Chapter 26: Negligence

Connor was putting all the ingredients for the antidote together.

"I hope this works!"

He then noticed a little girl with a doll.

"That must be Shizuka Matsuo."

He postponed making the potion, hid it in a drawer, and locked it in order to pursue her.

Shizuka, "Make sure you don't mess up, this time!"

Connor, "Mess up what?"

She was surprised by him. "You really know the perfect time to sneak up on someone; it's almost scary!"

"I've got news for you, Shizuka; things don't always go the way as planned! Sooner or later, someone was gonna find out, and do something!"

Daylight:

Kaori and Akira came to secretly put up talismans in Natsuno's room. Of course, they still shouldn't be intrusive.

"Exuse me...! Is anyone home...?"

Mr. Yuuki answered the door.

"Yes?"

Akira, "Um, is...is Natsuno in?"

"Who are you?"

"Ahh, I'm Tanaka, his friend!"

"I've never heard of you."

Kaori, "Um, yesterday Natsuno wasn't feeling well, so we wanted to visit him!"

"Visit him?"

"Ahh...he said he hasn't been sleeping well."

"He's been like this since summer. He even said he'd skipped school today, and didn't even get out of bed. So it'd be better if you guys came again after a few days or so..."

Natsuno struggled to stand up.

"Dad. Let the two of them in!"

"Natsuno!"

The two bolted inside.

"Excuse us...!"

"Ah...hey!"

In the hallway,

Akira, "Natsuno! Were you attacked again!?"

Natsuno, "Why the hell did you come back!?"

"How could we leave you be?"

Kaori, "Look at this." She held out the bag of charms. "I don't know if these work against okiagari, but I think they might do the trick. We'll put lots of them up in your room."

Natsuno, "You guys...I don't intend on dying either. I'll definitely leave this village. I've always felt that way—And so does your friend, Kaori. In order to live in a big city again, I've been studying for college exams as well."

Akira, "That's right! Let's leave, Natsuno! Let's wait for the right chance! We should be able to find an opening at some point! Before that sword Connor called 'Soul Edge' decides to rear its ugly head!"

Later that day:

Mr. Yuuki discovered Natsuno's entire room covered in religious artifacts, again.

"What the...What the hell is this? Natsuno...You did it again? No...It must be those kids. Do they really think that these things will improve Natsuno's condition? The tendency to be superstitious, which is often seen in rural areas...Okiagari...Epidemics...Curses...I've had enough."

The next day:

Kaori and Akira returned to Natsuno's house—along with Connor—to see if the charms warded off okiagari.

Akira, "Hello! It's the Tanakas from yesterday!"

Kaori, "Hello?"

Connor, "Mr. Yuuki, answer!"

This time, however, it was Natsuno's mother. And she seemed like many of the other villagers who succumbed to the okiagari.

Ms. Koide, "Yes?"

"Holy crap! She's been bitten!"

Kaori, "Um, we came to check up on Natsuno again."

"Please come in."

Akira, "Th-Thank you."

Connor thrust a dagger into her, removing the hypnosis. When he pulled it back out, there was no blood or wound, but she did faint.

"What did you do that to her for?!"

Connor, "She's fine. Now let's go."

They entered Natsuno's room, only to discover that all the talismans were gone.

Akira, "Natsuno..."

Kaori, "He looks worse! He looks the same way Megumi did."

Connor, "It seems Natsuno didn't tell his parents anything. Understandable, because of Ikumi just blurting out like that."

Akira, "Don't say things like that!"

Kaori, "But..."

Mr. Yuuki came from behind them.

"Could you leave?"

They turned around to see him.

"As you can see, Natsuno isn't in any condition to talk with you."

He then passed them the bag of charms.

"I'll give these back to you. I don't want you to bring him such strange things."

Kaori took the bag. "Well...Um..." He glared at her. "P-Please let us nurse him! Could you let us stay with him overnight tonight? We won't cause you any trouble. Please!"

Akira, "P-Please!"

However, Mr. Yuuki sternly said, "We're his family, so we'll nurse him. Stop saying senseless things and just go home!"

Akira, "No. Not even in a million years!"

Kaori, "Akira..."

"I'm not going home!"

Connor, "Akira, that's enough!"

"But..."

Kaori, "If we can't be inside the house, then we'll just have to watch from outside."

"Outside? In the middle of the night?"

"Are you scared?"

Akira held it in for a little bit.

"Fine. We won't ask you anymore. But remember this. We're the only ones who know how to save Natsuno. If you don't do anything he'll be killed."

Connor, "Akira..."

Mr. Yuuki, "Killed?"

