Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Houkiboshi ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

HOUKIBOSHI

Disclaimer: Bleach characters are not mine; I am just borrowing them for some twisted fun of mine.

A/N: This takes place when Urahara Kisuke is still in Soul Society and acted as the 12th Squad Captain. His vice captain is Kurotsuchi Mayuri. My OC is one of shinigami that serve under Urahara. BTW, maybe there would be implied yaoi.

Pairings: Urahara + OC1 (Akiko), Urahara + OC2 (Shiho), Urahara x Yoruichi, Urahara + Mayuri

Chapter 7:

A/N: This chapter rather focused on Urahara and Akiko. For those who wish to see Shiho-Mayuri/Urahara-Mayuri pairing, kindly give me an idea how to make a scene for them.

Early morning, Urahara and his subordinates set out to the woods, gigai-less.

As they entered the woods, almost instantly thick mists surround them that they hardly can see the road or each other. They are quickly on alert and tried to sense in case they are going to be ambush.

They keep walking when it become obvious that it is their only choice now. Somehow the road outside the woods has vanished, leaving them trap inside the woods.

Akiko tripped on something and fell face first to the ground. “Ouch, what the hell…?”

“You ok, Yuuki?” Takashi asked as he offered a hand to help her stand.

“I guess…” Akiko tried to flint her eyes to see what makes her trip. She saw a dead black bird. “Well that can't be a good sign…”

“What is it?” Keiko asked.

Akiko pointed to the scene where the mist started to diminish a bit. They saw the woods are filled with so many dead black birds.

“Well I agree with you, Akiko-chan…” Keiko said as she called Urahara and the others. “What the…? Where are they?”

To everyone's surprise, Urahara, Shiho, Tetsu and Ken had disappeared.

“They are right there before!” Keiko yelled in disbelief.

Meanwhile…

Urahara scanned the surrounding around him. `Something is definitely off with this place…' he thought. His thought is interrupted when Ken yelled.

“The hell? Where are Akiko, Keiko and Takashi?” Ken asked suddenly.

Urahara tried to sense for his three missing subordinates' reiatsu but found none.

“This is bad…” Tetsu replied.

Shiho look around. She tried to stay cool. She saw a flutter of movement from the corner of her eyes. “Who is there?”

“What is it?” Ken asked.

“I think I saw something…” Shiho said.

The four quickly realized they are not alone anymore… Something is in the woods with them…

&&&

“Taicho! Miyano-san! Ken! Tetsu!” Akiko called out.

“The hell they are now?” Keiko is panicking now.

“Stay calm, will you?” Takashi reprimands the girls.

“Calm down? When we are lost in a strange woods?” Keiko snapped.

“Obviously panicking is not going to help us…” Takashi said.

“Err, guys…” Akiko called out. “There is something around here…”

Takashi and Keiko stop yelling at each other and switched into battle mode almost immediately.

On the other hand…

Urahara and the others were attacked by something dressed in black. The intruders move fast and half-floating in the air.

“The hell is that?” Tetsu yelled.

“Definitely not a hollow…” Ken replied with an excited grin.

Shiho rolled her eyes when she detects the excitement in Ken's voice. She looks over Urahara who remain calm the entire time. He hasn't even summoned his soul slayer. He just uses demon magic to fend off the attack.

Ken attacked one of the intruders with a slash of his soul slayer. However, suddenly all the attackers vanished on a thin air. “The hell?”

&&&

Akiko, Keiko and Takashi run for their life when it becomes obvious that they can't defeat their attacker.

“What the hell is that? That is not a hollow!” Keiko yelled.

“Some kind of monster perhaps…” Takashi said.

They got attacked by weird creatures, which appeared from the ground. Those creatures are very vicious in their attack.

“This is a nightmare!” Akiko yelled.

As they run, they stumble to…

“Takashi! Akiko! Keiko!” Ken yelled.

“Ken-kun?” Keiko's eyes widened. “Miyano-san, Takashi and Tetsu!”

Both of them yelled, “Where the hell did you go? This weird creature attacked us! Wait, you guys too?”

Akiko can't help but laugh at the two who speak the same line in the same time.

“Are you guys attacked by the ground creature also?” Keiko asked.

“Ground creature?” Ken asked. “What ground creature?”

“The one we run away from!” Akiko pointed toward the place she, Keiko and Takashi had been.

“No, we are attacked by different one…” Ken said. “Kind of like ghost, except they are not…”

“What the hell happen anyway?” Tetsu finally asked.

“Yeah, we still working on that one…” Akiko said feeling a headache started to form.

“My guess is this woods are enchanted to puzzle us…” Shiho said. “I think the creature that attack us are some sort of illusion. Anyway stick together. If this keep up, we might end up attack each other too.”

