Summary: He found a female ghost sealed in a forest and managed to mysteriously to unseal and free her –and he doesn’t have a clue how he did it. Now she is following wherever he goes and he’s annoyed. And it was just going to get more irritating. A small, but powerful clan of reapers is after him and the ghost that follows him. Two different species now come together to defeat this dark clan. Even though both sides don’t get along, but they can agree on one thing… Fate is their punishment.

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Akako: The Red Child

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Chapter 7 - Sweet, Sweet Revenge

I can almost feel it. I can almost see it. Walking in the dark together with you, Aki-sama, made me blind from seeing the third person that walked along beside us two. Walking in the dark together with you was nice… but it almost made me blind of who I was and still am. The monster everyone calls the Red Child

That person… why does he walk beside you? What does he want?

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Sato Aki stopped right at the top of the stairs, his eyes first setting on the girl who was sweeping away dead leaves that had fallen over night. The girl, dressed in her miko red and white clothes, Suzuki Kameko, hadn’t noticed the new visitor that had just stepped onto the holy ground of her temple. He glared subconsciously at her. She had made him suffer enough. He was nothing without the red child. He can’t and won’t go back living in the dark and silence again. Akako was his light. She was always a bother, always bugging him and accompanied with him anywhere, even into the darkness of his tunnel that he had dug himself throughout his life. The darkness of the tunnel was lonely without Akako. No matter how lost he was in the dark, Akako was by his side. The Red Child was his pillar, his light through the darkness of the tunnel.

The black haired teenager didn’t even stop to think why the girl was still undressed for school when it was a school day. He could think of one thing and one thing only. The Red Child. Sato Aki wasted no more time. He couldn’t stand it. The miko had no right to take away the red child from his side. He was the one that released Akako after all; he had the rights to have the red child by his side. He needed her more than the miko wanted the ghost dead. Or that was what he believed anyways.

Suzuki Kameko kept on sweeping and still hasn’t noticed Sato Aki, who was slowly walking towards her; she was too pre-occupied with something else that went on in her mind.

Aki walked up to girl cautiously. He didn’t want to startle the short timid-looking girl. He had to find out where Akako was first before he let out his little secret for his search for the Red Child unknowingly to Suzuki. Now that he thought of it, Akako probably is the most wanted being or ghost, or whatever she was, on every side: the good, the bad, and maybe even the neutral; everyone wants to see her dead or gone from the living world (excluding him of course).

Sato sighed mentally. He couldn’t blame the miko for wanting to seal up a ghost like Akako who liked to eat human flesh, but Akako wasn’t that bad. If one overlooked her eating and drinking the blood and flesh of human bodies, Akako was almost like a child. Almost.

The tall black haired sixteen year old stopped a couple of feet away from the miko, trying his best to look like their little meeting was a coincidence (or at least something close to the term). And just when he stopped in front of her, Suzuki’s eyes shot straight up, looking at him, clueless. When she finally recognized the guy was the person that she met not too long ago in the Central Park, she smiled warmly at him. “Oh, it’s you Sato-san.” Then she gave him a confused look. “Isn’t today a school day?” She wondered out loud.

Sato Aki laughed nervously. “I wasn’t feeling well… so I had my parents call the school that I wasn’t feeling well. But then I was bored so I decided to walk around… but then for some reason, my feet led me here…” He told her, trying his best to make a convincing story. He wasn’t much of a lair. He just hoped that Suzuki fell for his half-lied story.

Suzuki smiled at him. “Then the heavens must be watching over you. Would you like to make a wish then? So that you could become well soon to go back to school as soon as possible?” She cocked her head at him, putting on a kind smile on her childish round face, “I’m sure that the wish will come true if you truly believed in it.”

Aki smiled slightly at the thought. “Maybe.” He chuckled, finding the idea of putting up his wish on the Sakura tree humorous. Sato Aki wouldn’t wish for his health though if he did do it. What he would wish for Akako back by his side… that’s was his real feelings. Or was it? He didn’t know exactly. He wasn’t just complete without Akako now. That’s all he knew. “Then before I leave today, I would like to write a wish then.” He told her. “But for now… I would just like to walk around and find some peace.” That was another lie.

Suzuki smiled understandingly at him. She nodded, acknowledging his request. “All right. If you wish.” She told him, looking down at the ground and started to sweep yet again.

