New lease In Life
Disclaimer:
Jigoku Shoujo is owned by Aniplex and Studio Deen
Fate/Stay Night is owned by Type Moon, Fate Project and Studio Deen
First off, many thanks to those who reviewed this fic, I really appreciated it and this gave me inspiration to work on the next chapter and it's been 6 years since I last updated this fic, and I left it there due to CIRCUMSTANCES and loss of interest. Even though season 4 of Jigoku Shoujo aired a few years ago, I sort of resisted it till a new review came (around the first week of April this year).
Though I felt that I should leave it alone, I decided to give it another shot after re-reading the fic, and having re-watched episode 14 and 22-26 of Jigoku Shoujo Futakamori, I decided to make a new chapter to continue this fic and see if it would attract readers after the 6-year inactivity.
Meanwhile, the current story arc picks up where the last chapter left, in which Shinji Mato is at it again as he continue harass Takuma behind the scenes, and even manipulates one of Rin's admirers to do the dirty work, and with Kikuri on the move, Rin and Shiro are going to exert efforts to calm him down and keep him from falling to despair.
Lastly, I'll be retconning this fic a bit due to finding out that I made some slight errors about the epilogues of both Futakamori and Fate/Stay Night, and here the corrections I made:
- Takuma Kurebayashi is aged 13 years old (according to the Hell Girl wiki site, Takuma is 12 years old in the anime)
- The events if this fic takes place a year after Futakamori ended
- Shiro Emiya and Rin Tohsaka are 16 years old
- Sakura Matoh is 15 years old
- Their appearances and role here are based on the epilogue of the first Fate/Stay Night anime.
- The Holy Grail has ended as of this story
- Ilya von Einsenberg, at the moment, lives with Shiro.
Well, after all that, it's time to get a move on!
Well, read on and enjoy!
Ch. 7: Kanjō-tekina kutsū
At the cemetery, the scene shows that Takuma was making prayers to his departed mother, and there Rin joins him and offered her prayers, and there Takuma was startled at seeing her, and he was afraid that she would get dragged in so he tells her to go, which she refused, telling him that she found out about the Hell Correspondence and about the Hell Girl, but Takuma tells her that he can't bear having someone die again because of him, and he tells her to leave him as she doesn't "need a Devil's Child beside him". Rin then grabbed Takuma by his shoulders and shook him, telling him that he doesn't need to be afraid or feel that he is alone, telling him that she is willing to share the pain he is feeling, and that she won't mind hanging out with him, and that triggered a shouting between the two.
"Why are you here? Go away!"
"Takuma...calm down...I know how you feel and what you're going through..."
"If you know what I feel.. then you should stay away from me! I can't have someone die because of me!"
"I don't care about your past! What's important is you face the present! You're not a devil's child so you shouldn't be afraid of..."
"If you are aware of the Hell Correspondence...then you know that the Hell Girl exists! She might target you if someone has a grudge on you! I lost a friend because of that! And I don't want you to suffer that same fate!"
"That won't happen!"
"Just leave me alone!"
"I won't! I'm here for you! I won't let you suffer again! I'll stick with you no matter what!"
Takuma then cried in her arms when he told her how his mom died and how Seri became a victim to the Hell Correspondence, but Rin told him that she is aware about the Hell Correspondence and assured to her that what he is fearing won't happen and that he should stay strong and face whatever challenges came in his way, while urging him not to stick with the past and should instead look forward to a brighter tomorrow.
Shiro smiled as this seem to have calmed the younger boy down, but he is unaware that Shinji is there, and have recorded the scene and is smirking deviously as he decided to up the ante and make Takuma fall in to despair, and he is going to contact the "admirer" to make him do more terrible things to Takuma, and left immediately.
After that, Kikuri shows up, swinging on a rope and is taunting Takuma, telling him "his days are numbered" and he, as well those who are closest to him, are going to fall in to suffering before going behind a thick tree, and when Shiro went there, he is taken aback that Kikuri disappeared, and then saw Takuma going in to melancholy which Rin tries to calm him down, having seen the new Hell Girl for the second time.
Not far, Shinji is snickering at what he saw, and he is becoming more and more unhinged, and became more obsessed in making Takuma break down, so that there would be no one to CLAIM Tohsaka, and there he picked up his smartphone and contacted the admirer, where he tells him that they are having a meeting and discuss on how to make Takuma break himself and go away.
