Chapter 74
Still in a state of terror Botan did the only thing he could think of and ran. Away from that demon. Away from that monster. Away from that girl. To his relief the girl didn't follow behind him as he left the great hall. He felt disoriented as the blood poured from his face, staining his clothing. He had to find Kline, had to get the man to help him.
"So how does it feel to lose for the first time?" asked Kline stepping in front of Botan, finding him first. "How does it feel to bleed for the first time?"
"N-no one does that to me! She's a monster!"
"But I thought you wanted to face the demon?" asked Kline. "I thought you wanted a test?"
"B-but look!" said Botan holding out his blood covered hands. "Look!"
"You think the loss of one eye is a terrible injury? You are acting very undignified," said Kline shaking his head in disapproval. "Shuzo, please help."
"Hey what are you doing?" asked Botan as Shuzo appeared beside Kline. "You know first aid?"
"One such as you should never have been in our employment," said Kline as Shuzo snapped his fingers. Botan screamed as his legs became frozen in a block of ice and slowly it rose to his stomach. His scream grew more powerful and then weaker as the ice reached his chest. He looked desperately at the two men before the ice finally engulfed his head. The two men stood looking at the frozen figure of a horrified Botan, bloodied eyes wide with terror.
"What now?" asked Shuzo.
"We have no need for him. Do as you wish," said Kline dismissively.
"Very good," said Shuzo as he pulled back his arm and then smashed a punch into what had been Botan's face. The ice figure shattered into hundreds of pieces that fell to the ground with a faint tinkling sound.
"When he thaws that is going to be quite a mess," said Kline.
"But we don't ever have to come back here," said Shuzo.
"Good point. Well lets go, Botan can be useful again by providing food for whatever animals make their way in here."
As Tomo crouched down beside her friend she realized how she had managed to return to her normal state with relative ease. Already her hands were back to normal and she was certain she could feel her canines returning to their regular size. When she looked at her friend all she felt was worry instead of a thirst for blood and violence as she had felt when she had been face to face with Osaka.
She freed Sakaki's mouth first, then wrapping the cloth around her neck to stop the faint bleeding. Sakaki looked up at her, the faint fearful look vanishing as she saw it was just Tomo in front of her.
"Are you ok Sakaki?" asked Tomo.
"My neck hurts a bit…kind of obvious," said Sakaki with a faint smile. "But it's itchy."
"I'd probably not scratch it for a while," said Tomo. "I guess. I don't really know much first aid so I might be wrong."
"It's ok," said Sakaki as Tomo freed the girl from the rest of her bonds. "T-thank you for saving me," said Sakaki, looking down at the floor.
"Hey no problem!" said Tomo patting Sakaki a bit too hard on the back, the tall girl lurching forwards. "So where is Takino?"
"I'm not sure," said Sakaki as she stretched out her legs.
"Well I guess we have to search then. Watch out though, that guy might still be around. He did make a bit of a weird exit out of here. Guess I was just too good for him!" said Tomo sticking up a thumb. Sakaki looked briefly puzzled.
"Let's get going," said Tomo holding out a hand to help Sakaki up.
"No way," said Chidori in disbelief as the numerous weapon/bandage hybrids shot towards her and the unconscious girl in front of her. Yelling and with the last of her strength she leapt to her feet…
"Ah crap why not," she muttered to herself, hissing in pain as she lifted Kaorin, feeling an intense pulling pain across her shoulder, taking the girl with her. She narrowly avoided the attack, the rocks behind her fragmenting. Forget skewering those things would have torn me apart!
Sen stood up and watched as the bandages removed themselves from the rocks. Chidori grunted as she shifted Kaorin to rest the girl on her uninjured shoulder and then began to awkwardly run down the path, away from Sen. She didn't like running away but she doubted there was much else she could do. I just hope that bastard doesn't decide to stab me in the back…
Sen took three steps forward, watching as the two girls vanished from view. He recalled the right bandages, wrapping them back around his hand and wrist, tugging down on them slightly as though they were gloves to ensure a snug fit. With the left set of bandages he reached out and smashed some of the boulders, causing a collapse that blocked off the pathway. The rest of Kasumi's body was crushed under the rock fall.
