Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Yami no Kenzoku ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Notes: Time leap! It's a few months since the last chapter, I'm estimating. I just wanted it to be at a point where Kai would be settled into the routine of things and have a partner, so rather than go through all of that, I just do a time hop. Gee, hope this isn't moving too fast . . .

Oh yeah, and the utensils? Don't ask me. I'm making stuff up. o.o;;

Yami no Kenzoku

Chapter Five

Hisoka had learned in his brief time as a shinigami that when it came time to decide on where the agency could go for its annual vacation, it was best to hide in the office and let the others sort out the details. Osaka had already been decided as where they would go this year, but now it was a matter of deciding where exactly in Osaka they would go and what exactly they would do there.

This year, the shinigami of the second block, fourth block, and fifth and sixth blocks would take their vacation before the other blocks, which meant that Tsuzuki and Terazuma would be forced to be together for extended periods of time. Not only would they be forced to deal with their shikigami constantly attempting to battle one another, but the two could never agree on one single place. Otherwise it might have been decided days ago where they were going.

Hisoka did not care, either way. Vacations were nice to have every now and then, but he did not get nearly as worked up over them as Tsuzuki and Watari did. He supposed that was because they had been shinigami for far longer than he had and needed as many breaks from work as they could get. But for Hisoka, as long as he had a quiet place that he could read in peace and quiet, he would be happy.

He leaned back in his chair, thinking over the past few months. He couldn't remember exactly, but hadn't it been half a year since the incident in Kyoto? Almost six months exactly, he thought, and Kyoto had happened six months into his time as a shinigami. In another month it would be the anniversary of his death. He would have been dead for a year. And in another week, he would be seventeen years old.

He hadn't told anyone. He didn't think it was something that was worth making a big deal about, and it meant nothing to him. Growing up his birthday had passed like any other day, and that was how he intended it to be in the afterlife as well. It was not like anyone would notice, anyway. He may have been, in all technicalities, another year older, but his body would not be. Nor would it ever be. He would always be a sixteen-year-old in some way.

Aside from that, nothing of interest had actually been happening over the past few months. Kai had continued to work with he and Tsuzuki on a few more cases until he became accustomed to the lifestyle of a shinigami. It had been decided that while he was still a replacement shinigami for those that fell out of commission at any point of time, as long as he was not filling in for anyone, he would be Watari's partner in the sixth block. He would be coming along with them on their vacation.

Hisoka had still yet to discover anything about Kai's past, much less anything about Kai. He was quiet and kept to himself like he had when he was alive, but he smiled often and was very kind to everyone. He seemed like any other shy teenager, yet Hisoka could not keep from wondering what had happened to him, and for what reason he had become a shinigami. Maybe that was morbid of him.

"Hi-so-kaaaaaa!"

Hisoka could hear Tsuzuki's calling his name from all the way down the hall. It drew closer and closer until Tsuzuki had reached their office, and a split second later, Tsuzuki burst into the room looking as cheerful as he always did.

"Did they figure out where we're going?" Hisoka asked patiently. Nothing else would have gained a smile quite like that one from Tsuzuki.

"Yup!"

"Where?"

Tsuzuki came completely into the room, practically bouncing over to Hisoka. "It's really neat," he said. "We're going to this creepy old mansion where the people who work there play out a murder and you have to figure out who's the killer. It'll be fun!"

Hisoka raised an eyebrow. "Who's decision was that?"

"I think the Earl," Tsuzuki said, scratching at the back of his head. "Which is weird. He's not going with us but he picked out the place and everything, and Kachou wants to give it a go, so that's where we're going." He suddenly grinned devilishly. "I hope Terazuma gets killed."

"And I'm sure he thinks just the same of you . . ."

"Wo~w! Wai! This is going to be so much fun, ne, Hajime-chan?"

Terazuma looked down sourly at the attachment he had apparently sprouted. Wakaba was latched onto his arm and did not look as though she had any intention of letting him go, much to his displeasure. That was, at least, what he wanted everyone to believe. It was more than obvious by now to anyone that Terazuma had a soft spot bigger than Tsuzuki and Konoe's sweet teeth combined for Wakaba, and he did not mind her attentions in the least.

