Hinamizawa Hell

"Revealing Demons" Arc: 2

Ch. 10 part 1: Watanagashi

He tripped over the rocks and tree roots; stumbling with every passing step in the dark woods that morning. The moon was on the verge of vanishing, the sun nearly upon the horizon in less than an hour. His desire to return home was extravagant; unlike any urge ever felt before to return to such a place of solace. His adrenaline kicked in more and more with the passing of time; even his speed increased on the now declining dirt path. Behind him coming up the rear was his companion; his clothing and body layered with as much grime and dirt as he was. He was surprised with how his friend led the way, not even seeming tired after these past two weeks. For Komoto to fall behind Keiichi was shear amazement.

After traveling these remaining days with incredible speed, Keiichi now slowed his pace to a halt halted. Komoto soon came up as well, their position now on the hill overlooking all of Hinamizawa. As the sun now fully rose over the peaceful village, they could see just how packed and busy the people were even in the early morning hours that day. For all they knew, the villagers were celebrating the village's most important day of the year: the Watanagashi Festival. What was a much feared celebration of Oyashiro-sama in the past now seemed to gain normality; no worries of anyone succumbing to the threat of being spirited away by demons for past sins committed.

As they took in the beautiful view, Keiichi and Komoto took a small break to catch their breath. They were finally home at last; successful in completing their goal. Keiichi leaned against the rail, looking down the hillside while Komoto sat on a bench drinking some water. He closed his eyes for a bit, resting after their long hike.

"Happy to be back Keiichi?" he asked.

"Yeah…home at last. I can't wait to see her." Keiichi just smiled eagerly with anticipation of surprising Mion. However, as he was now he would need a nice, long hot shower, some food and clean clothes.

"I bet. After the hell you went through I'm sure seeing Mion will be heaven. But heaven can wait a bit more I think. You hug her as you are now and she'll run away from your stench, heheheh…"

"Oh, and what about you Komoto-san? You think Mizuho-sensei will just welcome you like that?" Keiichi chuckled loudly, but what Komoto said next just caused him to blush deeply.

"Keiichi, do you honestly think that after training, Mizu-chan and I just hit the showers? Hell, if we're in the mood we'll do it right there on the spot…" Komoto laughed deeply at this, causing Keiichi to just look at him in shock.

Over the past two weeks, these kinds of talks were now normal for them. They could share almost anything together now; no doubt on whatever it was. Komoto didn't see Keiichi as a teenager, but a man now after keeping his promise. Talking about such subjects was natural, but still, all the more hilarious between them. After having their good laugh, Komoto rose up and put an end to their short rest.

"Hey Komoto."

"Hmm? Yeah Keiichi?"

"Thanks for helping me with this. I don't think I could have done it without you." Keiichi was sincere, gratifying Komoto for all the help he gave. He still couldn't believe it was already over and that the two weeks were up.

"Who else was going to get you there? Besides, I needed the time away myself. My mind's a little clearer than before. So…it was nothing. Let's get going."

Keiichi nodded and grabbed his things, taking up the lead again. In no time at all they managed to come to the cross roads; the same place where he, Mion and Rena would meet up for school. It was starting to be another hot summer day, yet, in the distance Komoto and him noticed some dark clouds beginning to form. It wasn't much now, but in a day or so it would look to be a full fledged thunderstorm. They didn't care much, knowing that by the time it happened the Watanagashi Festival would already be over. They were glad for the coming rain, eager to have a cool down from all the heat waves lately.

For awhile they walked down the path, noticing some of the villagers in the rice fields look at them. They smiled back, greeting them after their absence for so long. It was just another perfect day in Hinamizawa, and for Keiichi there was plenty of time to catch a quick nap before finding Mion. In his backpack, safe and secure, was the item he desperately journeyed for.

*I'll see Mi-chan's parents later after the festival. We'll enjoy today together and then I'll tell her the good news at last. And then, if everything goes to plan, Mi-chan and I…can have the next two weeks together at my house…alone*

He giggled at this thought, blushing about the ideas he had of Mion clad in a sexy kimono, coming to bed with him. With his parents gone after the festival he was more than happy to take up the opportunity of having Mion stay over for awhile. That, he thought, would definitely make up for his absence these past two weeks; a debt that had to be paid in full to their relationship.

Eventually, they came to the intersection where Komoto and Keiichi's roads took opposite directions. Komoto stopped and looked down to Keiichi, smiling.

"It's been fun, I have to say. I think I'll be staying in with Mizu-chan for a good week of rest. I'll see you later tonight at the festival grounds. Take care!" Komoto waved goodbye, walking towards his home now. Keiichi did the same, waving goodbye to his friend and heading home with a large desire to scrub his body with a sharp knife; hoping to get off as much of the dirt and grime as possible (safely, of course).

