Hinamizawa Hell
"The Truth of Fate" Arc: 3
Ch. 17: Holy Ground
/
Fire, as elegant and unpredictable as it could be, also can have a deadly shadow in its beauty. Though fire can provide warmth to the cold and mean survival to another, it can also be used as a means of destruction and pain. Fire is what fuels the hells of the damned, and fire is what gives life to those who bask under a warm sun. Fire is also what can burn, decimate and turn to ash a human being in a matter of minutes.
What emerged from the fires of that hellish explosion, amongst all the debris and carnage, was not human however. Amidst all the flames and smoke, out of the ash came long, sharp nails on long, bloody fingers; hands clawing away to the surface of the world from some unknown depth of hell. Once a hand and soon after an arm were revealed, the form of a woman emerged; casting away long beams of fiery wood from her body. Revealing pale white skin and crimson red hair that drenched the floor of blood wherever it touched, this demon rose from the ground and bellowed into the night sky in pure rage. No words were heard, but that of a roar filled with a desire to kill. With soulless crimson eyes and horns curled in twisted fashion, the makings of this woman's original body were not monstrous, but deadly. She was a full demon now; no trace distinction of her original body left but altered. Terrifying to behold, and awe-inspiring to perceive, the woman was nothing more than a hunter; a demon on a quest to kill Rika.
For what came out of that fire that night was not the cheerful, once loving Hanyuu, but a Hanyuu infused with pure Evil in her heart; a shell of her former self. Sniffing the air and looking around, thinking to far off minds where other visions of areas could be seen, Hanyuu searched for her target; for Rika and her friends amidst the confines of Hinamizawa. Nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, the only logical place left was where this all began; seen through the vision of a far off possessed villager watching her friends run towards the ceremony grounds: the Furude Shrine.
Running with inhuman speed and leaving footprints in the ash of the earth larger than that of a woman's foot, Hanyuu raced to the final area where her enemies were…where her friends waited to die at her hands…
"Rika…you're mine!"
/
Sitting alone on a nearby tree log, a woman with long blue hair pondered all that had happened up until this point. Sighing and trying best to understand why things never went her way in life, the woman felt tired not only physically but mentally. Separated from her group of friends for the moment and ready to face the oncoming wrath that would soon fall upon her, the woman anticipated what she thought would be her final fight against Hanyuu.
Rika Furude took this time to recollect on the time that was left in the night to herself. She was closer than ever to having her final answer, and yet, still felt so far away from it. Having collected all of the shards up to this point, all that remained was figuring out a way to save her friends and the others; a solution she had yet reached. Knowing that the time had come, Rika sat alone and mentally blinked out of time and space; reaching a world that no one else but herself could reach at will.
As time stood still, Rika noticed everything change color once more around her. Colors were no longer crimson red, but grey in the darkness of the night. Sounds became deaf, and no one but Rika could move about in this realm. Raising her head high, Rika spoke softly to herself, if only to find comfort in her own voice.
"I must save Hanyuu…and I must save everyone. Even with the shards…and even with the Onigari no Ryou…how…how do I do it? How can I save them?" she cried. She had never felt so lost or in so much despair as she had then and now. Rika was drained, and was unable to figure out how to beat Fate this time. She never had answers, just pieces of a giant puzzle. How could she ever fit them all together, when she herself didn't see the bigger picture?
"You will save them, Rika-chan, but you need the Will to do so…that is what you lack most…"
With wide eyes and complete disbelief, Rika looked up from her area and witnessed a woman standing quietly before her; a woman who looked much like herself but somewhat older in age. Getting up from her seat, Rika pondered at the identity of the woman, but already knew who she was.
"Ouka?"
"That is so, Rika-chan." Spoke Ouka, smiling to the younger descendant.
"But how…how are you here?"
"I've always been here, and I've always been beside you and my mother, waiting for this day to come." Ouka, dressed in her ceremonial attire of the Furude family, walked up to Rika and watched on at her reactions.
"Been by me…wait…when I was in the forest that day…the footsteps…"
"Did you think yourself to be going mad? All I was doing was watching over you, trying to whisper into your ear and give you hints along the way. I want you and the others to succeed, Rika-chan. But…you can't do that, not the way you are now…"
The hope that Rika had in her plights slowly diminished at these words. For Ouka to come now of all times and say she didn't have the means yet to beat Hanyuu and Evil, Rika felt despair once more. Confused and with anger slowly filling her being, Rika balled her fists and looked on at Ouka with fierce eyes.
"Forgive me for being rude, but I'm sick to death of riddles! Tell me, for once in my impossible life tell me what I need to do, Ouka!" Anger was rising again in Rika's heart and mind, but somehow she felt off about all of this. Putting a hand to her heart, Rika stumbled backwards and fell to the ground panting; feeling like something was taking over her body and mind.
"Wha…why…ugh!" She put a hand to her head, feeling like her mind would explode. Ouka bent down to her and put a hand on her head; trying to help her descendant in what little way she could.
"My mother knows where you are, and she is making the connection to you somehow. Evil wouldn't do that to you, Rika-chan, but the good in my mother's soul would…"
"Are you saying…she's trying to talk to me?"
"Yes. She's warning you of what may come. The Hanyuu Furude you will meet in time will not be kind, nor will she hesitate. She will kill without remorse…" spoke Ouka in an icy tone. Rika looked up to Ouka once the pain subsided, finding a small hope that Hanyuu was still fending off the Evil in her soul.
"This is the final fight, Rika-chan. Will you kill my mother and indefinitely save the others? Or will you still try to save her and risk losing everything you ever loved?" Ouka asked without emotion in her voice. Rika again looked at her with fire in her eyes, standing by what she had always believed in this entire time.
"I will NEVER kill Hanyuu! I will save her and the others, and I will end this nightmare once and for all! I WILL DESTROY EVIL!" she spat. Somehow, Rika felt better from her pains and took another moment to recover. After a short while, she stood up and felt more like her old, undying self. A part of Rika's destiny, a part of the witch that dwelled in her being, was emerging ever so with the passage of time.
"Good. That is what you will need to believe in once the time comes to make that decision. Rika-chan, you have come far, but the end is nigh. To save my mother, you will need to fuse the shards together…into her being…"
"Fuse them into Hanyuu?"