Hisoka silently agreed to her assessment of the building they were standing before, however. It was the single most enormous mansion he had ever seen in his life. The building was in the old Victorian style that had swept over parts of Europe and America years ago. Turrets had stone statues perched on them, either of angels or cherubim, with a few sporadically placed gargoyles to add flavor. The grounds surrounding the building were beautiful; completely covered with fine greenery, with a variety of plants and flowers from regions all over Japan growing. Hisoka did not think he had ever seen a place quite like this in Japan.

"This place is creepy," Kai commented. "Creepier than Tatsumi-san when he gets that evil look in his eyes." Watari, who stood alongside his new partner, gave a laugh.

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow, but did not make any retaliation in his defense.

"Come on," Konoe-kachou said, "we're expected."

The other shinigami followed him by pairs. Wakaba walked along behind dragging Terazuma along by the arm and pointing out various things to him cheerfully. Whenever she was not looking, Hisoka thought that he saw a smile on his face. Following those two were Watari and Kaiki, who were getting along great for having only been partners for a very brief time. Watari liked to babble about his latest inventions and Kai was willing to listen. It was a good balance. Especially since it kept Watari from testing out his new formulas, as he was too busy explaining them. Tatsumi walked alongside Konoe, speaking on and off to the older man. Tsuzuki and Hisoka were the last to come.

"This is a weird place for a vacation," Hisoka said offhand.

"I dunno. I think it might be fun," Tsuzuki replied with a smile. "Besides, it's a full two weeks off from work, and that's /great/ in my opinion."

Hisoka smiled slightly. "Just a few months ago you were saying you were eager to get back to work."

"I said that? Oh yeah, I did. Hey! I was /bored/! I'll take anything over being bored."

The enormous double doors that opened up to the mansion opened as though on their own accord as the group of shinigami approached. A beautiful young woman dressed in flowing garments, of a European style, stood at the door bidding them welcome. Hisoka saw quite a few of the male eyes shifting to look over her appreciatively, which earned Terazuma a swift kick in the shin. After that he was careful to keep his eyes on anything but pretty girls.

"Welcome to the Descartes Manor," the young woman said with a gracious smile. She gestured and two other women came forward to take their coats and luggage. "May I have your party's name?"

"It's under Tatsumi Seichirou," Tatsumi said.

"Ah, we've been expecting you," the woman said with another of her smiles. They were beginning to give Hisoka an odd feeling. "My name is Lucille," she said. "I will be your party's guide for your duration of your stay at the manor."

Tsuzuki had thought that she was foreign, considering that though her Japanese was quite fluent and flowed perfectly, she did not have that certain quality that people born in Japan did, but the fact that she had a foreign name confirmed that.

"You are the guests we have been waiting for," Lucille said as she began to lead them through the manor, through richly carpeted corridors and past magnificent stained glass windows. "Now that you are here, the game can begin."

"Game?" Kai piped up, shaking his attention away from one of the many portraits that they were passing. It was beginning to give him the chills.

"Yes, the game," Lucille said, glancing over her shoulder and smiling at him. "Once it begins, I will be forced to play in character, so I cannot discuss further details of it with you after that point. But I will explain now.

"Everyone in the game is considered a suspect. You yourself may be asked to participate more actively as a murder or perhaps as a victim, but don't worry. If you are asked to be the victim, all we do is ask that you play dead for a brief time, and then we have you moved to another portion of the manor where you can continue your stay. You will simply not be allowed contact with any other guests but those that have also been 'killed'.

"Once it begins, it won't be stopped. We play this game as though it were happening years and years ago, so there is no electricity once the game begins. We shut it off and you will have to use candles to make your way. The only electricity we do use is that for cooking. Meals are at promptly at seven every evening. Aside from dinner, other meals may be had when you like. And we do always have running water, so don't worry about that when the electricity closes off.

"Ah, here we are."

She had brought them to one long corridor that seemed to be at the east wing of the manor; Hisoka had been too distracted by all of the intricate portraits and carvings in the walls and stained glass windows to notice where exactly they were being taken. The carpet beneath his feet was a dark shade of crimson and his shoes fairly sank into it. On one side of the corridor, there were five pairs of double doors, and on the other side, there was a long line of windows that reached from the ceiling to the floor. Between each window was a pillar, and seated on top of the pillars were carved images of angels. It was all very beautiful and breath-taking. Hisoka almost felt as though if he touched something he would break it.

