~Memory of Mikoto~
"My darlings, slow down!" Mikoto laughed, chasing after me and Aisha as we ran down the halls and dried her hands with her apron.
I laughed as I hopped down the halls and turned around gleefully. "Mama! You can't catch me!"
"Oh, I'm gonna get you! I'm gonna get you!" Mikoto giggled, stepping left and right to block my path then gasped as I ran toward her and crawled under her legs to slip by her.
"Over here, Saki! Outside! Tsu-Tsu will save us!" Aisha laughed, opening the back door and hurried outside.
"Hey! None of that in and out business, you little gremlins!" Erik called out from the dining room table, chuckling as he looked up from his phone at us.
Mikoto chuckled as well as she walked into the kitchen, letting out a soft exhale. "Jeez, those two are gonna run me wild..~ When is Mrs. Ayami coming back to get their zoomie daughter?"
"Hopefully soon," Erik chuckled, looking back down at his phone to check his messages.
I looked back at my mother and father, smiling at the two of them then felt a tear running down my cheeks then wiped my face, looking down at my hand.
~End of Memory~
I wiped my face and opened my eyes, the rocking of the van waking me from my slumber and I looked down at my hand. I curled my hand into a fist, my heart throbbing and aching the more I thought about my parents.
I looked ahead and noticed Tsubami focused on the road with a yawn then I looked to my right, seeing Lotus peacefully sleeping while we made our way back to Matsugaya. I exhaled softly and leaned my head back against the headrest of my seat, closing my eyes.
"I miss them too, Motosaki. Mikoto was one of the main reasons I wanted to join the SPAB. She was my mentor and a mother figure to me when my mom was never around. Don't worry, we will avenge her and Nanako," Tsubami said, looking at me through the rearview mirror with a smile.
"She's right...you shouldn't worry too much. It's one...step at a time. Just focus on the girls for now..." Lotus said in a drowsy tone, halfway waking up from her sleep to add on.
I looked at Lotus then at Tsubami, giving the two of them a smile and exhaled softly. "Thank you..."
Tsubami continued driving down the freeway, taking an exit to enter into the Matsugaya District, the night sky finally taking place above us with the stars shining with their lustrous beauty. Tsubami drove through the city, soon reaching Aisha's house to drop me off first.
"Hey. I'll see you on Monday. Take Sunday off to spend time with one of the girls. We don't know if Nanako has moved yet or not, so just take a leap of faith and choose one," Tsubami said, giving me a wink before driving off.
I smiled at Tsubami's words then turned around to make my way to the front door, taking my keys out of my pocket to unlock the door and walk inside. Immediately, I was greeted with a tackling hug from Aisha, her arms wrapping around my nape with unusual excitement.
I chuckled softly at her, slightly caught off guard by her sudden affection and held her in my arms, using my foot to close the door as I carried her to the living room. "Good Lord, Aisha...you're a grown woman now, I'm not gonna do this all the time."
"You've been gone all day! I wanna spend time with you too..." Aisha whined, burying her face into my nape.
'I just did, you clingy woman,' I replied mentally, chuckling softly as I felt Nanako's presence at full force, noticing a light flickering in the kitchen from the corner of my eyes.
{Chapter 20: Modern Sunday}
I rested my head upon Aisha's lap, my gaze directed to the cartoon on the TV while Aisha ran her fingers through my hair gently, her hands softly playing with a few strands of hair. I reached over toward the table, grasping a potato chip between my fingers and brought it over to my mouth with a soft chuckle.
"Do you know why I like this show so much?" I asked, my gaze never breaking away from the TV.
Aisha glanced down at me, her calm gaze lingering onto my face for a moment before looking up at the show on the screen. "This show? Inspector Krisis? Why do you like it so much?"
A bit of silence followed her question then I turned my body so I could look up at Aisha as she glanced back down at me. "Because...he reminds me a lot of Dad. It's the show my dad showed me to teach me discernment. Krisis uses six abilities which all incorporates into his insight."
"Oh? Like what? Enlighten me," Aisha chuckled, her voice barely above a gentle whisper.
"Well, the first ability he uses is called Binah, to mentally understand, the ability to look deeper into the inner workings of things," I began, keeping my eyes locked onto Aisha's with a soft smile.
"Okay...and what's the next one?" Aisha asked, her fingers continuing to glide through my hair.
"The next one, Shama, to hear or to listen. That gives Krisis deeper comprehension, the ability to hear to understand, perceive, and apply wisdom," I continued, sitting up slowly with a soft grunt then shifted my body to face Aisha.
Aisha looked at me, shifting her body as well, her breathing deepening slowly as she began to feel a soft chill course around her body. "These sound like teachings that Granny Fugigami and Mrs. Izuna would show us."
"Because they are...after all, if there's anyone I want to understand the most right now, it's you," I said to both Aisha and Nanako, reaching over to Aisha and gently caressed her cheek.