When Komoto reached his house, he noticed that their van/truck was missing; the driveway completely empty. After going inside, he even found the house empty with no sign of Mizuho anywhere. He had hoped to be welcomed home by her first, but with her absence it was impossible.

"That's odd. I wonder where Mizu-chan went. Maybe she's off helping with the Watanagashi Festival…" He put his gear into the closet and closed the door; taking his shoes off in the meantime. He then walked into the kitchen, throwing his dirty clothes into the laundry basket for later. As he walked hastily, he noticed a note on the counter-top. Komoto picked it up and began reading.

"Dear Komoto-kun,

I hope you and Keiichi had a good time. You better have picked up that item he needed so badly or else I'm going to use you for target practice next time at the range, heheheh.

But I did miss you love.

Anyway, I'm out picking up some things for the festival tonight. I should be back around afternoon, so if you do come back before then please start the laundry and lunch if you can. I know you're probably tired but I would appreciate it if you did that for me.

Also, I have some news I need to share with you later…it's really important, so I'm going to tell you after the festival when we're alone. Don't worry about it, but know…that I love you dearly.

Love,

Mizu-chan"

Komoto looked at the letter and smiled. If she had something important to talk about then he could wait till tonight, he thought. He passed it off for now and just went to the bathroom, enjoying a long soak in the bath for about 3 hours. After that, he felt as refreshed as one of his trips back from a war; his skin and hair regaining their natural colors again save for his skin which was now pretty tanned. After getting dressed and making some lunch, putting Mizuho's portion in the fridge, he plopped onto the couch, deciding to spend the afternoon napping. He would clean his gear tomorrow when the opportunity arose, but for now he had no other better idea than to let his body sleep.

As his eyes began to grow heavy with fatigue, he started to drift off to sleep at last. However, as he was about to get comfortable the phone rang, earning a loud groan from him in the living room. He got up lazily, wobbling a bit from his comfort, and picked up the phone.

"…Hello, Hagara residence." He sounded a bit annoyed, but made sure to sound polite for now.

"Ah good, Komoto-san…its Mion. I'm glad you got back." She sounded extremely happy on her end.

"Oh, hey Mi-chan. Yeah, Keiichi and I just got back a couple hours ago. Are you looking for him?" he asked, hoping that he wouldn't get into a long conversation about Keiichi now. His couch called for him to come back and enjoy the pleasure of sleep, and he was very eager to return.

"No, actually, I just wanted to tell you that I had Mizuho-sensei run an errand for me. I'm so busy right now trying to get a couple things together, so she volunteered to help when I asked. She's with me at my house right now, and she wanted to know if you could come up for a bit and help be bring down a couple of things…" Mion sounded like she was talking to Mizuho, asking some questions to her. He could hear Mion talk to Mizuho, but he couldn't hear any of her answers, even in the silence. It was weird.

"Isn't Kasai around to help you?"

"Unfortunately, he's with Sis helping out with a booth they applied for this year. Oh, hold on a sec. What was that Mizuho-sensei? Oh, ok…She said that you better get your lazy butt up here and help or she won't be nice to you tonight, whatever that means…"

Komoto jokingly could be seen pouting, his ears steaming with some annoyance. He sighed, putting his hand to his head.

*Damnit, I get home and all I want is some sleep. Not even here for a few hours and I'm already the slave again. She even sounded so sincere in the note too…but if I want her to be nice to me tonight I guess I have no other choice.*

"Sure…I'll be up in a bit." He sighed in defeat.

"Good. I'll leave the door open for you, so just come into the house and find us in the back when you're ready. Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. Bye!"

Mion quickly hung up her receiver, grinning again. In her glassy, gaze-like state, she moved to the kitchen; picking up the taser and a doused rag of chloroform. She waited behind the door for however long it would take for Komoto to arrive. Both the front gate and door were unlocked, and with a flick of a switch now the lights were off too; shrouding he home in darkness. It was just a matter of time before her next victim showed up to her nightmare.

"Hmm…where is everyone? I thought Mi-chan's house would be bustling with her family, but no one's around. Wait, where's our car? I thought Mizu-chan was here?"

Komoto arrived up to the house, wearing just normal blue jeans and a white tank top. He had his pistol at his waist, covered under his shirt for the time being. Carrying a pair of gloves for the heavy lifting, he went up to the front gate; noticing that the estate had no trace of life. There was almost a creepy feeling to his surroundings; not even the birds or cicadas sang in the treetops.

