Hinamizawa Hell
"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3
Ch. 11: Crescent of the Crimson Moon
/
She was excited, to say the most, as the evening was drawing near that day. With the hospital almost empty, and most of the patients gone to visit the festival grounds, she could easily say she had the whole place to herself; minding the few doctors on call in case of emergencies. As she idly strolled down the white hallway with loud clapping sounds of her wooden sandals, she turned another corner and prepared herself mentally before entering the next room.
*Heheheh…Komoto-kun is going to fall head over heels when he sees me in this!*
As Mizuho giggled softly, she looked herself over once more before giving Komoto a memorable sight. The past few days, however difficult they had been for them, was a necessity in the long run to her. Komoto's health was more important than a festival, at least in her mind, though he was adamant about leaving and going to it with her. Though Mizuho did credit him for his efforts to make it up to her, she still went with the doctor's orders and forced him to remain there.
Still, as much as she thought about it, something wasn't right in the atmosphere around them. With every passing day, it seemed like Komoto was slowly losing a part of himself. For whatever reason, he was quiet most of the time now as if he had a lot on his mind. Today was supposed to be a happy occasion for them, but as fate would have it the situation turned out different than planned. As much as Komoto tried, Mizuho would remain content for their sake to be together as planned, at least. Thinking on this a lot lately, Komoto's change in demeanor also brought up something to mind.
*That reminds me…Dr. Irie and Komoto-kun…they don't seem like they're in a talkative mood lately.*
Komoto and Dr. Irie, though they did seem normal when she was in the room, had proven otherwise when she was trying to listen in on one of their conversations behind her back. At some times, Komoto yelled at Dr. Irie; even threatened to get up and possibly assault him. Other times, though, they just sounded pissed and barely said a word to one another; as if their looks and glares said it all. Mizuho felt at times that they were just growing distantly apart due to Komoto's constant hospital visits or, otherwise, they were hiding something from her.
Sighing as she pushed the thoughts from her mind, Mizuho refocused on her attire that day and looked straight ahead. Ready to make her move, Mizuho took one step forward and tried to reach for the door handle; only reaching for air as in the next moment Dr. Irie came through the door.
"Doc, you can't be serious! You said…"
"You're not in control anymore! Now I'm calling the shots on…"
"Um…Dr. Irie?"
Turning from his focus and now concentrating on Mizuho, Dr. Irie blushed red and quickly dissipated any of the anger he was showing towards Komoto. As Dr. Irie looked Mizuho up and down, he smiled nervously and blushed a deeper red. Stuttering, he put a hand behind his head and smiled at her.
"Ah, Mizuho-san, hello! Funny timing, actually, I was hoping you could help me convince Komoto-san to remain here at the hospital for one more night! He's too stubborn to listen to my orders!"
In the background, Mizuho could hear Komoto choke on these words; a growl being heard in Dr. Irie's direction. She could hear protests from Komoto in the back, though in Dr. Irie's mind he knew he had made a checkmate on Komoto.
"Doc, I've done everything you asked of me, and I wanted to take Mizu-chan out for once!" protested Komoto angrily. However, as Dr. Irie looked at Mizuho, he smiled and decided to take the initiative.
"Well, with you here now I'm sure he will listen to me. Just keep him occupied, will you? I'm sure he will enjoy your company. Now, I have tests to run and errands to perform. I'll be back later!"
As confused as she was, Mizuho was suddenly pushed into the room and had the door behind her locked shut. Standing there with some look of bewilderment and embarrassment, Mizuho did not have a clue as to what just occurred. Slowly casting her gaze over to the nearby bed, she found Komoto still in a bit of anger thinking with his eyes closed.
"That damn doctor. Can't even listen to my requests without blackmailing me!"
"Who's blackmailing who?" asked Mizuho curiously.
"Eh? Ah…M…M…Mizu-chan!"
In a mere second, Komoto went from steaming with rage at Dr. Irie to shear drooling over Mizuho's spectacular attire. She stood before him wearing a traditional koi yukata, detailed in vibrant colors which matched both her blue hair and her green eyes. As well, Mizuho was carrying a small purse; holding it between her hands with such a graceful approach to it all. However, as Komoto scanned Mizuho even more from head to toe, he found the most appealing look was that, for once, Mizuho pulled up her hair and tied it behind. She looked so much more different than he could have ever guessed. For that, Komoto blushed as red as a cherry with a look of lust and yearning in his eyes.
"Heh, I see you finally noticed my charms!" she smiled, grinning in his direction.
"Mizu-chan…you look…stunning!" he cried in joy. Mizuho was taken aback slight, smiling and blushing with her eyes casted to the floor.
"You like it? I noticed that you weren't your usual self these past few days while being pent up in here. So, since we couldn't go to the festival tonight, I wanted to surprise you with the yukata. Are you happy?" As cute as she was, Komoto could find no fragment of his former rage towards the doctor, and instead only happiness. Seeing Mizuho like that had made his day; a better one from the looks of the last few ones.
"I like it so much…that I wish you would keep your hair like that more often actually..." Komoto blushed even more, casting his eyes away from hers in fear of showing anymore embarrassment on his part. However, again, something that weighed heavily on his heart came to mind, and destroyed that moment of small happiness for himself.
"…more often…yeah…" he murmured only to himself. Mizuho looked at him confused again, sitting on his bed now and holding his hand in hers.
"You're still not yourself, Komoto-kun. What's been troubling you so much? Are you still worried about your health?" she asked, concerned. Komoto instantly knew where this was going and put on a façade for her; trying his best to divert the real question at hand.
"No! I've been cooped up here in this room for so long I might really be going mad soon. I just want to get out and get some fresh air. If only, for awhile…" he looked outside, and then back to Mizuho; looking deeply into her eyes. As much as it pained him to lie to the one he loved, he knew it would be all for the better in the end of things.
All Komoto wanted in his remaining time was to see her smile and be happy.
"Ok then. Well, I can't help you with that, but I can try my best to cheer you up Komoto-kun. And I think I'll start by doing this…"
Komoto watched on in wonder and Mizuho took off her sandals and then slowly made her way up his bed. Lifting up his arm, he found Mizuho snuggling closely next to him; her head resting on his shoulder. Komoto chuckled and wrapped her closely towards his body; their warmth felt between one another.
"We haven't done this in a while, Komoto-kun. I've missed it terribly…"
"Heheheh. Yeah…me too. I think I can manage another night here as long as you are by my side and in my bed. We'll go home tomorrow, I'm sure." Komoto smiled. He bent down to Mizuho's level and kissed her gently on the forehead, causing her to laugh and reach up to his level for a much more heartfelt kiss. As she snuggled again closer to his body and allowed the peacefulness of the moment surround them, Komoto smiled genuinely for the first time in those last few days.
To him, this was heaven, but like most things, heaven can turn into hell…
/
Amongst the murmur of the crowds around, it could be easy for just about anyone to get lost in the moment of the sights and sounds. The atmosphere of that evening was thick with excitement, suspense and wonder at the festival grounds as many people hustled and bustled about at the nearby booths and stages. As the day shifted slowly towards dusk, many people began engrossing the festival area and making their way to and fro up the lines and pathways that offered the splendor of the Crimson Lotus Festival.
Nearby shopkeepers enticed the young and the old with various games and food, while others nearby oriented themselves towards arts and crafts. Many children alone were with their parents, sitting in booths and having their faces either painted or participating in making traditional items. For this festival, the craft of origami in the form of red papered lotuses was popular amongst the crowds. Elsewhere, many people around were gathering up to present cheers and encouraging remarks to local leaders for putting on such a wonderful event.