Aisha leaned into my touch, feeling her heart pounding against her chest, her body instinctively moving closer to me. "But...I thought you already truly understood me. We practically grew up together..."
I chuckled softly at her comment and held Aisha's face with both hands, my eyes truly locking onto hers with a gentle, compassionate gaze. "I do understand you...but I wish to understand you a bit deeper. That's where this third ability comes in...Ta'am."
Aisha stared at me in silence, her breathing intermingling with the background noise of the TV. Her body began to grow hotter, her face gradually becoming more red the longer she stared into my eyes. "Ta'am..?"
"Ta'am...To taste in a metaphorical sense, but I won't learn more of you...if I keep at a certain distance. That's why I want to know the true you," I said in a soft whisper, slowly leaning forward into Aisha.
Aisha gently bit her lip, her breath hitching as she felt mine brush against her face. Her hands instinctively and gently held my arms, her fingers curling along my sleeve with a soft grip. "S-Saki.."
My forehead gently pressed against hers as my hand slowly found its way to her chin. "May I..?"
Aisha nodded slowly, her eyes closing and her lips parting as if to prepare herself for what she knew was coming next. Slowly, our lips met for a gentle, quick peck then Aisha leaned forward again to fully kiss me, her heart pounding heavily against her chest.
A passerby walked down the sidewalk with her dog, looking over at Aisha's house and noticing the lights flickering quickly with fireworks flying from the roof. She looked up at the sky, noticing one firework exploding into a beautiful pink heart in the sky.
"Nani..? Whoa, kurejiseno...Psh..Bakado!" The woman huffed, calling me and Aisha crazy as she continued down the streets.
Pulling away from the kiss, I looked at Aisha and noticed her eyes were still closed then felt a cold chill run down my spine. I looked behind me, but saw no one was there, but I could feel a presence standing behind me clearly.
I continued to search behind me, noticing everything looked normal then noticed a curtain waving as if trying to get my attention. I looked at the certain and smiled, watching the certain fly forward then heard an empty can fall off the table.
Aisha looked over at the can, her heart skipping a beat then heard the AC turn on with a strong cool wind. "O-Oh... it was just the wind. I'm getting some serious chills now...like something in me won't warm up or calm down."
I looked at Aisha, noticing her rubbing her arms and remembered the Tomodachi Book and thought about Level 2 once again. I knew from the kiss Nanako was certainly more active, but this felt completely different from Obession.
I reached over to Aisha, pulling her over to me and wrapped my arms around her with a soft chuckle. I grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around us. "Is that better..?"
"Mhm..." Aisha said in a calm tone, adjusting herself on my lap and turned around to hug me and bury her face into my neck. "It's so warm...and cozy..."
I smiled at Aisha, now taking my turn to rake my fingers through her hair while I began to enter my mental space. 'Nanako is in an Passionate State, captivated even. So far, she's been in a positive mood. I've read something like this before in The Chronicles...'
I exhaled softly and leaned back on the couch, holding Aisha closely in my arms. 'If this Level 1 is Harmless and Level 2 is Engrossed, Nanako was not a Yandere physically nor is she one spiritually. She's not even that vengeful...'
I continued to think about the many contractions in Nanako's history, trying to put together all the current pieces of the puzzle together. Nanako was able to live with my father for years with zero issues, and she seemed so happy with him.
So what happened that day? Why did Nanako go berserk and react so negatively? There has to be rules we are missing, some piece of critical information other than Rule Number Two: Do not force an exorcism without appeasing Nanako.
'What if Dad...was trying to appease Nanako and allow her to pass on then someone stopped it. Was Dad... trying to solve the MHI-30..?' I thought to myself, looking up at the ceiling with a soft exhale.
Aisha mumbled against my neck softly, "Stop moving so much...you're a bit eager down there..."
I looked down at Aisha, noticing her red face then grunted softly, looking away from her with a red face. "Sorry...I just...never really had anyone sit on my lap before so I kinda..."
"I get it..." Aisha mumbled softly, letting out a soft giggle and sat up then poked my nose gently. "But we still have to honor Divine Law~"
I groaned softly, pushing Aisha's hand away with a soft chuckle. "Oh, don't play moral police with me. I wasn't even thinking that. I can't quite help that my body is healthy and I certainly can't control where my blood flows."
Aisha laughed softly, rolling her eyes and leaned back down on me, closing her eyes again. "Yeah, yeah...just make sure you have it in a cage soon..~"
"Yeah, whatever..." I chuckled softly, lightly poking her cheek.
--------------------------------
"Everybody wake up! It's time to get up! AtteeeenTION!" The Captain on the digital alarm clock called out as a loud fanfare played in the background. "Sergeant Tsubami! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up—"
Tsubami covered her ears and rolled over on her side, nearly weeping as the sound of the fanfare disrupted her from her sleep. "Nazekaaa...Urusai... Ttakkunanda!!!"
Tsubami groaned loudly with frustration and sat up quickly, her blankets hanging over her head with an annoyed expression. "Seriously..? Who's idea was this..?"
