a/n : the new tbhk chapter huh. how abt that. it sure was uh. wow! fuck! i'm definitely not including that! changed my entire view on 6. the scene where y/n bites no. 6's hand was written before tbhk chapter 94 came out. sorry, i was granted the gift of prophecy.
anyways i'm trying to rewrite the story in a way that will match with the ending i have written, so forgive me if it's kinda sloppy so far </3 i'm doing my best, but supernaturals are so stubborn when they have their mind set on something :(( it's like they feel their way is the only way, be it sacrifice or deciding someone's fate...
but you can prove them wrong, right :)))? leave a comment and a vote, and enjoyyy!
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"thought i heard a ruckus. what do you want, children?"
a hand suddenly wrapped around your mouth, nearly larger than your face, and fear struck your senses. you thrashed helplessly as the deep voice chuckled.
"...didja come here to die?"
as more of the supernaturals rising from the floor caught your eye, you felt akane struggling beside you. your eyes widened in horror as you kicked your legs, trying- and failing- to yank out of the larger supernatural's grasp; though even as you fought, you felt exhaustion coursing through your body. with a quick glance at akane you saw him slumped over, a in his gaze.
'he's unconscious!' you thought, panicked. 'what's happening-?! this hand- it's like it's zapping the energy out of us!'
the lesser supernaturals were still crawling towards you, limbs cracking and terrifying groans emitting from them.
"give them here... give."
"let us eat them."
"humans... let us feed!"
darkness shrouded your vision, and in a final act of defiance you pulled your face away from the large hand, opening your jaw as wide as it could go before biting down on the supernatural's thumb. he immediately dropped you and akane, the taste of decay flooding your mouth and shooting nausea through your senses. you coughed out a mouthful of dark liquid, the black ooze that swirled with your spit making you wince in disgust.
"tch. stupid kid." the supernatural scoffed, shaking his hand out and instead turning to the supernaturals crowding you. "haaaaah... even if it is urabon, y'all can't get carried away like this. have y'all forgotten whose territory this is?"
as he spoke the other supernaturals froze, before one timidly spoke up.
"wait, are you...?" horror filled its tone. "p-please forgive us, we beg of you..."
"we had no idea they were your prey..." another insisted, its words rushed and somewhat slurred together. "lord si—"
both supernaturals that were speaking broke off, and the sound of crunching bone and splattering brain matter made you turn your head- just in time to see the bigger supernatural crush the lesser ones in his hands. a mournful moaning spread throughout the others, pleads mixed in with the wails.
"lord six, have mercy...!" one choked out, before it too painted the wall in dark crimson and chunks of rotting flesh. a few turned, trying to scamper away, but the supernatural brought them to an end with ease as well. bile rose in your throat at the merciless slaughter, and even though the creatures had tried to attack you pity still wormed its way into your churning stomach.
a bloody chunk of meat landed on your school slipper, sliding off and hitting the floor with a wet slap. you tried to draw your gaze away from the graphic scene, but could only stare gaping at the intimidating, monstrously tall supernatural before you. he donned white clothes and a mask that looked like some sort of animal skull- horns were protruding from the top and side, pointed and gleaming in the moonlight.
'they called him lord six... so is he one of the school mysteries?!' you glanced to the mess at his feet, furrowing your brow and nudging akane furiously. 'is he helping us? well, he's fighting other supernaturals, so maybe. ugh... akane, wake up, dumbass!' you hooked your hands under his arms, yanking him to a position where you could pull him up bridal style. you staggered under his weight. 'we have to get the hell out of here before he decides he wants human suede couches to match his bloody wallpaper!'
"well, well..." before you could scurry away the school mystery turned to face you. "you two look mighty tasty- and i'm so hungry."
"uh..." as he drew closer you stumbled back, almost fumbling your grip on akane as you rambled on in nervousness, tail bristled up from fright. "i'm all skin and bones, really gross- just sinew and stuff, so personally i wouldn't eat me- i'm pretty bitter, too, not that great of a meal..." you picked up one of akane's limp arms, shaking your head. "and hey, what the hell do you know, haha-? he's not either! tough muscles and chewy meat, hardly any flavor... oh boy..."
you swallowed thickly as the school mystery reached his hand down to grip your cheeks, turning your face from side to side. he had an amused air about him as he tipped his head, voice rumbling in a low hum.
"there are an awful lot of students here, though... i'm sure no one would notice if i ate one or two of the... rather odd ones."
he rested his free hand in between your fluffy cat ears, and you stiffened, pupils shrinking as your gaze flicked over the mask covering his face.
