Belief and Hope

"You either believe in yourself, or you don't," Naru replied coolly. Ayako and Monk exchanged a glance. Kurobara sighed watching everyone interact, she decided to stay quiet "Okay, maybe I'll trust Naru and stick around." Monk said, sweat-dropping, He felt a little ashamed for having almost given up so easily. "But I hope I don't die from being overworked."

"If you do, I'll be sure to pick up your bones at your funeral." Ayako commented, Kuro sweat drops at them. Both of them seriously do not want to do it, she could tell by their nervous behaviour. "Being Buddhist, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace if you had a Shinto style funeral for me." Monk retorted.

After everyone finally changed their minds Both Mai and Kuro felt slightly relieved, they were finally going to put this case to rest. Kuro hoped that this was the case, she kind of felt really irritated, she had the worst time of it all. "At any rate, she has too many children spirits working for her for us to block. And she's the heart of the problem." Naru said, now that that was settled.

Kurobara sighed. She hoped that she didn't have to use her abilities, knowing her luck she would have to, she hated using them. It caused deep-seated trauma to come back up into her head and body. "Unless we can lure her out of the well, it's futile."

"Yeah? Then what are we going to do?" Monk enquired. "We have to disperse the child spirits." Naru replied. "Matsuzaki-san? Please make some charms against evil spirits and hang them on all the walls in the house." Kurobara looked at them with a bored expression. She was getting increasingly annoyed by each second she stays here.

"The same charms we put in their hotel room?" She asked. "The spirits will break through them sooner or later." Ayako says with a matter of fact tone "No problem." Naru said. "We'll set up a kekkai inside the house. Our main goal isn't preventing the spirits from going near Ayami-chan. It's to lock them up inside the house. Then we'll open up a kimon."

"What's a kimon?" Mai asked. Kurobara turned her face to Mai and proceeded to explain "He's referring to the north-eastern quarter. It's the easiest direction for a spirit to go" Kurobara told her with a small smile. "Correct Kurobara. If it's difficult for them to pass through everywhere else, then they'll pass through the kimon."

Kurobara turned her attention to Naru "do I get any house points?" Everyone turns to her "House points?" Mai asked with a confused expression on her face. "Yes do I get any house points to my house Raven claw? Like 10 points to Raven claw" everyone else realized she was talking about Harry Potter again.

Naru felt like facepalming "We do not have time for you charade" Naru stated coldly. Kurobara pouted, however "Say It and I will stop," Kuro says with a small smirk. Naru rolled his eyes at her " I do not have time for this" Kuro frowned " Please. Say it!"

Naru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose " 10 points to Raven claw. There are you happy" Kurobara snickered at his tone, it made it a lot funnier. Naru turned back his attention to Ayako and Takagawa. "Monk-san and Matsuzaki-san, I want you to wait for the spirits to come out of the kimon."

"Then we disperse them, huh?" Monk asked,"Yes. That's all you'll have to do." Naru confirmed. "But won't they just go right back into the kimon?" Ayako said with a questioning tone. "They only need to be dispersed for a short while. If we can reduce the number of spirits around the woman spirit, it should work." Naru said. "John, you stay in the living room and disperse the spirits there."

"Sure." John said. Kurobara looked at Naru, who was going to be doing the Exorcism? Was Naru going to be doing it? "Aein if I may ask. Are you going exorcise the women? Since everyone else is busy" Kurobara asked causing everyone to look at Naru with a shocked expression.

Naru didn't say anything but smirk, that sexy smirk always caused her heart to race faster. It was getting really annoying now. What is going on with her lately, was Mai right? No, she refuses to accept that.

But what if it was happening…

(Timeskip)

As Naru said, everyone placed their charms up throughout the house and moved into position. Ayako and Takagawa were in the kimon, with John in the living room with Naru. Masako, Mai, and Kurobara were also in the living room in case the woman appeared and was only visible on camera again.

Lin remained at base to monitor the entire process and to make sure everything was recorded properly. "Let's get started," Naru said, signalling for John to begin. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name." He prayed, gently splashing some holy water. Kurobara felt Masako shift slightly and watched as she clung to both Kuro and Mai.

Mai was surprised, as she felt Masako's hand squeeze her. Kurobara watched Masako as she became paler "Masako. You're looking a little pale there, should we take you to base? You look like you need it. I am sure Kazuya won't mind" It must be hard for the young medium she could relate to her, She had her fair share of side effects In the past.

It must be really difficult "No… I'm fine." Masako insisted, even though she looked really sick. "There are two ways to exorcise spirits." Masako said. "Jorei and jourei. Jourei means to talk to the spirit and help them through issues they have from a past life. It's a kind of purification to break their hold on this world. But that's something only a psychic medium can do. Naru is not a medium. He intends to exorcise the spirit by using jorei."

