Disclaimer: I don't own anything. (Though I wish I do)

Summary:

Have you ever heard of Black Magic? What do you know about them? Natsuki is a rising star in the Fuuka Police Headquarter who solves her case based on logic & facts. However, her world is turned upside down when she meets Shizuru. Shizuru lives in a world that can never be defined by logic and facts. What happens when the two meet? ShizNat Rated T for now. Actually who cares right? We are all adults now. Just go for the most liberal (or is it strictest) rating! It is for adults!


Once they were back at the hostel, Shizuru sat Natsuki down and offered her a cup of warm cocoa.

Natsuki took a sip and sighed. She felt so much better.

The warmth from the drink slowly spread through her limbs and warmed up her body and Natsuki finally felt alive.

When Natsuki finally finished the drink, Shizuru came over with a bottle of antiseptic.

"Ne Natsuki, I need you to take off your blouse. I will need to clean up the scratches." Shizuru pointed towards the torn blouse. "You have scratches here."

Natsuki glanced at her torn blouse and winced. There was a dejected look on her face.

"My only office top is gone. Now I have to go out and buy a new one." Natsuki sighed.

Shizuru smiled upon hearing the resigned tone in Natsuki's voice. She was glad that Natsuki was recovering from the shock. At least the shock was easing off.

Shizuru's eyes darkened and she tightened her grip on the antiseptic bottle as she watched Natsuki unbutton her blouse. Natsuki slowly unbuttoned the first button from the top to reveal the alabaster skin and the gentle swell of her breast beneath it. She knew Natsuki wasn't teasing her and was completely unaware of her sex appeal. But that simply just made her more attractive.

Shizuru's eyes darkened dangerously when she saw Natsuki's choice of lingerie. She liked Natsuki's choice of lingerie. In contrast to her choice of a utilitarian interior design, her choice of lingerie was fanciful. The dark blue lingerie stood in contrast to Natsuki's pale skin and the lace perfectly encapsulated the shape of her breast, like a nice gift, ready to be opened.

Shizuru ran her tongue over her lips. She had to restrain herself. Otherwise she might just do all the things she wants with Natsuki. And she was sure Natsuki wasn't ready for them yet. Shizuru couldn't quite focus on other stuff because her thoughts were very much centered around Natsuki and what she wanted to do with her. Perhaps slowly, otherwise she might shock Natsuki.

Shizuru's eyes moved south and Natsuki fully unbuttoned her blouse. Just as she had touched previously, Natsuki really had a toned body, not overly muscular but just nice and yet soft to the touch. She really wanted to run her fingers past her toned and taut stomach down south to explore the hidden areas.

But all the tension and desire came to an abrupt stop when Natsuki asked, "Ne Shizuru, what was that just now?"

There was a wryly smile on Shizuru's face. Natsuki really knew how to put out the fire that was building inside her.

After seeing the hovering head, Shizuru knew what had been causing the recent spate of deaths on the campus. It was simply Black Magic. And Shizuru knew Natsuki would be able to put two and two together and linked the Black Magic with the recent deaths.

Natsuki thought about what she saw just now and shivers ran up her spine. She was no longer in a state of shock now. But still, the image was hard to remove from her head.

There was a long pause before Shizuru finally spoke up.

"What you saw just now is Black Magic or some may call it witchcraft. The head that hovers in the air is a tool that Black Magicians or casters use for Black Magic. But the head you saw just now is an incomplete tool or a work in progress item. A complete tool of this Black Magic would be free of its organs and the head is allowed to move around freely."

"If it is an unfinished tool, then why is it...you know...out there… Erm…moving around."

"Hunting for food."

"Food?"

"Hai… to be honest I never expected to see this here in Japan. The origin of this Black Magic is unknown. But this Black Magic is commonly practiced in Southeast Asian countries, in particular Malaysia and Indonesia. To successfully create the hovering head, the caster must first place the spell on himself and this must be repeated seven days a week for seven weeks, a total of forty-nine days in order to succeed. There cannot be a break in between. Otherwise, all the efforts will go to waste. Each night when the caster casts the spell, his head will be physically detached from the body and this is an excruciating painful process, having to have the head torn off the body every night. There are a total of seven levels and with each higher level the caster attains, the pain becomes greater. And throughout these forty-nine days, the head has to wander around each night hunting for food to feed itself. The type of food it needs to consume ranges from blood to feces of both humans and animals. So if you look back in history, this may explain how people in Southeast Asian countries conducted their sanitation practices in the past. When sanitation was less developed, feces were often discarded at random places or people would find possible secluded places to relieve themselves. But they would always have the habit of burying it or at least covering it with sticks and leaves. It wasn't so much of keeping the place clean or civic mindedness. This is to prevent the hovering head from feeding on their feces. People whose feces were eaten by the head tends to suffer from poor health or constitution because a part of them were absorbed and used for Black Magic. Many wouldn't live to the ripe old age. So when they put sticks or leaves over their feces, like a cross, they wanted to deter the head from coming close. This was done not because the head dislikes crosses. But because an incomplete hovering head still has his organs attached to the head. So with sticks and leaves on the feces, the head wouldn't come near the feces because they would be entangled with the sticks and leaves. When the hovering head becomes entangled and unable to return to its body before sunrise, the Black Magic would fail. Upon getting caught in the sunlight, the head and body will melt into a puddle of blood, killing the caster. So the hovering head would not just focus on feces alone. They will also feed on the blood of the living as well as their bone marrow, killing them immediately." Shizuru glanced at Natsuki and saw her brain working, putting two and two together. Shizuru knew Natsuki was slowly linking this incident to the recent spate of deaths on the campus. "So what you saw just now is probably the head hunting for food."