The others nodded grimly.

“You said that but where is Urahara-taicho?” Akiko asked when she realized that Urahara is not there.

“What the…?” Ken cursed. “He was here with us before!”

“Don't worry about taicho.” Shiho said. “He perfectly capable to defend himself, more than I can say about you all…”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tetsu asked, rather insulted.

“I'm just stating the fact…” Shiho said.

“So you are implying that you're better than us?” Tetsu asked.

Shiho didn't answer.

“Cut it out!” Akiko yelled. “This is no time to fight with each other. Remember, we have to stick together!”

Suddenly they heard a strange growling.

“Now what?” Tetsu asked, rolling his eyes.

The ground creature and the floating people attacked them in the same time.

“Is that the one who attacked you guys?” Ken and Keiko asked again simultaneously.

The group quickly switched into battle mode once again.

“For an illusion, they sure hit hard…” Tetsu muttered when one of the ground creatures managed to wound him.

The battle continues and quickly ended.

“So far we are only ambushed by those illusion thingies, where is the freaking hollow?” Tetsu yelled, very pissed.

To everyone's surprise, a giant hollow suddenly appeared out of nowhere and start attacking them.

Akiko tried to defend herself as best as she could. For some reason, she felt like her body doesn't agree with her for it is hard to move properly kind of like when being crushed with a high-pressure reiatsu, except it isn't.

“Akiko! Use your kidou!” Keiko yelled as she herself prepared her own kidou.

Akiko nodded and chant the spell together with Keiko.

They successfully beaten the hollow just enough for Tetsu, Takashi and Ken joined forces and slay it. They were happy and started to congratulate each other.

“Be careful with your thought.” Shiho suddenly said. “We don't want to summon…” She is cut abruptly when an earthquake shook the ground below them hard.

Akiko lost her footing and fall off to the hole created by the earthquake.

“Akiko!!” Keiko yelled.

Shiho noticed something and quickly chanted a spell to counter the situation, however, a whirlwind suddenly knocked her and the others away.

Shiho, Keiko, Tetsu, Ken and Takashi opened their eyes and found themselves just outside the woods once again.

“What the hell?!” Ken yelled.

“AKIKO!” Keiko yelled. “Where is she?”

“As I thought…” Shiho replied suddenly.

&&&

Akiko opened her eyes slowly.

“Are you awake now?” A man dressed like a shinigami appeared on her blurred vision.

Akiko slowly sat up. “W-who are you?”

“Takeda Hatsui from 8th squad.” The man introduced himself.

Akiko's eyes widened. “You're the missing shinigami!”

“That's correct, I guess.” Takeda said. “And you are? From which squad are you again?”

“Sorry, my name is Yuuki Akiko from 12th squad.” Akiko said. “Taicho and some colleagues of mine are assigned here to investigate about the possible new breed of hollow and the missing people…”

“I see. Wait, Urahara-taicho is here as well?” Takeda asked.

“Yeah, but you see we got separated…” Akiko look around. “I guess now I got separated from the others too…”

“Well, they might be in danger. This woods are quite a tricky place.”

“We still in the woods?”

“Yeah, I found a cave and hid here for days.”

“Hid from what?”

“From whatever creature that turns this place into freaking circus.”

“Wait, you have seen the creature?”

“No, not quite, however I encountered weird creatures…”

“Like ground creatures thingies and floating ghost-like people?”

“Yeah, I assume you and the others were attacked as well?”

“Yeah.” Akiko sighed. “We have to get out of here. I don't want to be stuck here forever!”

“Where do you think we can go? Outside this cave is not safe.” Takeda said.

“But I can't stay here. My friends might be in danger as we speak.” Akiko stopped. “Wait a minute. How did I end up with you?”

“I get out of the cave once in a while to get some food. I saw you somewhere near here.”

“Then the others might be around too.”

“No, they are not. I think they had left the woods without you.”

“They won't do that!”

“They will if they think you have died…”

Akiko's shoulders slumped. She sighed. “No, Keiko-chan won't give me up so easily without a fight. They might still be around. We should search for them and join them. Together we're stronger and we might find a way out.”

“I suppose we can go out for a bit. But I warned you outside is not…”

“..safe, I know… Let's get on with it!”

Takeda grinned. “You're one stubborn girl, Yuuki-san…”

“Well, I'm just doing what I could to survive…”

“Survive huh?”

The two goes out of the cave and into the woods once again.

Akiko shouted the name of her friends (minus Urahara).

Takeda followed her around without a word. After awhile, he said, “I guess they really left you behind…”

“No, they won't!” Akiko snapped. “They won't left friend behind. They're not that kind of people.”

