in case. It would be quick. I would get my blessing and I could fight this thing, I wouldn't have to drag anybody else into this.

I began to wonder if the library had some information on demons or how to combat them. It was worth a chance. I was willing to do anything to be rid of this monster. I freshened up, changed into some clean clothes, and went off to the library.

The library wasn't too crowded that day. I quickly arrived in the history section and began rifling through book after book. I checked each bookcase until I came across a few texts about the history of Hinamizawa, when it was referred to as Onigafuchi. I took them to a nearby table and began perusing through them, hoping to find information about the demons that once existed in the village. I had little knowledge of such. I needed to grasp all that I could.

The Sonozaki family was indeed one of the first families that had the demonic blood. I was right! The demon inside of me was definitely from that time period! It had to be! There was no other explanation!

There was another family next to the Sonozakis who first had the demon blood flowing through their veins. This was the Keima family. They were a powerful family that served Oyashiro-sama, along with the Furude family. While the Furude family was made up of the chief priests and priestesses, the Keima family was the keeper of a very valuable treasure. This treasure was the very thing that saved the village from the demon god in the time of turmoil when demons and humans coexisted. This was the Onigari-no-Ryuou.

The Onigari-no-Ryuou was the legendary sword that killed the demon god, once wielded by some woman named Furude Ouka, obviously an ancestor of Rika. After the demon god was slain, the sword was sealed away forever. The text suggested that the sword may be hidden within the statue of Oyashiro-sama in the Furude Shrine storage. The problem is that no one has seen this sword in one thousand years, so no one can be sure whether the sword still exists. Only the Furude's know if the sword is real, for they hold a document that can prove it. That document is kept in secret as well.

Now the Keima family worked alongside the Furude's. They were given a special duty involving this sword. They were supposed to protect it. I thought for a moment. If Ouka is the ancestor of Rika, then was there a descendant of the Keima family in Hinamizawa? I never heard of anybody bearing that name before. The book didn't say anything else. The other books mentioned little to no information regarding the Keima name. I was stuck at this dead end now.

The Onigari-no-Ryuou. If that sword really existed, it would be a great weapon to have against a demon. The sword was strong enough to kill the demon god in Onigafuchi, so it had more than enough power to slay a lesser demon. If only I could get my hands on that weapon! If I had that sword, I bet I could scare the demon out of me! I could kill it that way! My thoughts were pure fantasy, but who knows? Oyashiro-sama's legend, and the legends of Onigafuchi lasted for a thousand years, so there had to be at least some truth to it all. I could feel myself slowly turning into a believer.

"What'cha doing?" Somebody said from behind me.

I lifted my head up to see who was talking to me. Takuma was scratching the top of his head as he looked down at the book I was reading. His head was right above mine. I screamed and slammed the book shut. Everybody looked at me funny and whispered harshly to me to shut up. I bowed my head apologetically to them. I turned to Takuma and glared.

"What the hell's your problem?" I punched his arm hard.

"Ow!" He rubbed his arm and frowned at me. "You know, a friendly 'hello' would have sufficed!" He noticed my bandaged hand. "Jeez! What happened to your hand?"

"Don't sneak up on people like that!" I ignored him as I caught my breath. "Why are you here bothering me?"

He sat next to me at the table. He looked so guilty and depressed. "I'm sorry! I noticed you were all alone and thought you might like some company!"

I huffed at him.

"I also would like to apologize for the other night." He loosened the tie of his suit nervously. "I must have made you scared with my talk about demons that time you called me, 'cause you hung up on me. I was only joking around! I didn't mean to frighten you!"

Takuma was joking about that? Rena said the same thing when I was possessed...when I tried to kill her. Were Takuma and Rena really just joking with me? Was the demon twisting my reality?

"Can you forgive me?" Takuma folded his hands and got down on his knees. "Please?"

Everybody was looking at me again. "Yeah, yeah, fine, whatever! Now, sit down! You're drawing attention!"

Takuma sighed in relief. He wiped his forehead with his hanky. "Oh, good! I was afraid you hated me or something! Haha!" He peered at the book I was reading a few minutes ago. "What were you reading before?"

"Huh? This?" I flipped the book back open to the last page I was looking at. "It's nothing really. I was just reading about Hinamizawa's past."