"Ok, this is really creepy. Something's not right here. MIZU-CHAN! MI-CHAN? Where are you two?!"

Komoto yelled out, finding no reply from the house. He went through the gate, walking up to the front door now. It all seemed strange that no one could hear him, but if they were too far back in the house to be heard then it was plausible. Now going up to the door, he found it unlocked like Mion said and stepped it.

He pushed the door open all the way, looking inside the dark house. He called out again, but like before no one answered. His inner defenses kicked in, thinking something was wrong, so he un-holstered his pistol and kept it low at his side.

"ANYONE HOME? MIZU-CHAN? MI-CHAN?" he called. Again, no response was heard.

*Where the hell are they?*

As he took a few steps forward, Komoto heard the soft sound of breathing. His heart pace picked up a bit, now becoming fearful that Mizuho or Mion were about to play a prank on him; that or something bad was about to happen. He stopped and listened intently, hearing nothing again. He kept the door open so he could illuminate the house, trying to find the switch to turn on the lights. Looking around, he saw it on a nearby wall and reached out for it.

That's when he felt the prongs on his backside. It was too late to respond when the charge went through his body, his body losing the strength to stand and his hand to hold the pistol. The gun fell to the floor with a loud thud, as did his body collapse into a heap, while his assailant tazed him for a good half minute. He cried in pain, his voice broken as the charge coursed through his body. In the same moment, he could hear his gun being recovered and pocketed; now to be used against him as the thief willed. With the taser now discharged, he lied on the ground, twitching a bit. He was stunned in his back, therefore; it would only be a few minutes before he could recover and try to fight back.

As he shifted his body around, he noticed in the darkness Mion standing at his left side, not saying anything to him. She bent down as Komoto tried to grab her legs; doing his best to get up as quickly as possible.

*What's…going on? Why are you doing this Mion…ugh!* She tried to taser him again, but the charge was running out. He felt the electricity run through his body once more, causing more pain than before. He was powerless to fight back, even with the adrenaline rising in his body.

At the next moment, he felt a cloth being pressed over his mouth and nose; one that was wet with some odd odor. He tried not to inhale, knowing fully well that it was chloroform. He resisted and struggled as best as he could, trying to scream for help. Mion, in turn, held his arm and chest down without effort; watching Komoto with a large grin and her demonic eyes. They seemed so hell bent, filled with the raging fires of hate and anger. He couldn't believe this persom was Mion; the one who cared so much for her friends and Keiichi. How in the world could she do this? What did he do to bring on this sort of act?

Giving in at last to the pressure building in his lungs, he inhaled as slow as he could, starting to feel the effects of the chemical compound. His eyes spoke of his terror and worry; his mental anguish even for being overpowered so easily.

Mion stood over him, chuckling softly. She pressed her forehead against his, making sure his cold grey eyes saw the terror and nightmarish hell in hers. She spoke with a smile; again taking pleasure as his mind faded away into blackness.

"Komoto…do you see what happens when you take Kei-kun away from me? I become a very naughty girl…"

His eyes struggled to go wide with fear and disbelief; the chemical controlling his body now. She disarmed him and tortured him with a taser because of taking away Keiichi? And now she was drugging him? No, something else was wrong here; something else was driving her to do this.

"Heheheh…." She held the cloth to his face harder, even punching him in the stomach to take more breaths for air. Her actions succeeded, as he closed his eyes and passed out. After another minute of making sure he was out, Mion slowly got off him, now closing the door and turning the lights on. Like her previous victims, she carried his dead weight and threw him into the torture chamber cells, this time, though, placing him in the first torture station for the other's to watch.

"Shi…cha..n.."

"Huh?"

"Shi…chan! Wake up!"

Shion's head pounded with such pain as if she had her skull bashed in with a bat. She rolled over to her side, taking large gasps of air. The smell around her was damp and moist; a clear sign that she was in the Sonozaki dungeon. Groaning in pain, she looked around; finding herself unable to move from the binding rope. She then discovered Mion dragging a large body and throwing it into what seemed like an Iron Maiden, gently positioning the body so as to inflict the most psychological torture on its victim. Large spikes were set in the front opening doors; not long enough, though, to pierce a resting figure. This device aimed at having its victim succumb to claustrophobia and impale themselves in panic. That or something else could be added; say ants or spiders through the front opening to cause the intended effect.

As she looked around in a daze like state, she saw Satoshi huddled against his own cell wall; getting a good view of his somewhat happy state now that she was awake. She also saw in a cell next to him Rena, her body lying in a sitting position. Everyone seemed bound by rope except for Mion's next victim; his unconscious body now sealed into the torture device. Mion wrapped some chains around the device, placing the heavy steel lock in the middle and locking it with a large, black key. Shion called out to the others, checking if they were alright.

