12 cry

After waiting for a long time, Koutaro decided to go out and check what's going on. 

"Kaya chan, be a good girl and stay here. I will come back in a jiffy." he said to Kaya.

"N-no!! Please don't go! Mommy is also gone. So don't leave me nii chan." exclaimed kaya, tightly holding onto him.

"It's okay kaya, believe me I am not leaving you behind. I will come back instantly."  said Koutaro, carrasing Kaya's hair.

It took him some time, but he ultimately managed to put Kaya down. And walk out of the chest. 

He clutched the axe on his hands tightly, ready to use it at any given moment. And slowly stepped towards the outside door. 

Upon closing the distance, he saw that the door was half broken. Probably the ninjas destroyed it. 

He sneakily stepped outside, searching for any hidden figure. But, couldn't find any. He didn't let his guard down. And walked forward.

He could hear no voice, only a sizzling sound of something burning. While pondering the situation, he noticed something. Which confirmed his worst nightmare. 

Outside the house at a corner laid a decimated body of a woman, covered in blood and a hole through her stomach.

Seeing that, Koutaro's body  was overrunned by fright and terror.

'H-hitomi san.....'

That was the dead body of Hitomi. The woman who treated him like her own son the woman who had a bright smile and kind, motherly eyes was now a limp dead body.

Koutaro's entire mind was going blank, tears rolling down his cheeks, when he heard a scream from behind.

"MOMMMYY!!" That was Kaya.

Koutaro hurriedly turned around in shock. 

"Kaya?! Why did you come outside???"

But Kaya didn't answer, instead the little girl dashed towards the dead body, while crying. 

"MOMMY? MOMMY? W-WAKE UP!! IS T-THAT BL-BLOOD??"

The little girl then looked towards Koutaro, seemingly asking for an answer, with a devastated look on her face."K-koutaro nii...hick* w-what happened... hick*....wh-why is mom not waking up!?"

Seeing the little girl like this broke his heart to pieces. He didn't say anything, instead he walked towards her and crouched down, taking the crying girl in his embrace. While tears fall from his eyes.