#4: Prelude to Conflict

"Don't stop attacking!!"

One exorcist shout loudly, in front of them is an impurity with the appearance of big humanoid bull (code name: Ushi-Oni) like a Minotaur.

The special characteristic of this impurity aside from its humanoid bull appearance is its arms.

A big arm encased by unknown dark material giving the image of gauntlets, and its also boost the impurity attacking power.

This impurity is a Jya (Snake) and it is very rare type of impurity to appear on the mainland with B rank difficulty.

The other exorcists try to attack from close quarter, and from a far.

"Roaaaaarrr!!!"

The impurity let out a deafening roar that made the exorcists afflicted with fear. Some of them even stops attacking.

The impurity didn't let go of this chance and smash his big armored arm to one of the scared exorcist.

"Eri!!!!" Shout an exorcist with a buzz cut.

The female exorcist was crushed by the impurity, leaving a crater with a red paste and stains on it.

"No..." The Buzz cut exorcist drop to his knee, tears falling from his eyes. One of his teammate saw him, and grab his arms to help him stand up.

The impurity's attacks continue, it grabs a huge stone with his hand and throw it to the group of exorcists like a baseball ball.

In just mere seconds, 4 exorcists die crushed simultaneously by the impact of the stone.

The exorcist who tries to help the buzz cut exorcist dye in horror, she let go of his teammate's arms and running away leaving everyone else.

"A- ahahahahaha" The Buzz cut exorcist laughs maniacally, he already lost the will to live.

It hasn't been 10 minutes, but the exorcists already in a pinch.

To exorcise this impurity they had assemble 20 exorcists from various cities, but only 8 peoples remaining, 9 including the deserter.

"Abira unken sowaka, Abira unken sowaka, Abira unken sowaka, Abira unken sowaka, Abira unken sowaka"

From the remaining exorcist, one female teenage exorcist with brown hair cried while chanting esoteric Buddhist mantra to heal an unconscious exorcist.

This unconscious exorcist while younger is more powerful than everyone present, think her.

Come on!! Wake up!!!

When they first encountering the impurity, the boy continuously pressured the impurity to the point of cornering him.

Just one final attack and the impurity would be exorcised, but when the boy gonna finish it, the impurity let out a very loud roar. The boy who's the closest to the impurity can't defend his ears, and become disoriented.

For a mere seconds his movement's stopped, the impurity didn't let go of this chance and punch him hard as its can.

Please!! Just wake up!!

Fortunately despite the wounds, the boy is still alive, but the problem's he was incapacitated.

"No! No! Aaaa!!!"

The humanoid bull impurity grab an exorcist, it then squeezes its hand hard and slowly, the exorcist that were grabbed spew bloods from his eyes, nose, mouth, and finally from every part of his body.

The female teenage exorcist get distracted by the screams, what she saw is her childhood friend squeezed to death.

"Tokio-kun! Nooooo!!!!!!" Scream her hysterically.

Tears and snouts falling. She's frantically chanting to heal the boy. Now the remaining exorcist is only her, and the boy.

The buzz cut exorcist who had given up on his survival is dead, the only thing remain is his lower half.

"Abira unken sowaka! Abira unken sowaka! Abira unken sowaka! Abira unken sowaka!"

Wake up!! Wake up!! Wake up!!! Why. Won't. You. Wake Up?!!!

Hearing her voice, the impurity walks toward her.

The approaching figure of the impurity seems so horrifying.

"Abira.... haha forg-"

When she gonna give up, a hand smaller than hers gripping her wrist tightly.

The boy struggling to stand up, he breathes heavily, although his wounds already closed he still felt the pains.

The boy speak of chants unknown to her.

"By means of the great weapon, Indestructible primordial- 'kuh!' wakeful... awareness, May the void life-force of sam- sara and nirvana both be severed, at once!"

A big enchanted seal with lotus symbol appears in front of the boy.

"Honoikazuchi!!"

The boy launch a burst of blue energy from his fist. When it hit the enchanted seal, the energy condense and concentrated like a beam.

The impurity who saw a ray of energy approaching, spread his palm to stop it, but the launched energy pierce through its hand and face.

The female teenage exorcist shocked when she saw the boy's technique.

A star marking appear where the impurity face is, after that its whole body vanish leaving a scattered light.