"Satoshi-kun! Are you alright?!"

"Yeah…but I can't move. What about…"

"SILENCE!!!"

Mion yelled at them in frustration, peering from one to another with her malicious gaze. They both complied, now noticing that she had a pistol at her side. Rena wasn't awake thankfully to see Mion's wrath. Shion, though, tried to plead as cautiously as she could.

"Sis...let us go! Please don't do this!" Mion just turned her gaze to Shion, now cackling with her sinister laughter.

"Oh, let you go? But I can't do that! You'll steal Kei-kun's attention away from me if I do that! Now, if you would kindly excuse me I have to go attend to the festival grounds. Oh, and Sis, thanks for the dessert! I'll be sure to share it with Kei-kun. Bye bye!"

Mion's eyes scolded both Satoshi and Shion, now leaving the area and heading up the steps to the corridor. She could hear their screams and pleas as she left, turning the main lights off now. Her victims were left in the darkness; the coldness of the prison now becoming a dreadful reality.

When they were certain Mion was gone for the time being, Shion and Satoshi tried to wake Rena up, hoping to figure out a way together to get out of this nightmare. They yelled at her cell, screaming for her to wake up. It was no use though; she was still out cold from the day before.

"Damnit! She won't wake up. I can't get out of these ropes Satoshi-kun. What about you?"

"There's no way I'll get out of these either. Shi-chan, why is Mion doing this to us?" His eyes were filled with despair; sad to know Mion to have done this sort of thing. He began thinking about Satoko's safety; knowing full well that if the four of them were targets then the others were at risk too. He began searching around his cell for any thing to use to his advantage.

"I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I'm certain she's finally cracked though. I think we have to fear the worst: she's infected with the syndrome…"

Upon hearing these words, Satoshi's eyes went wide. He cursed under his breath at the awful curse that befell Mion now; its existence the horrifying legacy of this village. If it made him act that manic when he killed his aunt, then there was no telling what Mion was capable of.

After a while they gave up trying to struggle out of the ropes. Whatever Mion did, she made sure that they couldn't escape. Everything was planned perfectly; from the moment they saw her to the moment they were imprisoned. And from what Shion could remember, soon enough they were going to be tortured. None of this made any sense to her.

Shion cried softly as she sat up against the rock wall. Satoshi could only watch, pitying the whole situation deeply. She tried explaining all this in her head; why everything was happening as it did.

"Mion…why are you doing all this? What have we done to make you hate us so easily?" Her tears fell down her cheeks, all emotion piling out now.

"Shi-chan, don't lose hope. We'll get out of this…I have faith…"

Shion and Satoshi looked over to find Rena sitting up, now awake completely. They smiled for the first time that day, glad to know their friend was ok.

"Rena-chan! Are you ok?" yelled Satoshi, concerned for her wellbeing.

"Yeah…I'm ok. I'm just really jittery, that's all…"

"Mion stole my taser. If I didn't bring it, then we could have…" Shion tried putting the blame on her shoulders, but the others wouldn't have any of it.

"She would have found another way. You know that Shi-chan…" spoke Satoshi.

"Who's in that thing over there?" asked Rena. Her gaze fell on the Iron Maiden, its tough exterior sealed with a 4th victim.

"I think…it was Komoto-san. Mion must have lured him here not too long ago…" said Shion.

"Pretty bold of Mion to do that during the daytime. Shi-chan, Satoshi-kun…can you find anything sharp enough to cut the ropes? My clever is in the bag over there, but there's no way for me to get to it…" she spoke. Rena's bag was near the doorway, next to a pile of tools and even a samurai sword. A lot of knives and other weird devices were piled near the doorway; almost like a child's messy room of toys. Whatever Mion had planned, she must have had intentions to use those things.

They searched their small cells for any rocks or stones to cut the rope with. Unlike the other cells, these cells seemed cleaner than the other ones; the floor even bare of small rocks and pebbles. Mion must have made sure these cells were bare of any type of cutting tool or weapon.

"Damnit…she really outdid herself…" cursed Rena. She was displaying some signs of her dull eyes again; everything almost a daze. The moment Mion slipped up, she thought, would be the moment she got payback.

"So what do we do now?" spoke Satoshi, his hopes diminishing.