"Onee-chan...! Please, turn that loud fanfare off! Everyday, you have me thinking Jesus is coming back..!" Lotus whined, walking into Tsubami's room and looked at her.
"In the name of the Holy One, can you turn that off!?" Otsuki cried out from down the hall, letting out a whine as she stomped down the halls. "You're taking away from our Sunday!"
Tsubami groaned softly as she smacked the top of her alarm clock with her fist, the screen glitching then going black. She flinched backwards then peeked at the top of her alarm clock, noticing one of the buttons had jammed through the battery.
Tsubami sucked her teeth and lowered her head. "Come on dude..."
Lotus sighed softly and rubbed her eyes, walking out of the room and yawned lightly. "Ugh, I'm already awake, so I'm gonna go get ready for church. Oh yeah, the Geisha and Miko are asking for you as well, Onee-chan!"
"Aiishhitee..! Ugh...it's just a busy day for me huh?" Tsubami groaned softly, dragging herself out of bed and put on her slippers before making her way out her room and downstairs.
Reaching the kitchen, she tied her robe around her and looked up, noticing Hisu sitting at the dining room and sipping her coffee. Tsubami walked toward the counter, opening a cabinet and taking down a mug from the shelf then began pouring herself a cup of coffee.
Hisu sipped her coffee and exhaled softly, looking up at the large TV in the living room. "It's already been two days since you've spoken with Young Izuna. How is he doing? I can sense Nanako's presence has entirely changed."
Tsubami sipped her coffee and turned around to lean against the counter, pulling her phone from her robe pocket as she sipped her coffee. "I wouldn't worry too much. He's still in his development stages, but I have faith in him. With him, we can finally find a way to appease Nanako."
"And what if Kyoto comes back or better yet, what if he runs into a suspect like Beatrice? Then what? He isn't Erik, and he doesn't understand the true dangers of the Tomodachi," Hisu said, looking back at Tsubami and noticed her dismissive smile.
"You worry too much, Gram Gram. Motosaki is not Erik, and Erik is not Motosaki. However, you're lucky I don't hold you for investigation for withholding information from Motosaki," Tsubami said half jokingly, sipping her coffee with a chuckle.
"E? Why you smart mouth...I should backhand you," Hisu fussed half jokingly, holding up the back of her palm then pointed at Tsubami.
Tsubami set down her mug with a chuckle and looked ahead at the TV in the living room with a soft exhale. "Why didn't you tell Motosaki that Mr. and Mrs. Izuna were in the SBI, OPA, and JESA? If he knew of their work, this investigation would be easier."
"Because the information no longer matches to what it was ten years ago. You've seen with your own eyes, Nanako has been pleasant ever since she's been with Motosaki. Just like she was with Erik, so we can't go off the other victims," Hisu answered, taking another sip from her coffee.
Tsubami sighed loudly, rubbing the back of her neck and sucked her teeth lightly. "So what then? Because we can't just keep leaving him in the dark like this."
"I've made an observation from 20 years ago when Nanako first found Mikoto and Erik. Nanako actually liked the Izuna Clan the most. It was almost like she knew them which makes me believe they were really trying to help her, more so Erik," Hisu began, setting down her mug then stood up from her seat with a soft grunt.
"How about you invite Motosaki to the Kojima Shrine? Hm?" Hisu suggested, giving Tsubami a smile then turned around and walked away. Hisu stopped for a moment then let out a chuckle. "Oh, and invite Aisha as well. Something tells me Nanako is with her today."
Tsubami watched as Hisu walked off and let out a scoffing laugh, crossing her arms and sucked her teeth. "Hai, ttakku...Now I gotta find Motosaki and Aisha? Jesus Christ...what is going on today?"
While the Fugigami and Nagagami Clan prepared for their Sunday Praises, Aisha and I were in Kojima Town, revisiting the old Izuna Residency to reminisce. Since I still had the key, I unlocked the door and stepped inside with Aisha and wandered around with her.
Each room carried a different bittersweet memory, the voices in the house still faintly able to be heard, the laughs now echoing against the walls. While we searched around, Nanako stood at the entrance and looked around with us.
"Sometimes, I wonder...what if you didn't move away? Would the Izuna Clan still be here?" Aisha asked, turning around to face me.
"We had no choice honestly...my father's work required him back to America and my mother wanted us to stay with him. For a time, we were just happy with just the three of us," I said, inhaling softly and slipping my hands into my pockets.
"But, it's just...I can't wrap my head around the autopsy report of my parents death. My father was stabbed to death and my mother was hung. My mother wouldn't do something so rash and there were signs of struggle," I said, looking around the house with a deep sigh.
"I still believe they were murdered! I don't care if Lady Hisu says a spirit influenced Mama Mikoto, she would NEVER do something like that! She would never hurt her husband!" Aisha said with deep resolve, clenching her fists together.
