Part 12: Never an absolution
The rest of the days that followed, the two try to build a stronger sense of communication. Soujiro became even more devoted on her, and enjoy every present minute of his life at the fullest. It slowly melts the tension that once filled the household, and he is determined to stop searching for his past.if there are not so much good memories to recall, for what matters now, is the present.a blissful life, a woman he loved and a baby to make their bond closer together. He have opened up to her, as much his soul did allow and she accepted and understand it, and the void of emptiness.the missing piece, no longer matters for him.
She used to be so afraid to go out, but Soujiro made it sure that she gets much exposure often. The warm rays of sunlight in the early morning are blessedly warm, taming the cold air emitting from the cold white ground. The snow itself falls gently, with no threats of harsh weather and it's infinitely calm to get a usual stroll around the town. Misao worried about what people are going to say, for because the past few months the only farthest place she reached was the outdoors' entrance. Soujiiro calmed her, saying they'll pretend to be a young couple instead. "At least they'll know you get over it." He said, in an effort to put her spirits up.
"Do we really have to pass by the market place?" she shrinked, thinking twice in taking a few steps out of their residence. If Soujiro is not patient, he could have just scoop her up and carry her to town. Even if she is wearing her long flowing white cloak to mask her body features, it could do less in hiding the swell of her growing stomach. For on its 7th month, the baby has grown to its almost full fetal form, and it's like carrying a ripe watermelon.
"It's our only way to go to Shirobeko, Sae's place."
"Why do we have to go to Shirobeko?" she whined, "There are more people there at that time! Much more than in the market place!"
"I passed there for a late lunch last afternoon, Sae wants to know if you are okay and she wants to hear from you. Besides, it's a long time since you talked with someone else." he replied, taking her small hand as he helped her move outside. Misao is doing her best to use her other hand to clutch the cloak, and he shook his head. There is still the shame, carrying the baby.the spawn of the faceless mad man.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as I am here." He comforted her, squeezing her hand tightly as they walked to the open road. "That child, he is going to have a father."
"I just wish you are his real father Soujiro," she sighed.
He didn't know what happened next, but suddenly his encounter with a man called Kamatari flashed into his mind. The malicious smile, like a riddle in a wicked innuendo leaves him with words that startled him before he left. ".you sired the squeaky bitch!" it resounded in such mocking tone, like he sound he meant it.
"Are you okay, Sou-chan?" Misao said, when she felt the sudden jerk on Soujiro's grip and the sudden frozen, no, terrified expression crept into his face. "Looks like you have seen a ghost."
"I-It's nothing." He grumbled, "I'm trying to recall if we forgot anything else." He hates when that happens, some things are meant to haunt back. Sometimes he wants to look for this Kamatari to get answers himself, but he knew he can't trust his life on it. The man is calculating and dangerous, he might even hurt others.
They proceed to go to Shirobeko, and Misao can't help but queasy at the curious eye's of the people looking upon her. They felt relieved that she was alive, but their smile faded and suspicion arises when they caught size of her belly. Soujiro's presence even became even more alarming. Low whispers and hushes seems to follow with each wary glance, ".I wonder if that is the result of.that event?" one of the ladies murmured to a group of women. "Could be, then it must be such a shame."
"So who is the young man with her? I heard he is some ronin." "Ronin or not, he must be taking a pity."
She wants to cover her ears from all the words, wishing it must be much better if she could have stayed home instead. And she begged Soujiro to do so, "We can't now, we are just a few streets away." And indeed, she could see the restaurant in a short distance. She felt some sort of relief when she entered, for it has fewer people in it and mostly is busy eating.
Sae could never be so happy in the sight of the old friend, and Soujiro accompanying her. "Misao!" she cried out, quickly taking off her apron, approached hastily and then hugging her tight, "it's been a long time! I hope you are okay.everyone here missed you!". Misao didn't return her embrace, and she felt she was more on shocked and uneasy on something else. Sae could feel something round and solid just a little below Misao's waist, and it seems to hinder her from hugging her even closer. She took a look down and gasp, "I-I'm sorry. I don't know you were."
