yay! a new chap! haha! now for those of you who had been very confused with the case last chapter may have answered some of your questions this chapter may confuse you once again but idk lol i don't so it on purpose or do i? lmao there will sadly be only one more chapter for this case so if you have any questions i want to be able to answer them so either pm them to me or put them in a review kk enjoy ;D

Chapter 5-Hell Released

July Day 4 12:00 P.M.

"What day is it?" was her first question, not even bothering to attempt to sit up. If opening her eyes could cause her pain, what would that do! "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Kiko asked, Mai shook her head grimacing in response. "Ayako, could you and Masako go get my mother?"

"Hai." The two left in a second.

"I just remember the séance, Masako was possessed and tried to choke herself. John was able to drive the entity out and then-" Before Mai could finish, she was about to sit up in her realization. Kiko held her down.

"Don't! Don't sit up!" she said, gently pressing Mai's shoulders to the bed.

"What is it, Mai?" Yasuhara and Monk walked over to her side.

"Naru! Is he okay?" Mai asked worriedly.

"Somehow, I knew she would ask that," Kiko smiled.

"He left last night after Sakura treated you, he hasn't come back yet," Monk explained.

"If you ask me, I think he was just pissed that you ruined his mojo by pushing him out of the way."

"Yasu!" Kiko threw a pillow at him.

"He'll be back, won't he?" Mai whimpered.

"He said he needed a piece of info and went to find it," Yasu explained.

"He probably should've just waited," Monk smirked.

"Why's that?"

"Mai, you had a dream, didn't you?" Mai nodded.

"I get it." Kiko smiled.

"How are you feeling, Mai?" Sakura asked walking into the room.

Sakura ushered everyone out of the room except Ayako and Kiko. After looking Mai over, redressing her wound, and a painkiller later, Sakura left and the group was reunited. "Well?" Monk asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"She said I'll just be sore for a while, the wound's closed up and if I don't strain myself I can get up whenever I want." Mai was now in a sitting position, pillows placed between her and the headboard.

"At least there's good news for a change," Yasuhara commented.

"What about your dream?" Ayako asked, crossing her legs.

Mai explained the visions from her dream, conveniently leaving Dream Naru out of it. Everyone listened intently, reeling in the details of events leading to the fire. The reasoning behind the hate concentrated in the house.

"So, the woman crying out for this Shichiro guy is the other spirit in the house?" Ayako relayed, as Monk shook his head.

"Weren't you listening!" A purse was thrown. "Seriously! What do you keep in there!"

"The woman in Mai's dream is just a memory, she sounds far too young to be the woman I sensed," Masako commented behind her kimono sleeve.

"At least we know the story behind the fire," Monk added, rubbing his head.

"Which reminds me," Yasuhara pulled out a strip of paper. "I had asked a couple of girls from Rokuryou to help with the research of the house. I forgot to call them and tell them that the documents were already here. However, one of them, Yori, called me this morning and gave me some interesting information."

"Well, are you going to just leave us hanging?" Ayako was getting annoyed.

"Her great-grandmother lived in this area when she was a child; her father was one of the police officers that helped the mob in Mai's dream."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't, I really just know that Yori's great-great-grandfather was a police officer and was involved with the mysterious fire."

"Understood, go on."

"Apparently, whenever the topic came up, so did the name Atarashi S."

"Could it be Atarashi Shichiro?" Masako gasped.

"S.A. that would explain who's been giving me these marks, he's claiming me." Kiko traced one of the markings that were on her wrist.

"Ano, what if this thing can't travel unless he marked someone. He needs to be attached."

Eyes widened at Mai's theory.

"That would explain how he knew how many of us there are." Monk pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"It also means Kiko's not safe anywhere," Yasuhara added grimly.

"Way to lighten the mood."

"It's fine, Ayako, I suspected such anyway." Kiko crossed her arms in slight exasperation.

"This thing, Shichiro, has been dormant for more than twelve hours, Monk; you think he'll become more violent?" Yasuhara leaned against the wall.