She was right, and every time I thought about the evidence we had and the glaring contradictions in Nanako's behavior, something told me that I was understanding my father's Tomodachi Book incorrectly. What if Yandere Levels are not directed toward me until Levels 8-10?
What if Nanako was attacking the cloaked person until she knew....there was no coming out alive? I had to think about it for a moment, the only evidence I had being Otsuki's defensive response when I first went to talk with Tsubami.
I sighed and scratched the back of my head, my brain beginning to throb as too much information was being poured into me at once. I shook my head and exhaled softly. "One at a time, Motosaki...."
Suddenly, three knocks sounded on the door, causing me and Aisha to look at the front door. Nanako turned back to the door as well, peering through the peephole and noticing a man wearing a white button up and a black vest standing in front of the door.
I began to slowly approach the door, holding my hand back to signal Aisha to stay. I went on high alert since no one else other than the Fugigami and Otsuki Clans knew where this neighborhood was. I felt a cold breeze near the door, the chill crawling down my spine as Nanako hovered behind me protectively.
The man watched as the door slowly opened, one of his hands coolly in his pocket while the other held his cigarette at his lips. "I already know you're in there. Because of you, this case has to be reopened and I'm not gonna allow the SPA run through this city freely."
"Who is that?" Aisha whispered loudly, her face full of worry and concern.
I looked up at the man, noticing his eyes meet with mine for a split second. I grunted and tried to quickly slam the door shut, but the man put his foot in the way to stop me. "Who the heck are you, and how did you find this house?"
"My name is Inoue Nakamura, a member of the Yokai Extermination Division. We should've been done with this ten years ago, but that foolish man thought he could be a hero," Inoue said, gripping the door and pulling it open.
I stumbled forward into his hold, grunting softly as he had a grip upon my jacket. "Yo man, what are you doing?"
Inoue looked up from me into the house, tapping the side of his glasses and the Spirit Tracker UI displayed upon his lens. He looked at Aisha and noticed Nanako hovering behind her, her aura shimmering a high energy scarlet.
"So, I see you're peeved right now huh? You shouldn't have even woke back up, but I guess I can't put all the blame on you. A curious cat decided to find a dead mouse," Inoue said, looking down at me and blew smoke from the side of his mouth.
I smacked Inoue's hand off my jacket then fixed my clothes and scoffed at him, my expression also becoming annoyed. "Are you done yet? You've spewed enough bullshit about me and my family, so tell me who are you?"
"I just did, you smart mouth brat. Kids like you really need to be taught some manners," Inoue huffed, rolling his shoulder and flicked his cigarette bud onto the ground.
I watched as his bud landed in the patch of lilies then sucked my teeth, an annoyed shimmer flashing in my eyes. My heart began to beat with anger at Inoue's disrespect, my immediate reaction being to launch a swift straight at his face.
Inoue parried my punch, my arm swinging to the side while he launched a counter strike, stopping his fist before striking my cheek. "Hmph, and Tsubami chose a kid like you for a mission like this? What? You win a few hallway fights at school, you was taught self defense by Lieutenant Erik, and now you think you can fight?"
'Who the hell is this guy..?' I thought to myself, my body not moving an inch until he finally pulled away.
Suddenly, a kitchen knife flew out the door straight toward Inoue, but he swiftly dodged the knife and watched it stick into his car door perfectly. He glanced back in the house, noticing Aisha breathing heavily, cold mist escaping her mouth with every breath as if she ran to the kitchen and back within seconds.
"Get away from Motosaki!!" Aisha screamed, Nanako's voice echoing through hers which caused a subtle dual tone.
Inoue began to slowly reach behind himself, his hand placed upon his holster. "I'll eliminate you now and stop this needless suffering. You're a monster, not something to be understood!"
"Pull it out, and I'll have you dropping dead in seconds, Nakamura!" Tsubami's tone rang out from behind, causing Inoue to halt immediately.
As Inuoe looked back at Tsubami, Aisha rushed out of the house toward Inuoe with a scream and pounced onto his back and began pulling at his clothes. He grunted as he tried to throw her off then grabbed her and judo tossed her onto the ground, his gaze finding her and noticed Nanako becoming increasingly more angry.
"No...you won't take him away from me..." Aisha said chillingly, her breathing growing faster as her hand rose to her quickly beating heart. "Get away...go away..."
Inuoe grit his teeth as he looked at Aisha, noticing she was reaching Level 2. He decides to disregard Tsubami's orders and reached for his taser to subdue Aisha. "Sorry, Sergeant, but I can't comply with those orders!"
Aisha held her cheeks and began laughing with heavy pants, her cheeks heating up into a deep red as her pupils began to faintly glow an obsessive pink. "M-Motosaki..~ I don't know what's happening to me...but it's making me want to...save you."
Tsubami sighed with a groan, looking up and planting her hand upon her face. "Why Lord..? Why'd you make my grandma so wise and right...and why do I get your hardest trials..?"
I stood up quickly and began remembering my father's notes within the Tomodachi Book then began to realize that Nanako's reactions are directed towards her targets until it's too much for her to bear. I quickly began hatching ideas in my head to see how to calm Aisha and Nanako down.
