Second longest chapter I've ever written *twirl eyes* I wanted to inform you guys that I may go in a hiatus someday... I'll make sure to warn you when because not even I know...

Also my best friend Crying is always visiting my chapters XD it is not my fault that Kana is a sensitive 13 years old girl ಠ_ಠ
Enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

A smile. A smile of welcoming someone home. A smile of acceptance. The one with which you know you are finally a family member. That was the smile she saw. The smile that turned into nothingness in a second.

The sight was astonishing, especially how she lost her smile when the tip of her blade made contact with her head. She couldn't believe she killed someone but the way her blood clung onto Kana like a leech proved her wrong. The feeling of nausea lingered in her stomach and soon enough, she nauseated on herself. Tears stained her face as she threw up in an unflattering way. The vomit and tears seeped down her mouth to her kimono. She just witnessed a terrifying sight that she wished she never saw. Her eyes remained on the half split woman that was drenched in her own blood.

"I'll KILL YOU!" A voice roared furiously.

That broke her off her trance. She saw him sprinting toward her with her still tearfully shocked eyes.

"Genjutsu: Ayatori jyakō yaiba" He pulled his strings to entwine and dismember her. The strings surrounded her rapidly while he imbuing it with his Fear. He was planning to kill her.

Much to everyone's surprise someone interfered. It wasn't Rikuo, in fact, he was still too shaken by the incident to even realize what was going on.

"Get out of my way or I'll kill you too." Kubinashi hissed to the intruder who cut off his strings.

"No." Itaku replied. He wasn't going to let him kill her. The neck less guy didn't take his words kindly.

Some of the other yokai were wondering if they should fight too. They couldn't let her kill Rikuo like how she killed Kejoro.

"Attack!" Someone encouraged them to commence so they all struck.

Itaku dodged an attack from Kubinashi sensing how the situation had gotten worse. He can't stop all of them when he had an opponent strong as Kubinashi. The assailants were blocked by the rest of the Tono village yokai.

"We have your back, Itaku." Dohiko assured him.

Itaku nodded his head feeling grateful. Now he could focus on the person in front of him. He transformed into his yokai form to fight seriously but he didn't expect the kick on his back, making him stumble forward. He looked behind him to see who the attacker was and it was none other than Kana, herself.

Can't she tell the difference between a foe and an ally? Much to his distaste she was still persistent in killing Rikuo after all this.

"Someone, stop her!" He shouted, blocking Kubinashi from advancing after her.

"We can't! We are busy here too!" Amezo responded, pushing some attackers away from him.

She ran toward Rikuo with the intent of killing him but was stopped by a group of yokai attacking her. She didn't have her chainsaw because it wasn't functional anymore so instead used her body as a weapon. She punched and kicked anyone who came within her personal space, but it was proven futile with the amount of people pouncing on her.

Slobber splattered on the floor when she was kneed in her guts. One of them then elbowed her in her head causing her to drop to the ground lifeless. Her head was ringing and she felt really dizzy to the point she couldn't stand up in time to dodge the next attack.

"We will kill you like how you killed Kejoro ane-san." He held her by her head with a grip so tight, it would make anyone feel like he was planning to break their skull.

Saliva, mixed with blood, just trickled their way down her mouth. She was too much out of it to feel the pain until he swung her away from him roughly. Her back hit the bark of the tree painfully that she gasped for air with dilated iris. He was planning to make her suffer more but was punched away by Dohiko.

"I'll be your opponent." He said, taking a glance at her, gasping for air like no tomorrow. She tried to stand up but failed miserably. She had reached her limit already.

If you failed

She could see the smile on whoever was whispering to her. Difficult

Kill yourself

Her body pushed itself off the ground with a lot of difficulty. She stood there like a deformed zombie. The girl wasn't in her right mind anymore. Her vision was very fuzzy and she could barely make out what was going on. Her body climbed the tree next to her with all the effort she had left and she reached the highest branch. Taking Kubinashi's string that was left on top of some branches, she tied it around the steady thick branch, then tied it around her neck. She could tell she would hang herself right now and she wasn't resisting. She couldn't live knowing she had killed someone. She gave a goodbye speech before falling forward, fainting.

The string was cut off just in time for her to only fall ungracefully down the tree. Rikuo stood with a stressful look on his face. He was such an incompetent leader and he was very disappointed with himself. His clan was battling each other in rage because of him. He closed his eyes to determine in his mind what he should do. A deep sigh left his mouth realizing he should stop the unnecessary battle that was going on.

"Stop..." He whispered. "Stop fighting everyone." He felt tears welling up. "I'm sorry... Kejoro"

He wiped his tears and narrowed his eyes instead. He can't break down in front of the people who relayed on him. He needs to be strong for them.