"These will be your quarters," Lucille explained. "We ask that you have two pairs to a room. It's much more . . . safe that way." She smiled that smile of hers that sent a chill up Hisoka's spine. "That is, unless the lady would prefer to have a room of her own, considering she is in the company of all men."

Wakaba did not look as though she liked the thought of being alone at all. She latched more firmly onto Terazuma's arm and looked up at him pleadingly. After a moment, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay with you," he grumbled, as though it were the most difficult thing in the world for him to say.

Lucille smiled. "Very good. I wouldn't worry about getting lost. The manor is very easy to maneuver through once you get used to it. We close off any areas that have nothing to do with the game, so you will learn your way fairly quickly.

"I will leave you to get settled in now. Dinner will be at seven, don't forget. The game will begin then."

She left them then. There was a brief moment of arguing as rooming arrangements were made. No one wanted to stay with Konoe, whose snore was rumored to sound like a fright train, and since it had already been decided that Terazuma and Wakaba would be together, Watari did not think it was very fair that either of them did not have the danger of being forced to stay with Konoe. In the end they were forced to draw straws, and Tatsumi was the unfortunate one that drew the shortest. He vowed revenge on all of them before disappearing into his room after Konoe.

Tsuzuki pushed open the huge oak doors to the room he and Hisoka would be sharing and stepped into the enormous room behind, inevitably letting out a low whistle as he got a good look around. Hisoka came in after him and looked around, feeling nearly as much awe as Tsuzuki did.

The room was far bigger than any other he had ever seen. Directly in front of them, straight away from the two doors, there was a pair of clear windows that reached from the high ceiling to the ground. They were doors, Hisoka realized, that would lead out onto a huge stone balcony beyond. Through the window, he could see that the balcony itself was lined with a beautiful garden bursting with life. The balcony overlooked a vast field of greenery. In the distance, he could see a stable, and the faint shapes of horses dotted the pasture.

His eyes wandered away from the windows to the room. There was one bed on one side of the bed, and another on the other side. Both were elevated on platforms; three steps lead up to the level the beds sat on. They were dressed with fine, royal blue sheets, and even from the look of it Hisoka could see that the pillows and mattress were made of goose feathers. Great canopies stretched over each bed. Curtains fell down and were tied to the posts; they could be drawn shut to allow privacy when sleeping.

A door led away to the bathroom on one side of the room, and another door on the other side lead into a closet far larger than even the cellar Hisoka remembered growing up in. The area right before the two windows was arranged in a living room fashion and had two sofas facing one another, a redwood coffee table between them. The carpet was in rich patterns of a Victorian style. Everything about the room screamed classy and magnificent. Hisoka thought he could stand staring for another full hour, but Tsuzuki shook him from his awe.

"See? I /told/ you this vacation is going to be great!" he said cheerfully.

"A-aa . . . yeah, you're right. Wow. We can afford this?"

Tsuzuki scratched at the back of his head. "You know, I didn't even think of that. If we can, Tatsumi is lying when he says we're in debt. But who cares about that? The point of a vacation is to enjoy it, not worry about stuff like money!"

"I don't think Tatsumi-san agrees," Hisoka replied, smiling slightly.

"Well . . . he's a fuddy-duddy anyway."

Tsuzuki tossed his duffel bag on the end of his bed and leapt up onto it. He sank down into the feather mattress, so that Hisoka could only see the very tip of his nose peeking up.

"Oh wow. I want to keep this bed. I think I'll steal it."

Hisoka almost laughed. The mental image of Tsuzuki attempting to smuggle a bed of that size out of the manor was an amusing one.

"Ne, Hisoka."

"Hm?" Hisoka stood at the foot of his bed, unpacking his things neatly. He had always been somewhat of a neat freak.

"It's been a year now, huh? Since you and I became partners."

Hisoka paused. He had not expected Tsuzuki to remember, much less mention that it had been a year. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah," he replied, quietly. "It's been a year since I tried to kill you."

Tsuzuki laughed. "I still say I'd make a lousy vampire. I'm far too cute."

Hisoka smiled faintly and continued unpacking. He had not thought much of Tsuzuki back then. To him, Tsuzuki had been a nuisance, and he felt that it was an insult to him that he was forced to be his partner. But as he grew to know Tsuzuki and realized what he was capable of, his doubts had faded away.