"Pregnant." She murmured, "I know.I didn't even know it was possible."
Sae quickly prepared a small dining area, a little farther from the customers but private and comfortable for them to have a talk. She was awed the way Soujiro, like a protective brother try to cover her a bit when everyone is starting to give them strange glances, and tried to make her comfortable in her seat by putting an extra cushion. He is the shoulder she can lean on.without him she could have not come this far, she thought. Soujiro happens to be at the right time, and right placing.as if it was fate.
"So.what are you going to do about it Misao?" "I.I'm going to raise the child, even not knowing who the father is."
"You are brave Misao," Sae can't help but comment. "If some women are in your place, they could have aborted the child or kill themselves. A trauma like that is hard to bear."
"If Soujiro haven't come and help me go through life, I don't know if I will be here right now." She took a glimpse on him, a hint of proudness in her eyes. "He made me believe once again to myself, by being there at the right place at the right time."
"Oh, that's so sweet to hear. I hope from here, everything would turn to be okay," Sae noticed that Soujiro is somehow gushing, "I wish the best for both of you, it's the best to leave the past behind."
The conversation went on in an amiable and fluid pace; old friendship is rekindled like the good old days. She tried to catch up, the events she have missed, while she was living secluded in her home for god knows several months. Everything went fine, and Sae treated them with a full meal while they talked on everything, from Kenshin's newly found domestication.hearing that Kaoru is also well with child like hers.to thinking about the appropriate name for the children, or if ever she and Soujiro will consider having an engagement. Soujiro casually dismissed it, that "he will wait for the approval of others, and do it appropriate time."
It's nice to see Misao have slowly becoming happy again, and finally having her to bring outside and have her reunite with her old friends. He left them for awhile for a short walk, while they are chatting and exchanging experiences of everyday life. "I'm going to give her some time," he whispered as he trekked down the few first snowy steps outside Shirobeko. Misao have a beautiful past, people who care for her.and its about time he'll let know that she'll be needing them more than ever. He does not share that past, his is something that he refuses to instill for nothing seems to be nice to come out of it. Deep within that missing piece, he can feel somehow that what is he have forgotten might indeed, deserved to be. Seeing her, from the spirited girl of his recollections to a broken lifeless doll nearly made his heartbreak. That made him decide to look after her with such utteral devotion, "She doesn't deserve to suffer, she.she has done nothing wrong. I'll do anything to make her happy, the person she once was."
"Ohayo, Soujiro-kun." Came a familiar ring of a voice,
"Why, Yuri. What brings you here?" He was somehow relieved of a sight of an old friend, Yuri. He presume she happens to stop by Kyoto for awhile, "How do you know I'm here?"
She still look delicate and frail as usual, but even so, there is this brightness within her everytime he converses with her. "Oh, I just happen to stroll around, looking for goods in the market. I decided to eat for awhile then," she replied, "so what brings you here?"
"Misao" he said, "She needs to get some sunlight, a little exercise. So I bring her to Shirobeko, where she also have an old friend she haven't seen in months."
"But isn't it snowing? She is pregnant."
"It doesn't look that bad," He turned to her, there is something wrong with the way she speaks, as if it is somehow halting, restrained and a little formal. Besides, Yuri herself is not that healthy to venture in such a weather, ".but you,.you know what cold air could do for you."
"Oh, then lets look for somewhere else warm while we talk." She said in a small uneasy smile, "I know a place nearby."
"Yuri! I can't just leave Misao!" "It will be only for few minutes, like good all times.please?" she pleaded, "just a short chatter."
Now she wants to tell something to him, and she is acting like a young girl who's just about to gossip. Whatever Yuri is up to, he could always spare a short time to talk about it. "Well, okay. Just not that long."
**** That "short time", is spent on which seems to be more than a mile of walk, and until they reach which seems an isolated area near the woods. Yuri is unsually high-spirited, and is leading Soujiro in a gay friendly chatter; although it sounds like a normal "how's you" conversation, Soujiro can't help but felt wary about them getting deeper and deeper and away from the streets and people.