"So that means if the head had spotted us just now, it could attack us, taking us as food? And it could have been anyone else taking that path right?"

"Hai." Shizuru nodded, confirming Natsuki's suspicion.

"Then there is a possibility that whoever the caster is, he could also be the one who killed the three students?"

"There is a possibility that the caster might be the criminal but I couldn't be perfectly sure."

"Hmm… is there a way to identify who the caster is?" Natsuki asked, her mind working to look for possibilities to identify the person.

"I did not get a full glimpse of the face just now. But there is one way to ascertain whether a person practices such Black Magic. To practice this specific form of Black Magic, the caster has to place a spell on himself and this spell will cause a thin black line to appear in his right eye, cutting from the top to the bottom."

"So I will have to check his right eye to see a thin black line cutting from top to bottom?"

"Hai… This is what I understood about people who practice such Black Magic. I have only heard of this kind of black magic but this is the first time I have seen it with my eyes. This kind of Black Magic is rarely practiced, especially nowadays. Firstly, it is hard for the head to find food nowadays given that we have improved sanitation. Secondly, people in the Southeast Asian countries are very sensitive to any possible hint of such Black Magic. That's why in the past, they would often have protruding structures on the exterior of their houses to prevent the head from coming near their houses. And if they find any possible hint that a person is practicing Black Magic, they would quickly hunt the person down. At the incomplete stage, when the caster detaches his head from his body, the head will lose all form of sanity and logic. Meaning the head is simply functioning based on instinct, like an animal."

At the mention of this Natsuki nodded her head. She remembered the animalistic behaviour of the head.

"So that means that, at that stage, the head could be easily caught or noticed by people, especially given the growing population density of our cities today. Hence, not many people would choose to practice such Black Magic."

"Then given the difficulty of practicing such Black Magic, why would people still practice it?"

"Power. This type of Black Magic is one of the more powerful magic. If the caster succeeded, the head would have all the internal organs removed and his sanity and logic returned. This means that the head could move freely and easily in the night, allowing the casters to stealthily move to his enemy's house at will and call out his soul. This is what we call 叫 [pronounce as "jiao"] 魂 [pronounce as "hun"], which directly translates to calling out the soul. The head has the ability to call out the soul from the body and when this happens, the enemy would go into a coma. As long as the soul is held hostage by the caster, the enemy's body will remain in coma until the body eventually dies. So in the past, when people fainted for no reason or went into a coma suddenly, it would send the whole village into panic because they suspected that someone might be practicing Black Magic. And when they find the suspect, the villagers would kill the suspect hoping to liberate the victim from the body of the caster. Sometimes they find the correct casters, sometimes not. So many innocent lives were lost because of this."

Silence returned to the room once again as Natsuki sat there contemplating the information shared by Shizuru.

To be honest, Shizuru was surprised by Natsuki's reaction thus far.

She was half expecting Natsuki to request her assistance to find the caster and stop him from practicing it immediately. But, Natsuki surprisingly did not do that and Shizuru was curious why Natsuki didn't ask that of her.

"Ne Natsuki, I would've thought that you would ask me to help find the caster and stop him from practicing Black Magic. Why didn't you?"

"Hmmm…" Natsuki looked at Shizuru, her question brought Natsuki back to reality. "Oh…you mean that? It is a possibility though…" Natsuki cocked her head sideways and thought about it. "Possible. But it wouldn't make sense."

Now it was Shizuru's turn to be confused. "Why doesn't make sense?"

"For one, the caster is currently a human. So what can we do when we find him? Send him to the police and tell the police that he practices Black Magic? There is no law against it unless he has caused harm to others. Tell police he is responsible for the three deaths on the campus? Where's the evidence? We have none." Natsuki shrugged her shoulders. "Which means there is basically nothing we can do to him at the moment." But Natsuki's face turned serious as she continued, her eyes narrowed. "But that doesn't mean he will go scot-free with no consequences. At least I know what could have caused the three deaths. The problem is finding the caster and the evidence and pinning it on him."

"Ara, That is a very thorough understanding of the situation ne." Shizuru was impressed. Natsuki was very thorough in her understanding of the situation and clear of what could and couldn't be done given the situation.

"Now that we have a clear understanding of the situation, I think we can get to the important thing now." Shizuru proposed a change in focus.

"Important thing?" Natsuki cocked her head and frowned. "Did I miss out something?"