"But that will not be enough. You may fuse them into her, but you will not defeat her that way. I told you before: Killing will beget killing, but sacrifice out of Love will undo the curse of my mother and free all of mankind. With your Will, with the shards and with sacrifice, so will you save everyone. That is your solution, Rika-chan, but as to how you do that is your burden, is your purpose, in this world. To gain, you must give something in return. So shall it be on this night. Now listen, Rika-chan, for my time is short. The Onigari no Ryou is sacred and powerful. Cut my mother with the blade, and you will have saved her soul. The blade destroy's Evil no matter what! That sword will save her, but if you fail, then Hanyuu will never find peace. Do this for me, and stop her from committing a great tragedy…"
With that said, Ouka smiled to Rika and slowly disappeared from the area. Not even able to touch her ancestor, Rika frowned at her departure and soon after returned to the real world. Everything she knew now, and everything that had been acquired by her, still seemed too little.
Holding her weapon in her hand, Rika marveled at the golden, glowing blade of the Onigari no Ryou and remembered Ouka's words. Cut Hanyuu, and she will be saved. Fail, and Hanyuu will be eternally damned. Not only that, but fuse the 5 shards into Hanyuu and somehow, perhaps magic, would do the rest.
"How vexing…" Rika spoke to herself.
"Vexing? What is?"
From a nearby path, Satoko emerged from the bushes and confronted Rika in private. Under the quiet night of the crimson moon, it seemed like the time of their fight drew near at last.
"Satoko…"
"Um…Rika-chan…we're all set. It's time…she's coming this way…"
"I know Satoko…I know she's coming for me…."
Rika got up and, with acceptance, went up to Satoko surprisingly and kissed her on the cheek. Satoko stammered backwards and blushed profusely at this action, waving her hands in front of her face and stammering all the while in surprise.
"R..R..Rika-chan!"
"Satoko …if we don't make it tonight, at least I kissed you once, right? Nipah!"
Rika turned her back to Satoko and hurried over to meet the others at the center of the ceremony ground. Satoko, realizing what had happened and now that she was being left behind, hurried in pursuit of her odd yet loving friend, ready for the final fight of their lives.
/
"Everyone, they're coming! Get ready!" Mion yelled, as if a commander on a battle line was giving the order to defend their castle. She took her pistol from her side and fed the slide down; chambering a fresh round into the magazine. Standing next to Keiichi while the others formed a like on top of the steps to the shrine grounds, they prepared for Hanyuu's final assault.
"The traps are all set! They won't stand a chance! O ho ho ho!" spoke Satoko, laughing at her craftsmanship. Familiar with the battle stage at having duped Keiichi and many of her friends on previous occasions, Satoko was more than positive that they would gain victory over their enemies with ease.
Standing beside her was Rena, revealing her wickedly hooked meat cleaver in her possession now. Unable to use what little of the ammunition they had left, she left the gun fighting to Mion, Keiichi, Shion and Ryuu for the time being. She never liked guns anyway; her meat clever was a better friend to her anyhow.
"Hey Rena-chan, if you beat Hanyuu-chan by yourself, I'll buy you a mountain of cute dolls enough to last a lifetime!" spoke Ryuu, now coming to her side. Setting his plan in motion, Rena looked on at her boyfriend and instantly fell for his trick; to go into Kawaii mode to strengthen their defenses.
"DOLLS? A CUTE MOUNTAIN OF TOYS!" A sharp aura of strength filled the goddess of speed now, with Rena thinking of all the cute toys that would become hers after this final battle. Seeing her friends geared to defeat their enemy, Rika came into view and joined them at the top of the stairs.
Now alongside her friends, Rika reached into her pocket and handed out the shards to the others, knowing that if they were going to make it that they needed to fuse the shards into Hanyuu at some point.
"You guys, take these. I think…no…I know that if Hanyuu comes into contact with all of them, that we will be able to prevent the Evil from totally consuming her and stop her from beating us. I can't do it by myself, so 4 of you will need to do it with me…"
"Mi-chan and I will take two. Rena-chan and Ryuu are fast, so they should also take 2. Agreed?" asked Keiichi, taking the shards from Rika.
"Agreed!" The aforementioned group members took the shards and put them away for the moment.
"So how do we save Hanyuu-chan?" asked Shion. Rika pulled out her weapon and revealed a glowing Onigari no Ryou, brilliant in its entire form.
"If I can cut Hanyuu even once with this blade, then the power in this weapon will kill Evil no matter what. However, we need the shards fused into Hanyuu to save her entirely. The shards will weaken Hanyuu, and the Onigari no Ryou will do the rest."
"I just hope Mizuho-sensei comes through. If I'm correct, there are still a thousand possessed villagers out there coming to this location. Even with the stairs, with time they will overrun us…" spoke Mion. She gripped her weapon tightly, prepared to fight to her last breath. Shion put a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder, having faith in their teacher.
"She will do it, don't worry. Mizuho-sensei will stop them. She will come through for us…"
/
Like mindless drones, the possessed villagers and Dome site workers aimlessly moved from corner to corner, guarding what would most likely be some sort of power source for Evil that night. Amidst the giant stone shell of the Dome and the various tents and small huts of the compound, these soldiers of Hanyuu's quest maintained a vigilance of this area; never resting and always on the lookout for irregularities. From one point of view, the area was overcrowded with this enemy; too many people here to attempt an attack on. Hanyuu had clearly made it a point to guard this area, however; she had never taken into account one particular factor…
Mizuho Otome, a woman with wrath beyond measure, had entered the fray with determination to wipe out this entire area. To Mizuho, she would undo the fate that had befallen her and the others, and by doing so, give them a chance to survive that night. She had already lost a loved one, and for the sake of her unborn child she would stop at nothing from protecting all that she had left. Her target was the Crimson Lotuses, and by count there were too many to destroy. For an area this big, she would need something much more powerful and thirsty for destruction.