“How would you know? Sometimes people have to sacrifice to survive…”

“No, we had been through hardship together. They won't abandon me if they believe that I have the slightest chance to survive.”

“Maybe they don't think that you survived. After all that is quite an earthquake that swallowed you…”

Akiko stopped suddenly. “How did you know I was swallowed by the earthquake?”

“Err, you said it before?”

“No, I didn't. You said you found me somewhere near the cave then you can't know that I was swallowed by the earthquake.”

“Well like I said it was an earthquake. I felt it too when I was in the cave. I get out of the cave for fear it would collapse but then I found you.”

`Sound reasonable.' Akiko thought and shrugged. “I'm too paranoid for my own good…” she muttered. She sighed. “Alright, let's go over there. I think I have seen that tree before…”

Takeda had stopped walking. He summoned his soul slayer's shikai suddenly and attacks the girl in front of him.

Akiko realized too late and can only wait for the impact to hit her. However, Urahara suddenly appeared between Akiko and Takeda. Urahara countered the attack with his soul slayer!

“Taicho!” Akiko yelled in shock.

“Yo, Akiko-chan, glad you still remember me…” Urahara grinned.

Takeda growled angrily. His eyes turn completely red as he started to attack Urahara viciously.

“Takeda-san, what is…”

“He is not what you think he is, Akiko! He's already dead and someone took control of his body to trick you.” Urahara explained patiently as he countered each of Takeda's attack calmly.

In the end, Urahara called out his soul slayer's name and cut Takeda's body into two effectively put him down.

Akiko flinched at the bloody scene.

Urahara observed the girl. “You okay?”

Akiko bit her lips. “I'm fine, but the others…”

“They are out of the woods…”

“How do you know that?”

“Shiho-chan is a smart girl. I'm sure she had figured a way to break the illusion maze.”

“Illusion maze? Taicho, what is going on? Where have you been? We're very worried before. A hollow appeared and…” She started to rants.

Urahara chuckled. “Calm down, Akiko-chan. I'm just doing what the old man asked me to do, investigate this place…”

“Old man? You mean Genryuusai-sama? Investigate this place?” Akiko puzzled. “Wait, you separated yourself from us on purpose! What is the meaning of this? If you intended to conduct your own investigation, why bring us here as well?”

“Trust me, yours and the others' presence are needed during the investigation.” Urahara said. “As we speak, I'm sure Shiho-chan had everyone on research mode to help us over here.”

“Here, where is here? Where are we going, taicho?” Akiko asked as she followed Urahara.

Urahara didn't answer.

&&&

Urahara and Akiko got out of the other side of the woods. They saw another village there.

“What is this village?” Akiko asked. “I thought the village people from before had said there is no village on the other side of the woods?”

“Well, they wrong apparently, seeing as they never make it to this side.” Urahara said with a smile.

Suddenly a small boy and an elder approached them.

“Grandfather, look, they came out from the God woods!” the small boy said.

“God woods?” Akiko repeated.

The elder nodded. “Welcome, strangers, to our village…”

Urahara bow politely to the elder.

“Wow, wait, you can see us?” Akiko asked in surprise. They were both in their shinigami form and these two can see them.

“What do you mean?” The small boy asked.

“It's nothing.” Urahara quickly said. “My friend over here is a bit feverish after all we got lost in the woods for days…”

“Oh, my…then let's get you two a proper place to rest…” The elder said.

The elder took the two strangers to the head village's house where they were welcomed almost too warmly.

Akiko tugged on Urahara's sleeves. “Taicho, something is not right. I don't think we should be here…” she said.

Urahara dismiss her concern. “Better here than be in that woods…” Then he ignored her the entire way.

Akiko shot him an annoyed and concern look. `Taicho is acting strange…'

In the head village's house, they gave the guests a feast filled with music, food, sake and women.

Urahara drink his sake while flirting with the women on his left and right side. He looks like a drunken idiot that Akiko hates so much. Those women happened to be daughters of the head village, however, they acted kind of like prostitutes.

Akiko didn't say anything. She tried to hold the urge to roll her eyes at her taicho's behavior.

“What's with the serious face, Akiko-chan? The host would think that you don't like their treatment…” Urahara reprimand her with that wicked grin.

Akiko sighed. “I'll just go outside for fresh air…” she said as she bows and left the room.

Urahara watched as the young girl scrambled to her feet and left. He hid an amused grin.

One of the women asked him, “What's with that girl? Is she your ex-lover?”

Urahara chuckled. “Kind of…” He continues drinking.

&&&

Akiko pulled her legs up on her chest as she sat on the porch in front of the room where the feast is held. She watched the evening sky and sighed. `I wonder if everyone is all right. What are they doing now?' she thought. `And what's up with Urahara-taicho? He acted more annoying and more pervert-like… It has to happen NOW of all days…' She sighed again.