"Oh, I think I know what you mean! Onigafuchi, when human and demon blood were mixed together right?"

"That's right. How'd you know?"

"I've been coming here every now and then to brush up on my folklore." He smiled proudly. "I guess you can say that I'm not a newbie anymore! I've become a regular Hinamizawan! Hehe!"

"Then you must have gotten to know your way around the village by now, right?" I looked at him condescendingly. "You said you're not a newbie, so do you know where all the major sights are located?"

His smile turned upside down. He patted his forehead again. "Well...no...not exactly..."

"Then you're still a newbie! Ahaha!" I nudged him with my elbow. "That's so embarrassing!"

He turned his face away from me in shame.

"Say, Takuma, what're you up to today?"

He looked back and scratched at his head. "I'm gonna go see if I can find the Furude Shrine today. Sempai wants me to get acquainted with that place."

"You're going there today too?"

"Are you?"

"Yeah, actually!" I grinned. I thought up a quick scheme at that moment. "Hey, Takuma...?" I touched his hand. I traced along the top of his hand very gently.

His skin jumped under my touch.

"I really wanted to go to the shrine today, but I don't think I can make it all the way there by myself!" I scooted closer to him. I ran my fingers along the nape of his neck. "I know the way, but I don't like traveling by myself...I get lonely…" I looked at him suggestively. "Can you...take me there...? Please?"

He jumped from his chair and straightened his jacket. He walked to the door of the library. "I think I'll drive you to the shrine today!"

"Yay!" I clapped my hands together. I grabbed his arm and held it at my chest, just to tease him a little more. He quickened his pace and I skipped right beside him. Men are so easy to manipulate!

Takuma took me to his car and opened the door for me like a gentleman. He climbed into the driver seat and ignited the engine. We were literally flying down the road to Hinamizawa. I was starting to think that this was a bad idea! I didn't know this guy drove that fast!

Takuma slowed down a tad when we got onto the road that led directly to the village. This was the road that was right next to the Onigafuchi Swamp. The crime that was committed there reentered my brain. I was feeling cold as I recalled when Kasai and I were first told of the incident, and when I had that nightmare. I wondered if the police had gathered any new information. I needed to know the truth. I really could have used some good news.

"I met your friend, Ryuugu Rena-san, last night when I was on patrol."

"Oh yeah, she mentioned you the last time we spoke." I didn't want to remember that day.

"She's a really cute girl!" He said with a sneer. "The guy who marries her will be very lucky!"

Rena would make a very good wife. I was worried by the way she was always around Kei-chan. I prayed he wouldn't fall to her charms.

"She's a very smart girl! She knows a lot of the lore here! We had this conversation about the supernatural and stuff and…wait…I shouldn't mention that. I don't want to make you angry with me again…haha!"

"Takuma?" I interrupted him. I hesitated at first, but I continued on with my thought. "D-Did the police find anything about that crime? The one at Onigafuchi?"

"We found some things," he said with a grin. "We found some blood along the grass where one of the persons was supposedly bludgeoned to death. We also found a broken timber with lots of blood on it near the actual swamp. We have it back the lab; our guys are trying to see if they can pull a print off of it."

I gulped. Did Takuma hear me? I hoped not. But…I didn't have a criminal record. The police couldn't have known what my fingerprints looked like. Even if they did pull a print out of it, they couldn't know that it belonged to me! They couldn't! And that was just a nightmare I had! Why was I getting so worked up over a dumb coincidence?

"But seriously," he continued, "why would anybody wanna kill somebody in a peaceful village like this? What, is there, like, something in the air that makes people go nuts?"

Something like that.

"I'm liking this village, but I have to admit, it's really screwy! With all the legends about demons and stuff." He cranked up the AC and laughed.

"Yeah, it really is." I tapped my leg with my finger. Something else got into my head. "Hey, I almost forgot to ask you! Did you and Akasaka-san find anything about Houjou Teppei?"

Takuma nodded strongly. "Oh, yes we did! Somebody in the courts pulled something and the guy got off with that pardon I mentioned to you over the phone. The pardon was complete nonsense. The reasons for his release for completely fabricated. Somebody was bribed to let him waltz right out of prison!"

"You're kidding! That's insane!"