She would need to burn it all, burn all the Crimson Lotus's with fire…
As the possessed guards on the site stood watch at the main gate, from a distance came the revving engine of a cheap, beat up car. The guards looked up in their daze, watching as the car sped ever so quickly into their direction. With no reasoning to dodge the car, the poor guards were left to fall prey to its deadly path. As bodies flew and fenced gates fell under the car and in opposite directions, the wreckage of steel and engine parts flew into the middle of the area; the dirt tossed into the air as the car rolled several times and came to a halt. As engine fluid and gasoline spilled from the car, wheels and engine still running midair, a mass of possessed villagers came into view and converged on the car; their curiosity fueled with wanting of what happened. When one possessed villager went over to the driver's side of the vehicle, he halted when his gaze fell onto the empty seat and nothing but a cement block on the gas pedal; the steering wheel fixated with rope to restrict its movement to one particular direction. Standing without any idea of what was happening, the attention of those around instantly became fixated when a small beeping sound was heard.
For in the passenger area of the car, the last remaining block of C4 strapped to the seat with duck tape was found; its red light blinking faster as the countdown neared its end. When the timer was set off, those possessed villagers around the wreckage of the car were instantly killed as a massive explosion was set off. The force of the bomb obliterated anyone near the car, and those converging on the area were immediately sent back into the air from whence they came. In the aftermath of the explosion, fire and debris falling from the sky hit the area; the majority of the enemy dead or injured beyond fighting.
In the distance up the dirt path now coming through the gates of the compound, Mizuho, dressed in her brown shroud, came through the smoke and fire of the remnants of the explosion and chaos; a look of vengeance in her eyes. As several enemy combatants came by and noticed her presence, they instantly went in her direction to attack. On this day and after all that had happened, Mizuho would not let weaklings take her down. Just as they were within a few feet of her, Mizuho merely raised her pistol and sent round after round into her enemy's heads; their brain matter and blood shot out in the exit holes of their skulls. As their bodies fell to the ground without life, she kept on walking up to the Dome no matter what enemy came into her path. One by one, her enemies fell to her wrath; their bodies lying in her wake as if nothing had even touched her. Not even speaking any words, Mizuho kept killing her enemies as if they were cannon fodder for her pistols.
"All of you….GET OUT OF MY WAY!" she eventually screamed, bashing in skulls with empty pistols, reloading them with fresh magazines, and continually shooting enemy combatants without remorse.
In a matter of time, no more possessed villagers seemed to be present in her surroundings, so she assumed that no more of her enemy was left to fight. Coming to the wall of the compound, she found some remnants of the oil barrels from the initial Dam demolition; the same ones that exploded and knocked down the cliff side to reveal the Dome. Looking from the few oil barrels that remained, she looked up the walkway to the open Dome ceiling; the topside vulnerable to enter into. Devising her plan, she quickly found the necessary items to carry out her attack and end Hanyuu's control over the others.
"This is going to be tough…but I guess I'll have to get my hands dirty…" spoke Mizuho to herself. Attempting to go up to the oil barrels, Mizuho stopped dead in her tracks as the sound of laughter came from behind her. Turning her shrouded face to her backside, Mizuho silently loaded another full magazine into her pistol as she faced yet another enemy.
"Aheheh…AHAHAHAH!"
Turning around, Mizuho found who appeared to be a woman with blue hair; slightly younger than her but still beautiful none the less. Holding in her hands a pair of rusty sickles, the woman cackled with evil intentions in her voice. Mizuho remained frozen on the spot; looking into the eyes of not only a possessed friend but that of her teaching mentor Chie.
Chie stood there with her arms outstretched, aiming the deadly blades at Mizuho with emphasis placed on her stomach. Stepping back a bit, Mizuho hesitated to attack, but knew all too well that her friend was no longer there in that body. Hanyuu was the puppet master, and if Chie was being controlled like that then Hanyuu must have survived the explosion.
"HANYUU!" screamed Mizuho. Chie smiled and narrowed her crimson eyes, her body in complete control of Hanyuu. However, something was amiss here; something in Hanyuu's control over Chie seemed to be much more aggressive and much more uncaring than before.
"Mizuho…my, did you think I would not have known? What is it you plan on doing, I wonder…" cackled Hanyuu through Chie. Mizuho raised her pistol at Chie, knowing that she had to stop her friend.
"Komoto-kun…he…died to stop you! You killed him…" she spat, tears coming back to her eyes once more but this time filled with anger.
"Hah! Your foolish lover killed himself! But I have to thank him…he released whatever human emotions that tied me down to hesitation, to regret and fear! I'm stronger now because of him…reborn through fire as a true demon! I can't wait to taste your blood, Mizuho!" she smiled again. Mizuho's back went to the wall, her pistol shaky in her hands at this point. She didn't want to kill her friend, not when she was so close to saving her and the others.
"My blood? I won't let Komoto-kun's death be in vain! I'll kill you for what you did! I don't care anymore! It's all your fault Hanyuu! ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" cried Mizuho.
Remaining silent for the first time that night, Hanyuu through Chie's body didn't speak a word, but looked on with wide eyes. It was the first of anyone that Mizuho, through anger and such pain at the loss of a loved one, said such things. She blamed Hanyuu for such faults and for such Evil, and everything about it was hurtful to the woman. Looking on, Chie began to smile at Mizuho; her eyes glowing a darker crimson red.
"You're right…it is my fault. So what? Not that I care…so shall we?" she smirked.
Mizuho looked on with disbelief, and in the next second pulled the trigger of the gun; aiming at Chie's left knee. When the bullet penetrated the woman's flesh and bone, Chie fell to the ground, but kept smiling in a twisted fashion at Mizuho. Recovering from the shot, Chie limped over to Mizuho as if the bullet didn't do anything. Inching closer to Mizuho, Chie's body wavered and soon after raised its sickles into the air; her grin never letting up.
"Come on Mizuho! Kill your best friend! If not, I'll carve your child from your womb myself….once Chie-sensei is done cutting your limbs off!" Hanyuu cackled.
*Hanyuu would never say such things, even now. She's…become a monster…the Evil is taking over her…* thought Mizuho. She swallowed her pride and aimed the pistol at the other knee, sending another blazing round at her target and penetrating the upper thigh. Chie again wavered, but this time got up again and kept coming at her. Within feet of Mizuho, Chie began slashing away at her opponent; Mizuho realizing this and quickly dodging the strikes. Chie only managed to catch clothing in these strikes; slicing through Mizuho's shroud with rusty sickles.