“Hello there.”

Akiko whirled around and sees a young handsome boy standing a few feet away from where she sat.

The boy smiled. “Forgive my rudeness. My name is Miroku.” He introduced himself. “Those girls in the room with your brother are my sisters.”

“Oh, you're the son of the head village then?”

“The one and only.” Miroku grinned. “And you are?”

“Yuuki Akiko. And the man inside is not my brother. His name is Urahara Kisuke. We are not related obviously. He's sort of like a friend but not quite like that. He's kind of like someone old and wiser…supposedly…but he is not obviously…” She started to rants. “It's complicated…”

Miroku chuckled. “So what bring you two here in this village?”

“We are supposedly some kind of exorcist but apparently we're quite bad at our job…”

“Well, the way I see it, the fact that you got out of the woods unharmed means that you did quite a good job. But what's with the sword?”

“It was just for caution. Speaking of the woods, why do people in this village call it God woods?”

“Well, according to legend, a God resided in there. He helped protected this village from harm. No bandits ever attacked the village and our crops never failed. We live quite a fruitful lives all through years.”

“Well, that's strange, according to the village people from the other side of this woods, the woods is cursed, seeing as many people who entered it never returned.”

“What village?”

“What do you mean what village? The one that we had came to before we arrived here…”

Miroku look confused. “All my life I have never been to the woods before and the people around here never mention about this village you're talking about. I mean there is no way a village exists on the other side of these woods. On the other side of the woods is the forbidden temple of our village's God.”

“But we just came from that village and no temple you mentioned there. And inside the woods, there are various weird creatures roaming around the woods!” Akiko stubbornly said. She groaned. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Well, that's quite weird indeed. I wonder if it has anything to do with the bad sign the elder seen.”

“What bad sign?”

“The elder had a dream before of this strange masked demon entered the woods and taken over it. He also had said that there are so many dead black birds inside the woods which indicated the impurity of the land.” Miroku put a hand on his chin. “Which explained why this year crop had been hard on us…”

`Masked demon? A hollow?' Akiko thought. `Dead black birds? It's the same with what I saw before!'

A woman called out Miroku's name. Miroku then excused himself after promising to talk to her again soon.

Akiko soon deep in thought again. `I should tell taicho about this new information. If what Miroku said true then Keiko-chan and the others might be in danger.' She waited till Urahara returned to his room to talk about her finding, however, Urahara brush her off coldly, saying that if she had to talk, she had to wait till tomorrow. Akiko is speechless and very annoyed with Urahara's behavior. `Is he under some kind of spell or what?'

&&&

At morning, Urahara has returned to his cheerful and playful state. He actually had the nerve to get inside Akiko's room and whispered words in her ears to wake her up.

Akiko, upon opening her eyes and see him, yelled which woke up the entire resident. She punches Urahara instinctively.

“My, Akiko-chan sure does pack quite a punch…” Urahara said with a grin as he fingered the mark on his cheek.

Akiko shot him a death glare. “Serve you right to get inside my room without knocking.”

“I did knock but you're still asleep so I have to wake you up.”

“Pervert!”

“That's mean, Akiko-chan. I'm no pervert.”

“Said the drunken man who flirt with the head village's four daughters!”

“But I was just being nice and gentlemanly toward them!”

“Whatever!”

They are now in the living room where the servants served them with some weird food that shaped oddly like mushroom. The servants said it was the best food in the village.

“Ah, good morning, Yuuki-san, Urahara-san.” Miroku greeted them.

Urahara look puzzled.

Akiko quickly reintroduced Miroku to Urahara.

Miroku offered to give them a tour of the village, which they accepted for the afternoon. Miroku then left them to eat breakfast.

“Look like I'm not the only one having fun last night…” Urahara said with a singsong voice.

Akiko shot him a glare. “There is nothing between us!”

“I didn't say there is.”

“Oh, you're impossible!”

Urahara laughed.

Akiko look around and said, “Taicho, I need to talk to you about…”

“Ara, Kisuke-san!” A young woman comes into the room. She is one of the head village's daughters. “You're awake!”

Akiko rolled her eyes. Someone keeps coming and disturb her and her taicho.

Urahara smiled at the young woman called Sango who is ranting about her plan for him that day.

“First name basis already?” Akiko muttered sarcastically.

Urahara heard but didn't say anything. He only chuckled.

&&&

In the afternoon, Miroku and Sango led Urahara and Akiko around the village. The village people are oddly too friendly but who would mind such treatment?

Almost evening, Sango led them to a restaurant and ordered some sake for them. She poured a drink for Urahara.