"STOP IT!" He shouted loud and clear. Some stopped what they were doing while some didn't.

"Someone cover Kejoro's body. We will have a funeral in a few days from now." He commanded to the ones that were listening because he couldn't bear seeing her body.

"And to those who still wants to fight." He made his way toward Kubinashi and Itaku battle.

"You will be my enemy instead." He stood in the middle, causing them to halt their attack instantly. His words sent chills down some ayakashi's spine. Was he serious?

"I'll give further orders later." He walked back to where he was and bent down to pick the rotten, smelly girl. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when he couldn't avoid touching the vomit and blood as he carried her bridal style.

"Rikuo-sama..." They didn't voice out what they wanted to say because he disappeared inside with an expressionless look.

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The funeral day eventually came with several people attending it in sorrow. Two of the attendees that were absent-Zen and Rihyon- didn't take the news well and out of all them, Kubinashi was the most affected by it. The funeral eulogy was given to Tsurara when it was originally he, who should have said it. His discussion had caused a fight with Kurotabou which almost resulted with them, killing each other if Rikuo wasn't there to stop them.

From the corner of his eyes he saw someone run away, crying over the deceased. He looked down at the floor like it was the most interesting thing he ever saw. He was no longer with everyone. He couldn't hear them or see them. The thoughts of not being able to save his loved ones once again invaded his mind. He failed yet again... he couldn't save Kejoro and because of his mistake, he lost her.

There were only a few of them who were crying loudly while the rest were silently mourning the deceased. He couldn't even hear those cries.

Why was he useless again? He lost someone because of he was too kind…too weak. He clenched his fist while narrowing his eyes. He vowed inwardly that he would avenge Kejoro. He turned around and slowly walked away.

He will kill the murderer in the most brutal way he knew.

Every step he took was filled with vengeful thoughts.

He wouldn't let them get away with what they did.

The murderous rage he had on his face had the people in front of him get out of the way, shivering.

She will pay for her sins.

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Ever since that incident she had been quivering a lot like an alarm clock. Red puffy eyes adorned her face from crying too much and the lack of sleep she have not been getting. She couldn't sleep when Kejoro haunted her in her dreams. Another noticeable aspect of her face would be her hollow cheeks. She looked more physically ill with her developed habit of rocking herself back and forth while eating her nails out of nervousness. The Nura clan weren't the only ones who were traumatized. The committer was also affected.

I killed someone.

The thought that replayed itself over a million times.

I have killed someone.

That thought once again interrupted her gateway. She had tried to think of something else different multiple times but that sentence stuck to her like glue.

Kill, kill, kill. You've killed someone.

She held her head to stop herself from thinking about that. Nothing can stop the monster in her head of accusing her.

A murderer.

They thought she was mentally sick before but right now, she really was.

STOP!

She shook her head repeatedly in hopes of getting rid of it.

You killed Kejoro.

She dropped her hand down lifelessly in acceptance. There was no use in denying it. She was haunted by her.She couldn't escape reality even if she wanted.

"Ahh..." Her head snapped toward the awkward looking monk. "Rikuo-sama has requested you to eat dinner with us... " A tantrum had occurred when Rikuo announced that. Some even thought he was crazy but he had closed all sort of arguments people had.

"You are free to decline the offer if you want." He quickly suggested.

She nodded her head weakly and went back to drown in her own thoughts. She wasn't going to go there at all. How could she shamelessly show her face to that many people after what she did? If she didn't forgive herself how could she expect them to?

You deserve to die.

She did deserve to die. Maybe she should end her life once and for all. It was very hard to move on and even if years passed, it still wouldn't change the fact she killed someone. She had bought shame to her family.

I'm sorry, Mom and Dad.

The thought of her parents triggered a memory.

"Why are you hiding, Kana?" Her mom questioned behind the oblivious child. The girl was startled at the sudden appearance of her mom but didn't respond.

"What's wrong dear?" Her mom bent down to her height.

"I-I..." She hesitated in telling her what was wrong. She shifted her leg left and right with her hands behind her back. Her mom knew that she does that when she got herself in trouble.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want too." Her mom showed consideration of her daughter's silence.

"The class said I cheated on the test." She frowned at being accused wrongly.

Her mom furrowed her eyebrows at what she told her.

"Really?" A deep voice asked. Kana nodded her head at her father.

"So, did you do it?" She shook her head.

"Then why are you hiding? You are just proving to them that you really are guilty."

She didn't think of it that way. "What should I do?" She asked curiously.

Her mom smiled and answered. "Hold your head high and don't let their comments affect you. They will realize that you didn't do it."

"As long as you know you didn't do it and believe in yourself, it doesn't matter what others say." Her father added.

Yes, they said that and here she was, doubting herself when she didn't do it.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Her parents once again saved her from falling to the darkness.

