Summary - Nanoka having mixed feelings on everything even thought she didn't know why, especially regarding Mao.
Taisho was peaceful as ever. Curses popping out from time to time , death at your door occasionally, exocisms turning into battles. Yes peaceful. So when nanoka didn't feel like jumping headstraight into battles, that should have been the first sign of her....mood.
" Huh, we have an exorcism?".
" Yes, it seems the client has been having only bad omens. They requested a consultation ". Mao got such calls time to time. Though most of the time it turned to be connected to kou clan. " Hmmm...alright then , be safe." was her only reply.
"Are you not coming miss Nanoka?". " Well, I'm still sore from the last battle , and honestly I was hoping just to relax and study here..." she mumbled.
Nanoka wanting to not jump at the chance to potentially train ? Otoya was taken back though he decided to not voice it. Maybe she was just really tired, his master on the other hand though...
" This shouldn't take too long. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
' Guess it couldn't hurt '. " Alright let's go".
The sky was turning a beautiful orange , a calm blanket over the chaos. Mao was explaining their current case , his voice an anchor to the constant chaos and yet only dark thoughts swirled in her mind. Yurako. Nanoka could only think of Yurako and the delicate past Mao shared with Sana. It was dangerous, she knew that. Nanoka was a girl from the modern era , the only connection she had with him was the curse. That gate which she so freely used could close any time. Heck it could close tomorrow or the day after , no one knows. Nanoka shouldn't get involved with him and the others more than she has to. She knew that. In their past that rivals history itself she was an outsider . One who had no right to dwell on his past.
" Nanoka , please help Otoya make preparations. While I try to get a better grasp on the situation".
But then why was it starting to get suffocating.
" You got it". " Are you sure Nanoka san? Ghosts and ayakashi can possess you if you're not thorough ". Otoya chirped teasingly. "HEYY!!"
The house was normal . The victim, daughter of a wealthy merchant was currently suffering a fever. The merchant had brought back a trinket from another country , something he got from a friend. He had given it to his daughter knowing her love for such things. That was the beginning of her bad days. With a more thorough examining , Mao found it was a lingering spirit that dwelled in it. The protection charm the daughter always wore had helped in resulting the spirit's actions to not be intense.
" You did well. Thanks to the charm the spirit has done little damage. It is what has allowed its actions to be relatively mild. Without it things could have been more dire". Her father looked relieved and worried at the same time. " Please, is there a way to help her" he pleaded.
" Of course ". Mao's reply seemed to have calmed the father " I'll have to perform an exorcism to drive out the spirit from the trinket and another one to purify the soul".
' Waaw' Nanoka thought ' it really was a ghost'.
" It really was a ghost huh" she jumped hearing otoya speaking her mind. ' Yeaa, Otoya is dead precise sometimes ' she thought slowly backing away.
Mao starts the ritual, and true to word , a woman's soul was coming out . But not a second later she flew out of the room , pushing past everyone. " We have to catch her!" He exclaimed.
Nanoka and otoya were on their feet and running after it. The white walls of the corridor seeming never ending. Then a heavy thud followed by something flying towards her. Nanoka sees it in the nick of time , a chair. She ducks just as it hurls towards her and passes them landing on he floor. Fearing for both their lives Nanoka picks up Otoya and starts running again. More things starts flying , each more heavier and deadlier than the last. " Why the hell is she throwing stuff!!? DOES SHE HAVE A FETISH ?"
" I believe it is her rage " Otoya calmly relays.
" Her rage is misdirected." Nanoka relays equally jumping over a pillow. "LITERALLY!!".
Her breath is nearly taken out as Mao grabs the back of her shirt forcing her to stop. " wha-" she hears a menacing laugh. The spirit had stopped running and was now infront of them. A little too infront of them.
" My my , new faces. You look young for a group of exorcists " her voice mocking. " That little girl's charm was really a pain. Now that you have freed me , I am hungry. Why waste food when it is right infront if you , starting with you!"
She sneers lunging at Mao. " you are already dead and do not belong in this world" swinging his blade cutting her hand in two. " It's time you bid farewell " Mao jumps ready to strike but the spirit didn't allow it.
A dark mist emanates from her engulfing every thing . " What is this *cough*?" Nanoka breathes out. " Mostly a smokescreen meant to keep us out" Mao answers covering his nose and mouth.
" Don't breathe it in Nanoka" he warns trying to clear the mist. ' Wasn't trying to'. Nanoka was almost panting with the amount of times she was holding and freeing her breath.
" It's of no use" the spirit quips from somewhere. The mist goes when I'm gone and for that you must catch me".
Mao runs towards it hoping to cut it but misses again. " Though I must say you have an exquisite aura, mister exorcist. Darkness clings to you , one I have never seen which only makes it even better to have you for dinner" but before she can strike Mao throws something like ashes at her. "Aaagh!!" she screams and dissappears again.
Nanoka happy to be able to breathe again but now facing his back. ' Darkness , did she mean his past'?. Their joy was short lived as the mist appeared again. " Master Mao, shall we cast another barrier?" otoya was comparative lucky being a shikigami. He didn't have to hold his breath. Mao looking for a way out " No , it'll take too much time . Just stick close ".
The mist intensifies . Nanoka could no longer see her back or front " Wha- this stupid mist , I can't see anything" . Then she feels it , a small tremor. The mist parted enough to catch a glimpse of the other.
