ch 3

Momiji pov

I sweeped the yard with a hard broom as Maki sat on the porch with Mai.

'You do all the chores this week. We did all of yours for a month while you were recovering from doing something stupid!'

I got berated by Mai this morning. Well, they aren't wrong.

I thought as I groaned. Curse my crappy stamina and the fact that I'll probably live the struggle through the whole thing anyway.

It won't do much for the muscle strain though and the fact that it'd hurt worse since I've been laying around for a month.

"Momiji! grab the snacks! let's rest first!"

Mai said making me groan as I put the broom away.

Damn, being third. Damn, being the youngest.

I walked towards our room then grabbing a box of dango we barely saved ourselves.

Out the shoji doors I found myself looking at a large man back slouched on the shoji.

Ughhh.... he's blocking the door outside.

"Can I go out please? you're blocking the door. I'll give you some Dango in exchange."

I said as I took two from the box and offered it to him.

Gazing above me at his face was when the awareness shook.

The atmosphere was heavy as his presence could make the oxygen thin and my nerves tremble.

It was bewildering as an instinct of being a prey before a great predator emerged in me.

I should have been running but the blizzard like fear froze me in place.

What even is this....?

Getting the slight courage to look into his eyes, he gave me a raised brow.

"Heh, careful next time, kid. You don't know how many hemmorages you can survive. Again that is."

He said mockingly sadistic as he took the two Dango sticks in my hand and left.

Quickly enough like a cheetah chasing prey to the point I hardly saw him.

Who even was that....

The realization hit like a storm as I slid the door to go outside.

Toji Zenin...

I wouldn't make a mistake....

"Momiji, what took you so long?"

Maki said scolding me as she took two dangos from the box one for her the other to Mai.

"N-nothing."

I managed to blurt out as she responded in a confused shrug not bothering to ask.

Hah...a little dammit jungle this place is....

Find yourself at the wrong room at the wrong time...

With people with heartless power like that you'd die and no one will aid you....

No one would mourn..... perhaps not even a proper funeral....

That's how it is for people like us at the bottom...

I told myself as I harshly gnawed at the sweet chewy flesh of the Dango.

Dammit this isn't helping...

I put it down back at the box.

'Po-ppo-Ppo0'

I heard a voice crawling beneath the porch.

And we have these guys to worry about.... fantastic... dammit...

"Eeeeeeek!"

Mai screamed in shock as she dropped her Dango stick.

"It's there again? Let's just find somewhere else to eat."

Maki said as she sighed and took the box and Mai to the other porch.

Gazing at the ugly creature that's face almost reminded me to vomit...

Dammit lucky Maki....this thing's ugly as hell..

I swore as I stood up only to be greeted by the caw of a black feathered creature.

It landed by my side as it gazed at the curse.

'G-get rid of?'

An echo resembling a comprehendible caw sounded in my mind.

"Gah!-"

I responded in surprised shock.

Ugh! both of you better go away!

'O-ok!'

It echoed in my mind again.

The crow cawed again and took the curse by its beak and left.

"Momiji !! You coming or not!?"

I heard Maki call.

"Hai!! Maki-nee!"

I told her as I ran to the other porch.

Later after they finished eating, they left me to sweep the yard...

Looking at the fading sun as it set in golden orange hues, I found myself looking at a tree.

Taking a breath of exhaustion as I felt my back cramp, I decided to sit at its roots for a bit.

As I sat down, a familiar crow perched on my shoulder as in curiosity I allowed it to sit on my hand as it looked at me.

"He-hello"

I told it as it replied in a caw as several other crows surrounded me as I heard the fluttering wings and black feathers dancing in wind.

Looking at the cursed energy emanating from it, I sighed.

My head's finally all clear. It seems I reincarnated into this place...

And...

'Crow manipulation...'

My innate technique...

It awoke just before I ended up remembering my past memories.

'Po-ppo-Ppo0~'

I heard the tiny curse struggling as one of the crows held it by its beak.

"Can you put it down?"

I asked in a sense I'm still wondering what I'm doing.

The crow unlike me didn't hesitate as it dropped the curse at my feet.

Interestingly enough the curse this time wasn't really ugly...

Rather it's a bit cuter than usual...so it looked a bit more bearable..

'Po-ppo-Ppo0!!~'

It cried as I held it in my hand as the other crows surrounded me.

"Hmmm....not too bad are you?"

I told it as I holded it upwards.