"Come back here! I want to see what gender your child will be, Mizuho! How can I know that if I can't look inside your womb and find out for myself!" she screamed, coming at Mizuho again in a maniacal fashion. Every time Chie sent down a slash of her sickle, Mizuho was almost cut in half.
By this point, Mizuho became sloppy with her pistols and began firing at Chie blindly. Missing her opponent by inches, Mizuho was unable to hit her targets with Chie's increasing speed. Once the bullets ran out, Mizuho would have a hard time of fighting back.
"You sick bitch!" Mizuho cursed. She barely dodged another attack from Chie, managing to roll on the ground and get to safety. Trying to get up the staircase to the top of the Dome, a sickening sound of a blade impacting Mizuho's hand was heard.
"AAAAAAAAH!" Mizuho screamed in pain, looking over to the guard rail to find blood oozing out from her left hand. One of Chie's sickles had been thrown and had impaled Mizuho's left hand right into the guard rail; Mizuho's body shaking from realizing this. Unable to pull her hand at the slightest amount of burning pain, she tried to pull the sickle out but was unable to when she felt how deep the blade was in the guard rail.
"I caught you, my little mouse. Now, let's see what your child is going to look like, shall we?" Chie cackled again, walking over to a frantic Mizuho. With no bullets left in the pistol, she tossed it away and attempted to pull out the sickle again. Unable to do so, she cried in panic with nowhere to go.
Feeling a sickle come up behind her backside, Mizuho froze as she felt cold steel tickling her throat. Frozen to the spot in fear, she heard Hanyuu speak to her in whispers through Chie; the blade pressing against her throat hard enough to cause a small cut to appear.
"Will you scream for me, Mizuho? Just like when I killed Komoto? He begged for his life in the end, you know that?" she smiled, just about ready to slice open Mizuho's neck.
At the mere mentioning of these words, something broke in Mizuho's mind. Gritting her teeth and quickly reacting, she screamed and did the unthinkable. First, Mizuho ripped her hand from the sickle's blade and sliced through the inner parts of her knuckle; her left hand ripped down the middle large enough to make it separate at the tendons. Next, she took her right hand and pushed the blade off of her neck and managed to break free from Chie. The third thing she did, though, was in quick succession roll forward, and with her feet hook Chie's neck. Rolling forward, Mizuho sent Chie cascading forward into the ground and onto the stairs; her body hitting hard into the steps. Getting up quickly from the ground, Mizuho took Chie's dropped sickle and quickly sliced the tendons of her legs; making Chie incapable of walking or even getting up. Scrambling on the ground, Chie's body slid down the steps to reveal a pissed off expression of Hanyuu; Chie acting so through her own expression.
"WHAT! BUT…" yelled in disbelief Hanyuu.
"Komoto-kun…would never beg for his life, bitch!"
Quickly with her right foot, Mizuho kicked Chie's head hard enough to knock her out for the time being. As her face fell sideways into the dirt with blood and drool falling down out of her mouth, Mizuho panted in her moment of rest only to cringe holding her wounded hand. Looking at it now, the hand was probably badly damaged enough to the point that she wouldn't be able to use it again. Biting her lip in pain, she trudged on and got back on her feet, continuing her mission despite all the blood dripping onto the dirt from her wound.
"I don't have long…I need to hurry…"
/
"Everyone…if we don't make it…" spoke Ryuu, his weapon shaking in his hand slightly in anticipation of the oncoming hoard of possessed villagers at the bottom of the stairway beginning to make their ascent up.
"We're going to make it! Don't say that Ryuu-kun!" spoke Shion, holding both a pistol and a taser in hand. Armed to the teeth, she wasn't going to let her enemy get past them that night.
"Here they come!" yelled Keiichi. Going down the stairs halfway with Mion and Ryuu, they met the oncoming hoard and began to pick off the easier targets before they went into the field of traps Satoko managed to set up.
Just before the first possessed villager ran up into Mion, with his arms outstretched, Keiichi punched the enemy clear across the jaw, sending the target falling down the stairs right into more oncoming opponents. Taking out their legs, the falling possessed villager went all the way down the stairway while bringing along more enemies to their deaths or injury. It was the perfect strategy; merely use the incline of the stairs to their advantage. Even with few numbers on their side, the group of friends could easily hold their ground.
As more and more combatants came up their way, Keiichi and Mion managed to team up and take out anyone in their paths. Without need to use their guns, the couple needed only to set off their target's balance to send them hurtling down the stairs to certain doom. As time passed, and with each enemy falling in their wake, Mion and Keiichi gave Hanyuu and her possessed villagers a run for their money.
Eventually, Mion and Keiichi were too tired to fight on, and thus retreated up the steps when more and more possessed villagers recovered at the base of the stairs and came up their way. Lights from torches down below were seen, and some were even coming up a side path up the grassy hill. In fear of being outflanked, Satoko had planned for such an offensive tactic. While Ryuu managed to send off a couple more possessed villagers down the stairway, he went up with Mion and Keiichi and retreated to the top; letting Satoko have her fun.
"Hah…haaah…Satoko-chan, the hill!" panted Mion. Satoko looked over to the designated area and gave a toothed grin.
"O ho ho ho! Too easy!"
With the snap of her fingers, Satoko somehow sent down a wave of logs into her oncoming enemy not only on the hills but the stairway as well. Despite the hundreds of villagers converging on their area, the logs were able to clear out anyone attempting to ascend up their path. As each log jumped and crashed down onto the decline of the hill, whoever was in its pathway instantly became crushed or sent hurtling down the hill again. For Satoko, this was mere child's play.
"Nice one Satoko-chan!" spoke Satoshi, clutching his wounded shoulder. Holding onto the bat that Keiichi had returned previously, Satoshi was somewhat able to help the others if the time ever came that they were overrun. For now, though, they were on the winning side.
At the bottom of the hill, the last wave of logs crashed into their opponents below; the enemy crippled once again. With no more logs to aid them, it all came down to one on one combat and throwing rocks or boulders nearby. For two hours the battle went on; each member having close calls with death and the grasps of possessed villagers. Many bodies lie helpless on the stairway; impeding the path of other villagers coming up the way. Though drained and physically exhausted, the enemies numbers eventually depleted down to a couple dozen; most remaining at the bottom of the stairway.