"Where are you taking me? Surely it's not back to your home." he said, when he finally can't take off his suspicions anymore.
But Yuri is not listening, she is carefully unsheathing a dagger from one of her kimono sleeves.
"Gomen nasai, Sou-chan."
****
Back in Shirobeko,
"Where is Soujiro?" " I thought he just came out for a breath of fresh air?"
"Then what's taking him that long?" Misao's tone showed a hint of worry, Soujiro.he just won't leave without telling where he would go. It's just not like him.
"Maybe he met an acquaintance.."
Still having her doubts, Misao went outside to look for him. It's just not like the young ronin to leave her side. If he has problems, he didn't necessarily avoid it by going away.and if he does, she will obviously notice. They have already resolved issues from before.
"Excuse me miss, are u Makamachi Misao?"
The voice caught her off the moment of reverie, stood just outside near a door, is a somehow gajin type coach man with an odd moustache, a little too big for his face and in ridiculously fit clothes. He looks puffy and in his bit past prime, but the sharp odd brown eyes indicate he seems younger.
"What if I am?"
The man made a low courtesy, a custom of the Europeans. "Pardon me," his voice sounding quite cordial. "But Mr. Soujiro Seta called me to be of your service. A mother to be like you deserves a comfortable way to go home."
****
"Yuri!! Why?!"
Soujiro felt the hot lancing pain seething to his flesh, intensifying as he took hold of the dagger at her grip. He had tumbled to the ground, and haven't he gripped the weapon, it could have stabbed directly at his back. And now it is aiming directly to his heart. Blood ooze through his injure palm, but he held it nonetheless, Yuri.it seems, like a demon possessed, have gather enough energy to for some reason, to kill him. He could tell, for some odd instinct, that she is being manipulated and brainwashed. Her eyes, they are alight with the blue flame.
"You bastard!! No wonder you have so many lives! " she snarled, as she pulled the dagger back and Soujiro winced as the weapon re-traced off quickly and painfully from his injured palm. She raised her weapon once back again, knowing well that Soujiro can't be able to use his right hand to draw the sword. But to her shock, he did it using his left. Trained mercenary that he is, he drew it off from the sheath in time to block the gleaming weapon and flip it away from Yuri's grip. Taking advantage of her distraction, he quickly lounge forward towards her. Immobilizing her arms and feet, by pining them down at the ground.
"Let me go!!!"
"Shake out of it Yuri!! Tell me what's going on!" he shouted, for she sounded like mad, deranged. He is tempted to slap her to knock her back to her senses. There got to be something that is controlling her, making her act like this.like a rabid animal. Why should she attempt to stab him at the back? Why would she go all the trouble to bring him to the woods. He have a healthy suspicion already when she starts up an idyllic conversation, and she is trying lure him further away from the people.
"Tell you? You tell me." A strange disturbed glee seems to ring at the tone of her voice, that made a chill run through his spine. " Didn't you feel anything when you ravished her, torment her and kill her beloved guardian to make it look like suicide? Is it worth it all, just to have her now wrapped around you like an obedient slave?"
"W-what are you talking about?"
She let out a mad cry, and clawed his right arm with all her might. It added more stinging pain to his already injured hand that he dropped his defenses down, including his left-hand grip of the sword. Yuri take the moment to kick him at the stomach and cluttered the sword farther away from the ground, and he finds himself wrestling her off like hell. It's no more sense to trying to talk her to calm down, someone manipulated her. Someone has took control of her.
"You have the scar to prove it! Show it, show it to me!!" she shrieked.
Kamatari.
He is the bastard who knew of this, the man of his past who claim that he commit the unspeakable. The man who would possibly do anything to get something in turn, and he shouldn't have underestimated him.
He shields his face, as Yuri tries to claw and scratch him; while he attempted to try to keep her to the ground while each tries to fight for dominance of the first to reach his/her weapon. The dagger is a few feet away from his left, the sword is much farther and had fallen somewhere within the forest bushes. In few minutes, she managed to tore off one of his protectors, and there at his right arm ran a deep red scar. As soon as she sees it, she stopped attacking as suddenly as she have started. She stared out in pale, and half-sane horror
"She tries to defend herself, as you violate her! There is a scar!!! It's the damned proof!!" "N-No!! I don't."
