Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Intruder ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Intruder - Chapter 3

 

 

A young man waded across the scarlet sea, searching for land. All he could see were the floating broken angel statues and the crystal clear copper sky. He changed his directions countless times to shorten his journey but it looked as if the distance towards his destination was boundless. Wearily, he stared at his ruby stained palms. Its foul stench was whirling around him. He couldn't bear either one of them. Then, he heard ghastly voices echoing all around him, wailing and screaming his name. Pale glimpses of vaporous figures merged out of the watery graves, faces drawn and haggard, mouths twisted in agony. Together, they harshly cried out. Their words resonated in his ears.

 

 

 

Hell spawn… Demon blood… It's in his veins…

 

Murderer… It's in his eyes… see how abnormal its colour is…

 

You kill me… you put me here…

 

 

“Go away!” he pressed his ears to shut out the horrendous voices. “You are all dead. This is a hallucination.”

 

 

We are real… we are real…

 

 

“No!” The man shook his head, walking further away as the apparitions moved closer to him. “Stay back! Don't come closer!” He moved backwards so much till he felt the rough cold surface of the stone angel scrapping upon his bare back. As the apparitions advanced, he knew there wasn't a way out and there was no resolution for whatever that may befall onto him. It seemed to him that the days before he took that path were probably his most happiness days of his life, for never since then had he known peace.

 

 

“Please,” he begged. “Someone help me, please.”

 

 

No one will help you… No one will help a fallen soul…

 

At that moment, the stone angel lifted its arms and clutched onto his arms, forcing them to spread apart, twisting them so hard that he cried out in pain. The apparitions laughed wickedly. Another one rose from the waters. Unlike the rest, this one had blonde hair and green eyes. Blood seeped out from his lower eyelids. The man cried out in recognition.

 

 

 

“Hisoka? Is that you? Help me, please.”

 

Why should I, Tsuzuki? You let me die!

 

“No, I didn't! I didn't!”

 

 

 

The Hisoka apparition dipped his hands into the waters and took out a metal poker with a cross insignia at the end. Giving a crescent smile, it swam forward and held the poker at Tsuzuki's right breast. Instantly, an excruciating pain zoomed into his body, sending down a shaking sensation in the nerves of his body. Its hellish heat biting acidly through him. He saw nothing except evoking flashes of the rejoicing apparitions. As the heat penetrated more, Darkness grabbed his senses, temporarily interrupted by tiny sudden bursts of white light. His screams faded into another dimension.

 

Tsuzuki's eyes snapped opened wide, his heartbeats and breaths doubling their speed. Panting and in cold sweat, his pupils zoomed over his surroundings till they focused on a figure. Though blurred, it was saying something but he couldn't hear them.

 

 

“Tsuzuki! It's me, Hisoka! Wake up!”

 

“Hisoka…” He fought to define the outlines of his face.

 

“It's me,” said Hisoka, stroking his dark chocolate locks as she pulled the stray ones behind his ears. “You were having a nightmare.” Gently, he lifted his face like a parent to a child. “See? It's gone.”

 

“Hisoka…” he hoarsely whispered.

 

 

Then, in an irrational moment, he pulled him towards him, burying his face into his chest.

 

 

“I'm sorry!” He burst out. “Don't be mad at me!”

 

“Mad at you? For what?”

 

“If I haven't stubbornly insisted to buy the muffins, you wouldn't be injured and… and…”

 

“That's so long ago. Listen. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. My carelessness has ended us in this state. Now you listen to me, why don't you wash up, dress and get ready for breakfast? Pancakes with maple syrup with a strong cup of black coffee? Sounds good?”

 

“Yeah.” Tsuzuki dumbly nodded. “Okay.”

 

“Right.” Hisoka bent down and kissed him on the forehead with a rather motherly affection. “See you downstairs.”

 

 

With that, he left the room, deliberately leaving the door opened. Tsuzuki's sharp nose detected a mouth-watering smell. Immediately, his head was filled with euphoria at the prospect of a good meal.

 

 

 

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“Good morning, Tetsumii!” Watari greeted, entering the office. “Here's the report on the P7R6O sensors.”

 

“Put in my in-tray, will you?” Tetsumii scribbled onto a document. “How's Hisoka coping?”

 

“He's pretty helpful. Awfully interested in the P7R6O sensors. Not that I don't appreciate it. Was expecting him to disobey and run off with Tsuzuki. Any lead on the graduate?”

 

“According to the police reports, she was last seen at a neighbouring grocery store. I sent Tsuzuki to investigate. Hopefully, there's something he could find a clue that the police overlooked.”

 

“Right,” Watari nodded. “At the meantime, let's have a look on my new invention.” From nowhere, a huge machine materialized and landed on Tetsumii's desk. “Ever since our government imposed tax on beer products, prices have gone up, eating into our wallets. Therefore, I have come up with an invention that allows us to have beer without affecting our expenses! The home brewery! This easy-to-use machinery enables you to churn fresh, naturally made beers within a week's time! All you have to do is to add in water, yeast and the beer mix of your choice into the machine and you'll have a delicious, full-bodied drink…”

 

“Watari…”

 

“Odourless, perfect size to keep in refrigerator, easy to clean too! And…”

 

“Watari…”

 

“Any beer of your choice! Dutch Lager, Canadian dark ale, American ale, Scotch ale… I know you are excited but hold your horses… let me demonstrate…”

 

“WATARI!!”