Akiko quickly stopped her. “No, I think taicho had enough drink last night.”

“Taicho?” Miroku and Sango repeated with obvious confusion.

Akiko blinked, realizing her mistake.

Urahara chuckled. “I think it's alright if it is only one or two drink…” He drinks the sake.

Hearing that, Sango is pleased and quickly poured his empty cup.

Akiko shook her head.

Miroku noticed that Akiko look bored and took her out for a walk, which Akiko reluctantly agreed.

Suddenly they all heard a howling sound, which Akiko and Urahara know well as a sign of Hollow.

A small kid is running desperately from a hollow. The hollow's cat-like claw stroked at the kid with frightening speed.

Akiko quickly drew her soul slayers and started advancing despite Miroku's protest. The hollow is too strong for her to handle. She had to distract it away from the village and into the woods so that it doesn't attacked innocent bystander. `I just hope that this hollow can't multiply itself…' she thought.

Akiko had managed to wound it. However suddenly she is ambushed from behind by another hollow that is surprisingly alike with the hollow she faced right now. Akiko's back is wounded by the hollow's cat-like claw that left very deep five stripes cuts. `The hell? It can multiply itself too? Damn it!'

Akiko felt weak suddenly but she refused to give up now. She remembered what Urahara said before to have faith in herself and right now gripping on that strength Akiko fought the hollow with all her might. `Can't lose now!'

At the crucial moment in which Akiko is no longer able to hold on, Urahara appeared and save her from imminent death. He slay the hollow with no trouble at all. Akiko staggered forward but Urahara flash-step just in time to grab her from falling.

The village people are flabbergasted that a weird creature should attack the village in the same time the strangers appeared and pin the blame on them as the two who invoke God's wrath.

Miroku tried to convince them that it wasn't Urahara's and Akiko's fault. He tried to tell them about the elder's vision, which matched with the masked demon thingies. However the village people are too scared to listen.

Urahara and Akiko can't go back to Miroku's house so they goes to the nearest abandoned house.

&&&

Urahara help Akiko get inside the small hut. Blood dripping with each step Akiko take. She flinched as she sits down on the floor.

Urahara set the fire to warm them up. He then looks over at Akiko and said, “Take off your clothes and let me inspect the wound.”

At what he said, Akiko blushed. “What? No! I'm fine! It is just a small cut!”

Urahara sighed. “This is no time to be stubborn or pretend to be brave, Akiko.” He reprimanded her. “Those cuts obviously are very deep. It needs to be taken care of. I have just the medicine for it.” He pulled a small bag from his sleeves. “Come on.”

“Then let me bandage myself. I-I…could do it myself…” Akiko said still with her back on him.

Urahara then realized why she refuses to be treated by him. He chuckled. “Don't worry, Akiko-chan, I won't take advantage of your weak state…”

Akiko, even when her back on him, could tell that the man is smirking in amusement. She desperately trying to calm her pulse that has suddenly go crazy especially when she felt a movement from behind.

“Don't make me come over there and undress you myself…” Urahara threatened half joking.

“You wouldn't!”

“Oh, I would if you don't listen to me…” Urahara said with a hint of teasing on his voice. He so clearly enjoyed making her squirm uncomfortably.

“I…”

Urahara kneeled behind her back. His hands are on her shoulders. “Akiko, don't be stubborn or I would be angry at you.” His voice is gentle and firm in the same time.

Akiko had no choice but to obligate. She slowly takes off her uniform just till the waist.

Urahara observed the five stripes cuts on her back and touched it lightly.

Akiko flinched.

“Sorry…” Urahara said. He took a small bottle from the bag. “This is going to hurt a lot, bear with it, ok?”

Akiko nodded.

Urahara carefully pour the medicine on her wounds. He stills her with one hand on her arm as she flinched in pain.

Akiko felt her heart pounding so hard that it almost exploded.

After what seem to be an eternity, Urahara finally finished bandaging the young girl's body.

Blushing, Akiko quickly covered herself back with her clothes. She muttered a small thanks to him.

Urahara then put an old blanket over her shoulder because her uniform are torn badly. “Go get a sleep, Akiko-chan.” He whispered gently on her ears.

Akiko, refusing to see him face to face, nodded and settled herself to sleep.

Urahara watched the young girl half-amused, half-concerned. He sighed. `I've got to finish this sooner than I thought…'

&&&

When Akiko awaken, Urahara is nowhere in sight. She had felt much better thanks to Urahara's medicine. She slowly stand up, carefully covered herself with the blanket as she get out of the hut, not forgetting to pick up her soul slayer.

