I Spy

Chapter 14: The Long Night Part 4

Date: September 27, 2024
Time: 9:13 PM
Location: North Tokyo
Weather: Partly Cloudy

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"Water Breathing: Second Form: Water Wheel!" Emiko said as she twisted her body vertically multiple times, mimicking the effects of a wheel with her sword. The demon blocked with his hands as her sword cut deep into his skin, the sword then stopped spinning as it was lodged deep inside the demon's arms. As Emiko tried to pull her sword out, another demon came from behind to attack her, but she managed to pry her sword off the demon's arm and slash the other demon in the torso, sending him back. 

"B*tch!" The demon shouted as he began to regenerate his torso, Emiko didn't care as she was fighting the other demon whose arms had already regenerated, "Blood Demon Art: Binding Wills!" The demon said as he raised his hand and closed it into a fist. As he did that, pieces of an unknown substance were starting to bind on Emiko, "Water Breathing: Sixth Form: Whirpool!" Emiko said as she started to spin around, slicing all the binds. "Blood Demon Art: Fire Madness!" The demon said as his fist started to light up with bright and hot fire and charged Emiko. Emiko blocked but started to sweat due to the amount of heat that was barely touching her face, as she and the demon were having a stare-off, the other demon came behind Emiko and tried to punch her, Emiko then jumped up in the air, and performed a backflip, successfully managing to escape the ambush.

"Pretty skilled huh?" The demon asked, "More than you," Emiko said with a smirk. The demon got a little ticked off by this, but before he could react, Emiko charged in and took a deep breath, "Water Breathing: First Form: Water Surface Slash!" She said as she slashed the torso of the demon she charged, the demon then took a step back to heal as his comrade fought the slayer, "Blood Demon Art: Flames of Hell!" The demon said as flames started to surround the two people, Emiko didn't mind the flames that were causing her to sweat, the only thing she was focused on was the thing that was causing it. "Water Breathing: Thid Form: Flowing Dance!" Emiko said as she charged the demon, the demon charged too and they soon collided exchanging blows.

As the two were exchanging blows, Emiko began to notice that something was off. "His attacks are getting stronger by the second!" She thought as she realized that every time the two collided, she would need to apply more and more force to block the attack that the demon threw at her, "I have to find a way to extinguish the fire quickly, or at least get out of here!" She thought she was then caught off guard as the demon punched her sword and launched her back onto the wall of fire, "Guh!" She said as she crashed, she then felt the wall expecting to burn herself, but to her surprise, it was as if an invisible screen was there to protect her from the actual fire, "The fire's not hot!" She thought, then she looked up to see the other demon enter the wall as the wall opened and closed very slowly, "That's my escape!" She thought as she smirked and immediately began to charge the two demons, "Water Breathing: Fourth Form: Flowing Dance!" She said as she reached just mere feet away from the demons, she started to slash one of them as the other demon tried to attack her from the side, but she flipped over him and took a breath, "Water Breathing: Second Form: Water Wheel!" She said as she began to continuously slash the demon on the back, this launched him a decent amount, but it was not enough according to her, "I need to put in more power." She thought as she was now focused on the demon who trapped her in the fire cage, "Give it up kid, if I can't kill you, then the heat in this place can certainly can." The demon said as he smirked, Emiko looked down at her hands and realized she was sweating a lot, she realized that her grip was starting to loosen up and her vision started to get a bit more hazy. "Shit, I need to get out of here fast!" She thought as she looked up and charged the demon, "Water Breathing: Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!" She said as she stabbed the demon in front of her, the demon jumped back and ignited his fists, "Blood Demon Art: Devil's Wrath!" The demon said as he launched flaming balls. Emiko dodged every one of them, but her focus was starting to get more and more off because of the searing heat, this caused her to be skimmed by one of the fireballs on her leg, which burned her on that spot. She didn't mind it as she held her guard for another attack as the demon's attack finished.

She then saw the other demon enter looking a bit ticked off, she then took the chance and ran for him immediately and kicked him out of the cage along with her trailing behind as the wall slowly closed, "No!" The demon thought as he lowered the wall of fire. "Gah!" The demon said while being kicked by Emiko, Emiko then took a step back and reached into her pocket, and grabbed a water bottle, she then opened the bottle and poured it all over herself, "Better..." She thought as she dried off her hands and grabbed her sword and stood a guard, "Tch..." the demons both thought at the same time, "Blood Demon Art: Destroying Guilt!" One of the demons said. As he said that, the place around Emiko started to darken and close in on her, Emiko was startled at first but kept her guard up. 

