Sumire desperately ran through the street. Her mind was a mess and she found it strange how the masked swordsman spared her. She could also visibly remember the sight of Genki, her doctor's hand falling to the ground.
Everything had gone so wrong. First she was caught, that alone managed to damage her pride as a thief, but at least she managed to escape. Her freedom however, was short lived. Her masked reaper soon found her, but choose to meet out his vengeance upon someone she held dear instead.
Even as she ran, Sumire repeatedly turned around in attempt to catch a glance of what was happening behind her. She felt as though Chisuke was close, unbelievably so. Close enough to bear down on her the moment she let her guard down, and then...
Sumire had watched Chisuke prove his skill with the blade by taking a person's hand, but what made her most uneasy was the feeling of his cold black steel pressed against her neck.
Sumire doubted her luck would allow her escape the swordsman a second time.
Damnit!
She cursed inwardly. Perhaps this was her karma for stealing, perhaps Chisuke was simply mad. She had no way of knowing.
How unfair life way.
Sumire had come a long way from the restaurant, intentionally choosing to take detours as much as possible to shake off Chisuke if he happened to be on her tail.
The young girl breathed heavily as she ran, her throat had long gone dry and she had lost the strength to move, but still she pressed onward.
Before long, Sumire reached her destination. She came to a halt and standing in front of her was a small house. It hardly stood out from the rest building around it being a traditional Japanese house, it's only unique feature being the fact that it was slightly more run down.
Sumire walked towards the house with unhidden joy. The smile on her face would make one think she was having the time of her life. If they didn't know her any better, they would hardly believe she was on the run from a demonic swordsman.
The unruly girl slid open the door of the house and took a step inside, closing it when it was completely behind her, after which she plopped on the floor with her back slumped again the door.
Sumire sighed. At long last, home sweet home.
"Big sis, I'm back."
After announcing her presence, Sumire simply sat still. She was pondering the events of the day.
The image of the masked swordsman popped into her head. The sight of his kimono, his swords. She marveled at the wonder of his white hair, and then lastly, there was his mask.
That mask.
It was unsettling, a mask the concealed something that was not meant to be seen by ordinary people. One that concealed darkness. That dreadful oni mask, it was simply evil.
"I guess there's no use in thinking about it."
Sumire rose to her feet and moved into the interior of the house.
Her steps trailed into the kitchen where she found a plate covered by another and set aside, opening it revealed rice balls that were going to be her lunch.
Sumire grabbed one of the fluffy triangles of rice wrapped in seaweed and brought it to her mouth. After the first bite she simply lost count until there was nothing left on the plate.
The unruly girl was even surprised at the sudden disappearance of the rice balls, ignorant of the fact that she had eaten them.
Sumire hesitantly left the kitchen. There was no point in crying over spilled milk, or in her case eaten rice balls.
She made her through the hall of the house and stopped in front of a room, her hands knocked lightly on the door.
"Big sis, I'm coming in."
Sumire slid open the door and stepped inside the room. Inside it held a gloomy atmosphere, the windows were closed shut allowing only the tiniest slivers of light to penetrate the room, dimly illuminating it.
On the straw mats layered on the floor was a futon, on which lay Sumire's sister, a young lady. Unlike Sumire, she sported patchy brown hair which once bright, had lost its luster.
The lady lay shrouded in bandages that concealed her diseased skin leaving but a few gaps.
It made for a sad sight.
"Oh, Sumi dear. How was your day."
Sumire knelt down beside the lady and placed down a cup she had gotten from the kitchen.
"It was alright."
She produced the bottle of medicine she had gotten from the doctor and lifted it above the cup. It's contents poured steadily with a pink liquid streaming out.
The medicine had a unique smell, one sickeningly sweet like that of blood.
"Did you have fun?"
Sumire placed down the bottle when its contents stopped pouring out. She grasped the cup in her hands and lifted it to her sister who had shifted to a sitting position.
"I did. Now it's time for you to take your medicine."
The sick lady received the cup from her sister and brought it to her lips. Her throat gulped several times as she downed the contents.
This was their fate, sisters orphaned and left for dead. They bitterly struggled to hang on to life in spite if their challenges with the hope that things were going to get better, someday.
"The quack said he had a good feeling about this one."
"Oh, how is Genki doing lately?"
Sumire received the cup from her sister and rose from her knees. She walked over to the edge of the room where a window stood and pried it open.
Rays of sunlight drove out the darkness in the room and fresh air flowed into the room making Sumire's short hair flutter lightly.
"Why should I care."
"Sumire."
Sumire was forced to turn her attention behind her. She was attracted by her sister's voice, by the strange strength and vitality behind it.
She was faced with surreal sight. Her bedridden sister stood steadily on her feet, underneath her yukata her bandages were coming off revealing her skin, which once diseased had turned healthy.
"Big sister?"
Sumire found it hard to contain her emotions. She felt exhilarated as her sister walked towards her with arms spread for a hug.
The mystery of her magical recovery was puzzling, but Sumire didn't care in the slightest.
Akane, Sumire's sister took a step forward. Her hair regained its brilliant sheen, and then her eyes turned golden with her pupils vertically slitted.
Following her instantaneous recovery, a surge of hunger assaulted the young lady, and with it came bloodlust. Her eyes grew bloodshot and her nails turned to claws.
"Sumire."
Sumire watched as her sister's transition into something inhuman. Her sister's claws managed to cut only then the hand she used in blocking the blow.
The force of the attack was hardly sufficient to bring down a person, but Sumire simply lost her footing due to shock. The unruly girl landed on her behind, her back against the wall as she stared into her sister's eyes.
Her mind went blank. She couldn't find any logical explanation as to why her sister had struck her, that coupled with her demonic transformation.
"Sumire."
Her sister struggled to control herself from drooling as she stared down her sister with the eyes of an animal. Her hands reached forth to tear Sumire apart, but at the same time whatever vestige of humanity she had left held her back.
Torn between two choices, Akane struggled to remain in control. She was extremely hungry, she didn't know how much longer she could control herself.
"Run, now!"
She wanted nothing more than for her sister to flee, but the girl was too shocked to.
"Big sister."
Sumire called out in an attempt to process the situation, but it was too late. Her sister had reached her breaking point, her transformation progressed further with her spine hunching, her fangs grew.
Akane who had lost all sense of self was about to pounce on her sister when something crashed into the door of the room.
For a moment Sumire caught a glimpse of the dreadful oni mask as the reaper lunged forth, his katana moved slicing past the demon before him.
In one fluid motion, Chisuke swung his sword hand returned it to it's sheath. A second later the demon's body fell backward and landed separate from it's head.
"Damn demons. They just go around spawning like it's nobody's business."
Chisuke sounded tired, with his job done he slowly exited the room, meanwhile Sumire sat on the floor. Her eyes were bleak and hollow as she stared at the severed head between her legs, it's eyes were just as lifeless as hers.
Her hands trembled as her heart raced, she felt so numb. She could hear screaming, painful, agonizing screaming. Several seconds passed and only after she had fully regained her senses did she realize she was the one crying out.