Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Tactics. They are the property of Kinoshita Sakura and Higashiyama Kazuko.

A/N: This chapter is a bit sad, though I felt the desire to do this. Read on and tell me what you think with the submission of a review, please.

REVISED: November 4, 2012

A/N: It's been too long. It really has . . . LoL

Breathe
Chapter 16: Information
By: LadyYuina

"Dirina is dead . . ."

"She is dead."

"She is long gone . . ."

"What are you trying to do, Kantarou?"

For the second time that night Kantarou awoke. This time a cold sweat covered his entire body, and he breathed in and out in ragged breaths.

The voices he heard when he was with Ichi . . .

And the presence Ichi had sensed during that time . . .

. . . he found it odd he didn't think about it more.

Dirina was dead . . . So who was the cloaked woman? Was she posing as Dirina?

Kantarou rubbed at his temples, trying to rid himself of this annoying thought. This time he refused to go try and write. Dirina showing up again was his biggest fear . . .

"Kantarou." The silver-haired man looked over his shoulder. "Are you all right? You seem—"

"I'm fine. I just had a crazy dream, you could say."

"Is that so . . ." Haruka made no indication of letting the subject go. "Mind telling me about it?"

"Promise you won't laugh."

"I won't."

"I dreamt about Youko wielding a butcher knife chasing me around the garden. I woke up right when I thought she was going to behead me. Somehow, she seemed so manic this time. Usually she doesn't pop in my dreams behaving in such a way, hence why I called it a crazy dream."

"You seem really spooked." The Tengu's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and it made Kantarou worry if he was seeing through his lie. "But I suppose a butcher knife wielding Youko would scare you enough."

"Hahaha, right? She'd laugh if you told her about it."


"Can't you drive any faster?" Hasumi peevishly snapped as he looked out the car window. He then grimaced, remembering yesterday as if it were happening right this very moment.

Upon entering his home he immediately knew something was wrong. Rosalie was always there to greet him, and yet she was nowhere to be seen. He strictly told Youko to not take her anywhere so that couldn't have been the problem.

"Rosalie, are you here?" He received no reply.

Thinking she might be in the garden, he stepped into the living room to cross to the door that lead to there, but only to see a gruesome sight midway through . . . There she laid on the floor, lifeless and still. Gazing at the child's face, Hasumi could see the frozen stare of fear in her eyes. Specks of blood were splattered over her cheeks, forehead, and arms.

Beside her was Youko's headless body . . .

"We're here, sir," the taxi driver announced. He immeditately threw an undisclosed amount of yen at the man, and told him to keep the change. He didn't care how much it was, for this was the least of his concerns. "Uh, thank you, sir!"

Kantarou nearly choked on his tea when loud banging resonated from his front door. Irritably, he ordered Haruka to go answer it, refusing to budge from his spot on the tatami mat. An almost hysterical Hasumi ran through the front door as soon as it was opened. He demanded to know where Kantarou was, and Haruka pointed to the living room.

Kantarou did choke on his tea this time, all thanks to Hasumi shaking him roughly. Coughing, he managed to say, "stop shaking me, Hasumi! What's the matter with you?" Kantarou pursed his lips at the sight of his rival; he was trembling so badly that the spiritualist thought Hasumi would never stop. "Look, calm down, what's the matter?"

"Youko and Rosalie . . ."

With raised eyebrows, Kantarou asked, "what about them? Youko's decided to come back now?" Hasumi shook his head. "Well, what is it then?"

"They're dead."

Haruka and Kantarou stared at him in disbelief.

Hasumi's trembling never ceased, and leaflets of tears were beginning to well on the corner of his eyes. "My poor Rosalie . . . Someone murdered her!" Lunging forward, he grabbed Kantarou's gi, pulling his face close to his own. "The police are at my house right now investigating the whole mess! And don't even think of calling me a liar! If you want proof, here, take Youko's choker!"

Hasumi then slapped a black bloodied object into Kantarou's palm.

"Look at it!"