"Yes. Natsuki did." Shizuru held out the antiseptic. "You missed out the wounds on your back and shoulders." Shizuru pointed to the cuts.

"Oh that!" Natsuki glanced at her wound. There were a few cuts on her back, some longer than the others, but still nothing serious. She glanced at the antiseptic again and then firmly decided that those wounds definitely wouldn't require any antiseptic. "Actually Shizuru, I really think these are small wounds. Nothing serious enough to use antiseptic."

"Regardless of the type of wounds, antiseptic should still be used." Shizuru insisted and brought the antiseptic closer, ready to spray on the wound.

But Natsuki held on to Shizuru's wrist, stopping her.

Shizuru arched her brow. "Ara… is Inspector Kuga afraid of the pain?"

The smile on Natsuki's face became slightly strained. "Of course not, Viola sensei. I don't want to waste your antiseptic."

The smile on Shizuru's face widened. "Don't worry Inspector Kuga. I have plenty of antiseptic." And with that Shizuru aimed and fired out the antiseptic.

Natsuki sucked in a deep breath and bit the back of her teeth.

Pain! That's all Natsuki could think of. It hurt more than getting the cuts.

When Shizuru finished cleaning up the wounds, she gave Natsuki an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"You are very brave, Inspector Kuga Natsuki." Shizuru was deadpanned as she assured Natsuki. But underneath the serious tone belaid a teasing note. "You survive."

There was a slight pout on Natsuki's face and Shizuru's eyes twinkled with amusement. She hadn't expected to see this side of Natsuki at all. The warrior was afraid of antiseptic.

"I can see the laughter in your eyes, Viola sensei." Natsuki narrowed her eyes and scowled. "Don't think that I didn't see that."

Shizuru chuckled. "Alright… I was laughing. Now, let me get you a shirt, Inspector Kuga. Much as I enjoy the view in front of me, I don't want you to catch a cold."

Shizuru walked off, relieved now, because she was quite sure that Natsuki was over the shock now.

Well, Natsuki definitely wasn't shocked, because Shizuru saw the red hue appearing on Natsuki's face before she left.

Shizuru returned shortly with an oversized shirt for Natsuki to put on.

"Ne Natsuki, it is quite late now. Why don't you stay for the night? And it is safer to stay the night here."

"If I am not intruding too much?" Natsuki asked, after being reminded of what she saw earlier on in the park. Shivers still ran down her spine whenever she thought of what she saw earlier on. Her understanding of what was real gets refreshed every other day. If it wasn't for Shizuru, she wondered if she might just scream at the top of her lungs just now.

"Definitely not."

Natsuki sat on the bed and wiped her hair dry while waiting for Shizuru to finish showering.

She wondered if it was going to be awkward sleeping on the same bed as Shizuru. They only knew each other for a while. And she seldom had sleepovers at other's houses. The only time she did was at Mai's house when they were in the middle of an intense investigation and Mai's place was the nearest. And they slept in a separate room. But now…

Natsuki stared at the bed. It wasn't very spacious but both Shizuru and her were rather skinny. So they should be able to fit in just nicely. Yup… and that would mean that the two of them would be close to each other when they sleep. Too close perhaps.

Natsuki wondered whether it would be too late to tell Shizuru that she would like to go home. She liked her personal space and…

But Natsuki's internal debate was disrupted when Shizuru entered the bedroom in her bathrobe.

Wait… what? In her bathrobe? Natsuki's mind stalled.

Shizuru smiled with satisfaction when she saw the slightly dazed look on Natsuki's face.

Shizuru went over and took out a hairdryer to blow dry her hair, pretending that she wasn't aware that Natsuki's eyes were following her every move.

Natsuki's brain wasn't fully functioning. She was just following her instincts as her eyes followed Shizuru's every move.

The room was soon permeated with the smell of Shizuru's shampoo as she dried her hair. Natsuki took a deep breath. It was a floral smell, not too sweet, but strong enough to make an impact. She really liked the smell.

As Shizuru blew dry her hair, a droplet from her wet hair landed on her neck and slipped down her throat into her cleavage before disappearing.

Natsuki seemed enthralled as her eyes followed the movement of the droplet until it disappeared from sight.

As if suddenly realising she was staring at Shizuru, Natsuki quickly averted her eyes. She shouldn't be staring at Shizuru!

But Natsuki couldn't seem to control her eyes because they wandered back to Shizuru again on their own accord.

And soon, Shizuru finished blow drying her hair and took out a few bottles of lotion from the shelf.

Natsuki's eyes followed each and every moment carried out by Shizuru, not missing any details. She seemed mesmerised by Shizuru.

Natsuki watched as Shizuru applied the cream on her face and neck and occasionally the collar of the bathrobe would slip open, giving Natsuki's a glimpse of the treasure hidden beneath the bathrobe.

A red hue appeared on Natsuki's face. Yet, her eyes remained fixated on Shizuru.

Done with applying the cream on her face and neck, Shizuru turned her attention to her legs. With a slight movement, the robe parted ways to reveal a long and slender leg.