He had never told Tsuzuki, but after what had happened between the demon and Hijiri and Kazusa, he had gone to Konoe and asked that he not be given another partner. He had wanted to stay with Tsuzuki after that point. Even today, he was not sure why, but he was glad he had made the decision to accept Tsuzuki as his partner once and for all.

"You're the only partner I've had that's lasted for more than a few months," Tsuzuki said.

Hisoka glanced at him. He was sprawled out on the bed, feet hanging over the side, and his hands tucked behind his head.

"Even Tatsumi didn't last for more than three. He didn't like me very much then, I don't think."

Hisoka wondered if Tsuzuki was simply dense or Tatsumi had made him believe that he did not like him. Hisoka had only been around them for a year, and it was more than obvious to anyone the way that Tatsumi felt about Tsuzuki. He went out of his way to protect him, and he was constantly doing those little careless affection things around him . . . cleaning up his face when it was dirty, or brushing his bangs from his face, or things like that . . . Tatsumi cared about him very much.

"Thanks for staying with me for so long, Hisoka," Tsuzuki said softly.

". . . baka. It's not like you to be so serious."

Tsuzuki flipped over onto his stomach and propped his chin on his hands. "Sorry," he said, all smiles once again. "But hey, if it's been a year, you should be a year older, shouldn't you?"

Hisoka did not answer for a long moment. Finally, he nodded his head slightly and continued with what he was doing.

"I'd be seventeen in a week if I were alive."

"I'll have to get you a present."

Hisoka turned to look at him, startled. "Wha . . . what?"

"A birthday present. What should I get? Any ideas? You'll be hard to shop for."

"I . . . I don't care . . ."

There came a knock at the door.

"Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun, it will be time for dinner soon. Get dressed and come downstairs."

Tsuzuki jumped off the bed. "Oka~y, Tatsum~i!" he called. "We'll be down in a bit!"

The dining hall was naturally as magnificent as the rest of the manor. The walls were lined with candles, as were the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the table was dotted with them as well. Obviously, the crew was preparing to shut down the electricity, and they wanted the room to be well lit while their patrons had their meal.

They had not been told that it was necessary to dress properly for dinner, but taking a look around at the other guests, Hisoka was glad that Wakaba had convinced them to dress like gentleman. Even Terazuma had been forced into a suit, much to his displeasure. Kai seemed to agree with Terazuma on that issue and kept tugging irritably at his collar. Watari kept having to adjust it for him when he pulled it too loose or managed somehow to lose his tie. Konoe, Tatsumi, and Tsuzuki were the only ones that seemed to be comfortable, and that was because they wore suits on a daily basis without complaint.

Lucille appeared and lead them to their table. Hisoka was comforted that all of the guests were not forced to be seated together; otherwise he had the feeling he would be very uncomfortable. But it seemed that each party had a certain person in charge of taking care of them, and that person set up their dining area for them and made sure that everything flowed properly. Lucille seated them all before disappearing again, explaining that she was going to retrieve the appetizer.

Tsuzuki leaned over and nudged Hisoka. "We're supposed to use /all/ of these?" he asked, gesturing to all of the utensils.

"All classic dinners have all these," Hisoka said.

"I'd love to have some chopsticks right now . . ."

"That one is the salad fork," Hisoka said, pointing, "and that's the appetizer fork, and that one next to it is your dinner fork. On the other side is your steak knife, then your butter knife, and at the top of the plate is your dessert spoon."

Tsuzuki blinked. "How come you know all that?"

"I was trained in dinner etiquette."

"Oh."

Lucille appeared and served them their appetizer, which Hisoka explained to everyone was a European delicacy called caviar. Once Kai had asked what /that/ was, however, and he had replied that it was fish eggs, no one looked quite as hungry as they had to begin with.

Fortunately, a soup was brought out not long after that, and it was nothing unusual. Following soup was a salad, and then the main course came, which was another European delicacy. Fortunately, this one was far more appetizing than fish eggs, and it was not long before everyone was pushing their plates away and giving sighs of contentment.

