Chereads / The Noble Curse of Ookami / Chapter 47 - Chasing Phantoms

Chapter 47 - Chasing Phantoms

"Mom!!" Yato ran as fast as he could into the house, as the light mysteriously flickered when he entered the room. When he wandered inside his mother's room, she wasn't there anymore. Blood trails could be seen scattered on the floor, horrifying him.

A commotion then heard from upstairs, a metal clank, then a loud thud could all be heard. Half-frozen, Yato sneaked his way upstairs, unarmed, unready for the thing he was going to witness.

Into his brother's room, Yato saw his brother lying weak on the floor with blood all over his body. He was stabbed and sliced multiple times.

"Brother!! What happened?!" Yato then tried to put pressure on his wounds using his own jacket. He couldn't hold his tears.

"Yato... mom... she... he-- he's here..." his brother uttered with blood coming out of his mouth.

"Who did this to you?!" as Yato asked for more details, he heard a thud on the balcony. Something landed outside his brother's room. As the moonlight hit the figure, it looked like a primate but with no tail. All he could see was just red all over it. A bloody red. Yato's brother then pointed to that figure, while releasing his last breath.

Devastated, Yato looked at the figure once again, but as he glanced his eyes towards the balcony, it's already gone. He then ran back to the first floor to find that his mother had already passed away in the same manner as his brother.

"Yato? Are you alright?" a faint voice could be heard, then followed by a finger snap, "hey," it was Kentarou next to him, reminding him of his breakfast.

"You're acting weird lately, Yato. We'll listen if you feel troubled," Yato just brushed him off saying that he's okay. Ishigaki then came along not long after.

----

As weeks went by, the reports of Akazaru attacks went through the roof. There's also suspicion of the murderer might actually a member of the warriors. Despite the suspicion from the residents, Yuukai and others refuse to investigate every single one of them.

Outside of the dorm, Ishigaki came from Kentarou's room with no success in bringing him outside. It's been days since the last time they met him, he was feeling unwell.

"I already suggested to him to see a doctor but he kept on refusing," Ishigaki sighed, then once again he looked at his room window.

Their growing worry of both a serial killer on the loose and their teammate succumbed into an unknown disease made their days harder to endure. The team then left to look for Kazuki instead, who's been admitted to the health care center for the past weeks.

But Yato was lagging behind them, staring intently to Kentarou's room window as an uneasy premonition struck his head.

More and more victims of Akazaru were discovered, as they are actually dead... there's nothing the residents can do except to bury them. A bastion of hope, the island at the beginning turned into a grim place to live. And yet, they have nowhere to go.

----

On one night, Yato was walking along the path leading from the training yard to the dorm to clear his mind. He once again glanced at Kentarou's now open window. The breeze blew its curtain into a wild dance, while friction between the wind and its frame created a whistling sound.

Without thinking much of it, he entered the dorm to finally sleep. But when he walked the stairs of the second floor, he heard loud banging. Intrigued, he followed the noise, and it came from his teammate's room.

"Kentarou, are you alright?" Yato knocked on the door, only to be replied with silence. He knocked again, then Kentarou's scream could be heard from inside, "Kentarou, open the door!" he knocked even harder, he even tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

He could hear what sounded like Kentarou shouting 'no! not me!' over and over again. Then some loud thuds could be heard of things falling, even glass shattering. Worried, Yato decided to bust the door open with a kick.

"Kenta--rou?--" he wasn't ready for what he was about to witness.

Just like that time.