For some reason, Natsuki could feel saliva pooling at the back of her mouth.

Shizuru bent down and applied a generous portion of the cream on her legs. And because the collar of the robe was loose, when Shizuru bent down, she gave Natsuki a full view of what was hidden beneath her robe.

This time round, the view had Natsuki finally snapping out of the spell. She shouldn't be staring at Shizuru in this manner. It was so rude of her!

Natsuki tried to distract herself with her handphone. She had several messages from Mai and she hadn't had the chance to read it yet. She should read them now and reply to her messages and not staring at Shizuru. Natsuki told herself that. But her mind was completely preoccupied with images of alabaster skin, slender neck and the gentle swell of Shizuru's chest. And then there was also a pair of very long and pale legs…

"Ne Natsuki… Natsuki…"

"Oh…wha… what?" Natsuki stuttered as she looked up from her handphone, suddenly feeling guilty to be caught thinking of Shizuru's chest and legs. But when she saw Shizuru sitting there, the bathrobe barely hanging onto Shizuru's shoulders, Natsuki quickly averted her eyes again. Her heart was beating too fast.

"Are you ready to sleep? If you are, I will switch off the lights."

"Yeah… yeah I… I am." Natsuki was still stuttering because she was still very nervous. And then as if she suddenly realised what Shizuru just said, she quickly looked at Shizuru in shock. "No wait! You… you are wearing just that to… to sleep?"

Shizuru arched her eyebrow. "Yes I am. Is there a problem?"

Natsuki's eyes landed everywhere and anywhere except at Shizuru. She wasn't sure if her heart could handle seeing Shizuru with her robe barely hanging on her.

"Erm… you know, it is autumn now. So it… it can actually get very cold. So, so… perhaps you might want to wear… wear something warm… warmer?"

"Hmm…" There was a pause as Shizuru contemplated Natsuki's request. "Alright, I will listen to Natsuki then."

Shizuru turned and moved to the wardrobe. The only reason Shizuru accepted Natsuki's request was because she had pushed Natsuki hard enough for the night. She worried that Natsuki might just bolt if she really went to sleep wearing just her robe.

There was silence in the room and curiosity drove Natsuki to glance over to see what Shizuru was doing.

And once again, Natsuki's eyes were glued onto Shizuru, completely enthralled. She had to swallow the saliva that was pooling in her mouth.

Shizuru had selected a black lace panty and was in the process of slowly slipping her legs in. She took her time to pull the panty up, making sure that Natsuki was following her movements.

Shizuru's eyes darkened with desire. She could feel Natsuki's heated eyes on her skin.

With her back facing Natsuki, Shizuru moved her hands to untie her robe. The room was so quiet that Shizuru could hear Natsuki's rapid breathing and her own heartbeat.

Perhaps with a little more teasing and seducing here and there, Natsuki would be a willing partner tonight.

But Shizuru knew it wasn't the right time to take things further. Not yet. There were things she wanted to confirm first.

She slipped the robe off her shoulders and at that moment, she heard Natsuki taking a sharp breath.

Very good. Natsuki was still watching her.

Shizuru took her time to select her choice of sleepwear. And after "a prolonged debate", Shizuru finally decided on one and reached out to put on her selected nightgown.

"Ne Natsuki…" Shizuru turned back to look at Natsuki only to find Natsuki pretending to be busy typing on her handphone.

A guilty Natsuki was cute too. Shizuru thought.

"Yes?" Natsuki looked up and feigned innocence.

"Do you prefer the inner or outer side of the bed?"

"I don't have a preference." Natsuki replied and returned to her handphone immediately, refusing to make eye contact with Shizuru. Actually Natsuki had never shared a bed with anyone else. So it would be hard to say whether she has a preference or not.

"Alright then. I will take the outer." Shizuru decided.

But once in bed, Natsuki regretted her decision.

She was sleeping between a wall and Shizuru and she had nowhere to move! Had she chosen to sleep on the outside, at least she could inch outwards. Worse case scenario, she would just sleep with just one side hanging out of the bed. Natsuki thought and stared into the darkness with Shizuru sleeping beside her.

She was completely rigid and tense.

Suddenly, Natsuki could feel Shizuru moving next to her as she turned sideways, facing Natsuki. And she was moving closer.

"Don't think too much." There was a pat on the shoulder as Shizuru rested her head close to Natsuki's.

How was it possible not to think too much when Shizuru was sleeping next to her? And she smelled so nice! Natsuki thought.

Images of what she saw just now kept flashing through her mind. Shizuru's flowy hair as she blew dry her hair, how Shizuru ran her fingers up her silky legs when she applied the lotion, Shizuru bareback as she took off her robe.

And at that moment, Natsuki was momentarily confused. Why was she thinking so much about Shizuru? Because they were friends?

But she wouldn't be thinking of Mai in that same manner right? Or perhaps it was because she only knew Shizuru recently. Hence, her thoughts were always preoccupied with her?

That's a probability. Natsuki assured herself.

