Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King
CHAPTER SIX – Horo's Rules
Life in Funbari had become increasingly tense in the days following Horo's disappearance and Jasmina's death. School want on as always, boring hour after boring hour slipping by unchecked as class after class went by and each second brought Ren closer to the day Horo would come for him. Each day he was met with fear and suspicion and every look he got drove another nail of guilt into his tormented heart, especially Pilika's. Her glares were full of pure hatred. His dreams were disturbed with visions of Horo's pain-filled eyes. One day, as he went to school, he found himself shoved into a wall roughly. Opening his eyes, he saw Hao Asakura looking at him with hate-filled eyes.
"You..." he hissed. "You did all of this! You killed Jasmina! You destroyed Horo's life! Now it's payback time..." He brought back a fist and punched the impassive Chinese, who took the next blows uncaringly. A few more hits sent him to the ground as Hao kicked him hard. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blue blur knocked the Asakura aside.
"H-Horo?" Hao choked out in shock. Horo's eyes narrowed.
"How DARE you touch MY kitten?" he hissed. True fear dawned into the chocolate-colored eyes as the Ainu closed in menacingly. He stopped at the tug on the bottom of his pants, however. Ren weakly looked up at him, completely exhausted and in no condition to hold the older back.
"Horo, it's okay. He didn't do anything. Leave him alone." Ren coughed. Horo glared back at the older Asakura twin.
"I can't do that. He touched you. He touched MY kitten. There isn't room for him in the game, kitten. There isn't room for more players. He must be eliminated." Horo said, getting angrier.
"Horo, no!" Ren pleaded.
"Stay out of this!" he kicked Ren away, sending him into the realm of unconsciousness.
"He's interfering with the game. He's playing the game and he's not following my rules..." he whispered, an insane look in his eyes as he stepped to the poor boy and jerked him up.
"Don't TOUCH him..." he said as he plunged a switch blade into Hao's gut.
"Don't HIT him!" he twisted the silver blade.
"And never, ever, LOOK AT MY KITTEN!" he shouted, pulling the knife out and shoving the boy up against the wall again. He took the point of the blade and dug it into the base of Hao's neck, slicing down from there and around the heart. He gently took the beating object, as Hao looked on in horror with his last breaths. He took the blade again and cut the central organ loose, yanking it out. Grinning wildly, he brought it to his lips and ate it, bloody bite by bloody bite. Crimson liquid dribbled down his chin and into his clothes, it covered his hands and soaked his shirt. He laughed as he finished the heart of his friend. Ren woke slowly, finding himself alive and in a hospital to his surprise. He was soon greeted by Pilika's tear-filled face.
"Where is my onii-chan!" she screamed hysterically, the tears flowing.
"Where is he?" she whispered again, trying to calm down.
"I don't know. But...he isn't himself anymore. He's insane. He thinks it's all a game to kill people, Pilika-san." he said softly.
"No! My onii-chan is NOT crazy! This is all your fault! Now I'll never see him again!" she yelled.
"What?" he asked.
"Okaa-san is scared. We're moving out of the country, and we're leaving onii-chan here to be killed by the police!" she screamed at him.
When she calmed again, she whispered, "Please...take care of him for me?" After his stunned nod, she left as quickly as she came. As she left, a police man entered.
"Do you know anything about this?" he asked softly, and placed a stack of pictures before him. Ren stared in horror and mortification at the pictures of Hao Asakura's body, nailed to a cross. His eyes were missing, his face set in a scream of agony, his chest open and empty of a heart, his entrails on the floor of the alleyway he was in. Blood had caked as it ran down his cheeks like tears from his eyes. He was wearing only a bloody bit of cloth over his genitals. What caught Ren's attention, however, were the words carved into his chest.
Paper and pen, my sweet kitten.
"Hao..." Ren whispered sadly, and explained to the waiting detective. When the man had left, Ren's mind went into overdrive. Too much was happening in so little time and he had only just woken up. Before he knew what was happening, he had drifted into a tortured sleep, plagued by grins, blood, and messages.
When he woke the second time, he saw a card on the bed-side table. He lifted it and smiled slightly at the words in big letters Get Well Soon. When he opened it and read, however, the smile vanished.
Get well soon, oh yes, please do. Dear kitten, dragon will wait for you. People live and people die. Don't waste your time on them and cry. The other threatened dragon's toy. He deserved to die, that stupid boy. No one cares and no one will mind. Kitten, leave all that shit behind. When you read this you will see. You're all alone, just you and me. No one else plays by the rules. They're in my way, the stupid fools. Try to leave and try to run. I'll chase you 'til it's over and done. So if you let them interfere, you'll wish you didn't, kitten, my dear.