"It gets more complicated! Sempai and I tracked Houjou to his apartment. We knocked on the door and ordered him to come out and talk, but he refused to answer us. We busted in and looked for him, but he was gone! We looked all over the apartment, the block, and even the whole town! We couldn't find him at all! Nobody has seen him since a few days ago!"

No way…there was no way! How did he escape from the police just like that? The slippery bastard! I swear, it would be so much better if he didn't exist anymore!

"We suspect he might already be in Hinamizawa!"

That bothered me greatly, despite the plan Kei-chan and I concocted. Satoko was safe within the Sonozaki compound, but just the thought of Teppei going after her right now disturbed me. This guy had to be caught before he could find Satoko! I feared for what he may do if he discovered her!

"Sempai tells me his niece, Satoko, is safe somewhere, right? He got a call from a kid named Maebara, who told him about some plan."

"Yes!" I almost shouted. "He has nothing to worry about! My friend, Keiichi, and my sister, Mion, will keep her safe no matter what!"

"That's a relief!" Takuma sighed. "Now all we gotta do is find this asshole and lock him up again!"

"That's another reason why you're going to Hinamizawa today, huh? To catch Teppei?"

He laughed. "You got a keen eye! I didn't want to excite you, so I didn't want to say anything."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry!"

"It's alright. Just promise me one thing though." He glanced at me. He smiled very friendly at me. "Leave this to me, okay? We don't need you or anybody else getting hurt!"

"No offense, Takuma," I giggled, "but you're a newbie! Teppei looks pretty strong! Think you can handle him?"

He snickered arrogantly. He unbuttoned his jacket with one hand and pulled it back. I looked at his waist. He had a revolver on one side, in its holster, but he had another weapon on his left hip. It was shaped like a cylinder and it was in a special sheath. It looked like a regular police club.

"I got this baton straight from America. One whack from this thing and you'll go down instantly! It's a collapsible baton, for easy concealment and portability, but it has all the power of the basic club!" He beamed as he spoke of it.

I smiled back at him. "Maybe you're not so useless after all!"

"I have my moments!"

We came to the Furude shrine. We disembarked and proceeded up the steps to the shrine. Takuma looked at all of the stairs with contempt. I could already tell he was going to have a good time climbing up these steps! When we came up to the top, he was cussing under his breath. Was this guy really a professional like he made himself out to be? I said it before: this guy was an honest newbie!

I stood in front of the shrine. Just beyond the shrine was the storage temple, the Saiguden. In there lay the Onigari-no-Ryuou, the legendary swor. According to the text I read, the sword was contained within the statue of Oyashiro-sama. However, I couldn't just break in and take the thing for myself. No matter how much I wanted it, I couldn't take what wasn't mine. I would have to settle for a blessing from Rika to expel this demon from me.

"This is the Furude shrine?" Takuma eyed it carefully. He held his chin and smiled brightly at it. "It's much more beautiful than Sempai's description!"

"It's great, huh?" I smiled at him. "My friend runs this shrine. Her name is Furude Rika, she's Akasaka-san's best friend!"

"He mentioned a little bit about her, but I never had the honor of meeting her! You think she's here now?"

"I think she's still in school, but maybe we'll get lucky!" I looked beyond the shrine. I could envision the Saiguden in my head. I could imagine that sword.

"You alright, Shion?" Takuma eyed me.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine! I was just thinking about an old legend here. You probably never heard of it. It's the story of the Onigari-no-Ryuou."

"The sword that killed the demon god?"

"Wow! I'm impressed!" I winked at him. "Somebody's been doing their homework!"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Haha. If I'm gonna be part of the village, I have to know all the stories!"

"Alright, smart guy! Then tell me: who was the family that was charged with protecting the sword?"

"Uh…hmm…I think it was…the Keima family?"

"Right! Keep this up and you might get a reward! Ahaha!" He was blushing uncontrollably at me. Something told me this guy was imagining something impure. "But besides the family name, I don't know much about them! The book I was reading in the library didn't mention much about the family."

Takuma coughed and regained composure. "I researched that deeper when I learned about the Furude's ancestry. I've been hanging out in that library most of the time I've been in Okinomiya. Ouka, the wielder of that sword, sealed it away so that no one would ever use it again, correct? And the Keima family was charged in guarding it and the Saiguden."