Emiko could barely see a meter in front of her as she walked forward, as she walked, she began to hear soft whispers. She began to get creeped out as she continued to walk forward. She then heard a whisper that seemed like it originated from behind her, she then turned around with a little fear in her step, "Wh-whose there!" She said, "Show yourself!" She added as she began to tighten the grip on the handle of her sword, "Emiko..." A voice said from behind her, Emiko then immediately turned around, "Hello!?" She said, "I swear that voice sounded familiar..." She said as she began to tremble a little bit, she then looked up to see dust flying around her, the dust soon took the shape of a human but was currently unidentifiable, "Emiko..." a voice said again, but as soon as Emiko heard it, she knew whose voice the whispers belong too.

"M-mom..." She said as a single tear began to trail down her face, the dust then began to take the form of Emiko's mom who was a short but beautiful young lady dressed in modern-day clothing, another clump of dust then took began to take the form of her dad who was a tall and skinny man. "D-dad!" Emiko said, but before Emiko could say anything, a few more dust particles began to take the form of her siblings, one boy, and one girl. "Haru! Mio!" She said as tears began trailing down her face.

"Emiko..." They all said in unison, their warm and hopeful faces soon turned into serious and disgusted looks, "You've failed us..." Emiko's mom said. A hit to the gut then struck Emiko and she fell to the ground as if the blow was physical, "You didn't protect us Nee-chan!" Her siblings said, Emiko then felt a blow to the face hit her as she looked back at her dead family with a little blood coming out of her mouth, "You failed as a big sister Emiko." Her dad said with a stern voice, Emiko wasn't used to her dad being strict and felt a sharp pain in her stomach again as she grabbed it her head fell to the floor due to the physical and mental pain she was receiving, "I'm sorry!" She said as she began to cover her face in tears, "Sorry ain't going to cut it Emiko!" Her mom said with a shout, Emiko then received a hit on the back which caused her to lose her breath for a few seconds, "You failed to fulfill your duty as the oldest, you failed to protect your siblings, we didn't raise you to be like this!" Her dad exclaimed, "Nee-san why did you leave us, you're the worst Nee-san ever!" The siblings yelled in unison, Emiko felt another blow, but she didn't mind it because in her mind she thought this is what she deserved. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me, I beg of you. I'm sorry I wasn't there!" She said as she only felt sorrow and guilt as she spoke those words. As she cried buckets out on the ground, another dust clump manifested and took the form of Akira and Isamu. 

Emiko then looked up to see her two childhood friends looking down on her, "Look at you..." Isamu coldly said, Emiko looked up at her best friend's faces to see them both with the same amount of disgust and shame as her parents, "We thought you were strong..." Akira said, Emiko was hit again and she coughed out some blood due to the force of the hit, "We thought you were more than that Emiko." Isamu said, "I-I'M SORRY I SAID, I'M SORRY YOU GUYS, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE, PLEASE DON'T SAY THESE THINGS AT ME!" Emiko says as she finally snaps, the images of her family members and friends then disappear as she is left alone in the darkness. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Emiko repeatedly says to herself as she continues to cry on the ground, "I'm the worst, I'm useless, I am nothing but trash..." She says as her vision begins to black out, she finally collapses on the ground due to pure grief and sadness.

Flashback

"Nee-san!" Two kids scream, "Haru! Mio!" Emiko said happily as she ran up and hugged her siblings, "How was school?" She said with a smile and patted her little sibling's head, "Good Onee-chan!" Haru said, "Emiko!" Someone said from behind, Emiko then turned around to see Akira and Isamu walk out of the school grounds, "Akira-chan! Isamu-kun!" Emiko said, Akira then ran up to the two and greeted Akira with a furious handshake, meanwhile Isamu walked to her younger siblings and patted them on the head, "Hey you two, how are you guys doing?" Isamu said with a slight smile, "Good!" Mio said. Meanwhile, the two girls were talking to each other.

"How have you been Emiko-chan?" Akira questioned, "Good!" Emiko answered back, "That's good, but I and my brother have to go soon since my parents want us home early for dinner," Akira said with a bit of a sad tone, "Aww don't worry Akira, tomorrow is the weekend, so we can spend all day playing with each other tomorrow!" Emiko happily said, "Really! Thanks, Emiko-chan!" Akira gleefully said, the two girls then held each other's hand and screamed out of glee which caused Isamu and Emiko's siblings to look back at them like they were crazy, "My ears..." Isamu thought, "Well we have to go, so see you soon Emiko-chan!" Akira said as she took her brother's hand and ran away, "Wo-woah! Akira take it slow!" Isamu said as he almost fell as his sister grabbed onto his shirt and began pulling him away.