"Attention please!" a young woman called. She was standing at the head of the room and waving her hand around to catch the attention of all of the guests. Once she had everyone's attention, she smiled brightly and graciously. "Thank you all very much for choosing to stay at the Descartes Manor. I am to announce to you that the game begins at this very moment. Remember that everyone is a suspect and could possibly be the killer, even the very person you are sitting next to right now. I hope you all enjoy your stay and the game."

As she finished speaking, a crack resounded through the air, and suddenly all of the electrical lights faded out. They were not blanketed in darkness, fortunately, as all of the candles made the room well lit, though a bit dimmer than before. Wakaba let out a squeak and latched onto Terazuma's arm, and through the flicker of a candle flame, Hisoka could see a slight smirk on his face.

"Do everyone be careful on their way back to their rooms this evening," the young woman from before suggested. "The grounds are yours for the remainder of the evening. Breakfast will be served tomorrow at nine, for those that wish to have it. I and the other servants bid you good night."

She and a line of other servants, dressed similarly to she, both male and female alike, slipped out of the room. Hisoka saw Lucille follow them, but she spared them a look before disappearing from the dining hall, and smiled slightly in his direction. This time it was not quite as much of a creepy smile as it had been before, but a simple bright, cheerful one. He realized that she must have been playing a part when she had been showing them around the manor, attempting to set the mood of the game.

Tsuzuki suddenly poked him in the side, pulling his attention away. "C'mon, Hisoka, let's check this place out."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hisoka asked.

Watari laughed. "Yeah, the murderer might try to come and get us."

Kai looked decidedly put out at that comment. "This really /is/ creepier than Tatsumi-san . . ."

In the end, Konoe-kachou decided to retire for the evening, and Tatsumi chose to accompany him, saying something vague about how it would be improper to allow his boss to walk these halls alone and worse yet, possibly die at the hands of their murder. Terazuma and Wakaba remained behind, if only because Wakaba was of the opinion that it was safer to be in numbers, and Terazuma was not about to tell her no. Watari took a few of the candles from the table and handed them to everyone.

"Well, let's go take a peek around now, shall we?" he said cheerfully.

Voted as their unofficial leader, Watari lead the way through the manor, with Kai following closely behind him, and then by Terazuma and Wakaba. Tsuzuki and Hisoka kept up with the group, but followed at a few paces behind Terazuma and Wakaba, to allow some privacy for conversation. Hisoka could not help but think there was something intimate about that, and it made him blush to think so, but fortunately, Tsuzuki did not seem to think the same, nor did he notice the blush.

"You know," Tsuzuki said conversationally, holding up his candle to take a better look at portrait, "it's not this murderer that's got me worried. It's all these pictures. They're /creepy/."

Hisoka had to agree that they were creepy. There were dozens and dozens of pictures of people that were unrecognizable, people from ages ago, all dressed in strict clothing and looking impossibly stiff. What was disconcerting about the pictures was that as he walked, the eyes seemed to follow him, as though someone were watching through at them. Hisoka unconsciously stepped closer to Tsuzuki.

"So no ideas on what you want for your birthday, huh, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Huh?" Hisoka blinked and looked up at him. "Oh . . . well . . . I've forgotten what it was like to have a birthday," he admitted softly. "I was seven when my parents . . . well, did what they did. I can't really remember anything earlier than that. I remember my mother would make a cake, and my father would come home early from work . . . it was the only day of the year he was ever kind to me."

He stopped, realizing how much he had just said and admitted to Tsuzuki. "I don't remember what kind of presents I was given," he concluded quickly, hoping that covered it up, but knowing that it wouldn't.

Tsuzuki did not say anything for several long moments. Hisoka could feel his cheeks burning with anger, not anger directed at Tsuzuki, but at himself for having revealed so much.

"I never celebrated my birthday after my neesan died," Tsuzuki said suddenly. Hisoka looked up at him, startled to hear him say those words, but Tsuzuki did not seem to notice his eyes on him. "When I was growing up, Ruka always made a big deal out of it. We didn't have much money, so she couldn't afford to buy me anything, but she would always make me a really great cake from scratch. That's the best kind, you know, when someone really puts an effort into it . . . and she and I would sit outside under the stars and talk and that'd be it. But it was the best kind of birthday I've ever had."

"Tsuzuki . . ."

Hisoka stopped suddenly and looked around. He could no longer hear the voices of Terazuma and Wakaba, and certainly not those of Watari and Kai. Tsuzuki realized it as well, as he had stopped beside him, and was looking around the dark corridor with an almost suspicious gleam in his eyes.