" How could you not remember, if Kamatari saw it with his very eyes?!"
She's deranged, truly deranged.
Yuri.what have Kamatari done to you.he keep murmuring to himself,
Whatever Kamatari told you, I don't know.I don't remember. he said to himself again. But it's no use reasoning that to her now.
"You couldn't remember do you?"
Another searing pain seethes right through his head like a knife, there are those flashes again. Staring to Yuri's mad glare reminded him of the similar cold gaze. As quick as those fragments of flashes are, he could see that it is a dark windy night. He was in a forest, looking up to Hojoun Kamatari.he has that look in his eyes, and he is pinning a girl at the ground. There is a short struggle, but the girl seems subdued eventually.
"What do you think Soujiro, is she dead?" " She couldn't be dead."
" Then I might as well finish the job," "No."
"You wanna let her live?" " I-I still loved her." The words resounded like muted echos in the swirling confusing flashback, but there it is again.Yuri has lounged back and this time he shouldered himself with his scarred arm. Seeing it, came another flash of light.
"That bitch just wounded your arm, Soujiro" she whispered,
Then akin to those words, his arm smarts in pain as if it is wounded fresh. Another flash of light.
He sees back himself again to the confusing flash back, this time its hazy and dark. There was a struggle, he could feel his arms.struggling above someone, suppressing someone.
"Iya, hanase!!"
came a shout from his memory, a voice of a young lady underneath him. There came a white wringed hand to the view and clawed his arm so hard that it ripped his kimono, so hard that it clawed deep into his arm. As if watching from a nightmare, he sees himself in darkened rage and the fist raised up high.
" sukutte kudasai, aoshi-sama!!!"
No, it couldn't be.
"No, it couldn't be!! How could I do such a thing?! This is not true!" he cried out, his expression confused.his indigo eyes flared to bewilderment, "No!!!" he feared.Kamatari might be indeed right.
Somehow Soujiro's anguished cry shook some sense to Yuri's frazzled senses for what is left. She momentarily halted, and watched him blankly in a few minutes. There is an uneasy moment of silence, with the hushed crying aside.then a trickle of tear fall down from her right eye.
" Soujiro--- I." she rasped, seemingly out of breath. As if the lunatic Yuri from awhile ago had fled her like a demon possessed, with all her strength having sucked all out. Her arms start shaking, trembling and fear slowly filled her small face as she recognized Soujiro's bleeding hand.
It's then Soujiro noticed that she has returned to normal, and he quickly took the chance to demand some answers. He shook her, "Is Kamatari behind all this?! Tell me---merciful Buddha, what has he done to you? What have he TOLD you?"
"I- I can't tell, I won't last if." "What? Why.Why are you acting like this?"
She continued shaking, "h-he told me evil things.about you, there is nothing I can do about it.he put me into.he.injects something.and my mother.if I don't.she." she spoke in halting tone, as if the way she spoke is like a struggling for sanity.
"You mean, Osei-san.he is going to kill her?!"
"If I don't kill you, yes!" she cried, " I can't bring myself to believe, but he did something to me.I dunno.I" and she starts to shrink back, mumbling and dazed.
"Return to me Yuri!! Snap out of it! What else did he say?"
She shot back to reality, to let out a half-cry and half-scream,
"R-RUN !!"
Whatever Kamatari has done to her, Soujiro suspects he injected her some serum to make her go wild.then, he brainwashed her. And it almost succeeded.
That son of a bitch, why does it have to be others who suffer.
"Hold on to it, Yuri!"
"R-RUN !!" she still screamed, ".in danger, she is!! Go back to Shirobeko!!"
Misao.
She continued, however ".but you had to kill me first, kill me."
"WHY?! Yuri, don't do this! Where is Misao, where is she?"
"I can't last.this way anymore, I failed.I."
She took out a gun hidden beneath her other sleeve, her eyes changed. "Gomen nasai, Soujiro Seta..Sayonara."
