Chapter 18: Seeing is believing part 3

Yuuki residence:

Natsuno, "What the hell were you doing, Connor?"

Connor, "Well, I was coming to inform you that I got the bloodgrass—I just happened to stumble upon the scene; I thought I should help."

Natsuno, "I had to ask."

Tanaka residence:

Akira was sleeping in his bed—or, rather he was trying to.

Akira's POV

But...how am I supposed to get a good night's sleep?

Akira freaked out when heard the door begin to slide. He thought, at first, what it was was the Okiagari. But, then, he heard a soft voice.

"Akira..." It was only Kaori, "I'm so scared that I can't sleep. Can I sleep with you?" She paused when she saw that he wasn't in bed, or rather on top.

"Oh, it's you, Kaori."

"Wh-What did you think?"

The two were next to each other, with one of the blankets dividing their bodies.

Kaori, "I wonder if it's okay."

Akira, "What's okay?"

"That man...All we did was spatter him with dirt."

"Natsuno said that it'd be better if the guy was found anyway, right?"

"What if he wasn't found?"

"What?"

"What if he leaves that place and no one finds him?"

"I...I'll try telling my classmates when I go to school the day after tomorrow."

"I wonder if they'll believe you."

"I don't know. But I have to tell them!"

Natsuno rode his bike, while the other three ran to the meeting point.

Kaori, "Oh?"

Akira, "Natsuno, Connor! You're early! Since we couldn't sleep, I thought we'd definitely be here first."

Kaori turned her attention to the grave, "It's...It's been put back like it was."

Natsuno, "The guy from yesterday must've done it."

Connor then proceeded to poke his sword into the ground, "It doesn't seem that anything is buried in there, either."

Akira, "I bet he went back to the Kanemasa house."

Kaori, "What?"

Akira, "That house is their nest. Let's burst in there together and defeat them!"

Kaori, "What!?"

Natsuno, "We can't."

Akira, "What?! Why not?!"

Connor sheathed his sword, "Doing so screams 'I'm suicidal'; we can't do that, it's too risky.

Akira, "They're vampires, right? Then they're sleeping in coffins during the day, right?!"

Connor, "You're thinking of movies, and not legends; The young man from Kanemasa was awake even though it wasn't night. He's what's called a 'Day-walker'."

Akira, "Ah..."

"They look like vampires, but we don't know if any of the weaknesses that the vampires I'm familiar with are in these Japanese versions. Sleeping during the day, being vulnerable to things like crosses, holy water and garlic, being unable to come inside a house unless invited, and hammering a stake in the heart...not all of them are useful."

Akira, "I know that's true...But then what should we do?!"

Connor, "Actually, I can confirm a few things; holy items still scare the standard breed, and it appears that they do sleep during the day, but not in coffins. Other than that, I'm not sure."

Akira, "Are you telling us to just roll over and die? I can't accept that!"

Natsuno, "Calm down. We don't even know how many of them exist. If we assume that it's all of those who died so far, wouldn't it be more than ten, together with those from Kanemasa?"

Connor, "More than ten mysterious enemies... We need to think about how we fight against them."

Kaori, "I wonder if old lady Ms. Motohashi...will rise up, too."

Natsuno, "Ms. Motohashi?"

Akira, "Yeah. An old lady in our neighborhood. Come to think of it, Mom said she died."

"Do you know where that old lady's grave is?"

Kaori, "Yeah...I think they'll bury her in her funeral today, so if we follow the funeral procession... Ah! Hey, don't tell me...!"

Akira, "Oh, I get it! We'll wait for her to rise up from her grave and defeat her, right?!"

Natsuno, "We'll dig up her grave before she rises up and take care of it."

Akira, "Ah..."

Kaori, "B-But how are we gonna do it? Crosses and holy water might work only on European ones, right?"

Natsuno, "Yeah...Why don't we try hammering a stake or something into her heart as a first step?"

Connor pulled out a medallion, "IF she's able to rise up, then this will glow. Not everyone turns."

Late at night:

Connor, "Dammit! She's completely dead! She's not going to rise up unfortunately!"

Natsuno sighed.

Akira, "What's up with that sword you have? It's kinda big..."

"You really know how to pick your time, don't you!" Connor replied, sarcastically, "It's called Soul Calibur and it's lighter than it looks."

Akira, "Is there some kind of story behind it?"

Connor groaned, "Alright, I'll tell you the story!"

