6 Where She Came From - 1.6

Things started to change for Ai from that day on. True to his word, Daisuke started training her and teaching her all sorts of things.

After that conversation, Daisuke quickly dragged her to his herb garden. He taught Ai everything about herbs, from growing each one, to determining it's different uses and purposes, to the proper way of harvesting it and the places that they usually grow in.

Then he started teaching the little girl on how to refine and make medicines and antidotes from various herbs and in the process, she also learned about numerous poisons to understand how to cure them. Daisuke also guided her in learning acupuncture and basic knowledge of treating injuries which became extremely useful for Ai when Daisuke started conditioning her body and teaching her some martial arts.

As years passed, Daisuke became more and more of a father to Ai and gradually changed the way he referred to her. Changing from Ai to Rin. She also grew closer to Daisuke and treated him as the most precious thing to exist in het world.

Everything she learned and owned, she owes it all to him. Daisuke practically knows everything about her but she knew that he still hid things from her. She only found out about it when she came home from the city where she had a well-renowned reputation of a god-like doctor.

Daisuke wasn't expecting her home that night. The temple was eerily silent as rain poured and chilled him to the bone, soaking his clothes and plastering it wetly to his body.

His whole body ached and he clutched his side which had dark splotches that seeped through the clothes and left a trail of dark red as he staggered towards the courtyards. Pushing the wooden gates to the side entrance, he was surprised to see the silhouette of a young woman under an umbrella suddenly rush towards him.

Because of the lack of light and the feeling of light-headedness, he wasn't able to discern her features clearly since his vision was slowly being consumed by a misty haze as he fell unconscious and ge faintly heard the girl call out in alarm before he fully succumbed to the darkness.

The young woman let go of the unbrella she was holding just to catch Daisuke's falling body.

When he came to, the first thing that he saw when his vision cleared were a pair of amber gold eyes that were filled with anxiousness and worry.

Feeling confused, Daisuke wearily rubbed his eyes and blinked up and saw a very familiar face that he knew shouldn't be there.

"Little Rin, what are you doing here?" Daisuke's usually deep and gruff that always brought her a sense of warmth now sounded hoarse and filled with pain.

It filled her with immeasurable cold fury as her golden eyes flashed dangerously as if a raging inferno was lit in them while her face twisted to a cold mask at the thought that someone hurt the man she considered more precious than her own life.

Ignoring Daisuke's question, she gently put a straw near Daisuke's lips and patiently waited for him to finish drinking before she directed a question back at him.

"Who did this to you?" her voice was shaking with barely disguised anger before she closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm herself.

Sighing, Daisuke looked at the young woman in front of him in concern. He still remembered the guarded little girl he took in all those years ago. Right before his eyes, he saw her grow up into this peerless beauty that had the majesty and disposition of an ice queen that always made others feel a chill.

Her treatment and demeanor towards others was vastly different with the way she treated him. If others felt that she was a chilling block of ice, to him she was a beautiful flame that filled him with a sense of warmth.

Truly he treasured this girl like his daughter!

It's why he even lost his temper at the mere thought of ill intentions being directed to his little flower, Rin.

"I'm okay. It doesn't matter, no need to worry." he said in a reassuring manner trying to wave it off.

Seeing the lack of concern Daisuke had was enough for Rin to lose her cool and fly into a rage.

"What do you mean it doesnt matter?! I come home to visit you and surprise you and what I find is your injured, bloody form stumbling through the courtyard! How can you even say it doesn't matter?!"

"Rin-" Daisuke softly called out as he tried to calm her down but he was just ruthlessly cut-off.

"Don't 'Rin' me! Tell. Me. What. Happened!" she demanded with anger coating each one of her words.

"I got in a fight." Daisuke answered tiredly, knowing he wasn't going to win an argument with her in this state.

"What?! You never get into fights..."

With a meaningful stare, Daisuke watched as understanding slowly dawned on Rin's face.

Just like that, the anger in Rin dissipated and a feeling of guilt filled her.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"One of your former patients found out that you lived with me and from what I was able to understand from the thugs he sent is that he's the leader of an underground gang and he's taken interest on you." Daisuke muttered, annoyance evident in his tone and the dark expression on his face.

Looking exasperated and vexed. "I already turned him down numerous times before."

