CHAPTER VII Flower Garden

After officers from the police secured the residence. One of the police officers told them, "The house you entered was actually an empty house." The officer said. "And the man you tied up was one of the criminals we were looking for." He continued.

"Seriously!!" Karen was taken aback by the story.

"What are we!" He pointed at himself and his two friends. "Wow. I think we're great at doing this." Ruka said. Yoko wasn't sure what those words meant. They are more like; lucky, rather than 'great at doing that'.

"You children should read the gate board first before entering…" The officer said "Hahahaha" Then he laughed.

He is, very right. Yoko thought.

Yoko didn't blame the officers if he thought they were; stupid. Karen bit his lip, is this a dream. He was still questioning it.

"Hanahata Ai!!" The three of them called. Karen knocked on Hanahata's door.

Immediately, the gate slowly opened.

"Hmmm…" Karen retracted his face with a long mumble. "Hmm!? Karen! Yoko!!" The girl they were looking for finally appeared. She herself opened the gate. "Ohh so she's the one name Ha—" Ruka held back his words. "Nahata Ai." Karen added. "Right!" Ruka raised his finger as if he was remembering something he had forgotten.

"You guys come in." Ai said.

Karen, Yoko, and Ruka entered the Hanahata residence. And in an instant they came in, "Wooah!!" Ruka was amazed. "It really is a flower garden." Yoko said. "Isn't it obvious from my surname?" Ai said while leading them through, the entrance that looked like a flower garden. This is more than I thought. Karen thought while looking at the beauty of the flowers.

The four of them were inside the living room of the Hanahata Clan.

"I heard what the three of you did for me." Ai said as she bent down until her forehead touched the floor. "Well, you don't need to do that." Karen stroked his nose. He looked like he was doing the exact opposite of what he just said.

"Even gratitude cannot be compared." Ai said all that with a sincere heart. "You're welcome." Yoko bowed his head. Karen and also Ruka did the same. "We should also thank Kokyu-san…" Karen said. "If he wasn't around maybe the three of us would have become spirits or something." He continued.

"Yeah, but he shouldn't have held me back and let me beat up that bastard." Ruka said while crossing his arms. He sounded like he was bragging. "Umm." Karen interrupted.

Hanahata Ai smiled slightly hearing that.

"All of you… must know right?" Ai said. "Yeah, we know." Karen replied.

But what Karen wanted to ask was only one thing, "Who exactly was the person who kidnapped you?" Karen looked at Ai with a serious look. "I don't know." Ai answered it.

The girl herself did not know why the men had kidnapped her, and what's the reason. She questioned that when asked by Mikoto Taki and the special police unit of Rinka some time ago. They are investigating Ai's case.

"According to the police, the people who kidnapped me are most likely Rinka from the underworld." Ai said. That is a serious statement and not easy to ignore. Rinka of the underworld. Karen thought about it seriously. "Oh, by the way..." Ai said. "Who are you??" He asked Ruka.

"Heh." Ruka smiled. "I'm Mori Ruka!" He said excitedly. The energy from Ruka seemed to radiate outward. "Oh. Uhm, I'm Hanahata Ai" The girl introduced herself. "Yeah you'll get used to it." Karen turned to Ai. "Well I guess..." Karen said as he stood up. "I'll go home." He continued. "Huh!? What do you mean Koneko?" Ruka interrupts. "She's allright so I think our mission has been accomplished." Karen shrugged.

And he, quite right. Ruka thought. Yoko wouldn't argue about anything, the girl seemed to agree. "Then before you go home. I want to show you something." Ai said.

"???" Yoko, Ruka, and Karen looked at each other.

Hanahata Ai took her friends to a place. And that place was in the middle of the residence of the Hanahata Clan. A greenhouse in it, "What kind of tree is that?" Karen was standing in front of a large cherry tree. The branches of the tree were given a special sign of the Hanahata Clan.

"This tree is my ancestor." Ai said. "Ancestors?" Yoko asked. "A long time ago, my ancestors had two daughters…" Ai started to tell the story. "Because she loves her children so much. She turned herself into a tree so that my Clan and this country will continue to be blessed by Seisui." He continued with a smile.

That smile Karen and Yoko had never seen before. Karen turned to the tree again, "This country huh." Karen muttered.