He was fairly knowledgeable! I was becoming more and more impressed with each word he said!

"For all of those generations, the Keima family kept watch over the sword. The holy duty was passed on from father to son, I read. Every Keima child born after the first guardian was a son; there was never any record of a Keima daughter. That bloodline lasted until a few years ago, when the surviving family members died."

"They died? You mean, there's no one around with the Keima name anymore?"

"That's right. Records show that the last people who bore the name lived in Hinamizawa twenty years ago. They moved away from the village and into the big city, my guess is Tokyo or Okinawa. After they moved away, nobody heard from them since." Takuma stuffed his hands into his pockets as he finished.

"I wonder what happened to them," I said with my hand at my chin.

"Maybe they were cursed for all we know."

I looked at Takuma. He was staring at the shrine. The wind blew through his hair and he shook his head. "I guess Oyashiro-sama cursed them for leaving the village or something. Some guardian deity…"

"That's really dumb! They protected that sword for thousands of generations! Why would they be cursed?"

"I don't know. That's something I'll look in to during my free time." He walked to the side of the shrine and saw the road that led to the Saiguden. "This is the road to the ritual tools shrine?"

"Yep!" I walked to his side and grinned. "Don't get any funny ideas now! You don't want to be cursed like the Keima family, do you?"

He laughed and wiped his forehead with his hanky. "That wouldn't be good, now would it?"

"Shii?" A little girl came out of the shrine. She was in a ceremonial robe. She looked so adorable! "Is that you, Shii?"

"Rika-chan!" I ran to her and gave her a quick hug. "Did Chie let you out early today?"

"Uh-huh!" She had a big smile on her face and her eyes were closed. "I've been taking care of the shrine all afternoon!"

"Wow! I guess Chie's getting real lazy nowadays, huh? Ahaha!"

Rika joined in my laughter. She spotted Takuma. He titled her head at him. She approached him and stared at his face.

"Eh?" He raised his brow at her.

She continued to stare at him.

"I-I'm a friend of Shion's! I'm not a robber or anything like that!"

"Nii..."

"Nii…?"

"Nipaa~!" She smiled again. She hugged his waist tightly.

"Ni-Nipaa~…" He chuckled nervously and blushed. I would be blushing too if I were him!

"You know Takuma, Rika-chan?" I asked her.

"Akasaka told me about you!" Rika rubbed her cheek against his stomach.

"D-Did he now?" Takuma petted her head. "I hope he told you good things about me!"

Rika looked up at him and continued to smile. What was she up to?

"Huh? What is it? You want something?"

Her smile widened.

"Um." He fished through his pockets but found nothing. He then took out his wallet and handed Rika a bill. "I hope you can get something nice with this! I'm sorry I don't have any candy!"

"Mii~!" Rika seized the bill and hugged him once more time. That little sneak! She totally played him!

"I guess this means we're friends now, huh? Haha!" Takuma smiled.

"As long as you keep giving her money!" I laughed.

Takuma looked at his watch. "Shoot! I really should get back to work! I have to find that friend of yours and show him his lovely accommodations at the precinct! Thanks giving me directions, Shion!"

I smirked. "No problem! You just catch that guy, Takuma! We're all counting on you!"

Takuma bowed to Rika and waved goodbye to me. He was much more pleasant this time. I guess he really was joking with me that time on the phone. He wasn't a bad guy, he just told the wrong joke to the wrong person, much like what Rena did. I was beginning to like him.

"What's Shii doing up here?" Rika asked me with those big eyes of hers.

"Um…I kinda have a problem and I was hoping you could help me."

She tilted her head at me.

"Could you give me some sort of blessing?" I shuffled my feet. "You are the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama and all, so I was hoping you could help me."

"Is Shii having trouble with something?"

"Sort of. I can't really explain it. But trust me; it's really important that I do something about it. That blessing may be what I need."

Rika nodded and took me by the hand. "I'll help you as best I can!" She giggled at me.

She led me into the shrine. It was very dark and cold, even though it was warm and sunny outside. Rika sensed my fear. She patted my hand and encouraged me to go on. She had me sit before a statue of Oyashiro-sama. I could feel his eyes watching my every move. I could feel him sensing my every thought. I could feel him tasting the fear that was in my heart.