Mai looked slightly confused "why is that so bad?" Kurobara sighed softly at this question "Because with a Jorei you are killing the spirit, instead of talking to it and giving it a chance to look to the other side. In a way Jourei is like ghost therapy, talk to them let them tell you about their feelings etc. It's kinder that way, unlike Jorei who kills them right off the bat."

Masako nodded surprised she knew so much, but then again she was a medium much like herself. Still, she had no idea that Kurobara was so talented she was feeling slightly envious of her. Kurobara felt really sorry for the spirit she kind of hoped that they could just talk but as Masako says Naru isn't a medium.

"I would prefer it if Naru didn't do jorei, at least not in front of me." Masako said with a faraway gaze, Kuro gave her a small nod "I can understand why, it's basically murder." Mai, however, looked at her with a slightly green face, she patted her head "do not worry Mai everything will be fine"

"Kya!" Cried out in alarm when she was suddenly yanked forwarded by the arm. Kurobara quickly grabbed her in alarm "are you alright Mai-chan, dam these spirits piss me off" Kuro said while taking a closer look at her arm. Masako also looked concerned for the young teen. "Want me to use my barrier?" Kuro asked them both.

Masako swayed her head back and forth "You have used so much this past week, you must be very tired it is very dangerous if you keep using it." Kurobara chuckled "Yes I know… I knew the dangers of it since I was found out to be … Psychic."

"In the beginning, there was the Word, and the Word was God." John continued to pray. From Mai's point of view, a strange vapour seemed to be rising from the well. "Hara-san, Kurobara, how is it going?" Naru asked. Masako was the first to respond "They're trying to escape." Masako said, following the fleeing child spirits with her eyes. "There seems to be fewer of them now."

"They are confused, and crying in agony. They don't know what's going on nor do they know where to go" Kuro told them with a frown. "can't you exorcise them using jourei?" Mai asked both Masako and Kurobara. "As long as the woman's spirit is around, that would be impossible." Masako replied, wishing she could do more for them…

Kurobara felt a stinging sensation, she was coming. The women were coming up from the almost bottomless well. Masako gasped, while Kurobara's Guard has risen. Hoping to protect her best friend Mai and her other friend Masako.

"What is it?" Mai asked.

"Mai-chan… The women is coming out of the well, keep you're Guard up" Kurobara said warning her. They all watched as a single drop of water flew up from the well and hit an invisible barrier. "Tomiko…" The woman spirit moaned as she slowly rose up from the depths of the well. "

"Tomiko-san is not here!" Masako said urgently, making a desperate attempt at a jourei before Naru exorcised her. "No matter how hard you look, she isn't here. Those other children are not Tomiko-san, so please set them free! They all want to return to their own mothers, so please!" Masako gasped, covering her mouth, as a small hand crept over the edge of the well, followed by more.

Kurobara winced as she saw small hands beginning to creep at them, Mai cried in alarm as she saw them coming after them, She had no choice. Kuro had to protect them. Her eyes turn back to a glowing pair of blue eyes with a sunset orange tinge, Kurobara took a breath before slamming her palms on the ground causing a blue aura to circle them on the floor.

Moving her arms up, cause the Blue aura to manifest a barrier, it surrounded Masako, Mai and herself. The hands try to attack but the barrier turned red and burnt them causing both Masako and Kurobara to wince at the sound of them wailing. She hated that she had to do this but they leave her no choice.

John was thrown across the wall, Kuro winced. She didn't think to put a barrier on John "John-san!" Mai and Masako shouted. The women glared daggers at Kuro, still pissed at her for what had happened earlier the women sent more children to attack the barrier. Kuro twisted herself and span the barrier stunning the children.

It was at this point that Naru stepped forward. The woman's eyes left her as the spirit turned its attention on him. Kurobara growled under her breath, does he have a death wish or something. She gritted her teeth as the women turned to Naru, Kurobara placed a secondary barrier on Naru and winced.

Her breathing became slightly unstable as she felt herself go faint. Masako was right when saying that she shouldn't use them so much but with how things are going she needed to use them. "Naru, please don't!" Masako pleaded earnestly as he advanced towards the spirit in the well. "Wait a minute!"

"Naru for fuck sake stay back!" Kurobara shouted while feeling blood pour out of her nose, Mai and Masako looked at her with concern "Kuro-san!" Kuro winced and told them to shush. Naru then stopped several feet from the well.

"Drop the barrier's Kuro" Naru stated, more like he demanded her to do it. Kuro winced about to retort to him back but he swayed his head "Just Do It!" Kurobara finally dropped the two barriers and laid herself down.

"Your child is right here." Naru told the woman's spirit as he raised his hand, holding up a thin piece of wood in the shape of a stylized human figure. "Take the children you've gathered… and go home." He said, tossing the wooden figure into the air.

So I finally complete a chapter, for you guys sorry for the mix-ups and the errors. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a lot longer but I decided to split it up in another chapter. Thank you for staying patient.

Also thank you to everyone who has followed and favourite my story, sorry for the long wait and also sorry for my mistakes!