"Hide only when you've done something wrong."

He also believed in her. Why was she so stupid? She wasn't going to hide. She will take his offer and show them that she was strong. That she didn't do it! Her sudden change in demeanor amazed her.

I can do this.

She shakily stood up with the support of the wall. Not walking for days had taken a toll on her. She walked one step at a time and made her way to the dining room, wobbling. She was having second thoughts with every step she took. The feeling you get when you are just about to take an exam was exactly how she felt right now, but worse.

I can do this

She assured herself and entered the room that abruptly went silent at her appearance. She held her head high and took a seat on an empty space near the door. She let out a breath she didn't know she had held and quietly picked up her chopsticks. No one dared to say something when Rikuo was there. Speaking of Rikuo, he was way too lost in his thoughts to even notice that she came. The silence stayed there for 3 minutes before Kubinashi spoke.

"Why are you here?" He questioned.

She ignored him and continued eating.

"Did you come here to kill the rest of my family?" He threw a snide remark. She managed to keep her composure very well because she knew this would come. Seeing Kubinashi speak had unlocked some whispers from others.

"I can't stand being in the same room as her."

"Why haven't we kicked this murderer out yet?"

There were so many whispers that she blocked but one of them struck her hard. Her hand froze mid air.

"She is a monster."

She took a shaky breath and continued. She had barely swallowed the food so she reached a hand out to drink water.

"She should die like how she killed Ane-san."

She almost choked when she heard the next words.

"A monster that doesn't deserve to live."

A monster.

The pain was unbearable so she stood up and hurriedly left, closing the door as she ran. The world was nothing but darkness to her with a road that led to light. She desperately ran toward that light. She just wanted to escape this cruel world. Her once dried tears poured in anguish. She thought she was strong but she was as fragile as glass. The tears blinded her on the way and she tripped down on the floor with her hand reached out.

I c-can't see the light.

That light was her hope but now she can't see it. She was trapped in the depth of darkness. She tried to stand up only to fall back down. She closed her eyes to calm down.

I'm strong... I can do this.

After calming herself down, she managed to stand up and walked slowly to the nearest bathroom. She was startled when she saw the dead Kejoro in front of her. She tightly closed her eyes to stop her hallucination.

She is not there, Kana. She is not.

She opened an eye to check if she was still there but there was nothing out of the ordinary. She let out a sigh in relief. It still scared Kana to see the nonexistent Kejoro even when she saw her more than 10 times already.

She headed to her destination quickly and looked at the mirror with her exhausted eyes. She noticed a few large bruises that had gradually darkened to blue or purple over the days. She took out a knife from within her sleeves and set it down on the turned the knob for the water to come out and washed her face to ease her stress. She dried her face with a clean towel nearby and looked at her reflection once again. She almost let out a scream in shock had she not been mute. She lost her balance and in the process, she knocked her head on the wall. She winced in pain as she remembered what she saw.

It was her but there was blood all over her and her mouth was filled with disgusting, thick, white substance. Frightened, she took a peak at the mirror. There was nothing... An illusion? She had been seeing so many things these days.

You killed her.

She was suffering greatly from everything. When would the pain in heart go? She was... broken. She wanted it to end and if she had to, she would end it herself.

She held the knife she slipped in when she was eating, tightly. With trembling hands, she turned it to her direction and closed her eyes. She had better do it now and end her life.

Goodbye everyone.

"Hmm, you are planning to commit suicide here?" A voice chimed in.

She jumped in surprise and looked at the interrupter. She bowed her head down at the floor in silence.

"Be quick so it can be painless." He walked away even though he promised to make her suffer greatly.

When the neck less blond went away, she looked at the item in her hand. She should do it fast so it can be painless? She let out a soundless laugh and shook her head at what he said. She will do it slow so she can feel the pain in every fiber of her body. It will make leaving this world more acceptable.

She waited a few minutes to get herself emotionally and physically ready again after the interruption. She closed her eyes and apologized for all the pain she had caused to everyone.

I'm sorry... please forgive me.

She dived for the kill but was stopped by a firm hand that was holding her own. She looked up at the crimson eyes that were filled with anger and sadness.

"I won't let you do it." He said quitely.

She struggled to show him that she wanted to do it but his grip was solid. Her struggling soon turned to pleading. Her eyes begged him to let go but he shook his head.

Why! Her eyes screamed.

He didn't give her an answer. He just pulled her toward him and hugged her. It was hard to contain the tears when he did that. She was so puzzled on why he would comfort her after all this and at that moment her heart gave an abnormal beat.

No!

The twisted feeling in her stomach told her otherwise. The hand that held the knife slowly lifted. With all her will power she tried to stop it. She didn't want to kill anyone anymore and definitely not someone special to her.