"Keep running girl. I have no more time for you. None of us do."
With that Sen turned to face the mountain: "So that's where Tomo is."
"Eww what is that?" asked Tomo as something crunched underfoot. "Someone dropped something frozen all over the floor."
"Yeah," said Sakaki who was daintily attempting to avoid stepping on anything. The vast hall had narrowed into a smaller corridor. To the right was a stairway and the left led to a small room.
"So Sakaki do we go up the stairs or go straight forward?" asked Tomo looking ahead at the corridor which stretched off into the distance.
"Erm…I don't really mind as long as we…as long as we don't split up," said Sakaki.
"Let's keep going forward then!" said Tomo. "Those stairs might keep going for ages."
"What if the corridor does?" asked Sakaki as they resumed walking.
"Well at least we won't be going up stairs," said Tomo. "They wear me out quickly!"
"What if there are stairs this way?"
Tomo shrugged. With no further questions Sakaki walked alongside her friend in silence, occasionally fighting the urge to itch her wounded neck. Though attempting to stay alert and focused, the dull unchanging walls either side of them along the narrow corridor quickly bored Sakaki. While she yawned occasionally beside her Tomo was deep in daydreams, looking forward but paying little attention as she imagined herself finding a boyfriend, running off and-
"Huh-wha?" asked Tomo as she bumped into Sakaki who had come to a sudden halt.
"A room," said Sakaki pointing towards the end of the corridor. Indeed from that angle Tomo could see that the corridor suddenly widened greatly into a white walled room. And within she could just about make out the firm shape of what appeared to be a large wooden table.
"Do you think anyone is in there?" asked Sakaki.
"Do you think they have any food in there?" asked Tomo in reply.
"Maybe," replied Sakaki. The girl doubted that was the thing to be worrying about right now.
"Stay back here Sakaki, I'll go and check it out first," said Tomo. She partly said that in case there was something dangerous ahead as she possessed the power of the demon. But as well as not wanting to expose Sakaki to danger, if there was food ahead she'd be able to get first choice if she went in first.
She quickly moved ahead of Sakaki, keeping low and moving up to the entrance. As she reached the end of the corridor she had yet to see anyone inside the room. She came to a stop up against the wall next to the entrance and glanced back at Sakaki. The taller girl was slowly moving forward in support.
In a move that both dismayed and scared Sakaki, Tomo brainlessly stepped into the room before suddenly pausing. She held up a hand to point, and then turned around to face Sakaki.
"It's Takino!" said Tomo.
Still feeling slightly cautious Sakaki moved forwards and stepped into the room, glancing around to see if they were about to be attacked. At the far end of the table sat Takino, a small glass in front of him half filled with a purple liquid. He seemed healthy enough, smiling as the two girls appeared. He gently pushed the chair backwards and stood up.
"Is it Takino?" whispered Sakaki. "It might be a transformation…," her voice trailed off.
"No I know it's him! He smells the same!" said Tomo.
"S-smells?" asked Sakaki.
"Probably an offshoot of having the power of the demon," suggested Takino as he marched towards the two girls. Sakaki felt uncomfortable- why had he not been tied up in anyway, why hadn't he tried to escape? Why had he been sat there drinking?
"So I guess it is time to get out of here?" asked Takino as he came to a stop in front of the two girls.
"Yeah! But is there any food?" asked Tomo. She turned as Sakaki suddenly jolted before her. Slowly Tomo turned to face her friend, surprised to see the tall girl stood wide eyed, unblinking, unmoving. More like a still doll then a living person. Takino slowly lowered one hand.
"My Genjutsu is most effective" muttered Takino to himself. He turned to face the puzzled Tomo. "I am afraid I have not been completely truthful to you, my niece."