Connor, "Some guys just don't keep an open mind."

Akira, "It's okiagari!"

Kaori, "Akira! Let's go!"

"All you do is get in our way. It's as if you're trying to kill him!"

"Come on."

"We'll save Natsuno for sure!"

"Sorry for the trouble."

She had to drag Akira out of the house.

Connor, "Mr. Yuuki..."

Mr. Yuuki, "What?"

"It helps to be open-minded rather than a stubborn son-of-a-bitch."

"Huh?"

"Don't you realize that the one thing all the deaths have in common? They're all cardiac. Doesn't that scream 'suspicious' to you?"

With that, Connor left.

Mr. Yuuki's POV:

Oh! Those kids just might've accidently overheard about Ikumi Itou.

Those superstitious village kids naively think that it's real.

How silly of me to handle things like a child.

Outside:

Akira, "We need weapons to fight against Soul Edge as well! We're gonna arm ourselves and put up an all-out fight! Connor already has Soul Calibur! I'll bring a spiked bat."

Kaori, "I-I'll bring a skillet."

"A skillet?!"

Mr. Yuuki caught up to them.

"Wait!"

Akira, "What?"

"I'm sorry about what just happened."

"Eh?!"

"Since you were so serious about this matter, I gave it a little thought too, thinking that you three might be right. Everything makes sense if the Kanemasa people are okiagari."

Kaori, "Then you believe us?"

Connor, "Well, not all of them. Dr. Ozaki was telling the truth, that Mr. Kirishiki is in fact human."

Mr. Yuuki, "I think I'll stand watch at Natsuno's side all night tonight."

Akira, "Really?"

Connor, "You'll need a lot of caffeine for that."

Mr. Yuuki, "I promise. It's a father's duty to protect his family, so leave Natsuno to me. I'll protect him from the okiagari for sure."

Connor thought to himself, "I guess that's why my father died in an Bomb attack that my mother and I survived."

Akira, "Okay. He's your son, so you protect him."

Connor then held out a matchlock gun to him. "I'll leave this with you. It's the very gun Oda Nobunaga himself used in the late Sengoku era."

Mr. Yuuki took it. Then Akira handed him the bag of charms.

"We think that okiagari are afraid of holy items like these."

Mr. Yuuki, "That's reassuring."

"If something happens, please call Yoshikazu Tanaka's house. He's listed in the phone book."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Let's go, Kaori."

And they were off.

However, Mr. Yuuki just threw the charms into the garbage. He did keep the gun.

Store area, Late at night:

Mr. Tanaka was walking home—he was practically the only one working at the city hall office during the day nowadays. The only others who were employed were two temps, who only came at night.

"In any case, why in the heck does everyone work only at night?"

He then came across Megumi; for the moment he had forgotten about her death.

"Oh, Megumi. Where are you going so late at night?"

"Good evening, Mr. Tanaka! I'm going to buy some juice."

"It's dark, so watch your step, okay?"

"Okay!"

It was then, and only then, that he realized something.

"Wait a minute...Something's not right here. That's right. She died!"

Megumi came back, and wrapped her arms around him.

"You should be careful as well, Mr. Tanaka." She said in a concerning voice.

She quickly drew her fangs out, and bit him shallowly, then gave an order.

"Forget that this encounter happened. Just take your family, and get out of this village as soon as possible."

She then left. Mr. Tanaka continued walking home, until he came across another individual—this time, a knight in dark blue armor.

"Can I help you?"

The knight stepped forward, then stopped when he was only a foot away from Mr. Tanaka. He then leaned forward, and stared the man straight in the eye. His eyes revealed glowing rings in the irises, which erased the hypnotism effects of Megumi's bite, and put in his own, allowing him to manipulate the Mr. Tanaka.

"Tira."

A young woman came out, giggling.

"Yes, my lord?"

The knight's armor retracted, revealing Masao.

"Watch my sword while I have my meal."

"Of course, my lord."

Yes, this is what's happening now. Mr. Tanaka is under the complete control of Masao, who will be the one to turn him, just so he can torture the man emotionally when he's risen. This is why I made Masao and Soul Edge the Main Antagonists of this story. Masao is unraveling into insanity, if you can see already. Megumi is concerned for her friend's safety because she received the gift Kaori got her, and was already reassured by Connor earlier.

And for those who are wondering, Edo Nobunaga was a samurai warlord who unified Japan in the late Sengoku era. He actually did use matchlock guns in his conquests; more often than the katana sword. He was impressed with their power, and, interestingly, firearms were introduced to Japan earlier in the Sengoku era, when Sakamoto Ryoma opened the country's ports for the first time.

Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.