Aisha stepped forward and noticed Inuoe quickly unholster his taser then smirked at him, holding her finger out and began to wag it in front of him. "Ttakku, Mr. Exorcist, that won't work on me. The last person to try that on me got a surprise~! Fire at your own risk.."
"You possess people you demon and have them kill others! In the name of the Lord, you will be casted out!" Inuoe bellowed, firing his first stun bullet at Aisha.
Aisha swayed to the side, dodging the bullet and chuckled softly as she walked over to the knife sticking on Inuoe's door. Using Nanako's influenced strength, she pulled the weapon out with ease and exhaled softly. "You're trying to stop something I've been waiting a long time for..."
"Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts! Sunshines and rejuvenations!" Aisha blurted out, grunting heavily as she smacked her head, trying to gain control over her body again. "What's going on?!"
'Come on, Izuna! Don't freeze up now! Think, boy! Think!' I thought to myself, speaking to my spirit in a way my father would've.
"Careful with that knife, Aisha! Just drop it!" Tsubami called out, hurrying over then froze as Aisha held the knife toward her.
"Stop there, Fugigami...I am the victim here! Why does everyone always keep choosing the other person?!" Aisha yelled out, Nanako's voice becoming clear as day.
Inuoe cocked the hammer of his taser back and took aim at Aisha once again. "Don't you see, Sergeant? This Disembodied Spirit is beyond saving."
"Well you berating and degrading her isn't helping either!" Tsubami yelled out, balling her hands into fists tightly.
Aisha looked at Inuoe and flipped the knife to where the blunt end was the primary side. She pointed it at him and lowered her head. "For many years... everyone has misunderstood me, even my own parents. I found comfort with the Izuna Clan for the first time...and she took them away from me."
"She?" Inuoe asked, raising an eyebrow and slightly lowered his weapon. "Oh, you're talking about the IM-10? That unsolved case? You killed Mikoto, no one else has the strength to kill Erik the way you did."
"That wasn't me!" Aisha screamed, stomping her foot down and looking up at Inuoe with a glare. "Why...would I kill the man that would set me free?"
"Because you're a vengeful spirit! You became Obsessed with Erik and you couldn't live without him. For Christ's sake, you influenced Mikoto to have a child with him! You caused both of their deaths!" Inuoe called out, raising his gun again and prepared to shoot then grunted as I gripped his wrist.
I held his wrist tightly and stared at the ground, processing what Nanako had said then began to go over the Yandere Level 10 information Mr. Hoshido presented in the meeting. I also began to go over the autopsy mentally once more then lowered Inuoe's hand.
"I believe her. Because there were signs of struggle, I personally believe someone killed my father...which forced Nanako into Level 10, "Lover's Suicide". I don't have the page in the Book because it's ripped out, but I'm sure I saw something..." I said, letting go of Inuoe's wrist and looked forward at Aisha.
"If Nanako's lover dies, she will take herself out as well because she can not live without the one she loves. She is an Attachment-Type Spirit, and I'm sure once that red string is cut, she has to go dormant and find a new connection," I finished, staring at Aisha for any form of confirmation.
Aisha stared at me as well, her breathing becoming more stable slowly as she began to calm down. "You believe me..? You actually trust me? You know I wouldn't actually do that!"
"Don't let her fool you like she did your father, Izuna! Stand out of the way, newbie, and let me finish this!" Inuoe called out, raising his taser again then grunted as I stepped in front of his line of fire.
"M-Motosaki! Nandesuka!?" Tsubami gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, a memory of Erik stepping in front of Mikoto flashing in her head.
"This is what got my parents killed to begin with. Exorcizing Nanako without appeasing her, but not only that...I'm 60% certain that the person who visited my New America home murdered my dad because he wouldn't let them harm my mother nor Nanako," I said, stepping forward and pressing my forehead against the barrel of his taser.
"So...you want to repeat history again? Finish the job and kill me. Only then...will you have Nanako," I said, the fire of my mother's righteousness and determination shining brightly in my eyes.
Inuoe stared into my eyes, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes as he saw my mother within me then he sighed heavily and lowered his weapon. "Ugh...I seriously despise brats like you..."
Tsubami sighed with relief and held her hand over her chest. "Thank God..."
Inuoe holstered his gun as he began walking back to his car, opening the door and stepping inside. "Just know that this isn't over, Izuna. You all are making a grave mistake by reopening this case instead of just ridding her immediately. I won't allow another tragedy to arise... because you have a big heart."
"Or maybe you've just forgotten what real empathy looks like! You seem to think you have it all correct up there, but I disagree! For 30 years, Nanako has been left unheard and now she speaks, you wish to take her voice away?" I fired back, clenching one of my fists then scoffed at Inuoe.
"You know what? I will finish my father's work, and prove EVERYONE was wrong! I will avenge my parents and Nanako by catching their murderers and solving the many cold cases connected to MHI-30!" I declared, my eyes gleaming with a focus I hadn't known since I was young.