Elsewhere:

Seishin's POV:

-If what Toshio said is true...Sunako...You couldn't be...

Yuuki/Koide residence:

Later that night, a "little girl" carrying a life-size doll was at the door of Natsuno's house. Not far away, Connor was spying on her, as he noticed something about her; She had pasty skin, and black eyes with red, glowing irises—she was an okiagari.

The girl called into the house, "Hello!" It was a little while before someone answered the door. It was Natsuno's father.

Mr. Yuuki, "Yes?"

Connor, "Don't let her in, Mr. Yuuki!"

Girl, "Am I correct that this is the Yuuki residence?"

Mr. Yuuki, "Y-Yes, it is. Ah...You are...?"

The girl introduced herself, "My name is Shizuka."

"What a strange child...Something seems off about her."

Shizuka, "Where is Natsuno? Is he home?"

Connor, "Dammit...now they're targeting Natsuno."

Mr. Yuuki, "Oh, you're an acquaintance of Natsuno's? He isn't back yet. You have some business with him?"

Shizuka, "I have important business with him. Is it okay if I wait?"

"Wait?"

"That's what I said."

"Just how long is she going to continue this stupid ventriloquism? Is it because I was nice to her?" Mr. Yuuki thought before speaking, "What is this business? Do you want me to give him a message?"

Shizuka looked around with the doll.

Mr. Yuuki continued, "Is this urgent? It's already dinner time so why don't you do it tomorrow?"

The doll's face suddenly changed into a much more menacing one, with bulging yellow eyes, and pointed teeth. "No!" Shizuka lashed out, much to the shock of Mr. Yuuki. "No! No! It has to be today! When I say I'll wait, I'll wait!"

"But I don't know when Natsuno will be back. What's your last name? Who're your parents?"

"I said my name is Shizuka Matsuo? I'm from Sakaimatsu that is between Monzen and Kami-Sotoba!"

"Sakaimatsu? Is that the name of a place? Or is it a name of the house? There's still many things that I don't know about the village, so...In any case, your house is far and it's already dark. Please go home for today. I'll let Natsuno know you came."

Shizuka stepped around while growling, and then she threw the doll into the house. When it landed the head popped off.

Connor, "Damn you're persistent!"

Mr. Yuuki, "Hey, you!"

Shizuka put up her now-bare hand(which had a face drawn in the palm), "Why do you keep being in my way, you damn old man?! Let me come inside already!"

Connor, "So they still need an invitation to enter."

Ms. Koide—Natsuno's mother—then came, "What's going on? What's the matter?"

Mr. Yuuki, "Th-This girl says that she has business with Natsuno and insists that she wait."

"Oh, it's just a child. Why don't you let her come inside?"

"She's strange. She isn't normal."

"What good would it do to make a fuss over what a child does? Be nice."

Mr. Yuuki sighed, "Okay. In any case, you can wait for him inside."

Shizuka didn't hesitate to just walk in.

Connor snarled, "Dammit!"

Mr. Yuuki, "What...?! Ah...H-Hey!"

Shizuka picked up the doll, and put it back together before turning around, "Well then, I'll wait in Natsuno's room. Where's his room?"

Connor quickly, but quietly, rushed to the wall on the left side of the door, and put his ear on it to listen.

Mr. Yuuki, "Why don't you at least try to listen to me?!"

Shizuka stomped her foot on the floor, "Where is it?!"

Mr. Yuuki was baffled for a moment, and then sighed and pointed in the direction to Natsuno's room, "Go right at the end of the hall way there."

Shizuka made her way, but stopped briefly and turned again, "Oh yeah...My brother will come later, too. Okay?"

"Okay, okay. That's fine."

Connor, "I have to warn him!"

Ozaki clinic:

Dr. Ozaki put his coffee mug down, "Thanks for keeping me company."

The one he was talking to was Seishin, who was also present.

Ozaki, "How's your work going?"

Seishin, "Hm?"

"You're writing a novel, right?"

"Yeah. It's titled 'Shiki.' It's about a man who wanders about the wilderness. On that hill, he was a heretic. When placed in his hands, nothing does what it should. He would spin the pulley of the well to draw some water, but when he touched it, it turned into dirt. His younger brother was a kindhearted man of character. His affection made everyone who was around him smile. Then why...did he murder his younger brother?"

Later:

Dr. Ozaki, as he closed the door to the recovery room, "Do you think they'd come to the clinic?"

