Chapter 21: Reunion

Natsuno was in his room, sitting on his bed, and holding a wrench as a weapon—the okiagari were targeting him.

Natsuno:

Matsuo Shizuka from Sakaimatsu...After saying something about her brother coming by, she disappeared. That was two days ago.

Maybe they won't come. No, that's wishful thinking.

Will it be him?

But there's no way I'd just let them attack me. I'll fight back! I have to try!

It was midnight when the window started tapping. Also, by Natsuno's side was a cross he made at least a week before.

When the tapping stopped, a shadow appeared, and tried opening the window.

Natsuno:

That shadow isn't Shimizu's. Maybe it is him.

He's not getting in here, the window's locked.

The shadow seemingly gave up, and walked away. However, it seemed to actually be heading to the backdoor. Natsuno thought he heard the okiagari turning the knob.

Natsuno:

"What?! I'm sure I locked it earlier! Unless...Did Dad unlock it?!"

Flashback:

Mr. Yuuki, "Look at this, Natsuno. Isn't it wonderful? I heard there is no crime in this village and the villagers don't lock their doors when they go to bed. I'll have you get used to that kind of life. From now on, no more locking doors."

Natsuno:

That's just like him. He's always been like that. No...Both of "them" are.

I was born when they were still in college, they were both so young. They didn't believe in the institution of marriage, so naturally they never married.

It's preferably my father's surname, Yuuki. But because they never wed, it's listed as Koide on the family register, my mother's last name.

Those two reject social norms—they think their ideas are the only correct ones.

The reason they decided to move here was because they thought it'd be a nice change in pace, good for the soul and artistic inspiration.

What a load of crap! I'm getting out of this village no matter what! I'll be accepted by a college in a big city and get away from my parents! I can't die here, not now!

In reality, the shadow returned to the window.

"Is he coming back here?"

Natsuno stood by it, readying the wrench.

Natsuno:

If you want to, come on! This time, I'll capture you and bring you to the villagers!

He was shocked to hear a familiar voice.

"Natsuno."

"That voice!"

"It's me."

Natsuno slumped his arms down and dropped the wrench.

"Only somebody close to me would call me by my first name, and I know that voice."

He slid open the blind.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

Natsuno turned his head to the lock.

"I shouldn't—it's obviously a better idea to stay in here. Obviously."

And yet, he unlocked it, and opened the window.

"Hey."

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Natsuno by the wrist, and tried to pull him out, but Natsuno managed to free himself only to see who it was.

"Tohru..."

The blonde turned and ran off crying in shame.

"Tohru, wait!"

Elsewhere:

Nightmare wad on the hunt for Natsuno. "Your end has come, Natsuno Yuuki."

Megumi spotted him without being spotted herself, and was alarmed by it.

When she was far away from the azure knight, she found Tohru, crying.

"Tohru."

She approached him. "So, Tatsumi selected you to do it. He's such a sadist." She didn't bother bringing up the knight.

Tohru, "He said if I didn't do it, they'd attack Aoi and Tamotsu instead. I couldn't let that happen to them, not after what they went through."

She wrapped her arms around him, much to his surprise.

"So, he threatened the ones you cherish the most as well."

"Shimizu..."

Megumi pulled out the note Natsuno wrote her, to Tohru's amazement.

"After what I did to you, this made me realize that what I did...was wrong."

She had offered him a shoulder to cry on.

"I got you both into this mess, I should get you out."

"Huh?!"

She stood up, but Tohru halted her.

"Shimizu, don't! If you act on your own, who knows what Tatsumi will do to you..."

She took his hand off her shoulder.

"It's my problem, not yours. This has to end."

Edge of the woods:

Natsuno searched for Tohru.

"Tohru, where are you? Tohru!"

Natsuno:

First, Megumi. Now, Tohru?!

I didn't know he would...No, I didn't want to know—if there was ever a chance either Tohru or her would come back, it would be as one of "them".

They shouldn't have to go through this.

Megumi, she had her life ahead of her—she even said that she felt like she belonged somewhere when I came.

And Tohru, he was good; he had his pick of friends, yet he chose me. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but he didn't care.

All of my good memories in this village have them both, even though Megumi came later. They deserve better.

He approached a well that he and Tohru came once, and put his hand in it.

"His hand was as cold as this water."

In the treeline, Megumi was watching him.

"Yuuki, I want you to be safe, but..."

Suddenly, Tatsumi came up to Natsuno.

"Hi! If I'm correct, you're Natsuno Yuuki, right?"

"You..."

"It's the first time I've greeted you since moving here!"

"I know, you're Tatsumi, the servant at the Kirishiki household...so what did you want?"

"You seem like a really smart guy. You're the first villager who found out about us. You're also quite brave. After seeing something like that, most people would run away alone. But you didn't. It's because you're too nice. You've only been here for a year but you couldn't abandon this village. Even though they are few, you do have good friends here."

"Hmph, I guess I have."

"But, this is troubling. It'd be nice if you were the type to hide and shiver under your bed. But, like Dr. Ozaki, you decided to hunt us. And we can't have hunters."

"So, you want to kill me. That's fine, but don't think I'm going to just lay around for you to do it. You're just gonna have to catch me first."

"Sorry! While it is a nice night for that, I have something else in mind!"

Natsuno paused for a moment.

Tatsumi, "Alright Megumi, you can come out now!"

Natsuno couldn't believe his eyes, she was right there.

Megumi, "Tatsumi...I..."

Tatsumi, "Don't worry about it. I'll make an exception. I had predicted it would turn out this way."

"Eh?"

"It's just you two now. Do whatever you like."

She turned her attention towards Natsuno.

"Yuuki...please understand..."

Natsuno snapped at that moment—not just for the fact that Megumi, whom he had just discovered feelings for, was a vampire now; but also the fact that she was being manipulated by Tatsumi.—towards Tatsumi.

He clenched his hand into a tight fist, "You know, Tatsumi...you're right..."

Tatsumi, "'Bout what?"

Natsuno turned towards him, "I also have something else in mind!"

He approached Tatsumi, and punched him in the face. "Hngh-gah!"

The force was so strong, it easily knocked Tatsumi onto the ground quickly. The Day walker also sustained a broken nose, and even spit out blood from his mouth.

After a moment of silence...

Tatsumi, "OW! That really friggin' hurt, y'know!"

Natsuno, "You don't know what hurts at all!"

Suddenly, Megumi grabbed him, her hand covering his mouth, and bit his neck. When she finished, she tearfully, and quietly told him, "Follow your free will." Natsuno then fell to the ground—He had been bitten.

Suddenly, Nightmare landed in between Megumi and Natsuno, and Tatsumi. At first, he prepared his blade to kill Natsuno on the spot. However, something else caught his attention; the well. The azure night smashed his hand into the well, and pulled out something—the first missing shard of Soul Edge. "The first piece...it is mine!" He held it in the air, energized it, and put it back onto the sword. The blade changed shape, growing spikes around the eye, and even shifting color—it darkened. At the same time, Nightmare himself changed; his abdomen grew spikes pointing straight down on the upper half, and straight up on the lower half—like razor sharp teeth. His shoulders sprouted frills, the horn on his head lengthened and two flared crests on the sides of his head formed, his deformed arm grew armor plating, and his heels became spiked.

"Now then..."

However, he saw that during that time, they had disappeared, enraging him.

"Raaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!"

Nightmare just discovered the first shard, he's far more powerful than before. If you read this chapter carefully, you noticed that I greatly altered the events. That's for obvious pairing reasons.

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