The rest of the days that followed, the two try to build a stronger sense of communication. Soujiro became even more devoted on her, and enjoy every present minute of his life at the fullest. It slowly melts the tension that once filled the household, and he is determined to stop searching for his past.if there are not so much good memories to recall, for what matters now, is the present.a blissful life, a woman he loved and a baby to make their bond closer together. He have opened up to her, as much his soul did allow and she accepted and understand it, and the void of emptiness.the missing piece, no longer matters for him.
She used to be so afraid to go out, but Soujiro made it sure that she gets much exposure often. The warm rays of sunlight in the early morning are blessedly warm, taming the cold air emitting from the cold white ground. The snow itself falls gently, with no threats of harsh weather and it's infinitely calm to get a usual stroll around the town. Misao worried about what people are going to say, for because the past few months the only farthest place she reached was the outdoors' entrance. Soujiiro calmed her, saying they'll pretend to be a young couple instead. "At least they'll know you get over it." He said, in an effort to put her spirits up.
"Do we really have to pass by the market place?" she shrinked, thinking twice in taking a few steps out of their residence. If Soujiro is not patient, he could have just scoop her up and carry her to town. Even if she is wearing her long flowing white cloak to mask her body features, it could do less in hiding the swell of her growing stomach. For on its 7th month, the baby has grown to its almost full fetal form, and it's like carrying a ripe watermelon.
"It's our only way to go to Shirobeko, Sae's place."
"Why do we have to go to Shirobeko?" she whined, "There are more people there at that time! Much more than in the market place!"
"I passed there for a late lunch last afternoon, Sae wants to know if you are okay and she wants to hear from you. Besides, it's a long time since you talked with someone else." he replied, taking her small hand as he helped her move outside. Misao is doing her best to use her other hand to clutch the cloak, and he shook his head. There is still the shame, carrying the baby.the spawn of the faceless mad man.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as I am here." He comforted her, squeezing her hand tightly as they walked to the open road. "That child, he is going to have a father."
"I just wish you are his real father Soujiro," she sighed.
He didn't know what happened next, but suddenly his encounter with a man called Kamatari flashed into his mind. The malicious smile, like a riddle in a wicked innuendo leaves him with words that startled him before he left. ".you sired the squeaky bitch!" it resounded in such mocking tone, like he sound he meant it.
"Are you okay, Sou-chan?" Misao said, when she felt the sudden jerk on Soujiro's grip and the sudden frozen, no, terrified expression crept into his face. "Looks like you have seen a ghost."
"I-It's nothing." He grumbled, "I'm trying to recall if we forgot anything else." He hates when that happens, some things are meant to haunt back. Sometimes he wants to look for this Kamatari to get answers himself, but he knew he can't trust his life on it. The man is calculating and dangerous, he might even hurt others.
They proceed to go to Shirobeko, and Misao can't help but queasy at the curious eye's of the people looking upon her. They felt relieved that she was alive, but their smile faded and suspicion arises when they caught size of her belly. Soujiro's presence even became even more alarming. Low whispers and hushes seems to follow with each wary glance, ".I wonder if that is the result of.that event?" one of the ladies murmured to a group of women. "Could be, then it must be such a shame."
"So who is the young man with her? I heard he is some ronin." "Ronin or not, he must be taking a pity."
She wants to cover her ears from all the words, wishing it must be much better if she could have stayed home instead. And she begged Soujiro to do so, "We can't now, we are just a few streets away." And indeed, she could see the restaurant in a short distance. She felt some sort of relief when she entered, for it has fewer people in it and mostly is busy eating.
Sae could never be so happy in the sight of the old friend, and Soujiro accompanying her. "Misao!" she cried out, quickly taking off her apron, approached hastily and then hugging her tight, "it's been a long time! I hope you are okay.everyone here missed you!". Misao didn't return her embrace, and she felt she was more on shocked and uneasy on something else. Sae could feel something round and solid just a little below Misao's waist, and it seems to hinder her from hugging her even closer. She took a look down and gasp, "I-I'm sorry. I don't know you were."