Seishin didn't answer, and Ozaki noticed the look on his face, "You look like you still have some doubts about it."

Seishin, "It's rather impossible not to have any doubts."

"Well, that's okay...They'll definitely come and attack here."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Listen. Considering the cases up until now, it's not like they kill their victims in one shot. Megumi collapsed on August 12th due to anemia. Her condition gradually deteriorated until she died on the 15th. It took four days...In other words, it's probably safe to think that they sucked her blood four times."

"Four times?!"

"Generally speaking, once fifty percent of your circulating blood is lost, you go into cardiac arrest. If we consider that the total amount of blood is four liters, fifty percent is two liters. Even they can't suck two liters in one shot, I guess. They get full. Their meals are probably about twice as much as this cup. If the amount of blood they suck in one time is about this much, it means that the shock happens on the second attack and the cardiac arrest on the fourth attack. Well, in reality, it's probably not that simple, though."

"But if they do things like that, even if the victims are asleep, won't they get up? Why don't the victims say anything?"

"It's probably more like something prevents them from speaking out."

"Something?"

"Just like certain kinds of insects, they may inject substances like narcotics. What if they can use that to control their victims...?"

Daylight:

Dr. Ozaki checked Setsuko's condition, "Not bad. Her condition is stable. At least, it didn't get worse."

Seishin, "Yeah."

Downstairs:

"Oh, Ritsuko, good morning."

One of her fellow nurses—Kiyomi—walked down the steps.

Ritsuko, "Good morning. Is that Setsuko's breakfast?"

Kiyomi, "Yeah. She didn't feel like eating, though. But her vital signs are stable. I wonder if having her stay at the clinic helped."

Changing room:

Ritsuko and another nurse, Yasuyo, were changing into there work attire.

Ritsuko, "Yasuyo...Is it really okay for us not to stay here at night?"

Yasuyo, "I think it's okay...since the doctor says it's not necessary."

"Yeah...I guess..."

Meeting room:

"Two house calls in the morning and in the afternoon..."

Everyone was quiet for a while.

Yasuyo, "Doctor..."

Ozaki snapped out of what appeared to be a trance from lack of sleep—that's what it was. "Hm? Ah, yeah...in the afternoon, there's one."

Mutou, "Doctor, how's Setsuko doing?"

"How? Not bad. That's it. Let's start today's work. Thanks."

Later:

Yasuyo, "Have you decided on a specific treatment for Setsuko?"

Ozaki, "Hm? It's not like that, but...what's the matter?"

She raised her voice, "'What's the matter'?! Everyone's worried. To see you doing night duty by yourself...You're pushing too hard. Why aren't you having us help you?"

"Yeah...I know..."

"So what do you say?"

He remained quiet.

"Okay..."

"Sorry. Once I've decided on the treatment, I'll ask for help."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Yasuyo sighed with relief, then walked away, but before she got far, he said one last thing to her. "Yasuyo...thanks."

Outside:

A red car pulled up just as Ozaki was about to leave on his bike.

"Hm?"

A woman came out, his wife, Kyouko.

"You really do look exhausted."

"Kyouko! What brought you here?"

Kyouko, "I got called in by your mother." she sat on the hood of the car, "She said that you told her that you wanted me to come home."

Of course, he knew it had to be his mother. "She said that?!"

"Yeah. 'I'm so busy at work that I'm totally exhausted. If you're my wife, at least be here with me at a time like this. Close your store and come home!' Well, I knew it was a lie right away."

Ozaki was scratching his head. "You can go back. You don't have to be here. Even if you stay, I can't spend time with you."

"I will stay. I put up a sign saying that the store will be closed for a while, so..."

He sighed, "Well...Stick around a bit to satisfy mom then you can go back."

"I will, even if you didn't tell me so."

"No. I won't allow you to go back." Ozaki's mother, Takae, showed up—seemingly out of nowhere.

Kyouko, "Oh..."

"Kyouko! You are married to an Ozaki. Going back when your husband is exhausted from work...? Shame on you!"

"Oh, that was a gaffe. I never thought you'd be hiding and eavesdropping on our conversation, so..."

Takae turned to her son(Their relationship was strained at best), "Toshio, why are you so busy? What's going on in the village? People are dying one after another. Don't tell me it's an epidemic."

Ozaki jumped at that.

Kyouko, "What?!"

Takae, "So, is it?"

Ozaki, "Yeah. It looks like an epidemic is one possibility."