"Is…haaah…it over? Did we win?" panted Rena, hitting her last opponent and sending her crashing down the stairs into a bloody pulp. She fell backwards onto the stairs, exhausted from fighting. Her blade remained bloody red; having had its fill of blood from the night. The grey stones which were once old and engrossed with moss were now covered in crimson red blood.
Returning to the top and falling to the ground, the group members did their best to remain on the lookout for who could be considered the final boss: Hanyuu.
"There really isn't a lot left. We must have taken them out for good!" cheered Keiichi. Just when he was about to celebrate with the others, a dread realization came over the group members.
"We may be alive…but…" spoke Rika, looking over the carnage of the battle. Her enemy, their family members and loved ones, were either dead or heavily injured. They stood standing, but the villagers of Hinamizawa were to never recover from this.
"Was this all worth it?" questioned Rena. Sitting on the ground, she casted her face away, having to remember the moment on the stairway she faced her possessed father and, in her haste of attacking and slashing down possessed villagers, sent him hurling down the stairs. Unable to undo what she had done, her father remained bloody and emotionless at the bottom of the stairs; most likely knocked out but possibly hurt fatally. Going down the hill would be suicide, and right now she could only hope that she didn't accidently kill him.
Rika heard Rena's comment and sighed. Turning her back from the stairs and coming over to her friends, her demeanor seemed somewhat calm for some reason. As if it dawned on her, Rika thought harder about it and revealed something to the group.
"Could it be this bad, that even if we survive the night, that our friends and loved ones will stay dead? Even those we injured…most of them can't have normal lives after this. Most will have to be crippled or in hospital care. No…I can't believe or even begin to understand this. If and when we defeat Hanyuu, somehow I know that this will have been all worth it. Somehow, a miracle will occur for us…and maybe…undo everything Hanyuu has done tonight…" she spoke, her tone darker this time but still calm and collected. Doubt emerged in the expressions of her friends, a solution needed to make them trust her about that.
"But how? It's not like we have magic to do so…" spoke Shion.
"We have faith and that will be enough. We will…"
"FAITH? How will that help? It never helped me…RIKA!"
To their horror, all eyes went on the top of the stairs; their enemy appearing at last. However, in sheer terror and fright did all of them fall back and retreat a little ways away upon seeing Hanyuu's different appearence. Showing off her longer, crimson red hair; her soulless eyes, and her sharp claws and horns, she seemed oblivious to the change. Acting more aggressively and licking her tongue in anticipation for something, she looked on at her friends while the rest of the possessed villagers came up their way. Lightly touching the Crimson Lotus in her hair, Hanyuu smiled in a twisted fashion at her friends while bearing sharp fangs.
"Did you all miss me? DID YOU?" she cackled. Rika trembled at the sight of Hanyuu, her heart racing at an impossible speed. To see her friend like this was something unreal yet repulsive. Even seeing blood drenching the dirt and grass from her hair made it seem like Hanyuu had truly become a demon.
"How…" uttered Rika, unable to believe any of this. Any trace of Hanyuu's human side seemed long lost now.
"To think that when Komoto tried to give me the Hinamizawa Syndrome…using the vaccine! He tried to take away my control of the villagers! HAH! He only gave me its power! He took away my human side…HE MADE ME INTO A DEMON! AHAHAAHAH!" she laughed again, her eyes showing no fear but that of true madness and insanity.
"He…gave you the vaccine?" muttered Rika. Thinking on the action, it would have possibly stopped Hanyuu from advancing any further into her quest, but in retrospect it somehow made her stronger.
"Rika! Get away from her! She's crazy!" shouted Satoko, trying to pull her friend away. However, Rika took her hand from Satoko and remained firm on where she stood; the Onigari no Ryou in her hands glowing ever so brightly now. This was it; this was Rika's long awaited final fight.
More and more possessed villagers came behind Hanyuu; enforcing her domain on the others without weakness. Soon after, they were outnumbered by tens of possessed villagers surrounding their area; no real escape present for them. Gritting their teeth and preparing for the worst, the group of friends seemed ready to fight to the last breath.
"It seems you can't win this one, Rika!" Hanyuu licked her lips at Rika, some drool forming at the corners of her mouth. Whatever Hanyuu had become, she had a thirst for blood that was all too real.
"Hanyuu…if you kill me…you won't get your wish! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? YOU KILL ME, YOU WILL OPEN…"
"The Gates of Hell…"
Shocked and unable to understand what was going on, Rika stopped dead in her tracks and looked on at her friend. Hanyuu had just mentioned the gates to her, and now somehow she couldn't understand anymore. Was this Hanyuu's original intention all along?
"How…how could you know about that? HANYUU! HOW?" Rika screamed, feeling betrayed once more. If Hanyuu had intended to open the gates all along, then what who was she truly: a loving Hanyuu bent on returning to her daughter or was she truly someone who wanted to destroy life as they knew it?
"Hanyuu…why? Hanyuu…how could you? Aheheheh…Rika-chan….do you know who I am? Look closely…and tell me what you see…"
Narrowing her eyes and looking on at Hanyuu, she felt almost nauseated at seeing such a sight. For some reason, she felt like she was looking on at someone else, someone who she never knew. It was at this moment that she realized whom she was truly facing.
"You're…"
"Not the Hanyuu Furude you once knew. I am everything…I AM EVIL MANIFESTED! I AM THE DEMON OF THIS WORLD, THE HARBRINGER OF DEATH AND BLOODSHED! OF MISERY AND DESPAIR! I am everything this world dreads and fears! The voice that whispers in ears of the hopeless and forgotton…in those afraid in those who were jealous of others! I am especially the voice who gave false hope to those who wanted to return to better times. Once I open the Gates of Hell, I will unleash an eternity of chaos and fire upon this world. I WILL BECOME GOD!" she screamed in ecstasy and shear madness. Pointing at Rika in her craze, she converged her troops onto Rika; her victory in sight. "KILL HER FRIENDS! KILL THEM!"
As they group huddled together to protect Rika in their final effort to survive, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, suddenly the light of the crimson moon receded somewhat and brought normal colors back to Hinamizawa. Around the group members, the converging possessed villagers suddenly faltered and then fell to the ground; the villagers blacking out and not moving at all. In her sudden shock and confusion, Hanyuu looked around and yelled out at her drones.