"you're one of the school mysteries, right..?" you squeaked, voice raising a pitch as no. 6 loomed even closer. "your boss- hanako san, honorable no. 7, the lame boy in the girl's restroom- he's one of my- my best friends, and he really likes me, so he'd be really pissed off if you... ate me..."
you trailed off as no. 6's grip on your face loosened, and suddenly he pulled himself away.
"this aura..." he murmured, as though now in a trance. "could it be...?"
you blinked up at him, confused at his sudden change in demeanor, before a worried cry rang out through the hall.
"n/n chan!"
"huh?" you turned at the familiar voice, only to spot a certain purple haired girl running your way. "aoi!?"
"you were taking so long, i was worried something happened... so i told nene to stay behind and tell the teachers where i went." the girl slowed to an even pace, squinting to see you in the dimly lit hallway. "are you okay?"
"aoi, don't come any closer!" you called out in warning, adjusting your grip on akane as he shifted in your arms. "go back to the others!"
she ignored your words, inching closer with uncertainty lighting her gaze. "what happened- hey, what's that on your head? and is that.... akane kun?"
you awkwardly raised a hand to your head, folding down one of the fluffy black cat ears and praying she thought it was a trick of the light. suddenly there was a blur of white as no. 6 flew past you, air whooshing past your face faster than you could react before halting directly in front of aoi. you stared on, mortified as the school mystery looked down at the purple haired princess, his large hands hesitantly reaching for her as she gazed up in shock.
"it can't be..." the supernatural murmured, and that was the most emotion you had heard out of him so far. "you look just like... well, then perhaps you're..."
akane twisted in your arms with a groan, and you looked down just in time to see him slipping his stopwatch from his pocket.
"keep... your..." the ginger haired boy panted with the effort of speaking, exhaustion still heavy on his words. "...filthy supernatural hands... off of her!!"
his sentence ended in a shriek, and suddenly the two others in the hall froze. the sound of a clock slowly ticking filled the air, and you blinked, looking at your hands as akane pushed himself to his feet.
"...you didn't freeze me?" you wondered aloud, and akane turned to gaze down at you with a solemn gaze. he was now in his supernatural form, cloak swishing around his figure and watch swaying from its chain.
"i need your aid in getting aoi out of here once my time wears off." he instructed, pointing towards the purple haired girl. "for now, stay there while i take care of this... inconvenience." after a pause he added, "and please, fix your face."
he motioned towards the upper left side of your face, and you clapped a palm over it to feel fur spiking out of hot skin; your cheeks burned in embarrassment, pain pulsing behind your eye as it always did when your curse became active.
'stupid demon cat.'
you wanted to bite back with a hiss of brutal words, but decided against it as akane strode closer to the purple haired girl. he leaned down to her eye level, gaze now warm with admiration.
"ao chan. i need you to wait just a little while." he hummed softly, and you had to strain your ears to catch his words. "l/n san will make sure you're alright... while i take care of this."
without another word he spun on his toes, raising up one of his feet and sending a power-packed kick into no. 6's face. the impact was so intense that it knocked the school mystery to the ground, unfreezing his time. landing another blow, akane kicked the supernatural into the wall. no. 6 spluttered in confusion, raising his head to stare at akane; light gleamed in one of the eyeholes on his askew mask.
"did you just... stop time?" the school mystery questioned, shifting to a sitting position. "who are you...?"
akane swung his clock by its chain before catching it with ease, a threatening grin on his face.
"i am an ordinary high school student! and also... the lower of the three clock keepers who make up no. 1 of the the seven school mysteries." he lowly chuckled, before his hand shot out and grabbed no. 6 by the front of his clothes. akane pulled the school mystery up to eye level, fearless as he glared into the skull. "i will not let anyone touch ao chan- least of all a supernatural. got it?" he wrinkled his nose. "now get los-"
"um... akane kun?"
your eyes widened as you peered past akane. a frail hand held his sleeve, and your gaze traveled up to land on aoi's confused expression. she blinked once, twice, her gaze shifting between the other three people before her. akane paled.
"ao-chan... how!?" he stammered, his previous confident aura having vanished. "you're not supposed to be able to see me when i'm in this form..."
"akane kun, you're wearing such strange clothes..."
"th-th-these are just... whaddya call 'em? uh..."
"cosplay, haha..." you suggested weakly, and akane shot you a glare that made you stumble over your words. aoi's violet gaze snapped to you, hardening as she directed her questions your way.
"y/n, your face...!" she gasped in shock at the probably freaky-looking fur you were trying to hide. "what's going on?"
you swallowed nervously at the lack of the cheery nickname she had for you. "well, you see-"
any excuse you were trying to make up died on your tongue as no. 6 came barreling towards akane, using his large hand to knock the boy's head into the ground. the ginger haired boy's mouth gaped in noiseless pain, and you rushed towards him as aoi let out a shrill scream.