Aki looked around. He didn’t even know where to start. And he couldn’t just sneak around the buildings. What if someone caught him? And what’s worse, what if he walked into the wrong room at the wrong time? He wouldn’t be able to explain himself at all. He took a deep breath and looked at Suzuki. “Since it’s my first time here… could you show me around?” It was probably the only way. If there were others, he found this one to be more reasonable.

Suzuki looked up at him yet again, her face perplexed. What was he trying to do? Trying to search his real reason in his eyes, she smiled slightly and walked over to the nearest porch (which was the main building’s), setting down the broom. She walked over to him and bowed. “Then, shall we go? I’m more than happy to be the one that will show you around my grandmother’s shrine.” She gestured towards a direction that led to the backyard. “The most peaceful spot on the shrine’s grounds is the backyard, especially the Sakura tree garden –where a lot of the Sakura trees are grown.” She started explained to him, “If it is to your liking, you can spent your day there and I will leave you be in peace and quiet.”

Aki bowed, thanking her for her kindness. She was really helpful and it seemed that she didn’t suspect anything. Aki was happy for that. Now… he just needed some kind of an excuse to go into the buildings where Akako could be held. She wouldn’t hold Akako with her now, would she? He decided to think about that possibility later when he gets to visit all the rooms of the buildings.

But before the duo could even step into the backyard or even exchange words, something started to rattle. Or was the sound more like a muffled, light tap on glass? Or was it both? Sato looked at the short girl, cocking an eyebrow at her. It was coming from her. Was it her cell phone ringing? But then again, what kind of ring tone was that? It was an abnormal ring. “Uh…”

She blushed at him, her eyes looking away from him. “Sorry. It’s my cell phone again.” She turned around away from him, pulling something out from her clothes, mumbling a couple of things.

Aki smiled, amused. He looked over her shoulder. He was just joking with her, pretending he was looking over. But it seemed that she didn’t even notice his little peak over the shoulder and when he caught sight of what was not a cell phone, his heart skipped a beat. And when he conformed it was definitely not a cell phone that she held in her hands; his heart and mind stopped. It was Akako… a miniature Akako in a bottle. There was a yellow talisman written with ancient characters that were wrapped around on the glass bottle. Suzuki did keep Akako close to her!

The sixteen year old’s mind and heart began to work again, though only for a mere few seconds before they began to race, sending more and more blood to the brain to quickly think up a plan. However, that only caused him to feel light-headed. It felt like time itself had stopped, so he could get a chance to think what to do actually, for he couldn’t think up a idea what to do. She was a miko after all and she had Akako in a bottle. He didn’t even know how to work those things or how they worked!

‘Argh! I got to stop thinking up with a plan and just do something! I’m coming up with nothing anyways!’ He growled at himself. ‘There’s only one thing left to do!’ Sato decided. He didn’t waste anymore time; he quickly pushed Suzuki aside with all the strength and force that he had, grabbing the glass bottle before the miko lost her balance, swiping it away from her hands and surprising the miko at the same time. Aki smirked happily, staring at the miko, “Thanks for the gift.”

Suzuki Kameko quickly caught herself right when she was about to smash her face onto the ground when Sato Aki just pushed her. The short girl glared at him as she slowly stood up who was smiling victoriously. “Damn you. What is she to you?” Suzuki asked, her voice now cold and sadistic.

Before Aki could answer her question, he could feel his hand being slowly burned –the yellow talisman was causing the pain and burn. He looked up at Suzuki, glaring right back at her, “Akako-san is my friend!” He told her. He made a face, expressing the pain that the talisman on the bottle was causing him. The talisman wasn’t only burning his hand, but only also his whole arm was swiftly becoming heavy and numb. Was it draining his energy? What kind of talisman was this that also could hurt humans as well? He never heard such a thing!

Sato Aki glared at the talisman, he didn’t have any more time to think. He quickly ripped it off the bottle, with Suzuki screeching her lungs out at him angrily, “NOOO!”

He threw the talisman away and crushed the bottle into a hundred of pieces with his own hands. He didn’t know he was so strong. Cross that out, he knew that he didn’t have that kind of strength. But at least, the bottle broke. Question about his own strength later, he decided.

Just when the bottle broke and the talisman was finally gone, the miniature Akako started to grow back to her own size on his bloody palm slowly. He dropped her to the ground when she started to feel heavy on his palm. Akako finally got back to her normal size and she greeted her savior with a big bear hug.