Rika picked up some sort of staff with white streamers and bells attached to it. She told me to close my eyes and to pray hard. I really didn't know how, so I just improvised. I heard the streamers whoosh through the air and the jingling of the bells. It made me feel somewhat safer.

Oyashiro-sama, I thought, please rid me of this demon; I don't care how, just please do it. I was making deals with him. I wanted him to yank this demon from my body and to destroy it. In exchange, I would follow of his commands and never speak ill about his divinity ever again. I would try harder to overcome all of my shortcomings to become a better person. I also asked forgiveness for endangering Rena and for taking advantage of Kei-chan's kindness so many times. I just wanted help and forgiveness.

When the ritual was over. Rika had me stand up. She smiled at me.

"I think your prayers are answered!" She said happily. "I think Oyashiro-sama will protect you from here on out!"

"Are you sure, Rika-chan? This is my last hope."

"I know so! Nipaa~!"

I couldn't help but smile back at her. She did all of this for me. I agreed with her. I think everything was going to work out.

I was back in my apartment that night. I ate a very good dinner, thanks to Kasai's cooking! We were sitting at the table, flipping through the channels on the TV. We couldn't find anything to watch at all. I was humming rather loudly. Kasai noticed and looked at me with a grin.

"You seem very lively today!"

"The weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders! I feel so much better than I did yesterday! I feel…refreshed!"

"I'm happy for you! You have been looking very down lately! It makes me relieved to see you well!"

I winked at him. "I haven't felt this good in a while! I think I might actually sleep tonight!"

"Why don't you head off for bed now?"

"It's still early, Kasai! I can stay up a little longer?"

Kasai stood up and scooted me over to the bathroom. "You haven't gotten much sleep you said. Every hour counts! Now please, Shion-san, get ready for bed! I'll take any calls for you and I'll get started on your laundry!"

"You sure?" I felt guilty now! He was spoiling me!

"Positive! Let me handle everything! You just relax!"

I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, changed into my pajamas and hopped into bed. Kasai was taking a few loads of my clothes down to the laundry room as I tucked myself in. I looked up into the ceiling for a little while. I was feeling so happy! Rika's ritual really hit the spot! It was exactly what I needed! I took pride in my decision and even went so far as to call myself a "genius." After a while, my eyes grew weary and I felt fast asleep.

My dreams were full of joy. I was walking through the mountains with Satoko. Kei-chan was by our side. We had a picnic together and we played all sorts of games. When Satoko was tired from having all that fun, she fell asleep on my lap. All three of us were sitting under a tree, whose cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

The wind blew past us. Some petals drifted through the air. One petal landed on top of my head. Kei-chan took it from me and laughed. I joined him; I was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. He came closer to me and he held my hand. I gripped his and never let go once. He looked so much like Satoshi-kun…he smelled like him…he sounded like him…he felt like him. I think it was official. I was really in love with Kei-chan.

I awoke as the sun rays splashed upon my face. I stretched and my arms and legs cracked. That was the best sleep I had in weeks. I wished that the dream I had was real. It felt like it really did happen. I could feel the wind against my skin, and I could feel the warmth of Keiichi's hand in mine. How I wished it was real!

I rose from my bed and yawned loudly. I saw the bathroom light was on and that the door was open. The water in the sink was running too. Kasai was probably brushing his teeth or something.

I went to the refrigerator and peeked inside. Did we have any eggs?

"Kasai! Do we have any spare eggs?" I called out to the bathroom.

I didn't hear anything. I just heard the water running.

"Kasai? You there?"

Still nothing.

"Kasai! I'm talking to you!" I huffed and walked over to the bathroom. "You know how rude it is to ignore someone? I thought you were a-"

My foot kicked something. I heard a ratting sound followed by a pitter patter. I looked down. I saw the painkillers I got from the clinic the other day. The bottle was opened and some of the pills were scattered across the floor. There was a pair of sunglasses next to the bottle.

Kasai was on the floor, surrounded by scattered pills. Foam was in his mouth and there was dried drool on his chin. His hands were at his throat. He wasn't moving…he wasn't moving at all.

"…K-Kasai…?"