'p-ppo?~'

The little curse whined as its big eyes blinked and its white wings fluttered.

"Teheheh...but we can't let Mai see you.. she'd throw a fit.."

I said as I looked to one of the crows.

"Put it somewhere far from this side of the house."

I asked the creature as I nearly saw it nod and without a moment's notice the crow took it gently from my hands then flew away.

It still feels odd doing it....

I thought as I sighed to myself gazing at the hoard of crows.

"MOMIJI!!"

I heard a familiar voice scream my name.

"Mai-nee? W-what's wrong?"

I asked my sister in bewilderment finding my eyes on her ragged rasping form.

" T-trouble! Let's go back!"

She said as she swiftly took my wrist and ran pulling me forcefully along.

"H-hey! Nee-san! What happened?"

I complained as I felt her trembling grip cut the circulation to my wrist.

As we entered the hall, I noticed several clan members scurrying about in a panic.

Many of the men wearing their evening yukata's held their katanas as I noticed the cursed energy weighing the atmosphere.

Trouble...

Big trouble... not good.

I realized as I looked through the commotion Mai still leading me along.

The ground shook suddenly as we nearly tumbled over but held by the wooden walls.

Some people running about did fall to the floor.

Suddenly I heard something through the walls.

'PO-PPO-PPO0---*'

A curse?

' Play with me!~'

It's voice sent shivers done my spine.

The sensation of cold fear crawled by my skin as it worsened by the caw of the crows in my mind.

'M-move n-now! dd-anger'

'D-danger!!'

'D-ANGER-!'

I heard them say through my mind a brief flash of their vision made my adrenaline kick.

"MAI MOVE!!"

I shouted as I shoved my sister and myself away from the wall as a large curse the size of a monster truck crashed the wall in a frenzy as I watched it gobble some slower clan members.

I watched blood splatter through the halls as their mangled bodies spread through the hall.

As Mai froze, I pulled her in a panicked flurry surging down my chest as I felt the crows warn me with even worse panick.

Hordes of curses ran amuck across the halls as the others with katanas began to fight.

Through a broken shoji door from the chaos one crow flew towards me.

'Danger! go left!'

It cawed as I began to follow it desperately.

As the chaos grew worse, my head started to tear apart from the several crows shouting through the danger every corner of the place.

'Danger! Courtyard!'

'Blood! Must go!'

'Dead man! Dead humans!'

'D-dying...d-dying'

I heard them scream in my mind as the vision sent my mind into havoc as I felt it weigh me over.

What's worse as some of the curses killed some of the crows I could sense their feel as they lost life and took their final breath through our links.

Dammit.....!

Despite my mind telling me not to, I ended up falling to the floor my body unable to keep up with the chaos through the cursed energy through the mind bond.

I felt my head sear as a trickle of blood fell from my nose.

"MOMIJI !!"

Mai yelled as she held my by the shoulder as I felt my mind start to blur.

Hearing the crows panick even more telling me not to die, I wiped the blood on my nose.

Gazing at the commotioning battle just around us, I ended up thinking to myself.

What's the point of life anyway?....

It hurts....it hurts like hell to feel pain...

It'll hurt a lot to be killed by a curse but then it'd all be over...

As my vision started to fade a memory resurfaced.

"Amy, what's the meaning of life hm?"

A brown haired girl in a short ponytail, my best friend, asked as she looked at me by the rooftop.

"What's with being all philosophical? I don't think you're cut out to be the next Plato until you start finishing your homework."

I scolded groaning as I held her notebook with answers that if I don't help her with she'll probably repeat a grade.

"That's mean, you know. Just think about it. If people live they chose to suffer this...

things like homework...if they're dead they won't have too... Isn't death much easier."

She pouted as she continued.

"I cut you some slack but you have to promise to finish you're homework after, okay?"

I replied as she nodded gazing at the sunset.

"I dunno cause I guess maybe they don't wanna die?"

I added as I munched on some Cheetos as she gazed to me.

"Most people would say because it's an instinct to live."

She said as she stole the bag of chips.

"Hey!-...fine what do you think this time?"

I complained but gave up as I sat down on the plastic chair.

"Because... People aren't made with the want to die... isn't that obvious? It'd be dumb. To make something only for it to destroy itself."

I added trying to answer her.

"Amy, some people choose to die. One could say others don't chose to die because death's boring and despite pain you also need to be alive to feel happy. But what about those who only have a straight flush of the bad parts."