As one would notice, though, this festival held many unique qualities on its own accord as well as several distinct factors which made it akin to the Watanagashi Festival. For one, many of the same shopkeepers such as the takoyaki stands were apparent here at the festival grounds, whereas the main stage was also set up for the later cleansing to unfold. In retrospect, though, the instance of Oyashiro's giant statue was predominant in the middle of the festival grounds, right near the main stage. Were one to stand under it, that person would be dwarfed in size and stature easily; though the diety's eyes looking down on you would send a small chill down your spine.
However, three things were different amongst the crowds this year. Besides the offering's that lied at the foot of Oyashiro's stone feet, many crimson blossoms were around the grounds, growing in various places and as well engrossing the statue of Oyashiro. Peering upon their red hued petals and darker crimsoned stems, the flowers were a marvel to behold, though they were still budded until the supposed time later that night when they would bloom before everyone to behold. Second, the cicadas, which were still around this time of the later summer, were oddly quiet that day. Their songs these past few days had seemed quite harmonious at times, but lately out of tune or mistakenly unbalanced. Whether it was just their time drawing near before fall would show up, or it was due to the unusually hot climate the village was experiencing, something was causing them to shutter into silence slowly. As much as that was, the villagers took it as a sign of the seasons changing and nothing more.
Finally, amongst all the crowds around, the one predominant aspect this village had hoped to achieve could be found in the many couples around the grounds. Hand in hand and arm in arm, couples enjoyed themselves from the highest point to the lowest floor of the festival areas. Popular this year was the dating games and couple's excursions which offered momentous occasions for lovers to enjoy. Whether it be old or young couples, everyone seemed to come with a date to the festival that day.
"Oh! This place is jam packed! I can't believe so many people, even from outside the village, showed up!"
"Auau! Ryuu-kun, look at all the games and prizes! They all look so cute! I want to take them home with me! AUAUAU!"
"O ho ho ho! If there are games this year, then that means penalty games as well! Keiichi-san will be going down in no time flat!"
"Come on Satoko-chan, we didn't have a chance at the last festival to play. What makes you think my skills haven't improved, huh?"
"Mii…Keiichi-san does have a point. Maybe that means we should up the stakes, nipah!"
"Ne…if that's the case, then Satoshi-kun and I are willing to go all the way! It can be a battle of 9 Evils this year."
"Muu…I'm not sure about the games guys. There's so many people around that it'll be hard to go through all the games before the main performance occurs…"
"That won't stop any of us. It'll be like old times, right guys?"
Coming up over a hill and onto the main path towards the entrance to the festival, the game club members assembled together in striking formation ready to deliver a resounding performance for their expected Battle of Nine Evils. Like many times before at previous festivals, the members would assemble in strength and try out their skills at various game and food booths, rivaling one another until a victor was declared. For the penalty game, anything could go from cross dressing to serving the victor as a slave to even pissing off Chie-sensei and her love of curry. Anything could go, and given that this festival was one which attempted to promote interests between couples, it didn't take rocket science for Rika or the others to assume what would happen in the end. However, what every member of the game club lived and swore by would be known: that you do whatever it takes to win no matter what!
Paired together arm in arm, Rena was accompanied by Ryuu. Rena embraced her beauty in a styled pink yukata, one which complemented her auburn hair and blue eyes. For Ryuu, though, he decided to keep it simple with a black yukata for the evening. The next couple was Shion and Satoshi, with Shion wearing an elegantly flowered yukata in various colors; an item once owned by her own grandmother. For Satoshi, though, he wore a white yukata with a black sash. The third couple, Keiichi and Mion, decided to dress more appropriately in the fashion of an engaged couple. They both wore black yukatas with red sashes, something that caused looks from the other villagers with stunned expressions. To do so in this fashion was, for the festival, to announce some sort of event to unfold. One of the markings on this event would be to have couples come to the stage after the cleansing ritual and proclaim something important for the whole village to hear. Though most of the village didn't know yet, for Keiichi and Mion it would be an official announcement of their long engagement and, in year's time, arranged marriage. For Mion and Keiichi, their hearts were somewhat hastened than the others for when the time would come, as they would have to proclaim their love for one another in front of the whole village in merely a few hours time.
For last two members of the game club, though, they were exempted from all traditional yukata wear due in part to their specific roles for the festival. Both Satoko and Rika wore traditional red and white miko outfits, granted that they were both to help with the ritual later that evening. As such, they were also one of the few people around who had no dates to the festival. As Rika and the others marched to the front entrance, Ryuu decided to play up alliances with his cousin and take a shot in the dark at Satoko.
"So I guess you guys are the only ones without dates. Such is the life of a maiden, I guess…" chuckled Ryuu. Keiichi smiled likewise at his cousin, playing along with this scheme for a little bit.
"Heh, yeah, poor Satoko-chan without a date. Maybe next year, right?" Keiichi laughed again, causing Satoko to merely pout in anger and turn her head away from his sight.
"Like I need a boyfriend, Keiichi-san! I have no interest in men right now anyway, hmph!" blushed Satoko. She gritted her teeth, wishing she did have someone to take to the festival. However, to her surprise she suddenly felt Rika's arm slide into one of her own. Looking sideways, Satoko blushed an even deeper red than before.
"Mii! Satoko-chan is my date for the festival, Nipah!" laughed Rika. As Satoko continued to awkwardly walk forward arm in arm with Rika, the others stopped dead in their tracks with blank slates on their faces.
"EH!" everyone went.
"W…W…What!" stuttered Mion, unable to form words coherently.
"D…Does this mean…" spouted Shion and Satoshi simultaneously. Though they probably knew Rika was joking, Satoko on the other hand didn't deny anything there. They just kept walking without care of their concerns.
"Satoko…and Rika-chan…I WANT TO TAKE THEM HOME WITH ME!" rushing forward in a blaze of godlike speed, Rena rushed from Ryuu's side and in the next moment had both of the younger girls in her arms, swinging them around and choking the life out of them in a bear-like hug.
"C…rap! Can't….brea..the…" choked Satoko, eventually receiving much needed air when Shion and Satoshi managed to get a hold of their friend. For the group, it seemed like the day would be filled with much more excitement as the night unfolded to them.
"Man, you young kids are always so lively! I wish I was young again!"
"Jiro-san, come now, you can still be young at your age…"
Turning their heads around, the game club members found both Tomitake and Takano hand in hand with both a medical bag and a brand new camera slung around their shoulders. Takano was wearing an oddly styled pink yukata with orange and black colors painted about, whereas Tomitake wore a simple green yukata which was akin to his military fatigues. Like Takono stated before, she would be on hand at the festival to take care of any medical issues and Tomitake was there to take pictures and provide extra security.
"Tomitake and Takano-san! I guess you guys are also in style tonight too." spoke Keiichi, laughing somewhat on the inside at Takano's odd yukata. Though Tomitake smiled in response, Takano caught wind of the smirks from her yukata and refuted their efforts at making a joke out of her.
"My, it seems you are all taking a liking to my dress this evening. As it so happens, this belonged to my family for many years and it was one of the possessions my mother left me at our old home. I'll wear it with pride, thank you very much." Takano gritted her teeth, unable to understand why the others found it amusing. She herself loved the yukata, though couldn't figure out why it was such a joke to them. However, Ryuu and Keiichi spoke up on the other's behalf, clearing up any of the confusion.
"Well, it was just that we thought you two would be wearing black yukatas with a red sash. Don't you guys have an engagement you want to proclaim to the village as well?" asked Keiichi, taking both of the adults off guard.
