KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 32: Abandoned Shrine

     As the sun slowly set, the three of them continue to follow Kazumi to the location of their mission. In the end, they ended up at the foot of the stairs of a certain shrine.

"Is that.... a shrine?" Kano asked looking up.

"Obviously!" Haruna answered gritting her teeth at him.

"Let's go see this demon." Kazumi called to them who already started to walk up the stairs.

As they walk up while looking down the stairs, Kano noticed the dark marks going up. As he think of what it is, there's only one answer he could come up with.

'Blood!'
He suddenly stopped mid-way up.

Haruna and Kazumi stopped too as they turn their heads to Kano who's looking down before looking up to them.

"Nii-sama.... blood." He said pointing down.

"I know, we should hurry." Kazumi simply replied.

From walking, they ran up until they reached the top. Just from the outside, it already looked so scary and lifeless, they could feel the air around them get cold.

"Just how long has this shrine been abandoned?" Haruna asked as they get closer to the door.

"Well.... I can say maybe more or less fifty years. This place still look strong and could still last long." Kazumi answered.

Kano slowly opened the doors that made a creaking sound from its rusty hinges. It looked so dark and cold but what surprised them the most is how awful the smell is. Haruna held her throat because of the scent, she felt like her throat's going to dry at any time.

"Gross!" Haruna exclaimed coughing a little.

"As expected from someone who has a keen sense of smell." Kano replied teasingly smirking at her.

"Shut up!" Haruna replied snapping her head to his direction.

"Since this is both your first mission, I'll let you two finish this." Kazumi said smiling at them.

"You can count on us nii-sama!" Kano confidently said.

"You could wait for us outside nii-sama! We'll finish this quick!" Haruna reassured with her fist held high.

"Alright, be careful you two."

Kazumi walked back outside to let them do the mission theirselves. As they hear the doors creak open then close, Kano and Haruna looked at each other with a nod before going their separate ways. They're really full of energy to finish their first mission.

Haruna went to the west side of the shrine, she could smell a certain scent coming from that direction. A scent that don't belong to a demon but, children. Kano on the other hand, went to the north side of the shrine, where most of the smudged blood marks on the floor are leading to.

"What the...."

Haruna's eyes widened as she saw the scene right in front of her. In that very room, the sole room at the end of the corridors of the west side of the shrine, were full of corpses of dead children. Some of them are tied on the chairs, some are hanged with their wrists tied up the ceiling, some are fresh bodies and the worst, their bodies were all open revealing some of their innards. She felt like her stomach's going to turn upside down but she knew she has to endure it.

'Whoever made this, is a real monster!'
She thought gritting her teeth in anger and her hands forming into fists.

She heard the sound of someone clapping. As she look ahead in front of her, a figure slowly showed up from the shadows. He stopped clapping as soon as he walked out of his spot and revealing his self under the light, he's holding a whip with his right hand.