"They couldn't have gotten that far ahead of us," Hisoka said. "Let's just keep going and we'll find them."

Tsuzuki's frown did not vanish, but he gave a slight nod of agreement and continued walking. If it were at all possible, Hisoka walked closer to him than he had before. Whether or not it was just a silly game and they had been taken by the staff as victims, he could not help but be frightened. Not that he would ever admit that he was aloud, but still. It was very strange when your friends suddenly disappeared without a word.

"Hisoka, if you're the killer, you'll tell me, ne?"

Hisoka blinked at him. "What if /you're/ the killer?"

"I'd tell you if I was!" Tsuzuki exclaimed, sounding insulted.

"Sure you would."

"I would. That way I could have an accomplice." Tsuzuki flashed him a grin. "Who would suspect the cute one anyway?"

Hisoka stared at him a moment. And then he began to blush, and to hide it from Tsuzuki, he quickly ducked his head and mumbled some kind of response.

"Okay . . ." Tsuzuki said slowly. "Is it just me, or did this corridor just end?"

The younger shinigami looked up. He could not see very well in the dimly lit hallway with only two candles to guide their way, but he held up his candle to search the area. Tsuzuki was right; the corridor had ended. And it did not turn off to lead to either the left or the right. It simply stopped.

"Hold this," Tsuzuki instructed, handing him his candle. Once Hisoka held it in his hand, he reached out with both of his hands and pushed against the wall. Nothing happened. Experimentally, he tried it with the wall directly opposite to the one before him. Again, nothing happened, and as a last resort, he tried the wall that Hisoka stood the closest too. This time something happened. It slid open, revealing a hidden passageway.

". . . Tsuzuki, this is way creepy," Hisoka said slowly, staring up at the flight of stairs.

"I dunno. I think it's kinda fun," his partner replied, always cheerful in the face of danger. He started up the stairs, leaving Hisoka with no choice but to follow.

They continued until it seemed to Hisoka that their climb would never end. Tsuzuki continued to walk as though it were of no difficulty for him, much to Hisoka's irritation. But he continued to trek along, refusing to allow Tsuzuki to get the better of him at such a minor thing.

At last, when it seemed that his knees would buckle beneath them, the staircase ended. They had come to a door at the top of the flight. It was not a very remarkable door at all, just a simple thing made of oak wood. Tsuzuki frowned and looked down at Hisoka.

"Should we knock?" he asked.

"It's probably just a janitor's closet or something," Hisoka mumbled between attempts to catch his breath.

Tsuzuki shrugged and turned the doorknob. The door swung open quite easily, leaving them to stare into the room that lay beyond.

It was magnificent. The carpet was unlike any other they had seen throughout the entire manor. It was embroidered to be like a stained glass window, so that the bright, colorful threads made a pattern on the floor, all it surrounding one central point in the very center of the room. The image was of a bright angel, wings outspread, and hands reaching to the heavens.

The far end of the room was a long line of windows, from wall to wall, all stretching from ceiling to the floor and overlooking the manor grounds at night. It was furnished wonderfully, with every item made of a redwood that gleamed in the light of hundreds upon hundred of candles. A pair of sofas were in the center of the room, facing the angel embroidered into the carpet. To one side there was a bed, and to the other were rows upon rows of bookshelves.

Tsuzuki took a hesitant step into the room, calling aloud, "Um . . . excuse me, is anybody here?"

Hisoka heard the rustle of movement before Tsuzuki did. The sound became louder as the person drew closer and closer to them, and as the person neared, Hisoka began to feel even worse of a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He reached out, unconscious of his movements, and gripped Tsuzuki's sleeve in hand, almost to comfort himself that Tsuzuki was there and would not leave him.

The person appeared a moment later, silhouetted by the moonlight streaming in through the windows.

"Good evening, Tsuzuki-san. I was hoping that you would come."

Hisoka felt Tsuzuki stiffen the second before he was swept over by a flash of brilliant emotions and images, all of them racing through his mind at a mile per second, and all of them overwhelming him so much that he wanted to fall on the ground and cry out in pain. It was Tsuzuki's voice, filled with contempt and anger, that brought him back to reality.

"Muraki."