"Hey…it's me."
"Ah, Matoh-sama…"
"Head to this place…I want to talk to you."
"Is it about that brat?"
"Yes…"
"Okay…I'll be there! I want to get that brat away from my Tohsaka!"
"Patience…you'll have her."
"Ha-ha-ha…Tohsaka will be mine…"
However, as Shinji left, he did not notice that Ilya is secretly watching Shinji, and once in the clear, she head towards Shiro's direction as she intend to tell him about what she found out.
-x-
Several hours later, the scene shifts at the alley within Fuyuki City, where Shinji and the admirer meet, where the two teens are planning something foolish as they intend to have Takuma go into a nervous breakdown, and when that happens, he will never show himself again and there Shinji promised the admirer that he will have Tohsaka all to himself, and no one will interfere.
The admirer grinned like a psychopath as he is thrilled in getting rid of all competition, yet he is unaware that Shinji is only using him and that Shinji will get rid of him once the admirer's usefulness is no longer needed.
"…and that is how the plan goes…"
"And then that Kurebayashi brat will go away…and Tohsaka will be mine…"
"Yes…I promise you'll have her."
"Really, Matoh-sama…?"
"Yes…really."
"Hah…hah…I want her for myself…I want to SEX her…"
"Easy…you'll have all the time…"
"Yeah…hah-hah…yeah…"
However, they heard a voice spoke, and Shinji stared wide-eyed upon hearing those VERY WORDS.
"Trace…on."
Upon turning around, Shinji was taken by surprise as the person who spoke those words turn out to be Shiro, wielding a pair of arm-sized pipes that have been reinforced with magic, and there he began beating up Shinji and the admirer, and the two older teens wailed in pain as Shiro beat them up real good, as this was the first time he did something like this.
"AAAIIIEE!"
"GGGYYYAAHH!"
"OOOOWWWOOOWWWOOOWW!"
"AAAAIIIKK!"
"THAT HURTS!"
"STOP!"
"I'M IN PAIN!"
"NO! NOT MY BALLS!"
Like a true, despotic coward, Shinji begged for mercy, but Shiro angrily answered back, demanding to know why go so far in harassing a 13-year old boy, who is only making friends with Tohsaka, and Shinji just laughed nervously as he could not come up with an alibi.
The admirer, however, was defiant, and reiterated that no other boys can claim Tohsaka, saying she belonged only to him, and even tells Shiro that he will not have her, his tone implies that the admirer sees her as a mere trophy.
This made Shiro angry as he hits the admirer with the pipes and tells him that Tohsaka deserved someone better than the admirer, and warned him to leave Takuma alone or he will be very sorry.
"Listen here, you bastard…"
"…"
"Leave the boy alone."
"…"
"Leave Tohsaka alone."
"…"
"Or else I'll be forced to make you two quadriplegic for life. Got that?"
"…"
After that, Shiro left, leaving a beaten Shinji and the admirer behind, and as the admirer is considering in targeting Shiro, Shinji persuaded him to focus only on Takuma, promising that the admirer will have Tohsaka all to himself.
"Now now…don't…be hasty…"
"But…he…"
"Don't bother with him. That brat is all we need…to focus…"
"R-really…?"
"Yes."
"You're right…I got to get that brat to leave…Tohsaka is…mine…"
"She'll be yours…I…promise…"
"Yes…"
The foolish admirer was easily duped, as he is obsessed with Tohsaka that he would listen to whatever Shinji suggests, and following his schoolmate's lead, the admirer feels like his goal of making Tohsaka as his girl is just moments within bus grasp, and it looks like he can get rid of Takuma anytime he wants and he feels that Shiro is only a mere afterthought and does not pose any threat to him or his goals of having HIS GIRL all to himself.
He labels Takuma as his only threat and focuses on driving him away from Tohsaka through any means necessary.
"Takuma Kurebayashi…you will lose…I swear…"
-x-
At a rented inn, the scene shifts inside where three of Ai Enma's companions are having a meeting, as they got the gist of what is going on, particularly involving Takuma. They discussed about what to as they are also aware that Kikuri is also involved in trying to break Takuma down emotionally and sensed that something is at work yet they have no proof, and thus the trio are in a bind.
