「The Cousin」

Chapter 4

"Do you think she'd have her Spirits kill Ragyo? The woman is fused with Life Fibers, after all." Sanageyama pointed out.

"She'd never make a Spirit kill a human." Inumuta sighed, recalling his second meeting with the magical girl.

"That bitch is not human." Sanageyama grumbled.

"She may be fused with Life Fibers, but she is not entirely made of them, therefor she is still human, and Spirits do not kill humans." Inumuta stated, matter-of-fact. "It's against the laws of the Spirits."

"Don't tell me the blossoming relationship between you two is just so you can get data." Jakuzure sighed.

"Shouldn't you all be going somewhere?" Inumuta asked, turning to face the computer screen in front of him.

"Whatever. Let's go, Gamagoori. The Northern Kanto gang needs me." Sanageyama said, and the muscular man followed him to the helipads.

"Don't make a mistake you'll regret, Inumuta." Jakuzure said, before leaving.

"I don't think I'll ever regret Hoshi." Inumuta said, once he was all alone.

***

"Let's go!" Hoshi shouted, as people ran over the hills and to the helicopters. "Don't look back!"

She watched as hundreds of people climbed onto the helicopters. She pulled out her blade and sliced at the Life Fiber that reached out for her. She bared her teeth as something pulled at her hair.

Hoshi used her blade to cut off the bond that had wrapped around her hair. She whipped around, and saw thousands of Covers in front of her face.

"You touched my hair." She mumbled, violet eyes beginning to glow, red tinting them.

The fiber came back to life and reached for her hand. Hoshi wrapped her fingers around the fiber delicately. Then, she pulled, causing the Cover to come hurtling towards her. She used her sword to slice the Cover in half.

"Shitty piece of clothing." She hissed, as more fibers reached out to her.

"All of the people are evacuated. Return to the helicopters." Inumuta's voice rang in her ear piece.

"I have to give them more time, though." Hoshi said, as she slowly backed up, slicing at the fibers that slithered towards her. "These stupid bastards are getting a little too close for comfort."

"Well hurry up and get our of there, or you're going to become an energy source for a Cover." Inumuta growled.

"They won't take me that easily. Ragyo and Nui can kiss my Nudist Beach-uniformed ass." Hoshi smirked as she hopped into the back of a helicopter, and they began to fly off at incredible speeds, leaving behind the Covers.

"Will you save us, Hanbun-san?" Hoshi turned her head and saw a little boy, sitting beside where she was standing.

"Shin-bo! That's not a nice thing to call someone." His, what Hoshi assumed is his mother, scolded. "Sorry, for my son's behavior."

"Ah, it's fine. My niece used to be like that." Hoshi smiled at the woman.

"You look like you're in High School. How can you be an aunt?" The woman asked

"It's my cousin's daughter. I had met them a few years ago. He was a good man with an amazing daughter, and she always called people by their appearance. She was very blunt as well, much like her father." Hoshi smiled, thinking about her niece.

"Do you know if they made it to safety?" The woman was getting very curious.

"They died a long time before all of this happened. It was a car crash, and things just went wrong. A father died, and so did his daughter. They were both so young." Hoshi sighed. "But the past is in the past, and I must move on."