"Er…well, we already did that earlier last winter. Besides…" stammered Tomitake.
"Also, Takano-san's yukata reminds me of Halloween for some reason. I guess she's just a few months early for that, huh?" Ryuu closed his eyes and shook his head in fashion, grinning at Takano's poor choice for attire. His statement caused Takano to remain as still as a statue, understanding full well that what he said was true.
"So…that's why mother always wore this around fall! Why couldn't I catch that sooner!" Takano cried in dismay, causing Tomitake to come up behind her and pat her on the back in support.
"Hmm…guys, I just realized something. Where's Hanyuu-chan at right now?" asked Shion, looking around the area for her. The others turned their attention away from Takano to the festival grounds as well, casting their gazes high and low for their absent friend.
"Mii…she said she had to prepare for the festival today. Also, her miko robes are a little too small for her now. I think she was also depressed about that too, and is still working with the older ladies to get it refitted. Mii…"
"Hmm…guess all those creampuffs finally hit their mark. So should we find her?" asked Mion, sounding worried for Hanyuu. The other girls shared their sentiments, knowing full well that when it came to weight, women took it seriously in more ways than one.
"I don't think she wants to be…"
"Hey guys! I'm back!"
Suddenly appearing beside both Shion and Satoshi's backsides, the young girl wearing a newly styled miko outfit came forward into the crowd of her friends. Eating a red filled creampuff, Hanyuu smiled on at the others in delight without so much as a care in the world. Today of all days, she seemed the happiest in the longest time to Rika. As the others greeted her on, Rika remained silent and wondered how Hanyuu was holding up with all the pressure put on her shoulders recently.
"Hanyuu-chan, are you finished already with the older ladies?" asked Satoko, coming up to greet Hanyuu with a smile.
"Mhmm! The refitting wasn't too bad. I guess I'm just growing up in some other areas…" Hanyuu blushed for a moment, which the others except the men in their group caught on to. Whilst the women blushed, the men stood their confused; scratching their faces in wonder.
"Ah! Well…anyway…Hanyuu, I'm sure you're just getting taller! Yeah, that's it!" Mion tried her best to quickly divert the men's confusion and instead just simplify things a little. Shion and the other girls nodded in agreement, to which Rika interjected for the others behalf.
"Mii…I'm glad Hanyuu-chan is finally done. That's means we can all go have fun!" Rika clasped her hands together and smiled, waiting for the others to respond.
"Yeah, that's right! So what are the rules this time around? New penalty game and new set of games to compete in or same as the Watanagashi Festival rules?" asked Keiichi, looking at the club's all time and self proclaimed leader. Mion thought for a moment with a finger to her chin, peering around at all the shops and stands and devising some methodical device to which she could force Keiichi later on in whatever wish she wanted; no matter how embarrassing it could be.
"Glad you asked! Since this is the Crimson Lotus Festival, we're going to have a couple's themed match! However, unlike all other games this club has faced, this will be the most devastating and challenging game yet: the game of love! Whichever team can win the most games as a couple and successfully move on to the final round will be the winner. At that point, we're going to make the couple face off against one another until the victor is left standing over her prey!" Mion pumped her fist into the air in pride, though Keiichi stepped in and interjected on her great speech.
"Don't you mean 'his' prey? Mi-chan, when you and I win the couple's matchup, you will be the one submitting to the magician of words in the end!" Keiichi put a fist to his chest, knowing full well how this argument would turn out.
"Oh, really? So you really think you're going to beat this old man? We'll see who goes home on the leash tonight, Keiichi Maebarra!" Mion interlocked her arm with his, as the two grinned off with fire in their eyes. The others looked on with sweat beading down their foreheads, wondering how the night would turn out for them.
"My, then if we're going to give it our all, then Satoshi-kun and I are game. You won't stand a chance against us!" Shion stepped in on her sister, clenching her fist in defiance of her rival's plans.
"Rena-chan and I won't back down so easily. You think we're just going to let you guys walk over us? Think again. Ryuu Maebarra and Rena Ryuugu are here to take all and give nothing back!" Ryuu grinned in his cousin's direction, ready to take everyone on. Rena wasn't far from his line of thinking either.
"AUAUAUU! Rena-chan will take EVERYONE home this time! No mercy!" Rena shouted, causing the younger ones to step back in wonder.
"Geez…they really are into this couple battle, huh Rika-chan?" asked Satoko, smiling nervously. However, she didn't get the sane answer she was looking for.
"Mii! If I win, I get to take Satoko-chan home with me! I can be the master and you can be my sweet slave. Nippah!"
Satoko merely fell flat on her face in response, unable to control her profuse blushing from her statement. Rika, as of late, had been acting weirder and weirder as time went on. However, no matter what Satoko couldn't figure out what exactly Rika was getting at or was devising at some points.
And all the while, as the others played on and giggled in their usual fashion, Hanyuu remained solemn in thought; making sure that this memory remained forever stitched into her mind. For them, it may have been the last time she would ever be with them.
All things must come to an end, even good friends…
/
(9:00 p.m.)
"Sir, I have the reports you requested. Shall we go over them before turning in for the night?" The subordinate stood at the opening of a nearby tent, as construction crews and archeological surveyists busied themselves during the night at the excavation grounds of the giant dome near the remnants of the Dam Project. Outside the flap of the tent, machines and trucks all around were moving about whilst heavy drills attempted to penetrate into the walls of the dome in efforts to study what may have been inside it.
Peering from a large amount of documents and folders, a man with thick glasses and grey hair looked up at the worker. Sighing, he rubbed his temples and slowly moved to a nearby table, nodding for his subordinate to join him over some tea.
"Might as well. I'm sure that nothing new has happened. Unless the drills have gotten through the shell, then…" The older man grunted as he sat down, but in the moment he tried to voice his tireless thoughts on the dome the subordinate spoke up.
"Well sir, we do have a new development. Our latest sonar scan and thermal rods around the dome have indicated some sort of change."
"Hmm? Thermal rod activity? And you say our sonar has something new? Have you managed to get an accurate scan of the inner dome?" The older man instantly grew hopeful of the recent finding. If he just had some new fact, something different other than the strange composition of the dome itself, then he may have some idea as to what was inside.
"Our thermal rods have shown an increase in temperature inside the dome. Heat is steadily rising. As well, it appears that some sort of condensation has appeared on the outer shell of the dome surface. We believe there may be some sort of water source inside the dome now given that fact."
"Oh my, a water source? Your theory may be sound. However, what did the scans reveal?"
"Well…take a look for yourself sir…"
As the older man took the photos of the sonar scans, he peered over the odd shapes on the black and white films. Taking a nearby magnifying glass, he raised and lowered the optical lens and suddenly realized what the photo had shown. Setting the tool aside, he blankly looked at his nearby associate.
"So what do you think it is, sir?"
"Well…this can't be right. It looks like…"
/
Time sped on, and with that the activities of the night heightened with each passing competition. Snapshots of the group of friends could be seen one by one. In one instant, Satoko, Rika and Hanyuu triumphed over the others in a creampuff eating contest, whereas in the next Shion was being uplifted by Satoshi's arms for having won a goldfish capturing competition in one of the net catching booths. For their prize, Shion and Satoshi were given a pair of goldfish as pets, for which they would pick up from the shopkeeper at the end of the night. Classically, and rivaled by none other, Keiichi and Mion dominated everyone else in the shootout range booth; managing to take home prizes such as matching BB gun pistols and even another doll Keiichi managed to win for Mion. She accepted it without hesitation; blushing from receiving such a gift from her love. In the third game, Rena and Ryuu beat everyone in a random romantic booth game where the partners had to answer questions related to one another. On every question, eerily, Ryuu and Rena had answered perfectly right. The others, on the other hand, had made a few errors here and there. In embarrassment, Ryuu had made Keiichi and Satoshi err on some simple questions; making him the victor over his male comrades. While Rena cooed over Ryuu for doing such a good job, Shion and Mion quarreled over their love interests for losing to the goddess of speed and the master of knives.
