#13: Night of Confrontation 2

Just when Seigen was outside, Ren saw an unknown figure walking toward Seigen.

He narrowed his eyes, and realized the figure belongs to a girl.

Albeit the image in his mind is kinda blurry, he remembers there were a girl member when Seigen comes to Narukami.

Not good.

Ren carefully steps back and listening to their conversations.

He listens, and listen then when Seigen says both of them had been monitored since the beginning, Ren's eyes wider, and his heart seems to stop for a second.

Dammit!

Ren grits his teeth, he quietly enchants his gloves.

Outside, Yuzuru is talking with Seigen, and Ren can still hear what she's saying, "Shigen-sama is annoyed. He's ordering us to capture and bring those two to him"

Unbeknownst to them, Ren inside were whispering (chanting) a spell, "By means of the great weapon, Indestructible primordial wakeful awareness, May the void life-force of samsara and nirvana both be severed, at once!"

Unlike before, the enchanted seal do not appear, for now.

Ren then walking out toward Seigen, just when Yuzuru say, "In that case...", Ren smirk and reply, "You die".

Countless enchanted seals appears and surrounding Yuzuru, and one enchanted seal hovering in front of Ren.

Yuzuru and Seigen shocked, and both looking toward him.

With his cold and empty eyes he glares at Yuzuru, and with threatening tone he says, "Since we've been found out, it's okay to kill her right? Sei-"

"Pointless" Say Yuzuru.

Ren's word were cut off, suddenly there's a loud sound of something breaking.

Ren looks back, there are two masked figures pointing their knives at Yukari.

"Damn you..." Ren cursing at Yukari, "Let go off her! Or die!" Threat, Ren toward Yuzuru.

Yuzuru shake her head, "I'm afraid I can't. It doesn't matter whether you kill me or not. Shigen-sama orde- no Ritsu LAW are absolute"

"Heh! Then what kind of law or rules that we break? Doing research on plants? Or knowing the truth about our brother death?" Scoff Ren.

Yuzuru reply Ren, "There are so many rules you break, I can talk about it one by one"

"Nah, no need. Let go of my sister, or all of you gonna die!!"

"Don't do this" Plead Yuzuru.

"Seigen these are your men, tell them to let go off my sister!!"

"I'm afraid we can't! We've been ordered to bring you to Shigen-sama, he even orders us to not listen to Seigen-sama's order"

"Really?!" Say Ren releasing his killing intent and enchanted power toward Seigen.

Ren didn't joke around, another enchanted seals also appears surrounding Seigen and the two masked figure behind.

"What about now?!" Scoff, Ren toward Yuzuru.

"Wait!" Shout Seigen, he then speaks, "Ren if you kill all of us, not only Yukari would die, but you would be facing a thousand exorcists"

"For better or worse, this time they won't use memory spell to pardoned your oldman, and they probably would execute him!"

Ren sneer at Seigen's word, "Then what should I do? Getting captured so that the all of us could be killed later?"

Seigen shakes his head, "No. But-"

All of a sudden, there's appears more masked figures and they tackling Ren to the ground.

Seigen quickly walk to him, and put him to sleep using a spell stronger than he uses for Yukari.

"Shit! Damn you Dark... Circles... Bas...tard" Say Ren with contempt, before he lost consciousness.

Ren enchanted weapons and the seals all disappears.

Yuzuru breath a sigh of relief, "Then Seigen-sama would you come with us?"

Seigen clicked his tongue irritated, "Fine, I'll go, but do not touch them! Not even a single hair of them!! If you do... I'll kill ALL OF YOU!!!" say Seigen with rage and contempt.

Seigen walks ahead, followed by Yuzuru and the others, who carry the unconscious Ren and Yukari.

...........

On Tsuchimikado Island, there are many small islands that owned by privates. Almost all the private, were from Twelve Heavenly Commanders house like Amawaka for example.

Located on the west of Umehatsu District, and east of Tsuyukomorinoha Island, stood an island owned by The Amawaka house, and in this island Amawaka Manor stood glorious for generations.

Inside the manor, there is a room surrounded by flora-pattern Fusumas (Japanese sliding doors) as its wall, and tatamis as its floor.

On the spot where there is no fusuma, there is Amawaka House Banner nailed on the wall.

In this very room, two men (one older, and one younger) sitting across each other, and one woman sitting beside the older one.

The atmosphere is gloomy and full of tension.

"Are you an Idiot?!" Shigen say to Seigen with contempt.

