Chapter 8.5

From the second story window Seishirou looked down at the hill road before the house numerous times. Even after the crowd of people had dispersed, quite a few villagers had stopped to gaze up at the house but they too broke off into groups of three to five, with those few remaining disappearing as well. The western sun shone over the peaceful scene of the now empty road. With a faint smile he turned away from the window. heading deeper down the hallway, his feet carried him to the back of the house towards the innermost room.

Opening the evergreen oak door in the hallway, there was one more inward opening door in the way. Entering into the roughly one meter space between the first and second door, closing the hallway side door, he then opened the inner door.

Inside was a true darkness. Once the door was closed he felt around its side to turn on the light. Inside was a two part master bedroom. A window set facing north and the bedroom door were both blocked by two-way doors, completely stopping up the light. Seishirou took a seat in the armchair before the fireplace and looked up at the clock on the mantlepiece. Just a bit longer until sunset.

A bit after sunset, the bedroom door opened. Seishirou smiled.

"Morning."

Sunako who stepped out looked to Seishirou dubiously.

"Were you waiting on me? It wasn't a peaceful day then was it?"

"Mm. It wasn't. Today, there was a strange old woman who'd come."

Sunako took a seat in one of the armchairs and began to do up her hair.

"----Who?"

"Now what was she called? She seemed a bit of a strange person. She made a big fuss that we were Oni. She incited the lot from the village to storm the house."

"That really isn't a peaceful story at all is it?"

Seishirou laughed lowly. "They said we were The Risen. That our only showing ourselves at night was proof."

"And then?"

Seishirou smiled at the little girl as she tilted her head.

"She wanted to drive us out. I went out. But she was waving about an onbe or something or another. It was completely unthinkable to her that it would have no effect. At the very end, the Doctor of the Ozaki's had come to take my pulse."

Sunako's small voice rose in a laugh. "Doctor Ozaki, I'm sure he was surprised!"

"He indeed seemed to be. That face, I do somewhat wish I could have shown it to you."

With a giggle Sunako looked up at Seishirou.

"And so? What will we do?"

"What was the brave elderly lady named?"

"Itou, Ikumi I think it was. I think that she lives in Mizuguchi. If I recall she lives with her forty or so year old daughter. She's a stray element, isn't she?"

Yes, Sunako nodded.

"---Shall I kill her?"

"That wouldn't be very wise. The death of somebody who openly opposed us would probably be seen as strange by the villagers too don't you think?"

"Likely so."

Sunako looked up at the clock and rose. Turning to face the window directly behind her, she opened the heavy evergreen door. Forcing open the long and narrow double doors, in the alcove within was a window with two curtains over it. Opening the curtains, she then opened the window. Opening yet another wooden door outside of it, outside of the window the scene was died madder red and indigo. Outdoors the rusty afterglow lingered but they were well into the domain of the night. The cold breeze blew in with the twilight.

"...Yes. How about having her go on a trip, perhaps?"

Seishirou nodded. "A one way trip, of course."

"Yes." Sunako smiled and turned around. "Surely she feared our revenge. That's why she left the village. She doesn't believe. Even if somebody else affirmed it, she cannot think of us as harmless. But if she cannot find allies here, she will flee to safer territories."

"---And her daughter?"

"Is that her only family."

"It seems so."

"Then, wouldn't she surely soon call her daughter to her? They are their only daughter and mother respectively, after all."

Seishirou nodded and rose.

"I'll make the arrangements. ---Anything more?"

No, Sunako shook her head lightly. "Thank you, Seishirou. I really think it a thing to be thankful for that there are those who understand as you do."

Seishirou turned about with a smile. "Today I felt like even I had been of use. It was worth holding off on going out during the day time, wasn't it?"

"You are always doing so very much good for us."

I'm glad to hear it, Seishirou murmured as he stepped out of the room then stopped. "Come to think of it, the clinic's interior seems to be furnished now. The external may take a bit more time but we can begin medical examinations now."

"That was quick wasn't it. --And the funeral parlor?"

"That too can begin business at any time. Hayami-san said that he would come here tonight."

"I see," Sunako murmured. She called out to Seishirou who moved to leave again. "...Say? Today, when the elderly woman had come, the Doctor of the Ozakis had come running hadn't he?"

"Yes he did. He said that somebody had called him it seems, but what of it?"

"Was Dr. Ozaki the only one who came?"

At Sunako's questions, Seishirou gave a soft, knowing smile.

"While there were many spectators gathered, it did not seen that Muroi-san was amongst them."

I see, Sunako murmured. Without saying anythung further, Seishirou left the room. Sunako once again went to the window and turned her eyes to the mountain.

The nearby northern mountain rose high and dark. Halfway up she could see a few number of lights. She tried casually letting her gaze shift from the side of the mountain to the west, to where the western mountain crossed with the northern one but it was all too naturally dark. Sunako knelt on the floor, placing her elbows on the window frame. Setting her face atop her arms she gazed at the northern mountain.

"...Right about now you're hearing of it, aren't you?"

Probably from Toshio, or possibly someone in the parish. And then soon enough now he would hear of Itou Ikumi's disappearance. Probably by now he knew that something was happening.

"It can't be helped, Muroi-san. From the start, everything had already been decided..."