Things started to happen after that. Camp was already set and it was time for recon. It was decided that we were to check out the other campsite. But there was a twist to it. The newbies are to check the location while the veterans stayed at the campsite. However Sakuya accompanied us along the trip to the previous campsite. Our job was to accompany her to target location.
It was a long walk but it wasn't too far. I took the lead as my Scribe had the location listed on it. All of us were on edge but Sakuya was cool as a cucumber. But at my right I heard a twig snap. Without hesitation, I threw a knife at that direction. I looked towards the location to find it was just a cat with my knife at its neck. I cursed knowing how unneeded it was to it. The cat was alive but fatally injured. I took out a ofuda talisman and placed it at the cat. A light green light glowed and closed the wounds of the cat.
The cat then jumps out of my arms and hisses at me. Soon the animal was done and runs away, only for an eagle to swoop down to snatch from the air. All us newbies could do was stare at the bird, flying away as we were dazed and confused. Soon Sakuya taps me at the shoulder. "We better get a move on." Sakuya reminds me, "Don't let it phase you."
Another hard reminder that stung me in the ass. This is Laputa, after all. Our group kept on walking for a little while until we managed to make it. To our surprise the camp was untouched. There were a few tents around but little to go by. There we no signs of struggle but some footprints of the last campers. "You can really tell by the footprints that they were in a hurry." Mr. Williams said. I then activated my magus eye and looked around. "There's nothing around either. Not even a single rat." I replied.
"That is weird. See if you can look around for any clues. But Rin, check around with magus eye just in case." Sakuya instructed.
We started to look around for anything that can give us a hint of what was going on. But the tents tell their stories. All of them were messy and empty. There were no signs of struggle or any type of residue such as blood or something. They just looked barely used and some of the luggage still had their contents in check. We emptied the contents to find anything useful. But again no clues. Just some clothes and random junk. There were even a couple coin pouches of shillings in the bags and a few knives in there. Other than that, nothing. "Four of those bags belonged to Hilda, Eddie, Leo, and Penny." Sakuya says, "It was a party of six and only two got back. To be honest, I don't blame Ella and Reggie for running."
"So what shat should we do now?" Rebecca asked.
"Keep looking for more clues. But for now...Rin and Mr. Williams will keep watch keep watch. Rebecca and Tyrell will look around for clues. See something that can be salvaged for now." Sakuya told us.
We went onto our positions. However I was getting distracted. The visions and memories weren't helping at all. They just made it more confusing. Yet it doesn't help either since faces and words were instantly bleeped and blocked. it was hard to say it was real or not. Mr. Williams noticed this. "You've been brooding for awhile now." He says, "That's used to be my thing before you made it look better."
I chuckled a little. But I soon sigh just thinking about it. "So...how's your amnesia going around? You haven't shared it since the apartment." He asked.
"So you remember that? I was hoping we put that behind us." I replied.
"I'm the only one that knows, other than your uncle. You used to have that face when memories came back."
"I do but it's not like I remembered the magic ones prior to the East L.A. H.A.P. It just makes things harder."
"Is that so? How hard is it to attach the memories together?"
"One parts good while another parts of it is rather bullshit. It's hard to know how I lost them."
"Are you comfortable sharing about them now?"
"If I were honest here…. I'm not sure what to talk about."
The man sighs. He sits down on the ground and grabs a cigarette. I stopped him from lighting it. "Not in the middle of work. Do it while on break." I told him. "Then at least give me something that actually makes sense. Getting to know you is stressful." The man ranted. All I could do was sigh and be sure on what I was clear of. I didn't want to share about Furukizu, because I don't know how I to describe him. But I didn't have time to discuss about the other five either. So I went with this.
"I think around before the beginning of the HAPs I was an exorcist or a demon hunter at my mid to late teens. Other than that, nothing." I confessed.
"Hmmm. Well that just changes things all together. You got anything else?" He asked me.
My brain started to ache again. Memories started to surge in my brain for what happened at that crimson school hallway. That vision alone barely made me stand properly. Great...another thing to worry about. "Nothing I can put into words, for now. Lets just focus on the task at hand for now." I replied.
For now I chickened out and didn't bother to say anything. It was just another mess in my head that I prefer not to talk about. I was still at watch with the old man. There weren't that many things to worry about. I used a magus eye again to find anything alive. It was almost too quiet. When I turned it on again I saw a silhouette.
I turned off the ability to see a child. He was pale and barely moved. I looked down, only to find the kid floating six inches from the ground. Only with a blink of an eye the child disappeared. After a moment of walking around the area, my foot kicked something. I look down to find a show away from my feet. It was a kids light up shoe. It still worked but was a bit worn out. "What did you find?" Mr. Williams asked.
I handed him the shoe. The old man turned to Sakuya. "Hey, Sakuya! Was there a kid in the expedition?" He asked. "Not that I'm aware of. Let me see that." Sakuya insisted.