"Something not getting rid of witnesses, until when do you want to smear on Amawaka's name?!" Say Shigen with ascending tone.

Then, Yuzuru come forward interrupting Shigen's speech, "I'm sorry for the interruption Shigen-sama"

She then continues, "It was told that the purpose of Yukari Otomi staying was for research, and his brother Ren Sasaki coming along to assist and protect her"

"It's not like Seigen-sama trying to hide them from the beginning"

This line, imply that albeit Yuzuru is under Shigen's order, she still tries to lift (help) Seigen's burden.

"Heh! I can believe the sister, but the brother? Assist and protect her? From what? Us? Isn't that little kid just here so that he can skip the divination ritual?!" Scoff Shigen.

"Remembering him making my head aches, to think that little kid manage to knock out one of Ritsu senior member"

"Yuzuru! You already tie him up and adding talismans to block his enchanted power?!"

Yuzuru nod, "Yes, we already did it Shigen-sama"

"Good! Now then, are you finished speaking?!"

"Yes, Shigen-sama" Yuzuru bow, then back away watching on the corner.

Shigen now facing Seigen, he looks at Seigen's eyes with contempt, "As the leader of The Amawaka, Seigen I order you directly to execute them both" simple yet cold, the word he spoke off.

But it's not over yet, "Kill that woman and her brother with your own hands. They in the basement prison, Go! Get rid of them now!" He says it so nonchalantly, but in Seigen's ears this is a cruel order, and it's not even fair for them.

"Did you understand that? Useless?!"

"Living with them has changed something inside you. It is unnecessary for Ritsu or The Amawaka! Even if the target is someone with Amawaka's blood, if it's an enemy for the exorcist, we eliminate it efficiently and calmly"

Seigen clenched his hands and the sounds of grinding teeth can be heard, "Bastard!! Do you want me to kill them like you kill my mother?!!"

"Hem... how many times I must repeat this, that woman... even if she's an Amawaka she was cursed by Jugon Monoimi"

"It is the duty of Amawaka, to get rid of any Amawaka who are covered in sins"

The image of a beautiful lady appears on his mind, she had black markings resembling roots or branches on her body.

That same beautiful lady was killed by her husband in front of the eyes of their child.

Her husband casually swing his arm, and she was slashed across her torso.

Blood sprouts from the wound to the child face, the child can still remember how warm his mother's blood was within the cold and ruthless atmosphere.

The child look at his father, who casually ridicule her mother by calling her 'shameful Amawaka'.

This peculiar memory is one of the many memories the child won't forget, but he won't cherish it either, only abhorring it and keep it inside so that it won't again resurface.

But thanks to his father Shigen, Seigen then remembering this memory that he want to forget it so much.

Shigen pointing his index finger at him, "Don't tell me you can't do it, you are the next successor. As an heir to Ritsu and as the next commander who inherit Byakko"

"Remove all the hesitation!" Order him

Having said all that, Shigen folded his arms, "Do it, the result still the same. If you don't want to, I'll just order someone else"

Seigen grind his teeth, "...bastard"

With burdened and hurtful heart, Seigen stood up and walk away from them.

Meanwhile, in the previous room Yuzuru is bowing respectfully toward Shigen, "Shigen-sama. I'm going ahead"

"Hmp" nod Shigen without care.

Yuzuru then turn away and then exit the room, Shigen narrowed his eyes and focus on Yuzuru, it seems he had realized what Yuzuru objective is.

.....

The moon hang on the raven night sky, it's illuminating light who seems magical shone upon The Amawaka Manor, like it was revealing who's the star or MVP of the show is.

Under the place where the illuminating light did not shine upon, a man in black getup, walking sluggishly.

"Rather than somebody else, It's better with my own hands"

The man walk and walk, each step becoming much heavier than the previous.

His body and heart already hurt, now is the head turn to suffer. Even so, Seigen is lost in his mind.

Thinking.

Things end like this

Thinking..

What do I want?

Thinking...

What... is my desire?

[Let's end this curse together!]

Ren's figure appears on his mind.

I'm sorry... I can't

[Your eyes... why it looks so sad?]

Because...

Seigen stops. In front him, behind the wooden bar, a lone beauty is trapped.

Even trapped, she's still greeting him with such a smile and kindness.

"Ah Seigen-san, good night."

But looking at Seigen's eyes, she noticed a different vibes coming from him.

"Hmm? Seigen-san your eyes... why it looks so sad?" Say Yukari, worried of his well-being.

Facing her, even with a hurtful and burdened heart, he replies

"My eyes... always like this"