 

 

 

 

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“This lady, huh?” The shopkeeper frowned, rubbing the ends of his moustache. “Sorry, girls like her comes and goes everyday. After twenty years, they look more or less the same.”

 

“Thanks,” said Tsuzuki disappointedly.

 

“I can come up with a scenario for you.” The burly man offered. “Probably, she met an attractive man. Girls tend to let their guard on such experienced men. A wink or two. Gesture. Smile. She walks out first. He follows after her. They go to some dark places and she landed up six feet under. So, what are you? Some private detective?”

 

“Sort of. I'll take a look around. See if there's anything I can buy.”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

 

Moving to the chocolate section, Tsuzuki's eyes ran over the variations, deciding on which bar he should take. Randomly choosing, he picked up one and read the label.

 

“Green tea flavoured chocolate.” He made a face. “Some things are better off as a drink.”

 

“There's no harm trying,” said a voice from behind. Tsuzuki jumped at the recognition.

 

“Hisoka!” He spluttered, turning around. “What the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Investigating along with you. Not going to sit back and let you take all the credit.”

 

“But Kachou and Tetsumii!”

 

“I won't tell them if you won't,” he smiled. There was something peculiar in that smile. It made Tsuzuki uneasy. “What's next on the list?”

 

“A little shopping. A little favour for the Gushoushin brothers.”

 

“Rats! Did you find anything else on the graduate?”

 

“Not much. Looks like Muraki have the upper hand for now. I have to buy mouthwash for the brothers. Let's see. Where is it?”

 

 

“Over there.” Hisoka led the way. “Do they want the normal? The Peppermint? Or tangy orange flavoured? Guess what? They have green…” His voice trailed off.

 

“Didn't specify. Guess we have to…” Tsuzuki's jaws nearly dropped off.

 

 

“Oya oya. Fancy seeing you two here.”

 

 

 

“Muraki,” he hissed the word as if it was venom.

 

“Harbouring those old feelings for me? Kurosaki Hisoka. I'm touched. Don't try to do anything foolish. One must never underestimate the power of revenge as clearly portrayed in you.” He stood in front of him and looked at him as if he was a specimen. “Such bellicose expression. Did some upgrading while I was away? Pity that didn't help you. You are still the boy that I raped and killed back then. ”

 

 

 

Hisoka stiffened at the remark. The days of him wearing T-shirts and straight-cut jeans were long gone. He wore thick-soled leather boots, durable Deming jeans secured with glossy brown belts, snow black silk shirts and tailor made velvet jackets. His blond caramel mop was neatly combed behind his ears and curled at the neck in a manly style. The days of possessing solely his empathic powers were long gone as well He had a sword to use and creatures of the Netherworld at his command. Despite the fact that he's locked in a child's body forever, he wasn't a child anymore. He was a man, a shinigami whose powers nearly at the equivalent of Tsuzuki's. Tsuzuki knew and respected him for that. Now it seemed to be nothing more than a cosmic joke.

 

“What's your game this time?” Tsuzuki moved protectively in front of Hisoka.

 

 

“Game? What a childish term. There is no game, as you put it. I'm here to buy a toothbrush. Didn't expect myself to take so long. Look at the wide assortment. Zigzag bristles to increase plague removal. Pointed bristles at the top to clean those hard-to-reach places. Indicator included, informing you that it's time to get a new toothbrush. Tsk. Tsk. What happened to the old days where you only spend time on deciding the colour? Ah! I think I'll take this one. It matches the colour of your eyes. Makes me wonder whether they will remain the same after I gore them out.” He walked past Tsuzuki. “Oh well, that's not the point of this conservation.”

 

Pausing at Hisoka, he held his hand against the edge of his chin. “Farewell, we'll meet again, preferably, under affable circumstances.”

 

“Don't touch me!” Hisoka spat, slapping the hand away.

 

“Thank you for assuring me,” Muraki smirked and headed towards the counter. The two stood there, watching him purchasing the toothbrush. When finished, he smiled, waved and left like an ordinary customer.

 

 

“Damn it!” Hisoka cursed. “If only we were somewhere else.”

 

“Did you see it?”

 

“See what?”

 

“Muraki. He hasn't changed.”

 

“Of course, he hasn't! Murdering bastards like him never do.”

 

“No, not that.”

 

“I don't get you.”

 

“After ten years, he hasn't physically changed a bit. How old he should be now?”

 

“Do you think he's going to retire with as a bald, pot-bellied man? Obviously not! Ambitious humans definitely keep themselves in tip-top condition! He could have used anti-aging facial cream!”

 

“There's a possibility… Anti-aging facial cream?”

 

“It's available in any cosmetic markets. Quite affordable too. Some are excellent base for make-up.”

 

“Make-up?” Tsuzuki stared hard at him. “You use make-up?”

 

“Don't be ridiculous!” Hisoka flustered. “Men don't wear make-up! Anyway, I have to go before the others realize I'm missing. Promise you won't tell them, will you?”

 

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

 

“I own you one.”

 

 

“I own you one,” he repeated, watching him leaving the store. In a zombie-like fashion, he moved to the facial product section. Barely needing much searching, he picked up one and read.

 

 

“Intensive day and night treatment. Helps to remove thin fine lines…”

 

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!!