Undecipherable 2

Watanuki stood and stare at the city lying beneath him…how would it feel to just let go and fall? His heart was numb. Each day was a slow countdown, to what? He does not know. But life goes on. The clock still ticks, the sun still sets and each lonely night after lonely night envelopes him, Suffocating him and renders his lungs useless. He marvels at the tenacity of the human mind for being able to hold on to the bank of memories he rather forget. The way of the heart was a stark contrast to the workings of the mind. Easily shattered and nearly impossible to mend, the process was one that could take years, if never.

Yuuko always tells him that his destiny were written by the stars, don't fight it, just live and flow along for he will never know what is next. He wonders how the story of his life would be if he had followed his desires but that was one thought that has been exhausted. It would now forever remain his regret. A married man…what good is the acquiescence of his feelings? It will only result in more broken hearts.

Work called for his attention as the voice of his co-worker roused him from his thoughts. He was another man he had found in this distant land with the same power as Doumeki and they met just a few days after he had landed in New York. Yuuko, as the stranger told him, asked for a favor to be repaid. From than on, Watanuki was his employee. He said his name is currently Gin; he needed a new alias after he blotched his last job. Watanuki wisely kept his curiosity reined in and silently cursed Yuuko for sending him another burdened soul. He was too tired to be bothered with someone else's problems.

They were now in New York's pulsing central, the city so corrupted by its citizens that the dark presence hung over it perpetually permeates every new soul that migrated here. She always gives him the most impossible tasks. He sighed aloud wondering what in the hell had he done in his past life to deserve this.

"Gin…do you feel anything yet?" Watanuki asked as he eyes filter the area. Gin glanced at him and tilted his head towards the left wing of the building. The spot where the victim normally jumped off from, there was a strong ominous presence gathered around that spot.

"I sensed it over there. Are we targeting the victims or the manipulator?" Gin asked.

"I don't know for sure. Yuuko didn't elaborate on the details." Watanuki answered.

They were here to exorcise the spirits of women who had committed suicide from this building. It seems this place was a hot spot for those with deathly intentions. Watanuki frowned at the overwhelming presence in the air, it was almost impossible to breathe now. He unclasped the casing around his neck to reveal the moon pearl inside, it had almost cost the fool his life to get it…it had been a whim of his and he had blurted out his innocent desire to lessen his dependent on Doumeki. At the very least, he should not be encumbered with the inability to breathe himself during their assignments together. Those moments when Doumeki lets his guard down in order to help him may cost them one day.

The guy of course took Watanuki's every wish upon his shoulders and had ventured alone to the other side and obtained the sacred treasure of the moon fairies. Moon fairies being moon fairies, knew very well what Doumeki wanted and he gladly paid the price they asked for, though what was it he paid with was never revealed to him. Yuuko likewise never reveal a wish that wished to be unknown, no matter how many bottles of sake one bribed her with. But it doesn't matter, Doumeki had said. Anything just so to protect him better. Watanuki found himself unable to profess his thanks due to his embarrassment at Doumeki's words.

"Gin…" Watanuki called out when he sensed a something coming from the general direction of the hot spot. He went forward chanting the scriptures that Doumeki taught him and watched the manifestation took the form of a woman. Watanuki could felt the depth of her bitterness and contempt towards the living, the black waves of energy hitting him again and again. The moon pearl shone brighter but Watanuki still felt nauseous and the strength seeping out of his body.

"She's gonna be tough to handle." Gin said as he moved forward and caught Watanuki by the arm hauling him up as he started to crumbled. "Get up. I need you to recite the scripts for me."

Watanuki gave a weak nod and heaved himself up. Gin took his place beside him and took out his cross-bow. He spit out the cigarette hanging from the corner of his lips and started walking towards the spirit. She watched him unmoving and calm wondering why was the man not affected by her. She sneered when she realized who he was. Shadow mediums; entities with no permanent forms. They were gifted with psychic powers and the inner light which dispels the darkness around them. But no matter, he was not her main concern. .

Gin sneered back at the spirit when he noticed where her sights had landed. Watanuki seems forever fated to be the bait during such confrontations, his unique aura, blood and the powers that lie within him drew all sorts of creatures to him. His destiny as Yuuko's successor was another reason why he was so sought after.

"Snap out of it boy…she's coming, hurry!" Gin nudged as he stepped infront of Watanuki to block the advancing spirit. His cross-bow lighting up with his 'qi', he aimed the blue flaming arrow right in the middle and shot. He expecting a direct hit he was surprised when the she disappeared just as the arrow was about to hit her.

"Damn decoy." Gin muttered under his breath.

In the background Watanuki started his recitations. As his chants got stronger, the oppressive presence lifted but they both know it was nowhere near over.

Gin narrowed his eyes as he squinted through the fog that appeared suddenly, his senses heighten and sensitized. The main source of the dark presence, provoked, emerged from its hiding place. The world turned grey and grimy in an instant as a black hole appeared out of nowhere, immediately they both saw it for what it is…the tunnel of death, lost souls who would never find heaven trap in the endless length of it.

"Here comes the big guy." Gin said as he took a step back, behind him Watanuki's chant gained strength and volume. He seek contact with Watanuki grasped him by the arm transferring much needed energy to the slender man. The devastation caused by his scriptures depended on the power within him, since he has not learned how to fully utilize his powers yet Gin took on the responsibility of manipulating it on his behalf.

Okiku looked on from the side. She would not be able to withstand that force from that man and she wondered why she has not been able to tempt him into acting out his dark intentions.

There were few like him who could stand up to her seduction of death. The thought that everything would be solved with just that jump was tempting to a lot of people, weak willed, their existence was laughable.