"What's wrong with you! What are you doing? Get up! GET UP YOU WORTHLESS HUMANS!" she screamed, some fear rising in her being.
To the group members, they only smiled at their victory, knowing full well what had happened. In the distance from the hill, a large spire of smoke suddenly filled the sky, and with that several small explosions and bursts of fire. The blaze grew and began to fill the outskirts of the village; possibly foreshadowing the oncoming of what may be a fire that would decimate the village if it were to spread too far.
"Hanyuu…LOOK! This is our Will! This is our power, our means to defeat you!"
When Rika pointed to the distance and Hanyuu's soulless eyes followed, she screamed in her rage at the sight before her.
Back at the Dome, Mizuho had finished dumping the last contents of the oil barrels into the grove of Crimson Lotuses residing inside the Dome's interior. As the black fluid filled the earth and soil within, Mizuho looked from the wicked flowers to the possessed villagers coming up the stairway to attack her. With a lighter in hand, she looked on at the cursed flowers and felt no remorse in destroying such beauty. All she could utter were these words…
"Burn motherfuckers!"
As she threw the lighter into the black fluid, the material ignited and sent a torrent of fire cascading over all the lotuses. As the fire exploded with Mizuho behind cover, the flowers were encompassed by the deadly flames and quickly met the grasp of death. Even Mizuho could have sworn hearing their repulsive screams of pain as their life extinguished. Looking down below amongst all the smoke and fire, Mizuho saw the horde of possessed villagers instantly drop like flies once the Crimson Lotuses in the Dome were killed off. Her theory must have worked, that all the lotuses in the Dome were the source of control over them.
Back at the Furude Shrine, Hanyuu looked down the hill to find a similar effect befalling her possessed villagers. They all fell to the destruction of the Flower from Hell; the fire decimating more and more of the flowers in the forests and areas of the village. By killing off those in the Dome, Mizuho somehow managed to extinguish the main life source for the flowers, and thus, freed the village of the evil flower's grasp.
"IT'S OVER HANYUU! We've won!" yelled Rika, finding hope renewed once more that night.
"Mizuho-sensei! She did it!" yelled Mion, a smile on her face. However, that smile faulted when Hanyuu gritted her teeth and turned back on the others.
"Mizuho! Damn her! I'll find her once I'm through with all of you! This has just begun, mark my words!" she grinned, looking as if she would begin to charge at her friends. Rika went to face off against her again, having found the courage to face Hanyuu.
"I won't let it come to that. Come on Hanyuu, you really want me so bad then come at me! COME AT YOUR FRIENDS AND TRY TO HURT US!" she yelled in confidence.
In anger, Hanyuu charged forward into Rika with full intentions of ripping her limb from limb. However, just as she ran with inhuman speed into Rika, she suddenly stopped within inches of seeing her weapon: the Onigari no Ryou. Rika smirked and used it as a shield, causing Hanyuu to falter for just a moment. It was in that moment, that Rika took the counter assault in Hanyuu's terror and, with one quick motion of her other hand, jammed her shard into Hanyuu's left ribcage.
"ARGH! GET IT OFF ME! IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"
Hanyuu rolled on the ground; trying to remove the shard from her side. Feeling black blood pour out from her wound, even putting a firm grip on the shard, caused her hands to burn and blister. Writhing in pain and try as she might, Hanyuu could not remove the shard from her body.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! WHAT IS THIS?" she screamed again.
"This is your salvation, Hanyuu. This is where I make good on my promise, and create the miracle to save you…"
/
Standing up from her ordeal, Hanyuu panted and looked on at Rika; confusion filling her face amongst the mists of steam rising from her burning side. Gritting her teeth in pain and pure rage, Hanyuu fought for her life as she barged into the center of the group of friends and began trying to slash at them with her razor sharp fingernails. Sending the others into the ground, Hanyuu leaped onto an unsuspecting opponent that happened to be Rena and immediately started slashing away at her face.
This was the turn of battle where everything truly went to hell for the game club members in more ways than one…
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Rena screamed, pinned to the ground as Hanyuu cut her face up. Sprays of blood went onto the earth floor, and as she struggled to get up, Hanyuu raised a hand into the air and attempted to kill Rika in one final blow. By this point the others got back on their feet and grabbed Hanyuu, causing her to claw at them now in her madness and fight back. It wasn't until Mion took out her own shard and, in quick thinking, stabbed it into Hanyuu's back. Likewise, Rena managed to do the same, jabbing the shard into Hanyuu's thigh even if she couldn't see her target. Hanyuu only then fell off of Rena and to the side away from the others, spitting out blood from her mouth and feeling utter misery in her body.
"DAMN YOU ALL!" cursed Hanyuu, unable to pull any of the burning shards from her body. The others kept their guard up as Ryuu helped Rena up, only to discover in his horror that the damage had been done to her.
Looking on through blood soaked eyes, Ryuu found Rena's face covered in cuts and deep slashes. Though it was to her cheeks and forehead, the worst was found when Ryuu looked at her eyes.
Eyes that had now become blind…with cuts across the eyebrows and pupils
"Ryuu-kun…I…I can't see…where are you! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"
"Rena! Hold on, I've got you. NO! Don't touch them…I'll…we'll….argh! Don't…" Ryuu became frantic, unable to give Rena any help but to get her to safety. She cursed and cried in pain, waving her arms frantically to touch her face. Satoshi and Ryuu had to hold her down in her pains, trying to prevent her from creating more damage to her eyes. When Shion managed to hold her down in Ryuu's place, he got up and looked on at Hanyuu in rage; aiming his pistol at her without regret.
"HANYUU! You'll pay for this!"
Pulling the pistol's trigger, Ryuu managed to send off a few of the remaining rounds in his gun at Hanyuu, only managing to hit her arm and the trees in the background. Hanyuu recovered quickly, and looked on to her next target in her haste. Coming back to protect them, Rika charged into Hanyuu and tried to cut her friend with the golden blade. Missing Hanyuu by inches, her friend dodged every strike of the weapon no matter how damaged she was. Like hitting a ghost, Rika was unable to get at Hanyuu.
