2017: One Year Ago
I walk through an abandoned house in the middle of some random field in the country. The house has be long forgotten. I'm supposed to find a grade one curse here and exorcise it. Supposedly the curse has killed about ten people already. This is the first mission i've gotten in months, and the only reason I got it was because Satoru is out of town investigating missing sorcerers. Otherwise he would have told them not to send me.
I walk through the hallway clearing each room as I go. I have holstered my spear on my back and have my cursed short sword and shield out ready to attack. Each room remains empty, but I know i'm getting closer to it. The moment I step into the living room I spot two corpses. There is blood everywhere, even all over the ceiling. The bodies are ripped apart and half melted in places. It smells horrid in here. I continue on and cover my nose with my shirt. The cursed energy is resonating near the kitchen, I can feel it.
I enter the kitchen and see it, a monstrous looking creature. It has two reptilian like heads but strong arms and legs with long dangerous looking claws. It's mouth drips some sort of liquid and I make a point to myself not to touch it. It could be poison. He had a body in his claws, ripping and tearing it apart. The skin melts as he does, and he notices me and seems to smile.
"Alright you ugly bastard. Time to meet your maker." I say.
I charge at it and it screeches knocking me off balance for a second. I cover my ears and suddenly get a splitting headache. I shake my head and push through charging once again. I jump up in the air bringing my sword down on the curse but it's fast. I could use my cursed energy, but I don't want to risk contacting the liquid. It dodges my blow and ends up behind me. It's claws come down last second and I roll out of the way bringing my sword up and piercing it in the arm. It screams in pain and I smile.
"Awe, does it hurt? Here, let me put you out of your misery then!" I say slamming my shield in it's face to stun it and stabbing it again through the neck and slicing through.
It screeches once again but this time, it's trying to spit at me, but it's leaking through it's neck. Slowly it starts to disappear, but not without drops of the liquid hitting my face and arms.
It burns, a lot. I look down and see that it isn't poison, but that it's corrosive. I groan in pain gritting my teeth and in anger I cut the curses head off speeding up the exorcism. I try to take a rag from the kitchen and wipe my arm but it only spreads it. Idiot. I should have listened to Shoko more about first aid. I'm just panicking and trying anything to get it to stop.
"Fuck!" I say leaning against the counters and sliding down.
The curse has vanished finally and with it, so did the acid. My skin has a nasty burn, probably a third degree one. I breathe heavily trying to slow my breath down so I don't go into shock. I take a rag I find and pack the wound. I desperately look around for another one but end up just ripping the sleeves off my jacket and wrapping my arm. I can't do much for my face though. Guess I just have to grit my teeth and make it back somehow. I groan as I stumble to the door. I call Igichi and tell him to pick me up.
I start thinking about how many people have been killed by that curse. The report just listed ten, but I could bet there were more. The report said the curse would kidnap people and bring them here. Pretty smart for a curse. There was so much blood. Those people had families, and I didn't get here in time. My body starts to shake as I close my eyes tight. It's my fault they're dead. I could have done better, but I was weak. I shake my head but the thoughts still remain.
"My my, I wasn't sure what to expect. I only wanted to test you, but I guess the rumors are all right. You are a wreck." I hear a familiar voice say behind me.
I freeze instantly. I know that voice. I tremble as memories flash before my eyes. Movie nights, biking through the city laughing our heads off, endless shopping trips, his hugs, his smile, his laugh. Everything hits me at once, and my body shakes uncontrollably, a tear falling down my face. It's too much. It's all my fault. All my fault.
"Awe, I was just about to say too that the rumors about you were surprisingly untrue. But I suppose they are. What a shame." He says.
I turn around and see the face I haven't seen in years. I should be surprised. Satoru and I couldn't kill him that day. The last day we ever saw him. I fall and push myself against the door frame trying to get away from him. I close my eyes tight and shake my head, thinking maybe I'm imagining it, but i'm not. He's really here.
"No. Suguru..?" I say crying.