But! Why was she staring at Shizuru's body?

Sleep was hard to come by for Natsuki as her brain swelled with unanswered questions. She was a police officer and she was used to analysing issues.

Unfortunately she had no answers even after much debate within herself.

As the night darkened, Natsuki finally drifted off to a difficult slumber. What Natsuki didn't realise before she slept, was that the shock over seeing the hovering head was easily replaced by thoughts of Shizuru.

The sleep was a fitful one as she dreamt of a talking human head speaking to her but she couldn't understand what the head was talking about. Then the head became frustrated and attacked her.

But before it could happen, the dream morphed into a room where there was a long white snake with crimson coloured eyes staring at her. The snake had its body coiled around her and would occasionally flicker its tongue, as if contemplating whether to eat her.

Dawn finally came and Natsuki woke up feeling tired.

She combed her fingers through her hair. She couldn't remember what she dreamed about but she knew she had a fitful sleep.

Natsuki yawned and glanced at where Shizuru was sleeping.

It was already empty. Natsuki touched the pillow and it was already cold to the touch.

Looked like Shizuru had been awake for a while.

Natsuki opened the door and the sound of someone cooking could be heard from the kitchen.

Natsuki walked in and saw Shizuru cooking breakfast on the stove and something moved inside her.

She couldn't quite put her fingers on it but it was something good. Natsuki thought. She woke up, feeling tired but it all went away when she saw Shizuru wearing an apron and preparing breakfast for her. It felt good to wake up in the morning to see someone preparing food for you.

And the day got even better when Shizuru placed a large bottle of mayonnaise in front of her. Shizuru really knew her well.

Meals with Shizuru had always been wonderful. Natsuki thought as she stepped out of the hostel. Shizuru was well read and humorous, making conversation with her enjoyable.

Natsuki was in a happy mood until someone collided against her and there was a sharp pain on her arm.

Natsuki winced and straightened herself. She glanced at her arm and there was a small cut at the back of her arm.

"Gomen'nasai. Gomen'nasai." The man bowed and apologised profusely. "Gomen'nasai. I was in a rush and wasn't looking. Gomen'nasai."

When the man saw the cut on Natsuki's arm, he quickly bowed his head in apology again and offered a tissue.

"Please be careful in the future." Natsuki frowned as she wiped the blood away.

"I will. I definitely will. Please accept my sincere apology. Is there anything you would like me to do? In apology?"

But Natsuki waved his suggestion aside and left for work. It was just a small cut and it wasn't even bleeding now.


Masashi Takeda looked on from afar as Kuga Natsuki stepped out of the hostel.

He clenched his fist. He knew who Kuga Natsuki stayed with the night before. It was with Viola Shizuru.

Or rather Fujino Shizuru.

It was an open secret among those who know that Viola Shizuru's family name was actually Fujino and not Viola. Had Shizuru's mother not been adopted by the Viola family, her family name would have been Fujino instead. And despite the different family name and younge age, Viola Shizuru was still made the head of the Fujino Clan. She had the full support of the Elders in the clan.

But Masashi Takeda knew that the only reason why Fujino Shizuru was flourishing well in the Fuuka University was simply because she was a Fujino and had the backing of the Clan. Without the Fujino Clan, she would be nothing.

He would prove to everyone that he was much better than Fujino Shizuru. He wasn't the stumbling young greenhorn he was previously, constantly under the shadow of Fujino Shizuru.

But the past didn't matter now. Masashi Takeda reminded himself. He shouldn't get too worked out over the past. The past was called the past for a reason. It could not be changed. The key was in the future and he made sure he was the one holding the key and not Fujino Shizuru. He would be bringing glory to the Masashi Clan once again.

But for a start, he wanted Kuga Natsuki. A successful man needs a capable partner and that capable partner would be Kuga Natsuki.

Kuga Natsuki caught good attention right from the start when he first entered the room and saw her.

"She is the one!" That was what Masashi Takeda thought the moment he laid eyes on her. He believed in his instincts and destiny. Everything automatically clicked into place when he saw her and he knew Kuga Natsuki would be the one for him.

His future partner was really beautiful with her midnight blue hair and emerald coloured eyes. And beneath the beautiful package hid a sharp analytical brain.

Masashi Takeda did his background check after meeting Kuga Natsuki. She not only excelled in studies when she was a student but also in the police academy. She was the youngest officer to be promoted to an inspector in Japan.

Kuga Natsuki was perfect as his partner.

The only problem he had now was Fujino Shizuru. Madashi narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the situation. He knew Natsuki stayed at Shizuru's place yesterday night. The moment Natsuki arrived at the Lecture Theatre, Fujino Shizuru requested for a dinner break and never returned to the rehearsal after that. Of course Suzushiro Haruka was jumping mad because of that but she couldn't do anything to Fujino Shizuru.

He was sure Fujino Shizuru had convinced Kuga Natsuki to stay with her. Fujino Shizuru was a cunning one and had many people wrapped around her fingers. She liked to dally with other girls and Masashi Takesa was sure she had her eyes on Kuga Natsuki. Who wouldn't, given how perfect Kuga Natsuki was?

