#16: Night of Confrontation 5

In just one move, Ren was defeated.

His gauntlets shattered and disappear like dust of diamond. Blood flow from the open cut wounds, dye him in red.

"Brat... know your place", scoff Shigen.

"Ren!" Yukari snap out, she run toward him and quickly grab him, carrying him on her shoulder and flee.

"You think you can escape!" Shigen swing his hand, launching a kamaitachi (wind slash) toward Yuzuru.

Ren who is still conscious, grab a talisman from his holder, and throw it toward Shigen.

BOOM!

Ren talisman explode, successfully blocking the kamaitachi, and also creating explosive dust that obscure Shigen's vision.

"Tch!" Shigen scowl, knowing that Yuzuru and Ren had escaped, "You all won't be lucky next time" say Shigen as he gazes at the harbor.

...

Thanks to Ren, the explosion beside destroying the kamaitachi, also gave Yuzuru a time to equip her enchanted gear Hiten Shunkyaku to her legs, increasing her speed.

"We're almost there!"

Yuzuru bought back Ren to Amawaka Manor, where his sister Yukari's being held.

But in front of her, there are two figures watching her, and Yuzuru halt her speed.

Her eyes widen and smile wryly, her heart seems to be grabbed by a cold hand called reality, and so she clenched her chest.

The image of Seigen and Yuzuru holding each other hand, reflected and etched on her eyes and mind.

Yuzuru close her eyes, and change her expression like a Stoic statue.

"Seigen-sama" say Yuzuru with flat tone.

"Yuzuru...", Seigen gaze at the figure she carries on her shoulder, his eyebrows frown looking at Ren, "What's happ-"

"Ren-chan!!" Yukari shout cutting his word, she run worriedly toward Ren.

Yuzuru put him carefully to the ground, "Thanks" say Ren.

"Ren-chan! What's hap-"

"Shh" Ren reach his hand and show his index finger to Yukari, gesturing her to shut up.

"Don't worry I'm okay", say Ren, he grab a talisman and then chanting esoteric Buddhist mantra to heal his wound.

"Wow..." Yukari amazed seeing Ren's wounds gradually closed.

Even though she is from the family of exorcist, she herself wasn't one, and because she was a researcher, looking at things that outside the norms always interested her.

While Ren still recuperating, Seigen approach and talk to Yuzuru.

"What's happen?"

"It's..." Yuzuru explain everything to Seigen that she and Ren had made a deal, that both of them would help Yukari get out from the island and in return Ren would stay to be executed as a scapegoat.

But their plan failed the moment they get out, and encountering Shigen Amawaka.

"I don't need your help!" Say Seigen, increasing his tone, while clenching his hand.

Yuzuru then bow to him, "I humbly apologize" say Yuzuru.

"Forget it! Yuzuru, what would you do next?!"

"I..." Yuzuru stop speaking, she looks at Seigen's face then move her gaze to Yukari, then Ren, and finally back at Seigen.

"I'll stay here" say Yuzuru determined.

Seigen approach Yuzuru, he then looks straightly at her eyes.

Black eyes like obsidian, just like him. Her steely eyes twinkles, but it's not represented sadness, but something else instead.

"You know what would happen if you stay, right?"

Yuzuru nod, "Yes... I know it very well"

Looking at her, more or less Seigen know what her eye is conveyed. And that is...

Devotion.

Seigen close his eyes, he open his eyes again, now looking at Yuzuru's whole face.

Beautiful face, like it was sculpted by the master Michelangelo himself, obsidian stone that had polished throughout for years for her eyes, and lip colored Sakura.

The beautiful face is tarnished by the scar on her left eye, but do not pity her. That scar is also part of her charms, like the song "Scars to your beautiful" is conveyed.

"Yuzuru, Thank You" say Seigen genuinely.

Yuzuru's eye widened, she's then showing a smile, "It is my duty", say Yuzuru bowing respectfully to Seigen.

He then turns to Ren and Yukari, "We should move!"

"Wait! What's happen?! Ren is-" Yukari stop speaking, seeing Ren standing up

"Alright let's go" say Ren nonchalantly, his wounds all closed, it seems the fact that he was wounded before were turning into a lie.

"Wait! At least te-"

"There's no time!" Shout Seigen impatiently.

Yukari who's still confused follow Seigen's word, then she quickly bow to Yuzuru expressing her gratitude, she and Ren then run along Seigen.

When Yuzuru saw Yukari bowing, she clicked her tongue feeling annoyed and jealous, nonetheless she gets rid of the feeling.

When Yuzuru saw Seigen's back, memories of the past flooding to her mind.

A happy memory when he's tutoring, depend, and thanking her like now.

A funny memory when she heard Seigen mumbling about his friend when he pass out drunk.

A sad memory when she looks at the broken Seigen when he visits his mother's grave.

An annoying memory of him and Yukari holding hand.

And terrifying memory of him when she was brutally beaten by Seigen back in her childhood in the name of training by Shigen.

"Seigen-sama please be careful" pray her, as she watches his figure gradually become blurry.

"Foolish"

Yuzuru turned around, suddenly her neck were strangled.

"Kafhh" she grab the hand that strangle her, trying to resist and let her off. But the hand won't budge, and the choke is getting stronger.

Fear filled her heart, on her eye reflected the appearance of a man with eyes sharp as a sword, eyes that blacker and murkier than her obsidian black eye, he's looking at her with such contempt.

The man that kills his own wife, and disregard his own son.

The man that associated with cruelty and death like impurity itself.

The man that she and Seigen truly despise.

His name...

SHIGEN AMAWAKA!

"Now, what should I do with you?"