After the dust settled over the battlefield, one remaining couple, or should it be said group, stood above the rest. As the others sighed in defeat, Rika, Satoko and Hanyuu cheered in victory as if they stood over a pile of their friends bodies in domination. Satoko laughed in her usual fashion, whereas Rika and Hanyuu danced around from having beaten the others in a simple food eating contest. Though the battle was messy and brutal, the pie eating contest could not have been a better contest for the tie breaker between the rivals. Whereas Mion and Keiichi ate as quickly as possible, their skills were no match for Hanyuu's innate ability to devour anything that involved cream and bread. Her efforts landed them the largest victory in a while, leaving the others to suffer an inevitable punishment game at some other point. However, as the victors cheered on, Mion grinned as she came into view of the others. The game wasn't over yet.
"Heheheh! Nicely done! I wouldn't expect any less from our game club members. However, though we may have lost this game, you three still have to continue on till one is left standing!" Mion crossed her arms, managing to get another laugh in on her opponents.
"Satoko-chan, Hanyuu-chan and Rika-chan have to duke it out! Give it your best alright!" stated Satoshi, whilst Shion nudged her head into his shoulder. It seemed the games took a toll on her for the time being, this being her real first time with the group during their Battle of 9 Evils.
"So what will the deciding game be then, club leader?" asked Satoko. She cracked her knuckles in anticipation for anything coming her way. The others may have been her allies during the main competition, but now they were her enemy. Satoko would not allow, for the most part, to have her forcefully be dressed up in cosplay again; especially for Dr. Irie.
"…We can't do the final game yet guys…"
All eyes suddenly turned from Mion and Satoko to Hanyuu, who wore a sad expression on her face. The others stood confused, unable to figure her out. With a sigh, Hanyuu pointed to the other groups of people around.
"The ritual is starting soon. We three have to go prepare, isn't that right?" Hanyuu looked over at Rika and Satoko, causing the others to realize that in their fun that the three young miko's were still the shrine maidens for the festival. The others practically face palmed themselves, not realizing how fast time flew by. Even after the ritual, though, there would still be plenty of time to do things. This whole event would go on well into the early morning hours for the adults; dancing, feasting and plenty of drinking to go around.
"Well, you do have a point there. I guess…we'll just do it right after the ritual then…" Mion sighed and nodded to Hanyuu's statement, reassuring the others that their fun didn't end just yet.
"Don't worry! It will be a great battle between us three, I'm sure! It will be a survival game, until I remain the victor and standing with creampuffs all around! Nipah!" Hanyuu smiled again and raised her hand into the air, causing the others to chuckle.
"Mii…we better go get ready then. I bet the head priest is already here to do the ritual for us." Rika and Satoko began to take their leave from the others, going down a nearby dirt path towards the main stage and the small meeting area behind it. However, Hanyuu lingered behind as if she had other plans in mind. Rika stopped early on in her tracks and turned back to her friend, a look of concern on her face.
"Hanyuu-chan, what's wrong? Aren't you coming with us?" she asked.
"Auau…Rika-chan, you two were chosen as staff holders and ritual associates for the event. I have to help the head priest with the main ritual portion, remember? I have to meet with him at the head meeting house to talk with the elders, and then I have to escort him through the crowds to the stage and hold his sacred staff for him. I'll catch up with you after the whole ritual, ok?" Hanyuu bent over to a nearby flower patch and plucked a single Crimson blossom from nearby, putting it behind her ear and letting it rest amongst the folds of her hair. She turned again to Rika and smiled. "…Let's do our best after the ritual in the last game, ok? Nipah!"
"Yeah, we'll have lots of fun! See you later…"
Rika turned from her friend and hurried to catch up with Satoko so that they would be in time for the meeting. The others were already long gone to get a good spot in the crowd of people, whereas Hanyuu remained behind while looking at her surroundings for a moment longer.
If one really saw her that moment, a single tear slid down her cheek; its salty path eventually trailing to the ground. Raising a finger to the Crimson blossom, she lightly touched its soft and delicate outer petals, and in the next moment ceased doing so. Watching on as Rika sped down the path she herself turned and took her leave from the others. Gaining speed with every step, Hanyuu began to enter the forest as dusk set in over the village grounds. Without anyone noticing, Hanyuu turned back and looked on to no one in particular.
"Everything…is…as it should be…" Hanyuu murmured.
As the seconds passed, Hanyuu was seen standing in the crowd, and as some random villager blocked the view whilst walking to his own destination, the scene revealed Hanyuu having seemingly disappeared into thin air without so much as leaving a shred of her existence behind. Hanyuu, from the grounds of the Crimson Lotus Festival, was gone.
/
"Jiro-san, we should hurry up to get a good spot for the ritual. We don't want to miss the cleansing, now do we?" Takano blushed as she tugged lightly on Tomitake's clothing. All throughout the evening, she received a mixture of smirks and good comments about her yukata, though however much so she still thought that wearing it wasn't the worst idea. For the most part, it seemed like Takano's current urgency had underlying means by getting Tomitake to the stage quicker. He turned around and settled his camera down for a sec, looking at her with a grin.
"I guess you really want to announce our marriage proposals to the entire village, now that the others brought up the idea. You can be really cute sometimes, you know?" Tomitake chuckled as Takano shied away in embarrassment. She huffed at him and pulled on the collar of his green yukata, a comic scene where he was in the midst of choking and falling over as she dragged him along with everyone else gathering at the center of the stage area.
Dusk was settling in as the full moon in the sky loomed over the twilight of the oncoming night. Tens of hundreds of people were gathering for the center stage, the line and thickness of the crowds measuring long and wide. It seemed that everyone was excited for the ritual and the aftermath festivities that would soon come. Amongst all the chatter and hustling towards the stage, Takano looked high and low to find a good spot. However, sighing in defeat, she turned to Tomitake and pouted.
"We can't get a good view! Maybe if I tell everyone that I'm the nurse, I can get us closer…" Takano rolled up her sleeves and was ready to charge into the crowd, however, Tomitake halted her in her steps and pointed sideways.
"The easier way is to take this shortcut, I'm sure…" He grinned again. Takano looked from the crowd to the dirt path into the forest, and weighed her options. This wasn't a tough choice.
"Alright then, lead the way!" Takano cheered and pointed on. Tomitake grabbed her hand and led her into the forest, kicking up dirt in their haste to make it in time for the ritual. With the minutes counting down, they hurried onward through the trees and bushes, with the perfect overlooking spot of the ritual coming into view.
"Ah, good, we're almost there! If we hurry…" The forest exit loomed just ahead of the two, with Takano rushing forward. As the lights of the stage area grew brighter, Takano could also feel the anticipation in the atmosphere too. Just as she was about to exit, something felt amiss to her. Turning around, Takano found Tomitake stopping in his tracks to look down at a bloomed flower.
"Jiro-san, why did you stop?" Takano walked over to him, looking down to the flower as well. He began to pull out his camera and bent down to the flower's height; taking a quick snapshot in succession.
