Belonging | 𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐱 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐨

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥

The front gate of the Nura estate creaked open, revealing worried faces inside. The Nura clan members who were waiting anxiously, rushed to their aid as Kurotabo and Aotabo carefully brought Rikuo inside. The living room had been hastily transformed into a makeshift treatment area, with blankets and pillows laid out on the floor.

"Rikuo-sama!"

"How could this happen?!"

Gently, they laid Rikuo down, ensuring his comfort and safety. The others gathered around, offering support and doing their best to remain calm despite the tension in the room.

Someone handed Tsurara a first-aid kit, and she began assessing her husband's injuries when she realized the familiar demonic residue that was left behind in the wound. The frost surrounding her husband's festering wound caused her eyes to grow larger.

"This is... Riei's ice...?" Tsurara muttered.

"What?! Riei-sama's?!"

Just then, the shoji door was forces opened as Kubinashi arrived with gasping breath and anxious eyes.

"Everyone! Hurry! There's an army of demons at the front gate!"

The smaller demons were the first to react, and they immediately started rushing around in a panic. The Nura estate was in a state of chaos. At first, their young master was the prime suspect in the Frost killings, and to make things worst, they found a wounded Kappa next to Riei with a bloodied sword. At that time, his face was void of any emotion.

Now that their Third Commander was in no shape to lead them, the Nura clan was rendered helpless against the rebellion. Kejoro's heart sank as she looked at the frozen yuki-onna.

"Tsurara..."

✲'*。.❄¨¯'*✲。❄。*。¨¯'*✲

On the school rooftop, a solitary figure stood against the backdrop of an impending storm. Towa, with her short, silver hair gently swaying in the wind, looked at a certain spot. She remembered there was someone she always met at this exact spot. The familiar scent had proved it. But no matter how hard she tried to identify who that scent belonged to, her mind was blurred.

The icy grey sky restlessly grumbled. The rain poured down over the city with a roar. The sound of emptiness was disrupted by the loud gregarious boom of thunder.

The cold icy rain pierced her pale and wet skin. The cold never bothered her as her attention was fixated on the disappearing scent. Just then, a flicker of an image of a boy with azure blue eyes flashed in her mind and her eyes slowly widened.

The quality of darkness shifted in the sky and Towa felt as if the darkness in her mind shifted along with it. Just like those clouds, her insides were in chaos. A mess. Something was bothering her. Something ached inside her. Something felt so wrong but so right at the same time.

Towa tried to pinpoint the cause of this unexplained pain but failed. She tried to reason this unbearable burning but didn't find any. Everything felt so confusing, just like a jumbled set of a puzzle.

"R-Riei...?" Her eyes widened in realization.

That's when she ran.