"akane, holy shit!" you slid to a halt beside him, lifting his head and peering into his dazed eyes with a wince. he looked stunned from the impact, pupils retracted to pinpricks and face blank. you glanced up at where aoi had been before shouting in alarm at a lack of the purple haired girl, head whipping around to see no. 6 scooping her up and backing away.
"sorry, but... the school has gone crazy." he stated as though it were the simplest thing in the world, holding a desperately struggling aoi against his chest. "and it's my responsibility to put it back the way it was, so i'm gonna need her."
"akane kun, n/n chan!" she cried out, reaching towards you as tears pricked her eyes. "help...!"
"aoi!" you started to move forward but was stopped by akane tugging your sleeve. you looked back to see him balling his hand into a fist, staggering to his feet with a wince.
"i told you... don't touch her!" he screeched, flinging his fist towards the school mystery. akane never made contact, though, his hand flying through empty air as a cloud of mist swirled through the hall.
"forgive me." no. 6 uttered, before there was no more trace of him. your lungs filled with the scent of heavy mist and decay, and you sneezed a few times before turning to akane.
"what- what just happened...?!" you spluttered, fanning the mist away from your face. "what do we do? aoi, he... we need to get her!"
you flinched away as akane punched the wall, foundation cracking beneath his fist. startled by his sudden outburst of anger, you stared at him bleakly.
"a... akane kun..." you mumbled, stumbling back from the panting boy. he breathed in heavily, face twisted into an expression of rage.
"damn it!" the amateur clock-keeper cursed, and he didn't seem to notice the blood seeping through onto the knuckles of his glove. "what the hell does that supernatural want with her...!?"
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"as the seven mysteries, we serve as proxies for the gods. and it is our responsibility to guard the boundaries between the near and far shores."
a voice, old and weathered down by time, rang throughout the boundary where the seven school mysteries held their meetings. school mystery no. 1, kako, stared down at the young boy leaning nonchalantly back in his seat. the other supernaturals' gazes were also trained on him, some meek and timid while others bored in the whole thing.
"this evening, in defiance of the duties we have sworn to uphold, supernaturals are crossing over the boundary in droves. the situation threatens to become rather serious, honorable no. 7." kako's voice became stern, and he tightened his grip on his staff. "as school mystery no. 1, i have merely observed until now... but i can no longer stand by and allow you to continue destroying yorishiros."
he slammed his staff down on his desk, but it was of no surprise to the supernaturals around him; no. 1 was usually a calm school mystery, but he did happen to gain a temper whenever things were going awry.
"no. 2, no. 5, and no. 4. i cannot believe that you are so ignorant of the purpose they serve."
"yeah, that's right!" yako stood from her chair with a shout, leaning over the edge of her stand to glare down at the pesky teenage boy in charge of them. "ever since you took my seat number, my boundary's been swarming with crazy creatures! i can't stand it!"
tsuchigomori sighed, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "you brought that on yourself."
"grrrrr!"
"brought it on herself..." mirai giggled at the exchange, kicking her legs in childish glee. "no. 2's a big stupid-head."
shijima san piped up, holding up her paper that stated she was a clone. "please don't call on me to fight, i'm just a humble drawing."
mitsuba looked out of place, gaze flicking between the elder supernaturals as he gulped. 'sh-should i really be here...? i am no. 3, but...'
the clamor of supernaturals chattering was brought to a halt by kako knocking his gavel against its stand, quieting everyone almost instantly.
"silence, all of you. i call for order." he instructed. "urabon is nigh upon us. no. 6 will soon grow impatient as more supernaturals spread through the school. last year we had the other seven mysteries to keep him from doing anything rash, but nearly half of them have been removed from their seats..." kako turned an accusatory glare onto hanako kun, weathered skin pulled into a frown. "...thanks to our lord no. 7."
mitsuba hesitantly floated towards tsuchigomori's stand, leaning close to the older man. "uh... what's urabon?"
"you haven't heard of it?" tsuchigomori tipped his head. "it's the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the old calendar- that would be august or september these days... it's what the mortals call 'obon.'" he explained. "the time of year when the boundaries between this world and the next are most blurred. usually the swell of supernaturals dies down in a few days, or even weeks, but this time we're missing three mysteries to help thin the population."
"indeed. now then, honorable no. 7– you are our leader." kako cut in, nodding towards the dark haired boy. "what do you intend to do about this?"
there was silence, until the boy hummed in thought. he drummed his fingers on the edge of his stand before pushing himself to his feet.