"We don't give up…and we pray that the others find us…"

Mion happily walked back to her room, however; she scratched incessantly at her neck and back. The itchy feeling was returning again; her scratching only relieving it for awhile. She decided to take a quick shower and throw on her evening wear; making sure to look nice for the person she loved. The next part of the plan wouldn't be until later on; her last victims eluding capture till after the Cotton Drifting Ritual was completed. When she could distract Keiichi by sending him back to his house for awhile, Mion would then lure Hanyuu, Satoko and Rika to her house for "dessert". In much the same way as Shion and Satoshi, she would drug Rika with a bottle of wine, Hanyuu with her favorite creampuffs and just taser Satoko, seeing as how she always set traps on Keiichi every morning.

"The freaking brat…I'll get her back, don't worry my love…"

*She'll pay for how much she hurt Kei-kun. That little devil will first watch Satoshi suffer, and to add the icing to the cake she'll see the same for Shion. And then…she'll die from the water torture device. You'll make Satoko wish she could wet her pants from how terrified she'll become.* her darker voice spoke. She only listened to that voice these past days, finding comfort in its chaotic plans and devices.

After she finished getting ready, she called Kasai to come pick her up. In no time at all, a black car arrived to shuttle her over to the festival grounds. The drive over was quiet, just the way she wanted Kasai to be. He was hesitant, even scared to speak up. But there was one question on his mind about Shion that, after driving halfway there, he had to ask.

"Mion-sama, I haven't seen Shi-chan at all today. Do you know if she's at the fairgrounds yet?" He was amazed he had the audacity to even ask that to her. Though, thankfully, she just replied with little concern.

"I'm not sure where Sis is. I haven't seen her at all, since I've been so busy lately. She's probably off on her own with Satoshi-kun at the festival…" she closed her eyes, hoping that she didn't receive anymore nonsense from Kasai. He could notice she was annoyed, so for his sake he ceased anymore conversation.

The Watanagashi Festival was just as spectacular as last year; even more so now that he took it into view. Everyone from the village and some surrounding cities were about the festival grounds; walking from the game and food booths to the displays all around the hillside. The main house was even bustling with the elders; managing the entrance to and organization of the events. It was around 3 when Keiichi arrived, now sitting on the stone wall waiting to spot the others. He was sure that Mion was in the main house, but as eager as he was to see her Keiichi knew she was probably so busy with the elders that he couldn't get near her. Instead, he planned to make a rather dramatic entrance. The moment he saw her alone, he'd surprise her in style. Chuckling at this thought, he sighed and dwelled on the item back at his house; sitting in the backpack in his room. It was the one thing that he was sent away for two weeks for; what now allowed him to peacefully relax. Hell, just remembering his parents' reactions were hilarious when he finally returned. Keiichi's father nearly tackled him after seeing how much two weeks had changed him. Keiichi was now as tall as his father even; though definitely much stronger.

"The prodigal son has returned! My boy, you look like you have finally become a man at last!" His father cried, tears streaming down his face to express the utmost joy of Keiichi's return.

"Kei-chan! You're all bruised up and cut! What did Hagara-san do to you?!" her mother cried. She went up to him and worried over his injuries like any mother would do. He just laughed and passed it off as nothing.

"Guys, I'm fine. And Dad, I thought you said I was a man when Mi-chan and I…ugh!" His father gave him a quick punch to the gut, making sure his next words were never heard by his wife. She eyed them with confusion, thinking they were just doing the father/son thing.

Now at the Watanagashi Festival, Keiichi breathed a large sigh of relief. Hopping off of the wall that next moment, he went around the grounds; surprised that villagers who knew him did a double take at how much different he looked.

*Hmm…the tan must be a bit overkill…* he mentally laughed.

He walked up to a nearby booth selling some bean buns, which caused his stomach to growl the moment he saw the sight of delicious food. His hand unconsciously reached into his pocket, but just as he was about to hand the money over to the cashier Keiichi felt a tug at his cut off khakis. He looked down to find Satoko, smiling widely with joy at him.

"Ah, Satoko!"

"Kei-chan!" She jumped up and hugged him, taking him back suddenly with surprise. He just laughed and returned the hug, then patted her head like her brother Satoshi does. She smiled, blushing at this.

"Been a while, huh?" he asked. She looked up to him, nodding.

"You look so different Kei-chan. What the heck did Komoto-san do to you?"

"Aw, he wasn't so bad. This is just from all the traveling we did these past two weeks."

"I'll say. You seem so much stronger and tanned. I think you even grew taller too!" She raised her hand up to her face, gauging him in a pose to see if it was true.

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately. I had a growth spurt I think. Say, why are you dressed in a kimono?" he asked, looking down to her.

Satoko was dressed in the white and red garments of the shrine maidens. She began to explain how she was in the ceremony along with Rika and Hanyuu later on. He congratulated her and promised to see her when the time came.