Takae, "I knew it! Listen to me. When the next patient with that epidemic comes, call an ambulance and send them to a different hospital. You don't have to do anything dangerous! Okay?!"

"It's obviously not okay!"

"Toshio! You are the only son of the historic Ozaki family. What'll happen to the clinic if something happens to you? Since a certain someone stays out of home, there's no heir, you know!"

Kyouko, "Hey!"

Ozaki, "When push comes to shove, we can adopt a smart child from our relatives. If not, how about you getting remarried, Mom?"

Takae, "Wha..."

Kyouko, "Hehe..."

Ozaki, "I'm going to make house calls now."

Takae stood there, baffled, while Kyouko smiled and waved. She then turned to her daughter-in-law, and slapped her on the leg.

Takae, "To see that you expose so much of your legs!"

Kyouko, "Ouch! What're you doing, you damn old hag?!"

"Shut up! Behave more refined!"

"I don't wanna be told that by an old hag who eavesdrops!"

"What'd you say?!"

"Why don't you find an old geezer to..."

Though he was far, Ozaki sighed.

Kunihiro Residence:

Ritsuko was fixing dinner for Dr. Ozaki since he was working the late shift, again. Her little sister, Midori, noticed.

Midori, "Wow! It smells good!"

When she tried taking a piece of sandwich, Ritsuko pinched her hair to stop her. "Don't sneak a bite, Midori."

"Geez...you're stingy."

"The doctor is staying overnight at the clinic. Setsuko from the construction company is staying at the clinic. So I'm dropping off some snacks for him."

"Setsuko is sick, too? There's something wrong with that family. One after another..."

"Yeah..."

"In any case, you're diligent, aren't you, Sis? It's something the younger Mrs. Ozaki should do, right? She's back, isn't she? I saw her car today."

"Kyouko isn't someone who'd do things like that."

"Then, what about the elder Mrs. Ozaki?"

"The Junior Monk is helping the doctor overnight at the clinic."

"Oh...The elder Mrs. Ozaki doesn't like the temple because they're ranked higher than the Ozakis."

"Exactly. Well then, see you later."

Out the door, she stopped by the doghouse of her dog, Taro.

"Taro, would you like to go for a walk, too?"

He just lay there.

"Geez...fine. I'll go by myself."

Ozaki clinic:

Dr. Ozaki was curious. "I wonder...what abilities they have."

Seishin, "Hm?"

"I wonder if they could transform into bats or go through walls..."

Connor was also there. "Going through walls is what ghosts do. And only certain Vampires can shapeshift."

Ozaki, "Well...In things like movies, they use crosses to ward them off, don't they? Crosses and garlic. They show no reflection in mirrors. Vulnerable to sunlight..."

Seishin closed the book he was reading.

Connor, "Depends on the type of vampire when it comes to the first two, they actually do have reflections, and there are Daywalker variants. They do have enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and eyesight. They also have accelerated healing, and immortality.""

Seishin, "The image of vampires we have is all based on fiction."

Ozaki, "But in this village, there're those who kill people by sucking their blood. Right?"

Connor, "That's if they choose to kill them. They're more like vampire bats in Central America; They take the blood they need to survive. If we really think about it, they're as subject to the laws of nature as everything else."

Halfway there:

Ritsuko froze to the sight of something unsettling.

Ritsuko's POV:

Can't be...

Ozaki, "If we can capture even one of them, it'll speed things up. We'd dissect them or something and..."

Seishin, "Dissect?! Hold on a sec!"

Connor left already.

Seishin, "Suppose, just suppose, vampires exist...If they're no different from before their death, except the suck blood, then..."

Before Seishin could finish, scratching was heard. Like nails on a chalkboard. Ozaki and Seishin went into the recovery room, and saw a startling sight; Setsuko's eyes opened, but she didn't seem awake at all.

"I'm here."

Ozaki, "Seishin, this is the second floor, right?"

Seishin, "Yeah."

"Outside the window, there's..."

"Right, there's no foothold."

"Then...that's..."

They moved closer to the window. In a quick pull, Ozaki opened the blinds. The culprit was Nao. She appeared to be levitating. Seishin could not believe his eyes.

Setsuko, "I'm right here!"

Ozaki, "Nao!"

Seishin, "How can this be...?!"

Nao slowly lowered back to the ground. Ozaki then burst open the window and yelled at her, "This is my clinic! I will not allow you to enter without permission. Beat it already!"

This is, so far, the longest chapter in the story.

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