Her blissful laughs echoed in his ears as she shook him back and forth, hugging him at the same time; she was simply just happy to see her companion. Happy that she was saved and finally got her freedom back once again by the same savior who saved her from the lonely forest. ‘Why is it always you, Aki-sama, that breaks me free from enslavement?’ She questioned softly in her mind, hopefully to one day get the answer.

Sato Aki was utterly speechless and surprised. He didn’t expect the red child to be so happy, nor was he expecting a hug. Besides, this wasn’t the situation to be sidetracked at the moment. They were in the captor’s ‘grounds’ after all. The black haired teenage look up at Suzuki, only to notice that after her last outburst, she looked perfectly calm. Her body was still, her head was looking at the ground, and she made no sign of anything, as if she was frozen in time like how Akako was before when Alice froze her with her spell.

Was that it? Was there a Reaper of the Underworld Clan in the area? Aki pulled away from Akako and quickly scanned the area, but there was no sign of anything but the blue sky. He didn’t see anything.

“Red Child…”

Aki jumped back, in a defensive stance in front of Akako, startled by Suzuki Kameko’s sudden soft statement. He looked at her when she slowly lifted her head at him. She was… smiling? But it wasn’t one of those happy smiles. It was a creepy smile. As if she had expected him to break the bottle. Aki looked back at Akako, who went right through him to stand in front of him. Aki chuckled nervously mentally. It was only right. Akako was familiar with battling her enemies after all. He wouldn’t be able to do anything, but bring her trouble. So, Aki, understanding the situation, stepped back and started to pick out the glass from his hand as well as watching the two girls exchange words.

Akako frowned at the smiling miko, “For a miko, you aren’t so merciful with the spirits and ghosts you capture. And in the end, you hurt Aki-sama –a human…” She gestured with her head at Aki’s bleeding hand. Akako turned her back at the miko fearlessly, worried about her hero’s wound. Both Aki and Kameko started at the Red Child cluelessly as she kneeled down and grabbed Aki’s bleeding hand with both of her hands, slowly licking the blood away when Aki had sloppily pulled out the shards of glass from his palm.

Not even bothering about freaking out that she was licking the blood coming out from his hand, what surprised him more was that she finally said his name right! And they had been away from each other for a ‘long’ time as well! ‘Did she finally memorize my name?’ Aki asked hopefully, a slightly amused smirk forming on his lips. He didn’t mind her licking his blood that dripped from his palm. If it pleased the Red Child, he would let her drink all of his blood if he had to.

As these weird thoughts ran through his head, Sato seemed to ignore the fact that her hands felt solid, unlike any other ghosts who were all invisible and phased through anything. Nothing could touch it.

Aki was surprised that Suzuki hadn’t attacked yet. What was the matter? Was the Red Child licking his blood a sickening sight? No. Looking at the miko’s face, she looked aggravated; her eyes were looking somewhere else, even when her head was facing towards them. “Red Child… why don’t we settle this a bit later… after we take care of that thing that is standing on top of one of the holy buildings of the my grandmother’s shrine?” Suzuki glared to her left, looking up at one of the main buildings now.

Akako smirked, slightly closing her eyes, and stopped licking Aki’s blood, seeing that it had suddenly stopped. She slowly stood up from her place, “Yes, why don’t we?” She flashed only once and had teleported on top of the building that the miko was staring at and kicked mid-aged Indian man hiding up there; the man fell towards the miko, landing on the cement ground hard. “I don’t like these urchins as well.” The red eyed ghost teleported back to where she was last standing, both girls staring at the man that was slowly standing up. “Ah. I remember your aura now. You and her were always together.” Akako sneered, “You’re Guru, are you not? Have you come here to take revenge on me for killing your lover, Alice?” Akako asked amusingly when he slowly got up on his feet.

Aki snapped his head at man named Guru, who was constantly glaring at Akako. There really was a Reaper of the Underworld Clan nearby. He sighed mentally, how did he ever come to think that he could protect the red child? She was doing all the protecting.

“Fallen for a foreign. How disgraceful. You’re a true native of this country and not only you fallen for a foreigner, you also chose the body of another foreign?” Akako continued, sneering disgustingly at him. But smiled satisfyingly when he began to glare hatefully at the red child and the use of her words that she directed at him. The Red Child just loved the sight of angry faces. It only made her day.