Akiko is surprised with the sight that greeted her. The village that seems lively before now is completely deserted as if it has been abandoned for years. She looks around to see a sign of people but found none.

Akiko goes to the head village's house hoping to find Urahara, Miroku or anyone just to comfort the uneasy feeling that she is alone…and trapped. She called out in hope someone answered. Her blanket had fallen to the ground and she didn't bother to pick it up anymore. Her face turns pale as she clutch on her chest. “What is going on here?” she asked herself, feeling so helpless as panic started to rule her mind.

The young shinigami fell on her knees. Tears almost evident in her eyes. She shook her head. `Urahara-taicho won't abandon me, he just won't!' She tried to convince herself. `He might have gone to investigate on his own again.' She remembered about the temple Miroku had mentioned and she decided to check it out.

As she entered the woods once again, a very thick mist covered the air surrounding the woods. She sharpen her sense in case there will be another ambush. Bit her lips nervously, she looks around as she clutch on the hilt of her soul slayer for caution. She suddenly felt a head rush and she fell on her knees again. She closed her eyes trying to regain some sense. When she opened her eyes, she saw a movement fluttered on the corner of her eye.

Getting to her feet, she run after what or whoever it is. The mist has diminished a bit. Akiko found herself surrounded by some village people, among them is Miroku.

Miroku appeared in front of Akiko. He smiled solemnly. “I'm sorry…”

“W-what?” Akiko asked in confusion. Suddenly her vision blurred as she felt her whole body weakened. She fell to the ground with hard breath. `What is going on? Why can't I move?'

Miroku approached her quietly. “It's best if you don't struggle. It will be over soon.”

Akiko wanted to ask what does he meant but found she couldn't make a sound. Her eyes rolled over as she faint.

The village people stared at the young girl without emotion.

When Akiko opened her eyes once again, she is laying down on the ground. She slowly sat up and found her hands and feet have been chained. She looks around and sees the village people.

“I'm sorry but we have no choice…” comes the voice of the head village.

“What do you mean? What is going on? Where is my friend? What did you do to him?” Akiko asked.

“We didn't know what happen to the man that accompanied you. My people are looking for him now. He might be in the woods but he won't be able to get out.”

“So it was all your doing then? The attack? The disappearance of people? What? Are you working with a hollow or something?”

“We answered to God. He wants you and your friend to be sacrificed for the sake of my people.” The head village answered calmly.

“What kind of God does that?” snapped Akiko.

“I know you're upset but this is for the greater good, for the survival of my people…” The head village insisted.

Miroku approached Akiko.

Akiko shot a glare at him. “You tricked me! What was that about the masked demon thing? You know it is a hollow, right? And you call it a God?”

“These hollow thing that you are talking about does not exist. It's merely illusion created by God to keep you from leaving.” Miroku explained.

“What's with this God crap? Where is this so called God then?” Akiko asked angrily.

“You'll soon see him.” answered the head village as he move away from Akiko's sight.

Akiko saw a lake behind him. She is surprised because she hasn't seen the lake before. Suddenly she sensed something evil from the lake. The lake waved in huge disturbance and then an ugly stench covered the air around as a huge form appeared from inside the lake. Akiko's eyes widened as she watched what happen before her.

The village people kneeled as they trembled in fear toward the figure in the lake. “Hail to God, the protector of our village!” they yelled.

The form started to materialized. It is a huge frog-like creature. “Where are the sacrifices?”

The head village bows. “Here, we offer you a young girl as a token of our deepest appreciation…”

The evil creature stared at Akiko, observing her. “Shinigami, huh? Delicious…”

Akiko felt a cold shiver down her spine. She gritted her teeth. “This is your God? Are you kidding me? Which part of this thing that looks like a God?”

The village people gasped and shivered in fear as they heard the girl's harsh word, which will surely unleash their God's wrath.

Suddenly the creature opens its mouth and threw a tentacle-like tongue toward Akiko.

Akiko tried desperately to move to no avail. Her body won't cooperate with her. She could only watch as the tongue pierce her left shoulder. She flinched in pain as blood flowing from her wound.

The creature slurped the blood in its tongue disgustingly. “Disrespectful girl, aren't you? You should be honored that I choose to consume you…”

Akiko shot a hateful glare toward the creature.

“Where is the other one? I sense that he has much stronger spiritual power than this one. He will proved to be a more delicious meal for me.” The creature asked the village people.

“O, honored God, we're looking for him now, he has gone missing…” The head village replied. “We think he is hiding somewhere…”

“Well, find him fast or I will punish you all!” The creature yelled.

The village people cowered in fear.