"Pregnant." She murmured, "I know.I didn't even know it was possible."
Sae quickly prepared a small dining area, a little farther from the customers but private and comfortable for them to have a talk. She was awed the way Soujiro, like a protective brother try to cover her a bit when everyone is starting to give them strange glances, and tried to make her comfortable in her seat by putting an extra cushion. He is the shoulder she can lean on.without him she could have not come this far, she thought. Soujiro happens to be at the right time, and right placing.as if it was fate.
"So.what are you going to do about it Misao?" "I.I'm going to raise the child, even not knowing who the father is."
"You are brave Misao," Sae can't help but comment. "If some women are in your place, they could have aborted the child or kill themselves. A trauma like that is hard to bear."
"If Soujiro haven't come and help me go through life, I don't know if I will be here right now." She took a glimpse on him, a hint of proudness in her eyes. "He made me believe once again to myself, by being there at the right place at the right time."
"Oh, that's so sweet to hear. I hope from here, everything would turn to be okay," Sae noticed that Soujiro is somehow gushing, "I wish the best for both of you, it's the best to leave the past behind."
The conversation went on in an amiable and fluid pace; old friendship is rekindled like the good old days. She tried to catch up, the events she have missed, while she was living secluded in her home for god knows several months. Everything went fine, and Sae treated them with a full meal while they talked on everything, from Kenshin's newly found domestication.hearing that Kaoru is also well with child like hers.to thinking about the appropriate name for the children, or if ever she and Soujiro will consider having an engagement. Soujiro casually dismissed it, that "he will wait for the approval of others, and do it appropriate time."
It's nice to see Misao have slowly becoming happy again, and finally having her to bring outside and have her reunite with her old friends. He left them for awhile for a short walk, while they are chatting and exchanging experiences of everyday life. "I'm going to give her some time," he whispered as he trekked down the few first snowy steps outside Shirobeko. Misao have a beautiful past, people who care for her.and its about time he'll let know that she'll be needing them more than ever. He does not share that past, his is something that he refuses to instill for nothing seems to be nice to come out of it. Deep within that missing piece, he can feel somehow that what is he have forgotten might indeed, deserved to be. Seeing her, from the spirited girl of his recollections to a broken lifeless doll nearly made his heartbreak. That made him decide to look after her with such utteral devotion, "She doesn't deserve to suffer, she.she has done nothing wrong. I'll do anything to make her happy, the person she once was."
"Ohayo, Soujiro-kun." Came a familiar ring of a voice,
"Why, Yuri. What brings you here?" He was somehow relieved of a sight of an old friend, Yuri. He presume she happens to stop by Kyoto for awhile, "How do you know I'm here?"
She still look delicate and frail as usual, but even so, there is this brightness within her everytime he converses with her. "Oh, I just happen to stroll around, looking for goods in the market. I decided to eat for awhile then," she replied, "so what brings you here?"
"Misao" he said, "She needs to get some sunlight, a little exercise. So I bring her to Shirobeko, where she also have an old friend she haven't seen in months."
"But isn't it snowing? She is pregnant."
"It doesn't look that bad," He turned to her, there is something wrong with the way she speaks, as if it is somehow halting, restrained and a little formal. Besides, Yuri herself is not that healthy to venture in such a weather, ".but you,.you know what cold air could do for you."
"Oh, then lets look for somewhere else warm while we talk." She said in a small uneasy smile, "I know a place nearby."
"Yuri! I can't just leave Misao!" "It will be only for few minutes, like good all times.please?" she pleaded, "just a short chatter."
Now she wants to tell something to him, and she is acting like a young girl who's just about to gossip. Whatever Yuri is up to, he could always spare a short time to talk about it. "Well, okay. Just not that long."
**** That "short time", is spent on which seems to be more than a mile of walk, and until they reach which seems an isolated area near the woods. Yuri is unsually high-spirited, and is leading Soujiro in a gay friendly chatter; although it sounds like a normal "how's you" conversation, Soujiro can't help but felt wary about them getting deeper and deeper and away from the streets and people.