Without warning, Guru charged at Akako with his right arm stretched out. He wanted to punch that ugly smile of her out of her face permanently. “You know nothing, monster!” But before he could make contact with the Red Child’s face, Suzuki came in between them, blowing him ten meters away with a different color of talismans thrown at him. “What in the hell--?!” He looked back up at the Miko questioningly. Why did she just interfere with their fight?

Aki was shocked. It didn’t make sense. Why protect Akako? Did Suzuki not want Akako dead or something? Wait… Akako is a ghost. She is dead if you simply put it. “Suzuki—” Sato began to question her.

“I have my reasons.” Suzuki Kameko got into a fighting stance, “No one shall touch the Red Child. This monster belongs to me. I am the one to make sure her spirit will never come back to be reborn and be constantly burn in Hell.”

Akako snickered, getting a glare from the miko, “You expect to defeat me? Defeat the monster that eats human flesh? The infamous and prophesied Red Child? Not even the strongest clans from the past could defeat me when I had awakened to my fate and destiny. Hence why I was sealed away in a lonely forest for god knows how long and how many lifetimes of worthless humans I’ve been stuck in there. Now that I’m free, I must have some fun with the humans and you guys.” Akako glanced at Guru, indicating that he was one of ‘you guys’.

He sneered, though, finding it amusing, “That is why Kaiya-sama had summoned the strongest out of our clan to come and seal you away once again before you can eat the innocents away like you did in the past all those years ago.”

Aki swore his head was spinning due to confusion. It seemed that he needed to be informed about Akako’s past whenever he got the chance to. He did not understand what was happening. Did that mean that the Reapers of the Underworld Clan only wanted to seal away Akako? The monster that could bring Japan its destruction yet again? Akako wasn’t that bad. He was really sure that the only flesh that she had eaten was Alice since he freed her. That was the only one… so far.

“Oh my, Kaiya is in charge now? What happened to Kichi or Kiyoshi?” Akako asked, slightly amused to learn that the ageless and immortal clan could ever have changed leaders.

Guru gave the Red Child a strange look, “What are you talking about, Red Child? Kiyoshi-sama is gone. He’s dead.” His eyes had saddened.

Akako snapped her red eyes at Guru, baffled and shocked. She couldn’t believe it! She can’t believe it! Why? How? She won’t believe that! “What? How could that be?” The leader of the Reapers couldn’t be dead. She was still not finished with him. He couldn’t have die! He can’t die! They were ageless and were immortal. ‘…Weren’t they?’ Akako questioned herself, confused.

Guru glared at her. He groaned frustratingly to himself. ‘I hate the Red Chlid and her short-term memory…! But it’s strange though… how could she not remember…?’ Guru shook his head, coming to the conclusion that the Red Child was trying to play with his mind so that he would lower his guard.

Suzuki, though, had enough of the Red Child’s and the Reaper’s side conversation when really this was supposed to be her and the Red Child’s death battle. She walked in between the two’s glaring contest and faced towards Guru, getting into a stance.

This only angered him more. Did some human kid think she could defeat him? “Get out of my way, miko. The Red Child is mine.” Guru also got into a stance. He came here only for one reason and it was to seal away the Red Child, which Alice had failed to do. “Your talismans won’t hurt me. I’m living in a human’s body. Those silly ghost talisman won’t work on me like how they work on the Red Child.”

Suzuki smirked at him and gave him the look of how parents would look down at their foolish children. “Don’t worry. There’s a new generation of talismans now. I won’t let you have your revenge until I get mine first.”

“I don’t believe a child like you could get the infamous monster to disappear forever. That talisman of yours was weak anyways. She would have weakened the talisman power and escaped the bottle with ease sooner or later.”

Akako snapped her eyes at the miko’s back, angered as well. It was her battle after all. They both could have their little battle later when she finishes Guru off and remind him of his place in the world. “Suzuki… this is my battl—”

Akako was cut off. The miko had completely ignored the red child. “Is that so?” Suzuki asked him, her voice calm and steady. “Let’s see how my talismans would work against you then.” She charged at him, first throwing a talisman straight at the Reaper, heading straight for his heart.

Guru, growled at her. Did she think she could actually win him just by throwing paper around like that? Like he said, those talisman don’t work on humans. They were created to get rid of any evil. And his container was a human body. There was no way that he would easily get injured. But the sneer that the little girl shot at him was troubling him. Curious, Guru dodged the talisman by stepping a whole step at the right at the last minute. But he couldn’t completely dodge the attack and the talisman slightly touches his shoulders, exploding less than a second after the touch.