The creature growled. “I knew I sensed many shinigami entered the wood before. It has been a while since I ate supernatural-endowed people. The last one quite delicious too but it wasn't enough to sustain me. That's why some of them managed to get away from my grasp… Find him fast and lure the more people to come here! Feed me more or disaster will befallen this village and to your pathetic people!” The creature said.

“We're working on it. We won't disappoint you, God.” The head village said then he ordered some more people to go look for Urahara.

“So that's how it is huh? You guys lure innocent people to the woods, trapped them there and then pretended to be nice to them just to feed them to this son of a bitch?” Akiko yelled angrily. “Don't all of you ashamed of yourself? Sacrificing other for your own selfishness?!”

The village peoples all look ashamed but refrained from doing anything.

“He is not a God! He is… I don't know what he is but he is certainly not a God! What kind of God sacrificing innocent people? Open your eyes! He is evil, for crappy sake!” Akiko yelled.

The creature looks angry. “Why you?! Originally I plan to keepyou around a little more but you're starting to annoy me! Die then!” It threw another of his tentacle-like tongue to pierce Akiko's body, however, at the last minute Miroku threw himself in front of Akiko.

“Miroku!” Akiko gasped in shock.

The village people gasped in surprise and shock.

Miroku smiled at Akiko then fall on the ground.

“Miroku! Why? Why did you protect me?” Akiko asked.

“You're right all along, Yuuki-san…” Miroku said. “We're sinners. We had made a huge mistake…”

“Then why did you…?”

“We don't have a choice…” Miroku replied finally. “Long time ago we made a deal with him. We trapped many people to come here and feed them to him. We did it for survival. It's for the village's sake. We knew that he is no God but we couldn't have done anything. He owned us now. We had died long time ago but we remained alive. This village is actually a ghost village. He kept the village and us alive as to continue to be his slave…” He coughed blood. “We have no choice, he hold our souls. If we didn't follow his order, he would have sent us to hell… I guess we deserved it but we were so scared that we would stalled to go to hell by putting others at risk…”

“Miroku…” Akiko felt tears streaming down her cheek.

“I'm so sorry…” Miroku whispered sadly. “I've been wanting to be free for a while. Now maybe I could…”

“Free?” The creature asked. “You're an idiot! You'd never be free. Now you'll go to hell. After all you're a killer too!” It laughed menacingly. It glared at the others. “If you dared to oppose me, you will all end up like him!”

The village people shivered in fear.

Akiko glared at the creature angrily.

“Now, it's time for my meal…” The creature grinned. It jumps out of the lake and toward Akiko. With its hand, it grabbed Akiko firmly. “Now, in which manner I shall eat you, shinigami-san?”

Suddenly with a flash, Urahara appeared and cut down the creature's hand.

The creature howled in pain.

Akiko fell on the ground. She is surprised, relieved, happy and angry to see him. “Taicho!” She looks happy. “Where have you been?!” asked Akiko angrily then winced as the pain in her shoulder returned.

Urahara chuckled. “Sorry, my bad! I was so busy with some other thing…but look like I came quite just in time…” He looks at the creature. “It has been a long time since the last time I encountered a demon. Quite interesting…”

“A demon? Yeah well anyone can figure that by now!” Akiko looks annoyed. “And this is no time to be fascinated by it!” She scolded Urahara.

Urahara chuckled again.

The creature glared at Urahara. “How dare you oppose me? Don't you know who am I? I AM GOD!”

“God? Don't joke around.” Urahara said with expression all dark and contemplating. “You're just a low-level demon who live by feeding on soul to sustain yourself. I knew long time ago a shinigami had beaten you and sealed you in this wood. I don't know how you managed to astral projected yourself out and make chaos but this is it as far you can go…”

“Why you?!” The demon looks angry. “Don't look down at me! You don't even know the real me!”

Urahara calmly met its attack. But then it becomes apparent that the demon is quite strong himself. Urahara, although remain expressionless, is obviously felt trouble arising. He had to find the demon's essence soon in order to slay it completely.

A/N: Hate writing battle scene…

Suddenly the surrounding around them literally breaks into pieces. The village is no longer there but in return there is an old abandoned temple. The village people are also gone.

Shiho, Ken, Takashi, Tetsu and Keiko are there, chanting some kind of spell to break the illusion maze that had Urahara and Akiko trapped.

Urahara grinned. “Finally…what took you so long?”

Shiho bows. “We're sorry for the delay… It took us a while to get the right spell and pinpoint the real location of the temple…”

The demon looks frightened. “What? How…?”

Akiko could only blinked her eyes in confusion. She didn't understand what Urahara and Shiho talking about. But she did remember the temple Miroku had mention. `Was it a clue from him that the demon's essence located here? But how does taicho and Miyano-san knew about it?'

Keiko rushed to Akiko and broke the chain with her soul slayer. “You okay?”