Inuoe closed his eyes and fully got into his car, closing the door and starting the engine before driving off. Tsubami, Aisha, and I watched as Inuoe finally left then the tension in the air was finally lifted. Once Nanako had fully calmed down, Aisha's body suddenly became chilling cold and she hurried over to me for warmth.
I looked down at Aisha, giving her a soft smile and wrapping my arms around her to warm her up then felt a cold breeze crawl down my spine, sensing Nanako's presence hovering behind me. "It's alright, you two...I've got you."
Tsubami smiled at us and began walking over to her van, letting out a yawn and stretched her arms. "Alright, you three, it's time to get a move on. Since you're already in Kojima Town, this just makes my taste easier. We're going to the shrine."
Aisha gasped and looked over at Tsubami, her chilling struggle now becoming a secondary thought in the back of her mind. "We're going to see Grammy~?"
"Yeah, Granny Hisu wanted to see you two, so let's get a move on! Come on, Detective! You have to report to the Commander!" Tsubami said, looking over at me and saluting. "Ba bada bam! Ba ba ba bada bam! Ba bababaaa!"
I looked at Tsubami with a perplexed expression as she began singing the Japanese Military Fanfare then groaned and lowered my face onto my hand. "Oh my God...she's on a buzz rush."
"Sergeant Tsubami, reporting for duty! Now picking up Private Izuna, 10-4!" Tsubami said into her watch then looked back up at me and Aisha, saluting again and continuing her fanfare.
"Let's hurry with her before she completely loses her mind," I said, gently holding Aisha's hand as I led her to the van.
"I did not realize Tsu-Tsu's caffeine intake was that high," Aisha giggled, following behind me.
"It's not caffeine, it's not caffeine," I said, closing my eyes with a smirk as I tried to not laugh. "It's Nicotine Gum, and this had the same effect on my mom where she would get hyperactive...it's so bad."
Tsubami watched as we finally entered the fan then chuckled, getting into the van as well and starting up the engine before driving off quickly. "Whoo!! Lady Mikoto was onto something! Whooweee! I feel like I need to take a drive to calm down!"
"Yeah, you do that, Sergeant," I chuckled, leaning forward in my seat and pay Tsubami's arm.
"I'm glad this didn't kick in when Inuoe was there because I was actually prepared to just kill him...Thank the heavens that I can control myself for that long!" Tsubami laughed, rolling down the windows to allow fresh air to blow in.
-------------------------
Hisu stood outside on the shrine's quiet training grounds, watching over Lotus as she meditated and prayed under the flowing waterfall. Hisu stood quietly as she observed Lotus's progress, letting out a soft hum with her hands behind her back.
Otsuki stood behind her great aunt, watching over Lotus as well in her maiko training kimono, holding her shinai in front of her with both hands. "Obassan, is it true that Motosaki joined the SPA? What about his classes and studies?"
"He will still be attending Matsugaya. His studies are more important than the missions he'll be receiving, but since he is part of this organization, I will have to train him," Hisu said, grabbing a red patch from her kimono pocket and placed it on Otsuki's back.
Otsuki looked at her back, noticing the red patch then looked over at Hisu and watched as she called Lotus to place a white patch on her back. "Missions? What missions are we talking about?"
"Focus, Otsuki. We must get your training done before your mother comes back to retrieve you. Today, we will be focusing on Zanshin and being in a state of Alertness," Hisu said, holding a red and white flag in each hand.
Lotus took a deep breath and exhaled softly, looking up at Otsuki and gave her a bow. "Let us have a good sparring session, Otsuki."
Otsuki bowed toward Lotus as well, regaining her focus but the thought of the missions I would take rested in the back of her mind. "Hai, let us do our best, Lotus."
"Begin!" Hisu called out, swiping her hand in front of her.
Lotus immediately stepped forward with great focus, her eyes targeting Otsuki's Do with the intention to strike. Otsuki stepped back quickly and lowered her arm to her side slightly, but Lotus quickly changed her target and aimed at Otsuki's Men with a kiai.
Otsuki grunted as she sidestepped her attack and quickly countered with a swift strike to Lotus's body. Lotus quickly shifted her stance and clashed her shinai with Otsuki's, efficiently entering a lock. The two broke away and reset, letting out a kiai to show fighting spirit.
Hisu watched as the two continued sparring, looking at Otsuki's feet and noticed she was noticably faster than Lotus. However, Lotus had the upperhand with the ability to quickly shift her stances in response to Otsuki. 'Hm...Otsuki typically wins these quickly...'
Lotus thrusted her shinai forward for a Tsuki strike, but Otsuki evaded her attack and went for another body strike while Lotus was wide open. Otsuki noticed Lotus's stance shift then changed her attack, quickly aiming at Lotus's wrists.