"That's a definite possibility."

"In other words, we need to exorcise him, before anyone else gets hurt."

"We could probably get my family and Mai out of here, Shichiro can't leave unless I do," Kiko sighed.

"But isn't Mai marked?" Masako asked.

"Not necessarily, she did get cut, but she didn't gain any markings like Kiko has. She still has a chance to get out."

"Ayako, I'm right here," Mai complained, crossing her arms. "And I'm not leaving, not until this case is solved."

"Idiotic and stubborn, I see," an icy voice rang through the room.

The emotion of the room turned cold as everyone stared at the indifferent young man they know and love/hate. "N-Naru?" Mai gasped softly. Fire rose in Ayako's eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Ayako shouted, marching straight up to Naru. "You're such an idiot! Look what you've done!"

Ayako pulled up her sleeves revealing the same markings Kiko had, with blood trickling down them. "Lin, restrain her. Monk and Yasuhara, get John."

They obeyed, Monk stayed with the family while Yasuhara came back with John. "Kiko, Hara-san, help Mai get out of here, and wait outside with Yasuhara," Naru ordered, as Kiko helped Mai stand.

From outside, the group could hear John's prayer and Ayako struggle. What was really shocking them was Sakurako standing right next to them. "My refrection talked to me!" she exclaimed, hugging Kiko's leg.

"Saku-chan? What are you talking about?" Kiko asked, stroking the girl's hair.

Naru walked back out with Lin. "John was able to drive out the spirit, when it tried to attack him, my shiki managed to injure him," Lin explained.

"How's Ayako?" Kiko asked.

"She's asleep, what's Sakurako doing here?" Naru questioned coldly, turning toward her.

"She said that her reflection spoke to her," Mai replied.

"Yasuhara, Hara-san, stay with John and Matsuzaki-san. Kiko, Mai, and Sakurako, come with me."

Everyone went where they were told. Naru led the group back into base, checking his notes as Sakurako told her story. "My refrection talked to me," she repeated, Naru started to get annoyed.

"What did it say?"

"She said to get out, someone was going to die!" she explained frantically.

"Do you know who?"

"I-I think she said it that-" before she could finished, they heard a scream.

"John!" It was Masako screaming. The group ran back to the bedroom.

"Hang in there, John!" Yasuhara shouted. John was dangling out the window. Lin ran over to help Yasuhara pull in John by his leg.

"What happened?" It was fairly obvious that Naru was not a happy bunny.

"It was Shichiro," Masako gasped.

"Shichiro?" Naru repeated.

"As much as I would love to delve into the very small chance that we all knew something before Naru did, I think John should explain what happened, then Mai should explain her dream," Yasuhara suggested.

"Father Brown, what happened?" Lin asked.

"It was a little warm, so I opened up a window. When I went to lean against it, Masako gasped and something pushed me out," John explained, after a few breaths.

Naru nodded, then turned to Mai. He placed his hands on her shoulders and made her sit down on the chair behind her. "You had a dream?"

Mai quickly described the dream, once again leaving out the details of her boss's appearance. Naru placed his hand under his chin in thought. "That gives us the first name. I could only find information on Atarashi S."

"You couldn't find his first name?"

Naru shook his head, then sighed. "We will settle this tonight; I want the family, Hara-san, Yasuhara and Mai to stay out of the house for the night."

"What about Kiko and Ayako?" Yasuhara questioned.

"They've been marked by Shichiro, I'm sure you already came up with the possibility that he will follow anyone who has his mark. Not to mention, he's after Kiko. Even if he couldn't leave the property, if Kiko evacuated, it would be nearly impossible to get him to appear."

"Nee-san?" Sakurako was becoming frightened, as she tightened her grip on her sister's leg.

"I'll be just fine, Saku-chan. The man you've seen won't bother you much longer, I promise," she replied reassuringly.