Akiko nodded hesitantly.

Shiho told Urahara the location of the demon's essence.

Urahara dashed toward the location in inhuman speed and destroyed it with one swing of his soul slayer.

The demon yelled and howled painfully as it slowly dematerialized into smoke toward the essence. “This is not over! I will be back!”

Shiho, Ken, Tetsu and Takashi chant a spell to send the demon back to hell where he belong and make sure to strip him of his power thus freeing his hold on the village people's souls.

A/N: I know I suck at the addition's plot.

&&&

“So it was the demon's specialty? Made an illusion based on what we thought?” Akiko asked. “Which mean the hollows that attacked me appeared because of me?”

Urahara nodded.

“And I temporally weakened because the mushroom thing they served on us?”

Urahara nodded again.

“You KNEW it was poisoned but YOU DIDN”T TELL ME?” Akiko yelled angrily. “I could get killed because of that, you know?!”

Urahara pulled a fan out of nowhere and started to fan himself. “Well, it wasn't a deadly one. I have to make sure that the demon didn't realize that I'm onto him. Plus I did save you just in time, didn't I?”

Akiko crossed her arms angrily, obviously dissatisfied with Urahara's action.

“Chill out, woman!” Tetsu scolded her. “The important thing is we are all safe now…”

“So…” Ken started to speak. “If all the enemies we've encountered before was merely an illusion, who conjured them?”

“Well, most probably the first one who noticed the illusion projected…” Urahara supplied him with an answer.

“Well, that makes sense, I guess…” Keiko said. “Tetsu, weren't you yell about the whereabouts hollow just before we were attacked by one?”

Tetsu sweatdropped. “I guess…”

“Then what about the ghost-like thing and the ground creature?” Keiko asked.

Both Shiho and Akiko sweatdropped as all eyes are on them suddenly.

“It was your thought, wasn't it?” Ken asked the girls in question.

Shiho's face turns a little red. “Well, I might have been a little nervous that the illusion projected something from my mind…”

“…something that you fear…” Urahara finished for Shiho. He grinned. “Well, that's quite interesting indeed. I didn't know that you've a `private ghost'…”

Shiho shot him a glare. She sighed. “It was came out of some book that I read before…which is why I realized it immediately that there is an enchantment in the woods…”

“What about you, Akiko-chan?” Keiko asked.

Akiko sweatdropped as she laugh nervously. “It was something that projected my nightmare when I was a little kid, I guess…”

“Nightmare? But ground creature? Where did that come from?” Keiko asked again.

“It doesn't matter anymore, does it?” Akiko tried to change the subject. “Hey, how did Miyano-san and taicho know about the temple?”

“I didn't. It was after a thorough research that I and the others uncover the truth about the temple…” Shiho said.

“Well, we are not much of help though…” Tetsu muttered.

“No, everyone has role in the mission, no matter how insignificant or trivial your action are, it still contribute to help each other in the end…” Shiho said which surprised everyone for her display of affection.

Urahara chuckled. “Shiho-chan is right… Well, it has been a tiring day, hasn't it? Let's get some rest. Tomorrow we go back to Soul Society. Shiho-chan would you do us the honor and make the investigation report for the old man?”

Everyone blinked.

“He meant Genryuusai-sama…” Akiko supplied.

Shiho sighed. “Well, sure, I will make one as soon as we get back to the headquarter…”

Everyone left the room, except Urahara and Akiko.

“All I did was almost got everyone killed because of my personal fear and got myself killed too…” Akiko said softly.

“Don't beat yourself over that… The mission has been dangerous in the first place, anything can happen… Besides, you didn't know there is an enchantment in the woods…”

“But both you and Miyano-san figured it out instantly…”

“Well, not instantly, we do observed a little much than the others…after all we are scientists and a bit more experienced in shinigami field…that sort of help sharpen our senses.”

“I can see that…”

“Well, you did help me figure out about the temple whereabouts. If you're not caught, I wouldn't have been able to slay the demon…” Urahara said. “And besides, you did help save those village people, Akiko-chan, we are all, we save them from becoming endless sinners for the demon… Their souls are free now…”

“Wait, so you left me behind on purpose as a bait to lure the demon?” Akiko asked.

Urahara shrugged. “Well, you were the only one here that was trapped with me back there. I have no choice but to do that if we want to be free and finish our mission…”

“You can be so cold sometimes, taicho…” Akiko muttered. “You could have let me in that little plan of yours. I was truly panicked when I… Never mind.”

“I wasn't about to sacrifice you or anyone else for that matter. You do trust me, don't you, Akiko?” Urahara asked.

Akiko stared at his taicho's eyes. She sighed and said, “I do.”