"He doesn't seem like he'll take no as an answer." Daisuke said darkly as they both descended into a tense silence, seemingly lost in their thoughts.

After some time, Rin stood up slowly and bid him a good night after feeding him medicine.

A couple days passed and Daisuke soon recovered under Rin's careful watch. Both of them had not talked about the cause of Daisuke's injury since then as both were still thinking of a solution.

The pouring rain that plagued the past days soon lifted and only an overcast, cloudy weather was left behind leaving a somber feeling. Feeling uneasy about the situation, both Daisuke and Rin continued on their routines with the exception of Rin who called in sick and refused to go back to work and leave Daisuke.

As night desceded, the courtyards were quiet as the two settled in their respective rooms when a huge explosion was heard in the temple's direction.

Alarmed, both rushed out and saw smoke coming from a raging inferno that came in the direction of the temple. Before they could do anything, countless armed men with masks broke down the entrance to the courtyards before a man in a suit arrogantly strode in as if he owned the place.

Smirking, the man eyed Rin as his gaze slowly turned leacherous as he spied the thin nightgown she wore to bed.

"Darling, come now. You know that I've humored your little game enough. No need to play hard to get." the man drawled out, his words making both Rin and Daisuke stiffen in anger.

Her amber gold eyes flashing angrily as she glared daggers towards the suited man as Rin replied icily "You and I both know that I was never playing. I really do not like you!"

Hearing her words, the man narrowed his eyes in anger. "Is that so?" he questioned coldly. His whole relaxed demeanor vanishing as he was filled with rage.

No one has ever said no to him before and this woman denied him not once, not twice but repeatedly!

"Is there no way I can change your mind?" he gritted out.

"None whatsoever." she answered resolutely as she gazed at him with contempt.

"I'm sorry to hear that." the man replied sadly before waving his hand and walked towards the ruined courtyard entrance.

As soon as the masked men saw him wave his hand, they immediately sprung into action and rushed to Daisuke and Rin while some started lighting the courtyard in fire.

Furious, Daisuke fought off his attackers as they fell one by one on his way to Rin who also put up a fight as she screamed out at the man in the suit which made the man laugh cruelly as his parting words made Daisuke's blood boil in anger.

"Ha! If I can't have you, no one can!" the man laughed as he disappeared into the night while they were held back by the masked men.

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of people attacking him, coupled with his previous injury, Daisuke wasn't able to get to Rin immediately and when he heard her cry out in pain, his whole body felt cold and his attackers took advantage of his momentary lapse of attention to injure him further.

Kicking him down, he felt some of his bones break and several stabs before the men stopped and fled from the burning courtyard.

Gasping for breath, Daisuke struggled to his feet, ignoring his injuries as he staggered towards Rin who was laying down in the middle of the courtyard by the cherry blossom tree amidst the burning courtyard and garden.

Finally reaching her, Daisuke immediately dropped to his knees and gathered her into his arms, ignoring the pain he felt as tears fell from his eyes as he gently wiped away the streak of blood from Rin's cheek and watched as her eyes fluttered open and looked at him.

Even in a state so close to death, she still looked breathtakingly beautiful and yet the sight just made him sob harder.

Raising her pale, trembling hand, she wiped away the tears from her beloved master's face before she coughed out blood and gave him another smile.

This was the man she considered as her father, teacher. Her only family and the one who taught her everything and the one she considered as the master of her life.

In her dying moments, she was still immensely happy that she still got the chance to see him one last time, making her feel at peace.

"Thank you Master... for everything." she whispered before she closed her eyes and her hand fell with a thud. A small serene smile on her lips while blood trickled out.

"Little Rin, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he gasped between heaving sobs as he clutched the body of his beloved student to him.

Grief shaking his body as his chest clenched painfully as if something was breaking and to him there was. The young girl was not only his student but someone he considered to be his own daughter and the guilt he felt over her death almost overwhelmed him.

With a shuddering breath, he gently laid her down and kisses her forehead before straightening up.

"My little flower, be at peace. Master will make things right."

As soon as he finished speaking, a bright light slowly emanated from his body and enveloped the young girl blinding those who surrounded the temple before an explosion occured, leaving nothing behind.

Unbeknownst to the girl, her soul who was supposed to descend to the netherworld was encompassed by a warm, bright glow until it slowly faded.

Then she opened her eyes