That was, until Mion and Keiichi ran up and assaulted Hanyuu. With Mion holding the raging woman down, Keiichi managed to stab the 4th shard into Hanyuu's other shoulder, causing her to break free and burn once more in pain. Writhing on the ground and retreating for a moment, just when they let their guard down did Hanyuu rush into Keiichi like a cornered animal and lunge a hand into his stomach.
As time stopped for the group of friends, all eyes fell on Hanyuu's hand literally impaling Keiichi's stomach; blood spurting out along with some intestine as Hanyuu retracted her hand. Smiling, Hanyuu prepared to lunge the other in the same spot, however, all she found was Mion in her rage sending one powerful foot crashing into her face and throwing her into a nearby tree.
"KEI-KUN!" Mion yelled, not caring about Hanyuu. She caught Keiichi as he fell, blood spurting from his mouth in large amounts. Dazed and in shock, Keiichi trembled at the touch of Mion, and looked in various directions without being able to understand what had happened. Mumbling in pain, Mion carried him to the ground as others came to her defense.
"Mi…*cough*…cha…"
"NO! Don't talk! KEI-KUN, STAY WITH ME! DON'T DIE!" cried Mion, frantically trying to stop the bleeding. "LOOK AT ME, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF…"
His head went to and fro, his eyes shifting and unable to find Mion. Once his eyes had focused on only her, Keiichi managed to give off a small smile and hold her hand limply; stopping her frantic pace for the moment. Coughing up more blood, Keiichi uttered words to Mion that only she could recognize from another lifetime long ago.
-I love you-
With the life failing in Keiichi's eyes and his head falling to one side in his last breath, Mion held Keiichi's limp body in utter shock. Keiichi became the first to die amongst them now, and with that came no chance for him to return. Leaving his body on the ground as the others fought off Hanyuu in her madness, Rika stood over Keiichi with tears filling her eyes.
*Keiichi…it can't be. This…isn't happening!* she thought, thinking that this all had been some horrible dream. Falling to her knees next to Keiichi, Rika reached out to touch him, but only felt the grasp of Mion's hand. Looking up to her, Rika found a tear-filled Mion cry over Keiichi as if in shock as well.
"We…there's nothing we can do…Rika-chan. Just go…we have to stop Hanyuu…we have to…have to stop…" Mion's grip trembled. In the next moment, Mion did the unthinkable and left Keiichi's body where it lay.
As the others fought off Hanyuu's attacks, Mion pushed the other's aside and ran into Hanyuu. First, Mion jumped onto her and sent her to the earth floor. In the next moment, she began punching the living hell out of Hanyuu; her fists coming up with blood and bruises; some from Hanyuu, others from her own hands. Despite how much Hanyuu clawed at Mion's legs, to her it was as if no pain or injury could stop her. Hanyuu was getting the hell beaten out of her, and in this moment of assault, Ryuu joined in to get payback for both the loss of his cousin and the loss of Rena's eyesight.
"TAKE THIS!" screamed Ryuu. Holding both shards now, he crashed down his hands into Hanyuu's chest and managed to assemble all 5 shards.
In her screams of pain, Hanyuu rolled out from Mion and continued to roll as steam rose up from her body. With the others regrouping, they saw Hanyuu's appearance become darker somewhat; her body transforming again. Rolling to her feet and getting up, suddenly all the black blood oozing from her body ceased, and Hanyuu's wounds closed up. The shards plopped out of her body and fell to the floor; their aura's gone and their form's disintegrating in the wind. Hanyuu merely walked forward into the middle of the area, no emotion left on her face but that of madness. Looking on at Rika and those left standing with a twisted and sick smile, narrowing her eyes Hanyuu merely said these words.
"You can't…kill a demon…"
Rushing up into Mion with incredible speed, Hanyuu lunged her hand straight into her heart. As Mion coughed up a large amount of blood from the impossible attack, disbelief in her eyes, Rika yelled in her assault and attempted to cut down Hanyuu. With inhuman strength, she threw Mion into the ground and turned to face Rika; grabbing the sword and Rika in succession. Flipping the blade in her hand, Hanyuu sent the weapon straight into Rika's neck; the various blades providing enough room for Rika to be pinned down to the ground in a box shape. Trying her best to get the blade off her, Rika was put at such a disadvantage that all she could do was watch and fear the worst. Just as Mion's lifeless body fell over Keiichi's, and with Shion rushing in her haste and rage at Hanyuu in the killing of her twin sister, Hanyuu looked Rika dead in the eyes and whispered to her.
"Watch them all die…just like I had…"
Swinging around and heading to face Shion, Hanyuu rushed into her opponent and tripped her down. Coming up on Shion's backside quickly, Rika watched a terrified Shion flail as Hanyuu laughed in pleasure when she grabbed her neck and snapped it; breaking the woman's neck without fail. As the screams ceased from a lifeless Shion, her body fell to the earth floor with an emotionless expression on her face. At the screams of the others, Hanyuu rushed into the remaining members and killed them off in slaughter. Satoshi tried to stop Hanyuu at seeing Shion's quick death, but failed at doing so once Hanyuu reopened his wound and tore his arm from its socket; the limb flying into the ground amidst Satoshi's cries of pain. Lying in a pool of his own blood, Hanyuu managed to leave Satoshi to die quickly through blood loss in no time at all. Turning her attention to Ryuu and finding him defending Rena in fear, Hanyuu made easy work of the man by jumping onto him and biting his throat. Blood spurt from his neck as she tore away a large amount of flesh; his screams only fueling her pleasure in the killing. Despite Rika crying and screaming for Hanyuu to stop, her attacks did not falter even as she came over the huddled body of Rena in her blind state.
"Ryuu-kun…RYUU-KUNNNNN-ARGOUGH…."
Quickly silencing Rena by slitting her throat open, Rena fell to the side of the tree she was lying against and bled out not much after. With everyone left dead, only one person remained for Hanyuu to dispose of before Rika met a similar fate.
"Rika! I can do this! I just need…"
"Satoko, just run! Please, just…"
As Satoko frantically tried to remove the blade pinning Rika to the ground, a burst of blood came over Rika's face as Hanyuu's arm impaled the small woman through her chest. Standing there and coughing up blood, the life gone from her eyes, Hanyuu sent her victim into the ground with the others. Her body covered in crimson red and dark with Evil in her aura, Hanyuu merely licked her lips and the blood on her fingers, looking down at Rika in delight.