Mr. Williams handed her the shoe. She started turning it around and take a glance at it. She then held it with two hands and closed her eyes. That awkward silence between the three of us became dead air. A minute later she opens her eye. She looked rather displeased. "It looks like Hilda brought her kid along because nobody was gonna take care of him." She says, "She may do these kinds of things behind my back but at least she brings results."
"How do you know that?" I questioned.
"Psychometry is another ESP ability I can use. It's ability to see the past history of objects." Sakuya replied.
"If you can tell by just a shoe. Then do you know what happened to the kid?" Mr. Williams asked.
"Looks like the second day here the kid was sleepwalking. His shoe slipped as he walked away." Sakuya told us.
"You have any idea what took the kid?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just fog. But looks like Hilda separated from the group after finding the shoe on the ground." Sakuya added.
"And yet she was MIA...what happened to the others then?" I asked.
"Did that to the tents too. Looks like the same result. But oddly enough something is causing some interference." Sakuya answered.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"It looks like some high Mana source is interfering with the rest of my abilities. It's the same with the shoe. It only goes to a blur once it reaches the day of the incident." She told us.
"So no use huh?" Mr. Williams summarized.
"Just keep watch for now. There's something concerning about this." She said.
"And what would that be?" I asked.
"The gold was left but not the weapons. And seeing that from my visions makes me know we're screwed." She says, "But something is still conflicting my abilities."
"What would that be?" Mr. Williams asked.
"That's the odd part. My abilities are usually better but something is interfering with them." Sakuya replied.
Sakuya then looks at me. "Rin. Since you got a powerful magus eye, try to find the source of interference." She dictates, "Even if I'm able to sense others around me there is still a limit of those abilities can do."
I complied for now. It would be a good thing to do to keep distracted. I kept on looking with my magus eye until I started to feel light headed. Looking at the bushes to find something emitting some kind of light green color. It was only looking a bit closer and turned off the magus eye that I encountered something odd. It was some kind purple flowers bursting out of brown, hotdog shaped pod. When I plucked it out of the ground that's when my head started to feel easy.
Only when I turned on my magus eye the energy coming out of the plant started to fade. But that was when I sensed bloodlust. I looked up to see something running towards me. By just a second I managed to draw a knife and block the strike. Out comes a goblin from the bushes and on top of me, trying to shove a dagger to my chest. It was bigger than any regular goblin and had scarlet red hair. It opened its jaw and reveals shark-like teeth in rows with blood oozing out. But just at the right moment I reach for my gun and shoot three at the chest. It was there I toss the thing off of me and shouted, "Enemies up ahead! Eight coming from the east!"
Out then come the Red hair goblins and we start to run, only to be cut off by four at the other way. We were soon surrounded by them. "These...are definitely bigger than the ones at the apartment." Tyrell nervously points out. "They're Redcaps. Hemovore versions of goblins. Once they bite you, they'll suck you dry." Sakuya told us.
"So how do you kill there things?" Rebecca asked.
"Like any other goblin. But these guys are more hyper, wait for them to attack then strike."
"So what if they have a bow?"
Sakuya then draws out their revolver then pulls the trigger. It hits the redcap with a bow. "Kill them first." She told her. The whole horde gives an unnatural yell. One jumps towards Sakuya. But without looking, she cuts the monster in half with a katana with one hand. We started fighting with the horde. They may have been bigger but they were still amateurish. Three tried to attack me at once but they were easy to counter and I was able to slice them in half.
Mr. Williams wasn't hang a problem as he was shooting them down, one by one. Rebecca and Tyrell were cornered behind a tent. One jumped on Tyrell. Rebecca was about to help him but another redcap blocked her way. But before it can go for the kill, I summoned three bird shikigami and they all hit the three of them at the head. The impact was so hard that their heads exploded like watermelons. "Don't lower your guard! Get up and fight!" I shouted.
Another one was about to jump on me. But just in time, a crossbow bolt connected to the Redcap's skull then fell to the ground. "I would say the same thing for you!" Mr. Williams said. He then takes out his hatchet and started to hack away. The Redcaps were extremely agile and hard to defend against. I took out my gun and fired away but they were able to dodge most of my shots.
One then suddenly then pops out something unexpected. It was a pistol. But I barely managed to use a ofuda charm to block the shots with a barrier seal charm. The redcap kept on firing only for me to notice the blood. But I was a bit late. The barrier was up but a bullet grazed me at my leg and I fell on the ground. I was struggling to get up but the goblins keep on firing. Using telekinesis I moved a charm with my mind and it was placed on top of the Redcap's head. It caused the goblin to go dizzy. While disoriented, I used my telekinesis again to send the knives we found to stab it at the chest.