Kantarou dropped it instantly, not amused by Hasumi's antics. He wiped his hand on his red hakama to try and get the dried blood crumbs off his fingers. Hasumi still had a hand latched onto the spiritualist's gi, so with that hand he yanked Kantarou up.

"Ngh. Hasumi, this—"

Haruka intervened then, cutting off Kantarou's words and knocking Hasumi back a step or two.

"I will not allow you to hurt Kantarou," Haruka warned.

"Do you honestly think I'm making this up? Would I openly cry in front of the likes of you two if it were all a lie? My poor Rosalie is gone, you understand?"

"He has a point, Haruka. This is unlike Hasumi – I've never seen him looked so troubled before in all the years I've known him."


The ride to Hasumi's home was extremely boring and, despite the urgency, Kantarou somehow wound up falling asleep halfway there (perhaps due to exhaustion). All the time that Kantarou was asleep, Haruka and Hasumi talked.

"There was no indication of anyone breaking in?" Haruka asked.

"Not that I was aware of. But to see them in such a state shocked me to the core."

"Would you believe me if I say something supernatural could have been the cause?"

"Supernatural?" Hasumi looked perturbed but didn't appear to be strongly against such a notion.

"There was no forced entry from what you could tell, no?"

"Well, I didn't look all around the house, so I could be wrong. Something supernatural sounds . . ."

"A little far-fetched, I understand. But whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you."

And thus, the two fell silent when they neared Hasumi's home. There were a whole squadron of police strewed about, and Kantarou awoke due to the ruckus.

"We're here?" he murmured.

Hasumi scoffed. "I am appalled at the fact you could fall asleep during such a dire situation."

Ignoring the man, Kantarou looked around from his seat in the car.

"What is all this?" Kantarou asked.

His face immediately paled upon the sight of a body on a stretcher. A white cloth was draped over it but Kantarou knew who it was underneath.

"Stop the car! I need to get out!" he yelled.


It took no longer than a second for tears to fall. Kantarou felt no shame, no thought of pride, or any semblance of a hardened reserve. He'll be damned if he didn't cry. Youko meant a whole lot to him, and to suddenly see her lifeless form before his very eyes was too much.

"Everything's going to be all right," Haruka soothed. He touched the spiritualist on the shoulder and patted gently.

As much as he wanted to turn to the Tengu and cling onto him, it would only expose something he did not want Hasuni or any outsiders to see.

"Well," Hasumi stepped forward and sighed, "I don't know what you're planning, but perhaps we can bury them together. Actually, in fact, I think they'd like that very much."

The earlier hysteria had gone and left Hasumi by the time they got here, and all his energy felt drained.

"I think so as well," Haruka commented, when it seemed like Kantarou wasn't going to say anything.

"I'll head with them. Are you two coming?"

Kantarou shook his head. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to feel. He didn't want to breathe. At this very moment he just wanted to die.


Kantarou lay slumped by a wall, watching the grass gently sway from the night breeze. Despite it, there felt like a stagnant stench of something unfamiliar, and tried as he might he couldn't hint at what it could be.

"Haruka?" he called out.

"I'm right here," came a voice. "Up top."

"Oh, the roof?"

"Want me to come down then?"

"No. Stay there. I just wanted to make sure you were close by."

"Kantarou. Don't worry too much. Wherever she is now, she's fine."

"Buwhahahaha!"

"I'm being serious," was the retort.

"I know, but I never thought for you to say something like that. It's unbecoming of you, I guess. Although to realize you also have this side of you is mildly surprising." He leaned away from the wall and looked up. "I know she wouldn't want me moping around. I know she'd laugh if she saw me dragging my feet all day and acting like a lifeless idiot. I know it all."

"Then chin up and chest out. There's no time to lose."

"Yeah."


Haruka came home to find that Kantarou was not in his futon. Instead, he was perched outside in the garden, dozing peacefully on the high wooden ramp. Coming closer to his Master he noticed he reeked of strong aged sake.

"Geeze, so you ended up drinking during the short time I was away, eh. I didn't think a quick fly around the neighborhood would give you enough time to get this wasted."

