Onihunter Yuna

60 The lost mentor

The Oni blinked a few times to get his shit together. It appeared as if he had judged his protege wrong. He had not expected that she would show so much initiative and even would go on the hunt independently. Especially since she was injured.

"So, you were on the hunt?" His voice had gotten a little quieter.

"Yes."

"In the park?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"And there you met him?"

"Yes."

"Is that an interrogation, or what?", grumbled Ayumi from the sofa.

"Shut up!", yelled Yoshiro at her.

"Uncle! Don't talk to her like that!"

Yoshiro narrowed down his eyes and stared at Yuna. "Sorry. Let's talk in your room, where no one will disturb us."

"No! We're talking right here!"

"Don't forget who is in charge here."

"Oh? Are you now my master? My lord? Am I your fucking lapdog?!"

He raised his hands. "Wooah, relax. I just want to talk alone to you, without the heckling of ... uninvolved bystanders." The bystanders, he emphasized very explicitly.

"I was looking forward to see you again, but right now you're just obnoxious.", complained Yuna.

"Okay. Then let's talk here. What did Tirr want?"

The blue-haired bit her lower lip. She looked over her shoulder at Ayumi, who gazed back. Basically it bothered her not when her roommate overheard, but how would she react on the news that an army of Oni was preparing to attack the human world? Would she remain silent and quiet, or freak out, like the time when she found Yuna bleeding to death in her futon?

The huntress sighed. "Maybe we really should talk in private."

"What?", asked the redhead.

"Hunter stuff. The less you know, the better for you."

"If you think so."

"Come.", said Yuna to her mentor.

The girl passed Yoshiro on her way to her room. The Oni followed her, but refrained not from staring at the red-haired woman on the sofa until she evaded his gaze.

After they had entered the room, he closed the door behind himself.

"So?" Yoshiro seemed to be very exited.

"Tirr can create portals to the shadow realm and transport people through it."

"A new power?"

"No idea. He ... took me over there and showed me your homeland."

"I don't remember much about it."

"It's horrible."

He smiled. "That, I can remember."

The huntress folded her hands in front of her abdomen. "He gave me this wound."

"Did he want to kill you?"

"No. He wanted to see me suffer."

"That fits."

"He said that you should pick his side, or you'll be sorry. He wants to lead an army of Oni in the human world."

"Sounds a bit like a megalomaniac."

"I've seen some of his warriors. They aren't ready yet, but it's only a matter of time."

"Crap."

"Yes. We have to stop him."

Yoshiro massaged his temples. The Tirr problem had just reached a whole new dimension. Until now it was just a matter of stopping an insane mass murderer, but now he turned out to be the crazy leader of a whole army. This small, local unrest could possibly degenerate into a war that could affect the whole world, if they didn't act quickly.

"Damn it. What shall we do?", asked the Oni himself.

"Did you know that he was in the park?"

The mentor looked at the girl. "Yes. It's his territory."

"He spoke of you as brother."

Yoshiro snorted. "He belongs to a cult. The beasts are their children. The humanoids are their siblings and the old ones are ... the old ones."

"I've already figured that much. Now his remark about his sister Tiss makes sense."

"He mentioned Tiss?" The Oni looked at the girl, while it was rotating in his brain.

"Back when he was at our house."

"Your father had killed her."

"I know."

"Now I understand it. That's why he was at your place, right?", he realized.

"Yes."

"Oh God. If I hadn't taken your father under my wing." Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair. "This is all my fault."

"Tirr doesn't tolerate when humans kill Oni."

Yoshiro looked like a beaten dog. He obviously felt responsible for everything that had happened. Had he not made Kensuke to his student, he would never have killed Tiss. And Tirr would have never slaughtered the Masuda family. He could not make this mistake undone, but perhaps he could save the daughter of his friends from the same fate. If it was not too late.

"Okay. We end this here. I ... I can't involve you any longer.", murmured the Oni.

"What? No! You can't shut me out!"

"I don't want you to get killed by Tirr."

"Yoshiro. I have to kill him! It's my responsibility!"

"No. I finish him off. He's too dangerous for you."

"I have survived him twice by now, and if you kill him, you'll absorb father's soul!"

"Yes. And then you can kill me. Then this senseless battle finally comes to an end."