"That's cool. Hey, you haven't seen the others around, have you?" He was eager to see his friends after being absent for so long.

"Well, Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan are at the meeting house. I haven't seen Nii-Nii or Nee-Nee at all. Not even Rena-chan either. With so many people this year it's easy to get lost around here." She spoke.

"Darn, that's a shame. Well, I'm sure we'll meet up with them eventually. Since Mi-chan is unable to hang that much with us I don't think we'll have our "Battle of 8 Evils". Speaking of Mi-chan…" Satoko could see he was quite eager to see her.

"Heheh…I see lover-boy wants his girl. She's about to get out of the meetinghouse soon, so why not go wait by the stage with us. Come on…" Satoko pulled Keiichi away towards the stage, soon meeting up with both Rika and Hanyuu.

Their reactions were just the same as hers; astounded that he looked so different. Hanyuu "hauuued" for a long time, while Rika's jaw just dropped as she spit out her drink. She bumped into him, thinking he was another villager as she came to the stage, but upon closer inspection found it to be Keiichi. She blushed at how he looked, noticing his toned muscles now.

*Damn…Mi-chan's one lucky girl. I wonder if I could have been with him in another world…hmmm…* she jokingly wondered, only giving some serious thought on the matter.

"Ok, we'll see you later Mion-sama! Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll check in again later and hand over the papers then. Take care."

Mion came out of the meetinghouse at last, her eyes now beginning their search around the festive grounds for her special someone. She did her portion of the work today and now had some free time before having to collect the needed items from each booth. For her plan to work later, she had to work quickly once the cotton drifting was over. Now, though, her eyes darted everywhere, searching for Keiichi. The very thought of him made her heart ache with desire; every step she took was that much quicker in finding him. She searched for awhile, finding no trace of him. She began to worry, wondering if Komoto was telling the truth. Maybe something bad happened to him, or maybe Komoto kept him somewhere and wasn't telling her.

*Damnit! Where did he go? He better be here Komoto, or I'll rush back and end your life…*

*He has to be here. Kei-kun wouldn't miss you for the world. He won't back out of his promises, never…* her darker side told her. She knew this was true, and continued on with her search.

As she zig zagged between the crowds, her eyes narrowed in a desperate attempt to find him. Her heart raced crazily; her mind only thinking of him. Mion stopped for a moment, trying to catch her breath from all the searching after awhile. She almost lost hope, after searching everywhere but the stage area she was now at.

Suddenly, two palms fell over Mion's eyes; obscuring her line of sight. She recognized this warmth; the person's caring touches easing her heart. She didn't speak at all; shocked as to who it could be, but all Mion did was raise her hands to them. She felt the cuts and scars now; the strong hands light hold on her face. The person's chest pushed up against hers, too firm to be a woman. The man bent down to her neck side, noticing the light red marks but not making mention of them. He whispered into her ears, sending pleasurable shivers up and down her spine. The very hairs on her neck stood up as he breathed, causing her to moan a bit. Upon hearing his voice was her hope finally realized.

"Long time no see, Mi-chan. Did you miss me so much you forgot what I looked like?" He took his hands off her eyes, allowing her shaking body to turn around.

Mion turned 180 degrees, her eyes welling up with tears the moment she gazed upon him. Keiichi took in her beauty; her green hair tied up and her loving eyes renewed with some fire in them. Even her black kimono made her stunning; his desire for her ignited like never before. She smiled, almost unable to hold back the tears, however; once Mion fully saw how much Keiichi changed her eyes went wide and her face turned as red as a cherry now.

"K..K..Kei-kun! Is that…really you?" She raised a hand to his cheek, stunned that he was taller now. He smiled, looking at her with his loving brown eyes for what seemed like years. As tears began to glide down her face, Keiichi wiped them away.

"Man, I'm gone for two weeks and you're already more of a woman than a tomboy, heheh. You didn't answer my question though…" he pouted a bit playfully. She just regained her composure and swallowed any fears about his safety now. For the first time in a while, she acted like her old self.

"You…dummy! I'm here worried sick about you this entire time and you come back all tanned and toned, taller, and more of a…man…" Keiichi could see Mion blush now, drooling even, as her eyes scanned him from head to toe. She blushed even more when she looked at his waist side, instantly feeling hot with desire for something in particular. Keiichi just grabbed her by her shoulders lightly before she got out of hand. He did his best to explain his situation for now.

"I know, I'm sorry about going off like that, but I needed to do it. If I can meet with your parents tonight, then I can finally have permission to explain why I left, ok?" he pleaded to her, hoping she would go along with it for now. She just pouted at this response, wishing she could have had a complete answer for once. To Keiichi, though, their relationship finally seemed to be getting back to normal.