The boy fall to the ground unconscious. Again.

The female teenager exorcist bit her lips, she takes out her kaimon-fu and carry the boy toward the illuminating gate.

....

Ayame City, Ayame Block Division's Clinic.

On the clinic's bed lay a dark blue haired youth sleeping peacefully. Some part of his body are covered with bandage.

"Urg..." Ren groan painfully.

Slowly his consciousness is returning, and his eyes are gradually open.

What he saw is a white ceiling, Ren instinctively know what kind of place he was.

He then looks at his right arm, and try to put off the IV tube. Unfortunately, a chubby middle age man with thick beard like Santa stop him.

Hearing his warning, Ren lay his back on the bed.

Ren felt sleepy, but he forces himself to speak to the doctor.

"How long I've been unconscious?"

"About 3 days right now" say the doctor, while he's looking at the clock. The clock showing 13.36 p.m.

"What about the others?" These is the information that Ren want to know the most.

"Eto... umm… Don't worry all of them survive, yeah survive"

"Really?! All of them survived?! Than-"

Ren close his eyes, he feels a bit skeptical of the doctor's word.

"Are you sure?!"

Ren squint his eyes, glaring at the doctor fiercely. The doctor who met Ren's eyes involuntary gulped and a bit of cold sweats forming on his forehead.

"W- what I mean is... everyone who comes back from the mission, all of them survive"

Ren nod at the doctor's words "Then how many survived?"

The doctor's mouth agape, he wants to tell Ren, but....

"Only 3 survive!" An old woman suddenly appears in the room, she had squinted eyes and wear a black kariginu.

Ren remembers this old woman, she is the leader or the head of Ayame Block Division.

"Only 3?!" Ren's pupil contracted, then clench his fists and grit his teeth.

From 20 exorcists to 3 exorcists, no matter what, this is a huge loss of personels.

The old woman then continues to speak

"I said 3, but in reality only 2 including you survive. The other one would be punished for desertion"

"Bastard!" Curse Ren.

"What about the other one?!"

The old woman sigh, she replies "She survived and well, but... because of what happens... she decided to quit"

Ren's eyes and head cast downward "I see..."

The old woman grit her teeth "She.... also left a message for you"

Ren shocked hearing the old woman word "What is it?!"

The old woman bit her lip, she then said "She says cu- curse... you"

The old woman continues "why don't you use that technique from beginning?! I wish yo- I should stop...."

Ren become speechless, he cast his gaze downward, his eyebrows frowning "I see..."

"I'm sorry to tell you that...." The old woman bow down apologetically.

"N- no! It was my fault.... um... can you please leave me alone?"

For good or bad reasons, it can be said Ren is somewhat responsible for the outcome.

"Wait! If- if you met her... tell that I'm sorry"

The old woman nod, she then leaves the room, she's also gesturing the doctor to leaving Ren alone.

Ren lay down on the bed looking at the ceiling. He covered his eyes with his forearm.

I'm sorry

A single tear fall from his eye.

That evening, Ren reports about the mission to the Ayame Block Division, and left for Narukami City.

The old woman offering him a ride to Narukami, but Ren refuse. Taking care of and healing him is more than enough, Ren then bow to the old woman and the other exorcists who are present and then gone.

.....

Few hours later, Narukami City.

Ren's walking to the Narukami Block Division's headquarters.

Even though it was a headquarters, the building they use is that of dormitory.

Ren head cast down, he still remembers the other survivor's word again and again.

[Curse you! Why don't you use that technique from the beginning?!]

It's not that I don't want to use it... Honoikazuchi is sti- no... that's right, development stage or not i choose not to use it

[I wish you-]

Is she wish me to die? Well, It's okay... you can curse me if you want... it was still my fault

Ren who still self-blaming on himself suddenly got pushed back, and his rear touch the ground.

He was bumping to someone when he still lost in thought, and then fall.

"Are you okay?" A hand then reach to Ren, offering him a help.

"Ah... thank-" when Ren gonna grab that hand, he stops. He then looks at the person he bumped into.

In front of him is a man with medium-lenght black hair with a yellow streak for his ahoge, he also had a dark circle of an eye bags giving him an emotionless look, just like a dead-fish.