"Miyo-chan, look at the beauty and perfection of this flower! I think it may even be a Crimson Lotus too!" Tomitake took in the flower's crimson color and shining petals; unable to take his eyes off of it. To him, it was one of the most beautiful flowers in the world.
"That can't be though. The flower isn't supposed to bloom until after midnight. The surveyists said so too. Besides, how could this flower survive in this dark forest anyway? It's too far out here…" Takano crossed her arms and bent down to the flower as well, studying it for a quick minute. Upon closer inspection, Takano could see black pollen inside the flower's inner sanctum. As she looked closer at the flower, something, just something deep down inside her, said that this whole scenario wasn't right.
"I really should take some more pictures! To find the first Crimson Lotus blooming in Hinamizawa? I could sell the photo to the local magazine company and make a good sum of money. I could even get into Agriculture Weekly for this!" Tomitake began adjusting the flash on his camera and taking many more snapshots of the flower. Takano, though, pulled at his clothes again and tried to pull him away.
"Jiro-san, let's just go. We're going to…"
*Gong*
*Gong*
*Gong*
As Takano spoke, a reverberating sound could be heard in the festival grounds and out to the forest. The signaling bells were ringing loud and clear, showing the start of the festival's cleansing ritual. Takano quickly turned to Tomitake and tried to get his attention again.
"Hmm? That's odd…what in the hell…"
As Takano tried to pull Tomitake away, she noticed just like he did at the flower's odd behavior. Stopping whatever the two were doing, the couple both looked closer to find the flower bleeding from top to bottom; the dark crimson liquid staining the dirt floor of the forest. Putting a finger to it, Tomitake lifted his hand to his eye level; inspecting the odd substance. Rubbing it between his fingers and smelling it, Tomitake quickly shot back away from the flower; a look of disbelief on his face.
"What's wrong?" Takano moved back towards him and helped his up.
"It...that stuff…smells like blood!" he stuttered. Tomitake readjusted his glasses and got back on his feet; a look of shock on his face. Takano quickly pulled him away and had in mind no intention of sticking around.
"Jiro-san…I'm scared! Let's just…"
At the moment Takano uttered that last word, the flower suddenly began to glow a dim, crimson color. From its black pollen and bleeding petals, a small cloud rose into the air at a quick speed. Without so much as a warning, both Takano and Tomitake breathed in the substance and went wide eyed. As if in one moment Takano had been pulling on the clothes of Tomitake whilst he held his beloved camera, the next their arms fell to their sides with the sound of the black camera crashing to the floor; its lens broken in many pieces. Upon their faces, both Takano and Tomitake held no emotion or sign of life. Their eyes became a crimson color, and their lips turning to flat slits. Turning towards the direction of the already performing ritual, they slowly made their way back to the crowd; their purposes unknown.
And still, like many Crimson Lotuses before it, one by one the strange flowers would bloom unexpectedly and bleed a crimson substance that only animals and humans could hold in their very bodies. This blood stained the ground, just like the blood of humans that would be staining the village in the night to come.
/
"Mhhhmm…what time is it?"
Suddenly awaking from a small nap, Mizuho opened her eyes and peered upon a sleeping Komoto; his chest rising softly in peace. As she stirred from his hospital bed, Mizuho noticed that dusk had already set in long ago, and nightfall was already well on the quiet village. Yawning, she cracked her neck and slowly rose from the bed; trying her best not to wake Komoto.
*I must have been out awhile. Komoto-kun should eat something before he turns in for bed at least.*
Mizuho tactically lifted her legs off the bed, and with a soft thud was on the solid hospital floor. Tiptoeing out of the room, she walked down the white halls of the clinic and went in search of Dr. Irie. By now, Dr. Irie's shift should have still been on call, so either he was in the kitchen making some food or he was in his office looking over his work. Taking the first available choice, Mizuho knocked on Dr. Irie's office door and waited for a response. She could hear movement in the room; however, all that Mizuho could do was call for him.
"Dr. Irie, are you in there? I wanted to make some food for Komoto-kun…" Mizuho remained silent for another few seconds, but heard no response. Finding this odd, she grabbed the handle of the door and turned it slowly; peering into the room as the door cracked open.
With the door fully open, Mizuho found Dr. Irie staring out a window without so much as a movement or response to her entrance. Looking around the room, Mizuho suddenly felt an eerie presence shrouding the small enclosed office. Judging by the amount of papers on his desk, Dr. Irie must have been frantically trying to find an answer to Komoto's sudden health issues. Taking a few steps inside, she called again to Dr. Irie, thinking he was just spacing out in thought.
"Dr. Irie…are you ok? I know you have a lot of stress on your shoulders, but…"
As Mizuho moved closer, she looked over to Dr. Irie's desk and found a blooming Crimson Lotus idly sitting in a pot of dirt. Marveled by its beauty, she found it hard to take her eyes off of the flower. However, looking closer, Mizuho noticed an odd crimson mist around the flower; not only that, but a darker crimson liquid staining the desk and the dirt in the pot. Finding this all strange, she quickly went up to Dr. Irie and tried to get his attention again. Reaching out with a hand, Mizuho spun the doctor around and tried to get a response from him.
"Hey, why are you not…"
As Dr. Irie's head was casted down, the bangs of his hair hid his eyes from Mizuho. She looked on in confusion at the doctor, but in the next few moments that confusion became fear. Dr. Irie, without saying a word, suddenly grabbed a hold of Mizuho's arm with an intense grip and slowly raised his head to meet her eye level. What Mizuho saw stunned her to her very core. Dr. Irie's eyes, even his pupils, had turned a crimson red color; much like the flower on his desk.
"Wha…"
Everything told Mizuho to get out of that room, to run back to Komoto and get him out of that clinic. To no avail, though, could Mizuho even attempt such a feat in that moment. Dr. Irie's grasp on Mizuho put her at a disadvantage. With a sudden rush into her body, the doctor pushed Mizuho into a nearby medical cart, his hands on her throat with such incredible force that she was unable to break the hold. She struggled to kick with her legs, only managing to hit the medical cart over sideways and knock it over with a large crash. While the doctor threw her into the wall and began to almost squeeze Mizuho's throat like a tube of toothpaste, she countered by hitting him in the face and trying to break free.
Without any emotion or hint of purpose in his face, Dr. Irie stared on blankly at Mizuho with only the intention of killing her. No matter how much she tried to punch or kick him, Dr. Irie's grip remained strong. As the life faded from her eyes and Mizuho slowly succumbed to asphyxiation, her eyes lulled in the back of her head as her hands frantically tried to pull the doctor's hands apart. Just when it felt like death would consume her, Mizuho let out a broken scream.
That scream, though, was loud enough to cause Komoto to snap his eyes open, stagger out of his hospital bed, and shoot into the hallway with IV's still attached to his arm.
"MIZUHO!" he screamed, crashing into a nearby wall in haste. With nothing but adrenaline running through his veins and the thought of Mizuho's safety at risk, Komoto ripped the IV's from his arm and tried his best to run down the hallway. Hearing the sounds of struggle and Mizuho's screams, Komoto immediately went into a nearby office only to find the scene of Dr. Irie stripping his love's life from her very body. It didn't take even a nano-second to react to this scene.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Rushing headlong into Dr. Irie, Komoto cocked his fist back and sent a powerful punch straight into the doctor's path. His fist connected successfully with the doctor's left cheekbone; enough power to send the doctor flying into the farther wall. As the doctor crashed into the corner of the room, Komoto immediately turned his attention over to Mizuho.