She gritted her teeth from holding her own hand back. It went back and forth slightly from the two different body movements that were trying to gain dominance over the other. It was so hard to hold them back and she was afraid to admit that she would eventually lose.

The soft hands of Rikuo placed themselves on her own. He took the knife away gently from her tight fist and threw it aside. She looked at him in fright of turning against her too but instead he smiled at her.

She wanted to kill him just a second ago and he was smiling? Her big wide eyes looked at his crimson eyes in confusion and curiosity.

"How did I know?" He gave a smirk not at all bothered by the fact that she did try to kill him. She nodded.

"You told me." He replied smoothly.

She told him? She can't even speak for god sake! How could she have told him that? He always seemed to know what she is thinking because he gave her a response.

"Your breath gave it away. You were breathing like a woman in labor." He joked in amusement.

Now that he mentioned, she wasn't breathing normally. He ruffled her head affectionately.

"Thank you for saving me. I knew you would never do it willingly."

How did killing him turned to saving him? He was making her look like a hero when she was the villain.

"Why are you crying again?" He bent his head down a bit to face her. She was biting her lips in hopes to stop crying, accompanied with her hand clenching her kimono tightly.

He wiped her tears away and smiled to cheer her up. She pounded on his chest with feeble fists in anguish. If only he hated her, it would have made things easier for her. He took her in his embrace once again as she wailed her heart out.

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He poured sake in his cup and Zen's while watching the Sakura tree on a side. They had been drinking and talking for a while.

"About Kana, do you have any idea what's wrong with her?"

Zen took a sip of his sake and then explained what he got from examining her.

"There is a 50/50 percent chance she could be mentally unstable."

"That high?"

"You should say that low." Zen corrected. He didn't count her recent state because she really had lost it. This percentage was based on the information he had gathered from the witness. He still should have given her a higher percentage if it wasn't for his doubts. He still believed there was more than what met the eye. He needed that blood test as soon as possible.

"What you mean?" Rikuo inquired.

Zen just waved his hand off. "I'm still not sure myself." He just needed a bit more time and he may unlock this mystery.

"Do you have any solution?" He had a meeting with the clan executives and he can tell their response would not please him.

Zen pointed an index finger at his throat. "Her muteness is the problem. If we could get her to talk, then everything would be solved."

Rikuo raised an eyebrow at this. "Can you fix that?"

Zen chuckled humorously. "No."

Rikuo shook his head at his behavior. He almost believed that Zen could fix it.

"But I know a yokai who could." Rikuo eyes widen at this. "Who?"

"I don't know him personally but there are rumors going around about this miracles' doctor." Zen replied. All the anticipation Rikuo had, disappeared.

"I don't want rumors. I want facts."

"Actually, I have witnessed him heal someone who had cancer."

Rikuo almost spat the sake he drank.

"What?" No one had ever found a cure for cancer.

"I was shocked too." Zen admitted it. He remembered how that guy supported that girl by her head and did his magic.

"Can we trust him?" Rikuo asked, uncertain.

"I don't know." He just witnessed what happened, not befriended the guy.

"All I know is that he never does anything for free and he hates humans b-" He was cut off by Rikuo.

"Typical of a yokai."

"Wait, I haven't finished." Zen gave an annoyed look. Rikuo urged him to continue and he did.

"He hates yokai too." Rikuo raised an eyebrow at this but didn't question it.

"So there is no hope?" He asked, having drunk more than one cup by now.

"He did save a human girl so I believe there is."

Rikuo thought about what Zen told him a bit longer.

"Do you think we could get him to heal her?" He was aware of what he implied.

"It's worth a shot." Zen shrugged.

He could try to convince that guy to heal her, after all, this problem needed to be solved as soon as possible."So what is his name?"

There was a moment of silence before Zen answered him.

"Dr. Kei Desentes."

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The KanaXRikuo moment :3!

Lord Nayrael: IKR!

Ummm no.

Lol we need it for this to happen! XD

He is still in his human form! How can he do that o.o

I thought you would be against me too XD

Ahem half yokai half the injures (At least that what I thought lol) but look at it in a different view. Rikuo is still in his human form.

Fede194: I can't believe I did it too! I have been waiting to kill her since last year LOL

Awww thank you! I was worried about it but your comments are making things better :3

Awesome D.T: *GASP* First time I see D.T so speechless!

Silver Gold Moonlight: Thanks! I broke her physically and mentally so nope. It is a lost hope.

She should.

She died tragically :(

*-* Oh yeah! Let take as many pictures as we can.

I don't know how long I will be gone but if there is internet in the country I'm moving to (Yes, I'm moving and I heard that the country I'm going too have bad electricity and maybe no internet :O) then I could update :D