Lotus knew she only had mere milliseconds to react then thrusted her shinai onto the ground and stepped forward for a shoulder bump, pushing Otsuki back then let out a shout as she swung her kendo stick at Otsuki's side. Otsuki regained her footing then perfectly parried Lotus, countering by striking her Men.
Hisu rose up the red flag and blew on her whistle. "Ippon! Otsuki takes the first point."
Lotus hissed softly as she rubbed her head, the stinging sensation lingering upon her forehead. "Shoot...I was sure I had her on that one. She's just so fast..."
Otsuki panted softly, lowering her shinai in front of her with a ready stance. 'I can't keep relying on my speed against a Corporal Rank in the SPA. I just can't believe Motosaki is really joining the SPA like Mr. Erik did...is he taking on the Nanako Case?'
Otsuki's brother chuckled softly at the deciding score and stood up from the log he sat on, grabbing his bokuto from beside him and walked forward. "Jeez, Imoto...you barely even beat the girl. Don't tell me that boy is making you all sloppy now."
Otsuki grunted softly and glanced over at her older brother, her gaze becoming more gentle as she looked at the ground. "I'm not getting sloppy, and Motosaki is not distracting me. Lotus is a Corporal Rank in the SPA, you know this, Heido."
"Ahh, all I'm hearing is excuses. Allow me to show you how it's done," Heido said, flourishing his bokuto sword in a circle while taking the red patch off Otsuki's back and placed it on his arm. "Corporal Rank. How cute."
Lotus got into her stance, increasing the grip upon her sword while simultaneously relaxing the rest of her body and spread her feet apart. She flipped her shinai into a reverse grip and held her hand at the pummel of her bamboo sword. "You underestimate me, Itoko! I'm not the same little girl you know!"
Heido watched as Lotus closed her eyes and began to silently pray, a light blue butterfly fluttering past her through the foliage with subtle cyan particles raining upon her shinai. He hummed with intrigue once Lotus's shinai suddenly shifted into a bokuto. The phenomenon surprised Hisu as well, an event being once a lifetime.
"Huh, so you do actually walk with Him now. God sending you a Sovereign Butterfly is not going to help you against me!" Heido bantered, taking on his stance with a kiai and a laser focused gaze.
Hisu stared at the two in silence, watching them crouch down at their starting points then heard leaves crunching in the distanced, her left ear wiggling at the noise. 'They're here...I was hoping they would make it for the Zanshin Exercise...'
"Begin!" Hisu called out then grunted as Heido dashed forward instantly, caught off guard by his immense speed.
Heido began with a low sweeping slash with his bokuto sword, but Lotus leaped over his attack and landed on the ground with a rushing slice at his torso. Heido parried her attack and grabbed her wrist, pulling her in for a judo toss then followed with a swing at the top of her head.
Lotus pushed herself up from the ground, countering with an Airflare and caught his arm with her legs, but Heido grabbed the robe of her kimono and lifted her up with one arm. Lotus let go of his arm then latched onto his neck with a scissor lock before swinging around him with a hurricanrana.
Heido grunted as he was flung forward, but rolled into recovery and landed on one knee with a laugh. "Okay, I see you're trying way harder for me. Is it because I can rival your First Class Sergeant Tsubami in skill?"
Lotus rose back onto her Eight Side Stance, taking a deep breath then exhaled softly, regaining her Zanshin and focus. "You might rival her in combat, but in IQ, you lack even basic wisdom. This is why you're only in the YED and JESA."
Heido chuckled softly, standing up on his feet and went into a Middle Guard. "You seem to have a smart mouth for a supposed Gentle Spirit."
"I am Meek, and there's a difference. You should know this, assuming we are reading the same Bible and Chronicles," Lotus said, her eyes shifting behind Heido to see me, Tsubami, and Aisha walking through the leaf ridden path toward the training grounds.
Tsubami groaned as she noticed Heido and Lotus sparring then looked down at her watch. "We missed the Exercise? Now we gotta watch his big oaf blow up his own ego against my Junior?"
I walked forward and looked up from the ground, noticing Lotus being put on the back foot against Heido, his speed becoming too much for her to handle. I glanced down at his feet, watching him quickly shift stances and techniques, his strikes landing in rapid succession.
Hisu crossed her arms as she watched me step forward onto the training grounds. Otsuki tilted her head slightly as she watched me as well, noticing I had picked up her shinai and made my way toward Lotus and Heido.
"You're finished!" Heido taunted, launching a swift overhead slash at the kneeling Lotus.
Before his sword could reach Lotus's head, his bokuto struck my kendo stick and bounced off the straight wood. He stumbled backwards and recovered his footing, his gaze shifting over to me then a smirk formed on his face.
"She's already down. There's no point in going for the last strike, Yukido" I said, pushing Heido back with my elbow then gently held Lotus's arm to pull her into her feet.
Heido chuckled softly at me and sighed loudly, feigning an annoyed expression. "Yukido? Jesus, I haven't heard that nickname in ages. Seems like the star of the show is finally here to save his harem!"