What Masashi Takeda hoped for was that Fujino Shizuru did not take advantage of Kuga Natsuki. But that would be unlikely. He thought as he bit into his finger and frowned as anger built within him when he thought of the things Fujino Shizuru might have done to Kuga Natsuki.

He slammed his fist into the wall. He shouldn't wait any longer. He needed to act fast to save Kuga Natsuki.

Kuga Natsuki belonged to him, Masashi Takeda. And not to Fujino Shizuru.


Two days later, Natsuki was surprised when she received a call from Masashi Takeda.

"What was it about?" Mai asked after Natsuki hung up the phone.

"Masashi Takeda called. He reported that there was a spate of animal death in the past few days. He raised this up to the police in case it has anything to do with our recent cases of students' deaths on the campus." Natsuki explained and went to the whiteboard in the room and wrote down "dead animals".

This whiteboard contained a flowchart of events and people. Now that she had added "dead animals", she drew a line linking the new addition to the phrase "three human deaths" and wrote a question mark.

Natsuki highly suspected that this recent spate of animal deaths had to do with the hovering head she saw two days ago. The issue would be whether that hovering head was also responsible for the deaths of the three students.

"Let's go down to the campus."

Masashi Takeda greeted Natsuki and Mai and showed them what he discovered.

"Ever since the deaths of the three students, we have enhanced the security of our university by increasing the number and frequency of patrols and more checks on people. We also encourage the security officers to report any possible anomalies should they encounter them. I am also involved in this aspect. So two days ago, my security officers reported an increase in cases of animals' death on the campus. As you know, our campus is surrounded by greenery and animals like foxes , squirrels, birds, rabbits and raccoons are common sightings. But deaths are rare. However, in recent weeks, my officers reported a spike in the deaths of animals and found them littered around the campus."

"Can we speak to your security officers please? And do you hold on to any carcasses of the dead animals? We would like to send them back for testing." Natsuki asked.

"Yes of course. We have. I can show you." Masashi Takeda spoke as he led the way to a conference room. He gestured to a box in the middle of the table. "My security officers found the carcasses this morning. I have them sealed in plastic bags before putting the carcasses in this box. As for my security officers, I will give them a call. Please feel free to use this room to speak to them." And with that, Masashi Takeda moved to exit the room.

But just as he was about to exit the room, his hand paused at the door knob. There was a struggle on his face before he finally spoke up.

"Inspector Kuga and Inspector Tokiha, please let us know if there is anything else you would like us to do to support you in this investigation. Lives have been lost." Masashi Takeda sighed before continuing, "The parents and friends are grieving over their losses. And now someone is targeting the animals. Some may feel that animals may not be as important as human lives. But personally, I beg to differ. Animal's life is still a life. If the cases between the deaths of animals and students are unrelated, could I also ask for your assistance to find the person who has been abusing the animals please?"

Surprise flashed across Natsuki's face.

"We will definitely try our best." Natsuki gave Masashi Takeda a reassuring smile.

Masashi Takeda nodded his head and thanked them before leaving.

"Looks like an animal lover huh?" Mai commented. "It's good that there are people who also value the lives of animals."

Natsuki nodded her head.

Masashi Takeda worked fast and soon the security officers arrived one after another.

It took them about three hours before they finally finished obtaining the reports from the security officers.

Mai and Natsuki took their reports and the box of animal carcasses, ready to leave. But Masashi Takeda was already outside waiting for them.

"Is there anything else I could assist you with?" Masashi Takeda asked. Then he glanced at the box Natsuki was holding. "Would you need my help to carry the box?"

"It's alright, Masashi-san. We will manage. Thank you."

With that, Mai and Natsuki left the Administrative Building. And because they had their back facing Masashi Takeda, they missed out the contemplative look that flashed across his face.

Looked like he needed to do more to make an impression on Kuga Natsuki. Masashi Takeda thought as he tapped his fingers on his pants. What else could he do?


Natsuki stared at the whiteboard in the conference room.

The test on the animal carcasses came back. The cause of death for these animals was the same as the three victims. Those animals died of blood loss from two puncture wounds on their neck area. The widths of the puncture wounds on these animals were identical to that of the victims.

So in other words, there was a high probability that whoever killed the three students also killed these animals.

When Natsuki and Mai wrote down the dates of when the students were murdered and when animal carcasses were discovered, they noticed that the days nearly complement each other. The earliest date which the security officer recalled and noticed a spike in animal death was after the second victim was killed. On the days when Victim B and C were killed, the security officers did not recall finding any animal carcasses. And there was one week 'break' between the death of Victim B and Victim C. And within that one week 'break' and after the death of Victim C, the latest victim, the security officers noticed a spike in the number of dead animals littered around the campus. So that could mean that after the third victim, the murderer turns to killing animals instead, which could be more discreet and harder to be detected by the police.