"Fine! But my parents will be gone till tomorrow night, so we won't see them until then. I guess there's no helping it…" she seemed saddened to not get her answer as quick as possible now.

"That's ok. We can wait for them…besides…" Keiichi moved closer to Mion's ear again, whispering so no one else could hear "…my parents will be gone for two weeks…I think you and I can be patient using that opportunity, right?" Mion's eyes went wide, becoming excited for the coming night. Whatever thoughts of her victims were lied far from her mind; only a true part of Mion Sonozaki coming out to Keiichi now.

"So, then I can finally find out at last. You really left me hanging, I hope you know that Kei-kun…" her eyes now filled with some sadness, causing Keiichi to mentally bash himself a bit.

"I had to leave quickly if I wanted to do this in time. I did it though…I actually did what I had to do…so…later; I hope you accept everything when we talk to your parents…and I mean everything. I promise you it will all be worth it, ok?" His eyes were sincere and hopeful, something Mion could never refuse from him. She nodded happily, deciding to wait till later tomorrow to figure out everything. For now, she just took him by the arm and moved closer to him, her lips inching towards his.

"Then for now…make this moment worth it…" Keiichi blushed, slowly closing his eyes as she did. Their lips yearned for the others; their feelings to be shared in one romantic kiss. As their lips almost met, however, both Mion and Keiichi were pushed apart by Satoko and Rika suddenly.

"Gah!!! Satoko!" yelled Keiichi, disappointed that he didn't kiss Mion. Satoko laughed as she disrupted their lovey dovey moment.

"Mi…its almost time you two. Come watch us in the ceremony, ok?" asked Rika in her cute fashion. She also wore her ceremonial robes, matching Satoko and Hanyuu like the Three Musketeers would in attire.

As the young girls ran away, Keiichi turned to Mion, finding it ironic that Satoko and Rika both did that.

"Guess Satoko-chan couldn't hold out on getting one prank on us today, huh? Hmm..you ok Mi-chan?"

Mion's face was casted away from Keiichi, her eyes burning with rage like never before. He couldn't see her glassy, dull gaze now; her hair hiding her demonic eyes.

*NOT EVEN ONE KISS! I've had it…tonight…all of them will perish!"

*No more…never again will something like that happen. It's over for them…no mercy…*

"Hey, let's get going Kei-kun. The ceremony will start soon." Mion instantly piped up, smiling. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, not giving Keiichi the chance to see what was on her mind. To him, she seemed…angry for a moment.

Their performance was stunning, flawless even, as the ritual was performed with precision. Two shrine maidens stood at the sides of the stage; holding ritual poles to ward off evil spirits. Behind in the back, pounding a large scepter onto an oversized gong, stood a couple adults wearing masks and dressed in ceremonial black and white garbs. As Satoko and Hanyuu did their parts, majestic in walking and waving the poles around, they came to the center to meet Rika wielding a large hoe artistically designed in fabric and carved with glistening gold. They met at the center stage, with Rika performing her dancing for all to see around.

In moments, the gongs went silent just as Rika raised her hoe and sent it cutting into a large, white futon in the middle of the stage. Tearing out the insides, she revealed a heaping mound of cotton; its white pureness signifying the meaning of the ceremony. As the adults prepared the cotton for the drifting later on, the younger ones commenced a prayer for the crowd, giving special prayers for the memory of Oryu Sonozaki. They presented a photograph of her in the stage, garbed in black bows as it hung on the far back beam. Everyone said their prayers, signaling the end of the ritual. After that, cheers in delight for another successful cotton drifting were heard; some even praising Hanyuu and Satoko for their fine work. Satoko seemed really happy, noticing how much she and her brother had been accepted by the others this past year.

While everyone went to get some cotton, Keiichi stood with Mion looking around for the others. Though this festival was considered to be the best one yet, it was not that extravagant if his other friends weren't there to enjoy it.

"Say, where do you think the others are? I haven't seen Rena-chan, Shi-chan and Satoshi-kun, and even Komoto anywhere. It's weird; they should be around here by now…" Anyone could easily hear the concern in his voice for his friends; the worry slowly increasing. Keiichi knew how much this festival meant to the others, especially Rena. Mion, however, didn't say anything; knowing full well where they were. She held some annoyance for his worry; wishing he didn't care so much about them.

*Stop thinking about them, Kei-kun. You have me…isn't that enough? * Mion thought; the jealousy in her heart slowly rising. It was almost 10 that night when the festival nearly ended, as everyone began to set their cotton pieces in the river.