"Yes Naomi. It's me." He says with a grin, "pity. I see that you were strong in that fight against my curse. But only for so long huh? Man, you really have lost it haven't you? I'm surprised they let you go by yourself." He says.
"Wh- what? What do you mean?" I say sad and confused.
"Oh come now, everyone including you knows how you've lost your mind. That your too fragile to trust alone on a mission." He says.
"Maybe, that's because of you! You left us! You killed all those people!" I yell.
"And you made your choice. I told you to kill me back then, and if you didn't all those deaths were on your hands. You could have stopped all of it, but you didn't. Now those deaths and any after are your burden to bear." He says.
I shake my head, "no. You're wrong."
"Face it Naomi, you're weak. You always have been. If you were stronger, you could have saved them." He says.
I shake my head angrily and look at him, "why are you even here?!" I yell.
He chuckles, "I was going to try to recruit you for the next phase to come. But I can see that you won't be nearly as useful as I thought."
Just then headlights illuminate the doorway. Suguru looks at them and smirks. He begins to walk away and waves.
"Guess my time is up. A shame you couldn't come. Goodbye Naomi. This was fun." He says as he disappears.
Igichi runs up to me and is looking me all over. I'm shaking too badly and can't focus on anything. I'm completely immobilized. I can't take my eyes away from one spot in the room. All I can see is black. He's right, if there was more to fight i'd be useless or even worse. Mot to mention if I had a partner, I could get them killed. All I can think is that i'm a failure. How I failed to protect anyone from him. Those people died because of me. Their blood is all over me, or is it mine? I shake violently as Igichi carries me to the car.
He drives fast taking me straight to Shoko. I hear nothing they say. They ask me questions, but the words never find me. Just the sound of their voice. At some point, whether it was shock or exhaustion, I black out completely.
When I wake up, I'm laying on one of Shoko's tables. I rub my eyes and sit up. I look myself over and notice scars where my wounds should be. I curl up in a ball on the table and start to tremble again.
"Hey." I hear a familiar voice say. It's Satoru.
"No." I tell him.
He puts his hands on me and I jump back. He hugs me tightly and rubs my back.
"It's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything else happen." He says softly.
It takes a while of this, but eventually I come out of it and calm down. I relax a bit and lean into his hug.
"I thought I told you that you aren't going out again on mission. What happened?" He asks with his bandaged eyes on me.
I sigh, "I saw Suguru." I tell him absently.
His fist tightens until I see drops of blood drip from it.
"What?" He says menacingly.
"He was controlling the cursed spirit. I exorcized it but he showed up after. He wanted to see my strength level, he wanted to test me. But he said I…" I say ask I begin to shake again.
Satoru starts rubbing my back but I can see his jaw clenching over and over again as he listens.
"He said I was weak. He said I was too weak back then, and I'm especially weak now. He said all this blood he spilled is because I was too weak to kill him." I say with a tear falling down my face.
Satoru slams the table with his hand, "damn him. That insufferable-" he starts before regaining his composure.
He looks back at me and wipes my face. He pulls me into a hug again tightly and sighs.
"Don't you dare listen to a sick bastard like him. It isn't true." He tells me.
I sigh and nod not really believing him.
"C'mon, why don't we take you home?" He says.
"Okay." I say tiredly.
He picks me ip and carries me out of the room nodding to Shoko as we leave. We walk to my apartment and I open my door. He carries me inside and to my room. He lays me gently on the bed and goes to stand, but I grab his jacket desperately.
"Please don't go." I say.
He grabs my hands and nods.
"I won't leave you. I never will." He says.
I lay down and he pulls a chair in my room placing it beside my bed. He rubs my arm with one hand as I clasp the other with my own desperately. Satoru makes me feel better. His presence is a comfort, as it always is. He's my best friend in the world, and I could never think of a reality without him in it. He is the strongest, and he makes me strong. Even though I may not believe myself, he always does. I love him. I could never live without him. I just wish I could tell him. Eventually, I grow tired and fall asleep, finally relaxed with him here by my side.