"You ok?" he asked quickly. Komoto could hear Mizuho coughing for air; the sweet breath of life filling her lungs with greediness on her part. After a few moments, she struggled up with Komoto's help back onto her feet.
"*Cough*…Damnit…what the fuck!" Mizuho screamed, her hands rubbing the now bruised area of her upper collarbone. A large reddish mark with pinpoints of blood bruises appeared along her throat; enough so that Komoto couldn't believe Mizuho's trachea hadn't been crushed with such force.
"Doc, now you pissed me off! What the hell is the matter with you?" Komoto screamed. His attention went back to the doctor, who slowly raised his disheveled head in their direction. The force of Komoto's punch had hit the doctor with enough force to cause him to bleed; that, and his glasses were clearly broken and knocked off his face. As the doctor gave no response, Komoto saw him fully stand up now and slowly reach for a nearby surgical knife that had been left on his worktable. Without any time to spare, the doctor rushed again into the couple with the intention of stabbing one of them. However, despite the doctor's irrational state of mind, he had forgotten something about Mizuho and Komoto.
He wasn't trying to kill two normal people. He was trying to kill two highly trained veterans of warfare; both of whom were severely pissed off.
As the doctor lunged at them, Mizuho, in a textbook fashion, sidestepped him, grabbed the doctor's arm, and with the help of Komoto grabbing him by the neck of his coat, sent Dr. Irie crashing into the outside hallway's wall. As the doctor's body cascaded into the surface and fell to the floor, the wall cracked and left a very noticeable hole big enough to require sufficient repair later on. As the two slowly made their way over to the doctor, Komoto kicked his hand and sent the surgical knife sliding down the hallway. For the most part, the doctor seemed knocked out cold.
"Damnit! Why did he do that?" questioned Komoto, his guard still up. As Mizuho moved back to his side, they both suddenly stopped in their tracks and looked sideways down the hall.
As they looked on, a small child with crimson glowing eyes holding a stuffed teddy bear bent over the ground and picked up the discarded blade. Without any emotion on her face, the girl began to slowly limp in their direction; her wounded leg wrapped in a hard cast. At that moment, as they peered down both ways of the hospital as more and more patients of the clinic began to crawl out of their rooms and converge down on Mizuho and Komoto's area.
"Dear…get back into the room…NOW!"
The couple walked backwards and quickly locked the door. In the next instant, they felt the door suddenly exert force from the other side of the hallway; the shadows of hands banging on the blurred glass. As the window began to crack, Mizuho moved back into the room and sent as much nearby furniture into the door's path. Komoto as well grabbed the trodden medical cart and shoved it hard into the door; managing to make a minor barricade with the angle of the doorway and with that of the nearby workstation that was thankfully bolted into the wall.
"We have to get out of here!" yelled Mizuho. Komoto frantically looked around the room for any weapon to use. To no avail, his search was in vain, as everything was of no use to them. Looking over the room once more, Komoto found the outside window as their only means of escape for the time being.
"You still have the car keys on you?" asked Komoto, a sense of urgency in his voice. Mizuho nodded in response, the glass to the doorway now breaking. Since the small window of the doorway was filtered with wire in case of someone trying to break into the office, the door was given an extra means of defense for the time being. Fingers and hands tried to reach roughly through the wire, with only cuts and bruises resulting from it. However, the wire netting wouldn't hold forever, as well as the hinges to the door which now creaked loudly.
Komoto and Mizuho both looked at the window, and didn't have to think twice about it. Given the fact that they were on the lowest level of the hospital, their exit wouldn't be as dangerous as it would be from 13 stories up. Quickly grabbing a nearby coat rack, Komoto sent the item with tremendous force through the window that it shattered the glass with ease. Rushing forward together, the two jumped out into the nighttime grounds of the clinic and rolled into the grassy floor of the earth. Quickly getting up together, they rushed over to the nearby parking lot and found their truck in little time. Unlocking both of the doors and getting in, Komoto took the driver's seat and thrusted the keys into the ignition slot. Twisting the keys, they heard the engine roll over and set the vehicle to life. Looking in front of them and in the rear view mirror, Komoto and Mizuho found that they had just woken up into a hell of all hells.
As the moon waned into the sky, illuminating all that was below it, Mizuho and Komoto found that the clinic's patients suddenly began to pool out of the front entrance and circle around to their car in hot pursuit. Komoto didn't have to be told twice that they needed to get the hell out of there. Enough so, he couldn't bear to even think what the hell was going on that moment. Pushing his foot on the gas pedal and shifting the car into gear, Komoto did everything he could to get him and Mizuho away from those people and away from their terrifying crimson eyes.
Driving through a chain railing, the truck sped right onto the grass and then made a quick turn back onto the nearby trail down towards their home's path. Whatever was happening, they were ill equipped for their escape. What they needed now was a plan, a means for it, and to ensure their survival in this night.
As Mizuho tried to figure out all that was happening that moment, the only thought Komoto could fathom in his head as they sped down the dirt path into the night was what Rika had foreseen before.
*It's happening…the final fight…*
/
*Gong*
*Gong*
*Gong*
The sounds which filled the Crimson Lotus Festival now grew silent as a procession emerged from the main meeting house towards the center of the festival grounds. The procession adorned the old favored 3 revolving black sixes traditional to the Furude family's insignia; adorning flags and even the drums held by those leading on the group. As the marching group moved up to the center stage, the head priest adorned in long flowing white robes masked whatever shape the person had taken underneath. Bearing a white Oni mask, fangs bearing and horns spiraling into the heavens, the priest moved forward waving around a staff with white paper diamonds cascading in straight paths towards the onlookers. As well, this person held at his side a black sheathed katana; making the head priest look more like a warrior than a religious figure.
Coming closer into view, the group of friends managed to find themselves amidst the on looking villagers and visitors at this event; their spot located pretty close to the main action. On the main stage both Satoko and Rika stood to opposite sides holding traditional staffs with ornate carvings; with Rika holding her recently cleaned sacred hoe in hand. Watching on as the procession moved quietly to the center stage, the head priest ascended the wooden stairs and walked onto the platform. With robes flowing behind him, the head priest raised his staff up towards the sky and began to mutter in an ancient language unknown to anyone around. Swinging the staff from side to side over the group, the individual began to hit his staff six times onto the wooden stage before muttering more words. Those who followed wore similar attires, but different masks for each different spirit known in Japanese folklore. Some wore Oni masks of different styles, whereas others wore more traditional ones akin to the legendary kitsune. All remained silent before the head priest, as lanterns were lit for the coming night.
As the head priest moved from side to side muttering what appeared to be strange charms which warded off evil in the village, Rika casted her eyes quickly for a second over the group. Feeling that something was amiss, Rika blinked a couple times and then shook her head. Satoko watched her silently with wonder, thinking a bug must have gotten into Rika's eye or something. However, for Rika, she was doing her best to find Hanyuu in the crowd of the ritual's procession. She was supposed to hold the head priest's staff, but to no avail was she present.
*Hanyuu…where are you?* Thought Rika frantically.
Suddenly, the head priest moved down to the floor of the crowd; the people before him parting like a red sea. Moving forward, the figure went up to the opposite standing figure of Oyashiro-sama, adorned in blossoms of Crimson Lotuses. Before the statue of the deity was a pile of offerings and charms with wishes on them. Raising his metal staff, the head priest held both arms outstretched toward the god and chanted loudly towards the sky. The person's voice was so stressed and discomforting that Rika found it almost strange in a sense; like the voice belonged to some other being.