Then they were separated. His blazing gold eyes the last thing she sees." Nanoka!!"
Nanoka finds herself in another corridor. She's not sure where Mao and Otoya are , hell she's not even sure it's the same house anymore." Maoo! Otoyaaa!!" Nanoka unsheates Akanemaru holding it ready to swing .
*swoosh* nanoka sees something swish by. Another gust of wind. Then more clearly she sees her. The spirit. " Well look what we have here " it mocks. " you..what did you do. Where are Mao and otoya" . " The exorcist ? Who knows maybe lost like you or maybe , dead"
Nanoka swings her blade , missing like Mao. She knew it was taunting her. She tries again , her whip missing only inches apart . " You are 100 years too early to strike me down. Even your friends must be choking on this mist somewhere". Nanoka misses again.
' Keep calm , they're safe' she reminded herself . " Where are they ? " she asked again , a low growl , her eyes now slits.
" Fiesty aren't you" the spirit lunges attacking Nanoka with a shower of attacks. She dodges skidding into the wall , with the barely available space she maneuvers around the debris the spirit throws at her.
Just as nanoka was about to strike " you have it too" she heard it say.
"Compared to the exorcist it's not much but it's very much there. You have a dark aura surrounding you as well little girl".
" What are you saying", she had a darkness around her?. Was it the curse ? Was the spirit just trying to distract her?
" Yours is much shallower but it it is present".
"Shut up" Nanoka shouts. Starting to get tired from the blood loss, her breath was coming out in huffs. " Listen ghost lady , I don't care about whatever you think but the only darkness here is you , so it's time you say goodbye!!"
Nanoka swings once more, this time her blood becoming a veil. The spirit evades but Nanoka moves in time and hits her. Her veil makes contact now eroding half the spirit's body. " curse you, wench!!"
Nanoka lets out a giggle at that" too late for that" .
She was exhausted . The damage she inflicted was great but not enough. 'One more strike'
" you can cut me down but you can't cut down the darkness in your heart. Sooner or later it will consume you." .
" Can't you just shut up for five minutes?" She huffs out. The spirit seemed to be enjoying this " and why would I?"
" Your spirit tells me you are lost" . Nanoka stops dead in her tracks ' What.. '
"Your spirit keeps wavering everytime that exorcist is near." What was she saying. Nanoka felt that feeling from before bubble up.
" That man seemed to have a conviction . But you look like you don't even know where you're going." Suddenly an image of Yurako popped up in her mind. " I'm...not" she tried to defend weakly.
" Who are you fooling girl? It is obvious you have a resentment in your heart" she sneers. The spirit's voice dropping a scale " it's only a matter of time till you are consumed by it".
' What...did I hate Sana..?' Nanoka knew it was only trying to get under her skin. But all those times she heard Sana'a name and how it affected everyone especially Mao sometimes broke her heart. But then again why was she affected . It's not like she had feelings...
The spirit saw an opening and lunged. Nanoka was a beat too late to notice. The spirit raises her arm ready to strike
She hears her name. " Nanoka!" She turns and sees white and blue running toward her.
" Nanoka are you Alright?"
" Nanoka San. You've lost blood." Otoya immediately helps her up. " it's fine" she tries to earnestly assure them. " Rest Nanoka , I'll see to it's end".
Mao runs toward it swiftly dodging it's attacks and finally exorcising it ." Hehe you'll see little girl..." Nanoka heard it's voice as it was purified.
"Are you okay"? Mao was checking for any wounds and bruises with that calm and annoyingly long elegant fingers. He was worried being separated for so long. " I will be with some sleep" though nanoka's smile didn't reach her eyes.
" Alright, there you go " Mao finishes tending to Nanoka's wounds." you didn't lose as much blood this time and didn't faint. You did well ." he praised her as he always did.
He sees it again , she was looking away and her eyes were distant. Mao was never one to pry , he respected other's privacy and will never cross that line. But seeing Nanoka in a rare state of being dispirited was slowly shaking that resolve.
" Yes? " She answers . " Are you okay? You have been quiet the way back and even now"
" I'm fine" she says again, like it was a rehearsed line.
" Nanoka....if there is something -"
"FINE" she almost shouts and immediately regrets it afterwards.
Mao didn't want to push but it was clear something was bothering her
" Mao " she whispered so slowly he might not even have heard it . " why..."
" Why didn't you....how didn't you give up?"
Mao didn't know where this was coming from.
" 900 hundred years" she couldn't stop " you have lived 900 years searching for the byoki, finding the truth about that night....how have you not given up!"
Mao was at a loss for words . Even otoya didn't know what perplexed this. " Nanoka what are you - did something happen?" Now he was getting worried.
" Nothing happened " she gritted out.
" Then what are you" -" I don't know!" She blurted . " I don't....know" she mumbled more softly
" All this time I've had this...it's blood in me and I didn't even know it. I was cursed since I was 8 and I never knew it."
" It's only been a few months and I've lost count how many times I've nearly given up. You've been at this for 900 years. "
" How have you kept going? " She added softly. It was eating her up. The curse , the kou clan, Yurako, Sana. She was starting to get frustrated .
" Nanoka.." Mao knew the burden of carrying the curse. It was normal she was feeling frustrated . It has never been easy for him even with 900 years.
" How is it that you still love Sana?!".
..............................
P.S - I don't know when part 2 will come out. Hope this isn't nearly as bad as the previous one.😶🌫️
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