Ren, Onna and Wanyuudo suspected that someone is behind this as they felt that Takuma is being targeted for a reason, and the trio discussed on what to do, as Kikuri is now the Jigoku Shoujo, and believed that Kikuri, or rather, the Hell Spider, is manipulating the events so that once Takuma reaches the breaking point, he might be tempted to use the Hell Correspondence.
Or worse, he might become the new Jigoku Shounen.
"That Kikuri…she's stirring things up."
"Or maybe the Spider…"
"Why would they want to pester and harass Takuma?"
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"You think Takuma's pursuers are behind this?"
"I doubt it. They're still on the run after ditching Lovely Hills."
"Then why harass Takuma to this extent?"
"Maybe because of a high school girl that Takuma met…"
"How petty!"
By then Kikuri shows up and playfully tells them that they are to cause more events that would infuriate Takuma, but the trio flatly refused, and when Kikuri reminded them that she is now in charge, they tell her that they will only serve Ai and no one else.
"We won't serve you."
"We only serve Ai-sama!"
"Tell that to the Spider."
"We won't take orders from you."
"Leave us in peace."
"We mean it."
"We won't torment that boy no matter how much you threaten us."
"And that is that."
"So go away."
Despite this, Kikuri wasn't deterred and just playfully pranced around before leaving, and the trio were exasperated that Kikuri became the new Jigoku Shoujo, and they were glad that they were able to defy her, as they really disliked her and wondered what Ai would do if she were to be aware of what is happening.
They really felt bad for Takuma, as he is being targeted anew just when he had his normal life back and living peacefully. For now they have nothing else to do and all they can do now is wait and see before making their next move, and hoped that Takuma endure this a little longer.
"Takuma…he just got his life back…"
"Feel sorry for that kid…"
"Poor boy. He deserved a peaceful life."
"Kikuri…or rather the Spider…I bet he has something to do with…"
"What now?"
"We wait and see."
"Should we interfere?"
"That depends…"
"…"
-x-
At the Emiya residence in Fuyuki City, the scene shifts outside the house, where Tohsaka is sitting beside Takuma, both sitting on a floor right outside the front door, and there Tohsaka tried her best to cheer him up, as he is still emotionally down after visiting his mother's grave and his recent encounter with Kikuri, and aside from concern, Tohsaka slowly developed feelings for the younger boy, seeing that his situation is a bit similar to hers.
She gently held his hand and tells him not to give in to the events that happened and urged him to move forward and live a happy life, reminding him that he is never alone, stating that his mom is watching him from the heavens, and that his father is alive and working hard for his son's bright future.
Takuma could only stare at her as tears fell from his eyes, as he is now emotionally vulnerable, and there her fingers wiped off the tears as she tells him that he should MAN HIMSELF UP if he wants to date her, and this surprised him upon hearing those words that Tohsaka is willing to date him.
"Wh…what…?"
"You heard me!"
"…"
"You better act like a man!"
"…"
"I don't want to date crybabies! So if you act like a real guy, then I'll go on a date with you!"
"Tohsaka…you…"
"!"
Tohsaka blushed upon realizing what she just said, and is mentally surprised to realize that she finds herself falling for a 13-year old boy, but upon glancing at him, she noted that he looked cute despite him being quite shorter than her, and that his innocent nature, and being kind, is what drew her to him, and took a deep breath and asked if Takuma wants him and her to become a couple.
Takuma blushed and is rendered speechless upon hearing this, and even Tohsaka was taken aback at what she just said, realizing that she is initiating the courtship instead of the boy admitting his feelings, and this resulted in an awkward moment between the two.
"I…"
"W-well…"
"Tohsaka…"
"Um…it's…"
"…"
"So…what…what do you…?"
"…"
"…"
To Be Continued…
Hope you like this chapter, as Takuma underwent another emotional turmoil, due to Kikuri..a jilted competitor to Tohsaka's affection, and a manipulating Shinji. I also hoped that the six-year inactivity make up for it as I upped the drama…and hints of romance.
I also hope you are fine with me using elements from Fate/Stay Night with Shiro using magic to beat up Takuma's tormentors as a warning.
Ai's three loyal companions are now pondering on making their next move as they suspect that someone is manipulating Takuma into giving in to a potential vengeful rage that is similar to Ai in the past…
Preview:
The next chapter will show whether Takuma and Tohsaka will advance their romance and how to ward off the admirer's attempt to drive the younger boy emotionally insane…
See you in June