The clan member were blasted into the air, the little girl followed Guru up into the air by jumping up high, quickly kicking his whole body down back to the ground with little effort. The ground shook harshly when he came in contact with the cement ground. Suzuki, not letting him have a chance to get back up, throws four more talismans onto the ground, each sticking on quickly on his hands and feet, pinning him down.

Guru tried to stand up before Suzuki can land on him, wondered where the miko was getting her speed and strength from, but found himself not able to move. The four talismans felt like they weighed a ton! Was this what she meant by a ‘new generation of talismans’? He heard that all they simply did was just paralyze and sometimes even casting away ghosts and spirits to the Underworld. Guru’s eyes widens with fear as Kameko lands on top of him ruthlessly with a big wide smirk, seeing the terror clearly that he was showing through his eyes. His whole soul was shaking with fright.

“I told you… you can’t have your revenge before mine… and since you were so impatient and forced me to kill you, I’ll have to finish you off without question and mercy.” She told him with a glare, “Feel the wrath of my rage…!” She placed another talisman scribbled with characters on top of where the human body’s heart should be, and quickly jumped away a few meters where Guru was lying.

“Damn you, miko…!” were his last words before a huge light engulfed him, forming a dome around him, only a huge explosion was heard a couple of seconds later, his shrieks echoing was the last of him when the light of dome disappeared. No body. Not even a trace or his clothing were spared.

Aki peaked over Akako’s shoulders, missing most of the fight between the two. The only thing he saw left was a huge hole on the ground where Guru last were lying down. Aki winced at the look of that deep hole; he hated to be that person right about now. He must be dead or something now, seeing that there was even nothing left of him. What did the talisman do exactly? Burn him until there was nothing left? Burn his body and his ashes that nothing was left of his existence? What about his soul? Was his soul sent to the Underworld to be judged upon and never be reborn again? Most likely, maybe.

Aki looked back at Kameko, who continued to stare at the hole, as if she couldn’t get over the fact that she had just used what she used. He wanted to tell Akako while the girl was still in a daze and spacing out, this was the best time to leave her. But it seemed that Akako had already charged after the priestess with that same hungry look her face. Aki slapped his forehead at Akako’s recklessness. Aki just wanted to get back home with Akako, so that they could just simply live life without too much trouble.

But it seemed that Akako was too hungry to even think. Even ghosts had to have their meals. But why did it have to be human flesh?

Akako waved her arms back and forth in front of her as flames began to surround Kameko. Kameko, staying calm, closed her eyes. The flames rose higher and higher and closer to her with every passing second, but Kameko still refuse to move from her spot. Akako’s insane laugher echoed louder and louder as the fire begin to roost her alive. Aki wished Akako wasn’t so harsh.

If Akako did succeed to burn the miko alive with her flaming fire, this will be his second time witnessing another death caused by the Red Chld.

However, her laughing stopped when water came splashing out, extinguishing the flames. To her surprise, Kameko was untouched by the fire. Kameko took the chance as Akako looked at her confused and shocked by stomping her foot on the ground to summon another element to her aid.

Instantly, the ground under Akako shook severely, as if there was a real earthquake happening right under them. Soon, roots of trees nearby pop out from under her. Akako hastily jumped into the air to avoid them, though the roots had quickly caught up to her. Kameko hastily, with a wave of her arm, summoned wind blew down on Akako, forcing her to fall back down where the roots were waiting for her. Akako, caught by surprise, was rapidly wrapped up tightly in the air.

Aki’s dark brown eyes were ready to pop out. He couldn’t afford to lose Akako again! Why? Why couldn’t he do something as well? How was Suzuki able to summon the elements like Akako? Where did the miko learn how to do those things? He continued to watch helplessly as the Red Child being beaten up again and again with the wind element summoned by Suzuki.

Aki turned to look at Suzuki, seeing a faint figure of a girl in modern day clothes and a bit taller than the priestess, appearing again and again every time when Suzuki swung her arms to summon her elements to torture the Red Child.

Was this the source of her power? Borrowing the power of another ghost?

No matter. He had to save Akako! No matter how useless he was, he had to help Akako somehow! He charged into battle without anymore thought, just as how Akako did by running into battle carelessly.