"Bye Akira-chan! Bye, Isamu-kun!" Emiko said, the two siblings waved back at her and turned to the corner and were soon out of sight. Emiko then turned to her siblings with a little chuckle, "Ok you two! Let's see who can get to Mom and Dad's house first!" Emiko said as she began running down a road, "H-hey not fair!" Haru said as he started to run, "You got a headstart!" Mei said as she started to run along with her brother in order to catch up to their older sister.

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After 20 or so minutes of continuous running, Emiko managed to reach the house first, she then saw her siblings run close behind her as they both soon took a stop, "Looks like I win!" Emiko said, "Not fair, you got a headstart!" Mei said with a pout, "You are lucky we are in the track team, that hill climb could have killed me!" Haru said as he panted heavily, "No excuses for being a sore loser!" Emiko happily said as she patted both of their sibling's heads, they both looked at her with a pout, "Emiko, how many times do I have to tell you not to race your siblings from school to the house?" A female voice said from behind, Emiko then froze up and turned around slowly to where she heard the voice, she then saw her mother looking at her with a kind face, but in reality, she knew that it meant something more sinister, "S-Sorry Mom..." Emiko said with a bit of fear in her tone, her mom then ran up to her siblings and took a cloth from her pocket, and dusted off her kid's faces, "Look at them, they are all dirty now!" Her mom said as she dusted off the last piece of dirt from Mei's clothes, she then moved to Emiko and began rubbing her face with the cloth, "Including you!" Her mother said as she scolded Emiko who tried to talk but couldn't as her mother's cloth rubbing all over her face prevented her from doing it, "Sorry Mom..." Emiko said with an apologetic tone, "You are forgiven for now, but please go take a shower, dinner will be ready in a moment," Emiko's mom said as she then returned inside the house, Emiko sighed out of relief that she didn't get scolded even more by her mom, "Come on guys, let's go inside." Emiko said as she led her siblings inside their house.

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Emiko sat on her bed while reading a book with a lamp emitting enough light so she can read without any difficulty.

As she was reading, she then heard a soft knock on the door, "Come in!" She said as she puts her book on the side and sits up straight. The door then opens to reveal a man with a tall posture but a bit withered body, "Dad!" Emiko said as she helped her father move to her bed, "W-what are you doing here? I thought you were in bed, and did you take your medication?" Emiko questioned with a worried tone, her dad just smiled at her and sat on the bed, "I'm fine Emiko, I just came to visit you." Her dad said with a calm tone, Emiko hugged his dad and he returns it. "You should be in bed right now, what are you doing here..." Emiko said with a little sadness in her tone, her dad just lets go of the hug and looks at her with a soft smile, "Emiko, as you know, I'm slowly dying..." Her dad says with a little sadness in his tone, Emiko released a single tear, "I know, please don't remind me again..." Emiko said as she put her head in her dad's lap, "I'm sorry, but before I leave, I want to tell you this..." Emiko's dad said as Emiko looked up with a bit of sorrow in her eye, "Emiko after I leave, I won't be able to protect our family from the horrors of this world, and your my oldest, there is no one else I could tell this to except for you Emiko." Her dad said, "Emiko, after I and your mom die, I know you will be sad, but you need to learn how to stand back up and fight again, I want you to protect your siblings after I die, I want you to cherish every moment with them, because you may never know which moment will be your last with them..." Her dad solemnly said, "Yes Father, I swear I will protect my siblings and mom for as long as I live." Emiko said, her father smiled at her and began to pat her head, "Emiko, even if I am gone, I want you to know that I will still be with you, in your heart." Her dad said as she pointed one finger at her chest, "I want to let you know that I will always be there for you and I will always support you no matter what because I love you and I want you to carry on my will in life." He said, "I want you to make this world a better place with your siblings." Emiko's dad said with a soft smile, "Yes Father, I'll try my best." Emiko said as she started to cry as she began to think about all the great moments she had with her parents. Her father patted her head once again and got off the bed, "Good Emiko, that's what I expect from you, now please go to sleep now, you don't have to worry about me." Her dad said as he got up from the bed and hugged her eldest daughter and walked to the door, but before he reached the door, he turned back and said another thing, "I'll love you and your family no matter what." He said as he finally walked out of the room and close the door to Emiko's room.

Emiko then closed the lamp and turned the blanket on her and began to drift to sleep, another tear ran down her face as she continued to think about the promise she had made to her dying father. 

"I'll do my best to complete your will, Mom and Dad." She thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.


Flashback End