With the information provided by the security team, Natsuki was pretty sure that the caster of the Black Magic was also the murderer of the three students. She was an eyewitness herself when she saw the hovering head sucking the blood out of the cat.

But the issue would be, how to identify that person? She couldn't be going round to check everyone's eyes right? And this time round, she wouldn't be sharing what she saw with Mai. Mai probably wouldn't believe her anyway.

Natsuki sighed and looked at her watch.

"It's way past the work time. I have to make a move first." Natsuki said.

"Oh right. It's Friday night. You are going to the shelter huh?" Mai asked.

"Yup. You should make a move too. Go back and rest or something. Anyway, we can take a break and come back to see if we have a different perspective about this." Natsuki sighed as she took her jacket and left the room.

Natsuki rode her bike to the animal shelter, which she had been volunteering every Friday night for the past three years. But this time round she was surprised to see a new face at the shelter.

Surprise flashed past Masashi Takeda's face when he saw Natsuki at the animal shelter.

"Inspector Kuga? Are you here to investigate the case?"

"Oh no. Not about the case. You can drop the Inspector since I am not on duty. I volunteer here during my free time."

Masashi Takeda's eyes brightened up when he heard that. "That's great, Kuga-san! Me too! My friend recommended this shelter to me. Yiyeah I was a bit worried since I am new at this place and looking for someone to guide me along." Masashi Takeda laughed and scratched the back of his head, showing off his boyish look. "Now that you are here, I am reassured that I am alone. If you don't mind, Kuga-san, could I follow you around to better understand how to help out at this place?"

"Of course. I am good with it." Natsuki agreed, though at the back of her mind she was wondering why the shelter manager did not specify someone to guide Masashi-san. But soon, Natsuki brushed the thought. The manager could be busy and anyway, she didn't mind helping. She would occasionally help guide the newcomers too so she was familiar with the processes.

Along the way, Natsuki's impression of Masashi-san just got better. He was familiar with handling different animals and both caring and meticulous at the same time.

In fact, Natsuki was so impressed by his knowledge about the animals that she agreed to meet him again tomorrow. He had recently adopted a dog and would be bringing it to the training center tomorrow. And when Natsuki expressed interest in the dog, he invited her to join him tomorrow.


It was Saturday night and Natsuki drove over to Shizuru's place for their agreed Saturday dinner date. They decided to meet at Shizuru's place instead because Shizuru wanted to cook for them and she had all the ingredients ready at her place.

And Natsuki was humming happily under her breath when she met up with Shizuru.

It was so obvious that it came to Shizuru's attention.

"Ara, Natsuki seems very happy today." Shizuru commented on her mood.

"Oh kind of. I managed to interact with my favourite breed of dog today and it was really fun. Actually, do you remember Masashi Takeda-kun? We met him at the Administrative Building."

Shizuru froze in the middle of washing the vegetables when she heard the name. But when she looked up, Shizuru was smiling.

"Ara Masashi-san? Of course I remember him. What happened?"

And that was when Natsuki shared with Shizuru her interaction with Masashi Takeda and his pet over the past two days.

Shizuru was smiling all the while as Natsuki recalled her interaction with Masashi Takeda's dog. But the smile never reached her eyes. Soon the vegetables became tattered under her washing.

"Ara I never knew Masashi-san was so into animals. I've known him since we were students and this is the first time I heard that." Shizuru commented as the smile on her face turned a slightly dangerous edge. In fact she knew Masashi Takeda very well and he was definitely not an animal lover.

Masashi Takeda kept animals for sure. But definitely not the kind of animal that Natsuki was talking about. He must have done a background check on Natsuki before he approached her. He knew Natsuki well. Too well in fact.

Masashi Takeda was moving faster than she expected.

Shizuru stared at the tattered vegetables in her hands. It would be impossible to use them. Shizuru thought as she discarded them into the bin. She would need a new batch of fresh vegetables and she opened up her fridge to pick out a new pack.

Shizuru ran her fingers through her hair in a rare sign of irritation. She disliked this sense of uncertainty where things were beyond her control.

"Ne Shizuru, do you remember the jacket I passed you when I drove you home? And the one I lent it to you when I first saw you at the reserve? Do you mind if I collect them back today?"

Natsuki's questions had Shizuru snapping back from her thoughts.

"Kanina Natsuki. I only have your second jacket with me now. The first jacket was at my other home. I can pass you the first jacket next time when I see you. As for the second jacket, it is in the wardrobe in my room. Do you want to collect it from there?"

"Sure." Natsuki nodded her head and left the kitchen to collect her jacket, leaving Shizuru alone in the kitchen.

Alone, Shizuru contemplated if she should move things with Natsuki to the next stage. The physical attraction between the two of them was definitely there. Natsuki may not be fully aware of it but Shizuru knew Natsuki was attracted to her as well. Otherwise Natsuki wouldn't be staring at her with a heated gaze when she changed out.

And Shizuru instinctively knew there was more than just the physical attraction. For the first time, Shizuru learned what it feels like to be possessive of a person. She didn't like Natsuki spending time with other people other than her. She didn't like that someone else could be sitting behind Natsuki on her Ducati and hugging her as she drove around. She wanted Natsuki's attention on her and her alone.