But the reason why Ren is stopping from grabbing his hand, is that he smell scents of bloods coming from him.

Not the man's blood, but the smells of someone else's bloods sticking up to him.

The emotionless man retract his hand, Ren also get up by his own attempt. The two lock eyes with one another for seconds.

Then the man Ren's bumped into begin walking followed by his mens. Just like the dark circle man, Ren also smells the scents of bloods coming from them.

Ren tries to gauge their power by focusing the energy on his eyes to look at their enchanted power.

The peoples who notice Ren's attempt letting out their killing aura.

Ren who watches them closely, instinctively felt a dreadful sensation. His body shudder like he was just hit by a very cold wind.

He then knows that the peoples he gauges into is at least more powerful than him, Satoshi-nii san, and even all the impurity he faced.

Especially that man he bumped into, his level of strength clearly outmatch everyone present.

"Tch" The man with dark circle, gesturing to his subordinates to start walking and leaving the child he bumped into.

Ren gulped his saliva, the dreadful sensation hasn't leaving him yet. Like a nail on the wall, Ren can't even- no! More like doesn't dare to move.

W- who are they?! H-how can a human had that kind of enchanted power?!!

Ren clench his hands. Dammit! How can I win against those peoples?! Specially that man!!

Ren then notice something from them, and begin questioning himself.

What are those people doing in Narukami? The equipments their wearing is certainly for an exorcist, are they perhaps an exorcist like me?

No, the scent of bloods coming from them is... kinda strong, rather than exorcist it more believable if they are a group of mercenary. But-

Wait! The place where they come... Oldman!!!

"Tch" Ren start running like crazy to the Seika dormitory.

Inside, he then found out that Zenkichi is okay, but for sone reason he was sitting there crying.

"Oldman!!"

Hearing Ren's word Zenkichi startled, he swept his tears and smile toward Ren.

"Ah... Ren! You've come! Sorry i di-"

"Forget about that!! Who are those peoples?! I saw them they had come here!!"

"Ah... those people... well, they are an exorcist from Tsuchimikado Island. They are here to help us get rid of certain impurity, but since the impurity already exorcised by you, they decided to leave"

Oldman....

"Don't lie! If that's the problem why are you crying?!!"

Zenkichi startled by Ren's reply, he then smiles and speak "Oh, that? I just sad that many of my colleagues pass away on the exorcism in Ayame City"

Zenkichi though he answers flawlessly, but Ren who had live with him together instinctively knew that wasn't the whole reason.

Ren walk toward Zenkichi, and grab his hands. He then looks straight into Zenkichi's eyes.

With a worried expression and tone, he asks "Is that... really the truth? You can tell me you know... because... aren't we (aren't I) a family (your family)?"

Zenkichi look at Ren's eyes, tears then flowing rapidly from his eyes like a broken dam.

Zenkichi drop to his knee, he then tells Ren "Satoshi..."

"Satoshi-nii san?" Ren startled at Zenkichi's word

W- what happen to Satoshi-nii san?!

"They have come to exorcise him"

Exorcise? Like... killing?!

Ren then remembered that he smells the scent of bloods coming from them. Ren bit his lip, he can't believe that kind of exorcist exist, No! Rather than exorcist, an executor would be appropriate.

"Where they go?! Tell me!!" Shout Ren worriedly

"Yukari-"

"Yukari-nee san?! Got it!!" Ren then let go of Zenkichi's hands and quickly run to Yukari's place.

"Wait Ren!! Don't go!!!" Zenkichi try to chase Ren, but he was no match for his speed, and Ren's figure is already disappear.

.....

On the street, a spiky blond hair gentleman are walking sluggishly.

It's a shame Ren's still on the mission out of town.

Ah... that's right! I should leave him a letter before coming here.

Wait... maybe i should ask Yukko to write it for me?

"Krrrghhh!!!" All of a sudden a dark marking appear on his skin, the blond hair man felt an agonizing pain like his body were eaten alive.

"Not yet!!!" The blond hair man kneel while squeezing his shoulder, holding out the pains.

"I must! Yukko!!" The blond hair man grit his teeth, his pains gradually subdue.

He continues his walks, and finally stop. In front of him stood a huge building, he had arrived at his destination.

Narukami University, Faculty of Science.

"At last... I'm going to meet you, Yukari!"