The story somehow resonated with Karen. Made him remember Mangetsu Nino. When they were little, he remembered that Nino went to Rinka Academy to protect his village and country. Why he did that, he couldn't understand. What exactly is Rinka? Karen is still questioning it. Is Rinka just mastering Seisui. He sighed.

While they were talking.

"Hmm. Ai" Muttered someone behind the dark side of the Hanahata residence.

"Yeah thanks for the tour." Karen waved. "Yeah." Ai replied.

"We forgot to ask about Kokyu-san, didn't we?" Karen had completely forgotten about that question. "I knew he would be fine." Ruka said.

"Yeah you're right." Karen turned around. "See you guys later." He continued as he walked away from them. The boy walked in that colorful afternoon, the time when he walked was around 4:20 AM and there was still time before nightfall. His pocket money was enough to take a horse-drawn carriage to the village.

As he walked, "Huh?" Karen glanced back. Maybe it's just my feelings. He thought. Their encounter with the Chiguchi Monster made him a little paranoid.

"You must be called Amethyst right?" Said a girl who suddenly appeared behind the electric delivery pole. "Hmm?" Karen was a little wary. The girl in front of him looked about the same age as him, who is this girl? Karen wondered. How she knew my name. He thought. The girl was wearing a kimono with a floral print, and from what she knew about it was only one.

"Yes. I'm Amethyst Karen." Karen said. "Then I..." The girl said while holding her kimono cloth. "Had one request." The girl bent down, asking Karen for help. Today … problems just keep coming after another problems. Karen sighed with a grim face.

"I need your help, Amethyst Karen!!" The girl suddenly stepped forward as if something pressed her. Karen looks like he wanted to say no to that but, "Okay what's up?" Karen asked the Girl. "I think… My father was the one who tried to kill Princess Ai." The girl responded with the serious subject words 'My father' and 'kill.' "What!!??" Karen was taken aback to hear that. Hey-hey-hey!! She not rambling around or something isn't it… The boy had a hard time digesting the information that had just entered his ears. Processing it alone was already very difficult, "Oh man." Karen muttered as he stroked his chin. "If that's true, then why didn't you report it to the police?" Karen asked.

"Because I don't want him in jail. Doat is a terrible place, and I don't want my father to enter that place!!" The girl said. "Doat?" Karen didn't understand what she meant, d-do-ors what?? Karen thought of it as; door. "That is the prison where guilty Rinka get sentenced." The girl replied.

Doat is a special prison for Rinka who commits top crimes. Some of the Rinka who were arrested were part of Corruption, Dark Organizations, cults that carried out human sacrifices and others. They were all Mummified to have their Seisui seals.

In other words, it is: Hell.

"Okay-." Karen said but his words were cut off. "Really!!" The girl gave him that look, full of hope. "But no promise. I'm not even Inko yet, I'm seven and still in elementary school you know!" Said Karen trying not to give the girl false hope.

Their conversation was quite long.

Karen agrees to help the Girl. Him and, "What's your name??" Karen turned to the girl. "Hanahata Tulips." She said. Tulips huh. Karen and Tulip walked in through the secret passage that the girl had shown him earlier. "Manor house sure is full of headache." Karen mumbled while taking a look at their situation.

He recalled their previous conversation.

"How do you know your father tried to kill Ai?" Karen asked. "I heard it when my father was talking to a man." Tulip replied. "Hmm." Karen was sneaking around like a cat, which really impressed Tulip. Even his footsteps were very dim. Tulip thought as she led the way to Ai's room.

When Hanahata Ai was sitting in front of her bedroom window, struggling with her thoughts. "Hey-Hey!" Karen called her as quietly as possible. "Huh!!? Karen!" It surprised her. "What are you doing here?? You stupid!! Idiots!!" Ai asked while swearing at Karen. "Long story short…" Karen said as he climbed onto the wooden plank. "I was paid to do this." He continued. Ai turned her head, "Tulips?" She said with a confused expression. What happened, the question suited his recent circumstances perfectly. After they entered Hanahata Ai's room, Tulip explained the situation to Ai who was astonished to hear that.

