Pika318: Here's chapter 9. I was really reluctant about typing this chapter because I'm not that enthusiastic about character death. Anyway, I got my 'O' level results and I have a holiday to register for college. So I'm taking this chance to update.

Chapter 9: Death

"Sechii?"

Kyomi couldn't believe her eyes. Sechii was standing in her front yard. He wasn't the only person though. They were about ten other people with him. All of them were guards, seeing that they were all carrying swords. Sechii had a very serious look on his face. Her intuition told her that it would be a bad move if she moved any closer to him. She stayed where she was, at the door. Hao seemed to sense her apprehension and stayed behind her. She heard her son mutter "Otou – san…".

There was silence for a few long minutes before Kyomi managed to ask cautiously. "Sechii, what are you doing here?"

Sechii, to her surprise, answered coldly. "I'm here strictly on business only." She had thought he would still have some feelings for her. They had been married for years after all.

Before she could say anything, Sechii continued on, just as coldly. "We have received a report from one of the civilians that you have caused the death of her son, Genji. The mother has accused you of murder."

Kyomi couldn't help but stare in shock. 'Murder?'

"I see that you do not seem to remember what you have done, Kyomi." Sechii said, saying her name for the first time. "Should I tell you the details?" he asked before continuing.

"Apparently, the victim's mother came to you yesterday to ask you to attend to her son, who has been acting strangely for the past few days. You agreed to see to her son. After doing so, you told the mother that her son was possessed by a malevolent spirit." At this point, Sechii gave a sneer, as if he didn't believe Kyomi's judgement.

"You then requested that the victim's mother leave the room so you could perform the exorcism in peace. The mother had done so, but she was worried about her son, so she observed you secretly. Guess what she saw next? "

"She saw you sticking your hand into her son's body and pulling out white smoke, which she thinks was her son's soul. Because the next thing she knew, her son wasn't breathing anymore. She backed away from the door in shock, just as you came out of the room and told her that her son did not survive the exorcism. But that wasn't true, was it? You tricked the mother that her son was possessed in order to get to him and pull his soul out instead of your so - called malevolent spirit. There wasn't any."

Kyomi was shocked by Sechii's accusation. What she had pulled out of the Genji's body was the malevolent spirit, but the mother had waited too long to ask for help. Genji's soul, long exhausted from fighting with the other spirit, could no longer support the body and simply left as well. She did not cause the death of anyone.

"Sechii… I didn't kill anyone! The boy's soul was tired out after the possession, so it left the body." Kyomi tried to explain,

"Assuming that it's true, Kyomi, even though it's not. Then how would you explain the process of your exorcism? From what I learnt, sticking one's hand into someone else's body always seem to be fatal."

"That is the correct way of doing so… How would you know the right way if you don't know the way of the shamans?" Kyomi said, desperate for Sechii to understand her, believe her.

"I see, Kyomi. You are trying to use my lack of understanding of shamans to deny your sin. Either way, Kyomi, all the evidence is against you. I already have orders from the local magistrate to get rid of you. As well as all the other mikos in that temple you work in, since they pose the same threat. So whatever you say now isn't going to change anything."

Kyomi backed up this time. She can't die now. Not when Hao is still young. Not when her parents are growing old and need her support. What can she do?

Just then, she felt a tug on her kimono. She looked down, into the face of her son, Hao. She could tell he was frightened. By the guards, by the swords and lastly by the behaviour of the person he still sees as his father.

"So, Kyomi. Any last words?" Sechii asked as he raised his sword.

"Don't you feel gulity, Sechii. Killing a defenseless woman who is your wife and the mother of your son?" Kyomi asked, this time with a determined expression on her face. If the Great Spirit decided that she had to die here, she would face it bravely.

"Actually, I do. But only a little. " Sechii answered. "After all, you are a shaman, a freak of nature, a devil's spawn. I'm sure god would not blame me for killing a misfit on this earth."

Kyomi had almost gave up all hope at this point. It is obvious now that Sechii did not love her anymore. Or Hao.

"If you wish to get rid of me, Sechii. You can do so. But spare Hao. He is too young to leave this world."

Hao looked up at this point. He did not want his mother to die. Not now. And not at the hands of his father.

"Otou – san. Okaa - san did not do anything bad. Please don't take her away from me." Hao pleaded, not knowing what to do at that point of time.

Sechii looked into the pleading eyes of Hao. "I see that you have raised a very brave child, Kyomi. Other children would have cried by now. I can agree to your request, Kyomi. I never felt good about killing children. But don't blame me if he ends up being traumatised about your death. At that point, death would have been a better option for him."

Sechii raised his sword. Kyomi looked at Sechii with the same determined stare. Hao tried to run forward, he wanted to do something, anything to help his mother. But the guards, who have remained motionless throughout the whole conversation, suddenly moved quickly and held him back, despite all his cries and struggles, and the scene that unfolded in front of them.

It all happened very quickly. Sechii gripped his sword tightly and swiftly stabbed Kyomi in the stomach with it. Kyomi fell to the ground and her eyes closed. Sechii pulled the sword out before saying emotionlessly.

"Let's go. Leave the boy here."

One of the guards paused before saying. "But captain, the magistrate told us to burn the body as well. To serve as a warning to other shamans…"

"I said let's go!" Sechii snapped before walking out of the door. The other guards followed. The guard who had been restraining Hao pushed him to the ground before following as well.

After everyone else left, Hao quickly went to his mother and hugged her, oblivious to all the blood he was getting on him.

"Okaa –san, wake up… please." Hao said, shaking her a little. When she didn't, he started crying. He did not want to be left alone.

It was only next morning when someone came. Mokoto had come to Hao's home to see how he was doing, when she saw the scene. Hao had already let go of his mother and had stopped crying, but he was still sitting beside her, holding her hand.

Mokoto resisted the urge to scream and ran to the Asakura main house, where she quickly got Kyomi's parents and other adults to help.

What happened next was chaotic. Komi fainted once she saw that her daughter had died. Senki went up to his daughter in shock and knelt beside her, not knowing what to say or do. Mokoto was calm enough to know she had to get Hao away.

"Hao - kun, we have to go." Mokoto said, not knowing exactly what to do to a child who had just lost a parent.

To her relief, Hao just got up and allowed her to steer him away from the adults. It disturbed her that Hao was covered in blood, but they would have to deal with that later.

It was only an hour later that Komi recovered, and Senki was calm enough to be able to ask the other adults to carry Kyomi's body back to the main house for the funeral. Komi started wailing in grief when they carried the body past her. Both grandparents seem to have forgotten about their grandson. So Mokoto was entrusted the task to look after him.

The Asakuras closed the school for two weeks after the incident happened.

Pika318: This is chapter 9 for you. I felt very sad when I was typing this. I don't really like doing this, but it's got to happen. I know some parts sound really crappy. But I'm not very good at writing about deaths.

Anyway, please review.