As the last word was uttered, elsewhere in Hinamizawa a soft rumbling was felt amongst those present at an in progress excavation site. As everyone prepared themselves for a possible earthquake, the dome of recent controversy suddenly began to open to the night sky. Appearing to those around, the outer shells began to separate and fall to the earth, crushing the nearby machinery that attempted to drill into the stone walls. As the dust settled and those around began to converge onto the opening, from inside the opened dome a field of Crimson Lotuses could be found blooming ahead of time; bleeding as the moonlight hit their places and, emerging in a large plume of crimson mist, began to send a cloud pouring out across the village. Those around standing in disbelief inhaled the substance without thought; their bodies falling in mere moments under some force's unseen control. With tools dropping in hand and a sudden urge to move to the center of the village grounds, those encompassed in the mist's path suddenly fell under its compulsion and began acting likewise to those of the members of the archeological excavation site.
Back at the grounds of the festival, the head priest suddenly turned to those in the crowd and casted the staff into the air once more. As Rika and the others peered on with a growing confusion, the head priest muttered something once more. This time, as dread and despair filled the hearts of those around with a sudden strength, the hanging moon in the sky full in its awesome power began to turn crimson red; staining the night sky in a glow like none other. Likewise, a red mist suddenly filled the air of the festival grounds, causing gasps and shouts of worry to fill the air around.
Rika watched on in horror as the nighttime sky turned as red as blood over the peaceful villagers of Hinamizawa. Finding no power to scream out her fears and confusion, Rika turned to find Satoko in a similar state; her eyes wide with disbelief. Looking on to her friends in the crowd, Rika found Mion and Keiichi with the others trying to cover their mouths and nostrils from the foul smelling mist. To her, the substance smelled of iron and rust; almost like that of blood. Moving her gaze in quick succession to the statue of Oyashiro-sama, the crimson blossoms bloomed in a sickly way; blood staining the statue and swimming between all the cracks of the old stone. It was as if Oyashiro-sama was crying a river of blood for them.
What Rika found the strangest of all, though, was watching the head priest suddenly walk amongst a sea of emotionless villagers whilst casting aside his staff. Without even mentioning a word, at some unknown order the villagers began to seize her friends one by one and hold them against their wills. Unable to fight back, her friends kicked and screamed for one another; Shion screaming at the villagers to let them go. Keiichi cursed into the air, daring anyone to harm his friends, though, with just as much confusion as Rika. Unable to do anything at that moment, Rika could only scream out to the people in the village; hoping that they would hear her plea above all others.
"Everyone! Stop what you are doing! What's the matter with you?" Rika screamed. Satoko fell back to her side in fear, cringing away from the looks and crimson filled eyes of those who had been normal merely a few minutes ago.
As if on cue, the villager's holding her friend's hostage under some compulsion by the head priest, were brought to the front and put on their knees. Rika and Satoko cringed back, only to fall into the arms of two burly villagers; their strength too great to escape. Being brought down kicking and screaming to the dirt floor as well, Rika and Satoko were put in a likewise position on their knees; their heads forced hard up to look into the fearful expressions of their friends.
Suddenly, the head priest came into view carrying a sharpened knife. Unable to comprehend this, Rika screamed out to the head priest; knowing full well what may happen and yet at the same time not knowing why. The priest turned to her for a moment, and without a word grabbed the hair of Rena and cut her throat from ear to ear. Unable to speak out, and with blood gushing in streams, the villager holding the now dying Rena under compulsion was ordered to let her go. Rena's hands clutched at her throat, though in vain couldn't stop the bleeding. In moments, Rena's body twitched into silence above a pool of blood and under the screams of her friends around.
"RENA! OH GOD NO PLEASE! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Ryuu screamed in utter terror. Tears flowed from everyone's eyes by this point, their screams unable to quell the demon which was adorned in priest clothing. Rika could only wet herself at this sight, her robes feeling wet below the belt. She kept screaming for Rena, her throat becoming hoarse with each passing moment. Everything went from peaceful to a mere hell in a matter of moments for the tormented life of Rika Furude.
Without mercy, the priest moved up to Ryuu next to deliver a similar fate, whilst he thrashed his head back and forth into his captor. Just when it seemed like he managed to break free, the priest stabbed him in the chest; Ryuu's strength leaving him all at once. As he clutched for the dirt in pain, trying his best to reach Rena's limp body, the demon priest stood over his back and lunged the knife again with anger and force into Ryuu's backside. His cries of pain were soon murmurs and then nothing.
Keiichi screamed for his lost cousin, unable to bear losing him. Watching as Satoshi came next in line for the demon's wrath, Satoshi looked on with anger and vengeance filling his eyes. The demon looked on him for a lingered moment, and at the screams of Shion met a similar fate as that of Rena. With a swift flick on the knife, Satoshi's life poured out in streams over his chest and the ground beneath him. Falling in a heap without any strength, Satoshi bled to death in mere moments before Shion and the others. Unable to choke out any words, Shion screamed for the whole village to hear her.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I"LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
The demon priest took this as child's play, almost dancing over to his next victim and posing the knife under her head. As the blade bit into Shion's neck, causing a small dribble of blood to slide down the already engrossed blade, Mion watched on in horror as their eyes met one another.
"Sis...NO!"
"Don't cry Sis…I'll still…be your twin in the nex…"
Without the chance to finish, the demon priest slashed at her neck; Shion's blood spurting out onto the ground without any chance of stopping. As Shion remained kneeling in place for a moment, her eyes lulled in the back of her head and more blood spurted from her mouth. Falling forward, Shion's body fell next to Satoshi's with their blood mingling into one larger pool.
Screaming in fury and with a sudden vengeance, Mion thrashed in utter hatred at this demon before her. Never had she felt such agony or torment from what she just saw happen to her loved ones. As the demon priest came up to her and grabbed a hold of her tied up green hair, Keiichi screamed to Mion in her fury, managing for them to lock eyes for the last time.
"MI-CHAN…Don't look away! Please…just…look at me!" Keiichi knew what was about to happen, but though he tried to manage a strong defense for what was about to come, he would be unable to bear this pain even in the next life. He watched on at his lover as the demon priest bit the blade once more into his victim's neck. Tears flowed down Mion's cheeks as her eyes locked with his in that last moment of her life. Smiling in some odd fashion, Mion choked out a few words before meeting the same fate as her friends.
"Kei-kun…I… love…yo…"
With another deadly flick of his wrist, the demon priest cut Mion's throat right open. As the blood poured from her neck down her chest, the villager behind Mion let go of her. Miraculously, Mion stumbled onto her feet, a vengeance and anger like none other in her eyes. As those eyes dimly fade, she stumbled a couple steps in the demon priest's direction while spurting blood between gritted teeth; giving one last effort to fight before failing like the others and collapsing into the ground. Blood pooled out into the dirt of the ground as Mion's body ceased any twitching.
Keiichi clenched his eyes shut and grit his teeth hard. Tears would not stop flowing from his eyes, as he muttered Mion's name over and over again in his terrifying voice.
"I'll…always love you too…Mi-chan…" he managed to choke out for those remaining to hear.
As the demon priest loomed over him, Keiichi looked up with the fires of hell in his eyes. Screaming out, he nearly broke free from the villager holding him; sending the man toppling into the other possessed villagers. Grabbing the demon priest and holding him up high into the air, Keiichi attempted to break this fate and kill this person with his bare hands. However, fate was not kind to him, and the demon priest merely slashed at both his arms quickly and then sent the blade with enough force right into his stomach. Twisting the blade, Keiichi stood there in pain and bewilderment; his voice strained from the quick attack. As the blade pierced through his body and came out his backside with enough force, the blade quickly receded back into the demon priest's grasp. Keiichi stumbled forward into the demon priest's shoulder, and then back toward's Mion's direction. Collapsing on his knees, he gave both Rika and Satoko a small, weak smile before the life in his eyes faded. Slowly, Keiichi's lifeless body fell next to Mion's; their blood too mingling together as their fates met one another.