"Where are you taking me? Surely it's not back to your home." he said, when he finally can't take off his suspicions anymore.
But Yuri is not listening, she is carefully unsheathing a dagger from one of her kimono sleeves.
"Gomen nasai, Sou-chan."
****
Back in Shirobeko,
"Where is Soujiro?" " I thought he just came out for a breath of fresh air?"
"Then what's taking him that long?" Misao's tone showed a hint of worry, Soujiro.he just won't leave without telling where he would go. It's just not like him.
"Maybe he met an acquaintance.."
Still having her doubts, Misao went outside to look for him. It's just not like the young ronin to leave her side. If he has problems, he didn't necessarily avoid it by going away.and if he does, she will obviously notice. They have already resolved issues from before.
"Excuse me miss, are u Makamachi Misao?"
The voice caught her off the moment of reverie, stood just outside near a door, is a somehow gajin type coach man with an odd moustache, a little too big for his face and in ridiculously fit clothes. He looks puffy and in his bit past prime, but the sharp odd brown eyes indicate he seems younger.
"What if I am?"
The man made a low courtesy, a custom of the Europeans. "Pardon me," his voice sounding quite cordial. "But Mr. Soujiro Seta called me to be of your service. A mother to be like you deserves a comfortable way to go home."
****
"Yuri!! Why?!"
Soujiro felt the hot lancing pain seething to his flesh, intensifying as he took hold of the dagger at her grip. He had tumbled to the ground, and haven't he gripped the weapon, it could have stabbed directly at his back. And now it is aiming directly to his heart. Blood ooze through his injure palm, but he held it nonetheless, Yuri.it seems, like a demon possessed, have gather enough energy to for some reason, to kill him. He could tell, for some odd instinct, that she is being manipulated and brainwashed. Her eyes, they are alight with the blue flame.
"You bastard!! No wonder you have so many lives! " she snarled, as she pulled the dagger back and Soujiro winced as the weapon re-traced off quickly and painfully from his injured palm. She raised her weapon once back again, knowing well that Soujiro can't be able to use his right hand to draw the sword. But to her shock, he did it using his left. Trained mercenary that he is, he drew it off from the sheath in time to block the gleaming weapon and flip it away from Yuri's grip. Taking advantage of her distraction, he quickly lounge forward towards her. Immobilizing her arms and feet, by pining them down at the ground.
"Let me go!!!"
"Shake out of it Yuri!! Tell me what's going on!" he shouted, for she sounded like mad, deranged. He is tempted to slap her to knock her back to her senses. There got to be something that is controlling her, making her act like this.like a rabid animal. Why should she attempt to stab him at the back? Why would she go all the trouble to bring him to the woods. He have a healthy suspicion already when she starts up an idyllic conversation, and she is trying lure him further away from the people.
"Tell you? You tell me." A strange disturbed glee seems to ring at the tone of her voice, that made a chill run through his spine. " Didn't you feel anything when you ravished her, torment her and kill her beloved guardian to make it look like suicide? Is it worth it all, just to have her now wrapped around you like an obedient slave?"
"W-what are you talking about?"
She let out a mad cry, and clawed his right arm with all her might. It added more stinging pain to his already injured hand that he dropped his defenses down, including his left-hand grip of the sword. Yuri take the moment to kick him at the stomach and cluttered the sword farther away from the ground, and he finds himself wrestling her off like hell. It's no more sense to trying to talk her to calm down, someone manipulated her. Someone has took control of her.
"You have the scar to prove it! Show it, show it to me!!" she shrieked.
Kamatari.
He is the bastard who knew of this, the man of his past who claim that he commit the unspeakable. The man who would possibly do anything to get something in turn, and he shouldn't have underestimated him.
He shields his face, as Yuri tries to claw and scratch him; while he attempted to try to keep her to the ground while each tries to fight for dominance of the first to reach his/her weapon. The dagger is a few feet away from his left, the sword is much farther and had fallen somewhere within the forest bushes. In few minutes, she managed to tore off one of his protectors, and there at his right arm ran a deep red scar. As soon as she sees it, she stopped attacking as suddenly as she have started. She stared out in pale, and half-sane horror
"She tries to defend herself, as you violate her! There is a scar!!! It's the damned proof!!" "N-No!! I don't."