"That was fun…" cackled Hanyuu, narrowing her eyes at the prize before her. "You had me there for a second, but I grew tired of the game. Oh well…you'll meet your friends soon enough…"
Try as she might, Rika looked on at the bodies of her friends and knew it was over. Unable to defeat Hanyuu despite the shards, somehow Hanyuu managed to triumph and still beat her friends. Whatever Evil had done to Hanyuu, it was too powerful to stop. In such a short amount of time, they went from being nearly victorious to losing everything they ever cared for. Raising her hips up and finding no other choice but suicide, Rika attempted to press the blade into her throat.
Hanyuu would have none of that…
"Oh no you don't, Rika-chaaaaaaan!"
Hanyuu lifted the blade up and quickly grabbed Rika's throat, pulling her up to meet her face. Unable to look into the eyes of the demon before her, Hanyuu smiled and dragged Rika up a small set a stairs; ripping hair and bruising Rika's knees along the way on the sharp steps. Despite all of this, Rika would not give Hanyuu the satisfaction of the kill; her fate known all too well before her.
For where Hanyuu was dragging Rika was up to the main shrine altar of Oyashiro; the same place where Takano and members of "Tokyo" had killed her countless times before in the old cycle of Fate. As Hanyuu threw Rika's body hard onto the stone table, holding her down by one very strong hand, Rika struggled and grabbed at her throat; trying to get free. Laughing, Hanyuu looked down to Rika with a large grin bearing sharp fangs.
"You are such a nuisance, silly girl. The game is over, and I will rain blood on this world because of it! Any last words, Rika-chan? You'll go to meet your friends soon enough. I had fun, I really did…" she spat, going down to lick the tears falling from Rika's eyes in a sick fashion. The Evil that had control of Hanyuu now truly was a sick and twisted creature.
Rika looked up to her friend, but this time, saw her enemy in its truest form. Looking on at Hanyuu with a smile, she stopped struggling and accepted her fate at last. There was no more use fighting it. For Rika, it was over…
"You won, Hanyuu. But…it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"What do you mean? I'll open the Gates of Hell and control this dimension. Evil will always win in the end, and now that I am its controller, I will have all that I desire…"
"No…you won't. You won't get your wish…you won't get Ouka back. Honestly, if she were here right now, I know she would cry at what you have become…"
"Ouka…yes, my daughter. Heh…I told you before, I have no cares or fears anymore. I have no love for that child anymore. This is what Evil has made me. I love nothing…" she grinned, raising the blade once more into the air.
"But even if that's true, even what you are now, I'll still love you, Hanyuu. So go ahead…do what you wanted to do for so long. Unto you…" Rika outstretched her arms, smiling and crying for all that Hanyuu had done and all that she could never do. Accepting her Fate for once in her life, Rika welcomed Death and the longing to see her loved ones once more. She knew where she would go after her death, but it seemed like a pity to leave Hanyuu alone on this doomed planet. If she could have one miracle, then it would be for a way to save her friend. "…I'll give up my life. I'll sacrifice myself out of love for you, Hanyuu, and let you be happy at least once in the life you could never have. And…I hope…that next time, I can save you. Even if I fail for all eternity, I will try, Hanyuu, to save you…"
It was in those final words that Hanyuu hesitated for a moment, looked on with a single tear falling from her eye, and then in the next moment moved her face down to Rika just as she placed the Onigari no Ryou over her chest.
"There isn't a next time…so you can never save me…"
With one sickening plunge of the blade, Rika's once vital limbs collapsed onto the stone table without any ability to rise thereafter. As the blood poured down in streams onto the table and then the earth floor, Rika smiled one last time without pain or fear; watching as Hanyuu laughed maniacally in her victory and killing of her own flesh and blood. As the darkness of the crimson night shadowed everything in despair, Rika looked up into the sky only to see not the Armageddon of this world, but a tunnel of light that pulled her into its warm embrace. Leaving the confines of her body, Rika felt like her soul was free at last and crossed over into another land; another dimension where only the dead may tread.
But where she was going, though, revealed in her awakening to be a room where only she and her other half existed. A place where Bernkastel was in pain and misery on her knees of the area. A place where no holy ground was, but a place that was called the Meta World.
/
One day, a child found Death while traveling through the pathways of a forest. Alone, he asked Death what he was there for.
"Why are you here, when so much life is in abundance?"spoke the child.
"Death, even in Life, is everywhere and nowhere. It consumes all beings, and returns all that we are to the beginning, only to go through the cycle once more. All things must die…" spoke Death.
Thinking on this, the boy thought once more and asked:
"So what happens when you take us away, Death?"
"You who are a traveler, what is thy destination?" asked in return Death.
"I travel this path, only to go home…" replied the child.
"Are you sure this path leads home? And even after you are home, do you know where you will go from there? What lies on the morrow?"
"No. Nor do I want to know, because there would be no fun in Life if that were the case…"
"Then nor do I have an answer for your question. I even do not know where in death I shall take you. So what then, child, will you do if I were to end your time on Earth and take you to a land no living shall enter?" asked Death, smiling calmly. If Death was everywhere, then he was there to take away the child's life.
The boy stared at Death, closed his eyes, and revealed them again with something different in their shade. A sight to behold, yet, something in those child's eyes made Death fear him.
The boy only responded:
"Is it by completing my purpose in this world that you can take me away, Death? Even if it was only to breathe so many breaths of life or to help one person in need in a time of great struggle?"
Death looked on curiously then responded:
"Yes. When your time is up, I will come like a thief in the night and bring you to the Land of the Dead."
"Then you will never have me, Death. For where Light and Dark shall meet, so Twilight will exist. I am Twilight, and so though I may meet you on the path in life, Death, you will never take me to where the dead shall remain for all eternity. What have you now?"
Death, stunned, looked at the boy and vanished without a response; his Will broken to take the child of Twilight from the living world. Though all will meet Death, some will overcome him and never be ruled.
Such is one of many Truths of Fate.
Next time on Hinamizawa Hell, "The Truth of Fate" Arc 3, Chapter 18: The Final Revelation: The Truth of Fate
Did you wake the Eternal Witch of Miracles?