She said sipping her boba tea. No, I'm pretty surely that was mine. Ugh, this glutton.

"Well what can we do? it's a simple C'est la vie."

I told her as I stole back my drink.

"Amy, why do you choose to live?"

She asked as she elegantly took a Cheeto into her mouth grinning.

"I don't really have a reason to die?.... I mean why should I? plus my mom would throw a fit."

I told her as I sipped my drink.

I heard her chuckle.

"I would too. Do you know why I chose to live, Amy?"

She said smiling with her teeth.

I then responded with a simple hm.

"Because.... I'm way too greedy to die. Even when it feels that painful... Honestly life is pointless it's true but so is death. I don't plan to die pointlessly or live without point either."

She said giggling as the wind blew through her raised hands as her hair danced through the breeze.

"Amy.... don't ever die, k? Cause on my 21st birthday.... let's go to France. Just the two of us.There's no way I'll let you rest until you step on Paris soil."

That was the last the thing she said before I died the day after as I returned to reality as the curses rampaged the hall.

Hah....I guess I can't die here...

She'd never let me be in peace that way huh?

I told myself as I stood up despite still feeling like my head was split apart.

"Mai, let's go!"

I shouted as she began to pull me away from the chaos in a rush of adrenaline.

Sensing the curses following through as my vision trembled.

Dammit!...

I cursed nerves freezing as the curse held the hem of my kimono.

"This damned shit-!"

I swore as it held tight to the fabric of my clothes as I struggled but it didn't let go.

The curse began to chuckle as it suddenly caught my leg and in a flash my left leg twisted scrunchingly painful as my blood stained the floor.

Crap its grip is too strong!

I thought as my tears welled up.

Fear creeping back frigidly into me.

B-but I can't die here..

In a sudden moment cold and dim sensations around me hovered as I felt the negative emotions flourish and feed off of it.

The cursed energy I saw around me..

around us as I swore.

I can't die here...

I WON'T DIE HERE!!

"GET OFF ME DAMMIT!!"

I yelled as the raging sensations burned around me as dozens of crows began to enter the hall damaging the walls and shoji or through any crack they could find.

The curse was around the size of a 5 year old but with that amount of crows filling the halls it was pushed back as their caws echoed furiously with intent to kill.

The cursed spirit wailed as several crows violently raged at it reinforced by my cursed energy.

Mai began to run seeing that the curse was now too busy finally letting go of my leg.

Finally nearing the third building we'd be safe...

Only for the ground to tremor horrendously as a deep and cruel frightening cursed energy emerged in the air as it shattered half the hall infront of us rearing its ugly head with a sadistic smile ..

Its evil glowing dim eyes gazed at us as its long snake tongue drooled with the blood of its last meal.

As big as a first story bungalow, I knew no matter how many crows I wouldn't be able to even so much as pinch it...

Yet at the same time after the weaker curse earlier twisted my leg, I couldn't run either.

Mai gazed at me tears overflowing in her eyes as her hold on me trembled realizing our situation.

"Mai-nee.... just run...I can't run from it with my leg.."

I told her as I sighed under my breath.

"M-momiji ! N-no-...I-i...."

Mai sobbed as she tightened her grip on my wrist as if it wasn't already bruising it purple.

"JUST GO!! Maki-nee will be furious if we both die. Unlike me you can still run."

I shouted as I shoved her hold away as my body sunk to the floor.

She ran towards me refusing to leave but at my signal my crows pushed her away pecking at her harshly until she was forced to relent as they pulled at the of her collar hem.

"Momiji!! Don't use your technique on m-me! please-! D-dont do this!"

She screamed until I could only hear it faintly as I gave all my remaining energy so my crows can get her to safety.

When the exit to where the crows led her was blocked by the debris as the large curse grew closer, I heard her give up she wailed.

My crows giving me a slight glimpse of their vision making my eyes ache like a harsh migraine.

I saw her wail as she ran away from the curses safely guided by my crows.

'He-je-he-he~•!'

'P-ppoor c-child~•!"

The curse mocked in an eerie deep distorted voice ringing creepily in my ears like a reverberating whisper.

I still don't want to d-die...

I felt my breaths hitch as I slowly felt my head spin from the blood loss in my leg and the fear of the heavy cursed energy coming closer.

I couldn't help but sob as I felt my arms give in as I layed on the floor as if accepting my fate.

As I lost consciousness I saw a blurry figure shred the already shattered halls along with the curse but before I could process it I lost consciousness.