"what... to... do...?" he sighed, straightening his posture and crossing his arms with a cocky grin. "you're such a worrywart, no. 1! of course i know what it means to destroy a yorishiro, and i am fulfilling my duties as school mystery no. 7, am i not?" hanako lept from his stand, landing gracefully on the stairs leading up to kako's desk and gazing up at the supernatural. "besides, what's the problem? let there be a little supernatural infestation in the school. even god would forgive that much."
the school mystery skipped up the stairs, before hopping off the final step and floating to kako's eye level.
"and! after! all~!" he sang, twisting onto his back and slowly swinging his legs. "we have no. 6 to take care of urabon!"
"no. 6, eh...? that one can be a bit extreme, especially at times like this..." kako mumbled in thought. "when he wants to get a situation under control, there's no telling what he might do."
"you know no. 6 always gets irrational around this time." tsuchigomori added. "it's vital to protect the living students from him, but he's nowhere to be found at the moment. we can't risk harm coming to those of the near shore." then he blinked, staring down at the dark haired boy. "if something were to happen to one of the students, wouldn't it be a poor move on your part?"
and hanako kun blinked back, tilting his head as the corners of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly, before he turned and made his way down the stairs. he vanished into the darkness, his hakujodai fading from view.
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the sweet scent of a multitude of different flowers flooded the air, almost overwhelming.
aoi awoke to a gentle swaying beneath her body, as though someone were lovingly rocking her to sleep. she was warm, covered with a soft woolen blanket. she almost closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness again before recalling some of the previous events, heart quickening in alarm. she jolted up, purple hair bouncing as she glanced at her surroundings.
"wait!" she breathed softly. "where... am i?"
she was in a boat, crafted from pale brown wood and sanded to perfection; flowers filled the inside of the boat- lilies and carnations, pansies and violets blanketing her in a patchy sheet of white, pink, purple, and blue. sunlight was streaming through the clouds above, providing an almost comforting atmosphere. pure water shimmered as far as the eye could see, stone lanterns and lilies breaking up the wide expanse of blue. smaller paper lanterns floated towards her, and she leaned out over the water to gently prod one of them.
"what... am i doing here..?"
"oh, you're awake."
aoi startled at the male's voice, and she turned to see a tall figure standing on the front of the boat, rowing at an even pace; how had she not noticed him? she almost cursed herself internally, but quickly corrected her thoughts with a shake of her head. blinking at the school mystery, a shiver ran down her spine at the skull mask he adorned.
"you're from before...!"
"hm? that phrasin'..." no. 6 mumbled, resting the oar aside and making his way towards aoi. "so it's true. you can see us supernaturals now."
he reached towards her, and she paled at the thought of this strange person touching her. forgetting her manners in her fear, she scooted back and spat out a defensive shout.
"stay away from me!" she hissed, hoping to sound confident as she squeezed her eyes shut. the supernatural had no reaction, and then there was a quiet poof. aoi vowed to keep her eyes shut, but curiosity got the better of the purple haired princess, and she hesitantly opened one eye to see the source of the sound.
in his hand was a bundle of vibrant lilac bellflowers, so small and fragile in comparison to even his fingernails. aoi looked confused.
"...flowers?"
"you don't like them?" no. 6 sounded disappointed, and a part of aoi wanted to take them if only to make the miserable supernatural happy; but instead she stayed stiff, and the school mystery gazed at the flowers dejectedly they wilted in his grasp.
the petals shriveled up into withered husks, and then they crumbled into pieces. aoi jumped in her seat, surprised for a heartbeat.
"oh... sorry. you see, i can't touch livin' things for too long." no. 6 sounded sad, and then he cleared his throat and looked directly at aoi. "i guess i really gave you a scare, but i didn't have a choice; it's my responsibility to straighten out the boundary between life and death. for that, i need you... or rather, i need the blood of the kannagi."
aoi sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, leaning forward; a strange interest had sparked in her, almost pleased at the thought of being needed.
"me...?"
"yes." the school mystery replied, raising his hands to his skull mask.
he lifted the covering off of his face, lowering it to his lap to reveal a rather handsome man. though he must've been decades, or even centuries old, the supernatural still looked youthful. his dark eyes barely caught the light of the boundary, vast pools of intriguing nothingness. no. 6 offered aoi a welcoming smile, his pointed ears tilting up ever so slightly as he beamed at her.
"i needed to bring you here to be our sacrifice."
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a/n : nobody understands aoi like i understand aoi fr she's my best friend she's my pal
AND to anyone who ALSO likes the language of flowers, all the flowers covering aoi in the boat are ones that stand for something hehe. a bit of foreshadowing for you and also i was too happy about it to just put it in there and not say anything in the author's note. <3
hope your week has been good! i'm going to
bed now.