He eyed the bottles lined up on the grass and sighed, muttering, "there goes the rest of the money for the week."

And without further thought he lifted the silver-haired man and carried him to his room. However, right as Kantarou was placed there he suddenly awoke and jerked upward into a sitting position.

In a drunken stupor, he asked, "where am I?"

"In bed," Haruka replied.

"Was I sleeping this whole time? I can't remember."

"Pretty much; however, I just brought you here. Bet it feels much better than cold hard wood."

"I think I saw Youko earlier! She . . . she was standing by some bushes! I . . ." Kantarou fell back against his futon as tears streamed down the sides of his cheeks. "I saw her!"

"I'm sure you did," was the only thing Haruka could think to say.

"She held out her hand to me, and smiled so sweetly."

Haruka looked away, frowning. His Master drunk and sobbing was not what he wanted to contend with.

"Promise me you won't leave me too?"

Taken aback, the Tengu looked to his Master, eyes agape. His tears had ceased but the despaired look on his face was still there. All Haruka wanted to do was hug his Master tightly and melt him away with words . . .

If only it were so simple . . .

And yet, by some mercy he was spared the agony of having to answer, for the drunkard fell hard and fast asleep. Deep, dark set eyes roved over the spiritualist's body, and they stopped where a red stain was peeping through. He got up and readied fresh bandages for the morning.


Reiko came the very next day (thanks to Hasumi informing her). She was like an old lady mourning for her beloved grandchild. Haruka thought his ears were going to explode when Reiko arrived, and he believed she could've shattered window glass if they had any.

Kantarou wasn't doing any better either . . . He sat at the living room table (albeit still suffering from a slight hangover) while he sipped tea for the majority of the day. It appalled him Kantarou had not once needed to visit the bathroom for a refresher. All in all, Reiko and Kantarou were acting really out of character . . .

"Reiko, stop your damn wailing and Kantarou, stop acting as if you don't have a care in the world. You can't escape from reality," Haruka reprimanded.

"Youko died not long ago, do you not care?" Reiko questioned. She was asking more in lieu for herself, rather than for Kantarou.

"Of course I do. But me being level-headed somehow relates to me not giving a damn? Is that what you're implying?"

"Hmph!" Reiko crossed her arms as she furrowed her brows. "The least you can do is to show your support! Look at poor Kantarou! He's . . . He's going to the loony bin!"

"For starters, quit yelling then!" Kantarou suddenly snapped, and like the start of a horrifying quake, the silver-haired man stood up and promptly doused the poor woman with tea. And what followed suit was a sound slap across her cheek. "Shut the hole in your face before I kick you out!"

Haruka watched in flabbergasted awe.

"Haruka, I'm going to my room. Don't bother me."

"Ah . . . Sure."

Reiko sat where she was as she cradled her stinging cheek. Rivets of tears pooled down either side, and Haruka could tell she was just as shocked as he was.

"I didn't mean to . . ." she started.

"He had a little too much to drink last night. I wouldn't put it past him to be very cranky."

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"Understandable. But, are you going to sit their moping or are you going to get cleaned up?"

She simply nodded and rose.


His face and body was burning and he was sweating lightly, but the man hadn't the energy to get up to change. Red eyes roamed across the span of the room, and they came to rest at a peculiar spot. The pillow and flower were still there, pristine and untouched.

"Kantarou, are you all right?" Reiko gave him a sidelong glance from where she was.

He did not reply and did not look at her.

A few seconds went by and she opted to go to his side. Raising a hand, she gently felt his forehead. Suddenly wide-eyed, she exclaimed, "You're burning up!"

Brushing her hand away, he said, "I'm fine."

Reiko frowned.

"But . . ."

The spiritualist scooted around the other way, head bowed, and this only caused Reiko's frown to deepen.

"Um . . . Well, then. I think I'll be going." She stood and went towards the Tengu. "And Haruka, please take care of him."

"I will."

"Where's Youko's choker?" Kantarou asked. Reiko stopped in mid-stride, looking at him curiously. Haruka did the same. "Have you seen it, Haruka?"

Chapter 16: END