The demon priest then moved up to Satoko; watching in some sick fashion the young blonde's frightened eyes. Rika watched on as Satoko mumbled Shion and Satoshi's names, before seeing her meet a similar fate. As the demon priest slashed at Satoko's throat as well, Rika watched her friend's life slip before her and out onto the ground. Satoko's eyes became blank and soon her body fell forward into the earth without so much as any movement thereafter. With all of her friends now dead and gone, Rika was left kneeling to meet some horrible fate.
In a dark and terrifying voice, Rika uttered in her broken yet angered, older self's voice tidings unto this stranger unlike any other. Raising her head with tears still flowing down her cheeks and a look of defiance in her eyes, Rika stared up to her captor's leader; demanding answers for such crimes.
"Why…WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO ME? WHY KILL US ALL, AND FOR WHAT?" Rika screamed; her eyes wide in fury. Something she said caught the demon priest off guard for a mere moment, just before he too raised the blade to strike Rika.
Seeing that no response would be given, Rika clocked her head back into her captor and then bombarded the demon priest with enough force to send the knife dropping to the ground. Rika quickly recovered the knife as the demon priest struggled to get up and back on his feet, searching for the knife behind the masked face. When he saw Rika with the knife in hand, he balled his fist in anger and mentioned for the possessed villagers to converge on Rika.
Grinning, Rika raised the blade to her own throat; a notion which caused the demon priest to order his possessed subjects to halt in their tracks. Worry seemed to fill the existence of that evil person, and at that Rika understood something in that dire moment.
"You…need to kill me? What you gain from that I do not know. I do not know who you are or why you have done these things to us. I don't know what you have done to Hanyuu, but my friend's fate must have been the same. You want to be the one to kill me, to end my life for some reason. You will…never find that satisfaction here. Where I'm going and when I'm there, I swear to you…I'LL MAKE YOUR HELL MUCH WORSE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE!"
Without a moment's notice, Rika pressed the blade deep into her flesh and severed whatever vessels which held her precious life. As she felt the dark red liquid cascade over her body, all she remembered in that life was the monstrous scream of the demon priest running over in panic; the screams terrifying yet oddly familiar.
/
Suddenly blinking where she stood, Rika shook her head and looked around her surroundings. She was back on the wooden stage, where the head priest was muttering strange words to the onlookers below. Satoko looked on at Rika as if she saw her friend come out of a daze unlike any other she ever had. The others saw Rika's odd behavior and tried to move closer to the stage to see; if anything, to give her support to finish the ritual. As Rika frantically studied her surroundings, she instantly realized what was happening. Whether it was a mere gut feeling or her foreseeing into the future, she didn't take any second chances.
Without a moment's notice, Rika leapt into the head priest with sudden awe and gasps being heard around, and began to deliver an ass beating unlike any other she attempted in life. The head priest cried out in terror though fell off the stage with Rika onto the ground surface all the same. As Rika began to hit the head priest with her sacred hoe, it seemed like with every blow dealt a much greater deal of damage was being delivered. Seeing this as proof to her actions, she injured the head priest without mercy.
Her friends and those looking on began to separate the two; Keiichi and Mion holding Rika back by the hooks of their arms. Other villagers helped the head priest up, as badly beaten as he was from the scuffle. Gasps and mutterings could be heard all around; confusion rampant from those before them.
"What the hell has gotten into you Rika-chan? Why did you attack him?" scolded Shion in disbelief. Rika's grip only tightened on her weapon, her eyes fierce with vengeance from the vision.
"Whatever just happened, I told you I would deliver a hell unlike any you've ever known! Now show yourself demon! I know you for false!"
The priest heard these words and, as the others looked on, saw his hands tremble. As Mion and Keiichi watched on, their grip loosened enough to let Rika suddenly storm back into her opponent and slash her sacred hoe into the priest's mask. Sending it shattering to the side of the ground, the others watched on in disbelief, horror, amazement, confusion and shear betrayal.
Before them, in all impossibility, was Hanyuu in a form much older than her child-like self. Her face was casted sideways from the blow; a few small drops of blood falling from her forehead. As she turned her face sideways and looked at her group of friends, her eyes glowed an eerie crimson red. She quickly ripped off her white robes, revealing her body to me much taller and thinner than before. Clad in black and wearing old, traditional robes comparable to her own past, Hanyuu looked over to the fearful group of friends standing in disbelief; their minds unable to grasp what just happened.
Rika backed away and let her sacred hoe fall to a lower height, her own eyes wide in disbelief. Her lips trembled as the other villagers moved back in fear from Hanyuu. Looking on in anger and with growing darkness in her eyes, Hanyuu spit to the side of the ground and stained the earth with her own blood, all the while grinning at the young miko.
"How did you know…" was all Hanyuu muttered, in a normal yet older voice which Rika could only recognize as that from her dream of the burning house and daughter killing the mother for some unknown reason.
"It…can't be…I thought the vision was…another enemy…but WHY HANYUU! WHY DID YOU KILL US IN THAT WORLD! WHYYYYYYY!" Rika screamed, tears filling her eyes again.
Hanyuu gripped her weapon, the sheathed katana still in its black scaffold. Unsheathing it now, she raised the glowing weapon into the sky; more blades forming out of the weapon as if it were some mystical item forced through magic. Turning the sky into a crimson night once more, the moon becoming blood red, and the mist from the Crimson Lotuses fell in around those present in the crowd. Without a second's notice, the villagers soon turned over to its power without struggle. The group of friends moved closer together and grabbed whatever they could around them as weapons. Rika held her sacred hoe high at Hanyuu, her grasp shaking in fear of what was happening and what may become of this night. As the villagers suddenly surrounded them, Hanyuu moved to the forefront and aimed her weapon at Rika; a look of sadness and defiance in her face.
"Even you don't understand what hell is, Rika-chan. Let me show you a small part of mine…before I correct God's greatest mistake in my life and fix this mess you call life…"
Had Rika ever fathomed such an idea? No. Had she wondered where her friend's loyalty lied? Yes. Did Rika believe an Evil was in Hinamizawa? Yes. Did she ever think that the enemy was standing beside her this entire time? No.
Did Rika ever believe Hanyuu was the Evil in Hinamizawa? Never. Such was a question and answer she now had; one that would spawn more questions and dark answers the likes of which she never wanted to bear. And for this, Rika wept, angered, and tormented in all her lives and existences; all that emotion being felt that very instant.
For she, of all people, had been betrayed by her closest relative, her own blood, but most of all, by Hanyuu Furude.
This crimson night was truly her hell…
/
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.
Especially that, of someone you loved…
Et Tu, Hanyuu?
Next time on Hinamizawa Hell: "The Truth of Fate" Arc 3 Ch. 12: Purpose
Can you fathom this?
Author's note: Hey guys, I managed to storm out another chapter for you all. Now begins the final battle between light and dark vs. evil. Will Rika and her friends beat fate? Or will Hanyuu, a knife in the dark, destroy everything they've ever hoped to achieve? More so, why did Hanyuu even betray Rika? All these questions and more, including answers, will be coming along soon. Till then, keep reading and keep watching, because Hinamizawa has gone to hell…