I was barely able to get up with the last of the Redcaps reaching for a pistol to shoot again. But then something entered in my body. My hand moved by its own and I shocked it with lightning coming out of my hand. The redcap became paralyzed and with that, Mr. Williams shot it at the head.
The air became still. The whole area became silent. It was full of Redcap corpses. We were all covered in blood. Tyrell was pretty shaken after the whole scene. Rebecca still was sane. The rest were still standing. My fast healing managed to kick in time but just for a brief moment. Even with the healed leg I still felt numb. I opened my magus eye for now and looked around.
But it turned out the threat was at the other direction. Mr. Williams then shouts out, "Rin! Contact left!" But it was too late. What greeted me was a club to the gut. It sent me flying a few feet away and onto one of the tents. My bones weren't broken because of my altered biology but I definitely felt something puncture my chest. There was a hole at the right side of my chest. As I was leaning upwards a club descended down on me. I managed to catch the club in time with shifting into my demonic form to see my opponent.
On top of me was a red orc. His eyes were bloodshot and teeth were yellow as butter. The orc's entire body was full of popping veins all over his skin. I used suptor ofuda to disorient him but there was no effect. The orc just let out a battle cry and went for another swing. I rolled at the other side and my wound barely managed to healed. But as soon as I rolled, the orc stomped on me. I screamed in pain as I felt the kick throughout my chest. He then grabbed me by the leg and started to swing me around at the floor like a ragdoll. After a few moments of dangling he throws me at a tent with a crater at the floor.
It was there a memory flashed. I was again once more at the hallway but this time bruised and all cut up. I then could see something come closer to me. I struggled to get up. It was holding something, a makeshift rebar and concrete club. It was too hard to move. The memory was much like now…at the floor, ready to die. To see me again with the red orc with his weapon raised high. The red orc was about to thrust his spiked mace through my skull. But as he was in proper position, a crossbow bolt hit him at the shoulder with a few buckshot shells. Rebecca and Mr. Williams were trying to get his attention. But that was the problem. None of the hits got his attention. Even if Mr. Williams swaps to his pistol, the red orc was not effected at all. It was useless. In the first time in awhile I was afraid to die.
But at the nick of time something happened. I could see Furukizu descending down from the sky with his hand reaching for me. But as soon as our hands touched, the whole setting turned white. My mind went blank to reveal something surprising. It was my hand up in the air with a knife, covered with a dark shadowy light. It formed an astral dark blade that extended thirty times its size. Only with a breath of the wind, blood drips on my face and the orc's head drop on the ground. The body then leans left and falls on the floor. The battle was done and the dark light fades into nothingness.
The battle was done and the threat neutralized and that is when the setting turns a full white. The battle in my mind on the other hand was another story. The technique itself I never used before but fear surges as the memory of me using it just makes my brain pulse like crazy. Furukizu then appears at me with his hand at my neck. His grip tightens as he leans against me. "I didn't give permission for you to die yet." He tells me, "You better thicken your skin. That technique is nothing without you, (bleep)."
What was that I heard? Fear felt like electricity. It surged through my veins. Hearing that surged glimpses of my memories. Good and bad. It was hard to tell. It was entirely a mix. Then it stopped with a censored face looking at me asking, "Hey (bleep)! What do you going to do after your studies?" It then jumps to corpse with a head blown up in the bathtub and a shotgun. I was trying to get a grip but it was just so hard. But then a gun is pointed at Furukizu. "That's enough, Furukizu. Scaring the kid can only do so much." Kenshin told the masked man.
"Says the devil himself. I'm just the boogie man." Furukizu talked back.
"Yet I can't believe the boogie man still has a purpose in this world."
Furukizu lets go of me and I start to breathe. "Whatever. He's at the last of his rope. I said what I had to say." He tells him, "If this keeps up, he's gonna wish he was dead." And he was right. Memories surged of people of censored faces. They were walking away from me. I didn't want them to go. I kept on chasing them until I slipped. They soon were gone. I looked at my hand and I see blood. I was taken at the campaign of when the Japanese were invading China again. The bodies were piling. All the faces I recognized and killed. But they soon dissolved into a black mush to drown me and sink into a black abyss.
I open my eyes to find myself at the school again. A crimson school full of flame, blood, and death. The faces were still censored but something odd happened. All the dismembered bodies started to stand in an awkward and puppet-like style. Slowly they walk and come closer to me. I walked back slowly. But soon I couldn't move. My spine started to shiver. My legs felt like jelly. They gave in and I was horrified. Then the next thing you know they were gone, only for them to appear to me in a blink of an eye, asking unison in Japanese, "Will you please die now. When will your time come?"
I then lose my mind and screamed. My psyche collapsing and the setting shattering like glass. I fell into an abyss again, only to see from the other end of the fall those corpses watching me descend. Who are those people? I don't know. It started to get dark? Damnation must be taking a vacation because it's spending time with me and having a good time in messing with my mind.