I placed the tip of the shinai against the ground like a cane, looking over at Heido and huffed softly. "You've always been the one to go overboard. I don't know what kind of training we are doing here, but if you need a horseplayer, me and Tsubami are here."
"Hmmm, seems like the little guy has grown some nuts after all. You used to be so docile," Heido teased, ruffling my hair then placed me in a headlock while rubbing his knuckles against my head. "Showing out for the ladies now huh? Learning from your big bro huh?"
"I am not showing out, get off me man!" I protested, pushing Heido off me then swatted my hand at him.
Heido weaved my attack then swung back at me with a slap but noticed I had dodged with a duck, my evasion causing him to laugh. "And you're getting faster! Okay, I think I can work with you!"
"Come on, Heido, I don't think we are even here for this!" Aisha called out then sighed, bringing her face to her hand. "Why do we even try?"
Otsuki watched as her brother and I began slap boxing, an exasperated smile forming on her lips as she watched us shuffled along the dirt while stanced up, dodging each other's attacks while swiping our hands toward one another. "Boys...am I right?"
"This isn't exactly how I planned the day, but when they are done horse playing, just bring them back to the shrine," Hisu chuckled, walking off from the training grounds with an exhale.
"C'mon, man! Show me what you've got..!" Heido said, flinching backwards as I feinted my slap then countered with his own.
I swayed under his slap then swiftly rose up with my own, my hand connecting across his face with an echoing smack with the forest now filled with "ooohs". Heido staggered slightly, holding his cheek and held his hand out in front of himself.
"Damn..! Whoo man! You slapped the taste buds and fire out of me. You must've been holding back some unprocessed anger or something," Heido exclaimed with a soft laugh, looking over at me with a smirk.
I chuckled softly as I looked at Heido, looking down at my hand and thought about Inuoe. "You could say that. I did run into a Commander or Captain from the Yokai Extermination Division. His name was Inuoe Nakamura."
"Oh, I know him. That's my Commander. What issues could he have with you? Didn't you just join the SPA via the crazy lady?" Heido asked, pointing behind him at Tsubami.
"Crazy? Oh, I'll show you something crazy alright!" Tsubami barked, pushing her sleeve up and began marching toward Heido.
"Whoa, whoa! That's you're cousin, Tsu-Tsu!" Aisha called out, grabbing Tsubami's arm and held her back from Heido.
"See? She's crazy, man. But, seriously? What could you have done to make Nakamura mad?" Heido asked, crossing his arms and looking at me with curiosity.
I looked around the training grounds, exhaling softly and felt a gentle wind blow, the soft breeze calming my mind down and bringing me gentle clarity. Everyone around me already had ties with my family and knew of my parents' work, so it was almost as if the Lord was giving me the peace to tell the truth.
"It's about the MHI-30 case that Mr. Mori had reopened. They want my help investigating the case and he seems to want the case to remain cold," I answered, only telling a half truth due to not knowing how the girls would react if I blatantly said Nanako was influencing and possessing them.
"Ahh, the MHI-30 case? I believe in a lot of things, but that case is too freaky for even me and I deal with Spirits and shit like that. However, over 30 unsolved cases around Matsugaya and neighboring Districts? Yeah, even I avoid that one," Heido said and crossed his arms with a sigh.
"That one case is unsolvable. Not even Aunt Hisu could find a definite answer and Erik was killed trying to solve it, making him and Miss Mikoto the 30th unsolved case. And they're asking you?" Heido continued, his tone filled with confusion.
I exhaled softly and scratched the side of my head. "That's what MHI-30 means? 30 unsolved cases?"
"Yes, it stands for the 30 Unsolved Matsugaya, Hojin, and Itakatsu Cases. Strange how they are only around those three locations, yet investigations stretch out across all of New Japan," Heido answered, turning to Tsubami and sighed softly.
"What? He's literally the most fit for the job. Mr. Erik left him all the information because he knew Motosaki could try to find a solution and so far, he's made great progress. Just trust the process," Tsubami said, rolling her eyes at Heido.
"Oh, we'll see...I just don't like how you gave my little bro one of the hardest missions to date. I low-key agree with Inuoe, this one should stay closed," Heido said then felt a surreal chill crawl down his spine, causing his body to shiver.
I noticed Heido shiver and glanced at the ground, seeing only one shadow then began searching around the training grounds until I noticed Otsuki's cold, protesting, and lingering stare at the back of Heido's head. I looked back over at Aisha, noticing her demeanor had returned to normal.
I hummed softly and slipped my hands into my pockets. "The Lord wouldn't burden me with a taste He knows I could not complete. I was handed this mission for a reason, and I will solve it...not only for my parents, but for the 30 years of wandering Nanako went through."
Otsuki's gaze shifted over to me, her gaze growing softer and the air around the grounds began to warm up. "Wait, you are taking on the case? You'll need a lot of help for this."
"I know, but for right now it's one step at a time. Just one step," I said, looking up at the sky with a soft exhale.