Kameko saw Aki’s thoughtless charge. He tried to pull off the roots from the Red Child. Kameko sighed, annoyed. She hated annoying people. He had followed her to no end! As long he was alive, there was someone that Red Child wanted to protect and live for. Kameko wasn’t going to let the Red Child feel those feelings. Kameko stopped her assaults on the Akako and faced towards Aki. She rose up her arm, ready to make a finishing blow on him, the ghost girl that had appeared behind the priestess rose up into the air, collecting the wind’s elemental power to be shot at the teenage boy.

Akako noticed this and glanced down at the unsuspecting boy, “Aki-sama! Watch out!” She tried to warn.

But it was too late. Kameko unleash the powerful wind attack that would slash the human boy up into hundreds of pieces.

Aki turned to look. He gasped hard, stumbling backwards at the very visible wind attack that head straight for him. He wished he knew how he had summoned that ray of light that attacked on the reaper ghost thing before. If he did, not only he could save himself, he could save Akako was well.

Aki braced for impact, closing his eyes, not wanting to see his own blood before he dies. But he never felt it. The pain of being chopped up into pieces. It wasn’t there. Was this attack suppose to be painless? Was he already in Hell? Was that why it was so dark?

“Open your eyes dork.” The familiar male voice ordered him.

“Ronin, don’t be mean! He’s shaking! He doesn’t have any kind of power like we do.” The familiar female voice said.

Aki was sure that he knew who those voices belonged to. It was those two people who helped him. Was it? Ronin? Etsu? Were they searching for him all this time? No. Why would they even bother? He was nothing to them. He had no relationship with them. So, why?

He slowly opened his eyes. Finding himself staring at a tall guy standing in front of him, a transparent mid-age woman floating by his side. Aki was a girl around his age to be sitting right next to him, worried. Were these the people that helped him? And who was that ghost that was floating by the guy named Ronin? Why was she even visible? Wait. Akako was visible to him too. So why the question? Maybe because Akako didn’t seem like a ghost to him. She was… more than just a ghost.

Well, he was just glad that they were on his side. They had just saved his life… and if they could accept his request for help, then the miko wouldn’t have her sweet, sweet revenge on the Red Child –even if he still didn’t know what the revenge was.

“More annoying people.” Kameko thought out loud, eyeing at the ghost woman that was giving her a motherly scolding face. “This is none of your business. Step aside before you get killed too.”

The brown eyes of the stranger Ronin laughed. He was just slightly amused. “Very funny.” He turned to the girl sitting by Aki’s side, “Let’s teach the container a lesson, Etsu.” Did she think she could win against him and Etsu by herself?

“You’re Ronin and Etsu?” Aki asked, they both looked at him. They nodded a second later. Aki smiled brightly and thankfully, “Thanks for helping me yesterday.” He finally got the chance to thank them for their kindness. And now, it seemed that they were helping him again. Though, it seemed that they were more than they appeared to be. How were they able to stop that attack anyhow?

“Hey! Up here! Up here! Get me down!” Akako called to them, her arms wrapped far away from each other to be able to move in formations to summon the elements.

“It’s safer if you stayed up there,” Ronin replied with a grin. Akako pouted at him, silently promising to get him back once she gets down from being tied up. He looked back at the irritated and impatient Kameko, “Come, container.” He gestured at her. “My mother and I will be your opponent for this battle.”

“Wait!” Etsu grabbed onto Ronin’s hand, stopping him before any one of them could make the first move. “Don’t fight, Ronin! Don’t fight!”

With the turn of his head to face at Etsu, Kameko disappeared into the shadows of the sakura trees along with the ghost by her side. There were too many people to fight. She’ll have to get her revenge later. And then, it’ll be sweeter when she watches the Red Child burn in hell, caused by her own hands.

As the two siblings continued to argue about fighting the priestess, the ghost woman, who Ronin claimed to be their mother, laughed. The two agitated brother and sister turned to her, wondering what was so funny. She lowered down to their level and lightly touched on their heads, “Silly. The miko already ran away.” She gave them a bright smile as Ronin’s mouth nearly dropped to the ground, Etsu feeling kind of sorry because she didn’t actually expect for the priestess to run away without a sound. Etsu didn’t want her to leave as well. She had many questions for her.

Aki sighed sadly at the two, as they continued to bicker away at who was at fault for letting the girl go. Akako continued to complain about her current state, not being freed, and wanting to get down. It was going to be a long day, he could feel it.