Divide and Conquer (A Higurashi When They Cry FanFic)

Chapter 4: Darkness Ensues

Rika hardly slept anymore. She didn't know why. Perhaps it was from centuries of staying up and pondering the mysteries of her fate, wondering if she would live or die.

She sat at her usual spot on the windowsill, with Hanyuu sitting against the wall. Moonlight streamed through the window, painting the room in a dull silvery glow. She held in her small hand a glass of wine that she sipped from contently. Hanyuu, on the other hand, drank from a small cup of white grape juice. They sat there, enjoying each other's company: the young girl who had lived for ages and a goddess who had been at her side since birth. But, at the same time, they sat in silence, either unwilling or afraid to bring up the elephant in the room.

Watanagashi. The Cotton Drifting festival. It was this Sunday. They had a week to figure out if they were safe, or if a repeat was bound to happen. Either way, neither of them would sleep well.

They agreed, yes, the primary cause of Rika's deaths were from the hands of Miyo Takano. And they had dealt with her the previous summer. With her out of the way, they should be safe. Right?

But Hanyuu couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. And it bothered her that she couldn't sense what it was.

Normally, Rika would dismiss Hanyuu's ideas as foolish worry, but this time, she felt it too. There was an uneasiness in the air, like a shiver that didn't go away. There was danger here, and it was not going to leave quietly.

Hanyuu shivered slightly. As a goddess, she was able to sense things a mere human had no hope of feeling. And it wasn't always that great. She was a kindhearted goddess (granted she had her own bloody past) and the emotions she sensed in the air were absolutely terrible. The blood lust was on part with a demon's. They reminded her of that day, when she faced her daughter and asked her to-

"Hanyuu." Rika said, pulling her out of her thoughts. The young girls voice did not fit the body, as it sounded deeper and wiser.

"Hmm?" she looked up, and saw the young girl had a darkened expression on her face.

"Do you feel something? Outside our house." Rika looked Hanyuu in the eyes, searching.

Hanyuu tilted her head to the side. Yes, there was something there. It wasn't friendly.

She nodded slightly.

"I figured as much." Rika sipped from her wine and beckoned for her friend to look outside.

As she looked, she noticed the moonlight shining out on the stone steps leading to their home, with thick bushes lining the sides. As the strong wind blew, a single bush shook more forcefully than the rest.

She looked at the blue-haired girl and nodded. "There's someone outside spying on us."

"Is it her again?" Rika asked, her voice urgent. She had hoped to never see that vile woman again.

Hanyuu shook her head. "No, this is different. It's not the same feeling I got with Miyo. It's a pure blood lust. No goal to be reached. It's bordering insanity..." She shivered.

"An L5?" Rika asked, eyes raised. There shouldn't be an L5 in the area, as no one had shown signs of developing symptoms.

"I don't think it's that simple." Hanyuu said. "I've only felt this once... And if it's what I think it

is, it's not gonna end well for anyone."

"Something worse than an L5? I find that hard to believe." Rika sipped from her wine and gazed out at the moon hanging high in the sky. "Well, whatever comes, I feel we can take it."