The iris in Shizuru's eyes turned a crimson red and the poor vegetable in her hand snapped into pieces.

Suddenly the crimson red irises dimmed as Shizuru narrowed her eyes. Something wasn't right. The air stank of Black Magic.

Shizuru threw down the vegetables and ran towards her bedroom where Natsuki was.

On the other side, Natsuki was alone in Shizuru's bedroom. She felt awkward rummaging through someone's wardrobe even though she had been given permission to do so.

As she was searching for the jacket, she heard someone calling her from behind.

"Nat-su-ki…"

Instinctively, Natsuki turned to answer. But just as she was about to open her mouth to answer the call, someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with a hand.

Natsuki stiffened immediately and swung her elbow toward the person standing behind her. But that person caught her elbow in mid-swing, stopping her attack.

"Hush..."

It was Shizuru.

Natsuki immediately relaxed her stance.

"Don't speak or answer. I repeat. Do not say anything. Just turned around slowly." Shizuru whispered into Natsuki's ear, completely serious.

Natsuki suspected what she was going to see wasn't going to be something good. She prepared herself mentally and slowly turned to see what was behind her.

A few feet away at the window was the head hovering in midair smiling at Natsuki. It was the same head she saw back at the park. The dirty black hair fell messily over the forehead and the pair of eyes glowed eerily green in the darkness. There were blood stains around his mouth. It must have fed on something before coming over. The head smiled as it mouth the words. Words that sent chills down Natsuki's spines.

"Nat-su-ki… Nat-su-ki...Come here..."

"Don't answer it. Don't say anything. The moment you answer its call, he will take your soul away. Understood?"

Natsuki nodded, her legs nearly gave way under her. It was definitely a different sight when you were up close looking at it and hearing it called out your name. Shivers ran up her spines and she could feel the coldness spreading through her. The hovering head was looking for her.

But why?

Shizuru let go of the hand covering Natsuki's mouth and moved to stand in front of her, blocking the view of the head. She was furious that someone dared to target Natsuki.

"The organs are mostly gone. Faster than I thought ne. You must have been feeding well. But go back to wherever you came from. You don't want to come here again." Shizuru ordered, her face expressionless as she looked at the head.

Shizuru would have set the head on fire, killing the Black Magician on the spot. She wanted to do that just to vent her anger. It was an easy solution to the problem. But that could mean that Natsuki would never be able to find the killer and close the case. The murderer that killed the three students could likely be the Black Magician.

The head bared its sharp teeth at Shizuru and growled like an animal.

"I won't suggest that you do that. You are not even fit to appear before me!" Shizuru's eyes glowed a smothering red as she stared at the head. "Begone!"

The head lowered itself and whined like a dog with its tail between his legs before hovering off, disappearing into the distance.

"Wow…That was intensive." Natsuki said as she combed her fingers through her hair. She was ashamed to say that she needed to lean against the wardrobe for support.

"I will get you a cup of warm water." Shizuru offered and turned to move off.

But Natsuki quickly grabbed Shizuru's hand and smiled, though the smile seemed a bit forced. "Wait, I will go with you. I… erm… prefer not to stay here alone."

"Gomenei, Natsuki." Shizuru leaned in and hugged Natsuki. She should have noticed that Natsuki was in shock and shouldn't be left alone, especially in this room, where she was nearly attacked by the head.

Shizuru wrapped her arms around Natsuki and held her tightly. She felt guilty for asking Natsuki to retrieve her jacket on her own, leaving her open for the caster to attack. Had she been more careful, Natsuki might not be targeted. Shizuru knew her thoughts were illogical because she wouldn't know when the Black Magician would attack and why he would attack Natsuki. But she couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving Natsuki alone.

This place wasn't suitable for Natsuki anymore.

"Ne Natsuki, how about we go over to your place now? I can sleep over there over the weekend and for a couple more days."

Natsuki pulled back from the hug. She was feeling a bit embarrassed for panicking on Shizuru.

Shizuru looked at her now empty hands and felt a sense of loss. She enjoyed having Natsuki in her arms.

"Erm… if it isn't too troublesome for you." In fact, Natsuki was more than happy to have Shizuru with her. She wasn't sure if she would like to be alone for now. The shock to the system was too much now. It wasn't just shock but also horror when she heard the head calling out her name.

"I am more than glad to, Natsuki." Shizuru smiled and gave Natsuki a reassuring pat on the hand. "Don't worry. I will make the necessary arrangements and leave this place as soon as possible."

And when Shizuru said that, she really meant it. In 15 minutes, they were all ready to leave for Natsuki's place.

"Thanks Mikoto." Shizuru said as they slid into the back of the car. "Will also need to trouble you to clear everything up at my place. "

"Hai Shizuru-sama."


A/N: Don't credit me for the information. I got most of the information from the internet and other stories I read.

There will be another chapter next week. Enjoy. Happy holiday :)