" How could you not remember, if Kamatari saw it with his very eyes?!"
She's deranged, truly deranged.
Yuri.what have Kamatari done to you.he keep murmuring to himself,
Whatever Kamatari told you, I don't know.I don't remember. he said to himself again. But it's no use reasoning that to her now.
"You couldn't remember do you?"
Another searing pain seethes right through his head like a knife, there are those flashes again. Staring to Yuri's mad glare reminded him of the similar cold gaze. As quick as those fragments of flashes are, he could see that it is a dark windy night. He was in a forest, looking up to Hojoun Kamatari.he has that look in his eyes, and he is pinning a girl at the ground. There is a short struggle, but the girl seems subdued eventually.
"What do you think Soujiro, is she dead?" " She couldn't be dead."
" Then I might as well finish the job," "No."
"You wanna let her live?" " I-I still loved her." The words resounded like muted echos in the swirling confusing flashback, but there it is again.Yuri has lounged back and this time he shouldered himself with his scarred arm. Seeing it, came another flash of light.
"That bitch just wounded your arm, Soujiro" she whispered,
Then akin to those words, his arm smarts in pain as if it is wounded fresh. Another flash of light.
He sees back himself again to the confusing flash back, this time its hazy and dark. There was a struggle, he could feel his arms.struggling above someone, suppressing someone.
"Iya, hanase!!"
came a shout from his memory, a voice of a young lady underneath him. There came a white wringed hand to the view and clawed his arm so hard that it ripped his kimono, so hard that it clawed deep into his arm. As if watching from a nightmare, he sees himself in darkened rage and the fist raised up high.
" sukutte kudasai, aoshi-sama!!!"
No, it couldn't be.
"No, it couldn't be!! How could I do such a thing?! This is not true!" he cried out, his expression confused.his indigo eyes flared to bewilderment, "No!!!" he feared.Kamatari might be indeed right.
Somehow Soujiro's anguished cry shook some sense to Yuri's frazzled senses for what is left. She momentarily halted, and watched him blankly in a few minutes. There is an uneasy moment of silence, with the hushed crying aside.then a trickle of tear fall down from her right eye.
" Soujiro--- I." she rasped, seemingly out of breath. As if the lunatic Yuri from awhile ago had fled her like a demon possessed, with all her strength having sucked all out. Her arms start shaking, trembling and fear slowly filled her small face as she recognized Soujiro's bleeding hand.
It's then Soujiro noticed that she has returned to normal, and he quickly took the chance to demand some answers. He shook her, "Is Kamatari behind all this?! Tell me---merciful Buddha, what has he done to you? What have he TOLD you?"
"I- I can't tell, I won't last if." "What? Why.Why are you acting like this?"
She continued shaking, "h-he told me evil things.about you, there is nothing I can do about it.he put me into.he.injects something.and my mother.if I don't.she." she spoke in halting tone, as if the way she spoke is like a struggling for sanity.
"You mean, Osei-san.he is going to kill her?!"
"If I don't kill you, yes!" she cried, " I can't bring myself to believe, but he did something to me.I dunno.I" and she starts to shrink back, mumbling and dazed.
"Return to me Yuri!! Snap out of it! What else did he say?"
She shot back to reality, to let out a half-cry and half-scream,
"R-RUN !!"
Whatever Kamatari has done to her, Soujiro suspects he injected her some serum to make her go wild.then, he brainwashed her. And it almost succeeded.
That son of a bitch, why does it have to be others who suffer.
"Hold on to it, Yuri!"
"R-RUN !!" she still screamed, ".in danger, she is!! Go back to Shirobeko!!"
Misao.
She continued, however ".but you had to kill me first, kill me."
"WHY?! Yuri, don't do this! Where is Misao, where is she?"
"I can't last.this way anymore, I failed.I."
She took out a gun hidden beneath her other sleeve, her eyes changed. "Gomen nasai, Soujiro Seta..Sayonara."