"I can't believe it…" Ai mumbled. "Uncle Ran tried to kill me." She continued with words that sounded like she was crying. "Tonight there will be a special meeting of the Clan Elders. And there the Princess will be there." Tulip explained it to Karen. Karen raised half an eyebrow, "Umm???" He said while scratching his head. "That's where I need your help, Amethyst Karen… I want you to disguise yourself as a Princess." Tulips said. So that's why he asked me for help. In Karen's mind it made sense. Although she hated to admit it, her face could be said to be similar to that of a girl. "If I just wear a wig and dress up like a girl, will that be enough?" Karen said. "Wouldn't my eyes be visible. And also surely your Clan Elders will immediately suspect me." He continued with strong reasons to reject the plan. "I will use the special Bijutsu of the Hanahata Clan." Tulip turned confidently at Karen.

TOKTOKTOK!

The sound of the door in front of the room knocking.

"Please come in." Karen said. She even changed my voice. Karen felt very strange. He looks at himself in the mirror, and he looks a lot like Hanahata Ai. What kind of technique is this? He wondered about it. Their subjects hadn't even talked about it yet.

"Princess The banquet is about to begin." Someone said formally. "Yes…" Karen replied. Uh? "I'll be there as soon as possible." He continued after thinking about good and correct vocabulary. Talking like a girl is more difficult than I imagined. Karen looked around him. He walked down the halls of the Hanahata residence hoping not to mess up the plans. He moistened his dry lips, his hands were sweaty, but still able to control his heartbeat.

He entered the room of the Hanahata Clan. The room was very special, and by the time he entered. "Princess!!" The people inside immediately bowed, greeting him. Damn… Karen walked towards the Hanahata Clan Altar which symbolized the Sakura flower. He sat seiza on the foot pads under the floor.

"Name of the Clan will be expanding to the Land of Dew." Said a Clan Elder. "Yes!" Another call. They drank their sake at the same time.

Karen glanced at all of them in the room.

"Long live Princess Ai!!" They started chanting the name 'Ai' for a few minutes.

At that moment, a man shifted towards Karen. He poured a sake into the sake plate in front of Karen.

And,

He drank it.

"I feel a little tired…" Karen said while holding her neck. "I'm going to my room." He continued standing up. The ceremony was over, and—.

SHKSHKSHK!

The sound of the front door sliding.

A man entered the room of the Princess of the Hanahata Clan. The room was dark, but he could see the sleeping girl that was sleeping on the bed. The man brought his finger closer to the pulse on the princess' neck.

"Hmm." He smirked. "Dead." He continued.

"Umm." Karen raised her eyebrows. "Dead." He continued as he turned on the light on back in the room.

"!!?" The man was taken aback.

"I didn't know you were trying to kill me..." Ai said suddenly coming out from under the bed. "Uncle Ran." He continued with a sharp look.

"Tch!" Ran smirked. "Father!!" Tulip calls the Man. "Hmm!?" It surprised him when he turned around. But he calmed himself down, and thought again, "I see." He muttered. "Do you realize… that everything I did was only for you!!" Ran snapped at the girl with anger. "If she dies. Then you will get the position of Princess." He continued with an expression that was greedy like a hungry pig. "I never wanted any of that!" Tulip stepped forward boldly.

"Moho – Zen Sakura!!" The whole room was suddenly filled with cherry blossoms. Ran's body disappeared, they all seemed to be in the dark. "Shin – Kanmuri!" That girl used her technique which, didn't work!! thought Tulip with a face full of sweat. "Do you think your Bijutsu can ward off my Illusions??" The word echoed throughout the room.

"Die now! Princess!!!" A spear was thrown as fast as the wind towards Ai, but before that happened Karen.

Push Ai.

TSKKKK!!

Both the Lion Doll and Karen's body were pierced. The boy turned his head downwards, "Hwuuah" He vomited blood.

"Karen!!!" Ai shouted with a pale face. He saw his friend's stomach pierced by a spear-shaped like a flower stem with a sharp tip as sharp as a sword sharpened by a blacksmith.

Hanahata Ai gasped suddenly, the way she breathed was like heaving. Her heart rate increased drastically, her vision grew blurry. "HHHHWAAAAHHHH!!!" Ai shouted with tears still streaming down her face. Giving off pitch-black flames, they circled around her body like the leaves of a flower.

Then,

DUUUUARRRR!!!

A huge explosion destroyed the rooms within the Hanahata Clan's residence.