"I'm sure Sis and Satoshi-kun are fine on their own. I even bet Rena-chan is with her boyfriend right now…so don't worry about them. They're fine…trust me…" Mion just smiled to him, holding his hand in hers. She guided him to the river, so as to set their cotton pieces in with the rest of the villagers. However, his worry didn't dissipate.

As Keiichi grabbed his share from the pile, he snuck a large wad under the watch of the dealer. He pocketed this amount, just in case the others missed to do so. After grabbing their amounts, Keiichi and Mion just went down to the river. They bent down to set their pieces, watching as others finished doing so. The lights were amazingly beautiful that night as the fireflies came out. Most of the villagers had done their cotton drifting, so relatively few people were around. They did, however, manage to say hi to Takano and Tomitake before, who now were off on their own together like they usually were.

After watching the others for awhile, Keiichi looked over to Mion, who looked like she was staring with terror at her piece. Her eyes were a bit dull now, wide with some sort of fear. She even began shaking a bit.

"Hey, Mi-chan, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost…"

"Kei-kun, is this cotton defective or something? It's black…and so heavy…" Mion's hand seemed like it was weighing down a bit, but as he inspected it everything seemed fine. It was white and as light as the other pieces.

"What are you talking about? It's completely fine." He grabbed her hand, watching her come out of a daze. "Come on, let's set them off together." She nodded, thinking it was just the darkness playing tricks on her eyes. She set her piece down the river with Keiichi's, wondering if she was just tired from the day's activities. However, Mion could have sworn her piece was dark with weight. It felt so…evil too.

"Hey, we finally found you guys! Did you do the cotton drifting yet?" spoke Satoko. Oddly enough, she saw some resentment in Mion's eyes, a sort of annoyance when she came to see them. She stayed closer to Keiichi's side, thinking she would cause Mion to scold her for some reason.

"Yeah, we're done now," replied Keiichi. Hanyuu and Rika now joined them.

"That's good. We were actually about to head out soon. Would you guys like to come with us? We're going to try to find the others, if they're even here." Hanyuu smiled to the others, but had a look of concern for her friends. Rika just watched Mion, pondering something on her mind that she couldn't put her finger on.

"Actually, that sounds…" Keiichi tried to speak, but was cut off by Mion.

"I haven't seen them anywhere, but like I told Kei-kun before: Rena-chan is probably with her boyfriend, and well, Sis is doing God knows what with Satoshi-kun. But there was something I really wanted to do…" Mion put on another façade, looking cheerful to the others so as to not cause any suspicion.

"Oh really? Like what?"

"Well, since you guys did so well this year with the performance and, unlike someone I know…" Mion jokingly pointed to Keiichi at this point "…who didn't pull his share this year with the festival, you three have done so much great work for the village that I got you three gifts with some of the money from our budget. If you are ok with it, then you can come up to my house right now and I can give them to you before Kei-kun and I head off on our way. I just need your help collecting some things from the vendors and drop them off at the meetinghouse. What do you say?"

The three young girls instantly smiled with joy, happy to know Mion did such a nice thing for them. Hanyuu predicted something in the form of creampuffs, while Rika and Satoko seemed eager for treats. They agreed without question, with Mion now giving them directions to pick up the paperwork. They quickly left, hoping to do this as quickly as possible. After doing so, Mion turned to Keiichi and implemented the next part of the plan; all the while thinking how easy it was to lie to the young girls.

"Kei-kun, after I head with them to my house I'll then come see you. How about…you go home for a bit and prepare your room for us. I'll come over when I'm ready, so for now I promise…" this time, Mion moved up to Keiichi's ear, seductively whispering into his "…tonight will be one you won't forget."

Keiichi looked at her, finding an uncomfortable but pleasurable feeling hardening in his pants. He nodded while blushing profusely, understanding exactly what she meant. When the other three came back, he waved them off and did as told, eagerly waiting for Mion to come over.

For Mion though, this was one of the last stages of her plan. All that was needed to be done was to lure her last victims and then sign their death warrants in the form of hell on earth; using the torture devices to their full potential.

Everything, it seemed, was going to plan…

Do you know what pain is?

It wasn't in reliving the same death for a thousand years.

Do you know what pain is?

It wasn't from the tribulations of life.

Do you know what pain is?

It wasn't because of the loneliness this whole time.

Do you still not know what pain is?

I do.

I saw it in the deaths of my friends…

I saw it in the cruel actions performed…

I even saw it in their eyes; the mental anguish from such deeds.

But where I knew pain most…

Was in the betrayal of our friends.

Next time on Hinamizawa Hell: "Revealing Demons" Arc, Ch. 10 Part 2: Watanagashi.

Can you believe in this?