There was a grumble coming from the bed. Everyone turned to see Ayako sit up groggily. "What happened? Naru? When did you come back?" She was much calmer.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Naru replied.

She thought for a moment. "We…we were talking about how Mai wasn't marked, then…then nothing."

"I think Shichiro was really just heightening her emotions," John explained. "He didn't have too much control over her; she was already annoyed with you, so his influence was really all that was needed."

"I see…" Naru caught his chin in his hand once again, thinking.

Suddenly a scream filled the air. "Takigawa-san! Satoshi-kun!"

"Okaa-san!" Kiko exclaimed, running out of the room. Mai instantly followed.

"Kiko! Mai! Wait!" Yasuhara exclaimed, running after them.

"Hara-san, Matsuzaki-san, stay here with Sakurako," Naru ordered, looking at Lin and John, who instantly followed him as he ran out of the room.

Kimura Sakura was in the living room, on her sees in shock as she saw Monk unconscious on the ground. She gathered her composure and rushed to his side as the group ran in. "What happened, Okaa-san?" Kiko asked, helping her.

"I-I don't know, I-I mean, I'm not sure," she stuttered. "I had noticed that Sakurako wasn't with us, we waited a little bit to see if she had just gone to the bathroom or something. When we went to go look for her, Takigawa-san was lifted in the air and thrown to the ground! And I don't know where Satoshi is!"

The rest of the group ran in as Sakura explained what happened. Monk opened his eyes not too long after, then complained of a headache. Sighs of relief were given in return.

"We need to find Satoshi!" Kiko demanded, standing up to search the house. Naru stopped her.

"You're Shichiro's target, everyone in here, besides Lin and myself, will stay here. We'll search the house," Naru argued.

"Just the two of you? We'll find him faster if more of us search," Kiko protested.

"Kiko's right!" Mai agreed.

"Takigawa is currently recovering, leaving really only John and Lin with abilities to protect others for the time being. A large search party is not an option."

"Naru!"

"But-"

"You said so yourself, you knew no warding magic," Naru countered, catching the girl off guard. "You have no way to protect yourself, stay here."

He and Lin left, with an angry and exasperated Kiko in their wake. "Well, he's in a harsh mood today," Yasuhara commented.

"It's just like it always is," Kiko whispered, it was barely audible. Mai had to make out what she said.

What does she mean? Mai wondered, as Kiko stood up.

"Kiko, where are you going?" John asked, about to go after her.

"The kitchen is right there, I figured making tea may be the only way I can calm down," she replied, quickly walking into the kitchen.

John made a move to follow, but Yasuhara grabbed his arm. "Let her go, she needs to calm down." John nodded.

It wasn't long until everyone could hear the teakettle whistling. Mai decided to give Kiko a hand, it had been ten minutes, surely, she had calmed down by now. She walked in to see Kiko staring in front of her the sight was a little relieving but soon horrifying.

"Satoshi-kun?" Mai found herself asking.

There he stood, one hand grasping the doorframe, a drop on blood trickling down his lip. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Kiko," he huffed painfully. "There really is a ghost here."

At that moment, Satoshi collapsed forward, causing Kiko to cry out. Mai screamed when she saw the knife sticking out of the ten-year-old boy's back. "Satoshi!" she screamed.

Naru came running as soon as Mai's cry filled the air. "Mai!" he yelled, seeing her standing in the hallway.

A sudden pain in Mai's side came, causing her to collapse as well. It's too soon for the painkillers to wear off, Mai thought, grasping her sighed, barely registering Naru's calls.

"Mai! Mai! What's wrong!" he cried out, too afraid to touch her.

"It hurts," she whimpered.

Naru made a daring move; he lifted up the side of her shirt to reveal the bandages. His findings were disturbing. Blood had seeped through the bandages, instead of a line, or some scratches, his fear had become reality.

In blood on the bandages, in beautiful calligraphy, were the initials S.A.

Mai had been claimed.

just one more chapter :( oh well but luckily this will have another case after it i just have to come up with it lol jaa nee! plz review!